The Irish standard., 1901-10-12
A Five Minute Sermon.

Brethren: 1 want to ask you a seri-
Gus question this morning: What do
you read? You read something, that
is sure. The man or woman who does
not read much cannot read at all, and
that is class growing smaller and
smaller every year. You read much,
therefore a great quantity; but what of
quality? For didn't ask you how
much, but what you read.
What do you read? One says, I read
politics, and that is good; another, 1
read business, and that is, good; yet
another says, read for recreation, and
that is good; and finally one says, 1
read to kill time. But, brethren, has
it never struck you that it would be
good to read some for eternity? But,
father, one will say, read my prayer
book when 1 come to mass. Oh, yes!
And n poor little vest pocket edition
Of prayer book it is; and I wish it
was thumbed little more at prayers
for confession and preparation for
communion, and that it came to high
mass with you little oftener.>
Another might ask: Father, what
do you mean? Do you wish us to read
the lives of the saints? Just SO. Moth
ing so interesting and profitable; and
1 would like you to begin with the
saint of saints, our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. 1t Is puny little school
boy who has not read the life Of
George Washington or Robert Emmet
once at least. But would like to
know how many of you big Christians
ever read straight through one of those
little lives Of Christ which we call the
holy gospels? Christ is the founder of
your religion and the redeemer of your
soul. There is Bible on your parlor
table; why do you not read it, or have
Mary Ann read it, for half hour dur
Ing the long evenings of Advent and
Lent? How often do we seq a Bible
on the center table which cost many
good days wages and is not worth a
cent to you, but is all for show. There
it lies, shut up tight and clasped,
knowing only the visitation of the
feather duster from one end of the
year to the other; save when baby
is born or somebody dies; then the
great book is opened, name is writ
ten down; the book is shut and
clasped again. Brethren, what does
this Ignoring on your part of the word
Of God practically mean? Just this:
The Catholic religion is not yours; it
belongs to the priest. Once week
you come to the church, the priest
farms you out little bit of the faith,
and at more or less irregular intervals
you come and see him privately and
render an account to him of the use
you have made of his property. Re-
ligion Is not personal; it Is family
matter, part Of a race tradition. If
religion were personal matter with
You, you would read more about It,
for you do so with all that really con-
Germs you personally. Religion is part
Of race tradition and that is about
all. This sounds very hard, but it is
in many cases all too true. Make your
religion your own, let it be something
personally yours, and begin with the
Scripture, not in the false, Protestant
sense, but reasonably and like Catho-
lie of intelligence.
What will the Scripture do for me?
answer it will give you courage to
bear your burdens: "This hath COM
forted me in my humiliation, because
Thy word hath enlivened me-" Ps.
cxviil, 50)
1t will strengthen your faith. "Thy
word is lamp to my feet and a light
to my paths."
The reading Of the Scriptures will
give you liberty of spirit: 81 have
walked at large because l have sought
after Thy commandments"
It will give you a well-sprlng of