Pulpit Orator
CONTAINING SEVEN ELABORATE SKELETON SERMONS,
OR,

HOMILETIC, DOGMATICAL, LITURGICAL, SYMBOLICALAND 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.
TRANSLATED 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. III.
From Low Sunday to the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost.

jfrEÏjmcfe $)uôtet & Co.,
Printers to the Holy Apostolic See and the Sacred Congregration of Rites

RATISBON

ROME

NEW YORK

CINCINNATI

CONTENTS.

Page
LOW SUNDAY
Homiletic Sketch—Faith ..·····»........................
7
Homiletic Sketch.—Two Apparitions of the RisenSaviour ...
Dogmatical Sketch.—Faith..................................................................... 19
Liturgical Sketch.—The Renewal of the Promises of Baptism .
Symbolical Sketch.—The Marks of the Wounds of Christ are
Mementos of our Peace....................................................... . . . ·
6. Moral Sketch.—Peace.............................................................................
.
7. Moral Sketch.—Three Remedies against Relapse into Sin . . .

1.
2.
3.
4.
δ.

18
25
31

86
41

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

Homiletic Sketch.—The Sacred Passion...................................................
Homiletic Sketch.—Christ, the Good Shepherd, and we, his Sheep
Dogmatical Sketch.—The Catholic Church, the only Saving Church
Liturgical Sketch.—The Meaning of the Five Sundays after
Easter................................................................................................................
6. Symbolical Sketch.—The Qualities of the Sheep of Christ . . .
6. Moral Sketch.—We must be Good Shepherds of our Souls. . .
N
7. Moral Sketch.—The Signs of Election
..···.·.··
1.
2.
3.
4.

47
53
59
65

71
76
80

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

1. Homiletic Sketch.—On the Conduct of Christians in the various
Circumstances of Life........................................................................................... 87
2. Homiletic Sketch.—The Farewell Discourse of our Lord
. . .
94
8. Dogmatical Sketch.—Christian Hope............................................
101
4. Liturgical Sketch.—The three Feasts falling in Easter Time . . 107
6. Symbolical Sketch.—The Travail of a Woman in Childbirth a
Figure of the Miseries of human Life....................................................... 112
6. Moral Sketch.—The Efficacy of Tears....................................................... 118
7. Moral Sketch.—The Folly of the Children of the World, and the
Wisdom of the Children of God...................................................................126
FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.
L Homiletic Sketch.—AU good Gifts come from God. Lessons there­
from .......................................................................................................................... 182
2. Homiletic Sketch.—The Departure of Christ to his Father, and
the Coming of the Holy Ghost...........................
140
8. Dogmatical Sketch.—Christian Hope....................................................... 146
4. Liturgical Sketch.—The Feasts occurring in Paschal Time . .
152

CONTENTS.
Μ —Continued.
FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER
Μ RASTER.
5. Symbolical Sketch.—Our Dignity and Duties as Ambassadors of God
6. Moral Sketch.—The Christian Wanderer...........................................
7. Moral Sketch.—We must despise, shun and fear Temporal Happiness

157
163
167

01
FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

1

Homiletic Sketch.—The Hearing of the Word of God, and Exer­
174
cises of Piety.......................................
2. Homiletic Sketch.—The consoling Promises which Christ made to
180
his Disciples.......................................
•Λΐ
8. Dogmatical Sketch.—The Necessity
of Prayer ....... 186
4. Liturgical Sketch.—Origin and Spirit of Processions .... 191
5. Symbolical Sketch.—Prayer, a Key...................................................... 196
6. Moral Sketch.—How we must pray that we may be heard
. . 202
7. Moral Sketch.—When and where we are to pray............................ 207
SUNDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF THE ASCENSION.

1. Homiletic Sketch.—We must be prudent and watchful in Prayer,
and must love one another...................................................................... 213
2. Homiletic Sketch.—The Prophecy of Christ concerning the Mission
221
of the Holy Ghost, and the Sufferings of his Disciples . .
8. Dogmatical Sketch.—What does Faith teach us concerning the
Holy Ghost? ........................................................................................
·
4. Liturgical Sketch.—Preparation for the Feast of Pentecost . .
5. Symbolical Sketch.—How we must give Testimony of Jesus ac­
cording to the Example of the Apostle ............................................ 238
6. Moral Sketch.—Lies.—The Vice of Lying ............................................
250
7. Moral Sketch.—Scandal.......................... ............................... .....
PENTECOST, OR WHITSUNDAY.

1. Homiletic Sketch—The Descent of the Holy Ghost......................
2. Homiletic Sketch.—Christ gives his Disciples an Instruction on
the Love of God, promises them the Holy Ghost, and consoles
them for his Departure..........................................................................
8. Dogmatical Sketch.—The Effects of the Holy Ghost in the Church
and in our Souls.....................................................................................
4. Liturgical Sketch.—The Mission of the Holy Ghost......................
5. Symbolical Sketch.—Fire, a Symbol of the Effects of the Graces
of the Holy Ghost....................................................................................
6. Moral Sketch.—Operations of the Holy Ghost for the Salvation
of Man..............................................................................................
7. Moral Sketch.—The Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost .....

256

262
270
275

281

293

TRINITY SUNDAY.

1. Homiletic Sketch.—The Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity . .
2. Homiletic Sketch.—Commissions and Promises which Christ gave
to his Apostles............................... .........................................................
8. Dogmatical Sketch.—The Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity . .
4u Liturgical Sketch.—The Blessing of the Most Holy Trinity . ,

301

309
816

CONTENTS.

TRINITY SUNDAY.—Continued.

page

5. Symbolical Sketch.—The Holy Sign of the Cross . . . . · . 329
6. Dogmatical and Liturgical Sketch combined.—The Worship
of the Most Holy Trinity.............................................................................. 335
7. Liturgical-Moral Sketch.—The Ceremonies of Baptism . . . 341

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.
1. Homiletic Sketch.—The Love of our Neighbor ....... 350
2. Homiletic Sketch.—The Great Supper............................................
. 357
8. Dogmatical Sketch.—The Beal Presence of Jesus Christ in the
Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar............................................................. 363
4. Liturgical Sketch.—The Ceremonies of Holy Communion . . . 368
5. Symbolical Sketch.—Heaven, a Great Supper...................................... 373
6. Moral Sketch.—Why did Jesus institute the Blessed Eucharist?. 380
7. Moral Sketch.—The Difference between Temporal and Spiritual
Goods.....................................................................................................................385
THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

1. Homiletic Sketch.—St. Peter exhorts us to practice divers Virtues 393
2. Homiletic Sketch.—The Parables of the lost Sheep and of the
lost Groat.............................................................
400
3. Dogmatical Sketch —The Mercy of God............................................
406
4. Liturgical Sketch.—The Sacred Heart of Jesus................................. 411
5. Symbolical Sketch.—The Church, the Goad Shepherd’s Home for
the Sinner..............................................................·........................................... 416
6 Moral Sketch.—On delaying Repentance ......... 422
7. Moral Sketch.—Our Conduct towards oiunew ....... 429
FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

1. Homiletic Sketch.—The Future
ovation and Transfiguration
of the whole Creation
435
2. Homiletic Sketch.—Jesus preaches; the Apostles let down their Nets 442
3. Dogmatical Sketch.—The Infallibility of the Pope................................. 449
4. Liturgical Sketch.—The Election and Coronation of the Pupe . 454
5. Symbolical Sketch.—Our Life here below, a Ship................................. 460
6. Moral Sketch. -Means for obtaining the Blessing of God . . . 467
7. Moral Sketch—On Purity of Intention .····,.«.. 478

GENERAL INDEX.

Volume VI., Page 473.

LOW SUNDAY.

Epistle Z John 5: 4-10. Dearly beloved: Whatsoever is born
of God, overcometh the world ; and this is the victory which overcometh thenvorld, our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world,
but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God ? This is he that
came by water and blood, Jesus Christ : not by water only, but by
water and blood. And it is the Spirit which testifieth that Christ
is the truth. And there are three who give testimony in heaven:
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these three are
one. And there are three who give testimony on earth: the spirit,
and the water, and the blood, and these three are one. If we
receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater.
For this is the testimony of God, which is greater, because he
hath testified of his Son. He that believeth in the Son of God
hath the testimony of God in himself.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
FAITH.

Most of our Sunday lessons up to this time have been portions
or selections from the epistles of St. Paul; but the lesson for this
Sunday is taken from the first epistle of St. John. This Apostle
wrote not only a gospel and the Apocalypse, but also three epis­
tles, of which the first is addressed to the Christians in the East,
the two others to individual persons. In this epistle he exhorts
the Christians to be on their guard against the world and all
wicked people, and to lead a pious life worthy of their faith: at
the same time he warns them against the false teachers who
denied the divinity of Christ and disseminated other unchristian
doctrines.

To explain to you the contents of our lesson for this day, I will
answer the two following questions;

8

Low Sunday.
I. What does faith effect;
II. On what is faith founded!

Part I.
The lesson for this day begins with the words: Whatsoever is
torn of God, overcometh the world; and this is the victory which
overcometh the world, our faith. All who are regenerated in the
holy Sacrament of Baptism, hence all Christians of every age,
condition, or sex, have the grace through faith to overcome the
enemies of their salvation; that is, the world, the flesh, and the
devil But this faith, which endows us with power to overcome the
world and everything that entices us to sin, is the belief in Jesus
Christ the Son of God and Redeemer, or in general, the Chris­
tian Faith as the Holy Catholic Church teaches it. Therefore St.
John writes: Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?
The question is, how far does faith strengthen us to overcome
the world? The answer is, in so far as faith offers us the means
of grace, which we need for the overcoming of all temptations
and for constancy in the service of God. I will mention only a
few of them:

1. The word of God. What an effectual means the word of God
is for the overcoming of all obstacles to our salvation, for virtue
and true holiness of life, St. Paul tells us in the epistle to the
Hebrews (4: 12): “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
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart.” History convinces us of the power of the word of God.
What has rooted up the abominations of Paganism among the
nations of the earth and established the Christian religion among
them? Was is not the word of God which the Apostles and their
successors preached without ceasing ? When John Capristan came
to Germany in the year 1451, and preached there, whole cities
went out to meet him, and his hearers frequently numbered more
than a hundred thousand. All were bathed in tears, nothing was
heard but sighing and moaning, and the most hardened sinners
were converted. By one sermon this saint brought twelve thou­
sand people back to the true faith. The Hussites in Bohemia
used to say that they feared that monk more than a strong army.
And when the Christian manfully resists temptations to impurity,
theft, or injustice, or other sins and vices, does he not do it on
account of the word of God, which threatens him with the divine
wrath and eternal damnation if he yields to the temptation and
sins, but which assures him of the divine pleasure and of eternal

i. Homiletic Sketch.

9

salvation, if he overcomes the temptation and constantly per­
severes in virtue? Therefore listen to the word of God with atten­
tion as often as it is preached to you, and take to heart and practise
what you hear, that you may experience its blessed effects.
2. The holy sacrifice of the mass. Through this sacrifice all the
graces which Christ has merited for us through his bloody
sacrifice on the cross are continually applied to us, as St. Tho­
mas of Aquin says: “In every mass we can find that fruit and
benefit which Christ obtained on Good Friday by his death on
the cross. Through the holy sacrifice of the mass particularly
we receive great graces for the overcoming of all temptations
and for perseverance in the service of God.” St. Augustine re­
lates that a certain Hesperius, being much tormented by evil
spirits, applied to the priests, asking one to come and free him
from the evil. One of them went and offered the sacrifice of the
mass for him, after which he was free from that trouble (De Civit.
Dei, cap. 8. Have recourse, then, to this holy sacrifice, not only
in your temporal, but also in your spiritual necessities, and when­
ever you assist at it ask our dear Lord for those graces which
you need—namely, grace to overcome all temptations, grace to
subdue your inordinate inclinations, and grace to make progress
in the path of virtue.

3. The holy sacraments. All the holy sacraments impart to us*
beside sanctifying grace, special graces, which enable us to fight
the good fight and to persevere in justice to the end. Thus we
receive in the Sacrament of Confirmation grace to confess our
faith with constancy and to live according to its precepts; in the
Sacrament of Penance we are strengthened, so that we may not
relapse into our old sins, but lead a penitential life ; the Sacra­
ment of the Altar weakens our evil inclinations, gives us a desire
for virtue, cleanses us from venial sins and preserves us from
mortal ones. The Sacrament of Extreme Unction strengthens
us in suffering and temptations, especially in the agony of death,
and obtains for us the grace to persevere in the love of God and
die a happy death. The sacraments, in general, are channels
through which all divine aids are conveyed to our souls. Give
thanks then to God for the holy sacraments, and always prepare
yourselves for their reception with the greatest care, that you
may be made partakers of the inestimable graces which they
convey.
4. The prayer of the Church. Prayer is more effectual when
the person who prays is pleasing to God, when a number of per­
sons pray, and when the granting of their petition contributes
more to the glory of his divine Name. But who could pray more

Low Sunday.
acceptably than the Church, the immaculate Spouse of Christ ?
Who could glory in having so many praying with her as the
Church, with whom Christ, her divine Head, prays, and whom
Mary, the Queen of heaven and earth, and the innumerable an­
gels and saints assist with their prayers? And why should the
prayer of the Church not be granted, since she prays for nothing
but what is for the greater honor and glory of God ! Be good
children of your good Mother, the Church, and assist diligently
at her public services; by so doing you may hope to obtain all
the graces you need to work out your salvation and be saved.
Such are some of the effects of grace which we owe to our
holy faith. Let us now see on what basis our faith rests.

Part Π.
St. John shows us that faith in Jesus Christ, which operates so
effectually, is not mere imagination, but is based on historical
facts.
I. He says: This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus Christ:
not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit which
testifieth that Christ is the truth. St. John here alleges three facts
which prove that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Re­
deemer of the world, namely, his coming by waterby blood, and
by the testimony of the Holy Ghost.

(a.) It was generally expected in the Old Law that at the time
of the Messias a purification from sins would take place by a
baptism of water. Thus the Prophet Zacharias foretells: “In that
day there shall be a fountain open to the house of David, and to
the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for the washing of the sinner.”—
13: i. Now, as Christ instituted the holy Sacrament of Baptism
for the cleansing of sins, and reception into the Church, he is
come by water, and consequently is the Messias and the Re­
deemer of the world foretold by the Prophets.
(3.) In the Old Law the belief was also generally spread that
the Messias would accomplish the Redemption of mankind by
the effusion of his blood, for the Prophets frequently speak of
his passion and death. Thus Isaias says of him : “Surely he hath
borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows: And we have
thought him as it were a leper, and as one struck by God and
afflicted. But he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised
for our sins ; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by
his bruises we are healed.”—53 : 4, 5. All the bloody sacrifices
moreover of the Old Law were types of Christ, and indicated

i. Homiletic Sketch.
that the future Redeemer would offer himself for us on the cross
and shed his blood. Christ therefore coming by blood, that is, by
shedding the last drop of his blood on the cross, has proved that
he is the Messias and the Redeemer of the world, promised by
God.
(cl) Lastly, the Holy Ghost testified to the Divinity of Christ and
his dignity as the Messias by the wonderful effects of grace
which he produced on the feast of Pentecost at Jerusalem, and
from that time forward in all ages of the Church. How could the
Holy Ghost, the spirit of truth, have performed such miracles
of grace in the Apostles and the believers, if Christ had not
been truly God ?

2. John adduces a further proof of this truth, saying: And there
are three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and
the Holy Ghost. And these three are one.
(al} God the Father solemnly testified of his Son. At his bapt­
ism a voice was heard from heaven: “This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased.”—Matt. 3:7. At his transfiguration
on Mount Thabor, his voice came out of a cloud, saying: “This
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased ; hear ye him.”
And again, in the temple, where Christ said in the presence of
a great multitude of people: “Father, glorify thy name. A voice
therefore came from heaven: I have both glorified it, and will
glorify it again.”—John 12 : 28.
(bl) Christ testified to his Divinity and dignity as the Messias
by the holiness of his doctrine and life, by his numerous miracles,
and especially by his Resurrection and Ascension into heaven,
and by the propagation and preservation of his Church.
(cl) The Holy Ghost also testified to the divinity of Christ, espe­
cially at his baptism, when the heavens were opened, and the
Holy Ghost descended in the form of a dove, and rested on him.
—Matt. 3:16. Again, on the feast of Pentecost, when the Holy
Ghost came down in the form of cloven tongues of fire, and sat
upon the Apostles and disciples, and communicated to them the
gift of tongues and other wonderful favors.

3. But St. John mentions not only heavenly but also earthly
witnesses who vouch for the fundamental truth of our holy reli­
gion that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Redeemer of
the world : And there are three who give testimony on earth : thé
spirit, and the water, and the blood; and these three are one. By spirit
we here understand the mission of the Holy Ghost in the Church,

1«

Low Sunday.

his gifts of grace, the miraculous propagation of the Church, and
the conversion of the unbelievers and sinners. Water indicates
the holy Sacrament of Baptism, by which we are cleansed from
all stains of sin, spiritually regenerated and sanctified. The
blood signifies the bloody sacrifice and death of Christ on the
cross, by which we have been reconciled with God. The spirit,
the water and the blood, in the above mentioned sense, evidently
testify to the D.vinity of Ch'ist, because they are effects which
necessirily presuppose his divine power. If Christ were not al­
mighty, and consequently truly God, he could not have sent the
Holy Ghost with his wonderful operations of grace ; his baptism
and death on the cross would not have the power of blotting out
sin and reconciling us with God.
4. St. John adds : If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony
of God is greater ; for this is the testimony of God, vahich is greater,
because he hath testified of his Son. If we believe what two or three
witnesses affirm, who, being men, can err and deceive, how much
more must we believe the testimony of God, who is the eternal,
infallible truth?
PERORATION.

Hold fast to your faith in Jesus Christ and to everything
which he, through his Church, proposes to your belief, and do
not allow yourselves to waver or to be duped by infidels and
free-thinkers. Watch over your children, and do not permit
them to keep company, much less to enter into matrimonial
alliances, with people who have little or no religion, much less
with non-Catholics, lest they suffer shipwreck of their faith and
lose their souls. The holy Catholic Faith is a most precious trea­
sure; preserve it with the greatest care; without it you can not
please God, nor be saved. And not only believe firmly, but live
in accordance with your faith; show the purity of your faith by
the purity of your morals manifest a heavenly life in an earthly
habitation, walk in the way of God’s commandments, for only
“faith that worketh by charity” {Gal. 5: 6) leads to salvation.
Amen.

i. Homiletic Sketch.

Μ

LOW SUNDAY.

Gospel. John 20: 19-31. At that time: When it was \ate that
same day, the first of the week, and the doors were shut, where
the disciples were gathered together for fear of the Jews, Jesus
came and stood in the midst, and said to them: Peace be to you.
And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his
side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord.
He said therefore to them again : Peace be to you. As the Father
hath sent me, I also send you. When he had said this, he breath­
ed on them and he said to them ; Receive ye the Holy Ghost.
Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose
sins you shall retain, they are retained. Now Thomas, one of the
twelve, who is called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus
came. The other disciples therefore said to him: We have seen
the Lord. But he said to them: Except I shall see in his hands
the print of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the
nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after
eight days, again his disciples were within, and Thomas with
them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst,
and said : Peace be to you. Then he said to Thomas : Put in thy
finger hither, and see my hands ; and bring hither thy hand, and
put it into my side: and be not incredulous, but believing. Tho­
mas answered and said to him: My Lord, and my God. Jesus
saith to him: Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast be­
lieved : Blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed.
Many other signs also did Jesus in the sight of his disciples, which
are not written in this book. But these are written that you
may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that
believing you ay have life in his name.

2. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
TWO APPARITIONS OP THE RISEN SAVIOUR.

What the gospel for this day relates occurred on Easter Sunday,
the day of the Resurrection of our Lord, and on the eighth dry
after, that is, on this Sunday. After the crucifixion of their di­
vine Master, the Apostles and disciples remained together, occu­
pying an upper room,—called in the East, a Cxnaculum—where
they had taken the Last Supper. They kept the doors closed,
for they feared that the High Council would order their arrest,

Low Sunday.
throw them into prison, or cause them to be executed. It was a
sad time from Good Friday till Sunday for the followers of our
Lord. But that which he foretold came to pass: “Amen, amen, I
say to you, that you shall lament and weep ; but the world shall
rejoice; and you shall be sorrowful; but your sorrow shall be
turned into joy.”—John 16: 20. Easter day was very nearly
over ; it was evening, when the risen Christ suddenly appears to
his astonished disciples, speaks with them and convinces them
of his Resurrection. But Thomas, one of the Apostles, was not
present when Christ appeared. Eight days after he appears
again to them and heals Thomas of his incredulity. These two
apparitions form the contents of our gospel. Let us consider
them a little more closely.

I. The apparition of Christ in the absence of Thomas;
II. The apparition of Christ in the presence of Thomas,

Part L
1. The first words spoken by Christ when the appeared to his
Apostles were: Peace be to you. And he repeated this greeting
the second and third time, eight days after. Having accomplished
the work of our redemption, Christ could say in truth: “Peace be
to you,” for the partition which sin had raised between God and
man was removed, we are reconciled to God, and have peace.
Hence the Apostle says: “Let us have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access through
faith into this grace, wherein we stand, and glory in the hope of the
glory of the sons of God.”—Rom. 5: 1, 2. If you have complied
with your Easter duty, and worthily received the Sacraments of
Penance and the Blessed Eucharist, I can also say to you to-day,
in the name of Jesus: Peace be to you, for you are so happy as to
possess peace. Preserve this inestimable treasure with the greatest
solicitude. Guard against sin, for it is sin alone that can deprive
you of peace. Fight courageously against all temptations, and
curb your inordinate inclinations and passions, and you will have
peace with God, with yourselves and your neighbor, and eternal
rest in heaven will be your reward.
2. Our Saviour showed them his hands andhts side; he showed
them the marks of the wounds in his hands and his side, to con­
vince them that he was truly risen, and had assumed the self­
same body that was his before his death. The disciples, seeing
that it was truly Jesus who was in their midst, were exceedingly
glad. If there are Christians who find no pleasure or joy in con­
versing with Jesus, in meditation and prayer, in visiting and ador­
ing him in the tabernacle, in receiving him in holy communion,

i. Homiletic Sketch.

15

in speaking- of him, or hearing- others speak of him, it is a sure
sign that they have little or no love for him.

3. Christ said to his disciples: As the Father hath sent me, Ialso
send you. With these words he makes his apostles ambassadors,
his representatives, and commits to them the same errand as that
on which he was sent by his heavenly Father, which is no other
than the salvation of mankind. As he valued the salvation of man
so highly as to shed his blood, so they ought not to fear labor, per­
secutions, sufferings, or death. The Apostles faithfully complied
with their vocation, sealing their labors with their blood. How is it
with you? Are you solicitous for the salvation of those over whom
God placed you? Do you do what you can to save the souls of
your fellow-men ? Are you ready to suffer tribulations and per­
secutions? In order to keep alive your zeal for souls, and to
strengthen it, consider the value of a soul and the price at which
Jesus purchased it; and you, parents, take to heart the words of
the Apostle: 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.’’—Ζ. Tint.. 5 : 8.

4. When he had said this, he breathed on them ; and he said to
them : Receive ye the Holy Ghost. The breathing signifies the com­
munication of the Holy Ghost, who is the author of the spiritual
life or of sanctifying grace. As the breath of God gave the na­
tural life to Adam, so the supernatural life, which consists in
purification and sanctification is communicated to us through the
Holy Ghost. How unfortunate would you be if you should lose
this supernatural life, this sanctifying grace I Avoid sin, for it is
sin that destroys the supernatural life and delivers the soul to
death. Recognize in every salutary thought, in every interior
illumination, in every impulse to virtue, the breath of the Holy
Ghost, and employ it for the salvation of your soul. Shut your
heart against the suggestions of the world, the flesh, and the
devil, that they may not bring upon you ruin and perdition.
5. Whose sins you shall forgive, they areforgiven them ; and whose
sins you shall retain, they are retained. How affectionately and
If ercifully does God deal with us! He is grievously offended by
us, and he gives men the power to reconcile us to him. And on
what easy conditions does he grant us pardon I We need only con­
fess our sins with a contrite heart to a priest, and they are for­
given. How fortunate would a criminal consider himself if he
could obtain from a human tribunal of justice the remission of
his crimes and punishments on such easy conditions! Ohl let
us give thanks to Christ for having furnished us in the SacraIf ent of Penance with so easy a means for our purification and

ι6

Low Sunday.

justification. Examine your previous confessions, and if you dis.
cover any faults in them, delay not to rectify them. Make every
confession as if it were the last of your life.
6. The gospel says that Thomas was not present when Christ
appeared. He had separated himself from the society of the
disciples, either because he was tired of it, or because he was en­
gaged in something else more dear to his heart. For this reason
he was deprived of a great favor, the grace of seeing the risen
Saviour as the other Apostles did. Guard against this fault of St.
Thomas. Tarry with pleasure in the society of good, pious Christi­
ans, for their example will edify you, and awaken and strengthen
Christian fervor in your heart. Avoid all intimate intercourse with
frivolous and irreligious people, that you may not be seduced by
them. Do not stay away from the public worship of the Church
and her ordinary devotions, for thereby you would deprive your­
selves of many graces and give a bad example.
7. When Thomas returned to the disciples they assured him
that they had seen the Lord, and told him all that had occurred in
his absence; but he would not believe them, and said: Except S
shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into
the place of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not be­
lieve. Thomas indeed was wrong; he should have believed his
fellow-disciples, because, on the one hand, their veracity was
known to him, and on the other, they unanimously and emphati­
cally assured him that they had seen Christ, had spoken and
eaten with him, and that consequently no deception was possible.
God, however, permitted the incredulity of his disciple for our
benefit, as St. Gregory the Great says: “Do you suppose that it
happened by accident that this chosen disciple was not present
then, but afterwards coming, heard, and hearing, doubted, and
doubting, touched, and touching, believed? This occurred, not
by chance, but by a wise dispensation of divine Providence; for
God ordained that this doubting disciple, by touching the wounds
of the body of his Master, should heal in us the wounds of doubt;
for the incredulity of Thomas has profited us more than the
faith of the believing disciples since he was constrained to believe
by the evidence of his senses, and thus we are strengthened by
the removal of all doubts.”

Part Π.
After eight days, again his disciples were within, and Thomas with
them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst,
and said: Peace be to you.
(a.) Thomas persevered for eight days in his incredulity, and
would have continued longer, had not our Lord come to his

2. Homiletic Sketch

17

succor. Thus we can fall and remain in sin, but we cannot rise
unless God assist us by his grace. How often have we experi­
enced this ? Oh, let us acknowledge and praise the mercy and
goodnes of God, which, after our fall, came to our rescue and
raised us up! Christ sought one Apostle, but appeared to them
all, that he who had sinned in the presence of all should amend
in the presence of all, and that he who had grieved all by his
unbelief should rejoice all by his belief. In like manner you
must give a good example to those whom you have scandalized
and endeavor, by a fervent practice of the opposite virtues, to
repair the evil you have done.

(b.) Jesus cometh, the doors being shut. Thomas had greatly
erred by his incredulity; he had, therefore, to be reminded of his
fault and reproved. Christ rebukes him for his fault, not
publicly, but privately, the doors being shut, in ordernot to injure
the good name of his disciple. God acts in like manner when
we sin. He reprimands us, not publicly, but secretly in our con­
science, through which he upbraids us for our faults and exhorts
us to amend our life. Oh, that, like Thomas, we ever hearkened
to these gentle reproaches, repented of our faults, and amended
them! Let us imitate the example of Jesus, and spare as much as
possible the honor and good name of the person whom we are
obliged to reprove. Let us do it in secret, unless particular cir­
cumstances require an exception.
(r.) Jesus stood in the midst, and said: Peace be to you. By these
words he would indicate that his disciples would have peace if
he was in the midst, but that otherwise they would have no
peace. Consider these important words. If Christ is not in your
heart, and is not the centre of all your wishes and endeavors,
you will have no true peace. Whenever your self-love is the
centre of your desires, you lose the peace of your soul, and re­
ceive in exchange for it disquietude and troubles. See to it,
therefore, that you have Christ always within you; make him the
end of all your aspirations, words and actions, and frequently
say: “Jesus all for thy love.”

2. Christ, turning to Thomas, said : Put in thyfinger hither, and
see my hands ; and bring hither thy hand, and put it into my side;
and be not incredulous, but believing.

(λ.) Why does he turn to Thomas only ? To indicate that he
came for his sake alone. Oh, how good is God! Be not indifferent
when the salvation of a soul is in peril ; do all you can to save it,
especially when that soul is entrusted to your charge. How do
you conduct yourselves when you meet those who have offended

TH

2

18

Low Sunday.

you? Do you speak to them? Do you give them signs of recon­
ciliation? Consider that Christians who do not forgive those who
have offended them are destitute of the mark of a true disciple
of Christ.
<·

(Æ.) Our Lord requires Thomas to touch his wounds, and to be
no longer incredulous, but believing. How pathetic is this conduct
of Christ ! I know, he means to say, what you have said in my
absence, and what you have demanded. Come, see and touch
my wounds, and believe. Thus Christ knows how to rebuke
sweetly and affectionately, to wound and to heal. With such
affection you must also treat your erring brethren, in order to
bring them to the knowledge of their faults and the amendment
of their life. Beware of correcting others in the heat of passion,
that you may not yourselves, whilst endeavoring to correct them,
offend God and commit sin.

3. Thomas answered and said to him : My Lord and my God. By
these words Thomas expresses what he feels in his heart. Sorrow
and love do not permit him to say more. Conscious of his fault,
he feels deep shame and contrition; remembering the love of
Christ, and knowing that he has deserved his displeasure, his
heart is inflamed with the most ardent love. This compunction
and love must also be in our hearts, whenever we think of our sins
and the mercy of God. Thomas calls him his Lord, and thereby
testifies that he fears him ; he calls him his God, and thereby in­
dicates that he loves him. We acknowledge Christ as our Lord
and God, but if he is our Lord, why do we not fear to offend
him, and if he is our God, why do we not love him above all
things?
4. Then Christ said to Thomas: Because thou hast seen mey
Thomas, thou hast believed; blessea are they that have not seen, and
have believed. By these words Christ rebukes Thomas, and gives
him to understand that his faith does not deserve to be praised
because he made it depend on the evidence of his senses, seeing
and touching. Thomas should have believed the Resurrection
of Christ upon the word of his fellow Apostles, and he deserved
a rebuke, because he would not believe until he had seen and
touched the wounds of the Lord. Christ calls those blessed who
do not see and yet believe. We are of this class, for we have
not seen the risen Saviour, and yet we believe in him and all
those things which he has revealed, and by his Church proposes
to our belief. And this faith, which is based upon the authority
of the Church, is more certain than if it were based upon seeing
and hearing, for our senses may deceive us, but the Church
cannot, because she is the pillar and the ground of truth. Let

?···*· ·

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

i9

us give thanks to God for the privilege of being members of
the Catholic Church and subject ourselves with cheerful obe­
dience to her doctrine and precepts.
PERORATION.

At.the conclusion of this day’s gospel, St. John remarks that
Christ did many other signs in the sight of his disciples, which
are not written in St. John’s gospel, but that which he has written
is sufficient for our faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God. Indeed,
what St. John wrote concerning the life and actions of our divine
Saviour, is more than sufficient to establish our faith in him and
his divine doctrine on a solid basis against all temptations to un­
belief. Let us endeavor always to live according to our belief,
that the words of Christ may be fulfilled in us : Amen, Amen, 1
say to you: He that believeth in me hath everlasting life.—John
6: 57. Amen.

LOW SUNDAY.

3. DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
FAITH,

Blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed.—John 20:29.

Thomas did wrong in refusing so obstinately to believe in the
Resurrection of Jesus, when not only Mary Magdalen and the
other women who had visited the grave, but also Peter, the other
Apostles, and the two disciples who had returned from Emmaus,
unanimously assured him that our Lord had appeared to them,
had spoken with them, had showed them marks of his wounds,
and in their presence had eaten with them. But God permitted
this unbelief for our good ; his lack of faith should strengthen
our faith and render it immovable, that we may be of the num­
ber of those of whom Christ says: “Blessed are they that have not
seen, and have believed.” I shall speak to-day on faith, and ex­
plain to you—

I. What Faith is ;
II. What Faith profits.

20

Low Sunday.

Part I.
Faith is a virtue infused by God into our souls, by which we
believe without doubting all that God has revealed and that his
Church proposes to us to be believed.
1. Faith is a virtue. Faith is called a virtue, because it is not
a mere transient emotion, but a firm conviction, a permanent ad­
herence to Christian truths. A Christian who has the virtue of faith
is thoroughly penetrated by its doctrines and maxims, and all
his words and actions give evidence of his faith. If he hears irre­
ligious expressions, he detests them with his whole soul, and
defends truth with all his strength. If he is tempted to sin, he at
once calls to mind what faith says about it, and rejects the temp­
tation with constancy. If an opportunity of doing a good act
presents itself, faith is to him a powerful incentive to do it. He
judges everything in the light of faith; what the worldling values
and loves he despises, and what that one despises is to him an
object of desire. Faith is his all, and for this reason he is ready,
like the martyrs, to sacrifice his substance and life for it. Exa­
mine yourselves and see whether you have this virtue of faith.

2. Faith is a virtue infused by God into our souls. We cannot
of ourselves, by study and inquiry, acquire faith, but only
through the grace of God. God must send us not only teachers
to instruct us in the truths of faith, but he must also enlighten
our understanding, and work upon our will, that we may ac­
knowledge these truths and accept them. Faith is a gift of God.
Therefore Jesus Christ says that no one can come to him, that
is, believe in him, except the Father draw him by his grace.—
John 6: 44. And when Peter professed his belief in him as the
Son of God, Christ says: “Flesh and blood hath not revealed it
to thee, but my Father who is in heaven.”—Matt. 16: 17. Hence
the Council of Orania declares : “If any one says that the growth,
as well as the beginning of faith, is not an effect of the grace of
God, but that this faculty is formed in our heart in a natural
way, he contradicts the apostolic doctrine of faith.” Thank God
that he has given you, without any merit of yours, the holy Catho­
lic faith, and employ it for your salvation.
3. We must believe without dmibting all that God has revealed
and that his Church proposes to us to be believed.

(a.) God himself is our teacher, and reveals to us what we must
believe and do in order to be saved. He spoke in an audible
manner with our first parents, with the patriarchs Noe, Abraham

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

11

Isaac, and Jacob; afterwards with Moses and the prophets. Fi­
nally, he sent his only-begotten Son and through him instructed
the people in the doctrines of the Christian religion. Therefore
the Apostle says: “God, who at sundry times and in divers
manners spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last
of all, in these days, hath spoken to us by his Son.”—Heb. i : i, 2.
(Æ.) That we must believe without doubting all that God has
revealed on divers occasions, is evident. God is the eternal, in­
fallible truth, who can neither deceive nor be deceived. “Heaven
and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away.”—
Matt. 24: 35. As soon as we know that a doctrine is revealed
by God, we are most strictly bound to hold it to be true. To hold
such a doctrine not to be true, or to doubt it, would be to
reject or doubt the veracity of God, to blaspheme God.

(i.) But how do we know that God has revealed a certain doc­
trine? We know this through
o the Catholic Church. We should
be truly unfortunate if on the one hand we incurred the obliga­
tion of believing all that God has revealed, but on the other hand
did not know whether a particular doctrine was revealed by
God. This uncertainty would bring us to a doubtful faith, and
divine faith can never be doubtful; it must be certain. Now
Christ has appointed the Apostles and their successors, the Pope
and the bishops of the Catholic Church, as his representatives,
and has given them the commission to preach his doctrine to all
nations to the end of time.—Matt. 28: 19. To enable them to
fulfil this commission and always to preach pure and unadul­
terated doctrine, he promised and sent them the Holy Ghost, who
would teach them all truth and abide with them until the con­
summation of the world.— John 14: 16-26. Therefore it we be­
lieve the Church, we believe God, for the Church proposes no­
thing to our belief but what God has revealed, she makes no
new articles of faith, but preserves and delivers only those
which have been intrusted to her by Christ. She is the mouth
through which God speaks to üs, and she can say with Christ:
“My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.”—John 7: 16.
He therefore who does not believe and accept as truth what the
Church, the pillar and ground of truth, proposes to our belief, is
an adversary of Christ, and causes his own damnation. Consider
this well, and always pray with mouth and heart: “O my God, I
firmly believe all the sacred truths which thy holy Catholic
Church believes and teaches, because thou hast revealed them,
who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.”

11

Low Sunday.

Part Π.
Faith profits us greatly, for it causes us—
i. To please God. “Without faith it is impossible to please
God.”—Heb. 11: 6. If it is impossible without faith to please God,
it follows that those who possess faith, provided it has the right
qualities, please God. St. Paul proves this by examples from the
Old Law. He speaks of Abel, Enoch, Noe, Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, Joseph, Moses and other just men, and shows that it was
their faith that pleased God.—Heb. n. The great promises which
Christ attaches to faith still more clearly prove how much faith
pleases God. Thus he makes the gift of working miracles depend
on faith, and promises to those who have faith that they shall
work the greatest miracles. “If you have faith as a grain of
mustard-seed, you shall say to this mountain: Remove from hence
hither, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible to
you.”—Matt. 17: 19. Again, he promises to those who have faith
the granting of all their petitions. “All things whatsoever you
shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.”—Matt. 21:22.
He also assures them of their filial relationship with God, of a
glorious resurrection and eternal salvation. “As many as re­
ceived him, to them he gave power to be made the sons of God,
them that believe in his name.”—John 1:12. “I am the resur­
rection and the life; he that believeth in ?ne, although he be dead,
shall live ; and every one that liveth and believeth in me, shall not
die /or ever."—John 11 : 25, 26. Who could doubt that faith is a
virtue very pleasing to God, since such glorious promises are
made to those who believe ?

2. To lead a Christian life. The just man liveth by faith—Rom.
1:17. As the farmer lives by his labor in the field, the business
man by his business, the mechanic by his trade, that is, draws his
sustenance therefrom, so the Christian derives his supernatural
life and spiritual nourishment from faith.
(a.) It is faith that keeps us from evil, for it tells us what sin is
and what dreadful consequences it entails. It cries out to us: If
you commit mortal sin, you lose the grace of God, you cease to
be his child, lose your right to heaven, and make yourselves
guilty of eternal damnation. Again, faith tells us that even the
least fault is an evil with which no temporal evil can be com­
pared, because it offends God, the supreme Good, weakens grace,
and merits a severe chastisement in purgatory. Why should we
not be afraid of sin and avoid it with the greatest care, consider­
ing seriously its real character as shown to us by faith? The
reason why so many people co UM· it the greatest sins without

3. Dogmatical Sketch,

23

fear and live impenitently is this, that they have either no
faith at all, or a false one, or else never consider the truths of
faith.

(b.) It is faith that urges us on to virtue, for it teaches us that
true justice does not consist merely in avoiding evil, but also in
the practice of virtue, and that one cannot be saved without good
works. “Every tree therefore that doth not yield good fruit
shall be cut down, and cast into the fire.”—Matt. 3: 18. The
slothful servant in the Gospel. The five foolish virgins, who had
faith, but no good works. Faith teaches us that every good action,
even the most insignificant, if done for God’s sake, will be re­
warded in heaven. “Whosoever shall give to drink to one of
these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a dis­
ciple, Amen, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”—Matt.
10: 42.
(£.) Lastly, it is faith that gives us courage and strength pati­
ently to bear all the sufferings of this life. He who considers the
sufferings and tribulations of life in the light of faith regards
them not as evils, but rather as blessings which are of the great­
est advantage to him, provided he makes good use of them. He
knows that they free him from self-love and inordinate attach­
ment to the world, and give him an opportunity of acquiring
merit for heaven. He consoles himself 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.”—II. Cor. 4: 17. Whilst unbelievers
and those whose faith is weak become discouraged and despair
when severe trials come upon them, and sometimes go so far as
to lay violent hands on their own life, Christians strong in faith
carry their cross with patience, be it ever so heavy, mindful of
the words of Jesus : “If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.”—Luke 9: 23.

3. To die happy.
(a.) The proverb says : As a man lives, so shall he die. Since
our faith urges us to avoid evil and to do good, and in all suffer­
ings to preserve patience, in other words, to lead a Christian life,
it is evident that, if we are well grounded in faith, we can hope
with confidence to die a good death. Hence the saints and all
those Christians who served God zealously have looked forward
with consolation to the hour of their dissolution, for they remem­
bered the words, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. From
henceforth now, saith the Spirit, that they may restfrom their labors*
for their works follow them.—Apoc. 14 : 13.

24

Low Sunday.

(3.) The believing Christian has his destiny always before his
eyes, he frequently thinks of death, which may come any mo­
ment, he thinks of the judgment which is to decide his fate for all
eternity, and these thoughts urge him to walk in the fear of God,
and to keep his conscience in order, so that when God calls him
from this world he may not find him unprepared.

(c.) Finally, he who is penetrated by a lively faith will scrupu­
lously employ the means necessary for a good death. He will
pray, because he knows that without prayer he cannot overcome
temptations, nor persevere in virtue, he will attentively listen to
the word of God, and read, whenever he has time, spiritual books,
in order to instruct himself more and more in the truths of sal­
vation and to obtain strength and fervor in the practice of virtue;
he will frequently receive the holy sacraments, in order to keep
his conscience free from sin and to make progress towards per­
fection. By the diligent use of these and other means of sal­
vation he will be enabled to persevere in the state of grace to
the end and die a good and happy death.
PERORATION.

Since you know rohatfaith is, and what it profits you, give thanks
to God daily that he infused it into your souls at your baptism,
and stand firmly by it to your last breath. In our days the assailants
of our faith are numerous; do not permit yourselves to be led
into error by them, do not listen to their discourses, and do not
read their papers and books.
Let faith be dearer to you than anything else. In order to
preserve the inestimable treasure of faith, follow the guidance
of the Catholic Church, which, enlightened and governed by the
Holy Ghost, possesses the gift of infallibility and always tells
you with certainty what is truth and what is error. Make your
faith the rule of your life, do what it commands, and avoid what
it forbids, that you may experience its blessings in life and death.
Amen.

4· Liturgical Sketch.

»5

LOW SUNDAY.

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH.
THE RENEWAL OF THE PROMISES OF BAPTISM.

Whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world.—I. John 5: 4.

In the early days of Christianity the Sacrament of Baptism
was solemnly administered on Holy Saturday; the newly-baptized
wore, in token of their baptismal innocence, white garments,
which they solemnly took off to-day, “yet so,” as St. Augustine
says, “that the whiteness, which was laid aside in the garment,
was retained in the soul.” This Sunday therefore is named
White Sunday, Dominica in albis, that is, Sunday in white gar­
ments.
On this day, or on some other day in Easter week, it was for­
merly a general custom for those who had received baptism a
year before to assemble in the church, in order to solemnize the
anniversary of their spiritual regeneration. The priest, in the
presence of their sponsors, renewed with them the promises of
baptism, and exhorted them with earnest and affectionate words
to keep the covenant entered into with God.
This is also a very appropriate day for you to renew your
baptismal vows ; because, having confessed, and receive holy
communion, you have recovered your baptismal innocence.
What then is more becoming for you than renew your vows to
to God, promising him to fulfil conscientiously the obligations
which you assumed at your baptism ? Therefore I shall speak to
you to-day about the renewal of the covenant of baptism, which
consists in this, that we—
I. Renounce Satan;
IL And vow to God.

Part L
The covenant of baptism principally consists in renouncing
Satan. Therefore the priest puts to the person to be baptized
the question: N., Do you renounce Satan? And all his works?
And all his pomps? Then the person to be baptized answers (or
the godfather, or the godmother, or both, in the person's name),
“I do renounce him,” “I do renounce them.”

26

Low Sunday.

1. I do renounce Saian.

We must therefore no longer have
communion with the devil, nor adhere to nor serve him, for to
renounce Satan is nothing else than to hate and detest him, and
to have nothing to do with him. The devil is the worst enemy of
Jesus, and seeks to destroy his kingdom; how can we make
common cause with him? He is also our worst enemy, for “as a
roaring lion, he goeth about, seeking whom he may devour.—Z
Pet. 5: 8. How can we fight under his banner?
Neither must we have any communion with his confederates
Such a confederate is the world, against which St. John warns
us. Z John 2:15: “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.” The world always cooperates with the devil. It
urges us to indulge our evil desires and the lusts of the flesh,
it defends and excuses the most horrid vices, it is always at
war with Christianity, and its exertions to keep man from
the performance of his duties and the practice of the Christian
virtues are indefatigable, inducing him not to live for heaven,
but for the world. Our self-love is also in compact with the
devil. He that is governed by it puts God aside and endea­
vors only to gratify his ambition, cares only for temporal things,
and forgets eternity ; he neglects the duties of religion in vari­
ous ways, transgresses God’s commandments and burdens his
conscience with many sins. Thus the world and self-love are the
confederates of the devil, for they pursue the same end that he
pursues, the ruin of souls. To renounce the devil, therefore,
means, not only to renounce him, but also to renounce the world
and self-love. Ask yourselves not only: Have I always rejected
the suggestions of the devil and never given ear to his temptations
to pride, impurity, envy, etc? but also: Have I acted according
to the maxims of the world and disregarded God, his holy law
and the voice of my conscience? Have I not preferred my own
honor and will to the honor and will of God, cared more for tem­
poral than for eternal goods, and in my dealing with others have
I not violated the duties of justice and charity? If, upon an atten­
tive consideration of these and similar questions, you find your­
self guilty, you have broken your baptismal vow, and you ought
to humble yourselves before God and promise him to amend
your life.

2. And all his works. By the works of the devil we understand
all sins. Sin is properly the work of the devil, for through him
sin came into the world, and it is his continual endeavor to lead
man into it and to plunge him into perdition. These works of
the devil the Apostle mentions in detail in his Epistle to the
Galatians, 5: 19-21. We have solemnly renounced these works,
and have made the promise never more “to let sin reign in our

4· Liturgical Sketch.

27

mortal bodies, so as to obey the lusts thereof.”—Rom. 6:12. All
pious Christians have ever been solicitous to keep this baptismal
vow and not to offend God by mortal sin. A certain Indian in
Canada who had received baptism and after it holy communion,
came again a year afterwards to the missionary and asked for
holy communion. The missionary declared himself ready to do
so, but told him to confess the mortal sins which he had com­
mitted after his baptism. The poor Indian began to cry, and
said: “Father, you ask me to confess my mortal sins! Can any
one offend God by mortal sin after being baptized?” This poor
child of the forest had lived after his baptism so piously that he
had not even committed a wilful, deliberate venial sin, much less
a mortal one. Like this Indian, you at your baptism renounced
the devil; have you kept your promise as conscientiously as he
did? Ah, how much reason will you have to acknowledge that
“from the days of your childhood up to his hour you have often
and grievously sinned in thought, word and deed, and by the omis­
sion of good works.” Oh, bewail your infidelity, humbly ask
pardon of God, and promise him from henceforth to re­
nounce for ever the works of the devil. Never again commit
mortal sin. Remember frequently, especially in the hour of
temptation, the words of the Indian convert: “Can any one
offend God by mortal sin after being baptized?”

3. And all his pomps. Pride is especially mentioned among the
works of the devil, because he fell through pride. It is also the
vice to which the devil especially tempts man. Thus he deceived
our first parents, telling them that they should be as gods,
if they would eat the forbidden fruit.—Gen. 3:5. Again, it is
pride that is absolutely incompatible with Christianity, as Christ
teaches us by word and example. “Amen I say unto you, unless
you be converted and become as little children, you shall not
enter into the kingdom of heaven.”—Matt. 18:3. Lastly, pride
leads to the greatest sins, and strips all good works of merit for
heaven. “Take heed that you do not your justice before men,
that you may be seen by them. Otherwise you shall not have a
reward of your Father, who is in heaven.”—Matt. 6:1. How is it
with you? Has your heart never been captivated by pride? To
be able to answer this question, you need only represent to your­
selves the principal marks of pride. It is pride that impels you
to seek the praise and applause of men, and it is pride that
makes you rejoice when you hear yourself praised by others. If
you do good works merely in order to be praised by your fellow­
men; if you reveal without necessity your good qualities and
actions and boast of them; if, through vanity, you dress in ac­
cordance with the latest approved style and fashions, and adorn
yourself to please men ; if you desire to appear more than you

mv··

*·»***

Low Sunday.
really are, if you prefer yourself before others, if you pretend to
know and understand everything better than others, or if you
are sad and angry when others are preferred before you, it is
pride by which you are actuated, that is the beam in your eye.
If, after a careful examination you find these and similar marks
of pride in yourself, you must acknowledge that you have not
kept your baptismal vow, and you must endeavor to become
truly humble.
This is the first thing that is required for the renewal of the
covenant of baptism: you must renounce the devil and all his
works and pomps : the other is you must make a vow to God.

Part Π.
Immediately before baptism the priest puts the following
questions to the person to be baptized : Dost thou believe in God
the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth? Dost thou be­
lieve in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born into this
world, and who sufferedfor us? Dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost
the holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness
of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting? And the
answer to each of these questions is: I do believe. Faith is abso­
lutely necessary for salvation ; without it baptism would avail
us nothing. “He that believelh, and is baptized, shall be saved,
but he that believeth not, shall be condemned.”—Mark 16: it>.
Hence before the priest baptized us, we were obliged to promise
faith. But the faith to which we have obliged ourselves in bapt­
ism must be—
I

i. Universal. AVe must believe not only a part, but all that
God has revealed to us, and proposes to our belief by the Catho­
lic Church. We have vowed this belief at our baptism. The
priest who baptized us, asked us not only whether we believed
in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, but also whether we
believed in the holy Catholic Church. If we believe in the holy
Catholic Church, we must believe all that the Catholic Church
proposes to our belief; our faith must be universal. It mat­
ters not whether we comprehend the truths which the Catholic
Church proposes to our belief or not, whether they are a stum­
bling-block to the unbeliever or not. It is enough for us to
know that the Church proposes this or that truth to our belief.
And the reason is, because to believe all that the Catholic Church
believes and teaches means nothing else than to hold that
the Catholic Church is the Church established by Christ and
governed by the Holy Ghost, and consequently the pillar and
ground of truth, the only true, the only saving Church, claiming
and possessing the mark of infallibility. He who would disbe-

f

4· Liturgical Sketch.

29

lieve or doubt a single article of faith proposed by the Church to
our belief, for instance, that the Pope, when speaking excathedra,
(that is, when “officially,” in the discharge of his duties as Chief
Pastor and Teacher of all Christians, by virtue of his supreme
Apostolic authority he defines a doctrine pertaining to faith or
morals to be held by the Universal Church) by the divine assist­
ance promised him in blessed Peter, is infallible—or who would
disbelieve or doubt that the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived
without original sin, or that Matrimony is a Sacrament,—the
faith of such a person would not be universal, nor could he be
saved.

Reflect how matters stand with your faith. Perhaps there may
be some among you who, infected with the unbelief and scepticism
of our time or deluded by their passions, have more or less
sinned against faith. They have, perhaps, applauded the lectures
and writings of the assailants and enemies of the Church and
adopted maxims which are contrary to the Catholic doctrine: for
instance, that it matters little whether one eats meat on Friday
or not; that impurity is only a human weakness; that certain acts
of injustice in business are permissible; that in order not to draw
the ridicule of the world upon one’s self one must conform to
the spirit of the times, and may disregard the ordinances of the
Church. If you have sanctioned such maxims, or acted according
to them, you have sinned against your baptismal vow, and you
II ust change your mode of thinking, and unconditionally believe
all that the Catholic Church teaches, if you wish to be saved.
2. Firm. Bad example, scandal, flattery, threats, tribulation,
persecution, martyrdom, death, must not make us waver in our
faith. This firmness of faith is so much the more necessary in
our days, as there are numberless men who, not content with
being unbelievers themselves, unceasingly labor by word of
mouth and by their writings to open the way to universal un­
belief. If you permit yourselves to be led astray by unbelievers,
you grievously sin against your baptismal vows, and run the risk
of being rejected for ever as perjurers and traitors. Guard against
suffering shipwreck of faith. Have no intercourse with unbe­
lievers and free-thinkers, neither keep nor read papers hostile
to the Church, that you may not support a bad cause and expose
yourselves and your own to the danger of losing all religious
feeling and sentiment, and even faith. Never be ashamed of
your Catholic faith, always let it be seen that you are Catholics,
and confess courageously that you consider it the greatest honor
to be children of the Catholic Church. Let this be your motto:
“God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ.”—Gal. 6: 14.

jo

Low Sunday.

3.
Our faith must manifest itself by a pious life. We
muse live up to it; we must avoid evil and do good in the manner
prescribed by our faith. Faith alone will save no man. “Not
every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the king­
dom of heaven, but he that doth the will of the Father, who is
in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.”—Matt.
Τ'. 21. And if I should have all faith, so that I could remove
mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.”—I. Cor. 13:2.
When we vowed faith at our baptism it was not a dead, but a
living faith, which manifests itself by a faithful, scrupulous per­
formance of the divine law. The priest indicated this, for when
to his question, What dost thou ask of the Church of God? we
answered, Faith, he said, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the com­
mandments. To believe what the Church teaches, to do what she
commands, carefully to avoid sin, and to lead a pious life, this is
the faith to which we bound ourselves at our baptism and which
is necessary for our salvation. How many Christians are desti­
tute of this lively faith ! They believe as Catholics, but do not
live according to their Catholic faith. They believe in a judgment
and a hell, nevertheless give themselves up to dissipation and
vice, as if there were no judgment and no hell. They believe
that avarice, injustice, impurity, drunkenness, hatred, and enmity
exclude from the kingdom of heaven, yet they are addicted to
these vices, as if they had no reason to fear on account of them
They believe that those who do not shun the proximate occasion
of sin cannot make a valid confession, but they absolutely have
not the will to shun those persons, places, associations, and enter­
tainments that are to them the cause of many and grievous sins.
They believe that nothing is more perilous than to defer penance
and conversion from day to day, yet they live for years in the
state of sin, and let one opportunity of grace after another pass
by without being reconciled with God by true repentance. Ah,
such a faith leads not to heaven, but to hell. “Try your own
selves if you be in the faith” (ZZ. Ctrr. 13: 5); and labor the
more, that by good works you may make sure your vocation and
election.
PERORATION.

Consider what St. Ephrem says : “Those who have not been
faithful in the observance of the vows and promises which they
made in baptism, will hear out of the mouth of Jesus at the par­
ticular and at the general judgment, those terrible words of the
Gospel : Out of thy own mouth I judge thee, thou wicked ser­
vant.’ {Luke 19: 22) ; remembering the promises which thou made
so solemnly, but violated so shamefully I judge and condemn
thee.*” If your conscience tells you that you hare broken the

5. SyxMbolical Sketch.

31

covenant of your baptism, repent of the breach of your vows,
humbly ask pardon of God, and promise him a thorough and
permanent conversion. Renew the covenant of your baptism,
not only to-day, but frequently in the year, especially on the
days you go to holy communion, and in the time of great temp­
tation, and beg of God the grace that you may faithfully keep it
to the last breath of your life. Amen.

LOW SUNDAY.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH.
THE MARKS OF THE WOUNDS OF CHRIST ARE MEMENTOS OF
OUR PEACE.

Jesus said to his disciples: Peace be to you. And when he had said
this} he showed them his hands and his side.— John 20: 19, 20.
The risen Saviour, appearing to his disciples, says to them,
Peace be to you. Why are his first words a greeting of peace ?
For no other reason than because peace is of all things the most
desirable. He that has peace is content, and he that is content
is happy, whatever his condition may be. Christ could wish his
disciples nothing better than peace. But why did he show the II
the marks of his wounds, after greeting them ? He wished thereby
to intimate that his salutation and the marks of his wounds stand
in the closest connection, and that he could not have said : Peace
be to you, if he could not have shown them the marks of his
wounds. The peace which we enjoy is a fruit of the passion and
death of Christ. Hence the marks of his sacred wounds are, as I
will show you to-day, mementos of our peace—

I. With God;
II. With ourselves ;
III. With our neighbor.

Part I.
As the rainbow in the heavens (Gen. 9: 15), so the arks of
the sacred wounds of Christ are mementos of our peace with
God, with this difference, however, that they not only indicate,
but procure this peace.
··

32

Low Sunday.
1. Without a Redeemer we should still languish in the slaver>

of sin and have no peace with God. This will be manifest to us
if we consider what sin is.
(a.) Sin is a disobedience to God, for he who sins acts contrary
to the will of God, and therefore is disobedient to him. Nay, sin
is not only a disobedience, but also a rebellion against God, for
the sinner throws off his allegiance to God and will no longer
acknowledge God for his lord, will no longer serve him, but acts
independently of him. (The rebellious angels. Our first parents.)
(3.) Sin is a disregard, a contempt of God, for the sinner prefers
a. mean, contemptible thing to God, as the Jews preferred Barabbas to Christ.

(r.) Sin is the blackest ingratitude towards God, for he who sins
returns to God, for all his benefits, nothing but ingratitude, re­
bellion, and contempt From this it is evident that persons can
have no peace with God so long as they are in the state of sin.
“There is no peace to the wicked.”—Is. 48: 22. What a terrible
state to have lost peace with God I God is displeased with sinners,
they live in his displeasure, die in their sins, and perish eternally.
And such would be the lot of all of us, because we came into
this world contaminated with original sin, and moreover have
many personal sins upon our conscience. Had we no Redeemer,
it would be better for us never to have been born, for it would,
without doubt, be far better not to exist, than to be for ever
miserable.

2. But God, who wills not the death of the sinner, but that he
be converted and live, has sent us his only-begotten Son for our
Redemption. And how was he, to accomplish our Redemption?
After suffering unutterable tortures, he was to die on the cross,
and shed the last drop of his blood ; only in such a way could
peace be restored between God and man. This decree of his
heavenly Father has really been fulfilled by Christ; he offered
himself on the cross, and made peace between heaven and earth.
Through Jesus Christ all things are reconciled unto God, “mak­
ing peace through the blood of his cross.”—Col. 1: 20. We are
now children of God, and can look up to him with confidence,
and say: “Abba! Father.”
What do the sacred wounds of Jesus tell us? They tell us that
we are redeemed, that God is no more angry with us, that we
have peace with him. What a grace! We may now live content­
edly and die a peaceful death, because we have peace with God.
Let us be careful to preserve this peace, especially as we have

5. Symbolical Sketch.

33

received at this Easter time the Sacraments of Penance and the
Blessed Eucharist, thereby making our peace with God.

Part Π.
The sacred wounds are also memorials of peace with our·
selves. This peace consists in a good conscience. If we had not
Jesus with his five sacred wounds, there would be no man upon
the whole earth who would have a good conscience and enjoy
peace. How could we be calm and contented, if our conscience
always cried out to us: Thou art a sinner—an enemy of God,
thou hast no hope of ever being freed from thy sins, for there is
no Redeemer for thee; thou wilt live and die in sin and perish
eternally. If sinners, who, be their sins ever so great and numer­
ous, may yet hope for pardon and grace, often experience the
most painful remorse of conscience, and are tormented by fear
and anguish, how frightful would our lot be if all hope of the
forgiveness of our sins were cut off! In fact, our life upon earth
would be a true life of hell, a perpetual despair. And that would
really be our lot upon earth, for without a Redeemer there would
be no forgiveness of sin and no reconciliation with God.
1.

2. But Jesus is the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of
the world {John i : 29), in whom we have Redemption through
his blood, the remission of sins, according to the riches of his
grace {Ephes. 1:1); by his bruises we are healed. {Isaias 53: 5.) The
sacred wounds of Jesus remind us of our Redemption, of our
purification and sanctification. Looking at them, we can say with
the Psalmist: “With the Lord there is mercy, and with him plen­
tiful redemption?’—Ps. 129: 7. Our sins being forgiven, we are
tranquil, we have peace with ourselves, that peace which sur­
passes all understanding, and which the world, with all its goods,
cannot give. Consider the saints, what sweet comfort did they
not find in the thought: We are children of God, and heirs of
heaven. Even sufferings and tribulations were not able to disturb
the peace of their soul. Peter lies in prison, and is to be executed
on the following day ; he sleeps during the night so soundly and
calmly that an angel was obliged to strike him on the side in
order to wake him.—Acts. 2 : 7. St. Paul says of himself: “I am
filled with comfort. I exceedingly abound with joy in all our
tribulation.”—//. Cor. 7: 4. How comforted were the saints in
death! St. Jerome called death his dearest brother, and said to
his friends who visited him on his dying-bed: “My friends, do
you bring me the news that I must die ? May God reward you
for the happy tidings! Participate in my joy, be witnesses of my
happiness. Behold the precious moment that will make me free

III

8

34

Low Sunday.

for ever. O blessed hour of death, sweet, peaceful sleep, come
and close my eyes !”
We also can live and die at peace with ourselves, for Christ
died for us, his sacred wounds being memorials of the peace
with our own selves. Oh, let us frequently contemplate with a
grateful heart the sacred wounds of Jesus, and vow to him
perpetual love and allegiance, that we may preserve the precious
treasure, peace with ourselves, in life and death.

Part ΠΙ.
The sacred wounds of our Lord are also memorials of peace
with our neighbor. Sin is the enemy of peace : where it dominates,
there the passions have full sway, and it is the unruly passions that
disturb peace on every occasion. How often does the ambitious
man quarrel with his fellow-men ! To what dissensions and injus­
tices does not avarice give rise! What shall I say of impurity?
How often is it not the cause ot aversion, hatred, fights, duels,
wounds, and homicides ! And what will not a man do in whose
heart the poison of envy dwells ? Does he not sin in thought,
word, and deed against fraternal charity? The same may be said
of all the other passions : if they are not controlled, they break
all the bonds of peace and everywhere cause discord and enmity.
The history of all times proves this. Sin had scarcely entered
into the world when peace was disturbed, and dissension became
the more prevalent the more sin increased. Nations were hos­
tile to one another, war succeeded war, and human blood flowed
in torrents. Even in families, discord, dissension, and disunion
greatly prevailed. Examples: Cain, who slew his brother Abel;
Esau, who fiercely hated his brother Jacob ; Absalom, who sought
to dethrone his own father, and committed fratricide ; Judas, who
betrayed his Lord and Master into the hands of his enemies.
1.

No wonder; the nations were not yet redeemed, they had
no peace with God; therefore they could have no peace with
one another. What a change took place in the morals of the
world when Christ had accomplished the work of Redemption I
The Acts of the Apostles inform us that the first believers were all
of one heart and one soul, that they lived in the most serene
peace and beautiful union with one another.—Acts. 4: 32. The
Gentiles, seeing the concord and fraternal charity of the Christi­
ans, were astonished, and said: ‘‘Behold, how they love one
another 1 Even for their worst enemies they have no aversion or
hatred, but only benevolence and love.” Examples: St. Stephen,
who prayed for his murderers : “Lord, lay not this sin to their
charge.”—Acts, 7: 59; the Apostle James, who prayed forthose
who cast him down from the pinnacle of the temple in the word»
2.

5· Symbolical Sketch.

33

of his Master: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what
they do;” St. Paul, who says: “We are reviled, and we bless:
we are persecuted and we suffer it.”—I. Cor. 4:12.
Whence this heavenly meekness and love, this admirable
peacefulness of the first Christians, as well as of all that truly
deserve the name of Christian? From the sacred wounds of
Jesus, for they cry out to his followers: “Behold, Jesus is all
love, and it was love that moved him to become man, to confer
numberless benefits on men while upon earth, and at length to
offer himself on the cross for our Redemption. Charity is his
principal commandment, and the mark of his disciples; he wishes
us to look upon ourselves as members of his body, as brothers
and sisters, and live together in mutual cordial love and har­
mony.” This is the language of the five sacred wounds. How
could we be disciples of Christ, true Christians, if we should dis­
regard this language, and live in disunion and enmity with one
another?
PERORATION.

“Let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, wherein also you
are called in one body.”—Col. 3: 15. Never forget how much
you have cost our Saviour before he could say : Peace be to you.
To acquire that peace for us, he died on the cross, and shed the
last drop of his precious blood. Keep peace with God, and for
this end shun every sin with the greatest care. Keep yourselves
pure and undefiled, mortify your inordinate inclinations and
passions, that you may not lose peace with yourselves. Keep
peace with your neighbor, bear with one another, and have cha­
rity, which is the bond of perfection, and shun everything tha‘
can disturb harmony. Blessed are you, if you keep this triple
peace all the days of your life. Consolation and heavenly joy
will be yours, not only here, in this troubled sphere, bu h .‘reafter, when, departing hence, you hear those accent*· ol greeting
from the lips of the Prince of Peace, whose utterance is sweet­
ness itself: Peace be to you. Amen.

36

Low Sunday.

LOW SUNDAY.

6. MORAL SKETCH.
PEACE.

Jesus said to his disciples: Peace be to you.—John

20: 19.

The gospel of this day speaks of two apparitions with which
Christ our Lord favored his disciples, and at each of which he
greeted them with the words : Peace be to you. The Apostles were
full of anguish, for they feared, and not without reason, that they,
like their divine Master, would be apprehended by the Jews,
cast into prison, and perhaps executed. Would it not have been
better if Jesus had promised them security from their enemies,
or, as they were poor and despised, had procured for them honor
and reputation, prosperity and success in their occupations?
Why does he always repeat only these words : Peace be to you ?
Because peace is the most precious of all goods, and because
without it nothing is able to make men contented or happy. We
can say with truth that he who has peace is happy, whatever
his condition or circumstances may be ; but he who has no peace
is unhappy, though he possess all that is esteemed and desired
by the world. Let us consider to-day—
I. What a precious treasure peace is;
II. What is required for its preservation.

Part I.
What a precious treasure peace is, is evident—
From this, that Jesus manifests himself as a particular friend
and lover of peace.
I.

{a.) The Second Person of the adorable Trinity assumed human
nature and appeared upon earth. When did this occur? At a
time when there was peace upon the whole earth. The birth of
our Saviour coincided with the very significant circumstance that
the temple of Janus at Rome was closed, and this was never
done except when there was peace. From Romulus to Cæsar
Augustus, during an interval of more than seven hundred years,
it had been closed only twice; first, in the reign of Numa Pom­
pilius, and a second time during the peace that intervened be­

6. Moral Sketch.

37

tween the first and the second Punic wars. The Romans were
now for the third time at peace with all nations, the devastating
wars were at an end, and peace reigned everywhere supreme.
The tranquillity and universal peace which the world then en­
joyed was a fitting figure of that spiritual peace which the eter­
nal Son of God came to impart to poor sinful man, in order to
present himself at his coming into the world as the Prince of
Peace, as had been foretold by the Prophets, and to show the
world that he loved nothing better than peace.
(Æ.) At his birth in the quiet little village of Bethlehem a
multitude of the heavenly host appeared, praising God and say­
ing: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of
good will.”—Luke 2 : 13, 14. As God loves his own honor, so he
also loves the peace of men; nay, this peace he seems to have
more at heart than even his own honor, because, as St. Paul so
beautifully and forcibly expresses it, “He made peace through the
blood of his cross.”—Col. i : 20. Must not peace have been very
dear to him, when, in order to restore it between heaven and
earth, he shed the last drop of his precious blood on the cross ?

(r.) His life on earth also gives evidence of his love of peace.
Sending his disciples to preach the gospel, he says to them: “Into
whatsoever house you enter, first say : Peace be to his house.”—
Luke 10: 5. Healing the sick and pardoning sinners, his last
words were: “Go in peace.” And did he not rebuke two of his
disciples who would call fire from heaven upon a city of the
Samaritans because they received them not? saying to them:
“You know not of what spirit you are. The Son of Man came
not to destroy souls, but to save.”—Luke 9: 55, 56. So much did
Jesus love peace.

(Z) Following his wordsand example, the Apostles everywhere
preached peace. Wherever they preach the gospel they appear
as messengers of peace. The New Testament contains twentyone epistles, of which St. Paul wrote fourteen, St. John three, St.
Peter two, St. James and St. Jude one each, and among all these
epistles there is not one that does not contain many wishes for
peace and admonitions to keep it. They all begin and end with
salutations of peace, and it is to this peace that they ever return.
Thus St. Peter exhorts : “He that will love life and see good days,
let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no
guile; let him decline from evil and do good; let him seek peace
and pursue it.”—Z. Pet. 3 : 10, 11. And St. Paul: “Follow peace with
all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see God.”—
Heb. 12; 14.

38

Low Sunday.

(λ) Instructed by Christ, the Church wishes peace to the faith­
ful in her sacred functions, especially in the administration of
the holy sacraments. The priest, after having baptized a child,
says: Go in peace. The bishop says to every one confirmed when
he dismisses him: Peace be to you. When the priest goes into the
house of a sick person to administer the sacraments, he says:
Peace be to this house and to all that dwell therein. And when the
priest and the people pray for the dead, it is again peace for
which they pray : May they rest in peace.
2. From the fact that it really makes men happy.

(a.) What salt is to food, peace is to life. The best dishes do
not taste well when salt has been forgotten in their preparation;
so all we may possess, good health, great riches, honor and re­
putation, cannot constitute the happiness of life. How unhappy
are married people into whose house the spirit of dissension has
entered 1 As soon as they open their eyes in the morning, anger
and bitterness arise with them ; they never exchange a friendly
word, they quarrel from morning till night, they abuse each
other and live in perpetual strife. It frequently happens that in
consequence of this discord well-to-do families are reduced to
poverty, and the word of Christ is verified: “Every kingdom
divided against itself shall be brought to desolation.”—Lukexw 17.
If there be a happy life it is a peaceable life, and if any fami­
lies and individuals can be considered happy, they are such as
live in peace and harmony. Therefore St. Gregory of Nyssa
says: “Nothing contributes so much to render life sweet and
agreeable as peace. And nothing can be named that makes life
sweet which does not in itself contain some element of peace. It is
therefore certainly worth our while to investigate what is re­
quired for the preservation of the inestimable treasure of peace,”

Part IL
To preserve peace we must—
i. Have patience with the faults and frailties of our fellow-men.
We are all subject to many frailties and imperfections, and need
the indulgence of others. Hence the Apostle says: “Bear ye one
another’s burdens, and so you shall fulfil the law of Christ.”
—Gal. 6:2. Most dissensions arise because one will not yield
to the other. One complains of the other, and why ? On account
of a fault which he notices in the other, and is not willing to put
up with. I ought to think to myself: “I am anything but a saint;
others find many things in me that are hard to bear; I will also
have patience with their frailties.” Let us look up to Jesus and

6. Moral Sketch.

39

the saints, who had great forbearance with the faults of others,
and who endured the greatest insults with heavenly patience.
2. Take an interest in the prosperity and adversity of our neigh­
bor. It does any one good to find sympathizing souls; the joy is
rendered thereby sweeter, and the misfortune more endurable.
Hence the Apostle admonishes us with the words: “Rejoice with
them that rejoice, weep with them that weep.“—Example: Christ,
who cried out to all that are sorely afflicted : “Come to me all
you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you” {Matt.
11: 28), and who wept at the grave of Lazarus, and over Jerusa­
lem. By sharing the joy and sorrow of our fellow-men we show
that we are members of one body, having all things in common,
mutually sharing happiness and pain, and on that account standing
in undisturbed harmony with one another. While sincere sym­
pathy unites hearts with one another, the want of sympathy ali­
enates them ; it hurts us in particular to see that others, especi­
ally our relatives, care nothing about our welfare, and in our
adversity show themselves to be entirely indifferent.

3. Be condescending in our intercourse with others. By selfassertion, by tenacious adherence to one’s own opinion, by
stubborn contradiction, peace is many a time disturbed, and
frequent occasion is given for protracted dissensions and law­
suits; on the contrary, by gentle condescension peace is preserv­
ed and confirmed. Every one is pleased to notice that others
think well of him, and pay some attention to his opinion; on the
contrary, every one is more or less displeased to hear himself
contradicted on every occasion. You must, therefore, if you
wish to preserve peace, make it your rule to yield when yielding
is not manifestly sinful, to give your opinion with calmness and
dignity, and to keep silence when you see that saying more would
be the occasion of strife. This is very important, especially for
husband and wife, brother and sister, and all who live together
and must live together, for peace can exist among them only
when they are indulgent and not too much wedded to their own
opinions.
4. Conduct ourselves in our words and in our whole deportment
kindly towards others. “A. mild answer breaketh wrath, but a
harsh word stirred up fury.”—Prov. 15: 1. We are men; harsh
words are hard to bear and make us out of temper with him who
utters them. It is therefore of the greatest importance that we
deal with others kindly, and avoid everything harsh or offensive
in our language and conduct. With a spoonful of honey you will
entice more flies than with a barrel of vinegar. Above all, be­
ware of raillery and sarcasm, for these are more injurious to

40

Low Sunday.

peace than anything else. They are injurious, though spoken
only in jest and as witticisms, for no one likes to be ridiculed.
We have many examples in which irony, sarcasm, and raillery
caused not only a breach of the peace, but also quarrels and
murders.
5. Finally, we must not interfere in other people's concerns, be­
cause this is one of the principal causes of dissension. You speak
of the faults of others ; those who hear you repeat what you said
and add to it. Your neighbor hears of it, becomes angry, and dis­
sension and enmity are the result. Do not meddle with the affairs
of others ; they do not concern you ; let every one sweep before
his own door; every one has enough to do to look after himself.
But, above all, guard against tale bearing. This is an abominable
vice, which causes a great deal of mischief, destroys the peace
of families, and foments discord and bitter feelings. “The whis­
perer and the double-tongued is accursed, for he hath troubled
many that are at peace. The tongue of a third person (which
causes dissension between friends) hath disquieted many, and
scattered them from nation to nation, it hath destroyed the
strong cities of the rich, and hath overthrown the houses of great
men... He that hearkeneth to it shall never have rest, neither
shall he have a friend in whom he may repose.”—Ecclus. 28 : 15,
and seq. What mischief do whispering and tale-bearing not cause
among married people, and between neighbors and acquaintances !
It is not necessary that what is carried to others should be
of importance; little things frequently are sufficient to cause
great enmities; a spark may cause a great conflagration. “The
words of a tale-bearer are as it were simple, but they reach to
the innermost part of the belly.”—Prov. 26: 22. If therefore
you desire to keep peace with others, beware of tale-bearing,
and do not listen to tale-bearers.
PERORATION.

These are the rules which you must observe in order to pre­
serve peace with your neighbor. Be indulgent in regard to the
faults of others; sympathize with them in their joys and afflic­
tions; be triendly and yielding in your intercourse with them; do
not interfere in other people’s business, and detest nothing so much
as tale bearing. Consider that peace is a blessing which makes
us happy for time and eternity, and be resolved to make any
sacrifice for its preservation or restoration. Be peaceable, that
the words of Christ may be fulfilled in you: “Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”—
Matt. 5: 9. Amen.

7· Moral Sketch.

4>

LOW SUNDAY.

7. MORAL SKETCH.
THREE REMEDIES AGAINST RELAPSE INTO SIN.

Peace be to you.— John 20: 19.
What kind of peace is that which our Lord repeatedly wishes
and really gives his disciples? Not peace with the world; with
the wjrld they never could have peace, for they were called to
destroy its wickedness, its unbelief, and its vices. Hence we see
that they were always hated, persecuted, and overwhelmed with
injustices and sufferings of every description. The peace of Christ
is sanctifying grace; he who possesses it is free from sin, is
sanctified and justified, is a child of God and an heir of heaven.
Why should a Christian in this blessed state not rejoice at that
peace which surpasses all understanding {Phil. 4: 7), and which
the world, with all its goods and joys, cannot give? I sincerely
hope that you are all in the possession of this peace, for at Easter
you have been to confession and received holy communion, you
are in the state of grace, and your conscience is at rest and filled
with heavenly consolation. Oh, that you would always preserve
this peace and guard against nothing so much as against its loss
by a relapse into sin. For this end employ the three following
means—

I. Seek help from God;
II. Shun dangerous occasions;
III. Mortify yourselves.

Part L
In order to preserve ourselves from a relapse into sin, we must,
first of all, seek help from God.
i. By the remembrance of the presence of God. St. Basil says:
“The frequent and earnest remembrance of the all-present God is
one of the most effectual means against all aberrations and sins."
He is right, for if we dare not sin in the presence of good people,
how could we dare do so at the lively remembrance of the omni­
present God? What was it that enabled Joseph of Egypt to re­
fuse his consent to the shameful desire of his wicked mistress?
The remembrance of the omnipresent God. “How then can I do

42

Low Sunday.

this wicked thing, and sin against my God?”—Gen. 39: 9. What
was it that strengthened the chaste Susanna, so that she would
rather die than sin? Again the remembrance of the omnipresent
God. “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. A disre­
putable woman one day met St. Ephrem, and made him a base
overture. The Saint was at first indignant at her shameful con­
duct, but recollecting himself, he invited her to follow him. He
conducted her to the market-place, where there was a great
multitude of people, and said to her: “If you wish to sin, this is
the right place.” “How,” said she, “could I do so in the sight of
so many people? I should be ashamed.” St. Ephrem replied:
“Ahl you would be ashamed to sin before these people; should
you not rather be ashamed before Him whose Eye sees every­
thing and penetrates everywhere, who sees even the innermost
part of our hearts?” These words made so deep an impression
upon her heart that she repented of her sins and afterwards led
an edifying life. Never lose sight of this fact that God sees you
always and everywhere. He sees you when you rise, when you
lie down, when you awake during the night, when you are at
work, when you rest, when you enjoy a pleasure, when you are
alone or in company. On every occasion, then, turn your thoughts
to God and think of his presence. Do this especially in every
temptation. Take to heart the admonition which the aged To­
bias gave his son: “All the days of thy life have God in thy mind
and take heed thou never consent to sin, nor transgress the
commandments of the Lord our God.”—Tob. 4: 6.

2. By prayer and the grace of God. Our divine Saviour says:
(iWhen 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.”—Luke 11: 24, 25.
The house of which Christ here speaks is our heart; it is empty
when the grace of God has departed from it, it is swept when
there is no devotion, no fervor of prayer in it any longer, it is
garnished when vain thoughts and the desire to please have crept
into it. What happens now ? “Then he (the evil spirit) 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.”—Luke 11:26. As the devil
tempts men more vehemently after their conversion than before,
who can help them so that they may not succumb? No one but
God. “Unless the Lord keep the city, he watched in vain that
keepeth it.”—Ps. 126: 1. But in order that God may strengthen

7· Moral Sketch.

43

us in temptation and defend us from sin, we must pray. Watch
ye and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.”—Matt. 26: 41.
Pray before the temptation ; recommend yourselves morning· and
evening· and frequently during the day to the protection of God.
Pray in every temptation, and cry out with the disciples of Jesus:
“Lord, save us, we perish.” Pray after the temptation, give thanks
to God, with whose grace you have been able to overcome the
temptation, and ask him for the future to assist you, that you
may never be unfaithful to him.

Part Π.
For preservation against a relapse into sin it is necessary tc
avoid the occasion of sin.

The word of God convinces us of this necessity. “He that
loveth danger shall perish in it.”—Ecclus. 3 : 27. He who volun­
tarily exposes himself to the occasions of sin or remains in it.
loves danger, and the result will be that he will sin, and risk his
eternal salvation. In the Book of Proverbs we read: “Can a
man hide fire in his bosom, and his garments not burn ? Or can
he walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?”—Prov. 6:
27, 28. The Fathers of the Church also caution us against the
occasion of sin. St. Augustine says : “Fly from the occasions of
sin, if you wish to gain the victory.” St. Isidore: “Lying near
the serpent you cannot remain long unhurt.” And St. Chrysos­
tom : “If you see a precipice, and wish not to fall into it, do not
go near it.”
1.

2. History. It furnishes examples of the saddest kind, showing
us how those who did not shun the occasion fell into grievous
sin. Why did Eve transgress the commandment of God and sin?
Because she did not shun the occasion of sin. If she had not gone
near the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the devil could not
have tempted and enticed her to sin. Dina, the daughter of the
patriarch Jacob, remained pure and innocent as long as she did
not expose herself to the occasion of sin ; but going once to
Sichem, to see the ornaments of the women of that city, she fell
a prey to temptation, and lost her innocence.— Gen. 34. Peter
adhered to our Lord with the greatest fidelity, and assured him
that he would never deny him, if it should even cost his life. But
when the occasion presented itself he proved to be so weak that
he denied his Lord and Master three times.
3. Experience. We see many young people yielding to drunk­
enness, to gambling, to impurity, and other vices. Whence does
this come ? Mostly from the proximate occasion. They frequent

44

Low Sunday.

bad company; they visit houses where there is no discipline, no
fear of God; they visit saloons, theatres, balls and other places,
where everything that they see and hear excites their sensuality,
and allures them to sin; they keep company with persons of the
opposite sex—and the result is that they forget God, become
more careless and finally fall victims to sin. Among a hundred
there is scarcely one who of himself comes into the snare of
Satan ; almost all fall in consequence of the proximate occasions
into which they are unfortunately drawn.
What else follows from this but that every one who sincerely
wishes to amend his life and to preserve himself from a relapse,
must be resolved to avoid the occasion of sin. Hence it is the
decision of theologians that a sinner who does not, in so far as it is
possible to him, shun the proximate occasions of sin, cannot be
absolved. St. Alphonsus says : “All those who are in the proxi­
mate occasion of sin cannot be absolved till they have removed
the occasion or have at least promised to remove it, in which
latter case the confessor must be assured of the sincerity of their
promise.” The proximate occasion must be shunned, even if it be
attended with great difficulties and impediments. This is the
meaning of the words of Christ: “If thy hand, or thy foot, scan­
dalize thee, cut it off, end cast it from thee. It is better for thee
to enter into life mained or lame, than having two hands or two
feet, to be cast into everlasting fire. And 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: 8, 9. If it would cause you as much
pain to separate yourselves from the proximate occasion as the
cutting off of a hand or a foot, the plucking out an eye ; or if that
which the proximate occasion offers you would be as dear and
agreeable to you and an eye, a hand or a foot, you must never­
theless give up the occasion, for otherwise you could not preserve
yourselves from sin and eternal damnation.
Make to-day the resolution for the future to shun, at any cost
and sacrifice, all those occasions which have heretofore caused
you to sin. Give up all sinful company and keep away from all
persons, places, and entertainments that are for you the proxi­
mate occasion of sin.

Part HL
It we wish to preserve ourselves from relapse into sin, we
must mortify ourselves, according to the words of Christ: “If any
man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow me.”—Matt. 16 : 14. This mortification is
twofold :

7. Moral Sketch.

45

1. Exterior, which consists in the curbing of the inordinate
desires of the body and the senses. “Therefore, brethren,” writes
the Apostle, “we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according
to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you shall die ;
but if by the spirit you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall
live.”—Rom. 8: 12, 13. We must mortify the craving of the appe­
tite; for the mortification of it is, as St. Vincent of Paul says, the
A B C of the spiritual life, and he who cannot overcome himself
in this respect will never overcome the other vices which are still
more untractable. We must not ruin our body by too much tender­
ness, by effeminate clothing, by immoderate enjoyments, by pro­
tracted idleness, rendering it unfit for the battle with temptation
and for the practice of the Christian virtues. Lastly, we must mor­
tify our senses, especially the eyes and ears, that they may not be
open doors, through which Satan enters into our heart. St. Aloysius
fasted three days each week on bread and water, and laid pieces
of wood in his bed, and scourged himself even to blood.—St.
Francis Borgia (10th Oct.), St. Peter of Alcantara (igth Oct.).
2. Interior, which also consists in the bridling of our inordinate
inclinations and desires. This interior mortification is more ne­
cessary than the exterior; nay, were this wanting, the exterior
would be of no account. The Scribes and the Pharisees mortified
themselves exteriorly in many ways ; they kept night watches,
fasted strictly, said long prayers on their knees ; nevertheless
Christ frequently expressed his displeasure with them, saying to
his hearers: “Unless your justice abound more than that of the
Scribes and of the Pharisees, you shall not enter into the king­
dom of heaven.”—Matt. 5: 20. How necessary interior mortifi­
cation is for the preservation from sin we see exemplified in
Cain. God had admonished him to subdue his evil desire.—Gen.
4: 7. But what happened when he did not follow this admoni­
tion of God ? His evil desire caused him to lay violent hands on
his brother and to slay him. Hence St. James says : “Every man
is tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn away and
allured. Then when concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth
forth sin, but sin, when it is completed, begetteth death.”—James
i : 14, 15. We must, therefore, practise interior mortification with
greater fervor than exterior. If sinful inclinations arise in our
hearts, for example, inclinations to pride, avarice, impurity, envy,
anger, hatred, we must stifle them at once so that they may not
lead us to sin. Let us pass no day without some interior mortifi­
cation, since on it depends the keeping of our conscience in
purity and the perfecting of our life.

Low Sunday.
PERORATION.

These are the three means which you must diligently employ,
that you may preserve yourselves from every relapse into sin.
Seek help from God, strengthen and fortify yourselves against
the temptations to sin by remembering the presence of God and
by fervent prayer. Shun the proximate occasions of sin ; lead,
as much as possible, a retired life, avoid places, persons, and
societies which have caused you to sin, or at least to experience
great temptations. Mortify yourselves exteriorly and interiorly,
subject the flesh to the spirit, the spirit to God and his holy law.
And if such a life appears hard, call to mind these words of
Christ: “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the vio­
lent bear it away.”—Matt. 11 ; i a. Amen.

i. Homiletic Sketch.

47

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

Epistle. Z Pet. 2: 21-25. Dearly beloved: Christ suffered for
us, leaving you an example that you should follow his steps.
Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who,
when he was reviled, did not revile: when he suffered, he threat­
ened not: but delivered himself to him that judged him unjustly.
Who his own self bore onr sins in his body upon the tree: that
we, being dead to sins, should live to justice: by whose stripes
you were healed. For you were as sheep going astray: but you
are now converted to the shepherd and bishop of your souls.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
THE SACRED PASSION.

St. Peter, whom Jesus made his Vicar on earth and the visible
head of his Church, wrote two epistles to the Christians in Asia
Minor. They were very dear to him, for he had converted them
to Christianity. In both epistles he admonishes them to lead a
life worthy of Christians, to love one another, to perform faith­
fully the duties of their state of life, and to be constant in faith;
at the same time he warns them against false teachers and se­
ducers, especially against those who called into doubt or denied
the second coming of Christ. The lesson for to-day is a small
portion of the first epistle, in which St. Peter speaks of the pas­
sion of Christ and answers the two following questions:
I. How has he suffered"?
II. Why has he suffered ?

Part I.
Dearly beloved, Christ suffered for us, leaving you an example,
that you should follow his steps; this is an invitation for us to take
Christ for our pattern, and to suffer as he suffered. Hovo did he
suffer? He suffered—

4θ

Second Sunday After Easter.
i. Innocently, for he suffered as one who did no sin, neither was

guile fond in his mouth.
(j.) Christ was innocence and holiness itself. He could cry out
to his worst enemies: “Which of you shall convince me of sin ?”
John 8:46. Judas, his betrayer, confessed before the High
Council: “I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.”—Matt.
27: 4. Pilate, having made a careful investigation of the life and
works of Christ, repeatedly declared him innocent, and that he
could find in him nothing worthy of death; and with the same
breath that he condemned him to death he said : “I am innocent
of the blood of this just man; look you to it.”—Matt. 27: 24. The
Roman centurion, who was present at the crucifixion, exclaimed:
“Indeed this was a just man.”—Luke 23: 47. “Indeed this man
was the Son of God.”—Mark 15: 39.

(3.) To suffer innocently, as Christ did, is, properly speaking,
It possible for us, for even if we did not commit the smallest
fault during our whole life, we should still be contaminated
with original sin, and, on this account alone no one could
say. “I suffer innocently.” In the mean time we all have per­
sonal sins, and perhaps, not only venial, but also mortal sins,
and hence we cannot say that we suffer innocently. But our
sins, original as well as actual, are remitted to us. Very well,
but sufferings and tribulations of every sort, and death, are con­
sequences of sin, which, after the remission thereof, still remain.
Consequently, every one must acknowledge : Lord, that which I
suffer I have deserved already from my mother’s womb, but still
more by the many sins I have committed myself. The sufferings
which come upon us can be called undeserved only in the sense
that they are inflicted unjustly upon us by men. Thus the Apostles,
the martyrs, and pious Christians in general suffered and are
suffering unjustly and of them St. Paul says: “All that will live
godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution.”—II. Tim. 3:12.
If in such a way we suffer innocently, we must deem ourselves
happy, since Christ says: “Blessed are they that suffer persecu­
tion for justice’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” —
Matt. 5: io.

2. Meekly, without returning evil for evil; who, when he was re
oiled, did not revile ; and when he suffered, he threatened not.
{ai} AVhat a heavenly meekness did not Christ manifest amid
all the outrages and sufferings with which his enemies over­
whelmed him! The Jews utter the most horrible blasphemies
against him; they call him a Samaritan, a confederate of the
devil ; he does not give way to anger, but defends himself with

i. Homiletic Sketch.

49

all calmness; the Jews take up stones to kill him, he goes out of
their way; Judas betrays him with a kiss, he does not reject the
wretch, but full of sadness says: “Friend, whereto art thou come?”
—Matt. 26: 50. The soldiers mock him, spit upon his sacred face,
strike him on the cheeks, place a crown of thorns upon his head,
put a reed into his hand for a sceptre. He permits it all, and not
a word of resentment escapes his lips. He is mocked even on the
cross, and he opens his mouth only to pray: “Father, forgive
them, for they know not what they do.”—Luke 23 : 34. Is there
any meekness that could be compared with that of Christ? Does
he not cry out to us : “Learn of me, because I am meek and hum­
ble of heart?”—Matt. 11: 29.

(£.) Oh, that his example would sink deeply into our hearts and
move us to accept and bear in the spirit of meekness all that we
must endure from our fellow-men ! Can any suffering fall upon
us, that could be compared with the sufferings of Christ? Have
we ever been mocked, reviled, blasphemed, and abused as he
was? And what is he, and what are we? He, the Son of God,
true God, and we, miserable creatures; he, the infinitely holy,
and we, sinners by nature ; he, all love for men, and we frequently
so cold, insensible, so indifferent towards our neighbor. And
should we not meekly endure insults and offenses? Should we
be angry with those who offend us, hate them, and bear them
ill-will ? Ah, what kind of Christians should we be ! Oh, let us
follow our meek Redeemer! By patiently enduring and suffering
we win his heart and obtain his graces and life everlasting:
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land.”—Matt.
5M·

3. Voluntarily,for he “delivered himself to him that judged him
unjustly L
(a.) Isaias says (53 : 7) of him: “He was offered because it was
his own will.” Jesus himself affirms that no one can take his life
away from him, but that he voluntarily lays it down. “No man
taketh it (my life) 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 10: 18. Could the Jews have abused and killed
him, if he had not willed it himself? He was not only true man,
but also true God, consequently in the possession of divine power.
He showed also that his enemies could not have done him the
least harm if he had wished to resist them. They intended one
day to throw him down from the precipice and kill him with
stones, but he disappeared out of their midst. And at his words:
“I am he, ’’the soldiers “went backward and fell to the ground.”
—John 18:6. Therefore he suffered voluntarily.

Ill

4

50

Second Sunday After Easter.

(A) We also should suffer voluntarily, at least in the sense that
we accept sufferings willingly from the hand of God. To suffer
is our lot here below. “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: i. But everything depends
upon our bearing our sufferings patiently. He who bears them
with impatience feels their weight doubly heavy, loses all merit
for heaven, and renders himself guilty of punishment before God,
since impatience is sinful. He who bears his cross willingly and
patiently profits much ; it preserves him from the inordinate love
of the world and from sin, elevates his mind to God, infuses into
his soul a desire for things eternal, blots out the temporal pun­
ishment of his sins, and increases his merit for heaven. The
saints considered this, and for that reason they suffered not only
with patience, but with joy. Thus the Apostles went from the
presence of the Council, by whose orders they had been scourged,
rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach
for the name of Jesus. St. Teresa said: “Let me suffer or
die;” and St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi: “Lord, not to die, but to
suffer.” Let us then patiently carry the cross which God sees fit
to put on our shoulders, that we may experience its blessings.

Part Π.
St. Peter teaches us also why Jesus suffered. He suffered for
us, that is, for our good, to redeem and save us.
i. Who his own self bore our sins in his body upon the tree. Peter
teaches that Christ by his death on the cross blotted out our guilt,
that his death is a death of propitiation, by which the dominion
of sin was destroyed. Every sin makes us guilty before God, for
he who commits the least sin refuses that which is due to him,
viz., honor, love and obedience. As every debtor has the obliga­
tion of satisfying his creditor and of paying his debts, so we are
Obliged to pay the debts which we have contracted by our sins,
or, in other words, to make satisfaction for the offense offered
him by our sins. But we could not do this for the simple reason
that every sin is, as regards God, an infinite guilt, and cannot
be remitted by us men, who, being creatures, are capable only
of doing finite things. As the servant in the gospel was unable
to pay the debt of ten thousand talents to his lord, so we are
even less able to pay the debt which we have contracted before
God. That which no man and not even an angel could do, Christ, the
God-Man, did ; he has by his death on the cross perfectly satis­
fied divine justice; his blood which he freely shed to the last
drop, is, as it were, the price he paid to blot out our guilu

i. Homiletic Sketch.
Hence St. Peter in another place writes: “Knowing that you
were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold or silver, from
your vain conversation . . . but with the precious blood of Christ,
as a lamb unspotted and undefiled.”—I. Pet. i: i8, 19. And St.
Paul says that “In Jesus Christ we have redemption through his
blood, the remission of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”
—Ephes. 1:7. If a man were to pay a debt for us which we never
could pay and thereby procure for us liberty and life, we should
be grateful to him all the days of our life, and should we not be
thankful to Christ, who satisfied for our guilt with his precious
blood and delivered us from eternal death? But how do many
Christians show their gratitude for this unspeakable grace? They
crucify him anew by their sins.

il
»!

2. That we, being dead to sins, should live to justice. In these
words the Apostle expresses the happy state in which we have
been placed through Jesus Christ, and also the obligations which
this state imposes upon us.
(a.) Christ by his passion and death has merited for us the
grace of justification, i. e., from the state of sin we are restored
to the state of justice and holiness. We owe it to the infinite
merits of Christ, that in the Sacraments of Baptism and Penance
original and actual sins, with the eternal punishments due to
them, are remitted to us, wherefore St. John writes: “The blood
of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.”—I. John 1: 7, and St.
Paul: “There is now therefore no condemnation to them that are
in Christ Jesus (that is, for those who by faith and baptism are
incorporated with Christ), who walk not according to the flesh.”
—Rom. 8:1. In the same way we owe it to the merits of Christ,
that we are sanctified in the sacraments. For if we receive in
them the grace of sanctification, not only what is sinful and culp­
able in our soul is blotted out and destroyed, but what is good
and salutary is communicated to us, the love of God, holiness
and justice. Something similar is done with us as with a stem on
which is engrafted a fine healthy cutting. The tree is entirely
changed; it is no longer unproductive, but yields good fruit.
Hence St. Paul says of the Corinthians, that before they were
converted to Christianity and the merits of Redemption were
applied to them, they were contaminated with all kinds of sins
and vices, but now they are washed, sanctified and justified in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the spirit of our God.
—I. Cor. 6: 9-11.

j
I

4

. (£.) Jesus having acquired for us the grace of justification by
his passion and death on the cross, we are obliged to preserve
this grace, to sin no more, and to walk in justice and holiness.

52

Second Sunday After Easter.

If we should sin again, we should deprive ourselves of the fruit of
Redemption, and the words of Peter would be applicable to us;
“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 delivered to them.”—ZZ ZW,
2: 20, 21. Shun every sin, at least every mortal sin, that you
may not lose the grace of justification, which Christ has pur­
chased for you at so great a price—with his precious blood.
3. By whose stripes you were healed. The healing, which was
effected by the wounds, that is, by the passion and death of
Christ, is the result of sanctifying grace and of the actual graces
which enable us to preserve sanctifying grace. If we depended
on our natural strength alone, we could not persevere in justice,
for “we are,” as the Apostle says, “not sufficient to think any­
thing of ourselves, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from
God.”—II. Cor. 3 ; 5. We need the grace of God to overcome
temptations, to practice meritorious works, to keep the com­
mandments of God and to persevere in justice to the end. And
even this grace Christ has merited for us by his passion and
death; therefore he says of himself: “I am the vine; you the
branches; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth
much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.”—John 15: 5.
All divine graces are acquired for us at the price of the passion
and death of Christ, and to every grace we receive adheres a
drop of his precious blood.
PERORATION.

In conclusion St. Peter says You were as sheep going astray',
but you are now converted to the shepherd and bishop of your souls.
Sheep going astray deserve pity, since they cannot help them­
selves; they are in danger of dying of hunger or thirst, of falling
into some abyss, of being devoured by wolves. This was the
condition of mankind before their vocation to the faith. What a
grace and blessing for us that we are converted to Jesus Christ
and are within his fold ! He is, in truth, the shepherd and bishop
of our souls, for he loves us and vouchsafes to extend to us the lov­
ing protection of his Providence, guarding us as the apple of his
eye, and sheltering us under the shadow of his wings. Let us
follow his voice and guidance, so that on the great day of judg­
ment we may find a place among his sheep and be called to the
joys of everlasting life. Amen.

2. Homiletic Sketch

53

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

Gospel. John 10: 11-16. At that time Jesus said to the Phar­
isees : I am the good shepherd ; the good shepherd giveth his
life for his sheep. But the hireling and he that is not the shep­
herd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming and
leaveth the sheep, and flieth : and the wolf catcheth and scattereth the sheep: and the hireling flieth, because he is a hireling:
and he hath no care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd: and
I know mine, and mine know me. As the Father knoweth
and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep.
And other sheep I have that are not of this fold: them also I
must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one
fold and one shepherd.

2. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
CHRIST THE GOOD SHEPHERD, AND WE HIS SHEEP.

Christ had given sight to a man born blind.—John 9. This
miracle, which caused a great sensation, had come to the ears of
the Pharisees, who summoned the man to appear before them.
When he attested the miracle, and defended Christ against their
unjust accusations, they became so angry and enraged that they
cursed him and expelled him as an apostate from the Jewish
Church. By this action the Pharisees showed themselves to be
bad shepherds, who, instead of keeping the sheep together and
protecting them, scatter and kill them. From this the divine
Saviour took occasion to bring before them the parable of the
good shepherd. He shows in this parable that he is the good
shepherd, whom the Prophets had already foretold {Is. 40: ix,
Ezech. 34: 23, Zach. 11: 4), and that he was not, like the leaders
of the Jews, seeking his own interest, but the welfare of his
sheep, and that he was about to lay down his life for them.
We will consider this parable a little more closely, and see—
I How Jesus proves himself so be the good shepherd;
II. How we must prove ourselves to be his good sheep.

Second Sunday After Easter.

Part L
Christ with perfect justice calls himself the good shepherd, for—
i. He gives his life for his sheep: “The good shepherd giveth hie
life for his sheep?

(a.) We know of no shepherd whose love for his sheep has
gone so far as to sacrifice his life for them, for it would be mad­
ness for a man to give his life for animals. But what is man
compared with God? Certainly much less than an animal com­
pared with man, for though man on account of his immortal soul
and other natural and supernatural gifts, stands incomparably
higher than all animals, he is, like them, a creature and a finite
being, whilst God, the Creator, is an Infinite Being. Now Christ,
who is not only true man, but also true God, has offered his life
for us on the cross. He gave up everything for our sake, be­
cause he loved us, and proved his love by the sacrifice of his
life.
(3.) Christ himself says: “Greater love than this no man hath,
that a man lay down his life for his friends.”—John 15: 13. His
love went further still, for he gave his life not only for his friends,
but even for his enemies ; he died for all, even for his enemies
and murderers; nay, properly speaking, he did not die for any
friend, but only for enemies, since all men, being sinners, were
his enemies. Oh, who can fathom the depth of the love of Jesus
for us.

(t.) What he did once on Calvary, where he offered himself
on the cross in a bloody manner, he does daily in an unbloody
manner and will continue to do to the end of time. He daily offers
himself, on thousands of altars, for men in an unbloody manner
in order to apply to them the merits of his passion and death.
How Jesus loves us! Can he not truly say: lam the good shepherd?
Should not his love for us urge us to make sacrifices for him?
What sacrifices? The sacrifices of exterior and interior mortifi­
cation and of Christian love and mercy. Our love for him must
not merely be a sentimental love.
He protects his sheep. u The hireling, and he that is not the
shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and
leaveth the sheep and flieth; and the wolf catcheth and scatterelh the
sheep?
2.

(a.} The hireling cares nothing for the sheep, because they
are not his own ; therefore, if the wolf breaks into the fold, he

i. Homiletic Sketch.

55

flies, so that the wolf without hindrance can steal and scatter the
sheep. Christ is not a cowardly, self-interested hireling; on the
contrary, he is the good shepherd, who considers himself the
owner of the sheep, who takes upon himself the responsibility of
defending them from the attacks of rapacious wolves, and pro­
tects them from all harm. As such a shepherd he has exhibited
himself for the last eighteen hundred years. By how many and
powerful enemies has the Church not been attacked since the
beginning ! What terrible persecutions has she not suffered! She
was scarcely established when the time of the struggle com­
menced ; for three hundred years she saw the blood of her chil­
dren flow in streams, aud her martyrs are numbered by millions.
And these persecutions were repeated, if not on the whole earth,
at least in various countries, through all the centuries, and they
are repeated in our days. Besides exterior enemies, the Church
has always had enemies within her own bosom. Had not our
Lord a Judas among his Apostles? There have always been false
teachers, heresiarchs, etc., who calumniated their holy Mother
the Church, and persecuted her with the greatest hatred, insti­
gated even the temporal power against her, and, with a zeal
worthy of a better cause, labored to destroy her. But, behold 1
all these enemies could not prevail against her. As a good shep­
herd defends his flock against all the attacks of rapacious ani­
mals, so Christ has at all times espoused the cause of the Church,
and defended her against interior and exterior enemies. The
promise which he made that the gates of hell should not prevail
against her has stood the test of eighteen hundred years and
more and will hold good for all time to come. Let us not be dis­
couraged when we see the Church again suffering great tribula­
tion in these days. Christ, the good shepherd, is her protector,
and though adversaries without number appear, they will not
prevail against her; as up to this time, so in the future she will
triumph over all her enemies. This is our hope which is laid up
in our bosom.

(Æ.) We also have sheep which, according to the example of
Christ, the good shepherd, we must protect. Such sheep, Chris­
tian parents, are your children, who, in their youthful levity and
inexperience, are exposed to great dangers, especially nowa­
days, when the world is so much given to wickedness, and virtue
and the fear of God disappear more and more from the earth.
Watch over them, keep them as much as possible from evil as­
sociations, aod allow them no intercourse with irreligious people
so that they may not fall victims to them. Consider that one
day you must give a rigorous account of the training of your
children. Moreover, each of you is the shepherd of a sheep—
your own soul, which ought to be very dear to y ^u, because if it

$6

Second Sunday After Easter.

is lost, all is lost for eternity. '-What doth it profit a man, if he
gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul?”—
Matt. 16: 26. Let the care of your soul be your most important
affair, and do all you can to preserve it from sin, to keep it in
the grace of God, and one day bring it into heaven.
3. He knows his sheep, as he says himself: I am the good shep·
herd, and I know mine.
(a.) As a shepherd knows his sheep, so Christ, the good shep­
herd, knows his. He knows those who are his disciples. But he
knows his own, not only externally from their personal appear­
ance, but interiorly ; he knows what they think, wish, desire, and
aim at; he knows what troubles they have, what they need, what
is good or evil, expedient or injurious to them. Oh, what a con­
solation for us that we can say: Jesus, the good shepherd, knows
me. He who knows everything, knows also all about me ; my
necessities, my troubles and sufferings are known to him; he
sees my struggles, hears my sighs, and ordains everything for
my good.

(3.) When Jesus says that he knows his sheep, he means that
he loves them, for the word iiknow” is used in various passages
of Holy Writ for ‘Hove.” Thus : “Thou hast found grace before me,
and thee I have known by name” {Ex. 33 : 17), and “The Lord
knoweth who are his.”—II. Tim. 2: 19. By the words: I know)
mine, Jesus expresses the greatness of his love. But true love is
active. He not only entertains the most benevolent feelings to­
wards us, but he also does us a vast amount of good. Who is
able to express with words the graces which continually flow to
us from his hands? Is it not he who nourishes us with his divine
word, nay, with his sacred body and precious blood ; who daily
offers himself for us in holy mass, purifies and sanctifies us in the
sacraments, and sitting at the right hand of his Father as our
high priest and advocate, pleads our cause? Oh, let us show
ourselves grateful for his active love, and make good use of the
graces which he unceasingly imparts
4. He is anxious to bring in also those sheep which are outside
the one fold : Other sheep I have that are not of this fold: them
also I must bring.
The first sheep that Christ called into his fold were the Jews.
He came, lived and worked among them; they were to be the
first to partake of the grace of salvation, because the promise of
the Messias was first made to their forefathers, and to them; they
were to be the firstlings of the Church : “I was not sent but to the
sheep that are lost of the house of Israel.”—Matt. 15: 24. But be-

2. Homiletic Sketch,

57

sides the Jews, there were millions of Gentiles; these were the
other sheepy these also he would make partakers of the fruit of
redemption, and call them into his fold, that is, into his Church.
For this end he commissioned his Apostles to go and teach all
nations, to baptize them and receive them into his Church. And
what our Lord first did through his Apostles, he has done at all
times, and still does to-day through their successors, the bishops
and priests of the Catholic Church. In his name, for the last
eighteen hundred years, thousands of missionaries have preached
the gospel in heathen countries, and increased the number of
the children of the Church. No shepherd can labor so hard to in­
crease his flock as Christ does for the propagation of his Church;
his love is all-embracing and unceasingly urges him to save all,
since he died for all.

Part Π.
I. To prove ourselves good sheep, we must know Christy our
goodshepherdy for he says: Mine know me. We know him—«

(a.) By means offaith. It is faith that tells us that Christ is the
Son of God, became man and appeared on earth to teach, to re­
deem, and to save us. It is faith that tells us what we must do to
please God and to obtain our final end. It is by faith that we
come to the knowledge of the means of salvation, which are or­
dained for our purification and sanctification. If we did not be­
lieve in Christ, it would be impossible for us to know him. He
therefore who wishes to be a sheep of Christ must believe all the
sacred truths which Christ proposes to our belief by his Church.
How is it with your faith? Do you firmly believe all that the
Catholic Church teaches? Are you prepared to make every
sacrifice for the holy Catholic faith? Does your life correspond
with your belief?
(<5.) By means of love. As soon as by the light of faith we have
come to the knowledge of Christ and of all that he has done for
our Redemption, we must show by our deeds that we love him
above all thingf?·. How could it be possible for us not to love him
when we consider his ineffable love for us and the countless
graces and benefits which he bestows upon us? But if we truly
love him, we shall frequently direct our thoughts to him, and ex­
cite ourselves to devout acts of humility, contrition and thanks­
giving. It will give us pleasure to speak of him and to hear him
spoken of; we shall make his life, actions and sufferings the
subject of our meditation; we shall offer to him daily our labors,
joys and troubles ; we shall mortify our inordinate inclinations,

58

Second Sunday After Easter.

and manfully renounce what displeases him, and lastly, we shall
in all things do his holy will joyfully and perseveringly.
2. We must hear his voice, as he says : They shall hear my voice.
The sheep hear the voice of their shepherd and follow his guid­
ance. So we too must hear the voice of our shepherd, Jesus, and
be governed by him, if we wish to be good sheep. But he no
longer walks visibly on earth ; how then can we hear his voice ?
He speaks to us—
(a.) Interiorly, by the voice of our conscience. By its means he is
incessantly laboring for our salvation. He tells us what we are
to do, what to avoid, he exhorts us to fulfil our duties, he warns
us against evil, he makes us the most glorious promises, if we
live according to his word and example, but threatens us with
the severest punishments, if we turn our backs upon him and
commit sin: he inundates our heart with holy joy when we do
good, but fills us with disquietude, fear and anguish when we
commit sin. Oh, that we would at all times listen to the voice of
our good shepherd, who speaks to us through our conscience.

(i.) Exteriorly, through the Church. She is his representative
on earth and as it were, the ever-living and ever-present Christ.
She has her commission from him to announce his divine doc­
trine to all nations, to administer the sacraments, and to oblige
them to observe all his commandments and her ordinances. It is
the sacred duty of every one to hear the Church and to obey her:
“He that heareth you heareth me; he that despiseth you, and
he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me.”—Luke io: 16.
“If he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen
and publican.”—Matt. 18: 17. Learn from this, how wrong
those Christians are who will not hear their priests and pastors,
the ambassadors of the Church : who disregard their admonitions,
resist their ordinances, despise, revile, slander and calumniate
them. Whatever they do against a priest, Jesus considers as done
against himself. Reflect on this, and be obedient to your pastors,
for “obedience is better than sacrifice.”
3. We must belong to his fold. Jesus indicates this in the words:
There shall be one fold and one shepherd.

There is but one shepherd, Jesus Christ: and there is but one
fold, the Catholic Church established by Christ. As he is and
will be the pastor of all, Jews and Gentiles, so he requires all
men, Jews and Gentiles, to enter into his Church, that upon the
whole earth there may be but one Church, as there is but one
îhepherd. He who does not belong to this Church—at least

·. ίϊί.ιΜ

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

59

interiorly—to her soul—cannot work out his salvation and be
saved, for the Church of Christ is the only institution for the sal­
vation of men ; only in her and through her can everything be
obtained that is requisite for salvation, the true faith, the true
commandments, and the true means of grace. “The Lord increased
daily together such as should be saved.”—Acts. 2: 47.
Consider it the greatest grace that from your infancy you be­
long to the holy Catholic Church, for as a member of it you
follow the road which alone leads to heaven, and you possess all
the means you need for salvation. But do not forget that much
will be required of those to whom much has been given, and
“labor the more, that by good works you make sure your calling
and election.”—IL Pet. 1: 10.
PERORATION.

Since Christ is so good a shepherd, who loves us dearly, pro­
tects us and even gives his life for us, let us exert ourselves to
be good sheep. Let us adhere to him with faithful hearts, love him
above all things, and ever do that which is enjoined on us as a duty,
either interiorly, by our conscience, or exteriorly, by the pastors
of our souls, and let us be good Catholics as regards faith and
practice, so that as good sheep we may be united in heaven with
our good shepherd, Jesus Christ. Amen.

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

3. DOGMATICAL SKETCH
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH THE ONLY SAVING CHURCH.

And other sheep I have that are not of this fold, them also I must
bring; and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and
one shepherd.— John 10: 16.

Our Lord calls himself the good shepherd who loves his sheep
eo dearly as to give his life for them. Who are Christ’s sheep ?
All men, Jews and Gentiles. The first sheep called into the fold,
that is, the Church, were the Jews ; the other sheep are the Gen­
tiles. He has redeemed all men ; it is his will that not only the
Je vs, but also the Gentiles, shall be saved. He therefore tore

6o

Second Sunday After Easter.

down the partition between the Jews and the Gentiles and united
them in one communion, so that, as there is but one shepherd,
here can be but one fold, that is, one Church. This one Church
is the holy Catholic Church, for she alone, according to the tes­
timony of history, is the Church established by Christ. Let us
rejoice in being members of the Catholic Church, for she is the
only saving Church, that is, the only Church in which we can
work out our salvation. AVe will consider this important truth
to-day, and answer the two following questions:
I. Why can we be saved only in the Catholic Church ?
II. What are we to believe in regard io the salvation of those who
do not belong to the Catholic Church ?

Part I.
There is no salvation except in the Catholic Church—

I. Because we find in her alone all that Christ has ordained for
obtaining salvation. In order to be saved, we must—
(a.) Believe all that Christ has taught. “He that believeth, and
is baptized, shall be saved ; but he that believeth not, shall be
condemned.”—Mark 16: 16. “He that believeth in the Son, hath
life everlasting; but he that believeth not the Son, shall not see
life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”—John 3 : 36. These
and many other passages mean that whosoever wishes to be
saved must have the faith taught by Christ. Where is this faith
to be found? Only in the Catholic Church. It is the Catholic
Church alone that Christ established to preach his doctrine to
the end of time. For this end he entrusted his holy doctrine to
her with the commission always to preserve it pure and unde­
filed, to explain it infallibly and to propagate it. And the
Church needing for that purpose the divine assistance, he pro­
mised her the Holy Ghost, to abide with her, to guide her,
and to instruct her in all truth. “I will ask the Father, and he
shall give you another Paraclete, that he may abide with you
for ever, the Spirit of truth.”—John 14: 16, 17. “The Holy
Ghost, whom the father will send in my name, he will teach you
all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall
have said to you.”—John 14: 26. “But when he, the Spirit of
truth, is come, he will teach you all truth.”—John 16: 13. By
reason of the assistance of the Holy Ghost, the Church is “the
pillar and ground of the truth.”—I. Tim. 3 :15.
This was the teaching of the Fathers of the Church from the be­
ginning. St. Irenaeus says : “Truth must not be sought elsewhere
than in the Church, because the Apostles deposited in her, as in

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

6i

a rich treasury, the whole truth in its fulness, so that every one
who wills can draw life from her.” The bishops assembled at
Carthage, under St. Cyprian, at the beginning of the third cen­
tury, unanimously declare: “Our mother the Catholic Church at
all times preserved and will preserve, the truth pure, for she is
governed and taught by God; she is the one and only teacher of
salvation.” Even Luther says : “He that will know anything of
Christ, must not presume to build for himself his own bridge to
heaven, by his own reason, but he must go to the Church and
ask her.” As the Catholic Church alone possesses and teaches
the true faith necessary for salvation, it follows that we can be
saved only in her bosom. Hence the Jews and Gentiles, and all
religious societies separated from the Church, are not in the
way of salvation, because they are destitute of the first requisite
for salvation, the true faith.

{b.') Do what Christ has commanded. Our Blessed Lord strictly
requires us to obey him, the Supreme Lawgiver, and he makes
eternal salvation depend on it. “He that hath my commandments
and keepeth them; he it is that loveth me.”—John 14: 21. He,
then, who does not keep the commandments of Christ, does not
love him, and “if any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let
him be anathema”—I. Cor. 16: 22. “He that despiseth me, and
receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him. The word
that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”—
John 12: 48. “Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your
words, going forth out of that house or city, shake off the dust
from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment
than for that city.”—Matt. 10: 14, 15. He who wishes to be saved
must do what Christ commands. But where is to be found what
Christ commands? Only in the Catholic Church, for she is the
infallible teacher of the Christian religion both in regard to faith
and morals. From this it follows again that only in the Catholic
Church can one live acceptably to God and be saved.

3. Make use of the means of grace, which Christ has ordained for
our salvation. These means of grace are especially prayer and
the sacraments. Baptism is absolutely necessary for all. “Unless
a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God.”— John 3: 5. The Sacrament of
Penance is necessary for all those who, after baptism, have griev­
ously sinned. Christ designates this Sacrament as the only means
by which the remission of sins committed after baptism can be
obtained: ‘Whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven.”—
John 20:23. With regard to the other sacraments, suffice it to
say, that three of them, namely, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist,

6i

Second Sunday After Easter

and Extreme Unction, are necessary to salvation in so far as it
would be a grievous sin to neglect their reception through care­
lessness or contempt. Now, since all non-Christians have no
sacraments at all, not even baptism, they are evidently not in the
way of salvation. Most Christians separated from the Catholic
Church have no sacraments, with the exception of baptism, be­
cause they have no priests who alone can administer the sacra­
ments perfectly and validly. And although some are saved by
means of baptism administered in the denominations separated
from the Catholic Church, yet none of these can be called the
saving Church, because they do not possess all the means of
grace which are necessary for salvation to men in all the various
circumstances of life. In what a terrible state then are all non­
Catholics as soon as they lose the grace of baptism ! They have
no Sacrament of Penance, and, consequently, no means of ob­
taining forgiveness of their sins committed after baptism. You
see then the Catholic Church is the only institution of salvation
established by Christ, that is, the only saving Church.
2. Because the word of God emphatically assures us that roe must
belong to the Catholic Church established by Christ, if roe wish to be
saved.
(a.) “If he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the
heathen and publican.”—Matt. 18: 17. Heathens and public sin­
ners cannot be saved, therefore neither can those who do not
hear the Church. “He that heareth you, heareth me ; he that despiseth you, despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth
him that sent me.”—Luke 10:16. He who despises the teachers
sent by the Church and does not submit to them, is a traitor to
Christ and his heavenly Father; and how can such a one be
saved? Christ also makes use of several parables, to prove that
outside the Church there is no salvation. Thus he compares her
to a vineyard, to a supper, and to a sheepfold. Only those who
labored in the vineyard received wages; those who appeared not
at the supper remained excluded from it for ever, and those
sheep which were not in the fold were of the number of those
that had gone astray.

(i.) This is also the teaching of the Fathers. St. Ignatius, a
disciple of the Apostle says: “Brethren, fall net into errors, for
he who follows a man who makes a schism will not obtain the
inheritance of heaven.” St. Cyprian: “He who separates himself
from the true Church, and associates with an adulterous one, is
excluded from all the promises which are made to the Church.
Such a one will never obtain the promises of Christ. Nay, even
martyrdom will profit him nothing; he may be put to death, but

3, Dogmatical sketch,

63

he will not be crowned.” St. Augustine : “Outside the Church you
can have everything except salvation.” From this it is evident
that one can be saved only in the Catholic Church.

What are we to believe in regard to the salvation of those
who do not belong to the Catholic Church ?

Part Π.
Who do not belong to the Catholic Church?
i. The unbaptized: Pagans, Jews, Mahometans, and, in general,
all non-Christians, for baptism is the door through which all must
enter into the Church. What about their salvation? We must
distinguish between the children that die before they have come
to the years of reason, and adults. All the children of such per­
sons dying before the age of reason, are in the same position as
Christian parents’ children that die without baptism, of whom
St. Augustine says: “I do not say that the children who die with­
out baptism suffer so great a punishment that it would have been
better for them not to have been born. Although I cannot de­
cide in what their condemnation consists or how great it will be,
yet I do not dare to assert that it would have been better for
these children not to be, than to be in such a state. All theolo­
gians teach that no one will be condemned to the pains of hell
on account of original sin alone. But at the same time they teach
that original sin as well as every other sin, prevents entrance
into heaven. We may admit that children who die with the de­
filement of original sin will enjoy a kind of natural beatitude.
With regard to adult persons, the whole question centres on this,
whether they live according to the law which God has inscribed
in every man’s heart. If they do not live according to this law,
they act against their better knowledge and conscience, and
there is no doubt that they will be damned. But if they live ac­
cording to this law they will not be damned, for God condemns
no one who serves him according to his conscientious conviction.
But whether they go to heaven or not we do not know. Per­
haps in their case the baptism of desire can be admitted, with
which they may be saved, since it supplies that of water. Many
fathers of the Church, and theologians, admit that God leads the
unbaptized who earnestly desire the truth and serve him with a
sincere heart, in a wonderful way to the faith, as we know he
did the centurion Cornelius.
2. Heretics and schismatics, of whom St. Augustine says : “The
heretics by a false opinion with regard to God violate faith itself

64

Second Sunday After Easter.

and schismatics remove themselves by impious divisions from
brotherly love, though they believe what we believe. Therefore
a heretic does not belong to the Catholic Church, for God loves
his Church ; and a schismatic does not, for the Church loves her
neighbor. Concerning the salvation of heretics and schismatics
we must distinguish again. If their heresy or schism is culpable,
or maliciously formal, they cannot be saved, heresy and schism
being grievous sins. Heresy and schism are culpable in all those
who, although convinced of the truth of the Catholic Church, do
not embrace it. They cannot and must not appeal to the diffi­
culties with which that step is attended, since for the true faith
we must be willing and prepared to make any and everv sacri­
fice: “He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not
worthy of me.”—Matt. io : 37. As heretics and schismatics
through their own fault we must count those who would be able
to ascertain the truth, if they seriously inquired about it, yet ne­
glect to do so from indifference or other culpable reasons. There­
fore, St. Augustine says : “Involuntary ignorance will not be im­
puted to you, but your neglecting to learn what you ought to
know.” If, however, heretics and schismatics are invincibly
ignorant and absolutely do not know their error, and at the same
time zealously serve God, they can be saved ; for material error
is involuntary and therefore not a sin ; but salvation is rendered
very difficult to those who are not culpably erring, because of
the want of many means of grace. To mention only one thing,
they have no sacraments, with the exception of baptism ; and the
Sacrament of Penance is so very necessary for salvation. They
resemble the poor, who strive to satisfy their hunger and thirst
with only a little pure water and a dry crust of bread, whilst
they could sit with us Catholics at a rich banquet and have all the
means of salvation in abundance.
3. The excommunicated, that is, those who on account of great
crimes are excluded from all ecclesiastical communion. An ex­
communicated person is deprived of all the rights and graces
which flow to us from communion with the Church ; he has no
longer the right to receive any sacraments, he has no share in
the good works and merits of the just, is deprived of the public
intercessions, can gain no indulgence, and if he dies whilst ex­
communicated, he is deprived of Christian burial, for such a one
is looked upon as a heathen, according to the word of Christ : “If
he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen
and publican.” That the excommunicated, unless they do pen­
ance and reconcile themsemselves with the Church, can have no
hope of salvation, is evident. The great crime which they have
committed, their impenitence and obstinacy, must necessarily
shut them out from heaven.

4.

Liturgical Sketch.

65

PERORATION.

From what has been said you understand that the state of
those who are separated from the Church is a deplorable one,
and that many of them, if not most of them, will lose their eternal
salvation. Though it is true that God will condemn no one un­
less it be through his own fault, we can by no means admit that a
great number of unbelievers and heretics will be saved, for
there will be only a few among them who abstain from grievous
sins and have a sincere and serious desire for the truth. Be this
as it may, we do not presume to judge any one, but we are bound
to say that the Catholic Church is the only saving Church, and
that one must belong to her at least interiorly, that is, to her soul,
in order to be saved. Concerning ourselves, let us endeavor con­
scientiously to fulfil our duties as Catholics so that the Catholic
Church may lead us to holiness and to heaven. Amen.

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH.
THE MEANING OF THE FIVE SUNDAYS AFTER EASTER.

I am the good shepherd.—John 10:

11.

The celebration of Easter is prolonged for a considerable time;
it extends, strictly speaking, to the feast of the Ascension of
Christ, but in a wider acceptation, to Pentecost. This celebration
is nothing but a continual echo of Easter joy. The Church re­
joices at the triumph of her risen Founder and Bridegroom and
at the accomplishment of the work of our Redemption. She
manifests this Easter joy by the use of white vestments during
the whole of Paschal time, and by the Alleluia which is con­
stantly repeated in the Mass and in the Divine Office. The
Sundays from Easter till the Ascension all point to Christ and
his Church and show us what Christ is to his Church and what
the Church is to us. We will endeavor to-day to understand the
significance of these Sundays, for which purpose I shall answer
the two following questions: What is the meaning—

II

66

Second Sunday After Easter.
1. Of the first ttoo Sundays, and
IL Of the last three Sundays after Easier.

Part L
i. On the first Sunday after Easter (Low Sunday) the Church
shows us Jesus Christ, the risen Saviour, as her head.

{af} In the epistle of this Sunday he appears as the Son of
God. We read in it: "Who is it that overcometh the world but
he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God ?” At the same
time St. John gives testimony of Christ as our Saviour and Re­
deemer in these words: “This is he that came by water and blood,
Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by water and blood that
is to say: Christ has proved by facts that he is our Redeemer,
for he has instituted baptism, by which we are cleansed from all
sins, regenerated and sanctified, and he has shed his precious
blood on the cross, by which he reconciled us with God.
The gospel shows Christ as the Prince of Peace, for it tells us
that the risen Saviour appeared to his disciples, the doors being
shut, and saluted them with the words : ‘Teace be to you.” More­
over, the gospel indicates in what sense Christ is the Prince of
Peace, telling us that he gave his Apostles the power of forgiv­
ing and retaining sins. By this power of the forgiveness of sin
he is always the Prince of Peace; for our sins being forgiven, we
are reconciled with God and have peace with him.
fbi) Christ is therefore the head of his Church in a triple rela­
tion : namely, as God, as the Redeemer, and as the Prince of Peace.
If he, the head of the Church, is the Son of God, we owe him
divine honor or adoration. Christ himself demands this honor of
us, saying that all men must honor the Son, as they honor the
Father {John 5: 23), and the Apostle writes: “God 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. Give the divine Saviour the honor
and adoration due to him, interiorly and exteriorly; interiorly,
by a living faith in his Divinity, by a profound reverence, grati­
tude and love; exteriorly, by genuflexions, folding the hands at
prayer, by a respectful deportment in church and frequent par­
ticipation in the public worship of God.
If Christ, the head of the Church, is our Redeemer, we owe him
thanks. Should we not be thankful to him for having given his
blood and life for our Redemption? Call to mind frequently the
ineffable grace of your Redemption, and thank him for it from

4«

Liturgical Sketch.

67

the bottom of your heart, especially whilst present at the sacri­
fice of the mass, in which the bloody sacrifice on the cross is
renewed on the altar in an unbloody manner.
If Christ, the head of the Church, is the Prince of Peace, we
must carefully keep the peace which he has brought. Keep
peace with God by doing his holy will, keep peace with your­
selves by preserving your conscience free from every sin, keep
peace with your fellow men by having patience with their frail­
ties and bearing injuries and offenses without complaint.
2. On the second Sunday after Easter the Church shows us
Christ as the good shepherd.

(a.) In the epistle Christ is spoken of as the good shepherd, for
it says: “You were as sheep going astray, but you are now con­
verted to (Jesus Christ) the shepherd and bishop of your souls.”
In the gospel he calls himself the good shepherd, and says that
he knows his sheep and gives his life for them, and that he has
other sheep, that are not of his fold, but that he would also bring
them into it. He knows his sheep, that is, his disciples, not only
exteriorly, but also interiorly, and employs this knowledge for
their good by giving them those graces which are most suitable
and necessary for them. Jesus gives his life for his sheep. He
has done so on Calvary, where he died on the cross for our Re­
demption. His bloody sacrifice on the cross he daily renews on
thousands of altars to the end of time, in an unbloody manner in
holy mass, in order to apply to men the fruits of Redemption ;
thus he continues to be the good shepherd who offers himself for
us. Jesus brings also the sheep that are not of his fold, that is, the
Gentiles. His solicitude and love are all-embracing ; not only the
Jews but also the Gentiles are to be received into his Church
and to be saved. Therefore he gave his Apostles and their suc­
cessors the commission to preach the gospel to all nations, and
promised them his continual assistance, in these words : “Behold,
I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.”
—Matt. 28: 19, 20.
(2>.) If he is our good shepherd, what is more becoming for us
than to be good sheep? But as good sheep we must know him,
that is, we must believe in him and all the sacred truths which
the Catholic Church proposes to our belief; we must hear his
voice, that is, do what he commands us. But as Christ, the good
shepherd, is no longer visible among us, we must recognize him
in the person of the bishops and priests who hold his place as
our shepherd, and obey them. Consider the words of Christ,
which he spoke to his Apostles and their successors : ‘ ‘ He that
heareth you, heareth me; he that despiseth you, despiseth me,

68

Second Sunday After Easter.

and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me.”—Luke io:
16. Be not led astray by those who revile and calumniate priests
and encourage disobedience to them ; as they are, “Ministers of
Christ and dispensers of the mysteries of God” (Z Cor. 4:1), regard
them as such and receive with a docile and believing heart that
which they preach to you, regulating your life according to the
principles of the gospel.

Part Π.
I. On the third Sunday after Easter the sufferings, the struggles,
and the victories of the Church are brought before us.
(0.) In the gospel of this Sunday Christ says: "Amen, Amen I
say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall
rejoice: and you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be
turned into joy.” These prophecies of our Lord we find fulfilled
in the history of the Church for the last eighteen hundred years.
The Church frequently experienced distressing times, but they
passed away and were changed into seasons of joy and triumph.
In the very beginning the Church was obliged to endure a long
and terrible persecution. The Christians were stripped of their
property, of honors and dignities, they were exiled, cast into
dungeons, and tortured to death in a thousand different ways.
This persecution extended all over the Roman Empire, and
lasted, with little interruption, for three hundred years. Millions
of Christians of all classes, of all ages and of both sexes, died as
martyrs. Yet, after three hundred years, when the Church ob­
tained peace, she came forth victorious from the contest and her
sorrow was turned into joy. The Church has had a similar ex­
perience in almost every century; sufferings and persecutions
were ever in store for her, now from enemies within, now from
enemies without, but these sufferings and persecutions spent
themselves, and after the storm there came a great calm, and the
Church enjoyed again the blessings of peace.
(3.) The history of each individual Christian is a repetition of
the history of the Church. Every one, especially every pious
Christian, experiences sufferings and tribulations in his earthly
life, for “all who will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer per­
secution.”—II. Tim. 3: 12. God frequently subjects the just to
hard trials; the devil too prepares great persecutions for them,
and the world persecutes them. But the words of Christ apply
to them also: “You shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be
turned into joy.” Let us therefore not lose courage when we are
visited with sufferings and tribulations, but have patience and
cheerfulness of soul, comforting ourselves with the words of the

4.

Liturgical Sketch.

69

Apostle: “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.
2. The fourth Sunday after Easter shows us the activity of the
Church in the purification and sanctification of men.
(a.) In the gospel of this Sunday our Lord says to the Apos­
tles: “When he (the Holy Ghost) is come, he will convince the
world of sin, and of justice, and of judgment.” The meaning of
this is : “The Holy Ghost, whom I will send you, will convince the
Jews and the Gentiles that they have grievously sinned because
they did not believe in me; he will convince them that I am just
and that all who receive my doctrine and obey it will be led to
justice; finally, he will convince them of the judgment which
shall be passed on the devil; for his kingdom, the kingdom of
error and sin, shall be destroyed.” The Holy Ghost has procured
these effects through the Church and still produces them. The
Church, guided by the Holy Ghost, convinced the world by the
gospel which she preached, by the miracles which she wrought,
and by the holiness of all those who obeyed her doctrine, that
Christ was truly the Son of God and the promised Redeemer,
and that all who will be saved must believe in him. By the pro­
pagation of the Church judgment was also passed on Satan, for
idolatry, with all its abominations, disappeared more and more
from the earth.

(3.) Let us rejoice that the Holy Ghost has done and still
does such great things through the Catholic Church, and let us
convince the world of sin, of justice and judgment ; of the sin of
unbelief, by firmly adhering to the holy Catholic Church ; of the
justice of Jesus, by zeal for his honor and by a truly Christian
life, of judgment, by renouncing the devil and all his works,
pomps and pride, and by keeping the commandments of God.
3. The fifth Sunday after Easter teaches us what a happiness
it is to belong to the Catholic Church.

(a.) This happiness consists chiefly in this, that the Catholic
Church infallibly teaches us what God has revealed for our sal­
vation. Jesus indicates this in the gospel of this day, with the
words : “Hitherto I have spoken to you in proverbs. The hour
cometh when I will no more speak to you in proverbs, but will
show you plainly of the Father.” The Catholic Church, enlight­
ened and governed by the Holy Ghost, teaches us with absolute
and infallible certainty all that we must believe, hope for, and do;
for while all who do not belong to the Catholic Church have only

7°

Second Sunday After Easter.

fragments of the divine revelation, and, moreover, are always in
uncertainty as to whether their faith is the true one or not, and
whether the way they follow will lead them to salvation, we have
absolute certainty that we are in the possession of the whole
truth and shall be saved, provided we live according to the doc­
trine and precepts of the Church.
(3.) Moreover, we enjoy the special love of God, our heavenly
Father. Christ gives us to understand this in the words :
say
not to you that I will ask the Father for you; for the Father
himself loveth you, because you have loved me, and have be­
lieved that I came out from God.” As God loved the Apostles, so
he loves us, if, like them, we love Jesus, adhere to him with a
believing heart and serve him faithfully.

(c.) Lastly, our happiness consists in this, that we are all-power­
ful with God and obtain of him whatever we shall ask of him in
the name of his Son : “Amen, Amen, I say to you, if you ask the
Father anything in my name, he will give it you.” We are most
intimately connected with Jesus, for we are members of his body,
the Church. Hence there is no doubt that he will exert before
the throne of his Heavenly Father all his influence in our behalf
and obtain for us all the graces we stand in need of. And if it
should happen that sometimes we do not obtain what we ask of
the Father in the name of Jesus, nevertheless, we cannot say that
our prayer is not heard; for God knows what is expedient and
necessary for us, and gives us something better.
PERORATION.

These five Sundays after Easter reveal to us the wonderful
grace which God has given us by making us members of the
holy Catholic Church. Let us thank him for it and renew our
resolution always to be obedient children of the Catholic Church.
Let us believe what she teaches, do what she commands, and
diligently employ the means of salvation which she dispenses.
Let us fight as members of the Church militant with courage and
confidence in God against all the enemies of our soul; but as we
are weak and can do little of ourselves, let us have recourse to
God, and pray without fainting, in the name of Jesus, that we may
fight the good fight and obtain the crown of life. Amen-

5-

Symbolical Sketch.

71

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH.
THE QUALITIES OF THE SHEEP OF CHRIST.

/ am the good shepherd: and I know mine- and mine know me.—
John 10: 14.
Christ calls himself the good shepherd, and so he is; he has his
sheep always before his eyes, and watches over them with anx­
ious love in order to keep them together and to shield them
from whatever might injure them. And if one of them strays
away, he goes after it and does not give up the search till he
finds it, and having found it, he lays it upon his shoulders and
carries it back to the fold; he is all goodness and mercy towards
sinners and gives them grace upon grace, in order to reclaim
them from their evil ways and to rescue them from perdition. He
leads his sheep to the best pasturage ; for he nourishes our souls
with his divine word and even with his own flesh and blood. His
love for his sheep goes so far as to give even his life for them ;
for, to redeem and save us, he died on the cross. Now, if Jesus
is so good a shepherd, nothing is more reasonable than that we
should endeavor to be a good sheep. But to be good sheep of
his, we must take the sheep for our pattern and imitate, in a
moral sense, the good qualities which that animal has. To do
this let us consider the principal qualities of the sheep and apply
them to ourselves in a spiritual sense, that we may know what
marks we should have. These qualities or marks are:
i. Meekness. The meekness of sheep is proverbial. This inno­
cent animal is weak and inoffensive and uses no weapons for its
defense, it does not butt, kick, bite, wound or poison. It is said
that the lamb one day complained to its Maker that it alone
among all animals on earth had received no weapon for its de­
fense. The Creator said: “I have given thee meekness; this will
protect and defend thee.” Meekness is therefore one of the first
distinctive marks by which the elect of God are known. Does
not our Lord beseechingly entreat us to learn meekness of him?
He promises the kingdom of heaven to those who do not cherish
ill-will against their neighbor, who, when reviled, revile not; he
calls the meek, children of God, saying: “Blessed are the meek,
for they shall possess the land.” Therefore, if you are angry
with others, if you bear resentment, if you hate and persecute

7*

Second Sunday After Easter.

those who offend you, if you think of revenge, return injury for
injury, give full scope to your anger and pursue your enemy with
curses, imprecations and uncharitable expressions, you are found
wanting in that quality which characterizes the true sheep of
Christ and the elect of God.

2. Patience. The silent patience of the sheep is also well known;
it is dumb under the shearer’s hands; it neither complains nor
bleats when led to the slaughter. In like manner the heirs of
the kingdom of heaven are know by their patience under trials
and sufferings. I should fatigue you were I to produce all the
passages of Scripture from which it is evident that the patient
endurance of trials and hardships is the characteristic mark of
the just and pious, who thereby prepare for themselves endless
joys in the world to come. Here mourning, there joy; here po­
verty, there riches ; here contempt, and there glory. These go
hand in hand, but only on condition that th’s mourning, poverty
and contempt are borne with patience to the end. “Whom the
Lord loveth he chastiseth, and he scourgeth every son whom he
receiveth. Persevere under discipline. God dealeth with you as
with his sons; for what son is there whom the father doth
not correct? But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are
made partakers, then are you bastards, and not sons.”—Heb. 12 :
6, 7, 8. But that no one may think that mere suffering is able to
make us children of God and heirs of heaven, our Saviour, hav­
ing called the persecuted, the oppressed and the poor, ifblessed,”
uttered on another occasion these memorable words : “In your
patience you shall possess your souls” [Luke 21:19.), for the wicked
and ungodly also suffer, but being impatient under their suffer­
ings, murmuring and complaining at the dispensations of Provi­
dence, they lose the reward of their sufferings and prove that they
do not belong to the true sheep of Christ and the elect of God.
“My brethren, count it all joy, when you shall fall into divers
temptations ; knowing that the trying of your faith worketh pa­
tience; and patience hath a perfect work.”—James 1: 2—4.
3. The sheep is not proud, but humble in its appearance. Humil­
ity is a sign of the true sheep of Christ and the elect of God.
The poor in spirit, the humble, are the first among those whom
the Lord called “blessed,” and to whom he promised the king­
dom of heaven: “ He that shall humble himself, shall be exalted.”
—Matt. 23: 12. As humility is a sign of election, so pride is a
mark of reprobation. Pride is the parent of many sins and the
chief of vices, which cause the death of the soul. “ God resisteth
the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”—James 4:6. “ Never
suffer pride to reign in thy mind, or in thy words: for from it all
perdition took its beginning.”— Tob. 4: 14. If therefore you will

5· Symbolical Sketch.

73

know with certainty your place in the other world, and whether
you are of the number of the elect, look into your own heart
and see whether you are humble, not only in spirit and under­
standing, but also in heart and will, or whether you are full of
pride, ambition or self-love, whether you think yourselves better
than others, whether you do not despise others. By a careful
examination of yourselves you will very probably find, to your
utter dismay, a mountain of pride that must be brought low, be­
fore you can put on the semblance of a sheep and true follower
of Christ.
4. Sheep are lovers of salt, and the frequent use of it preserves
them from various diseases. Those who are of the number of the
elect have a longing desire after the spiritual salt, that is, the
Sacraments of Penance and the Blessed Eucharist, which pre­
serve them from the diseases of the soul. As the shipwrecked
mariner clings to life, and with eagerness catches at the friendly
plank and grasps it with all his might, so the elect, solicitous for
salvation, eagerly seize the plank of penance. The Sacrament
of Penance being the second saving plank after shipwreck, he
who does not take hold of it is doomed to perish in the deluge
of sin. With the same eagerness the elect long for the Bread of
Life, which stills their hunger and strengthens them on the jour­
ney to heaven, and by their hunger and thirst after this heavenly
Manna they are known to be of the number of the elect. For “he
that eateth me,” says Christ, “shall live by me ; he that eateth
my flesh and drinketh my blood, shall live for ever.” It is a bad
sign when a Catholic feels no desire for the sacraments ; if from
one Easter to another he can exist without eating the Bread of
Life. As the dead have no desire for food, so it is a sign of
spiritual death when a Christian does not long for this spiritual
and heavenly food.
5. The sheep know the voice of the shepherd; out of a hundred
voices they recognize his and gladly follow it. So also the true
sheep of Christ are known by their eagerness to hear the word
of God. They love to go to Church, where the word of God is
preached, they take to heart what they hear, apply it to them­
selves and put it into practice. Christ made this a particular sign
whereby his sheep can be known from those that are not of his
fold: “My sheep hear my voice; and I know them, and they
follow me. And I give them life everlasting; and they shall not
perish for ever, and no man shall pluck them out of my hand.”—
John 10: 27. Again he says: “He that is of God, heareth the
words of God” {John 8: 47), and he upbraids the Jews with their
incredulity, telling them that they are not of God, because they
will not hear him; but of the devil, who is a liar from the begin-

74

Second Sunday After Easter.

ning, and the father of lies. According to these words the elect
are easily discerned from the reprobate. They who love to hear
the word of God and keep it are of God ; others are not. Let
lukewarm Christians who despise the word of God and disregard
the obligation to hear it, judge themselves by this divine stand­
ard: “He that is of God, heareth the word of God.”—John 8: 47.

6. Sheefifly from the wolf; they fear the wolf and all beasts of
prey and take to flight at the least appearance of danger. The
true sheep of Christ are also known by their holy dread of falling
into sin, nay, they fly even at “the appearance of evil,” accord­
ing to the counsel of St Paul. “Blessed is the man that is always
fearful.”—Prov. 28: 14. We have all reason to be fearful, for we
are weak and frail, and great are the dangers to salvation, which
encompass us on all sides. David, the man according to the heart
of God, becomes a murderer and adulterer, Solomon, the wisest
of kings, anidolator; Judas, the apostle, a traitor and suicide.
“He that standeth, let him take heed lest he fall.” And how
great are the dangers to salvation ! The devil goes about as a
roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. The flesh, that do­
mestic foe, is always watching to betray us into his hands, and
the world studies to impose upon us by false maxims, and to
decoy us by stratagem into its snares. Must we not with fear
and trembling work out our salvation?—Phil. 2 :12.
7. Lastly, sheep are profitable to their shepherd; they feed him
with their flesh and clothe him with their wool, and, to use the
beautiful language of St. Martin, they fulfil the precept of the
gospel: “He that hath two coats, let him give to him that hath
none.”—Luke 3 : 11. In like manner the sheep of the good shep­
herd are known by charitable works to their fellow-men, they
feed the hungry, clothe the naked and by these works make sure
their calling and election. Those who shut their ears to the cries
of the poor and open not their hands in works of mercy, bear
no resemblance to the sheep of the one fold.
PERORATION.

When you made your Easter confession you examined your
heart and conscience. Have you found in your conduct these
signs of election? Are your lives distinguished by meekness, pa­
tience and humility? Do you discover in yourselves a relish for
the Bread of Life and the word of God? Do you love to hear his
word? Do you hate sin and shun the occasions that lead to it?
Do you freely give of your substance to feed the poor and to
adorn the house of God? Woe to you if you find yourselves
wanting in these virtues, for then, although you are in the fold of

6. Moral Sketch.

75

Christ, and in the bosom of the Church, you are not true sheep of
the good shepherd, nor of the number of the elect. But blessed are
they who have these signs and preserve them to the end, for they
have the well-founded hope of hearing one day the voice of the
Saviour saying to them: "Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess
you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world.”—Malt. 25: 34. Amen.

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

6. MORAL SKETCH.
<
WE MUST BE GOOD SHEPHERDS OF OUR SOULS.

I am the good shepherd.—John 10: 11.
Jesus is the good shepherd. He knows his sheep, he loves the II
with fatherly affection and provides for all their wants. He
feeds them, giving them continually through the holy Catholic
Church the bread of his divine word and even his own flesh and
blood in holy communion for the nourishment of their souls. But
his love goes still further, he offers his life for his sheep, dying
for them on the cross. We also must be good shepherds, and
every one of us should be able to say : “I am a good shepherd.”
We all have a sheep, our soul. Christ has appointed us pastors
of this sheep and imposed upon us the strict obligation to take
care of it. Let us then make the resolution according to the ex­
ample of Christ to be good shepherds, who—

I. Know their soul;
II. Feed it;
III. Are ready to offer their life for it.

Part I.
Our first duty is to known our soul, that is, to know what out
soul is.

I. Our soul is the image of God.

76

Second Sunday After Easter,

(a.) A natural image. AVhatever God is, our soul is, only with
the difference that God possesses everything- good in an infinite
measure, whilst our soul, being a created being, is good only in
a limited manner. God is eternal without a beginning and an
end; our soul had a beginning, but will have no end; it is im­
mortal. God is almighty, our soul also is endowed with great
power, for it governs the earth with all its creatures and accom­
plishes works that excite astonishment. God is omniscient; our
soul also has a wonderful capacity for knowledge, searching
heaven and earth. It penetrates the depth of science, the secrets
of nature and the mysteries of God. God is omnipresent, our
soul also m its flight soars through the immeasurable spheres of
Creation, is in heaven among the angels and saints, and in a mo­
ment again upon earth among men.
(3.) A supernatural image. When the soul is adorned with the
grace of God it is just and holy, like unto God. In comparison
with these supernatural qualities of the soul its natural gifts and
prerogatives are as insignificant as a grain of sand compared with
the universe. By sanctifying grace our soul is raised above
human nature, and participates in the divine nature. Great is the
dignity of kings and emperors, but, compared with the dig­
nity of a sanctified soul, it is nothing but dust, because it is only
earthly and natural, whilst the dignity of a sanctified soul is
supernatural and heavenly.

i

2. The soul, as a natural and supernatural image of God, being
so glorious, it follows that we must prize it highly and be solicit­
ous for its salvation.

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
1
I
I
I
I

(a.) We are very solicitous for our body: we feed and clothe
it very carefully. What is our body? It is true it is a creature of
God, but it will soon return into dust: its fate after the resurrection is intimately connected with that of the soul. If the soul is
admitted into heaven, the body will go there to ; but if the soul
is lost, the body also will share that unhappy lot. We read of
Esau, that he sold his birthright for a mess of pottage, and of a
ting, who being tormented with thirst gave his whole kingdom
for a draught of water. How foolish I But do not we Christians
act more foolishly when we exchange our souls for a trifle, for
the gratification of a passion, and sell her to the devil?

(3.) Oh, value your soul and keep it as the apple of your eye,
that you may not lose it. Watch and pray, for there are many
perils for your soul. Guard your senses, especially your eyes,
and turn them away from everything that might enkindle in your
heart the fire of sinful desires and passions. Resist the tempta-

6.

Moral Sketch.

77

tion in the very beginning with determination, shun those per*
sons, societies, and entertainments that are for you a proximate
occasion to sin, considering that he who loves danger shall perish
in it. Value your soul more highly than all earthly goods, and
be always resolved to make any and every sacrifice for its sal­
vation.

Part

Π.

As good shepherds we must pasture our soul, that is, we must
furnish it with whatever is necessary for the preservation of its
supernatural life. We must feed our soul—

1. With the word of God. The word of God enlightens us, that
we may know what is good and pleasing to God, and what we
must do and what we must avoid ; it strengthens us to overcome
all obstacles in the way of salvation and to serve God faithfully;
it comforts us in tribulations and raises our thoughts to heavenly
things, so that we despise earthly things and seek that which is
above. Hence David calls the word of God a lamp to his feet,
and a light to his paths.—Ps. 118: 105. And St. Paul writes:
“The word of God is living and effectual, and more piercing than
any two-edged sword.”—Heh. 4: i2. St. Jerome says: “The
preaching of the word of God is a plough, which loosens the soil
of the soul, roots up the thorns of vices, and softens the hardness
of the heart.” Examples of the efficacy of the word of God ; at
the first sermon of St. Peter on the Day of Pentecost three thou­
sand Jews were converted and baptized; the Apostles and their
successors destroyed Paganism with all its abominations by the
preaching of the word of God, propagated everywhere the
Christian religion, and renewed the face of the earth. If the
word of God were no longer preached, the evil consequences
would be ignorance of religion, prevalence of all sins and vices,
apostasy from the faith, the ruin of kingdoms and nations. Listen
with pleasure to the word of God, and make it the rule of your
life.
2. With holy commiinion* for this is the best and most nutritious
Bourishment of the soul. “He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh
My blood, hath life everlasting; and I will raise him up in the
last day.”—John 6: 55. Who could enumerate all the graces
that are connected with a worthy communion? It is holy commu­
nion that increases sanctifiying grace, weakens the evil inclina­
tions and motions within us and fortifies us with supernatural
strength to overcome all, even the most violent, temptations, and
unites us most intimately with Jesus, so that we can say with the
Apostle: “I live, now not I, but Christ live th in me.”—Gal. 2 : 20.

7®

Second Sunday After Easter.

In regard to these graces, all pious Christians have always
deemed themselves happy to be able to go frequently to commu­
nion. The primitive Christians used to receive it at every mass
they attended, that is, daily, or, at least, every Sunday; they
were even permitted to take the Blessed Sacrament home with
them, that they might communicate themselves when they were
prevented from coming to the assembly of the faithful. St. Charles
Borromeo urges all priests to encourage the faithful to the fre­
quent reception of the sacraments, and the Council of Trent
wishes the faithful to communicate at every mass, not only
spiritually, but also sacramentally.
Be not then hirelings, who let their sheep hunger and languish,
but be good shepherds and feed your soul, go to communion as
often as your pastor or your confessor advises or considers it
expedient for you, in order to enable you to preserve yourselves
in the life of grace and to make progress on the way of per­
fection.

Part III.
As good shepherds, we must, if necessary, lay down our life
for the salvation of our soul.

I. Reason requires this of us, for reason tells us that things of
greater value must be esteemed more highly than those which
are less valuable. Every rational man judges and acts according
to this principle. Thus a pound of gold is valued more highly
than a pound of iron or lead. Again, reason tells us that between
two equally unavoidable evils we must choose the less. All act
according to this principle. One allows an arm or a leg to be
amputated in order to save one’s life. Now the question is, which
is the most precious of all our goods? Certainly our soul. It is
worth more than house or home, more than the -whole world with
all its treasures; it is, in a certain sense, worth as much as the
precious blood which Jesus Christ shed for us. And what evil is
there in the world that could equal the loss of the soul? The
greatest of all temporal evils is undoubtedly death, but death
destroys only the temporal life, and is, if it be a good death, a
bridge to a happy life in heaven. But what is it compared with
the loss of the soul? With the loss of the soul all is lost, earthly
goods, the body, heaven; and eternal damnation is connected
with this loss. The loss of the soul then is evidently the greatest,
and, properly speaking, the only evil. Does not reason require
that we should rather die than suffer the loss of our soul?

6. Morae Sketch.

79

f. The word of God requires it. Christ emphatically says : “Fear
ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul;
but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body into
hell.”—Matt, io: 28. From this it follows that we must not hesi­
tate to sacrifice our life, if we could not save our soul in any other
way. For this reason the holy martyrs endured the greatest tor­
tures, and gave their lives, because they knew that only in such
a way they could save their souls. Conscientious Christians have
acted at all times according to this principle. Whenever they
were placed in circumstances in which they could not avoid doing
something contrary to the will of God and jeopardizing the sal­
vation of their soul, they resisted with all their will and said:
“God is to be obeyed before man.”—B. Thomas More. Examine
yourselves carefully and see whether the salvation of your soul
is everything to you, whether you are resolved to sacrifice house
and home, property, honor and reputation, blood and life, rather
than lose your soul. This must be your disposition, and thus you
JI ust act, if you wish to save your soul; your reason and the word
of God require this of you.
PERORATION.

L,et us be good shepherds of our soul. Our soul is the most pre­
cious treasure we possess, for it is created in the image of God
and destined to enjoy eternal life in heaven. Our soul is our
only good ; if we save it, all is gained ; if we lose it, all is lost.
There is no evil that can equal the loss of the soul, and no good
that could compensate for that loss. Therefore Jesus cries out
to us earnestly: “ What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole
world and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall
a man give for his soul?”—Matt. 16: 26. Amen.

So

Second Sunday After Easter.
SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

7. MORAL SKETCH.
THE SIGNS OF ELECTION.

I am the good shepherd: and I know mine, and mine know me —
John io: 14.

Jesus, the good shepherd, knows his sheep. By virtue of his
omniscience with which he searches the heart and the reins and
sees all that the future conceals in its bosom, he knows who they
are that belong to his sheep and who on the Day of Judgment
will stand at his right side and enter into life. It is otherwise
with us, for we do not know with absolute certainty whether we
are at present of the number of his sheep or not, or whether we
shall hereafter enter into heaven with the sheep of Christ or not;
or, in other words, whether we possess the grace of God and
shall be saved or not. “Man knoweth not (without a special re­
velation of God) whether he be worthy of love, or hatred.”—
Eccltes. 9: i. There are, however, certain signs by means of
which we may conclude with moral certainty whether we shall be
saved or not. Of these signs of election I shall speak to you
to-day. There are—
Morally certain signs of election;
IL Less certain signs of election.
7.

Part I.

Among the morally certain signs of election I reckon—
I.

The careful shunning of every sin.

(a.) It is sin alone that excludes from the kingdom of heaven.

“What things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. He that
soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption.”—Gal.
6:8. He who departs this life contaminated with mortal sins
goes to hell ; he who at his death has still venial sins must do
penance in purgatory till he is perfectly cleansed. Divine reve­
lation teaches us this. Those who go before the tribunal of God,
free from every sin, are immediately translated into heaven.
“Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? or who shall rest in
thy holy hill? He that walketh without blemish, and worketb

7.

Moral Sketch.

8i

justice.”—Ps. 14; i, 2. “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they
shall see God.”—Matt. 5: 8.

(Æ.) We find this sign of election in all the saints. Sin was to
them the greatest evil, and they preferred to lose everything,
even life itself, rather than by mortal sin to lose the grace of
God. The holy martyrs, who, in order to preserve themselves
from sin, sacrificed their lives under the most cruel torments, all
attest this. Even small faults, imperfections and venial sins they
detested above all things. Blessed are you if these are your sen­
timents I If you fear and shun sin above all things, and always
keep a pure conscience, you have in you a certain sign of future
election, for “if our heart do not reprehend us, we have confi­
dence towards God.”—I. John 3 : 21. But woe to you if you sin
heedlessly, and are not disquieted on account of your sins, or if
you impenitently persevere in the state of sin. That would be a
sign of reprobation.

I
4

2. Humility.

(a.) This is evident from the words of Christ: “Blessed are the
poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”—Matt. 5 : 3.
The poor in spirit are especially the humble. The disciples once
asked our Lord who would be the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven. Jesus, calling unto him a little child, set him in the
midst of them, and said : “Amen, I say unto you, unless you be
converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into
the kingdom of heaven.”—Matt. 18; 1-3. Here again our Lord
emphatically declares that pride shuts heaven, and that humility
opens it. St. Paul writes : “Whom he (the Lord) foreknew, he
also predestinated to be made conformable to the image of his
Son.”—Rom. 8: 29. Now we become conformable to our divine
Saviour only by true humility since during his earthly life he
humbled himself must profoundly. Therefore he said : “Learn of
me, because I am meek and humble of heart.”—Matt. 11: 29. He
who is truly humble is conformable to Jesus, and can hope with
certainty for salvation.
(à) In order to be saved we need the grace of God, for without
it we can neither avoid sin, nor perform any meritorious work,
nor persevere in justice to the end. But when will God give us
this grace so necessary for salvation? Only when we are humble
of heart. You know what St. Peter says: “God resisteth the
proud, but to the humble he giveth grace.—I. Pet. 5:5. He
who nourishes pride in his heart may pray, but no matter where
and how he may pray God will never hear him. (Example: The
-proud Pharisee.) But he who truly humbles himself will be heard.

Γ

82

Second Sunday After Easter.

{The humble Publican.'} If we constantly walk in the way of ha·
mility, God will give us in every situation of life all graces ne­
cessary for our salvation, and so we may hope to make a happy
end and enter into life everlasting.

(r.) This hope is so much the better grounded, as it is particu*
larly humility that renders all temptations of Satan futile and
frustrates all his attacks. All the powers of hell rose against Job
to ruin him, but by humility he conquered. Humility is, as it were,
a shield, in which the fiery darts of Satan stick. St. Anthony
once, in a vision, saw the world covered with snares which the
devil had laid for men. The Saint sighing deeply said: “Lord, who
shall escape?” And he received the answer : “Only the humble.”
The devil may employ all his power and cunning to make us fall,
but if we are truly humble he cannot injure us in the least. If
there is a Christian who may surely hope to belong to the elect,
it is the humble man. What an encouragement for us to be
humble.

3. Liberality in almsgiving.
(a.) The particular pleasure with which God regards this virtue
is frequently referred to in Sacred Scripture. “Prayer is good
with fasting and alms, more than to lay up treasures of gold ; for
alms delivereth from death, and the same is that which purgeth
away sins, and maketh to find mercy, and life everlasting.” — Tob.
12: 8,9. He that hath given bread to the hungry and hath covered
the naked with a garment. . . shall surely live, saith the Lord
God.”—Ezech. 18: 7, 9. “Alms deliver from all sin, and from
death, and will not suffer the soul to go into darkness.”—Tob.
4:11. What a well-grounded hope of salvation charitable and
merciful Christians have, is evident from the sentence of the di­
vine Judge: “Come, ye blessed of My Father, possess you the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for
I was hungry, and you gave Me to eat,” etc.—Matt. 25: 34. The
reason is because he who gives to the needy makes God Him­
self his debtor, according to Matt. 25: 40: “Amen I say to you,
as long as you did it to one of these My least brethren, you did
it to me.”
(3.) God, being himself all love and mercy, has a particular
pleasure in merciful men and showers his graces upon them ab­
undantly. He enlightens them that they may know what is right
and good, he strengthens their will, that they may do what they
know to be right; he prolongs for them the time of grace, and
places them in circumstances in which they can easily work out
their salvation. (Example : the Centurion Cornelius.} One day an

Ξ7/.

4*.:;■*■ ■'*

7.

i

Moral Sketch.

83

angel appeared to him, and commanded him to send men to
Joppe and inquire for a certain Simon Peter, who would tell him
what he should do to obtain salvation. The next day Simon
Peter had a vision in which God commanded him to receive
Cornelius into the bosom of the Church. Thus Cornelius
was converted to the Christian faith by a double miracle. To
what did he owe this extraordinary grace? To prayer and espe­
cially to the works of mercy, which he practiced so zealously
that the angel who had appeared to him expressly said: “Thy
prayers and thy alms are ascended for a memorial in the sight
of God.”—Acis. 10: 4. Although we be entangled in the bonds
of error and sin, we need not despair of our salvation; if we are
merciful to the needy, God will give us great and perhaps
extraordinary graces, that we may attain true knowledge, do
penance and save our soul. “Blessed are the merciful, for they
shall obtain mercy.”—Matt. 5: 7. Hence St. Jerome says: “I
have never yet heard that any one who was solicitous to do works
of mercy died a bad death ; for such a one has so many inter­
cessors with God, that it is almost impossible for Him not to hear
their prayers.”

Part

Π.

Less certain signs of election are—
1.

The diligent hearing of the word of God.

(a.) Jesus says of his sheep, that they hear his voice. We hear
the voice of Jesus, our good shepherd, as often as we hear the
sermons or instructions of our pastor, for they announce to us
the word of God in his name and by his authority. Jesus again
says; “He that is of God, heareth the words of God. Therefore
you hear them not, because you are not of God.”—John 8: 47.
Whilst according to these words the diligent hearers of the word
of God manifest themselves as children of God and are entitled
to the hope of salvation, those who despise it are children of
Satan and give reason to fear that they will be rejected.
(Æ.) He who loves to hear the word of God shows a good
Christian heart, for he whose heart is perverse, will hear nothing
of the word of God. But he who is docile and well disposed and
has the intention of living according to the precepts of the divine
law, will, we may confidently hope and predict, find his place
in heaven. Though he may have many faults, though he may
unfortunately fall again and again into grievous sin, yet by a dili­
gent hearing of the word of God he will finally be moved to rise
from his fall and permanently amend his life; for since the word

84

Second Sunday After Easter.

of God continually holds our duties before our eyes, inculcates
them upon us, and describes to us the baseness and culpability
of sin and the loveliness and great reward of virtue, it can not
fail to make a salutary impression upon us and effect a change
of mind and an amendment of life. Witness the hotheaded and
youthful Augustine, who, by attentively listening to the sermons
of St. Ambrose, was brought to the knowledge of his errors and
converted, becoming one of the greatest pillars of the Church,
and who, at one time, being almost the only champion of truth
in the whole world, made the heretics and schismatics quail,
thanks to productions of his mighty pen.
(r.) Moreover, it is a sure sign that one loves God if one loves
to hear the word of God. It is a cheracteristic deeply planted in
the nature of man that he likes to speak of those whom he loves,
and to hear them well spoken of; that, on the contrary, he will
hear nothing about those to whom he is averse. Hence we see
that men who have fallen away from their religion and lead- un­
christian lives are disgusted with the word of God, as the Isra­
elites were with the manna, and therefore seldom come to hear
a sermon. As the neglect of the word of God is a bad sign, so
the diligent hearing of it is a good sign, and St. Augustine does
not hesitate to say : ‘‘There is no better sign of election than to
love to hear the word of God.” Of course, we must not content
himself with the mere hearing, but we must endeavor to regulate
our life accordingly, for “blessed are they who hear the word of
God, and keep it.”—Luke 11: 28.

2. The frequent reception of the Sacraments of Penance and of the
Blessed Eucharist.
(a.) The holy Sacrament of Penance has two effects of grace ;
it cleanses from sin, and preserves from sin. It cleanses from
sin, for to him who worthily receives it, all his sins, even the
most grievous, are forgiven. “Whose sins you shall forgive, they
are forgiven.” It preserves from sin, for it imparts a particular
grace, by which we are enabled to overcome temptations and to
persevere in the state of grace. The oftener we confess peni­
tently, the purer our conscience becomes from all stains of sin,
and the more graces we receive for perseverance in virtue. Hence
we see that those us who frequently confess do not generally
commit mortal sins, whilst this is not the case with those who
confess seldom, perhaps scarcely once a year. Now, since those
only who are clean of heart shall see God, it is evident that fre­
quent confession, provided it be well made, is a sign of election.

(i) This is much the more true of holy communion. Our Lord
emphatically says: “He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My

7. Moral Sketch.

85

blood, hath everlasting life.”— John 6: 55. As the Sacrament of
the Altar is the holiest of all the sacraments of the New Law, so
it is also the gieatest, because in it we receive not only graces,
but the Author and Dispenser of all graces, Jesus Christ Him­
self with his Divinity and humanity. This sacrament weakening
our concupiscence, increasing our fervor for virtue, and strength­
ening us for good works, is evidently the best and most effectual
means for the preservation of sanctifying grace, the perfection
of our life, and consequently for the obtaining of life everlasting
It can therefore be truly said, that those who frequently, worth­
ily and devoutly approach the altar have a well-grounded hope
of salvation. Who of us do not wish to go to heaven? Let us go
frequently and well prepared to confession and communion, and
our wish will be fulfilled.

3. Fervor in prayer and particularly devotion to the Blessed
Virgin.
(0.) Prayer is the key to the heart of God, all graces and good gifts
are the fruit of prayer. “Amen, amen I say to you: if you ask
the Father anything in My name, He will give it you.”—John
16: 23. As often as we pray with devotion, we collect our mind
and withdraw it from the cares of the world ; we raise ourselves
to God and converse with Him ; pious sentiments and good reso­
lutions are awakened in our soul. Thus prayer ennobles the heart
of man, sanctifies his thoughts and desires, and this interior dig­
nity manifests itself also by a virtuous life. Hence we see that
Christians who are fond of prayer—who pray not only with the
lips, but in spirit and in truth, distinguish themselves by the pu­
rity of their morals and the probity of their lives. Fervor in
prayer, therefore, is not an insignificant sign of election.
(J.) The same may be said of devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
Being the holiest of all creatures, she is most acceptable to God,
and therefore more powerful with Him through her intercession
than all the angels and saints. As the holiest creature, Mary
loves God and man the most, because holiness consists in the
love of God and of our neighbor; but if Mary loves men the
most, she is also the most solicitous for their salvation, and there­
fore employs her great power and influence with God to assist
us in working out our salvation. Moreover, Mary is the Mother
of God. What does not a good son do for his mother? And what
will not Jesus Christ do to please his Blessed Mother? Can it be
thought that he would refuse her a single request ? As Mary has
the power and the will to obtain of God all graces for us, may
we not hope that if we devoutly venerate her we shall be saved?
St. Augustine addresses her in these words : “Thou art (after

86

Second Sunday After Easter,

Christ) the only hope of sinners; through thee we expect the for­
giveness of sin and eternal salvation.” St. Bonaventure: “As
every one, 0 Blessed Virgin, who turns away from thee and is
despised by thee, must necessarily perish, so it is impossible that
he shall perish who turns to thee and whom thou regardest.”
“O sinner,” says St. Alphonsus, “if we find ourselves guilty be­
fore the divine justice, and if we are condemned to hell on ac­
count of our transgressions, let us not despair, let us have re­
course to the divine Mother, she will save us.” He who devoutly
venerates the Blessed Virgin, and leads a pious, penitential life,
may firmly hope that he will be saved,
PERORATION.

You know now the principal signs of election. If you detest
and shun every sin as the greatest evil, walk in humility and are
liberal in alms towards the needy and assist them whenever you
can, you may live in the hope of finding grace with God and
being saved. You are also entitled to this hope if you love to
hear the word of God and if you hear it with a heart solicitous
for salvation; go frequently and well prepared to confession and
communion; pray fervently and devoutly and have particular
devotion to the Blessed Virgin. God grant that you may ac­
quire all these signs of election and safely attain heaven. Amen.

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

87

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

Epistle. I. Peter 2, 11-19. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as
strangers and pilgrims, to refrain yourselves from carnal desires
which war against the soul, having your conversation good
among the Gentiles : that whereas they speak against you as evil­
doers, they may, by the good works which they shall behold in
you, glorify God in the day of visitation. Be ye subject there­
fore to every human creature for God’s sake: whether it be to
the king as excelling : or to governors as sent by him for the
punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of the good: for so
is the will of God, that by doing well you may put to silence the
ignorance of foolish men: as free, and not as making liberty a
cloak for malice, but as the servants of God ; honor all men; love
the brotherhood; fear God; honor the king: servants, be subject
to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle,
but also to the fro ward, for this is thanks-worthy in Christ Jesus
our Lord.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
ON THE CONDUCT OF CHRISTIANS IN THE VARIOUS CIRCUM­
STANCES OF LIFE.

The lesson for to-day, like that for last Sunday, is taken fro 11
the first epistle of St. Peter. As you know, on last Sunday he
brought Christ before us as our model in sufferings. Jesus suf­
fered innocently, meekly and voluntarily. Innocently, for “he did
no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth ;” meekly, for “when
he was reviled, he did not revile; and when he suffered, he threat­
ened not,” voluntarily, for “he delivered himself to him that
judged him unjustly.” Now, “Christ suffered for us, leaving you
an example that you should follow his steps.” If you are per­
secuted unjustly, look up to Jesus and comfort yourselves with
his words: “Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice’
sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”—Matt. 5: 10. In all

88

Third Sunday After Easter,

tribulations and persecutions let us preserve meekness; remem­
ber that you are Christians, and as such you are bound to do
good to them that hate you, and to pray for them that persecute
and calumniate you.—Matt. 5: 44. Suffer with patience, “for
patience is necessary for you, that, doing the will of God, you
may receive the promise.”—Heb. 10: 36. Let us now turn to the
lesson of this day, which tells us how we should conduct our­
selves—
I. Towards the world ;
II. Towards the temporal power ;
III. As servants towards their masters.

Part L
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers andpilgrims to refrain
yourselves from carnal desires which war against the soul ; having
your conversation good among the Gentiles ; that whereas they speak
against you as evil-doers, they may by the good works, which they
shall behold in you, glorify God in the day of visitation.

i. The prince of the Apostle desires above all things that we
should consider ourselves here below as strangers and pilgrims.
The earth upon which we live is not the place of our destination,
but only a temporary abode, which we must soon leave ; we are
only transient dwellers here, heaven is our home. Hence St. Paul
says: “We have not here a lasting city, but we seek one that is
to come.”—Heb. 13: 14. We must therefore conduct ourselves
towards the world, as a stranger who is abroad and on his way
home.
(a.) Such a stranger stops nowhere long, attaches himself to
nothing that he sees on his journey; his heart and affections are
constantly turned towards his dear home. So also the Christians
has no inordinate love for anything earthly, because he knows
that all is vanity and passes away like a shadow; to serve God
and to be saved is what occupies him continually. He obeys the
words of the Apostle: “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 on the earth.”

i

I

(ά.) A stranger and traveler does not encumber himself with
unnecessary luggage; he takes only what is absolutely necessary.
So the Christian desires no abundance, but is satisfied if he has
what he needs; “Having food and wherewith to be covered, with
these we are content.”—Tim. 6: 8.

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

89

(r.) A stranger bears the hardships of his journey and consoles
himself with the thought that his journey will not last long, and
that in his home he will find sweet rest. So the Christian also
bears with patience and perseverance all the tribulations of the
present life, saying with the Apostle: 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.
(ά) A stranger pursues his journey quietly, and is careful not
to offend any one; he shuns everything that may lead him into
difficulties and cause him to be dragged before the court. So the
Christian also strives to lead an honest life ; he injures no one,
shuns dissensions, quarrels and strife, and acts according to the
precept of charity. This is the conduct of the Christian who
looks upon himself as a stranger and pilgrim on earth. Examine
yourselves and sees whether yours is such.

2. St. Peter tells us that we should refrain ourselves from carnal
desires, which war against the soul. These carnal desires are not
only all unchaste desires and sins against purity, but in general
all sinful desires for temporal things, such as honor, money, pro­
perty, comforts and enjoyments of every kind. These carnal
desires war against the soul, for they cause violent struggles,
jeopardize and rob the soul of its life, that is the grace of God
and eternal salvation, if they are not bridled and mortified. We
must refrain from these carnal desires, according to the counsel
of the Apostle : “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body,
so as to obey the lusts thereof.”—Rom. 6:12. That carnal desires
may not cause our fall, we must carefully watch over our heart
and senses, shun the danger and the occasion of sin as much as
possible, devote ourselves to prayer and always have God before
our eyes.
z

O

3. We are to deport ourselves well, that whereas they speak
against us as evil-doers, they may see our good works and glorify
God in the day of visitation. The Christians were odious to the
Gentiles and accused by them of various crimes ; they were called
enemies of human society, voluptuous, stubborn, magicians, mur­
derers of infants. St. Peter admonishes the Christians to refute
these false accusations by a pious, holy life, and by that means
convince the Gentiles that their charges are totally unfounded.
In this way it might happen that the Gentiles, with the aid of
God’s grace, would come to the true faith. This admonition of
the apostle regards us also. As formerly, so now, the Church
has many enemies, by whom she is calumniated and blasphemed.
The best means to stop the mouth of these calumniators and
blasphemers would be for us Catholics to lead a totally blame-

Tihrd Sunday After Easter.

90

less life, and avoid even the appearance of evil. As soon as they
become convinced that we do nothing that is wrong, all our ene­
mies who are not malicious, but are only ignorantly prejudiced
against us, will change their way of thinking and finally open
their hearts to the truth. If there was ever a time in which the
welfare of the Church required her children to give good ex­
ample, that time is the present. Bad Catholics by their scandals
bring the Church into disrepute with her enemies, and thereby
cause a great deal of harm. Consider this well and manifest the
purity of your faith by the purity of your morals, “and 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.

Part Π
St. Peter exhorts the faithful to be subject to every human creat­
ure, that is to authority, to the divinely constituted power.

i. For Gods sake, because God wills it so. The temporal authorit\ is necessary for the well-being of human society ; without it
there would be neither peace nor order. But because God evi­
dently wishes that men should live in a well-ordered condition,
and that right and justice should prevail, it is his will also that
there should be an authority, a power, to which we should sub­
mit St. Paul expresses this in plain words ; “Let every soul ba
subject to higher powers, for there is no power but from God,
and those that are, are ordained of God ; therefore he that re­
sisted the power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that
resist, purchase to themselves damnation.”—Rom. 13:1-3. Every
existing temporal authority is ordained by God and holds the
place of God in civil society, and consequently, disobedience or
rebellion against it is a disobedience or rebellion against God,
and draws not only temporal but also eternal punishments after it.
Christians have always considered the temporal rulers to be
the representatives of God. Tertullian in h’s “Apology to the
Gentiles” says: “We respect in the emperor , the decree of God,
according to which he has ordained them to govern the nations.
We know that they are the possessors of that power, which he
gave them for that end, therefore we make it our holy duty to
respect and honor this authority which emanates from God.”

1. As sent by God, for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the
reward of the good The temporal authority is ordained for the
welfare of whole nations and communitie·?·, as well as of every
individual. It is its province to defend imocence against injus­
tice and oppression and secure justice for it, to arrest and punish

. ■

£

i. Homiletic Sketch.

91

evil, to make ordinances, laws and provisions for the general
good.
Even our own interest requires us to submit to the authorities
and obey them. What would become of human society if there
were no legally constituted authority? All order would disappear,
no vested rights would be respected, anarchy and rebellion
would prevail, there would be no security for life or property,
rapine and murder would be the order of the day, because they
could be committed with impunity, might would be substituted
for right, and the only law recognized would be that of brute
force. If every one would ponder this matter well, he would
readily admit that self-interest alone, not to speak of moral ob­
ligation dictates that we should obey the legally constituted
authorities. Grant that this obedience is sometimes difficult and
attended with many sacrifices, it must nevertheless be rendered,
because the common good demands it, to which the individual
good must always be subordinate. Only in the case when the
temporal authority commands something sinful or unjust before
God, are we justified in refusing obedience. In this case obedi­
ence, would be disobedience to God, a disregard of and offense
against our Supreme Lawgiver and Master. If the civil authori­
ties demand anything unlawful or sinful, they do not represent
God, because it is absolutely impossible for God, through his re­
presentatives, to command anything that would be against his
holy will. And because the civil authority would not in this case
be acting as the representative of God, we are not in this parti­
cular case obliged to obey, nay, we could not obey no matter
what the consequences might be, since it is never lawful to act
against the will of God, for God is to be obeyed before man. In
those cases, however, in which we cannot obey, we may refuse
obedience, but we must go no further; we are not justified in
resisting the lawful authority with force. We can always uphold
our rights in a lawful way ; we can petition for the redress of
grievances ; we may may even agitate the question within lawful
bounds, but to rebel against the lawful authority, or to take up
arms and separate ourselves from it by force, is never allowed.
The only weapons which the Christian wields against unjust
authorities, are patient endurance, logical reasoning, prayer,
and tears. Witness the Christian of the first three centuries.
Although on account of their faith they were persecuted in the
most unjust manner, their property confiscated, they themselves
incarcerated, cruelly tortured and put to death, yet they never
rebelled against their persecutors, but patiently endured all these
tribulations until it pleased God to remove them.

3. For so is the will of God, that by doing well you may put to
silence the ignorance offoolish men. Many Gentiles considered
the Christians as rebels and dangerous subjects of th· state and

9»

Third Sunday After Easter.

calumniated them as such. The Christians met this calumny by
obedience in all lawful things. The will of God obliged them to
this; besides it would have greatly hindered the propagation of
the Christian faith if the imputation of being rebels to the tem­
poral authority had rested upon them.
4. As free, and not as making liberty a cloak for malice, but as the
servants of God. This is the fourth reason why we should obey
the temporal authorities. He means to convey this idea: As
Christians you are free from the Jewish ceremonial law, free
from the servitude of sin and Satan, but by no means free from
all social bonds and civil laws ; as servants of God you are still
obliged to obey the existing authorities, because it is the will of
God that we should obey the higher powers. St. Peter here
warns us against those men who preach liberty to the people
and call upon them to shake off the yoke of princes and rulers.
These false apostles and liberty and men of destruction promise
mountains of gold, but as all history proves, it is a delusion und
a snare. If they were placed at the head of affairs, they would
oppress the people and become their greatest tyrants, and every
one whose misfortune it would be to displease them, might just
as well look upon it as synonymous with the speedy confiscation
of his property, exile, prison, or death. If it were necessary to
adduce any examples from history in proof of this assertion, I
need only refer to the French Revolution in the last century,
and the Communist sedition at Paris in 1870. Do not then allow
yourselves to be seduced, but as good Catholics conscientiously
fulfil your duties as loyal subjects to your sovereign whether that
person be king, queen, emperor, president or czar.

Part HL
Servants be subject to your masters with allfear, not only to the
good and gentle, but also to the frovoard.
St. Peter here obliges all servants, and, in general, all hired
assistants—

1. To honor their masters with all fear. Masters are the sup­
eriors of the servants. Now honor being due to superiors, servants
are obliged to honor their masters. It matters not whether the
masters are in a high, or a low position, rich or poor, whether
according to their conduct they are worthy of honor or not, the
circumstance alone that they are set over servants is enough that
these must honor them. Hence the Apostle says in general
terms: “Whosoever are servants under the yoke, let them count

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

their masters worthy of all honor.”—I. Tim. 6: i. There are,
alas, many servants who in different ways offend against this
duty. They treat their masters and mistresses as if they were
their equals or their subjects, speak to them rudely, and when
they imagine themselves offended by them, make bitter re­
proaches and break out in open invectives against them. This is
wrong, he who so treats his master injures no one more than
himself.

2. To be subject to their masters. “Servants be obedient to them
that are your lords according to the flesh, with fear and trem­
bling, in the simplicity of your hearts, as to Christ. Not serving
to the eye, as it were pleasing men, but, as the servants of Christ,
doing the will of God from the heart, with a good will serving
the Lord, and not to men.”—Ephes. 6: 5-7. Everything that
servants are obliged to do or omit is contained in these words.
They are to obey their masters in everything that is not sinful,
they are to obey them not only apparently, or as long as the
eyes of the masters are upon them, but also in their masters’ ab­
sence they must be honest and faithful, and serve, not to please
men, but God and their own conscience.
PERORATION.

Honor all men ; every one, even the lowliest, is an image of
God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus and has, even if he should
be the greatest sinner, his destiny is heaven. Do not despise any
person. Love one another as brothers ; you have become chil­
dren of one Father through Christ and daily pray: “Our Father
who art in heaven.” Being children of God, brothers and sisters,
what is more becoming than that you should love one another
from your heart? Far from you be all aversion, hatred and en­
mity. Preserve in your heart the fear of God and guard against
nothing so much as displeasing or offending God, your best
Father. As good Catholics, fulfil your duties towards the civil
authorities ; honor them, obey them, pray for them, that, as St.
Paul writes, you “may lead a quiet and a peaceable life, in all
piety and chastity.”—I. Tim. 2: 1-3. Amen.

94

Third Sunday After Easter.
THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

Gospel. John 16: 16-22. At that time Jesus said to his dis·
ciples: A little while, and you shall not see me: and again a
little while, and you shall see me: because I go to the Father.
Then some of his disciples said one to another: What is this
that he saith to us : A little while and you shall see me: and
again a little while, and you shall see me : and because I go to
the Father? They said, therefore: What is this that he saith,
A little while? we know not what he speaketh. And Jesus
knew that they had a mind to ask him : and he said to them : Of
this do you inquire among yourselves, because I said : A little
while, and you shall not see me : and again a little while, and
you shall see me. Amen, amen, I say to you, that you shall la­
ment and weep ; but the world shall rejoice : and you shall be made
sorrowful ; but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman,
when she is in labor, hath sorrow, because her hour is come : but
when she had brought for the child, she remembered no more
the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. So also
you now indeed have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your
heart shall rejoice : and your joy no man shall take from you.

2. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
THE FAREWELL DISCOURSE OF OUR LORD.

The gospel for this day, as well as those of the three following
Sundays, contains short extracts from Christ’s farewell discourse
to his Apostles, on the evening of Holy Thursday in the Cænaculum at Jerusalem. As a dying Father, when about to depart
from his children, calls them to his side and blesses them, giving
them his last solemn admonitions, so Christ gave his Apostles
his last lessons and instructions, and addressed many things to
their hearts, which he deemed necessary or expedient for them.
One cannot read without deep emotion the words which he spoke
to these disciples in the hour of his departure. I would recom­
mend all of you to read the whale of this farewell discourse, for
I do not doubt but it will make a salutary impression upon you.
Init—

7. Christ announces to his Apostles his departure ;
II. He tells them what effect that departure will have.

a. Homiletic Sketch,

Part

93

L

A little while, and you shall not see me: and again a little while,
and you shall see me: because I go to the Father. Let us consider—

1. The meaning of these words. It is twofold.
(λ.) In the first place, the words quoted refer to his Passion,
Death, and Resurrection. Speaking these words to his disciples
on the evening of Holy Thursday, it was indeed only for a little
while that they would see him ; for on the following day, Good
Friday, at three o’clock in the afternoon he died on the cross;
and before sunset he was laid in the sepulchre. But after a little
while they saw their divine Master again, for on the third day,
Easter Sunday, he rose from the dead and appeared to them on
the same day towards evening, the doors being shut. The mean­
ing of his words is: After a little while you shall see me no more,
for to-morrow, about this time, I shall be laid in the sepulchre;
but after a little while you shall see me again, for I shall rise
from the dead on the third day and appear to you. But this
seeing again will also last but a short time, because, after my
Resurrection, I shall remain on earth only forty days and then
I shall ascend into heaven.

(£.) Secondly, we may understand the words of Jesus: A little
while, and you shall not see me, and again a little while, and you
shall see me, as referring to his Ascension, the life of the Apos­
tles and their admission into heaven. From Holy Thursday to
Ascension Day there were only forty-three days, a little while;
after this his disciples saw their Master no more, for by his As­
cension he withdrew his visible presence from them. After a
little while they had the happiness of seeing Jesus again, for their
life upon earth did not last very long ; with the exception of St.
John, who died at a very advanced age, all the Apostles finished
their earthly career within twenty or thirty years, therefore not
long after Christ’s Ascension they were taken up into heaven,
where they again saw their dear Lord and will see him through­
out all eternity. The meaning is this: The time when I shall
leave you is fast approaching, for after forty-three days I shall
go to the Father, but after a little while you will see me again,
for in a few years you will die and come to me in heaven, where
you shall see me for ever.
Let us apply this to ourselves. The words, after a little while,
we may refer to everything earthly—
2.

9«

Third Sunday After Easter.

(a.) To our life here below. “What is your life ? It is a vapjf
which appeareth for a little while, and afterwards shall vanish
away.”—James 4: 15. Many of us count already forty, fifty,
sixty, or more years of life; how quickly have these years
passed ? Do they not appear to us as a moment ? And how quickly
will the remainder of our life pass! How soon will they say of
us: “He is dead, she is dead!” And if we compare our life with
eternity, what is it? Not so much as a grain of sand compared
with the universe, or a drop of water with the ocean. Thousands
and millions of years are not a moment when compared with
eternity. There is some relation or ratio between a grain of sand
and the universe; infinitesimally small it is true, but between a
million of years and eternity there is absolutely no proportion,
for the one term is finite and the other infinite. Truly, our life
here below is a little while. And this little while of our earthly
life is of infinite importance, because eternity depends on it. If
we serve God during this little while with fervor and constancy,
we shall receive for our reward the everlasting, unspeakable
happiness of heaven; but if we serve the world, the flesh,
and the devil, eternal, inexpressible woe and exile await us in
hell. Oh, how the blessed in heaven rejoice because they have
devoted this little while of their earthly life to the service of
God I And how bitterly do the damned in hell regret that they
have spent this little while of their temporal life in the forget­
fulness of God and in the gratification of their passions 1

(3.) To all temporal goods such as beauty, symmetry of form,
money, real estate, stocks, bonds, honors and dignities. How
transitory and perishable are beauty and symmetry of form ! Do
they not resemble flowers, which to-day appear in all their
splendor and loveliness and to-morrow wither and fall blighted
to the ground? How fickle are riches, money, real estate, and
stocks! They take to themselves wings and soar away. They
can be taken from us by bad men or lost by many mishaps. And
even if fortune smiles upon us all our days, must we not leave
all behind when we die? How fleeting and treacherous are hon­
ors and dignities ! The wheel of fortune ever turns, and he who
is in the uppermost place to-day, to-morrow will be in the low­
est. How foolish, then, should we be if we cared more for these
vain, fleeting goods than for our souls, or if for their sake we
should plunge ourselves into eternal perditioni
To sensual pleasures such as eating, drinking, dancing,
playing or carnal lusts. Are not these pleasures the most fleet­
ing of all earthly things? Do they not disappear at the very mo­
ment when man begins to enjoy them? What do they leave be­
hind but an empty heart, and if they have been sinful, bitter re-

a. Homiletic Sketch.

97

morse of conscience? Oh, how senselessly does not that man act
who seeks such pleasure and forgets his soul and eternity! Re­
flect that everything here below lasts but a little while, and that
the hereafter, heaven and hell, will last for ever; and so go through
that which is temporal, that you may not lose that which is eternal.

3. You shall not see me. Jesus hides himself sometimes from us,
so that we see him no more with the eyes of the spirit, and do
not feel his sweet presence in our heart, and the result is, that
we no longer find pleasure in prayer, that all pious exercises
leave us cold, that faith, hope and charity flag in us, that temp­
tations increase, that despodency and sadness lie on us like a
nightmare. Why does God not show himself to us ? Sometimes
to punish us for a fault which we have committed, for some neg­
ligence of which we have been guilty, and sometimes to draw
us more closely to himself, because we are too much attached to
temporal things or have an inordinate love for something in the
world ; sometimes to try us, as he did pious Job, because virtue
must be tried in the fire, as gold in the furnace; sometimes to
give us an opprtunity of increasing our merits for heaven. If
God hides himself from us, let us humble ourselves, consider our­
selves unworthy cf his consolations, correct our faults: and let
us continue our exercises, as if we succeeded well with them;
then the time of trial will be an advantage to us and we shall
see Jesus again, as the Apostles did, to our sweetest consolation.
4. I go to the Father. During his whole life upon earth
Christ was going to the Father. “My meat is to do the will of hi: If
that sent me, that I may perfect his work?’—John 4:34. There­
fore his death also was “going to the Father”; he ascended into
heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father. Oh, that we
may be able to say with confidence, when about to die: 1 go to
the Father. We shall be able to do so, if now we go to the Father;
if we frequently and with joy think of the Father, love to hear
his holy word, diligently visit Jesus in the tabernacle, pray de­
voutly, and walk in the way of his commandments. Examine
yourselves and see whether in such a manner you go to the Father.
How deplorable would be your lot if all your life you were on
the way to the devil. Do you not shudder at the thought of being
obliged at the end of your life to say: “I go to the devil?” May
the God of mercy preserve all from such a calamity!

Pxrt Π.
The Apostles had not understood the words of their Master;
they therefore said to one another: What is this that he saith to

9$

Third Sunday After Easter.

us: A little while, andyou shall not see me: and again a little while,
and you shall see me, and because I go to the Father ? They said
therefore: What is this that he saith, A little while? We know not
what he speakethT Jesus does not give them a direct answer, but
gives them sufficiently to understand that he speaks of the time
of his death, his Resurrection and Ascension, by telling the 1«
what results his departure would have for them.

Amen, amen, 1 say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but
the world shall rejoice, and you shall be made sorrowful, but yout
sorrow shall be turned into joy,
i.

(a.) The meaning of these words is clear. You, my disciples,
will lament and weep over my death, because you love me, but
my enemies will rejoice, because they hate me and think they
have destroyed my doctrine and my memory for ever. But their
triumph shall be short. I will rise from the dead; your sorrow
shall be turned into joy, whilst terror and consternation shall
seize my enemies. What our Saviour predicted has been fulfilled
to the very letter. How his enemies rejoiced when they saw him
die on the cross! How the Apostles lamented and bewailed the
ignominious and painful death of their Lord and Master ! Oh, the
time from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday was a very sad one
for them ; but it was only a short time, a little while, for on Easter
Sunday, very early in the morning, the risen Saviour appeared
to them. What joy and consolation for his disciples; but who
can describe the terror of the high-priests, of the Scribes, and of
the Pharisees, at the news: “Jesus, whom you crucified, is risen,
he lives?”

(Æ.) What occurred at the Death and Resurrection of Christ,
occurs and will occur as long as the world lasts. The good la­
ment and weep because they are deprived of the vision of God
in heaven, saying with David: “Woe to me, that my sojourning is
prolonged.”—Ps. 119: 5. They lament on account of the stains
with which they are still contaminated in spite of their aspirations
after Christian perfection, and on account of the sins and vices
with which God is so grievously offended ; and lastly on account
of the sufferings of their mother, the Church, who is everywhere
misrepresented, calumniated, oppressed and persecuted. The
wicked, on the contrary, rejoice that they can gratify their pas­
sions and the desires of their hearts, that religion, virtue and the
fear of God disappear more and more from the earth, while un­
belief and vice of every kind gain ground. But how will this
sorrow and joy end? As it did eighteen hundred years ago. The
sorrow of the good will be turned into joy, and the joy of the
wicked into sorrow. This frequently occurs in this life, but al-

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

ways in the next: “Woe to you that now laugh, for you shall
mourn and weep. Blessed are ye that weep now, for you shall
laugh.”—Luke 6:2, 21. Rejoice not with the children of the world,
but mourn with the children of God, that after a while you may
not mourn with the children of the world, but rejoice with the
children of God.
2. A woman when she is tn labor, hath sorrow, because her hour is
come; but when she hath broughtforth the child, she remembereth no
more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. So also
you now indeed have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart
shall rejoice; and your joy no man shall take from you. Our Savi­
our here compares the sorrow of his disciples with a woman in
labor. The pains of travail are—

(a.) Great; hence the lamenting and wailing of mothers who
have a hard and painful delivery. It is for this reason that the
Sacred Scripture is accustomed to compare great sufferings with
a woman in labor.—Is. 13 : 8. Great were the pains of the Apos­
tles over the loss of Jesus, for they clung to him with all their
soul, and with his death all their hopes were buried in his tomb.

(3.) Necessary, for without it no child can be born, no woman
can become a mother. The pains of the Apostles were also ne­
cessary; for if Christ had not died and ascended into heaven,
they and the whole human race would not have been redeemed
and the Holy Ghost would not have came down for their and our
sanctification.
(c.) Transient ; generally they do not last long. So the sorrow
of the Apostles did not last long, for after three days the .isen
Saviour appeared to them, and after a few years he took them
to himself in heaven.
(d.) The cause of great joys, for the more these pains make
themselves felt, the more joyously beats the heart of the mother
when they are happily passed, and a healthy and well-formed
babe is placed in her arms. So the joy of the Apostles upon
seeing that Master again was the greater, the more bitter their
sorrow had been over his loss. This comparison of a woman in
labor with the sorrow of the Apostles is also applicable to us. To
suffer is the lot of all men. “ Man born of a woman, living for a
short time, is filled with many miseries.”—Job 14: 1. These
sufferings are a natural necessity, for we live upon an earth,
which is cursed on account of the sin of man, causing countless
sufferings; we have a body subject to a thousand evils, sick­
nesses, pains, and finally death. To be man and to suffer are

too

Third Sunday After Easter.

synonymous terms. Sufferings are especially necessary for eter­
nal salvation. As Christ has redeemed us by sufferings, and by
sufferings entered into his glory, so we also must suffer in order
to share in the fruits of Redemption, and so enter into heaven.
“We are heirs of (rod, and joint heirs with Christ, yet so if we
suffer with him.” But as the labors of birth are transitory, so all
our sufferings in this valley of tears do not last long, and as it
does not always rain and blow, but the weather clears up and a
calm ensues, so our sufferings are not lasting. Sooner or later,
just when we least expect it, better days come. But should they
last so long as we live, they still would be short compared with
eternity. And as the labor of the mother brings with it great
joy when she sees her child, so the sufferings of this life are
succeeded by the everlasting joys of heaven. “Blessed is the
man that endured temptation ; for when he hath been proved, he
shall receive the crown of life.”—James i : 12.
PERORATION.

<(My brethren, count it all joy, when you shall fall into divers
temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith worketh pa­
tience, and patience hath a perfect work.”—James 1: 2, 3. Look
upon the Apostles ; great was their sorrow for the loss of Jesus,
but after three days it was turned into joy, and now they are
enthroned in heaven and enjoy after the tribulations of this short
earthly life the blessed happiness of heaven. Take, then, your
cross upon your shoulders, and carry it courageously after Jesus,
and, your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man shall take from
you. Amen.

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

ΙΟΙ

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

3. DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
CHRISTIAN HOPE.

You shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall bo turned into
joy.—John 16: 20.
Sufferings and tribulations are, as our Lord foretold his dis­
ciples in the gospel of this day, the portion and common inherit­
ance of all the faithful servants of God. They frequently lan­
guish in the greatest poverty, possessing scarcely enough to
satisfy the necessary wants of life. They have a feeble, delicate
body, are sickly most part of the time, and can hardly ever say
that they feel well. The world prepares for them many suffer­
ings. They are treated contemptuously, slighted, ridiculed and
mocked ; they are calumniated, slandered and robbed of their
honor and good name; they are oppressed und persecuted, their
property is often taken from them, and they are sometimes even
deprived of the inalienable rights of liberty and life. What is it
that consoles and keeps them erect and encouraged in the midst
of all these sufferings and persecutions, so that they stand the
hardest trials without a murmur escaping their lips ? What, in­
deed, but Christian hope? For it is this that assures them of the
pleasure of God and puts the most glorious reward before their
eyes. They know that they follow their divine Lord on the way
of the cross. Hence, I shall speak to you to-day of the great
theological virtue of hope, and shall propose and answer the
three following questions:

I. What is hoje?
II On what is it grounded ?
III. What ogood does it embrace?

Part I.
Hope is a virtue infused by God into our souls, by which we
expect with firm confidence all that God has promised us on
account of the merits of Christ.

I. Hope is a virtue. By virtue, in general, we understand a
certain quality or faculty which inclines and causes us to do that
which is good. Hope being called a virtue, we must consider it

rOl

Third Sunday After Easter.

as a power abiding in our soul, which enables us in all the cir­
cumstances of life to speak and act as hope requires us.
2. Hope is a virtue infused by God. As every best gift and every
perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of
lights ffames i : 17), so hope is also a gift of God infused by God.
“The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that you may abound in hope, and in the power of the Holy
Ghost.”—Rom. 15: 13. The Apostle here calls God, the God of
hope, to indicate that it is God that gives hope, and moreover
attributes the abundance of hope to the power of the Holy Ghost,
thereby confessing that hope is infused into the soul by God.
With faith and charity, hope is infused into our souls in holy
baptism. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who according to his great mercy hath regenerated us
unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead.”—/. Pet. 1: 3.

3. Hope consists in an expectation; we expect all that God has
promised. The expression to expect is used to indicate that the
good we hope for is to came, for what we already possess we do
not expect. The words to expect give us to understand that we
can obtain the good we hope for, for we expect only what we
can obtain. The damned in hell no longer expect heaven, be­
cause it is impossible that they can ever enter it, and they know
it; hence they are in uninterrupted despair.
4. Hope is an expectation joined with a firm confidence. If
confidence should be wanting to hope, it would be not be hope,
but only a wish. Thus a poor man may wish for riches, without
being able to hope for them, because he has no prospect of them.
The firm confidence with which hope must be connected has not
its foundation in us, nor in any creature, but in the promises of
God, and in the merits of Christ.

5. Hope, finally, consists in this, that we expect all that God
has promised us. As we must believe all that Goo has revealed
to us, so we must also hope for all that he has promised us. He
that believes all but one of the truths which God has revealed,
has, properly speaking, no faith, for if God could err or deceive
in only one point, it would be possible also in all others. The
same must be said of hope. If we were to question or doubt a
single promise of God, we should be obliged to forfeit the entire
inheritance of hope, because all the promises which God has
made us rest upon the same foundation, namely, his omnipotence,
goodness and fidelity.

j.

Dogmatical Sketch.

Part

103

Π.

I. Hope is founded on the promises of God. All that God has
promised us we may and must hope for, because he is almighty.
(λ.) If men promise us anything, we may entertain doubts as to
whether or not they will fulfil their promise, for some day they
may be in such a position that even with the best will it would
be impossible for them to give us what they have promised. It
is not so with God. He is omnipotent. ,rNo word shall be im­
possible with God.”—Luke 1:37. He can, therefore, give us all
that he has promised.

{bi) Infinitely good. “The Lord is gracious and merciful, patient
and plenteous in mercy. The Lord is sweet to all, and his tender
mercies are over all his works.”—Ps. 144 : 8, 9. Striking eviden­
ces of the goodness of God are the countless benefits which daily
flow to us from his hands, and especially the sending of his Son
for our Redemption. “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. Not only
can God give us what he has promised, because he is almighty,
but he will also give it, because he is infinitely good.
(£.) Infinitely faithful. “God is not as man, that he should lie,
nor as the son of man, that he should be changed. Hath he said,
then, and will he not do? hath he spoken, and will he not fulfil?
—Num. 23: 19. God assuredly keeps his word, and even the
unbelief and ingratitude of man are not able to make him un­
faithful to his promises, because he is unchangeable. “ What if
some of them have not believed? Shall their unbelief make the
faith of God without effect? God forbid.”—Rom. 3: 3. Thus we
are fully assured that God will give us what he has promised,
because he is infinitely faithful.

2. On the merits of Jesus Christ. These are, as it were, the
pledge of the divine promises and the means of their fulfilment.
How can we doubt that he is sincere in his promises, when he has
given his only-begotten Son for us? We are sinners, it is true,
and have deserved eternal damnation; neither have we where­
with we could satisfy the divine justice for our sins, reconcile
ourselves with him and merit heaven for ourselves. But Christ
has atoned for us. He has redeemed us, reconciled us with God,
and reinstated us in the happy state of children of God. He is
our High-priest and Mediator, who most tenderly interests him­
self for us, and continually offers to his heavenly Father the in­

104

Third Sunday After Easter.

finite treasure of his merits for the satisfaction of our sins. How
can we waver in our hope, since we have such a Mediator and
Intercessor with the Father? But withal we must not lay aside
fear altogether. God has, indeed, promised us eternal salvation,
and is ready to give it to us on account of the merits of Christ;
but to the promises of God are attached certain conditions, with
which we must comply. If we wish to attain salvation, we must have
sanctifying grace, and persevere therein to the end. Of this we
have no full certainty, for ‘‘man knoweth not whether he be
worthy of love, or hatred.”—Eccltes. 9:1. For this reason we
must unite fear with hope. We must, however, hope with the
exclusion of all fear and doubt, so far as the promises of God
and the merits of Christ are concerned. We may well fear when
we look at ourselves and consider what we are, because we do
not know whether or not we shall persevere to the end and do
what is required for the fulfilment of the promises of God. But
we must fear nothing so far as God is concerned, because his
promises are infallible. You see, then, how beautifully Christian
hope tempers our fear, that it may not degenerate into pusillani­
mity and despair, and how this fear tempers our hope that it may
not become presumptuous.

Part HL
Hope embraces all the goods which God has promised. He
has promised us:—

Ini

I. Eternal salvation. God wills that all men should be saved.
He has created them for this end. This destiny remained to them
even when by sin they had lost it. God had mercy on them and
promised them a Redeemer, who came in the fulness of time to
seek and to save that which was lost. Therefore our Lord says:
“This is the will of my Father that sent me, that every one who
seeth the Son, and believeth in him, may have life everlasting,
and I will raise him up in the last day.”— John 6: 40. And the
Apostle writes : ‘‘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: 9. Since God has promised
us eternal salvation on account of the merits of Jesus Christ, we
may with confidence hope to be saved, provided that we de
what is required of us.
2. All things necessary for salvation.

I
I
I

(a.) The forgiveness of sins. If it be true that God wills all men
to be saved, it naturally follows that he is prepared to forgive
their sins, since nothing that is defiled ca'i enter heaven. He

j. Dogmatical Sketch.

105

emphatically assures ns that he will forgive our sins. “I will
cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned
against me, and I will forgive them all their iniquities, whereby
they have sinned against me and despised me.”—Jer. 33: 8.
Jesus, during his sojourn here on earth, forgave sins and for the
remission of sins he instituted the Sacraments of Baptism and
Penance. We may therefore with perfect confidence hope for the
remission of sins. If we were even the greatest sinners we should
not waver in our hope. “Learn to do well, seek judgment, relieve
the oppressed, judge for the fatherless, defend the widow, and
then come and accuse me, saith the Lord ; if your sins be as scarlet,
they shall be made as white as snow, and if they be as red as
crimson they shall be white as wool.”—Is. 1: 17, 18. No one need
despair by reason of his sins; for “where sin abounded, grace
did more abound.”—Rom. 5: 20.

(3.) The grace necessary for salvation. Without the grace of
God we are not able to do what is required for salvation. Of our
own strength we are impotent to overcome temptations, and
consequently to preserve ourselves from sin; much less can we
perform good, meritorious actions ; nay, of ourselves we cannot
even think a good thought. “Not that we are sufficient to think
anything of ourselves, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from
God.”—II. Cor. 3: 5. Now, since God wills all men to be saved,
it is evident that he gives to all the graces necessary for sal­
vation. Therefore the Apostle says: “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. “Trust perfectly in the grace which is
offered you in the revelation of Jesus Christ.”—I. Peter i: 13.

3. Temporal goods.
(a.) As we belong to a material world, we have various neces­
sities. We need health, nourishment, clothing, shelter, protection
in danger, blessing in our undertakings and business. These and
similar goods God has frequently promised us. Thus Christ says:
“Be not solicitous for your life, what you shall eat, nor for your
body, what you shall put on ... . Your Father knoweth that
you have need of all these things.”—Matt. 6: 25-32.

{bi) We must, however, seek these temporal goods only in so
far as they are necessary for the obtaining of life everlasting, or
in so far as they are no impediment to it. All temporal goods
ultimately are only calculated to be means to the end, namely,
to serve God and save our souls. Only as means of salvation

lot

Third Sunday After Easter.

therefore must temporal goods be the object of our hope. Hence
we may confidently hope that God will give us health, life, food,
shelter, prosperity and other temporal blessings, if they are ne­
cessary for our salvation. Temporal goods which are not neces­
sary for our salvation, but no obstacle to it, we may likewise
hope for, but not so firmly as for eternal salvation, and for grace
to practice virtue, because God has promised us unconditionally
and always only what is necessary for our salvation. We must
therefore leave it to God whether he will give such goods or not.
But if temporal goods would imperil our salvation, it is evident
that we should not hope for them from God, for as he is solicit­
ous for our welfare, he can give us nothing which he knows
would be injurious to us. As we are always ignorant whether
what we seek would be beneficial to us or not, we must, when
we pray, conform ourselves to the Divine will and leave to God
the granting or refusing of it, since he knows best how to distin­
guish between medicine and poison.
PEORRATION.

I have now explained to you, not only what Christian hope is, and
on what it is grounded, but also what we are to hope from God.
The first and principal object of our hope should be eternal sal­
vation. It being the will of God that we be saved, he gives us all
that is necessary for our salvation ; he forgives us our sins and
bestows grace to do that which is good. He gives us even those
temporal goods which are either necessary for, or conducive to,
salvation. There is no deficiency on the part of God, but the
question is, is there none on ours? “Let us hold fast the confes­
sion of our hope without wavering, for he is faithful that hath
promised, and let us consider one another to provoke unto charity
and to good works.”—Heb. 10: 23, 24. Serve God with fervor
and constancy as long as you live, and I assure you, in his name,
that you will obtain that which you have so long and fondly
hoped for—life everlasting. Amen.

4* Liturgical Sketch.

107

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

4. LITUROICAL SKETCH.
THE THREE FEASTS FALLING IN EASTER TIME.

Amen, amen, I say to you, that you shall lament and weep.—
John 16: 20.

The gospel read for this day is an extract from that pathetic
farewell discourse which Christ made to his disciples at the Last
Supper, and in which he foretold his departure to the Father, and
their weeping and lamenting in consequence thereof. Now the
question is, why does the Church at this holy Easter time, which
is a time for joy and exultation, turn back and introduce us to
those sad and mournful scenes enacted on Calvary and which
culminated in the sacred passion and death of the Son of God ?
She does this to remind us of the important words of the Apostle :
“If we suffer with him, we shall be glorified with him.” “Ought
not Christ to have suffered these things, and so to enter into his
glory?”—Luke 24: 26. We also must tread the way of the cross,
before we can hope to be crowned with glory and reign with
Christ hereafter in heaven. The Church wishes to imprint this
truth deeply on our minds; therefore she celebrates several feasts
of our Lord, which represent to us his bitter passion. We will
make a short meditation on each of them.

Part L
Pope Innocent VI. instituted in the fourteenth century a feast
in honor of the Lance and Nails, the instruments of the passion
of our I.ord. It is celebrated on the Friday after Low Sunday.
[In the United States on the Friday after the second Sunday in
Lent.]
I.

The Nails.

Ça.) That Christ was fastened to the cross by nails driven through
his hands and feet, there is no doubt, for this was the common
mode of crucifixion with the Jews. The usual way was to erect
the cross first, then the criminal was drawn up and his arms and
legs were bound to it by means of cords or ropes, after which
the process of nailing began. They used strong iron nails, or
what we should call spikes, and having placed them directly over

io8

Third Sunday After Easter,

the joints of the hands and feet, drove them in with the heavy
strokes of a hammer and with such violence that they often dis­
located the bones.
It sometimes happened that to increase the punishment the
hands and feet were nailed twice, for which eight nails were
required. But these were exceptional cases; generally the
hands and feet were nailed only once, so that only four nails
were used. In such a way our Lord was crucified; each of hi·
hands and feet was fastened to the cross with a nail. There are,
it is true, many pictures of the crucifixion in which the feet of
Christ are laid over each other, the right foot on the left, and
fastened to the cross with only one nail. These pictures however,
differ from all those produced in the first centuries, for in them
each foot is separately fastened to the cross, so that Jesus was
crucified not with three, but four nails.
The Prophet foretold that the crucifixion of Christ should be
effected by means of nails. “They have dug my hands and feet.
They have numbered all my bones.”—A. 21: 17, 18. “They
shall say to him: what are these wounds in the midst of thy
hands? and he shall say : With these I was wounded in the house
of them that loved me.”—Zach. 13:6. Jesus himself at his appa­
ritions showed his Apostles the marks of the nails in his hands
and feet.—Luke 24: 39, 40.
(£.) The nails with which the hands and feet of Christ were
fastened to the cross should always remind us of the sins which
are committed by the abuse of the hands and feet. How numer­
ous and grievous are these sins! How often are the hands disho­
nored by theft, impurity, pride, fighting and homicide! How
often do not the feet serve us to visit persons, assemblies or places
that cause us to commit the most grievous sins 1 Examine your­
selves on these sins, be sorry for them, and implore Jesus to for­
give them for the sake of the pains which he endured during the
nailing of his hands and feet. At the same time think of that
man who with his hands and feet bound was cast out into ex­
terior darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
—Matt. 25 : 30. The sight of Christ nailed to the cross should en­
courage you to be nailed with him to the cross, and to remain on
it so long as it pleases God. Do not murmur and complain of
the sufferings which God sends you, but bear them patiently
and constantly, that they may become to you a source of ever­
lasting consolation.

1. The Lance.
(e.) The bones of our Saviour, like those of the two thieves
crucified with him, were to be broken, but by a divine ordinance

4.

Liturgical Sketch.

109

it was not done in his case, in order that the Scripture might be
fulfilled: “neither shall you break a bone thereof.”—Ex. 12:
46. Our Blessed Redeemer died about three o’clock in the after­
noon. It was customary for a soldier invested with authority to
visit the victims in the evening to see whether they were dead
or not and make his report accordingly. In case they were not
dead he was authorized to break their legs in order to accele­
rate their death. This soldier came in the evening to perform
his hideous task, and the two thieves being still alive, he broke
their legs, and coming to Christ he saw that he was dead, but, to
convince himself that there was not a spark of life in him, he
took his lance and pierced him to the very heart. The head of
that identical lance has been preserved in the royal chapel at
Paris since the reign of Saint Louis IX. ; the shaft of the lance is
in Rome, in the Church of St. Peter, where it is venerated on the
altar of Longinus, for according to tradition the soldier who
opened the side of Christ with a spear was named Longinus.
The spear made an opening of a hand’s breath in our Lord’s side
and penetrated through the chest into the heart, from which
flowed blood and water. This was the last drop of blood in the
body of Christ; he would even shed this to manifest his love
for us.
(Æ.) The Fathers of the Church find in the opening of the side
of Christ with the spear, and in the water and blood which
flowed out of it, important mysteries of our holy religion. Ac­
cording to St. Augustine, the Church has her origin from the
opened side of Christ. For, as from the side of Adam, whilst he
slept, Eve, the mother of the living, came forth, being formed by
God out of the rib of Adam, so from the side of the second Adam
slumbering in death proceeded the Church, whom he himself
calls his bride, and of whom St. Paul says that Christ loved her
and delivered himself up for her that he might sanctify her.—
Ephes. 5: 25-27.
The water which flowed from the wound of the side of Christ,
symbolizes baptism, and the blood, the most Holy Sacrament of
the Altar. We may say that as the Church so also all the holy
sacraments have their origin in the wound of the side of our
Saviour, for had he not died on the cross, we should not be
redeemed, we should have no Church, no sacraments. Oh, let us
love Jesus, as he has loved us, and be willing to make every
sacrifice for him and die for him as he has died for us.

Part Π.
The Finding of the Holy Cross, formerly called Holy Rood Day,
is a feast instituted in memory of the miraculous finding of the
holy cross on which Christ died.

no

Third Sunday After Easter.

i. History. In the year 326, Helena, the mother of Constantine
the Great, in her old age made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land,
to visit the holy places there. Being very much grieved that
the true cross of Christ had never yet been found, and thinking
that it might be buried somewhere in the earth, the holy Em­
press made diligent inquiries as to its whereabouts. All her in­
vestigations pointed to Mount Calvary as the place. Accordingly
she ordered excavations to be made at her own expense. After
much labor it was found where it had been hidden one hundred
and eight years before by the pagans, who had erected a statue
of Venus over it. She found three crosses of the same size, and
not far from them also the inscription on the cross of Christ, it
having been detached from the cross. Here a new difficulty
arose, namely, to distinguish the cross of Christ from those of the
two thieves. Nobody knew which of the three was the cross of
Christ. St. Macarius, the holy bishop of Jerusalem, fervently
prayed to God to clear up the doubt, and ordered that the three
crosses should be taken to a sick woman, who was very danger­
ously ill, and that she should be touched with each. At the touch
of the first and second, no perceptible change or improvement
was discernible; but as soon as she was touched with the third,
she opened her eyes, rose up and was immediately restored to
health. The body of a dead man was also touched with the holy
cross and he that had been dead instantly rose up and lived.
The cross was divided. Helen sent one part of it to Constan­
tinople, to her son Constantine, who again divided this treasure
and sent half of it to Pope Sylvester. The other part Helen en­
shrined in a magnificent church, the Church of the Holy Cross,
which she built expressly for its reception. The feast of the
Finding of the Cross, which the Church at present annually cele­
brates on the third of May, was celebrated in Rome as early as
the time of Gregory the Great.

Losson. The Empress Helena sought the holy cross with the
greatest zeal, and had no rest till she was so fortunate as to find
it. Thus, out of love and gratitude towards our Blessed Lord we
must seek the moral cross, that is, sufferings and tribulations, and
deem ourselves happy when we find them. For he emphatically
says: '‘He that taketh not up his cross, and followeth me, is not
worthy of me.”—Matt. 10: 38. Take up your cross and follow
Christ, and you will live. He went before you and carried his
cross. He died for you on the cross that you may carry yours
and desire to die thereon.
St. Helena highly venerated the cross, encased it in gold and
precious stones, and erected a magnificent temple in its honor.
You also should venerate the cross. And for this purpose have
a crucifix in your bed-room and say before you go to bed:
2.

4. liturgical Sketch.

Ill

“Sweet Jesus, my crucified Saviour, have mercy on me.” Sign
yourselves frequently with the sign of the cross, especially in
temptation, when you are alone. Be not ashamed of the cross of
Christ. “Every one that shall confess me before men, I will also
confess him before my Father who is in heaven, but he that shall
deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who
is in heaven.” “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ.”—Gal. 6: 14.

Part III.
The feast of the Crown of Thorns falls on the fifth day of May.
[In the United States it is kept on the Friday after the first Sun·
day in Lent.]

History. St. Matthew relates that “the soldiers of the gover­
nor, taking Jesus into the hall, gathered together unto him the
whole band, and stripping him, they put a scarlet cloak about
him and plaiting a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head,
and a reed in his right hand. And bowing the knee before him,
they mocked him, saying : Hail, King of the Jews. And spitting
upon him, they took the reed and struck his head.”—Matt. 27:
27-30. Cornelius a Lapide says that the Empress Helena sent from
Jerusalem to the church of the Holy Cross in Rome two thorns
of the crown of our Lord which he saw himself, and which, as
he remarks, were long and pointed, after the manner of thick
needles. In the thirteenth century the crown of thorns, the reed,
the spear, and the sponge, were given in pledge to the Venetians
by the Frank princes, who at that time were in Constantinople
and in great want of money. Baldwin II. relinquished his right
it
to the holy relics to Louis, King of France, who redeemed them
with the amount of money demanded. He brought the crown of
thorns to Paris, where with great solemnity it was deposited in
the royal chapel.
The crown of thorns was not only painful to our Saviour be­
cause the long and sharp thorns penetrated deeply into his sacred
head and everywhere wounded it, but also ignominious, because
his enemies put it upon his head to mock him, the Son of God,
the King of heaven and earth.
I.

2. Lesson. Let us thank our dear Redeemer that he wore the
crown of thorns in order to remove from the world the thorns
of error and sin, transforming it with his precious blood, and
thus the seed of faith and virtue thrives. But let us not forget
that we also must bear the crown of thorns, if we wish to obtain
the crown of glory. When our Lord offered St. Catherine of

n*

Third Sunday After Easter.

Siena two crowns, the one of precious stones, and the other of
sharp thorns, giving her the choice, she took the crown of thorns
and chose it for her portion here below. Let us also choose this
crown, for it dues not become us to crown our head with roses
whilst we see a crown of thorns on the head of our Lord and
Redeemer. Christ no longer wears a crown of thorns ; he is dis­
cribed as “having on his head a golden crown.”—Apoc. 14: 14. In
like manner we shall be crowned with the golden crown of the
glory of heaven, if we now with constancy wear the thorny
crown of humiliation and ignominy.
PERORATION.

The instruments of the passion of our Lord, the spear and the
nails, the cross and the crown of thorns, should encourage us to
follow him on the way of the cross. Let us bridle our inordinate
inclinations and desires, all our exterior senses, the eyes, the ears,
the tongue, and watch over them with anxious care that they
may not lead us into sin. Let us suffer patiently whatever hard
and disagreeable things our life brings with it, and “think not
strange the burning heat which is to try us, as if some new thing
happened to us, but rejoice, being partakers of the suffering of
Christ, that when his glory shall be revealed, we also may be
glad with exceeding joy.”—I. Pet. 4: 12, 13. Amen.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH.
THE TRAVAIL OF A WOMAN IN CHILDBIRTH A FIGURE OF THE
MISERIES OF HUMAN LIFE.

A woman, when she is in labor, hath sorrow, because her hour is
come; but when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth
no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.—
'John 16: 21.

These words principally refer to the Apostles. Their life could
truly be compared to a woman in labor, for they were obliged
to suffer much. But as a woman forgets all her pains when she
has brought forth the child and is filled with joy, so the Apostles

5. Symbolical Sketch.

113

thought no more of their anguish when their Master was risen
from the dead ; and now reigning with him in heaven, they think
of their sufferings only with the greatest ecstasy of joy, because
they have become to them the source of everlasting happiness.
The labor of childbirth, however, is also a figure of the miseries
of human life—

I. In their quality ;
II. In their end.

Part L
The pains of childbirth are not alike with all women, nor at
each delivery, but different.

i. Sometimes they are very violent and so painful that they ap­
pear almost unendurable. Women sigh, groan and break out into
loud complaints and lamentations. Therefore the Sacred Scrip­
tures compare great sufferings to travail. Isaias fortells the de­
struction of the inhabitants of Babylon with the words: “Gripings
and pains shall take hold of them, they shall be in pain as a wo­
man in labor. Every one shall be amazed at his neighbor, their
countenances shall be as faces burnt. Behold the day of the
Lord shall come, a cruel day and full of indignation and of wrath
and fury, to lay the land desolate and to destroy the sinner
thereof out of it.”—13 : 8, 9.
In that passage the labor of a woman is a figure of the miseries
of human life. To live upon earth and to suffer, is one and the
same thing. “Man is born to labor and the bird to fly.”—Job
5:7. The only difference is that some have more to suffer than
others. Examples: fob, losing everything, was reduced to the
greatest poverty ; all his children were killed by the fall of a
house and he was afflicted with a terrible disease which day and
night caused him great pain. St. Paul, who writes of himself: “(I
suffered) in many more labors, in prisons more frequently, in
stripes above measure, 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,” etc.—II. Cor. 11: 23-27.
(Si. Valentine, Martyr, 18 May ; St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi, 27
May.} Examples from life: In every community there are Chris­
tians who bitterly feel the miseries of life; such as the blind, the
lame, the deformed, the poor, who languish in the greatest ne­
cessity, fathers and mothers whose wayward children cause them
any sufferings, heart-burnings and tears. On others God does
not lay so heavy a cross; they pass a less severe life. There may
be some amongst us who are forty, fifty, sixty years of age, and
11

III

8

114

Third Sunday After Easter,

who never in their life have been afflicted with great sufferings
and calamities.
If we ask wherein this different conduct of God towards men
has its cause, the answer is: “In his wisdom.” “The wisdom of
God reacheth from end to end mightily, and ordereth all things
sweetly.”— Wis. 8 : i. He orders and governs everything in such
a way as to be the best possible for the individual, as well as
tor the whole human family. He that has much to suffer receives
also great graces so that he may be able to endure, 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. io: 13. Moreover, those who
suffer much have an opportunity of meriting a glorious crown in
heaven.
From this we may deduce important lessons. Let us not envy
those who have a pleasanter lot than ourselves, for this would
be to sin against God’s wise ordinances and government. If we
enjoy a quiet, happy life, let us thank God for it and humble our­
selves before him, for he sees that we are perhaps too weak to
cope with difficulties, wherefore he deals with us leniently. If a
heavy cross is given us, let us accept it patiently and carry it
with constancy, so long as it pleases God, for great sufferings bring
a great reward.

2. The pains are sometimes of long duration, lasting not only a
few hours, but even days, till the birth finally follows. These how­
ever, are exceptions. Generally the birth begins to take place
as soon as the griping pains have ceased ; and as soon as the
child is delivered all pain ceases.
Here again we have in the pains of labor a picture of the mi­
series of human life. We find men who many years, nay, all their
lifetime, carried the cross. Examples: The Apostles, whose lives
were full of privations, tribulations and persecutions, ending in
artyrdom. St. Lidwine died at the age of fifty-three, after she
had been afflicted for thirty-eight years with the most painful dis­
eases. She had three large ulcers on her body, out of which large
worms frequently crawled, whose bites caused her almost in­
tolerable pain. Her limbs hung together so loosely that she could
not be moved except by means of a cloth folded and wound
around her. During the last seven years ot her life she was ob­
liged to lie on her back, in an immovable position. She was
troubled with the dropsy and suffered from complaints in the
liver and lungs. Her headache was constant; her teeth gave al­
most constant pain, and the fever was continuous. Notwithstand­
ing her protracted and painful sickness she said: “If by a single
‘Hail Mary’ I could obtain perfect health of my body, I would not
say it; I do not wish for it.” In almost every congregation there

5, Symbolical Sketch.

115

are persons who have protracted suffering; the poor, who
languish in great need; the sick, who know not what it is to feel
well; the unfortunate, who have a heavy load to carry and who
can scarcely hope that better days will dawn for them, their whole
life being nothing but constant suffering. But all this is of less
frequent occurence; sickness often gives way to health, hard
times are succeeded by prosperity, calamities and persecutions
have an end, and peace and tranquillity return.
In a period of tribulation and suffering, be it long or short,
God has ever our good in view. Let us submit to his holy will
without reserve in the firm conviction that all things will turn
out well for them that love him. “Commit thy way to the Lord,
and trust in him, and he will do it.”—Ps. 36: 5.

Part IL
The pains of labor symbolize also the miseries of human life
in their termination.
i. They often lead to a very desirable and prosperous result.
After they are over, the mother not only feels well, but sees her
new-born child. And what greater joy can there be for a mother
to see her offspring ! And at the sight of it she no longer remem­
bers the pains she suffered in bringing it forth; she would even,
were it necessary, endure the same pains again and even greater
ones ; so much does the sight enrapture her. So it is also with the
sufferings and tribulations of life, if we take them upon ourselves
for the love of God and in the spirit of penance. They bring us
the sweetest consolation and joy, compared to which all the joys
of the world are as a mere nothing. Examples:

(a.) You wish to make a general confession because your con
science is disturbed. But it is difficult for you; fear and anguish
seize you, you tremble and hesitate. But finally you overcome
rour natural weakness and really make a sincere and good conession of your whole life. What tranquillity, consolation and peace
now dwell in your heart 1 You feel so happy. Many after such
a general confession say, full of rapture : Oh, if you would give
•Tl e the whole world with all its wealth and pleasures, I would
not exchange for it the happiness which has been imparted to
me through making a general confession.

(£.) You suffer a grievous temptation. The enemies of your
soul present the evil to you enchantingly, they captivate your
imagination, excite your sensuality, repeat their assaults again
and again, and endeavor by all means to cause your fall. But

né

Third Sunday After Easter.

you resist manfully the most violent and protracted temptation,
you reject it again and with the help of the divine grace you
come forth victorious from the hard-fought battle. How do you
feel after overcoming such a temptation ? Do you not feel great
consolation ? Is it not as if your Father in heaven were saying to
you: Well done my child, I shall reward you with an eternal
weight of glory.
(c.) Imagine yourselves on your death-bed. If you look back
upon your past life, what will console and rejoice you more than
the thought that you have borne all the trials, tribulations, and
sufferings of your earthly pilgrimage, with patience and in a
penitential spirit. If a laborer in the evening rejoices because
the labors of the day are over and he can enjoy his will-earned
repose, how you will rejoice on your death-bed, if you can say
with the Apostle: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished
my course; I have kept the faith; as to the rest, there is laid up
for me a crown of justice.”— ZZ. Tim. 4: 7, 8. We need not won­
der tnat the faithful servants of God looked for death with the
greatest longing, greeting it as their best friend. A forester one
day met a poor leper, singing though evidently dying. ‘''How
can you sing considering the state you are in?” he said to him.
The leper replied: “Between me and God there is only the wall
of my body ; now I see it going to pieces, and the prison falling,
therefore I rejoice and sing.”
(Z.) Turn your eyes to eternity and contemplate the saints in
heaven. All the sufferings which they endured on earth are now
over, all warfare is ended, there is nothing any longer to sadden
them, the words are realized in them : “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. And he <hat sat on the throne, said : Behold,
I make all things new.” Who can describe the joy of the Blessed
who can say: All our temporal sufferings are over for ever, nay,
it is these sufferings that have prepared for us the inexpressible
joys of heaven, for if it were not for them we should either not
be in heaven or at least be deprived of a great part of our hap­
piness for ever.

2. They have sometimes ended badly. After lasting long and
having caused almost unendurable pains to the woman in labor,
she brings forth a deformed, a crippled, or a dead child. What
grief for such a mother! Must not the reflection that all she has
endured is in vain be more painful to her than all her pains?
Many will have a worse end than such an unhappy mother.
To this class belong—

5. Symbolical Sketch.

117

(a.) Those who suffer in the state of sin. We know that nothing
good which is done in the state of sin is meritorious before God,
or can lay claim to a reward hereafter. He who is contaminated
with a grievous sin is destitute of the love of God, but he who
does not possess the love of God, can do nothing meritorious
for heaven. "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. The same may
be said of the sufferings and tribulations of life, which justly are
numbered with good works, because they are according to the
will of God and in holy Writ have the promise of a great reward.
He who suffers in the state of sin suffers fruitlessly for heaven.
If a person were to lie on a sick-bed for years, were he to ex­
perience in his life trials and sufferings of every sort; were he
despised by the world, and persecuted ; were he even to sacri­
fice his life for his faith, yet if he had grievous sins on his
conscience, all would profit him nothing, all would be without
merit for heaven. Are not those who suffer in the state of sin in
a more deplorable condition than a woman who, after the terrible
pains of travail brings forth a dead child? And how many such
unhappy persons there are!
(3.) Those who accept the sufferings and tribulations of life, not
for God's sake, but only for temporal motives, who in their suffer­
ings are destitute of a good intention. Whatever we do or suffer,
in order to gain merit for heaven, must be done for God’s sake,
because he wills it and out of reverence, obedience and love for
him. He who is in his life bears many trials and tribulations,
but has not God, but temporal things, money, honors, dignities,
human praise, human favor, in view, labors, suffers and fatigues
himself in vain so far as heaven in concerned. He who suffers,
not for God, but for the world, or for the gratification of his pas­
sions, is not a martyr of Christ, but of the devil. And how many
such martyrs of the devil does the world count! And how badly
off are such persons who at the end of their life, in their dying
hour, and for all eternity are obliged to say to themselves: we
have suffered much in our life-time, but in vain ; “we have la­
bored all the night (how truly) and have taken nothing.”—
Luke 5: 5.

(é.) Lastly, those who suffer with impatience. To render trials
and tribulations meritorious it is absolutely necessary that they
be accepted and endured with patience and resignation to the
will of God. Therefore the Apostle says: "Patience is necessary
for you, that, doing the will of God, you may receive the pro­
mise.”—Heb. 10: 36. He that suffers, and suffers much, but with
impatience, need not expect any reward for his sufferings. But

118

Third Sunday After Raster.

that is not all ; he who endures his trials and tribulations impatiently
merits nothing, but renders himself liable to the divine punish­
ment, for the simple reason that impatience is a sin. Cast a look
upon the two thieves who were crucified with Christ. Both suffer
the same torments, but how unlike is their lot in eternity ! The one
is in heaven, the other in hell. Why? Because the one suffered
death patiently and penitently, and the other impatiently and impenitently. "There are people among us who, if a calamity
befalls them, if they are offended by any one, if they fall sick,
if they suffer pain in their head or elsewhere, at once break out
into blasphemies. They suffer the pains of sickness, but deprive
themselves of the advantages which they might gain by them.
What dost thou do, O man? Thou blasphemest God, thy Bene­
factor, thy Saviour, thy Protector and Provider. Dost thou not
see that thou art hastening to the precipice and about to be en­
gulfed in the abyss of perdition ?”—Si. Chrysostom.
PERORATION.

Conduct yourselves in the sufferings and tribulations of life as
a woman in labor. She knows that the pains are necessary, and
H
that without them she cannot become
a mother. She endures
them, though they are great and protracted, with patience and
fortitude, in the hope that God will present her with a child. Let
us also endure with patience, fortitude and a good intention
whatever difficult and disagreeable things life may bring and
preserve a good conscience, so that in this way we may suffer
meritoriously and receive a reward in heaven. Amen.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

6. MORAL SKETCH.
THE EFFICACY OF TEARS.

You shall lament and uieep.— John 16: 20.

These words are more or less applicable to all men, for in
every one’s life, sooner or later, a time of lamenting and weeping
must come. There is, indeed, apparently much laughter in the

6. Moral Sketch.

119

world, but there is probably more weeping·; and many of those
who laugh do not laugh in their heart, for they feel more inclined
to weep than to laugh. Ever since sin came into the world the
earth has been a valley of tears. But still we must consider it a
blessing that it is possible for us to weep and to shed tears. If
the damned in hell could shed only a single penitential tear they
might entertain the hope of being at length rescued, but as hell
is not like the earth, a valley of tears, but a dungeon, where there
is weeping and gnashing of teeth, they never can escape their
torments.
Water has, among others, these three effects: it cleanses from
filth, is extinguishes fire, and it carries ships and people to the
remotest parts of the world. Tears, as I shall show you to-day,
have the same effects.
I. They cleanse from the stains of sin;
IL They extinguish the fire of hell;
HL They carry us to heaven.

Part I.
The tears which flow from a contrite heart have a wonderful
virtue—they cleanse from the stains of sin—

I. Like Baptism
(a.') It Î5 an article of faith, that by baptism
II
all sins, original
and actual, are blotted out. This is evident from the words of
Christ; “Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy
Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”—John 3 : 5.
All sins exclude from the kingdom of God, that is from heaven;
now, if baptism fits man for heaven, it is evident that it forgives
all sins, original as well as actual, if the person to be baptized
be contaminated with the latter.

(bi) Tears have the same effect; they are, as it were, a second
baptism, for if they have their source in the perfect love of God
they cleanse the conscience from all stains of sin, be they ever
so grievous and numerous. Examples: St. Peter, who, by the
triple denial of his Lord, had grievously sinned, but who found
mercy with God because he bitterly bewailed his fall, wherefore
Pope Leo the Great says : “Blessed be thy tears, holy Peter,
which had. the virtue of baptism for the washing away of the
guilt of thy denial”. St. Mary Magdalen, the public sinner of illrepute, who at the feet of Christ, which she bedewed with her
tears and wiped with her hair, found grace and heard the con­
soling words: “Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath

120

Third Sunday After Easter*

loved much.”—Luke 7: 47. This baptism of tears is not a sacra­
ment, but it surpasses in some respect the Sacrament of Baptism
inasmuch as it can be repeated, whilst this is not possible with
the sacramental rite. Hence St. Augustine calls penitential tears
a salutary bath, which cleanses the human heart as often as it
needs cleansing. Oh, how gracious and merciful is God, who in
penitential tears has given us so easy and so effectual a means for
the recovery of the lost baptismal grace ? How grateful we should
be for this means, and bow zealously we should avail ourselves
of itl
2.

Like martyrdom.

(a.) He who suffers death for Christ, that is, for the Christian
faith, some Christian virtue, or the performance of his Christian
duty, is a martyr. Martyrdom, as well as baptism, leads to heaven,
and it is even a substitute for baptism with water. Wherefore
also the unbaptized who give their life for Christ can be saved.
So Christ assures us in plain words: “He that shall lose his life
for me shall find it.”—Matt. 10: 39.
(3.) Again, tears have the same effect ; they are, as it were, a
baptism of blood, by which all sins are washed away. If a mar­
tyr should even be contaminated with grievous sins, they are
forgiven him, if for the love of Christ he makes a sacrifice of his
life. The same is done when a sinner, like the penitent Magda­
len, repents of his sins for God’s sake. He is cleansed from all
stains of sin. Oh, the amazing virtue of tears ! Not all are called
to the palm of martyrdom ; it is not granted to all to shed their
blood for Christ; but all can shed tears, all can truly repent of
their sins and cleanse their soul from the filth of sin. As we
wash our face so soon as we perceive any filth on it, so let us
not delay to wash our heart with penitential tears, if we have
defiled it by a sin.
3.

Like the passion of Christ.

(a.) A missionary, in order to demonstrate to his pagan
hearers how men are cleansed from their sins through the pas­
sion of Christ, showed them a knife covered all over with rust.
Then he opened a little phial and let a few drops of the fluid fall
upon the knife, and lo, in a moment the knife became as bright
as a mirror and all the rust disappeared. “Behold,” said the.
missionary, “unclean and dull as this knife was the heart of
man, but it has been cleansed by the blood of Christ, so that it
appears clean and bright.” What this missionary illustrated in
this way is expressed in the Sacred Scripture in the plainest words.

6.

Moral Sketch.

Thus St. John the Baptist calls our Saviour the
who taketh away the sins of the world” (John
John, the beloved disciple of the Lord, writes:
Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.”—1. John

“Lamb of God,
i : 29); and St.
“The blood of
1 : 7.

(Æ.) Tears have the same effect, if they flow from a truly con­
trite heart. As Christ has prepared in his sacred blood a laver
in which we are washed clean, so penitential tears are a bath in
which we may be cleansed from all sins. Who would not be as­
tonished at this efficacy of tears! But these tears must be truly
penitential, not merely flowing from the eyes, but tears which
have their source in a true, supernatural repentance.

Part

Π.

Another effects of tears is, that they extinguish the fire of hell.
They produce this effect—
1. When they are abundant.

(λ.) David had grievously sinned, for he had committed adultery
and murder. Through these crimes he had made himself guilty
of eternal damnation, and if he had died impenitently, he would
have found his place in hell. But being brought by Nathan to
the knowledge of his injustice and crime, he commenced to be­
wail his sins : He says of himself : “I have labored in my groanings, every night I will wash my bed; I will water my couch
with my tears. My eye is troubled through indignation.”—Ps.
b : 7,8. How many penitential tears must this holy king have
shed when every night he watered his couch with his tears, and
when his eyes were troubled with incessant weeping I But these
tears were so efficacious that they extinguished for him the fire
of hell. Hence St. Chrysostom says: “Tears like David’s quench
even the fire of hell.”

(3.) A certain young man who had led a very sinful life one
day saw a picture representing the great penitent David on his
knees, and flowing from his eyes were tears which an angel
received in a golden cup. Beneath the picture were written these
words : “David sinned only once, and always wept ; you sin al­
ways and never weep.” The picture and the words made so deep
an impression upon the young man that he at once began to be­
wail his sins and to cleanse himself from them by a sincere con­
fession. We all have sinned, and many of us much and grievously,
and deserved hell not only once, but again and again. Let us
take David for our pattern and bewail our sins not only with ex-

ili

Third Sunday After Easter,

terior, but also with interior tears, that we may thereby extin«
guish the fire of hell.
2. Even if they befero.

(a.) We read in the writings of Daniel that the three Hebrew
youths, Ananias, Azarias and Misael, were cast into a fiery fur­
nace, because they would not adore the statue of Nabuchodonosor. The furnace, heated seven times more than was customary,
threw out so great a heat that the men who threw the youths
into the fire were slain by the flames. But the three young men
walked in the midst of the fire, unharmed, praising God. The
king also approached the funace and exposed himself to the heat
even more than the men who were burnt, but he remained un­
hurt. Now the question is: “Why was the king not hurt by the
heat, whilst those men lost their lives ?” St. Chrysostom answers
this question, saying: “King Nabuchodonosor was not afraid
of the burning flames, because he carried with him the tears that
extinguish the fire. The fire spared the king, because he ac­
knowledged his sins and repented of them.” We have here a
figure of the fire of hell, which consumes the impenitent sinner,
but does not touch the truly penitent.
(Æ.) When the holy bishop Mamertus saw that the city of
Vienne, in France, was devastated by a fearful conflagration, he
said to those who carried water; “This conflagration must be ex­
tinguished more with the water of the eyes, than that of the
rivers.” By divine inspiration he knew that the conflagration was a
punishment of God on account of the sins of men and concluded
from this that the conflagration should be stopped more by peni­
tential tears than by natural water. Sinner, for you is kindled
the fire in hell, which burns for ever; but you have an effectual
means of extinguishing it, namely, by penitential tears. If these
tears flow from a contrite heart, they extinguish the fire of hell,
even if they be only few.

3. If there be only one.
(a.) Antipater once wrote Alexander the Great a letter which
contained strong accusations against his mother. Alexander,
having read the letter said : “xAntipater seems not to know that
a single tear of my mother wipes away letters full of accusations.”
The same may be said of the sins of men. Though their sins be
great and numerous, a single tear is able to extinguish the fire
of hell, which their sins deserve. St. Augustine says: “All
the water in the world is unable to extinguish a single spark of
hell-fire, but one tear from a truly contrite heart extinguishes

6. Moral Sketch.

123

hell fire itself.” St. Vincent Ferrer remarks: "If a damned soul in
hell could shed only one penitential tear, hell-fire would instantly
be extinguished.”
(Æ.) How easy has God made it for the sinner to escape hell-fire!
How happy would a criminal, condemned to be burnt, deem him­
self, if by a single tear he could avert from himself this terrible
death. And yet there are so many sinners who to rescue them­
selves from the fire of hell are not willing to make even this easy
sacrifice. If hail destroys their crops, fire burns their house, a
disease kills off their cattle, or if sickness disables them, or any
other evil befalls them, they have tears in abundance; they groan
and moan enough to move the very stones to compassion, but they
have no tears for their excesses and vices on account of which
the everlasting fire of hell is kindled for them; nay, so far from
afflicting themselves on their account, they are always merry
and in a good humor; and whilst laughing they plunge them­
selves into perdition. What an incomprehensible delusion?

Part HL
Finally, it is tears that will carry us into heaven, for heaven—
I.

Is promised to those that mourn.

(ai) Christ emphatically says: “Blessed are they that mourn;
for they shall be comforted.”—Matt. 5 ; 5. By those that mourn,
we must here understand chiefly those who mourn for their sins,
and are sorry for having offended God, their greatest benefactor
and most kind father. St. Augustine says : “Nothing is nearer to
misery than a tear, and nothing more remote from misery than
happiness. And yet it is said: ‘Blessed are they that mourn.’
How then can they that mourn be blessed? Only in respect to
the promise of Christ that they shall be comforted in heaven. As
soon as God sees that a sinner repents of his sins and bewails them,
he turns to him full of love and mercy, and assures him of forgive­
ness, grace and heaven.”

(3.) It would be a blessing if God would regard the tears we
shed for our sins in so far that he would not condemn us eter­
nally; but what must we say, when he has, in consequence of
these tears, assured us of heaven with all its unutterable, ever­
lasting joys? Is not this a goodness, a mercy, that transcends all
measure ? Where is the father who not only most cheerfully for­
gives his son who has grievously offended him, directly he
sheds the first tear, but also rewards him most bounteously? Oh,
let us consider this goodness of our heavenly Father and bewail

124

Third Sunday After Easter,

oursins with tears of sincere repentance, that we may partici­
pate in the great promise which Christ makes to those that
mourn !
2.

Is promised to those that mourn.

(a.) It is certain beyond doubt that heaven is due to the just,
and that God cannot deprive them of it, because he has promised
it to them, and it is impossible for him not to keep his promise.
Now, if a man be a sinner, even a great sinner, he becomes, if he
truly repents of his sins, a just man, a saint, and consequently
heaven is due to him. If God even had decreed to deprive him of
eternal salvation and to condemn him to the fire of hell, the peni­
tential tears of the sinner would have so great an efficacy that they
would compel God to alter his decree, and not to reject such a sin­
ner, but to save him. The reason is, because God makes only a
conditional decree to condemn a person, and alters it the moment
the sinner alters his disposition and does penance. Hence St. Chry­
sostom says: “If before a human court, after the sentence is passed,
you weep and lament, you will not by your weeping change the
sentence, but before the divine tribunal you will change the
sentence, if from your heart you cry for mercy.”
(b.) What a consoling truth for us all, who from our childhood
have sinned so much ! Even though God has blotted our names
out of the book of life, in which they were inscribed at our bapt­
ism ; even though the devil has enrolled our names in the book
of death, our penitential tears will repair all: as soon as we shed
penitential tears the devil sees himself obliged to erase our names
from his book, and Christ reinscribes them in his. O sinners,
why do you not shed penitential tears, and be converted to God
in fasting, in weeping, and in mourning ?
3.

Will be given to those tvho mourn.

(a.) Heaven is not given to all, but only to those whe labor for
it, according to the words of Christ: “The kingdom of heaven
suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away.”—Matt. 11: 12.
Who are they that use violence and bear heaven away? They
are the just, who take care not to fall into mortal sin, but con­
stantly to lead a virtuous life: and sinners who having had the
misfortune to fall into grievous sins endeavor to rise again and
to wash away their sins with penitential tears. These, like the
just, will bear away heaven, because, like them, they use violence.
(3.) There are countless saints in heaven, and among them, if
we except the children who died in their baptismal innocence,

7. Moral Sketch.

125

there are more who have been saved in the way of penance than
in the way of innocence. Nay, many penitents will occupy a
higher rank than the innocent, because by their persevering zeal
for penance they have acquired more merits. Oh, what consola­
tion for us all, who must acknowledge ourselves as sinners before
God, and what an encouragement for us to bring forth fruits
of penance.
PERORATION.

Let us follow the admonition of Almighty God: “Be converted
to me with all your heart in fasting, in weeping and in mourn­
ing.”— Joel 2: 12. Let us bewail our sins, not only apparently,
but truly, from the bottom of our heart, with contrition and sor­
row for all our sins, for the sake of God, whom we have griev­
ously offended, and whose love and grace we have lost, with the
firm purpose of never more offending him ; also let us make a good
confession and conceal nothing out of fear or shame that we
know to be sin. These are the tears which remove the filth of
our sins, extinguish the fire of hell, and carry us to heaven.
Amen.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

7. MORAL SKETCH.
THE FOLLY OF THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD, AND THE WIS­
DOM OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD.

You shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice: and you
shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into ioy.
—John 16 : 20.
There is a remarkable difference between the joys of the chib
dren of the world, and those of the children of God. What gives
pleasure to the former, gives pain to the latter, and what makes
the former sad, makes the latter rejoice. Thus the Scribes and
Pharisees rejoiced over the death of Christ, while the Apostles
lamented and wept ; but after he had risen from the dead, the
Scribes and Pharisees lamented, and the Apostles rejoiced. So it
is to-day. Infidels rejoice at the present tribulations of the

116

Third Sunday After Easter,

Church, but believing Christians lament and weep. But when
the time comes, and we sincerely and confidently hope that time
is near at hand, when the Church will again triumph, her eneies will lament, but her children will rejoice. Of this joy and
sadness of the children of the world and of the children of God
our Saviour speaks in the gospel of this day, saying: You shall
lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice; arid you shall be
made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. Let us
consider—
h

I. The folly of the children of the world: “The world shall
rejoice?
II The wisdom of the children of God: “You shall be made
sorrowful
III. The joy of the children of God: “ Your sorrow shall be turned
into joyT

Part L
Christ expresses the folly of the children of the world in
these words : The world shall rejoice. To form a correct idea of
the foolish joy of the children of the world we need only con­
sider—
I. The time of their joy. When do they rejoice? During the
time of their earthly life. But is this a suitable time for joy?
Certainly not

(λ.) Because this earthly life is a pilgrimage, a journey. “We
have not here a lasting city, but we seek one that is to come.”
—Heb. 13: 14. As rivers take their course to the sea, so we are
continually approaching the boundless ocean of eternity. Our
voyage is of the greatest importance to us, because it will decide
our doom for all eternity. If we arrive safely at our journey’s
end, blessed are we, for our haven of rest is in heaven; but if
our frail bark is stranded or dashed upon rocks, woe to us; we
shall be wrecked in hell.

(bl) Because our earthly life is a time to learn, a time during
which we must prepare ourselves for eternity. It is the duty of
an apprentice, a pupil, or a student, to use all diligence and ap­
plication in order to acquire the necessary knowledge for his
trade, business or profession, because his happiness and prospe­
rity in life depend on it. Our life here is nothing else but an
apprenticeship. We must perfect ourselves in all the Christian
virtues; we must learn the greatest of all arts, to serve God and
save our souls, for only thus shall we attain heaven.

7. Moral Sketch

127

The place of their joy. What is this earth ? Elysian fields I
No; it is a vale of tears. “To thee do we cry, poor banished chil­
dren of Eve, to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and
weeping in this valley of tears.” How much wretchedness is
there not upon the earth ? How many languish in the greatest
poverty and need, how many lie sick and suffer the greatest
pains both day and night! how many are totally forsaken and
find no one to help them! And we frequently see that the good
are oppressed and persecuted by the wicked, that vice and lies
triumph over virtue and truth; we see men add sin to sin and as
it were rush headlong into perdition, with their eyes wide open.
And all this does not affect the children of the world in the
least; they eat, drink, and enjoy themselves, laugh, dance and
play, as if all around them were full of joy and merriment. Is
this not the greatest folly? But as there is much misery and
wretchedness in the world, shall we renounce all joy and always
mourn? No, the Christian may rejoice, but in the right way,
without sin, with a good intention, without passion, at the right
time; wherefore the Apostle says: “Rejoice in the Lord always,
again, I say, rejoice.”—Phil. 4: 4. But the children of the world
do not rojoice in such a way. Reflect and see whether your past
joys were in the Lord.
1.

3. The object of their joy. At what do they rejoice? At the
growth of virtue and religion? At the victory of a good cause?
At the prosperity of the people? No, they are indifferent in re­
gard to all these things, or they excite in them only envy and
other evil passions, so that they become angry and dejected.
Thus the leaders of the Jews were grieved at the great docility
which Christ found among the masses of the people, and full of
indignatiou said : “Do you see that we prevail nothing ? Behold,
the whole world is gone after him.”—John 12: ig. They belong
to those of whom it is written in the Book of Proverbs : “Who
are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in most wicked
things ; whose ways are perverse, and their steps infamous”—2 :
14, 15. They rejoice at the persecution of the Church and of
those who cling to her with all their heart; they rejoice when
they have robbed a soul of faith, innocence, or virtue ; they re­
joice at their injustices and deceptions in their dealings with
others; they rejoice in the enjoyment of vain pleasures and the
gratification of their mean and despicable passions. Are these
reasonable joys? No; the very contrary, because they regard
only sinful or at least vain and useless things. How many may
there be among us who rejoice in a foolish way!
4. Lastly, the duration of their joys. How perishable, how fleet­
ing are they! Some of these joys, especially carnal pleasures, pass

128

Third Sunday Affer Easter.

away directly they begin; others, such as banquets, dances,
games, theatricals, etc., last a few hours. And suppose you enjoy
all possible pleasures for years, at last you will fall sick, become
old and even incapable of enjoying them any longer, and finally
death comes which puts a stop to all earthly pleasures, and
leaves nothing but the confused and indistinct remembrance of
having enjoyed them ; and this is oftentimes a sad reminiscence,
full of melancholy and bitterness. Do you think it is wise to run
after these vain and fleeting pleasures? Would it not be folly to
give yourselves to those joys and amusements, which only bur­
den your conscience and make death hard?

Part Π.
The wisdom of the children of God is contained in the words
of Christ : you shall be made sorrowful. The sorrow of the children
of God is true wisdom, for they mourn—
1. Over their sins, defectsand imperfections. Examples of such
sorrow we have in David, who, as he says himself, watered his
couch every night with his tears {Ps. 6: 7) ; in Mary Magdalen,
who, prostrate at the feet of the Lord, shed a flood of tears ; in
Peter, who went out and wept bitterly. The saints grieved over
even the smallest faults, and persevered in repentance all their
life. St. Aloysius was so much grieved at two small faults which
he committed when a child, and which could scarcely be called
sins, that he fainted away at his first confession. St. Jerome re­
lates of St. Paula, that she bewailed her venial sins so bitterly
that you would have thought her guilty of the greatest crimes.
This sorrow for our sins is great wisdom, for it spurs us on to the
amendment of our lives, strengthens us in our holy desires, ob­
tains many graces from God, and blots out the temporal punish­
ments due to our sins. Should not these fruits of repentance
impel us daily to bewail our faults?

2. Over the sins of others, over the unbelief and scandals of the
world, and over the loss of so many souls. Thus Christ wept over
Jerusalem, and full of sadness said: “If thou also hadst known,
and that in this thy day, the things that are to thy peace, but now
they are hidden from thy eyes.”—Luke 19: 42. St. Paul’s grief
over the unbelief and obstinacy of the Jews was so great that he
was willing to become even anathema, to be accursed for their
sake : “I have great sadness and continual sorrow in my heart ;
for I wished myself to be an anathema from Christ for my
brethren.”—Rom. 9: 2-3. St. Francis of Assisi bewailed the in­
gratitude of the people for the infinite love bestowed upon them
by their crucified Redeemer, with such constant and bitter tears,

7- Moral Sketch.

12^

that he almost lost his eye-sight. This sorrow of the children of
God is wisdom, because it originates from the love of God and
our neighbor. From the love of God. As it afflicts a child that
loves his parents to see that they are injured and offended, so a
Christian who sincerely loves God is grieved when God is so
much and so grievously offended. From the love of our neighbor.
He who truly loves his neighbor wishes him well, rejoices at his
prosperity, and is grieved when misfortune or afflictions befall
him. Knowing that sin makes man unhappy for time and eter­
nity, it is quite natural that he should be grieved at the sins of
his fellow-men. He therefore who is not sorry that God is griev­
ously offended, and that so many continue in sin and perish, has
not even the appearance of the love of God and his neighbor.
3. Over the sufferings and persecutions of the Church. St. Teresa
was deeply grieved at the injury inflicted on the Church in the
sixteenth century by the so-called Reformation; she prayed and
wept, and would gladly have sacrificed her life, if thereby she
could have averted the calamity from the Church. This is a wise
sorrow and sadness, because it is based on love for the founder
of the Church. The Church is our mother, we have all been
spiritually born of her in holy baptism, and she provides for all
the necessities of our soul with a true mother's instinctive affec­
tion. Who is it that instructs us in all those things which are ne­
cessary for our salvation ? Who is it that leads us to virtue, ad­
monishes and corrects us and daily offers the holy sacrifice of the
mass for us, purifies and sanctifies us in the holy sacraments, in
short, does everything to lead us to heaven ? The Church. Every
good Catholic know this. Hence he belongs to her with body
and soul, and therefore should love her as a good child loves his
mother. The consequence is that he is sorrowful when he sees
the Church in suffering and tribulation. He who is indifferent to
the prosperity and adversity of the Church, or who even rejoices
when the Church is persecuted, may have the name of Catholic,
but, in truth, he is not one. Such a person is worse than an
infidel.
4. Lastly, over the dangers of salvation, to which they are exposed,
and because they must remain so long on earth and cannot see God.
Thus David sighed: “Woe is me, that my sojourning is pro­
longed.”—Ps. 119:5. Hear the Apostle : “ Unhappy man that I am,
who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”—Rom. 7: 24.
St. Jerome called death his dearest brother and his sweetest consola­
tion : “My soul disdains the world, I perish with the desire to
see thee, O most amiable Jerusalem, my dear home, blessed abode
of the chosen people of my God.” This sorrow also is wisdom
on account of the basis on which it rests, and on account of the

III

9

130

Third Sunday After Easter.

effects which it produces. It is grounded on the love of God, the
Supreme Good, which it fears to lose and desires with all desire
to possess. It has very salutary effects; it impels us always to
watch and pray and to employ all means for preservation from
sin ; it detaches our hearts from the world, directs our thoughts
to heaven, and strengthens us in the service of God. How is it
with you ? Have you this salutary fear ? Is your fear so great that
it is impossible or at least improbable that you will ever again
offend Almighty God ? Do you, with St. Paul, wish to be dissolv­
ed and to be with Christ ? Do you, at least, entertain no inordi­
nate love for the world, and do you live so that you can meet
death with a good conscience?

Part

HL

Christ expresses the joy of the children of God in these words:
Your sorrow shall be turned into joy. This joy manifests itself
already—
I.

In this world.

(a.) The children of God bewail their sins and are rejoiced at
the forgiveness of them. They rejoice over the grace of conver­
sion which so many sinners obtain through their prayers and
tears. They are rejoiced at the protection and victory which
God ever gives to the Church in her sufferings and persecutions.
Who can describe this joy? What a happiness the faithful Catho­
lic experiences after having made a good general confession I
How much did not the saintly Monica rejoice when, after many
long years of praying and weeping, her impetuous Augustine
was converted I And what joy and exultation prevailed among
Christians when after three hundred years of persecution they
obtained peace; the Emperor Constantine was baptized, and the
triumphant cross was set up in the place of the Roman eagles,
and shone as the brightest of all the jewels in the diadem of the
Cæsarsl
(3.) The sorrow of the children of God has this peculiarity
that it is connected with sweet joy and consolation. Therefore
St. Augustine says: "Sweeter are the joys of prayer than the
joys of the theatre.” Yes, if there be any true joy on earth it is
this holy sorrow amidst which the indescribable consolations of
the Holy Ghost flow to us. He who has experienced them, knows
them; but he who has never experienced sorrow and wept as
pious souls do, penetrated by the spirit of penance, has no con­
ception of such tears. Such tears are as refreshing “as the dew
of Hermon, which descendeth upon Mount Sion.”—Ps. 132: 3.

7· Moral Sketch.
2. In the other world. Their joy will be perfect. The words of
the Psalmist will be fulfilled in them: “They that sow in tears
shall reap in joy. Going they went and wept, casting their seeds.
But coming they shall come with joyfulness, carrying their
sheaves.”—Ps. 125:5, 6. “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. 21:4. But the children of the world, who now
laugh and do not understand the sorrow of the children of God,
full of sadness and sorrow shall say: “We fools esteemed their
life madness, and their end without honor. Behold, how they
are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among
the saints.”—Wisd. 5: 4, 5.
PERORATION.

How foolish would you be if you should follow the ways oi
the children of the world and rejoice with them, since their joys
have such a sad issue! No, no, be sorrowful rather with the chil­
dren of God, for their sorrow is true wisdom, since it produces
the most glorious effects. If you lament and weep with the chil­
dren of God, you will, even on earth, be more joyful than the
children of the world amidst all their pleasures and carnal enjoy­
ments, and hereafter “ that which is at present momentary and light
of your tribulation will work for you above measure an exceeding
weight of glory.”—ZZ. Cor, 4: 17. Amen.

I
I»

4

132

Fourth Sunday After Faster.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

Epistle. James 1: 17-21. Dearly beloved : Every best gift, and
ever}1· perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of
lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow7 of alteration.
For of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth,
that we might be some beginning of his creatures. You know, my
dearest brethren. and let every man be quick to hear, but slow7
to speak, and slow to anger. For the anger of man worketh not
the justice of God. Wherefore casting away all uncleanness,
and abundance of malice, with meekness receive the ingrafted
word, which is able to save your souls.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
ALL GOOD GIFTS COME FROM GOD.

LESSONS THEREFROM.

The epistle, of which I have read a small portion to you, has
St. James, a relative of our Eord, for its author. To distinguish
him from another James, who also was an apostle, and a son of
Zebedee and brother of St. John, he is surnamed THE LESS, prob­
ably because he was younger. He was the first bishop of Jeru­
salem, and led a very austere life; he ate no meat, drank no
wine and prayed so much that his knees had a thick, hard skin
like a camel’s. On account of his righteousness, which even the
Jews admired in him, he was called the “ just man.” In the year
of our Lord 64 he wan accused by the Pharisees, those arch­
enemies of Christianity, as a transgressor of the law, and was
stoned. St. James wrote an epistle to the faithful in which he
teaches them several truths, specially insisting upon the neces­
sity of a living faith; reproves them on account of certain abuses
and sins prevalent among them, earnestly exhorts them to pa­
tience, and gives them very important rules for the regulation of
their life. We will consider the contents of the epistle of this day
a little more closely ; the apostle states therein—

i. Homiletic Sketch.

133

Z The truth, that all good gifts come from God, and draws
from it—
II. Some lessons which we should follow.

Part L
1. Every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming
down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor
shadow of alteration.

(Λ·) By
expression: Every good gift, we first understand all
natural goods, such as life, health, food, raiment, prosperity,
reason, liberty of will. All these are good gifts, because, coming
from God, the Supreme Good, they are good in themselves, and
are to serve for the glory of God and the salvation of our souls.
By the words every perfect gift, the apostle indicates especially
the supernatural goods or the gifts of grace, such as faith, hope
and charity and all other virtues, the holy sacrifice of the mass,
the holy sacraments, the grace of aid and sanctifying grace, in
short, all those blessings which God communicates to us for our
eternal salvation on account of the merits of Christ. The super­
natural gifts are called perfect, partly because they are far more
valuable than natural goods, partly because they are a free gift
of God, whilst natural goods, although also free and undeserved,
are gifts belonging to, and necessary for our human nature.

(3.) All natural and supernatural good gifts are from above, that
is, from 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. From this arises a double obli­
gation for us ; first, we must be thankful to God for all that we have
and are ; and secondly, we should employ all goods and gifts ac­
cording to his will and guard against abusing them by sin. How
many sins are committed against this double obligation 1 Reso­
lutions.
(ci) God is called the Father of lights, because he is in himself
the most perfect, holy, and best being, and the source of all
goodness. All corporeal light comes from him, the sun, the moon,
and the stars, and all other light-giving bodies, as gas, wax, oil. AU
spiritual light comes from God, all the knowledge, and science
of men and angels. In knowledge and science the angels sur­
pass all men more than the greatest sage surpasses an ignorant
child. How great must be the knowledge of the angels! All
supernatural light comes from God. His holy word, which teaches
us all that we must believe, hope for and do, in order to become
holy and to be saved ; then interior lights and inspirations and

>34

Fourth Sunday After Easter.

the gifts of the holy Ghost. God is however called Father of
lights, because the Son, who is “the true light, which enlighteneth
every man that cometh into the world,” is begotten of him.—
John i : io. Let us make good use of every light which comes
to us from the Father of lights; of the corporeal light, to admire
God’s works in the creation and to praise and glorify him, the
Creator; of the spiritual light, to fulfil conscientiously the duties
of our religion and state of life; of the supernatural light, to per­
II
fect and sanctify yourselves more
from day to day.

is ever the same from eternity to eternity; he is the highest and
ost perfect good, and, consequently, unchangeable. God never
changes his will; he is not as men, who frequently do not will
to morrow what they will to day: what he once wills, he always
and eternally wills. God is unchangeable ; let us trust to him in
every circumstance of life ; he does not abandon us, though all
may turn from us, if we do not abandon him. God is unchange­
able; let us also be unchangeable in his holy service, considering
the words of the prophet: If the just an 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. God is unchangeable; let us also be unchangeable
towards our fellow men; let us, in our intercourse with them, show
ourselves just, merciful, kind, even though they commit faults
and offend us, that we “may be children of our Father, who is
in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the good and the
bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust.”—Matt. 5 : 45.
II

II

3. For of his οτυη will hath he begotten us by the word, of truth,
that we might be some beginning of his creatures. The apostle now
appeals to Christianity as the best gift, to prove that all good gifts
come from God.
(a.) He says : God of his own will has called us to Christianity

and to the graces connected with it. The vocation of man to the
holy faith is a pure grace, which no one can merit. But God,
being all goodness and mercy, gives to all men the graces neces­
sary for salvation ; he who nevertheless perishes has no reason
to complain, for his perdition has its cause either in not using the
proffered graces, or in abusing them. Let us daily thank God
that we are Catholics, and cling to the Church with filial affec­
tion, especially at the present time, when she has so many ene­
mies; let us defend her rights and interests and show by a faith­
ful performance of our religious duties the purity of our faith
and morals.

4

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

135

(3.) God hath begotten us. The apostle means to say: God has
• I ade us new creatures, has given us the means to be spiritually
regenerated. Hitherto we were ignorant of all things relating
to our eternal salvation, but now we are enlightened and know
the way which leads to God and to heaven ; formerly we were
sinners and were in the slavery of Satan, and heaven was barred
against us; now we are justified and sanctified, made children of
God and heirs of heaven; formerly we were impotent to do any­
thing profitable and meritorious, now with the grace of God we
are able to work out our salvation and merit heaven. The
apostle in saying, God hath begotten us, reminds us of all these
graces.
(£.) This important begetting or regeneration is effected by the
word of truth, that is, by the gospel and the means of grace which
are included in it. For if a man receives the gospel or the doc­
trine preached by Christ and his Church, with a believing heart,
and lives according to it, and worthily receives the means of
grace, that is, the sacraments, he is spiritually regenerated, puri­
fied and sanctified. The gospel is called the “word of truth” be­
cause it comes from God, the eternal, infallible truth, and be­
cause all that it contains, promises, or threatens, is based upon
truth and is fulfilled. The word of truth is here placed in oppo­
sition to the word of untruth. The devil spoke to Eve the word
of untruth, and because she believed and followed him, sin and
death came upon her and her posterity ; but Christ spoke to us
the word of truth, and justification, life and salvation come upon
all that believe in him. Therefore Christ says: “He that believeth
in me, although he be dead, shall live ; and every one that liveth,
and believeth in me, shall not die for ever.”—John 11: 25, 26.
In our time many Catholics no longer appreciate the grace of
the gospel. Some parents do not even bring their children to be
baptized ; some get married before the “Justice of the Peace,”
or even before an heretical minister, despising the Sacrament of
Matrimony ; there are many Catholics who never go to church,
or receive the sacraments, living and dying in unbelief and dis­
obedience. What a terrible judgment will come upon such apos­
tate Catholics 1

(//.) By the beginning of his creatures, St. James means the Jews,
for these were the first that were received into the Church and
were made partakers of the grace of Christianity. These Christi­
ans from Judaism he designates as the firstlings of the creation of
God, for only those Christians who are born again of water and
the Holy Ghost are pre-eminently considered creatures of God,
whilst all others who are not Christians, and, consequently, not
regenerated, or who are Christians, but have lost the grace of

* «

136

eft

Fourth Sunday After Easter.

regeneration and perish, are, as it were, no longer looked upon
as creatures of God. We belong to this creation of God or to
these new men who are created according to God in true holiness
and justice.—Eph. 2: 10; 4: 24. Shortly after our birth we all
received holy baptism, in which we have been spiritually regen­
erated and sanctified. Let us preserve the grace of baptism with
the greatest care, and should we be so unfortunate as to lose it
by mortal sin, let us by true repentance recover it, for we must
bring it before the tribunal of God, if we wish to be saved. “Re­
ceive this white garment, and see thou carry it without stain be­
fore the judgment-seat of our Lord Jesus Christ, that thou
mayest have eternal life.”

Part H.
To the truth, that all good gifts, especially Christianity, with
all its graces and blessings, come from God, the apostle adds
some lessons which we must follow.
Let every man be quick to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to
anger, for the anger of man worketh not the justice of God.
I.

(a.) What is it thatwe must be quick to hear? The word of
truth, the word of God ; we must hear it quickly, that is, willingly
and fervently. How anxious are people for the daily papers,
to hear what happens in the world, which properly does not
concern us, or has influence only upon our earthly life. Why
should we not hear with zeal and joy the word of God, which
contains lessons and truths, upon the faithful acceptance and fol­
lowing of which depends our eternal salvation ? We are anxious
to hear about things that we like ; it is therefore a good sign
when we like to hear the word of God, a sign that we love the
word of God and are solicitous for our salvation. What we do
not love we do not like to hear ; it is therefore a bad sign when
we do not hear the word of God at all, or without interest, or
with disgust, a sign that we do not care for God and neglect the
business of our salvation. How is it with you? Do you love to
hear the word of God or not? Examine yourselves, and see
whether you are of God or not.
(i.) We must be slow to speak. Before we speak, we must con­
sider calmly and conscientiously before God whether what we
intend to say is right and proper ; whether it is not suggested by
vanity, by envy, or enmity, by falsity, or other culpable passions;
whether it is necessary, useful, and prudent. Oh, how many sins,
how many scandals and evils could be avoided if all would be
slow to speak 1 In order not to sin in speaking it is necessary,

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

«37

above all things, to cleanse our heart from all inordinate incli­
nations and passions, for “out of the abundance of the heart the
mouth speaketh.” (Matt. 12: 34) Again we must speak with de­
liberation and circumspection, for it frequently happens that we
have reason to regret what we say inconsiderately. We must
also make in the morning and frequently during the day, especi­
ally if we have an occasion to converse and speak with different
persons, good resolutions to be prudent in speaking—lastly, to
speak as little as possible. To keep silence, and to speak little,
were characteristic traits of all the saints. Let us not forget that
we must give an account of every idle word. The Apostle wishes
us especially to speak of religious things with seriousness and
reverence. Many take upon themselves to be masters and teach­
ers in these things, although they do not understand anything
about them. Be not guilty of this fault, and have nothing to do
with people who censure and reject this or that which the Church
ordains and teaches; tell them that Christ has not appointed,
them teachers, but the Apostles and their successors, who should
be heard, according to his words : “He that heareth you, heareth
me.”—Luke 10: 16.
(£.) We must be slow to anger. What does this mean? We must
first reflect whether we have just cause for anger; for to be an­
gry without such cause is always sinful ; secondly, whether, and
in how far, the thing is worthy of anger: thirdly, whether he that
has offended or injured us has done or omitted something that dis­
pleases us, through inadvertency, surprise, hastiness, or awkward­
ness; or with deliberation, ill-will, or malice. To be slow to anger
means also that we should not speak or act upon the first im­
pulse, but recollect ourselves and then speak or act as may be
necessary or desirable under the circumstances. Therefore an
old philosopher gives this rule: “When angry do and say nothing
until you have repeated the whole alphabet.”
(tZ.) St. James assigns as a reason why we must be slow to an­
ger, Because the anger of man workeih not the justice of God. How
many things are done in a rage that are afterwards bitterly re­
gretted ! Example: Alexander the Great, who stabbed his best
friend Klitus whilst in a passion ; whereupon he almost became
insane. Louis the Severe, who in a fit of anger became the mur­
derer of his innocent wife and of several other persons, an act
which caused him so much grief that the hair of his head turned
grey in one night. Oh, how many sins could be avoided if people
would always be slow to anger! Make good resolutions.

2. Wherefore, casting away all uncleanness, and abundance of ma­
lice, with meekness receive the engrafted word, which is able to save
your souls.

Fourth Sunday After Easter.
(a.) The Apostle exhorts Christians, being regenerated by the
word of truth, and made children of God, to cast away all un­
cleanness and abundance of malice. By uncleanness we under­
stand particularly all interior sins by which the heart is defiled,
also all voluntary bad thoughts and desires. God looks into the
heart, and if all is not in order there he is displeased with us,
though our exterior conduct be blameless and praiseworthy.
Therefore our L_>rd compares the Scribes and Pharisees to
whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful, but
within are full of dead men’s bones, and of all filthiness. See
particularly that your heart is well disposed; suffer no sinful in­
clinations to dwell there, no pride, no envy, no impurity, no un­
charitableness; rejoice in virtue, hate and detest sin, and mean
well with every one. If the heart be well disposed, all is well;
but if otherwise, all is wrong, even the most beautiful virtues
and the most heroic actions are but hypocrisy and without value
before God. By abundance of malice we understand every out­
ward sin committed in word or action, especially all sins against
Christian meekness. If the seed of weeds is in a field it will
spring up, and bring, not wheat, but cockle, for the plants have
always the nature of the seed. It is the same in the human heart.
The evil inclinations and passions prevalent in it are the seed
that bring forth sins and vices, wherefore Christ says: “From
the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornica­
tions, thefts false testimonies, blasphemies.”—Matt. 15: 19.
Lastly, the apostle exhorts us to receive with meekness the
engrafted word, which is able to save our souls. This word is the
word of God. St. James calls this word engrafted, because men
have it not of themselves, but it is communicated to them by
Christ, and it is continually communicatod by his Church. The
apostle chooses the expression engrafted, to indicate that the
word of God, as Christ himself says, is to work in us as the seed
which is sowed in good ground and brings forth abundant fruit.
We must receive the word of God with meekness. Meekness
means interior calmness, a heart which is free from immoderate
cares, sinful desires and passions. Immoderate cares, sinful de­
sires, and the passions are the thorns which choke the seed of
the word of God, so that it cannot grow and bring forth fruit. If
we receive the word of God with a perfectly tranquil, believing
heart, and with a pious mind, regulating our life according to
it, it will save our souls, it will make us holy and pleasing to
God and will therefore lead us to salvation.

t.

Homiletic Sketch.

139

PERORATION.

Follow the lessons which St. James gives you in the epistle of
this day. Love to hear the word of God, which is preached to
you ; this word is of the greatest importance, because it shows you
the way you must go to please God and to obtain your final re­
ward. Be circumspect in speaking; consider always beforehand
whether that which you intend to say is right, so that you may
never have reason to regret having spoken. Think twice before
you speak once. Never act in the first impulse of passion or
anger, so that you may not transgress the limits of reason, and
thereby sin. Cleanse your heart from all inordinate inclinations,
and lead a pious and blameless life before God and man, in or­
der that you may show yourselves worthy of the graces and bene­
fits which so abundantly flow to you from the hand of God, and
thus work out your salvation. Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

Gospel. John 16: 5-14. At that time Jesus said to his dis­
ciples: I go to him that sent me, and none of you asketh me;
Whither goest thou? But because I have spoken these things to
you, sorrow hath filleth your heart. But I tell you the truth : it
is expedient to you that I go: for if I go not, the Paraclete will
not come to you: but if I go, I will send him to you. And when
he is come, he will convince the world of sin, and of justice, and
of judgment. Of sin: because they believed notin me. And of
justice: because I go to the Father; and you shall see me no
longer. And of judgment: because the prince of this world is al­
ready judged. I have yet many things to say to you ; but you catinot bear them now. But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come,
he will teach you all truth. For he shall not speak of himself;
but what things soever he shall hear, he shall speak, and the
things that are to come, he shall show you. He shall glorify
me, because he shall receive of mine, and shall show it
to you.

>40

Fourth Sunday After Easter,

2. H0J1ILETIC SKETCH.
The departure of christ to his father,
of the holy ghost.

and the coming

We celebrate to day the fourth Sunday after Easter, and
within three weeks we shall keep two great festivals—the As­
cension, and Pentecost. The Church reminds us of these feasts
to-day, so that we may prepare ourselves properly for them. For
this reason she reads to us a portion of the farewell discourse of
Christ, in which he speaks of his departure to the Father and of
the coming of the Holy Ghost. Let us make a short meditation
on the gospel of this day. As I have already indicated, it treats—
I. Of the departure of Christ to his Father ;
II. Of the coming of the Holy Ghost.

Part

I.

I. Jesus said to his disciples : I go to him that sent me, and none
ofyou asketh me: Whither goest thou? But because I have spoken
these things to you, sorrow hath filed your heart.

(a.} When Christ says that he goes to him that sent him, he
speaks, first of all, of his Ascension. He does not mention his
passion and death, which preceded his Ascension. Why does he
do this? Undoubtedly to assuage the sorrow which his departure
would cause them. Loving him affectionately, they had every
reason to console themselves for his departure, besause he ex­
changed this painful earthly life for the felicity of heaven. In
like manner we have no reason to mourn at the departure of our
friends, if they have lived piously and entitled us to hope that
they have made a good end. For this reason the early Christi­
ans celebrated the death-day of the holy martyrs, not as a day
of mourning, but as a day of joy. We are not doing wrong when
we pay tribute to nature by mourning over the death of dear
friends. It should, however, be done with moderation and resig­
nation to the will of God, wherefore the Apostle exhorts us not
to be sorrowful concerning them that are asleep, as those who
have no hope.—I. Thess. 4:12. Parents, particularly, should not
grieve immoderately when a child, even if it be their only one,
is taken away from them by death, remembering the words of
the wise man: “He was taken away lest wickedness should alter
his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul, for the bewitching
of vanity obscureth good things, and the wandering of concupis­

1.

Homiletic Sketch.

141

cence overturneth the innocent mind. Being1 made perfect in a
short space, he fulfilled in a long time: for his soul pleased God,
therefore he hastened to bring him out of the midst of iniquities.”
— Wisd. 4 : 11-14.

(3.) Christ does not find fault with the Apostles for not asking
him— Whither goest thou"?—but for becoming sorrowful as often
as he spoke of his departure. Many Christians who in calamities
and tribulations become sad and dejected deserve the same re­
buke, whereas their faith tells them, “that to them that love God,
all things work together unto good” {Rom. 8: 28), and that suf­
ferings and tribulations are very profitable to us by detaching
our hearts from earthly things, by infusing into our souls a desire
for the eternal goods, and by affording us an opportunity for the
practice of various virtues and .the increase of our merits for
heaven. Being wanderers upon earth, and not having a lasting
city here, it is natural for us to ask ourselves the question :
Whither goest thou ? Whither do you go with the body ? Into the
grave, into which neither money nor lands, neither honor nor
reputation, neither joy nor pleasure, will follow you, in which
youi body will fall into dust, hereafter rising again, either for
eternal joy or eternal torments. Reflect seriously on this—Whither
goest thou with thy soul? To judgment, and thence either to
heaven or hell. Both will last forever. What an infinitely impor­
tant step! And many of us are indifferent about this step, which
perhaps we shall be obliged soon to make. Is not this a most
culpable negligence? If you go to work, to rest, to your meals,
to au enjoyment, to prayer, to confession, ask yourselves the ques­
tion, Whither goest thou?—and at every step have God before
your eyes, that you may do all things well.

2. But I tell you the truth: It is expedient to you that I go, ior
if I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you; but if I go, I will
send him to you.
(a.) Why does Christ assure his Apostles that it was expedient
to them that he should go? First of all, because by his going to
the Father he accomplished the work of our Redemption. If he
had not died on the cross and ascended into heaven, we should
not be redeemed from sin and eternal damnation, and heaven
would be barred against us. But the going of Christ was especi­
ally expedient for the Apostles. They, like the rest, had an erro­
neous opinion of the Messias and his mission; they thought that
he would establish a temporal kingdom, and make the Jews
the mightiest and most prosperous nation on the earth. By sep­
arating himself from them it became evident that his kingdom
was not of this world, and that the work of Redemption referred.

ι<μ

Fourth Sunday After Easter.

not to temporal evils, but to sin and damnation. To this must
be added, that the faith of the Apostles was still weak, and their
love entirely human and sensual. Only after Christ had risen
from the dead, and ascended into heaven, was their faith to be­
come immovable and their love pure and spiritual. Lastly, as
long as Christ was with them they depended wholly on him and
did nothing of any importance ; but when he was no longer in
their midst, they worked with indefatigable zeal for the conver­
sion of the world. Therefore what the Apostles considered an
evil was in reality a blessing to them.
Why do we frequently think that to be useful which is really
injurious, and that to be injurious which is truly useful ? Because
we are short-sighted and do not know the good or the bad con­
sequences which may result from it. Witnesses : Joseph in Egypt
That he was sold into Egypt and then cast into prison, was, ac­
cording to human judgment, something terrible, but in reality it
was a blessing for him, his family and all Egypt.— Gen. 41.
Rachel, Jacob’s wife, deemed herself most unhappy because she
was barren, and thought she would die of grief unless she became
a mother, but she died in travail at her second delivery.— Gen. 35.
Witness Dives and poor Lazarus. Let us consider that what God
does is always good and salutary, though it may sometimes ap­
pear repugnant and displeasing to our sensual nature, and let us
in good as well as in evil days say : “Thy will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.”
(3.) Our Lord makes the coming of the Holy Ghost depend on
his departure, chiefly because the mission of the Holy Ghost and
his graces are a fruit of the passion of Christ. He had to accom­
plish the work of our Redemption by his passion and death be­
fore the Holy Ghost could come and apply the merits of this
work to men for their sanctification. It was, moreover, not be­
coming that the members should be crowned before the head,
that is, that men should be filled with the Holy Ghost before
Christ, who had merited this grace for them, had entered into
his glory. Lastly, the Apostles were still too earthly-minded, and
therefore not fit to receive the fulness of the Holy Ghost; this could
be the case only after the departure of Christ, when they began
to love their Lord and Master with a more spiritual love.
Here we see again that the greatest blessings are fr*, |uently
attached to great trials and sufferings. Thus the saints arrived,
through various trials, at a higher degree of Christian perfection
and to a contemplative life. Mortification and the patient endur­
ance of afflictions and difficulties are the most necessary means
for obtaining eternal salvation. “If any man will come after me,
let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.”—
Matt. 16:24. “Whosoever doth not carry his cross, and come

i. Homiletic Sketch.

143

after me, cannot be my disciple.”—Luke 14: 27. There is but
one heaven, and that is not here, but hereafter. He who seeks
and finds it here will lose it hereafter.

Part II.
Our Lord speaks of the coming of the Holy Ghost and of the
effects which he will produce.
1. When he is come, he will convince the world of sin, and of
justice, and ofjudgment. Of sin, because they believed not in me.
And ofjustice, because I go to the Father, and you shall see me no
longer. And ofjudgment, because the prince of this world is already
judged.

(a.) By the world, which the Holy Ghost will convince, are to
be understood, first, the Jews and then all mankind. The sin of
which the Holy Ghost will convince the world, is unbelief, be­
cause it is the origin of evil, and the source of all sins. The Holy
Ghost convinces the world of sin through the gospel which the
Apostles and their successors preach ; through the holiness of
their lives and the miracles which they work he brings men to
the knowledge of the grievousness of their sin in not believing
in Christ. The Holy Ghost effected this conviction on the feast
of Pentecost, when, at the sermon of St. Peter, three thousand
Jews were converted; and he continues to effect it to the end of
time, through the Catholic Church, which unceasingly announces
the Christian doctrine, proving its truth and divinity by count*
less miracles.

(Æ.) The Holy Ghost will convince the world of justice, i. e., the
Holy Ghost will convince the people that I was just and that all
who believe in me are brought to justice. The Holy Ghost again
effected this conviction by the gospel which the Apostles and
their successors preached, by the great miracles with which the
preaching of that same gospel was accompanied at all times, and
by the holiness to which the gospel leads all who receive it with
a believing heart, and make it the rule of their lives. Let us,
then, do “what may be good not only before God, but also
before men ” (ZZ. Cor. 8: 21) ; for this is one of the most effectual
means of convincing the world of the divinity of Christianity and
of the justice of Christ.
(c.) When Christ says that the Holy Ghost will convince the
world of judgment, it meant that the Holy Ghost will convince
men by his wonderful effects, viz., the power of Satan broken,
his kingdom destroyed, and he and his associates delivered to

144

Fourth Sunday After Easter.

eternal damnation. The Apostles and their successors by the in­
vocation of the holy Name of Jesus expelled the evil spirits from
the pagan temples, from the bodies and the hearts of men, des­
troyed the kingdom of the devil, and established everywhere the
kingdom of God. We are also redeemed from the slavery of the
devil and called to the liberty of the children of God. Let us
avoid sin, in which we had the misfortune to be born, so that we
may not relapse into his slavery.

2.I have yet many things to say to you; bidyou cannot bear them
now. But when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will teach you
all truth. For he shall not speak of himself; but what things soever
he shall hear, he shall speak, and the things that are to come he shall
show you. He shall glorify me, because he shall receive of mine and
shall show it to you.
(a.) Christ tells his Apostles that he had yet many things to
say to them, but that in consequence of their not being able to
bear the recital of all his truths and to comprehend them all at
once, he was obliged to keep silence with regard to them, and
would not broach them now, but he refers them directly to the
Holy Ghost, who would come down upon them and teach them
all truth, and bring all things to their remembrance whatsoever
he had said unto them. By the truth here spoken of we are to
understand, not natural, but supernatural truths, truths concern­
ing God, the Church, and the salvation of men. It was not ne­
cessary that they should be men learned in wordly things, versed
in natural and scientific truths, but spiritual men knowing every­
thing pertaining to and necessary for their own sanctification,
as well as for that of others, and for their vocation as preachers
of the divine word. Speaking of natural and scientific truths, it
is a remarkable fact in the history of the Church that the suc­
cessors of the Apostles never treated them in such a way as to
error bring themselves into disrepute. The progress of literature
and natural science formed one of the principal objects of their
constant attention. Many of the Popes were, as Protestant his­
torians admit, the most learned men of the times in which they
lived, and by encouraging the genius of others in eloquence and
poetry, art and science, have deserved well of mankind But it
was in the sublime heights of supernatural science that they
received from the Holy Ghost the light necessary to know and
rightly to conceive the entire doctrine of Christ, and were pre­
served from all error in the preaching of it, being enabled fully
to develop the truths and lessons which Christ had only indicated,
to discover all errors, and infallibly to define what men must
believe and do, in order to be saved.

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

145

Such a teacher of truth was the Holy Ghost, not only to the
Apostles, but also to their successors, the bishops in union with
the Pope; constituting what we call the teaching Church. This
teaching Church enjoys the constant assistance of the Holy Ghost,
and is therefore as infallible in matters of Christian faith and
morals as were the Apostles themselves. We are therefore
strictly bound to subject ourselves with heart and mind to the
ordinances of the teaching Church. If we refuse to do so, the
words of Christ apply to us: “If he will not hear the Church let
him be to thee as the heathen and publican.”—Matt. 18: 17.

(/.) Christ had declared (John
ιό) that the doctrine he
preached was not his, but the doctrine of Him who sent him. In
the same sense the words of Christ are to be understood, viz.,
that the Holy Ghost shall not speak of himself, but what things
soever he shall hear he shall speak. The Holy Ghost proceeds from
the Father and the Son, and is sent by both. The doctrine which
he brings is properly not his own, but that of the Son, which
again is the doctrine of the Father. The Holy Ghost proceeding
from the Father and the Son, receives his essence and doctrine
from the Father and the Son. Whatever Christ preached whilst
sojourning on earth, the Holy Ghost continues to teach to the
end of time. Our faith, therefore, originates from the Most Holy
Trinitv. What the Father has taught, his only-begotten Son,
Jesus Jurist, has revealed to men; and what Christ has revealed,
the Holy Ghost continues to teach by the mouth of the Church,
with whom he remains to the end of time. Thus God has made
provision in order that the people of all times may come to the
knowledge of the truth, and work out their salvation. How
happy must we deem ourselves that we are within the pale of the
Catholic Church, from which we receive everything that is re­
quired for our purification, sanctification and salvation.
PERORATION.

Let us thank God for this grace and employ it for the salva­
tion of our souls. Let us frequently ask ourselves the question,
Whither goest thou?—and never lose sight of our eternal end.
Let us serve God with fervor and perseverance, so that we may
be able to say at the end of our life: I go to him who sent me. Let
us employ these three weeks before Pentecost in preparing for
that festival. And since the Holy Ghost does not enter into a
heart defiled by sin, let us shun every sin, especially pride, im­
purity and uncharitableness ; let us practice interior solitude and
prayer, so that the Holy Ghost may come and communicate his
graces to us. Amen.

146

Fourth Sunday After Easter,
FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

3. DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
CHRISTIAN HOPE,

li is expedient to you that I go: for if I go not, the Paraclete will
not come to you: but if I go, Iwill send him to you.— John
In the gospel of this day our Lord assigns the reason why his
departure would be expedient for his disciples, for on it would
depend the coming of the Holy Ghost. But why could not the
Holy Ghost come before the departure of Christ? Because the
work of Redemption was not yet accomplished. It was necesary
that Jesus should first redeem men by his death and then the
Holy Ghost would come down and apply to them the fruits of
Redemption. Thus what grieved the Apostles most was to them
the greatest blessing: for the departure of Christ brought to them
and to all mankind the Holy Ghost and with him the grace of
sanctification. It is so to-day. In our short-sightedness we frequcntly regard something as a great evil, lament, mourn and
weep, but this imaginary misfortune brings us, as we afterwards
find out ourselves, many benefits and blessings. We must place
all our hope and confidence in our Lord and expect from him all
that is expedient and salutary for time and eternity. To this I
will encourage you to-day by speaking of Christian hope.
I. Its glorious effects ;
II. The sins against it.

Part L
The effects of Christian hope are glorious, for—

i. It strengthens us in temptation. Our life here is a warfare ;
we are obliged to fight with interior and exterior enemies, with
the world, the flesh, and the devil. The exertions of these, our
bitterest enemies, are indefatigable and aim at nothing less than
our eternal perdition. At the same time, we are weak ourselves,
and of our own strength are not able to resist their temptations.
We are like a reed which bends to the ground with the wind
that veers and blows from all quarters. What can bear us up in
these struggles and dangers to salvation, so that we may not
lose courage, and in the knowledge of our weakness conclude

j.

Dogmatical Sketch.

147

an ignominious peace with our enemies? Nothing but hope; it
holds us fast, as the anchor does the ship in the storm, that we
may not waver; it points to the grace which is strong in the
weak, so that we may say with the Apostle : “I can do all things
in him who strengtheneth me.”—Phil. 4: 13. Firmly trusting in
assistance from above, we fear no enemy, dread no danger; as
children for whose protection the arm of the Father is raised,
we feel courage, and fight with perseverance for the salvation of
our soul.
2. It nourishes in us the heavenly spirit. Faith teaches us that the
earth is only our temporary abode, in which, as in an educational
institute, we are to prepare ourselves for a better life. Hope
continually points to this destiny and encourages us to disregard
temporal things and to long for the eternal. We do not however
give up our temporal vocation; we fulfil the duties of our state of
life with conscientious fidelity and care for the necessaries of
life; we have no inordinate love for anything earthly, but
share the thoughts of the Apostle, saying: “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 not, and they that use the world, as if they used
it not ; for the fashion of this world passeth away.”—I. Cor. 7 :
29-31. How differently do those think and act in whom Christian
hope is wanting. As they expect no better goods hereafter,
their hearts and affections are set upon the things of this world,
they have no other desire than to have a good time here; they
give full scope to their passions and dread no vice, if it appears
necessary to them for the gratification of their base desires and
the accomplishment of their wicked designs.

3. It enlivens in us the zeal for virtue. Hope is to man what
horses are to the wagon, steam to the engine, or the pendulum
to the clock. It is his great motive power, it urges and impels
him on to put his hand to the work and to dread no exertion to
the object of his desire. It was thus that Jacob served Laban four­
teen years, in order to obtain Rachel for a wife. What do not
men do in the various avocations of life, e. g., the farmer, the
soldier, the merchant, the scholar, to realize their hopes? Now if
temporal hope exercises so wonderful a power over man, what
will not heavenly hope achieve? What sacrifice will become too
difficult to the Christian when he looks at the immense reward
which God holds out to him in heaven! Examples: St. Paul, who,
in the preaching of the gospel, took upon himself so many per­
secutions and sufferings because he hoped to acquire heaven by
them.*— I. Cor. 9: 23. St. Francis Xavier, who encouraged himself

i48

Fourth Sunday After Easter,

with the words : “Sweat for your Lord. He will hereafter wipe youi
brow and not deprive you of the promised reward.” The mar­
tyrs, hermits, monks, etc. Let us think frequently of heaven,
which God has promised to his faithful servants, that we may
preserve Christian fervor and not grow weary of leading a
virtuous life.
4. It consoles us in sufferings and makes us bear them not only
patiently, but also with joy. “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile
you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you
untruly for my sake. Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very
great in heaven.”—Matt. 5: 11, 12. According to these words of
Christ, the Apostles were to endure all sufferings and persecutions
with joy in prospect of the great reward which was awaiting
them in heaven. So they did.—Acts 5: 41. St. Paul consoles
himself and the faithful in tribulations and persecutions with the
hope of a reward hereafter. He says: “In all things we suffer
tribulation, but are not distressed; we are straitened, but are not
destitute; we suffer persecution but are not forsaken; we are
cast down, but we perish not. Always bearing about in our body
the mortification of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made
manifest in our bodies.”—II. Cor. 4:8-10. And shortly afterwards :
<(We know, if our earthly house of this habitation be dissolved,
that we have a building of God, a house not made with hands,
eternal in heaven.”—II. Cor. 5:1. It was hope that sustained
pious Job in the days of the hardest trial. “I know that my Re­
deemer liveth, and in the last day I shall rise out of the earth,
and I shall be clothed again with my skin, and in my flesh I
shall see my God.”—Job. 19: 25-27. It was hope that crowned
the Christian martyrs, gave the palm to the virgins, and infused
courage into the confessors ; it was hope that fortified all pious
Christians with strength to bear with joy and constancy the va­
rious tribulations of life. Why should not we cheerfully pass a
short time in this valley of tears amidst sufferings and hardships,
remembering the certain hope which we have of heaven?
5. Lastly, it sweetens death. The hour of death is indeed ineff­
ably bitter to the wicked man because of his hopeless state.
“When the wicked man is dead, there shall be no hope any more.”
—Prov. 11:7. But the just man expects his last hour with con­
solation and calmness ; he even longs for death, and says with
the Apostle: “I have a desire to be dissolved, and to be with
Christ.”—Phil. 1: 23. Hope renders death easy and desirable to
him, for he can say to himself : Only a little while, and I shall see
my God, the only object of my desire and love ; I shall possess
him for ever. How did the cup-bearer of Pharaoh rejoice when
he heard from Joseph that he would soon be delivered from

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

149

prison and reinstated in the service of the king Should not my
soul, which loves God so much, rejoice when she hears that she
will soon exchange the prison of this earth for the enjoyments
of heaven ?

Part Π.
We sin against hope by hoping either too little or too much.
I. We hope too little if we despair of our salvation. Despair is
the giving up of all hope. It has reference—

(a.) Either to the person himself who is to hope. God wills the
salvation of all men ; therefore he gives to all men the grace ne­
cessary to work out their salvation. We must absolutely not
doubt this truth of our faith. Now, if we accept and make use of
this proffered grace, we must be saved. The thought whether we
shall make use of this grace or not, and persevere to the end,
may suggest some fear. This fear is not wrong, but salutary, be­
cause it preserves us from tepidity, and urges us diligently to
employ this grace in the practice of virtue. But if we obstinately
assert that all graces are unprofitable to us because we could not
co-operate with them or persevere to the end in good, we should
make ourselves guilty of the sin of despair. In this case the de­
spair would refer to ourselves, because we believed that we could
not work out our salvation by the aid of grace.

(3.) Or to that which we are to hope for. The object of our hope
is heaven and whatever is necessary to it, namely, the forgive­
ness of sins and divine grace. He therefore, who for whatever
reason gives up all hope of being saved, despairs. He despairs
who no longer hopes for the forgiveness of his sins. Examples:
Cain and Judas, who believed their sins to be greater than God
could forgive. How foolish and impious I Can the greatness and
multitude of sins make void God’s power, goodness and fidelity?
Does not the Sacred Scripture assure us many times that God is
ready to pardon all penitent sinners, no matter how much and
how grievously they may have sinned? and have we not numer­
ous instances of the greatest sinners finding mercy and pardon ?
Many despair also of divine grace. Among these may be num­
bered those who no longer make use of the means of grace, pray
no more and cease to receive the Sacraments of Penance and the
Blessed Eucharist, imagining that they are already lost, that
therefore no means of grace can be of any benefit to them.
These unfortunates disregard entirely the words of the Apostle:
“Where sin abounded, grace did more abound.”—Rom. 5: 20.

«5°

Fourth Sunday After Easter.

(i.) Or io God, from whom we must hope. This is the case when
a person believes that God can not or will not forgive him any
more; that he has already rejected him. Such a one sins, not
only against hope, but also against faith, because he denies the
omnipotence and goodness of God. Despair is one of the most
grievous sins and leads to impenitence and frequently to suicide.

2. We hope too little—

If we do not hope with confidence that which we are to hope from
God. This is diffidence, which lies between hope and despair ; for
whilst despair is the giving up of all hope, diffidence is a waver­
ing hope. Diffidence may be sinful or not sinful.
(a.) When the diffidence relates to God, that is, when a person
doubts whether God will forgive him his sins, or give him the
grace necessary for salvation, it is sinful : for by such doubts an
injury is offered to God, for he has assured us of eternal salvation
and the means of obtaining it. If a truthful man feels himself
offended when no credit is given to his word, how much more
God, who is the eternal, infallible truth. How displeasing to God
such an imperfect confidence is we see in the Israelites in the
desert.—Ex. 16, and Numb. 20.
(3.) If the diffidence does not refer to God, but to ourselves,
that is, if we feel a certain disquietude because we fear that we
might not employ the grace of God for our salvation or perse­
vere to the end, it is not a sin, because we must not trust in our­
selves. This diffidence is good and salutary in itself, because it
is founded on humility and induces us to be watchful, to perse­
vere in prayer, and, in general to employ diligently the means
of grace.

3. We hope too much—
(1.) If we hope presumptuously, that is, when we take occasion
from the divine mercy to sin and to persevere in sin. Such pre­
sumptuous sinners think: God is infinitely merciful, I may sin on
and on as much as I please, for he pardons me a hundred or more
sins as easily as one. It is not necessary now to repent, since he
is ready at all times to forgive, as the example of the thief on the
cross proves ; God does not make much of a sin, and it is impos­
sible for his fatherly goodness to condemn for ever a person who
by nature is so much inclined to evil. Such presumption is a
shameful abuse of the goodness and longanimity of God and
therefore very sinful. God is merciful to the penitent, but not to
the impenitent. To those who heedlessly persevere in sin, pre·

j.

Dogmatical Sketch,

>5’

suming on God’s mercy, the words apply: “Because I called, and
you refused; I stretched out my hand, and there was none that
regarded. You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected
my reprehensions. I also will laugh in your destruction, and
will mock when that shall come to you which you feared.” —
Prov. i : 24-26.
(2.) If we put a false trust in God, by hoping for something from
him in any other way than that in which he is willing to grant it

(a.) Owing to their false confidence all those sin who, without
using ordinary and natural means, expect to obtain from God
what they ask for by a miracle, or in some other extraordinary
manner. Example: A man who is dangerously ill refuses to send
fora physician, or to take the prescribed medicine, saying: “I
expect God to cure me, and I will hope in him.”

(3.) Those who without necessity expose themselves to danger
of body or soul and expect that God will defend them from
danger by extraordinary means. To this class belong those who
are not determined to shun the proximate occasion of sin.
(ci) Those who hope for the forgiveness of sin without being will­
ing to forsake sin. They confess without contrition and a firm reso­
lution of amendment, and cannot resolve to give up their sinful
company, to restore ill-gotten goods, to break off their bad
habits; nevertheless they trust in their confessions, and think
that God would forgive them their sins if they only could find a
confessor who would absolve them. They delude themselves to
their own eternal perdition. The same may be said of those who
put their confidence in certain devotions and prayers, pilgrima­
ges and blessed things, and believe that they will procure for
them a happy death, without an amendment of life. These things
are good and salutary, but they have not the virtue of saving an
impenitent sinner.
PERORATION.

You know now the sins against hope. Beware of them. Never
allow a single thought of diffidence or despair to arise in your
hearts. Be convinced that God does everything to save you, and
that there is no possible case in which man cannot work out his sal­
vation. Beware ofpresumption andfalse confidence. God indeed wills
all men to be saved, but only on condition that they love him, and
keep his commandments. Away, then, with all levity and pre­
sumption; “trust in God and do right,” employ his grace for the
acquisition of virtue, and serve him faithfully all the days of your

Fourth Sunday After Easter.

15*

lives. Only in such a way will your hope rest on a solid basis ;
you will obtain what you hope for—the forgiveness of your sins
here, and life everlasting hereafter. Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH.
THE FEASTS OCCURRING IN PASCHAL TIME.

Because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow hath filled
your heart.— John 16: 6.

The Apostles became sorrowful whenever Christ spoke of his
departure. And yet it was not only expedient, but also necessary,
that he should go ; for according to the decree of the Blessed
Trinity the work of our Redemption could not be accomplished
except by the passion and death of Jesus Christ. But as it was
necessary that he should suffer and die in order to redeem us, so
we can become partakers of the fruits of Redemption only
through sufferings. Hence, the Apostle says: “If (we are) sons
(of God, we are) heirs also, heirs indeed of God, and joint-heirs
with Christ: yet so if we suffer with him, that we may be also
glorified with him.”—Rom. 8:17. To this truth the Church turns
our attention at the present time; for she celebrates several
feasts of our Lord, which refer to the passion of Christ, namely,
the Finding of the Cross, the Crown of Thorns and the Spear and
Nails [in the United States the two latter are kept in Lent]. All
these feasts are an admonition to us to follow our divine
Saviour on the way of the cross, if we wish to follow him into
everlasting glory. The same truth is taught by the feasts of
the saints which the Church celebrates in Paschal time, and of
which I intend to speak to you to-day.
1.
II.
III
IV.

The patronage of St. Joseph;
The feast of St. Mark;
The feast of SS. Philip and James ;
The feast of St. John before the Latin Gate.

Part I.
The Church celebrates two feasts of St. Joseph, the first, simply
called the feast of St. Joseph, on the 19th of March; the second,

4· Liturgical Sketch.

>53

called the Patronage of St. Joseph, on the third Sunday after
Easter. Both feasts are distinct from each other; in the first we
venerate St. Joseph on account of his earthly dignity as the pro­
tector of Mary’s virginity and the foster-father of Jesus; but in
the second on account of his heavenly dignity as Patron of the
Universal Church.
As Patron of the Church St. Joseph appears—
1. In the canonical hours. The Church in her canonical hours
applies to the foster-father of Jesus what is said of Joseph of
Egypt.—Gen. 30. As Joseph was placed in charge of Putiphar’s
house, and afterwards by the command of Pharaoh was made
ruler over all Egypt, so St. Joseph has always been venerated in
the Church. Benedict XIV. established the feast of the Patron­
age and Pius IX. declared him to be the Patron of the Universal
Church. And as Joseph of Egypt was a blessing to Putiphar’s
house, and in the land of Egypt saved millions of people from
starvation and death, so St. Joseph is a source of blessing for all
Christendom, by averting counties evils from it, and by obtaining
graces of every kind for it.

2. In the mass of the feast. The epistle contains the passage in
which Jacob blesses his son Joseph and designates him the shep­
herd and foundation-stone of Israel.— Gen. 49: 24. The Church
thereby indicates that God made St. Joseph the shepherd and
foundation-stone of the faithful and appointed him to succor us
in our needs and to defend us from our enemies. The gospel of
the feast treats of the miracle at the baptism of Christ, when the
heavens were opened, the Holy Ghost descended upon him, and
his heavenly Father declared him to be his well-beloved Son;
and it adds, that he was (as it was supposed) the Son of Joseph.
—Luke 3: 21-23. By these last words the Church indicates the
dignity of St. Joseph, in whose protection we must place our
fullest confidence, since he was the foster-father of Jesus.

Application. We must have great confidence in the protection
of St. Joseph ; for if all the saints avail much by their interces­
sion with God, this holds good especially with regard to St. Jo­
seph, who, in his earthly life, stood in a more intimate relation
with Christ than they. Why should he not hear the prayer of
his foster-father, who made so many sacrifices for him, and pro­
vided for him with a father’s care ? St. Thomas of Aquin says
of him : “Some saints have the power from God to succor us in
some particular cases, but it is granted to St. Joseph to assist us
in every necessity.” St-Teresa says: “I took for my advocate
and master the glorious St. Joseph, and I always recommended

>54

Fourth Sunday After Easter.

myself to him. I cannot remember having asked him for anything
which I did not obtain.” Let us not omit to recommend ourselves
daily to the protection of St. Joseph, and to invoke his interces­
sion in all our necessities. But let us also be anxious to render
ourselves worthy of his patronage by imitating him in his humi­
lity, patience, obedience, and in the performance of our duties,
and by serving God in prosperity as well as in adversity.

Part II.
I. St. Mark was the son of a certain Mary of Jerusalem, in
whose house the Apostles frequently assembled. He was in­
structed in Christianity by St. Peter ; for he calls him his son.
He accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their apostolic journeys.
By the advice of St. Peter he wrote his gospel. The theatre of
his mission was Africa where St. Peter made him bishop of Alex­
andria. The idolatrous priests, in their bitter hatred, swore
vengeance because he converted many heathens. The mob, in­
stigated by them, fell upon him, bound him with ropes, and drag­
ged him through the city for a whole day; the streets were
stained with his blood, and pieces of his flesh adhered to the
stones. In the evening he was cast into prison, where an angel
appeared to him saying: “Mark, thy name is in the book of life,
and thy memory shall never be blotted out.” Thus writes Vener­
able Bede. On the following day they dragged him again
through the streets till he died. This occurred on the 25th day
of April, 68.
The Church celebrates the feast of St. Mark every year on
April 25th, and she directs public processions to be made on
this day.
Application. God assured St. Mark through an angel that his
name was written in the book of life. We have no such assur­
ance. “Man knoweth not whether he be worthy of love or ha­
tred.”—Ecrites.^'. i. And having no certainty whether we are
in the state of grace and shall persevere in it, we must “work out
our salvation with fear and trembling.”—Phil. 2:12. However
if, with St. Mark, we always serve God faithfully, walk in humi­
lity and pray continually, we may confidently hope to be saved.

2. On the feast of St. Mark rogations take place, which are
called the major rogations or Litanies. The word rogation is of
Latin derivation, and means a petition, a prayer. A litany, origi­
nally meant a prayer alternately recited. In the course of time this
word was transferred to rogation, so that, in the language of the
Church litany and rogation are synonymous. The rogations of St.
Mark’s day are called the major rogations or litanies, because

4. Liturgical Sketch.

<55

from the beginning they were held with greater solemnity than
the rogations in Rogation Week.
These rogations on the feast of St. Mark are of very ancient
date, for they can be traced back to St. Gregory the Great, who
introduced them in the year 590. They have for their object to
beg God in the spirit of humility and penance to graciously pro­
tect us from all those evils with which nature threatens us. For,
on account of the sins by which we have desecrated it, nature is
in opposition to us, and causes us many injuries. God being the
Lord of nature, we supplicate him by united prayer to avert fro ft
us everything dangerous to our person and property.

Part III.
1. The feast of XS*. Philip and James, Apostles, is cele­
brated on May 1st. Philip, born at Bethsaida, was a fisherman
and married. When our Lord called him, he followed him at
once, and also endeavored to make others partake of this grace.
The first that was brought by him to Christ was his friend Na­
thanael. After the descent of the Holy Ghost he went to Phrygia,
where he lived to a very advanced age, and was crucified in the
year 81. His body afterwards was brought to Rome, where it now
rests in the Church built in 560 in honor of himself and St. James.

Application. This holy apostle gives us a beautiful example of
gaining souls for Christ. He dedicated his whole life to this
work and deemed himself happy to die as a disciple of our Lord.
Follow him. Not only serve God with all fervor, but be solicitous
for others to serve him. Christian charity obliges you to this. If
you are instrumental in making others lead a pious, penitential life,
you do a work very pleasing to God, for which he will reward you
hereafter, for “they that instruct many to justice shall shine as
stars for all eternity.”—Dan. 12:3. Guard against giving scan­
dal, that the terrible woe which Christ pronounces upon those
who do so may not be inflicted upon you.
St. James, whose feast is celebrated together with that of
St. Philip, was a son of Alpheus and Mary, and as his mother
was an aunt of the Blessed Virgin, he was a near relation of our
Blessed Lord, and hence, in the language of the Hebrews, he was
called a brother of the Lord.
He was surnamed the Less, in contradistinction to the other
apostle James, who was the son of Zebedee, and a brother of St.
John, the Evangelist. James, the son of Zebedee, was called the
Greater, probably because he was older than the son of Alpheus.
A rivalry sprang up between the mothers, as they were anxious
to see which of their sons would attain power and dignity. James
2.

i56

Fourth Sunday After Easter.

and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also related to our Divine
Lord, for their mother was a cousin of the Blessed Virgin.
We read in the tenth chapter of St. Mark that James and
John, instigated probably by their mother, came to our Lord,
and said to him: “Master we desire that whatsoever we shall ask,
thou wouldst do it for us.” But He said to them : “What would
you that I should do for you ?” And they said : “Grant to us, that
we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand,
in thy glory.” And he said to them: “You know not what you
ask.” Whilst all the other Apostles went abroad to preach the
gospel to the nations, St. James the Less remained at Jerusalem,
and labored there as its first bishop. He wrote the Catholic
or Universal Epistle, in which, among other things he exhorts the
Christians to manifest their faith by good works, in their sickness
to receive Extreme Unction, and to confess their sins. He was
cast from the pinnacle of the temple and killed in the year 62.
Application. St. James writes in his epistle: “Be ye doers of
the word, and not hearers only.”—1: 22. You would greatly de­
ceive yourselves should you think that it is enough to hear the
word of God, “for not the hearers of the law are just before God,
but the doers of the law shall be justified.”—Rom. 2: 13. Nay,
the word of God, which you hear, but do not follow, will increase
your guilt, for Jesus says: “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.” Resolve to regulate
your life according to the word of God, that you may be of the
number of those of whom Christ says : “Blessed are they who
hear the word of God, and keep it.”—Luke 11: 28.

Part IV.
St. John before the Latin Gate is no other than St. John the
Apostle and Evangelist, whose feast is celebrated on December
27th. On the 6th day of May the Church celebrates a second
feast of this Saint, in memory of the tortures which he endured
for the faith. The addition, before the Latin Gate, points to the
place where John endured the torture. In his ninety-fifth year he
was brought from Ephesus to Rome, where Domitian ordered
him to be thrown into a caldron filled with boiling oil. By a
miracle the boiling oil became for John, as it were, a refreshing
bath, from which he came forth stronger than he was when he went
into it. The emperor then banished him to the island of Patmos.
During his exile he wrote tha Apocalypse, and at Ephesus ended
his holy life by a peaceful death.
Application. Among all the Apostles there was none whom
Jesus loved more than St. John, wherefore he called himself the

5.

Symbolical Sketch.

157

disciple whom Jesus loved.—John 21: 20. If we ask for the
reason of this particular love of Jesus for John, we find it in this,
that John loved his Lord more than the other Apostles did. All
his thoughts and desires were directed solely to Jesus—in his
heart there was room only for Jesus.
PERORATION.

In conclusion I also exhort you to love Jesus. Love him above
all things, with a love that is prepared to make any sacrifice and
to renounce everything which displeases him, and do every
thing which he enjoins upon you as a duty. If you love Jesus in
such a manner, his words will be verified in you: “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.”—Z
Cor. 2: 9.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH.
OUR DIGNITY AND DUTIES AS AMBASSADORS OF GOD.

I go to him that sent me.—John 16:5.

God the Father in his infinite love and mercy sent his only
begotten Son into the world to redeem and save us. Hence the
Apostle writes: “AVhen the fulness of the time was come, God
sent his Son, made of a woman, made under the law; that he
might redeem them who were under the law.”—Gal. 4:4, 5.
Christ being about to accomplish our Redemption by his suffer­
ings and death on the cross, and to return to his heavenly Father
said: I go to him that sent me. We also are sent by God. God,
our Lord and Creator, sent us into the world, that we may serve
him, and afterwards go to him in heaven. If with persevering
fervor we live up to our destiny and do the will of God in all
things, we shall be admitted into the heavenly country. Let us
make a short meditation to-day on the truth that we are ambas­
sadors of God, and consider —
I. Our dignity ;
II. Our duties as ambassadors of God.

158

Fourth Sunday After Easter.
Part L

All emperors and kings have ambassado rs accredited to foreign
courts, through whom they are represented, and the affairs of
their subjects transacted. These ambassadors enjoy an exalted
dignity. This is evident—
i. From the position they hold. They are the representatives of
their sovereigns; the honor given to them, as well as an offense
offered to them, redounds to their sovereign. As ambassadors
of God, we have a more exalted dignity than any ambassador on
earth, since in comparison with God all earthly potentates are a
mere nothing. If we consider the infinite majesty of God, we
may say that the poorest man that walks in rags through our
streets occupies a higher rank than the ambassador of the mighti­
est autocrat. This, our high dignity, we must respect—

(a.) In ourselves, and therefore shun everything incompatible
with it. An earthly ambassador is mindful of his high position,
and behaves consistently with his dignity. The thought: I am
an ambassador, I represent the person of my emperor, my king,
is always present to his mind and keeps him from everything
that is not becoming in such a high personage. Being the am­
bassadors of God we must carefully shun whatever is incompat­
ible with our dignity. How contemptible an earthly ambassador
would appear if he were to roll about the street in a drunken
state, quarreling with every one and making a dreadful disturb­
ance ! The people would point him out with the finger of scorn,
and refuse him all respect; and his sovereign, insulted through
him, would be obliged to depose him from his position. Know,
my Christian friend, that you act contemptibly, if, unmindful of
your dignity, you give way to your odious passions. You dis­
honor God, whose ambassadors you are, and compel him, on ac­
count of the insult which you offer him, to deprive you of your
dignity, and to condemn you to eternal perdition. Let us never
forget who we are, and in every temptation say to ourselves: I
must not, and I will not, do this ; it would disgrace me, an ambas­
sador of God.
(À) In our fellovo-men. Every man, be he rich or poor, high or
low, learned or ignorant, a just man or a sinner, is an ambassa­
dor of God, and as such possesses a high dignity. Hence it fol­
lows that we must despise neither the poorest person nor the
greatest sinner. He who abuses or offends an ambassador, abu­
ses or offends the sovereign whose person he represents ; in like
manner an offense against any man is an offense against God,

5. Symbolical Sketch.

«59

because every man is an ambassador of God. How much then
do those Christian sin, who proud of their real or imaginary pre­
rogatives, look upon others with contempt; who abuse their
neighbors, despise or rob them of their honor and good name?
The words of Christ apply to them: “As long you did it to one
of these my least brethren, you did it to me.”—Matt. 25: 40.
Consider this well, and beware of despising or offending any
one; on the contrary, you must “honor all men” (Z Peter 2:17),
“with honor preventing one another.”—Rom. 12: 10.

1. From the privileges which they possess.
(a.) They are not subject to the laws of the land in which they re­
side as ambassadors, and therefore cannot, if they violate a law,
be called to an account and punished. Even if they should make
themselves guilty of a common crime, such as theft, robbery, etc.,
they could not be arrested and judged ; in such a case their
sovereign, having first been apprised of their crime, would depose
them from their exalted position, and they would be sent out of
the country. This privilege from arrest is granted to ambassa­
dors out of respect to their princes.
We Christians enjoy a similar prerogative as ambassadors of
God. We are exempt from the ceremonial law, to which the
Jews, the chosen people of God, were subject. This law was
hard to be fulfilled, for it referred to many points and provided
strictly for the most minute things ; for instance, the law forbid­
ding many articles of food, the law of purifications, circumcision,
etc.; hence St. Peter calls it a yoke which could not be borne—
Acts 15: 10. Instead of this hard law, which was given for ser­
vants, we have the law of Christ, which he himself calls a sweet
yoke and a light burden, and of which he says that it brings rest
to the soul.—Matt. 11: 29, 30. In a certain sense we may say that
we have no law at all, for we have become children of God,
through Jesus Christ; and as, properly speaking, there is no law
for children, since they do the will of their parents with the
greatest alacrity, so the Christian whose heart is ruled by the
love of God, observes his commandments with a holy joy, and
would feel miserable if he were not allowed to keep them.
Hence the Apostle {Rom. 13: 10) calls love the fulfilling of the
law, and St. Augustine says: “Love, and do what you please/'

(3.) They are free from all taxes, which all the other inhabit­
ants of the land must pay. He who immigrates into a foreign
country and lives there, must bear all the burdens of the natives.
Not so ambassadors; no tribute or taxes are demanded of the
··

f

Ιόο

Fourth Sunday After Easter.

they enjoy all the rights of the subjects of the country without
being obliged to bear their burdens.
But we as ambassadors of God have still greater privileges.
Christ has redeemed us from sin, from the servitude of Satan, and
from eternal damnation,—and this great good, this inestimable
grace, Christ has acquired for us gratuitously. He 1 imself paid
the ransom, and the price is his precious blood, as St. Peter says:
“You were not redeemed with corruptible gold or silver . . . but
with the precious hlood of Christ.” Christ has reconciled us with
God, and made us children of God and heirs of heaven—and
what has this grace cost us? Nothing. “All have sinned, and do
need the glory of God. Being justified freely by his grace through
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”—Rom. 3: 23, 24. And
what does God require of us for cleansing and sanctifying us in
the holy sacraments? Nothing. He is content if we comply with
the easy conditions which are prescribed for the worthy recep­
tion of the sacraments. We enjoy greater privileges than any
ambassador of any earthly sovereign, for we receive far greater
graces and benefits. How culpably, therefore, do those act who
disregard the graces of salvation, which God offers them as a
pure gift I
(£.) Lastly, they wear a peculiar garment whereby they are
known as ambassadors, and by which they are distinguished
from the other inhabitants of the land. As ambasadors of God
we also have a peculiar garment, which at once makes us known
as such. This garment we have received in baptism. I do not
mean the white garment of baptismal innocence, for this is lost
by mortal sin, but the character, the indelible mark which is im­
printed upon the soul of the baptized person, and which remains
eternally, whether he preserves the baptismal grace or not,
whether he is saved or damned. This indelible character distin­
guishes the Christian as an ambassador of God from all non·
Christians or unbaptized. At the last judgment we shall see at
once who was a Christian and who was not, for whilst Christians
have the mark of baptism on their soul, it is wanting to those
who are not baptized and consequently not Christians.
May God grant that this indelible mark of baptism, this gar­
ment of an ambassador of God, may not be to us a sign of terror
and despair, but of consolation and joy. Let us preserve the
garment of baptismal innocence with the greatest care, and if
unfortunately we have defiled it by mortal sin, let us cleanse it
without delay with tears of sincere, heartfelt penance.

5. Symbolical Sketch.

161

Part H.
Ambassadors have various duties, the first of which is—
i. To defend the honor and authority of their sovereign. They
must not only manifest conduct worthy of their sovereign, but
also take his part in word and deed, and prevent all injuries and
offenses and everything that might cast a reflection on his reputa­
tion. If any remarks be made in public injurious to his honor, they
must defend him, and if he be attacked in the public press, they
must parry these assaults and invoke the law against the offend­
er. We have the same duty towards God, and indeed a more
stringent one, as he infinitely transcends all sovereigns on earth
and is holiness itself, whilst even good princes have faults and
imperfections. Hence, we must—
{a.) Honor God in our heart, and rejoice over the honor and
homage given to him in heaven and on earth, wishing that he
may be known, loved and praised by all men. We must honor him
with the mouth, by public and private prayer ; by assisting at public
worship, by bowing our head when pronouncing the name of
Jesus, and by speaking reverently of him and of holy things
We must honor him in actions by doing all things for his honor
and by giving good example to our fellow-men. St. Francis of
Assisi may serve as a model; when he found a piece of paper
on which the name of God was written, he carefully picked it up
and preserved it in his cell with great veneration; also St. Ig­
natius, who in all he undertook had only the honor and glory
of God in view. His motto was : All for the greater glory of God.

(b.) We must labor with all our strength, that God may also be
honored by our fellow-men. There are very many men in this
world who do not honor God, but rather dishonor aud offend
him most greviously, such as unbelievers, heretics and sinners.
If we have the honor of God at heart, we must pray for these,
that they may come to the knowledge of the truth and be con­
verted ; we must instruct the ignorant, correct the erring, lead a
good Christian life ourselves, and “so let our light shine before
men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father
who is in heaven.”—Matt. 5: 16. We have a beautiful example
of zeal for the honor of God in St. Ignatius, who was accustomed
to say : “If it wTere left to my choice whether, uncertain of my
salvation, I would live longer on earth and labor for the honor
of God and the salvation of men, or die at once aud enter into
heavenly glory, I should prefer the former.”

Fourth Sunday After Easter.
2. They must have the good of their country before their eyes and
promote it to the best of their ability. This is their principal task.
For this end they must always keep their eyes open in order to
acquire for themselves a true knowledge of the state of affairs,
and if they perceive that it is proposed to do something that
would be prejudical to their country, they must take precaution­
ary measure against it, make their official remonstrance, report
to their government the true state of affairs and ask for further
instructions ; in short, they must do all they can to avert every­
thing detrimental to their dear country, thus promoting its in­
terests.
As ambassadors of God we have similar duties towards our
fatherland, which is the Church. She is our Holy Mother, for she
has regenerated us in baptism and made us children of God and
heirs of heaven. She loves us more tenderly and affectionately
than any mother can love her only child, and does more good to
us than the best of mothers could possibly do to her children.
Do we not owe to her the true and saving faith? Is it not the
Church that continually instructs us in the divine law, entreats,
rebukes, reproves and punishes us, in order to save our soul?
Does she not administer to us the sacraments, through which we
are justified? Does she not daily offer up for us the tremendous
sacrifice of the mass, and petition God for every good we need
for time and eternity? Do not gratitude and love oblige us to
take part with the Church, to share her joys and sorrows, to
avert from her every evil and injury and to promote her best in­
terests? Far be it from us to make common cause with the ene­
mies of the Church.
3. They mustprotect their countrymen. In every country there are
foreigners and emigrants who live there temporarily orpeimanently. It is the province of the ambassadors whose countrymen
these foreigners and emigrants are, to succor them in their diffi­
culties, to defend them against injustice and oppression and to
see that justice is always done them. Hence such foreigners are
accustomed in all their necessities to ask their advice and assist­
ance so that they may avoid loss or injury.
In like manner we must interest ourselves for our fellow-men
and be solicitous for their temporal and eternal welfare. Christian
charity obliges us to this without exception, for if it is true charity,
it cannot remain shut up in the heart, but must manifest itself
by action, doing good to others where and how it can, according
to St. John: “Let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed,
and in truth.”—I. John 3:18. Being ambassadors of God, we
are bound on every occasion to practise the corporal and spiri­
tual works of mercy. He who neglects these blessed opportuni­
ties, merits the displeasure of God, and has reason to fear that

6. Moral Sketch.

263

the words may be fulfilled : “Judgment without mercy to him that
hath not done mercy.”—James 2: 13. Fathers, mothers, and
superiors are in duty bound to take care of their children and in­
feriors. If they are not solicitous for their temporal and eternal
welfare, if they do not prevent evil-doing among them and insist
on their complying with their Christian duties, the words of the
Apostle are applicable to them : “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.”—I, Tim. 5: 8.
PERORATION.

Be mindful, therefore, of the high dignity which you possess
as ambassadors of God, and fulfil your duties conscientiously.
Be zealous for the honor of God, your King and Lord, and do all
you can in order that he may he known, honored and loved. Be
firmly and lovingly attached to your Holy Mother the Church,
stand by her rights, defend her against her adversaries and shun
no sacrifice to promote her best interests. Interest yourselves
also for your fellow-men, assist them in their corporal and spiritual
necessities, and be especially solicitous for the salvation of-those
under your charge. Well for you if, as ambassadors of God,
you fulfil your duties faithfully and conscientiously; when the
time of your departure shall come, you will be able to say with
Jesus: I go to him that sent me. Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

6. MORAL SKETCH.
THE CHRISTIAN WANDERER.

I go to him that sent me.—John 16:5.

Our blessed Lord is at the end of his earthly career, he is
about to ascend Mount Olivet in order there to begin his last
combat and on the following day to finish it on Mount Calvary.
He announces this in the gospel of this day: “I go to him that
sent me.” Hard was his life here on this earth ; from the crib to
the cross it was an unbroken chain of privations, persecutions and

164

Fourth Sunday After Easter,

sufferings. But hard as was the way which he trod, the end
thereof was glorious. As soon as he had accomplished the work
of Redemption on the cross, the day of triumph came. Glorious
and immortal he arose from the dead on the third day, and after
forty days ascended into heaven, to take possession of his king­
dom and to receive the homage of all creatures that are in
heaven, on earth, and under the earth—Phil. 2:10-11. Christ is
our model; we must become conformable to him, if we wish to
partake of his glory in heaven.—Rom. 8: 29. As he was a wan­
derer on earth, who was always obliged to travel on a painful
road, so every Christian who cheerfully traverses the way of the
cross, is a wanderer; whilst on his pilgrimage he must be content
to find only an occasional resting-place, and must console himself
with the hope of at last reaching that home where, on the con­
clusion of his earthly course, he will find the desired repose. Let
us to-day meditate on the high destiny of the Christian wanderer,
and consider—
I. The way he goes;
II. The resting -place he finds;
III. The home that receives him.

Part I.
Numerous, indeed, are the hardships and dangers to which the
traveler is ever exposed. Far away from the scenes of his youth
we behold him winding his solitary way through a land, the lan­
guage of whose inhabitants he does not perhaps understand ;
now bathed, as it were, in his own sweat beneath the rays of the
burning sun; now his weary limbs benumbed with icy cold; now
drenched by the torrents of rain ; now suffering hunger and thirst
for whole days together; now sick with no one to nurse him.
We are travelers on earth, for “ we have not here a lasting city,
but we seek one that is to come.”—Heb. 13: 14. Our destiny is
heaven, which God in his goodness has given us as our home.
Every one of us can and must say with Christ: I go io him that
sent me. There are indeed broad, smooth roads on which it is
easy to travel, but these lead not to the heavenly Jerusalem, but to
hell. There is only a narrow foot-path to the eternal city, abound­
ing with stones and briars, over mountains and precipices, and
this is insecure owing to the numerous robbers; no step is with­
out exertion, without danger. “Straight is the way that leadeth
to life.”—Matt.!'. 14.
(a.) On account of our -natural inclination to evil. We have a
natural inclination to evil in consequence of original sin. “The
imagination and thought of man’s heart are prone to evil from

6. Moral Sketch.
his youth."—Gen. 8:21. Sin flatters our sensuality and no ex­
ertion is needed to commit it; virtue, on the contrary, requires
exertion and self-denial, because our corrupt nature protests
against it. How difficult it is to suppress all ambition and vanity
and to bear all humiliations with fortitude and equanimity? How
difficult it is to forgive the offender and to return good for evill
How difficult it is to accept sickness and pains with patience, to
subdue our evil desires, and to control our passions! How truly
speaks the Apostle when he says: “I see another law in my mem­
bers, fighting against the law of my mind.”—Rom. 7: 23.

(3.) By reason of the world, for “all that is in the world, is the
concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and
the pride of life."—I. John 2:16. Whatever we hear and see in
the world is sensual and bad ; wherever we turn our eyes we
meet bad examples and scandals: religion, with her doctrines
and ordinances is disregarded and ridiculed, the most shameful
vices find their defenders. How easy is it for a Christian to deny
his good principles and to side with the children of the world !
If the world cannot obtain its aim by persuasion, stratagem, or
flattery, it has recourse to rude force; it persecutes the good and
makes life disagreeable to them in every possible way. Examples
from history and life. The words of the Apostle always prove
true: “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer perse­
cution.”—II. Tim. 5:12.

(c.) By reason of the devil, who, as St. Peter says, “goeth about
as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”—I. Pet. 5: 8.
He suggests bad thougths, excites sensuality, directs the eyes to
forbidden objects, and inflames the desire for them; he entices to
despair, to presumption, to pusillanimity, or, with the help of
frivolous people tries to make man fall. Thus then the way to
heaven is difficult and dangerous, and the words of Christ re­
main true : “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the
violent bear it away.”—Matt. 11:12.

Part Π.
Nothing is more agreeable to a traveler than to find a good
resting-place in the evening. Here he recruits himself with good
meals, here he dries and cleans his clothes, and refreshes his
mind and body by a sound sleep so that on the following day he
may be able to pursue his journey.
Such a resting place is prepared by Christ for us wanderers.
It is a large commodious house, over whose entrance these words
are written: “Come to me, all you that labor, and are burdened,
and I will refresh you.”—Matt. 11: 28. This house is the holy

166

Fourth Sunday After Easter.

Catholic Church; the owner is Jesus Christ, who in his Church
gives us abundant graces to strengthen us on our pilgrimage, so
that we may safely arrive at our eternal home. If we fall sick
on our journey, we have an infallible remedy for the restoration
of our health, a medicine which is given to us gratis ; all we have
to do is to make a good confession, and our soul will be healed.
If on our journey we grow weary the heavenly master of the
house offers us the bread of the strong, namely holy communion,
which fortifies us with supernatural strength, and, like the Pro­
phet Elias, we can ascend to the holy Mount. If sorely tempted,
and in need of consolation, we can have recourse to prayer,
through which we obtain all that is good and salutary, according
to Christ’s promise, “Amen I say to you, if you ask the Father
anything in my name, he will give it you.”—John 16 : 23. In our
dying hour we need not lose courage, for Christ sends his priests
to administer the sacraments to us, in order that we may safely
finish our earthly career.

Part ΠΙ,
At length, after many a long and weary mile, after countless
labors and dangers the traveler, reaches his native place. He
already sees his father’s house nestling in the peaceful valley.
It is Saturday evening. To-morrow is Sunday, dedicated to the
service of God and to repose. His parents, and his brothers and
sisters, are assembled before the house on the veranda, convers­
ing with one another. They are speaking of the dear son and
brother who has been absent from home many a year, and they
express the ardent desire that he may soon return home. He ap­
proaches the family circle. Who can describe his joy, and the de­
light and rapture of the family thus taken by surprise ? What
embraces and kisses? All is over, all sadness, all fear, all longing,
danger and grief; he is in the midst of his own, and will now
spend the rest of his days in their company.
This is a faint picture of the happiness which after the journey
of this life awaits you in heaven. Oh, what will be your feelings
when you for ever leave this earth which has brought you noth­
ing but thistles and thorns, and say with St. Paul: “I have fought
a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith;
as to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which
the Lord the just judge will render to me in that day.”—II. Tim.
4: 7, 8. To a pious Christian the last hour is the most beautiful
and the dearest of his life. He can say with David : “How lovely
are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts I”—Ps. 83: 2. And all the
inhabitants of heaven will welcome him, congratulating him
and exulting with him; and this joy and exultation will last for
ever.

T. Moral Sketch.

167

PERORATION.

I know you all wish one day to conclude the journey of life in
euch a manner. That this inexpressible happiness may fall to your
share, do not shun the way which Christ has pointed out to you.
Avoid the broad road that leads to destruction and enter upon
the narrow path on which the saints walked. Be not deterred
by the difficulties of this way; you have in G-od a father who
consoles, comforts, strengthens and provides you with all that
is necessary to ensure your safe arrival at your journey’s end.
Console yourselves with the thought: The way I must go is short;
only a few years, and perhaps sooner that I expect, all labor,
combat and suffering will be over and I shall enter into my
happy home, where I shall find rest for my soul. Walk con­
stantly in the path of salvation, so that you may reach the
heavenly Jerusalem, where, with Jesus and his elect, you will
reign for ever. Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

7. MORAL SKETCH.
WE MUST DESPISE, SHUN, AND FEAR TEMPORAL HAPPINESS,
Z/

is expedient to you that I go—John

16:7.

There is no true, unalloyed happiness on earth. As Jacob
clothed his son Joseph with a variegated coat, so God gives us
a variegated life, interwoven with happy and unhappy events.
Thus the life of the Apostles was sometimes joyous and some­
times sad; they rejoiced over the presence of their divine Master,
and they mourned at his departure. It was, however, expedient
for them that he should go, as he himself says in this day’s
gospel. The departure of Christ was expedient for his disciples,
for this reason among others, viz., because sufferings and tribu­
lations are generally more salutary for us than prosperity and
happiness. I shall show you to-day that we must despise, shun,
and fear what we call temporal happiness, because it is—

i 68

Fourth Sunday After Easter,

1. Contemptible ;
IL Perishable ;
III. Dangerous.

Part

L

What is called temporal happiness is contemptible—

I. In itself. Let us consider this more closely. What are pre­
cious stones, gold and silver, which the infatuated worldling
covets, but formations of the earth ? What are fine clothes, in
which so many place their whole happiness, but the wool, fur or
skins of animals —nay, the productions of worms ? What are great
dinners and carousals, for which large sums of money are spent?
Do they not leave behind them enervation and other evils?
What are balls, operas and all the joys of the world ? Do they
not resemble overseasoned dishes, which cause disgust and vom­
iting? AVhat are all the honors and dignities with the word gives
to its votaries ? Can they not be compared to the rainbow, which
glitters in magnificent colors, but is dissolved into nothing ? In
a word, all the joys and goods of the world which constitute
temporal happiness are contemptible things.
How true this is, those testify who have enjoyed the happiness
of the world in its fulness. Was there ever a king so happy, so
wise and so respected as Solomon ? What ruler was ever in a
position to devote himself to the enjoyments of life as he ? And
he repeatedly confesses that in spite of all these things he was
not satisfied: “I saw in all things vanity and vexation of mind.”
—Eccltes. 2:11. How wise, how powerful was Alphonsus, king of
Sicily, Naples and Arragon! No one seemed to be happier than
he, and yet he said that asses are happier than kings, because
they are unharnessed at least whilst they are fed, whilst kings
have no rest. When Charles V. at Brussels resigned the empire
in favor of his son, with tears in his eyes he confessed before the
dignitaries of the state that during the whole period of his reign
he had not had a quarter of an hour which he could say was
spent joyfully. King Antigonus assured his son that the royal
dignity is nothing but glittering slavery, and if we knew with
what cares and troubles royalty is surrounded, we should not
wish for a crown. Who then would value what is commonly
called human happiness? Who would not rather despise it?
2. In comparison with the interior and spiritual consolation of
the just. Some imagine that a pious, Christian life is necessarily
united with sadness and melancholy. What a delusion? Pious
Christians enjoy, even in sufferings and tribulations, interior joys
and consolations, which have their foundation in a good consci-

• : : .- : : :

7.

Moral Sketch.

169

ence, in the grace of the Holy Ghost, and in the expectation of
eternal beatitude, and these joys and consolations are so great
that they would not exchange them for all worldly joys and hap
piness.
Interior joys are hidden manna, which is given to those only
who triumph over the world, the flesh and the devil. “To hi H
that overcometh, I will give the hidden manna.”—Ajoc. 2: 17.
“The hidden manna,” because no one knows how great these
joys are, except those who taste them. He who all his life has
drank nothing but water thinks that there is no better beverage;
but when he has once tasted costly wine, he changes his opinion,
and confesses that wine is better than water. In like manner world­
lings, if they had any knowledge of the interior joys and consola­
tions of the just, would judge otherwise thereof, and acknowledge
that all earthly joys are a mere nothing compared with them. Ex­
amples : St. Jerome felt such abundance of joy in solitude that
he said : “The Lord is my witness, I am filled with such joy that
I seem to be among the choirs of angels.” St. Bernard was al­
ways so cheerful that he often said: “I am more cheerful in soli­
tude than I ever was in the world.” St. John Berchmans was
always so good-humored that they called him St. Hilarius, that
is, the merry saint. He used to say of himself that he did not
know what melancholy is. But he daily asked the Holy Ghost
for this joy during the sacrifice of the mass.
3. Compared with the joy of the saints of heaven. Consider all
the pleasures and joys which men have tasted from the begin­
ning of the world to the present day, and compare them with the
felicity of the saints in heaven; are they not more insignificant
than a grain of sand compared with the whole earth? Yes, all
earthly happiness compared w;th the felicity of the elect in
heaven is sorrow and sadness rather than joy and consolation.
St. Augustine says: “This glory, this beauty, this majesty, which
will be our felicity, surpasses our hope and love, our wishes and
desires. This felicity may be acquired, but cannot be sufficiently
appreciated; it can be merited, but not described.” And 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.”—Z Cor. 2 : 9.
Thus, then, what is called temporal happiness is, in reality,
vain and perishable. What should we learn from this? That we
must disdain everything which the world promises, such as honor
and reputation, money and lands, joys and pleasures, and aspire
with all our affections to heavenly and eternal goods. Let us
follow the admonition of the Apostle : “Seek the things that are
above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Mind

ijo

Fourth Sunday After Easter.

the things that are above, not the things that are on the earth.**
—Col. 3:1: 2.

Part Π.
Earthly happiness isperishable, it resembles—

1. A leaf that is carried off by the wind. Do not think of a leaf
that still hangs on the tree, for this remains all the summer, even
until late in the autumn, without being blown off by the wind;
but, imagine leaves that have become detached from the tree. If
the wind catches them, they flutter a little while in the air and
then fall to the ground. Honors and dignities, as well as all the
joys and pleasures of this world, resemble such leaves; carried
by the wind of luck they flutter, as it were, only a short time in
the air, fall to the ground and are no more.
2. They are a type of the ivy which God caused to grow up
where Jonas had sat down to watch the destruction of Nineve.
It afforded a splendid shade, and the prophet was greatly re­
joiced, for it was the hot season of the year. But behold, the next
day, by the command of God, a worm gnawed at the root of the
ivy, and it withered away. Jonas, who had no longer any shade and
was almost perishing with the heat, became so impatient that he
wished himself dead. Such is all earthly happiness. Man rejoices
at it as Jonas did at the ivy, but his joy is only of short duration.
The worm of time gnaws at his happiness, and it dies away, often
quite unexpectedly. He may grieve himself to death, but, like
the ivy, it will thrive no more; it is dead for ever.
3. It is like a wheel that turns around. When the royal pro­
phet saw wicked men happy in everything, he became excited
and prayed to God to make them like a wheel: “O my God,
make them like a wheel.”—Ps. 82:14. When a wheel turns round,
that part which is uppermost does not remain so long, but turns
with the wheel and comes to be undermost. Thus men’s wheel of
fortune is also turned, and the rich who are now highly esteemed
and respected may soon lose honor and dignity, houses and
lands, health and prosperity, and be reduced to poverty.
Sesostris, king of Egypt, proud of having subdued many kings,
used to ride out in a superb equipage, adorned with gold and
precious stones; it was not drawn by horses, but by four con­
quered kings. One of these unfortunate kings one day fixed his
eyes on the wheels of the chariot. Sesostris, whom the signific­
ant look did not escape, asked him why he gazed so intently at
the wheels. His answer was. “When I consider how the wheels
turn round, and see that the uppermost part of the wheel soon

7. Moral Sketch.

171

becomes the undermost, I represent to myself the inconstancy and
instability of all earthly happiness, which is as changeable as a
wheel, so that he who is now uppermost vill the next moment
become undermost and humbled to the very dust.” How truly
this captive king spoke, David testifies, saying: “I have seen the
wicked highly exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Libanus.
And I passed by, and lo, he was not; and I sought him, and his
place was not found.”—Ps. 36: 35, 36. Examples from history:
Napoleon I. and III. From life. How often does it not happen
that men who have possessed great riches, occupied high posi­
tions, and seen prosperous days, are, sooner or later, quite unex­
pectedly reduced to mediocrity and even to abject poverty,
ending their lives in alms-houses ! What folly, then, would it not
be to neglect the salvation of our soul and devote our solicitude
to the ever varying whims of fortune, which is so blind and falla­
cious! Let us rather take to heart the words of Christ: “What
doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and suffer the
loss of his own soul?” Let us so treat temporal things that we
may not lose what is eternal. Let us look upon the goods of this
world as means for attaining our eternal destiny, and esteem
and use them only in so far as they may be necessary or con­
ducive to our own or our neighbor’s welfare.

Part III.
Earthly happiness is dangerous, because it frequently—
i. Leads to grievous sins. “All things turn out well for them
that love God.” They are like the bees, which suck honey from
the blossoms, whether they find them in beautiful gardens or in
gloomy forests. Earthly welfare and fortune are at least dan­
gerous because they usually lead men to pride, intemperance,
luxury, idleness and to many other sins, as history and experi­
ence teach us. If a man has everything that his heart can desire,
a heaven upon earth, as it were, he only too frequently forgets
God and his eternal destiny; he grows careless, and negligent,
and indulges his passions, whilst in time of tribulation he turns
his heart from temporal things, occupies himself with eternity
and begins to serve God. As long as Saul tended his father’s
sheep, he was humble, obedient and pious; but after he had ex­
changed the shepherd’s staff for the sceptre, he allowed his heart
to be captivated by pride, hatred, envy and other passions: he
became so intractable and stubborn that God saw himself oblig­
ed to reject him. The wisest man that ever lived, Solomon, became
so effeminate and blinded by his continual, uninterrupted good
fortune that he fell into the horrible sin of idolatry. Do not con­
sider it, therefore, an evil to be visited by tribulations. Should

-Λ··

-w a w e s · =

Fourth Sunday After Easter,
your life be a continuous chain of privations, suffering’s and pain,
be contented and at ease; perhaps prosperity and happiness
would be for you the glittering blade with which you would stab
your soul and inflict a mortal wound.
2. It robs us of the heavenly goods. There is no doubt that some of
those who had possessed great riches or occupied high positions
in society, and enjoyed a happy life, went to heaven after their
death, but, obeying the counsel of Christ, they did violence to
themselves. They humbled themselves, gave alms generously
and most carefully avoided every sin, and did all they could and
all that was required of them for their salvation. But we must admit
that their life was hard, for it is hard for Christians who give up
their enjoyment in this world in order to be saved ; hence St.
Chrysostom says: “It is impossible for one to enjoy rest here and
hereafter. It is imposible for him who lives here in carelessness
and security, and spends his days in enjoyment and laziness, to
receive honor hereafter.” Very frequently, nay, almost always,
it comes to pass that those who always have a happy time here
upon earth, are deprived of celestial happiness. We cannot have
heaven here and hereafter. Christ was obliged to suffer, and by
sufferings he entered into glory. Jesus was on the cross, Mary
under the cross, but neither without the cross. (Lazarus and
Dives.) Therefore if you possess the goods of this world, set not
your heart and affections upon them, but make them give way
to the riches of eternity. Purchase for yourselves with your
riches, not hell, but heaven.

3. They castus into hell. Temporal welfare leads not only to
sins and vices, but frequently to final impenitence. The prosper­
ous sinner feels happy; he does not think of penance and
amendment of life, but perseveres in sin, and perishes. It is there­
fore frequently no punishment, but a great grace, for sinners to
be visited by crosses and afflictions, for through these God com­
pels them, as it were, to return from their evil ways and to save
their souls by penance. On the other hand, it is often the great­
est punishment God can inflict upon a sinner to allow him
to continue in sin undisturbed, and not to put a stop to his wicked
career by tribulations ; it is a sure sign that he is rejected by
God, and so he rushes headlong to perdition. Hence the Fathers
and spiritual writers compare a sinner to cattle kept for fattening,
which are permitted to eat all they can, but only because they
are destined for slaughter. Examples: The people at the time of
Noe. The hundred and twenty years which God gave them for
doing penance were spent in pleasure, and amusement; they
laughed and joked, gave feasts, danced, married and gave in
marriage, but suddenly the deluge broke in upon them and de­

η. Moral Sketch.

»7J

livered these impenitent sinners to everlasting fire. The inhabi­
tants of Sodom and Gomorrha. Having everything in abundance
and spending their days in joys and pleasures, they fell into the
most abominable vices; and not being punished for their unna­
tural excesses, they became more wicked, and never thought of
reconciling themselves to God by penance. But lol suddenly a
rain of fire and brimstone fell upon these wicked people and
destroyed them and their cities
PERORATION.

It seems to me that you have very little reason to envy those
who spend their days in the enjoyment of all the goods and
pleasures of this world. Such children of fortune are more to be
pitied than envied, for temporal happiness is despicable, perish­
able and dangerous. Do not love what deserves no love ; love
only what is permanent, and not injurious and dangerous; love
what all the saints have loved and esteemed as the highest good
and greatest grace—tribulations and sufferings. Reflect seri­
ously, that not through riches and pleasures, but “through many
tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God.”—Acts 14: 21.
Amen.

174

Fifth Sunday After Easter.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

Epistle. James 1: 22-27. Dearly beloved: Be ye doers of the
word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if
any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he shall be
compared 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. But he that hath looked into the
perfect law of liberty, and hath continued therein, not becoming
a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be
blessed in his deed. And if any man think himself to be relig­
ious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this
man’s religion is vain. Religion, clean and undefiled before God
and the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their
tribulation· and to keep one’s self unspotted from this world.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
THE HEARING OF THE WORD OF GOD, AND EXERCISES OF PIETY.

This is Rogation Week. From the earliest times the Church
has made processions during this week, and with impressive
words admonished the faithful to pray. She has the best reasons
for doing so. It is a duty incumbent upon all to offer God the
homage of adoration, love, obedience and thanksgiving; and
this is done by the prayer of praise and thanksgiving. Prayer,
considered as a petition, is the chief means for the obtaining of all
graces ; the just man must pray in order to persevere in righteous­
ness; the sinner must pray in order to obtain the necessary grace
for repentance and the amendment of his life. Without prayer
no one can work out his salvation and be saved. We should,
however, greatly deceive ourselves if we were to believe that by
prayer alone we can enter into the kingdom of heaven. A good
Christian life is necessary. If we wish God to listen to our prayer
and to receive it, we must also listen to his holy word and lead

i. Homiletic Sketch.

175

pious life. To this truth St. James calls our attention in the
epistle of this day, for he shows us in it—
a

Z That we must not only hear the word of God, but obey tt;
IL That we must show our piety in deed and in truth.

Part I.
i. Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your
own selves. St. James had no reason to reprove the faithful of
his time for not hearing the word of God. On the contrary, they
were very zealous in this point, and deserved praise rather than
blame. Among modern Christians very many are found who
will not hear of the word of God, and frequently neglect to hear
it. Instead of attending sermons and catechetical instructions
on Sundays and holidays, they take a walk, visit saloons, or stay
at home. He who loathes all food, even bread, is sick, and his
sickness will last until his appetite returns. He who loathes the
spiritual bread, the word of God, is spiritually sick; passions and
vices reign in his heart, such as pride, impurity, unbelief, irréli­
gion, and these are the reasons why he despises the word of
God. The consequences of the neglect of hearing the word of
God are very disastrous. They are, ignorance and errors in
matters of religion, transgression of the duties of religion and of
our state of life, obstinacy and impenitence.
But we must not content ourselves with the mere hearing of
the word of God, for the apostle says : Be ye doers of the word,
and not hearers only. When the authorities make a law, they are
not satisfied that subjects merely take cognizance of it; they de­
sire rather that they obey it; he who does not obey it is fined
or imprisoned. Thus God requires of us to observe his holy law.
Hence Christ says: “Blessed are they who hear the word of
God, and keep it.”—Luke 11: 28. And St. Paul says: “Not the
hearers of the law are just before God; but the doers of the law
shall be justified.”—Rom. 2: 13. How many are there who in­
deed hear the word of God, but do not obey it 1 In this parish
from sixty to a hundred sermons are preached every year ; if by
each sermon only one sinner were converted, in ten or twelve
years the congregation would entirely consist of pious people.
But this, alas! is not the case; on the contrary, a hundred ser­
mons are hardly able to bring one sinner to repentance and to
change one careless person into a zealous Christian. Let each
one ask himself to-day: How do matters stand with me? I have
heard during my lifetime more than a hundred, perhaps a thou­
sand sermons. Have I amended my life, given up my bad habits,
my favorite faults ?

i76

Fifth Sunday After Easter.

Consider what the Apostle adds : Deceiving your own selves
There are those who think that it is a very wonderful thing if
they are present at the sermons and catechetical instructions,
that God will reward them for it. It is good to hear sermons, but
by no means sufficient; the principal object is doing what we
hear in sermons. The Scribes and Pharisees frequently listened
to the word of God, which Christ preached, but persevering in
their unbelief and impenitence, they derived not the least ad­
vantage from it. Therefore our Lord says: “If I had not come
and spoken to them, they would not have sin ; but now they
have no excuse for their sin.”—John 15: 22. It would be a great
self-delusion to expect salvation from the mere hearing of the
word of God. A hundred sermons, which you hear, but which
have no effect on you, cannot save you from damnation; on the
other hand, one sermon which you hear with profit is able to
bring about your salvation.
2. The Apostle makes use of a similitude to explain that the
mere hearing of the word of God is useless, when he says: If
any 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 presentlyforgot what manner
of man he was. The Apostle compares the word of God to a
mirror, and rightly, for as the mirror shows us the bodily form,
so the word of God shows us the spiritual ; it leads us to selfknowledge and discovers what is good and bad in us. Again he
compares the mere hearer of the word of God with a man who
looks transiently into a mirror, for to stand long before the
looking-glass and contemplate one’s self carefully is peculiar to
the female, and not to the male sex. When we hear the word of
God, we are not to imitate the men, but the women. How many
are obliged, when they hear a sermon, to say to themselves : It
is true, this hits me, I am guilty of this sin, this inordinate incli­
nation rules in my heart; but full of levity as they are, they care
no further about this contradiction of their life with the word of
God, and make no resolution of amendment. How many on hearing
sermons make some good purpose or other, but on leaving the
church, forget it and continue their worldly and sinful life ! How
many really begin to shun a certain sin but relapse the moment
a greater temptation than usual assails them!

3. But he that hath looked into the perfect law of liberty, and
hath continued therein, not becoming a forgetful hearer, but a doer
of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. By the perfect
law of liberty we are to understand the Christian law, Christi­
anity. It is called perfect in itself, because it contains all that
makes man good and perfect, if he lives according to it; and in

1.

Homiletic Sketch,

«77

contradistinction to the Old Law of the Jews, which was im­
perfect. It is called the law of liberty, because it frees men from
the yoke of the ceremonial law of Moses (Gal. 5: 1), and from
the slavery of sin (John 8: 32), and raises them to the dignity of
the children of God. The meaning of this whole passage is; He
who contemplates the word of God attentively and diligently,
and endeavors to form his life according to it, arrives at true
justice and has the sure hope of being saved. That the word of
God may produce these effects in you, hear it attentively and di­
ligently, meditate on it, and obey it with zeal and perseverance
in all circumstances of life.

Part

Π.

St. James shows that we must practice the works of piety in a
threefold manner, by bridling the tongue, by mercy, and by being
undefiled by the world.
If any man think himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue
but deceiving his own heart, this man's religion is vain. St. James
puts the bridling of the tongue in the first place, because
without it a truly pious life is absolutely impossible. The Apostle
probably knew people who diligently went to church, prayed
much, fasted, gave alms, and led an otherwise edifying life, but
one thing was wanting, i. e., they did not bridle their tongue.
They reviled when they were reviled; they were not meek; they
sharply criticised others when they committed a fault or appeared
to commit it; they lacked charity, which thinks no evil and
judges all men charitably. They made the sins and frailties of
others the topics of their conversation. They complained of the
wicked world and the levity of the people, whilst they them­
selves led a pious and retired life ; or having a controlling voice
in spiritual and ecclesiastical affairs, they became peevish and
angry when others would not assent to their judgments and opi­
nions; self-esteem and selfishness lurked in their heart. Although
they had the appearance of piety and thought themselves pious,
nevertheless they were not, but deceived themselves, because
they did not bridle their tongue. The essentially necessary vir­
tues of meekness, humility, modesty, and love were wanting to
their piety.
Let us consider this, and not forget that, first of all, the bridling
of the tongue is required for true piety. You may pray as
much as you please, assist at every devotion that is going on in
the church, frequently receive the sacraments, but if you have
a tongue that criticises and finds fault with everything, lowers
your neighbor in the estimation of others, mercilessly discloses
I.

III

12

ï78

Fifth Sunday After Easter.

his faults and even starts calumnies against him; and if on every
occasion you speak of the good you do, and place your real, and
perhaps only imaginary, advantages in a favorable light, you
deceive yourselves if you think yourselves pious; your piety is
vain tinsel and without value before God. We all must make a
note of this, especially the female sex, which is called the devout
sex, not without reason, though frequently committing this fault
of giving the tongue too free a scope, and sinning by vain, un­
charitable, untrue and slanderous discourses.
2. Religion y clean and undefiled before God and the Father, ts this:
to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation. The second
requisite for true piety is mercy to the needy. Among the works
of mercy the Apostle mentions especially the support of widows
and orphans, because in the primitive ages of Christianity many
were made widows and orphans by the persecutions, and be­
cause widows and orphans, as a rule, are the most destitute and
helpless. Since God calls himself the father of widows and or­
phans (Ps. 67: 6), and takes great pleasure in the works of
mercy, and since Christ expressly declares that he receives the
good we do to others as done to himself {filatt. 32: 40), by these
works of mercy we render a sendee to God, as it were; hence
St. Paul calls the practice of these works a service of God. St.
Chrysostom says: “Charity is better than to be a king and to
wear a crown; it builds houses in heaven, which last for ever. It
teaches you how to become like to God. Charity is something
great and precious. Charity is a greater virtue than to raise the
dead to life. Charity makes God your debtor.”
3. And to keep one's self unspottedfrom this world. This is the
third thing which St. James requires for piety. In order to keep
ourselves unspotted from this world, we must shun three principal
vices, which St.John mentions in these words: “All that is in
the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and concupiscence
of the eyes, and the pride of life.”—I. John 2: 16. The concu­
piscence of the flesh consists in gluttony, impurity, and all
kinds of sinful pleasures; the concupiscence of the eyes, or
covetousness, is the inordinate craving after temporal goods
and the sinful attachment to them; the pride of life, or ambition,
embraces all sins of vanity and pride. The greater part of
mankind are more or less infected with these three vices, and
even Christians who lead tolerably regular and well-ordered
lives, are not entirely free from them, for they have too great a
desire after temporal pleasures and enjoyments, or cling too
much to money and property, or are not humble enough, seek­
ing honor and praise from the world and feeling offended and
injured by the least neglect, often only an imaginary one.
Though such Christians lead a pious life outwardly and have

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

179

many redeeming qualities, they are by no means really pious, for
true piety consists in a perfect attachment and devotedness to
God, which they still lack, for they have not removed the inor­
dinate love God of self and the world out of their hearts. Let each
one examine himself to-day and see whether he is free from imtf oderate longingafterpleasures, from covetousness and ambition.
PERORATION.

Meditate on the lessons and precepts which St. James gives us
in the epistle of this day and make them the rule of your life.
Esteem and love the word of God; hear it and endeavor to regu­
late your life according to it. Bridle your tongue and guard
against slander, detraction, calumny, and whispering; against
vain self-praise, impure words and songs, raillery, curses and
blasphemies, reflecting that one day you will be obliged to give
an account of every idle word. Be merciful and charitable to the
poor and needy, and do good to them, for nothing is more ac­
ceptable to God and of greater advantage to you for time and
eternity than charity. Keep yourselves undefiled from the ex­
cesses, dissipations, and vices of the world, and lead a mortified,
moral life, for herein consists the piety which will open to you
the gates of heaven. Amen.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

Gospel. John 16: 23-30. At that time, Jesus said to his dis­
ciples: Amen, amen, I say to you, if you ask the Father any thing
in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto you have not asked
any thing in my name. Ask, and you shall receive : that your joy
may be full. These things I have spoken to you in proverbs.
The hour cometh when I will no more speak to you in proverbs
but will show you plainly of the Father. In that day you shall
ask in my name: and I say not to you, that I will ask the Father
for you. For the Father himself loveth you, because you have
loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came
forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again
I leave the world, and go to the Father. His disciples say to
him: Behold now thou speakest plainly, and speakest no prov­
erb. Now we know that thou knowest all things, and thou need-

i So

Fifth Sunday After Easter.

est not that any man should ask thee. By this we believe that
thou comest forth from God.

2. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
THE CONSOLING PROMISES WHICH CHRIST MADE TO HIS DIS­
CIPLES.

The gospel of this day is again a portion of the farewell dis­
course which our divine Saviour delivered at the Last Supper.
In order to console his disciples for his departure, he repeatedly
gives them the assurance that all things, whatsoever they should
ask the Father in his name, would be given them. Moreover, he
remarks to them, that, enlightened by the Holy Ghost, they will
know and understand the revealed lessons and truths which, up
to this time, had remained in some measure unintelligible and
obscure to them. Christ promises his disciples—
I. That their prayers shall always be heard;
II. That they shall come to the full knowledge of the divine doctrijie.

Part I.
I. Twice does our Lord assure his disciples that their prayer
shall be heard. Amen, amen, 1 say to you: If you ask the Father
anything in my name, he will give it you.

\ad) He says Amen, amen. He utters this twofold assurance in
order to inspire his disciples with courage, and to free them from
all doubt that their prayer would be heard. How could the
slightest idea arise in their minds that their prayer would be in
vain, when Christ had assured them so emphatically and with a
solemn oath that it would always be heard ? In view of the promise
of Christ let us always pray with confidence, for confidence is
one of the most necessary conditions of prayer. “Let him ask in
faith, nothing wavering, for he that wavereth is like a wave of
the sea, which is moved and carried about by the wind. There­
fore, let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the
Lord.”— fames i: 6, 7. Let us as often as we present our neces­
sities to the Lord in prayer remember the words Amen, amen,
in order to enliven and to strengthen our confidence in God.
(3.) He continues: If you ask the Father. What confidence must
the disciples have conceived when Christ directed them to turn
to God in prayer, who is not only his but also their Father. From

a.

Homiletic Sketch.

181

whom can children expect consolation and help with greater con­
fidence than from their father? Truly, earthly fathers may some­
times be heartless towards their children and refuse their peti­
tions ; frequently they are willing but unable to supply the wants
of their children. Not so our heavenly Father, who is infinitely
good and powerful, and therefore always can and will hear our
prayer.
(£.) If you ask in my name. To pray in the name of Jesus is to
ask something through his mediation, through his intercession, in
virtue of his merits. We are sinners and have nothing that could
please God. Every favor we obtain by prayer is granted not so
much to us as to Jesus Christ, not so much for our sake as for the
sake of Jesus Christ, who is our Mediator and Intercessor and
who, by his life, passion and death has merited for us that our
prayer should be heard. Mindful of this important truth, we
must humble ourselves in prayer, and not place our confidence
in ourselves, butin Jesus Christ. If it were not for his merits,
all our prayers and petitions would be in vain; they would not
be heard. Those people who ask for anything detrimental to
their salvation do not pray in the name of Jesus, and instead of
making him their Mediator they abuse his goodness. Nor do
those Christians who are ever soliciting temporal blessings, but
who are cold and indifferent when their salvation ought to be
their concern, fulfil the injunction of our Redeemer to pray in
his name.

(</.) If you ask anything. Our Lord speaks here in general
terms, and does not intimate that we obtain only this or that.
Prayer is the universal remedy for the averting of all evil and
the obtaining of all good. What a happiness to be empowered
to present to God any request whatsoever, provided only it be
consistent with what is right ! Is not this an ample grant from
the bounty of the Almighty ? Therefore, if you wish for anything,
ask ; your prayer will not be in vain. Have recourse to prayer
in all your corporal and spiritual necessities.
(<?.) He will give it you. It is your business to pray, and it is
God’s business to give. Every prayer, if the necessary conditions
be fulfilled, will be heard. God hears us even when he seems
not to, for instead of giving what we ask him he gives us some­
thing better, which he knows is necessary and wholesome for
us. Instead of taking away a cross from us, for the removal of
which we petition, he gives us patience to bear it and thus to
merit heaven. He acts like a prudent physician, who prescribes,
not according to the inclination of the patient, but according to
the nature of the disease.

i82

Fifth Sunday After Easter.

2. Hitherto you have not asked anything in my name. Ask and
you shall receive, that your joy may be full.
(λ.) Hitherto the Apostles were not yet sufficiently instructed
in regard to Jesus Christ, his Incarnation and the mystery of Re­
demption; they did not yet know that God would hear us only
on account of the merits of his Son ; they had frequently prayed to
God, but without reference to Jesus Christ and his mediation and
merits. But henceforth they and all the faithful were to direct
their petitions to God the Father, in the name of Jesus, for only
thus could they expect to be heard. This then is also the reason
why the Church, in all her prayers, appeals to Jesus Christ and
concludes them in these or similar words: “Through Jesus Christ
our Lord.” Let us, as often as we pray, think that we can pray
acceptably to God and be heard only through Jesus Christ our
Redeemer. Let us also consider how much it cost our Redeemer
to enable us to pray in his name and be heard. He came from
heaven to live on this earth for thirty three years in poverty
and lowliness, to endure countless privations, and hardships, and
the bitter contempt of an ungrateful world, and finally to die on
the cross. A drop of the blood of Jesus Christ clings to every
grace which we receive from God by prayer. Considering this,
let us appreciate the graces and benefits which God imparts to
us through the merits of his Son, and avail ourselves of them for
his honor and our own salvation.
(3.) Christ exhorts his disciples to pray, that their joy may be
full. What does this mean? It means: If they pray in his name,
they will receive whatever they ask, and the prayer itself, as
well as the granting of their petition, will give them joy. Ac­
cording to the promise of Christ, prayer is the means of obtain­
ing perfect joy. That we miserable creatures are allowed to ap­
proach God, the Lord of heaven and earth, full of confidence,
and to reveal to him the secrets of our heart, is a great blessing
for us. Though we may obtain nothing by prayer, yet of itself
it affords a pleasure which cannot he expressed in words and
which is only known to him who enjoys it. What consolation
then must the Christian experience from prayer when it is heard?
It is a proof that he has truly prayed in the name of Jesus and
that he enjoys the love and grace of God. And what increases
his joy still more are the gifts which he receives through prayer.
We do not always obtain by prayer all temporal goods and are
not freed from all evils, but we obtain through it supernatural
and spiritual goods, such as are necessary and useful for attain­
ing our final aim; for instance, grace to overcome temptations,
increase of sanctifying grace, and final perseverance ; and these
alone are desirable benefits, which make our joy full. Pray, then,

». Homiletic Sketch.

i 83

fervently and often in the name of Jesus, and you will discover
that your joy, even in the midst of afflictions, will be full and
perfect.

Part

Π.

The other consoling promise made by our Lord to his disciples
is this, that they should come to the perfect knowledge of his
divine doctrine.

i. These things I have spoken to you in proverbs. The hour cometh
when I will no more speak in proverbs, but will show you plainly of
the Father. What Jesus had hitherto in veiled and obscure ex­
pressions spoken to his disciples concerning his death and Re­
surrection, the Holy Ghost, and the joys awaiting them, he would
reveal to them in plain words at the proper time. Our Lord refers
to the time after his Resurrection, when he remained on earth
for forty days and frequently appeared to his disciples; and to
the mission of the Holy Ghost, who descended upon them on the
day of Pentecost. Speaking (as we read in the Acts of the
Apostles) with his Apostles after the Resurrection, always of the
kingdom of God, he gave them an insight into everything that
hitherto had remained to them unintelligible and obscure. And
with what light were they illuminated when the Holy Ghost came
upon them ! How plainly and lucidly do we hear them speak of
the mysteries of the Incarnation, Passion, Death and Resurrection
of Christ, and in general of divine Revelation! What comprehen­
sive and lucid instruction Christ imparted to his disciples after his
Resurrection we can infer from their acts, such as the election
of a new Apostle, the appointment of deacons, the imposition
of hands for the communication of the Holy Ghost, the anointing
of the sick, the breaking of bread.
The knowledge of the truths of religion, which Christ imparted
to the Apostles personally and through the Holy Ghost, is also
communicated to us; for the Catholic Church, established by
Christ and guided by the Holy Ghost, teaches us all whatsoever
we are to believe and to do, in order to please God and to be
saved. If the doctrine of Christ remains unintelligible to so many,
it is solely their own fault. They neglect the instruction which
is given on Sundays and holidays ; they never read a spiritual
book; hence their ignorance in matters of religion; hence also
their unchristian life. With many others various passions and
vices are the cause of their ignorance and errors in religious
things, for the more man turns away from God and sinks into sin
and vice, the more obscure and enigmatical become to him the
mysteries of faith, and he is frequently delivered over to total
blindness and unbelief. “Their own malice blinds them.”— Wis.

184

Fifth Sunday After Easter.

2:21. In order to be preserved from such a dangerous and per­
nicious ignorance, love to hear the word of God and to read
spiritual books, especially on Sundays and holidays; control
your passions and walk in the fear of God, for this is, as we fre­
quently read in the Lives of the Saints, the best means for ac­
quiring the knowledge of Christian truth and for our growth
therein.
2. In that day you shall ask in my name, and I say not to you, that

I will ask the Fatherfor you. For the Father himself loveth you, be­
cause you have loved me, and have believed that I came outfrom God.
Here again we have a very consoling promise for the Apostles,
for Christ assures them of the special love of his heavenly Father.
I shall always be your Mediator and Intercessor, but I will not
mention this now, for God, my heavenly Father, himself loves
you and gives you all things whatsoever you shall ask him in my
name. What a glorious promise ! Can there be a sweeter solace
for us mortals on earth than to be able to say to ourselves: God
loves me, he loves me more affectionately than the best father
ever loved his child, and he is ready to give me everything I ask
of him. Christ assigns as the reason of this love of God for his Apos­
tles, that they have loved him {Christ} and believed in him. The Apos­
tles believed in him as the Son of God and the Redeemer of the
world, and often, but more especially in the gospel of this day,
expressed this faith with these words : Now we know that thou

knowest all things, and thou needest not that any man should ask
thee. By this we believe that thou contest forth from God. They con­
fess hisomniscience and the coming forth from God the Father, that
is, his eternal generation from the Father, and, consequently, his
Divinity. Their love of him was also very sincere and affecti­
onate, for it was this love that made them leave all things and
follow him ; made them endure ignominy, persecution, suffering*
of every sort, and finally death by martyrdom.
We must also acquire the love of God by believing and loving.
By laith, tor "without faith it is impossible to please God.” —
Heb. 11: 6. Those are in great error who say that it matters not
what a man believes; provided he lead an honest life he pleases
God and will be saved; a Jew or a Gentile, a Mohammedan or a
Christian, a Catholic or a Protestant, it is all the same; we all
believe in one God, and as there are many ways to Rome, so
there are many ways to heaven. A man who talks thus is no
Catholic, nor is he ever likely to become one. But love is equally
as necessary as faith, for the Apostle says: “ If I should have all
faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I
am nothing.”—I. Cor. 13: 2. As you need two feet for walking,
so you need faith and love in order to walk in the way of sal­
vation and to enter into heaven. How is it with your faith? Do

2. Homiletic Sketch.

185

you believe all that the Catholic Church proposes to your faith?
Are you ready to make a sacrifice of everything, even of your life,
for the Catholic faith? How is it with your love? Is it active? Do
you keep the commandments of God? Do you sincerely love your
neighbor, even your enemies, and those who offend you?
3. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again
I leave the world, and go the Father. These words also contain
consolation for the Apostles. When Christ says that he came forth
from the Father, he expresses his eternal generation from God the
Father, and consequently his Divinity. What a consolation for the
Apostles to be able to say to themselves: Jesus, our Master, is the
Son of God, true God. By saying, I am come into the world, he
indicates that he became man for our redemption. What a conso­
lation for the Apostles, since this word represented to them the
inexpressible grace of Redemption. Again I leave the world and
go to the Father. What fresh consolation for the Apostles, not
only for the sake of their divine Master, whom they dearly loved,
and whose glory in heaven filled them with the greatest joy, but
also for their own sake, because they had the sure hope of going
to him and partaking of his happiness.
PERORATION.

The words of our Lord : I came forth from the Father, and am
come into the world; again I leave the world, and go to the Father,
deserve our most serious consideration, for applied to us they
describe our destiny here. We came forth from the Father into the
world, for God is our Creator; to him we owe our life and existence.
But God has created us for no other purpose than to serve him
and thus to save our souls. Now, if we comply with this we shall
attain our eternal destiny and shall be saved. Oh, let us during this
week, and daily, so long as we live, fervently pray to God for grace
that he may keep us in his holy love ; but let us also vow to him
fidelity, love and obedience, and persevere constantly in his holy
sendee all the days of our lives, that at the hour of death we may be
able to say with Jesus : I leave the world and go to the Father. Amen.

■Μ·

t86

Fifth Sunday After Easter.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

3. DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
THE NECESSITY OF PRAYER.

Amen, amen, I say to you, if you ask the Father anything tn my
name, he will give it you.—John ιό : 23.
There is nothing more frequently spoken of in the Old and
the New Testament than prayer ; in almost countless passages
we are admonished to pray. Our divine Saviour does the same
in the gospel of this day ; he exhorts us to pray. But, that we
may the more readily follow his invitation, he promises that we
shall obtain all the requests which we present to God, our
heavenly Father, in his name. He gives us the most beautiful ex­
amples of fervor in prayer, for he prayed often and much, passing
whole nights in prayer. All Christians solicitous for their salva­
tion were friends of prayer, and among all the saints you will
not find one who has not loved to pray. But prayer is also one
of the most necessary exercises for the Christian. St. Augustine
says: “Prayer is the nourishment of the soul, for as the body
cannot live without food, so the soul cannot sustain life without
prayer.” He who despises prayer and will not hear it spoken of
is in a bad condition ; his salvation is in danger ; he has on his
forehead the infallible sign of reprobation. I shall speak to-day
about the necessity of prayer, and prove to you that it is neces­
sary—

I. Being a commandment of God;
II. As a means of salvation.

Part L
It is by no means left to our own caprice whether we shall
pray or not. It is not merely an invitation or a counsel ; it is a
precept, and we are bound to obey it.

1. The obligation to pray is founded on the natural law, and it
is written in every man’s heart that he must pray. We therefore
find that even the Gentiles, who had no knowledge of divine re­
velation, were convinced of the necessity of prayer, and really

3.

Dogmatical Sketch.

187

prayed to their gods. Plutarch, a pagan historian, says: “Travel
over the world, wherever you may, you will find cities without
walls, without sciences, without kings, without money and riches,
but no one has yet seen a city that had no gods or temples;
and I think that a city can be formed and exist without a foun­
dation rather than a community without faith in a deity (and
consequently also without prayer).” Therefore the pagans in­
sisted upon the adoration of their deities with such severity that
they punished with death those Christians who refused to adore
their imaginary gods. He, then, who does not pray, sins against
the natural law and places himself on a level with irrational aniII als that do not know their Lord and Creator.
2. God has, however, emphatically enjoined upon us the duty
of constant prayer. Thus he spoke to the Israelites: “You shall
not fear strange gods, nor shall you adore them, nor worship
them, nor sacrifice to them ; but the Lord your God, who brought
you out of the land of Egypt with great power, and a stretchedout arm, him shall you fear, and him shall you adore, and to him
shall you sacrifice.”—4. Kings 17'. 35, 36. Such admonitions to
pray constantly occur in the Old Testament. And how often
does Christ exhort us to pray ? “Ask, and it shall be given you.”
—Matt. 7: 7. “Watch and pray; for ye know not when the time
is.”—Mark 13: 33. “Watch ye therefore, praying at all times.”
—Luke 21: 36. The Apostles also exhort the faithful to pray.
“Pray without ceasing.”—Z Thess. 5: 17. “In everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your petitions be
made known to God.”—Phil. 4: 6.

3. That prayer is a commandment of God is evident from the
essence ofprayer.
(al) Every prayer, whether it be one of praise, of thanksgiving,
or of petition is an adoration of God, for whether we praise him,
give him thanks, or petition him, we always by prayer recog­
nize that he is our Lord and Creator, the source of every bless­
ing, that we depend on him entirely, that we owe all to him, and
that in all our necessities we are dependent on him, and that con­
sequently we acknowledge him as our Lord and God and sub­
ject ourselves to him. If we never pray, we set him aside al­
together and care as little about him as about a foreign prince or
potentate who does not concern us and who has no claim on us.
Can God allow this? Can he suffer men, his creatures, his chil­
dren, to disregard him entirely? Certainly not, otherwise he
would cease to be God. Prayer therefore is evidently a com­
iffii
mandment of God ; he who does not fulfil this commandment
re-

ι88

Fifth Sunday After Easter.

fuses to God due homage and submission, and assumes the nature
of the devil, to whom prayer is an abomination.
(A) In grayer we praise and glorify God; this is particularly the
case in that kind of prayer which we call the prayer of praise. It
is the duty of every man to praise and glorify God, for he has
created us and the whole world for his honor and glory. In the
Sacred Scripture all rational and irrational creatures are called
upon to glorify the Lord.—Ps. 148; Dan. 3. He who doesnot
pray, does not praise and glorify God, and consequently acts
contrary to his destiny, and sins. In prayer we give thanks to God.
We do this in the prayer which we call prayer of thanksgiving.
Is it not the duty of every man to show gratitude to God ? Are
we not all that we are through him? Have we anything good that
does not come from him ? Do we not require thanks for trifling
charitable donations ? and shall God demand no gratitude for the
great benefits which he has bestowed on us? God insists that we
should be grateful, and for this reason we are frequently admon­
ished in the Sacred Scriptures to return thanks to him for his
benefits; and the gospel records that Christ was very much dis­
pleased because of the ten lepers whom he had healed only one
returned to give thanks. He, therefore, who does not pray,
evidently violates the duty of gratitude, and sins. In prayer we
petition God, and this we do in the prayer which is called the
prayer ofpetition. What must we think of a man who never prays,
and consequently never asks God for anything? What else but
that he thinks that God is either not willing or not able to give
him anything, or that he does not need God’s help. But he who
thinks so, sins against faith, for it is an article of faith that God
is almighty, infinitely good, and always ready and desirous to
help us, and that of ourselves we can do nothing. Moreover,
God has made the prayer of petition the means for obtaining his
goods and gifts: Ask, andyou shall receive. He who does not pray
acts contrary to the express will of God, ignores the conditions
under which he is willing to impart his benefits to us, and sins
grievously against him. Prayer, therefore, is a commandment of
God and like every other commandment, we must also observe
this one, that we may not be rejected on the day of judgment.
But prayer is not only a commandment of God ; it is also a means
of salvation.

Part Π.
Every man, the just as well as the unjust, needs prayer, if he
wishes to be saved; the former, because without prayer he can­

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

18g

not persevere in the state of justice ; the latter, because without
prayer repentance and conversion are impossible.

1. Prayer being the most necessary means for perseverance in
good, those who are in the state of grace must unceasingly pray,
in order not to fall into sin and to forfeit the grace of God.
(«.) St. Paul exhorts us {Phil. 2 : 12) to work out our salvation
with fear and trembling·; and justly, for as long as we sojourn
upon earth we are exposed to great dangers; powerful enemies
are fighting against us and endeavoring to plunge us into per­
dition. Man has the greatest enemy within himself, and this is
evil concupiscence, which renders every good thing difficult to
him and frequently allures him to sin. The Apostle complains
of this domestic foe when he writes: “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 cap­
tivating me in the law of sin, that is in my members?’—Rom.
J : 22, 23. The devil is the confederate of this enemy. He goes
about, as St. Peter says, as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may
devour.—I. Pet. 5: 8. Moreover, we live in a world in which
there are so many bad examples and scandals, that we may con­
sider ourselves fortunate if we do not deviate from the strait
and narrow way that leads to heaven and suffer the loss of our
souls.
What resource have we against all these enemies of our sal­
vation? Prayer. Christ emphatically says ! “Watch ye, and pray,
that ye enter not into temptation.”—Matt. 26: 41. By prayer we
obtain the grace of God, which enlightens us, so that we may be
aware of of the subtle assaults of the enemies of our souls and
able to oppose them successfully. St. Augustine says: “As long
as you pray you may be assured that the divine mercy will not
fail to assist you.” St. Chrysostom says : “The roaring of lions
does not chase off wild beasts so easily as the prayer of the just
disperses the enemies of the soul.”
{b. Experience also proves this. As long as a Christian prays
with fervor and devotion he leads a good life. The temptations
which assail him inwardly and outwardly may be numerous and
continuous; he stands firm, for as the stake supports the little
tree, so prayer supports him. But if he becomes careless in prayer,
and neglects it altogether, or performs it only hastily and with­
out devotion, he totters and falls, and it is a terrible fall. He falls
into the dangerous state of lukewarmness, which is the precur­
sor of sin and of the loss of grace. Peter furnishes us with a sad
example. He had repeatedly assured his Lord that he would

190

Fifth Sunday After Easter.

never deny him, that he was ready to die with him. There can be
no doubt that he was really in earnest, nevertheless he became
faithless to his promise and denied his Lord and Master on three
different occasions. Why? Because he neglected prayer. Our
Lord had commanded him and the other Apostles to watch and
pray, but he slept; vainly confident of himself he neglected to
ask the assistance of God for the hour of danger. Therefore
pray without ceasing, for prayer is the most necessary means
for the preservation of grace and for perseverance in virtue.

2. Prayer is also for the sinner an absolutely necessary means of
salvation, for without prayer he cannot truly amend his life and
obtain sanctifying grace.

(a.) We read in the Bible of many sinners that were converted,
but we do not read of one that he accomplished the important
work of repentance and conversion without prayer. The first
sound that came out of the mouth of penitent David was a sor­
rowful confession of his sins, a prayer. Full of contrition, he
sighed : “I have sinned against the Lord.”—IL Kings 12:13. And
long after he had found grace he continued to pray with the
greatest fervor. As he says himself, he prayed seven times to
the Lord and rose at night to pursue his tearful prayer. How
did the thief on the cross begin his conversion ? With prayer.
“Lord,” he prayed to Christ, “remember me when thou shalt
come into thy kingdom.”—Luke 23: 42. St. Paul did the same.
He shut himself up for three days and prayed continually.
(3.) Tell me yourselves, have you ever seen a sinner that was
converted without prayer? Certainly not. All commenced the
work of repentance with prayer, and after their conversion zeal­
ously practised it. Whereas they were seldom or never seen in
the church before their conversion, after it they went to church
as often as they could, and prayed with a devotion which edified
all; while they formerly almost always omitted family devo­
tions, they afterwards performed them with great fervor, and even
deprived themselves of many an hour of sleep to devote it to
prayer. Whereas formerly they lived in distraction without any
good thoughts, they afterwards very often lifted up their hearts
to God and fervently practised mental prayer. Those hours
which they had employed in their worldly and sinful life, in
dancing, gambling and other amusements, they now devoted to the
adoration of Jesus in the most holy Sacrament of the Altar, to the
performing of the Way of the Cross, to the veneration of the Blessed
Virgin, to spiritual reading and pious conversation. Thus all
Christians who have entered on the way of penance conducted
themselves, and still conduct themselves.

4· Liturgical Sketch.

191

What shall I say of sinners who foi days and weeks do not
say an Our Father, who neglect public worship on Sundays and
holidays, or attend it without any devotion and prayer, who not
only neglect prayer themselves, but also scoff at those who love
to pray ? I can only say that so long as they despise prayer they
remain in a state of sin and will most certainly perish, unless
they change their minds and begin to pray.
PERORATION.

Thus prayer is necessary so all of us, whether we are just or
unjust, for the attainment of life everlasting. If we are of the
number of the just we must pray, that we may persevere in jus­
tice to the end. St. Chrysostom says: “A. fish cannot live out
of the water, it dies in a very short time ; so the soul of man can­
not live without prayer; it will gradually die.” If we are of the
number of sinners we must pray, that we may be converted, for
Grod gives to every man the first grace to pray; all subsequent
graces, however, which are required for conversion, generally
depend on prayer. If the just man ceases to pray, he will become
a sinner; and if the sinner begins to pray, he will become a just
man. Let us then pray with fervor, devotion and perseverance,
that we may work out our salvation and be saved. Amen.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH.
ORIGIN AND SPIRIT OF PROCESSIONS.

Hear me, O Lord, for thy mercy is kind.—Fs. 68: 17.
“Hear us, O Lord !” Thus thousands and millions of voices will
cry out in the. coming week, and with justice. For -with what
confidence can we pray now, since our Lord Jesus Christ tells
us in this day’s gospel: The Father loveth you, and if you ask the
Father anything in my name, he will give it you. In the coming
week the Church, which is ever anxious and solicitous, not only

ïq*

Fifth Sunday After Easter,

for the spiritual, but also for the temporal welfare of her chib
dren, invites to united prayer, and thousands of voices exclaim·.
“Hear us, O Lord, for thy mercy is kind.”
You, young people, who are born in this missionary country,
perhaps scarcely know what a beautiful religious life is displayed
during this week in Catholic countries ; how whole congregations
in solemn procession, the cross and banners at the head of it,
the pastor in the middle, march forth from God’s temple, praying
and singing the praises of God, and in this way proceed to a
neighboring church. Let us all who for years have not taken
part in such a procession go forth from this church, at least in
spirit, and unite our prayers with the prayers of thousands and
millions of children, young men and maidens, men and women,
and thus united, let us ask God for a prosperous year, for the
growth and increase of the fruits of the earth. Partly to refute
the objections of many who on occasions of processions rave
about their uselessness and exaggerated piety, partly to encour­
age you to join in the prayer of the whole Church, I shall ans­
wer the two following questions:

I. What is the origin of processions'?
IL In what spirit and disposition of mind must we participate in
them ?

Part L
Processions were instituted in the Catholic Church in order to
beg Almighty God to grant certain graces and benefits, or to
avert some evil, or to give thanks to him for benefits already
received.
(a.) It is not difficult to trace the origin of processions back to
the times of the Old Testament. Did not the Lord command Josue
to cause the ark of the covenant to be carried round the city of
Jericho for seven days, with prayer and the sound of trumpets ?
— Jos. 6. King David caused the ark of the covenant to be car­
ried in solemn procession to Jerusalem (ZZ. Kings 6), and Solo­
mon, his son, had it carried in solemn procession into the new
temple.—III. Kings 8: i-6.

(Æ.) The primitive Christians did not make solemn processions,
it being impossible on account of the persecutions. But it fre­
quently happened that zealous Christians went to visit the graves
of the martyrs during the worst persecutions, either to show their
veneration for them or to bury the newly martyred. But when
the persecutions ceased and the Christian Church had become

4·

LiturgïcaL· Sketch.

193

the Church of the world, ana religion could be practised not only
without fear, but with pomp and splendor, then it was that al­
most everywhere the sacred relics of the martyrs were removed
with great solemnity from their graves and conveyed in solemn
procession to the churches. Processions date back at least fif­
teen hundred years.

(f.) Later there were still other reasons which afforded the
Christian people occasions for processions. The Almighty fre­
quently visited his sinful people with bad harvests, famine, pes­
tilence, contagious diseases, lengthy wars and devastations.
Conscious of their sinfulness, and convinced of the justice of the
judgments of God, they humbled themselves and were of opinion
that they could not better avert the impending punishment than
by imposing public penances upon themselves.

(if.) These rogations or processions which occur this week
were instituted in the fifth century. Dauphiny, a province of
France, was visited by a most terrific earthquake; the country
was devastated ; the fruits of the earth perished ; and droves of
famished, savage beasts spread terror and consternation among
the inhabitants. St. Mamertus, bishop of Vienne, proclaimed a
strict fast for three days, assembled his priests and people, and
at their head went in solemn procession for three days, in order
to implore God though the intercession of the saints to avert
from them the punishment which had become very painful and
almost unendurable. And behold 1 God withdrew his punishing
hand, and priests and people returned thanks to God. These
processions were repeated every year in grateful remembrance of
the deliverance from their calamity, and the custom spread so
rapidly that in the year of our Lord 500, therefore thirteen hun­
dred years ago, it was adopted in France, Spain and Italy, and a
little later in Germany.
The processions are also a preparation for the Ascension of
Christ. Oh, how sublime it is when the whole congregation go
forth, their parish priest carrying a particle of the True Cross,
or, as it is customary in some places, the Most Holy Sacrament,
and proceed round the fields. Then truly they resemble the
Apostles, who on this day went from Jerusalem with their Lord
and Master to Mount Olivet, where they took leave of him, and
he was taken up out of their sight into heaven. We are in good
company on that day. Oh, that our Lord would bless us and all
the fruits of the earth, as before his going to his Father he
blessed his disciples.
(<?. ) Among the most ancient processions we count that on the
feast of St. Mark. Although we are unable to determine its date

HI

13

f

<94

Fifth Sunday After Easter.

and origin definitely, we know that it was instituted even before
the time of Pope Gregory the Great (607), who caused the custom
to be devoutly kept up, in order, as he says, to obtain in some
measure the forgiveness of sins. When in the year 590, after a
great inundation, a terrible plague snatched thousands away
(among others Pope Pelagius IL), Gregory obtained by means of
a solemn procession on the feast of St. Mark the cessation of the
plague. The procession is made on this day principally to be­
seech God to avert such evils as war, famine and pestilence. At
the same time we pray to him, from whom comes all increase and
prosperity, to bless the fields, to avert from them unfavorable
weather and all injury and to preserve the country from famine
and scarcity of the necessaries of life, trusting that our Father in
heaven, who clothes the flowers of the field and feeds the birds
of the air, will not forget to give us, his children, our necessary
food. You see how holy these processions are, and how ancient is
their origin. Oh, that we would always perform them in the
spirit in which they were instituted!

Part II.
In what spirit and disposition of mind are we to participate in
these processions? Knowing the spirit which called them into
existence, we also know the spirit in which they are to be made.
In great universal calamities and evils it was—
(a.) The spirit of humility, contrition, and penance, that mani­
fested itself in these processions. We are all sinners and have
justly deserved punishment. We are in the season of spring;
the fields and meadows are in good order; there is no plague, no
epidemic, no war; the country is prosperous. But we do not
know what is before us, what the near future may bring. Already
lightning has repeatedly caused destruction in various places,
and thunder-storms united with hail have filled many hearts
with anxiety. What may happen yet? The promising crops are
not garnered. There may be great devastation, hailstorms, inun­
dations, failure of crops, great drought, sickness and contagious
diseases among people and cattle. Behold the punishing hand!
Let us fervently pray for mercy and pardon. The Litany of the
Saints, which is said on these days, gives us a splendid oppor­
tunity for doing so. “ Lord, have mercy on us, Christ, have mercy
on us. 0 Lamb of God, spare us!”

(Æ.) We must accompany these processions in a spirit of pen­
ance. He who lives in the state of sin, and has not the will to
amend his life, prays in vain. The w’ords of the gospel apply to

4. Liturgical Sketch.

195

him: “ We know that God doth not hear sinners."--John 9: 31.
But if the sinner repents of his sins and is resolved to be con­
verted, he obtains by his prayer the grace of God, as the pub­
lican in the temple did, for “a sacrifice to God is an afflicted
spirit, a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
—Ps. 50: 19.

(c. ) But we should also participate in these processions with
confidence. With great confidence St. Gregory the Great and
St. Mamertus ordered these processions to be made. Animated
with the same confidence, let us also hope that God will protect
us from all these temporal calamities, in so far as it is conducive
to our salvation. But as his sinful and guilty children, unworthy
of this clemency, we address our prayers with confidence in the
merits of our Saviour, to the Father, in the name of the Son, say­
ing: Grant us this, O Father, through Jesus Christ, thy beloved
Son, our Lord. We also invoke in the Litany the Blessed Virgin,
we turn to the holy angels and apostles, martyrs, bishops, con­
fessors, holy virgins and widows, in a word to all the saints and
elect of God, to intercede with him for us. And there can be no
doubt that such a prayer avails much.
(d. ) And lastly, it is with sentiments of gratitilde that our hearts
should be filled when we participate in these processions. We
gratefully acknowledge that we have often deserved punishments
and have mercifully been spared.
PERORATION.

I have now explained to you the two questions, why and how
we ought to take part in processions. They are of very ancient
date, and therefore venerable for their age, they are Christian
in their purpose and beneficial in their effects, reasons enough for
you to esteem them highly and assist at them diligently. But see
to it that they become profitable to you ; accompany them in a
spirit of penance, with true devotion, that God may look down
upon you with eyes of mercy, and that the word of Christ may
be verified in you: “Ask, and you shall receive.” Amen.

196

Fifth Sunday After Easter.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

I

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH.
PRAYER, A KEY.

If you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it you.—
John 16: 23.

The holy Fathers and spiritual writers employ a multitude of
figures and similitudes to represent to us the sublimity, power
and efficacy of prayer. Louis of Granada says : "As wax is
bleached in the sun and becomes daily cleaner and purer, so it
is with the soul which places itself in prayer before God, the sun
of justice.” St. Chrysostom calls prayer a haven of safety for all
who are weather-beaten, an anchor for those who are tossed
about on the ocean, a support for the weak, a treasure for the
poor, a defense for the rich, a medicine for the sick, and a pre­
servative for the healthy. St. Bernardine compares prayer to a
faithful messenger, whom the heavenly king knows wyell, who
easily gains access to him, and who, by his importunity succeeds
in moving this compassionate king to send us the necessary
relief. As regards myself, I would, with St. Augustine, call prayer
a key—
Z. Which opens;
II. Which locks.

Part I.
1. Keys are used for the purpose of locking and unlocking
houses, rooms, desks, trunks, and other objects which contain
something valuable or precious, in order to secure it against
thieves and robbers. In this respect prayer resembles a key, for
it prevents the approach of all hostile powers to us, so that they
cannot injure us in body or soul.
Since sin has entered into the world, all nature is opposed to
us; the four elements, earth, air, fire and water, constantly threaten
us and endeavor to injure us in life and health and property.
But we have a key by which we can take our person and all
that we possess into a place of safety and preserve ourselves and
our possessions from injury and damage. This key is prayer.
God expressly promises protection and deliverance to those

5·

Symbolical Sketch.

197

who call upon him in any necessity. “Call upon me in the day
of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”—
Ps. 49: 15. St. Chrysostom says: “The power of prayer has
already extinguished fire (the three young men in the fiery
furnace of Babylon), subdued the fury of lions (Daniel), put an
end to wars, gained battles, driven away storms, repulsed evil
spirits, opened the gates of heaven, broken the fetters of death,
banished sickness, averted calamities, removed and withdrawn
all divine punishments and human persecutions.” Examples
from history: Judith prayed, and the Lord so strengthened her
that by an heroic deed she became the saviour of her native city,
Bethulia.—Jud. 13. The prophet announced death to King
Ezechias. He prayed for the prolongation of life; God heard
him and granted him fifteen years more.—IV. Kings 2Q·. 6. The
faithful prayed for Peter in prison, and God sent an angel to de­
liver him from his captivity.—Acts 12. In the year 350 the city
of Nisibis was besieged by the Persian king, Sapor II. St. James,
bishop of that city, mounted the walls of the city and prayed to
the Lord against the unbelievers; God heard his prayer in a mi­
raculous way. Suddenly there came swarms of flies, which at­
tacked the trunks of the elephants, and the ears and nostrils of
the horses, rendering them untractable and causing so great a
disorder in the camp that Sapor was reluctantly obliged to give
up the siege.

2. Prayer is also a key which so effectually locks the door of
our heart against all the enemies of our soul, that they cannot
enter and rob us of the treasure of grace. “Watch ye and pray,
that ye enter not into temptation.”—Matt. 26: 41. “Let us go
therefore with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy and find grace in seasonable aid.”—Heb. 4: 16. St.
Bernard says: “The power of hell is great indeed; but prayer
is more powerful than all evil spirits, because by prayer the soul
obtains the assistance of God, which far surpasses all created
power.” A young man, named Pacho, retired into the desert,
there to do penance for his sins. After several years he suffered
such violent temptations that he conceived the idea of taking
away his own life. With this intention he laid himself down be­
fore a cave in which were two hyenas, in order to be devoured
by them. But they did not injure him. Then he took a poisonous
serpent, bared his breast and irritated the serpent, that its bite
might be more deadly; but it had no poison for him. The youth
now turned his wrath against heaven and accused God, because
he would not let him die. But behold! on a sudden he hears an
interior voice which says to him: Wretch! what do you mean?
Do you think you can overcome temptations by your own
strength. Prayt fray, and you will conquer. The youth followed

198

Fifth Sunday After Easter.

this advice; he began to pray, and as often as temptation assailed
him, he prayed with great fervor, and came off victorious after
each conflict.

3. Keys are used for locking doors on various occasions.

Thus—

(a.) In the morning, when persons leave the house, they lock
their doors so that wicked people may not enter and steal. Such
a key prayer must be to us. It would certainly be great careless­
ness to leave the house in the morning without locking the door,
but we should act still more carelessly, if we were to go to work
without having said our morning prayers. Every day has its
dangers, both for body and soul. Many go to work strong, stout
and healthy, and when evening comes they have ceased to live.
Many meet with accidents; they are injured in life, health and
property. Still greater dangers threaten the soul. The wTorld,
the flesh, and the devil pursue us and prepare for us many and
great temptations. How easily it may happen that we commit
sin, lose God’s grace, render ourselves deserving of eternal dam­
nation. Is it not then necessary that in the morning we lock
ourselves with the key of prayer, that is, recommend our body
and soul to the keeping of God and ask him to avert from us all
that might injure us for time and eternity?

(Æ.) In the evening, when we carefully lock all approaches to
the house, but especially the outside door, in order to protect
ourselves and personal property from injury and loss. Such a
key again must be prayer. Night is nobody’s friend ; a great
many accidents occur at night; no less dangerous is night-time
for the soul. Who can count the sins that are committed in the
darkness of the night? How many will be eternally lost on
account of these sins! Must we not again make use of the spir­
itual key, prayer, and urgently ask God to protect our body and
soul during the night?
(c.) Frequently during the day, as often as we leave the house
and no other person is at home. Such a key must prayer be for
us as often as we leave the house during the day, in order to
attend to our business and have dealings with others. In many
religious orders one of the rules is that the members, before
going out, should visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, in order
to commend themselves to his protection. You need not visit
the Blessed Sacrament before you go out; I do not even ask you
to kneel down and say a prayer, but you should never omit to
recollect yourselves interiorly and by some pious ejaculation
commend yourselves to the protection and grace of God. Only
thus can you hope to be preserved from all evils of body and soul.

5. Symbolical Sketch.

199

Part II.
1. Keys are not only used for locking, but also for unlocking.
God has two great treasuries; in the one there are all temporal,
and in the other all spiritual goods. Prayer is the key that
unlocks both these treasuries.
(«·) The treasury of temporal goods. We have different neces­
sities for our temporal life, we need health, food, clothes, shelter,
God’s blessing for our business and undertakings. God gives us
all these things if we ask him with faith and confidence, for
Christ says : If you ask the Father anything in my name, he will
give it you. Whatever it may be, temporal or eternal, God will
give it to us, if we ask him. Open the Bible, and you will find
countless proofs of this consoling truth. God made the manna
fall in the desert at the prayer of the Israelites for forty years,
and water came forth from a rock to quench their thirst. Anna
prayed, and God removed her sterility and gave her Samuel and
other children.—/. Kings 1. Solomon prayed, and God gave him
wisdom, as to no other mortal, and all the goods of life in abun­
dance. The Apostles had labored all the night and taken nothing,
but when, at the word of Christ, and with confidence in his divine
power, they let down their net, they enclosed so great a multi­
tude of fishes that it broke.
(ό.) The treasury of spiritual goods. Spiritual goods are all those
graces which we need for our purification and sanctification, for
the practice of virtues, for perseverance in justice and for obtain­
ing life everlasting. If wre pray, God gives us all these graces,
and he gives them more readily than temporal goods, because
they are for the salvation of our soul. St. Augustine says :
“Prayer is a key, which opens heaven for our salvation. The
moment our prayer ascends to God, the grace we ask descends.”
It was prayer joined with alms that obtained the grace of faith
for the Centurion Cornelius. “Thy prayer is heard, and thy alms
are had in remembrance in the sight of God.”—Acts. 10: 31.
Thus prayer is truly a heavenly key.

2. He who has the key of the house, room, or trunk, can unlock,
no matter who he is, master or servant, mistress or maid, man
or woman.
(«.) Herein again prayer resembles a key. Every one, rich or
poor, high or low, just or unjust, can approach God in prayer,
and find a friendly reception. The centurion at Capharnaum, the
royal officer, the woman with the issue of blood, the woman of

200

Fifth Sunday After Easter.

Chanaan, the blind man by the roadside, the ten lepers, and
numberless others, had recourse to Christ in their necessities and
were heard. He does not even wait till the needy come to him,
but he invites them, in these affectionate words· “Come to me,
all you that labor, and are burdened, and I will refresh you.”—
Matt. 11: 28. He graciously receives the greatest sinners, if they
are repentant, as we see was the case as regards the Samaritan
woman, the adulteress brought before him in the temple, Zacheus,
and the penitent thief on the cross.
(3.) This is also a great consolation for us. The great ones of
this world are not easy to be approached, and even if you ar®
admitted to their presence, you will hardly ever find a favorably
inclined ear; you are either flatly refused or put off with some
shallow excuse to a more opportune time. It is not so with God;
all, whoever they are, may come to him full of confidence and
present to him their petitions. Even the consciousness of our
being sinners, of our want of merit, must not deter us nor forbid
us his presence ; if we have a humble and contrite heart, he will
receive us as affectionately as the father in the gospel received
his prodigal son on his return.

3. If a key is to open, it must fit the lock, it must be put in
rightly and turned. It is so with prayer; it must be performed
well, that God may receive and hear it. Christ tells us in the
gospel of this day how this is to be done. If you ask the Father
anything in my name, he will give it you. The efficacy of our
prayer depends on this, that we pray in the name of Jesus. But

what is it to pray in the name of Jesus? It is—
(a.) To pray with confidence in the merits of Jesus. We are
poor sinners, not worthy to approach God and to ask graces of
him. Only through Christ can we have access to God, and only
through his mediation and merits will our prayer be heard. We
must consider this well as often as we pray; we must profoundly
humble ourselves because of our nothingness, unworthiness, in­
significance and sinfulness, and we must hope to obtain the
object of our requests through the merits of Jesus.
(3.) With fervor. As often as Christ prayed, he was all recol­
lection, all devotion, full of the most glowing fervor. We must
endeavor to pray in this manner, and, keeping all distractions
away from us as much as possible, direct our thoughts to God
and pray with fervent devotion and attention. We cannot ex­
pect that God will listen to our prayer if we pay no attention
to it ourselves. A cold, distracted prayer is but mocking God.

5. Symbolical Sketch.

toi

(r.) With confidence. It would be an insult to God to pray
with diffidence, since he has promised most emphatically that
he will hear our prayer, and he is powerful enough to keep his
promise. He is more ready and desirous to give than we are to
receive. Let us not doubt this power and goodness. “He that
wavereth (in prayer) is like a wave of the sea, which is moved
and carried about by the wind; therefore let not that man think
that he shall receive anything of the Lord.”—James i : 6, 7.

(i/.) With resignation to the will of God. Thus Christ prayed:
“My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Never­
theless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.”— Matt. 26: 39. Thus
we must also pray, and leave it entirely to God when and how
he will hear us. This much is certain that God always hears us,
if otherwise we pray well, but it is uncertain whether he will
give us just that which we ask; for if what we ask would not be
useful, but detimental, he gives in place of it something that is
good and wholesome. We must leave it to God when he will hear
us, for he knows best at what time the granting of our request
will be advantageous to us.
PERORATION.

Prayer, as you have heard, is a key that locks and unlocks. You
frequently take the keys into your hand, for you need them for
locking and unlocking. Do the same with prayer. Pray often,
for prayer is as necessary as breath, because of yourselves you
can do nothing and are dependent on God in your corporal and
spiritual necessities. But pray always as you ought, with a lively
knowledge of your unworthiness and with humility, with interior
recollection and devotion, with confidence and resignation, with
a pure or at least a penitent heart, for this is to pray in the name
of Jesus. If you pray thus in his name, God will be pleased with
your prayer, and it will be a key which will open for you the
treasuries of God and finally heaven. Amen.

202

Fifth Sunday After Easter.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

6. MORAL SKETCH.
HOW WE MUST PRAY, THAT WE MAY BE HEARD,

Ask, and you shall receive.—John 16: 24.
Our Lord assures us again and again in the gospel of this day,
that God, his heavenly Father, will hear our prayer. But that
this may be done we must pray well. For only a prayer that
has the qualities which God requires can claim to be heard; only
the good prayer enriches us with heavenly treasures of grace
and helps us to salvation. As we read in the gospel, the Scribes
and Pharisees prayed much and often, not only in the synagogues,
but they also stood at the corners of the streets and prayed
(Matt. 6: 5); buttheir prayer was useless, because they prayed
badly. If we wish our prayer to be acceptable to God and to
draw his graces and blessings upon us, we must perform it in
the right manner. On this subject I shall speak to you to-day at
greater length and answer the question: How must we pray that
God may hear our prayer ? We must pray—

I. With devotion ;
II. With humility ;
III. With confidence.

Part I.
We must pray with devotion.

We pray with devotion—

I. When we pay the necessary attention and direct our thoughts
to God. This is the nature of prayer, which is a conversation with
God. When engaged in conversation we always turn towards
the person to whom we speak; thus we must turn towards God
and direct our attention to him when we speak with him in
prayer. He, therefore, who prays and has his thoughts some­
where else instead of with God does not pray at all, for he speaks
not with God, but with that to which he directs his attention.
To such a one the words of the Lord apply : ‘ ‘ This people honoreth me with their lips ; but their heart is far from me.”—Matt.
15: 8. It may indeed happen, and frequently does happen, that

6. Moraj. Sketch.

203

our thoughts wander away from God and are turned to other
thing’s. In this case we must, as soon as we notice the distrac­
tion, recall our thoughts, and direct them again to God. If we
do not do this the distractions would be voluntary, they would
offend God and lessen the merit to be gained by prayer.
2. When we pray with a pious disposition of mind. To pray with
attention may not be to pray with devotion. But if at prayer
we are penetrated with a lively sentiment of the majesty, the
greatness and the infinite perfections of God on the one hand,
and of our misery, sinfulness and our infinite distance from him
on the other, and on that account are filled with veneration, love
and gratitude towards God, as well as with humility, contrition
and good resolutions, we pray with a pious disposition of mind,
and consequently with devotion. This pious disposition need not
consist in sensible feelings, it is enough if it exists in the will.
He who ardently wishes to pray well, and humbles himself, prays
well, though he may experience no sweetness and consolation,
but rather distaste, coldness and dryness. If the will is good, all
is good.
A good preparation is necessary for a devout prayer. “Be­
fore prayer prepare thy soul: and be not as a man that tempteth
God.”—Ecclus. i8: 23. Distractions during prayer arise because
we are not recollected, but commence our prayer with a heart
full of temporal thoughts and cares. Recollect yourselves always
before you begin to pray; direct your thoughts to God and ask
him to give you the grace of a good and advantageous prayer.
If you are distracted, recall your wandering thoughts, as
soon as you notice the distraction, and do this as often as dis­
tractions assail you. At the end of the prayer, especially if it is
long, repent of your wilful distractions and ask God to forgive
the faults you have committed and to supply for them through
the merits of Jesus Christ and his saints.

Part H.
We must pray with humility, that is, with a lively sense and
knowledge of our unworthiness, insignificance, and nothingness.
Humility is an essential quality of prayer ; without it prayer loses
all meaning. What do we do when we pray? We either praise
and adore God, or, we give him thanks, or, we petition him for bene­
fits. When we praise and adore him, we confess that he is the
Lord of heaven and earth, that in comparison with him we are
nothing, that we are dependent on him, and entirely subject to
him. Is not this an expression of humility. When we thank him,
we confess that all that we have and are is a pure gift of his bounty,

Fifth Sunday After Easter.
that we are not able to do anything of ourselves, as of ourselves,
and that all our sufficiency is from above. We acknowledge
our dependence on him, and his dominion over us. Is not this
an expression of humility ? When we ask him for a favor, a grace
or a benefit, we acknowledge that we are impotent creatures
and are unable to relieve our own necessities. Is not this an ex­
pression of humility ? He therefore who does not humble himself
at prayer, but cherishes pride in his heart, does not pray, but
only gives himself the appearance of prayer and mocks God.
Hence we need not be astonished that God rejects the prayer of
the proud and receives the prayer of the humble.
Jesus gives us a clear idea of this in the parable of the Phari­
see and the publican. Both go up to the temple of Jerusalem in
order to pray in the place of grace. The Pharisee delivers a
panegyric on himself, saying: “O God, I give thee thanks, that I
am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also
is this publican. I fast twice in a week. I give tithes of all that
I possess.” But the publican, in the knowledge of his sinfulness,
standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards
heaven, but filled with humility and contrition, struck his breast,
saying: “0 God, be merciful to me a sinner?” What was the
effect of the prayer of these two men ? The humble publican
found grace, but the proud Pharisee was rejected, with his
prayer, for Christ adds, “every one that exalteth himself, shall
be humbled ; and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted.” And
St. James says : “God resisteth the proud, and giveth his grace
to the humble.”—James 4: 6.
Be careful, then, lest pride and vanity deprive you of all fruit
of prayer. Humble yourselves before the infinite majesty of
God as often as you pray, acknowledge yourselves as miserable
creatures, who have nothing and can do nothing, as sinners de­
serving only displeasure and punishment. Manifest your humi­
lity also outwardly; do not come to church with vain and extra­
vagantly fine clothes, striving to please men ; but honor God,
kneel down and fold your hands devoutly. St. Gregory says:
“He offers up to God a true prayer who knows that he is but
dust.” The more profoundly you humble yourselves, the more ac­
ceptable your prayer will be to God and the more profitable to
yourselves; you will receive every grace you stand in need of,
for God can refuse nothing when true humility petitions.

0. Moral Sketch,

205

Part TH.
We must pray with confidence.
i. We may confidently hope that God will near our prayer and
make us partake of his blessings, for he is infinitely powerful
and good, he therefore can and will give us what we ask. Jesus
Christ repeatedly, and in the plainest words, has assured us that
our prayer will be heard: thus twice in the gospel of this day;
also in the gospel of St. Matthew (7: 7), “Ask, and it shall be
given you”; again, in St. Mark’s gospel (11: 24), “All things
whatsoever you ask when ye pray, believe that you shall receive,
and they shall come unto you.” But what must still more in­
crease our confidence are the infinite merits of our divine Re­
deemer. Though we have no merit to which we can appeal, in
order to move God to hear our prayer, yet we have the merits of
his Son, and because of them, we may expect every blessing
with the greatest hope and assurance. For this reason the Church
concludes all her prayers with these or similar words: Through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Add to this, that Jesus Christ is our ad­
vocate and mediator, “who is at the right hand of God, who also
maketh intercession for us.”—Rom. 8: 34. How could our
heavenly Father refuse a request which his well-beloved pre­
sents? Therefore the Apostle admonishes us to present our pe­
titions with filial confidence: “Let us go therefore with confidence
to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace
in seasonable aid.”—Heb. 4: 16.

1. We are 7iot always heard, but the reason is—

(a.) Becazise often we do not pray well. God helps him who helps
himself. If we take no trouble, we are not in earnest in prayer;
we have no real desire to be heard. He who, for instance, asks
for the forgiveness of his sins, but does not give up bad company,
does not go to confession ; he who prays for his daily bread, but
incurs immoderate expenses and is an idler and a sluggard, has
no sincere desire that God will hear his prayer ; and when on the
part of man this desire is wanting, then, on the part of God, the
hearing of our prayer is also wanting. How could God hear
people who are always his enemies and never cease to crucify
Christ anew by their continued sinful life? To them the words of
the Lord apply : ‘ ‘ When you stretch forth your hands, I will turn
away my eyes from you, and when you multiply prayer, I will
not hear; for your hands are full of blood.”—Is. 1: 15.

2οό

Fifth Sunday After Easter.

(A) Because we pray for samething detrimental to our salvation
In our short-sightedness we frequently do not know what is good
and wholesome for us ; hence it comes that we often pray for
dangerous things. A poor man prays for prosperity; a sick man
for health. The object of these and similar petitions is good in
itself; for many, however, it would prove detrimental; they
would, if their request were granted, forget God, fall into sin
and perish eternally. Can God hear such petitioners ? Impossible,
for God is our Father and wishes what is best for us. He cannot
give us a scorpion which in our foolishness we mistake for an
egg. God sometimes does not hear us, because he loves us and
will exercise his mercy towards us. Hence it is an important
duty to pray with resignation to the will of God, in all temporal
things leaving it to God whether he will hear us, and how. Our
model must be Christ on Mount Olivet, who said: “Not my will,
but thine be done.”—Luke 22: 43.

(f.) Because we do not persevere in prayer. There are many
Christians who, when they are not heard at once in their necessi­
ties, lose courage and say : “It is no use to pray.” Such Christi­
ans do wrong. God has assured us that he will hear us, but he
has not appointed the time when he will do so ; he frequently
defers the granting of our request, as in his wisdom he thinks
fit. Thus the prayer of the centurion at Capharnaum was heard
immediately, whilst the woman of Canaan was obliged to pray
a long time before she was heard.—Matt. 15. When God defers
the granting of our requests, he has the best reasons for it; he
does so to afford us an occasion of practising various virtues,
such as humility, confidence, obedience and patience; or because
that which we ask would not be wholesome for us now, but de­
trimental; and lastly, that we may the better appreciate and
make use of the graces and benefits granted. He who does not
persevere in prayer need not expect to be heard ; he offends God
since he is not resigned to his holy will and wants, as it were, to
dictate to him as to when he ought to hear him, and therefore
we need not wonder that he is not heard. Hence we must per­
severe in prayer. What God does not give us to-day, he may
give us to-morrow.
PERORATION.

Pray with devotion. Direct your heart to God, respect his
majesty, humbly acknowledge the wants of your soul, and ear­
nestly desire to be assisted by the goodness of God ; perform
with affection and fervor all actions connected with the service
of God. Pray with humility, acknowledge yourselves before God

7- Moral Sketch.

107

as sinners not worthy to appear in his presence. Pray with con
fidence; rest assured that God will hear you, if the object of your
prayer is for his honor and your salvation. Be not discouraged
when your prayer is not heard at once, but continue it zealously
till it pleases God to grant your request. If you pray thus, you
pray well. God will accept your prayer favorably and give you
what you petition for, according to the promise of Christ: “Ask,
and it shall be given you.”—Luke 11:9.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

7. MORAL SKETCH.
WHEN AND WHERE WE ARE TO PRAY.

Amen, amen, I say to you, if you ask the Lather anything in my
name, he will give it you.—John 16: 13.

They say that there is a panacea which cures all kinds of dis­
eases and restores health. I doubt very much whether this is
true, but this much is certain, that religion possesses a panacea
against all evils, and that is prayer. Amid all corporal and spi­
ritual evils such as sickness, pestilence, poverty, destitution, tribu­
lations, persecutions, misfortunes of every kind, temptations and
dangers of salvation, we are supported by the prayer which we
offer in the name of Jesus to God, our heavenly Father. More­
over, prayer is a universal means for obtaining all the graces
and benefits which we need for the present and the future life;
these are imparted to us by prayer. Christ in the gospel of this
day characterizes prayer as a panacea, when he says : Ifyou ask
the Father anything in my name, he will give it you. St. Bonaven­
ture says: “The power of prayer is wonderful; it procures all
that is useful, and averts all that is injurious.” What should we
love to do better than to pray? Should we not devote all our
leisure time to prayer? Should we not frequently recollect our­
selves and raise our hearts to God, not only at home and in the
church, but also abroad under the canopy of heaven? In order
to increase our zeal for prayer let us consider to-day the two fol­
lowing questions:

20S

Fifth Sunday After Easter.

7. When must we pray ?
II. Where must we pray ?

Part I.
1. According to the admonition of Christ {Luke i8 : i), we must
fray always. This is not to be taken literally, since we cannot pray
always, for we must also work and fulfil the duties of our state
of life. We can, however, comply with Christ’s injunction accord­
ing to the spirit—

{a.) If we frequently raise our heart to God and offer up to him
all our labors,joys and sufferings. All the saints were accustomed
at their work frequently to recollect themselves and to offer up
short ejaculatory prayers. This salutary practice is also possible
for us. We can frequently during the day think of the salvation
of our soul and make pious ejaculations, such as these: Jesus,
mercy; Jesus, all for thy love; Jesus, for thee I live; Jesus, for
thee I die; Jesus, to thee I belong living or dead. Holy Mary,
pray for me! Holy Mary, I commend myself to thee, body and
soul ! Such ejaculations obtain for us many graces, and moreover,
have the advantage of preserving us from levity and of increas­
ing our fervor more and more.
(Æ.) If we sanctify our actions by a good intention. The Apostle
exhorts us to this in these words: “Whether you eat or drink, or
whatsoever else you do, do all things for the glory of God.”—
I. Cor. io: 31. If we make a good intention in the morning, it
will last, unless it be interrupted by a bad one, the whole day,
and will make all our thoughts, words and works meritorious
before God. Therefore we pray as it were the whole day because
our heart is raised to God. It is, however, advisable frequently
during the day to renew the good intention, especially in more
important undertakings, or when we are tempted by vanity or
impatience. This we can do by these or similar words: “My
God, all for thy love.”

2. There are different occasions on which we must pray.

(a.) In temptations. tcWatch ye, and pray that ye enter not into
temptation.”—Matt. 26: 41. He who in temptation has not at
once recourse to God and does not invoke his help, exposes him­
self to the greatest danger of falling into sin. We have a sad
example in Peter, who, because he did not watch and pray, de­
nied his Lord and Master three times. St. Francis of Sales very
appropriately remarks: “ As soon as you begin to experience a

7. Moral Sketch.

209

temptation within you, do as timid little children, who when they
see a savage beast run to their father and mother, or at least
cry for help: so hasten also to God at once and ask his help,
grace and mercy.”
(Æ.) In private and public calamities and concerns. Herein also
prayer proves to be the most efficacious means for obtaining di­
vine help. Was it not by prayer that Moses won his victory over
Amelec?—Ex. 17. Was it not prayer that strengthened the arm
of Judith to cut off the head of Holofernes and to save her city from
destruction? Was it not owing to the prayer of the first Chris­
tians that God sent an angel to Peter in prison and set him at
liberty? Yes, prayer secures for us consolation and help in every
tribulation. “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver
thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”—Ps. 49: 15.

2. We must pray at certain times.

(a.) In the morning, before we go to work. We should give
thanks to God for his protection over us during the night, and
ask him to take us under his protection during the day and to
avert from us everything that might injure us in body or soul,
promising him to spend the day for his honor and the salva­
tion of our soul. Let us never neglect to say our morning
prayers.

(Æ.) In the evening. We must again return thanks to God for
all the benefits of body and soul which he has bestowed upon us
during the day, examine our conscience, repent of our faults,
offer up our thoughts, words, and deeds in union with the merits
of Christ, and commend ourselves to his holy keeping. Let us
never neglect our evening prayers.

(<;.) Before and after meals. Food and drink come from God. If
he should withdraw his blessing from our labors and exertions,
we should fare like the disciples of Christ, who labored the whole
night and took nothing. We should consider this and pray de­
voutly before and after meals. During meals many sins are com­
mitted, such as intemperance, gratification of the appetite, unbe­
coming discourses, and quarrels. In order to avoid these sins, we
should never sit down to table without prayer. When the body
is well fed and filled with meat and drink it is more accessible
to the temptations of impurity, anger and sloth; therefore we
must pray, that we enter not into temptation and fall. Never
neglect to say grace before and after meals.

|
1
I
j
j

210

Fifth Sunday After Easter.

(a.) At the sound of the Angelus. For centuries it has been the
custom in the Catholic Church to ring the church or chapel bell
three times a day, in the morning, at noon, and at nightfall. This
is a devotion to keep before the minds of men the great truth of
the Incarnation. Let us say the Angelus three times a day with
great devotion, remembering thereby, with a grateful heart, the
inexpressible grace of the Incarnation of Christ and our Redemp­
tion. They are not good Christians who, at the ringing of the
Angelus, do not uncover their heads, but go on working, eating,
talking, etc. Do not imitate them.

Part IL
We can and must pray everywhere. God is near us every,
where; everywhere he hears the sighs of our hearts; everywhere
he pays attention to what we say to him. St. Chrysostom
says: “You may walk in the market place, and pray. You may
be in the shop, and offer up your soul to God. A servant mak­
ing purchases in the market, a cook in the kitchen, and other
servants, if (without their fault) they cannot go to church, can
pray well at home. For God despises no place, but requires only
a devout heart and a sober soul.” Thus the patriarch Jacob
prayed in the field, Manasses in a dark dungeon, Ezechias on
his sick-bed, Daniel in the lions’ den, Jonas in the whale’s belly,
Job on the dunghill, the three young men in the fiery furnace at
Babylon. And the prayer which was offered in these different
places was acceptable to God and was heard. Christ himself
gives us a beautiful example; he prayed, not only in the temple
at Jerusalem and in the synagogues, but also in the desert; on
mountains, whither he repaired at nightfall; in the garden of
Olives, and even on the cross. Since everything you see in the
heavens and upon earth reminds you of the omnipotence, wisdom
and goodness of God, you should at least occasionally direct
pious thoughts to him and pray.

2. But pray chiefly in the church. You have serious reasons fot
so doing.
(a.) All people, even the most uncivilized, have temples where
they meet and pray. They congregated from the whole country
and the four corners of the globe to Jerusalem, to offer sacrifice
and to pray in the temple. Christ, when a boy of twelve years
of age, visited this temple and came afterwards every year, and
called it expressly a house of prayer.— Matt. 21 : 13. The first
Christians even at the time of bloody persecutions, had several

7. Moral Sketch.

211

places, especially the catacombs, which they used as churches.
When the time of persecution was over, they built churches
everywhere, in which they assembled daily, but especially on
Sundays and holidays for the celebration of the holy sacrifice
and for prayer. Thus Pagans, Jews, and Christians are alike
in this, that they have temples in which to worship God and to
adore him.
(Æ.) God is indeed everywhere present, but in a special manner
in churches. Here, as a rule, he grants more graces than any­
where else. He promised this to Solomon, when he said to him:
“I have sanctified this house which thou hast built to put my
name there for ever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there always.—III. Kings 9: 3. But Catholic churches especially are
houses of God in the strictest sense of the word, for here Christ
is truly present in the Blessed Eucharist, crying to us :
Come
to me, all you that labor, and are burdened, and I will refresh
you.”— Matt. 11: 28.

(c. ) The church is the house of prayer in particular, because
every thing that is done there inspires us with devotion. Here
holy mass is offered and Jesus dwells in the tabernacle ; here we
see many holy pictures which awaken within us wholesome
thoughts and draw our heart heavenward ; here we listen to the
word of God, and to sacred music; we behold the grand and
sublime worship of God with its beautiful, significant ceremonies.
Will not all this enliven the spirit of devotion, cause us to pray
more fervently, and produce in us holy sentiments and resolu­
tions? Does not history testify that even infidels, freethinkers and
obstinate sinners, at the celebration of the divine mysteries,
were most deeply affected, and, as if influenced by a higher
power, prostrated themselves and prayed with emotion?
(d. ) We are bound to profess our faith publicly on certain occa­
sions, and to give a good example to our fellow-men. Is not this
done in a special manner by frequently visiting our churches?
Is not he who is seldom or never seen in church looked upon as
an infidel or freethinker, or a bad Catholic? And will not his
example, if he is a father, or in a position of authority, have bad
consequences for children, dependents and fellow-Christians?
Will they not also neglect prayer and public worship? Do you
not call this giving scandal?
PERORATION.

Do not suffer yourselves to be led into error by those who say
that one can pray everywhere and that it is not necessary to go

212

Fifth Sunday After Easter.

to church. Those who talk thus are abandoned Catholics, who
neglect their salvation, and you may rest assured that elsewhere
they pray as little as in the church. Love to go to church, as all
good Christians have done at all times and still do, especially on
Sundays and holidays, when you are obliged by a strict law of
the Church to do so. Deport yourselves at church respectfully,
modestly and quietly, pray heartily, that you may glorify God,
edify your fellow-Christians, and receive grace for time and
eternity. Amen.

1. Homiletic Sketch.

213

SUNDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF THE ASCENSION.

Epistle. I. Peter 4:7-11. Dearly beloved: Be prudent, and
watch in prayers. But before all things have a constant, mutual
charity among yourselves: for charity covereth a multitude of
sins. Using hospitality one towards another without murmuring.
As every man hath received grace, ministering the same one to
another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any
man speak, let him speak as the words of God. If any man
minister, let him do it as of the power which God administereth:
that in all things God may be honored through Jesus Christ our
Lord.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
WE MUST BE PRUDENT AND WATCHFUL IN PRAYER, AND MUST
LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

On the second and third Sunday after Easter we had lessons
taken from the first epistle of St. Peter. In these the prince of
the Apostles exhorted us to follow the steps of Christ and, ac­
cording to his example, to abstain from every sin in word and
deed, especially not to return evil for evil. Then he admonished
us, being pilgrims and having no lasting city here, to refrain our­
selves from all carnal desires, to lead a good, honest Christian
life, so that the enemies and adversaries of our faith may not be
able to lay anything evil to our charge, and conscientiously to
fulfil our duties towards every one, whether our superiors or our
equals. The lesson for to-day is again a portion of the first epistle
of St. Peter, and contains wholesome instructions which we will
consider a little more closely. They may be reduced to two, viz.,
I. Be prudent and watch,pel in prayer;
II. Always love one another.

I

■OH

214

Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension.

Part L
St. Peter introduces his instructions in the epistle of this day
with these words: The end of all is at hand, referring to the
last judgment, which will take place at the end of the world.
This judgment, and with it the end of the world, he means to say,
is approaching nearer and nearer, nay, we may say that it is near
at hand, because we shall soon die, and then the world will cease
for us; judgment will come, and the sentence passed upon us
will be the same as at the last day.
i. The Apostle crying out to us: Be prudent, refers to the pre­
cautions we ought to take to ensure that death and judgment
may have a favorable issue for us. The question is: How must
we herein manifest our prudence? Chiefly—
(a.) In not loving immoderately anything earthly. All things
whatsoever the worldling esteems so highly and aspires to with
so great a desire, such as money and property, honors and dig­
nities, joys and amusements, are perishable; and moreover we
cannot take anything with us to the other world. Every one,
the king and the laborer, the millionaite and the beggar, must
say with Job (17: 1): “Only the grave remaineth for me.” In like
manner what the earth has and gives does not profit us for eternity.
If you have millions, you cannot buy heaven with it; though you
occupy the highest position, the divine Judge will summon you
as well as the lowest person to give an account of your life.
Yes, temporal goods are in many ways an obstacle to man, for
they draw his mind from Grod and eternal things and rivet him
to the world; they inflame evil desires in his heart and allure
him to many sins. Therefore 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.” — /. Tim. 6: 9. The same
may be said of all earthly goods. It would therefore be very
foolish for us to have an inordinate desire after these things.
Christian prudence requires that we share the sentiment of the
Apostle, who says: “The time is short, it remaineth that . . . they
that use this world be as if they used it not; for the fashion of
this world passeth away.”—I. Cor. 7: 29, 31.

(3.) In patiently bearing everything painful and disagreeable.
Though tribulations and sufferings displease human nature, they
are very wholesome for us, since they detach our heart from the
world and draw it towards heaven ; they furnish us with occa­
sions for the exercise of humility, patience and fervor in prayer
and many other virtues; they blot out temporal punishment and

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

215

increase our merits for heaven. The tribulations and sufferings
which we meet with in this earthly life are not so much a punish­
ment, as graces from God, and numberless people, especially the
innocent and penitent, owe their salvation to them. St. John of
the Cross says: “If God should impart to you the power of rais­
ing the dead to life, he would give you less than if he made you
suffer. You would owe him great thanks for the gift of miracles ;
but when he makes you suffer, he becomes your debtor, provided
you suffer with patience.” How imprudent then are those Chris­
tians who complain and murmur at what ought to be the object
of their joy and ambition. Truly, they resemble a sick person
who refuses to take the medicine which would cure him because
it is bitter.
(r.) In doing everything required for our salvation. We must
carefully shun every sin, and if we have sinned, do penance
without delay. Divine revelation tells us that nothing defiled
can enter into heaven and that holy penance is the only plank
of safety for the sinner. We must also practice the Christian
virtues and good works, for heaven is a reward which is given
only to those who merit it by zeal in doing good. The servant
who left his talent unemployed was severely reprimanded by his
lord, and was cast out into exterior darkness, where there is
weeping and gnashing of teeth.—Matt. 25 : 26-30. Therefore be
prudent and “labor the more, that by good works you may make
sure your calling and election.”—II. Pet. 1: 10.
St. Peter admonishes us also to watchfulness, when he says:
Watch. There is scarcely any obligation which Christ inculcates
more frequently and emphatically than that of watching. “Watch
ye, and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.”—Matt. 26; 41.
“Watch ye, because you know now at what hour your Lord will
come.”—Matt. 24: 42. “Watch ye, therefore, because you know
not the day nor the hour.”—Matt. 25: 13. “Watch ye, praying
at all times.”—Luke 21: 36. “Our life being so full of tempta­
tions, that it may justly be called a temptation itself, watchful
circumspection and prayer are necessary, that we may not fall
into temptation.” St. Bernard says, Watchfulness consists in
this—
2.

(a.) That we pay attention to all we think, speak and do. Various
thoughts, pictures, representations and desires arise in our hearts;
among these many are not good but bad. We must have a watch­
ful eye over ourselves, that we may fight against and keep down
everything that is bad and inclines us to sin. We must guard
the tongue, for he who does not do this says many things which
are sinful and which he will afterwards bitterly regret. Before

116

Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension.

we act, we must reflect whether that which we are about to un­
dertake is according to the will of God, otherwise we expose
ourselves to the danger of being led into sin by self-love or the
bad example of others.
(3.) That we guard our senses, especially our eyes. The outward
senses are the doors by which the enemies of salvation enter into
our hearts and cause great havoc, unless they are watched and
closed. How much evil do the eyes cause, unless they are care­
fully guarded! The eye was the cause of the first sin, which
brought so much misery and wretchedness on all mankind. Eve
looked at the forbidden fruit, and this look inflamed within her
the desire after the fruit, and induced her to stretch out her
hand to pluck it and to eat it.— Gen. 3. David was a man ac­
cording to the heart of God, but he saw a woman washing her­
self and did not restrain his eyes. This glance conquered him
and made him an adulterer and murderer. Solomon was pious
and God-fearing, but he fell so low that he contaminated himself
with idolatry. The concupiscence of the eye was the cause of
his fall, as he acknowledges himself in these words : “Whatso­
ever my eyes desired, I refused them not.”—Ecrites. 2:10.

(i.) That we watch everything that happens without us and avoid
the occasions of sin. “All that is in the world is the concupiscence
of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of
life.”—I. John 2: 16. The world excites to impurity, avarice,
pride, and, in fact, to all sins. It pretends to be our best friend,
but always studies our ruin; it endeavors to infatuate and to lull
our conscience to sleep by excusing all vices and representing
them even as virtues. He who is not continually on his guard
against it falls into its snares and perishes. Thus the pious de­
scendants of Seth were corrupted as soon as they had intercourse
with the wicked posterity of Cain and entered with them into
matrimonial alliances. Dina, Jacob’s daughter, fell a victim to
seduction, because she went once into wicked Sichem. Even St.
Peter, the zealous apostle, when in company with the enemies of
Christ, fell most lamentably. Beware of the world, be not inti­
mate with persons of the opposite sex or with irreligious people.
Avoid balls and theatres and all occasions of sin, that you may
not suffer the loss of your souls.
3. The Apostle exhorts us to prayer: Watch in prayer. After
baptism there is nothing more necessary for those who have ar­
rived at the age of discretion than prayer. “We believe that no
one attains salvation unless God calls him to it; that no one
who is called works out his salvation unless God assists him, and
that no one deserves this assistance unless he prays.” If we con-

•■

: ■

i. Homiletic Sketch.

217

sider, on the one hand, that man can do nothing without the as­
sistance of God, and on the other hand, that God commonly
gives his help only to him that prays, it naturally follows
that prayer it absolutely necessary for salvation. It is neces­
sary—
(a.) To the sinner for his conversion. If a sinner is to be con­
verted, it cannot be by his own power ; he needs the grace of
God for it. Now it is certain that God gives the first grace of
conversion without prayer, but that the subsequent graces by
which conversion is effected are given only to those who pray
fervently. If therefore a sinner does not pray, he remains in sin
and perishes. We know that all sinners, who have been truly
converted, prayed, for example : David, Paul, Magdalen.

(<5.) To the just man for perseverance in goodness. So long as we
live we are exposed to temptations, and no one is so confirmed
in grace that he could never lose it. Even great saints suc­
cumbed to temptation and sinned, as David and Peter. The most
necessary means for the overcoming of temptations is prayer:
“Watch ye, and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.” Cer­
tain pious hermits in the desert consulted one day among
themselves as to what exercise is most necessary to every
Christian for the attainment of life everlasting. And they very
soon agreed that it is no other than prayer. They therefore
resolved that each of them should often pray with David : ‘Tncline unto my aid, O God. O Lord, make haste to help me.” St.
Alphonsus says: “These pious men were perfectly right, for if
we call upon the Lord without ceasing, we shall infallibly be
saved, but if we cease to pray, we shall infallibly perish.” There
is nothing for which we ought to be so solicitous as for prayer ;
if we persevere therein and are prudent and watchful, the last
things, death and judgment, will lose their terror for us.

Part Π.
St. Peter admonishes us to mutual love, and teaches us how
we are to exercise it.

i. But before all things have a constant, mutual charity among
yourselves : for charity covereth a multitude of sins.

(λ.) The love of our neighbor, together with the love of God,
is the principal commandment and a sign of the disciples of
Christ. “This is my commandment, that you love one another,
as I have loved you.”—John 15: 12. “By this shall all men knc w

2i8

Sunday within' the Octave of the Ascension.

that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.”—
John 13 : 35. Therefore St. Peter also says that, before all thingst
we should love one another. This ought to convince us of the
necessity of the love of our neighbor. If it were wanting to us,
we should leave the principal commandment unfulfilled, and
therefore could not call ourselves his disciples. And what would
be the consequence? This, that we could not be saved. “He that
loveth not, abideth in death.”—I. John 3: 14.
(3.) According to the word of the Apostle, we must love one
another always, that is, at all times, and under all circumstances.
The love of our neighbor is grounded on the love of God and
must, like it, be unchangeable. Our love must also resemble that
with which Christ loved us ; but the Apostle says of him, that,
having loved his own, he loved them to the end.—John 13: 1.
Christians who love their neighbor only as long as they find
pleasure in him, or receive or expect something from him, have
only a natural love, which is of no value before God. “If you
love them that love you, what reward shall you have ? Do not even
the publicans this? And if you salute your brethren only, what
do you more? Do not also the heathens this?—Matt. 5 :46, 47. He
who loves his neighbor in a Christian manner, loves him also
when he becomes poor, when he loses honor and dignity, when
beauty vanishes, nay, even when he is injured by him. Examine
and see whether your love has these qualities.

(r.) Charity covereth a multitude of sins. These words may be
taken in a double sense. They may mean : When we truly love
our neighbor we are patient and indulgent in regard to his faults
and forgive them ; though the number may be very great, we
conceal them when we have not a particular obligation to reveal
them, and we excuse them as much as we can when they are
spoken of. This is founded on the nature of love, which consists
in benevolence, and is regulated according to the principle, Do
unto others as you would have others do unto you. He who
does not bear the faults of others patiently, but publishes them
unnecessarily, and will not hear of forgiving, is destitute of the
love of his neighbor. It may also mean this: If we love our
neighbor and treat him amicably and indulgently, this love
covers our own sins; God will pardon them, according to the
words of Christ: “If you will forgive men their offenses, your
heavenly Father will forgive you also your offenses.”—Matt.
6: 14. Ought not this to be an incentive for us to love our
neighbor?

2. Using hospitality one towards another without murmuring.

1.

Homiletic Sketch.

219

(a.) Hospitality in the early times of the Church was a necessary
exercise of Christian love, for at that time there were no inns or
hotels for the entertainment of strangers and travelers. The
Christians were obliged to travel when they preached the gospel,
or to escape persecutions, or for some other purpose. On such
journeys they found no shelter with Jews or Gentiles, because
these were ill-disposed towards them. Hence the admonition of
the apostle that Christians should use hospitality one towards
another, and for the sake of Jesus give them food and drink and
whatever else they need
(3.) Hospitality can still be practised, for even now there are
some who are glad to avail themselves of an invitation, as they
have not the means to put up at an hotel. Then there are always
some to whom we can and must show our esteem, good-will and
affection by inviting themto table. Moreover, hospitality is a means
to form, confirm, or renew friendships, and to accomplish some
good work. If a rich man secludes himself and eats his meals
alone and has no other guests than a cat or a dog, he is a nar­
row-minded, selfish man. It is true, not every one can invite to
table, but he can at least be friendly towards strangers, the poor,
sick, needy and afflicted, and in word and deed render them
many an act of kindness and charity, that the words of Christ
may be verified in him : “I was a stranger, and you took me in.”
—Matt. 25·.

3. Lastly, St. Peter requires of us other acts of charity: As
every man hath received grace, ministering the same one to another,
as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak,
let him speak as the words of God. If any man minister, let him do
it as of the power which God administereth : that in all things God
may be honored through Jesus Christ.
{a.} In the Apostolic times the Holy Ghost frequently imparted to
the newly-converted Christians extraordinary supernatural gifts.
Some received the gift of wisdom, others the grace of healing,
others the working of miracles, others the gift of prophecy.—I.
Cor. 12 : 4-10. These gifts were to be employed for the dissemi­
nation and confirmation of faith, for the edification of Christians,
and for the general good : for this reason St. Peter says : Let
each serve the other according to the measure of grace he has
received, let every one try to be a good steward of God, who
does not bury his talent, but puts it out at interest, who does not
leave the gifts and goods of God unemployed, but employs them
for his own advantage and that of others, that thus he may pro­
mote and increase the honor of God.

220

Sunday

within the

Octave

of the

Ascension.

(£.) We must also serve our neighbor according to our ability.
There is no one who is not able to serve others sometimes and
to show them kindness. If he possesses power and authority, let
him use it to defend the oppressed; if he is learned, let him
give good counsel ; if he possesses knowledge and wisdom, let
him instruct the ignorant; if he is blessed with the goods of the
earth, let him relieve the poor and needy. We can often do a
great act of charity by a small favor, by a word of intercession.
There are opportunities to correct a sinner, to warn a careless
brother, to console the sad, to save a soul. To all these things
we are obliged by the precept of fraternal charity.
PERORATION.

These are the salutary instructions which St. Peter gives us in
the lesson of this day; follow them. Be prudent and make provi­
sion in time, that you may receive a favorable sentence at the
judgment which will decide your fate for all eternity. Watch
and pray, that you may fight a good fight and gain the victory
over all the enemies of your salvation. Love one another, and
manifest your love by doing good to all men when, where and
how you can. Have the honor of God before your eyes and glo­
rify his adorable name in word and deed, that he may recognize
you as his faithful servants and call you to the joys of heaven.
Amen.

SUNDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF THE ASCENSION.

Gospel. John 15: 26, 27; 16: 1-4. At that time, Jesus said to
his disciples: When the Paraclete cometh whom I will send you
from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceedeth from the
Father, he shall give testimony of me. And you shall give testi­
mony because you are with me from the beginning. These
things have I spoken to you, that you may not be scandalized.
They will put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh
that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth a service to
God. And these things will they do to you, because they have
not known the Father, nor me. But these things I have told you,
that when the hour shall come, you may remember what I told
you.

>. Homiletic Sketch.

221

2. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
THE PROPHECY OF CHRIST CONCERNING THE MISSION OF THE
HOLY GHOST AND THE SUFFERINGS OF HIS DISCIPLES.

The words of the gospel of this day, like those of the three
preceding Sundays, are a small portion of the farewell discourse
of Christ to his disciples on the eve of his passion. Immediately
before this he had told them that he had come to the Jews and an­
nounced to them the word of God, yet notwithstanding the many
and great miracles wrought for the confirmation of his doctrine,
he had found no faith, but reaped only hatred and persecution.
These words were anything but encouraging for the Apostles ;
they must have thought: As the Jews do not believe Christ,
but persecute him, we, his disciples, can scarcely hope to be suc­
cessful in the preaching of the gospel. Christ explains to them,
in the gospel of this day, that another time was coming, and that
with the aid of the Holy Ghost, in spite of all persecutions, it
would be possible for them to preach his gospel with great suc­
cess and to gain many souls for heaven.
The gospel of this day may be divided into two prophecies.
Christ foretells—
Z. That he will send the Holy Ghost to his disciples;
IL That severe persecutions and sufferings will come upon them.

Part II.
1. Christ promises his Apostles the Holy Ghost in these words:
When the Paraclete cometh, whom I will send you from the Father,
the spirit of truth, who proceedeth from the Father, he shall give tes­
timony of me.

(a.) Our divine Saviour calls the Holy Ghost, first of all, the
Paraclete, that is, the Comforter. The Holy Ghost was a comforter
to the Apostles. They were very much afflicted at the loss of
their Master. The Holy Ghost consoled them in their bereave­
ment, for he took the place of Christ after his departure; he
taught them, imparted his graces to them, and assured them of
his assistance for all time to come. He was their consoler in all
their tribulations, by keeping up their spirits, by strengthening
them, and by infusing heavenly peace into their hearts. Hence
we read that they went from the presence of the council, that
had imprisoned and scourged them, rejoicing that they were ac­
counted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus.—Acts

222

Sunday within the Octave

oe the

Ascension.

5:40,41· The Holy Ghost is still the Comforter. He consoles
repentant sinners, for he cleanses and sanctifies them and gives
them a peace so sweet that nothing in the whole world can com­
pare with it. He consoles the sorrowful, and causes them to per­
severe in patience, and, in the hope of future happiness, to ex­
claim with the Apostles: “The sufferings of this time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that shall be
revealed in us.”—Rom. 8: IS. He consoles the dying, so that, rec­
onciled with God, they cheerfully leave the earth, and say with
St. Paul: “ I have a desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ.”
—Phil. 1: 23.

(Æ.) Christ calls the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Truth. The Holy
Ghost is truly God, and therefore the Spirit of Truth, because
God is the eternal infallible Truth. But the Holy Ghost is the
Spirit of Truth because he taught the Apostles all truth, and, in
the preaching of the divine word, protected them from every error.
The Holy Ghost still does this to-day in the Catholic Church; he
imparts to her the gift of infallibility, so that in matters pertain­
ing to salvation she cannot fall into error, and everything she
teaches or prescribes is divine truth. Hence the Apostle calls
her the pillar and ground of the truth.—I. Tim. 3: 15. Conse­
quently it is our duty’ to subject ourselves to the Church in mat­
ters of religion, and be perfectly obedient to her. “ If he will not
hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican.”
—Matt. 18: 17.

(i.) Our Lord says that he will send the Holy Ghost from the
Father and that he proceeds from the Father. Here Christ teaches

us that the Holy Ghost is a person distinct from him and the
Father, and that he will send him from the Father, from who
he proceeds. That the Holy Ghost is not merely an attribute or
perfection of God, but a real person, like the Father and the Son,
is evident from the fact that Christ represents him as active, and
says of Trim that he is the Comforter, the spirit of truth, who will
give testimony. It is also evident that the Holy Ghost is a dis­
tinct person from the Father and the Son, because Christ says
of him that he proceeds from the Father, and that he will send
him from the Father. That the Holy Ghost proceeds, not only
from the Father, but also from the Son, we must infer from the
fact, that Jesus Christ says that the Holy Ghost proceeds from
the Father and is sent by him (the Son); for the Holy Ghost
could not be sent by the Son if he did not proceed from him as
from the Father. That the Holy Ghost is truly God, like the
Father and the Son, is also proved by the statement of Christ
that he proceeds from the Father, for no other can proceed from
the Father, as true God, than he who has the same essence with
• fl

2. Homiletic Sketch.

223

him, therefore is true God. It is likewise proved by Christ calling
him the Comforter of men and the Spirit of Truth; for, to console
men, that is, to sanctify them, which is principally what is meant
by comforting them, and to teach all truth, is a divine work.
The article of the faith that the Holy Ghost is a divine Person
and truly God, like the Father and the Son, is very important;
for only as God can the Holy Ghost sanctify us, that is, cleanse
us from sin, transform us spiritually and renew us, so that we be­
come children of God and heirs of heaven. Let us give the Holy
Ghost the same divine homage as to the Father and the Son, let
us appreciate the sanctification which he has effected in us in the
Sacraments of Baptism and Penance, and avail ourselves of his
graces for the preservation of sanctifying grace, the practice of
virtues and good works, and the increase of our merits.

(<Z.) Finally, our Lord says of the Holy Ghost, that he shall give
testimony of him, that is, the Holy Ghost will give testimony of
my Person, of my mission and of my doctrine; he will give tes­
timony that I am the true, only-begotten Son of God, and the
Redeemer of the world, that consequently my doctrine is true and
divine, and that all who wish to be saved must believe in me. The
Holy Ghost gave this testimony on the feast of Pentecost, when
he came down in the form of fiery tongues and rested upon the
Apostles, imparting to them the gift of tongues and heavenly
wisdom, and inspiring them with such courage and zeal that they
preached the gospel and converted three thousand Jews in the
city of Jerusalem. The Holy Ghost has given testimony at all
times, especially by the rapid propagation of the Christian faith,
in spite of all obstacles and persecutions from both Jews and
Gentiles; by the preservation of it for more than eighteen hun­
dred years, though countless enemies have done their utmost to
extirpate it; by countless miracles which he continually worked,
and finally by the admirable moral transformation and renova­
tion which he effected among the faithful. Let us give thanks to
God for the inestimable grace of being members of the Catholic
Church; for the Holy Ghost gives testimony to this Church
by ever-returning miracles that she is the only saving Church
established by Christ.

2. And you shall give testimony, because you are with me from the
beginning.
(a.) The Apostles did give testimony of Christ in word and deed
after the reception of the Holy Ghost. They went forth into all
the world and preached the gospel to Jews and Gentiles, to the
learned and the unlearned, to the high and the low, and courage­
ously proclaimed that there is no salvation in any other than in

224

Sunday

within the

Octave of the Ascension.

Christ crucified, and that all who wish to be saved must believe
in him and subject themselves to his holy law. They gave testi­
mony of him by their holy life, by signs and miracles, by pati­
ence and constancy in sufferings and persecutions, and finally
by martyrdom.
(6.) If we desire to be good Christians, we, too, must give tes­
timony of Christ. We must manifest our faith in him, our gratititude and love towards him in word and deed. We must,
*
* as
often as the honor of God and the salvation of our neighbor re
quire it, confess our Catholic faith, even at the risk of losing oui
property, our liberty and life, remembering his words : “Every
one therefore that shall confess me before men, I will also con­
fess him before my Father who is in heaven; but he that shall
deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father,
who is in heaven.”—Matt, io: 32, 33. We should behave rever­
ently in church and adore Jesus profoundly in the Blessed Sacraft ent, never pronouncing the Holy Name of Jesus except with
the greatest veneration, and saluting one another with the
beautiful salutation, “Praised be Jesus Christ.” But above all, we
must lead a good, pious, Christian life, in order to give testimony
of Christ by our actions. Parents must bear testimony to him by
giving a good example to their children.

Part

Π.

Christ foretells to his disciples the sufferings and tribulations
that will come upon them.

1. They will put you out of the synagogues, yea, the hour cometh,
that whosoever killeth you, mill think that he doth a service to God.
(a.) Expulsion from the synagogue meant excommunication or
exclusion from the Jewish church. He upon whom this punish­
ment was inflicted was excluded by the judical sentence of the
high Council, as an unworthy member, from the society of the
people of God, deprived of all civil and spiritual rights and pre­
rogatives of a descendant of Abraham, and delivered over to the
public curse. As indicated in the gospel of St. John, this punish­
ment was inflicted also upon Christ.— 11: 50-56. According to a
tradition in the Talmud, he was ejected from the Jewish Church
forty days before his death on the cross, by four hundred trum­
pets, that is, four hundred priests. The excommunication was
also inflicted on the man born blind, because he defended Christ
against the accusation of the high Council, and was to be ex­
tended to all adherents of Christ, for the leaders of the Jews had

i. Homiletic Sketch.

225

agreed among themselves, that if any man would confess him to
be Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.— John 9: 22.
There can be no doubt that the Apostles were excommunicated
and put out of the synagogue. “We are fools for Christ’s sake ...
we are made as the refuse of this world, the off-scouring of all,
even till now.”—Z. Cor. 4: 10-13.

(à) The Apostles should, as Christ foretold them, not only be
prepared for being put out of the synagogue, but also for martyr­
dom and death. When in accordance with the commission of
their divine Master they began to preach the gospel, they were
scourged and imprisoned; they were charged not to preach any
more in the name of Jesus. Their lot was uninterrupted perse­
cution, sufferings of every kind, and martyrdom. St. James the
Greater was beheaded ; St. Peter and his brother St. Andrew
died on the cross ; St. Paul died by the sword ; St. Bartholomew
was flayed alive; St. James the Less was cast from the pinnacle
of the temple; in a word, none of the Apostles escaped martyr­
dom; even St. John, who died a natural death, was thrown into
a caldron of boiling oil and saved only by a miracle.
2. And these things will they do to you, because they have not
known the Father, nor vie. The Jews were so blinded that they
thought they were doing a service to God by persecuting the
disciples of Christ in every possible way and killing them. But
were the Jews without sin because they acted in ignorance? No,
for their ignorance was voluntary, an ignorance which could
easily have been removed if they had so wished. The Apostles
were men who on account of their probity and the blamelessness
of their conduct deserved to be credited; they also wrought
many miracles in the name of Jesus, and thereby proved incontrovertibly that they taught the truth. When the Jews did not
believe, it was not from inculpable ignorance, but from sheer
malice; they did not believe, because they would not believe,
and therefore they committed the greatest sins when they per­
secuted and killed the disciples of our Lord. With justice there­
fore St. Stephen reproaches them: “You stiff-necked and un­
circumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Ghost;
as your fathers did, so do you also.”—Acts 7: 51.
3. At the end of the gospel of this day Christ says: Fut these
things I have told you, that when the hour shall come you may
remember that I told you. Our Lord had only the good of his
disciples before his eyes when he foretold their sufferings and
persecutions. If he had not foretold them, they w'ould have been
in danger of losing courage in the preaching of the gospel,

III

15

226

Sunday within

the

Octave

of the

Ascension.

and of giving up the cause of their divine Master. But now it
was otherwise ; having in advance been made acquainted with
their trials and sufferings they were prepared for them; nay,
the very fact that they did come strengthened their faith, for they
could say to themselves: It cannot be otherwise; we must be op­
pressed and persecuted, for Christ foretold it. Moreover, this
fulfilment of the prophecy was an argument of the Omniscience,
and, consequently, of the Divinity of Jesus Christ, and for this
reason the strongest foundation for their courage and sacrifice
in their apostolic labors.

______________________________________________________

4. From what Christ foretold his disciples in the gospel of this
day, many salutary lessons may be deduced, of which we will
consider a few.

(a.)He foretells sufferings and persecutions for his disciples. Suf­
ferings and persecutions have ever been the portion of the faith­
ful servants of God. The servant is no better than his master.
Since Christ during his earthly life suffered tribulations of every
sort, and finally died a most terrible death on the cross, can we
complain when we are visited with various afflictions ? Oh, let
us never impatiently complain of crosses and sufferings, but
rather account ourselves happy when we can suffer something
with Christ, hoping to be glorified with him. Let us consider that
it is only the way of the cross that leads to heaven.
(3.) What were the Apostles to endure ? They were branded
as impious, execrable men, put out of the synagogues, imprisoned,
scourged, abused, persecuted and put to death. What must we
suffer in the service of God? Perhaps a little derision, a few hard
words, rudeness, detraction. What is that compared with what
the Apostles were obliged to endure? And should we not accept
such little things and endure then patiently ? Ah I what kind of
Christians should we be, if we wished always to lie on a bed
of roses?

(r.) We see in our days that the Church is sorely pressed and
persecuted. Let us not become pusillanimous. These sufferings
and persecutions of the Church are clear testimonies in favor of
her divine origin. If it should once come to pass that the Church
were to be praised, loved, honored, and overwhelmed with bene­
fits, as is the case with the sects, she would no longer be the
bride of Christ, but the harlot of the devil. Let us cling the firmer
to the Church the more she is oppressed and persecuted, con­
soling ourselves with the promise and assurance of Christ that
the gates of hell shall never prevail against her.

2. Homiletic Sketch.

227

(</.) Why were the Jews so hostile to the Apostles and hated
and persecuted them even to death? Jesus Christ answers this
question, in these words: These things will they do to you, be­
cause they have not known the Father nor me. Oh, how many and
great sins and disorders originate from ignorance in matters of
religion! Whence come so many frauds and iniquities in business
transactions, so many sins against the sixth commandment, so
many slanders, detractions, defamations, and whisperings, such
neglect of religion and other duties of life? Frequently from
this that people are not sufficiently instructed, and do not care to
be instructed in the doctrines and precepts of religion, because they
do not know, and do not care to know, their duties as Christians,
and the duties appertaining to their state of life; because they do
not hear the word of God, never read a spiritual book ; on the
contrary, they read papers and books hostile to the Church and
associate with men who make it their business to prepare the way
for infidelity. But such ignorance, like that of the Jews, is very
sinful, since it is voluntary and has its foundation in a perverse,
wicked disposition.
PERORATION,

Take care that you do not deliver yourselves to such pernici­
ous ignorance and blindness. Let no passion reign in your heart,
for it is the passions that mostly blind men, so that they hold the
greatest sins and vices to be right and lawful and even stamp
them as virtues. Diligently listen to sermons, in which the truths
and precepts of the Christian religion are explained, and love to
read spiritual books in order to acquire the necessary knowledge
of Christian doctrine and to be preserved from error. Live
piously, for this is the best protection against all delusion, and,
at the same time, the way by which you can attain true knowl­
edge of God and life everlasting. Amen.

Sunday within the Octave of

228

the

Ascension.

SUNDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF THE ASCENSION.

3. DOGMATICAL SKETCH
WHAT DOES FAITH TEACH US CONCERNING THE HOLY GHOST ?

When the Paraclete cometh, whom I will send yon from the Father,
the Spirit of Truth, who proceedeth from the Father, he shall give
testimony of me.—John 15: 26.
In the gospel of this day we find our Blessed Eord in a room
at Jerusalem, in the midst of his disciples. It is the Eve of his
passion; the time of leaving the earth is at hand. The Apostles,
who cling to him with all the affection of their hearts, are in deep
sorrow; for he told them that he would leave them and go to his
Father. He consoles them by repeating the promise that the
Holy Ghost shall come down upon them and abide with them
for ever. As on next Sunday we celebrate the anniversary of
Pentecost, that memorable festival on which, according to the
promise of Christ, the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles,
I will, to prepare you for this glorious feast, avail myself of the
occasion to recall to your mind that our holy Faith teaches us
that—

I. The Holy Ghost is a distinct Person;
II. A divine Person;
III. Proceeding irom the Father and the Son.

Part I.
I.

The Holy Ghost is a distinct Person.

The Socinians and other heretics deny the Holy Ghost to be a
distinct Person, asserting that by the expression Holy Ghost only
certain effects produced by God are signified. As regards the
following texts of Holy Scripture: “ The spirit of the Lord hath
filled the whole world ” ( Wisd. 1: 7) ; “ The spirit of God dwelleth
in you ” (/. Cor. 3: 16) ; “ The Spirit of Truth will teach you all
truth” {John 16: 13), they say that these and similar passages
do not signify that the Holy Ghost is a distinct Person from the
Father aud the Son, but that they are only certain effects giving
expression to the manner in which God enlightens man, teaches
them truth and dwells in their hearts. This, however, is a perni­

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

229

cious error; the Holy Ghost is a distinct Person, like the Father
and the Son, and possesses everything that constitutes persona­
lity, understanding, free will, and self-action. This Catholic doc­
trine is in accordance with—
(«.) The Holy Scripture, which attributes personal acts to the Holy
Ghost, saying that he will teach all truth, be a comforter and
give testimony of Christ ( John 14: 15); that he will show things
to come (John 16: 13); that he will convince the world of sin
of justice, and of judgment (John 16: 8); that he asks forus with
unspeakable groanings (Rom. 8: 20); and that he imparts divers
graces (I. Cor. 12: 2-11). How could these and other personal
acts be attributed to and be performed by the Holy Ghost, unless
he be a distinct Person ?
Moreover, the Holy Ghost is frequently spoken of in the
Sacred Scripture as a Person distinct from the Father and the
Son. Thus Christ says: “I will ask the Father and he shall give
you another Paraclete, that he may abide with you for ever, the
Spirit of truth.”—John 14:16. Here Christ says expressly that the
Holy Ghost is neither himself nor the Father. Again, he says in the
gospel of this day : When the Paraclete cometh whom I will send
yore from the Father, the spirit of truth, who proceeaeth from the
Father, he shall give testimony of me.— John 15 : 26. It is evident
from these words that the Holy Ghost is distinct from the Father,
from whom he proceeds, and from the Son, of whom he will give
testimony and by whom he is sent. In the form of baptism,
“Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost,” the same honor is ascribed to the Holy Ghost
as to the Father and the Son. When Christ was baptized the
Holy Ghost appeared in the form of a dove, distinct from the
Father, whose voice was heard from heaven: “Thou art my be­
loved Son” (Luke 3: 22), and from the Son, who was baptized.

(3.) The Fathers of the Church. Clement of Rome, in the first
century, calls the Holy Ghost the dispenser of graces and the
inspirer of the Prophets, and says : “Have we not one God, one
Christ and one Spirit of grace, who is infused into us.” Evid­
ently in these words he speaks of the Holy Ghost as a Person
really distinct from the Father and the Son. Origen says: “There
are three Persons, the unbegotten Father, the only-begotten
Son, and the Holy Ghost. For the Son is other than the Father,
and the Holy Ghost other than the Blather and the Son.”

Part Π.
The Holy Ghost is a divine Person, true God with the Father
and the Son. This truth is taught—

230

Sunday within the Octave ok

the

Ascension.

1. By the Sacred Scripture.

(a.) It calls him God in express terms. Peter said to Ananias:
“ Why hath Satan tempted thy heart, that thou shouldst lie to
the Holy Ghost, and by fraud keep part of the price of the
land?.. ..Thou hast not lied to men, but to God.”—Acts 5: 3, 4.
If Ananias, by the lie which he told to the Holy Ghost, has lied
not to men but to God, it is evident that the Holy Ghost is God.

(b.) It attributes divine perfections to the Holy Ghost. Omni­
presence : “The Spirit of the Lord hath filled the whole world.”
— Wisd. 1: 7. Omniscience: “The Spirit searcheth all things,
yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things
of a man, but the spirit of a man that is in him? So the things
also that are of God no man knoweth, but the spirit of God.”—
I. Cor. 2: 10, 11. Omnipotence: for the Apostle, after enumerat­
ing the divers effects of the Holy Ghost, concludes with these
words: “ But all these things one and the same Spirit worketh,
dividing to every one according as he will.”—I. Cor. 12: 11.
Veracity : “ But when he, the spirit of truth, is come, he will teach
you all truth.”—John 16: 13. If the Holy Ghost has divine per­
fections, he must necessarily be God; no creature, neither angel
nor man, has divine perfections.
(r.) The Holy Scripture attributes divine works to the Holy
Ghost. The Creation: “ By the word of the Lord, the heavens
were established : and all the power of them by the spirit of his
mouth.”—Ps. 32: 6. “ Thou shalt send forth thy spirit, and they
shall be created; and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.”—
Ps. 103: 30. The Inspiration of the Prophets: “ And it shall come
to pass after this, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.”—Joel 2: 28.
The Incarnation of the Son of God, born of Mary the Virgin : * ‘ The
Holy Ghost shall come upon thee ; and the power of the most
high shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which
shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”—Luke 1:
35. The Spiritual regeneration and sanctification of man: “ Unless
a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God.”—John 3: 5. “But you are
washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified, in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the spirit of our God.”—Z. Cor.
6: 11. Lastly, the government of the Church and of the Apostles: “ I
will ask the Father and he shall give you another Paraclete, that
he may abide with you for ever.”—John 14: 16. “Take heed to
yourselves, and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath
placed you bishops to rule the church of God.”—Acts 20: 28.

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

[d. ) It claims divine
them to baptize in the
of the Holy Ghost, he
same divine worship as

231

worship for him. When Jesus commanded
name of the Father, and of the Son, and
evidently required for the Holy Ghost the
for the Father and the Son.

2. By tradition.
(«.) The Fathers: Clement of Alexandria says: “One is the
Father of all things, and one is the Word (the Son) of all things,
and one is the Holy Ghost, who also is everywhere.” St. Epiphanius: “ The Holy Ghost is also to be adored, for he is God.”
St. Augustine: “ The Holy Ghost is God, as the Son of God is
God and the Father is God.”
(Æ. ) The Councils: As early as in the General Council of
Constantinople, ( 381) the Church unanimously condemned the
heresy of Macedonius, w’ho denied the Divinity of the Holy
Ghost, and she expressly declared :“ That the Holy Ghost, the
Lord and life-giver, is adored and glorified together with the
Father and the Son.” The Council of Lateran (1215) also teaches
the Divinity of the Holy Ghost, saying : ‘ ‘ The Father is from no
one, the Son from the Father alone, and the Holy Ghost from
both, without beginning; the Father begets always and without
end; the Son is begotten, and the Holy Ghost proceeds.” The
Council of Florence (1439) teaches the same doctrine. Thus the
Catholic Church teaches and has always taught.

Part II.
The Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son as from
one source. This truth of our holy faith was denied by the Greek
schismatics in the ninth century, who then asserted, and still
assert, that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father only. The
doctrine of the Catholic Church is clearly contained—

1. In Holy Scripture.
{a.} Christ says: “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he
will teach you all truth....... He shall glorify me, because he shall
receive of mine, and shall shew it to you. All things whatsoever
the Father hath, are mine. Therefore I said, that he shall receive
of mine, and shew it to you.”—John 16: 13-15. He asserts in
these words that the Holy Ghost receives his nature also from
him, giving as the reason that “all things whatsoever the Father
hath, are mine,” that is, the divine nature of the Father is mine
also.

Sunday within

23 2

the

Octave

of the

Ascension.

(3.) Christ further said, that he would send the Holy Ghost:
When the Paraclete cometh, whom Iwill sendyou from the leather,..
he shall give testimony of me.—John 15: 26. Although by the
expression, “sending a person,” we understand his exterior
operation in creatures, it presupposes the procession of that per­
son from him by whom he is sent. The three persons being equal
to each other in power, wisdom, goodness and in all perfections,
this sending is not as among men by counsel or command, but
by communicating the essence of the person sending to the
person sent, or, in other words, the person sent proceeds from
the person that sends.

(a) The Holy Ghost is frequently called in Holy Scripture the
Spirit of the Son. “Because you are sons, God hath sent the
Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying: Abba, Father.”—Gal.
4:6. No other reason for this appellation can be assigned than
that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Son also. St. Augustine
says: “Why should we not believe that the Holy Ghost proceeds
also from the Son, since he is called the Spirit of the Son ?”
2.

In tradition.

The holy Fathers. St. Hilary says: “Of the Holy Ghost we
must confess that he is through the Father and the Son; that he
proceeds from the Father and the Son.” St. Ambrose: “The
Holy Spirit is truly a Spirit, he proceeds from the Father and
the Son.” St. Epiphanius: “The Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth,
is the third light from the Father and the Son.”
(a.)

(3.) The Cotcncils and Confessions of Faith. The second Council
of Lyons (1274) declares: “We piously and believingly confess
that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son.” The
Holy Catholic and Roman Church, the mother and teacher of all
Christians, has always taught this. This is the unchangeable
and true declaration of the orthodox Fathers and teachers of the
Latin, as well as of the Greek, Church. In this same sense the
Council of Florence (1439) expressed itself. In the Nicene Creed
we say: I believe in the Holy Ghost, who proceeds from the
Father and the Son;” in the Athanasian : “The Holy Ghost is
from the Father and the Son, not made, nor created, nor begotten,
but proceeding.”
3. The Holy Ghost proceeds, however, from the Father and
the Son, as from one source. St. Augustine explains this doctrine
in the following manner: “As the Father and the Son are no
more than one God, and, as regards the creation, are but one
Creator and one Lord, so they are but one source to the Holy

4.

Liturgical Sketch.

233

Ghost; with regard to the creation, the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Ghost, are one source, as they are one Creator and one
Lord.” The General Councils of Lyons (1274) and of Florence
(1439) defined this doctrine as a dogma.
PERORATION.

The Holy Ghost, then, is the third Person of the Blessed Trin­
ity, not an effect of God, but a distinct Person ; the Holy Ghost
is not a creature, any more than the Father and the Son, but
equal to the Father and the Son, true God as they are ; the Holy
Ghost proceeds, not from the Father only, but from the Father,
and the Son, as from one source. Such being the dignity of
the Holy Ghost, we have every reason to make a due prepara­
tion for his coming. Let us then in the wedding garment of
sanctifying grace meet our Consoler and Intercessor, our Light
and Teacher, the sweet Guardian of our souls. Amen.

SUNDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF THE ASCENSION

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH.
PREPARATION FOR THE FEAST OF PENTECOST.

When the Paraclete cometh, whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth, who proceedeth from the Father, he shall give
testimony of me,—John 15: 26.
Three days ago we celebrated the feast of the Ascension of
Christ, and now we stand on the threshold of the last cycle of
the feasts of the Ecclesiastical Year, which, having Pentecost
for its principal feast, is called the Pentecost cycle. In this cycle
we perceive the operation of the Holy Ghost, who applies to us
the merits of our Redeemer, and effects our sanctification in the
Church. Historically the Pentecost cycle began with the first
Christian feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem, when the Holy Ghost
came down upon the Apostles ; and it will last to the end of the
world, for which reason the Church annually reads on the last
Sunday after Pentecost the gospel describing the end of the
world and the last judgment. The ten days from the Ascension
io Pentecost form the transition to the Pentecost cycle ; and, like

234

Sunday within

the

Octave

of the

Ascension.

the Apostles, we must employ them in preparation for the holy
feast of Pentecost, that we too may become sharers of the graces
of the Holy Ghost. The Church teaches us how to make this
preparation—

I. In the mass of this Sunday ;
II. In the celebration of the Vigil of Pentecost.

Part L
In the mass of this Sunday three things are specially mentioned
by means of which we must prepare ourselves for the feast of
Pentecost; desire, frayer, and the love of our neighbor*

1. Desire. We are reminded of it—

____

(a.) In the Introit, which reads : ‘fflear, O Lord, my voice, with
which I have cried to thee, Alleluia. My heart hath said to thee:
I have sought thy face: thy face, O Lord, I will seek, turn not
away thy face from me, Alleluia, Alleluia. The Lord is my light
and my salvation, whom shall I fear?”—Ps. 26: 7-9. With these
words of the introit the Church indicates the days between the
Ascension of Christ and Pentecost as a time of desire for the
coming of the Holy Ghost. The Apostles were filled with such
a desire. When Christ, at his departure, promised them another
Comforter, the Holy Ghost, they had a great longing for him,
and with desire they looked forward to the day when he would
come down upon them. We should, like the Apostles, have a
great desire for the Holy Ghost, longing that he may come and
impart to us his graces. He who has not this desire gives us to
understand that he belongs to the world, which, as Christ ex­
pressly declares, cannot receive the Holy Ghost.—John 14: 17.
Let us then in these days often implore God to send us his Spirit
to renew the face of the earth.—Ps. 103 : 30.

(£.) In the Gosfel, which speaks of the necessity of the coming
of the Holy Ghost. In this gospel, Christ promises his disciples
the Holy Ghost as the Comforter and teacher of truth, and fore­
tells the sufferings and persecutions in store for them. The
Apostles were to preach the gospel; they needed the Spirit of
Truth to guard them against error : they were to endure great
tribulations in their missionary work ; they needed a comforter
to sustain them amidst their tribulations and furnish them with
strength to overcome all obstacles. They looked forward there­
fore to the coming of the Holy Ghost with the greatest desire,
well knowing that they would need his assistance.

4·

Liturgical Sketch.

235

We, too, need the Holy Ghost, this Comforter and Spirit of
Truth, to enable us to work out our salvation. He must enlighten
us, that we may not deviate from the path of truth and virtue;
he must raise our drooping spirits and comfort us, that in the
many obstacles and difficulties in the way of salvation we may
not be discouraged ; he must impart to us strength to persevere
to the end in the service of God. How much reason, then, have
we to desire the Holy Ghost and to sigh for his coming!

2. Prayer. In the Collect, Secret, and Post Communion, the
Church invites us to petition God for grace to dedicate ourselves
to his service, to obtain strength for the practice of virtue and
to persevere to the end, in gratitude for his gifts. The Apostles
prepared themselves for the feast of Pentecost by prayer. The
Acts record that, after the Ascension of our Lord, they returned
to Jerusalem and went up into an upper room, where they per­
severed, with one mind, in prayer.—Acts 1: 13, 14. Again, St.
Luke says that they were continually, in the temple, praising
and blessing God. Though Christ had repeatedly promised them
the Holy Ghost, they nevertheless deemed prayer necessary, re­
membering the words of the Lord : “If you then being evil, know
how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will
your Father from heaven give the good Spirit to them that ask
him.”—Luke 11 : 13.
Let us also practise prayer in these days before Pentecost.
With renewed devotion say your morning and evening prayers;
recollect yourselves frequently during the day and say some eja­
culatory prayers. If your circumstances permit, hear mass on
week days and visit Jesus in the tabernacle. Perform daily some
short devotion in honor of the Holy Ghost such as reciting the
hymn, “Come Holy Ghost,” etc.
3. The love of our neighbor. We are exhorted in the epistle to
exhibit this love. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of charity; he
descends and gives his grace only where he finds charity. The
Apostles were well aware of this; they sincerely loved one
another, and “had but one heart and one soul.”—Acts 4:32. Imi­
tate them and follow the advice of St. Peter: “Have a constant,
mutual charity among yourselves.” Live in peace with your
neighbors and avoid all discord and disunion. And since, as the
Apostle says, charity covereth a multitude of sins, practise this
patient, indulgent charity towards those who have faults, or from
whom you have something to endure, and remember that you
are Christians, who, according to the strict command of Christ,
are bound to love their enemies and magnanimously forgive all
injuries and offenses.—Matt. 5: 44; 6: 15. “Using hospitality one
towards another without murmuring, as every one hath received

136

Sunday

within the

Octave

of the

Ascension.

grace.”—Z Pet. 4: 9. Practise as much as you can the corporal
and spiritual works of mercy, for as St. Augustine says: “Mercy
stands at the gate of hell and allows no one to be cast into prison
who here on earth has exercised mercy. He who has been merci­
ful here shall find mercy hereafter.”

Part Π.
The Saturday before Pentecost is a Vigil, that is, one of those
days on which the early Christians spent the whole night, or at
least the greater part of it, in the church or at home in exercises
of devotion, observing a strict fast. Let us briefly consider this
Vigil as observed in our days.

1. The Vigil of Pentecost is a fast-day, and the first fast-day
in the holy-time of Easter, for although the feast of the Ascen­
sion has a Vigil it is not a fast-day. AVhy not? The Scribes and
Pharisees once reproached Christ because his disciples did not
fast. He replied to them: “Can you make the children of the
bridegroom fast, whilst the bridegroom is with them ? But the
days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from
them; then shall they fast in those days.”—Luke 5: 33 35. Up to
Ascension day Christ, the bridegroom, was with them; for this
reason the Church instituted no fast-day from Easter to the As­
cension; but after that feast she did so because Christ was no
longer with them. Besides, fasting is an exercise of penance,
and the fast-day before Pentecost reminds us of the necessity of
cleansing our heart by penance from the stains of sin, for “wis­
dom will not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body sub­
ject to sins.”— Wisd. 1:4. It is, therefore, highly desirable that
‘in order to cleanse your conscience from all sins, you should go
to confession and communion at this time and endeavor to avert
your temporal punishment by mortification and good works.

2. The celebration of the Vigil of Pentecost begins with six
Prophecies which the priest reads at the Altar. All these proph­
ecies refer to the feast of Pentecost, for they point to the graces
which are imparted to the redeemed human race and contain the
conditions which we must comply with for the obtaining of these
graces. The prayers which follow the prophecies refer to the
imparting of the Holy Ghost to the hearts of men and the effects
thereby produced. Thus the prophecies and prayers remind us
of the graces of the Holy Ghost and are an admonition to us, by a
renovation of our heart, mind and life, to prepare ourselves for
the feast of Pentecost.

4. Liturgical Sketch.

237

The prophecies are followed by the blessing of baptismal
•mater, which is done because in the earliest times of the Church,
at Pentecost, as well as at Easter, solemn baptism was adminis­
tered. Moreover, the effusion of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost is,
as it were, a second baptism, the Holy Ghost strengthening in
us and bringing to perfection the life of grace, to which he has
raised us in the Sacrament of Baptism ; wherefore Christ says,
“You shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days
hence.”—Acts 1: 5. The blessing of the baptismal water on the
Vigil of Pentecost is an opportune exhortation to us to renew
our baptismal vows.
3.

4. After the blessing of the baptismal water, the Litany of the
Saints is chanted, during which the priest prostrates himself be­
fore the altar and remains in that posture until the latter part
of the Litany, Peccatores, etc. By this is expressed that we must
humble ourselves, if we wish to receive the graces of the Holy
Ghost, for “God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the
humble.”— James 4: 6. The Holy Ghost did not descend upon
the proud Scribes and Pharisees, but upon the humble disciples
of Christ on Whit-Sunday.

5. The mass which follows the Litany of the Saints is cele­
brated in red vestments, because it is offered up in honor of
the Holy Ghost, who manifested himself on the feast of Pente­
cost in the form of fiery tongues. The red color reminds us of
the fire of love, which the Holy Ghost communicates to us, ac­
cording to the words of the Apostle : ‘ ‘ The charity of God is
poured forth in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost who is given to
us.”—Rom. 5: 5. At the Gloria all the bells are rung. This sol­
emn ringing of the bells announces the joyful tidings of the effu­
sion of the Holy Ghost, and reminds us of the propagation of the
holy faith through the Apostles, to whom the Church applies the
words of the Psalmist : ‘1 Their sound hath gone forth into all the
earth, and their words unto the ends.of the world.”—Ps. 18: 5.
The collect of the mass refers to the Holy Ghost. In the epistle
we read that St. Paul came to Ephesus and imposed his hands
upon some of the disciples of St. John, after having instructed
them in the Christian faith and baptized them ; the Holy Ghost
then came down upon them. In the gospel Christ promises his
disciples the Holy Ghost in these words: “ I will ask the Father,
and he shall give you another Paraclete, that he may abide with
you for ever, the Spirit of truth.”—John 14: 15, et seq. All the
prayers of the mass contain petitions to the Holy Ghost that he
may come down upon us, enlighten, cleanse and strengthen us.

>38

Sunday within

the

Octave of the Ascension.

PERORATION.

Thus the Church, in the mass of to-day, and in the celebration
of the Vigil, gives us a beautiful instruction as to how we are to
prepare ourselves for the feast of Pentecost, so that the Holy
Ghost may impart to us his graces. Excite in yourselves an ar­
dent desire for the Holy Ghost and his graces, and fervently
pray that he may come down upon you and replenish you with
his gifts. Cleanse your heart from all inordinate inclinations and
sins by sincere repentance; practise various pious exercises; de­
prive yourselves of some food and drink; impose upon yourselves
some voluntary mortifications, and perform some corporal and
spiritual works of mercy. If in such a way you prepare your­
selves for the feast of Pentecost, it will become to you a great
source of graces; you will be “signed with the Holy Spirit of
promise who is the pledge of our inheritance.”—Ephes, i : 13, >4.
Amen.

SUNDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF THE ASCENSION.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH.
HOW WE MUST GIVE TESTIMONY OF JESUS ACCORDING TO THE
EXAMPLE OF THE APOSTLES.

And you shall give testimony because you are with me from the
beginning.— John 15 : 27.

Our Lord tells us in the gospel of this day that his Apostles
shall give testimony of him. They did so. After the descent of
the Holy Ghost they preached the gospel to the high and the low, to
the learned and the unlearned, to the Jews and Gentiles, in cities
and in the country, and gave solemn testimony that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God and the Redeemer of the world, and that all
who wish to be saved must believe in him. They could give this
testimony because they were with him from the beginning. They
were for the space of three years in the most intimate relation
with him, were unceasingly instructed in the truths and doc­
trines of salvation, and saw with their own eyes the miracles
which he wrought throughout Galilee and Judea. Moreover,

5. Symbolical Sketch.

239

he sent them the Holy Ghost, who brought to their minds all
things whatsoever he had said to them, and enlightened and as­
sisted them, that they might not err in the preaching of the gos­
pel i will speak to you to-day of this testimony of the Apostles
and explain how we too must give testimony of Christ according
to their example—

I. By the raising of three fingers:
IL By seal and signature.

Part L
In Catholic countries when any one gives testimony before a
court he affirms it on oath, raising the first three fingers of the
right hand ; by this sign he calls upon God, the Triune, to witness
that he will speak the truth. Now the Apostles also gave testi­
mony of Christ by the lifting up of three fingers.
i. By the finger of doctrine. They began their office of teach­
ing on the feast of Pentecost when they had received the Holy
Ghost. They preached at Jerusalem, the home of the high priests,
the Scribes and the Pharisees, those most bitter enemies and mur­
derers of Christ, with the greatest fearlessness, and affirmed that
there is no salvation in any other than in Jesus Christ crucified.
Three thousand Jews were converted and baptized, and shortly
after five thousand more. The high Council rose up against them,
cast them into prison, scourged them and forbade them most
strictly to preach any longer in the name of Jesus. What did
the Apostles do ? Were they so intimated by this ill-treatment
and prohibition as to cease to give testimony of Christ ? Oh, no ;
on the contrary, they fearlessly said ; “If it be just in the sight of
God to hear you rather than God, judge ye. For we cannot but
speak the things which we have seen and heard.”—Acts 4: 19,
20. Faithful to their calling, they went into all parts of the world
and preached not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles.
Everywhere Christian congregations were established, and milli­
ons of believers now bend the knee before Jesus Christ. Thus
the Apostles gave testimony of Jesus by the finger of doctrine.
Thus we also must give testimony of him. Parents in particular
have this obligation ; they must be apostles to their children and
by means of instruction lead them to the practice of virtue. St.
Augustine says : “As we bishops and pastors of souls must speak
to you in our churches, so you parents are bound to speak in
your houses, that you may be able to give an account of your
children who are entrusted to your care.” You all must give
testimony of Christ by speaking always and everywhere the language of a true, loyal Catholic, and by anifesting on every oc··

·/

"■MOBQ

Ί

240

Sunday

within the

Octave of the Ascension.

'

casion zeal for the holy faith. If you happen to meet men who
have erroneous principles, instruct them to the best of your ability ; if in your presence anything is said against the Church, her
doctrines, institutions and ordinances, far from complacently listeningtoit or timidly keeping silence, you must defend the truth
without passion, with earnestness and calmness, and tell them
without fear that the Catholic Church and all that she teaches
and ordains is sacred to you, and that you account it the greatest
privilege to belong to her.

2. By the finger of the contempt of the world. The Apostles mani­
fested at the very outset, when Christ called them as his Apostles,
an admirable contempt of all earthly things, for they left all that
the worldling loves so much and to which his heart clings; they
left their friends and relatives, their home and business, the con
veniences of life, and followed him; wherefore St. Peter says:
“Behold, we have left all things and have followed thee ; what,
therefore, shall we have?”—Matt. 19: 27. St. Paul says of him­
self: “I count all things to be but loss, for the excellent know­
ledge 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.”
—Phil. 3: 8. All things whatsoever that the majority of men
esteem and love, such as honors and dignities, joys and pleasures,
money and property, the Apostles counted as nothing for the
sake of Christ ; all these things had no more value in their eyes
than dung. By this contempt of the world the Apostles again
give a glorious testimony of Christ, for men who trample as it
were, under feet, everything that flatters sensuality, and take upon
themselves that which is opposed to it, such as poverty, lowliness,
contempt, could not fail to gain the admiration of all; and every
observing man must come to the conclusion that they who make
such great sacrifices for Christ and his gospel are not impostors,
but witnesses of the truth, and worthy of credit.
Even to our day Catholic missionaries give the most effec­
tual testimony of Christ. When the pagan nations see these missionaries living in the greatest poverty, renouncing all the con­
veniences and enjoyments of the world, deterred by no difficulty
and danger, they are amazed; they soon give them their confideuce and love and are converted to the Christian faith. How
different it is with the Protestant missionaries ! They are well
clad and well fed ; they are provided with every comfort of life,
to say nothing of a wife and children, and so the poor pagans
seeing all this do not esteem them, and the results are highly
unsatisfactory.
We too must give testimony of Christ by the finger of the contempt of the world. He who sets his heart on earthly goods and
labors immoderately· for their acquisition, cannot be his true dis-

■■■■■■■

|
)

|

|
I

I

I
J

I
I
t

|
I
I

1
I
I

5.

Symbolical Sketch.

241

ciple. “If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is
not in him.”—I. John 2: 15. “Whosoever therefore will be a
friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God.”—James 4: 4.
We are allowed to possess temporal goods and to better our con­
dition, neither do we sin by sometimes enjoying innocent pleas­
ures and amusements, but this must be done only in so far as our
salvation suffers no loss. Let us reflect that everything in the
world is in the end only vanity; it cannot satisfy our heart; it
is perishable and we must abandon it altogether at our death.
Let us learn in this world to be above the world.
3. By thefinger of a holy life. Though the Apostles had some
faults in the beginning, they always meant well, had a good will,
and were men of an amiable character, but when they had received
the Holy Ghost they appeared as models of sanctity. How ad­
mirable was their humility, meekness, patience, their love of God
and of their neighbor I Consider the first Christians ; they lived
so holily that they were called saints, and they deserved that
name. Justin, the martyr, describes their conduct in the following
words : “They live in their own country, but as strangers. Every
foreign country is a fatherland to them, and their own fatherland
a foreign country. They live in the flesh, but not according to
the flesh ; they live upon earth, but their heart is in heaven.
They obey the laws of the land, but their conduct surpasses all
laws. They love all, and are persecuted by all. They are poor,
and make many rich. Their name is calumniated, and by calum­
nies their innocence is proved.” When St. Blandina was tor­
tured on account of crimes which were falsely laid to her charge,
she exclaimed : “I am a Christian. Nothing wrong is done among
us.” Now, whence this sanctity of the first Christains? From the
Apostles, who, not only by their word, but also by their example,
instructed them in all virtues. It was by this sanctity of life that
the Apostles gave the most effectual testimony of Christ. All
well-disposed Jews and Gentiles who saw that the Apostles led a
truly heavenly life and excelled in all virtues, especially in the
love of their neighbor, came to the conviction that these holy men
taught nothing but the truth ; therefore, they believed in Christ,
and embraced the Christian religion. Alexander the Great heard
that one of his soldiers had the same name as himself, but in his
conduct was by no means an Alexander. He said to him there­
fore in an earnest tone : “Give up your name, or act in a manner
worthy of an Alexander. Thus, if we wish to be true Christians,
we follow Christ and lead a Christian life. Very appropriately
Salvianus says : “In vain do we glory in the prerogative and
name of Christian, if we act and live in such a manner that the
name we bear is a disgrace to Christ.” Christ was all meekness,
humility and love! what kind of a Christian are you, if you nourIII

16

>4>

Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension,

ish in your heart anger, enmity, pride, vanity, envy ? Christ
prayed and watched whole nights in prayer, what kind of a
Christian are you who will not hear of prayer? AVhen unbelievers
and heretics see that we indulge shameful passions and lead a
worldly, sinful life, what opinion must they have of our faith?
Do we not give them scandal instead of edifying them by a holy
life and leading them to Christ and his Church? Take to heart
the words of St. Augustine : “He is not a Christian, not a servant
of Christ, but rather a mocker of Christ, who calls himself his
servant, and yet does not serve him.

Part

Π.

If any one give a written testimony, in order to be legal and
of any account it must have a seal and a signature. The best
testimony without seal and signature is worthless, and is rejected
everywhere as so much waste paper. But if any one brings a
testimony sealed and signed it is everywhere accepted with its
full contents, judged and acted upon accordingly, provided there
exist no doubt as to the genuineness of the seal and signature.
Such a testimony, provided with seal and signature, the Apostles
have given of Christ, they have given testimony of the truth and
divinity of his doctrine.
i. By the impression of the seal of miracles. If the Apostles had
not sealed their preaching by • I iracles, would they have been
believed ? Certainly not, they would have been rejected as im­
posters, and this the more so, since Christ, their Master, had died
a most ignominious death on the cross, and his doctrine con­
tained so many things repugnant to the sensual nature of man.
But when the Apostles confirmed the gospel with miracles, every
one was obliged to look upon them as messengers of God and
teachers of truth ; no man can work miracles of his own power,
but only through the omnipotence of God ; if any one, therefore,
works miracles in confirmation of his words, God himself gives
testimony to him that he speaks the truth and deserves uncon­
ditional belief. The Sacred Scriptures, especially the Acts of
the Apostles, testify that the Apostles wrought miracles. St.
Peter healed a lame man, who sat at the door of the temple, beg­
ging.—Acts 3: \,etseq. Even his shadow had a miraculous effect
for all the sick upon whom it fell were healed.—Acts. 5: 15. Of
St. Paul we read that he healed a lame man at Lystra (Acts 14:7,
etseq); that he delivered a girl from the devil (16: 16, et sef)\
that at Troas he raised up Eutychus to life, and that sickness de­
parted from those upon whom his handkerchiefs and cinctures
were laid, and that the evil spirits went out of those who were

5. Symbolical Sketch.

243

possessed. The other Apostles wrought similar miracles among
the Jews and Gentiles.
Can we also seal our testimony of Christ by miracles? Yes, for
although it is not in our power to work miracles in the proper
sense of the word, miracles of another kind are possible with us.
We work such miracles—

(#.) By preserving virtue and innocence among the voicked. The
Apostle exhorts us to this, in these words: “Be blameless and
sincere children of God, without reproof, in the midst of a
crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as
lights in the world.”—Phil. 2: 15. Such lights were Noe in the
midst of the depraved human race which was drowned by the de­
luge; Abraham among the idolatrous Chaldeans; Lot in sinful
Sodom; Job among the pagans; Tobias in Babylon. It requires
more than ordinary strength of character to remain virtuous and
innocent among the wicked; nay, we may almost call it a miracle
for a Christian to serve God with such fidelity as to frustrate all
the efforts made by the wicked to seduce him; such examples
are at least almost as rare as miracles. From this follows a double
lesson for you. Avoid as much as possible the proximate occa­
sions of sin, familiarities with persons of the opposite sex, con­
versation with unbelieving and perverse people, visits to houses
and places where little regard is had to discipline and the fear
of God, amusements dangerous to morals. To go into such occa­
sions of sin, or to remain in them, and expect not to sin, is to
tempt God. “Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his garments
not burn?”—Prov. 6: 27. Let him who wishes to guard against
sin and perdition, avoid the proximate occasion of sin. If he is
in such a position that he cannot do this, let him make the proxi­
mate occasion a remote one by meditation, prayer, frequent re­
ception of the sacraments, and especially by the employment of
the means prescribed to him by his father confessor.

f<5.) By patiently endtiring all injuries and offenses. He who pa­
tiently endures contumelies, ignominies, abuses and offenses of all
kinds, must do violence to himself, for these things are painful
to human nature, which resents injuries inflicted, and desires re­
venge. Now when a Christian puts the commandments of God
in the place of nature and courageously overcomes himself, it
is really no less than to work miracles. When a venerable old
man came one day to the city of Alexandria from the desert to
visit a sick friend, the rabble of the town gathered about him,
loading him with all possible insults. Among many other things,
they asked him if he could perform miracles. A man who was
passing, said : “This pious old man need not work a miracle. It
is a miracle that he bears your insults and offenses so patiently.”
··

244

Sunday within

the

Octave of the Ascension.

In the primitive ages of Christianity many heathens were con­
verted by the meekness of Christians. You would think it a great
thing if you possessed the power of working miracles. Study
Christian meekness and bear all insults, contumelies and offenses
patiently, and you will gain more merit than if by miracles you
were to heal the sick and raise the dead to life.

2. By affixing their signature. The Apostles signed and sealed
their testimony of Christ with their blood ; they died as martyrs.
This undoubtedly was one of the strongest proofs that they could
give of the truth and divinity of Christianity. For how can it be
thought that for the sake of the name of Jesus they could have
gone to death so courageously, with such constancy and cheer­
fulness, if they had not had the fullest conviction that the gospel
which they preached was the word of God?
We must give testimony of Christ as martyrs in a spiritual
sense; we must mortify—
(a.) Our own will, by submitting cheerfully to the will of others,
in so far as it is possible without sin. He who seeks his own
will in everything, betrays pride, disturbs the peace and is the
fruitful source of many disorders. Dependants, such as married
women, children and servants, should mind this, and render obedi­
ence cheerfully in all right and lawful things.

(Æ.) Our inordinate inclinations, with which, more or less, all
men, even pious Christians, are afflicted. Examine what are your
predominant passions, whether they are pride, covetousness, impu­
rity, envy, and do violence to yourselves daily, in order to keep
under and subdue these inclinations and by degrees to eradicate
them. Without such mortifications we can never become truly
-mous, much less perfect.

(c.) Our outward senses. These are the doors through which,
if they are not closed and guarded, the enemies of our salvation
enter and destroy the life of grace. How much mischief is caused
by the eyes if they are not guarded! The same may be said of
the ears and the tongue. Examples from the Bible and history.
For this reason the saints were intent upon mortifying their
senses. This triple mortification is indeed difficult and painful, a
continual martyrdom, but on that account it is as meritorious as
martyrdom itself.
PERORATION.

Make the resolution to-day, like the Apostles, to give testi­
mony of Christ ; give testimony of him by raising up three fingers.

6.

Moral Sketch.

«45

Esteem and love your holy faith above all things, and profess it
in word and deed, as often as the honor of God and your own
salvation require it. Do not love the world nor the things in the
world ; for all that it has and offers is vain and perishable; your
heart belongs to God alone; he deserves to be loved above all
and in all. Live piously : “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. Give testimony of Christ with seal
and signature ; serve God with zeal and fidelity in the midst of
the scandals and seductions of the world and lead a mortified,
hidden life in Christ, that he may recognize you as his disciples,
and admit you to the mansions of bliss. Amen.

SUNDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF THE ASCENSION.

6. MORAL SKETCH.
LIES—THE VICE OF LYING.

When the Paraclete cometh, whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of Truth, who proceedeth from the Father, he shall give
testimony of me.—John 15: 26.
The Apostles were not the only ones to receive the Holy
Ghost, whom Christ promises in the gospel of this day ; all of us
receive him. He descended upon the Apostles on Whit-Sunday
visibly, in the form of fiery tongues; we have received him in­
visibly, first in Baptism and then in Confirmation. The Holy
Ghost was indeed the Spirit of Truth to the Apostles, for he en­
lightened and strengthened them, so that they always gave tes­
timony to truth and taught nothing but truth. The Holy Ghost
must also be a Spirit of Truth to us ; we must love truth and
always hold firmly to it, and hate and shun nothing so much as
untruth and lies. An untruth or a lie should never proceed from
the mouth of a Christian, whose heart is a temple of the Holy
Ghost, the Spirit of Truth. And yet lying is a widely spread
vice among Christians. Parents and children tell lies, the rich
and the poor, the high and the low, all tell lies ; and without
fear of contradiction, I may say that there is hardly one among us
who would not lie if he said that he had never lied. The reason
is because people make no account of lying, and look upon it

246

Sunday within

the

Octave

of the

Ascension.

either as no fault, or as very excusable one. To teach you better,
I will speak to-day about lying and show you —

I. Its heinousness;
11 Its perniciousness.

Part I.
The heinousness of lying must be evident to us when we con­
sider—
1. Thai the man who tells lies resembles the devil. This spirit of
untruth deceived our first parents, persuading them to eat of the
forbidden fruit, so that they might not die, but be as gods. He
has played this lying game at all times and will never desist from
it to the end of time, for he is “a liar, and the father thereof.”—
John 8: 44. He, therefore, who tells lies is a confederate of
Satan, and the reproof applies to him which Christ made to the
Scribes and Pharisees: “You are of your father, the devil.”—
John 8: 44. But is it not contemptible to take the devil, the
most abject of creatures, for a pattern, and to render one’s self
like him?

2. That it is diametrically opposed to the divine law. We find in
the Sacred Scriptures a multitude of passages in which lying is
branded as the most abominable vice. Thus we read: “Lying
lips are an abomination to the Lord.”—Prov. 12: 22. And again:
“A lie is a foul blot in a man; and yet it will be continually in
the mouth of men without discipline. A thief is better than a
man that is always lying ; but both of them shall inherit destruc­
tion. The manners of a lying men are without honor, and theii
confusion is with them without ceasing.”—Ecclus. 20: 26-28. Oui
Lord himself calls liars children of Satan, and commands us to
speak the truth, when he says : “Let your speech be, yea, yea,
no, no : and that which is over and above these is of evil.”—
Matt. 5:37.
3. That it is forbidden by the holy Fathers as a heinous vice. St
Augustine wrote a whole book on lying, and, among many othei
things says that it is not lawful to tell a lie, even though we
could thereby obtain the salvation of a man—nay, the salvation
of the whole world. St. Ambrose says: “Beware, bretheren, of a
lie, for all who love lies are children of the devil, not by nature
indeed, but by imitation.” St. Justin says: “We will rather not
live than tell a lie.” How truly this saint spoke, millions of
Christians proved during the persecution which lasted three
hundred years. They might have saved their estates, their

6

Moral Sketch.

«47

liberty, their lives, by an apparently insignificant lie; when asked
by the pagan judges whether they were Christians, all they had
to say was: We are not—and no harm would have befallen them.
Who would not think that under these circumstances they would
have allowed themselves to tell a lie? But no, they did not; un­
daunted and intrepid they delivered themselves to the most cruel
tortures and to the most painful death ; but an untruth they would
not tell.

4. That it brings upon him who tells a lie, even among men, shame
and disgrace. To be a liar means as much as to be without con­
fidence, without probity and fidelity. What is more disgraceful
than to be looked upon as such? St. Ephrem says: “He who re­
joices in lying forfeits all credibility : he is odious to God and
man.” Nothing wounds the soul more, and is a greater disgrace
to it, than a lie. Even he who lies and has acquired a habit of
lying, is ashamed of this vice, and can not endure the imputation
of being a liar, for he feels how disgraceful it is to be notorious
as such.

5. That even by heathens it is held to be a disgraceful vice. Aris­
totle says : “Lying is a vice of slaves and mean persons.” When
the Greeks caught any one telling a lie they branded him and
declared him incapable of ever holding a public office. Among
the Persians two things were held to be the greatest crimes, the
refusal to pay debts, and lies. The Emperor Trajan had de­
throned the Thracian king, and given the kingdom to his son,
but having heard that he had told a lie, with great indignation
he took the kingdom from him, saying : “Being a liar you are
not worthy of a throne, and it is not becoming to Rome, the
mother of truth, to have a lying son.”
6. That it is a disgrace to man and a dishonor to God. The high­
est dignity of man is and consists in his being in the likeness of
God. He violates this dignity when he speaks an untruth, for
God is eternal truth and hates a lie. He gave man a tongue to
give testimony to truth. For as a watchmaker puts the hands
on the watch that it may tell the time with fidelity and punctu­
ality, so according to God’s purpose the tongue is, as it were,
to be a hand which outwardly manifests with accuracy what is
conceived within the heart. When the mouth tells a lie, the
tongue has, so to speak, become a false hand, and the purpose
of God in giving man that member is frustrated.
What would happen if in our body one member should belie
and deceive another, if the eye should tell the hand that glowing
coals are roses, if the smell should persuade the taste that poison
is not dangerous, or, if the eye should assure the feet that a pre­

248

Sunday

within the

Octave of the Ascension.

cipice is a plain road ? Would not the whole body suffer loss and
perish ? Would not such a body, as it in no way answers its pur­
pose, be an insult to the Creator himself? The same may be said
of a lying tongue; it is not only a dishonor to itself and to the
whole body, but it also robs God of due honor. And should we
not, since lying is so abominable a sin, avoid all lies, even by
way of joke ?

Part

H

Let us now look at the perniousness of lying. It injures—

1. The individual man, for if you lie to men, they think, speak,
and act otherwise than they should, and in such a way suffer
more or less loss. Suppose you lie by giving an incorrect price
of an article you have bought, making out that it cost more than
it really did. Well, the neighbor who believes you buys at the
price you mentioned, and what is the consequence? He pays too
much, and loses owing to your lie. I might say the same of a mul­
titude of other lies, even of such as appear very insignificant
and harmless. But it is especially the injurious lie that does a
great deal of evil, for numberless people thereby lose house and
home, the confidence of their fellow-men, honor and good name,
position and means of livelihood.
2. Religion and the Church. It causes heresies and schisms and
establishes many sects. If not, please tell me why in the lapse
of centuries not only individuals, but whole nations, separated
from the Catholic Church and formed new religious communities?
History answers this question. It was false teachers that did not
cease to disseminate and spread lies and calumnies against the
Church, to misrepresent her doctrines and to charge her ministers with gross crimes. By degrees they succeeded in deluding
many Catholics, and induced them to fall away from the Church.
Why was the Church so bitterly hated and persecuted in the first
centuries by the Gentiles? We find the reason again in lying
tongues. They said that the Christians were opposed to the en­
lightenment of the people, just as in our days, that in secret they
were doing every kind of mischief and committing the greatest
crimes, for instance, that they killed little children in order to
drink their blood ; that they adored the head of an ass. The
people believed these lies and calumnies and bore a deadly
hatred against the Christians. Whence does it come that so few
heretics return to mother Church, but live and die in error? From
lies. In the religious instruction which they receive, in the books
and writings which are put into their hands, the Catholic faith
is misrepresented ; they say of us that we adore the saints and
their pictures; that consequently we are idolaters ; that we pay

|‘

1
I

I

6.

Moral Sketch.

»49

greater homage to Mary than to Jesus, our Redeemer that we
make the Pope God; that we pay money for the remission of
sin and temporal punishment. And as these separated Christians
receive these lies as truth the Catholic faith must appear des­
picable to them, and it is out of the question for them to be con­
verted. Finally, whence does it come that especially in our days
the Church has so many enemies, that she is hated and perse­
cuted so much ! Again from lies, for never before had the Church,
with her doctrines, institutions and ministers, been so calum­
niated as at present. They represent the Church as an enemy of
the State, affirming that she infringes on the rights of princes
and people and interferes in things which do not concern her;
that she is opposed to universal education. Such lies and calum­
nies spoken and written (and written especially in newspapers)
are daily repeated ; by little and little they are believed, and the
number of those who despise and hate the Church becomes daily
greater. What mischief lies cause, and how many souls in con­
sequence perish, will never be made manifest till the last day..
Considering all these things, need we wonder that in Sacred
Scripture lying is called an abominable vice?

3. The whole human family. Suppose for a moment that lying
were lawful, how would matters stand with human society? All
confidence in one another would be lost. If you wanted to make
a contract with a man, with all your prudence and circumspec­
tion you might be deceived, for the other party would not be
bound to keep his word or to tell the truth. If you had a law­
suit, you could not call upon witnesses, and the judge could
admit none, for how could any one rely on a witness who, when
he lies, thinks he commits no sin? If anything whatever were
narrated or asserted, you could not believe it because it might
be fabricated. In short, if lying were lawful, all order in the
world would vanish, and there would be such confusion that we
could no longer live together.
4. Most of all the liar himself. A man who is known as a liar
is not believed ; he is shunned, despised, and detested. A pagan
writer has said: “As the verge of the precipice, so I hate him
whose tongue speaks otherwise than his heart thinks.” God
detests the liar and punishes him in time and in eternity: As an
example we may cite Ananias and Saphira, who, on account of
an apparently trivial lie, were punished with sudden death. In
the Apocalypse liars are mentioned among the greatest male­
factors, and it is said that their portion shall be in the pool burn­
ing with fire and brimstone. It is true, not every lie is a mortal
sin, but as every venial sin, carelessly committed, naturally draws
mortal sins after it, so it is with a lie. Under the shadow of

Sunday within

the

Octave of the Ascension.

lies every vice thrives, and only too true is what we read in the
Book of Wisdom (i: 11) “the mouth that belieth, killeth the
soul.”
PERORATION.

Detest a lie, for no matter how insignificant it may be it is
particularly heinous in the mouth of a Christian, who ought to
esteem truth above all things. Lying is, at the same time, in­
jurious, for it causes a great deal of mischief among men, and
brings shame, disgrace and perdition upon the liar. Make a re­
solution always to speak the truth and say with Job: “As long
as breath remaineth in me, and the Spirit of God in my nostrils,
my lips shall not speak iniquity, neither shall my tongue contrive
lying.”—27: 3, 4. I conclude my sermon with the words of St.
Jerome: fiYour love for truth should be so great that you should
consider whatever you say as an utterance on your oath.” Amen.

SUNDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF THE ASCENSION.

7. MORAL SKETCH.
SCANDAL.

These things have I spoken to you, that you may not be scandalized.
—John 16: i.
Our Lord, in these words of my text, refers to the trials and
persecutions which he had foretold in his farewell discourse on
the eve of his passion, and to which he again alludes in the
gospel of this day, telling his disciples that they would be put
out of the synagogues, yea, that the hour would come when every
one would think that he was doing a service to God by killing
them. If he had not foretold them these persecutions, they would
have been in danger of taking scandal; they might have believed
that he was not the Son of God, the promised Redeemer, other­
wise he would have taken more interest in his gospel and not
permitted that, in the preaching of it they should be so sorely
oppressed and persecuted. But now they could not be scandalized ;
on the contrary, their faith in Christ was confirmed when they
saw his prophecy fulfilled. Thus our Lord employed his omni-

7. Moral Sketch.

*5’

science and disclosed the future to his disciples, in order to pre­
serve them from scandal. Carefully avoid giving scandal to any
one, for it is one of the greatest sins, drawing the worst conse­
quences after it. Unfortunately this sin is very frequently com­
mitted. I intend to show you to-day—
I. How we give scandal;
II. What ought to deter us from giving scandal.

Part L
We give scandal—
i. By all sins, which are seen by others or in any way come
to their knowledge ; therefore by words and deeds, and by the ommission of the good we are bound io do.
(ai) By words. The tongue is the principal instrument for giv­
ing scandal. You give scandal when you teach a person how
to commit sin, when you counsel or command something sinful,
when you sanction and praise the evil he has done, when you
consent to the sins of others, or keep silence when you ought to
speak, or defend the evil done; when you scoff at the good a
person is doing or going to do, ridicule him for it and endeavor
to keep him from doing it. You give scandal when, in the pre­
sence of others, especially of your children, you break out into
curses and invectives; but the greatest scandal you give is by
unchaste words and songs, for they poison innocence, cause
numberless bad thoughts, imaginations and desires, undermine
modesty and the fear of God, and prepare the way for the most
abominable excesses and vices. You give scandal by irreligious
discourses, by scoffing at the truths of the faith and ecclesiastical
ordinances, by slanderous words which you allow yourselves to
utter against the clergy, for by such discourses you weaken
and destroy in the hearts of your fellow-men their love and re­
spect for the Church and incite them to unbelief.

(bi) By deeds. How numerous are these scandals ? How much scan­
dal is not given by a passionate fondness for finery, by an immodest
style of dress, by dances, theatres and other amusements, which ener­
vate the mind and promote impurity and other vices ; by bad books,
which call evil good, and good evil, and make use of all the weap­
ons of the spirit of untruth in order to accomplish the work of per­
version in town and country ; by immodest pictures and statues,
which no chaste eye can look at without bringing a blush of
shame to the face. How much scandal is given to children by
the bad example of fathers and mothers I If they disregard the
M

2 52

Sunday

within the

Octave

of the

Ascension.

commandments of God and of his Church, their children will
follow in their steps and give full scope to their sinful desires.
(c.) By the omission of the good which we are bound to do. You
make yourselves guilty of this scandal when you do not prevent
another’s sin which you could and should prevent, when you do
not admonish your subordinates to do good, or when you neglect
the duties of your religion or state of life. Hence those parents
give scandal who allow their children to keep company with
persons of the opposite sex, to be out of the house half the night,
and to participate in sinful amusements ; who do not forbid them
to curse, swear or speak unchaste words, and in general all that
is evil and contrary to good morals; who do not urge them to
do good, to hear mass, to receive the sacraments, and to perform
their religious duties. Again, those parents give scandal who do
not go to mass themselves, nor to confession and communion at
least once a year; for their children will follow their bad ex­
ample and also omit what they ought to do.
2. You can give scandal with and without intention.

(a.) With intention, or purposely, you give scandal when you aim
at leading others into sin. To this class belong those enemies of
the Catholic Church who circulate bad literature, in order to rob
people of their faith ; those impudent females who adorn them­
selves in every possible way, in order to attract the eyes of
people and to ensnare men; those wicked men who employ all
artifices and stratagems, in order to poison innocence; those
wicked employers who aim at making their employees victims
of their impure desires, those wicked people who, by their
unchaste discourses, endeavor to ruin innocent persons, even
children, in body and soul. People who give scandal on purpose,
who are guilty of perverting others, are devils in human shape
and cause more evil than the devil himself.
(£.) You give scandal without intention when you say, do, or
omit anything which is an occasion of sin to your neighbor, but
without having the will and intention of enticing him to sin. This
unintentional scandal is sinful if you foresee, or with due reflec­
tion, could and should foresee, that what you say or do is calcu­
lated to be an occasion of sin to others. It is a groundless excuse
to say: “I have no bad intention in my words and actions. I do
not want anyone to be scandalized.” It does not matter what
your intention is, it is enough that you say or do what affords
others an occasion of sin. What would you say if somebody
should set fire to your house, and after the house was burned
down, should excuse himself with this remark : “I did not mean

7.

Moral Sketch.

253

to do it.” Would you not tell him: “No matter whether you willed
it or not, you are the cause of my house being burned down?” If
you aim at perverting any one, the crime is greater, but you
commit the sin of scandal, even if you have not the intention,
by your bad words and actions.
I must remark here that both intentional and unintentional
scandal is sinful, even if it remains unsuccessful, that is, if it does
no spiritual harm to our neighbor. He, therefore, who speaks
unchaste words in the presence of others, especially of children,
commits the sin of scandal, though nobody may suffer any in­
jury. The reason is, because he voluntarily gives an occasion of
sin, which is in itself sinful and always shews a want of love of
our neighbor.

Part Π.
We should be deterred from giving scandal—

I. By the thought that he who gives scandal is a confederate of
Satan, who by seduction to sin murders the soul which Jesus pur­
chased with his blood.
(a.) We know that the devil is man’s worst enemy, for “as a
roaring lion, he goeth about, seeking whom he may devour.”—
Z. Pet. 5: 8. Perverters and scandal-givers do the same. They also
labor for the ruin of men, for they rob souls of the grace of Grod,
by their bad examples and their seductive artifices, plunging
them into sin and vice, and finally into eternal perdition. The
hunter makes use of certain birds to entice and catch other birds.
The devil does the same in order to bring souls into his power.
What he cannot do himself, he endeavors to accomplish through
his decoy-birds, the givers of scandal. Through them he oper­
ates upon men and entices them to all evil; through them he
prepares for others the most dangerous occasions and displays
before their eyes the pleasure of sin; through them he robs
others of the fear of Grod, makes them careless and impious ;
through them he plunges others into vice and keeps them therein
till they become his prey. Thus perverters and scandal givers
are the confederates of Satan. Is there anything more reprehens­
ible than this ?

(3.) And can anything be imagined more terrible than killing
souls by enticing them to sin ? The murderer who takes away a
man’s life, the most precious of all earthly goods, commits an
awful crime. But the crime of the scandal-giver is incomparably
greater, because he ruins the immortal soul of his neighbor. Oh,

Sunday within the Octave

of the

Ascension.

is it not far worse to lead a person into sin, and, thus cause
eternal damnation, than to take away his temporal life?

his

(£.) And what a sacrilege and outrage does he commit against
Christ, who has purchased these souls with his precious blood ! If an
artist is irritated when some one with a sacrilegious hand de­
stroys his painting, to complete which he worked for years most
industriously, with what eyes will Christ look upon the scandal­
giver and perverter when he stands before his tribunal ? Will he
not, in righteous anger, exclaim: “Miserable wretch, what have
you done ! You have destroyed my work for which I labored for
thirty-three years; you have tom from me a soul for which I
shed my blood.”

2. By the terrible consequences of this sin. Scandal is like a spark
that falls into a keg of powder; one grain of powder ignites the
others and all together cause the most terrific explosion. Cain, the
fratricide, gave scandal to his children and led them into vice.
These again gave scandal to their children and descendants, and
thus wickedness was handed down from one generation to another.
At last the wicked descendants of Cain infected the descendants of
Seth, who had been pious up to that time, with their moral disease,
and thus it came that in the days of Noe the whole human race had
degenerated to such a degree that God was under the necessity
of destroying it by the deluge. How pernicious is scandal even
now-a-daysl Suppose a person in society speaks unchaste words,
by which only one person is scandalized. He thinks of it, reflects
on it, the evil concupiscence is awakened in him, he consents to
temptations and at first sins in thoughts and desires, and after­
wards in words and actions. These sins may swell to thousands
in the course of time. But scandal never remains limited to one
person, it passes on to many others, the scandalized and per­
verted always scandalizing and perverting others. And thus it
II ay happen that by one scandal hundreds and thousands of
souls are plunged into sin and eternal damnation. Those who
have given scandal may be dead long ago, but the sins of their
scandal continue to live, and spreading more and more, are
handed down from generation to generation.
3. By the terrible sentence of Christ upon him who gives scandal.
“He that shall scandalize one of these 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. I must remark here, that among ancient nations
only the greatest malefactors were drowned, or their bodies were
thrown into the water after execution. Our Lord, by saying that
those who give scandal should be drowned in the depth of the

IT

7. Moral Sketch.

255

sea, indicates the greatness of the sin they commit; by adding
that they should be drowned with a mill-stone about their neck,
he means to say that their death ought to be certain, so that
they may cause no more mischief in the world. And Christ
concludes these words with the exclamation, “ Woe to the world
because of scandals.” He does not say, woe to the world because
of sickness and pestilence, famine and war, tribulations and per­
secutions, but “ woe to the world because of scandals,” for scan­
dal is the evil of evils and causes nothing but mischief for time
and eternity.
PERORATION.

In conclusion, the question arises, what must those who have
given scandal do in order to be forgiven by God ? First of all,
they must humbly and with a contrite heart confess the scandal
given ; that is, they must confess not only the sin, but also all the
aggravatingcircumstances connected therewith, and must disclose
to what class of persons and to how many they have given scan­
dal, and to what particular sins they have induced them. Then
they must, to the best of their ability, repair the injury caused
by the scandal. For this end they must, as far as possible, entreat,
instruct and implore the scandalized and perverted to amend
their lives; they must give them a good example and pray for
their conversion, and impose works of penance upon themselves.
It is only by these and similar acts that they may yet hope to
find grace with God. Let it not, however, come to pass that
you will be obliged to seek your salvation on this hard road.
With the greatest possible care beware of giving scandal, say
and do nothing that might be an offense to your neighbor; labor
rather for the salvation of souls, and “so let your light shine be­
fore men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your
Father who is in heaven.”—Matt. 5: 16. Amen.

256

Pentecost,

or

Whit-Sunday.

PENTECOST, OR WHIT-SUNDAY.

Lesson. Acts 2: ι-ii. When the days of Pentecost were ac­
complished, they were all together in one place : and suddenly
there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming,
and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there
appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat
upon every one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongues, according
as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. Now there were dwell­
ing at Jerusalem Jews, devout men of every nation under heaven.
And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together,
and were confounded in mind, because that every man heard
them speak in his own tongue And they were all amazed and
wondered, saying : Behold, are not all these that speak Galileans?
And how have we heard every man our own tongue wherein we
were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and inhabitants
of Mesopotamia, and Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia,
Phrygia, and Pamphilia, Egypt, and the parts of Lybia about
Cyrene, and strangers of Rome; Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes,
and Arabians : we have heard them speak in our own tongues
the wonderful works of God.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY GHOST.

Our Blessed Lord had frequently, but especially just before
his Ascension into heaven, promised his Apostles that he would
send them the Holy Ghost. “John indeed,” he said to them,
“baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy
Ghost not many days hence. . .. You shall receive the power of
the Holy Ghost coming upon you.”—Acts 1: 5-8. On this day
this promise was fulfilled. The Holy Ghost came down upon the
Apostles and the Christians, and imparted to them the gifts of

i. Homiletic Sketch.

257

his grace. Let us make this grand mystery the subject of our
meditation according to the lesson of this day and propose to
ourselves the three following questions:

I. When, where, and on whom did lhe Holy Ghost descend?
II. How did he come down?
HI. What effect has his coming produced?

Part I.
When the days of Pentecost were accomplished, they were all to­
gether in one place. Here St. Luke tells us—
At what time the Holy Ghost came down. This event took place
on the day of Pentecost. The Jews had their Pentecost, and it
was one of their principal festival days. They celebrated it, as
we do, fifty days after Easter, hence the name Pentecost, which
means the fiftieth day. The Jewish Pentecost had been instituted,
first, in thanksgiving for the harvest, which began with Easter
and ended fifty days afterwards; secondly, in memory of the
giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, which occurred fifty days
after their first Easter in Egypt or after their departure from it.
In this double relation the Jewish Pentecost is a type of the
Christian. The Christian Pentecost is, as it were, a harvest-home
in a spiritual sense, for on this day the Church of Christ was in­
troduced into the world and three thousand believers were added
to its fold. In like manner it is a feast of legislation, because on
it, the New Law, the Christian religion, was for the first time
preached at Jerusalem by the Apostles filled with the Holy Ghost.
The day of our baptism was for us the gracious day on which
we were introduced into the Church of Christ. What does our
conscience tell us? Have we been thankful for this unmerited
grace of God and have we always faithfully fulfilled our duties
as Catholics ?
1.

2. Where did the Holy Ghost come down? “In one place." What
place was it? It was undoubtedly that upper room or Cœnaculum
in Jerusalem where Christ on the eve of his sacred passion ate
the Last Supper with his disciples. After the death of their
Master the Apostles were generally here, the doors being closed
for fear of the Jews; here, in prayer, they expected the Holy
Ghost according to the instruction received from their divine
Master. Solitude and prayer are two of the principal means
whereby we receive the Holy Ghost with his graces. The Holy
Ghost loves solitude, and honors with his presence only those
souls whose pleasure it is to lead a retired life; consequently he
HI

17

258

Pentecost,

or

Whit-Sunday.

’ finds not indwelling and adoration in the hearts of those who
give themselves to the distractions of a worldly life and are
found in places of amusement. Hence we see that all the saints,
in whose hearts the Holy Ghost produced great things, loved
solitude, and that many of them left the world and embraced the
monastic life. Avoid all unnecessary intercourse with the world
and its frivolous and immoral pleasures ; lead as much as pos­
sible a retired life, that the Holy Ghost may abide with you.
Make use of prayer, for “your Father from heaven will give the
good Spirit to them that ask him.”—Luke 11: 13.
3. On whom did the Holy Ghost descend? On all those who were
together in one place. The Ccenaculum in Jerusalem represents te
us the whole Church of Christ; for here were assembled the
Apostles, Mary the Virgin Mother of God, and the other be­
lievers, in all about a hundred and twenty persons. Since only
those received the Holy Ghost, the important truth is indicated
that the Holy Ghost dwells and dispenses his graces only in the
Holy Catholic Church, founded by Jesus Christ. As the dove
which Noe sent forth from the ark found no place where to rest
{Gen. 8: 9), so the Holy Ghost will abide with, purify and sanc­
tify men nowhere but in the Catholic Church. What a blessing
that we are children of the Catholic Church 1 Let us appreciate
this grace above all things, and let us pray for the conversion of
heretics and infidels.

Part Π.
How did the Holy Ghost descend?
I. Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a mighty wind
coming, and itfilled the whole house where they were sitting. That
sound was not natural, for it came suddenly, not beginning gently;
it came from heaven, that is, from above, whence no storm arises.
In this sudden sound we see intimated how the Holy Ghost is
accustomed to act ; men entirely infatuated and buried in tem­
poral things he often transforms in a moment into enlightened
and spiritual beings. Examples: St. Paul, St. Magdalen, and
many others. “Oh what a Master is the Holy Ghost ; he needs no
time for anything he wishes to teach; by touching a soul he
teaches; to touch and to teach are one and the same thing; for
as soon as he enlightens the human heart he changes its desires,
he removes at once what was, and gives what was not.”—St.
Gregory the Great.

2. The sound filled the whole house and thence spread through
all Jerusalem; a great multitude of people gathered together to

i. Homiletic Sketch.

259

gee what was the matter. Hereby the mysterious operation of
the Holy Ghost in the Church is pointed out, from which his
graces flow upon all the nations of the earth.

3. The sound resembled a mighty wind coming. The wind is swift,
hurrying in a few minutes to far distant places. Thus Christian­
ity was spread with wonderful rapidity over the whole earth. In
the time of the Apostles numerous congregations of Christians
were everywhere formed, and after a few years, not only thou­
sands, but millions of Jews and heathens entered the Christian
Church. The mighty wind coming also signifies the irresistible
power with which the Christian religion overcame all obstacles in
its way, Jews and Gentiles resisting and straining every nerve to
hinder its propagation, nay, to destroy it. But their exertions
were in vain. After three hundred years they were conquered,
their temples crumbled into dust, and the cross triumphed.
Equally as powerful and wonderful was the influence of the
Christian religion in the hearts of men, subduing their evil pas­
sions, extirpating sins and vices, planting the most exalted vir­
tues, and renewing the face of the earth. And there appeared to
them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of
them.

4. These tongues, resembling flames of fire, were not the Holy
Ghost himself, but only a visible form under which he mani­
fested himself. The Holy Ghost appeared in the form of fire, to
signify that he and his essence are love ; that he inflames the
hearts of men with the fire of charity, and that the Christian Law
rests on the love of God and of our neighbor. The Holy Ghost
in the form of fire also indicates the effects which he produces
in the hearts of men. Fire purifies, illuminates, ignites and
unites. The Holy Ghost does all this. He purifies the soul from
the stains of sin; he enlightens the understanding with the
knowledge of what is unto salvation ; he inflames the will for the
love of God and of our neighbor; he caiises us to disdain earthly
things and to fix our affections on things above; finally, he unites
the soul with himself and imparts to it his graces in such a man­
ner that by perfect love it becomes one with him. How fervently
should we desire these graces, and having received them, how
carefully should we strive to preserve them !

5. The Holy Ghost appeared in the form of tongues. This signi­
fies the gift of tongues which the Holy Ghost imparted to the
Apostles and afterwards to many missionaries. The tongues
were parted. These parted tongues symbolize the variety of
gifts which flow to the faithful through the Holy Ghost.—I. Cor.
12: 8-11. The sitting of the tongues, as it were, on every one of

260

Pentecost, or Whit-Sunday.

them, signifies the continuance of the Holy Ghost with the Apos­
tles and the Church, as Christ himself says : “I will ask the Father,
and he shall give you another Paraclete, that he may abide with
you for ever.”—John 14: 16.

Part III.
In the lesson of this day we are told what effects the Holy
Ghost produced in the Apostles and the other believers : And
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with
divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak.
1. St. Luke first speaks of the effects of grace in general,
saying, they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. Hereby he ex­
presses that the Apostles received the Holy Ghost in his pleni­
tude. They had already received the Holy Ghost at their bap­
tism, and when Christ invested them with the power of forgiving
sin; not however in his plenitude and with all the effects of his
grace; but now they received him in a superabundant measure.
Hitherto, they were not docile, and could not understand many
things which Christ taught, now they were so enlightened in
divine things that they confounded all the wdsdom of the learned.
Hitherto they were timid, and dared not appear among the Jews;
now they had a courage which no threat, no persecution, no mar­
tyrdom, nor even death could intimidate. Hitherto they were
infected with various faults; now they were free from imperfec­
tions and showed themselves to be models of sanctity.

2. A special gift which the Holy Ghost imparted to the Apostles,
is the gift of tongues. All at once they spoke various languages which
they had never learned, and they not only understood one another,
but they were also understood by others. This gift of languages
was necessary to them for their high calling, for, according to the
commission of Christ they were to preach the gospel to all the
nations of the earth. We need not assume that the Apostles always
spoke and understood the languages which they spoke on WhitSunday ; but this much is certain that through the Holy Ghost they
always could speak those languages which, in the preaching of the
gospel among the people of any nation, were necessary for them.
Many preachers of the faith, after the Apostolic age, possessed
this same gift of languages. St. Irenaeus says that he himself heard
many speak divers languages, which the Holy Ghost had taught
them. St. Pachomius obtained after three hours’ prayer the gift
of speaking in the Latin language with a brother from Rome.
St. Dominic, by fervent prayer, obtained for himself and his
companions the gift of the German language in order to be able
to preach the gospel to the Germans. It is a well known and

I»

Homiletic Sketch.

261

authenticated fact that St. Francis Xavier spoke the languages
of various nations which he had never learned, as fluently and
correctly as if he had been born and educated in them. If we
had no other proof of the truth and divinity of our holy Catholic
faith than the gift of languages, which the Church enjoyed from
the beginning, this alone ought to suffice, for the gift of lan­
guages convinces us that the Holy Ghost has been operating in
the Catholic Church at all times.
3. We are also told what effects the descent of the Holy Ghost,
which was accompanied by so many miracles, had on the others
who were present. Ever since the Assyrian captivity, which had
taken place more than seven hundred years previously, and the
Babylonian captivity, ahundred years later, many of the J ews were
dispersed and resided among various nations and spoke their
languages. Many of these Jews came to Jerusalem, not only at
Easter, but also at Pentecost and the feast of tabernacles, ac­
cording to the Law, to adore God in the temple. When these
Jews who had come from foreign lands heard the sound of the
mighty wind coming, and the inspired discourses of the Apostles
in foreign languages, they were very much astonished, and said:
Are not all these that speak, Galileans ? And how have we heard
every man our own tongue wherein we were born? Peter arose, and
explained to the astonished multitudes the significance of the
wonder of the day, and exhorted them in words piercing heart
and soul to do penance. The sermon of St. Peter was crowned
with the most brilliant success, for three thousand were con­
verted, embraced the Christian faith and were baptized.
PERORATION.

I have now explained to you the contents of the lesson for this
festival. The same Holy Ghost that on the first Christian Pentecost,
over eighteen hundred years ago, descended on the Apostles and
the other believers and filled them with his gifts, dwells to-day in
the holy Catholic Church and imparts to us in her and through
her, his graces. He enlightens us, that we may know what is
good and pleasing to God ; he strengthens us, that we may fulfil
the duties of religion and of our state of life, and serve God in
every situation of life ; he sanctifies us in the sacraments and
makes us children of God and heirs of heaven. Let us avail ourselves of these graces with fervor and fidelity, that with the aid
fl we may work out our salvation.
of them
Amen.

tit

Pentecost,

or

Whit-Sun day.

PENTECOST, OR WHTT-SUNDAY.

Gospel. John 14: 23-31. At that time Jesus said to his dis­
I·

ciples: If any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father
will love him, and we will come to him and will make our abode
with him. He that loveth me not, keepeth not my words. And
the word which you have heard is not mine, but the Father's
who sent me. These things have I spoken to you, abiding with
you. But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will
send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring all
things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you. Peace
I leave with you; my peace I give unto you: not as the world
giveth, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let
it be afraid. You have heard that I said to you : I go away, and
I come unto you. If you loved me, you would indeed be glad,
because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And
now I have told you before it come to pass : that when it shall
come to pass, you may believe. I will not now speak many things
with you. For the prince of this world cometh, and in me he hath
not anything. But that the world may know that I love the
Father : and as the Father hath given me commandment, so I do.

2. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
CHRIST GIVES HIS DISCIPLES AN INSTRUCTION ON THE LOVE OF
GOD, PROMISES THEM THE HOLY GHOST, AND CONSOLES THEM
FOR HIS DEPARTURE.

It is ten days since our Lord ascended into heaven. It is a sad
time for the Apostles; they are orphans; their Teacher, Com­
forter, and Protector has left them. There is only one thing that
can mitigate their sorrow and sustain their courage, namely,
Christ’s promise that he would send them another Comforter, the
Holy Ghost. Thus he says in the gospel of this day : The Para­
clete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he
will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, what­
soever I shall have said to you. This consoling promise is fulfilled
to-day. The Apostles, with Mary, the Mother of God, and the
other believers, are assembled in that upper chamber at Jerusa­
lem, praying and longing for the Holy Ghost. Suddenly there
tomes a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind; parted tongues

i. Homiletic Sketch.

263

as it were of fire, descend upon them, and they are filled with
the Holy Ghost. The gospel contains three points:
I. Christ gives his disciples an instruction on the love of God;
II. He promises them the Holy Ghost;
III. He consoles them for his departure.
PART I.

I. If any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will
love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him. In
these words Christ teaches—

(λ.) What is required for the love of God. We must keep his
word, that is, we must believe what he teaches and commands.
“Without faith it is impossible to please God/’—Heb. 11:6. If
without faith it is impossible to please God, it is evident that
without faith we cannot love him; God is pleased only with those
who love him. Christ himself says : “He that believeth not, shall
be condemned.”—Mark 16: 16. As no one who truly loves God
will be condemned, it is evident that where there is no faith
there is no love. Faith is the root and beginning of all Christian
justice ; without faith no one is purified from his sins and sancti­
fied. We therefore in vain seek justice with unbelievers, since
without the love of God there is no justice. From this it follows
that all those unbelievers and heretics who, through their own
fault, have not the Catholic faith, do not and cannot possess the
love of God. From this you perceive what you are to think of
those who say that “it matters not what a man’s faith is; all reli­
gions are alike ; they are only different roads that lead to the
same place; let a man only act rightly, and he can throw all
creeds overboard; whether Jew, Pagan, Protestant or Catholic,
it makes no difference.” Such indifference is in direct opposition
to the doctrine of Christ, and leads straight to perdition.
Moreover, we must keep the commandments of God. This is
in the nature of love. If we truly love any one, we try to please
him and take care not to offend him; we love to do his will; his
wishes are to us commands. If. therefore, we have true love of
God, we shall always strive to act conformably to his holy will,
and conscientiously observe all his commandments. Hence Christ
emphatically says: “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.”—John 14: 21. And St. John
says: “This is the charity of God, that we keep his command­
ments.”—I. John y. $. He therefore who violates a command­
ment of God in an important matter, or, what amounts to the
same thing, commits mortal sin, such as cursing, blasphemy, for­
ni :ation, adultery, or lives in enmity with his neighbor, telia

264

Pentecost,

or

Whit-S unday.

God a lie whenever he says: “My God, I love thee.” And how
many are there who tell such a lie every time they make an act
of love !

(0.) How richly the love of God is rewarded. Christ assures us
that his Father loves those that love him, and that he, with the
Father and the Holy Ghost, will come to them and make his
abode with them. Is there anything more desirable than to be
loved by God? Oh, what a happiness to be able to say: “God
loves me !” Oh, this love is infinitely more valuable than all the
love and friendship of men, for when God loves us he treats us
as his children, enriches us with his graces, and makes us heirs
of heaven. Nay, more, if we love God we become his holy tem­
ples. The triune God comes to us and makes his permanent
abode in our hearts, as the Apostle says : "Know you not that
you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth
in you?”—I. Cor. 3:16. How honored would a poor man feel if
his king should come and dwell in his hut ! What an honor and
a grace for us that the triune God comes and dwells in us ! And
he comes to us not empty-handed, but as a dispenser of graces,
who enlightens, encourages and strengthens us in all good, puri­
fies and sanctifies us more and more, and imparts to us with the
greatest liberality all that we need for obtaining life everlasting.
Oh, let us always preserve a pure and undefiled heart, that we
may never lose the gracious presence of God.

2. He that loveth me not, keepeth not my words. And the word
which you have heard is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me. In
these words Christ teaches us—
(a.) Who those are that exclude themselves from his blessed pro­
mises, and who therefore cannot expect that God will love them
and take his abode with them. They are those who do not keep
the word of Christ, that is, who refuse to do what he lays upon
them as an obligation. How great is their number! Christ says:
“Learn of me, because I am meek and humble of heart” (Matt.
11: 29); and how many are there who allow themselves to be
governed by anger, pride and ambition! He says: “Seek ye
therefore first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these
things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33); and how many
are there who care only for worldly things and neglect the ser­
vice of God and the business of their salvation! He says: “If any
man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross and follow me ’ (Matt. 16:24); and how many are there
who give full scope to their inordinate passions and inclinations
and will not hear of mortification, self-denial and the carrying of
the cross. He says: “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father

s. Homiletic Sketch.

265

also is merciful ’ {Luke 6: 36); and how many are there who are
unmerciful towards the poor and the needy, who even try to
take advantage of the necessities of their fellow-men! He says:
“If you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive
you your offenses” {Matt. 6: 15); and how many are there who,
for months and years, live in enmity with their neighbor and
refuse to forgive. He says: “Amen I say to thee, thou shalt not
go out from thence till thou repay the last farthing” {Matt. 5 : 26);
and how many are there who sin by theft, cheating, injustice,
and who possess the goods of others without making restitution!
Examine yourselves and see whether you are not of the great
number of those who act contrary to the teaching of Christ.

(^.) How grievously those sin mho disregard the teaching of Christ.
The word of Christ is not the word of man, but the word of God.
The mord which you have heard is not mine, but the Father's who
sent me. He, therefore, who disregards and does not observe the
word of Christ, sins against God the Father, and incurs his dis­
pleasure, because the Church teaches and prescribes only what
Christ taught and commanded ; to be disobedient to the Church
is to be disobedient to Christ and to our heavenly Father ; in
other words, it is to sin grievously. Therefore Christ says : “If
he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen
and publican.”—Matt. 18: 17. From this you see how blind those
Christians are who disregard the precepts of the Church and say
“this is only a precept of the Church, and does not signify much.”
Christ means that he who transgresses a precept of the Church sins
as grievously as if he violated a commandment of God, for the
precepts of the Church are in reality nothing but the precepts of
God, since the Church is the representative of God on earth, and
it is in his name and by his commission that she enacts laws.

Part HL
The Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my
name, he will teach you all things and bring all things io your mind
whatsoever I shall have said to you. Let us consider these words

in which Christ promises his disciples the Holy Ghost.

I. Christ calls the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity the Holy
Ghost for two reasons, namely, on account of his source and of
his external operation. Sanctity consists in the love of God. But
the Third Person in the Deity, having his source in the mutual
love of the Father and Son, and, consequently, being the essen­
tial, reciprocal love of the Father and the Son, we justly call him
Holy—the Holy Ghost, although the other two Persons are*

:66

Pentecost,

or

Whit-Sunday.

equally as holy. But we call him so, because his operation has
particularly the sanctification of man for its object. It is the
Holy Ghost who by his graces prepares us for sanctification and
in the sacraments really sanctifies us. Hence the Apostle says :
“You are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Spirit of our God.”
—Z Cor. 6: u.

The Paraclete. The Holy Ghost has this name on account of
his blessed effects in the hearts of men, enlightening, justifying,
and making them heirs of heaven. Can there be anything more
consoling than to know God and his holy will, and to be allowed
to say: I possess sanctifying grace, I am a child of God and I
have the well-grounded hope of being one day an heir of heaven ?
Truly this is a delight which the world, with all its false and
fleeting joys, cannot give—a comfort which raises our drooping
spirits in the hour of trial, and replenishes us with courage and
holy joy.
2.

3. Whom the Father will send in my name. In these words
Christ expresses the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. He
speaks of the Father, who sends; he speaks of himself, in whose
name God the Father sends; and he speaks of the Holy Ghost,
who is sent. Christ in saying; “Whom the Father will send in
my namd\ means that “God the Father will send the Holy Ghost
that he may supply my place.” Our Lord ascended into heaven
after the accomplishment of the work of Redemption; in his
place the Holy Ghost was to descend upon earth and to make
his permanent abode in the Church of Christ, in order to purify and
to sanctify all men for all time. In my name, may also be under­
stood as, in virtue of my merits. God the F ather sent the Holy Ghost
only on account of the merits of Christ. If Christ had not died
for us on the cross, the Holy Ghost would not not have come to
us; he has been sent to us for the purpose of applying to us the
fruits of Redemption. All the graces therefore which we receive
from the Holy Ghost we owe to the merits of Jesus Christ. Let
us not forget this, but be thankful for it to our Lord, shewing
this by faithfully adhering to him.
4. The words: He will teach you all things, and bring all things
to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said, have this meaning:
The Holy Ghost will cause the Apostles perfectly to understand
all those things which Christ has said to them, but which up to
that time had remained to them in a great measure unintellig­
ible and obscure, and they will now remember all those things
which they had forgotten. This was actually the case. After the
Holy Ghost had come down upon the Apostles, the scales fell

i. Homiletic Sketch.

267

from their eyes, and all that Christ had spoken became perfectly
clear to them; the Holy Ghost instructed them in such a manner
that they confounded the learned of this world in matters relat­
ing· to religion; he inspired them with all that they should teach,
write, and speak before the tribunals; supported by his uninter­
rupted guidance they possessed the gift of infallibility, so that
in matters of faith and morals they could not err. The Holy
Ghost is the same teacher of truth to the Catholic Church at all
times as he was to the Apostles.
Even to the end of the world, enlightened and governed by
him, the Church can teach nothing but the truth ; in all that she
proposes to be believed she is as infallible as the Holy Ghost,
for the simple reason that the Holy Ghost speaks by her mouth;
and whatever she teaches is the word of God in the strictest
sense. For this reason St. Paul calls the Church “the pillar and
ground of the truth” (Z Tim. 3: 15); and St. Augustine says:
“I would not believe even the gospel, if the authority of the
Church did not induce me.” Oh, how peacefully can we live and
die in the bosom of the Catholic Church, where we have the
fullest guarantee that whatever she teaches and ordains is the
pure, genuine, unadulterated word of God. Let us therefore
show our gratitude to God for this great grace by obeying the
Church and making frequent use of her means of grace.

Part ΙΠ.
After promising his disciples the Holy Ghost, our Lord consoled
them for his departure.
I. Peace I leave with you; my peace 1 give unto you, not as the
world giveth do I give unto you. When the Jews took leave of
persons they said: “Peace be with you.” So does Christ, being
about to leave his disciples ; it is the eve of his sacred passion
when he speaks to them these words. His wish is not a mere
empty one, but he gives them peace in reality; he is omnipotent
and can give whatever he wishes, for he has only to will, and it
is done. Now the question is: What kind of peace is it that he
wishes his Apostles and their successors ? It is peace with God}
with our neighbor, and with ourselves. Peace with God, which re­
conciles us with God and makes us his children; peace with our
neighbor, since he made love the principal commandment, and
wills that we regard one another as brothers and sisters; peace
with ourselves, since it takes away the sins which lie heavily on
our conscience. He who possesses this triple peace, is, even in
sufferings and afflictions, full of tranquillity, consolation and joy,

26S

Pentecost, or Whit-Sunday.

and has already on earth a foretaste of the felicity which awaits
him hereafter. The Apostles really had this peace; hence we
see them going away from the council, rejoicing that they were
deemed worthy to suffer ignominy for the [name of Jesus; we
see St. Peter sleeping quietly in prison, although he knows
that he is to die the following day; we hear St. Paul, in his
countless sufferings and tribulations, exclaiming: “I am filled
with comfort, I exceedingly abound with joy in all our tribula­
tions.” You also can become partakers of this extremely preci­
ous, holy, peace, by shunning sin, mortifying all inordinate de­
sires and passion, and keeping a pure conscience ; this is the only
way to obtain peace. He apeaks also of the peace of the world;
but this is a false, delusive peace. Whatever the world can give,
temporal goods and enjoyments, does not satisfy the human heart,
but creates only cares, disquietude and disgust; it is perishable
and ends with death. Who would be so foolish as to strive for
the peace of the world and seek his happiness upon earth?
2. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. You have
heard that I said to you : I go away, and I come unto you. Here
Christ gives his disciples another reason for consolation, assuring
them that he was not going away from them for ever, but that
he would come to them again. On the third day he rose from
the dead, and remained forty days upon earth, appearing to them
frequently. Even at his Ascension he did not take leave of them
for ever, for after a few years he called them from this valley of
tears to himself in heaven. What a sweet consolation for Chris­
tians! If a near and dear friend, a father, a mother, a brother or
a sister, a wife or a husband, is snatched away from you by death,
do not yield to immoderate grief ; if you employ this fleeting life
for the service of God, you have the sweet hope that you will
be united with your deceased friends for ever in heaven.

3. Ifyou loved me, you would indeed be glad, because I go to the
Father, for the Father is greater than I. In saying : The Father is
greater than I, Christ refers to his humanity, for, as God, he is as
great as the Father, perfectly equal to him, as he elsewhere says:
“I and the Father are one.”— John 10:30. “All things whatso­
ever the Father hath are mine.”—John 16 : 15. The above
words have this meaning : If you have my welfare, upon which
yours depends, at heart, you will not grieve at my departure, but
rejoice, for the Father, to whom I go, is the greater, and he will
give me greater things; he will raise me from the state of my
humiliation, which I occupy upon earth, to the state of the great­
est glory, and will give me a name that is above all names so
that in my name every knee shall bow, of those that are in heaven
on earth, and under the earth. This my glorification will also

2.

Homiletic Sketch.

269

profit you, because in heaven you will partake of it. This com­
forting thought also applies to us if we labor like the Apostles to
be true servants and followers of Christ, and especially if we
carry our cross cheerfully after him, “ for if we be dead with him,
we shall live also with him ; if we suffer, we shall also reign with
him.”— II. Tim. 2: 11. 12.

4. Finally, Christ declares to his disciples that he spoke to them
jf bis going away, that their faith might be strengthened, because
they would be convinced that his words are fulfilled; conse­
quently that he is omniscient and true, and therefore the Son
of God. He also says I will not now speak many things with
you, for the moment approaches when Satan will take my life
through the Jews, his instruments ; but, as Satan has no claim on
me, the innocent, I will not suffer death as if he had any power
over me, but only that I may do the will of my Father. This again
was a consolation for his disciples. He died innocent and volun­
tarily, out of love for us, to redeem and save us. What consola­
tion for the Apostles when they considered: Christ suffers and
dies like the greatest malefactor, but he is innocence itself, and
it was only his love that nailed him to the cross.
There is no greater consolation for us than to be able to say on
our death-bed: “I suffer death, but Satan finds nothing in me
that he can call his own ; my death does not take place by virtue
of any power that the devil has over me ; I die, and with my death
I offer to God a sacrifice of obedience and love.” Well for us if
in our dying hour we can say with the Apostle, “l have fought
a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith.
As to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which
the Lord the just judge will render to me.”—II. Tim. 4: 7, 8.

PERORATION.

In conclusion Christ says: “Arise, let us go hence.”—John
14: 31. With these words Christ signifies his determination, accord­
ing to the will of his heavenly Father, to make the last sacri­
fice for the Redemption of mankind, to go unto sufferings and
death. Let us show our gratitude for this sacrifice by doing
cheerfully and without delay what we know to be our duty and
the will of God, no matter with how many obstacles and difficul­
ties it may be attended. We certainly do not say in vain every
day: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Let us be
ready to die when God wills it. Of all that we possess in this
world nothing is more precious than our life; if we make a sacri­
fice of it to God and leave it to him entirely when, where, and

2W

Pentecost,

or

Whit-Sunday.

how he may call us into eternity, this is the greatest and most
acceptable sacrifice to him, and we may confidently hope that
death will be to us what it was to Christ—” going to our Father
in heaven.” Amen.

PENTECOST, OR WHIT-SUNDAY.

3. DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
THE EFFECTS OF THE HOLY GHOST IN THE CHURCH AND IN OUR
SOULS.

The Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my
name, he will teach you all things.—John 14: 2ô.

Christ kept his word. He had frequently promised his Apostles
that after his departure to his Father he would send them the Holy
Ghost. This promise was fulfilled on this day. Whilst the Apos­
tles and the other believers were assembled in the same place
in Jerusalem, suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a
It ighty wind coming, and the Holy Ghost descended upon them,
in the form of fiery tongues, and filled them with his graces.
Fortified with this spirit of truth and strength, they began their
apostolic mission, preaching the gospel and receiving into the
Christian Church all those Jews and Gentiles who believed. With
justice therefore we begin a new cycle of feasts with Pentecost,
for with it a new era begins ; the law of grace is announced, and
the nations of the earth subject themselves to it. The cycle of
the feasts of Pentecost represents to us the time which began
with the mission of the Holy Ghost, the establishment and pro­
pagation of the Church of Christ, whose duration extends to the
end of the world. We have the happiness to live in this time of
grace and to belong to the Church of Christ, in whom the Holy
Ghost has taken his permanent abode, in order to apply in her
and through her the fruits of Redemption to mankind. Let us
consider to day the twofold missions of the Holy Ghost, which
he has evei since continued and will continue to the end of time—

I. To tet»ch, sanctify and govern the Church;
II. To enlighten, console, strengthen and sanctify every individual
soul.

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

*71

Part I.
The Church is the living· Christ upon earth. As Christ, for the
Redemption of mankind, was necessarily obliged to unite in him­
self two natures, the divine and the human, so the Church must
have in herself something human as well as divine, in order to
impart to men the grace of Redemption. This is really the case.
The Church, like her Founder, has her human nature, for she
consists of human beings; but, like Christ, she has something
divine, and this is the Holy Ghost, whom he promised and sent.
The Holy Ghost is not hypostatically or personally united with the
Church, as the humanity and divinity are united in Christ ; but
he will abide with the Church for ever according to the promise
of Christ: “I will ask the Father, and he shall give you another
Paraclete, that he may abide with you for ever.” — John 14: 16.
It is the Holy Ghost that enables the Church to do all that is re­
quired for the salvation of men. I shall mention only three of
his effects as regards the Church.
I.

The Holy Ghost teaches the Church.

The Church has been commissioned to teach all nations. "Go­
ing therefore teach ye all nations, baptizing them. . . . teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.”
—Matt. 28: 19, 20. Now the question is : Could the Church, de­
pending on her own strength alone, preach the doctrine of Christ
pure and unadulterated? By no means; for the Church is com­
posed of human beings; the Pope is a man; the bishops are
men ; so are the priests. But men are not infallible ; they may
err and lead others into error. If the Church were a purely
human institution she would be liable to err, and we should have
no security that what she teaches is the pure word of God.
It is evident, then, that the Church, in order to be infallible in
her teaching, must not be limited to her human strength, but
must contain something divine; and she does, for Christ sent her
the Holy Ghost with the assurance that he would abide with her
for ever. Now the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Truth, and is given
to the Church principally to teach her all truth, according to
what Christ emphatically says in the gospel of this day: The
Holy Ghost, ivhom the Father will send in my name, he will teach
you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall
have said to you. Hence what the Church teaches is not the word
of man ; it is the word of God ; the Holy Ghost teaches us through
the Church and makes use of her mouth to bring to our know­
ledge all that is necessary for us to believe and do in order to
be saved. We must therefore believe the Church, because it is

271

Pentecost, or Whit-Sun day.

the Holy Ghost that preaches to us the word of God through
her. Let us then faithfully adhere to the doctrine of the Church

2. The Holy Ghost sanctifies the Church.
The merits of Christ are as a fountain of living water of which
the children of the Church cannot avail themselves except by di­
vine help, or grace. This grace is imparted to us by the Holy
Ghost, who enkindles in our souls the desire of sanctity, assists
us in complying with all the conditions required, and, at last
confers on us sanctifying grace. “You are washed, but you are
sanctified, but you are justified, in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and the Spirit of our God.”—I. Cor. 6:11. We are
sanctified by the holy sacraments, especially by baptism, in
which man is born again of water and the Holy Ghost {John 3:5);
and by the Sacrament of Penance, in which our sins are forgiven
by virtue of the Holy Ghost. “Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whose
sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them.”—John 20: 22,
23. In the Sacrament of Confirmation, by which we receive the
fulness of the grace of the Holy Ghost, we are strengthened
against the attacks of our spiritual enemies. We should there­
fore be very thankful to God for our vocation to the Holy Catho­
lic Church; among the Protestant sects no sacraments are adII inistered, except baptism.

3. The Holy Ghost directs and governs the Church.

(a.) He confers upon bishops and priests their power. The
Pope, bishops and priests have their power not from man but
from the Holy Ghost. “Neither doth any man take the honor to
himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was.”—Heb. 5: 4.
Again: “Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock,
wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops to rule the Church
of God.”—Acts. 20: 28. And St. Chrysostom says: “If it were
not for the Holy Ghost, there would be no shepherds and teachers
in the Church.”
(b.) As kings govern their kingdoms by their officers, so the Holy
Ghost governs the Church by the pastors as his instruments, and
defends her against all enemies, so that the gates of hell can
never prevail against her. The Holy Catholic Church has existed
already more than eighteen hundred years. What changes
have taken place upon earth during this long interval of time !
How many kingdoms and empires have arisen, become great
and powerful, but have either fallen, or been supplanted by othersl
Unlike the human institutions of men, the Church of Christ
alone has stood the test of time. Macaulay’s lazy traveler, wher·

j.

Dogmatical Sketch.

273

he be to-day, may seek his broken arch at leisure, for he
will never have an opportunity of sketching her mighty ruins.
Armed only with the weapons of the Divine Word, of prayer,
of patience and of tears, she stands to-day immovable on the rock
of Peter, where Christ placed her, and has overcome prolonged
and most atrocious persecutions and all the attacks of her in­
terior and exterior enemies, coming forth victorious from all her
contests. She has had, it is true, many and grievous losses to
deplore, millions of her children have apostatized, but she has
been richly compensated for this defection, and she has always
put forth new branches, like a stately tree planted by the run­
ning waters. It is evident, then, that a higher power protects the
Church, for if she were dependent on human help she would
have long ago shared the fate of the works and institutions of
men, and vanished from the earth. The Holy Ghost is at the helm
of Peter’s bark, and directs, governs and defends her against all
her visible and invisible, interior and exterior, enemies, steering
her safely through the billows and breakers of time, without
losing a single spar, into the port of eternity.
ever

Part Π.
All graces are imparted to us by the Holy Ghost. “No man
can say, the Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Ghost?*—I. Cor. 12:3.
We owe him especially the following graces:

1. The Holy Ghost enlightens us, so that we may know what is
true, good and salutary. We witness this effect in the Apostles.
Although our Saviour had been teaching them for three years,
they remained “foolish and slow of heart to believe?’—Luke 24:
25. When the Holy Ghost came down upon them, he taught
them all truth. Illiterate fishermen, who never before spoke in
public, announce and defend the religion of Christ crucified, be­
fore princes, learned men and nations of every tongue. The Holy
Ghost enlightens us too. We cannot believe as God requires of us
except by divine grace. He enlightens our understanding, that
we may know ourselves, especially when we are about to make
our confession.
2. The Holy Ghost consoles us in all the tribulations of life.
When Jesus was about to leave the world, he consoled his dis­
ciples, saying, “Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be
afraid.”—John 14: 27. After the day of Pentecost the Apostles
were ever full of joy in all their tribulations. When told that
they should preach no longer in the name of Jesus, they said:
(<We ought to obey God rather than men.”—Acts 5 \ 29. And
11

IS

«74

Pentecost,

or

Whitsunday.

when scourged, “they indeed went from the presence of the council,
rejoicing ^hat they were acounted worthy to suffer reproach for
the name of Jesus.”—Acts 5 : 41. The same spirit will console us,
if we struggle to keep our hearts undefiled by sin and free from
inordinate inclinations, loving God with our whole heart.

3. The Holy Ghost strengthens us, according to the promise of
Christ: “You shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming
upon you.”—Acts 1: 8. The Apostles, who so feared the Jews
that they concealed themselves; who had forsaken their di·
vine Master at the hour of probation, displayed an unbounded
courage after the coming of the Holy Ghost. Peter preached
publicly: “Let all the house of Israel know most certainly that
God hath made both Lord and Christ this same Jesus whom you
have crucified.”—Acts 2$6. All the Apostles now commenced
their missionary labors, saying with St. Paul : “Who then shall
separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? or dis­
tress? or famine? or nakedness? or danger? or persecution? or
the sword? (As it is written: For thy sake we are put to death,
all the day long, we are accounted 3s sheep for the slaughter.)”
—Rom. 8: 35, 36. The Holy Ghost strengthens us in our warfare
with our enemies. Without him we cannot conceive a salutary
thought. “I can do all things in him who strengtheneth me.”—
Phil. 4: 13.
4. The Holy Ghost sanctifies our souls. Before his coming the
Apostles were subject to many imperfections and frailties. They
were not meek of heart (Luke g·. 52-56); they were ambitious,
every one desirous of the first position in the kingdom of their
master. Peter went so far as to deny his Lord. But after the descent
of the Holy Ghost they are conspicuous for their humility, meek­
ness and charity : they are at once men of heroic virtue and of extra­
ordinary charity. The Holy Ghost also imparts to us sanctifying
grace and with it the three theological virtues, Faith, Hope and
Charity, and all the moral virtues. We receive with sanctifying
grace the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost, in the measure needed
to enable as to serve God and attain our salvation. Nay, more,
if the Holy Ghost sanctifies us, he comes to us himself and makes
his abode with us. “The charity of God is poured out in our
hearts by the Holy Ghost, who is given to us.”—Rom. 5:5. “Know
you not that your members are the temple of the Holy Ghost,
who is in you, whom you have from God?”—Z. Cor. 6: 19.
PERORATION.

These are the effects of the Holy Ghost in the Church and in
our soul. The Holy Ghost is the invisible Teacher of the Church;

4. Liturgical Sketch.

275

enlightened by him, she preserves the divine doctrine in the most
Çerfect purity and preaches it to the world, pure and undefiled
he Holy Ghost is also the Guide and Ruler of tue Church ; he it
is who chooses her ministers and assists them in the discharge
of their office ; he it is who not only defends her against all
enemies and preserves her, but causes her to be propagated
to the uttermost parts of the world. He it is who enlightens us,
that we may know what is right and pleasing to God, and who
also gives us strength to do what is right. He it is who consoles
us in all the tribulations of life; he it is who sanctifies us. Yes,
he will do all these things for us if we avoid sin, for by sin the
Holy Ghost is driven out of our hearts. ‘‘For the Holy Spirit of
discipline will flee from the deceitful, and will withdraw himself
from thoughts that are without understanding, and he shall not
abide when iniquity cometh in.”— Wisd. i : 5. Let us then pray
to the Holy Ghost to enlighten and strengthen us all the days
of our life, that we may live holily and make a happy end. Amen.

PENTECOST, OR WHIT SUNDAY.

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH.
THE MISSION OF THE HOLY GHOST.

The Paracletey the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my
name, he will teach you all things.—John 14: 26.
The solemn festival which we celebrate to-day is called Pente­
cost. This name comes from the Greek word Pentecoste, which
means the fiftieth. The feast of to-day is thus named because it
is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter. It was formerly
called “the day of the Holy Ghost”, because on Pentecost the
Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles. There is no doubt
that this feast dates back to the earliest days of Christianity and
is of apostolic origin, for it was but natural for the Apostles to
commemorate annually the day on which the Holy Ghost de­
scended upon them. The apostolic constitutions ordain the cele­
bration of Pentecost in these words: “The great feast of Pente­
cost be to you ten days after the Ascension of Christ, or on the
fiftieth day after the first Sunday (Easter Sunday), for on it the
Lord Jesus sent to us the gift of the Holy Ghost, in the third

*7*

Pentecost,

or

Whit-Sunday.

hour.” We will make the mission of the Holy Ghost the subject
of our meditation, answering the three following questions :

I. When and where did the coming of the Holy Ghost takeplacti
IL How did it take place i
III. What effects did it produce i
Part

1

1. As St. Luke relates in the Acts of the Apostles, the mission of
the Holy Ghost took place on Pentecost.
(a.) The feast of Pentecost was one of the three principal feasts
of the Jews, and was called the feast of weeks, because it was
celebrated seven weeks or fifty days after Easter. This feast
was instituted chiefly in thanksgiving for the harvest that had
been gathered in, which in the land of the Jews began at Easter
and ended at Pentecost. On this feast two loaves and the first
fruits were offered up with great solemnity. Later the Jews
celebrated the feast of Pentecost in memory of the Law given
on Mount Sinai, for which reason it was also called the feast of
the Law.

(3.) This Jewish feast of Pentecost was a type of the Christian,
whether we consider it as the harvest festival, or as the feast of
the Law. Our Christian Pentecost is, in truth, a harvest festival,
for on it Christ ripened the fruit, which is the Holy Ghost, by
sending him; it is also a feast of the first fruits, because three
thousand souls were added as first fruits to the Church of Christ.
Pentecost is also a feast of the Law, because on it the New Law
was solemnly promulgated. For as the Israelites received the
divine Law after their delivery from the slavery of Egypt and
on the fiftieth day after their Easter, engraved on stone tablets,
so the New Law of love and grace was inscribed by the Holy
Ghost in the hearts of the redeemed on the fiftieth day after
Easter, when Jesus had accomplished the work of our redemp­
tion and delivered us from the thraldom of Satan. On this day
the Jewish Church ceased, and from it the Church of Christ
dates her beginning. Christ had already founded the Church,
but it was hidden like a babe that still lies under the heart
of its mother; to-day she came forth from her hiding-place
and celebrated her birthday. As children rejoice on the birth­
day of their parents and offer them their best wishes, so let us
rejoice to-day on the birthday of our holy Mother the Church,
and return thanks to God that hitherto he has governed and pre·

4.

Liturgical Sketch.

277

served her so wonderfully, praying to him to protect her for
the future and develop her power and glory more and more.
At the time the Holy Ghost descended, “They were all to­
gether in one place.” This place was the Cœnaculum at Jerusa­
lem, to which the Apostles and the other believers repaired after
the Ascension of our Lord (Acts 1: 13); and where they, with
Christ, had celebrated the Last Supper. This Cœnaculum was the
holiest and most venerable place upon earth; wherefore the Holy
Ghost also made it the theatre of the wonderful dispensation of
his graces. The believers, one hundred and twenty, all told, who
were assembled there, constituted the Church of Christ; hence
St. Augustine says that in the Cænaculum at Jerusalem the whole
Church was assembled and received the Holy Ghost.
2.

Now, if the believers assembled in the Coenaculum at Jerusalem
constituted the Church of Christ, and the Holy Ghost was dif­
fused on them only, it follows that the Holy Ghost, and with him
the grace of the true faith, of justification and sanctification, can
be received only in the Catholic Church, which alone is the
Church of Christ. Hence St. Augustine says: “The Holy Ghost
is only in the body of Christ. The body of Christ is the Catholic
Church. Outside this divine body the Holy Ghost enlivens no
one.”

Part

Π.

The sending of the Holy Ghost is described by St. Luke thus:
Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind com­
ing, and itfilled the whole house where they were sitting. And there
appeared to them parted tongues as it were offire, and it sat upon
every one of them.

—

—

i. The sound, as of a mighty wind, was not the Holy Ghost,
himself, but only a symbol of his operation. The wind is swift;
in a few minutes it makes its way into distant places. Thus the
Holy Ghost caused the Christian faith to spread over the earth
with wonderful rapidity. In less than three hundred years half
of the globe had embraced the standard of the cross, “We
Christians,” writes Tertullian to the Pagans, “are only of yester­
day, and yet we fill all your cities, your castles, your towns, your
fields, the palace, the senate and the bench ; we leave you nothing
but your temples.” A storm manifests great power, it ploughs
through the sea to its lowest dephts, unroofs houses and roots
up whole forests. This is a picture of the wonderful power with
which the Holy Ghost worked in the Church and overcame all
difficulties in the propagation of the faith. Jews and Pagans

I
:

»7®

Pentecost, or Whit-Sunday.

resisted its propagation; the Apostles were persecuted; they
were cast into prison; they were scourged and put to death. Ihe
Roman emperors left nothing undone to extirpate the Church of
Christ. What had the Christians to endure during the persecu­
tions which lasted for three hundred years ? how many millions
obtained the palm of martyrdom ? But all the exertions of the
enemies of Christianity were in vain ; not only was the Church
not destroyed, but she expanded in the midst of the most cruel
persecutions ; the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the Church.

2. The sound came suddenly. Hereby it is signified that the
Holy Ghost imparts his graces from pure liberality, and fre­
quently in a moment changes the worldly-minded into pious, re­
ligious people, as is proved by the sudden conversions of many
worldlings and sinners. “Oh, what a Master the Holy Ghost is I
he needs no time for anything he wishes to teach ; as soon as he
touches a soul, he teaches; to touch, and to teach, are one and
the same thing, for as soon as he enlightens the human heart he
changes its desires, he removes at once what was, and gives what
was not.”—Si. Gregory the Great.
The soundfilled the whole house inhere they mere sitting. These
words refer to the riches of the graces which the Holy Ghost
dispenses in the Church. We have in abundance everything we
need for our salvation, the word of God, the holy sacrifice, the
holy sacraments, indulgences, the intercessions and merits of the
saints, the sacramentals and the prayers of the Church, in a
word, graces upon graces, which render it easy for us to attain
our eternal destiny. Let us be thankful to God for these graces,
and employ them for our salvation.
3.

4. The parted tongues refer to the variety of the graces which are
given to the faithful through the Holy Ghost, according to the
words of the Apostles: “To one indeed, by the Spirit, is given
the word of wisdom; and to another, the word of knowledge, ac­
cording to the same Spirit; to another, faith in the same Spirit;
to another, the grace of healing in one Spirit; to another, the
working of miracles ; to another, prophecy ; to another, the dis­
cerning of spirits; to another, diverse kinds of tongues; to an­
other, interpretation of speeches. But all these things one and
the same Spirit worketh, dividing to every one according as he
will.”—/. Cor. 12: 8-11.
5. The sitting of the tongues signifies the abiding of the Holy Ghost
with the Apostles and in the Church, as Christ himself says : “ I will
ask the Father, and he shall give you another Paraclete, that he
may abide with you for ever.”— John 14: 16. What a’ comfort

4.

Liturgical Sketch.

179

for us that the Holy Ghost, as the Teacher of truth, the Dispen­
ser of graces, and our Protector, abides with the Church for ever.

6. Finally, these tongues appeared to be, as it were, of fire.
Fire like air, is an appropriate symbol of God, on account of its
almost bodiless nature. In the Old Law, God frequently mani­
fested himself by fire; to Moses by the burning bush, and to the
Israelites in the desert by a pillar of fire. But the Holy Ghost
chose at his descent on the day of Pentecost the symbol of fire,
because the Old Law upon Mount Sinai had been given amidst
thunder and lightning, for the reality was to correspond to the
type. The Holy Ghost, however, did not give the New Law
amidst thunder and lightning, but simply in fire, because it is
not, like the Old Law, a law of fear, but of love. For this reason
the Apostle says: "You have not received the spirit of bondage
again in fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption of
»ons, whereby we cry: Abba (Father)”.—Rom. 8:15.

Part

IH.

The effects of the graces accompanying the mission of the
Holy Ghost—

i. As regards the Apostles and the other believers assembled with
them.
(al) They were all, as St. Luke says, filled with the Holy Ghost. The
Apostles had already received the Holy Ghost at their baptism
and when Christ gave them the power of forgiving sins, but the
plenitude of the Holy Ghost had been reserved for them until that
day. To-day, then, they received, besides the increase of sancti­
fying grace, the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost—the gifts of wis­
dom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and
the fear of the Lord.—Is. 11:2.
9

(bl) They received especially the gift of languages; for “they
began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost
gave them to speak.”—Acts 2: 4. As long as men remained
faithful to God, they all spoke but one to igue; but when they
tore themselves from him and fell into error and vice, this unity
of language was lost. This occurred at the building of the tower
of Babel.— Gen. 11: 1-9. The Holy Ghost, indeed, permitted the
divers tongues, like the other consequences of sin, to exist, but
enabled the people, although speaking them, to understand
what the Apostles said to them. By this he indicated that all
men are called to become one through faith and charity, which,
as one language, unite all men into one family. Very appropri-

j8o

Pentecost,

or

Whit-Sun day.

ately St. Augustine remarks on this : “At Babel, Satan, the spirit
of pride and the father of discord, divided the one and original
language of mankind. In the Ccenaculum by the miracle of Pente­
cost the Holy Ghost restored the unity of language. The reason
why the Apostles spoke the languages of all nations is because
language is the social bond of the human race. That oneness of
language was the expression of the social unity of all the chil­
dren of God, scattered among the different nations of the earth.
And as in the first days of the Church he who spoke all lan­
guages was known as one who had received the Holy Ghost, so
it is known to-day that he who speaks with heart and mouth the
language of the Church, which is spread among all nations, has
received the Holy Ghost”

2. As regards those who were witnesses of the wonderful apparition.
At Pentecost, as well as at Easter, pious Israelites came from
all countries throughout which they had been dispersed since
the Assyrian and Babylonian captivity, to Jerusalem, to adore
God in the temple and to offer sacrifices. Many of them re­
mained ever after in Jerusalem, for they deemed it a great
grace to be able to die near the temple. We need not wonder
therefore at what St. Luke says: There were dwelling at Jerusa­
lem, fesos, devout men of every nation under heaven. According to
the Evangelist’s account, there were present at Jerusalem on the
feast of Pentecost men from the three great families of mankind.
Of Sem’s children there were the Elamites, Mesopotamians,
Lydians, Arabians; the descendants of Cham were represented
by the Egyptians, Cyreneans, Colchians, Chanaanites and Phoeni­
cians; while the sonsofjapheth were represented by the Romans,
Greeks, Parthians, Medes, Cretes, Pamphilians, Cappadocians
and Phrygians.
Now when these people that were assembled heard the Apos­
tles speaking the language of their respective countries, they
were amazed, and wondered, for they were witnesses of a palpable
miracle, and said : Are not all these that speak, Galileans ? And
how have we heard every man our own tongue wherein we were
horn ? ’ At the conclusion of the sermon of St. Peter, who ex­
plained to them the nature of the miracle and for the first time
preached to them Christ crucified, three thousand were converted
and baptized. These three thousand souls are the first fruit that
the Holy Ghost ripened; the Church will soon have a great har­
vest, and the words of the Lord will come to pass: "And in the
last days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared
on the top of mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills,
and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go,
and say: Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord^
and to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his

'

5. Symbolical Sketch.

281

ways, and we will walk in his paths; for the law shall come forth
from Sion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”—Z$. 2: 2,3.
PERORATION.

We have now considered when and where the mission of the
Holy Ghost took place and what effects it produced. The feast
of Pentecost being the birthday of the holy Catholic Church,
you should thank God for the great, unmerited grace he bestowed
upon you by making you a member of this Church from your in­
fancy. Show yourselves as good Catholics, be zealous for the
honor and the faith of your holy Mother the Church, and beware
of giving assent to those who vilify her or scoff at her ordinances
and doctrines. Show your Catholic faith by your good Christian,
Catholic conduct, keeping your conscience undefiled; make use
of the means of salvation, prayer and the sacraments, that you may
gain strength to overcome the enemies of your salvation and
persevere to the end in the grace of God. Amen.

PENTECOST, ÔR WH2T-SVNDAT

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH.
FIRE, A SYMBOL OF THE EFFECTS OF THE GRACES OF THE 3CXT
GHOST.

There appeared io them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat
upon every one of them.—Acts 2: 3.

We celebrate to-day the feast of Pentecost, on which the Holy
Ghost, in the form of fiery tongues, came down upon the Apos­
tles and the other believers. Why did the Holy Ghost choose
the form of fire ? There certainly is a mystery contained in it,
for whatever God does has its reason and significance. St. Luke
did not in vain record the fact that on the feast of Pentecost
there suddenly came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind
coming, and that there appeared parted tongues, as it were, of
fire, and that it sat upon each of them.—Acts 2: 2, 3. Fire sym­
bolizes the effects which the Holy Ghost produced in the first
believers on the day of Pentecost, and which he still produces

Pentecost, or Whtt-Sunday.
in the hearts of Christians. The effects of grace, symbolized by
fire, shall be the subject of our meditation to-day. Fire has three
effects—

I. It illumines:
II. It cleanses;
III. It warms.

Part L
1. The first effect of fire is, that it gives light. If we light a

candle in a place that is pitch dark, all becomes bright at once.
If fire breaks out on a dark night, it diffuses such a brightness
that it can be seen for several miles. The brighter the light and
the greater the fire, the more luminous becomes the place that
was dark before, and the greater the circle of light. That won­
derful luminary, the sun, illuminates the whole earth, and gives
light even to the moon and many other planets, to dispel the
darkness of the night.

2. Herein fire is a symbol of the Holy Ghost ; for it is he that
banishes darkness, ignorance and error, from the heart, and en­
lightens men, that they may clearly apprehend the truths and
doctrines of divine revelation.
(a.) We perceive this in the Apostles. Our Lord was three
years with them, instructing them all the while in the truths of
religion ; he took great pains to remove their sensual ideas of the
kingdom of God, their prejudices and errors, and to make them
comprehend the purpose of his mission. But how slightly did
he succeed 1 They resembled ignorant children, who, if you ex­
plain to them a truth a dozen times, do not understand it; most
of his doctrines were to them obscure, others they did not un­
derstand at all. Hence they deserved to be rebuked by Christ
for their indocility, and even after his resurrection he said to
them: “0 foolish, and slow of heart to believe in all things which
the prophets have spoken.”—Luke 24: 25. But how changed
they were after they had received the Holy Ghost. Our Lord
had told them that the Holy Ghost would teach them all truth ;
how truly was this promise fulfilled 1 Then they understood all
things whatever Christ taught them ; then they remembered all
his words; and all doubt, all ignorance, vanished. Then their
minds were illumined, not by long studies and researches, but
by the Holy Ghost who enlightened and taught them. They who
had never learned the art of eloquence, who never before had
spoken in public, spoke and wrote like the learned ; they were
never at a loss for words ; they were prepared to reply to every

5. Symbolical Sketch.

283

one. They did not speak in corners, but were seen at Rome,
Athens, Corinth; in the most populous and renowned cities they
spoke before the high and the low, the learned and unearned,
Jews and Gentiles, and what they said is the essence of wisdom,
such as the world had never heard before. So wonderfully did
the Holy Ghost enlighten the Apostles 1
(£.) As the light of the Holy Ghost was necessary to the Apos­
tles, so it is necessary to all men, if they are to come to the
knowledge of the truth. Though they may have understanding
and be scientifically educated, there is darkness in their soul in
all things concerning everlasting salvation, if they be not en­
lightened by the Holy Ghost. Even the best religious instruc­
tion and the cleverest books, are unable without the light of the
Holy Ghost to convince them of the truths of the faith and to
move them to embrace it. Hence we see that great and learned
men who devote much time and labor to the study of the Ca­
tholic Church and her doctrine are not converted, but persevere
in their errors ; they are destitute of the blessed light of the Holy
Ghost because they do not humbly pray for it. Again, there are
many Christians who deem that to be right and lawful which is
openly contrary to the law of God ; for instance, that impurity is
only a human weakness, which God does not grievously con­
demn ; that certain tricks and frauds in business are permissible;
that lies and even false oaths are no sin, if thereby one can avert
injury or damage from one’s self or others Whence these pernici­
ous and culpable errors ? Because such Christians lack the light
of the Holy Ghost. And why is it wanting to them? Because
they purposely shut their eyes to it and are deluded by the spirit
of the world. The grace of the Holy Ghost being absolutely ne­
cessary for acquiring the knowledge of all that is needed for
salvation, we must be most anxious to obtain it. What means
must we employ for this end? We must listen to the word of
God, read spiritual books, and pray devoutly.

Part Π.
1. Another effect of fire is, that it purifies. Rust is consumed
and all corroded iron is purified by fire. The precious metals
can be purified only by fire; fire is the means by which the dross
and extraneous matter are removed. Hence the adage : “Gold
is tried in the furnace.”
2. The operations of the Holy Ghost are similar to fire. He pu­
rifies the hearts of men from the rust of sins ; he consumes and
burns in them all inordinate desire for the things of this world,
purifying them by raising up their hearts to things above.

284

Pentecost, or Whit-Sunday

(a.) The Apostles here furnish us with a proof in point. Before
the Holy Ghost came down upon them they had various defects
and faults, and our Lord was frequently under the necessity of
reproving them severely. They were ambitious and aspired to
precedence and distinction ; wherefore our Lord placed a child
in their midst and said: “Amen I say unto you, unless you be
converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into
the kingdom of heaven.”—Matt. 18: 3. They possessed as yet
but little meekness, were easily excited, and gave room to feel­
ings of revenge.”— Luke g ; 52-56. Peter sinned grievously for
he denied his Lord apd Master. The Apostles were imperfect,
full of faults, before they had received the Holy Ghost. But how
differently they behaved after the Holy Ghost had come down
upon them I They became full of humility, full of meekness, of
compassion and love; they disdained and despised all earthly
thingsand ardently aspired to heavenly things; in short, they
were men of heroic virtue, perfect saints.
(3.) As upon the Apostles, so upon us the Holy Ghost must
also operate like a devouring and purifying fire, that we may be
cleansed from our sins, and from worldly-minded men be changed
into heavenly-minded ones. If the Holy Ghost does not aid us,
we cannot make an act of supernatural, perfect contrition, which
is an indispensable condition for the cleansing of our conscience
and our reconciliation with God. If the Holy Ghost does not come
into our heart with his sanctifying grace, we are neither justified
nor sanctified, but are and remain sinners and objects of his dis­
pleasure. By nature we are afflicted with inclinations to pride,
avarice, impurity, anger, envy, slander and detraction, and these,
if not bridled and subdued, lead to many sins. Can we bridle
these evil inclinations by our own strength? No, for we are not
“sufficient to think anything of ourselves, as of ourselves, but
our sufficiency is from God.”—I/. Cor. 3-5. If the Holy Ghost
does not assist us, we become the sport of our evil inclinations
and passions, and fall into grievous sins. The thoughts and affec­
tions of most men are fixed upon the goods of this world ; how
to have a pleasant time and gratify their desires is their principal
care; about the service of God and the salvation of their soul
they are unconcerned. Who is it that can change this perverse
mind of men? Again the Holy Ghost, who, coming with his grace
into the hearts of men, totally transforms and renews them, so
that they exclaim with St. Paul : “Furthermore 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.”—Phil. 3: 8.

5

Symbolical Sketch.

»85

Part ΙΠ.
1. A third effect of fire is, that it warms. Whatever you bring
in contact with fire, though it be icy cold, will soon become
warm, even hot, if otherwise it is not combustible, so that, like a
stove in a room, it diffuses heat round about. If you put a piece
of iron into the fire, it soon becomes red hot, and so partakes of
the qualities of the tire that it seems itself to be only fire, and
when struck with a hammer it will send off red-hot particles.
2. The fire of the Holy Ghost has the same effect. It warms
the frozen hearts of men and inflames them with holy love, which
fears nothing but sin, which courageously surmounts all ob­
stacles in the way of salvation, which cannot be deterred by
threats or persecution from what it knows to be its duty, and
which is ready to make any and every sacrifice, even that of life,
for God’s sake.
(λ.) The Apostles again furnish proof of this truth. How
weak, how timid and hesitating, they were before they had
received the Holy Ghost 1 When Christ was in the hands of his
enemies they all fled ; Peter denied him, and swore that he knew
him not. After his death, their fear increased still more ; they
dared not appear in public. They locked themselves up in Jeru­
salem, for they were afraid of being arrested and condemned to
death. But how different was their conduct on and after Pente­
cost! Now they are no longer the weak, timid disciples; they
exhibit a courage which shrinks from no obstacle, despises all
threats, all dangers, all tribulations, a courage which enables
them to go cheerfully and joyfully to martyrdom and death.
Peter appears in public on the day of Pentecost and in Jerusalem,
the city which had committed deicide, and preaches Christ crucified
with such power and eloquence that three thousand Jews are
converted to the Christian faith. All the Apostles now begin
their painful, thorny career and preach the gospel; they go into
all the world, bid defiance to all dangers and persecutions, and,
full of invincible courage, exclaim with St. Paul: “Who shall se­
parate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? or distress?
or famine? or nakedness? or danger? or persecution? or the
sword?”

(3.) Wonderful were the effects which the Holy Ghost produced
in the Apostles, and he will produce such in us if we allow our
hearts to be inflamed and warmed by the fire of his love. In the
cold winter time all nature is benumbed, the earth is desolate
and incapable of producing a blade of grass. The fruit trees are

tS6

Pentecost, or Whit-Sunday.

shorn of their luxuriant foliage and have no power to blosso or
bear fruit But, lo, the sun comes again and warms the earth
with his rays. What a change ! All nature awakens from its death
like slumber and begins a new life; all the plants and trees bud,
bloom, grow, and bring forth fruit. So it is with us, according as
we are with or without the Holy Ghost. Without him we are
spiritually dead, we cannot do the least thing in the business of
our salvation. As the body without the soul is dead and can do
nothing, so the soul without the vital force, without the Divine
Spirit, is dead as regards the kingdom of heaven ; it can accom­
plish nothing that relates to God. As soon as the Holy Ghost
comes down upon us with his divine fire we receive life, warmth
and strength. Inflamed by the fire of his love, we overcome all
temptations, keep God’s commandments, fulfil the duties of re­
ligion and our state of life, and practise the Christian virtues ;
in a word, we do everything that is necessary and useful for the
salvation of our souls. Very truly and beautifully St. Chrysos­
tom says: “Through the Holy Ghost we have obtained the for­
giveness of our sins ; through him we have been cleansed from the
stains of vice ; through his gifts men who gave themselves up to
his guidance have become angels, not by changing their nature,
but, what is still more wonderful, by remaining men and walking
as purely and holily as the angels themselves. By the grace of
the Holy Ghost man, who a little while before was defiled by
the rust of sin, becomes brighter than the sun.”
PERORATION.

Such are the great and wonderful effects produced by the Holy
Ghost. Just as fire diffuses light round about and banishes dark­
ness, so the Holy Ghost enlightens us so that we may know what
is good and pleasing to God. As fire frees iron and other metals
from dross and makes them bright, so the Holy Ghost cleanses us
from the stains of sin and makes us glorious images of God.
And as fire warms whatever comes within its reach, so the Holy
Ghost warms the hearts of men by his love, that they may obtain
strength to surmount all obstacles to salvation and practise every
virtue. Oh, let us shun sin, walk in humility, fervently practise
the Christian virtues, and pray with attention, fervor and devotion,
that the Holy Ghost may abide with us and bless us, both for
time and eternity. Amen.

%

*. Moral Sketch.

>87

PENTECOST, OR WHIT-SUNDAY.

6. MORAL SKETCH.
OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY GHOST FOR THE SALVATION OF MAN.

But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my
name, he will teach you all things.— John 14: 26.

The holy feast of Pentecost, which we celebrate to-day as the
third principal festival of the Ecclesiastical Year, is dedicated to
the Holy Ghost, the third Person of the Blessed Trinity, to
“the Lord and life-giver, who proceeds from the Father and
the Son, and who together with the Father and the Son is equally
adored and glorified.”—Sy mb. Hie. Unspeakably great and
varied are the graces which we owe to the Holy Ghost, for they
relate to all things necessary for our purification and salvation.
The Church recalls these to our mind to-day, and exhorts us to
meditate on them and make the resolution from henceforth to
employ them for our salvation with all possible fervor. In order
to obey the invitation of the Church, we will make the operation
of the Holy Ghost for the salvation of man the subject of our me­
ditation, answering the three following questions:
I. What part has the Holy Ghost taken in the work of our Re­
demption ?
11. What did lie do on the feast of Pentecost ?
HI. What will he continue to do until the end of the world?

Part L
What part has the Holy Ghost taken in the work of our Re­
sumption ?

i. He foretold the Redemption ot man. Immediately after the
fall of our first parents, he announced the coming of a Redeemer,
in these words: “I will put enmities between thee and the woman,
and thy seed and her seed; she shall crush thy head and thou
shalt lie in wait for her heel.”—Gen. 3: 15. He foretold the Re­
deemer through the Patriarch Jacob: “The sceptre shall not be
taken away from Juda, nor a ruler from his thigh, till he come
that is to be sent, and he shall be the expectation of nations.”—
Gen. 49: 10. Through Isaias : “Behold, a virgin shall conceive,
and bear a s>n; and his name shall be called Emmanuel·”—7: 14.

■i i···· ■ i ■ i j ■.* jCBsaons

388

Pentecost,

or

Whït-Sunday.

Through Micheas: And thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, art a little
one among the thousands of Juda; out of thee shall he come forth
unto me that is to be the ruler in Israel and his going forth is
from the beginning, from the days of eternity.”—5: 2. By these
and many other prophecies the Holy Ghost caused the belief in
the coming Redeemer and the longing after him to be again and
again awakened and preserved.

2. He prepared the Blessed Virgin Mary for the dignity of the
divine Maternity, It is an article of the faith that Mary was
conceived without the stain of original sin, for it was not becom­
ing that she who was to bring forth the Holy of Holies, the Son
of God and the Conqueror of Satan, should ever be defiled with
sin and be the slave of Satan even for a moment. Mary was free
not only from original sin, but also from every personal sin, even
from the least fault; she possessed in the first moment of her con­
ception a greater measure of sanctity than all angels and saints;
she also practised in her life all virtues and attained in each of
them the highest perfection. To whom does Mary owe all these
prerogatives and graces? To the Holy Ghost, who applied to the
treasures of his grace in order to render her worthy of becoming
the Mother of God.

3. He effected the Incarnation of Christ. This wonderful mys^·
tery of our holy faith is expressed in the Sacred Scripture in
clear and plain words. Thus the Archangel Gabriel says to the
Blessed \zirgin: “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the
power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore
also the Holy Ghost which shall be born of thee shall be called
the Son of God.”—Luke 1:35. ln like manner the angel of the
Lord said to Joseph, the virginal spouse of Mary: “Joseph, Son
of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which
is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”—Matt. 1: 20. We say
m the Apostles’ creed: “Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,” and this truth is brought before us in
the first “Joyful Mystery” of the Rosary. By the power of the
Holy Ghost, theretore, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, assumed
human nature, that is, a human body and a human soul, and united
it with his Divinity in one person, the Person of the Son of God.
Now, since according to the decree of God Christ was to become
man, in order to be able to suffer and die for us and thereby to
redeem us, we owe our delivery from sin and eternal damnation
also to the Holy Ghost, because it was he that accomplished the
Incarnation of Christ and thereby enabled him to redeem us.

4. Lastly, he assisted with his grace our divine Lord in everything
that he, as man, has done for our Redemption. When Christ was

289

6. Moral Sketch.

baptized by St. John in the river Jordan, the Holy Ghost de­
scended in the form of a dove, and came upon him to impart to him
the plenitude of his graces.—Matt. 3: 16. He was led by the
Spirit into the desert, before he began his public life, where he
fasted forty days and forty nights and overcame the temptations
of Satan.—Matt. 4: 1, etseq. Again, it was the Holy Ghost who,
as Jesus himself assures us, anointed and sent him, "to preach
the gospel to the poor, to heal the contrite of heart, to preach
deliverance to the captives, and sight to the blind, to set at
liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of
the Lord, and the day of reward.”—Luke 4: 18, 19. Urged and
strengthened by the Holy Ghost, Christ offered himself to God
as a clean oblation, dying for us on the cross.
From all this we perceive what part the Holy Ghost took in
the work of our Redemption, and how much reason we have,
in consideration of all that Christ has done for our Redemp­
tion, to think also of the Holy Ghost and to thank him for his
gracious co-operation.

Part II.
What did the Holy Ghost do on the feast of Pentecost?

1. He came in the shape of parted tongues, as it were, of fire,
and sat upon the Apostles and other believers, and they received
the plenitude of his graces, especially the gift of tongues. On
this day the Apostles received not only the plenitude of sancti­
fying grace, but also the gifts which they needed in the exercise
of their high calling. It was the Holy Ghost who taught the
Apostles all truth {John 16: 13), and enabled them to preach the
divine doctrine to the world in its entirety, pure and unadulter­
ated; it was he who stripped the hearts of the Apostles of all
weakness and human fear, and fortified them with courage and
strength, that braving all obstacles and dangers, all difficulties
and persecutions, they preached the gospel to Jews and Gentiles,
and joyfully sacrificed their lives. It was he who changed them
into new beings and filled their hearts with the most pure love
of God and with indomitable zeal, so that they lived only for
Christ and for their holy vocation; hence they could say with St.
Paul: “With Christ I am nailed to the cross. And I live, now
not I; but Christ liveth in me.”—Gal. 2: 19, 20. Moreover, the
Holy Ghost imparted to the Apostles the gift of tongues, to en­
able them, in preaching the gospel, to make themselves under­
stood by all the nations of the earth, which spoke many lan­
guages. He also imparted to them other miraculous gifts, such
as power to cast out devils, to heal the sick, to raise the dead, as
proofs of their divine mission. Thus it was reserved to the Holy
Ill

19

^9°

Pentecost, or Whit-Sunday.

Ghost to render the apostles efficient preachers of the faith and
dispensers of graces; without him they would not have been
able to convert and gain a single soul, much less the whole world.

2. The Holy Ghost did still more on Pentecost. He introduced
the Church of Christ into the world. Christ had already founded
his Church, and the congregation assembled in the Cœnaculum
at Jerusalem constituted it. But it was hidden, it was small, in­
significant, for there were only one hundred and twenty souls, all
told; they had space enough in a room. Moreover, Peter and the
other Apostles did not yet possess those gifts which they needed
for the profitable exercise of their office ; they lacked especially
the gift of wisdom and fortitude, to enable them to appear in
public as preachers of the gospel ; finally, the Holy Ghost, the
spirit of truth, of comfort, of fortitude and sanctification, was
wanting to the whole Church; it resembled a body without a
soul, therefore a body without life, without motion or activity.
But what a blessed change is wrought in the Church to-day I The
Holy Ghost comes not only upon the Apostles but also upon all
the believers assembled in the Cœnaculum, therefore upon the
whole Church, and makes his permanent abode with her. The
promise of Christ is accomplished: “I will ask the Father, and
he shall give you another Paraclete, that he may abide with you
for ever.”—John 14 ; 16. To-day the Holy Ghost imparts to Peter
and the other Apostles those gifts which they need to rule the
Church and to ordain whatever is required for the salvation of
mankind; to-day the Holy Ghost manifests the existence of the
Church to the world, for at the conclusion of St. Peter's first
sermon three thousand Jews are converted to the Christian faith
and become members of the Church. Pentecost therefore is a
very important, blessed day; it is, as it were, the birthday of the
Holy Catholic Church because on this day the Holy Ghost came
down upon the Apostles and the believers and because he intro­
duced her to-day into the world. Thanks be to the Holy Ghost
for this wonderful grace now and for everl

Part ILL
What will the Holy Ghost continue to do until the end of the
world ?

i. He preserves, guides and rtiles the Church until the consum­
mation of the world. Christ, indeed, is the invisible head of the
Church, and, as such, rules her in an invisible manner, but only
through the Holy Ghost, who proceeds from him and the Father,
and is sent by him, and who, consequently, is his Spirit. St.
Augustine says: “What the soul is to the body of man, the Holy

A

6.

Moral Sketch.

Ghost is to the body of Christ, to the holy Church, for the Holy Ghost
does in the Church what the soul does in the single members of the
body—he enlivens, guides and rules her”. The Holy Ghost intro­
duces the officers of the Church by consecration into their office and
imparts to them the necessary graces and faculties for the adminis­
tration of it. Therefore St. Paul exhorts the officers of the Church
at Ephesus: “To take heed to themselves and to all the flock
wherein the Holy Ghost has placed them bishops.” The Holy Ghost
continually assists the teaching Church, so that in matters of faith
and morals she cannot err, and everything she ordains and decrees
is according to the will of God. Therefore, the Apostles assem­
bled in council at Jerusalem declare: “It hath seemed good to
the Holy Ghost and to us to lay no further burden upon you than
these necessary things.”—Acts 15: 28. Because the Holy Ghost
rules the Church, her officers, although frail men and sometimes
leading disedifying lives, never make laws and ordinances which
are in contradiction to the doctrine of Christ. There is not even
a single instance in which the Pope has decreed or prescribed
anything contrary to faith or morals and laid it down as an obli­
gation upon the faithful. Whenever an error was broached it
was rejected. The Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth, has never al­
lowed at any time an error to creep into the sacred deposit of
faith and morals, and never will. Finally, when we consider the
Church in the light of history, and see her not only existing in
the midst of countless persecutions from century to century, but
spreading more and more among the nations of the earth, we
must confess that it is the Holy Ghost that rules and protects her,
and guards her against all her exterior and interior enemies.
2. He sanctifies us. Jesus Christ is our Redeemer; he has ex­
piated our guilt and reconciled us with God. We owe it to his
infinite merits that we are purified and sanctified. But, although
Christ has merited for us the grace of sanctification, we are not
yet, on that account, really sanctified. This grace must be ap­
plied to us. What profit to a thirsty man is a well which is closed
up in the bowels of the earth, or to which he has not the strength
to approach and drink of its water ? He will die of thirst, no
«I atter how pure and abundant the water may be. In like man­
ner the merits of Christ profit us nothing, if there is no one to
make them accessible to us, because by our own strength we
cannot apply them to ourselves. In order to become partakers
of the merits of Christ, we must believe, hope, love, repent of
our sins, and truly amend our lives; but we cannot do these
things by our natural strength. Now the Holy Ghost comes to
our rescue ; he awakens in us the desire for the grace of conver­
sion, he supports us, that we may comply with all the conditions
accessary for the application of the fruits of Redemption; and

291

Pentecost,

or

Whit-Sunday.

lastly he imparts to us these fruits themselves by really purify­
ing and sanctifying us. Hence the Apostle writes: “You are
washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified, in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God,” whose puri­
fying and sanctifying grace Christ has merited for you by his
passion and death on the cross.—I. Cor. 6: n.
The Holy Ghost effects our sanctification by the sacraments.
In baptism he cleanses us from original sin, and also from all actual
sin, he sanctifies us and makes us children of God and heirs of
heaven. For this reason the Apostle calls baptism “the laver of
regeneration and renovation of the Holy Ghost.”—Titus 3 : 5. In
the Sacrament of Confirmation the Holy Ghost completes in us
the baptismal grace, and makes us soldiers of Christ. He not
only increases in us sanctifying grace but also enlightens us with
his divine light, that we may discern the illusion of the world
and the dangers to our salvation which threaten us; he fortifies
us with supernatural strength that we may overcome all tempta­
tions and persevere in the state of grace. If we be so unfortunate
as to lose the grace of God by mortal sin and to render ourselves
guilty of eternal damnation, we have the Sacrament of Penance
in which we obtain the remission of our sins and of the eternal
punishment due to them. This grace again we owe to the Holy
Ghost, for to him belongs the work of our sanctification not only
in baptism, but also in penance ; and priests forgive sins only in
virtue of the Holy Ghost; wherefore Christ said to his Apostles:
“Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they
are forgiven ; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”
In the same manner the Holy Ghost operates in the other sacra­
ments; it is always he that applies to us the merits of Christ for
our purification and sanctification.
PERORATION.

From what has been said, it is evident how beneficent the Holy
Ghost is, how charitably he is to us and how many and great
graces he bestows upon us. He begins his holy and salutary work
immediately after the fall of our first parents, inaugurates the
work of our Redemption and is continually active till he has
completed it. Scarcely has our Redeemer left the earth when
the Holy Ghost comes down from heaven, imparts to the Apos­
tles all the gifts and graces which they need for the discharge
of their office, and introduces the Church into the world. He
makes his permanent abode in the Church, protects, preserves,
rules and guides her until the consummation of the world, and
sanctifies in her and through her all men of all times. Oh, let us
think to-day with a grateful heart of all these graces of the Holy

y. Moral Sketch.

>93

Ghost and resolve to employ them with persevering· fervor for
our salvation I In conclusion, let us pray with the Church: O God,
thou who on this day didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by
the light of the Holy Ghost, grant us, by the same Spirit, to have
a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his
consolation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PENTECOST, OR WHIT SUNDAY.

7. MORAL SKETCH.
THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST.

The Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my
name, he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your
mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you.— John 14: 26.
This is the glorious, blessed day on which this promise of Christ
was fulfilled. Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a
mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were
sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues, as it were, offire,
and it sat upon every one of them. And they were all filled with the
Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the fountain of all that is good ;
to him we owe not only some, but all graces. The Sacred Scrip­
ture, however, out of the countless multitude of gifts of grace,
enumerates especially seven. Speaking of Christ, the incarnate
Son of God, Isaias (11: 2, 3) says: “And the Spirit of the Lord
shall rest upon him : the spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the spirit of counsel and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and of
godliness. And he shall be filled with the spirit of the fear of the
LordS I shall briefly explain to you to-day these seven gifts of
the Holy Ghost, in order to move you to adore, praise, and
glorify the Holy Ghost with the Father and the Son.
I. The gift of wisdom.

I. True wisdom is a gift of the Holy Ghost, which enlightens
our understanding, that we may know our destiny, and urges us
to aspire after that which makes us truly happy. He who posses­
ses true wisdom knows that mortal sin is the greatest, nay, the only
evil, and, therefore, is resolved to lose everything, even life, rather

294

Pentecost,

or

Whit-Sunday

than wilfully commit a mortal sin ; he has no attachment to the goods
of this world, forhe ispenetrated by the conviction that “everything
under the sun is vanity and vexation of spirit.” He lives and acts
indeed in the world, he attends to his business, he acquires mo­
ney and lands and occasionally enjoys some harmless, innocent
amusement, but he has no inordinate love for these things, he
considers temporal goods only as a means for obtaining salva­
tion. He says with the Apostle : “The time is short ; it remaineth,
that they also who have wives, be as of 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
not, and they that use the world, as if they used it not ; for the
fashion of this world passeth away.”—I. Cor. 7: 29-32.
2. Example: The Emperor Theodosius asked the holy virgin
Olympias to marry his cousin ; but, as she was firmly resolved to
live only for her heavenly Bridegroom, she refused this request.
The Emperor became so exasperated that he sequestrated her
immense property till she attained the age of thirty; she was
then only eighteen. Olympias wrote to the Emperor: “You have
done me a great favor, which is worthy not only of an emperor,
but of a bishop ; for by taking care of my property you have
freed me from many cares and all disquietude in regard to its
proper administration. To make my joy complete, order my
property to be distributed to the churches and to the poor. I
have for a long time feared the motions of vanity, which neces­
sarily arise in the distribution of charity and to which I should
easily be exposed were I to distribute it myself. Temporal riches
might also cause me to neglect the spiritual and divine ones.
I will aspire after true Christian wisdom, loving no longer the
world and its goods, henceforth seeking only God and the ever­
lasting goods.”

3. That you may obtain this precious gift of the Holy Ghost,
you must pray for it according to the word of St. James: “If any
of you want wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men
abundantly.”—James 1: 5. Meditate frequently on your last end,
and consider how fleeting and perishable are all earthly things,
and that nothing can console and rejoice you in eternity but a
pious, Christian life. Read spiritual books ; they will make a sa­
lutary impression upon you and you will learn that only one
thing is necessary—to love God and thereby to be saved, and thus
to come into the possession of heavenly wisdom.
II. The gift of understanding.

I. This gift consists in a special illumination of the Holy Ghost
whereby we are enabled to look deeply into the mysteries of

•j. Moral Sketch.

295

faith and to understand them better than the wise and Isarned of
the world. Christians who are endowed with the gift of under­
standing often possess a wonderful knowledge of divine
things; they have a profound comprehension of the truths of
religion, and know how to give the most surprising solutions
to questions which human wisdom cannot answer. This sublime
knowledge is not acquired by study, but is a gift of the Holy
Ghost. Hence the Apostle writes: “The things also that are of
God no man knoweth, but the Spirit of God. Now we have re­
ceived not the spirit of this world, but the Spirit that is of God,
that we may know the things that are given us from God.”—
Z. Cor. 2: ii, 12.

2. Examples: The Apostles. They were not highly educated
men ; they do not seem to have been endowed with any extra­
ordinary genius or talent; they were dull of apprehension, amf
much of what Christ said to them they understood not at all. But
after the Holy Ghost had come upon them and imparted to them
the gift of understanding, the whole doctrine of Christ became
perfectly plain to them ; they understood the Sacred Scriptures
and exhibited a knowledge in matters of religion which con­
founded all the knowledge of the Jews and Gentiles. The vener­
able Gregory Lopez, born at Madrid, in the year 1542, knew the
whole Bible by heart and so thoroughly understood its contents
that he could interpret the most difficult passages with such luci­
dity that his interpretation seemed to all who heard it the only
true one. Many theologians visited him and all went away full
of wonder and amazement, and many of them, after having heard
him, changed the opinions to which they had long been wedded.
Dominic Salazar, afterwards archbishop, said once to his three
companions after visiting him: “How is this, that we, who have
devoted our whole life to study, do not know as much as this
simple man ?”

3. The Holy Ghost generally gives this gift of understanding
only to souls who excel in humble faith and purity of heart;
wherefore our Lord glorifies his heavenly Father, because he
concealed the mysteries of religion from the wise and the pru­
dent, and revealed them to little ones.—Matt. 11: 25. If you are
humble of heart and live piously, if you love to pray, and to hear
the word of God, the Holy Ghost will impart to you the gift of
understanding, as far as it is necessary and expedient for you.
III. The gift of counsel.
i. This gift consists in this, that being enlightened by the Holy
Ghost we know in doubtful cases what is good, expedient and

t$6

Pentecost,

or

Whit-Sunday.

.leasing to God, and what means we must adopt to attain the end.
Ît frequently happens that we are harassed by doubts ; we can'
not decide whether by doing or not doing something we shall
be adopting the right course and acting according to the will of
God. That in such cases self-love or the appearance of good may
not deceive us, or that the evil spirit, who sometimes changes
himself into an angel of light, may not impose upon us, the Holy
Ghost comes to our assistance with the gift of counsel. We know
then from the reasons which the Holy Ghost presents to our mindy
or by a firm, calm conviction, what we ought to do in order to
act according to the will of God. He who possesses the gift of
counsel can also give advice to those who in their doubts apply
to them for it.

2. Examples: The holy hermit Anthony gave wise counsel to
thousands who came to consult him about the affair of their sal­
vation. Even the Emperor Constantine and his sons applied to
him by letter and received from him excellent admonitions and
counsel St. Bernard was importuned for counsel in the solitude
of his monastery at Clairvaux by ambassadors from all parts of
the Christian world, and gave it to princes, bishops and popes,
who adopted his decisions as final. In truth, his decisions were
surprising, and clearly showed that he drew them from the
heavenly fountain.
3. If you are in doubt in any affair, but especially with regard
to your choice of a state of life, humbly and confidently ask light
of the Holy Ghost. He will either himself suggest to you what
you ought to do, or he will send you some one who will show
you the right road. The words of Christ are also applicable here :
“Ask, and it shall be given you.”—Luke 11:9.

IV. The gift of fortitude.

i.
This
gift consists in an extraordinary strength ofwill, whereby
we are enabled in every situation of life to carry out that which
is pleasing to God and necessary or expedient for our salvation.
This fortitude manifests itself particularly—
(a.) In temptations, which are frequently very violent, and resem­
ble storms which root up the strongest trees. It is the Holy Ghost
that comes to our help and gives us strength to overcome the
enemies of salvation. Examples: The chaste Susanna: Joseph of
Egypt. Both underwent great temptation ; both were placed in
circumstances in which they must either sin or lose their honor
or liberty, or perhaps their life. Both resisted the temptation and
IIVi I
preferred to die rather than commit
a foul deed. It was the

7. Moral Sketch.

297

Holy Ghost, whom they implored in their necessity, that imparted
to them the necessary strength.

(Æ.) In sufferings, which frequently become so heavy that the
Christian needs extraordinary strength of mind to enable him to
bear them patiently. This fortitude shone forth particularly in
the holy martyrs. Their executioners tried every means to
make them renounce their faith ; they threatened them with the
most cruel tortures; they cast the servants of God into dis­
mal dungeons and delivered them up to the most painful death,
but nothing was able to shake their fortitude and firmness of
faith; these Christians lived and died for Christ. Other saints
also exhibited wonderful fortitude in sufferings. Thus St. Te­
resa, who, during a sickness of forty years, which frequently
caused her intolerable pain, used to say in prayer: “Lord, either
to suffer, or to die.”
(ci) In cases where God demands of us great sacrifices. Example :
St. Francis Xavier, as he himself says, at first trembled with fear
when he was ordered to preach the faith to the cannibals of the
island of Morea. But the Holy Ghost strengthened him with the
gift of fortitude ; he courageously went, and by his preaching
and example transformed the bloodthirsty savages into lambs
of Christ.

2. The Holy Ghost will also give you the gift offortitude, if you
pray for it with fervor. Have recourse to him, then, in tempta­
tions, in sufferings, in misfortunes, and in all situations in which
great sacrifices are required of you, and pray to him with con­
fidence that he may strengthen your weakness and assist you in
doing the holy will of God. Your prayer will certainly be heard
if you have a good will and do what is required on your part.
K

The gift of knowledge.

i. Knowledge is the gift of the Holy Ghost by which we are
initiated into the mysteries of religion and at the same time en­
abled to initiate others into them. This knowledge is justly
called a gift of the Holy Ghost, because no one can obtain it of
himself. By study, reading and instruction we may acquire a pro­
found acquaintance with religion, but to penetrate deeper into
the knowledge of revealed truth and obtain a clear idea of it is
impossible for us. In like manner it is not in our power to ex­
plain to others the truths of religion, so as to convince them and
induce them to embrace them with a believing heart. In a double
relation we need the gift of knowledge; the Holy Ghost must
instruct us and give us the gift of instructing others with profit.

2 q8

Pentecost,

or

Whit-Sun day.

Hence we read in Proverbs (2: 6): “The Lord giveth wisdom,
and out of his mouth cometh prudence and knowledge.*’

2. Examples: The holy Fathers and doctors of the Church, SS.
Jerome, Chrysostom, Augustine, Gregory the Great, Thomas of
Aquin, Bernard, and others. Their writings are mines of Chris­
tian truths; they illustrate and support all the docrines of our
holy religion, and enable every one who cares for truth to dis­
tinguish it from error and to acquire a profound knowledge of
religion. St. Vincent Ferrer traveled not only through all the
provinces of his own country, Spain, but also through France,
Italy, England, Scotland and Ireland, preaching the word of God
everywhere. When he arrived at any place, princes, bishops
and clergy flocked to meet him, and frequently eighty thou­
sand persons listened to his discourses. Prodigious was the effect
of his sermons; the number of loose women, murderers, robbers,
usurers and blasphemers who were converted is estimated at
forty thousand. In Spain alone he converted twenty-five thou­
sand Jews and eight thousand Saracens. Such great things did
this Saint accomplish by the gift of knowledge which the Holy
Ghost had imparted to him.

3. Let us return thanks to the Holy Ghost for having from time
to time illumined some in this wonderful manner, and let us make
use of this gilt of knowledge by meditating seriously and deeply
on the eternal truths of salvation.
P7. The gift of godliness or piety,

i. He who possesses this gift, is not only careful not to offend God
by sin, but he also loves him ashis heavenly Father ; he loves all that
God loves, the angels and saints, and especially the Blessed Virgin,
and all his fellow-men as children and images of God. He finds
his greatest pleasure and sweetest joy in prayer, in reading spi­
ritual books, in hearing the word of God and in the reception of the
sacraments; in short, he loves everything that relates to the ho­
nor and glory of God. Among all the gifts of the Holy Ghost,
there is scarcely one that produces such glorious and beautiful
fruits as piety ; it looks upon everything with the eyes of love,
and adheres to God in evil as well as in good days with unchange­
able fidelity. To the practice of piety St. Paul exhorts us in these
words: “Exercise thyself unto godliness: for bodily exercise is
profitable to little, but godliness in profitable to all things, hav­
ing promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.”
—I. Tim. 4: 7, 8.
2. Example: St. Rose of Lima. She had already in her twelfth
year attained a high degree of piety. When sewing, knitting,

y. Moral Sketch.

299

speaking with others, or however occupied she kept herself in the
presence of God. At prayer she seemed dead to the outside
world. She was often seen kneeling for hours together, and
praying in an immovable posture in a corner not far from the
high altar. At the same time, she was active in the works of
charity, practising obedience conscientiously, fulfilling the du­
ties of her state with all fervor and leading a very mortified life.
The nearer the time of her dissolution approached, the greater
became her desire of being united with her divine spouse. Hav­
ing received the holy sacraments and thrice pronounced with
devotion the holy name of Jesus, she expired on the 24th day of
August, 1617, in the thirty-first year of her age. Pope Clement X.
canonized her in the year 1671.
3. Strive to acquire piety, for it is necessary for salvation. Love
solitude and lead, as far as you can, a retired life. Set a guard
on your senses, mortify all inordinate inclinations, turn your
hearts frequently to God, make acts of charity, receive the holy
sacraments as often as possible or as may be recommended by
your confessor; visit Jesus in the tabernacle, examine your con­
science daily, and diligently practise mental and vocal prayer.

VII. The gift of the fear of the Lord.

1. We distinguish a twofold fear, a servile and a filial fear. If
we avoid evil like a slave only from fear of punishment, we have
the servile fear of God; but if we shun evil like a good son from
fear of offending our loving father, we have the filial fear of
God. Servile fear is good and is also a gift of God.—Cone. Trid.
Sess. 14 : Cafi. 4. This kind of fear urged the Ninivites to do pen­
ance. But filial fear is far nobler and better, and in so far as it
impels us to avoid even the least sin, it is, in the proper sense of
the word, the seventh gift of the Holy Ghost. This is indeed the
filial fear of the Lord, which is peculiar to noble-hearted children
everywhere, for they always fear to do anything that might dis­
please their loving Father in heaven.

2. Example : God once showed Saint Mary Magdalen of Pazzi,
while in ecstasy, all her faults and imperfections. She burst out
into loud complaints and tears, and said: “O my God, I would
gladly go to hell if thereby I could bring it about that I had not
offended thee.” And yet she had never committed a mortal sin,
and even venial sins she shunned with the greatest care. She had
so great a horror of sin that it seemed to her impossible that
a Christian could offend God with premeditation. A fortnight
before her death she said to her sisters: “I now go out of this

joo

Pentecost, or Whtt-Sunday.

life, and it seems to me incomprehensible that a creature can
offend his Creator and Father knowingly and wilfully by mortal
sin.”
3. Oh, that this filial fear might animate us all, and that we
would shun and detest sin above all things! Oh, that parents
would admonish their children again and again to fear Godl
Truly, if they would conscientiously follow this one admonition,
they would shun every sin and adhere faithfully to God in all
the vicissitudes of life ; for, “they that fear the Lord will seek
after the things that are well pleasing to him.”—Ecclus. 2: 19.
PERORATION.

These are the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost: “ Be zealous for
the better gifts.”—I. Cor. 12: 31. Pray with fervor, perseverance
and confidence, for prayer is the key to the heart of God and
draws down upon us every good and perfect gift. Be humble of
heart, knowing that God resists the proud and gives his grace to
the humble. Lead a retired life, for the Holy Ghost does not
give his graces in the tumult of the world, but in solitude: “ I will
lead her into solitude, and there I will speak to her heart.” Pre­
serve always a good conscience, because the Holy Ghost dwells
in a pure heart and there bestows his graces. If you follow these
rules, you will receive the gifts of the Holy Ghost as far as
necessary and expedient for you, and with their help work out
your salvation. Amen.

1. Homiletic Sketch.

301

TRINITY SUNDAY.

Epistle. Roni. 11: 33-36. O the depth of the riches of the

wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How incomprehensible
are his judgments, and how unsearchable his ways! For who hath
known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counsellor?
Or who hath first given to him, and recompense shall be made
him? For of him, and by him, and in him, are all things: to
him be glory for ever. Amen.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
THE MYSTERY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY.

St. Paul, in the lesson of this day, expresses his admiration of
the infinite wisdom of God, who knows how to turn all things
into good ; he marvels at the incomprehensible judgment of God,
that is, at the purposes and intentions according to which God
ordains and directs everything; how, for instance, he receives
and rescues some from ruin ; how, on the contrary, he withdraws
his grace from others and leaves them to perdition. Lastly, he
admires the ways of God, that is, the means which he employs to
carry out his purposes and particularly to rescue unbelievers
and sinners. Then he invites us to praise and to glorify God on
account of his infinite wisdom, love and mercy.
The Church gives another explanation to this epistle and ap­
plies it to the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity which we cele­
brate to-day. In this sense I also propose it for our meditation,
and shall speak of—

/. The incomprehensibility of the Most Holy Trinity;
II. The works of the Most Holy Trinity ;
III The honor due to the Most Holy Trinity,
Part

L

O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge oj
God! How incomprehensible are his judgments and ham unsearch·

Trinity Sunday.

3 οι

abb his ways ! For who hath known the mind of the Lord ? Or who
hath been his counsellor ? Or who hath first given to him, and re­
compense shall be made him ? The Church applies these words of
the Apostles to the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, for God
is incomprehensible—
1.

In his essence.

To comprehend God in his essence, or to be able to say what
he is, is beyond the power of men and angels. His attributes are
known and comprehended by himself alone, adequately praised
by none but by the eternal word, and perfectly loved only by
the divine Spirit. Hence the Apostle says : “The things that are
of God no man knoweth but the Spirit of God.”—I. Cor. 2:11.
St. Augustine says : “God is inexpressible ; we can more easily
say what he is not, than what he is.” Hiero, the ruler of Syra­
cuse, once asked the philosopher Simonides what God was. The
philosopher asked to be allowed one day for consideration. The
next day he appeared before the king and asked for two days
more, and at the expiration of the two days asked for four days
more, prolonging the time in regular geometrical progression.
Full of astonishment, Hiero asked him what this delay meant.
Simonides replied : “The more I think of what God is, the more
obscure the subject becomes to me.”
Let us take only a few of the divine perfections or attributes
of God, to convince ourselves how incomprehensible he is. God
is eternal. There never was a time in which he was not. Time
began with the creation, and although the word before presup­
poses time, yet we must say that God existed before time com­
menced. We can go back in time to the first moment of creation
when time commenced, but if we go back millions of years we
always find God, and we cannot find a moment of time in which
he was not. Who can comprehend this, since we can think of
nothing at all that has not had a beginning at some time or other?
God is everywhere, omnipresent. He is at one and the same time
in heaven and upon earth and in every place; he is everywhere
whole and entire, one and the same God, without multiplying
himself; simple, without extension. Who can comprehend this?
God is infinitely just and merciful, and yet he treats men very dif­
ferently. Manasses, king of Juda, adds sin to sin and commits
all possible cruelties and abominations for about fifty years, and
finally finds grace before God {IV. Kings 21: 1, et seq. ; II. Paralip. 33; 12 et seq.y, and his son, after two years spent in dissi­
pation, is killed and lost for ever.—IV. Kings, 21: 19. Who can
comprehend this entirely different treatment of father and son,
and reconcile it with the eternal justice of God ?

i. Homiletic Sketch.

303

2. In his three Persons. Faith teaches us that there are three
Persons in the Blessed Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost, and that each of these three Persons is truly God. Now,
if the Father is truly God, the Son truly God, and the Holy Ghost
truly God, and the three Persons really distinct, as they are,
what should we infer from this? Evidently that there are three
Gods. But it is not so; there is, as you all know, but one God.
Who can comprehend this? Faith teaches us that the Son is a
self-existing· Person, who is begotten of the Father, is wholly in
the Father and according to his nature one with him; and that
the Holy Ghost, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, is a
self-existing Person, is wholly in the Father and the Son, and
with them constitutes only one God. Who can comprehend this?
Again, faith teaches us that both the Son and the Holy Ghost,
who have their origin from the Father, are, and must be from
eternity, the same as the Father, because otherwise they would
not be God. We cannot comprehend this, since reason tells us
that the Father must be prior to the Son; the cause must precede
the effect.
Whether we consider God in his essence or in his three Persons,
we meet unsearchable mysteries, and must exclaim with the
Apostle: O the depth of the, riches of the wisdom and of the know­
ledge of God ! How incomprehensible are his judgments, and how
unsearchable his ways ! But God has not revealed to us his exis­
tence, his Unity of essence, his Trinity of Persons, and his other
attributes, that we may comprehend him, but that we may believe
and adore him.

Part Π.
The words of St. Paul in the epistle of this day : For of him
and by him, and in him, are all things, may be referred to the
works of the Most Holy Trinity.
i. Of him are all things. These words refer to the first Person
of the Blessed Trinity, God the Father.

(0.) All things are of God and the Father, even the uncreated,
the divine, viz., God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The Son is
begotten of the Father. “The Lord hath said to me : Thou art
my Son, this day have I begotten thee.”—Ps. 2: 7. The Holy
Ghost proceeds from the Father. “When the Paraclete cometh,
whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, who
f roceedeth from the Father, he shall give testimony of me.” What
a deep and all-embracing meaning have the words of the Apostle:
Of him are all things, since not only temporal and finite things, but

JTnwwwr i ii m

304

h

Trinity Sunday.

also what is eternal and infinite, God the Son, and God the Holy
Ghost, have their origin from God the Father.

(6.) All created things are of ihe Father. The immense firmament
with the sun, moon and beautiful stars, most of which are so enorm­
ous that the earth we inhabit, compared with them, appears only
as a ball, is his work. Our earth, with its thousand millions of
men, who in about thirty years die and make room for other
thousand millions, and with countless animate and inanimate
creatures in the three kingdoms of nature, is also his work.
Heaven and the angels, those glorious creatures whose number
is indefinite, are his work. “I believe in God, the Father Al­
mighty, Creator of heaven and earth.”
(c.) The second creation, our Redemption, is also of God the
Father. For although he did not become man and die on the
cross, yet he decreed to send his Son into the world for the Re­
demption of sinful man. Hence Jesus himself says : “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. O how great, how powerful, how gcod and merciful
must God the Father appear to us, when we consider the words
of the Apostle : Of him are all things.

2. By him are all things. These words refer to the Son of God,
the second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
(a.) God the Father is not the Creator exclusively; God the
Son and God the Holy Ghost took part in the work of the cre­
ation. All three Persons being but one God they possess the
same power, the same wisdom and goodness, the same will, and,
consequently, the three Persons work eternally together. To
the Father is especially ascribed the creation of heaven and
earth, because a power is required for that which properly be­
longs to the Father, the eternal First Cause, from which the Son
and the Holy Ghost originate. That the Son also co-operated in
the work of creation, St. John tells us in plain words, in his
gospel: “All things were made by him (by the Word, the Son of
God); and without him was made nothing that was made.”—John
i : 3. God the Son co-operated in the work of creation in a man­
ner peculiar to his Person. As God the Father brought forth all
creatures by the power which is attributed to him as the first
Person of the Blessed Trinty, so God the Son ordered and di­
rected all things in the creation by the wisdom which is proper
to him from his personal knowledge of the Father, so that the
wisdom of God shines forth from all created things.

i. Homiletic Sketch.

3°5

(3.) To God the Son we owe, in particular, our second creation,
or Redemption, for it is he, as the Nicene Creed says: ifWho for
us men, and for our salvation, descended from heaven, and was
incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made
man.” For our sake he lived thirty-three years upon earth, in
suffering and lowliness and after unspeakable sufferings shed
his precious blood on the cross. "When the fulness of the time
was come, God sent his Son, made of a woman, made under the
law, that he might redeem them who were under the law.”—
Gal. 4: 4, 5. “Knowing that you were not redeemed with cor­
ruptible things as gold or silver . . . but with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled.”—I. Peter
l: 18, 19. What gratitude do we not owe to God the Son for
the grace of Redemption I Let us never forget what our Re­
demption has cost him ; let us live penitently, that its fruits may
be applied to us.

3. In him are all things. These words refer to the Holy Ghost,
the third Person of the Blessed Trinity.
(λ.) The creation is also the work of the Holy Ghost. The
words of the Sacred Scripture indicate this : “In the beginning
God created heaven and earth. And the earth was void and
empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the
Spirit of God moved over the waters.”—Gen, 1: 1, 2. In the first
stage of creation everything was formless. The four elements
were mixed up in one conglomerated mass ; there was neither
beauty nor order anywhere; it was the Holy Ghost that brought
beauty and order out of the primitive chaos, separating the ele­
ments from one another, and thus forming them into those indi­
vidual creatures—earth, air, fire, and water. Because the Holy
Ghost is the personal and reciprocal love between the Father
and the Son he manifested especially his love in the work of
creation, as the Father his omnipotence and the Son his wisdom,
having the welfare of creatures before him and desiring that all
creatures, especially angels and men, should rejoice at their
existence.

(5.) Our second creation, or Redemption, is a work of the Holy
Ghost also. For it is he who effected the Incarnation of Christ.
The Archangel Gabriel said to Mary: “The Holy Ghost shall
come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall over­
shadow thee and therefore also the Holy which shall be born of
thee shall be called the son of God.”—Luke 1:35. Moreover, it
is the Holy Ghost who applies to us the fruits of Redemption,
for he assists with his grace, by which we are enabled to comply
with the condition to which the fruits of Redemption are at·
0

jo6

Trinity Sunday.

tached ; he purifies and sanctifies us in the sacraments and makes
us children of God and heirs of heaven. Without the Holy Ghost
the merits of Christ would be to us but a locked·up fountain ; it
is he who makes this fountain of grace accessible to us. Be
thankful to him for his graces and avail yourselves of them for
your salvation.

Part HL
i. To him be gloryfor ever. Amen. With these words the Apostle
expresses that glory is due to the Triune God.
(a.) Honor and glory are due to the Father. In the fourth comandment we are commanded to honor our father and mother.
We have the same duty towards God the Father. He is our
Father because he has created us and given us a body and soul.
But he is still more our Father because through Jesus Christ we
have become his children, wherefore the Apostle says: “You are
all the children of God by faith, in Christ Jesus.”—Gal. 3: 26.
Our Father in heaven stands infinitely higher than all earthly
fathers, for though they may rule over great nations, they are
only weak, mortal men, but God is almighty and eternal. Add
to this that we receive from God infinitely more benefits than
any child does from its earthly father. To God, our heavenly
Father,-we owe all that we have, and all that we are, for time
and eternity. If children are bound to honor their father and
mother, how much more are not we obliged to honor God, our
Father in heaven? God requires of us to honor him: “The son
honoreth the Father, and the servant his master; if then I be a
father, where is my honor? and if I be a master, where is my
fear ?”—Malach. 1: 6.
•I

(Æ.) But how must we show that we honor God, our heavenly
Father? Principally by doing his holy will in all things, like
good children. A father feels himself honored by the good con­
duct and prompt obedience of his children. In like manner we
honor God most by the conscientious fulfilling of his holy will.
Sin being particularly against the will of God, be careful to
avoid it. Be fervent in the practice of prayer, fulfil the duties of
your religion and state of life and perform the corporal and spi­
ritual works of mercy ; for by these works you will become con­
formable to God, who is pure mercy and love, and gain his ap­
probation. In all your daily occupations have the glory of God
in view, and do everything for the love of God, according to the
admonition of the Apostle : “Whether you eat or drink, or what­
soever else you do, do all to the glory of God.”—Z. Cor, 10: 31.

i. Homiletic Sketch.

307

t. Honor and glory are due to God the Son.
(a.) He, as well as the Father, is God and claims the same
honor. This he does, saying: “The Father . . hath given all
judgment to the Son, that all men may honor the Son, as they
honor the Father.”—John 5: 22, 23. And not only as God, but
also as man, Jesus Christ deserves divine honour and adoration
because his humanity is hypostatically united with his Divinity
in the Divine Person of the Son of God. Hence the Apostle says
of him : “God 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.”
—Phil. 2:9, 10. And if we consider the ineffable goodness of
Jesus Christ in becoming man, suffering and dying on the igno­
minious gibbet of the cross for us, how could we refuse him our
veneration and heart-felt gratitude ?
(bi) Here is the practical question : How must we honor Christ ? By
taking him for our pattern and following him, as he says himself:
“I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you
do also.”—John 13 : 15. He calls the love of God and our neigh­
bor his principal commandment, and he practised this command­
ment in the most perfect manner, declaring that it was his meat
to do the will of his Father, and being obedient to him even
to the death of the cross, doing good to all men and giving
his life for them. Let us follow him: let us manifest our love
of God by doing in all things his holy will, and the love of our
neighbor, by being kind and benevolent to all men, wishing
them well, and performing acts of kinduess and charity on their
behalf. He cries out to us: “Learn of me, because I am meek
and humble of heart.” Let us imitate him. Let us be meek
and suppress the passion of anger; never let anger break out
into curses and blasphemies; let us be patient with the frailties
of our fellow-men and forgive our enemies; let us be humble;
let us give no room to vain, self-complacent thoughts; let us
never seek worldly honor and praise ; let us not exalt our­
selves above others; and let us be patient when we meet with
humiliation. Christ was obedient to the death of the cross. Let
us practise obedience, deny our self-will, and subject ourselves
to our superiors in all things which are not contrary to the will
of God. Christ exhorts us to prayer, and gives us the most
beautiful example, spending whole nights in watching and praying.
Let us also be fond of prayer; let no day pass without saying
our morning and evening prayers; let us attend the public wor­
ship of God and love to visit Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament
of the Altar ; let us love and venerate the Blessed Virgin, and
in the midst of the affairs of life let us acquire the habit of di.

jo8

Trinity Sunday.

recting our thoughts frequently to God, and of making a good
intention. In a word, let us endeavor in our whole conduct
to become more and more conformable to our divine Lord, for
this is to him the most acceptable honor we can show him.

3. Honor and glory arc due to the Holy Ghost.
(a.) Faith teaches us that the Holy Ghost is God, who, together
with the Father and the Son, is adored and glorified. Therefore
we must honor him as we honor the Father and the Son. The
Church wills that we honor him; for this reason she annually ce­
lebrates a particular feast in his honor, Pentecost, and attributes
to him the same honor as to the Father and the Son in the doxology, “Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy
Ghost.” The Holy Ghost must also be honored by us on account
of his love for us, and the benefits he bestows upon us. All the
graces which we need for our sanctification and salvation come
from him. He enlightens us that we may know what is good and
pleasing to God, and what we must do and avoid : he encourages
us to do good ; he strengthens us to overcome all temptations
and to serve God faithfully. He also purifies and sanctifies us in
the sacraments, and it is by his assistance that we are enabled
to perform meritorious works, make progress in virtue, and per­
severe to the end in justice. Who would not honor the Holy
Ghost, this good Spirit, and Dispenser of all graces ?
(£.) But how must we honor him ? Principally by making good
use of his graces. The Holy Ghost gives us many salutary admo­
nitions by the voice of conscience, the instructions of the pastors
of souls and other well-meaning people, and by the various events
and occurrences of life. Let us avail ourselves of these admoni­
tions, let us avoid our faults, give up our bad habits and be fervent
in the practice of every virtue. The Holy Ghost sanctifies us in
the sacraments. Let us be zealous in their reception and go to
confession and communion as often as possible, that we may be
purified, sanctified, and fortified. The Holy Ghost is not content
with giving us his graces, he also comes to us and makes his per­
manent abode in our hearts, as the Apostle plainly says: <rK.now
you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of
God dwelleth in you?”—I. Cor. 3: 16. Shun every sin with the
greatest care, and give no room to bad thoughts in your hearts,
so that the Holy Ghost may never withdraw from you his blessed
and gracious presence.
PERORATION.

I have now explained to you how you must honor the three
Persons in the Blessed Trinity, to whom we owe our creation, re-

>. Homiletic Sketch.

309

demption and sanctification. Honor God the Father by being al*
ways his good children, by doing cheerfully and willingly what
pleases him, and by detesting and shunning everything that is
displeasing to him. Honor God the Son by imitating his example
in your conduct; “for whom he foreknew, he also predestinated
to be made conformable to the image of his Son.”—Rom. 8: 29.
It is only when the image of Christ is distinctly stamped in us,
that we may hope to belong to the number of the elect. Honor
the Holy Ghost, listen to his inspirations, employ his grace for
your sanctification, preserve a pure conscience, that he may
always dwell in you. Honor the Triune God, that you may be
found worthy to adore, praise and glorify him with the angels
and saints for ever in heaven. Amen.

TRINITY SUNDAY.

Gospel. Matt. 28: 18-20. At that time, Jesus said to his dis­
ciples : All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going,
therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name
cf the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation
of the world.

2. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
COMMISSIONS AND PROMISES WHICH CHRIST GAVE TO HIS
APOSTLES.

The words which I have just read to you are the conclusion
of the gospel of St. Matthew. Jesus spoke these words to his
Apostles after his Resurrection, probably on Mount Olivet, shortly
before his Ascension into heaven. They are certainly very re­
markable, for they are among the last that he spoke upon earth,
and in them he gave his Apostles commissions and promised them
his perpetual assistance. The Church reads this gospel for us
to-day, the feast of the Blessed Trinity, because in it there is
mention made of the three divine Persons, God the Father, God
the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. It contains three principal
points, which for our instruction and edification we will consider
together this Horning.

310

Trinity Sunday.

Z Christ speaks of his power ;
II. He gives the Apostles a threefold office;
III. He promises them his permanent assistance.

Part I.
All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.

I. Let us first consider the meaning of these words.
(fl.) Christ says : Allpower is given to me. This refers not only
to his divinity, but also to his humanity. That as God he posses­
ses all power is evident; for as God he is almighty and nothing
is impossible with him. It is just as certain that all power belongs
to him as man. His humanity is not separated from his Divinity,
but united with it in one person; as God-man he is only one di­
vine Person, and therefore as man he possesses all power that
belongs to God. This is also the reason why we show divine
honor to the humanity of Christ and adore it, for as St. Athana­
sius says: “We do not adore a creature, but the incarnate Lord
of the creation, the Divine Word, because we do not consider
his humanity separated from his divine Person, but united
with it.”
(3.) All power is given to me. Christ says this especially with
regard to his merits, because as Son of man he acquired all
power by his life, sufferings, and death, and it was given him as
the price for his obedience unto death. Hence the Apostle says
of him : “He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death,
even to the death of the cross. For which cause God also hath ex­
alted 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.”—Phil. 2: 8-10.
By the work of our Redemption Christ became also our Lord
and Master, and sits as Mediator and Judge on the right hand of
the Father, who ifhath given him power to do judgment, because
he is the Son of Man.”—John y. 27.
(c.) AU power is given io me in heaven and in earth. The power
of the God-man, Christ, embraces the whole creation, the material,
and spiritual world.—Ephes. 1: 20-23; Coloss. 1: 16-19. In heaven
he has all power, sending, together with the Father, the Holy
Ghost, preparing mansions there for his faithful disciples, taking
the just to himself, and making them participate in his everlast­
ing felicity. On earth he has all power, because all nations are
subject to him, because his Church continues to exist in spite of
all her visible and invisible enemies, and is spread more aad

-------------

i. Homiletic Sketch.

more, ar/d because everything depends on him, and is directed and
governed by him. Again, he has all power on earth because he
directs the hearts of men according to his will, changes and re
news, rewards and punishes all, as they may deserve.

2. What ought me to learn from this?
(a.) First of all, to subject ourselves to our Lord Jesus Christ and
to render him the most perfect obedience. If subjects owe obedience
to their rulers, and servants to their masters, how could we be
disobedient to our Saviour, to whom all power is given in heaven
and earth and who is our Lord and Master? Let us therefore do
his holy will and make his word and example the rule of our life.
Let us endeavor to practise the virtues which he practised, the
love of God and of our neighbor, his humility and meekness, his
patience and submission to the will of God. Let us not forget
that we must manifest our love for him by doing what he com­
mands : “He that hath my commandments, and keepth them, he
it is that loveth me.”—John 14: 21.

(Æ.) To imitate Christ: “If any man will come after me, let hi u
deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”—Matt. 16: 24.
Christ acquired the power which he possesses as man in heaven
and on earth, and all his exaltation and glory, by his self-denial,
sufferings and death on the cross. Therefore he says himself:
“Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so to enter
into his glory?”—Luke 24: 26. If we wish to share his power
and glory, it must be done by mortification of the flesh and by
self-denial. He who leads a worldly life upon earth and serves
the lusts of the flesh can not expect to attain heaven; he will
share the lot of Dives burning in the fire of hell and asking for
a drop of water to cool his parched tongue. Let us, therefore,
“bear about in our body the mortification of Jesus, that the life
also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies.”—II Cor. 4: 10.
Let us daily practise interior and exterior mortifications, that we
may not fall into sin. The more we mortify ourselves, the more
secure will be our salvation and the more glorious our future
reward.
(£.) Finallyy in every situation of life to preserve confidence in
Christ. No calamity, no necessity or distress, no misfortune can
be imagined in which he, to whom all power is given in heaven
and on earth, could not help us. If we be sorely tempted, let us
not lose courage but let us, like the Apostles, full of confidence
and fervor, cry out to Jesus: “Lord, save us, we perish,” and he
will come and give rest to our souls. He exclaims to us: “Come
to me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh

311

Trinity Sunday.

you.”—Matt. 11: 28. As long as we live upon earth our salvation
is in danger, everywhere enemies lie in wait for us, and if even
saints fell, how much more easily may we fall, who are so weak
and frail? But let us not give way to despondency; Christ, to
whom all power is given in heaven and on earth, is powerful enough
to protect us in all dangers. If we only have a good will, if
we watch and pray, we may confidently say with the Apostles:
“I can do all things in him who strengthened me/’—Phil. 4: 13.

Part

Π.

Going, therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them
to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.
i. With these words Christ our Lord gave the Apostles a
threefold commission—

(a.) The commission to teach, when he said: Going, therefore,
teach ye all nations. These words are plain; the Apostles were
to preach to all nations the divine doctrine taught by Christ so
that all men, Jews and Gentiles, might come to the knowledge of
truth and salvation. In order to enable the Apostles to discharge
the duties of this office, Christ assured them of his permanent
assistance, and sent them the Holy Ghost to teach them all truth,
and to preserve them from error. Consequently the Apostles
had the right and the duty everywhere to preach the doctrine of
Christ, to condemn errors, and to give a final decision in religi­
ous controversies. The Apostles fulfilled this important office
with all zeal, and ceased not to preach the gospel to Jews and
Gentiles until their death.
(Æ.) The commission to baptize, when he said : Baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. The
priesthood is given the power of forgiving men their sins and
reconciling them with God; the Sacrament of Baptism being the
first means of grace, by which men are cleansed from all sin,
sanctified, and make children of God and heirs of heaven, the
administration thereof is one of the essential duties appertaining
to the priestly office, and consequently Christ gave the Apostles
authority to administer it when he conferred upon them the
power of administering the other sacraments and of offering the
holy sacrifice. The Apostles exercised the office of the priest­
hood, for they baptized all that believed in Christ, administered
by prayer and the imposition of hands the sacraments of Confir­
mation and Holy Orders; they offered, by “breaking bread” (Acte

a. Homiletic Sketch.

3’3

2: 46), the holy sacrifice of the mass, and administered, as Scrip­
ture and Tradition inform us, all the means of grace as appointed
for the priesthood.
The commission to govern, when he said : Teaching them to ob­
serve all things whatsoever I have commanded you. The Apostles
were not only to teach, but to insist upon the observance of that
which they taught. They were to be spiritual shepherds, and
therefore received from Christ the power to rule the faithful, to
make laws for them, to punish those who would make themselves
guilty of great crimes ; in short, to ordain whatever they thought
necessary and salutary for their salvation. That they exercised
this office is evident from their epistles and from the Acts of the
Apostles. They always acted as superiors of the Christian con­
gregations, made laws and ordinances, for instance, at the Coun­
cil of Jerusalem, when they declared the ceremonial law of the
Jews abolished {Acts 15) ; they also exercised the power of pun­
ishing; for example, St. Paul excommunicated sinners at Co­
rinth.—I. Cor. 5: 3-5. This threefold office, which Christ vested
in the Apostles, passed from them by their delegated authority to
their successors, the bishops of the Catholic Church. This is evident—
2.

(a.) From the Sacred Scripture, which tells us that the Apostles
everywhere appointed bishops, who in their stead were to per­
form these sacred offices. Thus St. Paul made Titus bishop of
Crete, and Timothy bishop of Ephesus, and gave them rules and
regulations as to how they should administer their office. He
writes thus to Timothy: “Preach the word, be instant in season,
out of season ; reprove, entreat, rebuke with all patience and doc­
trine.”—II Tim. 4: 2. St. Peter exhorts the bishops and priests,
“to feed the flock of God, taking care thereof not by constraint,
but willingly, according to God.”—I. Pet. 5: 2. These and many
other passages prove that the bishops took the place of the Apos­
tles and were appointed and consecrated by them. They were
to preach and to exercise vigilance so that error might not creep
in ; and wherever it should be necessary they were to appoint
other bishops and priests; they were to feed the flock and to
ordain everything required for the welfare of the Church.
(3.) From Tradition. St. Clement, of Rome, says : “The Apos­
tles appointed the bishops their successors and ordained, as the
rule of succession, that when they died other tried men should
receive their office.” St. Ignatius, a disciple of the Apostle St.
John, in his epistles frequently speaks of the bishops, and calls
them the successors of the Apostles, and exhorts the faithful to
respect them as our Lord himself, because they are his repre­
sentatives. St Irenaeus emphatically says that the bishops are

i

I

3M

Trinity Sunday.

the successors of the Apostles: “The bishops and their successors
in the Church down to our day have been appointed by the Apos­
tles.” By these bishops, however, only those are to be under­
stood who are in union wi*h the Pope; for Christ gave Peter to
the Church for her head, and although he also made the other
Apostles pastors, it was his will that they should be subordinate
to Peter, the chief Pastor. Now what applies to the Apostles,
applies to their successors, the bishops; they must, acknowledge
the Pope as their head and remain always united with him. If a
bishop be not confirmed by the Pope, or if a bishop separate
himself from the Pope and refuse him obedience, the faithful
under his charge can not acknowledge him as their lawful
bishop, nor can they obey him.

Part HI.
And behold, lam with you all days, even to the consummation of
the world.

I. In these words our Lord promises the Apostles his perma­
nent assistance. They had a responsible office, attended by many
sufferings and persecutions, an office which imposed duties upon
them which far surpassed human strength and which could be
fulfilled only by the special assistance of G-od. They were to
preach the word of God in its entirety; they were to enkindle
the light of faith everywhere, to root up the vices and passions
of men and to renew the face of the earth. What a task for tht
Apostles? If they had not been endowed with angelic powers,
they never could have accomplished it. Christ was well aware
of this, and for that reason he assured them of his permanent as­
sistance, saying: Behold, lam with you all days, even to the con­
summation of the world. As if he would say : Your office imposes
a heavy burden upon you, but have confidence ; I am with you
by my wisdom, enlightening you, that you may always preach my
holy doctrine in its purity, and that you may confound all the
wisdom of the world ; I am with you by my power, protecting and
strengthening you, that you my brave all persecutions and may
come forth victorious from every battle. I am with you all days,
always, without interruption, and there shall not be a moment in
which you cannot count and depend upon my help.
In view of this promise of our Lord, the Apostles, full of cou­
rage and confidence in God, commenced their labors. Consider­
ing themselves infallible teachers of truth, they condemned all
doctrines in contradiction with theirs as errors ; they insisted that
all were bound to believe what they taught. They said with St.
Paul: “Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to
you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be ana-

i. Homiletic Sketch

315

thema.”—Gal. 1: 8. They required that all should “look upon
them as ministers of Christ, and the dispensers of the mysteries
of God,” they established wherever they found faith', Christian
congregations, appointed and consecrated bishops, and made or­
dinances which they considered either necessary or expedient.
2. Jesus Christ, having established his Church for all time, his
assistance must extend itself not only to the Apostles but also to
their successors, since they could not by their own power exer­
cise the office of teaching and that of the priesthood, conformably
to the will of God and for the salvation of mankind. That the
successors of the Apostles enjoy the divine assistance is evident
from the words of Christ: 11Behold I am with you all days even to
the consummation of the world.11 As the Apostles died after a few
years, these words of Christ can have no other meaning than that
he would abide with their successors and assist his Church to the
end of the world. From this naturally follow two truths as im­
portant as they are consoling to us Catholics:

(a.) Since the Church enjoys the assistance of Christ to the end
of the world, she is and will be the pillar and ground of truth to
the end of the world. Her mouth is the mouth of Christ, and
what she proposes to our faith is divine truth, and we are under
a strict obligation to subject ourselves in perfect obedience
to all things concerning our salvation. To all those who resist
her authority and do not believe what she teaches, or do what
she presribes, the words of the Lord apply: “If he will not hear
the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican.”—
Matt. 18: 17. You must reflect well on this, and be good, obe­
dient children of the Church.
(3.) As the Church enjoys Christ’s assistance to the end of the
world she cannot perish. Though the enemies of our faith attack
her and employ all possible artifice and force, they will not pre­
vail against her. The Church that has already existed more than
eighteen hundred years under the guidance and assistance of her
divine Founder, and has overcome the combined assaults of
wicked men and all the demons of hell, will still exist in undim­
med splendor long after her present enemies and persecutors
have returned into dust; she will exist so long as Christ, accord­
ing to his promise, is with her—to the consummation of the world.
PERORATION

Therefore be not afraid and let not your heart be troubled
when you see the Church everywhere oppressed and persecuted.
Jesus, her divine Founder, permits her to be oppressed and per

316

Trinity Sunday.

secuted; she is his bride, and must bear her lot with him; but he is
also her protector and defender, and suffers her not to perish. Let
us cling to her as good children to their mother; let us fight with
her the holy fight against unbelief ard impiety, let us suffer with
her in patience and confidence in God, and let us pray with her
and for her, that Christ may console and strengthen her, and
soon bring peace to her, for the glory of his name and the salva­
tion of the world. Amen.

TRINITY SUNDAY.

3. DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
THE MYSTERY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY.

Going, therefore, teachye all nations ; baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.—Matt. 28: 19.
Venerable Bede was one of the most fervent worshippers ot
the Blessed Trinity. Both day and night he frequently repeated
these words: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the
Holy Ghost.” By this pious devotion he obtained great graces.
God imparted to him an extraordinary hnowledge of the truths
of religion and at the same time kept him in profound humility;
he taught him to despise the world, human praise and applause,
and strengthened him in every temptation to enable him to gain
the victory over all the enemies of his salvation. His last utter­
ance was: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the
Holy Ghost,” after which he calmly fell asleep in our Lord.
We also must with profound veneration adore, praise and
glorify the Blessed Trinity. The Church requires this of us; for
which reason she not only celebrates annually a proper feast
in honor of the Most Holy Trinity, but also dedicates all the
Sundays of the year to this adorable mystery. The mystery of
the Most Holy Trinity shall be the subject of our pious meditatation to-day. We will consider—

I. Wherein this mystery consists;
II. How important the knowledge of it is for us.

3. Dogmatical Sketch,

317

Part I.
The mystery of the Blessed Trinity consists in this :—
That there are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, thi
Son, and the Holy Ghost.
i.

(a.') A plurality of Persons in the Deity is already mentioned
in the Old Law. Thus God says : “Let us make man to our image
and likeness.”—Gen. 1: 26. Again: “Behold, Adam is become as
one of us."—Gen. 3: 22. Here God speaks in the plural number,
indicating that in him there are more persons than one. In the
second psalm the difference between the Father and the Son is
plainly set forth, for there we read : “The Lord hath said to me :
Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.”—Ps. 2:7. In
another psalm we read : “By the word of the Lord the heavens
were established: and all the power of them by the spirit of his
mouth.”—Ps. 32: 6. According to the Fathers there is mention
made here of the three divine Persons. By “the Lord” we under­
stand God the Father, by “the word” God the Son, and by “the
spirit of his mouth “God the Holy Ghost”. From these and others
passages it is evident that God in the Old Law gave intimations
of three Persons in the Godhead.

(3.) That there are three Persons in the Godhead, Christ clearly
revealed. During his three years’ teaching he very often spoke
of God his Father, and of himself, the Son, who is one with the
Father, and whom we should honor as we do the Father; and
of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth, who proceeds from the
Father and the Son, and whom he would send. In the gospel
of this day, in which he commands his Apostles to teach and
to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost, we plainly perceive that there are three Persons
in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. At
the baptism of Jesus the three divine Persons manifested them­
selves in a visible and audible manner; for the voice of the
Father was heard from heaven. “This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased;” the Son was baptized and the Holy
Ghost came down in the form of a dove and rested on him.—
Matt. 3:16. The Apostles also teach that there are three Persons
in the Godhead. I will mention for the sake of brevity only one
passage. St. Paul says: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the charity of God, and the communication of the Holy Ghost
be with you all.”—II. Cor. 13 : 13.

2. That each of the three Persons is truly God,

■HUM················

318

Trinity Sunday.

(e.) The Father w God. No heretic has ever dared to deny this.
As of the three Persons one at least is God, it must necessarily
be the Father, because he is the origin of both the others. More­
over, works, divine perfections, and the name of God are so em­
phatically attributed to him in both the Old and the New Tes­
taments, that to deny the Godhead would be to reject all reve­
lation.
(A) The Son is God. St. John, in the beginning of his gospel,
calls him God, and attributes to him eternity and the creation of
the world, saying; “In the beginning (that is, from eternity) was
the Word (the Son of God), and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God . . All things were made by him.”—John i ; i, 3.
Jesus says of himself: “I and the Father are one” (John 10: 30),
whereby he evidently declares that he is of one essence with the
Father, and, consequently, as truly God as the Father.
(i.) The Holy Ghost is God. We have an incontrovertible proof
of this truth in the words of Peter to Ananias : “Why hath Satan
tempted thy heart, that thou shouldst lie to the Holy Ghost. ..
Thou hast not lied to men, but to God.”—Acts 5:3, 4. Divine
perfections and works are attributed also to the Holy Ghost in
the Sacred Scriptures, such as omniscience, the inspiration of the
Prophets and Apostles, the government of the Church and the
sanctification of men. Each of the three Persons, then, is truly
God, and each of them possesses all divine perfections and qua­
lities : they are in their essence perfectly equal to one another.

3. That all three Persons are one God only.
(«.) The unity of God is laid down in the Sacred Scriptures so
distinctly and strikingly that it seems useless to quote passages
to prove it. Jesus Christ plainly declares in the gospel of this
day that the three Persons in the Godhead are one God only. He
does not say : Baptize “in the names T If he had said “in the
names,” we should infer that the three Persons were three Gods.
He says “in the name,” whereby he gives us to understand that
in one God there are three Persons, or that the three Persons, of
whom each is God, are only one God. St. John also expresses
this mystery very directly and distinctly when he says : “There
are three who give testimony in heaven; the Father, the Word,
and the Holy Ghost ; and these three are one.”—I. John 5 ; 7.
(A) The three Persons in the Godhead, moreover, are only one
God because they have only one nature and essence. By nature and
essence we understand that of which a thing or person consists.
Thus body and soul constitute *he nature of man, because man

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

319

consists of body and soul. We men have all the same nature,
that is, each one of us has a body and soul, but we have not all
one nature, that is, all men have not together one body and one
soul, but each one has for himself a body and a soul ; from which
it follows that we are not one man, but many individual men. As
many bodies and souls as there are united with each other, so many
individuals are there. But it is otherwise with the three divine
Persons ; they have together but one nature or Godhead, there­
fore all three are only one God. Divines and the Fathers of the
Church make use of various figures and similitudes in order
tu illustrate this mystery. Imagine before you three persons,
Peter, Paul, and John, who have altogether three bodies, but
only one soul. Here we might say : Peter is a man, Paul is a man,
and John is a man, because, as is supposed, the one soul would
be in each body. But we could not say, Peter, Paul, and John
are three men, for, to be three men, they should have three souls,
each having one for himself, whilst they have but one in common
together. So it is with the Blessed Trinity ; each of the three
Persons is truly God, because each has the divine nature, but
they are not three Gods, but only one God, because together they
have not three Godheads, but only one. But this, as all other figures
used for the illustration of the mystery of the Blessed Trinity,
is insufficient and inedaquate. Nothing is left for us but humbly
to believe this mystery, and we can do this so much the easier,
the more our faith is grounded on the infallible word of God.

4. That the three Persons do not differ from one another in their
essence, but only in their person.
The three Persons differ from one another, not by confusion
of their essence or substance—each of them having one and the
same Godhead—but by distinction of person. The Person of the
Father is not that of the Son, and not that of the Holy Ghost.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are, therefore, not
merely three different names or ways of the manifestation of the
one Godhead but three Persons really distinct from one another.
In what does this distinction consist ? In this that the Father is of
himself, not made, not created, not begotten ; that the Son is of
the Father alone, not made, not created, but begotten; and
that the Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son, not made,
nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. The Father is of him­
self, from eternity, and herein he differs from the Son and the
Holy Ghost, who have their origin, not of themselves, but of the
Father. “The Father hath life in himself.”—John 5: 26. The Son
is begotten of the Father from eternity, and herein he differs
from the Father, who is of himself, and from the Holy Ghost who
is not begotten but proceeds. The Lord hath saith to me : “Thou

Trinity Sunday.

320

art my son, this day have I begotten thee.”—A. 2: 7. Finally,
the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son, and dif­
fers from the Father who is of himself, and from the Son who is
begotten.
5. That particular works are ascribed to each of the three Persons}
io the Father the creation, to the Son the redemption, and to the
Holy Ghost sanctification. Of God the Father we read: “In the
beginning God created heaven and earth” (Gen. 1: 1); of God
the Son: “Christ hath redeemed us” (Gal. 3 : 13) ; and of God the
Holy Ghost: “You are sanctified in the Spirit of our God.”—
I. Cor. 6:11. I must remark, however, that the three divine Per­
sons in all external works, the Creation, the Redemption, and
Sanctification, work together, and that these works are attributed
to them only because they correspond to the peculiarity of each
Person. The Creation is principally a work of omnipotence, and
therefore it is attributed to the Father, because to him, as the
origin of the Son and the Holy Ghost, belongs all power. The
Redemption is especially a work of wisdom, and therefore, it is
atributed to the Son, because he is the fruit of the knowledge
or the wisdom of the Father. Sanctification is particularly a work
of love, and is therefore attributed to the Holy Ghost, because
he proceeds from the mutual love of the Father and of the Son.

Part H.
The knowledge of the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is
very important—nay, necessary to us, because on it are founded
Faith, Hope and Charity.
I.

Faith.

(at) Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, is the Founder of
our holy religion. He taught us what we must believe and what
we must do in order to please God and save our souls. In order
to believe his doctrine without doubting we must be convinced of
his divinity, for men can err and lie. It is true, Jesus led a holy life,
but holiness of life is not of itself a sufficient reason for perfect
credibility, since even the saints may err. Jesus had frequently
and solemnly declared himself to be the Son of God. He who,
therefore, does not acknowledge him to be God, but affirms that
he is only man, must consider him as either an impostor or a lu­
natic, for no rational, truth-loving man had ever before pretended,
or will ever pretend to be God. Now, could Christ, if he were
an impostor or a lunatic teach the truth? From this you see how
much depends on our believing in the divinity of Christ and in
the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. If you take away this

3.

Dogmatical Sketch,

faith, the cornerstone of Christianity, the whole superstructure
falls in mighty, everlasting ruins to the ground.
(£.) The same holds good of the Holy Ghost. Christ promised
to send him, and afterwards did send him, to teach the Church
all truth and to abide with her for ever.—John 14: 16, 17. It is
the Holy Ghost upon whom the infallibility of the Church is based.
Now how would it be if the Holy Ghost were not God? The
Church would not deserve to be believed, because the basis upon
which her infallibility rests would be taken away, and she would
therefore be liable to err. He who denies the mystery of the
Blessed Trinity and refuses divinity to the Son and the Holy
Ghost, ceases to be a Christian. How important, then, is the
faith in the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity!
2.

Hope.

(a.) Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is our Redeemer. One only,
God himself, could accomplish the work of our redemption, for
the guilt of man before God was infinite and demanded an infinite
satisfaction, which neither angel nor man, nor any finite or cre­
ated being, but only God himself, the Infinite Being, could make.
If Christ were not truly God, but only man, or some other crea­
ture, our redemption would be null and void, and the whole
human race would still be groaning in the thraldrom of sin and
Satan. If Jesus is not God, all his merits have only a finite value,
and the holy sacraments, the sacrifice of the mass, and all the
means of salvation are inefficacious. He who denies the divinity
of Jesus Christ robs us of all hope and plunges us into despair,
for he destroys the work of our Redemption.

{b. The Holy Ghost sanctifies us. It is he that applies to us
the fruits of Redemption, by enlightening us, by justifying us
in the holy sacraments, by transforming us into new men, by
making us children of God and heirs of heaven. But what­
ever the Holy Ghost does for our sanctification presupposes
that he is true God. For how could a creature have the power
of spiritually transforming us, of making us, who by nature are
sinners and slaves of the devil, children of God and heirs of
heaven, and of strengthening us so that we may overcome all
the enemies of salvation ? This evidently is a divine work. Thus
he who denies the divinity of the Holy Ghost robs men of all
hope, because no creature, no finite being, but God alone, can
sanctify us. How important, then, is the belief in the mystery
of the Most Holy Trinity!
3. Charity.

21

3«

Trinity Sunday.

(λ.) The love of God is the greatest and the first commandment,
as Christ expressly declares : “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy
whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.”—
Matt. 22: 37, 38. If this commandment is not kept all virtues and
good works are useless and unprofitable, and no one can be saved.
St. Paul says : “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 no­
thing.”—I. Cor. 13: 2, 3. The same Apostle says: “If any man
love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema.”—I. Cor.
16: 22.
(3.) But what is required for a true, salutary love of God ? We must
be in the state of grace, that is we must possess sanctifying grace,
for if we live in the state of sin the love of God is absolutely im­
possible, since sin is in direct opposition to the love of God and is
as incompatible with it as darkness is with light. Therefore St. John
says: “If we say that we have fellowship with him (that is, love
God), and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.”—I.
John i : 6. The love of God requires true faith. “Without faith,”
says the Apostle, “it is impossible to please God.”—Hob. 11:6.
But if one cannot please God neither can one love him, for he who
loves God is pleasing to God. “I love them that love me.”—Prov.
8:17. Finally, for the love of God a particular supernatural assis­
tance of grace is required : “Not that we are sufficient to think any­
thing of ourselves, as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God.”
—II. Cor. 3:5. If we cannot of ourselves conceive even a salutary
thought, it is evident that we are not capable of loving God with­
out grace from above.

(é.) What follows from this ? That charity is also based upon
the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. If Jesus were not truly
God, he could not have redeemed us, consequently we should be
still in sin, and incapable of loving God. The same must be said
if the Holy Ghost were not truly God; in this supposition he could
not sanctify us, and therefore again it would be absolutely im­
possible for us to love him. If the Son and the Holy Ghost were
not truly God, the true faith and love would be wanting to us,
since charity is not possible without faith. Finally, if the Son
and the Holy Ghost were not truly God, Jesus Christ could not
have merited the grace necessary for doing good, and the Holy
Ghost could not impart to us this grace ; and the consequence
again would be that we could not love God because grace is re­
quired for the love of God and the practice of everything good
and salutary.

4- Liturgical Sketch.

3»3

PERORATION.

Thus you perceive that the mystery of the Blessed Trinity is
very important, nay, absolutely necessary for us ; on it is founded
our Faith, our Hope, and our Love, and consequently our salva­
tion. Therefore the Church tries in every way to being it before
us and to engrave it deeply on our hearts. She begins and ends
every prayer in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, by ordaining
the use of the sign of the cross before and after it. She adminis­
ters all the sacraments, blesses us, and imparts to us all graces,
in the name of the Blessed Trinity. Awaken your faith in the
Blessed Trinity to-day, and every day; adore with profound ve­
neration and give thanks to the adorable Trinity for the benefits
of Creation, Redemption and Sanctification; do all things in ho­
nor of the Godhead and frequently repeat the doxology : “Glory
be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. A s it
was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world with ut
end. Amen.”

TRINITY SUNDAY.

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH
THE BLESSING OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY.

Going, therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.—Matt. 28: 19.

There is no mystery of our holy religion, of which the Church
reminds us so frequently as that of the Blessed Trinity. When­
ever we make the sign of the cross we name the three divine
Persons. Whenever we receive a sacrament we do so in the
name of the Blessed Trinity. Whenever the Church dedicates
or blesses anything she invariably makes use of the sign of the
cross, invoking thereby the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity,
The Pope, bishops and priests never bless the faithful other­
wise than in the name of the Trinity. At the end of the mass, the
priest blesses the assembled faithful in these words: “May Alft ighty
God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost bless
you.” At the distribution of holy communion out of mass there

3*4

Trinity Sunday

is a blessing which is also used in many other sacred action^
and runs thus : “May the blessing of Almighty God, of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, come down upon you,
and abide with you for ever. Amen.” As no topic would, I think,
be so appropriate to-day or so fully engage your attention as
that of the blessing given in the name of the most holy Trinity,
I will endeavor to explain to you its signification and value. Two
truths will engage our attention:
I. That there is no blessing but that given in the name of the
Blessed Trinity ;
IL That this blessing has a wonderful power, if we make our­
selves worthy of it.

Part I.
I. In the Old Law benedictions and blessings were frequently
given and were highly valued; the mystery of the Holy Trinity
not having as yet been revealed in clear terms, we do not find
an explicit invocation of it.
(a.) God himself blessed all things that he created (Gen. i: 28),
especially the people, when he said ; “Increase and multiply, and
fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea,
and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon
the earth.” He also blessed the seventh day and sanctified it,
because in it he had rested from all his work.—Gen. 2: 3. He
blessed the Patriarchs, especially Abraham, to whom he said;
“I will bless thee, and magnify thy name, and thou shalt be
blessed. I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that
curse thee, and in thee shall all the kindred of the earth be
blessed.”—Gen. 12: 2, 3. And thus we read in many passages of
the Sacred Scripture that God blessed men. But God can bless
only as a triune God, because he really is a triune God ; and all
external works, such as blessings, belong to the three divine
Persons in common. When therefore we read: “God blessed,”
we must always understand the three Persons, the Father, from
whom the blessing proceeded ; the Son, who uttered the blessing,
and the Holy Ghost, who gave efficacy to it.
(3.) The angels all blessed in the Old Lam. Thus we read in the
Book of Genesis (chap. 32), that an angel “wrestled with Jacob
till morning ; and when he saw that he could not overcome him,
he said to him: Let me go, for it is break of day.” Jacob ans­
wered: “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he
blessed him in the same place.” This blessing of the angels was
a blessing in the name of the Holy Trinity, for the angels had

4· Liturgical Sketch.

3*5

tl e clearest knowledge of this mystery, and moreover were in­
formed that God the Father, according to the plenitude of his
mercies, would send his only-begotten Son for the redemption of
mankind; that the Son would assume human nature and die on
the cross, and that the Holy Ghost would come to apply the me­
rits of Christ to men for their sanctification. Whenever the an­
gels blessed any one, they accordingly turned their face to the
three divine Persons and prayed them to give efficacy to their
blessing ; that is, to make their blessing come to pass.

(r.) Like God and the angels, the Patriarchs also blessed in the
name of the Holy Trinity. The blessing which Noe gave to his
sons, Sem and Japhet, Isaac to Jacob, Jacob to his sons, Moses
to Josue, and David to the people, was a blessing which had for
its foundation the hope of a future Redeemer, the Son of God,
and of the sanctification of redeemed mankind through the Holy
Ghost, although the patriarchs did not in their blessings ex­
pressly call upon the three divine Persons.
(</.) In the Old Law the blessing which the priests were to im­
part to the people was expressly ordained by God, and consisted
of a threefold blessing, in which the holy Fathers find the mys­
tery of the Holy Trinity distinctly indicated. God dictated the
blessing to Moses in these words: “Say to Aaron and his son:
Thus shall you bless the children of Israel, and you shall say to
them: The Lord\A^ss thee, and keep thee. (God the Father.) The
Lord show his face to thee, and have mercy on thee. (God the
Son.) The Lord turn his countenance to thee, and give thee peace.
(God the Holy Ghost.) And they shall invoke my name upon the
children of Israel; and I will bless them.”—Plumbers δ: 2^-2"].
Thus every blessing in the Old Law was given mysteriously in
the name of the Blessed Trinity.

2. And this is much more the case in the New Law since Jesus
has revealed the mystery of the Holy Trinity in clear terms.
(a) We read in the gospel that Jesus blessed persons and
things; for instance, he blessed bread and fishes, which he mira­
culously multiplied; bread and wine, at the Last Supper, before
he changed them into his flesh and blood ; the children, who were
brought to him ; and his disciples, immediately before his Ascen­
sion into heaven. But whenever he blessed he did it in the name
of the Holy Trinity; in the name of the Father, of whom he was
begotten and by whom he was sent; in his own name, as the Son
of God and Redeemer of the world; and in the name of the Holy
Ghost, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, and who, by

326

Trinity Sunday.

him and the Father, has been sent into the world for the sancti*
fication of the human race.
(3.) After Christ’s example the Apostles blessed by the explicit
invocation of the three Persons of the Trinity. St. Peter begins
his first epistle thus: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ . . accord­
ing to the foreknowledge of God the Father unto the sanctifica­
tion of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace be multiplied.” St. Paul
ends his writings to the Corinthians thus: “The grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and the charity of God, and the communica­
tion of the Holy Ghost be with you all.”
(i.) Whatever the Church dedicates and blesses, she does it in
the name of the Holy Trinity. By the power and authority of
the Church the bishops and priests dedicate and bless various
things, such as churches, cemeteries, altars, bells, candles, vest­
ments, etc. ; also persons, such as kings and emperors, religious
and the sick : but all these blessings are given in the name of the
Holy Trinity by distinctly invoking the three divine Persons, the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And pious lay-people, in
blessing themselves, or fathers and mothers their children, al­
ways make the sign of the cross and say: “In the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Pious Christians
are accustomed to bless themselves in the morning and evening
with the sign of the cross, with these or similar words: “The
Father who created me, the Son who redeemed me, the Holy
Ghost who sanctified me, bless me now and for ever more.” “The
peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the power of his sacred passion,
the sign of his holy cross.” “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,
be my protection and help to-day, and every day, and at the
hour of my death.”

Part II.
The blessing in the name of the Holy Trinity has a wonderful
power if we render ourselves worthy of it, or put no obstacle in
its way.
1. It has a wonderful power; for—

(«.) It removes everything injurious front nature, and protects it
from evil influences. God diffused the plenitude of his blessing
upon all creatures, even the inanimate, for all that he created
was good. “And he saw all the things that he had made and
they were very good.” But the sin of our first parents opened
the fountain of the curse which flooded the whole earth and

4.

Liturg

brought misery and ruin upon all nature. The grace of our Re­
deemer stemmed the torrent of mischief, and reopened the foun­
tain of all heavenly blessings. The Church stands guard at this
fountain of salvation to pour it forth, by her prayers and blessings,
upon men, upon surroundig nature, upon all creatures. Hence
she blesses not only the fruits of the earth, but also the fields
and the meadows, the gardens and the vineyards, that rain and
sunshine and favorable weather may impart fertility to them. If
wet weather or drought prevails, if a heavy storm threatens, in
sickness and epidemics, she has recourse to prayers and bles­
sings, in order to obtain the help and protection of God.

Examples of the efficacy of the blessing. St. John and St. Bene­
dict blessed poisoned wine which had been offered them to
drink, and which they drank without receiving injury. St. Martin
blessed a fire that had broken out, and it was immediately ex­
tinguished. St. Vincent Ferrer often drove away violent light­
ning by his blessing.
(3.) It procures for us corporal and spiritual benefits. What bene­
ficent effect had not the blessing of the patriarchs upon Sem and
Japhet; upon Isaac and Jacob and his son 1 The Lord was with
them in all their ways and for centuries made his blessing effec­
tual even in their descendants. If the blessing of the patriarchs
in the Old Law was so salutary, what may we not expect from
the blessing of holy Church 1 If, according to the Holy Ghost, the
blessing of the father establishes houses (Ecclus. 3: 11), will not
the blessing of the Church be of far greater benefit? For not in
vain has God appointed her the keeper and dispenser of the im­
mense treasure, “the grace of Jesus Christ;” and not in vain does
she dedicate and bless the hands of her priests, that whatever
•hey bless may be blessed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Examples: St. Hilarion blessed the grapes on the vine, of
which there were but a few, and immediately the efficacy of the
blessing was manifest, for the vines became full of grapes. St
Eligius frequently multiplied wine by his blessing; St. Jordan
did the same with bread and St. Severin with oil.
(i.) It protects us from all the assaults of the powers of hell. The
Apostle says : “Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities and powers; against the rulers of the world
of this darkness ; against the spirits of wickedness in high places”
(that is, in the air).—Ephes. 6:12. That the devil, who tempted
even the Son of God, will not spare us, we know only too well;
that he can injure us in temporal things we know from the his­
tory of Job and from such persons as have been possessed. But

3^8

Trinity Sunday.

we have tne most powerful means to avert and to render ineffec·
tual these attacks of the devil, and the principal one is the bles­
sing of the Holy Trinity. As Christ drove out devils in his own
name and in the name of the Father and of the Holy Ghost, so
he promised and gave his power also to the Apostles; nay, every
Christian can keep away and overcome this old enemy by
blessing himself with faith and confidence in the name of the
Holy Trinity.

Examples : St. Theodore by his simple blessing expelled the
devil from a maid servant who was possessed. St. Columba by
his blessing delivered a poor man from a great evil which he had
for a long time endured from the devil. The saints were accustoned in every temptation to make the sign of the cross, and to
invoke the Most Holy Trinity, and the temptation always van­
ished without causing any harm.
2.

If we render ourselves worthy of it.

{al) We must receive it with confidence. The blessing according
to its nature is a prayer, which, in order to be heard, must be
with confidence. “If any of you want wisdom, let him ask of
God, who giveth to all men abundantly, andupbraideth not: and
it shall be given him But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering : for
he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, which is moved and
carried about by the wind. Therefore, let not that man think that
he shall receive anything of the Lord.”—James 1:5-7. We must
have the same faith and confidence when receiving a blessing
as when praying; we must carry the conviction to our hearts that
the triune God will impart to us everything necessary and expe­
dient for us for time and eternity.
(3.) We must receive it with a pure or at least a penitent heart.
To him who lives in sin without the desire of conversion, every
blessing is unprofitable. The Pope, a bishop or priest, or even
a saint, may bless him, God does not, for “the countenance of the
Lord is upon them that do evil things.”—I. Peter 3:12. To im­
penitent sinners is applicable what David says : “He loved curs­
ing, and it shall come upon him: he would not have blessing, and
it shall be far from him.”—Ps. 108: 18. God dearly loves the
just man and gives efficacy to the blessing which he bestow on
him. But even sinners partake of blessing; if they are really
penitent and firmly resolve to amend their lives God will show
them mercy, and the blessing which they receive will be salutary
to them and will obtain for them the grace of true conversion.
($.) We must have a desire for it. To obtain the gifts of God, it
is required that we have a sincere desire for them. This holds

5·

•

Symbolical Sketch.

3*9

good of the blessing: only those Christians who fervently desire
it partake of it. Such Christians diligently avail themselves of
opportunities to receive the blessing. They love to go to mass
and other devotions because the blessing is then given by the
consecrated hand of the priest. They will also often by day and
night sign themselves with the holy sign of the cross, because
they know that through that blessing they can obtain the pro­
tection of God and many other graces. But there are Christians
who care little or nothing about the blessing, who neglect the
public devotions, and various opportunities when the blessing
could be received, who even do not wait till the end of mass but
hurry out of church before the priest gives the blessing. As
they appreciate it so little and have no desire for it, they may be
assured that they will not partake of its fruit, even if sometimes
they may be present when it is given.
PERORATION.

Do not imitate these lukewarm, negligent Christians. Appre­
ciate the blessing which is given you in the name of the Blessed
Trinity, and strive to obtain its salutary effects. Put great con­
fidence in it. Christ has given power to his Church to obtain for
her children by her blessing all benefits for time and eternity.
Always receive the blessing with a pure, or at least a penitent
heart ; for impenitent, hardened sinners cannot expect the blessing
but the curse of God. Receive the priest’s blessing as often as
possible; bless yourselves frequently, that the triune God may
avert from you every calamity, and give you the grace with per­
severance and fervor to serve him here, and to praise and glorify
him with the elect in heaven, for ever and ever. Amen.

TRINITY SUNDAY.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH.
THE HOLY SIGN OF THE CROSS.

Going, therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.—Matt. 28: 19

The feast of the Most Holy Trinity, which we celebrate to-day
is, without doubt, the greatest of all the feasts of the whole

33°

Trinity Sunday.

year; for from this feast all others have their origin. The Church
however does not celebrate this feast quite so solemnly as she
does many others, for example, Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost,
and this for two reasons; first, because with all possible solem­
nity she could not celebrate it worthily enough, and secondly,
because she does not limit its celebration to one day only, but
celebrates it every Sunday ; and, for this reason, on all Sundays
on which no proper feast falls the preface of the Blessed Trinity
is said in the mass. The Blessed Trinity being the greatest mys­
tery of our holy religion, we owe to it every blessing, our creation,
our redemption, and our sanctification, and we are under the strict
obligation unceasingly to offer it our homage and adoration. We
may comply with this duty in some measure by signing ourselves
frequently with the sign of the cross. I will speak then to you
to-day of the sign of the cross, and explain to you:

L The forms and signification of the sign of the cross;
IL The reason why we must sign ourselves with it.

Part I.
We distinguish two forms of the sign of the cross; the small
cross, and the large or Latin cross, each of which we will con­
sider at length.
L

The small sign of the cross.

(al) This is made by signing with the thumb of the right hand
the forehead, mouth, and breast, saying at the same time: “In
the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost
Amen.”
(£.) We sign the forehead, and say, “In the name of the Father,”
to indicate that the Father is the first Person of the Blessed
Trinity, as the forehead is the first and principal part of the hu­
man body. We then sign the mouth saying, “And of the Son,”
to signify that the Son, the eternal Word of the Father, is be­
gotten by him, as our natural word is, as it were, begotten by
the understanding, which has its seat in the forehead, because
without the understanding we cannot bring forth a rational word.
Lastly we sign the breast or the heart, saying, “And of the Holy
Ghost,” to indicate that the Holy Ghost is charity, who proceeds
from the Father and the Son, for the heart is the seat of love.
We say “in the name” and not “in the names,” and thereby pro­
fess our belief in the Unity of God, namely, that God has only
one essence, for the word “name” signifies as much as God's
nature or essence. We add, “of the Father, and of the Son, and

of the Holy Ghost,” professing thereby that in the Godhead there
is a Trinity of Persons, each of whom is truly God. Thus we
profess as often as we make the sign of the cross the mystery of
the most Holy Trinity.
But we profess also the mystery of our Redemption, for the sign
of the cross, which we make with our hand, reminds us of the
cross of Calvary, on which Christ died for our Redemption. But
we make three signs of the cross, one on our forehead, one on our
mouth, and one on ozcr breast, to indicate that our Redemption is
the common work of the three divine Persons; of the Father,
who so loved the world as to give his orly-begotten Son; of the
Son, who became man for our Redemption and died on the cross,
and of the Holy Ghost, who applies to us the fruits of Redemp­
tion, purifies and sanctifies us.

(f.) There is still another reason for signing ourselves with the
sign of the cross on the forehead, mouth, and breast. From the
forehead or the understanding come forth the thoughts ; from
the mouth the words; from the heart the works. By signing
these three parts of the body with the sign of the cross, and say­
ing: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost,” we mean it to be understood that we dedicate to the
Blessed Trinity our thoughts, words and actions ; that we will
think, speak, and do nothing displeasing to the honor of the
Blessed Trinity. We imprint upon the forehead, mouth and
breast the seal of the holy cross, that the enemies of our soul
may not enter into us and seduce us to sinful thoughts, words, or
deeds. How insignificant then are these signs of the cross !

II

one, because it is made from the forehead to the breast, and from
one shoulder to the other, and is therefore a great deal larger
than the cross made with the thumb. It is called the Latin cross
because it is prescribed for divine worship, which is performed
in Latin, and the words used when making the sign of the cross
are likewise said in that language. It is made by touching with
the tip of the fingers of the right hand the forehead, saying, In
nomine Patris ; the middle of the breast, saying, et Filii, and the
left and right shoulders, saying, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
(bi) The signification of the large or Latin cross is the same as
that of the small one. At the words, In nomine Patris, we touch
the forehead, to confess that the Father is the first Person of the
Godhead and the origin of the other two Persons; at the words,
et Filii, we touch the breast or heart, to signify that the Son of

|

332

Trinity Sunday.

God came down from heaven and became man ; and lastly by
touching the left and the right shoulder and saying, et Spiritus
Sancti, and uniting by this motion the two sides with each other,
we profess that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and
the Son, as from one source. Formerly, as Innocent III. observes,
the cross was made from the right to the left to signify that
from the Jews, who, as the chosen people of God were stand­
ing at the right hand of God, salvation passed over upon the
Gentiles, who on account of their apostacy from God, were sup­
posed to be standing on the left. At present we make it from the
left to the right, to express that by the death of Christ we were
removed from the left side of sin and perdition to the right side
of holiness and salvation.
We finish the sign of the cross with the word, Amen, which
II eans, “So be it”. With this word we assert that we will believe
the mysteries of the most Holy Trinity and of the Redemption
and everything that Jesus Christ has taught us, and that we will
begin, continue and end all our actions for the honor and glory
of the three divine Persons of the Blessed Trinity.

Part

Π.

There are two reasons for making the sign of the cross—
i. Because the primitive Christians made it. This is evident
from many passages of the Fathers of the Church. Tertullian,
who lived in the second century (A. D. 194), observes: “At every
step and movement, whenever we come in or go out, when we
dress ourselves, or prepare to go abroad, in the bath, at table,
when lights are brought in, at lying or sitting down, whatever
we may be doing, we make the sign of the cross upon our fore­
head.” From this we see that the early Christians very often,
far more frequently than we, made the sign of the cross. St. Am­
brose says: “We make the sign of the cross upon the forehead
and the breast; upon the forehead, that we may always confess
him; upon the heart, that we may always love him.” St. Augusstine says: “All Christians sign themselves upon the forehead
with the sign of the cross, the sign of the passion of Christ.” St.
John Chrysostom (397) thus addresses his hearers : “Everywhere
is the symbol of the cross present to us. On this account we write
in on our forehead, and we engrave it on our soul and minds.”
Thus the Holy Fathers speak of the sign of the cross as a uni­
versally known custom among the Christians of their time, with­
out mentioning that it was ordained or introduced by any Pope
or Council. From this we justly conclude with St. Augustine
that “the sign of the cross was introduced by the Apostles them­
selves.”

5. Symbolical Sketch.

333

t. Because it is a salutary sign ; for

(a.) It protects us from the assaults of the spirit of darkness.
St. Ignatius, a disciple of St. John, says : “The sign of the cross
is a token of victory against the power of the prince of darkness,
who, when he sees it, is terrified, who, when he hears of it, is
afraid.” St. Cyril says : “As the dog is in dread of the stick with
which he is struck, so the devil is terrified when he sees the sign
of the cross made, because it reminds him of the wood of the
cross, by which he was conquered.” Julian the Apostate one day
entered a pagan temple, in company with a noted idolator. The
latter having invoked the demons, they at once made their ap­
pearance. Julian became alarmed, and forgetting for a moment
that he had renounced the Christian religion, made the sign of
the cross, as he had been formerly accustomed to do when any
danger was near. Immediately the infernal spirits disappeared;
so powerful and efficacious was this sign even when made by a
Christian renegade. What power and efficacy, then, must it not
have when made by a good Christian.
(3.) It affords protection and help in all temptations, whether they
come from the world, the flesh, or the devil. When we are
tempted to sin, when evil thoughts arise in our minds, when we
are in danger of giving way to any temptation, let us at once
make the sign of the cross. At this sight of the cross the powers
of hell are terror-stricken. St. Anthony used to say to his dis­
ciples : “I need only make the sign of the cross to put to flight
all the delusion and spells of the demon.”

i

I

(λ) It is a powerful and efficacious means against all natural evil,
as history proves. The death of Julian the apostate was followed
by a tremendous earthquake all over the East. The rivers over­
flowed their banks, as if to submerge the earth by another de­
luge. At the sight of these prodigies the inhabitants of Epidaurus
repaired to St. Hilarion and with tears in their eyes besought
him to have pity on them and come to their aid. They took him
to the sea-shore. There St. Hilarion knelt on the sand, prayed
with fervor, and made the sign of the cross three times over the
troubled waters. Immediately there followed a great calm. All
the people of Epidaurus witnessed this miracle, and, for many
years after, they ceased not to remember it with gratitude.—St.
Jerome, life of St. Hilarion. The martyr, St. Tiburtius, condemned
under the Emperor Diocletian to walk through a blazing fire,
made the sign of the cross over it, and then walked over the
burning coals without any injury. It is by the devout use of the
sign of the cross that such miracles have been performed by al­
most every saint. God speaks to us through these miracles. By

A
À

I

334

Trinity Sunday.

them he wishes to impress upon us the great love and veneration
which we should entertain for the instrument of his passion and
of our Redemption.
(ά) It obtains far us in general the blessing of heaven. The cross,
once the ignominious instrument of death, after Christ sanctified
it and shed upon it his precious blood, has become the glorious
instrument of life and the source of every blessing. The Church,
therefore, never gives her blessing without making the sign of
the cross; even when the priest gives the blessing with the Bles­
sed Sacrament he does so in the form of a cross. Even in the
holy sacrifice, in which Christ supplicates for blessings for us,
the priest frequently makes the sign of the cross, because all the
benedictions are mediated for us only through the death of Christ
on the cross. If then we sign ourselves with the sign of the cross,
with the intention of drawing down the blessings of heaven upon
us, we only follow the teaching and the custom of the Church,
and may confidently hope that through this holy sign we shall
obtain every blessing.
PERORATION.

In conclusion, I exhort you in these words of St. Cyprian : ifLet
no one be ashamed to confess his crucified Saviour, but let him
sign his brow with the holy cross; yea, in all our actions the cross
should be used, whether we eat or drink, come in or go out, go
to rest or rise.” The sign of the cross is very venerable and holy,
because it reminds us of the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity
and of our Redemption. Among the early Christians it was al­
ready in use. If you frequently and devoutly, in the spirit of re­
pentance and with confidence, make the sign of the cross, you
will certainly experience its salutary effects; you will overcome
all the enemies of your salvation here, and after this life you will
triumph with Christ and the elect in heaven. Amen.

6. Dogmatical and Liturgical Sketch.

335

6. DOGMATICAL AND LITURGICAL SKETCH.
i

C Ο ΊΜΠΒΤ JSTEZD.
THE WORSHIP OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY.

Going, therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name ot
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.—Matt. 28: 19.

The festival of the Most Holy Trinity, which we celebrate to­
day, does not date back to the earliest ages of Christianity, as
one would be led to believe, but is of a later date. The reason
is because this feast does not rest, as do the other feasts upon an
historical fact, but upon a mystery of faith ; and again, because
all feasts have the adoration and glorification of the Most Holy
Trinity for their object, and revolve round it. Pope John XXII.,
in the fourteenth century, ordained that this festival should be
celebrated by the whole Christian world on the first Sunday after
Pentecost. St. Vincent Ferrer gives two reasons why the Church
annually celebrates this feast : first, because the feasts of the
three Persons of the Godhead, which are celebrated on different
days of the year, may be celebrated together; secondly, that
Christians by this particular celebration may repair the neglig­
ences which they may perhaps have committed during the cele­
bration of the other feasts of the three divine Persons. I intend
to speak to-day of the worship of the Most Holy Trinity, and to
show you—

I. Why we must worship the Most Holy Trinity ;
II. How we must worship it.
Part L

We must worship the Most Holy Trinity, because is the great­
est and most beneficent mystery of our holy religion.
i.

The greatest mystery.

To convince ourselves of the infinite greatness of this mystery,
let us consider, first of all, what faith teaches us about it.
(a.) There is only one God. Divine revelation tells us this most
emphatically: “The first commandment of all is: Hear, O Israel,
the Lord thy God is one God."—Mark 12 : 29. Reason also tells
us that there is but one God. God is the highest, II ost perfect

33ό

Trinity Sunday.

good. If there were more Gods than one, they would be either
equal or unequal to one another; if they were equal to one an­
other, none of them could say that he was the highest, more per­
fect good, because the others would be equal to him ; but if they
were unequal to one another, those who would be less perfect would
not be the highest, the most perfect good, and, consequently,
would not be God. In order to preserve upon earth the belief in
one God, he made a covenant with the Israelites, and inculcated
upon them most emphatically the duty of adhering to this faith.
As often as they fell into idolatry he visited them with the se­
verest punishments.
(3.) There are three Persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Ghost. Christ has revealed this truth in the clearest
terms, saying in the gospel of this day : Going, therefore, teach ye
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Here Christ teaches us that in the one
Godhead there are three Persons, namely, the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Ghost. Moreover, he frequently spoke of the three
divine Persons; of God, his heavenly Father; of himself, who
was doing all that the Father could do, and whom all should ho­
nor, as they honored the Father; and of the Holy Ghost, the
Spirit of truth, whom he and the Father would send.
(c.) Each of the three Persons is truly God. The Father is truly
God, the Son is truly God, and the Holy Ghost is truly God. Each
one of the three Persons, therefore, possesses all the perfections
which God possesses; from which it follows that the three Per­
sons in the Godhead together are no more and no greater than
only one of them, since every one of them possesses the entire
Godhead. But although each of the three Persons is truly God,
there are not three Gods, but only one God, because all three
have only one and the same divine nature. If each Person had
his own proper nature and essence different from the other Per­
sons there would really be three Gods, but having the divine
nature together in common, they are only one God.

(zf.) The three divine Persons, although they have but one nature
or essence, differ from one another. The Father is not the Son,
and the Son is not the Holy Ghost; another is the Son, another
the Holy Ghost. The difference of the three divine Persons is not
in the essence or substance. We must not “confound the Persons,
nor divide the substance. One altogether, not by confusion of
substance, but by unity of person. The Father is made of none,
neither created nor begotten. The Son is from the Father alone,
not made nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost from the
Father and the Son not made, nor created, nor begotten, but

6. Dogmatical and Liturgical Sketch.

337

proceeding.” The Father is of himself, and thereby distin­
guishes himself from the Son and the Holy Ghost, who are not
of themselves, but have their origin from the Father; the Son
is begotten of the Father, and thereby he is distinguished from
the Father, who is not begotten, but who is of himself; and
the Son is again distinguished from the Holy Ghost, who is not
begotten of the Father, but proceeds from the Father and the
Son and thereby he is distinguished from the Father and the Son,
who do not proceed. But the Son and the Holy Ghost, although
they have their origin from the Father, are nevertheless equal to
him, for the begotten of the Son by the Father, as well as the
procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son, is
from eternity.
Therein consists the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. What
is more sublime, more venerable, more holy than this mystery !
When we mention the mystery of the Trinity we mention God,
who unites all perfections in himself in an infinite measure.
The ocean is broad and deep, but it can be measured; its drops
of water are many, but, strictly speaking, they are not countless.
But it is otherwise with the perfections of God ; their circumfer­
ence cannot be measured, their number cannot be given. God is
unsearchable, and we can do nothing but prostrate ourselves
adoringly, and exclaim with St. Francis: "My God and my all I”
Mentioning the mystery of the Trinity, we mention the three
Persons in the Godhead, each of whom is what God is; we men­
tion a Father, who possesses all divine perfections, a Son, who
possesses all divine perfections, and a Holy Ghost, who also pos­
sesses all divine perfections. Where is there anything in heaven
or upon earth, so grand, so wonderful, as the mystery of the Most
Holy Trinity! We need not wonder therefore that the celestial
spirits adore the Most Holy Trinity and exclaim unceasingly:
“Holy, holy, holy the Lord God of hosts” (Λ. 6 : 3), and that the
Church has always the honor and glory of God in view. Let us
also honor the Most Holy Trinity with the deepest veneration
and devotion, frequently repeating: “Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.”
2. The. most beneficent mystery. To it we owe everything that
is necessary to work out our salvation, viz. :—
(«.) Faith; for “without faith it is impossible to please God.”—
Hebrews 11:6. But faith is a gift of the Most Holy Trinity ; a gift
of the Father, who sent his only-begotten Son into the world to
preach to us his heavenly doctrine, wherefore Christ himself
says: “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.”—John η :
16. It is a gift of the Son, who preached the gospel himself and
commissioned his Apostles to preach it; and it is a gift of the

338

Trinity Sunday.

Holy Ghost, who enlightens and governs the Church, and en­
ables her to preserve her divine doctrine pure and undefiled,
(£.) The forgiveness of sin ; for nothing defiled can enter into
heaven. If God the Father had not sent his Son, we should not
be redeemed, and should live and die in our sins. If the Son of
God had not become man, and satisfied the divine justice no sin
could be forgiven us. If the Holy Ghost did not give us his grace
and sanctify us we should for ever remain in sin.
(zr.) Grace ; for without it we cannot keep the commandments
of God, practise virtue, resist temptations, or persevere in good.
This grace, too, comes from the Most Holy Trinity. God the
Father has prepared for us the graces necessary for salvation;
God the Son has merited for us these graces by his life, suffer­
ings and death ; God the Holy Ghost applies these graces un­
ceasingly to us. How much reason, then, have we to praise and
glorify the Blessed Trinity, the grandest and most beneficent
mystery of our holy religion 1

Part Π.
To worship the Blessed Trinity worthily, we must dedicate to
it the three faculties ofour soul\ the understanding, the memory and
the will.

i. The understanding. The mystery of the Blessed Trinity sur­
passes all human comprehension. For how can we comprehend
that in God there are three Persons, each of whom is truly God
and who together are but one God? How can we explain the
existence of the three Persons, that the Father is of himself, the
Son begotten of the Father, and the Holy Ghost proceeding from
the Father and the Son? How can we comprehend that the Son
and the Holy Ghost are, like the Father, from eternity, although
they have their origin from the Father ? How can we comprehend
that the three divine Persons are not near one another, but in
one another, so that the Father is in the Son and the Holy Ghost,
the Son in the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost in the Father and
the Son? To this incomprehensibility the Church alludes in the
epistle of this day, when she exclaims with the Apostles: “O the
depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God I
How incomprehensible are his judgments, and how unsearchable
his ways I”
We need not wonder, then, that we cannot comprehend the
mystery of the Blessed Trinity; for when we cannot explain to
our satisfaction a thousand things in nature, which we see with
our own eyes, how can we fathom the essence of God ? It must

6. Dogmatical and Liturgical Sketch.

339

suffice that Christ has revealed to us the mystery of the Blessed
Trinity. If we believe with the learned that the earth moves, and
the sun stands still, although it contradicts our observation, why
should we not believe our divine Lord when he teaches us that
there are three Persons in the Godhead and that these three
Persons are only one God? Let us humbly believe what we can­
not comprehend, and make a sacrifice of our understanding, for
he who does not walk here in faith can never attain to intuition
hereafter.

2. The memory, by thinking frequently with a grateful heart of
the three great benefits of the Most Holy Trinity, viz. :—

(λ.) Creation, which we attribute particularly to God the Father.
How benevolent has God the Father shown himself toward us in
the work of creation I It is a grace that be created us, but it is a
still greater grace that he created us rational beings, yea, ac­
cording to his own image ! it is another grace that he created
everything that is in heaven and upon earth for our use and be­
nefit ; but it is the greatest of all graces that he has created us
for heaven and its unspeakable felicity. Add to this, that by his
all-wise Providence we were born of Christian parents, whilst
millions live and die in infidelity or error, and then tell me that
you owe no thanks to God, your heavenly Father 1
(bi) Redemption, which was effected by God the Son. He becomes
man, lives thirty-three years in self-abasement, endures number­
less distresses and persecutions, going about to preach his
heavenly doctrine to the people, and doing good to all; finally
he dies, after suffering unutterable pains, a most ignominous
death. In such a way he redeems us. He enables us to become
partakers of the fruits of Redemption ; he founds the Church and
deposits in her all the means of salvation. What love did not
God the Son show us 1 Can we ever forget this self-sacrificing
love?

(ci) Sanctification, which is particularly the work of the Holy
Ghost. This Spirit teaches the Church all truth and makes her
the infallible teacher of the Word of God; he sanctifies her, and
effects that in her and through her we are justified ; he governs
and protects her to the end of time. He is also active in our
hearts, for he enlightens us in all things concerning our salva­
tion; he consoles us in all adversities, strengthens us in persecu­
tions, and supports us with his grace in the practice of virtue.
Should we not always remember and from the bottom of our
hearts give thanks to the Holy Ghost for the solicitude and love
with which he, like an affectionate mother, satisfies all our spiri­
tual necessities ?

34®

Trinity Sunday.

3. The will. We must make an offering of it—

(a) To God the Father, for he rigorously insists upon our doing
his will in all things and makes our eternal salvation depend
upon it. “Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth he will of my
Father, who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven.”—Matt, 7: 21. Let us take Jesus for our pattern, who
says of himself: “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me.”
—John 4: 34. Let us always pray with heart and lips: “Thy will
be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

(£.) To God the Son, by endeavoring to model our life accord­
ing to his word and example. He is our pattern, to whom we
must become conformable if we wish to be saved. “For whom
he foreknew, he also predestinated to be made conformable to
the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born amongst
many brethren.”—Rom. 8: 29. Let us strive to be able to say
with the Apostle: “I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me. And
that I live now in the flesh ; I live in the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and delivered himself for me.”—Gal. 2: 20.

(é.) To God the Holy Ghost, by employing for our salvation the
graces he gives us. St. Paul teaches that we are temples of God,
and that the Holy Ghost dwells in us. Avoid every mortal sin,
thinking well on the word of the same Apostle : “If any man
nhi
violate the temple of God (if any man commit
a mortal sin), him
shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which you are.”
—I. Cor. y. 17. Hearken to the inspirations of the Holy Ghost,
and be governed by them. Receive the holy sacraments often
with a heart well prepared, that the Holy Ghost may always
dwell in your hearts and never withdraw his love and grace
from you.
PERORATION.

The Blessed Trinity being the greatest and most beneficent
mystery of our holy religion, we must worship it unceasingly—
nay, our whole life should be an uninterrupted homage to it. Let
us offer to the Triune God our understanding by humbly believ­
ing what Christ and his Church teaches in regard to the Most
Holy Trinity and by anticipating with joy the moment when it
will be granted to us to see the Triune God face to face; our
memory by frequently thinking of the three great benefits of our
creation, redemption, and sanctification and employing them for
our salvation; and our will by endeavoring always to be good
children of our heavenly Father, true followers of Christ, and

7·

Liturgical-Moral Sketch.

341

worthy temples of the Holy Ghost. I finish with the blessing of
the Apostle: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the charity
of God and the communication of the Holy Ghost be with you
all. Amen.”

TRINITY SUNDAY.

7. LITURGICAL-MORAL SKETCH.
THE CEREMONIES OF BAPTISM.

Going, therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.—Matt. 28: 19.

When Christ was baptized by John in the river Jordan, the
heavens opened, the Holy Ghost descended in the form of a dove
and rested on Jesus, and the voice of his Father was heard, say­
ing: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”—
Matt. 3: 16, 17. The same occurred when we were baptized. In­
fected with original sin and as children of wrath we came into
the world; when we received holy baptism we were cleansed
from sin, and sanctified; God adopted us as his children, and
was well pleased with us. The Holy Ghost also came down upon
us, and made his abode in our heart, the heavens were opened
for us, and if we had died in our baptismal innocence, we should
have gone straight to heaven. We must call to mind to-day the
great grace of baptism, celebrating as we are the feast of the
Blessed Trinity, in whose name we are baptized. As the gospel
of this day speaks of baptism, I shall avail myself of the oppor­
tunity of speaking of the ceremonies of baptism, because they
vividly bring before us the graces of baptism and the obligation
which we have thereby assumed. I will explain to you:
I. The ceremonies which precede,
II. Which accompany,
III. Which follow, Baptism.

Part

I.

The sponsors with the person to be baptized do not go immediately
into the church but remain at the entrance. This is an ancient or­

-

34^

Trinity Sunday.

dinance of the Church, which was always observed by personi
desirous of baptism. When Jews or Gentiles asked for baptism,
admission into the Church was not granted them at once ; they were
first of all obliged to receive thorough instruction in religion and
to profess solemnly their belief in Jesus Christ. In memory of
this ancient ordinance infants to be baptized are not admitted at
once into the Church, but must remain at the entrance. This
ceremony reminds us of the fact that the child does not yet be­
long to the Church, because baptism is the door through which
we enter into the Church and become partakers of her graces.
It is also thereby indicated that without baptism no one can
enter into the Kingdom of heaven, as Christ himself says: “Un­
less a man be bom again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot
enter into the Kingdom of God.”—John 3: 5.

2. The priest is vested in a white surplice, and uses two stoles
the one violet, the other white. The violet color of the stole
signifies the deplorable state to which sin has reduced man­
kind. It is also emblematic of contrition on account of this sin,
of which the person to be baptized is still the slave. The priest,
wearing the violet stole, comes to the entrance of the church,
and addressing the sponsor or sponsors, asks : What is the name of
the child to be? The sponsor or sponsors mention the name which
the child is to take. This also reminds us of the custom in the
primitive Christian times. The persons to be baptized, after hav­
ing received sufficient instruction, were obliged to give in their
names to the bishop, to be registered for baptism. This was
done for the purpose of changing their former pagan name for
a name of a Christian saint or at least uniting the name of a saint
with it. The Roman Ritual ordains the names of saints to be
given to the persons to be baptized, that by their example they
may be urged to a pious life and be protected by them. A good
Christian will frequently meditate on the life and acts of his pa­
tron saint, and endeavor to imitate him as closely as possible,
that he may eventually come to him into heaven.
The priest then interrogates the person to be baptized by
name, as follows: AT, What dost thou ask of the Church of God?
He, or in his name the sponsor, answers : Faith. Why does he
first ask faith? Because faith is the root and the beginning of
justification, and the first requisite for salvation, for, “without
faith it is impossible to please God.”—Heb. 11:6. The person to
be baptized asks faith of the Church, because the true faith
taught by Christ and necessary for salvation is to be found in the
Catholic Church alone, and in her it is always preserved and de­
livered pure and undefiled. The next question is: What doth
faith obtain for thee? And the answer is: Life everlasting. Then
3.

7.

Liturgical-Moral Sketch.

343

the priest adds: If then thou will enter into life, keep the command­
ments. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, with
thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and thy neighbor as thy­
self. By these words the priest declares that the living faith,
which manifests itself in an exact observance of the command­
ments of God, and not dead faith, leads to life everlasting. It
points out to the person to be baptized the way he must go in
order to be saved; and gives him to understand that he must
believe all that God has revealed, and unite his faith with a
holy life.

4. The priest then breathes thrice upon the face of the person to
be baptized and says once : Go out of him thou unclean spirit, and
give hlace unto the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete. According to our
corporeal birth we are children of wrath, and under the domi­
nion of Satan. The evil spirit must be expelled; therefore the
priest orders him to depart. The priest then breathes three times
upon the child. This breathing signifies the communication of
the new spiritual life. This breathing is done three times in me­
mory of the Blessed Trinity, by which the new life is imparted;
and it is done in the form of a cross, because Christ has redeemed
us by his death on the cross. When the evil spirit has gone out
from man, the Holy Ghost makes his abode in the man’s heart,
and therefore the priest says: Give place unto the Holy Ghost
the Paraclete. The ceremony of breathing was in use in the first
ages of the Church, and St. Augustine draws from it a proof of
original sin.

5. The priest then makes the sign of a cross, with his thumb on
the forehead and on the breast of the person, saying : Receive
the sign of the cross both upon thy forehead and also upon thy heart,
take unto thee thefaith of the heavenlyprecepts, and in thy manners be
such that thou may est now be the temple of God. The sign of the
cross upon the forehead and breast of the child signifies that he
is called a new-born Christian, to be received into the army of
Christ, that he must confess his faith without fear, fight against
untruth and sin, and courageously follow his divine Saviour on
the way of the cross.—Malt. 16: 24. The priest now petitions
God to bestow upon the person the grace necessary to enable
him to perform his duties.
6. The priest now with an appropriate prayer lays his hand upon
the head of the person to be baptized. By this imposition of hands
the priest indicates that the Church takes him under her protec­
tion, and that through her hand the fulness of blessing will flow
to him, whereby he will be enabled to renounce Satan, to enter
into the kingdom of Christ, and in it to serve him joyfully. Thin

344

Trinity Sunday.

is expressed in the prayer which accompanies the imposition oî
the hand.
Then the priest puts a small quantity of blessed salt into the
mouth of the person to be baptized, saying: Λζ, receive the salt of
wisdom ; let it be to thee a propitiation unto life everlasting. This
very ancient ceremony has a manifold meaning. Salt is pungent;
the person to be baptized is reminded that as a Christian he must
be prepared for various sufferings and tribulations. Salt soon
dissolves in the mouth, and it is thereby indicated that these suf­
ferings and tribulations here below are of short duration. Salt
imparts a savor or relishable taste, and reminds the person to be
baptized that he must now have a relish for good works. The
salt is also the symbol of wisdom, as when St. Paul says: “Let
your speech be always in grace seasoned with salt.”— Col. 4: 6.
Salt is a well known preservative against corruption ; and the
only corruption of our soul is sin, which the Sacrament of Bapt­
ism is now about to take away. This ceremony is indeed full of
meaning, since it signifies that the person baptized must make
known to the thoughtless world the sweet savor of the holy law
of God by the good example of a virtuous and modest conver­
sation, and show by all his works that it is the doctrine of
Christ that preserves the soul from the foul corruption of sin, and
establishes a firm and lasting hope of the resurrection of our
mortal bodies.
7.

8. Now comes the exorcism, with sacred words and prayers,
for the purpose of banishing the devil and of weakening or of
totally destroying his power. The Church does not perform these
exorcisms as if she believed that the person to be baptized were
really possessed by the devil, but for a twofold reason ; first to
give a public proof of her faith, that man by baptism is delivered
from the servitude of the devil and restored to the liberty of chil­
dren of God; and secondly, to implore God’s grace for the person
to be baptized, that the power which Satan has acquired over
him in consequence of original sin may be broken, and that he
may never again succeed in bringing him under his dominion.
At the conclusion of the exorcism, the priest makes the sign of
the cross upon the forehead of the person to be baptized, saying:
And this sign of the holy cross which we make upon his forehead,
do thou, accursed devil, never dare to violate. Through the same
Christ our Lord. Amen. Then the priest lays his hand upon the
head of the person to be baptized and prays that God may en­
lighten, cleanse and sanctify him, and always keep him in the
path of truth and virtue.
9. Now follows the introduction of the person to be baptized
into the Church. The priest lays the end of his stole upon him

7·

Liturgical-Moral Scetch.

34S

and leads him into the church, saying : Enter into the temple of
God, that thou mayest have part with Christ unto life everlasting.
The priest leads, or rather draws, the person to be baptized into
the church, an act which reminds us of the words of Jesus: “No
man can come to me, except the Father, who has sent me, draw
him.”—John 6: 44. Let us follow the inspirations of grace.
When entering the church and proceeding to the baptismal
Font, the priest, together with the sponsors, say the Apostles’
Creed and the Lord’s prayer. This again reminds us of the first
ages of the Church, when the Catechumens were required to
commit the Apostles* Creed to memory, and to recite it before
they were baptized. As the Apostles’ Creed contains the prin­
cipal mysteries of our holy religion, the person to be baptized,
by reciting it, gives a public testimony that he will believe and
do all things whatsoever Christ teaches and commands. But, not
being able to do this of himself, he says the Lord’s prayer, in
order to obtain the necessary grace to do so, prayer being the
principal means of obtaining the grace of God.
After a third exorcism the priest wets his right thumb with
spittle from his mouth, and touches therewith, in the form of a
cross, the right ear of the person to be baptized and afterwards
the left, saying : Ephpheta, that is, to say, be opened. And touch­
ing his nostrils, adds : For a savor of sweetness. But thou, Satan,
fly, behold the God, great and mighty, draweth near, the God who
taketh away the prey from the strong one. This ceremony is an imi­
tation of what Christ did himself when he gave sight to a blind
man, and healed a deaf and dumb man.—John 9:6; Mark 33,
34. Of this ceremony St. Ambrose says: “The priest touches thy
ears that they may open themselves to the priestly admonition,
and thy nostrils that thou mayest obtain the good odor of
heavenly piety, that thou mayest be able to say with the Apostle:
‘We are before God an odor of Christ’.”

Part Π.
Tha ceremonies which accompany Baptism.
i. The moment now arrives when the person to be baptized is
transplanted from the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of
Christ, and the covenant of everlasting love and fidelity is made
between him and God. A solemn abjuration now takes place.
The priest asks : Dost thou renozince Satan? and all his works? and
all his pomps? And the answer to each of these questions is : I do
renounce them. In the early days of the Church particular stress
was laid upon this abjuration, for which reason it was made with
great solemnity. The persons to be baptized were required to
turn their faces toward the setting of the sun, to indicate that

—

>

346

Trinity Sunday.

they renounced for ever the devil, the prince of darkness ; they
were also requested to stretch out their hands in the same direc­
tion, and to put off their shoes, to signify that they would go no
more into the old way of sin. This form of abjuration agreed en­
tirely with the one now in use, for, according to St. Cyril of Je­
rusalem, it was as follows: “I renounce thee, Satan, and all thy
works, and all thy pomps, and all thy service.” What does it
mean to renounce the devil, and all his works, and all his pomp?
To renounce the devil means to hate him, not to listen to his sug­
gestions, to despise and reject his illusions. To renounce the
works of the devil means to hate and shun sin. To renounce the
pomps of the devil means to put off all pride, all ambition, all va­
nity, and to be humble of heart. Pride is named especially among
the works of the devil, because it is peculiar to him and was the
beginning of all sin.

2. After the solemn abjuration, the priest anoints the person to
be baptized with the oil of the Catechumens, upon the breast and be­
tween the shoulders; saying: 1 anoint thee with the oil of salvation,
in Christ Jesus our Lord, that thou mayest have life everlasting.
R. Amen. The anointing is a symbol of strength; in ancient
times the gladiators anointed themselves with oil to strengthen
themselves for the combat. The person to be baptized is anointed,
to make him remember that he must fight hard against all the
enemies of his salvation. He is anointed upon the breast, to sig­
nify that he must fight a good fight with courage for God and
his soul; then between the shoulders, to indicate that he stands
in need of much strength and patience in order to carry the
yoke of the Lord all the days of his life.
3. Next, the priest changes the violet stole for a white one.
As the violet stole signifies the sinful state of the person to be
baptized, so the white one is a symbol of the innocence and pu­
rity conferred by the sacrament. The priest asks him: N., Dost
thou believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and
earth? The answer is: I do believe. Again: Dost thou believe in
Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was bom into this world,
and sufferedfor us? Answer : I do believe. Dost thou believe in the
Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life ever­
lasting? Answer: I do believe. As you perceive, the Church, be­
fore she baptizes, thrice demands of the person to be baptized a
profession of faith. The first time, at the beginning, when she
asks : What dost thou ask of the Church of God? to which the ans­
wer is, Faith. The second time, when, on entering the Church,
she makes him say the Apostles’ Creed, and, the third time when
she proposes to him the above mentioned questions. She does

7. Liturgical-Moral Sketch.

347

this because in the first centuries of the Church the Catechumens
before they were baptized were obliged to make, three separate
professions of faith publicly and solemnly; also to indicate to the
person to be baptized his strict obligation to remain faithful to
the Church. What a horrible sin, then, it is for a Catholic to fall
away from his faith 1

4. Lastly, the priest asks the person to be baptized; ΛΓ, Wilt
thou be baptized? Answer: I will. Christ does not force his graces
upon any one, but simply invites the reception of them; he does
not desire slaves, but children who love him. The person to be
baptized, having now declared his intention to receive baptism,
the priest pours water on his head, saying at the same time : I
baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost. Amen. In doing this, the priest administers the Sacra­
ment of Baptism; the baptized person is cleansed from sin, and
is sanctified, becoming a child of God and an heir of heaven.
The Church upon earth rejoices that a child is born to her, the
angels and saints in heaven exult and salute the baptized person
as their brother; the Triune God looks down upon him with
pleasure, and takes up his abode in his heart. And now a few
words on the ceremonies after baptism.

Part III.
The priest anoints the baptized person on the crown of his
head with chrism, saying : May God Almighty, the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who hath regenerated thee by water and the Holy
Ghost and who hath granted thee the remission of all thy sins, him­
self anoint thee with the chrism of salvation in the same Christ Jesus
our Lord, unto life eternal. R. Amen. This anointing was or­
dained by Pope Sylvester (314—337), because owing to the ab­
sence of the bishop the newly baptized could not be confirmed,
confirmation being usually administered on the day of baptism.
But afterwards it took place no matter whether confirmation
succeeded baptism at once or later. This unction with chrism
has a manifold significance:—

i. It sets the truth before our eyes that the baptized person is
one of the anointed, that is, a Christian, and no longer belongs
to Satan, but to Christ. Hence, the Roman Catechism says:
“After baptism is completed the priest anoints the crown of the
head of the baptized person with chrism, that he may know that
from that day he is a member united to Christ and incorporated
in his body, and that he has the name of Christian from Christ.”
The anointing with chrism calls to our minds the dignity to which
we have been raised by baptism. Christ is Priest and King.

548

Trinity Sunday.

Man being united with Christ in baptism partakes of his priestly
and royal dignity. Hence St. Peter writes : “You are a chosen
generation, a kingly priesthood.”—I. Pet. 2:9. In a certain sense
all Christians are priests, for they participate in the holy sacri­
fice which the priest offers up to God at the altar, and at the
'ame time are under the obligation to offer themselves up to God,
:s “a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God.”—Rom. 12: 1.
1 hey are also Kings ; for they are called upon to govern them­
selves, their evil inclinations and passions, and after this life to
reign with Christ in heaven, Lastly, the baptized are anointed
with chrism to indicate that their souls have become temples of
the Holy Ghost and chosen vessels, which are destined in due
time to receive the sacred body and blood of Jesus Christ, as the
chalices and patens are also blessed and anointed, that they may
be worthy vessels for the reception of the body and blood of
Jesus Christ.

2. After the anointing the priest puts upon the head of the per­
son baptized a white linen cloth, saying: Receive this white gar­
ment and see thou carry it without stain before the judgment-seat
of our Lord Jesus Christ that thou mayest have eternal life. In
early times the newly baptized were invested with a white gar­
ment, to remind them of the innocence and purity which they had
then received at baptism, and they wore it for eight days, after
which they laid it off solemnly in the church. The white gar­
ment recalls to our mind the inestimable grace of baptism, in
which we were cleansed from every stain of sin, and sanctified,
and the obligation which we have contracted to preserve with
the greatest care our baptismal innocence, and to thank God for
this grace all the days of our life.
3. Lastly, the priest gives to the person baptized a lighted
candle saying : JV., Receive this burning light, and keep thy baptism
blameless. Observe the commandments of God, that when the Lord
shall come to the nuptials thou mayest meet him together with all the
saints in the heavenly court and have eternal life and live for ever
and ever. The burning light signifies that the baptized person has
been transplanted from the kingdom of darkness into the king­
dom of light, according to the words of the Apostle : “You were
heretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord. Walk ye as
children of the light.”—Ephes. 5: 8. The burning light is also an
admonition to us that our faith must not be cold and dead, but
must be a burning and an illuminating one ; that we must have
an ardent love of God and be prepared, like a lighted candle, to
be consumed in his service ; finally that we must give a good
example to our fellow men, according to the admonition of our
Lord : “So let your light before men, that they may see your

J. Liturgical-Moral Sketch.

349

good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”—Matt.
5: 16. Then the priest dismisses the baptized person, saying: Go
in peace, and the Lord be with thee. The baptized person is recon­
ciled with God, is a child of God, and therefore may go in peace.
But he must always preserve his peace, and as he can do this
only by the grace of God, the priest wishes that the Lord may­
be with him, accompany him, and protect him in all his ways.
PERORATION.

These are the ceremonies of baptism; take to heart their sig­
nificance and fulfil the duties of which they remind you. Look
back upon your past life, and examine whether you have com­
plied with the obligations which you have taken upon yourselves
at your baptism. If you find that you have broken the convenant
you entered into with God, repent of your unfaithfulness, ask
pardon of God, and promise him that henceforth you will be and
remain his good children. Watch and pray that the enemy of
your salvation may never again obtain power over you or rivet
his fetters upon you. Frequently renew your baptismal vows,
especially on the days you go to communion, saying: “I renounce
thee, Satan, and all thy works, and all thy pomps. I have sworn
fidelity to my divine Saviour ; him I will serve all the days of my
life.” In baptism you have been born for heaven ; live and labor
then for heaven, that it may become your portion and inherit­

ance. A en.
II

350

Second Sunday After Pentecost.

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

Epistle. I. John 3: 13-18. Dearly beloved: Wonder not if the
world hate you. AVe know that we have passed from death to
life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not, abideth
in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer. And
you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in himself.
In this we have known the charity of God, because he hath laid
down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the
brethren. 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? My little children,
let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
THE LOVE OF OUR NEIGHBOR

Our Blessed Lord repeatedly told the Apostles and all his
followers that they would be hated and persecuted by the world,
that is, by unbelieving and wicked people. Thus he says: “You
shall be hated by all men for my name’s sake.”—Matt, io: 22.
And again : “If the world hate you ; know ye that it hath hated
me before you. If you had been of the world, the world would
love his own ; but because you are not of the world, but I have
chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”—
John 15: 18, 19. St. John, in the epistle of this day, calls our
attention to this prediction of Jesus, saying: Wonder not if the
world hate you, in other words, Jesus has foretold this hatred,
and his word must come to pass; nor must you desire to be
looked upon as better than your divine Saviour, whom the world
hated most bitterly and persecuted unto the death of the cross.
“The servant is not greater than his master.”—John 15:20. After
this, St. John tells the faithful that being Christians they should
not return hatred for hatred, but rather, according to the ex-

1.

Homiletic Sketch.

351

ample of Jesus, love all men; and then at a greater length speaks
of the love of our neighbor:

I. Of its motives;
IL Of its marks.

St. John in the lesson of this day gives two reasons why we
II

I. The great advantage which the love of our neighbor procures ;
for he says : tl We know that we have passed from death to life, be­
cause we love the brethren?* What kind of life is it to which we
pass when we love our neighbor?
(a.) The life of grace. God is all love ; for it is out of love that
he created us, that he preserves us and has given his only-begot­
ten Son for our Redemption ; it is love that imparts to us so
II

all love, he finds no greater pleasure in anything than in our
love for all men, even for our enemies and those who offend us.
Suppose that persons who are animated by a sincere love of their
neighbor are still in infidelity and error, we must not despair of
their salvation; God will give them grea<·, even extraordinary, gra­
ces that they may embrace the true faith. We have an example in
the centurion Cornelius of Caesarea. He was a pagan, but God
in a miraculous manner called him to the faith. He sent him an
angel, who commanded him to call St. Peter from Joppe, who
would tell him what he was to do. Peter, also favored with a
wonderful apparition, came, and after converting him baptized him
and his whole house. What was the reason that Cornelius came
to the faith in so extraordinary a manner? Principally on account
of his love for his neighbor, for the angel who had appeared
to him, emphatically said: “Thy prayers and thy alms are
ascended for a memorial in the sight of God.”—Acts 10: 4. If
Cornelius, instead of loving his fellow-men and doing them
good, had treated them roughly and uncharitably he would un­
doubtedly have remained in Paganism and perished eternally, but
because he assisted the needy and the poor so charitably, God
even worked miracles to bring him into the true fold. So much
avails the love of our neighbor. The same may be said of sinners.
Suppose some one falls into grievous sins, everything good may be
expected of him if he sincerely loves his fellow-men, assists them
in their wants, and forgives injuries. God will give him great
graces, and, if it should be necessary, even extraordinary graces,
that he may rise from his fall and do penance. “Forgive thy

352

Second Sunday After Pentecost.

neighbor if he hath hurt thee; and then shall thy sins be forgiven
to thee when thou prayest.”—Ecclus. 28: 2. And Christ himself
says: “If you will forgive men their offenses, your heavenly
Father will forgive you also your offenses.”—Matt. 6: 14. It is
the charity that manifests itself by works of mercy that obtains
for us pardon and mercy. The archangel Raphael said: “Alms
delivereth from death, and the same is that which purgeth away
sins, and maketh to find mercy and life everlasting.”—Tob. 12: 9.
''We have,” says St. Ambrose, “many means by which we can
redeem ourselves from our sins. Have you money? Redeem
yourselves from your sins. The Lord is not purchasable, but
you are, for you have been sold by your sins. Redeem your­
selves by your works, ransom yourselves by your money.”

(£.) The life of glory. If we love our fellow men and are merci­
ful towards them, we may confidently hope for life everlasting.
This is evident from the sentence of Christ on the day of judgment:
“Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom pre­
pared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hun­
gry, and you gave me to eat,” etc. Then he adds: “Amen I say
to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren,
you did it to me.”— Matt. 25: 34. St. Chrysostom says: “Heaven
is a bank and a mercantile house; give bread, and take paradise;
give a little and take much; give what is perishable, and take
what is imperishable.” One day St. Francis Xavier applied to a
Portuguese merchant to give him a sum of money for a dowry
for a poor virgin. The merchant who was engaged at the time
in playing a game of cards, handed him the key of his safe, say­
ing: “Take what you need.” When the game was finished, the
merchant asked the Saint how much money he had taken. “Five
hundred gold pieces,” he replied. “Oh,” said the merchant, “why
did you not take more, as I was willing to give you the half of
my cash, if you needed it.” St. Francis thereupon predicted that
he would have success in all his undertakings, and that God
would make known to him by a sensible sign the hour of his
death three days beforehand. Many years had elapsed, when
sitting one day at dinner, he noticed that the wine he was
drinking had a bitter taste. Thereupon he said: “Now it is time
for me to prepare for death, St. Francis Xavier told me that
three days after receiving a warning, I should enter into eternal
life.” He accordingly prepared himself for death with the great­
est care, and after the expiration of three days, fell happily
asleep in our Lord. Thus will they who love the brethren pass
from death to life—to the life of grace and to the life of glory.
Which of us does not ardently wish for this twofold life? Well,
then, let us sincerely love all men, and our wish will be re­
alized

i.
1.

Homiletic Sketch.

353

The great loss me suffer inhen me do not love our neighbor.

(a.) He that loveth not, abideth in death. What kind of death i*
it of which the Apostle here speaks? It is the spiritual death, the
state of mortal sin. In order to obtain the forgiveness of our sin«
and to come to the life of grace, it is absolutely necessary that
we should love our neighbor. If a man were to have profound
contrition and a firm purpose of amendment, if he were then sin­
cerely to confess his sins, and receive absolution, still entertain­
ing hatred or enmity towards his neighbor for whatever cause,
neither his contrition, nor his purpose of amendment, nor his con­
fession, nor absolution would profit him anything; he would
abide in the state of sin. Without the love of our neighbor no
sin can be forgiven ; for Christ says, in plain and direct words:
“If you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive
you your sins.”—Matt. 6: 15. This is also the reason why no
priest, not even the Pope himself, can give absolution to any one
who entertains enmity and is not resolved to give it up. You
ought to ponder well this truth, and shun nothing so much as
disunion and enmity ; and if peace has been disturbed hasten to
be reconciled at once with your neighbor. Those who are des­
titute of the love of their neighbor abide in death or the state of
sin and can do nothing meritorious for heaven. To perform meri­
torious works the state of grace is necessary. Uncharitable
persons may pray, fast, practise various virtues, and perform the
duties of their state of life, but despite all these practices they
cannot merit the least thing for heaven; hence the Apostle says:
“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.”—I. Cor.
13 : 2, 3. What injury then those do to themselves who instead
of loving their neighbor hate him and bear him ill-will!
(3.) But a still greater calamity awaits such malevolent people,
for St. John says: Whosoever hateih his brother is a murderer.
And you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him­
self He who hates his brother becomes guilty of a double mur­
der: the spiritual murder of himself, and the corporal murder of
his neighbor. Hatred, according to its nature, is a mortal sin;
and he who commits a mortal sin, deprives his soul of superna­
tural life or sanctifying grace. Our Lord says: “You have heard
that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not kill. And whoso­
ever shall kill, shall be danger of the judgment. But I say to you,
that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of
the judgment.”—Matt. 5: 21, 22. Here our Lord emphatically
declares that unjust anger and hatred are as culpable before

ΙΠ

23

354

Second Sunday After Pentecost.

God as real murder. Before God the will goes for the deed. He
therefore who bears ill-will to his neighbor and nourishes so great
an anger that he wishes he were dead ; that if he had an oppor­
tunity he would take his life, as Cain did Abel’s, is a murderer
in the eyes of God. But man slaughter and wilful murder are
crimes which draw eternal damnation after them. St. John in­
cludes murderers among the greatest criminals, and says that
“their portion shall be in the pool burning with fire and brim­
stone, which is the second death.”—Apoc. 21:8. St. John now
comes to speak of the marks of love.

Part

Π.

I. In order to show us how we must manifest our love towards
our neighbor, St. John directs our attention to Christ, saying : In
this we have known the charity of God, because he hath laid down
his life for us.

(a.) It was love that induced Jesus Christ to become man and
appear upon earth; it was love that actuated him to live for
thirty-three years in poverty and lowliness, and to endure suffer­
ings of every description ; it was love that made him die on the
cross. It being absolutely impossible to make a greater sacrifice
for any one than to die for him, he gives us the most perfect ex­
ample of the love of our neighbor. Therefore he says himself:
“Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for
his friends.”—John 15: 13. But the love of Jesus went still further,
for he died, not for his friends, but rather for his enemies, all
men being sinners, and, consequently, enemies of God. There­
fore St. Paul says that, “when we were enemies, we were recon­
ciled to God by the death of his Son.”—Rom. 5: 10.
(3.) This mark of the love of our neighbor we must also have;
for St. John says: And we ought to lay down our lives for the bre­
thren. We find this mark of brotherly love in many saints. The
Apostles preach the gospel to Jews and Gentiles, endure un­
speakable tribulations and sufferings, and finally die as martyrs.
What is it that makes them undergo so heroically all these tribu­
lations, and finally death ? brotherly love ; for. to bring men to
the knowledge of God and to save them from everlasting ruin
was the motive of all their actions. Why do so many mission­
aries go, even in our days, to p igan tribes and preach the gos­
pel to them? From no other motive than that of brotherly love.
They are grieved that so many souls redeemed by the blood of
Christ are languishing in darkness, and the shadow of death, and
in danger of being lost, and for this reason they leave father and
mother and everything that is near and dear to them, renounce

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

355

all pleasures and conveniences of life, endure countless tribula­
tions and dangers, and are prepared at any me ment to lay down
their lives.

(a) We also must be prepared to give our lives for the wel­
fare of our fellow-men, if our duty or position demands it. Thus
priests and pastors of souls, when there is a question of the sal­
vation of the souls entrusted to their charge, are obliged, in the
administration of the sacraments, to expose their lives to danger
and even to sacrifice them. We are also bound, under all cir­
cumstances, to fear neither difficulties nor dangers when it is
necessary to prove our love for our neighbor in deed and in
truth. This we should do whenever we see him in great danger
of body or soul. It is certain that Christians whose hearts do not
throb in sympathy with the joys and sorrows of their fellow-men,
and for their sake will not take upon themselves even little in­
conveniences and hardships, do not bear the mark of love.

d
7

2. St. John now passes on to another mark of love, and teaches
us that not only by the sacrifice of our lives, but in a much easier
manner, we must manifest our love for our neighbor; namely, by
works of mercy. He says : He that hath the substance of this worlds
and shall see his brother in need, and shall shut up his bowels from
him, how doth the charity of God abide in him? These words of the.
Apostle deserve our undivided attention and considerations
Can there be anything easier than to give of your superfluous
substance to the needy ? Is it so very hard to give towards the
support of the poor a small portion of the money which you do
not need for yourselves or yours? Could you not spare that dress,
which hangs unused in your wardrobe, and give it to some poor
needy woman ? Can you not give a piece of bread to a beggar,
who, perhaps, has not tasted a morsel for a whole day ? You
throw food to your dog, and refuse a morsel to your brother and
sister. He who is charitable to God’s poor, bears in himself the
mark of fraternal charity, and may hope for all graces and re­
wards, which God has promised for the practice of this virtue.
On the contrary, he who will not practise fraternal charity in so
easy a manner; he who in his hard-heartedness lets the hungry
beggar totter from his door, may forsooth call himself a Chris­
tian, but he is evidently nothing but a mean, contemptible, un­
charitable person, acting in direct opposition to the chief comandment of Christ, the commandment of love, and consequently
losing all the graces of Christianity. Such an uncharitable man
has not a spark of the love of God in him; he is like Dives and
will share his lot in the other world, in hell.
M

35<>

Second Sunday After Pentecost.
PERORATION.

In conclusion, St. John exclaims: My little children, let us nd
love in word, nor in tongue, hut in deed and in truth. With these
words the Apostle cautions us against feigned love and exhorts
us to true love. He who pretends to have compassion on the poor
and unfortunate and speaks to them in a very pleasant manner,
and even makes them fair promises in order to get rid of them
easily; in short, he who seemingly sympathizes in words, but
has no compassion in his heart for the needy, nor the will to help
them, is a hypocrite; and as such he will be treated on the last
day. He who truly and from the heart loves his neighbor, and
helps him as often as he can, shows his love in deed and in truth.
Let us show this true and practical love towards our fellow-men
whenever, wherever and however we can, that we may bear the
mark of discipleship of Jesus, who says: “By this shall all men
know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for an­
other.”—John 13: 35. Amen.

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

Gospel. Luke 14: 16-24. At that time: Jesus spoke to the
Pharisees this parable: A certain man made a great supper, and
invited many. And he sent his servant at the hour of supper to
say to them that were invited that they should come, for now all
things are ready. And they began all at once to make excuse.
The first said to him : I have bought a farm, and I must needs go
out and see it; I pray thee, hold me excused. And another said:
I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to try them ; I pray
thee, hold me excused. And another said: I have married a
wife, and therefore I cannot come. And the servant returning, told
these things to his lord. Then the master of the house, being
angry, said to his servant: Go out quickly into the streets and
lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor and the feeble, and
the blind and the lame. And the servant said : Lord, it is done
as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the Lord
said to the servant : Go out into the highways and hedges, and
compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. But I say
unto you that none of those men that were invited shall taste
of my supper.

2.

Homiletic Sketch.

357

2. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
THE GREAT SUPPER.

One of the chief Pharisees invited our Lord to dine with him
on the Sabbath day. Many lawyers and Pharisees were guests
at the same time, watching with jealous eyes and hoping that he
would say or do something which they could make use of as an
accusation against him. It was then that he healed a certain man
who had the dropsy, and plainly proved to the Pharisees that
works of mercy are not a violation of the Sabbath. At the same
time he spoke to them of humility, intimating that the proud
have nothing to expect but humiliation, but that the humble may
look for exaltation. Then, turning to the host, he told him that
if he should invite, not his friends and kinsmen and neighbors
who are rich, but the poor, the feeble, the lame and the blind, his
hospitality would be rewarded hereafter. When one of them
who sat at the table with him said: “Blessed is he that shall eat
bread in the hingdom of God,” Jesus took occasion to speak to
them the parable of the great supper mentioned in the gospel of
this day. That the meaning of this parable may become plain to
us, we will propose to ourselves and answer the following ques­
tions :

I. What, do we understand by the great supper ?
II. Who were they that were invited, but did not come?
III. Who are the others that were invited, and did come to the
supper ?
PART I.

By the great supper we understand—
1.

The Church established by Christ. Christ calls his Church—

(#.) A supper. Supper is the last meal of the day; after it there
is no other meal; night comes; labor ceases and all go to rest.
The Church is like a supper. She is the last institution for the
salvation of mankind. In the first period of the world, which em­
braces about two thousand five hundred years, the true religion
was with the patriarchs ; then came the Jewish Church, estab­
lished by God as the institution for the salvation of men, which
existed from the time of Moses to that of Christ, an interval of
about fifteen hundred years. Jesus Christ then appeared on earth
and established the holy Catholic Church, which will last to the

35«

Second Sunday After Pentecost.

end of time. All who desire to work out their salvation must belong
to this Church, for she is the only saving institution upon earth.
In vain do the Jews expect another Messias and a Church
founded by him; the true Messias, Jesus Christ, has indeed come
eighteen hundred years ago. It is a mad undertaking for the
freethinkers and the enemies of the Catholic Church to found
new religious societies without faith in Christ, nay, without faith
in God, in an immortal soul, heaven and hell; societies whose
members live and work only for the present life, and whose de­
sires and purposes aim at making this life enjoyable. Let us
never waver in our holy faith, let us cling to the Church all the
more firmly, the more she is hated, calumniated and persecuted.
(3.) A great supper. The Church is a great supper on account
of her Founder; for this is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Where
is there an earthly kingdom that is founded by God himself, as
is the holy Catholic Church ? All kingdoms are the work of man,
but the Church is the work of God. The Church is a great sup­
per, because of the multitude of her members; she is spread over
the whole earth, and numbers two hundred and fifty millions of
souls. Where is there an earthly empire that has so many sub­
jects. The Church is a great supper on account of the greatness
and multitude of the graces which she dispenses. In her Jesus
has deposited the immense treasure of his merits and sent her the
Holy Ghost, who unceasingly labors in her for the illumination
and sanctification of men. The Church is a great supper on ac­
count of her perpetual duration. Whilst all temporal kingdoms
and all religious societies go to pieces, as history teaches, the
Catholic Church, notwithstanding so many afflictions and perse­
cutions, exists from century to century, for she has the divine
promise that the gates of hell shall never prevail against her.

2. Holy Communion, which is—
(a.) A banquet, for in it we receive the body and blood of our
Lord for the nourishment of our soul unto eternal life. “He
that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life:
and I will raise him up in the last day. For my flesh is meat in·
deed, and my blood is drink indeed.”—John 6: 55, 56. Jesus,
who vouchsafes to come to us with his humanity and divinity,
unites himself most intimately with us, and gives himself whole
and entire to us, so that we are enabled to overcome all tempta­
tions, to grow in virtue, and to persevere to the end in the ser­
vice of God.

(5.) A supper, for it is the continual renewing of what our Lord
did at the Last Supper, when he gave his sacred flesh and pro·

>. Homiletic Sketch.

359

cious blood, under the appearances of bread and wine, to his
Apostles, for the nourishment of their souls. It is also a supper
because it must be received in the darkness of night by the light
of faith. The eye sees at communion nothing but common bread.
The sacred Host has the same taste and smell as bread, but here
the senses are not judges, but simply faith alone. This faith tells
us that what we receive in holy communion is the true body and
blood of Jesus Christ, together with his soul and Divinity. It
cannot be hard for us to believe this incomprehensible mystery,
for Jesus, the eternal, infallible truth, assures us in plain words:
“The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
—John 6:52.

(£.) A great supper. Great on account of Jesus, who has pre­
pared this heavenly banquet, for he is not a mere man or an
angel, but God himself—great on account of the food, which is
nothing less than the true body and the true blood of our Lord
with his soul and Divinity—great on account of the multitude of
the guests, for these are all the Catholic Christians upon earth—
great on account of the angels, who invisibly assist at holy com­
munion, and adore Jesus with the most profound veneration.
Everything is great in holy communion ; but we are little and un­
worthy, and yet Christ invites us. Oh, how great is his love for
us! Ought we not to appear at this divine banquet with the
greatest joy, in order to satisfy our hunger and thirst? Ought we
still to have a desire for the food of the world and of the flesh,
which is but deceitful bread ?

Part IL
And he sent his servant at the hour of supper to say to them
that "mere invited that they should come, for now all things are ready.
And they began all at once to make excuse. Who are they that
were invited? If we apply the parable of the supper to the
Church—

i. They are the Jews, especially their chief men, the high
priests, the Scribes and the Pharisees. The servant who was
sent at the hour of supper, and invited them to come, is Christ,
who is called a servant, because he appeared in the greatest
lowliness, in the form of a servant. The hour of the supper is the
time when Christ appeared upon earth, preached the gospel,
suffered and died.
(a.) They began all at once to make excuse. The first said to him:
I have bought a farm, and 1 must needs go out and see it. I pray
thee hold me excused. And another said: I have bought five yoke of

j6o

Second Sunday After Pentecost.

oxen and I go to try them; Ipray thee hold me excused. And another
said'. I have, married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. Thus
every one had a pretext, by which he tried to justify his refusal.
Here are mentioned the three principal vices, which were the
causes why the Jews would not hearken to Jesus, namely, pride,
avarice, and impurity. Christ preached, by word and example,
humility, contempt of the world and of the goods of the world,
and mortification of the flesh. The Jews, especially those called
respectable, would not hear of these things, for they were very
carnal and worldly-minded, full of pride and ambition, attached
with all their soul to the world and its goods, and the slaves of
the basest passions. They had an entirely erroneous idea of the
promised Messias; they believed that he would appear with
power and glory, make them the first nation of the earth, and
procure for them riches, honors, and everything that the heart
could desire. Now, as Christ was, and preached, the very con­
trary to what they imagined of their Messias and hoped from
him, they turned away in contempt, and persevered in their un­
belief.

(3.) Pride, avarice, and impurity are still the three principal rea­
sons why so many men keep aloof from the Catholic Church,
or fall away from her. Not a few infidels and heretics are con­
vinced of the truth of the Catholic faith, and still do not embrace
it; either their pride does not permit them to acknowledge their
error, and to give testimony of the truth, or fear of temporal loss
prevents their conversion ; or they cannot bring themselves to
renounce their carnal desires, and hence they persevere in error
or sin. On the day of judgment it will become manifest that
many heathens, Jews, Mohammedans and heretics persevered in
their separation from the Church, not from ignorance, but only
on account of some one of these three vices. He who permits
himself to be ruled by pride, avarice or impurity, is in danger of
apostatizing from the faith. History proves that all heresies and
defections from the Church have their origin in these vices.
Proud people think that they understand everything better than
the Church, and deeming it a disgrace to submit to her decisions
fall away from her. With how many Catholics is not carnal lust
the cause of their turning their back upon the Church! How
many Catholics become Protestants from worldly motives, for
the sake of a high-class marriage! If these three vices could be
banished out of the world, the Catholic Church would be gladly
received by all the nations of the earth, and would have no
heresy to deplore, no defection from the Catholic faith.
2. If we apply the parable to the holy communion, again the
three vices named are the reason that many Christians approach
the table of the Lord so seldom or not at all.

2.

Homiletic Sketch.

361

Part I.
The servant returning told these things to his Lord. Then the
master of the house being angry, said to his servant: Go out quickly
into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor,
and thefeeble, and the blind, and the lame. And the servant said :
Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
And the Lord said to the servant: Go out into the highways and
hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

i. Now the question is: Who were they that were invited, if
by the last supper we understand the Church of Christ?
(a.'} The poor, the feeble, the blind, and the lame are the betterminded Jews, the Samaritans, and the Pagans. Among the Jews
and Samaritans it was particularly the poor that believed in
Christ, for owing to their poverty they found themselves drawn
towards the poor despised Jesus, whilst the rich would have
nothing to do with him ; then the feeble, the distressed and help­
less, whom Christ received so affectionately and who on that ac­
count adhered to him with a grateful heart; again the blind, the
common people, who were not ashamed to acknowledge their
ignorance and who allowed themselves to be taught by him,
whilst the Scribes and Pharisees, proud of their boasted science,
rejected the gospel of Jesus with contempt; finally, the lame, that
is, the publicans and sinners, who well understood their misery
and their insufficiency to rid themselves of it, whilst the Scribes
and Pharisees considered themselves just, and therefore felt no
want or necessity for redemption from sin and damnation; nay,
they even blamed our Lord for having intercourse with sinners.

(£.) By those in highways andhedges we understand the heathens
who in the last days of the world become Christians. God
wills that all men may come to the knowledge of the truth and
be saved, therefore the Church will exist to the end of time, and
preach the gospel to all nations, that all who are of good will
may partake of the fruits of Redemption. For this reason Christ
himself says: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached
in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations: and then shall
the consummation come.”—Malt. 24: 14. We may refer this to
the great distresses and calamities which will come upon men
before the end of the world, such as famine, pestilence, inunda­
tions, earthquakes, wars, and other evils, by which unbelievers
and sinners are, as it were, compelled to submit to the truth and
do penance.

3 61

Second Sunday After Pentecost.

2. If, by the last supper, we understand holy communion, then
the poor, the feeble, the blind, and the lame, and those in the
highways and hedges, are those who consider themselves poor,
feeble, and wretched—those who are humble of heart. They
are convinced of their misery and wretchedness, and know that
they are full of imperfections and faults; that left to themselves
and depending on themselves, they are not able to persevere in
righteousness and in the way of virtue, and cannot make the
least progress; hence joyfully they follow the invitation to holy
communion, in order to unite themselves with Christ, and to
obtain strength to do what is right. Oh, how fortunate ought we
not to deem ourselves in having frequent opportunities of ap­
proaching the holy altar ! How zealously ought we not to avail
ourselves of them so that we may frequently partake of the
unspeakable grace of holy communion !
PERORATION.

Concluding our meditation, let us consider the words of Christ:
1 say unto you, that none of those men that were invited shall taste
of my supper. God gives graces in abundance to all men that
they may work out their salvation. Woe to those who despise
these graces; God leaves them to their fate, and their end is de­
struction ! Thus the Jews, although the gospel was preached to
them with great signs and wonders, persevered in unbelief and
sin, and were rejected. Thus many Christian nations, because
they knew not how to appreciate the grace of Christianity, but
sank deeper and deeper into sin and vice, were abandoned by
God, lost the holy faith, and perished. Thus also in our day God
withdraws his graces from those who do not honor their Mother,
the Catholic Church, but despise her means of grace, and make
common cause with her enemies. Their end will be destruction.
That we may be found worthy of participating in the great
supper of the elect in heaven, let us never forget that the mercy
of God in regard to whole nations, as well as to individual per­
sons, has its limits.

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

363

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

3. DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
THE REAL PRESENCE OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE MOST HOLY
SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR.

A certain man made a great supper, and invited many.—Luke 14:16.
many Fathers of the Church understand the Most Holy Eucha­
rist. In this sense the Church also interprets it, and therefore this
gospel is particularly appropriate to-day—the Sunday within the
Octave of the feast of Corpus Christi. The holy Eucharist is, in­
deed, a great supper : great, on account of Jesus, who instituted
it; great, on account of the food which is given; great, on ac­
count of the multitude of the guests ; great, on account of its won­
derful effects, for it obtains forus eternal life, according to the
words of our Lord: “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my
blood, hath everlasting life.'’—John 6: 55. I shall speak to you
to-day of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed
Eucharist, and explain to you—

I. That Jesus Christ is really present;
II How he is present in this Sacrament.

The Council of Trent says: “If any one denies that in the
Sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist are contained truly,
really, and substantially, the body and blood, together with the
soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently the
whole Christ ; but says that he is therein as a sign, or in figure,
or by his virtue, let him be anathema.”—Sees. 13, can. 1. It is,
therefore, a Catholic dogma that Jesus Christ is truly present in
the Blessed Eucharist, just as it is a Catholic dogma that he once
sojourned upon earth and now sits at the right hand of his Father.
The truth of this doctrine is proved—

I. From the Sacred Scripture.
(ai) About a year before Christ instituted the Blessed Eucha­
rist he promised that he would give his flesh and blood for a
nourishment, when he said to the Jews: “I am the living bread,

364

Second Sunday After Pentecost.

which came down from heaven: If any an 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. When the Jews could not
comprehend how he could give them his flesh to eat, our Savi­
our left them in this embarrassment, and did not tell them that
they had misunderstood his words, but, on the contrary, only
emphasized them the more, saying: ‘'Amen, amen, I say unto
you: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, antT'drmk his
blood, you shall not have life in you.. . . For my flesh is meat
indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.” His Apostles being scan­
dalized at his words, he said to them: “Will you also go away?”
meaning thereby : I will not retract my words, though you all
should leave me, for I will indeed give you my flesh to eat and
my blood to drink.—John 6: 54-68.
M

(3.) What Christ had pro It ised he really fulfilled at the last
supper. The three Evangelists, St. Matthew (26), St. Mark (14),
and St. Luke (22), and also St. Paul, perfectly and unanimously
agree in the narration of the institution of the Blessed Eucharist,
saying that Christ took bread and wine and said: “Take ye and
eat, this is my body : drink ye all of this, this is my blood.”
Christ, then, says in plain words that what he gives his Apostles
to eat and to drink is not bread and wine, but his flesh and blood.
(£.) That Jesus Christ is really present in the Blessed Eucharist
St. Paul testifies in several passages. Thus he says : “The chalice
of benediction which we bless, is it not the communion of the
blood of Christ ? And the bread which we break, is it not the
partaking of the body of the Lord?”—Z. Cor. 10: 16. “Whoso­
ever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord un­
worthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord .. .
He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh
judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord (from
common food).” I. Cor. 11: 27, 29. This demonstrates the Real
Presence of the body and blood of Christ, even if the commun­
icant be unworthy, for otherwise he could not be guilty of the
body and blood of Christ, or be justly condemned for not dis­
cerning the Lord’s body.
2. From Tradition. The Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed
Eucharist was believed and taught in the whole Christian Church
for a thousand years, without any objection whatever being
raised against this dogma. Berengarius of Tours, who lived in
the eleventh century, was the first to deny the Real Presence of
Christ in the Blessed Eucharist; he afterwards retracted his error
and died penitent.

3. Dogmatical Sketch.

365

The Fathers of the Church without an exception re-echo the
language of the Apostle, by proclaiming the Real Presence in
the Eucharist. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (fourth century), instruct­
ing the Catechmens, observes; “He himself having declared, this
is my body, who from henceforward shall dare to doubt? And he
having said, this is my bloody who shall ever doubt, saying: ‘This
is not his blood.* He once at Cana turned water into wine, which
is akin to blood, and is he undeserving of belief when he turned
wine into blood?” St. Augustine (fifth century), addressing the
newly-baptized, says: “I promised you a discourse wherein I
would explain the Sacrament of the Lord’s Table, which Sacra­
ment you even now behold and of which you were last night
made partakers. You ought to know what you have received.
The bread which you see on the altar, after being sanctified by
the word of God, is the body of Christ. That chalice, after being
sanctified by the word of God, is the blood of Christ.,’

Every Christian community throughout the world, with the
sole exception of Protestants, proclaims its belief in the Real
Presence of Christ in the Blessed Eucharist. Thus the Nestorians and Eutychians, who separated from the Catholic Church in
the fifth century, admit the Real Presence in the Sacrament.
Such also is the faith of the Greek Church, which seceded from
us over a thousand years ago, as well as of the present Russian
Church. And such is the belief of the schismatic Copts, the
Syrians, Chaldeans, Armenians, in short, of all the Oriental sects
no longer in communion with the See of Rome. It is therefore
an incontrovertible truth that the doctrine of the Real Presence
of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament has always been in the
Church, and that from the time of the Apostles down to the pre­
sent day it has existed without any interruption.

3. From the most ancient discipline of the Church. The first
Christians celebrated the holy sacrifice of the mass and holy
communion so secretly that the Jews and Gentiles and even the
Catechumens were excluded therefrom. This was done in order
to prevent all desecration of this most holy Sacrament. Never­
theless, the Gentiles obtained a confused knowledge of it, for
they asserted that the Christians at their meetings killed a child
and ate its flesh and drank its blood. From the custom of the
Church of celebrating the last Supper secretly, and the reproach
of the Gentiles, that the Christians at their meetings ate human
flesh, it is evident beyond a doubt that the Christians of those
days believed in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
If it had been the faith of the Christians that in the Sacrament
only bread and wine are received in memory of Jesus Christ,
there would have been no necessity for keeping this doctrine so

366

Second Sunday After Pentecost.

secret, and the Gentiles could never possibly have accused the • I
of eating human flesh and drinking human blood.

Part Π.
Herat is Christ present in the Sacrament of the Altar? He is pre­
sent—
I. Under the appearance of bread and wine. As soon as in holy
mass the words of the consecration are pronounced over the
bread and wine, the bread and wine are changed into the body
and blood of Christ. Consequently that which after the conse­
cration still appears to be bread and wine is no longer bread
and wine, but the true body and the true blood of Christ ; of the
bread and wine nothing remains but the appearances, that is,
what falls under the senses, as form, color, taste, smell. The
Catholic doctrine is founded—
(a.) Upon the Sacred Scripture. Christ did not say at the insti­
tution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist: Under, or in this
bread, is my body; under, or in this wine, is my blood ; but, This
is my body, this is my blood. The natural sense of these words is:
That which I hold in my hands and give you is my body ; that
which is in the chalice is my blood. Before it was bread and
wine, but now it is my flesh and blood. From this it necessarily
follows that Christ changed bread and wine into his flesh and
blood, and that he is really present under the appearances of
bread and wine.

(3.) Upon Tradition. St. Cyprian says: “The bread which Jesus
Christ gave to his disciples was changed, not in its form or out­
ward appearance, but in its own substance, and became flesh by
the omnipotence of the Word.” St. Cyril of Jerusalem: “Is he
who turned water into wine undeserving of belief, when he turns
wine into blood? Under the appearance of bread he gives us his
body, and under the appearance of wine his blood.” St. Gregory of
Nyssa, observes: “We all believe the truth that the bread which
the priest sanctifies by the word of God becomes the flesh of the
Son of God. This is the effect of the powerful blessing which
changed the substance of the bread into the body and the blood
of the Lord.” St. Augustine says: “That which was bread, be­
fore the holy words of consecration were pronounced over it, is
no longer bread after the benediction, but is the body of the
Lord.”
Therefore the Church has rejected the assertion of those false
teachers, that the body and the blood of Christ are present in

j.

Dogmatical Sketch.

367

the Eucharist conjointly with bread and wine, as a heresy, and
declares that the whole substance of the bread is changed into
the body, and that the whole substance of the wine is changed
into the blood of Christ; the species only of the bread and wine
remaining.—Con. Trid. Sess. 13, can.2. And this change of bread
and wine into the body and blood of Christ the Catholic Church
most aptly calls Transubstanliation.

2. Under each form, under the species of bread as well as under
the species of wine, andin every, even the smallest particle, of each
form, whole and undivided, as he is whole and undivided in heaven.
(a.) The truth that Christ is present whole and undivided under
each form has its reason in this, that Jesus Christ in the Eucha­
rist is not dead, but living. When the Apostles communicated at
the Last Supper, they received Christ, who then lived upon
earth, under the appearance of bread and wine; when we com­
municate we receive the same Christ, who now reigns in heaven;
it is always the living Christ that is present in the Eucharist
But if Christ is present in the Sacrament living, his flesh and
blood and soul must be united; for a living man has a body,
which consists of flesh and blood and is united with a soul. From
this it follows that Christ as man is present under the appearance
of bread as well as of wine. Christ, however, is not only man but
also God ; his Divinity remains for ever united with his humanity.
Now, since as man he is present under each form, he must, for
the reason that his Divinity and humanity are inseparably
united, be present under each form with his Divinity and hu­
manity, or as the whole and undivided Christ.

(bi) Christ is present whole and undivided in every, even the
smallest, part of the appearances of bread and wine. It is of no con­
sequence whether the hosts are large or small, whether they are
broken into many parts or not, the whole Christ is always pre­
sent. The breaking or division of the Sacred Host concerns only
the appearances, but not Christ, for Christ cannot be broken or
divided, because he is present with a glorified body as he now
sits in heaven at the right hand of his Father—consequently he
s present inviolable, incorruptible and immortal.

3. As long as the appenrances of bread and wine continue to exist.
The Sacrament of the Altar is entirely independent of the recep­
tion, for it does not consist in this, but in the Real Presence of
Christ. The Sacrament of the Altar essentially differs from all
the other sacraments. These do not exist before their reception;
they are only perfected by the reception, but the Sacrament of
the Altar already exists before the reception and outside of it-

368

Second Sunday After Pentecost.

for it is perfected by the consecration. When we communicate,
we receive a Sacrament already prepared, as the food we eat is
already prepared. Therefore, because the Real Presence of
Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist does not depend on the
reception, he is present whether it is preserved in the tabernacle,
or exposed for public adoration, or carried about in solemn pro­
cession, or borne as Viaticum to the sick. If Christ had limited
his Presence to the actual reception of this Sacrament, he should
have said: “Take ye and eat; this will become my body when
you receive it.” But he did not say so, but “Take ye and eat,
this is my body.” The body of Christ therefore was already pre­
sent, it did exist before the Apostles received it; and if they had
not received it, it would still have been present in virtue of the
words of Christ. The Apostles were not to eat in order that it
might become the body of Christ but because it was the body of
Christ. Christ then remains in the Holy Eucharist as long as the
appearances continue to exist. This was the doctrine of the
Church from the beginning.
PERORATION.

Rejoice that our Lord and Saviour is pleased to remain in the
Blessed Sacrament amongst us to the end of the world. Thank
him for this exceedingly great favor, love him, and visit him often
and with devotion. Pour out all your hearts before this loving
Comforter and have full confidence in his help ; for he himself
invites you, saying: “Come to me, all you that labor, and are
burdened, and I will refresh you.”—Matt. 11 : 28. Vow to Jesus,
really present in the Blessed Sacrament, your love, obedience,
and fidelity, and do what is pleasing to him, that after this life
you may be united with him for ever in heaven. Amen.

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH.
THE CEREMONIES OF HOLY COMMUNION.

A certain man made agreat suppert and invited many.—Luke

14: 16.

The great supper spoken of in the gospel of this day is the
Church of Christ. We may also. with many fathers of the Church,

4.

Liturgical Sketch.

369

understand thereby holy communion. It was pride, avarice, and
impurity that caused so many Jews to refuse the invitation of our
Lord to enter into his Church ; it is the same vices that keep
many Christians from holy communion. Some being· proud,
others being absorbed in their temporal affairs, and others again
being the victims of lust, they have lost all desire for higher
things, and, like the Israelites longing for the onions and fleshpots of Egypt, despise the heavenly Manna. Woe to those
Christians who will not hear of holy communion; to them the
words of our Lord in the gospel of this day apply : But I say
unto you, that none of those men that ivere invited shall taste of my
supper. To encourage you to approach the holy altar as often
as possible and always well prepared, I shall speak to you to-day
of the ceremonies of holy communion, that is, of the ceremonies—
I. Before Communion;
II. At Communion ;
III. After Communion.

Part

»

L

In the early ages of the Church all the faithful who were
present at mass communicated with the celebrating priest. After­
wards when the fervor of the Christians grew cold, and most of
them no longer communicated so frequently, the communion of
the faithful during mass fell more and more into disuse; but they
went to communion before or after mass, as the circumstances
allowed or required. Concerning the ceremonies before commu­
nion, they are the same, whether it is given before or after mass,
or at any other time.
1. If the priest gives communion during mass or immediately
after it, he uses the same vestments as at mass. If he gives comII union at any other time he must be vested in surplice and stole,
and two wax candles must be lighted. The stole must not be
black, but of the color of the day, because black reminds us of
death ; but Christ promises resurrection and life everlasting to
those who worthily receive him. — John 6: 55. In accordance
with a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, June 27th,
1868, communion may be given in black vestments in masses
which are said in black, immediately before or after mass. The
two wax candles recall to our minds Jesus Christ, the light of
the world, who enlightens both Jews and Gentiles; as well as
the love of God and of our neighbor, which is to burn in our
hearts when we receive holy communion.
2. Whilst the priest takes the Ciborium out of the tabernacle
and places it upon the altar, on which a corporal must be spread,

24

I
r
H

f

370

Second Sunday After Pentecost.

the server says the Confiteor in the name of the communicants,
The Confiteor is a public confession of sin, in which we confess
ourselves sinners before God, before Mary, the angels and
saints, and the priest; and then turning to Mary, to the angels
and saints and to the priest, we pray that they may obtain for us
grace and pardon from God. The Confiteor was not said formerly,
when the faithful communicated during mass, because it had al­
ready been said by the priest and the people at the beginning
of mass. The custom of saying it immediately before communion
dates back to the time when the faithful began to receive outside
mass, from the thirteenth century. Whilst the Confiteor is being
said, you ought interiorly to humble yourselves and make an act
of contrition, for a humble and contrite heart God will not despise.
3. After the Confiteor, the priest turns to the communicants,
and says : May Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you your
sins, and bring you to life everlasting. R. Amen. May the Almighty
and merciful Lord grant you pardon, absolution and remission of
your sins. R. Amen. These prayers are called the “general ab­
solution,” and they come immediately after the Confiteor. In the
Confiteor the communicants acknowledge themselves sinners, and
ask the priest to intercede and mediate with God for them, hence
the priest prays that God in his mercy may forgive them all
their sins, that they may with a pure heart receive the Bread of
Angels.

4. The priest then takes a Host, holds it over the Ciborium,
and with his face turned to the people says: Behold the Lamb of
God, behold him who taketh away the sins of the world.— John 1:29.
Jesus is the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world,
hence St. Peter writes: “Knowing that you were not redeemed
with corruptible things as gold or silver . . . but with the preci­
ous blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled.”—Z.
Peter 1: 18, 19. What joy and consolation must it have been for
the multitudes when John pointed out Jesus to them and declared
that he was the Lamb of God, who would take away the sins of
the world! These feelings of joy and consolation must also be
awakened in us when the priest shows the sacred Host and says:
Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world.
For we can say with truth: Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God,
who was nailed to the cross, now comes to us, to give us the
fruit of Redemption, and to make us partake of his divine
nature.
5. The priest then says in the words used by the centurion :
Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof; say
but the word, and my soul shall be healed. If you have a living
faith, as the centurion had, you will like him humble yourselves

4« Liturgical Sketch.

371

most profoundly before Jesus and consider yourselves unworthy
to receive him into your heart, but his words: "Come to me,
all you that labor, and are burdened and I will refresh you”
(Matt, ii : 28), will inspire you with courage to approach the
table of the Lord, notwithstanding your insignificance and un­
worthiness. The priest thrice repeats the words, Lord, I am
not worthy, etc., for the more we humble ourselves before
Jesus, and the more we place our confidence in him, the more
abundant graces we may expect from him.

Part Π.
In the early days of Christianity the Sacrament of the Altar
was administered in a somewhat different manner from that now
in vogue.

I. As already obssrved, the faithful communicated during mass.
The moment of communion having arrived, the deacon turned
towards the people saying : Holy things to the holy. This was an
earnest admonition to the communicants to receive the holy
Eucharist with a pure heart. The people received communion at
the railing, which was in front of the sanctuary. None except
the clergy were allowed to communicate within the sanctuary,
or at the altar. Even to-day it is against the rules of the Church
for lay people to receive communion at the altar; they should
receive outside the sanctuary, at the communion rails.

a. Formerly communion was given under both species, first
under the species^of bread, with the words: The body of Christ, or,
The body of the Lord', then under the species of wine, with the
words : The blood of Christ, or, The blood of Christ, the chalice of
life. The communicants responded, Amen, whereby they ex­
pressed their belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the SacraII ent
The sacred Host was given to the communicants, not
upon the tongue, but upon the hand. The women were after­
wards allowed to take the sacred Host upon the hand co­
vered with a white linen cloth. After the reception of the sacred
Host the Precious Blood was given them. They drank it either
out of the chalice, which the deacon handed them, or by means
of a silver (afterwards gold) tube attached to the chalice. The
communion under both species, however, took place only during
mass; it was not commanded, but only commended and left
to every one’s choice. Outside mass they received only the
sacred Host, as we do at present. In the twelfth century co: • I
Ii union under one species became universal.
But some heretics
raising objections against the Catholic doctrine, and asserting

that by receiving under one species the whole Christ was not

372

Second Sunday After Pentecost.

received, the Church condemned this heresy at the Council oi
Constance, in the year 1415, and made communion under one
form a general law.
3. At present the faithful receive communion in the same place
as did the Christians of the early times, at the communion rails,
which separate the sanctuary from the nave of the Church. When
you go to the communion rails, your whole deportment ought faith­
fully to reflect the feelings of your heart, faith, adoration, hu­
mility, contrition, and fervent desire. Kneel down, hold the cloth
over your hands and under your chin, so that the sacred Host
II ay not fall upon the floor and be desecrated; hold the head
erect and firm, extend the tongue a little upon the under lip, and
then most reverently receive the sacred Host. Do not keep it in
your mouth until it is quite dissolved, but let it moisten a little upon
the tongue, and then swallow it. Should it adhere to the palate,
remove it gently with the tongue and not with your fingers.
When the priest gives you the sacred Host, he makes with it the
sign of the cross, saying : May the body of our Lord Jesus Christ
preserve thy soul to life everlasting. Amen. The sign of the cross
signifies that the sacred Host is Jesus Christ, who offered him­
self for us on the cross, and that the communicant receives Jesus
Christ and with him the fruit of the sacrifice of the cross. The
words which the priest says signify the principal effect of com­
munion, which consists in this, that it nourishes and strengthens
our soul and is a pledge of life everlasting.

Part III.
After receiving holy communion, retire with the greatest mod­
esty to your place and spend some time in fervent prayer. No
time being more precious and more favorable for obtaining graces
than that which immediately follows holy communion, avail your­
selves of it in the best manner you can. It would indeed be a
bad sign if we could not for half an hour, or at least for fifteen
minutes, entertain Christ, our Divine Guest, who has taken up his
abode with us. The prayers -which we ought especially to say
after holy communion are those in which we humble ourselves
before our Lord, thank him, offer up ourselves to him, express
our love and implore his graces. Renew your purpose of amend­
ment and pray to God for the grace of a holy and happy death.
Spend the day of communion as far as possible in pious exer­
cises, avoiding worldly diversions and amusements. Go to church
in the afternoon or evening, read a spiritual book, visit a sick
person, console the afflicted, and practise as well as you can the
corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

5.

Symbolical Sketch.

373

PERORATION.

I have now given you the necessary explanation of the cere­
monies of holy communion. All these are an admonition to you
to conduct yourselves before, at, and after communion in such
a manner as the infinite holiness of this action requires. Prepare
yourselves for every communion with the greatest care ; never
approach the altar except with a pure heart, and with the great­
est veneration and devotion. Jesus having taken possession of
your heart, be all devotion, humility, and love, and exclaim with
the spouse in the Canticles: “I found him whom my soul loveth:
I held him and I will not let him go.”—3 : 4. Offer yourselves to
him, body and soul, and vow to him loyalty and obedience. Pray
that God may bless your good resolutions and keep you in his
grace. Blessed are you if you always communicate in such a
manner; you will advance from virtue to virtue, persevere in
grace to the end, and be united with Jesus for ever in heaven.
Amen.

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

i

5. SIMBOLICAL SKETCH.
HEAVEN, A GREAT SUPPER.

A certain man made a great supper·—Luke 14: 16.

»

In the Old Testament we read of a banquet with which pro­
bably no other can be compared. It is the feast which the Per­
sian king Assuerus made in the third year of his reign, in the city
of Susan, the capital of his kingdom, and which he continued for
one hundred and eighty days, that he might show the riches and
the glory of his kingdom, and the greatness of his power. He invited
all the princes, the most mighty of the Persians, and the nobles
of the Medes, and the governors of the provinces When the days
of the feast were expired, he invited all the people that were
found in Susan, from the greatest to the least: and commanded a
feast to be made seven days. And there were hung up on every
side sky-colored, and green, and violet hangings, fastened with
cords of silk, and of purple, which were put into rings of ivory,
and were held up with marble pillars. The couches also were

I

I

374

Second Sunday After Pentecost.

of gold and silver, placed in order upon a floor paved with por­
phyry and white marble which was embellished with painting of
wonderful variety. And they that were invited drank in golden
cups, and the meats were brought in divers vessels one after an­
other. Wine also in abundance, and of the best was presented,
as was worthy of a king’s magnificence.—Esther τ.
Superb and unique in its kind as this feast was, I know one
that transcends it in magnificence and splendor—it is that of
which we read in the gospel of this day: A certain man made a
great supper. By this great supper we may aptly understand
heaven; for heaven is often represented in the Sacred Scripture
under the figure of a banquet. Therefore heaven—a great ban­
quet, shall be the subject of my discourse to-day.

I. Heaven is a great banquet;
IL Heaven is a supper.

Part 1
Heaven is a great banquet—
i. On account of the guests.

(a.) Who are they : First, all the saints, the patriarchs and the
prophets, and apostles and martyrs, the confessors, the virgins
and the widows. It is certain that the least saint in heaven pos­
sesses a higher dignity and a greater power than any potentate
on earth. If we could see a saint in heaven in the full splendor
of his glory, we should not be able to endure the sight, and if
we did not know that he was only a human being, we should
imagine him to be God. Secondly, all the angels with their nine
choirs. What glorious beings are the angels ! How far do they
surpass in beauty, power, and all gifts the nature of men! The
Prophet Daniel saw by the river Tigris “a man clothed in linen
and his loins were girded with the finest gold, and his body was
like the chrysolite, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and
his eyes as a burning lamp ; and his arms, and all downward even
to the feet, like in appearance to glittering brass ; and the voice
of his word like the voice of a multitude.” And seing this great
vision, “there remained no strength in him,” and he “fainted away,
and lay in a consternation upon his face.”—Dan. io: 5,9. This
was only an assumed appearance, a vision of an angel, what then
must the real angels be? Thirdly, Mary, the Queen of all the
angels and saints, who, in dignity and holiness, beauty and glory
far surpasses them all, she being the Mother of God, whereas
they are only the servants of God. Lastly, God himself\ the Holy,
the Triune, in his infinite glory. Oh, what a grand banquet is

5· Symbolical Sketch.

375

heaven, where such guests sit at table! How miserable are all
banquets on earth when compared with this, because only
mortal men, infected with divers faults and infirmities, are the
participants!

(£.) How great is the number of the guests? Imagine the United
States of America from Maine to Louisiana, from the Atlantic to
the Pacific Ocean to be one great hall, full of tables and chairs, and
all the seats occupied, how great would be the number of the
guests 1 But you must know that heaven is larger than the United
States, and, forming one dining-hall, you may imagine approxi­
matively how great the number of the guests must be. Count
these guests for me, and I will count for you the stars which on
a clear winter night twinkle in the heavens. St. John was fa­
vored with a glance into heaven, and saw there so many saints
that no one could number them.—Apoc. 7: 9. As is generally
supposed, the third part of the angels rebelled against God and
were cast into hell. According to another supposition just so
many souls will be saved as are required to make up the number
of the fallen angels ; therefore the number of the good angels
is twice as great as that of the saints. Now if there are al­
ready so many saints in heaven that they cannot be counted, how
great must be the number of the angels ! What a great banquet
then is heaven, comprising such an immense number of guests !
And if in the society of a good friend who loves us truly and
sincerely, and whom we love in the same manner, we feel so
happy, what will be our feelings in heaven in company with so
many millions and millions of angels and saints, who will be of
one heart and soul with us, yes, in the society of God himself,
our heavenly Father, who loves us more dearly than any human
father loved his only child !
2. On account of the meats that are set before the guests. When
a mighty potentate of this world makes a feast, nothing common
and ordinary is put on the table, everything is exceedingly good,
rare and expensive, for the host takes a pride in treating his
guests to the best things. But is a princely banquet to be compared
with the feast in heaven ? St. Paul, who was favored with a view
of this heavenly banquet in his lifetime, could only exclaim : “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.”—Z Cor. 2: 9. The meat and drink which God the Father
will set before his children are so precious that no one ever saw,
heard, or tasted the like; the saints, as the Psalmist says, “will
be inebriated with the plenty of the house of God, and God will
make them drink of the torrent of his pleasure.”—Ps. 35 : 9.
Hence St. Alphonsus observes : If horses knew that their master

376

Second Sunday After Pentecost.

was going to make a great feast for them, they would imagine
that the banquet would consist of nothing but good hay and oats,
for of any other food they have no idea. As horses cannot com­
prehend the precious meats and drinks of a banquet, so we can
form no adequate idea of the heavenly banquet. The greatest
delicacies and dainties of a royal banquet when compared with
those of the heavenly banquet are nothing but hay and oats.
Oh, who would not sacrifice everything in order to partake of
this banquet even for one day, one day in the house of God being
better than thousands in the tabernacles of sinners (in all the joys,
pleasures and amusements of the world).—Ps. 83: 11.

3. On account of the duration. How long will the banquet in
heaven last? Perhaps a few hours, as a banquet on earth? Or
one hundred and eighty days, as that of king Assuerus? Oh, no;
it will last longer, infinitely longer, for ever. And this very circum­
stance that the heavenly banquet will be of everlasting duration
makes it a perfect, unspeakable, delightful banquet of felicity.
Should the saints be obliged to leave this heavenly banquet sooner
or later, though it might be after thousands of years, they could
never really enjoy it, for the thought of the end of the banquet
would sting them to the heart, and they would say to them­
selves : Though splendidly as we are now entertained, the time
will come when all will have an end for us. Truly, such thoughts
would be as drops of wormwood in the chalice of their joy. But
no, ye blessed ones in heaven, such a thought can never sadden
your hearts: for God, the eternal, infallible Truth, assures you
that you shall remain at his table as his most beloved children
and guests for a never-ending eternity.

Part Π.
Heaven is a supper—
I.

Because the work of the day must precede it.

(a.) You all know the parable of the laborers in the vineyard.
—Matt. 20. "When evening was come, the lord of the vineyard
saith to his steward : Call the laborers and pay them their hire."
Those who remained in the market-place received nothing in
the evening. Here, then, the important truth is proclaimed that
heaven is a reward, which will be given only to those who have
served God diligently. This truth is also inculcated in the par­
able of the talents.—Matt. 25. Two of the servants made good
use of the talents which they had received, and these the Lord
praised and said to each of them: “Enter thou into the joy of thy

377

Lord.” But the third servant who buried his talent, and squan­
dered his time without endeavoring to rea; any profit, the Lord
called an unprofitable servant and commanded that he should be
cast out into extenor darkness, where there is weeping and gnash­
ing of teeth. In ancient Rome every one who wished to become
a citizen was compelled to show his hands before a magistrate ;
if he had rough hands, hardened by labor, citizenship was granted
to him as a laborious and industrious man, but if he had hands as
tender and delicate as those of a lady he was rejected as an idle,
worthless fellow. Thus G-od will deal with every one of us when
we appear before his tribunal. We must let him see our hands,
if they show that we have labored diligently he will invite us to
the supper, but if we have stood idle all the day, that is all our
lifetime, he will pronounce over us the sentence of condemnation:
“Depart from me.” Here and hereafter the words of the Apostle
are applicable : “If any man will not work, neither let him eat.”
—II. Thess. 3:10.

(3.) What kind of work must we do in order to be invited to
the heavenly supper? We must chiefly practise mortification or
self-denial, for Christ says: “If any man will come after me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”—Matt.
16: 24. In consequence of original sin we all have a natural
propensity to evil; concupiscence allures us now to this, now to
that sin, and renders every exercise of virtue or devotion more
or less difficult. There is then the necessity for continual morti­
fication, that we may persevere. The saints were well aware of
this, and you cannot name a single one who did not practise
mortification. Thus St. Paul says of himself: “I chastise my
body, and bring it into subjection, lest, perhaps, when I have
preached to others, I myself should become a cast-away.”—
I. Cor. 9: 27. We read that Abraham was ready to sacrifice his
only son for the love of God. What he was prepared and willing
to do, we must do all the days of our lives. We must mortify
ourselves, put off the old man, and destroy the sinful body, which
is the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes,
and the pride of life. We are priests and victims, and must every
day and every hour lay our Isaac—our sensual inclinations—upon
the altar and slaughter them with the sacrificial knife of mortifi­
cation. This is the first and most necessary work that we must
do, in order to render ourselves worthy to partake of the
heavenly supper.
A labor no less necessary is the diligent practice of the Chris­
tian virtues and good works. The whole life of Christ upon earth
was an uninterrupted practice of virtues and good works. What
a sublime example does he not give us of the love of God and of
our neighbor, of humility, meekness and patience, of con­

378

Second Sunday After Pentecost.

tempt for the world, and of all works of mercy 1 If we desire to
be true disciples of Jesus and to be admitted to his presence in
heaven, we must become conformable to him, for “whom he (God)
foreknew he also predestinated to be made conformable to the
image of his Son, that he might be the first-born amongst many
brethren.”—Rom. 8:20. Let us then endeavor, as long as we
live, to become more and more conformable to our Saviour in all
virtues.
A third labor is the performance of our religious duties, the first
of which is prayer. He who does not pray refuses to God, his
Lord and Creator, the veneration and adoration due to him ; he
places himself on the side of the rebellious angels, and like them,
is rejected. He who does not pray neglects the most necessary
means of salvation: he resembles a poor, helpless man who per­
ishes in his misery because out of pride and stubborness he can­
not resolve to ask others for help. How miserable are Chris­
tians who do not pray; and the same may be said of the hearing
of the word of God and the reception of the holy sacraments. If
any one shows himself careless in this regard, he gives plainly
to understand that he is dead to God, and he may promise him­
self anything but participation in the heavenly supper. How
do matters stand with you ?
A fourth labor is the faithful performance of the duties of our
state of life. It is the will of God that every one should do what
his state of life requires of him. If you are a superior, father,
mother, master, or mistress, see that your children and servants
lead a good life, and avoid sin. If you are a child, a servant, you
must obey your superiors, not only in things which regard your
temporal welfare, but also in those which regard the salvation of
your soul. If you are rich, you must give alms out of your abun­
dance ; if you are poor, you must bear your poverty patiently.
2.

Because there is no labar after it.

(λ.) There are several meals during the day, breakfast, lunch­
eon and dinner; these meals are for the purpose of satisfying
hunger and thirst and obtaining fresh strength for your work.
But it is not so with supper ; after it all work ceases ; the labors
of the day are over, and people go to rest.
Such a supper is heaven. Lf ever we are so fortunate as to get
there we shall see the fulfilment of the adage: Rest is sweet after
labor. In heaven there is no temptation, no contest: all the ene­
mies of our salvation, who made our life so bitter and prepared
so many dangers for us, are overcome : all labors and pains
which we were obliged to endure in the service of God are over;
all mortifications are ended; all sufferings and trials have ceased,
and even death has no longer any power over us. When the

Symbolical Sketch.

379

heavenly Father has assembled his dear children at his table he
will “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: 4.

(3.) Let us imagine to ourselves the felicity of our glorified
brothers and sisters in heaven. What a happiness must it be to
be able to say: Now all contest, all danger, all misery is over
for ever; now I need no longer dread the loss of my God and
heaven, now I am in everlasting security! Oh, this joy and felicity
ay be imagined, but there are no words to express it. From
this follows a very important lesson for us. Let us not expect
heaven upon earth. Let us not seek this supper on earth, but in
heaven. He who gives full scope to his passions here will here­
after share the lot of Dives, who is burning in the flames of hell­
fire and does not receive even a drop of water wherewith to cool
his parched tongue. There is only one heaven, and that is not
here below, but above. Let us then bear the heat and the burden
of the day, that we may hereafter partake of the heavenly supper.
11

PERORATION.

To this supper all of us are called; we are destined to go to
heaven and to enjoy an eternal felicity with the angels and saints.
Let us appreciate this grace of our vocation. Let us not imitate
those who were first invited, but who made various excuses and
rejected the invitation to the supper. Let us not be deluded by
the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, or
the pride of life, lest we neglect our salvation and seek our
happiness in the false joys and fleeting pleasures of sin. Let us
rather take the poor, the feeble, the blind and the lame for
a pattern, cheerfully following our divine Saviour, who requires
us to take the cross upon ourselves and to follow him, that we
may one day be invited to the great supper in heaven. Amen.

3 So

Second Sunday After Pentecost.
SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

6. MORAL SKETCH.
WHY DID JESUS INSTITUTE THE BLESSED EUCHARIST?

A certain man made a great supper, and invited many.—Luke

14 : 16.

The Church does not limit the celebration of the feast of Cor­
pus Christi to one day only, but continues it for eight days, an Oc­
tave, during which she celebrates the mass of the Blessed Sacra­
ment on all days on which no greater feast falls. This celebration
of Corpus Christi for the space of eight days is ordained that we
ay more fully consider the wonderful mystery of the Sacrament
of the Altar and more firmly resolve to pay becoming homage to it
and apply its graces to our souls. The Church in the gospel of this
day directs our attention to the Blessed Eucharist, bringing it be­
fore us under the picture of a great supper. I shall avail myself this
morning of the opportunity of speaking to you of this adorable
Sacrament and of answering for you the question: Why did
Christ institute this Sacrament ? He instituted it—
H

Z. To favor us always with his presence ;
II. To offer himself up dailyfor us ;
III. To nourish our souls for eternal life.

Part L
i. Our Divine Saviour, in his infinite love, invented a means by

which he could dwell among us after his Ascension : and this
means is the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. For in this Sacra­
ment he is, as our faith teaches us, truly present, not only as
God, but also as man. The same Christ is here present who once
walked upon earth and who now sits in heaven on the right hand
of God, his Father. He fully accomplished his promise in this
Sacrament: “Behold, I am with you all days, even to the con­
summation of the world.”—Matt. 28: 20. The people who lived
in the days of Christ and saw him walk in their midst had no
advantage over us, for the same Jesus is still living amongst us
upon earth, under the mysterious species of bread and wine.
Nay, we are in a certain sense more highly favored than the con­
temporaries of Christ, for they often had much labor and incon­
venience in order to come to him, and, on account of the multi­

6.

Moral Sketch.

3δί

tude that followed him, it could be done but rarely. What a long
and painful journey were the wise men from the East obliged to
make to adore Jesus I Zacheus was compelled to climb upon a
sycamore tree to see him; the people in the desert could tarry
with him only three days and then were obliged to leave him.
We can come to him more easily, for he is in every Catholic
church. We can visit him every hour and remain with him as
long as we please.
2. And why is he present in the Sacrament of the Altar? Because
he loves us and it is his pleasure and delight to be with the chil­
dren of men and to do good to them. During his mortal life he
did good to all; he instructed the ignorant, consoled the afflicted,
received sinners, healed the sick, cast out devils, and raised the
dead to life. What he was once in his mortal life, he continues
to be in this Sacrament, a God of love, a Dispenser of all graces.
In this Sacrament he has his hands full of graces, and seeks to
whom he may distribute them. From the tabernacle he unceas­
ingly cries out to us : “Come to me, all you that labor, and are
burdened, and I will refresh you.”—Matt. 11: 28.
3. Christ being truly present in this Sacrament in order to im­
part to us his graces, should we notgo to him with a willing andjoy­
ful heart, to adore him and ask graces of him? How zealous were
the saints! It was before the Blessed Sacrament that St. Francis
Xavier recruited his strength after the labors and fatigues which
he had to endure in his missionary labors and journeys in India.
St. Francis Regis, sometimes finding the church locked, re­
gained kneeling in the rain and cold, it being a consolation
to him to be able to adore Jesus from a distance. St. Wenceslaus of Bohemia was accustomed to visit the Blessed Sacrament
in the churches during the night, and there to persevere for
hours in prayer. Imitate those saints and visit Jesus in the Bles­
sed Sacrament as often as possible, adore him, thank him for
all graces and benefits, atone for the many insults offered to him
in the Blessed Sacrament, present to him your difficulties and
ask him for the graces you stand in need of. Employ especially
Sundays and holidays for these visits. It is certainly not asking
too much to request you on these days to remain for half an
hour or at least fifteen minutes in fervent prayer before the ta
bernacle. Consider that the hours spent before Jesus in the
Blessed Sacrament are the most precious and most profitable of
your life, and will afford you sweet consolation on your death­
bed and in eternity.

Second Sunday After Pentecost.
Part Π.
i. Christ also instituted the Blessed Sacrament in order to

offer himself up daily for us. What he once did on the cross,
where he immolated himself in a bloody manner for us, he does
daily in holy mass, where, by the hands of the priest, he offers
himself up in an unbloody manner. The sacrifice of the mass is
as profitable as the sacrifice of the cross: because Christ in both
is the priest and victim. On the cross Christ offered himself in
order to redeem us; in the mass he offers himself in order to re­
present to us his sacrifice of the cross and to apply to us the fruit
of Redemption.
H

2. The holy sacrifice of the mass enables us perfectly to comply
with our duties and obligations towards God.

(a.) Our first duty is to pay homage to God and adore him. Infi­
nite honor is due to God, our Lord. But such an honor we can­
not give him of ourselves, because, being creatures, we can do
nothing that has an infinite value. The holy sacrifice of the mass
supplies our inefficiency. If we hear mass devoutly we give God
a greater honor than all the angels and saints can give him ; for
great as they are, they are only creatures and cannot pay an infi­
nite homage to God ; but in holy mass we offer to God Jesus Christ,
his only-begotten Son, consubstantial with him, and therefore we
give honor of infinite value.

(b. ) Our second duty is to thank God for his countless graces and
benefits. This too we are unable to do of ourselves, because the
grace of God, especially the grace of Redemption, is of infinite
value. Again it is holy mass that enables us to thank God wor­
thily. In holy mass we do not offer to God an earthly and finite
gift, but his only-begotten Son, and in such a way perfectly com­
ply with our duty of thanksgiving.
(r.) A third duty is that being sinners we must reconcile our­
selves with God. This again we cannot do of ourselves; for sin,
being an offense against God, is an infinite evil, and consequently
requires a satisfaction of infinite value, which we cannot make.
But in the sacrifice of the mass, through which the infinite merits
of Christ continually flow to us, we can make most perfect satis­
faction to God and reconcile ourselves with him. We also obtain
by holy mass, if we hear it with the right disposition, all graces
necessary for a true repentance. It is moreover on account of the
sacrifice of the mass that God is so indulgent and merciful towards
the sinful world and does not chastise it as it deserves.

6. Moral Sketch.

383

(d.) Lastly, a fourth duty is to ask grace of God. But will God
hear, since we have offended him in so many ways and have
evinced the basest ingratitude for the benefits received from him?
In the holy mass we have a most powerful means of obtaining
all benefits from him ; for here Christ offers himself up for us to
induce his heavenly Father to be propitious to us and to aid us
in our necessities. How could the heavenly Father refuse his
Son when he offers himself up to Him ? how could he reject our
petitions when his Son presents them before his throne ?
3. The holy mass being so profitable and acceptable a sacri­
fice, it follows that you should hear it as often as possible. The
primitive Christians daily assembled for the celebration of the holy
mysteries—the mass.—Acts 2: 46. After the time of the Apos­
tles the Christians still showed how much they valued mass,
and during the persecutions they risked their lives in order to
hear it. Christians who have been solicitous for their salvation
have at all times heard mass with the same fervor. St. Louis
king of France, heard daily two, sometimes three, and even four
masses. Blessed Sir Thomas More, Lord High Chancellor of
England, although burdened with the cares and labors of state,
never let a day pass without hearing mass.
Hear mass on week-days as often as you can. Those are luke­
warm Christians who in the morning instead of going to mass lie
in bed or take a walk. Always hear mass with true devotion.
Collect your thoughts at the beginning and beg of God the grace
of worthily offering it with the priest. But particularly renew
your attention at the three principal parts of the mass, the Offertory,
Consecration, and Communion, and guard your eyes, that you
may preserve yourselves from distractions. After mass go home,
resolving to spend the whole day and your whole life for the
honor of God and the salvation of your soul.

Part m.
I. Jesus instituted the Blessed Sacrament for the nourishment of
our souls unto life everlasting. For this reason he said: “Take
ye and eat, this is my body. . . . Drink ye all of this, for this is
my blood of the new testament.”—Matt. 26: 26-28. Previously
he had said: “Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and
drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.”—John 6: 54.
Not content with giving us his graces, to be outside of us, he
wishes to enter into our hearts, and to dwell there, and to be,
as it were, one with us. Therefore he says: “He that eateth
my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him.”
— John 6: 57. Christ being the source and dispenser of grace,
we receive in holy communion, not, as in the other sacra­
ments, only individual graces, but the plentitude, the Author of

384

Second Sunday After Pentecost.

graces. For this reason, as the Roman Catechism says, it is im­
possible to describe the immense advantages and innumerable
fruits of holy communion. It is impossible to count the rays of
the sun, neither can we count the graces which Jesus, the Sun of
justice, infuses into the hearts of those who receive him wor­
thily. Holy communion especially increases sanctifying grace,
weakens our evil inclinations, gives us strength to practise
virtue, and is to us a pledge of a glorious resurrection and eter­
nal life.
2. Since Jesus imparts to us so many graces in holy commu­
nion, we must deem ourselves happy to receive him very often. In
the early ages of the Church it was the custom of Christians to
communicate with the priest at every mass at which they were
present. St. Jerome in the fourth century says that it was cus­
tomary at Rome in his time for Christians to go to communion at
every mass. The Council of Antioch (341) ordained that Chris­
tians who hear mass but do not go to communion should be ex­
cluded from the Church. Even in later times, when the primitive
fervor had grown cold, there were many wno several times in
the week approached the altar. All the saints whose lives are
known, without one single exception had the greatest desire
for holy communion and received it as often as possible. The
Church at all times urgently recommended frequent communion
to her children, and the Council of Trent expresses the desire
that at every mass some at least should communicate not only
spiritually, but really.
As to you, I do not expect you to go to communion every day,
or every week, but I can and must require that you frequently
eat the Bread of Life during the year. You should, as a rule, go
at least every three months, and all young people of both sexes
should go every month, that they may preserve their hearts un­
defiled from the contaminations of a wicked world and not fall
into sin, especially the sin of impurity.
But that you may partake of the graces of holy communion,
you must prepare yourselves well for it. Take care that there is
no mortal sin on your conscience, for communion in the state of
mortal sin is, as you know, a horrible sacrilege. Prove yourselves
before every communion and see that you have no voluntary
inclination to any sin in your heart. If you find such, detest it
from the bottom of your heart, and make a resolution to prac­
tise the contrary virtue on every occasion. Cleanse your soul
also from venial sins, for the purer you are the more graces
you will receive in holy communion. Never omit before every
communion to excite acts of faith, hope and charity, contrition,
humility, and a desire for union with Jesus in the Sacrament of
his love.

Ci

7. Moral Sketch.

385

PERORATION.

You know now why Jesus instituted the Blessed Eucharist and
how you must conduct yourselves towards it. Jesus is all love
for us; for this reason he dwells among us under the species of
bread and wine. Let us visit him often, adore him and ask of
him whatever we need for time and eternity. He is all love for
us, therefore he offers himself up for us daily in an unbloody
manner on our altars, in order to apply to us the fruits of his
sacrifice on the cross. Let us hear mass, not only on Sundays and
holidays, but also on week-days as often as we can, with atten­
tion and devotion, that we may become sharers of the great
graces of this sacrifice. He is all love for us, therefore he wishes
in holy communion to unite himself most intimately with us. Let
us go frequently and well prepared to the altar, that our souls
may be nourished for eternal life. Blessed are we if we love to
assist at mass, to receive him in holy communion, to visit him in
the tabernacle. We shall then live and die in union with him,
and possess him for ever in heaven. Amen.

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

7. MORAL SKETCH
1

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TEMPORAL AND SPIRITUAL GOODS.

And they began all at once to make excuse.—Luke

14: 18.

As the gospel of this day tells us, a certain man made a great
supper, and invited many. But when the time came for the in­
vited guests to come to the supper, they all began to make ex­
cuse, and refused to appear at the banquet. The first said: I have
bought a farm, and I must needs go out and see it. 1 firay thee, hold
me excused. And another said: 1 have boughtfive yoke of oxen, and
I go to try them. I fray thee, hold me excused. And another said :
I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. The majority
of people nowadays do the same thing. God invites them to
his service and promises them heaven as the reward. But many
do not accept this gracious invitation; they despise spiritual and
heavenly goods, and have no other desire than to enjoy themII

386

Second Sunday After Pentecost.

selves, and to possess what the world has and gives. This folly
and delusion of the world 1 intend to explain to you to-day; for
this purpose I shall speak of the difference between temporal and
spiritual goods, and show you how these are distinguished—

I In their quality;
II In their acquisitum;
III. In their duration.

Part L
i. The goods of this world are incapable of rendering us truly

and permanently happy, but spiritual goods are capable of do­
ing this.

(a.) Not all that glitters is gold. Many an apple, outwardly
beautiful, hangs on the tree, but inside it will be found a worm
which has there made its home. Many a man who at night goes
through a forest is attracted by a glittering object which, when
examined in the daytime, proves to be nothing but rotten, phos­
phorescent wood. So it is with temporal and earthly goods. Is
a man who possesses great riches, which enable him to procure
everything that his heart may desire, perfectly happy and satis­
fied? Ah, no; his heart is empty whilst his coffers are full. His
treasures do not satisfy him; on the contrary, they give him great
uneasiness, and cause much solicitude and anxiety. Take an­
other, who occupies an exalted position in society, whom every­
body praises, honors, and applauds. Is he happy and contented?
No, his honor is only too often a heavy burden; and jealousy,
envy, and other passions, which render life bitter and unendur­
able, are nowhere more frequent than in the higher circles of so­
ciety. Take another yet, who spends his time in pleasures and
amusements and in the gratification of lust; is he happy? By no
means; he resembles a man with the dropsy who thirsts the more,
the more he drinks. If ever a man possessed all things whatsoever
that the world has and can give, it was Solomon ; his riches were
simply immense ; he was honored more than any other man ; he
drank the chalice of earthly pleasures and lust as no other before
him had done ; and yet he was not happy, but sighed again and
again: “Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity . . . and vexation of
spirit.”—Eccltes. 1:2, 17.
(3.) It is not so with the spiritual goods; these, to which all
Christian virtues and good works, the grace of God, prayer and
the sacraments belong, satisfy the craving of the heart, and give
peace such as the world with all its goods cannot give. Let us
take a few examples from life. What joy and consolation does

..

• ,a

7. Moral Sketch.

3*7

not the worthy reception of the Sacraments of Penance and the
Blessed Eucharist impart ! When one who has grievously sinned
makes a good and sincere confession and is absolved by the priest,
what a heavy load does he not feel removed from his heart! Does
he not say: “Oh, I feel happier now than ever before in my life.
I would not exchange the joys I now feel for all the goods of the
world !” What blessed feelings do not the works of mercy beget?
If you have ever aided a sick person, consoled an afflicted, or
relieved a forsaken person, either in word or in deed, did you
not experience a sweet joy in your heart and did you not feel
the truth of the word that “it is a more blessed thing to give than
to receive”?—Acts 20: 35. And when you kneel down and lift up
your hands and heart to God and pray with fervor and devotion,
do you not feel consoled, comforted, strengthened and so full of
holy joy that no human pleasure can be compared with it? And
when you have overcome a violent temptation, how replete with
joy is your heart and with what confidence do you look up to
God!

Temporal goods are often dangerous ; the spiritual, on the con­
trary, are always useful and salutary.
2.

(a.) The most estimable of all temporal goods is health. But
how many sacrifice their health to pride, impurity, intemperance,
and to other sins and crimes ! How many remain impenitent and
are not converted because they always enjoy good health! An­
other temporal good, which most people desire, is wealth. But
how often does wealth become the source of many aberrations
and sins ! How often must it serve for the gratification of pride,
impurity, intemperance and other passions ! How many who in
the state of poverty led an honest and Christian life, forgot God
when they grew rich ; became overbearing and fell into shame­
ful vices ! Among temporal goods, honors and dignities also play
a great part, and frequently cause a great deal of evil; for
they easily lead to pride, uncharitableness towards our neighbor,
to injustice, to oppression and many other sins. Had Saul always
remained a herdsman, he probably would have preserved humi­
lity in his heart and served God; but the royal dignity made him
jealous, disobedient to God and plunged him into temporal and
eternal perdition. The same may be said of the other temporal
goods; they resemble powder and other combustibles which,
unless they are handled very carefully, easily explode and cause
great damage and loss.
(£.) It is not so with spiritual goods : they are always useful and
salutary. If by the practice of virtues and good works we ac­
quire merits for heaven, they are merits for eternity; and the

j88

Second Sunday After Pentecost.

more humble, meek, patient, and merciful we are, the greater is
our advantage, since, according to the Apostle, those who sow in
blessings shall reap blessings. The oftener we go to confession
and holy communion with a heart well prepared, the more we
shall be cleansed from the stains of our sins, sanctified, and en­
abled to overcome all temptations and to advance in virtue. And
how salutary is prayer when performed with fervor and devo­
tion ! It is the key to the treasury of heaven, it ennobles our heart,
strengthens us in temptations, gives us courage and strength to
do all that is good, procures consolation and help in every ne­
cessity and obtains for us the grace of final perseverance. The
same is true of other spiritual goods; they are profitable to us
for time and eternity.

Part II.
Temporal goods differ from spiritual goods as regard their acqui­
sition.
Temporal goods oftentimes can not be obtained at all, out spir­
itual goods always can.
I.

(a.) How many poor people are there who toil early and late,
who are saving and economical and strive hard to ameliorate
their condition, but all in vain; they cannot extricate themselves
from their poverty, they live and die in poverty. How many are
there who try every means to obtain a certain office or dignity!
But in vain ; all their exertions are frustrated and they never attain
the object of their ambition. How many sick people are there
who leave no remedy untried in order to recover their health,
but who nevertheless continue to be ill and whom nothing can
cure but the cemetery! Many other people share the same
fate: they do their utmost to obtain a certain temporal good,
yet all their energy and exertions are fruitless ; they resemble
children who run over fields aud meadows, stones and briers, to
the spot where the rainbow seems to touch the earth, in order to
get at the beautiful colors, but when they arrive there quite breath­
less they find nothing.
(ά.) Spiritual goods, so far as they are necessary and useful for
salvation, are easily obtained, if we have a sincere desire for
them. If we have frequently and grievously sinned, and have
deserved hell more than a thousand times, we must not despair of
salvation, for one good and humble confession recovers the grace
of God and opens heaven for us. So long as we live we must
encounter many things dangerous to salvation, for temptations
never cease entirely ; but if we watch in prayer, if we are humble,

y.

Moral Sketch.

389

and lead a retired life, frequently receiving the sacraments, God
most assuredly will take us under his protection and keep us in
his love and grace to the end. In order to be saved we must
practise the Christian virtues, humility, meekness, chastity ac­
cording to our state, and fraternal charity. This is possible with
the assistance of God ; we need only make use of the means with
which religion furnishes us, and like the saints we shall arrive at
virtue and sanctity. Even the first and most necessary requisite
for salvation, faith, God gives to all who sincerely desire it.
Many theologians do not hesitate to assert that God, rather than
permit those heathens, who have a good will and follow the voice
of their conscience, to die in unbelief, would work miracles for
their conversion. The centurion Cornelius is an example.
2. Temporal goods are more difficult to acquire than spiritual.

(a.) Let us again take examples from life. How difficult it is
for many people to keep up a respectable appearance. They
must labor and toil from one year’s end to the other and live in
the most economical manner to enable them to keep up their
household and meet unavoidable expenses, or, as the saying is,
to make both ends meet. To how many do the words of God
apply: “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou
return to the earth, out of which thou wast taken.”—Gen. 3: 19.
What must not the sick endure; how much it costs to recover
their health I Think of the man who was infirm for thirty-eight
years ; he was lying at the pool of Siloe, waiting for the motion
of the water, in order to be the first to get in, but always in vain;
someone always preceded him, and if Christ had not had
compassion on him and healed him, he would never have reco­
vered his health.— John 5. Think of the woman that was
troubled with an issue of blood for twelve years ; she had suffered
much from physicians, and expended all her means without find­
ing relief. She was cured by merely touching the hem of Christ’s
garment.
(Æ.) Spiritual goods are far easier to obtain. Mary Magdalen
was a great sinner. What was necessary to obtain forgiveness ?
Nothing but tears, which she shed at the feet of Jesus.—Luke "].
The thief on the cross, to find grace, had only to say : “Lord, re­
member me when thou shalt come into thy kingdom for imme­
diately Christ, full of compassion, said to him: “Amen I say to
thee, this day thou shalt be with me in paradise!”—Luke 23: 42,
43. And how easily can we recover the grace of God when we
have the misfortune to lose it by mortal sin ! Nothing is required
but a humble confession of our sins. Oh, how fortunate would a
criminal, condemned to death, deem him0elf, if, to avert the pun-

390

Second Sunday After Pentecost.

ishment from himself and recover his liberty, he need only con­
fess his crime to a priest! Though by nature we have a strong
propensity to evil, though we are much tempted by the devil and
the world, yet after all it is not very hard to persevere in good,
for the grace of God comes to our aid and gives us courage and
strength to surmount all obstacles to salvation. Therefore
the Apostle says: “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. io:
13. Yes, God takes his faithful servants under his special pro­
tection, and his graces alleviate every difficulty in the path of
virtue, sweetening all that appears bitter to sensual nature.
Hence Jesus says: “My yoke is sweet, and my burden light.”
This much is certain, that all men would become holy and be
saved if they would do for their soul only the tenth part of what
they do for the world.

Part

HL

Temporal goods differ from spiritual goods as regards iheir
duration.

1. The earth, being itself perishable, possesses nothing and can
give nothing that is not perishable. Consider all temporal goods,
and you will find none that last for ever; after a longer or
shorter time they will be no more. Where are the great and
powerful kingdoms of the world, Assyrian, Median, Roman and
Greek? They are no more, history knows only their names.
Where are the powerful armies of a Xerxes, of an Alexander,
of a Cæsar, of a Napoleon I., and of so many other conquerors ?
They have returned into dust and have left to posterity nothing
but an indistinct remembrance of them. Where are the riches of a
Crœsus, or the pleasures of the Epicureans, or of any other world­
lings of the past? They and their possessors have disappeared
like smoke. “Where are the princes of the nations, and they
that rule over the beasts that are upon the earth; that take their
diversion with the birds of the air, that hoard up silver and gold,
wherein men trust, and there is no end of their getting? who
work in silver and are solicitous, and their works are un­
searchable ? They are cut off, and are gone down to hell, and
others are risen up in their place.”—Baruch 3: 16-19. All earthly
goods which man possesses, honors and dignities, treasures of
gold and silver, joys and amusements, health and life, last but a
short time, and when he lies down to die he must leave all be­
hind. Only open your eyes and look around and you will be
convinced of this truth. Here is one who but a short time ago
enjoyed the best of health, and now he is broken down, lies on

7. Moral Sketch.

391

his sick bed or moulders in the grave. There is one who once was
considered the greatest beauty and who was surrounded by admirers
as sugar is surrounded by flies; and now? Ah, in consequence of
age or sickness or perhaps of her dissipations she has became ugly,
and no one looks at her any more. There is one who was rich, who
was clothed in purple and fine linen, who feasted sumptuously every
day ; misfortune, luxury or prodigality has reduced him to beggary.
Behold how fleeting and perishable are earthly goods ! “A voice says :
Cry. I said: What shall I cry? All flesh is grass and all the glory
thereof as the flower of the field. The grass is withered, and the
flower fallen off.”
2. How is it with spiritual goods? Are they also so fleeting ana
perishable? No, they are not subject to the change of the times; no
earthly power, no accident can destroy them; it only depends on
ourselves and they will remain our faithful companions throughout
life, and we shall enjoy their fruit for all eternity. Consider all the
martyrs and all who have been persecuted for justice’s sake. All the
earthly goods they possessed were taken from them, lands and money,
honors and dignities, life and liberty; but their spiritual goods, their
faith, hope and charity, their virtues and merits, could not be taken
away from them : these they retained unimpaired, in fact, they in­
creased them by prison, tortures, and death. These spiritual goods
have become to them in the other world an inexhaustible source of
joy and felicity; their faith is changed into intuition, their hope into
possession, their love into union with God, and their virtues and
merits have acquired for them the most glorious reward in heaven.
The same may be said of all Christians ; no one can take these spiritual
goods away from them unless they surrender them voluntarily. A
philosopher, named Aristippus, on a voyage suffered shipwreck, and
lost everything. Soon after, having barely saved his life, he became
renowned for his great wisdom, and the inhabitants quickly provided
him with everything necessary for life. He wrote to his country­
men , requesting them to take pattern by him and provide themselves
with goods which cannot be lost by shipwreck. Such a letter the
saints of heaven write to us; they call us to gather, as they once
gathered, virtues and good works, for these are goods which death
cannot snatch from us. Our Saviour exhorts us to do this, saying.
“ Lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven; where neither the rust
nor the moth doth consume, and where thieves do not dig through,
nor steal. ’—Matt. 6: 20.

39«

Second Sunday After Pentecost.
PERORATION.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, having renounced the world and dedi­
cated himself to God, said to a certain young man of brilliant
talents but who still clung to earthly things, and who was study­
ing at the same time with him in the University of Paris: “Re
member, Francis, the world is faithless; it makes promises and
does not keep them. And even if the world should give you
what it promises, it could never satisfy your heart. Let us sup­
pose that it did satisfy you, how long would your happiness
last? Can it last longer than your life? And what will you take
with you into eternity ! Is there perhaps a rich man there who
has taken with him money or a servant for his convenience ? Is
there a king there who still possesses a thread of his purple gar­
ment?” After hearing these words, Francis, the brilliant young
man, renounced the world, followed St. Ignatius and became no
other than the great St. Francis Xavier, the apostle of the Indies
and one of the brightest ornaments of the Society of Jesus. Let
us, then, seriously reflect that all earthly things are vain, fleeting,
and perishable, and let us direct our eyes to those spiritual goods,
which alone have true value, and which even here upon earth
give sweet repose to our conscience, and hereafter perfect joy and
eternal felicity. Amen.

1.

Homiletic Sketch.

393

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

Epistle. I. Pet. 5: 6-11. Dearly beloved: Be you humbled
under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in the time
of visitation : casting all your care upon him, for he hath care of
you. Be sober and watch ; because your adversary the devil, as
a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour. Whom
resist ye, strong in faith : knowing that the same affliction be­
falls your brethren who are in the world. But the God of all
grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory in Christ Jesus,
after you have suffered a little, will himself perfect you and con­
firm you, and establish you. To him be glory and empire for
ever and ever. Amen.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
ST. PETER EXHORTS US TO PRACTICE DIVERS VIRTUES.

St. Peter wrote two epistles to all Christians, in which he laid
before them divers duties of Christianity, encouraged them to
constancy, and consoled them in the manifold persecutions and
sufferings to which they were exposed among the Jews and Gen­
tiles. The lesson of to-day which I have just read to you, forms
the conclusion of the first epistle and contains a very important
lesson, which we will consider a little more closely. St. Peter
exhorts us—
i. To be humble and to have confidence in God:
II. To be sober and watchful:
III. To be patient in every affliction.

Part L
The apostle exhorts us—
i. To be humble, saying: Be you humbled under the mighty hand
of God, that he may exalt you in the time of visitation.

394

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

(a.) The words: Be you humbled under the mighty hand of God,
have this meaning: We must humbly submit to the ordinances
and the guidance of the Almighty. We all have reason to humble
ourselves before God. For what are we, compared with God ? God
is almighty, we are weak, and impotent to do any good ; God is
omniscient, we are short-sighted, and frequently do not know
what is useful or pernicious. God is infinitely holy ; we are sin­
ners, who are deserving of God’s displeasure and punishment.
We should therefore humble ourselves before God, acknowledge
our impotence and sinfulness and exclaim with St. Francis:
“Who art thou, O Lord I and who am I ? Thou art the sum of all
good, and I the abyss of all evil.” We all have likewise every reason
to submit to God the Almighty. God is our Lord and Creator, in
him we live, move, and are; we belong to him entirely, and he
can do with us as he pleases. Whether he exalts or humbles us,
whether he makes us rich or poor, happy or unhappy, sick, or
healthy; whether he allows us to live or to die, we must be satis­
fied with his holy will, for he has the same—nay, a greater, autho­
rity over us than the potter has over his ware. We should sub­
mit to him full of confidence, for he is almighty and there is no
necessity in which he could not help us ; and being infinitely good,
he has also the will to help us and turn everything to our ad­
vantage. An example of the most consummate submission to the
will of God we have in Job, who, after the loss of all his worldly
substance and in the greatest poverty, said : “The Lord gave, and
the Lord hath taken away ; as it hath pleased the Lord, so it is
done, blessed be the name of the Lord.”—Job i: 21. Oh, that
we also would humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God,
and subject ourselves to his will in every situation of life !
(b.) The Apostle exhorts us to practise humility in order that
God may exalt us in the time of visitation. The time of visitation
when God exalts his oppressed servants and delivers them from
their sufferings, often comes even in this life. Joseph, whom Putiphar’s wife had shamelessly calumniated, languished in prison,
for a long time, but God did not abandon him, but wonderfully
raised him to the highest dignity in the kingdom. The Israelites
lived many years in the most intolerable slavery in Egypt, but at
length the time of visitation came for them. God freed them
from the hand of their oppressors, and after a succession of great
miracles, gave them the rich land of Chanaan for their inherit­
ance. David was persecuted by Saul and his life was in danger,
yet God did not abandon him, but made him king of Israel. Job
was blessed with riches and children. Numberless examples
from history and daily life could be adduced, showing how God
sooner or later visits, exalts and delivers those who humble
themselves under his mighty hand. And if he does not do it in

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

395

this world, he will certainly do it hereafter. Lazarus lay at the
door of Dives, poor, sick, abandoned, and full of misery, but
this lasted only for a few years, till his death. What be­
came of him afterwards? Angels carried him into Abraham’s
bosom. He humbled himself during life, under the mighty hand
of God, and on the day of visitation he was exalted. Look at
Jesus. The Apostle says of him: “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:
8-11. Should we not feel encouraged to humble ourselves
under the mighty hand of God? Should we not willingly sub­
mit to the guidance of God and with fortitude persevere in
trials and afflictions, knowing that the time of visitation will come
for us, if not in this life, surely in the next, and that we shall
receive a rich reward for everything we endure with patience
for the love of God ?
2. The Apostle exhorts us to have confidence'. Casting all your
care upon him, for he hath care of you.
(<z.) By the words, casting all your care upon him, it is not to
be understood that we should have no further care for our neces­
sities, and our livelihood, but that we should leave everything to
God. Such a carelessness would be manifestly against the will
of God, who has given us corporal and spiritual powers for the
purpose of employing them for his honor and our own good. It
is not said in vain : “He that tilleth his ground, shall be filled with
bread ; but he that followeth idleness, shall be filled with po­
verty.”—Prov. 28: 19. That servant who buried his talent and
lived unconcerned about the coming of his master, was cast out
into exterior darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of
teeth.—Matt. 25:30. With these words the Apostle condemns
only an excessive and immoderate solicitude which Jesus himself
forbade, saying: “Be not solicitous therefore, saying, what shall
we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be
clothed, for after all these things do the heathens seek. For your
Father knoweth that you have need of all these things.”—Matt.
6: 31, 32. Such immoderate solicitude is unreasonable and fool­
ish, because it profits nothing, for “which of you, by taking
thought, can add to his stature one cubit?”—Matt. 6: 27.

(£.) The apostle by adding: for he hath care ofyou, gives the
reason why we should guard against immoderate solicitude. We

must not be too solicitous, because God has care of us. Is God
not powerful and good enough to avert from us what is injurious,
and to give us what is good and salutary? If God, our Father,
feeds the birds of the air and clothes the lilies of the field, will
he not have care of us and give us what we need?

Part Π.
I. St. Peter exhorts us to be sober and watchful, saying: Be sober
and watch.

(a.) Sobriety consists in this, that we observe moderation, not
only in eating and drinking, but also in clothing, amusements,
and generally in the use of the things of this world. Only those
Christians can be called sober who bridle their appetite in eating
and drinking, who dress according to their state of life, and
within their means, who enjoy only lawful pleasures, and these at
the right time, without passion and without detriment to the duties
of their religion and state of life. Sobriety is the essence of
Christianity; for this imposes upon us the strict duty of mortify­
ing ourselves interiorly and exteriorly. “If any man will come
after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow
me.”—Matt. 16: 24. “They that are Christ’s have crucified their
flesh, with the vices and concupiscences.”—Gal. 5: 24. Those
who yield to the craving of the appetite and by drinking to ex­
cess get disgustingly drunk ; those who are slaves of lust, violate,
I will not say their dignity as Christians, but their manhood, and
degrade themselves below the level of the brute creation.
(bi) Watchfulness consists in this, that we pay attention to
everything that happens within and without us, in order to per­
ceive at once what might injure our salvation, and to employ
appropriate means against it. The watchful Christian always has
an eye upon himself; he is attentive to the thoughts, motions and
inclinations of his heart, and rectifies them as soon as he per­
ceives that they aim at anything sinful; he is attentive to his senses,
especially to the eyes that they may not lead him into sin ; to his
tongue, guarding against hastiness and imprudence in speaking;
he is attentive to the world around him and about him, and care­
fully avoids the occasions of sin. There is scarcely a virtue to
which we are more frequently exhorted than to watchfulness.
Thus Christ says: “Watch ye, praying at all times, that you may
be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come,
and to stand before the Son of man.”—Luke 21: 36. Again:
“Watch ye, and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. The
spirit, indeed, is willing, but the flesh weak.”—Matt. 26:41. St.
Paul says: “Watch ye; stand fast in the faith.”—I. Cor. 16: 13.

i*

Homiletic Sketch,

397

2. St. Peter assigns the reason why we should be sober and
watch : Because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth
about, seeking whom he may devour. The devil is called our adver­
sary, because he is our sworn enemy, and endeavors in every
possible manner to seduce and destroy us. He is called a lion, on
account of his strength and cruelty, a roaring lion, on account of
his fierce desire to plunge us into perdition. He goeth about, like
an enemy, who steals around a fortress, to find out a weak spot
where he can enter; seeking wham he may devour, that is, his ex­
ertions are indefatigable to decoy us into his snares and into
eternal damnation. That the devil is our worst enemy and con­
tinually plots our ruin the Sacred Scriptures tell us in numberless
places. Under the form of a serpent he tempted our first parents,
and made them fall ; he has at all times laid snares for men, and
even had the temerity three times to tempt our Lord in the de­
sert, in order to lead him into sin and to frustrate the work of
our redemption.
What then must we do to render the temptation of the evil
spirit ineffectual?

(a.) We must be sober. The Church calls upon us daily to pray
for protection, that we may not fear “the assault of the mid-day
devil.” What devil is this? It is that devil who is accustomed to
tempt men after dinner. When they are satiated or have over­
charged themselves with meat and drink, they are easily acces­
sible to the sins and vices of impurity, to anger and sloth ; and the
devil, employing this opportunity, attacks them with his tempta­
tions and frequently succeeds in leading them into sin. How
many, even among those who have led good lives, have fallen
into the snares of the devil for want of sobriety ! God had
announced his holy law to the Israelites in the midst of thunder
and lightning, and they had promised to observe it. After that
they sat down, ate and drank—and what happened? They made
to themselves a golden calf, and fell into idolatry. Lot remained
chaste in the midst of a vicious city; but when he was drunk
with wine, he fell into two very unnatural sins of impurity.—
Gen. 19. How true is what St. Chrysostom says: “intemperance
is the mother of malice, the enemy of virtue; it makes the strong
irresolute, the chaste shameless; it knows neither justice nor
prudence.” Therefore guard against intemperance in drinking;
be sober and bridle inordinate desires, that you may not fall
victims to the temptations of the devil.
(Z>.) We must watch. The devil always desires our ruin, and for
that end makes use of every opportunity. He excites us by sin­
ful representations and desires, he directs our eyes to objects

398

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

which entice us to evil; he leads us into dangerous occasions and
lays snares for our virtue by employing wicked persons to lead
us into sin. What, then, is more necessary than that we always
watch and pay attention to ourselves and our surroundings, that
no temptation may find us unprepared I Who can count all the
souls that for the want of vigilance have grievously sinned ? Ex­
amples : Eve, David, Peter. Let us not forget that we carry our
treasure in a frail vessel, and let us walk circumspectly, that we
may perceive in time the dangers which the devil prepares for
us, and escape them.
(c.) We must resist the devil, strong in faith. In order not to
succumb to the assaults of Satan, it is necessary to resist him, to
turn with disgust from his suggestions, to fight against them, and
refuse consent to them. That this resistance may lead us to vic­
tory, it must be done in faith, that is, we must represent to our­
selves the truths of our holy faith in a vivid manner, for these
will make us strong and invincible. How true this is; not to
mention hundreds of other cases, just think of Joseph of Egypt and
of Susanna, whom the belief in the omnipresence and omniscience
of God so strengthened that they would rather die than sin.
Faith tells us: Have courage, God will help, ask his protection,
and the devil cannot prevail against thee. Again faith says:
Consider how unhappy you make yourself if you consent to the
temptation and sin; you lose the grace of God, shut heaven
against yourself and open hell for yourself. At every temptation
make an act of faith in the truths of our holy religion ; if you do
this, I assure you, you will, by the grace of God, overcome all
temptations and persevere to the end in his love and friendship,
and be saved.

Part IIL
The Prince of the Apostles finally exhorts us to be patient in
every affliction.
i. He writes : Knowing that the same affliction befalls your bre­
thren who are in the world. To suffer is the common lot of all the
children of God, because they must become conformable to their
Lord and Redeemer, and therefore, like him, pursue the way of
the cross. Now this is a powerful motive for patience in all the
tribulations of this life. Would it not be disgraceful for us to re­
fuse to endure what the disciples of Jesus have endured at all
times? Solon, the wise man of Athens, seeing one day a friend of
his in great sadness and distress, took him upon a mountain,
which commanded a view of the whole city. After having looked
at the houses for some time, Solon said to him: “My friend, I

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

399

know that you have reason to grieve, but consider that you are
not alone. Behold this city and its houses. How much misery
and wretchedness far worse than yours is to be found in many of
those dwellings? Therefore be comforted, and imagine not that
you are the first who has something to suffer.” Thus Solon com­
forted his friend and banished melancholy and sadness from his
heart. Console yourselves thus in your afflictions and trials. Say
within yourselves: I am not the only one who suffers; thousands
and millions of Christians suffer the same afflictions, and greater
even than mine. I do not desire, O God, to be treated any better
than they; I will carry my cross so long as it is pleasing to thee.

2. But the God of all grace, who called us unto his eternal glory in
Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will himself perfect
you, and confirm you, and establish you. This is another motive
for patience in afflictions. He calls our attention to the shortness
of the sufferings and to the perpetuity of the eternal glory which
awaits us if we suffer patiently. The sufferings last but a short
time, and generally pass away after a few days, weeks, or months.
But if they should even last for years or till our death, they ne­
vertheless could not be called long, for what are twenty, thirty,
forty, or fifty years compared with eternity ! They are as nothing.
If you, my Christian friend, in your sufferings are sometimes
tempted to pusillanimity or impatience, console yourself with the
thought that they will not last long. But what must still more
console us in all the tribulations of this life is the hope of a happy
eternity, which will be our inheritance if we suffer patiently. O
how do the blessed inhabitants of heaven rejoice that they have
so constantly and patiently borne the tribulations and trials of
this world ! Whatever they endured here on earth for the love
of God is rewarded a thousandfold and eternally. Think of the
shortness of the sufferings in this world and the eternity of the
joys of heaven, and you will certainly preserve patience in every
tribulation, and acquiesce in the will of God.
PERORATION.

St. Peter concludes the lesson of to-day with the words : To
him be glory and enpire for ever and ever. Amen. To praise and
glorify God is our destiny on earth ; to submit to his empire, to
adhere to him and to serve him with equal fidelity in good as
well as in evil days, is our urgent duty. Let us, then, comply
with our destiny and duty during our mortal life, that hereafter
we may obtain our reward and be admitted into heaven, to praise
and glorify God with the angels and saints for ever and ever.
Amen.

too

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

Gospel. Luke 15:1-10. At that time: The publicans and sin­
ners drew near unto Jesus to hear him. And the Pharisees and
Scribes murmured, saying: This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. And he spoke to them this parable, saying:
What man of you that hath an hundred sheep: and if he shall lose
one of them, doth he not leave the ninety-nine in the desert, and
go after that which was lost till he find it ? And when he hath
found it, lay it upon his shoulders rejoicing; and coming home
call together his friends and neighbors, saying to them: Rejoice
with me, bee tuse I have found my sheep that was lost. I say to
you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner
that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need
not penance. Or what woman having ten groats, if she lose one
groat, doth not light a candle and sweep the house and seek
diligently until she find it? And when she hath found it, call to­
gether her friends and neighbors, saying; Rejoice with me, be­
cause I have found the groat which I had lost. So I say to you,
there shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner do­
ing penance.

2. HOMILETIC SKECTH.
THE PARABLES OF THE LOST SHEEP AND OF THE LOST GROAT.

The gospel for this Sunday informs us that publicans and sin­
ners came to Jesus and that the Scribes and Pharisees murmured
and said : This man receiveth sinners, and eateth voith them. The
publicans who collected the toll for the Romans, and in doing so
frequently committed acts of injustice, were hated by the Jews
and looked upon as sinners. The Scribes and Pharisees re­
proached Jesus for his forbearance with sinners, and gave him
plainly to understand that he himself could not be holy, other­
wise he would not keep company with such wicked people, and
even eat with them. Jesus spoke to them three parables for his
justification, namely, the parable of the lost sheep, of the lost
groat, and of the prodigal son. The gospel of this day contains
the first two parables, which we will consider at some lenght :

I. The parable of the lost sheep;
II. The parable of the lost groat.

2. Homiletic Sketch.

401

Part I.
I. Let us first consider the meaning of the parable of the lost
sheep.
(0.) Who is he that has a hundred sheep ? Jesus Christ, whom
the prophets of the Old Law called a shepherd. “He shall feed
his flock like a shepherd, he shall gather together the lambs with
his arm, and shall take them up in his bosom ; and he himself
shall carry them that are with young.”—Is. 40: 11. He calls
himself the good shepherd, saying: “I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep.”—John 10: 1114. Jesus can justly be called a good shepherd, for what a good
shepherd does for his sheep he does, and a great deal more, for
the faithful ; he guides, feeds and protects them and daily offers
himself up for them.

(£.) By the hundred sheep are to be understood the angels and
saints. The shepherd of these sheep is Jesus Christ. Angels and
men are his, because he, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, is
their Creator; he is the Lord and Proprietor of men in particular,
because he has purchased them with the price of his precious
blood, as St. Peter says: “Knowing that you were not redeemed
with corruptible things as gold or silver, . . . but with the preci­
ous blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled.”—1.
Pei. i : 18, 19. The sheep has many good qualities; it is an inno­
cent animal, follows at the shepherd’s heels, and is wont to
browse upon the mountains, for there it finds desirable pastur­
age. The angels being perfectly pure and holy, always doing
the will of God and dwelling with Jesus in the heights of heaven,
may with justice be compared to sheep. But men also may be
compared to sheep, for like sheep they are weak, have many
enemies, easily go astray, and of themselves can not find the
right road. A shepherd who has a hundred sheep may be said
to be well-to-do. The hundred sheep therefore signify the power,
the greatness and the riches of Jesus. He is, as God and man,
the Lord of all creatures in heaven and upon earth; he owns
especially the Catholic Church, which is spread over all the earth
and numbers about two hundred and fifty million members ; he
is, moreover, the Lord and Master of all the treasures of grace,
since as our Redeemer he has merited them for us.
(ci) The lost sheep is the whole human race. As descendants of
Adam all men are sinners by nature. “All we like sheep have
gone astray, every one hath turned aside into his own way.”—
Is. 53: 6. By original sin, as well as by personal sins, men had
lost the only possession of any value, the grace of God and eter­
nal salvation; they had sunk into such deep misery and wretch-

ΠΙ

26

402

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

edness, that of themselves they could never free themselves from
it; left to themselves, they were lost for ever. For this reason
Jesus says: “The Son of man is come to seek and to save
that which was lost.”—Luke 19: 10. What holds good of the
whole human race, holds equally good of the individual man.
Man can sin, deprive himself of the grace of God and of heaven
and render himself guilty of eternal damnation, but is unable to
repair all this loss. If Jesus Christ had not redeemed us and me­
rited grace and reconciliation for us, not one soul could be saved.
(d.} Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, leaves the ninety-nine
sheep in the desert, and goes after that which was lost until he finds
it. Notice here that by desert you must not understand a wild,
desolate, unproductive region, but one distant from human ha­
bitations, for in such lonesome distant regions shepherds used to
pasture their sheep, because they found there the best pastures.
The desert here signifies heaven; and the ninety-nine sheep, the
nine choirs of the angels. Jesus left these ninety-nine sheep
when as man he came down upon earth in order to redeem the lost
sheep, that is, the human race. When it is said that the good
shepherd goes after the lost sheep till he finds it, the love and
solicitude wherewith Jesus Christ accomplished the work of our
redemption are expressed. Let us reflect on what Jesus Christ
has done and suffered for us from his nativity to his death on the
cross.

(tf.) The gospel says that when the shepherd has found the lost
sheep he lays it upon his shoulders, rejoicing, and coming home,
calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them : Rejoice
with vie, because I have found my sheep that was lost. Hereby is
expressed how kind, loving and forbearing Jesus is with sinners
and what joy his Sacred Heart experiences at their conversion
and salvation.
(/.) Christ concludes the parable with the words: I say to you,
that even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth
penance, more than upon ninety-nine just, who need not penance.
That there is joy in heaven among the angels and saints of God
upon one sinner doing penance, cannot be doubted; they love
us and wish nothing so much as that we should do penance and
be saved. But when Christ says that the angels and saints and
God himself rejoice more over the sinners who do penance than
over ninety-nine who need no penance, we must understand this
as said according to human feelings when we rejoice moment­
arily over something which we obtain quite unexpectedly, or only
after long and laborious exertion, more than over something
else more valuable which we already possess. Examples: the
prodigal son, Mary Magdalen.

i.

Ηοκ II letic Sketch.

403

2. Let us draw a lesson from this parable.
(a ) Jesus, the good shepherd, leaves the ninety-nine sheep on
account of the one lost. He comes down upon earth, walks about
in the form of a servant and annihilates himself, as it were, for
our redemption. Is not this self-sacrificing love of Jesus able to
induce you, O sinner, to make every sacrifice for the love of
Jesus which is required for your conversion. You live in the
proximate occasion of sin; it is hard for you to forsake such a
house, to give up the company of such a person, to shun such
society, to avoid such a conversation. You have a sinful habit;
it is hard for you to renounce swearing, gambling, drinking, or
sins against purity. Oh, think of your Saviour, who, for the love
of you, and the salvation of your immortal soul, has sacrificed
everything, even the last drop of his blood; and refuse not what
your salvation demands, though it may cost you the greatest
self-command and self-denial.

(A) As the good shepherd seeks the lost sheep, so Jesus seeks
the sinner and does everything to save him. He seeks him
through his conscience, which holds his sins before his eyes,
vividly represents to him the perdition which is in prospect,
moves and urges him to forsake his evil ways and to do penance.
He seeks him through his priests, who, from the pulpit, in the
confessional, and on other occasions, admonish him to repent.
He seeks him through the good example of his fellow-Christians,
through prosperity and adversity, through crosses and afflic­
tions. Nevertheless, there are many sinners who reject all the calls
and visitations of God and stubbornly persevere in sin. Such
sinners have reason to fear that on account of their continued
impenitence they will be lost. Examples : The people at the time
of the deluge. The inhabitants of Jerusalem in the time of Jesus
and of the Apostles—Saul, Judas.
{ci) The good shepherd takes the lost sheep upon his shoulders
and carries it home. As we read in the gospel, Jesus was all love
towards sinners. How charitable was he towards the Samaritan
woman, the adulteress, Mary Magdalen, St. Peter and the penitent
thief on the cross I Where is there a man who forgives injuries and
offenses so readily and quickly as Jesus did and continually does!
If a man has grievously sinned, our Divine Saviour forgives him
at once if he only repents of his sins and is earnestly resolved to
amend his life. Ah, who would continue to live in sin when he
can so easily obtain forgiveness ! How will the reprobate in hell
curse their impenitence, since by one good confession they
could have escaped the eternal torments of hell I

404

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

(</.) There is great joy in heaven over the conversion of a sin­
ner; God and his angels and saints rejoice. And why? Does it
profit them anything when a sinner is converted ? Ah, no ; they
are eternally happy, no matter whether the sinner is lost or
saved. Their joy has its ground in love. They love the sinner,
have compassion on him and ardently wish that he may be con­
verted and saved. O sinner, prepare this joy for God, and for his
angels and saints by a true conversion and bring forth fruits
worthy of penance.

Part Π.
The parable of the lost groat has the same significance. He
who is signified by the shepherd, is also signified by the woman
—God and God’s mercy. Many interpreters however refer what
is said in the parable of the woman to the Catholic Church estab­
lished by Christ.
I. In this sense we will consider the parable.
(a.) The woman who with the greatest diligence seeks the lost
groat is the Church. She is founded by Christ in order to instruct
all men of all times and places in the doctrines of salvation, to
purify, sanctify and lead them to their eternal destiny. She is
upon earth the living, acting Christ, and it is her task continually
to apply to men the fruits of redemption.

(Æ.) The lost groat signifies the unbelievers, heretics and sinners
who are in danger of being lost forever. The true faith, taught
by Christ, and the state of grace are required for salvation. Who­
ever through his own fault has not the true faith, or who is de­
filed by grievous sins, will perish. The groat is a symbol of the
human soul; she seems to be of little value, if considered in her
imperfections, in her inability to perform supernatural acts, and
even more so if compared with the holy angels, who are purer
than gold, brighter than diamonds. Nevertheless, the groat as a
coin has its value, and the human soul is of great value, because
she is immortal, because she is created according to the image
and likeness of God, redeemed by his precious blood and signed
with the Holy Ghost.—Ephes. 1: 13: 3: 30. “What doth it profit
a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”—
Matt. 26: 26.
(c.) The Catholic Church alone is the woman, for she alone re­
ceived the divine commission to seek that which is lost ; she alone
brings to light the lost groat, whilst sham churches bury it in the
mire of heresy and suffer it to perish in darkness. The woman

Η9Ε·Ι
·—·
*

2. Homiletic Sketch.

4θ5

lights a candle. Christ is the light of the world.— John 8: 12.
This light is the word of God, which the Church preaches through
her priests, in order to convert unbelievers, heretics and sinners.
She sends missionaries to the remotest pagan nations, who preach
to them the gospel amid a thousand dangers and privations, en­
joins all pastors of souls to preach the word of God every Sun­
day to the faithful and to give the milk of the gospel to the little
ones in the school. With the Apostle she says to every pastor,
“preach the word, be instant in season, out of season; reprove,
entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine:”—IL Tim. 4: 1, 2.

jIi
■ü

*

{ai) But, be also solicitous for the salvation of your own soul,
according to the admonition of the Holy Ghost: “My son, keep
thy soul.”—Ecclus. 10: 31. You have two hands, and two eyes,
and yet you would not allow one of your eyes to be plucked out,
a hand or a foot to be cut off, for thousands of dollars. What folly,
what delusion, then, would it be to exchange your only soul
for a few acres of land, a little filthy lucre, or a momentary
pleasure. Oh, consider what it is to lose your immortal soul!
Shun nothing so much as sin; and if you should have the misfor­
tune to fall into mortal sin, do penance without delay, in order
to reconcile yourselves with God.

x

-u

2. Let us now ponder on some lessons which this parable con­
tains. Since the Church seeks with the same diligence as the
woman sought the lost groat, to save unbelievers, heretics and
sinners, take an example from her, and do all you can to gain
souls for heaven. If even the corporal works of mercy draw down
God’s pleasure and entitle us to a great reward, how much more
will the spiritual works of mercy, since the soul is of infinitely more
value than the body and this perishable life. As the whole
heavenly hierarchy rejoices over the conversion of one sinner,
you must perceive that nothing is nobler and more meritorious
than to gain souls for heaven. He who saves one soul does a
work, which rejoices Jesus Christ and all the saints and angels
exceedingly, and for this act of charity the saved soul will
thank him for ever. Let it, therefore, be your greatest care to
save souls. No sacrifice is so acceptable to God as the zeal to
gain souls for heaven. As the devil goes about seeking whom
he may devour, so you must go about seeking whom you may
save.

i

{di) Having found the groat the woman rejoices. Thus the
Church rejoices at the conversion of sinners, unbelievers and he­
retics. She resembles the widow of Naim, whose maternal heart
felt inexpressible joy when Jesus raised her son to life. All the
children of the Church, good Catholics on earth and the Church
Triumphant in heaven, participate in her joy.

io6

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

(b.) And then take care that your conversion lasts, and guard
against every relapse into sin. He who relapses loses all the be­
nefits and graces which he had obtained by his penance; he de­
prives himself of sanctifying grace, locks heaven against, and
opens hell for himself. Nothing is more dangerous than a relapse
into former sins, for the relapsing sinner loses the fear of God
more and more, and frequently falls into spiritual blindness and
obduracy, from which a miracle of grace alone can bring him
back to the path of virtue. Oh, that all would take to heart the
earnest admonition of the Apostle : "If we sin wilfully, after hav­
ing received the knowledge of the truth, there is now left no
sacrifice for sins, but a certain dreadful expectation of judgment.”
—Heb. io: 26, 27.
PERORATION.

In conclusion, I exhort you to guard against every sin and
especially against a relapse into sin. What a joy and pleasure
will it be for Jesus Christ and your mother, the Catholic Church,
if you persevere in the path of innocence or of penance. Pray
often and fervently; receive the holy sacraments; shun as much
as possible the dangers and occasions of sin, and lead a retired
life. If you avail ourselves of these means, God will grant you
the grace necessary to persevere to the end and to be admitted
en.
into heaven by Jesus, the good shepherd

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

3. DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
THE MERCY OF GOD.

This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.—Luke 15: 2.
The gospel of this day is for us, who are sinners, very encour­
aging and consoling. How affectionate and merciful is our Di­
vine Saviour. The proud and uncharitable Scribes and Pharisees
reproach him for his forbearance with sinners: they think it
a shame and a disgrace for a just and good man to have any­
thing to do with sinners. But Jesus shows them their error, and
teaches them by the parables of the lost sheep and the lost groat,

3.

Dogmatical Sketch.

407

that for the sake of sinners he came down upon earth, and that
there is no greater joy for him than to lead sinners to penance
and to rescue them from perdition. The whole contents of the
gospel of this day being nothing but a symbolical representation
of the mercy of God, I shall briefly explain to you this morning—
I. Wherein the mercy of God consists;
II. What sinners it embraces.

Part

I.

The mercy of God consists in this, that he willingly forgives all
sinners.
I. God forgives. This is the first mark of his mercy. To forgive
is to lay aside ill-will and aversion towards those who offend us and
to wish them well from the heart. We men hardly ever forgive
perfectly. Though we say, I forgive him who offended me, yet

there often remains in us a certain coldness; we do not love him
as before. And though we try hard to wish him well, a certain
bitterness is aroused, and it costs a good deal of violence always
to suppress these emotions and entirely to destroy them. God
forgives most perfectly. “He will put away out iniquities and he
will cast all our sins into the bottom of the sea.”—Mich. 7: 19.
God sinks all our sins in the sea of oblivion; he no longer re­
members them, and he never reminds us that we were once his
enemies ; he treats us as affectionately as if we had always been
his most obedient children ; nay, his heart expands, so to speak,
and he loves us in a higher degree than many of those who have
never grievously offended him. Examples : Mary Magdalen and
Peter.
What a consolation for all repentant sinners 1 God perfectly
forgives them, adopts them as his children, and loves them more
affectionately than before. They can, if they persevere in their
penitential fervor, obtain a greater reward in heaven than many
holy persons who have lived in innocence, but served God with
less fervor.
2. God forgives willingly. This is the second mark of his mercy.
It is often difficult for men to condescend to forgive those who
have offended them. They must be reminded of the most serious
truths of religion, of heaven and hell, in order to soften their
hard hearts and dispose them to forgiveness. How differently
does God forgive. He is ever ready to receive repentant sinners ;
nay, he waits with desire for the moment when they return to
him. “I have spread forth my hands all the day to an unbelieving
people, who walk in a way that is not good.”—Is. 65: 2. “C01 • I

4o8

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

to me, all you that labor and are burdened and I will refresh
you.”—Matt. 11:28. “God,” says St. Augustine, “is more ready
to impart forgiveness to the sinner than the sinner is to receive
it.” Peruse the whole of Sacred Scripture, and everywhere you
will find convincing proofs of the merciful way in which God
receives all penitent sinners. The two parables in the gospel of
this day give us a clear idea thereof. Take the parable of the
prodigal son. How affectionately does his father receive him!
He not only does not reproach him, but even falls upon his neck
and kisses him saying: “Bring forth quickly the first robe, and
put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet;
and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and
make merry, because this my son was dead, and is come to life
again; was lost, and is found.”
Should not this love and mercy of God encourage you, like
the prodigal son, to return to him full of humility, contrition and
confidence? How can you continue to offend a God who means
so well with you, who is daily and hourly prepared to forgive
you and to treat you as his beloved children ?
3. God forgives all sinners. This is the third mark of his mercy.
There is no sinner, no matter how guilty, that can not be for­
given. Murderers, robbers, highwaymen, thieves, blasphemers,
perjurers, adulterers, in a word, all sinners can find mercy with
God. There is also no number of sins that could lock the foun­
tain of the mercy of God. If a man had the sins of the whole
world upon his conscience, he need not despair of his salvation,
but can hope for pardon. “If your sins be as scarlet, they shall
be made as white as snow, and if they be red as crimson, they
shall be white as wool.”—Is. 1: 18. St. Cyprian says: “Neither
the greatness of the crimes, nor the shortness of life yet remain­
ing, nor the extreme necessity of the last hour excludes from the
friendship of God. His infinite love and mercy embrace all that
return to him.” Examples from the sacred Scripture : Mary
Magdalen was a great sinner; she lived such a wicked life that
she was notorious far and near; seven devils had dwelt in her
heart (Luke 8: 2), and yet she obtained pardon. Jesus says:
“Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much.”—
Luke 7 : 47. The Samaritan woman, the adulteress, the thief on
the cross had grievously sinned, but they also found grace. To
convince yourselves of the infinite mercy of God, peruse the
Lives of the Saints, and you will find among them many who at
one time were great sinners, such as Margaret of Cortona, Mary
of Egypt, and yet they are now in heaven. Justly, therefore,
David says : “According to the height of the heaven above the
earth, he hath strengthened his mercy towards th em that fear

j. Dogmatical Sketch.

409

him. As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the
Lord compassion on them that fear him.”—Ps. 102: 11-13.
With what confidence and consolation may not sinners look
up to heaven when they consider the infinite mercy of G-od!
Granted that their crimes, vices and iniquities are as numerous as
the grains of sand on the sea-shore ; granted that they have be­
come grey in sin and now stand at the portals of eternity, they
must not lose courage, much less abandon their souls to despair;
if their eyes are moistened with only a single tear, all their sins,
in comparison with the mercy of God, are as insignificant as a
drop of water compared with the ocean. “Where sin abounded,
grace did more abound.”—Rom. 5: 20. Now it may be asked:
What sinners does the mercy of God embrace?

Part Π.
God’s mercy embraces all those sinners who—

1. Truly repent. The mercy of God is infinite as God himself,
but its effect is restricted to the true conversion of the sinner.
We find this important truth expressed in the clearest words in
the Sacred Scripture : “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the
unjust man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he
will have mercy on him.”—Is. 55:7. “If the wicked do penance for
all his sins which he hath committed, and keep my commandments,
and do judgment and justice, living he shall live, and shall not
die.”—Ezech. 18: 21. Therefore, if the sinner repents, God will
be merciful to him and forgive him his sins, but if, on the con­
trary, the sinner persevere in sin, he will perish. “Unless you
do penance, you shall all likewise perish.” The mercy of God
then does not consist in this, that he forgives all sinners indiscri­
minately, but only those who who truly repent. Think of Cain,
of the people in the time of Noe, of the inhabitants of Sodom and
Gomorrha, of the traitor Judas, of the obstinate Jews at Jerusa­
lem ; they all perished because they did no penance.
Form therefore no false idea of the mercy of God! Do not say:
God is merciful ; no matter how often and how grievously I may
sin, he will forgive me. This is the language of presumption, and
leads to perdition. Countless men who sinned, presuming on
God’s mercy, are now burning in hell. God is infinitely merci­
ful, but also infinitely just. His mercy causes him to forgive the
repentant sinner, but his justice makes him condemn the impeni­
tent sinner. The mercy of God should be a pretext to no one for
remaining in sin, but rather a powerful admonition to penance.
2. Repent in time. God, in his unsearchable counsels, pursues
different ways with sinners; to some he grants many years for

410

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

their conversion, to others but a short space of time. Manasses,
king of the Jews, reigned over fifty years at Jerusalem, and
during that long time did indescribable mischief. He built tem­
ples for idols, practised sorcery and magic, and seduced his
people to idolatry’; he shed a great deal of innocent blood, and
added sin to sin. And yet this wicked king still found grace; in
his captivity at Babylon he did penance and God forgave him
his sins. But God treated his son Amon quite differently. He
followed in the footsteps of his father and committed crime after
crime, imagining that God would give him a long life, the latter
part of which he could devote to penance. But, blind man, how
he deceived himself! After two years he was killed in the midst
of his sinful career and was lost. Dismas, who was crucified
with Jesus, after having spent the greater part of his life in
sins and vices, found grace in the last hour.—Luke 23: 43. But
how did Ananias and Saphira fare, who had committed only one
sin, having concealed part of the money received for a field they
had sold? God made an example of them; they fell dead at the
feet of St. Peter.—5. Therefore ponder the words of the
Holy Ghost: “Add not sin upon sin, and say not: the mercy of
the Lord is great, he will have mercy on the multitude of my sins.
For mercy and wrath quickly come from him, and his wrath
looketh upon sinners. Delay not to be converted 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: 5-8. Divine mercy is infinite, but then it has its fixed
time, and the anger of God follows close on his mercy.
PERORATION.

I conclude my instructions to-day with the admonition of St.
Gregory the Great. Let us now employ the precious time and
devote our whole life to the practice of good works and not pro­
crastinate till it is about to ebb away, for God, who has promised
pardon to the sinner, has not promised to-morrow to the im­
penitent. God is infinitely merciful and forgives all sinners, those
also who have offended him most grievously, but he forgives only
those sinners who repent truly and without delay. Let us make
good use of the time of grace and work out our salvation with­
out delay, that we may escape the threatening perdition and be
saved. Amen.

4·

Liturgical Sketch.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH.
THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS.

(See also Vol. VI.)

One of the soldiers with a spear opened his side ; and immediately
there came out blood and water.—John 19: 34.
It was reserved for our own times to have the treasure of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus fully opened and revealed. For this end
Our Blessed Redeemer made use of a feeble, obscure instrument,
so that the whole world might know that the devotion to his
loving Heart, previously known only to a few of the saints, was
sanctioned in heaven, and was his own work. This instrument
was the Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque, a humble nun of the
order of the Visitation of Mary, at Paray, in Burgundy, France.
Having shone before God in all the radiance of the most sublime
virtues, unknown and unregarded by the world, she died in the
odor of sanctity in 1690, and was beatified by Pius IX. in I864.
The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is now greatly cher­
ished throughout the Church, Pope Pius IX., of blessed memory,
having, for the purpose of its promotion, extended the Feast of
the Sacred Heart to the whole Catholic world, to be observed on
the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi. That the faithful
may have a better opportunity of participating in the celebration
of this Feast, it has been transferred to this Sunday. With a view
o promote this beautiful devotion, I shall explain to you—
I. Why we ought to pay special homage to the Sacred Heart,
IL In what way we ought to pay this homage.

Part I.
We must pay homage to the Sacred Heart of Jesus—
I.

Because it is the human, living Heart of our Saviour.

(«). Jesus is both God and man. As man he has, with the
exception of sin, whatever we have; a body and a soul, and, con­
sequently, also a human Heart. If we consider the Heart of Jesus
as a human heart it is worthy of the most profound adoration,
for it is the principal part of the sacred body of Jesus Christ,

412

Third Sunday After Pentecost

and the chief organ of his blessed soul. The heart is the seat
of all our feelings, of joy, sadness and love; from it proceed all
things whatsoever we say and do. “A. good man, out of the
good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth that which is good ;
and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that
which is evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaketh.”—Luke 6: 45. Therefore all the deeds of our Sa­
viour, his endurance of hardship, his going about under great
fatigues and doing good, his compassion for the unhappy, his
watching and praying at night, proceeded from his Sacred
Heart as their source. And for such a loving Heart ought we
not to entertain the tenderest affection ?

(3.) Moreover, remember that principally through his Sacred
Heart he accomplished our redemption. His Heart submitted to
the will of his heavenly Father, being obedient to the death of
the cross. His Heart was so agitated by anguish that he sweat
blood, and exclaimed on the cross: “My God, my God, why hast
thou forsaken me ?”—Matt. 27 : 46. At last Jesus Christ permitted
his Heart to be pierced through with a lance, in order to convince
us that we owe to it both the beginning and the consummation
of our redemption. If we entertain a peculiar veneration for the
sacred instruments of his passion, the lance, the nails, the crown
of thorns, how much more reason has the Church to cherish a
tender devotion to his Sacred Heart. O Sacred Heart of Jesus,
if I only look upon thee as a human heart, thou art above all hu­
man hearts dear to me, for thou art the source of all virtue and
sanctity and to thee principally I owe my redemption.

2. Because it is the Divine Heart of our Saviour: for it is the
Heart of the God-Man, and therefore united to the Second Person
of the Blessed Trinity. We owe then to this Heart the same ado­
ration as to Jesus Christ, whose Heart it is. As we adore him, so we
must adore his Sacred Heart.
And this devotion should increase on reflecting that if the
Heart of Jesus were purely human all the prayers and supplica­
tions, all the anguish and blood of this Heart, would only have
a finite value, and consequently would he insufficient to blot out
our guilt and to satisfy the infinite justice of God ; but being the
Heart of the God-Man, it is a Divine Heart, because it is God’s
Heart, and hence all prayers and actions which come forth from
it are of infinite value, and therefore more than sufficient for
our redemption. How then could we refuse to this Divine Heart
a special homage?

3. Because this Sacred Heart is all love, all tenderness for us.
(λ.) The heart is the emblem, the organ and seat of love. As
we have eyes to see, ears to hear, feet to walk, a tongue to speak.

4· Liturgical Sketch.

413

we have a heart to love. Therefore, the heart is the generally
acknowledged symbol of love. St. Augustine and St. Teresa are
represented as holding a heart in their hands, to signify thereby
their fervent, burning love of God. When we read in the Book
of Proverbs: “My son, give me thy heart,” it means that God
demands our whole, undivided love; and when the Church pro­
poses to our veneration and adoration the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
she wishes to place before our eyes the ineffable love of him
who suffered and died for our redemption and instituted the
Sacrament of his body and blood in remembrance of his death.
For the same reason the first commandment runs thus: “Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart.”
bo

(Æ.) Considering the Sacred Heart of jesus as a symbol of cha­
rity, how many reasons have we to pay to it all possible homage!
The Son of God burned with love for us from all eternity, long­
ing to become man and to die for us. Does not the whole work
of redemption loudly proclaim his love forus sinful men! Is it
not love that induced him to become poor, that he might enrich
us ; to humble himself, that he might exalt us ; to die for us, that
we might have life everlasting? Is it not out of love that he is
constantly present in the Blessed Sacrament imparting to us all
the graces we stand in need of, when we appear before him in
humble adoration and full of confidence in his mercy?
Is it not out of love that he daily offers himself up for us upon
the altar, and enters into our hearts in holy communion, uniting
himself most intimately with us and giving himself to us whole
and entire? Should we not venerate this Heart, which is so full
of love and compassion, with the greatest love and gratitude ?

4. Because we should atone for the many insults offered to Restes
in the Blessed Sacrament. Countless are the insults offered to
Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. How many never visit him to
pay the homage due to him? How many dishonor him by their
evil conduct, hardly bending their knee before him, gazing about,
talking and laughing? How many abuse the Blessed Sacra­
ment by curses, imprecations and blasphemies? How many
receive this Sacrament unworthily in the state of sin and defile
their consciences with horrible sacrileges? Oh, how painful must
be the wounds which these sins inflict on the loving Heart of
Jesus ! But his charity towards us is unbounded. And should we
not be inflamed with an anxious desire to console our dear Jesus
by our ardent love and thus to atone for the outrages committed
against this Sacrament of love? This atonement was the principal
object Christ had in view when he exhorted Blessed Margaret to
promote the devotion to his Heart. This he vouchsafed to reveal
in express terms to that holy nun.

4>4

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

Part Π.
Our Divine Saviour said to his disciples : "Come to me, all you
that labor, and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take
up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek and
humble of Heart.”—Matt. 11: 28, 29. Jesus desires us to honor
his Heart by putting our confidence in him and following his
example in meekness and humility.
1. We can not put our entire confidence in men, because they
either can not or will not help us; whilst Jesus has the power
and the will to help us.

(λ.) Jesus can do all things. Who would doubt the power of the
Almighty? He stilled the winds and tempests. Was it not he
who with a few loaves fed several thousand men ; who healed
the sick, and delivered those oppressed by the devil; who re­
called the dead to life; And Jesus is still the same God he was
eighteen hundred years ago.
(£.) Much more our confidence must increase by reflecting that
the Sacred Heart is all love, bounty, and tenderness. When did
any one in distress ever come to Jesus without being relieved?
The blind, the lame, the lepers, come to him, and are healed. He
cures before he is asked, as, for instance, the man who had la­
bored under a dreadful malady for thirty-eight long years. When
his disciples were anxious to procure our Lord a short rest, he
rebukes them, and he himself is never too tired to listen to their
petitions. And how compassionate is he with poor sinners! Wit­
ness Mary Magdalen in Simon’s house, Zacheus, and the penitent
thief on the cross. Verily, to seek sinners and pardon them is the
ardent desire of his most tender Heart. He says himself: “The
Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”—
Luke 19: 10.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus being so bountiful and powerful,
shall we not approach it with all assurance, and with the greatest
confidence expect from it every grace and blessing ? Yes, and
nothing could grieve and offend this divine Heart more than
want of confidence in it, shown by omitting to have recourse to
it in our necessities. Judas deeply grieved the Heart of Jesus
when he betrayed him to his enemies ; but still more did he grieve
this Heart, so much inclined to mercy and forgiveness, when
he no longer had confidence in him and yielded to despair.
2. Jesus admonishes us to imitate his Sacred Heart especially
in the practice of two virtues, humility and meekness of heart,
telling us to learn of him to be meek and humble of heart. It is

4·

Liturgical Sketch

415

true, we see all virtues in the Heart of Jesus, but there are two
in particular, his humility and meekness, because they are his
favorite virtues and he particularly wishes us to imitate them.
(a.) Meekness. The whole life of Jesus was an uninterrupted
practice of meekness. Herod seeks his life at his nativity and
although the meek Jesus could have destroyed him, yet he goes
out of his way. The Samaritans lock their gates against him; his
disciples are so angry that they wished to call fire from heaven
upon them, but he rebukes them severely, saying: “You know
not of what spirit you are. The Son of man came not to destroy
souls, but to save?’—Luke 9: 51-56. His enemies say to him that
he has a devil, and seek to stone him: he remains calm and pas­
sionless, withdrawing himself from their fury. The Scribes and
Pharisees mock him even on the cross; he excuses them and
prays for them and his murderers. And how meek is Jesus in
the Most Holy Sacrament, when his own children are so cold or
even guilty of horrible sacrileges ! Let us admire this heavenly
meekness of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and learn of him to be
meek of heart. Guard against anger, against cursing and swear­
ing, have compassion with the frailties of others, avoid quarrels
and discord, and defend your rights and interests with moderation.

(Æ.) Humility. St. Basil, reviewing the whole life of Christ,
shows that in all his actions he teaches humility. His whole life
is a perfect example of the most consummate humility, and his
teaching tends to plant this virtue in our hearts, when he says:
“Learn of me to be meek and humble of heart.” How much did
he humble himself at his coming into the world, choosing a poor
virgin for his mother, a poor carpenter for his foster-father, and
a stable for his palace! He walked upon earth in the form of a
servant, was baptized like a sinner by John, washed his disciples’
feet, and patiently bore all humiliations. He died as an apparent
malefactor on the cross. But his humiliation goes still further in
the Blessed Sacrament. Here he appears not even in the form
of man, but hides in majesty under the lowly form of bread. Here
he allows us to do anything we please with him, to bear him
through the streets and crowded thoroughfares to any place we
may wish. He allows himself to be distributed to the sinner as well
as to to the just, in short he annihilates himself, as it were. Con­
sidering this amazing humility of Christ, should we not learn of
him to be humble of heart ? Oh, let us confess and acknowledge
that of ourselves we are nothing but misery and sin, and that
we owe all that we are and have to God’s infinite and unmerited
bounty. Let us not exalt ourselves above others, nor despise others;
let us not seek human praise, but let us, in all we do, have nothing
in view but the greater honor and glory of God. Let us bear

416

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

with patience, if we cannot with joy, the humiliations we meet
with. Let us humble ourselves before God; let us humble our­
selves before men and before ourselves, for the more we humble
ourselves, the greater will be the joy we prepare for the Sacred
Heart of Jesus and the more abundantly will his graces and be­
nedictions be showered upon us.
PERORATION.

Endeavor to acquire a tender devotion to the Sacred Heart,
Confide in it; it is a most kind and powerful Heart. Hope to ob­
tain from it whatever is necessary in time and eternity. And
above all, strive to have your heart transformed into the Heart
of Jesus by being humble and meek of heart. And how could
you henceforth still love sin and the world, which have inflicted
such cruel wounds on this most tender Heart? May the Sacred
Heart of Jesus possess your hearts; may his spirit govern your
spirit! O Sacred Heart of Jesus, make me daily love thee more
and more. Amen.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKECB.
THE CHURCH THE GOOD SHEPHERD’S HOME FOR THE SINNER.
77zz5

man receiveth sinners and eateth with them.—Luke 15: 2.

When a traveler who is making a long and laborious journey
becomes hungry and thirsty, weary and fatigued, nothing is more
desirable to him than an inn with good accomodation; he enters
it immediately, refreshes himself, rests, and thus strengthened,
continues his journey. The sinner resembles a traveler on a long,
difficult journey ; his bad conscience, which he can never com­
pletely silence, often reproaches him and spoils all the joys of
his life, nor does it seldom happen that he loses the means and
the capability of indulging his evil desires and passions. Sooner
or later, at all events at his departure from this world, every
sinner must confess to his great sorrow: “We wearied ourselves
in the way ot iniquity and destruction and have walked through
hard ways.”— Wis. 5: 7. Now God, in his infinite love and mercy,
has erected a home of rest for those sinners who walk through

5- Symbolical Sketch.

4*7

hard ways and thereby become fatigued, and in it they find re­
ception and refreshment. This home is the Church, over the en­
trance to which is written: “The Good Sheepherd's Home”, and
underneath this: Come to me all you that labor and are burdened
and I will refresh you.—Matt. 14: 28.

The Church is the Good Shepherd's Home for the sinner ; this is
the subject of my discourse this morning. We will consider—
I. How the sinner arrives at this Home;
II. How he enters it and how he is treated there.

Part I.
I. It often happens that a traveler is warned against this or
that iun. People who do not like the accomodation at a certain
inn will try to persuade others not to stop there, but to put up at
some other in which they keep a better table at lower rates. In
such a dilemma many a sinner often finds himself placed, when,
having made the resolution to repent of his wicked life, he is now
about to go into the church in order by a good confession to at­
tend to the all important affairs of his conversion. But the world,
his companions in sin, endeavor to prevent his repentance and
conversion. They say : “You certainly will not be so foolish as
to make a devotee or hypocrite of yourself I Would it not be mad­
ness for you to exchange all joys and pleasures for a gloomy pe­
nitential life ? How foolish of you to entertain such an absurd ideal
Are you crazy? Such a smart man as you are to believe such
nonsense! How ridiculous 1 Be a sensible man again, as you used
to be; banish those capricious notions and enjoy life; man lives
only to enjoy life.” Thus they speak, and alas! they succeed
only too often, and the sinner gives up the intention of putting
up at the Home of the Good Shepherd, and continues his sinful
course. Diderot, one of the infidel philosophers in the last cen­
tury, who had abjured God, denied the immortality of the soul
and publicly declared that, with the exception of the clothes,
there was no difference between a man and a dog, having fallen
into a dangerous sickness, resolved at the instance of his ser­
vant to reconcile himself again with God and his holy Church.
He sent for a priest and prepared to make a confession, to ab­
jure his godless principles and publicly to retract. But his im­
pious friends hearing it, surrounded his bed and made use of
every means to prevent his repentance and conversion, telling
him that his sickness was not dangerous, and that there was hope
of his recovery ; they suggested to him that he should go into
the country for the sake of the air, as nothing would cure him
but a change of climate. Diderot followed their suggestions and

11

27

4i8

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

was removed to a villa some distance from Paris. Penance, con­
fession. or retractation of his godless principles were no longer
thought of ; he was closely watched by his false friends, so that
no priest could come near him and thus the unfortunate man died,
as he had lived, in sin.
2. Often it is not even necessary to tell a traveler not to go
into a certain inn. He has his reasons for not going in and putting
up there. The sign does not please him or ihe inn is old-fashioned
vr too cominon, or it is too quiet; or, seeing only a few guests, he
fancies that boarders and travelers are not treated well.

(a.') The Church, the Home of the Good Shepherd, certainly
should be welcome to all sinners and they should enter it with
the greatest joy. The words, “The Good Shepherd’s Home”, re­
mind them of Jesus the good shepherd, who sought the lost
sheep with the greatest solicitude, and lovingly took it upon his
shoulders and carried it home. But who would believe it? the
very name “The Good Shepherd’s Home” is for many sinners
sufficient reason not to go in and put up there, but to pass it by
and continue their evil ways. They console themselves by think­
ing of the mercy of God, imagining that there is time enough yet
for penance ; if after sone years or on their dying bed they repent,
God will receive them in mercy and love. Blinded men, they sin
against the Holy Ghost, because they sin, presuming upon the
mercy of God and are in the greatest danger of dying in sin.
Oh, that they would consider the words : “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.
(£.) To other sinners “The Good Shepherd’s Home” is too
common, not fashionable and respectable enough ; that is, they
think it would disgrace them, were they to renounce their
worldly and sinful life and do penance. What would people
think and say of us if we no longer attended their entertainments,
and soireés, or if we spent hours in church, went monthly or
weekly to confession and communion? Oh, horrible to think of,
they would point at us with their finger, considering us crazy.
A foolish pride, therefore, it is that keeps them from doing pen­
ance. O unfortunate people! they are to be pitied because they
do not consider “that the friendship of this world is the enemy
of God, and that whosoever therefore will be a friend of this
world, becometh an enemy of God.”—fames 4; 4. What will it
profit them always to have been good friends to the world, if in
the end they are rejected by the God whom they rejected?

5. Symbolical Sketch.

419

(e. ) Many sinners do not put up at the ‘'Home of the Good Shep­
herd” because it is too quiet there. They imagine that the peni­
tential life is without any joy; that they would be obliged to re­
nounce everything that can gladden the human heart; that they
would spend the remainder of their life in melancholy—and there­
fore they have a horror of penance and conversion. But this is a
very mistaken notion. God infuses into the heart of the penitent
greater and more lasting joys than the world can give its childrenSt. Augustine says: “I plunged into pleasures, and found only sor­
row.” ‘‘Blessed are they that mourn,” says our Lord, not only be­
cause they will be consoled in eternity, but because, even on earth,
the tears of repentance have their joys, their delights, and are
sweeter than all the false and fleeting joys of sin. Hence David
says: “Better is one day in thy courts (O Lord) than a thousand”
(days in the joys and pleasures of the world). If sinners had any
knowledge of the joy of true penitents they wrould not hesitate a mo­
ment to enter into the Good Shepherd’s Home and be converted to
the Lord with all their heart.
3. There are travelers who are glad when they find, an inn; they
are weary, hungry, thirsty, and therefore easily resolve to go in, in
order to be refreshed. Thus there are sinners who strongly feel the
necessity of doing penance. They have perhaps, like the prodigal
son, by their dissipation and passions brought misery and poverty
on themselves, and now make a resolution to reconcile themselves
with God, that they may not fall a victim to eternal misery and per­
dition. The thought of the multitude and greatness of their sins fills
them with anguish and terror ; hence they resolve to follow the way
of penance in order to find their lost peace. They remember the
words of the Psalmist: “The Lord is gracious and merciful, patient
and plenteous in mercy; the Lord is sweet to all, and his tender
mercies are over all his works.”—Ps. 144: 8, 9. They put their
confidence in God and say with the prodigal son : “I will arise, and
will go to my father.”—Luke 13: 18. Happy those sinners who
out up at the Good Shepherd’s Home, for they are well treated there’

Part II.
When a traveler enters an inn he meets with a good reception,
especially if he seems well-to-do. The host meets him and enters
into a pleasant conversation with him. He gives him every in­
formation about the place, the roads and such other matters that
may be of use to him on his journey; he orders a good meal for
him, that he may satisfy his hunger, and if he remains overnight
he shows him to his room, where he finds a good bed and
everything necessary for his comfort, so that he may be enabled

420

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

in the morning to continue his journey with renewed strength.
The best resting-place in the world is the Good Shepherd’s
Home, the Church.
1. Here the sinner is instructed in everything pertaining to his
salvation—

(a.) By the pastors, who preach the word of God every Sunday
and holiday. There is nothing relating to faith or morals that is
not sometimes made the subject of the discourses ; for they treat
of God and his attributes, of virtues and good works, of sins and
vices, of the duties of one’s state and religion, of the different
means of salvation, of the rewards and punishments which re­
spectively await the good and the bad hereafter. On the sinner
who listens to these Christian instructions with a good disposi­
tion they will have a salutary influence, and by little and little
will move him to renounce his sinful life and to do penance.
History furnishes numberless examples of the efficacy of the
divine word. The Apostles and their successors have converted
millions of infidels and sinners by their sermons, and have re­
newed the face of the earth. Examples : The sermon of Jonas at
Ninive, of Peter on the feast of Pentecost.

(£.) By the Christians who are present and who edify him by their
devotion. When he sees how the assembled believers behave in
church, praying with the greatest devotion, it makes a salutary
impression upon him; his heart is warmed, and involuntarily he
falls upon his knees and begins to pray. Many unbelievers, here­
tics and sinners, who by chance have assisted at divine worship
in a Catholic church, have been converted by the devotion of
the faithful.
(i.) By the sight of the pictures of the saints, of the Stations of the
Cross. St. Gregory says : ‘ ‘ The pictures of the saints are placed
in the churches, that those who cannot read books may at least
read with their eyes what they cannot read in books.” He who
attentively looks at the fourteen Stations of the Cross receives as
clear an insight into the passion of Jesus as if he read it in a
book. The pictures of the saints encourage us to good, because
they bring before us the virtues of the saints. Thus St. Gregory
of Nyssa says of himself, that he never could look at the picture
which represented Abraham as he was about to sacrifice his son,
without shedding tears. It once happened that by looking at a
picture of David shedding tears, a young man who had been
leading a dissolute life bitterly bewailed his sins, repented, and
was permanently converted.

5-

Symbolical Sketch.

421

1. Here he is raised up and consoled—
(al) By prayer. God himself says through the prophet: “Call
upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt
glorify me.”—Ps. 49: 15. And Christ invites, in most affectionate
words, all the afflicted, and promises them consolation and aid :
“Come to me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will re­
fresh you.”—Malt. 11: 28. Truly, what is more natural than to
find consolation in prayer, if we perform it with fervor and con­
fidence? We feel relieved when we can reveal our troubles to a
sympathizing friend. How much more consolation must we
receive from prayer, in which we are allowed to converse famili­
arly with God and to tell him everything that troubles us ! If the
sinner profoundly humbles himself before God and calls upon him
for grace and pardon, God affectionately turns to him, infuses
consolation into his heart, and assures him of his benevolence
and grace. Oh, what a happiness for the sinner that he can
still pray I

(Æ.) By hearing the word of God. As crushing as the word of
God is for the impenitent, obstinate sinner, so is it consoling
for him who makes a resolution to repent and amend ; for it gives
him the assurance that he will obtain pardon from God’s infinite
mercy. Thus God says : “Is it my will that a sinner should die,
and not that he should be converted from his ways, and live?”
—Ezechiel 18: 23. And Jesus says : “The son of man came not to
destroy souls, but to save.”—Luke g : 56. By the word of God
the sinner is taught that he may hope for forgiveness, no matter
how far he may have gone astray. “If your sins be as scarlet, they
shall be made as white as snow : and if they be red as crimson,
they shall be white as wool.”—Is. 1: 18. Examples: Manasses,
David, Mary Magdalen, the thief on the cross.
(c.) But especially by confession. What sweet consolation a
good confession, especially a good general confession, affords,
you all know who have confessed sincerely and penitently.
You felt before confession as if a heavy load were on your con­
science ; you went into the confessional full of anguish and an­
xiety, but how consoled you were after your confession! The
sick man rejoices over his recovered health; the prisoner over
his newly gained liberty, the criminal condemned to death over
his pardon, and why should not the sinner rejoice when after a
good confession he can say: Now my soul that was sick unto
death is well again: I am free from the slavery of Satan and the
fetters of sin: I again possess sanctifying grace; I am a child of
God and an heir of heaven.

422

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

3. Finally, here he is refreshed. He is refreshed by the word of
God and prayer, which encourage and strengthen him to shun
sin and to lead a Christian life; by the Sacrament of Penance, in
which special grace is imparted to him, enabling him to overcome
all temptations and to guard against a relapse ; but especially by
holy communion, in which Jesus unites himself most intimately
with him and gives him strength to combat all the enemies of
his salvation, to practice the Christian virtues and to persevere
to the end.
PERORATION.

Blessed are those sinners who do not pass by the Good Shep­
herd’s Home, but remain there to eat and drink I They find every­
thing that they need and can wish for: instruction, consolation,
refreshment and nourishment. As we are all sinners more or
less, having often offended God grievously, and are even now
offending him, if not by mortal, at least by venial sins, no place
in the world should be dearer to us than the Good Shepherd’s
Home. Go to church, and hear mass, if not every day, at least
on Sundays and holidays ; attend church not only in the morn­
ing but also in the afternoon. Hear the word of God; pray with
interior recollection and a penitent heart; receive the Sacraments
of Penance and the Blessed Eucharist as often as possible, that
you may obtain rest for your souls. Amen.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

6. MORAL SKETCH.
ON DELAYING REPENTANCE.

This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.—Luke 15:2.
Our divine Saviour in the gospel of this day justifies himself
against the Scribes and Pharisees, who reproached him for
receiving sinners and eating with them, and explains in the par­
ables of the lost sheep and lost groat, that he was come to seek
and to save that which was lost. No shepherd seeks his stray
sheep, and no woman the lost goat, with greater solicitude than
Jesus sought sinners in order to save them from perdition. What

6.

Moral Sketch.

423

he did during his mortal life he continues to do to the end of the
world; he is ever seeking sinners and giving them grace after
grace, that they may enter upon the way of penance. But alas!
now, as formerly, many sinners do not allow themselves to be
found; they reject all graces and defer their conversion from
time to time. The condition of such sinners is really deplorable,
for there is reason to fear that they will come to a miserable end.
I propose to show to-day—

L That sinners mho always defer their repentance deserve to die
impenitently ;
II. That they have more reason to expect an impenitent than a pe­
nitent death.

Part

1

Sinners who defer their conversion from time to time with the
intention of repenting later on, perhaps in old age, on their
death bed, deserve to die impenitently. Why?
1.

On accotent of their presumption.

(a.) He who defers his conversion with the intention of repent­
ing later on, knows and believes that leading the sinful life he
does he cannot possibly be saved, and that he must necessarily
repent if he wishes to escape eternal damnation. Knowing
and believing this, it is not his intention to remain always im­
penitent, but at present he will sin, and continue to sin till it shall
please him to repent. Is not this saying, if not in words, at least
in reality: I am very well pleased with my sinful life. I will con­
tinue it and defy the judgments of G-od, but later, when it shall
please me, I will offend God no more and invoke his mercy.
What language ! Does not such a presumptuous sinner deserve
that God should withdraw his mercy from him and let him die in
his sins?
(Æ.) In the Book of Judges (chap. 11) we read that Jephet, a
most valiant man and warrior, was expelled by his countrymen
from his native city. But when, shortly after, the Ammo­
nites made war against them and they were hard pressed, they
had recourse to Jephet to help them, saying: “Come thou, and
be our prince, and fight against the children of Ammon.” And
he answered them : “Are not you the men that hated me, and
cast me out of my father’s house, and now you are come to me
constrained by necessity?” The same may be said of sinners
who defer their repentance from day to day, and who resolve to
repent on their death-bed. They drive God, as it were, out of

4*4

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

their heart; after many years of sin, when death knocks at their
door, they call upon God, and beseech him to have mercy on
them and to help them. Do such persumptuous sinners deserve
that God should snatch them from the claws of the devil and
receive them in love ?
(c.) Hear what God himself says in the Book of Proverbs (i :
24-26): “Because I called, and you refused: I stretched out my
hand, and there was none that regarded. You have despised all
my counsel, and have neglected my reprehensions. I also will
laugh in your destruction, and will mock when that shall come
to you which you feared.” “He who defers his repentance to the
last days of his life has no faith, for how easily it may happen
that in the meantime he will fall a victim to the judgments of
God. In time of necessity God will not hear his weeping, be­
cause he would not hear the voice of God in the days of his pro­
sperity.”— St. Gregory the Great. Denis the Carthusian relates of
a certain young man, that God frequently invited him to penance,
but that he always deferred it and consoled himself by saying:
“After awhile I will do penance.” He died suddenly and soon
after appeared to one of his acquaintances in his sleep, and said
with a pitiable voice: “To morrow, accursed to-morrow, thou
has plunged me into the pool of eternal fire!” Who does not see
that sinners, by always deferring their conversion, act very pre­
sumptuously and deserve to die impenitently ?
2. On account of their ingratitude to God. If a rich man gave
his servants a large sum of money and lucrative situations, would
he not deserve that they should be grateful to him and manifest
their gratitude by good conduct? But supposing these servants
squandered the money, neglected their duties and even insulted
their lord and offended him in every possible way, would it not
be base ingratitude? Would not such ingratitude draw down
upon the servants the displeasure and punishment of their master?
But I ask : Do not sinners who are ever deferring their repent­
ance act more basely and culpably than these servants ? God
gives them grace after grace, he acts interiorly through the voice
of their conscience and exteriorly through his priests and others;
he allows them to live on through the holy seasons of Christmas,
Easter and Pentecost, and invites them to be reconciled with
him by the worthy reception of the Sacraments of Penance and
the Blessed Eucharist; he sends them prosperity and blesses
their undertakings in order to draw them to himself, but they
remain in sin ; yes, the graces and benefits which they receive
from him only serve as means to offend him more grievously.
Is not this the basest ingratitude towards God ? Do not such sin­
ners deserve that God should withdraw his hand from them and
allow them to be lost?

6. Moral Sketch.

425

Horrible was the desolation with which Jerusalem was vi­
sited according· to the prophecy of Christ. During the siege by
the Romans famine raged most terribly in the city. The greater
part of its inhabitants were compelled to eat things the very
look of which disgusted them; and what almost surpasses belief,
one mother killed her infant and consumed half of it. Over a million
Jews perished during the siege; ninety-seven thousand were
made prisoners and condemned, some to hard labor, others
to death : whilst many were sold into slavery, and dispersed all
over the world. The city, together with its magnificent temple,
was in a few hours reduced to ashes and a heap of ruins. What
was the reason that Jerusalem with its inhabitants was so terribly
punished? It was ingratitude, because in spite of all the graces
and benefits of God they persevered in unbelief and sin. Jesus
plainly says this: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the
prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee! how often
would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth
gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldst not? Be­
hold, your house shall be left to you desolate.”—Matt, 23: 37, 38.
Sinners who always defer the amendment of their lives have
reason to fear that, on account of their ingratitude, God will with­
draw his graces from them and permit them to die in their sins.
3. On account of their contempt of God. Man is under the strict
obligation to serve God all the days of his life—in his childhood,
in his youth, in his mature years and in his old age. If he never
serves God for a single day, or even for an hour, he is guilty of
contempt of God for the simple reason that he prefers something
created to the Creator, and, so to speak, does what the Jews did
when they preferred the murderer Barabbas to our Divine Sa­
viour. Of such a contempt sinners make themselves guilty who
continue to sin and defer the amendment of their life to old age
or their death-bed. For what else is it than to despise God if we
prefer our own perverse will or despicable desires and passions to
him and his holy will? And sinners who despise God, not only
once and again, but as long as they defer repentance, do they
not deserve that he should turn away from them and let them
go to perdition?

Part H.
Sinners who always defer their conversion have good reason
to fear that they will die an impenitent death rather than a
penitent one. The reason is because—
I.

Either they are no longer able to repent—

426

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

(al) First of all, the sinner needs time for repentance. If the
damned in hell had only one minute for repentance, they could
be saved; but because they have not even this one minute, their
repentance, and, consequently, also their salvation, is absolutely
impossible. It is, however, certain that man has nothing less in
his power than time; he can not count on a day, or on an hour,
much less on days. “Man knoweth not his end, but as fishes are
taken with the hook, and as birds are caught with the snare, so
men are taken in the evil time, when it shall suddenly come upon
them.”—Eccles. 9:12. “Watch, for you know neither the day
nor the hour.“ Many who imagine that they have the prospect
of many years before them and make plans for the future, are
like the rich man in the gospel, who had his barn pulled down
and built a larger one, in order to store away his grain, and who
said to himself: “Soul, thou has much goods laid up for many
years, take thy rest, eat, drink, make good cheer.” The fool;
what a miscalculation he had made, for that very night his soul
was required of him.—Luke 12: 16-20. It frequently happens
that sinners are snatched away quite unexpectedly. Examples :
The people at the time of the deluge; the Jews in Jerusalem at
the time of the Roman general, Titus, who came with a great
army and laid Jerusalem in ashes. Core, Dathan, and Abiron.
Ophni and Phinees, Heli’s sons, Amnon. Now if death surprises
men, and especially sinners, and puts an end to their life con­
trary to all expectation, have not sinners who always defer their
conversion reason to fear they will die without repentance?
(£.) But let us suppose that God does not snatch away such
sinners suddenly, but sends them premonitions of death, sore af­
fliction and sickness, will they really repent? Ah, it is much to
be doubted, for no time is less suitable for repentance than that
of a serious sickness or when death approaches. At such a time
the sick person is completely exhausted and worn out by bodily
pains, so that the mind is, as it were, clouded. Whatever is done
is for the alleviation of the pains of the body. Even those who
surround him, friends, relatives, physicians, nurses, are more con­
cerned about the body than the soul. And thus he may easily
die without any thought of conversion, because he had no idea
of his danger, and thought that in a few days he would be up
and about again. And even if at the entreaty of a real friend he
consents to make his confession, what benefit can be expected
from it when all the faculties of his mind are so weakened that
whatever he says and does is said and done mechanically rather
than with conscientiousness and freedom of will?

(r.) For true repentace grace on the part of God is also re­
quired. Of himself no man can do anything profitable for his

6. Moral Sketch.

427

salvation, as the Apostle says: “Not that we are sufficient to
think anything of ourselves, as of ourselves; but our suffi iency
is from God.” Now though we believe with most theologians and
with the Fathers of the Church that God does not withdraw his
grace entirely from the greatest sinner, this much is certain, that
he turns away from such persons, and gives his graces more
sparingly to those who never cease to offend him and only re­
turn ingratitude for his benefits. If they would zealously avail
themselves of these graces, they could still do penance and be
saved ; but they do not, because they are already blind and obdu­
rate ; and the consequence is, that the graces remain ineffectual,
and that as impenitent sinners they perish.

2. Or because they do not desire to repent.
(ai) It is said by a man who saw a lion for the first time, that
he was so scared and terrified that he grew pale and trembled like
an aspen leaf; but afterwards, when he saw the lion oftener, his
fear gradually grew less, till at length he so accustomed him­
self to the sight that he was not in the last afraid. This is the
picture of the sinner. At his first fall he is agitated by fear and
anguish, but after repeated falls he loses this fear more and more,
and finally sin becomes a matter of indifference to him and he
gives up all desire of amendment. How foolish, then, are sinners
who defer their conversion, and think that after awhile, perhaps
in old age, or on their death-bed, they will repent. As they are
now lacking the will to repent, it is more than probable that
after awhile they will have no thoughts of repentance and con­
version. The words of the Sacred Scripture are applicable to
them : “His bones shall be filled with the vices of his youth ; and
they shall sleep with him in the dust.”—Job 20: 11.

(bi) The longer man perseveres in sin, the more difficult be­
comes his conversion, for sin by little and little becomes a se­
cond nature, which hardly ever, or only with the greatest diffi­
culty, can be changed. The holy Abbot Arsenius while in his
cell heard a voice saying: “Go forth, I will show you the works
of men.” When he had gone out he saw a hideous negro who
was attempting to lift up a large bundle of wood. When he
found himself unable to do so, he added another bundle. Then
he tried to lift the two bundles upon his shoulders, but they fell
upon him, and he was crushed under the weight. Arsenius seeing
this and asking the meaning of the vision, received this answer:
“This negro signifies those sinners who, notwithstanding that it
is now difficult for them to forsake their iniquities, comfort them­
selves with the vain hope that after awhile they will repent
though they have still further increased the load of their sins.”

428

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

Unfortunate men! As the greatest difficulties are in the way of
their conversion because of their inveterate habits, they give up
all intention of repenting and die impenitent.
(c.) Not a few sinners indeed show signs of repentance on their
death-bed. They have no objection to calling in a priest, they
receive the last sacraments, and make fair promises that they
will serve God with fervor if they recover their health. Is this
true repentance? It is possible, for as long as a sinner lives he
can still obtain grace and pardon, as did the penitent thief on
the cross. But it is also possible that the good dispositions of
the sinner are mere delusions. His expressions of sorrow may
have their foundation in the fear of death or of some temporal
misfortune and may not be real sorrow, and therefore they are
without value before God. He who for years has been perverse
and taken pleasure in evil may reasonably fear that in advanced
age, and even on his death-bed, he will not really change his
mind, though his exterior behavior may be satisfactory. Hence
St. Augustine says: “If a person wishes to do penance in his last
illness, we do not discourage him, but we do not guarantee that
he will die happily. We can give him penances but no assur­
ance.”
PERORATION.

How sad, then, is the condition of those sinners who defer
their conversion from time to time; they are in imminent danger
of being lost; for they deserve to die without repentance and
have reason to fear this most terrible of all evils. Far be it from
you heedlessly to continue living in the state of sin and defering
your conversion from day to day. If you have the misfortune to
commit a mortal sin, make at once an act of contrition, ask for­
giveness of God and go to confession at the first opportunity, in
order to reinstate yourselves in the state of grace. Should there
be any present who have lived in mortal sin for years, I exhort
and adjure them, by the salvation of their immortal souls, to re­
main no longer in this unhappy state, but as soon as possible,
and better still, to-day or to-morrow, to make a good and sincere
confession and to reconcile themselves with God. Only a timely,
radical and lasting repentance obtains grace for the sinner and
opens to him tbe portals of heaven. Amen.

Ί. Moral Sketch.

429

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

7. MORAL SKETCH.
OUR CONDUCT TOWARDS SINNERS.

The Pharisees and the Scribes murmured, saying: this man receiveth
sinners, and eateth with them.—Luke 15: 2.

The Pharisees and the Scribes think ill of our Lord, and mur­
mur because he condescends to keep company with sinners. This
man, they say, receiveth sinners and eateth with them. O blinded
men ! they reprehend what they ought to praise ; and what should
be their greatest joy excites their ill-will and anger. Jesus came
to seek and save that which was lost, and hence his conversation
with sinners ; he sought to attract them and save their souls.
And it was just this love and mercy of Christ towards sinners that
caused many of them to do penance and to be saved. With re­
gard to us, the company of sinners is forbidden when we run the
risk of being perverted. If there is no danger, it is allowed, nay,
it is even a spiritual work of mercy to endeavor to convert sin­
ners. We must distinguish between the sinner and sin ; we must
love the sinner, but hate and shun his sin. We will meditate on
this to-day and consider the two following points:
I. We must always be kind to sinners and love them;
II. We must always hate and shun sin.

Part I.
1. We must always be kind to sinners and love them—
(a.) Because God is kind to them. How much is God offended
by men ! Imagine a pile of sand as large as, say, a palace. How
many grains of sand are in that heap? I do not hesitate to assert
that the number of these grains of sand is not so great as that of
the sins committed in a single year by the thousand millions of
people who live upon the face of the earth. And among these sins
there is a countless number of mortal sins. Now it is certain
that a greater offense is committed against God by a venial sin
than is committed against a man by the greatest insult that can
be offered him. For instance, if we entertain a slight aversion
to one of our neighbors, or if we are guilty of a lie told merely

130

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

n jest, or of a wilful distraction in prayer, we offend God far
more than we should have reason to be offended if any one were
to spit in our face, strike us or even take away our life. The
reason is because the grievousness of the offense is to be mea­
sured by the greatness of the person offended. It is evident that
every sin, even the least, is in regard to God an infinite offense,
because he is infinitely perfect. Now if God, notwithstanding
that sinners offend him so often and so grievously, is always in­
dulgent to them, should not we also have forebearance with
them ? If God has patience with sinners who live thirty or forty
years in sin, and if he not only prolongs their life, but also sends
them riches and prosperity, treating them as affectionately as if
they were his most obedient children, should we not also treat
with kindness persons who offend us, and forgive them for God’s
sake, thus returning them good for evil ?
(h.) Because God wills that we should he kind to them. At the
behest of God, Jonas had announced destruction to the city of
Ninive. But seeing that God has compassion on the city on
account of its repentance, he repined and wished himself dead.
His sorrow increased still more when the ivy under whose shade
he rested all at once withered, and the sun beat upon his head,
and he broiled with the heat so that he almost perished. But the
Lord said to him: "Thou art grieved for the ivy, for which thou
hast not labored, nor made it to grow, which in one night came
up, and in one night perished. And shall I not spare Ninive,
that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and
twenty thousand persons?”—Jonas 4: 10, 11. Here we plainly
see that it is displeasing to God if we do not have patience with
sinners and endure their faults. Jesus on his journey to Jerusa­
lem to the Paschal feast wished to stop in a city of the Samarit­
ans; they received him not, but locked the gates of the city
against him when they recognized him as a Jew. His disciples
were so incensed that they were going to command fire to come
down from heaven and consume them. But Jesus rebuked them
saying: <rYou know not of what spirit you are. The Son of man
came not to destroy souls, but to save.”— Luke 9: 51-56.

2. We must love them—
(a.) Because God loves them. Jesus Christ says that God “maketh his sun to rise upon the good and bad, and raineth upon the
just and the unjust.”—Matt. 5 ; 45. Life and health, food and
raiment, riches and prosperity, the sinners and the just have
from the Father of lights, from whom is “every best gift, and
every perfect gift.”—James 1: 17. It is often the sinners whom
God blesses, at least for some time, with earthly goods, in order

7- Moral Sketch,

43»

to draw them to himself and to show them that, notwithstanding
all their offenses he still loves them. But it is spiritual goods
and gifts that the hand of God bestows upon sinners most liber­
ally. He announces his will to them in the instructions given
them by his priests, also through good books, and their con­
science, and in various other ways; he gives them opportunities
of participating in the public worship of God and receiving the
holy sacraments ; he commissions the Church continually to pray
and offer up the sacrifice of the mass for them ; he directs their
attention to the virtues of the saints, in order to encourage them
to follow their example ; he influences them interiorly, enlight­
ening, strengthening and urging them to repent. Thus God shows
sinners by his countless benefits that he loves them and wishes
nothing more ardently than that they be saved. Now, since God
loves sinners sb affectionately, shall we not love them? Ah,
where would be our conformity to God, if, like the Scribes and
Pharisees, we should look upon sinners with contemptuous eyes,
hating them or wishing them evil?
(ό.) Because God commands us to love them. Charity is the first
and principal commandment for Christians. “These things I com­
mand you, that you love one another.”—John 15:17. By this
shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love
one for another.”—John 13: 35. “All the law is fulfilled in one
word: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”—Gal. 5: 14.
This love must be universal, extending to all men, sinners,
enemies, and those who offend us. Therefore Christ expressly
said : “Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you; bless
them that curse you, and pray for them that calumniate you.”—Luke
f>: 27, 28. God strictly requires us to love even the greatest sinners,
for if we should withdraw our love from any man, though he
be the greatest malefactor or our bitterest enemy, nourish hatred
against him, wish him evil, or in word or deed treat him uncha­
ritably, we could not expect of God grace and forgiveness. Jesus
emphatically declares this, saying: “If you will not forgive men,
neither will your Father forgive you your offenses.”—Matt. 6:15.
In order to fulfil this important commandment, take Jesus for
your pattern. Your heart should burn with love and compassion
for sinners, when you see how lovingly Jesus treated the great­
est sinners; how he even shed tears over the impenitent city of
Jerusalem, which had done him so much evil!

Part Π.
1. We must always hate sin. Sin comes from the devil, and is
an offense against God ; it robs man of sanctifying grace, shuts
heaven against him, and delivers him to eternal damnation ; it is

432

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

therefore the evil of all evils, and must be hated and detested
above all things. This hatred of sin must be—

(a.) Universal. Whatever sin it may be, we must hate it, be­
cause every sin is an offense against God. We must not conform
ourselves to the judgment of the world, in whose eyes the great­
est sins and vices, such as ambition and pride, impurity, revenge,
suicide, unbelief, neglect of all religious duties, are no faults, or
at least very excusable ones, in fact even sometimes praise­
worthy. Let us not be guided by the predominant spirit of the
times, but let us judge by the light of faith, for only by this
standard can we know infallibly what is right and good, and
what is wrong and evil. On the day of judgment we shall see
how falsely the world judges of good and evil, and how many
of those whom the world overwhelms with praise and applause
will carry the brand of damnation on their foreheads. Our ha­
tred of sin must be universal, in the sense that we disapprove,
hate and detest evil in every man, whoever he may be. Many
Christians are partial and indulgent to persons for whom they
have a certain predilection or inclination ; they find everything
good, even real faults they praise as virtues or at least excuse
them; in others, on the contrary, whom they do not like, they
judge everything with the greatest severity, and often impute to
them small faults as if they were great crimes. Self-love or the
inordinate love of our neighbor does this ; it so blinds men that
they judge falsely; they overlook or even praise in one person
what they blame and censure in another. Do not act thus, but
take God for your pattern, who is just towards all men and ren­
ders to every one as he deserves, whether it be good or evil.

(Æ.) Active. We must do all we can to convert the sinner. We
must resemble a good physician, who uses all suitable means to
cure his patient. Such means of amendment are—
First, a reproof, wrhich our Saviour prescribes in these words:
‘‘if thy brother shall offend against thee, go and rebuke him
between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou shalt
gain thy brother.”—Matt. 18: 15. But this must be done with
prudence and love, therefore, at the right time, in the right place,
in the spirit of meekness, and in such a manner that the erring
brother may see that our motive for reproving him is not pas­
sionate excitement and bitterness, but only duty and love. Very
appropriately St. Francis of Sales says : ‘1 Nothing is more bitter
than the shell of a nut which is still green, and nothing sweeter
and more healthy for the stomach when it is boiled down with
sugar. The same may be said of a reproof, which is naturally
bitter, but, boiled down by the fire of love and seasoned with
meekness, it becomes agreeable and salutary.”

I

7. Moral Sketch.

433

Secondly, good example, according to the admonition of Jesus :
“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. Example is better than precept; actions speak louder than
words. St. Gregory the Great says: “Most people are more in­
flamed with the longing for heaven by examples than by argu­
ment.” St. Chrysostom: “By good example more souls are con­
verted than by miracles ; if it were not for good example all sin­
ners would probably go to ruin.” Good example is better than
reproof, because it can be given by everyone, always and every­
where.
Thirdly, prayer. The prayer we offer up for sinners is parti­
cularly acceptable to God, because it comes from a loving heart,
and there can be no doubt that God will give to sinners for
whom many prayers are said great and perhaps extraordinary
graces for their conversion. “Let us pray for one another,” St.
Chrysostom exhorts us, “for to pray for one’s self is in a certain
degree a law of nature, but to pray for others is always a work
of grace.” St. Paul owes his conversion to the prayer of St.
Stephen ; St. Augustine to his mother St. Monica.
2. We must always shun sin. We must shun the society of the
wicked and the vicious as much as we can. This is a very im­
portant rule, which holds good—

(a.) For all men. Every man by nature is inclined to evil, and
if he is enticed to evil from without, his fall is almost inevitable.
Now since friendly intercourse with vicious men is always united
with strong allurements to evil, it is evident that when there is
a question about preservation from sin, we must avoid such so­
ciety as much as possible. “He that toucheth pitch shall be de­
filed with it, and he that hath fellowship with the proud shall
put on pride. What agreement shall the earthen pot have with
the kettle? for if they knock one against the other, it shall be
broken.”—Ecclus. 13: 1, 3.

(b) Especially for young people. Companionship with vicious
people is more dangerous for these, for they are very suscept­
ible of sensual impressions, at the same time very inexperienced,
apprehending no danger though their feet are already in the
snare. Oh, how many young people who were good and inno­
cent have been victimised by bad companions. Hence the affec­
tionate admonition of the wise man : “My son, if sinners shall
entice thee, consent not to them. Walk not thou with them, re­
strain thy foot from their paths, for their feet run to evil.” —
Prov. 1: 10, 15, 16. Christian sons and daughters, stay away
from houses in which there is no fear of God, and in which fathers

434

Third Sunday After Pentecost.

and mothers allow every disorder; avoid frivolous society, dances,
and dangerous amusements ; do not keep company with persons
of the opposite sex, for it is highly dangerous. Live a retired
life, for only in the shadow of solitude will innocence and virtue
flourish.
PERORATION.

Be kind then towards the sinner ; have patience with his faults
and frailties; love him sincerely, in order to follow your Savi­
our, who was so compassionate towards poor sinners that he
shed his precious blood for them. Hate and shun sin ; haie it,
and strive to effect the conversion of sinners; hate
and there­
fore shun the fellowship of irreligious and immoral people, and
if necessity compels you to be with them, employ the necessary
prudence so that you may remain uncontaminated. Keep com­
pany with the wise, the good and the virtuous, that you may be
guided to virtue and piety and may hereafter find your place
among the elect in heaven. Amen.

1.

Homiletic Sketch.

435

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

Epistle. Rom. 8: 18: 23. Brethren: I reckon that the suffer­
ings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory
to come, that shall be revealed in us. For the expectation of the
creature waited for the revelation of the sons of God. For the
creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason
of him that made it subject, in hope: because the creature also
itself shall be delivered from the servitude of corruption into the
liberty of the glory of the children of God. For we know that
every creature groaneth, and travaileth in pain, even till now.
And not only it, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of
the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for
the adoption of the sons of God, the redemption of our body, in
Christ Jesus our Lord.

1. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
THE FUTURE RENOVATION AND TRANSFIGURATION OF THE
WHOLE CREATION.

The lesson which I have just read for you is taken from the
eighth chapter of the epistle of St. Paul to the Romans. The
Apostle speaks of the glory which is in prospect for us as chil­
dren of God and co-heirs of Christ, and which is so great that
all the sufferings of the present life cannot be compared with it.
To convince us of the greatness of this glory, he calls our atten­
tion to the renovation and transfiguration of the whole creation,
for which even the irrational and inanimate creatures sigh,
and which will take place at the end of time. The lesson, as al­
ready intimated, treats—
Z Of the glory which awaits us after this life;
II. Of the desire of all creatures for redemption and glorification.

436

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

Part I.
I. 7 reckon that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory to come, that shall be revealed in ns. By
these words St. Paul expresses his conviction that all the sufferings
of the present life cannot be compared with the happiness which
the elect enjoy in heaven. Let us first cast a glance at the suf­
ferings—
(a. ) Which the pious and, in fact, all men have in common. ‘ ‘ Great
labor is created for all men, and a heavy yoke is upon the chil­
dren 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. This applies to all men, to the good as well as to the
wicked, to the king on the throne and to the hireling in the
humble hut. Historians inform us that the king of the Persians
had an army as numerous as the sands on the sea-shore; still
greater is the army of sufferings to which man is subject. Some
of these sufferings, to mention but a few, are Sicknesses; how
multiform are they ! Countless are the ills that flesh is heir to ;
Poverty and want; how many families can hardly obtain the nec­
essaries of life! Cares and troubles in every state of life; how
many are troubled so much that they cannot even sleep at night.
Various tribulations, accidents, evils, and misfortunes, such as
war, epidemics, conflagrations, inundations, earthquakes, failure of
crops, loss oi property. Difficulties in every state of life. All com­
plain, from the king to the beggar. Truly, Job was right when
he said: “ Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled
with many miseries.”—Job 14: 1.

(5.) At the sufferings which are peculiar to the pious. These are
the afflictions which they feel when again and again they are
tormented by various temptations against humility, meekness,
chastity; when, in spite of all the firm purposes which they make,
they fall again and again, now into this fault, now into that;
when they perceive that those under their care are so lukewarm
in the service of God and that all entreaties and admonitions
prove ineffectual. They are much grieved, too, at the unbelief
of the world, at the countless sins by which God is daily offended,
at the afflictions and persecutions which the Church and her
faithful adherents are compelled to endure, at the injustice, untruth
and malice which so often in this world triumph over truth and
virtue, at the blindness and obstinacy of so many infidels, here­
tics and sinners, who reject all graces, obstinately persevere in
sin, and are therefore lost for ever.

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

437

2. All these general and particular afflictions of pious Christi­
ans are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be
revealed in them—
(a.) On account of the greatness of that glory. The cruel monster
Antiochus commanded his satellites to cut out the tongues of the
brothers called the Machabees, and the skin of the head being
drawn off, to chop off the extremities of their hands and feet, and
thus maimed in all parts, to bring them to the fire and to fry them
in the frying-pan.—II. Mach. j. These were tortures, indeed, of
which we cannot think without shuddering. But what is the hap­
piness which they now enjoy in heaven I It is so great that the
former sufferings cannot be compared with it. Count together all
the sufferings and pains which all men together have endured, fr
Adam to this day—what are they in comparison with the felicity
of the saints in heaven ? They are more insignificant than a grain
of sand in comparison with the whole universe. All sufferings
here below are finite and limited: man in his mortal life is cap­
able of suffering only to a certain degree; when the sufferings
transcend that degree he faints away and dies, and becomes in­
capable of suffering any more. But it is not so with the heavenly
felicity ; belonging to eternity, it bears the nature of infinite, and
is therefore incomparably greater than all the tortures and suf­
ferings of the world. Moreover, God will hereafter impart to the
elect a capability of sustaining intense joy far beyond their capabi­
lity of enduring sufferings in this world. We read of several saints
that they were not able to bear the joys with which God favored
them sometimes here upon earth, and therefore they prayed him
to take away these joys, lest they should die. The saints in heaven
enjoy a far greater felicity, but they do not ask God to take it
away, because on account of the particular grace imparted to
them, they are capable of enjoying the interminable happiness
of heaven.

(3.) On account of the duration of this glory. As all things upon
earth, so sufferings and tribulations will have an end. They last
sometimes for hours and days and then are over. Thus the holy
martyrs were usually tortured for an hour or two, or at most
for a few days ; they then died and all sufferings and pains were
over. Some sufferings, indeed, last for weeks, months and years,
and do not forsake their victim till he dies. But it is not so with
the future glory of heaven ; it lasts for ever. The saints in heaven
need not fear that there ever will come a time when their felicity
will have an end ; they enjoy it without ceasing and interruption for
evermore. And it is precisely on account of its eternal duration
that the happiness of heaven is incomparably greater than all
the sufferings of the world, which always have an end—at least

t

43«

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

when death comes. For this reason St. Chrysostom calls all suf·
ferings and tribulations here below shadows and dreams, saying:
“What are ten thousand years in comparison with our infinite
eternity! Compared with the infinite abyss are they not like a
drop? What can be compared with the eternal goods?”
AVhatever afflictions, therefore, may fall to your share, console
yourselves with the words of the Apostle. The sufferings of this
time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that shall
be revealed in us. Persevere in patience, though your sufferings
be painful and lingering, heaven is worth it all ; there you will
be rewarded a thousand-fold for everything that you suffer here
for the love of God; there you will return thanks to God for all
the sufferings that he sent you during your life upon earth·

Part

Π.

The Apostle now speaks of the expectation of redemption and
glorification by all creatures.
i. Of the expectation of the irrational creatures, saying that
every creature, that is, all things in nature, such as animals,
plants, are waiting for the revelation of the sons of God, that is,
for the time when, with the glorification of the just, the whole
creation shall be renewed and be translated into a better, more
perfect state. And the reason of this waiting of irrational beings,
the Apostle says, is because they are made subject to vanity, that
is corruption, into which they came, not through their own fault,
but which God permitted to come upon them on account of the
sin of Adam, from which they hope to be delivered on the day
of the glorification of the children of God. The Apostle compares
this waiting and sighing of all creatures for redemption to the
pains of labor ; for as a woman, when she brings forth a child,
groans and sighs on account of the pains which the birth causes,
yet consoles herself and rejoices on account of the child which
she brings into the world, so all creatures groan on account of
their state of corruption; still they have consolation and joy on
account of the hope of being once delivered and glorified. The
Apostle here teaches us three truths—

(a.) That in consequence of the sin of man all nature (that is ah
irrational creatures) lost that purity and goodness in which it came
forth from the hand of God, and became contaminated. So long as
man walked in innocence, all nature was in a perfect state; every­
thing rejoiced in its existence ; blessing and pleasure were dif­
fused over the whole earth and all creatures. “God saw all
things that he had made, and they were very good.”—Gen. 1:31.

i.

'

Homiletic Sketch.

439

But when our first parents sinned the curse of God came upon
the earth and everything it produces. “Cursed is the earth in
thy work; with labor and toil thou shalt eat thereof all the days
of thy life; thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee.”—
Gen. 3 : 17, 18. As on account of the sin of our first parents great
misery came upon all men, so also upon the irrational creation ;
the earth lost its fertility, the three kingdoms of nature assumed
many injurious things, the animals became ferocious and rebelled
more or less against man ; in a word, everything in creation de­
teriorated.

(3.) That all nature sighs for redemption, like a sick person for
health—like a prisoner for liberty. Nature is not conscious of
this longing and sighing, because it lacks reason; nevertheless,
it is real, and manifests itself in various ways. Let us, to illustrate
this, consider only a few phenomena. The plants endeavor to
perfect themselves, the trees shoot forth leaves every year,
bloom and bring forth fruit ; when they are checked in their de­
velopment, for instance, by the want of light and room, we notice
with wonder how they strive to remove these impediments; they
creep through crevices to get to the light and to gain room for
their blossoms. Consider the anima's, especially the horned
cattle, do their eyes not express a certain sorrow, a grief, as if
they would tell us that they do not feel well; that the ill-treat­
ment they receive from cruel people pains them; that they sigh
for a better state ? This displeasure, this sorrow and grief, they
also express by the voice, which is so doleful and sad. If nature
could manifest its sorrow by weeping, I verily believe that every
drop of dew which sparkles on a summer morning in the fields
and in the meadows would be a tear of sorrow.
(£.) That all nature will be renewed and transfigured. Faith
teaches us that the just will rise with glorified bodies. “It is sown
in corruption, it shall rise in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor,
it shall rise in glory ; it is sown in weakness, it shall rise in power;
it is sown a natural body, it shall rise a spiritual body.”—I. Cor.
15 : 42, 43. And again : “He will reform the body of our lowness,
made like to the body of his glory.”—Phil. 3:21. A similar re­
novation and glorification of the whole world will take place at
the end of lime. Sin, the cause of all deterioration and of all
evil, being destroyed, the omnipotence of God will cleanse, re­
new and transform all things into a glorified state, in which
they will remain for all eternity. The burnt-up universe will
arise from its ruins in a new and nobler form ; the corruptible
will put on incorruption, and our earth, at present a valley of
tears, will be a paradise. The prince of the 2\.postles assures us
of this, saying: “We look for new heavens and a new earth, ac-

4

440

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

cording to his (the Lord’s) promise in which justice dwelleth.”—■
II. Peter 3:13.
2. He speaks of the rational creatures, that is believers, saying ;
“ Ourselves also, -who have the first fruits of the spirit, even we our­
selves groan within ourselves waitingfor the adoption of the sons of
God, the redemption of our body!' The meaning of these words is :
We Christians, who have the first fruits of the spirit, who are
already justified and sanctified, also groan, full of longing and
from the bottom of our heart, and wait for the complete adop­
tion of the sons of God, namely, for the delivery of our body
from weakness and pains, from corruptibility and death, and for
its participation with the soul in the life of everlasting hap­
piness. These words deserve our most serious consideration.

(a.) How do matters stand with us ? Are of the number of those
who have the first fruits of the spirit! Is there no grievous sin on
our conscience ? Are we in the state of grace ? Oh, how wretched
are Christians, who live, perhaps, for years in sin ! In what dan­
ger is their salvation! They are standing, as it were, with one
foot in hell. Whoever is so unfortunate as to live in the state of
mortal sin, let him no longer persevere in this deplorable state,
let him repent, and make a good confession, in order to save his
soul from perdition.
(à) How do matters stand with us ? Do we groan for the perfeci
adoption of the sons of God ! Have we an earnest desire for
heaven ? O yes, you will say, we all desire heaven, who would
wish to be damned? Very well, remember the words of the Lord:
“Strive to enter by the narrow gate ; for many, I say to you,
shall seek to enter, and shall not be able.”—Luke 13: 24. Yes,
all desire to be saved, but for want of taking sufficient pains,
and not being thoroughly in earnest, all will not attain sal­
vation. All desire to be saved, but being unwilling to bridle
their passions, to give up their sinful habits and bad company,
many will not be saved. All desire to be saved, but will not be
saved. And why not? Because they will not do what is required
for salvation. They defer their conversion and the amendment
of their life from one time to another, and reject the graces
which are offered them; in the meantime death comes, and they
are lost. Let us therefore not put off till to-morrow what can
and should be done to-day; to-morrow is an uncertain day.
(r.) How do matters stand with us? Do we live in such a man­
ner that we may hope for the redemption of our body! Know that
this hope depends on our mortifying the body and its senses, on
refusing it that which is sinful, and on making it an instrument

i.

Homiletic Sketch.

441

in the service of God. Christ expressly says: “If any man will
come after me, let him deny himself.”— Matt. 16: 24. And the
Apostle says: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body,
so as to obey the lusts thereof; neither yield ye your members
as instruments of iniquity unto sin; but present yourselves to
God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of justice unto God.”—Rom. 6: 12, 13. He who in­
dulges the lusts of the flesh hopes in vain for the redemption of
his body ; he will indeed rise on the last day, but will not be glo­
rified ; he will rise with an a hideous, abominable body, which,
must suffer eternal torments in the fire of hell. “Mortify, there­
fore, your members, which are upon the earth: fornication, un­
cleanness, lust, evil concupiscence, etc.” {Col. 3 : 5), “and present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God” {Rom.
12: 1), that you may hope for a glorious resurrection.
PERORATION.

These are the truths and lessons which St. Paul puts before
us in the epistle for this day. Let us follow them. Let us bear pa­
tiently the sufferings and tribulations of this life, and console
ourselves with the thought that the sufferings of this time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that shall be revealed
in us. Being wanderers here upon earth and having no lasting
city, but seeking one to come, let us lift up our spiritual eyes to
that which is above; let us shun every sin and strive by the
mortification of the flesh, and by fervor in the service of God, to
attain our final destiny, the eternal felicity of heaven. Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.
I

Gospel. Luke 5: ι-ii. At that time: When the multitudes

*

pressed upon Jesus to hear the word of God, he stood by the
lake of Genesareth. And he saw two ships standing by the lake:
but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their
nets. And going up into one of the ships that was Simon’s, he
desired him to draw back a little from the land. And sitting, he
taught the multitudes out of the ship. Now when he had ceased
to speak, he said to Simon : Launch out into the deep, and let
down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering, said to
him : Master, we have labored all the night, and have taken noth­
ing: but at thy word I will let down the net. And -when they had
done this, they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes, and
their net broke. And they beckoned to their partners that were

442

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And
they came, and filled both the ships, so that they were almost
sinking; which when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at the knees
of Jesus saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
For he was wholly astonished, and all that were with him, at the
draught of the fishes which they had taken. And so were also
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon’s part­
ners. And Jesus saith to Simon; Fear not, from henceforth thou
shalt catch men. And having brought their ships to land, leav­
ing all things, they followed him.

2. HOMILETIC SKETCH.
JESUS PREACHES; THE APOSTLES LET DOWN THEIR NETS.

What is related in the gospel of this day occured at the be
ginning of the public life of Jesus. AVhen at the marriage feast
in Cana he changed water into wine, and afterwards performed
many wonders and at the same time preached the word of God
with a persuasion, eloquence and unction never before equaled,
his name became famous in the whole land, and the people came
in multitudes from all parts to see and to hear him, and to wit­
ness his miracles. Thus we see in the gospel of this day a great
multitude of people gathered around him anxious to hear the
word of God. Let us consider these two points:
I. Jesus preaches ;
II. The Apostles let down their nets.

Part

I.

I. The gospel says that the multitudes pressed upon him, to
hear the word of God. The conduct of these people puts many
modern Christians to shame. The same word of God which Christ
preached is preached to-day by the living voice of his represen­
tatives, the priests. But how many do not relish the word of God
and disdain it as the Jews did the manna. Instead of hearing it
on Sun ays and holidays, they amuse themselves, and in some
places careless Christians leave the church as soon as the ser­
mon begins, and do not return until it is over. Such persons are
in a deplorable condition ; they show only too plainly that they
have no sense of religion, and that they are not concerned about
their salvation. We need not wonder when Christ declares that
those who do not hear the word of God, are not of God.—John
8: 47. A good, practical Catholic will not only hear mass on
Sundays and holidays, but also the sermon, and will endeavor

2.

Homiletic Sketch.

443

to regulate his life accordingly, mindful of the words of
Christ: “Blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep
it.”—Luke 11: 28.
2. The gospel mentions the place where Jesus preached: He
stood by the lake of Genesareih. The lake of Genesareth, also called
the Sea of Galilee, was about fifteen miles long and seven miles
wide; on its shore lay the village of Capharnaum, where Simon
Peter and his companions, namely, his brother Andrew, and the
two brothers James and John, were born. It was on the shore of
this lake that Jesus stood and the multitudes pressed upon him, to
hear the word of God. The country around this lake was one of the
most beautiful spots in the world, a real paradise, as Flavius Jo­
sephus and other historians tell us. The shores of this lake were
dotted with villages and superb villas, and many ships enlivened
its waters. And what is it now? Ah, it is desolate; and upon
this once lively sea you scarcely see a skiff. As Sodom and Gomorrha, so Capharnaum with the surrounding country was cursed
by God and changed into a desert, because its inhabitants, not­
withstanding all the miracles Jesus wrought there, remained in
unbelief and sin. Therefore our Divine Saviour says: “And thou,
Capharnaum, shalt thou be exalted up to heaven ? thou shalt go
down even unto hell; for if in Sodom had been wronght the
miracles that have been wrought in thee, perhaps it had remained
until this day.”—Matt. 11: 23. Here we see what fatal conse­
quences the abuse of divine grace draws after it. God departs
with his grace from men who obstinately persevere in unbelief
and sin, and delivers them over to temporal and eternal perdi­
tion. Guard against nothing so much as leaving the graces of
God unemployed, and take to heart the words of the Apostle;
“Knowest thou not that the benignity of God leadeth thee to
penance? But according to thy hardness and impenitent heart,
thou treasureth up to thyself wrath, against the day of wrath,
and revelation of the just judgment of God.”—Rom. 2: 4, 5.
3. The gospel says that there were two ships standing by the
lake, and going up into one of the ships that was Simon’s he de­
sired him to draw b2ck a little from the land, and sitting down he
taught the multitudes out of the ship. Why did Jesus go into
the ship that was Peter’s ? St. Gregory sees herein a mystery,
saying: “The ship into which the Saviour went is a type of the
Church, which he founded on earth. As this ship belonged to
Peter, so the Lord would commit to Peter the guidance of his
Church, and entrust her to him, so to speak, as his property.
Lastly as Christ taught his doctrine out of Peter’s ship, so the
pure, unadulterated doctrine of Christ is found only in the Church
which has Peter for its head.” If we look around in the world,

444

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

we find many religious societies or churches at variance with one
another, of which each claims to be the true church established by
Christ. But as truth is but one and Christ has established but one
Church, there can be only one true Church. Which is this true
Church? Evidently the Catholic Church; for only in it has Peter
ruled in his successors for more than eighteen hundred years, and
will rule until the consummation of the world, according to the prom­
ise of Jesus: ‘‘Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my
Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”—Matt. 16:
18. As the people at the lake of Genesareth were obliged to turn
to the ship of Peter, to hear the pure word of God, because Jesus
preached only from this ship, so all who wish to arrive at the true
faith must turn to the Catholic Church, because only in her, as the
Church which belongs to St. Peter, does Jesus teach. We need not
ask long where the true Church of Christ is ; it is where Peter is,
and that is in the holy Catholic Church, because she has a successor
of St. Peter for her visible head. We need not inquire long whether
a doctrine which some one preaches is truth or falsehood. If any
one teaches otherwise than the holy Catholic Church he is a false
teacher, no matter who he may be. “But though we, or an angel
from heaven, preach a gospel to you beside that which we have
preached to you, let him be anathema.”—Gal. 1:8.
Thank God, that you have belonged to the Catholic Church from
your infancy; for as only the true faith is the saving faith, you are
in that Church in which alone you can be saved. Do not suffer
yourselves to be led astray from your faith by irreligious discourses
and writings ; but adhere to it constantly and firmly, till you draw
your last breath.
But live also according to the principle of your holy faith ; to be^
lieve as a Catholic and to live as a Catholic makes the true Catholic,
and that is the faitl th a1 opens for us the portals of heaven.

Part II.
The Apostles let down their nets ; this is the second point of which
the gospel of this day speaks.

1. Jesus, having finished his discourse, commanded Peter to launch
out into the deep and to let down his nets for a draught. But Peter
said: Master, we have labored all the night and have taken nothing:
but at thy word I will let down the net. In this occurrence many im­
portant truths are contained, of which we will consider a few: —

(λ.)

Peter and his associates belonged to a very lowly
class; they were fishermen, and yet our Saviour chose them for

2.

Homiletic Sketch.

445

his Apostles, and conferred on them the highest dignity in his
Church. Peter and his companions had already been disciples of
Jesus for some time, yet they occasionally engaged in fishing.
Jesus did not rebuke them for this, on the contrary, he takes oc­
casion from their business to point to their higher calling, and
even commanded them to launch out into the deep and to let
down their nets.
From this we perceive that worldly affairs, if not sinful, are
compatible with the service of God and that one can be saved
in any state of life. It is not necessary for us to change our state
of life in order to serve God. He who does not serve God in his
own state of life would hardly serve him in another. The many
labors which are inseparable from any position are no obstacle to
the service of God, for he who does his work patiently and with
a good intention, serves God and acquires great merit for heaven.
Neither do your affairs hinder you in the fulfilling of your reli­
gious duties, for you always have time enough for your private
devotions, to attend church on Sundays and holidays, and to
receive the sacraments. It is also not impossible for you fre­
quently during the day to recollect yourselves and to raise your
hearts to God by short aspirations and prayers. If you serve
God as you can serve him in your state of life, you are on the
right road to heaven.
(£.) Peter and his associates had labored the whole night, but
caught nothing. What was the reason of this fruitless labor?
Not the time, for the night is the most appropriate time for
fishing; not the fishermen, for they had fished from their youth
and understood it thoroughly ; neither can it be said that they
were wanting in diligence. The only reason of their fruitless
labor was that the blessing of God was wanting. Where this is
wanting, every human exertion is vain, as David says : “Unless
the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.“—Ps.
126: i. God would withdraw his blessing from them for a time,
in order to impart it to them more abundantly after awhile.
When God withdraws his blessing from you in your labors and
undertakings, examine and see whether you are not the cause of
it yourselves. He who neglects prayer and his religious duties,
commits injustices, or otherwise leads a sinful life, is frequently
without the blessing of God, so that with all his energy and
exertion, and with all his prudence he can make no progress. If
your conscience does not reproach you, and if your undertakings
nevertheless do not succeed, do not despond on that account.
God, who witholds his blessing from you for a time, will impart
it to you, as to the Apostles, later ; and if you should miss this
blessing, be convinced that it is for your good. God loves you,

446

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

and therefore denies you that which you consider to be an egg,
but which in reality is a scorpion.

(i.) The words of Peter, We have labored all the night, and have
taken nothing, deserve our attention in particular, if we apply
them to the business of our salvation. If we wish to get to
heaven, we must perform good works, for “every tree that doth
not yield good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire.”—
Matt, j: io. For a work to be meritorious, two things are re­
quired : the state of grace, and a good intention. Even the most
excellent works done in the state of sin are without merit for
heaven. Thus St. Paul says that without love the gift of all our
goods to the poor and even martyrdom are fruitless.—I. Cor. 13.
No doubt there are many in hell who performed more good
works than some saints who are in heaven, but because they did
all their good works in the state of sin it profited them nothing;
they were cast away. How deplorable then are those Christians
who for long years, perhaps the greater part of their life, live in
grievous sin ! All their prayers, all their labor, all their sufferings
and exercises of virtue, in short, all their good works, are lost
for eternity. Should not this be a sufficient reason for us to fly
from sin more than from persons infected with the plague, or if
we should be so unfortunate as to fall into mortal sin, with the
help of God to rise at once from our fall and by a good confes­
sion to restore ourselves to the state of grace ? But to render our
works meritorious for eternal life it is also necessary to perform
them with a good intention. All the good we do, we must do on
account of God, because he wills it, in order to please him, for his
honor. He who in his good works sets God aside, and only per­
forms them from worldly motives, for the sake of some advant­
age or gain, or to be honored by men, to gain the praise and the
applause of the world, need not expect the least reward in
heaven; to him apply the words which Jesus spoke to the Phari­
sees: “They have received their reward.”—Matt. 6: 2. On the
contrary, the least and most insignificant good works, even those
which are indifferent in themselves, become meritorious if they
are performed with a good intention. “Whosoever shall give
you to drink a cup of water in my name . . . Amen, I say to you,
he shall not lose his reward.”—Mark 9: 40.

(ûQ Peter showed no ill humor or displeasure at the useless­
ness of his labor. Calmly and resignedly he said: Master, we
have labored all the night, and have taken nothing, but at thy word
I will let down the net. This example of St. Peter is certainly
very humiliating for many Christians, who when they do not suc­
ceed well with their work, become angry and break out into
curses and blasphemies. Such irritable, impatient people not

2. Homiletic Sketch.

447

only prevent the divine blessing, but they also lose the merit
which by patience at their work they might acquire before
God, and draw punishment upon themselves. Not so with you,
my brethren ; be patient at your work, guard against anger, and
take care that no sinful word escapes your lips. If from hasti­
ness you may have spoken an abusive word, or cursed, repent of
it at once, and say in your heart a prayer to God, for instance :
“Glory to be the Father”, etc.
2. At the request and command of Jesus they cast their nets
again at this time with the greatest success, for they enclosed a
very great multitude of fishes, and their net broke. And they beck­
oned to their partners that were in the other ship, that they should
come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so
that they were almost sinking. This wonderful occurence is very
instructive for us.

(a.) As the Apostles were not successful till after they had
heard the sermon, we see the words of Christ corroborated:
“Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God and his justice, and
all these things shall be added unto you.”—Matt, 6: 33. If we
are solicitous for our spiritual welfare, God will give us what we
need for life; he will give, if not riches and affluence, at least as
much as will be necessary. And though we may sometimes be
reduced to need, God will not forsake us ; he only tries us, as he
tried Job and a thousand others, and will permit us to see better
days again. Let it therefore be your first and principal business
to serve God and to be solicitous for your spiritual welfare ; cast
all your care upon him, for he will have care of you.
(Æ.) The disciples in the other ship give us a beautiful example
of the affectionate and active love of our neighbor. Far from
envying Peter on account of the great draught and rejoicing
when they saw that his net broke, they came at once and helped
to draw in the net and bring the fish into the ships. Never look
with envious eyes upon the good fortune and prosperity of others,
never grudge anyone what he possesses; rejoice when things are
well with him, have compassion with him when evil befalls him,
and assist him whenever he needs your help.

(ci) Significant is the circumstance that the great draught
broke the net and put both ships in danger of sinking; for this
circumstance tells us, that even the greatest prosperity is not
without danger, and that here below joys and tribulations are
frequently sisters. It often happens that man in the very mo­
ment we believe he has obtained his end and imagines himself
happy, sees his prosperity burst like a soap bubble. Moderate
therefore your joy in the days of prosperity and attach your

44®

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

heart to no earthly things, since nothing under the sun is stable,
Seek the goods which can never be lost owing to the dulness of
the times, and strive to become rich in virtues and good works,
for these are the true treasures which even beyond the grave
have value, and merit eternal salvation.

3. The gospel tells us that Peter, after the wonderful draught
of fishes, fell down at Jesus’ knees saying: Depart from me, for
lam a sinful man, O Lord, and that Christ calmed him with the
words : Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

(λ.) Peter was not a sinful man in the sense that grievous sins
were upon his conscience; he was a righteous, God-fearing man
and adhered to his Master with all his soul. When he calls him­
self a sinful man, he does so from humility ; penetrated by a lively
knowledge of his misery and his nothingness, he deemed him­
self unworthy to be near Jesus, the infinitely Mighty and Holy.
Let us learn from this not to be vain and proud in prosperity,
but to ascribe the good we have, or think we have, not to our­
selves, but to the unmerited grace of God. Consider what the
Apostle says: “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. Let us imitate the saints, who
humbled themselves the more before God, the more graces they
received from him.

(£.) Our Lord was pleased with Peter’s humility and rewarded
it with a special grace, for he assigned to him now a higher cal­
ling than he had followed hitherto; he was no longer to catch
fish, but men; he should by word and miracles lead souls into
the Church and to heaven. You all must catch men, every one
his own way; you must strive to assist your fellow-men in ob­
taining their eternal salvation. Christian charity requires this
of you.
PERORATION.

What effect had this great miracle of the draught of fishes
upon the Apostles? They brought their ships to land and leav­
ing all things, they followed him. What a readiness to follow the
invitation of our Lord at once, without any hesitation and objec­
tion! What a decision of character to give up their business en­
tirely in order to be able to devote themselves to their new cal­
ling. What a willingness to sacrifice everything that has value
in the eyes of men, house, business, family, and to follow Jesus!
Oh, let us also make every sacrifice which our divine Saviour re­
quires of us, and let us follow him, that his words may be fulfilled

3· DOGMATICAL· SKETCH.

449

in us : rrEvery one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or
father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s
sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall possess life ever­
lasting.”—Matt. 19: 29.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

1 DOGMATICAL SKETCH.
THE INFALLIBILITY OF THE POPE.

And going up into one of the ships that was Simon's he desired him
to draw back a little from the land, and sitting, he taught the multi·
iudes out of the ship.—Luke 5:3.
These words are significant. According to the Fathers, the
ship of Simon Peter signifies the Church ; and the fact that Christ
taught out of Simon’s ship, gives us to understand that the true,
divine doctrine is found only in that Church which belongs to
Peter. This Church, as history proves, is no other than the
Catholic Church ; for only in her does Peter continue to live in
his successors, the Roman Bishops, throughout all centuries
until the consummation of the world. The Bishop of Rome or
the Pope for the time being is the true Peter, not in person, but
in dignity; for he possesses the same power and dignity with
which Christ invested Peter as the chief pastor of his Church,
and by a special grace he is infallible in matters of faith and
morals, as was Peter. I shall speak to-day and next Sunday of
this dogma, which was defined in the Vatican Council at Rome
in the year 1870. To-day I shall give you an explanation in re­
gard to the infallibility of the Pope, by answering the three fol­
towing questions:
I. In what is the Pope infallible ϊ
II. When is he infallible ?
III. How is he infallible ?

Part

I.

The Vatican Council states that, <rWhen the Roman Pontiff
decides a doctrine concerning faith and morals, he possesses

ΙΠ

29

45°

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

that infallibility with which the Divine Saviour would have
his Church endowed.” According to this explanation and de­
finition of the Vatican Council, the infallibility of the Pope does
not refer—
1. To his private life and conduct, but only to his official capa­
city as universal Teacher and Doctor, and means that in such
teaching he cannot err. The enemies of the Church and of the
Pope endeavored to spread an erroneous opinion among the
people that the Vatican Council attributed infallibility to the
Pope in the sense that he could make no mistake, and that he
could not sin. They confounded infallibility with impeccability and
strove to disseminate this error for the purpose of making the
doctrine of the infallibility appear odious to every one. But
never was an attempt more abortive. The Vatican Council never
dreamed of such a thing as claiming impeccability for the Pope,
much less of pronouncing it a dogma. The Pope is no more than
St. Peter, who, as he could sin, after becoming Pope, so every
other Pope may have his faults and can commit sin ; he is a child
of Adam, and therefore can abuse his free will to commit sin,
like any other man. The Pope is called “Holy Father” or “His
Holiness” only on account of the exalted dignity and holiness of
his office, as we also address temporal rulers with the appella­
tions: <fYour Majesty,” “His Royal Highness,” “His Excellency
the Governor.” The infallibility attributed to him by the Coun­
cil has nothing at all do with his private life and conduct. He
may, as a private theologian, write a book containing errors
even against faith and morals, But when speaking ex cathedra,
that is, officially, he can never err either in faith or morals. And
as priests can preach the word of God and administer the sacra­
ments whether they live piously or not, so the Pope can be in­
fallible, no matter whether his private life is saintly or not exactly
what it ought to be. Infallibility belongs to the gifts of grace
which God imparts to the Popes, not directly for their own sal­
vation, but for the good of their fellow-men. There were how­
ever but very few Popes who did not lead a holy life.
2. Nor to temporal affairs. If some represent the definition of
the Vatican Council as an encroachment on the rights of princes
and nations, as a dangerous and pernicious doctrine, and say
that the infallible Pope may judge and decide everything—
sanction or reject constitutions of states and civil laws, hinder
princes in the exercise of their rights, depose them, or oblige
subjects to refuse obedience to them—this again is nothing but
untruth and calumny. The Pope, whose only solicitude is for the
eternal salvation of men, does not meddle with politics and tem­
poral affairs; he prescribes nothing in the temporal legislation

j.

Dogmatical Sketch.

45»

and administration of any government; he does not command
governments to make war or peace ; in temporal things he allows
every one to do as he pleases. It is only in the event of some­
thing being commanded or forbidden contrary to the law of God,
tnat he would, and of course ought to raise his voice against it,
not by reason of his infallibility, but as the head of the Church;
in which capacity he has the right and the duty to watch over
the salvation of the faithful and to prevent the violation of divine
law by all the means in his power.

3. Nor to natural and profane or secular sciences. There exist
among the learned the most divergent and often the most contra­
dictory views and opinions in matters of science; that which
some assert, others deny. The Pope lets them alone so long as
they remain in their own sphere. But the moment they go out­
side and broach opinions in opposition to divine revelation, he
raises his voice and condemns their errors, and there is not the
least doubt that he will do so in future; for it is his bounden duty
to God and man to preserve the deposit of faith pure and unde­
filed, and to guard the faithful against error.
4. The infallibility of the Pope extends only to matters of faith
and morals, that is, to what we are to believe and to do, in order
to please God and to be saved. It belongs to the whole teaching
Church, and it belongs to the Pope, infallibly to declare and to
define what is revealed by God. But in matters of faith and mo­
rals neither the Pope nor the Church ordains and propounds
new doctrines and new laws of morality but only such as are al­
ready contained in divine revelation. Divine revelation is an ac­
complished fact, consequently nothing can be added or taken
away. It is the province of the Pope, as well as of the Church,
to preserve the revealed truths of religion, to defend them, to
establish their true sense and application, to reject and condemn
the opposite doctrines and assertions as errors. It is therefore a
very foolish, absurd, and groundless assertion that the Pope
can define doctrines concerning faith and morals just as he
pleases.
Part II.
When the Pope is infallible, the Vatican Council tells us in
these words: He is infallible when he speaks ex cathedra, that is,
when, in the exercise of his office as Head of the Church, as Chief
Pastor and Teacher of all the faithful, he declares what is to be held
by the Universal Church as the true doctrine on any matter of faith
or morals. According to this definition the Pope is not infallible

in all cases, but only in particular ones.

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.
1. First of all we must distinguish between the Pope as a pri·
vote person, and the Pope as the Head of the Church. As a private
person he is as little infallible as any other human being. Many
Popes were very learned men and wrote excellent works on re­
ligious matters. These writings have no more claim to infallibi­
lity than the writings of other theologians. The same may be
said of their addresses, allocutions, and sermons, they need not
be held as the infallible word of God. The words of the Pope are
always to be received with the respect due to his high authority,
but it would be going a little too far to say that whatever the
Pope speaks, writes, or ordains, should be considered as the in­
fallible, divine truth.

2. The Pope is infallible only when he speak ex cathedra, or as
the Vatican Council adds by way of explanation: When, in the
exercise of his office as the Head of the Church, and Chief-Pastor
and Teacher of all the faithful, he declares what is to be held by
the Universal Church as the true doctrine on any matter of
faith or morals. That any decision of the Pope may be consid­
ered as being given ex cathedra—

(a.) It must concern faith or morals, for in this only the Pope is
infallible.
(b.) The decision must not be merely an assertion, but a judicial
sentence or judgment, a final decision. If the Pope in matters of
faith or morals were to make an assertion without obliging the
whole Catholic world to receive it, we should not be bound to
accept such an assertion as infallible.

(r.) The sentence must be such a one as regards the Universal
Church, that is, which the whole Catholic world must accept and
hold. If it concerns only individual persons, the Pope is not in­
fallible, because infallibility is attributed to the Pope by the Vati­
can Council only when what he defines or decides is a law
binding all Christendom.

Part III.
How the Pope is infallible, the Vatican Council tells us, saying
that the Pope, by virtue of the divine assistance promised to him
in St. Peter, possesses infallibility, and that therefore his decisions
of themselves, and not through the consent of the Church, become
unalterable.
I. The Pope possesses infallibility only by virtue of a special
divine assistance. If the Pope were left to himself and depending

j.

Dogmatical Sketch.

453

on himself, there could be no thought of infallibility, though he
might excel by science and piety in the most eminent degree ;
for history teaches us that even the most learned and the most
pious men become entangled in errors. Example: Fenelon. We
know that the Pope and the bishops together, that is, the teach­
ing Church, are infallible, because Jesus promised them his and
the Holy Ghost’s assistance for all time. The same holds good
of the Pope alone, because, as we shall hear next Sunday, he has
God’s special assistance, making him infallible in matters of faith
and morals. In order to be infallible, he need not be omniscient
nor even very learned, for Peter and the other Apostles were
neither omniscient nor learned, and yet, as no Catholic will deny,
they possessed infallibility. It is therefore a foolish and mali­
cious calumny for the enemies of our faith to say that we Catholics
make the Pope God because we attribute to him infallibility.

2. The decisions of the Pope ofthemselves, nol through the consent
of the Church, arefinal and infallible. This is a necessary corollary
of the Papal infallibility. If the consent of the Church were ne­
cessary, there could be no longer any question of the infallibility
of the Pope, for in this case the consent of the Church would
render the decision of the Pope infallible. It is indeed true that
the consent of the Church will never be wanting to the decisions
of the Pope in matters of faith and morals, but it is not this con­
sent that makes the decision of the Pope infallible; on the contrary,
the Church consents to such a decision because the Pope is in­
fallible. The infallibility of the Pope does not rest on the con­
sent of the Church, but the consent of the Church rests on the
infallibility of the Pope.
3. The decisions of the Pope in matters of faith and morals are
unalterable. I say, decisions in matters of faith and morals ; for
laws and ordinances in other matters may be changed or re­
pealed. The reason is because in these matters infallibility is
not attributed to the Pope, and because such laws and ordinan­
ces are made only with regard to particular circumstances, and
therefore, if the circumstances change, the ordinances also suffer
a change or may be abolished altogether. Thus Pope Cle­
ment XIV. retrenched many holidays because the circumstances
of the times seemed to require it. But the case is quite different
with the definitions and decisions in matters of faith and morals.
In these the Pope is infallible; they are the unerring divine truth,
and therefore unalterable, according to Christ’s saying: “Heaven
and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass.”—Matt. 24 : 35.
It is an impossibility for a Pope or a General Council to repeal de­
cisions once given in matters of faith or morals; once pro­
nounced and decided they always remain in force, and no

454

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

succeeding Pope or future Council can change or alter anything.
PERORATION.

I have now explained to you the dogma of the infallibility of
the Pope that you may have no erroneous ideas about it, and at
the same time be in a position to refute the errors and misrepresen­
tations which are brought against it in speeches and writings.
Let us thank God that he has fortified the Pope with the gift of
infallibility in teaching; for this gift is given him only for our
good Let any error whatever arise against our holy faith, let
even such as call themselves Catholics, learned doctors, priding
themselves on their knowledge, make war against the Church,
we can live in peace, for we can say: Whatever our Holy Father
the Pope proposes to us to believe and to do is divine truth ;
whatever contradicts his teaching is error and falsehood. Do not
suffer yourselves to be led astray by the enemies of the Church;
adhere to the Pope and to the bishops united with him, that you
may preserve the precious treasure of faith, and as good Ca­
tholic Christians obtain salvation. Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

4. LITURGICAL SKETCH.
THE ELECTION AND CORONATION OF THE POPE.

Jesus went into one of the ships that was Simon's.—Luke 5 î 3.

It was not without good reason that Christ chose of the two
ships standing by the lake that which was Simon’s, went into
it, and sitting, taught the multitudes out of the ship. He wished
thereby to indicate that he abides and teaches only in that Church
in which Peter is. But this Church is no other than the Catholic
Church, which Peter has governed and ruled in the person of
his successors more than eighteen hundred years, and will go­
vern and rule to the end of time. Peter was the first head of the
Church, the first Pope, whom Christ himself elevated to that dig­
nity, and he has been succeeded in an unbroken line by one

4* Liturgical Sketch.

455

Pope after another, down to Leo XIII., our present Sovereign
Pontiff. I shall speak to-day—
I. Of the election of the Pope ;
II. Of the coronation of the Pofe.

Part L
In the first Christian centuries all the Roman people partici­
pated in the election of the Pope. Pope Symmachus, however,
at the beginning of the sixth century, ordained that a new Pope
must be elected only by the Roman clergy. Afterwards the elec­
tion of the Pope was limited to the Cardinals.

1. According to an ordinance of Gregory X., 1274, which is
still in force, ten days after the death of the Pope the Cardinals
enter into Conclave and proceed to the election of a new Pope.
By Conclave is understood the place where the election of the
Pope takes place. Either the Vatican or the Quirinal is chosen
by the Cardinals for this purpose. Then small separate compart­
ments are temporarily constructed of wood for the Cardinals,
having room only for a bed, table, chair, writing desk, and a few
other small articles of plain furniture.
2. The Cardinals having arrived proceed (if the Conclave is to
be held in the Vatican) to the Sixtine Chapel, where the bulls
relative to the election of the Pope are read and sworn to by
them. From the morning of the second day they can not leave
the Conclave till after the election of a Pope. All doors and
windows towards the outside are walled up, with the exception
of one door through which the Cardinals who live at a distance
from Rome and may perhaps arrive later can enter the Conclave,
or a Cardinal who falls sick can be taken out. In this door there
is one window, by means of which the Cardinals can give audi­
ence to foreign ambassadors in very urgent cases. The refresh­
ments sent into the Conclave are carefully examined by a prelate,
so that no letters or other communication may be surreptitiously
brought in. The entrance thereto is also strongly guarded by
soldiers. The reason why the Conclave is so strictly cut off from
the outside world is evident. The Cardinals must be entirely .
free and independent from all outside pressure and influence,
and elect the Pope according to their conscience. If it should
happen that the Cardinals, on account of disturbances, or any
other reason, can not elect the Pope in Rome, they may hold the
Conclave somewhere else. Thus Pius VII. was elected at Ve­
nice, March 10th, 1800, because Rome was occupied at the time
by the French.

456

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

3. On the second day of the Conclave the Mass of the Holy
Ghost is said in the Sixtine Chapel, during which all the Car­
dinals receive communion. The meetings for casting the votes
also take places here, beginning on the third day ; they are held
twice a day, at six o’clock in the morning, and at two in the
afternoon.
The election of the Pope may be effected in three different
ways; first, by the Cardinals unanimously proclaiming some one
as Pope without any deliberation; secondly, by the Cardinals
leaving their votes to a committee of one or more of their body,
agreeing that this committee, in the name of all, shall have
power to elect a Pope ; and thirdly, by every Cardinal giving in
his vote. The last mentioned method is the most common. He
who is lawfully to become Pope must have two-thirds of the
votes. If no one receives two thirds of the votes at the first
ballot, the sealed voting papers are burned. In a corner of the
chapel there is a charcoal fire in connection with a flue through
which the smoke arising fromthe burnt papers is conducted into
the air. The people at six o’clock a. m., and two o’clock p. m.,
watch outside and conclude, as often as they see fresh smoke,
that the voting papers are burnt, and that consequently no new
Pope is yet elected. The next ballot, if the preceding one has
been unsuccessful, takes place on the following forenoon or
afternoon.
4. As soon as two-thirds of the votes are in favor of one, the
election of the Pope is decided. If the Pope-elect is among the
Cardinals of the Conclave, the Cardinal-deacon asks him whether
he will accept the election. The Pope-elect then kneels down
and prays, after which he gives his declaration. If he is outside of
the Conclave, a solemn embassy is at once deputed to him. Many
Popes allowed themselves only with reluctance to be elevated
to the chair of St. Peter. The reason is obvious, for the greater
the honor and dignity, the greater the burden and the greater
also the responsibility before the Divine Judge.
The newly-elected Pope changes his name. The reason is be­
cause our Divine Saviour gave another name to the Apostle Si­
mon and called him Peter, when he made him the head of the
Church. The new Pope, after putting on the papal vestments,
receives from the Cardinals in the Sixtine Chapel the first ho­
mage, which consists in the kissing of the hand and an embrace,
repeated twice. Then the Cardinal Camerlengo puts the new
Fisherman’s ring on his finger. The ring is the symbol of mar­
riage. As the bridegroom gives the bride a ring as a sign that
they are now wedded, so the bishops and the Pope receive a ring
in token of their spiritual marriage with the Church as their
bride and their inseparable union with her. The Fisherman’s

4- Liturgical Sketch.

457

ring belongs exclusively to the Pope, and is so called because
on it St- Peter is represented as standing in a ship and letting
the net down into the sea.
5. Then the election is publicly proclaimed. The first Cardinal­
deacon preceded by the papal cross goes forth upon the balcony
over the portal of the palace, and exclaims with a loud voice :
“I announce to you a great joy; we have a Pope in the person
of His Eminence and most reverend Lord N. N., who has taken
the name N.” Immediately the booming of cannon is heard
from the castle of St. Angelo, all the bells of Rome ring out
upon the open air, and the Swiss guards at their post give artil­
lery salutes in token of joy. The new Pope receives from the
Cardinals in the Sixtine Chapel the second homage, after which
he is carried upon a superb Sedia into St. Peter’s Church, where,
while the Te Deum is chanted, he receives as the third homage
the kissing of the foot. After that he gives the papal benediction
and returns to his palace.
Part IL

The Coronation of the Pope takes place six or eight days
after his election, on a Sunday or holiday. This Coronation is
not a worldly ceremonial, but a religious act, and therefore a
Sunday or holiday is chosen for it, a custom dating back to the
earliest times.
The new Pope is carried in the solemn procession composed
of all the spiritual and temporal dignitaries of Rome by twelve
pages, upon a superb Sedia, into the church of St. Peter, because
this Church is dedicated to Peter, the first Pope, appointed by
Christ himself, and because his sacred remains rest there. At
the principal portal of this church stands a throne under a rich
canopy, which the Pope ascends and there receives the homage
of all the clergy of St. Peter’s. He then goes into the church,
prays before the altar, and proceeds to the chapel of St. Gregory,
where all the Cardinals and the other prelates pay him homage ;
Tierce is then chanted. When the procession leaves the chapel,
the Master of the Ceremonies approaches the Pope and burns
upon a plate a palace made of paper and other combustible
things, saying with a loud voice : “Holy Father, thus passes away
the glory of the world.” He repeats this three times at intervals.
This ceremony is an earnest admonition to the Pope that, mind­
ful of the vanity of everything earthly, he may not be blinded
by worldly pomp and splendor, but have continually before his
eyes his exalted position as head of the Church, and administer
his office in humility and holiness. The solemn procession moves
I.

458

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

now to the High Altar in St. Peter’s, on which the solemn Coro­
nation Mass is celebrated. After the Kyrie the Pope sits down
upon the throne, the three first Cardinal-bishops approach him,
saying a prayer in which they ask God to shower upon him
the plenitude of his blessing. After tha* he receives the Pal­
lium from the first Cardinal-deacon. This is a white band,
about a hand’s breath, made of lamb’s wool, and is worn on the
shoulders and hangs down in front; it is interwoven with white
and black crosses. The Pallium is a sign of the papal dig­
nity and of the plenitude of the Episcopal power; the right
to give it belongs exclusively to the Pope. The Pope as Chief
Pastor of the Church and head of the bishops always and every­
where wears the Pallium; the Archbishops are allowed to wear
it only on certain festivals and at certain solemnities within their
dioceses. The Pallium is an admonition to the Pope to be soli­
citous for the welfare of the flock entrusted to him, according to
the example of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Immediately before
the epistle of the solemn Mass of Coronation, the first Cardinal­
deacon with the clergy descends into the subterranean chapel,
where the relics of St. Peter and St. Paul rest, in order to pray
there for the Pope. The epistle and gospel are chanted both in
Latin and Greek, to indicate that the Pope is the head of the
Church of the East and the West.
2. After the solemn High Mass the Coronation takes place.
The Pope is carried in solemn procession upon the Sedia under
the canopy; the procession moves amidst the loud acclamations
of the people to the balcony over the portal of St. Peter’s; on
reaching it, the Pope sits down upon a throne erected there,
which can be seen by the vast multitude of people who cover
the great square of St. Peter’s. Before the Coronation the
Cardinal-deacon, the Bishop of Ostia, with two Cardinal-deacons,
prays over the new Pope, supplicating God to grant him a happy
reign. The prayer being ended, the first Cardinal deacon takes
the mitre from his head, and assisted by a Cardinal deacon puts
on the triple golden crown, called the tiara, with the words:
“Receive the triple-crowned tiara, and know that thou art the
Father of Princes and Kings, the Ruler of the Universe, and the
Vicar of Jesus Christ, to whom be honor and glory for ever.
Amen.” The first Pope who wore this triple crown was Cle­
ment V., who died in 1314. It is a symbol of the Most Holy Tri­
nity, and of the threefold supreme power, which the Pope unites
in his person ; for he is the Chief Teacher, Priest, and Shepherd.
Significant also is the cry of the people at the coronation of the
Pope; they are not jubilant; they pray, saying, Kyrie elei­
son, “Lord, have mercy on him.” The faithful think of the heavy
burden and the great responsibility of the Pope . for this reason

4. Liturgical Sketch.

459

they pray to God to have mercy on him, to assist him in the ad­
ministration of his exalted office, and to be propitious to him in
life and death. After the coronation the Pope prays for himself
and all Christendom and then gives the people his blessing. To
this papal benediction is joined a plenary indulgence, which all
those gain who have worthily received the Sacraments of Pen­
ance and the Blessed Eucharist, and who recite the usual prayers.
After receiving from the Cardinal-deacon in the name of all the
Cardinals their congratulations and good wishes for a long and
happy reign, the Pope returns to his palace.
A few days after his coronation the Pope assembles the Car­
dinals, expresses to them his thanks for the election, and re­
quests them to assist and support him to the best of their ability
in the discharge of his difficult duties. Then he publishes a Ju­
bilee for all Christendom, to implore the blessing of God on his
reign. Sixtus V. was the first who proclaimed a Jubilee on his
accession to the throne and all Popes have since followed his ex­
ample.
PERORATION.

These are the principal ceremonies by which the Coronation
of the Pope is attended. It is done in the most solemn manner,
for the Pope is endowed with the highest dignity upon earth. He
is the Vicar of Christ, the head of the Church ; his empire ex­
tends farther than of any potentate, for it is spread over the
whole Catholic world, consisting of two hundred and fifty milli­
ons of souls. Great is his power, for Christ having given him the
keys of heaven, what he binds is bound, what he looses is loosed.
To him all Catholics must submit in matters of faith and morals;
he who does not acknowledge and revere him as the Head of the
Church, ceases to be a member of the Catholic Church ; he is a
branch separated from the vine. Let us consider this and obey
our Holy Father the Pope in all things which concern our sal­
vation, that as good Catholics we may obtain salvation. Amen.

460

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

5. SYMBOLICAL SKETCH
OUR LIFE HERE BELOW, A SHIP.

He saw two ships standing by the lake.—Luke 5: 2.
The gospel of this day relates that Jesus went into one of the
.-hips that was Simon’s, and taught the multitudes out of the
ship. The ship is a symbol of the Church, for as ships sometimes
sail along smoothly on the sea, and sometimes encounter violent
storms, so the Church has periods of peace and rest, but also
periods of storms and persecutions. She has been making her
voyage on the ocean of the world for the last eighteen hundred
years, and, during that long time, war and peace have suc­
ceeded each other. At present she is most sorely oppressed and
persecuted, but let us have confidence; as the storms on the sea
cease to rage, so the present persecutions will sooner or later
end, and the Church will again enjoy the blessings of peace.
Such is our life upon earth, and we may say that the ship is a
symbol of our life. I say then, Our life upon earth is like a ship.
I. It is a passenger-ship;
II. It is a man-of-war;
III. It is a merchantman.
Part I.

I. Many ships are intended for no other purpose than to con­
vey persons from one place to another. Such ships you will find
in all seaports. They are on the sea from the beginning of the
year to the end of it ; as soon as they have made one voyage, for
instance, from Europe to America, they return from America to
Europe. Many of these ships make their trips on certain days,
and from port to port like the post on shore.
Our life here below is nothing else than a ship. Our life and
all things pass away “as a ship that passeth through the waves,
whereof when it is gone by the trace cannot be found, nor the
path of its keel in waters.”—Wisd. 5: 10. Ah, how frail, how
perishable is life! We all must say with David, “We are sojourn­
ers before thee (O Lord), and strangers, as were all our fathers.
Our days upon earth are as a shadow, and there is no stay.”—
I. Parai. 29: 15. And yet there are Christians who are more

5.

Symbolical Sketch.

461

solicitous for this fleeting earthly life than for eternal life. For
the sake of temporal things they labor and toil early and lace,
hunger and thirst, watch through the whole night, encounter
numberless dangers, but for the eternal goods they will make
no saciifice. When one says to them; You must control your
anger, give up your enmity, renounce your sinful company, re­
store ill-gotten goods avoid immoderate drinking and gambling,
they answer: I cannot resolve to d* usât, it is too hard. What
blindness! O Christians, act like rational men, be solicitous only
for the one thing necessary, considering the words of Jesus:
What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and
suffer the loss of his own soul.”—Matt. 16: 26.
2. On account of different circumstances and accidents, ships
need sometimes a longer, sometimes a shorter time, to make the
voyage and arrive at the port to which they are bound. In for­
mer days, when none but sailing vessels were known, it took sev­
eral months to go from Europe to America, but now-a-days on
steamships, the same voyage is made in a few weeks, nay, in a
few days. It is so with human life upon earth. In the first ages
of the world the people needed a long time to finish their life’s
journey, for, as Bible history tells us, some reached the age of
eight and nine hundred years. But after the deluge, the age of
men declined, so that even in David’s time it was nearly as it is
now, for he says in one of his psalms (89: 10): “The days of our
years are three score and ten years, but if in the strong they be
four score years, and what is more of them is labor and sorrow.”
—Ps. 89: 10. Many do not need seventy or eighty years to finish
their course; they finish in forty or fifty, in fact, with some it goes
as quickly as on a steamboat, and in ten, twenty, or thirty years
they arrive at the shore of eternity. But no one knows whether
his journey will come to an end sooner or later. Nothing is more un­
certain than the time of death. Many make plans for the distant
future, and behold death comes quite unexpectedly and spoils all
their calculations ; it happens to them as to the man in the gospel,
who, in order to garner his rich harvest, enlarged his barn, ex
pecting to enjoy his wealth for many years, but whose soul was
summoned that very night into eternity. Life being so short
and the end of it so uncertain, what is more necessary than that
you should be prepared for your departure into eternity every
day and every hour ? How unfortunate would you be if death
should overtake you in the state of sin ! You would be lost for ever
Oh, think seriously of this, and shun nothing so much as sin. It
perhaps you have lived for some time in grievous sins, remain
no longer in this dangerous state; cleanse your conscience without
delay by a good confession, and save your soul.

46a

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

3. Ships often make a prosperous voyage and arrive safely at
their destination; but sometimes the voyage is not prosperous
owing to storms, and to accidents such as collisions, or fire, and
they perish. We are continually reading of shipwrecks, and
hundreds of people lose their lives every year. Such is the life
of man upon earth. Some are fortunate and reach their happy
destination ; others, on the contrary, are unfortunate and perish
eternally; the latter, alas! will form the great majority, for Jesus
twice said: “Many are called, but few are chosen.” It is not in
the power of the ship to avert destruction, but it is in our power
to protect ourselves from eternal perdition ; for God has laid be­
fore us life and death, heaven and hell ; it is left to our own free
choice; whatever we choose will be given us.—Deut. 30: 19.
Who of us would not choose life and felicity ? Who of us would
not walk with the small number of the faithful servants of God
on the rough aud narrow way of mortification, and self-denial,
that he may enter into life everlasting ?

Part Π.
1. There are also men-of-war, because war is waged not only on
land but also on the sea. All great powders and maritime go­
vernments have ships of war, in order to defend their rights and
interests at sea. Such ships are built more substantially than
others and are provided with everything required for war.
With such a vessel we may compare our life, for as long as
we sojourn here upon earth we are obliged to fight against the
enemies of our salvation, as Job says (7: 1): “The life of man
upon earth is a warfare.” We must fight against the devil, who as
a roaring lion goeth about seeking whom he may devour.”—Z.
Peter 5: 8. We must fight against the world, “for all that is in
the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupis­
cence of the eyes, and the pride of life.”—Z. john2\ 16; we must
fight against the flesh, that domestic foe, which is the confeder­
ate of Satan and always watching to betray us into his hands.
“Every man is tempted, being drawn away by his own concupis­
cence, and allured. Then when concupiscence hath conceived, it
bringeth forth sin: but sin, when it is completed, begetteth
death.”—James 1; 14, 15.
2. Men-of-war are so armed that they are fit for battle and are
able to avert hostile attacks. This is also the case with us : God
enables us to overcome all the enemies of our salvation, for, as
the Apostle says “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.—
Z. Cor. 10: 13.

5.

Symbolical Sketch.

463

Men-of-war are iron-clad, so that no attack of the enemy can
hurt and no gun can sink them. What a coat of mail is to the
man-of-war, prayer is to us. If in temptation we have recourse
to God and pray fervently, he will come to our assistance, as he
himself assures us: “Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will
deliver thee.”—Ps. 49: 15. And if God be with us, what can the
whole power of hell do against us? St. Chrysostom says: “Prayer
is a powerful weapon which wards off all the attacks of the de­
vils; a means of protection, which preserves us from all dangers;
a secure port, which receives us in all storms; and a treasure
which supplies us with all goods.” And St. Bernard: “The
power of hell is great, indeed; but prayer is more powerful
than all the devils, because by prayer the soul obtains the aid
of God, surpassing by far all created power.”
3.

4. War-ships are provided with guns by which they are en­
abled to defend themselves against the enemy. The word of
God furnishes us with such guns against all the assaults of our
spiritual enemies. What means did Jesus employ for the over­
coming of the three fold temptation of Satan? As you know,
nothing else than the word of God. Make use of this means in
every temptation ; “for the word of God is living and effectual,
and more piercing than any two-edged sword” jieb. 4: 12),
which inflicts such heavy strokes upon all the enemies of salva­
tion that they render them powerless. If you are tempted to
pride, call to mind the words of St. James: “God resisteth the
proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (James 4: 6)—to impu­
rity, think of the words of St. Paul, “be not deceived, neither
fornicators . . . nor adulterers . . . shall possess the kingdom of
God” (Z. Cor. 6: 9, 10.)—to injustice, remember the words of the
same Apostle, “know you not, that the unjust shall not possess
the kingdom of God”—to implacability, think of the words of
Christ: “If you will not forgive, neither will your Father, who is
in heaven, forgive you.”—Mark 11:26. In short, whatever temp­
tation you may suffer, direct your thoughts at once to the word
of God, and consider what it promises or threatens, that you
may be filled with a holy fear and may abstain from sin.

5. There are soldiers on war-ships, who assist in the fighting.
The Blessed Virgin possesses greater power than a whole army
in battle array for our protection against all the enemies of our
souls, for she is, as the Church says of her, “terrible as an army
set in array.”—Canticle 6: 3. What glorious victories did not
Christians, under the protection of Mary, gain at all times over
the most powerful enemies 1 The seventh of October, 1571, wit­
nessed one of the most terrible naval engagements recorded in
history, the famous battle at Lepanto. The Turks, in the sure

404

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

hope of victory, their fleet being much superior to that of the
Christians, made the attack with the utmost violence. For se­
veral hours the conflict all along the line was awful, and victory
uncertain. But all Christendom had recourse to the Blessed Vir­
gin and prayed for help against the arch-enemy of the Christian
name. The courage, confidence, and intrepidity displayed by the
Christian soldiers who fought under the banner of the Blessed
Virgin, seconded by a strong and favorable breeze which arose
just at the beginning of the battle and carried clouds of smoke
towards the Turks, gave the Christians a decisive victory. The
fierce Ottomans lost in that memorable action thirty-five thou­
sand soldiers, with their admiral and chief officers, fifteen thou­
sand Christian slaves, about two hundred and fifty men-of-war
and galleys, three hundred and seventy-two large guns, and an
immense booty with which their vessels were loaded. As a per­
petual remembrance of this glorious victory, Pope Pius V. added
to the Litany of Loretto the invocation : “Help of Christians, pray
for us.” But Mary assists those who venerate her, not only in
material, but also in spiritual battles, and takes them under her
maternal protection in all the attacks of their spiritual enemy.
The first pages of the Bible prove what power Mary possesses
over Satan. There God says: “I will put enmities between thee
and the woman . . she shall crush thy head.”—Gen. 3 : 15. The
Blessed Virgin still continues to crush the head of this infernal
serpent by frustrating his attempts to destroy souls. St. Bernard
says: “Like a chained slave, the devil must obey the commands
of the Blessed Virgin.” Another spiritual writer says: “As men
fall to the ground with terror when lightning strikes near them,
so the devils fall down with anguish when they hear the name of
Mary.” Hence Albert the Great says : “My children, if the devil
attacks you, have recourse to Mary, look up to her and take
courage.”

Part ΙΠ.
Most ships on the sea are merchantmen for the purposes of
commerce, carrying the products of nature and art from one
country to the other. Such a merchantman is our life, but the
goods with which we must load our ship of life are good works.

i. If a merchant did not load his ships with goods, but let them
go empty from one place to another, he would certainly act very
foolishly and his ruin would be inevitable. If he desires to earn
his livelihood and to become prosperous and wealthy, he must
load his ships and sell his goods to the best advantage. This also
applies to us. If we wish one day to enter into heaven, we must
be solicitous to become rich in good works. For good works, as

5.

Symbolical Sketch.

465

we are told in numberless passages of the Bible, are absolutely
necessary for salvation. “Every tree therefore that doth not
yield good fruit shall be cut down, and cast into the fire.”—Matt,
3: 10. He therefore who does no good will share the fate of the
unfruitful tree; he will be cut down and cast into the fire. “Not
every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the king­
dom 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.
From this we perceive that faith alone does not lead to salva­
tion, acts of love are also required. As the master paid wages
only to those who had labored in the vineyard, so God, at the
end of their lives, will give heaven as a reward only to those
who have served him faithfully. It would be a terrible delusion
to believe that in order to be admitted into heaven it would be
enough not to do evil ; no, no, heaven is the reward of merit, and
must be merited by a faithful correspondence to grace, by good
works. He who appears without good works before the tribunal
of God, will fare like the unprofitable servant in the gospel, who
had buried his talent, and who, therefore, was censured by his
master and rejected. Let us therefore endeavor by good works
to make sure our vocation and election.

2. A merchant must endeavor to find a good market for the
goods which his ship carries, for if he cannot sell his goods,
they will bring him no profit. In like manner, in our good works
we must see that they are pleasing to God, otherwise they re­
main without merit and reward. But that our works may be me­
ritorious for eternal life—
(a.) Faith is required, for “without faith it is impossible to please
God.” — Heb. 11:6. No matter how much good may be done by in­
fidels and free-thinkers, they cannot expect any reward hereafter.
Learn from this what you are to think of those who declare that
faith is useless and superfluous and that it matters not what a
man believes; let him only do right and he will go to heaven.
What a delusion I all the good works, and, even if they were
such as the whole world would admire, are without value before
God unless they proceed from faith. Give thanks daily to God
that you are Catholics, for only as such can you have the true
faith and be in a position to perform meritorious works.

(3.) The state of grace. “As the branch cannot bear fruit of it­
self unless it abide in the vine; so neither can you, unless you
abide in me. I am the vine ; you the branches : he that abideth in
me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for without me
you can do nothing.”—John 15: 4, 5. Hence, as the branch can
bear fruit only when it abides in the vine, from which it receives

466

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

life and sap, so we can only bring forth fruit for eternal life, that
is, good works, when we are united by sanctifying grace with
Jesus and receive from him the power of doing good. How un­
fortunate are those Christians who for years live in grievous sin!
All the good works with which they could acquire merit for
themselves if they were in a state of grace, are totally lost for
heaven. They resemble foolish men who gather treasures, gold,
silver, and precious stones, but throw them into a sack full of
holes. Shun, therefore, nothing so much as sin, and if you should
ever have the misfortune of losing the grace of God by sin, rein­
state yourselves in it without delay by a good confession, that
you may be able again to perform meritorious works.

(c.) Pure intention, or the will to do everything because God
wills it, for his love, honor and glory. The Scribes and Pharisees
did many good works, but because they had not God in view,
his honor and glory, but only themselves, their own honor and
the applause of men, Jesus says of them, that they have already
received their reward.—Matt. 6: 16. He who works hard, but
not for God’s sake, but only for his livelihood, or to enrich him­
self ; he who prays, goes to church, assists at all devotions, that
men may think him a good Christian ; he who gives alms in order
to be called charitable, he who performs good works, only from
temporal motives and thereby sets God aside entirely, need not
expect any reward hereafter; for as an employer pays only those
who work for him, so God rewards only those with the joys of
heaven who do good works for his sake, for his honor and glory,
out of obedience and love for him. In all your labors and under­
takings and in all your good works be solicitous for nothing so
much as for a pure intention ; make it in the morning and renew
it frequently during the day and endeavor to have it in all your
works, according to the admonition of the Apostle : “Whatsoever
you do, do it from the heart as to the Lord, and not to men,
knowing that you shall receive of the Lord the reward of in­
heritance.”—Col. 3: 23, 24.
PERORATION.

Remember the three truths which we have considered to-day,
and regulate your life accordingly. Your life is as a passenger
ship. You have no lasting city here. You are emigrants and are
on board a ship which conveys you over the ocean of life into
eternity. Bear no inordinate affections for anything upon earth,
have your final destiny before your eyes, that you may not lose
that which is eternal. Your life is a man-of-war ; as long as you
live upon earth you are surrounded by enemies who exert them­
selves indefatigably to accomplish your ruin; you must therefore

6.

Moral Sketch.

467

fight. That you may come victorious out of the battle, have re­
course to prayer, to the word of God, and to the Blessed Virgin.
Your life is a merchantman; the goods which have value before
God are good works. Be not weary of doing good, for the more
good you do in faith, in a state of grace and with a pure intention,
the greater will be your reward hereafter, according to the
Apostle: “He who soweth in blessings, ehall also reap bles­
sings.”—II. Cor. g : 6. Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

6. MORAL SKETCH.
MEANS FOR OBTAINING THE BLESSING OF GOD.

They enclosed a very great multitude offishes, and their net broke.
—Luke 5: 6.
Everything depends on the blessing of God. Peter and his
companions had labored all the night, but their labjr was in
vain. Therefore Peter said to our Lord: Master, we have labored
all the night, and have taken nothing. But what an unexpected
success had the labor of the Apostles, when, at the command of
Christ, they let down their net again ? They enclosed a very
great multitude of fishes, their net broke, and they filled both
the ships, so that they were almost sinking. You certainly wish
for the blessing of God in all your labors and undertakings ;
without it all your labor would be in vain; for “neither he that
planteth is anything, nor he that watereth, but God that giveth
the increase.”—I. Cor. 3 : 7. But what is necessary to obtain the
blessing of God? Two means especially are necessary:
I. Industry with a good intention;
II. Piety and the fear of God.

Part I.
I. Industry is necessary for obtaining the blessing of God.

(a.) The Bible tells us this. Immediately after the fall, God
said to Adam : * * Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy
wife and hast eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that

468

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

thou shouldst not eat, cursed is the earth in thy work ; with labor
and toil shalt thou eat thereof all the days of thy'life.”— Gen. 3:17.
The sin of Adam brought a curse upon the earth, and man must
now till it in the sweatof his face, in order to extract from it the
necessary subsistence. To him who is idle, the earth, instead of
food, will yield thistles and thorns. The blessing of God mani­
festly therefore is attached to an industrious life. This truth is
laid down in the Sacred Scriptures in the plainest words : “The
slothful hand hath wrought poverty, but the hand of the indus­
trious getteth riches....He that gathered in the harvest, is a wise
son, but he that snorteth in the summer, is the sou of confusion.”
—Prov. 10: 4, 5. And again: “In much work there shall be
abundance, but where there are many words, there is oftentimes
want.”—Prov. 14: 23. And St. Paul writes: “This 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 disor­
derly, working not at all, but curiously meddling. 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.”—II. Thess.
3: 10-12. The Apostle forbids idleness to the Christians at Thes­
salonica, and exhorts them to work diligently, because this is the
only way in which you must seek your livelihood in this world
and so gain the blessing of God.

(Æ.) Reason tells us this. A hermit one day came to the Abbot
Silvanus, who lived on Mount Sion, and said to the monks, whom
he saw at work: “ Why do you labor so hard for the sake of per­
ishable food? Has not Alary chosen the better part?” St. Sil­
vanus said to his disciple Zachary: “ Give the hermit a book, that
he may entertain himself, and show him into his cell.” When
it was three o’clock in the afternoon the hermit expected that
the Abbot would call him to dinner, but in vain. Being at length
tormented by hunger, he went to the Abbot and said to him :
“My father, did not the brothers dine to-day?” “Yes,” replied
the Abbot. “ Why did you not call me to table?” he asked. The
Abbot said: “it was omitted because you are entirely a spiritual
man, who has chosen the better part, and because you spend the
whole day in praying and reading, and consequently do not need
such perishable food, whilst we who are of flesh cannot live with­
out eating, and this compels us to work.” The hermit acknowl­
edged his error and went to wrork with the rest of the brothers.
It is good to pray and meditate, nay, even necessary, but it is not
sufficient for the support of our bodies ; we must also work. If
a farmer lets his field lie fallow, in vain does he expect a crop;
if an artisan does not attend to the trade by which he is to earn
his living, there will soon be want in his house. God is ready
to bless us and to give us what is necessary for our subsistence,

6. Moral Sketch.

469

but he wills that we labor diligently. He works no miracles for
the support of laziness.

2. But that God many accompany our labors and projects
with his blessing, they must be done for his honor, or with a good
intention. We are created to honor and glorify God, as he says
himself: “I have created him (man) for my glory.”—Is. 43: 7.
Therefore the Apostle admonishes us to do all things for the
glory of God : “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever else you
do, do all to the glory of God.”—I. Cor. 10: 31. Because the glory
of God is our chief end, Jesus taught us to say: “Hallowed be
thy name.” Now if we perform our labors and business with the
intention of glorifying and honoring God, of showing him our
adoration, obedience and love, his blessing will not be wanting
to us. Examples:

(λ.) Judith conceived the heroic resolution of delivering her
city from destruction. God blessed her undertaking so as to
bring it to a favorable issue. Why? On account of her good in­
tention. God would be glorified by her deed, and all nations,
would acknowledge that the God of Israel alone is the true God,
and adore and worship him. She prayed thus: “O God of the
heavens . . . hear me, a poor wretch, making supplication to thee,
and presuming of thy mercy. Remember, O Lord, thy covenant,
and put thou words in my mouth, and strengthen the resolution
in my heart, that thy house may continue in thy holiness, and
all nations may acknowledge that thou art God, and there is no
other besides thee.”—Judith 9: 17-19. Penetrated with such an
intention, having nothing but the honor of God for its object, she
pushes through the Assyrian camp, cuts off the head of Holofernes, and averts misery and ruin from Bethulia and her country.

(£.) David. I see a man go out from the camp of the Philistines,
named Goliath, whose height is six cubits and a span, according
to our measure from nine to ten feet; he has a helmet of brass
upon his head, and he is clothed with scale armor, and the
weight of his coat of mail alone is a hundred pounds; and the
staff of his spear is like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his
spear weighs more than twelve pounds. And this giant plants
himself opposite the army of Israel, and cries out: “Choose out
a man of you, and let him come down and fight hand to hand. If
he be able to fight with me, and kill me, we will be servants to
you; but if I prevail against him, and kill him, you shall be ser­
vants, and shall serve us.” Saul and all the Israelites hearing
these words of the Philistine were dismayed and greatly afraid,
and no one dared to accept the challenge. David alone presents
himself for the contest; he had scarcely entered the age of man-

470

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

hood; he had nothing manly about him ; he resembled a boy more
than a warrior. His weapons were a staff, which he had always
in his hand, a shepherd’s scrip, a sling and five smooth pebbles
taken from the brook. Thus he went forth against the Philistine.
“And when the Philistine looked, and beheld David, he despised
him, and said: Am I a dog, that thou comest to with a staff?0
Who does not tremble for the life of David in this unequal com­
bat ? Who can hope that David, the boy, will conquer Goliath,
the giant? And yet he conquered. “He put his hand into his
scrip, and took a stone, and cast it with the sling; and fetching
it about struck the Philistine on the forehead, and the stone was
fixed in his forehead, and he fell on his face upon the earth.0
David, having no sword of his own, took the Philistine’s and cut
off his head. Whence this wonderful victory of David? From
God, because he undertook the combat for the glory of God.
David said to Goliath : “Thou comest to me with a sword, and
with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name
of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, which thou
hast defied this day; and the Lord will deliver thee into my
hands; and I will slay thee, and take away thy head from thee ...
that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.—I.
Kings vj.
Think of the Machabees, who fought so successfully for the
liberation of their country ; of the ferns, who after their return
from the captivity of Babylon, rebuilt the temple and Jerusalem;
of the Apostles, who in a short time converted many thousand
Jews and Gentiles to the faith of Jesus Christ. God blessed their
combats, their labors and sufferings, because they had the glory
of God in view. You also may expect the blessing of God most
certainly if, by a good intention, you make your cause God’s
cause.

Part

Π.

Piety and the fear of God are also necessary means for obtain­
ing the divine blessing.
{a.) The word of God teaches this. Nothing is more frequently
inculcated in the Bible than piety and the fear of the Lord, that
he may look down upon us favorably and make us prosperous.
Thus we read in the first Psalm of David: “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 of 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 which 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

6.

Moral Sketch.

471

shall do shall prosper.”—Ps. 1-3. Again the Psalmist says: “The
innocent in hands, and clean of heart, who hath not taken his
soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbor, he shall
receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Savi­
our.”—Ps. 23: 4, 5. “The blessing of God maketh haste to re­
ward the just, and in a swift hour his blessing beareth fruit.”—
Ecclus. 11: 24. And Christ says: “Seek ye therefore first the
kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be
added unto you.”—Matt. 6 : 33. In these words our Lord assures
us, that if we are solicitous for the salvation of our soul, and lead
a Christian life, all things whatsoever we need for our temporal
welfare will be given to us in addition.

(£.) History tells us. We know that Joseph, the son of the pa­
triarch Jacob, was persecuted by his own brothers and sold as a
slave into Egypt. Joseph remained pious and virtuous in Egypt.
Tempted by the wife of his master to a most abominable deed,
he did not consent, but said : “How can I do this wicked thing,
and sin against my God?”—Gen. 39: 9. Because Joseph was so
pious and virtuous, he prospered in all he did. “And the Lord
was with him, and he was a prosperous man in all things; . . .
and the Lord blessed the house of the Egyptian for Joseph’s sake,
and multiplied all his substance, both at home and in the fields ”
— Gen. 39 : 2-5. How piety and virtue drew down the blessing of
God, the history of the old and the young Tobias teaches us.
God was with Tobias also in a foreign country, caused him to find
grace with the king and blessed all his steps. He even sent an
angel, who bestowed great benefits on his son, and healed him
himself from blindness. Lastly, sacred history relates that young
Tobias inherited all the property of his rich father-in-law; that
he saw his children’s children to the fifth generation; that he
lived to a very advanced age, and that his posterity persevered
in piety and the fear of the Lord. You see here with your own
eyes how right St. Paul is, when he says: “Godliness is profit­
able to all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of
that which is to come.”—I. Tim. 4: 8.
(ci) Experience teaches it. In every community there are families
who really possess all things that are required for a happy life
upon earth. Their business, their trade flourishes, their agricul­
ture prospers, whatever they undertake has a favorable issue.
Though they do not possess great riches, they always have suffi­
cient money for the ordinary wants of life, and as their condition,
improves from year to year, they acquire so much that their
children can be well provided for. Peace and concord reign
among them; all are devoted to one another, everything runs
smoothly and they themselves, with a grateful look to heaven,

472

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

acknowledge that they are contented and happy. Now what is
the source from which such prosperity and blessings are derived?
It is no other than virtue and piety. It is well known that these
families are well-grounded in Christian principles. Father and
mother conscientiously fulfil the duties of their religion and state
of life, and set the best example to those under their charge;
they look after those entrusted to them, and see that they behave
well. The children are good, live a retired life, pray, and behave
themselves so modestly that every good person is pleased with
them. It is upon such families that the eye of God rests with
special pleasure and the words of Solomon are verified : “The
habitations of the just shall be blessed.”— Prov. 3 ; 33. It is true,
I know, that sometimes also the unjust and sinners are prosper­
ous, and everything goes according to their wishes, but their
happiness is not of long duration; sooner or later God will with­
draw his hand from them, if they do not cease to offend him, and
they will be delivered to misery and perdition. Listen to what
David says : “I have seen the wicked highly exalted, and lifted
up like the cedars of Libanus; and I passed by, and lo! he was
not, and I sought him, and his place was not found.”—Ps. 36: 35,
36. In like manner God sends crosses, tribulations and calamities
to the just, as we know he did to Job, Tobias and many others,
but they do not last long. God only proves their virtue by these
trials, and afterwards blesses them again the more abundantly.
Thus it is said expressly of Job, that God in the latter end bles­
sed him more than in the beginning. And though the probation
of the just should last all their lifetime, they are nevertheless
not to be pitied, for hereafter they will be recompensed a thou­
sand fold for all that they have suffered here. “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.

Be not only industrious and active, but also pious and virtuous,
for one is as necessary as the other, that in your labors and un­
dertakings you may receive a blessing from above. If things do
not prosper with you ; if you are visited with various tribula­
tions; if your domestic affairs are not satisfactory examine and
see whether you are not the cause of the want of the divine bles­
sing. Perhaps you are careless and negligent in your business,
perhaps you are too extravagant, perhaps you have not a good
intention in your labors and undertakings, perhaps you do not
live piously, neglect your religious duties, commit injustices and
other sins. If that is the case, be not astonished and do not com­

η. Moral Sketch.

473

plain when God withdraws his blessing from you : remove rather
the obstacles which are in the way thereof, and do what is re­
quired on your part to receive it. “Use your endeavor to be
quiet and that you do your own business, and work with your
own hands” (Z. Thess. 4: 11), live piously and virtuously; then
God will accompany all your actions with his blessing here, and
reward you hereafter with the everlasting goods of heaven.
Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

7. MORAL SKETCH.
ON

PURITY OF INTENTION.

Master, we have labored all the night, and have taken nothing, but
at thy word 1 will let down the net.—Luke 5:5.

The Apostles let down their nets twice in order to catch fish ;
the first time, at night; the second time, at the command of their
divine Lord, in daylight. The first time their labor was in vain ;
not a fish went into their net ; wherefore St. Peter said : Master,
we have labored all the night. How successful was their work
when they let down the nets the second time ! They enclosed so
great a multitude of fishes that their net broke, and they
filled both the ships, so that they were almost sinking. In this
event you have a picture of men who perform their labors and
good works with or without a pure intention. Those who have
no good intention in their labors resemble the Apostles fishing
all night; their labor is fruitless. But those who do everything
with a pure intention resemble the Apostles when they let down
the nets the second time. Their steps are blessed by God and
rewarded. Since a pure intention has great influence upon our
actions, I shall speak of it to-day, and explain to you—

I. What is requiredfor purity of intention ;
II. What an important thing it is.

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

474

Part

L

For purity of intention it is required—
i. That it be directed to God. In all that we do we must have
the purpose or intention to serve and honor God. The Apostle
wills it so, when he says: “Whether you eat or drink, or what­
ever else you do, do all to the glory of God.”—Z. Cor. io: 31.
We are created to serve God. We must have this before our
eyes in all our actions. If you ask a servant at his work: Why
do you do this? he will say, Because my employer wishes it.
In like manner as servants of God we must be able to say with
truth in all our works: I do this for God, because God wills it.
We are created to honor God, therefore Christ teaches us to say
at the beginning of the “Our Father”, “hallowed be thy name.”
The maxim of St. Ignatius, All for the greater glory of God, must
be the motive of all our actions. If, in any action, we seek not
the glory of God, but our own glory, we commit an injustice
against God, because we do not attribute to him what is due
to him.
'
Our intention, however, is pure when it refers only secondarily
to God. This is the case, for instance, when, in our labors and
good works, we have primarily the intention of atoning- for our
sins, of obtaining graces and benefits from God and of meriting
heaven. Here the pure intention does not refer primarily, but
secondarily to God, for it aims at something that is pleasing to
him. When we labor in order to get along honestly in the world,
because we are taught by faith that such is the will of God, our
intention again refers to God secondarily and is good. The more
we leave out ourselves and all earthly things in our actions, doing
them for the love of God, the better is our intention, and the
greater therefore also our merit. God, however, does not reject
good works altogether into which our self-love creeps somewhat,
but only in so far as they are faulty ; he does with them as we do
with an apple that has a decayed part, we cut out the rotten
portion, but eat what is still good.

2. That our actions be good or at least indifferent. Bad actions
cannot become good or acceptable to God and meritorious by a
pure intention ; they are bad, and remain bad. Therefore St.
Paul forbids us to do evil that good may come of it. And St.
Augustine says: “What is sin in itself cannot by a pure intention
become a virtue ” Here many are in great error. When by a sinful
act they can avert an evil or do some good, they imagine it to
be no sin. Ihus they allow themselves to tell a lie to avoid some

J

1

7. Morax Sketch.

475

unpleasantness; servants steal from their employers one thing or
another in order to give it to the poor; some even take a false
oath, in order to help an acquaintance out of a difficulty. What
a dangerous self-delusion 11 repeat it, we are never allowed, for
any reason or under any circumstances whatever, to do evil that
good may come of it. Sin is so great an evil in the eyes of God,
that we must not allow ourselves to tell the smallest lie, if thereby
we could save the whole world from perdition.

3. That me are in a state of grace. Mortal sin is for the super­
natural or spiritual life what death is for the life of our bodies.
Death deprives man of the life of his body and renders every
action absolutely impossible. In like manner mortal sin robs
man of the supernatural life and disables him from doing any­
thing meritorious for eternity. As the branch severed from the
vine can bear no fruit, so Christians who have separated them­
selves from God by sin can yield no fruit for eternal life. There­
fore Christ himself says: “I am the vine, you the branches; he
that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit:
for without me you can do nothing.”—John 15:5. St. Paul says:
“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. To have charity, and to
be in a state of grace, are one and the same thing. He who is
in a state of sin, though he may perform the most heroic actions,
give his whole substance in alms, and die a martyr, derives
therefrom no advantage; he can expect no reward hereafter.
Should Christians in a state of sin daily offer up their labors
and good works and often say: “Lord, all for thy love,” their
pure intention will be of no benefit to them ; all their works are
lost for heaven. What an injury do Christians inflict upon them­
selves who live in sin for a long time, perhaps the greater part
of their life I
4. Finally, that me receive the assistance of divine grace. The
pure intention is something supernatural because it refers to our
eternal salvation. It consists in this, that we wish to honor God
by good works, to please him, and to attain heaven. With our
human powers we cannot accomplish anything supernatural, be­
cause we have not the ability for it. If any one should demand
of us to lift ourselves up and fly like a bird, we should say to
him: I cannot do it, my nature is not fitted for that. We must
give the same answer to him who requires us to make a pure in­
tention of ourselves; we should be obliged to say to him: I can­
not do that; that surpasses my natural strength. Therefore the
Apostle says: “Not that we are sufficient to think anything of
ourselves, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.”—II.

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

476

Cor. 3: 5. God will grant the necessary grace to make a pure
intention if you fervently pray for it, for Christ says in general
terms: “Ask, and it shall be given you.”—Luke 11:9. At the
same iime, you must be humble, for “God resisteth the proud,
and giveth grace to the humble."—James 4: 6.

Part II.
You will be convinced of the importance of a pure intention
when you consider that on it depends the merit
Of good works Those works are called good which are con­
formable to the will of God. If we observe the commandments
of God and of the Church, practise the corporal and spiritual
works of mercy, pray, fast, give alms, make use of the means of
our holy religion, we are doing good works. But that these
good works may become meritorious before God, that is, that by
the exercise of them we may merit an increase of sanctifying
grace, and eternal salvation, a pure intention is indispensable.
Even the best prepared dishes are insipid, and we do not relish
them if they are not seasoned with salt; the most beautifully exe­
cuted document has no value without seal and signature. What
salt is to food, seal and signature to a document, the pure inten­
tion is to good works; if that is lacking, all our works are with­
out merit before God. How much depends on the good intention
I.

• I:

(a.) Ftoea ike Bible. Christ says : “The light of thy body is thy
eye. If thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be lightsome.
But if thy eye be evil, thy whole body shall be darksome.”—
Matt. 6: 22, 33. The holy Fathers say: “The eye is the sentiment
of the hoart or the intention with which we perform our actions.”
If this sentiment or intention is pure and good, it makes all good
works acceptable to God; but if it is bad, it makes all good
works displeasing to God. Therefore the value of all exercises of
virtue and good works depends on the pure intention. The
Scribes and Pharisees did a great deal of good ; they were zealous
in preaching the divine law, they visited the temple frequently,
they said long prayers, they not only kept the prescribed fasts, but
also imposed voluntary ones upon themselves, and gave abundant
alms. And yet Christ says of them: “Unless your justice abound
more than that of the Scribes and of the Pharisees, you shall not
enter into the kingdom of heaven.”—Matt. 5: 20. Why did Christ
declare the justice of the Pharisees to be insufficient for the king­
dom ofheaven ? Chiefly, because in all their good works and pious
exercises, they lacked a pure intention. Our Saviour gives us to
understand this, in the words: “Take heed that you do not your
justice before men to be seen by them, otherwise you shall not

7.

Moral Sketch.

477

have a reward of your Father, who is in heaven.”—Matt. 6‘. i
6: 1. On the other hand, Christ assures us that quite indifferent
works are rewarded by God in heaven, when performed with a
good intention. “Whosoever shall give you to drink a cup of
water in my name, because you belong to Christ; Amen I say to
you, he shall not lose his reward.”—Mark 9: 40. What consola­
tion that we can merit heaven by such insignificant works.

(Æ.) From the utterances and the lives of the Saints. “He who
does good works out of ostentation, or with a view of pleasing
men, resembles him who continually draws water, but pours it
into a sieve,” said St. Arsenius. “If we should suffer martyrdom
with a view of being praised and admired by the brethren, our
blood would be shed in vain.”—St. Jerome. Many hermits in the
desert occupied themselves with making baskets, and they usu­
ally made one each day. A young hermit, in order to be praised,
worked so hard that he finished two. St. Pachomius, who discov­
ered the bad intention of this hermit, said at the meeting of the
brethren in the evening: “Behold, this brother has, from early in
the morning till late in the evening, done less than nothing; for,
seeking in his work only his own praise, he has labored in the
service of the devil, and sacrified to him all his sweat.
2. Of the duties of the state of life. To this belong all labors
and occupations that every man is obliged to perform according
to his respective state of life, such as the labors of business men,
artisans and farmers. The good intention makes all these labors
meritorious. When the artisan plies the axe, the trowel, the
hammer, and offers up to God all his trouble and labor, he can
gain heaven. When the farmer, in the field and the meadow, bears
the heat and the burden of the day, splits wood, works in the
barn, and does this for God’s sake, he may promise to himself
an eternal reward. When the woman, sweeping the room and
doing the housework, has the glory of God in view, she can earn
thereby an eternal reward. There is indeed something great
about a pure intention. The poets say of Midas, the king of the
Phrygians, that whatever he touched was changed into gold. If
you possessed such a power, I have no doubt you would touch
now a stone, now a piece of wood, in order to get gold. Now
see, a pure intention makes all your works more precious than
gold, for you cannot purchase heaven with gold, but you can
with good, meritorious works.
What a pity that many are found who perform their labors and
other business without a pure intention ! They weave, says the
prophet, “webs of spiders,” and “their works are unprofitable.”
—Is. 59: 5, 6. The spider works till it has spent itself, but what
does its work profit ? It spins to catch only miserable flies, and

47θ

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost.

to weave a web which can be destroyed by the weakest hand.
Those who have no pure intention at their work resemble spid­
ers. They trouble themselves much and long, and receive for it
nothing but miserable earthly goods, which do not satisfy the
heart, and which at the hour of death, and often before that,
disappear and vanish like smoke. St. Bernard says: “Whatever
you do is vain, that only excepted which you do for God’s sake,
for God’s honor.” I really pity those who work for many years,
yes, their whole lifetime, and take rest neither by day nor by
night, but from earthly motives, without even a passing thought
of God, without offering up to him their labors and fatigues.
Foolish men! on the last day they will fare no better than the
idle servant who buried his talent in the earth.

3. Of the indifferent works. Those works are called indifferent
which, of themselves, are neither good nor bad, as eating, drink­
ing, sleeping, walking, enjoying an innocent recreation. Even
those lower works which wa have in common with animals be­
come meritorious for heaven by a good intention. Potatoes are
a very common food, and constitute the nourishment of the poor,
but the daintiest dishes are made out of them, and they grace
even the tables of king when they are prepared with precious
condiments and other good ingredients. But, what condiments
and precious ingredients are to potatoes, the pure intention is to
indifferent works, for though these in themselves are so common
and insignificant, yet by the pure intention they become so pre­
cious that even God, the King of heaven and earth, relishes them
and rewards them in heaven.
The saints were well aware of this, and therefore they were
very solicitous to make even the most common actions meritori­
ous before God by a pure intention. Thus Job says that he
sighed whenever he ate ; David, that he was watering his meat
and drink with tears. What intention had these saints ? No other
than by these salutary exercises and by pious aspirations to
God, or what amounts to the same, by a pure intention, to change
the indifferent works of eating and drinking into works of virtue
and merit. Here I must remark that actions which in themselves
are indifferent are no longer indifferent when they are done by
some one, but are either good or bad, and therefore deserve
either reward or punishment. If, in performing indifferent actions,
you lack the pure intention, they displease God and draw
punishment after them.
PERORATION.

A pure intention is a very important matter; our eternal sal­
vation depends on it, because all our actions are regulated by it

7. Moral Sketch.

479

If we have a pure intention, all our works, not only the good,
but also the indifferent ones, as well as our labors and occupa­
tions, become meritorious for eternity; but if we have not a pure
intention, all our works, even the very best, are without merit,
and may even deserve the displeasure of God, and punishment.
See then that a pure intention is not wanting to your works,
that you may become rich in merits for eternity and hear out of
the mouth of the divine Judge the consoling words : “Well done,
good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over a
few things, I will place thee over many things; enter thou into
the joy of thy I/)rd.”—Matt. 25: 21. Amen.