In the Gospel of today, my dear brethren, our Lord Jesus Christ, in prophesying the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, also foretells the end of the world and the general Judgment. He details the fearful signs which shall precede those final events, and which shall strike terror into all hearts. " Men withering away for fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world." All men, indeed, shall fear, but not in the same degree, nor from the same cause. To a certain portion of mankind, our divine Lord then promises consolation, because, (as He says), "their salvation is at hand."

To the end, my brethren, that we may share in the precious consolation and salvation which shall be the eternal portion of those happy souls, and that we may not, in the end, wither away for fear, calling upon the mountains, "Fall upon us: and to the hills, cover us," (Luke 23 : 30), let us consider today:


1. Who? The wicked. Faith teaches us that no man can escape the general Judgment, and that that fearful day is "the day of the Lord, great and very terrible, when all things that are done, God will bring into judgment for every error, whether it be good or evil (Eccles. 12 : 14)". Alas! my brethren, what will be the feelings of those who shall appear before that strict tribunal, reprobate sinners, bowed down under their heavy burden of mortal guilt? "The heavens shall reveal his iniquity (Job 20 : 27)", and the darkest and most hidden crimes shall then come forth to the open light of day. He whom we have offended, will be our Judge. As a sign of His wrath, "a fire shall go before Him, and shall burn His enemies round about (Ps. 96 : 3)". In that day, the sinner can expect no mercy, no pardon; the time for both is past; it is a "judgment without mercy (James 2 : 13.)." "I will revenge me on my enemies." says the Judge Himself; "and although I was formerly a merciful and gracious God (2 Esdr. 9: 3), I will now become a God and a Lord of revenge." For this reason, the prophet calls this day "a day of wrath," "a day of tribulation and distress," "a day of calamity and misery," "a day of darkness and obscurity," "a day of clouds and whirlwinds (Soph. 1: 15.)." The bare thought of these things has sometimes sufficed to alarm the most reckless sinners; and if they tremble to think upon this dreadful day, how much more shall they be terrified when they experience in person all the agony of its actual horrors. "They shall wither away for fear."

2. Shall not the good and pious also fear at the Last Day? Ah! no, my dear Christians, although their pure souls shall be filled with awe, the terrible omens of the approaching judgment will be for the just not signs of terror, but rather, of consolation. Then, shall they recall those comforting words of our Savior: "But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand;" and their conscience shall bear joyful testimony of the happiness in store for them. They know that they have a Judge who can neither be bribed by infernal accusers, nor deceived by false witnesses. "When God is the Judge," says St. Augustine, "no other witness is needed but thine own conscience." Where this Judge and this Witness are concerned there is nothing to be feared but the record of a man's own actions. The very severity of the judgment, the very justice of the Judge ("Who will render to every man according to his works,") shall prove for the just the foundations of their consolation. Whoever, with the Apostle, can truly say: "I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith," can also say with him, with equal confidence: "For the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord, the just Judge, will render to me at that day (2 Tim. 4 : 7, 8.)." While the godless, before the bar of Christ, shall wither away for fear, the righteous shall stand firm in the blessed security of their unwavering confidence. The sun may be darkened, and the moon refuse to give her light, the stars may fall from their orbits, the powers of heaven be moved, and the whole firmament convulsed with terror, but the elect of God shall have no cause for fear. For when all these things begin to come to pass, terrible as they are in themselves, the just shall recognize them only as tokens of their own approaching everlasting reward.


II. "They shall wither away for fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world." What shall come at the Last Day?


1. The conscience of every man must be eventually the witness of his good, or the accuser of his evil, deeds. "Remember, O sinner," says St. Bernard, "that you will be charged with many and grievous offenses. You will be reproached, not with few or trifling faults, but with innumerable and grave vices. The examination will not be a short one, but will include the record of your whole life. Hidden sins will then come to light, and perhaps still more grievous ones than you now perceive." "I will reprove thee and set before thy face" (Ps. 49 : 21), will the divine Judge say to the convicted sinner.

And what shall the unhappy creature do in those sad circumstances? Shall God, perhaps, hear his cry, when this trouble shall overtake him? "No," says St. Bernard, "all avenues shall be closed to the sinner. He shall be able neither to deny nor excuse his evil deeds. He shall neither flee, nor appeal, to a higher Judge. Expecting no pardon, it will be impossible for him to escape his doom." "Tribulation shall terrify him, and distress shall surround him (Job 15 : 24.)." Above him, shall sit the severe and angry Judge; under His feet, shall yawn the deep abyss of hell. Interiorly tormented by the gnawings of conscience, he shall be exteriorly terrified by the sight of a world in flames. His sins, on one side, shall be his accusers; on the other, shall appear the devil, his pitiless tormentor. Even the holy angels, in the fulfillment of God's will, must unite in driving him down into hell; whilst the saints, as spectators, approve of the solemn sentence of the Judge.

2. And what shall that sentence be? "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25 : 41)." Words of thunder, most terrible is their significance! St. Bonaventure explains to us the meaning and details of this awful sentence. First comes the separation from God: "Depart from me." Second, the curse: "Depart from me, ye cursed." Third, the imprisonment, which is denoted by the little word "into." Fourth, the severity of the punishment: "into fire." Fifth, the eternity of the punishment: "into everlasting fire." And sixth and last, the companionship of the devils: "which was prepared for the devil and his angels." This sentence once pronounced is irrevocable, and he who executes it is inexorable. Scarcely has the judgment been pronounced, before the condemned is dragged down to eternal punishment. O heavens! what horrors will overwhelm the evil-doer when he hears upon all sides : "Away with the sinner into hell!" "The wicked shall be turned into hell; all the nations that forget God (Ps. 9 : 18)." Shall not the reprobate wither away for fear and expectation of that which shall come upon them?

Peroration: O my dearly beloved! these truths are sufficiently important to penetrate into the inmost core of our hearts. I do not think it necessary to enlarge upon their horrible details. Each one must decide for himself whether, on the day of judgment, he shall belong to that unhappy multitude who have cause to fear, or whether he shall be among the glorious throng to whom our Savior, today, addresses the consoling words: "When these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads," etc. Of this, each one's conscience must be the judge. In the meanwhile, since we all must appear before the tribunal of Christ to give a strict account of our works, let us so live that we may not dread that fearful judgment, but look forward to it with joy, and even with ardent desire. "Does the grain fear that it will not be gathered into the barn?" says St. Augustine; "or do the sheep trouble themselves for fear that they should not stand upon the right hand?" They not only do not fear or trouble themselves lest this should happen, but they look forward to it with longing and impatience. How happy shall we be if, in the eyes of God, we are such good wheat that the angels shall gather us into the heavenly barns; or such good sheep as those to whom the good Shepherd on that day shall say: "Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!" Amen.