"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all that is within thee bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all that He hath done for thee." (Ps. 102 I-2)

God is our Father and our greatest Benefactor. We owe Him all that we have, all that we are. Wherefore it is our sacred duty not only to feel grateful to Him for His numberless and priceless benefits, but also to acknowledge them and show Him our gratitude for them.

1. It is God who has created us out of His pure, gratuitous love, and given us our body with its senses and members, and our immortal soul, made after His own image and likeness, and endowed it with its wonderful faculties. He has preserved us and loaded us with benefits all the years we have lived. What should we be, if God had deprived us, as has happened to so many of our fellow-men, of some of His gifts, such as sight, hearing, speech, power of motion, strength, the use of our reason? We should have no reason to complain of it. But how grateful we should be to Him, for not having deprived us of them. Moreover, God has destined us to share forever His own happiness in heaven.

2. It is God the Son who has redeemed us from sin, from the power of the devil and from hell, by His sufferings and death. To Him we owe the gift of the true faith, that most precious of gifts, without which all His other gifts would not avail us for our salvation. He has restored to us sanctifying grace, and made the members of our body the temple of the Holy Ghost (I Cor. 6-19), and our bodies members of Himself (v. 15), and enabled us to merit heavenly bliss. For the forgiveness of our sinful ingratitude in offending Him and thereby deserving the torments of hell, He instituted the sacrament of penance, and to enable us to overcome the enemies of our salvation and lead a life worthy of Him, whose disciples and members we are, He instituted the sacrament of the Blessed Eucharist in which He becomes the heavenly, strengthening and vivifying food of our soul, and gives us audience whenever we wish, grants us all we ask Him, and protects us against all our enemies. "O God, my deliverer from my enemies. . . . Therefore will I give glory to Thee, O
Lord." (Ps. 17. 48-50.)

3. Just as a child is in duty bound to thank his parents for all that he receives from them, so we also should thank God for His benefits. "What shall I render to the Lord for all the things that He hath rendered to me? I will take the chalice of salvation; and I will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord." (Ps. 115 3-5). "We are bound," says St. Paul, "to give thanks always to God" (2 Thess. I-3). "Giving thanks always for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God and to the Father." (Eph. 5, 20). "Since there is not a single moment," says St. Bernard, "when we do not enjoy God s benefits, there should not be a single moment in which we do not think of and thank God." "God demands our gratitude, not as if He needed it," says St. John Chrysostom, "but that we may deserve and obtain fresh benefits from Him." The more grateful we are to God, the more numerous and great will be the graces and gifts He will bestow upon us. "You shall draw waters with joy out of the Saviour's fountains; and you shall say in that day: Praise ye the Lord and call upon His name" (Is. 12. 3).

4. Our divine Saviour Himself taught us, by His example, to thank God for His benefits, for hearing our prayers. "I thank Thee, O Father, because Thou hast heard Me" (John II, 41). The apostles also showed their gratitude to God, by thanking Him for His benefits. St. Paul repeatedly insists on the duty of thanking God: "In all things give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning all" (I Thess. 5. 18). But we fail in the honor we owe to God, for how neglectful we are in thinking on God's gifts to us, and on our obligation to thank Him for them with the persuasion of our own helplessness, of our total dependence upon Him. Gratitude is also an inducement and a help to make a proper use of His benefits,to combat sin; it also imparts to us confidence to receive future benefits, whenever we may need them. Thanking and praising God for His gifts is not only pleasing to Him, but also commanded by Him for our own benefit, and not because He Himself has any need of our gratitude. Our holy Mother the Church daily calls upon us, before the beginning of the Canon of the Mass, by the mouth of the priest: "Let us give thanks to our God : It is meet and just. It is truly meet and just, right and salutary that we should always give Thee thanks, O holy Lord Father al mighty and eternal, through Christ our Lord."
Hence it is our duty daily to thank God for His benefits, because
He daily bestows numberless benefits upon us both in the order of nature and in the order of grace. Let us never forget that of ourselves we are helpless; hence our divine Saviour says : "Without Me you can do nothing" (John 15- 5).

5. Our daily gratitude to God should consist, first, in a lively remembrance of God's benefits, the most of which we fail to notice, to remember, duly to appreciate, because they are of daily occurrence, such as health, the use of our senses; secondly, we should often recall our unworthiness of God's favors, on account of our sins and our carelessness and tepidity in His service; and thirdly, we should consider, especially, the infinite value of His daily graces, which are the price of the blood of Jesus Christ.

6. "Since there is not a single moment when we do not enjoy God s benefits," says St. Bernard, "there should not be a single moment in which we do not think of and thank God." But our gratitude to God should not consist in mere words; it should be like that of the grateful child. The truly grateful child shows his gratitude to his parents by something more than mere words, by his obedience and good conduct. Hence St. Augustine says: "He who wishes always to praise and thank God as he should, must perform his actions well, for they will then be a true praise of God." Elsewhere the same saint says: "Acknowledge that of thyself thou art and hast nothing good, so that thou shalt feel urged to be grateful to God." Let us also often think on the passion of Jesus Christ, and we shall learn therefrom the infinite debt we owe Him and be induced not only to be grateful to Him but also to love Him with all our heart. "We should," says St. Paulinus, "return our thanks and our love to Jesus Christ for all the sufferings and insults He endured for us." This should impel us to accept all that God sends us, whether it be good or evil.
"If we have received good things at the hand of God, why should we not receive evil? " (Job 2. 10). "Always thank God," says St. John Chrysostom, "whether good or evil happens to you ; if evil, it will be profitable to you (through your patience and resignation); if good, it will remain good."

Source: Sermon Matters, Imprimatur 1915

Detaching myself from creatures to look for God,      I rest in God Himself.

This is the whole interior life. Leaving everything –
I found Everything.

†

From time to time, it is well to say to ourselves:
One day I shall be happy. One day all my trials shall be ended. One day I shall meet my own again. Now, “anguish of spiritfull is often mine,” now “my path is strewn with thorns, not roses,” alas! I am perhaps misunderstood and made to suffer, but soon my boat shall touch the shores of eternity,and I shall receive a welcome from Him Who has loved me
eternally. No one hath hope in the Lord and been confounded.

~ Rev. Henry Brinkmeyer: Conferences of a Retreat –1854-1930 with Nihil Obstat

"Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the Lord the Most High God, above allwomen upon the earth." Judith, 13:23.

There was a faint and feeble knock at the door of life. Louder and more insistent it grew. Opening the door, the angel of life saw a woman, pale with pain, but with a sparkle of expectant hope in her eye.

"I have come for my child," she said eagerly. "Give it to me quickly. I have come a long way and a hard way. My strength may not last until I return."

"Just a moment," answered the angel slowly. "Your child is here—a beautiful boy. But you must pay for him."

"Pay for him?" echoed the visitor. "My husband and I have very little money. What little we have we will need for the baby."

"It is not money I want," explained the angel. "But I must be paid. I must have some of your health, good woman. I must have a great deal of your time, practically all of it for a few years. You must pay a great deal of your energy, your comfort, much of your peace of mind, and a great portion of your heart."

Without a moment's hesitation the waiting woman handed over all these priceless things. The angel disappeared behind the door of life, to reappear with a wriggling bundle. Eagerly, almost violently the woman clutched him in her feeble arms, thanked the angel, and fearlessly set out for this earth. As the woman turned to leave, the angel gently placed on her head a crown. The lady expressed surprise.

"This is my gift to you," explained the angel of life. "This is the crown of motherhood. This is your reward for the many things you have given up."

The Crown of Motherhood! Who could ever count up its cost? We set aside the second Sunday of every May to place that precious diadem on the head of everyone, living and dead, who has given life to another. Most mothers are too busy to wear that crown every day. Most mothers don't want continual praise and attention. But every mother appreciates at least an annual expression of our love and gratitude. So much the more sincere must it be. So much the more thoughtful, so much the more genuine and heartfelt must Mother's Day be.

Did you ever reckon what small return we make for the price mother paid for her crown? A heap of sweet and sentimental stuff is dished up about this time of year. Some of i t is sincere. But carnations, cards, and candy seem so worthless, so weak beside the flesh and blood things mother has given to us. If we could only give her back something of ourselves, something of our time and energy, nay, some of our very blood, some of our very life.

The tremendous difference between what mothers do for their children, and what children do for their mothers was emphasized for me several years ago while traveling by train west out of Kansas City. Because of scarcity of seats a young mother had to hold on her lap her bouncing fifteen-month old boy. Perpetual motion of the baby; perpetual care of the mother. How her arms must have ached; how her limbs must have pained; how her neck must have twitched with stiffness. Every power of mind as well as of body was devoted to that child. Not a moment's rest, not a moment's quiet. Even as he slept there was the tension of tender care. There one saw what mothers do.

Let us now see what some children do. Sitting beside me was another mother, one, I should judge, between fifty-five and sixty years of age. As usual, my Roman collar invited conversation, although she was not a Catholic. In the course of our talk she told me of her family and children. But there was a tearful note in her proud story. One married son living on a farm in Nebraska had not written her a line, nor paid her a visit, nor made a phone call to her in over two years. The ingrate, the thankless wretch—knowingly or unknowingly such— the ingrate would not give a few moments of time to the one who had given all the moments of many years to him.

No wonder we have Mother's Day.

And no wonder the most loving Son who ever lived thought of His Mother, and provided for her, despite the terrible torture of His dying moments. He was more concerned for her than He was for Himself. His throat was parched, His tongue heavy, His lips bloody, but Jesus knew what the crown of motherhood had cost her. And remembering, He would make some return. He told St. John, He told you and me:

"Behold thy mother."

Respect and reverence and thoughtfulness and gratitude toward our mothers is an all-year and an all-life duty. Mother's Day points up that obligation. Mother's Day gives us a reminder and an opportunity to think of what our heavenly and our earthly mother have done for us, and to render some gift or word of thanks. Yes, "Behold thy mother," your earthly mother and your heavenly Mother, and as we crown them both this May, keep in mind the cost of their crowns.  Amen.

Source:  Feasts of our Lady, Imprimatur 1952

         [The rules apply for all time - Yes, even in             the year 2014]
†

The Sacrament of Penance - All of Your Questions Answered
by Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1867


Q. What is confession?

A. An express, contrite, but secret self-accusation, before a duly authorized priest, of, at least, all the grievous sins committed after baptism, as far as we can recall them to memory, in order to obtain their remission by the priest's absolution. The words of St. John are to be understood as referring to this sacrament when he writes: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity." 1 John, i. 9.

We say that confession is an express self-accusation, in order to show that the penitent is bound to confess his sins, as he believes them to be, in the Divine sight, without palliation, exaggeration, diminution, disguise or concealment. We have further stated confession to be a secret accusation, in order to distinguish it from the public penitential accusation, at times practised in the primitive Church, but which, on account of scandal, was in course of time abolished. The accusation for sacramental confession is to be made in secret. We have said that every known and remembered grievous sin, at least, is to be confessed; for whoever willingly and knowingly conceals but one grievous sin has made his accusation in vain, and instead of obtaining the benefits to be derived from this saving sacrament, incurred the enormous guilt of sacrilege. As regards venial sins, they may be confessed, and this accusation is accompanied with great spiritual advantages; yet we are not bound by any precept to confess them, and they may be washed away without confession by acts of contrition and penance, and by the merits of Christ's Passion. Should a person, however, not be sufficiently instructed to enable him accurately to distinguish a mortal from a venial transgression, he is bound to lay his doubts before his confessor, in order that he may not incur the guilt of grievous sin by culpable ignorance. Venial sins are, moreover, confessed in the tribunal of penance, as an act of humility, and in order to draw down greater and richer graces on the recipient, particularly when one is so happy as to lead a life undefiled by mortal sin. In this case, however, we must be very careful to excite true contrition and a firm purpose of amendment; for without sincere contrition there can be no remission of sins, either in or out of the tribunal of penance. Thus whoever confesses venial sins alone, and repents not heartily of at least one of them, draws upon himself, by his confession, the guilt of sacrilege.

Q. May sins once confessed be repeated, and the grace of the sacrament obtained?

A. Certainly; supposing that one should have been so happy as to fall, since the last confession, into no sin: for contrite self-accusation of sins once committed, alone is necessary for the validity of the sacrament. This self-accusation may be as frequently repeated as we wish. The grace of the sacrament consists in its effacing the stains of sin when our consciences are thereby defiled, or in imparting, when this is not the case, new treasures of sanctifying grace, as water cleanses us from the stains contracted or, when we are free from such, serves to promote the cleanliness of the body; and again, as one light dispels the darkness of a room, but if a second be added the light will be much increased.

Q. When is it particularly advisable to renew our self-accusation of sins once committed?

A. When we have not to accuse ourselves of sins, or at least of mortal sins consented to since the last confession, it is well in this cass, in order to obviate all fears respecting true contrition, to add at the end of our accusation: "I include and accuse myself of this or that grievous sin, into which I unfortunately fell." The sin is then specified. We are, however, to be on our guard against repeating, in detail, the sins committed against the sixth commandment, provided they have, once been confessed, with due dispositions, as this might, perhaps, lead to a new carnal temptation. Should any one wish to renew their self-accusation on this point, it is to be done in general terms.

Q. When does it become incumbent on us to repeat the sins once confessed?

A. When we wish to receive the sacrament of penance, and have not since its last reception incurred the guilt of either a mortal or a deliberate venial sin; as also when making a general confession, or when we have reason to fear that our former confessions were not accompanied with the due dispositions.

Q. What is general confession, and what classes of persons have recourse to it?

A. General confession is a detailed and full accusation of all the sins committed since we arrived at the age of reason. A confession of this kind should be made by those who approach for the first time the table of the Lord, those who are entering on a new state of life, and those who find themselves admonished either by serious illness or advanced age to prepare for their passage from this land of exile-to their eternal home.

Q. On whom is general confession incumbent?

A. On all those who have not sincerely and contritely confessed their evil deeds, and particularly such as are the slaves of evil habits.

It will, moreover, be found a salutary custom, after having made a good general confession, to make a confession annually of all the faults committed since the general confession: this will be found highly conducive to a knowledge of ourselves, and will also serve as a security for the validity of our ordinary confessions. General confessions, however, proceeding from scruples or mistaken devotion are neither to be commended nor practised.

It is much better to confess frequently, with careful preparation, and earnestly to strive to progress in virtue, to think of the good which we can and should yet perform, instead of morbidly brooding over the evil once committed, and now unfortunately beyond the power of recall.

Q. Who instituted the sacrament of penance?

A. Jesus Christ, who expressly declares: "Whose sins ye shall forgive, they are forgiven; whose sins ye shall retain, they are retained." John, xx. 3.

By these solemn words, Jesus Christ appointed the Apostles and their successors in the holy ministry, the priests and bishops, as judges in matters of conscience, possessing the power of retaining or remitting sins according to right and justice. The appointment of this judicial tribunal likewise imposes on the faithful to the end of time the obligation of entirely and sincerely revealing the wounds of conscience. For how could the Apostles and their successors duly exercise the powers granted them, if they were not made acquainted with the spiritual infirmities and miseries of those who apply for the exercise of this saving power? Christ, however, never gave to the Apostles, or never does to their successors, any revelation as to the spiritual condition of those who have recourse to them for the remission of sins; this being denied the judges, it follows that the applicant must disclose the state of his conscience to him from whom he solicits aid. The necessity of this obligation becomes apparent from the solemnity with which Christ imparted this power to His Apostles. He breathed upon them and said: "As the Father hath sent me, so also do I send you. Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins ye shall forgive," &c. The import of these words is evidently this: "As I have received from the Father the power to forgive sins, so also ye, by the power of the Holy Ghost, whom I impart to you." Had not these words made it a duty for the faithful to disclose to the Apostles the state of their conscience, the stupendous power thus conferred would have been a vain, though pompous declaration, for why confer authority which can neither be exercised at all, or, at least, in any rational manner? Had Christ merely conferred on His Apostles the power to forgive sins, the case would be different, but this was not the only authority with which He invested them; He likewise expressly empowered them to retain guilt. The exercise of a power of this nature necessarily supposes a thorough knowledge of the disposition of the heart and the state of the conscience, and not merely of the exterior, which is so often deceptive. The penitent may, indeed, be a hypocrite, or he may conceal or gloss over his guilt; in this case, however, he must describe to himself all the dread consequences involved by the receipt of an invalid absolution, obtained from the priest on false pretences.

Q. Has confession been practised ever since the times of the Apostles?

A. It has; we find this practice alluded to in Holy Writ. St. James exhorts us: "Confess ye your sins one to another" that is, those who have fallen into sin, to those who have the power to free them from their guilt ( James, v.). In the Acts we find that many of the faithful came and confessed, and acknowledged what they had done. Acts, xix. 18. The tribunal of penance was, indeed, less frequently resorted to in the primitive ages of the Church, when the first Christians were characterized by such distinguished purity of life, than after the lapse of ages and increasing degeneracy of the people had cooled the first fervor of charity. The small number of priests and bishops, whose whole time and attention was devoted to the announcement of the Gospel, likewise precluded the possibility of confessions being practised as at present. That confession was in use in the times of the Apostles, is clear from what we have cited; particularly, when the testimony of Scripture is taken into account, in conjunction with what tradition and history have to offer on the subject.

Q. How do the Fathers of the first centuries express themselves on this head?

A. They speak of confession as a duty generally known and complied with, the origin of which may be traced to the times of the Apostles. Tertullian, who flourished in the second, century, writes of confession of sin made to a priest, and adds: "Some there are who shun this, as an exposure of self, and defer it from day to day, being more afraid of the shame than desirous of a cure, like to those who affected by some malady conceal it from the physician, and thus perish, falling victims to false shame." De Poenit. 9 and 10. Nothing can be more explicit than the words of Tertullian.

St. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, observes: "I entreat ye, beloved brethren, every one of ye confess his sins, whilst yet life is spared to the sinner, and his accusation may be received; whilst satisfaction may be made and absolution obtained (Cyp. Tract, de Lapsis.)". Origen writes on the same subject: "Behold, Scripture teaches that we should not conceal sin in our bosoms. Those who suffer from indigestion, or the presence of diseased matter in the stomach, feel relieved when they have vomited it up; so those who have sinned and conceal their guilt within themselves are internally oppressed, as it were suffocated, by the poisonous effluvia of sin: When the sinner, however, becomes his own accuser, when he denounces himself and confesses, he vomits forth the crime and removes the cause of his malady (Orig. Hom. ii. in Ps. 37.)." St. Basil teaches: "We must reveal our guilt to those who are intrusted with the administration of the mysteries of God (St. Bas. in Resp. ad Quest. 228)." St. Ambrose warns us: "Some are anxious to be admitted to penance so as to have communion speedily dispensed to them. Such persons rather seek to bind the conscience of the ministers of reconciliation, the priests, than to free themselves; for their own consciences are not eased, and those of the priests burthened; for the command, ' Set not holy things before swine,' is not observed (Lib. 2 de Poenit.)." St. Augustine admonishes the faithful of his time to approach the tribunal of penance, saying: "Do penance as the Church prescribes, in order that the Church may pray for you." Let no one say to himself, "I do it secretly before God. He from whom I expect pardon knows it, as I do myself." To what purpose, then, the following words: '"Whatsoever ye shall loose upon earth shall be loosed in heaven?' Have the keys been delivered to the Church in vain? Has the Gospel been set at nought, and Christ's words proved futile, of no avail ( Horn. 49, 50)? St. Chrysostom assures us "that whoever is ashamed to confess his sins to a priest, but is not ashamed to commit them, in the sight of God, if he does not confess and repent, shall be covered at the last dread day with shame and confusion, not before one or two individuals, but before the whole world (Orat. de Muliere Sam)." St. Leo the Great says: "The manifold mercy of God so aids human frailty, that not only by the grace of baptism, but also by the remedy of penance, the hope of life eternal may again be secured, so that those who have profaned the grace of regeneration, being judged by their own judgment, may obtain remission of their sins; and herein has it pleased the Divine goodness to decree that mercy and pardon are only to be obtained by the mediation of the priests. The Mediator between God and man, "the man Christ Jesus," imparts to the ministers of the Church the power to impose the satisfaction of penance on those who confess, and again admit them, purified by this atonement, to pass to the reception of the other sacraments through the gate of reconciliation. The Council of Trent pronounces this dogma in the following solemn decision:

"If any one deny that sacramental confessions is divinely instituted and necessary for salvation, let him be anathema." Sess. xiv. can. 6; and, again: "If any one shall say, that in order to receive the remission of sin, according to divine institution, it is not necessary to confess each and every mortal transgession which after due and assiduous examination can be remembered, let him be anathema." Can. 7. This divine institution and constant practice of confession since the time of the Apostles, is also most clearly and amply proved from the fact, that according to the doctrine and practice of the Church, it is not only the laity who are bound to have recourse to penance, but also priests and bishops, and even the Pope himself. The priesthood, however, would never have submitted to an act in itself so painful and humiliating, had not confession been ordained by Christ himself, and continually practised in the Church from the primitive ages. If confession had been introduced by mere human agency, history would surely be able to point out the date of its introduction, as well as the name of him who possessed such magic influence or boundless power over men as to induce them willingly to submit to that which costs human pride so severe a struggle. History is, however, silent on this subject: no trace of the introduction of confession is to be discovered; it follows, therefore, that the practice of confession is coeval with the existence of the Church. According to the very correct principle of Tertullian, "that which is universally practised in the Church, and whose origin and introduction cannot be pointed out, must be regarded as an apostolic institution or ordinance (Lib. de Prcescript.)." We know exactly, for instance, when and by whom public penances were done away with; and when Catholic apostates, under the name of Protestants, declared against confession; but we do not know by what Pope or council confession was introduced, or has any one as yet been able to discover it. The introduction of such a practice would certainly have excited general attention, supposing it to be introduced by human caprice or policy in the course of ages. And would not the great ones, the proud ones of the earth, on whom this duty is as binding as on the lowliest mendicant, rebel against it? Can it be supposed they would tamely and silently have submitted to an innovation so humiliating and so painful. The eastern sectaries who severed themselves in the primitive ages from the communion of the Church, fully agree with her in practising confession as necessary and salutary for the obtaining of life eternal. The Greek schismatic Russians of today, as well as those earlier sects, may be adduced to prove the truth of our position, that confession is not a known invention or ordinance introduced in progress of time into the Church, but a divine institution.

Q. Has Christ made self-accusation in the tribunal of penance a condition for the remission of sin, as well as a means of atonement?

A. Yes; the sinner having presumed insolently to rise ill rebellion against his Lord and Master, by the commission of sin, it is just and proper that he should be obliged to humble himself before Christ's representatives:

1. In order to pluck out more effectually the root of all evil within us, which is pride, and to excite and confirm in our hearts those dispositions which form the fundamental condition of our reconciliation with the divine majesty, viz., humility, and sincere and humble contrition.

2. To inspire us with dread of falling or relapsing into sin, which even here below has produced consequences so humiliating and painful.

3. To assist, by confession, in arriving at self-knowledge, and to encourage and incite us to make more rapid and successful progress in the way of virtue by the admonitions, intrusions, and paternal exhortations of the confessor.

4. In order not to expose us to the danger of deluding or deceiving ourselves in so momentuous a matter which might easily occur were we constituted sole judges of our own interior.

Our dear Lord wills, furthermore, for our consolation and encouragement, that our reconciliation with Him be confirmed and attested by the judicial sentence of His anointed minister. Even the heathens have some idea of this, as we learn from Seneca, who advises us to unbosom ourselves to a judicious and virtuous friend; to lay open before him our infirmities and evil propensities, and also our falls, in order that we may live in unblemished morality. Sincere and thinking Protestants cannot deny, and do frankly acknowledge the beneficial effects resulting from a secret self-accusation made to the minister of God. Leibnitz, one of the

                       THE GOOD SHEPHERD
"I AM the Good Shepherd." This Our Lord says of Himself. Our Lord had other titles, as Jesus, Saviour, Redeemer, Master, Advocate, King of peace, Our Reconciliation, all signifying His love for mankind.

Are you, my dear young people, glad of the title of good Shepherd, which Our Lord gives Himself? Yes, the title is a beautiful one; it is full of consolation and of love. He gives Himself this title in order to gain our affection and our entire heart. How good Jesus is to us. His lambs and sheep! What care does He not take of us? He speaks to our hearts words of eternal life, and His holy inspiration illumines our mind and makes us know His goodness. He takes us up tenderly, and brings us to delightful pastures. He nourishes our souls with His holy word, by the words of His priests; He feeds us with bread which is not of this world, the Bread of angels. His sacred Body and Blood. Was there ever a shepherd who gave his body and blood for food to his flock? Generally the flock is a source of revenue, support, and sustenance to the shepherd; but not so in the case of this Good Shepherd. He supports and sustains His flock.

Of course the shepherd will fight for his flock, he will use every means in his power to protect it from ravage, but the Good Shepherd gives His life for His flock. 0, infinite love! What pains and suffering didst Thou not endure for Thy sheep! Just think of Jesus crucified; look at Him nailed to the cross; see that face all covered with bruises; those eyes half closed with blood; those shoulders torn by stripes; that side opened by a lance; those hands and feet pierced with nails, and that head crowned with sharp thorns. All this, all these wounds, the Good Shepherd suffered for His poor lost sheep. Then what should we do on our part? Oh, give Him at least a little recognition, gratitude, obedience, and love if nothing more than to receive Him on the great festivals of the year. This good Shepherd will love you with all affection and give you His choicest blessings.

There are, on the contrary, many restless, ill-regulated, sickly, plague-stricken sheep who have to be thrown out of the flock, because they continually disobey Him and make Him feel the sadness of having shown kindness in vain. He would like to bring them to good pastures that they might recover from their maladies, and become useful members of the flock again, but they will not listen to His voice. He calls them to the use of the sacraments, but it is in vain; He calls them about Him to be His escort and companions, but they would rather be far away from Him; they want to feed their souls on poisonous food; they do not like the restraint of being near the holy Jesus. They have left the fountains of living water which ran to eternal life. They have looked for water and found filthy broken cisterns.

Among you, my dear youthful friends, there are many wayward sheep also. This Good Shepherd seeks to bring them back to the fold, but many are obstinate, blind, and wicked, and will not hear His voice. He invites them with sweet and coaxing words; He makes them feel the qualms of conscience; He embitters the cup of vice from which they are drinking and takes peace and happiness away from them. But these wicked sheep will not listen and continually say by their works,

"No, I will have nothing to do with you." What more should this Good Shepherd do to gain them and to bring them back to His flock? Can you suggest something? Is it possible that God will not succeed in attracting them to Him? Will He not succeed when He promises them the kingdom of paradise? He must and will get angry some time; He will abandon them and deny them the help of His grace, and then they will fall from one sin to another.

How many young people, my dear friends, are in such a state. In early youth they become vessels of wrath, and if God still tolerates them, the day of vengeance will come, the day on which God will separate the bad from the good. And to the bad He will say,

"Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire."

Now, there is still time to change your way of living; you can become the well-loved lambs and sheep of the flock of Christ, instead of being the despised rams that the Shepherd does not tolerate near Him. Go to Him and show your sorrow, and He will take you on His shoulders, for He is waiting and looking for you. He is watching you in your wanderings, and at the first sign of repentance, of weakness, or of fainting. He hastens to your side. He raises you on His shoulders, and carries you back to the fold which you would not have been able to reach with your wasted strength.

My young friends, we are all sheep of the flock of Christ; we are His by redemption and by the grace of almighty God. Be always obedient to Him, hear His voice, and walk continually in His footsteps. Would you walk securely in the midst of this world, so full of danger and snares? The only means is to allow yourselves to be guided by God. If you would please the divine Shepherd, imitate Him in His divine virtues, in His kindness and obedience, like good sheep who are willing to be led. The divine Shepherd having loved His flock on this earth, will call them all to the enjoyment of heavenly pastures and will quench their thirst "At the torrents of joy" which He provides for us in heaven.

Source: Sermons for Children's Masses, Imprimatur 1900