65. Giving God Good Measure — Second Sermon for the Fourth Sunday After Trinity 42S Prayer, Vocal and Mental — First Sermon for the Fifth Sunday After J _— Trinity

Synopsis — First, coarse men, wholly and openly regardless of divine things — Their ways described — How timid confessors may be involved in their guilt — The second class are hypocrites — These are often self-deluded — Our Lord's anathema on this class — The third class are spiritual sluggards — These ever seek the easiest way, and never escape, falling sooner or later — They sin against the light, and by ingratitude — They are formalists in religious things, and excessively resent correction — The fourth class are penitent sinners— Marks of the validity of this happy and lovely state — Rules for their guidance.

SECOND SERMON FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER

Now the publicans and sinners drew nigh unto Him to hear Him. And th« Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying: This Man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And He spoke to them this parable, saying: What man of you that hath a hundred sheep, and if he shall lose one of them, doth he not leave the ninety-nine in the desert, and go after that which was lost till he find It? And when he hath found it, lay it upon his shoulders, rejoicing; and coming home, call together his friends and neighbors, saying to them: Rejolc» with me, because I have found my sheep which was lost. — Luke xv, 1-6.

Dear children, we are sinners and sinfully inclined, and, as St. John teaches: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (I John i: 8).

And I will speak of four kinds of sinners. The first are coarse, worldly men, who lead a frivolous and proud life, forgetful of God, without the fear of God, regardless of divine things, a cause of sin to others. They neither seek nor love God, nor will they hear or learn anything of Him, for they are sunk in mortal sin all their days. If they happen to be present at mass, they are ready to spring up and be away — it is all too long for them. As to the divine honor, they are wholly unconcerned about it, or about the practice of virtue. They may, indeed, receive onr Lord in Commnnion at EaBter, yet it is for appearance sake, and without the purpose to give up their evil ways; they intend to go on with their sinful course. Such a man had better receive into his body a hundred thousand devils, rather than receive our Lord as Judas did; he is guilty of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dear children, if we fully knew the peril in which such a man stands, it would wither up our very souls. If he knew it himself — the torment and horror, the awful doom and the dreadful agony that awaits him in his eternal punishment, his reason could not endure the thought. Some of them, as they reach the end of their days, and become aware of this misery, fall into despair, and they die distrusting God, being lost eternally. When such a one on his death-bed speaks out the anguish and horror of his soul, his friends say: He is raving. And hereby, in God's mercy, others may be warned against a bad life. How much better had it been if these sinners had had faithful father confessors, who, knowing how badly disposed they were, had refused to allow them to go to Communion, and had warned them of their danger: courageous teachers and confessors are most necessary for these stony-hearted sinners.

The second class are also great sinners. But they keep up an appearance of piety. They practice devout exercises, do good works and »et a good example. But they are hypocrites, and they have the spirit of Pharisees. They are full of self-will and self-love, proud, unmodified and quarrelsome. These are secretly great sinners, quite unrestrained in their vices ; they care for God and love God not at all — they are absorbed in self-love. Their road is a perilous one, indeed, for they are enemies of God. By the very good things they do with the delusion that these practices are leading them to God, they are really led only the farther away from Him. Their works have a show of virtue indeed, and are accompanied by outward signs and professions of humility, but they gain their authors great harm. But such men are corrupted by self-love and their motive is pride. We cannot be without uneasiness concerning them, for they are self-flatterers. Meanwhile they are harsh in their judgment of others, and our Lord's condemnation of the Pharisees falls upon them. They have no patience with those who will not adopt their ways, being tainted with spiritual pride, full of self-love — sins that of old thrust the highest angels down into the deepest hell. Avoid this spirit as you would eternal death. Judge no man but yourself. Even if you see anything that is plainly evil, excuse it as best you may. The Good Shepherd left the ninety-nine sheep to go in search of one that was lost. As to the perverse men we have been considering, it is of them that the Lord speaks in the Gospel: "Amen, I say to you, I know you not" (Matt, xxv : 12).

The third class of sinners are the cold-hearted and slothful. Holy baptism was given them by God that they might have grace to avoid mortal sin, according to His laws in holy Church. But they have rejected this grace. They have no earnestness for God or divine things. They may sing hymns and recite prayers with their fellow Christians, but it is only like turning over the leaves of the book ; they have neither savor nor grace in these devotions — but much love and pleasure in creatures. To the utmost of their ability they seek for the enjoyment of created things, exciting all their energies to that end, gladly, habitually. This is seen in their manners, words, deeds clothes, and in the letters they write. Their conduct is without restraint, their conversation is idle chatter. Yet they fancy that they would not willingly commit mortal sin, especially of the grosser kind. God knows full well the state of these souls — would that they feared Him. They are like men with foul stomachs, belching forth offensive odors, incapable of digesting good food, or knowing the taste of it. Such souls find good actions bitter to their taste; they are like pregnant women craving unwholesome food. Their souls are surfeited with the joys of creatures, spoiled for the taste of divine food.

Spiritual teachers say: "The raw material of nature hungers and thirsts after its proper form." At first there is the mere unformed matter, then an animal form, finally the human form. This hungers and thirsts after an immortal, reasonable and godlike form, which can never know rest till it is made over again with that form which perfects all others, namely, the uncreated and everlasting Word of the heavenly Father. Every soul has a spark of light within it, or rather a thirst within it, which even God, who can do all things, cannot quench except by giving the soul Himself — if He gave the soul all that earth and heaven contains, it would not be content without Himself; and that thirst for God is implanted in the soul's very nature. It is this longing for God that these perverse men destroy in their souls. They gape with wide-open mouths after transitory things, as if they could be fed by the wind. Their taste is spoiled, they are filled with creatures — they draw nigh to eternal death. Dear children, what do you suppose such men will do as their end approaches? Then they will begin to realize that they have perverted their natural nobility of soul, injured themselves essentially, and rejected the priceless good that was offered them. Ah, children, one cannot describe the misery of their last hours.

You know, children, that all that we have has been received from God — the goods of nature and of grace and of Providence, all inner gifts and outer ones. And all are bestowed on us that we might offer them again to God with gratitude, love and praise. Now a soul that thus pays God His due, with difficulty accounts for the favors of a single day. What then of the incalculable debt of a whole life? Look into it, calculate the last farthing that we owe God : how much, think you, would it all amount to? See to it that your fate shall not be that of the foolish virgins, of whom it is not certain that they were guilty of greivous sin, but only that they were found unready for the coming of the bridegroom. Indeed, they would have made ready, for they had some sort of good will, but it was too late. And so they were shut out, and they heard the words: "Amen, I say to you, I know you not" (Matt, xxv : 12). Alas, it was not as they had hoped. No, no. Men are blind who fancy that they can trifle with the sacred passion of our Lord Jesus Christ with impunity, and with His precious blood. No, children, such cannot be the case.

They may say that they are in a holy order, are surrounded with decent companions, and are occupied with prayers and pious reading. Yes; but it is all without love, devoid of the true devotional spirit, with distracted hearts, cold and blind. They also go to confession, but only with words, lacking hearty good will ; and in the same state they receive holy Communion. It is like inviting a king into one's house, and then lodging him in a filthy pig sty — it were a thousand times better not to go to Communion at all in such a state. And if any friends warn them of their danger, they laugh at them, and call them teachers of novelties. Such is their treatment of men who are pained at their evil course, and would set them on the right road — they treat them worse than Jews and pagans. Be sure that if they persevere wilfully and knowingly in their wickednesses, they will never see the face of God. They say that they would not wilfully commit sin. But (I answer) dost thou think it no sin that thou givest only lip-service and religious formalism to God who died for thee, and that thou bestowest on creatures thy free and loving service? God cares not three beans for such an offering as thou givest Him. Thou art indeed the sheep that the Lord had lost — thou hast gone astray from His flock. Perhaps God will give thee the grace of repentance on thy death-bed, though this cannot be counted on. But even so, thou shalt have merited a terrible purgatory, lasting, perhaps, till the day of judgment. And then, finally, thou shalt be placed in an obscure corner of heaven, far distant from the special friends of God. Now such men rate themselves anything but sinners. Outwardly blameless, they would come close to our Lord; and inwardly their hearts are alien to Him.

The fourth class are happy and lovely sinners, for they are penitents. It is true that in former times they fell deeply, more deeply, perhaps, and into greater mortal sins than all the other sinners of whom we have been discoursing. I care not for that, for now they have with utmost sincerity come close in to our Lord. They have turned away absolutely from all that is not simply God. Him alone they love, and above all things. To Him they yield instantly in all happenings of life, no matter what. God will never reckon with these men's sins, He will never know their offenses again : they are wholly turned away from them, and so is God. Now what is the method and the mark of such men ? It is that of a man who with absolute sincerity and in his inmost heart loves God and Him alone, and holds Him in view in all His life and work. He is conscious of a will most ready to do or not to do everything just as God wills. He searches the way God would lead him, whether directly or by His representatives, and that way he gladly takes, wholly detached from self-will.

The gospel tells us that the Lord went in search of the lost sheep. How are we to understand this search? It is thus: God seeks and searches for a humble, gentle and poor-minded soul, one that is detached from earthly things and rests indifferent — though that does not mean a sluggard who sits down idly with his mantle over his head. I bid you prepare for God's seeking by learning humility, by suffering every kind of oppression. Now if anybody seeks anything earnestly, it is not in one little corner only, but in every corner and place till he finds it. And so God seeks thee — let Him find thee everywhere He may look, in all circumstances of thy life. Whatever shame comes on thee, know that that is the place in which God is looking for a gentle and meek soul ; therefore suffer thyself to be constantly trodden under foot, until thou hast well learned thy lesson of meekness. God is looking for a poor man ; therefore if anyone will take from thee thy money, thy property or thy friends, let him do so, that thou mayst be found poor by God, who is looking for thee in just such a state. Let thy inner life answer true to God's searching, in purity and in poverty, in all enlightenment and detachment of spirit, after no matter what struggles and combats. In every occurrence of life God seeks thee. What happens thee from friends or from foes, nay from thy very mother or sister — no matter how it comes or from whom, all whatsoever that comes to thee prepares thee for God's searching and finding.

Dear children, if one had a putrified wound, he would allow himself to be cut very cruelly and would suffer much pain, so that greater pain should not befall him — he would not spare himself until the corruption were cut away, so that he might recover his health. So must you suffer what God inflicts upon you, in order that your soul be healed eternally. When unforseen adversity comes upon you, say: Welcome, dear and trusted friend; welcome even though thy coming is all unexpected. Let us bow humbly down to such visitations. Be sure that God, who would make thee a self-denying man, will try thee in everything. God does not seek men exercised in great and peculiar devotions, any more than He looks for large horses or strong oxen. Nor does He look for men of mighty outward activity. No, He seeks only humble, gentle-minded and mortified men, men who are glad to be sought by God, and whom God finds as a shepherd finds peaceful sheep.

Wilt thou become the Lord's sheep? Then cultivate a peaceful spirit, no matter what may happen to thee. Do thy best, and then rest without anxiety as to how things will turn out. Remain quiet in mind, and recommend all to God our Lord. Place thyself in His hands in a heavenly spirit, even in thy imperfections, as long as thou art displeased with thyself and turned away from danger. Be not over-distressed at thy faults, argue not with thyself about them, for that is a serious obstacle to thy progress. And let this peaceful condition extend over God's gifts. The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away. Let thy mind be equal and balanced towards God in joy and in sorrow, in things sweet and bitter, in true and perfect peace.

Children, such is the lovely sheep, sought after and found by the Lord. He is very different from that proud-hearted sheep that says: We are the ones who have gained such and such a prize, who have travelled to this place and to that; but who and what are you? What can you do? And other such proud words they speak, striking about them right and left like an unbroken colt. Ah, children, beware of striking about your neighbors with an unbridled tongue. The Lord left ninety-nine sheep; aye, and He would leave ninety-nine hundred arrogant and self-willed men in the wilderness, where there is little pasture, that is to say, little fruit of a good life; because such is the state of these men.

But when He had found the lost sheep, He laid it on His shoulders, and coming home He said to His friends and neighbors: "Kejoice with Me, because I have found My sheep which was lost." Friends and neighbors, that means the whole company of the angels and saints in heaven, and all His friends on earth, and their joy is exceeding great. But the joy of this sheep himself is inexpressibly great, for it sinks down into God's inmost being. And when the Divine Shepherd takes the beloved sheep on His shoulders, it is thereby placed between the Shepherd's head and body — that is to say, it is brought into touch with both our Lord's all-holy humanity and His eternal divinity. The holy humanity is the soul's stepping place, whereby it goes into the Lord's divinity. The Lord's humanity is united and blended with His sheep, and leads it on in all its works. Heretofore the soul did all its work with itself and by itself; and now God draws it so close to Him, that He works in all and by all its activities — speaking and eating and going is all done in God. This soul lives and moves in God. This sheep of God goes forth from the humanity to the divinity, and back again from the divinity to the humanity, always finding good pasture. Its joy and its content, even in this life, is unspeakably great, and above all joy of all creatures put together. This is the one penitent sinner, over whom the Lord said that the angels rejoiced more than over many just ones; for, in fact, God's honor is greatly advanced by his repentance. He is the sinner who has in very truth come nigh unto God. May God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost grant us the grace thus to be sought after, and as God's true sheep thus to be found. Amen.