Page:HalfHoursWithTheSaints.djvu/47

 tians should  despise  earthly  prosperity,  not  expecting  a reward  in  this  life,  He  begins  His  beautiful  Sermon  on  the Mount by  saying,  "  Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit,"  "  Blessed are  the  meek,"  "  Blessed  are  they  that  mourn;"  and  in  St. Luke  He  says,  Woe  to  you  that  are  rich! woe to  you  that now laugh! and to  all  who  seek  the  esteem  and  approbation of  men!

In this  life,  He  leads  us  to  expect  sufferings,  crosses, and persecution,  and  He  wills  that  we  should  love  what  is unseen  and  supernatural.

St. Augustine.

''Extracts from his  Book  against  Adimante.

[St. John Chrysostom.—  This  renowned  saint  and  doctor  of  the Church, was  born  in  Antioch  in  the  year  344,  and  died  A.D.  407,  aged sixty-three.

The name  of  Chrysostom  (which  means  golden-mouthed)  was assigned to  him  after  his  death,  to  express  the  eloquence  which  he possessed  in  a  much  greater  degree  than  the  other  fathers  of  the Church. He never  repeats  himself,  and  is  always  original.]

The apostles  announced  to  mankind,  a  doctrine  raised above human  intellect;  they  spoke  not  of  earthly  things, but of  heaven;  they  preached  a  kingdom  and  state  which had never  before  been  understood;  they  discovered  other riches, another  poverty,  another  liberty,  another  bondage, another life  and  death — in  fact,  a  change  and  renewal  of everything.

Their teachings  are  far  beyond  that  of  a  Plato  who  had traced out  an  idea  of  an  absurd  republic,  or  that  of  a Zenon,  or  those  of  other  philosophers  who  had  formed projects of  governments  and  republics,  and  those  who wished to  be  lawgivers.

One need  but  read  their  books  to  see  that  the  devil urged them  on  and  diffused  a  profound  darkness  in  their mind, upsetting  by  that  means  the  order  of  things,  and