Evening journal., 1922-04-06
SAYS SIN IS
WORLD CURSE
Father Emmett Tells Catho-
lie Men to Ever Remem-
Der God
CALLS HEARERS
TO REPENTANCE

I'VE are responsible for every sin
we commit. when we know what we
are doing" declared the Rev. Father
Emmett. S. j.. in a sermon deliv-
cred to a congregation Of 1900 men
IN St. Peters Cathedral on Tuesday
night. Father Emmett took his text
from the Prophet Jeremiah 1i;l9;
know thou. ana zee that il is an
evil and a bitter thing for thee to
have left the Lord thy God" The
sneaker defined mortal sin as ANY
wllful thought. word, deed. or omis-
sion contrary TO the law Of Cod In
serious matter" Il means, he
said that we arc responsible Tor
every sin we commit when we know
what We are doing, we want TO 40
n and we are free TO do or not 10
do II. And IL Is this responsibility
this free-will that will save or lose
nv soul For the great business OF
ufe. the reason why God created me
ana nut me in this world Is not FOR
pleasure. wealth. honors, but TO
save nv soul. And the one only
obstacle TO be removed-the one
thing that can close Heaven and
opon Hell-is Mortal SIM II Is be-
cause we forget ourselves and lose
sight at times OF the great business
Of life. that the Prophet says; II
is an evil and bitter thing Tor
thee. to have left the Lord thy
Cod In fact. the history OF the
world is but a record Of Mortal Sin
Il has broken hearts; IL has ruined
lives: il has destroyed homes and
nations. But it Is the unhappiness
that it has brought into your own
lives and the lives OF others that
] am going to show you tonight
you remember that story Of our
First Parents. How God made them
TO His own Image and likeness.
zone prohibition only was placed
upon them: In the day that you
eat OF that fruit. you shall die
They too. would be like God They
were not satisfied and they ate, and
were driven out Of Paradise, for one
single sin OF disobedience! And
would TO God their sin had died with
them. hut it has come down the
centuries. and will go on TO the end
OF time, til the world Is no more.
Every sin upon earth comes from
that sin OF our First Parents-every
crime punished in our prisons the
tittering maniac OF the insane asy-
lum. the great World War just over.
and its millions OF dead. Yes. and
we see the effects OF mortal SIN In
our own individual lives. The
wages OF sin is DEATH There is no
peace. for sin will find you out. GO
into the hospitals. and see there men
who have dehed Gods law in every
detail-nothing they have not done
co and see the end-men beinl
eaten by maggotsi Men rotten alive
"Yes. even in this world we havi
got TO suffer for mortal sin. And
Cod help us. n we die in mortal sim
Let US stand for a moment on Cal
vary's mount with its crosses
and a victim on each-and watch
Jesus Christ, dying for you and me
His head Is bowed, His brow
crowned with thorns. His face COW
cred with blood. Standing there
we remember the words OF King
Clovis: Would that / and my le-
gions had been there. The cruel
hxion would never have taken
place Ny dear Catholic men, the
Jews were not responsible for Cal
vary. The story Of the crucihxion
is the story NJ Mortal Sin Y0ur
sins and my slns-that's the cause
OF the crucifxionl Let us kneel
down. therefore. and ask OF God the
grace 10 see the havoc OF mortal
sin. in order that henceforth we
may avoid Il and its occasion. Say
10 Jesus Christ tonight; Lord,
am sorry for the past. Lord. take
me back again And II you are
sorry In your hearts. Christ will lis
ten TO your words. and your answer
will come back to you. even as Il
came back TO Dismas on the cross.