your work to God by the good intention! Never regret the sweat that bathes your brows. Think often: ah, surely heaven is worth any labor! St. Macarius went once to visit St. Anthony; as soon as these holy old hermits had greeted each other, they sat down and began to speak of heavenly things. Macarius, although he was tired from the journey, took up the pieces of bark that were near him and began as usual to make baskets, that he might not be idle; thus while the tongue was speaking of God the hands were working the whole time in the divine honor. When Macarius was about to depart, Anthony fell on his neck, and pressing both his hands warmly, broke out into the following exclamation: “O holy and blessed hands! what glory you shall have!” For you would not remain a moment idle, even after a long journey and during a holy conversation. Christian workmen! not Anthony, but Christ Himself will one day say to you in congratulation when the evening of life puts an end to your toil: O blessed hands which worked the whole day for My sake, what glory you have earned! Blessed souls, who early in the morning, while others were squandering away their precious time in sleep, went to church, to devotions, in spite of cold, snow, rain, wind, and weather, and offered your daily labor to Me in public hymns and prayers, while during the day you often renewed that intention by holy thoughts and aspirations, saying: “For Thy sake, O Lord!” Now I do not say to you: Go into My vineyard to work; but to your eternal consolation: “Come, ye blessed of My Father,” whom you have so truly served. Come into the kingdom and receive your reward, the penny you have earned with Me and all My servants; enter into eternal joys! Oh, what a happiness for him who hears those words! Let us work diligently for God’s honor and we shall hear them. Amen.
Another introduction to the same sermon for Septuagesima Sunday.
Text.
Quid hic statis tota die otiosi?—Matt. xx. 6.
“Why stand you here all the day idle?”
Introduction.
And who could blame the poor people for standing in the market-place idle, if they could find no work? Who were they
