Brethren, now is the time of grace: now we ought to seek, ask and knock: and fit ourselves by every effort to receive the grace of God. Now are we able every day and in every place to merit the eternal kingdom, and escape eternal pains: if by the grace of God we do true penance. The door of Heaven is not yet closed: the gate is open: those may enter who are ready. Those who are not ready let them strive to prepare themselves, and amend their life more perfectly: that when Christ comes and calls they may be worthy to enter joyfully with the just. O faithful and humble soul consider how great is the mercy of God over thee in all thy life: that He does not immediately avenge Himself: but waits long and lovingly re- calls to Himself. O happy Mother Church truly with thee there is a hidden God: infinite treasure, plentiful redemption: and eternal salvation. The human eye does not see and cannot see: nor any understanding grasp, nor frail reason penetrate; how God is truly entire in this sacrament: is eaten, and yet always remains whole. O what great wonders God works in the sacrament: to Whom NOVICES REGULAR NOVICES REGULAR naught is impossible to do whatever He will in Heaven and on earth: for the glory and everlast- ing memorial of His holy name. O saving Victim which openest the gate of Heaven: what wonder- ful things are said of thee, how unspeakable are all that lie hid in thee: how piously and truly they are believed of thee, and invisibly wrought through thee. These things are proposed to us to be faith- fully believed, reverently celebrated: lovingly re- ceived, sweetly tasted: incessantly worshipped, ardently embraced: and daily for the salvation of all most pleasingly offered to God the Father. For as often as Mass is celebrated, and the Host con- secrated by the word of God: so often does our God come to men: for men come down from Heaven: with men desire to remain, whom He created and redeemed: and intends to make happy for ever as He promised saying: ‘Behold I am with you all days: even to the consummation of the world.” O comforting word, O pious and faithful testament: O great and indubitable and divine promise: to have God ever with him present in the sacrament: Whom the angels have and worship reigning in Heaven.
When therefore the sacred Host at the altar is raised by the hands of the priest and showed to men to be adored: then Christ Who suffered and was crucified for us is presented under a mystic veil: is truly worshipped, devoutly invoked, meekly honoured. Whoever therefore wishes to enter the temple of God, and pray: or recite, or sing, or hear Mass, or celebrate: should first prepare him- self, and with a pious intention so dispose himself and consider: as if he were about to go to the Pope and Emperor, to make some petition for himself and his friends in some case of necessity.
Matth. 28.
SERMONS TO THE For it aids him who prays and chants in every place and time: to think of God as present and with the holy angels looking upon him attentively with all-seeing eyes. And as a man prepares him- self before prayer: so frequently he finds himself afterwards in prayer. The wanderer prays wanderingly: the frivolous man sings frivolously. Heed, frail man, the reverence due to God: and with holy David go over into the place of the wonderful tabernacle in holy fear: presume not of thyself, but with the publican seek mercy and pardon in the present exile; that hereafter with Lazarus thou mayest merit to have eternal rest and glory in Heaven. Which may Jesus Christ deign to grant us all, the Son of God born of the Virgin Mary: crucified and sacrificed for us: Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth God: for ever and ever. Amen.
Here end the Sermons to the Novices.
Here follow certain examples, for the sake of edification.
AN EXAMPLE A certain religious brother of our house intend- ing to celebrate Mass: first out of charity visited another brother who was seriously ill. The sick man therefore asked him faithfully to pray to the Lord for him in the Mass: and if it pleased the Lord that he might become well again. Then the priest moved with pity, very affectionately and earnestly desiring to fulfil the work of charity: prayed the loving Lord for the health of the NOVICES REGULAR brother. And when Mass was over, he at once went to the sick man again: and asked how it was with him. The sick man answered: “Thanks be to God, I feel myself much better by virtue of the Mass, which out of charity you have said for me to-day.” After a few days that sick brother re- gained his health: and making much progress in devotion in holy religion and cheerfully reading devout books and the discourses of the saints: by the ordinance of God he was finally after a few years elected to the priorship.
ANOTHER ANOTHER A certain ancient brother in our convent was once tormented with excessive pains in the stomach: so that he could neither sit nor sleep quietly for the suffering which he endured within. And when for a whole night and almost to mid- day he had been so afflicted, and had sought relief by now lying, now rising, and found no remedy: there came to him a certain devout laic to visit him: and compassionating him he said in comfort: “Get up and come with me to the fire: I hope it will do you good as I also have experienced in myself and in others troubled with this pain.” The brother at once consented to his advice: and went down from the dormitory with the pains still un- relieved. Coming therefore to the door of the choir he opened the door: desiring to call upon the help of the Lord. He entered the choir there- fore: and knelt down before the high altar on the kneeler in presence of the Sacrament. And when he had commenced to pray in the sight of the Lord and before the holy relics enclosed on the altar: the pain gradually ceased. And taking SERMONS TO THE SERMONS TO THE courage he prayed the more until all the pain had ceased. Then rising he gave thanks to God and to His saints and to St. Pantaleon the martyr of Christ: whose feast it then was’ and whom he loved with a sincere heart. Afterwards with joy of mind going round the altar and devoutly kissing the door of the Sacrament, he went down to the other altars set in the Church, praying and giving thanks and he recovered so far: that he was able the same day to go with the brethren to labour and to the choir.
ANOTHER A lay servant in a certain house of our Order went to the Church for the sake of devotion to pray: but by the temptation of the devil and overcome by sloth he commenced to sleep there. And when he was lying back to rest: he saw in a dream a venerable Lady standing over him: and saying these words: “Ifthou wilt sleep: rise from this and go to thy bed. For this place was not made for sleeping: but for watching and praying therein.” And he terrified by the vision at once arose: and acknowledging himself guilty narrated these things to others as a warning of correction that they should not sleep in the house of prayer.
ANOTHER A certain poor woman loving the things that are of God, used frequently to visit the Church: and willingly heard the word of God preached. One day coming from the Church: she was asked what good she had retained of the sermon. And answering briefly she said: “I cannot tell you 1 July 27th.—Tr.
NOVICES REGULAR much: but I have heard this well and retained it, that Ido not wish to sin any more.” Well and prudently she answered: who took with her the fruit of a good sermon, not to sin any more.
Whence Our Saviour in the gospel said to the devout woman: ‘‘ Blessed are they who hear the Luke, rz. 28. word of God: and keep it.”
Here end the Sermons to the Novices Regular.
THEOLOGY LIBRAR CLAREMONT, CALI RAMANA CHISWICK PRESS: CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO, TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE, LONDON.
Sermons to the novices regular / by The Kempis; authorised translation from the of the edition of Michael Joseph Pohl by Scully. -- London: Kegan Paul, Trench, T xxxvi, 255p.; 18cm. -- (His, The works Thomas & Kempis; v.5) 2 1. Catholic Church--Sermons. I. Scully cent, tr...Ir. Title.
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