Vigils Reading – St Matthew

A reading from

ST JOHN HENRY NEWMAN

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The most obvious danger which worldly possessions present to our

spiritual welfare is, that they become practically a substitute in our hearts for

that One Object to which our supreme devotion is due. They are present; God is

unseen. They are means at hand of effecting what we want: whether God will

hear our petitions for those wants is uncertain; or rather I may say, certain in

the negative. Thus they minister to the corrupt inclinations of our nature; they

promise and are able to be gods to us, and such gods too as require no service,

but, like dumb idols, exalt the worshipper, impressing him with the notion of his

own power and security. And in this consist their chief and most subtle mischief.

Religious men are able to repress and even extirpate sinful desires, the

lust of the flesh and of the eyes, gluttony, drunkenness, and the like, love of

amusements and frivolous pleasures and display, indulgence in luxuries of

whatever kind; but as to wealth, they cannot easily rid themselves of a secret

feeling that it gives them a footing to stand upon, an importance, a superiority;

and in consequence they get attached to this world, lose sight of the duty of

bearing the Cross, become dull and dim-sighted, and lose their delicacy and

precision of touch, are numbed (so to say) in their fingers’ ends, as regards

religious interests and prospects.

To risk all upon Christ’s word seems somehow unnatural to them,

extravagant, and evidences a morbid excitement; and death, instead of being a

gracious, however awful release, is not a welcome subject of thought. They are

content to remain as they are, and do not contemplate a change. They desire and

mean to serve God, and actually do serve Him in their measure; but not with the

keen sensibilities, the noble enthusiasm, the grandeur and elevation of soul, the

dutifulness and affectionateness towards Christ by which one becomes a

Christian…

Not, of course, that the due use of God’s temporal blessings is wrong, but

to make them the object of our affections, to allow them to beguile us from the

“One Husband” to whom we are espoused, is to mistake the Gospel.

This, then, if we may venture to say so, was some part of our Savior’s

meaning, when He connects together the having with the trusting in riches; and

it is especially suitable to consider it upon this day, when we commemorate an

Apostle and an Evangelist, whose history is an example and encouragement for

all those who have, and fear lest they should trust.