LUST
                                                            For Older Boys and Girls

This talk is intended mostly for the older children. It is about Lieutenant Lustful. Lust means impurity of any kind. Lieutenant Lustful, you can imagine, is a very important member of Satan's crew. Is it possible to commit a sin by thought alone? The answer is, yes.

The world is full of war today. Does anyone know the name of a battle in which the American soldiers captured a forest? The Argonne forest. . . . Yes. During the battle of the Argonne, countless shells were fired on both sides. More than twenty years later on May 15, 1938, a forest fire swept through the Argonne forest. Several firemen fighting the flames were severely injured, not by fire, mind you, but by shells which exploded from the heat. They had been buried in the forest since the World War. The forest fire had set them off.

So it is with impure thoughts. They are hard to forget. That is the way we are made. It is the result of original sin that impure thoughts stick in our imagination. The thing to do is to guard your imagination as best you can. The imagination is a snake in the garden of the mind.

Some of you have the habit of telling or listening to impure stories. The difference between one who speaks impurely and one who listens is that the devil sits on the tongue of one and in the ear of the other. There is a danger in that. They are very hard to get out of your mind. They will remain buried in your mind like the shells left over from the World War in the Argonne forest. Under the fire of future temptation they will explode. You are playing with gunpowder and that's dangerous.

Our Lord's favorites on earth were those who were pure in mind and in deed. His Mother, St. Joseph, and St. John, were among his favorites. He loved little children because they were so pure. Purity is an angel's life on earth. It is more pleasing than any other virtue. The words of Christ, during the Sermon on the Mount, are
worth remembering always: "Blessed are the clean of
heart for they shall see God."
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                                                   THE CANTANKEROUS KANGAROO
                     "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath."

CHRIS and Jessie were two little kangaroos who were always quarreling. One day Chris Kangaroo said to Jessie Kangaroo, "Let's go out and play." Jessie Kangaroo said, "Alright." As soon as they were outside Chris said, "Let's play tag." But Jessie said, "No. Let's play hide and seek." Then they had a big quarrel and neither of them would give in. Chris went off to play tag, but there was no one to tag him. Jessie went off to play hide and seek but there was no one to hide from. So that was the end of the fun for that day.

The next day Chris said, "Let's go out and leap over the plains." Jessie said, "Natch." But as soon as they were outside Chris said, "Let's go this way." Jessie said, "No. Let's go this way." Then they had a big quarrel. Chris went one way and Jessie went the other way. So that
was the end of the fun for that day.

The next day Chris said, "Let's go out and get some fresh air." Jessie Kangaroo said, "O.K." As soon as they were outside Chris Kangaroo said to Jessie Kangaroo, "Let's go swimming." But Jessie said, "No. Let's go on a picnic." Then they had a big quarrel. So that was almost the end of the fun for that day. It was almost the end of the fun because old Uncle Willie Kangaroo came gallumphing along and saw them both by themselves. He asked Chris what was wrong.  Chris said, "I want to go swimming." Then he gallumphed over and said to Jessie, "Is that you on a picnic all by yourself? You can't have your own way all the time. Why don't you go on a picnic and go swimming as well?" Then he pulled the Epistles of St. James out of his pocket and read to them the text from today's Epistle, "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath." In other words, stop quarreling.

The reason for quarreling among children is selfishness. We want to have our own way all the time. On a baseball team there is only one pitcher. Most boys want to be pitchers. They forget that there is always room on a team for a good third baseman or a good shortstop. Girls always want to play the lead in the school play. They forget that they can make a very bad leading lady, but a very good supporting player. To solve your quarrels, then, do not be selfish. You cannot always have your own way. In the words of St.;James, "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath."
 

Here is a mystery story which carries with it a lesson against greediness. Greediness and covetousness are the same thing. You may remember the name of the gunner of Satan's ship. How many can remember? Gunner Graball. He stands for covetousness. It is one of the seven deadly sins and leads to other sins mostly that of stealing.

A man had just made a journey through a forest. He brought with him a strange story. He said that in a cave in the forest there were three dead men, a bag of gold, some food, and three bottles of wine. He had come into the cave just as the last of the men was dying. The dying man told him what had happened and here is the story:

There were once three robbers who plundered all who passed through the forest. One day they had stolen a bag of gold from a rich merchant and went to their cave to share the spoils. They were hungry. One of them, the youngest was sent to bring food and drink. While he was gone the two others began to plot among themselves. "Why should we share the gold with that young fellow? If he were not in the way that would mean two shares instead of three. As soon as he comes back we will set upon him and kill him. Then our shares will be larger."

The young man bought the food and on the way back, he, too, began to plot. "Why should I share the gold with those two old fellows? If they were not in the way I could have all the gold for myself. I will poison two of these bottles of wine, then all the gold will be mine." He put poison into two of the three bottles he had bought and put a mark on his own bottle so that he would know it. Then he went back to the cave. As soon as he came in the other two set upon him and stabbed him to death. Then they sat down to share the gold and to enjoy the food and wine. First one fell dead. The other lived long enough to tell his story to the man who was passing by.

Covetousness or greed is a dangerous thing. It leads to other sins. In our story it led men to steal and kill. It can lead you to commit sins too if you are not careful. Gunner Graball never knows when to stop. This is how he thinks, "I feel just like having an ice-cream soda. I will say that something which I bought for my mother from the grocers costs ten cents more than it did. Then I'll keep the dime." Greed had led to two sins — a lie and a theft. When asked about the money he will deny that he took it — another lie. How easily greed leads us into sin. Once you begin stealing it is very hard to stop. Beware of the beginnings.

If a person would never steal his first nickle he would never steal his second. See what greed did to the robbers in the story. It made them steal and kill. Here is a very simple rule to conquer greed. If you find that you are greedy; that you want everything you see
even when it belongs to someone else; try this cure. When you covet something very badly, instead of taking it, give something of your own away.

"Be subject to every human creature for God's sake, whether to the king as supreme,        or to governors as sent through Him."

EVERYBODY in town used to look up at the weather vane. They could not help it. It was made in the shape of a fine crowing rooster, and was painted a very handsome red. The church was in the center of the town and the weather vane was on the church steeple. Being so high above everybody else the rooster began to think that he was better than everybody else. He forgot that if somebody put him up there, somebody could take him down again. He crowed to himself, "When I point north the wind blows from the north. When I point south the wind blows from the south. It is the same with east and west. People do not give me enough credit for what I do. I'm overworked. I'm sick of obeying instructions. I'll make them pay attention to me. I'll point south all the time." And he did.

The farmers looked at the weather vane and said, "It is pointing south. That means a south wind and a south wind means rain. We will not be able to gather in our hay tomorrow." When it did not rain they began to wonder. It happened a few more times and then they sent someone up the steeple to take down the disobedient weather cock.
"He's no good if he doesn't point with the wind. If he won't obey we might just as well take him down." Now the fine red rooster lies flat on a junk pile. He is still pointing south, but nobody pays any attention to him.

The lesson, of course, is obedience. Even a weather cock has to obey laws. This morning's Epistle is all about obedience. Everyone has to obey someone. The policeman who enforces the law during the week has to obey red lights and stop signs if he is driving on his day off. Even your parents who make laws for you have to obey laws themselves. Sister who trains you in obedience in the classroom has taken a vow of obedience to her rule and her superiors. Everybody has to obey laws, but most of all, children have to obey.

There are laws which apply to yourself. You have to obey these. Laws about gluttony and laziness. There are laws which apply to God. You must obey these. Laws about saying your prayers and going to Mass. There are laws which apply to your neighbor. You must obey these. Laws against injury, revenge, backbiting, and stealing. To refuse to obey these laws is to make yourselves useless members of society, whether that society be the home, the school, the church, or the town. You make yourself just as useless as the weather vane who refused to point in the right direction. If you don't obey you will end up as he did — on the junk pile, still having your own way but with no one paying any attention to you.

What is the opposite of humility? You can tell when a person is humble. A person just the opposite would be . . . proud . . . vain . . . haughty. . . . Yes, all of those. The first deadly sin is pride. Pride means that we think too highly of ourselves. Helmsman Haughty, you may remember, was on Satan's ship.

Behind our Lord's house at Nazareth there was a garden. In it there was a watering can for flowers. So proud of himself was this watering can that he despised a little earthen vessel that lay by the garden path, not very big and not very beautiful. "Bah," the watering can would say to this little vessel, "of what use are you? I am so fine that I am always used to water the garden." Every morning that watering can used to say this to the vessel. But listen to this poem about what happened one afternoon.

The Master stood in His garden
And marked with observant eye
That His lilies were sadly drooping
For their leaves were parched and dry.

"My lilies need to be watered"
The heavenly Master said,
"Wherein shall I draw it for them,
And revive each drooping head?"

Close to His feet on the pathway,
Empty and frail and small,
An earthen vessel was lying,
Which seemed of no use at all.

But the Master saw it and raised it
From the dust in which it lay,
And smiled as He gently whispered,
"This shall do My work today."

So to the fountain He took it
And filled it to the brim.
How glad was the earthen vessel
To be of some use to Him.

He poured forth the living water
Over the lilies fair,
Until the vessel was empty
And again He filled it there.

And unto itself it whispered
As He laid it down once more:
"Still will I lay in His pathway,
Just where I lay before;

Close would I keep to the Master,
Still empty would I remain,
And perhaps some day He may use me
To water His flowers again."
-"The Watered Lilies," M. S. Burke, C.SS.R.

There you have a lesson. What do you think of it? Christ loves humility. "Whosoever is a little one, let him come to me." Pride comes before a fall. Which would you rather be, the proud watering can or the humble earthen vessel?

Your task for the week . . . on some occasion during the week, be humble. Admit for once that the other fellow is right in an argument or that the other girl isn't really as bad as you think. It was not the proud watering can but the humble earthen vessel which our Lord picked to do his work. Pride comes before a fall — but Christ loves humility.

                                                                  -Heavenwords, Imprimatur 1941 -

                                  THE LAMB OF GOD AND THE GOD OF THE LAMB
"You were as sheep going astray, but now you have turned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls
   
    Little David, so runs the story, was a shepherd boy who lived in Nazareth at the time of Christ. Of all the sheep in his flock David loved one little lamb best. He was wondering what name to give his pet. According to the custom of his day, he had named his sheep after the heroes of his race. One he called Solomon, another Moses, another Elias, and so on. But there were so many sheep that he had run out of names. There was no hero left to name his pet lamb after. He looked through the Scriptures and found a beautiful name. He called his pet lamb, Lamb of God."  What he did not know was that "Lamb God" was one of the names of the Saviour.
    One day his lamb, "Lamb of God," wandered away from him.  With tears in his eyes David went searching for it. He asked everyone he met if they had seen his lost lamb, but no one could help him. He wandered through the village shouting, "Lamb of God, where are you?" He passed a small house where a beautiful Lady sat spinning in the doorway. She heard him shouting and said: "He is inside." David ran inside the house shouting "Lamb of God, I've found you." He stopped short. His lamb was not there but a Man with a kind face and gentle eyes looked up from a carpenter's bench and smiled. David stammered, " I am looking for my lamb that is lost." The Man said, "So am I, but I will find yours for you first." He went out and came back in a few minutes with David's lamb across His shoulders. Then the Man spoke to David and told him that He was the Messias, who had come to save the world. David listened wide eyed to the story and believed it. But he was so tired that his head began to nod and he fell asleep. The Lady, who was Mary, came in and smiled, for they made a beautiful picture. David was asleep in the Carpenter's lap. He had one arm around the neck of the Lamb of God and the other arm around the neck of the God of the lamb.
    Our Lord's favorite name for Himself was "Shepherd." This morning's Gospel is all about the Good Shepherd. The Epistle for this morning was chosen from St. Paul because of the text, "You were as sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls."
    Whenever you have lost anything you can always find it at the feet of Christ. He is the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. You used to say your prayers, but now you have lost the habit of prayer. You will find that habit again if you look for it at the feet of Christ. Your soul was once brilliantly shining with grace. You have lost grace and wander in darkness. You will find light if you search for it at the feet of Christ. You have lost someone dear to you through death. You will find them at the feet of Christ. Whatever you have lost, you will find it at the feet of Christ, because He is the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls.
                                                           - Heirs of the Kingdom, Imprimatur  1949 -