SERMON SKETCHES

from

Advent to Lent





Sermon Sketches

FROM

Advent

to

Lent

Submitted to his priests by their Bishop,

d-JOHN F. NOLL

OUR SUNDAY VISITOR LIBRARY

HUNTINGTON, INDIANA





SERMON SKETCHES FROM ADVENT TO LENT

“Knoiving that note is the hour for us to rise from

sleep
”—From the Epistle.

If there be one glaring fact, which needs no proof,

of which, however, you must often be reminded it is that

(1) Catholics individually and as a body are asleep spirit-

ually; (2) inactive in the cause of God; (3) uninterested

in the eternal welfare of others.

(1) Individually they pass a sleepy, unconscious

existence as far as the spiritual and supernatural are con-

cerned. They are not spiritual-minded, not grace-mind-

ed, hardly sin-conscious. Their souls are lightly fed once

a day by mechanical prayer, occasionally washed in the

sacrament of penance, then dressed beautifully by God

Himself, Who visits them in Holy Communion. The in-

tervening time, which is not given to the “world, the flesh

and the devil,” is consumed in spiritual torpor or sleep.

The Divine Lover within them is ignored
;

there is

scarcely any struggle for supernatural merit
;

little

thought of spiritual self-improvement. How many of

you think of improving daily? How many of you have a

conversion to your credit? How many of you can even

boast of never scandalizing another?

As a body Catholics, whether of this nation or uni-

versally, are more profoundly asleep. They are not arti-

culate, scarcely move. They leave entirely to the Supreme

Pontiff, to the Hierarchy, to the priesthood, the burden

of defending the faith, of combating error, of improving

society. Professed soldiers of Christ, they let the gen-

erals do all the fighting while they sleep. Is it any wonder

that the Holy Father is actually begging Catholics to

unite and work together openly under the banner of

Catholic Action?

(2) Not only do Catholics seemingly recognize no

spiritual or religious obligations to others, but they in-



4 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

sist on being children in the faith. They manifest no

initiative, they want to be told what to do and what not

to do. When asked questions about their faith, they

convey the impression that they know no reason for be-

lieving or acting as they do, except that they were so

taught. Child-like faith is commendable, but the ability

to defend the faith, zeal for its spread, activity in the

kingdom of God, are a need of our times. Protestants

are often surprised to see Catholics so wed to their re-

ligious beliefs and practices without being able to explain

why. It leads them to speak of the power the Church

has over her people. They are shocked when they see

fidelity to mechanical practice coupled with sinful living.

To let the light of his faith shine before others, and

then to be prepared to give a satisfactory account of it is

the duty of every follower of Christ, and surely of every

soldier of Christ.

(3) The soul of your relative, or friend, or neigh-

bor, is worth more than all the world. Like your own, it

is destined for bliss eternal in God’s everlasting home.

But at present its possessor has either not been started

on the road to Heaven or has strayed away from that

road. Whether he is traveling along the wrong route

unconsciously or wilfully, do you, who pretend to love

him, feel justified in not warning or advising him? Do

you act on the theory that only the clergyman is expected

to “talk religion” to others?

You meet frequently with others and converse about

everything else, but, as by a concerted understanding,

the discussion of religion is tabooed. It is of such as you

that the inspired writer thought when he wrote: “I

wish thou wert cold or hot, but because thou art luke-

warm behold I shall begin to vomit thee out of my

mouth.” It is such as you that Jesus had in mind when



ADVENT TO LENT 5

He declared “He that will deny Me before men, I shall

deny him before My Father Who is in Heaven.” Indif-

ference towards the spiritual welfare of others is inex-

cusable in one who possesses the truth ; it is certainly un-

worthy of one, to whom God has been so good.

CONCLUSION : Arouse yourselves from your deep

sleep and pursue spiritual things for your own good with

even greater interest than you pursue temporal things.

Follow the advice of your confessor, the directions you

receive from the pulpit, the admonitions proffered by the

Catholic press.

Join others in an effort to bring a knowledge of your

faith to some of the 100,000,000 Americans who would

embrace it if it were properly presented to them, and

who would feel everlastingly indebted to you for the serv-

ice rendered.

Take an interest in reclaiming Catholics who have

given up the practice of their faith.

THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

“Hail full of grace
”—The Gospel.

Last Sunday we were reminded of our slothfulness

in all that relates to the salvation of our own souls, and

of our supine indifference towards the interests of God

in this world.

Today’s feast presents to us a perfect creature,

whose philosophy of life is in direct contrast with our

own. From her we learn (1) Almighty God’s attitude

towards sin; (2) The need of perseverance and growth

in grace, and (3) the value of contributing to the salva-

tion of others.

(1) God, by His very nature, is infinitely perfect

and holy, and must, therefore, be infinitely opposed to



6 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

sin. The souls of the first man and woman came from

His hands not only free from all sin, but by the beauty of

divine grace, with which they were clothed, reflected

God’s own image and likeness. Such a supernatural

state of soul was opposed to and could not coexist with

sin. But our first parents did sin, and thereby forfeited

the supernatural completely. Having lost God’s favor

as well, the gates of Heaven, the land of supernatural

bliss, were closed against them. There is not, and never

has been, anything of sin in Heaven. The doctrine of

He'll, which teaches eternal banishment, and of Purgatory

which teaches temporal exclusion from Heaven, are per-

fectly logical in the light of God’s necessary attitude

towards sin.

Such must be our attitude because it is the only true

one. The world is filled with people who make light of

sin, because they fail properly to understand their re-

lationship to God
;
because they do not advert to His es-

sential holiness and justice, and think of Him only as

uninterested in us and indifferent towards our conduct.

(2) When we recall that God chose Mary to be the

instrument of the Incarnation, that He destined her to

be the mother of Him, Who was to atone for mankind’s

sin, it is easy to understand why her soul should be

created, as were the souls of our race’s protoparents, im-

maculate and “full of grace.” If God was to have a

mother as worthy of Him as a human being could be,

then evidently her soul must not only be free from sin,

but supernaturally more beautiful than all other crea-

tures, including the angels.

Because Mary faithfully cooperated with every ac-

tual grace she received, her soul not only persevered in

the grace of its creation, but it grew steadily in grace, so

that she endeared herself more and more to her God and



ADVENT TO LENT 7

merited far more than any other creature. It is, there-

fore, easy to understand how she became entitled to the

honor which was conferred on her at death, namely, cor-

onation in Heaven as its Queen.

Everyone of us, conceived in original sin, became

immaculate through our baptism, remained immaculate

throughout the first six or seven years of our lives, but

most of us then began to abuse our free will, to wilfully

oppose actual grace, to yield to our evil inclinations, and

to violate the commandments of God. Fortunately for

our sakes the sacraments were instituted for the re-

moval of sin and for the restoration of the supernatural

life after its loss through sin. Unlike Mary, we do not

strive sufficiently to remain in that state, to grow in

grace and in merit and in the love and favor of God.

Many of us would have been more prepared for Heaven

ten years ago, and five years ago, and last year, than to-

day, whereas we should be better prepared for Heaven

with each succeeding year we live, so that a long life

should actually be to our eternal benefit.

(3) Mary had a very intimate part in our Redemp-

tion, which she could even have prevented by not con-

senting to the request of the angel of the Annunciation.

She sorrowed when Christ sorrowed, she suffered when

He suffered—and all the while she realized that she was
cooperating with Him in His great work of atonement

for our sins.

Today she is regarded as the mediatrix of all graces.

She is the only human being in Heaven with both body

and soul. The Son of God, Who came to us through her,
dispenses His graces and divine gifts through her. Is it

not therefore, easy to believe that her intercession in our

behalf in response to our daily petition that she “pray

for us now” should be granted? She, “Blessed among



8 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

women,” is sympathetically interested in every child of

God, her brothers and sisters less favored.

To be a true child of Mory we must, however, not

only pray to her and honor her, but imitate her loyalty to

her Divine Son by the faithful observance of the Com-

mandments, and by the practice of those moral virtues

which insure sinlessness.

CONCLUSION : Resolve to live in an immaculate

condition of soul. Therefore, not only avail yourself of

the first opportunity to procure pardon for your sins, but

resolve to live in accordance with the conscience which

you have had formed; and strive to grow in grace and

holiness, both by avoiding sin and by following the in-

spirations of grace. By doing this you will not only im-

prove yourself, but convince many others that a life of

virtue is not only possible, but happiness-promoting.

Take an interest in the sinner by praying to Jesus

through Mary for him, by placing good literature within

his reach, by offering up some of your good works for

him as Mary did for you.

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

“Art thou he ivho is to come, or do we look for

another”—From the Gospel.

For 2000 years God prepared a special nation for

the Incarnation of His Divine Son. Israel had grown

accustomed to inspired teachers, to prophets and leaders,

who spoke in the name of God, and who wrought many

miracles; but they “looked for another,” a greater

prophet. The people longed and prayed that the Prom-

ised One might come, but they never dreamt that He

would come in lowliness and poverty, yet the followers

of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, impressed



ADVENT TO LENT 9

by his sanctity, thought that he might be the long-

awaited Messiah.

Despite the thousand evidences we have that the

Expected of Nations has come, that He dwelt long in this

world, that He is still with the world in His mystical

body, (1) the fact of the Incarnation, (2) the genuineness

of Christ’s Divinity, (3) the identification of His world-

wide religion are not apparent to the majority of man-

kind.

(1) Most Orientals, such as Mohammedans and

Buddhists, regard and respect Christ as another prophet.

Protestants, who proclaim His divinity in word and writ-

ing, unconsciously deny it in fact by following other

leaders, such as Luther, Calvin and Wesley, who rejected

much of His doctrine, most of His sanctifying ordin-

ances. The people of nations still pagan are more excus-

able. Why? Because the pantheistic religions to which

they are committed, and to which their ancestors were

committed for thousands of years, being a part of the

very national life and government, have become deeply

rooted. Moreover, the religion of Jesus, having been re-

fused entry into their midst until recent years, is re-

garded as a novel thing.

There is still another reason why they have not taken

kindly to the Christian religion, namely, because of the

confusion of mind created among them by the various

and mutually contradictory forms of Protestantism, each

claiming to be genuine Christianity.

The Jews, resenting the claim that the Messiah had

come, and that they had rejected and crucified Him, have

not accepted the fact of the Incarnation, preferring to

believe that the Messiah is yet to come. The uniqueness

of their attitude manifests the power of prejudice.

There are no conceivable good grounds for a refusal



10 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

to accept the fact of the Incarnation on the part of people

who have been reared in Christian countries. Only a per-

versity of will can explain the attitude of those who do

deny the fact.

(2) The incredulity of the infidel towards the

Christian faith and his extreme credulity in relation to

so many unproved facts outside of religion, are most as-

tounding. He cannot honestly deny the fact of Christ's

existence, or the evidence furnished for His divinity by

the holiness of His life, of His doctrines, of His miracles

recorded by men (themselves slow to believe) who were

eye-witnesses of them. The spread of His religion, the

unexampled devotion of millions of martyrs, the conver-

sion of the powerful Roman Empire struggling with all

its might to crush Christianity over a period of 300

years, should certainly impress and convince any person

of unprejudiced mind and heart.

The fact of Christ’s miracles, and even of His Resur-

rection, than which no fact of history is better attested,

are not more difficult to believe than many of the teach-

ings of science, accepted without any investigation by the

same individuals. Who, for instance, has satisfied him-

self by personal investigation and enumeration that there

are 30,000,000,000 heavenly bodies, millions of times

larger than our own, in the small portion of the heavens

known as the Milky Way? Yet which infidel does not

say “credo” to this pronouncement of the astronomer?

Do you know anything more mysterious than the facts

brought home to us day by day by the radio? Were they

unexperienced, but reported as facts only by revelation,

they would be rejected as ridiculous and impossible.

(3) The Catholic religion has so many outstanding

arguments in its favor that its identification as the re-

ligion of the Son of God should be extremely easy. It is



ADVENT TO LENT 11

the only religion which goes back to the time of Christ

and His Apostles, and, therefore, can alone rightfully

claim Christ as its direct Author. It is the only religion

which claims authority to teach, and Christ certainly

commissioned His Church to teach with authority. Did

He not aver that He would bind in Heaven what His

Church would bind on earth? It is the only religion

which has actually converted the nations. Protestantism

has never converted a single nation.

Protestantism was introduced into several nations

by civil rulers, and although promoted and supported by

the civil power, it has disintegrated everywhere. The

Catholic religion alone has the mark of unity, which we

should look for in any important work of God. The

martyrs and saints of history were the fruits of Cath-

olicism. Today the Catholic Church counts a member-

ship greater by 100,000,000 than all forms of Protestan-

tism combined. Only those intellects which are swayed by-

prejudices can fail to identify the Catholic Church with

Christianity.

CONCLUSION : The unbeliever needs prayer more

than he needs argument; he needs a conversion of will

rather than of mind; he needs expositions of Catholic

teaching prepared by Catholics rather than by their

enemies. Therefore, pray particularly for our own coun-

trymen, that they may have a change of heart. Acquaint

yourself with the soundness and beauty of Catholic teach-

ing and practice for the strengthening of your own faith,

and in order to be prepared to match your wits with

those of the skeptic, with those who seem to be satisfied

with bits of Catholic teaching severed from the whole,

who seem to be satisfied with branches lopped off the tree

of life. Join a Study Club and become informed in all

matters pertaining to your faith.



12 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

“And may the peace of God, which surpasses all un-

derstanding, preserve your hearts and your understand-

ings in Christ Jesus our Lord.”—From the Epistle.

The most precious thing in this life, after the enjoy-

ment of the favor of God, is absent in the hearts and in

the minds of most individuals, as it is absent in human

relationships, in national and international life. That

precious thing is peace.

Christ offered peace, in all its phases, in and through

His Church; therefore if Catholics do not enjoy it, it is

because they, like other people, look for it elsewhere.

What is the peace of God which is capable of pre-

serving (1) our hearts; (2) our minds; (3) our whole

lives “in Christ Jesus Our Lord”?

(1) As Jerusalem did not “know the things that

.were to her peace,” so neither does the modern world, of

which Jerusalem, after its rejection of Christ, was a

figure. I need not spend any time in an attempt to prove

to you that internationally there is no peace ; that nation-

ally there is general dissatisfaction with economic con-

ditions; that discord reigns in millions of homes; that

hundreds of millions of individuals are on the verge of

despair.

The very friendly greeting “Peace be to you” was

uttered by Jesus to His Apostles after and only after the

world had been reconciled to Heaven through His Re-

demption; and only to those truly devoted to Him could

He say: “My peace I leave with you, my peace I give

unto you; not as the world gives do I give unto you.”

The fruits of Christ’s redemption are repudiated today,

and the number of His loyal devotees is shamefully small.

Today the havens of the greatest peace are monas-



ADVENT TO LENT 13

teries and convents, whose occupants have left the world,

so filled with strife and anxiety and sin—all inconsistent
with peace.

This does not mean that individuals in the world

cannot have peace of heart, which is another name for

peace of conscience. But they cannot enjoy it if they fol-

low the ways of the world, if they look for their happi-

ness in material things, if “they seek not first the King-

dom of God and His Justice.”

True peace of heart comes from the consciousness

of union with God, of being safe for eternal salvation.

You can readily perceive that there would be no peace

in a family if children were entirely estranged from their

parents, if they ignored them and disregarded all their

commands. Neither can there be peace between the

Heavenly Father and those of His children who have

driven Him out of their hearts, who openly defy Him

and make a mockery of His moral law, who nurture their

animal instincts.

The state of sanctifying grace is a state of union

with God, which produces a peaceful condition of soul,

resulting from the conviction that all is well and may be

well forever.

(2) Those who live in religious error cannot have

true peace of mind. They may enjoy that sort of peace

which comes from deceiving themselves into believing

that their opinions are convictions, or that it is futile to

try to learn what objective truth is. But the fact re-

mains that if their beliefs are not in harmony with the

revelation of God, their minds must be enslaved to error.

The mind was made for truth generally and is not

free if it be controlled by error. The highest, the most

important truths are those propounded by God Himself

for the regulation of our conduct, truths of which He



14 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

would not have us ignorant. Consistency required that

He reveal such truths and that He commit their pro-

mulgation and explanation to an infallible Church. From

such a source Catholics receive them and are, therefore,

assured of “peace in believing.”

The average Protestant, who reads his Bible and

books dealing with religious controversy, is frank to ad-

mit that he is “searching for the truth.” He is aware

that his religious beliefs differ from others who also call

themselves Protestants, and actually accords to these

the liberty to believe differently.

This certainly means that their beliefs are nothing

more than opinions, and that they may be out of harm-

ony with the mind of Christ. Because Catholics “think

with the Church,” and the Church is assured of the guid-

ance of the Holy Ghost, Who, as God, can neither deceive

nor be deceived, Catholics have very definite convictions

upon which a consistent philosophy of life can and should

be built.

(3) Christ Jesus Our Lord was the embodiment of

the Godhead. He came into this world as the Supreme

Teacher, as the Prince of Peace, as the Mediator between

the Heavenly Father and all mankind, whom He would

unite into a huge family having one mind and one heart.

Earth should resemble Heaven in its harmony of belief

and of worship, and in the possession of the peace of God.

Union with God must evidently be the greatest

glory of the creature
;
to attain it, preserve it, to cement

it, should be his highest ambition. When the soul is in

union with God, it enjoys peace; when it is separated

from Him it is enslaved to Satan.

The non-Catholic, honest and sincere as he may be,

never experiences the peace which is produced by the

supernatural means of salvation; he can live in union



ADVENT TO LENT 15

with God only because of that infinite goodness which re-

spects his sincerity, and condones his error because it is

unwilful.

This does not mean that every Catholic is better off

than all Protestants, that his salvation is more secure

than that of good Protestants, simply because more is

expected of Catholics, who were instructed by an un-

erring teacher, and within whose easy reach are the

means of grace which create and promote union with

God.

CONCLUSION : Be grateful to Almighty God for

the gift of the true faith, and strive to appreciate it

more. Show your appreciation by being more devoted

to God, by making more frequent use of His holy Sacra-

ments, by living less worldly, by doing your part through

prayer, example and the dissemination of expository

literature. There are many ways of bringing the knowl-

edge of the truth and of the supernatural things of your

Church to the attention of others less favored—and you
should employ some of hem.

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

A Charity Sermon

(to be preached, or read to the people as the Bishop’s Pastoral)

On this Sunday before Christmas, when we are re-

minded of the infinite charity of God towards mankind,

we ourselves should be reminded of our own obligations

of charity to our fellowmen, particularly to “those who

are of the household of the Faith.”

Christian charity, an essential characteristic of

Christ’s Church, and beautifully exemplified by her and

her people from the days of the Apostles, is little known

in society today. You will better understand what I

mean if I make a few observations on ( 1 ) what the world



16 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

now regards as charity; (2) the Church’s concept of

charity; (3) our own favorite Diocesan charity.

(1) Despite the generous contributions of Ameri-

cans to Community Chests, to various forms of relief

work, there is very little genuine charity in the land.

Works of relief, and contributions to humanitarian pur-

poses usually lack the charity motive, especially that

motive which gives a supernatural character and merit

to the alms of the people.

Organized relief effort may be the most practical

means of alleviating community distress; through it a

burden, which would otherwise be imposed on all by taxa-

tion, is accepted by the local manufacturer, the merchant,

the professional man and the employed, in favor of the

unemployed, the dependent, and the infirm. But we fear

that neither Christ nor His destitute brethern are often

considered by the contributor to a charity or relief fund.

Relief work on a large scale, such as we have wit-

nessed, and of which many of us have been the beneficiar-

ies during the past few years, has been a civil and busi-

ness necessity. Citizens must not be left to starve;

communism and radicalism must not be encouraged, but

rather checked
;
people must be protected in their life and

property rights. To prevent the former, and to aid the

latter are clearly the duties of government.

That our Government should become Santa Claus

under present conditions was a real necessity, dictated

by the very instinct of self-preservation.

(2) During the days of the Apostles, and of their

immediate successors the followers of Christ were con-

spicuous for their real love for one another, for the man-

ner in which the more prosperous looked after the less

fortunate, whether the aged, or the widow, or the orphan,

or the sick. Religious Communities of men and women



ADVENT TO LENT 17

were founded in almost every succeeding century for

the express purpose of looking after the destitute, of

nursing the sick in their own homes, of ransoming the

slaves, of elevating the condition of the underprivileged.

Our modern hospitals, in which business must play

so large a part, were born of our material age
;
they are

an outgrowth of hospitalization work instituted by civic

communities or private enterprises. If Religious Com-

munities would continue their ministration to the sick

they must have hospitals today, and they must evidently

have institutions as efficient as their competitors, institu-

tions with which the best medical and surgical physicians

will cooperate. This means that the builders of Catholic

hospitals must spend a fortune on an institution, and

largely with borrowed money, which they must repay

with interest. But most Religious Communities in charge

of our present day hospitals were founded for the pur-

pose of nursing the sick, and especially the destitute

sick, in their own homes.

Under the auspices of the Catholic Church there are

more hospitals and homes for the aged, for the poor and

widow, for the waif and orphan than under the auspices

of all Protestant organizations combined. Infidelity never

erected such institutions, never interested itself in works

of charity.

(3) The favorite charity of this Diocese—and that;
means of all the Catholic people—is the care of dependent
children, whether orphaned by the death of one or both

parents, whether thrown on charity through the divorce

court or through the desertion or imprisonment of the

breadwinner.

During the long period of unemployment, when offer-

ings for the support of the dependent child were quite

curtailed, the number of dependent children quite natur-



18 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

ally increased, requiring the collection of larger rather

than of smaller funds for the housing, schooling, cloth-

ing and feeding of these unfortunate little ones.

Retrenchments may be made in other works fostered

by the Church, but the care of the orphan and dependent

child must go on, even though the former generous givers

must become more generous, even though every Catholic

must give until it hurts his slender purse.

The value of charity is so great in the eyes of God

that His Providence has actually designed that there

should be a large number of people dependent on the

voluntary alms of others.; and the Holy Ghost declares

him blessed “who understandeth concerning the needy

and the poor.”

CONCLUSION : You never had such an oppor-

tunity to merit by works of charity and by contributions

to the support of the dependent child as you have today.

Therefore, let your Christmas offering be worthy of you,

let it represent a real sacrifice, which your Faith assures

you will be rewarded one hundredfold by Him Who, as

the self-sufficient God of Heaven, became a dependent

Child on earth, and Who has pledged Himself to regard

as done for Himself what is done for “His least

brethren.”

CHRISTMAS

“Peace on earth to men of good ivill”—From the
Gospel.

Heaven, whence the angel came to announce “the

glad tidings of great joy” had been from the beginning

of eternity a Paradise of the most blissful peace.

Before a single creature was fashioned Heaven was

the home of harmony and peace, proceeding from the

infinite bond of love uniting Father, Son and Holy Ghost.



ADVENT TO LENT 19

After the admission into that blessed land of the

myriads of angels, who, while on probation, had demon-

strated their “good will” once the will of their Creator

was revealed to them, there was not only seraphic love

for the Creator to the fullest capacity of each angel, but

that perfect harmony and reciprocal love among the

various choirs of angels themselves, which spells sweetest

peace.

Then at the beginning of what we call “time,” the

Almighty created other creatures, composites of flesh

and spirit, who, in the course of centuries, would number

many billions. Because part flesh they dwell in a material

world until dissolution
;
but because part immortal spirit,

they were destined to dwell forever in a world of spirits.

A separate eternal realm might have been created for
them, but thir Creator having loved them no less than

the bodyless angelic creatures of His hands, sent His

only begotten Son to earth to elevate the sons of men to

the rank of sons of God, so that they might become

sharers of bliss supernatural as well as eternal—this
after mankind had incurred the Creator’s displeasure by

“bad will.” In restoring humankind to the Father’s

favor, God incarnate became truly a Savior; the an-

nouncement of His appearance among men became truly

“good tidings of great joy”; His condescension gave in-

finite “glory to God in the highest,” and was the pledge

of “peace on earth to men of good will.”

This very condition emphasized in the angel’s mes-

sage made it clear that (1) in the world there is much

bad will; (2) God became man to promote good will; (3)

we must cultivate the spirit of good will.

(1) The freedom of will of earth’s Heaven-destined

dwellers was not revoked. Man, as always, would be

capable of either good will or bad will; and despite the



20 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

“plentiful redemption,” man’s welfare here and hereafter

would ever depend on the display of “good will.”

Yes, peace on earth and everlasting felicity in

Heaven are the fruits of “good will”; unhappiness on

earth and everlasting banishment from Heaven to the

place “prepared for the devil and his angels” are the

fruits of “bad will.”

Analyse any unsatisfactory situation or condition

here on earth and you will discover that it is traceable

to “bad will”—to the perversity contained in the attitude
“I will not.”

What is the explanations of wars? Certainly “bad

will.”

Why are there incessant conflicts between capital

and labor? Certainly because of the absence of good

will.

Why are not the nations, as during the Middle Ages,

united in a happy family under the benign rule of Christ?

Because of the bad will, which rebels against the author-

ity of Christ.

Why has the unity of the Savior’s faith been broken

with the consequent multiplication of sects? Because

proud rulers, civil and ecclesiastical, opposed their wills

to the will of Christ.

Why do governments antagonize religion generally

in this “enlightened” age? Because their spirit is not

different from that which incited leaders in Christ’s own

day to declare “we will not have this man rule over us.”

Why are there skeptics and agnostics? Because of

the bad will of those who ivill not honestly examine the

credentials of Christianity.

Why are there so many indifferentists in relation to

the things of the soul? Because many choose not to be-

come interested.



ADVENT TO LENT 21

Why do members of the modern sects turn a deaf

ear to the convincing defense of the nineteen century-

old Mother Church? Because prejudice of the mind

begets bad will.

Why do one-time Catholics cease to practice their

religion? Because they will not square their conduct

with their beliefs.

Why are there sinners generally? Because people

will not subordinate the temporal to the eternal, the con-

cupiscences of the flesh to the yearnings of the spirit.

Even temporal success results from “good will”

—

from ambition, self-discipline, self-control. Similarly

all temporal afflictions result from “bad will”—‘from
hatred, envy, insubordination.

Eternal greatness results from the steady effort to

conform one’s life to the will of God. Eternal affliction

must result from rebellion against God, or from such

implied defiance as is contained in a life at variance with

His will.

The lack of good will in the world might have been

excusable before the coming of the Savior, as an inheri-

tance from the original transgression of the proto-parent

of the human race. But it has not been excusable from

the first Christmas day down to this 1934th anniversary

of that day.

(2) Reflect for a moment how the “Word made

flesh,” while dwelling among us, strove to teach the lesson

of good will! See, as a Babe, wrapped in swaddling

clothes, and laid in the manger of the stable, Him Who
had basked in glory indescribable, in bliss infinite. See

Him during a life of thirty-three years deliberately de-

priving Himself of the very things for which the general-

ity live—comforts, riches, pleasures. See Him embrace
the very things from which the generality of people



22 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

shrink—privations, poverty, persecution, suffering. See
Him weeping over Jerusalem, because she would not

learn the things which were to her peace. See Him

threatening to withdraw the divine favor from His na-

tion and to deliver it to another because of bad will.

Listen to Him declare that the one, and only he or

she, who doeth the will of His Father, is His mother,

His sister, His brother, as later He proclaimed to all

mankind that only he “that doeth the will of My Father

Who is in Heaven, shall enter into the Kingdom of

Heaven.” See Him prostrate in prayer in Gethsemane,

repeating over and over the words: “Father, not My

will but Thine be done,” as He had previously implored

all His followers for all time to repeat daily : “Thy will

be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”

(3) If peace on earth be the aspiration of every

individual, of every nation, and if its bestowal by Heaven

be conditioned on “good will,” then the cultivation of

good will must be the set purpose of all. Good will is

another word for charity—charity, the promotion of
which is the aim of every one of the Ten Commandments.

The Ten are reducible to the two precepts which enforce

love of God and love of neighbor—and love is the fulfill-
ment of the entire law.

The true lover of God is at peace with God
;
the true

lover of his neighbor is at peace with his neighbor. Love,

“good will,” is the lesson of Christmas. Will you promise

to learn it from Him Who left the angels above to per-

sonify it among sinners here below; from Him, Whose

life, Whose death were built upon it; Whose Church,

Whose Sacraments, Whose prayers at the right hand of

the Father in glory, are occupied with its promotion?

Everywhere in the world there is a concerted clamor

for “peace, peace,” but there will be no peace until there



ADVENT TO LENT 23

will be a movement towards more love of God and more

love of neighbor on earth.

Alas ! the movement is quite pronounced in the

opposite direction. Therefore, the world needs the pray-

ers, the example, of all who are devoted to Jesus. It

needs a definite crusade on the part of all Catholics for

the cultivation of good will, the fruit of which will be

peace and prosperity.

CONCLUSION : Please Bethlehem’s Babe, the

Prince of Peace, promised by the prophets, by resolving

to cultivate more and more the spirit of good-will both

towards God and your neighbor.

LAST SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

A Sermon on Finances

The calendar year, 1934, is nearing its end. Practi-

cally every business man will measure its importance by

the gains or losses he has sustained. Banks, insurance

companies, municipalities, all lines of industry and busi-

ness will balance their books and issue statements for the

information of all interested parties.

Presidents of corporations will meet with their

Boards of Directors to make observations on achieve-

ments accomplished, as indicated by the annual report,

and to consider very seriously a plan and program for

the year to follow.

There is a business side even to religion, which it is

well for you to consider in its relation to (1) the local

parish; (2) the Diocese of which it is a part; (3) the

Church Universal.

(1) Every parish is a branch institution in a

world-wide kingdom of Jesus Christ, the greatest, the

most important and useful corporation on this globe.

Under a Supreme Head, His Vicar, resident in the Eter-



24 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

nal City, God’s business on earth is transacted. In order

that it may function to the great advantage of every in-

dividual in every nation, the territory of the world is

divided into some 1200 Diocesan Districts, and these in

turn, into 50, or 100, or 500 local units. The 1200 Bish-

ops must necessarily render an account of their steward-

ships to the Supreme Headquarters at regular intervals.

In order that they may be able to do this the 200,000

pastors of the world must make annual reports to their

respective Bishops.

These reports deal with the number of families and

souls, with the number of schools and colleges and their

enrollment, with baptisms, marriages, funerals, with

conversions, parish societies and their activities, with a

detailed account of revenue received and disbursed. Your

pastor is obliged to prepare such a report for his Bishop

immediately after the close of this year, and submit it

to you as well. More than any agent of a worldly cor-

poration, he is naturally interested, and you should be

interested, in having a creditable report go out from

your parish.

According to a divine plan you absolutely need the

services of the priest, the services of a parish church;

your children have an alienable right to a Christian

education and, therefore, the parish school is needed;

religious teachers are needed, and since the priest and

the religious are human beings, they need to be housed,

clothed and supported.

One of the Precepts of the Church demands the sup-

port of religion locally by those who receive its benefits,

and because these benefits to each member are incalcul-

able every Catholic should cheerfully assume his or her

small part in meeting the cost of maintenance of the

parish unit, including the interest on debts entailed by



ADVENT TO LENT 25

building and the speediest possible amoritization of the

debt itself.

(2) The burden of educating the students prepar-

ing for the priesthood for any given diocese, must natur-

ally be borne by the people of the diocese whom they will

serve. The orphans, who come from families living

within the diocese, must also be supported by the alms

of the faithful throughout the diocese.

The Bishop is burdened, unfortunately for himself,

but fortunately for the parishes, with the responsibility

of all the properties of the diocese. They are held in the

Bishop’s name not for any benefit of his own, but to es-

tablish credit for all parishes, even the weakest ones. It is

natural that the title to the property intended for relig-

ious use should be held by an ecclesiastic, and not by lay

trustees. Of course, the Bishop himself holds the prop-

erty only in trust or as a trustee, and, therefore, strictly

speaking, it actually belongs to the people whom it serves,

and who are expected to maintain it and be responsible

for its debt. No diocese can be stronger than the sum

total of its parishes
;
and diocesan assessments are figured

so closely that there is little left after the expenses of

diocesan institutions and obligations are met, for any

other purpose. It is for this reason that contributions

to the so-called diocesan collections should be generous.

If a surplus resulted therefrom, ’the Bishop would use it

to help the poorer parishes.

(3) The government of the Universal Church, as

you might surmise, also calls for money, which must be

supplied by the people universally. Once a year there is

a collection taken up, throughout the world, to meet this

need. In addition, the Faith must be propagated in pagan

lands, in countries which once had it, but where it was

almost destroyed by schism. To meet this need we have



26 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

the Propagation of the Faith for foreign missions and

also an annual collection for the Missions.

In separate countries there are national religious

needs, which must be supported by all Catholics of the

country. In our country, for instance, there are the

Catholic University at Washington, the work conducted

among the Negroes and Indians, the missionary work

which must be done in the west and southwest under the

American Board of Catholic Missions.

CONCLUSION : This summary of the needs of re-
ligion might leave the impression that Catholics are ex-

pected to give exhorbitantly to religion. As a matter of

fact, when each wage-earner does his and her part, the

burden is insignificant compared to other expenses which

everyone has.

Most families pay more to the State through a gaso-

line tax alone than they do to the Church. The smoker

of one package of cigarettes daily pays §50.00 a year for

that purpose. The money spent by young people for

amusements and refreshments and candies would pay

theiT church obligations several times over.

Let there be a proper order to things and sacrifices

made by you in relation to the values received. There is

nothing in all the world which is worth one-half as much

to you as the benefits you receive from your parish;

therefore, you should nbt even need a reminder to give

according to your means for its maintenance as well as

for the maintenance of the diocese of which it is a part.

Be glad to give a mite to the Church Universal, whose

machinery of government and whose 170,000 mission-

aries must be supported.



ADVENT TO LENT 27

NEW YEAR’S DAY

Your Sentiments at the Beginning of a New Year

The religious rite of Circumcision is not binding in

the New Law. But since the feast of Christ’s Circumcis-

ion synchronizes with the first day of every New Year,

and since the counting of years anew began with the

birth of Christ, it is quite natural that New Year’s Day

should be a holyday in the Calendar of the Church. It

should be a self-imposed holyday as well, because’ of the

serious reflections which it is calculated to arouse in us.

We are reminded (1) of the speedy flight of time;

(2) of our waste and misuse of time; (3) of the value of

time in relation to the eternity, which is so close by.

(1) Your Church, whose youth is so fresh in her

memory, is 1900 years old—and how many institutions,
long forgotten, have risen and disappeared since! How

brief his length of days appears to the octogenarian,

conscious of nearing his end ! How swift the pace from

. the dawn of reason to graduation from high school and

college, to marriage, to the marriage of one’s children

and children’s children!

The average term of life is considerably under forty

years. The strongest pass away without a warning. With

your every heart beat there is a death. More than 30,-

000,000, or seventy every minute, were summoned into

eternity last year and the number will not be smaller this

year. Some of you will surely be taken, and likely those *

who least expect it. If everyone of you were included

in the 30,000,000, who would note it outside this com-

munity?

A brief while ago the year 1934 was regarded as
future, it is now completely buried in the past. At its

beginning you were serious for a moment, reflected on



28 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

your mistakes of 1933, formulated a few resolutions

calculated to make the New York more profitable to your
soul. But that year was lived no better, if it was not

actually lived worse, than the previous year.

(2) It is easy to calculate how much of your past

life has been wasted, how much time was misused, and

therefore became actually a detriment—though it was
intended as a blessing. We divide the year into months,
weeks, days. The business man who regards time as

money 'takes the month as the measurement of progress.

He compares his success during January and March, July

and September of one year with that of the same months

of the year, previous.

Created for eternity, as we are, time should be re-

garded as grace. In every moment of time there is the

seed of eternal glory, just as in an original atom, accord-

ing to leading, scientists, there was a minature universe,

out of which the mighty heavenly bodies gradually grew.

The eternity which will be ours is in process of formation

right now. Killing time by sheer idleness, misusing it

by harmful reading, by sinful recreation, by postponing

repentance, by rejecting the many golden opportunities

it offers for merit, is sure to create an ignoble eternity

for us, where we shall be separated from God and ever*

lastingly wish that we had never been born. Calculate

the average amount of time you devote each day directly

or indirectly to God, to your soul, to the performance of

unselfish service to others.

(3) For most of us eternity is close at hand.

Scarcely a person now living will be on earth in another

century; most of you will be unremembered in a few

short decades. As the young man goes to college the

better to prepare himself for greater fullness of life here;

as the father works laboriously to leave a pittance to his



ADVENT TO LENT 29

children, so everyone should translate time into profit

for his own eternal enjoyment.

Too many people hope to be able to end their life as

did the penitent thief, not remembering that along with

that sinner another, who had the same opportunity, went

into eternity unrepentant. According to the experience

of every priest people die as they have lived
;
those who

live well die properly prepared, and those who live badly

die unprepared. Sudden deaths constitute a very large

proportion of all deaths, and, therefore, it should behoove

every person to be ready for such a termination of his

life here.

The thoughtlessness of Catholics is never brought

home more forcibly • than when we see them join the

worldly in all night parties and even carousals “to see the

old year out and the New Year in” and then attend New

Year’s Day Mass with less devotion and earnestness than

they attend any other Mass of obligation.

CONCLUSION : Let us, in imitation of the saints

who were the wisest of human beings, resolve to make

better use of our time. Let us show hearts truly grateful

to the Heavenly Father for preserving us through the

past year when others were called from life at the rate

of 100,000 a day. Let us implore His pardon for our

sins, for our neglect of prayer, of the Sacraments, of

numerous heavenly inspirations and graces, and resolve

not only to merit His favor, but to grow from day to day

in His love. Many saints vowed never to lose a moment

of time, understanding that every moment properly con-

secrated to God, had immense purchasing power for the

only goods worth while, namely, those that are eternal.



30 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

EPIPHANY

“We have seen His star in the East”—From the
Gospel.

On the occasion of the birth of the God-man only a

few persons were present. The good tidings of great

joy announced by the angel were heard only by a few

shepherds. Judea and the rest of the world must learn

about it later. The Magi, following the guidance of the

miraculous star, had started on the long journey to find

“Him Who had been born King of the Jews,” but they

were not at Bethlehem on Christmas night.

Christ must be made manifest to the outside world.

His mission must be revealed, His Divinity proved. The

feast of the Epiphany was instituted to commemorate

three important manifestations of the Godhead in Jesus.

These are (1) the call of the Magi from the Orient; (2)

the attestation of the Divinity of Jesus by the Heavenly

Father on the occasion of His Baptism in the Jordan;

(3) the great miracle Jesus wrought at Cana at the be-

ginning of His public life.

(1) A tradition of long standing, and therefore
quite deep-seated, had prevailed in the Orient, according

to which a great world Liberator of Jewish origin, would

appear about this time. Three wise-men, believed to be

rulers or kings in their respective countries, read in

Bethlehem’s miraculous star both the announcement of

His coming and a call to go and pay Him homage. It is

likely that the unusual luminary attracted the attention

of many thousands of people, who did not take the

trouble to interpret its meaning, much less to start out

on a long uncertain journey in search of the One, Whose

coming into the world it heralded.

The story of their journey to Jerusalem, their ex-



ADVENT TO LENT 31

perience with King Herod, their arrival at Bethlehem,

their adoration of the divine Babe, and presentation of

gifts, the admonition of the angel to return home over a

different route, because of Herod’s jealousy, is beauti-

fully told in today’s gospel. The call of the Star and the

recognition of the divinity of Jesus by the Magi is known

as the Epiphania or Manifestation, and this feast honors

in Christ, what Simeon had in mind when he called Him

“light unto the revelation of the Gentiles.”

From the Magi we should all learn the lesson uf

heeding the light of faith, which shines more or less

brightly before all intellects, but which fails to move

many either to investigate or to pray. From the Magi

Catholics should learn to heed and to follow the inspira-

tion and call of actual graces, so often inviting us to

come and adore, and to do good.

(2) You recall that Jesus, before He began His

public life, spent forty days in the desert in fasting and

prayer, and that immediately thereafter He allowed Him-

self to be baptized by St. John in the river Jordan. On

that occasion many people were prepared to believe that

the Messiah was on earth, because St. John, who himself

was mistaken for the Messiah, told them that he was only

the forerunner of the great One Whom they expected,
“the latchet of whose shoe he was unworthy to loose.”

The Heavenly Father took this occasion to proclaim

in a most forcible and miraculous way the divinity of

Jesus, by uttering from beyond the clouds the solemn

declaration: “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am
well pleased.” This is also commemorated on the feast

of the Epiphany as a certain manifestation of the char-

acter and mission of our divine Savior.

On still another occasion, namely, the Transfigura-

tion of Christ on Mount Thabor in the presence of only



32 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

Peter, James, and John, His favorite Apostles, and of

Moses and Elias, who had been the great teachers in the

Old Law, now come to an end, the Heavenly Father gave

testimony to the divinity of His Son in the same words.

(3) Christ made His first public appearance, fol-

lowing His Baptism by St. John, at a wedding performed

at Cana, only a few miles from Nazareth. Jesus, His

Blessed Mother, and some of His disciples were invited

to that wedding. On this occasion Jesus worked His first

miracle which astounded all the guests, and He worked

it at the request of Mary.

This is the third event, the third public manifesta-

tion of Christ’s divinity, commemorated on the feast of

the Epiphany.

In accepting an invitation to the marriage at Cana

Christ intended to convey a very important lesson, name-

ly, that marriage is something very sacred, an institution

of Almighty God Himself, which He, the Founder of the

new world-wide religion, intended to elevate to the divin-

ity of a Sacrament. He accepted the invitation also be-

cause he wanted to impress on people for all time that

God craves to be invited to every marriage in order that

He might bless it, and through such blessing make it

happy and conducive to the sanctification both of the

couple who become united for life and of the children

with whom the marriage may be blessed.

CONCLUSION : The divinity of Christ is the funda-

mental teaching of Christianity; hence it is easy to un-

derstand why the world was given such forcible evidence

of that divinity for all who are willing to consider it.

We, who so sincerely believe that in the person of

Jesus were united both the divine and human nature,

should be proud to confess and to declare it. In helping

to instruct non-Catholics our first step should be to as-



ADVENT TO LENT 33

certain just what they believe about Christ. Many who

speak reverently about Him, who quote His words and

who pretend to follow Him, have not the same concept

concerning Him which we have. Everything rests on the

divinity of Christ and, therefore, on the divinity of the

Church which He established. These two truths, being

accepted, every teaching of our faith must commend

itself to the person who uses his intellect.

HOLY NAME

“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow
”

—

On this second Sunday of January the feast of the

Holy Name of Jesus, which actually falls on January

second, is usually observed for the benefit of the mem-

bers of the Holy Name Society.

“His name shall be called Jesus” said the angel to

both Mary and Joseph, because that name expressed

His principal mission in this world, viz : “to save the

people from their sins.” You were taught by the little

Catechism that the name Jesus means “Savior,” as the

name Christ means “the anointed” of God.

Clear lessons taught by this feast, as by the feast of

the Circumcision which we recently observed, are (1)

that every follower of Jesus should bear a Christian

name; (2) that the greatest reverence should be shown

to the name of Jesus, to that of His Heavenly Father and

to all persons and things sacred; and (3) -that profane

language and cursing are sinful as well as unbecoming.

(1) A Christian should certainly bear a Christian
name. If a Christian be a citizen of the Kingdom of

Jesus Christ, why should he be named after a pagan, or

. one who was alien to Christ? If there be anything in a

name, why not select a name for your child judiciously,



34 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

a name which was borne by a devoted lover or soldier

of Jesus?

It is often asked “What is there in a name”? Al-

mighty God gave a great deal of importance to a name.

He not only sent an angel both to Mary and Joseph to

apprise them of the name which His divine Son was co

bear, but St. John the Baptist was named before his

birth. Christ changed the name of Simon to Peter; the

name of Saul was changed to Paul. Practically every

scriptural name in the Old Law had a significant mean-

ing.

How many of you who have Christian names know

anything about jmur patrons? How many of you pray

to him or her, or try to take inspiration from his or her

example ?

(2) St. Peter stipulated the reverence which is due

the name of Jesus when he declared: “At the name of

Jesus every knee should bow of those in Heaven, on

earth, and under the earth.” If Jesus is God He is in-

finitely superior to the angels in Heaven and to all men

on earth, and His greatness, His majesty, His holiness,

should be so recognized.

If we had no other argument for the existence of

Satan, the arch-enemy of God, we would have it in the

brazen irreverence towards the Holy Name on the part

of so many people, who use the name of God and of

Jesus as a by-word, who not only take these names in

vain, but use them in anger, in cursing, in blasphemy.

The purpose of the Holy Name Society, to which

most Catholic men now belong, is to cultivate and pro-

mote reverence not only for the Holy Name of Jesus, but

for His religion and everything sacred. That is why

Holy Name members obligate themselves to attend Sun-

day Mass regularly and by a public Holy Communion to



ADVENT TO LENT 35

give public evidence of their condemnation of everything

unclean, particularly of uncleanness in speech. By this

act they edify one another and set an example of clean

living and cleanliness in conversation to their children.

Every man, young and old, should be a member of the

Holy Name Society, be proud of such membership and

be willing to show this pride by participation in public

Holy Name demonstrations and by unfailing regularity

in going to Holy Communion with other members on the

Sunday of each month assigned to them.

(3) There is no habit so detestable as that of curs-

ing and profane language. It is the language of hell, of

the devils who are represented in Holy Scripture as

hating Almighty God and, therefore, of hating and curs-

ing all persons and things closely related to Him.

Holy Scripture tells us that to him who curses will

come a curse, just as to him who blesses will come a

blessing. It is, therefore, a very risky thing to curse at

all, and a greater risk to contract a habit of cursing.

But could anyone addicted to this habit offer even

the semblance of a good reason for it? Besides being

sinful it is an exhibition of bad taste. It is never used

in polite society; it is seldom used in print; it may no

longer be used by those who appear in the movies. St.

James calls our attention to the fact that the tongue is

the greatest offender against the law of God. It is given

to untruthfulness, detraction, slander, immoral talk, and

is always employed during anger. But contemplate what

an offender the tongue is in the person who uses profane

language and cursing many times during the day when

there is absolutely no provocation.

Everyone of us is destined to sing the praises of

God with the angels for all eternity. How ill-fitted for
this glorification of God is the tongue of the one who is



36 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

ever occupied in the very opposite direction here on

earth! Most fathers who use profane language are re-

sponsible before God for the habit which is quite natur-

ally copied by children.

Thanks to the Holy Name Society this vicious prac-

tice has been almost discontinued among Catholics!

CONCLUSION : Holy Scripture represents that the

sinner will be tormented in the other world particularly

in the members which were instruments of his sins.

Considering that the power of speech is a blessing which

might have been withheld from us as it is withheld from

a great many, it should never be employed in sin; it

should never be abused. Through it we should edify

others, encourage them to do good; through it we should

engage in prayer and in the praise of God and His works.

Even people who are not addicted to the habit of

cursing and profane language should be members of the

Holy Name Society to assert their protest against an

evil which is shameful, disgusting, and an offense to

Christian ears.

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
—January 20th

“And Jesus also was invited to the marriage”—From
the Gospel.

Two weeks ago we referred to the miracle worked

by Jesus at Cana as one of three manifestations of His

Divinity honored on the feast of the Epiphany. Today

the gospel relates that miracle, but to us who know that

it was exceedingly easy for Jesus to change water into

wine or bread into His own living body, it is not so much

the miracle as His acceptance of an invitation to a wed-

ding that impresses us and teaches important lessons.

Among these lessons three are outstanding. These



ADVENT TO LENT 37

are (1) that God is intensely interested in every wed-

ding; (2) that He wants an invitation to come and bless

the marriage; and (3) that He cannot accept an invita-

tion to a marriage of which He does not approve.

(1) The average person who enters the marriage

state acts as though Almighty God can have no interest-

in it. He seldom prays for a blessing on his marriage;

usually is not careful to win such a blessing during the

period of courtship; and leaves his Creator, whence all

blessings must flow, entirely out of his calculations.

Should it not be clear that Almighty God must be

intensely interested in the marriage of every couple be-

cause so much is dependent on it? From it results either

a Christian or a non-Christian home and family; future

members of the Church and future citizens of the country

—in fact, candidates for Heaven, everyone of whom has
a right and an obligation to know, love and serve his

Maker.

Holy Scripture lays great emphasis on the fact that

God Himself performed the first marriage ceremony and,

therefore, is the Author of the solemn contract. It lays

emphasis on the fact that Christ ennobled this contract

when He raised it to the dignity of a Sacrament; that

the contract binds both parties until death
;
and that un-

faithfulness is one of the most heinous of sins. If

God calls most people to embrace the state of matrimony

evidently He is interested, and if the parties to the pros-

pective life-long contract will only make themselves de-

serving of it, He will have a generous blessing for them

which will endure throughout life.

(2) St. Augustine tells us that all Christ’s acts

were actually precepts; in other words, they contained

lessons for us to learn, if not commandments for us to

follow. When He accepted an invitation from the young



38 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

couple who were to be married at Cana, near His own

home, Nazareth, He thought of having recorded for all

time the lesson that marriage is a serious affair to be

prepared for seriously, by cultivating the interest of

Almighty God, and that it should be a religious function

during which the blessing of God should be imparted.

In the religion Jesus was about to establish marriage

would be one of seven Sacraments, carrying with it a

very special sacramental grace, which would offer sup-

port to the wedded pair in trials and difficulties, and make

it easier for them to sanctify themselves in their sacred

vocation.

The Catholic Church, imitating her Founder, makes

a great deal of marriage. She unites the couple before

the very altar
;

interrupts the Mass during its most

solemn part, in order to implore Jesus there present, to

bless the union as He blessed the union of the Cana

couple, to prolong the life of the wedded pair, to make it

happy with good children.

(3) Marriages known as “mixed” are those be-

tween a Catholic and non-Catholic. They have neyer

had the approval of the Church, just as mixed marriages

never had the approval of Almighty God in the Old Law.

In fact, they were most strictly forbidden among the

Jewish people, who belonged to the true faith at that

time.

Mixed marriages can only be tolerated, and the

Church has no special blessing for them because they

are not usually blessed by God.

There can be no union closer than a union of souls

by the profession of the same faith which, in turn,

enables the married couple consistently to rear their off-

spring in the same faith.

The soul has value in God’s eyes only when it pos-



ADVENT TO LENT 39

sesses His grace or lives in a supernatural state. An

unbaptized person does not possess this state of grace,

and even a baptized adult who has never had the benefit

of the Sacrament of Penance, does not likely possess it.

In God’s eyes, therefore, a mixed-marriage lacks the

beautiful union of souls as He loves to note. If husband

and wife entertain entirely different views about God,

about the terms of salvation, their house is divided

against itself, usually with disastrous consequences to the

children.

CONCLUSION : Parents should consecrate their

young children to Almighty God and beg of Him to guide

and direct them through life. The children themselves

should pray for direction in the matter of their vocation,

and if their destiny be marriage, God will lead them to the

right partner at the right time. It is, of course, assumed

that the young who thus pray will so live as to merit such

consideration from Heaven.

Since it is always much easier to convert a prospec-

tive husband or wife before marriage than after, and

since a richer blessing will accompany the marriage if it

be between two people professing the faith so dear to

God, every Catholic who is keeping company with a non-

Catholic should make clear his stand on this matter be-

fore any consent to marriage is given.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

Press Sunday—January 27th
“It is the sacred duty of every Catholic to support

the Catholic Press”—Pope Pius XI.
•

Once a year on a Sunday close to the feast of St.

Francis de Sales (January 29th), whom Pope Pius XI

designated the heavenly patron of the Catholic Press,

the priest is expected to preach a sermon on the need of



40 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

Catholic literature in the home, and more especially on

the duty incumbent on every family to subscribe to and

read an instructive Catholic paper. Every good Catholic

parent seems to recognize this need, but the indifferent

Catholic parent does not; yet surely the indifferent need

the Catholic paper far more than the fervent.

Every reason you might allege for reading secular

papers or magazines has far greater force when applied

to the religious press. To justify your daily reading of

the secular paper you allege (1) I must know what is

going on in the world; (2) I must' continue my school

education by reading; (3) I must be able to discuss prob-

lems of the day. Now let us apply these same principles

to the world of religion and morals.

(1) You say you read the secular press because

you must know what is going on in the world. But the

secular press tells you what is going on only in the way

of crime and politics. It does not bring to you even a

good thought, much less stimulate you to good action.

Nor does the secular press carry a report of the good

deeds performed by individuals and by groups the day

before. It speaks to you about broken homes, but not

about the happiness which is in many other homes. It

carries to you many stories about irreligion, but little

about religion. It carries many a misrepresentation of

religious teaching, but no refutation thereof. The secular

press has never told the full truth about the persecution

of the Church in Mexico; it has repeatedly misrepre-

sented the situation in Spain or in Italy.

But if the secular press truly reported what was

going on in the secular world, why would there not be an

equally valid reason for you to read the Catholic paper in

order to know what is going on in the Catholic world?

The Catholic world is a very wide world. It comprises



ADVENT TO LENT 41

most of the population of Europe, of South America, and

its membership is larger even in Asia and Africa than

that of any other religious organization. The record of

important Catholic happenings, with which you should

be acquainted, would fill as many pages once a yeek as

is devoted to the secular news in the average city

daily. The word Catholic, as you know, means universal

;

to be a Catholic, therefore, means to belong to a world

religion. No Catholic should be satisfied to have ac-

quaintance only with the religious happenings nearby.

(2) He who says he must continue his school edu-

cation by further reading utters a truth, for school educa-

tion does nothing more than lay a foundation on which

one must continue to build, and few there are who do

not continue to do considerable reading after leaving

school. It is the very demand of people for further

secular literature which has led to the publication of

thousands of monthly and weekly magazines, to books

and pamphlets of all kinds.

But on the same theory should not every Catholic

try to continue his religious education by further read-

ing? The full import of most of the truth taught in the

little Catechism to the child is not grasped until its mind

is more mature. That is why numerous books and

pamphlets are published which are devoted to Catholic

teaching and practices, to Catholic social and ethical

problems; that is why a Catholic paper, full of instruc-

tion, is offered to you Sunday after Sunday as you leave

the church.

Every Catholic is expected to be a soldier of Christ,

and, therefore, a Catholic of action. One, cannot con-

sistently be an expounder or defender of the faith without

studying his religion more thoroughly than he learned

it in school, without keeping in touch with interpreta-



42 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

tions of Catholic principles to meet the social trends of

the times.

(3) It is true that you should be familiar with the

material problems of the day, and would that you could

be familiar with their solution. But the minds of those

who have always been regarded as experts in finance, in

industry, in business, in economics, and government, are

so much at variance today that even those who are in-

tensely interested in learning how to speak on these

problems, are woefully confused.

Again, if you long to be able to discuss the secular

problems of the day, should you not be at least equally

desirous of being able to discuss the religious problems

of the day? No one can properly discuss religious prob-

lems except the Catholic, because he is the only one who

is not confused. There is just as much chaos in the re-

ligious world as in the economic world. Everyone pro-

poses to have opinions about religion, but each is in con-

flict with the other. It should be clear to all that an

authority is needed for the determination of what is in

accordance with the mind of God, yet no Church but the

Catholic pretends to speak with authority, pretends to

have the guidance and protection of the Holy Spirit.

Religious matters are the very things which every

Catholic should be able to discuss accurately. But this

naturally supposes that they be informed accurately con-

cerning the teaching of their Church, the reason for

the practices of their Church, concerning the standards

of their Church by which social and moral problems

must be settled. Social Justice is probably the greatest

need of our day, but no other Church except the Catholic

has a constructive social justice program.

Evidently, therefore, every Catholic has much to

study, should be eager to study, is obliged to study, and



ADVENT TO LENT 43

could do a great deal for others if he were properly in-

formed.

CONCLUSION : Do not, therefore, regard a sub-

scription to the Catholic paper as merely a good thing.

It is a necessary thing. Do not regard the study of your

religion as a private need, but as a public need. It is the

indifference of the generality of the Catholic people in

these matters which prevents the Church from becoming

properly known. She is now known only as she is carica-

tured by our enemies, and in that picture she is anything

but attractive.

Even in these days of small incomes no parent is

justified in offering the “I cannot afford it” excuse for

not taking the Catholic paper. At most it will cost two

cents a week. The people who offer this excuse pay ten

cents for the Sunday edition of any city paper.

Resolve to receive the Catholic paper regularly, to

read it yourself and have your children read it. The

fifty-two small installments of instruction and informa-

tion will profit the family immensely, even though un-

consciously.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

“And behold, a great tempest arose in the sea”

—

From the Gospel.

Probably never before was the world at large so

agitated by the raging storms provoked by Materialism,

Communism, and the disagreements between Capital and

Labor
;
and never before was the well-minded individual

so battered by storms of temptations, both from within

and without.

Trials and tribulations, sufferings and temptations,

are a consequence of the original rebellion of mankind’s



44 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

protoparent against God; and despite the Redemption

by the Divine Savior these are still permitted and often

actually sent by the Heavenly Father for the spiritual

good of their victims.

Let us consider what faith teaches (1) about tem-

poral evils; (2) about temptations; and (3) about the

ability of man to profit by them.

(1) The natural must always be related to the

supernatural. The solution of every difficulty we en-

counter in this world, the explanation of all material

riddles is possible by the application of the principles

of faith.

If “by one man sin came into the world and by sin

death,” it is easy to understand that all lesser things,

such as sickness and suffering and trails, the strifes be-

tween individuals, and wars between nations, pestilences,

famines, must also be traceable the same cause. When

man rebelled against his Creator, everything over which

man was supposed to be master, became rebellious

against him.

Adversities were intended to bring people closer to

God, and during the ages of greater faith they always

did. Reports from various countries, at the present

time, indicate that the present distress throughout the

world has had that effect wherever people would not

permit themselves to be influenced by the apostles of

irreligion. The depression is probably lasting so long

because it has not yet had the effect, in a spiritual way,

that the Almighty intended that it should have.

The Prodigal Son offers an example of how the in-

dividual, straying from God and giving himself up to

various excesses, is brought to his senses by adversity.

When Holy Scripture reminds us that “God chastiseth



ADVENT TO LENT 45

whom He loveth,” it lays down a general principle fol-

lowed by Almighty God, Who would not have people be-

come too closely wedded to the things of this world.

(2) Knowing of the little religion which most of

our non-Catholic countrymen have, we are certain that

they must be subject to vehement temptations against

faith, to which Catholics should not be subject at all.

The truths which we accept by faith are not any

more difficult to believe than many truths which we ac-

cept on the authority of science, not more difficult to

comprehend than the dozen facts which are daily before

our eyes, electricity, for instance, or the marvels of the

radio.

But the one who has never had instruction in re-

ligion, who has never been taught that Almighty God

made a definite revelation and committed its interpreta-

tion to an institution which He Himself founded, has no

good grounds for believing supernatural truths, and,

therefore, must easily succumb to the attacks on Chris-

tian faith which appear in our day in so much current

literature.

But the more dangerous temptations are of a moral

nature, the inward ones being provoked by the numerous

outward ones, which everybody confronts daily. Not

only did the people of the last generation have no motion

pictures which catered to their lower instincts, but they

dressed differently, their recreation was more innocent,

their courtships were more guarded, and the vast major-

ity of the people followed higher moral standards. The

Catholic is inwardly agitated far more than the non-

Catholic in relation to these matters because his con-

science was trained differently, because he was taught of

the beauty of divine grace which he must try to preserve

in his soul, of his greater nearness to God, not only be-



46 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

cause of the possession of grace but because of the

frequent visits of Almighty God to his very soul.

The Catholic believes that the devil, the arch-enemy

of God, envious of his favor with God, is busily engaged

in an effort to sever his allegiance from God. Holy

Scripture represents the evil one as our “adversary, going

about, as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour/''

It represents that our conflict here on earth is not alto-

gether against “flesh and blood,” that is against our in-

ward inclinations and temptations provoked by other

people, but also “against the spirits of wickedness in

high places.”

To encourage us not to falter on this account, our

Divine Savior allowed Himself to be tempted by the devil,

and St. Paul assures us that when he felt discouraged

under severe temptations, the Lord told him that His

grace was sufficient for him.

(3) No one was more severely tried than Job, who

never lost confidence in God, who blessed the name of

God amid most extraordinary trials and sufferings. In

the lives of the saints we read of numerous instances of

those who were striving for perfection actually praying

to Almighty God to send them suffering and trials,

realizing, as they did, that the patient endurance of

affliction for love of Him Who suffered so much for them,

was probably the greatest means of merit for that inter-

minable life with God in another world, which they

craved.

Even in the Old Testament God dealt with His

favorites ones similarily. He directed Abraham to leave

his country; he commanded Jacob to immolate his son

Isaac; he allowed Joseph to be sold into Egypt by his

very brothers
;
deprived Moses of the happiness of enter-



ADVENT TO LENT 47

ing the promised land, after he had spent forty years on

the journey thereto.

See what trials and persecutions the Apostles en-

dured; the fidelity that Almighty God required of the

first Christians, over whose heads the sentence of death

hung constantly. St. Paul assures followers of Christ

for all time that “the tribulations of this life work for

us above measure, exceedingly, an eternal weight of

glory.”

We, therefore, who try to shirk affliction, who are

so impatient in suffering, who are given so little to the

practice of mortification and self-denial and sacrifice,

need to have our faith enlivened. We should learn to
place value only on eternal things, to turn into super-

natural merit all our trials in this life; and also learn to

make speedy use of every actual grace offered us for the

purpose of combating temptations, whether they proceed

from our hearts, from our passions, or from without.

CONCLUSION : In order to merit for Heaven we

must live in the state of grace. It is this state of grace,

of which the devil seeks to deprive us by all his snares

and temptations. Try, therefore, to be grace-conscious,

so that you will never surrender grace for the momentary

satisfaction you might have from any natural or carnal

pleasure. If you be 'grace-conscious, you will, like the

man who is money-conscious, be ever eager to have more

of it, and, therefore, you will not try to shirk trials, and

will learn to keep your lower appetites in submission.

Protestants derive a great deal of comfort from the

Twenty-second Psalm (the Twenty-third in the Protes-

tant Bible) which opens with the words “The Lord

ruleth me, I shall want nothing.” That Psalm should

offer even more comfort to us, who understand the super-

natural so much better than non-Catholics do.



48 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

SEPTUAGESIMA

“I therefore so run
,
not as at an uncertainty”—From

the Epistle.

These words of St. Paul harmonize well with the

advice of St. Peter : “Brethren, labor the more, that by

good works you may make sure your calling and elec-

tion”—II Peter I, 10.

St. Peter tells us that we can make sure our election

to the heavenly honors and treasures for which we are

candidates—but he reminds us that it requires hard
work. “Labor the more,” he exhorts.

We candidates for Heaven can learn how to win our
election (1) from the zeal of the candidate for a political

office; (2) from the example of St. Paul contained in to-

day’s epistle; and (3) from the misconduct of the gener-

ality of people.

(1) You have often observed how the candidate

for a political office works for his election. He loses no

time, spares no labor, in order to better his prospects.

He studies how to gain influence here, how to remove

obstacles there; he consults with his friends; his first

thoughts in the morning and his last thoughts at night

are about “his chances.” Yet after all his arduous work,

after time carefully employed and perhaps money pro-

fusely spent, he may not attain his heart’s desire.

Such is a sample of the daily struggle which worldly

men wage for worldly honors and worldly goods. If

men can be so attracted by the uncertain, empty, passing

honors and goods of this world
;

if they can set their

whole hearts and souls on the attainment of such

shadows, how irresistibly ought we to be impelled to

“labor the more” for the high honors and priceless eternal

treasures that “God hath prepared for those who love

Him”?



ADVENT TO LENT 49

A superficial glance at the conduct of the generality

of people makes it plain that very few are working half

as hard to become chosen ones for Heaven as men work

for an office here on earth; and therefore the truth of

Christ's words uttered on two occasions, becomes evident

—namely, that of all called “only few are chosen” ; and
the truth of St. Paul's words, which tell us that all who

enter the race by no means win the heavenly prize.

From the enthusiasm he displays and from the earn-

estness of his efforts to be elected we say that the political

candidate “runs” for office. St. Paul uses the same

figure of speech to express how deeply interested we

should be in the great affair of our salvation
;
he says we

must run, and run hard, for the heavenly prize: “So

run that you may obtain.”

(2) Then, in order that no one may be too confi-

dent of success, this great Apostie, though called a “vessel

of election,” tells us how he himself runs lest even he

might not win. “I run,” he says, “not as at an uncer-

tainty; I chastise my body and keep it under subjection/'

Do you do as much? If all people kept their bodies under

subjection, their chances for Heaven would be good. “The

spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” You resolve to

pray, your body protests; you decide to fast, your body

objects. It is your body that wants sinful pleasure, that

wants comfort and ease, that objects to fast, to kneel in

prayer, to walk to church. Yet do most people chastise

their bodies? Do they not rather pamper their bodies?

Such will not win.

Considering that Heaven is the greatest gift within

the power of God to bestow, it is worth our greatest

efforts. If every movement of our lives, if our every act,

our every word, were devoted to its attainment, we would

be getting Heaven at a low price.



50 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

Here is the case then : I am a candidate for Heaven,

I can become one of the chosen ones, but unless I take

more interest in the work, unless I do more for God and

for my soul than the generality of people, I shall not win.

Seeing such bad example on all sides, even we Cath-

olics lose sight of a great truth, which ought always to

be uppermost in our minds. It is this : the years we live

here are given us for no other purpose than to prepare

for ourselves a happy life with God after death.

How many years have you lived? If your chances

to become a chosen one were to depend on the years you

have lived, do you think you would win? Have you not

lost and misused much precious time, many golden op-

portunities, put many obstacles in your own way? And

how many years will still be given you to make certain

your election? This may be your last. During the past

year the time expired for over 31,000,000 of those called

to heavenly honors. How many of them became “chosen

ones”?

Enter the race in earnest today; “so run that you

may obtain”, “labor the more that by good works, you

may make sure you calling and election.” To win you

must be on the “narrow way”; you must run persever-

ingly
;
you must win by good works, by sound faith, only

after many tribulations, by chastising your body.

(3) Who are sure not to win? St. Paul mentions

some. He says Heaven is not for the adulterer, not for

the fornicator, not for the unjust, not for the curser, not

for the drunkard. It is just as surely not for the Sun-

day-Mass-misser, not for the Friday meat-eater, in

general not for anyone who refuses to comply with

God’s requirements.

Heaven is offered as a reward for service, and not



ADVENT TO LENT 51

as a gift except to baptized infants; much less is it

offered in return for misconduct.

It is true that “God will have all men to be saved.”

Bethlehem, Gethsemane, the Cross, Calvary make this

fact plain. As fas as God is concerned, He has mapped out

the way whereby people may “make sure their election.”

He offers all the help they need, but He has made the

attainment of Heaven to depend largely on their will. If

they lose, it is because they are unwilling to comply

with His will. His will might be expressed thus : “Keep

My Commandments and be a faithful member of My

Church.”

We hear many say, “I believe that if one does what
is right, he will be saved.” This is true, but is a person

doing what is right unless he does what God requires

him to do? And God demands that he be a member of

His Church and observe the Commandments. This is the

only way to Heaven for anyone who knows where the

true Church is; this is the only way for a Catholic to

“make sure his election.”

CONCLUSION : A person who does not benefit
the world by his life, usually benefits it by his death

;
for

one who lives to no purpose lives to a bad purpose. Take

hold of the present opportunities, use the present graces.

Looking back on the years that have passed, how

consoling it would be, at the close of your life, to feel that

you had lived not for passion, appetite and the empty

pleasures of the world, but for your soul, for God, for the

happiness of Heaven, which would be yours to enjoy

with angels in that “Paradise of Delights.”



52 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

SERMON FOR SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY

(This sermon may be read to the people)

Since Pope Pius X, known as the “Pope of the Mis-

sions”, ordered all Bishops of the world, even those who

rule over Mission territory, to have the Society for the

Propagation of the Faith organized in every parish, it is

important that you, who are requested to become mem-

bers, should know something about (1) its purpose; (2)

its needs in foreign lands; (3) its needs in our own

country.

(1) The purpose of the Society for the Propagation

of the Faith for Foreign Missions is to promote the sow-

ing of the seeds of faith in pagan lands, and to assist

newly-received converts in establishing their centers of

worship. To this end it seeks to enroll “all followers of

the Catholic and Apostolic faith”, who will pool their

daily prayers that Christ’s “Kingdom may come”, and

become sharers in the merits of the many thousands of

missionaries by contributing a mite each year toward

their support.

The magnitude of the missionary field is astonish-

ing. It embraces whole continents and a thousand is-

lands in the sea, housing more than a thousand million

“creatures” to each of which the gospel must be preached.

In the year 1930 there were 477 mission territories, 130

of which had been erected during the first eight years of

the pontificate of the present gloriously reigning Pope.

In these mission fields the “laborers” seem not to be

“few”, numbering as they do at present, 18,028 priests,

8,755 Brothers, 50,939 Sisters, 74,147 Catechists, 62,018

teachers, 20,196 helpers, 250 physicians, 850 nurses—

a

grand total of 215,000 men and women—who are “spend-
ing themselves and being spent” for the salvation of



ADVENT TO LENT 53

“other sheep” still bound by the shackles of heathenism

and paganism.

Four years ago there were in these mission areas,

1,609 orphanages, sheltering 76,582 children; 667 hospi-

tals, in which 24,382 cases were handled; 2,222 dispen-

saries, in which 15,538,702 sick people were treated.

The total number of Catholics in missions under the

Propaganda is about 14,000,000, served from 46,000

churches and chapels—more than twice the number ex-
isting in the United States.

Founded at Lyons, France, in 1882, this Society

maintained its headquarters there until 1922, when the

general offices were transferred to Rome, where they

properly belonged after the Supreme Shepherd of

Christ’s entire flock decided to designate it the official

and best suited Pontifical agency for the collection of

mission funds. In Rome the Holy Father has that con-

tact with the Society which is needed for judicious

counsel and administration.

In a special Motu Proprio entitled “ROMANORUM
PONTIFICUM”, Pius XI, in the first year of his pontifi-

cate, announced his purpose to the entire Christian

world, and besought all his brethern in the hierarchy

even those in mission territories, to establish branches

of the Society in their respective dioceses. He said

:

“The Society for the Propagation of the Faith

will be the instrument in the hands of the Holy

See for the collection everywhere of the alms of

the faithful and their distribution among all Ca-

tholic Missions.

So pleasing is this Society to our heart that to

all who are enrolled in it we willingly open the

heavenly treasures of the Church of which it has



54 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

pleased the Most High to constitute us the dis-

pensers.”

What a consolation to the “Pope of the Missions” to

note that conversions in heathen lands have numbered al-

most 1,000,000 per year during His pontificate! He has

seen 5,000 priest-workers added to the teaching aposto-

late, of whom more than 1,000 are natives
;
has witnessed

the establishment of 150 minor seminaries; has induced

some 20 more societies of men, and some 130 more so-

cieties of women to assume foreign mission obligations.

(2) In China, where 440,000,000 live, there are

some 9,000 missionary workers, who, last year, received

into the Church 69,000 members. The latest report

shows China to harbor 2,624,000 Catholics, or one to each

one hundred seventy non-Catholics.

China received last year from the Propagation of the

Faith fund 3780,923.08, or 22.5% of the total, represent-

ing an average allocation of |87.00 per missionary.

In Russia, included among the Near East Missions,

there are about 1,550,000, who would practice the Catho-

lic religion if they had the opportunity. This means about

one to every hundred of the population.

One can readily surmise how great became the prob-

lem of supporting the missions following the World War.

The people of the impoverished nations of Europe, them-

selves objects of charity, could give little. The United

States, which played the role of Santa Claus in numerous

ways to most of the world during the long reconstruction

period was called on to carry a bigger portion of the bur-

den of the missions. The Holy Father was not disap-

pointed at the response to his plea that in every

diocese under the Stars and Stripes the Pontifical Mission

Society be organized.

While an analysis will disclose a ridiculously small



ADVENT TO LENT 55

per capita contribution from American Catholics during

the boom years between 1925 and 1930, yet the sum total

dispatched to Rome prevented such a treasury deficit as

would have spelled catastrophe. Then came the industrial

depression, which dealt a harder blow to ours than to any

other nation. Our collections became smaller, member-

ships in the Pontifical Society were not renewed, Mass in-

tentions declined. The result—all missionaries, foreign
and native, have, during the past four years, labored

under the handicap of inadequate support.

Recalling that the early Church in the United States

was one of the first beneficiaries of the Society for the

Propagation of the Faith, that the alms on which the

French and Spanish missionaries depended for the spread

of the Gospel among our aborigines were European alms

contributed to the tune of $7,000,000.00, and dispensed

through this Society, Foreign Missions should have a

strong appeal to the Catholics of this country. On the

principle “return of the favor” American Catholics

should catch the mission spirit—even if to assist in bring-
ing the Faith to others were not the best way of showing

one’s appreciation for having previously received it.

(3) There is probably a greater percentage of

paganism in the United States today than there has been

at any time in its history. More than 70,000,000 of our

total population are unattached to any religious organi-

dation. Millions, who claim affiliation with the churches,

have never received the Sacrament of Baptism, and are,

therefore, in Catholic eyes, pagans. There are some

states in our country in which Catholics bear a smaller

ratio to non-Catholics than Catholics in China bear to the

total population
;
several more in which the relative pro-

portion is smaller than in India; and many in which the

proportionate strength is far below that of Africa.



56 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

The unevenness of Catholic distribution over our forty-

eight states is actually remarkable. From the proportion

of one Catholic to one non-Catholic in Rhode Island, oftwo

Catholics to five non-Catholics in Massachusetts and Con-

necticut, of one Catholic to four non-Catholics in Illinois,

of one Catholic to six non-Catholics in Ohio, of one Cath-

olic to nine non-Catholics in Indiana, the ratio widens

until we find less than one Catholic to one hundred non-

Catholics throughout many of the southern and some of

the western states, one Catholic to three hundred non-

Catholics in Georgia, and one Catholic to three hundred

and seventy non-Catholics in North Carolina.

The Diocese of Brooklyn, confined within 1,000

square miles, has more than 1,000,000 Catholics, or 1,000

Catholics to the square mile. Within its 1,100 square

mile area the Providence Diocese counts more than 800,-

000 Catholics.

Contrast the Catholic strength in these dioceses

with that of most episcopal jurisdictions of the west and

south and you will better grasp what we mean when

we say that the Catholic population of the United States

is as unevenly distributed as the Catholic population of

foreign mission lands. Baker City, for instance, counts

9,000 Catholics in an area of 68,000 square miles, or one

Catholic to every l 1/? square miles; Reno has 9,000 Cath-

olics scattered over 111,000 square miles, or one Catholic

to every 12!/2 square miles; Boise and Salt Lake City

have one Catholic to every 41/2 square miles; Cheyenne,

one Catholic to every 4 square miles; Montana has one

Catholic to every 2 square miles ; the States of Tennessee

and Mississippi have one Catholic to every IV2 square

miles; Charleston has one Catholic to every 3 square

miles; Raleigh has one Catholic to every 5

V

2 square

miles
;
Florida has one Catholic to each square mile.



ADVENT TO LENT

But think of Alaska, which is territory under the

American Board of Catholic Missions, having only 10,000

Catholics in an area of 586,000 square miles,—territory
twelve times the side of the StaTe of New York—or one
Catholic to every 58 square miles.

With so much foreign mission territory on our own

continent, closed to all assistance from the Society for

Foreign Missions, we are not 'at all surprised that, some

twelve years ago, several mission-minded Bishops of the

United States met and deliberated on a plan for systema-

tic support of missions both at home and abroad by joint

effort. They did devise a plan which, after being pro-

posed to the heirarchical body assembled at annual

meeting in Washington in the year 1923, was there for-

mally adopted, and then presented to the Sacred Congre-

gation de Propaganda Fide, for the approval which fol-

lowed.

The Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions, the Bureau

of American Colored Missions, and the Catholic Church

Extension Society were expected to supply our home

needs, but because their own regulations in relation to

the distribution of funds prevented sufficient assistance

for either the spread or preservation of the Faith in

most of the dioceses in the south and west, the arrange-

ment effected with the Holy See whereby American Cath-

olics could have affiliation with a joint Society for the

support of missions, both home and foreign, was sorely

needed.

The Organization which provides a joint member-

ship in the society for both Home and Foreign Missions

is officially known as The Society for the Propagation of

the Faith for Home and Foreign Missions.

The annual membership dues are $1.00, the Foreign

Missions receiving 60c, the Home Missions, 40c.



58 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

In addition to the membership dues Pope Pius re-

quires that an annual collection be arranged for the

Missions generally, and has designated the third Sunday

of October “Mission Sunday”. On this day people, who

can well afford to give more than SI.00 the year to the

Missions, and those who do not hold membership in the

Society, have an opportunity to make a helpful contribu-

tion. This collection, the same as membership dues, is

divided in the ratio of sixty-forty, and remitted respecti-

vely to the National Offices mentioned above. But fifteen

per cent, of the sixty per cent, portion of the Mission Sun-

day collection, forwarded to the National Director of

Foreign Missions, is transferred by him to the National

Director of the Near East Association.

The fund resulting from forty per cent, of all annual

memberships and of the annual church collection is di-

vided once a year among Bishops to whom “Mission ter-

ritory” in the several countries under the American

flag is committed
;
therefore, not only principally among

the Bishops who rule over the dioceses in the south and

west and northwest of the United States, but among the

Bishops and Prefects Apostolic of Porto Rico, Hawaii,

Alaska, and the Philippine Islands.

The Society for the Propagation of the Faith is

more richly indulgenced than any other Society or Or-

ganization—this as an inducement to stimulate general
interest in the Mission movement so close to the heart

of the Supreme Pontiff, and so dear to Christ, Who

would have His gospel preached “to every creature” in all

nations.

During the season of Lent every adult Catholic will

have an opportunity, from self-denial savings to join or

renew his membership in the Society for the Propagation

of the Faith. This dollar as well as the dollar for OUR



ADVENT TO LENT 59

SUNDAY VISITOR may be paid in installments of 30e

a week during Lent.

QUINGUAGESIMA

Lent and Its Demands.

(Including Lenten Regulations.)

Although the Commandments of God and of His

Church must be faithfully observed at all times, and the

things of the soul must always command far more attent-

ion than the things of the body, and one’s welfare in

eternity must have precedence in one’s thoughts over

one’s welfare in this life, people are expected to be far

more spiritual-minded during the season of Lent.

Lent is a season of forty days, during which the

Church rallies all her people together to call them to their

senses, to have them take an inventory of their accounts

with God, to do penance for their past wrong-doing, and

to form earnest resolutions of amendment.

Today I can speak only briefly (1) on the signifi-

cance of Lent; (2) the spirit of Lent; and (3) the Lenten

demands of the Church.

( 1 ) Forty days, and not a shorter or longer period

of time, has been set aside for penance and prayer and

alms-giving, and public exhortations, because our Divine

Savior in preparation for his public ministry, went into

the desert to fast and pray and meditate for forty days.

Holy Scripture insists that everyone who has sinned,

and ordinarily that means everyone who has passed the

age of reason, must do penance or perish. The Church

itself cannot dispense you from penance itself, although

it has often dispensed you from particular forms of

penance, such as abstinence or fasting. When she dis-

penses you from one form, she must insist that you



60 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

practice another form, because penance is demanded by

Almighty God Himself.

Holy Scripture speaks of three kinds of penance,

namely, fasting, prayer and alms-giving; and since very

few Catholics actually do fast in strict conformity with

the law, they should supply the omission by regular

attendance at the public devotions of the Church on week-

day nights. Public prayer is so much more powerful

than private prayer. Then everyone, even the poor, can

give a little in the way of alms by surrendering to a

good cause some of the money which even they spend for

unnecessary things.

Since the head of every Catholic family is bound in

conscience to provide a Catholic paper for his family,

and since every priest is obliged to urge his parishioners

to become members of the Society for the Propagation of

the Faith, in this diocese some of the self-denial money is

asked of every adult to cover these two items.

(2) The most holy people in the world, the mem-

bers of Religious Orders, the clergy who direct the

people in parishes, the Sisters who are engaged alto-

gether in God’s work, all Bishops of the world, even the

Holy Father, observe an annual retreat, during which

time they study themselves in their present relationship

to God, meditate on the eternal truths, and reconsecrate

themselves to their King with new earnestness and

fervor.

Precisely because it is not possible to gather the

laity together for a retreat of such intensity, they are

invited to attend week-day Mass throughout Lent, if

possible, to attend the evening sermons and the Way of

the Cross, to prepare for a very earnest confession and to

receive Holy Communion frequently—this, while they



ADVENT TO LENT 61

strive to prove their grief for past sins by fasting and by

voluntary acts of self-denial.

It should be clear to you that outward works have

spiritual value only when motivated by inward contrition

and love. Where the heart is contrite external discipline

and penance will follow most naturally without any ex-

hortation from the pulpit. Christ’s soul was “sorrowful

even unto death” for your sins. You should often kneel

or stand at the side of His cross during Lent and sorrow

for your own sins, and assure the crucified Savior that

His death will not have been in vain for you.

(3) The Lenten requirements are briefly these:

Everyone between the age of twenty-one and sixty is ob-

liged to fast unless excused on account of sickness, or ex-

empted on account of hard work. The law of fasting

restricts the person to one full meal each day, at which

meat may be had except on the Wednesdays and Fridays

of Lent, and on Holy Saturday. Of course, the spring

Ember Saturday falls in the second week of Lent. In

the morning the one who fasts is permitted only a couple

of ounces of unbuttered bread with coffee or some other

liquid. In the evening he is restricted to ten ounces of

food, of which meat may not be a part.

Those who are excused from fasting are also excused

from abstinence. Those who are exempted from the

general law of fasting in Lent and out of Lent, because of

a special Indult in favor of the working man and his

family, may have meat only at the principal meal on the

Wednesdays of Lent and on all Ember Days and vigils

throughout the year. They may not partake of meat at

all on Ash Wednesday, the Wednesday and Saturday of

Holy Week (up to noon) and the eve of Christmas.

Eating between meals naturally breaks the fast for

anyone who is bound by the law. Liquids, with the ex-



62 SERMON SKETCHES FROM

ception of milk, do not break the fast when taken between

meals.

CONCLUSION : In these days when so many

people are following a diet without meat
;
when so many

are abstaining from starches in order to reduce their

weight, the Lenten law should be easy to observe. On the

other hand, people who are out of work are often not

able to select their own food. If they would go hungry

unless permitted to eat the meat served to them they may

regard themselves as exempted from the Lenten Law of

both fast and abstinence. Those who can fast and ab-

stain without injury to their health could well do so even

though they were exempted by tb^e Indult in favor of the

working man.

At any rate, let all do more during Lent than at any

other time; let all give to the cause of religion or of

charity their savings of five cents, or ten cents or twenty-

five cents a day, using part of it for a subscription to the

diocesan paper and for a membership in the Society for

the Propagation of the Faith, so richly indulgenced.





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