Saint for the Day

• October 25 – Sts. Crispin and Crispinian, Martyrs

  

  These two glorious martyrs came from Rome to preach the Faith in Gaul toward the middle of the third century. Fixing their residence at Soissons, they instructed many in the Faith of Christ, which they preached publicly in the day, and at night they worked at making shoes, though they are said to have been nobly born, and brothers. The infidels listened to their instructions, and were astonished at the example of their lives, especially of their charity, disinterestedness, heavenly piety, and contempt of glory and all earthly things; and the effect was the conversion of many to the Christian faith. The brothers had continued their employment several years when a complaint was lodged against them. The emperor, to gratify their accusers and give way to his savage cruel, gave orders that they should be convened before Biotin’s Varus, the most implacable enemy of the Christians. The martyrs were patient and constant under the most cruel torments, and finished their course by the sword about the year 287.

  Reflection.—Of how many may it be said that “they labor in vain,” since God is not the end and purpose that inspires the labor?

Sunday Sermon

• Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost ~ Our Duties to God and the World

  

  “Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” — St. Matt. xxii. 21

  If the Pharisees were a bad set and tried to ensnare our Lord by the question they propounded to Him in to-day’s Gospel we may at least thank them for the answer it brought forth. For it unmistakably shows us that we owe a duty not only to God but to the State as well.

  No Christian worthy of the name would hesitate to admit the claim that God has upon us. He is our Creator, our Redeemer, our Sanctifier. All that we have we owe to Him, and our innate sense of gratitude prompts every man to see the justice of the claim that He has upon us. But it is one thing to acknowledge the justice of a claim, it is quite another to make it good.

  It is easy enough to admit that we should honor God’s claims, by serving Him with our whole heart and our whole mind ; but the difficulty arises when God in this or that particular circumstance demands of us that we should render unto Him that which belongs to Him by every right. The natural inclination is to put off the fulfilment of the claim as long as we can. Men in most cases strive to invert the logical order which God has established of seeking first the kingdom of heaven and other things afterward, by striving for everything else first, and then God’s claims at the end.

  Never forget, brethren, that we always are the subjects of God, that we owe Him a service, and that the payment is not to be made the last few days or years of our life.

  Neither must we ever forget that we have to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. That is to say, we must always remember that we owe respect and obedience to the government under which we live.

  This, indeed, should not be a hard task for us who have the great privilege of living under one of the best governments in the world. Here we enjoy peace, freedom, and happiness. Here we can build up our churches, our schools, and our public institutions without any unnecessary interference from the state. Here we can practice our religious observances to our hearts’ content, and no one will interfere. Here we can render unto God the things that are His. Therefore should we all the more willingly render unto the state all that belongs to it. And how? By being worthy citizens of the state, as we wish to be worthy children of God ; by conscientiously fulfilling our duties as become those who have the interest of their country at heart.

  Some men think it is no offence against either God or the government to neglect to fulfil their obligations. Some are too lazy or indifferent to cast an honest vote ; others are so mean and sordid as to sell their votes to the highest bidder ; such men are not worthy the protection they receive from a free country. They ought to be among the serfs of Russia.

  No, brethren, for just as we must never forget our duty to God we must never neglect our duty to the state. We must have a conscience on this matter, and learn to love, cherish, and respect the country that does so much for us, obey its laws, and fulfil with a good conscience all the obligations it imposes upon us.

  Five-minute Sermons for Low Masses on All Sundays of the Year
  
  By the Priests of the Congregation of St. Paul, 1893