87. i >\ Ti mii AiiciNs Sermon for the Twentieth Sunday After Trinity

Synopsis — Our soul is called to nuptial union with God — First comes the soul's cleansing from even the pettiest sin — Then it must renounce favorite devotions, if God calls for this — A very interior sense of abandonment to God's will next must follow — All this is accompanied by tlie ordinary virtues of its state of life.

FIRST SERMON FOR THE NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER

Feast op St. Cordula, Virgin and Martyr.

The kingdom of heaven is likened to a king, who made a marriage for hia son. — Matt, xxii, 3.

This is the feast of the holy virgin, St. Cordula. Left by God to her own feebleness, she sank below all into the lowest place, and overcome with fear of men, she would have escaped from martyrdom by flight. But God, by her interior suffering, gave her the highest degree of sanctity, surpassing all her companions. All the tortures that St. Ursula and her virgins endured, wounds and scourgings and death, she suffered interiorly, for she was martyred in her heart and spirit: she may be said to have died the death of each and all of those martyrs, dying indeed many deaths for each of their single deaths. And then finally she delivered herself up to the power of her enemies, and fell by their sword.

Children, children, let 14s wonder at the marvellous fidelity of God to us, let us be amazed at the hidden ways by which He leads us to Himself, manifesting to our souls the deepest secrets by means the most astonishing. God leaves a man to himself amid frightful temptations, oppressed with every dire calamity, abandoned to poor human weakness. But if one will only recognize God's guidance in this visitation and follow Him obediently, he will thereby attain to a degree of holiness a thousand times higher than if he had had no bitter conflict to sustain. Let him but earnestly cleave to God in all trustfulness, never despairing of His help, never indulging in unlawful liberty of action; and then no temptation can be so vile or so strong as to do him harm.

In this Gospel we read of a king setting a supper for his son's marriage, and inviting many guests. Now the king is the heavenly Father, the bridegroom is our Lord Jesus Christ, and the bride is your soul and mine. We are all invited, all things are ready for the union of God with our soul, that bride He loves so tenderly. This union is so sweet, so close, so interior, so confiding, so affectionate, as to surpass all comprehension. The loftiest professor of the university of Paris with all his science, could never understand this : — would he prepare to lecture on this, he must first of all rest dumb and amazed; and the more he would desire to speak of it the less should he find that he understood it. Not only does natural light fail in this, but all the riches of grace are incapable of describing God's union with the soul ; for all angels and saints would lack words to tell what they know of it. It is only a simple hearted soul, wholly given up to God in deep humility— only such a one can experience something of this spiritual espousals, and that in the inmost recesses of his soul's life. Even he cannot comprehend it, least of all describe it, for it far transcends all created intelligence.

This bride of God, our soul, we must now get ready. We must wash it clean, we must array it in new garments, adorn it with all splendor : as to the old clothes and ornaments, these must we throw away, even if they happen to be good. What the washing means is purifying the soul from sins and imperfections. The stripping off of the old clothing, that means purging out the corrupt tendencies of our fallen nature, every evil habit and natural weakness. The new garments, these are the new virtues that we shall acquire in a heavenly newness of life, formed on the model of Christ. But one might enquire about his former devout practices, — must these be all cast aside? — as being good clothes indeed, but not good enough for these high espousals? Is it right to say (what I will not say) that one must now be dispensed from practising these ordinary virtues, as not being good enough raiment for the heavenly nuptials? To that I answer yes and no. For no man dare say that he shall be above practising any virtues, or loving them. And yet it is also true, that whilst the soul is rapt into ecstactic union with God, he is not engaged in the practise of any particular moral virtue, for example, that of patience or pity. But the moment he returns to an ordinary state of consciousness, then he has to practise all virtues, according to time, place and opportunity.

Another way we can say that one is unclothed of his virtues, namely, by turning them all over to God in entire self-renunciation. One may long to have the grace to practise acts of much holiness: to be so poor, for instance, as not to know where he shall find the next night's shelter; to be so enlightened as to know all God's truth; to feel the deepest confidence in God ; and to enjoy divine consolations ; or to be like this or that holy friend. From all this must one be unclothed, and in all nakedness of abandonment to God's good pleasure, stand absolutely subject to His will, absorbed entirely in obedience to the divine choice in all such matters. For however desirable they may be in themselves and however intrinsically good, there is a depravity lurking in our nature which tends to pervert all the good that comes to us. It is like good food spoiled by the filthy dish it is served in, or good wine soured by a foul cask. Our loving, faithful Bridegroom knows this, our weakness, full well; and sometimes He allows us to tail miserably by this self choice of virtues, so that we may learn first of all to correct this evil tendency. Unclothing of virtue (understood in this sense), often results in acquiring higher virtue more quickly than would be the case in assuming the practise of great good things prematurely.

Ah, children, whosoever has any self-knowledge and learns his own incapacity, gives up self-guidance and follows God in whatever method and by whatever way He points out. Such a one conies through prosperously and quickly. Let him accept whatever befalls him as sent him by God's appointment, whether in his outer or his inner life; let him submit to the divine judgment upon him and to all divine happenings with deep thankfulness of heart. This way may seem very strange to thee, and yet thou shalt thus be more splendidly clothed with virtue than by the highest appearing good works, if thou dost them by thy own choice, dreaming that great results shall follow. The soul, has, as it were, said to God : O my Lord, I greatly wish to manage for myself, and I long to enjoy interior peace, and am desirous to be like this one and that one. But He answers: No, child, it must be otherwise with thee; thou must be stripped; thou must be thrown back on thy nothingness, and learn what is hidden in thy own soul : stay at home with thyself.

I once asked a man of very high sanctity, what it was that most commonly absorbed his spiritual endeavors. He answered : "Considering my sins; and by that occupation I come to my God." In that he was entirely right. Let God and all God's creatures sit in judgment upon thee for thy sins ; then sit in judgment on thyself ; and God will no longer judge thee; as St. Paul teaches. But this must be in thy soul without any explanations and interpretations but in all sincerity. It must not be a feigned humility, for that is a sister of pride. And it must be deep seated in thy soul, not a sudden tempest of zeal for perfection; there must be no head breaking recklessness. It is a quiet, gentle, resigned submission to God, in all humble fear of His sovereign majesty.

Therefore do thou lay open to God's eyes thy deep seated evil inclinations in most hearty prayer in thy inmost spirit. Freedom from these thou must seek wholly from Him. Whatever running about for help thou dost will amount to nothing. Following after this leader or that — that is all foolishness. They may be all very good men ; but inasmuch as men differ from one another, so do their ways to God differ. What is life to one is death to another. According to a man's mental characteristics, and according to his other natural traits, so are his graces alotted by God. Therefore do not look about thee at men's methods and observances to pick and choose what suits thee; nor at their peculiar virtues. But everywhere observe such things as their mildness and their humility as something to imitate. However, thou shouldst follow their methods and their observances, if thy vocation makes it incumbent on thee. Always and above all things bear in mind thy vocation and thy state of life, and go forward along that road. If thou wilt but advert carefully to that, thou shalt soon find what thou art looking for in the nature of external guidance, and shalt know it as plain as thy right hand.

But alas, thou dost not remain at home in thy own heart ; thou dost not seek God's leadership faithfully and loyally in thy interior. Thou lookest for everything on the outside, and that is why thou remainest unknowing both of self and of God. Twenty or thirty years of life is passed as in one leap, and what is the outcome? Thou mayest have led a life of seeming holiness, but as a mater of fact, thou art no closer to God at the end than at the beginning. What a misery is this! Dig down for the roots of thy vices and strike those roots dead; nor should this be the destruction of thy nature. Whosoever does not follow this course, will lose in one hour the store of virtue that he has gathered by perhaps a year of hard striving by outward words and works — spoiled by being tainted by the growth upwards of the roots of imperfection, unknown and undestroyed, hidden in the depths of the soul. As long as a multiplicity of self-assumed pious practices holds possession of thy will, these are on thy soul, which is the Lord's spouse, like very unacceptable garments. While they enwrap thee He cannot clothe thee with the splendid raiment of His love, as He so ardently desires to do. Make account of no spiritual exercises and no good works except as they are in some plain way His divine will. If I had followed all the approved spiritual methods I should be a dead man long ago. Keep God's will in view; love God's will ardently; have nothing of thy own will in view, nor of thy own spiritual pleasure or gain; pray to God enchained in the prison of the divine darkness land unknowingness, of deep retirement of spirit in the hidden depths; | then let Him guide thee by whatsoever methods or spiritual exercises j He will. Thus it is that He will array thee in the most lovely bridal i robes that eye has ever seen. And thy soul shall chant a bridal canticle : more ravishing than ever hath been heard or heart ever enjoyed. May the loving Bridegroom grant that all this shall be our happy lot. Amen.