Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-27
SUICIDE
GREATER CRIME
MGR. HARNETT breaches ON
"THE LOVE OF GOD"
I'VE Must Give Him Our Love Above
Father, Mother, Husband, Wife,
Riches, Honors, Pleasures.
This Is Preferential Love

"The Love Of God" was the topic
taken by Rt Rev. Mgr. Harnett, V. Co
in an able sermon delivered yesterday
morning at the Cathedral of st. Vibl-
ana, MonsIgnor Harnett said In part:
"In the gospel read today we are told
that certain lawyer asked great
question to our Divine Lord, a question
that was of very great Importance to
him and to us. The question had ref
erence to life eternal. We did not
make ourselves, but God created us
for himself.
Master, what shall l do in order
to possess eternal life?' 1t is our last
end. What must we do to reach God
and life eternal? Our Lord answered
the question by asking another What
do you read in the lawY Thou shalt
love thy God with thy whole heart
and Love thy neighbor as thyself.'
Brethren love is the fulfllment OF
the law Of God. If we love our neigh
bors we are united with God. Charity
is of the greatest Importance to us.
Life Of Our Souls
God Is the life of our souls. AS the
soul Is the life of the body, so God is
the life of the soul. Therefore, If you
drive God out of your heart, you
deprive your soul of it's life. The talk
suicide, but the taking of the life from
the soul is spiritual suicide, greater
crime than separating the soul from the
body.
"Does God require too much when
he commands us to love him? If
king were to command his people to
love him more than handful Of dust,
it would be easy. The armament above
us and the earth below us, what are
H., rr,I,o y, nnd
less than little dust compared with
an earthly king.
"It Is the love of preference that God
desires from us. We must give him our
love above father, mother, brothers
and sisters, husband and wife, riches,
honors and pleasures, in word all
things must give way to God and he
must be uppermost. His commands
must be done no matter how agreeable
/ are our own pleasures. This is prefer
ential love.
Not Under Our Control
"You may say that you have not
that tender affection for God that you
have for your friends, for when they
suffer you cry, but when God is in
suited, you do not cry. You must bear
in mind that the sensible love is not
thing under our control. We are
chllCSlCu uoudily ny nlihI VIC SCS, pub
as God is invisible, he does not affect
our visible feelings that we have for
human creatures.
"Is charity blind passion, or does 1T
come from a blind passion? Suppose
| man loves an individual, we could
| suppose by favors. This love is COM
| mon. We have an affection for per-
sons who treat us kindly and confer
favors upon us. There Is something
for your benefit, consequently that love
| is not the pure love of the Individual
| for his own sake.
"If we love God for his favors and
blessings, because he created and re-
deemed us, for the showers Of bless
| ings day after day, it is love, and
good love, but not the highest love.
IF we love God for his own sake,
with no hope of reward, for his own
goodness, that is the highest and purest
love.
THE love of God is one of the great
est graces. You must ask it of God,
for the grace of prayer is always pres
ent to you. OF ourselves we can do
nothing for the attainment of heaven.
Therefore we should pray God for
| charity.
Love God with your whole heart.
| He will not have a divided heart. Give
God the first place and love him with
your whole soul, memory, understand
ing and will"