Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1909-01-28
THE PULPIT.
a SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON BY
CARDINAL GIBBONS.
Theme: Bearing Burdens.

livered a sermon at the Cathedral
Sunday morning. There was a large
congregation and the choir gave spe-
cial music. The subject of the Car
dinal's discourse was: Bear Ye one
Another's Burdens" His text was
from St. Matthew 11:2-10. The Car
dinal spoke as follows:
John the Baptist is one OF the
noblest and most striking figures that
appear on the pages OF the New
Testament. AS the minister or o
he has the courage to rebuke Herod
FOR his incestuous life. The fulhll-
mant Of his sacred duty cost him his
liberty and his head. What a str1k-
ing contrast between John in prison
and Herod on his throne! John,
though immurad in a dark dungeon,
is cheerful and resigned, because he
has the testimony Of a good con
science. Herod on his royal seat is
gloomy and detected and eaten up
with Though John is in
chains. his soul roams with the free
dom OF a son of God. Herod. though
commanding g kingdom. is a slave to
his passions.
John utters no word of nurmur
or complaint from his prison. He
uOGS liz plCdO IOi oy AApo1AJ ~
lease. He is so entirely forgetful Of
his own sufferings and wrongs that he
is concerned only about his Masters
business. He sends two of his dis
ciples to ask our Saviour whether or
not he is the true Messiah. John
does not need this information for
his own sake. He knows that Christ
Is the promised Redeemer, for, On a
previous occasion, when he met our
Lord. he exclaimed: "Behold the
Lamb of God; behold Him that
taketh away the sin Of the world!"
But he desired that his disciples
should learn from TIE lips of Christ
| Himself that He was the Redeemer
who was sent to save the world.
When tle disciples asked Christ If
He. was the I've Messiah, what an
swer did He give? Did He say to
them: Know that / am the Son Of
God, because l ravel in the splendor
Of imperial majesty, I dwell in pa1a-
tial mansions, I am surrounded by an
immense army, I am attended by a
retinue Of courtiers, and kings and
princes minister unto Me-" He said
none of these things.
But this is the test and the proof
that He gave Of His divine mission:
&c." He says, land relate to John
what We see and hear. The blind
see, the lame walk, the lepers are
cleansed. the deaf hear, the dead rise
again, the poor have the gospe'
preached unto them. And blessed is
he that shall not be scandalized il
Me-" Blessed is he who shall recog
nize My divinity through the frai
wall of My humanity.
OF all the virtues that shine forth
in the life Of our divine Saviour there
is none SO prominent, none so con
spieuous. as His compassion for hui
man suffering. This was His char
acteristic virtue; this was the salien
point in His character, If we ma.
apply the term to One who was per
feet in every virtue. On every lea
of the Gospel that golden wore
mercy shines forth, Frightening ever.
page, cheering every heart.
Our Saviour I've exercises Hi
divine power as Moses did, by chang
Ing rivers into blood and d%estroyin,
the first-born Of the land. He neve
Initiates Joshua by commanding tn
sun to stand still in the heavens. H
does not, like Elias, call down light
ming from heaven to consume an OF
Tending people, though He was en-
treated to do so by His disciples, t
whom He said: "Ye know not VIVA
spirit We are; the Son Of Man cam
not to destroy, but to save"
No, but the miracles Of Jesus wer
wrought to lessen the suferings an
tighten the burdens of men. H
manifested His power by going abou
doing good. He gave sight to tn
blind that they might rejoice in be
holding the beauties of creation. H
gave speech to the dumb and hearin
to the deaf. He gave power Of walk
ing to the lame. He gave health t
the sick and life to the dead. II
dried up the tears of the widow an
gave His blessing to children. Abov
all, He displayed His merciful powe
by receiving with open arms the II
2 penting sinner, by relieving her sol
j., to her: "Be Of good cheer. Go
, peace. Thy sins are forgiven"
How correctly does the parable
. the good Samaritan portray the con
> passion of Jesus toward those VIII
. suffered from bodily diseases; for tt
= good Samaritan is lone other tina
Jesus Himself. A traveller, while e
ing from Jerusalem to Jericho, fal
among thieves. They rob him of h
money. They strip him of his ga
ments and leave him on the roadsil
covered with wounds. His countr,
men pass by, but pay no heed to IL
bleeding man. A Samaritan who
Of a different country and religio
also comes along, and lifts up IL
n wounded man; he pours medici1
n into his wounds and binds then
e. places him on a beast of burden, pr
= vides for him in an inn, and sem
- him back to his family. Is not tn
an epitonne Of the life Of Jesus, who
public career was spent in heali1
a.. diseases and mitigating physical su
fering?
Not less marked was the Denev
= 1ence of Christ toward those who su
|" fered from mental anguish. What
: notable example of His mercy to tn
- class afflicted is furnished by Il
> raising to life of, the widows so
She. is following to the grave the r
n mains Of her only child, the solace
/. her declining years. Jesus, as if |
' accident, meets the mournful pr
cession. He sees the desolation
e. the widows heart. His omniDote,