Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/367

 from heaven  were  to  teach  other  than  Thou  hadst taught, he  should  be  anathema?

Brethren, the  causes  of  defections  from  the  faith and from  the  practices  of  religion  are  set  forth  in  today's gospel. A certain  man  made  a  great  supper and invited  many. But they  began  all  at  once  to make  excuses,  the  first,  because  he  had  bought  a farm  and  must  go  see  it,  another,  because  he  had  purchased five  yoke  of  oxen  and  must  go  try  them,  and a third  because  he  had  married  a  wife;  and  each  said: " I  pray  thee  hold  me  excused." Pride and  avarice and conceit  and  sensuality:  these  are  the  forces  which keep men  away  from  Church  and  the  sacraments. How many  individuals  and  families  there  are  who, though when  in  humbler  circumstances  they  were good Catholics,  are  now  grown  rich  and  have achieved a  position  in  society  and  are  ashamed  of, and have  abandoned,  the  faith  of  their  fathers! History records  that  most  of  the  great  heresiarchs were men  of  inordinate  ambition  and  vanity,  who,  because they  could  not  attain  the  honors  they  considered their  due  within  the  Church,  left  her  and sought them  among  her  enemies. Ah! these proud, vain souls  acquire  a  grand  villa,  it  may  be,  and  they must needs  go  out  to  see  it,  but  the  price  they  pay  is excessive,  for  in  exchange  they  give  their  priceless faith and  their  hope  of  one  of  the  many  mansions  in their  Father's  house. Or perhaps  to  pride  they  add avarice, and  are  so  absorbed  in  the  game  of  profit  and loss that  they  have  no  time  to  listen  to,  much  less  to accept,  the  Lord's  invitation. " Pray  excuse  me,"