1. Introd.—It is often said that men in trial act well or ill, according to their previous life, which then is brought out. They cannot work themselves up to be martyrs. This applies also to the contemplation of the sufferings of the saints, and of our Lord and His blessed Mother. I should like e.g. to bring before you the subject of the Mater Addolorata. But how am I to do so? It depends on yourselves. Are you familiar with her image? Is she a household word? If so, you will meditate well; if not, ill.
2. This comes on us at this time of year, when we wish so much to meditate, and find it so difficult. We shall keep this time well, according as we have kept the year well. As we have meditated through the year, so shall we celebrate this season. We cannot force our minds into love, compassion, gratitude, etc.
3. So as to matters of this world. We hear of deaths, losses, accidents, etc., with emotion or not, according as we know the persons, according as the name is familiar to us.
4. I cannot impress this knowledge upon you or myself, and this makes me almost loth to discourse on these great topics. The very sight of a crucifix or holy picture, such as we have in our chambers, should be enough. It is not a matter of words, but of heart.
5. Think then of her, first as she was, as she had been, and you will understand what she was in her grief. Go through her character—so lovely, so perfect, so glorious; the ideal of painters and poets; yet superhuman, the flower of human nature—the soul so beaming through her that you could not tell her features, etc.; so gentle, winning, harmonious, attractive; so loving towards others; so pained at sorrow and pain; so modest, so retiring: her voice, her eyes—yet still so chaste and holy that she inspired holiness. Hence the fulness of the sanctity of St. Joseph: it was inspired by her.
6. And she had lived with a Son who cannot be described in this way only, because He is God; who surpassed her infinitely, but in another order. In the one the attributes of the Creator, in the other the most perfect work. What a picture! what a vision! Mother and Son.
7. Next, that Son has left her. And now the news comes to her that He is to die, to be tortured; that He is to die a criminal’s death of shame and torment; His limbs to be torn to pieces, etc., and He so innocent. Why, it is worse than killing and torturing the innocent babe.
8. Under those circumstances, remarkable boldness in coming to see Him die. Does a mother commonly so act? Here the perfection of Mary’s character. Hagar, ‘Let me not see the death of my son,’ Gen. xxi. 15-16 1.
9. [She saw] Christ bearing the cross. Then at cross.
10. Our distress at seeing mother’s grief, which we cannot help.
11. On mental pain. Greatest. Christ’s mental pain would have swallowed up even His bodily, had He not willed to feel it.
April 27 (Low Sunday) Faith the Basis of the Christian Empire
1. Introd.—Our Lord came to form a kingdom all over the earth unto the end of time. And to this end the commission to preach the Gospel, etc. [Mark xvi. 15.]
2. Now observe what a great problem is this. It had never been done before; it has never been done since, except in the instance of that kingdom. Why, a large empire extending over many countries, mole ruit sua! On the four empires and others—but were by an effort and ephemeral.
3. Even the Jews, small as they were, could not keep together in one. Divisions of Reuben— Benjamin slaughtered; ten tribes; various sects, Pharisees, etc.
4. (So in Protestants, though fain would be one, but cannot), but the Catholic Church has lasted one through all time, and is as much or more one now than ever she has been.
5. Now today’s Mass tells us in the epistle and gospel how it is, and what means God took. It was by means of faith, which is not only the beginning of all acceptable service, but is the binding principle of the Church. John xx. 29, St. Thomas, ‘Blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed.’ 1 John v. 4, ‘This is the victory which overcometh the world, our faith.’ Now consider this attentively. It is a problem which has never been solved before. He did not take self-interest, worldly benefit, etc., because they would not last; and it is what the world proposes to mankind.
6. When He would make a universal empire, He did not take a book or law for the basis. Some would have said the Bible, but the event, the divisions of Protestants show it would not do.
7. Not a law, nor a polity, nor episcopacy (as Anglo-Catholics say). Quis custodiet, etc. What shall make bishops obeyed, etc.?
8. Nor reason (as Liberals and Latitudinarians will say), for it only arrives at opinion.
9. Nor love (as religious persons may think), quoting: ‘By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, because you have love one for another’; for concupiscence overcomes love 2, and the good will never be the many. Some principle must be taken which all can have.
10. Therefore He took faith—a supernatural gift. Faith may be possessed by good and bad, and is most influential; even the bad are made to serve His glory and praise. And it is the bond, for thus all have common objects. Faith is not easily lost.
11. Hence 1 Peter ii. 9, ‘a royal priesthood’ as in yesterday’s epistle—hence Jeremias xxxi. [33-34 [^3]]—and ‘our hearts enlarge.’ They obey because they believe. It is not the Church enforces on them faith, but faith obliges them to take the Church—1 John ii. [20], ‘know all things’; [ib. 27], ‘no one to teach you.’
12. Hence the people never wrong (individuals indeed, and sometimes nations, may apostatise), but I mean the whole body. Unlike the Jewish Church. Aaron and calf. Pilate ‘willing to content the people.’ But the Christian people cannot be wrong. Vox populi, etc. Hence ‘when the Son of Man cometh shall faith be found,’ etc., because of the obscuration under Antichrist.
13. This is our consolation at all times. Our very sins do not overcome the Church, for faith is independent of sin.