those who destroy the "little ones of Christ" by neglecting to
instruct their little children in the way of salvation. The law
of God requires that children as soon as they have the use of
reason, which is about the age of seven years, should know the
elements of the Christian doctrine, should know the necessity of
avoiding sin, and should be taught the practice of virtue; also,
that children, as soon as they are able to sufficiently profit by
receiving Holy Communion, should do so. No child should ever be
allowed to go beyond the age of twelve years without having made
First Communion. Many can receive First Communion at nine or ten
years of age, and perhaps younger. Confirmation should be
received as soon as First Communion. Parents are guilty before
God if they do not require their children to keep the
commandments of God and his church from their earliest years
until they leave the parents charge. How many parents do their
little ones a deadly injury by not sending them regularly to
Sunday-school!
{57}
What is it to bring up children to burn in the flames of hell for
ever, as some Christian parents do? It is simply soul-murder. It
deserves no better name. Have you been guilty of soul-murder? If
so, hasten to repair the evil as much as you can. You can never
do it wholly, but you must do what you can. There is yet another
cruelty towards "the little ones" of Christ. It is to scandalize
them by your bad example. Instead of learning by your example to
adore our Blessed Lord, to love and reverence his Blessed Mother
and the saints, they, perhaps, learn to take God's holy name in
vain. Your falsehoods teach them to lie; your dishonesty teaches
them to steal. Your anger and quarrelling teach them to be
stubborn and disobedient. Ah! Christian parents, be careful how
you hang this millstone of scandalizing the little ones of Christ
about your necks.
Finally, you destroy your children by not correcting their
faults. You wink at the evil which they do. You fail to punish
them, regardless of God's honor and their good. If you do punish
them, it is not "correction in the Lord," but you do it to
gratify your satanic rage. Some fathers and mothers are not
worthy of the name. The dignity and responsibility of fathers and
mothers are very great. See that you are faithful to the
obligations which belong to your high and holy state.
-------------------
{58}
_The Epiphany._
Epistle.
_Isaias lx._ 1-6.
Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem: for thy light is come, and
the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold darkness
shall cover the earth, and a mist the people: but the Lord
shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light, and kings in the
brightness of thy rising. Lift up thy eyes round about, and
see: all these are gathered together, they are come to thee:
thy sons shall come from afar, and thy daughters shall rise up
at thy side. Then shalt thou see and abound, and thy heart
shall wonder and be enlarged; when the multitude of the sea
shall be converted to thee, the strength of the Gentiles shall
come to thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the
dromedaries of Madian and Epha: all they from Saba shall come,
bringing gold and frankincense: and showing forth praise to the
Lord.
Gospel.
_St. Matthew. ii._ 1-12.
When Jesus, therefore, was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the
days of King Herod, behold, there came wise men from the East
to Jerusalem, saying: Where is he that is born King of the
Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and we are come to
adore him. And Herod the King hearing this was troubled, and
all Jerusalem with him: and assembling together all the chief
priests and Scribes of the people, he inquired of them where
Christ should be born. But they said to him, In Bethlehem of
Juda; for so it is written by the prophet: "And thou Bethlehem,
the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda:
for out of thee shall come forth the ruler who shall rule my
people Israel."
{59}
Then Herod, privately calling the wise men, inquired diligently
of them the time of the star's appearing to them; and sending
them into Bethlehem, said: Go and search diligently after the
child, and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I
also may come and adore him. And when they had heard the king,
they went their way; and behold, the star which they had seen
in the East went before them, until it came and stood over
where the child was. And seeing the star, they rejoiced with
exceeding great joy. And going into the house, they found the
child with Mary his mother, and falling down, they adored him;
and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts; gold,
frankincense, and myrrh. And having received an answer in sleep
that they should not return to Herod, they went back another
way into their own country.
-------------------
Sermon XVI.
The Testimony Of The Spirit.
_For whosoever are led by the Spirit of God
they are the Sons of God._
--Romans viii. 14.
The end of our pilgrimage, like that of the three wise men, my
brethren, is union with our Lord. Of course union with God,
through his power and his being present everywhere, always
exists, whether we are his friends or not. But the state of grace
is the union of love. By that union God rules our souls. By that
union the Holy Spirit of God, the third person of the most Holy
Trinity, really dwells within us. In the state of grace we are
brought into loving contact with the divine Spirit.
{60}
Now the Apostle, in the words of our text, wishes to teach us one
effect of that wonderful union. "For the Spirit himself giveth
testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of God." That is to
say, when the Holy Spirit enters into your heart he announces his
coming, he assures you of his friendship, he excites within you a
sentiment of filial affection for your Heavenly Father. How could
it be otherwise? Could God be long in our hearts and we be
altogether ignorant of it? Of course he does not take away the
natural fickleness of our minds; the star sometimes shines
faintly, or even for a while disappears from view. God does not
reveal himself as he is; he does not interfere at all with his
external work in the holy church; he does not substitute his
interior action on the soul for that exterior action of visible
authority and sacramental symbols. It is, indeed, by means of
this external order that the Holy Spirit enters into our hearts;
it is, besides, only by means of the church's divine marks, her
divine testimony, her divine influence in the sacraments, that we
can be quite sure that Almighty God has come down into our souls.
Yet the Holy Spirit really has a secret career within us. "Deep
calleth unto deep"; that is, the infinite love of God calls into
life our little love. He has his inner church in our souls, so to
speak; or rather he brings into his spiritual and hidden temple
all that is outside, spiritualizes the external order, joins the
purely mental with the sacramental, and, having set our faces in
the right direction and started our feet moving in the right
road, he sets us to thinking right, he stirs up noble
aspirations, he purifies our feelings, and finally gives us
testimony that it is really himself, the Spirit of God, who has
thus been at work making our inner life such as befits the sons
of God.
{61}
Now, my brethren, as I said before, this testimony of God within
us is not like the splendors of Paradise bursting upon the soul;
nor is it so very plain as to be able to stand alone without the
external criterion of his church as a testimony of God's
friendship, except now and then in the case of some great saint.
Yet there are many things in our inner life that, if we study
them over a little, show that God has been acting upon us. What
else is that wonder of the world called the faith of Catholics?
Who else but the Spirit of God could give such power to believe
very mysterious truths, such a stability to wavering minds, such
a humility of belief to proud minds? And what except divine love
could be as sweet as the taste the soul enjoys in the reception
of the sacraments? Call to mind the utter transformation of soul
that so often takes place at First Communion; remember the flood
of divine influence at your Christian marriage; remember how
after that death-bed scene your broken heart was cured of its
despair when you turned to God; remember how at missions or
during seasons of penance, or at one or other festival, it seemed
to you that heaven was beginning before its time. All this is
God's work on your life. The tender emotion at hearing the divine
promises, the loving regret for sin, the joy of forgiveness, the
imagination filled--plainly by no human means--with images of
celestial peace, the understanding as clear of doubts as heaven
of clouds, the will strong and easily able to keep good
resolutions, sometimes the very body sharing the lightness and
vigor of the soul--what is all this but the embrace of the Holy
Spirit?
{62}
And if one says _he_ does not feel it, and yet hopes he is
in the state of grace, I answer that he will not be long deprived
of it. Or it may be he is tepid; his soul is not able to feel any
more than a hand benumbed with cold; his ear not hearing because
his attention is too much fixed on the voices of the world to
hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. His eye is too much dazzled by
the false glitter of the world to catch sight of the star that
leads to our Lord's feet.
-------------------
Sermon XVII.
Following God's Guidance.
_Be ye, therefore, followers of God,
as most dear children._
--Ephesians. v. 1.
My dear brethren, these are not words of counsel or good advice;
they are words of command, written by St. Paul. This command is
to follow God, and to follow him as most dear children,
obediently as the Magi did of old. What is it to follow God? It
is to do at least as much as we do when we follow any one great
man. How do we act then? We seek to be with him a great deal. We
listen to his every word. We do as he does. We adopt his views of
things. We repeat what he teaches. Neither do we dare to differ
from him, for fear that people will say that we have no sense;
nor do we venture to act in any manner opposed to his ways of
doing. In a few words, a man who is followed is the leader in
fashion, in taste, and style. Everybody approves his ways, and
imitates them.
{63}
His friends have also the friendship of the world, simply because
they are his friends. Any one whom he approves and recommends is
listened to and followed because he has recommended him. If we
want to follow God, he does not really require, outwardly, any
more than men require of us to follow them.
But how can we do this?
First: Seek to be with God a great deal. Where is he, that we may
find him? God is everywhere, and is always found by looking for
him and seeking for him diligently in prayer; for prayer keeps us
near to God and God near to us. And he is always on the altar:
hear Mass not only on Sundays but now and then on week days;
visit the Blessed Sacrament.
Secondly: Listen to his every word. God speaks to our souls in
prayer, not with a voice like the voice of a man, but in his own
sweet and quiet way. We must listen attentively to hear the
gentle words of God, not with our outward ears of the body, but
with the ability to hear that is within our souls; the ability of
the soul to hear the voice of a spirit speaking to our spirit.
God also speaks to us through his Holy Word in the Sacred
Scriptures, in the Epistle and Gospel set apart for each Sunday
of the year, in the writings of holy men and women, in the
teachings of Christian parents and friends. But the most
important way in which God has taught, and continues to teach us
all, is by means of his church. When we listen to her words, in
sermons and other instructions, we hear the Word of God.
{64}
Thirdly: Do as God does. Try to be like him, and him alone. Take
care to do always the thing that is right. Try hard to be loving,
merciful, forgiving, and gentle to all, even your enemies. When
we have anything to do, we must say, Would God do this way or
that way? When we meet with cruel treatment from others, with
ingratitude and base injustice from those we love, we must say at
once, How does God treat those who do these things? How does he
treat me, notwithstanding my many, many sins? I shall go and do
to these bad people as he has done to me. I shall even bless
them, as he has blessed me.
Lastly: If we want to follow God, at least as well as we follow a
great man whom we have made a leader among us, we are sure to
honor his friends, and obey those he sends to us in his name. Who
are these? Not only all good people, but especially our pastors
and spiritual directors. The pastor or parish priest is a man
sent by God to make sure of the success of God's work in his
parish. Any one who follows God in that parish unites heart and
soul with his priest to help him carry out his plans. If any one
wants to get the greatest amount of merit for his good deeds, he
is sure to get it by following first these plans. For the priest
stands as a father among his children. He knows the good and the
bad, the rich and the poor. He knows what is best for each. He is
the best adviser as to what ought to be done, and as to the way
it is to be done. In charities he is certainly the best leader.
Private works and charities are good, it is true; but the first
duty, after one's own necessities are cared for, is to follow the
order of God, in aiding the parish work through the parish priest
and his assistants. We may safely say that one act done for God,
in union with those put over us by him, is worth in heaven, and
here also, many good works done simply because we like to do them
our own way.
{65}
To follow God, then, is to follow as dear children. We must
consent to be led by God in all things connected with duty, just
as little children are led by their fathers and mothers. We must
take care, at least, that we follow his lead, and not show more
honor to others than we do to him.
-------------------
{66}
_First Sunday after Epiphany._
Epistle.
_Romans xii._ 1-5.
Brethren:
I beseech you, by the mercy of God, that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, your
reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be
reformed in the newness of your mind, that you may prove what
is the good and the acceptable, and the perfect will of God.
For I say, through the grace that is given me, to all that are
among you, not to be more wise than it behooveth to be wise,
but to be wise unto sobriety, and according as God hath divided
to every one the measure of faith. For as in one body we have
many members, but all the members have not the same office: so
we being many are one body in Christ, and each one members one
of another in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Gospel.
_St. Luke ii._ 42-52.
When Jesus was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem
according to the custom of the feast, and after they had
fulfilled the days, when they returned, the child Jesus
remained in Jerusalem; and his parents knew it not. And
thinking that he was in the company, they came a day's journey,
and sought him among their kinsfolks and acquaintance. And not
finding him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking him. And it
came to pass, that after three days they found him in the
temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them and
asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished
at his wisdom and his answers. And seeing him, they wondered.
{67}
And his mother said to him: Son, why hast thou done so to us?
behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said
to them: How is it that you sought me? did you not know that I
must be about the things that are my Father's? And they
understood not the word that he spoke unto them. And he went
down with them, and came to Nazareth: and was subject to them.
And his mother kept all these words in her heart. And Jesus
increased in wisdom and age, and grace with God and men.
-------------------
Sermon XVIII.
The Christian Home.
_He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was subject to them. ...
And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age, and grace
with God and men._
--Gospel of the Day.
In these few words, my brethren, the sacred writer raises the
veil that conceals the mysteries of our Lord's hidden life, and
gives us an insight into the domestic concerns of the Holy Family
at Nazareth. Jesus lived with Mary and Joseph. He was obedient
and subject to them, and so he advanced in age and wisdom and
grace with God and men. The door of the holy house is opened to
us, but only for a moment, so that we might get a glimpse of the
domestic life of a model family. Joseph, the father, day by day
works at his trade to support the family. He rises in the
morning; gives his soul to God in prayer. He toils through the
day. He comes home at night to enjoy his rest in the company of
Jesus and Mary. He meets with trials, but he is patient; he is
tempted, but he sins not; he leads a busy life, but he still
finds time to pray.
{68}
Mary, the mother, tends the household duties, with care and
precision, and by her sweet, kind ways diffuses an air of peace
and contentment throughout the home. Jesus, the child, is
affectionate and submissive to his parents in everything. Here is
the model of a true Christian home. Its ground work is the love
of God; it is surrounded by an atmosphere of virtue, and to its
members it is the holiest and dearest spot on earth. Such should
our homes be.
The true Christian home is to society what the sanctuary is to
the church of God. The parents are the priests in this sanctuary.
It was God who ordained them priests when they stood before the
altar with clasped hands and promised that they would be faithful
to each other while life lasts. The Blessed Sacrament of this
sanctuary is the Sacrament of Matrimony. It is the great
treasure-house of supernatural strength to the married couple.
The perpetual presence of our Lord in this sanctuary is by his
grace, which is never wanting.
The altar in this sanctuary is the hearthstone around which the
family gathers. The communion-rail in this sanctuary is the
family table, from which are dispensed the necessities of life.
There is about the sanctuary in the church of God an atmosphere
of piety and reverence. It has a sanctity that no stranger dare
violate; it has a privacy which no one but he who has a right
dare invade. Such an atmosphere should be about the sanctuary of
home. A priest would never allow a heretic or an infidel to sit
in the sanctuary of God. He would never allow a corrupt man to
stand on the altar of God. Take care, then, Christian parents,
how you violate the sanctity of your homes.
{69}
Take care what heretical or infidel books you allow to pass the
gate of that sanctuary. Take care what bad newspapers you allow
within its sacred precincts. Take care of the persons whom you
allow to stand around your family altar. It is one thing, you
know, to be obliged to meet a man in every-day life; it is a far
different thing to invite him to your home, and permit him to
violate its sanctity.
It is the duty of a priest on the altar of God, by his good
example, to edify his flock; to stand at all times before his
people a bright, shining light of Christian virtues. So, too, it
is your duty, priests at the family altar, to be a model of all
virtues to your children, so that they might learn from you what
it is to be a Christian. Would it not be horrible for a man to
come in on the altar and utter repeated curses? Would it not be
fearful to see him stagger up to the altar of God in the state of
intoxication? It happened once while Mass was going on, during
the Elevation, while all heads were bowed in humble adoration, a
drunken man rushed into the church, and in a loud voice uttered a
horrible oath. It made the hearts of the good Catholic people
stand still, and their blood ran cold in their veins. Is it any
the less horrible for a father to come home intoxicated to the
household sanctuary, or a mother, when anything goes wrong in the
house, to give vent to her wrath in harsh language and sometimes
even cursing?
See to it, then, dear parents; make your homes holy places--real
sanctuaries, where you can do your duty as priests of our
All-Holy God. Keep from them all evil influences, so that they
might be places where even the Child Jesus would not be ashamed
to dwell.
-------------------
{70}
Sermon XIX.
Jesus Teaching In The Temple.
_And not finding him,
they returned into Jerusalem, seeking him._
--Luke ii. 45
The Gospel of to-day tells us, my brethren, how our Blessed Lady
and St. Joseph lost Jesus on their way home from Jerusalem, where
they had gone with him to keep the feast of the pasch, and how in
great distress they returned to the city in search of him. What
fears and anxieties must have filled their minds as they thought
of the many enemies which he had among the rulers of the people,
jealous of his promised kingdom, and of the harm which they would
try to do him if they recognized him for the child whom Herod had
sought to destroy! And how perplexed Mary and Joseph must have
been that he who had hitherto saved himself by their protection
should at this tender age abandon them and remove himself from
their care! Had they not shown enough love and care for him? Had
they proved themselves unworthy of him? Surely it could not be
his purpose when so young to begin his great work. Would he not
at least have told them if such had been his plan?
No, our Lord did not propose to begin his mission then; for,
though he was indeed God, he was also then a child, and that
mission was not a child's work. But he did wish to show them that
his great work even then filled his heart and soul; that the fire
of love for us, which brought him to the cross, was consuming him
even in childhood. "Did you not know," he said to them when they
found him, "that I must be about my Father's business?" "How is
it that you sought me?" "You might have known," he seems to say,
"that, if I were not with you, I must be in the temple speaking
to my people of their God."
{71}
He also wished to give them an opportunity of merit by showing
the love of God which filled their souls, too. For their grief
was not the common grief of parents who have lost a child, great
as that trouble is. It was the loss of the Divine Presence which
affected them beyond measure. God had been with them for all
those years as never with any one else, and now he had left them,
they could not tell why or for how long. They would not have
spared him for an hour, even to their kinsfolk and friends, with
whom they thought he was, except for charity; and now he had left
them, perhaps for the rest of their lives, which were worth
nothing without him.
Would that we loved God, my brethren, as they loved him; that he
were the light and consolation of our lives, as he was of theirs!
Let us think of this as we reflect on their pain and anguish in
that weary search for the visible presence of him whose grace
was, after all, always in their souls. How is it with us? Would
we care for this presence which they so bitterly missed? Would it
not, perhaps, even be a painful restraint? Do we care, as it is,
to be near Jesus? Is his presence in the Blessed Sacrament of the
altar a consolation to us? We revere that real Presence of our
Lord, but do we love it? If so, why do we not seek it more?
Do we even care for his presence by grace in our souls, which
they always had in its fulness, and never dimmed by the shadow of
sin? To lose that, had it been possible, would have been a
thousand deaths to them; what is it to us? How easily do we lose
that grace; how little do we care to regain it!
{72}
Oh! let us at least imitate our Blessed Mother and her Holy
Spouse as far as this. If we do not love to be with Jesus as they
did, let us at least seek to have him with us by his grace. If we
have lost him, let us seek him, and not be weary till we find
him; let us not rest till he comes again to our souls, never to
leave them again.
-------------------
Sermon XX.
How Our Saviour Takes Away Sin.
_Behold the Lamb of God,
behold him who taketh away the sins of the world._
--St. John i. 29.