"He that is of God, heareth the words of God."—St. John viii, 47.
Truly consoling are the words of the Divine Saviour: "He that is of God, heareth the words of God." The Christian who truly believes, hopes and loves, may indeed tremble and be anxious about his soul's salvation when he thinks of death, judgment and eternity. But then the words of Jesus will comfort him: "He that is of God, heareth the words of God." Zeal for, and joy in, the word of God, the mysteries of the Catholic faith, and love of divine worship are all eloquent testimonials that we are of God, that we possess the grace and spirit of God and that we shall return to God. And though a Catholic may fall into grievous sin because of human weakness, he still hears the word of God and the voice of his conscience. His yearning for the word and for the grace of God will not permit him to remain in his unfortunate condition. He throws off the yoke of sin, reconciles himself with God, and fulfills the consoling word of Christ: "He that is of God, heareth the word of God,"—"for blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it."
The reason is plain. Whoever, among men, has a vocation, or profession, or fills an office, is bound to acquire all the knowledge, qualities and fitness that are necessary to follow such vocation or profession honorably and conscientiously. Thus an officer, a physician, a lawyer, an artisan, a merchant, a farmer, a cook, a governess, a housewife must all possess the knowledge necessary to the fulfillment of their vocation or profession. They must continue to keep what they already know fresh in their minds and strive to acquire new knowledge. It is absolutely necessary for them to do this if they do not wish to be lacking in conscience, if they do not wish to bring untold misery upon themselves and others, or to appear as useless members of society, deserving the contempt, the poverty, the wretchedness to which their laziness has reduced them.
Now the holiest and most honorable profession and vocation is that of the Catholic. Hence it comes about that the Catholic incurs the responsibility before God and man of acquiring an exact knowledge of the duties and obligations that belong to his first and holiest vocation, for on this vocation depends not merely his temporal welfare, but, what is infinitely more important, the eternal salvation of his soul. He must of necessity therefore, constantly strive to learn more and more completely and exactly all the truths of his holy faith and the commandments of God and of the Church, for, "he that is of God, heareth the words of God."
The reason of this will become more clear to us if we consider that it is a child's most sacred duty to pay attention to the words and teachings of its parents—that it is a sacred duty for the pupil, the servant, the citizen, to give a willing ear to the admonition and commands of the teacher, the master, and the authorities. Peace and order, harmony and prosperity depend on this. But the duty of the Catholic to listen to the word of God is far more sacred and important than the duty of the child, the pupil, the servant and the citizen. As far as the heavens are above the earth so does the word of God, faith, surpass all human knowledge and learning. Time and eternity, peace and joy depend upon it. Faith is the wonderful light that enlightens us; it is our guide on earth, our staff in life, our comfort in misfortune, the remedy of our souls, the well-spring of all virtues and the dispenser of eternal happiness.
And yet, my dearly beloved, sacred as is the duty of the Catholic to be thoroughly instructed in his holy faith, that sublime treasure and marvelous gift of grace that has come to us from an all-merciful God, there are nevertheless many Catholics in our day who are willing and anxious to learn and to know everything else but what concerns the truths and mysteries of the Catholic faith. What is the cause of this sad state of affairs? It originates in the deliberate ignorance of indifferentism concerning matters of faith. It is, therefore, my purpose to speak to you of this ignorance and its consequence.
O Jesus, assist us with Thy grace!
We encounter everywhere the most astounding ignorance concerning holy things, matters of faith, the commandments, the sacraments, the practices, and life of the Catholic Church. Whence does this come? It can originate only in the deliberate determination to remain in ignorance of all these things by staying away from instructions and sermons, by contemptuously throwing aside all Catholic literature and periodicals as unworthy of serious attention. And this ignorance concerning matters of faith, the like of which the world has never seen in all the ages past, is dignified with the boastful name of Enlightenment, Liberalism, and Culture. We encounter it rampant in every state of society, in every phase of human life, in the classroom, the courts, the halls of the legislative bodies, the public places and the public press. Our separated brethren themselves are obliged to acknowledge this impoverishment of the mind.
All the world stands aghast at the recrudescence of crime, the flourishing immorality and practical infidelity and the abject materialism among all classes of men in this boasted Christian nation of ours. And if only this were all! But this ignorance is fraught with direst consequences. Only ignorance leads to ridicule of the faith. The devil himself does not mock for he knows better. The world has never heard such cynical scoffing at all things holy and pure, and especially at all things Catholic, as in our day.
It has come to such a pass that the child tries to outdo the parent, the pupil the teacher, the poor the wealthy. Ignorance leads to unbelief and to hatred of the Catholic Church. Only ignorant people are unbelievers and haters. That is why the Jews hated the Redeemer: "He that is of God, heareth the words of God. Therefore you hear them not, because you are not of God" (St. John viii, 47). Why did the ancient pagans hate Christianity? Why do pagans, Turks and Jews hate Christianity even in our day? Because they know nothing about it, because they do not wish to know anything about it, because they are ignorant of its truths. However, the worst of them all in mockery and hatred are the ignorant and bad Catholics. They are ignorant because they are bad, and they are bad because they are ignorant, and therefore they hate their own faith. No Jew, no Turk, no heathen derides his own religion. Only ignorant Catholics are capable of such a thing. They conduct themselves very much like the young man who led a most immoral life and openly boasted of his infidelity as proof of his enlightenment. A kind friend had pity on him and lent him a book in which the beauties of the Catholic faith were portrayed.
The young infidel read the book with a great deal of interest. His doubts were being solved one by one, the scales fell from his eyes, the truth and beauty of the Catholic faith grew more and more evident to his soul,—when, seized by an uncontrollable whim he dashed the book aside and exclaimed : "The wretch, he almost convinces me with his book." And he ended his life in vice and infidelity. All those ignorant people who wish to be considered cultured and broad-minded, act in the same way. They hate and reject every Catholic instruction, every sermon, book and paper, that would help them to acquire a more thorough knowledge of Catholic belief and life. They do not wish to be disturbed; they are not disposed to hear the word of God, because they are not of God, but have long since fallen away from the Catholic Church.
But ignorance leads to something more; it leads to superstition. And we find the most superstition in the ranks of those who claim that they are guided by the light of reason only. We find them attaching undue importance to occurrences in every-day life. We frequently see them in earnest consultation with spiritualistic mediums and assiduous attendants at their seances; they dread to meet funeral processions; Friday and the number thirteen strike them dumb with horror. They are, however, particularly superstitious, or rather, over-credulous in regard to newspapers. These ignoramuses swear by their papers and accept as undeniably true every lie that is forged against the Catholic Church, no matter how stupid or how devoid of every vestige of probability it may
be. They are convinced to the point of evidence that the Church is the cause of all the trouble in France and in Portugal and, in fact, of all the troubles that have ever existed in the Christian world. They are still prepared to swear to the truth of the statement that nuns have been and are still being walled up alive.
Nothing can persuade them that the infallibility of the Pope does not consist in his inability to commit sin. They know—no matter what proof you may offer to the contrary—that the clergy are immensely wealthy. For them it is a fact beyond all possibility of doubt that the Catholic Church of set purpose keeps her ministers and followers ignorant, that she is an enemy of the people, that she has laid her curse upon the world and condemns it to the abyss of hell. They swear by their gospel, the newspaper. What other proof of anything does he need? And yet, did not the rationalistic Pharisees of old say of Our Divine Saviour: "He hath blasphemed God, what further need of proof have we?"
But ignorance in matters of faith goes one step farther, just as the Jews proceeded against Our Divine Saviour. They were ready to stone Him, and finally nailed Him to the cross. In like manner the whole tribe of so-called liberals, and, by the same token, ignorant, bad Catholics as well as non-Catholics, take up the stone of calumny, of false accusation against the Catholic Church, against their own mother, who regenerated them, and who, in order to preserve to' them grace and faith and salvation whole and intact, has suffered and bled from the first days of her existence. They take up the stones of malediction against their own mother, who in the days of their youth instructed them in matters of faith, administered to them the sacraments and who alone will and can stand by them in the hour of death. Aye, even after death when the world and their families have forgotten them, she will not forget her erring children in the holy sacrifice of the mass. But all this does not deter our liberal Catholics, for in their ignorance they no longer remember the best of mothers, or, if they do, it is only to heap insults and obloquy upon her. But if you question these so-called broad-minded Catholics concerning the simplest truths of holy faith, concerning the nature and number of the sacraments, the commandments of God and of the Church, in fine, anything that a Catholic must know if he would save his soul, they are dumb as the culprit before his judge. They have unlearned, forgotten everything, but because of this very fact they like to pose as liberal-minded men and forthwith proceed to scoff and blaspheme.
Holy Scripture tells us that when the Jews took up stones to kill Our Divine Saviour, He quietly went His way. In like manner the Catholic Church, the religious orders and we Catholics quietly proceed on our way and pay no attention to the missiles that are hurled at us from the rationalistic camp. The Catholic Church has looked upon the world for centuries; she has overcome other and greater enemies by her patience, and she has heard the rejoicings of nations who were converted. She will in turn come forth glorious from the storm of rationalistic and modernistic ideas.
Has, perchance, the Catholic faith, so wonderful as the most splendid gift of God's grace, deteriorated in our day? Or has the heavenly seed, which the divine sower planted in our hearts at holy baptism that it might bring forth fruit for heaven, decayed, that so many bad Catholics should scoff and jeer at it? No, the gift of God's grace remains the same in its heavenly power, in the splendor of its truth and in the fullness of its light and comfort. The heavenly seed has not rotted away, for in this our day, it still grows and flourishes and brings forth magnificent fruit of Christian life and eternal happiness. What therefore has deteriorated and rotted? Only the hearts of many Catholics, who have allowed themselves
to be carried away by the whirlwind of intellectual license.
History relates that when Alexander the Great came to the river Cydmus he bathed in its icy waters and in consequence contracted a mortal disease. His physician Philip prepared for him a healing draught. But at the moment when Alexander was about to take the remedy from his physician's hand a message was brought to him that said : "Do not trust your physician Philip, for, bribed by Persian gold, he is giving you poison to drink." Alexander read the letter and with one hand giving it to the physician with the other he seized the cup that held the remedy and unhesitatingly emptied it to the very dregs. Why does history tell us of this incident in the life of Alexander the Great, and express admiration, for it ? Because trusting the assurance of his physician Alexander apparently braved death by taking the draught. Jesus Christ is the physician; we and all mankind are the sick man, and the health-giving draught which Jesus has prepared for us are the heavenly truths, faith, grace, the sacraments, in a word, redemption. And, indeed, what wonderful results has not this life-giving draught produced in suffering humanity? It has made the Apostles, the martyrs, the saints, it has converted nations, dispelled superstition, vice and madness; it has restored health to souls, consolation and strength in life and in death and has peopled the kingdom of heaven.
The assistant of our Divine Physician, the Catholic Church, still offers the self-same healing draught to sick and languishing humanity. Why is it despised and wasted? The godless, the unbelievers, the infidel press cry out even to Catholics: "Do not trust her, it is poison she is giving you!" Instead of trusting the Divine Physician, His Church, and the experience of centuries, many Catholics believe implicitly what the godless tell them, and dash away the divine draught, simply because they wish to be considered broad-minded at any cost. But see how greedily they devour what the yellow press doles out to them. Every item of filth, of scandal, of untruth, of calumny, is eagerly absorbed and believed. They do not even give themselves time to think. There is no doubt in their minds but that all they have read is absolutely true, in fact they have come to such a pass that for them there is no
longer a doubt possible. And thus they lose their faith, grace and eternal salvation and become the enemies of God and of His Church. These are the fruits of stupid liberalism.
In proportion as the remedy of the Divine Physician, faith and grace are dissipated, the elements of Christianity are destroyed in the hearts of individuals and of the family, the more the Christian spirit is banished from the school, the community and the state, the greater will grow the sickness, the lust for pleasure, vice and confusion. There is a cry for light, and impenetrable darkness seizes upon despairing hearts. Everybody clamors for liberty, and the slavery of vice and of wealth grows greater. On all sides we hear of the prosperity and the well-being of the people, and taxes are multiplied and poverty becomes ever greater. The people are daily sinking deeper into despair, misery and crime. The principles of ruin and disintegration are hourly gaining ground. The soil is become a morass, the good seed is rejected, the life-giving draught is being spilled, and instead our people have become rationalistic. The greatest anguish of soul our Divine Saviour had to bear was the foreknowledge of the ingratitude of Christians. And in fact we can imagine no greater madness, no more revolting audacity than to see man, upon whom such love has been lavished, for whom such tortures, such humiliation and ignominy, such sufferings on the cross were borne, grow bitter against his Saviour and revile His Church and His doctrine. Man is not satisfied with rejecting Jesus, His teachings and His commandments, he must also rage against Him and blaspheme Him. The Saviour bore fatigue and the cross for us, but many Christians are too slothful to take a few steps to Church for the love of Jesus and for the sake of their immortal souls.
God gives us life and health and six days in which to do our work, and many of us have become incapable of giving Him a short half-hour on Sundays by assisting at holy mass. God has done everything for our immortal souls, and most men do everything for the body, but nothing for their souls—the cares and riches and pleasures of life destroy every germ of grace. It is indeed true that the judgments of God are terrible, but the majority of Christians do all that lies in their power to justify this severity. Whosoever hath ears to hear, let him hear. And yet, my dearly beloved, nothing more gladdening, more consoling and uplifting has been given us than the knowledge of Jesus, and love for Him. Nothing enlightens us so much as faith, nothing ennobles us like grace, nothing awakens such hope in life and in death as Catholic faith, the source of all blessing and peace. Let us at least not be numbered among those who throw away the draught of life, who trample under foot the divine seed, the word of God, or strangle it in its young growth. Rather let our splendid faith fall on good soil in our souls and bring forth fruit a thousandfold for time and for eternity, so that the Divine Sower in the day of harvest— of judgment—may gather us into His barn and our living faith may bring us unto eternal happiness before the face of God, for "he that is of God, heareth the word of God." Amen.
Source: The Beauty and Truth of the Catholic Church, Imprimatur 1911
Truly consoling are the words of the Divine Saviour: "He that is of God, heareth the words of God." The Christian who truly believes, hopes and loves, may indeed tremble and be anxious about his soul's salvation when he thinks of death, judgment and eternity. But then the words of Jesus will comfort him: "He that is of God, heareth the words of God." Zeal for, and joy in, the word of God, the mysteries of the Catholic faith, and love of divine worship are all eloquent testimonials that we are of God, that we possess the grace and spirit of God and that we shall return to God. And though a Catholic may fall into grievous sin because of human weakness, he still hears the word of God and the voice of his conscience. His yearning for the word and for the grace of God will not permit him to remain in his unfortunate condition. He throws off the yoke of sin, reconciles himself with God, and fulfills the consoling word of Christ: "He that is of God, heareth the word of God,"—"for blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it."
The reason is plain. Whoever, among men, has a vocation, or profession, or fills an office, is bound to acquire all the knowledge, qualities and fitness that are necessary to follow such vocation or profession honorably and conscientiously. Thus an officer, a physician, a lawyer, an artisan, a merchant, a farmer, a cook, a governess, a housewife must all possess the knowledge necessary to the fulfillment of their vocation or profession. They must continue to keep what they already know fresh in their minds and strive to acquire new knowledge. It is absolutely necessary for them to do this if they do not wish to be lacking in conscience, if they do not wish to bring untold misery upon themselves and others, or to appear as useless members of society, deserving the contempt, the poverty, the wretchedness to which their laziness has reduced them.
Now the holiest and most honorable profession and vocation is that of the Catholic. Hence it comes about that the Catholic incurs the responsibility before God and man of acquiring an exact knowledge of the duties and obligations that belong to his first and holiest vocation, for on this vocation depends not merely his temporal welfare, but, what is infinitely more important, the eternal salvation of his soul. He must of necessity therefore, constantly strive to learn more and more completely and exactly all the truths of his holy faith and the commandments of God and of the Church, for, "he that is of God, heareth the words of God."
The reason of this will become more clear to us if we consider that it is a child's most sacred duty to pay attention to the words and teachings of its parents—that it is a sacred duty for the pupil, the servant, the citizen, to give a willing ear to the admonition and commands of the teacher, the master, and the authorities. Peace and order, harmony and prosperity depend on this. But the duty of the Catholic to listen to the word of God is far more sacred and important than the duty of the child, the pupil, the servant and the citizen. As far as the heavens are above the earth so does the word of God, faith, surpass all human knowledge and learning. Time and eternity, peace and joy depend upon it. Faith is the wonderful light that enlightens us; it is our guide on earth, our staff in life, our comfort in misfortune, the remedy of our souls, the well-spring of all virtues and the dispenser of eternal happiness.
And yet, my dearly beloved, sacred as is the duty of the Catholic to be thoroughly instructed in his holy faith, that sublime treasure and marvelous gift of grace that has come to us from an all-merciful God, there are nevertheless many Catholics in our day who are willing and anxious to learn and to know everything else but what concerns the truths and mysteries of the Catholic faith. What is the cause of this sad state of affairs? It originates in the deliberate ignorance of indifferentism concerning matters of faith. It is, therefore, my purpose to speak to you of this ignorance and its consequence.
O Jesus, assist us with Thy grace!
We encounter everywhere the most astounding ignorance concerning holy things, matters of faith, the commandments, the sacraments, the practices, and life of the Catholic Church. Whence does this come? It can originate only in the deliberate determination to remain in ignorance of all these things by staying away from instructions and sermons, by contemptuously throwing aside all Catholic literature and periodicals as unworthy of serious attention. And this ignorance concerning matters of faith, the like of which the world has never seen in all the ages past, is dignified with the boastful name of Enlightenment, Liberalism, and Culture. We encounter it rampant in every state of society, in every phase of human life, in the classroom, the courts, the halls of the legislative bodies, the public places and the public press. Our separated brethren themselves are obliged to acknowledge this impoverishment of the mind.
All the world stands aghast at the recrudescence of crime, the flourishing immorality and practical infidelity and the abject materialism among all classes of men in this boasted Christian nation of ours. And if only this were all! But this ignorance is fraught with direst consequences. Only ignorance leads to ridicule of the faith. The devil himself does not mock for he knows better. The world has never heard such cynical scoffing at all things holy and pure, and especially at all things Catholic, as in our day.
It has come to such a pass that the child tries to outdo the parent, the pupil the teacher, the poor the wealthy. Ignorance leads to unbelief and to hatred of the Catholic Church. Only ignorant people are unbelievers and haters. That is why the Jews hated the Redeemer: "He that is of God, heareth the words of God. Therefore you hear them not, because you are not of God" (St. John viii, 47). Why did the ancient pagans hate Christianity? Why do pagans, Turks and Jews hate Christianity even in our day? Because they know nothing about it, because they do not wish to know anything about it, because they are ignorant of its truths. However, the worst of them all in mockery and hatred are the ignorant and bad Catholics. They are ignorant because they are bad, and they are bad because they are ignorant, and therefore they hate their own faith. No Jew, no Turk, no heathen derides his own religion. Only ignorant Catholics are capable of such a thing. They conduct themselves very much like the young man who led a most immoral life and openly boasted of his infidelity as proof of his enlightenment. A kind friend had pity on him and lent him a book in which the beauties of the Catholic faith were portrayed.
The young infidel read the book with a great deal of interest. His doubts were being solved one by one, the scales fell from his eyes, the truth and beauty of the Catholic faith grew more and more evident to his soul,—when, seized by an uncontrollable whim he dashed the book aside and exclaimed : "The wretch, he almost convinces me with his book." And he ended his life in vice and infidelity. All those ignorant people who wish to be considered cultured and broad-minded, act in the same way. They hate and reject every Catholic instruction, every sermon, book and paper, that would help them to acquire a more thorough knowledge of Catholic belief and life. They do not wish to be disturbed; they are not disposed to hear the word of God, because they are not of God, but have long since fallen away from the Catholic Church.
But ignorance leads to something more; it leads to superstition. And we find the most superstition in the ranks of those who claim that they are guided by the light of reason only. We find them attaching undue importance to occurrences in every-day life. We frequently see them in earnest consultation with spiritualistic mediums and assiduous attendants at their seances; they dread to meet funeral processions; Friday and the number thirteen strike them dumb with horror. They are, however, particularly superstitious, or rather, over-credulous in regard to newspapers. These ignoramuses swear by their papers and accept as undeniably true every lie that is forged against the Catholic Church, no matter how stupid or how devoid of every vestige of probability it may
be. They are convinced to the point of evidence that the Church is the cause of all the trouble in France and in Portugal and, in fact, of all the troubles that have ever existed in the Christian world. They are still prepared to swear to the truth of the statement that nuns have been and are still being walled up alive.
Nothing can persuade them that the infallibility of the Pope does not consist in his inability to commit sin. They know—no matter what proof you may offer to the contrary—that the clergy are immensely wealthy. For them it is a fact beyond all possibility of doubt that the Catholic Church of set purpose keeps her ministers and followers ignorant, that she is an enemy of the people, that she has laid her curse upon the world and condemns it to the abyss of hell. They swear by their gospel, the newspaper. What other proof of anything does he need? And yet, did not the rationalistic Pharisees of old say of Our Divine Saviour: "He hath blasphemed God, what further need of proof have we?"
But ignorance in matters of faith goes one step farther, just as the Jews proceeded against Our Divine Saviour. They were ready to stone Him, and finally nailed Him to the cross. In like manner the whole tribe of so-called liberals, and, by the same token, ignorant, bad Catholics as well as non-Catholics, take up the stone of calumny, of false accusation against the Catholic Church, against their own mother, who regenerated them, and who, in order to preserve to' them grace and faith and salvation whole and intact, has suffered and bled from the first days of her existence. They take up the stones of malediction against their own mother, who in the days of their youth instructed them in matters of faith, administered to them the sacraments and who alone will and can stand by them in the hour of death. Aye, even after death when the world and their families have forgotten them, she will not forget her erring children in the holy sacrifice of the mass. But all this does not deter our liberal Catholics, for in their ignorance they no longer remember the best of mothers, or, if they do, it is only to heap insults and obloquy upon her. But if you question these so-called broad-minded Catholics concerning the simplest truths of holy faith, concerning the nature and number of the sacraments, the commandments of God and of the Church, in fine, anything that a Catholic must know if he would save his soul, they are dumb as the culprit before his judge. They have unlearned, forgotten everything, but because of this very fact they like to pose as liberal-minded men and forthwith proceed to scoff and blaspheme.
Holy Scripture tells us that when the Jews took up stones to kill Our Divine Saviour, He quietly went His way. In like manner the Catholic Church, the religious orders and we Catholics quietly proceed on our way and pay no attention to the missiles that are hurled at us from the rationalistic camp. The Catholic Church has looked upon the world for centuries; she has overcome other and greater enemies by her patience, and she has heard the rejoicings of nations who were converted. She will in turn come forth glorious from the storm of rationalistic and modernistic ideas.
Has, perchance, the Catholic faith, so wonderful as the most splendid gift of God's grace, deteriorated in our day? Or has the heavenly seed, which the divine sower planted in our hearts at holy baptism that it might bring forth fruit for heaven, decayed, that so many bad Catholics should scoff and jeer at it? No, the gift of God's grace remains the same in its heavenly power, in the splendor of its truth and in the fullness of its light and comfort. The heavenly seed has not rotted away, for in this our day, it still grows and flourishes and brings forth magnificent fruit of Christian life and eternal happiness. What therefore has deteriorated and rotted? Only the hearts of many Catholics, who have allowed themselves
to be carried away by the whirlwind of intellectual license.
History relates that when Alexander the Great came to the river Cydmus he bathed in its icy waters and in consequence contracted a mortal disease. His physician Philip prepared for him a healing draught. But at the moment when Alexander was about to take the remedy from his physician's hand a message was brought to him that said : "Do not trust your physician Philip, for, bribed by Persian gold, he is giving you poison to drink." Alexander read the letter and with one hand giving it to the physician with the other he seized the cup that held the remedy and unhesitatingly emptied it to the very dregs. Why does history tell us of this incident in the life of Alexander the Great, and express admiration, for it ? Because trusting the assurance of his physician Alexander apparently braved death by taking the draught. Jesus Christ is the physician; we and all mankind are the sick man, and the health-giving draught which Jesus has prepared for us are the heavenly truths, faith, grace, the sacraments, in a word, redemption. And, indeed, what wonderful results has not this life-giving draught produced in suffering humanity? It has made the Apostles, the martyrs, the saints, it has converted nations, dispelled superstition, vice and madness; it has restored health to souls, consolation and strength in life and in death and has peopled the kingdom of heaven.
The assistant of our Divine Physician, the Catholic Church, still offers the self-same healing draught to sick and languishing humanity. Why is it despised and wasted? The godless, the unbelievers, the infidel press cry out even to Catholics: "Do not trust her, it is poison she is giving you!" Instead of trusting the Divine Physician, His Church, and the experience of centuries, many Catholics believe implicitly what the godless tell them, and dash away the divine draught, simply because they wish to be considered broad-minded at any cost. But see how greedily they devour what the yellow press doles out to them. Every item of filth, of scandal, of untruth, of calumny, is eagerly absorbed and believed. They do not even give themselves time to think. There is no doubt in their minds but that all they have read is absolutely true, in fact they have come to such a pass that for them there is no
longer a doubt possible. And thus they lose their faith, grace and eternal salvation and become the enemies of God and of His Church. These are the fruits of stupid liberalism.
In proportion as the remedy of the Divine Physician, faith and grace are dissipated, the elements of Christianity are destroyed in the hearts of individuals and of the family, the more the Christian spirit is banished from the school, the community and the state, the greater will grow the sickness, the lust for pleasure, vice and confusion. There is a cry for light, and impenetrable darkness seizes upon despairing hearts. Everybody clamors for liberty, and the slavery of vice and of wealth grows greater. On all sides we hear of the prosperity and the well-being of the people, and taxes are multiplied and poverty becomes ever greater. The people are daily sinking deeper into despair, misery and crime. The principles of ruin and disintegration are hourly gaining ground. The soil is become a morass, the good seed is rejected, the life-giving draught is being spilled, and instead our people have become rationalistic. The greatest anguish of soul our Divine Saviour had to bear was the foreknowledge of the ingratitude of Christians. And in fact we can imagine no greater madness, no more revolting audacity than to see man, upon whom such love has been lavished, for whom such tortures, such humiliation and ignominy, such sufferings on the cross were borne, grow bitter against his Saviour and revile His Church and His doctrine. Man is not satisfied with rejecting Jesus, His teachings and His commandments, he must also rage against Him and blaspheme Him. The Saviour bore fatigue and the cross for us, but many Christians are too slothful to take a few steps to Church for the love of Jesus and for the sake of their immortal souls.
God gives us life and health and six days in which to do our work, and many of us have become incapable of giving Him a short half-hour on Sundays by assisting at holy mass. God has done everything for our immortal souls, and most men do everything for the body, but nothing for their souls—the cares and riches and pleasures of life destroy every germ of grace. It is indeed true that the judgments of God are terrible, but the majority of Christians do all that lies in their power to justify this severity. Whosoever hath ears to hear, let him hear. And yet, my dearly beloved, nothing more gladdening, more consoling and uplifting has been given us than the knowledge of Jesus, and love for Him. Nothing enlightens us so much as faith, nothing ennobles us like grace, nothing awakens such hope in life and in death as Catholic faith, the source of all blessing and peace. Let us at least not be numbered among those who throw away the draught of life, who trample under foot the divine seed, the word of God, or strangle it in its young growth. Rather let our splendid faith fall on good soil in our souls and bring forth fruit a thousandfold for time and for eternity, so that the Divine Sower in the day of harvest— of judgment—may gather us into His barn and our living faith may bring us unto eternal happiness before the face of God, for "he that is of God, heareth the word of God." Amen.
Source: The Beauty and Truth of the Catholic Church, Imprimatur 1911
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