Sermon for the Second Sunday of Advent

 Everyone offends God more or less, but the atonement should not be delayed until old age. This period of existence will never be seen by many. No one has promised you a long life ; and even had you such a guarantee, you ought not to squander time, especially in any sort of dissipation. Time is given for noble purposes. It should be employed in doing good here, thereby meriting a blissful reward. If you desire, therefore, to die in peace with your God, live in peace with Him. If you wish your transit from this world to another to be without the horrifying distress of remorse, let your behavior be according to true Catholic principles. No doubt, all of you are desirous of a favorable judgment ; then prepare—prepare that your sentence will be light and your joy unbounded ; prepare, for you know not when the Son of Man cometh,

 What went ye out into the desert to see? A reed shaken with the wind? (Math. xi.-7.)

 By these words, my dear friends, our Divine Lord chides the persistency with which the Jews sought to oppose His teachings. They were solicitous to discover opposition against Him from some quarter. If St. John the Baptist declared against Jesus as the Messiah, it would give them a better opportunity for arousing the people against the doctrine taught by our Saviour. But Jesus, knowing their intentions, asked them: " What went ye out into the desert to see .? A reed shaken with the wind ?" In other words, He inquired: " Did you suppose St. John to be changeable, a wavering person, unstable, and contradictory .? Did you think him a reed to be bent by every wave of popular opinion .? You were mistaken, for St. John is sincere, firm, and unbending in the truth. He is greater than a prophet; ' for this is he of whom it is written : behold I send My angel before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.' " (Math. xi.--io.) Mark here the wisdom of Our Lord in not addressing these words to the Jews while St. John's disciples were present, lest the former would take occasion to say that our Saviour wished to flatter St. John before his disciples ; that St. John in turn might say good wordsof Him. He waited until after the disciples' departure, to rebuke the Jews and eulogize St. John. That St. John was unwavering and steadfast in adhering to the right, is shown by his imprisonment. He dared reprimand Herod, though the rebuke deprived him first of liberty and subsequently of life.

 Now, my Christian friends, may we not with profit apply a part of this text to some of ourselves ? We admit there are many Catholics like St. John the Baptist, unfaltering in their faith and staunch in the practice of the same. It is with laudable pride we say that many Catholics are devout in the exercise of their religion, and hesitate not to profess it when duty demands them to do so. They are honorable in their deeds ; they are unswayed by caviling opinion ; in faith, they are massive oaks, not shaken reeds. In the affairs of life, they avoid giving scandal. They refrain from dishonesty, deception, or intrigue, lest their sins be interpreted to the belittlement of their Church. In all matters in which honor, probity, or integrity is concerned, these Catholics are as firm as these rocks upon which the surrounding hills are built. They are a benificent example to other Catholics, while by their sanctity they elicit the admiration of all honest people.

 But, alas! and it is with most profound regret we say it, there are many Catholics who resemble the reed. Their daily actions induce one to believe them insincere, and sometimes even dishonest. They are Catholics in name ; but in human dignity, in great-spiritedness, the very pagan would make them blush, if indeed they have not forgotten how to manifest this effect of a wounded conscience. We shall not now enter into an investigation of their conduct—social and civil ; but invite you to consider the indifference, sometimes the disgusting manner, in which they perform their spiritual duties. You will see a Catholic come into church and attempt a genuflection before the Blessed Sacrament. The act of respect thus shown is simply a contortion,—is an insult to our Divine Lord mystically veiled in the Holy Eucharist. Why have they not the courage of their convictions ? They say they are Catholics ; perhaps they would be insulted, were you to call them anything else. But why not demean themselves as devout, sincere members of the Church in which they claim membership ? There may be several answers given to this question ; still there is one which, judging from observation, would induce you to presume these Catholics are ashamed. Ashamed ? Yes ; ashamed to adore their Lord in a proper, Christian manner. They think, were they to make a becoming genuflection, that some people would comment upon it because they were exhibiting too much piety. This is particularly true when they invite Protestants to their pews.

Such Catholics are reeds which bend to the notions of others, or what they suppose to be their notions. They are cowardly and unreliable. I would not confide to a person anything of importance, who could be so easily swayed by the captious opinions of others. Being ashamed to comply with the teachings of the Church, they would also be inconstant in social, political, or business life. What do their Protestant friends think of them ? What can they think of them ? Why, were they consistent Protestants, they should say : " These Catholics are not sincere. They admit their belief in the Real Presence ; but did we profess such a doctrine, we would have the consistency, not by our demeanor to mock, but with true humility to adore. They seem to be thoughtless ; their genuflections appear to bemade from unconscious habit ; their hearts are not in their expressions of devotion. What do they mean ? We fear they either do not understand their religion, or they are embarrassed by our presence, and are therefore cowards to duty." In this manner would unbelievers in your religion soliloquize about the acts of faith, hope, and love, manifested by such in their style of genuflection before the Blessed Sacrament.

 How often have you seen a Catholic after entering his pew, make the sign of the cross in a most ridiculous form. While he is performing this sublime act which recalls to a reflecting Catholic the passion and death of Jesus and the redemption of the human race, he stares at the people on every side of him. Examine his countenance, and you will draw the conclusion that he knows not what he is doing. His is a noble manifestation of intense devotion, a sublime expression of gratitude to God, an exalted tribute of thanksgiving to his Creator for all the blessings conferred ! He ought to be ashamed of himself : because his actions are indicative of his senseless devotion, as well as gross stupidity. What opinion can any thoughtful Protestant or Catholic form of him ? And how mortifying it is to note the conduct of this sort, when non-Catholics are in our churches. What opportunities are thus given to our Protestant friends to criticise, to ridicule, to abuse our religion. Nay, more ; how many Protestants they drive away, who would become earnest Catholics, were the deep-meaning acts of Catholic devotion done in a thoughtful, devout, and loving manner. A Catholic who so deports himself, whether a man or a woman, a child or a youth, sets a pernicious example to all, and injures himself. He may think his conduct in church smart ; but his smart-ness is like his ignorance—very dense. It may be that he is induced to this sort of deportment by a constant menace of what some carper may say, were he to act in an edifying manner. " He is grown pious," some one may say ; " See how devout he is," another will remark. A third will add, " With what promptness he attends Mass, and with what edification he prays." He fears these. They are poisonous barbs of criticism, piercing his delicate sensibilities. The truth is, in all these various defects he indicates that he is a weak reed. He is not faithful to anything except to his inconsistencies and to perseverance in wrongdoing.

Can any person of this calibre be trusted in the hour of need or trial ? Is he a person in whom you would place unqualified confidence ? Is he true to himself or to another in whose service he labors ? I shall leave himself answer. Now, compare him to a courageous, uncompromising Catholic. The latter is both punctual and faithful in the performance of his religious exercises. Though strangers be present, or though he be in a strange place, he falters not in his devotion to his God. It is unnecessary to remark here that a Catholic should not assume a sanctimonious, long face, or appear peculiarly odd. A person who would thus parade his piety, would be going to the other extreme. When we speak of a devout Catholic, we mean one of well-balanced principle, not a fanatic. The former is ever unflinching in his duty, whether it pertains to himself, to another, or to God ; nor does he incite adverse criticism. On the contrary, he is respected by all—Catholics, Protestants, and infidels. These know him to be reliable, sincere, and dauntless. His promise is sacred, his conduct unimpeachable, his fidelity without blemish.  He is no reed blownhither and thither by every blast of superficial opinion.

 There is another point which is worthy of your consideration. It sometimes happens that Catholics and Protestants or unbelievers room together. The Catholic, when alone, always says his morning and night prayers ; but in the company of non-Catholics, he will not kneel in prayer. He is embarrassed because a Protestant or one having no religion at all is present. Is he not a weak-minded Catholic ? He imagines such an act of devotion to his God to be disagreeable to his companion or companions. His conscience tells him he should say his prayers, yet his timidity prevents him. His companions do not understand Catholic doctrine ; and therefore, will be shocked at seeing him on his knees. Here is another example of the reed. A weakling, he is without stability enough to overcome such cowardice. He is, in fact, a craven—a person without resolution and without honorable purpose. What will his Protestant comrades say of him ? They have seen other Catholics pray atter rising in the morning, and before retiring to rest in the evening ; but this one does not. Why the difference ? The others they knew to be always upright, unfaltering, honorable. Of this one, they cannot say so much. If he believes in prayer, still does not comply with his convictions ; if he is a Catholic, yet ashamed of his religion,—he is a parasite without determination and without dignity.

 These cringing Catholics are never admired. They are ever regarded by prudent men, as insincere, cowardly, and unreliable. These Catholics would, were a favorable opportunity to offer itself, stoop to the meanest undertakings, in order to achieve their end. Did religion intervene between themselves and office or distinction or wealth, they would spurn everything sacred, rather than loose the glittering bauble. Were their own advancement thereby enhanced, they would not hesitate to violate honor, pledge, confidence, and even religion. But their ambition is worthless. It has not the requisites for success. Such may prosper for a time ; but when about to clutch the longed-for prize, Almighty God stretches forth His all-powerful Arm, and they recoil, dismayed, defeated, and debased.

 Let us learn a lesson from the text. Let us, with indefatigable energy and application, strive to be true Catholics. " Then it follows, as night the day, that we cannot do wrong to anyone." If we have been derelict in duty ; if our conduct has been censurable ; let us now, during this holy season of advent, cast down our follies and defects, and put on the spirit of righteousness, so that we may not be supine reeds, but worthy on Christmas morning, with genuine Christian devotion, to welcome with joy and thanksgiving the sublime feast of Christ's birth.