brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also; he cannot be my disciple." [1] To him who would first attend the burial of his father, and then follow Christ, our Lord says, to the same effect; " Let the dead bury their dead;" [2] and the same lesson of instruction is more clearly conveyed in these words of St. Matthew: " He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me." [3] Parents, no doubt, are to be affectionately loved, and highly respected; but religion requires that supreme honour and homage be given to him alone, who is the sovereign Creator, and universal Father, and that our love for our parents be referred to our eternal Father who is in heaven. Should, however, the injunctions of parents be at any time opposed to the commandments of God, children, are, of course, to prefer the will of God to the desires of their parents, always keeping in view the divine maxim: " We ought to obey God rather than men." [4]
Having premised this exposition, the pastor will proceed to explain the words of the commandment, beginning with " honour." To " honour" is to think respectfully of any one, and, in every relation in which he may be considered, to hold him in the highest estimation. It includes love, respect, obedience, and reverence, and is here used with great propriety in preference to the word " fear" or " love;" although parents are also to be much loved and feared. Respect and reverence are not always the accompaniments of love, neither is love the inseparable companion of fear; but honour, when proceeding from the heart, combines both fear and love.
The pastor will next explain who they are, whom the commandment designates as fathers: for although it refers primarily to our natural fathers, yet the word has a secondary meaning; and, a matter at which we have already glanced, includes, as we know from numerous passages of Scripture, many others who are also entitled to due honour. In the first place, the prelates of the Church, her pastors and clergy, are called fathers, after the example of the Apostle: " I write not these things," says he, " to confound you; but I admonish you as my dearest children: for if you have ten thousand instructers in Christ; yet not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus by the Gospel I have begotten you." [5] We also read in ecclesiasticus: "Let us praise men of renown, and our fathers in their generation." [6] Those who govern the state, to whom are intrusted power, magistracy, or empire, are also called fathers; thus Naaman was called father by his servants. [7] To those, to whose care, fidelity, probity and wisdom, others are committed, such as pastors, instructers, masters, and guardians, is also given the name of father; and hence the sons of the prophets called Elias [8] and Eliseus [9] by this name. Finally, aged men, whose years entitle them to our respect, we also call fathers. In the
