Page:Sermons for all the Sundays in the year.djvu/240

 assassin, who by accident took refuge in her house. (Christ. Instr., part 1, disc. 20, n. 20.) What did she do? She first concealed him from the ministers of justice, and afterwards said to him: Since I have lost my son, you shall henceforth be my son and my heir. Take, for the present, this sum of money, and provide for your safety elsewhere, for here you are not secure. It is thus the saints resent injuries. With what face, says St. Cyril of Jerusalem, can he that does not pardon the affronts which he receives from his enemies, say to God: Lord, pardon me the many insults which I have offered to thee? ” Qua fronte dices Domino: remitte mihi multa peccata mea, si tu pauca conserve tuo non remiseris?" (Catech. ii.) But he that forgives his enemies is sure of the pardon of the Lord, who says: "Forgive, and you shall be forgiven." (Luke vi. 37.) And when you cannot serve them in any other way, recommend to God those who persecute and calumniate you. "Pray for them that persecute and calumniate you." This is the admonition of Jesus Christ, who is able to reward those who treat their enemies in this manner. IN the gospel of this day we read that a rich man prepared a great supper. He then ordered one of his servants to invite to it all those whom he should find in the highways, even though they were poor, blind, and lame, and to compel those who should refuse, to come to the supper. "Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled" (v. 20). And he added, that of all those who had been invited and had not come, not one should ever partake of his supper. "But I say unto you, that none of those men that were invited shall taste of my