Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1908-11-03
temnter will be redoubled to accom-.

tempter will be redoubled to accom-
plish your fall Remember the words
of st. Paul, Let Him Who stands be-
ware lest he fall The last end of that
man shall be worse than the first.
urge you to remember the resolu-
tions that you have made at this mis-
sion and enforce them in your daily
life You may say it is not compatible
with all states Of life to always con-
form with them in the temptations OF
the flesh, the world and the devil.
admit, my brethren, that the trial is
a hard one and it requires an effort
and strength to resist the criticisms
to which you are subjected after re-
forming, and perhaps at last give up
under the strain. But there is rem
edy. We are told that after the resur-
rection, when the disciples Of Christ
were gathered in the room at Jerusa-
lem in fear of the Jews, Christ ap-
peared and stood in the midst of
them. st. Thomas says that the mean
ing of this Is that Jesus will not enter
our hearts unless the doors Of the
senses are kept closed" Bad company,
drinking immoderately, profanity, etc.
were pointed out as occasions where
by men fall.
"The occasions must be avoided"
continued the speaker, '1f We will con-
tinue in the good resolutions made
and refrain from falling into the evils
!, from which we have just been cleans
ed. No excuse will avail for the return
to these vices and it would be the
, greatest ingratitude and the worst in.
suit given to God by thus showing a
, preference for the devil. You may not
J intend to sin, but experience teaches
) that our frailty often succumbs to the
tempter when we will not avoid the
! occasion One of these occasions is
| the lonesomeness for the boon com
, panion and the spurning of the prayer
t and sacraments. The sweet yoke Of
+ Christ becomes irksome. and playing
), with fire, we perish therein.
: Saint Chrysostom says, 1--WE are
;. composed of combustible matter ant
j, should not court fire for fear of the
:, danger Of destruction. You have hailed
I the bark of Peter, and Iwish you boz
p voyage, but beware of the rocks ant
q shoals that threaten your path"
q Taking up the theme of the dis
course, Father Towle said:
slavery, QeSTdudtlou anu unLoi'
j. misery are the results Of that relent
|. less foe, intemperance 1t enters e1
s. cry sphere, palace, howell every place
d the laborer, mechanic, banker mel
It chant and every class. It's effects ar
n seen in the awful wrecks that ar
the results Of the blasted lives, repl
e tations, homes, etc. 1t is the one vii
d sewer by which its victims pas
" chiefly by impurity, into hell. 1t is
10 vice that saps manhood from infanc
ID to youth and old age filing poe
If houses, prisons and insane asylum
le Drunkenness consists in excessiH
ar drinking with consent. There al
,e some who are not stupidity drunk, b'
,e what may be called respectfully drum
IL who are not wholly drunk nor who'll
lg sober. They may be likened to tore
ne that needs to be filed with alcohol I
h they soon expire Many begin at hom
ce by example OF drinking father,
in may nurse it from the drunkard mot
h er. There were never greater nee
he to lift the danger signal to our fello
ne man than now. st. Paul wept oy
he the excesses in his day. but today tn