Norwich bulletin., 1913-02-17
LENTEN LESSON ON THE
 SIN OF EXTRACTION
Powerful Sermon at St. Patriok's Church by Rev. H. J. MeManus.

The I4enten sermon at the vesper service at St. Patrick's church Sunday evening was by Rev. H. ). McManus, a Dominican father from New Haven, who spoke on the Sin of Distraction. The sin of detraction. he said is the most mean and contemplate .ol sins. in detraetion is the deep maIignity which sets husband against wife, brother against sister, son against father and even disturbs the eternal silence of the grave with faults which Almighty God has forgotten and for given. Detraction of character is a sign of a base and ignoble nature. A noble man or women will not descend to injure a neighbours character and only one realizing his own meanness will injure another's reputation. The others eye is sure to have a beam of no small magnitude in his own.
 In the Hearts of the Fharisees.
 Our Divine Lord who clearly read the hearts of men. saw this in the zeal of the scriDeS and pharisees who dragged before him 8 poor unfortunate woman. guilty of crime of which under the old law the penalty was stoning. that he might pass sentence upon her. Stopping down he wrote in the sands with his finger, the only instance which the scripture gives us of his writing, The scribes and phar- isees locked and saw their own sins and crimes and slunk back and He said: Tie that is without sin. ret him cast the first stone"
 It is not the man or woman with out blemish who will cast the first stone. An upright. honorable man or woman thinks Of the rule of tho Mas ter: %Do unto others as ye would that they should do unto you There is no other sin which so directly violates this great maxim as does the sin of detractfon. Riches, friends. honor and even life we must part with, but char e.c+z-1 fG}se--- US to the tomb and en- ters the grave. = nature of a crime which roos 8 man of that which he most desires his good name and character? The baekbiter, the de- tractor, ranks with the murderer, talk ing what one desires more than life itself, ones good name. It is diff guilty, the detractor the one who listens, for the devil is in the mouth of the one and in the ear Of the other.
 Impossible to Make Atenenasnt
 The detractor may be truly penitent but find it impossible to make retrac- tion. He could destroy his neishbors 8 character, but how could he declare himself liar and defamer?. The de- tractor is not only bound to try to repair the character which he has defamed but to repay any pecuniary loss resulting. How can one estimate the financial loss which may result from the biackening of ones yCharac ter? But 1t is required that ii shall be paid to the last farthing as the price of forgiveness. Distraction hurts 8 mars financial standing, His cred itors press on him and a result he is forced to make an assignment. He finds himself in his old age with & large family, 8. broken reputation and an empty purse as his sold assets. How can one estimate the damage which has been done him? Yet it must be repaid before forgiveness is found. The character of young and beautiful girl is defamed She hears of it and under the shame gradually sinks into her grave How can the guilty wretch ever make restitution? If he be filled with remorse and sit for the rest of his life in sack cloth and ashes, this cannot make atonement for the sin. and al the final day he will still be in arrears before the justice ol God It is only the unlimited mercy of God which can ever reach or redeem him. There is q God and a hereafter and if there is a hell. then I believe that in the deepest pit there will be dun geons for the souls of detractors. A sin so evil in its consequences, so shameful in its nature and yet so very prevalent! You hear it every where you go.
 During this Lenten season pray God that you may beware of the sin of detraction than which there is per haps none greater.