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, considering you
by your good works they may glorify God in the day of
visitation. Be ye subject therefore 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 silence the ignorance of foolish men: as
free, and not as making liberty a cloak of 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 froward.
For this is thankworthy, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Epistle of the Feast.
_Genesis xlix._ 22-26.
Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and comely to behold;
the daughters run to and fro upon the wall. But they that held
darts provoked him, and quarrelled with him, and envied him.
His bow rested upon the strong, and the bands of his arms and
his hands were loosed by the hands of the mighty one of Jacob:
thence he came forth a pastor, the stone of Israel.
{232}
The God of thy Father shall be thy helper, and the Almighty
shall bless thee with the blessings of heaven above, with the
blessings of the deep that lieth beneath, with the blessings of
the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of thy father are
strengthened with the blessings of his fathers: until the
desire of the everlasting hills should come; may they be upon
the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the Nazarite among
his brethren.
Gospel.
_St. John xvi._ 16-22.
At that tine:
Jesus said to his disciples: A little while, and now 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 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 speaketh. And Jesus knew that they were desirous 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 lament and weep, but the
world shall rejoice: and you shall be 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 hath
brought forth 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.
Gospel of the Feast.
_St. Luke iii._ 21-23.
At that time it came to pass, when all the people were
baptized, that Jesus also being baptized and praying, heaven
was opened: and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape as a
dove upon him: and a voice came from heaven: Thou art my
beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased. And Jesus himself was
beginning about the age of thirty years: being (as it was
supposed) the son of Joseph.
----------------------------
{233}
Sermon LXVII.
Our Holy Father, Pope Pius IX., as you know, dear brethren, has
made his reign glorious by defining the dogma of the Immaculate
Conception; thus placing in our dear Lady's diadem the brightest
gem that adorns it. He has further rendered his pontificate
glorious by declaring the chaste spouse of Mary Immaculate, St.
Joseph, to be the patron of the universal church. When we
celebrated the feast of St. Joseph, on the 19th of last month,
his statue was veiled by the hangings of Passion-tide; but today
his image is exposed to our gaze, and I have thought that this
discourse cannot be better occupied than by considering how
fitting it is that good St. Joseph should be the patron of the
universal church, and how great a devotion we should have towards
him.
St. Joseph is a fitting patron for the rich and for those whom
God has placed in the high positions and stations of this world;
for let us never forget that St. Joseph, although poor, was, by
lineal descent, of the royal house of David. He was of high
birth, of noble blood, and yet how humble, how willing to work
for his living when it became necessary!
So, then, here is a lesson for those who hold their heads high in
the world. Some day, dear friends, you may come down, you may be
brought low. You may lose your money, lose position, lose your
place in society. Take example, then, from St. Joseph. Do not say
like the unjust steward: "To dig I am unable, and to beg I am
ashamed"; but remember that the fairest hands that ever were, and
the noblest blood that ever flowed, are never disgraced by honest
labor or necessary toil.
{234}
St. Joseph is a fitting patron also for the poor. He had to work
hard. He had, for the safety of the Divine Child and his
Immaculate Spouse, to take long and weary journeys. He had the
pain of seeing Jesus and Mary turned from the doors of Bethlehem,
while those who had money were safely and comfortably lodged. Yet
he never complained, never murmured. He worked, and bore all the
inconveniences of poverty without a word. Is it so with you who
are poor? Don't you sometimes envy the rich, get discontented
with your position, feel rebellious against the will of God? If
so, I point you to St. Joseph. He is your model. He is your
example; strive to imitate him in all things. Are you humiliated?
Bear it for Christ's sake. Are you punished by cold and hunger?
Bear it for Christ's sake. Are you weary after your day's labor?
Bear it, bear it all for Christ's sake, as good St. Joseph did.
St. Joseph, too, is a model for the married. He cared tenderly
for the Virgin Mother and her Divine Child. He loved them, he
guarded them. He is a model for the unmarried in his purity of
life. He is a model for the priest, a model for the people, a
model for the young, an example for the old. Oh! then how wisely
our Holy Father acted in making him patron of the universal
church. But not only is St. Joseph patron of the living, but also
of the dying and the dead--of the dying, because he died in the
arms of Jesus and Mary. Beautiful death! The Son of God at his
side, the Mother of God to support his dying form! brethren! we
who are here to-day living will one day be dying.
{235}
Let us, then, pray St. Joseph that he will obtain for us the
grace of a happy death--the grace to die, as he died, in the arms
of Jesus and Mary. Then, no matter if flames devour us, or waters
overwhelm us, or disease slays us, we shall be safe--safe, for
the Son of God will hold us by the hand; safe, for the Mother of
God will throw around an all-protecting mantle of defence.
And, lastly, St. Joseph is the patron of those who are dead and
in purgatory. He waited long in limbo before he entered into the
joy of heaven. Separated from all he loved on earth, and seeing
the pearly gates of heaven, not yet opened by the bloodshed of
Calvary, shut against him, oh! how great must his longing have
been. Ah! then I am sure St. Joseph feels for and loves the holy
souls in purgatory, who, like himself, have lost earth and not
yet gained heaven.
Let us all, then, hasten to St. Joseph to-day. Let us pray for
ourselves and others. Let us pray for the living and pray for the
dead. Let us say: "O great patron of the whole church! look down
from the loftiness of thy mountain to the lowliness of our
valley; obtain for us to live like thee, to die like thee, and to
reign _with_ thee in everlasting bliss."
Rev. Algernon A. Brown.
--------------------
Sermon LXVIII.
On this Sunday, my dear brethren, the church celebrates every
year the feast of the Patronage of St. Joseph. You have often
heard it read out from the altar, you heard it just now; and yet
I am afraid most of you might as well not have heard it, for all
the impression it made on you.
{236}
If you thought anything about the notice you probably thought
that it was only something to interest the pious people, to let
them know when to say their prayers and go to Communion.
If you did you made a great mistake. St. Joseph is not a saint
for pious people only, but for every Christian. That is true of
all the saints, but specially so of St. Joseph. All the saints
take an interest in all of us, however weak and imperfect, or
even sinful, we may be; they all love us and care for us far more
than our friends in this world. Still, they have perhaps a
particular care for some, as we have, or should have, a
particular devotion to some of them as our patrons.
But St. Joseph is everybody's patron. That is what holy church
means by inviting us all to celebrate this feast of his
Patronage, and by giving him the title, as she did only a few
years ago, of patron of the universal church. He is the patron of
the church in general and of each member of it in particular.
What is a patron? The word has rather gone out of common use.
Well, it is a friend at court. A patron is one who has got
influence and power to use for our advantage. If we want anything
he is the one to get it for us. He is the man that you go to if
you want to get an office or employment of any kind from the
powers that be; and generally you will find it pretty hard to get
a place, if you have not such a friend to go to.
{237}
Well, St. Joseph is such a friend for all of us in the court of
heaven, and that is the one where we all want to have an
interest; for there is where all matters are really arranged,
whether regarding heaven or earth. If you want anything whatever
St. Joseph is the one to go to, whether it be the most important
thing of all--that is, the grace of final perseverance and
salvation--or merely to pay your debts or save you from want. He
will get you either one, though I do not know that he will get
you the dollar, if you do not want the grace also.
But you will say, perhaps: "I do not need St. Joseph's help so
much, for I have Our Blessed Lady to go to; is not she more
powerful even than he is?" Well, I do not deny that, of course,
nor that she is the best of all patrons. Neither does the church;
for she celebrates, as you know, the feast of Our Lady's
Patronage also. But I would not give much for your devotion to
her, neither would she herself, unless you include St. Joseph in
it. You might as well try to separate her from her Divine Son as
St. Joseph from her.
Besides, you know the saints have what I may call their
specialties. It is not, for instance, a superstition to ask the
help of St. Anthony of Padua to find for us what we have lost.
St. Joseph has several specialties; and one of them, and one
which I know you will think quite important, is the help which he
will give to us in temporal necessities when we are hard pressed
for money, or things seem in any way to be going very much
against us. Let me, then, suggest to you a very practical form of
devotion to him. When anything goes wrong, instead of worrying
about it and making it keep you from prayer, or even, perhaps,
from Holy Mass, go to St. Joseph about it; ask him to get you
what you want or to relieve your from your trouble. He will do it
for you, unless it be bad for your soul.
{238}
Perhaps you think this is all fancy. Well, all I say is, just
try, and you will see whether it is or not. You will find plenty
of people who will tell you that what I say is true. But ask St.
Joseph to help your soul, too, for he does not want to have you
neglect that. See if you cannot make the patronage of St. Joseph,
both temporally and spiritually, more of a reality to yourselves
before another year has gone by.
--------------------
Sermon LXIX.
_Be ye subject therefore
to every human creature
for God's sake._
--1 St. Peter ii. 13.
If we stop to consider these words of the Epistle, my dear
brethren, they must certainly have a strange sound to us in this
age of the world, and especially in this country, which makes
liberty its great boast. Many of us, I am afraid, in spite of
their reverence for St. Peter, who gives this instruction, would
be tempted to say that this doctrine of his is a very curious
one. "Be subject to every human creature," indeed! Why, on the
contrary, in this free and enlightend republic, we do not
acknowledge subjection to any one; we hold that every man is
equal; we are all sovereigns and make laws ourselves--not
subjects, obedient to laws made by others. We observe the laws of
the land, it is true, but that is because they are arrangements
made by the majority for the good of the nation, state, or city,
and because we must have some sort of law if we are to have any
kind of order.
{239}
Well, this creed, which some of you, perhaps, have adopted, may
sound well enough in itself, but unfortunately it does not seem
to agree very well with St. Peter's inspired and infallible
teaching. We must, if we are Catholics, acknowledge that instead
of claiming that no one has a right to control us, we ought, as
he says, to "be subject to every human creature." The only thing,
then, is to find out just what he means by this.
Does St. Peter mean, then, that we must be willing to obey every
human creature, every man, woman, or child that undertakes to
command us? Yes, there is no doubt that such is his doctrine. We
must be _willing_ to obey every one; we must have a spirit
of subjection and humility, not of superiority and pride. We must
not think that we are too good or too wise to be commanded by any
one, however bad or however foolish he may seem to be. We must
have a desire to obey, not to command.
But does St. Peter mean that we actually must always obey every
one, man, woman, or child, who chooses to command us? No, of
course he does not mean that. We shall see what he does mean by
bringing in the rest of the text.
"Be ye subject," he says, "to every human creature _for God's
sake_." That is, be subject, as a matter of counsel, to every
human creature, whenever we can suppose that creature to be
speaking in the name of God; and as a matter of precept whenever
we are sure that such is the case.
{240}
The first is a counsel, as I said, to be followed by those who
would be perfect; to mortify our own will and submit to the
direction of others when it is not evidently wrong or foolish.
But the second is a strict duty to be practised if we would be
saved: to submit to the commands of those who certainly do speak
in God's name, when their commands are not plainly wrong. And who
are those who speak in God's name? First, they are those whom he
has appointed to rule his church--your Holy Father the Pope, the
bishops, and your pastors. Remember, when they speak to you they
speak in the name of God; do not murmur against them, but obey
cheerfully for his sake, whether their commands come to you
directly or through others whom they appoint to duties connected
with the church.
Secondly, they are those whom he has appointed to rule the state
or nation. No state or nation can be governed except in the name
of God. That is what St. Paul says distinctly: "The powers that
are," he says--and he was speaking of the heathen emperors--"are
ordained of God. Therefore he that resisteth the power resisteth
the ordinance of God. And they that resist purchase to themselves
damnation." Be submissive, then, to the authorities and officers
of every degree and kind in the nation, state, or city, when you
meet them in the discharge of their duty. Though you may have
chosen them yourselves, when they have been chosen they speak to
you in God's name.
Lastly, those who rule in the family do so in the name of God.
Children should remember that when they disobey their parents it
is God's commands they are disobeying, and that disobedience in
any grave matter is a mortal sin. And servants--for such really
are those who live out in families--should also bear in mind
their duty of obedience for God's sake and as to God. "Servants,"
says St. Peter in this Epistle, "be subject to your masters with
all fear."
{241}
Yes, we should all fear to disobey lawful authority,
because God has established it, not we ourselves.
And we should also understand that only in obedience
for God's sake is true liberty to be found.
--------------------
{242}
_Fourth Sunday after Easter._
Epistle.
_St. James i._ 17-21.
Dearly beloved:
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 vicissitude. 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
swift to hear, but slow 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 engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Gospel.
_St. John xvi._ 5-14.
At that time:
Jesus said to his disciples: 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 filled 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 shall come, he will convince the
world of sin, and of justice, and of judgment. Of sin indeed:
because they have not believed in 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 already judged. I
have yet many things to say to you: but you cannot bear them
now. But when he, the Spirit of truth, shall 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 will declare it to you.
-----------------------
{243}
Sermon LXX.
_I tell you the truth:
it is expedient for you that I go, ...
But I will see you again,
and your heart shall rejoice;
and your joy no man shall take from you._
--St. John xvi. 7, 22.
We all know, dear brethren, what place our Lord was speaking
about and to which he was soon to go. He was soon to leave his
disciples and go to heaven. To that place we all hope to go also,
that we may see him there, where, as he promises further on in
the same discourse, our hearts shall rejoice, and where our joy
no man shall take from us.
Now, there are three joys, it seems to me, which go to make up
the happiness of heaven. First, we shall be consoled; second, we
shall be satisfied; and, last and best of all, we shall see God.
We shall be consoled for all the evils we have suffered in this
world. Oftentimes we have to fight pretty hard against the world,
the flesh, and the devil, and we have received, perhaps, many a
grievous wound in mind and heart. Then, again, we have endured
much sickness, experienced many a bitter pang, undergone many a
heavy trial. Once we are in heaven we shall be consoled for all
these things there; our wounds will be healed, our sins forgiven,
our hearts comforted. There we shall see the fruits of our
penance, there we shall be solaced for all we have borne. He who
leads his flock like a shepherd and carries the lambs in his
bosom will come to us; he will fold us in his holy arms, and for
evermore we shall be at peace.
Again, we shall be satisfied. Here we love certain places and
their surroundings; we love creatures; we love all that is
beautiful. But we are not satisfied, for all these things either
leave us or we are forced to leave them.
{244}
Now, in heaven exists all the beauty and loveliness of earth,
only in a degree infinitely higher and fairer. There we shall
have all things we can desire, and possess them without fear of
change or loss. There we feel all the sweetness of prayer, all
the delights of sensible devotion, all that the saints on earth
felt when rapt in ecstasy, and more. Here there is always
something to disappoint us, something that makes us restless and
uncomfortable. There everything will exceed our highest hopes,
our best desires--in a word, in heaven, and in heaven alone, we
shall be perfectly satisfied.
Then, lastly, O joy of joys! we shall see God. We shall see him
face to face. We shall see the beauty of God. We shall behold his
wisdom and his everlasting glory. Yes, brethren, these poor eyes,
that have shed so many tears, they shall see God. The poor eyes
so weary from watch and vigil, so tired of looking up into heaven
after Jesus and Mary, so sick of looking around on earth, so
terrified from looking down into hell--these eyes shall see God.
We shall gaze on all the blessed. We shall see Jesus, and Mary,
and Joseph. Our eyes will look upon the golden pavement of the
celestial streets, the gates of pearl, and the walls of amethyst.
We shall see all the brightness and glory of heaven, for we shall
see God.
Brethren, these joys are waiting for you. Every baptized member
of Christ's mystical body has a right to a home in that land of
peace! Ah! then be careful, I pray you, not to lose the way. See
where the Standard-bearer leads! See the cross that he bears. Oh!
you all want to go to heaven, I am sure you do. There is only one
thing that can keep you out, and that is mortal sin.
{245}
Stain your soul with mortal sin by grievous violation of any one
of the commandments, and that is enough, should you die
impenitent, to keep you for ever from being consoled, from
enjoying eternal happiness, from seeing God. Ah! then, brethren,
walk in the narrow road. Be faithful and loving children of the
church, and then one day you will leave this poor, weary, sinful
world and go to dwell for ever within the walls of the City of
Peace.
Rev. Algernon A. Brown.
-----------------
Sermon LXXI.
_Let every man be swift to hear,
but slow to speak._
--St. James i. 19.
I think that every one of you, my dear friends, will agree with
me that this would be a much happier world than it is if this
recommendation of St. James, in the Epistle of to-day, were
carried out. For it is quite plain, I think, to every one of you
that other people talk too much. If they would only say less, and
listen more to what you have to say, things would go on much
better. If they would only be swift to hear, but slow to speak,
the world would get much more benefit from your wisdom and
experience than is now the case.
But, unfortunately, this general conviction, in which, I think,
we all share more or less, does not tend to produce the desired
result, but rather the contrary; for it makes everybody more
anxious to speak and to be listened to, and more unwilling to
listen themselves. We all want everybody except ourselves to keep
St. James's rule, but do not set them a good example.
{246}
So our example does harm, while our conviction does no good; and
things are worse than if we did not agree with St. James at all.
Now, would it not be a good idea if each one would try, if it
were only for the sake of good example, to be less willing to
talk and more willing to listen? And perhaps, after all, even we
ourselves do sometimes say a word or two which is hardly worth
saying, or perhaps a great deal better unsaid.
A story is told of a crazy man who, in some very lucid interval,
asked a friend if he could tell the difference between himself
and the people who were considered to be of sound mind. His
friend, curious to see what he would say, said: "No; what is it?"
"Well," said the crazy man, "it is that I say all that comes into
my head, while you other people keep most of it to yourselves."
My friends, I am afraid the crazy man was about right, but he was
too complimentary in his judgment of others. By his rule there
would be a great many people in the asylum who are now at large.
Really, it seems as if it never occurred to some persons who are
supposed to be in their right minds whether their thoughts had
better be given to the world or not. Out they must come, no
matter whether wise or foolish, good or bad.
Yes, the madman, for once in his life, was pretty nearly right.
One who talks without consideration, who says everything that
comes into his or her head, is about as much a lunatic as those
who are commonly called so; for such will have one day to give an
account for all their foolish and inconsiderate words, long after
they themselves have forgotten them. And to carelessly run up
this account is a very crazy thing.
{247}