exercised in a great many more ways than in almsgiving. You will
easily forgive your neighbor his offences against you; you will
hold no spite or revenge in your heart. If he has disgraced
himself you will not go and tell all your acquaintances of it,
but will jealously hide it and excuse it, and help him out of his
trouble.
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Thus the charity you have will not only cover a multitude of your
own sins, but a multitude of your neighbor's sins as well. When
you forgive in charity you will forgive out and out, as God does,
and hold no grudge afterwards. O my dear Christians! try to learn
this lesson and lay it to heart. Strive after this divine love;
pray for it; ask Our Blessed Lady and all the saints to help you
obtain it; your salvation depends on it. I say it again: your
salvation depends on it. "Charity covereth a multitude of sins."
Yes; but nothing else will cover even _one_ sin. Without the
love of God there is no contrition; without contrition there is
no absolution; without absolution you are lost! Think well on
this.
----------------------
Sermon LXXVII.
_Before all things,
have a mutual charity among yourselves;
for charity covereth a multitude of sins._
--1 St. Peter iv. 8.
What does St. Peter mean, my brethren, by these words? How does
charity cover a multitude of sins?
Well, it covers our own sins, of course--that is, it helps us to
obtain their forgiveness, and it atones for them when they have
been forgiven. There is no better way to obtain mercy from God
than to show it to others.
But then all the virtuous acts which we can do have the same
effect to some extent; so I think that the sins which St. Peter
speaks of are not our own merely, but also those of others. And
it is a special effect of charity to cover the sins of others; it
seems, then, that it is charity as shown in this way that the
apostle here urges on us.
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It is not a very common kind of charity, either, this of covering
other people's sins. Some, indeed, seem to think that the sins of
their neighbors ought not to be covered. They do not appear to
understand that every one has a real right that his sins should
remain unknown; that it is not only uncharitable but unjust to
mention them to those who do not know them already. No; as soon
as they hear a piece of news to any one's disadvantage they are
not easy till they have told it to their whole circle of
acquaintance; the idea of covering it up, of not letting it go
any farther, of saving their neighbor's character never occurs to
them. If they feel pretty sure that it is true, that is enough to
remove all scruple about telling it.
But this telling about people's sins is a sin, as I have said,
not only against charity but against justice. Charity goes a good
deal farther than that. It covers sins not only from other
people's eyes, but even from our own.
That is what St. Paul says about it. He says: "Charity thinketh
no evil"--that is to say, it does not see sin in other people; it
puts the best construction on their actions. How rare it is to
find any one who thoroughly practises charity of this kind!
For instance, somebody tells something about you which you know
to be false; do you put the best construction on this? No, you
put the very worst you can. You say to yourself: "He, or she, did
that out of malice. He knew very well that what he said was not
true, and said it to slander me, out of pure spite." You never
stop to think that he maybe laboring under a false
impression--may really think that what he says is true, and that
he is, moreover, justified in saying it.
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You never make any allowance for the passion he may be under
which has blinded his judgment; you never think of the
provocations he may have had, or may at least fancy that he has
had. The utmost you do is to say: "Well, I do not wish him any
evil; I forgive him the injury he has done me." And if you have
said that, which ought to be a matter of course, you look upon
yourself as a great Christian hero.
Try to learn, then, that charity means more than forgiving sins.
It means _excusing_ them--finding out, if possible, some
reason which may show that what seems to be a sin was not really
so. You are ready enough to excuse your own sins; to say, "I
could not help it," or "I did not mean any harm." Why don't you
say the same thing for somebody else? Throw the veil of charity
over the faults of others--if they have sinned it will do you no
good to know it--and take it off from your own, which you ought
to know a great deal better than you do. By the charity of
covering other people's sins from your own eyes you will cover
your own from the eyes of God.
-----------------
Sermon LXXVIII.
_Before all things,
have a mutual charity among yourselves;
for charity covereth a multitude of sins._
--1 St. Peter iv. 8.
Nothing is more frequently or more forcibly commanded by our Lord
and his apostles than fraternal charity. Mind well the text:
"_Before all things_", says St. Peter, "have a mutual
charity among yourselves." In fact, if you give a little
attention to your daily thoughts, words, and deeds, you will find
that the burden of your daily sins is uncharitableness in one
form or another.
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It was want of fraternal charity that brought about murder on the
very morning of this world's life. Hatred came between the first
two brothers of our race, and the result was the murder of the
innocent Abel. A preacher who lived some three hundred years
ago--they had a quaint way of telling plain truths in those
days--said in a sermon, and was willing to wager, that the first
thing that Adam and Eve did after eating the apple was to
quarrel, to have a downright good dispute, which was only
continuing, in another way, the first sin. Samson slew a thousand
Philistines "with a jawbone, even the jawbone of an ass." How
many reputations are destroyed in a like manner!--for a wise man
knows how to hold his tongue. What a heaven on earth our homes
and our social circles would be, if a constant mutual charity was
kept up between husband and wife, brothers and sisters, and
acquaintances! "With charity," said St. Gregory, "man is to man a
god; without charity man is to man a wild beast."
It may seem rather bold of St. Peter to say that charity should
be had "_before all things_"; but he gives a good reason for
his assertion, and a very consoling one it is for us: "for
charity covereth a multitude of sins." We all have, God knows, a
multitude of sins on our souls; anything that will take them
away, rid us of them, cover them up from God's sight, is of the
greatest possible benefit to us. Now, this is just what charity
does. How? It is said that love is blind; charity blinds us to
the defects and sins of our neighbor--in fact, covers them up
either by excusing, or by bearing patiently, or by forgiving the
sins and offences of others.
{267}
"Charity," says St. Paul, "is patient, is kind, charity envieth
not, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, beareth all
things, endureth all things." But in thus covering the sins of
others how does charity cover our own? Remember your "Our
Father": "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who
trespass against us." Here is a contract between you and God; you
stake the forgiveness from God of your sins on your forgiveness
of the sins of others. If, therefore, from a motive of charity
you cover the sins of others, God will cover your sins; they will
stand no more before him and against you.
"Well, well, dear father," it is often said to us, "forgive, yes;
but I will never forget." My dear friend, you remind me of the
beggar who, seeing a gentleman put his hand in his pocket,
fervently exclaimed, "May the blessing of God follow you," and
then, seeing that it was the smallest of coins that was handed to
him, added no less fervently, "and never overtake you!" To
_forgive really_ is to forget. We are to forgive as God
forgives; that is the bargain, is it not? Now, God forgets our
sins; they are for ever wiped out of his memory. Remembrances of
offences are temptations that you must hunt down as you would
impure thoughts; you must try to forget, else you do not forgive.
Next Sunday we celebrate the descent of the Holy Ghost. The Holy
Ghost is the spirit of love, the outcome of the mutual charity of
the Father and the Son. Pray to him that he may put in your
hearts the true virtue of Christian charity.
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_Feast of Pentecost, or Whit-Sunday_.
Epistle.
_Acts ii._ 1-11.
When the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all
together in the same place: and suddenly there came a sound
from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the
whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them
cloven tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of
them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they
began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost
gave them to speak. Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews,
devout men out of every nation under heaven. And when this
voice was made, the multitude came together, and was confounded
in mind, because that every one heard them speak in his own
tongue. And they were all amazed and wondered, saying: Behold,
are not all these who speak, Galileans? And how have we every
one heard our own tongue wherein we were born? Parthians, and
Medes, and Elamites, and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and
Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphilia, Egypt and
the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews
also, and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians: we have heard them
speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.
Gospel.
_St. John xiv_. 23-31.
At that time:
Jesus said to his disciples: If any one love me, he will keep
my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him,
and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not, keepeth not
my words. And the word which you have heard is not mine, but
the Father's who sent me.
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These things have I spoken to you, remaining with you. But the
Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my
name, he will teach you all things, and bring all things to
your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you. Peace I leave
with you; my peace I give to you: not as the world giveth do I
give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be
afraid. You have heard that I have said to you: I go away, and
I come again to you. If you loved me, you would indeed be glad,
because I go to the Father: for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you before it come to pass; that when it
shall come to pass, you may believe. Now I will not speak many
things with you. For the prince of this world cometh, and in me
he hath not anything. But that the world may know that I love
the Father: and as the Father hath given me commandment, so I
do.
------------------
Sermon LXXIX.
_The Holy Ghost,
whom the Father will send in my name,
he will teach you all things._
--St. John xiv. 26.
Today, my dear friends, as you know, we celebrate the descent of
the Holy Ghost upon the apostles. It was, of all the wonderful
works that God has wrought for the salvation of men, in one way
the most extraordinary and miraculous; for it was an immediate
and evident change, not in the material world, but in the
spiritual--that is, in the souls of those upon whom the Holy
Spirit thus came. In a moment they became entirely different men
from what they had been before.
{270}
What was this change which was worked in the souls of the
apostles? It was, as we commonly regard it, an infusion of
supernatural courage and strength. Before they had been hiding
themselves, hardly daring to appear in public, still less to
preach the Gospel, or even to profess themselves Christians; but
now they came forth boldly, ready not only to be known as
followers of Christ, but also to suffer all things for his sake.
There was, however, another change worked in them in that moment;
and it is the one which our Lord predicted in the words which I
have taken from the Gospel of this day. "The Holy Ghost," said
he, "will teach you all things."
What was the meaning of this promise, and what was its
fulfilment? Did our Lord mean that the Holy Ghost would teach the
apostles all the truths of natural science; that they should
become great chemists, geographers, or mechanics; that they
should know how to construct steam-engines or telegraphic cables?
By no means. These things are in themselves of little importance,
and would have had no direct bearing on the work to which St.
Peter and his companions were called. No; the things which the
Holy Ghost was to teach them, and did teach them on the day of
Pentecost, were spiritual things--those things which concerned
the salvation of their own souls, and of the other souls which
were committed to their charge. In an instant they became learned
in the mysteries of the kingdom not of nature but of grace; they
became in a moment great saints and doctors of theology. They
knew at once what others, superior to them in natural gifts, have
not been able to acquire after long years of study and prayer.
They were miraculously prepared to do the work of infallible
founders and teachers of the Church of God.
{271}
It was a wonderful promise of Christ to them, and wonderful was
its fulfilment. But are we merely to admire it in them, or have
we too a share in it?
We have a share in it. Yes, though the promise in its fulness was
only made to them, all of us, even the humblest, can claim it for
ourselves. The Holy Ghost will teach us also all spiritual
things, if we will only listen to his voice--not suddenly or
miraculously as to them, but none the less surely. He has already
taught to millions of the faithful children of the church, though
they were ignorant of that natural science which the world
values, what the most learned and able men have died without
knowing.
He will teach us all things, but we must listen to his voice.
Where, then, is that voice to be heard?
First, it is to be heard in the voice of the church itself, which
speaks in his name and by his power. You can hear it in the words
of your Holy Father the Pope, the successor of the apostles, and
in those of your bishop and of your pastors. You can also hear it
in good books, published with the authority and approval of the
church. Lastly, you can hear it in your own souls. The Holy Ghost
is always speaking there, but it is with a gentle and low voice;
and if you would hear it pride and passion must be still. It is
in silence and in prayer that you will learn those things which
he has to teach you. Listen, then, to the voice of God, of the
spirit of wisdom, of understanding, of counsel, and of knowledge,
which you have received in Confirmation, and which dwells in your
souls; and our Divine Lord's promise shall certainly be fulfilled
in you.
-------------------
{272}
Sermon LXXX.
_If any one love me
he will keep my word_.
--St. John xiv. 23.
There are some people who have a great deal of what they call
devotion, and there are others who seem to have very little or
none at all. The hearts of the first are filled, one would think,
with the love of God. They are never so happy as when at church,
assisting at Mass or some other service, or on their knees before
their altar at home. They say as many prayers every day as would
make up the office which a priest is bound to recite, or perhaps
even more. Some other people, on the contrary, find it a hard
matter to say any prayers. Their minds wander, they cannot tell
why. They do not care much about coming to church; they come,
though, for all that. But it is all uphill work with them; and
they think they are in a very bad way, and are tempted to envy
those who seem to be getting along so much better.
But is it certain that those whom they are tempted to envy are,
in reality, in so much better a state? No, I do not think it is.
Of course it is a good sign for any one to like to pray. It is
much better to have a taste for that than for the pleasures of
the world. But it does not certainly follow that one who likes to
pray really loves God very much. He may like it because he is
paid for it; that is, because he gets rewarded for it in a way
that others do not. He may like it in the same way that a child
would like the company of any one who would give him candy. If
the supply of candy stops his affection is gone. If, instead of
getting candy, he is asked to go on an errand, his feeling will
be very different.
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So one may like to pray because he or she has in prayer a
pleasure which would be attractive to any one, even to the
greatest sinners. The pleasure may come merely from one's having
a lively imagination, and getting what seems to be a vision of
heaven when on one's knees or in church. But ask such a person to
do something for the one who gives him this pleasure--that is,
God--and there will perhaps be a great change. If our Lord,
instead of giving candy, proposes him an errand--if he asks a
girl, for instance, instead of going to Mass or to Communion, to
stay at home and help her mother--the shoe, it may be, will begin
to pinch immediately.
The others, who have little of what is called devotion, may stand
this trial much better. They may be willing not only to give up
prayer, which they are not so fortunate as to like, but other
things which they really do, if it is the will of God. They pray
because it is God's will, and because they know it will bring
them nearer to him, and they will do anything else that he wishes
them to do for the same reason.
Now, do not misunderstand me. I do not mean that all those who do
not like to pray are better than those who do; far from it. But I
do mean that real devotion which is the same as a true love of
God, is what our Lord sets before us in the words of to-day's
Gospel which I have read. "If any one love me," he says, "he will
keep my word"; that is, "he will do what I want him to." "You are
my friends," he says in another place, "if you do the things that
I command you." That is true devotion, to have our will the same
as God's will; to be willing to sacrifice everything for him,
even the pleasure we may find in his society.
{274}
So I mean that a person who has none of what is called devotion,
but who does what he understands to be God's will, and avoids
what is contrary to it, is much more acceptable in his sight than
one who has what is called devotion, and gives up God's will to
satisfy it. Thus, for instance, any one of you, my brethren, who
has not been to Holy Communion since Lent began, and who really
wants to please God, will go this week, before the time of the
Easter-duty runs out, and not wait for Corpus Christi, which
comes in the next week. That is just now a special good example;
try and remember it. If any one wants to commit a mortal sin, let
him put off his Easter-duty till Corpus Christi and the Forty
Hours, for devotion's sake.
Real devotion is to remember God's words and obey them at any
cost. This is the true way, as he also says in to-day's Gospel,
to induce him and his Father to really come to us and make their
abode with us; and to have the Holy Ghost, who proceeds from
them, enter into our hearts, though we may not feel his presence,
as the apostles did on the first Pentecost day.
-----------------
Sermon LXXXI.
_Let not your heart be troubled,
nor let it be afraid._
--St. John xiv. 27.
Our Lord spoke these words to his apostles before his Passion,
but they were not to have effect till after his ascension into
heaven. It was not his will that they should have the courage and
confidence to which he here exhorts them till that time which we
celebrate to-day, when the Holy Ghost came upon them and fitted
them for the great work to which they were appointed.
{275}
Even while our Lord was with them after his resurrection, and
still more after he had ascended and left them to themselves,
they were anxious and fearful, not daring to call themselves his
disciples or to risk anything for his sake. But when they
received the Holy Ghost all this was changed. They confessed
Christ openly; all their doubts and fears were gone; and "they
rejoiced," as we read in the Acts, "that they were accounted
worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus. And they ceased
not every day, in the temple and from house to house, to teach
and preach Christ Jesus."
Now, we ought to imitate their conduct after Pentecost, and not
that before. For we have not the excuse that they had before that
time. We have received the Holy Ghost, as they did. He has not
come on us visibly in fiery tongues, but he has come just as
really and truly in the sacrament of confirmation which we have
received. There is no reason for us to be troubled or afraid;
when the Holy Ghost came into our hearts he brought courage and
confidence with him; he brought them to each one of us, as he did
to the holy apostles.
And he gave this courage and confidence to each of us for the
same reason as to them, because we have all to be apostles in our
own way and degree. We have not all got to preach Christ
publicly, as they did, but we have all got to speak a word for
him when the proper occasion comes. We have not all got to die
for Christ, as they did, but we have got to suffer something for
the sake of our faith in him, and that quite often, too, it may
be.
{276}
We have a real duty in this matter; we shall be rewarded if we
fulfil it, and punished if we do not. It was not for his apostles
only but for each one of us that those words of his were meant:
"Every one that shall confess me before men, I will also confess
him before my Father who is in heaven; but he that shall deny me
before men. I will also deny him before my Father who is in
heaven."
And yet how often must it be acknowledged, to our shame and
disgrace, that Christians do deny their Lord and Master before
men! I do not mean that they deny their faith, and say they are
not Catholics when they are asked; this, thank God! though it
does happen, is not so very common. But is it not common enough
to find young Catholic men and women with whom one might
associate for years and never suspect them to be Catholics, and,
in fact, be quite sure that they were not?--and this not merely
because they do not parade their religion, but because they do
not defend it when it is attacked; because they agree with, and
even express, all sorts of infidel, heretical, false, and
so-called liberal opinions, that they may not give offence; or
even, perhaps, without any sort of need, but only to win favor
for themselves by falling in with the fashion of those with whom
they associate.
And how often, again, do Christians, even if they do stand up for
their faith, cast contempt on it in the eyes of the world by
acting and talking just as if it had no power over their lives,
and was never meant to have any! They curse, and swear, and talk
immodestly, just as those do who do not profess to believe in God
and Christ, and even, perhaps worse.
{277}
Or if they do not go so far as this, they laugh at profanity and
impurity, and make companions of those who are addicted to these
vices; and this they do, not because they really wish to do or to
sanction such things, but merely from a miserable weakness that
prevents them from facing a little contempt and unpopularity.
What would they do, if called on to shed their blood for Christ,
who cannot bear even to be laughed at a little for being
practical Catholics? They are like cowardly soldiers who run away
from a battle at the first smoke from the enemy's guns.
You know what a shame it is for a soldier to be a coward. And now
try to remember, dear Christians, especially on this holy day,
that a Christian has got to be a soldier, and that if he is a
coward he disgraces himself and his cause. The Holy Ghost is
given to us in confirmation that we may not be weak and cowardly,
but strong and perfect Christians, and true soldiers of Jesus
Christ. If you have not yet received him in this way make haste
to do so; if you have, make use of the graces which he has given
you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid; there is
nothing to be afraid of, for God is on your side. Do not fear but
rather count it a joy to suffer a little persecution for his
name.
------------------
{278}
_Trinity Sunday_.
Epistle.
_Romans xi._ 33-36.
O the depth of the riches, of the wisdom, and of the knowledge
of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments, and how
unsearchable his ways! For who hath known the mind of the Lord?
Or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to
him, and recompense shall be made to him? For of him, and by
him, and in him, are all things. To him be glory for ever.
Amen.
Gospel.
_St. Matthew xxviii._ 18-20.
At that time:
Jesus said to his disciples: All power is given to me in heaven
and on earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations:
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you; and behold I am with you all
days, even to the consummation of the world.
Last Gospel.
_St. Luke vi._ 36-42.