The New York herald., 1869-03-08
ST. JAMES, CATHEDRAL.

Sermon BY Rev. Father Lennon.
The Catholic cathedral, St. James, church, Jay
street, Brooklyn, was crowded to overnowing, a.
usual Sundays and holidays at all the masses. At
the halfpa ten O'Clock service the mass was cele
brated by the Rev. DR.. Turner, and the excellent
choir attached to this church discoursed some very
fine music. The sermon was preached by Rev.
Father Lennon, who took for his subject the words
OF our Divine Lord from the Book OF Holy Writ
ut is necessary that scandal cometh; but woe be
unto him from whom it cometh." BY the sin Of
scandal, the reverend gentleman remarked, we un-
derstand that it is an offence in which by word,
action or omission OF ours we occasion
another's falling from Divine grace. 1t is
. besetting sin, and one which occasions the great
est evil, with the least remorse, among Other
sins are generally committed In private where they
are not seen, and the transgressor bushes deeply
and his feelings are wounded s0rely a. being found
out. But scandal Is broad daylight offence, and
tramples upon all such finer feelings while 1t open
ly dssemnates its baneful injection abroad. To its
sting Is attributable the decay OF religion, the de-
pravity Of morals and the very deluge OF iniquity
and vice with which the country is now oycrnowed-
Men scandaze, traduce and corrupt each other by
wicked perverse and deceitful principles, and by
the exercise OF lascivious anC immodest ex-
pressions, couched in words OF double meanings,
which are given publicity in SO many OF the
books OF the present Gay. Indeed were the latter
produced by their authors for the express purpose
Of procuring the damnati0n OF the souls Of their
cessfully designed In this terrible work OF scandal
IL - bcduudi WHCu uTuSS Soul VI HAIL. uedIIuk
the divine stamp OF Gods likeness and impress upon
H. from Him, and, as 81. Paul calls it, IS fatal
lethargy destroying the members OF the body and
disnguring the beauties Of the SOUL Unhappy, then,
is he who Is guilty OF this sin. He Will be held re-
sponsibe not only for his own offences but also for
those OF his neighbor whose sins he may have occa
stoned. II those who are SO ready to discourse OF
the sins Of others were to look within their own
souls while making these accusations and compare
them, what would ottentimes be the results The
petty theft or servant viii anger the master
very often to such q degree that he, for
getful OF his own much greater THEFT from his
neighbor, win dare, In his illtemper, to baspheme
and utter an oath In the presence Of hs children aud
household Here among parents II is th2t scandal,
perhaps, exercises Its most dreadful influence while
the young and inexperienced heart Of the offspring
Is ripe and ready to receive impressions which win
shape its future either for good or evil Woe
to him who scandalizeth OF these little ones, y
&C., saith the Lord. Life, from the cradle to the
grave Is but one OF imitation. Then Christians and
as Catholics, the reverend speaker concluded, IN
country like this, where error and indey exercise
such sway. let our conduct and example as Catholics
be good and virnous that IL may be taken the test
or the purity and truth Of that religion TO which we
bplOnU