[Transcriber's note: This production is based on
https://archive.org/details/fiveminutesermon02unknuoft/page/n6
Pages 46 and 47 are missing from the image file. Additional
citations indicated by "USCCB", are based on the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops Bible found at
http://usccb.org/bible/books-of-the-bible.]
{i}
Five-minute Sermons
for
Low Masses
on
All Sundays Of The Year,
By
Priests Of The Congregation Of St. Paul.
Volume II.
New York:
The Catholic Publication Society Co.,
9 Barclay Street.
London: Burns & Oates.
1886
{ii}
Copyright, 1886, by I. T. Hecker.
All Rights Reserved.
{iii}
Preface.
Repeated and urgent requests from both clergy and laity have
induced the publication of this second volume of Five-Minute
Sermons. They have all been preached in the Church of St. Paul
the Apostle, New York, and published weekly in the _Catholic
Review_. Choice has been made of such as are really little
sermons, since there are many excellent manuals from which purely
doctrinal instructions may be prepared. Yet they all contain, it
is hoped, a solid basis of doctrine plainly put and appropriately
illustrated. The main object is, however, to edify, to quicken
the moral perceptions, and to move in a reasonable degree the
religious emotions.
Nearly all of these sermons may serve as skeletons for discourses
of greater length; a fuller treatment of the topics, by means of
familiar illustrations and more copious extracts from Scripture,
will fit them for use at High Mass, or on Sunday evenings.
-----------------------------
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{v}
Contents.
First Sunday of Advent:
Sermon I. The Spirit of Advent, 14
Sermon II. The Graces of Advent, 16
Sermon III. St. John the Baptist, 18
Second Sunday of Advent:
Sermon IV. Fair-weather Christians, 23
Sermon V. The Immaculate Conception, 25
Sermon VI. The Total Abstinence Pledge, 28
Third Sunday of Advent:
Sermon VII. Bad Company, 32
Sermon VIII. The Voice in the Wilderness, 34
Sermon IX. Penance, 37
Fourth Sunday of Advent:
Sermon X. Fruits of Penance, 41
Sermon XI. Preparation for Christmas, 43
Sermon XII. Christmas Eve, 46
Sunday within the Octave of Christmas:
Sermon XIII. Christmas Joy, 50
Sermon XIV. New Year's Eve, 52
Sermon XV. The Feast of the Holy Innocents, 55
The Epiphany:
Sermon XVI. The Testimony of the Spirit, 59
Sermon XVII. Following God's Guidance, 63
{6}
First Sunday after Epiphany:
Sermon XVIII. The Christian Home, 67
Sermon XIX. Jesus Teaching in the Temple, 70
Sermon XX. How our Saviour takes away Sin, 72
Second Sunday after Epiphany:
Sermon XXI. Profanity, 76
Sermon XXII. The Sin of Cursing, 79
Sermon XXIII. Reverence for the Name of God, 82
Third Sunday after Epiphany:
Sermon XXIV. Practical Faith, 86
Sermon XXV. Living up to our Faith, 89
Sermon XXVI. The Sacrament of Matrimony, 91
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany:
Sermon XXVII. The Ingratitude of Children, 95
Sermon XXVIII. Love of our Neighbor, 98
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany:
Sermon XXIX. The Christian Family, 102
Sermon XXX. The Duty of Good Example, 105
Sermon XXXI. Bearing one another's Burdens, 108
Sixth Sunday after Epiphany:
Sermon XXXII. How to make Converts, 113
Sermon XXXIII. The Blessings of the Faith, 116
Sermon XXXIV. Good Example as a means of
making Converts, 118
Septuagesima Sunday:
Sermon XXXV. Bodily Mortification, 123
Sermon XXXVI. Sudden Death, 126
Sermon XXXVII Life's Purpose, 129
{7}
Sexagesima Sunday:
Sermon XXXVIII. Perseverance after a Mission, 134
Sermon XXXIX. Good Seed but no Harvest, 137
Sermon XL. The Uses of Temptation, 140
Quinquagesima Sunday:
Sermon XLI. The Qualities of Christian Charity, 144
Sermon XLII. Delay of Repentance, 147
Sermon XLIII. Lenten Obligations, 150
First Sunday of Lent:
Sermon XLIV. The Merit of Pasting and Abstinence, 154
Sermon XLV. Difficulties of Fasting, 157
Sermon XLVI. Wasted Opportunities, 159
Second Sunday of Lent:
Sermon XLVII. The Joy of Penance, 164
Sermon XLVIII. Christian Perfection not Impossible, 167
Sermon XLIX. The Divine Presence in our Churches, 170
Third Sunday of Lent:
Sermon L. Immodest Language, 174
Sermon LI. Honorary Church-Members, 177
Sermon LII. Half-hearted Christians, 180
Fourth Sunday of Lent:
Sermon LIII. The Happiness of True Penance, 184
Sermon LIV. Liberty of Spirit, 187
Sermon LV. The Lust of the Eyes, 190
Passion Sunday:
Sermon LVI. The Precious Blood, 194
Sermon LVII. Christ's Passion, 197
Sermon LVIII. Dangerous Companionship, 199
{8}
Palm Sunday:
Sermon LIX. Hardness of Heart, 203
Sermon LX. Spirit of Holy Week, 205
Easter Sunday:
Sermon LXI. Easter Joy, 210
Sermon LXII. Easter and the Love of God, 212
Sermon LXIII. The Triumph of Christ, 215
Low Sunday:
Sermon LXIV. How to use God's Gifts, 219
Sermon LXV. The Christian's Peace, 222
Sermon LXVI. True and Lasting Peace, 224
Second Sunday after Easter:
Sermon LXVII. The Good Shepherd, 229
Sermon LXVIII. Dead Faith, 232
Sermon LXIX. Suffering False Accusations, 234
Third Sunday after Easter--
Feast of the Patronage of St. Joseph:
Sermon LXX. Devotion to St. Joseph, 240
Sermon LXXI. Christ and the Church, 242
Fourth Sunday after Easter:
Sermon LXXII. Evil Conversation, 246
Sermon LXXIII. Temptation, 248
Fifth Sunday after Easter:
Sermon LXXIV. Sins of the Tongue, 252
Sermon LXXV. Perseverance in Prayer, 255
Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension:
Sermon LXXVI. After a Mission, 259
Sermon LXXVII. Bearing Witness for our Lord, 261
Sermon LXXVIII. The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit, 263
{9}
Feast of Pentecost, or Whit-Sunday:
Sermon LXXIX. The Holy Ghost in the Church, 268
Sermon LXXX. The Guidance of the Holy Spirit, 271
Sermon LXXXI. The Easter Duty, 273
Trinity Sunday:
Sermon LXXXII. The Divine Majesty, 277
Sermon LXXXIII. The Mystery of the Holy Trinity, 279
Sermon LXXXIV. The Divine Judgment, 282
Second Sunday after Pentecost,
and Sunday within the Octave of Corpus Christi:
Sermon LXXXV. Holy Communion, 286
Sermon LXXXVI. The Sacred Heart of Jesus, 289
Sermon LXXXVII. Ingratitude, 291
Third Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon LXXXVIII. Sinful Amusements, 295
Sermon LXXXIX. Divine Providence, 297
Sermon XC. How to Bear Burdens, 300
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon XCI. How to Suffer, 304
Sermon XCII. Good Works done in Mortal Sin, 306
Sermon XCIII. Fishing for Men, 309
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon XCIV. Forgiveness of Injuries, 314
Sermon XCV. Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, 316
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon XCVI. The Divine Bounty, 321
Sermon XCVII. Feast of St. John the Baptist, 324
Sermon XCVIII. Idleness, 326
{10}
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon XCIX. Mortal Sin the Death of the Soul, 330
Sermon C. False Prophets, 332
Sermon CI. The Last Sin, 334
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon CII. Spirit and Flesh, 339
Sermon CIII. The Business of the Soul, 342
Sermon CIV. The Judgments of God, 344
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon CV. Justice and Mercy, 349
Sermon CVI. Neglect of Divine Warnings, 351
Sermon CVII. Living from Day to Day, 354
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon CVIII. Sympathy for Sinners, 358
Sermon CIX. Morning Prayers, 360
Sermon CX. Feast of St. Mary Magdalen, 363
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon CXI. Want of Confidence in God, 367
Sermon CXII. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, 369
Sermon CXIII. Gratitude, 373
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon CXIV. The Good Samaritan, 377
Sermon CXV. Our Neighbors, 380
Sermon CXVI. Occasions of Sin, 382
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon CXVII. Thanksgiving, 387
Sermon CXVIII. Shamelessness in Sinning, 389
Sermon CXIX. Dangers of Venial Sin, 392
{11}
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon CXX. The Poverty of Christ, 396
Sermon CXXI. Brotherly Love, 399
Sermon CXXII. Religion for Week-Days, 401
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon CXXIII. The Fruits of a Bad Life, 406
Sermon CXXIV. Sins of Parents, 408
Sermon CXXV. The Law of Charity, 411
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon CXXVI. Christian Humility, 415
Sermon CXXVII. Vanity, 418
Sermon CXXVIII. Behavior in Church, 420
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon CXXIX. Prayer for Sinners, 425
Sermon CXXX. The Christian Vocation, 427
Sermon CXXXI. Erroneous Views of Vocation, 430
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon CXXXII. Presumption of God's Mercy, 435
Sermon CXXXIII. Drunkenness, 437
Sermon CXXXIV. The Dignity and Happiness of Obedience, 440
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon CXXXV. Lying, 444
Sermon CXXXVI. Truthfulness 447
Sermon CXXXVII. White Lies, 449
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon CXXXVIII. Christian Marriage, 453
Sermon CXXXIX. Mortification of our Lower Nature, 455
Sermon CXL. The Value of Time, 458
{12}
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon CXLI. Forgiveness of Injuries, 462
Sermon CXLII. Gossiping, 465
Sermon CXLIII. Mixed Marriages, 467
Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon CXLIV. Obedience to the Civil Authorities, 472
Sermon CXLV. Thanksgiving Day 475
Sermon CXLVI. The Communion of Saints, 477
Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon CXLVII. Mixed Marriages, 481
Sermon CXLVIII. Imitation of the Saints, 484
Sermon CXLIX. Heaven, 486
Twenty-fourth or Last Sunday after Pentecost:
Sermon CL. Marrying out of the Church, 491
Sermon CLI. Joy in God's Service, 494
Sermon CLII. Forgive and be Forgiven, 497
{13}
_First Sunday of Advent_.
Epistle.
_Romans xiii._ 11-14,
Brethren:
Know that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep. For now
our salvation is nearer than when we believed. The night is
passed, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the
works of darkness, and put on the armor of light; let us walk
honestly as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in
chambering and impurities, not in contention and envy; but put
ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel.
_St. Luke xxi._ 25-33.
At that time Jesus said to his disciples:
There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the
stars: and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the
confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves, men
withering away for fear, and expectation of what shall come
upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved:
and then they shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with
great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come to
pass look up and lift up your heads: because your redemption is
at hand. And he spoke to them a similitude. See the fig-tree,
and all the trees: when they now shoot forth their fruit, you
know that summer is nigh; so you also when you shall see these
things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand.
Amen I say to you, this generation shall not pass away, till
all things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but
my words shall not pass away.
---------------------
{14}
Sermon I.
The Spirit Of Advent.
_It is now the hour for us to rise from sleep._
--Romans xiii. 11.
This life of ours is made up of beginnings. After the rest of the
night we have on each succeeding day to begin again our round of
work, and then comes the night again, when our work must be laid
aside. So, too, does the life of our souls consist in great part
of beginnings, though in the great work of saving our souls there
should be no such thing as rest. This work must be unceasing,
until that night comes wherein no man can work, the night of
death, when our great Master shall demand of us an account of our
labor. On this day, then, which is the beginning of the Church's
year, it is well for us to pause and ask ourselves how we are
fulfilling the task that is set before us. Are our souls asleep?
Have our consciences been lulled into a false security concerning
the state of our immortal souls? Are we careless or indifferent
about the one thing needful for us--our soul's salvation?
To each and every one of us to-day come the warning words of the
Apostle, "Brethren, know that it is now the hour for us to arise
from sleep." Now is the time for us to shake off our
slothfulness, to rouse ourselves from our dangerous state of
idleness and inactivity, to cast off the works of darkness and
clothe ourselves in the armor of light, to put on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and, arrayed in the strength which he gives, to walk
honestly as in the day. "The night is passed," says St. Paul.
{15}
God grant that for each one of us the dark night of mortal sin
may be for ever past and gone; that its terrible gloom may never
again settle down upon our souls, shutting out the light of
heaven, the pure and radiant light of God's grace. For "the day
is at hand," the day of reckoning, the day of wrath and terror,
when we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ. The
Church to-day warns us of the approach of that time. Year by
year, day by day, hour by hour it is drawing nearer. "For now is
our salvation nearer than when we believed."
Yes, our salvation if we have been faithful, or our eternal
damnation if God's judgment overtake us in the state of mortal
sin. Therefore it is that the Church, upon this first Sunday of
Advent, lifts up her voice to warn us of the coming of our Lord,
telling us of his near approach, and bidding us to prepare to
meet him. Will you heed this warning, or will you still put off
the day of your conversion to God? Beware! God's warning may be
given you to-day for the last time. "Behold, now is the
acceptable time"; "it is now the hour to rise from sleep." There
is still time for you to turn from your sins and begin again to
serve God. Perhaps you have tried before and then have fallen
back into old ways and habits of sin. Begin again. We must always
be beginning if we would make any progress. We must examine our
consciences at the end of each day, and find out how we have
offended God, make earnest resolutions for the morrow, and then
begin each day with the determination to avoid the faults of the
day before. This is a sure means of perseverance.
{16}
And this beginning of the Christian year is a good time to take a
fresh start in the affairs of our souls. During Advent the Church
brings to our minds the consideration of the four last things.
Death and judgment, heaven or hell are awaiting us. Begin this
day, then, as though it were to be your last day on earth, and on
each succeeding day for the rest of your life keep up this
practice. "For as lightning cometh out of the east, and appeareth
even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man
be." "Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness" now at the
beginning of this holy season. Drunkenness, impurity, contention,
and envy are, alas! far too common amongst us. "Let them be not
so much as named among you, as becometh saints," mindful of your
high calling in Christ. Then when the Judge appears, he will find
you ready to meet him. Having begun each day with the intention
of serving God, you will then be ready and fit to begin that day
which shall have no end in that heavenly city which "needeth not
sun nor moon to shine in it; for the glory of the Lord hath
enlightened it, and the Lamb is the lamp thereof."
---------------------
Sermon II.
The Graces Of Advent.
_The night is past, and the day is at hand.
Let us, therefore, cast off the works of darkness
and put on the armor of light.
Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ._
--Epistle of the Day.
To-day, dear brethren, we enter upon the season of preparation
for the coming of Jesus Christ. For "the night is past and the
day is at hand." "The day-spring, the Brightness of the
everlasting Light, the Sun of righteousness," is come "to give
light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death."
{17}
To give light to them that have been unfaithful to God's grace,
to call them back--to turn them to a new life--this is the
mission of our Saviour; and this is the call he makes upon us
to-day--that we should return to him, "the Ruler of the house of
Israel, who didst appear to Moses in the burning bush, and gave
him the law in Sinai."
You, dear brethren, were taught that law when the first rays of
the light of reason lit up your soul. God wrote it on your
hearts; you heard it from your parents lips; your teachers bade
you love it and keep it. But have you done so? Have you not
become like those whom of old God taught, and who would not
listen, but went after false gods, who bowed down before idols of
gold and silver, of wood and clay?
Have you not bowed down like them when you preferred
money-getting to serving God; when you were willing, for the sake
of gold and silver, to risk the loss of your immortal souls? Have
you not bowed down when you chose to gratify your lower instincts
at the cost of your spiritual ruin? Have you not bowed down to
idols of clay when you have steeped yourselves in drunkenness, in
impurities, in the many sins of the flesh? Oh! surely you have
need of the "wisdom that cometh out of the mouth of the Most
High" to teach you "the way of prudence." Oh! surely you have
need of "the Orient from on high," for you "sit in darkness and
in the shadow of death."
{18}
But, dear brethren, "the night is past." "Let us, therefore, cast
off the works of darkness"; "let us walk honestly." Oh! "put ye
on the Lord Jesus Christ." "Behold Emmanuel, our King and Law
giver," he for whom the nations sighed and their salvation, has
come to save us--to save men whom he has made from the dust of
the earth.
Dear brethren, shall we be slow to go to him who comes with
healing for our immortal souls? Tell it out among the people, and
say, "Behold, God our Saviour cometh. Emmanuel is his name, and
his name is great. Behold, he is my God, and I will glorify him;
my father's God, and I will exalt him. The Lord our Law-giver,
the Lord our King, cometh to save us."
Begin this day to prepare for the joyous feast of Christmas.
Cleanse your hearts by prayer and fasting; come to the sacraments
and be washed in the blood of your Redeemer; come to his table
and break the bread of true friendship, that the joy of your
heart may be full when we shall celebrate that day of days, when
the Word which "was made flesh dwelt among us." Truly "we have
seen his glory," and "of his fulness we have all received." Let
us never forget his mercy; let us remember "that it is now the
hour for us to rise from sleep."
----------------
Sermon III.
St. John The Baptist.
_The angel said to him: Fear not, Zachary,
for thy prayer is heard;
and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son,
and thou shalt call his name John;
and thou shalt have joy and gladness,
and many shall rejoice at his birth._
--Luke i. 13.
{19}
These words, my brethren, were spoken by the Angel Gabriel to
Zachary, the father of St. John the Baptist, while he was engaged
with his religious duties in the temple at Jerusalem. Before
giving the account of the angel's visit St. Luke informs us that
Zachary and his wife, Elizabeth, were both acceptable to God and
obedient to the divine law. There are few who have received such
commendation in the pages of Holy Scripture. It might have been
surmised that Zachary led a good life, practising the virtues and
avoiding the vices, since he belonged to the Jewish priesthood.
Yet we find that his wife, Elizabeth, is mentioned as deserving
equal praise with himself, for it is stated that "_they were
both_ just before God, walking in all the commandments and
justifications of the Lord without blame."
Such is the brief account that St. Luke has given of the parents
of St. John the Baptist. Though brief, it is enough to show that
any son might well feel proud of parents such as they
were--blameless in the sight of God. For many years they had
lived together in the hill-country of Judea, conscientiously
performing their duties, and cherishing the hope that they would
be rewarded for their good actions. Like the rest of the Jews who
remained faithful to the laws promulgated by Moses and the
prophets, which God had made for Israel, they prayed earnestly
for the coming of the Messias, the Orient from on high, who was
ardently expected to descend from his throne in heaven in order
to enlighten those in darkness and in the shadow of death,
directing their steps into the way of peace. While serving God by
strict fidelity to the commandments, they did not anticipate that
an angel would be sent to visit them; they did not know until
advanced in age that a son would be born to them who would be
called the prophet of the Most High, the precursor of the son of
David, appointed to prepare his ways.
{20}
That this blessing was unexpected is shown by the fact that
Zachary hesitated to believe the message of the Angel Gabriel,
and on account of this hesitation, this mistrust of the good
tidings that God sent to him, he was deprived of the use of
speech for several months. After the birth of St. John the
Baptist his tongue was again endowed with the power to speak, and
his words on that occasion, spoken under the influence of
inspiration, have been preserved in the grand canticle known as
the Benedictus, which is justly assigned to a prominent place in
the Office of the Church.
These considerations enable us to perceive what sort of a home
St. John the Baptist had while he remained with his aged parents.
From the knowledge we have of them, there is no reason to think
that they were deprived of anything requisite to make their home
happy and comfortable. Early in life, however, St. John
manifested a peculiar preference for the lonely desert. In a
special manner he was sanctified before his birth, and received
the gifts of the Holy Ghost in an extraordinary degree. It was
not because his fellow-creatures had proved deceptive, nor
because sad experience had taught him that the glittering charms
of the world are transient and wither into dust, that he resolved
to live like a hermit, separated from his relatives. Joyfully he
abandoned his family privileges, with all that seems to make life
among men pleasant, and went forth among the wild rocks in the
mountain solitudes to live alone with God.
{21}
Why was it that he made such a strange choice? The answer is,
that God directed him to leave houses and lands, his home and
kindred, and endowed him with the heroism needed for a solitary,
penitential life. In obedience to the will of God, acting under
the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he practised unusual
mortification. He selected coarse raiment, made of camel's hair;
he used a strange kind of food; he abstained entirely from the
use of wine. By deeds of heroic penance, by extraordinary acts of
self-denial, combined with the performance of his other duties,
he advanced in the way of perfection. During this season of
Advent we should invoke his intercession, and strive to remove
the obstacles that impede the way of the Lord and the action of
His grace in our sanctification.
-------------------
{22}
_Second Sunday of Advent._
Epistle.
_Romans xv._ 4-13.
Brethren:
What things soever were written, were written for our
instruction; that through patience and the comfort of the
Scriptures, we might have hope. Now the God of patience and of
comfort grant you to be of one mind one towards another,
according to Jesus Christ: that with one mind, and with one
mouth, you may glorify God and the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Wherefore receive one another, as Christ also hath
received you unto the honor of God. For I say that Christ Jesus
was minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to
confirm the promises made to the fathers. But that the Gentiles
are to glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: Therefore
will I confess to thee, Lord, among the Gentiles, and will sing
to thy name. And again he saith: Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his
people. And again: Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and
magnify him, all ye people. And again Isaias saith: There shall
be a root of Jesse; and he that shall rise up to rule the
Gentiles, in him the Gentiles shall hope. Now 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.
Gospel.
_St. Matthew xi._ 2-10.
At that time:
When John had heard in prison the works of Christ, sending two
of his disciples he said to him: Art thou he that art to come,
or look we for another? And Jesus making answer said to them:
Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen. The blind
see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the
dead rise again, the poor have the gospel preached to them.
{23}
And blessed is he that shall not be scandalized in me. And when
they went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes
concerning John: What went you out into the desert to see? A
reed shaken with the wind? But what went you out to see? A man
clothed in soft garments? Behold they that are clothed in soft
garments are in the houses of kings. But what went you out to
see? A prophet? yea, I tell you, and more than a prophet. For
this is he of whom it is written: Behold, I send my angel
before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.
-------------------
Sermon IV.
Fair-Weather Christians.
_What went you out into the desert to see?
A reed shaken with the wind?_
--Gospel Of The Day.
Our Lord asked this question of his disciples, my brethren,
regarding his precursor, St. John the Baptist, whom also they had
followed in his time. "Why," said he, "did you take such trouble
to see him? Why did you think so much of him? Was it because he
was like a reed shaken by the wind? No, but because he was just
the opposite of that. You thought highly of him, you honored him
as I myself honor him, because he did not shake and tremble at
the breath of popular opinion; because he was not afraid of the
world, or of all the powers that are in it; because he only
thought of God, and of his duty; of the work that he had been
sent to do."
{24}
But would our Saviour be able to praise us so highly, my
brethren, if he should come down now in our midst? Would he not
say rather that we were indeed like reeds, turning to one side or
another, according to the wind that happens to be blowing? I am
afraid that he would have too good reason to find fault with the
words and actions of many who call themselves Christians, an who
even pass for pretty good ones.
Who are these people whom he would find fault with? There are
plenty of them. They are what I should call fair-weather
Christians. They go to church regularly, perhaps, and to the
Sacraments, it may be, quite often; when they are with pious
people they can be just as pious as anybody else. They say their
prayers not only in church, but at home, too; they certainly try
in a way to be good; sometimes at least they would not say or do
anything wrong of their own accord. And when they are alone they
do very well, too; they resist many temptations, and avoid a
great deal of sin. They are not what one would call hypocrites;
far from it; they have a good many virtues, within as well as on
the outside.
But the trouble with them is that they have little or none of
what is commonly called "backbone." Alone or in good company they
are all right; but take a look at them on the street, in the shop
or factory, at their work or their amusements with their
associates, and they do not stand the test so well. They laugh at
every vulgar, filthy, and impure word that any one else pretends
to think is funny and wants them to laugh at, or if they do not
laugh out right they give a miserable, cowardly smile. They hear
something said about the faith which they know is a vile
falsehood, but they say nothing in reply; perhaps they even allow
that there is some truth in it.
{25}
It takes a long while for any one to find out that they are
Catholics who does not guess it by their names or know where they
go to church; it takes a great deal longer to find out that they
are supposed to be good ones.
Now, what is the reason of this contemptible sneaking and
meanness in those who ought to be brave and generous soldiers of
Christ? It is just one thing. These people do not love God enough
to dare to displease any one else for his sake. Most of them have
got pluck enough when something else is concerned. They would
resent an insult to themselves; perhaps for years they have not
been on speaking terms with many people on account of some
trifling slight or injury. But when God's honor and love are
concerned, the first breath of disapproval keeps them from
standing up for him, as the reed bends with the gentlest breeze
which strikes it.
Yes, that is the difficulty; these good people do not love God
enough to stand up for him as all Christians worthy of the name
should do. Let them think of this seriously. For if one does not
love God enough to offend bad men for his sake, how can he love
him above all things? And if one does not love God above all
things, how can he be saved?
-------------------
Sermon V.
The Immaculate Conception.
{26}
The beautiful feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed
Virgin being so near at hand, let us consider it this morning.
The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, then, my dear
brethren, is simply this: that our Blessed Lady, though the
offspring merely of human parents, like the rest of us, and
naturally liable to inherit original sin from them as we have
inherited it from ours, was nevertheless by the special
providence and decree of God entirely preserved from it.
She was preserved from it entirely, I say. This may be understood
in two ways. First, it was never in her. It was not taken from
her at the first moment of her existence, as it has been taken
from us at baptism; no, it was not taken from her, for it was not
in her even at that first moment.
Secondly, she was entirely saved from its effects, not partly, as
we have been. None of its consequences remained in her, as I have
said they do in us. No, she was as if there had never been such a
thing; except that her Son willed that she should suffer together
with him, on account of its being in us.
Now, my brethren, I hope you all understand this; for a great
deal of nonsense is talked about this matter, especially by
Protestants, most of whom have not the least idea what is meant
by the Immaculate Conception of our Blessed Mother, and who yet
object to it just as bitterly as if they did. They either
confound it with her virginal motherhood, in which they
themselves believe and yet seem to object to our believing it, or
they accuse us of saying that she was divine like her Son, our
Lord. If they would only examine they would find that what the
Church teaches is simply this: that our Lady is a creature of God
like ourselves, having no existence at all before the time of her
Immaculate Conception; but that she is a pure and perfect
creature, the most pure and perfect that God has ever made;
immaculate, that is to say, spotless; free from any stain or
imperfection, especially from the fatal stain of original sin.
{27}
And that the reason why God made her so was that she was to be
His own mother, than which no higher dignity can be conceived. If
they object to this, let them do so; but let them at least know
and say what they are objecting to.
Let us hope that some Protestants, at least, will not object to
this doctrine when they understand it. But perhaps some of them
may say: "This is all very good, but what right has the pope, or
any one else at this late day, to make it a part of the Christian
faith?" And it may be that even some Catholics will find the same
difficulty.
I will answer this question now, though it is a little off of our
present subject, on account of the prominence which has been
given to it of late. The answer is simply this: The pope has not
added any thing at all to the Christian faith in defining the
doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. He has no more done so
than the Council of Nicæa did in defining the doctrine of the
Divinity of our Lord.
You remember, my brethren, perhaps, that from this council the
Nicene Creed, which is said or sung at Mass, takes its name. It
was called together to condemn the errors of some who maintained
that our Lord was not truly God. And it solemnly defined that he
was. Very well; was that adding anything to the Christian faith?
Of course not; it was simply declaring what the Christian faith
was, to put an end to the doubts which were arising about it.
That is plain enough, is it not?
{28}
Now what was it that the pope did in defining the Immaculate
Conception? Exactly the same thing. He defined what the faith
really was to put an end to doubts about it. The only difference
was, that those who opposed or doubted the Immaculate Conception
of our Lady were not so much to blame as those who opposed or
doubted the Divinity of our Lord, or even in many cases not at
all to blame. It was not such a prominent part of the faith, and
had been more obscured by time. But the action of the pope and
the council in the two cases was just the same.
-------------------
Sermon VI.
The Total Abstinence Pledge.
_The angel said to him: Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is
heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou
shalt call his name John; and thou shalt have joy and gladness,
and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great
before the Lord; and shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and
he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother's
womb; and he shall convert many of the children of Israel to
the Lord their God._
--Luke i. 13-16.
My brethren, the message brought from heaven by an angel deserves
careful examination, because the angel acts as a messenger from
God. A little reflection will convince us that the message
delivered to Zachary by the Angel Gabriel contained a very
peculiar prediction concerning the total abstinence from wine and
strong drink, which St. John the Baptist practised throughout his
life. In other matters no special directions were given
regulating his acts of self-denial.
{29}
No mention is made of his raiment in the angel's message; neither
was any information communicated in regard to his choice of food.
Hence there is a special significance in the declaration which
the Angel Gabriel put forth when he predicted that St. John the
Baptist would abstain from the use of wine and strong drink. This
passage of Holy Scripture, therefore, furnishes a strong proof in
favor of total abstinence. In the Book of Leviticus, x. 9, and in
the Book of Numbers, vi. 2, as well as in the writings of the
prophet Jeremias, xxxv. 61-69, there are texts to be found which
show that total abstinence was recognized long before the birth
of St. John the Baptist. But on account of his intimate relations
with the Holy Family, and on account of the extraordinary
approval bestowed upon him by our Lord, by which he was
canonized, so to speak, before his death, St. John the Baptist is
the most prominent of all the total abstainers mentioned in the
Bible.
Considered as an antidote, an effectual safeguard against the
degrading vice of intemperance, the practice of total abstinence
is now defended not only by examples from Holy Writ, but also on
arguments based on common sense and experience. It is regarded as
the heroic form of the virtue of temperance, which may be
meritoriously practised by those who have never been addicted to
drunkenness. The determination to renounce even the lawful use of
strong drink is especially commendable as a means of
self-preservation for young men. More than any other class of
society, they are assailed by temptations to excessive drinking;
and by unwise and unscrupulous friends they are often taught to
regard drunkenness as a pardonable weakness.
{30}
Undoubtedly, then, it is a wise act for a young man at the
present time to erect a strong barrier, a wall of defence, to
protect himself from a most dangerous and destructive vice. For
occasional and habitual drunkards, however, who wish to reform
and live in state of friendship with God, total abstinence is not
a mere act of heroism, but something indispensably necessary. The
pledge for them is simply a firm purpose of amendment, a
manifestation of their desire to avoid that which they know has
been for them a proximate occasion of sin. In many cases total
abstinence, though it may be a stern remedy, is the only sure
preventive of intemperance, and is imperatively demanded for the
spiritual and temporal welfare of numerous families. The man who
has offended God and debased himself by drunkenness cannot obtain
an unconditional pardon. To obtain forgiveness from God he must
have a sorrow for past offences, a determination to do better in
the future, and a willingness to atone for his sins. What he must
do in the future to secure his safety can be ascertained by
examining his past experience. By the application of these
principles, especially in the tribunal of penance, the growth of
virtue is fostered and the progress of vice is retarded. In this
way the Church proclaims to each individual the great lessons
which St. John taught by the banks of the Jordan. To all of her
children she repeats during this season of Advent the admonition
uttered long ago by the voice crying in the wilderness: Prepare
ye the way of the Lord; make straight his paths.
-------------------
{31}
_Third Sunday of Advent._
Epistle.
_Philippians iv._ 4-7.
Rejoice in the Lord always: again, I say, rejoice. Let your
modesty be known to all men: The Lord is nigh. Be not
solicitous about anything: but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known
to God. And the peace of God which surpasseth all
understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Gospel.
_St. John i._ 19-28.
At that time:
The Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and levites to John, to
ask him: Who art thou? And he confessed, and did not deny: and
he confessed: I am not the Christ. And they asked him: What
then? Art thou Elias? And he said: I am not. Art thou the
prophet? And he answered: No. They said therefore unto him: Who
art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us? what
sayest thou of thyself? He said: I am the voice of one crying
in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said
the prophet Isaias. And they that were sent, were of the
Pharisees. And they asked him, and said to him: Why then dost
thou baptize, if thou be not Christ, nor Elias, nor the
prophet? John answered them, saying: I baptize with water; but
there hath stood one in the midst of you, whom you know not.
The same is he that shall come after me, who is preferred
before me: the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to loose.
These things were done in Bethania beyond the Jordan, where
John was baptizing.
-------------------
{32}
Sermon VII.
Bad Company.
In one of his epistles (2 Timothy iii. 1-5) St. Paul speaks of
_dangerous times_ for Christians, when "men shall be lovers
of themselves, covetous, haughty, proud, blasphemers, disobedient
to parents, ungrateful, wicked, without affection, without peace,
slanderers, incontinent, unmerciful, without kindness, traitors,
stubborn, puffed up, and lovers of pleasure more than of God;
having an appearance, indeed, of piety, but denying the power
thereof."
At the present time there is in the world, especially in populous
cities, no small number of men who have the combination of vices
so forcibly described by the Apostle St. Paul. In some places
they may be in the majority, and have the power to enforce their
depraved views on their righteous neighbors. By their slanders
they can revile virtue; by their blasphemies they endeavor to
bring odium on God's plan of ruling the world. Their hatred of
religion is manifested not only in the regulation of personal
affairs, but also in their business methods, and in their
utterances on public questions. If these stubborn, puffed-up
lovers of sensuality, traitors to God, who are without affection
and without peace, could be assigned to a reservation in some
corner of the world, their range of influence would be kept
within a definite area. But they are like their master the devil,
roaming from place to place, every where seeking the destruction
of men's souls.
{33}
Hence it is an important matter, and especially for Catholic
young men, to consider the injurious results of the unavoidable
contact with those in the world who are more or less infected
with erroneous views, or have become the victims of debasing
vices. Such characters are to be found in nearly every department
of business. It often happens that a young man, when he begins to
work, is obliged to enter a sphere beyond the control of his
parents, where he will be in close proximity to blatant infidels,
who claim an intellectual superiority on account of their
unbelief. Business engagements may compel a Catholic young man to
be within hearing of shallow sceptics, who take every opportunity
to ask questions--not to get information, but merely to ventilate
their contempt for all religious teaching. These hostile
influences have produced in many of our young men very deplorable
results. By a sort of indifference, resembling the dry rot, they
have allowed themselves to get into a very unsafe state of mind
regarding their duties to God.
Enlightened self-interest should prompt every young man to keep a
sharp lookout for all that is injurious to him. He may have the
best religious training, together with the virtuous surroundings
of a good home, but these will not be sufficient without his own
personal activity. If he selects by preference heretics and
freethinkers as the companions of his leisure hours; if he is so
puffed up with the idea of his own ability that he can find no
Catholic associates worthy of his notice; if he is so confident
of his own strength that he habitually neglects to receive Holy
Communion, he has become a traitor to the King of Heaven. Our
Lord wants his followers to attain the highest standard of human
excellence.
{34}
To those who love him and fearlessly keep his commandments he
gives the courage which belongs to true manliness; and their
piety has power to surmount every obstacle on the way to heaven.
-------------------
Sermon VIII.
The Voice In The Wilderness.
_Make straight the way of the Lord._
--John i. 23.
This expression, dear brethren, is no new one in Holy Scripture,
and it fell on no unaccustomed ears. More than seven hundred
years before Jesus Christ the great prophet Isaias spoke about
"the voice of one crying in the desert: Make straight in the
wilderness the paths of our God." Again, three hundred years
later, another prophet, Malachias, wrote: "Behold, I send my
angel, and he shall prepare the way before my face." Again, about
six months before Jesus Christ was born, an aged priest,
Zacharias, took his own little child, who was only eight days
old, in his arms, and in the beautiful hymn of the
_Benedictus_ says of him: "Thou, child, shalt be called the
prophet of the Most High; for thou shalt go before the face of
the Lord to prepare his way."
You know, dear brethren, who this little child was, who was the
burden of all this prophetic song. You know it was St. John the
Baptist. And you know, too, the mighty work he had to do.
And now, in this morning's Gospel, it is St. John the Baptist
himself speaking: "I am the voice of one crying in the
wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord."
{35}
Now, how is this "way of the Lord" to be "made straight" in the
spiritual desert of our hearts? Well, the prophet Isaias tells us
that there are five things which we have to do in this matter:
The first, "every valley shall be exalted"; the second, "every
mountain and hill made low"; the third, "the crooked become
straight"; the fourth, "the rough ways plain"; and the fifth,
"the glory of the Lord revealed."
He begins, you see, by telling us that the valleys must be
exalted. And don't you think that these "valleys" are a very good
likeness of all the things which we have left undone in our
lives? All these abysses of idleness, of neglect, of
carelessness, of indifference, which lie in the wilderness of our
sinful past, these have to be filled up. Christ our Lord cannot
come to us so long as there are such great holes in the road. We
must set to work and "exalt" them by throwing into our religious
life all the pains and care and diligence and faithfulness we
can.
Then there are the "mountains and hills," which must be made low.
For oftentimes, when the Evil One sees that a man cannot be
altogether discouraged from serving God, then he turns round and
persuades him that he _is_ serving God very well indeed;
that he may be proud to think how often he has resisted
temptation, how often overcome difficulties, how often done great
things for Christ's sake.
So arise the vast mountains of pride and self-will and
self-conceit. But be sure our Lord will not climb over these to
come to you. You must first get them out of the way. They must be
made low, if you would enter into life: for it is written, "God
resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble."
{36}
Then the "crooked places"--I suppose you know what they are--all
crooked ways of lying and deceit and untruthfulness. We call a
truthful person _straightforward_, because he does not turn
about to this side or to that in what he says, but goes straight
to the truth. Well, whatever is not straightforward is crooked,
and the crooked path is one which Christ will not walk in. So we
must try every day to go on more and more straightforwardly with
what God would have us do, according to the saying in the
Proverbs, "Let thine eyes look straight on, ... decline not to
the right hand, nor to the left, and the Lord will bring forward
thy ways in peace."
Once more: there are the "rough places." Rough tempers, rough
words, and rough manners; such feelings as spite, and anger, and
ill nature, and revenge; as cutting and cruel words, and
quarrelling and fighting. Such rough places must be made very
plain and smooth if the road is to be fitted for the feet of our
meek and gentle Lord.
And, lastly: "The glory of the Lord shall be revealed." So shall
it indeed be to those that are found worthy to enter into the
kingdom of heaven. But what that glory is who shall tell? St.
John could not. "Beloved," he says, "we are now the sons of God;
and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be." St. Paul could
not, for when he was caught up into heaven he tells us that he
heard words "which it is not granted to man to utter." Isaias
could not. "From the beginning of the world," he says, "they have
not heard; the eye hath not seen, O God! besides thee, what
things thou hast prepared for them that wait for thee." All we
know is, that this glory shall be very great. And if we serve God
faithfully here we shall one day see it, and shall one day know.
We shall awake after his likeness and be satisfied therewith.
-------------------
{37}
Sermon IX.
Penance.
_For now the axe is laid to the root of the tree._
--Matthew. iii. 10.
St. John Baptist, my brethren, as you know, retired to the desert
at an early age, and led there an austere and solitary life,
eating coarse and unpalatable food, abstaining from wine and
strong drink, cutting off all unnecessary enjoyments of the
senses, and giving himself up to prayer and meditation. What was
his special motive in this extraordinary course of penance? It
was that he might worthily prepare himself for the office which
had been as signed to him--that of disposing men's hearts to
recognize and receive our Lord when he should come as their
Redeemer. It was by penance alone that those hearts could be so
disposed, and he was to be specially the apostle of penance;
hence he had to give a signal example of it in his own person;
for preaching, however eloquent, is of comparatively little
effect unless the preacher practises the virtues to which he
exhorts others; and the power of his preaching will be in
proportion to the illustration which it finds in his own life.
{38}
Therefore, though it was not necessary for St. John, sanctified
as he was even before his birth, to cut off all other sources of
pleasure in order to fill his soul with the joy that comes from
the love of God, and though he had no sins to atone for, for his
life had been free from blame, still he took up this course of
penance in order to show forth even more plainly than by his
words the need that his hearers would have, in their measure, to
do likewise, if they were to share in the redemption to come.