CHRIST, THE TEACHER OF TRUTH.

"Direct me in Thy truth and teach me." (Ps. 24:5)

I.

Consider what is read in the Gospel of today: "Master, we know that Thou art a true speaker, and teachest the way of God in truth." (Matt. 22:16) We are all surrounded with darkness in this life, and we stand in need of a sure preceptor, who may teach us the way of God in truth. The wise men of this world all err. "Thy prophets have seen false and foolish things for thee." (Lam. 2:14) Men deceive and are deceived, and consequently no man can safely rely on them. Christ alone is of Himself infallibly true, and hence He says: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." (John 14:6) Hence, too, the Apostle says: "God is true, and every man a liar." (Rom. 3:4)

II.

Consider what was said to Saul, when he had wandered out of his way: "Behold, there is a man of God in this city, a famous man, all that he saith cometh certainly to pass. Now, therefore, let us go thither, perhaps he may tell us of our way, for which we are come." (1 Kings 9:6) Apply this to the Holy Eucharist, which truly contains the Man of God. God Himself is truly the Man who will tell you of the way, for which you came into this world. Approach Him, therefore, with great confidence; for "whatever He speaketh doth certainly come to pass."

III.

In order to prepare yourself properly, you must imitate Saul and bring some present for this man of God. "Behold," he says, "we will go, but what shall we carry to the man of God?" He was at that time poor, but he gave all that he had, "the fourth part of a side of silver." You also are poor, but you have a soul stamped with the image of God: "the light of Thy countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us." (Ps. 4:7) Give, therefore, this soul of yours to Him, "whose image and superscription it bears;" but let it be purified from the filth of sin, and "made conformable to the image of His Son" (Rom. 8:29), to whose likeness it is made, and then "He will teach you all truth." (John 16:13)

THE TALENTS. I.

I.

"A man going into a far country called his servants and delivered to them his goods." (Matt. 25:14) God is the universal Lord of all things, and He distributes His goods among mankind; for whatever qualities of body or mind we possess, whatever we have, internal or external, natural or supernatural, all comes from God. O man, "what hast thou, that thou hast not received!" (1 Cor. 4:7) God distributes His talents or gifts, whether natural or supernatural, unequally; He gives more to one and less to another, but to all He addresses the words: "Trade till I come" (Luke 19:13), in order that they may take advantage of what they receive. Examine how many talents you have received, in order that you may be the better able to give an account of them.

II.

"He that had received the five talents went his way, and traded with the same and gained another five." (Matt. 25:16) "And in like manner, he that had received the two, gained another two." The industry of both was equal, though their talents were unequal, and therefore, in the same proportion, their rewards were equal. "God does not consider the greatness of the gain," says St. Jerome, "but good will and exertion." Although, therefore, you may imagine that you have received few talents in comparison to others, you may notwithstanding be equal to them in reward, if you equal them in the improvement of your stock.

III.

The motive of reward ought to induce us to labor with great diligence and assiduity: "Because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." And what is this joy? That which "the eye hath not seen, nor ear heard." (1 Cor. 2:9) A joy without limit or measure, never to end or be abated. Be therefore faithful over the little which God has entrusted to your care and conduct; employ everything which He has given you to His glory, and thus you will deserve to be "placed over many things," and "to enter into the joy of the Lord."

THE TALENTS. II.

I.

"But he that had received the one talent, going his way, digged in the earth and hid his lord's money." (Matt. 25:18) Thus many imagine that they cannot appear equal to others in virtue, knowledge or skill, and, falling into despair, surrender themselves at discretion to the world, and become slothful and careless in the service of God. "The slothful hideth his hand under his armpit, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth." (Prov. 19:24) Such, however, are called fools by the Divine Spirit: "The fool foldeth his hands together, saying, Better is a handful with rest than both hands full with labor." (Eccles. 4:5) Examine your conduct on this subject.

II.

Consider the excuse of the slothful servant: "Lord, I know that thou art a hard man, and being afraid, I went and hid thy talent in the earth; behold, here thou hast that which is thine." (Matt. 25:24) He tells a falsehood, in order to excuse himself; for our Lord is not hard but a mild and merciful master. It is the custom of all slothful Christians "to make excuses in sins." (Ps. 140:4) They fancy to themselves that hardships and dangers exist, where there are none. "There is a lion in the way, and a lioness in the roads." (Prov. 26:13) Such tepid souls often say: "I cannot," when nothing but the will is wanting. Beware of tepidity and sloth as your greatest enemies.

III.

Consider the sentence pronounced against this idle servant: "Take ye away, therefore, the talent from him, and the unprofitable servant cast ye out into the exterior darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." "He is not condemned," observes St. Augustine, "because he lost his talent, but because he kept it without making any profit of it." Use every exertion therefore to employ those talents well which God has entrusted to you. You cannot want employment for them, whatever be your state or calling in life. Your own spiritual good, the glory of God, and the advantage of your neighbor ought to be always before your eyes.

THE VINEYARD LET OUT TO HUSBANDMEN. I.

I.

"There was a certain master of a family who planted a vineyard and made a hedge round about it." (Matt. 21:23, Mark 12) God has planted a Vineyard, which is His universal Church, and has bestowed great care on it. In the first place, He has "made a hedge round about it," by fencing it with excellent laws and precepts, by placing it under the protection of His Angels, who defend it against the incursions of the Devil. Secondly, He has "dug in it a wine press," by instituting the Sacraments, which derive their efficacy from Christ's precious blood, that continually flows for our sins. Thirdly, He has "built a tower;" that is, His Divine Providence is always employed in defending it from evil, and in providing it with every good thing which is necessary. How happy is it to be placed in such a Vineyard under such a Guardian!

II.

Having thus arranged his Vineyard, "the master of a family," " let it out to husbandmen;" that is, to all mankind, in order that each one might labor in it according to his state and calling. After he had done this, "he went into a strange country." God seems to be absent from us, and to leave us to ourselves, in order that we may act from the impulse of free will. Although He can have whatever good act He wishes from His creatures, whenever He wishes, yet He waits with patience. Who would not admire and love so much goodness and mercy?

III.

Almighty God, to put these husbandmen in mind of their duty, sent them, from time to time, patriarchs, prophets and priests, but all in vain. He sent them, in the last place, His only Son, but they murdered Him. With reason, then, does He exclaim by the mouth of the Prophet: "What is there, that I ought to do more to My vineyard, that I have not done to it ?" (Isa. 5:4) With reason then is it said: "He will bring those evil men to an evil end." (Matt. 21:41) Take care that the weight of this sentence does not fall on you and yield fruit corresponding to your tenure in the Vineyard of our Lord.

THE VINEYARD LET OUT TO HUSBANDMEN. II.

I.

In regard to God, this vineyard is the soul of each individual, and yours in particular. This vineyard the Supreme Master of the family has furnished with a press and a tower, and He has surrounded it with a hedge: that is, He has done every thing which is requisite on His part to secure your soul's salvation, and to make it produce every fruit of virtue. You are, in the language of the Prophet, "a chosen vineyard." (Jer. 2:21) And of you, God may say: "What is there, that I ought to do more to My vineyard, that I have not done to it ?" (Isa. 5:4)

II.

God lets out this vineyard of your soul to yourself; for He himself is the absolute proprietor of it. "All souls," He says, "are mine" (Ez. 18:4), and "I am the Lord, and there is none else." (Isa. 45:5) He therefore wishes that you should cultivate your own soul like a good husbandman, and render it fruitful in His service; for "who planteth a vine and eateth not of the fruit thereof?" (1 Cor. 9:7) Hence Almighty God expects fruit from you. He goes into a foreign country and seems to be absent from you, because He wishes you to exercise your own free will. But woe to that vine which does not produce fruit during His apparent absence!

III.

God often sends to you His servants, viz., preachers, superiors, and others, to put you in mind of your duty. He sends also His only begotten Son by interior inspirations and the example of His Life and Passion. Take care, therefore, that you do not, like the wicked husbandmen in the Gospel, contemn God's officers, or murder His Son again by sin, lest the kingdom of God be taken from you and given to another, "that shall render Him the fruit in due season." (Matt. 21:41)

THE WICKED STEWARD.

I.

"There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods." (Luke 167:1) God is designated under this certain rich man; for "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof." (Ps. 23:1) You are the steward to whom God has entrusted many goods, both of soul and body, natural and supernatural. His object was that you might use these goods well; but, by your mismanagement and maladministration, you have deserved to be accused before your employer of having "wasted his goods." What a disgrace it is to misemploy the treasures of God, and to become a bankrupt to heaven!

II.

The rich man said to his steward: "Give an account of thy stewardship." When God calls you from this world, you will be obliged to render a strict and severe account of your stewardship. After that moment, you cannot imitate the unjust steward any longer, for of the period succeeding this moment it is said, "the night cometh when no man can work." (John 9:4) Do good, therefore, whilst you possess the time. Wise and prudent stewards frequently examine their accounts in order to correct any error and be always prepared to settle their accounts. Imitate them by a daily rigorous examination of conscience; for "if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged." (1 Cor. 11:31)

III.

This steward acted wisely for himself, though deceitfully in relation to his master, and Christ commends his prudence, though He condemned his fraudulent action. Would to God that we were as prudent in regard to our salvation! Lament that "the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light." Exert yourself for the salvation of your own soul; for "there is a wise man who is wise to his own soul." (Ecclus. 37:25)

WISE AND FOOLISH MEN.

I.

Christ pronounces him to be a wise man who lays the foundation of his house on a firm rock (Matt. 7:); for it will firmly resist the storms, the floods, and the tempests. In our regard, this rock is Christ; the storms, the floods, and the tempests are the temptations by which we are assailed. He builds his house on a rock who grounds his life and actions on the example of Christ and motives drawn from eternity, and by that means overcomes all temptations. "God is in the midst thereof; it shall not be moved." (Ps. 45:6)

II.

Christ pronounces him to be a foolish man who builds his house on sand, for what can be greater folly than to incur the expense of raising an edifice which the first storm may overthrow. By the sand are represented all earthly things, and he builds on sand who places all his thoughts and affections on the transitory things of this life. A man of this character is tossed to and fro by the winds of vanity, swallowed up by the floods of pleasure, and completely overthrown by the tempests of adversity. Hence, the Prophet compares the wicked to "the dust which the wind driveth from the face of the earth." (Ps. 1:4)

III.

All mankind scorn the name of "a foolish man," but there are few who do not act consistently with this character. Hence the wisest of men observes that "the number of fools is infinite" (Eccles. 1:15), because most men build upon sand. Examine if it be not your case; and remember that, as both these houses were attacked by storms and tempests, so temptations equally attack the virtuous and the wicked; and if you ever yield to temptation, do not ascribe your fall to the temptation, but to the sandy foundation on which your spiritual edifice is built.