{"1": {"fulltext": "", "height": "4055", "width": "2744", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0001.jp2"}, "2": {"fulltext": "LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.\\nChap._ Copyright No.\\nShelf.__._ _K- 3\\nUNiTED STATES OF AMERICA.", "height": "3944", "width": "2599", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0002.jp2"}, "3": {"fulltext": "MAY 4 1900", "height": "3944", "width": "2599", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0003.jp2"}, "4": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0004.jp2"}, "5": {"fulltext": "SERMONS\\nFOR EVERY SUNDAY\\nIN THE YEAR\\nDEDICATED\\nTO HIS FELLOW-STUDENTS\\nBy the Author,\\nRev. B. J. Ray croft; A. M.\\nNEW YORK CIXCmATI.\\nI^r. FXJSTEX ac Co.\\n1900.\\nu", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0005.jp2"}, "6": {"fulltext": "IRibil \u00c2\u00a9bstat\\nTWO COPlEii jrtiioElVED,\\nLibrary of Coii(M\u00c2\u00ab%\\nOffloe of tbt\\n86C0ND COPY. U\\nREV. JAMES BRENNAN,\\nCensor Beputatis.\\n(X^\\nffrnprimatur\\nT. MULLEN,\\nBishop of Erie.\\nErie, July 15th. 1899.\\n58714\\nCoPYKTfJHT 1900, By rev. B. J. RAYCROFT", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0006.jp2"}, "7": {"fulltext": "I\\nPREFACE.\\nIn the dedication of this volume of Sermons, the\\nAuthor is pleased to be able to offer a small tribute\\nto the memory of other days. It was his good for-\\ntune to have his fellow-students for his friends and\\nas time rolls down the slopes of oblivion, the friendship\\nwhich he entertained for them, grows stronger and\\ndearer. They are now scattered over the vast extent\\nof our beloved country. Some are dead and surely\\ndeath never summoned to the shores of eternity any\\nmortals more generous of heart or more noble of soul.\\nWere they living, they would welcome this feeble effort\\nwith that kind appreciation which they so often and so\\nmagnanimously bestowed upon the Author during his\\nschool days. Others are still engaged in the activities\\nof life, winning the laurels they so well deserve. To\\nthe living and the dead the Author dedicates this his\\nfirst literary effort, as a token of esteem and affection.\\nAs to the merits and faults of these Sermons, the\\nreader is the judge. They were written after they\\nwere delivered, with the intention of retaining the same\\nthoughts and the same language as were employed in\\ndelivery. This is difficult to accomplish, and conse-\\nquently some may be rigid and heavy. There is one\\nfor every Sunday in the year. The text is taken from\\nthe Gospel of the occurring Sunday. Since they were\\nwritten at intervals, there may be a similarity of thought\\nfound in some of them, due to forgetfulness of what had\\nbeen previously used. Moreover, in reviewing thern,\\n3", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0007.jp2"}, "8": {"fulltext": "4 PREFACE.\\nthe Author s time was broken into fragments, so that\\nhe could not preserve in his mind the train of ideas\\npervading them.\\nHe wrote them for pastime and self-improvement.\\nHe does not claim any superiority for them, but hopes\\nthey may suggest deeper veins of finer composition.\\nHis experience is, that even a poor book often awakens\\nmany a sublime idea. If this volume possesses such\\na virtue, he will not regret that he mustered up courage\\nto publish the following pages.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0008.jp2"}, "9": {"fulltext": "FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT.\\nAnd then they shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud\\nwith great power and majesty. (St. Luke xxi. 27.)\\nMy Dear Friends Our holy Mother the Church\\nendeavors to impress upon our souls, on this the first\\nSunday of the ecclesiastical year, that there are other\\naffairs besides temporal concerns, which should be of\\ngreat moment to us. In an admirably instructive man-\\nner, she closes the ecclesiastical year and opens the\\nnew, by solemnly inviting us to consider the last judg-\\nment and teaching all mankind who will listen to her,\\nthat the first and last thought of our daily consider-\\nations should be on the awful subject which she pre-\\nsents on the last Sunday of Pentecost and the first of\\nAdvent, for our contemplation. She expresses the same\\nwish as Almighty God does in the book of Deuteron-\\nomy Oh, that they would be wise, and zuoiild u?iderstand,\\nand would provide for the last end. xxx i i 29.\\nSince you meditated last Sunday on the last or uni-\\nversal judgment, it is not my purpose to-day to dwell\\nupon that awful trial involving so much terror and so\\nmuch joy but to request you to weigh well another\\ntheme of no less- importance to you. This is, indeed,\\nthe more important, for upon it depends the sorrow or\\nthe happiness of the other. Yes, the particular judg-\\n5", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0009.jp2"}, "10": {"fulltext": "6 FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT.\\nment, the one which follows immediately after death,\\ndetermines your position on the last day and on this\\naccount its importance cannot be overestimated, In\\nthe end of man is the disclosing of his works! (Eccli.\\nxi. 29.) What were those works This is the appall-\\ning question which you will put to yourselves when\\ndeath approaches you when you will be balancing on\\nthe brink of eternity. What have I done each one will\\nask himself. What have I done, which I should not\\nhave done What have I not done, which I should\\nhave performed Terrible questions Overawing\\nmoments\\nThe agitated soul trembles while it attempts to turn\\nfrom the past and hide itself from the future. Life is\\nebbing fast every struggle, every mental torture pro-\\nduces more exhaustion. The poor body quivering\\nunder the mighty strain, is reluctant to part from the\\nspirit, shudders at the thought of separation, feels the\\nsoul departing, and recoils in its unconscious efforts to\\ndelay the extinction of life. The terror-stricken spirit\\nhesitates, but must obey the summons which bids him\\nhence. Passing through the portals of poor human\\ndust, he takes one last farewell of that lifeless body\\nwhich was his companion during the few years of\\nearthly life from a temporary existence he enters into\\neternity. On the threshold he pauses to take one last\\nsad glance at the frail, dead body. They are parted.\\nDeath is there and after death, judgment, Jesus, who\\ndied for him, is now his Judge. The soul must answer\\nfor every thought, word, deed, and omission done in\\nthe flesh, in violation of the divine law. The damp,\\ncold moisture of death is still on the brow of the dead\\nfriends still are weeping and praying around the couch\\nof death, while the soul stands before the tribunal of", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0010.jp2"}, "11": {"fulltext": "FIKST SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 7\\nthe Most High. What will be the sentence Will a\\nmerciful Saviour be compelled, by His immutable jus-\\ntice, to declare the troubled soul fit only for the regions\\nof the damned Will He say to the soul I have\\nloved you as a fond father loves his child Here, look\\nat the prints of these nails in the palms of My hands,\\nand say not that I am unmerciful toward you. I have\\ndesired that you would share My glory I created you\\nfor eternal happiness, but you have damned yourself.\\nDepart from me, si?iful, ivretched spirit misery, endless\\nmisery is your doom\\nWhatever may be the sentence, we know not, except\\nthat it will be in conformity with the life acted out on\\nearth. Merits and demerits will be weighed in the\\nscale of eternal justice and as the balance inclines, so\\nwill be the sentence pronounced. Therefore, Take\\nye heed; watcJi and pray for you k?iow not when the time\\nisT (St. Mark xiii. 33.) Happy it will be at that\\nmoment for those who fortified their souls with the\\narmor of good works who guarded with the shield of\\ngrace the entrance to their souls whose ambition was\\nheaven whose ally was God. What joy for such when\\na benign Saviour welcomes them with truest friend-\\nship When with amiable words He addresses them:\\nCome, ye blessed of My Father; possess the Kingdom pre-\\npared for you from the foundation of the world! (Math.\\nXXV. 34.) All the troubles of earth passed and a crown\\nof eternal glory won. Immeasurable joy Everlasting\\nbliss\\nThe happy soul will especially rejoice, because it\\nserved God. Now, in heaven it is conscious it has an\\nunclouded vision of God it understands better His\\ngoodness, and wonders how human creatures could\\noffend so good a Being. Life was only a short appren-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0011.jp2"}, "12": {"fulltext": "8 FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT.\\nticeship. It had its vexations, its heartaches, its eni-\\nmies but now these are all forgotten or, if remem-\\nbered, they are only considered stepping-stones which\\nled to the Kingdom of Heaven. The trials of life have\\nbeen woven into bays for the Christian conqueror and\\ntears shed in the bitterness of life, sparkle now in the\\ncrown of Christian virtues. Where is the Catholic who\\ncannot strive for the same pure happiness He has\\nnot greater obstacles to surmount life is no more\\nbitter for him, than it was for innumerable other souls\\nwho won the laurels of heavenly victory. But the\\nhighest object which any person should have in striv-\\ning for Christian perfection, his highest aspiration,\\nshould be God. All else is, in a measure, selfish. A\\nCatholic ought to rise higher than this he should rise\\nto a devout contemplation of God and every other\\nduty of life should be subservient to this noble ambi-\\ntion. This conduct will assuage many of the ills to\\nwhich humanity is heir will effect a happy judgment\\nand win an eternal reward.\\nNow, everyone of you know that you must die.\\nYou believe that immediately after death, sentence\\nis pronounced. You believe that you will be\\nrewarded or punished according to your works. Does\\nit not, therefore, behoove you as intelligent beings, to act\\nyour part on earth, that you may have no reason to\\nregret when the curtain of life drops and the veil of eter-\\nnity is withdrawn You must live as a devout Catholic,\\nif you desire a happy death. The uncertainty of life\\nshould dissipate all temerity. Do not be so foolish as\\nto say to yourselves, There is time enough. What\\ningratitude to God What folly toward yourselves\\nIs this the manner you would serve God Do\\nyou think that God and heaven are not worthy", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0012.jp2"}, "13": {"fulltext": "FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 9\\nof all your best efforts, and these to be incessant\\nA vile price you would set on your God. Cheap, in-\\ndeed, you would intend to purchase heaven.\\nTime enough! Well, then, there may be sufficient\\nof it in hell for Catholics who talk thus. You would\\ngive to God the remnant of a wasted life, of abused\\nvirtue, of an unchaste body, of a polluted soul but\\nmark you, God may not accept your degraded offering.\\nRemember, too, those things you squander are not\\nyours. You must render an account of them. They\\nwere given you for your benefit you have used them\\nfor your destruction. They were blessings but you\\nhave converted them into curses, which you have\\nheaped upon your own head. Yea, you have not only\\ndone this, but you have debased and corrupted others\\nwho were innocent until you taught them sin.\\nThere is time enough Beware, then, lest a mer-\\nciful God grow impatient, and empty the vials of His\\nwrath upon you. Preposterous to think that such\\nCatholics can be saved. God will not save you with-\\nout your own co-operation but, when you will not only\\nnot co-operate, but will persist in your wicked ways,\\ndestroying yourselves and contaminating others, your\\nend will be miserable and your judgment replete with\\nwoe.\\nHow can a Catholic expect that God will listen to\\nhim in his affliction, when he has so often sneering-\\nly said, Time enough He wishes to give Almighty\\nGod a constitution shattered by sin he craves pardon\\nfor offenses, when he is so much of an imbecile that\\nhe cannot offend any longer. He implores mercy\\nwhen he knows he never showed mercy to anyone.\\nHis sordid soul never aspired to Christian virtue,\\nnever meditated upon his duties toward his God.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0013.jp2"}, "14": {"fulltext": "lO FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENt.\\nHis aspirations were sin and his meditations, the ruin\\nof others. Covetous, selfish, uncharitable, he listened\\nnot to the wail of hunger nor the cry of distress.\\nNow death approaches. Now there is not time enough.\\nOn his death-bed he entreats God s compassion. Yea,\\nhe who knew not pity, now turns to God. Will God\\nreceive this immoral, selfish wretch this person\\nwho boasted, There was time enough May not\\nGod s words written in the Book of Proverbs be veri-\\nfied will laugh in your destruction^ and will mock when\\nthat shall come to you which you feared! I -26.\\nEveryone offends God more or less, but the atone-\\nment should not be delayed until old age. This period\\nof existence will never be seen by many. No one has\\npromised you a long life and even had you such a guar-\\nantee, you ought not to squander time, especially in any\\nsort of dissipation. Time is given for noble purposes.\\nIt should be employed in doing good here, thereby\\nmeriting a blissful reward. If you desire, therefore, to\\ndie in peace with your God, live in peace with Him.\\nIf you wish your transit from this world to another to\\nbe without the horrifying distress of remorse, let your\\nbehavior be according to true Catholic principles.\\nNo doubt, all of you are desirous of a favorable judg-\\nment then prepare prepare that your sentence will\\nbe light and your joy unbounded prepare, for you\\nknow not when the Son of Man cometh.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0014.jp2"}, "15": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT.\\nWhat went ye out into the desert to see A reed shaken\\nwith the wind? (Math. xi. 7.)\\nBy these words, my dear friends, our Divine Lord\\nchides the persistency with which the Jews sought to\\noppose His teachings. They were solicitous to dis-\\ncover opposition against Him from some quarter. If\\nSt. John the Baptist declared against Jesus as the\\nMessiah, it would give them a better opportunity for\\narousing the people against the doctrine taught by our\\nSaviour. But Jesus, knowing their intentions, asked\\nthem: What went ye out into the desert to see A reed\\nshaken with the wind? In other words, He inquired:\\nDid you suppose St. John to be changeable, a waveri?ig\\nperson, unstable, a?id contradictory Did you think him a\\nreed to be be?2t by every wave of popular opinion f You\\nwere mistakeji, for St. John is sincere, firm, and uiibendingin\\nthe truth. He is greater than a prophet; for this is he of\\nwhom it is written behold I send My angel before thy face,\\nwho shall prepare thy way before thee! (Math. xi. 10.)\\nMark here the wisdom of Our Lord in not addressing\\nthese words to the Jews while St. John s disciples were\\npresent, lest the former would take occasion to say\\nthat our Saviour wished to flatter St. John before his\\ndisciples that St. John in turn might say good words\\nu", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0015.jp2"}, "16": {"fulltext": "12 SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT.\\nof Him. He waited until after the disciples departure,\\nto rebuke the Jews and eulogize St. John. That St.\\nJohn was unwavering and steadfast in adhering to the\\nright, is shown by his imprisonment. He dared\\nreprimand Herod, though the rebuke deprived him\\nfirst of liberty and subsequently of life.\\nNow, my Christian friends, may we not with profit\\napply a part of this text to some of ourselves We\\nadmit there are many Catholics like St. John the\\nBaptist, unfaltering in their faith and staunch in the\\npractice of the same. It is with laudable pride we say\\nthat many Catholics are devout in the exercise of their\\nreligion, and hesitate not to profess it when duty de~\\nmands them to do so. They are honorable in their\\ndeeds they are unswayed by caviling opinion in faith,\\nthey are massive oaks, not shaken reeds. In the affairs\\nof life, they avoid giving scandal. They refrain from\\ndishonesty, deception, or intrigue, lest their sins be in-\\nterpreted to the belittlement of their Church. In all\\nmatters in which honor, probity, or integrity is con-\\ncerned, these Catholics are as firm as these rocks upon\\nwhich the surrounding hills are built. They are a\\nbenificent example to other Catholics, while by their\\nsanctity they elicit the admiration of all honest people.\\nBut, alas! and it is with most profound regret we say\\nit, there are many Catholics who resemble the reed.\\nTheir daily actions induce one to believe them insin-\\ncere, and sometimes even dishonest. They are Cath-\\nolics in name but in human dignity, in great-spirited-\\nness, the very pagan would make them blush, if indeed\\nthey have not forgotten how to manifest this effect of a\\nwounded conscience. We shall not now enter into an\\ninvestigation of their conduct social and civil but\\ninvite you to consider the indifference, sometimes the", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0016.jp2"}, "17": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 13\\ndisgusting manner, in which they perform their spiritual\\nduties. You will see a Catholic come into church and\\nattempt a genuflection before the Blessed Sacrament.\\nThe act of respect thus shown is simply a contortion,\\nis an insult to our Divine Lord mystically veiled in the\\nHoly Eucharist. Why have they not the courage of\\ntheir convictions They say they are Catholics per-\\nhaps they would be insulted, were you to call them any-\\nthing else. But why not demean themselves as devout,\\nsincere members of the Church in which they claim\\nmembership There may be several answers given to\\nthis question still there is one which, judging from\\nobservation, would induce you to presume these Cath-\\nolics are ashamed. Ashamed Yes ashamed to adore\\ntheir Lord in a proper, Christian manner. They think,\\nWere they to make a becoming genuflection, that some\\npeople would comment upon it because they were\\nexhibiting too much piety. This is particularly true\\nwhen they invite Protestants to their pews. Such\\nCatholics are reeds which bend to the notions of others,\\nor what they suppose to be their notions. They are\\ncowardly and unreliable. I would not confide to a\\nperson anything of importance, who could be so easily\\nswayed by the captious opinions of others. Being\\nashamed to comply with the teachings of the Church,\\nthey would also be inconstant in social, political, or\\nbusiness life. What do their Protestant friends think\\nof them What can they think of them Why, were\\nthey consistent Protestants, they should say These\\nCatholics are not sincere. They admit their belief in\\nthe Real Presence but did we profess such a doctrine,\\nwe would have the consistency, not by our demeanor\\nto mock, but with true humility to adore. They seem\\nto be thoughtless their genuflections appear to be", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0017.jp2"}, "18": {"fulltext": "14 SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT.\\nmade from unconscious habit their hearts are not in\\ntheir expressions of devotion. What do they mean\\nWe fear they either do not understand their religion,\\nor they are embarrassed by our presence, and are there-\\nfore cowards to duty. In this manner would unbe-\\nlievers in your religion soliloquize about the acts of\\nfaith, hope, and love, manifested by such in their style\\nof genuflection before the Blessed Sacrament.\\nHow often have you seen a Catholic after entering\\nhis pew, make the sign of the cross in a most ridicu-\\nlous form. While he is performing this sublime act\\nwhich recalls to a reflecting Catholic the passion and\\ndeath of Jesus and the redemption of the humpn race,\\nhe stares at the people on every side of him. Ex-\\namine his countenance, and you will draw the conclu-\\nsion that he knows not what he is doing. His is a\\nnoble manifestation of intense devotion, a sublime\\nexpression of gratitude to God, an exalted tribute of\\nthanksgiving to his Creator for all the blessings con-\\nferred He ought to be ashamed of himself because\\nhis actions are indicative of his senseless devotion, as\\nwell as gross stupidity. What opinion can any thought-\\nful Protestant or Catholic form of him And how\\nmortifying it is to note the conduct of this sort, when\\nnon-Catholics are in our churches. What opportun-\\nities are thus given to our Protestant friends to crit-\\nicise, to ridicule, to abuse our religion. Nay, more\\nhow many Protestants they drive away, who would\\nbecome earnest Catholics, were the deep-meaning acts\\nof Catholic devotion done in a thoughtful, devout, and\\nloving manner. A Catholic who so deports himself,\\nwhether a man or a woman, a child or a youth, sets a\\npernicious example to all, and injures himself. He\\nmay think his conduct in church smart but his smart-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0018.jp2"}, "19": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 15\\nness is like his ignorance very dense. It may be\\nthat he is induced to this sort of deportment by a\\nconstant menace of what some carper may say, were he\\nto act in an edifying manner. He is grown pious,\\nsome one may say See how devout he is, another\\nwill remark. A third will add, With what prompt-\\nness he attends Mass, and with what edification he\\nprays. He fears these. They are poisonous barbs of\\ncriticism, piercing his delicate sensibilities. The truth\\nis, in all these various defects he indicates that he is a\\nweak reed. He is not faithful to anything except to\\nhis inconsistencies and to perseverance in wrong-\\ndoing. Can any person of this calibre be trusted\\nin the hour of need or trial Is he a person in whom\\nyou would place unqualified confidence Is he true to\\nhimself or to another in whose service he labors I\\nshall leave himself answer. Now, compare him to a\\ncourageous, uncompromising Catholic. The latter is\\nboth punctual and faithful in the performance of his\\nreligious exercises. Though strangers be present, or\\nthough he be in a strange place, he falters not in his\\ndevotion to his God. It is unnecessary to remark\\nhere that a Catholic should not assume a sanctimonious,\\nlong face, or appear peculiarly odd. A person who\\nwould thus parade his piety, would be going to the\\nother extreme. When we speak of a devout Catholic,\\nwe mean one of well-balanced principle, not a fanatic.\\nThe former is ever unflinching in his duty, whether\\nit pertains to himself, to another, or to God nor does\\nhe incite adverse criticism. On the contrary, he is\\nrespected by all Catholics, Protestants, and infidels.\\nThese know him to be reliable, sincere, and dauntless.\\nHis promise is sacred, his conduct unimpeachable,\\nhis fidelity without blemish, He is no reed blown", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0019.jp2"}, "20": {"fulltext": "16 SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT.\\nhither and thither by every blast of superficial opinion.\\nThere is another point which is worthy of your\\nconsideration. It sometimes happens that Catholics\\nand Protestants or unbelievers room together. The\\nCatholic, when alone, always says his morning and\\nnight prayers but in the company of non-Catholics, he\\nwill not kneel in prayer. He is embarrassed because\\na Protestant or one having no religion at all is present.\\nIs he not a weak-minded Catholic He imagines\\nsuch an act of devotion to his God to be disagreeable\\nto his companion or companions. His conscience tells\\nhim he should say his prayers, yet his timidity prevents\\nhim. His companions do not understand Catholic\\ndoctrine and therefore, will be shocked at seeing him\\non his knees. Here is another example of the reed.\\nA weakling, he is without stability enough to over-\\ncome such cowardice. He is, in fact, a craven a\\nperson without resolution and without honorable pur-\\npose. What will his Protestant comrades say of him\\nThey have seen other Catholics pray alter rising in the\\nmorning, and before retiring to rest in the evening\\nbut this one does not. Why the difference The\\nothers they knew to be always upright, unfaltering,\\nhonorable. Of this one, they cannot say so much.\\nIf he believes in prayer, still does not comply with\\nhis convictions if he is a Catholic, yet ashamed of\\nhis religion, he is a parasite without determination\\nand without dignity.\\nThese cringing Catholics are never admired. They\\nare ever regarded by prudent men, as insincere,\\ncowardly, and unreliable. These Catholics would,\\nwere a favorable opportunity to offer itself, stoop to\\nthe meanest undertakings, in order to achieve their end.\\nDid religion intervene between themselves and office", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0020.jp2"}, "21": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 17\\nor distinction or wealth, they would spurn everything\\nsacred, rather than loose the glittering bauble. Were\\ntheir own advancement thereby enhanced, they would\\nnot hesitate to violate honor, pledge, confidence, and\\neven religion. But their ambition is worthless. It\\nhas not the requisites for success. Such may prosper\\nfor a time but when about to clutch the longed-for\\nprize. Almighty God stretches forth His all-powerful\\nArm, and they recoil, dismayed, defeated, and debased.\\nLet us learn a lesson from the text. Let us, with\\nindefatigable energy and application, strive to be true\\nCatholics. Then it follows, as night the day, that we\\ncannot do wrong to anyone. If we have been\\nderelict in duty if our conduct has been censurable\\nlet us now, during this holy season of advent, cast\\ndown our follies and defects, and put on the spirit of\\nrighteousness, so that we may not be supine reeds, but\\nworthy on Christmas morning, with genuine Christian\\ndevotion, to welcome with joy and thanksgiving the\\nsublime feast of Christ s birth.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0021.jp2"}, "22": {"fulltext": "THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT.\\nam the voice of one crying in the wilderness. (St.\\nJohn i. 23.)\\nOn last Sunday, my dear friends, you heard our\\nDivine Lord s eulogy of St. John the Baptist. To-day\\nyou learn from the same source, St. John s opinion of\\nhimself. In last Sunday s Gospel Jesus said that St.\\nJohn the Baptist was greater than a prophet that he\\nwas an angel For I shall se?id My angel before thy face,\\nwho shall prepare thy way for thee St. John, in the\\nhumility of his heart, tells us he is not worthy to\\nloosen the latchet of his Divine Master s shoe that\\nhe is simply the voice of one crying in the wilderness\\npreparing the people for the sublime doctrine of the\\nSon of God. He baptized unto repentance. He labored\\nto arouse his hearers to a compunction for their sins.\\nIn the earnestness of his appeals, he hopes to bring the\\nJews to a sense of their duties, and to impress upon them\\nthe horror of their transgressions. In their midst stood,\\nhowever. One Who would give to mankind a baptism,\\na sacrament, which would have the mysterious efficacy\\nof purifying from sin. It is for Him St. John is\\npreparing the way. His voice cries aloud m the\\nwilderness for the Jews to listen, be converted, and\\nwelcome the dawn of Christianity.\\n18", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0022.jp2"}, "23": {"fulltext": "THffiD SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 19\\nNow, may we not, with propriety, apply tliis text to\\nevery priest in every church throughout Christendom?\\nOn this third Sunday of Advent the Catholic Church\\neverywhere exhorts her peoples to hearken to her voice.\\nHer clergy, in every land, implore their congregations\\nto prepare for the sublime feast of Christmas, by\\nreceiving worthily the sacraments she entreats them\\nto welcome with pure hearts and innocent pur-\\nposes the anniversary of their Saviour s birth. The\\npriest is the voice of the Church the voice of one\\ncrying in the wilderness. And what a wilderness it is\\nThe wilderness of sm and corruption The vices of men\\nhave shot deep roots into the soul. It is with difficulty\\nthey are uprooted. Sometimes it requires almost a\\nmiracle of God s mercy to withdraw persons from the\\nmire and poison of sin. This is the wilderness choking\\nevery pure emotion of the heart, and obscuring with\\ndarkness the lofty operations of the intellect this is\\nthe wilderness which brings pallor to the cheek,\\ndimness to the eye, filth to the tongue, and feebleness\\nto the soul.\\nWe are, nevertheless, told that a priest must be\\ncautious in speaking of the sins of society that he\\nshould express himself with the nicest discernment in\\nfact, that he must remain silent while his flock is running\\nheadlong to perdition lest perchance he offend the\\ndelicate sensibilities of one whose soul is tarnished\\nby the foul fumes of impurity or drunkenness. Some\\nmay be so imprudent as to say he learned this knowl-\\nedge through a source which forbids him to speak with\\nvehemence and lucidity. Well, my dear friends, it is\\nonly when a priest is outside his own parish, that he\\nlearns the truth of the saying, If you want to hear what\\nis going on at home, go away from home. On trains,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0023.jp2"}, "24": {"fulltext": "20 THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT.\\nand in other towns, a priest finds out more about his\\nown people than he could ever discover at home. He\\nhears with regret of licentiousness in his own parish\\nand is pained to learn of the disgraceful conduct of\\nothers who have left their Father s house. They do not\\nsalute a priest now. They have outlived this custom,\\nthis token of respect. Such would not do now. Their\\nassociations are changed. Comments would be made.\\nThey would rather not be considered Catholics. The\\ntruth is, an honorable Catholic would be ashamed of\\nthem and a priest, knowing the infernal lives they are\\nleading, could not venture to recognize them. They\\nhave assumed more style in dress and gait. They are\\nchanged but, alas what a deplorable change From\\nunder the old roof, they went forth with modesty upon\\ntheir cheek and honor upon their brow. Life was\\nyoung, hope was ardent, and ambition was unsullied.\\nIn the brief period of a year, what a sad transformation\\nof character The heart is no longer pure filial\\naffection is destroyed and could you read the con-\\nscience, you would discover heinous sins branded\\nthereon. They imagine that society is generally\\nignorant of their guilt but ere long the veil will be\\ntorn aside, and they will stand degraded. In their fall,\\neven shame will blush at their crimes, while their family\\nwill be dishonored and disgraced. Should they never\\nbe unveiled, ought they not have some honor, some\\ndecency Natural morality, it seems, would be\\nsufficient to restrain them somewhat from their pre-\\ncipitous indulgence in sin. The pagan would hesitate\\nto tarnish his soul with the excesses of which some\\nCatholics boast. But, no early training, lessons of\\nvirtue, attachment to home and friends, the rebukes\\nof innocence, the appeals of virtue all are inadequate", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0024.jp2"}, "25": {"fulltext": "THIED SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 21\\nto calm the passions or sober the senses Yea and\\nCatholics will allow themselves to be decoyed into\\nthe meshes of impurity by Protestants or by those hav-\\ning no faith at all. They are sought out by those classes,\\nand fall victims to flattery, affable manners, and gentle\\nways Fie upon such Catholics Where is there\\nmanhood or womanhood Do they not understand\\nthat in their absence these ruffians speak of their soft-\\nness, while they extol their own conquests Poor,\\ndeluded Catholics Slaves to your enemies You are\\nCatholics, and this is the virtue of Catholic girls and\\nCatholic young men Oh you can go to confession\\nagain, and have all your sins forgiven. Ah, ah, ah,\\nhow soft Did you hear the sport made of you, human\\nindignation would assert itself, and you would awaken\\nbefore it is too late. Were this double life never\\ndisclosed, there would be, in the end, little consolation\\nin the concealment. There is truth in the words of\\nthe poet\\nI waive the quantum o the sin,\\nThe hazard o concealing\\nBut, och it hardens a within,\\nAnd petrifies the feeling. Burns.\\nThe fine emotions of the heart, the delicate sensibil-\\nities, are banished from their native home, while the\\nfog of dissipation settles upon the intellect, rendering\\nit unfit for the grand achievements for which it was\\ncreated.\\nWhen away from one s parish, he hears of the\\ndisorders going on there. The youth are engaged in\\nquestionable enjoyments some of them sinful. He\\nis grieved at what he learns but must he remain silent\\nwhile the devil is devouring the flock entrusted to his\\ncare Amidst this wilderness, is he not to raise his", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0025.jp2"}, "26": {"fulltext": "22 THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT.\\nvoice and with entreaty and rebuke, exhortation and\\nreprimand, drive back the contagion of sin He is\\nnot Then he had better cast off his sacred robes\\nand cease to be the shepherd of his people. No a\\npriest must be fearless. He must do his duty, though\\nattacked by criticism as unfair as it is injudicious.\\nHis revilers will live to praise him for his unflinching\\nefforts, or lament they did not obey his advice.\\nYoung people should have definite principles of\\nconduct. They ought to train themselves to walk in\\nthe path of virtue never to swerve from it. Honesty,\\nchastity, and sobriety must constitute their motto, if\\nthey will succeed in life. Catholics are respected by\\nmany Protestants but if they abuse the confidence\\nplaced in them, they bring disgrace upon themselves\\nand injury upon others. Their Church is judged, too,\\nfrom their actions yet there is not enough of Christian\\ncharacter in some Catholics to love their Church, or to\\nhonor themselves by a spotless life. A young man or\\na young woman ought to conduct himself or herself,\\nat home and abroad, with a decorum at once simple,\\nhonest, and honorable. When you go away from home,\\nresolve that, though it be twenty years before you\\nagain cross the threshold of your father s house, your\\nreturn will bring no scandal to your friends, nor any\\nembarrassment to your parents declining old age.\\nBe determined keep your resolution then the grace\\nof God will abound in you. Temptations will come,\\nbut virtue will be the result of temptations. Trials\\nwill test you yet out of the struggle you will come\\nforth fortified with new vigor and rewarded with the\\nconsciousness of your success. What is a grander\\nexample of fortitude than to see a 3^oung Catholic\\nbattling with sin, surrounded by the enemies of honor,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0026.jp2"}, "27": {"fulltext": "THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 2B\\nbut still wearing the bays of victory As he or she\\nappears to you, so is the soul. Neither leads a double\\nlife. In every avenue of action you may recognize\\nthem, and not bring disgrace upon yourselves by the\\nrecognition. In every position of trust or distinction,\\nfidelity to upright principle is the guardian angel\\nwho directs their steps and points them to success.\\nLecherous sins do not emaciate their bodies or rob\\ntheir intellects of brilliancy or power.\\nThere are other sins in the wilderness to which we\\nhave metaphorically referred, and against which a\\npastor of souls must time and again raise his voice.\\nOf these, we shall mention no more at this time yet\\nwe earnestly entreat you to prepare for the great feast\\nof Christmas. If some of you, during the year, have\\nentered this wilderness, where nothing abounds but sin,\\nawaken to a knowledge of your weakness and your\\nperil beg God to give you the grace of repentance.\\nWith the tenderness of a most affectionate father. He\\nextends His arms to you He offers you His blessings\\nthe blessings of peace, the blessings of a pure heart,\\nthe blessings of a glorious Christmas Can you refuse\\nCan you deny His appeal as He points to the Crib at\\nBethlehem and directs your eyes to the Cross on\\nCalvary He knows your frailties He understands\\nthe delusive influence of the tempter He is not\\nignorant of your most secret sins still He asks you to\\nreturn, and He will pardon all.\\nNow, my dear friends, let you listen to His benign\\ninvitation let you repent let you confess your sins,\\nthen God will bless you, and Christmas morning will be\\na happy one for you all. Your pious example will be\\nan encouragement to many to return from the wilder-\\nQess of sin into which thev have straved. You will be,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0027.jp2"}, "28": {"fulltext": ".24 THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT.\\nby your Catholic piety, stars directing others to Jesus\\nin the crib, in the tabernacle upon our altar. You will\\nbe messengers of peace to them, wiping away sadness\\nfrom their countenance and remorse from their hearts.\\nAh you will be leading them to the fountain of grace,\\nwhile you will be enriching yourselves with the\\napprobations of heaven. Then your hearts will be\\njoyful, and you will be capable of joining your voices\\nto those of the angels, and with an immaculate soul sing\\nGloria in Excelsis Deo", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0028.jp2"}, "29": {"fulltext": "FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT.\\nEvery valley shall be filled^ and every mountain ai7^ hill\\nshall be brought low aiid the crooked shall be made\\nstraight, and the rough ways plain. (St. Luke iii. 5.)\\nMy Dear Friends As the inspired writer teaches\\nus, the word of God came to St. John the Baptist in\\nthe desert. Almighty God commanded him to preach\\nand baptize. He was to exhort the people to penance,\\nthat they might be worthy of the sublime teachings\\nof Jesus, who was about to employ the last three years\\nof His terrestrial life in promulgating a higher civili-\\nzation, and a more perfect religion than the world had\\nknown. The mission of St. John was to fill up the\\nvalleys caused by sin to bring low the mountains and\\nhills of crime to make the crookedness of the heart\\nstraight, by driving therefrom deceptions and deceits\\nto smooth the path of man s life by destroying the\\nroughness of man s excesses. He was chosen by\\nomnipotence for this purpose. By entreaties and\\nadmonitions, he was to arouse the people from their\\nsinful lethargy and awaken in them a new life a life of\\nlove and union with their Redeemer. A new order of\\nthings is to be instituted, a new Church established; and\\nin order that the dawn of anobler civilization maybe wel-\\ncomed, the people by their penance must render them-\\nselves acceptable. To dispose the people for the\\n25", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0029.jp2"}, "30": {"fulltext": "26 FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT.\\nGospel to be preached by our Saviour, was the\\nmission entrusted to St. John. By doing penance,\\nhe set the example and by the exercise of penance,\\nthe people were to become children of the New Dis-\\npensation.\\nDuring these weeks of Advent, my dear friends,\\nyou have been, in compliance with the will of the\\nChurch, performing works of penance you have\\nbeen preparing yourselves for the great feast of Christ-\\nmas. Many of you have been a source of much edifi-\\ncation. You have mortified yourselves according to\\nthe rules laid down by our holy Mother the Church\\nand to add to this exemplary conduct, you have\\nnourished your souls with the food of life the Sacra-\\nments of Penance and Holy Eucharist. I am pleased\\nto be able to congratulate you, and am proud of the\\nfact that so many have, by their devotion, exhibited\\nsuch grand appreciation for the anniversary of the\\nRedeemer s birth. You have made the crooked ways\\nstraight, and the rough ways plain, for the worthy\\ncelebration of the sacred feast. You have banished\\nsin from your souls, have knelt in thought before the\\nInfant of Bethlehem, and crowned the year s labor by\\nreceiving Him into your hearts.\\nBut, oh, how many Catholics there are whose only\\nambition is to be drunk on Christmas The over-\\nmastering thought of their souls is to have a good time,\\nas they term it a good time which only brings des-\\nolation to their homes, reproach upon their Church,\\ncurses upon themselves. A good time Is drunken-\\nness and contentions and murder, what you call a good\\ntime To see your children sorrowful and your wife in\\ntears to see your sister ashamed of you and your\\nmother s heart breaking on account of your behavior", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0030.jp2"}, "31": {"fulltext": "FOUETH SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 27\\nto see these terrible things on the magnificent feast of\\nthe New-born King, do you call good Instead of\\npreparing for Christmas in a truly Christian manner;\\ninstead of planning to bring joy to their homes, such\\nCatholics are meditating how they can, by their\\ndisorders, cause sorrow and gloom to settle upon their\\nfamilies on this glorious day of peace to men of good\\nwill. Will these attend Mass on that day? will they go\\nto church, and with innocence of heart adore the Infant\\nborn for their salvation? No their minds are bent upon\\na different celebration a celebration fraught with degra-\\ndation to themselves and miseries for others. To the\\nmountains of sin and crime already recorded in their\\nsouls, they long to heap others. Upon the rugged ways\\nof their life they desire to strew thorns by neglecting\\nthemselves and their families. In what marked contrast\\nis their behavior with that of those whose preparation is\\nedifying and commendable. With pure intentions, with\\nunsullied conscience, the latter hear the pealing of the\\nChristmas bells calling worshippers to the adorable\\nsacrifice of the Mass, while the former are reveling in\\ndebauchery.\\nIt is, indeed, laudable for Catholics to receive the\\nsacraments at this time of the year. In this manner\\nthey are making earnest efforts to sanctify themselves,\\nin order that they may be suitable to join their voices\\nwith those of the angels, and praise the Son of God for\\nall His favors. At this time, moreover, the old year is\\nrapidly expiring. Since its birth, numerous are the\\nsins committed by every Catholic against his God. In\\nthe soul, mountains and hills of sin have arisen. Valleys\\nhave been cut therein by the departure of God s grace,\\nleaving chasms where once God s grace abounded.\\nDeceptions have made the ways of the heart crooked.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0031.jp2"}, "32": {"fulltext": "28 FOUETH SUNDAY IN ADVENT.\\nOthers have been injured by us but the injuries thus\\nperpetrated have made our paths rough and thorny.\\nNow is a commendable opportunity to return once\\nmore to the Saviour of humanity. The Babe of the City\\nof David has given ample means to us for the accom-\\nplishment of all that St. John the Baptist so ardently\\ndesired to effect. Our Lord in His love for fallen man\\ninstituted the sacraments. Among them is one for the\\nremission of actual sin in another, He gave Himself\\nto us to be our strength and consolation. In the Sac-\\nrament of Penance is achieved effecually what St.\\nJohn labored to execute. Here, truly, every valley is\\nfilled, every mountain brought low, the crooked made\\nstraight, and the rough ways plain. Here sin is\\nbanished from the soul. The mountains of vice and\\ncorruption, the mighty barriers to God s grace, are\\ndemolished. The valleys of the heart are filled with the\\nbenedictions of heaven. The crooked made straight\\nby our sorrow and restitution. The rough ways, the\\nways which we have trod, which we made rough, on\\nwhich we were tortured on account of our own follies,\\nthese all are now plain. The absolution of the priest\\nfalling upon a contrite penitent, has expelled the\\nenormities of the soul God s peace reigns therein.\\nMountains and hills and valleys have disappeared. A\\ndisturbed heart finds rest and solace in the mercies\\nof its God. A sinner rejoices in the goodness of\\nheaven. An enemy of God is now overjo3^ed in the\\ncontemplation of the feast to be celebrated in a few\\ndays. In the depths of a grateful heart he longs to\\ncommemorate the birth of Him Who loves mankind\\nwith an imperishable steadfastness. Christmas brings\\nhim joy, to which he was long a stranger, and the Child\\nJesus was not born in vain.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0032.jp2"}, "33": {"fulltext": "FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 29\\nBut, ah ponder well in your hearts the astonishing\\nfavor bestowed upon those who, at this solemn season\\nof the year, receive in Holy Communion that same\\nInfant who was born in Bethlehem. In commemoration\\nof the birth, a Catholic has the inexpressible delight of\\nbeing the recipient of the Saviour of the world. Oh,\\nwhat an inestimable favor Oh, what an extraordinary\\nmystery How inexplicably kind the ways of God\\nSt. Joseph was blessed in being His foster-father\\nthe shepherds and wise men were honored by the\\naudience they obtained but Catholics may welcome\\nHim into their hearts.\\nWill you who have not yet perfected your souls for\\nthe approaching feast, allow this holy season to pass\\nwithout availing yourselves of this wonderful oppor-\\ntunity offered to you Can you suffer Christmas to\\ncome and go without you receiving the Sacraments\\nDo you intend to mar the feast by your unrestrained\\nindugences If you do, you are not consistent\\nCatholics. You disrespect the favors offered you\\nby Almighty God. You will heap dishonor upon\\nyourselves, and wrong your families you will re-\\nject the blessing of the Babe in the manger, and fling\\ninsults at Him and at heaven. The feast proclaims the\\nredemption of mankind the Church unites with the\\nangels in singing Glory to God in the highest^ peace to\\nmen of good will! Shall we refuse to join our voices to\\nthe acclamations of praise and thanksgiving expressed\\nby every good Catholic Shall we be so ungrateful as\\nto forget the sacrifices made for us to ignore all the\\nsacred remembrances collected around the Crib of\\nBethlehem Nay, we shall not be such base ingrates\\nbut shall foster a veneration for the day, which will\\nbe meritorious for ourselves, gratifying to our holy", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0033.jp2"}, "34": {"fulltext": "30 FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT.\\nChurch, edifying to others, and pleasing to our Divine\\nSaviour.\\nIn order to accomplish these truly Christian works,\\nprepare yourselves by the worthy reception of the sac-\\nraments. In the practise of this devotion, others will\\nimitate you. They shall be induced to follow your\\nCatholic example. You shall be as angels, conducting\\nthem to the New-born King. In the tranquillity of a\\nstainless soul, they shall kneel, and together with you,\\nworship the Child Jesus. Do not hesitate, nor post-\\npone the realization of so great blessings. Christmas\\nis a time of holiest inspiration. The day suggests so\\nmany fond recollections Our Lord invites us to partake\\nof its true joys. Let us make the feast one of happi-\\nness for ourselves, and peace and good will to others.\\nBy celebrating the day in a Catholic manner, then\\nyou will not bring ruin and sorrow upon yourselves.\\nChristmas will then, indeed, be merry, and in the merri-\\nment there will be no bitter alloy. The day after will\\nnot be one of remorse, or regretful recollections. On\\nthe contrary, you will thank God for the abundance of\\nHis graces which assisted you to pass the feast in the\\nenjoyment of innocent amusements and the perform-\\nance of ennobling virtue.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0034.jp2"}, "35": {"fulltext": "SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS.\\nBehold this Child is set fo?- the ruin of many. (St. Luke\\nii.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 34.)\\nMy Dear Friends This awful truth at first, pros-\\ntrates the powers of the soul and fills it with bewilder-\\nment. Astonishing, is it not. that Jesus who died for\\nthe human race, should be the ruin of many His\\nmission was, you think, to elevate, to civilize man, to\\npoint him to higher ideals but we learn from the Gos-\\npel of to-day, that He is set for the destruction of many.\\nHoly Simeon said to Mary, His Mother: Behold this\\nChild is set for the ruiji aiid resurrection of many in Israel^\\nand for a sign which shall be co?itradicted. In one\\nprophetic vision this holy man saw the future. He\\ndiscerned how many would abuse the love which Jesus\\nentertained for them and of which he gave proofs\\nupon the cross. He distinguished the countless\\nmyriads who would revile that divine Person who\\nwould blaspheme His holy name who would deny Him,\\nand even persecute those who followed His sacred\\nstandard. Overpowered at the sight of so much wick-\\nedness and so great ingratitude, this venerable man\\nexclaimed Behold this Child is set for the ruin of\\nmany. Ruin, indeed but ruin effected by their own\\nlawlessness, by their own tyranny, by their own corrup-\\n31", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0035.jp2"}, "36": {"fulltext": "32 SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS.\\ntion Ruin Complete ruin consummated in opposi-\\ntion to God s will and caused by their own unyielding\\nperversity. It is not our Divine Lord s will that any sin-\\nner should perish but that he may be converted and\\nlive. If we destroy our own happiness here, if we ren-\\nder ourselves reprobates hereafter, if we exclude God s\\ngraces from our souls, the disastrous consequences\\nare our own making, and cannot be attributed to our\\ndivine Redeemer. If damned at all, it will be in spite of\\nGod s mercies, and in accordance with our persistent\\nwickedness.\\nThe pages of history stamp the seal of verification\\nupon the prediction of Blessed Simeon. Scarcely had\\nthe happy angelical voices ceased their notes of praise\\nhardly had the wise men finished their acts of adoration,\\nthan Herod provoked the maledictions of heaven upon\\nhis head by his infamous edict of destruction. Wish-\\ning, as you know, to murder the Infant Jesus, he com-\\nmanded that all the male children of two years and\\nunder, should be slaughtered. Horrible crime\\nWretched king to pollute your soul and brand your\\nown memory by such a ferocious act of cruelty\\nYour base infamy will not be forgotten. You will ever\\nbe associated with those perfidious demons of history,\\nwho have been a curse to civilization, and an evidence\\nthat Jesus is set for the ruin of many.\\nRecall the appalling calamity which befell the Jews.\\nTheir enmity for the Messiah did not cease with Herod.\\nIt continued with unabating rancor, until they saw\\nHim dead upon the cross and then they directed\\ntheir animosity against His followers. They cried\\nLet His blood be upon ourselves a7id upon our child? en!\\nO obstinate unbelievers! O savage criminals You\\nwere taken at your word, and the hand of an avenging", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0036.jp2"}, "37": {"fulltext": "SUNDAY AFTEE CHRISTMAS. 33\\nGod has fallen heavy upon you. Your gorgeous city,\\nthe great centre of your unity and the glory of your\\npeople for generations, is fallen a prey to the invader.\\nEncompassed on all sides by a pagan foe, your walls\\nare battered down and your munificence becomes\\nplunder for your enemies. Your inmates, the once\\nchosen people of God, are not only besieged from\\nwithout, but are ravaged by pestilence, famine, and\\nintestine war. Overa million people perished during that\\nmemorable siege. The temple, celebrated by its mag-\\nnificence, sanctified by the prayers of innumerable\\npious souls, dedicated to God and honored for its\\ngreat sacredness, was devoured by flames. The\\nRoman generals could not save it. It was doomed.\\nIn after years, when the Jews attemped to rebuild it,\\nfire came forth from the bowels of the earth and the\\nvery foundation was hurled from its bed, thus verify-\\ning the prophecy of our Divine Lord, that a stone would\\nnot be left upon a stone. The Jews became fugitives,\\nand even to this day, have not a city they can call\\ntheir own,-\u00e2\u0080\u0094 a visible proof of their punishment, their\\nobduracy, and their awful crime of deicide Beliold\\nthis Child is set for the ruin of many.\\nThe downfall of Jerusalem was not more wonder-\\nful than that of Rome. The latter was styled the mis-\\ntress of the world. Her sway was boundless, and her\\ngreatness unlimited. Following a code of laws based\\nlargely upon human wisdom, she ascended to vast\\npower, and ruled sometimes with justice at other\\ntimes with the sword. In the early days of the Christian\\nChurch, she was an insatiable enemy of the doctrine of\\nChrist. We may not blame her so much for resisting\\nforeign innovations against the worship she rendered to\\nher gods this was natural enougli but her abominable", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0037.jp2"}, "38": {"fulltext": "34 SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS.\\nbrutality was without parallel or precedent. For three\\nhundred years she persecuted the Christians with unre-\\nlenting barbarity. The ruins of Rome still tell of their\\ncruel sufferings and tragic deaths. The very mention\\nof some of her kings at this late day, provokes detesta-\\ntion for their memory, and awakens compassion for\\nthe early Christian martyrs. Finally, the patience of\\nthe Most High was exhausted. These pagans would\\nnot listen to the apostolic men sent for their conversion.\\nInstead of listening to the saving truths of the Gospel,\\nthey put the ministers of the true God to death. The\\nmeasure of their iniquities was overflowing. The\\nindomitable right hand of the Almighty One was\\nstretched out against them, and they withered before\\nHis irresistible power. The old Roman empire, majes-\\ntic in her greatness, and unconquered by any foreign\\nenemy, ultimately fell a victim to her own dissentions,\\nto her own avarice and gluttony. The proud mistress\\nof the world sank into decay, the result of tyranny,\\nconspiracy, and lust. The cross rose from the ruins of\\nthe fallen empire. Christianity survived the cruelty of\\nthe pagans. The Pope s tiara took the place of Caesar s\\ndiadem. How often history repeats the admonition\\nthat it is unwise and destructive to depart from God, or\\nto defy His august power How often has modern\\nhistory reiterated the prophesy of holy Simeon\\nBehold tills Child Is set for the ruin of many.\\nThis marvellous prediction finds its verification as\\nwell among those nations which knew Jesus but aban-\\ndoned Him, as those which refused to accept His\\ndoctrine. For evidence, you need only consider Asia\\nand lower Egypt places at once famous for the\\nbrilliancy of their learning, for the firmness of their\\nChristian faith, and the number of their virtues, Asia,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0038.jp2"}, "39": {"fulltext": "SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS. 35\\nmade illustrious by the eloquence and erudition of Basil,\\nChrysostom, and Gregory lower Egypt renowned\\nfor her Athanasius, Cyril, and TertuUian, not to men-\\ntion St. Augustine, the celebrated scholar of Hippo\\nConstantinople, once the rival of Rome and Athens,\\nlost her literary pre-eminence, and became the capital\\nof the Turkish empire. The famous seats of learning,\\nthe glory of Christian prestige; the halo of sanctity,\\ntheir saints, their learning, and their civilization,\\ndeparted with the faith of Christ. The one was either\\ncrushed or banished and the other could not flourish\\nwithout its supernatural sustenance, the Church of\\nJesus Christ. Deplorable, indeed, that society fails\\nto see, at times, the destiny of the Catholic Church,\\nand the guiding power of the Babe of Bethlehem.\\nWhile obedient to that Church, while adoring that\\nDivine Babe, nations prosper and the principles of\\ncivilization are diffused. Reject the authority of that\\nChurch, and Jesus, instead of being the actuating\\nmotive of your lives, becomes the principle of your\\nruin. In rejecting His Church, you expel Him from\\nyour hearts. He is set for the ruin of many, but the\\nfault is with ourselves.\\nThe religious revolutions headed by Martin Luther,\\nproduced disunion in religion, and gave birth to\\nsystems of philosophy which aimed, and still aim, at\\nbanishing God from the human heart. Men spurred\\non by the heat of discussion and the fervor of revenge,\\nforgot God. They did, in the name of religion, the\\nvery things which religion forbids. Fanatical spirits\\nreigned for a time, and wherever their sceptre swayed,\\nthere was blight and ruin. After a period of religious\\npersecutions, animosity partially subsided, only to give\\nskeptical philosophy an opportunity to shake its defi-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0039.jp2"}, "40": {"fulltext": "36 SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS.\\nant head. The Reformation, so called by its adv(y*iates,\\nwas based on private judgment and private judgment\\nbred disorders. These disorders undermined religion\\nand fomented rebellion against legitimate authority.\\nThe torch of faith was extinguished for many specu-\\nlators of thought and speculation split Protestantism\\ninto countless divisions, while it accelerated infidelity,\\natheism, and immorality. All these culminated in\\nthe French Revolution, which was properly entitled\\nthe Reign of Terror. France was deluged with the\\nblood of her best citizens. The religious were\\nmurdered and the altars of God desecrated. Man in\\nhis madness deified reason. A harlot was declared to\\nbe the goddess of reason and men supposed to be\\nrational, bent the knee before her, in adoration. Justice\\nwas dethroned in the temple of law religion was exiled\\nfrom her sacred asylums, while men Grazed by frenzy,\\nruled the nation. The history of that frightful period\\ndemonstrates to what excesses men will go, when not\\nrestrained by the ameliorating influence of the Old\\nChurch. God abandoned them to their wickedness\\nand the anarchy which followed, finds no comparison\\nin the records of human existence. Behold thu\\nChild is set for the ruin of many a?td for a sign which\\nshall be contradicted^ But woe to those who contradict\\nWoe to those who force the Redeemer of mankind to\\nconfound their understanding and baffle their plots\\nRuin will overwhelm them disgrace and humiliation\\nwill follow the progress of ruin.\\nEven during the last half of the present century,\\nmen have plotted against God and His Church. The\\nno-popery cry has been heard throughout England and\\nin our own beloved country, convents and churches\\nw^ere demolished by fanatics who were justly styled", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0040.jp2"}, "41": {"fulltext": "SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS. 3?\\nNo-Nothings. They heralded far and wide, what they\\ntermed the last sigh of the dying papacy but these\\nzealots read not history or, if they did, they failed to\\ncomprehend the lesson taught by the records of time.\\nThe Old Church had weathered man} a storm and\\nthose of the nineteenth century, like others of former\\nages, only gave her new vitality, and presented another\\nphenomenon for her enemies to meditate upon.\\nIn our own time it is lamentable to consider how\\nmany have little faith, or no faith at all. It is estimated\\nthat not more than one-third of the population of this\\ngreat nation are church-goers. From this number,\\nsubtract the members of the Catholic Church, and\\nwhat have you left Of Prussia, it is said that scarcely\\nany young man goes to church and that very little\\nfaith survives the shocks of the last three centuries. In\\nEngland, a vast number care not whether there is a\\nGod, or not. In every part of Europe Agnosticism,\\nInfidelity, and Atheism are dissipating what little faith\\nthere was in Protestantism, while the higher biblical\\ncriticism has successfully attacked the strongholds\\nthereof. Everywhere are found large desertions from\\nthe army of Christian believers and this desertion\\nbreeds sensuality, divorce, suicide, and countless other\\nevils, which are destroying society, corrupting youth,\\nand filling jails. Truly, this Child is set for the ruin\\nof many. Ruin, inevitable ruin! when they hearken\\nnot to His voice and the teachings of His infallible\\nChurch. Ruin, consummate ruin when they blas-\\npheme His Holy Name and go after the gods of this\\nearth. Alas that man is so forgetful of his eternal\\ngood, and of the Saviour who died for him upon the\\nCross The Divine Child wishes not the destruction\\nof any person but man s sinfulness brings ruin upon\\nhimself, though the Redeemer sorrows at the loss.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0041.jp2"}, "42": {"fulltext": "FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nBehold^ thy father and I have sought thee^ sorrowing.\\n(St. Luke ii.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 48.)\\nMy Dear Friends This part of the chapter of St.\\nLuke should be interesting and instructive to all\\nparents. It should teach them to have a watchful care\\nover their children. It would appear to us, as if Jesus\\nleft his parents that they may seek Him and that He\\nmay thereby point out to parents their obligation in\\nrespect to their children. Mary, His mother, and His\\nfoster-father, St. Joseph, knew Jesus was not in bad\\ncompany still they were alarmed lest He had wandered\\nfar from them, and that He may suffer from exposure\\nand hunger. They sought and found Him. Mark His\\nMother s words Behold, thy father a?id I have sought\\nthee, sorrowing. Oh, would that more parents would\\nseek their children, sorrowing that they would have\\nmore love for their children that they would learn\\nfrom the example of Joseph and Mary\\nIt is to parents own interest to train their children\\nproperly and shield them from danger. It is difficult,\\nwe admit, to do much with some children but water\\nconstantly falling wears away the hardest rock. Parents\\ncan accomplish a great deal for their children, if they\\nimitate the action of the falling water. Everything\\n38", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0042.jp2"}, "43": {"fulltext": "FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 39\\ncannot be done at once in the training of children.\\nMoreover, before parents blame their children too much,\\nthey should reflect a little. Are not the very parents\\nthemselves accountable for the proclivities of their\\nchildren How many a poor child inherits these very\\npropensities for which he is punished and for\\nwhich the parents themselves should be chastised.\\nParents, think of this before you are too severe with\\nyour children. Your blood, and the blood of your\\nfamilies for generations, flows through the veins of your\\nchildren. Might not this blood have been contamin-\\nated before your child s existence Were not excesses\\ncommitted for which your child now suffers, and on\\naccount of which you now flog him? Be reasonable\\nand merciful toward your child. You ought to pity\\nmore than punish him. He has to battle with the evils\\nof life and the ills with which his parents have cursed\\nhim. Oh, happy child, whose ancestry was virtuous\\nYou are blessed by good parents, by inheriting good\\nmoral traits and innocent aspirations\\nAnother ver}^ important factor in the training of\\nchildren, is good example. Environments unquestion-\\nably have influence upon everyone. Poets and other\\ndistinguished persons have been moulded by their\\nsurroundings they breath forth in poetry and prose\\nthe influence of childhood. Literature is diamonded by\\nthe brilliant thoughts taken from the mines of child-\\nhood s recollections. Men become distinguished for\\n^ood, or evil, chiefly as the environments of childhood\\nwere beautiful or disfigured. A child reared amidst\\nswearing and drunkenness, cannot be as grand an object\\nof future virtue as the child who has been nourished by\\nthe beauties of the heavens, the inspiration of the\\nfields, the guidance of good parents, and the graces of", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0043.jp2"}, "44": {"fulltext": "40 FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nthe Redeemer. These surroundings assist in directing\\nor retarding the child s powers. They often make the\\ndullard or the scholar, the saint or the sinner. Home\\nis one of the places, and the chief place, for moulding\\nthe child s character. Make him a good child, and he\\nwill be a good man. True, indeed, the child is father\\nof the man. Let his first words be of Jesus, Mary, and\\nJoseph. Dedicate the child to these, and they will care\\nfor him. He will never be lost to Jesus while under the\\nprotection of Joseph and Mary. Should he be led\\nastray by false allurements, they will follow him,\\nsorrowing will find him, and he will never perish.\\nTeach your children to esteem the good and despise\\nthe bad. Teach them to aspire to honest pursuits and\\nto avoid sordid gain. Teach them to respect the\\nrights of others and defend their own rights. Never\\nlet them forget that there is a God. Teach them these\\nthings by your own example. The sculptor must have\\nthe ideal in his soul, which his genius is to breath into\\nthe marble. A parent must be a devout Catholic, if he\\nwould have his child devout. The parent must be\\nhonorable, that the child may be honorable. The\\nexample is the parents themselves, and the product of\\nthis example is the child. The just that walketh in\\nhis simplicity, shall leave behind him blessed children\\n(Prov. XX. 7.)\\nIt cannot be denied but that good example pro-\\nduces good effects and it is just as evident, that bad\\nexample corrupts everyone continuing within the\\nsphere of its contagion. Many and many a parent is\\nthe cause of his child s destruction. Bad example^\\ncontinuous bad example, with no good between, will\\ncontaminate any child. What sort of parents are those\\nwho have no interest in their children who will", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0044.jp2"}, "45": {"fulltext": "FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 41\\nlead unchristian lives themselves, though they know\\nsuch behavior will impoverish the souls of their little\\nones, and render them a prey to every destroying\\nallurement The mother is scolding with her neighbors,\\nand the father is overcoming a spree. Alas! that these\\nparents do not awaken from their stupor. They are\\ndamning their own souls, while they are training their\\nchildren to be rowdies and outlaws. A drunken father\\nin the corner, and a dirty mother in a filthy neighbor s\\nhouse, do not afford much moral or religious capital\\nfor their children. These parents seldom go to church,\\nnor do they send their children. These never say their\\nprayers, because those never set the example. Poor\\nchildren you are to be pitied. If you ever grow to be\\nworthy citizens and devout Catholics, you need not\\nthank your father or mother.\\nMy dear friends, do not allow your children too much\\nfreedom. Treat them kindly, still keep them always\\nunder judicious restraint. Let them not ramble late at\\nnight. Give thy so?i his zvay, says the inspired writer,\\nand he shall make thee afraid^ (Eccli. xxx. 9.)\\nEntertain them the best you can at home; create in\\ntheir young hearts a love for home. Let the father\\nencourage them by remaining at home himself in the\\nevenings. Protect them from bad associates. Though\\nyou are good, bad company will destroy your children.\\nCall their attention, at intevals, to the ruin of some whom\\nthey know to have been wicked. This will produce in\\nthem a hatred for evil. If you must punish, be mod-\\nerate and love your children as much after as before\\nthe punishment. Train your children to be indus-\\ntrious. Industry is an anchor which, if prudently\\nmoored, will be a great safeguard to them. An indus-\\ntrious child is quite well protected. His diligence will", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0045.jp2"}, "46": {"fulltext": "42 FIEST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nkeep him from bad company, and engage him in\\nworthy occupations. Of all education, industry is the\\nbest. When Joseph and Mary found Jesus in the\\ntemple. He was engaged in teaching the Jews. Though\\nJesus is the Son of God, He was, when on earth, not\\nidle, but industrious. Discipline your children to\\nimitate His ennobling example.\\nBesides the points to which your attention has been\\ndrawn, permit me to add a few more words. Allow\\nme to exhort you to instruct your children. Instruct\\nthem in the ways of God when they are young, and\\nwhen they are old they will not depart therefrom.\\nTeach them as soon as they can lisp, to pray. By\\nthus elevating their minds, you are infusing spiritual\\nnourishment into their young souls, and directing\\ntheir thoughts to the highest attainments. You are\\ndeveloping and polishing the intellects of your little\\nones you are bringing them nearer to their Eternal\\nFather. When they are old enough, bring them to\\nchurch, and send them to your school, that they may\\ngrow in wisdom as the Child Jesus grew. You will be\\nrewarded for your labors. They will grow up with the\\nlove and fear of God in their hearts. In your old age,\\nthey will be your solace. You will rejoice in their\\nrighteousness, and be assisted by their generosity. With\\njoy you will speak of their success, and by their efforts\\nyou will be made happy. They will not be roving the\\nstreets at late hours, but will be at home in peace.\\nThey will not be found in prison, but in church.\\nThey will be an honor to our declining years they\\nwill be a fortress of strength to their country, the\\nglory of the Church and the children of God.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0046.jp2"}, "47": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nAnd Jesus was also invited^ and His disciples^ to the mar-\\nriage. (St. John ii. 2.)\\nMy Dear Friends From the inspired records we learn\\nof this notable wedding, and of the distinguished guests\\nwho were present. No doubt, preparations for the fes-\\ntivities were not neglected. The friends and acquaint-\\nances of the contracting parties, were invited. The\\nGospel read for you, tells us of the presence of the\\nBlessed Virgin, Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was there.\\nAn invitation was also extended to her Divine Son and\\nHis disciples. They complied with the request, thus\\naugmenting the solemnities of the occasion. If you\\njudge from the dignity of the guests, never was there so\\nmagnificent a nuptials. The Mother of Jesus was\\nthere she who is venerated by the faithful of every\\nage and Christian nation, who is the most august creat-\\nure whom God has created. She was there to add joy\\nto the festive gathering. The disciples who are\\ncrowned by the diadem of faith and the glory of saints,\\nwere also present. How happy, indeed, must that\\nmarriage be at which Jesus attends How innocent\\nthe contracting parties No scandal there no crime,\\nno lawlessness It is a heavenly feast, and the vows\\nexchanged are ratified by the divine benediction.\\n43", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0047.jp2"}, "48": {"fulltext": "44 SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nTruly the words of St. Paul find the guaranty of their\\ntruth in this honorable wedding of Cana This is a\\ngreat sacrament but I speak in Christ and iri the Church\\n(Epes. V. 32.)\\nThere are many weddings, I am sorry to say yea,\\nmany Catholic weddings at which Jesus is not in\\nattendance. Particularly is this true of those persons\\nwho call themselves Catholics, but who disrespect\\nand violate the laws of the Church, when they rush\\ninto the state of matrimony, unprepared by grace and\\nunblessed by the prayers of the Church. Rashly\\nthey pledge their vows nor do they care whether\\nJesus is present or not. Instead of invoking the\\nbenedictions of heaven, they bring upon their young\\nheads the curses of an ill-devised plot. They will live\\nto regret their rashness. Tears will tell of the remorse\\nto which folly gave birth. Would it not be better to\\ninvite Jesus to the marriage-feast by shaping their\\nconduct according to His well-defined law by the\\nworthy reception of the sacraments? If you prepare in\\nthis manner. He will not only heed your invitation,\\nbut He will bless your nuptials by His presence. For\\nthis you will be happier on the day of your marriage,\\nand on every day thereafter. It is true, trouble and\\nvexations many come, as they always do still remorse\\narising from your own rashness, disgrace at your\\nunholy marriage, will not commingle their bitterness\\nwith the gall of other misfortunes.\\nYoung people should pray often to God, that should\\nthey ever enter into the state of matrimony, they may\\nbe blessed with good partners, sanctified by the graces\\nof God and the prayers of the Church. Matrimony is\\nan important epoch in the lives of people. When\\nonce taken, it is taken forever, or during the life-time", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0048.jp2"}, "49": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 45\\nof one or other of the contracting parties. On account\\nof its gravity and its consequences and its duration, it\\ndemands judicious thought. Young people should,\\ntherefore, make nearly as much preparation for the pious\\nreception of the Sacrament of Matrimony, as candidates\\nfor the priesthood do for the sacred reception of the\\nSacrament of Holy Orders. Both are of long duration\\nboth bring sorrows or joys both are beneficial and\\nnecessary and upon the proper or improper reception\\nof one or the other depends largely the peace or the\\nmisery of the life of the recipient here on earth, and\\nhereafter, beyond the grave.\\nWe are told, and observations prove, that some Cath-\\nolics are unhappy in the marriage state, though they\\nhave been united in holy wedlock by a priest, and\\nhave complied with all the external requirements of\\nthe Church. Let us answer that when the both contract-\\ning parties are well behaved, practical Catholics, and\\nreceive with pure souls the Sacrament of Matrimony,\\nthey seldom, if ever, meet with scandalous trouble.\\nFortune may not, it is true, always smile upon them\\nbut in the hour of sorrow or the time of need, they\\nwill look to their God for consolation and help. They\\nwill be strangers to divorce courts and scandalous sen-\\nsations. Their confidence in God will not be frustrated\\nby adversity nor will their heavenly Father be deaf\\nto their appeals.\\nThe fact, however, that they were married by a\\npriest, may not warrant them endless happiness, nor\\nvouch for the purity of their conduct before or after\\nmarriage. A girl will resolve to marry a young man\\nwho is a drunkard. She will reform him. She will\\nmake a fine young man of him He is so very nice\\nA perfect gentleman I but for one fault and she will", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0049.jp2"}, "50": {"fulltext": "46 SECOND SUNDAY AFTEE EPIPHANY,\\ncure him of this. They are married, but she does not\\ncure him. He becomes more of a sot than before.\\nHer prospects are blasted she lives to see her folly,\\nand drink from the dregs of bitter disappointment.\\nHer life of promise is wrecked. She lives a prey to\\nmisery, neglect, and want. Would it not have been\\nwiser for her to try her ability at reforming the young\\nman before she married him If she failed in her\\nattempt, the failure would be evidence enough to\\npersuade her that after marriage she could never\\nsucceed.\\nOn the other hand, the young man may be a very\\ngood young man industrious, saving, and sober. He\\nbecomes acquainted with a girl. She captivates him\\nby her charms, throws about him the leash of her en-\\nchantments. He thinks himself blessed. He knows\\nshe is a flirt but this even attracts him the more, just\\nas the sirens of old enchanted, only to destroy. She\\nis just the person. This lightness of temperament will\\ndisappear. He will be happy in the possession of such\\na charmer. They marry, but she still remains a flirt.\\nBy frivolity she was trained to be restless and change-\\nable. Her training has not been dissipated. Ere long,\\nto his joy, sorrow succeeds, while despair expels all\\nhope. She brings disgrace and dishonor on both. She\\nwas every fellow s girl before marriage and it is no\\ngreat wonder if the same notions will always continue\\nto shape her course. He lives to curse his luck, and\\nto curse her, too.\\nLet us take another view of marriage life for it is\\nlike a kaleidescope it has many varieties. Here is a\\nhusband and his wife. They were once poor then\\nthey were happy. They struggled hard and faithfully.\\nTheir industry brought wealth but like many another,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0050.jp2"}, "51": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 47\\nthey could not withstand the unkind influences of\\nprosperity. He remains the same common-sensed man\\nhe always was, cares little for style, and less for pre-\\ntentions. She becomes, nevertheless, very sedate,\\nstudies etiquette, apes at the manners of others, and\\ninvites often her friends and acquaintances for luncheon.\\nHe has no use for such nonsense, and retains his old\\nhabits. Notwithstanding all her lectures, she cannot\\nmake him social or entertaining. She aims to be one\\nof the bonton, while he is immovable and unimprovable.\\nShe is often mortified. With much polish, combined\\nwith gentle tact, she apologizes to her friends for his\\nrudeness. His conduct, however, becomes more and\\nmore insufferable in proportion as she attains to greater\\nrefinement. She repeatedly says to herself in the\\nrecessess of her self-complacent bosom What an\\nidiot I was to marry such an ignoramus, so uncouth, so\\nboorish, so unsocial What do my friends think of me\\nWhat do they think of my putting up with his mulish-\\nness, insolence, lack of style, want of gayety Why,\\nit is preposterous! She evidently thinks she is above\\nher husband in attainments in proportion as she\\nascends in her own estimation of herself, the more\\ndiscontented she becomes. In the meanwhile she\\nforms the acquaintance of a very polished man so\\nsuave, so courteous, so entertaining, so everything\\nwhich constitutes a galvanized rogue. She is charmed\\nby his presence. He is just her ideal of a man. Some\\nevening the old gentleman upon returning from labor,\\nfinds a note saying his mate has flown, and he thanks\\nhis God that he is at rest. Not many weeks are\\nrequired to teach her of the fine polished man s insin-\\ncerity, and to render her sane once more. Scandal,\\nhowever, follows disgrace. The serenity of a once", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0051.jp2"}, "52": {"fulltext": "48 SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nhappy home is broken. The family is overwhelmed\\nwith shame, while the wife and mother is cast upon\\nthe world, a wreck for the warning of others.\\nAllow me to suppose another case. In this the\\nhusband assumes all the arrogance of acquired wealth.\\nThe wife is a simple-minded, industrious woman. She\\nhas always been inured to drudgery nor has the\\nacquisition of property modified her modest habits or\\nawakened any pretentions to superiority. She loves\\nher family and her domestic concerns. For her hus-\\nband and children, she lives and toils. Their happiness\\nis her joy, and she desires no other temporal reward.\\nHe, on the contrary, flatters himself on his prosperity.\\nIt has all been due to his sagacity. He has grown of\\nlate wondrously large in his own estimation his great\\nability has made him rich His tact, his plans, his\\nconsummate genius, have borne fruit It could not be\\notherwise with him. He begins to look upon his wife,\\nthe partner of his toil, as a menial servant, one beneath\\nhim. She does not dress to please him. She still\\nretains her old manners abrupt, ungenial, and coarse.\\nHe does not see how coarse, selfish, and probably\\ndishonest himself is. His business or his money\\nleads him into intercourse with other men and places.\\nTheir conduct is noticed by him. They are out for\\na good time. Why should he be moored to the apron-\\nstrings of his wife Why not do as his immoral\\nassociates do In he plunges. His neighbors will\\nnever hear of his escapades and if they do, who cares\\nHe becomes reckless. The haunts of sin are soon\\nknown to him. His companions are the representatives\\nof lust and debauchery. His excesses render him\\ndissatisfied with the surroundings of his family and\\nhis home. His wife is behind the age. Into the divorce", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0052.jp2"}, "53": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 49\\ncourt he goes. Witnesses are bribed. Probably the\\njudge receives some compensation. The lawyers are\\nwell rewarded, and his virtuous mate ceases, according\\nto the civil law, to be his wife. She is seized with\\ndismay. The children are submerged by affliction.\\nTheir mother is innocent, they know but her innocence\\ndoes not shield them from disgrace. Shame has set her\\ndestroying hand upon them. Happiness gives way to\\ngrief. Despair robs them of their honorable aspirations.\\nThe future is black with the storms of adversity, all\\nis lost.\\nAt this juncture, they have a friend, in the Catholic\\nChurch, of which they have always been faithful mem-\\nbers. She warns their father that he dare not put away\\nhis lawful wife. In the words of our divine Saviour,\\nshe says to him What God has joined together, let\\nnot man dare put asunder. Vou cannot divorce\\nyourself from the woman you have sworn to love\\nThere is no cause for separation If you persist, you\\nwill bring down upon yourself the malediction of\\nan outraged God The curse of your innocent wife\\nand helpless children will follow your soul Your own\\ncrime will call aloud to heaven for address Your fond\\nexpectations will change to disasters, each tormenting\\nyou for the injuries you have perpetrated upon your\\nfamily, yourself, against your Church, and against your\\nGod. Should you attempt to marry again, I hold\\nsuch marriage null and void. You shall never be a\\nparticipant in my graces, or the recipient of my sacra-\\nments, until you have atoned for your injustice.\\nHe, however, obtains a divorce, and is married again\\nby a squire or preacher but he will live to curse the\\nday he became a fugitive from his Church. He will\\ncurse himself for refraining from Mass on Sunday, and", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0053.jp2"}, "54": {"fulltext": "50 SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nneglecting to say his morning and evening prayers.\\nThese delinquencies were the beginnings of his down-\\nfall. From these, dates the commencement of his\\nruin. His future will be haunted by the condemnation\\nof his Church, by the sorrows of his children, by the\\ndesolation of his faithful wife.\\nAlas! how often the prospects of a flourishing family\\nare destroyed by the errors of a wife or husband.\\nFortunately the ravages of divorce are not much felt\\namong the members of the Catholic Church. You\\nshould be grateful for this protection society should\\nbe grateful all mankind should be grateful to her for\\nthe unrelenting care with which she guards the sacred-\\nness of home.\\nIs it not, then, advisable for all you who contemplate\\nmatrimony, to make preparations by prayer Ask\\nJesus and His Blessed Mother to be present at your\\nnuptials and live, that their blessings may never\\ndepart from your homes.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0054.jp2"}, "55": {"fulltext": "THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY;\\nOR, THE\\nTWENTY-FOURTH AFTER PENTECOST.\\nAmen, I say to you, I have not found so great faith in\\nIsrael. (Math. viii. lo.)\\nMy Dear Friends Faith is of two kinds histori-\\ncal or human, and divine faith. Historical .faith rests\\nupon the veracity of the historian divine faith centres\\nin the immutable infinite Being, God. History, in its\\nprincipal features, must be considered true, although\\nwritten by fallible man. About articles of divine\\nfaith, there can be no question, for these are infallible.\\nThe historian may err, but God is truth. Notwithstand-\\ning the fallibility of the historian, you believe the\\nauthentic records of time. This is imperative because\\nshould you disbelieve history, you have no way of\\nlearning the accounts of events occurring even one\\ncentury ago. You never saw George Washington, yet\\nyou credit history when it tells you such a man\\nflourished in this country. Monuments ot marble and\\nbronze, which are, indeed, only history of the past in\\nanother form, confirm your belief. A man known to\\nyou for his integrity, will tell you of a fact coming\\nunder his observation and you accept his testimony\\nvou rely upon his veracity. If you go back over the\\n51", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0055.jp2"}, "56": {"fulltext": "52 THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nereat avenue of time, down which the human race has\\ntravelled for thousands of years, you question not the\\nnotable events seen on your way. You deny not that\\nAlbertus Magnus lived and became renowned. In\\nFrance, you behold Napoleon Bonaparte. More dis-\\ntant, Charlemagne. Soon Cicero and Caesar, with a\\ncollection of other notables, appear upon the arena of\\nnational contention, and far beyond, enveloped by the\\nmists of remote ages, are discerned distinguished char-\\nacters as well as important events. To the reality of\\nthese you all give assent why, then, should any one\\nhesitate to accept the Sacred Scriptures approved by\\nthe Church of God Are they not at least deserving of\\nas much fidelity as other historical works They are, in\\npart, historical and therefore no sane person ought\\nto refuse them his confidence. There are some, never-\\ntheless, who question not the reliability of Gibbon s\\nRise and Fall of the Roman Empire, but would reject\\nor doubt the revealed word of God.\\nIf the human race clings to the memory of the past,\\nand anxiously labors for its preservation, can it con-\\nsistently despise the Holy Bible But whether man\\ndespises it, or not, he cannot discard it. On account of\\nits vast interest to mankind, it is that so many doubts\\nand difficulties arise. Besides, the blind often lead\\nthe blind. A person may be deeply concerned in\\nperpetuating history but the human race will never be\\nso solicitous for the perpetuity of profane history as\\nthat of the sacred. The importance of the latter is as\\nmuch greater than the former, as the eternal interests\\nof man are above his temporal. He may say What\\nmatters it to me whether Philip of Macedon ever lived,\\nor Thomas Moore was beheaded. It is of no vital\\nimportance to me whether Caesar had never been born, or", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0056.jp2"}, "57": {"fulltext": "THIKD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 53\\nHenry VIII. had never reigned. But the Scriptures\\ncontain an account of God s dealings with the human\\nrace of His justice and His mercy, of His beneficence\\nand His love. In these I find the record of man s\\norigin and from their contents learn man s destiny.\\nI perceive the condition of things as they now exist,\\nand it is not of so great concern to me who brought\\nabout these conditions, as the awful thoughts of religion\\nwhich disturb my heart while they rack my intellect.\\nIs the Bible reliable is it inspired is it infallible\\nThese are doubts which torture my soul. Is there\\nnothing upon which I can rest my hope for the future?\\nNothing which will give tranquillity to me now I am\\nworse off than the sailor wrecked in mid-ocean, with\\nthe stormy billows breaking upon him. He fears for\\nhis temporal safety I am tossed upon the mad sea of\\ndoubt, in dread of the present, and alarmed for the\\nfuture.\\nTo Such a one, a Catholic may reply Be composed.\\nDo you not know of the Catholic Church She declares\\nthe Bible is inspired, and her declarations are infallible.\\nShe has authority to teach consider these teachings\\ntogether with her claims, indisputable in their source,\\nin their nature unchangeable, in every age unerring.\\nSo great has been the faith placed in her, that St.\\nAugustine said I would not believe the Scriptures,\\nhad not the Church moved me to do so. To this the\\nother answers What guaranty have I that our\\nChurch is the legitimate teacher of the human race on\\nmatters of religion Or what security have I in placing\\nboth my temporal and my eternal destiny in her\\nkeeping? You may say to him: Friend, the Cath-\\nolic Church has endured the storms of persecution for\\nnineteen hundred years. Her own members have often", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0057.jp2"}, "58": {"fulltext": "54 THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nbeen rebellious, causing her grief and dividing them-\\nselves into factions. Thrones have decayed, but she\\nstill survives. Her doctrines have withstood the cor-\\nroding influences of time and the opposition of the\\nworld. Compare her with everything else, and you\\ncannot fail to see her divine prerogatives. Moreover,\\nin the persons of the apostles, she was present with\\nJesus Himself. She witnessed His death on the cross.\\nShe rejoiced in His resurrection. It was to her He\\ndeclared shall send you the Holy Spirit, who shall\\nteach you all things, and I Myself shall abide with thee\\nforever As the Holy Ghost imparts to her all truth,\\nshe possesses the doctrine with which she instructs\\nand since the Son of God cannot be associated with\\nthe false, it follows that the Church never teaches error.\\nBut Jesus has averred Myself shall abide with thee\\nforever! Is this not evidence enough to convince you\\nof her divine commission No less should you be\\npersuaded to confide your soul to the care of that\\nChurch whose credentials were irrevocably sealed by\\nthe Divine Person, Jesus Christ.\\nAll this is well, remarks the skeptic. But, ah,\\nthe awful thought rushes in upon me, is Jesus Christ\\nGod Are all Christians deceived Am I only a\\ndupe of blind, relentless fate Does the faculty called\\nreason, only act according to some law over which I\\nhave no control Is vice and virtue only the result\\nof an inborn wickedness or goodness, predisposing\\nman to evil or good as tyrannical inclinations dictate\\nAn answer to all these doubts is found in the Gospel of\\nto-day. Everyone must admit that it required super-\\nhuman power to purify the human system of leprosy\\nnor was it any ordinary power which healed the Centu-\\nrion s servant. In last Sunday s Gospel you learned how", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0058.jp2"}, "59": {"fulltext": "THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 55\\nJesus called forth the Ruler s daughter from death. In\\nthe performance of this miracle, divine power was\\nnecessary. Had our Saviour not this power, He\\nmust have received it from heaven. But how could\\nGod impart to Him this power, if Jesus was not His\\nSon. Our Lord said I and the Father are one,\\nthus maintaining His own divinity. Were He an\\nimpostor, could God have favored by His co-operation\\nsuch infernal imposition By such an act, He would\\nfavor deception and injustice. Easier it is to believe\\nthat there is no God, than to admit His existence and\\nat the same time attribute to Him such infamous acts\\nfor God cannot act contrary to His eternal attributes.\\nSuch conduct would involve a contradiction, and be\\nequal to a denial of God s existence.\\nBut the skeptic is as deficient in his belief in God,\\nas in his belief of the divinity of Christ and exclaims\\nI know not whether there is a God or not Every\\nfiber of my being wrys under the influence of this\\nterrible condition of my mind I have thought, reflected,\\nendeavored to fathom the depths of these hidden\\nmysteries of Nature, of these human phenomena\\ncoming often under my observation, until I am engulfed\\nin a whirlpool of doubt. Again, he should find\\nsufficient proof of God s existence m the Gospel to\\nwhich I have referred. Divine power was manifested\\nin the performance of these stupendous works. The\\nskeptic cannot explain them except upon the admission\\nof the existence of God. He seizes every opportunity\\nto increase his unbelief, while he blindly bars out\\nevery convincing fact of the supernatural. Were\\nhe as studious in the acquisition of proofs in support\\nof religion as he is assiduous in misconstruing phe-\\nnomena to oppose divine faith, he would be happy", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0059.jp2"}, "60": {"fulltext": "K\\n6 THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nand content in the consciousness of God s friendship.\\nThere are, furthermore, many arguments derived\\nfrom the nature of things, to demonstrate the existence\\nof God. To consider them to-day would carry us\\nbeyond the scope of a sermon. To one argument,\\nhowever, I invite your attention. It is brief, and as\\ncogent as brief. The skeptic may deny that there is a\\nGod. He may deny that the sun is now shining in\\nthe heavens. He may deny that you are now present\\nin this church. He may ev^en deny his own existence.\\nBut when he comes to deny that he denies, then he\\nadmits there is a God that is when he knows that an\\noperation is going on in his mind by which he denies\\nthe existence of everything he acknowledges that the\\nknowing faculty exists and this faculty must be\\nfinite or infinite. All things must be of these two\\nclasses or divisions. Now, if the faculty is infinite, he\\nadmits the existence of an infinite something but an\\ninfinite something is God. If he argues his knowing\\nfaculty is finite, he also admits the infinite for the\\nfinite is always dependent upon some other being for\\nits existence and because there are only two classes\\nof beings: since one is the finite, the other must be the\\ninfinite.\\nMy Christian friends, you may be somewhat incred-\\nulous in accepting this presentation of the skeptic s\\nmental state, and consider it only fanciful. But if\\nany of you have conversed with an honest unbeliever,\\nyou know the views given are no exaggeration and\\nyou know, too, that to give an accurate description of the\\nworkings of his mind in reference to religion, approaches\\nclose to the impossible. Outside of the Catholic\\nChurch, everything in religious matters is confused.\\nScarcely does a conversation turn on religion, when", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0060.jp2"}, "61": {"fulltext": "THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 57\\ndoubts are exchanged, and it is easy to judge from the\\nensuing discussion, how the faith of non-Catholics is\\ndisturbed. I have often spoken with the skeptic and\\nagnostic. They were sincere, intelligent men, but had\\nno faith in revealed truths. They desired to penetrate\\ninto the unknown and inexplainable. Because they\\ncould not comprehend some things, they doubted almost\\neverything. They seemed to be men desirous of\\nacquiring faith but their method was one of research\\nbeyond their power of apprehension instead of prayer,\\nalmsgiving, fasting, and a humble confidence in God.\\nThey believed they were greater when they soared,\\nthan when they stooped and here it was they made\\ntheir first mistake.\\nWe should rejoice that we are blessed with the\\ninestimable blessing of faith in God. We ought never\\nabuse this great gift. You must always remember, and\\nI must never forget, that faith is a gratuitous gift from\\nour Heavenly Father. If you misuse this gift, God will\\nwithdraw it from you. You will, then, be like those\\nbad Catholics whose inflamed tongues breath forth\\nwrath, lies, and venom agamst that Church in whose\\nbosom they once found peace and contentment. Pray\\nto God often, that He may ever preserve in ou an\\nardent faith. Imitate the Centurion and when the\\neternal Ruler will say to you As you believe, let it be\\ndone accordi7igly to you, may the reward of your faith\\nbe heaven", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0061.jp2"}, "62": {"fulltext": "FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY\\nOR,\\nTHE TWENTY-FIFTH AFTER PENTECOST.\\nAnd when He entered into the ship His disciples followed\\nHif}i. (Math. viii. 23.)\\nMy Dear Friends When a person embarks in a ship,\\nhe sets out for a journey or voyage. He may encounter\\ntempestuous seas, dangers may assail him. Even\\ndeath may attack him and in the struggle death\\nmay be victorious. The disciples entering the ship\\nindicate their willingness to follow our Divine Lord\\nand to brave the dangers which may arise. Ere long\\ntheir courage was put to the test. The waves became\\ntoo vicious, and in their dismay, they cried for help.\\nBut you have noted, from the Gospel, that the Master of\\nthe seas did not abandon His followers He restored\\ntranquillity to the waters, while he chided them for\\ntheir want of faith. He seemed to say WJiy are you fear-\\nful why stand aghast at the upheaval of the sea Am 1\\nnot with you The Son of God commanded, and the\\nsea became calm. Thus it is ever God will not suffer\\nHis faithful followers to perish. The sea of tribulation\\nmay break upon them; the rocky promontories of temp-\\n58", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0062.jp2"}, "63": {"fulltext": "FOURTH SUNDAY AFETR EPIPHANY. 59\\ntation may terrify them but the omniscient Pilot\\nWho directs their frail barque, sleeps not. It appears\\nsometimes to the afflicted, as if they were forgotten, as\\nif they were doomed to an endless night with no to-\\nmorrow s sun. One trouble follows another. To\\naffliction, is added poverty or to sickness, death, until\\nthe survivor has well-nigh lost all hope. Still he must\\nremember that were there no struggles, there would\\nbe no virtue. Without trials, there can be no reward.\\nEvery disaster of life, every disappointment and loss,\\nhas its purpose. God knows best. Sorrow is often\\na guardian angel leading you away from sin. False\\nfriends deceive you, but the deception bids you think.\\nIf properly weighed, it will make you wiser. Obstacles\\nand disappointments enlarge your sphere of knowledge\\nand nurture resolution. Hence it is, that relying upon\\nGod s protection, good is drawn from evil and you\\nare the better for the struggle in which, perhaps, much\\nof your energies were exhausted.\\nLet us, however, not deceive ourselves because\\na great deal of our adversity is due to our own defects\\nor transgressions. Others, it is true, not seldom bestow\\nit upon us with a lavish hand but we should not\\nforget that whatever comes from God, without any\\nfault of ours, will do us no harm. On the contrary, it is\\nfor our good because God, our greatest benefactor\\nand our best friend, will shield, with His irresistible\\nright arm, those confiding in Him. If anyone comes after\\nMe^ He says, let him deny himself, and take up his aoss\\nand follow Me! Whether the cross is put on your\\nmangled shoulders by yourselves, by your enemies, or is\\nthe sweet yoke of Christ, it should be borne with patience\\nand confidence in God. It must be carried, although it\\ngalls. Its weight may torture the heart and benumb", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0063.jp2"}, "64": {"fulltext": "60 FOUKTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nthe intellect, but relinguish it, you cannot. Borne, it\\nmust be. Yes but whither To heaven, assuredly.\\nDeiiy yourselves take tip your cross a?id follow Me. Fol-\\nlow whom Jesus, the Saviour of mankind. Whither\\ndoes He lead To the home of peace and joy,\\nwhere crosses enter not. Remember that each one\\nmust bear his cross in harmony with the divine will, in\\norder that it may be meritorious. Deny yourselves.\\nAbandon those places or things which have made your\\ncross so heavy and oppressive. You, perhaps, have\\nmade your own cross, have fixed thorns therein, have\\nbeen cruel with yourselves. You were in quest of\\nworldly pleasure. You were tired of the consciousness\\nof innocence, of the happiness of God s friendship. Sin\\nallured you. You were fascinated by its charms. It\\npromised joys, but it imposed a cross. Still, do not\\ndespair God is patient, and besides He is as merciful\\nas He is patient. He loves the sinner, though He hates\\nsin. He wishes not the death of a sinner but that he\\nmay repent, and obtain pardon. Our follies sometimes\\nmake us wise, their consequences bring us often closer\\nto God and transgressors of God s law become oft-\\ntimes His most faithful followers.\\nIt may be that some poor mortal, in his ignorance\\nand malice, has fashioned your cross, with a spirit of\\nmalignity equalled only by his deceitfulness. He or\\nshe studied how to make it painful and poisonous.\\nThe inventor rejoiced in the success of his devilish\\ndesign. The sufferings of the cross-bearer are his\\njoys. In the secrecy of his heart, he exults in the\\ntriumph and m.ay even insult the af^icted one by\\nderision or ridicule. He has succeeded. His victim is\\napparently conquered. His low, base cunning is an\\novermatch for the unwary and the honorable. But", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0064.jp2"}, "65": {"fulltext": "FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 61\\nmark, his or her triumph will not be permanent. The\\nconquered and crushed will become the victor, if he puts\\nhis confidence in God. Let him carry the cross man-\\nfully. With undaunted brow, he may defy his enemies,\\nif he is only a true follower of Him Who first consecrated\\nthe cross by His precious blood. Villainy and cow-\\nardice and enmity will prove a heavier weight for the\\nother. Better be the truthful, honorable, great-souled,\\nsuffering than the malicious person with his cunning-\\nness, deceit, and debased character, exulting. God\\nwill send His ministering angel to the former. From the\\ndepths of wicked craft, the Almighty power will bring\\nforth good, as He once brought light out of the abyss\\nof darkness. A wealth of benefits physical, mental,\\nmoral, and religious, will arise from where all was\\ngloom, disappointment, and sorrow. When a wrong is\\ndone you, offer it to God. Nor should you neglect to\\nward off a similiar attack in the future from the\\nsame source. You are not expected to remain supinely\\nwhile your enemy destroys you. Protect yourself,\\ntherefore, but injure nobody. Should you be injured,\\npresent the injury to God, and implore His protection.\\nBe faithful to God, and He will never desert you.\\nShould the heart-aches and the trials be from God,\\nthen you ought to rejoice for He punishes those\\nwhom He loves. Sickness, ill-fortune, and even\\ndeath are sent to draw you closer to Him, or to pro-\\ntect you from deeper trouble. The sorrows of life are\\nincomparable to the joys of heaven. To be faithful\\nadherents to the standard of our divine Saviour,\\nentails sufferings but these sufferings bring untold\\nrewards on earth, as well as in the eternal kingdom\\nof God. You may not understand why you are\\nunfortunate, while the wicked are enjoying prosperity.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0065.jp2"}, "66": {"fulltext": "62 FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nIn all the troubles of life you imitate the disciples by\\nfollowing your Divine Master your conduct is ever\\nthat of a steadfast adherent to Him yet others having\\nno regard for God or His laws, meet with success\\nwhere you only find failure. Wealth, comfort, and\\nhappiness fill their swelling sails as they glide onward\\nupon the summer sea of prosperity. Disappointment,\\nsometimes poverty, often disaster, are your lot. This\\nstate of things induced the Psalmist to say by inspira-\\ntion But my feet were almost moved my steps had\\nwell-?u^h slipped because I had a zeal on accotmt of\\nthe wicked, seeing the prosperity of sinners! Ps. Ixxii.\\n2, 3.) You perceive that sinners are not only prosper-\\nous now, but that they always were. The Pagan\\nchided the followers of Christ, on this account. In\\ntheir blindness, they upbraided the unfortunate. It\\nis a strange God, they were wont to say, Whom you\\nadore. Every sacrifice is cheerfully made by you.\\nYou are attached to Him with an unwavering devotion.\\nYou would, indeed, die for Him. Nevertheless you\\nsuffer all the ills of life. We would not put our trust\\nin Him Who would thus afflict us nor would we con-\\nfide in Him for future happiness, Who would not assist\\nus here. This style of argument is very plausible, and\\nin all sincerity, we admit that the mystery of God s\\ndealings with mankind is beyond our comprehension.\\nEnough for us to know, is that God is just. His ways\\nare as much above ours, as the heavens are above the\\nearth. Some hold that the prosperous on earth,\\nthough sinners, have done some good works and,\\nsince God is just, He rewards them on earth for their\\ngoodness but of an eternal reward, they are unworthy.\\nAgain, many of the great ones of the earth stoop\\nto the commission of things both dishonorable and", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0066.jp2"}, "67": {"fulltext": "FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 63\\ndishonest. They hesitate not in defrauding the\\nweak and crushing the innocent. For such human\\ndegradation, a true Christian cannot barter everything\\nnoble, everything sacred, everything elevated and\\nelevating.\\nAfter all considerations are duly weighed, is it not\\nquestionable whether the favored ones of fortune are\\nhappier or more content than those who have to battle\\nwith the pangs of adversity Are those whom the\\nworld calls fortunate, really the fortunate ones May\\nnot the case be reversed May not the others who\\nregard themselves wretched, because they are poor, be\\nthe happier. Could you draw aside the curtain which\\nhides the secrets of the heart, your opinion may be\\nchanged. Look into the affairs of people study their\\nlives and you will be convinced that they are in need\\nof pity, not envy that they are ofttimes the most\\nmiserable, who are thought most happy. With some,\\nan insatiable greed for money with others, a burning\\ndesire for fame with a third class, a tireless ambition\\nfor positions of emolument,\u00e2\u0080\u0094 ^robs them of all rest\\nand comfort. These may be envied, they may be\\nfawned upon, they may be extolled for their wealth of\\nmind and temporal possessions but they are not\\nhappier than those whose lot is cast among the lowly.\\nAs the poet (Pope) has tersely expressed himself\\nOrder is heaven s first law and this confessed,\\nSome are, and must be, greater than the rest\\nMore rich, more wise but who infers from hence\\nThat such are happier, shocks all common sense.\\nAccording to the same poet, the innocent are truly\\nhappy\\nKnow then this truth, enough for man to know,\\nVirtue alone is happiness here below.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0067.jp2"}, "68": {"fulltext": "64 FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nThe virtuous in high or low station, possess the\\ngenuine jewels of the soul. And where is the true\\nman unknown to wealth or fame, who would exchange\\nhis condition with him whose greatness is built upon\\nthe ruin of others He has degraded human nature\\nby his remorseless treatment of his fellow-men. His\\nambition was to succeed, though thousands perished\\nunder his scourge and if honest indignation spurned\\nhis contemptible acquisitions, it was punished for its\\narrogance. Notwithstanding his pompous conceits, a\\nslave might hesitate before changing places with this\\nmaggot of humanity. Where is the follower of Him\\nWho said Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the\\nland that would buy pride, insolence, and vanity at\\nsuch a price It ill-becomes anyone to be such a\\nmonster, much more a Catholic. How can a Catholic\\nreconcile oppression of the poor, defrauding laborers\\nof their wages, cheating, blasphemy, and debauchery^\\nwith the tenets of his religion, or with the qualifica-\\ntions of Christ s disciples. To be a good citizen, you\\nmust be a good Catholic and to be a good Catholic,\\nyou must be a true follower of Jesus. Do not deceive\\nyourselves. Do not exculpate yourselves by finding\\nfault with others. Never forget that true greatness\\nis ever associated with equitable principles, con-\\ndescention, and beneficence. Strive to be Catholic,\\nnot only in name, but also in action. Follow unfal-\\nteringly your eternal Guide, Jesus and then should\\nstorms of animosity, ill-luck, trial, and disaster break\\nupon you, your Saviour will rebuke the winds, and\\ntranquillity of soul will ensue.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0068.jp2"}, "69": {"fulltext": "THE FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY;\\nOR, THE\\nTWENTY-SIXTH AFTER PENTECOST.\\nMaster^ didst dhou notsow good seed in thy field Whence\\nthen hath it cockle 7 (St. Math. xiii. 27.)\\nOf the influence of bad company, my dear friends,\\nyou cannot be ignorant. You have seen its effects.\\nProbably some of you have been and still are its vic-\\ntims. How diflicult it is to avoid this evil intercourse,\\nyou also know. Pernicious companionship is easily\\nenough acquired, but not so easily relinquished. The\\natmosphere of bad company is contagious, and the\\ncontagion affects body and soul. No safeguard is\\nsufficient to protect anyone exposing himself to such\\ndanger. At times it disrobes itself of its repugnant\\nfeatures, and puts on the semblance of innocence and\\ngentle affability. In this guise, it is the most treacherous,\\nand consequently the most destructive. The unsus-\\npecting are duped. They are unarmed by flattery and\\nconquered by seduction. They question not the\\nintention of the enemy until resistance is well-nigh\\npowerless. They have been unwise, but they will have\\na long time to repent of their folly.\\n65", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0069.jp2"}, "70": {"fulltext": "66 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nNow we may inquire of what class, or classes of\\npeople, is bad company composed. The investigation\\nis an awful one for in bad company are found those\\nwho once led angelic lives who knew not evil, except\\nas they read or heard of it whose lives were pure,\\nand whose aspirations were lofty. From a home both\\nhappy and innocent they were lured away gradually,\\nuntil innocence was bartered for guilt and the\\ntranquillity of a pure conscience was exchanged for the\\nmiseries of sin. Others there are who imbibed wicked-\\nness with the nourishment drawn from the mother s\\nbreast. The parents were bad. The child s associations\\nfrom the cradle were corrupt and corrupting. From\\ninfancy, the very air which it breathed, was contaminated\\nby the foulness of vice. Yea it may be that the child\\nis cursed by illegitimacy. Thus, on the threshold of\\nexistence the sin of the mother is a lamentable stain\\nupon her pitiable offspring. Beginning life in so\\ndeplorable a condition, surrounded by evil influence,\\nabsorbing evil with its growth, it is not to be wondered\\nat, if the child in after years fill a prison cell. It cannot\\nbe doubted, however, but that such a child som.etimes\\nbecomes a good and useful man. The ascension from\\nsin to righteousness is due to the grace of God, Vv hich\\nmanifests itself in various ways, but ofttimes by produc-\\ninir for the child a change of environments. From\\ndegradation he arises by an iafusion of the good seed,\\nthe word of God, into his soul. How has the trans-\\nformation been brought about Perhaps by a good\\nbook which fell into his hands at an opportune moment\\nperhaps by curiosity which induced him into a church\\nin which he heard, for the first time, the solemn and\\nbeautiful truths of religion or he might have been\\nmoved to the depths of his heart by the conduct of", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0070.jp2"}, "71": {"fulltext": "FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 6?\\nsome devout and gracious person. In some manner\\nor another the grace of God found an entrance into\\nhis soul. He did not repel the invitation to enter into\\nthe Lord s vineyard but with a heart as humble as it\\nwas sincere, he bowed his will to the earnest entreaty\\nof the Saviour of mankind.\\nAre any of you associated with bad company Then\\nlisten to the Son of God, beseeching you in the agony\\nof His sacred passion to come to Him. Will you\\nrefuse Will you weigh everything that is pure and\\nhonorable and ennobling, with everything base and\\nunprincipled and degrading, yet choose the latter If\\nyou do, the wretchedness entailed by a life of sin, will\\nbe your reward. The bad seed sown by your enemy,\\nwill yield the weeds of debasement, disease, and\\nprematured old age. The day may come when you will\\ncall to God for mercy but He will not hearken to you,\\nand you will die in your sins. You abused His graces.\\nYou wronged yourselves. The punishment inflicted is\\nthe penalty of your own rashness and disobedience.\\nGod desired you to be eternally happy you doomed\\nyourselves to endless perdition.\\nAre the members of such company ashamed of their\\nassociates Quite the contrary they pride themselves\\non their licentious toughness. Is it not strange how\\nmany dislike to be considered good They refrain\\nfrom many acts of devotion, either because they fear to\\nbecome remarkable, or because they will be chided by\\ntheir companions. Yet the wicked will boast of their\\nlow, infernal conduct and are enthusiastically thankful\\nto those who call them tough. On the street corners,\\nyou will see them parade their vileness in filty language\\ngathered from the lowest slums of crime and sin. Does\\nthe blush of shame mantle that face which hides the", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0071.jp2"}, "72": {"fulltext": "68 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nhell within Oh, no if an acquaintance passes by,\\ntheir offensiveness is the bolder and more pronounced.\\nThey want to be known. They want to be regarded as\\nthe leaders of a sin-cursed gang. Enter the saloon.\\nThere is another disgusting sight. Men, old and young,\\nin a half-drunken stupor, dribbling out some unintellig-\\nible jargon profanity the most horrible is the only thing\\nintelligible. And there are other places of so treacher-\\nous a nature as to render them unmentionable places\\nwhere virtue is lost and impurity triumphs where the\\ngreat faculties of the soul and the exalted sensibilities\\nof the heart are enslaved where God is ignored and\\nthe devil enthroned\\nBad company is one of the enemies who sows the\\ncockle. Almighty God and the true Christian guide\\nsow the good seed. Good parents also cultivate in\\ntheir children a meritorious fruit. The enemy is alert.\\nPrompted by hell, he sows the seed which suffocates the\\nnoble emotions of the heart, which robs the soul of its\\nvigor, which converts the mysterious organ of speech\\ninto a weapon of destruction against man and an\\ninstrument of insult to God. His breath is pollution;\\nhis prayer, blasphemy degradation is his ambition, and\\nthe ruin of others, his glory What is his reward for\\nso much injury to others Has he won distinction\\nYes the distinction which infamy gives to ruffians.\\nAfter a few years of debauchery, mark the distinction.\\nPrematured old age, a deject countenance, a vague,\\nempty leer of the eye, a diseased body, and a filthy soul\\nthese are the characteristics distinguishing him from\\nthe rest of mankind. Are they sufficient compensa-\\ntion for the sacrifices he made upon the altar of\\ndebauchery Are they such as you would barter an\\nhonored life, a happy death, and a joyful eternity for", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0072.jp2"}, "73": {"fulltext": "FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 69\\nWould you refuse the exchange then beware of bad\\ncompany Many of the bad were once good. Temp-\\ntation overcame them. They fell, rose again but\\nfalling too often, they became enfeebled, abused grace,\\nand ultimately were unable to rise.\\nHow many a poor victim has cursed in the agony of\\nhis heart, the companions who worked his ruin How\\noften has he cursed father and mother for their bad\\nexample, or perhaps on account of their indulgent\\nleniency toward him Had they been more severe,\\nhad they given good example by the devoutness of\\ntheir own lives, he would not now be led to prison, with\\nmanacled hands. Had they seen to it that he went to\\nChurch on Sundays, that he attended school, that he\\nwas at home in the evening at a seasonable hour, he\\nwould not now be doomed to a disgraceful sentence in\\nthe penitentiary. Ah, but many and many a time, the\\nmother in tears begged him to keep away from bad\\ncompany! Again and again she implored him to go to\\nconfession The father, too, besought him to be at\\nhome early in the evening told him of the terrible result\\nof rowdyism followed him at night, and brought him\\nhome from a saloon or gambling table. It was all to\\nno purpose. He was infatuated by wickedness, and on\\nhis way to prison he has time for sober thoughts. He\\nblames others; but he cannot deny that his punishment is\\nthe outcome of an obstinate, ill-directed temper. Should\\nthe law declare his crime punishable by death instead of\\nprison, then the awful thought of an approaching death,\\ninfamous in its nature and horrible in its execution, would\\nawaken the keenest remorse for his unfortunate career.\\nThe happy days of boyhood, when life was young and\\nhope buoyant, would reappear in all their beauty and\\ninnocence, adding thus more pain to the shafts of remorse!", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0073.jp2"}, "74": {"fulltext": "70 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nIn the seclusion of his cell, he considers the opportun-\\nities lost or abused the happy peace enjoyed in the\\nmorning of life; the parents who were kindly affectionate,\\nthe brothers and sisters who loved him, and who now\\nweep over his misfortune, and pray he may not die upon\\nthe scaffold Thenhe condemns himself in this manner\\nIt is true, I gave the fatal blow, but I was maddened by\\nwhiskey. I had no intention, an hour before, of com-\\nmitting murder. I would suffer death a thousand times,\\nbefore I would do such a terrible deed. My pals\\nare to blame. It was they who gave me the drink to\\nblunt my reason and to nerve my hand. It was they,\\ntoo, who gave me the dagger and when I refused, they\\ncalled me a coward, and asked me to have another drink\\nit would make a man out of me would bring back my\\ncourage, which they had so often admired I was urged\\non, until I knew not myself nor weighed the crime\\nwhich I am soon to appease by my life\\nBelieve me, my friends, that this picture is not over-\\ndrawn. It is impossible to describe the feelings of the\\ncondemned, or to overestimate the damnable influ-\\nence of bad company. Such cases as I have attempted\\nto portray, are of daily occurrence. You read the\\npublic prints, and you, therefore, know what I say is\\ntrue. But the newspapers tell not of the pangs of the\\nheart, of the anguish of families, of the destruction of\\nhopes, of the blasting of fortunes, occasioned by\\npernicious associates These are hidden within broken\\nhearts, and contained in the sighs which rise to heaven\\nfor solace, for pardon, and for hope\\nThus far your attention has been dwelling upon the\\nwaywardness, fall, and destruction of a son but some-\\nhow the degradation of a daughter is more lamentable.\\nOn account of the delicacy required in the treatment", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0074.jp2"}, "75": {"fulltext": "FIFTH SUNDAY AFTEE EPIPHANY. 71\\nof remarks upon a topic so sorrowful, I shall be brief.\\nGirls should be discriminate in the company they\\nkeep. They ought not associate with other girls whose\\nconduct is questionable. If these are loud on the street,\\nif they go with young men of low reputation, every\\ngirl who does not wish to blight her future, must avoid\\nthem. Girls are not careful I have seen them dance\\nwith young men whom they knew to be bad. And\\nnot only dance, but heap attention upon them. They\\nwere ignorant of these men s reputation Not so\\nthey knew it better than I did. It is quite noticeable,\\nthat a girl who has regard for herself, is not troubled\\nby any attention from such infamous blackguards.\\nSo when I see a girl knowingly associate with the filth\\nof society, I conclude she is not to be estimated ver^-\\nhighly. And what has been to me a subject of no small\\nwonder, is that the parents think the daughter is all\\nright but they are very anxious for the son. Is it be-\\ncause they want to rid themselves of the daughter at any\\ncost To have her n\\\\arried and off their hands From\\nthe actions of some parents, there appears to be n^ore\\ntruth than fiction in these remarks: the future of the\\ndaughter is not much considered the life which she is\\nleading is of no importance to the parents so long as\\npublic disgrace does not result. Yea but how often\\ndoes not the shame become known How many a\\nnoble girl is leading a life of sin Once she blushed\\nat the thought. Death the most painful, but sinless,\\nwould be preferable to this life in which all honor, all\\naffection, all virtue is destroyed A young man dying\\non the gallows, is an appalling sight but a girl once\\nchaste, once an angel, dying in a house of ill-fame, is a\\nspectacle of woe indescribable, and of affliction without\\nparallel! Beware, therefore, of bad company Avoid", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0075.jp2"}, "76": {"fulltext": "72 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nit as you would avoid the fangs of a serpent. Be not\\nattracted by its charms or its gaiety for beneath the\\ncharm lurks destruction, and after the gaiety comes\\nsorrow. Be careful, that the good seed sown in your\\nhearts is not choked up by the weeds of sin. Pray\\nearnestly to God, that He may keep you from evil sur-\\nroundings that He may protect you from the tempta-\\ntions of your own heart, and from the seduction of\\nothers that, when the harvest of your life approaches.\\nHe may gather you into His eternal home.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0076.jp2"}, "77": {"fulltext": "THE SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY;\\nOR, THE\\nTWENTY-SEVENTH AFTER PENTECOST.\\nThe Kingdom of Heaven is like to a grain of mustard-seed\\nwhich a man took and sowed in his field. (Math. xiil. 31.)\\nMy Dear Friends The Kingdom of Heaven, to which\\nreference is here made, is, as you know, the kingdom\\nof God on earth or, in other words, the Catholic Church.\\nOur Divine Lord is the one who sowed the mustard-\\nseed, the Church. He gave to St. Peter and his succes-\\nsors the care of the tree but so that no one, at any\\ntime, could question the legitimacy of their authority,\\nHe declared: I shall send you the Holy Ghost, Who will\\nteach you how to nourish the tree, and I shall abide with you\\nforever. This tree developed from the seed, together with\\nthe commission given the apostles by our divine Saviour,\\nis a symbol of the unity of the Catholic Church. The\\nbranches have spread themselves over the whole world;\\nyet they all belong to the trunk or body of the same\\ntree. Go where you will, in time or place, you will find\\nthe Catholic Church teaching the same doctrine, believ-\\ning the same faith, and adhering to the same traditions.\\nSome branches, it is true, have been lopped off the\\n73", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0077.jp2"}, "78": {"fulltext": "74 SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\ntree. The people whom these fallen branches repre-\\nsent, maintain they constitute the true Church. Let\\nthem trace their history to its origin then they will\\ndiscover the tree from which they separated, and to which\\nthey now have no attachment. As every branch\\nretains some characteristic qualities of the parent tree\\nso with the different branches detached from the old\\nChurch they have some distinguishing marks indica-\\ntive of Christianity.\\nThis tree was planted by the Saviour of the world in\\nthe morning of the Christian era. It was fertilized by\\nthe blood of martyrs and consecrated by the lives of\\nsaints. In its branches the great and the lowly, the\\nlearned and illiterate, have found safety from the\\nstorms of doubt and infidelity, which have often swept\\nthe world. The scholars of every age have drawn\\ninspiration from its influence the king and the beggar\\nhave partaken of its benign protection and all have\\nrested under its shade, in the peaceful repose of\\nreligious tranquillity.\\nWe now purpose to speak to you of the unity of that\\nChurch figuratively represented as the mustard-tree.\\nThis unity is one of the notable marks which distinguish\\nthe Catholic Church from the many sects of Chris-\\n^ianit3^ She has preserved her unity from the beginning\\nuntil this day, and will until the cross appears again to\\njudge the living and the dead. Being commissioned by\\nthe Son of God, she could not do otherwise for truth\\nis the same now that it ever was, and must remain\\nunchangeable.\\nThe Paraclete the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will\\nsend in My iiame, will teach you all things St. John xiv.\\n26.), says her divine Master. Andbehold, lam withyou\\nall days, even to the consummation of the world! (St. Math.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0078.jp2"}, "79": {"fulltext": "SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. W\\nxxviii. 20.) Since the Holy Ghost taught her all\\ntruth and continues to teach her, she must be the\\nrespository of that truth. To her you must look for the\\nimmutable doctrines of Christianity. From her, too,\\nyou must learn them, for she is the teacher and guide,\\nGo forth a?id teach all nations!^ But it maybe retorted:\\nThe Catholic Church was once the true Church she\\nerred, however and the power imparted to her has\\nbeen recalled. The Jews were once the chosen people\\nof God but they abused the high prerogatives bestowed\\nupon them, and consequently, the Gospel passed from\\nthem to the Gentiles. In a similar manner the Catholic\\nChurch sank into superstition and idolatry and as God\\ncould not countenance such error and abomination,\\nhe withdrew His pledges hence the Reformation was\\nthe instrument used by Him to rehabilitate society.\\nThe Holy Ghost taught her truth, we admit; but she, in\\nturn, did not fulfil her task as teacher she had the truth,\\nbut kept the children of God in ignorance. Pause a\\nmoment, my friends. Did not Jesus say Behold^ I\\nam luith you all days, eveii to the coiisummatioji of the\\nworld How is it possible for the Son of God to\\nassociate Himself with falsehood If the Church has\\nerred, this He has done. Did He not foresee the life of\\nthe Church.? To say He did not, is to say He is not\\nGod. No Christian can presume to make use of such\\nblasphemy. He saw the future He saw the condition\\nof the Church from the moment of its establishment\\nuntil time will commingle with eternity. But He said\\nHe would be with His Church forever and where He is,\\nerror cannot be. Therefore the Old Church was not\\nsuperseded by the Reformation nor is the comparison\\nbetween her and the Jewish religion consistent for God\\nnever promised He would be with the latter unceasingly.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0079.jp2"}, "80": {"fulltext": "76 SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nUnity, that wonderful trait of the Church s character,\\nis not found in any human organization. Martin\\nLuther, the first of moderns to renounce his allegiance\\nto the Old Church, said Come, I shall show you the\\nway of salvation. The Church is corrupt. I shall lead\\nyou from its destroying influence to the living waters\\nof life. I shall make life easier for you. I shall not\\nonly give you freedom of expression, but I shall also\\ngrant you a license for the indulgence of your passions.\\nI being the pope of the new order of religious sen-\\ntiment, shall set the example. I hereby cast aside\\nmy vows, and will marry. The one whom I have\\nchosen to be my partner in the modern dispensation,\\nalso ignores her vows. Henceforth it will be known\\nto all men that a monk and a nun are your guides\\nand in order that we may work in harmony, we will be\\nman and wife. But he had hardly finished speaking,\\nwhen a voice was heard from merry England. Things\\ndid not work pleasingly for Henry, so he declared\\nhimself to be another pope, and set his people both an\\nadmirable and pious example by discarding his virtuous\\nqueen and marrying another woman Shining lights,\\nthese new expounders of the word of God Mag-\\nnanimous in their example as well as godly in the\\nworship of their own opinions\\nPretty soon there were others who deemed themselves\\nworthy to divide the honors with Martin Luther and\\nHenry VIIL Catching the spirit of insubordination,\\nthey arose and ere long hundreds were preaching\\nsalvation in new forms to their fellows, and destruction\\nto those who refused to be their disciples. Now all these\\nentertained different views of religion, and everyone\\nspoke according to his views. That they differed, is\\nevident for had they no difference, they would all be", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0080.jp2"}, "81": {"fulltext": "SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 77\\nin one faith but they were not, as the testimony of\\ntheir own mouths declares. Luther taught not the\\ndoctrine of Henry. Calvin disagreed with both. Thus\\neveryone differed with every other one. Was this unity?\\nLet yourselves answer. But truth is one. It is not\\nsubject to decay or change. Moreover, our Divine\\nLord never said to Luther, Henry, Calvin, or Wesley,\\nand a host of other so-called reformers, I shall be with\\nyou all days, even to the cojisitrnmation of the world.\\nThe unity of the Church, so marvellous in its\\nnature as well as perpetual in its endurance, should in-\\nduce every rational creature to think. It is one of the\\nmost ponderous proofs of the divine origin, mission,\\nand destiny. To see such unbroken adhesion to faith\\nin every age and nation, when everything else suf-\\nfered disintegration, is, to say the least, wonderful.\\nSchools of philosophy and of science, systems of\\ngovernment and of religion, have been repeatedly\\nchanged one school or system arising on the ruins\\nof another each one maintaining its own excellence\\nabove all competitors all supported by considerable\\nscholarship and genius. But time has plucked the laurels\\nfrom the. brows of their advocates and admirers. Old\\nsystems are forgotten or, if remembered at all, they\\nare only known by a few who study their principles in\\norder to know their defects or to apply what may be\\nbeneficial in them. Various systems of natural and\\nmetaphysical science have attracted the attention of the\\nworld. They rose, flourished, and departed. Monarchs\\nswaying the decisions of nations, inflicting ruin and des-\\nolation, dictating their will to other powers, have been\\nswallowed up in the gulch of oblivion. Opinions have\\nchanged, crowns have fallen, thrones have tottered,\\nthe map of Europe has been repeatedly changed, but", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0081.jp2"}, "82": {"fulltext": "78 SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nthe unity of the Church remains undisturbed.\\nIn comparing Protestantism to Catholicity, Mr.\\nGuizot, a historian of France, notes the weight of this\\nargument based upon the unity of the Church, and\\nattempts to obviate its force by observing the difference\\nin ecclesiastical government: People have not known,\\nhe says, how to reconcile the rights and necessities\\nof tradition with liberty and the cause of it has\\nundoubtedly been, that the Reformation did not fully\\nunderstand and accept either its principles or its\\neffects. Now we inquire, what must Protestantism be\\nwhen it does not understand its own principles and\\neffects\\nA Catholic could have expressed neither a more\\nformal nor a more cogent condemnation of Protestant-\\nism than did Mr. Guizot. The Reformation which has,\\nwe are told, so illuminated the minds of men which\\nhas dragged, from the depths of ignorance, so many\\nmillions of human creatures which has unshackled the\\nintellect and given freedom to mankind that it did not\\nknow its principles and effects, is strange indeed.\\nCan society, after such a declaration, confide its tem-\\nporal welfare and eternal destiny to that establishment\\ncalled the Reformation But Mr. Guizot continues\\nThence arises a certain air of inconsistency and\\nnarrowness of spirit which has often given advantages\\nover it to its opponent (the Catholic Church). The\\nlatter knew very well what they did and what they\\nwished. They ascended to the principles of their con-\\nduct, and avowed all their consequences. There never\\nwas a government more consistent, more systematic,\\nthan the Church of Rome.\\nInstead of inconsistency and narrowness of spirit,\\nwhich Mr. Guizot, a Protestant, ascribes to Protestant-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0082.jp2"}, "83": {"fulltext": "SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 79\\nism, we would expect from the great Reformation\\nharmony in principles and magnanimity in action. But\\nthe Catholic Church knew very well, says Guizot, what\\nshe did and what she wished. To be sure she did for\\nprevious to the Reformation she had fifteen centuries of\\nexperience. She ought to know, especially since the\\nHoly Ghost protected her from error and the Son of\\nGod was on board her barque. Let him tell us what\\nwas the origin of the Church of Rome What made\\nher so consistent and systematic in her government\\nWhat saved her from the restless elements of dissolu-\\ntion, so innate in the minds of men Other societies,\\nboth political and religious, have experienced the\\ndestroying hand of time as well as the inconsistency of\\nhuman things. The Church, however, continued her\\ndivine course amid the contentions of states she has\\ntriumphed over the most bitter controversies, and has\\nsurvived the downfall of empires she has had, and still\\nhas, enemies the most implacable, whose mighty power\\nwas only equalled by their deadly hatred. Yet from\\ntheir maliciousness and from the potent vicissitudes of\\nages, she has come forth united in faith, consistent in\\ndoctrine, systematic in her government, and untar-\\nnished in luster.\\nWe challenge our adversaries to demonstrate this\\nphenomenon on any other basis or hypothesis than\\nthat of her divine origin. There is not anything in the\\nhistory of knowledge which compares with her unrivalled\\nunity. The Catholic religion has flourished in nations in\\nwar with one another though their jealousies clashed,\\nshe still remained the ruling queen of their hearts and\\nconsciences. Catholics of various nations met and\\ndisputed over problems grave in their nature and far-\\nreaching in their consequences but after the contention,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0083.jp2"}, "84": {"fulltext": "80 SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.\\nthey knelt to adore the same God, in the same manner.\\nShe has entered the lyceums of knowledge in every land\\nfor the purpose of arguing the heated questions of the\\nhour she has invited and encouraged discussion\\nupon all themes engaging the attention of the human\\nintellect yet she has always maintained her unity.\\nHer children, in every clime, have won the trophies of\\nerudition they have disputed among themselves and\\nwith others they have been rivals of one another but\\nafter the struggle had passed, they bowed their laurel\\ncrowned head to her maternal rules. Notwithstanding\\nhunian frailty and human ambition, they remained\\nfaithful in that unity established by her divine Guide.\\nSearch history from the dawn of creation until sunset\\nthis evening and if you find anywhere so vast a com-\\nbination of genius in union within one faith, so many\\nnations in submission to the same spiritual authority,\\nso much discussion without a breach in doctrine, you\\nwill have made an important discovery, and science will\\nhave to attempt to explain a new phenomenon Her\\nunity, indeed, can only be explained by the fact that\\nthe Son of God is the author of her heaven born system.\\nAssisted by His power, she has come forth from every\\nconflict with victory perched upon her banner, and her\\nbrow wreathed with the bays of faith, hope, charity,\\nand justice. As in the past, so in the future, she will\\ncontinue to teach mankind the truths of religion, em-\\nbodied in her commission and her glory will consist in\\nthe number of her saints and martyrs, in the erudition\\nof her children, and the unity of their faith I", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0084.jp2"}, "85": {"fulltext": "SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY.\\nWhy stand ye here all the day idle 7 (St. Math. xx. 6.)\\nMy Dear Friends Our Divine Lord here represents\\nHimself as a master of a family, who went out at differ-\\nent hours to hire workmen for his vineyard. Even at\\nthe eleventh hour, when every willing, healthy man\\nshould be at work, He goes out and finds men loafing\\nin the market-place. They were unemployed. No\\nman had hired them. Perhaps they did not want to\\nlabor or, the job offered them was not suitable. Some\\nof them might be like many in our day, who will not\\nlabor unless they obtain a peculiar sort of employment,\\nsomething agreeable to themselves. They neverthe-\\nless accepted the invitation extended to them by the\\nMaster and when evening had come, they received\\nas much reward as the others who had borne the\\nburden of the day and the heat. Now this appears, at\\nfirst thought, to be unjust yet you must not forget that\\nthe last laborers might have exerted themselves to the\\nextreme limits of their energies. In the time during\\nwhich they toiled, they might have applied themselves\\nwith all their strength, zeal, and willingness. They\\nwould thus show their good intention, and give to the\\nMaster proof of their desire to do all in their power.\\nThe manner in which they worked, the readiness with\\n81", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0085.jp2"}, "86": {"fulltext": "82 SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY.\\nwhich they accepted the invitation, was undoubtedly\\npleasing to the Master, who rewarded them equally with\\nthe first. The Master, moreover, did no injustice for\\nHe gave to everyone according to the agreement.\\nNow you need not be told that many commenta-\\ntors on the Scriptures understand the vineyard to be\\nthe Church and the market-place, the world. Some\\npersons enter the Church at an advanced age others\\nare born within its fold but the former may be more\\nzealous, may see with a keener eye the beauties of the\\nChurch, may admire with a more profound devotion\\nthe exhaustless fountains of grace therein contained,\\nand may apply these magnificent means of salvation\\nto their own souls with more ardor and gratitude than\\nthe Catholic whose infancy was blessed by the waters\\nof regeneration. This one s labor is greater that\\none s merit. It is merit, not the labor, which receives\\nthe reward. It will also be admitted that not a few\\nCatholics living and dying in the Church, do not\\ndeserve the reward due to a single hour of earnest\\nChristian effort.\\nMay not your Lord and Master say to many Catho-\\nlics Wky stand ye here all the day idle f Yea;\\nHe may even demand of them Why stand ye here\\nall the days and months and years of your life, idle\\nAnd they cannot reply, No man has hired us for\\nthey are already hired but they are idle, unprofitable\\nservants. They have plenty to do, still they do it not.\\nThey are lazy in the affairs of their eternal salvation.\\nThey have not the heart, the willingness to labor.\\nThey must be goaded on. They are not cheerful in\\ndoing good works. They are not fijled with the spirit\\nof love in the performance of their religious duties.\\nInstead of striving to excel from day to day, they are", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0086.jp2"}, "87": {"fulltext": "SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 83\\ncontent in the indifferent, lifeless way in which they\\nlive. Activity, enterprise, and energy may be their\\ncharacteristics in the other pursuits of life but in\\nreligion, they seem like one sick and without ambition.\\nIf they hear Mass on Sunday in a very questionable\\nframe of mind, this act of devotion to God is sufificient.\\nIndeed, we may draw from their conduct the inference,\\nthat a great favor has been bestowed upon God by the\\nperformance of the obligation mentioned. Instead of\\nthat soul-pervading spirit, that religious impetus to do\\nall in their power to accomplish the grand end of their\\ncreation, they are all the day idle Are we Let us put\\nthe question to ourselves. Are we ardently engaged\\nin the Master s vineyard Are we unrelenting in our\\ndaily pious exercises Are we permeated with a\\nglowing love for our Creator, and a desire to do His holy\\nwill In the eternal interests of others, do we manifest\\nthat zeal indispensible to faithful workers in the vineyard\\nof the Lord Do we set an edifying example do we\\ndiscountenance the rude, the vulgar, the licentious or\\neven reprimand them, when we can Are we as zealous\\nin saving souls, as we are in making money If one\\ncares for himself, he may think this enough but it is not\\nenough. When and where he can, he should exert him-\\nself by word and example to bring others to God, Let\\nhim weigh the cost of a soul as far as possible estimate\\nthe worth of a soul as this priceless being appears to\\nGod and then labor to save at least one soul besides his\\nown. One of the great causes of indifference in spir-\\nitual matters, is that we do not sufficiently dwell upon\\nreligion, its sincere practice and its aims.\\nAlthough Our Lord accused some of idleness, may\\nHe not condemn others for being worse than idle\\nWhat of those persons who, instead of doing good, are", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0087.jp2"}, "88": {"fulltext": "84 SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY.\\nincessantly engaged in doing evil What of those\\nwho, instead of prayer, use the wonderful faculty of\\nspeech which God has so benignly given them, to\\nutter the foulest language Not satisfied by degrad-\\ning themselves, they seek to degrade and destroy\\nothers. In every den of iniquity they saturate them-\\nselves with vice and crime and then in their madness\\nseduce others to enter the thorny, precipitous way to\\nhell. And such, sometimes Catholics Catholics\\npurified in the saving waters of Baptism Catholics\\ncleansed so often in early life, from sin in the grace-\\ngiving Sacrament of Penance Catholics happy once,\\nafter Holy Communion, with their Divine Lord in\\ntheir bosoms Catholics blessed in so many ways,\\nnow defiled, now boasting of their wickedness, now\\nexulting in the number of their victims Alas they\\nare immensurably worse than idle. Would that they\\nwere dead beyond the reach of further harm to them-\\nselves or destruction to others. Such were called into\\nthe vineyard but bad company, temptation, or their\\nown perverseness, has led them from the abode of\\ninnocence and peace. There are many other Catholics,\\nthough not addicted to those awful sins which destroy\\nwhile they fascinate, are yet in no wise profitably\\nengaged. They, too, are worse than idle. Of those we\\nshall not now speak, but shall devote a few moments\\nto those who are studious laborers in the Master s\\nvineyard.\\nIn the first place, let us examine the sentence, Many\\nare called, but few are chosen! According to some\\ndoctors of the Church, it is supposed that those who\\nare not chosen, are damned. Others maintain that\\nthe expression signifies that all are called to a life of\\ngrace but only a few attain to perfection only a few", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0088.jp2"}, "89": {"fulltext": "SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 85\\nembrace the religious life and observe the evangelical\\ncounsels. But now, should our Divine Lord in person\\naddress you, saying Come ijito My vineyard. Why\\nare you idle when there is so much to be done f Come,\\nlabor for Me, and I shall give you eternal life. Could\\nyou resist the invitation Would you turn away from\\nHim and say Next week, or next month or, I am\\nyet young, and wish to taste of the pleasures of this\\nworld. After this I shall comply. Oh, no you\\nwould be fascinated by His goodness and delighted by\\nHis appeal. Still you seem forgetful that your Lord\\nand Master is constantly exhorting you, through His\\nChurch, to come to Him yet how few listen, and\\nfewer yet accept the heaven-born inspiration.\\nIn serving God, you must be heart and soul in your\\nefforts. You must bear the burdens of the day and the\\nheats. In leading a Christian life, your hearts must be\\nsubmissive. These are maxims divine utterances,\\nessential to you. These beautiful sayings of our Saviour\\nmust be observed: Lear?i of Me, for I am meek a7id\\nhumble of heart! Love those who hate you do good\\nto those who despise you pray for those who speak evil\\nagainst you! Take up your cross and follow Me,\\nwith many another sublime expression from the lips\\nof Jesus Himself. Will you be free from trials in His\\nservice By no means. Affliction will come. Adver-\\nsity will strike you cruel blows. Sorrow may haunt\\nyou. All the ills of life may combine to vent their\\nfury upon you but Jesus is with you. These will\\ndraw you closer to Him, and make Him and you\\nbetter friends and when the storm is the darkest\\nHe will quiet your fears and pour the solace of His\\nlove into your troubled hearts. While your journey\\nthrough life will be marked by trouble, still there", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0089.jp2"}, "90": {"fulltext": "36 SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY.\\nwill be a sweetness in your sufferings which will fill\\nthe heart often with placid joy, just as the balmy\\nair of spring expands the heart by its magic influence\\nand expels all thoughts of the fierce winter storms.\\nCompare the state of your mind with that of those\\nwho persist in a reckless, sinful career and you will\\neasily perceive that your troubles are joys for your\\nHeavenly Master is your support, while a cancerous\\nconscience, a remorseful heart, and the Infernal One\\nwhom the sinner has served, torture him night and\\nday.\\nBegin early in life to love God. Grow not wearisome\\nin doing good. Let your highest ambition be to toil\\narduously in the Lord s vineyard. Let your hearts be\\nso brimful of heavenly aspiration, that you will ever\\nrejoice in seeing others obeying God s law, and in\\ndoing all in your power to influence your associates to\\navoid bad company. Make use of early life consecrate\\nyourselves to God s service offer every thought, word,\\nand action to Him and learn also from the following\\nwords of the poet, not to squander the time given you\\nfor noble purposes\\nO Man while in thy early years,\\nHow prodigal of time\\nMisspending all thy precious hours,\\nThy glorious youthful prime\\nAlternate follies take the sway,\\nLicentious passions burn\\nWhich tenfold force give Nature s law,\\nThat man was made to mourn. Burns,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0090.jp2"}, "91": {"fulltext": "SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY.\\nNow the parable is this The seed is the word of God.\\n(St. Luke viii. II.)\\nMy Dear Friends Our Saviour explains this parable\\nof the sower and the seed so completely as to leave no\\ndoubt of its signification. The seed is the word of God.\\nSome falls by the wayside, and is trampled under foot.\\nThere is no regard for it. The devil, of course, hates\\nthe words of divine wisdom, and plucks them out\\nbefore they have even taken root. Some falls upon\\nthe rocks. There is no moisture there is no heavenly\\ninspired desire to cherish the seed, and it withers away.\\nSome falls upon thorns. These outgrow the seed.\\nThere is more solicitude for their growth than for the\\nword of God. The word which leads to eternal life is\\nneglected for the cares and the riches and pleasures of\\ntemporal life. A portion of the seed, however, falls\\nupon good ground, and brings forth fruit a hundred-\\nfold. The patient, docile heart listens to the word of\\nGod, nourishes it in the fertility of a Christian soul,\\nwith the result of spiritual advancement for himself\\nand others.\\nNow, we may inquire which of these four classes\\nis the happiest Which can be the happiest Every\\nsane person must reply the fourth that is, those who\\n87", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0091.jp2"}, "92": {"fulltext": "B8 SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY.\\npreserve the sacred word of God in their hearts because\\nthe more closely we are united to God, the source of\\nall bliss, the more happy we are just as the nearer we\\napproach the sun, the more we are effected by its heat.\\nWhy, indeed, so many of the human race disregard the\\nteachings of the Eternal Lawgiver, is a problem\\ndifficult to comprehend. The farther they depart from\\nHim, the more miserable they become. In their woes,\\nthere is little consolation for them. They have aban-\\ndoned the invigorating rays of heaven. When old age\\ncomes upon them, whither will they look for solace\\nand when the grave yearns to receive them, where will\\nbe the star of their hope If there is a struggle in the\\ndeath of the just, who can depict the despair of the\\nunrepentant sinner\\nHow many of our Protestant friends may be com-\\npared to the wayside upon which the seed fell They\\nhear often much about the Catholic Church. At their\\nleisure, they will examine her claims. They will give\\nher an impartial hearing before the tribunal of their\\nprivate judgment. In all sincerity, I believe they mean\\nwell but ere the examination, such as it may be,\\nis considered, the prejudice or bigotry of pamphlets read\\nor of fanatical ministers heard, pluck the thought from\\ntheir minds, and the investigation is never begun.\\nHad the research not been postponed had unbiased\\nreason, with her lamp filled even from Nature s source,\\nbeen permitted to examine the mooted questions, how\\nmany Protestants would think better of the Church\\nnay, how many converts would there not be for the\\nChurch of Christ The seed is plucked out, lest believ-\\ning, they may be saved. Indeed, we may add, without\\nfear of doing injustice to anyone, that bad Catholics\\nare often the ones who tear out the word of God from", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0092.jp2"}, "93": {"fulltext": "SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY. 89\\nmany a heart. Their shameful excesses, their corrupt-\\ning behavior, their disregard for the teachings of their\\nChurch, sometimes induce Protestants to imagine that the\\nCatholic faith is the parent of such abominable disorders.\\nThe rocks upon which the seed barely germinated,\\nmay suggest to us those Catholics to whom we have\\nalready referred. They have received the word of God\\nwith joy. As children, they rejoiced in the blessings of\\nan innocent life. But, alas! how the character of the\\nheart has changed. The frosts of temptation blew\\nupon the seed. Where all was once so fair, now the\\nblight of sin has blasted every lovely virtue, every\\ngreat-souled inspiration Where angels loved to hover,\\nnow the dark mantle of iniquity hangs like a pall over\\nthe death-chamber of many an exalted aspiration\\nDeplorable it is to see Catholics sinking into the abyss\\nof wickedness and what is worse, maintaining those\\ndives of drunkenness where those who enter leave\\ninnocence behind They receive the word with joy\\nbut their joys are transformed into ruination for them-\\nselves and the unwary.\\nThe seed also fell among thorns. It was choked\\nby the weeds. Here you can easily perceive a struggle*\\nAn effort is made yet it is too feeble, and the seed brings\\nforth no fruit. Every nerve might have been strained\\nfor a time, so that the seed might not fail. The Sacra-\\nment of Penance was approached with a contrite heart\\nthe bread of angels was received to nourish the word\\ntherein mystically veiled but the desire of riches and\\npleasures, the engrossing cares of life all were too\\nmuch for a person with a strong inclination for the\\nvile, though he might have entertained some relish for\\nthe good and the pure. What was the outcome\\nNo less a person than Christ the Saviour has told you", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0093.jp2"}, "94": {"fulltext": "90 SEXAGESlMA SUNDAY.\\nthat the thorns of care and pleasure and riches\\nsuffocated the word, which is to those who preserve\\nit, a pledge of endless felicity. The thorns of life\\nare often preferred to the roses of innocent tranquillity.\\nThe eternal word is weighed against the weeds of\\navarice and lasciviouness and intemperance, and the\\nweeds preponderate. Often, indeed, the word of God is\\nnot a feather in the balance. A choice is instituted\\nbetween Jesus and the robber of temporal and eternal\\njoys and like the Jews, the preference is for the rob-\\nber. Would that Catholics reflected upon the enormity\\nof their transgressions, and the awful consequences\\nthereof\\nWhy do not Catholics ponder well in their hearts,\\nthe word of God, and be directed by its salutary sug-\\ngestions To this question it may be answered that in\\nmany cases they have no relish for anything or any\\nperson that would restrain them from the inevitable\\ndestruction which awaits them. They have eyes,\\nbut they see not ears, and they hear not intellects,\\nstill they do not understand. Sin has blinded their\\neyes and made deaf their ears to the teachings of Christ.\\nThe intellect is blunted, while the pure, elevating emo-\\ntions of the heart are poisoned by the cravings for the\\nfilthy and the lecherous. If they attend Mass, they\\nnever hear a sermon. This is avoided b}^ hearing an\\nearly Mass, only to spend the remainder of the day in\\ndebauchery. Were this class of Catholics to listen to a\\nsermon occasionally, they would derive much spiritual\\nbenefit therefrom. The seed of the word of God may\\nfind an entrance into their souls and fructify. They\\nmay pause, and in their meditation resolve to abandon\\nforever those haunts which bring them no good. In\\nthis manner, they would nurture the word of God in their", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0094.jp2"}, "95": {"fulltext": "SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY. 91\\nhearts. It would stimulate them to devotion, and\\ndevotion would draw them nearer to their God.\\nStill, it is very painful to think of the number of\\nCatholics who do listen to sermons, yet imbibe no good\\ntherefrom. The admonitions are always for somebody\\nelse. They seldom take them to themselves. If, how-\\never, the remark fits them as closely as a plaster of Paris\\njacket does a patient, then they are fired with bitterness\\nfoward the priest who has dared to be so bold. In\\nfact, the priest may not know of their excesses, and\\nconsequently never intended the sermon to be more\\nthan an exhortation against sin. His comments flow\\nas naturally from the Gospel as water from a fountain\\nbut since water washes away the dirt it meets, so the\\nwords of the priest collide with the dross of polluted\\nhearts. The priest who labors unremittingly to expel\\nimmorality and drunkenness from his congregation, is\\none who will be paid by bitter censure and unkind\\ninvectives. He is nevertheless the sower. He must\\nbe dauntless and in the end his enemies will praise\\nhis zealousness yes, even pray for him, for they find\\nhim their friend.\\nOthers will take the sermon as a subject for afternoon\\ngossip. It was such a delightful discourse. How\\neloquent in delivery How masterful in the treatment\\nof the subject How broad and liberal in its compre-\\nhension Really, I could sit and listen to such a\\nsermon for hours. But how such a person s ears must\\nhave tingled I would have been so ashamed, I could\\nnot have sat there. I venture to say the sermon was\\nmeant for him, and indeed he could have taken every\\nword to himself. I wonder how the priest found it all\\nout. Somebody must have told him all. Well, it is a\\ngood thing. In this manner the talk goes on. But do", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0095.jp2"}, "96": {"fulltext": "92 SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY.\\nthey take the lessons contained in the sermom to them-\\nselves Oh, no they are beyond criticism of every\\nsort. But is this gossip charitable Is this what the\\nCatholic Church teaches them What good have these\\nslanderers obtained from the sermon or from assisting at\\nthe adorable sacrifice of the Mass Are they not, alas\\nblinded to their own best interests and those grand\\nprecepts taught by the Son of God\\nWe are happy, however, to know that many there are\\nwho make the word of God the rule of their lives.\\nThey do not hear to forget or disregard, but to comply\\nwith the teachings of the Church. These bring forth\\nfruit a hundredfold, in patience. The dark, rolling\\nclouds of trouble may gather around them still from\\nbeyond the tempest they know that God is looking\\ndown upon them, that He will protect them by His\\nalmighty arm. The clouds break, and the horizon of\\nthe future once more is serene. From the storm they\\nhave gathered strength. Gratitude fills their hearts\\nfor the protection given them. In every-day life they\\nare practical Catholics. In all their transactions they\\nare governed by the will of heaven. They draw lessons\\nof wisdom from the things around them, and in all the\\nmanifestations of Nature, they behold signs of a benevo-\\nlent Creator. They are faithful Catholics, and by this\\nfidelity they are elevated to a contemplation of human\\nexistence and the goodness of God. From this contem-\\nplation they derive solace in adversity and confidence\\nin the Almighty. In this manner they nourish the seed\\nof the word of God they produce an abundance of\\nfruit, and they die the death of the just.\\nLet us learn a lesson to-day from the Gospel. Our\\nLord spoke thus, that all generations may take heed.\\nWe should not only approve of His teachings, but also", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0096.jp2"}, "97": {"fulltext": "SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY. 93\\nlay them up in our hearts making them the criterion\\nof our conduct, so that we, too, may bring forth fruit\\na hundredfold.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0097.jp2"}, "98": {"fulltext": "QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY.\\nThen Jesus took unto Himself t/ie twelve y and said to them\\nBehold^ we go up to Jerusalem^ and all things shall be aeeom-\\nplished^ which were written by the prophets, concerning the\\nSon of Man. (Luke xviii. 31.)\\nMy Dear Friends: Our hoi}- IMothcM- the Church places\\nbefore our minds this niornini;-, a very useful subject for\\nour consideration. Jesus invites the apostles to accom-\\npany Him to Jerusalem. In the past, they had been\\nwitnesses of His prodigious works they were soon to\\nbehold the awful tragedy of His passion and death. He\\nwishes them present, that they may see the things about\\nto be accomplished, and afterward to publish to all man-\\nkind the things which they saw. His religion was not\\nto die with Himself, but survive Him hence it was\\nindispensibletohave witnesses of His acts persons who\\nwould promulgate to the world the things which they\\nsaw and heard. The apostles were ignorant of the\\nterrible acts about to transpire. Before long, how-\\never, they realized the mournful truth: He shall he\\nmocked and scourged and spit upon a fid put to death.\\nLet me invite you, my dear friends, now, almost on\\nthe eve of Ash-Wednesday, to meditate upon our duty\\nduring the holy season of Lent. Let us in thought go\\nup to ancient Jerusalem. What do you behold Jeru-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0098.jp2"}, "99": {"fulltext": "QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 95\\nsalem with all her pristine splendors Jerusalem, within\\nwhose walls the Jews so often had gathered together in\\nprayer Jerusalem, the pride of the Jews and the object\\nof their solicitous care Jerusalem, which is now about\\nto be the theatre in which will soon be enacted the\\nawfulest drama in the history of human affairs We see\\na little group enter one of the gates. It is Jesus and His\\napostles. We feel like prostrating ourselves before His\\nadorable person, but fear to make so bold. There are\\nthe doctors of the law and Herod and Caiphas and\\nPilate. We peer into the judgment hall, where the sen-\\ntence will be pronounced which will astonish heaven\\nitself. Overawed by these recollections crowding upon\\nyou, you ask: For what is all this? You need not be\\ntold that all these scenes recurrmg to your imagination,\\nfind their reality in the life and death of Christ; and the\\nmerits of that life and death you should apply to your\\nown souls.\\nThere is a Jerusalem beyond the grave your heavenly\\nhome for the possession of which you should strive.\\nYour Lord said to His apostles Behold, wc go up to\\nJcf2isa/cni. Come to My Jerusalem, come where there\\nis no pain you shall not be mocked or scourged or\\nspit upon; nor shall you here hwiv death. Will\\nyou accept the invitation Yes everyone exclaims.\\nBut you must remember that the way thereto is steep\\nand rugged. Efforts stern, uncompromising efforts are\\ndemanded of all those who will reach this home of end.\\nless happiness. How did Jesus throw open the portals\\nof these eternal mansions of joy By climbing Calvary\\nwith His cross and dying an ignominious death thereon.\\nShould you attain to those heavenly raptures pre-\\npared for the just, you, too, must take up your cross and\\nbear it bravely until you have reached the summit of", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0099.jp2"}, "100": {"fulltext": "96 QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY.\\nyour years on earth. How will you accomplish this\\nfeat The way is simple enough in itself, yet arduous\\nbut the heat and the burden will be much diminished, if\\nyou be friends of your merciful Redeemer. Everyone\\nwishes to be His friend. He is so deserving of your\\nfriendship, so watchful of you, so desirous for both\\nyour temporal and eternal interests, that you cannot\\nrefuse to be His friends. Still, it must not be over-\\nlooked, that the permanency of such friendship requires\\nan incessant struggle. Enemies are on all sides of you.\\nNay, more; you are not seldom your own most bitter\\nenemies. The world, with its allurements, must be\\navoided the devil must be conquered yourselves must\\nbe subdued. All this is no easy task. The blandish-\\nments of the wicked are to be shunned; the temptations\\nof hell must be overcome your own follies, together\\nwith your low propensities, are to be banished and\\ninstead of these things you must cultivate a love for every-\\nthing morally high, ennobling, and sublime. The way\\nto heaven is arduous, we have intimated thorns are\\nstrewn there but roses are there, too. It is the truly\\ngreat who are found therein the honest and the truth-\\nful, the noble-souled and faithful. Were one to make\\nan intelligent choice, it is here he would wish to be\\nfound, with no shame upon his brow nor malice in his\\nheart, rather than among the vile, the lecherous, and\\nthe polluted.\\nBut having made the selection of the way to the\\nparadise beyond the grave, how will you persist in your\\nresolution The holy season into which you are about\\nto enter will teach you what are requisite for the jour-\\nney. It will be a training which, if properly observed,\\nwill impart a discipline which will be a lamp to\\nyour understanding, a guide to your poor bruised feet,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0100.jp2"}, "101": {"fulltext": "QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 97\\nand an angel directing your emotions. The meditation\\nsuggested by Lent, the devotion of the Way of the Cross,\\nalms, prayer, and fasting, all purify the soul, while they\\nexalt it to an affectionate contemplation of the pas-\\nsion, death, and love of the Son of God. From a devout\\nconsideration of all the mercies of Jesus toward the\\nhuman race, will arise a nobleness of thought, a lofti-\\nness of aspiration, a purity of intention, which will lift\\nyou above yourselves, and anchor your affections in the\\nbosom of your Saviour.\\nWhere can you find a better means for self-discipline\\nthan in fasting It trains you to suppress your appe-\\ntites. The cravings for luxury and abundance are sup-\\npressed; and instead of catering to their whims, you\\ngive to Nature little where much is demanded. You\\nthus become masters of yourselves. The denials are\\nnot such as to endanger health; but, on the contrary,\\nthey bestow strength of character, as well as restraint\\nof animal desires. An effort entailing sacrifice is\\nrequired still, as all worthy sacrifices have an inestimable\\nreward, so with fasting. It makes you feel how weak\\nand frail you are, how much you are depending upon\\nGod s bounty, and conduces you to look with pity upon\\nthe frailty of others. While it humbles you in this\\nmanner, it only bids you think of your own lowliness,\\nof your own poverty of body and mind. You form\\nthereby a true estimate of yourselves, as well as a higher\\nidea of others you are in this manner cementing the\\nfoundations upon which you can erect a permanent\\nstructure of charitable works and intellectual archieve-\\nments. You also obtain control of yourselves\\nyou weed out vice and sin, while you sow the seeds of\\nvirtue, and merit the gifts of grace. In fine, the great-\\nest proof for the efficacy of fasting, is in the example", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0101.jp2"}, "102": {"fulltext": "98 QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY.\\nof Jesus Himself. Did He know it would be injurious\\nto mankind, do you think He would ever have given\\nyou such a precedent for imitation. It was not for\\nHimself He fasted, but to teach you a lesson of its\\nusefulness, and of the nobleness which self-abnegation\\nimparts.\\nThough the Scriptures abound with proofs of the\\nmerit and excellence of fasting, and reason concurs in\\nadmitting its beneficent fruits, it is only our intention to\\nmerely recall to your minds, at this time, its wonder-\\nful efificacy, so that you may ponder, at your leisure,\\nupon the vast scope which it embraces. Having, there-\\nfore, intimated the practice and its benefits, we shall\\ndevote a few thoughts to almsgiving.\\nTo give alms is, indeed, a praiseworthy act of charity.\\nIt is of a twofold benefit: it helps the recipient and\\nblesses the giver. By giving to the needy, man becomes\\na benefactor of God ^As long as you did it to one of these\\nMy least brethre?i, you did it to Me. St. Math xx v. 40.\\nYour astonishment at these words of your Lord and\\nSaviour must increase when you sufificiently weigh their\\nimportance, for from these words we conclude that he\\nwho refuses assistance to the poor, refuses the God of the\\npoor and he who refuses God, may in the timeof distress,\\nlook in vain to Him for help. Why, then, not assist the\\nneedy Why should some starve or suffer the pangs\\nof hunger, when others are burdened with wealth Is\\nnot man only the steward of his opulence, the possessor\\nfor a few years Will he deny to his fellow-man, in\\ndays of need, a helping hand, yet expect that God will\\npardon the narrowness of his flinty heart? He who\\nsoweth sparingly, shall also reap sparingly and he who soweth\\nijL blessings, shall also reap of blessings! (2 Cor. ix. 6.)\\nWe may add that he who sows nothing, will reap nothing,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0102.jp2"}, "103": {"fulltext": "QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 99\\nThe stingy will be rewarded according to the measure\\nmeted out by him. His grasping and hoarding will\\npoison the fountain of magnanimous emotion in his\\nniggardly heart. In his store of wealth he will expect\\nto find comfort, but he will only find wretchedness and\\nsorrow. The one who gives with as generous a heart\\nas his purse allows, will reap the blessings of the poor\\nand the benedictions of heaven.\\nAlmsgiving bestows upon the donor fervent im-\\npulses, which help him to a closer union with heaven.\\nHis soul is filled with inexpressible satisfaction and\\ntranquillity; his heart beats in sympathy with the\\nunfortunate and the hungry. The recollections of favors\\nbestowed, as well as the happiness accruing to the\\nassisted, bring him blessings indescribable. He is\\nlaying up treasures where the moth or the rust will not\\ndevour, but where he will receive incalculable usury on\\nhis investment. Everyone, consequently, should give,\\nduring this season of Lent, what alms he is able. Such\\nwill be a very meritorious work it will blot out many\\nof his transgressions, and will render others happy. He\\nwill have their prayers. Upon his death-bed, the\\nremembrance of his charitable acts will be a solace to\\nhim; and the angel of charity will wipe away the cold,\\nclammy sweat from his noble forehead.\\nLet us now dwell briefly upon that sublime exercise\\nthe Way of the Cross. During the year, every Catholic\\nshould engage often in this very pious devotion. No\\nweek should escape in which he does not make the sta-\\ntions; but, if this is true of other seasons of the year, and\\nundoubtedly it is, how much more so at this time. You\\nwill be preparing for the glorious feast of the Resurrection.\\nYou intend to participate with true Catholic piety, in\\nthe festivities of that joyful Sunday but how can you\\nLofC.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0103.jp2"}, "104": {"fulltext": "100 QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY.\\nhave the proper spirit, unless you meditate upon your\\nLord s journey from Pilate s judgment hall to the sepul-\\nchre Will He grant to those who are indifferent to\\nHis passion an exalted appreciation for His magnificent\\nResurrection They who have no heart to feel for His\\nsufferings, will not partake of the glories of the feast.\\nIt is unnecessary to urge you to participate in this\\ndevout exercise, to join the Church throughout the coun-\\ntry in her pious prayers because you are impregnated\\nwith a love of the cross and all it teaches. This devotion\\nincludes, of course, all which could be said on prayer\\nfor it contains heart-affecting thoughts upon Christ s\\nhumiliation, torture, and death. The Way of the Cross\\nassures you of Christ s love for man, awakens loving\\ncompassion for your beneficent Redeemer, and draws\\nyou nearer Him and His heavenly Jerusalem.\\nLet us, then, my dear friends, begin Lent in a spirit\\nof true contrition and love contrition for all our sins,\\nand love for our greatest Benefactor and Friend. We\\nare notignorantof the significance of our Saviour s words:\\nLet us go up to Jerusalem^ The apostles, at the time,\\ndid not interpret His meaning, but by His death these\\nwords were made clear to us. We ought, therefore, to\\nlisten to the voice of our holy Mother the Church,\\ncalling upon us in spirit to go up to Jerusalem for the\\npurpose of meditating upon the wonders which there\\ntranspired. By submission to her entreaties, Lent will\\nbe for us a time of thoughtful prayer, and a means of\\nreplenishing our souls at the fountain of divine grace.\\nIn the energetic and benevolent performance of our\\nreligious duties of this Lenten season, let us hope to earn\\nfor ourselves the blessings of the poor and at the last\\nmoment of our lives, the invitation from our Saviour\\nCome up with Me to the Jerusalem of endless joys y", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0104.jp2"}, "105": {"fulltext": "FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT.\\nThen Jesus said to him Begone^ Satan^ for it is written\\nThe Lord thy God thou shalt adore^ and Him only shalt thou\\nserve. (Math. iv. lo.)\\nMy Dear Friends We have here a striking proof of\\nSatan s boldness, together with a forcible manifestation\\nof his malice toward mankind. He assailed heaven\\nhe conquered Paradise now he tempts the Son of\\nGod Himself. Exulting in his conquest of Eden, he\\nbelieved his revenge against heaven and against man\\nwas assured. In order that he may accomplish his\\ndesigns, he has incessantly striven to withdraw the\\nhuman race from its allegiance to the Creator. Like a\\nroaring lion says St. Paul, he goes about seekijig whom he\\nmay devour! The greater the servant of God, the greater\\nis his malicious efforts. When a person is in a position to\\ndo much good, when by his example or teaching he may\\nconduct many into the service of God, the devil strains\\nevery exertion to subdue this righteous servant, that by\\nhis fall many others may be lost to God and be enrolled\\nunder the banner of hell. In his victory over our first\\nparents, he had, by his subtle flattery, conquered the first\\nof the human race and the most perfect types of man-\\nkind. In the person of Jesus, he saw a most extra-\\nordinary character. He had heard at the baptism of\\nJesus, ^^This is My beloved Son, in whom, I am well\\n101", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0105.jp2"}, "106": {"fulltext": "102 FIRST SUNDAY IN LENI?.\\npleased^ but still doubted whether Jesus was the Son of\\nGod. To test Him, Satan awaits for what seems to him a\\nfavorable opportunity. Our Saviour, after a protracted\\nfast of forty days, is hungry. Then the devil appears,\\nand invites Him to change the stones at His feet into\\nbread, thus relieving His hunger by partaking of the\\nbread so miraculously transformed from stone. is\\nwitte?i, sdiys our Saviour to him, ma?i liveth not by bread\\nalone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of\\nGodr\\nThe devil, by no means dismayed, renews his tempta-\\ntion. Jesus is taken by him, and set upon the pinnacle\\nof the temple He bids Our Lord to cast Himself down,\\nflattering Him that angels would protect Him from\\nharm. But Jesus is more than man and consequently\\nnot a victim of Satan s cunningness, as were Adam and\\nEve and millions of others. Satan next holds out a\\nmost tempting offer. He will bestow the world and the\\nglory thereof upon the Creator of them, if falling down,\\nHe would adore him. Jesus now manifests His power\\nand authority over Satan. He commands the devil\\nBegone, Satan, for it is written: The Lord thy God thou\\nshalt adore, and Him only shall thou serve. The pride\\nand arrogance of Lucifer were in this instance over-\\nthrown. He obeyed the mandate, and departed from\\nJesus. By his compliance to the command, ^^Begone,\\nSatan he acknowledged his own inferiority and the\\nsupremacy of the Saviour of mankind. The devil, though\\ndamned into hell, adores and serves Almighty God.\\nHe adores Him, because he must revere Him as God,\\nthe Supreme Ruler and he serves Him, because he is\\nin hell by divine command, and in obedience to the\\nsupreme will.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0106.jp2"}, "107": {"fulltext": "FiESf SUNDAY IN LENT. 103\\nIt is our duty also to adore and serve God not from\\ncompulsion, but from salutary fear and filial love. He\\nhas given us free will hence we can adore and serve\\nHim, or refuse Him the homage of our obedience. Yet,\\nif we do not, the day will come when we must serve the\\nterm of punishment imposed upon us by Eternal Justice.\\nIndeed, it is not the fear of punishment which ought\\nto compel us to serve the Creator but actuated by love\\nthe truest and most profound, we should with pleasure\\nobey His will. By obedience toward Him, we perform\\nthe noblest duty which is in the power of man to\\nexecute. We become not only servants of God, but His\\nchildren by adoption. To claim to be a child of the\\nEternal Father, and have that claim allowed, is the\\ngrandest privilege bestowed upon man. We are His\\nchildren because He created us, and there is no power\\ncapable of depriving us of such blessed inheritance,\\nexcept that within the grasp of our own free will. By\\nour own conduct, we remain, after baptism, children of\\nGod and heirs to heaven or we become imps of\\nLuciferandvictimsof hell. God has not been wanting\\nin His holy care for us. In creating man, observe the\\nmajesty which He vouchsafed to confer upon him. Let\\nus make man says Almighty God, according to our\\nown image and likeness Wonder of wonders that\\nGod would in such a marvellous way dignify man\\nThat there would be any comparison between the\\nCreator of heaven and earth the eternal, self-existing\\nBeing and His poor, frail creature man That God,\\nwhose immensity is boundless, whose majesty is\\nbeyond description, whose glory is equal to His immen-\\nsity that He would deign to impress upon man His\\nimage and His likeness Should we hesitate to give\\nto such a Benefactor our allegiance and our homage", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0107.jp2"}, "108": {"fulltext": "104 FIEST SUNDAY IN LENT.\\nOught we ever cease praising and thanking Him for\\nso incomparable a favor With unfaltering love we\\nshould obey Him, that by our ready obedience we may\\ngive some proof of our high appreciation for this\\nunparalleled beneficence toward the human race.\\nIn order that we may the better understand the kind-\\nness of heaven in our behalf, let us institute a compari-\\nson. You are aware that the servants of a kinsf or\\nother ruler, consider themselves much honored by\\nbeing in the special service of their king. As their\\npromotion goes onward, at each step coming closer to\\ntheir ruler, their gratitude and fidelity increase. Were\\nthe king to adopt some of them into his own family,\\nthereby becoming heirs to the kingdom, their joy\\nwould know no bounds. In their allegiance to the\\nthrone, they would brave every danger, and on every\\noccasion demonstrate their love and attachment to\\ntheir king. But when the king has bestowed every\\nfavor within his power, he falls immensurably short\\nof what the King of kings. Almighty God, has conferred\\nupon you. Could the temporal ruler give you so much\\nas a single faculty of your soul or function of your\\nbody Though you already possess these, he could\\nnot so much as put them in healthy operation, were\\nthey to become impaired. Ponder well upon the\\ninestimable, the mysterious powers which God has given\\nyou, and the feebleness of kings and the meagreness of\\ntheir grandest gifts then you will have some concep-\\ntion of God s goodness toward you.\\nBut, how often you find soldiers and statesmen serv-\\ning with fidelity tyrants who are haughty, unscrupulous,\\nand savage. Soldiers will march bravely to the cannon s\\nmouth, to be shot down in defence of despots. Generals\\nwill vie with one another in order that a tyrannical", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0108.jp2"}, "109": {"fulltext": "FIKST SUNDAY IN LENT. 105\\nemperor will smile upon them, or that some greater dis-\\ntinction may be conferred, upon them. Even soldiers,\\nwhose native land has been pillaged, robbed of its hered-\\nitary rights, will rush into the jaws of death in obedience\\nto the tyrant who has trampled upon their rights^\\nimpoverished their country, and driven their very\\nparents into exile. How often, on many a bloody field,\\nhave not the Irish braved every danger and met death\\ndefiantly in defence of the English crown. You know\\nthe history of English gratitude toward them. Poland\\nis another among the many examples which can be\\ncited. In the Crimean War, after an awful battle, the\\nCzar visited the hospital. There among the wounded\\nand dying, he addressed a Polander who was suffer-\\ning intense pain from his many wounds. The Czar\\nendeavored to console him by praising his courage and\\nthe fortitude with which he bore his suffering, adding\\nthat he proved himself a great soldier, and fell fighting\\nin the noblest cause in which a man could be engaged\\nnamely, in defence of his country s honor. Where-\\nupon the soldier, striving to raise his head upon his\\nhand, replied Alas I have no country. I lie strug-\\ngling in the grasp of death, for you who have plundered\\nmy country and destroyed its existence. Were I dying\\nin a struggle for my native land, these wounds would be\\nthe highest marks of honor. Yea, had I a thousand\\nlives, they would all be freely given in defence of\\nPoland s flag But I die, and the land of my fathers is\\nno more\\nYou remember, or have read, with what bravery the\\nGerman Catholic soldiers, in the Franco-Prussian War,\\nfought to overthrow the French. What the reward\\nwas, you remember. For their sacrifices and indomit-\\nable service, they were repaid by persecution. Re-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0109.jp2"}, "110": {"fulltext": "106 FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT,\\nligious orders were expelled, Catholic Church prop-\\nerty was confiscated, and bishops were imprisoned.\\nNow, does not all this suggest the words of Cardinal\\nWolsey Had I served my God with half the zeal I\\nserved my king, He would not in mine old age have left\\nme naked to my enemies.\\nNow, to serve one s country is the duty of every\\ncitizen and while all, without exception, approve of\\nsuch devotion to the nation s banner, yet we insist that\\neverybody is bound by stronger obligations to adore\\nand serve God. The duty we owe our country does\\nnot conflict with the duty we owe to heaven. In truth,\\na firm adherence to God makes people better citizens\\nfor our allegiance to the Creator widens our compre-\\nhension of our civic obligations, adjusts political and\\nreligious differences, enlarges our views of just govern-\\nment, stimulates to honesty and justice and patriotism.\\nMoreover, a successful ruler must be a great servant of\\nGod. Without God for a guide, there is nothing to\\ndirect him in the administration of justice, nothing to\\nrestrain him from violating the rights and privileges of\\nhis people. Compare Charlemagne with Nero, St.\\nLouis with Napoleon Bonaparte, Leo XHL with\\nBismarck, and you will be able to form some notion of\\nthe ideas I wish to impress upon you.\\nAll these examples of courage, fidelity, and Christian\\nloyalty serve no other purpose than to awaken in your\\nbosoms a truer devotion to the Lord of all creation.\\nYou readily concede that you should adore and serve\\nGod but on account of temptation and lukewarmness, as\\nwell as other causes, you sometimes fail in giving God\\nunalloyed homage and undivided service. In obeying\\nGod, you are performing at once a duty indispensable\\nto happiness and spotless nobility. In serving God,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0110.jp2"}, "111": {"fulltext": "FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT. 107\\nan equilibrium between the reason and the passions is\\nestablished, the true dignity of nations and individuals\\nare better understood, and the sacred rights of all are\\nsecured. Peace, good will, prosperity, honesty in a\\nword, everything which makes a people contented,\\nunselfish, and happy, is realized.\\nLet me now put a question to you. It is an impor-\\ntant one. Upon its fulfilment depends misery or joy.\\nIt is this Which will you serve, God or the devil\\nYou must serve one or the other. Will you follow\\nthat which is base and degrading, defiled and defiling\\nor that which is innocent and majestic, pure and\\nennobling Will you sink yourselves into debauchery,\\ninfamy, and sin or raise yourselves by temperance\\nrighteousness, and chastity Do you choose a. prison\\ncell instead of an honorable life Do you prefer the\\ndens of iniquity to a happy home Do you select\\nhell in preference to heaven then fall down and adore\\nSatan. If, on the contrary, your hope is fertilized by\\nyour constancy to God, and your ambition is to serve\\nHim, then with prayer and confidence ever repeat the\\ntext of this sermon Begone, Sata7i^ for it is written The\\nLord thy God thou shalt adore, and Him only shalt thou\\nserve", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0111.jp2"}, "112": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT.\\nAnd as He was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud over-\\nshadowed them. And lo a voice out of the cloud, saying:\\nThis is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased j hear ye\\nHim. (Math. xvii. 5.)\\nMount Tabor, my dear friends, is honored by this\\naugust group of distinguished persons who gather on\\nits summit. Never was a spot more favored, except\\nthe stable at Bethlehem and the Cross on Calvary. In\\nall the grand assemblies of the world, there is nothing\\nto becompared to this memorable gathering. Royalty\\nwith all its equipage, is as nothing in the comparison\\nand Tabor is clad in a splendor as much surpassing\\nthe magnificence of kingly halls, as its size preponder-\\nates over the crowns of kings and emperors. Who\\nconstitute this sublime group The Gospel just read\\nto you, gives you their names. They were Peter, James,\\nand John, the Apostles Moses, Ellas, and Jesus. Our\\nSaviour took with Him Peter, James, and John, three\\npoor and unlettered men, to show to the world that He\\ndid not depend upon the power or erudition of the great\\nfor the promulgation of His doctrine and that these\\nare not necessary to the acquirement of the eternal\\nsplendor of heaven. But His Apostles He wanted with\\nHim to be witnesses of His Transfiguration, to behold\\n108", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0112.jp2"}, "113": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT. 109\\nwith their own eyes a glimpse of His majesty. He was\\nsoon to be crucified to die an ignominious death upon\\nthe cross. In the hour of darkness, in the infamy of the\\ncross, the apostles may doubt His divinity. He now\\nimpresses upon their souls a splendor and a sublimity\\nwhich will never be effaced. The rabble may bind Him\\nin the garden and drag Him to prison as an infamous\\nimpostor Jews may mock Him, scourge Him, and crown\\nHim with thorns, but the memory of Mount Tabor can\\nnever be obliterated. No degradation is so complete,\\nno calumny so subtle or vicious, no death so disgrace-\\nful, as to banish the magnificence of that glorious\\nscene\\nMoses appears as the representative of the ancient\\nlaws Elias comes as the prince of the prophets. Both\\ntestify that this is the Son of God that He is the\\nembodiment of the law and the prophets, that it was\\nof Him they prophesied. To intensify this testimony,\\nJesus was transfigured before them A?id His face\\ndid shine as the su?i, and His garmeiits became zvhite as\\nsnow! The Apostles are astounded by the glory of\\nthe Son of God and the magnificence of the environ-\\nments. St. Peter exclaims Lord, it is good for us\\nto be here if Thou wilt let us make three tabernacles\\none for Thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias! Aiid\\nwhile He was yet speakijig^ behold a white cloud over-\\nshadowed them and lo a voice out of the cloud, sayiiig\\nThis is My beloved So?i in whom I a?n well pleased hear\\nye Him! The Eternal Father again declares Him to\\nbe His Son, and commands mankind to hear Him.\\nOverawed by the grandeur of the sight, the presence\\nof Moses and Elias, the splendor of the Transfigur-\\nation, the appearance of the cloud, and the voice\\nof the Almighty from the heavens, the Apostles are", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0113.jp2"}, "114": {"fulltext": "110 SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT.\\nseized by fear. They are thrilled with admiration\\nand awe by the breath of heaven they are confirmed\\nin faith they are prepared now to witness the humili-\\nation of Christ, without suffering from scandal or loss\\nof faith.\\nNow you may say to yourselves Oh, had we been\\nblessed by that grand manifestation of Christ s power,\\nevery doubt would be banished from our souls! We\\ncould labor with a greater zeal for the glory of God,\\nand our devotion toward Him could never grow cold.\\nDeath itself would be w^elcome no terror would be\\ncontained therein for it would only be a means of\\nuniting us forever with the consuming object of our\\naffections. Whatever you may think in your own\\nminds, it is certain that many a one tossed upon the\\nbillows of doubt and infidelity would rejoice in that\\nscene. They would thank God with the most glowing\\nfervor for such a sublime privilege would become\\nadherents of the Cross would glory in being followers\\nof the Crucified. But have you not sufficient evidence\\nto convince the skeptic, though he saw not the glory of\\nTabor? Have you not arguments the most convincing\\nand irresistible of Christ s divinity Yea, you, too, have\\ntestimony, and to my mind, even more persuasive than\\nthe Transfiguration, although an expression of this sort\\nmay appear exaggerated. From the universal conduct\\nof man may be drawn proofs of Our Lord s divinity,\\nwhich are in their nature incontrovertible, and challenge\\nthe admiration of all thinking people for in man s\\nactions we observe him governed by one or more of\\nthese motives the thirst for wealth, the thirst for\\npleasure, or the thirst for power. From these three\\nimpelling motives we shall demonstrate the divinity of\\nJesus, the Saviour of the world.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0114.jp2"}, "115": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT. Ill\\nThe thirst for wealth What is it that man will not\\nattempt in order to seize this glittering object of his\\ndesires The polar snows are no barrier to him nor\\ncan the torrid heat prevent him pestilence terrifies\\nhim not he will even defy death itself in his burning\\ndesire for wealth. In his feverish excitement, no toil\\nis too wearisome, no risk too dangerous, no exposure\\ntoo exhausting for him. Friendship will be bartered\\nthe sacred pledges of honor will be violated family\\nties will be torn asunder, if these only are obstacles\\nto his ambition for opulence Honesty is nothing\\nReputation is of no moment The rights of others\\nare of no consequence Health, contentment, and the\\ncharms of home are all to no purpose he must have\\nmoney If he cannot get it by fair means, he will\\nobtain it by treachery. He will condemn himself to\\nservitude in prison he will even plunge his hands\\ninto the blood of his fellow-men for the sake of its\\nacquirement.\\nStill, in the presence of this feverish craving, amidst\\nthese surging masses, you see persons turning aside\\nfrom the throng and taking the vow of voluntary\\npoverty. Leaving wealth departing from its lucrative\\nhonors they exile themselves. For what Why do\\nthey differ from the multitude Why bid an everlasting\\nfarewell to that for which others sacrifice everything\\nAre there any formulas in science which will solve this\\nphenomenon Is there any genius who will explain\\nthis abandonment upon scientific principles Is there a\\nsingle fact in the nature of things to unravel this mystery?\\nNo it cannot be explained except on the hypothesis\\nthat Jesus is divine and the Son of the Most High. The\\nreligious of both sexes have listened to the command\\ngiven by Almighty God on Mount Tabor Hear ye", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0115.jp2"}, "116": {"fulltext": "112 SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT.\\nHim! These have not only heard Him, but have\\nobeyed his heavenly invitation.\\nLet us now consider the second great motive prompt-\\ning man s conduct the thirst for pleasure. It may be\\nsimple amusement of some sort or another or it\\nmay be an indulgence in the brimming bowl which\\ndestroys. In drunkenness some take delight. They\\nhesitate not to wallow in the mire, if their heads only reel\\nunder the influence of potent beverage. But the one,\\nuniversal motive impelling mankind is carnal pleasure.\\nThe passion burns in the heart, ofttimes producing a\\ngale which drives men and women, too, from the path\\nof honor into whirlpools of destruction. To satiate\\nthis desire, innocence is immolated upon the altar of\\nsinful pleasure. The noblest virtue is sold in the\\nmarket of lust. The hopes of a promising career are\\nweighed in the balance of passion, and are but a trifle\\nin the scales of carnal desires. Either legitimately or\\nillegitimately, the human race is borne to the goal of\\nsexual pleasures. Some will be hurled along by their\\nunbridled desires, until respect, reputation, and purity\\nare lost. They care not, finally, whether a thousand\\npoint the finger of scorn at them. They are unmindful\\nwhere they exhibit their profligacy. Modesty is for\\nthem no more. Chastity is banished from their hearts.\\nThe gentle affections of the heart are impoverished, the\\nintellect is robbed of its light, and shame is stamped\\nupon a contenance once beautiful in aspect and inno-\\ncent in expression. In the abodes of impurity, innocence\\nand health, fortunes and accomplishments are squan-\\ndered, though a father s heart is breaking and a mother\\nis bent in grief. There is no regard for friends or\\nfamily affection. Pleasure carnal pleasure is the one\\ncontrolling, overmastering motive For that they barter", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0116.jp2"}, "117": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT. 113\\nthemselves, trample upon everything sacred, disregard\\nthe tears and entreaties of parents, spurn the voice\\nof the Church, and defy high heaven In their head-\\nlang course, they care not whether they die in the slums\\nof debauchery or in the hospitals for incurables, or be\\ndamned forever to the regions of the vile and the\\nimpure. Yet, notwithstanding the prevalence and\\nforce of the thirst for pleasure, we behold persons\\nturning aside from the blandishment of life, from the\\ngaiety of society, from the allurement of companions\\nand making the vow of perpetual chastity. Can you\\nexplain this strange occurrence Can you account\\nfor the fulfillment of that vow so contrary to human\\npassion Will the skeptic or infidel produce some\\nphilosophical or scientific maxim to controvert this\\nprodigy of human sacrifice We challenge them to\\nbring forth their contradictory arguments but they\\nwill not they cannot the facts are in evidence\\nagainst them. The only explanation, the only hy-\\npothesis which can be assumed, is that Jesus is God\\nand that His influence over the human heart at this\\ndistant day, is as powerful now as His majesty was\\noverawing to the Apostles Peter, James, and John.\\nWe next approach the third motive of human activity\\nthe thirst for power. This desire has caused ruin on\\nearth and war in heaven. The craving for power drove\\nLucifer from the glories of celestial bliss into the pit\\nof hell. The love of power expelled our first parents\\nfrom the Garden of Eden. To become like unto God,\\ntelling good from evil, was the ambition which plundered\\ntheir innocence, made exiles of them, and subjected\\ntheir progeny to misery and death. The wish to be\\ngreater than his brother, to be more influential with\\nGod, induced Cain to stain his soul with the gentle", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0117.jp2"}, "118": {"fulltext": "114 SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT.\\nblood of his brother. Alexander the Great lamented\\nbecause his father, Philip of Macedon, was so success-\\nful. He will conquer all, thought Alexander, and\\nthere will be no victories left for me. Caesar, too,\\nlonged for power and greatness, though they accom-\\nplished his ruin. So with all the celebrated conquerors\\nand many renowned statesmen. You know the\\nambition of Napoleon Bonaparte. His thirst for pre-\\neminence plundered other nations while it exhausted\\nhis own. He dictated treaties, spurned the laws of\\nnations drenched the nations in blood, and in his mad\\ndesire for conquest, dragged the venerable Pope Pius\\nVn. from Rome and made him a prisoner. It is not\\nneedful, however, to recall these prodigious examples\\nin order to prove the limitless extent of the thirst for\\npower.\\nYou are witnesses of its presence. In our day the\\nthirst for power has become epidemic. The public\\nmind is restless, and surges in its eagerness for potency\\nand popularity. In one hand are held corrupt prin-\\nciples in the other, the fairest promises of honesty\\nintegrity, and justice. The latter, however, are often\\nonly masks disguising dishonesty, faithlessness, and\\ninjustice. Ambition for power regards not the undying\\nprinciples of honor despises truth, if truth does not\\nserve better than falsehood courts fraud, deception,\\nand treachery, when these assist to the temple of worldly\\ngreatness. The burning thirst for fame, distinction, and\\ncontrol converts the honorable into rascals, the honest\\ninto rogues, the truthful into liars. There is no compact\\nso sacred, which will not be violated no virtue is so\\nexalted, which will not be humbled or silenced no tie\\nof friendship so dear, which will not be broken in the\\nreckless desire for power Cunningness is called", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0118.jp2"}, "119": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT. 115\\nwisdom bribery, generosity violated pledges, clever-\\nness The victim of this passion resolves to conquer or\\nto perish. He toils day after day in feverish applica-\\ntion. Health is nothing, family happiness is nothing.\\nThere is not anything which can stay his determined,\\nall-consuming purpose. He exclaims I will have\\npower, though the effort costs me health, though I\\ntrample upon friends, though I favor the base, the low,\\nand intriguing, I will have power Religion will be no\\nbarrier The teachings of the Church shall be no\\nrestraint The welfare of my immortal soul shall be no\\nhindrance The glory of my country shall not deter\\nme O Power everything I will offer at your shrine,\\nif you only crown me one of your elect\\nStill, notwithstanding that this strife is found in\\nevery sphere of human endeavor, notwithstanding its\\nuniversality, you are aware that many take the vow of\\nentire obedience. They lay down their will at the feet\\nof their superior. In the future, his or her will is to be\\ntheirs at his or her command, they obey in all things\\nnot involving sin. They may be prodigies in the\\nsciences and the arts in every branch of human attain-\\nment they may excel still they humbly submit to\\nthe will of another, although this other may be inferior\\nin everything which goes to make up great natural gifts\\nand vast acquirements. He or she may be of only\\nordinary ability they may be remarkable for their\\nextensive research and matchless genius, yet they\\nbow down before his commands and acknowledge his\\nguidance.\\nAgain we inquire, is there any facts within the grasp\\nof human knowledge to account for this inexplicable\\nsurrender of man s will Is there any theory within the\\nentire domain of science to offer a solution for this", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0119.jp2"}, "120": {"fulltext": "116 SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT.\\nproblem Science is baffled, the sage is confounded\\npassion itself is frustrated at the sight of this marvellous\\nrenouncement of the human will In this perplexity, in\\nthis search for a solution, we turn once more to the\\nTransfiguration, and recall again the words This is\\nmy beloved So?i i7i whom I am well pleased hear ye\\nHim!\\\\ It is devotion to Jesus which has drawn them\\nfrom the avenues of ordinary life and common passion.\\nThey have bid adieu to society, to the allurements of\\nfame and the attractions of popularity, for the thorn-\\ncrowned Son of Man. In the divinity of Christ is found\\nthe reason of these phenomena and to me they are\\nmore persuasive than the Transfiguration for they are\\nmore prolonged in their duration are visible to an\\ninfinitely greater number of witnesses, and are beheld in\\nwonderment in this our own time.\\nThese are arguments that are incontestable. There\\nis no other explanation for the taking of the three\\nvows of voluntary poverty, perpetual chastity, and\\nentire obedience. But while we as Catholics profess\\nthe divinity of Jesus while we expect no proofs nor\\ndo we want them still, why do we not conform our\\nlives more and more to the doctrines of Jesus To\\nbelieve will not save us nor will it do to be good\\nCatholics for an hour on Sunday and during the remain-\\nder of the week break God s laws. It will not do to\\npraise God with our lips, while our hearts are far from\\nHim. Let us, therefore, during this holy season of\\nLent, mortify ourselves, that we also may be masters of\\nour passions. Let us entreat the Blessed Virgin, the\\nMother of Jesus, that she may supplicate her Son to\\nassist us in our efforts toward perfection.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0120.jp2"}, "121": {"fulltext": "THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT.\\nBut some of them said He casteth out devils^ by Beelzebub\\nthe prince of the devils. (St. Luke xi. 15.)\\nMy Dear Friends The malice of slander is fiercely\\ndepicted by this remark of the Jews. They were\\nenvious of the marvellous power of our Divine Saviour,\\nand sought to disparage it by attributing it to the\\ninfluence of the prince of hell. The people admired, but\\nthese attempted to poison the admiration. The Jews\\nwere armed with audacity yet their weapon was\\ninsufficient either to dismay Our Lord or to ward off\\nthe incontestable reply: Aiid if Satan also be divided\\nagai?ist himself how shall his kiiigdom stand? In other\\nwords. He said to them Is it not incredulous that\\nSatan should war against himself But if he assist Me\\nin expelling devils, he wars against himself hence\\ndevils attack devils, which is absurd. The infernal\\nlegions are united in their war against man and for\\nSatan to expel one of them from a human being, for\\nthe purpose of proving the strength of his adversary^\\nJesus Christ, is ridiculous. The Jews, no doubt, felt\\nthe poignancy of the rebuke administered by Our Lord.\\nIndeed, had they not been so malicious, they would\\nhave probably foreseen the folly of making so unguarded\\nan assault. Thus it ever is with slanderers, detractors,\\nand calumniators. They destroy themselves usually by\\n117", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0121.jp2"}, "122": {"fulltext": "118 THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT.\\nthe venom of their own bite. They intend injury, still\\nthey injure none more than themselves. They render\\nthemselves despicable even to those who flatter them.\\nThey are a pest in every congregation they are the\\nenemies of charity and justice they are the cause\\nof many a bitter contention. Many a reputation is\\nblighted by the foulness of their aspersions. The inno-\\ncent are made guilty the unfortunate are assailed\\nwithout mercy and no one is so secured as to escape\\nthe shafts of their rancor. In return, what is the\\nreward of the slanderer He is the prey of his own\\nenvious, ungenerous heart despised and shunned, and\\nofttimes hated.\\nTo curb slander or bridal the slanderer, is a difficult\\ntask for slander is so prevalent, that one knows not\\nwhere to begin and the slanderer, of course, holds\\nhimself or herself entirely innocent, or exceedingly\\nabused. While their conversion to principles of human\\ndecency is in no way easy, still the greater difficulty is\\nmet in having them make reparation. Since they sin\\nagainst charity, and often entertain no regard for the\\njustice due their neighbor, they not only sin, but are\\nobliged to make restitution. Since they are always\\nwell informed upon the scandalous topics of the town\\nand surrounding country, they are sought out by the\\ninquisitive, or they gad from house to house, unloading\\nthemselves of the latest item of malicious news. The\\nslanderer is very courteous, but this dissembling\\ncourtesy corrupts while it tickles the inquisitive. Did\\nyou hear so and so about Mrs. A. Mrs. B. will inquire.\\nNot a word. Why, it is very strange you did not\\nlearn anything about her. The story is all around\\ntown. It is really shocking. Even the school children\\nare talking about her. It is on the tip of everyone s", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0122.jp2"}, "123": {"fulltext": "THIED SUNDAY IN LENT. 119\\ntongue. I do not know where she will stop. Well, tell\\nus all about it, says Mrs. C. we haven t heard a\\nsingle word. The scandal-monger apparently hesitates.\\nShe declares with solemn precaution, that she does not\\nwant to say a word about anybody but Mrs. A. ought\\nto be ashamed of herself. Her listeners urge her to go\\non with the story just what Mrs. B. wants. Then she\\nbegins by saying I shall just tell you as I heard it. I\\ndon t know whether it is true or not. Indeed, I hope it\\nisn t. She then relates the whole episode, with all the\\nincrements and additions which a slanderous tongue\\ncan so deftly weave around an incident. It is only a\\nrumor, the scandal-monger says yet there is no doubt\\nin regard to the injury done to Mrs. A s reputation.\\nPositive harm is done, and restitution must be made.\\nBut I told it just as I heard it. No matter you are\\nbound to make reparation. Why should you publish\\nsomething injurious to another What right have you\\nto asperse the character of anybody You do not know\\nit is true why, then, use it as an instrument of damage\\nagainst your neighbor If the persons to whom you\\nspeak are ignorant of the story, you lessen their opinion\\nof another s worth and they, in turn, spread the per-\\nnicious report. Because you have thus injured some-\\nbody, you must repair the wrong inflicted, you must make\\nsatisfaction to the one slandered. This is simply justice\\nto your neighbor. But should you know that of which\\nyou speak to be true, still it is only known to you or\\nto a few, charity requires that you remain silent and\\nif you offend in this, you violate the precept of charity,\\nand thereby sin mortally or venially, according to the\\nnature of the case. If the scandal is public and true,\\nthe author or cause thereof forfeits his reputation, and\\nis entitled to no further indulgence.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0123.jp2"}, "124": {"fulltext": "120 THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT.\\nYou will hear persons who declare they are honest,\\nthat they would not steal pilfer the reputation of even\\nthe innocent. They underrate that priceless gem, a\\ngood name. To destroy this, in their estimation, is no\\nharm. These vipers of society will devastate all that\\nan honest man or woman holds most precious, and in\\nthe meantime, pose as very sanctimonious people. He\\nwho steals my purse, says the Bard of Avon, steals\\ntrash but he who robs me of my good name, takes\\nall I have, and leaves me poor indeed. Such a thief\\ntakes the reputation of another, robs him of his peace\\nof mind, sinks him in the scale of public opinion, paves\\nthe way to lawsuits, and sharpens the dagger of revenge.\\nFor what purpose So that the slanderer may satisfy\\nsome petty grudge, or for the exquisite pleasure of\\nhearing her own tongue wag. There is, however, malice\\nusually in the defamation. An old offense, real or\\nimaginary, generally the latter, must be appeased and\\nthe slanderer strikes the blow in the most vital parts.\\nThis is deplorable conduct still there is another\\nphase to our subject indeed, there are many phases.\\nYou will see persons in quest of news prejudicial to\\nanother, without any motive, unless it be to show how\\nsmart they are. Having learned something new, they\\ncannot rest quietly or allow others to rest, but run from\\nplace to place, telling of their latest discovery. Their\\nslander assumes the provoking attitude of derision*\\nThey laugh at others who are better than themselves\\nderide those who are their superiors. They belittle\\nnone so much as themselves. Alexander Pope says\\npointedly The fool has still an itching to deride, and\\nfain would be on the laughing side. This class quiz\\nfor information only to make fun of their dupe or\\nabuse others. They imagine none so cute as themselves.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0124.jp2"}, "125": {"fulltext": "THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT. 121\\nNo one can make sport of them, yet they are the very\\nones of whom sport can be made and if they would\\nonly reflect upon their own history, and study their\\nown defects, they might remodel their behavior before\\nridiculing others who mind their own business. This\\nclass is made up largely of fools, who are busy in caring\\nfor the concerns of others, while they are neglecting their\\nown duties and injuring themselves in the estimation\\nof all sensible people. Should they meet, nevertheless,\\nthe object of their slander, they are so very social, so\\nfriendly, and so sweet, that you would never suspect\\nthem of such malice, or as having a gatling gun for a\\ntongue. They would not dare intimate to a person s\\nface what they said so flippantly behind his or her back.\\nEcclesiastes (x. ii.) is very applicable here If the\\nserpe?it bite in sile?ice, he is iiotiiing better that backbiteth\\nsecretly r In fact the slanderer is held in contempt by\\nthose very ones who appear so delighted with the news\\nfor they know that the slanderer s bite is more deadly\\nthan the serpent s. The one may kill the body the\\nother destroys a good name, undermines the health of\\nhis victim, and leaves him hopelessly prostrated.\\nBear o?ie another s burde?is, and so shall you fidfil the\\nlaw of Christy says St. Paul to the Galatians. To\\ncomply with this exhortation, is truly a kind and\\ngenerous work but what about those who, instead of\\nassisting, will increase the burden until the heart, already\\noverladened with sorrow and perhaps misfortune,\\nbreaks from grief. Do slanderers know no pity\\nHas the slanderer no thought of religion If every\\nman is to be judged according to his works, what an\\nawful reckoning is in store for the base person who\\ntrifles with another s reputation. How will he or she\\naccount for all the precious time wasted in doing evil", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0125.jp2"}, "126": {"fulltext": "122 THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT.\\nIt is wonderful that such a person cannot find some-\\nthing profitable to occupy himself or herself. Were\\nyou to step into her home, you would see the sad\\ncondition of things. You would notice that her hands\\nare not as active as her tongue. See her children\\nwithout care and without training see her husband,\\nhe surely has his purgatory on earth. In a word, this\\nwoman whose tongue is ever loaded to shoot down the\\nfair name of a neighbor, does not know enough to take\\ncare of her own domestic affairs. She is usually a\\nmodel of filth a filthy tongue, a filthy person, and a\\nfilthy home. We would say to the slandered one Put\\nyour trust in God. Mind not the virulence of your\\ndefamer. The bitterness and venom of slanderous\\nspeech destroy its effects. People can discern. They\\nsoon understand persons of a vile character. Pray to\\nGod for patience. Ask Him to advise you. Live\\ndown, by the purity of your lives, these infamous\\nassaults. If you are innocent, all the better. You\\nthen can afford to be composed. God watches over\\nus all. He will protect you, and in time turn your\\naffliction into joy.\\nWe should learn a lesson from the venemous slander\\nand calumny of the Jews. They attacked the goodness\\nof our Divine Lord endeavored to misconstrue His\\npower, and change the admiring multitude into revilers.\\nThey failed so shall the slanderer ever. If any of you\\nhave been guilty of this grave sin of slander, resolve\\nnever to indulge in it again. Ask God s pardon, and do\\nall in your power to restore the good names which you\\nhave tarnished. Then in the time of your trials, others\\nwill speak well of you. Their words of encouragement\\nwill be your solace and Jesus, who was so often\\nwronged, will come to you and enable you to carry your\\ncross with patience and with fortitude.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0126.jp2"}, "127": {"fulltext": "FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT.\\nSo they gathered the?fi up, and filled twelve baskets with the\\nfragme?its of the five barley loaves^ which remained over and\\nabove to them that had eaten. (St. Johnvi. 13.)\\nMy Dear Friends This stupendous manifestation of\\nour Saviour s power is a proof of His tenderness and\\nlove for the human race. It tells us also that God never\\nabandons those who follow Him. Although they may\\nencounter trouble although the heart may often be weary,\\nstill the followers of Christ will be blessed with a solace\\nin every affliction. In the instance already cited, five\\nthousand followed our Divine Lord. They are attracted\\nby the sublimity of His discourses. His simplicity, His\\nkindness, the affability of His manner, draw them\\ntoward the centre of their existence, just as the small\\nspheres are attracted by the sun. He knows they must\\nbe hungry hungry physically as well as spiritually.\\nHe inquires whether there is any means to feed them.\\nThere is not. Only five loaves and two fishes are among\\nthe vast multitude. But what are these to so many\\nJesus blesses these, however; the people eat thereof\\nthey are filled and twelve baskets full of fragments are\\ngathered up. An incomprehensible display of Omnipo-\\ntence, fraught with many useful lessons.\\nAmong the many thoughts suggested by this miracle,\\nwe are naturally led to consider the mystic multiplica-\\ntion of Our Lord and Saviour in the most august sacrifice\\n123", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0127.jp2"}, "128": {"fulltext": "124 FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT.\\nof the Mass a miracle compared with which the mul-\\ntiplication of the loaves and fishes looses its marvellous-\\nness. In the one, Our Lord gives bread to nourish the\\nbody in the other, He gives Himself to nourish both\\nbody and soul. In the former, He shows His tender-\\nness for mankind by feeding them from the products of\\nHis power in the latter, His mercy, affection, and love\\nare proven by the extent of His humiliation. By the\\nword of His priest, He leaves heaven and descends upon\\nour altars. What incomparable obedience and humil-\\niation Who can conceive the limitlessness of this love\\nWho can explain the mercy thus accorded to us poor,\\nmiserable sinners by a bountiful Saviour In the depths\\nof our hearts, in the silence of our meditations, we may\\nget some glimpses of the wonderful beneficence con-\\ntained in the institution of the Holy Eucharist.\\nNow, we may ask ourselves with what pious deport-\\nment we should assist at the sacrifice of the Mass a\\nsacrifice which reproduces the sacrifice of Calvary in an\\nunbloody manner. What should be the preparation\\nWhat ought to be the intention With what holy and\\nengrossing fervor should we not be permeated in order\\nthat we may show our gratitude for such an inestim-\\nable blessing, and draw benefits therefrom It appears\\nto me that all this can be obtained by dwelling upon\\nthe psalm recited by the priest at the foot of the altar.\\nHe begins, after making the sign of the cross, by saying\\nIntroibo ad altar e Dei, ad Deum qui Icetificat injuventutem\\nme am! shall entei- to the Altar of my God, to God Who\\nrejoices i?t my youth! I shall enter to the altar of\\nmy God, could be said with profit by everyone after\\nhe has sprinkled himself, at the church doors, with holy\\nwater. I shall enter to the altar of my God. I shall not\\nlinger on the outside, gazing at the people as they come", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0128.jp2"}, "129": {"fulltext": "FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 125\\nto church. I shall not obstruct the way. I shall not\\nmake comments about the passers-by. I shall set a\\ngood example by approaching the altar of my God\\nby entering the church and preparing for Mass. Every\\ncare shall be left behind, every distraction, every am-\\nbition. Thoughts of wealth, of power, of distinction,\\nshall be banished. Here will I prepare for the\\nunspeakable sacrifice about to take place. Here will I\\ndevoutly pray in the temple of my God. Here will I\\npour forth my troubles, express my wants, return\\nthanks, and implore protection and mercy in the presence\\nof my God in the presence of my God Who rejoices in\\nmy youth Who rejoices in the youthfulness of every-\\none s innocence Who rejoices in the aged who have\\nnever grown old in sin Who rejoices in the pure of\\nheart and the noble of intellect, that have never prosti-\\ntuted their virtues and talents to selfish, abject ends\\nJudica me, Dens Judge me, God Judge me\\nfor you know me for what I am. You know every\\npulsation of my heart, every act of my intellect. You\\nare acquainted with every temptation, with every\\nstruggle how much I have willing offended, how\\nmuch I struggled to avoid. Others may blame me\\nunnecessarily. Others do not know what has been\\nshunned, fought against, and suffered. Selfish motives\\nmay influence them. Envy, ignorance, or malice,\\nmay warp their judgment but Thou, O God art\\njust, and though I have transgressed Thy law, pardon\\na forlorn creature who craves for mercy Et discerne\\ncausam me am de gente non sancta! And discern distin-\\nguish my cause from the unholy. In their malice, they\\nhave offended Thee they boast of their iniquities.\\nThey have insulted Thee, rebelled against Thee, denied\\nThee. It is truth that I, too, have been a disobedient", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0129.jp2"}, "130": {"fulltext": "126 FOUKTH SUNDAY IN LENT.\\nchild, that I have violated Thy law but I desired to do\\nright, though I did do wrong and no sooner was Thy\\nSacred Majesty offended, than I was overwhelmed\\nwith shame and sorrow. I did wrong, but wished I\\nhad not done so. Discern my cause, I pray Thee,\\nfrom the unrighteous who rebelled against Thee and\\nflaunted their rebellion. Et ab homine iniquo et doloso,\\nerue me. A?id from the miquitous and deceitful^ deliver\\nme, my God Preserve me from bad company!\\nProtect me from those who would corrupt my under-\\nstanding, rob me of virtue, degrade me, and condemn\\nmy soul to everlasting torments Assist me, that I\\nmay always walk with the light of Thy divine truth.\\nIn all the trials of life, may I ever confide in Thee, my\\nGod, my hope, my refuge\\nQuia tu es Deus^ fortitudo me a; quare me repidisti\\nBecause Thou art, God! my fortitude wherefore\\nhast Thou repelled jne Why dost Thou cast me off\\nTrue, I have rebelled against Thee, I have abused Thy\\nholy law, and disregarded Thy graces yet Thou art\\nmy God, my Father, my all Thou art my strength,\\nand one of Thy great prerogatives is mercy. Then be\\nmerciful to me, a sinner Judge me not according to\\nThy justice, but according to Thy mercy. Pardon\\nThou me, a suppliant craving to be restored to Thy\\nfriendship. Therefore, do not repel me, but forgive\\nThy erring child. Et quare tristis incedo f A7id\\nwhy do I go sorrowful dum affligit me inimicus^ whilst\\nthe enemy afflict me Why am I troubled or afraid,\\nso long as Thou art my fortitude Thou art the God\\nof the universe. In Thy hand rests the destiny of\\nnations and individuals. Thou willst protect all\\nconfiding in Thy strength. My enemies may seek to\\ninjure me but Thou canst baffle their devices and\\nturn their evil efforts into triumphs for me.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0130.jp2"}, "131": {"fulltext": "FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 127\\nEmitte lucem tuam et veritatem ^uam Send forth\\nThy light and Thy truth Illumine my dark intellect\\nwith the rays of Thy divine light Put Thy truth in\\nmy heart and upon my lips With these will I walk\\ncourageously and honorably, although my enemies may\\nplot against me. Being possessed of these priceless\\ngifts, I can avoid what is wrong, while I journey on the\\npath which leads to Thee. Ipsa tne deduxerunt et\\nadduxerunt i7iniontem sanctufntiium. These vefy things\\nhave co7iducted me a?td brought me into Thy holy\\nmountai?i. These have induced me to come this\\nmorning to hear Mass. These have led me into Thy\\nholy temple, into the presence of Thy divine Son\\nFrom bad company, these have spared me. From the\\ntemporal affairs of life, they have conducted me, that in\\nthis holy place I may pour forth my soul to Thee in\\nprayer. Et in taber?iacida tua. A?td into Thy taber-\\nnacles. And they have brought me into Thy taber-\\nnacles into the very abode of my Saviour How\\ncould I loiter on the outside, around the doors, passing\\nremarks upon the worshippers coming to Thee to pray\\nWhy should I, standing near the threshold of Thy\\ntemple, use language vile enough for infamous places\\nAnd afterward, is it possible that Thou could listen to\\nprayers pronounced by lips which insulted Thy Divine\\nMajesty only a few moments before No Thy light\\nand Thy truth have graciously conducted me into Thy\\ntemple and into the presence of Thy tabernacles.\\nHere I will return thanks to Thy infinite goodness\\nHere in the audience hall of my Lord, Thy Eternal Son,\\nwill I give expression to the boundless gratitude due\\nThee for all Thy mercies and blessings From out of\\nthe depths of my poor heart, I thank Thee for every\\nfavor of the past and with deepest humility and", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0131.jp2"}, "132": {"fulltext": "128 FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT.\\nunwavering confidence, implore Thy gracious protec-\\ntion and assistance for the future May Thy light\\never be a lamp to my tottering feet, and Thy truth the\\ncompass and the star on my way to eternity\\nConfitebor tibi in cithara Deus, Deus metis. shall\\ncon/ess Thee, God, my God, upon the harp. I will\\npraise Thee upon the harp of my heart. Every chord\\nthereof shall vibrate in acknowledgment of all Thy\\nbeneficence and tender mercies. Every throb I offer\\nto Thee. The universe is a glorious manifestation of\\nThy power, resources, and goodness. Health, talent,\\ngenius, are gifts of your exhaustless bounty. Quare\\ntristis estanimamea f Wherefore art Thou sorrowpd,\\nmy soul Et quare conturbas me And zvherefore dost\\nThou disturb m,e Why art thou cast down Why\\nafflicted Though toiling with the troubles of life\\nand the sadness caused thereby, why art thou\\nsorrowful since thy God still liveth and will help\\nthee in due time Why dost thou disturb me\\nWhy not be reconciled with thy trials Here, at\\nleast, in the presence of thy Saviour and thy solace, be\\ncalm consider His sufferings and His love for man\\noffer thy disquietude to Him, and implore His aid.\\nSperain Deo. Hope in God. Place your confidence\\nin Him. Offer Him all the disappointments and\\nsuccesses of the past, the anxieties of the present,\\nand pray Him to banish all doubts and fears of the\\nfuture. Quoniam adhuc confitebor illi! For I ivill give\\npraise to Him. Notwithstanding that thou, my soul,\\nart bowed down by sorrow and by recollections of the\\npast, still will I praise the Author of so many favors,\\nthe Father and Guardian of my life. Salutare vultus\\nmei et Deus mens! The salvation of my cou7itenance\\nand my God. The salvation of my countenance the", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0132.jp2"}, "133": {"fulltext": "FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 129\\nOne Who hast given virtue to my soul, Who hast kept\\nme from the wanderings of sin, Who hast given\\ninnocence to my soul, that with an erect head and an\\nhonest countenance I may defy my enemies. My God,\\nin Whom I trust, from Whom I have received every\\ngood possessed by me, in Whom all my hope is centered,\\nmay Thou ever be the salvation of my countenance,\\nand may Thou adorn it with honesty, simplicity, and\\ncourage\\nIn this manner, or a similar one, should we prepare\\nourselves for the loving, benign sacrifice of the Mass.\\nUpon these things ought we to reflect during this\\nsolemn time. You ought to return thanks to God\\nbeseech Him to be merciful to you present to Him\\nevery fear and every doubt, every sorrow and every\\ntrial. Entreat Him to guard you with the shield of\\ngrace. Thus you will be free from detractions. Your\\nprayers will rise like heavenly incense to the tabernacle\\nand to the august Being who resides therein. He will\\nbless you, and you will leave His sanctuary, strengthened\\nin resolution, reanimated by grace, and enabled to fight\\nsuccessfully the battles of life.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0133.jp2"}, "134": {"fulltext": "PASSION SUNDAY.\\nAinen^ amen^ I say unto you if any man keep My word^ he\\nshall not see death forever. (St. John viii. 51.)\\nVery appropriately does the Church, my dear friends,\\nintroduce Passion Sunday with this marvellous Gospel.\\nShe beseeches us to dwell piously at all times upon the\\npassion and death of our Divine Lord but during the\\nnext two weeks, she implores us in a special man-\\nner to meditate upon the stupendous sacrifices made\\nfor us by the Redeemer. She exhorts us to go in spirit\\nto those holy places consecrated by the precious blood\\nof Jesus, the Saviouroftheworld to recall with devotion\\nand gratitude all that God has accomplished in order\\nthat we may never know spiritual death and thus to\\nembellish our souls with heavenly graces, that we may\\nwith great joy welcome the glorious feast of Christ s\\nResurrection. In order the better to impress upon our\\nminds the vast importance of such preparation, she\\ncites for us the words of our Divine Lord Ame?t, amen,\\nI say unto you: if any man keep My word, he shall not see death\\nforever. It is unnecessar}^ to say to you that the\\ndeath here meant is of the soul, not of the body. The\\nJews seemed to misunderstand Him, or in their malice,\\ndesired to turn the people from Him. Indeed, they\\ncould not well plead ignorance of His meaning. They\\nsurely knew that He did not refer to the dissolution of\\n130", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0134.jp2"}, "135": {"fulltext": "PASSION SUNDAY. 131\\nthe body, hut to the depravity of the soul. Their pur-\\npose was unmistakably to embitter the people against\\nHim, and this they attempted by ridicule and calumny.\\nIt is useless to mention that spiritual death is incom-\\nparably more deplorable than the separation of the\\nsoul from the body, which we commonly call death.\\nPhysical death is the lot of man spiritual death is not;\\nfor God wishes all men to be saved. At the coffin s\\nside, the mother s grief breaks forth in tears suppressed\\nsobs are the messengers of sorrow from a father s\\ntortured heart. The child weeps over the grave of the\\nparent, and the parent laments the loss of the child\\nbut what is this affliction compared to the shame, dis-\\ngrace, and remorse of a spiritual death. The grave has\\nits terrors still, what are they, in comparison to the\\nprostrating heart-ache and the agony of soul occasioned\\nby sin. How often has a mother wished her child\\ndead, that he or she may be taken from bad company\\nHow many sleepless nights has she spent in that worry\\nwhich devours the vital parts, while it almost drives to\\nmadness! The father is aged. The one in whom his\\naffections were centered and his gray hairs found hope,\\nis now the deadly spring whence comes unalloyed sorrow\\nand insupportable shame. What is the grief of the grave\\nwhen you see the dejected countenance, the haggard,\\ntroubled looks of a father and mother brooding over\\nthe spiritual destruction of their child. Those of you\\nwho have witnessed such a sight, know that the carnage\\nof the battle-field, death amidst the merciless flames,\\nor upon the freezing billows of the ocean are nothing\\nwhen estimated with the frenzied grief of an affectionate\\nmother and devoted father, at the dishonored life of a\\ncherished offspring. By these parents, pangs a thousand\\ntimes more terrible than temporal death, are suffered.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0135.jp2"}, "136": {"fulltext": "132 PASSION SUNDAY.\\nBut what of the sinner\u00e2\u0080\u0094 the one spiritually dead The\\nbrow which now hangs in disgrace, fair honor adorned.\\nTlie face now disfigured by debauchery, once innocence\\nand modesty mantled. The heart that once beat high\\nwith hope, is now corroded by remorse. He is dead,\\ndead morally and religiously nay, we may add,\\nsocially, civilly, and to a great extent, physically dead\\nHe is no longer himself. The vigor of health has left\\nhis body. The lustre has left his eye manliness is lost\\nforever. He was once respected now he is spurned.\\nHonor, decency, affection, have been swallowed up\\nin lust and drunkenness. Should it be a daughter, the\\nsame is true, with this difference, that the fall seems\\ngreater and more deplorable. Dead morally, religious-\\nly dead dead, too, to usefulness, dead to every noble or\\ninspiring effort, as if the grave contained such corpse\\nWere he dead and buried, it would not be so bad for\\nnow he remains degraded and degrading others a curse\\nto society. Such are banished from the converse of\\nthe honest and the pure exiled from the friendship\\nand esteem, from the social and civil distinction to\\nwhich they might have risen. They are socially and\\ncivilly dead. No lofty emotion fills the breast or\\nimpels the intellect to great undertakings. Instead, a\\nwork-house or a state s prison confines the limbs and\\nbars the talents which were destined by the Creator for\\nnoble purposes. All is lost Kind hearts go down to\\nthe grave m sorrow Health ruined, intellectual\\nability misapplied, others wronged, graces abused, and\\nhimself or herself degraded and cursed All is lost\\nand why Because such heeded not the exhortation of\\nour Divine Lord in this day s Gospel. They kept not\\nHis word in their hearts, and consequently they\\nexperienced the unrelenting blow of death the\\nwithering infection of sin.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0136.jp2"}, "137": {"fulltext": "PASSION SUNDAY. 138\\nAh, but had he kept the word of God, had he never\\nviolated the law of God in a grievous way, he would not\\nknow^the miserable death which he now endures The\\nimpress of honor w^ould be on his brow, and the smile\\nof heaven in his countenance. He would be a useful\\nmember of society, a dutiful child of the Church, and a\\ntrue servant of God. Ill fortune might attack him, still\\nhis hope would be moored to the throne of heaven, and\\nGod would be his solace and defense. How noble his\\nlife! What ablessing to his kindred What an example\\nto others, had he retained the word of God in his heart\\nOh, what a contrast between what he is and what he\\nshould be He knows no rest. He reviews the course of\\nhis life, only to suffer the pangs of remorse. And then\\nto think he has abandoned his Eternal Father. Whe7i\\nyou pra}\\\\ says Jesus, say, Our Father, who art in heaven!\\nOur Father What a sublime thought No tyrant,\\nno enemy, but the affectionate relationship of father\\nand child. But misery of misery to go away, yea,\\nbreak away from such a Father. How wretched must\\nthat one be who severs the bond of grace which binds\\nhim to the Eternal Father, the source of all perfection,\\nand unites himself with all that is pernicious and\\ndestructive. So much lost and nothing gained, except\\nthe companionship of the wicked and its debasing con-\\nsequences. The angels of heaven must weep over\\nsuch misfortune, to see so many opportunities despised,\\nto behold so many graces abused, to be cognizant of so\\nmany pleadings spurned.\\nIs not this prodigal child to be pitied Pity and\\nblame ought to be blended in the reprimand. He\\nwould not listen to advice, he discarded the admonitions\\nof the Church and the counsels of his dearest friends.\\nAll this is true but who knows how much he was", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0137.jp2"}, "138": {"fulltext": "134 PASSION SUNDAY.\\ntempted, or how great was the struggle before he fell\\nIt is for you and me to learn from the sad sights around\\nus. What has happened others, may happen us.\\nWith prayer deep and earnest, we should implore, night\\nand morning, the protection of heaven. Often, during\\nthe day, we should invoke the aid of Almighty God,\\nthat in the time of conflict He may stretch forth His\\nalmighty arm in our defense, and bid our enemies desist.\\nThus far we have considered the temporal loss; but\\nwhat shall we say about the spiritual death His life\\non earth has been a failure; ah shall we say a curse\\nYet, what of his life beyond the threshold of earthly\\nexistence God gave him grace. In the eternal\\ndesign, he was destined for happiness but, alas unless\\nhe remodel his life, unless he bend from the current\\nbearing him to destruction, he will be more miserable\\nin eternity than he is on earth. Beyond the grave there\\nis no chance to repent. The cry for pardon is unheeded\\nGod s justice rules and determines our future condition.\\nMerits and demerits are placed in the balance. We are\\nhonestly but rigorously dealt with. If we fail, the loss\\nis ours, and also the blame. Misery endless in its\\nduration, ought to be avoided. It is in our power to\\ndo so. If we comply with God s grace, if we keep\\nHis word in our hearts, all will be well with us.\\nIs it not folly to do otherwise Ought not it be our\\nambition, the highest and most determined, to retain\\nthat precious gift which makes us great on earth and\\ngreater in eternity? With what zeal we all should\\ncherish the eternal word of God. The most abundant\\nwealth, the highest distinction, the most enviable\\nrenown, are nothing to God sword. But the preservation\\nof God s word upon the tablets of your soul, is an\\nincentive and an aid to all the achievements and accom-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0138.jp2"}, "139": {"fulltext": "PASSION SUNDAY. 1B5\\nplishments which ennoble man s life, make him respected\\nby his fellow-men and loved by his kindred. Since\\nthe word of God has such influence upon your earthly\\ncareer, who can estimate the reward beyond the grave\\nWho can depict the glories awaiting the faithful beyond\\nthe brink of time To do so is beyond the ken of\\nthe human intellect. Yet you can find much proof\\nin the promise of your Saviour If any ma?t keep My\\nword, he shall not see death forever!\\nLet us labor strenuously to keep His word. In all\\nthe adverse fortune of life, let us ever look to heaven\\nfor help. Approaching as we are the sacred memories\\nof Christ s death, we should renew in our souls the\\nrecollections of His sufferings and love. With fervor,\\nwe should pray with compassion, we should meditate\\nupon the stations of the cross with love, we should\\nreceive the sacraments, that Jesus may say to us at\\nthe moment of death Yott have kept My word, and I\\nshall keep My promise with you you shall not see death for-\\never!", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0139.jp2"}, "140": {"fulltext": "PALM SUNDAY.\\nA7zd the multitude that went before a7id that folloived cried\\nsaying: Hosanna to the Son of David Blessed is He that\\nconieth in the Name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest.\\n(Matt, xxi.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 9.)\\nOn that memorable Palm Sunday morning, a record\\nof which has just been read for you, the people of\\nJerusalem were beside themselves with rejoicement.\\nWhat was the cause thereof Why are the people\\ngathering in throngs Why so much enthusiasm\\nThe thoroughfares are filled by people in their holiday\\nattire, and one vies with another in the manifestation\\nof their joyful praise. A stranger on that Palm Sunday\\nmorning might have inquired for the cause of such great\\ndemonstration but for you, no explanation is necessary.\\nYou know that Jesus, the Son of God, was approaching\\nthe city by the way of the Valley of Josephat. He\\ncame not as a victor from the fields of carnage and\\nthough He was Infinite Wisdom, He was not praised\\non that day for sagacity won in the council chambers of\\nthe world. He was a conqueror, but his victory was\\nover the human heart. He was celebrated, but His\\ngreatness was earned by the stupendous works wrought\\nby His power. The memory of His miracles was still\\nfresh in the mind of the populace, and they consequently\\npraised Him for His goodness, while they called Him\\na great prophet. He was received by the people, not for", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0140.jp2"}, "141": {"fulltext": "PALM SUNDAY. 137\\nthe magnificent display of His caparison or the gor-\\ngeous decorations of Himself and retinue, but for His\\namiable tenderness and unexcelled meekness.\\nA mystic power, a divine influence, pervaded the\\nheart of the Jewish populace. Crowds went to meet\\nHim, to give Him welcome as He rode in triumph to\\nthe city. The multitude that went before a?id that\\nfollotved Him, cried, saying Hosanna to the Son of David\\nBlessed is He that cojneth in the name of the Lord I Hosanna\\nin the highest f They tore palm and olive branches from\\nthe trees, and scattered them before Him on the way.\\nThey even spread their garments before Him, as a token\\nof the profoundest respect. They went into ecstasy.\\nEverywhere were expressions of praise and manifesta-\\ntions of rejoicement. Thousands of throats sang out\\nwith friendly vehemence, hosannas of esteem and love.\\nIt was a glorious day but how soon the scene was\\nchanged To-day we hear the songs of praise and the\\njoyful cry of welcome on Good Friday our hearts are\\nshocked by the infuriated mob, in the same city, crying\\nout, Crucify Him crucify Him To-day He passes the\\nmount of olives in triumph on Holy Thursday night He\\nis dragged from His place of prayer by a fierce rabble and\\nhurried brutally to prison. To-day His path is strewn by\\nthe garments of a happy people on Good Friday they\\nnail Him to the cross. Oh, what awful instability\\nWhat a monstrous contrast What infamous contra-\\ndiction\\nYou search for the cause, and it is largely found in\\nthe jealousy and fickleness of the human heart. It is\\nthus with man. To-day he admires to-morrow he\\ndispraises the object of his admiration. To-day he\\nesteems, and to-morrow he hates what he previously\\nloved. To-dav he makes idols, and to-morrow he breaks", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0141.jp2"}, "142": {"fulltext": "188 PALM SUNDAY.\\nthem. History is replete with examples of this kind.\\nThe record of ancient and modern times relate sad\\nstories of the fickleness of man. Let me tell you of a\\nfew, for the purpose of illustrating the subject of to-day s\\nreflections. Demosthenes of old, the father and the\\nmaster of eloquence, the tutor of the student of oratory\\nin every age, was banished from Athens, his home. The\\nirresistible torrents of his eloquence rush forth\\nagainst the encroachments of Philip of Macedon and\\nAlexander, Philip s son. From his oratory pealed\\nforth the notes of warning. He toiled to arouse the\\npeople to a feeling of their danger but his efforts were\\nmisconstrued, and he, the glory of ancient and modern\\nages, was driven from the city. Followed by his enemies\\npreconcerting deadly designs upon his person, he\\nconcealed poison in the stylus, the instrument with\\nwhich he gave to posterity grand models for imitation.\\nHaving been captured, he partook of the poison, and fell\\ndead in the arms of his captors. Socrates, for his labors\\nin building up the morality and intellectual ability\\nof Grecian youth, at the instigation of a poet, was\\nadjudged guilty of corruption and though innocent,\\nwas condemned to take the fatal hemlock juice, from\\nwhich he perished. Aristides, a man who deserved\\nevery mark of honorable distinction, was ostracized by\\nhis countrymen, on charges as frivolous as they were\\nunwarranted. There is an instance connected with his\\nostracism which I shall relate. In a case of banishment,\\nsix-thousand votes were required before sentence\\nwas pronounced. The name of the person to be exiled\\nwas written on a shell, and this was given to the judge in\\nthe market place, who counted the votes. Aristides\\nwas walking upon one of the streets of Athens, when\\nan illiterate person meeting him, asked him to write the", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0142.jp2"}, "143": {"fulltext": "PALM SUNDAY. 139\\nname of Aristides upon his shell. Whereupon Aristides\\ninquired whether this man had ever injured him. No,\\nwas the reply, he never injured me nor do I know\\nthe man but I am tired of hearing him called the\\njust. Aristides wrote his name upon the shell, and set\\nout to his place of banishment. In the history of our\\nown country, you find the man who expended his\\nfortune in caring for the soldiers in Valley Forge,\\nlanguishing in prison for a debt. This sad case induced\\na poet to say\\nIt must in sooth, be joy for you to see\\nYon monument reared to thee\\nPiled granite and prison cell,\\nThe land repays thy service well.\\nThere is not anything so easily and so readily erased\\nfrom the human mind as the memory of benefits\\nreceived or kindness bestowed. Prosperity s gale sweeps\\nyou onward then praises are showered upon you.\\nBut should adverse winds break upon you, then cen-\\nsures take the place of the dying echo of previous\\npraise. In failure^ we discover our friends. And it\\nis strange how so many are condemned in their adver-\\nsity, who were lauded in the day of their success. The\\ncarper does not care to understand that a man s great-\\nest and noblest efforts are often made when he struggles\\nwith misfortune. Then, indeed, is he the grandest but\\nhis grandeur and superhuman exertions are overlooked\\non account of the inconstancy of his friends, or they\\nare hidden by the viclousness of his enemies. This\\ninstability, this fickleness, is what changed the hosannas\\nof Palm Sunday into the awful cry of Crucify Him,\\ncrucify Him It transformed joy into wrath, laudations\\ninto curses.\\nYou, my dear friends, may censure the Jews for their", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0143.jp2"}, "144": {"fulltext": "140 PALM SUNDAY.\\ninconsistency, for their ingratitude but before you\\nremonstrate against the Jews, consider your own\\ningratitude to God. This is Palm Sunday morning.\\nYou have assembled here in His Church to praise Him,\\nto sing hosannas of thanksgiving and joy still, before\\nGood Friday, will not some of you cry out Crucify Him,\\ncrucify Him Monstrous thought Awful expression\\nsome of you may say. Yet, by your action you shall\\ncrucify again your Divine Lord. By your own sin and\\nfoul ingratitude you may, ere the sun declines on next\\nGood Friday, change your praises into insults and\\ndeadly offences against Jesus, Who loved you, and Who\\ncontinues to love you so much. How often have\\nyou welcomed your Saviour into your bosom, only to\\nforget His presence and grossly offend Him shortly\\nafterward How often have you bedecked your\\nhearts with the mantle of your affections, when in the\\nBlessed Sacrament He was about to visit you and ere\\nthe night of that happy day closed upon you, you defile\\nthat heart which received Him and that tongue which\\nwhispered your joys at His coming Had the Jews\\nbeen persuaded that Jesus was the Son of the Most\\nHigh, do you think they would have persecuted Him,\\nas we His children by adoption have so often done\\nHow many times we have spurned His goodness, forgot-\\nten His mercies, and belittled His passion and death\\nAll this is due in a large measure to our fickleness.\\nHad we been more mindful of the inestimable favors\\nconferred upon us had we oftener availed ourselves of\\nthose channels of grace instituted by our beneficent\\nSaviour, we would have been stabilitated in our good\\nresolution, and been more exemplary in our conduct\\nconduct pleasing to God and beneficial to our fellow-\\nmen. Let us now, as we gaze upon the spiritual", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0144.jp2"}, "145": {"fulltext": "PALM SUNDAY. 141\\nbarrenness of our past lives, determine that during this\\nweek we shall, in a special manner, render homage to\\nGod. Let the young and the old come to church dur-\\ning this holy time and by their prayers and good\\nworks manifest sorrow for their sins, thanks for heavenly\\nbenedictions, and compassion for the sufferings\\nand death of Christ, Our Lord. Though you de-\\nserve much commendation for your regularity\\nin attending the religious exercises of the holy\\nseason of Lent, still persevere. Always let it be\\nyour highest aim to love and serve Him Who\\nunderwent such great ignominy for you. In thus observ-\\ning God s law, in thus appreciating His magnanimous\\ngenerosity, you will ever be irreproachable Catholics\\nand dying, may you, on your way from this life, sing\\nanthems of joy and gratitude never to end", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0145.jp2"}, "146": {"fulltext": "EASTER SUNDAY.\\nINFLUENCE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH UPON\\nCIVILIZATION.\\nHe is risen. (Mark xvi. 6.)\\nMy Dear Friends The presence of Jesus, the Saviour\\nof mankind, on earth, began a new era in the history of\\nthe human race. His death upon the cross drew the\\nhuman heart toward Him but His Resurrection gave\\nconfidence, while it afforded evidence of His divinity.\\nWere other proofs required to establish His claims, we\\nfind them abundantly in the history of modern times.\\nThey are manifested in the influence of His doctrine\\nupon society. Upon this glorious feast, commemorative\\nof the Resurrection of the Son of God, civilization\\nattests the force and persuasiveness of His divine\\nprecepts. At this time, when both the durability and\\nefficacy of the New Dispensation have been tested by\\nnineteen centuries of trial, we discover no symptom\\nof decay or impotence.\\nThe Catholic Church to-day is more vigorous, more\\ninfluential than ever before and civilization acknowl-\\nedges the debt she owes the spouse of Jesus. Behold\\nher this morning celebrating the glories of Christ\\nHere in this beautiful church in the mountain, you only\\ntypify the magnificent ceremonies of the Catholic\\nChurch everywhere held in commemoration of the\\n142", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0146.jp2"}, "147": {"fulltext": "EASTER SUNDAY. 143\\nstupendous event which transpired on this day. As\\nyou kneel to-day offering your homage to Jesus, so\\nmillions of Catholics throughout the civilized world do\\nin like manner. What unity in faith What devotion\\nat the holy sacrifice What praise to the Creator of all\\ngood What a glorious tribute from faithful hearts\\nDoes not all this tell of the influence of the Church\\nupon civilization Can such devotion, such unity\\nof love for the Saviour of mankind, be ineffectual in\\ndrawing souls toward Him who is the perfection of all\\ncreated things As they approach this centre of\\nperfection, must they not be effected by its radiations\\nand subdued by its refulgence But what leads them\\nthither? The Catholic Church, which He established\\nfor this purpose. Since civilization is an evidence of\\nan advancement toward the centre of perfection, it\\ncannot be successfully denied but that the Church is the\\ndivinely-appointed guide to conduct the human race\\nthrough the various degrees of civilization, until man-\\nkind reaches its greatest development on earth, and\\ncrosses the boundarv of time.\\nChrist is risen But what civilization would accrue\\nfrom that resurrection, had not that same Christ\\norganized some means by which His doctrine could be\\ntaught and transmitted to posterity His principles\\nof a new civilization would have been forgotten upon\\nHis ascension into heaven. It was necessary, then, in\\nthe economy of this Dispensation, to propagate the\\nwill of the Redeemer. Had that will not been diffused,\\nthe purpose for which Jesus died would have been\\nfrustrated. But divine intelligence knew how to dis-\\nseminate the principles of Christianity, and therefore\\nsaid to His apostles Go forth and teach all 7iationsy\\nThus the Catholic Church was commissioned to establish", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0147.jp2"}, "148": {"fulltext": "144 EASTER SUNDAY.\\na new order of things. To be sure, civilization is not the\\nprimary motive of Christianity still civilization follows\\nfrom Christianity as an effect from its cause. The\\nCatholic Church was instituted to preach Christ Cruci-\\nfied to tell of His love for the human race of the\\nworth and destiny of every human soul of the nobility\\nof that soul of the chastity which should adorn it\\nand the lofty purposes to which it should attain.\\nCould man abide by such teachings and not advance\\nin civilization Would he not become more dis-\\ntinguished for those noble qualities of soul which\\nmark a good man, in proportion to his adherence to\\nthe precepts imparted by the Man-God, Jesus Christ\\nAs the tongue voices the thoughts of the intellect, so\\ncivilization speaks of the divine source whence it\\nsprings the former depends upon the latter.\\nIt may be said that nations celebrated for their high\\ndegree of civilization, flourished before the twilight of\\nChristianity. As to this advanced form of civilization\\nin such nations as Greece and Rome, we beg to make\\na few comments. But first let us say that there was\\na religion supporting and maintaining that ancient\\ncivilization and if the religion was natural and\\nimperfect, so was the civilization. Some may be\\nastounded at our impertinence in thus speaking of\\nthose idols of ancient times to which so many moderns\\noffer incense. Permit us to explain. We do not wish\\nto underrate the achievements of these distinguished\\nnations of antiquity, or belittle their attainments. We\\nadmire the perfection of their painting and sculpture\\nwe praise the sagacity of their statesmen and the valor\\nand strategy of their soldiers we marvel at their\\npoetry and rejoice in their eloquence but we condemn\\ntheir inhumanity, while we challenge a comparison", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0148.jp2"}, "149": {"fulltext": "EASTEB SUNDAY. 145\\nbetween their most exalted citizens and an average\\nChristian. We discover among their greatest sons,\\ntraitors who sold their countries interests for gold.\\nSome of them were tyrants, and many of them were\\nmerciless butchers. They exhibited some natural\\npowers yet the strength of their intellects, the delicacy\\nof their imagination and their skill in giving expression\\nto both, remained in the sphere of the material. With\\na few exceptions, they never rose to those grand con-\\nceptions which denote Christian genius and those\\nexceptions never broke through the darkness which\\nsurrounded them, or reached those exalted views of\\nliberty and equality declared by Jesus and taught\\nby His servant, the Catholic Church. Compare their\\nmoral code with that of Christianity, and the comparison\\nwill amply illustrate the superiority of the latter.\\nLet us now, my Christian friends, consider some of\\nthe notable characteristics of Christian civilization. In\\nthese are contained the active principles of civilization.\\nYou need not be told one of these is the equality of\\nmankind. All men are created equal, is one of the\\ngreat principles of our government. But who first\\nimpressed man with the truth therein embodied Jesus,\\nthe Saviour of man. Who preached that truth for\\nnineteen centuries The Catholic Church. Who\\ninfused that truth into the life of society The same\\npromoter of society, the Catholic Church. Beyond the\\ninfluence of Christian civilization, point out a nation\\nwhich sustained this vitalizing principle or encouraged\\nits sway. Show us an example of such magnanimity\\nTell us of a people who denounced slavery or who\\nstruck the shackles from the limbs of the serf You can-\\nnot. The condition of slavery was hopeless. There\\nwas no equality, no Christian charity, no true civilization", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0149.jp2"}, "150": {"fulltext": "146 EASTER SUNDAY.\\nBefore the birth of the Christian era, the few were\\ngreat and the masses slaves. The captive of war was\\ndoomed to a life of slavery. He was treated as a brute.\\nHe graced the triumph of his captors, and was often\\ndoomed to die in the arena in order to entertain the\\nbrutish whims of a people whom some call highly\\ncivilized. Those who escaped such a death, knew only\\ndrudgery, merciless masters, and ignominy as degrad-\\ning as it was inhumane. Say not this is civilization\\nSay not that slavery becomes a human creature endowed\\nwith the image and likeness of his God, with an\\nimmortal soul redeemed by the blood of Christ\\nThe Catholic Church severed the bondage which\\ndebased the human body and retarded the development\\nof the human soul. She pleaded for the captive and slave.\\nHer voice was raised against the abominable institution\\nof slavery, and demanded liberty for all As an evidence\\nof her success, there is not a nation in union with her,\\nwhich retains the nefarious traffic of slavery or serfdom.\\nIn her first efforts she sought and obtained the liber-\\nation of the slave and afterward, when serfdom was\\nintroduced into Europe by the devastating invader, she\\nnever gave up the contest until she abolished the enslav-\\ning power of the master, and rescued the serf from his\\nabject condition\\nBancroft, our American historian, admires the equality\\nof man inculcated by the Catholic Church in the adminis-\\ntration of her sacraments. He is describing the great\\nefforts made by the early Catholic missionaries among\\nthe Indians. Among the exalted features of Catholic\\ninstruction and Catholic magnanimity, he notes especi-\\nally the administration of the Sacrament of Holy Eucha-\\nrist. The savage, he says, partook of this sacrament\\nwhich the kings and princes of Europe received. The", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0150.jp2"}, "151": {"fulltext": "EASTER SUNDAY. 147\\nmost regal person in the Old World could not receive\\nmore, and the savage of the forest was not denied this.\\nAn extraordinary proof, he continues, of the equality\\nof man as taught and practised by that Church. But the\\nCatholic Church, in administering the sacraments to the\\nnative of the wilderness, was only fulfilling the command\\nof her Divine Master, Jesus Christ Go ye into the whole\\nworld and preach the Gospel to every creature! Mark xvi.\\n15.) Make no distinction between the great and the\\nlowly. All shall participate in my sacraments, and\\nshall be sanctified by my grace. One only requisite\\nOne obligation Only one And this is worthiness\\nand this is demanded from all without exception\\nWhen the distinction of caste and feudalism threat-\\nened todestroy in Europe every vestige of civil authority\\nand invalidate every human right, the Church fought\\nthe battle of social order, and triumphed over principles\\nwhich must necessarily have lead to anarchy. As a\\ndistinguished writer in the Foreign Quarterly Review\\nargued Feudalism was the worst foe to social order\\nbecause it was equally opposed to the sovereignt}^ of the\\nmonarch and the liberty of the people. Could it have\\nheld its position, Europe must have sunk into barbar-\\nism but it had to oppose a powerful principle the\\ninfluence of the Church. In the eleventh century, the\\npapacy fought the battle of freedom and civilization.\\nLet me add when the distinction of caste was every-\\nwhere recognized in social life, the Catholic Church\\nalone knew no aristocracy except that of talent\\nMen of literary attainments, men of genius, were\\nacknowledged and respected, it mattered not whether\\nthey arose from the ranks of the serf or from the families of\\nthe great the lowly could aspire to the tiara, and wear\\nthe ring of the fisherman. In fc^ct, the humblest from", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0151.jp2"}, "152": {"fulltext": "148 EASTER SUNDAY.\\nthe low ranks of society sat in the Chair of St. Peter\\nand wielded the destinies of the Church. Wonderful\\nequality Marvellous liberty The Catholic Church\\nnever knew a slave; all were freemen with her Free in\\ntheir inherent rights Free by the redemption of\\nChrist Free by the grace of the sacraments instituted\\nby that Christ\\nYou have heard it said that the Catholic Church is an\\nenemy of progress, of progress in literature, of progress\\nin science, of progress in art, of progress in anything\\nand everything which awakens the dormant energies of\\nthe human soul. She is a foe of all enlightenment, the\\ncoercer of the will, and enslaver of the intellect. But\\nhistory and your own personal observations contradict\\nsuch calumny. History teaches that the Catholic\\nChurch was a friend of society, and at times its only\\nfriend that she was the champion of man s rights that\\nshe stood between him and the oppressor that amid so\\nmuch chaos during so many centuries she was the one\\ngreat unyielding power which defended man s liberty\\nand sustained social life. But she is the foe of enlighten-\\nment, and intellectual progress is her ruin, we are told.\\nLet me reply that during the last three centuries the\\nintellect of man has been most active. One startling\\ninvention has followed another with amazing rapidity\\nliterature is cultivated with untiring industry; every form\\nof religion which can be imagined, has been tried,\\nand no religion at all has millions of followers still,\\nhas the Catholic Church suffered from this progress\\nWho will say she has She was ever the foremost\\nin scholarly attainment, and she is so still. The\\nbrilliancy of the last few centuries of advancement did\\nnot dimmer her glory nor diminish her luster. Indeed,\\nit only assisted in establishing her claim and declaring", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0152.jp2"}, "153": {"fulltext": "EASTER SUNDAY. 149\\nher supremacy. In every struggle she astonished\\nher adversaries by the profundity of her knowledge\\nand the inexhaustibility of her intellectual resources.\\nHer foes were from every field of disputation, and\\ntheir failure to triumph, proves her power and\\nendurance. Many urged that she would pale before\\nthe scrutiny of recent examination that being the\\nenemy of learning, she would finally be subdued by the\\ndiffusion of letters when education became general,\\nher weakness would be displayed. Is it so What\\nChurch makes greater sacrifices for education And\\nwho are those who are superior to her children in\\nknowledge\\nTo enter into a closer examination of her merits in\\nthe matter of education would lead us beyond the limits\\nof a sermon, which indeed we have already transgressed.\\nSuffice it to say that her system of education is\\nnot deficient, as our public school system is. She\\ntrains the whole child. While she stimulates him to the\\nhighest efforts of profane knowledge, she points him\\ntoward heaven she tells him of his duties toward\\nhimself, toward his neighbor, and toward his God.\\nShe trains him not only for earth, but also for heaven.\\nShe says to him: Ascend to the temple of erudition.\\nGather the brightest laurels in the world of intellectual\\neffort but offer the bays of your victories to your\\nGod. To Him be always obedient Him you must\\nadore from Him you must not depart. Does not this\\ninstruction lead to the highest development, to the\\nhighest civilization\\nWe have only considered briefly two factors in civiliza-\\ntion the equality of man and the influence of learning.\\nThere are other potent factors which we cannot at present\\nexamine. But in all means for the true advancement", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0153.jp2"}, "154": {"fulltext": "150 EASTER SUNDAY.\\nof the human race, the Catholic Church is first and\\nwithout her we would have only a pagan civilization.\\nShe has her principles of action from the source of all\\nperfection, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit teaches and\\ndirects her. Her commission is from the lips of Jesus\\nHimself, and will endure until the stars in the heavens\\ngrow dim, the sun refuse his light, and Jesus, the\\nglory of this feast, will appear to judge the living and\\nthe dead", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0154.jp2"}, "155": {"fulltext": "FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\nThomas answered, and said io Him My Lo and my God.\\n(John XX. 28.)\\nMy Dear Friends This morning you are surprised,\\nprobably shocked, at the incredulity of St. Thomas the\\nApostle when he boasts Unless I see in His hands the\\nprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of\\nthe nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not\\nbelieve. What extraordinary words are these for an\\napostle to use What convincing proofs he demands,\\nbefore he will acknowledge the Resurrection of his\\nLord and Master. You are astonished by the unbeliever\\nof this age, when he bombastically declares he will not\\nbelieve only what is demonstrated clearly to his reason.\\nYet, you see an apostle demanding the same grounds for\\nconviction. St. Thomas had listened to the persuasive\\ndiscourses of Jesus. He had noted their influence upon\\nthe multitudes. He had been a witness of miracles\\nperformed by the same divine power. To the speech-\\nless tongue, voice was given to the blind was given\\nthe joy of vision to the motionless limbs, the power\\nof action to the sick, the happinesss of health to the\\nsinner, the peace of a pure soul to the dead, life. He\\nhad seen all these wonders. Why, then, should he not\\nbelieve in the Resurrection without seeing the risen\\n151", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0155.jp2"}, "156": {"fulltext": "152 FIEST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\nChrisL Marvellous forbearance of Jesus Judas had\\nbetrayed Him St. Peter had denied Him now Thomas\\ndisbelieves in the Resurrection. What treachery in\\nHis few chosen companions What fickleness and\\ninsincerity\\nSt. Thomas had known that Jesus was dragged to the\\nhalls of judgment he had at least heard of His scourg-\\ning, and the crowning of thorns and was convinced\\nof His ignominious death upon the cross. Did these\\ncruel acts in the tragic drama of salvation under-\\nmine his faith Did a God dying on a cross seem\\ninconsistent to him Had he lost faith in his Divine\\nMaster Was he about to unite with the Jews, the\\nenemies of Jesus What lack of devotion to his\\nDivine Leader What faithlessness to his Friend\\nWhat cold indifference to his Lord Marvellous,\\nindeed, that he did not reflect upon the past that he\\ndid not draw strength and faith from the wondrous\\nlife of Christ. Probably he relied too much upon his\\nown shallow powers of comprehension, and conse-\\nquently the grace of faith was withdrawn for a time.\\nLike the agnostic of our day, he was incredulous he\\ndesired proofs.\\nBut Jesus appeared to him, and impressed the seal\\nof conviction upon him. Jesus also had witnesses the\\ndisciples were present so that had St. Thomas been\\ninclined to make light of the matter to the other\\ndisciples, in order to shield his previous incredulity, he\\nwas not permitted: Put m thy finger hither, mid see\\nMy hajids and bring hither thy hand and put it into My\\nside and be 7iot incredulous but faithful When he\\nbeheld his Divine Master before him; when he saw the\\nwounds, he exclaimed: My Lord and my God!\\nWell might he now be ashamed of his conduct.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0156.jp2"}, "157": {"fulltext": "FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 153\\nHis boasting had vanished. He stood in the august\\npresence of his God, convicted of the want of affection,\\ngratitude, and fidelity.\\nYou may be disposed to reprimand St. Thomas.\\nYou may in thought aver that had you the opportuni-\\nties with which he was blessed, you would have been\\nfirm in your faith, steadfast in your constancy,\\nunwavering in your attachment to Jesus Crucified. Yea,\\nthe agnostic, or even the atheist may proclaim, had I\\nseen these things, I would have knelt in adoration, and\\nwith my whole soul acknowledged my Lord and my God.\\nStill, singular as my statement may at first appear to\\nyou, let me say you have as great evidence of the\\ndivinity of Christ as that bestowed upon the faithless\\nThomas. Nor do I mean to direct your attention to\\nthe revealed word of God in the Sacred Scriptures\\nnor am I relying upon your inflexible faith to accept\\nmy arguments without proof. No but I am able to\\nplace before you evidence which neither you nor the\\natheist can refute. Where is this evidence to be\\nfound In history and the human heart. That Jesus\\nis the Son of His Eternal Father, is demonstrated by\\nthe history of the Church established by Him. If He\\nwas not the Son of God, He was a most cruel impos-\\ntor but where is the impostor, or where was ever the\\nimpostor whose memory has lived as His What phil-\\nosophy did they teach which survives What institu-\\ntions did they found, whichhas with stood the tempests\\nof civil strife What principles of morality did they\\ninculcate, which still influence the conduct of society\\nThere are none. The perpetuity of the Catholic\\nChurch is a miracle in itself, sufficient to convince any\\nunprejudiced thinker. The appearance of Jesus to\\nincredulous Thomas was not more persuasive than the", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0157.jp2"}, "158": {"fulltext": "154 FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\ncontinual existence of the Church for so many cen-\\nturies. Dynasties have fallen thrones have crumbled\\ninto decay the map of the world has been often\\nchanged. In the midst of all agitation and decay,\\nthough disturbed by internal conflicts and attacked by\\nexternal foes, the Church braved every storm, rode\\nthe billows of revolution, and is to-day more influen-\\ntial than ever before What phenomenon can equal\\nthis Let scoffers scoff let atheists sneer let\\nagnostics boast, but they cannot explain this\\nphenomenon on any other hypothesis than that Jesus\\nwas the Son of God, and that His Church is under the\\nprotection of heaven. When we examine history with\\nall its vicissitudes when we ponder upon the marvel-\\nlous growth and endurance of the Church, we cry out\\nwith St. Thomas My Lord a?id my God.\\nThe other proof to which I wish to invite your\\nattention, is the love in the human heart for Jesus\\nCrucified. This love is incomparable to everything\\nhuman. It is a phenomenon which cannot be explained\\nexcept on the hypothesis mentioned above, that Jesus,\\nthe Son of Mary, is also the Son of God. How many\\nhave suffered captial punishment, and in a few days the\\nexcitement was passed, and they were forgotten. This\\nis not only true of those outlaws who atoned for their\\ncrimes upon the scaffold but also the innocent and\\nnoble who perish by the caprice of infuriate mobs or\\nthe malice of their enemies. Who thinks now of\\nDemosthenes, of Socrates, of Cicero But Jesus died\\nan opprobrious death on the cross. No criminal was\\nmore degraded by man or more punished. Why,\\nthen, does His memory continue to dwell in the hearts\\nof mankind Why is it not forgotten What per-\\npetuates His love What renders it so fixed and", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0158.jp2"}, "159": {"fulltext": "FIRST SUNDAY AFTEE EASTER. 155\\nimmortal He was a great benefactor. Conceded.\\nBut there were other great benefactors before His\\nday and since. Why are their memories wrapped in\\nthe folds of oblivion, while His is imperishable The\\nunbeliever may reason as much as he likes he must\\nreturn to the unavoidable conclusion He was and is\\nGod.\\nDistinguished persons have flourished. Some were\\ncelebrated for their beneficence some for sagacity\\nothers for wisdom, valor, holiness but among all these\\ncelebrities, where is the one like unto Jesus Analyze\\ntheir lives weigh their actions consider their\\ninfluence estimate the efficacy of their names, and\\nagain I inquire, where is there one among them com-\\nparable to Jesus Wonderful Babe You puzzle our\\ncomprehension, because you are divine. Many cele-\\nbrated individuals have been honored by an idolizing\\npeople monuments have been reared to declare their\\ngreatness still, to whom has so many monuments been\\nerected, so many temples of worship dedicated, so\\nmany hearts devoted, as to Him who died the infamous\\ndeath of the cross\\nIn this very year several highly esteemed persons\\ndeparted from this life. Among them two celebrated\\nstatesmen, Bismarck and Gladstone. How intensely\\nthey are woven into the warp and the woof of the his-\\ntory of this period. Their names were known in every\\npart of the civilized world. Their influence was well-\\nnigh unlimited. They could make and unmake\\nnations but now what The grave has received\\ntheir ashes and it would seem their memories, too,\\nso little is spoken about them, though they are dead\\nonly a few months. But behold the inspiration in the\\nsacred name of Jesus, though it is now approaching", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0159.jp2"}, "160": {"fulltext": "156 FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\nnineteen centuries since He expired in anguish In\\nevery age, among every civilized people, His name has\\nbeen venerated and Himself adored. Is this super-\\nstition If so, why cannot other superstitious effects\\nbe shown similiar to this. Why have not those votaries\\nof atheism and agnosticism cast around some of their\\nidols this magic cloak of superstitious power Why\\nhave they permitted Voltaire and Rosseau, Diderot\\nand Kant, Spinosa, Darwin, and Huxley, to pass like\\ndreams from the minds of men Why have they not\\nembalmed some one of those in superstition, if for no\\nother purpose, simply to deny Christ and prove that it\\nis superstition which cherishes His love, while it per-\\npetuates His memory Ah they well know that they\\nare wrong, and that iii Jesus of Nazareth there is some-\\nthing superhuman. They may be masters in sarcasm\\nfluent of speech, hypnotizers in a manner but they\\ncannot deceive the faithful followers of Christ.\\nFor Him the martyrs shed their blood for Him\\nsaints have undergone sufferings and privations for\\nHim the greatest scholars have labored for Him the\\nmissionary has invited danger and willingly exposed his\\nlife, that many may hear of Jesus Crucified, and be\\nenriched by the fruits of the Redemption. How our\\nown country is replete with the history of those daun-\\nless soldiers of the Cross whom the Indians tortured,\\nand by savage brutality put to death, whom others\\nfollowed to endure the same privations and meet the\\nsame fate Where in the annals of history, can 3/ou\\nfind such devotion and sacrifices to the principle of\\nany man Surrounded by so many proofs of loyalty;\\noverwhelmed by the thought which these proofs\\ninspire, we humbly exclaim My Lord and my Jesus,\\nyou are truly God", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0160.jp2"}, "161": {"fulltext": "FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 157\\nBehold the number who abandon the world with all\\nits attractions They take the vows of voluntary\\npoverty, perpetual chastity, and entire obedience. For-\\nevermore they must struggle against their passions\\nthey must for the will of a superior forget their own\\nwishes no desire of wealth must tempt them to\\nviolate their vow of poverty. Wh}^ do they make such\\nsacrifices Why submit to so many mortifications\\nWhy abandon their friends and home For the love\\nof Jesus Crucified. Where can the agnostic or atheist\\nfind such love and attachment for any of their great\\nteachers Where is the emperor who has discovered\\nsuch fidelity in any of his subjects Where are any of\\nthe distinguished, the celebrated dead, for whom such\\nsacrifices are made and so great love maintained\\nNowhere there are none who live so miraculously in\\nthe memory of others, except the Child of Bethlehem.\\nHere we have many acting not in accordance with\\nthe stupendous motives which actuate and control the\\ndestinies of men and nations, but entirely the contrary.\\nWhy is this The answer is simple it is Jesus. His\\ndivine grace tenderly interferes and benignly directs\\nmany to renounce the common ways of mankind. His\\ndivine grace, Jesus hanging on the cross, is more potent\\nthan wealth, fame, or pleasure. He is loved, and why?\\nHe conquers, and why Because He is God. Where\\nis the rationalist who can explain these phenomena\\nHe may gibe, but gibes are not arguments. He can-\\nnot point out a single person or object who retains\\nsuch influence over the human race, or for whom so\\ngreat loyalty and love have been manifested. History\\ntells only of one, and that One is Jesus. From the arms\\nof Mary, His Mother from the manger, from the Cross,\\nHe rules, and His rule is obeyed by millions. Many try", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0161.jp2"}, "162": {"fulltext": "158 FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\nto disbelieve these indisputable facts, but they are\\nimpregnable. They shuffle off the sweet bonds of faith,\\nonly to be shackled by the manacles of human opinion.\\nThey depart from the harbor of tranquillity, only to be\\ncast upon the rocky, bleak promontories of doubt.\\nThey leave peace, but they find no rest beyond.\\nAs for you and all other Catholics, there is no\\nquestion of doubt. Millions have loved and adored\\nthe Infant of Bethlehem. Millions kneel to-day before\\nthe sacred shrines in which He stays for us, and give\\nexpression to their love and gratitude. Humbly they\\nkneel some with aching hearts, some with tears\\nbut all with love for Jesus. Let us join with them,\\nand from the deepest recesses of our hearts, exclaim\\nMj/ Lord and my God", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0162.jp2"}, "163": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\nI am the Good Shepherd. (St. John x. ii.)\\nMy Dear Friends This beautiful expression, the\\nsubject of to-day s discourse, tells us of the benign\\nwatchfulness of Jesus over mankind. He represents\\nHimself as a shepherd. Not one, however, who will\\nabandon his flock in the time of danger not the hire-\\nling whose interests are the wages received for his ser-\\nvice. No He says, am the Good Shepherd and\\nimmediately adds, The good shepherd giveth his life for\\nhis sheep. Our Divine Lord has shown Himself to be\\nthe Good Shepherd of the human race. If you want\\nproofs of His goodness, behold the Infant Jesus shiver-\\ning in the manger at Bethlehem. If you desire evidence\\nof His magnanimous interest in His flock, look upon\\nHim as He hangs on the cross. Here are convincing\\nmanifestations of His love. Jerusalem and all the places\\naround that city have by His presence become sacred.\\nNo man spoke as He no man evinced such unselfish con-\\ncern in our race as He. The Crib of Bethlehem has\\nmade that town famous. The glories of ancient Rome,\\nCorinth, and Athens, are vanquished by the destructive\\ninfluence of time. But while their luster is a thing of\\nthe past, Bethlehem and Calvary will be ever sacred to\\nChristians of every land and age. Why this wonderful\\ndeference Why does the heart cling to these places, the\\nJ59", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0163.jp2"}, "164": {"fulltext": "160 SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\nscenes of so much humiliation and cruelty It is need-\\nless to say that their immortality is due to the Good\\nShepherd. One is the place of His birth the other of\\nHis ignominious death. All the country was the scene\\nof His labors and His love. Every spot upon which\\nthe Saviour trod is imperishable and its memory will\\nbe as enduring as the human race.\\nThe Good Shepherd, Christ Jesus, tells us that He\\nknows His sheep, and that they know Him. Here your\\nminds revert to His vigilance. He knows everyone of\\nHis sheep. None can go astray without His being\\nconscious of the loss. And how often He leaves the\\nninty-nine that are safe, to go in search of the lost one.\\nI know Mi7ie and Mi?ie know Me. Yea, He should\\nknow them. He humiliated Himself to the lowest\\nabjection for them. The cruel suffering of the cross was\\nnot considered too much. I lay down My life for My\\nsheep. Nay, more than this He can say for He has\\nbeen a shepherd to you during your whole life. Has\\nHe not attended to your wants in every moment of your\\nexistence Can He not say to you I have watched\\nover your cradle I have regenerated you at baptism.\\nThen you began to know My kindness. You became\\nMy lambs. Heaven was promised to you, if you always\\nremain within My fold. I shall adorn your countenance\\nwith every exalting virtue, and as long as you are\\nobedient to My voice, on your brow shame will be\\nashamed to sit.\\nThe Divine Shepherd may call your attention to\\nanother act of His watchfulness and care. In order\\nthat you may never separate from Him, He impresses\\nupon your soul His love, and wishes you to be happy\\nhere as well as hereafter. For this purpose He points\\nout the course over which He has conducted you I", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0164.jp2"}, "165": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY APTEE EASTEB. 161\\nhave not left you after baptism, to battle alone with\\ndanger, He continues, but I have watched over the\\nyears of your young life and in due time I have led\\nyou to the sacred tribunal of penance. In this holy\\nplace My grace was once more infused into your\\nyoung soul. I told you, then, that in sorrow and\\nin trouble, in disappointment and in sin, 3 ou should\\nalways come to Me for counsel and aid. Should you go\\nastray, should you spurn My kindness and minimize\\nMy goodness, listen to the voice of your Shepherd, and\\ncome to Me in the Sacrament of Penance. Here your\\nsorrows will be turned into joys, and your past way-\\nwardness I will forget. You are not ignorant, my\\nChristian friends, of this benevolent act of our Divine\\nShepherd s love. How often has He not gone after the\\nstrayed sheep, begging them to return to return to His\\ninexhaustable fountain of mercy, the Sacrament of Pen-\\nance? Sometimes He pleads with the heart in the most\\nendearing terms. He assures you of His affections.\\nWhen this fails, He causes the heart to throb with sor-\\nrow, sometimes affliction, so that He may teach you\\nyour waywardness, point out the destruction which\\nawaits you, and lead you back to the fold whence you\\nseparated. He takes you by the hand,-\u00e2\u0080\u0094 assures you\\nthere is no need of fear Confess your transgressions,\\nbe sorry for your sins, and we shall be friends again.\\nAlong the journey of life. He does not for a moment\\nabandon you. From the first cry of life to the last\\nmoan of death, He is with you. For the purpose of\\nkeeping before your eyes His ceaseless attachment to\\nyou as well as to encourage you. He has instituted the\\nSacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Having made you as\\nspotless as an angel in the purifying waters of baptism,\\nhaying conducted you to the refreshing channels of His", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0165.jp2"}, "166": {"fulltext": "162 SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\ngrace in the Sacrament of Penance, He now prepares\\nyour soul for another feast of His untiring love. He\\ngathers you about Him as He once gathered the apostles,\\nand bids you partake of His adorable body, blood, soul,\\nand divinity. Take ye mid eat^ 2.xq His loving words.\\nEat of this bread, and you shall never die. It will be\\nyour strength and solace in every vicissitude of fortune.\\nWhen your feet are bruised on the craggy way of life,\\nwhen thorns will pierce your hearts, when friends prove\\ntraitors, then remember I am the Good Shepherd. Come\\nto Me, and I shall comfort you. Come to Me in Con-\\nfession come to Me in the Holy Eucharist. Participate\\nin My grace, and communicate with Me in the Sacra-\\nment of the Altar. Thus, my dear friends, He speaks\\nto you thus He leads you through the tempests of life\\nHe says, morever, Mine know Me! I am the Good\\nShepherd; I k?iow mine and mine know Me! It follows\\nfrom this that there are some whom He knows not,\\nand these do not know Him. What is the cause\\nWhy do they not know Him Ah, the great barrier\\nis sin. He has gone in quest of them often, but they\\nhearkened not to His voice. He has begged of them to\\ncome to Him and find peace of soul and tranquillity of\\nheart. But they refused. What a terrible thing it is\\nby sin not to know God Once the sinner was a child\\nof God. In its baptism it was immaculate\u00e2\u0080\u0094 not a stain\\nsullied the soul. But now it does not care to be one\\nof the Saviour s flock. How many a Catholic has\\nwandered far from the friendship and care of the Good\\nShepherd The soul is steeled with the wickedness\\nof a sinful life. Bad company has dried up the fruit-\\nful grace with which the soul was once fertilized.\\nBarrenness exists now, where formerly the richness of\\nGod s blessings abounded. Low motives have taken", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0166.jp2"}, "167": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 163\\nthe place of great and noble incentives. Honor has\\nbeen expelled by profligacy The promises of youth\\nhave decayed before the blast of lust and intem-\\nperance The Good Shepherd seeks them, entreats\\nthem to return, and thus their offences will be buried in\\nthe depth of oblivion. They despised His call. Though\\nonce they were favored children of the Church, now\\nthey know not their Saviour and their God. How\\nwretched must that one be, who rejects the generous\\noffer of our Divine Lord. I shall not go with you,\\nhe snarls I know you not, nor do I care to know you.\\nYou promise peace, but I prefer the tortures of sin\\nYou point to heaven as my eternal home I point to\\nhell as my preference I will not repent. Better for\\nme to be in hell, than be with the virtuous and the good\\nin heaven You show me the imprints of the nails\\nin your hands, tokens of your love forme but I prefer\\nto be a slave of Satan than a child of your affections\\nO miserable sinner you may exclaim, how can\\nyou insult the majesty of God How can you abuse\\nHis goodness and disregard the preciousness of your\\nown soul\\nHow low must that one have fallen Into what\\ndepths of debasement he must have sunk When our\\nSaviour rejects him, and says I know you not you are\\nnot of My fold. I have fondled you in your infancy, I\\nhave nursed you in your childhood, I have blessed you\\nin your youth with the blessing of every grace, but you\\nhave abandoned Me and persisted in your abandonment.\\nI know you not. You will yet cry upon Me, but I shall\\nnot hear you. You shall die in your sins.\\nO stony-hearted ingrate how much you must have\\ninsulted your God of mercy and love, to force Him to\\npronounce such a malediction upon you You are", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0167.jp2"}, "168": {"fulltext": "164 SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\nobstinate you are a fool in your wisdom your soul is\\nmarred by sin, and stultified by your vain efforts\\nto deny the goodness of God. Boastfully you deny\\nthe providence of the Creator, and attempt to be-\\nlittle the magnificent works of His hand. You may as\\nwell try to pluck the stars from the firmament, or pre-\\nvent the dews of a summer morning. Your efforts are\\nvain, and your life is a curse to the earth.\\nA?id other sheep I have, which are not of this old they\\nalso I must bring, and they shall hear My voice, a?id there\\nshall be o?ie fold and one shepherd Yes, our Divine\\nLord will bring other sheep into His flock, who will\\nappreciate His goodness and proclaim His praises.\\nHis unlimited mercies will be the theme of their\\neloquence and the hope of their lives profound\\ngratitude will rise from their hearts, like holy incense.\\nThere shall be o?dy one fold a?id one shepherd. What, then,\\nabout the negligent, unthankful Catholic who has\\nwandered so far from the fold in which he was\\nborn, and in which he received so many blessings.\\nThis ingrate will be an outcast. Jesus, who died for\\nhim, will disown him. By the deformity of his coun-\\ntenance, the horrible condition of his soul will be\\nknown. Every opportunity was given him to return.\\nIn vain did the Good Shepherd plead with him to\\nre-enter the fold which he left for the ways of sin and\\ncrime. His offences would have been blotted out, and\\nall the joy of an innocent heart would have been\\nbestowed upon him. Exhortation was ineffectual\\nentreaty was no use his heart was like the marble.\\nThe gentle influence of divine grace fell upon his soul\\nwith ^s little effect as the dews upon the adamantine\\nrock. Honor, chastity, manhood, were to him power-\\nless terms. Without the fold he lived, and an enemy", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0168.jp2"}, "169": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 165\\nof God, he dies. O miserable life O wretched\\ndeath\\nLet me beseech you, my dear friends, to remember\\nthe lesson which this day s Gospel imparts. In every\\nchange of fortune, never forget your God. Should the\\nwithering blasts of adversity beat upon you, or the\\nflattering wand of prosperity enlarge your coffers,\\nnever abandon your Good Shepherd, Christ Jesus. In\\nsuccess, do not be unmindful of the Creator of the\\nwealth of heaven and earth nor in failure, be dispon-\\ndent. Anchor your affection and your hope in the\\nbosom of your Divine Benefactor. During life, let\\nyour highest ambition be to live within the fold then,\\ndying, you shall rise to be ever united with Him\\nbeyond the grave, where He will reward you for your\\nconstancy.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0169.jp2"}, "170": {"fulltext": "THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\nAmen, amen, I say to you, that you shall lament and weep\\nbut the world shall rejoice a7id you shall be sorrowful; but\\nyour sorrow shall be turned into joy. (St. John xvi. 20.)\\nMy Dear Friends Our Divine Lord tells His Apos-\\ntles that for a little while they will not see Him, and on\\nthis account their hearts will be sorrowful. He is to\\nsuffer He is to be crucified. They shall commiserate\\nHis anguish they shall mourn His death they shall\\nbe sorrowful. But again in a little while, they shall see\\nHim again. He shall rise gloriously from the tomb.\\nHe will banish their mourning their sorrow will be\\nturned into joy. Again their Lord and Master will\\nstand in their midst they will be electrified by His\\npresence. Again they will listen to His voice and\\nreceive counsel from His instructions. They will be\\ncommissioned to tell all peoples of God s goodness, and\\nteach them the words of eternal life.\\nThey were sorrowful. Their hearts were troubled.\\nThey saw Him bound as a criminal and dragged to the\\nseats of judgment. Wonderful humility, patient suffer-\\ning, complete abjection, for the salvation of man\\nThey knew of His condemnation, heard of His painful\\ndeath upon the cross. One of them, with His Mother,\\nbeheld the execution of that awful sentence. Were\\nnot their hearts sorrowful Wonder, indeed, that the\\n166", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0170.jp2"}, "171": {"fulltext": "THiRt) SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. l67\\nMother s heart did not break from deepest grief But\\nthe world will rejoice. This is the way with the world.\\nIt has no time to lament over the sorrows of others.\\nIt has no heart, no sympathy. Here, however, while\\nit does not sorrow, it will rejoice. Jesus dying in tor-\\nments will ever be the cause of their joy. The\\nredemption of the human race, the pardon of sin, the\\nhope of eternal happiness, will be the perennial fountain\\nof their joys. Limbo rejoiced The earth rejoiced\\nHeaven itself rejoiced And this rejoicement sprang\\nforth from the wounds of Jesus, as purest water springs\\nfrom inexhaustible fountains to slake the thirst of the\\nfatigued traveller in the desert of sorrow and sin.\\nSince the first Good Friday, how many a sorrow has\\nbeen turned into joy and since the first Good Friday,\\nhow many a sorrow has benumbed the heart\\nIt has been well. The sorrows of Jesus are the joys\\nof poor, frail man and the sorrows of many men have\\nbeen a solace and a pleasure to many others. Without\\nsorrow, what a heartless, lifeless world ours would be\\nNo sympathy, no pitying emotions, no tender condo-\\nlence. The heart would be cold. It would never\\nvibrate with that soothing consolation which now dis-\\ntinguishes gentleness of heart, kindness for suffering,\\ncompassion for grief. Without sorrow, the heart would\\nbe povertible indeed. Sorrow is the keystone in the\\narch of the brotherhood of man. Take it away, and\\nfriendship falls, pathos falls, mercy falls, charity falls.\\nYou probably never reflected upon the great blessings\\nof sorrow.\\nWhat about sorrow In works of literature and art\\nWhere would be the tender strains of Burns the\\naffectionate outburst, the indignation, the love, and\\nthe plaintiveness Had not Ireland felt the pangs of", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0171.jp2"}, "172": {"fulltext": "168 THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\noppression, where would be the pathos of Ireland s\\nharp and the dolefulness of Moore s song Had\\nFather Ryan, the poet-priest of the South, no sorrow,\\nwhere would be these pure, humane, heaven-bom out-\\npourings of his troubled soul Where would be those\\neverlasting emotions of Petrarch, Milton, Shakespeare*\\nand hundreds of others, which are now immortalized\\nin verse for our culture and advancement Those\\nthoughts, rising forth from the wells of sorrow, are now\\nour joy and our consolation. You may call it senti-\\nmentality, if you will but this is the sentiment which\\nrefines, polishes, perfects the human heart, while it fer-\\ntilizes the human soul. The world is better for such\\nsorrow the world is better for the voice of the poet\\nthe world is better for all the lamentations recorded in\\nthe Sacred Books of the inspired writers. The Bible\\nteaches as persuasively by its sorrows as by its joys.\\nYea, let me add, more efficaciously by its sorrows.\\nIn painting, in these imperishable symbols of man s\\npainted thought, how fruitful is sorrow You admire\\nthe images of celebrated men and virtuous women,\\nrenowned for the grand part they took in something that\\ninterests mankind. But in a picture, the artist s genius\\nis what s most admired. His skill in the delineation,\\nhis accuracy in representing character, his delicate\\ncoloring in a word, his genius Ah, were there no\\nsorrow, where would be his genius! It is sorrow which\\nstimulates his genius it is sorrow which edifies his\\nheart it is sorrow which conceives in his soul these\\ngrand ideals it is sorrow which gives them birth.\\nLook at that pathetic picture, Another Marguerite\\nis its name stop but a moment before another, The\\nDeath of Her First Born. I shall not ask you to\\nexamine others. These two are sufficient. Other", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0172.jp2"}, "173": {"fulltext": "THIKD SUNDAY AFTEE EASTER. 169\\npictures may make you laugh these will make you\\nweep, and you will be the better for these tears. Tell\\nme not that the artist did not weep while giving\\nexpression to so much sorrow His soul was necessarily\\nagitated to its depths. There, on canvas, are the con-\\nceptions of his genius and what overmastering concep-\\ntions they are Sorrow herself pleading for sympathy.\\nHer supplications awakening every gentle, every re-\\nsponsive chord. The heart of the spectator is burdened,\\nbut the burden is sweet. He is now more responsive\\nto the cry of want he feels now, more keenly than ever\\nbefore, the moans of his unfortunate fellow-man. Ah,\\nwhat an education What culture What refinement\\nA whole life-time could not have had so much pure\\nfeeling for the woes of others could not have touched\\nso effectually the chords of human sympathy. Surely\\nthe artist wept\\nI shall not detain you by proving that these ever-\\nlasting masterpieces of Titian, Raphael, Michael Angelo\\nand others have had their origin in sorrow, though some\\nare expressive of joy. Had Jesus never died, there\\nwould be no Resurrection had Mary, the Mother of\\nJesus, never endured the anguish of the cross, there\\nwould be no Coronation of Mary by the celebrated\\nTitian. But let us return to the foot of the cross for a\\nlittle contemplation. Where can a more sorrowful\\nscene be witnessed the gentle, the good, the merci-\\nful, dead on the cross Look at the anguish settled\\nupon His sacred countenance note every wound of\\nevery scourge Observe the gash made by the lance\\nSee the blood trickling from His hands and feet\\nMark where the crown of thorns pressed upon His\\nsacred head Surely the chalice of sorrow was con-\\nsumed by Him in all its bitterness. There was no sor-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0173.jp2"}, "174": {"fulltext": "l70 THIRD SUNDAY APTEE EASTER.\\nrow like unto His sorrow produced by pain, sorrow\\ncaused by ingratitude, and this was the crudest of all.\\nStill, what joy comes from that sorrow. The world\\nrejoices, the world has rejoiced, the world will rejoice\\nand all this rejoicement springs from His sorrow\\nThe martyrs rejoiced, the saints rejoiced. Every wound\\nupon the sacred body proclaims joy to every Christian,\\npardon to every sinner, mercy to every penitent, and\\nall these the messengers of joy to every afflicted heart\\nFrom these speechless wounds come forth the language\\nof most soothing joy. A Magdalene still finds joy in\\nthese sacred feet A Peter still finds the joy of\\nrepentance in those sorrowful eyes. The sinner s tears\\nare turned into pearls of joy punishment into pardon\\ndespair into hope The princess and negro girl, the\\nemperor and the wretch, the saint and the sinner, draw\\nthe inspirations of joy from their crucified Lord. The\\nworld will rejoice, yea, rejoice in its new life The\\nchild will rejoice when Jesus enters his soul for the\\nfirst time in Holy Communion. The contrite penitent\\nwill rejoice as he leave sthe sacred tribunal of penance.\\nThe dying will rejoice as they fix their last gaze upon\\neternity, and thoughts of their crucified Jesus arise to\\nencourage hope and guarantee mercy. Earth, purga-\\ntory, even heaven rejoices, at the victory won by\\nJesus, and at the mercy, the pardon, the love bestowed\\nupon poor, sorrowful man.\\nYou perceive now that sorrow is not the worst mis-\\nfortune which may befall you. Ofttimes instead of it\\nbeing a misfortune, it is a blessing. It is only when\\nthe rose is bruised that it exhales its perfumes. It is\\nonly when the heart is crushed that it breathes forth its\\nsweetest expressions and then, too, it is that another\\nheart often vibrates in purest sympathy. Prostrated", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0174.jp2"}, "175": {"fulltext": "THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 171\\nand crushed, the heart gives voice to notes of human\\nfeeling which sound and resound forever. Prostrated\\nand crushed, the heart drinks solace and resignation\\nfrom the fountain sources of heaven. Prostrated and\\ncrushed, the heart finds shelter in the bleeding heart of\\nits dying Saviour", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0175.jp2"}, "176": {"fulltext": "FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\nBut when He^ the Spirit of truth, shall come^ He will teach\\nyou all truth, (St. John xvi. 13.)\\nMy Dear Friends There are many who disbelieve\\nthe Catholic Church. They say she teaches errors\\nthat she is an incapable guide that she is antagonistic\\nto free institutions that her doctrine is false. But\\nnote the words of our Divine Lord: Wheii He, the Spirit\\nof truth, shall come, He will teach you all truth! How,\\nthen, can any reasonable thinker maintain that the doc-\\ntrine of the Church is false. The Holy Ghost is her\\nguide and teacher. He imparts to her the knowledge of\\nthese truths, which are essential in advancing civiliza-\\ntion, in sustaining free institutions, and in preserving\\nthe Church of God on earth. You may retort We\\nconcede that the Holy Spirit teaches truth, but\\nthe Catholic Church is deaf to His divine teachings\\nshe abuses truth and inculcates errors. Let me call\\nyour attention to another promise made by the Son of\\nGod to His Church. In the Gospel, according to St.\\nMatthew (xxviii. 20), Jesus says to His Apostles\\nTeaching them to observe all things whatsoever I\\nhave commanded you and behold I am with you all\\ndays, even to the co?isummation of the world! Now,\\nevery Christian concedes that Jesus Christ is God,\\nequal to His Father then He must know all things\\n172", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0176.jp2"}, "177": {"fulltext": "FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 173\\ntherefore He must know at the time He made the\\npromise which I have just quoted for you, that the\\nCatholic Church would teach during all future time.\\nHe knew this because He knows all things. How\\ncould He have espoused the cause of error Could\\nHe say Behold, lam with you all days, eve^i to the\\nconsummatioji of the world, if He knew that the Cath-\\nolic Church would deviate from her glorious mission\\nand associate herself with infamy and sin He could\\nnot still, He must have known this, if it were ever to\\ntake place. Therefore, it never did take place, never\\nwill take place, because the Son of God, Jesus Christ,\\ndeclared to His infant Church I am with you all days,\\neven to the consummation of the zvorld! To say that\\nJesus could remain with so nefarious an organization\\nas that which imparts falsehood, as that which mutilates\\nthe divine commission to mankind, is blasphemy.\\nSuch an imputation strikes at the divinity of Jesus\\nChrist denys that He is God\\nBy their fruits you shall knoiv them A good\\ntree cannot yield bad fruit! (Math. vii. 16 and i8.)\\nIt is thus with the Catholic Church she cannot yield\\nbad fruit that is, her doctrine must remain undefiled.\\nJesus has enveloped her in the armor of truth, while\\nthe Holy Ghost infuses into her spirit courage and\\nfidelity, vigor and infallibility. For almost nineteen\\ncenturies she has borne upon her banner the escutcheon\\nof truth. Through all the storms political, civil, and\\nreligious she has clung to her Guide, and He to\\nher. She has civilized barbarians she has championed\\nthe cause of the oppressed and restrained the tyran-\\nny of despots. She is the mother of art, science, and\\nliterature. She taught the ignorant when Protestant-\\nism was unknown. She legislated wisely amid con-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0177.jp2"}, "178": {"fulltext": "174 FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\nfusion. She triumphed over every discordant element.\\nBy their fruits you shall kuow them^ Permit me\\nto request you to compare the fruits of Protestantism\\nwith those of Catholicity. But first let me remind you\\nthat I am not instituting this comparison to hurt the\\nfeelings of people who may differ with me. God forbid\\nthat I should ever be so inconsiderate as not to respect\\nthe feelings and opinions of the well-meaning. The\\nobject I have in view is to instruct, not to irritate.\\nNow observe the contentions and divisions in Protest-\\nantism. Presbyterians differ with Methodists Bap-\\ntists with Lutherans and thus the dissension goes on,\\nevery sect disagreeing with every other. Nor is it\\nuncommon to see the members of any one sect quarrell-\\ning among themselves as to what is doctrine and what\\nis not. God is not the author of dissensions, but of\\nharmony. There is system and harmony in all His\\nworks. The fruits of Protestantism are discord, dis-\\nunion, and disbelief. Do not understand me to mean that\\nProtestants are vile people. There are good and bad\\namong them. Some very excellent persons are Protest-\\nants. Some of my very best friends are Protestants.\\nBut I am not considering individuals. I am now com-\\nparing religious systems. In Catholicism, all is unity\\nin Protestantism, all is dissension. In Catholicism, all\\nis concord in Protestantism, everything is discord.\\nProtestantism has the inherent elements of decay\\nCatholicism possesses the principles of endurance.\\nProtestantism, existing for only three centuries, is like\\na piece of glass broken into innumerable fragments;\\nCatholicism is an adamantine rock, enduring for nine-\\nteen centuries, and rendered inseparable by the\\nexpressed command of the Son of God.\\nBy their fruits yon shall know them. Ask an intel-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0178.jp2"}, "179": {"fulltext": "FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 175\\nligent Protestant, whence the tree of Protestantism\\nsprang, and he will point you to Germany and England.\\nAsk him who planted this tree, and he will tell you\\nMartin Luther of Germany, and Henry VIII. of Eng-\\nland. Ask him why they planted this and, if candid,\\nhe will tell you rebellion against legitimate authority\\nwas the cause. Inquire of a Catholic, whence sprang the\\ntree of Catholicism, and he will point you to heaven. In-\\nquire of him, who planted this tree, and he will answer,\\nJesus, the Saviour of mankind. Inquire of him, why\\nthe tree was planted, and he will respond To bring\\nforth fruit in abundance for human society and the\\nsociety of heaven. How many have been nourished by\\nthis fruit! How many saints and martys How many\\nscholars and poets, painters and sculptors The rich\\nand the poor, the weak and the strong, the young\\nand the aged, have partaken of this fruit. Whatever\\nProtestantism has good, in doctrine, the Catholic\\nChurch has this, and more, too.\\nThis is the inevitable consequence. It could not be\\notherwise, considering the promise made by the Saviour\\nof the human race. Bear in mind Wis words: But the\\nParaclete, the Holy Ghost whom the Father will sefid i?i My\\nname, He will teach you all things, a?id bring all things to\\nyour mind, whatsoever I have said to you, and behold I am\\nwith you even to tJie consummation of the worlds How\\nsad it is that all do not belong to the one true Catholic\\nChurch How many great-souled, generous-hearted\\nProtestants there are who would make devout Catholics\\nWith what devotion they would kneel before the\\nBlessed Sacrament How ardently they would pray\\nWith what zeal they would attend the most adorable\\nsacrifice of the Mass They would be a source of much\\nedification to some indifferent Catholics. They would", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0179.jp2"}, "180": {"fulltext": "176 FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\nstimulate these to arduous efforts in the service of God.\\nAh, it is a pity Protestants do not reflect upon the\\ngrandeur of the Catholic Church and her divine com-\\nmission. Were they only to ponder carefully the vast\\ninfluence of the Church upon society were they only\\nto compare unbiasedly her immense superiority over\\nProtestantism were they only to weigh prudently the\\nauthority of both and the sources of this authority, they\\nwould be drawn irresistibly to the bosom of the old\\nChurch. Reason would indicate to them the true path\\nto religious peace, while the Spirit of God would\\nillumine their intellect and move their will to return\\nto the Mother whom their ancestors many years ago\\nabandoned.\\nBut some one may reply Ah, this is all very good\\nstill there are many bad Catholics. Yes, we answer; and\\nthe charge is as true as it is deplorable. Yet it must\\nbe remembered that many a good house has a bad\\ntenant that among the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus\\nHimself, one was a devil that in every town and city\\nthe infamous exist as well as the virtuous. Again, Prot-\\nestants will admit that there are among themselves\\nmany of the vilest that Catholics make great efforts to\\nattain to righteousness that in the most tempestuous\\nweather Catholic churches are filled with the devout\\nfaithful, while their churches are nearly empty. Nor\\nshould they forget that human nature is frail. The good\\nand the bad have always been, and will continue to\\nbe, until the crack of doom. Moreover, the Re-\\ndeemersaid I came not to call the righteous, but the sinner,\\nto repentance And just here, mark the charity of the\\nCatholic Church. True to the teachings of her divine\\nFounder, she does not neglect the wayward and the\\nsinner she does not cast a cold, unfriendly glance upon", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0180.jp2"}, "181": {"fulltext": "FOUKTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 177\\nthe poor, but she cares for all. Many Protestant\\nChurches have regard only for the rich and the\\ninfluential. They are called in many places the\\nchurches of the rich. The Catholic Church, however,\\nsees in every human being an immortal soul immortal\\nand priceless a soul for which Jesus died. She takes\\nthat soul, poor and sinful as it may be, cherishes it for\\nJesus sake and its own advancement, and in the end that\\nweak, sinful soul may be a saint. How parental What\\na patient tutor How much like her Eternal Guide,\\nJesus, the Benefactor of infirm human nature\\nThis is not her policy for to-day or yesterday. This\\nhas been her policy since Jesus told her to teach and\\nconvert all nations. She has been always faithful to His\\ncommand. She has not harmed wealth, but she has\\nalways defended poverty. She did not destroy the\\npowerful, still her voice was ever raised in defence of\\nthe oppressed. She protected all. Labor and capital\\nwere friends. The representatives of both knelt before\\nthe same altar, and adored the same God in the same\\nmanner. There were, when she alone ruled the destinies\\nof Christians, no socialists, no anarchists. Justice ruled\\nin the bench, and charity in her asylums. Man was\\nthen nearer the brotherhood of man than now.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0181.jp2"}, "182": {"fulltext": "FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\nBut I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go:\\nfor if I go not^ the Paraclete will not co7ne to you j but if I go^\\nI ivill send Him to you, (St. John xvi. 7.)\\nMy Dear Friends Our Saviour called the Apostles\\nattention to His glorious Ascension and the necessity\\nthereof. He is about to depart from them, and their\\nhearts are sorrowful. Into their bosoms He pours the\\nbalm of divine consolation. He will not leave them\\nalone. The Paraclete will come to drive away sorrow\\nand inspire fortitude. There are many things of which\\nHe would speak, but now they cannot bear them.\\nThey are mourning over the thought of separation, and\\nare unfit at this time to receive further instructions\\nconcerning the great mission to be undertaken by them.\\nThis sadness is natural enough. They have been in the\\ncompany of their Master for some years. Perhaps\\nthey could not explain the influence which bound Him\\nto them, and affected every fibre of their nature. The\\npresence of the Lord of heaven and earth among them,\\nand the power of that presence, permeated their entire\\nbeing. How sublime an honor was bestowed upon\\nthem how wonderful they were exalted by the com-\\npanionship of Jesus how the world might well envy\\ntheir pre-eminence! The benign bonds of grace held\\nthem to Him. The strongest and purest ties of friend-\\n178", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0182.jp2"}, "183": {"fulltext": "FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 179\\nship drew the Master and His disciples together in the\\nholy cause of regeneration. Now, having accomplished\\nthe redemption of man, He is soon to return to\\nthe bosom of His Eternal Father but He will not\\nleave the Apostles without a guide He will send them\\nthe Paraclete, who will enrich their souls with His\\nsevenfold gifts.\\nAfter the Ascension the Apostles were timid, as the\\nScriptures testify. They were enclosed in a room, hid-\\nden, lest they might provoke the spleen of the Jews,\\nand be consequently punished probably put to death.\\nThey were fearful of danger but after the descent of\\nthe Holy Ghost, they knew no danger and feared no\\nresentment. They were inflamed with a holy fervor to\\npreach Jesus Crucified and, if need be, die for the\\nfaith they taught. Now these gifts which the Apostles\\nreceived from the Holy Spirit, were also given to you\\nin Confirmation, if you were worthy of them. Every-\\none of you were favored according to your worthiness\\nand your wants in life. These gifts, as you remember\\nfrom your Catechism, are wisdom, understanding,\\nknowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and the fear of\\nthe Lord. Hence the Sacred Scriptures teach, the fear\\nof the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This is self-\\nevident to anyone who will give himself the trouble of\\nhonest contemplation. The fear of the Lord conducts\\nyou judiciously through the dangerous storms of life, to\\nthe home in heaven for which you are destined. A\\nmerchant fears the disasters of mercantile business, is\\ncautious on this account, and succeeds by means of.\\nhis prudence. The sailor fears the destructive tempest,\\ntakes precaution, and saves himself and cargo. And it\\nis so in all human affairs. A well-regulated fear brings\\nthe rewards of wisdom to those who wait assiduously", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0183.jp2"}, "184": {"fulltext": "180 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\nupon her. Some say that God is a God of love and\\ntherefore need not be feared. Indeed, it seems to me,\\non this very account, we ought to fear to offend His\\nlove and provoke His justice. By the fear of God is\\nnot meant a cringing, cowardly timidity, but a reveren-\\ntial awe for the majesty of God and a detestation for\\neverything which insults His love. Not that fear with\\nwhich the poet Burns was tormented when he cried\\nO Thou, unknown cause of all my hope and fear,\\nIn whose dread presence ere long I must appear\\nNo but that fear which, while it guards against\\ntransgression of God s law, shields us from the misfor-\\ntunes of a sinful life. This is true wisdom for it is\\nunwise to enkindle, by our evil deeds, the wrath of a\\nloving God.\\nPermit me to direct your attention a little farther in\\nthe consideration of this gift of the Holy Ghost wis-\\ndom. You should not confound wisdom with knowl-\\nedge. A man may be an encyclopoedia of information,\\nand still have very little wisdom. Instead of his knowl-\\nedge being useful to him, it may be an injury\\nor a burden to him. A store-house of unwieldy\\nknowledge is like an army of undisciplined soldiers.\\nIt has the appearance of strength, but in reality it is\\nweak and without purpose or power. And if knowl-\\nedge is of the destructive sort, it may be compared to\\nan army in a state of mutiny. Wisdom it is which\\nsystematizes, governs, and directs knowledge. It is to\\nknowledge what an intelligent agent is to the applica-\\ntion of steam, or any other force of Nature. Wisdom\\nselects the best means to arrive at the most advanta-\\ngeous ends. It is the queen, or should be, of all intel-\\nlectual activity. It is the great power which has elevated\\nnations to the zenith of their grandeur, and given them", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0184.jp2"}, "185": {"fulltext": "FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 181\\na history as inextinguishable as it is glorious. Their\\ngrowth and prosperity were d*ue to their wise rulers.\\nAnd if powerful nations have declined, their decay\\nwas owing to their disregard of wisdom. Love the\\nlight of wisdom, says the Book of Wisdom (vi. -23.),\\nall ye that bear rule over peopled Again the Sacred\\nScriptures impress upon us the necessity of wisdom,\\nby saying Wisdom is glorious, and never fadeth away,\\nand is easily seen by them that love her, and is found by them\\nthat seek her! (B. Wisdom vi. 13.) And here is an-\\nother truthful maxim Wisdom is better tha?i strength,\\nand a wise m.an is better than a strong ma?i.\\nWe must not confuse wisdom with understanding,\\neither. You may be able to understand, analyze, exam-\\nine many things, and yet be unable to apply them, or\\nanything else, meritoriously. But, while knowledge\\nand understanding are not wisdom, the wise man pos-\\nsesses sufficient of both for knowledge and understand-\\ning are the honored servants of wisdom It may be well\\nto add here that, while the perfection of wisdom is a gift\\nof the Holy Spirit, the principle itself is created by Him\\nin the soul of man it is a part of that wonderful crea-\\ntion with which man s intellect is endowed by Almighty\\nGod. This idea induces us to reflect upon the results of\\nwisdom in the temporal and spiritual affairs of life.\\nThis gift of the Holy Ghost strengthens, enlarges, and\\nbeautifies the spark of divinity within us. It enables\\nus the better to succeed in all the concerns of human\\naction. To be sure, all this presupposes an ardent\\ndesire to receive the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity,\\nwith a continual compliance to His holy will.\\nYou may now be inclined to reply Oh, how can a\\nperson succeed in many of the occupations of every-\\nday life, if he carefully observes the teachings of the", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0185.jp2"}, "186": {"fulltext": "182 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\nHoly Ghost and the maxims of wisdom? We must\\ncontend with those who have little or no regard for the\\nprecepts of religion; we must be engaged in business\\nwith the rough and the rascal we have to meet dishon-\\nest competition and in order to do this well, we\\nare compelled to use their weapon to defend ourseh cs.\\nNow, all this seems plausible enough but }ou are\\nnever to forget that there is a God. This truth you ought\\nto engrave upon your soul so deeply, that its oblitera-\\ntion would be impossible. God is the Author of all wise,\\nlegitimate law. He knows the past, He sees the future.\\nTo err is beyond His domain. He is the source of all\\nwisdom. The whole universe all creation moves and\\nacts in accordance to His will. You must not onl}- admit\\nthese truths you must admire the works of His hand and\\nthe wisdom \\\\Ahich directs them. Considering these\\nthings, is it possible for \\\\^ou to conclude that uncreated\\nwisdom could make a law or command }ou to obey a\\nprecept injurious to you Does He not understand\\nthe present condition of things among the nations of the\\nearth Did He not always know the present state of\\naffairs Can he not discriminate between honest}- and\\ndishonesty, between right and wrong Most assuredly.\\nThe one who shapes his conduct in conformit}- with\\nHis law% is wise and will prosper. While he admires\\nthe wisdom of God, as manifested in all these phe-\\nnomena coming under his observation, he does not fail to\\nsee that the one who obeys the divine law, lives and\\nacts in the universal harmony of things. The dishonest\\nman may prosper for a time, but his prosperit} will\\nhave an end, and during even its continuance he will\\nhave very little joy.\\nIf you examine the moral and religious aspect of life,\\nyou will easily discover how essential is wisdom for the", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0186.jp2"}, "187": {"fulltext": "FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 183\\nsustenance of every elevating virtue and how indispen-\\nsable it is for a defense against the numerous enemies of\\nmorality and religion. Material prosperity, as lasting\\nas it is great, depends also no less upon the wisdom of the\\npossessor, than does moral advancement. A man may\\nbe wise, yet poor. Another may be rich, yet unwise.\\nThe former drudges in poverty, but has wealth in the\\nfruit of his soul and in advoiding the wrecking disasters\\nof life the latter abounds in opulence, yet is ruined in\\nthe shoals of his presumptuous pride. This one is\\nunhappy that one is contented as far as this world allows\\nmortals to be. But above and beyond the transitory\\nthings of this life, the wise man is investing his capital\\nin good works, which bring an everlasting interest. He\\nis honored by those who know him, and will be\\nrewarded hereafter by the God of wisdom. Olijioiv\\nbeautiful is the chaste geiieration. with glory! says the\\nBook of Wisdom (iv.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 i), for the memory thereof is im-\\nmortal; because it is knoivii both with God aiid zuith man!\\nWe should learn, then, to listen to the voice of wisdom.\\nWe should pray to the Holy Ghost to instil it into our\\nsouls, to teach us every day its beautiful ways, and to\\nassist constantly in shaping our conduct in accordance\\nto its sublime maxims. In the ordinary affairs of life,\\nit is useful; but in the momentous concerns of earth and\\nheaven, it is incomparable. May Thou, O Holy Spirit,\\ninfuse into our souls a love for this, your great gift\\nMay it direct us from the monster of moral decay In\\nthe torturing dilemmas of our earthly existence, may the\\nrefulgence of Thy wisdom be the light to guide us to\\nthe haven of tranquillity and in death, may Thou lead\\nus to the sanctuary where Eternal Wisdom resides", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0187.jp2"}, "188": {"fulltext": "SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\nBut these things I have told you that when the hour of\\nthem shall come J you may remember that I told you. (St. John\\nxvi.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 4.)\\nNow, my dear friends, what were the things of which\\nour Divine Lord told the Apostles You need not\\nbe informed that He spoke to them of the troubles\\nthey were to meet. He told them of the ingratitude\\nthey may expect of persecutions, of revilings, of im-\\nprisonment, and death. He told them these things,\\nthat, when they came to pass, they would not be dis-\\ncouraged. In these injuries and abuse they would\\nremember the words of their Lord and Master: Because\\nyou are not of the worlds but I have chosen you out of the world,\\ntherefore the world hateth you (St. John xv. 19.) If\\nthey have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you*\\n(St. John XV. 20.) Jesus, in this way, addressed His\\nApostles, and through them the Church in every age.\\nDiscord and persecution are characteristic features of\\nthe Church s suffering and in the divine economy,\\nare necessary for the purity and endurance of His\\nChurch. The servant is not greater tha?i his Lord.\\nJesus set the example none of His followers suffered\\nmore than He.\\nMarvellous, indeed, is the faith and fortitude implant-\\ned by the Holy Ghost in His Church. When one pon-\\n184", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0188.jp2"}, "189": {"fulltext": "SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 185\\nders upon her history and views the many vicissitudes of\\nfortune through which she has passed, he is astonished\\nat her vitality, and acknowledges her divine commission.\\nWho, gazing upon the two wanderers, Sts. Petet and Paul,\\nupon the Appian Way, could have guessed their mission\\nor predicted their success. Two strangers with the com-\\nmand of their Master impelling them onward, journeyed\\ntoward the city of the Caesars. They were weary, and\\nprobably hungry. They were the representatives of the\\ninfant Church, poor, unknown, unlettered men on a\\nmission to the proudest city on earth. How could they\\ncurb the crimes prevailing there Who would listen\\nto their discourses upon the Crucified Jesus They\\nwere an incredulous people glorying in the strength of\\ntheir armies, the intellectual achievements of their most\\ncelebrated sons, and their extensive conquests. Why\\nshould they hearken to the voice of such pilgrims\\nWhat could they teach them which they did not know?\\nOne thing, truly God. They knew very little, if any-\\nthing, about Him. But they had their pagan gods, and\\nthey were satisfied with them, they wanted none other.\\nMoreover, the things which the strangers taught were\\nso difficult to understand. Some of them were called\\nmysteries; and like the agnostic of our day, they cared\\nlittle for what they could not get within their intellectual\\ngrasp. But Rome yielded; a persuasive argument to\\nthe unbelievers and skeptics of our time, that Jesus con-\\nquered, that the Nazarene triumphed, one of the most\\ncogent proofs of the divinity of Christ and the imperish-\\nable existence of His Church These may scoff at the\\nCatholic religion they may boast of their endowments\\nand exalt their incredulity but the Church has out-\\nlived many a scoffer. The rarest mental attainments\\nhave been, and still are, in her possession, and she", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0189.jp2"}, "190": {"fulltext": "186 SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.\\nhas seen proud incredulity humbled and dispersed.\\nThinking upon the early history of the Church, the\\nunbiased are compelled to admire the faith and praise\\nthe courage of these two dauntless men. As the Catho-\\nlic sees for the first time the road upon which they\\nwalked to Rome, the prison in which they were confined\\nand the places of their execution, an awe overspreads his\\nsoul, and unconsciously he is meditating upon the past.\\nHe follows the two saints on their way and into the city\\nwonders at what happened surmises the information\\nwhich he seeks, but cannot obtain. He is in the misty\\npast. The haze of centuries obscures his vision, and he\\nendeavors to connect by inference, the special events of\\ntheir teaching in the eternal city. He looks upon these\\nancient ruins. They have crumbled into decay. St.\\nPeter and Paul, he says to himself, looked upon these\\nsame structures. These ruins were then glorious the\\nconqueror passed under this triumphal arch. Caesar was\\nentertained in that amphitheatre Cicero s eloquence\\nresounded in that great forum. But the forum is in\\nruins, the amphitheatre is crumbling, the triumpal arch\\nis in deca)^ but there is St. Peter s raising its magnifi-\\ncently crowned head to the skies, proving to us that the\\ncommission of Sts. Peter and Paul has not failed, that\\ntheir teaching conquered that Rome is Catholic\\nThey suffered, it is true suffering is a special mark\\nof the true Church Jesus foretold it, and the history of\\nthe Church shows that His prediction is verified. In\\nevery age the Church has had her sorrows. If pagan\\nemperors were not persecuting her, heresy was striving\\nto sap away her life s blood if barbarians were not\\ndevastating Rome, schism was plundering her achieve-\\nments and retarding her progress if Luther was not\\nlaboring to destroy her, some of her own members were", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0190.jp2"}, "191": {"fulltext": "SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. J.87\\nplanning discord and fermenting quarrels but over all\\nthese obstacles she has risen, the unspotted spouse of\\nChrist, the living evidence of His prophecy. In the\\npresent century, France, the eldest daughter of the\\nChurch, has plundered her churches, destroyed her\\nrevenues, and murdered her priests. The Kulturkamps\\nin Germany, imprisoned her clergy, banished her relig-\\nious, and confiscated her property. In England, you\\nhave heard the no-popery cry, or you have read about\\nit. In our own beloved country, we have had the Know-\\nNothings and now the A. P. As. are swearing ven-\\ngeance against her, while the Junior Order of American\\nMechanics holds it is a crime for nuns to wear their hab-\\nits in the public school. The consequence of which\\nis that Gov. Hastings has immortalized his name by\\nplacing his signature to a bill hatched by the Junior\\nOrder, nurtured by fanatics, and sponsored by religious\\nhatred. The cry was no popery, now the cry is no\\nBible but the Church goes steadily onward, pitying\\nand praying for her persecutors.\\nCatholics sometimes complain that they have man}\\nobstacles to surmount on account of their religion\\nthat this is a barrier to their advancement. No doubt\\nthis complaint is true. Others are preferred to them.\\nThey are debarred from the offices of State, because\\nthose prejudiced against their religion will not sup-\\nport them in time of elections. Others, again, meet\\nopposition from employers for the same reason. Still,\\nmy Christian friends, you should not be downcast or\\ndiscouraged by such unfriendliness. As Catholics,\\nou may expect the same or similar persecutions as the\\nChurch w^hose principles you profess. As followers of\\nChrist, as Catholics, you must encounter such opposi-\\ntion. Imitate the Church learn to be patient draw", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0191.jp2"}, "192": {"fulltext": "188 SIXTH SUNDAi AFTER EASTER.\\nconsolation from the sufferings of your Lord and Mas-\\nter, Jesus Christ. Be faithful to Him, and remember\\nthat persecution purifies you. There is another life\\nbeyond the grave, another Judge of human merit,\\nanother Ruler Who spurns injustice and rewards the\\nfaithful.\\nBesides, you ought not forget that persecutions\\nhave purified the Church and increased the fidelity of\\nher children. From every assault she has come forth\\nstronger than she was before the attack. The same\\nholds good in respect to every Catholic who adheres to\\nher teachings. They may be harassed by disappoint-\\nments and oppositions, but these things, if they are\\nfaithful, will only augment their fortitude and develop\\ntheir resolution. The intellect becomes stronger, the\\ngreat powers of the soul are made more resplendant,\\nwhile the heart is cultivated to feel for the wrongs of\\nothers. Toil, toil, toil under the auspices of honest\\nmotive, and your adversaries will acknowledge your\\nhonesty and admire your determination. By an hon-\\norable life, you can do much to dispel prejudice and\\nwin esteem. Your very opponents, at least many of\\nthem, have a keen perception of worth and a gener-\\nous regard for fidelity. Dissipate their errors, and you\\nwill find them the best of friends.\\nOne fierce obstacle which many Catholics meet,\\narises from the irregularities of some Catholics. All\\nare judged by some, from the actions of a few bad or\\nindifferent Catholics. Were all to obey faithfully the\\nteachings of the Church, imitate the life of Christ,\\nthere would not be so much prejudice or opposition.\\nA tricky, insincere, dishonest Catholic brings oppro-\\nbrium upon a whole parish or a whole city. Catholics,\\nfor their own honor, should not sustain such a person", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0192.jp2"}, "193": {"fulltext": "SIXTH SUNDAY AFTEB EASTER. 189\\nbut should be the first to teach him that his low craft is\\ninsupportable. Then you learn from the opposition\\nwhich you yourselves encounter, to treat others fairly.\\nNever attempt to build your reputation upon the\\nruins of others. An injustice to anyone is a violation\\nof God s law, and will necessarily bring retribution\\nand the attempt to advance yourselves at the expense\\nof others, ill-becomes a follower of Christ. Such\\nadvancement is only a deterioration from all the noble\\nprinciples which ought to actuate a Catholic in all\\nhis dealings.\\nBe careful that your failures are not caused by your\\nown faithlessness, indolence, insobriety, or dishonesty.\\nMany a person attributes his difificulties to others, or to\\nthe fact that he is a Catholic. But were the true caused\\nto be ascertained, it would be found to reside in him-\\nself. He is too smart, as they say. He thinks none\\ncan perceive his questionable cunningness still they do,\\nand he finds it out to his sorrow. Such a Catholic\\nwrongs himself and injures others. Let your motto\\nbe fairness to everyone. You will in this way not\\nonly help yourselves, but you will assist many others\\nto employment.\\nShould you, nevertheless, suffer from religious\\nopposition, fear not. Every faithful disciple of Jesus\\nhas had to endure more or less opposition. He has\\ntold you these things, so that when they occur you\\nwill remember His words. The history of the Church\\nis a recital of sorrows and opposition she looks to her\\nDivine Master for support and guidance and He came\\nto her when the storm was the fiercest, and she rode\\nthe billows in safety. Again I say to you, imitate her\\nexample, and Jesus will allay your difficulties and\\nassist you in surmounting all obstacles,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0193.jp2"}, "194": {"fulltext": "FEAST OF PENTECOST.\\nBut the Paraclete^ the Holy Ghost whom the Father will\\nsend in My name, He will teach you all things and bring all\\nthings to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you.\\n(St. John. xiv. 26.)\\nMy Dear Friends The mission of our Divine Lord\\nwas to redeem man, to instruct him, and to give him the\\nmeans by which he could attain to everlasting happi-\\nness. It was not His purpose to save the people only of\\nHis time such exclusiveness is incompatible with the\\nmercy of God. God s love extends to all mankind\\nwithout exception. He desires all to be saved from\\nthe tempests of time, that after the storms they may\\nenjoy their reward. He came on earth, therefore, to\\npurify the soul of man from the curse of original sin,\\nand to establish a Church in which the glory of His\\nname, the merits He had won, the influence of His\\npower, should be perpetuated. For this end He\\norganized a Church, commanding it to teach His word,\\nand gave to this Church a pledge of His everlasting\\nsupport. The Holy Ghost whom the Father will send\\nin My name, He will teach yon all thiiigs These are\\nthe words of the unerring God. In St. Matthew, xxviii.,\\n20, the same infallible voice says Behold I am with\\nyou all days, even to the consummation of the worlds\\nAgain He says Peter, upon this rock I shall build\\n190", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0194.jp2"}, "195": {"fulltext": "FEAST OF PENTECOST. 191\\nMy Churchy and the gates of hell shall not prevail against\\nity These guarantees of God s presence in His Church,\\nof His ceaseless aid, of His incessant protection, are\\nverified by sacred and profane history.\\nNo Christian can question the veracity of God s\\nword but should unbelievers deny the Scriptures, let\\nthem examine the history of nations during the last\\nnineteen centuries, and tell us whether they are able to\\ndiscover anything so marvellous in its nature as the per-\\npetuity of the Catholic Church. Repeatedly have the\\nstorms broken upon her, but instead of destroying, they\\ntrained the pilots of Peter s barque to ride the waves and\\nmaster the elements of convulsive society. Through-\\nout the various changes of unstable human nature,\\nthroughout the reigns of treachery within her fold and\\nwithout, amidst dissensions and against hostilities, she\\nhas lived and flourished. This miraculous existence\\nmust enlist the attention of even her enemies, while it\\nis a proof of her divine establishment as well as an\\nassurance of her deathlessness.\\nNow, were I to ask you why are you created\\nYour answer would be all mankind is created to love\\nGod on earth and be eternally happy with Him in\\nheaven. How can man love God By knowing Him,\\nand obeying His will. Where can he obtain the knowl-\\nedge of God? In the Catholic Church shall\\nsend the Holy Ghost, who ivill teach you all tlmigs, a?id\\nbehold I shall be zvith you all days, even to the cojisum-\\nination of the worlds How may I be able to obey\\nHim By being a dutiful child of the Church which\\nHe organized. As of old, Noah and his family were\\nsaved from the universal destruction of the deluge, so\\neveryone who desires to be saved from endless perdi-\\ntion ought to enter the ark of salvation, the Catholic", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0195.jp2"}, "196": {"fulltext": "192 FEAST OF PENTECOST.\\nChurch. You may inquire, cannot some reach heaven\\nby other means To this we must answer, that it\\nis not in the power of man to determine. The answer\\nto such a question should be referred to Almighty\\nGod. What He may in His mercy confer on those who\\nare in good faith, but not members of the old Church,\\nis not within the grasp of man to solve. This, how-\\never, is true, that He established a Church, gave it\\nauthority to teach, marked out its mission and destiny.\\nIt follows, then, that He has bestowed upon the human\\nrace the means of salvation, and that He expects all\\nwho desire to attain to the realization of His promise,\\nwill avail themselves of these means.\\nGod has, then, instituted a Church. By following\\nher laws, our temporal and spiritual needs, inasmuch\\nas they pertain to our well-being here and hereafter,\\nwill be supplied. But which is this Church There\\nare many churches now. Which is the true Church?\\nIt requires no demonstration to prove that the Catholic\\nChurch is the one delegated by the Son of God to\\nteach, and is, therefore, the true Church and the only\\ntrue Church. This may sound harsh to some good\\npeople educated in the views maintained by their par-\\nents, and taught to them by their ministers still it\\nis the truth. If any of our modern establishments\\ndeclare such not to be the case, we ask them, when did\\nthe Saviour tell them to go and teach When did\\nHe declare to them The Holy Ghost will teach you\\nall thijigs, and I Myself shall abide with you forever.\\nNeither to Luther nor to Calvin, neither to Henry\\nVIII. nor any other of the so-called reformers, did He\\nspeak thus. The Catholic Church was commissioned\\nby the Saviour of mankind. .She existed before all of\\nher claimants. She was present at the Last Supper.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0196.jp2"}, "197": {"fulltext": "FEAST OF PENTECOST. 193\\nShe stood at the foot of the Cross. She rejoiced at the\\nResurrection, and with doleful contemplation, beheld\\nthe Ascension. She taught the Jew in his chief cities.\\nWhere the eloquence of Grecian orators was applauded,\\nher voice was heard, speaking the goodness and mercies\\nof the Crucified Saviour. Where Roman power, munifi-\\ncence, and learning were concentrated, she feared\\nnot to denounce paganism and preach the doctrine\\nintrusted to her. In these early centuries where were\\nthese modern disciples of contentious opinions, of free\\nthought, of a go-as-you-please sort of religion They\\nwere unborn. Some can trace their origin to some\\nthree centuries ago others are but of yesterday. Com-\\npare the oldest with the Catholic Church, and they are\\nonly infants. But time is not the principal factor in\\nthe demonstration. When and where, we demand, did\\nthey receive the order to teach What guarantee can\\nthey give to their followers that they were invited by\\nheaven to instruct in new forms and new ceremonies\\nand new opinions This is an important affair to\\nevery Protestant. Would our non-Catholic friends be\\nas indifferent in researches appertaining to their tem-\\nporal affairs We believe not yet, when a Catholic\\npriest essays to call their attention to things of so great\\nmoment, some will charge him with unkindness. or\\nattribute his motives to bigotry or hatred. We know\\nnot what a priest would gain by thus provoking his\\nwell-meaning Protestant neighbors, unless it be their\\nrancor and displeasure. Still, in charity, the Church\\nmust call attention to her divine commission, invite all\\nto become her children, hold out the grand induce-\\nment to re-enter the spiritual home which they left.\\nOne ponderous distinction between the Catholic\\nChurch and the doctrines of other Christian bodies, is", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0197.jp2"}, "198": {"fulltext": "194 FEAST OF PENTECOST.\\nthe infallibility of that society organized by Jesus and\\nsustained by His unremitting power. It is not my pur-\\npose to discuss the dogma of infallibility upon this\\noccasion. I shall only give you a simple illustration\\nwhich will point out to you the truth I wish to convey.\\nSupposing, now, I am a sincere person without religion,\\nbut am desirous to become a Christian and serve God\\nthe remainder of my days. I have given the subject\\nserious thought. My mind is disturbed by my scruples\\nand doubts. I have resolved to seek advice. I\\napproach a Presbyterian minister, I tell him of the tor-\\nture of my heart and the confusion of my soul. I say\\nto him Reverend friend, can you direct me into\\nthe path of salvation Can you calm this agitated\\nbreast Can you infuse into my poor, distracted soul,\\nhope and security I wish to become a Christian, but\\nknow not which denomination to join. My Presby-\\nterian friend assures me he can give tranquillity to my\\nmind. Join my church, he continues, and you will\\nfind rest for your soul. You will then be a Christian\\nand a child of God. But nervous investigation has\\nmade me doubtful and inquisitive and I beg of him\\nto give me some proofs of his ability to guide me to\\nGod. He speaks to me of God, of the necessity of my\\nbecoming a Christian, of the admonitions of St. Paul,\\nand tells me he conducted many on their journey to\\nheaven. I ask him how, and inquire what is the nature\\nof his chart. He shows it to me, explains it to me,\\nand affirms that thereon are the principles of salvation.\\nBut I noticed a divergence of lines from different\\npoints. Though in search of religion, I am not entirely\\nignorant of the things about me, and I inquire what\\ndo these branch lines indicate He answers These\\nare the result of the underlying principle of Protest-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0198.jp2"}, "199": {"fulltext": "FEAST OF PENTECOST. 195\\nantism private judgment. We glory in the freedom\\nof the intellect. Everyone ought to read the Bible\\nand judge for himself. There is no bondage in specu-\\nlation among Protestants. Ah, I see, is my reply.\\nThese diverging lines indicate the First Presbyterian\\nChurch, and the Second Presbyterian Church, and the\\nUnited Presbyterian Church, and the Reformed Presby-\\nterian Church, and so on. Here, I observe, is where\\nyou began about three centuries ago. Since then you\\nhave divided and subdivided often. All this seems\\nstrange to me. I thought divine truth is something\\nlike mathematical truth\u00e2\u0080\u0094 unchangeable but I discern\\nthere is much misunderstanding expressed by your\\nchart. Yet are you sure you can lead me safely He\\ndeclares he can that I shall be secure with him. You\\ncannot make a mistake about this matter I ask. Not\\nany, is his answer. Then you can direct me infallibly\\nin all spiritual difficulties, I urge. Oh, no not in-\\nfallibly we do not claim infallibility. That s a fool-\\nish claim. It is used as a disguise to mislead men and\\nabuse their credulity. Then you may err after all,\\nI surmised. After all my anxiety and hope, I am as\\nperplexed as before. I shall reflect upon what you say,\\nand shall continue to investigate.\\nI am dissatisfied. I seek for an unerring guide. I\\ncall upon a Methodist divine. My misgivings and my\\nsolicitude to reach my heavenly home, are frankly laid\\nbefore him. He avers that in his religion I shall find\\nconsolation and safety. But, I remark Reverend,\\nfriend, it is natural that I would be somewhat skeptical\\nI have not been reared a Christian. I have read con-\\nsiderable, and have weighed, and think I weighed, the\\nreligious question carefully. The consequence is that\\ninstead of becoming satisfied, I have grown more trou^", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0199.jp2"}, "200": {"fulltext": "196 FEAST OF PENTECOST.\\nbled. Will you be so kind as to tell me your authority,\\nand give me some guarantee of my security in your\\nchurch He takes the Bible tells me that this is his\\nguide that it contains the precepts of salvation. I\\nthoughtlessly inquire how he knows it possesses the\\nmaxims of religion. Why, you silly man, he replies,\\nthis is the word of God. This caustic answer nettles\\nme somewhat, and awakens in me a propensity to differ.\\nWhere did you get the Bible I continue. Where\\ndid I get it Why I bought it, to be sure. Pardon\\nme, I respond but what is its origin? who is the\\nauthor Why, God is the author, and it contains the\\nrevealed mind of God. But you did not get it from\\nGod, did you Methodism is only about one hundred\\nand fifty years old, and I understand it is some nineteen\\ncenturies since Christ preached. Who had the Bible\\nbefore the beginning of Methodism Where was it\\nkept Ah, it was kept hidden by the Popish\\nChurch for many ages, until Protestantism restored it to\\nits lawful place among all Christians. Ah, I see you\\ngot it from the Catholics. They were not so bad after\\nall they might have destroyed it entirely. It is a\\nwonder they didn t, since it appears its teachings are\\nantagonistic to Popery.\\nYou teach from the Bible; but you will excuse\\nrne when I say that it always has seemed strange to\\nme, that all religious denominations teach from the\\nBible, and yet they differ with each other. In Method-\\nism you have various divisions or churches. Is not\\nthis strange? Will you please explain this difficulty to\\nme? This is due to our capacity to judge for our-\\nselves, he responded. In the dark ages of Popery,\\nall were obliged to believe as Romanism dictated.\\nMan was a slave. Protestantism opened a new era of", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0200.jp2"}, "201": {"fulltext": "FEAST OF PENTECOST. 197\\nthought. It dispelled the gloom of superstition and\\nidolatry. It made man free. Made man free?\\nI subjoined. Yes, he replied made man free\\ngave freedom of thought to his intellect, and permitted\\nhim to investigate as far as he pleased. A part\\nof this appears incredible to me, I answered, for I\\nthink a man is not always free to think as he pleases.\\nYou are not free to think that two and two make five,\\nnor are you free to maintain that a right angle is more\\nor less than ninety degrees. And this is true of all\\nmathematics. I always was under the impression that\\ndivine truth must be similar. If God has spoken, He\\nmust have uttered the truth and that truth once\\nknown, it cannot be rejected by the intellect. The\\nintellect is not free, according to its own laws and\\nexistence it is not free to say the false is true and the\\ntrue is false.\\nHe was perplexed at this, but resumed the dialogue\\nby saying, that the Bible is the word of God and\\nthe only means of salvation. I asked him whether\\nthere was any danger of his being led astray in his\\ninterpretation of the Bible. None whatever, was\\nhis answer. Then I intimated that he taught the\\nBible with mathematical correctness or in other\\nwords, he taught infallibly. No, was his laconic\\nreply. We are not infallible. Infallibility is a doc-\\ntrine of Romanism to enslave the intellectual faculties,\\nto prevent investigations, to cloak hypocrisy, to hide\\nerrors, and promote priest-craft no, we have none of\\nthat abomination. In place of tranquillity, I was be-\\ncoming more disturbed. Here was a man Vv ho claimed\\nhe did teach infallibly, and at the same time argued\\nhe did not teach infallibly. Well, I thought to myself,\\nI shall make a call upon popery. It will be a means", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0201.jp2"}, "202": {"fulltext": "198 tEAST OF PENTECOST.\\nor investigation, and at worst, matters cannot be more\\nconfused with me.\\nI set out in quest of the guide claiming infallibility.\\nI meet her. She is venerable from age, but the vigor\\nof youth is upon her brow. I speak to her of the\\nfeverishness of my brain and of the anxiety of my\\nheart. I beg of her to counsel me, if she is able. She\\nreplies My child, faith is a gift from God. You must\\nask Him for this blessing. Prayer, alms-deeds, and\\nfasting are the channels through which you can appeal\\nto Him. I shall instruct you at your leisure, and shall\\npray that God may impart to you this great gift of faith.\\nAfter you are instructed, should you then decline to\\nbecome a Catholic, I shall entertain for you only the\\nfondest feelings of charity, and shall ever pray for you.\\nYou are now perplexed with doubt, but with God s help,\\ndivine faith will banish these doubts, and in their place\\nthe peace of God will reign. You do not respect the\\nBible, I interrupted. To this she answered I have\\never guarded the Bible as a sacred trust, and carefully\\nobserved that every Catholic regarded it as the inspired\\nrevelations of God to man. It is useless for us to\\nenter into a discussion upon this topic. All I ask of you\\nis to study carefully and unbiasedly my history and the\\npresent religious agitations, and decide for yourself.\\nBut I understand you are opposed to investigations\\nand speculations of every kind. My child, she\\nanswered, kindly, one truth cannot contradict another\\ntruth. The God of the Sacred Scriptures is the God\\nof the physical universe. There can be no contradic-\\ntion between His verbal revelation and the revelation\\nof His greatness in the material world. The God of\\none is the God of the other, and there can be no\\ndiscrepancy in His works. A Catholic is at liberty to", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0202.jp2"}, "203": {"fulltext": "FEAST OF PENTECOST. 199\\ninvestigate every phenomenon of Nature and speculate\\nupon their causes and study their effects. He is not free,\\nhowever, to deny or abuse the truth but when you come\\nfor instruction, we can have more of this. I was still\\nsolicitous to hear her farther, and asked: Do you claim\\nto be infallible? Yes, was her prompt response, it\\ncould not be otherwise. God has designed it thus.\\nRead my commission Go ye therefore and teach all\\nnations, baptizing them i?i the name of the Father, and of the\\nSon, and of the Holy Ghost: (Math, xxviii.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 19.) He\\nthat believeth and is baptized, shall be saved but he that\\nbelieveth not, shall be condemned! (Mark xvi. 16.)\\nAgain But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost whom the\\nFather will send in My name. He zvill teach you all things!\\nAnd behold, lam with you all days, even to the consummation\\nof the world! (Math, xxviii. 20.) I was astonished\\nat this array of evidence, but she assured me that this\\nwas only a part of her commission. I said then, since\\nyou are infallible, it follows that you are an unerring\\nguide? This was her answer For nineteen hun-\\ndred years I have led the human race I still do lead it,\\nand will ever lead it for I am commissioned by my\\nDivine Master to conduct mankind to Him. I have\\nwatc^ied over the cradle of my people. I have regener-\\nated them in baptism. I have strengthened them yea,\\nand at the bedside of the dying I have stood, fortify-\\ning them with the sacraments entrusted to me by my\\nLord and Master. At the threshold of death I have\\nconsigned them to the loving care of their Creator and\\nmine. For nineteen hundred years I have taught the\\nsame doctrine and obeyed the same commission.\\nPolitical, civil, and religious storms have beat upon\\nme but I have not changed the truths deposited with\\nme and I have outlived the storms, and from every", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0203.jp2"}, "204": {"fulltext": "200 FEAST OF PENTECOST.\\nassault I have come forth stronger and more influen-\\ntial. Yes, unerringly I conduct my people from the\\ncradle to their God. It could not be otherwise. My\\ninstructions are from Jesus, and my commission is\\nsigned by Him.\\nNow, my Christian friends, were I in search of re-\\nligion, which do you think I should take Which\\nwould you take Do you not think we would be very\\nimprudent were we not to select the old Church?\\nFor my part, examining religion seriously, yet fairly\\nand without prejudice, I could not accept any but the\\nCatholic Church. But you will say to me That is\\nall very well but the Catholic Church is subtle in her\\ndeliberations, crafty in her management, and false in\\nher teachings. Pardon me, but be not so hasty.\\nNote the words of our Divine Lord He that believeth\\na?id is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth 7iot,\\nshall be coiidemned! He that believeth, he that\\nbelieveth what The false, the deceitful, the mislead-\\ning No the truth But we are told that the\\nCatholic Church teaches the false, that she is crafty\\nand deceptive! But mark: He that believeth not^\\nshall be co7idemnedy Observe the condemnation. Jesus\\ncommands the Catholic Church to teach, and He\\ndeclares He that believeth not, shall be condemned\\nIf he does not believe what The doctrines of the\\nCatholic Church Jesus demands, therefore, that\\neveryone shall believe the doctrines taught by the\\nCatholic Church. Under what penalty The penalty\\non condemnation. But can Jesus make this demand\\non persons to believe the false By no means. There-\\nfore the Catholic Church teaches the truth. It is to\\nno purpose to say that there are other churches for\\nduring fifteen centuries there was no other Church,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0204.jp2"}, "205": {"fulltext": "FEAST OF PENTECOST. 201\\nand during all this time, too, the command of Jesus to\\nthe Church to teach, and for all to believe, was bind-\\ning. It is unnecessary to repeat or multiply proofs.\\nThe truth is evident, that, if Jesus is God, the Catholic\\nChurch is the only ark of salvation, and all are obliged\\nto obey her in things spiritual.\\nIn the presence of these facts, it is folly to say one\\nchurch is as good as another. This assertion maintains\\nthat God is inconsistent and contradictory that He\\nacts without a definite system that He has no order\\nin the management of His affairs for the various\\nreligious denominations are multiplying in variety, and\\nare at variance with one another in doctrine. One\\ndenys what another holds to be true. Is there divine\\neconomy in this turbulent state of feverish and contra-\\ndictory religious opinion A careful person would\\nnot tolerate in his temporal affairs, so much conten-\\ntion. Are we to presume that God approves what\\nhuman reason rejects\\nShould not every Protestant, in justice to himself\\nand in obedience to God, give this matter his impartial\\nconsideration Is it not a question which requires\\ncalm, unbiased reflection Will it injure our Protest-\\nant friends to examine an affair of so far-reaching\\nimportance To ponder it over in their minds, will\\nbe an acknowledgment to God that they are willing\\nto do His holy will, and follow whithersoeverthe Good\\nShepherd leads. May God grant us ever the grace of\\nfaith, and may every non-Catholic kindly and im-\\npartially weigh the history and the doctrines of the\\nCatholic Church", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0205.jp2"}, "206": {"fulltext": "TRINITY SUNDAY.\\nGo ye, therefore, and teach all nations; baptizing them in the\\nname of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.\\n(St. Math, xxviii. 19.)\\nMy Dear Friends: This text naturally leads us to\\nconsider the stupendous mystery of the Holy Trinity.\\nThough we cannot solve the mysteries of our holy\\nreligion, it may be profitable to dwell upon them from\\ntime to time. You should not be disturbed in mind,\\nbecause you cannot grasp these hidden things of God.\\nNor should you think your religion difficult because\\nyou cannot find an easy solution for the secrets of\\nheaven. If you ponder a moment upon inanimate\\nnature, you will find that there are mysteries in the\\nnatural order as well as in the supernatural. On all\\nsides you will find yourself baffled. Physical sciences\\ncontain an analysis and history of many natural phenom-\\nena but there is a voice in Nature which says So far\\nyou may come, and no farther. By means of scien-\\ntific research, Nature has been extensively explored and\\nwonderful discoveries made still, what is known com-\\npared with what is not known, is as a drop of water to\\nthe ocean. Besides, there are secrets in physical\\nnature which will ever remain so. For example, you\\nmay know something about the effects of electricity\\n202", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0206.jp2"}, "207": {"fulltext": "TBINITY SUNDAY. 203.\\nand gravitation, but who has seen these forces, or who\\ncan analyze their substance?\\nIn regard to the Blessed Trinity, it will be my pur-\\npose not to confuse you, but to be as clear as possible.\\nIt may be well to say here that many people have denied\\nthe existence of the Three Divine Persons in one essence.\\nThe Jews did not believe in the Trinity, nor do they\\nat the present day, as you are aware. The Arians, in\\nthe fourth century, refused to believe in the divinity\\nof the Second Person, our Divine Lord. The Moham-\\nmedans reject the Second Person, and are therefore\\nnot Christians. The same can be said of the Unitarians.\\nMany philosophers of modern times have spurned the\\nnotion that three divine persons can co-eternally exist\\nin one God. All these have depended upon the com-\\nprehensions of their own reason measuring the infinite\\nwisdom of God by their finite intellects striving to place\\nHim under their microscopes endeavoring to analyze\\nwhat their poor feeble powers cannot grasp. N o wonder\\nthey failed. They were like a child with its tip-toes\\non the earth, trying to touch the stars with its hand.\\nIn their forgetfulness, and probably their pride, they\\nattempted to assail heaven and penetrate the secrets\\nof the Most High. They would have their dictum to\\nbe the law of heaven and the explanations of that\\nlaw. What they cannot understand is false, and what\\nis beyond their ken, has no existence. Forcibly has\\nAlexander Pope addressed this class of men in the\\nfollowing lines:\\nO sons of earth I attempt ye still to rise\\nBy mountains piled on mountains to the skies?\\nHeaven still with laughter, the ruin toil surveys,\\nAnd buries madmen in the heaps they raise.\\nYou may think that it is very disagreeable, that man s", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0207.jp2"}, "208": {"fulltext": "204 TRINITY SUNDAY.\\nknowledge is so circumscribed. Why did not God\\ncreate us with a knowledge of all these things. In the\\nfirst place, God could not endow us with faculties to\\nknow all things: for then He would, in the supposition,\\nhave us equal to Himself. This is impossible. You\\nknow there can be only one Infinite Being. So you un-\\nderstand that although you may be blessed with eternal\\nhappiness with God, there will ever be things beyond\\nyour comprehension. Again, for us on earth, I can see a\\ngreat blessing in our ignorance. Did we know every-\\nthing, then we would have nothing to learn. We\\nwould be indolent in realms of knowledge. We would\\nnot study, because there would not be anything to\\nlearn. What would have become of the vast army of\\nmen who in every age devoted their time in delving\\ninto the secrets of Nature and soaring to the throne of\\nGod. They drew their intense happiness from their\\nintellectual pursuits, and their discoveries were their\\nreward. Age after age has honored them. Their\\nnames are written indelibly upon the monuments of\\nprogress and discovery, while their memories stimu-\\nlate others to earnest, honest effort. Moreover, rob\\nman of labor, and you deprive him of heavenly merit.\\nThe scientist who patiently applies himself to research\\nand offers his toil to God, will receive a recompense\\nfor his labors in the kingdom of Infinite Wisdom.\\nWithout going farther in this line of thought, let us\\nagree with the poet\\nThen say not man is imperfect, heaven is in fault\\nSay rather man is as perfect as he ought\\nHis knowledge measured to his state and place,\\nHis time a moment, and a point his space.\\nMy Christian friends, there is no difficulty in proving\\nfrom the Sacred Scriptures the existence of the Most", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0208.jp2"}, "209": {"fulltext": "TBINITY SUNDAY. 205\\nHoly Trinity, while the Church in every age has taught\\nthis doctrine. In the Old Testament in the Book of Gen.,\\ni. 26, we read of God contemplating the creation of\\nman. He says, as if taking council with the other Per-\\nsons of the Trinity. ^Let us make man to our own image\\nand likeness^ Here you will notice more than one\\nperson is meant. For the word us is in the plural num-\\nber. You will note, too, that the word image is in the\\nsingular number, which denotes not a plurality of gods,\\nas the image is common to all. Again in Gen. xi., we\\nlearn that after the Deluge the Israelites wished to build\\na tower which would reach to heaven. In verse 7 of this\\nchapter, the Lord says: Come ye, therefore, let us go down,\\nand there confound their tongue, that they may 7iot under-\\nstand one a?iother s speech You easily perceive that\\nhere also more than one person is embraced in the\\nwords ye and us. That more than two persons can be\\nunderstood of this expression, is clear from the Latin\\nword veiiite. The Latin expression is Venite^ decenda-\\nmus et co7ifu7idamus linguam eorum. Were only one\\nother person addressed, the Latin word would be veni,\\nnot veinte.\\nWithout dwelling longer on the passages from the\\nOld Testament, from which evidence of the Blessed\\nTrinity may at least be deduced, let us cull a few from\\nthe New Testament. In the Gospel according to St.\\nJohn, xiv. 16, we have, upon the veracity of the Son\\nof God, the declaration of the mystery of the Blessed\\nTrinity. will ask the Father, and He shall give\\nyou another Paraclete, that He may abide with you\\nforever! Here the Son, the Second Person, speaks of\\nthe Father and the Holy Ghost. According to the\\nsame inspired writer, xv. 26, Christ is represented,\\nsaying But when the Paraclete shall come, whom.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0209.jp2"}, "210": {"fulltext": "206 TRINITY SUNDAY.\\nwill send you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth,\\nwho proceedeth from the Father, He shall give testi-\\nmo?iy of Me The text which I quoted as the subject\\nof these remarks proves the same thing. Go forth\\nand teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of\\nthe Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost\\nIn this text we have evidence of the equality of the\\nPersons of the Trinity. It does not say to baptize in\\nthe name of one of the Persons, but in the name of the\\nThree Persons. And those who believe and are bap-\\ntized, shall be saved. Their sins shall be forgiven\\nthem. But it requires the power of God to release a\\nsoul from the bondage of sin, and, moreover, it would\\nbe wrong to ascribe this pwoer to anyone except God.\\nBut the Son of God, in His instructions to the Apostles,\\ncommands baptism to be administered in the name of\\nthe Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.\\nHe therefore declares each one to be equal to the\\nother. Observe, the text does not say in the names of\\nthe Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost, but in the name\\nthus expressing the Trinity of persons and the oneness\\nof the essence. St. Johns i, Ep. v. 7., is lucid in\\nthese words: There are Three that give testimony\\ni?i Heave?!, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost,\\nand these Three are One.\\nNow let us reflect briefly on what light reason\\nmay give us in the elucidation of the mystery of the\\nMost Holy Trinity. You have all doubtlessly heard\\nhow St. Patrick taught the ancient inhabitants of Ireland\\nthe mystery of the Trinity. He took a shamrock,\\nshowed them how each leaf was equal to the other, all\\nconstituting one and co-existing in the same substance.\\nSome have made use of an equilateral triangle to\\nexplain the same mystery. According to the definition", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0210.jp2"}, "211": {"fulltext": "TBINITY SUNDAY. 207\\nof such a figure, the angles and sides are equal to each\\nother, but all form only one triangle and constitute\\nonly one essence. These examples enlighten us\\nsomewhat but the illustration which best elucidates,\\nis found in the sun, the centre of our solar system.\\nIn the sun we find three forces light, heat, and\\ngravitation, existing mysteriously in one substance.\\nGod is infinite. The sun approaches the infinite,\\nbecause its influence is felt in the most remote parts\\nof the universe. God is omnipotent so is the sun\\nwith regard to all material substances for there is not\\nan atom of matter in all creation which is not effected\\nby its power. In God there are three distinct persons\\nthe Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. In the sun\\nwe have three distinct forces light, heat, and gravita-\\ntion but existing in a wonderful manner in one\\nsubstance. Deny the existence of one person of the\\nBlessed Trinity, and you deny the Blessed Trinity.\\nDestroy one of these solar forces, and you destroy the\\nsun. God is eternal. Who can measure the age and\\ndestiny of the sun.\\nIn speaking of the Blessed Trinity, we say God the\\nFather created man, God the Son redeemed him, and\\nGod the Holy Ghost enlightens and sanctifies him.\\nIn regard to physical nature, we find a corresponding\\npower in the sun. The heat of the sun, if it does not\\ncreate, produces life, according to the hypothesis that\\nall animate nature has sprung from the protoplasm.\\nIt follows that all life was generated by the heat of\\nthe sun. But tliough you may not accept this theory,\\nyou cannot well deny that millions of insects owe\\ntheir life to this beneficent influence. Again, God the\\nSon redeemed mankind. In a manner peculiar to\\nitself, the light of the sun redeems all Nature on the", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0211.jp2"}, "212": {"fulltext": "208 TRINITY SUNDAY.\\nface of the earth. For without the light of the sun\\nevery living thing would die. It is constantly bringing\\nit forth from what it was, and sustaining it in what it is.\\nFor without the light of the sun, no vegetation could\\nlive and if no vegetation, no animal life and no\\nanimal life, no man. The Holy Ghost enlightens and\\nsanctifies that is, He illumines the intellect, directs\\nits powers, sustains an order or system in the soul\\npleasing to Himself. Gravitation in the universe\\nregulates the motions of the heavenly bodies, sustains\\nthem in their harmony, and directs all according to\\nfixed laws. It need not be added that we are powerfully\\nunder its influence. Now, as the Three Persons of God\\nare each the Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, and\\none could not effect anything without the others, so,\\ntoo, you cannot separate the influence of these three\\nforces one from another, in the effects mentioned.\\nAgain, as God and the Blessed Trinity are mysteries\\nincomprehensible to the human intellect, so are these\\nforces. Each one is a natural mystery in itself, and also\\na mystery in their common existence in one substance.\\nFor while you may know something about the laws of\\nlight, heat, and gravitation, formulated by scientists,\\nyou know absolutely nothing of the substance of these\\nforces. You may say that gravitation attracts in\\nproportion to the density of objects, and inversely, in\\nproportion to the square of the distance. Also, that\\nlight is a mode of molicular motion, etc.; but of the\\nforces themselves, you are ignorant.\\nNow, who has given to the sun these forces Who\\nhas created this sphere, endowmg it with such wonder-\\nful attributes God, you answer. You are correct, I\\nadd. But as God can endow a material substance with\\nsuch powers and such inscrutable secrets, can He not", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0212.jp2"}, "213": {"fulltext": "TEINITY SUNDAY. 209\\nexist in a more mysterious manner Himself. Is not\\nthe eternal, all-wise Architect of the universe greater\\nthan His works Is not the designer always grander\\nthan the designed If we are puzzled by the mysteries\\nof the things created by Him, can we expect to fathom\\nthe depths of His own nature and being. As we believe\\nin the existence of gravitation from its effects, though\\nwe do not see it, let us look out upon the universe and\\nbelieve in the Blessed Trinity, the God and the\\nCreator of not only the visible universe, but also of the\\ninvisible.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0213.jp2"}, "214": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nAnd they began all at ojice to make excuse. (Luke xiv.\\ni8.)\\nMy Dear Friends Your attention is called this\\nmorning to a great man who made a feast and invited\\nmany to join him at the banquet. When his resourses\\nare amply employed, when all things are prepared, he\\nsends forth his servants to announce to those who had\\nbeen invited that all things were ready that they should\\ncome and partake of his generosity. He extends them\\na hearty welcome but lo! they refuse. They are en-\\ngaged in other pursuits. They have no time to show\\ntheir appreciation for his kindness they ignore his\\nfriendship and begin to make excuses. But the master\\nof the house is not to be trifled with. His feast must\\nbe attended. His banquet must not be in vain. So he\\nsends out his servants into the by-ways, the streets, and\\nthe thoroughfares, that his house may be filled.\\nIt is needless to tell you that this distinguished\\nperson is none else than Jesus Himself, and the feast of\\nwhich he speaks, the Holy Eucharist. He invites all\\nto participate in this adorable banquet. He gives Him-\\nself for their nourishment. He exhausts His goodness;\\nfor what more can He do than give Himself to be the\\nsustenance of mortals. But these make excuses. They\\ndo not desire His stupendous favors. They prefer the\\nthings of this world. Pleasures and amusements, sin\\n210", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0214.jp2"}, "215": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY AFTEK PENTECOST. 211\\nand evil associates, engross their attention and occupy\\ntheir time. Catholics admit His generosity, they\\nadmire His charity they praise His love for the\\nhuman race, but when they are invited to partake of\\nthis extraordinary feast, some have no time or, rather,\\nthey are imbued with passion, steeped in sin, enveloped\\nin business. Time for everything. Time for indul-\\ngence in pleasure, time for excesses in eating and\\ndrinking, time for their own destruction, time even into\\nlate in the night or early in the morning to insult God\\nbut no time to acknowledge God s invitation, no time\\nto be present at that banquet at which angels adore.\\nThis delinquency on the part of Catholics is the\\nsource of many of their disorders. How can they\\nbe practical Catholics How can they be honest\\nhonest to themselves, honest to their family, honest to\\ntheir neighbors, and honest to their God, when they do\\nnot nourish their souls with the divine food adminis-\\ntered at the banquet of the Saviour of mankind Such\\nare not honest. There are many proofs of their\\ndishonesty to be found in the experience of every-\\nday life.\\nA father comes to me he says I cannot do any-\\nthing with my son. He was once a good boy, worked\\nhard, assisted me in providing for the family. Now he\\nruns with a bad gang. He is out late at night. He\\ndrinks, is quarrelsome, and I fear he may meet with an un-\\ntimely end. I ask this broken-hearted father When\\ndid your ill-directed boy receive Holy Communion last?\\nOh, he has not made his Easter duty in three or four\\nyears, is the sad reply. This accounts for his change\\nof conduct. This is proof of the efficacy of the most\\nholy sacrament of the altar. When he approached this\\nsacred feast at reasonable intervals, he was good, and", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0215.jp2"}, "216": {"fulltext": "212 SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nhis father was happy. Now he refuses the invitation\\nconsequently he is a scamp, and his father is wretched.\\nA distracted mother complains My daughter is\\ngoing to the bad. She keeps company with the most\\nvile characters. Since she went from under my roof,\\nno good has come of her. She is pert, disobedient, and\\ngiddy. Infamous rumors are afloat about her, and no\\nwonder for her associates are numbered among the\\nlicentious and wicked. I am afraid she will meet a bad\\nend, that she will bring ruin upon herself and disgrace\\nupon us all. Ask the mother whether her wayward\\ndaughter frequents the sacraments, and her answer\\nwill be Ah, the sacraments She does not think of\\nthem. She does not go to Church. I have begged of\\nher to go to Communion, but she only laughed at me.\\nFor my entreaties, I got sneers for my prayers, I got\\ncontempt. She is beyond the influence of prayer she\\ncares not for my tears she despises God. She is mad\\nShe has no shame, no respect, no decency\\nAh! what a change since she received first Holy Com-\\nmunion. She was an angel then, pure and happy in\\nthe simplicity of her childhood. She loved her parents,\\nand they idolized her. Her heart aspired to the good.\\nEvery emotion was angelic. What misfortune has\\nblighted her life Why did she barter a life of inno-\\ncence and peace for one of sin and misery Slowly\\nher affections were turned from the tabernacle in which\\nher Saviour lived. Gradually she forgot Him Who is\\nthe preserver of innocence and the sustenance of the soul.\\nFrom the moment she severed her attachment to the\\nBlessed Eucharist, her course was downward and her\\nheart corrupt.\\nA husband chides his wife. She is continually in her\\nneighbor s house, instead of attending to her own busi-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0216.jp2"}, "217": {"fulltext": "SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 213\\nness. Her children have no care. They are running\\nwild. In dirty and bad company, they spend their time.\\nHome is neglected. Bad example is given by the\\nvery one who should be the guardian of the family.\\nSometimes she may drink. The house is ever in con-\\nfusion. No order, no cleanliness, no propriety. What\\nis the cause You need hardly be told. This woman\\ndoes not go to church on Sunday. She does not receive\\nHoly Communion regularly. She has much to say\\nunfavorably of those who go to Mass. Hertonguenever\\nceases to deride others. It is like a gattling gun. She\\nminds everyone s business but her own. What will\\nbecome of her family Will they be instructed Will\\nthe children be pious and devoted recipients of the\\nBlessed Sacrament? Will the child be better than the\\nmother But why is she thus The same answer\\nmust be given. She has no love for Our Lord in the\\nSacrament of the Altar perhaps she never did have.\\nHer husband and her family are indeed to be pitied.\\nSomebody s wife calls upon me. She is distressed\\nand forlorn a picture of misery haggard, thin, and\\npoorly clad. I need not ask her what is wrong Her\\nvery presence convinces me that she has a drunken\\nhusband. My heart is broken from him, she sobs.\\nHe was once a good man. When we were first mar-\\nried, he was sober, worked hard, and saved some money.\\nAfter a time sickness came, and death, too. He became\\ndiscouraged, blamed me for what I was not guilty of, or\\ncould not help. He took to drinking. He would stay\\nout late at night playing cards. Often he would lose.\\nThen he would drink and come home, break the furni-\\nture and dishes, scold and quarrel with us. Often have I\\nbegged of himtoremainathome,to be the good husband\\nand father that he once was. Sometimes he trvs but", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0217.jp2"}, "218": {"fulltext": "214 SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nthey come and ask him out, and then he is as bad as\\never. If you could only get him to go to church. If\\nhe would take the pledge, I know he would be good\\nagain. Yea, my dear friends, there is something more\\nneeded. To take the pledge is good, but to keep it is\\nbetter. How can this unfortunate man gain what he\\nhas lost How can he again avoid temptations, and\\nbring joy to his own heart and that of his family? By\\nreceiving Holy Communion worthily. The man or the\\nwoman, the son or daughter, who worthily partakes of\\nthe feast which Jesus prepares for him or her, cannot\\nbe bad. The moment you see any person becoming\\ncareless in this manner, that moment beware of him or\\nher. No one is to be trusted who does not with a\\ncontrite. Christian soul strengthen himself against\\ntemptation by receiving frequently Holy Communion.\\nThis is the nourishment of the Catholic soul. This is a\\nproof of his honesty and his sincerity, of his fidelity\\nand his industry. A Catholic who does not accept the\\ngenerous invitation of our Divine Lord to participate at\\nHis feast, is a Catholic in whom I have no confidence\\nis a Catholic whom I would not trust is a Catholic in\\nwhom there is something wrong for he cannot turn\\nhis back on his God he cannot violate those precepts\\nwhich must necessarily fashion his conduct he cannot\\nbreak away from a safe mooring, without endanger-\\nhimself and others, and proving that he is a bad\\nCatholic and a perverted man.\\nListen, then, to the voice of God s servant asking you\\nto His banquet. Do not make excuses. Do not say,\\nthe next week or the next month, lest Jesus may say\\nto you, that you will never again taste of His feast.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0218.jp2"}, "219": {"fulltext": "THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nNow the Publicans and si?iners dj^ew near unto Him to hear\\nHim. And the Pharisees and the Scribes murmured, saying\\nThis man receiveth sinners and eateth tvith them. (Luke xv.\\n1,2.)\\nMy Dear Friends In the words just read to you\\nfrom the Sacred Scriptures, you might have noted an\\nexample of the kind condescension of our Divine Lord.\\nThe Publicans a?id sinners drew near to hear Him. He\\ndoes not order them away, He does not look upon them\\nwith the eye of scorn, but permits them to come near\\nHim. The Son of God speaks with sinners. He fells\\nthem that He loves them. His sacred words find ready\\nentrance to their hearts. They are awakened by His\\ntender remarks. The wickedness of sin is depicted in a\\nsad but kindly manner. Its consequences are deplored\\nin eloquent pathos. Repentance is encouraged nay,\\nmore, heaven rejoices at the conversion of a single\\nsinner.\\nBut the Pharisees and the Scribes murmur. There\\nare always some fault-finders. They would have the\\nbystanders consider them shocked at the conduct of\\nour Saviour. He pretends to teach the way to heaven,\\nbut behold He converses with sinners and eats with\\nthem. His actions contradict His teachings. He must\\nbe just, as they are. Birds of the same feather flock\\n215", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0219.jp2"}, "220": {"fulltext": "216 THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\ntogether, and they wink significantly. The poet s\\n(Pope s) lines are- quite applicable to them\\nAll seem infected that the infected spy,\\nAs all look yellow to the jaundiced eye.\\nAll sinners may be divided into two great classes the\\nrepentant and the unrepentant. These classes have\\ntheir types at the Crucifixion. The repentant thief\\nimplores his God for mercy. Remember me when\\nYou come to Your kingdom. The other blasphemes,\\nis insulting, is impervious to the grace of God, and dies\\nas he lived. As in the days when Our Lord taught the\\nPublicans and sinners so to-day there still exists the\\nrepentant and the unrepentant sinner. The latter\\nboasts of his crimes. These are his laurels. He de-\\nlights to recount the things which destroyed the true\\nimaged of God in his soul. Vile company, vile resorts,\\nfurnish the debasing joy of his degraded heart. His\\nintellect is impoverished, his heart plundered, his health\\ndestroyed. Friends are praying for him. They search\\nhim out. They plead with him. They urge every\\nargument likely to withdraw him from the paths of sin\\nthey offer every incentive likely to arouse a noble\\nambition. Even a departed mother or father is invoking\\nthe throne of God in his behalf. The most affectionate\\nappeals are made, and God permits these to reach the\\nsinner s heart through the channels of His mercy and\\nHis grace. But the hardened heart refuses to yield.\\nIt would be cowardice to withdraw. It would be weak-\\nness to leave those haunts of sin and those companions\\nof crime. No; his ambition is destruction the destruc-\\ntion of himself, the destruction of others, the destrution\\nof the time-honored respect of his family. Father,\\nmother, sister, and brother may weep and pray, but he\\nheeds them not. They may bow their heads in shame", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0220.jp2"}, "221": {"fulltext": "THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 217\\nbut emboldened by his excesses, he carries his head\\nerect, defying for a time, God, man, and the devil. The\\nday will come, however, when he must die and die as\\nhe had lived.\\nThe repentant sinner, on the other hand, yields to the\\ninspirations of divine grace. Our Saviour touches the\\nflinty heart, and the waters of repentance burst forth.\\nIn the silence of his breaking heart, in the depths of\\nhis bitter remorse, he pleads for mercy Father of\\nheaven, have pity on me I crave for pardon I have\\ntransgressed your laws, I have spurned your graces,\\nbut forgive me now. I was weak and passion was\\nstrong. I fell, alas, I fell Sacred Heart, pardon me!\\nOur Divine Lord lifts him up kindly, breathes words of\\nencouragement into his soul, presses him to His Sacred\\nHeart tells him Never mind the past. My child.\\nMy heart bleeds affectionately for you. Never again\\nwill I remember your transgressions. They shall never\\nbe a reproach to you. They are forgotten forever.\\nHenceforth we shall be friends. The sinner rejoices\\nin the peace which he finds. His heart expands under\\nthe influence of divine grace. He thought sin lay\\nthrough walks bedecked with flowers. He was disap-\\npointed. He only found thorns.\\nSome Catholics are standing by. They observe that\\nJesus is speaking with the sinner that the latter has\\nchanged his manner of living and instead of rejoicing\\nat the poor sinner s conversion, they make unfavorable\\ncomment. They criticise his past life. They speak\\nunkindly of him, and take pains tliat he may learn their\\nunjust criticisms. They seem to think that no one has\\na right to go to church but themselves, that none are\\ngood but themselves. By their actions they would\\nimpress you with the notion that they believe the poor,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0221.jp2"}, "222": {"fulltext": "218 THIRD SUNDAY AFTEE PENTECOST.\\nheart-broken sinner should be allowed no place but hell.\\nThey are astonished at the presumption of our Divine\\nLord. He should not hold converse with a sinner, nor\\neat with him. Why, the example is disedifying, is\\nscandalous. How can Catholics boast of their faith,\\nwhen its Founder, Jesus Christ, ventures to talk with\\nsinners. He makes little of Himself, and us, too.\\nThe contrite soul feels these piercing shafts aimed\\nand poisoned by those from whom he should receive\\nhope and encourgement. Our Saviour takes him aside\\nfrom the carping crowd, from the pharisaical Catholics.\\nHe says to him Pay no attention to those wicked\\ntongues. Be not discouraged. The angels of My\\nEternal Kingdom rejoice at the sincerity of your heart.\\nI am your friend. I shall not only speak with you\\nand eat with you, but I shall feed you with My own\\nbody and blood. I shall live in you. Your nourishment\\nshall be the food of angels. Peace shall reign between\\nyou and Me. I shall place a covenant with you. Of\\nold, I placed the rainbow in the heavens as a testimony\\nof My covenant with the ancients, that I would never\\ndestroy the world again by water so now I place a\\ncovenant with you. As a sign of My friendship, behold\\nMe in the tabernacle on the altar. I am there for you.\\nWhen you are weak, come to Me. When uncharitable\\npersons treat you unkindly, come, and tell Me your\\nsorrows. When you are oppressed by cares and woes,\\nI shall comfort you, and in the last moments of your\\nearthly pilgrimage, I shall come to you. I shall raise\\nyou up, and you shall be eternally happy with Me.\\nMy dear friends, learn a lesson from your Saviour\\nand your God. Speak with sinners, not to become per-\\nverted, not to learn wickedness from them but to with-\\ndraw them from the avenues of sin, to assure them tliat", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0222.jp2"}, "223": {"fulltext": "THIKD SUNDAY AFTEB PENTECOST. 219\\nGod is good, and is willing to receive them once more\\ninto His friendship. Fathers and mothers, see to it that\\nyou talk with your children about the affairs of\\ntheir salvation. Teach them by your example, that\\nthey may not abandon the ways of virtue. See that\\nthey are nourished by the sacraments which Jesus\\ninstituted for their peace and nourishment here, and as a\\nladder by which they can attain to an eternal reward\\nwith Him Who taught sinners. Let every pious\\nCatholic exert his or her influence in bringing sinners\\nto repentance. Encourage them, assist them, exhort\\nthem to avoid the bad and seek the good. Not by\\nboasting of your own merits, not by extolling your-\\nselves, while you depreciate others but kindly, gently\\nlead them to the feet of Jesus, your Saviour and theirs.\\nYou shall thus be a blessing to society you shall thus\\nbe true children of the Church established by Christ\\nfor the conversion of sinners. And He will reward you\\nfor your Christian efforts. You shall lead many there-\\nby to righteousness And those who lead many to\\njustice shall shine like the stars for all eternity,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0223.jp2"}, "224": {"fulltext": "FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nMaster^ we have labored all nighty and have taken nothing,\\n(St. Luke V. 5.)\\nMy Dear Friends You have here an example of\\nmen toiling all night without compensation. Luck, as\\nsome would say, was against them. They went to their\\nboat in the evening with the hope of success. They\\nprobably calculated upon a rich reward, and planned\\nwhat they would do with the money obtained from the\\nsale of their fish. They labored all night their plans\\nwere frustrated by failure but they learned that some-\\nthing else besides toil is necessary to profitable success.\\nThey learned that God s blessing is very useful even in\\nthe ordinary affairs of life. At the word of their Divine\\nMaster, they renewed their efforts, with prosperous\\nresults. Jesus was with them, and they toiled not in\\nvain.\\nSince that memorable morning, how many have been\\ndisappointed in their plans How many a heart has\\nached over failure How many a brain burned with the\\nfever of opposition How many a disastrous cloud has\\nlashed to ruin the glowing aspirations of youth How\\nmany a hoary head has gone down into the grave, weary\\nof toil, but unrequited by prosperity Opposition, fail-\\nure, gloom, and despondency are the wedded partners\\n220", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0224.jp2"}, "225": {"fulltext": "FOUBTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 221\\nof many a soul. The reason To ascertain that would\\nrequire the ability to sound the profoundest depths of\\nhuman existence. Yet, there are explanations for many\\nof the disasters of life and the chief one, the one which\\ncovers the greatest number of life s ills, is apparent in\\nto-day s Gospel, Jesus was not with them.\\nStill, you should remember that all the ills of life are\\nnot disadvantageous. Sometimes you are tumbled\\ndown only to make you stronger to climb or by\\nrepeated tumbles, to teach you that you are trying to\\nclimb the wrong ladder. If you are under the protec-\\ntion of heaven, the obstacles which block your way are\\ntablets of instruction, and it would be well for you to\\nstop to read and study them. Youth and even old age\\nare not seldom on the wrong way. Especially is this\\ntrue of youth. Led on by the scintillating prosperity\\nof others, they think only of the dizzy heights to\\nwhich others have attained. They weigh not their own\\ncapabilities, nor the sacrifices to be made, nor the road\\nto be travelled with tortured brain and trouble heart,\\nnor the ruins of ambition, health, chastity, and faith to\\nbe found everywhere along this road. They only look\\nto the end of the journey, but never consider the cost\\nrequired for reaching that destination, if indeed it were\\npossible to make the journey. How many a Catholic\\nyouth has been shipwrecked in making this voyage\\nThey are spurred on by an unlaudable ambition they\\nbegin by discarding sound principles of conduct, indis-\\npensable ballast in the tempest of life. They next cast\\noverboard their faith, the compass which would indicate\\ntheir safe course, and which, in storm and doubt, would\\nstill remain true to them. They imagine they must\\npander to the whims and prejudices of other doctrines,\\nand they soon become adept in their cringing, grovell-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0225.jp2"}, "226": {"fulltext": "222 FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\ning, contemptible sycophancy. If they succeed, they\\nhave bartered, for the acquisition of a bauble, every\\nattribute of true manhood or womanhood, and in their\\nso-called success, they find little to compensate them\\nfor their sleepless nights and painful days. If they\\nfail and this class usually fails they have nothing\\nbut health impoverished, honor squandered, friendship\\nauctioned to the highest bidder, their religion sold in\\nthe market place of scoff and hatred. Whether this\\nclass succeed or fail, they accomplish nothing\\nnothing when the end of life comes and the grave is\\nopening to receive them, for Jesus was not with them.\\nThey had labored all flight and had taken 710 thing.\\nTo those who adhere to their faith, as the vine to the\\nsturdy oak, I would say read the characters engraven\\nupon the obstacles in your way. God may intend you\\nfor another purpose. Your course is higher than the\\nplane in which you move. He is speaking to you by\\nmeans of these obstacles. Such strive to learn the\\nwill of God, and with this they are determinated to\\ncomply. If they ascend to the highest peaks of\\nachievement and fame, they attribute their success\\nto the Author of all good gifts. If adversity block\\nhis path, he turns with unfaltering faith to supplicate\\nthe throne of heaven for assistance. In every affair of\\nlife, good or evil, his reliance upon heaven is just the\\nsame. He toils with as much industry and effort\\nas others, still he is always thanking God for His\\nblessings and praying Him to be his friend in the time\\nof need. In this manner, whether he succeed or fail,\\nhe is still laying up treasures in heaven. For him earth\\nis only a transitory abode at best a place of trial and\\nsuffering but beyond the grave his heart is fixed upon\\nthe celestial home created for him by a benign Father,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0226.jp2"}, "227": {"fulltext": "FOUKTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 223\\nIs he poor Then he offers to God the sweat of his\\nhonest brow a noble offering. Is he rich Then\\nby assisting the needy, he offers to God a portion of\\nhis wealth a pleasing gift. Is he a scientist? Then\\nhe dedicates to his God the fruits of his intellectual\\nlabors. So you perceive how easy it is to render your\\nactions fruitful to you here on earth and meritorious\\nfor heaven. Each day grants you, as it were, a coupon\\nwhich increases your claims on heaven.\\nDo not be idlers. Faithful labor bestows a contin-\\nuous reward contentment on earth and joy in eter-\\nnity. Do not say with the laborers mentioned by the\\ninspired writer No one has hired us butbe up and will-\\ning to engage in any honest occupation. All earnest,\\nuseful labor is good. Honor and shame from no con-\\ndition rise act well your part there all the honor lies.\\nStudy yourselves first try to find out to what\\nyou are best adapted. Having discovered this, plod\\nfaithfully and incessantly onward. With the smile of\\nheaven upon you, success must ultimately perch upon\\nyour banner. Be not discouraged by opposition. This\\nusually makes the heart stronger, trains the will, dis-\\nciplines the intellect, equips a manor woman for greater\\nusefulness and more brilliant enterprises. Many a rich\\nman was a poor boy and many a notable scholar dis-\\nplayed no great talent in early life. What was the\\nsecret of their success? My answer is, perseverance!\\nPerseverance in the right direction led them on to the\\ngoal of their ambition They left behind them foot-\\nprints on the sands of time, which tell us the only\\nroyal road to pre-eminence is unremitting, judicious toil.\\nThe one who has a willingness to participate in the\\nworld s great labor, possesses already stock which will\\ndeclare a generous dividend, if only rightly employed.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0227.jp2"}, "228": {"fulltext": "224 FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nHow will you employ it By observing the laws of\\nGod and man. Do nothing that will bring dishonor\\nupon yourself or others. Respect your word as you\\nwould your bond. Be a dutiful child of your holy\\nMother the Church. Never allow adversity to rob you\\nof the courage of your soul, nor permit prosperity to\\nmake a fool out of you. Never forget the friends who\\nstood by you in the trying hour of need. They were\\nthe dews that gave vigor to your parching hopes, and\\nharvests to your famishing ambition. Forget them not.\\nTo do so bespeaks a little mind, a miser s soul, a niggard-\\nly heart. Let not the flattery of opulence, nor the glory\\nof achievements, nor the grandeur of your acquirements,\\nabsolve you of your allegiance to your creed. The\\navenues of prosperity are dangerous places Beware\\nof them Desert your God, and all your greatness is\\nnothing You have bartered heaven for temporal advan-\\ntages You are a sycophant, a craven, to sell your God\\nfor transitory treasures and your fatal mistake will stare\\nyou in the face at the last moments of your ill-spent\\nlife, if not before that awful hour\\nWithout Me you can do nothing! says Almighty God.\\nNothing meritorious for salvation. Then in all your\\nefforts, have the approbation of heaven. In prosperity\\nyou will then manifest wisdom in adversity you will\\nnot be overwhelmed by any disaster. When friends are\\nfalse, you have a Friend in heaven. In all the fickle-\\nness of life, you are constant in your fidelity to Almighty\\nGod. In your ill fortune He will not desert you. Offer\\nthe first fruits of your labor to Him. Place your under-\\ntakings under His protection. In the morning, offer\\nyour toil to Him. At evening, thank Him for His\\nassistance then when the end of life comes, you will\\nnot say Master, ivehave labored but have taken nothing.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0228.jp2"}, "229": {"fulltext": "FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nFor I say to you that ujiless your Justice abound more than\\nthat of the Scribes and Pharisees^ you shall not enter into\\nthe kingdom of heaven (Matt. v. 20.)\\nMy Dear Friends It is not my purpose this morning\\nto describe the conduct of the Scribes and Pharisees,\\nnor comment upon their injustice. The earth is aoitated\\nby injustice the injustice of the employer on the one\\nhand and the employed on the other. The injustice\\nperpetrated in our courts, where justice should reign.\\nThe poor are punished excessively, the opulent are\\noften unjustly exonerated. Injustice stalks boldly\\nthrough the land, and is often approved, while justice is\\ndespised. But we do not wish to dwell upon this\\nlamentable state of affairs. There is another subject\\nsuggested by our text, to which we desire to direct\\nyour attention, and which is even more important to\\nyou. It is the lack of justice wanting in parents\\ntoward their children. In considering this defect, we\\nshall confine our remarks to this parish. The care of\\nyour children is largely entrusted to me; I shall therefore\\nrestrict my remarks to you, that you may know how\\nyour conduct and that of your children appear to me\\nand having thus viewed yourselves in the mirror of my\\nwords, you may in the future co-operate more effect-\\n335", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0229.jp2"}, "230": {"fulltext": "2 26 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTEE PENTECOST.\\nually with me in the promotion of your children s\\ntemporal and spiritual advancement.\\nThere are some parents belonging to this parish who\\nconcern themselves very little about their children.\\nInstead of teaching good, they inculcate, b} their\\nexample, evil into the souls of their little ones. They\\nare the worst enemies of their children. Though I\\nhave exhorted you time and again though I have,\\nbesought you to send your children to instruction by\\nsome fatal obstinacy you persist in having them run\\nthe streets and associate with those who are vicious.\\nWhat do your children learn on the streets Good\\nmanners No you are bound to answer. No good\\nmanners are acquired from their associates. You must\\nknow this. You must know that they learn to swear,\\nto use obscene language, to steal, and everything else\\nthat is pernicious. But what do I say Is not the\\nbasest example given them at home. At home, where\\nthe young heart should be trained to sobriety, where\\nthe intellect should be molded to usefulness, where the\\nsoul should be directed to honorable aspirations, there\\nin the very home of the child, in the nursery of their\\nyouthful years, bad example is given. Instead of so-\\nbriety, drunkenness prevails instead of Christian virtue,\\nvice abounds instead of prayer, profanity is heard.\\nHow can a child, amidst such environments, be good\\nThe marvel is that some children are as good as they\\nare. I do not say that all the parents of this parish\\nare bad but I do say that some are accountable for the\\nmisconduct of their children. Were some of our\\nCatholic parents compared with the Scribes and\\nPharisees, it appears to me that their chances of\\nsalvation are more meagre than that of those to whom\\nthe words of our Saviour in this day s Gospel were so", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0230.jp2"}, "231": {"fulltext": "FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 227\\nforcibly addressed. Might we not say in truth that the\\njustice of such parents toward their children is not as\\ncommendable as that of the Scribes and Pharisees\\nMight we not say to such parents, that unless your\\njustice toward your children abound more in the future\\nthan at present, you shall never enter the kingdom of\\nGod These words may sound harshly, but they are\\nspoken in charity and with the conviction that they are\\ntrue.\\nOur Divine Lord says Therefore, if thou offerest thy\\ngift at the altar, and there shalt remember that thy bf other\\nhath a?iythi?ig agai?ist thee, leave there thy gift before the\\naltar, and first go to be reconciled to thy brother, a?id then\\ncome and offer thy gift y (Matt, v.^ 23,24.) I would\\nsay to some parents, if you come to offer your gift at\\nthe altar and remember that your children are running\\nthe streets, leave here your gift and go in search of\\nyour children. Bring them to church. Offer them to\\nGod. Let them be your gift. God will be pleased\\nwith such an offering, for it will be the first step toward\\nthe complete dedication of them to their Creator. If\\nit is a necessary condition to the worthy offering of a\\ngift to God, that you become reconciled with your\\nbrother, how much more obligatory it is to teach your\\nchildren the way to eternal glory. How can you be\\ncontent in church how can you pray or can you flatter\\nyourselves that your prayers will be favorably heard,\\nwhen your children are coursing unrestrained about the\\ntown Can you assume a sanctimonious air can you\\nconvince yourselves that you are truly devout, when\\nyour children are untrained in virtue, uncouth in\\nmanners, impious in language and all this due to your\\nnegligence\\nAlas this is not all. What about those parents who", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0231.jp2"}, "232": {"fulltext": "228 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTEK PENTECOST.\\nseldom come to Mass What about them and their\\nchildren Who can estimate their injustice Who\\ncan measure the depths of their degradation Ah,\\nhow the voice of their Saviour crys to them IV/io\\nsca7idalizes one of these little ones, it were better that a mill-\\nstone be tied around Jiis neck and he sunk in the bottom of the\\ndeep These words should ever vibrate through the\\nhearts of parents, should penetrate their soul and awa-\\nken an act of contrition for their cruel negligence tow-\\nard themselves and their children. \\\\^/ho scandalizes\\none of these little ones Who are they whose conduct\\ninvokes such condemnation Are they demons from\\nthe abyss of the damned Are they the outlaws of\\nsociety No they are parents They are called by the\\nendearing name of father and mother but they are ruin-\\ning their children. These call for the bread of life, for\\ninstruction, edification, and good example but those\\nkind, affectionate. Christian parents give them poison-\\nthat poison which corrupts the heart, which contam-\\ninates the intellect, which destroys the moral and relig-\\nious life Woe to such parents Can they expect\\neternal happiness when their children are condemned\\nto eternal miseries Can they enjoy temporal life,\\nwhen they know they are outcasts of society when\\ntheir children are in jail, the penitentiary, or in other\\nplaces of disgrace and sin If the children are con-\\ndemned to walk the ways of wretchedness here and\\nhereafter, on account of the heartless malice of the\\nparents, there islittlehope for such cruel parents. Truly\\ntheir justice does not abound more than that of the\\nScribes and Pharisees.\\nParents are obliged to be interested in the pious and\\nuseful education of their children. God requires them\\nto train their children in virtue and religion. Nay.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0232.jp2"}, "233": {"fulltext": "FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 229\\nmore does it not seem strange that parents must be\\nexhorted and even scolded before they will send their\\nchildren to instruction and Mass One would think\\ntheir highest aspiration would be the training of their\\nchildren, the leading of them into the avenues of honor,\\nself-respect, and self-control that they would infuse into\\ntheir young souls a love of God, a love for religion, a\\nlove for everything exalting. Some parents, however,\\ntake a diametrically opposite view. Judging from\\ntheir actions, I would come to the conclusion that they\\ndesire their children to wallow in the lowest filth of\\nsociety, neverto attain to anything worthy, self-support-\\ning, or sacred. Our Lord says to such parents Let\\nthose little ones come unto Me for such is the kingdom of\\nheaven And such parents say No, they will not\\ngo to you VVe do not wish them to be converted by\\nYour goodness nor sanctified by Your blessing.\\nOur Saviour prays that they may come to Him. Let\\nthem come to Me. I shall teach them the way of eter-\\nnal life. I shall lift them up. They will pursue virtue.\\nThey will be sanctified b}^ My grace, I shall feed them\\nwith My own body and blood, send them to My Church.\\nSend them to instruction, and the}^ and you will re-\\njoice. No their parents reply they want none\\nof Your sacred caresses they .want none of Your\\nsaving benedictions they want neither church nor\\ninstruction, nor happiness with You They shall run the\\nstreets, associate with infectious companions They\\nshall blaspheme, steal, become drunken sots, and the\\nacme of their record shall be made in prison or upon\\nthe scaffold Oh, wretched parents Can you con-\\ndemn your children, the children of your heart, to such\\nawful conditions Have you not some pity Will\\nyounot foresee the misery and the disgrace awful bur-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0233.jp2"}, "234": {"fulltext": "230 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTEE PENTECOSl^.\\ndens which your children must bear when you are in\\nthe grave, unless you train them thoroughly in the sacred\\ntruths of your religion Have compassion upon them.\\nSend them to catechism. Do everything in your\\npower to give them a Christian education. Then,\\nindeed, your justice will abound more than the Scribes\\nand Pharisees, and your reward will be an endless joy\\nwith your children in the kingdom of your heavenly\\nFather.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0234.jp2"}, "235": {"fulltext": "SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nhave compassion on the multitude for behold they have\\nnow been with Me three days, and have nothing to eat. (St.\\nMark viii. 2.)\\nMy Dear Friends You have just heard, as you have\\noften heard before, how Jesus fed the multitude. He\\nhad compassion on them. How kindly he expresses\\nHimself With what solicitude He thinks of them\\nIf He leave them depart without nourishment, they\\nwill famish by the wayside. They have been with Him\\nthree days. What joy must have been theirs What a\\nprivileged opportunity! Listening to His wonderful\\ndiscourses, they forgot their physical wants. The soul\\nwas nourished by His words of wisdom. Unmindful\\nof the future, they gave themselves unreservingly to\\nHim. But they must now part, teaching us by this\\nexample that, while we serve God, we should not\\nneglect the temporal affairs of life that we should\\ncarry in our souls His instructions, be guided by them,\\nnever allow them to become dormant in our hearts,\\nthough we may be interested in the affairs of earth.\\nIf we always remain faithful to Him, He will take care\\nthat we shall never famish.\\nYou may be prone to ask the question Did these\\nwhom He so affectionately fed in this miraculous man-\\n231", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0235.jp2"}, "236": {"fulltext": "232 SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nner, always cling to these memories In spirit did they\\never depart from Him Were we to judge them\\naccording to the standard of the present age, according\\nto the conduct of some Catholics, we would be com-\\npelled to admit that some of them at least soon forgot\\nthe lessons on eternal life, which they heard on that\\nmemorable occasion or these lessons ere long became\\nfor them lifeless principles. I say, were you to esti-\\nmate the holiness of their after actions by the criterion\\nwhich some Catholics by their waywardness establish,\\nI think you would be inclined to declare that many of\\nthem grew forgetful, and in time entirely neglected the\\nsage maxims to which they had once listened. They\\nhad a Divine Instructor, it is true but have not\\nCatholics been taught by a teacher who has her doc-\\ntrines and commission from this self-same Saviour\\nTliose were fed in a miraculous way by bread which\\ngave strength to the body. These these very Cath-\\nolics to whom reference is made, were nourished, body\\nand soul, by the body, b ood, soul, and divinity of that\\nvery Instructor. How many Catholics, instructed in\\nchildhood and youth in the healthful principles of\\nChristian truth, have turned their backs upon the old\\nChurch, and by their actions defied their God\\nIs it not lamentable to see Catholics reared in the\\nbosom of the Church, forgetting all the solid truths of\\nreligion once cherished by them. As children, they\\nw^ere taught the rudiments of Catholic doctrine. With\\nwhat zeal they prepared themselves for first Holy Com-\\nmunion Angel they were when they for the first\\ntime partook of the bread of life, that bread which\\ncame down from heaven to be their food and nourish-\\nment. What innocent aspirations filled their young\\nhearts What pious plans they laid for the future", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0236.jp2"}, "237": {"fulltext": "SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 233\\nBut they were not steadfast in their youthful resolves.\\nThe aspirations faded from their hearts. Probably\\ntheir parents were indifferent in the observance of their\\nreligious duties and this deficiency on the part of\\nthe parents was destructive to the child. One thing\\nis certain, that as soon as the child mingled with com-\\npany, as soon as he began to estrange himself from the\\nbenefits conferred by the sacraments, his tendencies\\nwere downward. Like an exposed flower, he withers\\nbefore the frosts of bad companionship. He fails, but\\nhis failure is largely due to his own indifference.\\nWhile he said his prayers night and morning while\\nhe devoutly heard Mass on Sunday, and strengthened\\nhis soul with the exalting efficacy of the sacraments,\\nhe was good, he was virtuous. But many boys and girls,\\nas they grow into youth, become ashamed of practising\\nthese virtues which sustain the vigor of the will and\\nfertilize the Christian emotions of the heart. Led\\nby folly, they imagine it would not do to be good or\\nperhaps they fear criticism. Some carping tongues\\nmay censure their piety. Ah how happy they always\\nwould be, if the tongue of slander could say nothing\\nworse than that they were good.\\nYouth brings its passions, which often cause many to\\nmourn, passions good in themselves, but which must be\\ncurbed. If not restrained, then they become a tempest\\nsweeping to destruction. If trained to subjection, they\\nelevate rather than demoralize the possessor. At this\\nperiod of life all the safeguards available should be cast\\naround the young and the best of these is a rational\\nobservance of these sacred truths which made them pure\\nand happy on the morning of their First Communion.\\nTo these ought to be added reading of an elevating,\\nmoral, but attractive tone. Teach the child to read", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0237.jp2"}, "238": {"fulltext": "234 SIXTH SUNDAY AFIER PENTECOST.\\nwholesome literature when he is young, and he or she\\nwill not depart from the true God. They will in a meas-\\nure, at least, be able to combat the evil teachings of\\ngodless writers, and may be the means of saving an\\nerring soul. Much, indeed, can be done by a well-\\ninformed Catholic. He meets men in every walk of\\nlife. Sensible controversies sometimes arise and if he\\ncan give cogent answers to the doubting inquirer, he\\nwill accomplish much good. But his life must not be\\na contradiction to his arguments. His should radiate\\nCatholic principles of morality and religion. Then will\\nhis words have weight and influence. Then will his\\ndaily conduct appeal to men of common sense and voice\\nthe efficacyof Catholic training.\\nMoreover, parents should incessantly train their chil-\\ndren to habits of industry and honesty. Industry will\\nkeep them engaged in worthy pursuits, will keep them\\nfrom bad companions, will make them both thrifty and\\nsober while honesty will win them approval, will\\nrecommend them to places of honor and trust, will pre-\\nvent them bringing disgrace upon themselves and their\\nfriends. An honest ma?i is the Jioblest work of God\\nbut you cannot have the honest man unless ou have\\nthe honest boy. The boy is the father of the ma?iy\\nBesides, were all Catholic young people honest how much\\nit would help those seeking for positions. The fact that\\nthey were Catholics would be a recommendation suffi-\\ncient for the employer. In this manner one could help\\nanother along the rugged way to profitable situations.\\nBut let one Catholic only one prove himself dis-\\nhonest in deed or in word to his employer, and this person\\nwill loose confidence in Catholics, and will ever afterward\\nregard them with suspicion. On the other hand, let him\\nshow himself reliable amidst every temptation, and he", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0238.jp2"}, "239": {"fulltext": "SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 235\\nmust necessarily advance. It will, too, be a source of\\npleasure to him to know that his advancement will assist\\nothers to obtain employment.\\nNow all this and more, too, will be realized if Catholic\\nyouth wander not from the precepts learned in child-\\nhood if they do not depart from the teachings of\\ntheir Church and the commandments of Almighty God.\\nLet them remain firm in the innocent resolutions made\\non First Communion day, when for the first time they\\nwere nourished in a most miraculous manner by the\\nSaviour Who had compassion on the multitude. Let\\nthem renew those resolves at each succeeding commun-\\nion, and add to them some new principle of conduct\\nwhich more experienced years discern to be requisite to\\na successful career in noble, honest, faithful action.\\nLet them never barter for any consideration the fidelity\\nthey owe their Eternal Father, and He will always have\\ncompassion on them. He will never permit them to\\nfaint by the way. In moments of discouragement. He\\nwill stimulate them to greater exertion when depressed\\nby disappointments, He will infuse new fortitude when\\nenemies will attack them, His irresistible right arm will\\nbe their armor, and the world will be the better for their\\nliving", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0239.jp2"}, "240": {"fulltext": "SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nBeware of false prophets, who come to \\\\ou in the clothing\\nof sheep, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. (St. Math,\\nvii.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 15.)\\nMy Dear Friends You may say upon first thought,\\nwe have no prophets that the age of prophecy is\\npassed that there are no such persons in our time,\\neither false or true. If you reflect if you consider your\\nown experience the observations you have made\\nyou will conclude with me that false prophets still\\ninfest the earth that the words of our Divine Saviour\\nwhich I have quoted, are applicable to our age. They\\nstill come to you in the clothing of sheep, but they are\\nwolves in disguise. They have a bland smile, bewitch-\\ning words, a fascinating demeanor. With their pol-\\nished, oily tongues and gentle behavior they are at heart\\nserpents. The} ingratiate themselves into the favors of\\nthe unsuspecting and innocent. They are gentle only to\\ndeceive boisterous at times only to intimidate affable\\nonly to destroy. Exteriorly, the Gospel compares\\nthem to sheep but interiorly is where the malice resides.\\nBeware of them Heed the warning of your Lord and\\nyour God He does not speak in vain. He knows the\\nheart as well as the appearance of things. So obey His\\nfatherly admonishings.\\n236", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0240.jp2"}, "241": {"fulltext": "SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 237\\nThat you may the better understand what is meant,\\nwhen I say there are false prophets, let us take a few\\nexamples to elucidate our subject. Here is a man he\\nmeets one of you. He says Come, let us have a\\nfew drinks. Let us enjoy ourselves. We shall have a\\ngood time. But you answer I cannot go. I prom-\\nised to be home at a certain hour and if I don t, the\\nold lady will be vexed. He replies with apparent\\nboastfulness To hell with the old women We can-\\nnot be always tied to their apron-strings. What do\\nthey mean Make slaves of us They have no use\\nfor us but to work. If I were to die, you would see\\nhow soon my old woman would have another man and\\nit is just the same with all the women. Come, let us\\nhave a good time for once in our lives. Let us eat\\ndrink, and be merry and let the old women have what\\nis left. After some more seductive argument, seasoned\\nwith a judicious amount of flattery, you go with him to\\nthe saloon. This man may be out in the interest of\\nthe tavern proprietor. But be this as it may, you drink\\nand become unconsciously happy. A few drinks do not\\nsatiate the appetite once awakened. You drink until\\nthe wee, small hours of the morning, and very likely\\nfoot all the expenses. A faint shadow of your wife\\nand family flitter across your benumbed imagination.\\nYou think you will go home and rest up a little. You\\ndo not go far till you fall into the gutter. Covered with\\nmud, you try to rise. But the more you labor to regain\\nyour feet, the more you are besmeared with the filth\\ninto which you have fallen. You conclude to remain\\nwhere you are to sober a little. After a few hours, you\\nwake up. You do not see your boon companion.\\nHe seems to have taken wings. But your head is in a\\nfrightful shape. It compares very favorable with your", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0241.jp2"}, "242": {"fulltext": "238 SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nclothes. You totter along home in a fit of despon-\\ndency. What, let me ask, about that home Children\\nand wife have passed an anxious night, wondering\\nwhat became of you. And there they are, and there\\nyou are, an abject sight, before them the children\\ndismayed and your wife disconsolate. What now do\\nyou think about your prophet He promised you a\\ngood time. He assured you that your joy would be\\ncommensurate to the amount of intoxicants you would\\nabsorb. Did his prophecy come true Was he not in\\nreality a false prophet Did he not deceive you\\nDid he not bring misery upon yourself and tears to the\\neyes of your wife and children Beware, I say, of those\\nfalse prophets who come to you in the clothing of\\nsheep Beware, before they devour you and all you\\nhave\\nHere is another prophet. He insinuates himself\\namong the young and pure of soul. By his suave\\ncountenance and nicety of speech he wins his way\\ninto their confidence. His alluring smile has all the\\ncharm, all the destructive power of a serpent s eye.\\nThey fall a victim to his snare. Indeed, so powerful\\nis his influence over them, that at his beck they willingly\\nplunge into the whirlpool of sinful pleasure. He\\nfound them innocent, he leaves them degraded. The\\nbrow that formerly was decked with modesty is be-\\nsmirched with shame. They have fallen from the peace\\nof angels to the depths of human disgrace. This\\ndemon has entered into the heaven of their young lives,\\nwhere guilt had never marred, nor temptations had an\\nabode. They were happy and simple. Innocence had\\nthrown her mantle about them, and loving aspirations\\nwere entwined around their hearts. He gradually,\\nstealthily enticed them from the bowers of tranquil", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0242.jp2"}, "243": {"fulltext": "SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 239\\nyouth. It was only for a walk or a drive at first, but\\nthe friend was designing, was crafty. While his lips\\nspoke gentle words, the fumes of hell blazed around\\nhis heart. His object was to destroy, and destroy he\\ndid At first they would return home in time at night.\\nThey had not broken all the silken cords of restrain but\\nnow they care not for the supplications of their parents\\nthey listen not to the admonitions of the Church they\\nfear not the decrees of Almighty God. The friend\\npromised them pleasure, but he gives them sorrow.\\nThey were to have unstinted joy but they quaff un-\\nceasingly from poisonous springs of disgrace, dishonor,\\nand remorse. Was he not a false prophet or, if the\\nschemer was a prophetess, the same is true she was\\nfalse false as the inmates of hell Yea, were it\\npossible, falser, meaner, more fiendish, more cruel than\\nLucifer himself For this prophet or prophetess is\\nhuman, and he or she pollutes poor, weak human kind\\nHow^ many young people, boys and girls, are thus\\ndestroyed How^ many curses they heap upon their\\nown poor heads and hearts by following the decoying\\nvillain who plots their ruin. Are Catholics exempt\\nfrom this nefarious business Alas we regret to say\\nthat some Catholics wear the livery of helL Their\\nhighest ambition is to blast innocence and blight happy\\nlives to allure from peaceful homes and lead into dens\\nof iniquity. Beware, then, of these false prophets!\\nThey are in sheep s clothing arrayed in fine words:\\nso nice, so gentlemanly, such a sweet temper. Beware\\nof them The wages they will give you is death.\\nYea, worse than death for dying, you will not die, but\\nlive a life of remorse, an example of your own folly\\nand the prophet s treachery.\\nThe false prophet appears in another role. He is a", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0243.jp2"}, "244": {"fulltext": "240 SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\ngambler. His passion for gaming is intense. As he\\ncannot gamble alone, he seeks companions, and one\\ngambler is sufficient to corrupt a whole parish. He\\ndraws many foolish persons into the same habits as those\\nwhich make his own life miserable. He will pretend\\nhe cannot play well, or he will seduce another to be his\\npartner. You will win, he assures the other. You\\ncan make money easily and quickly in this manner. It\\nis folly to work hard. Men make fortunes in a few\\nhours. Come, the gambler will urge, you can win\\nwithout difficulty. I shall play into your hand. I war-\\nrant you it is the easiest thing in the world. You have\\na sharp eye. Were I one-half as keen as you, I would\\nbe a rich man. Why you can see right through a per-\\nson. I never saw a man who could read the countenance\\nas correctly as you can. You yield to this polished flat-\\ntery, with the result that you rise from the gaming table\\na poorer but perhaps a wiser man. Did you realize the\\nwealth which the prophet guaranteed you Oh, no\\nthat was not his business. He was in it for gain. Some-\\none had to lose.\\nNow while gambling is bad in itself, it has, moreover,\\na retinue of other evils. Drinking is one. Then quar-\\nrelling, and sometimes murder. Employment is neg-\\nlected regular hours at home are abandoned money\\nis stolen to meet the exigencies of the game. Then\\nfollow ruined fortunes and broken hearts. A youth\\naddicted to games of chance will wreck a whole neigh-\\nborhood of boys. These will steal from their parents,\\nthen swear they didn t use the filthiest language be-\\ncome rowdies; associate with the lowest strata of young\\nmen, damning themselves while they distract and\\nimpoverish their parents. An awful crime against\\nthemselves and against law and order What will be", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0244.jp2"}, "245": {"fulltext": "SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 241\\ntheir fate What is the fate of a gambler A\\nwretched death and an unhallowed grave. Thousands\\nhe has ruined; thousands he has enticed from the noble\\nwalks of life. Homes he has plundered, sorrows he has\\nmultiplied, souls he has doomed to endless torture what\\ncan he expect himself\\nGambling is a terrible passion. It takes possession\\nof a person, never to relinquish its grip. It involves its\\nvotary into sin and grave vices. Drunkenness, theft,\\nlust, and murder are often a part of its train. Visit the\\ngambler s home. In the heyday of his prosperity it may\\nbe nicely furnished but it is not happy. But when ill\\nluck attends him, then his home becomes a madhouse, a\\nresidence for poverty, dissipation, and fierce resolution.\\nBeware, therefore, of the false prophet who would tempt\\nyou to depart from honesty and sobriety, to follow him\\nin his devious route. If you enlist yourself under his\\nbanner, you will leave behind tranquillity, good name,\\ncredit everything which goes to make an honorable\\nperson.\\nYou perceive we only touched principally upon the\\ntemporal losses sustained by following the false proph-\\nets. Moreover, there are others of whom self-respect\\nforbids us to speak. By their fruit you shall know them,\\nand their lives and the ends thereof will be distinguished\\nfor evil for a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. A just\\nGod will demand of them an account of the lives they\\nblighted. On earth, they will be noted for the disorders\\nof their lives. Prison will often be their homes.\\nDestruction they will ultimately bring upon them-\\nselves. Their shrewdness will not always answer for a\\nmask to their iniquities. The autumn will come. The\\nfruit they will have will be bad. They will be cut\\ndown when they least expect it, and an avenging God", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0245.jp2"}, "246": {"fulltext": "242 SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nwill punish them for all the lives they wrecked.\\nDo not, therefore, Christian friends, be deceived. The\\nhonest, staightforward way is the best here, and surely is\\napproved by the God of virtue. You do not desire\\na criminal s grave you do not wish to render your\\nsouls polluted with every crime, into the presence of\\nan all-pure God you do not want the curses of injured\\nyouth, of betrayed innocence, of broken-hearted parents,\\nto accompany you before the tribunal of unerring just-\\nice. Avoid, then, bad company. Be not entrapped by\\nthe graciousness of a cunning deceiver. Tempt not\\nothers into the meshes of sin, nor sink yourselves into\\nthe pits of infamy For the wages of sin is death but the\\ngrace of God, everlasting life in Christ Jesus our Lord!", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0246.jp2"}, "247": {"fulltext": "EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nWhat is this I hear of thee Give an account of thy\\nstewardship for now thou canst not be steward. (Luke\\nxiv. 2.)\\nMy Dear Friends These words should impress you\\ndeeply with the truth that those things which you call\\nyours, do not in the strictest sense belong to you. All\\nthings are from God. Repossesses all. You are only\\nthe stewards, and must at some time give an account\\nof your stewardship. If you employ the things placed\\nin your care by Almighty God in a praiseworthy\\nmanner, they will redound to your credit He will\\nreward you for your just and charitable disposition of\\nthem. On the contrary, if you misuse them, if you\\nthink they are yours, and yours only if you use them\\nto establish a selfish, pernicious reputation, they will\\nbe an injury to you when you come to answer for your\\nstewardship.\\nSupposing an angel of death would now stand in your\\nmidst and summon anyone of you to render an account\\nof your affairs, how would the books of your life ap-\\npear. Would the credits be large and numerous and the\\ndebits be few and insignificant? Is there anyone of\\nyou prepared for the ordeal? You would recoil from\\nsuch an invitation. You would want time to adjust\\n^43", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0247.jp2"}, "248": {"fulltext": "244 EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nyour affairs, to blot out some of the debits and increase\\nyour credits. But at this moment, would the balance\\nsheet of your life s conduct be favorable or unfavorable?\\nThis is the awful question for, if it is not in a condition\\nto bear inspection now, when will it be Remember\\nthat as a person lives, so he is likely to die and at any\\nmoment the Eternal Master may say to you What is\\nthis I hear of you Render an account of your stewardship\\nfor now you ca?i7iot be steward. Render an account\\nof the wealth you amassed Render an account\\nof the life given you Render an account of the talents\\nwith which I endowed you and the opportunities afforded\\nyou Do you not think that were you now called\\nto reply to the summons, you would be in as perplexing\\na condition as the steward mentioned in the Gospel?\\nLet us reflect upon the suggestions which our text\\npresents. Do you use your wealth for good purposes?\\nHave you acquired it in laudable pursuits To gain\\nopulence is not to be condemned; but have you gained\\nit honestly, and do you employ it in a Christian manner\\nHas it been obtained by the ruination of others Have\\nyou built the foundation upon spoils taken from the\\nweak and the unfortunate There are some who care\\nnot by what means they attain to wealth, so long as they\\npossess the glittering stores. It might have caused tears\\nto be shed. It might have caused hearts to break but\\nno matter, so long as they have succeeded in the affairs\\nof life. They expect that with riches will come power,\\nand influence, and a great name. What care they who\\nmay suffer Wealth is what they want, and wealth they\\nwill have, though the orphan sand the widow scry appeal\\nto heaven for revenge. They become arrogant and\\nproud. They wish to be the dictators of other men s\\nbusiness and dictators they will be, though they im-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0248.jp2"}, "249": {"fulltext": "EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTEE PENTECOST. 245\\npoverish and pillage the weaklings who fall within their\\niron grasp.\\nBut when they least expect it, the Lord God will\\ndemand a settlement. He will say to them: What is\\nthis I hear of yutt f Render an account of your steward-\\nship for 710W you cannot be steward. Render an\\naccount of the tears you caused to be shed Render an\\naccount of the hearts you have broken Render an ac-\\ncount of the poor you have plundered, of the lives you\\nhave wrecked, of the souls you have destroyed, of the\\nsorrows you have multiplied Render an account of\\nthese things, for you shall be a steward no longer.\\nAnother having reached the summit of power and\\npre-eminence, flatters himself that he is the sole arch-\\nitect of other people s fortunes as well as the dictator\\nof their behavior. What he desires, they must accom-\\nplish. His beck must be law to them, and woe to the\\none who dares be an independent man He is pun-\\nished, probably ruined. He is only a slave. Who need\\ngive him any honest consideration The mighty thus\\nrule it over thpusands who are only a little better\\nthan abject slaves. And how is this mightiness pur-\\nchased? Sometimes by stealth, by chicanery, by the\\ntemporal destruction of the poor or weak. He com-\\nmands with the haughtiness of a despot, and executes\\nwith the unrelenting severity of a tyrant. Instead of\\nusinghis acquisitions to relieve misery and wretchedness,\\ninstead of consoling the unprosperous, repairing disas-\\nter, calming troubled hearts, mitigating distress, he\\naggravates these. He takes advantage of disaster to\\nincrease his power. The misery and failure of others but\\naccentuate his greatness. Their ill-luck will make him\\nmore prominent will make more brilliant the autocrat\\nof ruined fortunes.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0249.jp2"}, "250": {"fulltext": "24:6 EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nBut there is One above him One Who patiently\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2notes his conduct, and finally notifies him to appear,\\nand asks him What is this I hear of thee The cry\\nof the wronged and the oppressed cry to Me for just-\\nice. Render an account of the failures you have\\ncaused, of the homes you have impoverished, of the\\npersons you have made destitute, of the injustices you\\nhave perpetrated. The moans of the suffering demand\\njustice. The promises you have made, only to break\\nthe distress of which you were the promoter, the pun-\\nishments you have unjustly inflicted, the malice with\\nwhich you have hounded the unfortunate, reach My\\nears and clamor for redress. Render an account of\\nyour inhumane behavior, for now thou canst not be\\nMy steward.\\nHow many a young person gave promise of success\\nin life, whose career ended in disaster You have\\nunquestionably known such. You have probably pre-\\ndicted that certain youthful individuals would achieve\\nhonorable prominence in their chosen occupations.\\nThey were gifted with generous sensibilities of heart\\nand intellectual talents of a high order. The future\\noffered them worthy inducements but they profited\\nneither by their talents nor by their opportunities.\\nThey squandered their gifts and their opportunities in\\nvicious company or they became indolent, unreliable,\\nand dishonest. Instead of ascending the ladder of\\nlaudable fame instead of forcing open the portals of\\nsuccess and rendering their lives useful by great\\nachievements, they abandoned every noble resolve,\\nprostituted their powers of soul and body to sinful\\ncorruption, and fell from the citadel of great enterprise\\nto the hell of failure and remorse\\nIn various ways do persons fail in employing the", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0250.jp2"}, "251": {"fulltext": "EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 247\\nmental gifts of which they are only the custodians.\\nMight not God rebuke them severely for the injudicious\\nmanagement of the intellectual riches over which He\\nplaced them as steward Might He not say to them\\nI gave you a heart endowed with amiable emotions\\nin your breast were placed aspirations which would\\nstimulate you to greater effort but you stifled these\\nemotions, you dammed up the noble current of lofty\\naspiration, and you opened the flood-gates of basest\\npassion I gave you a heart enriched with affection\\nto love Me but you abused this gift In compensation\\nfor My goodness, you gave Me hatred You had a heart\\ncapable of sympathy for the forlorn and the unhappy\\nbut you sneered at them, as if they were worms at your\\nfeet. You had a heart prone to enjoy the beauties of nat-\\nure, but you feasted yourself upon the vile and the cor-\\nrupting. Not satisfied with your own debasement, you\\noccupied yourself in debasing and polluting innocence.\\nNow give an account of your stewardship. Explain\\nyour follies. Return to Me the gifts imparted to you.\\nWhat profit have you on them What interest has\\naccrued The interests of malice, of misspent time,\\nof opportunities wasted, of souls damned He may\\nsay to some I gave you a tongue to defend innocence\\nand protect justice I gave you this wondrous organ of\\nspeech to instruct the ignorant, to comfort the sorrow-\\nful, and to utter the truth. You misapplied this instru-\\nment of communication. You engaged in deception.\\nYou converted it from an instrument of protection into\\na weapon of treachery. You have slandered and vilified\\nand calumniated the innocent. You have destroyed\\nreputations, ruined prospects, devastated hopes. Hearts\\nhave suffered the poison of your words and the malice\\nof 3^our invectives. I gave you a tongue to praise Me", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0251.jp2"}, "252": {"fulltext": "248 EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTEE PENTECOST.\\nyour Creator but you reviled Me, you blasphemed\\nagainst Me. You would have torn Me from the uni-\\nverse, were it in your power. You have insinuated and\\nboldly proclaimed that My existence is a farce, a\\nsuperstition. You have infused doubt, have attacked\\nindestructible principles of truth. You have had fol-\\nlowers, but now is the time for an adjustment of your\\nblasphemy, your ingratitude, and )^our treachery. I have\\nborne with you for a time My patience and mercy are\\nexhausted. Give an account of your villainous steward-\\nship.\\nAgain He will demand an account from those who\\nhave made bad use of their intellectual faculties.\\nThese were bestowed for exalted purposes. Mankind\\nshould employ them especially in the service of his\\nCreator, and for the benefit of himself and his fellow-\\nman. However, you see them engaged in unholy\\nundertakings. They are made the machinery of dev-\\nastation. Plots are hatched to bring financial disasters\\nupon the unwary and powerless. Unlawful discrimi-\\nnation is made because of religion or politics. The\\nends of justice are thwarted by cunningness and wealth.\\nLegislatures are bribed, and thus the great intellect of\\nthe nation is dwarfed, or it is worse than annihilated.\\nThe nation s prosperity is retarded, her dignity im-\\npeached by public sentiment and if this be permitted\\nto continue, will effect national disgrace.\\nIn this manner and numerous other ways, talents and\\ngenius are turned from their true activity. Human\\nability, instead of reaching the zenith of attainment,\\nwhere it would be the pride and glory of our country,\\nis employed in mercenary labors, in unlaudable pur-\\nsuits. Wonderful indeed that human intellect would\\ntoil to undermine the fabric of society, to cripple", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0252.jp2"}, "253": {"fulltext": "EIGHTH SUNDAY APTER PENTECOST. 249\\nprivate or public enterprise, or to corrupt government.\\nIts great object its only object, should be to build\\nup the state, to enrich literature, to promote honest\\nemulation, and to extend the domain of science.\\nAbove all these and beyond, is the noblest, the most\\nexalted, the most refining use of your intellectual\\nfaculties Need I tell you this is the service of God\\nThe uncreated Lord of all stewards will demand, and\\nmust obtain, a settlement of all accounts. If all His\\nendowments have been well employed, if His gifts\\nhave been profitably invested, then He will place you\\nover great things in His eternal kingdom.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0253.jp2"}, "254": {"fulltext": "NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nAfid when He drew iiear^ seeing the city, He wept over it.\\n(St. Luke xix. 41.)\\nThe tender affection of our Divine Lord for poor\\nfallen human nature was manifested upon this memor-\\nable occasion, when He wept over the city of the Jews.\\nThere was the temple in which He had been worshipped\\nby His chosen people. There, too, in that very same\\ncity live many devout persons still awaiting the coming\\nof the Messiah. But, alas not a stone will be left upon\\na stone. Its magnificence must disappear forever. As\\nHe wept, He saw the past, the present, and the future\\nof Jerusalem and the Jewish people he saw how often\\nthey became rebellious against His law how often\\ntheir excesses had been curbed by punishment by the\\npunishment of a foreign foe, by their capitivity. But\\ntheir depravity had now become unendurable. His\\ndoctrine was soon to pass to the Gentile, and all that\\nwas magnificent in the existence of the Jewish race was\\nere long to.be destroyed by the invader not a stone was\\nto be left upon a stone.\\nAs He wept over the ill-fated city, might He not have\\nrebuked its inhabitants in the following words Alas\\nI weep over you. The time of your visitation has\\ncome. I have loved you as a mother loves her child\\n250", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0254.jp2"}, "255": {"fulltext": "NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 251\\nOut of the land of Pharoah I led you. I broke asunder\\nthe shackles of your slavery. Through the sea, I gave\\nyou a safe passage. For forty years I kept you and fed\\nyou in the desert, that all taint of idolatry and corruption\\nacquired in the land of strangers might be purged from\\nyour souls. Finally I brought you to the land of prom-\\nise. I gave you patriarchs holy men whose examples\\nshould have been your guide. I gave you prophets for\\nyour instructors I did everything for you, but constantly\\nyou were rebellious. You have been a stiff-necked peo-\\nple. Sorry I am to say it, but it is true: I have raised\\nup children, and they have abandoned Me. The time of\\nof your visitation has arrived. Not a stone will be left\\nupon a stone. You shall be scattered, and you magnifi-\\ncence wasted, and strangers shall inhabit the sanctuary\\nin which you once prayed but now you have made it a\\nden of thieves.\\nIf you pass over the long ages of Christianity, and\\ncome down to the now-expiring nineteenth century, will\\nyou not agree with me, that Jesus may weep again over\\nthe sad conditions existing among men. It is now over\\nthe Gentiles He may weep. In this age of material\\nprogress, but spiritual degeneracy, there is much cause\\nfor tears. In this age when the storms of infidelity\\nand aetheistical notions break upon the promontory of\\nthe soul; when the fogs of immorality settle upon the\\nmainlands of the intellect when avarice parches and\\ndrys up the pure springs of the heart, there is much to\\ndeplore. Notwithstanding our boasted progress and\\nindeed it cannot be denied that we are a progressive\\npeople the great aim of life is gain. Gain, though\\nunnumbered people suffer from this inexorable greed.\\nThe world is flooded with depravity. Religious doubt\\nand agnostic propensities are everywhere rampant.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0255.jp2"}, "256": {"fulltext": "252 NINTH SUNDAY AFTEK PENTECOST.\\nEverywhere is spiritual disorder, while many dare pro-\\nclaim there is no God.\\nTo be sure, the present age is not responsible for all\\nthis social turbulence. It had its origin with the so-\\ncalled Reformation, when men rose against legitimate\\nauthority, and with the Bible in one hand and the sword\\nin the other, declared for what they termed religious\\nfreedom and liberty of thought but what was in reality a\\nlicense for disorder. Protestants were arrayed against\\nCatholics. Bitter controversies followed. Thought\\nclashed with thought, and sometimes cruelty and often\\nbloodshed were the consequences. The Bible was the\\nrevealed word of God the infallible guide. But while\\nthey proclaimed its sacredness, they polluted its essence\\nby their false translations and additions and subtrac-\\ntions. This is not fanciful notion I express. These\\ncharges are not born of my imagination, but based upon\\nuncontrovertible evidences. But now what respect is\\nshown toward this infallible guide Many of Protest-\\nantism s celebrated ministers declare it is not infallible,\\nthat it is not inspired yet some even venture so far as\\nto hold it up to ridicule. Alas for human invention\\nand human weakness\\nThis miscalled liberty of thought paved the avenues\\nto pernicious systems of philosophy. One main-\\ntained that everything is God, and was called Panthe-\\nism. Another declaring that there is no God this is\\nAtheism. Spiritualism, holding that everything is\\nspirit, argued that there is no matter and the\\nopposite teaching, that everything is material, that there\\nis no spirit. This was termed by its supporters Material-\\nism, and as a natural consequence denied the exist-\\nence of God. These views were transmitted to France,\\nwhere Diderot, Rouseau, and Voltaire flourished, ridi-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0256.jp2"}, "257": {"fulltext": "NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 253\\nculing religion and giving vent to their own destructive\\nnotions. Thus society everywhere became infected\\nwith doubt and unbelief. Many priding themselves\\nin their agnostic demands, clamored for proofs. We\\nwill not believe, they said only those things which\\ncan be demonstrated to us. Reason is supreme Ad-\\nduce your evidences If they satisfy our judgment,\\nwe shall acquiesce little thinking that humble\\nthings at their feet baffle their proud reason.\\nThis spirit of intellectual independence is prevalent in\\nthis dying century. Doubt, Infidelity, and Agnosticism,\\nand even Atheism, have now saturated a vast number of\\nsociety. Well meaning people are perplexed, while\\nothers would tear God from the heavens, were it in\\ntheir power. Compared with the downfall of Judaism,\\nour age is more vitiated with false opinions, and more\\ncontaminated with immorality. Might not Jesus again\\nweep over perverse human nature, over the degeneracy\\nof our times and in His tears tell many of our age\\nYou have wandered far from the path of truth,\\nthough I have placed in your midst the ark of salvation.\\nI have established a Church in which you should abide\\nand learn to be virtuous and holy. I have died on the\\ncross to regenerate you I have given you sacraments\\nto be your strength and encouragement I have fed\\nyou with My own body and blood, or have offered to\\ndo so, but you have turned your faces from Me. It\\nwill be better for Jerusalem in the day of judgment\\nthan for you. In this deplorable manner could the\\nSaviour of mankind justly address multitudes of our\\nboasted civilization. He is patient in His justice and\\nin His punishment of crime. Truly, He wishes not\\nthe death of a sinner, but that he may be converted\\nand live.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0257.jp2"}, "258": {"fulltext": "254 NINTH SUNDAY AFTEE PENTECOST.\\nIn the midst of this confusion, surrounded by clashinj^\\nopinions and enveloped by the enemies of religion and\\ntrue liberty, is the great depositary of revealed truth\\nand the unchangeable dispenser of divine faith.\\nAmidst the storms of conflicting notions, the barque of\\nSt. Peter still rides calmly onward, unsubdued by the\\ntempests and undiverted by the malice of men. At\\npresent her pilot is Leo XIII., and the polar star of\\nher course is the God of the universe. Men of thought\\nare studying her bearings, and are rushing to her for\\nsecurity. Upon her decks they will find safety against\\nthe icebergs of deception and tranquillity, without fear\\nof being lost.\\nCatholics must not, however, permit themselves to\\nbe allured by avarice or desire of fame, from a strict\\nadherence to Christian duty. Unlaudable ambition\\nmust be crushed in their hearts, before it asserts its\\nunabatable strength. They should set good example\\nthat others may be edified. Their lives should be\\nmarked by a devout observance of the laws of God\\nand man. Were they to drift away, they would soon\\nbe classed among the revilers of God s commandments\\nand the teachings of God s Church. The enemy, sin\\nand irreligion, would encompass them and straighten\\nthem on all sides and beat them flat to the ground.\\nThey, the living temples of the Holy Spirit, would be\\ndemolished, and not a stone upon a stone of the\\nmunificence of God s graces would be left. Fortify\\nyourselves, therefore, against adversity buckle on the\\nbreast-plate of God s truth, that you may be impervious\\nto the darts of the enemy, and that, enriched with the\\nbenedictions of heaven, victory may ever perch upon\\nyour banner,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0258.jp2"}, "259": {"fulltext": "TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nBecause everyone that exalteth himself^ shall be humbled,\\nand he that humbleth himself^ shall be exalted. (Luke xviii.\\n-14.)\\nMy Dear Friends The importance of humility is\\nillustrated by this parable. This virtue is worth your\\nrecognition, and you should cultivate it most assid-\\nuously. Whatever is taught by the Saviour of the\\nhuman race, deserves the attention of mankind. Its\\nusefulness cannot be questioned, for Jesus errs not\\nHe is the divine Teacher, and His instructions elevate\\nthose who follow them. He knows what is best as\\nwell as what is injurious to you. To-day He exhorts\\nyou to avoid pride and practice humility. Upon the\\nveracity of His unerring word. He tells you that the\\nproud shall be humbled, and the humble shall be ex-\\nalted. Learn from Him, therefore, to love humility.\\nHe, the Son of God, assures you of the reward attend-\\ning the humble. The inspired writers teach the same\\ntruth. Those distinguished persons illumined by the\\nHoly Spirit those men who grasped the thoughts of\\nAlmighty God and revealed them to man, exhort to the\\nsame principle of life. Humility, they proclaim in\\nmany passages, bears happy fruit fruit which\\nnourishes man in his warfare upon earth, and renders\\nhim pleasing to both God and man which protects him\\n355", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0259.jp2"}, "260": {"fulltext": "256 TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nfrom many of the pitfalls of life, and merits the bless-\\ning of heaven. Before destruction, the heart of man is\\nexalted a?id before he be glorified, it is humbled! (Pro v.\\nxviii. 12.) It is well, then, to cherish this virtue\\nin your hearts. Every Catholic should do this, because\\nit is recommended so highly by Him who knows all\\nthings. Do not think that humility belittles man. It\\nexalts him, according to the unimpeachable words of\\nyour Saviour and your God. Humility is not abjec-\\ntion it is not cowardice. It is devout submission to\\nthe laws of God and man. And to obey the Creator,\\ntruly becomes the creature. It is that nice pose of the\\nsoul which discerns things as they are which studies\\nits environments and defects which acknowledges\\nits own imperfections, while it makes allowance for the\\nshort-comings of others. Its views are not befogged\\nby the vapors of pride, but keenly, justly, compre-\\nhensively, it weighs the good and the true and the false.\\nIt teaches that, when man errs, when he transgresses\\nthe laws of God, he should humble himself before his\\nCreator and crave for pardon. It rebukes the trans-\\ngressor who in his sins rants proudly, even defies the\\npowers of the Omnipotent, who imagines he is a God,\\nthough polluted with almost every crime. This may\\nbe the disposition of the proud but It is better to be\\nhumbled with the m,eek, than to divide spoils with the proud y\\n(Prov. xvi. ig.)\\nHumility is indispensable to the sagacious statesman,\\nto the true philosopher, and the consummate artist. It\\nis as useful to the smith at the forge, to the farmer at\\nthe plow, as to the erudite scholar. Indeed, no one\\ncan be a scholar who is proud. Pride blocks up the\\nintellectual vision, impairs its comprehensiveness,\\nblinds its investigations. No the scholar must neces-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0260.jp2"}, "261": {"fulltext": "TENTH 8UNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 257\\nsarily be a humble person. By his humility he rec-\\nognizes the greatness of God, admires the wonderful\\nworks of creation, sees the masterpieces of the Omni-\\npotent, acknowledges His mercies, and bows humbly\\nbefore the All-Wise, in whose presence himself appears\\nas he is, and therefore can best study himself and\\nothers. By humility he ascends to the highest peaks of\\nhuman acquirement, and delves into the most profound\\nrecesses of investigation. He is not hampered by\\npride. He knows there are many things to learn,\\nand that he has not grasped them all. In being humble,\\nhe is wise for, Where humility is, there also is zvisdom.\\n(Prov. xi. 2.)\\nThe fruit of humility may also be gathered by those\\nwho walk in the lowly sphere of life. As we have re-\\nmarked, it is essential to the blacksmith and the farmer,\\nand in fact to all who earn their bread by the sweat of\\ntheir brow. They are poor, but they are humble.\\nWith the lamp of humility they study their environ-\\nments. While they possess sweet contentment whence\\nopens every joy, they perceive higher attainments may\\nbe reached, and they reach them because he that hum-\\nbles himself will be exalted. Even though they wish\\nno other occupation in life, they will make the one they\\nhave more successful than it is possible for the proud\\nto do. Moreover, whatever they do acquire, it will be\\nwon by honesty. Their acquaintances will praise their\\nintegrity and commend then honest endeavors. They\\nwill be respected by their neighbors, and they will leave\\nto their children a precious inheritance the good name\\nand credit of humble, but energetic, honorable parents\\na legacy devoutly to be desired.\\nSome people think the rich only are proud, and the\\npoor humble. This is an erroneous notion. Not all", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0261.jp2"}, "262": {"fulltext": "258 TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nthe rich are proud many, indeed, the majority are\\nthoughtful and humble. There are some who have\\nsprung from poverty to sudden wealth, and the\\nheight of fortune to which they have ascended, has made\\nthem dizzy. They cannot bear the presence of those\\nwho knew them in other days. They turn with well\\ndefined disgust from the poor and the shabby. Wealth\\nhas made them proud, and we may add, robbed\\nthem of their common sense. From the portals of\\ntheir hearts, humility is banished, and indeed every\\nnoble trait of character has departed with this tender\\nvirtue. They assume fantastic airs which they think\\nbelong to aristocracy, but they are rather the property\\nof the clown.\\nThe rich who are great in heart and intellect, cherish\\nthat beautiful virtue which throws a Christian lustre\\nabout their opulence and reflects the charity of their\\npurse. Such are rich in pocket, but poor in spirit\\nand Blessed says the God of wealth, are the poor in\\nspirit, for tJicy shall see God y With their money they\\nalleviate misery, and the prayers of the poor follow\\nthem to the throne of the Most High.\\nIt is, on the other hand, a mistaken notion that\\nall the poor are humble. Many of them become offen-\\nsive on account of their pride. They are in straitened\\ncircumstances on account of pride, and until they are\\nawakened to their folly, they will ever remain not only\\nin narrowness of means, but in smallness of character.\\nThey will not learn. They have no energy, no applica-\\ntion and if they have any economy, it is only so far as\\nthey are compelled from the force of the want of\\nresources. Others of their own rank are beneath their\\nnotice, and their affectation is sometimes insufferable.\\nPride comcth before a fall, and they may yet be hum.^", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0262.jp2"}, "263": {"fulltext": "TENTH SUNDAY AFTEE PENTECOST. 259\\nbled. It would be wiser for them to humble themselves,\\nto enter into life s labors with earnestness, to toss away\\nevery proud notion, and be determined to achieve\\nsomething, though such achievement costs the sweat\\nof their brow. They will be the better for their indus-\\ntry they will be happier and more contented. They\\nwill improve their condition by humbling themselves.\\nYou will now concede that humility is useful in the\\ntemporal concerns, and let me tell you, it is far more\\nserviceable in spiritual affairs. Every Catholic should\\nmake humility a part of his daily life. It will draw\\ndown the benedictions of heaven upon him. Pride\\nbars out the graces of God, while humility is a channel\\nthrough which divine grace is brought to the soul.\\nTake up My yoke tipo?iyou, and learn of Me, because I am\\nmeek and hujnble of heart, says the eternal Teacher of\\nthe human race. Learn of Me. Behold Me in the Crib\\nat Bethlehem, your God and Saviour, wrapped in swad-\\ndling clothes. Why should you be proud Pride is an\\ninjurious tinsel. Cast it from you, and clothe yourselves\\nwith Christian virtue. Learn, too, of the Blessed Virgin\\nas she bends over her Divine Infant in the manger. The\\ngreatest of God s creatures, the Mother of His only Son;\\nsheltered by a stable. Behold, too, her exaltation. The\\nLord has regarded ?ny humility he?ice forth all nations will\\ncall ?ne blessed. Blessed for what? Blessed on account\\nof the humility which found such astonishing favor with\\nAlmighty God. She was humble, and Omnipotence\\nmade her the Mother of His co-eternal Son. Learn of\\nthe martyrs, of the saints, of the Fathers, and the schol-\\nars of the Church. They are illustrious in the history\\nof Christianity. What made them so? Their humility.\\nThey imitated the lives of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph\\nand now they are exalted forever with their heavenly", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0263.jp2"}, "264": {"fulltext": "260 TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nMaster while their memories will never fade as long as\\nthe Church endures, and that is to the end of time.\\nTom Moore, the celebrated Irish poet, preached an\\ninteresting sermon on humility in the following beau-\\ntiful words Humility, that low, sweet root whence\\nevery virtue shoots. How true, how beautiful is not\\nthis expression of the poet From this humble virtue\\nsprings all other Christian acts. It is the mother of\\nthem all. From its roots arise branches upon which the\\nother virtues live and have their nourishment. Among\\nthese you perceive the great theological virtues pru-\\ndence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. Yes, the hum-\\nble person is prudent. His humility fosters prudence.\\nHe sees things as they are. He examines them care-\\nfully. Dangers are foreseen, and are either avoided or\\novercome. He is called a prudent man, a wise man\\nfor as the poet Burns says: Cautious, prudent, self-con-\\ntrol is wisdom s root. His prudence brings him honors,\\nfor humility ever weaves laurels for the brow of those\\nwho wait upon her. He is a just man. He does not\\ninjure any one. He neither steals nor cheats. He pays\\nhis debts; but what is better, he seldom contracts them,\\nand then only those which are necessary. No bribe\\ncan influence him. No flattery can warp his under-\\nstanding. He stands before the community an honest\\nman. He fears God, loves his country, and obeys the\\nChurch. He is an ornament of society and if his in-\\nfluence is extensive, he is one of his country s fortified\\ngarrisons. He is just because he is humble, and he is\\nblessed for his justice. ^Blessed art they who hunger and\\nthirst after justice, for they shall be filled. He is blessed\\nhere by his tranquillity of soul, by the appreciation of\\nhis friends nay, even his enemies respect him, and here-\\nafter he will be eternally blessed by the God of justice.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0264.jp2"}, "265": {"fulltext": "TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 261\\nFortitude is another of his distinguishing character-\\nistics. This is born of his humility. In the vicissitudes\\nof life he may have much to endure, but he will combat\\nadversity with a brave heart. Should his enemies for a\\ntime triumph over him, calmly he will consider their\\nvictory, and patiently await until the effects of the\\nbattle will have passed. In defeat, he appears more of\\na man than in his successes. Fortified by humility, he\\nhas the strength of patience and the courage of fore-\\nbearance. He goes quietly on as if nothing had\\nhappened to disturb his serenity, and ultimately he\\ntriumphs. In all the caprices of fickle fortune in sick-\\nness, disappointment, and adversity, he never thinks of\\npiercing his heart with a dagger, nor blowing out his\\nbrains. No his hope looks beyond the skys. He has\\nthe fortitude to withstand these attacks, for his armor is\\nprayer, his confidence the promises of his God, and\\nhis defence the right arm of the Most High.\\nHe is temperate temperate in eating and drinking,\\ntemperate in his speech, temperate in all things. He\\navoids excesses, because these are contrary to humil-\\nity. By his tongue he has embittered the life of no one\\nand no scandal has arisen from his carousals, for he does\\nnot indulge in such. His life is one of edification.\\nNeither ruin nor evil example can be attributed to\\nhim. He knows the secret of right living, and he prac-\\ntices what he knows. He is therefore healthier, happier,\\nand wiser for being humble. From this virtue, as you\\nhave seen, comes forth all his ennobling qualities of\\nbody and mind. Prudence, justice, fortitude, and\\ntemperance are his, together with all the other virtues.\\nHe is a Christian man a man beloved by God a\\nman who will pass tranquilly from earth to a home of\\nendless joy for he who humbles himself will be exalted.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0265.jp2"}, "266": {"fulltext": "ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nAnd they bring to Hijii one who is deaf and dumb; and they\\nbesought Him to lay His hand upon him. (St. Mark vii. 32.)\\nMy Dear Friends The Sacred Scriptures tell you\\nto-day of a person deaf and dumb, who was brought to\\nOur Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. They beseech Him\\nto lay His divine hand upon this afiflicted mortal. He\\nlistens to their prayer, takes him aside from the mul-\\ntitude, and by His divine power removes the impedi-\\nments. What joy must not that one experience when\\nhe hears the warblings of birds and the murmurings\\nof the streams as they flow along. What music in the\\nsounds of Nature for him. He never heard them before.\\nTo these two great sources of pleasure, he was a total\\nstranger but now he hears hears not only the po-\\netry of the winds, the purling of waters, the sweet lays\\nof birds, but the entrancing charm of the human voice\\nnay, more, he hears his Heavenly Benefactor speaking\\nto him, and feels the inexpressible influence of His\\nwords. Once miserable, he now rejoices. He holds\\nconverse with his friends. The mysterious organ of\\nspeech now gives forth intelligent sound. The fetters\\nwhich bound it, are now broken and the first use he\\nmakes of it, is to praise his Benefactor. No wonder\\nthat the multitude were overwhelmed with astonish-\\n263", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0266.jp2"}, "267": {"fulltext": "ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 263\\nment, and began to voice their sentiments in tones of\\nadmiration. No wonder they continued to publish\\nthis extraordinary manifestation of power. No won-\\nder they saw in it the hand of the Omnipotent.\\nThis stupendous miracle suggests to our mind many\\nthoughts. Permit me to present a few of them to you\\nthis morning. It cannot be denied that God has often\\ntouched the deaf ear of society, opened it to the voice\\nof His Church, and to the many mercies Himself has\\nbestowed. But man as readily forgets as he learns.\\nTo-day he will acknowledge God s goodness, to-morrow\\nforget or deny it. In the morning he will praise\\nGod, but ere night, will deliberately transgress His\\nlaw. Man rises up against his Eternal Benefactor. His\\nears are open, but he hears not he will not hear. His\\ntongue is capable of speech, but he will not praise the\\nOne Who has blessed him with such a marvellous fac-\\nulty. Ofttimes it is used in offending the divine Giver,\\nand to pervert others.\\nIn this age a divine Healer is needed to touch the ears\\nof human intellect, that it may awaken to its folly and\\nits crimes that it may hearken to the voice of God,\\nentreating through His Church that it may bow down\\nbefore the omnipotence of God, acknowledge its faults\\nand extricate itself from the dangers which threaten to\\nengulf it. A divine Healer is needed to touch the strings\\nwhich bind down the pure motives of the heart, that this\\nreceptacle of love will return to its God that it will\\nabandon its wicked passions or at least curb them that\\nit will withdraw from the whirlpool of licentiousness\\nin which it is tossed. In this age crime is rampant.\\nEvery device which the perversity of man can invent,\\nis enlisted in the cause of immorality. Books, papers,\\npictures, agents these and many other means are taken", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0267.jp2"}, "268": {"fulltext": "264 ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTEE iPENTECOST.\\nto disgrace our age and accelerate the decay of society.\\nImpurity everywhere, until the votaries at her lecher-\\nous shrine now know no shame. They boast of their\\nexcesses, and glory in their filth, and refuse to reform.\\nAre these to be the parents of future society Are\\nthese the ones to whom the perpetuity of the nation\\nis to be intrusted Are these the ones who will mould\\nopinion and direct the ship of a state\\n111 fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,\\nWhere wealth accumulates and men decay.\\nFrom this terrible state of immorality arises the rash-\\nness and sins of married life. We shall not enter into\\na consideration of the secreted sins which are devas-\\ntating society. No the daily papers give us, alas a\\ncopious record of public crime, which is of itself suf-\\nficient proof of the degeneracy of modern society.\\nWhat can you call any nation moral when her courts\\nare overstocked with divorce suits The sacredness of\\nmarriage life is disregarded. The husband or wife, or\\nboth, living under the influence of modern inconstancy,\\nbecome infected by the immoral spirit of the times.\\nThey transgress without shame or regret. To silence\\nthe latter and disguise the former, they appeal to the\\ncourts. A bill of divorce is granted to this pure wife\\nand virtuous husband If they are persons of any note,\\nthe press teems with sensational evidence taken dur-\\ning the trial. Their secret alliance with others, their\\nquestionable friendship, their escapades, their violation\\nof the marriage vow all break upon the public mind\\nv/hose appetite has grown sharp for such scandalous\\naccounts. Do you call this portentous state of society\\nchaste Do you maintain it is one calculated to pro-\\nmote Christianity? Do you call this advanced civili-\\nzation If so, away with such civilization Away", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0268.jp2"}, "269": {"fulltext": "ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 265\\nwith such corruption Away with this devastat-\\ning influence You are striking blows at the pillars\\nof society, which are already tottering. The wrath of\\nGod will be kindled, and visitation will come on the\\nnation, as lamentable and destructive as that which befell\\nthe inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrha.\\nThis unchaste, carnal life begets other enormous sins.\\nIt is a monster itself, and it gives birth to other monsters\\nas heinous as itself. These are murders, suicides, theft,\\nembezzlement, and drunkenness, and a whole score of\\nother transgressions. These appear to increase in num-\\nber in proportion to theunchastity of the epoch, until\\nat the present day, they are as frightful in number as\\nthey are appalling in their consequences. Ancient\\nRome, upon the verge of her downfall, was not more pol-\\nluted than our own country, and our country is no worse\\nthan some others in this respect. Can this be a Chris-\\ntian country Should we boast of our Christian civil-\\nization, of our unequalled progress, when these awful\\ncrimes are so numerous when homicides multiply?\\nwhen man and woman in their disappointments, in their\\nrage, in their remorse, dare sever the thread of life and\\nterminate their own existence Human nature, exhaust-\\ned by sin, plunges into the gulf, hoping to sink into\\nforgetfulness, and to end forever its existence. But the\\nsoul survives the shock. The poor soul, sickened by ex-\\ncesses, disturbed by perversity, lives to answer for the\\ncrimes done in the flesh. And the body, too, will suffer\\nwhen reunited to the soul which it tried to destroy.\\nAmidst all this disorder, amidst all these abominations,\\nwho thinks of God? who thinks of His commandments\\nwho hears His voice crying to the deaf and the dumb of\\nour age You shall not commit adultery. You shall\\nnot corrupt the innocent. You shall not obtain bills of", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0269.jp2"}, "270": {"fulltext": "266 ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\ndivorce. You shall not be another Cain, reddening your\\nhands with the blood of your brother. You shall not\\narise in your defiance of My eternal laws and terminate\\nthe life I gave you Who listens and obeys Many,\\nwe are happy to say but millions there are who do not\u00e2\u0080\u0094\\nmillions whose God is rapine, embezzlement, oppression\\nof the poor, and impurity. They do not hear. They\\nare deaf their deafness is an unmistakable sign of the\\nsins of society and its consequent decay.\\nOur age is one of extremes but these extremes are\\nfound in wickedness. Evil triumphs, not like the roar-\\ning lion of which St. Paul speaks, but the subtle\\nserpent, which charms while it destroys. It is time for\\npersons interested in the human race, who wish for the\\nreformation of society for its purity and elevation, to\\nunite with the Catholic Church in beating back this army\\nof vice and crime which are the cancers of our period.\\nAs the new century appears, a new civilization may arise\\nupon the ruins of the past a purer, a more Christian civ-\\nilization. If something is not accomplished to dis-\\nsipate the errors of our day, and to banish its sinful\\nproclivities, a just God will cease to be patient; He will\\nhurl His anathemas at the head of society. Wrath\\nshall take the place of mercy, and what He cannot\\naccomplish by gentleness, He will execute by severity.\\nIf the peoples of the earth will not obey Him admon-\\nishing, entreating, threatening, through His divinely con-\\nstituted authority, the Catholic Church, He will chastise\\nthem, and His chastisement will bring the people to their\\nsenses. If he cannot dissipate the deafness and obstin-\\nacy of the intellect if He cannot expel the heaviness\\nthereof caused by sin if He cannot do this, I say, by His\\ngrace. He will by His revenging, chastising hand, and\\nthen will the race of man mourn. If the heart, steeled by", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0270.jp2"}, "271": {"fulltext": "ELiiVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 267\\nimpurities, is impervious to His touch, if it remain in its\\nuncontrite condition He will melt it into submission\\nby the rod of punishment. He is patient but His pa-\\ntience will not always brook insults. He will conquer the\\nproud, sinful spirit of our age, as He often did the ages\\nthat are passed.\\nEndeavor, then, my Christian friends, to be sub-\\nmissive to the law of God. Be docile. When Jesus\\ntouches your soul, when His grace removes the deaf-\\nness of your intellect and the dumbness of your heart,\\nacknowledge His mercy. Repent for your sins. Do\\nnot persevere in wickedness, nor associate with in-\\niquity, nor assist in advancing the evils of the age.\\nThese things bring ruin. These are the qualities of\\ndegeneracy and the attributes of hell, A noble work is\\nyours. It consists in loving and obeying God, and\\nco-operating with Him in the conversion of others.\\nPray that God may ever illumine your understanding\\nand sever any pernicious sin that fetters your heart\\nthat you may praise Him and publish the beneficence of\\nyour Saviour and your God Who does all things well.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0271.jp2"}, "272": {"fulltext": "TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nAnd thy neighbor as thyself, Luke x. 27.\\nMy Dear Friends This subject is so familiar to you,\\nthat you are prone to say We have heard it often\\nexpounded. We have considered it ourselves, have\\nweighed it closely, and have made it a rule of our lives.\\nThere is not anything new to be offered on this theme.\\nThis may be all very true. That it is a trite subject,\\nnone will deny but that everyone obeys this great\\nprinciple, is very questionable. You may sound it to\\nits depths you may analyze it, but do you observe, in\\nyour intercourse with others, this divine command\\nThis is the question to be answered by everyone in his\\nown heart. Moreover, after you have conned it over\\nin your minds carefully, do you understand it in all its\\nbearings If you do, I must acknowledge, you have\\nbeen blessed in your researches for, having considered\\nit prudently and having consulted the Doctors of the\\nChurch upon it, I must admit that the subject affords\\nsome difficulties.\\nYou are aware that the lawyer who addressed Our\\nLord did not properly understand whom he may regard\\nas his neighbor. Who is my neighbor, he inquires.\\nJesus cites a case. A man fell among robbers. He was\\nleft in a critical condition. Two travellers, a Priest\\nand a Levite, passed him by without offering any assist-\\n268", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0272.jp2"}, "273": {"fulltext": "TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 269\\nance. A Samaritan, touched at the sight of the\\nwounded man, rendered him suitable help. Now our\\nSaviour asks the lawyer Which of these three, in\\nyour opinion, was neighbor to him who fell among the\\nrobbers, and he answered, the Samaritan. Go thou\\nand do likewise, was the injunction placed upon the\\nlawyer. Hence it appears that the Priest and Levite\\nwere not neighbors to the wounded man, and the ques-\\ntion arises Should the unfortunate man, upon his\\nrecovery, treat them as neighbors Should he love\\nthem as himself? Should he not love his benefactor\\nmore than those heartless persons who left him alone\\nto die Does not our Saviour make an implied distinc-\\ntion when He puts the question: Which of these\\nthree in your opinion, was neighbor to him who fell\\namong the robbers You should note, however, that\\nthe wounded man was a Jew that the Jews disliked the\\nSamaritans, and held them in contempt. But the good\\nSamaritan forgot all this. He forgot that the Jew\\ndespised him forgot that there was any difference\\nbetween thefn. He only thought of his sufferings and\\nhow to relieve them. Mark now that here you have\\nan example of one person doing good to his enemy\\ntreating him as he would wished to be treated. And\\nOur Lord said to the lawyer, and He says to everyone\\nDo likewise! At least we must conclude from this\\nthat whoever is in want may claim our aid, and that we\\nare obliged to assist him, if we are able. That there is\\na difference in the esteem and love due to people,\\nneeds no illustration for duty commands us to love,\\nfirst our parents, then our relatives, and next our friends\\nand benefactors.\\nAt this stage of our remarks, another difficulty may\\npresent itself. You may ask: To what extent are", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0273.jp2"}, "274": {"fulltext": "270 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nwe allowed to speak of the faults of others Let\\nme say that all the faults or transgressions of the\\nhuman family can be arranged into two classes\\nthose which begin and end chiefly with the perpe-\\ntrator, which usually injures no one but the doer\\nand those which passed from the doer to another,\\nwhich inflict injury upon another. Let us illustrate\\nwith a few cases. An example of the first class is\\nfound in the drunkard. He may be a very good-\\nhearted man. It is evident he does good to others but\\nwrongs himself. In this class are placed many of the sins\\nagainst charity, and it is wise and charitable never\\nto talk unkindly about the unfortunate who belong to\\nthis category. Persons of the second class may be criti-\\ncised, and citicised severely still, your criticism must\\nbe just. Supposing. you have dealt a long time with\\na store-keeper. You have left him considerable money.\\nYou ask a favor of him. He refuses. Nay, more he\\nadds insult and injury to refusal. Are you bound to\\ncontinue to deal with him By no means. But\\nyou say, do I not love him less than I did In fact,\\nit looks as if I hated him. Moreover, am I not\\nobliged to love those who wrong me Again, here\\nis a politician. Allow me to say here that these\\nexamples are used because they are familiar, and\\nhave no special application to anyone present. You\\nhave voted for this man, have often sustained him by\\nyour influence. You discover at length that he is un-\\nworthy of your support that he is a rascal. Are you\\nobliged to give him still your vote? I answer no,\\nyou are not. But you love him less. Probably. You\\nmust remember that every person can use what\\ntheologians call jus suiim, his right or privilege.\\nIt is your privilege to purchase goods from whom-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0274.jp2"}, "275": {"fulltext": "TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 271\\nsoever you please, and it s your privilege to vote for\\nany person you wish. In this matter, your action\\ncannot be, or at least should not be, construed as ha-\\ntred to anyone. Can you speak of these wrongs in-\\nflicted upon you Assuredly you can. Yea, you\\nare sometimes obliged to speak about them. Let us\\npursue this thought a little farther. To elucidate this\\npoint more clearly, suppose a man steals your pocket-\\nbook or burns your house. Are you going to keep\\nsilent Do you think that charity commands you\\nto conceal his crime Oh, no, you will say and I\\nagree with you. Your charity for yourself and the\\ncommunity, demands that you denounce him to the\\nproper authorities, that his infamy may be punished.\\nSo it is in all other cases in this class. You are not\\nexpected to remain mute while your enemy tries to\\ntrample you down. But again I say to you, you must\\nbe just.\\nThere is one thing you must positively avoid. It\\nis misrepresentation. You must not venture to tell a\\nfalsehood about anyone, be he friend or foe. Do not\\nimagine you can assail a person with impunity, that\\nyou can drag down his reputation into the mire of\\nabuse, or that you can falsely detract from the honor-\\nable estimate which society has formed of him.\\nThough he be your enemy, though he be a weakling,\\nand you great and important, you dare not misrepre-\\nsent him. If} oudo, you must make reparation. You\\ncomplain of the person who steals your purse, or that\\nburns our house, but these are paltry considerations\\nwhen compared with a person s reputation. The\\nformer is incomparably nothing when compared with\\nthe latter.\\nYou sometimes see two who are warm friends.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0275.jp2"}, "276": {"fulltext": "272 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nBut winds of contention blow upon them. Storms\\nof anger break forth. They are as dishonorable in their\\nabuse of each other as they were apparently sincere\\nin their friendship. Every fault or affliction or mis-\\nfortune which befell either one for half a century, is\\nreviewed. They are like two rapid-fire guns hurling\\nat each other volumes of bitterest invective, and\\nwhether they are men or women, by their warfare they\\nprove how small and mean they are. One will say: I\\nknew him when he was a drunkard. I saw him fall\\ninto a gutter. His clothes were in tatters, his face\\nin a horrible condition. Behold him now how stately\\nhe walks, how pompous he has become Would you\\nnot prefer to see him advance in the social scale than\\nsee him forever in disorder Ought you not rejoice\\nin seeing a person building himself up and becoming\\na respectable man Should you not thank God for\\ngiving him the strength to reform and the resolution\\nto remain a sober, honest man Others will speak of\\nsecrets intrusted to them in the time of sorrow. They\\nhesitate not to violate confidence and betray friendship.\\nThe deeper they wound the heart, the greater is their\\nrejoicement but the arrow which wounds, poisons\\nthe archer. He makes himself contemptible in the eyes\\nof the community. He displays the perfidy of his own\\nblack heart, and honest men and women should avoid\\nsuch characters.\\nWhen your enemy is in trouble, do not rejoice. Al-\\nways protect yourself against his assaults still, never\\nstoop so low as to attack him when he is down. When\\ndisaster has prostrated him at your feet, when he is in\\nyour grasp, do not be so devilish as to assault him then.\\nHe is now an object of your pity, not your revenge.\\nBe the good Samaritan. Bend over him kindly. Pour", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0276.jp2"}, "277": {"fulltext": "TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 273\\ninto his wounds the wine and oil of kind words. Obey\\nthe injunction of Our Lord: Go thou and do in like\\nmanner^ You will thereby demonstrate that you pos-\\nsess truly a human heart. You will be greater in your\\nkindness than you can be in any revenge you could\\ntake of a fallen foe. Moreover, your enemy may not\\nbe all to blame. You cannot know the details of\\neverything. Indeed, we may say you do not know the\\ndetails of anything. You learn from history and\\nSacred Scripture, that God makes use of one nation to\\nchastise another, and one individual to rebuke an\\nother. Your offence against God may be of such a\\nnature as to call for chastisement, and God uses your\\nso-called enemy as an instrument of punishment.\\nYou are chastened. Your obstinacy subdued, your\\nproud head bowed, you return to God, imploring His\\naid and counsel. You are converted. You are again\\nsanctified by the grace of God, and all through your\\nenemy. You have suffered but your reward more than\\ncompensates for your heart-aches. Again, an enemy\\nimproves our intellect. He compels us to study per-\\nsons and things closer than we would otherwise do.\\nHe makes us sagacious. By means of him, we gather\\nan abundance of experience. We grow wiser and\\nmore cautious under his training and with the assist-\\nance of God, we shall triumph, and our enemy with-\\ndraw with his banner trailing in the dust. Let us then\\nbe brave in the struggle, but honorable to the con-\\nquered foeman. Let us be kind to our enemy when\\naffliction shackles him. Let us beg God that we may\\nknow ourselves and appreciate what others are. Let\\nus cultivate in our hearts the spirit of the good Sa-\\nmaritan.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0277.jp2"}, "278": {"fulltext": "THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER\\nPENTECOST.\\nThere is no one found to return and give glory to God, but\\nthis stranger. (St. Luke xvii. 18.)\\nMy Dear Friends Vou may be astonished at the\\nbehavior of the nine lepers. You may condemn them\\nfor their ingratitude, and call them vile ingrates. It is\\nwonderful that they did not return and thank their great\\nBenefactor. When they saw themselves clean, when\\nthey felt that health once more animated their bodies, it\\nis wonderful, I say, that the enthusiasm of their hearts\\ndid not compel them to hasten back to the divine\\nPhysician, and prostrated before Him, pour forth their\\nsouls in happy expressions of joy and thanksgiving.\\nBut only one returned. There was onl\\\\ one who had\\ngreatness of soul, only one who had magnanimity of\\nheart to be grateful.\\nHow forgetful you will say how disthankful\\nThe least they could do, you will maintain, was to\\nthank God for His beneficence. This would be natural,\\nin your estimation for everyone should esteem his\\nfriend, and be grateful to his benefactor. Still, judg-\\ning from observation and experience, judging from\\nthe actual manifestations of ingratitude, gratefulness\\n374", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0278.jp2"}, "279": {"fulltext": "THIKTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 275\\nappears to be unnatural. The most of people are\\nungrateful. In the example given us to-day, we find\\nthere was only one in ten who was thankful, while\\nintercourse with society demonstrates that the pro-\\nportion of ingrates is even greater than this. From\\nthese data ou may conclude that gratitude is\\nunnatural. It cannot be denied, however, that there\\nis a criterion of human judgment, a feeling of the\\nheart which recoils at the rehearsal of ingratitude, and\\nthe soul is oppressed when suffering from the unkind-\\nness of a should-be friend. What is the cause of this\\nbase, unthankful behavior You need hardly be told\\nthat it is selfishness selfishness which dams up the\\nnoble fountains of the heart, sullying the currents of\\nhuman life, created by Almighty God to fructify the\\nsoul of man. God did not intend it to be so and if\\nthe heart becomes insensible to the debts which it owes,\\nthe fault is not attributable to God, but to our own\\nnarrowness and meanness of character.\\nAt least, favor should be repaid by favor. It is well\\nto return good for evil. But what think you of those\\nwho compensate kindness with injury and insult One\\ngood turn deserves another yet how^ often has this\\nproverb failed How often the contrary happens\\nHow often does a benefactor feel the darts of ingrati-\\ntude The memory of kindness bestowed is written\\nupon sand, and the winds of selfishness soon oblit-\\nerate that memory. How quickly the nine lepers\\nforgot their Benefactor Health now animates their\\nbodies, and ingratitude supplants the cry for help. The\\ngift bestowed does not make them greater of heart,\\nthough it makes them sound of body. In the affairs\\nof life, this result of conferring gifts is ofttimes notice-\\nable. It pervades all classes of society. The opulent", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0279.jp2"}, "280": {"fulltext": "276 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\noverlook the Author of their wealth, and the poor for-\\nget likewise the Author of their health.\\nUngratefulness can be easily observed among Cath-\\nolics. They go to confession the leprosy of their souls\\nis healed, but they are not sufficiently mindful of the\\nbeneficence conferred by Jesus in the Sacrament of\\nPenance. Before confession, they cry to Jesus for\\nmercy. The leprosy of the soul afflicts them. They\\nexperience the depressing, agonizing pain of sin. The\\nsoul is dreary. Embarrassment intensifies the dreari-\\nness. Despondency, perhaps, is near, increasing or trjang\\nto increase the penalty of sin. The spirit is oppressed,\\nand in its anguish pleads Jesus, Master, have mercy\\non me! Jesus comforts the soul. Strength is given to\\novercome the frailty of nature. Resolution to make a\\ngood confession conquers despondency. The grace of\\nGod is influencing the soul, and Jesus answers the\\nforlorn entreaty by saying Go show yourselves to the\\npriest! The penitent approaches the tribunal of God s\\nmercy. The blood of Jesus answers the cry of grief,\\nand the soul is replenished with beauty and hope and\\njoy. Sin is banished. The gloom of the soul gives\\nplace to buoyancy of heart. The sinner is again an\\nacknowledged heir to heaven and a child of the\\nSacred Heart. But mark you. Oh, corroding ingrati-\\ntude The penitent hastens from the church. Scarcely\\na moment is given to thank God for His untold favors.\\nO cleansed leper O purified soul can you be so in-\\nsensible as not to remember your miseries and your\\nwretchedness of a few moments ago In your joyful-\\nness of heart, do you in this manner forget the One Who\\nconverted your sadness into joy and your sighs into\\npeace Out the penitent goes. Ah frail human\\ncreature, you have no time to kneel before your Saviour", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0280.jp2"}, "281": {"fulltext": "THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 277\\nin the tabernacle and in the fervor of your gratitude pour\\nout gratefully your heart in thanksgiving. No, not even\\na few minutes to give expression to that gratefulness\\nwhich should animate your soul. Are joy and peace\\nand good fortune the enemies of gratitude Do they\\nparch the heart and dry up the springs of affectionate\\nremembrance. It may, in part, be true that prosperity\\nis a barren, desolating air, famishing the great fruits of\\nthe heart but still, such penitents can hardly be excused\\non account of such mitigating conditions. Nay, say\\nrather that ignorance is the cause, and that ingrati-\\ntude springs from ignorance and that ignorance and\\ningratitude have their habitation in a heart unschooled\\nin beauty, sublimity, and gratefulness. Lest you may\\nmisunderstand me, I would add that by ignorance\\nis not meant illiteracy or the other concomitants of\\npoverty for wealth and learning are not seldom\\nungrateful to the eternal Dispenser of all things.\\nSuch a penitent comes the following morning to\\nreceive Holy Communion. On the previous evening\\nsome extenuating reasons might have been presumed\\nin excuse for his haste. But now see him on Sunday\\nmorning standing outside the door, gazing at this one\\nand that. Why does he not enter the church, and pro-\\nstrated before God, thank His Divine Master for the\\nblessing conferred in the Sacrament of Penance Why\\ndoes he not prepare his soul for a saintly greeting to\\nHis Lord and Redeemer, when this Redeemer comes to\\nvisit him You do not know Well, I do not wonder.\\nHis conduct is so absurd and vexatious, that it is not\\neasy to assign a reason for his coldness of spirit, unless\\nyou ascribe his woful condition to stupidity and in-\\ngratitude.\\nAfter Mass, does he remain in the church to speak to", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0281.jp2"}, "282": {"fulltext": "278 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nHis Saviour words of gratitude Does he recognize\\nthat Jesus has come to him to dwell as a guest Does\\nhe linger in the temple of God to entertain his august\\nVisitor Alas he does not. Pity of pity, that his\\nheart is so ribbed with steel, that it cannot expand with\\none loving, one affectionate, one grateful emotion\\nof thanksgiving How great have been the mercies\\nbestowed upon this penitent, and apparently how lowly\\nhe estimates them He does not know enough to be\\nthankful. Were I to see him before Mass time and\\nrequest him to go into the church, he would become\\nenraged at my audacity. But this rage is a deformed\\nchild of ingratitude, and the heart which nurtures both\\nmust be a desolate waste.\\nNow, might not Jesus say to such a person I did\\nmore for you than I did for the lepers. At baptism I\\nrobed you in the garment of spotless innocence. I\\nformed a covenant with you gave you a guarantee of\\neternal happiness. The only condition demanded, was\\nthat you should keep your part of the contract. When\\nyou violated this, when you rendered it null by your\\ntransgressions, I took you by the hand, and led you to\\nthe regenerating Sacrament of Penance. I there re-\\nnewed the bond between us, forgave you every infringe-\\nment of the contract nay, more, I fed you with My\\nown Body and Blood. I did more for you than mother\\never did for her child. How have you repaid Me\\nYour thanks were ingratitude and your prayer blas-\\nphemy. You have abused My gifts, you have dese-\\ncrated My name, you have outrageously broken the\\ncontract in every way which your malice could invent\\nor your powers accomplish. And now, again, when I\\nhave pardoned you all, you have not gratitude enough\\nto thank Me. Thus vour Saviour could address many", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0282.jp2"}, "283": {"fulltext": "THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 279\\na Catholic. Is it not a shame that any penitent acts\\nin this base manner What monstrous ingratitude\\nWhat stupid insensibility\\nBe grateful, then, one to another. Be grateful to your\\nGod for all His gifts. Ingratitude bespeaks a narrow\\nsoul, a small, sneaking, selfish heart. People will soon\\nspot the ingrate, the cute, sly, cunning knave who not\\nonly looks to his own interests, but will forsake a friend,\\nor barter honor or betray confidence do anything, to\\naccomplish his designs. Beware of him or her Neither\\nis to be trusted. Again, ingratitude leads not to great-\\nness in any sphere of life nor does the ingrate achieve\\nnotable success. The noble elements of society are\\nagainst him and how can he expect to win, if He Who\\nrules the destinies of men is not with him Can you\\nimagine an ingrate giving the enrapturing touch of\\ngenius to a picture Can you conceive him giving life\\nto the marble and developing thereon the ennobling\\nvirtues of heart and soul Ah no it would be as\\neasy to imagine a brute of the field accomplishing so\\ngrand a work of art.\\nBe thankful, therefore, that your soul may expand\\nunder the magic influence of gratitude. Be thankful\\nfor every favor, and be slow, very slow to forget any\\nact of kindness conferred upon you. Especially be\\ngrateful to your God, and be forever mindful of the\\ngratitude owed to Him. St. Augustine happily re-\\nmarks We cannot carry in our hearts anything bet-\\nter, nor pronounce with the lips, nor express with the\\npen, than thanks be to God. Man cannot say anything\\nshorter, hear anything more pleasing, understand any-\\nthing greater, nor do anything more fruitful, than this.\\nBe thankful to God, I repeat your gratitude will bear\\nfruit, and God will exalt you for your mindfulness of", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0283.jp2"}, "284": {"fulltext": "280 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nHis gifts. Be not an ingrate for as St. Bernard beauti-\\nfully tells us Ingratitude is a parching wind, drying\\nup the fountains of good, and receiving not the dews\\nof mercy nor the floods of grace. Let us conclude\\nwith the words of the Psalmist My soul, praise the\\nLord and never forget His beneficence T Ps. cii.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0284.jp2"}, "285": {"fulltext": "FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER\\nPENTECOST.\\nSeek ye J therefoj-Cj first the kingdom of God and His\\nJustice J and all these things shall be added unto vou. (St,\\nMatt. vi. s$.)\\nMy Dear Friends In our age, indeed in every age,\\nmany have neglected to follow this salutary admoni-\\ntion. But as the ages passed are registered in the\\nannals of the dead, it behooves us to consider its\\napplication to the society of the present period. Were\\nthe people of the earth to observe this divine injunc-\\ntion, many of the ills of life would disappear. There\\nwould be an equilibrium established among the various\\ngrades of society an equilibrium produced by a\\nscrupulous observance of this day s Gospel, an equili-\\nbrium bringing joy to the hearts of everyone. There\\nwould be no defamation of character there would be\\nno theft, no corruption among the officials of state, nor\\ndrunkenness among the lowly. Ever} man would be\\nhonest, every man would be truthful, every man would\\nbe a Christian. The soul would soar to the centre of\\nits gravity, Almighty God. Its aspirations would be\\nmoored in the bosom of His justice. Harmony would\\nreign among the different nations of the earth, and\\ntranquillity would nurse the feverish elements of society\\ninto healthful peace.\\n281", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0285.jp2"}, "286": {"fulltext": "282 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTEOOSl^.\\nAll this may seem to you chimerical an Ethiopian\\ndream. But can you deny its truth It is evident\\nthat such is not the condition of society but the fault\\nis ours. Man does not obey the instructions of his\\nMaker, and the result of his disobedience is misery.\\nYou cannot truthfully deny that mankind would\\nrepose in profiable peace were he to seek for the\\nkingdom of God and His justice. Were everyone to\\ncentre his ambition in Almighty God were everyone\\nto seek Him as the first great motive of life, then no\\none could wrong another. You may say, however,\\nthat such ambition would destroy enterprise, would\\nimpoverish commerce, would effeminate the race. Yes,\\nif embezzlement, chicanery, deceit, treachery, and\\noppression stabilitate enterprise, sustain commerce, and\\ngive intellect and sinew to the race. Then, indeed,\\nwhat you say may be true but it is false. Do not\\nthink that seeking first the kingdom of God and His\\njustice will make you idlers. In the Gospel read to\\nyou there is nothing incompatible to industry. Does\\nnot God speak the truth Does He not know what is\\nbeneficial to your welfare Or will He advise you\\ncontrar}^ to your best interests There is no contra-\\ndiction between the decree uttered by Almighty God\\nafter the fall of our first parents and that expressed by\\nHis Divine Son, Jesus Christ. The former declared\\nthat man must earn his bread by the sweat of his\\nbrow, the latter exhorts us to seek first the kingdom of\\nGod and His justice. There is no contradiction here.\\nThe declaration of our Saviour does not abnegate the\\norder given to Adam. It stimulates it it makes the\\nreward of that sweat, of that toil, meritorious here and\\nhereafter. It directs it in its legitimate course, doing\\ninjury to nobody, but improving the condition of all.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0286.jp2"}, "287": {"fulltext": "I OURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 283\\nMark, our Saviour says You ca?inot serve two mas-\\nters. This is true, because our Divine Lord said it, and\\nthis truth is verified bv every- day experience. You\\ncannot serve two masters. You cannot serve God and\\nmoney at the same time. Nor can you serve God and\\nliterature, or the sciences, or anything else. Note, He\\ndoes not say that these things are incompatible to the\\nservice of God. He does not say you cannot serve\\nGod and possess wealth, be the wealth that of money,\\nscience, art, or distinction. No but He says you\\ncannot serve these things and Him. Every great\\nemotion of the heart, every lofty aspiration, should be\\nto Him and having offered to Him the first fruits of\\nour hearts and our souls and our labor, then we should\\ntoil assiduously to earn an honest living. The advan-\\ntage of such a mode of action is clear to everyone who\\ngives himself the trouble to think.\\nHow kind it is on the part of our Saviour to instruct\\nus so wisely and how prudent is that person who is\\nguided by such wisdom You will, upon reflection,\\nadmit that it is most advantageous to follow such a\\nguide. For is it not foolish for man to forget or aban-\\ndon his God in the aquisition of temporal goods? His\\nwhole heart his very life is concentrated on these\\nthings. His soul is agitated; he undertakes every ardu-\\nous task, exposes himself to every danger to secure the\\nperishable, while he disregards the everlastin g, his\\nimmortal soul. For these things he turns from God.\\nHe cares not whether there is a God or not. He has\\nno regard for any person. He will be an oppressor,\\nif he can, were such a thing necessary for his success.\\nAnd now the question arises, how long will he enjoy\\nthese possessions He knows not. He may forfeit\\nhis life in the attempt to acquire them. One thing is", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0287.jp2"}, "288": {"fulltext": "284 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\ncertain, he will not have them long. He must die and\\nwho will mourn his loss? Who will pray for him Who,\\nwith a grateful remembrance, will besiege the throne of\\nmercy in his behalf Why, he did not pray for himself!\\nHe deserted Almighty God Can he expect that others\\nwill be more charitable toward him than he was to\\nhimself Can he confidently implore for mercy from\\nGod, Whom he despised? Will he find mercy, who\\nnever manifested it toward himself or others He dies\\nhe is forgotten. How wisely, then, it is to seek first\\nthe kingdom of God and His justice.\\nDo not think, however, that the rich always depart\\nfrom God. A man may possess massive wealth, and\\nstill be poor in spirit, while the poor may hunger after\\nriches may make their few dollars their God. As St.\\nBernard says: The covetous man hungers after riches,\\nand is a slave; the believer despises them, and is a lord.\\nThe former in his possession is a beggar, the latter,\\ndespising them, keeps them. He keeps them in sub-\\njection; he does not allow them to become his master or\\nhimself their slave. He rules over them; he has only\\none master, and that One is his God. According to the\\nrules prescribed by that Master, he acquires his goods,\\nand he employs them to his own advantage and for the\\nassistance of others. Truly this person is a lord. He\\nmanages his affairs as though he controlled them.\\nAgain, my Christian friends, were mankind universally\\nto obey the divine exhortation to seek the justice of God\\nfirst, what harmony, what prosperity, what peace\\nwould we not enjoy Banks would not fail plundering\\nthe public, and destroying both confidence and credit.\\nThere would be no embezzlement. Dishonesty would\\nhide itself. Suicide would be unknown. Justice would\\nexpel corruption. Our State legislatures would not be", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0288.jp2"}, "289": {"fulltext": "FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 285\\nbought nor sold. The Senate and House of Representa-\\ntives of the nation would be composed of honorable,\\nhonest, patriotic men. They would be the pride and\\nthe boast of our country. Their great ambition would\\nbe to enhance the glory of the nation, to enforce the\\nequity of her laws, and perpetuate her greatness They\\nwould deserve and obtain not only the gratitude of\\ntheir constituencies, but unborn generations would\\nadmire while they would perpetuate their memories\\nMoreover, there would be no strikes; capital would not\\noppress labor, and labor would respect capital. Each\\nwould acknowledge and protect the interests of the\\nother. The employer would love his men, and his men\\nlove him in return. They would all be Christian men,\\nall striving for the great end of life endless happiness\\nand peace with their God. Conflict would yield to\\npeace. Peace would beget prosperity. Prosperity\\nwould bestow with a kindly hand an abundance upon\\nall. Nor would this happy state generate indolence;\\nfor God forbids sloth. He encourages industry and\\nactivity, research and acquisitions. God Who is pure\\nact, Who is eternal activity, could not favor indolence,\\nsloth, or idleness.\\nOur Saviour impresses the importance of His instruc-\\ntion on us by calling our attention to the lily. Solomon,\\nin the richness of his robes, was not so well attired as\\none of these. The birds of the air, the grass of the\\nfield, are vivid examples of God s providence. And is\\nnot the life more than the raiment Is not the soul of\\nmore importance than any temporal wealth The im-\\nmortal soul, created to the image and likeness of its\\nGod, deserves not to be hampered by the things of\\nearth, but live for its Creator. Besides, might not the\\nSon of God, in citing these illustrations of His provi-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0289.jp2"}, "290": {"fulltext": "286 FOUETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\ndence, point to the universe might He not have said\\nBehold the heavens and the earth behold the count-\\nless worlds around you behold the wonders at your\\nfeet study the motions of these spheres reflect upon\\nthe magnificence around you see everything cared for,\\nsee everything performing its duty. Man only, an in-\\ntelligent being, dares to violate My laws dares to\\ndisregard his duties. But his violations produce dis-\\ncord, and discord will have its punishment. You need\\nno illustration to understand all this. You see how\\neverything is preserved. You observe the eternal\\nvigilance of God, watching over the universe. No spar-\\nrow falls to the ground without His knowledge no\\nspire of grass withers without His omniscience noting\\nits decay. Every act of injustice, every disorder, every\\nsin, is known to Him. Why not have confidence in\\nHim Why not believe Him Why not obey His\\ncommands and exhortations by seeking first the king-\\ndom of God and His justice For, blessed are those\\nwho hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall be\\nfilled filled with tranquillity, during their sojourn on\\nearth, filled with never-ceasing joys in the mansions of\\ntheir Eternal Father.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0290.jp2"}, "291": {"fulltext": "FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST-\\nAnd ivhen He came, nigh to the gate of the city, behold a\\ndead ma7i was carried out^ the only son of his mother and\\nshe was a widow. St, Luke vii. 12.)\\nMy Dear Friends To-day a mournful spectacle is\\npresented for your consideration a marvellous scene\\nindeed. Jesus is approacing the city of Naim. His\\ndisciples and a large multitude are with Him. The\\nRedeemer of the world the Son of God is on foot.\\nHe is probably weary after His journey, for He has no\\nmagnificent coach in which He may ride. As He\\nwearily proceeds, lamentations break upon His ears-\\nSoon the cause of these mournful sounds appears. A\\ndead man is carried out through the gate of the city.\\nHe is the only son of his mother, and she is a widow.\\nHer heart is breaking with grief. Her aged form is\\nbent with affliction. Hot tears course down her pale\\ncheeks. There in the coffin lies all her hope, all her\\nconsolation. She loved him intensely and now that\\nhe is dead, every fibre of her heart is interwoven\\nwith his in the coffin. She must be a good woman, and\\nher son must have been a good young man for she\\nhas the sympathy of her acquaintances and neighbors.\\nThey feel for her, as people are wont to feel for one\\nwho is universally beloved. They compassionate her\\n^87", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0291.jp2"}, "292": {"fulltext": "288 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nsufferings. They commingle their sighs and lamen-\\ntations with hers. With sad hearts they accompany her\\non this sorrowful journey but just as they pass through\\nthe portals of the gate, our Saviour appears in view.\\nHis tender heart is touched at the sight, and he bids\\nher weep no more. Approaching the bier, He bade the\\nyoung man to rise and he who was dead sat up and\\nbegan to speak. Gently did this greatest of benefac-\\ntors bestow upon the mother her lost child. Verily, in\\nthis case, was sorrow turned into joy, and mourning into\\ncomfort.\\nYou pity the widow s grief and you rejoice at her\\ngood fortune. Your hearts are drawn nearer to Jesus\\nWho gave such proof of His affection for poor suffering\\nhumanity. But have you not heard of things more\\nsorrowful Nay, have you not seen spectacles more\\nmournful There are thousands of them. Had the\\nwidow of Naim beheld her beloved child laid to rest\\nin the cold earth, she would know he was in peace as\\nfar as the affairs of this life appertained to him. But\\nis this so with every mother. Are there not mothers\\nwho have often wished their sons in the grave How\\nmany a mother, with a heart swelling with grief, has\\nprayed that God would take her erring son She loves\\nhim, and once he was the source of all her joy. In him\\nall her hopes were centred. He would be the solace of\\nher old age. She would never want, for she would have\\nin him a constant support when the weight of years and\\ninfirmities would come upon her. He would close her\\naged eyes when the hand of death fell heavy upon her.\\nHe would kindly lay her to rest alongside of his father.\\nHe would pray for her, because he was a faithful boy,\\nfull of greatest promise but how sadly she is deceived\\nHer son, her faithful boy, her unequalled boy, soon", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0292.jp2"}, "293": {"fulltext": "FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 289\\nmingles with bad associates. His downward course is\\nat first slow. He remains out late at night. She notes\\nthis still she loves him so much that she hesitates to\\nreprove him. He grows worse, and instead of comfort-\\ning her age, he multiplies the silvery locks of care and\\nanxiety. She prays for him, weeps for him, implores\\nhim to refrain from bad company. At first he listens.\\nHe promises to be good but, alas he has already\\nimbibed the poisons which will bring her sorrow and\\nhimself ruin. Sleepless nights she spends, watching for\\nhis return, fearing some misfortune will befall him\\ntrembling lest in some row he may be wounded or killed.\\nShe entreats him to reform, begs of him not to bring\\ndisgrace upon himself and her. Tells him of his dead\\nfather, and invokes him in the name of the departed to\\nwithdraw from the vile resorts in which he squanders\\nhis time and his health. But her affectionate words\\nnow fall upon a stony heart and leave no impression.\\nWhy does he not heed Has he not the nerve of\\nheart and the resolution to say So far I have gone,\\nbut no farther. I shall avoid this company. I shall\\nregard my mother s tears. I shall be a man But\\nhis nervous system is wasted from excessive indulgence.\\nHis will is weakened by numerous broken promises.\\nHe is a slave. There he lies, prostrated, a slave A\\ndegraded slave His enemies look upon him with\\ncontempt. They ridicule him Mock him They\\nhave triumphed Their efforts could not have pro-\\nduced better results, and his fall could not have been\\nmore loathsome. The mother sees this, and it increases\\nher anguish. Her child debased, ruined, and his ene-\\nmies exulting. What a sight for a mother s heart to\\ncontemplate Drinking, gambling, bad company have\\nhad their ruinous effects.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0293.jp2"}, "294": {"fulltext": "290 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nStill his wretchedness does not stop here. In his\\ncrazy state, he commits some nefarious crime, is\\ndragged before the public gaze and thrown into prison.\\nThe news of his crime and imprisonment reaches the\\nears of his sorrowful mother. Her son in a felon s cell\\nHis name published far and wide His crime upon\\neveryone s lips Once her hope, once her pride, now\\nthe cause of her unspeakable grief and unnumbered\\ntears. What tongue can describe the anguish which\\ntears her heart Those sighs, those sobs, are the\\nmost fitting expression of her sorrows.\\nHow often did our Divine Lord touch the young man s\\nconscience. How often did He bid him rise and speak\\nagain the words of boyhood, the prayers he had learned,\\nthat He might restore him again to the arms of his\\nmother. How often in the stillness of night did this\\nSaviour whisper to him, telling him of his aged mother,\\nof her grief, of her love but it was all no use. He\\ncommanded the dead to rise, and the coffined dust\\nassumed new life. The planets in their orbs obey His\\norders. They keep their regular motions. The flowers\\nblossom and exhale their perfumes all obey the divine\\nmandate, except man. An intelligent being refuses,\\nand God Himself cannot reform the young man\\nunless that young man consent, unless he co-operate\\nwith heavenly grace. God has blessed him with\\nfree will, and the Creator must respect His gift.\\nDo you think this portrait is overdrawn Do you\\nhesitate to believe that such misfortunes have befallen\\nany mother or any son Do you conclude that all this\\nis an exaggeration I am sure, if you only reflect or if\\nyou only read the daily papers, you will be convinced of\\nthe sad truths which I have attempted to depict nay,\\nmore I am persuaded that you have been eye-witnessea", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0294.jp2"}, "295": {"fulltext": "FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTEE PENTECOST. 291\\nof greater calamity. For my part, I know worse. I\\nhave known a mother to be dying, and while in the throes\\nof death, inquired about her son inquired because she\\nfeared he was in the clutch of some trouble. I whis-\\npered to the attendant not to tell her for he was in the\\nneighboring saloon, intoxicated and boisterous in his\\ndrunkenness. She dying, her last breath is a sigh for\\nhim He is so benumbed from dissipation, that he cares\\nnot for his mother s dying prayer What agony in the\\nmoment of death What affection on the part of the\\nmother What degraded stupidity on the part of the\\nson I have known, too, where a mother went to the\\npenitentiary to receive the dead body of her son who\\nwas a criminal, and in the Union Depot at Pittsburg met\\nher other son shackled to a sheriff, on his way to the\\nsame prison.\\nIt is unnecessary to multiply examples. You all have\\nseen sad human wrecks, with all the miseries they entail.\\nFortunes squandered. I do not mean pecuniary for-\\ntunes, but fortunes more valuable. Fortunes of in-\\ntellect, fortunes of heart, fortunes of parental affection,\\nfortunes of opportunity Alas, what stupendous loss\\nAnd what gain A criminal garb in a state prison, a\\nphotograph in Rogues Gallery Marked as if he were\\nanother Cain. Shamed by men. Ah, what a lesson for\\nyoung men, yea, for old men, too With what zeal they\\nshould avoid bad company How they should fortify\\nthemselves with the safeguards of religion, that they\\nmay not plunder themselves of the grace and intel-\\nlectual gifts bestowed upon them by their God.\\nWith what unremitting vigilance should parents,\\ntherefore, watch over their children What good ex-\\namples should be furnished them How they should\\nbe trained to attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0295.jp2"}, "296": {"fulltext": "292 rrpTEENTH Sunday after pentecost.\\nsay their prayers morning and night, to receive fre-\\nquently the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Euchar-\\nist. After these, give them a few good books to read.\\nMany, if you can afford it. These are good companions.\\nThese will never betray them. These will be anchors\\nholding them from vicious associates. From these\\nthey will imbibe new, elevating ideas. In these they\\nwill hold converse with exalted minds. By these they\\nwill be moulded to meet life successfully, honorably,\\nand courageously. Instead of becoming a scourge to\\ntheir parents, instead of being a scandal to others and\\ndisgrace to themselves, they will be the pride of their\\nparents, the true supporters of society, honorable\\ncitizens, and faithful children of the Church", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0296.jp2"}, "297": {"fulltext": "SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTERPENTECOST.\\nThey were watching Him. (Luke xiv. i.)\\nMy Dear Friends Our Divine Lord is the great\\nInstructor. He takes every opportunity to teach\\nhumanity. Now He employs certain methods, again\\nHe will use different ones but all aiming at the same\\nobject the instruction of mankind. At the time to\\nwhich the Sacred Scriptures this morning refer, you\\nsee Him visit a prince of the Pharisees. They are\\nundoubtedly, so far as appearances go, delighted by\\nHis visit. They show many marks of respect. They\\nare all attention. Probably they attempt to flatter\\nHim. All this time they are disguising their real\\npurpose. They wish to know whether He will heal\\non the Sabbath. If He do, then He cannot be a true\\nprophet, for prophets do not violate the sacred law\\nof God by a desecration of the Lord s day. A man\\nafflicted by the dropsy stands before our Saviour.\\nHe knows, too, that it is the Sabbath, but like most\\npeople afflicted by disease, he longs to be well, and is\\nentirely content to be healed on the Sabbath, though\\nsome hypocrites may think that an act of divine\\nclemency in his favor would be a violation of God s\\ncommandment, and so they watch Him. They are\\nfault-finders. They are desirious to seize the slightest\\n293", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0297.jp2"}, "298": {"fulltext": "294 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTEK PENTECOST.\\npretext to underrate His charity and challenge His\\nauthority. By an act of divine mercy, the man is\\ncured. They are witnesses of this miracle, but say\\nnothing, although they think much. Jesus, knowing\\ntheir thoughts, answered: Which of you would have an\\nox or an ass fall into a pit on the Lord s day, and\\nwould 7tot try to save him f You observe that there\\nare two lessons taught by this miracle. First, acts of\\ncharity are always in season and second, do not censure\\nin others the things you would do yourselves in other\\nwords, do not mask your hypocrisy by a sanctimonious\\nexterior.\\nNow I would say to you watch your Divine Lord and\\nSaviour Jesus Christ. Not for the purpose of finding\\nfault, or questioning His goodness, but to imitate His\\nheavenly virtues. Learn of Him to ascend toward\\nperfection. Be perfect^ asyourheave?ily Father is perfect!\\nThis is the Christian life. This it is which lifts you\\nabove the strife and turmoil of earthly things, which\\ndirects your ambition toward your great Teacher and\\nModel, Jesus Christ. It is customary for persons\\nwho desire to ascend to success, to study the requisites\\nnecessary for such advancement. They must ponder\\nwell the principles which constitute the tide which bears\\nothers on to prosperity. If they would succeed, they\\nmust have models after which they fashion their lives.\\nIf a person desires wealth, he studies the life of some\\none who has acquired a great fortune. All his business\\nprinciples are thoroughly examined. Everything\\nwhich conduced to his prosperity is carefully weighed.\\nNothing is left to chance. Thus the man ambitious for\\nriches shapes his conduct after his chosen model.\\nA student who aims to attain to a high degree of\\neloquence, has his model. He studies the illustrious", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0298.jp2"}, "299": {"fulltext": "SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 295\\norators of ancient and modern times. Every sentence\\nis analyzed. Every thought considered. All his pene-\\ntration, long years of toil, are employed to find out the\\nsecret of their powers, to learn where the magic of their\\npower resides that power which swayed the intellects\\nof thousands, that genius which has made their elo-\\nquence imperishable. In a similiar way does the pain-\\nter who paints for immortality, toil. He visits the\\nbirth-places of famous artists he critically examines\\nthose painters whose productions have rendered them\\nfamous. He endeavors to detect that master-touch\\nwhich gives such life to the canvass. He absorbs, as\\nfar as he is able, these models, these grand conceptions\\nof rare genius. Nor is the man of humbler pretensions\\nexempt, if he purposes to succeed. The farmer, too,\\nmust have his model. He must observe what success-\\nful farmers have done what it is which have rendered\\nthem notable for their prosperity. Every successful\\nperson is necessitated to learn from the experience of\\nothers. In a word, he m.ust have a model. What, then,\\nis the model for a Catholic For a Catholic who\\nwishes to attain to Christian perfection Is it not\\nJesus, his great Instructor A Christian life should\\narise transcendentally above the sordid themes of earth.\\nHis conduct should be the mirror of his soul, the\\nreflector of those great virtues which emanate from his\\nLord and Model.\\nIf one desires to be a successful farmer, he ought to\\nbe a practical Christian for it is from his great Model\\nthat blessing comes which crowns his toil with an abun-\\ndant harvest. If one desires to be an illustrious orator,\\nJesus should be his model. To a distinguished orator,\\ngreat virtue is necessary. His soul must be permeated\\nwith all the exalted virtues. He must be imbued with", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0299.jp2"}, "300": {"fulltext": "296 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\na true sense of justice. The cry of suffering humanity\\nmust awaken the loftiest emotions of equity. His soul\\nmust vibrate with love for others, a hatred for oppres-\\nsion, indignation at wrong, and abhorrence for bribery.\\nHe must be the defender of the weak, the scourge of\\ndefrauders, the promoter of morality. He must be\\nmoulded by the hands of virtue. He must be an honest\\nman, an honorable man, a Christian man. It is these\\nqualities which give vivacity and vigor to his words it\\nis these which impress the seal of genius upon his elo-\\nquence. Where will we find these exalted virtues\\nWho will be his model Need I tell you it is Jesus, the\\nPreceptor of the human race Does an artist aspire to\\ncelebrity Does he long to rival those celebrated mas-\\nters whose extraordinary skill is the admiration of the\\nworld, whose works are as everlasting as the human\\nrace on earth Then Jesus must be his model. From\\nHim he must draw his inspiration. Those renowned\\nmasters w^ere religious men. Who but a devout Cath-\\nolic could produce that matchless painting from\\nthe brush of Titian, the Assumption of the Blessed\\nVirgin. That glorious work which reflects the virtue\\nand the genius of that wonderful painter, could not be\\nproduced by an irreligious man that grand, that pure\\nconception could only be born in the soul of a man as\\nremarkable for his piety as for the grandeur of his\\nideal. What absorbing thoughts How exalted must\\nhave been his heart to conceive such a marvel of purity\\nHe seems to have lived in heaven, to have basked in the\\nvery bosom of his divine Model from Whom he drank\\nhis inspiration. Those great Catholic artists were fre-\\nquent communicants. They lived in a spirit of sanctity.\\nIn order that their productions would breath forth\\nspirituality, they were pure themselves. It was this", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0300.jp2"}, "301": {"fulltext": "SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 297\\nthat gave the touch of genius to their paintings. It\\nwas this that has made them immortal.\\nThus it is, my Christian friends, thus it is in every\\nsphere of life Jesus should be your Model. You will\\nlose nothing by it, but gain much. Watch your eternal\\nModel. Pattern your life after His. Do you desire to\\nbe prudent, then learn of Him Who so aptly replied to\\nHis enemies Whose image and superscriptio7i is\\nthis It is Ccesars. Then render to Ccesar the thhigs\\nthat belong to Ccesar, and to God the thi?igs that belong\\nto God! Do you want to be wise Then behold your\\nModel at the age of twelve years, disputing with the\\ndoctors in the synagogue at Jerusalem. Would you be\\nindustrious Observe how studious Jesus was. Would\\nyou cultivate patience Note His inexhaustible pa-\\ntience. Do your former friends give you a cold\\nshoulder, even ridicule you Be patient, and look at\\nJesus scourged at the pillar and crowned with thorns\\nin derision. Have you suffered the rebuffs of ill-fortune,\\nor does adversity still hover, with his dismal mantel,\\nover you Is the last glimmer of your star of hope\\nsetting in the murky storms of despair, behold your\\nModel nailed to the cross With extended arms He\\nwelcomes you. The drops of sacred blood trickling\\nfrom His wounds, tell you of His love. He is your\\nhope. You will never perish in despair while you keep\\nHim as your Model. Do you find it hard to forgive\\nyour enemies Then listen to your Model dying at the\\nhands of His torturers, Father, forgive them for they\\nknozv not what they do!\\nImitate Him. Surely He is deserving of you. To\\nbe a true follower of Christ is indeed the sincere\\nChristian s glory. How many have imitated Him, and\\nare now in heaven. Thev abandoned the so-called", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0301.jp2"}, "302": {"fulltext": "298 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\npleasure of this transitory life. They could see no hap-\\npiness without Him. They drew their inspiration from\\nHim. Among His imitators are found the greatest\\nscholars, the most celebrated masters in science, liter-\\nature, and art. The saints and martyrs were His\\nfollowers, while His blessed Mother reflected His glory\\nand His divinity. Imitate Jesus, then, I beseech you\\nlet Him be your great Model. From Him learn the\\nnoblest lesson in life, namely, the act of living and\\ndying in His friendship. You will be the happier, the\\nmore contented, the more successful for your imitation.\\nWatch Him watch Him, not as the Jews did but\\nwatch Him to imitate Him, to rise to Him, and to pat-\\ntern your every act according to these examples which\\nHe gave you.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0302.jp2"}, "303": {"fulltext": "SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER\\nPENTECOST\\nAnd the second is like to this thou shalt love thy neighbor\\nas thyself. St. Math. xxii. 39.)\\nMy Dear Friends These words were spoken by no\\nless a person than the Son of God. They are trans-\\nmitted to us by the inspired writer, St. Matthew, and\\ntaught by our holy Church. Having such authority,\\nthey are deserving of your serious attention. Repeat-\\nedly you have listened to sermons upon those two\\ngreat commandments, from which dependeth the law\\nand the prophets Thou shalt love the Lord thy God\\nwith thy whole heart and with thy whole sold and with\\nall thy stre7igth, and thou shalt love thy 7ieighbor as thyself\\nBut have you drawn useful lessons from them Have\\nyou modeled your lives according to these precepts\\nso vast in importance and so beneficial to all\\nIt is not my purpose, however, upon this occasion,\\nto dwell directly upon these commandments, but to\\ndirect your attention to an inference which is suggest-\\ned by them. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.\\nNow, allow me to ask do you love yourselves You\\nwill of course protect yourself from many dangers and\\nprovide for many of your wants. But still I continue\\nto inquire do you really love yourselves You will\\n299", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0303.jp2"}, "304": {"fulltext": "300 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nhug yourselves with the delusive assurance that you\\nlove yourselves. Each one of you will answer I\\nnot to love myself Why, it is preposterous to ask\\nsuch a uqestion To be sure I love myself Do not\\nmy actions demonstrate this, if indeed a demonstration\\nis needed I not to love myself Why, such a ques-\\ntion is silly. I wish you did love yourselves for if\\nyou did, you would certainly love your neighbor and\\nyour God. The fact that you are at times deficient in\\nyour love toward God and your neighbor, is proof\\nenough that you are not perfect in your love toward\\nyourselves and this I shall endeavor to prove.\\nIs not the thief good to himself Does he not love\\nhimself It appears that he does for he is anxious\\nto appropriate things belonging to others to himself. He\\nwants to provide himself with plenty. Though he loves\\nnot his neighbor, it seems he certainly loves himself.\\nBut this is a sophistry. He does not love himself.\\nThe way of the transgressor is hard. He does not study\\nthe consequences or, if he does, the study prevents\\nhim not from stealing. He is finally imprisoned and\\ndisgraced. He did not love himself, for had he, prison\\nbars would never have closed upon him. Had he\\nloved himself, he would have been industrious in the\\nwalks of honesty, and this industry would have moulded\\nhim to honor and fidelity. He did not love himself,\\nnor his neighbor, nor his God, and punishment is his\\nremuneration.\\nHere is a person who pursues fortune with a vengeance.\\nHe is bound to get riches. His ambition is gold. He\\nexhausts his mental and physical powers in accumulating\\nwealth. He cares not whether his neighbors are doomed\\nto penury on earth and to everlasting perdition in hell, if\\nhe only succeed. He builds his fortune upon the ruins", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0304.jp2"}, "305": {"fulltext": "SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTEK PENTECOST. 301\\nof others. He wishes their failure, that thereby his purse\\nmay develop. He flatters himself that he loves him-\\nself that he will become influential that people will\\nlook up to him as though he were a lord. He will be\\ngreat. But this greatness he will never enjoy. He\\ncannot enjoy it. He is destroying all the sources\\nwhence true enjoyment springs. He is banishing from\\nhis heart those emotions which fertilize the soul and\\nmake worldly possessions enjoyable. In their stead\\nhe is cultivating nigardliness as well as covetousness.\\nDid he love himself, he would be rational He would\\nsay to himself I shall labor honestly, but not with ex-\\ntreme selfishness. For if I amass a large fortune, it may\\nbe the ruin, rather than the betterment, of my family.\\nI shall be moderate, and my moderation will be an\\nexample worthy of their imitation. Neither they nor I\\nshall have the curse of the widow or the orphan or the\\nwronged. But he acts not thus, because he loves not\\nhimself and his reward will be sorrowful disappoint-\\nment. His harvest will bring him little joy, for he\\ntransgresses the great commandments of the law and\\nthe prophets.\\nAnother worries because he does not become rich\\nfaster, and he worries, too, because his neighbor acquires\\nwealth faster than he does. This is foolishness. He\\nstews himself away, fretting while he should be better\\nemployed. He gains nothing. His worriments multi-\\nply. He is injuring his health, and it is quite evident\\nhe does not love himself. Did he love himself, he would\\nhave a broader soul. He might toil to prosper, but he\\nwould bid Godspeed to every one else. He would\\nhave less worry and more contentment.\\nAgain, you might have seen a man, an honest man, a\\nman who injures no person and wishes well to all. Ex-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0305.jp2"}, "306": {"fulltext": "302 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\ncessive labor is his occupation. The day is too short for\\nhim. The burning sun is not too hot, nor the frost of\\nwinter too severe. Work work is his only pleasure.\\nYou may admire such a man, but he does not love him-\\nself. His unremitting toil will break down his health.\\nInstead of ease in his old age, he will suffer from disease.\\nThe doctors will get his hard earned cash. Often he\\nwill regret that he did not love himself more. He was\\nunwise, and though he meant to be honest, he was dis-.\\nhonest to himself. Moderation should have been his\\nmaxim. God gave him health, but he abused it. The\\ngift was not appreciated until it was squandered. Then\\nits true worth was apparent, but it was too late.\\nYou will now acknowledge, I think, that many there\\nare who do not love themselves. Nay, more I shall\\nconvince you that many not only do not love them-\\nselves, but hate themselves. Yea, hate themselves, and\\nnot only themselves, but their progeny also. You need\\nnot be told of the appalling number of sins committed\\nin our age against chastity and temperance. These\\nmonstrous transgressions occur even in our own neigh-\\nborhood. Virtue is laughed at as though it were folly\\nto be chaste and temperate. Do you tell me that those\\nprevaricators love themselves You could not be so un-\\ntruthful. I see a man staggering along the side-walk\\nhe reels falls into the gutter. There he lies, muttering\\nnonsense to himself, and besmeared with filth. Do you\\ntell me that man loves himself Well, I hope your love\\nfor yourselves will not be of that sort. I hear of a man\\nmaddened with excessive drink, going in amidst his little\\nfamily, taking down his gun to shoot his wife. Does\\nhe love himself Does he love his family Some day,\\nin his madness, he may perpetrate the crime which he\\nhas threatened. He does not love himself. He is", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0306.jp2"}, "307": {"fulltext": "SEVENTEENTH SUNDAl AFTER PENTECOST. 303\\nruining himself, destroying his nervous system. He will\\ntransmit this degraded, exhausted nature to his chil-\\ndren an awful legacy the only inheritance of a de-\\npraved father. Tell me not that he loves himself. Such\\na man hates himself, hates his offspring for if he loved\\nhimself and loved his child, his behavior would be vastly\\ndifferent. Look at the murders and suicides which\\nhave been committed almost in your midst. What was\\nthe cause? Excessive drink, and probably impurity.\\nThese are the crimes which are prevalent in our day\\nand when some people desire what they call a good\\ntime, they go off to some distant town or city, and there\\nindulge in revolting sins, where neighbors will not hear\\nof their profligacy. Are these the persons who are to\\nbe the parents of the coming generation? If so, their\\nchildren will curse them. When they have grown old,\\nor probably in their graves, these children will be pun-\\nished for crimes, the propensity to which they have\\ninherited from these very parents. They will suffer\\nfrom mental and physical defects, the pernicious legacy\\nof their sinful parents.\\nDo you think I am airing some nonsensical theory\\nwhich has no foundation in fact? Read statistics. Do\\nyou think socrety was always so The same source\\nof information will prove to you that crime is increas-\\ning faster in proportion than the population. That\\nlawlessness has existed more or less at all times, no\\none will deny but our age is notoriously pre-eminent\\nfor lust and drunkenness, for murder and suicide and\\ndishonesty. Do these violaters of God s law love them-\\nselves Behold their wretched existence and their\\nmore wretched death Do they love their children\\nBehold the foundlings, a large proportion of which\\ndie before they have reached the age of twelve years", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0307.jp2"}, "308": {"fulltext": "304 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nand the majority of those who survive, either enter aens\\nof iniquity or pursue a disreputable life of some other\\nsort Alas what a terrible account must such parents\\ngive to the Eternal Judge for the sinful proclivities\\nwhich they bestow upon their o%pring By excesses\\nthe parents have impoverished their whole nervous\\nsystem the brain is diseased, the body ruined, and\\nthis deformity is often the only dowry which a child\\nreceives from his sinful parents. If this wicked mode\\nof living continue, what will the human race be in\\na few generations If this generation has multiplied\\nits crimes, what will the next and the next be An\\nawful thought A deplorable subject for calm con-\\nsideration\\nWhat is the origin of all this sinful disorder? It is\\nneedless to reply that the origin is found in man s want\\nof love for himself. Did he love himself, he would\\nknow that the greatest benefits arise from the love of\\nGod and knowing this incontrovertible truth, his high-\\nest ambition would be to love God, and consequently\\nhis neighbor. He would know that, if there be any\\nhappiness in this world, it is the virtuous person who\\nenjoys that happiness. If he were so selfish as not to\\nlove God for Himself, he would love Him because from\\nsuch love springs so many blessings, so much good for\\nhimself and to his children.\\nBut you, my Christian friends, should love God in\\npreference to yourselves, in preference to everything\\nelse. Your love for Him should constantly burn. It\\nshould be more faithful than the sanctuary lamp which\\nburns in honor of its Creator, for this lamp is sometimes\\nextinguished but your love ought to be ceaseless.\\nThen, indeed, you would love yourselves, and find little\\ndifficulty in loving your neighbor. Your fidelity to", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0308.jp2"}, "309": {"fulltext": "SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 305\\nGod would protect you from many of the wicked dis-\\nasters of this life, and secure for you an eternal reward,\\nnot of punishment, but of glory.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0309.jp2"}, "310": {"fulltext": "EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER\\nPENTECOST.\\nSon^ be of good heai t thy sins are forgiven thee. St. Math,\\nix. 2.)\\nMy Dear Friends Our Divine Lord knew the frailty\\nof man. He knew he would transgress the divine law.\\nBut He loved the human race and this love is attested\\nby His death upon the cross, and by the institution\\nof the Sacrament of Penance. Man is weak, He\\nseems to say to Himself he will fall, but I shall give\\nhim the means to rise again. He will at times forget\\nMy love for him he will forget the sacrifices I make\\nfor him Satan will triumph but I shall not let man\\nbe a captive. I shall, as of old, establish for him\\nan ark of refuge. He consequently institutes the\\nsacred tribunal of Penance, to which the sinner may go\\nfor security. Here every sin is pardoned. All the eter-\\nnal punishment is cancelled. The sinner is once more\\na free man. The only conditions required, are that he\\nbe truly sorry for his sins, resolve never again to violate\\nthe law of God, and confess his sins to a duly author-\\nized priest of the Church of God.\\nSome who are not Catholics, maintain it is absurd to\\nadmit that man has the power to forgive sins. So did\\nthe Scribes for they clamored that Jesus had blas-\\n3Qa", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0310.jp2"}, "311": {"fulltext": "S^IGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 307\\nphemed, as you have just heard from the inspired\\nrecords of that memorable event. But man does not\\nclaim to have this power inherent in himself. It is\\ndelegated to him by the Author of allpower. Does\\nGod directly light the earth Oh, no. How then By\\na material instrument the sun. He gave to the centre\\nof the solar system the qualities of illumination, and\\nfrom there the rays of light are diffused throughout\\nour planitary system. He employs, therefore, in the\\nphysical world a material instrument of His power.\\nCan He not do likewise in the world of human society\\nWho will set the limits of His power Or who will\\ndictate to Him what He must do He decrees that\\ncertain persons, priests of His Church, will have power\\nto light the soul of man and to dispel the darkness of\\nsin, and who will say to Him nay He is the Dispenses\\nof all power. The slander of the Scribes or the cant of\\nunbelievers neither can restrain His love nor annul His\\ndecrees.\\nIt is not, however, my intention to-day to enter into\\na theological disquisition on the Sacrament of Penance,\\nbut to awaken in your souls a true appreciation for this\\nbeneficent favor, that you may acknowledge the mercy\\nof God and apply to your souls the merits of Christ s\\nsufferings.\\nWhere is the Catholic who does not with a grateful\\nheart thank God for so great a blessing Where is the\\nCatholic who has not felt the soothing influence of this\\nbenign sacrament In the anguish of his heart he ap-\\nproached the holy tribunal. He departed with a light\\nheart and a tranquillized conscience. With what ardent\\nlove should every Catholic kneel to thank his Redeern-\\nerand Preserver I In the silence of his heart he pours\\nput his soul in thanksgiving to his constant Benefactor.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0311.jp2"}, "312": {"fulltext": "308 EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTEK PENTECOST.\\nHow many a heart has found tranquillity in confession?\\nHow many a shipwrecked soul has found here a calm\\nharbor What would Catholics do but for this sacra-\\nment? Baptism would be inefficacious to many. Num-\\nbers are contaminated by the leprosy of mortal sin.\\nWhere would they go for solace There would be\\nnone. Burdened with the disease of some mortal sin,\\nthey would live and die. No guaranty that their sins\\nwere ever pardoned. How miserable, how dejected\\nwould they live On their death-bed, the pains of sick-\\nness would be augmented by the torments of a guilty\\nconscience. No priest to assure them that their sins\\nwere forgiven and that the voice of their repentance had\\npenetrated the merciful heart of Jesus that His sacred\\nblood had purified their afflicted souls. Now how\\ndifferent. A man is taken down with sudden sickness.\\nHe sends for a priest. His great anxiety is to have a\\npriest. It is not for a doctor he cries. It is not his\\nbodily sufferings which alarm him. Oh, no. He might\\nnot have been a great sinner, but nevertheless he wants\\na priest. A priest arrives. The sick person breathes a\\nsigh of relief. He confesses his sins, promises if God\\nspare his life, to atone for his transgressions. The\\npriest bends over him, pronounces the sacred words of\\nabsolution, and in the place of his Divine Maker says\\nBe of good hearty My so?i, thy sms are forgiven thee What\\ntranquillity follows Who can estimate the wonder-\\nful works of God in this Sacrament of Reconciliation\\nHere the unbeliever, were he present, would acknowl-\\nedge the marvellous efficacy of God s grace here are\\nseen evidences of God s merc}^ here are proofs that\\nHis words were not spoken in vain when He empow-\\nered the Apostles to forgive sins Whose sins you\\nshall forgive they are forgiven, and whose sins you shall", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0312.jp2"}, "313": {"fulltext": "EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 309\\nretain they are retained! Here, too, are evidences that\\nthis power still abides in the Church of God.\\nThe confessional is the great barrier to sin, the\\nspiritual physician of society, the ark of refuge, the\\nregenerator of the social fabric. Society is wicked\\nenough but what would it be but for the confessional\\nWho would set limits to sin Who could retard its\\ncancerous growth None. The civil laws are not\\ncompetent to restrain it. They have not, for crime is\\nmultiplying. They cannot say to the conscience, be\\npure. They point not to God. They awaken no grand\\nideal. Their penalty is temporal punishment, and this\\nholds not the wretch in order. The Sacrament of\\nPenance, coming from God, having divine power, is\\nalone capable to drive back sin, the deadly foe of man-\\nkind sin which brings so much distress sin which\\ndisturbs the tranquillity of the soul, which produces so\\nmany disorders in parishes sin which fills the jails and\\npenitentiaries and erects our scaffolds sin which robs\\nthe soul, devastates the heart, and condemns to everlast-\\ning torments the transgressors, is conquered only by\\ndivine power in the Sacrament of Penance\\nOur Lord is still the Good Shepherd He still goes\\nafter the sinner and kindly brings him back. No\\ndoubt you have often observed a devout child. He\\nreceives the sacraments regularly and often. With\\nclasped hands he breathes the holy innocence of his\\nheart in gratitude to God. His soul is fertilized with\\nevery Christian virtue. How buoyant is his heart\\nHow holy his aspirations How noble his behavior\\nHe is truly a Catholic child Edifying to all and\\nbeloved by idolizing parents. He remains faithful to\\nGod until he is eighteen or twenty years of age but\\nhe has been gradually forming bad associations. Slowly", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0313.jp2"}, "314": {"fulltext": "310 EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\n^he leaves the path of true joy. Bad company is draw-\\ning him away. Repeatedly he looks back at the path\\nfrom which he is departing; but passions burn in his\\nbreast while his environments heap on new fuel. The\\nrworld with its false, decoying allurements, entices him\\nonward. He goes less frequently to confession. Slowly\\nGvery silken thread mooring him to the Sacred Heart\\nof Jesus is severed. He falls into mortal sin, becomes\\nreckless, and not seldom dissipated. His, indeed, is\\n-an awful fall. Jesus mourns his spiritual death, and his\\nparents are distracted. But our Saviour permits him to\\ngo on until he has drank from the stagnating pools of\\nsin. He is satiated, disgusted, disappointed. The\\nfascinations of sin proved to be only snares. The\\npleasures thereof only illusions. The joys, vexations\\nand the reward, decay. The soul once luxuriant^is\\nimpoverished. Amidst this devastation there is not a\\nsingle Christian virtue remaining all is a total waste,\\ncomplete spiritual ruin. His benign Redeemer whispers\\nto his conscience. He pauses, looks back, thinks of the\\ntime when he was truly happy when his young heart\\nwas unburdened with vice. His very soul weeps over\\nits great loss but .though desolate, he is not forgotten\\nHis Saviour speaks gently to him Son, be of good\\ncheer, I have not abandoned you. I have not forgotten\\nthose holy hours when you knelt before My altar in\\nprayer when your young soul worshipped Me so\\nardently when you loved Me with your whole heart\\nand aspired only to Me. I shall not remember your\\ntransgressions,\u00e2\u0080\u0094 they have given you enough of pain.\\nCome, put your hand into the wound in My side feel\\nthese wounds in My hands these are expressions of My\\nlove for you they tell you that you were never forsaken\\nby Me. Come, show yourself again to your priest and", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0314.jp2"}, "315": {"fulltext": "EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 3ll\\nvMy priest your sins will be pardoned none will listen\\n.but your confessor and Myself. Again these wounds\\nwill bleed for you and wash away your sins. The\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2sinner s heart yields his soul bursts through the con-\\nfines of sin The light of God s grace shines upon\\nthe barren waste The mercy of His Saviour has con-\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0quered The sinner is again redeemed His parents,\\nhis friends, yea, heaven rejoices as he leaves tlie confes-\\nsional once more a free man. He is not the same\\ninnocent child he was when he first went in pursuit of\\nsinful pleasure still his sins are cancelled, and he may\\nattain to greater Christian virtue than he ever possessed.\\nWithout this sacrament, how many would dare to\\napproach Holy Communion? A few may have pre-\\nserved baptismal innocence, but the vast majority have\\ndisrobed themselves of such purity. Behold the\\neconomy of your Saviour in establishing means for\\nyour regeneration He loves 3^ou He desires to live in\\nyour hearts, but sin debars him. Where sin is, He can-\\nnot dwell hence the Sacrament of Penance. And you\\nmay judge a Catholic quite prudently by his frequency\\nor delinquency in the reception of this sacrament.\\nWhen a Catholic goes not to confession when he tells\\nyou he is not yet prepared you may look out for him-\\nFor my part, I would not trust him there is something\\nwrong, something grievously wrong in him.\\nShould not, therefore, every Catholic thank God for\\ngiving him such a means of reconciliation and grace\\nOught we not, with our whole heart, with our whole\\nsoul, and with all our strength, render our gratitude to\\nHim With fervent prayer we should thank him that\\nwe are Catholics, and can consequently avail ourselves\\nof the works of His mercy. Pray often that Catholics\\nwho have abused this sacrament, who never go to con-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0315.jp2"}, "316": {"fulltext": "312 EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTEE PENTECOST.\\nfession, may repent of their follies and be converted\\nand for yourselves, do not insult Almighty God never,\\nby your indifference, abuse His favors. Prize this\\nremarkable proof of His beneficence toward you. We\\nbeg of you, O most Merciful Saviour, to teach us to\\nappreciate truly your benign compassion in the Sacra-\\nment of Penance we implore assistance that we may\\nnever make a bad confession we entreat You to bless\\nus at the end of life with an opportunity to confess our\\nsins and as the priest pronounces the words of\\nabsolution, may You, O benign Redeemer, whisper to\\nour poor agitated souls: Be of good hearty son thy\\nsins are forgiven theeJ", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0316.jp2"}, "317": {"fulltext": "NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER\\nPENTECOST.\\nThe kingdom of heaven is like to a man being a king^ who\\nmade a marriage for his son. (St. Math. xxii. 2.)\\nMy Dear Friends Our Divine Lord tells us in these\\nwords, of the marriage feast which His Eternal Father\\nmade for the human race. It was an illustrious feast,\\nthough involving a direful tragedy. It was the assuming\\nof a human body and a human soul by Jesus Himself\\nand the appalling tragedy was His death upon the\\nCross. The invitation had been extended through the\\nProphets of old, and also the Divine Son called them.\\nThe Jews were incredulous or disinterested. They re-\\nfused the invitation. Many of the King s servants having\\nbeen insulted, were put to death, and even the King s\\nSon was not spared. The King was angry. He de-\\nstroyed the murderers, and burned their city the fam-\\nous city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the conqueror,\\nand countless Jews perished during the siege of this\\nrenowned metropolis.\\nThe Jews had forsaken the ways of Almighy God.\\nThey were indifferent, as many Christians are in our day^\\nThey sought for earthly things. They were blind to\\ntheir true interests. Consequently they had no relish\\nfor the supernatural, nor any illuminated patience to\\n313", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0317.jp2"}, "318": {"fulltext": "314 NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nweigh the doctrines of the Messiah. They ignored His\\ninvitation and rejected His teachings. The servants,\\nhowever, persevered in fulfilling the orders of their\\nMaster. From the byways and the thoroughfares, from\\nthe nooks and remote parts, they induced the Gentiles to\\nenter the festive halls. All those who accepted the invi-\\ntation had faith in Jesus otherwise they would be de-\\nbarred from entrance but all had not on the wedding\\ngarment of charity, justice, and innocence. This class,\\ndeficient in the requisites for a true Christian, is repre-\\nsented in the Sacred Scriptures by one person. He is\\npunished for neglecting the virtues which should be the\\nornaments and glory of every Catholic.\\nJesus is the Son of the King Who prepared the mar-\\nriage feast for mankind. From the foundation of the\\nworld He had made arrangements for this feast. The\\nBlessed Virgin was predestined. Her pure soul untaint-\\ned by sin, and her chaste body animated by sublimest\\ngifts, were prepared to be the receptacle of the incar-\\nnated God. The time came for the marriage, and the\\nannouncement was made. What a sanctifying mar-\\nriage The marriage of Jesus to His spotless Church\\nThe marriage of Jesus to every willing heart A sacred\\nunion in which we are mystically united with the Son\\nof Mary, the Saviour of the world.\\nThe servants went forth to invite all to this nuptial\\ngathering. The Apostles and their delegates went into\\nevery thoroughfare, into every lane, every nook, and\\nexhorted, admonished, entreated, that all may partake\\nof the banquet. Many resisted stubbornly but the-\\nservants of Christ diligently labored. Burning with\\nzeal, no danger was so appalling, no risk of life too\\ndangerous, to retard them. After excessive toil, after\\nuntold sacrifices, they triumphed. People listened, and", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0318.jp2"}, "319": {"fulltext": "NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 315\\nwere converted\u00e2\u0080\u0094 were induced to accept the invitation/\\nTKe Rome of the Caesars became the Rome of Christ-\\nianity. Athens, the home of philosophy, embraced\\nthe teachings of the Child of Nazareth. Pagan erudition\\nbowed before the science of the Gospel. When once\\nconvinced, they accepted the invitation, and by means\\nof divine grace were united to Jesus and His Church.\\nThere were some of those also who had not on the\\nwedding garment. They had faith, still they did not\\nconform to the laws which this faith enjoined. These\\nhad not charity, nor that piety which decorates the soul\\nof a true Christian. In every age and nation many of\\nthis kind were to be found in the Church of God.\\nInstead of moulding the character of others by good\\nexample, they destroyed some, and prevented others,\\nfrom becoming guests at the feast. While they pro-\\nfessed faith in the Redeemer, they assaulted His\\ndoctrines or disobeyed His mandates. They knelt\\nbefore the altar only to disguise their criminality. The\\nbetter to succeed, they assumed the gravity of an anchor-\\nite, and blushed not at their vicious successes. They\\nwore without detection the mask of hypocrisy, until the\\nMaster s patience was exhausted then they were cast\\nout into exterior darkness. Whatever may be the con-\\ndition of a bad Catholic beyond the grave, he surely\\nsuffers here from the darkness into which he falls by\\nan unchristian life. He is enveloped nay, more, he is\\npermeated by darkness. Darkness settles upon him\\ndarkness in his intellect, darkness in his heart, dark-\\nness in every fibre of his being. Without the friendship\\nof God, the soul must indeed be dark and its vision\\nobscured. It has lost its polar star. The result is\\nconfusion and disorder. The mantle of protection has\\nfallen from his shoulders he is an outcast. It may", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0319.jp2"}, "320": {"fulltext": "316 NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nbe he still retains an air of superiority, but the light of\\nhis intellect is extinguished. There is one way by\\nwhich he can avoid eternal shipwreck, and that is by\\nreturning to his Church, kneeling at the feet of Jesus,\\nand with tears of repentance ask Him for the wedding\\ngarment of innocence.\\nNow, as you are aware, the Catholic Church is the\\nspouse of Jesus. The union existing between Jesus\\nand His Church will never be severed as long as time\\nendures. There will be no divorce, no separation.\\nShe has continued for nineteen centuries to invite\\nmultitudes to the feast prepared by her divine Bride-\\ngroom and His Eternal Father she will continue to\\ndo so as age after age sinks into the abyss of time.\\nMany have heeded the invitation many have rejected\\nher proposal. Some, there are, who belong to her,\\nbut they are wayward, headstrong, sinful. They\\npersist in wearing the garment of hell, though they\\nunderstand this is not the garb of a devout Catholic.\\nThey are wise in their conceits, but their conceits are\\nrepugnant to morality and religion. The day will\\ncome when the Master will visit them. They may not\\nhear his voice as He reprimands them but the punish-\\nment which they will suffer will be evidence of His\\nvisitation. Often had He spoken to their hearts often\\nhad He, in the person of His ministers, bade them\\nreflect on the text which I have read to you. He has\\nremonstrated with them in something of this manner\\nDo you imagine that drunkards will be allowed to\\nenter My eternal festive halls Do you think I shall\\ntolerate the presence of the adulterer, the fornicator,\\nthe oppressor of the poor, the tyrant, or the subject\\ntearing down legitimate government Do you think\\nI shall show mercy to those who had no mercy, or who", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0320.jp2"}, "321": {"fulltext": "NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 317\\nderided My justice No you must cast off the mantle\\nof iniquity and put on the robes of innocence, if you\\ndesire to be a guest at My feast.\\nSome commentators hold that the kingdom of God\\nmentioned in to day s Gospel, may be considered the\\nChurch militant on earth. The marriage feast also\\nrepresents the Church, into which all are invited but\\nmany refused, among them the Jews. Catholics who\\nhave not lost all faith, though they are vile, may\\nremain therein until the Bridegroom comes to examine\\nthe guests, until they are to render an account of their\\nbehavior during life. Then, indeed, those who are not\\nsuitably attired, will be handed over to the torturer.\\nWhatever difference of opinion may be fostered by\\nscholars, it is evident that in the Catholic Church Jesus\\nhas prepared a great feast. He not only invites, but\\nsolicits everyone to participate in this feast. One\\nthing is necessary it is that every guest must have on\\nthe wedding garment of purity. The feast It is\\nthe Holy Eucharist. In this great Banquet Jesus is\\nunited to the human recipient. A wonderful marriage\\nDivinity and humanity communicate with each other\\nSoul speaks to soul. The finite is the festive hall for\\nthe reception of the infinite The Divine humiliates\\nHimself the creature is exalted Pledges of friend-\\nship are given. Jesus is to be henceforth the Bride-\\ngroom of the soul. The soul will ever remain robed\\nin purity. It will never again be tainted by sin, nor\\nlack any good essential to its happiness. Ah, if such\\na union could always continue, how happy poor mortals\\nwould be It does not endure. Why Because of\\nthe perversity of our intentions. Mortal sin only can\\nbreak the bonds of friendship and some Catholics hesi-\\ntate not to rend asunder the golden strands of grace.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0321.jp2"}, "322": {"fulltext": "318 NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST,\\nA pity it is that they are so blunted by bad company\\nand its concomitant sins. How often the Church\\ninvites them, beseeches them, exhorts and encourages\\nthem to quit the haunts of immorahty. How reckless\\nthey are in obeying the voice of the Church Catholics\\nliving almost under the eaves of their Church, will not\\nhear Mass on Sunday, though they understand the\\nnature of the sacrifice offered. How un-Catholic is.their\\nown conduct How deaf to their own interests,\\nmaterial and sacred They will lounge in a saloon\\non Sunday, drinking and becoming drunk. Pagans\\ncould not presume to insult God more. Those weigh\\nthe sanctity of the Church and the sublime sacrifice\\nwith their beastly enjoyment, and, wonder of wonders\\nthey prefer degradation to sacredness. Great God\\nif they are not ashamed of their excesses, why do\\nthey not lament the cost of them the cost in money,\\nthe cost in the ruin of their family and themselves,\\nthe cost in the expulsion of the friendship of God\\nAvoid those indulgences which have ruin for their\\nreward. Set a good example to others. You may be,\\nyou can be, a life boat to many a poor human wreck.\\nBe brave in the rescue of others. If you save only one,\\nyou will certainly not be lost yourself. Ask God to\\ngive you the will and the way. On your death-bed, if\\nyou are conscious that you have introduced one with\\nthe wedding garment into the feast of Christ, your\\nsuffering will thereby be mitigated, your joy aug-\\nmented, and your hope secured", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0322.jp2"}, "323": {"fulltext": "TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER\\nPENTECOST.\\nUnless you see signs and wonders^ you believe not. St.\\nJohn iv. 48.\\nMy Dear Friends Our Divine Saviour reproves the\\nruler for his want of sufficient faith. Unless you see\\nsigns and wonders^ says Our Lord to him, you will not\\nbelieve! Continuing, Jesus said Go thy way thy son\\nlivethr The ruler believes His word but his faith is\\nimperfect until he learns from his servants that the\\nfever left him at the hour the Eternal Physician pro-\\nnounced the words, Thy son liveth. Then himself\\nand his whole household were confirmed in faith.\\nThis miracle teaches all mankind in every age, a sal-\\nutary lesson. It convinced the ruler of our Divine\\nMaster s power. It tells us in all our miseries to look to\\nheaven for comfort and relief. We should have confi-\\ndence in God, and believe the doctrine imparted to us by\\nHim and the Church which He established. Our unfal-\\ntering faith is pleasing to him and beneficial to us.\\nThe desire to see signs and wonders, is significant of\\nlack of faith. It is the absence of an unwavering trust in\\nthe God of mercy and goodness. He who loves Me will^\\nkeep My commandments He says. Such a person;\\nwill not be looking for wonders to convince him. He:\\n319", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0323.jp2"}, "324": {"fulltext": "320 TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTEB PENTECOST.\\nbelieves; it is sufficient for him that God has spoken.\\nIf he does delve into the secrets of Nature, it is only\\nto find out the marvellous works of God, so that the\\nEternal Architect may be more honored and glori-\\nfied by His people.\\nTo how many, in our day, could the reproach admin-\\nstered by our Saviour be applied People are forget-\\nful of God. Their ambition is to excel in commerce,\\nin politics, in wealth in anything except that for which\\nthey w^ere chiefly created. In the fever of their efforts,\\nthey burn for worldly advantages. They are consumed\\nwith the desire to obtain the perishable. They stand\\nin need of the heavenly Physician to touch their hearts,\\nto cool their burning thirst, and bid them look above\\nfor true happiness. Engrossed with the objects of their\\nambition, they strain every nerve to grasp the tempt-\\ning fruit of earthly renown. Sight of the noble ends of\\nlife is lost. Prosperity only gives rise to doubt in the\\nexistence of God. There are not signs and wonders to\\nprove to them that Providence still directs the universe.\\nIn order to attain to popularity, some may even seek\\nlarge audiences for the purpose of condemning the works\\nof God or denying His existence. The fault with these,\\nif they are sincere, is that unprejudiced search is not\\nmade by them for the wonders of God. The heavens\\nand the earth abound with such marvels. How great\\nare thy works, Lord Thou hast made all things in\\nwisdom the earth is filled with Thy richest These\\nwords of the Psalmist are verified by every student of\\nNature.\\nWe would say to them look around you study hon-\\nestly the wonders which God places before you for your\\ncontemplation. The marvellous things which you will\\nbehold are signs of God and His providence. The con-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0324.jp2"}, "325": {"fulltext": "TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 321\\nsideration of the wonderful operations of Nature will\\ngive a healthy tone to your thought will lift you above\\nyourself will subdue the fever s rage for wealth, for\\npower or position. Take a rose. You have enjoyed\\nits delightful perfume. Its delicate tints have no doubt\\nwon your admiration. Yea, its very presence may have\\nexpanded the heart, allayed sorrow, and given a peace-\\nful buoyance to your entire being. But study its per-\\nfume. Why does it differ from other vegetation?\\nWhence does it get this pleasing fragrance? How\\ndistilled Why do the sepals possess such soft tints\\nfading from one delicate color into another. You may\\nanswer that it is due to cultivation. But even granting\\nthis, what is there in the rose predisposing it to culture.\\nIs this delicac)^ of odor and color, earth Is it air\\nCan you combine both so as to produce the same\\neffects You cannot, for the God of Nature has\\nendowed the rose with a laboratory whose work sur-\\npasses the skill of man. Well has Our Lord said, that\\nSolomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like the lily\\nof the field. But whence does the rose obtain such a\\nprodigious faculty Does it receive it from the soil in\\nwhich it grows? Does it imbibe it from the atmosphere?\\nThe answer is no for, analyze the elements, and you will\\nfind that they do not possess it, and consequently can-\\nnot impart what they have not. Nature, you may say,\\nis the author let me ask did you ever see Nature\\nDid you ever apprehend her by any of your senses\\nIs she an eternal something Is she infinity in her\\ncapabilities boundless in her extension possessing\\nmatchless intelligence, and directress and preservatrix\\nof the universe. If you say she is, then you only call\\nby another name the Supreme Being Whom Catholics\\nadore as God. Should you maintain that Nature is a", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0325.jp2"}, "326": {"fulltext": "322 mVENTIETH SUNDAY AFTEll PENTECOST.\\nforce, then we ask, is it an intelligent force If you\\ndeny to it intelligence, you hold that an unintelligent\\nsomething governs the universe, and of course human\\nintelligence also. Such a position could be held by\\nno man of sound mind. For no being can impart\\nwhat he has not but here an unintelligent nature\\nwould be giving to man intelligence something which,\\naccording to the hypothesis, Nature does not possess.\\nBut the unbeliever in God may claim that Nature is\\nintelligent. A statement of this kind involves him in a\\nlabyrinth of difficulties. Without analyzing the asser-\\ntion, let us inquire Did you ever see, feel, smell, or\\ntaste an intelligence You did not and as you have\\nnot, why attribute intelligence to the force called\\nNature. But should we grant that Nature does possess\\nintelligence, then the question arises, did it always\\npossess intelligence? If not, then it must have received\\nit from another source if it always possessed intelli-\\ngence, then its intelligence is eternal, and therefore\\nGod.\\nBut enough of this. Consider the works of God in a\\ngeneral way, and what wonders you behold See the\\ngrass which you trample under feet. Who can explain\\nthe nature of its growth We look upon it as insig-\\nnificant but how mysterious is its formation The\\nshrubs, the trees all vegitation proclaims the wisdom\\nof God. If our minds soar to the stars, here again is\\na magnificent display of the Eternal Designer s power\\nmanifested. Lost in thought, we study the motions of\\nthe ponderous globes which illumine the beautiful\\nexpanse of the heavens. Pondering upon their position\\nand the forces by which they are controlled, we\\nexclaim Great are thy works, O God The heavens\\nand the earth are proofs of Thy greatness. Did man", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0326.jp2"}, "327": {"fulltext": "TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 323\\nstudy himself, he would behold the greatest and grand-\\nest wonder of all visible creation. Man, so wonderful\\nin organism, so incomprehensible in the faculties of his\\nsoul, is argument sufficient to demonstrate the exist-\\nence of the Supreme Intelligence.\\nWell directed study leads to God but prayer con-\\nsoles the heart, nourishes the soul, and unites us with\\nour Maker. A Catholic may examine, weigh, reflect,\\nand speculate upon mysteries natural and supernatural\\nstill after the mental excusions are over, he should rest\\nin the same secure faith which was the characteristic\\nmark of all celebrated Catholic writers. As a hunter\\nreturns home after the chase to warm himself at his own\\nhearth and be protected under his own roof from the\\nstorms of the night so the student should, after his\\nspeculations, be warmed by divine hope and protected\\nfrom the storms of doubt and difficulties by an ardent\\nfaith. It is only when the scholar is shielded by the\\narmor of faith that he can make the most beneficial\\ninvestigation in the realms of hidden knowledge. For\\nnow he can advance with security. He tosses aside\\nall doubts in matters of faith. What discoveries he\\nmakes, involve no contradiction therefore they at once\\nbecome a part of the sum of human science. Such\\nwas the method of the renowned Doctors of the Church.\\nThey saw the wisdom and power of God manifested in\\nall His works.\\nBacon has said A little philosophy makes unbe-\\nlievers, but much philosophy makes Christians. The\\nmore we analyze Nature, the more our soul arises to its\\nCreator. Our gratitude becomes greater, our love\\nincreases with our gratitude, until we bow in heartfelt\\nprayer, thanking Him for all His blessings. We should\\nimplore God that He may give us still greater powers", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0327.jp2"}, "328": {"fulltext": "324 TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nof intellect for the purpose of better knowing His\\nmarvellous works, and a heart to appreciate them. As\\nthe poet says, An honest man is the noblest work of\\nGod, therefore every Catholic ought to labor that his\\nlife may correspond to the teaching of the Church. If\\nit does not, then he is diseased. There is no true\\nspiritual health where moral defects exist. Health of\\nthe body is to be desired. Indeed, we make every effort\\nto regain it, if it be impaired. But the health of the soul\\nis of incomparably greater importance. Our Divine\\nLord said to the ruler. Thy soji liveth but to restore\\nhealth to the soul. He died upon the Cross. What is\\nmore pitiable than to see a person pretending to be a\\nCatholic, yet his conduct is disgraceful to a pagan\\nHe professes Catholicism, but his religion is grasping\\ngreed, his appetite for strong drink, or some other\\npassion which degrades noble human nature. Our\\nearnest prayer should be that God may heal our souls,\\nand that our hearts may burn with divine love, so that\\nat the end of life He may say to each of us Thou liveth\\nnot in body, but in soul not for time, but for eternity with\\nMe,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0328.jp2"}, "329": {"fulltext": "TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER\\nPENTECOST.\\nBut thai servant falling down^ besought him, saying Have\\npatience with me^ and I will pay thee all. (St. Math, xviii.\\nMy Dear Friends: Among the many useful lessons\\nwhich the Gospel for to-day imparts, is contrition, or\\nsorrow for sin. The poor servant is in a sad plight\\nHis master demands a settlement. The account shows\\nhim to be in debt to the amount of 10,000 talents. An\\nawful sum it is. He has not the means to liquidate\\nsuch an enormous debt. So he falls prostrated before\\nhis master, beseeching him to show mercy to his\\nservant. His supplication is not in vain. The good king\\nhas compassion., and forgives him all. But this servant\\nhas not the proper disposition for pardon. He is not\\npossessed of a great-hearted generosity. No love for his\\nmaster accentuates his motives, but fear of punishment\\nmakes him cringe for did he love the king, he would not\\nhave dared to abuse another servant of the same king.\\nWith cruel greed, he seizes his fellow-servant. There is\\nno pity there; no heart to melt into tenderness but mer-\\ncilessly he casts the poor debtor of lOO pence into prison.\\nThe fellow-servant s indebtedness was only a few dollars\\nhis comrade s was 10,000 talents, or over $15,000,000 of\\nour money.\\nIt is evident that this parable represents, in the per-\\n325", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0329.jp2"}, "330": {"fulltext": "326 TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nson of the king, Almighty God. His mercy is without\\nlimit. He is ever ready to pardon the sinner but\\nsome conditions are required. Our benign Saviour\\ngives us one in the continuation of this parable, when\\nHe describes the anger of the king and the condemna-\\ntion of the unjust servant, saying 5 shall My Hea-\\nvenly Father do to you if you forgive 7iot every one his\\nbrother from your hearts. Indeed, this seems a very\\nreasonable requisite for pardon. Why should a human\\ncreature ask forgiveness, if he be unwilling to cancel\\nthe wrongs perpetrated upon him by another. Does\\nGod owe him any personal favors? Can he ask and\\nreceive, but in turn be narrow of heart and unforgiving?\\nThus it is, however, with man. He seems to have a\\nmortgage on God s goodness; yet he is unmindful of the\\nentreaties of his fellow-servants.\\nWe may with unrestrained indignation condemn\\nthe unjust servant, consider him a flinty-hearted ras-\\ncal; still, are we much better? How often, on our knees,\\nin the presence of our Lord in the tabernacle, do we\\nsupplicate for mercy? But the very same day, perhaps\\nthe very same hour, we calumniate our neighbor. Do\\nwe mean to insult Almighty God by our conduct\\nHeaven forbid Our prayer, nevertheless, contained\\nnot the true spirit of a contrite heart or how could we\\nbe so unmindful of that disposition toward others, which\\nGod demands. It should be your earnest prayer that\\nGod may teach you to know yourselves and feel what\\nothers are. Were you conscious of all your own faults,\\nyou would not be so severe in judging others. Did\\nyou fully realize the immense debt that you owe God on\\naccount of sin, you would then be induced to shed tears\\nof repentance. Your contrition would have all the\\nrequisites of true sorrow.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0330.jp2"}, "331": {"fulltext": "TWENTY-PIEST SUNDAY AFTEli PENTECOST. 327\\nSometimes a pang of remorse may disturb someone s\\nconscience. Like the unjust servant, his sorrow may\\nspring from dreaded punishment. But remorse is not\\ncontrition. A friend whom you have injured, dies.\\nHis last words were declarations of your worth. You\\nhad misjudged him. He was your friend. You had\\nmistaken him for an enemy. You now know the\\ntruth, and the truth fills you with remorse. You de-\\nplore your rashness still there is no consideration for\\nthe offense given to God by your trespasses against\\nyour neighbor. The grief is not the contrition re-\\nquired in the Sacrament of Penance. Fear of the\\npunishment of hell is sufficient for imperfect contrition.\\nBut how ignoble is such sorrow. God is sinned against.\\nThe Creator and Lord of heaven and earth has been\\ninsulted, yet the penitent regards not the majesty of\\nthe One offended, but selfishly considers his own loss.\\nCan a Catholic be so forgetful of God s benificence, so\\nungrateful to his greatest Benefactor, so blunt to every\\nnoble emotion, as not to implore first God s pardon\\nwith the most profound feelings of compunction The\\npenalty may be terrible, but a magnanimous heart\\nwould certainly experience more pain from the thought\\nthat he had broken the chains of divine friendship than\\nthe punishment which his transgressions entail. A pious\\nCatholic, if he has had the misfortune to commit sin,\\nwill first think of his ingratitude toward his Maker, his\\ntruest Friend.\\nThe penitent must be sorry for all the mortal sins\\ncommitted since his last worthy confession. Indeed, we\\nmay add, his venial sins, too. For any violation of\\nheaven s law should awaken in the transgressor s heart\\nthe deepest sentiments of grief. Think of the Being\\noffended and the one offending, and is not this rea-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0331.jp2"}, "332": {"fulltext": "328 TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nson sufficient that we should bewail even the smallest sin,\\nall the days of our life? Then ponder upon the mercy\\nof God. All He asks is that the penitent will return and\\nseek forgiveness with a humble and sorrowful heart.\\nAh! would many of us be so lenient toward those whose\\nungratefulness we have felt Would you thus kindly\\nand compassionately hold out so many loving induce-\\nments for a renewal of friendship Would you go in\\nquest of the ingiate as the Good Shepherd goes after\\nthe sheep which is lost? The unjust servant s debt was\\nso great he could never pay it. This debt is nothing\\nelse only mortal sin. An eternity of punishment is\\nthe sentence. He prostrates himself and entreats his\\nKing to have pity upon him. What is the consequence?\\nNot only patience is shown by the King, but He has\\ncompassion on the servant, and forgives all. Let us in\\nour hearts kneel before the Sovereign Majesty of God\\nand deplore all our sins not only those committed since\\nour last confession, but every sin of our lives. From\\nthe same fountain of feeling, let us supplicate God to\\nbe merciful toward us and obliterate all our trans-\\ngressions.\\nThere is no misfortune so great as that of sin.\\nTroubles, trials, failures may strew our path with thorns\\nand cause the heart to ache, but these are incomparable\\nwith sin. They are often for our good. Adversity\\npurifies. From its gloomy mist arises blessings bless_\\nings which train both the heart and intellect for grand\\nachievement which expand our view of things which\\nbring forth the purest feelings of sympathy from the\\ndeepest springs of the human heart. Not thus with sin.\\nIt poisons, where affliction only sweetens. It banishes\\nGod s grace from our heart. Trials are the milestones on\\nthe way to heaven. Sin diseases soul and body mis-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0332.jp2"}, "333": {"fulltext": "TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 329\\nfortunes well borne are the precious material from\\nwhich heavenly crowns are fashioned. Sin is the only\\ncurse, the only calamity which degrades us. Sin robs\\nus of God s friendship, and makes us rebels to heaven.\\nIt should, therefore, be detested more than all other\\nafflictions of life. From these often come magnificent\\nrewards from that, nothing except the anger of heaven.\\nThat the sinner has offended God, should be the only\\nreason for his sorrow that he has brought upon himself\\ncondign punishment, ought to be of secondary consider-\\nation.\\nContrition should not be only expressed by the\\nlips, nor is it necessary to manifest our sorrow by\\nappearances but it is essential that our grief should\\ncome from the heart. If tears forbidden rise, they may\\nbe indicators of sorrow s pangs within. They are, how-\\never, dispensable. The keenest contrition has often no\\ntears at all. A formal recital of words, commonly called\\nan act of contrition, is not necessary. The heart of the\\npenitent must feel the sorrow, and he must resolve to\\navoid sin in the future and the occasions thereof. The\\npenitent, in the humility of his heart, regrets his fall is\\ngrieved because he was enticed by the alluring charms\\nof sin from the Source of all good. He confesses his\\ningratitude toward heaven, and feels the low depths to\\nwhich sin has dragged him. In sadness of heart he\\nturns his eyes toward his Benefactor and prays O\\nLord have compassion on me. My debt is enormous.\\nI can never repay You for the graces I have squandered\\nbut Your mercy is above Your works Pardon me, a\\nsinner. Father, earnestly I implore The shackles of\\nsin fall from the poor penitent s soul. He is cleansed\\nby the merits of his Saviour s passion and death. He is\\nonce more a child of heaven. Angels might well have", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0333.jp2"}, "334": {"fulltext": "330 TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nstood in awe while the priest pronounces the words of ab-\\nsolution and the penitent bows his head in silent sorrow.\\nBy this special power given by Our Lord to His Church,\\nthe sinner is again robed in the garment of innocence.\\nAnd what was the sacrifice demanded from the trans-\\ngressor in order that the merits of Jesus may be\\napplied to his soul? Simply, go show yourself to the\\npriest, and be sorry for your transgressions of My law.\\nWhat wonderful rewards for so small a labor Purity of\\nheart and soul returns The awful penalty to be\\nimposed in eternity is obliterated\\nHow marvellous are the ways of God What remedies\\nhe has prepared for frail human nature Let us be\\nthankful to Him that we are Catholics and have such\\nextraordinary means of salvation. Every Catholic\\nshould daily ask God not to abandon him if he fall\\ninto the meshes of sin, but to give him the grace of\\nrepentance. Be not like the unjust servant spoken of\\nin the Gospel of to-da}^ but show your appreciation\\nof God s goodness by forgiving all others from your\\nheart. By thus acting, God will have compassion on\\nyou during life and when the soul stands trembling\\non the verge of eternity when the last account is to be\\ntaken of every action of your lives, He will be merciful\\ntoward you, for you have shown mercy to others,\\nAs y Oil meted out, so it shall be jneted luito you!", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0334.jp2"}, "335": {"fulltext": "TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER\\nPENTECOST.\\nRender to Ccesai the things which are C(2sar s^ and to God\\nthe thi7igs that are God s (St. Math. xxii. 21.)\\nMy Dear Friends The Gospel just read relates, as\\nyou have observed, that the Pharisees sought to ensnare\\nour Divine Lord in speech. For this purpose they send\\ntheir disciples with someof the Herodians. These be-\\ngin by flattery. Their intention is to draw forth a\\nfrank, independent answer from our Saviour. They\\nimagine that in whatever way He will reply. He will\\ninvolve Himself in a trap. Should He say thatit was\\nlawful to render tribute to Caesar, then the Jews would\\nclamor against Him for they maintain they were the\\nchosen people of God, and therefore obliged to pay\\ntaxes to no foreign ruler. On the other hand, did He dis-\\ncountenance the paying of tribute to Caesar, He would\\nmake Rome His enemy. In both cases He would give\\nan opportunity to the Jews to incite the populace\\nagainst Him. It is easily seen that it was not the love\\nof their country which actuated them, but a desire to\\nmake Jesus a rebel in the eyes of the Herodians, or a\\ntraitor to Jewish traditions. Our Saviour knowing their\\nthoughts, asks for a coin. Whose image is this? He\\ninquires. The answer was It is Caesar s. They\\n331", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0335.jp2"}, "336": {"fulltext": "332 TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nthus admitted that he was their ruler. Then says Jesus\\nRerider to Ccesar the things which are CcEsar s, and to\\nGod the things that are God s! Be just, He says to\\nthem, and give to everyone what is his, and do not\\nallowed your malice and guile to have you forget that\\nthere is a God to whom you must render an account.\\nRender to Ccesar the things that are Ccesar s^ im-\\nplies that we should ever be steadfast in the support\\nof our government that our allegiance should always\\nbe loyal, and that we should be faithful, obedient citi-\\nzens. But while all this is legitimate, we must never\\nforget the honor, obedience, and homage due the Su-\\npreme Ruler of heaven and earth. Often have soldiers\\ndied in the defense of their king s honor. They rejoiced\\nin such a death. The presence of their king inspired them\\nwith the greatest bravery. To fall mortally wounded,\\nwhile their king s eyes were upon them, was a glory for\\nwhich they died. Who was this king, we may seek to\\nknow A man whose ambition or injustice compelled\\nhim to battle. Who had no regard for the lives of his\\nbrave soldiers only inasmuch as they would assist him\\nin grasping the object of his ambitious desires or inflict-\\ning the venom of his wrath. If men will show such\\nhonor and obedience to an earthly ruler, what should be\\ntheir willingness to honor Almighty God. He is a\\nFather to all mankind. In return. He asks the love of\\naffectionate children. Should we not be happy in the\\nknowledge that we have such a father? He does not\\nrepresent Himself as a tyrant but He is our most faith-\\nful Friend, our constant Benefactor, and our unchange-\\nable Adviser. We should honor Him, in the first place,\\nbecause He is God. His perfections, if we only reflect,\\nmust necessarily lead us to love and honor Him. You\\nadmire a beautiful summer morning. The glorious sun-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0336.jp2"}, "337": {"fulltext": "TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 333\\nset illumining hill and vale the balmy, cooling atmo-\\nsphere of the evening also elicit your admiration. The\\nenrapturing offsprings of genius the statue and the\\npainting, draw forth the expressions, How lovely\\nHow magnificent What a grand conception Ra-\\ntional beings love one another on account of friendship,\\naffection, or kindness. But all the perfections of man\\nand Nature have their source in God. He is the Author\\nof every noble, human attribute, whether of mind or\\nbody. The star-decked heavens, with all their splendors,\\nare the work of Omnipotence. Everything of beauty\\nand awe, everything of power and wisdom, everything\\nsmall and great, owe to Him their origin and perfec-\\ntion. For as St. Paul says What have we that\\nwe did not receive Is not this perfect Being, the\\nArchitect and Builder of the universe, deserving of the\\nhomaa;e and love of His creatures If our hearts and\\nsouls are drawn irresistibly to the idols of human perfec-\\ntion, how our whole being should be centred and live in\\nthe God of all perfection. If the beauties of night and\\nthe glories of day expand the heart with emotion, how\\nthe soul should well forth in the loftiest praise to the\\nCreator of all this munificence. If you appreciate\\npower, behold Almighty God calling forth the universe\\nfrom the abyss of nothing. If you admire wisdom,\\nponder upon the tremendous volume of the stars, their\\nnice adjustment, their accurate movements. Do you\\nesteem justice that impartial attribute so difficult to\\ndiscover in the judges of this world then honor the God\\nof justice. Who will render to every one according to\\nhis works. Do you love the merciful and the good,\\nthen turn your eyes, brimming with love and thanks-\\ngiving, to the Giver of all, and in your prayer of love\\nremember the Saviour crucified for you.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0337.jp2"}, "338": {"fulltext": "334 TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nThese are some reasons why we should revere God.\\nTo these we may add this first and most solemn Com-\\nmandment to Moses and all posterity thereafter\\nam the Lord Thy God, thou slialt have ?io strange gods\\nbefore Me y etc. In His injunction to Adam and Eve, He\\ndemanded obedience You shall ?iot eat of that tree. On\\nMount Sinai He formulated a more explicit command\\nlam the Loydthy God. To Me and to Me only do you owe\\nadoration. You shall not make a graven thing nor the\\nlikeness of any thing that is in the Heavens above or in\\nthe water under the earth. You shall not adore them\\nnor serve them. Thou shall not make wealth your God.\\nThou shalt not fall down before the idol of your ambi-\\ntion. Thou shalt adore neither lust, nor avarice, nor\\nfame, nor distinction Me only shalt thou adore and\\nserve.\\nA deliberate violation of this command brings upon\\nthe transgressor an awful punishment. He dares to\\ndefy heaven. He spurns the perfections of the All-\\npowerful One. He is ungrateful for the mercies shown\\nhim and the blessings showered upon him. He adores\\nand serves false gods, incurring thereby the lament-\\nable consequences. Although the heavens and the earth\\nproclaim the glories of God, man sometimes fails to\\nunite his praises with those of inanimate nature. He\\nperceives not that his discordance injures no person\\nexcept himself for man attains his highest development\\nby serving his Creator. Such service makes him a true\\nnobleman. It is a shield against dishonor or disgrace.\\nBeing God s friend, he cannot be a slave to the caprices\\nof his passions or the passions of others. He disdains\\nthe mean and the sordid. -Virtue protects the purity\\nof his heart, while it enlightens and directs his intellect.\\nThe commandments of God are so many guardian angels", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0338.jp2"}, "339": {"fulltext": "TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AETEE PENTECOST. 335\\npreserving him in the performance of his labors. He\\nshrinks from doing an injury to his enemy, and esteems\\nhis manhood more than gold, office, or power. This\\nservice endows his character with the noblest attributes\\nof man. Be he poor or rich, influential or otherwise, he\\nis happier and more successful for his fidelity to his\\nGod. Be true to yourself, says Shakespeare, and\\nit follows as night the day, you cannot do wrong to\\nanyone. But a person is only true to himself when he\\nis true to his God. While he is true to God, it is as sure\\nas the sun rose this morning, that he cannot do an act\\nof injustice to any person. Yea, more; he is a benefactor\\nof the human race so far as he is able. Should he be\\ninfluential, his achievements will be notable for their\\nhonesty and brilliancy. They will merit and receive\\nthe approbation of his fellow-men, because they have\\nbeen approved by heaven. His days on earth will be\\nblessed, and he will be remembered for his justice,\\ncharity, and other Godlike deeds.\\nYou need not be told more to convince you that it is\\nprofitable for you to render to God the things that are\\nHis. But as an incentive to greater effort, study the\\nman s conduct who refuses to honor and serve his Divine\\nMaster. He may be shrewd. He may be a money-\\nmaker. He may obtain some popularity; but it is the\\npopularity which coxcombs give for their own benefit.\\nHe expires without honor, and the world is worse in-\\nstead of better for his living. Where is the unfortunate\\noutcast whom he has befriended Where is the or-\\nphan whose tears he has transformed to joys Oh\\nhe had no time for such. But were we to ask, where\\nare the ones he has wronged and ruined, a voice may\\nsay, their cries have risen to Me for vengeance. He\\nhas not been true to himself, nor to God, nor to anyone", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0339.jp2"}, "340": {"fulltext": "336 TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nelse. He has strained every nerve to ascend to the sum-\\nmit of his ambition. His ladder is built from the\\nwreck which he caused. He reaches his goal, grasps the\\nglittering object when he feels the Angel of Death.\\nWhat has he gained The curses of the poor, the\\nhungry, and the wronged, are the requiems chanted\\nfor his departing soul. What has he earned by his\\ndisobedience to God A restless, feverish life, a\\nmiserable death.\\nWhich course will you pursue The one, which\\nbrings maledictions upon your head or the other,\\nwhich crowns you on earth with the gratitude of your\\nfellow-men, and in eternity with the reward of your\\nhonorable labors The choice lies before you. It is\\nfor you to choose. The one will bestow blessings here\\nand rewards hereafter the other affords nothing but\\ntorments in time and in eternity. Render then to God\\nwhat belongs to Him. In order that you may better\\ndo this, He promises an endless reward. Caesar may\\nbestow some compensation for your loyalty to him\\nstill, should you be thus favored, remember, the pen-\\nsion he gives is transitory. Again bear in mind there\\nis no incompatibility between the honor due to God\\nand that owed to Caesar. By preserving your alle-\\ngiance to the latter, intact, you also do the work of\\nthe King of kings. But if we serve our ruler only for\\nthe remunerations given, we certainly act an ignoble\\npart. Do you love your country more than you do\\nyour lives, you are patriots deserving the veneration\\nof every loyal people. Yet here it must be admitted\\nthat your fidelity to God is of incomparably more im-\\nportance to you. You must be patriotic citizens, if\\nyou serve God but you may be faithful to your coun-\\ntry and be infidels to God. The honor and glory due to", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0340.jp2"}, "341": {"fulltext": "TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 337\\nGod transcend every act of respect shown to temporal\\nrulers as much as the Former is superior to the latter.\\nRulers may forget your service. In the hour of mis-\\nfortune, they may despise you. It is well, therefore,\\nto cherish the words which Shakespeare puts in the\\nmouth of Woolsey Had I served my God with one-\\nhalf the zeal I have served my king, He would not in\\nmv old age have left me naked to my enemies.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0341.jp2"}, "342": {"fulltext": "TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER\\nPENTECOST.\\nAnd they laugh at Him. (St. Math. ix. 24.)\\nMy Dear Friends Among the many things which\\nthe Gospel for this Sunday imparts, is a useful lesson\\nto the scoffer. The same cause which induced the\\ncrowd to laugh at our Divine Lord, still exists. What\\nis it The answer is apparent. Ignorance is its cause.\\nPersons not understanding the nature of some phenom-\\nena will scoff at the idea of anybody attempting an\\nexplanation of them or, if what transpires in their\\npresence is not pleasing to their whimsical taste, it is\\nridiculed. Nor is the scoffer a development of modern\\ntimes. You have already observed that he made him-\\nself conspicuous about two thousand years ago, when\\nJesus went to the Ruler s house. Of course they knew\\nthat the girl was dead, and for anyone to say she only\\nslept, was to them senseless. Their ignorance, how-\\never, was in fault. They knew not the Divine Person\\nWho stood in their midst.\\nThe Holy Scriptures, in speaking of the dead, often\\nsay they are only sleeping sleeping until the resurrec-\\ntion day, when all will be recalled to life. Although\\nthe girl was dead in the ordinary acceptation of the term,\\nshe was not absolutely dead so that she could not be\\nrestored to life by divine power, as St. Jerome and", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0342.jp2"}, "343": {"fulltext": "TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 339\\nother commentators remark. And in her case as in\\nthat of all those who have been summoned to return to\\nthe living, the sentence passed immediately after death\\nwas suspended. This was an opportunity for Jesus to\\nprove His divinity. The death of the Ruler s daughter\\nwas a means of promulgating the doctrine and power\\nof Christ, the fame hereof went abroad i?ito all that coun-\\ntry and her restoration to life is a stinging rebuke\\nto all scoffers.\\nYou have, no doubt, observed how some gibers ridicule\\nthe defects of others or what they, in their smartness,\\nconsider defects. They laugh at others, and amuse\\ntheir friends and themselves by mimicking what their\\nfastidious judgment espies. They can, as Dryden says,\\nThe walk, the words, the gestures, could supply,\\nThe habit mimic and the mien belie.\\nIf a person s nose is not just according to their\\nnotion, they must find fault and ridicule. If the mouth\\nhas not the proportions which their acute idea of\\nbeauty demands, the possessor suffers jibes at their\\ndiscretion. If the eyes are not orbs of brilliancy and\\nperfection, woe be to the poor unfortunate if he come\\nunder the lash of their tongues. If the young or aged\\nhave some defect in gait or speech, these connoisseurs\\nmust scoff, ridicule, and laugh. They are idlers who\\nwaste the precious time given them by Almighty God, in\\ndescrying the imperfections of their neighbors. They\\nare usually a worthless set of scoffers who consider\\ntheir judgments perfect and their persons without\\nfault. Themselves and their listless, lazy mode of\\nliving are the best censures which can be administered\\nto them. The most curious part of the whole affair is\\nthat they seldom note their own defects. It is strange,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0343.jp2"}, "344": {"fulltext": "340 TWENTY-THIBD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nvery strange, that we should have any scoffer for of\\nall persons, the scoffer is the most exposed to derision.\\nYou never saw an intelligent well-formed man or\\nwoman ridicule anyone. A wise person would not do\\nit, because wisdom and ignorance are antagonistic, and\\nignorance is the mother of scoffing, derision, and the\\nlike.\\nIt requires not the eye of a sage to detect scorn in\\nthe language of those whose ignorance did not allow\\nthem to see what distinguished inventors and discoverers\\nat once saw and understood. When Columbus intro-\\nduced his geographical faith among unbelievers, he\\nmet with scorn and derision. The scoffer called him an\\nimaginative being one demented, a visionary adven-\\nturer. Any theory or plan colliding with that of the\\nscoffer s must consequently be insane, foolish, and chi-\\nmerical. But what was the cause Ignorance ignorant\\nconceit prevented them from giving any topic its due\\nconsideration. The renowned discoverer bade the New\\nWorld to arise from its death-like sleep into new life, and\\ngave it to mankind in all the health and richness of her\\npristine glory. He was the seer and not the scoffer.\\nMankind will ever remember him with undiminished\\ngratitude. Centuries before, when Bacon, the monk,\\nmade his great inventions, shallow-hearted men not only\\nrefrained from praise, but snarled at the productions of\\ngenius. Centuries after the great navigator, Galileo, was\\nlaughed at because he dared to maintain the theory of\\nthe motions of the earth. His critics had more derision\\nthan brains. Posterit}^ with grateful remembrance, ap-\\nplauds him and the friends who assisted him with money,\\nas well as encouraged him by their fidelity.\\nWhen the Colonists argued they should not be taxed\\nwithout representation in British Parliament, they were", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0344.jp2"}, "345": {"fulltext": "TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 341\\nnot only derided by their enemies, but were called reb-\\nels. Jeers were to be enforced by the cannon s mouth.\\nScorn and ridicule were belched forth at the poor,\\nsuppliant British subjects on this side of the Atlantic.\\nEngland inflamed by her own ignorance, foresaw not\\nthe terrible retribution she was preparing for herself.\\nThe threatening clouds of war burst, drenching Great\\nBritain with the gory results of her own ignorance.\\nNeither jeer nor scorn, neither the scoffer nor eight\\nyears of bloody struggle, was sufficient to conquer a\\npeople who understood their rights and determined\\nto maintain them. From the scoffing multitude arose\\na free country.\\nWhile the scoffer is seen in every field of human\\nendeavor, it is in affairs of religion he appears most con-\\nspicuous. Of course he knows everything. Being thus\\nqualified, he is as capable to assign a man a creed as he\\nis ready to disdain a man who may have the honesty to\\ndiffer with him. The Presbyterian derides the Metho-\\ndist the Methodist the Presbyterian. The Baptist\\nridicules both and these in concert with all other\\ndenominations, rail at the Catholic Church. The reason,\\nyou ask Again my answer is, ignorance is the\\ncause. To be sure, our Protestant friends know more\\nabout the Catholic religion than Catholics know. Cath-\\nolics are a lamentable set of benighted fools. Our\\nfriends, in the broad sympathy of their hearts, pity us\\ndown-trodden, superstitious, idolatrous subjects of\\nRome. The abominations of the confessional are clearly\\nunderstood by them. The Sacrifice of the Altar is con-\\ndemned as barbarous. The crafty priest is at last placed\\nunder the glare of their search-light and all his wicked-\\nness exposed. Is it not sad that people should be thus\\nso stupified by ignorance as to make such assertions", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0345.jp2"}, "346": {"fulltext": "342 TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nWhy do they not study our religion from our stand-\\npoint Why be misled v/hile they imagine themselves\\nso wise Disrobe yourselves, we say to those, from all\\npredjudice and bigotry. Give the subject the honest\\nexamination it deserves, and your derision will be con-\\nverted into praise for the old Church.\\nProtestants, as a class, are fair-minded, candid, im-\\npartial in the things which they understand. It is in\\nreligious matters they make grave mistakes. Did they\\nknow better, they would shrink from doing so much\\ninjustice to the Catholic religion. When you speak with\\nsome of them, as we have done, you will discover their\\nlonging to learn more of Catholics and the Catholic\\nreligion. The frank, honest manner in which they will\\ntell you they knew not better, will win your confidence\\nas well as your admiration. There will be no quibble\\nin their acknowledgment of ignorance. The A. P. A.\\n(American Protective Association so called) and the\\nJunior Order of American Mechanics are composed of\\nfanatics who should not be numbered among respectable,\\nbroad-souled Protestants. But even these associations\\nbanded together to injure their fellow-men, are due to\\nignorance. In the oath taken by them, they solemnly\\nswear in the presence of their God, to do all in their\\npowerto prevent the election of a Catholic. Yea, more\\nthe oath obliges them to oppose everyone who is kindly\\ndisposed toward Catholics, and never to employ a Cath-\\nolic in an) business if any other person can be found\\nto fill the position. The avowed purpose of these des-\\npicable organizations is to ostracize Catholics from the\\nsocial, political, and commercial world. They would\\nhave us understand, they are patriotic. Yet their con-\\nduct is neither patriotic nor honest, nor according\\nto the spirit of our Constitution. Such patriotism is", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0346.jp2"}, "347": {"fulltext": "TWENTY-THIRD 8UNDAY AFTER JPENTECOST. H4:S\\ntyranny such fidelity to the laws of our country is\\nrebellion such abolition of equitable principles is de-\\nstructive to enterprise, retards progress, begets religious\\nrancor, and is inconsistent with the supreme law, whose\\nAuthor is God.\\nNow, while we condemn the scoffer, we ought to be\\ncareful to avoid becoming such ourselves. A Catholic\\nshould entertain views broad and honorable. While he\\npardons the ignorance of others, he must be careful\\nnot to indulge in the very same defects. But how often\\nare some Catholics lacking in the high-minded, noble-\\nsouled principles which they admire in others. How\\nmany a Catholic sets a pernicious example not only to\\nProtestants, but also to other Catholics. He, too, scoffs\\nat things he does not comprehend. If we consider prej-\\nudice or bigotry offensive in others, let us dissipate the\\nsame from our own hearts. To be Catholics we ought\\nto be synonymous with everything pure and impartial.\\nStill Catholics will stoop to do the meanest of acts.\\nRegardless of everything sacred, he will sometimes\\npromise, and in the v^ery act of promising will intend to\\ndo the contrary. He will attend Mass, and the very same\\nda}% perhaps, the very same hour, injure or try to injure\\nhis neighbor. His own selfish greed will drive him to\\nengage in transactions of which any honest man would\\nbe ashamed. Have you not seen such Catholics But\\nyou know that religion is not the cause. No, no it\\nis ignorance. And these will ridicule a Catholic\\nliving in accordance with the divine precepts of his\\nChurch. In their own conceits they think they are\\nsmart, but they mistake ignorance for ability. A mal-\\nicious liar or a scoffer you should spurn as a monstrosity\\nof human nature. Keep away from his company he\\nis a degraded mass of human corruption. Teach him", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0347.jp2"}, "348": {"fulltext": "344 TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nthat you despise his low, cunning, and debased character.\\nBy so doing, your conduct will not be unchristian,\\nbecause he will learn thereby that his duplicity is\\ncontemptible and his scoffing disgraceful.\\nMuch of the reproach heaped upon the Church is the\\nresult of Catholics without principle and without charity.\\nIn all the affairs of life, our ambition must be to excel\\nin what is good and virtuous, if we would dispel the clouds\\nof prejudice hanging around us. Let us learn this\\nlesson from the Gospel never to despise anyone, not to\\nderide where we do not understand not to laugh at the\\nlowly but to stand upon the unchangeable foundations\\nof charity to all men. Sincere we should be in our con-\\nvictions and faithful in their performance. Then you\\nwill be pleasing to your heavenly Father, and in the last\\nmoments of your life He will extend the paternal hand\\nof His affections to you. You shall rise not to renewed\\ntemporal life, but to that life which is everlasting.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0348.jp2"}, "349": {"fulltext": "LAST SUNDAY AFTER PFNTECOST.\\nAnd then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven.\\n(St. Maih. xxiv.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 30.)\\nMy Dear Friends: The General Judgment will be an\\nevent of awful import to the human race. Any trial\\nis troublesome. When you have a lawsuit, you are\\nanxious for a decision favorable to yourselves. You\\nmake every preparation, you leave nothing undone\\nwhich may jeopardize your cause. On the day of\\ntrial you are feverish with anxiety and excitement,\\nlest the case may be declared against you. But in the\\nlast trial, during which the Son of God will sit in judg-\\nment, there are involved decisions of the greatest im-\\nportance. Whether you consider the vast number of\\npersons concerned, the appalling consequences, or the\\neternal reward, you cannot find anything comparable\\nto the General Judgment. Upon that decision depends\\neverlasting misery, or endless happiness ceaseless\\ntears, or incessant joys a life with Jesus forever, or\\na continuous privation of the presence of God. A\\nskeptic may say Oh, this idea of a General Judgment\\nis all bosh. I don^t believe anything of the kind.\\nTime and again people have deceived themselves about\\nthis same topic. They imagined the end of the world\\nnear at hand. Some prophesied the day, but it came\\nnot. Away with the notion\\n345", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0349.jp2"}, "350": {"fulltext": "346 LAST SUNDAY AFTER I ENTECOST.\\nYou must not, my Christian friends, overlook the fact\\nthat the Son of God has foretold the Judgment, and He\\nsays in this very chapter: The heavens a?id the earth\\nwill pass away, but My words shall not pass azvay!\\nWhich shall you believe; upon which will you rely our\\nSaviour, or a scoffer Moreover, while Noe was building-\\nthe ark according to the command of God, undoubtedly\\npeople were amazed at his work, and thought him fool-\\nish for constructing such a huge refuge from temporal\\ndangers. They must have laughed at the notion. The\\nwhole earth to be destroyed, together with every living\\nthing, except this insane builder and his family and the\\nanimals sheltered in the ark. This vast building to\\nfloat on the waters, to rise above the highest mountains.\\nWhy, where would all this water come from? Such, my\\ndear friends, we may suppose were the remarks made\\nby the unbelievers in the days of Noe. Indeed, the re-\\nmarks upon this occasion were probably more rash and\\nfoolish than anything we could imagine. But the flood\\ncame as God had predicted, and the wicked were con-\\nsumed in the angry waters. Thus also the General\\nJudgment will come, although many may consider it a\\nmyth. As sure as you and I are here to-night, we shall\\nstand in the presence of the Son of God to receive the\\nsentence of condemnation, or the reward of heaven.\\nAnd what an awful spectacle of black despair and of\\nsublime glory will commingle in that scene.\\nThe angels of the Lord will go forth with a great\\ntrumpet to summon the elect from the four winds,\\nfrom the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost\\nbounds of them. What a stupendous gathering of peo-\\nple shall be there! How various in form, how different in\\nsoul All the great ones of the earth the kings and\\nrulers of every age and nation, the scholar of every clime,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0350.jp2"}, "351": {"fulltext": "LAST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 347\\npope and priest, rich and poor, all will there be collect-\\ned. For what For judgment The monarch at\\nwhose beck millions bowed, will be present. But\\nwhere is the blaze of royalty? He is alone. No richly\\ndecorated retinue attends him. The crown and the\\nthrone are absent. His wnll was mighty. He was a\\ngod on earth but there he stands as humbled as the\\nhumblest. The beggar is as great as he, perhaps\\ngreater; for all that elevates a person then are his good\\nworks. His head is not bedecked with the diadem,\\nbut visible upon his brow are all the acts of tyranny,\\ndebauchery, and cruelty of his infamous reign. The\\nrights of his subjects were considered as naught. He\\nspoke, and they trembled he rebuked, and they suffered\\nimprisonment or death. He fancied there was none\\nso great as he but now behold him, shorn of his pomp\\nand power How low, how disregarded In the pres-\\nence of his God, he sinks into insignificance. His con-\\ndition is shared by all those who were mighty or ruled,\\nbut who abused their power or governed with haughti-\\nness and injustice.\\nIn that vast throng, where are the cruel wealthy\\narrayed? You would not know them were it not for\\nall the sins of which opulence was the cause. The\\nwail of the orphan and the widow and the wronged rises\\nto the Throne of Justice against them. How many burn-\\ning tears they have caused to be shed How many\\nhave they oppressed? Wealth was might, and might\\nwas right. But the curses which an outraged people\\nheaped upon them, were heard by the Avenger of the\\nweak and the lowly. Where now is their power, where\\ntheir riches, where their pride and ostentation? All\\nhave perished. They are unattended. They learn\\nthat God alone is great.", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0351.jp2"}, "352": {"fulltext": "348 LAST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\nAssembled for judgment are parents who hurl mal-\\nedictions upon the heads of their offspring. It was\\nhe who worked his father s or mother s ruin.\\nThe child in turn utters imprecations against the\\nparent. Ah had my parents trained me to habits\\nof virtue had they kept me from bad company had\\nthey taught me to pray had they led me on the path\\nto heaven, I would not now be seen on the way to hell.\\nThe husband will curse the wife, and the wife the hus-\\nband for they have been each others spiritual ruin.\\nBut, oh, the awful thought 1 What will be the punishment\\nfor those who have murdered their unborn offspring\\nwho were cruel enough to destroy life with a mother s\\nhand A mother who should die for her child a mother,\\nthe ideal of affection, heartlessly besmearing her hand\\nwith the blood of the helpless, is an appalling thought.\\nIn that numberless assembly will be those who will\\ncrave for vengeance to be inflicted upon the heads of mon-\\nsters of impurity, who doomed them to a life of shame\\non earth, and effected the eternal damnation of their\\nsouls. Pure she was and innocent when first he seduced\\nher to sin. Her aspirations were lofty. The future\\nwas promising. The smiles of health and beauty were\\non her countenance on her brow, sincerity, modesty,\\nand honor. Life was budding into summer a summer of\\nhappiness, peace, and innocence. But, alas! from all\\nthis she turned away, to listen to the flattery of him\\nwho meditated her ruin. She fell perhaps rose again,\\nonly to sink deeper into the meshes of impurity she\\nhad broken away from the anchor of innocence. There\\nwas soon no restraint. In turn, she allured others into\\nsin. Thousands were destroyed by her fall, and now\\nshe invokes maledictions upon her malicious destroyer.\\nShe sees how much is lost and nothing gained, save", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0352.jp2"}, "353": {"fulltext": "LAST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 349\\nthat she will continue during eternity to curse the\\nscoundrel whose bewitching tongue and bland smiles\\nrobbed her of peace and effected her wretchedness.\\nShe thought him honorable. He had a suave demeanor.\\nIt was the subtility of the serpent. He gloried in his\\nconquest. Among his associates he boasted of his dam-\\nnable deeds. He was not one who had struggled with\\ntemptations, fought them back, prayed in order to\\nconquer or in an unprotected moment fell a victim to\\nallurements of mighty temptations. No his ambition\\nwas to pollute purity his greatest glory, the des-\\ntruction of others.\\nBut on the other hand is the young man who was\\nensnared by a false woman s charms. He was a noble\\nyouth, ignorant of the infernal way of the bad. The\\npride of his parents and his friends, his every motive\\nwas stamped with the seal of honor and manliness.\\nThe emotions of the heart stimulated to high resolve.\\nHe was ambitious but his ambition was worthy of\\na great-minded, noble-hearted young man. Fortune\\ncaressed him a bright future beckoned him on. But\\nthere he stands now a picture of despair and remorse.\\nHe had magnificent talents, but he abused them. His\\nsoul was once spotless, but now it is tarnished with\\nthe foulness of crime. Dejected and alone he stands.\\nMisery has claimed him for her own. He knows his\\nfate, and bitterly laments his awful misfortune.\\nAround about him is a hideous group. Drunkards\\nwho died in their sins. Cursing God they breathed\\ntheir last breath nor have they ceased to blaspheme\\nHis holy name. There is the murderer with his dagger\\nreeking with the blood of his helpless victim. It was\\nan instrument of destruction, now it is a witness of His\\nhorrible crime. His victim is in his presence. The", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0353.jp2"}, "354": {"fulltext": "350 LAST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.\\ndeath wound pleads with irresistible eloquence for jus-\\ntice. With more than human power it tells of the fatal\\nblow. How he prayed for pity and for life, but both\\nwere denied him. He was cut off in his sin. Now he\\nis damned, and torture gives vehemence to his appeals.\\nHow can the murderer expect mercy? He gave none.\\nHis victim s doom is sealed. Can he expect pardon,\\nwho deprived a human being of life and despoiled him\\nof the opportunities of repentance and salvation.\\nAll, however, are not bad who are gathered there.\\nThe saints and martyrs and all those who lived a\\npious life, rejoice in the happiness to be possessed for\\neternity. The martyrs wounds are now their glory.\\nThese are proofs of noble lives and heroic deaths all\\nthe virtuous are overjoyed. Their suffering on earth\\nis now considered nothing. Their trials and sufferings\\nand anguish are to be rewarded with an endless life\\nwith their Creator. The palm of victory is theirs, and\\nthe crown of immortality is the compensation for their\\ntireless efforts in the service of God. It is beyond my\\npower to describe to you the heavenly enthusiasm with\\nwhich they will be filled upon that occasion. But it is\\nimportant for us to ponder well the consequences of\\nthis last trial, as the interests of all the human race are\\ninvolved, and ask ourselves On what side shall we be\\nafter the irrevocable decree goes forth We shall\\nsurely be present, but what will be the sentence Will\\nit be Ceme forth, ye blessed of My Father or, Depart,\\nye cursed o?ies\\nWhile all are awaiting the close of the final act in\\nthe great drama of human existence, the sun grows\\npale, the moon is darkened, the stars fall from the\\nheavens, and all Nature seems convulsed at the over-\\nawing scene to be enacted. In the midst of this cop-", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0354.jp2"}, "355": {"fulltext": "LAST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 351\\nsternation the Son of God appears with great power\\nand majesty. Not weak and haggard as He was on\\nCalvary, but surrounded with all the glory of heaven.\\nThe good will move to welcome Him Who is the source\\nof all their joy, and for Whom they bore all wrongs,\\ninsults, and even death, with remarkable fortitude. The\\nvery damned will admit His goodness and love for\\nthe human race. Their greatest torture will be the\\nconsciousness of the loss of One Who had an infinite\\nattachment for all mankind. They will acknowledge\\ntheir damnation is to be attributed to none but them-\\nselves and will curse themselves on account of their\\ningratitude toward the fountain of all mercy and\\ncharity.\\nAs the Saviour of mankind looks out upon that\\nimmense concourse of people, and sees so many who\\nhave blasphemed against Him, who have wronged them-\\nselves and others in a word, as He beholds all who have\\nviolated His laws and spurned His mercies, He pro-\\nnounces the sentence of endless joy and everlasting\\nsorrow. The cause of this joy or this despair is largely\\ndue to our own conduct. It is ourselves who compel\\nHim, according to justice, an attribute of His nature, to\\ndeclare us guilty, if guilty we be. And on that solemn\\noccasion we shall, no doubt, understand this better than\\nwe do now, although now we are not ignorant of the\\nfact that God cannot save us without our own co-\\noperation. Let us strive then to follow Jesus faithfully\\nthrough life, that on the Last Day we may have the\\ninexpressible pleasure of following Him to His eternal\\nmansion. Let us, too, invoke the prayers of Mary,\\nthat she may lift us when we fall, and by her prayers\\nbe assisted in obtaining those eternal joys for which\\nwe were created,", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0355.jp2"}, "356": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0356.jp2"}, "357": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0357.jp2"}, "358": {"fulltext": "Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process.\\nNeutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide\\nTreatment Date: Jan. 2006\\nPreservationTechnologies\\nA WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION\\n111 Thomson Park Dnve\\nCranberry Township, PA 16066\\n(724)779-2111", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0358.jp2"}, "359": {"fulltext": "r", "height": "3919", "width": "2454", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0359.jp2"}, "360": {"fulltext": "LIBRARY OF CONGRESS\\n017 286 628 1\\ni h ill", "height": "4022", "width": "2531", "jp2-path": "sermonsforeverys00rayc_0360.jp2"}}