The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-12-22
TRUTHS OF The MISSION.
An Able Sermon Delivered by Rev.
II. A. McFeeley, at Holy
Rosary Church.
WHO SHALL BE SCANDALlZED7

There Never Was Drawer Man on
The Face Of The Earth than
Paul The Apostle.
The following sermon was delivered
last Sunday evening before large con
gregation Of people, by the Rev. M. A.
McFeeley, at Holy Rosary church.
"And blessed is he that shall not bo scandalized
In Me-
Saint John the Baptist, my brethren,
was put into prison by Herod, who was
repr oved by the saint for the sinful ca
reer he was leading, contrary to the law
of God, and because he was taken to
task by Saint John for the abonina-
tions Of which he had been guilty, be
put Saint John in prison. 1t was the
instrument of Jesus Christ, from whom
St. John heard while lying in his dun
geon, Of all the wonderful things that
were being performed by that Man who
calls himself the Messiah; who calls
himself the Son of God. John ordered
to him his disciples and told them to go
and find out what manner of man this
strange parsonage was. We are told by
God IN the Scriptures that Saint John
knew full we'll who He was; that he
was we'll aware that he himself wss the
precursor; but he wished his disciples
to see and find out for themselves. The
disciples did as the man of God told
them They went and presented them.
selves in the presence of Jesus Christ
and delivered their message, and as
soon as our Lord heard the Grand on
which they came, and before they put
the question to Him: eff you are the
Messiah, how are we to expect anoth-
erp''-said He: eco back and tell John
what you have seen and what you have
heard. That life ends not in death,
That here speech is given to the dumb,
that lepers are cleansed, that TIE lame
walk, and that the dead are raised from
the grave, that the gospel is preached
to the poor. On, blessed is he that
shall not be scandahzed in ME-"
Oh, my brethren, were not these sin.
gular words for our divine Saviour to
use! Who is it, think you, who shall
be scapdalized in Jesus Christ? Think
OF all he suffered during his passion
and death, and that Notwithstanding
certain manifestations of love on His
part tor Fallen humanity, that there
should be those that shall be scandal
lzed in him. Saint Paul, in preaching
to the people of his time, said: II preach
to you of the cross Of Christ, which is
stumbling block to the Jews, and a
scandal TO the Gentiles."
Nowlf ST. Paul stood in my place to.
nigh in the light OF this nineteenth
century, which is called the age of en-
lightepment, the age of progress--if
St. paul stood in my place tonight he
conlu repeat with all truth the words
which, centuries ago, he repeated to the
people OF his own time: II preach to
yeu,'' said he, "of the cross Of Christ,
which 1s the stumbling block to the
Jews and the source Of scandal to the
Gentiles'' There are those today who,
like the Jews and the Gentiles, Wlll
consider chat Jesus Christ's cross is a
stumbling block and is source Of scan
dial likewise. How many there are Of
our dissenting brethren who know full
we'll that their consciences take them
80 task for not believing, religlously
speaking, as they ought to believe; how
many there are who havs shut their
eyes to the law Of divine faith, and are
thereby scandaljzed at Jesus Christ;
how many there are Of the children Of
the church. 80 called Catholics, who,
when the truths OF their holy faith are
criticized, when asperslons are cast
upon martyrs and saints, when the
most holy mother Of Jesus Christ, Mary
Immaculate, is held up as no better
than common woman. when the ser
vices of the church are looked upon as
mere mummeries, have not the bravery
in them to speak out their conscientious
convictions. l say he should speak out
the truth that il in him, or he is slave,
a slave worse than any slave that works
under the masters lash. What folly it
is for man to be be governed in his re-
ligious convictions by what his fellow
man will say. Ask those who worship
at the shrine Of human respect why
they do 80, and they will Tell you" Well,
we know we are wrong, but We do not
wish to be singular; We do not wish to
be talked about. Then it is the talk Of |
the world that troubles them; then it is
the criticism of your fellow man that
makes you tremble for your religious
convictions. No man ever did and no
man ever will please every person; as
the old saying is: Those who under
take to please every one, end by pleas
ing no one. Jesus Christ never under
took chs task; no indeed, no indeed.
He came to preach the doctrine of His
Father. If vnn did NOT like it he did not