Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/399

 the Pharisees  tried  that  and  failed. You may  pray as much  as  they  did,  but  God  will  not  hear  you  until you have  become  reconciled. " Forgive  us  our  trespasses as  we  forgive  them  their  trespasses  against us,"  that  is  the  prayer  Our  Lord  Himself  taught  us. You may  go  to  confession,  but  what  is  the  use  if  you hate the  man  on  the  other  side  of  the  confessional? You may  go  to  communion,  but  it  is  an  empty  ceremony if  the  man  at  your  side  is  your  enemy. The beautiful custom  among  the  early  Christians  of  exchanging the  kiss  of  peace  before  receiving,  would  be  sufficient proof,  if  proof  were  needed,  that  to  be  friends with God  we  must  first  be  friends  with  one  another. God is  not  a  two-faced  go-between,  that  can  equally love and  forgive  you  and  your  enemy. " Forgive  thy neighbor,"  He  says  in  Holy  Writ,  "  if  he  hath  hurt thee,  and  then  shall  thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee  when thou  pray  est." And the  Holy  Ghost  adds:  "Remember thy  last  things  and  let  enmity  cease." In other words,  think  of  the  hour  of  your  death  and hasten to  be  reconciled,  for  death  may  come  at  any moment and  usher  your  unforgiving  soul  into  the presence of  God  to  crave  forgiveness  for  its  own sins. As you  hope  for  pardon,  therefore,  pardon your neighbor;  be  at  peace  with  him  here  on  earth if you  would  enjoy  hereafter  the  blessed  peace  of  the kingdom of  heaven.

My dear  brethren,  carry  away,  I  beg  of  you,  and profit by  the  lesson  of  to-day's  Gospel,  which  is briefly  this:  The  fifth  commandment  says:  "Thou shalt  not  kill; "  the  letter  of  this  commandment  is: