Preaching

WE have gathered in this volume all that has reference to the holy ministry of preaching, its importance, the good that it accomplishes, and the manner of exercising it, so that the greatest amount of fruit may be derived from it. In regard to the ministry of preaching, we must distinguish its three parts, namely: the first has for its object PREACHING IN GENERAL, its necessity from a point of view of divine Providence, and the manner in which one should preach in order to make preaching successful under all circumstances; the second regards the MISSIONS, their various exercises, and the means that one should employ to make them a success; the third is INSTRUCTION, or the. Large Catechism, which' one should use while giving it, and the best method that should be followed in order to interest, to enlighten, and to move others, either during the mission or at any other time.We shall not fail to remark the persistency with which our holy Doctor recommends on every occasion natural simplicity of language, and reprobates every expression that savors of grandiloquence, studied eloquence, or any pretension to elegance. This is a rule that he rigorously imposed upon all those that lived under his authority; he himself always followed this rule, not only in his discourses, but also in all his writings.St. Alphonsus, in preaching and in having others to preach in this manner, which is joined to the practice of all the virtues that make men truly apostolic, has effected and does not cease to effect through his children an immense deal of good. With feelings of gratitude to God, he thus congratulates himself in a circular addressed to the worthy companions of his labors, who had been formed after his school.;"My dearest Brothers in Jesus Christ: The principal thing that I recommend to you is the love of Jesus Christ. Very much are we bound to love him. For this end he has chosen us from all eternity, and called us into his Congregation, there to love him, and to make others also love him. What greater honor, what greater mark of love, could Jesus Christ have shown us? He has snatched us from the midst of the world, in order to d raw us to his love, and that, during the pilgrimage of this life, by which we must pass into eternity, we might think of nothing but of pleasing him, and of bringing those crowds of people to love him who every year, by means of our ministry, abandon sin, and return to the grace of God. It is generally the case that when we begin a mission the greater number of the people of the place are at enmity with God, and deprived of his love; but five or six days have scarcely elapsed when, behold, numbers, as if roused from a deep sleep, begin to listen to the exhortations, the instructions, and the sermons; and when they see that God offers them his mercy, they begin to weep over their sins, and conceive the desire of being reconciled with him; the way of pardon is opened before them, and seeing it, they begin to abhor that manner of life which they had previously loved; a new light begins to shine upon them, and a peace hitherto unknown touches their hearts. Then they think of going to confession, to remove from their. souls those vices which kept them separated from God; and whereas before a Mass of a quarter of an hour appeared to them too long, five decades of the Rosary too tedious, and a sermon of half an hour unendurable, they now gladly hear a second and a third Mass, and tney are sorry when the sermon, which has lasted an hour and a half, or perhaps two hours, is over. And of whom does the Lord make use, if not of us, to work so wondrous changes, and to bring the people to delight in those very things that before they despised? When the mission is over, we leave in the place two or three thousand persons who love Almighty God, who before were living at enmity with him, and who were not even thinking of recovering his grace."