Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/17

 sleep of  the  body  is  not  nearer  akin  to  bodily  death than is  the  callous  indifference  of  mankind  about things spiritual,  to  the  eternal  death  of  their  souls. As in  natural  sleep  the  eyes  see  not,  and  all  our  bodily members lie  listless  and  dead — so  in  this  spiritual sleep, this  lethargy  of  the  soul,  the  spiritual  senses lie dormant;  the  eye  of  faith  is  closed  and  charity hath lost  its  strength,  whereby  we  should  be  guided and moved  to  avoid  evil  and  do  good. And oh  how true was  then  and  how  true  is  now  the  melancholy reflection of  St.  Paul  when  he  sadly  says:  "  and  many there  are  who  sleep." Many, indeed,  not  merely  the souls shrouded  in  the  night  of  Paganism;  not  merely those slumbering  in  the  darkness  of  infidelity  and heresy — but many  Christians  and  Catholics,  Catholics sunk in  the  deep  sleep  of  mortal  sin;  Catholics  given to the  lighter  slumbers  of  venial  faults;  in  a  word — Catholics, awake,  alive  to  the  duties  of  this  world,  but asleep, dead  to  the  main  issue,  the  salvation  of  their immortal souls. Sleeping Christians! dead Catholics! they are  like  the  five  foolish  virgins  in  the Gospel, who,  though  faithful  in  starting  out  to  meet the bridegroom,  yet  lacked  the  sustaining  power  of charity,  and  so  slept  and  were  late,  and  were  driven away by  their  Lord  in  the  words:  "Amen,  I  know you  not."

Some day  when  you  are  on  Washington  Street, stand and  look  at  the  crowd  surging  up  and  down. The world  commends  them  as  a  very  intelligent,  industrious people. But what  does  God  think  of  them? He says  of  them  as  He  said  of  His  chosen  people  of