Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/159

 thing and  everything  that  leads  us  from  the  service  of God  according  to  Christ's  saying:  "  He  that  is  not with  Me  is  against  Me." True, the  legitimate  management of  worldly  affairs  is  not  incompatible  with the service  of  God,  provided  the  laborer  be  so  disposed that  whatever  he  do,  he  does  for  God. A soul adorned with  God's  grace,  and  united  to  Christ's Church  by  faith  and  hope  and  love,  and  doing  all from the  higher  motive  of  pleasing  God,  is  really  in  its commonest actions  working  in  the  vineyard  of  the Lord. Such a  laborer  glorifies  his  work,  changing  a curse  into  a  blessing  even  as  Christ  sanctified  our tribulations by  bearing  the  thorns  of  earth  upon  His sacred brow. All other  labors  are  but  wasted  energy and outside  the  vineyard,  and  will  count  for  nothing on the  great  pay  day. St. Paul employs  the  figure  of a  race-course  and  urges  us  all  to  run  so  as  to  obtain the prize. The first  condition  of  success  is  to  be  entered for  the  race — to  fight  the  battle  on  the  course, and not  where  you  will,  in  some  neighboring  field. God is  the  generous  Giver  of  the  prize,  and  His  it  is to  settle  when  and  where  and  how  the  work  be  done, the race  be  run. Nor does  it  for  the  prize  suffice  to work  and  run;  we  must  work  and  run  right  well,  for adverbs and  not  verbs  are  crowned. The rich  young man ran  eagerly  to  Jesus'  feet,  but  missed  the  prize  he sought,  for  he  ran  not  well,  encumbered  with  his riches as  he  was. He essayed  the  impossible,  viz.,  to serve  two  masters. He fain  would  work  at  once  outside and  in  the  vineyard,  or  at  the  same  time  run  a race  on  two  far  different  tracks. Oh how  many