The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1912-06-21
Be Sober and Watch
GA Sermon by Rev. Father MCGUIRE ST Marys Church. Joliet )

reviewing many that make for the decline of
religion at day. my brethren find among
Others indifference and drink In studying the evils of social
life the abuses in institutions and tracing them back
their sources arrive predatory wealth. rregion ard
Incorporate voters In investigating the corruption of po
life whether it be the taking of graft and dishonest
public moneys the lawessness certain municipalities
back of the money of unjust corporations and the
drunken followers of the wardheeer Whether the admis
sion peases the fact forced that
of Intoxicating drink tends to and has contributed
largely the of in domestic civil and religious life
Mask it you low politicians, corrupt
legislation divorce immortality, poverty and crime of
description closely allied and largely attributable to
drink
The Chiefest of Vices
Anarchy threatening does, the foundations OF
our government has wrought ncacuabe injury the social
fabric and poisoned ncuraby minds but anarchy IN
form of communism and nihism has done very
destroy the religion of Jesus Christ and the morality
of the Decaogue comparison to the harm wrought by the
vice of ntemperance The divorce and affinity spirit ruined
some 10000 in the United States last but d-
vorce with progacy filth and rottenness has not de-
stroyed home for thousand nteperance has d.
vded broken upn fact divorce usually either direct
or indirect consequence of drink Disbelief in God and tree
thought under the various guises of positvism agnostcsm
and modernism affected the of the laborng
man. they done much harm to Catholc1y in COM
parson with the misery shame mpey and crime caused by
Intoxicating liquors.
An Enemy of the Home Forever
Drink and the debauchery which accompanies it, have
and Bathaza the present. and dealt injuries to the CHRIS
tan body which will fully even should
it forgive and forget them Scandals given by the mighty
and owy habits of sin engendered in YOUTH deectons from
positive region-no speak of the decentralization the
vices orgies beay which the last stages of drunken
poverty brings its ranhave given rise to evils that nave
increased multiplied with generations and centuries en-
tered into the of numberess homes and ruined
nnumerable souls Surely the advice of ST. Paul to the
Christians at Rome embodyng does the inspiration OF
the spirit of the wisdom learned from the history OF
Assyria and Persia well from the decline OF
Pagan Rome itself, is not empty, meaningless one 1T
nculcaes virtue absolutely essential to the vlry OF Chris
tan manhood and the purity of Christian morals in those
DAYS of open immortality and unrestraned Righteousness
History Repeating Itself
And it does that so far removed now
adays from the progay of ancient Rome and free from
all temptaon to drink from the sin and wrechedness OF
ntemperance that the advice of ST. Paul can be preached
from every pulpit the land and be followed with beneficial
results bv the poorest generation Be sober and watch
Be wise unto sobrety olive sobery JUSTLY and pousy
are the precepts of the Apostles for all people, of all times
and certainly their observance much before
is needed
When we consider that persons die annually III
IT, d;rac+ ipdr Of