The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-01-08
THE PULPIT.
4 SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON BY
CARDINAL GIBBONS.
Subject: The Prcrogatives and Re.
sponsibilities Of Moral Freedom.

was The Prerogatives and RESPONSE
bilities OF Moral Freedom. The text
was from st. Luke lS:S1-43: Jesus
commanded the blind man 90 he
brought 10 Him. and He asked him.
saying: What wilt thou that do
for thee And he said Lord. that |
may receive my sight" The cardinal
said.
Is not he stone blind who Is entire
ly engrossed by the desire for earthly
riches and shuts his eyes 20 the pearl
of great price, Is not ne blind who
Us wallowing I'm the mire of sin. who
Is leading a life OF sensuality which
leads 10 melancholy and despair? Is
not he blind who is bending all his
energies To the acquisition OF honor
and fame. and when he acquires it. IL
fails TO satisfy the cravings OF his
heart? Is not he blind who looks up
10 heaven and contemplates the
works of creation. but discerns not
the existence of a Creator? Is not he
blind who sees the hands moving on
the clock-work OF time. but fails to
recognize the invisible Hand which
keeps these works I'm motion? is not
he blind who counts the days OF his
years as they flow by, but does not
consider the ocean OF eternity that
~aies before him?
Now, Christ says 20 each Of you
what lie said 60 the blind man: What
is thy will? What wilt thou that
do for thee?
How sublime Is the faculty OF free
will It is gift which distinguishes
you from the brute creation: for man
rs the only creature on earth that en-
Toys moral freedom. IL is preroga-
tive which you possess in common
with the angels and which makes YOU
like 20 God Himself. God and the
angels and man are the only beings
that have free will
IL Is the exercise OF the will that
distinguishes the saint from the sim
ner, the martyr from the apostate.
the hero from the coward, the tenn
perate man from the drunkard. the
benevolent ruler from the capricious
tyrant. If we are destined TO be OF
the number of the elect. we shall owe
our salvation under God TO tho right
use Of our freedom. IT we are 20 in
cur the vengeance Of heaven, IL shall
be due to the abuse OF our liberty.
THY destruction is thine own. q Is
rael." In word, our liberty II n
weapon with which. like Saul, we viii
innict "A deadly wound upon our
selves. or II is a sword with which.
like Michael the archangel. we can
conquer the Internal enemy and win
our way Co heaven.
Our Saviour told the Jews that the
knowledge and practice OF His pre-
cepts would secure for them true
freedom. The Jews were indignant
that their freedom should be called
in question I'VE are the seed OF
abraham" they exclaimed. "and have
never been slaves TO any man But
our Lord replied that though children
OF Abraham. they were In bondage as
long as they were In sin. Amen,
say TO you: Whosoever commltteth
sin Is the slave of sin"
Do not Americans sometimes talk
I'm this way? We are freoborn citI-
,zens and yield TO no despotlc power.
But what will it profit us 10 enjoy
the blessings OF civil freedom. II we
do not enjoy the glorious liberty OF
children OF God. by which we are res
icued from ignorance and can trampIe
on sin? What will II avail us 10 be
recognized In the public walks OF life
as free and independent citizens, II I'm
the circle OF our family, and I'm the
sanctuary OF our hearts, we are lashed
as slaves by the demon OF passion: II
we are slaves to a petulant temper,
slaves 10 lust. 10 intemperance. pride
and vainglory; slaves TO public opin-
ion, the most capricIous OF all
tyrants?
, Jesus Christ ls the highest ideal OF
Christian perfection. He Is "the way
and the truth and the life He came
10 teach us by word and by example.
Now, II there is any one virtue our
Saviour inculcates more forcibly than
another, n is this: That our heart
and will should be In harmony with
Gods Will. II came down from
heaven" He says. mot 90 do Ny own
will. but the will OF Him that sent
Me. Ny food is 10 do the Will Of Him
that sent Me that | may finish His
work
In eXhorting us 10 make the will Of
God the supreme rule OF our actions,
our Lord is echolng the voice OF His
eternal Father My SON" says Al
mighty God, give Me thy heart He
does not say: Give Me thy riches.
thy lands and thy possessions, for
these belong 10 Him already. THE |
'dlAu ~ lHt sDIU 3 ana IUe tulIucHB |
thereof, the world and all that dwell |
therein" He does not say: My son.
give the service of thy body, for that !
also belongs 20 Him "Thy hands. |
says the prophet, have made and |
me" And besides We read
jly bestow the service OF our brain |
and hands on one who has already
gained our affections But He says:
Give Ne thy heart and the affections
OF thy will, for this IL all that you
can call your own; this is the only
free. unmortgaged property you can
offer Him.
You should discern the hand OF
God In the daily occurrences OF life.
You should regard all the events hap
pening 90 you. such as poverty and
wealth, sickness and health, life and
death. even the affiictionB and perse-
cutions arising from the malice OF
men, you should regard all these,
say. not az accidents and real evils,
nuf az tffuff "a fnVNVnffaH 1