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10th Sunday after Pentecost - The Foundation Stone of Every Virtue

7/30/2021

My dear Children: A great contrast is seen in the picture the Gospel puts before our eyes today. There are two men, the one very proud and haughty, the other humble. Children, which of the two would you prefer? You will say, "I like the Publican, for he is humble." Our Divine Lord prefers him also. Humility is the foundation of all justice: without it no one can please God, though he may practice and possess all virtues. Why did the fallen angels become devils? Simply because they failed to be humble. As soon as they listened to the suggestions of pride, God withdrew His grace from them and they were expelled from happiness into eternal misery.

How low a man can fall when he leaves the narrow path of humility, we see in a certain Justin, a Franciscan friar and companion of St. John Capistran. He had received extraordinary graces by means of prayer, vigilance, mortification and other pious practices, so that far and near he was venerated as a pattern of Christian perfection and as a man highly favored by God. Even Pope Eugene IV., having received very favorable accounts of him, and being anxious to become personally acquainted with him, invited him to come to Rome. When he was introduced the Pope rose from his seat, went to meet him, embraced him and made the friar sit beside him. On Justin's return St. John Capistran looked at him sorrowfully, and said: "O brother Justin, you went away an angel; you come back a devil." Events confirmed only too plainly the truth of this harsh language. Justin seemed to grow prouder from day to day; for the most trivial reason he loudly complained that he was not treated with becoming respect; finally he forgot himself so far as to thrust a knife into the breast of one of the brothers, by whom, as he thought, he had been treated with contempt. After this murder he fled, and wandered about committing many other crimes. At last he was cast into prison at Naples, and, hardened in unbelief and malice, he put an end to his life. If he had remained humble he might now be a saint in heaven.

Among all the virtues of our Blessed Lord, there are three especially which we ought to strive continually to learn of Him, namely, Meekness, Humility, and Obedience. And why so? First, because He Himself points them out especially for our imitation, and, secondly, because they are all three opposed to the deadly sin of pride, which was the beginning of evil, and the cause of the fall of both the angels and our first parents. Pride, the mother of many other vices, shows itself especially in three ways, namely, by resenting injuries, attributing all good to itself, and setting itself up against lawful authority. Now the three virtues before mentioned are directly opposed to these three forms of pride.

Meekness enables us to bear injuries and affronts without resentment; Humility makes us acknowledge by deeds, as well as words, that whatever good we have comes from God; and Obedience makes us submit our will to that of our superiors for the love of God. Hence if we practice these three virtues, we shall heal three of the worst wounds inflicted on our souls by pride, and we shall have gone a great way towards making our souls conformable to the image of Jesus Christ.

General Howard was a great soldier of the Civil War, he was not only brave but just and kind, and every one who knew him loved him. During General Sherman's last campaign in the South he had been put at the head of a special division. A great parade was to take place in the city of Washington at the close of the war, and the officer whose place General Howard had taken insisted on riding at the head of the division, and his friends were so powerful that General Sherman could not refuse the request. He sent for General Howard, told him of the request and asked him if he would mind to let the other General ride at the head of the division. General Howard replied that the division was now his command and he had the right to ride at its head. "Of course, that is true" said General Sherman, "but, Howard, you are a Christian, and don't care so much about show, and your brilliant record can stand this disappointment.,, "Oh," said General Howard, "if that's what you mean, let him ride there and let him have the honor." "Very well," said General Sherman, "let him have the honor, but you will report to me before the start of the parade and ride by my side at the head of the whole army."

So you see that by giving up what he had a right to claim, this general gained a much greater honor. Jesus tells us a great many things about humility and about seeking the first place. And He tells us that the man who is last may be the first, and the man who is least may be greatest, and that the man who is willing to be a servant is, after all, a king.

Of Meekness and Humility, our Blessed Lord says to us in the Holy Gospel, "Learn of me, because I am meek and humble of heart." These three are, therefore, the favorite virtues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; and if you wish to know to what extent our Lord practiced them, you have only to read the history of His cruel Passion. There you will see Him betrayed, blasphemed, mocked, derided, blindfolded, struck on the face, spit upon, scourged, crowned with thorns and crucified, yet uttering not a word of complaint, on the contrary, praying for His executioners.

All the exercises of virtue and of good works are valueless before God without humility. This is strikingly shown in the following legend. A certain saint had a vision. He was placed at the judgment-seat of God, and saw how every moment souls, who had departed this life, arrived to be judged. Each had a sack over his shoulder ; in the front part were his good works, and in the part hanging behind were his sins. Both the good works and the sins, after their kind, were put up in packages. The sack in each case was opened and the packages with their good works and sins were laid upon the scales. The packages of the sins of most people by far outweighed the packages of good works, whereupon the divine Judge pronounced sentence of condemnation. Finally a woman came with a sack, the front part of which was full of good works while the other part contained only a few faults. The saint thought: "Thanks be to God, this woman will certainly go to heaven.' But when the good works were put into the scales they were as light as a feather and were overbalanced by the sins. Full of astonishment the saint asked an angel who was standing by : "How is it that this multitude of good works has so light a weight?" The angel replied: "Know that this woman has done a great deal of good, but since she was full of vanity and pride, her good works are without weight in the eyes of the all-seeing Judge, and she is lost forever."

My dear boys and girls, learn from what you have heard, how necessary a virtue humility is for our salvation. Without it, there is no forgiveness of sin, no good work meritorious for heaven, and no final perseverance.

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

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8th Sunday after Pentecost - Judgment

7/17/2021

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My dear Children : "Give an account of thy stewardship." With these words we shall be greeted when we leave this world and appear before Jesus Christ in the world to come. What will we have
to say when we have to stand before One who knows even our most
secret thoughts? No wonder that the saints lived so piously, no wonder that they mortified themselves continuously. Many saints, like Gregory the Great, Lidwina, Teresa, were afflicted with bodily
infirmities all their lives and they bore them patiently. St. Aloysius,
St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. Agnes, St. Cecilia began already from an early age to prepare for the last hour of their lives.

Towards the middle of the fifteenth century a young man went to the gate of a Carthusian monastery not far from Gand, and asked to be admitted as a monk. His name was Peter of Dume. The superior received him with great kindness, and after the usual probation gave him the habit of the Order. He persevered in his vocation till his happy death, which took place in the year 1490.

During all the many years he spent in that monastery he was never seen to smile, and an unwonted earnestness accompanied every one of his actions. It was a long time before the superior discovered the cause of this; but, being commanded to make it known to him, the monk in virtue of obedience, related to him the reason of it in these words: "I was passing through that part of the country which is watered by the deep river Escaut, and in crossing over it I fell into the water, and sank to the bottom. I felt that I was drowning, and that in a few moments I should be in eternity. I at once was seized with great fear as I thought of the terrible judgment of God which I was soon to undergo, especially as I was thus called out of life so suddenly without time to make any preparation. I thought of Mary my Mother in Heaven, and I prayed to her. 'O Mary, Our Lady of Good Help, come to my assistance,'" I said to her. My prayer was not in vain. At that same moment I felt myself lifted from the bottom of the river and laid upon the bank. I fell upon my knees to thank God. Then I took the resolution to spend the rest of my life in preparing myself for a happy death, and on that very day I came to this house, that I might immediately begin to fulfill my resolution. I also at the same time resolved to spend the remainder of my days in the service of Mary, to show my gratitude to her for her maternal protection, and for having saved me from certain death." The holy religious was little known by men, for it was his continual prayer that he should live unknown to the world.

Sometimes, children, you will hear the Church speak of the first and second coming of the Son of God. His first coming was when He came into the world as a little babe, and was born in the stable at Bethlehem. His coming then was in the midst of poverty, suffering and neglect. But His second coming which will be at the end of the world, to judge mankind, will be in power, majesty, and glory. Our Blessed Lord, therefore, will come to judge us all at the end of the world, but He will also judge each of us at the moment of our death. On the day of general judgment the justice of God will be made manifest to everyone. It often happens in this life that the good are poor, persecuted and despised, while the wicked are rich, prosperous, and held in honor and esteem by the world. Thus if we looked no further than the present life, it might seem to some, who do not bear in mind that the peace of a good conscience and the happiness of a virtuous life are far beyond all worldly advantages, as if the wicked rather than the good, are the favorites of Heaven. It will then be seen that the short sufferings of this life, borne with patience for the love of God, have secured for the good an eternity of happiness; while the false pleasures and sinful enjoyments of the wicked are the cause of their eternal damnation.

Aripart, King of the Lombards, when dissatisfaction broke out in his army, wished to flee into France. He could not bear the thought, however, to leave his treasures behind and therefore took as much gold as he could carry, and fled at night. He was obliged to swim the river Tessino, but the great quantity of gold which he carried frustrated all his exertions, the weight of the precious metal dragged him to the bottom, and he met his death in the water. Thus he who lets his heart cling to gold and the temporal goods in this world, is drawn into the abyss of hell.

My dear boys and girls, after your soul has left your body it must appear before Jesus Christ. Christ will be its judge, for to Him the Father has committed the judgment. Christ has been to the soul until its departure a God of love and mercy, and has bestowed on it countless graces. But now He stands before it in another character; now He is its judge, who regards not the person of man, who demands an account of every idle word, who has the power and the will to condemn the impenitent sinner. When Joseph in Egypt made himself known to his brothers and said: "I am Joseph whom you sold," his brothers could not answer him, being struck with exceeding great fear. I leave it to yourselves to judge what anguish and terror must seize the guilty soul when on a sudden it sees itself placed in the presence of an angry judge. "That moment," says St. Basil, "will be to it more painful than all the pains of hell."

Ask yourselves : Do I love God above all things, and do I show it by this, that I would rather suffer all evils, even death, than offend God by a mortal sin ? Do I raise my heart frequently to God ? Do I love to pray? Do I frequently receive the sacraments? Do I mean well by everybody? Do I rejoice at my neighbor's success; have I patience with his failings ; do I love to do him acts of kindness? These are the questions we ought to put to ourselves every day so that we might prepare to meet our Judge.

In the court-house of Lubeck is a famous painting, called the dance of death. There you see all classes of ages, children, youth, virgins, men and women, the aged, all dancing, rejoicing and exulting in full pleasure of life, and they do not perceive that the angel of death, with the scythe, walks behind them, to mow down one after the other, to lead them to his realm. Here drops as his victim a child, there an aged man, here a youth, and nevertheless the dance continues in mad enjoyment. Thus it is in the life of man. Daily we see the angel of death walking softly in our midst, demanding his victims, and we know not how, when or where he will call us. All we do know is, that he will not forget us, and behind him is the divine Judge and the momentous eternity, and nevertheless we live in blindness and frivolity, as if our stay here on earth were everlasting.

Let no day pass, children, without heartily repenting of your faults and endeavor to expiate them by various works of penance. If in such a way you judge yourselves, you will not be judged. Jesus will graciously receive you on the day of judgment and greet you as His dear child.

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

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7th Sunday after Pentecost - Bad Associations

7/10/2021

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My dear Children: Whatever our company is, such are we. That is what our divine Lord wants to teach us today. Is it possible to associate every day with an outcast, without becoming accustomed to his faults, learning to love them by degrees and then firmly become a reprobate oneself ? Among a hundred sound apples place one that is decayed ; will this one again become fresh, or will it bring corruption to all the good ones? Place one diseased sheep among a flock of healthy ones, will the sick sheep become well, or will the whole flock become infected? See how nature teaches us by most impressive examples, what will be our portion in the spiritual life if we do not heed the words of Jesus Christ.

One Lucifer sufficed to transform millions of good and holy angels into devils, one immoral child is able to infect a whole school, and to poison the hearts of all the children.I cannot, my dear children, impress upon you too strongly the necessity of avoiding all evil companions. Alas, how many are now in hell who owe their eternal damnation to the bad advice or wicked example of some false friend, whom they now curse as the author of their ruin. Our Blessed Lord, to show us the absolute necessity of avoiding all bad company and, indeed, every occasion of sin, however near and dear it may be to us, says: "If thy hand or thy foot scandalize thee, cut it off and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to go into life maimed or lame, than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire."

Learn from these words of our Lord to make any sacrifice, however much it may cost you, to keep out of bad company and the occasion of sin. If you have a friend or a companion, who is as dear to you as your eye, or your foot, or your hand, but who is, or who is likely to be, an occasion of sin to you, shun him as you would the devil himself. It is better for you to go without him to eternal life, than to be condemned along with him to everlasting torments.

My dear boys and girls, as you value your eternal salvation meditate on this example, for what happened to this young man might also happen to you. In a certain town in France there lived not long ago a young man who was an example and a model of piety to everyone. One day in the neighborhood there was held a public demonstration, on account of some local festival. This young man was anxious, like those of his age, to go and join the rejoicings. On ordinary occasions he was accompanied by a companion of his own age, pious and innocent as himself, but on this day this companion remained at home, probably on account of his fear of being led into occasions of sins. So the youth went thither alone.

On the way he was overtaken by another young man, who was notorious for his depravity. Our young man's duty was to avoid this new comrade, lest he might be led by him into temptation, but this he neglected to do. At first their conversation was about matters of little importance, but little by little his new companion began to utter unbecoming words, and to speak in contempt of religious things. The young man neglected to pray to God for
help, and to turn away from the path of evil, and in a short time lost the grace of God.

Not long afterwards he who had been so innocent and so pure was killed by an accident. Thus by a sudden and unprovided death, he was called before the dread tribunal of Jesus Christ, to be judged and condemned. The young man who had been the occasion of his fall was so overcome with this sudden end that he at once went to the neighboring monastery, and, casting himself at the feet of the Abbot, besought him to receive him, that he might do penance for his great sin.

"O my Father," he said, "I beseech thee to have pity on one who has just been the cause of casting into hell a soul created by God for heaven. Permit me to do penance under your guidance for the rest of my life." He became a fervent religious, but was thereafter never seen to smile; in his humility and sorrow he would cast himself on the ground before the religious as they entered the church.

Evil example is as catching as fever or small-pox; and a sin committed in the presence of others, especially of children and young people, is but too often the occasion of their falling into a like offense at some future temptation. Hence, it follows that the greater the number of those who hear or see us do wrong, the more grievous does our sin become, as by one sin we may be the cause of the ruin of many souls. For this reason, when we go to confession we ought to mention, as nearly as we can, the number of those to whom we have given bad example.

An Arab, living alone in his tent, one day was surprised to hear footsteps coming straight for the door of his tent. He was soon more surprised than ever to see the folds of the tent door open and the nose of a camel come through. "Out with you," said the Arab, but the camel didn't move, but said : "It's so cold out here. Please let me put only my nose through the door so that I may be warmed just a little." "Well, see that you come in no farther," said the Arab, and having said that he went about his work. When he turned to look again, the camel's entire head was in at the door, and it was looking all over the tent. "Didn't I tell you to come no farther?" said the Arab. "My head was cold," said the camel, "and I thought if you would let my nose in you would not mind about my head." "Well, see that you come no farther," said the Arab, and again went about his work. When he looked again, the camel had put its front foot and shoulder through the door and was reaching farther into the tent. The man turned quickly and was angry and told the camel to move back and go away, and was about to reach down and lift up a stick to strike it, when the camel walked boldly into the tent and drove the man forth from his own home.

I think you know now what it means when people say, "Beware of the camel's nose." There is only one way to keep the camel out, and that is not to let even its nose in, and there is only one way to keep evil out of our thoughts and minds and hearts and that is not to allow it to have the least entrance.

As to wicked company, I must again remind you that there is no danger against which we ought to be more constantly on our guard. There would be very few sins committed in this world, very few souls lost eternally, if it were not for the bad advice and evil example of wicked companions. The devil is not permitted to come to tempt you in visible form as he came to Adam and Eve, so he does what is far more likely to succeed, he sends bad companions to draw you into sin by means of their example.

Children, in choosing our friends we should select those from whom we can learn something good, and whose virtue and piety may be a bright example before our eyes to encourage us to overcome our faults, and advance daily in the way of perfection.

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6th Sunday after Pentecost - Intemperance

7/3/2021

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My dear Children: Saint Matthew today tells us all about the big banquet, probably the greatest banquet ever given; four thousand men sat down to it including women and children. But great as the banquet was, and numerous as the guests were, there were none who ate more than sufficient to sustain life.

The sin of intemperance is an inordinate desire for food and drink. There are some people who never stop eating; they resemble a mill that never stops; their life is a continual round of eating. Those who eat outside of meal times eat merely for the gratification of the palate. Every one must conceive that such continual eating or drinking is sinful, especially for a Christian, who is to imitate the mortification of the Lord and Master in all things.

The glutton, or the drunkard, is like a beast of the field, a slave to his own appetites, for he is led by them rather than by reason, or the Law of God. The consequence is that his mind becomes darkened, his will corrupted, and his heart hardened against divine grace. Of the terrible fruit of drunkenness I need hardly speak.

Everywhere you see homes made desolate, wives and children starving and naked, the most horrible crimes committed, and sinners brought to a miserable and untimely end through this accursed sin.

Ah, my dear children, pray earnestly to God that you never be so unhappy as to become victims to this vice and, in order that you may be preserved from the danger of it, practice throughout life continual temperance, or moderation in your eating and drinking. Deny yourselves now in little things, and you will acquire that command over yourselves which, with God's grace, will enable you to stand firm in after life against greater temptations.

St. Monica, the mother of the great St. Augustine, was brought up under the care of a virtuous woman, who endeavored to train her in the habits of self-denial as well as other virtues. Thus, among other excellent practices, she would never allow the little Monica to drink between meals, saying to her, "Now you only want a drink of water; but when you grow up and are mistress of the cellar, you will not care for water, though the habit of drinking will still remain." The very danger which the prudent servant had foreseen actually befell her, for as she grew older her parents frequently entrusted her with the key of the cellar, and sent her to draw wine for the use of the family. When so doing she would sometimes, out of curiosity, take a little sip, but by degrees the quantity increased, and she acquired at length such a liking for wine that she would drink whole cupfuls with the greatest relish.

Thus did she sow the seeds of intemperance, and by indulgence expose herself to the danger of grievous excess. Almighty God saw her peril, and mercifully rescued her from the brink of the precipice in the following manner:

It happened one day that the young Monica had some angry words with one of the servants. Now this was the very maid who had been in the habit of accompanying her young mistress to the cellar, and who had frequently noticed her fondness for the wine cup. In her vexation she now reproached St. Monica with her failing, calling her a young wine-bibber. The expression made the deepest impression on her mistress, who, entering into herself, sincerely deplored her fault, and from the moment entirely corrected it. Thus did her humility in profiting by the rebuke of a servant lay the foundation of her future sanctity.

Intemperance is the source of many sins, the first is the neglect of religious duties. This is particularly true of drunkards. They omit private and family devotions; they neglect to hear Mass on Sundays and Holydays. They are deadly enemies of the word of God; they scarcely ever listen to a sermon, but ridicule it. They neglect to go to confession during the year; and they let many an Easter pass without complying with their Easter duty.

One morning Johnny went to town with his father, and stayed in his office until it was time to go to lunch. Johnny had never remained downtown so long, and he was very much interested in all the books and papers and drawers and desks in his father's great office. He and his father were chums, and when lunch-time came they went off together to eat at a near-by restaurant. The waiter knew the boy's father and when he received the order for lunch asked the boy what he would like to have to drink. The waiter did not ask his father, because he knew that it was the father's custom to have a bottle of wine each day. The boy replied as he had to the other questions: "I'll take what father takes." Then his father knew that something must be done, that it would never do for the waiter to bring a bottle of wine to the boy, and so he quietly called the waiter to his side and changed his order and asked for a glass of milk. And so when lunch was brought in, two glasses of milk were set down on the table, one for the boy and one for his father and the little lad was greatly pleased that both of them should be having the same lunch; but all that afternoon after the father had gone back to his office the words of Johnny kept ringing in his ears: "I'll take what father takes." He went home in the evening, and was happy for a little while in hearing Johnny tell his mother all about his day's fun in the city and how he had the same things for lunch as his father. But that night after the boy had gone to bed, the father still heard those same words over and over again; and he remembered his strong drink and all his bad habits. At last he could endure it no longer and knelt down and asked God to guide him, and from that night on he never tasted wine again. I think that the boys and girls who can do just what their parents do and are sure that they are doing what is right and true and good and kind, ought to be happy boys and girls.

Intemperance brings about quarrels, strife, contention and murder. It often happens that drunken men quarrel and abuse one another, sometimes coming to blows, which often result in murder.

We have an example in Alexander the Great, who, heated by wine, transfixed with a lance his friend Klitus, who had saved his life, and stretched him dead on the floor. Intemperance is one of the capital sins and is the source of many other sins. We should sometimes voluntarily deprive ourselves of a certain amount of food and drink in order to obtain control of our appetite.

Charles III., King of Sweden, in his youth often got drunk with wine. Once in his drunkenness he was guilty of very offensive words towards his mother. When one of his friends reminded him of his bad conduct, he was deeply moved and said: "Bring me a bottle of wine and a cup." It was done. He then went to his mother and said: "Mother, I offended you yesterday." Then filling the cup to the brim, he drank it in the presence of his mother, and said : "That is my last cup of wine." And he kept his word.

Children, imitate Jesus and the saints; be sober and temperate, and satisfied with plain food. Your food should be to do the will of God, that the words of Jesus may be verified in you : "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice; for they shall be filled."

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

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10th Sunday after Pentecost - The Foundation Stone of Every Virtue

8th Sunday after Pentecost - Judgment

7th Sunday after Pentecost - Bad Associations

6th Sunday after Pentecost - Intemperance

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