The New York herald., 1873-08-25
ST. STEPHENS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

ST. STEPHENS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
sermon by tho Rev. Father Flynn-The
Love Of God-Who Il Our Neighbor:
The Good Sama ritan.
The high mass at st. Stephens yesterday morn
ing was attended by large and respectable con-
gregation. The good effects OF the devotlons
during the late iridium were apparent In the
ervOr and piety with which the faithful assisted at
the holy sacrifice and the earnest attention with
which they listened to the preacher. The Rev.
Father Flynn, having read the gospel Of the day,
Luke, X, 90, 81, said -
In the Gospel OF to-day divine Lord points out
to us the way to attain eternal life the end for
which we were created. "Master, what must do
to possess eternal life Pn asks the lawyer In the
Gospel. What is required OF me for admission into
the mansions Of eternal bliss ? In answer, Christ
refers him to the law and asks him, "How readeth
thou ?" And he answering. said, "Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and
with thy whole soul, and with all thy mind and
with all thy strength, and thy neighbor thyself"
And He said to him. ''Thou hast answered right
THIS DO, AND THOU SHALT LIVE"
In these words our Lord has given us o complete
summary OF all that is required of us to merit
eternal life. We are to love God with all the
motions and inclinations OF the heart, with all the
thoughts and conceptions OF the SOUL with all the
desires, wishes and determinations of the will in
word, with all the powers and faculties OF both
our utmost to please Him by submitting our intel
lects TO the supernatural mysteries which He
has revealed, by acknowledging the authority OF
EARTH by obeying His commandments by strict
observance OF HIS holy law. Thus it is that the
grecept OF the ovs OF Gcd Is called the arst and
tanned all the others, and he who fulfls 1t tulfls
them. He who loves God will not murmur against
hAu.,
and swearing; but, on the contrary, will praise
homage. Consider for moment Gods claims to
our love. He called us from nothing into exist
ence. He fashioned our bodies with His own hands
and breathed into them souls capable OF knowing
and loving HIM. Shall we hesitate to love our
Creator ? He redeemed US from the power Of
SATAN AND SIN
with the blood OF His only beg0tten Son. Shall we
refuse our hearts warmest love to our Redeemer
He has sanctifed us with His Holy Spirit Shall we
delay to offer the tribute OF hearts to the
claim with the Aposts st. then snail
separate us from the love OF Christ Shall tribu-
lation or distress or famine or nakedness
or dangerT or persecution or the sword am
sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels. nor
prncipalities. nor powers, nor things present nor
TO b
us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord" In loving God we give
being, and as such worthy beyond the power OF
language to express OF our alteration, love and
nOnaYe CnTlSt nlmSelI CeaCneS us now we are TO
show our love for God d:-"He that hath my COM
mandments and keepeth them, he it Is that lOveth
me-" And ST. John says:-"F0r this is charity that
we keep his commandments" According to the
apostle every act OF lives should be referred to
the glory OF God. "Whether you eat or drink, or
whatever else, you do all to the glory OF GOd &c.
The trials and sorrows and sufferings OF this life
give us splendid opportunities to display our
love OF God. Love Will teach US to bear them
cheerfully, as 1t teaches
THE FOND MOTHER
to suffer with Joy for beloved child, the friend to
Inconvenience himself and even risk his lie for his
friend.
To the love of God we must unite the love OF our
neighDor for it is written, ''rnOu shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself.n And IT, like the lawyer In
the Gospel, you ask, "WhO is my neighbor ?" re-
fer you to the parable of the good Samaritan. He
did not stop to inquire about the nationality or
creed OF the unfortunate he found on the roadside,
but at once helped him andprovided lor his wants.
All men, without distinction Of race or creed or
COLOR are our neighbors. We are children of the
we are destined for the same end. Our charity,
like our religion, should be Catholic. While we
hate sin we must
LOVE THE SINNER,
While we shun and abOmlnate errors In faith, we
must have charity for the erring. Christ while on
earth extended His charity TO all men, even to His
exeCutioners. "Father, forgive them," &c. Like
II our neghbOr be in trouble or a1ictiOn let us
pour into mis- afflicted soul the oil OF comfort and
consolation. Let us bind up his wounds and SYM
pathize with him In his misfortunes. In this we
will fulfil the law. The love Of God and love Of our
neighbor, so forcbly taught In the Gospel, will
be rewarded with peace and comfors here and cter-
nal life hereafter.