Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-22
OUR DUTY IS TO
CROW IN VIRTUE
MGR HARNETT DlSC0URSES
ON Perseverance
Some Begin Their Lives Wrong
Others End Them In Sin-Prac-
tieaI Lessons for
Catholics

Perseverance in Virtue was the
topic of Rt. Rev. Mgr. Harnett, v. G.,
yesterday morning at the Cathedral Of
st. Vibiana in an able DISCOURSE on the
desirability Of perseverance in good
deeds. The monSignor said:
I'm the gospel today we are told that
certain ruler at Caperniuin, having
heard that Jesus had come down to
Galilee, asked of him a favor. This
favor consisted in the request TO heal
his son. Our Lord did not say that
he would grant the request, but said
Unless you see signs and wonders you
believe not. Apparently the ruler was
convinced that this was refusal, but
the ruler said Come down before my
son dies Our Lord said GO thy way;
thy son liveth.'
'tHere we have perseverance Of the
ruler in order that good work might
be performed. Because of his perse-
verance and his prayer, the request is
good works we ought to pray.
"You will perhaps ask, Are we
Obliged to continue In good work?
"Our Lord says He that persevereth
unto the end shall be saved and we
read that He who persevereth unto
death to him will give the crown Of
life.' Therefore, perseverance is COM
manded by God.
Dear brethren, our duty from time to
time is to reflect particularly on God.
We know he is a being infinitely per-
feet, holy, just, immutable and un-
changeable.
"St. Paul, writing to the Hebrews,
said of God: Thou art the same yester-
day, today and forever
Brethren, is it not strange that
Christ should have said to us, BE per-
feet as thy Heavenly Father? How can
finite being be equal to God, who is
we are the more like are we to God.
God is immutable, therefore there ought
to be no change when we set out in
the path Of virtue. We should be un-
changeable in our pursuit of virtue.
"If we look at, the history of man.
kind. what Is the conclusion? We serve
God not constantly. We serve, to use
common expression, by fits and
starts. We serve God today and to-
morrow we turn our backs on him and
commit sin. Today we start on path
of virtue and tomorrow leave it.
"Let us cast a look at the love of
God and see how he persevered in his
love for man. He loved mankind from
all eternity. Even in the garden where
man sinned he gives a promise which
emulates from the love of God. Through
will see the love of God. Moses Is sent
as deliverer; circumcision is given to
Abraham, and David is called by God
and he reveals himself to the Hebrew
people for the benefit of all mankind.
"God endowed the blessed Virgin as
no woman was before and as none
shall be again. The son of the eternal
God comes to save mankind out Of love.
Out of love he lays down his life for
our redemption.
HE promises his church that he will
be with it until the end of time. and
| not one moment has passed since Jesus
Christ instituted 1t that he has not
been with her, and so he shall be until
the consummation of the world.
IF we are to initiate God ought we
| not to be constant in our love OF God
as he is constant in his love for us?
There are some people who start out
in life we'll and end badly. And there
are those who start out badly and end
well. Solomon started out we'll and
ended badly, while Mary Magdalen and
ST.. Augustin started out badly and
| ended we'll.
"our duty as children OF God is to
advance daily in virtue. If we have
! not set out well, let us endeavor to
| do well now.
"Have you ever asked how virtue is
defined? 1t is habit in that thing
in accord with right, reason. How do
you acquire habits? BY repeated ac-
tions. The more frequent we perform
an action the more strong the habit.
You cannot be virtuous unless you con-
tinually perform acts OF virtue. We
ought to perform repeated acts pleas
ing to the Most High
"You may say it is we'll to speak with
regard to- our obligations. but you do
not take into consideration our fallen
nature. I realize you cannot be vrtu-
Gus without the grace OF God, but the
strength OF God will not be wanting
unto you. Christ says, without me you
can do nothing st. Paul tells us we
cannot wish to be good without the
grace OF God.
How are we to get this strength of
God? How did the ruler at Capernaum
urge the Lord to heal his son? Was It
not by prayer and did he not perse-
Vere? So should we.
Sometimes we pray. but we are not
in earnest, and we are not determined
to work with the grace OF God. When