I wish that an angry man could see himself in a glass, when under the influence of his passion. The change in his features would make the degradation of his soul so manifest, that he could not help being completely ashamed of the disgusting spectacle which he would present to others. See that man whose Anger has got the better of him; his eyes are inflamed, his lips tremble, he foams from the mouth, his hairs stand erect, his face seems on fire,-his words are furious,-sharp,-half-broken,-all his body is in convulsive movements. And is this, O my God, a Christian? is this, my divine Lord, one of Thy disciples, one of Thy brethren? He is not even a man, but a raging beast, ready to tear every thing to pieces, if he be not caged. He thirsts for vengeance; not having it in his power to obtain it, he invokes the demons to assist him, and in his mad rage outrageously blasphemes the holy name of the Omnipotent God. Impious wretch, he would tear the Almighty from His throne, to sacrifice Him to the abominable spirit which governs him. What a frightful spectacle, my Brethren, and how well calculated to horrify every man who has any idea of his own dignity, or any fear of the Lord! But not only does Anger render a man like a savage and ferocious animal, it also destroys the peace and tranquillity of families; it sows broadcast the seeds of discord, hatred and enmity between citizens of the same country, between inhabittants of the same city, between neighbors, even between children of one and the same mother. Not unfrequently it causes the most crying acts of injustice,-it strikes and wounds,-it gives rise to murders and homicides. The angry man hears not what is said, sees not what takes place before his eyes, and has but an imperfect knowledge of what he himself does. The angry man is capable of breaking in pieces his most precious things, he is disposed to outrage what he ought most to venerate, to insult him whom he should most revere, to slay the very being who is nearest and dearest to his heart. Yes, truly, there is blood in the ungovernable passion of Anger! In the very earliest dawn of history, I behold the earth crimsoned with blood, and it is with innocent blood, shed by a brother's hand. Cain, jealous and frantic because God has rejected his sacrifice, murders his brother Abel through anger. David delivered Saul from the proud Philistines who daily came to insult the army of the people of God; David bravely fought for his country and his king, and victory crowned his efforts. Saul ought to have joined his people and united his voice with those of his subjects in celebrating the glory and triumph of the young warrior. On the contrary, he is incensed,―he gives himself up to Anger, and wishes to pierce the heart of his liberator. The sweet delights of peace and harmony reigned in the happy family of the holy old man, Tobias; it seemed as if nothing could mar their happiness: but, behold, the wife of Tobias gives way to an unjust fit of anger, undeservedly reproaches her husband, and peace and happiness at once disappear. "The Anger of man worketh not the justice of God.* A passionate man provoketh quarrels and he that is easily stirred up to wrath, shall be more prone to sin." The inspired penman tells us that the passionate man shall become guilty of many criminal acts toward his neighbor, and that he shall be his own murderer. In truth, violent outbreaks of Anger impair the health, engender diseases, abridge life and cause sudden deaths. Alas! how many people are there, whom my prayers have accompanied to the grave, who now sleep among the dead, and who might have been still living had they subdued their Anger? But the constant indulgence of this furious passion broke down their constitutions, and sent them to a premature grave. God grant that their souls are not lost, that all feelings of hatred and revenge were extinguished in them in their dying moments, and that they have departed out of this world in sentiments of perfect charity! But I tremble when I consider that the Holy Ghost places Anger, dissensions and quarrels among the number of those sins which shut heaven and exclude men from the kingdom of God. But is Anger always sinful? Is there not a just and reasonable Anger? Yes, my Brethren, there is a just and lawful Anger, it is that which proceeds from a well-regulated zeal for the honor and glory of God and for the preservation of virtue. It is of this Anger that St. Paul speaks, when he quotes these words of the royal prophet: "Be ye angry, and sin not." This * St. James, i: 20. + Proverbs, xxix: 22. Psalms, iv: 5. is not only not reprehensible, but it is even worthy of our praise, and would to God that all Christians, and chiefly those who have authority over others, were animated by it! We should not then witness so many excesses in the world,-we should not then hear of so many scandals, curses, oaths and blasphemies. This justifiable Anger, which is not a violent burst of passion, but a holy indignation produced in the soul by the desire of doing good, we would like always to see in you, fathers and mothers. What happy results would it not produce! It would restrain your children within the bounds of duty,-it would banish bad habits from your houses, and God would be feared, loved and honored in them. For, imitating the example of Jesus Christ, you would never permit vice to soil your abodes, which ought to be the temples of the true God, and houses of prayer. Were you to act thus, "you would be angry, and sin not;" on the contrary, you would do what God commands you, and He would approve of your conduct, and bless you; your Anger would be far different from that which our Saviour condemns, when He threatens with a severe judgment those who keep Anger against their neighbor. My Brethren, let us bear in mind those words of our blessed Lord: Be not Angry against thy brother; be quickly reconciled with thy adversary. "If thou offerest thy gift at the altar, and there shalt remember that thy brother hath any thing against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and first go to be reconciled to thy brother."* Forgive your brethren. "You have heard that it hath been said: Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thy enemy. But I say to you: Love your enemies: do good to them that hate you: and for them that persecute and calumniate you; that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven." Live in friendship with all. If it be not possible for you to prevent certain motions of Anger from rising in your mind, at least, endeavor to have command enough over yourselves to repress them. Remove at once, if you can, from the object which excites your Anger; keep silence as long as the fit of passion lasts; give time for reason to return to its throne, for your feelings to grow calm, and judgment to resume its empire over you. Be Christians, resigned to the holy pray will of God, convinced that, without this holy will, nothing takes place in this world; and then, the injustice of the wicked shall not. provoke you to Anger,-calumny shall cease to exasperate you, you shall remain immovable amid all injuries, because you will recognize in the offence which you receive from your fellow-creature, only the chastisement which our common Father inflicts upon you for your sins; you will leave revenge to the Lord, and will never wish to depart from the path of sweetness, forgiveness and goodness, which your Saviour and your model has trod before you.— AMEN. SERMON XCIX. ON SLOTH. "He that tilleth his ground, shall be filled with bread: but he that followeth idleness, shall be filled with poverty."-PROVERBS, XXViii: 19. "Idleness hath taught much evil."-ECCLESIASTICUS, Xxiii: 29. SLOTH is unquestionably a low and contemptible vice; though at first sight it does not appear to have the odious character which distinguishes the other capital sins. It is only when we have thoroughly examined it, that we are compelled to admit that it is a detestable vice, a dangerous vice,-a vice which causes the destruction of thousands of souls, and which is justly ranked among the number of the capital or deadly sins. You will acknowledge the truth of what I advance, my Brethren, if you listen attentively to what I have to say about it. What is Sloth? It is a species of dullness and sluggishness of the soul, which gives us an aversion for virtue, and tends to prevent us from accomplishing the duties common to all Christians, or those which are peculiar to our state of life. It is a mortal sin whenever it causes us to fail in the discharge of any important obligation. There is a natural Sloth, which inclines us to idleness and a dislike for labor. There is a spiritual Sloth, which inclines us to neglect our duties as Christians, and against which our Saviour forewarns. 66 us when he says: Watch, for you know not at what hour the Lord shall come." The two kinds of Sloth are sisters, but they do not always dwell together. In fact, a person may be vigilant and active enough in the things of this world, who has but little care for those of the next; he will consider no labor too great for him to undertake, to advance his worldly prospects and increase his fortune; but he is sluggish, negligent and faint-hearted in what relates to the service of God and the salvation of his soul. He neglects nothing to secure himself against the evils of time, while. he does nothing to avert those of eternity. This Sloth is directly opposed to that love which God wishes us to have for our souls. It is directly contrary to the first and greatest of the commandments, which is the loving and serving of God alone. Does that. man truly love himself who has no relish for virtue and for heaven? Does he love God with his whole heart, he who is careless, indifferent, and even cold in the performance of what God commands? Far from it. Therefore it is that the Lord declares that he can not endure such, and that they will be rejected by him. If it is one of the first duties of us Christians to serve God with an increasing zeal, to love Him daily more and more, never to look back when once we have put our hands to the plough, but unceasingly to advance in the ways of perfection, acquiring every instant new merits, and heaping up riches for that day when we shall be summoned to our eternal country; if this is our duty, how can that man be loved of God, and what must he expect from Him,-who, in the service of the Lord, passes his life in sinful idleness, in forgetfulness of his soul and his eternal salvation; who has no care to increase in virtue, piety and perfection; who neglects to discharge the most sacred obligations of his state, and murmurs when he has to do what his divine Master commands? What can he expect from God? Let him learn it from the Lord himself; by the mouth of His Prophet Jeremias, He says: "Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord negligently!"* Our blessed Lord condemned the servant that neglected to improve the talent which his master had intrusted to his care; He commanded that the barren Jeremias, xlviii: 10. |