The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-08-09
ARE YOU A PREACHER OF
CHRIST?

Be not alarmed, gentle reader, l am
not about to enunciate a new heresy.
/ am not even going to PROFOUND the
old Lutheran doctrine of the univer-
salty of the priesthood. And yet
have asked you, Are you preacher
of Christi"
We read in the records of the life
of the gentle saint of Assist, that one
day he called to his side certain lay
brother who was wont to accompany
him on his rounds of charity, and
said to him: Come, brother, we will
go out and preach a sermon" With
eyes modestly cast down, and the
peace and purity of their hearts trans
figuring their every feature, they
walked first along one street and then
along another, apparently without any
definite object or aim. Not word
was spoken, not a glance was cast
upon the sights along the way. For
an hour or so they continued thus,
and then Francis said very quietly:
"It is enough, brother. Let us return
home" But, Father" exclaimed the
brother ARE you not going to
preach?" my brother" said the
saint, I'VE have preached already. We
have walked about with that modesty
and recollection which becames re-
ligious men, and thereby we have
given a good example, which is of all
sermons the most effective"
Bearing that little story in mind
ask you now, dear reader, Are you a
preacher of Christi" l do not ask if
you have had the sacramento mont
ton laid upon you to go, teach the
nations" l know we'll enough that
such preaching is only for those who
have been sent. But we have all of US
been sent to preach Franciscan SER
mons. Having your conversation good
amongst the Gentiles, that whereas
they speak of you as evil doors, they
may, by the good works which they
shall behold in you, glorify God in the
day of visitation" Since we are the
light of the world we must let that
light shine upon the dark places about
us. Since we are the salt of the earth
we must season the corrupting mass
of humanity with the salt of our good
example We are the good leaven
that is to leaven the whole mass. AS
Catholics ours is a terrible RESPONSE
bility. We cannot live for ourselves
alone. Whether we like it or not we
are forever influencing our neighbor
If that influence is good, then indeed
we are preachers of Christ. If that
influence is bad we are preaching the
devils gospel, and that, too, for more
effectually than he could do it him
self. For the world never forgets thai
we are Catholics, and although in thu
words of st. Peter it speaks of us al
evil doers," yet, by some strange con
tradiction, it expects to see goodness
and purity and truth exemplifed Il
our lives. And if it is disappointet
Christ is put to shame and the dew
triumphs. Let us, then, endeaVor .
preach Christ as Francis preache
Him always remembering that wherea
words teach, example draws" Mis-
representations are circulated agalns
the Church and it's teaching. Calun
MES and SANDERS are hurled at Tn
citadel of Truth. Here, then, is on
ODQOTIuu1Iys Leu uS 0AOW " 49, =
ample of our lives that our religion
not for the bed-chamber, or even 10
the Church on Sabbath days, but tha
it goes down deep into our lives, an
makes us kind and charitable an
honest and just and pure. Then b
deeds, not words, we will have al
swered that question which the worlt
Pilate-like, is ever asking, What ]
TRUTH" And the compelling force
Truth will cause the world, wear
from it's pursuit of phantoms, to boz
down and reverence it. All, If we di
but grasp the splendid opportunlt
that is thus presented us to progagat
Christ's Kingdom! Did we but reallz
that this is our particular field! tn
world takes but little stock in Il
piety of priests and nuns. That is the
business, it says, but we have oth'
yocations in life. But the layman WI
lives his religion refutes their specio'
reasoning. He demonstrates by b
example how erroneous is the conte