The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-01-29
THE PULPIT.
A SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON BY
CARDINAL GIBBONS
Theme: Bearing Burdens.


Sunday morning. There was 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 1l: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 OF God
he has the courage 20 rebuke Herod
! for his incestuous life. The fulfill
ment of his sacred duty cost him his
! liberty and his head. What a strik-
| Ing contrast between John in prison
and Herod on his throne! John,
/ though immured in a dark dungeon,
| is cheerful and resigned. because he
! has the testimony OF good con-
science. Herod on his royal seat is
| gloomy and detected and eaten up
with remorse. Though John is in
chains. his soul roams with the free
dom of son OF God. Herod. though
commanding kingdom, is slave TO
his passions.
, John utters no word OF murmur
: or complaint from his prison. He
does not plead for sympathy or re-
lease. He is so entirely forgetful of
| his own sufferings and wrongs that he
! is concerned only about his Masters S
| business. He sends two OF his dis
ciples 10 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
] II ha M
Lamb OF God; behold Him that
taketh away the sin of the world y
But he desired that his disciples
should learn from the lips of Christ
! Himself that He was the Redeemer
! who was sent to save the world.
When the disciples asked Christ II
He was the true Messiah, what an
swer did He give? Did He say to
! them: Know that | am the Son OF
! God, because revel in the splendor
OF imperial majesty, / dwell in pala-
tial mansions, ! 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:
GO" 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 gospel
! preached unto them. And blessed is
he that shall not be scandalized in
Me-" Blessed is he who shall recog-
nize My divinity through the frail
wall of My humanity.
or all the virtues that shine forth
in the life of our divine Saviour there
! is none so prominent, none so con-
spicuous, as His compassion for hu-
man suffering. This was His char
acteristic virtue: this was the salient
point In His character, IL we may
apply the term to One who was per-
feet in every virtue. On every leaf
OF the Gospel that golden word
mercy shines forth, Frightening every
page, cheering every heart.
Our Saviour never exercises His
divine power as Moses did, by chang
ing rivers into blood and destroying
the first-born OF the land. He never
initiates Joshua by commanding the
sun to stand still in the heavens. He
does not, like Elias, call down light
ming from heaven to consume an Of
Tending people, though He was en-
whom He said: "Ye know not what
spirit we are the Son OF Man came
not to destroy, but to save"
No, but the miracles OF Jesus were
wrought to lessen the sufferings and
tighten the burdens OF men. He
manifested His power by going about
doing good. He gave sight to the
blind that they might rejoice in be-
holding the beauties OF creation. He
gave speech to the dumb and hearing
to the deaf. He gave power OF walk
ing to the lame. He gave health TO
the sick and life 10 the dead. He
dried up the tears of the widow and
! gave His blessing TO children. Above
all, He displayed His merciful power
! by receiving with open arms the re-
penting sinner, by relieving her soul
of the burden of her sins, and saying
to her: BE OF good cheer. Go in
peace. Thy sins are forgiven.
How correctly does the parable OF
the good Samaritan portray the COM
passion of Jesus toward those who
suffered from bodily diseases; for the
/ good Samaritan is none other than
Jesus Himself. traveller. while GO
ing from Jerusalem 20 Jericho, falls
among thieves. They rob him OF his
money. They strip him OF his gar
ments and leave him on the roadside
covered with wounds. His country
men pass by. but pay no heed 10 the
bleeding man. A Samaritan who is
OF a different country and religion
also comes along, and lifts up the
wounded man; he pours medicine
into his wounds and binds them;
places him on a beast OF burden, pro-
vides for him in an inn, and sends
him back 10 his family. Is not this
an epitome OF the life OF Jesus, whose
public career was spent in healing
! diseases and mitigating physical suf-
fering?
Not less marked was the benevo-
lence OF Christ toward those who suf-
fered from mental anguish. What a
notable example Of His mercy 10 this
class afflicted is furnished by the
raising 10 life OF the widows son.