of vocation to the true Catholic Christian faith. Hitherto, my dear brethren, we have treated of the frequent thought of death, and we have seen in the last sermon that we must think of death, not in a mere cursory, careless manner, but with deep attention and practically, so that our meditations may urge us to lead a good life that we may die a happy death. That is the meaning of the words of the Apostle I have just quoted for you: " I therefore beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation in which you are called;” that you may be thereby prepared for death. This preparation shall supply me with matter for to-day’s sermon. How, and for how long a time, should we prepare? I answer:
Plan of Discourse.
For a long time beforehand, nay, all the time of our lives, we should prepare for the approach of death. This is required by the importance of the business that has to be transacted in death. Such is the whole subject.
To the end that we may all live worthy of our vocation, and so order our actions that the Lord, when He comes to call us away, may find us ready. This most necessary grace, which we should all strive for, we hope and beg that the same Lord may give us through the Mother of the Lord and His holy angels.
One makes a long and careful preparation for a difficult and an important business.
It is self-evident and requires no proof that the more important a business, the more depends on it, the less experience we have of it, and the more difficult it is in itself, the greater also will be the care we take, the longer the preparation we make, so that it may terminate favorably. You gentlemen, learned in the law. You have undertaken to conduct a case on which depends the gain or loss of some hundred thousand dollars. Your opponent is very powerful; he spares no trouble or expense, and seeks patrons for his cause wherever he can find them to ensure his own success and your injury. You are most warmly urged and exhorted to take an interest in the case, and to do your best to disprove the documents and writings that will be brought forward against you; tell me, is there any one of you, nay, is there any lawyer in the world who values his own honor and profit who would trust the whole matter to his own cleverness, ingenuity, and good memory, so far as to put off studying the case until the very last day, when the judge is ready to pronounce sentence, and would