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Third Sunday after Easter ~ Our Lord's Farewell

4/25/2021

My dear Children: Our dear Lord made a farewell speech to His Apostles before ascending to Heaven. He gave His Apostles His last lessons and instructions. "In a little while," Jesus says, "you shall see me in the land of peace and joy. I precede you to prepare a place for you." Children, you are young and you are looking forward to a long life. Yet, you must remember, from the cradle to the grave it is only a "little while." How quickly do forty, fifty or sixty years pass by. And if we compare our life to eternity, what is it? Not so much as a drop of water compared to the ocean. Thousands and millions of years are hardly a moment when compared to eternity. Truly, our life here below is a little while. And this little while of our earthly life is of infinite importance, because eternity depends on it. If we serve God during this little while with fervor and constancy, we shall receive for our reward the everlasting happiness of Heaven; but if we serve the world, the flesh and the devil, eternal woe await us in hell.

When St. Aloysius had been ill for a long time, the physician, seeing that he was drawing near his end, told him that he could not depend on more than eight days to live. Just then one of his companions came into the room where St. Aloysius lay. "Oh!" he cried out with great joy, "did you hear the news? The doctor has just told me I cannot live longer than eight days. Oh ! come, let us sing a hymn of joy to thank God: the danger of losing my soul will soon be past."

He then wrote a letter to his mother, in which he said: "My dearest mother, I have good news to give you today, and I am sure you will rejoice with me. I am now near the end of my life,—near the time when there shall be no longer any danger of my losing my soul. As for myself, I look upon death as the greatest blessing God could bestow upon me, and I ask you to join me in thanking Him."

Children, what a joyful moment, it will be for you, if, at the last day of your life, when the moment of your judgment comes, you hear these words from the lips of the Great Judge: "Come, thou blessed of my Father, possess the kingdom which was prepared for thee from the foundation of the world." Yet, those who persevere till the end of their lives in the service of God shall one day most certainly hear these blessed words.

Just for a little while we enjoy temporal goods, such as money, honors, comfort. How perishable is beauty; it is just like a flower, it appears today in all its splendor and tomorrow it withers and falls blighted to the ground. How fickle are riches, money, real estate, and stocks ! They can be taken from us by bad men or lost by mishaps. How fleeting are honors and dignities! The wheel of fortune ever turns; today you may be in the first place and tomorrow you may be shifted to the last place. How foolish to plunge ourselves into eternal perdition for the sake of the fleeting and vain goods of the world.

On my travels through the West I met a young boy who was dressed like a soldier. He was only about thirteen years old, and I said to him, "Why, little fellow, how does it happen that you are a soldier?" "I'm not a soldier," he said very proudly, "I am a scout." And sure enough, that's just what he was, with his soldier suit and his strong staff.

Of course you know what a scout is. A scout is taught to be manly, to serve his country, to love God and to do a good turn every day. He is taught to know the weather signs, to find his way at night by the stars, to track men and animals, to hide himself, to signal across the water and from hilltops, to make tents and fires and camp beds, to sleep in the open air, and a thousand other useful things. But the great principle he has to observe is to do a kind act every day.

The motto of all scouts is, "Be prepared" It is a good motto. If you are going to do the world's work, you must have steady nerves and strong muscles. If you are going to take your part in the battle for peace and purity, you must have educated brains and trained minds. If you are going to help God make the world better, you must prepare yourself for service and be ready when He calls. It took Jesus thirty years' preparation to get ready to do three years' work.

See to it that you do not waste your play-days, but get a strong body while you are a boy. Don't waste your school days, but get a strong mind before it is too late. Don't waste your church and Sunday school days, but get ready a strong heart, and conscience, and character, so that you will be ready when God calls you. God will surely call you. Do not be afraid of that. Only be sure you are ready when He does call. "Be prepared."

During his whole life upon earth Christ was going to the Father. Children, may we be able to say with confidence, when about to die: I go to the Father. We shall be able to do so, if now we go to the Father; if we frequently and with joy think of the Father, love to hear His holy word, diligently visit Jesus in the tabernacle,' pray devoutly, and walk in the way of His commandments. Examine yourselves and see whether in such a manner you go to the Father. How deplorable would be your lot if all your life you were on your way to the devil. Do you not shudder at the thought of being obliged at the end of your life to say: "I go to the devil"?

May the God of mercy preserve us all from such a calamity. When St. Teresa was a little girl, not more than seven years old, she used to spend much of her time with her little brother Roderick in reading the Lives of the Saints. The thought of eternity made a deep impression upon their young hearts, and they were never tired of repeating these words: "Forever, for ever, for ever! What! shall the blessed see and enjoy God for ever!" When they read the history of the monks and hermits, they wished like them, to abandon all for God, and tried to build themselves little hermitages in their father's garden, but being only small and weak, they were not able to finish them. It was the history of the martyrs, however, which filled them with the greatest delight. It seemed to them that the martyrs had purchased Heaven very cheaply, since by short sufferings they had secured eternal joys. They wished that they could do all the same and one day, set out severally from home and left the city, intending to make their way to the country of the Moors, to become martyrs. It was, of course, wrong to do this without even asking their parents' permission. As they went along, praying with great fervor, they were met by one of their uncles, and he brought them back to their mother, who was in a state of great distress. Teresa did not escape without a scolding; but Almighty God was, no doubt, pleased with her innocent fervor and forgave her for her fault.

Look upon the Apostles; great was their sorrow for the loss of Jesus, but after three days it was turned into joy, and now they are enthroned in Heaven and enjoy, after the tribulations of this short earthly life, the blessed happiness of Heaven. Take, then, your cross upon your shoulders, and carry it courageously after Jesus, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man shall take from you.

Source: Story Sermonettes for the Children's Mass, Imprimatur 1921

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Second Sunday after Easter - The Good Shepherd

4/18/2021

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My dear Children: On many occasions our divine Lord described Himself as the Good Shepherd. You all know what a shepherd is; he is the man who takes care of the sheep. Wherever you see a flock of sheep you are sure to find the shepherd. When he takes them from one pasture to another he leads them. Whenever the shepherd and his flock must remain out of doors all night, the sheep will go to rest on the ground under the stars, but the shepherd cannot go to sleep; he must watch to see that no harm befalls his flock, that no wolf nor bear creeps up in the darkness and carries off a sheep or lamb. But it happened one day that the shepherd lost a sheep. When he and the flock reached the sheep-fold in the evening he counted the sheep as they ran in, and whereas there had been a hundred when he led them out in the morning, there were now only ninety-nine; the hundredth was not there, it was lost. It was dark by that time and storming, but without hesitation the shepherd went back over the rough way, leaving the ninety-nine. He carried a lantern in his hand, and he called softly to the lamb as he went. When he got to a deep ravine he heard something. It was the bleating of the little lamb, which had fallen down among the rocks.

Down the shepherd climbed. It was hard work, for it was dark among the rocks. But the shepherd did not mind. It was even harder work getting back, with the little lamb on his shoulders, but he was happy, because he had found the lost lamb. He rejoiced all the way back in the darkness and in the storm. When he reached home he called to his friends. "Rejoice with me, for I have found my lamb which was lost."

It was Jesus who told this story. He wanted to show them how much He loved every one of us. We are all His sheep, His little lambs, and He is the great Shepherd. He loves us even more than a good shepherd loves his sheep. He can save us from worse things than wolves, and when one of us does wrong, that one is the little lamb that gets lost. But if we call to Him He comes and Carries us back in His arms to grace and virtue.

Now if Jesus is so good a shepherd, nothing is more just than that we should endeavor to be good sheep, and the only way we can be good sheep is to play the part of a good guardian over our own souls. Oh, value your soul and keep it as the apple of your eye, that you may not lose it. Watch and pray, for there are many perils of your soul. Guard your senses, especially your eyes, turn them away from sin. Value your soul more highly than all earthly goods, and be always resolved to make any and every sacrifice for its salvation.
St. Agnes was born about the year 292. Her parents were very rich, and they were also good Christians, and brought up their only child in the fear of God. When she was about twelve years old, a pagan met her coming home from school, and tempted her to sin, promising her many valuable jewels. But Agnes rejected the temptation, and told him to be gone, for she would never offend God for anything in the world.

The young man was very angry, and he denounced her to the pagan judge as being a Christian. When the judge told her that torture and death was the fate of Christians, Agnes boldly answered: "Never will I consent to offend my God by sin, and joyfully will I suffer the loss of all things rather than lose my soul."

The firmness of the child filled the judge with wonder, but also with great wrath, and he handed her over to Aspasius, one of his underlings that he might put her to death.
Aspasius commanded a great fire to be kindled, to burn her alive. But God was pleased to work a wonder, for when Agnes was thrown into the fire, the flames made room for her without touching her. The pagans standing near, however, were devoured by the flames. St. Agnes prayed to God, that now, since she had confessed His holy Name, He would be pleased to take her to Himself in heaven. When she had finished her prayer the fire suddenly went out. Then Aspasius gave orders that the executioner should cut her neck with a sword.

The executioner gave her a fatal blow, and her happy soul went at once to her God in Heaven, Whom she so tenderly loved. Our soul is a pearl beyond all price. Like Agnes we should be willing to suffer all rather than stain it by sin. She gave to you children a good example how to be a good shepherd of your soul.

Children, we, as faithful followers of the Good Shepherd, must do His bidding and carry out His plan of work. In the Holy Catholic Church He feeds His sheep with the bread of His divine Word, and in Holy Communion with His own Flesh and Blood.

As good shepherds we must pasture our soul, that is, we must furnish it with whatever is necessary for the preservation of its supernatural life. We must feed our soul with the word of God. The word of God enlightens us; it strengthens us to overcome all obstacles in the way of salvation; it comforts in tribulations and raises thoughts to heavenly things. Listen with pleasure to the word of God, and make it the rule of your life.

We must feed our soul with Holy Communion, for this is the best and most nutritious nourishment. It is Holy Communion that increases sanctifying grace, weakens the evil inclinations, and fortifies us with supernatural strength to overcome all temptations. All pious Christians deem themselves happy to be able to go frequently to Communion. Children, be not hirelings, who let their sheep hunger and languish, but be good shepherds and feed your soul; go to Holy Communion as often as your confessor considers you worthy.

Let us be good shepherds of our soul. Our soul is the most precious treasure we possess, for it is created in the image of God and destined to enjoy eternal life in heaven.

Source: Story Sermonettes for the Children's Mass, Imprimatur 1921

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First Sunday after Easter - Holy Melodies of Love

4/10/2021

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My dear Children: On two different occasions Christ said to His Apostles, "Peace be to you." Peace is one of the most precious of all earthly goods and without it men cannot be contented or happy.

We can say with truth that he who has peace is happy. A light-hearted shepherd-boy was tending sheep, one bright spring morning, in a flowery valley, between wooded hills, and singing and skipping about for very joy. The prince of the country, who happened to be hunting in the district, saw him, called him, and said: "Why are you so peaceful and happy, my little fellow?"

The boy did not know the prince and replied: "Why should I not be happy and at peace with the world? Our most gracious prince himself is not richer than I am." "Indeed!" said the prince; "let me hear all that you have." "Why," replied the boy, "the sun in the bright blue sky shines as pleasantly for me as for the prince, and hill and valley are as green for me as for him. I value my hands more than a hundred thousand crowns, and I would not sell my eyes for all the jewels in the prince's treasury. In addition to this, I have all that I desire; because I never wish for anything more than I need. Can you say that the prince has more?" The good prince laughed, made himself known to the lad, and said: "You are right, my good boy; and the prince perfectly agrees with you." What salt is to food, peace is to life. The best dishes do not taste well when salt has been omitted in their preparation, and all we may possess, good health, great riches, honor and reputation, cannot constitute happiness without peace. What an unhappy home where father and mother do not agree. As soon as they open their eyes in the morning, anger and bitterness arise with them, and they quarrel from morning till night. In consequence of such discord families are often reduced to poverty. If there be a happy life it is a peaceable life. Nothing tends so much to make life sweet and agreeable as peace.

On the banks of a certain river which flows through the southern part of this country there was, in the year 1834, a village of huts erected by negroes. Through the zeal of missionary fathers who dwelled there, many embraced the Catholic religion. So long as the good fathers remained, these poor negroes gave great edification by their fervor and piety, but when the fathers left, this fervor began to diminish. Strife arose and evil tongues made trouble, especially between a certain man and his wife, and their quarrel was carried so far that they even refused to eat at the same table. Their unholy conduct became a source of scandal to the community.

When one of the missionaries happened to visit the village he was informed of the quarrel of this couple. He directed that they should be brought before him and said unto them: "My children, you must mutually forgive each other. Jesus Christ commanded that you should love one another. In the name of Jesus Christ, therefore, forget the past and renew the love you formerly had for each other."

The missionary's words caused a great change of heart to come upon them, and they exclaimed: "O Father, it is true that we have sinned, and we humbly ask God's pardon." Then, turning towards his wife, the husband said: "I forgive you; will you also forgive me ?" "From my heart!" she answered.

The good Father fervently thanked God for this happy change. "My children," he said, "I feel assured that from this time your lives will be full of peace and harmony." The solemn promise they had made was sincere, as was proved by their fidelity in keeping it.

Children, we must learn to preserve peace by being patient with others. Each and every one of us has his faults. None of us are saints. We may find many things in our companions hard to bear; we must look up to Jesus and the saints, who endured the greatest insults with heavenly patience.

There was a little girl whose name was Louise. One evening after her good mother had tucked her into bed and kissed her goodnight, she said: "I was a peace-maker to-day, mamma." "A what, dear?" said her mother, who had never heard her use that big word before. "A peace-maker," said Louise. "You know what that means, mamma, don't you ?" "But how were you a peace-maker, Louise? I did not know there was any quarreling." "Oh, it was not anything like that," said Louise; "it was just that I knew something and didn't tell it." Then, of course, her mother knew that her little daughter had heard some mean, naughty story about one of her little friends and had kept it to herself and told no one. In the same, beautiful way, you and I, like little Louise, can be peacemakers.

We can suppress bad stories by not telling them. We can kill bad thoughts by not harboring them. We can be silent about the bad, and think and speak and feel only about the good.

The blessing of peace shows itself when we share the joy and sorrow of our fellow man, sharing happiness and pain like the members of one large family. Sympathy unites the hearts, whilst the want of sympathy separates them. Oh, how it does hurt us to see those who are near and dear to us care nothing about our welfare.

Felix Mendelsohn was one of the greatest musicians of the world. His beautiful music is loved and played wherever people love and play music. One day he went to an old cathedral where there was a wonderful organ. Felix had often had a desire to play it. On entering the sacred edifice he found an old man in charge of everything around the church. He asked permission to play the organ, but the old man shook his head, and said, "No, no, no, that can never be;" no stranger can ever be permitted to play that wonderful instrument. Mendelsohn begged so hard to be allowed to play that at last the old man gave his consent and the great musician began to play. The man listened and never in all his life had he heard such wonderful music.

Now, boys and girls, your life and mine are just like a great music instrument. There often comes One to us who asks permission to make use of our talents and of our time. He is not a stranger. His name is Jesus, and if we let Him, He will bring forth from our lives the most beautiful music. He will turn our discords into peace, and fill all life with harmony and happiness.

Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God. These words show how dear to God is the cause of peace, since our Lord pronounces blessed those who promote it, and declares that they are the true children of His heavenly Father. Peace with God and peace with one another. Whoever, therefore, promotes this two-fold peace by converting the sinner to God, and by healing or preventing quarrels among men, inherits this blessing, and shows himself to be a true disciple of Jesus and child of God.

Source: Story Sermonettes for the Children's Mass, Imprimatur 1921

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Easter Sunday - Easter Joys

4/3/2021

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My dear Children: Today all Christendom is filled with joy and gladness; and in every land is heard the oft-repeated Alleluia. In all tongues and climes hymns of praise and thanksgiving ascend to the throne of God.

Why this joy? It is on this day the voice of God is heard assuring us that the dead can and will rise again, to enter upon a new and never-dying life. Sometimes a little child dies. That only means that the beautiful angel-like spirit which is in each one of us has left this child's body and flown up to God in heaven. It is bitter for us to lose those we love, but they are happy to go to God. We know that this is true, because after Jesus had died on the cross, after His body had been laid in the grave, His spirit came back to His body, to show us that if we are God's children death is nothing to be afraid of. This is the day Jesus came back to tell His dear friends that they must not be sad because He died.

You have just learned from the gospel how soldiers were placed near the grave to guard it, but the second night, towards morning, when it was beginning to get light, there was a noise and a shaking of the ground, and a beautiful angel came down from heaven and rolled the huge rock back from the cave. The soldiers trembled with fear and ran away.

Among the friends who came to visit Jesus at the tomb was Mary Magdalen. She had loved Jesus with all her heart, for He had been very good to her, making her life, which had been sinful and bad, sweet and good. She came to find the grave empty, and leaving the spot with a heavy heart she turned back. On her way out she met a man in the garden. Her eyes were so full of tears that she could not see plainly, and she supposed that He was the gardener. He asked her: "Why weepest thou ?" She answered:

"Sir, if thou hast borne Him away, tell me where thou hast laid Him?" Then the man said, in a voice she knew and loved more than any voice on earth, "Mary !" Who do you think it was ? It was Jesus, and when she heard His voice she turned, and knelt at His feet, crying with great joy, "Master!"

So Jesus came to His disciples, to one by one, or two or three together. And at last they all knew that He was really risen from the dead—that He was alive. And they learned, too, what we must learn and never forget, that as Jesus rose from the dead, so we and all those we love rise also. Sometimes when we go to sleep at night it is dark and stormy and we feel tired and fearsome, but when we wake in the morning the sky is blue, the sun is shining and we are cheerful. Dying is very much like this; falling to sleep here, when our course is run, and we are tired after all our trials and tribulations, and waking in heaven with Jesus.

That is why Jesus came back on that Easter morning after He had died on the cross; to show us that death is nothing to be afraid of, for it means going to be with Him.

When the pagans were leading St. Pionius to the place of martydom, they were surprised to see the joy that lighted up his countenance, and how eagerly he ran towards the place of His death.
"What makes you so happy?" they asked him, "and why do you run forward with so much eagerness to death?" "You are mistaken," answered the martyr, "I am not going to death; I am about to begin a life that will never end." This is how the saints spoke of what the world calls death.

However long or sweet may be the pleasure of the draught of life, and health, and prosperity, all finally come to the one bitter drop at the bottom of the cup. And that is death. The Church, the divinely instituted Guardian of God's word, tells us that Christ has conquered death. All who die shall rise again from the dead, because our Saviour Jesus Christ, first of all, rose from the dead, and promised that the change of a similar resurrection should come upon all mankind. Bitter as death may be, the hope of the resurrection is a complete antidote. A "happy death" is a common saying among Catholics. It is a resurrection to eternal life.

In the life of the holy martyr Pamphilius we read that many pagans who saw the great joy that filled the Christians, when they were condemned to die for Jesus Christ, wondered how they could be so happy. And when they were told that it was because they were so soon to see God in heaven and to enjoy the happiness God had prepared for them, they also wished to become Christians, that they might share in that happiness.

They had not long to wait for the martyr's crown. For the Prefect of Cesarea, hearing of what had taken place, sent soldiers to bring them before him. One of the first questions he put to them was: "What country do you belong to ?" "Our country is heaven," was the answer; "it is there where our God and our Saviour dwells. After He had suffered and died, and rose again from the dead, He went up to heaven to prepare a place for us. So heaven is our home."
The Prefect was very angry at the tone of confidence in which they said these words and commanded them to suffer the most inhuman tortures.

Children, many Catholics think so much of the world that they seem to forget that the world is not their proper goal. Judging from the lives of some Christians, a person would not think that they ever think of death.

Many years ago there was a certain lord who kept a fool in his palace, as many great men did for their amusement in those days.

Now, this lord had given the fool a staff and charged him to keep it till he met with one that was a greater fool than himself, bidding him, if he met with such a one, to deliver the staff to him. Not many years after, the lord fell sick, and, indeed, was sick unto death.

The fool came to see him, and the sick master told him that he and hast made no orders for thy comfort in a place from which thou wilt never return? Take my staff, for I am not guilty of any such folly as this."

Children, we will ask ourselves, have I a right to participate in the Easter joy of to-day, or am I only making an outside show, while my conscience tells me I am a hypocrite? What kind of a life would I rise to on the day of resurrection if I died' tonight? What would Jesus Christ find in me that looks like Him, and therefore give me a share in His glorious resurrection ? Dear Children, that is what He wants to find in us all. Let us now rise from all that is deadly or corrupt in the life we are leading, and Jesus will be sure to find in us what will entitle us to a resurrection to eternal happiness.

Source: Story Sermonettes for the Children's Mass, Imprimatur 1921

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Third Sunday after Easter ~ Our Lord's Farewell

Second Sunday after Easter - The Good Shepherd

First Sunday after Easter - Holy Melodies of Love

Easter Sunday - Easter Joys

A Saint for everyday and good reading at:

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