Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-07-31
BISHOP BECKER'S SERMON
THE NKOBssITK or FAETR-DEATM-
BED PENANOE.
A Glowing Tribufe Paid 10 the Rev.
Father keenan,, the First Priest 10
be Buried in the rev Cathedral
Gemesery.

Cemetery.
The bad weather OF Sunday morning
had no visible effect in diminishing the
large throng who had made up their
minds to hear Bishop Becker at 81.
Paul's Church yesterday morning. The
church was crowded, numbers who were
unable to gain seats standing in the door
ways and passages. The audience was
mos disappointed. Although rumors as
TO the bishops indispnsition had been
circulated, 1t was asosrtained, on inquir-
ing at his residence, that they were
groundless, and probably arose from the
ceremonial the circumstances OF the oooa-
sion had 80 affected him that his voice, at
one or two moments, appeared to be over
come by his feelings.
After reading the gospel Of the day,
Luke XVI, 1-9, Bishop Becker selected
from IL the following words /; "There was
a certain rich man which had q steward,
and the same was accused unto him that
he had wasted his goods, and he called
him and said 'How is II that hear this
Of thee2 Render an account Of thy
Stewardship
These are the words, my Christian
brethren, which will be directed to esoh
one Of us, and the account will be
demanded In the exact ratio Of the gifts
we have received. We will stand before
q Just God and he will sorutinize our
account. II Ia right and judioious for us
to examine ourselves before the hour Of
death. We should remember that the
church, kind and bene6oent mother,
gives us this opportunity for that pur-
pose. Those who have received FIVE
talents will he expected to answer for
five, but from those who have received
greater number, more will be
expected, for, from those who
have received much, much will
graoss but all Of you must examine
yourselves, because each one has received
certain benefits or endowments above
others, q stewardship Of which will be
strictly required. To each father and
each mother special account will be
made; take care that you have not dissi-
pated your Fathers benefits, that you
have morally and physically nourished
those pearls beyond all price, the i'm
mortal souls Of your children. And II Ia
Of your own souls also, not of your
neighbors, that you will have to
render an account Of In this
stewardship. am afraid that there will
be many fathers and mothers who will
CRY in that day, "to the hills and the
mountains, fall on u.s." What is more
detestable than TO see young people run
ming wild through the streets, purpose
lees, mindless, giving themselves mp to
all illicit habits; how dreadful It is to the
church when their immortal souls have
been left a disgrace to the church, to the
city, TO their parents, to themselves and
to immortal God. When and how will
these parents be able to answer God,
when he demands In thunder tones "Ren-
der an account of thy Stewardship"
Now is the time to ask Almighty God TO
help us for what has been done 30 i'll In
past years. Il is not only to parents but
also to children that this command Is in
ouloated. Those who are mot parents
therefore have also to answer the ques-
tion: "Render an account Of thy steward
ship" This opens a very wide field for
self-examination. To children, the COM
mand "Honor thy father and thy mother"
affords SCOPE for an exaotion upon their
stewardship, in schools, whether they be
those in which knowledge Of this world
Is gained or knowledge Of the here
after, the demand will be made az to
the time they have wasted, you see with
what wide sweep this query is made |
We must be diligent to do right at this
present moment. Bedside penitenoe, or
deathbed penitence, or eleventh hour
repentance, or whatever you wish to call
It, do assure you has not much, II any
thing of virtue In 1t. During the pangs
of death, unless previous penanoe has
been made, gospel help is useless; while
the dark sweat Of death Is over us
and Its clsmmy pail around us,
1t may be possible In that agony,
that short player, for one lucid
moment, may be wrested from the pallid
lips, but, If previous penanoe has not
been made there is no efficacy. Wretohed
as is the body at death, SO, equally
wretched and oiroumscribed is the soul.
penitence at this moment. We have seen
those who have led wretched lives and
those who have lived pious lives !;
at the hour OF death there is
very little Of prayer done. And
this Is made worse by the peculiar
course Of physicians at the present
day, who think nothing, at those critical
moments, of putting the body into state
Of stupor. What with ohlorsl. and NOR
phine and morphia and laudanum, the
sonl iH ushered drunken into the presence
of its God. How can drunken soul ap-
pear before Its God Z Physicians whose
theories prompt them to such . course
are goddess race. Parents should see
that their physicians are righteous men.
We have seen parents who, In order to
appeAse the ohild's psiu, give 1t NOR
phine, pareRorio, laudsnum. Oh,
motheri you make your child adrunksrd
for its life. call these medical theories
a curse In the advance Of science. Any
one can buy surcease Of sorrow for q
few pence. The patient appears before
God In condition of inebriety. Render
an account OF your stewardship, mothers,
teachers, physicians.
What we are to do on this earth Ia to
love God above all things and prepare
our souls for the next world. A million
times better the poor man, who, Lazsrus.
like, with the dogs licking his wounds,
lacks the good things of this world, In.
Hnitely better than the richest man on
earth whose books won't balance. Happy
the man who listens to the voice OF God,
who abstains from blasphemy, who does
not take His name in vain. There are
many Catholics who are not aware Of
this monstrous habit dwelling in them.
Thou wilt have to render to God an
account Of thy stewardship. Many must
render an account for their indifference ia
prayer Others who have caused bitterness
and strife In families. What shall we
say OF those who never pay their debts
| who never refuse themselves anything,
and who know nothing Of seli.mortifi,
cation. The unjust steward in the gospel
was mot praised for his injustice to his
master. Many think that industry
sharpness and success in business Is /
morality and q fair exchange for religion
1t is not 80, fatally not 30. The steward
ship thou hast over thy body, render a,
account OF 1t. It Ia seen on thy brow
The pimples Of iniquity are on thy face
man see II. Before the time comes pre-
pare thyself.
The object Of religion is not to say
some pretty words Its object is to strik,
home to you. / do not know what par
ticular course is your sin or peoulia
folly do not know It. Looking aroupt
might make tolerably shrewd guess
It is sufficient that each Of you ia full,
alive to 1t; let your stewardship b
accounted accordingly.
There are some peculiar things sbou
death. One is that II Is certain; II
fixed all men must die and make ap nc
oount Of their stewardship but, as to 1t
uncertainty we know nothing Of tn
when and the where and the how. d