[The work presented here is variously known as The Catechism of the Council of Trent, the Roman Catechism, or the Catechism of St. Pius V.
The first editions of the Catechism were printed without headings of any kind, and with hardly any break in the text beyond an occasional paragraph. This arrangement, however, appeared unsatisfactory to Pius V who therefore ordered that in subsequent editions the book should be divided into parts, chapters, and paragraphs. The divisions and headings in this text of the Catechism form no part of the original work and were supplied by the translators.
This translation used as its basis the Manutian text as reflected in the Maredsous edition of 1902, the fourth Roman edition of 1907 and the Turin edition of 1914. The purpose in the present version has been to reproduce the sense of the original as exactly as possible in clear, dignified, modern English.
The translation and preface are by John A. McHugh, O.P. and Charles J. Callan, O.P. (circa 1923).]
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Preface
ORIGIN
OF THE ROMAN CATECHISM
AUTHORITY
AND EXCELLENCE OF THE ROMAN CATECHISM
CATECHISM OF THE COUNCIL
OF TRENT FOR PARISH PRIESTS
INTRODUCTORY
The Necessity Of
Religious Instruction
Need of an
Authoritative Catholic Catechism
The Nature of this
Work
The Ends of
Religious Instruction
Knowledge Of Christ
Observance Of The
Commandments
Love Of God
The Means Required
for Religious Instruction
Instruction Should
Be Accommodated To The Capacity Of The Hearer
Zeal
Study Of The Word
Of God
Division of this
Catechism
How This Work Is To
Be Used
PART I : THE
CREED
Faith
Necessity Of Faith
Unity Of Faith
The Creed
Division Of The
Creed
ARTICLE I : "I
BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY, CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH"
Meaning Of This
Article
"I
Believe"
Faith Excludes
Doubt
Faith Excludes
Curiosity
Faith Requires Open
Profession
"In God"
Knowledge Of God
More Easily Obtained Through Faith Than Through Reason
Knowledge Of God
Obtained Through Faith Is Clearer
Knowledge Of God
Obtained Through Faith Is More Certain
Knowledge Of God
Obtained Through Faith Is More Ample And Exalted
The Unity Of Nature
In God
The Trinity Of
Persons In God
"The
Father"
God Is Called
Father Because He Is Creator And Ruler
God Is Called
Father Because He Adopts Christians Through Grace
The Name Father
Also Discloses The Plurality Of Persons In God
The Doctrine Of The
Trinity
Practical
Admonitions Concerning The Mystery Of The Trinity
"Almighty"
Meaning Of The Term
Almighty"
Why Omnipotence
Alone Is Mentioned In The: Creed
Advantages Of Faith
In God’s Omnipotence
Not Three
Almighties But One Almighty
"Creator"
"Of Heaven and
Earth"
Creation Of The
World Of Spirits
Formation Of The
Universe
Production Of Man
"Of all Things
Visible and Invisible"
God Preserves,
Rules And Moves All Created Things
Creation Is The
Work Of The Three Persons
ARTICLE II :
"AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD"
Advantages Of Faith
In This Article
Necessity Of Faith
In This Article
"Jesus"
"Christ"
"His Only
Son"
"Our
Lord"
Duties Owed To
Christ Our Lord
ARTICLE III :
"WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY GHOST, BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY"
Importance Of This
Article
First Part of this
Article:
"Who was
Conceived,'
"By the Holy
Ghost"
In The Incarnation
Some Things Were Natural, Others Supernatural
How To Profit By
The Mystery Of The Incarnation
Second Part Of This
Article: "Born Of The Virgin Mary"
The Nativity Of
Christ Transcends The Order Of Nature
Christ Compared to
Adam" Mary to Eve
Types and
Prophecies of the Conception and Nativity
Lessons which this
Article Teaches
Humility And
Poverty Of Christ
Elevation And
Dignity Of Man
Duty Of Spiritual
Nativity
ARTICLE IV :
"SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE, WAS CRUCIFIED, DEAD, AND BURIED'"
Importance Of This
Article
First Part of this
Article: '"Suffered Under Pontius Pilate, was Crucified,,
"Suffered,"
"Under Pontius
Pilate"
"Was
Crucified"
Importance Of The
History Of The Passion
Figures And
Prophecies Of The Passion And Death Of The Saviour
Second Part Of This
Article: "Dead, And Buried"
Christ Really Died
Christ Died Freely
The Thought Of
Christ's Death Should Excite Our Love And Gratitude
Christ Was Really
Buried
Circumstances Of
Christ’s Burial
Useful
Considerations on the Passion
The Dignity Of The
Sufferer
Reasons Why Christ
Suffered
Christ Was
Delivered Over To Death By The Father And By Himself
The: Bitterness Of
Christ's Passion
Fruits Of Christ's
Passion
Christ’s Passion,
-- A Satisfaction, A Sacrifice, A Redemption An Example
Admonition
ARTICLE V : "HE
DESCENDED INTO HELL, THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD"
Importance Of This
Article
First Part of this
Article: "He Descended into Hell"
"Hell"
Different Abodes
Called Hell"
"He
Descended"
Why He Descended
into Hell
To Liberate The
Just
To Proclaim His
Power
Second Part of this
Article: "The Third Day He arose again from the Dead"
"He arose
Again"
"From the
Dead"
"The Third
Day"
"According to
the Scriptures"
Three Useful
Considerations on this Article
Necessity Of The
Resurrection
Ends Of The
Resurrection
Advantages Of The:
Resurrection
Signs Of Spiritual
Resurrection
ARTICLE VI :
"HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN, SITTETH AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY"
Importance Of This
Article
First Part of this
Article: "He Ascended into Heaven"
"Into
Heaven"
"He
Ascended"
Second Part of this
Article: "Sitteth at the Right Hand of God the Father Almighty"
"At the Right
Hand"
"Sitteth"
Reflections on the
Ascension:
Its History
Greatness Of This
Mystery
Reasons Of The
Ascension
Results Of The
Ascension
Virtues Promoted By
The Ascension.
The Ascension
Benefits The Church And The Individual
ARTICLE VII :
"FROM THENCE HE SHALL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD"
Meaning Of This
Article
"From Thence
He Shall Come"
"To Judge the
Living and the Dead"
Two Judgments
Reasons For General
Judgment
This Truth has
Rightly been made an Article of the Creed
Circumstances of
the Judgment:
The Judge
Signs Of The
General Judgment
The Sentence Of The
Just
The Sentence Of The
Wicked
Importance of Instruction
on this Article
ARTICLE VIII :
"I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST"
Importance Of This
Article
"Holy
Ghost"
"I Believe in
the Holy Ghost"
The Holy Ghost Is
Equal To The Father And The Son
The Holy Ghost Is
Distinct From The Father And The Son
"The
Lord"
"Life-Giver"
"Who
Proceedeth from the Father and the Son"
Certain Divine
Works are Appropriated to the Holy Ghost
Creation,
Government, Life
The Seven Gifts
Justifying Grace
ARTICLE IX : "I
BELIEVE IN THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH; THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS"
The Importance Of
This Article
First Part Of This
Article : "I Believe In The Holy Catholic Church
"Church"
Mysteries Which The
Word Church Comprises
Other Names Given
The Church In Scripture
The Parts of the
Church
The Members Of The
Church Militant
Those Who Are Not
Members Of The Church
Other Uses of the
Word "Church"
The Marks Of The
Church
"One'
Unity In Government
Unity In Spirit,
Hope And Faith
"Holy"
"Catholic"
Apostolic
Figures of the
Church
"I Believe the
Holy Catholic Church"
Second Part of this
Article: "The Communion of Saints"
Importance Of This
Truth
Meaning of
"The Communion of Saints"
Communion Of
Sacraments
Communion Of Good
Works
Those Who Share In
This Communion
Communion In Other
Blessings
ARTICLE X :
"THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS"
Importance Of This
Article
The Church Has the
Power of Forgiving Sins
Extent of this
Power:
All Sins That
Precede Baptism
All Sins Committed
After Baptism
Limitation of this
Power:
It Is Not Limited
As To Sins, Persons, Or Time
It Is Limited As To
Its Ministers And Exercise
Greatness of this
Power
Sin Can Be Forgiven
Only By The Power Of God
This Power
Communicated To None Before Christ
Sin Remitted
Through The Blood Of Christ
The Great Evil From
Which Forgiveness Delivers Man
Exhortation:
This Remedy To Be
Used
Abuse To Be Guarded
Against
ARTICLE XI :
"THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY"
Importance Of This
Article
"The
Resurrection of the Body"
The Fact of the
Resurrection:
Examples And Proofs
Derived From Scripture
Analogies From
Nature
Arguments Drawn
From Reason
All Shall Rise
The Body Shall Rise
Substantially the Same
Restoration Of All
That Pertains To The Nature And Adornment Of The Body
Restoration Of All
That Pertains To The Integrity Of The Body
The Condition of
the Risen Body Shall be Different
Immortality
The Qualities Of A
Glorified Body
Impassibility
Brightness
Agility
Subtility
Advantages of Deep
Meditation on this Article
ARTICLE XII :
"LIFE EVERLASTING"
Importance Of This
Article
"Life
Everlasting"
"Everlasting"
Life
Negative and
Positive Elements of Eternal Life
The Negative
The Positive
Essential Happiness
The Light Of Glory
The Beatific Vision
An Illustration Of
This Truth
Accessory Happiness
Glory
Honour
Peace
How to Arrive at
the Enjoyment of this Happiness
PART II : THE
SACRAMENTS
Importance Of
Instruction On The Sacraments
The Word
"Sacrament"
Definition of a
Sacrament
"A Sacrament
is a Sign"
Proof From Reason
Proof From
Scripture
"Sign of a
Sacred Thing" : Kind of Sign Meant Here
Natural Signs
Signs Invented By
Man,
Signs Instituted By
God
Kind of Sacred
Thing Meant Here
Other Sacred Things
Signified By The Sacraments
All The Sacraments
Signify Something Present, Something Past, Something Future:
A Sacrament
Sometimes Signifies The Presence Of More Than One Thing
Why the Sacraments
were Instituted
Constituent Parts
of the Sacraments
Ceremonies Used in
the Administration of the Sacraments
The Number Of The
Sacraments
Comparisons among
the Sacraments
The Author of the
Sacraments
The Ministers of
the Sacraments
Unworthiness Of The
Minister And Validity
Lawfulness Of
Administration
Effects of the
Sacraments
First Effect:
Justifying Grace
Second Effect:
Sacramental Character
How to Make
Instruction on the Sacraments Profitable
THE SACRAMENT OF
BAPTISM
Importance Of
Instruction On Baptism
Names of this
Sacrament
Definition Of
Baptism
Constituent
Elements Of Baptism
Matter of Baptism
Testimony Of
Scripture Concerning The Matter Of Baptism
Figures
Prophecies
Fitness
Chrism Added To
Water For Solemn Baptism
Form of Baptism
Words Of The Form
Essential And
Non-Essential Words Of The Form
Baptism In The Name
Of Christ
Administration of
Baptism
Institution Of
Baptism
Baptism Instituted
At Christ's Baptism
Baptism Made
Obligatory After Christ's Resurrection
Reflection
The Ministers of
Baptism
Bishops And Priests
The Ordinary Ministers
Deacons
Extraordinary Ministers Of Baptism
Ministers In Case
Of Necessity
The Sponsors at
Baptism
Why Sponsors Are
Required At Baptism
Antiquity Of This
Law
Affinity Contracted
By Sponsors
Duties Of Sponsors
Who May Not Be
Sponsors
Number Of Sponsors
Necessity of
Baptism
Infant Baptism:
It's Necessity
Infants Receive The
Graces Of Baptism
Baptism Of Infants
Should Not Be Delayed
Baptism Of Adults
They Should Not
Delay Their Baptism Unduly
Ordinarily They Are
Not Baptised At Once
In Case Of
Necessity Adults May Be: Baptised At Once
Dispositions for
Baptism
Intention
Faith
Repentance
Advantages To Be
Derived From These Reflections
Effects of Baptism
First Effect Of
Baptism: Remission Of Sin
Concupiscence Which
Remains After Baptism Is No Sin
Further Proof Of
The First Effect Of Baptism
The Second Effect
Of Baptism: Remission Of All Punishment Due To Sin
Baptism Does Not
Exempt From Penalties Of The Civil Law
Baptism Remits The
Punishment Due To Original Sin After Death
Baptism Does Not
Free Us From The Miseries Of Life
Baptism A Source Of
Happiness To The Christian Even In This Life
Third Effect Of
Baptism: Grace Of Regeneration
Fourth Effect Of
Baptism: Infused Virtues And Incorporation With Christ
Why The Practice Of
Virtue Is Difficult Even After Baptism
Fifth Effect Of
Baptism: Character Of Christian
Baptism Not To Be
Repeated
In Conditional
Baptism The Sacrament Is Not Repeated
Sixth Effect Of
Baptism: Opening The Gates Of Heaven
Effects Of Baptism
Foreshadowed In The Baptism Of Christ
Measure In Which
Those Effects Are Obtained
Ceremonies of
Baptism
Their Importance
Three Classes Of
Ceremonies In Baptism
Ceremonies That Are
Observed Before Coming To The Font: Consecration Of Baptismal Water
The Person To Be
Baptised Stands At The Church Door
Catechetical
Instruction
The Exorcism
The Salt
The Sign Of The
Cross
The Saliva
The Ceremonies
Observed After Coming To The Font
The Renunciation Of
Satan
The Profession Of
Faith
The Wish To Be
Baptised
The Ceremonies That
Follow Baptism: Chrism
The White Garment
The Lighted Candle
The Name Given In
Baptism
Recapitulation
THE SACRAMENT OF
CONFIRMATION
Importance Of
Instruction On Confirmation
Name of this
Sacrament
Confirmation is a
Sacrament
Confirmation is
Distinct from Baptism
Institution of
Confirmation
Component Parts of
Confirmation
The Matter
The Remote Matter
Of Confirmation Is Chrism
The Appropriateness
Of Chrism
Chrism To Be
Consecrated By The Bishop
The Form Of
Confirmation
Minister of
Confirmation
Sponsors at
Confirmation
The Subject of
Confirmation
All Should Be
Confirmed
The Proper Age For
Confirmation
Dispositions For
Receiving Confirmation
The Effects of
Confirmation
The Grace Of
Strength
Increase In Grace
Character Of
Soldier Of Christ
Ceremonies Of
Confirmation
The Anointing Of
The Forehead
The Sign Of The
Cross
Time When
Confirmation Should Be Conferred
The Slap On The
Cheek
The Pax
Admonition
THE SACRAMENT OF THE
EUCHARIST
Importance Of
Instruction On The Eucharist
Institution of the
Eucharist
Meaning of the Word
"Eucharist"
Other Names Of This
Sacrament
The Eucharist Is a
Sacrament Properly So Called
In What Respect The
Eucharist Is A Sacrament
How The Eucharist
Differs From All The Other Sacraments
The Eucharist Is
But One Sacrament
The Eucharist
Signifies Three Things
Constituent Parts
of the Eucharist
The Matter
The First Element
Of The Eucharist Is Bread
The Sacramental
Bread Must Be Wheaten
The Sacramental
Bread Should Be Unleavened
Unleavened Bread
Not Essential
Quantity Of The
Bread
The Second Element
Of The Eucharist Is Wine
Water Should Be
Mixed With The Wine
No Other Elements
Pertain To This Sacrament
Peculiar Fitness Of
Bread And Wine
Form Of The
Eucharist
Form To Be Used In
The Consecration Of The Bread
Not All The Words
Used Are Essential
Form To Be Used In
The Consecration Of The Wine
Explanation Of The
Form Used In The Consecration Of The Wine
Three Mysteries Of
The Eucharist
The Mystery of the
Real Presence
Proof From
Scripture
Proof From The
Teaching Of The Church
Testimony Of The
Fathers
Teaching Of The
Councils
Two Great Benefits
Of Proving The Real Presence
Faith Is
Strengthened
The Soul Is
Gladdened
Meaning of the Real
Presence
Christ Whole And
Entire Is Present In The Eucharist
Presence In Virtue
Of The Sacrament And In Virtue Of Concomitance
Christ Whole And
Entire Present Under Each Species
Christ Whole And
Entire Present In Every Part Of Each Species
The Mystery of
Transubstantiation
Proof From The
Dogma Of The Real Presence
Proof From The
Councils
Proof From
Scripture
Proof From The
Fathers
Why The Eucharist
Is Called Bread After Consecration
The Meaning of
Transubstantiation
Transubstantiation
A Total Conversion
A Consequence Of
Transubstantiation
The Mystery of the
Accidents without a Subject
Proof From The
Preceding Dogmas
Proof From The
Teaching Of The Church
Advantages Of This
Mystery
The Effects of the
Eucharist
The Eucharist
Contains Christ And Is The Food Of The Soul
The Eucharist Gives
Grace
The Grace Of The
Eucharist Sustains
The Grace Of The
Eucharist Invigorates And Delights
The Eucharist
Remits Venial Sins
The Eucharist
Strengthens Against Temptation
The Eucharist
Facilitates The Attainment Of Eternal Life
How The Effects Of
The Eucharist May Be Developed And Illustrated
Recipient of the
Eucharist
Threefold Manner Of
Communicating
Necessity Of
Previous Preparation For Communion
Preparation Of Soul
Preparation Of Body
The Obligation of
Communion
How Often Must
Communion Be Received?
The Church Desires
The Faithful To Communicate Daily
The Church
Commands; The Faithful To Communicate Once A Year
Who Are Obliged By
The Law Of Communion
The Rite of
Administering Communion
Why The Celebrant
Alone Receives Under Both Species
The Minister of the
Eucharist
Only Priests Have
Power To Consecrate And Administer The Eucharist
The Laity
Prohibited To Touch The Sacred Vessels
The Unworthiness Of
The Minister Does Not Invalidate The Sacrament
The Eucharist as a
Sacrifice
Importance Of
Instruction On The Mass
Distinction of
Sacrament and Sacrifice
The Mass Is a True
Sacrifice
Proof From The
Council Of Trent
Proof From
Scripture
Excellence of the
Mass
The Mass Is The
Same Sacrifice As That Of The Cross
The Mass A
Sacrifice Of Praise, Thanksgiving And Propitiation
The Mass Profits
Both The Living And The Dead
The Rites and
ceremonies of the Mass
THE SACRAMENT OF
PENANCE
Importance Of
Instruction On This Sacrament
Different Meanings
of the Word "Penance"
The Virtue of
Penance
Meaning Of Penance
Penance Proved To
Be A Virtue
The Steps Which
Lead Up To This Virtue
Fruits Of This
Virtue
Penance as a
Sacrament
Why Christ
Instituted This Sacrament
Penance Is a
Sacrament
This Sacrament May
Be Repeated
The Constituent
Parts of Penance
The Matter
The Form Of Penance
The Rites Observed
in the Sacrament of Penance
Effects of the
Sacrament of Penance
The Necessity of
the Sacrament of Penance
The Three Integral
Parts of Penance
Their Existence
Their Nature
Necessity Of These
Integral Parts
The First Part
of Penance
Contrition
The Meaning Of
Contrition
Contrition Is A
Detestation Of Sin
Contrition Produces
Sorrow
Names Of Sorrow For
Sin
Qualities of Sorrow
for Sin
It Should Be
Supreme
Sorrow For Sin
Should Be Intense
Sorrow For Sin
Should Be Universal
Conditions Required
for Contrition
Detestation Of Sin
Intention Of
Confession And Satisfaction
Purpose Of
Amendment
Reasons For These
Conditions
Forgiveness Of
Injuries
The Effects of
Contrition
Means of Arousing
True Contrition
The Second Part
of Penance
Confession
Necessity Of
Confession
Advantages Of
Confession
Definition Of
Confession
Confession
Instituted By Christ
Rites Added By The
Church
The Law of
Confession
Proof Of The
Obligation
The Age At Which
The Law Of Confession Obliges
At What Time The
Law Of Confession Obliges
The Qualities of
Confession
Confession Should
Be Entire
Sins Concealed
Sins Forgotten
Confession Should
Be Plain, Simple, Sincere
Confession Should
Be Prudent, Modest, Brief
Confession Should
Be Made Privately And Often
The Minister of the
Sacrament of Penance
The Usual Minister
The Minister In
Danger Of Death
Qualifications Of
The Minister
The Confessor Must
Observe The Seal Of Confession
Duties of the
Confessor towards Various Classes of Penitents
The Well Disposed
Should Be Exhorted To Thanksgiving And Perseverance
The Indisposed
Should Be Helped
Those Who Seek To
Excuse Their Sins Should Be Corrected
Those Who Are
Ashamed To Confess Their Sins Should Be Instructed
The Careless Should
Be Rebuked
The Unprepared Should
Be Dismissed Or Led To Good Disposition
The Pastor Should
Show The Wrong Of Human Respect
The Third Part
of Penance
Satisfaction
General Meaning Of
The Word "Satisfaction,"
Various Kinds Of
Satisfaction To God
Elements Of
Sacramental Satisfaction
Necessity Of
Satisfaction
Advantages of
Satisfaction
It Is Required By
God’s Justice And Mercy
Satisfaction Atones
To The Church
Satisfaction Deters
Others From Sin
By Satisfaction We
Are Made Like Unto Christ
Satisfaction Heals
The Wounds Of Sin
Satisfaction
Disarms The Divine Vengeance
Source of the
Efficacy of Satisfactory Works
Conditions for
Satisfaction
Works Of
Satisfaction Are Of Three Kinds
One Can Satisfy For
Another
Duties of the
Confessor as Regards Satisfaction
Restitution Must Be
Insisted On
Quantity And
Quality Of Penances Should Be Reasonable
Voluntary Works Of
Penance Should Be Recommended
Admonition
THE SACRAMENT OF
EXTREME UNCTION
Importance Of
Instruction On Extreme Unction
Names of this
Sacrament
Extreme Unction Is
a True Sacrament
Extreme Unction Is
But One Sacrament
Essential Parts of
Extreme Unction
The Matter Of
Extreme Unction
The Form Of Extreme
Unction
The Ceremonies Of
Extreme Unction
Institution of
Extreme Unction
The Subject of
Extreme Unction
The Subject Must Be
In Danger Of Death
The Danger Must
Arise From Sickness
The Person Anointed
Must Have Attained The Use Of Reason
Administration of
Extreme Unction
Dispositions for
the Reception of Extreme Unction
The Minister of
Extreme Unction
The Effects of
Extreme Unction
Admonition
THE SACRAMENT OF
HOLY ORDERS
Importance Of
Instruction On This Sacrament
Dignity of this
Sacrament
Requirements in
Candidates for Orders
Holiness,
Knowledge, Prudence
Divine Call
Right Intention
The Twofold Power
Conferred by this Sacrament
The Power Of Orders
Greatness Of This
Power
Names of this
Sacrament
Holy Orders Is a
Sacrament
Number of Orders
Tonsure
The Name
"Cleric"
Origin And Meaning
Of Tonsure
The Minor Orders
Porter
Reader
Exorcist
Acolyte
The Major Orders
Subdeacon
Deacon
Priest
Twofold Priesthood
The Internal
Priesthood
The External
Priesthood
Functions of the
Priesthood
Degrees of the
Priesthood
Priests
Bishops
Archbishops
Patriarchs
The Pope
The Minister of
Holy Orders
The Recipient of
Holy Orders
Qualifications for
the Priesthood
Holiness Of Life
Competent Knowledge
Canonical Fitness
Effects of Holy
Orders
Admonition
THE SACRAMENT OF
MATRIMONY
Importance Of
Instruction On This Sacrament
Nature and Meaning
of Marriage
Names Of This
Sacrament
Definition Of
Matrimony
Essence And Cause
Of Marriage
The Kind of Consent
Required in Matrimony
Mutual
External
Present
The Essence of
Marriage Constituted by the Consent
Twofold
Consideration of Marriage
Marriage As A
Natural Contract
Instituted By God
Marriage Is
Indissoluble By Divine Law
Marriage Not
Obligatory On All
The Motives And
Ends Of Marriage
Marriage Considered
as a Sacrament
Marriage Is A
Sacrament
Marriage before
Christ
It Was Not A
Sacrament
Before Christ
Marriage Had Fallen From Its Primitive Unity And Indissolubility
Christ Restored to
Marriage its Primitive Qualities
Unity Of Marriage
Indissolubility Of
Marriage
Advantages Of
Indissolubility
The Three Blessings
of Marriage
Offspring
Fidelity
Sacrament
The Duties of
Married People
Duties Of A Husband
Duties Of A Wife
The Law of the
Church on Marriage
The Rite To Be
Observed
The Impediments Of
Marriage
The Recipient of
Matrimony
Dispositions With
Which The Sacrament Is To Be Approached
Consent Of Parents
The Use Of Marriage
PART III : THE
DECALOGUE
Importance Of
Instruction On The Commandments
Motives for
Observing the Commandments
God Is The Giver Of
The Commandments
The Commandments
Were Proclaimed With Great Solemnity
The Observance Of
The Commandments Is Not Difficult
The Observance Of
The Commandments Is Necessary
The Observance Of
The Commandments Is Attended By Many Blessings
God's Goodness
Invites Us To Keep His Commandments
The Promulgation of
the Law
The People To Whom
The Law Was Given
Epitome Of Jewish
History
Lessons To Be Drawn
From Jewish History
The Time And Place
In Which The Law Was Promulgated
THE FIRST
COMMANDMENT : "I am the lord thy god, who brought thee out of the land
of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt not have strange gods before
me. Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any
thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things
that are in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not adore them, nor serve
them. I am the lord thy god, mighty, jealous, visiting the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children, to the third and fourth generation of them that hate
me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my
commandments."
"I am the Lord
thy God"
"Who Brought
thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the House of Bondage"
"Thou shalt
not have Strange Gods before Me"
The Above Words
Contain A Command And A Prohibition
What They Command
What They Forbid
Importance Of This
Commandment
Sins Against This
Commandment
Veneration And
Invocation Of Angels And Saints Not Forbidden By This Commandment
It Is Lawful To
Honour And Invoke The Angels
It Is Lawful To
Honour And Invoke The Saints
Objections Answered
The Honour And
Invocation Of Saints Is Approved By Miracles
The Above Words Do
Not Forbid All Images
They Forbid Idols
And Representations Of The Deity
They Do Not Forbid
Representations Of The Divine Persons And Angels
They Do Not Forbid
Images Of Christ And The Saints
Usefulness Of
Sacred Images
How The Sanction
Contained In The Above Words Should Be Proposed
Mighty
Jealous
Zeal In The Service
Of God
"Visiting The
Iniquity," Etc.
"And Showing
Mercy, Etc.
"Of Them That
Hate Me"
Of Them That Love
Me
THE SECOND
COMMANDMENT : "Thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain"
Why This
Commandment Is Distinct From The First
Importance Of
Instruction On This Commandment
Positive Part of
this Commandment
Various Ways Of
Honouring God's Name
Public Profession
Of Faith
Respect For The
Word Of God
Praise And
Thanksgiving
Prayer
Oaths
Meaning Of An Oath
Oaths Are
Affirmatory And Promissory
Conditions Of A
Lawful Oath
First Condition:
Truth
Second Condition:
Judgment
Third Condition:
Justice
Lawfulness Of Oaths
An Objection
Against Oaths
Negative Part of
this Commandment
Various Ways In
Which Cod's Name Is Dishonoured: False Oaths
Unjust Oaths
Rash Oaths
Oaths By False Gods
Irreverent Speech
Neglect Of Prayer
Blasphemy
Sanction of this
Commandment
THIRD COMMANDMENT :
"Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day. Six days shalt thou
labour, and do all thy works; but on the seventh day is the sabbath of the lord
thy god; thou shalt do no work on it, neither thou nor thy son, nor thy
daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy beast, nor the
stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the lord made heaven and
earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them, and rested on the seventh
day; wherefore the lord blessed the seventh day and sanctified it."
Reasons For This
Commandment
Importance Of
Instruction On This Commandment
How The Third
Differs From The Other Commandments
How The Third Is
Like The Other Commandments
The Jewish Sabbath
Changed To Sunday By The Apostles
Four Parts Of This
Commandment
First Part of this
Commandment
"Remember"
Sabbath
"Keep
Holy"
Second Part of this
Commandment
"The Seventh
Day Is The Sabbath Of The Lord Thy God"
Other Festivals
Observed By The Jews
The Sabbath, Why
Changed To Sunday
Other Festivals
Observed By The Church
"Six Days
Shalt Thou Labour And Do All Thy Work"
Third Part of this
Commandment
Works Forbidden
Works Permitted
Why Animals Are Not
To Be Employed On The Sabbath
Works Commanded Or
Recommended
Motives for the
Observance of this Commandment
Reasonableness Of
This Duty
The Observance Of
This Commandment Brings Many Blessings
Neglect Of This
Commandment A Great Crime
THE FOURTH
COMMANDMENT : "Honour thy father and thy mother, that thou mayest be
long lived upon the land which the lord thy god will give thee."
Relative Importance
Of The Preceding And The Following Commandments
Importance Of
Instruction On The Fourth Commandment
The Two Tables Of
The Law
Explanation of the
Fourth Commandment: "Honour"
"Thy
Father"
Why Parents Should
Be Honoured
"And Thy
Mother"
Manner Of Honouring
Parents
Manner Of Honouring
Other Superiors
The Honour Due To
Bishops And Priests
The Honour Due To
Civil Rulers
'That Thou Mayest
be Long-lived," etc.
Reward Promised For
Observance Of This Commandment
Why This Reward Is
Not Always Conferred On Dutiful Children
Punishment For
Violation Of This Commandment
Duties of Parents
Towards their Children
Three Things To Be
Avoided By Parents
THE FIFTH
COMMANDMENT : "Thou shalt not kill"
Importance Of
Instruction On This Commandment
Two Parts Of This
Commandment
The Prohibitory
Part of this Commandment
Exceptions: The
Killing Of Animals
Execution Of
Criminals
Killing In A Just
War
Killing By Accident
Killing In
Self-Defence
Negative Part Of
This Commandment Forbids Murder And Suicide
Sinful Anger Is
Also Forbidden By The Fifth Commandment
Remedies Against
The Violation Of This Commandment
Positive Part of
this commandment
Love Of Neighbour
Inculcated
Charity To All
Commanded
Patience,
Beneficence And Mildness Commanded
Forgiveness Of
Injuries Commanded
How to Persuade Men
to Forgive Injuries
All We Have To
Endure Comes From God
Advantages Of
Forgiveness
Disadvantages Of
Revenge
Remedies Against
Hatred
THE SIXTH
COMMANDMENT : "Thou shalt not commit adultery"
The Position Of
This Commandment In The Decalogue Is Most Suitable
Importance Of
Careful Instruction On This Commandment
Two Parts Of This
Commandment
What this
Commandment Prohibits
Adultery Forbidden
Other Sins Against
Chastity Are Forbidden
Why Adultery Is
Expressly Mentioned
What this
Commandment Prescribes
Purity Enjoined
Reflections which
Help one to Practice Purity
Impurity Excludes
From Heaven
Impurity Is A
Filthy Sin
Adultery Is A Grave
Injustice
Adultery Is
Disgraceful
Impurity Severely
Punished
Impurity Blinds The
Mind And Hardens The Heart
means of practicing
purity
Avoidance Of
Idleness
Temperance
Custody Of The Eyes
Avoidance Of
Immodest Dress
Avoidance Of Impure
Conversation, Reading, Pictures
Frequentation Of
The Sacraments
Mortification
THE SEVENTH
COMMANDMENT : "Thou shalt not steal"
Importance Of
Instruction On This Commandment
This Commandment A
Proof Of The Love Of God Towards Us And A Claim On Our Gratitude
Two Parts Of This
Commandment
Negative Part of
this Commandment
Stealing Forbidden
Theft And Robbery
Forbidden
Various Names Given
To Stealing
Desire Of Stealing
Forbidden
Gravity Of The Sin
Of Stealing
The Chief Kinds Of
Stealing
Various Forms Of
Theft
Various Forms Of
Robbery
Positive Part of
this Commandment
Restitution
Enjoined
Who Are Held To
Restitution
Almsdeeds Enjoined
Inducements To Practice
Almsgiving
Ways Of Giving Alms
Frugality Is
Enjoined
Sanction Of This
Commandment
The Punishment Of
Its Violation
The Reward Of
Observing This Commandment
Excuses for
Stealing Refuted
The Plea Of Rank
And Position
The Plea Of Greater
Ease And Elegance
The Plea Of The
Other's Wealth
The Plea Of Force
Of Habit
The Plea Of
Favourable Opportunity
The Plea Of Revenge
The Plea Of
Financial Embarrassment
THE EIGHTH
COMMANDMENT : "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour"
Importance Of
Instruction On This Commandment
This Commandment
Should Call Forth Our Gratitude
Two Parts Of This
Commandment
Negative Part Of
This Commandment
"Against Thy
Neighbour"
False Testimony In
Favour Of A Neighbour Is Also Forbidden
"Thou Shalt Not
Bear False Witness"
All Falsehoods In
Lawsuits Are Forbidden
False Testimony Out
Of Court Is Forbidden
This Commandment
Forbids Detraction
Various Kinds Of
Detraction
This Commandment
Forbids Flattery
This Commandment
Forbids Lies Of All Kinds
This Commandment
Forbids Hypocrisy
Positive Part of
this Commandment
Judges Must Pass
Sentence According To Law And Justice
Witnesses Must Give
Testimony Truthfully
Lawyers And
Plaintiffs Must Be Guided By Love Of Justice
All Must Speak
Truthfully And With Charity
Inducements To
Truthfulness
How To Avoid Lying
Excuses for Lying
Refuted
The Plea Of
Prudence
The Plea Of Revenge
The Pleas Of
Frailty, Habit, And Bad. Example
The Pleas Of
Convenience, Amusement, And Advantage
THE NINTH AND TENTH
COMMANDMENTS : "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house: neither
shalt thou desire his wife, nor his servant, nor his hand-maid, nor his ox, nor
his ass, nor anything that is his."
Importance Of
Instruction On These Two Commandments
Why These Two
Commandments Are Explained Here Together
Necessity Of
Promulgating These Two Commandments
These Two
Commandments Teach God's Love For Us And Our Need Of Him
Two Parts Of These
Commandments
Negative Part
"Thou Shalt
Not Covet"
What Sort Of Concupiscence
Is Not Forbidden
What Sort Of
Concupiscence Is Here Prohibited
Two Kinds Of Sinful
Concupiscence
The Various Objects
We Are Forbidden To Covet
Thy Neighbour’s
House
"Nor His Ox,
Nor His Ass'
"Nor His
Servant
"Thy
Neighbour's"
Goods For Sale Not Included
Under This Prohibition
"His
Wife"
Positive Part
Detachment From
Riches Enjoined
The Desire Of
Heavenly And Spiritual Things Enjoined
Thoughts which Help
one to Keep these Commandments
Chief Ways in which
These two Commandments are Violated
PART IV : THE
LORD'S PRAYER
PRAYER
Importance Of
Instruction On Prayer
Necessity of Prayer
The Fruits of
Prayer
Prayer Honours God
Prayer Obtains What
We Request
Proof
Unwise And Indevout
Prayers Unheard
To Devout Prayer
And Dispositions God Grants More Than Is Asked
Prayer Exercises
And Increases Faith
Prayer Strengthens
Our Hope In God
Prayer Increases
Charity
Prayer Disposes The
Soul For Divine Blessings
Prayer Makes Us
Realise Our Own Needfulness
Prayer Is A
Protection Against The Devil
Prayer Promotes A
Virtuous Life
Prayer Disarms The
Divine Vengeance
The Parts Of Prayer
The Two Chief Parts
Of Prayer Petition And Thanksgiving
Degrees Of Petition
And Thanksgiving
The Highest Degree
Of Prayer: The Prayer Of The Just
The Second Degree
Of Prayer: The Prayer Of Sinners
The Third Degree Of
Prayer: The Prayer Of Unbelievers
The Lowest Degree
Of Prayer: The Prayer Of The Impenitent
What We Should Pray
For
Spiritual Goods
External Goods And
Goods Of Body
Goods Of The Mind
For Whom We Ought
to Pray
The Prayer Of
Petition Should Be Offered For All
Those For Whom We
Should Especially Offer Our Petitions: Pastors
Rulers Of Our
Country
The Just
Enemies And Those
Outside The Church
The Dead
Sinners
The Prayer Of
Thanksgiving Should Be Offered For All
Our Thanksgiving
Should Especially Be Offered: For The Saints
For The Blessed
Virgin Mary
To Whom We Should
Pray
To God
To The Saints
God And The Saints
Addressed Differently
Preparation for
Prayer
Humility
Sorrow For Sin
Freedom From
Violence, Anger, Hatred And Inhumanity
Freedom From Pride
And Contempt Of God's Word
Faith And
Confidence
Motives Of
Confidence In Prayer
Correspondence With
God's Will
Fraternal Charity
How to Pray Well
We Must Pray In
Spirit And In Truth
Mental Prayer
Vocal Prayer
Private And Public
Prayer
Those Who Do Nor
Pray In Spirit
Those Who Do Not
Pray In Truth
We Must Pray With
Perseverance
We Must Pray In The
Name Of Jesus Christ
We Must Pray With
Fervour, Uniting Petition To Thanksgiving
Fasting And
Almsdeeds Should Be Joined To Prayer
OPENING WORDS OF THE
LORD'S PRAYER
Importance Of
Instruction On These Words
"Father"
God Is Called
Father Because He Created Us
God Is Called
Father Because He Provides For Us
God's Care For Us
Is Seen In The Appointment Of Guardian Angels
How We Are Helped
By The Angels
God's Care For Us
Seen In The Love He Has Ever Shown To Man
God Is Called
Father Because He Has Granted Us Redemption
Duties We Owe Our
Heavenly Father
"Our"
Dispositions That
Should Accompany The Words, "Our Father": Fraternal Regard
Filial Confidence
And Piety
"Who art in
Heaven"
Meaning Of These
Words
Lessons Taught By
The Words, "Who Art In Heaven"
THE FIRST PETITION
OF THE LORD'S PRAYER : "HALLOWED BE THY NAME"
Why This Petition
Is Placed First
Object Of The First
Three Petitions
Hallowed Be Thy
Name
On Earth As It Is
In Heaven"
What Sanctification
of God's Name we should Pray For
That The Faithful
May Glorify Him
That Unbelievers
May Be Converted
That Sinners May Be
Converted
That God May Be
Thanked For His Favours
That The Church May
Be Recognised By All
What Sanctification
Of God's Name We Should Practice
THE SECOND PETITION
OF THE LORD'S PRAYER : "THY KINGDOM COME"
Importance Of
Instruction On This Petition
Greatness Of This
Petition
Necessity Of
Rightly Making This Petition
Motives For
Adopting The Necessary Means
"Thy
Kingdom"
The Kingdom Of
Nature
The Kingdom Of
Grace
The Kingdom Of
Glory
"Come"
We Pray For The Propagation
Of The Church
For The Conversion
Of Sinners
That Christ May
Reign Over All
Dispositions That
Should Accompany This Petition
We Should Prize
God's Kingdom Above All Things
We Must Realise
That We Are Exiles
We Must Labor To
Obtain God's Kingdom
Recapitulation
THE THIRD PETITION
OF THE LORD'S PRAYER : "THY WILL BE DONE"
The Relation Of
This Petition To The Previous One
Necessity Of This
Petition
Man’s Proneness To
Act Against God’s Will
Man’s Blindness
Concerning God’s Will
Man’s Weakness In
Fulfilling God’s Will
Remedy For These
Evils
Man's Passions
Rebel Against God's Will
"Thy
Will"
"Be Done"
We Ask That We May
Fulfil What God Desires Of Us
We Ask That We May
Not Yield To Our Own Inordinate Desires
We Ask That Our
Mistaken Requests Be Not Granted
We Ask That Even
Our Good Requests Be Granted Only When They Are According To God’s Will
We Ask That God May
Perfect In Us What His Grace Has Begun
We Ask That All May
Know God’s Will
"On Earth as
it is in Heaven"
This Petition
Contains an Act of Thanksgiving
The Dispositions
that should Accompany this Petition
A Sense Of Our Own
Weakness Of Will
Appreciation Of The
Dignity Of Doing God's Will
Resignation To
God’s Will
THE FOURTH PETITION
OF THE LORD'S PRAYER : "GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD"
The Relation Of The
Following Petitions To Those That Preceded
How To Pray For
Temporal Blessings
Means Of
Ascertaining Purity Of Intention In Offering This Petition
Necessity of the
Fourth Petition
Man Needs Many
Things For His Bodily Life
To Supply His
Bodily Wants Man Must Labor
Without God’s Help
Man’s Labor Is Vain
Inducements to Use
this Petition
"Bread"
We Ask For Temporal
Blessings
It Is Lawful To
Pray For Temporal Blessings
The Wants, Not The
Luxuries Of This Life Are Meant By The Word "Bread"
"Our"
"Daily"
"Give"
"us"
"This
Day"
The Spiritual Bread
Asked for in this Petition
The Word Of God Is
Our Spiritual Bread
Christ Is Our
Spiritual Bread, Especially In The Holy Eucharist
Why The Holy
Eucharist Is Called Our "Daily" Bread
Exhortations
THE FIFTH PETITION
OF THE LORD'S PRAYER : "AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS, AS WE FORGIVE OUR
DEBTORS"
The Importance Of
Explaining This Petition
Difference Between
This And The Preceding Petitions
Dispositions with
which this petition should be Offered
Acknowledgment Of
Sin
Sorrow For Sin
Motives For Sorrow
Over Sin: The Baseness Of Sin
The Consequences Of
Sin
Confidence In God's
Mercy
"Debts"
"Our"
"Forgive
Us"
"As we Forgive
our Debtors"
Necessity Of
Forgiveness
Reasons For
Forgiveness
This Petition
Should Not be Neglected
Those Unable To
Forget Injuries
Those Who Do Not
Love Their Enemies
How to Make this
Petition Fruitful
Penitential
Dispositions
Avoidance Of
Dangers Of Sin
Imitation Of
Fervent Penitents
Frequent Use Of The
Sacraments
Almsdeeds
The Spirit Of
Forgiveness
THE SIXTH PETITION
OF THE LORD'S PRAYER : "AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION."
Importance Of
Instruction On This Petition
Necessity of the
Sixth Petition
Human Frailty
The Assaults Of The
Flesh
The Temptations Of
The Devil
Audacity Of The
Demons
Number Of The
Demons
Malignity And Power
Of The Demons
Prayer Protects
Man's Weakness Against The Enemies Of His Soul
"Temptation"
"Lead us not
into Temptation"
Objects of the
Sixth Petition
What We Do Not Pray
For
What We Pray For In
This Petition
Dispositions which
should Accompany this Petition
Distrust Of Self
And Confidence In God
Remembrance Of The
Victory Of Christ And His Saints
Watchfulness
The Author of
victory over Temptation
The Rewards of
Victories over temptation
THE SEVENTH PETITION
OF THE LORD'S PRAYER : "BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL"
The Importance Of
Instruction On This Petition
Necessity Of This
Petition
How this Petition
should be Made
Our Chief Hope Of
Deliverance Should Be In God
We Must Confidently
Expect His Help
"From
Evil"
What We Do Not Pray
For
What We Do Pray For
"Deliver
Us"
Deliverance From
Satan Especially Asked For
Patience and Joy
under Continued Affliction
THE SEAL OF THE
LORD'S PRAYER
Necessity Of
Explaining The Conclusion Of The Lord's Prayer
fruits that Come at
the Conclusion of Prayer
Assurance That We
Have Been Heard
Fervour And
Illumination
Sweetness
Confidence And
Gratitude
Illustrations From
The Psalms
Meaning of the Word
"Amen"
First Explanation
Other Explanations
Of The Word "Amen"
Advantages of
Terminating our Prayer with this Word
ORIGIN OF THE
ROMAN CATECHISM
The Church at the Council of Trent, assembled
December 13, 1545, seeing the need of a uniform and comprehensive manual which
would supply parish priests with an official book of instruction for the
faithful, ordered the preparation of the work which has ever since been
variously known as the Catechism of the Council of Trent, the Catechism for
Parish Priests, the Roman Catechism, or the Catechism of Pius V. It was some
months, however, after the opening of the Council before mention was made of
any kind of catechism. This was during the fourth session, on April 5, 1546.
Eight days later the draft of a decree was read proposing that there be
published in Latin and in the vernacular a catechism to be compiled by capable
persons for children and uninstructed adults, "who are in need of milk
rather than solid food." The purpose of such a manual was to afford
instruction for beginners in the primary duties of a Christian life and to
prepare them for further and higher religious education. The idea met with
general approval, but as the Council was occupied with matters more pressing,
we hear nothing further about it until sixteen years later, in 1562. According
to some the question of the Catechism was brought up by St. Charles Borromeo
during the eighteenth session and a commission actually appointed on February
26, 1562. What is certain is that the Papal Legates, after a protracted
discussion, had named a committee before the end of that year; for on January
3, 1563, they informed the procurators of Charles IX and of Ferdinand I of the
existence of such a committee and assured them that work on the Catechism was
already under way. The principal members of this committee, besides its
president, Cardinal Seripandi, O. S. A., were Leonardo Marini, O. P.,
Archbishop of Lanciano, Egidio Foscarari, O. P., Bishop of Modena, Muzio
Calini, Bishop of Zara, and Francesco Foreiro, O.P. There were many other
collaborators, chief among whom were Michael Medina, a Franciscan, and
Christopher Sanctotisio, O. S. A., who assisted with the fourth and ninth
Articles of the Creed respectively; four French theologians to whom were
assigned the first four Commandments; the Dominicans, John de Luderna, Benedict
Herba, Eliseus Capys, and the Franciscan, Alphonsus Contreras, to whom were
given respectively the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth Commandments; a
theologian of Granada was entrusted with the last two Commandments of the
Decalogue. The following appear to have collaborated on the Sacraments: three
Flemish theologians, on Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist; Nicholas
Ormanetus, on the Sacrament of Penance; Peter Fernandez, O. P., on Matrimony;
Cosmas Damiani, Abbot of the Augustinian Canons Regular, on Orders; Arias
Montanus, on Extreme Unction. All those who had part in the work of the
Catechism were instructed to avoid in its composition the particular opinions
of individuals and schools, and to express the doctrine of the universal
Church, keeping especially in mind the decrees of the Council of Trent.
During the twenty-fourth session, the work on
the Catechism was brought to the attention of the Council itself, at a meeting
on September II, 1563. After various discussions a new plan was adopted.
Instead of a manual for children and uninstructed adults, it was decided to
prepare a much more extensive and more thorough work to be used by parish
priests in their instruction of the faithful. A final decree regarding such a
catechism was passed in a general meeting of November 2nd, of the same year,
wherein it was enjoined on all Bishops to see that the Catechism should be
faithfully translated into the vulgar tongue and expounded to the people by all
parish priests.
As the Council was about to close, the
Catechism committee, as it appears, were ordered to submit to the assembled
Fathers the work they had so far accomplished. This was done at the general
meetings between the 22nd and the 25th of November, and as the work was not
finished the Holy Father was requested to take charge of it and to see that the
Catechism was brought to completion and published. The manuscript was,
therefore, carried to Rome, and the work was continued with little delay.
Meanwhile Cardinal Seripandi died, and St. Charles Borromeo was appointed to
succeed him as president of the Catechism committee. On December 21, 1564,
Bishop Foscarari also died. To complete the work the new president enlisted the
services of several more theologians, such as Gabriel Paleotti and the
Portugese Statius.
In order that the literary style of the
Catechism might be in keeping with the sublimity of its doctrine, St. Charles
called to its service the greatest masters of the Latin tongue of that age.
These were Paulus Manutius, Giulio Pogiani, Cornelius Amaltheus, Silvius
Antonianus, and Pietro Galesini. When the work was finished a first revision of
the style was undertaken. The polishing of the first two parts was done by
Calini, who had already been engaged in the composition of the Catechism. The
third part was attended to by Galesini, and the fourth by Pogiani. This
revision seems to have been completed by the end of the year 1564. Early in the
following year, by order of St. Charles, who desired to secure absolute
uniformity in the style, a second literary revision of the entire work was made
by Pogiani.
Meanwhile Pius IV died and was succeeded on
January 17, 1566, by Pius V. One of the first acts of the new Pontiff was to
appoint a number of expert theological revisers to examine every statement in
the Catechism from the viewpoint of doctrine. Chief among these revisers were
Cardinal Sirlet and the two Dominicans, Thomas Manriquez and Eustachius
Locatelli. By July of that year the work on the Catechism was finished. But it
was not until the close of the year that it appeared under the title,
Catechismus ex decreto Concilii Tridentini ad Parochos Pii V Pont. Max. jussu
editus.
AUTHORITY AND
EXCELLENCE OF THE ROMAN CATECHISM
The Roman Catechism is unlike any other
summary of Christian doctrine, not only because it is intended for the use of
priests in their preaching, but also because it enjoys a unique authority among
manuals. In the first place, as already explained, it was issued by the express
command of the Ecumenical Council of Trent, which also ordered that it be
translated into the vernacular of different nations to be used as a standard
source for preaching. Moreover it subsequently received the unqualified
approval of many Sovereign Pontiffs. Not to speak of Pius IV who did so much to
bring the work to completion, and of St. Pius V under whom it was finished,
published and repeatedly commended, Gregory XIII, as Possevino testifies, so
highly esteemed it that he desired even books of Canon Law to be written in
accordance with its contents. In his Bull of June 14, 1761, Clement XIII said
that the Catechism contains a clear explanation of all that is necessary for
salvation and useful for the faithful, that it was composed with great care and
industry and has been highly praised by all, that by it in former times the
faith was strengthened, and that no other catechism can be compared with it. He
concluded then, that the Roman Pontiffs offered this work to pastors as a norm
of Catholic teaching and discipline so that there might be uniformity and
harmony in the instructions of all. Nor have the Sovereign Pontiffs in our own
days been less laudatory of the Catechism. Pope Leo XIII, in an Encyclical
Letter of September 8, 1899, to the Bishops and clergy of France, recommended
two books which all seminarians should possess and constantly read and study,
namely, the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas and "that golden book,"
the Catechismus ad Parochos. Regarding the latter work he wrote: "This
work is remarkable at once for the richness and exactness of its doctrine, and
for the elegance of its style; it is a precious summary of all theology, both
dogmatic and moral. He who understands it well, will have always at his service
those aids by which a priest is enabled to preach with fruit, to acquit himself
worthily of the important ministry of the confessional and of the direction of
souls, and will be in a position to refute the objections of unbelievers."
Likewise Pius X in his Encyclical Acerbo
nimis of April 15, 1905, declared that adults, no less than children, need
religious instruction, especially in these days. And hence he prescribed that
pastors and all who have care of souls should give catechetical instruction to
the faithful in simple language, and in a way suited to the capacity of their
hearers, and that for this purpose they should use the Catechism of the Council
of Trent Still more recently, on February 14, 1921, speaking in the name of
Benedict XV, Cardinal Gasparri, Papal Secretary of State, thus wrote to the
Archbishop of New York relative to the latter's Program for A Parochial Course
of Doctrinal Instructions, based on the Catechism: "It is superfluous to
add that the value of the work is enhanced by the fact that it has been planned
and executed in perfect harmony with the admirable Catechism of the Council of
Trent."
Besides the Supreme Pontiffs who have
extolled and recommended the Catechism, so many Councils have enjoined its use
that it would be impossible here to enumerate them all. Within a few years
after its first appearance great numbers of provincial and diocesan synods had
already made its use obligatory. Of these the Preface to the Paris edition of
1893 mentions eighteen held before the year 1595. In five different Councils
convened at Milan St. Charles Borromeo ordered that the Catechism should be
studied in seminaries, discussed in the conferences of the clergy, and
explained by pastors to their people on occasion of the administration of the
Sacraments. In short, synods repeatedly prescribed that the clergy should make
such frequent use of the Catechism as not only to be thoroughly familiar with
its contents, but almost have it by heart.
In addition to Popes, and Councils, many
Cardinals, Bishops and other ecclesiastics, distinguished for their learning
and sanctity, vied with one another in eulogizing the Catechism of Trent. Among
other things they have said that not since the days of the Apostles has there
been produced in a single volume so complete and practical a summary of
Christian doctrine as this Catechism, and that, after the Sacred Scriptures,
there is no work that can be read with greater safety and profit.
In particular, Cardinal Valerius, the friend
of St. Charles Borromeo, wrote of the Catechism: "This work contains all
that is needful for the instruction of the faithful; and it is written with
such order, clearness and majesty that through it we seem to hear holy Mother
the Church herself, taught by the Holy Ghost, speaking to us.... It was
composed by order of the Fathers of Trent under the inspiration of the Holy
Ghost, and was published by the authority of the Vicar of Christ."
Salmanticenses, the great Carmelite
commentators on St. Thomas, paid the following high tribute to the Catechism:
"The authority of this Catechism has always been of the greatest in the
Church, because it was composed by the command of the Council of Trent, because
its authors were men of highest learning, and because it was approved only
after the severest scrutiny by Popes Pius V and Gregory XIII, and has been
recommended in nearly all the Councils that have been held since the Council of
Trent."
Antonio Possevino, an illustrious Jesuit, and
the preceptor of St. Francis de Sales, said: "The Catechism of the Council
of Trent was inspired by the Holy Ghost."
In his immortal Apologia Cardinal Newman
writes: "The Catechism of the Council of Trent was drawn up for the
express purpose of providing preachers with subjects for their sermons; and, as
my whole work has been a defense of myself, I may here say that I rarely preach
a sermon but I go to this beautiful and complete Catechism to get both my matter
and my doctrine."
"Its merits," says Dr. Donovan,
"have been recognized by the universal Church. The first rank which has
been awarded the Imitation among spiritual books, has been unanimously given to
the Roman Catechism as a compendium of Catholic theology. It was the result of
the aggregate labors of the most distinguished of the Fathers of Trent, . . .
and is therefore stamped with the impress of superior worth."
Doctor John Hogan, the present Rector of the
Irish College in Rome, writes thus: "The Roman Catechism is a work of
exceptional authority. At the very least it has the same authority as a
dogmatic Encyclical, -- it is an authoritative exposition of Catholic doctrine
given forth, and guaranteed to be orthodox by the Catholic Church and her supreme
head on earth. The compilation of it was the work of various individuals; but
the result of their combined labors was accepted by the Church as a precious
abridgment of dogmatic and moral theology. Official documents have occasionally
been issued by Popes to explain certain points of Catholic teaching to
individuals, or to local Christian communities; whereas the Roman Catechism
comprises practically the whole body of Christian doctrine, and is addressed to
the whole Church. Its teaching is not infallible; but it holds a place between
approved catechisms and what is de tide."
We are enabled to realize from the foregoing
testimonies how invaluable is the treasure we possess in the Tridentine
Catechism. It is a Vade Mecum for every priest and ecclesiastical student. In
it the latter will find a recapitulation of all the more important and
necessary doctrines he has learned throughout his theological course; while to
the priest it is not only a review of his former studies, but an ever-present
and reliable guide in his work as pastor, preacher, counselor, and spiritual
director of souls. Moreover, to the educated layman, whether Catholic or
non-Catholic, who desires to study an authoritative statement of Catholic
doctrine, no better book could be recommended than this official manual; for in
its pages will be found the whole substance of Catholic doctrine and practice,
arranged in order, expounded with perspicuity, and sustained by argument at
once convincing and persuasive.
Finally, it can be said without fear of
exaggeration that there is no single-volume work which so combines solidity of
doctrine and practical usefulness with unction of treatment as does this truly
marvelous Catechism. From beginning to end it not only reflects the light of
faith, but it also radiates, to an unwonted degree, the warmth of devotion and
piety. In its exposition of the Creed and the Sacraments, while dealing with
the profoundest mysteries, it is full of thoughts and reflections the most
fervent and inspiring. The part on the Decalogue, which might well be called a
treatise on ascetical theology, teaches us in words burning with zeal both what
we are to avoid and what we are to do to keep the Commandments of God. In the
fourth, and last part o this beautiful work we have what is doubtless the most
sublime and heavenly exposition of the doctrine of prayer ever written.
The Roman Catechism is, therefore, a handbook
of dogmatic and moral theology, a confessor's guide, a book of exposition for
the preacher, and a choice directory of the spiritual life for pastor and flock
alike. With a view, consequently, to make it more readily available for these
high purposes among English-speaking peoples this new translation has been
prepared and is herewith respectfully submitted to its readers.
JOHN A. MCHUGH, O. P.
CHARLES J. CALLAN, O. P.
INTRODUCTORY
The Necessity Of Religious Instruction
Such is the nature of the human mind and
intellect that, although by means of diligent and laborious inquiry it has of
itself investigated and discovered many other things pertaining to a knowledge
of divine truths; yet guided by its natural lights it never could have known or
perceived most of those things by which is attained eternal salvation, the
principal end of man's creation and formation to the image and likeness of God.
It is true that the invisible things of God
from the creation of the world are, as the Apostle teaches, clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made: his eternal power also, and divinity.
But the mystery which hath been hidden from ages and generations so far
transcends the reach of man's understanding, that were it not made manifest by
God to His Saints, to whom He willed to make known by the gift of faith, the
riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ, man
could by no effort attain to such wisdom.
But, as faith comes by hearing, it is clear
how necessary at all times for the attainment of eternal salvation has been the
labour and faithful ministry of an authorised teacher; for it is written, how
shall they hear, without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they be
sent?
And, indeed, never, from the very creation of
the world, has God, most merciful and benignant, been wanting to His own; but
at sundry times and in divers manners spoke to the fathers by the prophets, and
pointed out to them in a manner suited to the times and circumstances, a sure
and direct path to the happiness of heaven. But, as He had foretold that He
would give a teacher of justice to be the light of the Gentiles, that His
salvation might reach even to the ends of the earth, in these last days he hath
spoken to us by his Son, whom also by a voice from heaven, from the excellent
glory, He has commanded all to hear and to obey. Furthermore, the Son gave some
to be apostles, and some prophets, and others pastors and teachers, to announce
the word of life; that we might not be carried about like children tossed to
and fro with every wind of doctrine, but holding fast to the firm foundation of
the faith, we might be built together into an habitation of God in the Spirit.
Lest any should receive the Word of God from
the ministers of the Church, not as the word of Christ, which it really is, but
as the word of man, the same Saviour has ordained that their ministry should be
invested with so great authority that He says to them: He that hears you, hears
me; and he that despises you despises me. These words He spoke not only of
those to whom His words were addressed, but likewise of all who, by legitimate
succession, should discharge the ministry of the word, promising to be with
them all days even to the consummation of the world.
Need of an Authoritative Catholic
Catechism
But while the preaching of the divine Word
should never be interrupted in the Church, surely in these, our days, it
becomes necessary to labour with more than ordinary zeal and piety to nourish
and strengthen the faithful with sound and wholesome doctrine, as with the food
of life. For false prophets have gone forth into the world, to corrupt the
minds of the faithful with various and strange doctrines, of whom the Lord has
said: I did not send prophets, yet they ran; I spoke not to them, yet they
prophesied.
In this work, to such extremes has their
impiety, practiced in all the arts of Satan, been carried, that it would seem
almost impossible to confine it within any bounds; and did we not rely on the
splendid promises of the Saviour, who declared that He had built His Church on
so solid a foundation that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, we
should have good reason to fear lest, beset on every side by such a host of
enemies and assailed and attacked by so many machinations, it would, in these
days, fall to the ground.
For - to say nothing of those illustrious
States which heretofore professed, in piety and holiness, the true Catholic
faith transmitted to them by their ancestors, but are now gone astray wandering
from the paths of truth and openly declaring that their best claims to piety
are founded on a total abandonment of the faith of their fathers - there is no
region, however remote, no place, however securely guarded, no corner of
Christendom, into which this pestilence has not sought secretly to insinuate
itself.
For those who intended to corrupt the minds
of the faithful, knowing that they could not hold immediate personal
intercourse with all, and thus pour into their ears their poisoned doctrines,
adopted another plan which enabled them to disseminate error and impiety more
easily and extensively. Besides those voluminous works by which they sought the
subversion of the Catholic faith - to guard against which (volumes) required
perhaps little labour or circumspection, since their contents were clearly
heretical - they also composed innumerable smaller books, which, veiling their
errors under the semblance of piety, deceived with incredible facility the
unsuspecting minds of simple folk.
The Nature of this Work
The Fathers, therefore, of the General
Council of Trent, anxious to apply some healing remedy to so great and
pernicious an evil, were not satisfied with having decided the more important
points of Catholic doctrine against the heresies of our times, but deemed it
further necessary to issue, for the instruction of the faithful in the very
rudiments of faith, a form and method to be followed in all churches by those
to whom are lawfully entrusted the duties of pastor and teacher.
To works of this kind many, it is true, had
already given their attention, and earned the reputation of great piety and
learning. But the Fathers deemed it of the first importance that a work should
appear, sanctioned by the authority of the Council, from which pastors and all
others on whom the duty of imparting instruction devolves, may be able to seek
and find reliable matter for the edification of the faithful; that, as there is
one Lord, one faith, there may also be one standard and prescribed form of
propounding the dogmas of faith, and instructing Christians in all the duties
of piety.
As, therefore, the design of the work
embraces a variety of matters, it cannot be supposed that the Council intended
that in one volume all the dogmas of Christianity should be explained with that
minuteness of detail to be found in the works of those who profess to treat the
teaching and doctrines of religion in their entirety. Such a task would be one
of almost endless labour, and manifestly ill suited to attain the proposed end.
But, having undertaken to instruct pastors and such as have care of souls in
those things that belong peculiarly to the pastoral office and are accommodated
to the capacity of the faithful, the Council intended that such things only
should be treated of as might assist the pious zeal of pastors in discharging
the duty of instruction, should they not be very familiar with the more
abstruse questions of theology.
The Ends of Religious Instruction
Hence, before we proceed to develop in detail
the various parts of this summary of doctrine, our purpose requires that we
premise a few observations which the pastor should consider and bear in mind in
order to know to what end, as it were, all his plans and labours and efforts
are to be directed, and how this desired end may be more easily attained.
Knowledge Of Christ
The first thing is ever to recollect that all
Christian knowledge is reduced to one single head, or rather, to use the words
of the Apostle, this is eternal life: That they may know thee, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. A teacher in the Church should,
therefore, use his best endeavours that the faithful earnestly desire to know
Jesus Christ, and him crucified, that they be firmly convinced, and with the
most heartfelt piety and devotion believe, that there is no other name under
heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved, for he is the propitiation for
our sins.
Observance Of The Commandments
But since by this we know that we have known
him, if we keep his commandments, the next consideration, and one intimately
connected with the preceding, is to press also upon the attention of the
faithful that their lives are not to be wasted in ease and indolence, but that
we are to walk even as he walked, and pursue with all earnestness, justice,
godliness, faith, charity, patience, mildness; for He gave himself for us, that
he might redeem us from all iniquity, and might cleanse to himself a people
acceptable, a pursuer of good works. These things the Apostle commands pastors
to speak and exhort.
Love Of God
But as our Lord and Saviour has not only
declared, but has also proved by His own example, that the Law and the Prophets
depend on love, and as, according to the Apostle, charity is the end of the
commandment, and the fulfilment of the law, it is unquestionably a chief duty
of the pastor to use the utmost diligence to excite the faithful to a love of
the infinite goodness of God towards us, that, burning with a sort of divine
ardour, they may be powerfully attracted to the supreme and all-perfect good,
to adhere to which is true and solid happiness, as is fully experienced by him
who can say with the Prophet: What have I in heaven? and besides thee what do I
desire upon earth?
This, assuredly, is that more excellent way
pointed out by the Apostle when he sums up all his doctrines and instructions
in charity, which never falleth away. For whatever is proposed by the pastor,
whether it be the exercise of faith, of hope, or of some moral virtue, the love
of our Lord should at the same time be so strongly insisted upon as to show
clearly that all the works of perfect Christian virtue can have no other
origin, no other end than divine love.
The Means Required for Religious
Instruction
But as in imparting instruction of any sort
the manner of communicating it is of highest importance, so in conveying
religious instruction to the people, the method should be deemed of the
greatest moment.
Instruction Should Be Accommodated To The
Capacity Of The Hearer
Age, capacity, manners and condition must be
borne in mind, so that he who instructs may become all things to all men, in
order that he may be able to gain all to Christ, prove himself a dutiful
minister and steward, and, like a good and faithful servant, be found worthy to
be placed by his Lord over many things The priest must not imagine that those
committed to his care are all on the same level, so that he can follow one
fixed and unvarying method of instruction to lead all in the same way to
knowledge and true piety; for some are as new-born infants, others are growing
up in Christ, while a few are, so to say, of full maturity. Hence the necessity
of considering who they are that have occasion for milk, who for more solid
food, and of affording to each such nourishment of doctrine as may give
spiritual increase, until we all meet in the unity of faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the age of
the fullness of Christ. This the Apostle inculcates for all by his own example
when he says that he is a debtor to the Greeks and to the Barbarians, to the
wise and to the unwise, thus giving all who are called to this ministry to
understand that in announcing the mysteries of faith and the precepts of life,
the instruction is to be so accommodated to the capacity and intelligence of
the hearers, that, while the minds of the strong are filled with spiritual
food, the little ones be not suffered to perish with hunger, asking for bread,
while there is none to break it unto them.
Zeal
Nor should our zeal in communicating
Christian knowledge be relaxed because it has sometimes to be exercised in
expounding matters apparently humble and unimportant, and whose exposition is
usually irksome, especially to minds accustomed to the contemplation of the
more sublime truths of religion. If the Wisdom of the eternal Father descended
upon the earth in the meanness of our flesh to teach us the maxims of a
heavenly life, who is there whom the love of Christ does not constrain to
become little in the midst of his brethren, and, as a nurse fostering her
children, so anxiously to wish for the salvation of his neighbours as to be
ready, as the Apostle says of himself, to give them not only the gospel of God,
but even his own life.
Study Of The Word Of God
Now all the doctrines in which the faithful
are to be instructed are contained in the Word of God, which is found in
Scripture and tradition. To the study of these, therefore, the pastor should
devote his days and his nights, keeping in mind the admonition of St. Paul to
Timothy, which all who have the care of souls should consider as addressed to
themselves: Attend to reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine, for all
Scripture divinely inspired is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to
instruct injustice, that the man of God may be perfect, furnished to every good
work.
Division of this Catechism
The truths revealed by Almighty God are so
many and so various that it is no easy task to acquire a knowledge of them, or,
having done so, to remember them so well as to be able to explain them with
ease and readiness when occasion requires. Hence our predecessors in the faith
have very wisely reduced all the doctrines of salvation to these four heads:
The Apostles' Creed, the Sacraments, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's
Prayer.
The part on the Creed contains all that is to
be held according to Christian faith, whether it regard the knowledge of God,
the creation and government of the world, or the redemption of man, the rewards
of the good and the punishments of the wicked. The part devoted to the Seven
Sacraments teaches us what are the signs, and, as it were, the instruments of
grace. In the part on the Decalogue is described whatever has reference to the
law, whose end is charity. Finally, the Lord's Prayer contains whatever can be
the object of the Christian's desires, or hopes, or prayers. The exposition, therefore,
of these four parts, which are, as it were, the general heads of Sacred
Scripture, includes almost everything that a Christian should learn.
How This Work Is To Be Used
We therefore deem it proper to inform pastors
that, whenever they have occasion, in the ordinary discharge of their duty, to
expound any passage of the Gospel or any other part of Holy Scripture. they
will find its subject-matter treated under some one of the four heads already
enumerated, to which they recur, as to the source from which their instruction
is to be drawn.
Thus, if the Gospel of the first Sunday of
Advent is to be explained, There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon,
etc., whatever regards its explanation is contained under the Article of the
Creed, He shall come to judge the living and the dead; and by embodying the
substance of that Article in his exposition, the pastor will at once instruct
his people in the Creed and in the Gospel. Whenever, therefore, he has to
communicate instruction and expound the Scriptures, he will observe the same
rule of referring all to these four principal heads under which, as we
observed, the whole teaching and doctrine of Holy Scripture is contained. As
for order, however, he is free to follow that which he deems best suited to the
circumstances of persons and time.
PART
I : THE CREED
Faith
In preparing and instructing men in the
teachings of Christ the Lord, the Fathers began by explaining the meaning of
faith. Following their example, we have thought it well to treat first what
pertains to that virtue.
Though the word faith has a variety of
meanings in the Sacred Scriptures, we here speak only of that faith by which we
yield our entire assent to whatever has been divinely revealed.
Necessity Of Faith
That faith thus understood is necessary to
salvation no man can reasonably doubt, particularly since it is written:
Without faith it is impossible to please God. For as the end proposed to man as
his ultimate happiness is far above the reach of human understanding, it was
therefore necessary that it should be made known to him by God. This knowledge,
however, is nothing else than faith, by which we yield our unhesitating assent
to whatever the authority of our Holy Mother the Church teaches us to have been
revealed by God; for the faithful cannot doubt those things of which God, who
is truth itself, is the author. Hence we see the great difference that exists
between this faith which we give to God and that which we yield to the writers
of human history.
Unity Of Faith
Faith differs in degree; for we read in
Scripture these words: O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt; and Great
is thy faith; and Increase our faith. It also differs in dignity, for we read:
Faith without works is dead; and, Faith that worketh by charity. But although
faith is so comprehensive, it is yet the same in kind, and the full force of
its definition applies equally to all its varieties. How fruitful it is and how
great are the advantages we may derive from it we shall point out when
explaining the Articles of the Creed.
The Creed
Now the chief truths which Christians ought
to hold are those which the holy Apostles, the leaders and teachers of the
faith, inspired by the Holy Ghost' have divided into the twelve Articles of the
Creed. For having received a command from the Lord to go forth into the whole
world, as His ambassadors, and preach the Gospel to every creature, they
thought it advisable to draw up a formula of Christian faith, that all might
think and speak the same thing, and that among those whom they should have
called to the unity of the faith no schisms would exist, but that they should
be perfect in the same mind, and in the same judgment.
This profession of Christian faith and hope,
drawn up by themselves, the Apostles called a symbol; either because it was
made up of various parts, each of which was contributed by an Apostle, or
because by it, as by a common sign and watchword, they might easily distinguish
deserters from the faith and false brethren unawares brought in, adulterating
the word of God, from those who had truly bound themselves by oath to serve
under the banner of Christ.
Division Of The Creed
Christianity proposes to the faithful many
truths which, either separately or in general, must be held with an assured and
firm faith. Among these what must first and necessarily be believed by all is
that which God Himself has taught us as the foundation and summary of truth
concerning the unity of the Divine Essence, the distinction of Three Persons,
and the actions which are peculiarly attributed to each. The pastor should
teach that the Apostles, Creed briefly comprehends the doctrine of this
mystery.
For, as has been observed by our predecessors
in the faith, who have treated this subject with great piety and accuracy, the
Creed seems to be divided into three principal parts: one describing the First
Person of the Divine Nature, and the stupendous work of the creation; another,
the Second Person, and the mystery of man's redemption; a third, the Third
Person, the head and source of our sanctification; the whole being expressed in
various and most appropriate propositions. These propositions are called
Articles, from a comparison frequently used by the Fathers; for as the members
of the body are divided by joints (articuli), so in this profession of faith,
whatever is to be believed distinctly and separately from anything else is
rightly and suitably called an Article.
ARTICLE
I : "I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY, CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND
EARTH"
Meaning Of This Article
The meaning of the above words is this: I
believe with certainty, and without a shadow of doubt profess my belief in God
the Father, the First Person of the Trinity, who by His omnipotence created
from nothing and preserves and governs the heavens and the earth and all things
which they contain; and not only do I believe in Him from my heart and profess
this belief with my lips, but with the greatest ardour and piety I tend towards
Him, as the supreme and most perfect good.
Let this serve as a brief summary of this
first Article. But since great mysteries lie concealed under almost every word,
the pastor must now give them a more careful consideration, in order that, as
far as God has permitted, the faithful may approach, with fear and trembling,
to contemplate the glory of His majesty.
"I Believe"
The word believe does not here mean to think,
to suppose, lo be of opinion; but, as the Sacred Scriptures teach, it expresses
the deepest conviction, by which the mind gives a firm and unhesitating assent
to God revealing His mysterious truths. As far, therefore, as regards use of
the word here, he who firmly and without hesitation is convinced of anything is
said to believe.
Faith Excludes Doubt
The knowledge derived through faith must not
be considered less certain because its objects are not seen; for the divine
light by which we know them, although it does not render them evident, yet
suffers us not to doubt them. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of
darkness, hath himself shone in our hearts, that the gospel be not hidden to
us, as to those that perish.
Faith Excludes Curiosity
From what has been said it follows that he
who is gifted with this heavenly knowledge of faith is free from an inquisitive
curiosity. For when God commands us to believe He does not propose to us to
search into His divine judgments, or inquire into their reason and cause, but
demands an unchangeable faith, by which the mind rests content in the knowledge
of eternal truth. And indeed, since we have the testimony of the Apostle that
God is true; and every man a liar, and since it would argue arrogance and
presumption to disbelieve the word of a grave and sensible man affirming
anything as true, and to demand that he prove his statements by arguments or
witnesses, how rash and foolish are those, who, hearing the words of God
Himself, demand reasons for His heavenly and saving doctrines? Faith,
therefore, must exclude not only all doubt, but all desire for demonstration.
Faith Requires Open Profession
The pastor should also teach that he who
says, I believe, besides declaring the inward assent of the mind, which is an
internal act of faith, should also openly profess and with alacrity acknowledge
and proclaim what he inwardly and in his heart believes. For the faithful
should be animated by the same spirit that spoke by the lips of the Prophet
when he said: I believe; and therefore did I speak, and should follow the
example of the Apostles who replied to the princes of the people: We cannot but
speak the things which we have seen and heard. They should be encouraged by
these noble words of St. Paul: I am not ashamed of the gospel. For it is the
power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; and likewise by those
other words; in which the truth of this doctrine is expressly confirmed: With
the heart we believe unto justice; but with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation.
"In God"
From these words we may learn how exalted are
the dignity and excellence of Christian wisdom, and what a debt of gratitude we
owe to the divine goodness. For to us it is given at once to mount as by the
steps of faith to the knowledge of what is most sublime and desirable.
Knowledge Of God More Easily Obtained
Through Faith Than Through Reason
There is a great difference between Christian
philosophy and human wisdom. The latter, guided solely by the light of nature,
advances slowly by reasoning on sensible objects and effects, and only after
long and laborious investigation is it able at length to contemplate with
difficulty the invisible things of God, to discover and understand a First
Cause and Author of all things. Christian philosophy, on the contrary, so
quickens the human mind that without difficulty it pierces the heavens, and,
illumined with divine light, contemplates first, the eternal source of light,
and in its radiance all created things: so that we experience with the utmost
pleasure of mind that we have been called, as the Prince of the Apostles says,
out of darkness into his admirable light, and believing we rejoice with joy
unspeakable.
Justly, therefore, do the faithful profess
first to believe in God, whose majesty, with the Prophet Jeremias, we declare
incomprehensible. For, as the Apostle says, He dwells in light inaccessible,
which no man hath seen, nor can see; as God Himself, speaking to Moses, said:
No man shall see my face and live. The mind cannot rise to the contemplation of
the Deity, whom nothing approaches in sublimity, unless it be entirely
disengaged from the senses, and of this in the present life we art naturally
incapable.
Knowledge Of God Obtained Through Faith Is
Clearer
But while this is so, yet God, as the Apostle
says, left not himself without testimony, doing good from heaven, giving rains
and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. Hence it is
that the philosophers conceived no mean idea of the Divinity, ascribed to Him
nothing corporeal, gross or composite. They considered Him the perfection and
fullness of all good, from whom, as from an eternal, inexhaustible fountain of
goodness and benignity, flows every perfect gift to all creatures. They called
Him the wise, the author and lover of truth, the just, the most beneficent, and
gave Him also many other appellations expressive of supreme and absolute
perfection. They recognised that His immense and infinite power fills every
place and extends to all things
These truths the Sacred Scriptures express
far better and much more clearly, as in the following passages: God is a
spirit; Be ye perfect, even as also your heavenly Father is perfect; All things
are naked and open to his eyes; O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of
the knowledge of God! God is true; I am the way, the truth, and the life; Thy
right hand is full of justice; Thou openest thy hand, and fillest with blessing
every living creature; and finally: Whither shall go from thy spirit? or
whither shall I flee from thy face? If I ascend into heaven, thou art there; if
I descend into hell, thou art there. If I take my wings early in the morning,
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, etc., and Do I not fill heaven and
earth, saith the Lord?
Knowledge Of God Obtained Through Faith Is
More Certain
These great and sublime truths regarding the
nature of God, which are in full accord with Scripture, the philosophers were
able to learn from an investigation of God's works. But even here we see the
necessity of divine revelation if we reflect that not only does faith, as we
have already observed, make known clearly and at once to the rude and
unlettered, those truths which only the learned could discover, and that by
long study; but also that the knowledge obtained through faith is much more
certain and more secure against error than if it were the result of
philosophical inquiry.
Knowledge Of God Obtained Through Faith Is
More Ample And Exalted
But how much more exalted must not that
knowledge of the Deity be considered, which cannot be acquired in common by all
from the contemplation of nature, but is peculiar to those who are illumined by
the light of faith ?
This knowledge is contained in the Articles
of the Creed, which disclose to us the unity of the Divine Essence and the
distinction of Three Persons, and show also that God Himself is the ultimate
end of our being, from whom we are to expect the enjoyment of the eternal
happiness of heaven, according to the words of St. Paul: God is a rewarder of
them that seek Him. How great are these rewards, and whether they are such that
human knowledge could aspire to their attainment, we learn from these words of
Isaias uttered long before those of the Apostle: From the beginning of the
world they have not heard, nor perceived with the ears: the eye hath not seen
besides thee, O God, what things thou hast prepared for them that wait for
thee.
The Unity Of Nature In God
From what is said it must also be confessed
that there is but one God, not many gods. For we attribute to God supreme
goodness and infinite perfection, and it is impossible that what? is supreme
and most perfect could be common to many. If a being lack anything that
constitutes supreme perfection, it is therefore imperfect and cannot have the
nature of God.
The unity of God is also proved from many
passages of Sacred Scripture. It is written: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God
is one Lord; again the Lord commands: Thou shalt not have strange gods before
me; and further He often admonishes us by the Prophet: I am the first, and I am
the last, and besides me there is no God. The Apostle also openly declares: One
Lord, one faith, one baptism.
It should not, however, excite our surprise
if the Sacred Scriptures sometimes give the name of God to creatures. For when
they call the Prophets and judges gods, they do not speak according to the
manner of the Gentiles, who, in their folly and impiety, formed to themselves
many gods; but express, by a manner of speaking then in use, some eminent
quality or function conferred on such persons by the gift of God.
The Trinity Of Persons In God
The Christian faith, therefore, believes and
professes, as is declared in the Nicene Creed in confirmation of this truth,
that God in His Nature, Substance and Essence is one.- But soaring still
higher, it so understands Him to be one that it adores unity in trinity and
trinity in unity. Of this mystery we now proceed to speak, as it comes next in
order in the Creed.
"The Father"
As God is called Father for more reasons than
one, we must first determine the more appropriate sense in which the word is
used in the present instance.
God Is Called Father Because He Is Creator
And Ruler
Even some on whose darkness the light of
faith never shone conceived God to be an eternal substance from whom all things
have their beginning, and by whose Providence they are governed and preserved
in their order and state of existence. Since, therefore, he to whom a family
owes its origin and by whose wisdom
derived from human things these persons gave
the name Father to God, whom they acknowledge to be the Creator and Governor of
the universe. The Sacred Scriptures also, when they wish to show that to God
must be ascribed the creation of all things, supreme power and admirable
Providence, make use of the same name. Thus we read: Is not he thy Father, that
hath possessed thee, and made thee and created thee? And: Have we not all one
Father? hath not one God created us?
God Is Called Father Because He Adopts
Christians Through Grace
But God, particularly in the New Testament,
is much more frequently, and in some sense peculiarly, called the Father of
Christians, who have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear; but have
received the spirit of adoption of sons (of God), whereby they cry: Abba
(Father). For the Father hath bestowed upon us that manner of charity that we
should be called, and be the sons of God, and if sons, heirs also; heirs indeed
of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, who is the first-born amongst many
brethren, and is not ashamed to call us brethren. Whether, therefore, we look
to the common title of creation and Providence, or to the special one of
spiritual adoption, rightly do the faithful profess their belief that God is
their Father.
The Name Father Also Discloses The
Plurality Of Persons In God
But the pastor should teach that on hearing
the word Father, besides the ideas already unfolded, the mind should rise to
more exalted mysteries. Under the name Father, the divine oracles begin to
unveil to us a mysterious truth which is more abstruse and more deeply hidden
in that inaccessible light in which God dwells, and which human reason and
understanding could not attain to, nor even conjecture to exist.
This name implies that in the one Essence of
the Godhead is proposed to our belief, not only one Person, but a distinction
of persons; for in one Divine Nature there are Three Persons-the Father,
begotten of none; the Son, begotten of the Father before all ages; the Holy
Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the likewise, from all eternity
The Doctrine Of The Trinity
In the one Substance of the Divinity the
Father is the First Person, who with His Only-begotten Son, and the Holy Ghost,
is one God and one Lord, not in the singularity of one Person, but in the
trinity of one Substance. These Three Persons, since it would be impiety to
assert that they are unlike or unequal in any thing, are understood to be
distinct only in their respective properties. For the Father is unbegotten, the
Son begotten of the Father, and the Holy Ghost proceeds from both. Thus we
acknowledge the Essence and the Substance of the Three Persons to be the same
in such wise that we believe that in confessing the true and eternal God we are
piously and religiously to adore distinction in the Persons, unity in the
Essence, and equality in the Trinity.
Hence, when we say that the Father is the
First Person, we are not to be understood to mean that in the Trinity there is
anything first or last, greater or less. Let none of the faithful be guilty of
such impiety, for the Christian religion proclaims the same eternity, the same
majesty of glory in the Three Persons. But since the Father is the Beginning without
a beginning, we truly and unhesitatingly affirm that He is the First Person,
and as He is distinct from the Others by His peculiar relation of paternity, so
of Him alone is it true that He begot the Son from eternity. For when in the
Creed we pronounce together the words God and Father, it means that He was
always both God and Father.
Practical Admonitions Concerning The
Mystery Of The Trinity
Since nowhere is a too curious inquiry more
dangerous, or error more fatal, than in the knowledge and exposition of this,
the most profound and difficult of mysteries, let the pastor teach that the
terms nature and person used to express this mystery should be most
scrupulously retained; and let the faithful know that unity belongs to essence,
and distinction to persons.
But these are truths which should not be made
the subject of too subtle investigation, when we recollect that he who is a
searcher of majesty shall be overwhelmed by glory. We should be satisfied with
the assurance and certitude which faith gives us that we have been taught these
truths by God Himself, to doubt whose word is the extreme of folly and misery.
He has said: Teach ye all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; and again, there are three who give
testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three
are one.
Let him, however, who by the divine bounty
believes these truths, constantly beseech and implore God and the Father, who
made all things out of nothing, and ordereth an things sweetly, who gave us
power to become the sons of God, and who made known to the human mind the
mystery of the Trinity -- let him, I say, pray unceasingly that, admitted one
day into the eternal tabernacles, he may be worthy to see how great is the
fecundity of the Father, who contemplating and understanding Himself, begot the
Son like and equal to Himself, how a love of charity in both, entirely the same
and equal, which is the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son,
connects the begetter and the begotten by an eternal and indissoluble bond; and
that thus the Essence of the Trinity is one and the distinction of the Three
Persons perfect.
"Almighty"
The Sacred Scriptures, in order to mark the
piety and devotion with which the most holy name of God is to be adored,
usually express His supreme power and infinite majesty in a variety of ways;
but the pastor should, first of all, teach that almighty power is most
frequently attributed to Him. Thus He says of Himself: I am the almighty Lord
and again, Jacob when sending his sons to Joseph thus prayed for them: May my
almighty God make him favourable to you. In the Apocalypse also it is written:
The Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the almighty; and in
another place the last day is called the great day of the almighty God.
Sometimes the same attribute is expressed in many words; thus: No word shall be
impossible with God; Is the hand of the Lord unable? Thy power is at hand when
thou wiIt, and so on.
Meaning Of The Term Almighty"
From these various modes of expression it is
clearly perceived what is comprehended under this single word almighty. By it
we understand that there neither exists nor can be conceived in thought or
imagination anything which God cannot do. For not only can He annihilate all
created things, and in a moment summon from nothing into existence many other
worlds, an exercise of power which, however great, comes in some degree within
our comprehension; but He can do many things still greater, of which the human
mind can form no conception.
But though God can do all things, yet He
cannot lie, or deceive, or be deceived; He cannot sin, or cease to exist, or be
ignorant of anything. These defects are compatible with those beings only whose
actions are imperfect; but God, whose acts are always most perfect, is said to
be incapable of such things, simply because the capability of doing them
implies weakness, not the supreme and infinite power over all things which God
possesses. Thus we so believe God to be omnipotent that we exclude from Him
entirely all that is not intimately connected and consistent with the
perfection of His nature.
Why Omnipotence Alone Is Mentioned In The:
Creed
The pastor should point out the propriety and
wisdom of having omitted all other names of God in the Creed, and of having
proposed to us only that of almighty as the object of our belief. For by
acknowledging God to be omnipotent, we also of necessity acknowledge Him to be
omniscient, and to hold all things in subjection to His supreme authority and
dominion. When we do not doubt that He is omnipotent, we must be also convinced
of everything else regarding Him, the absence of which would render His
omnipotence altogether unintelligible.
Besides, nothing tends more to confirm our
faith and animate our hope than a deep conviction that all things are possible
to God; for whatever may be afterwards proposed as an object of faith, however
great, however wonderful, however raised above the natural order, is easily and
without hesitation believed, once the mind has grasped the knowledge of the
omnipotence of God. Nay more, the greater the truths which the divine oracles
announce, the more willingly does the mind deem them worthy of belief. And
should we expect any favour from heaven, we are not discouraged by the
greatness of the desired benefit, but are cheered and confirmed by frequently
considering that there is nothing which an omnipotent God cannot effect.
Advantages Of Faith In God’s Omnipotence
With this faith, then, we should be specially
fortified whenever we are required to render any extraordinary service to our
neighbour or seek to obtain by prayer any favour from God. Its necessity in the
one case we learn from the Lord Himself, who, when rebuking the incredulity of
the Apostles, said: If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say
to this mountain: Remove from hence thither, and it shall remove; and nothing
shall be impossible to you; and in the other case, from these words of St.
James: Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a
wave of the sea, which is moved and carried about by the wind. Therefore let
not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
This faith brings with it also many
advantages and helps. It forms us, in the first place, to all humility and
lowliness of mind, according to these words of the Prince of the Apostles: Be
you humbled therefore under the mighty hand of God. It also teaches us not to
fear where there is no cause of fear, but to fear God alone, in whose power we
ourselves and all that we have are placed; for our Saviour says: I will shew
you whom you shall fear; fear ye him, who after he hath killed, hath power to
cast into hell. This faith is also useful to enable us to know and exalt the infinite
mercies of God towards us. For he who reflects on the omnipotence of God,
cannot be so ungrateful as not frequently to exclaim: He that is mighty, hath
done great things to me.
Not Three Almighties But One Almighty
When, however, in this Article we call the
Father almighty, let no one be led into the error of thinking that this
attribute is so ascribed to Him as not to belong also to the Son and the Holy
Ghost. As we say the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Ghost is God, and
yet there are not three Gods but one God; so in like manner we confess that the
Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Ghost almighty, and yet
there are not three almighties but one almighty.
The Father, in particular, we call almighty,
because He is the Source of all being; as we also attribute wisdom to the Son,
because He is the eternal Word of the Father; and goodness to the Holy Ghost,
because He is the love of both. These, however, and similar appellations, may
be given indiscriminately to the Three Persons, according to the teaching of
Catholic faith.
"Creator"
The necessity of having previously imparted
to the faithful a knowledge of the omnipotence of God will appear from what we
are now about to explain with regard to the creation of the world. The wondrous
production of so stupendous a work is more easily believed when all doubt
concerning the immense power of the Creator has been removed.
For God formed the world not from materials
of any sort, but created it from nothing, and that not by constraint or
necessity, but spontaneously, and of His own free will. Nor was He impelled to
create by any other cause than a desire to communicate His goodness to
creatures. Being essentially happy in Himself He stands not in need of
anything, as David expresses it: I have said to the Lord, thou art my God, for
thou hast no need of my goods.
As it was His own goodness that influenced
Him when He did all things whatsoever He would, so in the work of creation He
followed no external form or model; but contemplating, and as it were
imitating, the universal model contained in the divine intelligence, the
supreme Architect, with infinite wisdom and power-attributes peculiar to the
Divinity -- created all things in the be ginning. He spoke and they were made:
he commanded and they were created.
"Of Heaven and Earth"
The words heaven and earth include all things
which the heaven's and the earth contain; for besides the heavens, which the
Prophet has called the works of his fingers, He also gave to the sun its
brilliancy, and to the moon and stars their beauty; and that they might be for
signs, and for seasons, and for days and years. He so ordered the celestial
bodies in a certain and uniform course, that nothing varies more than their
continual revolution, while nothing is more fixed than their variety.
Creation Of The World Of Spirits
Moreover, He created out of nothing the
spiritual world and Angels innumerable to serve and minister to Him; and these
He enriched and adorned with the admirable gifts of His grace and power.
That the devil and the other rebel angels
were gifted from the beginning of their creation with grace, clearly follows
from these words of the Sacred Scriptures: He (the devil) stood not in the
truth. On this subject St. Augustine says: In creating the Angels He endowed
them with good will, that is, with pure love that they might adhere to Him,
giving them existence and adorning them with grace at one and the same time.
Hence we are to believe that the holy Angels were never without good will, that
is, the love of God.
As to their knowledge we have this testimony
of Holy Scripture: Thou, my Lord, O king, art wise, according to the wisdom of
an angel of God, to understand all things upon earth.' Finally, the inspired
David ascribes power to them, saying that they are mighty in strength, and
execute his word; and on this account they are often called in Scripture the
powers and the armies of the Lord.
But although they were all endowed with
celestial gifts, very many, having rebelled against God, their Father and
Creator, were hurled from those high mansions of bliss, and shut up in the
darkest dungeon of earth, there to suffer for eternity the punishment of their
pride. Speaking of them the Prince of the Apostles says: God spared not the
angels that sinned, but delivered them, drawn by infernal ropes to the lower
hell, unto torments, to be reserved unto judgment.
Formation Of The Universe
The earth also God commanded to stand in the
midst of the world, rooted in its own foundation, and made the mountains
ascend, and the plains descend into the place which he had founded for them.
That the waters should not inundate the earth, He set a bound which they shall
not pass over; neither shall they return to cover the earth. He next not only
clothed and adorned it with trees and every variety of plant and flower, but
filled it, as He had already filled the air and water, with innumerable kinds
of living creatures.
Production Of Man
Lastly, He formed man from the slime of the
earth, so created and constituted in body as to be immortal and impassible,
not, however, by the strength of nature, but by the bounty of God. Man's soul
He created to His own image and likeness; gifted him with free will, and
tempered all his motions and appetites so as to subject them, at all times, to
the dictates of reason. He then added the admirable gift of original
righteousness, and next gave him dominion over all other animals. By referring
to the sacred history of Genesis the pastor will easily make himself familiar
with these things for the instruction of the faithful.
"Of all Things Visible and
Invisible"
What we have said, then, of the creation of
the universe is to be understood as conveyed by the words heaven and earth, and
is thus briefly set forth by the Prophet: Thine are the heavens, and thine is
the earth: the world and the fullness thereof thou hast founded. Still more
briefly the Fathers of the Council of Nice expressed this truth by adding in
their Creed these words: of all things visible and invisible. Whatever exists
in the universe, whatever we confess to have been created by God, either falls
under the senses and is included in the word visible, or is an object of mental
perception and intelligence and is expressed by the word invisible.
God Preserves, Rules And Moves All Created
Things
We are not, however, to understand that God
is in such wise the Creator and Maker of all things that His works, when once
created and finished, could thereafter continue to exist unsupported by His
omnipotence. For as all things derive existence from the Creator's supreme
power, wisdom, and goodness, so unless preserved continually by His Providence,
and by the same power which produced them, they would instantly return into
their nothingness. This the Scriptures declare when they say: How could
anything endure if thou wouldst not? or be preserved, if not called by thee?
Not only does God protect and govern all
things by His Providence, but He also by an internal power impels to motion and
action whatever moves and acts, and this in such a manner that, although He
excludes not, He yet precedes the agency of secondary causes. For His invisible
influence extends to all things, and, as the Wise Man says, reaches from end to
end mightily, and ordereth all things sweetly. This is the reason why the
Apostle, announcing to the Athenians the God whom, not knowing, they adored,
said: He is not far from every one of us: for in him we live, and move, and
are.
Creation Is The Work Of The Three Persons
Let so much suffice for the explanation of
the first Article of the Creed. It may not be superfluous, however, to add that
creation is the common work of the Three Persons of the Holy and undivided
Trinity, -- of the Father, whom according to the doctrine of the Apostles we
here declare to be Creator of heaven and earth; of the Son, of whom the
Scripture says, all things were made by him; and of the Holy Ghost, of whom it
is written: The spirit of God moved over the waters, and again, By the word of
the Lord the heavens were established; and all the power of them by the spirit
of his mouth.
ARTICLE
II : "AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD"
Advantages Of Faith In This Article
That wonderful and superabundant are the
blessings which flow to the human race from the belief and profession of this
Article we learn from these words of St. John: Whosoever shall confess that
Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him, and he in God; and also from the
words of Christ the Lord, proclaiming the Prince of the Apostles blessed for
the confession of this truth: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: for flesh and
blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. For this
Article is the most firm basis of our salvation and redemption.
But as the fruit of these admirable blessings
is best known by considering the ruin brought on man by his fall from that most
happy state in which God had placed our first parents, let the pastor be
particularly careful to make known to the faithful the cause of this common
misery and calamity.
When Adam had departed from the obedience due
to God and had violated the prohibition, of every tree of paradise thou shalt
eat: But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat, for in
what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death, he fell into
the extreme misery of losing the sanctity and righteousness in which he had
been placed, and of becoming subject to all those other evils which have been
explained more fully by the holy Council of Trent.
Wherefore, the pastor should not omit to
remind the faithful that the guilt and punishment of original sin were not
confined to Adam, but justly descended from him, as from their source and
cause, to all posterity. The human race, having fallen from its elevated
dignity, no power of men or Angels could raise it from its fallen condition and
replace it in its primitive state. To remedy the evil and repair the loss it
became necessary that the Son of God, whose power is infinite, clothed in the
weakness of our flesh, should remove the infinite weight of sin and reconcile
us to God in His blood.
Necessity Of Faith In This Article
The belief and profession of this our
redemption, which God declared from the beginning, are now, and always have
been, necessary to salvation. In the sentence of condemnation pronounced
against the human race immediately after the sin of Adam the hope of redemption
was held out in these words, which announced to the devil the loss he was to
sustain by man's redemption: I will put enmities between thee and the woman,
and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait
f or her heel.
The same promise God again often confirmed
and more distinctly manifested to those chiefly whom He desired to make special
objects of His favour; among others to the Patriarch Abraham, to whom He often
declared this mystery, but more explicitly when, in obedience to His command,
Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Because, said God, thou
hast done this thing, and hast not spared thy only-begotten son f or my sake; I
win bless thee, and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the
sand that is by the sea shore. Thy seed shall possess the gates of their
enemies, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because
thou hast obeyed my voice. From these words it was easy to infer that He who
was to deliver mankind from the ruthless tyranny of Satan was to be descended
from Abraham; and that while He was the Son of God, He was to be born of the
seed of Abraham according to the flesh.
Not long after, to preserve the memory of
this promise, God renewed the same covenant with Jacob, the grandson of
Abraham. When in a vision Jacob saw a ladder standing on earth, and its top
reaching to heaven, and the angels of God ascending and descending by it, as
the Scriptures testify, he also heard the Lord, who was leaning on the ladder,
say to him: I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac; the
land, wherein thou sleepest, I will give to thee and to thy seed. And thy seed
shall be as the dust of the earth. Thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to
the east, and to the north, and to the south; and in thee and thy seed all the
nations of the earth shall be blessed.
Nor did God cease afterwards to excite in the
posterity of Abraham and in many others, the expectation of a Saviour, by
renewing the recollection of the same promise; for after the establishment of
the Jewish State and religion it became better known to His people. Types
signified and men foretold what and how great blessings the Saviour and
Redeemer, Christ Jesus, was to bring to mankind. And indeed the Prophets, whose
minds were illuminated with light from above, foretold the birth of the Son of
God, the wondrous works which He wrought while on earth, His doctrine,
character, life, death, Resurrection, and the other mysterious circumstances
regarding Him, and all these they announced to the people as graphically as if
they were passing before their eyes. With the exception that one has reference
to the future and the other to the past, we can discover no difference between
the predictions of the Prophets and the preaching of the Apostles, between the
faith of the ancient Patriarchs and that of Christians.
But we are now to speak of the several parts
of this Article.
"Jesus"
Jesus is the proper name of the God-man and
signifies Saviour: a name given Him not accidentally, or by the judgment or
will of man, but by the counsel and command of God. For the Angel announced to
Mary His mother: Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth
a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He afterwards not only commanded
Joseph, who was espoused to the Virgin, to call the child by that name, but
also declared the reason why He should be so called. Joseph, son of David, said
the Angel, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is
conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son and thou
shalt call his name Jesus. For he shall save his people from their sins.
In the Sacred Scriptures we meet with many
who were called by this name. So, for example, was called the son of Nave, who
succeeded Moses, and, by special privilege denied to Moses, conducted into the
land of promise the people whom Moses had delivered from Egypt; and also the
son of Josedech, the priest. But how much more appropriate it is to call by
this name our Saviour, who gave light, liberty and salvation, not to one people
only, but to all men, of all ages to men oppressed, not by famine, or Egyptian
or Babylonian bondage, but sitting in the shadow of death and fettered by the
galling chains of sin and of the devil who purchased for them a right to the
inheritance of heaven and reconciled them to God the Father! In those men who
were designated by the same name we see foreshadowed Christ the Lord, by whom
the blessings just enumerated were poured out on the human race.
All other names which according to prophecy
were to be given by divine appointment to the Son of God, are comprised in this
one name Jesus; for while they partially signified the salvation which He was
to bestow upon us, this name included the force and meaning of all human
salvation.
"Christ"
To the name Jesus is added that of Christ,
which signifies the anointed. This name is expressive of honour and office, and
is not peculiar to one thing only, but common to many; for in the Old Law
priests and kings, whom God, on account of the dignity of their office,
commanded to he anointed, were called christs. For priests commend the people
to God by unceasing prayer, offer sacrifice to Him, and turn away His wrath
from mankind. Kings are entrusted with the government of the people; and to
them principally belong the authority of the law, the protection of innocence
and the punishment of guilt. As, therefore, both these functions seem to
represent the majesty of God on earth, those who were appointed to the royal or
sacerdotal office were anointed with oil. Furthermore, since Prophets, as the
interpreters and ambassadors of the immortal God, have unfolded to us the
secrets of heaven and by salutary precepts and the prediction of future events
have exhorted to amendment of life, it was customary to anoint them also.
When Jesus Christ our Saviour came into the
world, He assumed these three characters of Prophet, Priest and King, and was
therefore called Christ, having been anointed for the discharge of these
functions, not by mortal hand or with earthly ointment, but by the power of His
heavenly Father and with a spiritual oil; for the plenitude of the Holy Spirit
and a more copious effusion of all gifts than any other created being is
capable of receiving were poured into His soul. This the Prophet clearly
indicates when he addresses the Redeemer in these words: Thou hast loved
justice, and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with
the oil of gladness above thy fellows. The same is also more explicitly
declared by the Prophet Isaias: The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the
Lord hath anointed me: he hath sent me to preach to the meek.
Jesus Christ, therefore, was the great
Prophet and Teacher, from whom we have learned the will of God and by whom the
world has been taught the knowledge of the heavenly Father. The name prophet
belongs to Him preeminently, because all others who were dignified with that
name were His disciples, sent principally to announce the coming of that
Prophet who was to save all men.
Christ was also a Priest, not indeed of the
same order as were the priests of the tribe of Levi in the Old Law, but of that
of which the Prophet David sang: Thou art a priest for ever according to the
order of Melchisedech. This subject the Apostle fully and accurately develops
in his Epistle to the Hebrews.
Christ not only as God, but also as man and
partaker of our nature, we acknowledge to be a King. Of Him the Angel
testified: He shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom
there shall be no end. This kingdom of Christ is spiritual and eternal, begun
on earth but perfected in heaven. He discharges by His admirable Providence the
duties of King towards His Church, governing and protecting her against the
assaults and snares of her enemies, legislating for her and imparting to her
not only holiness and righteousness, but also the power and strength to
persevere. But although the good and the bad are found within the limits of
this kingdom, and thus all men by right belong to it, yet those who in
conformity with His commands lead unsullied and innocent lives, experience beyond
all others the sovereign goodness and beneficence of our King. Although
descended from the most illustrious race of kings, He obtained this kingdom not
by hereditary or other human right, but because God bestowed on Him as man all
the power, dignity and majesty of which human nature is capable. To Him,
therefore, God delivered the government of the whole world, and to this His
sovereignty, which has already commenced, all things shall be made fully and
entirely subject on the day of judgment.
"His Only Son"
In these words, mysteries more exalted with
regard to Jesus are proposed to the faithful as objects of their belief and
contemplation; namely, that He is the Son of God, and true God, like the Father
who begot Him from eternity. We also confess that He is the Second Person of
the Blessed Trinity, equal in all things to the Father and the Holy Ghost; for
in the Divine Persons nothing unequal or unlike should exist, or even be
imagined to exist, since we acknowledge the essence, will and power of all to
be one. This truth is both clearly revealed in many passages of Holy Scripture
and sublimely announced in the testimony of St. John: In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
But when we are told that Jesus is the Son of
God, we are not to understand anything earthly or mortal in His birth; but are
firmly to believe and piously to adore that birth by which, from all eternity,
the Father begot the Son, a mystery which reason cannot fully conceive or
comprehend, and at the contemplation of which, overwhelmed, as it were, with
admiration, we should exclaim with the Prophet: Who shall declare his
generation? On this point, then, we are to believe that the Son is of the same
nature, of the same power and wisdom, with the Father, as we more fully profess
in these words of the Nicene Creed: And in one Lord Jesus Christ, his
Only-begotten Son, born of the Father before all ages, God of God, light of
light, true God of true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial to the Father, by
whom all things were made.
Among the different comparisons employed to
elucidate the mode and manner of this eternal generation that which is borrowed
from the production of thought in our mind seems to come nearest to its
illustration, and hence St. John calls the Son the Word. For as our mind, in
some sort understanding itself, forms an image of itself, which theologians
express by the term word, so God, as far as we may compare human things to
divine, understanding Himself, begets the eternal Word. It is better, however,
to contemplate what faith proposes, and in the sincerity of our souls to
believe and confess that Jesus Christ is true God and true Man, as God,
begotten of the Father before all ages, as Man, born in time of Mary, His
Virgin Mother.
While we thus acknowledge His twofold
Nativity; we believe Him to be one Son, because His divine and human natures
meet in one Person. As to His divine generation He has no brethren or coheirs,
being the Only-begotten Son of the Father, while we mortals are the work of His
hands. But if we consider His birth as man, He not only calls many by the name
of brethren, but treats them as such, since He admits them to share with Him
the glory of His paternal inheritance. They are those who by faith have
received Christ the Lord, and who really, and by works of charity, show forth
the faith which they profess in words. Hence the Apostle calls Christ, the
first-born amongst many brethren.
"Our Lord"
Of our Saviour many things are recorded in
Sacred Scripture. Some of these, it is evident, apply to Him as God and some as
man, because from His two natures He received the different properties which
belong to both. Hence we say with truth that Christ is Almighty, Eternal,
Infinite, and these attributes He has from His Divine Nature; again, we say of
Him that He suffered, died, and rose again, which are properties manifestly
that belong to His human nature.
Besides these terms, there are others common
to both natures; as when in this Article of the Creed we say our Lord. If,
then, this name applies to both natures, rightly is He to be called our Lord.
For as He, as well as the Father, is the eternal God, so is He Lord of all
things equally with the Father; and as He and the Father are not the one, one
God, and the other, another God, but one and the same God, so likewise He and
the Father are not the one, one Lord, and the other, another Lord.
As man, He is also for many reasons
appropriately called our Lord. First, because He is our Redeemer, who delivered
us from sin, He deservedly acquired the power by which He truly is and is
called our Lord. This is the doctrine of the Apostle:
He humbled himself,
becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. For which cause
God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all names:
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those that are in heaven,
on earth, and under the earth: and that every tongue should confess that the
Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father. And of Himself He said,
after His Resurrection: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.
He is also called Lord because in one Person
both natures, the human and the divine, are united; and even though He had not
died for us, He would have yet deserved, by this admirable union, to be
constituted common Lord of all created things, particularly of the faithful who
obey and serve Him with all the fervour of their souls.
Duties Owed To Christ Our Lord
It remains, therefore, that the pastor remind
the faithful that: from Christ we take our name and are called Christians; that
we cannot be ignorant of the extent of His favours, particularly since by His
gift of faith we are enabled to understand all these things. We, above all
others, are under the obligation of devoting and consecrating ourselves
forever, like faithful servants, to our Redeemer and our Lord.
This indeed, we promised at the doors of the
church when about to be baptised; for we then declared that we renounced the
devil and the world, and gave ourselves unreservedly to Jesus Christ. But if to
be enrolled as soldiers of Christ we consecrated ourselves by so holy and
solemn a profession to our Lord, what punishments should we not deserve if after
our entrance into the Church, and after having known the will and laws of God
and received the grace of the Sacraments, we were to form our lives upon the
precepts and maxims of the world and the devil, just as though when cleansed in
the waters of Baptism, we had pledged our fidelity to the world and to the
devil, and not to Christ the Lord and Saviour!
What heart so cold as not to be inflamed with
love by the kindness and good will exercised toward us by so great a Lord, who,
though holding us in His power and dominion as slaves ransomed by His blood,
yet embraces us with such ardent love as to call us not servants, but friends
and brethren? This, assuredly, supplies the most just, and perhaps the
strongest, claim to induce us always to acknowledge, venerate, and adore Him as
our Lord.
ARTICLE
III : "WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY GHOST, BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY"
Importance Of This Article
From what has been said in the preceding
Article, the faithful can understand that in bringing us from the relentless
tyranny of Satan into liberty, God has conferred a singular and surpassing
blessing on the human race. But if we place before our eyes also the plan and
means by which He deigned chiefly to accomplish this, then, indeed, we shall
see that there is nothing more glorious or magnificent than this divine
goodness and beneficence towards us.
First Part of this Article:
"Who was Conceived,'
The pastor, then, should enter on the
exposition of this third Article by developing the grandeur of this mystery, which
the Sacred Scriptures very frequently propose for our consideration as the
principal source of our eternal salvation. Its meaning he should teach to be
that we believe and confess that the same Jesus Christ, our only Lord, the Son
of God, when He assumed human flesh for us in the womb of the Virgin, was not
conceived like other men, from the seed of man, but in a manner transcending
the order of nature, that is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; so that the same
Person, remaining God as He was from eternity, became man, what He was not
before.
That such is the meaning of the above words
is clear from the Creed of the Holy Council of Constantinople, which says: Who
for us men, and for our salvation,, came down from heaven, and became incarnate
by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man. The same truth we also
find unfolded by St. John the Evangelist, who imbibed from the bosom of the
Lord and Saviour Himself the knowledge of this most profound mystery. For when
he had declared the nature of the Divine Word as follows: In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, he concluded: And
the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
The Word, which is a Person of the Divine
Nature, assumed human nature in such a manner that there should be one and the
same Person in both the divine and human natures. Hence this admirable union
preserved the actions and properties of both natures; and as Pope St. Leo the
Great said: The lowliness of the inferior nature was not consumed in the glory
of the superior, nor did the assumption of the inferior lessen the glory of the
superior.
"By the Holy Ghost"
As an explanation of the words in which this
Article is expressed is not to be omitted, the pastor should teach that when we
say that the Son of God was conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, we do not
mean that this Person alone of the Holy Trinity accomplished the mystery of the
Incarnation. Although the Son only assumed human nature, yet all the Persons of
the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, were authors of this
mystery.
It is a principle of Christian faith that
whatever God does outside Himself in creation is common to the Three Persons,
and that one neither does more than, nor acts without another. But that one emanates
from another, this only cannot be common to all; for the Son is begotten of the
Father only, and the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son. Anything,
however, which proceeds from them extrinsically is the work of the Three
Persons without difference of any sort, and of this latter description is the
Incarnation of the Son of God.
Of those things, nevertheless, that are
common to all, the Sacred Scriptures-often attribute some to one person, some
to another. Thus, to the Father they attribute power over all things ; to the
Son, wisdom; to the Holy Ghost, love. Hence, as the mystery of the Incarnation
manifests the singular and boundless love of God towards us, it is therefore in
some sort peculiarly attributed to the Holy Ghost.
In The Incarnation Some Things Were
Natural, Others Supernatural
In this mystery we perceive that some things
were done which transcend the order of nature, some by the power of nature.
Thus, in believing that the body of Christ was formed from the most pure blood
of His Virgin Mother we acknowledge the operation of human nature, this being a
law common to the formation of all human bodies, that they should be formed
from the blood of the mother.
But what surpasses the order of nature and
human comprehension is, that as soon as the Blessed Virgin assented to the
announcement of the Angel in these words, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be
it done unto me according to thy word, the most sacred body of Christ was
immediately formed, and to it was united a rational soul enjoying the use of
reason; and thus in the same instant of time He was perfect God and perfect
man. That this was the astonishing and admirable work of the Holy Ghost cannot
be doubted; for according to the order of nature the rational soul is united to
the body only after a certain lapse of time.
Again -- and this should overwhelm us with
astonishment -- as soon as the soul of Christ was united to His body, the
Divinity became united to both; and thus at the same time His body was formed
and animated, and the Divinity united to body and soul.
Hence, at the same instant He was perfect God
and perfect man, and the most Holy Virgin, having at the same moment conceived
God and man, is truly and properly called Mother of God and man. This the Angel
signified to her when he said: Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and
shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great,
and shall be called the Son of the Most High. The event verified the prophecy
of Isaias: Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son. Elizabeth also
declared the same truth when" being filled with the Holy Ghost, she
understood the Conception of the Son of God, and said: Whence is this to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
As the body of Christ was formed of the pure
blood of the immaculate Virgin without the aid of man, as we have already said,
and by the sole operation of the Holy Ghost, so also, at the moment of His
Conception, His soul was enriched with an overflowing fullness of the Spirit of
God, and a superabundance of all graces. For God gave not to Him, as to others
adorned with holiness and grace, His Spirit by measure, as St. John testifies
but poured into His soul the plenitude of all graces so abundantly that of his
fullness we all have received.
Although possessing that Spirit by which holy
men attain the adoption of sons of God, He cannot, however, be called the
adopted son of God; for since He is the Son of God by nature, the grace, or
name of adoption, can on no account be deemed applicable to Him.
How To Profit By The Mystery Of The
Incarnation
These truths comprise the substance of what
appears to demand explanation regarding the admirable mystery of the
Conception. To reap from them abundant fruit for salvation the faithful should
particularly recall, and frequently reflect, that it is God who assumed human
flesh; that the manner in which He became man exceeds our comprehension, not to
say our powers of expression; and finally, that He vouchsafed to become man in
order that we men might be born again as children of God. When to these
subjects they shall have given mature consideration, let them, in the humility
of faith, believe and adore all the mysteries contained in this Article, and
not indulge a curious inquisitiveness by investigating and scrutinising them --
an attempt scarcely ever unattended with danger.
Second Part Of This Article: "Born Of
The Virgin Mary"
These words comprise another part of this
Article. In its exposition the pastor should exercise considerable diligence,
because the faithful are bound to believe that Jesus the Lord was not only
conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, but was also born of the Virgin Mary.
The words of the Angel who first announced the happy tidings to the world
declare with what joy and delight of soul this mystery of our faith should be
meditated upon. Behold, said the Angel, I bring you good tidings of great
joy" that shall be to all the people. The same sentiments are clearly
conveyed in the song chanted by the heavenly host: Glory to God in the highest;
and on earth peace to men of good will. Then began the fulfilment of the
splendid promise made by God to Abraham" that in his seed all the nations
of the earth should one day be blessed; for Mary" whom we truly proclaim
and venerate as Mother of God, because she brought forth Him who is at once God
and man, was descended from King David.
The Nativity Of Christ Transcends The
Order Of Nature
But as the Conception itself transcends the
order of nature, so also the birth of our Lord presents to our contemplation
nothing but what is divine.
Besides, what is admirable beyond the power
of thoughts or words to express, He is born of His Mother without any
diminution of her maternal virginity, just as He afterwards went forth from the
sepulchre while it was closed and sealed, and entered the room in which His
disciples were assembled, the doors being shut; or, not to depart from
every-day examples, just as the rays of the sun penetrate without breaking or
injuring in the least the solid substance of glass, so after a like but more
exalted manner did Jesus Christ come forth from His mother's womb without
injury to her maternal virginity. This immaculate and perpetual virginity
forms, therefore, the just theme of our eulogy. Such was the work of the Holy
Ghost, who at the Conception and birth of the Son so favoured the Virgin Mother
as to impart to her fecundity while preserving inviolate her perpetual
virginity.
Christ Compared to Adam" Mary to Eve
The Apostle sometimes calls Jesus Christ the
second Adam, and compares Him to the first Adam; for as in the first all men
die, so in the second all are made alive: and as in the natural order Adam was
the father of the human race, so in the supernatural order Christ is The author
of grace and of glory.
The Virgin Mother we may also compare to Eve,
making the second Eve, that is, Mary, correspond to the first, as we have
already shown that the second Adam, that is, Christ, corresponds to the first
Adam. By believing the serpent, Eve brought malediction and death on mankind,
and Mary, by believing the Angel, became the instrument of The divine goodness
in bringing life and benediction to the human race. From Eve we are born
children of wrath; from Mary we have received Jesus Christ, and through Him are
regenerated children of grace. To Eve it was said: In sorrow shalt thou bring
forth children. Mary was exempt from this law, for preserving her virginal
integrity inviolate she brought forth Jesus the Son of God without
experiencing, as we have already said, any sense of pain.
Types and Prophecies of the Conception and
Nativity
The mysteries of this admirable Conception
and Nativity being, therefore, so great and so numerous, it accorded with the
plan of divine Providence to signify them by many types and prophecies. Hence
the holy Fathers understood many things which we meet in the Sacred Scriptures
to refer to these mysteries, particularly that gate of the sanctuary which
Ezechiel saw closed; the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, which became
a great mountain and filled the universe, of which we read in Daniel; the rod
of Aaron, which alone budded of all the rods of the princes of Israel; and the
bush which Moses saw burr without being consumed.'
The holy Evangelist describes in detail the history
of the birth of Christ; but, as the pastor can easily recur to the Sacred
Volume, it is unnecessary for us to say more on the subject.
Lessons which this Article Teaches
The pastor should labor to impress deeply on
the minds and hearts of the faithful these mysteries, which were written for
our learning; first, that by the commemoration of so great a benefit they may
make some return of gratitude to God, its author, and next, in order to place
before their eyes, as a model for imitation, this striking and singular example
of humility.
Humility And Poverty Of Christ
What can be more useful, what better
calculated to subdue the pride and haughtiness of the human heart, than to
reflect frequently that God humbles Himself in such a manner as to assume our
frailty and weakness, in order to communicate to us His glory; that God becomes
man, and that He at whose nod, to use the words of Scripture, the pillars of
heaven tremble and are affrighted bows His supreme and infinite majesty to
minister to man; that He whom the Angels adore in heaven is born on earth !
When such is the goodness of God towards us, what, I ask, should we not do to
testify our obedience to His will? With what willingness and alacrity should we
not love, embrace, and perform all the duties of humility ?
The faithful should also consider the
salutary lessons which Christ at His birth teaches before He begins to speak.
He is born in poverty; He is born a stranger under a roof not His own; He is
born in a lonely crib; He is born in the depth of winter ! For St. Luke writes
as follows: And it came to pass, that when they were there, her days were
accomplished, that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her
first-born, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger;
because there was no room for them in the inn. Could the Evangelist have
described under more humble terms the majesty and glory that filled the heavens
and the earth ? He does not say, there was no room in the inn, but there was no
room for him who says, the world is mine, and the fullness thereof. As another
Evangelist has expressed it: He came unto his own, and his own received him
not.
Elevation And Dignity Of Man
When the faithful have placed these things
before their eyes, let them also reflect that God condescended to assume the
lowliness and frailty of our flesh in order to exalt man to the highest degree
of dignity. This single reflection, that He who is true and perfect God became
man, supplies sufficient proof of the exalted dignity conferred on the human
race by the divine bounty; since we may now glory that the Son of God is bone
of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, a privilege not given to Angels, for
nowhere, says the Apostle, doth he take hold of the Angels: but of the seed of
Abraham he taketh hold.
Duty Of Spiritual Nativity
We must also take care lest to our great
injury it should happen that just as there was no room for Him in the inn at
Bethlehem, in which to be born, so likewise now, after He has been born in the
flesh, He should find no room in our hearts in which to be born spiritually.
For since He is most desirous of our salvation, this spiritual birth is the
object of His most earnest solicitude.
As, then, by the power of the Holy Ghost, and
in a manner superior to the order of nature, He was made man and was born, was
holy and even holiness itself, so does it become our duty to be born, not of
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, but of God; to walk as new creatures in
newness of spirit, and to preserve that holiness and purity of soul which so
much becomes men regenerated by the Spirit of God. Thus shall we reflect some
faint image of the holy Conception and Nativity of the Son of God, which are
the objects of our firm faith, and believing which we revere and adore the
wisdom of God in a mystery which is hidden.
ARTICLE
IV : "Suffered Under Pontius Pilate, Was Crucified, Dead, And
Buried'"
Importance Of This Article
How necessary is a knowledge of this Article,
and how assiduous the pastor should be in stirring up in the minds of the
faithful the frequent recollection of our Lord's Passion" we learn from
the Apostle when he says that he knows nothing but Jesus Christ and him
crucified.' The pastor, therefore, should exercise the greatest care and pains
in giving a thorough explanation of this subject" in order that the
faithful" being moved by the remembrance of so great a benefit" may
give themselves entirely to the contemplation of the goodness and love of God
towards us.
First Part of this Article:
'"Suffered Under Pontius Pilate, was Crucified,,
The first part of this Article (of the second
we shall treat hereafter) proposes for our belief that when Pontius Pilate
governed the province of Judea" under Tiberius Caesar" Christ the
Lord was nailed to a cross. Having been seized" mocked, outraged and
tortured in various forms" He was finally crucified.
"Suffered,"
It cannot be a matter of doubt that His
soul" as to its inferior part" was sensible of these torments; for as
He really assumed human nature" it is a necessary consequence that He
really, and in His soul, experienced a most acute sense of pain. Hence these
words of the Saviour: My soul is sorrowful even unto death.
Although human nature was united to the Divine
Person, He felt the bitterness of His Passion as acutely as if no such union
had existed" because in the one Person of Jesus Christ were preserved the
properties of both natures" human and divine; and therefore what was
passible and mortal remained passible and mortal; while what was impassible and
immortal, that is, His Divine Nature, continued impassible and immortal.
"Under Pontius Pilate"
Since we find it here so diligently recorded
that Jesus Christ suffered when Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea, the
pastor should explain the reason. By fixing the time, which we find also done
by the Apostle Paul, so important and so necessary an event is rendered more
easily ascertainable by all. Furthermore those words show that the Saviour's
prediction was really verified: They shall deliver him to the Gentiles, to be
mocked and scourged and crucified.
"Was Crucified"
The fact that He suffered death precisely on
the wood of the cross must also be attributed to a particular counsel of God,
which decreed that life should return by the way whence death had arisen The
serpent who had triumphed over our first parents by the wood (of a tree) was
vanquished by Christ on the wood of the cross.
Many other reasons which the Fathers have
discussed in detail might be adduced to show that it was fit that our Redeemer
should suffer death on the cross rather than in any other way. But, as the
pastor will show" it is enough for the faithful to believe that this kind
of death was chosen by the Saviour because it appeared better adapted and more
appropriate to the redemption of the human race; for there certainly could be
none more ignominious and humiliating. Not only among the Gentiles was the
punishment of the cross held accursed and full of shame and infamy, but even in
the Law of Moses the man is called accursed that hangeth on a tree.
Importance Of The History Of The Passion
Furthermore, the pastor should not omit the
historical part of this Article, which has been so carefully set forth by the
holy Evangelists; so that the faithful may be acquainted with at least the
principal points of this mystery, that is to say, such as seem more necessary
to confirm the truth of our faith. For it is on this Article, as on their
foundation, that the Christian faith and religion rest; and if this truth be
firmly established, all the rest is secure. Indeed, if one thing more than
another presents difficulty to the mind and understanding of man, assuredly it
is the mystery of the cross, which, beyond all doubt, must be considered the
most difficult of all; so much so that only with great difficulty can we grasp
the fact that our salvation depends on the cross, and on Him who for us was
nailed thereon. In this, however, as the Apostle teaches, we may well admire
the wonderful Providence of God; for, seeing that in the wisdom of God, the
world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching,
to save them that believe. It is no wonder, then, that the Prophets, before the
coming of Christ, and the Apostles, after His death and Resurrection, labored
so strenuously to convince mankind that He was the Redeemer of the world, and
to bring them under the power and obedience of the Crucified.
Figures And Prophecies Of The Passion And
Death Of The Saviour
Since, therefore, nothing is so far above the
reach of human reason as the mystery of the cross, the Lord immediately after
the fall ceased not, both by figures and prophecies, to signify the death by
which His Son was to die.
To mention a few of these types. First of
all, Abel, who fell a victim of the envy of his brother, Isaac who was
commanded to be offered in sacrifice, the lamb immolated by the Jews on their
departure from Egypt, and also the brazen serpent lifted up by Moses in the
desert, were all figures of the Passion and death of Christ the Lord.
As to the Prophets, how many there were who
foretold Christ's Passion and death is too well known to require development
here. Not to speak of David, whose Psalms embrace all the principal mysteries
of Redemption, the oracles of Isaias in particular are so clear and graphic
that he might be said rather to have recorded a past than predicted a future
event. a
Second Part Of This Article: "Dead,
And Buried"
Christ Really Died
The pastor should explain that these words
present for our belief that Jesus Christ, after He was crucified, really died
and was buried. It is not without just reason that this is proposed to the
faithful as a separate object of belief, since there were some who denied His
death upon the cross. The Apostles, therefore, were justly of opinion that to
such an error should be opposed the doctrine of faith contained in this
Article, the truth of which is placed beyond the possibility of doubt by the
united testimony of all the Evangelists, who record that Jesus yielded up the
ghost.
Moreover as Christ was true and perfect man,
He of course was capable of dying. Now man dies when the soul is separated from
the body. When, therefore, we say that Jesus died, we mean that His soul was
disunited from His body. We do not admit, however, that the Divinity was
separated from His body. On the contrary, we firmly believe and profess that
when His soul was dissociated from His body, His Divinity continued always
united both to His body in the sepulchre and to His soul in limbo. It became
the Son of God to die, that, through death, he might destroy him who had the
empire of death that is the devil, and might deliver them, who through the fear
of death were all their lifetime subject to servitude.
Christ Died Freely
It was the peculiar privilege of Christ the
Lord to have died when He Himself decreed to die, and to have died not so much
by external violence as by internal assent. Not only His death, but also its
time and place, were ordained by Him. For thus Isaias wrote: He was offered
because it was his own will. The Lord before His Passion, declared the same of
Himself: I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No man taketh it away
from me: but I lay it down of myself, and I have power to lay it down: and I
have power to take it again. As to the time and place of His death, He said,
when Herod insidiously sought His life: Go and tell that fox: Behold I cast out
devils, and do cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I am consummated.
Nevertheless I must walk today and to-morrow, and the day following, because it
cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.'' He therefore offered
Himself not involuntarily or by compulsion but of His own free will. Going to
meet His enemies He said: I am he; and all the punishments which injustice and
cruelty inflicted on Him He endured voluntarily.
The Thought Of Christ's Death Should
Excite Our Love And Gratitude
When we meditate on the sufferings and all
the torments of the Redeemer, nothing is better calculated to stir our souls
than the thought that He endured them thus voluntarily. Were anyone to endure
all kinds of suffering for our sake, not because he chose them but simply
because he could not escape them, we should not consider this a very great
favour; but were he to endure death freely, and for our sake only, having had
it in his power to avoid it, this indeed would be a benefit so overwhelming as
to deprive even the most grateful heart, not only of the power of returning but
even of feeling due thanks. We may hence form an idea of the transcendent and
intense love of Jesus Christ towards us, and of His divine and boundless claims
to our gratitude.
Christ Was Really Buried
When we confess that He was buried, we do not
make this, as it were, a distinct part of the Article, as if it presented any
new difficulty which is not implied in what we have said of His death; for if
we believe that Christ died, we can also easily believe that He was buried. The
word buried was added in the Creed, first, that His death might be rendered
more certain, for the strongest argument of a person's death is the proof that
his body was buried; and, secondly, to render the miracle of His Resurrection
more authentic and illustrious.
It is not, however, our belief that the body
of Christ alone was interred. The above words propose, as the principal object
of our belief, that God was buried; as according to the rule of Catholic faith
we also say with the strictest truth that God died, and that God was born of a
virgin. For as the Divinity was never separated from His body which was laid in
the sepulchre, we truly confess that God was buried.
Circumstances Of Christ’s Burial
As to the manner and place of His burial,
what the holy Evangelists record on these subjects will be sufficient for the
pastor. There are, however, two things which demand particular attention; the
one, that the body of Christ was in no degree corrupted in the sepulchre,
according to the prediction of the Prophet: Thou wilt not give thy holy one to
see corruption; the other, and it regards the several parts of this Article,
that burial, Passion, and also death, apply to Christ Jesus not as God but as
man. To suffer and die are incidental to human nature only; yet they are also
attributed to God, since, as is clear, they are predicated with propriety of
that Person who is at once perfect God and perfect man.
Useful Considerations on the Passion
When the faithful have once attained the
knowledge of these things, the pastor should next proceed to explain those
particulars of the Passion and death of Christ which may enable them if not to
comprehend, at least to contemplate, the immensity of so stupendous a mystery.
The Dignity Of The Sufferer
And first we must consider who it is that
suffers all these things. His dignity we cannot express in words or even
conceive in mind. Of Him St. John says, that He is the Word which was with God.
And the Apostle describes Him in sublime terms, saying that this is He -whom
God hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the world, who
being the brightness of his glory, and the figure of his substance, and
upholding all things by the word of his power, making purgation of sins.
sitteth on the right hand of the majesty on high. In a word, Jesus Christ, the
God-man, suffers ! The Creator suffers for His creatures, the Master for His
servant. He suffers by whom the Angels, men, the heavens, and the elements were
made; in whom, by whom, and of whom, are all things.
It cannot, therefore, be a matter of surprise
that while He agonised under such an accumulation of torments the whole frame
of the universe was convulsed; for as the Scriptures inform us, the earth
quaked, and the rocks were rent, there was darkness over all the earth; and the
sun was obscured. If, then, even mute and inanimate nature sympathised with the
sufferings of her Creator, let the faithful consider with what tears they, the
living stones of this edifice, should manifest their sorrow.
Reasons Why Christ Suffered
The reasons why the Saviour suffered are also
to be explained, that thus the greatness and intensity of the divine love
towards us may the more fully appear. Should anyone inquire why the Son of God
underwent His most bitter Passion, he will find that besides the guilt
inherited from our first parents the principal causes were the vice's and
crimes which have been perpetrated from the beginning of the world to the
present day and those which will be committed to the end of time. In His
Passion and death the Son of God, our Saviour, intended to atone for and blot
out the sins of all ages, to offer for them to his Father a full and abundant
satisfaction.
Besides, to increase the dignity of this
mystery, Christ not only suffered for sinners, but even for those who were the
very authors and ministers of all the torments He endured. Of this the Apostle
reminds us in these words addressed to the Hebrews: Think diligently upon him
that endured such opposition from sinners against himself; that you be not
wearied, fainting in your minds. In this guilt are involved all those who fall
frequently into sin; for, as our sins consigned Christ the Lord to the death of
the cross, most certainly those who wallow in sin and iniquity crucify to
themselves again the Son of God, as far as in them lies, and make a mockery of
Him. This guilt seems more enormous in us than in the Jews, since according to
the testimony of the same Apostle: If they had known it, they would never have
crucified the Lord of glory; while we, on the contrary, professing to know Him,
yet denying Him by our actions, seem in some sort to lay violent hands on him.
Christ Was Delivered Over To Death By The
Father And By Himself
But that Christ the Lord was also delivered
over to death by the Father and by Himself, the Scriptures bear witness. For in
Isaias (God the Father) says For the wickedness of my people have I struck him.
And a little before the same Prophet filled with the Spirit of God, cried out,
as he saw the Lord covered with stripes and wounds: All we like sheep have gone
astray, every one hath turned aside into his own way: and the Lord hath laid on
him the iniquity of us all. But of the Son it is written: If he shall lay down
his life for sin, he shall see a long-lived seed. This the Apostle expresses in
language still stronger when, in order to show how confidently we, on our part,
should trust in the boundless mercy and goodness of God, he says: He that
spared not even his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how hath he not
also, with him, given us all things? a
The: Bitterness Of Christ's Passion
The next subject of the pastor's instruction
is the bitterness of the Redeemer's Passion. If we bear m mind that his sweat
became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground, and this, at the sole
anticipation of the torments and agony which He was about to endure, we must at
once perceive that His sorrows admitted of no increase. For if the very idea of
impending evils was overwhelming, and the sweat of blood shows that it was,
what are we to suppose their actual endurance to have been ?
That Christ our Lord suffered the most
excruciating torments of mind and body is certain. In the first place, there
was no part of His body that did not experience the most agonising torture. His
hands and feet were fastened with nails to the cross; His head was pierced with
thorns and smitten with a reed; His face was befouled with spittle and buffeted
with blows; His whole body was covered with stripes.
Furthermore men of all ranks and conditions
were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. Gentiles and
Jews were the advisers, the authors, the ministers of His Passion: Judas
betrayed Him, Peter denied Him, all the rest deserted Him.
And while He hangs from the cross are we not
at a loss which to deplore, His agony, or His ignominy, or both? Surely no
death more shameful, none more cruel, could have been devised than this. It was
the punishment usually reserved for the most guilty and atrocious malefactors,
a death whose slowness aggravated the exquisite pain and torture I
His agony was increased by the very
constitution and frame of His body. Formed by the power of the Holy Ghost, it
was more perfect and better organised than the bodies of other men can be, and
was therefore endowed with a superior susceptibility and a keener sense of all
the torments which it endured.
And as to His interior anguish of soul, that
too was no doubt extreme; for those among the Saints who had to endure torments
and tortures were not without consolation from above, which enabled them not
only to bear their sufferings patiently, but in many instances, to feel, in the
very midst of them, filled with interior joy. I rejoice, says the Apostle, in
my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings
of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church;' and in another
place: I am filled with comfort, I exceedingly abound with joy in all our
tribulations. Christ our Lord tempered with no admixture of sweetness the
bitter chalice of His Passion but permitted His human nature to feel as acutely
every species of torment as if He were only man, and not also God.
Fruits Of Christ's Passion
It only remains now that the pastor carefully
explain the blessings and advantages which flow from the Passion of Christ. In
the first place, then, the Passion of our Lord was our deliverance from sin;
for, as St. John says, He hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own
blood. He hath quickened you together with him, says the Apostle, forgiving you
all offences, blotting out the handwriting of the decree that was against us,
which was contrary to us. And he hath taken the same out of the way, fastening
it to the cross.
In the next place He has rescued us from the
tyranny of the devil, for our Lord Himself says: Now is the judgment of the
world; now shall the prance of this world be cast out. And I if I be lifted up
from the earth, will draw all things to myself.
Again He discharged the punishment due to our
sins. And as no sacrifice more pleasing and acceptable could have been offered
to God, He reconciled us to the Father, appeased His wrath, and made Him
favourable to us.
Finally, by taking away our sins He opened to
us heaven, which was closed by the common sin of mankind. And this the Apostle
pointed out when he said: We have confidence in the entering into the holies by
the blood of Christ. Nor are we without a type and figure of this mystery in
the Old Law. For those who were prohibited to return into their native country
before the death of the high-priest typified that no one, however just and holy
may have been his life, could gain admission into the celestial country until
the eternal High-priest, Christ Jesus, had died, and by His death immediately
opened heaven to those who, purified by the Sacraments and gifted with faith,
hope, and charity, become partakers of His Passion.
Christ’s Passion, -- A Satisfaction, A
Sacrifice, A Redemption An Example
The pastor should teach that all these
inestimable and divine blessings flow to us from the Passion of Christ. First,
indeed, because the satisfaction which Jesus Christ has in an admirable manner
made to God the Father for our sins is full and complete. The price which He
paid for our ransom was not only adequate and equal to our debts, but far exceeded
them.
Again, it (the Passion of Christ) was a
sacrifice most acceptable to God, for when offered by His Son on the altar of
the cross, it entirely appeased the wrath and indignation of the Father. This
word (sacrifice) the Apostle uses when he says: Christ hath loved us, and hath
delivered himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an odour of
sweetness.
Furthermore, it was a redemption, of which
the Prince of the Apostles says: You were not redeemed with corruptible things
as gold or silver, from your vain conversation of the tradition of your
fathers: but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and
undefiled. While the Apostle teaches: Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of
the law, being made a curse for us.
Besides these incomparable blessings, we have
also received another of the highest importance; namely, that in the Passion
alone we have the most illustrious example of the exercise of every virtue. For
He so displayed patience, humility, exalted charity, meekness, obedience and
unshaken firmness of soul, not only in suffering for justice, sake, but also in
meeting death, that we may truly say on the day of His Passion alone, our
Saviour offered, in His own Person, a living exemplification of all the moral
precepts inculcated during the entire time of His public ministry.
Admonition
This exposition of the saving Passion and
death of Christ the Lord we have given briefly. Would to God that these
mysteries were always present to our minds, and that we learned to suffer, die,
and be buried together with our Lord; so that from henceforth, having cast
aside all stain of sin, and rising with Him to newness of life, we may at
length, through His grace and mercy, be found worthy to be made partakers of
the celestial kingdom and glory !
ARTICLE
V : "HE DESCENDED INTO HELL, THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE
DEAD"
Importance Of This Article
To know the glory of the burial of our Lord
Jesus Christ, of which we last treated, is highly important; but of still
higher importance is it to the faithful to know the splendid triumphs which He
obtained by having subdued the devil and despoiled the abodes of hell. Of these
triumphs, and also of His Resurrection, we are now about to speak.
Although the latter presents to us a subject
which might with propriety be treated under a separate and distinct head, yet
following the example of the holy Fathers, we have deemed it fitting to unite
it with His descent into hell.
First Part of this Article: "He
Descended into Hell"
In the first part of this Article, then, we
profess that immediately after the death of Christ His soul descended into
hell, and dwelt there as long as His body remained in the tomb; and also that
the one Person of Christ was at the same time in hell and in the sepulchre. Nor
should this excite surprise; for, as we have already frequently said, although
His soul was separated from His body, His Divinity was never parted from either
His soul or His body.
"Hell"
As the pastor, by explaining the meaning of
the word hell in this place may throw considerable light on the exposition of
this Article, it is to be observed that by the word hell is not here meant the
sepulchre, as some have not less impiously than ignorantly imagined; for in the
preceding Article we learned that Christ the Lord was buried, and there was no
reason why the Apostles, in delivering an Article of faith, should repeat the
same thing in other and more obscure terms.
Hell, then, here signifies those secret
abodes in which are detained the souls that have not obtained the happiness of
heaven. In this sense the word is frequently used in Scripture. Thus the
Apostle says: At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of those that are in
heaven, on earth, and in hell; and in the Acts of the Apostles St. Peter says
that Christ the Lord is again risen, having loosed the sorrows of hell.
Different Abodes Called Hell"
These abodes are not all of the same nature,
for among them is that most loathsome and dark prison in which the souls of the
damned are tormented with the unclean spirits in eternal and inextinguishable
fire. This place is called gehenna, the bottomless pit, and is hell strictly
so-called.
Among them is also the fire of purgatory, in
which the souls of just men are cleansed by a temporary punishment, in order to
be admitted into their eternal country, into which nothing defiled entereth.
The truth of this doctrine, founded, as holy Councils declare,' on Scripture,
and confirmed by Apostolic tradition, demands exposition from the pastor, all
the more diligent and frequent, because we live in times when men endure not
sound doctrine.
Lastly, the third kind of abode is that into
which the souls of the just before the coming of Christ the Lord, were
received, and where, without experiencing any sort of pain, but supported by
the blessed hope of redemption, they enjoyed peaceful repose. To liberate these
holy souls, who, in the bosom of Abraham were expecting the Saviour, Christ the
Lord descended into hell.
"He Descended"
We are not to imagine that His power and
virtue only, and not also His soul, descended into hell; but we are firmly to
believe that His soul itself, really and substantially, descended thither,
according to this conclusive testimony of David: Thou wilt not leave my soul in
hell.
But although Christ descended into hell, His
supreme power was in no degree lessened, nor was the splendour of His sanctity
obscured by any blemish. His descent served rather to prove that whatever had
been foretold of His sanctity was true; and that, as He had previously
demonstrated by so many miracles, He was truly the Son of God.
This we shall easily understand by comparing
the causes of the descent of Christ with those of other men. They descended as
captives; He as free and victorious among the dead, to subdue those demons by
whom, in consequence of guilt, they were held in captivity. Furthermore all
others descended, either to endure the most acute torments, or, if exempt from
other pain, to be deprived of the vision of God, and to be tortured by the
delay of the glory and happiness for which they yearned; Christ the Lord
descended, on the contrary, not to suffer, but to liberate the holy and the
just from their painful captivity, and to impart to them the fruit of His
Passion. His supreme dignity and power, therefore, suffered no diminution by
His descent into hell.
Why He Descended into Hell
To Liberate The Just
Having explained these things, the pastor
should next proceed to teach that Christ the Lord descended into hell, in order
that having despoiled the demons, He might liberate from prison those holy
Fathers and the other just souls, and might bring them into heaven with
Himself. This He accomplished in an admirable and most glorious manner; for His
august presence at once shed a celestial lustre upon the captives and filled
them with inconceivable joy and delight. He also imparted to them that supreme
happiness which consists in the vision of God, thus verifying His promise to the
thief on the cross: This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.
This deliverance of the just was long before
predicted by Osee in these words: O death, I will be thy death; O hell, I will
be thy bite; ' and also by the Prophet Zachary: Thou also by the blood of thy
testament hast sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit, wherein is no water;
and lastly, the same is expressed by the Apostle in these words: Despoiling the
principalities and powers, he hath exposed them confidently in open show,
triumphing over them in himself.
But the better to understand the efficacy of
this mystery we should frequently call to mind that not only the just who were
born after the coming of our Lord, but also those who preceded Him from the
days of Adam, or who shall be born until the end of time, obtain their
salvation through the benefit of His Passion. Wherefore before His death and
Resurrection heaven was closed against every child of Adam. The souls of the
just, on their departure from this life, were either borne to the bosom of
Abraham; or, as is still the case with those who have something to be washed
away or satisfied for, were purified in the fire of purgatory.
To Proclaim His Power
Another reason why Christ the Lord descended
into hell is that there, as well as in heaven and on earth, He might proclaim
His power and authority, and that every knee should bow, of those that are in
heaven, on earth, and under the earth.
And here, who is not filled with admiration
and astonishment when he contemplates the infinite love of God for man! Not
satisfied with having undergone for our sake a most cruel death, He penetrates
the inmost recesses of the earth to transport into bliss the souls whom He so
dearly loved and whose liberation from thence He had achieved.
Second Part of this Article: "The
Third Day He arose again from the Dead"
We now come to the second part of the
Article, and how indefatigable should be the labours of the pastor in its
exposition we learn from these words of the Apostle: Be mindful that the Lord
Jesus Christ is risen again from the dead. This command no doubt was addressed
not only to Timothy, but to all others who have care of souls.
The meaning of the Article is this: Christ
the Lord expired on the cross, on Friday at the ninth hour, and was buried on
the evening of the same day by His disciples, who with the permission of the
governor, Pilate, laid the body of the Lord, taken down from the cross, in a
new tomb, situated in a garden near at hand. Early on the morning of the third
day after His death, that is, on Sunday, His soul was reunited to His body, and
thus He who was dead during those three days arose, and returned again to life,
from which He had departed when dying.
"He arose Again"
By the word Resurrection, however, we are not
merely to understand that Christ was raised from the dead, which happened to
many others, but that He rose by His own power and virtue, a singular
prerogative peculiar to Him alone. For it is incompatible with nature and was
never given to man to raise himself by his own power, from death to life. This
was reserved for the almighty power of God, as we learn from these words of the
Apostle: Although he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power
of God. This divine power, having never been separated, either from His body in
the grave, or from His soul in hell, there existed a divine force both within
the body, by which it could be again united to the soul, and within the soul,
by which it could again return to the body. Thus He was able by His own power to
return to life and rise from the dead.
This David, filled with the spirit of God,
foretold in these words: His right hand hath wrought for him salvation, and his
arm is holy. Our Lord confirmed this by the divine testimony of His own mouth
when He said: I lay down my life that I may take it again . . . and I have
power to lay it down: and I have power to take it up again. To the Jews He also
said, in corroboration of His doctrine: Destroy this temple, and in three days
I will raise it up. Although the Jews understood Him to have spoken thus of
that magnificent Temple built of stone, yet as the Scripture testifies in the
same place, he spoke of the temple of his body. We sometimes, it is true, read
in Scripture that He was raised by the Father; but this refers to Him as man,
just as those passages on the other hand, which say that He rose by His own
power relate to Him as God.
"From the Dead"
It is also the peculiar privilege of Christ
to have been the first who enjoyed this divine prerogative of rising from the
dead, for He is called in Scripture the first-begotten from the dead, and also
the first-born of the dead. The Apostle also says: Christ is risen from the
dead, the first-fruits of them that sleep: for by a man came death, and by a
man the resurrection of the dead. And as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all
shall be made alive. But every one in his own order: the first-fruits Christ,
then they that are of Christ.
These words of the Apostle are to be
understood of a perfect resurrection, by which we are raised to an immortal
life and are no longer subject to the necessity of dying. In this resurrection
Christ the Lord holds the first place; for if we speak of resurrection; that
is, of a return to life, subject to the necessity of again dying, many were
thus raised from the dead before Christ, all of whom, however, were restored to
life to die again. But Christ the Lord, having subdued and conquered death, so
arose that He could die no morel according to' this most clear testimony:
Christ rising again from the dead, dieth now no more, death shall no more have
dominion over him.
"The Third Day"
In explanation of the additional words of the
Article, the third day, the pastor should inform the people that they must not
think our Lord remained in the grave during the whole of these three days. But
as He lay in the sepulchre one full day, a part of the preceding and a part of
the following day, He is said, with strictest truth, to have lain in the grave
for three days, and on the third day to have risen again from the dead.
To prove that He was God He did not delay His
Resurrection to the end of the world; while, on the other hand, to convince us
that He was truly man and really died, He rose not immediately, but on the
third day after His death, a space of time sufficient to prove the reality of
His death.
"According to the Scriptures"
Here the Fathers of the first Council of
Constantinople added the words, according to the Scriptures, which they took
from St. Paul. These words they embodied with the Creed, because the same
Apostle teaches the absolute necessity of the mystery of the Resurrection when
he says: If Christ be not risen again, then is our preaching vain, and your
faith is also vain . . . for you are yet in your sins. Hence,, admiring our
belief of this Article St. Augustine says: It is no great thing to believe that
Christ died. This the pagans, Jews, and all the wicked believe; in a word, all
believe that Christ died. But that He rose from the dead is the belief of the
Christians. To believe that He rose again, this we deem of great moment.
Hence it is that our Lord very frequently
spoke to His disciples of His Resurrection, and seldom or never of His Passion
without adverting to His Resurrection. Thus, when He said: The son of man . . .
shall be delivered to the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and scourged, and spit
upon; and after they have scourged him, they will put him to death; He added:
and the third day he shall rise again.' Also when the Jews called upon Him to
give an attestation of the truth of His doctrine by some miraculous sign He
said: A sign shall not be given to them, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For
as Jonas was in the whales belly three days and three nights: so shall the son
of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.
Three Useful Considerations on this
Article
To understand still better the force and
meaning of this Article, there are three things which we must consider and
understand: first, why the Resurrection was necessary; secondly, its end and
object; thirdly, the blessings and advantages of which it is to us the source.
Necessity Of The Resurrection
With regard to the first, it was necessary
that Christ should rise again in order to manifest the justice of God; for it
was most congruous that He who through obedience to God was degraded, and
loaded with ignominy, should by Him be exalted. This is a reason assigned by
the Apostle when he says to the Philippians: He humbled himself, becoming
obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. For which cause God also
hath exalted him. He rose also to confirm our faith, which is necessary for
justification; for the Resurrection of Christ from the dead by His own power
affords an irrefragable proof that He was the Son of God. Again the
Resurrection nourishes and sustains our hope. As Christ rose again, we rest on
an assured hope that we too shall rise again; the members must necessarily
arrive at the condition of their head. This is the conclusion which St. Paul seems
to draw when he writes to the Corinthians and to the Thessalonians.' And Peter,
the Prince of the Apostles, says: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy hath regenerated us unto a
lively nope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto the
inheritance incorruptible.
Finally, the Resurrection of our Lord, as the
pastor should inculcate, was necessary to complete the mystery of our salvation
and redemption. By His death Christ liberated us from sin; by His Resurrection,
He restored to us the most important of those privileges which we had forfeited
by sin. Hence these words of the Apostle: He was delivered up for our sins, and
rose again for our justification. That nothing, therefore, may be wanting to
the work of our salvation, it was necessary that as He died, He should also
rise again.'
Ends Of The Resurrection
From what has been said we can perceive what
important advantages the Resurrection of Christ the Lord has conferred on the
faithful. In the Resurrection we acknowledge God to be immortal, full of glory,
the conqueror of death and the devil; and all this we are firmly to believe and
openly to profess of Christ Jesus.
Again, the Resurrection of Christ effects for
us the resurrection of our bodies not only because it was the efficient cause
of this mystery, but also because we all ought to arise after the example of
the Lord. For with regard to the resurrection of the body we have this
testimony of the Apostle: By a man came death, and by a man the resurrection of
the dead. In all that God did to accomplish the mystery of our redemption He
made use of the humanity of Christ as an effective instrument, and hence His
Resurrection was, as it were, an instrument for the accomplishment of our resurrection.
It may also be called the model of ours,
inasmuch as His Resurrection was the most perfect of all. And as His body,
rising to immortal glory, was changed, so shall our bodies also, before frail
and mortal, be restored and clothed with glory and immortality. In the language
of the Apostle: We look for the Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ, who will reform
the body of our lowness, made like to the body of his glory.
The same may be said of a soul dead in sin.
How the Resurrection of Christ is proposed to such a soul as the model of her
resurrection the same Apostle shows in these words: As Christ is risen from the
dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life. For if
we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in
the likeness of his resurrection. Again a little further on he says: Knowing
that Christ rising again from the dead, dieth now no more, death shall no more
have dominion over him. For in that he died to sin, he died once; but in that he
liveth, he liveth unto God: so do you also reckon, that you are dead to sin,
but alive unto God, in Christ Jesus.
Advantages Of The: Resurrection
From the Resurrection of Christ, therefore,
we should draw two lessons: the one, that after we have washed away the stains
of sin, we should begin to lead a new life, distinguished by integrity,
innocence, holiness, modesty, justice, beneficence and humility; the other,
that we should so persevere in that newness of life as never more, with the
divine assistance, to stray from the paths of virtue on which we have once
entered.
Nor do the words of the Apostle prove only
that the Resurrection of Christ is proposed as the model of our resurrection;
they also declare that it gives us power to rise again, and imparts to us
strength and courage to persevere in holiness and righteousness, and in the
observance of the Commandments of God. For as His death not only furnishes us
with an example, but also supplies us with strength to die to sin, so also His
Resurrection invigorates us to attain righteousness, so that thenceforward
serving God in piety and holiness, we may walk in the newness of life to which
we have risen. By His Resurrection, our Lord accomplished this especially that
we, who before died with Him to sin and to the world, should rise also with Him
to a new order and manner of life.
Signs Of Spiritual Resurrection
The principal signs of this resurrection from
sin which should be noted are taught us by the Apostle. For when he says: If
you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is
sitting at the right hand of God, he distinctly tells us that they who desire
to possess life, honour, repose and riches, there chiefly where Christ dwells,
have truly risen with Christ.
When he adds: Mind the things that are above,
not the things that are upon the earth, he gives, as it were, another sign by
which we may ascertain if we have truly risen with Christ. As a relish for food
usually indicates a healthy state of the body, so with regard to the soul, if a
person relishes whatever things are true, whatever modest, whatever just,
whatever holy, and experiences within him the sweetness of heavenly things,
this we may consider a very strong proof that such a one has risen with Christ
Jesus to a new and spiritual life.
ARTICLE
VI : "HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN, SITTETH AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY"
Importance Of This Article
Filled with the Spirit of God, and
contemplating the blessed and glorious Ascension of our Lord, the Prophet David
exhorts all to celebrate that splendid triumph with the greatest joy and
gladness: Clap your hands, all ye nations: shout unto God with he voice of
joy.... God is ascended with jubilee.
The pastor will hence learn that this mystery
should be explained with the greatest diligence; and that he should take care
that the people not only perceive it with faith and understanding, but that
they also strive as far as possible, with the Lord's help to reflect it in
their lives and actions.
First Part of this Article: "He
Ascended into Heaven"
With regard, then, to the exposition of this
sixth Article, which has reference principally to this divine mystery, we shall
begin with its first part, and point out its force and meaning.
"Into Heaven"
This, then, the faithful must believe without
hesitation, that Jesus Christ, having fully accomplished the work of
Redemption, ascended as man, body and soul, into heaven; for as God He never
forsook heaven, filling as He does all places with His Divinity.
"He Ascended"
The pastor is also to teach that He ascended
by His own power, not being taken up by the power of another, as was Elias, who
was carried to heaven in a fiery chariot; or, as the Prophet Habacuc, or
Philip, the deacon, who were borne through the air by the divine power, and
traversed great distances.
Neither did He ascend into heaven solely by
the exercise of His supreme power as God, but also by virtue of the power which
He possessed as man. Although human power alone was insufficient to accomplish
this, yet the virtue with which the blessed soul of Christ was endowed was
capable of moving the body as it pleased, and His body, now glorified, readily
obeyed the behest of the soul that moved it. Hence, we believe that Christ
ascended into heaven as God and man by His own power.
Second Part of this Article: "Sitteth
at the Right Hand of God the Father Almighty"
The words He sitteth at the right hand of the
Father form the second part of this Article. In these words we observe a figure
of speech; that is, a use of words in other than their literal sense, as
frequently happens in Scripture, when, accommodating its language to human
ideas, it attributes human affections and human members to God, who, spirit as
He is, admits of nothing corporeal.
"At the Right Hand"
As among men he who sits at the right hand is
considered to occupy the most honourable place, so, transferring the same idea
to celestial things, to express the glory which Christ as man has obtained
above all others, we confess that He sits at the right hand of the Father.
"Sitteth"
To sit does not imply here position and
posture of body, but expresses the firm and permanent possession of royal and
supreme power and glory which He received from the Father, and of which the
Apostle says: Raising him up from the dead, and setting him on his right hand
in the heavenly places, above all principality, and power, and virtue, and
domination, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in
that which is to come; and he hath subjected all things under his feet. These
words manifestly imply that this glory belongs to our Lord in so special and
exclusive a manner that it cannot apply to any other created being. Hence in
another place the Apostle testifies: To which of the angels said he at any
time: Sit on my right hand.
Reflections on the Ascension:
Its History
The pastor should explain the sense of the
Article more at length by detailing the history of the Ascension, of which the
Evangelist St. Luke has left us an orderly description in the Acts of the
Apostles.
Greatness Of This Mystery
In this exposition he should observe, in the
first place, that all other mysteries refer to the Ascension as to their end
and find in it their perfection and completion; for as all the mysteries of
religion commence with the Incarnation of our Lord, so His sojourn on earth
terminates with His Ascension.
Moreover the other Articles of the Creed
which regard Christ the Lord show His great humility and lowliness. Nothing can
be conceived more humble, nothing more lowly, than that the Son of God assumed
our weak human nature, and suffered and died for us. But nothing more
magnificently, nothing more admirably, proclaims His sovereign glory and divine
majesty than what is contained in the present and in the preceding Article, in
which we declare that He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sits at
the right hand of God the Father.
Reasons Of The Ascension
When the pastor has explained these truths,
he should next accurately show why Christ the Lord ascended into heaven.
First of all, He ascended because the
glorious kingdom of the highest heavens, not the obscure abode of this earth,
presented a suitable dwelling place for Him whose body, rising from the tomb,
was clothed with the glory of immortality.
He ascended, however, not only to possess the
throne of glory and the kingdom which He had merited by His blood, but also to
attend to whatever regards our salvation.
Again, He ascended to prove thereby that His
kingdom is not of this world. For the kingdoms of this world are earthly and
transient, and are based upon wealth and the power of the flesh; but the
kingdom of Christ is not, as the Jews expected, earthly, but spiritual and
eternal. Its resources and riches, too, are spiritual, as He showed by placing
His throne in the heavens, where they are counted richer and wealthier who seek
most earnestly the things that are of God, according to these words of St.
James: Hath not God chosen the poor in this world, rich in faith, and heirs of
the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him?
He also ascended into heaven in order to
teach us to follow Him thither in mind and heart. For as by His death and
Resurrection He bequeathed to us an example of dying and rising again in spirit,
so by His Ascension He teaches and instructs us that though dwelling on earth,
we should raise ourselves in desire to heaven, confessing that we are pilgrims
and strangers on the earth, seeking a country and that we are fellow-citizens
with the saints, and the domestics of God, for, says the same Apostle, our
conversation is in heaven
Results Of The Ascension
The extent and greatness of the unutterable
blessings which the bounty of God has showered on us were long before, as the
Apostle interprets, sung by the inspired David: Ascending on high, he led
captivity captive: He gave gifts to men.' For on the tenth day He sent down the
Holy Ghost, with whose power and plenitude He filled the multitude of the
faithful then present, and so fulfilled that splendid promise: It is expedient
to you that I go: for if I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you; but if I
go, I will send him to you.
He also ascended into heaven, according to
the Apostle, that he may appear in the presence of God f or us, and discharge for
us the office of advocate with the Father. My little children, says St. John,
these things I write to you, that you may not sin. But if any man sin, we have
an. advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the just: and he is the propitiation
for our sins. There is nothing from which the faithful should derive greater
joy and gladness of soul than from the reflection that Jesus Christ is
constituted our advocate and the mediator of our salvation with the Eternal
Father, with whom His influence and authority are supreme.
Finally, by His Ascension He has prepared for
us a place, as He had promised, and has entered, as our head, in the name of us
all, into the possession of the glory of heaven." Ascending into heaven,
He threw open its gates, which had been closed by the sin of Adam; and, as He
foretold to His disciples at His Last Supper, secured to us a way by which we
may arrive at eternal happiness. In order to give an open proof of this by its
fulfilment, He introduced with Himself into the mansions of eternal bliss the
souls of the just whom He had liberated from hell.
Virtues Promoted By The Ascension.
A series of important advantages followed in
the train of this admirable profusion of celestial gifts. In the first place,
the merit of our faith was considerably augmented; because faith has for its
object those things which fall not under the senses, but are far raised above
the reach of human reason and intelligence. If, therefore, the Lord had not
departed from us, the merit of our faith would not be the same; for Christ the
Lord has said: Blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed
In the next place, the Ascension of Christ
into heaven contributes much to confirm our hope. Believing that Christ, as
man, ascended into heaven, and placed our nature at the right hand of God the
Father, we are animated with a strong hope that we, as members, shall also
ascend thither, to be there united to our Head, according to these words of our
Lord Himself: Father, I will that where I am, they also whom thou hast given me
may be with me
Another most important advantage is that He
has taken our affections to heaven and inflamed them with the Spirit of God;
for most truly has it been said that where our treasure is, there also is our
heart. And, indeed, were Christ the Lord still dwelling on earth, the
contemplation of His human nature and His company would absorb all our
thoughts, and we should view the author of such blessings only as man, and
cherish towards Him a sort of earthly affection. But by His Ascension into
heaven He has spiritualised our affection and has made us venerate and love as
God Him whom, on account of His absence, we see only in thought. This we learn
in part from the example of the Apostles, who while our Lord was personally
present with them, seemed to judge of Him in some measure in a human light; and
in part from these words of our Lord Himself: It is expedient to you that I go.
The imperfect affection with which they loved Christ Jesus when present had to
be perfected by divine love, and that by the coming of the Holy Ghost; and
therefore He immediately subjoins: If I go not, the Paraclete will not come to
you.
The Ascension Benefits The Church And The
Individual
Besides, He thus enlarged His household on
earth, that is, His Church, which was to be governed by the power and guidance
of the Holy Spirit. He left Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, as its chief
pastor and supreme head upon earth; moreover he gave some apostles, and some
prophets, and other some evangelists, and other some pastors and doctors. Thus
seated at the right hand of the Father He continually bestows different gifts
on different men; for as the Apostle testifies: To every one of us is given
grace, according to the measure of the giving of Christ.
Finally, what we have already taught of the
mystery of His death and Resurrection the faithful should deem not less true of
His Ascension. For although we owe our Redemption and salvation to the Passion
of Christ, whose merits opened heaven to the just, yet His Ascension is not only
proposed to us as a model, which teaches us to look on high and ascend in
spirit into heaven, but it also imparts to us a divine virtue which enables us
to accomplish what it teaches.
ARTICLE VII : "FROM THENCE HE SHALL COME
TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD"
Meaning Of This Article
For the glory and adornment of His Church
Jesus Christ is invested with three eminent offices and functions: those of
Redeemer, Mediator, and Judge. Since in the preceding Articles it was shown
that the human race was redeemed by His Passion and death, and since by His
Ascension into heaven it is manifest that He has undertaken the perpetual
advocacy and patronage of our cause, it remains that in this Article we set
forth His character as Judge. The scope and intent of the Article is to declare
that on the last day Christ the Lord will judge the whole human race.
"From Thence He Shall Come"
The Sacred Scriptures inform us that there
are two comings of the Son of God: the one when He assumed human flesh for our
salvation in the womb of a virgin; the other when He shall come at the end of
the world to judge all mankind. This latter coming is called in Scripture the
day of the Lord. The day of the Lord, says the Apostle, shall come, as a thief
in the night; and our Lord Himself says: Of that day and hour no one knoweth.
"To Judge the Living and the
Dead"
In proof of the (last) judgment it is enough
to adduce the authority of the Apostle: We must all appear before the
judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the proper things of the
body, according as he hath done, whether it be good or evil. There are numerous
passages of Sacred Scripture which the pastor will find in various places and
which not only establish the truth of the dogma, but also place it in vivid
colours before the eyes of the faithful. And if, from the beginning of the
world that day of the Lord, on which He was clothed with our flesh, was sighed
for by all as the foundation of their hope of deliverance; so also, after the
death and Ascension of the Son of God, we should make that other day of the
Lord the object of our most earnest desires, looking for the blessed hope and
coming of the glory of the great God.'
Two Judgments
In explaining this subject the pastor should
distinguish two different occasions on which everyone must appear in the
presence of the Lord to render an account of all his thoughts, words and
actions, and to receive immediate sentence from his Judge.
The first takes place when each one of us
departs this life; for then he is instantly placed before the judgment-seat of
God, where all that he has ever done or spoken or thought during life shall be
subjected to the most rigid scrutiny. This is called the particular judgment.
The second occurs when on the same day and in
the same place all men shall stand together before the tribunal of their Judge,
that in the presence and hearing of all human beings of all times each may know
his final doom and sentence. The announcement of this judgment will constitute
no small part of the pain and punishment of the wicked; whereas the good and
just will derive great reward and consolation from the fact that it will then
appear what each one was in life. This is called the general judgment.
Reasons For General Judgment
It is necessary to show why, besides the
particular judgment of each individual, a general one should also be passed
upon all men.
Those who depart this life sometimes leave
behind them children who imitate their conduct, dependents, followers and
others who admire and advocate their example, language and actions. Now by all
these circumstances the rewards or punishments of the dead must needs be
increased, since the good or bad influence of example, affecting as it does the
conduct of many, is to terminate only with the end of the world. Justice
demands that in order to form a proper estimate of all these good or bad
actions and words a thorough investigation should be made. This, however, could
not be without a general judgment of all men.
Moreover, as the character of the virtuous
frequently suffers from misrepresentation, while that of the wicked obtains the
commendation of virtue, the justice of God demands that the former recover, in
the public assembly and judgment of all men, the good name of which they had
been unjustly deprived before men.
Again, as the just and the wicked performed
their good and evil actions in this life not without the cooperation of the
body, it necessarily follows that these actions belong also to the body as to
their instrument. It was, therefore, altogether suitable that the body should
share with the soul the due rewards of eternal glory or punishment. But this
can only be accomplished by means of a general resurrection and of a general
judgment.
Next, it is important to prove that in
prosperity and adversity, which are sometimes the promiscuous lot of the good
and of the bad, everything is done and ordered by an all-wise and all-just
Providence. It was, therefore, necessary not only that rewards should await the
just and punishments the wicked, in the life to come, but that they should be
awarded by a public and general judgment. Thus they will become better known
and will be rendered more conspicuous to all; and in atonement for the
unwarranted murmurings, to which on seeing the wicked abound in wealth and
flourish in honours even the Saints themselves, as men, have sometimes given
expression, a tribute of praise will be offered by all to the justice and
Providence of God. My feet, says the Prophet, were almost moved, my steps had
well nigh slipped, because I had a zeal on occasion of the wicked, seeing the
prosperity of sinners; and a little after: Behold! these are sinners and yet
abounding in the world, they have obtained riches; and I said, Then have I in
vain justified my heart, and washed my hands among the innocent; and I have
been scourged all the day, and my chastisement hath been in the morning. This
has been the frequent complaint of many, and a general judgment is therefore
necessary, lest perhaps men may be tempted to say that God walketh about the
poles of heaven, and regards not the earth.
This Truth has Rightly been made an
Article of the Creed
Wisely, therefore, has this truth been made
one of the twelve Articles of the Christian Creed, so that should any begin to
waver in mind concerning the Providence and justice of God they might be
reassured by this doctrine.
Besides, it was right that the just should be
encouraged by the hope, the wicked appalled by the terror, of a future
judgment; so that knowing the justice of God the former should not be
disheartened, while the latter through fear and expectation of eternal
punishment might be recalled from the paths of vice. Hence, speaking of the
last day, our Lord and Saviour declares that a general judgment will one day
take place, and He describes the signs of its approach, that seeing them, we
may know that the end of the world is at hand. At His Ascension also, to
console His Apostles, overwhelmed with grief at His departure, He sent Angels,
who said to them: This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so
come, as you have seen him going into heaven
Circumstances of the Judgment:
The Judge
That the judgment of the world has been
assigned to Christ the Lord, not only as God, but also as man, is declared in
Scripture. Although the power of judging is common to all the Persons of the
Blessed Trinity, yet it is specially attributed to the Son, because to Him also
in a special manner is ascribed wisdom. But that as man, He will judge the
world, is taught by our Lord Himself when He says: As the Father hath life in
himself, so he hath given to the Son also, to have life in himself; and he hath
given him power to do judgment, because he is the son of man.
There is a peculiar propriety in Christ the
Lord sitting in judgment; for sentence is to be pronounced on mankind, and they
are thus enabled to see their Judge with their eyes and hear Him with their
ears, and so learn their judgment through the medium of the senses.
Most just is it also that He who was most
iniquitously condemned by the judgment of men should Himself be afterwards seen
by all men sitting in judgment on all. Hence when the Prince of the Apostles
had expounded in the house of Cornelius the chief dogmas of Christianity, and
had taught that Christ was suspended from a cross and put to death by the Jews
and rose the third lay to life, he added: And he commanded us to preach to the
people, and to testify that this is he, who was appointed of God, to be the
judge of the living and the dead.
Signs Of The General Judgment
The Sacred Scriptures inform us that the
general judgment will be preceded by these three principal signs: the preaching
of the Gospel throughout the world, a falling away from the faith, and the
coming of Antichrist. This gospel of the kingdom, says our Lord, shall be
preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations, and then shall the
consummation come. The Apostle also admonishes us that we be not seduced by
anyone, as if the day of the Lord were at hand; for unless there come a revolt
first, and the man of sin be revealed, the judgement will not come.
The Sentence Of The Just
The form and procedure of this judgment the
pastor will easily learn from the prophecies of Daniel, the writings of the
Evangelists and the doctrine of the Apostle. The sentence to be pronounced by
the judge is here deserving of more than ordinary attention.
Looking with joyful countenance on the just
standing on His right, Christ our Redeemer will pronounce sentence on them with
the greatest benignity, in these words: Come ye blessed of my Father, possess
the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. That nothing can
be conceived more delightful to the ear than these words, we shall understand
if we only compare them with the condemnation of the wicked; and call to mind,
that by them the just are invited from labor to rest, from the vale of tears to
supreme joy, from misery to eternal happiness, the reward of their works of
charity.
The Sentence Of The Wicked
Turning next to those who shall stand on His
left, He will pour out His justice upon them in these words: Depart from me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared f or the devil and his angels.
The first words, depart from me, express the
heaviest punishment with which the wicked shall be visited, their eternal
banishment from the sight of God, unrelieved by one consolatory hope of ever
recovering so great a good. This punishment is called by theologians the pain
of loss, because in hell the wicked shall be deprived forever of the light of
the vision of God.
The words ye cursed, which follow, increase
unutterably their wretched and calamitous condition. If when banished from the
divine presence they were deemed worthy to receive some benediction, this would
be to them a great source of consolation. But since they can expect nothing of
this kind as an alleviation of their misery, the divine justice deservedly
pursues them with every species of malediction, once they have been banished.
The next words, into everlasting fire,
express another sort of punishment, which is called by theologians the pain of
sense, because, like lashes, stripes or other more severe chastisements, among
which fire, no doubt, produces the most intense pain, it is felt through the
organs of sense. When, moreover, we reflect that this torment is to be eternal,
we can see at once that the punishment of the damned includes every kind of
suffering.
The concluding words, which was prepared f or
the devil and his angels, make this still more clear. For since nature has so
provided that we feel miseries less when we have companions and sharers in them
who can, at least in some measure, assist us by their advice and kindness, what
must be the horrible state of the damned who in such calamities can never
separate themselves from the companionship of most wicked demons ? And yet most
justly shall this very sentence be pronounced by our Lord and Saviour on those
sinners who neglected all the works of true mercy, who gave neither food to the
hungry, nor drink to the thirsty, who refused shelter to the stranger and
clothing to the naked, and who would not visit the sick and the imprisoned.
Importance of Instruction on this Article
These are thoughts which the pastor should
very often bring to the attention of his people; for the truth which is
contained in this Article will, if accepted with faithful dispositions, be most
powerful in bridling the evil inclinations of the heart and in withdrawing men
from sin. Hence we read in Ecclesiasticus: In all thy works remember thy last
end, and thou shalt never sin.' And indeed there is scarcely anyone so given
over to vice as not to be recalled to virtue by the thought that he must one
day render an account before an all-just Judge, not only of all his words and
actions, but even of his most secret thoughts, and must suffer punishment
according to his deserts.
On the other hand, the just man will be more
and more encouraged to lead a good life. Even though his days be passed in
poverty, ignominy and suffering, he must be gladdened exceedingly when he looks
forward to that day when, the conflicts of this wretched life being over, he
shall be declared victorious in the hearing of all men, and shall be admitted into
his heavenly country to be crowned with divine honours that shall never fade.
It only remains, then, for the pastor to
exhort the faithful to lead holy lives and practice every virtue, that thus
they may be enabled to look forward with confidence to the coming of that great
day of the Lord -- nay, as becomes children, even to desire it most fervently.
ARTICLE
VIII : "I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST"
Importance Of This Article
Hitherto we have expounded, as far as the
nature of the subject seemed to require, what pertains to the First and Second
Per sons of the Holy Trinity. It now remains to explain what the Creed contains
with regard to the Third Person, the Holy Ghost.
On this subject the pastor should omit
nothing that study and industry can effect; for on this Article, no less than
on those that preceded, ignorance or error would be unpardonable in a
Christian. Hence, the Apostle did not permit some among the Ephesians to remain
in ignorance with regard to the Person of the Holy Ghost. Having asked if they
had received the Holy Ghost, and having received for answer that they did not
so much as know that there was a Holy, Ghost, he at once demanded: In whom,
therefore, were you baptised? to signify that a distinct knowledge of this
Article is most necessary to the faithful.
From such knowledge they derive special
fruit. For, considering attentively that whatever they have, they possess
through the bounty and beneficence of the Holy Spirit, they begin to think more
modestly and humbly of themselves, and to place all their hopes in the
protection of God, which for a Christian is the first step towards consummate
wisdom and supreme happiness.
"Holy Ghost"
The exposition of this Article, therefore,
should begin with the force and meaning here attached to the words Holy Ghost.
This appellation is equally true when applied to the Father and the Son, since
both are spirit, both holy, and we confess that God is a Spirit; this name may
also be applied to Angels, and the souls of the just. Care must be taken, therefore,
that the faithful be not led into error by the ambiguity of the words.
The pastor, then, should teach that by the
words Holy Ghost in this Article is understood the Third Person of the Blessed
Trinity, a sense in which they are used, sometimes in the Old, and frequently
in the New Testament. Thus David prays: Take not thy Holy Spirit from me; and
in the Book of Wisdom we read: Who shall know thy thoughts, except thou give
wisdom, and send thy Holy Spirit from above? And in another place it is said: He
created her in the Holy Ghost.' We are also commanded, in the New Testament to
be baptised in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
We read that the most holy Virgin conceived of the Holy Ghost; and we are sent
by St. John to Christ, who baptizeth us in the Holy Ghost.' There are many
other passages in which the words Holy Ghost occur.
No one should be surprised that a proper name
is not given to the Third, as to the First and Second Persons. The Second
Person is designated by a proper name, and called Son, because, as has been
explained in the preceding Articles, His eternal birth from the Father is
properly called generation. As, therefore, that birth is expressed by the word
generation, so the Person, emanating from that generation, is properly called
Son, and the Person, from whom he emanates, Father.
But as the production of the Third Person has
no proper name, but is called spiration and procession, the Person produced is,
consequently, designated by no proper name. His emanation has no proper name
simply because we are obliged to borrow from created objects the names given to
God and know no other created means of communicating nature and essence than
that of generation. Hence we cannot discover a proper name to express the manner
in which God communicates Himself entire, by the force of His love. Wherefore
we call the Third Person Holy Ghost, a name, however, peculiarly appropriate to
Him who infuses into us spiritual life, and without whose holy inspiration we
can do nothing meritorious of eternal life.
"I Believe in the Holy Ghost"
The Holy Ghost Is Equal To The Father And
The Son
The people, when once acquainted with the
meaning of His name, should first of all be taught that the Holy Ghost is
equally God with the Father and the Son, equally omnipotent and eternal,
infinitely perfect, the supreme good, infinitely wise, and of the same nature
as the Father and the Son.
All this is obviously enough implied by the
force of the word in, when we say: I believe in the Holy Ghost; for this
preposition is prefixed to each Person of the Trinity in order to express the
exact nature of our faith.
The Divinity of the Holy Ghost is also
clearly established by many passages of Scripture. When, in the Acts of the
Apostles, St. Peter says, Ananias, Why hast thou conceived this thing in thy
heart? he immediately adds: Thou hast not lied to men, but to God, calling Him
God to whom he had just before given the name Holy Ghost.
The Apostle, also, writing to the
Corinthians, interprets what he says of God as said of the Holy Ghost. There
are, he says, diversities of operations, but the same God, who worketh all in
all; but, he continues, all these things one and the same Spirit worketh,
dividing to every one according as he will.
In the Acts of the Apostles also what the
Prophets attribute to God alone, St. Paul ascribes to the Holy. Ghost. Thus
Isaias had said: I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send? . .
. And he said: Go, and thou shalt say to this people: Blind the heart of this
people, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with
their eyes, and hear with their ears. Having cited these words, the Apostle
adds: Well did the Holy Ghost speak to our fathers, by Isaias the prophet.
Again, the Sacred Scriptures join the Person
of the Holy Ghost to those of the Father and the Son, as, for example, when
Baptism is commanded to be administered in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost. There is thus no room left us of doubting the truth
of this mystery. For if the Father is God, and the Son God, we must admit that
the Holy Ghost, who is united with Them in the same degree of honour, is also
God.
Besides, baptism administered in the name of
any creature can be of no effect. Were you baptised in the name of Paul? says
the Apostle, to show that such baptism could have availed nothing to salvation.
Since, therefore, we are baptised in the name of the Holy Ghost, we must acknowledge
the Holy Ghost to be God.
This same order of the Three Persons, which
proves the Divinity of the Holy Ghost, is also found in the Epistle of St.
John: There are three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and
the Holy Ghost, and these three are one; and also in that noble eulogy of the
Holy Trinity, with which the Divine Praises and the Psalms are concluded: Glory
be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
Finally, what most strongly confirms this
truth is the fact that Holy Scripture assigns to the Holy Ghost whatever
attributes we believe proper to God. Wherefore to Him is ascribed the honour of
temples, as when the Apostle says: Know you not that your members are the
temple of the Holy Ghost? Scripture also attributes to Him the power to
sanctify, to vivify, to search the depths of God, to speak by the Prophets, and
to be present in all places, all of which can be attributed to God alone.
The Holy Ghost Is Distinct From The Father
And The Son
The pastor should also accurately explain to
the faithful that the Holy Ghost is not only God, but that we must also confess
that He is the Third Person of the Divine Nature, distinct from the Father and
the Son, and produced by Their will.
To say nothing of other testimonies of Scripture,
the form of Baptism, taught by our Redeemer,' shows most clearly that the Holy
Ghost is the Third Person, self-existent in the Divine Nature and distinct from
the other Persons. It is a doctrine taught also by the Apostle when he says:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the charity of God, and the
communication of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
This same truth is still more explicitly
declared in these words added to this Article of the Creed by the Fathers of
the First Council of Constantinople to refute the impious folly of Macedonius:
And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and giver of life, who proceedeth from the
Father, and the Son; who together with the Father and the Son, is adored and
glorified; who spoke by the prophets.
"The Lord"
By confessing the Holy Ghost to be Lord they
declare how far He excels the Angels, who are the noblest spirits created by
God; for they are all, says the Apostle, ministering spirits, sent to minister
for them who shall receive the inheritance of salvation.
"Life-Giver"
They also designate the Holy Ghost the giver
of life because the soul lives more by its union with God than the body is
nourished and sustained by its union with the soul. Since then, the Sacred
Scriptures ascribe to the Holy Ghost this union of the soul with God, it is
clear that He is most rightly called the giver of life.
"Who Proceedeth from the Father and
the Son"
With regard to the words immediately
succeeding: who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, the faithful are to be
taught that the Holy Ghost proceeds by an eternal procession from the Father
and the Son, as from one principle. This truth is proposed for our belief by
the Creed of the Church, from which no Christian may depart, and is confirmed
by the authority of the Sacred Scriptures and of Councils.
Christ the Lord, speaking of the Holy Ghost,
says: He shall glorify me, because he shall receive of mine. We also find that
the Holy Ghost is sometimes called in Scripture the Spirit of Christ,
sometimes, the Spirit of the Father; that He is one time said to be sent by the
Father, another time, by the Son, -- all of which clearly signifies that He
proceeds alike from the Father and the Son. He, says St. Paul, who has not the
Spirit of Christ belongs not to him. In his Epistle to the Galatians he also
calls the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Christ: God hath sent the Spirit of his Son
into your hearts, crying: Abba, Father. In the Gospel of St. Matthew, He is
called the Spirit of the Father: It is not you that speak, but the Spirit of
your Father that speaketh in you.
Our Lord said, at His Last Supper: When the
Paraclete cometh whom I will send you, the Spirit of truth, who proceedeth from
the Father, he shall give testimony of me. On another occasion, that the Holy
Ghost will be sent by the Father, He declares in these words: whom the Father
will send in my name. Understanding these words to denote the procession of the
Holy Ghost, we come to the inevitable conclusion that He proceeds from both
Father and Son.
The above are the truths that should be
taught with regard to the Person of the Holy Ghost.
Certain Divine Works are Appropriated to
the Holy Ghost
It is also the duty of the pastor to teach
that there are certain admirable effects, certain excellent gifts of the Holy
Ghost, which are said to originate and emanate from Him, as from a perennial
fountain of goodness. Although the intrinsic works of the most Holy Trinity are
common to the Three Persons, yet many of them are attributed specially to the
Holy Ghost, to signify that they arise from the boundless charity of God
towards us. For as the Holy Ghost proceeds from the divine will, inflamed, as
it were, with love, we can perceive that these effects which are referred
particularly to the Holy Ghost, are the result of God's supreme love for us.
Hence it is that the Holy Ghost is called a
gift; for by the word gift we understand that which is kindly and gratuitously
bestowed, without expectation of any return. Whatever gifts and graces,
therefore, have been conferred on us by God -- and what have we, says the
Apostle, that we have not received from God? -- we should piously and
gratefully acknowledge as bestowed by the grace and gift of the Holy Ghost.
Creation, Government, Life
These gifts of the Holy Ghost are numerous.
Not to mention the creation of the world, the propagation and government of all
created beings, discussed in the first Article, we have just shown that the
giving of life is particularly attributed to the Holy Ghost, and this is
further confirmed by the testimony of Ezechiel: I will give you spirit and you
shall live.
The Seven Gifts
The Prophet (Isaias), however, enumerates the
chief effects which are most properly ascribed to the Holy Ghost: The spirit of
wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of
knowledge and piety, and the spirit of the fear of the Lord. These effects are
called the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and sometimes they are even called the Holy
Ghost. Wisely, therefore, does St. Augustine admonish us, whenever we meet the
word Holy Ghost in Scripture, to distinguish whether it means the Third Person
of the Trinity or His gifts and operations.-' The two are as far apart as the
Creator is from the creature.
The diligence of the pastor in expounding
these truths should be the greater, since it is from these gifts of the Holy
Ghost that we derive rules of Christian life and are enabled to know if the
Holy Ghost dwells within us.
Justifying Grace
But the grace of justification, which signs
us with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the pledge of our inheritance,'
transcends all His other most ample gifts. It unites us to God in the closest
bonds of love, lights up within us the sacred flame of piety, forms us to newness
of life, renders us partakers of the divine nature, and enables us to be called
and really to be the sons of God.
ARTICLE
IX : "I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH; THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS"
The Importance Of This Article
With what great diligence pastors ought to
explain to the faithful the truth of this ninth Article will be easily seen, if
we attend chiefly to two considerations.
First, as St. Augustine observes, the
Prophets spoke more plainly and openly of the Church than of Christ, foreseeing
that on this a much greater number may err and be deceived than on the mystery
of the Incarnation. For in after ages there would not be wanting wicked men
who, like the ape that would fain pass for a man, would claim that they alone
were Catholics, and with no less impiety than effrontery assert that with them
alone is the Catholic Church.
The second consideration is that he whose
mind is strongly impressed with the truth taught in this Article, will easily
escape the awful danger of heresy. For a person is not to be called a heretic
as soon as he shall have offended in matters of faith; but he is a heretic who,
having disregarded the authority of the Church, maintains impious opinions with
pertinacity. Since, therefore, it is impossible that anyone be infected with
the contagion of heresy, so long as he holds what this Article proposes to be
believed, let pastors use every diligence that the faithful, having known this
mystery and guarded against the wiles of Satan, may persevere in the true
faith.
This Article hinges upon the preceding one;
for, it having been already shown that the Holy Ghost is the source and giver
of all holiness, we here profess our belief that the Church has been endowed by
Him with sanctity.
First Part Of This Article : "I Believe
In The Holy Catholic Church
The Latins, having borrowed the word ecclesia
(church) from the Greeks, have transferred it, since the preaching of the
Gospel, to sacred things. It becomes necessary, therefore, to explain its
meaning.
"Church"
The word ecclesia (church) means a calling
forth. But writers afterward used it to signify a meeting or assembly, whether
the people gathered together were members of a true or of a false religion.
Thus in the Acts it is written of the people of Ephesus that when the
town-clerk had appeased a tumultuous assemblage he said: And if you inquire
after any other matter, it may be decided in a lawful church. The Ephesians,
who were worshippers of Diana, are thus called a lawful church (ecclesia). Nor
are the Gentiles only, who knew not God, called a church (ecclesia); by the
same name at times are also designated the councils of wicked and impious men.
I have hated the church (ecclesiam) of the malignant, says the Prophet, and
with the wicked I will not sit.
In common Scripture usage, however, the word
was subsequently employed to signify the Christian society only, and the
assemblies of the faithful; that is, of those who are called by faith to the
light of truth and the knowledge of God, that, having forsaken the darkness of
ignorance and error, they may worship the living and true God piously and
holily, and serve Him from their whole heart. In a word, The Church, says St.
Augustine, consists of the faithful dispersed throughout the world.'
Mysteries Which The Word Church Comprises
In this word are contained important
mysteries. For, in the calling forth, which it signifies, we recognise at once
the benignity and splendour of divine grace, and we understand that the Church
is very unlike all other societies. Other bodies rest on human reason and
prudence, but the Church reposes on the wisdom and counsels of God who has
called us inwardly by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, who opens the hearts
of men; and outwardly, through the labor and ministry of pastors and preachers.
Moreover, the end of this vocation, that is,
the knowledge and possession of things eternal will be at once understood if we
but remember why the faithful of the Old Law were called a Synagogue, that is,
a flock for, as St. Augustine teaches, they were so called, because, like
cattle, which are wont to herd together. they looked only to terrestrial and
transitory goods. Wherefore, the Christian people are justly called, not a
Synagogue, but a Church, because, despising earthly and passing things, they
pursue only things heavenly and eternal.
Other Names Given The Church In Scripture
Many names, moreover, which are replete with
mysteries, have been used to designate the Christian body. Thus, by the
Apostle, it is called the house and edifice of God. If, says he to Timothy, I
tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the
house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of
truth. The Church is called a house, because it is, as it were, one family
governed by one father of the family, and enjoying a community of all spiritual
goods.
It is also called the flock of the sheep of
Christ, of which He is the door and the shepherd. It is called the spouse of
Christ. I have espoused you to one husband, says the Apostle to the
Corinthians, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ; and to the
Ephesians: Husbands love your wives, as Christ also loved the church; and of
marriage: This is a great sacrament, but I speak in Christ and in the church.
Finally, the Church is called the body of
Christ, as may be seen in the Epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians. Each of
these appellations has very great influence in exciting the faithful to prove
themselves worthy of the boundless clemency and goodness of God, who chose them
to be the people of God.
The Parts of the Church
These things having been explained, it will
be necessary to enumerate the several component parts of the Church, and to
point out their difference, in order that the faithful may the better
comprehend the nature, properties, gifts, and graces of God's beloved Church,
and by reason of them unceasingly praise the most holy name of God.
The Church consists principally of two parts,
the one called the Church triumphant; the other, the Church militant. The
Church triumphant is that most glorious and happy assemblage of blessed
spirits, and of those who have triumphed over the world, the flesh, and the
iniquity of Satan, and are now exempt and safe from the troubles of this life
and enjoy everlasting bliss. The Church militant is the society of all the
faithful still dwelling on earth. It is called militant, because it wages
eternal war with those implacable enemies, the world, the flesh and the devil.
We are not, however, to infer that there are
two Churches. The Church triumphant and the Church militant are two constituent
parts of one Church; one part going before, and now in the possession of its
heavenly country; the other, following every day, until at length, united with
our Saviour, it shall repose in endless felicity.
The Members Of The Church Militant
The Church militant is composed of two
classes of persons, the good and the bad, both professing the same faith and
partaking of the same Sacraments, yet differing in their manner of life and
morality.
The good are those who are linked together
not only by the profession of the same faith, and the participation of the same
Sacraments, but also by the spirit of grace and the bond of charity. Of these
St. Paul says: The Lord knoweth who are his. Who they are that compose this
class we also may remotely conjecture, but we can by no means pronounce with
certainty. Hence Christ the Saviour does not speak of this portion of His
Church when He refers us to the Church and commands us to hear and to obey her.
As this part of the Church is unknown, how could we ascertain with certainty
whose decision to recur to, whose authority to obey?
The Church, therefore, as the Scriptures and
the writings of the Saints testify, includes within her fold the good and the
bad; and it was in this sense that St. Paul spoke of one body and one spirit.
Thus understood, the Church is known and is compared to a city built on a
mountain, and visible from every side. As all must yield obedience to her
authority, it is necessary that she may-be known by all.
That the Church is composed of the good and
the bad we learn from many parables contained in the Gospel. Thus, the kingdom
of heaven, that is, the Church militant, is compared to a net cast into the
sea, to a field in which tares were sown with the good grain, to a threshing
floor on which the grain is mixed up with the chaff, and also to ten virgins,
some of whom were wise, and some foolish. And long before, we trace a figure
and resemblance of this Church in the ark of Noah, which contained not only
clean, but also unclean animals.
But although the Catholic faith uniformly and
truly teaches that the good and the bad belong to the Church, yet the same
faith declares that the condition of both is very different. The wicked are
contained in the Church, as the chaff is mingled with the grain on the
threshing floor, or as dead members sometimes remain attached to a living body.
Those Who Are Not Members Of The Church
Hence there are but three classes of persons
excluded from the Church's pale: infidels, heretics and schismatics, and
excommunicated persons. Infidels are outside the Church because they never
belonged to, and never knew the Church, and were never made partakers of any of
her Sacraments. Heretics and schismatics are excluded from the Church, because
they have separated from her and belong to her only as deserters belong to the
army from which they have deserted. It is not, however, to be denied that they
are still subject to the jurisdiction of the Church, inasmuch as they may be
called before her tribunals, punished and anathematised. Finally,
excommunicated persons are not members of the Church, because they have been
cut off by her sentence from the number of her children and belong not to her
communion until they repent.
But with regard to the rest, however wicked
and evil they may be, it is certain that they still belong to the Church: Of
this the faithful are frequently to be reminded, in order to be convinced that,
were even the lives of her ministers debased by crime, they are still within
the Church, and therefore lose nothing of their power.
Other Uses of the Word "Church"
Portions of the Universal Church are usually
called churches, as when the Apostle mentions the Church at Corinth, at
Galatia, of the Laodiceans, of the Thessalonians.
The private families of the faithful he also
calls churches. The church in the family of Priscilla and Aquila he commands to
be saluted; and in another place, he says: Aquila and Priscilla with the church
that is in their house salute you much in the Lord. Writing to Philemon, he
makes use of the same word.
Sometimes, also, the word church is used to
signify the prelates and pastors of the church. If he will not hear thee, says
our Lord, tell the church. Here the word church means the authorities of
the-Church.
The place in which the faithful assemble to
hear the Word of God, or for other religious purposes, is also called a church.
But in this Article, the word church is specially used to signify both the good
and the bad, the governed, as well as the governing.
The Marks Of The Church
The distinctive marks of the Church are also
to be made known to the faithful, that thus they may be enabled to estimate the
extent of the blessing conferred by God on those who have had the happiness to
be born and educated within her pale.
"One'
The first mark of the true Church is
described in the Nicene Creed, and consists in unity: My dove is one, my
beautiful one is one. So vast a multitude, scattered far and wide, is called
one for the reasons mentioned by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians: One
Lord, one faith, one baptism.
Unity In
Government
The Church has but one ruler and one
governor, the invisible one, Christ, whom the eternal Father hath made head
over all the Church, which is his body; the visible one, the Pope, who, as
legitimate successor of Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, fills the Apostolic
chair.
It is the unanimous teaching of the Fathers
that this visible head is necessary to establish and preserve unity in the
Church. This St. Jerome clearly perceived and as clearly expressed when, in his
work against Jovinian, he wrote: One is elected that, by the appointment of a
head, all occasion of schism may be removed. In his letter to Pope Damasus the
same holy Doctor writes: Away with envy, let the ambition of Roman grandeur
cease! I speak to the successor of the fisherman, and to the disciple of the
cross. Following no chief but Christ, I am united in communion with your
Holiness, that is, with the chair of Peter. I know that on that rock is built
the Church. Whoever will eat the lamb outside this house is profane; whoever is
not in the ark of Noah shall perish in the .flood.
The same doctrine was long before established
by Saints Irenaeus and Cyprian. The latter, speaking of the unity of the Church
observes: The Lord said to Peter, I say to thee, Peter! thou art Peter: and
upon this rock I will build my Church. He builds His Church on one. And
although after His Resurrection He gave equal power to all His Apostles,
saying: As the Father hath sent me, I also send you, receive ye the Holy Ghost;
yet to make unity more manifest, He decided by His own authority that it should
be derived from one alone, etc.
Again, Optatus of Milevi says: You cannot be
excused on the score of ignorance, knowing as you do that in the city of Rome
the episcopal chair was first conferred on Peter, who occupied it as head of
the Apostles; in order that in that one chair the unity of the Church might be
preserved by all, and that the other Apostles might not claim each a chair for
himself; so that now he who erects another in opposition to this single chair
is a schismatic and a prevaricator.
Later on St. Basil wrote: Peter is made the
foundation, because he says: Thou art Christ, the Son of the Living God; and
hears in reply that he is a rock. But although a rock, he is not such a rock as
Christ; for Christ is truly an immovable rock, but Peter, only by virtue of
that rock. For Jesus bestows His dignities on others; He is a priest, and He
makes priests; a rock, and He makes a rock; what belongs to Himself, He bestows
on His servants.
Lastly, St. Ambrose says: Because he alone of
all of them professed (Christ) he was placed above all.
Should anyone object that the Church is
content with one Head and one Spouse, Jesus Christ, and requires no other, the
answer is obvious. For as we deem Christ not only the author of all the
Sacraments, but also their invisible minister -- He it is who baptises, He it
is who absolves, although men are appointed by Him the external ministers of
the Sacraments -- so has He placed over His Church, which He governs by His
invisible Spirit, a man to be His vicar and the minister of His power. A
visible Church requires a visible head; therefore the Saviour appointed Peter
head and pastor of all the faithful, when He committed to his care the feeding
of all His sheep, in such ample terms that He willed the very same power of ruling
and governing the entire Church to descend to Peter's successors.
Unity In
Spirit, Hope And Faith
Moreover, the Apostle, writing to the
Corinthians, tells them that there is but one and the same Spirit who imparts
grace to the faithful, as the soul communicates life to the members of the
body. Exhorting the Ephesians to preserve this unity, he says: Be careful to
keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; one body and one Spirit. As
the human body consists of many members, animated by one soul, which gives
sight to the eves, hearing to the ears, and to the other senses the power of
discharging their respective functions; so the mystical body of Christ, which
is the Church, is composed of many faithful. The hope, to which we are called,
is also one, as the Apostle tells us in the same place; for we all hope for the
same consummation, eternal and happy life. Finally, the faith which all are
bound to believe and to profess is one: Let there be no schisms amongst you,
says the Apostle. And Baptism, which is the seal of our Christian faith, is
also one.
"Holy"
The second mark of the Church is holiness, as
we learn from these words of the Prince of the Apostles: You are a chosen
generation, a holy nation.
The Church is called holy because she is
consecrated and dedicated to God; for so other things when set apart and
dedicated to the worship of God were wont to be called holy, even though they
were material. Examples of this in the Old Law were vessels, vestments and
altars. In the same sense the first-born who were dedicated to the Most High
God were also called holy.
It should not be deemed a matter of surprise
that the Church, although numbering among her children many sinners, is called
holy. For as those who profess any art, even though they depart from its rules,
are still called artists, so in like manner the faithful, although offending in
many things and violating the engagements to which they had pledged themselves,
are still called holy, because they have been made the people of God and have consecrated
themselves to Christ by faith and Baptism. Hence, St. Paul calls the
Corinthians sanctified and holy, although it is certain that among them there
were some whom he severely rebuked as carnal, and also charged with grosser
crimes.
The Church is also to be called holy because
she is united to her holy Head, as His body; that is, to Christ the Lord,' the
fountain of all holiness, from whom flow the graces of the Holy Spirit and the
riches of the divine bounty. St. Augustine, interpreting these words of the
Prophet: Preserve my soul, for I am holy," thus admirably expresses
himself: Let the body of Christ boldly say, let also that one man, exclaiming
from the ends of the earth, boldly say, with his Head, and under his Head, I am
holy; for he received the grace of holiness, the grace of Baptism and of
remission of sins. And a little further on: If all Christians and all the
faithful, having been baptised in Christ, have put Him on, according to these
words of the Apostle: "As many of you as have been baptised in Christ,
have put on Christ"; if they are made members of his body, and yet say
they are not holy, they do an injury to their Head, whose members are holy.
Moreover, the Church alone has the legitimate
worship of sacrifice, and the salutary use of the Sacraments, which are the
efficacious instruments of divine grace, used by God to produce true holiness.
Hence, to possess true holiness, we must belong to this Church. The Church
therefore it is clear, is holy, and holy because she is the body of Christ, by
whom she is sanctified, and in whose blood she is washed.
"Catholic"
The third mark of the Church is that she is
Catholic; that is, universal. And justly is she called Catholic, because, as
St. Augustine says, she is diffused by the splendour of one faith from the
rising to the setting sun."
Unlike states of human institution, or the
sects of heretics, she is not confined to any one country or class of men, but
embraces within the amplitude of her love all mankind, whether barbarians or
Scythians, slaves or freemen, male or female. Therefore it is written: Thou . .
. hast redeemed us to God, in thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and
people, and nation, and hast made us to our God a kingdom. Speaking of the Church,
David says: Ask of me and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance,
and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession; and also, I will be
mindful of Rahab and of Babylon knowing me; and man is born in her.
Moreover to this Church, built upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, belong all the faithful who have
existed from Adam to the present day, or who shall exist, in the profession of
the true faith, to the end of time; all of whom are founded and raised upon the
one corner-stone, Christ, who made both one, and announced peace to them that
are near and to them that are far.
She is also called universal, because all who
desire eternal salvation must cling to and embrace her, like those who entered
the ark to escape perishing in the flood.. This (note of catholicity),
therefore, is to be taught as a most reliable criterion, by which to
distinguish the true from a false Church.
Apostolic
The true Church is also to be recognised from
her origin, which can be traced back under the law of grace to the Apostles;
for her doctrine is the truth not recently given, nor now first heard of, but
delivered of old by the Apostles, and disseminated throughout the entire world.
Hence no one can doubt that the impious opinions which heresy invents, opposed
as they are to the doctrines taught by the Church from the days of the Apostles
to the present time, are very different from the faith of the true Church.
That all, therefore, might know which was the
Catholic Church, the Fathers, guided by the Spirit of God, added to the Creed
the word Apostolic. For the Holy Ghost, who presides over the Church, governs
her by no other ministers than those of Apostolic succession. This Spirit,
first imparted to the Apostles, has by the infinite goodness of God always
continued in the Church. And just as this one Church cannot err in faith or
morals, since it is guided by the Holy Ghost; so, on the contrary, all other
societies arrogating to themselves the name of church, must necessarily,
because guided by the spirit of the devil, be sunk in the most pernicious
errors, both doctrinal and moral.
Figures of the Church
The figures of the Old Testament have great
power to stimulate the minds of the faithful and to remind them of these most
beautiful truths. It was for this reason chiefly that the Apostles made use of
these figures. The pastor, therefore, should not overlook so fruitful a source
of instruction.
Among these figures the ark of Noah holds a
conspicuous place. It was built by the command of God, in order that there
might be no doubt that it was a symbol of the Church, which God has so
constituted that all who enter therein through Baptism, may be safe from danger
of eternal death, while such as are outside the Church, like those who were not
in the ark, are overwhelmed by their own crimes.
Another figure presents itself in the great
city of Jerusalem, which, in Scripture, often means the Church. In Jerusalem
only was it lawful to offer sacrifice to God, and in the Church of God only are
to be found the true worship and true sacrifice which can at all be acceptable
to God.
"I Believe the Holy Catholic
Church"
Finally, with regard to the Church, the
pastor should teach how to believe the Church can constitute an Article of
faith. Although reason and the senses are able to ascertain the existence of
the Church, that is, of a society of men on earth devoted and consecrated to
Jesus Christ, and although faith does not seem necessary in order to understand
a truth which even Jews and Turks do not doubt; nevertheless it is from the
light of faith only, not from the deductions of reason, that the mind can grasp
those mysteries contained in the Church of God which have been partly made
known above and will again be treated under the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Since, therefore, this Article, no less than
the others, is placed above the reach, and defies the strength of the human
understanding, most justly do we confess that we know not from human reason,
but contemplate with the eyes of faith the origin, offices and dignity of the
Church.
This Church was founded not by man, but by
the immortal God Himself, who built her upon a most solid rock. The Highest
himself, says the Prophet, hath founded her. Hence, she is called the
inheritance of God, the people of God. The power which she possesses is not
from man but from God.
Since this power, therefore, cannot be of
human origin, divine faith can alone enable us to understand that the keys of the.
kingdom of heaven are deposited with the Church, that to her has been confided
the power of remitting sins," of denouncing excommunication, and of
consecrating the real body of Christ; and t}tat her children have not here a
permanent dwelling, but look for one above.
We are, therefore, bound to believe that
there is one Holy Catholic Church. With regard to the Three Persons of the Holy
Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, we not
only believe them, but also believe in them.
But here we make use of a different form of expression, professing to believe
the holy, not in the holy Catholic Church. By this difference of expression we
distinguish God, the author of all things, from His works, and acknowledge that
all the exalted benefits bestowed on the Church are due to God's bounty.
Second Part of this Article: "The
Communion of Saints"
The Evangelist St. John, writing to the
faithful on the divine mysteries, explains as follows why he undertook to
instruct them in these truths: That you may have fellowship with us, and our
fellowship may be with the Father, and with his son Jesus Christ. This
fellowship consists in the Communion of Saints, the subject of the present
Article.
Importance Of This Truth
Would that in its exposition pastors imitated
the zeal of Paul and of the other Apostles. For not only is it a development of
the preceding Article and a doctrine productive of abundant fruit; it also
teaches the use to be made of the mysteries contained in the Creed, because the
great end to which we should direct all our study and knowledge of them is that
we may be admitted into this most august and blessed society of the Saints, and
may steadily persevere therein, giving thanks with joy to God the Father, who
hath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light.
Meaning of "The Communion of
Saints"
The faithful, therefore, in the first place
are to be informed that this part of the Article, is, as it were, a sort of
explanation of the preceding part which regards the unity, sanctity and
catholicity of the Church. For the unity of the Spirit, by which she is
governed, brings it about that whatsoever has been given to the Church is held
as a common possession by all her members.
Communion Of Sacraments
The fruit of all the Sacraments is common to
all the faithful, and these Sacraments, particularly Baptism, the door, as it
were, by which we are admitted into the Church, are so many sacred bonds which
bind and unite them to Christ. That this communion of Saints implies a
communion of Sacraments, the Fathers declare in these words of the Creed: I
confess one Baptism. After Baptism, the Eucharist holds the first place in
reference to this communion, and after that the other Sacraments; for although
this name (communion) is applicable to all the Sacraments, inasmuch as they
unite us to God, and render us partakers of Him whose grace we receive, yet it
belongs in a peculiar manner to the Eucharist which actually produces this
communion.
Communion Of Good Works
But there is also another communion in the
Church which demands attention. Every pious and holy action done by one belongs
to and becomes profitable to all through charity, which seeketh not her Own.
This is proved by the testimony of St. Ambrose, who, explaining these words of
the Psalmist, I am a partaker with all them that f ear thee, observes: As we
say that a limb is partaker of the entire body, so are we partakers with all
that fear God. Therefore has Christ taught us that form of prayer in which we
say our, not my bread; and the other Petitions are equally general, not
confined to ourselves alone, but directed also to the common interest and the
salvation of all.
This communication of goods is often very
aptly illustrated in Scripture by a comparison borrowed from the members of the
human body. In the human body there are many members, but though many, they yet
constitute but one body, in which each performs its own, not all the same,
functions. All do not enjoy equal dignity, or discharge functions alike useful
or honourable; nor does one propose to itself its own exclusive advantage, but
that Of the entire body. Besides, they are so well organised
and knit together that if one suffers, the
rest likewise suffer on account of their affinity and sympathy of nature; and
if, on the contrary, one enjoys health, the feeling of pleasure is common to
all.
The same may be observed in the Church. She
is composed of various members; that is, of different nations, of Jews,
Gentiles, freemen and slaves, of rich and poor; when they have been baptised,
they constitute one body with Christ, of which He is the Head. To each member
of the Church is also assigned his own peculiar office. As some are appointed
apostles, some teachers, but all for the common good; so to some it belongs to
govern and teach, to others to be subject and to obey.
Those Who Share In This Communion
The advantages of so many and such exalted
blessings bestowed by Almighty God are enjoyed by those who lead a Christian
life in charity, and are just and beloved of God. As to the dead members; that
is, those who are bound in the thraldom of sin and estranged from the grace of
God, they are not so deprived of these advantages as to cease to be members of
this body; but since they are dead members, they do not share in the spiritual
fruit which is communicated to the just and pious. However, as they are in the
Church, they are assisted in recovering lost grace and life by those who live
by the Spirit; and they also enjoy those benefits which are without doubt
denied to those who are entirely cut off from the Church.
Communion In Other Blessings
Not only the gifts which justify and endear
us to God are common. Graces gratuitously granted, such as knowledge, prophecy,
the gifts of tongues and of miracles, and others of the same sort, are common
also, and are granted even to the wicked, not, however, for their own but for
the general good, for the edification of the Church. Thus, the gift of healing
is given not for the sake of him who heals, but for the sake of him who is
healed.
In fine, every true Christian possesses
nothing which he should not consider common to all others with himself, and
should therefore be prepared promptly to relieve an indigent fellow-creature.
For he that is blessed with worldly goods, and sees his brother in want, and
will not assist him, is plainly convicted of not having the love of God within
him.
Those, therefore, who belong to this holy
communion, it is manifest, do now enjoy a certain degree of happiness and can
truly say: How lovely are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! my soul longeth and
fainteth for the courts of the Lord.... Blessed are they who dwell in thy
house, Lord.
ARTICLE
X : "THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS"
Importance Of This Article
The enumeration of this among the other
Articles of the Creed is alone sufficient to satisfy us that it conveys a
truth, which is not only in itself a divine mystery, but also a mystery very
necessary to salvation. We have already said that, without a firm belief of all
the Articles of the Creed, Christian piety is wholly unattainable. However,
should that which ought to be clear in itself seem to require the support of
some authority, the declaration of our Lord will suffice. A short time previous
to His Ascension into heaven, when opening the understanding of His disciples
that they might understand the Scriptures, He bore testimony to this Article of
the Creed, in these words: It behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise again from
the dead the third day, and that penance and remission of sins should be
preached, in his name, unto all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Let the pastor but weigh well these words,
and he will readily perceive that the Lord has placed him under a most sacred
obligation, not only of making known to the faithful whatever regards religion
in general, but also of explaining with particular care this Article of the
Creed.
The Church Has the Power of Forgiving Sins
On this point of doctrine, then, it is the
duty of the pastor to teach that, not only is forgiveness of sins to be found
in the Catholic Church, as Isaias had foretold in these words: The people that
dwell therein shall have their iniquity taken away from them; but also that in
her resides the power of forgiving sins; and furthermore that we are bound to believe
that this power, if exercised duly, and according to the laws prescribed by our
Lord, is such as truly to pardon and remit sins.
Extent of this Power:
All Sins That Precede Baptism
When we first make a profession of faith and
are cleansed in holy Baptism, we receive this pardon entire and unqualified; so
that no sin, original or actual, of commission or omission, re- mains to be
expiated, no punishment to be endured. The grace of Baptism, however, does not
give exemption from all the infirmities of nature. On the contrary, contending,
as each of us has to contend, against the motions of concupiscence, which ever
tempts us to the commission of sin, there is scarcely one to be found among us,
who opposes so vigorous a resistance to its assaults, or who guards his
salvation so vigilantly, as to escape all wounds.
All Sins Committed After Baptism
It being necessary, therefore, that a power
of forgiving sins, distinct from that of Baptism, should exist in the Church,
to her were entrusted the keys of the kingdom of heaven, by which each one, if
penitent, may obtain the remission of his sins, even though he were a sinner to
the last day of his life. This truth is vouched for by the most unquestionable
authority of the Sacred Scriptures. In St. Matthew the Lord says to Peter: I
will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt
bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and what- soever thou shalt
loose on earth, shall be loosed also in heaven; and again: Whatsoever you shall
bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose
on earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.' Further, the testimony of St. John
assures us that the Lord, breathing on the Apostles, said: Receive ye the Holy
Ghost, whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven them; and whose sins you
shall retain, they are retained. '
Limitation of this Power:
It Is Not Limited As To Sins, Persons, Or
Time
Nor is the exercise of this power restricted
to particular sins. No crime, however heinous, can be committed or even
conceived which the Church has not power to forgive, just as there is no
sinner, however abandoned, however depraved, who should not confidently hope
for pardon, provided he sincerely repent of his past transgressions.
Furthermore, the exercise of this power is
not restricted to particular times. Whenever the sinner turns from his evil
ways he is not to be rejected, as we learn from the reply of our Saviour to the
Prince of the Apostles. When St. Peter asked how often we should pardon an
offending brother, whether seven times, Not only seven times, said the
Redeemer, but till seventy times seven.
It Is Limited As To Its Ministers And
Exercise
But if we look to its ministers, or to the
manner in which it is to be exercised, the extent of this divine power will not
appear so great; for our Lord gave not the power of so sacred a ministry to
all, but to Bishops and priests only. The same must be said regarding the
manner in which this power is to be exercised; for sins can be forgiven only
through the Sacraments, when duly administered. The Church has received no
power otherwise to remit sin. Hence it follows that in the forgiveness of sins
both priests and Sacraments are, so to speak, the instruments which Christ our
Lord, the author and giver of salvation, makes use of, to accomplish in us the
pardon of sin and the grace of justification.
Greatness of this Power
To raise the admiration of the faithful for
this heavenly gift, bestowed on the Church by God's singular mercy towards us,
and to make them approach its use with the more lively sentiments of devotion
the pastor should endeavour to point out the dignity and the extent of the
grace which it imparts. If there be any one means better calculated than
another to accomplish this end, it is carefully to show how great must be the
efficacy of that which absolves from sin and restores the unjust to a state of
justification.
Sin Can Be Forgiven Only By The Power Of
God
This is manifestly an effect of the infinite
power of God, of that same power which we believe to have been necessary to
raise the dead to life and to summon creation into existence. But if it be
true, as the authority of St. Augustine assures us it is, that to recall a
sinner from the state of sin to that of righteousness is even a greater work
than to create the heavens and the earth from nothing, though their creation
can be no other than the effect of infinite power, it follows that we have still
stronger reason to consider the remission of sins as an effect proceeding from
the exercise of this same infinite power.
With great truth, therefore, have the ancient
Fathers declared that God alone can forgive sins, and that to His infinite
goodness and power alone is so wonderful a work to be referred. I am he, says
the Lord Himself, by the mouth of His Prophet, I am he who blotteth out your
iniquities.
The remission of sins seems to bear an exact
analogy to the cancelling of a pecuniary debt. None but the creditor can
forgive a pecuniary debt. Hence, since by sin we contract a debt to God alone
-- wherefore we daily pray: forgive us our debts sin, it is clear, can be
forgiven by Him alone, and by none else.
This Power Communicated To None Before
Christ
This wonderful and divine power was never
communicated to creatures, until God became man. Christ our Saviour, although
true God, was the first one who, as man, received this high prerogative from
His heavenly Father. That you may know that the son of man hath power on earth
to forgive sins (then said he to the man sick of the palsy), rise. take up thy
bed, and go into thy house. As, therefore, He became man, in order to bestow on
man this forgiveness of sins, He communicated this power to Bishops and priests
in the Church, previous to His Ascension into heaven, where He sits forever at
the right hand of God. Christ, however, as we have already said, remits sin by
virtue of His own authority; all others, by virtue of His authority delegated
to them as His ministers.
If, therefore, whatever is the effect of
infinite power claims our highest admiration and reverence, we must readily
perceive that this gift, bestowed on the Church by the bounteous hand of Christ
our Lord, is one of inestimable value.
Sin Remitted Through The Blood Of Christ
The manner too, in which God, in the fullness
of His paternal clemency resolved to cancel the sins of the world must
powerfully move the faithful to contemplate the greatness of this blessing. It
was His will that our offences should be expiated by the blood of His
Only-begotten Son; that His Son should voluntarily assume the imputability of
our sins, and suffer a most cruel death, the just for the unjust, the innocent
for the guilty.
When, therefore, we reflect that we were not
redeemed with corruptible things, as gold or silver, but with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled, we are naturally led to
conclude that we could have received no gift more salutary than this power of
forgiving sins, which proclaims the ineffable Providence of God and the excess
of His love towards us. This reflection must produce in all the most abundant
spiritual fruit.
The Great Evil From Which Forgiveness
Delivers Man
For whoever offends God, even by one mortal
sin, instantly forfeits whatever merits he may have previously acquired through
the sufferings and death of Christ, and is entirely shut out from the gate of
heaven which, when already closed, was thrown open to all by the Redeemer's
Passion. When we reflect on this, the thought of our misery must fill us with
deep anxiety. But if we turn our attention to this admirable power with which
God has invested His Church; and, in the firm belief of this Article, feel
convinced that to every sinner is offered the means of recovering, with the
assistance of divine grace, his former dignity, we must exult with exceeding
joy and gladness, and must offer immortal thanks to God.
If, when we are seriously ill, the medicines
prepared for us by the art and industry of the physician are wont to be welcome
and agreeable to us, how much more welcome and agreeable should those remedies
prove which the wisdom of God has established to heal our souls and restore us
to the life of grace, especially since they bring with them, not, indeed,
uncertain hope of recovery, like the medicines that are applied to the body,
but assured health to such as desire to be cured !
Exhortation:
This Remedy To Be Used
The faithful, therefore, having formed a just
conception of the dignity of so excellent and exalted a blessing, should be
exhorted to profit by it to the best of their ability. For he who makes no use
of what is really useful and necessary must be supposed to despise it;
particularly since, in communicating to the Church the power of forgiving sin,
the Lord did so with the view that all should have recourse to this healing
remedy. As without Baptism no one can be cleansed, so in order to recover the
grace of Baptism, forfeited by actual mortal guilt, recourse must be had to
another means of expiation, -- namely, the Sacrament of Penance.
Abuse To Be Guarded Against
But here the faithful are to be admonished to
guard against the danger of becoming more prone to sin, or slow to repentance,
from a presumption that they can have recourse to this power of forgiving sins
which is so complete and, as we saw, unrestricted as to time. For, as such a
propensity to sin would manifestly convict them of acting injuriously and
contumaciously to this divine power, and would therefore render them unworthy
of the divine mercy; so this slowness to repentance gives great reason to fear
that, overtaken by death, they may in vain confess their belief in the
remission of sins, which by their tardiness and procrastination they deservedly
forfeited.
ARTICLE
XI : "THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY"
Importance Of This Article
That this Article supplies a convincing proof
of the truth of our faith appears chiefly from the fact that not only is it
proposed in the Sacred Scriptures to the belief of the faithful, but is also
confirmed by numerous arguments. This we scarcely find to be the case with
regard to the other Articles, which justifies the inference that on this
doctrine, as on its most solid basis, rests our hope of salvation; for
according to the reasoning of the Apostle, If there be no resurrection of the
dead, then Christ is not risen again; and if Christ be not risen again, then is
our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
The diligence and zeal, therefore, of the
pastor in the explanation of this dogma should not be less than the labor which
the impiety of many has expended in efforts to overthrow it. That eminently
important advantages flow to the faithful from the knowledge of this Article
will be shown further on.
"The Resurrection of the Body"
That in this Article the resurrection of
mankind is called the resurrection of the body, is a circumstance which
deserves special attention. It was not, indeed, so named without a reason for
the Apostles intended thus to convey a necessary truth, the immortality of the
soul. Lest anyone, despite the fact that many passages of Scripture plainly
teach that the soul is immortal, might imagine that it dies with the body, and
that both are to be restored to life, the Creed speaks only of the resurrection
of the body.
Although in Sacred Scripture the word flesh
often signifies the whole man, as in Isaias, All flesh is grass, and in St.
John, The Word was made flesh; yet in this place it is used to express the body
only, thus giving us to understand that of the two constituent parts of man,
soul and body, one only, that is, the body, is corrupted and returns to its
original dust, while the soul remains incorrupt and immortal. As then, a man
cannot be said to return to life unless he has previously died, so the soul
could not with propriety be said to rise again.
The word body is also mentioned, in order to
confute the heresy of Hymeneus and Philetus, who, during the lifetime of the
Apostle, asserted that whenever the Scriptures speak of the resurrection, they
are to be understood to mean not the resurrection of the body, but that of the
soul, by which it rises from the death of sin to the life of grace. The words
of this Article, therefore, as is clear, exclude that error, and establish a
real resurrection of the body.
The Fact of the Resurrection:
Examples And Proofs Derived From Scripture
It will be the duty of the pastor to
illustrate this truth by examples taken from the Old and New Testaments, and
from all ecclesiastical history. In the Old Testament, some were restored to
life by Elias and Eliseus; and, besides those who were raised to life by our
Lord, many were raised by the holy Apostles and by many others. These many
resurrections confirm the doctrine taught by this Article; for believing that
many were recalled from death to life, we are also naturally led to believe the
general resurrection of all. In fact the principal fruit which we should derive
from these miracles is to yield to this Article our most unhesitating belief.
To pastors ordinarily conversant with the
Sacred Volumes many Scripture proofs of this Article will at once present
themselves. In the Old Testament the most conspicuous are those afforded by
Job, when he says that in his flesh he shall see his God, and by Daniel when,
speaking of those who sleep in the dust of the earth, he says, some shall awake
to eternal life, others to eternal reproach. In the New Testament (the
principal passages are) those of St. Matthew, which record the disputation our
Lord held with the Sadducees, and those in which the Evangelists speak
concerning the Last Judgment. To these we may also add the accurate reasoning
of the Apostle on the subject in his Epistles to the Corinthians and
Thessalonians.
Analogies From Nature
But although the resurrection is most
certainly established by faith, it will, notwithstanding, be of material
advantage to show from analogy and reason that what faith proposes is not at
variance with nature or human reason.
To one asking how the dead should rise again,
the Apostle answers: Foolish man! that which thou sowest is not quickened,
except it die first; and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not the body that
shall be, but bare grain, as of wheat, or of some of the rest; but God giveth
it a body as he will; and a little after, It is sown in corruption, it shall
rise in incorruption.
St. Gregory calls our attention to many other
arguments of analogy tending to the same effect. The sun, he says, is every day
withdrawn from our eyes, as it were, by dying, and is again recalled, as it
were, by rising again; trees lose, and again, as it were, by a resurrection,
resume their verdure; seeds die by putrefaction, and rise again by germination.
Arguments Drawn From Reason
The reasons also adduced by ecclesiastical
writers seem well calculated to establish this truth. In the first place, as
the soul is immortal, and has, as part of man, a natural propensity to be
united to the body, its perpetual separation from it must be considered as
unnatural. But as that which is contrary to nature and in a state of violence,
cannot be permanent, it appears fitting that the soul should be reunited to the
body, and consequently that the body should rise again. This argument our
Saviour Himself employed, when in His disputation with the Sadducees He deduced
the resurrection of the body from the immortality of the soul."
In the next place, as an all-just God holds
out punishments to the wicked and rewards to the good, and as very many of the
former depart this life unpunished for their crimes and many of the latter
unrewarded for their virtues, the soul should be reunited to the body, in
order, as the partner of her crimes, or the companion of her virtues, to become
a sharer in her punishments or rewards. This argument has been admirably treated
by St. Chrysostom in his homily to the people of Antioch.
To this effect also, the Apostle, speaking of
the resurrection, says: If in this life only, we have hope in Christ, we are of
all men the most miserable.. These words of St. Paul cannot be supposed to
refer to the misery of the soul; for since the soul is immortal, it is capable
of enjoying happiness in a future life, even though the body did not rise
again. His words, then, must refer to the whole man; for, unless the body
receive the due rewards of its labours, those who, like the Apostles, endured
so many afflictions and calamities in this life, would necessarily be the most
miserable of men. On this subject the Apostle is much more explicit in his
Epistle to the Thessalonians: We glory in the churches of God, for your
patience and faith, in all your persecutions and tribulations which you endure
-- for an example of the just judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy
of the kingdom of God, for which also you suffer; seeing it is a just thing with
God to repay tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled,
rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with the angels
of his power, in a flame of fire, yielding vengeance to them who know not God,
and who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Again, while the soul is separated from the
body, man cannot enjoy that full happiness which is replete with every good.
For as a part separated from the whole is imperfect, the soul separated from
the body must be imperfect. Therefore, that nothing may be wanting to fill up
the measure of its happiness, the resurrection of the body is necessary.
By these, and similar arguments, the pastor
will be able to instruct the faithful in this Article.
All Shall Rise
He should also carefully explain from the
Apostle who are to be raised to life. Writing to the Corinthians, he (St. Paul)
says: As in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.' Good and
bad then, without distinction, shall all rise from the dead, although the
condition of all will not be the same. Those who have done good, shall rise to
the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil to the resurrection of
judgment.
When we say all we mean those who will have
died before the day of judgment, as well as those who will then die. That the
Church acquiesces in the opinion that all, without distinction, shall die, and
that this opinion is more consonant with truth, is the teaching of St. Jerome
and of St. Augustine.
Nor does the Apostle in his Epistle to the
Thessalonians dissent from this doctrine, when he says: The dead who are in
Christ shall rise first, then we who are alive, who are left, shall be taken up
together with them in the clouds to meet Christ, into the air. St. Ambrose
explaining these words says: In that very taking up, death shall take place, as
it were, in a deep sleep, and the soul, having gone forth from the body, shall
instantly return. For those who are alive shall die when they are taken up
that, coming to the Lord, they may receive their souls from His presence;
because in His presence they cannot be dead. This opinion is supported by the
authority of St. Augustine in his book On the City of God."
The Body Shall Rise Substantially the Same
But as it is of vital importance to be fully
convinced that the identical body, which belongs to each one of us during life,
shall, though corrupt and dissolved into its original dust, be raised up again
to life, this too is a subject which demands accurate explanation on the part
of the pastor.
It is a truth conveyed by the Apostle when he
says: This corruptible must put on incorruption, evidently designating by the
word this, his own body. It is also clearly expressed in the prophecy of Job:
In my flesh I shall see my God, whom I myself shall see, and mine eyes behold,
and not another.
Further, this same truth is inferred from the
very definition of resurrection; for resurrection, as Damascene defines it, is
a return to the state from which one has fallen.
Finally, if we bear in mind the arguments by
which we have just established a future resurrection, every doubt on the
subject must at once disappear.
We have said that the body is to rise again,
that every one may receive the proper things of the body, according as he hath
done, whether it be good or evil. Man is, therefore, to rise again in the same
body with which he served God, or was a slave to the devil; that in the same
body he may experience rewards and a crown of victory, or endure the severest
punishments and torments.
Restoration Of All That Pertains To The
Nature And Adornment Of The Body
Not only will the body rise, but whatever
belongs to the reality of its nature, and adorns and ornaments man will be
restored. For this we have the admirable words of St. Augustine: There
shall then be no deformity of body; if some
have been overburdened with flesh, they shall not resume its entire weight. All
that exceeds the proper proportion shall be deemed superfluous. On the other
hand, should the body be wasted by disease or old age, or be emaciated from any
other cause, it shall be repaired by the divine power of Christ, who will not
only restore the body unto us, but will repair whatever it shall have lost
through the wretchedness of this life. In another place he says: Man shall not
resume his former hair, but shall be adorned with such as will become him,
according to the words: "The very hairs of your head are all
numbered." God will restore them according to His wisdom.
Restoration Of All That Pertains To The
Integrity Of The Body
But the members especially, because they
belong to the integrity of human nature, shall all be restored at once. The
blind from nature or disease, the lame, the maimed and the paralysed in any of
their members shall rise again with entire and perfect bodies. Otherwise the
desires of the soul, which so strongly incline it to a union with the body,
would be far from satisfied; but we are convinced that in the resurrection
these desires will be fully realised.
Besides, the resurrection, like the creation,
is clearly to be numbered among the principal works of God. As, therefore, at
the creation all things came perfect from the hand of God, we must admit that
it will be the same in the resurrection.
These observations are not to be restricted
to the bodies of the martyrs, of whom St. Augustine says: As the mutilation
which they suffered would prove a deformity, they shall rise with all their
members; otherwise those who were beheaded would rise without a head. The
scars, however, which they received shall remain, shining like the wounds of
Christ, with a brilliance far more resplendent than that of gold and of
precious stones.
The wicked, too, shall rise with all their
members, even with those lost through their own fault. The greater the number
of members which they shall have, the greater will be their torments; and
therefore this restoration of members will serve to increase not their
happiness but their sorrow and misery; for merit or demerit is ascribed not to
the members, but to the person to whose body they are united. To those,
therefore, who shall have done penance, they shall be restored as sources of
reward; and to those who shall have contemned it, as instruments of punishment.
If the pastor gives attentive consideration
to these things, he can never lack words or ideas to move the hearts of the
faithful, and enkindle in them the flame of piety; so that having before their
minds the troubles and calamities of this life, they may look forward with
eager expectations to that blessed glory of the resurrection which awaits the
just.
The Condition of the Risen Body Shall be
Different
It now remains for the faithful to understand
how the body, when raised from the dead, although substantially the same body
that had been dead, shall be vastly different and changed in its condition.
Immortality
To omit other points, the chief difference
between the state of all bodies when risen from the dead and what they had
previously been is that before the resurrection they were subject to
dissolution, but when reanimated they shall all, without distinction of good
and bad, be invested with immortality.
This admirable restoration of nature, as the
Scriptures testify, is the result of the glorious victory of Christ over death.
For it is written: He shall cast death down headlong for ever, and, O death! I
will be thy death.' Explaining these words the Apostle says: And the enemy
death shall be destroyed last; and St. John also says: Death shall be no more.
It was most fitting that the sin of Adam
should be far exceeded by the merit of Christ the Lord, who overthrew the
empire of death. It was also in keeping with divine justice, that the good
should enjoy endless felicity, while the wicked, condemned to everlasting
torments, shall seek death, and shall not find it, shall desire to die, and
death shall fly from them. Immortality, therefore, will be common to the good
and to the bad.
The Qualities Of A Glorified Body
In addition to this, the bodies of the risen
Saints will be distinguished by certain transcendent endowments, which will
ennoble them far beyond their former condition. Among these endowments four are
specially mentioned by the Fathers, which they infer from the doctrine of St.
Paul, and which are called gifts.
Impassibility
The first endowment or gift is impassibility,
which shall place them beyond the reach of suffering anything disagreeable or
of being affected by pain or inconvenience of any sort. Neither the piercing
severity of cold, nor the glowing intensity of heat, nor the impetuosity of
waters can hurt them. It is sown says the Apostle, in corruption, it shall rise
in incorruption This quality the Schoolmen call impassibility, not
incorruption, in order to distinguish it as a property peculiar to a glorified
body. The bodies of the damned, though incorruptible, will not be impassible;
they will be capable of experiencing heat and cold and of suffering various
afflictions.
Brightness
The next quality is brightness, by which the
bodies of the Saints shall shine like the sun, according to the words of our
Lord recorded in the Gospel of St. Matthew: The just shall shine as the sun, in
the kingdom of their Father. To remove the possibility of doubt on the subject,
He exemplifies this in His Transfiguration. This quality the Apostle sometimes
calls glory, sometimes brightness: He will reform the body of our lowness, made
like to the body of his glory; " and again, It is sown in dishonour, it
shall rise in glory. Of this glory the Israelites beheld some image in the
desert, when the face of Moses, after he had enjoyed the presence and
conversation of God, shone with such lustre that they could not look on it.
This brightness is a sort of radiance
reflected on the body from the supreme happiness of the soul. It is a
participation in that bliss which the soul enjoys just as the soul itself is
rendered happy by a participation in the happiness of God.
Unlike the gift of impassibility, this
quality is not common to all in the same degree. All the bodies of the Saints
will be equally impassible; but the brightness of all will not be the same,
for, according to the Apostle, One is the glory of the sun, another the glory
of the moon, and another the glory of the stars, for star differeth from star
in glory: so also is the resurrection of the dead.
Agility
To the preceding quality is united that which
is called agility, by which the body will be freed from the heaviness that now
presses it down, and will take on a capability of moving with the utmost ease
and swiftness, wherever the soul pleases, as St. Augustine teaches in his book
On the City of God, and St. Jerome On Isaias. Hence these words of the Apostle:
It is sown in weakness, it shall rise in power.
Subtility
Another quality is that of subtility, which
subjects the body to the dominion of the soul, so that the body shall be
subject to the soul and ever ready to follow her desires. This quality we learn
from these words of the Apostle: It is sown a natural body, it shall rise a
spiritual body.
These are the principal points which should
be dwelt on in the exposition of this Article.
Advantages of Deep Meditation on this
Article
But in order that the faithful may appreciate
the fruit they derive from a knowledge of so many and such exalted mysteries,
it is necessary, first of all, to point out that to God, who has hidden these
things from the wise and made them known to little ones, we owe a debt of
boundless gratitude. How many men, eminent for wisdom or endowed with singular
learning, who ever remained blind to this most certain truth ! The fact, then,
that He has made known to us these truths, although we could never have aspired
to such knowledge, obliges us to pour forth our gratitude in unceasing praises
of His supreme goodness and clemency.
Another important advantage to be derived
from reflection on this Article is that in it we shall find consolation both
for ourselves and others when we mourn the death of those who were endeared to
us by relationship or friendship. Such was the consolation which the Apostle
himself gave the Thessalonians when writing to them concerning those who are
asleep.
Again, in all our afflictions and calamities
the thought of a future resurrection must bring the greatest relief to the
troubled heart, as we learn from the example of holy Job, who supported his
afflicted and sorrowing soul by this one hope that the day would come when, in
the resurrection, he would behold the Lord his God.
The same thought must also prove a powerful
incentive to the faithful to use every exertion to lead lives of rectitude and
integrity, unsullied by the defilement of sin. For if they reflect that those
boundless riches which will follow after the resurrection are now offered to
them as rewards, they will be easily attracted to the pursuit of virtue and
piety.
On the other hand, nothing will have greater
effect in subduing the passions and withdrawing souls from sin, than frequently
to remind the sinner of the miseries and torments with which the reprobate will
be visited, who on the last day will come forth unto the resurrection of judgment.
ARTICLE
XII : "LIFE EVERLASTING"
Importance Of This Article
The holy Apostles, our guides, thought fit to
conclude the Creed, which is the summary of our faith, with the Article on
eternal life: first, because after the resurrection of the body the only object
of the Christian's hope is the reward of everlasting life; and secondly, in
order that perfect happiness, embracing as it does the fullness of all good,
may be ever present to our minds and absorb all our thoughts and affections.
In his instructions to the faithful the
pastor, therefore, should unceasingly endeavour to light up in their souls an
ardent desire of the promised rewards of eternal life, so that whatever
difficult duties he may inculcate as a part of the Christian's life, the faithful
may look upon as light, or even agreeable, and may yield a more willing and
cheerful obedience to God.
"Life Everlasting"
As many mysteries lie concealed under the
words which are here used to declare the happiness reserved for us, they are to
be explained in such a manner as to make them intelligible to all, as far as
each one's capacity will allow.
The faithful, therefore, are to be informed
that the words, life everlasting, signify not only continuance of existence,
which even the demons and the wicked possess, but also that perpetuity of
happiness which is to satisfy the desires of the blessed. In this sense they
were understood by the lawyer mentioned in the Gospel when he asked the Lord
our Saviour: What shall I do to possess everlasting life? as if he had said,
What shall I do in order to arrive at the enjoyment of perfect happiness? In
this sense these words are understood in the Sacred Scriptures, as is clear
from many passages.
"Everlasting"
The supreme happiness of the blessed is
called by this name (life everlasting) principally to exclude the notion that
it consists in corporeal and transitory things, which cannot be everlasting.
The word blessedness is insufficient to express the idea, particularly as there
have not been wanting men who, puffed up by the teachings of a vain philosophy,
would place the supreme good in sensible things. But these grow old and perish,
while supreme happiness is to be terminated by no lapse of time. Nay more, so
far is the enjoyment of the goods of this life from conferring real happiness
that, on the contrary, he who is captivated by a love of the world is farthest
removed from true happiness; for it is written: Love not the world, nor the
things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the charity of the
Father is not in him, and a little farther on we read: The world passeth away,
and the concupiscence thereof.
The pastor, therefore, should be careful to
impress these truths on the minds of the faithful, that they may learn to
despise earthly things, and to know that in this world, in which we are not
citizens but sojourners, happiness is not to be found. Yet even here below we
may be said with truth to be happy in hope, if denying ungodliness and worldly
desires, we . . . live soberly, and justly, and godly in this world, looking
for the blessed hope and coming of the glory of the great God and our Saviour
Jesus Christ. Very many who seemed to themselves wise, not understanding these
things, and imagining that happiness was to be sought in this life, became
fools and the victims of the most deplorable calamities.
These words, life everlasting, also teach us
that, contrary to the false notions of some, happiness once attained can never
be lost. Happiness is an accumulation of all good without admixture of evil,
which, as it fills up the measure of man's desires, must be eternal. He who is
blessed with happiness must earnestly desire the continued enjoyment of those
goods which he has obtained. Hence, unless its possession be permanent and
certain, he is necessarily a prey to the most tormenting apprehension.
Life
The intensity of the happiness which the just
enjoy in their celestial country, and its utter incomprehensibility to all but
themselves alone, are sufficiently conveyed by the very words blessed life. For
when in order to express any idea we make use of a word common to many things,
it is clear that we do so because we have no exact term by which to express it
fully. Since, therefore, to express happiness, words are adopted which are not
more applicable to the blessed than to all who are to live for ever, this
proves to us that the idea presents to the mind something too great, too
exalted, to be expressed fully by a proper term. True, the happiness of heaven
is expressed in Scripture by a variety of other words, such as the kingdom of
God, of Christ, of heaven, paradise, the holy city, the new Jerusalem, my
Father's house; yet it is clear that none of these appellations is sufficient
to convey an adequate idea of its greatness.
The pastor, therefore, should not neglect the
opportunity which this Article affords of inviting the faithful to the practice
of piety, of justice and of all the other Christian duties, by holding out to
them such ample rewards as are announced in the words life everlasting. Among
the blessings which we instinctively desire life is certainly esteemed one of
the greatest. Now it is chiefly by this blessing that we describe the happiness
(of the just) when we say life everlasting. If, then, there is nothing more
loved, nothing dearer or sweeter, than this short and calamitous life, which is
subject to so many and such various miseries that it should rather be called
death; with what ardour of soul, with what earnestness of purpose, should we
not seek that eternal life which, without evil of any sort, presents to us the
pure and unmixed enjoyment of every good?
Negative and Positive Elements of Eternal
Life
The happiness of eternal life is, as defined
by the Fathers, an exemption from all evil, and an enjoyment of all good.
The Negative
Concerning (the exemption from all) evil the
Scriptures bear witness in the most explicit terms. For it is written in the Apocalypse:
They shall no more hunger nor thirst, neither shall the sun fall on them, nor
any heat; '° and again, God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and
death shall be no more, nor mourning nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more,
for the former things are passed away.
The Positive
As for the glory of the blessed, it shall be
without measure, and the kinds of their solid joys and pleasures without
number. Since our minds cannot grasp the greatness of this glory, nor can it
possibly enter into our souls, it is necessary for us to enter into it, that
is, into the joy of the Lord, so that immersed therein we may completely
satisfy the longing of our hearts.
Although, as St. Augustine observes, it would
seem easier to enumerate the evils from which we shall be exempt than the goods
and the pleasures which we shall enjoy; yet we must endeavour to explain,
briefly and clearly, these things which are calculated to inflame the faithful
with a desire of arriving at the enjoyment of this supreme felicity.
But first of all we should make use of a
distinction which has been sanctioned by the most eminent writers on religion;
for they teach that there are two sorts of goods, one of which constitutes
happiness, the other follows upon it. The former, therefore, for the sake of
perspicuity, they have called essential blessings, the latter, accessory.
Essential Happiness
Solid happiness, which we may designate by
the common appellation, essential, consists in the vision of God, and the
enjoyment of His beauty who is the source and principle of all goodness and
perfection. This, says Christ our Lord, is eternal life: that they may know
thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. These words St.
John seems to interpret when he says: Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of
God; and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be. We know that when he shall
appear, we shall be like to him: because we shawl see him as he is. He shows,
then, that beatitude consists of two things: that we shall behold God such as
He is in His own nature and substance; and that we ourselves shall become, as
it were, gods.
The Light Of Glory
For those who enjoy God while they retain
their own nature, assume a certain admirable and almost divine form, so as to
seem gods rather than men. Why this transformation takes place becomes at once
intelligible if we only reflect that a thing is known either from its essence,
or from its image and appearance, consequently, as nothing so resembles God as
to afford by its resemblance a perfect knowledge of Him, it follows that no
creature can behold His Divine Nature and Essence unless this same Divine
Essence has joined itself to us, and this St. Paul means when he says: We now
see through a glass in a dark manner; but then face to face.' The words, in a
dark manner, St. Augustine understands to mean that we see Him in a resemblance
calculated to convey to us some notion of the Deity.
This St. Denis' also clearly shows when he
says that the things above cannot be known by comparison with the things below;
for the essence and substance of anything incorporeal cannot be known through
the image of that which is corporeal, particularly as a resemblance must be
less gross and more spiritual than that which it represents, as we easily know
from universal experience. Since, therefore, it is impossible that any image
drawn from created things should be equally pure and spiritual with God, no
resemblance can enable us perfectly to comprehend the Divine Essence. Moreover,
all created things are circumscribed within certain limits of perfection, while
God is without limits; and therefore nothing created can reflect His immensity.
The only means, then, of arriving at a
knowledge of the Divine Essence is that God unite Himself in some sort to us,
and after an incomprehensible manner elevate our minds to a higher degree of
perfection, and thus render us capable of contemplating the beauty of His
Nature. This the light of His glory will accomplish. Illumined by its splendour
we shall see God, the true light, in His own light.
The Beatific Vision
For the blessed always see God present and by
this greatest and most exalted of gifts, being made partakers of the divine
nature, they enjoy true and solid happiness. Our belief in this happiness
should be joined with an assured hope that we too shall one day, through the
divine goodness, attain it. This the Fathers declared in their Creed, which
says: I expect the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
An Illustration Of This Truth
These are truths, so divine that they cannot
be expressed in any words or comprehended by us in thought. We may, however,
trace some resemblance of this happiness in sensible objects. Thus, iron when
acted on by fire becomes inflamed and while it is substantially the same seems
changed into fire, a different substance; so likewise the blessed, who are
admitted into the glory of heaven and burn with a love of God, are so affected
that, without ceasing to be what they are, they may be said with truth to differ
more from those still on earth than red-hot iron differs from itself when cold.
To say all in a few words, supreme and
absolute happiness, which we call essential, consists in the possession of God;
for what can he lack to consummate his happiness who possesses the God of all
goodness and perfection?
Accessory Happiness
To this happiness, however, are added certain
gifts which are common to all the blessed, and which, because more within the
reach of human comprehension, are generally found more effectual in moving and
inflaming the heart. These the Apostle seems to have in view when, in his
Epistle to the Romans, he says: Glory and honour, and peace to every one that
worketh good.
Glory
For the blessed shall enjoy glory; not only
that glory which we have already shown to constitute essential happiness, or to
be its inseparable accompaniment, but also that glory which consists in the
clear and distinct knowledge which each (of the blessed) shall have of the
singular and exalted dignity of his companions (in glory).
Honour
And how distinguished must not that honour be
which is conferred by God Himself, who no longer calls them servants, but
friends, brethren and sons of God! Hence the Redeemer will address His elect in
these most loving and honourable words: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess
you the kingdom prepared for you. Justly, then, may we exclaim: Thy friends, O
God, are made exceedingly honourable. They shall also receive the highest
praise from Christ the Lord, in presence of His heavenly Father and His Angels.
And if nature has implanted in the heart of
every man the common desire of securing the esteem of men eminent for wisdom,
because they are deemed the most reliable judges of merit, what an accession of
glory to the blessed, to show towards each other the highest veneration !
Peace
To enumerate all the delights with which the
souls of the blessed shall be filled would be an endless task. We cannot even
conceive them in thought. With this truth, however, the minds of the faithful
should be deeply impressed -- that the happiness of the Saints is full to
overflowing of all those pleasures which can be enjoyed or even desired in this
life, whether they regard the powers of the mind or of the perfection of the
body; albeit this must be in a manner more exalted than, to use the Apostle's
words, eye hath seen, ear heard, or the heart of man conceived.
Thus the body, which was before gross and
material, shall put off in heaven its mortality, and having become refined and
spiritualised, will no longer require corporal food; while the soul shall be
satiated to its supreme delight with that eternal food of glory which the
Master of that great feast passing will minister to all.
Who will desire rich apparel or royal robes,
where there shall be no further use for such things, and where all shall be
clothed with immortality and splendour, and adorned with a crown of
imperishable glory?
And if the possession of a spacious and
magnificent mansion contributes to human happiness, what more spacious, what more
magnificent, can be conceived than heaven itself, which is illumined throughout
with the brightness of God ? Hence the Prophet, contemplating the beauty of
this dwelling-place, and burning with the desire of reaching those mansions of
bliss, exclaims: How lovely are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! my soul
longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh have
rejoiced in the living God. That the faithful may be all filled with the same
sentiments and utter the same language should be the object of the pastor's
most earnest desires, as it should also be of his zealous labours. For in my
Father's house, says our Lord, there are many mansions," in which shall be
distributed rewards of greater and of less value according to each one's deserts.
He who soweth sparingly, shall also reap sparingly: and he who soweth in
blessings, shall also reap blessings.
How to Arrive at the Enjoyment of this
Happiness
The pastor, therefore, should not only
encourage the faithful to seek this happiness, but should frequently remind
them that the sure way of obtaining it is to possess the virtues of faith and
charity, to persevere in prayer and the use of the Sacraments, and to discharge
all the duties of kindness towards their neighbour.
Thus, through the mercy of God, who has
prepared that blessed glory for those who love Him, shall be one day fulfilled
the words of the Prophet: My people shall sit in the beauty of peace, and in
the tabernacle of confidence, and in wealthy rest.
PART
II : THE SACRAMENTS
Importance Of Instruction On The
Sacraments
The exposition of every part of Christian
doctrine demands knowledge and industry on the part of the pastor. But
instruction on the Sacraments, which, by the ordinance of God, are a necessary
means of salvation and a plenteous source of spiritual advantage, demands in a
special manner his talents and industry By accurate and frequent instruction
(on the Sacraments) the faithful will be enabled to approach worthily and with
salutary effect these inestimable and most holy institutions; and the priests
will not depart from the rule laid down in the divine prohibition: Give not
that which is holy to dogs: neither cast ye your pearls before swine.
The Word "Sacrament"
Since, then, we are about to treat of the
Sacraments in general, it is proper to begin in the first place by explaining
the force and meaning of the word Sacrament, and showing its various
significations, in order the more easily to comprehend the sense in which it is
here used. The faithful, therefore, are to be informed that the word Sacrament,
in so far as it concerns our present purpose, is differently understood by
sacred and profane writers.
By some it has been used to express the
obligation which arises from an oath, pledging to the performance of some
service; and hence the oath by which soldiers promise military service to the
State has been called a military sacrament. Among profane writers this seems to
have been the most ordinary meaning of the word.
But by the Latin Fathers who have written on
theological subjects, the word sacrament is used to signify a sacred thing
which lies concealed. The Greeks, to express the same idea, made use of the
word mystery. This we understand to be the meaning of the word, when, in the
Epistle to the Ephesians, it is said: That he might make known to us the
mystery (sacramentum) of his will; and to Timothy: great is the mystery
(sacramentum) of godliness; and in the Book of Wisdom: They knew not the
secrets (sacramenta) of God. In these and many other passages the word
sacrament,- it will be perceived, signifies nothing more than a holy thing that
lies concealed and hidden.
The Latin Doctors, therefore, deemed the word
a very appropriate term to express certain sensible signs which at once
communicate grace, declare it, and, as it were, place it before the eyes. St.
Gregory, however, is of the opinion that such a sign is called a Sacrament,
because the divine power secretly operates our salvation under the veil of sensible
things.
Let it not, however, be supposed that the
word sacrament is of recent ecclesiastical usage. Whoever peruses the works of
Saints Jerome and Augustine will at once perceive that ancient ecclesiastical
writers made use of the word sacrament, and some times also of the word symbol,
or mystical sign or sacred sign, to designate that of which we here speak.
So much will suffice in explanation of the
word sacrament. What we have said applies equally to the Sacraments of the Old
Law; but since they have been superseded by the Gospel Law and grace, it is not
necessary that pastors give instruction concerning them.
Definition of a Sacrament
Besides the meaning of the word, which has
hitherto engaged our attention, the nature and efficacy of the thing which the
word signifies must be diligently considered, and the faithful must be taught
what constitutes a Sacrament. No one can doubt that the Sacraments are among
the means of attaining righteousness and salvation. But of the many
definitions, each of them sufficiently appropriate, which may serve to explain
the nature of a Sacrament, there is none more comprehensive, none more
perspicuous, than the definition given by St. Augustine and adopted by all
scholastic writers. A Sacrament, he says, is a sign of a sacred thing; or, as
it has been expressed in other words of the same import: A Sacrament is a
visible sign of an invisible grace, instituted for our justification.
"A Sacrament is a Sign"
The more fully to develop this definition,
the pastor should ex plain it in all its parts. He should first observe that
sensible objects are of two sorts: some have been invented precisely to serve
as signs; others have been established not for the sake of signifying something
else, but for their own sakes alone. To the latter class almost every object in
nature may be said to belong; to the former, spoken and written languages,
military standards, images, trumpets, signals a and a multiplicity of other
things of the same sort. Thus with regard to words; take away their power of
expressing ideas, and you seem to take away the only reason for their
invention. Such things are, therefore, properly called signs. For, according to
St. Augustine, a sign, besides what it presents to the senses, is a medium
through which we arrive at the knowledge of something else. From a footstep,
for instance, which we see traced on the ground, we instantly infer that some
one whose trace appears has passed.
Proof From Reason
A Sacrament, therefore, is clearly to be
numbered among those things which have been instituted as signs. It makes known
to us by a certain appearance and resemblance that which God, by His invisible
power, accomplishes in our souls. Let us illustrate what we have said by an
example. Baptism, for instance, which is administered by external ablution,
accompanied with certain solemn words, signifies that by the power of the Holy
Ghost all stain and defilement of sin is inwardly washed away, and that the
soul is enriched and adorned with the admirable gift of heavenly justification;
while, at the same time, the bodily washing, as we shall hereafter explain in
its proper place, accomplishes in the soul that which it signifies.
Proof From Scripture
That a Sacrament is to be numbered among
signs is dearly inferred also from Scripture. Speaking of circumcision, a
Sacrament of the Old Law which was given to Abraham, the father of all
believers," the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans, says: And he
received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the justice of the faith. In
another place he says: All we who are baptised in Christ Jesus, are baptised in
his death, words which justify the inference that Baptism signifies, to use the
words of the same Apostle, that we are buried together with him by baptism into
death.
Nor is it unimportant that the faithful
should know that the Sacraments are signs. This knowledge will lead them more
readily to believe that what the Sacraments signify, contain and effect is holy
and august; and recognising their sanctity they will be more disposed to venerate
and adore the beneficence of God displayed towards us.
"Sign of a Sacred Thing" : Kind
of Sign Meant Here
We now come to explain the words, sacred
thing, which constitute the second part of the definition. To render this
explanation satisfactory we must enter somewhat more minutely into the accurate
and acute remarks of St. Augustine on the variety of signs.
Natural Signs
Some signs are called natural. These, besides
making themselves known to us, also convey a knowledge of something else, an effect,
as we have already said, common to all signs. Smoke, for instance, is a natural
sign from which we immediately infer the existence of fire. It is called a
natural sign, because it implies the existence of fire, not by arbitrary
institution, but from experience. If we see smoke, we are at once convinced of
the presence of fire, even though it is hidden.
Signs Invented By Man,
Other signs are not natural, but
conventional, and are invented by men to enable them to converse one with
another, to convey their thoughts to others, and in turn to learn the opinions
and receive the advice of other men. The variety and multiplicity of such signs
may be inferred from the fact that some belong to the eyes, many to the ears,
and the rest to the other senses. Thus when we intimate any thing to another by
such a sensible sign as the raising of a flag, it is obvious that such
intimation is conveyed only through the medium of the eyes; and it is equally
obvious that the sound of the trumpet, of the lute and of the lyre,-instruments
which are not only sources of pleasure, but frequently signs of ideas -- is
addressed to the ear. Through the latter sense especially are also conveyed
words, which are the best medium of communicating our inmost thoughts.
Signs Instituted By God
Besides the signs instituted by the will and
agreement of men, of which we have been speaking so far, there are certain
other signs appointed by God. These latter, as all admit, are not all of the
same kind. Some were instituted by God to indicate something or to bring back
its recollection. Such were the purifications of the Law, the unleavened bread,
and many other things which belonged to the ceremonies of the Mosaic worship.
But God has appointed other signs with power not only to signify, but also to
accomplish (what they signify).
Among these are manifestly to be numbered the
Sacraments of the New Law. They are signs instituted not by man but by God,
which we firmly believe have in themselves the power of producing the sacred
effects of which they are the signs.
Kind of Sacred Thing Meant Here
We have seen that there are many kinds of
signs. The sacred thing referred to is also of more than one kind. As regards
the definition already given of a Sacrament, theologians prove that by the
words sacred thing is to be understood the grace of God, which sanctifies the
soul and adorns it with the habit of all the divine virtues; and of this grace
they rightly consider the words sacred thing, an appropriate appellation,
because by its salutary influence the soul is consecrated and united to God.
In order, therefore, to explain more fully
the nature of a Sacrament, it should be taught that it is a sensible object
which possesses, by divine institution, the power not only of signifying, but
also of accomplishing holiness and righteousness. Hence it follows, as everyone
can easily see, that the images of the Saints, crosses and the like, although
signs of sacred things, cannot be called Sacraments. That such is the nature of
a Sacrament is easily proved by the example of all the Sacraments, if we apply
to the others what has been already said of Baptism; namely, that the solemn
ablution of the body not only signifies, but has power to effect a sacred thing
which is wrought interiorly by the operation of the Holy Ghost.
Other Sacred Things Signified By The
Sacraments
Now it is especially appropriate that these
mystical signs, instituted by God, should signify by the appointment of the
Lord not only one thing, but several things at once.
All The Sacraments Signify Something
Present, Something Past, Something Future:
This applies to all the Sacraments; for all
of them declare not only our sanctity and justification, but also two other
things most intimately connected with sanctification, namely, the Passion of
Christ our Redeemer, which is the source of our sanctification, and also
eternal life and heavenly bliss, which are the end of sanctification. Such,
then, being the nature of all the Sacraments, holy Doctors justly hold that
each of them has a threefold significance: they remind us of something past;
they indicate and point out something present; they foretell something future.
Nor should it be supposed that this teaching
of the Doctors is unsupported by the testimony of Holy Scripture. When the
Apostle says: All we who are baptised in Christ Jesus, are baptised in his
death, he gives us clearly to understand that Baptism is called a sign, because
it reminds us of the death and Passion of our Lord. When he says, We are buried
together with him by baptism into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead
by the glory of the Father, so, we also may walk in newness of life, he also
clearly shows that Baptism is a sign which indicates the infusion of divine grace
into our souls, which enables us to lead a new life and to perform all the
duties of true piety with ease and cheerfulness. Finally, when he adds: If we
have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in
the likeness of his resurrection, he teaches that Baptism clearly foreshadows
eternal life also, which we are to reach through its efficacy.
A Sacrament Sometimes Signifies The
Presence Of More Than One Thing
Besides the different significations already
mentioned, a Sacrament also not infrequently indicates and marks the presence
of more than one thing. This we readily perceive when we reflect that the Holy
Eucharist at once signifies the presence of the real body and blood of Christ
and the grace which it imparts to the worthy receiver of the sacred mysteries.
What has been said, therefore, cannot fail to
supply the pastor with arguments to prove how much the power of God is
displayed, how many hidden miracles are contained in the Sacraments of the New
Law; that thus all may understand that they are to be venerated and received
with utmost devotion.'
Why the Sacraments were Instituted
Of all the means employed to teach the proper
use of the Sacraments, there is none more effectual than a careful exposition
of the reasons of their institution. Many such reasons are commonly assigned.
The first of these reasons is the feebleness
of the human mind. We are so constituted by nature that no one can aspire to
mental and intellectual knowledge unless through the medium of sensible objects.
In order, therefore, that we might more easily understand what is accomplished
by the hidden power of God, the same sovereign Creator of the universe has most
wisely, and out of His tender kindness towards us, ordained that His power
should be manifested to us through the intervention of certain sensible signs.
As St. Chrysostom happily expresses it: If man were not clothed with a material
body, these good things would have been presented to him naked and without any
covering; but as the soul is joined to the body, it was absolutely necessary to
employ sensible things in order to assist in making them understood.
Another reason is because the mind yields a
reluctant assent to promises. Hence, from the beginning of the world, God was
accustomed to indicate, and usually in words, that which He had resolved to do;
but sometimes, when designing to execute something, the magnitude of which
might weaken a belief in its accomplishment, He added to words other signs,
which sometimes appeared miraculous. When, for instance, God sent Moses to
deliver the people of Israel, and Moses, distrusting the help even of God who
had commissioned him, feared that the burden imposed was heavier than he could
bear, or that the people would not heed his message, the Lord confirmed His
promise by a great variety of signs. As, then, in the Old Law, God ordained
that every important promise should be confirmed by certain signs, so in the
New Law, Christ our Saviour, when He promised pardon of sin, divine grace, the
communication of the Holy Spirit, instituted certain visible and sensible signs
by which He might oblige Himself, as it were, by pledges, and make it
impossible to doubt that He would be true to His promises.
A third reason is that the Sacraments, to use
the words of St. Ambrose, may be at hand, as the remedies and medicines of the
Samaritan in the Gospel, to preserve or recover the health of the soul. For,
through the Sacraments, as through a channel, must flow into the soul the
efficacy of the Passion of Christ, that is, the grace which He merited for us
on the altar of the cross, and without which we cannot hope for salvation.
Hence, our most merciful Lord has bequeathed to His Church, Sacraments stamped
with the sanction of His word and promise, through which, provided we make
pious and devout use of these remedies, we firmly believe that the fruit of His
Passion is really communicated to us.
A fourth reason why the institution of the
Sacraments seems necessary is that there may be certain marks and symbols to
distinguish the faithful; particularly since, as St. Augustine observes, no
society of men, professing a true or a false religion, can be, so to speak,
consolidated into one body, unless united and held together by some bond of
sensible signs. Both these objects the Sacraments of the New Law accomplish,
distinguishing the Christian from the infidel, and uniting the faithful by a
sort of sacred bond.
Another very just cause for the institution
of the Sacraments may be shown from the words of the Apostle: With the heart we
believe unto justice; but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. By
approaching them we make a public profession of our faith in the sight of men.
Thus, when we approach Baptism, we openly profess our belief that, by virtue of
its salutary waters in which we are washed, the soul is spiritually cleansed.
The Sacraments have also great influence, not
only in exciting and exercising our faith, but also in inflaming that charity
with which we should love one another, when we recollect that, by partaking of
these mysteries in common, we are knit together in the closest bonds and are
made members of one body.
A final consideration, which is of greatest
importance for the life of a Christian, is that the Sacraments repress and
subdue the pride of the human heart, and exercise us in the practice of
humility; for they oblige us to subject ourselves to sensible elements in
obedience to God, from whom we had before impiously revolted in order to serve
the elements of the world.
These are the chief points that appeared to
us necessary for the instruction of the faithful on the name, nature, and
institution of a Sacrament. When they shall have been accurately expounded by
the pastor, his next duty will be to explain the constituents of each
Sacrament, its parts, and the rites and ceremonies which have been added to its
administration.
Constituent Parts of the Sacraments
In the first place, then, it should be
explained that the sensible thing which enters into the definition of a
Sacrament as already given, although constituting but one sign, is twofold.
Every Sacrament consists of two things, matter, which is called the element,
and form, which is commonly called the word.
This is the doctrine of the Fathers of the
Church; and the testimony of St. Augustine on the subject is familiar to all.
The word, he says, is joined to the element and it becomes a Sacrament. By the
words sensible thing, therefore, the Fathers understand not only the matter or
element, such as water in Baptism, chrism in confirmation, and oil in Extreme
Unction, all of which fall under the eye; but also the words which constitute
the form, and which are addressed to the ear.
Both are clearly pointed out by the Apostle,
when he says: Christ loved the Church, and delivered himself up for it, that he
might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life. Here
both the matter and form of the Sacrament are expressly mentioned.
In order to make the meaning of the rite that
is being performed easier and clearer, words had to be added to the matter. For
of all signs words are evidently the most significant, and without them, what
the matter for the Sacraments designates and declares would be utterly obscure.
Water, for instance, has the quality of cooling as well as cleansing, and may
be symbolic of either. In Baptism, therefore, unless the words were added, it
would not be certain, but only conjectural, which signification was intended;
but when the words are added, we immediately understand that the Sacrament
possesses and signifies the power of cleansing.
In this the Sacraments of the New Law excel
those of the Old that, as far as we know, there was no definite form of
administering the latter, and hence they were very uncertain and obscure. In
our Sacraments, on the contrary, the form is so definite that any, even a
casual deviation from it renders the Sacrament null. Hence the form is
expressed in the clearest terms, such as exclude the possibility of doubt.
These, then, are the parts which belong to
the nature and substance of the Sacraments, and of which every Sacrament is
necessarily composed.
Ceremonies Used in the Administration of
the Sacraments
To (the matter and form) are added certain
ceremonies. These cannot be omitted without sin, unless in case of necessity;
yet, if at any time they be omitted, the Sacrament is not thereby invalidated,
since the ceremonies do not pertain to its essence. It is not without good
reason that the administration of the Sacraments has been at all times, from
the earliest ages of the Church, accompanied with certain solemn rites.
There is, in the first place, the greatest
propriety in manifesting such a religious reverence to the sacred mysteries as
to make it appear that holy things are handled by holy men.
Secondly, these ceremonies serve to display
more fully the effects of the Sacraments, placing them, as it were, before our
eyes, and to impress more deeply on the minds of the faithful the sanctity of
these sacred institutions.
Thirdly, they elevate to sublime
contemplation the minds of those who behold and observe them with attention,
and excite within them faith and charity.
To enable the faithful, therefore, to know
and understand clearly the meaning of the ceremonies made use of in the
administration of each Sacrament should be an object of special care and
attention.
The Number Of The Sacraments
We now come to explain the number of the
Sacraments. A knowledge of this point is very advantageous to the faithful; for
the greater the number of aids to salvation and the life of bliss which they
understand to have been provided by God, the more ardent will be the piety with
which they will direct all the powers of their souls to praise and proclaim His
singular goodness towards us.
The Sacraments of the Catholic Church are
seven in number, as is proved from Scripture, from the tradition handed down to
us from the Fathers, and from the authority of Councils. Why they are neither
more nor less in number may be shown, at least
with some probability, from the analogy that
exists between the natural and the spiritual life. In order to exist, to
preserve existence, and to contribute to his own and to the public good, seven
things seem necessary to man: to be born, to grow, to be nurtured, to be cured
when sick, when weak to be strengthened; as far as regards the public welfare,
to have magistrates invested with authority to govern, and to perpetuate
himself and his species by legitimate offspring. Now, since it is quite clear
that all these things are sufficiently analogous to that life by which the soul
lives to God, we discover in them a reason to account for the number of the
Sacraments.
First comes Baptism, which is the gate, as it
were, to all the other Sacraments, and by which we are born again unto Christ.
The next is Confirmation, by which we grow up and are strengthened in the grace
of God; for, as St. Augustine observes, to the Apostles who had already
received Baptism, the Redeemer said: "Stay you in the city till you be endued
with power from on high.,, The third is the Eucharist, that true bread from
heaven which nourishes and sustains our souls to eternal life, according to
these words of the Saviour: My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink
indeed. The fourth is Penance, through which lost health is recovered after we
have been wounded by sin. Next is Extreme Unction, which obliterates the
remains of sin and invigorates the powers of the soul; for speaking of this
Sacrament St. James says: If he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him. Then
follows Holy Orders, by which power is given to exercise perpetually in the
Church the public administration of the Sacraments and to perform all the
sacred functions. The last is Matrimony, instituted to the end that, by means of
the legitimate and holy union of man and woman, children may be procreated and
religiously educated for the service of God, and for the preservation of the
human race.
Comparisons among the Sacraments
Though all the Sacraments possess a divine
and admirable efficacy, it is well worthy of special remark that all are not of
equal necessity or of equal dignity, nor is the signification of all the same.
Among them three are said to be necessary
beyond the rest, although in all three this necessity is not of the same kind.
The universal and absolute necessity of Baptism our Saviour has declared in
these words: Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God. Penance, on the other hand, is necessary for
those only who have stained themselves after Baptism by any mortal guilt.
Without sincere repentance, their eternal ruin is inevitable. Orders, too,
although not necessary to each of the faithful, are of absolute necessity to
the Church as a whole.
But if we consider the dignity of the
Sacraments, the Eucharist, for holiness and for the number and greatness of its
mysteries, is far superior to all the rest. These, however, are matters which
will be more easily understood, when we come to explain, in its proper place,
what regards each of the Sacraments.
The Author of the Sacraments
It now remains to inquire from whom we have
received these sacred and divine mysteries. Any gift, however excellent in
itself, undoubtedly receives an increased value from the dignity and excellence
of him by whom it is bestowed.
The present question, however, is not hard to
answer. For since human justification comes from God, and since the Sacraments
are the wonderful instruments of justification, it is evident that one and the
same God in Christ, must be acknowledged to be the author of justification and
of the Sacraments.
Furthermore, the Sacraments contain a power
and efficacy which reach the inmost soul; and as God alone has power to enter
into the hearts and minds of men, He alone, through Christ, is manifestly the
author of the Sacraments.
That they are also interiorly dispensed by
Him we must hold with a firm and certain faith, according to these words of St.
John, in which he declares that he learned this truth concerning Christ: He who
sent me to baptise with water, said to me: He, upon whom thou shalt see the
Spirit descending, and remaining upon him, he it is that baptizeth with the
Holy Ghost.
The Ministers of the Sacraments
But although God is the author and dispenser
of the Sacraments, He nevertheless willed that they should be administered in
His Church by men, not by Angels. To constitute a Sacrament, as the unbroken
tradition of the Fathers testifies, matter and form are not more necessary than
is the ministry of men.
Unworthiness Of The Minister And Validity
Since the ministers of the Sacraments
represent in the discharge of their sacred functions, not their own, but the
person of Christ, be they good or bad, they validly perform and confer the Sacraments,
provided they make use of the matter and form always observed in the Catholic
Church according to the institution of Christ, and provided they intend to do
what the Church does in their administration. Hence, unless the recipients wish
to deprive themselves of so great a good and resist the Holy Ghost, nothing can
prevent them from receiving (through the Sacraments) the fruit of grace.
That this was, at all times, a fixed and well
ascertained doctrine of the Church, is established beyond all doubt by St.
Augustine, in his disputations against the Donatists. And should we desire
Scriptural proof also, let us listen to these words of the Apostle: I have
planted; Apollo watered; but God gave the increase Therefore neither he that
planteth nor he that watereth is any
thing, but God who giveth the increase. From
these words it is clear that as trees are not injured by the wickedness of
those who planted them, so those who were planted in Christ by the ministry of
bad men sustain no injury from the guilt of those others.
Judas Iscariot, as the holy Fathers infer
from the Gospel of St. John, conferred Baptism on many; and yet none of those
whom he baptised are recorded to have been baptised again. To use the memorable
words of St. Augustine: Judas baptised, and yet after him none were rebaptised;
John baptised, and after John they were rebaptised . For the Baptism
administered by Judas was the Baptism of Christ, but that administered by John
was the baptism of John. Not that we prefer Judas to John, but that we justly
prefer the Baptism of Christ, although administered by Judas, to that of John
although administered by the hands of John.
Lawfulness Of Administration
But let not pastors, or other ministers of
the Sacraments, hence infer that they fully acquit themselves of their duty,
if, disregarding integrity of life and purity of morals, they attend only to
the administration of the Sacraments in the manner prescribed. True, the manner
of administering them demands particular diligence; yet this alone does not
constitute all that pertains to that duty. It should never be forgotten that
the Sacraments, although they cannot lose the divine efficacy inherent in them,
bring eternal death and perdition to him who dares administer them unworthily.
Holy things, it cannot be too often repeated,
should be treated holily and with due reverence. To the sinner, says the
Prophet, God has said: Why dost thou declare my justices, and take my covenant
in thy mouth, seeing that thou hast hated discipline? If then, for him who is
defiled by sin it is unlawful to speak on divine things, how enormous the guilt
of that man, who, conscious of many crimes, dreads not to accomplish with
polluted lips the holy mysteries, to take them into his befouled hands, to
touch
them, and to present and administer them to
others? All the more since St. Denis says that the wicked may not even touch
the symbols, as he calls the Sacraments.
It therefore becomes the first duty of the
minister of holy things to follow holiness of life, to approach with purity the
administration of the Sacraments, and so to exercise himself in piety, that,
from their frequent administration and use, he may every day receive, with the
divine assistance, more abundant grace.
Effects of the Sacraments
When these matters have been explained, the
effects of the Sacraments are the next subject of instruction. This subject
should throw considerable light on the definition of a Sacrament as already
given.
First Effect: Justifying Grace
The principal effects of the Sacraments are
two. The first place is rightly held by that grace which we, following the
usage of the holy Doctors, call sanctifying. For so the Apostle most clearly
taught when he said: Christ loved the church, and delivered himself up for it;
that he might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of
life. But how so great and so admirable an effect is produced by the Sacrament
that, to use the well-known saying of St. Augustine, water cleanses the body
and reaches the heart, -- this, indeed, cannot be comprehended by human reason
and intelligence. It may be taken for granted that no sensible thing is of its
own nature able to reach the soul; but we know by the light of faith that in
the Sacraments there exists the power of almighty God by which they effect that
which the natural elements cannot of themselves accomplish.
Lest on this subject any doubt should exist
in the minds of the faithful, God, in the abundance of His mercy, was pleased,
from the moment when the Sacraments began to
be administered, to manifest by the evidence of miracles the effects which they
operate interiorly in the soul. (This He did) in order that we may most firmly
believe that the same effects, although far removed from the senses, are always
inwardly produced. To say nothing of the fact that at the Baptism of the
Redeemer in the Jordan the heavens were opened and the Holy Ghost appeared in
the form of a dove, to teach us that when we are washed in the sacred font His
grace is infused into our souls -- to omit this, which has reference rather to
the signification of Baptism than to the administration of the Sacrament -- do
we not read that on the day of Pentecost, when the Apostles received the Holy
Ghost, by whom they were thenceforward inspired with greater alacrity and
resolution to preach the faith and brave dangers for the glory of Christ, there
came suddenly a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled
the whole house where they were sitting, and there appeared to them parted
tongues, as it were, of fire? By this it was understood that in the Sacrament
of Confirmation the same Spirit is given us, and such strength is imparted as
enables us resolutely to encounter and resist our incessant enemies, the world,
the flesh and the devil. For some time in the beginning of the Church, whenever
these Sacraments were administered by the Apostles, the same miraculous effects
were witnessed, and they ceased only when the faith had acquired maturity and
strength.
From what has been said of sanctifying grace,
the first effect of the Sacraments, it clearly follows that there resides in
the Sacraments of the New Law, a virtue more exalted and efficacious than that
of the sacraments of the Old Law. Those ancient sacraments, being weak and
needy elements, sanctified such as were defiled to the cleansing of the flesh,
but not of the spirit. They were, therefore, instituted only as signs of those
things, which were to be accomplished by our mysteries. The Sacraments of the
New Law, on the contrary, flowing from the side of Christ, who, by the Holy
Ghost, offered himself unspotted unto God, cleanse our consciences from dead
works, to
serve the living God, and thus work in us,
through the blood of Christ, the grace which they signify. Comparing our
Sacraments, therefore, with those of the Old Law we find that they are not only
more efficacious, but also more fruitful in spiritual advantages, and more
august in holiness.
Second Effect: Sacramental Character
The second effect of the Sacraments -- which,
however, is not common to all, but peculiar to three, Baptism, Confirmation,
and Holy Orders -- is the character which they impress on the soul. When the
Apostle says: God hath anointed us, who also hath sealed us, and given the
pledge of the Spirit in our hearts, he not obscurely describes by the word
sealed a character, the property of which is to impress a seal and mark.
This character is, as it were, a distinctive
impression stamped on the soul which perpetually inheres and cannot be blotted
out. Of this St. Augustine says: Shall the Christian Sacraments accomplish less
than the bodily mark impressed on the soldier? That mark is not stamped on his
person anew as often as he resumes the military service which he had
relinquished, but the old is recognised and approved.
This character has a twofold effect: it
qualifies us to receive or perform something sacred, and distinguishes us by
some mark one from another. In the character impressed by Baptism, both effects
are exemplified. By it we are qualified to receive the other Sacraments, and
the Christian is distinguished from those who do not profess the faith. The
same illustration is afforded by the characters impressed by Confirmation and
Holy Orders. By Confirmation we are armed and arrayed as soldiers of Christ,
publicly to profess and defend His name, to fight against our internal enemy
and against the spiritual powers of wickedness in the high places; and at the
same time we are distinguished from those who, being recently baptised, are, as
it were, new-born infants. Holy Orders confers the power of consecrating and
administering the Sacraments, and also distinguishes those who are invested
with this power from the rest of the
faithful. The rule of the Catholic Church is, therefore, to be observed, which
teaches that these three Sacraments impress a character and are never to be
repeated.
How to Make Instruction on the Sacraments
Profitable
On the subject of the Sacraments in general,
the above are the matters on which instruction should be given. In explaining
them, pastors should keep in view principally two things, which they should
zealously strive to accomplish. The first is that the faithful understand the
high honour, respect and veneration due to these divine and celestial gifts.
The second is that, since the Sacraments have been established by the God of
infinite mercy for the common salvation of all, the people should make pious
and religious use of them, and be so inflamed with the desire of Christian
perfection as to deem it a very great loss to be for any time deprived of the
salutary use, particularly of Penance and the Holy Eucharist.
These objects pastors will find little
difficulty in accomplishing, if they call frequently to the attention of the
faithful what we have already said on the divine character and fruit of the
Sacraments: first, that they were instituted by our Lord and Saviour from whom
can proceed nothing but what is most perfect; further that when administered,
the most powerful influence of the Holy Ghost is present, pervading the inmost
sanctuary of the soul; next that they possess an admirable and unfailing virtue
to cure our spiritual maladies, and communicate to us the inexhaustible riches
of the Passion of our Lord.
Finally, let them point out, that although
the whole edifice of Christian piety rests on the most firm foundation of the
cornerstone; yet, unless it be supported on every side by the preaching of the
divine Word and by the use of the Sacraments, it is greatly to be feared that
it may to a great extent totter and fall to the ground. For as we are ushered
into spiritual life by means of the Sacraments, so by the same means are we
nourished and preserved, and grow to spiritual increase.
THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
Importance Of Instruction On Baptism
From what has been hitherto said on the
Sacraments in general, we may judge how necessary it is, to a proper
understanding of the doctrines of the Christian faith and to the practice of
Christian piety, to know what the Catholic Church proposes for our belief on
each Sacrament in particular.
Whoever reads the Apostle carefully will
unhesitatingly conclude that a perfect knowledge of Baptism is particularly
necessary to the faithful. For not only frequently, but also in language the
most energetic, in language full of the Spirit of God, he renews the
recollection of this mystery, declares its divine character, and in it places
before us the death, burial and Resurrection of. our Lord as objects both of
our contemplation and imitation.
Pastors, therefore, can never think that they
have bestowed sufficient labor and attention on the exposition of this
Sacrament. Besides the Vigils of Easter and Pentecost, days on which the Church
used to celebrate this Sacrament with the greatest devotion and special
solemnity, and on which particularly, according to ancient practice, its divine
mysteries were to be explained, pastors should also take occasion at other
times to make it the subject of their instructions.
For this purpose a most convenient
opportunity would seem to present itself whenever a pastor, being about to
administer this Sacrament, finds himself surrounded by a considerable number of
the faithful. On such occasions, it is true, his exposition cannot embrace
everything that regards Baptism; but it will then be much easier to develop one
or two points when the faithful
can contemplate with a pious and attentive
mind the meaning of those things which they hear and at the same time see it
illustrated by the sacred ceremonies of Baptism. Each person, reading a lesson
of admonition in the person of him who is receiving Baptism, will call to mind
the promises by which he bound himself to God when he was baptised, and will
reflect whether his life and conduct have been such as are promised by the
profession of Christianity.
Names of this Sacrament
In order that the treatment of the subject.
may be clear, we must explain the nature and substance of Baptism, premising,
however, an explanation of the word itself.
The word baptism, as is well known, is of
Greek derivation. Although used in Sacred Scripture to express not only that
ablution which forms part of the Sacrament, but also every species of ablution,
and sometimes, figuratively, to express sufferings; yet it is employed by ecclesiastical
writers to designate not every sort of bodily ablution, but that which forms
part of the Sacrament and is administered with the prescribed form of words. In
this sense the Apostles very frequently make use of the word in accordance with
the institution of Christ the Lord.
This Sacrament the holy Fathers designate
also by other names. St. Augustine informs us that it was sometimes called the
Sacrament of Faith, because by receiving it we profess our faith in all the
doctrines of Christianity.
By others it was termed Illumination, because
by the faith which we profess in Baptism the heart is illumined; for as the
Apostle also says, alluding to the time of Baptism, Call to mind the former
days, wherein, being illumined, you endured a great fight of afflictions
Chrysostom, in his sermon to the baptised, calls it a purgation, because
through it we purge away the old leaven, that we may become a new paste. He
also calls it a burial, a planting, and the cross of Christ, the reasons for
all which appellations may be gathered from the Epistle to the Romans.
St. Denis calls it the beginning of the most
holy Commandments, for this obvious reason, that Baptism is, as it were, the
gate through which we enter into the fellowship of the Christian life, and
begin thenceforward to obey the Commandments. So much should be briefly
explained concerning the name (of this Sacrament) .
Definition Of Baptism
With regard to the definition of Baptism
although many can be given from sacred writers, nevertheless that which may be
gathered from the words of our Lord recorded in John, and of the Apostle to the
Ephesians, appears the most appropriate and suitable. Unless, says our Lord, a
man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God; and, speaking of the Church, the Apostle says, cleansing it by the
laver of water in the word of life. Thus it follows that Baptism may be rightly
and accurately defined: The Sacrament of regeneration by water in the word. By
nature we are born from Adam children of wrath, but by Baptism we are
regenerated in Christ, children of mercy. For He gave power to men to be made
the sons of God, to them that believe in his name, who are born, not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Constituent Elements Of Baptism
But define Baptism as we may, the faithful
are to be informed that this Sacrament consists of ablution, accompanied
necessarily, according to the institution of our Lord, by certain solemn words.
This is the uniform doctrine of the holy Fathers, as is proved by the following
most explicit testimony of St. Augustine: The word is joined to the element,
and it becomes a Sacrament.
It is all the more necessary to impress this
on the minds of the faithful lest they fall into the common error of thinking
that the baptismal water, preserved in the sacred font, constitutes the
Sacrament. The Sacrament of Baptism can be said to exist only when we actually
apply the water to someone by way of ablution, while using the words appointed
by our Lord.
Matter of Baptism
Now since we said above, when treating of the
Sacraments in general, that every Sacrament consists of matter and form, it is
therefore necessary that pastors point out what constitutes each of these in
Baptism. The matter, then, or element of this Sacrament, is any sort of natural
water, which is simply and without qualification commonly called water, be it
sea water, river water, water from a pond, well or fountain.
Testimony Of Scripture Concerning The
Matter Of Baptism
For the Saviour taught that unless a man be
born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of
God. The Apostle also says that the Church was cleansed by the laver of water;
and in the Epistle of St. John we read these words: There are three that give
testimony on earth: the spirit, and the water, and the blood. Scripture affords
other proofs which establish the same truth.
When, however, John the Baptist says that the
Lord will come who will baptise in the Holy Ghost, and in fire, that is by no
means to be understood of the matter of Baptism; but should be applied either
to the interior operation of the Holy Ghost, or at least to the miracle
performed on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost descended on the
Apostles in the form of fire, as was foretold by Christ our Lord in these
words: John indeed baptised with water, but you shall be baptised with the Holy
Ghost, not many days hence.
Figures
The same was also signified by the Lord both
by figures and by prophecies, as we know from Holy Scripture. According to the
Prince of the Apostles in his first Epistle, the deluge which cleansed the
world because the wickedness of men was great on the earth, and all the thought
of their heart was bent upon evil, was a figure and image of this water. To
omit the cleansing of Naaman the Syrian, and the admirable virtue of the pool
of Bethsaida, and many similar types, manifestly symbolic of this mystery, the
passage through the Red Sea, according to St. Paul in his Epistle to the
Corinthians, was typical of this same water.
Prophecies
With regard to the predictions, the waters to
which the Prophet Isaias so freely invites all that thirst, and those which
Ezechiel in spirit saw issuing from the Temple, and also the fountain which
Zachary foresaw, open to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of
Jerusalem: for the washing of the sinner, and of the unclean woman, were, no
doubt, intended to indicate and express the salutary waters of Baptism.
Fitness
The propriety of constituting water the
matter of Baptism, of the nature and efficacy of which it is at once
expressive, St. Jerome, in his Epistle to Oceanus, proves by many arguments.
Upon this subject pastors can teach in the
first place that water, which is always at hand and within the reach of all,
was the fittest matter of a Sacrament which is necessary to all for salvation.
In the next place water is best adapted to signify the effect of Baptism. It
washes away uncleanness, and is, therefore, strikingly illustrative of the
virtue and efficacy of Baptism, which washes away the stains of sin. We may
also add that, like water which cools the body, Baptism in a great measure
extinguishes the fire of concupiscence.
Chrism Added To Water For Solemn Baptism
But it should be noted that while in case of
necessity simple water unmixed with any other ingredient is sufficient for the
matter of this Sacrament, yet when Baptism is administered in public with
solemn ceremonies the Catholic Church, guided by Apostolic tradition, has
uniformly observed the practice of adding holy chrism which, as is clear, more
fully signifies the effect of Baptism. The people should also be taught that
although it may sometimes be doubtful whether this or that water be genuine,
such as the perfection of the Sacrament requires, it can never be a subject of
doubt that the only matter from which the Sacrament of Baptism can be formed is
natural water.
Form of Baptism
Having carefully explained the matter, which
is one of the two parts of which Baptism consists, pastors must show equal
diligence in explaining the form, which is the other essential part. In the
explanation of this Sacrament a necessity of increased care and study arises,
as pastors will perceive, from the circumstance that the knowledge of so holy a
mystery is not only in itself a source of pleasure to the faithful, as is
generally the case with regard to religious knowledge, but also very desirable
for almost daily practical use. As we shall explain in its proper place,
circumstances often arise where Baptism requires to be administered by the
laity, and most frequently by women; and it therefore becomes necessary to make
all the faithful, indiscriminately, well acquainted with whatever regards the
substance of this Sacrament.
Words Of The Form
Pastors, therefore, should teach, in clear,
unambiguous language, intelligible to every capacity, that the true and
essential form of Baptism is: I baptise thee in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. For so it was delivered by our Lord and Saviour
when, as we read in St. Matthew He gave to His Apostles the command: Going, . .
. teach ye all nations: baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
By the word baptising, the Catholic Church,
instructed from above, most justly understood that the form of the Sacrament
should express the action of the minister; and this takes place when he
pronounces the words, I baptise thee.
Besides the minister of the Sacrament, the
person to be baptised and the principal efficient cause of Baptism should be
mentioned. The pronoun thee, and the distinctive names of the Divine Persons
are therefore added. Thus the complete form of the Sacrament is expressed in
the words already mentioned: I baptise thee in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Baptism is the work not of the Son alone, of
whom St. John says, He it is that baptizeth, but of the Three Persons of the
Blessed Trinity together. By saying, however, in the name, not in the names, we
distinctly declare that in the Trinity there is but one Nature and Godhead. The
word name is here referred not to the Persons, but to the Divine Essence,
virtue and power, which are one and the same in Three Persons.
Essential And Non-Essential Words Of The
Form
It is, however, to be observed that of the
words contained in this form, which we have shown to be the complete and
perfect one, some are absolutely necessary, so that the omission of them
renders the valid administration of the Sacrament impossible; while others on
the contrary, are not so essential as to affect its validity.
Of the latter kind is the word ego (I), the
force of which is included in the word baptizo (I baptise). Nay more, the Greek
Church, adopting a different manner of expressing the form, and being of
opinion that it is unnecessary to make mention of the minister, omits the
pronoun altogether. The form universally used in the Greek Church is: Let this
servant of Christ be baptised in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost. It appears, however, from the decision and definition of the
Council of Florence, that those who use this form administer the Sacraments
validly, because the words sufficiently express what is essential to the
validity of Baptism, that is, the ablution which then takes place.
Baptism In The Name Of Christ
If at any time the Apostles baptised in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ only, we can be sure they did so by the
inspiration of the Holy Ghost, in order, in the infancy of the Church, to
render their preaching more illustrious by the name of Jesus Christ, and to
proclaim more effectually His divine and infinite power. If, however, we
examine the matter more closely, we shall find that such a form omits nothing
which the Saviour Himself commands to be observed; for he who mentions Jesus
Christ implies the Person of the Father, by whom, and that of the Holy Ghost,
in whom, He was anointed.
And yet, the use of this form by the Apostles
seems rather doubtful if we accept the opinions of Ambrose and Basil, holy
Fathers eminent for sanctity and authority, who interpret baptism in the name
of Jesus Christ to mean the Baptism instituted by Christ our Lord, as
distinguished from that of John, and who say that the Apostles did not depart
from the ordinary and usual form which comprises the distinct names of the
Three Persons. Paul also, in his Epistle to the Galatians, seems to have
expressed himself in a similar manner, when he says: As many of you as have
been baptised in Christ, have put on Christ, meaning that they were baptised in
the faith of Christ, but with no other form than that which the same Saviour
our Lord had commanded to be observed.
Administration of Baptism
What has been said on the matter and form,
which are required for the essence of the Sacrament, will be found sufficient
for the instruction of the faithful; but as in the administration of the
Sacrament the legitimate manner of ablution should also be observed, pastors
should teach the doctrine of this-point also.
They should briefly explain that, according
to the common custom and practice of the Church, Baptism may be administered in
three ways, -- by immersion, infusion or aspersion.
Whichever of these rites be observed, we must
believe that Baptism is rightly administered. For in Baptism water is used to
signify the spiritual ablution which it accomplishes, and on this account
Baptism is called by the Apostle a laver. Now this ablution is not more really
accomplished by immersion, which was for a considerable time the practice in
the early ages of the Church, than by infusion, which we now see in general
use, or by aspersion, which there is reason to believe was the manner in which
Peter baptised, when on one day he converted and gave Baptism to about three
thousand souls.
It is a matter of indifference whether the
ablution be performed once or thrice. For it is evident from the Epistle of St.
Gregory the Great to Leander that Baptism was formerly and may still be validly
administered in the Church in either way. The faithful, however, should follow
the practice of the particular Church to which they belong.
Pastors should be particularly careful to
observe that the baptismal ablution is not to be applied indifferently to any
part of the body, but principally to the head, which is the seat of all the
internal and external senses; and also that he who baptises is to pronounce the
sacramental words which constitute the form, not before or after, but when
performing the ablution.
Institution Of Baptism
When these things have been explained, it
will also be expedient to teach and remind the faithful that, in common with
the other Sacraments, Baptism was instituted by Christ the Lord. On this subject
the pastor should frequently teach and point out that there are two different
periods of time which relate to Baptism, -- one the period of its institution
by the Redeemer; the other, the establishment of the law regarding its
reception.
Baptism Instituted At Christ's Baptism
With regard to the former, it is clear that
this Sacrament was instituted by our Lord when, having been baptised by John,
He gave to water the power of sanctifying. St. Gregory Nazianzen and St.
Augustine · testify that to water was then. imparted the power of regenerating
to spiritual life. In another place St. Augustine says: From the moment that
Christ is immersed in water, water washes away all sins. And again: The Lord is
baptised, not because He had need to be cleansed, but in order that, by the
contact of His pure flesh, He might purify the waters and impart to them the
power of cleansing.
A very strong argument to prove that Baptism
was then instituted by our Lord might be afforded by the fact the most Holy
Trinity, in whose name Baptism is conferred, manifested Its divine presence on
that occasion. The voice of the Father was heard, the Person of the Son was
present, the Holy Ghost descended in the form of a dove; and the heavens, into
which we are enabled to enter by Baptism, were thrown open.
Should anyone desire to know how our Lord has
endowed water with a virtue so great, so divine, this indeed transcends the
power of the human understanding. Yet this we can know, that when our Lord was
baptised, water, by contact with His most holy and pure body, was consecrated
to the salutary use of Baptism, in such a way, however, that, although
instituted before the Passion, we must believe that this Sacrament derives all
its virtue and efficacy from the Passion, which is the consummation, as it
were, of all the actions of Christ.
Baptism Made Obligatory After Christ's
Resurrection
The second period to be distinguished, that
is, the time when the law of Baptism was made, also admits of no doubt. Holy
writers are unanimous in saying that after the Resurrection of our Lord, when
He gave to His Apostles the command to go and teach all nations: baptising them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, the law of
Baptism became obligatory on all who were to be saved.
This is inferred from the authority of the
Prince of the Apostles when he says: Who hath regenerated us into a lively
hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead;' and also from what
Paul says of the Church: He delivered himself up for it: that he might sanctify
it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life. By both Apostles
the obligation of Baptism seems to be referred to the time which followed the death
of our Lord. Hence we can have no doubt that the words of the Saviour: Unless a
man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God, refer also to the same time which was to follow after His Passion.
Reflection
If, then, pastors explain these truths
accurately, there can be no doubt that the faithful will recognise the high
dignity of this Sacrament and venerate it with the most profound piety,
particularly when they reflect that each of them receives in Baptism by the
interior operation of the Holy Ghost the same glorious and most ample gifts
which were so strikingly manifested by miracles at the Baptism of Christ the
Lord.
Were our eyes, like those of the servant of
Eliseus, opened to see heavenly things, who can be supposed so senseless as not
to be lost in rapturous admiration of the divine mysteries of Baptism ! When,
therefore, the riches of this Sacrament are unfolded to the faithful by the
pastor, so as to enable them to behold them, if not with the eyes of the body,
yet with those of the soul illumined by the light of faith, may we not
anticipate similar results ?
The Ministers of Baptism
In the next place, it appears not only
expedient, but necessary to say who are ministers of this Sacrament; both in
order that those to whom this office is specially confided may study to perform
its functions religiously and holily; and that no one, outstepping, as it were,
his proper limits, may unseasonably take possession of, or arrogantly assume,
what belongs to another; for, as the Apostle teaches, order is to be observed
in all things.
Bishops And Priests The Ordinary Ministers
The faithful, therefore, are to be informed
that of those (who administer Baptism) there are three gradations. Bishops and
priests hold the first place. To them belongs the administration of this
Sacrament, not by any extraordinary concession of power, but by right of
office; for to them, in the persons of the Apostles, was addressed the command
of our Lord: Go, baptise. Bishops, it is true, in order not to neglect the more
weighty charge of instructing the faithful, have generally left its
administration to priests. But the authority of the Fathers and the usage of
the Church prove that priests exercise this function by their own right, so much
so that they may baptise even in the presence of the Bishop. Ordained to
consecrate the Holy Eucharist, the Sacrament of peace and unity, it was fitting
that they be invested with power to administer all those things which are
required to enable others to participate in that peace and unity. If,
therefore, the Fathers have at any time said that without the leave of the
Bishop the priest has not the right to baptise, they are to be understood to
speak of that Baptism only which was administered on certain days of the year
with solemn ceremonies.
Deacons Extraordinary Ministers Of Baptism
Next among the ministers are deacons, for
whom, as numerous decrees of the holy Fathers attest it is not lawful without
the permission of the Bishop or priest to administer this Sacrament.
Ministers In Case Of Necessity
Those who may administer Baptism in case of
necessity, but without its solemn ceremonies, hold the last place; and in this
class are included all, even the laity, men and women, to whatever sect they
may belong. This office extends in case of necessity, even to Jews, infidels
and heretics, provided, however, they intend to do what the Catholic Church
does in that act of her ministry. These things were established by many decrees
of the ancient Fathers and Councils; and the holy Council of Trent denounces
anathema against those who dare to say, that Baptism, even when administered by
heretics, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,
with the intention of doing what the Church does, is not true Baptism.
And here indeed let us admire the supreme
goodness and wisdom of our Lord. Seeing the necessity of this Sacrament for
all, He not only instituted water, than which nothing can be more common, as
its matter, but also placed its administration within the power of all. In its
administration, however, as we have already observed, all are not allowed to
use the solemn ceremonies; not that rites and ceremonies are of higher dignity,
but because they are less necessary than the Sacrament.
Let not the faithful, however, imagine that
this office is given promiscuously to all, so as to do away with the propriety
of observing a certain precedence among those who are its ministers. When a man
is present a woman should not baptise; an ecclesiastic takes precedence over a
layman, and a priest over a simple ecclesiastic. Midwives, however, when
accustomed to its administration, are not to be found fault with if sometimes,
when a man is present who is unacquainted with the manner of its
administration, they perform what may otherwise appear to belong more properly
to men.
The Sponsors at Baptism
Besides the ministers who, as just explained,
confer Baptism, another class of persons, according to the most ancient
practice of the Church, is admitted to assist at the baptismal font. In former
times these were commonly called by sacred writers receivers, sponsors or
sureties, and are now called godfathers and godmothers. As this is an office
pertaining almost to all the laity, pastors should explain it with care, so
that the faithful may understand what is chiefly necessary for its proper
performance.
Why Sponsors Are Required At Baptism
In the first instance it should be explained
why at Baptism, besides those who administer the Sacrament, godparents and sponsors
are also required. The propriety of the practice will at once appear to all if
they recollect that Baptism is a spiritual regeneration by which we are born
children of God; for of it St. Peter says: As newborn infants, desire the
rational milk without guile. As, therefore, every one, after his birth,
requires a nurse and instructor by whose assistance and attention he is brought
up and formed to learning and useful knowledge, so those, who, by the waters of
Baptism, begin to live a spiritual life should be entrusted to the fidelity and
prudence of some one from whom they may imbibe the precepts of the Christian
religion and may be brought up in all holiness, and thus grow gradually in
Christ, until, with the Lord's help, they at length arrive at perfect manhood.
This necessity must appear still more
imperative, if we recollect that pastors, who are charged with the public care
of parishes have not sufficient time to undertake the private instruction of
children in the rudiments of faith.
Antiquity Of This Law
Concerning this very ancient practice we have
this noteworthy testimony of St. Denis: It occurred to our divine leaders (so
he called the Apostles), and they in their wisdom ordained that infants should
be introduced (into the Church) in this holy manner that their natural parents
should deliver them to the care of some one well skilled in divine things, as
to a master under whom, as a spiritual father and guardian of his salvation in
holiness, the child should lead the remainder of his life. The same doctrine is
confirmed by the authority of Hyginus.
Affinity Contracted By Sponsors
The Church, therefore, in her wisdom has
ordained that not only the person who baptises contracts a spiritual affinity
with the person baptised, but also the sponsor with the godchild and its
natural parents, so that between all these marriage cannot be lawfully
contracted, and if contracted, it is null and void.
Duties Of Sponsors
The faithful are also to be taught the duty
of sponsors; for such is the negligence with which this office is treated in
the Church that only the bare name of the function remains, while none seem to
have the least idea of its sanctity. Let all sponsors, then, at all times
recollect that they are strictly bound by this law to exercise a constant
vigilance over their spiritual children, and carefully to instruct them in the
maxims of a Christian life; so that these may show themselves throughout life
to be what their sponsors promised in the solemn ceremony.
On this subject let us hear the words of St.
Denis. Speaking in the person of the sponsor he says: I promise, by my constant
exhortations to induce this child, when he comes to a knowledge of religion, to
renounce every thing opposed (to his Christian calling) and to profess and
perform the sacred promises which he now makes.
St. Augustine also says: I most especially
admonish you, men and women, who have acquired godchildren through Baptism, to
consider that you stood as sureties before God, for those whom you received at
the sacred font. Indeed it preeminently becomes every man, who undertakes any
office, to be indefatigable in the discharge of its duties; and he who promised
to be the teacher and guardian of another should never allow to be deserted him
whom he once received under his care and protection as long as he knows the
latter to stand in need of either.
Speaking of this same duty of sponsors, St.
Augustine sums up in a few words the lessons of instruction which they are
bound to impart to their spiritual children. They ought, he says, to admonish
them to observe chastity, love justice, cling to charity; and above all they
should teach them the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the
rudiments of the Christian religion.
Who May Not Be Sponsors
It is easy, therefore, to decide who are
inadmissible to this holy guardianship, that is, those who are unwilling to
discharge its duties with fidelity, or who cannot do so with care and accuracy.
Wherefore, besides the natural parents, who,
to mark the great difference that exists between this spiritual and the carnal
bringing up of youth, are not permitted to undertake this charge, heretics,
Jews and infidels are on no account to be admitted to this office, since their
thoughts and efforts are continually employed in darkening by falsehood the
true faith and in subverting all Christian piety.
Number Of Sponsors
The number of sponsors is limited by the
Council of Trent to one godfather or one godmother, or at most, to a godfather
and a godmother; because a number of teachers may confuse the order of
discipline and instruction, and also because it was necessary to prevent the
multiplication of affinities which would impede a wider diffusion of society by
means of lawful marriage.
Necessity of Baptism
If the knowledge of what has been hitherto
explained be, as it is, of highest importance to the faithful, it is no less
important to them to learn that the law of Baptism, as established by our Lord,
extends to all, so that unless they are regenerated to God through the grace of
Baptism, be their parents Christians or infidels, they are born to eternal
misery and destruction. Pastors, therefore, should often explain these words of
the Gospel: Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God.
Infant Baptism: It's Necessity
That this law extends not only to adults but
also to infants and children, and that the Church has received this from
Apostolic tradition, is confirmed by the unanimous teaching and authority of
the Fathers.
Besides, it is not to be supposed that Christ
the Lord would have withheld the Sacrament and grace of Baptism from children,
of whom He said: Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to me;
for the kingdom of heaven is for such; ° whom also He embraced, upon whom He
imposed hands, to whom He gave His blessing.
Moreover, when we read that an entire family
was baptised by Paul, it is sufficiently obvious that the children of the
family must also have been cleansed in the saving font.
Circumcision, too, which was a figure of
Baptism, affords strong argument in proof of this practice. That children were
circumcised on the eighth day is universally known. If then circumcision, made
by hand, in despoiling of the body of the flesh, was profitable to children, it
is clear that Baptism, which is the circumcision of Christ, not made by hand,
is also profitable to them.
Finally, as the Apostle teaches, if by one
man's offence death reigned through one, much more they who receive abundance
of grace, and of the gift, and of justice, shall reign in life through one,
Jesus Christ. If, then, through the transgression of Adam, children inherit
original sin, with still stronger reason can they attain through Christ our
Lord grace and justice that they may reign in life. This, however, cannot be
effected otherwise than by Baptism.
Pastors, therefore, should inculcate the
absolute necessity of ad- ministering Baptism to infants, and of gradually
forming their tender minds to piety by education in the Christian religion. For
according to these admirable words of the wise man: A young man according to
his way, even when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Infants Receive The Graces Of Baptism
It may not be doubted that in Baptism infants
receive the mysterious gifts of faith. Not that they believe with the assent of
the mind, but they are established in the faith of their parents, if the
parents profess the true faith; if not--to use the words of St.
Augustine,--then in that of the universal society of the saints; for they are
rightly said to be presented for Baptism by all those to whom their initiation
in that sacred rite is a source of joy, and by whose charity they are united to
the communion of the Holy Ghost.
Baptism Of Infants Should Not Be Delayed
The faithful are earnestly to be exhorted to
take care that their children be brought to the church, as soon as it can be
done with safety, to receive solemn Baptism. Since infant children have no other
means of salvation except Baptism, we may easily understand how grievously
those persons sin who permit them to remain without the grace of the Sacrament
longer than necessity may require, particularly at an age so tender as to be
exposed to numberless dangers of death.
Baptism Of Adults
With regard to those of adult age who enjoy
the perfect use of reason, persons, namely, born of infidel parents, the
practice of the primitive Church points out that a different manner of
proceeding should be followed. To them the Christian faith is to be proposed;
and they are earnestly to be exhorted, persuaded and invited to embrace it.
They Should Not Delay Their Baptism Unduly
If converted to the Lord God, they are then
to be admonished not to defer the Sacrament of Baptism beyond the time
prescribed by the Church. For since it is written, delay not to be converted to
the Lord, and defer it not from day to day, they are to be taught that in their
regard perfect conversion consists in regeneration by Baptism. Besides, the
longer they defer Baptism, the longer are they deprived of the use and graces
of the other Sacraments, by which the Christian religion is practised, since
the other Sacraments are accessible through Baptism only.
They are also deprived of the abundant fruits
of Baptism, the waters of which not only wash away all the stains and
defilements of past sins, but also enrich us with divine grace which enables us
to avoid sin for the future and preserve righteousness and innocence, which
constitute the sum of a Christian life, as all can easily understand.
Ordinarily They Are Not Baptised At Once
On adults, however, the Church has not been
accustomed to confer the Sacrament of Baptism at once, but has ordained that it
be deferred for a certain time. The delay is not attended with the same danger
as in the case of infants, which we have already mentioned; should any
unforeseen accident make it impossible for adults to be washed in the salutary
waters, their intention and determination to receive Baptism and their
repentance for past sins, will avail them to grace and righteousness.
Nay, this delay seems to be attended with
some advantages. And first, since the Church must take particular care that
none approach this Sacrament through hypocrisy and dissimulation, the
intentions of such as seek Baptism, are better examined and ascertained. Hence
it is that we read in the decrees of ancient Councils that Jewish converts to
the Catholic faith, before admission to Baptism, should spend some months in
the ranks of the catechumens.
Furthermore, the candidate for Baptism is
thus better instructed in the doctrine of the faith which he is to profess, and
in the practices of the Christian life. Finally, when Baptism is administered
to adults with solemn ceremonies on the appointed days of Easter and Pentecost
only greater religious reverence is shown to the Sacrament.
In Case Of Necessity Adults May Be:
Baptised At Once
Sometimes, however, when there exists a just
and necessary cause, as in the case of imminent danger of death, Baptism is not
to be deferred, particularly if the person to be baptised is well instructed in
the mysteries of faith. This we find to have been done by Philip, and by the
Prince of the Apostles, when without any delay, the one baptised the eunuch of
Queen Candace; the other, Cornelius, as soon as they expressed a wish to
embrace the faith.
Dispositions for Baptism
Intention
The faithful are also to be instructed in the
necessary dispositions for Baptism. In the first place they must desire and
intend to receive it; for as in Baptism we all die to sin and resolve to live a
new life, it is fit that it be administered to those only who receive it of
their own free will and accord; it is to be forced upon none. Hence we learn
from holy tradition that it has been the invariable practice to administer
Baptism to no individual without previously asking him if he be willing to
receive it. This disposition even infants are presumed to have, since the will
of the Church, which promises for them, cannot be mistaken.
Insane, delirious persons who were once of
sound mind and afterwards became deranged, having in their present state no
wish to be baptised, are not to be admitted to Baptism, unless in danger of
death. In such cases, if previous to insanity they give intimation of a wish to
be baptised, the Sacrament is to be administered; without such indication
previously given it is not to be administered. The same rule is to be followed
with regard to persons who are unconscious.
But if they (the insane) never enjoyed the
use of reason, the authority and practice of the Church decide that they are to
be baptised in the faith of the Church, just as children are baptised before
they come to the use of reason.
Faith
Besides a wish to be baptised, in order to
obtain the grace of the Sacrament, faith is also necessary. Our Lord and
Saviour has said: He that believes and is baptised shall be saved.
Repentance
Another necessary condition is repentance for
past sins, and a fixed determination to avoid all sin in the future. Should
anyone desire Baptism and be unwilling to correct the habit of sinning, he
should be altogether rejected. For nothing is so opposed to the grace and power
of Baptism as the intention and purpose of those who resolve never to abandon
sin.
Seeing that Baptism should be sought with a
view to put on Christ and to be united to Him, it is manifest that he who
purposes to continue in sin should justly be repelled from the sacred font,
particularly since none of those things which belong to Christ and His Church
are to be received in vain, and since we well understand that, as far as
regards sanctifying and saving grace, Baptism is received in vain by him who
purposes to live according to the flesh, and not according to the spirit. As
far, however, as the Sacrament is concerned, if the person who is rightly
baptised intends to receive what the Church administers, he without doubt
validly receives the Sacrament.
Hence, to the vast multitude who, in
compunction of heart, as the Scripture says, asked him and the other Apostles
what they should do, the Prince of the Apostles answered: Do penance and be
baptised every one of you; and in another place he said: Be penitent,
therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out. Writing to the
Romans, St. Paul also clearly shows that he who is baptised should entirely die
to sin; and he therefore admonishes us not to yield our members as instruments
of iniquity unto sin, but present ourselves to God, as those who are alive from
the dead.
Advantages To Be Derived From These
Reflections
Frequent reflection upon these truths cannot
fail, in the first place, to fill the minds of the faithful with admiration for
the infinite goodness of God, who, uninfluenced by any other consideration than
that of His mercy, gratuitously bestowed upon us, undeserving as we are, a
blessing so extraordinary and divine as that of Baptism.
If in the next place they consider how
spotless should be the lives of those who have been made the objects of such
munificence, they cannot fail to be convinced of the special obligation imposed
on every Christian to spend each day of his life in such sanctity and fervour,
as if on that very day he had received the Sacrament and grace of Baptism.
Effects of Baptism
To inflame the minds of the faithful,
however, with a zeal for true piety, pastors will find no means more
efficacious than an accurate exposition of the effects of Baptism.
The effects of Baptism should be frequently
explained, in order that the faithful may be rendered more sensible of the high
dignity to which they have been raised, and may never suffer themselves to be
cast down therefrom by the snares or assaults of Satan.
First Effect Of Baptism: Remission Of Sin
They are to be taught, in the first place,
that such is the admirable efficacy of this Sacrament that it remits original
sin and actual guilt, however unthinkable its enormity may seem.
This was foretold long before by Ezechiel,
through whom God said: I will pour upon you clean water, and you shall be
cleansed from all your filthiness. The Apostle also, writing to the
Corinthians, after having enumerated a long catalogue of sins, adds: such you
were, but you are washed, but you are sanctified.
That such was at all times the doctrine handed
down by holy Church is clear. By the generation of the flesh, says St.
Augustine in his book On the Baptism of Infants, we contract original sin only;
by the regeneration of the Spirit, we obtain forgiveness not only of original,
but also of actual sins. St. Jerome also, writing to Oceanus, says: all sins
are forgiven in Baptism.
To remove all further doubt on the subject,
the Council of Trent, after other Councils had defined this, declared it anew,
pronouncing anathema against those who should presume to think otherwise, or
should dare to assert that although sin is forgiven in Baptism, it is not
entirely removed or totally eradicated, but is cut away in such a manner as to
leave its roots still fixed in the soul. To use the words of the same holy Council,
God hates nothing in those who are regenerated; for there remains nothing
deserving of condemnation in those who are truly buried with Christ by Baptism
unto death, "who walk not according to the flesh" but putting off the
old man, and putting on the new, who is created according to God, become
innocent, spotless, pure, upright, and beloved of God.
Concupiscence Which Remains After Baptism
Is No Sin
We must confess, however, that concupiscence,
or the fuel of sin, still remains, as the Council declares in the same place.
But concupiscence does not constitute sin, for, as St. Augustine observes, in
children who have been baptised the guilt of concupiscence is removed, (the
concupiscence itself) remains for probation; and in another place he says: the
guilt of concupiscence is pardoned in Baptism, but its infirmity remains. For
concupiscence which is the effect of sin is nothing more than an appetite of
the soul in itself repugnant to reason. But if it is not accompanied by the
consent of the will or by negligence, it is very far from being sin.
When St. Paul says, I did not know
concupiscence, if the law did not say: Thou shalt not covet, he speaks not of
concupiscence itself, but of the fault of the will.
The same doctrine is taught by St. Gregory
when he says: If there are any who assert that in Baptism sin is but
superficially effaced, what could be more untrue than their statement? By the
Sacrament of faith the soul, entirely freed from sin, adheres to God alone. In
proof of this doctrine he has recourse to the testimony of our Saviour who says
in St. John: He that is -washed, needeth not but to wash his feet, but is clean
wholly.
Further Proof Of The First Effect Of
Baptism
Should anyone desire a striking figure and
image (of the efficacy of Baptism) let him consider the history of Naaman the
Syrian leper, of whom the Scriptures inform us that when he had washed seven
times in the waters of the Jordan he was so cleansed from his leprosy that his
flesh became like the flesh of a child.
The remission of all sin, original and
actual, is therefore the peculiar effect of Baptism. That this was the object
of its institution by our Lord and Saviour is clearly stated by the Prince of
the Apostles, to say nothing of other testimonies, when he says: Do penance and
be baptised every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of
sins.
The Second Effect Of Baptism: Remission Of
All Punishment Due To Sin
In Baptism not only is sin forgiven, but with
it all the punishment due to sin is mercifully remitted by God. To communicate
the efficacy of the Passion of Christ our Lord is an effect common to all the
Sacraments; but of Baptism alone does the Apostle say, that by it we die and
are buried together with Christ.
Hence holy Church has always understood that
to impose those works of piety, usually called by the holy Fathers works of
satisfaction, on one who is to be cleansed in Baptism, would be injurious to
this Sacrament in the highest degree.
Nor is there any discrepancy between the
doctrine here taught and the practice of the primitive Church, which of old
commanded the Jews, when preparing for Baptism, to observe a fast of forty
successive days. (The fast thus imposed) was not enjoined as a work of
satisfaction; but those who had received Baptism were thus admonished to devote
some time to the uninterrupted exercise of fasting and prayer in honour of so
great a Sacrament.
Baptism Does Not Exempt From Penalties Of
The Civil Law
Although the remission by Baptism of the
punishments due to sin cannot be questioned, we are not to infer that it
exempts an offender from the punishments decreed by civil tribunals for some
grave crime. Thus a person sentenced to death is not rescued by Baptism from
the penalty ordained by the law.
We cannot, however, too highly commend the
religion and piety of those rulers who remit the sentence of the law, that the
glory of God may be the more strikingly displayed in His Sacraments.
Baptism Remits The Punishment Due To
Original Sin After Death
Baptism also remits all the punishment due to
original sin after this life, for through the merit of the death of our Lord we
are able to attain this blessing. By Baptism, as we have already said, we die
with Christ. For if, says the Apostle, we have been planted together in the
likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.
Baptism Does Not Free Us From The Miseries
Of Life
Should it be asked why immediately after
Baptism we are not exempt in this mortal life from misfortunes and restored by
the influence of this sacred ablution to that state of perfection in which
Adam, the father of the human race, was placed before his fall, the answer will
be that there are two chief reasons for this.
In the first place we who by Baptism are
united to, and become members of Christ's body, should not be more honoured
than our Head. Now Christ our Lord, although clothed from His birth with the
plenitude of grace and truth, was not divested of human infirmity which He
assumed, until, having suffered and died, He rose to the glory of immortality.
It cannot appear extraordinary, therefore, if the faithful, even after they
have received the grace of justification by Baptism, are clothed with frail and
perishable bodies until, having undergone many labours for the sake of Christ,
and having closed their earthly career, they are recalled to life and found
worthy to enjoy with Him an eternity of bliss.
The second reason why bodily infirmity,
disease, sense of pain and motions of concupiscence remain after Baptism is
that in them we may have the seed and material of virtue from which we shall
hereafter receive a more abundant harvest of glory and more ample rewards.
When, with patient resignation, we bear all the trials of life, and, aided by
the divine assistance, subject to the dominion of reason the rebellious desires
of the heart, we ought to cherish an assured hope that if, with the Apostle we
shall have fought a good fight, finished the course, and kept the faith, the
Lord, the just judge, will render to us on that day a crown of justice which is
laid up for us.
Such seems to have been the divine plan with
regard to the children of Israel. God delivered them from the bondage of Egypt,
having drowned Pharaoh and his hosts in the sea; yet He did not conduct them
immediately into the happy land of promise; He first tried them by a variety
and multiplicity of sufferings. And when He afterwards placed them in
possession of the promised land and expelled the previous inhabitants from
their native territories, yet He left a few other nations whom the Israelites
could not exterminate, in order that His people might always have occasion to
exercise fortitude and warlike courage.
We may add that if, to the heavenly gifts
with which the soul is adorned in Baptism, were joined temporal advantages,
there would be good reason to doubt whether many might not approach Baptism
with a view to obtain such advantages in this life, rather than the glory to be
hoped for in the next; whereas the Christian should always propose to himself,
not these delusive and uncertain goods which are seen, but the solid and
eternal ones which are not seen.
Baptism A Source Of Happiness To The
Christian Even In This Life
This life, however, although full of misery,
does not lack its pleasures and joys. To us, who by Baptism are engrafted as
branches on Christ's what could be more pleasing or desirable than, taking up
the cross upon our shoulders, to follow Him as our leader, fatigued by no
labor, retarded by no danger, in ardent pursuit of the rewards of our high
vocation; some to receive the laurel of virginity, others the crown of teaching
and preaching, some the palm of martyrdom, others the honours appropriate to
their respective virtues? These splendid titles of exalted dignity none of us
should receive, had we not contended in the race of this calamitous life and
stood unconquered in the conflict.
Third Effect Of Baptism: Grace Of
Regeneration
But to return to the effects of Baptism, it
should be taught that by virtue of this Sacrament we are not only delivered
from what are justly deemed the greatest of all evils, but are also enriched
with invaluable goods and blessings. Our souls are replenished with divine
grace, by which we are rendered just and children of God and are made heirs to
eternal salvation. For it is written: He that believeth and is baptised, shall
be saved, and the Apostle testifies that the Church is cleansed by the laver of
water in the word of life. Now according to the definition of the Council of
Trent, which under pain of anathema we are bound to believe, grace not only
remits sin, but is also a divine quality inherent in the soul, and, as it were,
a brilliant light that effaces all those stains which obscure the lustre of the
soul, investing it with increased brightness and beauty. This is also a clear
inference from the words of Scripture when it says that grace is poured forth,
and also when it usually calls grace, the pledge of the Holy Ghost.
Fourth Effect Of Baptism: Infused Virtues
And Incorporation With Christ
This grace is accompanied by a most splendid
train of all virtues, which are divinely infused into the soul along with
grace. Hence, when writing to Titus, the Apostle says: He saved us by the laver
of regeneration and renovation of the Holy Ghost, whom he hath poured forth
upon us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. St. Augustine, in
explanation of the words, poured forth abundantly, says: that is, for the
remission of sins and for abundance of virtues.
By Baptism we are also united to Christ, as
members to their Head. As therefore from the head proceeds the power by which
the different members of the body are moved to the proper performance of their
respective functions, so from the fullness of Christ the Lord are diffused
divine grace and virtue through all those who are justified, qualifying them
for the performance of all the duties of Christian piety.
Why The Practice Of Virtue Is Difficult
Even After Baptism
Though we are thus supported by a powerful
array of virtues, it should not excite our surprise if we cannot, without much
labor and difficulty, undertake, or at least, perform acts of piety and of
moral virtue. If this is so, it is not because the goodness of God has not
bestowed on us the virtues from which these good works proceed; but because
there still remains after Baptism a severe conflict of the flesh against the
spirit, in which, however, it would not become a Christian to be dispirited or
grow faint.
Relying on the divine goodness we should
confidently hope that by a constant habit of leading a holy life the time will
come when whatever things are modest, whatever just, whatever holy, will also
prove easy and agreeable. Let these be the subjects of our willing
consideration, the objects of our cheerful practice, that the God of peace may
be with us.
Fifth Effect Of Baptism: Character Of
Christian
By Baptism, moreover, we are sealed with a
character that can never be effaced from the soul. On this point, however, we
need not speak at length, for what we have already sufficiently said on the
subject, when treating of the Sacraments in general, may be applied here.
Baptism Not To Be Repeated
Since on account of the nature and efficacy
of this character it has been defined by the Church that this Sacrament is on
no account to be reiterated, pastors should frequently and diligently admonish
the faithful on this subject, lest at any time they may be led into error.
This doctrine is taught by the Apostle when
he says: One Lord, one faith, one baptism. Again, when exhorting the Romans,
that being dead in Christ by Baptism they should take care not to lose the life
which they had received from Him, he says: In that Christ died unto sin, he
died once. These words seem clearly to signify that as Christ cannot die again,
neither can we die again by Baptism. Hence the holy Church also openly
professes that she believes one Baptism. That this agrees with the nature of
the thing and with reason is understood from the very idea of Baptism, which is
a spiritual regeneration. As then, by virtue of the laws of nature, we are
generated and born but once, and, as St. Augustine observes, there is no
returning to the womb; so, in like manner, there is but one spiritual
generation, and Baptism is never at any time to be repeated.
In Conditional Baptism The Sacrament Is
Not Repeated
Nor let anyone suppose that it is repeated by
the Church when she baptises anyone whose previous Baptism was doubtful, making
use of this formula: If thou art baptised, I baptise thee not again but if thou
art not yet baptised, I baptise thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost. In such cases Baptism is not to be considered as
impiously repeated, but as holily, yet conditionally, administered.
In this connection, however, there are some
matters, in which, to the very great injury of the Sacrament, abuses are of
almost daily occurrence, and which therefore demand the diligent attention of
pastors. For there are not wanting those who think that no sin is committed if
they indiscriminately administer conditional Baptism. Hence if an infant be
brought to them, they think that no inquiry need be made as to whether it was
previously baptised, but proceed immediately to baptise the child. Nay more,
although they be well aware that the Sacrament was administered at home, they
do not hesitate to repeat its administration in the Church conditionally,
making use of the solemn ceremonies of the Church.
This certainly they cannot do without sacrilege
and without incurring what theologians call an irregularity. According to the
authority of Pope Alexander the conditional form of Baptism is to be used only
when after due inquiry doubts are entertained as to the validity of the
previous Baptism. In no other case is it ever lawful to administer Baptism a
second time, even conditionally.
Sixth Effect Of Baptism: Opening The Gates
Of Heaven
Besides the other advantages which accrue to
us from Baptism, the last, to which all the others seem to be referred, is that
it opens to us the portals of heaven which sin had closed against us.
Effects Of Baptism Foreshadowed In The
Baptism Of Christ
These effects which are wrought in us by
virtue of Baptism are distinctly marked by the circumstances which, as the
Gospel relates, accompanied the Baptism of our Saviour. The heavens were opened
and the Holy Ghost appeared descending upon Christ our Lord in the form of a
dove. By this we are given to understand that to those who are baptised are
imparted the gifts of the Holy Spirit, that to them are opened the gates of
heaven. The baptised, it is true, do not enter heaven immediately after
Baptism, but in due season. When they shall have been freed from all misery
which is incompatible with a state of bliss, they shall exchange a mortal for
an immortal life.
Measure In Which Those Effects Are
Obtained
These are the fruits of Baptism, which, if we
consider the efficacy of the Sacrament, are, no doubt, equally common to all;
but if we consider the dispositions with which it is received, it is no less
certain that all do not share to the same extent in these heavenly gifts and
graces.
Ceremonies of Baptism
Their Importance
It now remains to explain, clearly and
concisely, what is to be taught concerning the prayers, rites, and ceremonies
of this Sacrament. To rites and ceremonies may, in some measure, be applied
what the Apostle says of the gift of tongues, that it is unprofitable to speak,
unless the faithful understand. They present an image, and convey the
signification of the things that are done in the Sacrament; but if the people
do not understand the force and meaning of these signs, there is but little
advantage derived from ceremonies. Pastors should take care, therefore, to make
them understood and to impress the minds of the faithful with a conviction
that, although ceremonies are not of absolute necessity, they are of very great
importance and deserve great veneration.
This the authority of those by whom they were
instituted, who were, no doubt, the Apostles, and also the object of their
institution, sufficiently prove. It is manifest that ceremonies contribute to
the more religious and holy administration of the Sacraments, serve to place,
as it were, before the eyes the exalted and inestimable gifts which they
contain, and impress on the minds of the faithful a deeper sense of the
boundless beneficence of God.
Three Classes Of Ceremonies In Baptism
In order that the pastor's instructions may
follow a certain plan and that the people may find it: easier to remember his
words, all the ceremonies and prayers which the Church uses in the
administration of Baptism are to be reduced to three heads. The first
comprehends such as are observed before coming to the baptismal font; the
second, such as are used at the font; the third, those that usually follow the
administration of the Sacrament.
Ceremonies That Are Observed Before Coming
To The Font: Consecration Of Baptismal Water
In the first place, then, the water to be
used in Baptism should be prepared. The baptismal font is consecrated with the
oil of mystic unction; not, however, at all times, but, according to ancient
usage, only on certain feasts, which are justly deemed the greatest and the
most holy solemnities in the year. The water of Baptism was consecrated on the
vigils of those feasts; and on those days alone, except in cases of necessity,
it was also the practice of the ancient Church to administer Baptism. But
although the Church, on account of the dangers to which life is continually
exposed, has deemed it expedient to change her discipline in this respect, she
still observes with the greatest solemnity the festivals of Easter and
Pentecost on which the baptismal water is to be consecrated.
The Person To Be Baptised Stands At The
Church Door
After the consecration of the water the other
ceremonies that precede Baptism are next to be explained. The persons to be
baptised are brought or conducted a to the door of the church and are strictly
forbidden to enter, as unworthy to be admitted into the house of God, until
they have cast off the yoke of the most degrading servitude and devoted
themselves unreservedly to Christ the Lord and His most just authority.
Catechetical Instruction
The priest then asks what they demand of the
Church; and having received the answer, he first instructs them in the
doctrines of the Christian faith, of which a profession is to be made in
Baptism.
This the priest does in a brief catechetical
instruction, a practice which originated, no doubt, in the precept of our Lord
addressed to His Apostles: Go ye into the whole world, and teach all nations,
baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.
From this command we may learn that Baptism is not to be administered until, at
least, the principal truths of our religion are explained.
But as the catechetical form consists of many
interrogations, if the person to be instructed be an adult, he himself answers;
if an infant, the sponsor answers for him according to the prescribed form and
makes the solemn promise.
The Exorcism
The exorcism comes next in order. It consists
of words of sacred and religious import and of prayers, and is used to expel
the devil, to weaken and crush his power.
The Salt
To the exorcism are added other ceremonies,
each of which, being mystical, has its own clear signification. When, for
instance, salt is put into the mouth of the person to be baptised, this
evidently means that, by the doctrines of faith and by the gift of grace, he
shall be delivered from the corruption of sin, shall experience a relish for
good works, and shall be delighted with the food of divine wisdom.
The Sign Of The Cross
Next his forehead, eyes, breast, shoulders
and ears are signed with the sign of the cross, to declare, that by the mystery
of Baptism, the senses of the person baptised are opened and strengthened, to
enable him to receive God, and to understand and observe His Commandments.
The Saliva
His nostrils and ears are next touched with
spittle, and he is then immediately admitted to the baptismal font. By this
ceremony we understand that, as sight was given to the blind man mentioned in
the Gospel, whom the Lord after He had spread clay on his eyes commanded to
wash them in the waters of Siloe, so through the efficacy of holy Baptism a
light is let in on the mind, which enables it to discern heavenly truth.
The Ceremonies Observed After Coming To
The Font
After the performance of these ceremonies the
persons to be baptised approach the baptismal font, at which are performed
other rites and ceremonies which present a summary of the Christian religion.
The Renunciation Of Satan
Three distinct times the person to be
baptised is asked by the priest: Dost thou renounce Satan, and all his works,
and all his pomps? To each of which he, or the sponsor in his name, replies, I
renounce. Whoever, then, purposes to enlist, under the standard of Christ, must
first of all, enter into a sacred and solemn engagement to renounce the devil
and the world, and always to hold them in utter detestation as his worst
enemies.
The Profession Of Faith
Next, standing at the baptismal font, he is
interrogated by the priest in these words: Dost thou believe in God, the Father
Almighty? To which he answers: I believe. Being similarly questioned on the
remaining Articles of the Creed, he solemnly professes his faith. These two
promises contain, it is clear, the sum and substance of the law of Christ.
The Wish To Be Baptised
When the Sacrament is now about to be
administered, the priest asks the candidate if he wishes to be baptised. After
an answer in the affirmative has been given by him, or, if he is an infant, by
the sponsor, the priest immediately performs the salutary ablution, in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
As man, by yielding the assent of his will to
the wicked suggestions of Satan, fell under a just sentence of condemnation; so
God will have none enrolled in the number of His soldiers but those whose
service is voluntary, that by a willing obedience to His commands they may
obtain eternal salvation.
The Ceremonies That Follow Baptism: Chrism
After the person has been baptised, the
priest anoints the crown of his head with chrism, thus giving him to
understand, that from that day he is united as a member to Christ, His Head,
and ingrafted on His body; and that he is, therefore, called a Christian from
Christ, as Christ is so called from chrism. What the chrism signifies, the prayers
then offered by the priest, as St. Ambrose observes, sufficiently explain.
The White Garment
On the person baptised the priest then puts a
white garment saying: Receive this white garment, which mayest thou carry
unstained before the judgment-seat of our Lord Jesus Christ; that thou mayest
have eternal life. Instead of a white garment, infants, because not formally
dressed, receive a white cloth, accompanied by the same words.
According to the teaching of the Fathers this
symbol signifies the glory of the resurrection to which we are born by Baptism,
the brightness and beauty with which the soul, when purified from the stains of
sin, is invested in Baptism, and the innocence and integrity which the person
who has received Baptism should preserve throughout life.
The Lighted Candle
A lighted taper is then put into the hand of
the baptised to signify that faith, inflamed by charity, which is received in
Baptism, is to be fed and augmented by the exercise of good works.
The Name Given In Baptism
Finally, a name is given the person baptised.
It should be taken from some person whose eminent sanctity has given him a
place in the catalogue of the Saints. The similarity of name will stimulate
each one to imitate the virtues and holiness of the Saint, and, moreover, to
hope and pray that he who is the model for his imitation will also be his
advocate and watch over the safety of his body and soul.
Wherefore those are to be reproved who search
for the names of heathens, especially of those who were the greatest monsters
of iniquity, to bestow upon their children. By such conduct they practically
prove how little they regard Christian piety when they so fondly cherish the
memory of impious men, as to wish to have their profane names continually echo
in the ears of the faithful.
Recapitulation
This exposition of the Sacrament of Baptism,
if given by pastors, will be found to embrace almost everything which should be
known regarding this Sacrament. We have explained the meaning of the word
Baptism, the nature and substance of the Sacrament, and also the parts of which
it is composed. We have said by whom it was instituted; who are the ministers
necessary to its administration; who should be, as it were, the tutors whose
instructions should sustain the weakness of the person baptised; to whom
Baptism should be administered; and how they should be disposed; what are the
virtue and efficacy of the Sacrament; finally, we have developed, at sufficient
length for our purpose, the rites and ceremonies that should accompany its
administration.
Pastors should recollect that the chief
purpose of all these instructions is to induce the faithful to direct their
constant attention and solicitude to the fulfilment of the promises so sacredly
made at Baptism, and to lead lives not unworthy of the sanctity that should
accompany the name and profession of Christian.
THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION
Importance Of Instruction On Confirmation
If ever there was a time demanding the
diligence of pastors in explaining the Sacrament of Confirmation, in these days
certainly it requires special attention, when there are found in the holy
Church of God many by whom this Sacrament is altogether omitted; while very few
seek to obtain from it the fruit of divine grace which they should derive from
its participation.
Lest, therefore, this divine blessing may
seem, through their fault, and to their most serious injury, to have been
conferred on them in vain, the faithful are to be instructed both on
Whitsunday, on which day it is principally administered, and also on such other
days as pastors shall deem convenient. Their instructions should so treat the
nature, power, and dignity of this Sacrament, that the faithful may understand
not only that it is not to be neglected, hut that it is to be received with the
greatest piety and devotion.
Name of this Sacrament
To begin with the name, it should be taught
that this Sacrament is called by the Church Confirmation because, if there is
no obstacle to the efficacy of the Sacrament, a baptised person, when anointed
with the sacred chrism by the Bishop, with the accompanying solemn words: I
sign thee with the sign of the cross, and confirm thee with the chrism of
salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,
becomes stronger with the strength of a new power, and thus begins to be a
perfect soldier of Christ.
Confirmation is a Sacrament
That in Confirmation is contained the true
and proper nature of a Sacrament has always been acknowledged by the Catholic
Church, as Pope Melchiades and many other very holy and very ancient Pontiffs
expressly declare. The truth of this doctrine St. Clement could not confirm in
stronger terms than when he says: All should hasten without delay to be born
again unto God, and afterwards to be signed by the Bishop, that is, to receive
the sevenfold grace of the Holy Ghost; for, as has been handed down to us from
St. Peter, and as the other Apostles taught in obedience to the command and of
our Lord, he who culpably and voluntarily, and not from necessity, neglects to
receive this Sacrament, cannot possibly be a perfect Christian. This same faith
has been confirmed, as may be seen in their decrees, by Popes Urban, Fabian and
Eusebius, who, filled with the same spirit, shed their blood for the name of
Christ.
The unanimous authority of the Fathers must
be added. Among them Denis the Areopagite, Bishop of Athens, when teaching how
to consecrate and make use of this holy ointment, says: The priests clothe the
person Baptised with a garment emblematic of purity, in order to conduct him to
the Bishop; and the Bishop, signing him with the sacred and truly divine
ointment, makes him partaker of the most holy communion. Of such importance
does Eusebius of Caesarea also deem this Sacrament as not to hesitate to say
that the heretic Novatus could not deserve to receive the Holy Ghost, because,
having been baptised in a state of severe illness, he was not anointed with the
sign of chrism. But on this subject we have the most distinct testimonies from
St. Ambrose in his book On the Initiated, and from St. Augustine in his books
Against the Epistles of Petilian the Donatist.
Both of them were so persuaded that no doubt
could exist as to the reality of this Sacrament that they even taught and
confirmed the doctrine by passages of Scripture, the one testifying that to the
Sacrament of Confirmation apply these words of the Apostle: Grieve not the Holy
Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed; the other, these words of the Psalmist:
Like the precious ointment on the head, that ran down upon the beard, the beard
of Aaron, and also these words of the same Apostle: The charity of God is
poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, who is given to us.
Confirmation is Distinct from Baptism
Although said by Melchiades to have a most
intimate connection with Baptism, Confirmation is still not to be regarded as
the same, but as a very different Sacrament; for the variety of the grace which
each of the Sacraments confers, and of the sensible sign employed to signify
that grace, evidently render them distinct and different Sacraments.
Since, then, by the grace of Baptism we are
begotten unto newness of life, whereas by that of Confirmation we grow to full
maturity, having put away the things of a child, we can sufficiently understand
that the same difference that exists in the natural life between birth and
growth exists also between Baptism, which regenerates, and Confirmation, by
virtue of which growth and perfect spiritual strength are imparted to the
faithful.
Besides, as there should be a new and
distinct kind of Sacrament when the soul has to encounter any new difficulty,
it may easily be perceived that as we require the grace of Baptism to form the
mind unto faith, so is it also of the utmost advantage that the souls of the
faithful be strengthened by a different grace, to the end that they be deterred
by no danger, or fear of pains, tortures or death, from the confession of the
true faith. This, then, being accomplished by the sacred chrism of
Confirmation, it is hence clearly inferred, that the nature of this Sacrament
is different from Baptism.
Hence Pope Melchiades accurately evolves the
difference between them, writing as follows: In Baptism man is enlisted into
the service, in Confirmation he is equipped for battle; at the baptismal font
the Holy Ghost imparts fullness to accomplish innocence, but in Confirmation he
ministers perfection to grace; in Baptism we are regenerated unto life, after
Baptism we are fortified for the combat; in Baptism we are cleansed, after
Baptism we are strengthened; regeneration of itself saves those who receive
Baptism in time of peace, Confirmation arms and makes ready for conflicts.
These are truths not only already recorded by
other Councils, but specially defined by the holy Council of Trent; so that we
are therefore no longer at liberty not only to think otherwise, but even to
entertain the least doubt concerning them.
Institution of Confirmation
It was shown above how necessary it is to
teach concerning all the Sacraments in common from whom they had their origin.
Wherefore the same is also to be taught as regards Confirmation, in order that
the faithful may be impressed with a deeper sense of the sanctity of this
Sacrament. Accordingly, pastors must explain that not only was it instituted by
Christ the Lord, but that by Him were also ordained, as Pope St. Fabian
testifies, the rite of chrism and the words which the Catholic Church uses in
its administration. This is a fact easy to prove to those who acknowledge
Confirmation to be a Sacrament, because all the sacred mysteries exceed the
powers of human nature and could be instituted by no other than God alone.
Component Parts of Confirmation
The Matter
We now come to treat of the component parts
of the Sacrament, and first of its matter. This is called chrism, a word
borrowed from the Greek language, and which, although used by profane writers
to designate any sort of ointment, is appropriated by common usage among
ecclesiastical writers to signify that ointment only which is composed of oil
and balsam with the solemn consecration of the Bishop. A mixture of two
material things, therefore, furnishes the matter of Confirmation; and this
mixture of different things not only declares the manifold grace of the Holy
Ghost given to those who are confirmed but also sufficiently shows the
excellence of the Sacrament itself.
The Remote Matter Of Confirmation Is
Chrism
That such is the matter of this Sacrament the
holy Church and her Councils have always taught; and the same doctrine has been
handed-down to us by St. Denis and by many other Fathers of the gravest
authority, particularly by Pope Fabian,' who testifies that the Apostles
received the composition of chrism from our Lord and transmitted it to us.
The Appropriateness Of Chrism
Nor indeed could any other matter than that
of chrism seem more appropriate to declare the effects of this Sacrament. Oil,
by its nature rich, unctuous and fluid, expresses the fullness of grace, which,
through the Holy Ghost, overflows and is poured into others from Christ the
head, like the ointment that ran down upon the beard of Aaron, to the skirt of
his garment; for God anointed him with the oil of gladness, above his fellows,
and of his fullness we all have received.
Balsam, the door of which is most pleasant,
can signify nought save that the faithful, when made perfect by the grace of
Confirmation, diffuse around them such a sweet door of all virtues, that they
may say with the Apostle: We are unto God the good odour of Christ. Balsam has
also the power of preserving from corruption whatever it is used to anoint.
This property seems admirably suited to express the virtue of the Sacrament,
since it is quite evident that the souls of the faithful, prepared by the
heavenly grace of Confirmation, are easily protected from the contagion of
sins.
Chrism To Be Consecrated By The Bishop
The chrism is consecrated by the Bishop with
solemn ceremonies; for that our Saviour gave this instruction at His last
supper, when He committed to His Apostles the manner of making chrism, we learn
from Fabian, a pontiff eminently distinguished by his sanctity and by the glory
of martyrdom.
The necessity of this consecration may,
however, be shown from reason also. In most of the other Sacraments Christ so
instituted their matter as to impart holiness also to it. For not only did He
designate water as the element of Baptism, saying: Except a man be born again
of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter the kingdom of God; but He also,
at His own Baptism, imparted to it the power of sanctifying thereafter. Hence
these words of St. Chrysostom: The water of Baptism, had it not been sanctified
by contact with the body of our Lord, could not purge away the sins of
believers. As, then, our Lord did not consecrate this matter of Confirmation by
actually using and handling it, it is necessary that it be consecrated by holy
and religious prayers; and this consecration can appertain to none save the
Bishop, who has been appointed the ordinary minister of this Sacrament.
The Form Of Confirmation
The other component part of Confirmation,
that is, its form and the words used at the sacred unction, must also be
explained. The faithful are to be admonished that in receiving this Sacrament
they are, in particular on hearing the words pronounced, to excite their minds
to piety, faith and religion, that no obstacle may be placed to heavenly grace.
The form of Confirmation, then, is comprised
in these words: I sign thee with the sign of the cross, and I confirm thee with
the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost. If we call upon reason regarding this truth, we may also easily
prove the same thing; for the form of a Sacrament should comprise all those
things that explain the nature and substance of the Sacrament itself. But in
Confirmation these three things are chiefly to be noted: the divine power
which, as a principal cause, operates in the Sacrament; the strength of mind and
soul which is imparted by the sacred unction to the faithful unto salvation;
and finally, the sign impressed on him who is to enter upon the warfare of
Christ. Now of these the first is sufficiently declared by the concluding words
of the form: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;
the second, by the words immediately preceding them: I confirm thee with the
chrism of salvation; and the third, by the words with which the form opens: I
sign thee with the sign of the cross.
But were we even unable to prove by reason
that this is the true and perfect form of this Sacrament, the authority of the
Catholic Church, under whose guidance we have always been thus taught, suffers
us not to entertain the least doubt on the subject.
Minister of Confirmation
Pastors should also teach to whom especially
has been committed the administration of this Sacrament; for as, according to
the Prophet, there are many who run without being sent, it is necessary to
teach who are its true and legitimate ministers, in order that the faithful may
be enabled to receive the Sacrament and grace of Confirmation.
Now the Holy Scriptures show that the Bishop
alone is the ordinary minister of this Sacrament, because we read in the Acts
of the Apostles that when Samaria had received the Word of God, Peter and John
were sent to them, who prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
for he was not as yet come upon any of them, but they were only baptised. Here
we may see that he who had baptised, having been only a deacon, had no power to
confirm; but that its administration was reserved to a more perfect order of
ministers, that is, to the Apostles. The same may be observed whenever the
Sacred Scriptures make mention of this Sacrament.
Nor are there wanting in proof of this matter
the clearest testimonies of the holy Fathers and of Popes Urban, Eusebius,
Damasus, Innocent and Leo, as is evident from their decrees. St. Augustine,
also, seriously complains of the corrupt practice of the Egyptians and Alexandrians,
whose priests dared to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation.
The thorough propriety of reserving this
function to Bishops the pastor may illustrate by the following comparison. As
in the construction of buildings the artisans, who are inferior agents, prepare
and dispose cement, lime, timbers and the other material, while to the
architect belongs the completion of the work; so in like manner this Sacrament,
which is, at it were, the completion of the spiritual edifice, should be
performed by no other than the chief priest.
Sponsors at Confirmation
A sponsor is also required, as we have
already shown to be the case in Baptism. For if they who enter the fencing
lists have need for some one whose skill and counsel may teach them the thrusts
and passes by which to overcome their adversaries, while remaining safe
themselves; how much more will the faithful require a leader and monitor, when,
sheathed, as it were, in the stoutest armour by this Sacrament of Confirmation,
they engage in the spiritual conflict, in which eternal salvation is the
proposed reward. With good reason, therefore, are sponsors employed in the
administration of this Sacrament also; and the same spiritual affinity is
contracted in Confirmation, which, as we have already shown, is contracted by
sponsors in Baptism, so as to impede the lawful marriage of the parties.
The Subject of Confirmation
It often happens that, in receiving this
Sacrament, the faithful are guilty of either precipitate haste or a gross
neglect and delay; concerning those who have become so impious as to have the
hardihood to contemn and despise it, we have nothing to say. Pastors,
therefore, should also explain who may receive Confirmation, and what should be
their age and dispositions.
All Should Be Confirmed
First, it is necessary to teach that this
Sacrament is not so necessary as to be utterly essential to salvation. Although
not essential, however, it ought to be omitted by no one, but rather, on the
contrary, in a matter so full of holiness through which the divine gifts are so
liberally bestowed, the greater care should be taken to avoid all neglect. What
God has proposed in common unto all for their sanctification, all should
'likewise most earnestly desire.
St. Luke, indeed, describing this admirable
effusion of the Holy Spirit, says: And suddenly there came a sound from heaven,
as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house, where they were
sitting; and a little after: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. From
these words we may understand that, as that house was a type and figure of the
Church, the Sacrament of Confirmation, which tool; its beginning from that day,
appertains to all the faithful.
This may also be easily inferred from the
nature of the Sacrament itself. For they ought to be confirmed with the sacred
chrism who have need of spiritual increase, and who are to be led to the
perfection of the Christian religion. But this is, without exception, suited to
all; because as nature intends that all her children should grow up and attain
full maturity, although she does not always realise her wishes; so the Catholic
Church, the common mother of all, earnestly desires that, in those whom she has
regenerated by Baptism, the perfection of Christian manhood be completed. Now
as this is accomplished through the Sacrament of mystic Unction, it is clear
that Confirmation belongs alike to all the faithful.
The Proper Age For Confirmation
Here it is to be observed, that, after
Baptism, the Sacrament of Confirmation may indeed be administered to all; but
that, until children shall have attained the use of reason, its administration
is inexpedient. If it does not seem well to defer (Confirmation) to the age of
twelve, it is most proper to postpone this Sacrament at least to that of seven
years.
Confirmation has not been instituted as
necessary to salvation, but that by virtue thereof we may be found very well
armed and prepared when called upon to fight for the faith of Christ; and for
this conflict no one assuredly will consider children who as yet lack the use
of reason to be qualified.
Dispositions For Receiving Confirmation
From this, therefore, it follows that persons
of mature age, who are to be confirmed, must, if they desire to obtain the grace
and gifts of this Sacrament, not only bring with them faith and piety, but also
grieve from their hearts for the serious sins which they have committed.
The pastor should take care that they have
previous recourse to confession of their sins; should exhort them to fasting
and other works of piety; and admonish them of the propriety of reviving that
laudable practice of the ancient Church, of receiving this Sacrament fasting.
It is to be presumed that to this the faithful may be easily persuaded, if they
but understand the gifts and admirable effects of this Sacrament.
The Effects of Confirmation
Pastors, therefore, should teach that, in
common with the other Sacraments, Confirmation, unless some obstacle be present
on the part of the receiver, imparts new grace. For we have shown that these
sacred and mystical signs are of such a character as to indicate and produce
grace.
The Grace Of Strength
But besides these things, which are common to
this and the other (Sacraments), it is peculiar to Confirmation first to
perfect the grace of Baptism. For those who have been made Christians by
Baptism, still have in some sort the tenderness and softness, as it were, of
new-born infants, and afterwards become, by means of the Sacrament of chrism,
stronger to resist all the assaults of the world, the flesh and the devil,
while their minds are fully confirmed in faith to confess and glorify the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hence; also, originated the very name (Confirmation),
as no one will doubt. For the word Confirmation is not derived, as some not
less ignorantly than impiously have pretended, from the circumstance that
persons baptised in infancy, when arrived at mature years, were of old brought
to the Bishop, in order to confirm their faith in Christ, which they had
embraced ill Baptism, so that Confirmation would seem not to differ from
catechetical instruction. Of such a practice no reliable testimony can be
adduced. On the contrary, the name has been derived from the fact that by
virtue of this Sacrament God confirms in us the work He commenced in Baptism,
leading us to the perfection of solid Christian virtue.
Increase In Grace
But not only does it confirm, it also
increases (divine grace), as says Melchiades: The Holy Ghost, whose salutary
descent upon the waters of Baptism, imparts in the font fullness to the
accomplishment of innocence, in Confirmation gives an increase of grace; and
not only an increase, but an increase after a wonderful manner. This the
Scriptures beautifully express by a metaphor taken from clothing: Stay you in
the city, said our Lord and Saviour, speaking of this Sacrament, until you be
clothed with power from on high.
If pastors wish to show the divine efficacy
of this Sacrament -- and this, no doubt, will have great influence in affecting
the minds of the faithful -- it will be sufficient if they explain what
occurred to the Apostles themselves. So weak and timid were they before, and
even at the very time of the Passion, that no sooner was our Lord apprehended,
than they instantly fled ; and Peter, who had been designated the rock and
foundation of the Church, and who had displayed unshaken constancy and exalted
magnanimity, terrified at the voice of one weak woman, denied, not once nor
twice only, but a third time, that he was a disciple of Jesus Christ; and after
the Resurrection they all remained shut up at home for fear of the Jews. But,
on the day of Pentecost, so great was the power of the Holy Ghost with which
they were all filled that, while they boldly and freely disseminated the Gospel
confided to them, not only through Judea, but throughout the world, they
thought no greater happiness could await them than that of being accounted
worthy to suffer contumely, chains, torments and crucifixion, for the name of
Christ.
Character Of Soldier Of Christ
Confirmation has also the effect of
impressing a character. Hence, as we before said of Baptism, and as will be
more fully explained in its proper place with regard to the Sacrament of Orders
also, it can on no account ever be repeated.
If, then, these things be frequently and
accurately explained by pastors, it will be almost impossible that the
faithful, having known the utility and dignity of this Sacrament, should not
use every exertion to receive it with purity and devotion.
Ceremonies Of Confirmation
It remains now briefly to glance at the rites
and ceremonies used by the Catholic Church in the administration of this
Sacrament; and pastors will understand the great advantages of this
explanation, if they revert to what we already said on this subject under its
proper head.
The Anointing Of The Forehead
The forehead, then, of the persons to be
confirmed is anointed with sacred chrism; for by this Sacrament the Holy Spirit
infuses Himself into the souls of the faithful, and increases in them strength
and fortitude to enable them, in the spiritual contest, to fight manfully and
to resist their most wicked foes. Wherefore it is indicated that they are to be
deterred by no fear or shame, the signs of which appear chiefly on the
forehead, from the open confession of the name of Christ.
The Sign Of The Cross
Besides, that mark by which the Christian is
distinguished from all others, as the soldier is by certain badges, should be
impressed on the more conspicuous part of the body.
Time When Confirmation Should Be Conferred
It has also been a matter of solemn religious
observance in the Church of God that this Sacrament should be administered
principally at Pentecost, because on that day especially were the Apostles
strengthened and confirmed by the power of the Holy Ghost. By the recollection
of this supernatural event the faithful should be admonished of the nature and
magnitude of the mysteries contained in the sacred unction.
The Slap On The Cheek
The person when anointed and confirmed next
receives a gentle slap on the cheek from the hand of the Bishop to make him
recollect that, as a valiant combatant, he should be prepared to endure with
unconquered spirit all adversities for the name of Christ.
The Pax
Lastly, the peace is given him, that he may
understand that he has attained the fullness of divine grace and that peace
which passeth all understanding.
Admonition
Let this, then, serve as a summary of those
things which pastors are to expound touching the Sacrament of chrism. The
exposition, however, should not be given so much in empty words and cold
language, as in the burning accents of pious and glowing zeal, so as to seem to
imprint them on the souls and inmost thoughts of the faithful.
THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST
Importance Of Instruction On The Eucharist
As of all the sacred mysteries bequeathed to
us by our Lord and Saviour as most infallible instruments of divine grace,
there is none comparable to the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist; so, for
no crime is there a heavier punishment to be feared from God than for the
unholy or irreligious use by the faithful of that which is full of holiness, or
rather which contains the very author and source of holiness. This the Apostle
wisely saw, and has openly admonished us of it. For when he had declared the
enormity of their guilt who discerned not the body of the Lord, he immediately
subjoined: Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep.
In order that the faithful, therefore, aware
of the divine honours due to this heavenly Sacrament, may derive therefrom
abundant fruit of grace and escape the most just anger of God, pastors should
explain with the greatest diligence all those things which may seem calculated
more fully to display its majesty.
Institution of the Eucharist
In this matter it will be necessary that
pastors, following the example of the Apostle Paul, who professes to have
delivered to the Corinthians what he had received from the Lord, first of all
explain to the faithful the institution of this Sacrament.
That its institution was as follows, is
clearly inferred from the Evangelist. Our Lord, having loved his own, loved
them to the end. As a divine and admirable pledge of this love, knowing that
the hour had now come that He should pass from the world to the Father, that
He-might not ever at any period be absent from His own, He accomplished with
inexplicable wisdom that which surpasses all the order and condition of nature.
For having kept the supper of the Paschal lamb with His disciples, that the
figure might yield to the reality, the shadow to the substance, He took bread,
and giving thanks unto God, He blessed, and brake, and gave to the disciples,
and said: "Take ye and eat, this is my body which shall be delivered for
you; this do for a commemoration of me." In like manner also, He took the
chalice after he had supped, saying: "This chalice is the new testament in
my blood; this do, as often as you shall drink it, in commemoration of
me".
Meaning of the Word "Eucharist"
Wherefore sacred writers, seeing that it was
not at all possible that they should manifest by one term the dignity and
excellence of this admirable Sacrament, endeavoured to express it by many
words.
For sometimes they call it Eucharist, which
word we may render either by good grace, or by thanksgiving. And rightly,
indeed, is it to be called good grace, as well because it first signifies
eternal life, concerning which it has been written: The grace of God is eternal
life; and also because it contains Christ the Lord, who is true grace and the
fountain of all favours.
No less aptly do we interpret it thanksgiving;
inasmuch as when we immolate this purest victim, we give daily unbounded thanks
to God for all His kindnesses towards us, and above all for so excellent a gift
of His grace, which He grants to us in this Sacrament. This same name, also, is
fully in keeping with those things which we read were done by Christ the Lord
at the institution of this mystery. For taking bread he brake it, and gave
thanks. David also, when contemplating the greatness of this mystery, before he
pronounced that song: He hath made a remembrance of his wonderful works, being
a merciful and gracious Lord, he hath given food to them that fear him, thought
that he should first make this act of thanksgiving: His work is praise and
magnificence.
Other Names Of This Sacrament
Frequently, also, it is called Sacrifice.
Concerning this mystery there will be occasion to speak more at length
presently.
It is called, moreover, communion, the term
being evidently borrowed from that passage of the Apostle where we read: The
chalice of benediction which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of
Christ? And the bread which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of
the Lord? For, as Damascene has explained, this Sacrament unites us to Christ,
renders us partakers of His flesh and Divinity, reconciles and unites us to one
another in the same Christ, and forms us, as it were, into one body.
Whence it came to pass, that i. was called
also the Sacrament of peace and love. We can understand then how unworthy they
are of the name of Christian who cherish enmities, and how hatred, dissensions
and discord should be entirely put away, as the most destructive bane of the
faithful, especially since by the daily Sacrifice of our religion, we profess
to preserve nothing with more anxious care, than peace and love.
It is also frequently called the Viaticum by
sacred writers, both because it is spiritual food by which we are sustained in
our pilgrimage through this life, and also because it paves our way to eternal
glory and happiness. Wherefore, according to an ancient usage of the Catholic
Church, we see that none of the faithful are permitted to die without this
Sacrament.
The most ancient Fathers, following the
authority of the Apostle, have sometimes also called the Holy Eucharist by the
name of Supper, because it was instituted by Christ the Lord at the salutary
mystery of the Last Supper.
It is not, however, lawful to consecrate or
partake of the Eucharist after eating or drinking, because, according to a
custom wisely introduced by the Apostles, as ancient writers have recorded, and
which has ever been retained and preserved, Communion is received only by
persons who are fasting.
The Eucharist Is a Sacrament Properly So
Called
The meaning of the name having been
explained, it will be necessary to show that this is a true Sacrament, and one
of those seven which the holy Church has ever revered and venerated
religiously. For when the consecration of the chalice is effected, it is called
a mystery of faith.
Besides, to omit the almost endless testimonies
of sacred writers, who have invariably thought that this was to be numbered
among the real Sacraments, the same thing is proved from the very principle and
nature of a Sacrament. For there are in it signs that are external and subject
to the senses. In the next place it signifies and produces grace. Moreover,
neither the Evangelists nor the Apostle leave room for doubt regarding its
institution by Christ. Since all these things concur to establish the fact of
the Sacrament, there is obviously no need of any other argument.
In What Respect The Eucharist Is A
Sacrament
But pastors should carefully observe that in
this mystery there are many things to which sacred writers have from time to
time attributed the name of Sacrament. For, sometimes, both the consecration
and the Communion; nay, frequently also the body and blood itself of our Lord,
which is contained in the Eucharist, used to be called a Sacrament. Thus St.
Augustine says that this Sacrament consists of two things, -- the visible
species of the elements, and the invisible flesh and blood of our Lord Jesus
Christ Himself. And it is in the same sense that we say that this Sacrament is
to be adored, meaning the body and blood of our Lord.
Now it is plain that all these are less
properly called Sacraments. The species of bread and wine themselves are truly
and strictly designated by this name.
How The Eucharist Differs From All The
Other Sacraments
How much this Sacrament differs from all the
others is easily inferred. For all the other Sacraments are completed by the
use of the material, that is, while they are being administered to some one.
Thus Baptism. attains the nature of a Sacrament when the individual is actually
being washed in the water. For the perfecting of the Eucharist on the other hand,
the consecration of the material itself suffices, since neither (species)
ceases to be a Sacrament, though kept in the pyx.
Again in perfecting the other Sacraments
there is no change of the matter and element into another nature. The water of
Baptism, or the oil of Confirmation, when those Sacraments are being
administered, do not lose their former nature of water and oil; but in the
Eucharist, that which was bread and wine before consecration, after
consecration is truly the substance of the body and blood of the Lord.
The Eucharist Is But One Sacrament
But although there are two elements, as bread
and wine, of which the entire Sacrament of the Eucharist is constituted, yet
guided by the authority of the Church, we confess that this is not many
Sacraments, but only one.
Otherwise, there cannot be the exact number
of seven Sacraments, as has ever been handed down, and as was decreed by the
Councils of Lateran, Florence and Trent.
Moreover, by virtue of the Sacrament, one
mystical body is effected; hence, that the Sacrament itself may correspond to
the thing which it effects, it must be one.
It is one not because it is indivisible, but
because it signifies a single thing. For as food and drink, which are two
different things, are employed only for one purpose, namely, that the vigour of
the body may be recruited; so also it was but natural that there should be an
analogy to them in the two different species of the Sacrament, which should
signify the spiritual food by which souls are supported and refreshed.
Wherefore we have been assured by our Lord the Saviour: My flesh is meat
indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
The Eucharist Signifies Three Things
It must, therefore, be diligently explained
what the Sacrament of the Eucharist signifies, that the faithful, beholding the
sacred mysteries with their eyes, may also at the same time feed their souls
with the contemplation of divine things. Three things, then, are signified by
this Sacrament. The first is the Passion of Christ our Lord, a thing past; for
He Himself said: Do this for a commemoration of me, and the Apostle says: As
often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall show the
death of the Lord, until he come.
It is also significant of divine and heavenly
grace, which is imparted at the present time by this Sacrament to nurture and
preserve the soul. Just as in Baptism we are begotten unto newness of life and
by Confirmation are strengthened to resist Satan and openly to profess the name
of Christ, so by the Sacrament of the Eucharist are we nurtured and supported.
It is, thirdly, a foreshadowing of future
eternal joy and glory, which, according to God's promises, we shall receive in
our heavenly country.
These three things, then, which are clearly
distinguished by their reference to past, present and future times, are so well
represented by the Eucharistic mysteries that the whole Sacrament, though
consisting of different species, signifies the three as if it referred to one
thing only.
Constituent Parts of the Eucharist
The Matter
It is particularly incumbent on pastors to
know the matter of this Sacrament, in order that they themselves may rightly
consecrate it, and also that they may be able to instruct the faithful as to
its significance, inflaming them with an earnest desire of that which it
signifies.
The First Element Of The Eucharist Is
Bread
The matter of this Sacrament is twofold. The
first element is wheaten bread, of which we shall now speak. Of the second we
shall treat hereafter. As the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke testify,
Christ the Lord took bread into His hands, blessed, and brake, saying: This is
my body; and, according to John, the same Saviour called Himself bread in these
words: I am the living bread, that came down from heaven.
The
Sacramental Bread Must Be Wheaten
There are, however, various sorts of bread,
either because they consist of different materials, -- such as wheat, barley,
pulse and other products of the earth; or because they possess different
qualities, -- some being leavened, others altogether without leaven. It is to
be observed that, with regard to the former kinds, the words of the Saviour
show that the bread should be wheaten; for, according to common usage, when we
simply say bread, we are sufficiently understood to mean wheaten bread. This is
also declared by a figure in the Old Testament, because the Lord commanded that
the loaves of proposition, which signified this Sacrament, should be made of
fine flour.
The Sacramental
Bread Should Be Unleavened
But as wheaten bread alone is to be
considered the proper matter for this Sacrament -- a doctrine which has been
handed down by Apostolic tradition and confirmed by the authority of the
Catholic Church -- so it may be easily inferred from the doings of Christ the
Lord that this bread should be unleavened. It was consecrated and instituted by
Him on the first day of unleavened bread, on which it was not lawful for the
Jews to have anything leavened in their house.
Should the authority of John the Evangelist,
who says that all this was done before the feast of the Passover, be objected
to, the argument is one of easy solution. For by the day before the pasch John
understands the same day which the other Evangelists designate as the first day
of unleavened bread. He wished particularly to mark the natural day, which
commences at sunrise; whereas they wanted to point out that our Lord celebrated
the Pasch on Thursday evening just when the days of the unleavened bread were
beginning. Hence St. Chrysostom also understands the first day of unleavened
bread to be the day on the evening of which unleavened bread was to be eaten.
The peculiar suitableness of the consecration
of unleavened bread to express that integrity and purity of mind which the
faithful should bring to this Sacrament we learn from these words of the
Apostle: Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new paste, as you are
unleavened. For Christ our Passover is sacrificed. Therefore, let us feast, not
with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the
unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Unleavened
Bread Not Essential
This quality of the bread, however, is not to
be deemed so essential that, if it be wanting, the Sacrament cannot exist; for
both kinds are called by the one name and have the true and proper nature of
bread. No one, however, is at liberty on his own private authority, or rather
presumption, to transgress the laudable rite of his Church. And such departure
is the less warrantable in priests of the Latin Church, expressly obliged as
they are by the supreme Pontiffs, to consecrate the sacred mysteries with
unleavened bread only.
Quantity Of
The Bread
With regard to the first matter of this
Sacrament, let this exposition suffice. It is, however, to be observed, that
the quantity of the matter to be consecrated is not defined, since we cannot
define the exact number of those who can or ought to receive the sacred
mysteries.'
The Second Element Of The Eucharist Is
Wine
It remains for us to treat of the other
matter and element of this Sacrament, which is wine pressed from the fruit of
the vine, with which is mingled a little water.
That in the institution of this Sacrament our
Lord and Saviour made use of wine has beep at all times the doctrine of the
Catholic Church, for He Himself said: I will not drink from henceforth of this
fruit of the vine until that day. On this passage Chrysostom observes: He says,
"Of the fruit of the vine," which certainly produced wine not water;
as if he had it in view, even at so early a period, to uproot the heresy which
asserted that in these mysteries water alone is to be used.
Water Should
Be Mixed With The Wine
With the wine, however, the Church of God has
always mingled water. First, because Christ the Lord did so, as is proved by
the authority of Councils and the testimony of St. Cyprian; next, because by
this mixture is renewed the recollection of the blood and water that issued
from His side. Waters, also, as we read in the Apocalypse, signify the people;
and hence, water mixed with the wine signifies the union of the faithful with
Christ their Head. This rite, derived as it is from Apostolic tradition, the
Catholic Church has always observed.
But although there are reasons so grave for
mingling water with the wine that it cannot be omitted without incurring the
guilt of mortal sin, yet its omission does not render the Sacrament null.
Again as in the sacred mysteries priests must
be mindful to mingle water with wine, so, also, must they take care to mingle
it in small quantity, for, in the opinion and judgment of ecclesiastical
writers, that water is changed into wine. Hence these words of Pope Honorius on
the subject: A pernicious abuse has prevailed in your district of using in the
sacrifice a greater quantity of water than of wine; whereas, according to the
rational practice of the universal Church, the wine should be used in much
greater quantity than the water.
No Other Elements Pertain To This
Sacrament
These, then, are the only two elements of
this Sacrament; and with reason has it been enacted by many decrees that,
although there have been those who were not afraid to do so, it is unlawful to
offer anything but bread and wine.
Peculiar Fitness Of Bread And Wine
We have now to consider the aptitude of these
two symbols of bread and wine to represent those things of which we believe and
confess they are the sensible signs.
In the first place, then, they signify to us
Christ, as the true life of men; for our Lord Himself says: My flesh is meat
indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. As, then, the body of Christ the Lord
furnishes nourishment unto eternal life to those who receive this Sacrament
with purity and holiness, rightly is the matter composed chiefly of those
elements by which our present life is sustained, in order that the faithful may
easily understand that the mind and soul are satiated by the Communion of the
precious body and blood of Christ.
These very elements serve also somewhat to
suggest to men the truth of the Real Presence of the body and blood of the Lord
in the Sacrament. Observing, as we do, that bread and wine are every day
changed by the power of nature into human flesh and blood, we are led the more
easily by this analogy to believe that the substance of the bread and wine is
changed, by the heavenly benediction, into the real flesh and real blood of
Christ.
This admirable change of the elements also
helps to shadow forth what takes place in the soul. Although no change of the
bread and wine appears externally, yet their substance is truly changed into
the flesh and blood of Christ; so, in like manner, although in us nothing
appears changed, yet we are renewed inwardly unto life, when we receive in the
Sacrament of the Eucharist the true life.
Moreover, the body of the Church, which is
one, consists of many members, and of this union nothing is more strikingly
illustrative than the elements of bread and wine; for bread is made from many
grains and wine is pressed from many clusters of grapes. Thus they signify that
we, though many, are most closely bound together by the bond of this divine
mystery and made, as it were, one body.
Form Of The Eucharist
The form to be used in the consecration of
the bread is next to be treated of, not, however, in order that the faithful
should be taught these mysteries, unless necessity require it; for this
knowledge is not needful for those who have not received Holy Orders. The
purpose (of this section) is to guard against most shameful mistakes on the
part of priests, at the time of the consecration, due to ignorance of the form.
Form To Be Used In The Consecration Of The
Bread
We are then taught by the holy Evangelists,
Matthew and Luke, and also by the Apostle, that the form consists of these
words: This is my body; for it is written: Whilst they were at supper, Jesus
took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to his disciples, and said:
Take and eat, This is my body.
This form of consecration having been
observed by Christ the Lord has been always used by the Catholic Church. The
testimonies of the Fathers, the enumeration of which would be endless, and also
the decree of the Council of Florence, which is well known and accessible to
all, must here be omitted, especially as the knowledge which they convey may be
obtained from these words of the Saviour: Do this for a commemoration of me.
For what the Lord enjoined was not only what He had done, but also what he had
said; and especially is this true, since the words were uttered not only to
signify, but also to accomplish.
That these words constitute the form is
easily proved from reason also. The form is that which signifies what is
accomplished in this Sacrament; but as the preceding words signify and declare
what takes place in the Eucharist, that is, the conversion of the bread into
the true body of our Lord, it therefore follows that these very words
constitute the form. In this sense may be understood the words of the
Evangelist: He blessed; for they seem equivalent to this: Taking bread, he
blessed it, saying: "This is my body".
Not All The
Words Used Are Essential
Although in the Evangelist the words, Take
and eat, precede the words (This is my body), they evidently express the use
only, not the consecration, of the matter. Wherefore, while they are not
necessary to the consecration of the Sacrament, they are by all means to be
pronounced by the priest, as is also the conjunction for in the consecration of
the body and blood. But they are not necessary to the validity of the
Sacrament, otherwise it would follow that, if this Sacrament were not to be
administered to anyone, it should not, or indeed could not, be consecrated;
whereas, no one can lawfully doubt that the priest, by pronouncing the words of
our Lord according to the institution and practice of the Church, truly
consecrates the proper matter of the bread, even though it should afterwards
never be administered.
Form To Be Used In The Consecration Of The
Wine
With regard lo the consecration of the wine,
which is the other element of this Sacrament, the priest, for the reason we
have already assigned, ought of necessity to be well acquainted with, and well
understand its form. We are then firmly to believe that it consists in the following
words: This is the chalice of my blood, of the new and eternal testament, the
mystery of faith, which shall be shed for you and for many, to the remission of
sins. Of these words the greater part are taken from Scripture; but some have
been preserved in the Church from Apostolic tradition.
Thus the words, this is the chalice, are
found in St. Luke and in the Apostle; but the words that immediately follow, of
my blood, or my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for you and for
many to the remission of sins, are found partly in St. Luke and partly in St.
Matthew. But the words, eternal, and the mystery of faith, have been taught us
by holy tradition, the interpreter and keeper of Catholic truth.
Concerning this form no one can doubt, if he here
also attend to what has been already said about the form used in the
consecration of the bread. The form to be used (in the consecration) of this
element, evidently consists of those words which signify that the substance of
the wine is changed into the blood of our Lord. since, therefore, the words
already cited clearly declare this, it is plain that no other words constitute
the form.
They moreover express certain admirable
fruits of the blood shed in the Passion of our Lord, fruits which pertain in a
most special manner to this Sacrament. Of these, one is access to the eternal
inheritance, which has come to us by right of the new and everlasting
testament. Another is access to righteousness by the mystery of faith; for God
hath set forth Jesus to be a propitiator through faith in his blood, that he
himself may be just, and the justifier of him, who is of the faith of Jesus.
Christ. A third effect is the remission of sins.
Explanation
Of The Form Used In The Consecration Of The Wine
Since these very words of consecration are
replete with mysteries and most appropriately suitable to the subject, they
demand a more minute consideration.
The words: This is the chalice of my blood,
are to be understood to mean: This is my blood, which is contained in this
chalice. The mention of the chalice made at the consecration of the blood is
right and appropriate, inasmuch as the blood is the drink of the faithful, and
this would not be sufficiently signified if it were not contained in some
drinking vessel.
Next follow the words: Of the new testament.
These have been added that we might understand the blood of Christ the Lord to
be given not under a figure, as was done in the Old Law, of which we read in
the Epistle to the Hebrews that without blood a testament is not dedicated; but
to be given to men in truth and in reality, as becomes the New Testament. Hence
the Apostle says: Christ therefore is the mediator of the new testament, that
by means of his death, they who are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
The word eternal refers to the eternal
inheritance, the right to which we acquire by the death of Christ the Lord, the
eternal testator.
The words mystery of faith, which are
subjoined, do not exclude the reality, but signify that what lies hidden and
concealed and far removed from the perception of the eye, is to be believed
with firm faith. In this passage, however, these words bear a meaning different
from that which they have when applied also to Baptism. Here the mystery of
faith consists in seeing by faith the blood of Christ veiled under the species
of wine; but Baptism is justly called by us the Sacrament of faith, by the
Greeks, the mystery of faith, because it embraces the entire profession of the
Christian faith.
Another reason why we call the blood of the
Lord the mystery of faith is that human reason is particularly beset with
difficulty and embarrassment when faith proposes to our belief that Christ the
Lord, the true Son of God, at once God and man, suffered death for us, and this
death is designated by the Sacrament of His blood.
Here, therefore, rather than at the
consecration of His body, is appropriately commemorated the Passion of our
Lord, by the words. which shall be shed for the remission of sins. For the
blood, separately consecrated, serves to place before the eyes of all, in a
more forcible manner, the Passion of our Lord, His death, and the nature of His
sufferings.
The additional words for you and for many,
are taken, some from Matthew, some from Luke, but were joined together by the
Catholic Church under the guidance of the Spirit of God. They serve to declare
the fruit and advantage of His Passion. For if we look to its value, we must
confess that the Redeemer shed His blood for the salvation of all; but if we
look to the fruit which mankind have received from it, we shall easily find
that it pertains not unto all, but to many of the human race. When therefore
('our Lord) said: For you, He meant either those who were present, or those
chosen from among the Jewish people, such as were, with the exception of Judas,
the disciples with whom He was speaking. When He added, And for many, He wished
to be understood to mean the remainder of the elect from among the Jews or
Gentiles.
With reason, therefore, were the words for
all not used, as in this place the fruits of the Passion are alone spoken of,
and to the elect only did His Passion bring the fruit of salvation. And this is
the purport of the Apostle when he says: Christ was offered once to exhaust the
sins of many; and also of the words of our Lord in John: I pray for them; I
pray not for the world, but for them whom thou hast given me, because they are
thine.
Beneath the words of this consecration lie
hid many other mysteries, which by frequent meditation and study of sacred things,
pastors will find it easy, with the divine assistance, to discover for
themselves.
Three Mysteries Of The Eucharist
We must now return to an explanation of those
truths concerning the Eucharist about which the faithful are on no account to
be left in ignorance. Pastors, aware of the warning of the Apostle that those
who discern not the body of the Lord are guilty of a most grave crime, should
first of all impress on the minds of the faithful the necessity of detaching,
as much as possible, their mind and understanding from the dominion of the
senses; for if they believe that this Sacrament contains only what the senses
disclose, they will of necessity fall into enormous impiety. Consulting the
sight, the touch, the smell, the taste and finding nothing but the appearances
of bread and wine, they will naturally judge that this Sacrament contains
nothing more than bread and wine. Their minds, therefore, are as much as
possible to be withdrawn from subjection to the senses and excited to the
contemplation of the stupendous might and power of God.
The Catholic Church firmly believes and
professes that in this Sacrament the words of consecration accomplish three
wondrous and admirable effects.
The first is that the true body of Christ the
Lord, the same that was born of the Virgin, and is now seated at the right hand
of the Father in heaven, is contained in this Sacrament.
The second, however repugnant it may appear
to the senses, is that none of the substance of the elements remains in the
Sacrament.
The third, which may be deduced from the two
preceding. although the words of consecration themselves clearly express it, is
that the accidents which present themselves to the eyes or other senses exist
in a wonderful and ineffable manner without a subject. All the accidents of
bread and wine we can see, but they inhere in no substance, and exist
independently of any; for the substance of the bread and wine is so changed
into the body and blood of our Lord that they altogether cease to be the
substance of bread and wine.
The Mystery of the Real Presence
To begin with the first (of these mysteries),
pastors should give their best attention to show how clear and explicit are the
words of our Saviour which establish the Real Presence of His body in this
Sacrament.
Proof From Scripture
When our Lord says: This is my body, this is
my blood, no person of sound mind can mistake His meaning, particularly since
there is reference to Christ's human nature, the reality of which the Catholic
faith permits no one to doubt. The admirable words of St. Hilary, a man not
less eminent for piety than learning, are apt here: When our Lord himself
declares, as our faith teaches us, that His flesh is food indeed, what room can
remain for doubt concerning the real presence of His body and blood?
Pastors should also adduce another passage
from which it can be clearly seen that the true body and blood of our Lord are
contained in the Eucharist. The Apostle, after having recorded the consecration
of bread and wine by our Lord, and also the administration of Communion to the
Apostles, adds: But let a man prove himself, and so eat of that bread and drink
of the chalice; for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh
judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. If, as heretics
continually repeat, the Sacrament presents nothing to our veneration but a
memorial and sign of the Passion of Christ, why was there need to exhort the
faithful, in language so energetic, to prove themselves? By the terrible word
judgment, the Apostle shows how enormous is the guilt of those who receive
unworthily and do not distinguish from common food the body of the Lord
concealed in the Eucharist. In the same Epistle St. Paul had already developed
this doctrine more fully, when he said: The chalice of benediction which we
bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? and the bread which we
break, is it not the participation of the body of the Lord ? Now these words signify
the real substance of the body and blood of Christ the Lord.
Proof From The Teaching Of The Church
These passages of Scripture are therefore to
be expounded by pastors; and they should especially teach that there is nothing
doubtful or uncertain about them. All the more certain are they since the
infallible teaching of God's Church has interpreted them, as may be ascertained
in a twofold manner.
Testimony Of The Fathers
The first is by consulting the Fathers who
flourished in the early ages of the Church and in each succeeding century, who
are the most unexceptionable witnesses of her doctrine. All of these teach in
the clearest terms and with the most entire unanimity the truth of this dogma.
To adduce the individual testimony of each Father would prove an endless task.
It is enough, therefore, that we cite, or rather point out a few, whose
testimony will afford an easy criterion by which to judge of the rest.
Let St. Ambrose first declare his faith. In
his book On Those Who are Initiated Into the Mysteries he says that the true
body of Christ is received in this Sacrament, just as the true body of Christ
was derived from the Virgin, and that this truth is to be believed with the
firm certainty of faith. In another place he teaches that before consecration
there is only bread, but after consecration there is the flesh of Christ.
St. Chrysostom, another witness of equal
authority and gravity, professes and proclaims this mysterious truth in many
passages, but particularly in his sixtieth homily, On Those Who Receive The
Sacred Mysteries Unworthily; and also in his forty-fourth and forty-fifth
homilies on St. John. Let us, he says, obey, not contradict God, although what
He says may seem contrary to our reason and our sight. His words cannot
deceive, our senses are easily deceived.
With this doctrine fully agrees the uniform
teaching of St. Augustine, that most zealous defender of Catholic faith,
particularly when in his explanation of the thirty-third Psalm he says: To
carry himself in his own hands is impossible to man, and peculiar to Christ
alone; He was carried in His own hands when, giving His body to be eaten, He
said, This is my body.
To pass by Justin and Irenaeus, St. Cyril, in
his fourth book on St. John, declares in such express terms that the true body
of our Lord is contained in this Sacrament, that no sophistry, no captious
interpretations can obscure his meaning.
Should pastors wish for additional
testimonies of the Fathers, they will find it easy to add St. Denis,- St.
Hilary, St. Jerome, St. Damascene and a host of others, whose weighty teaching
on this most important subject has been collected by the labor and industry of
learned and pious men.
Teaching Of The Councils
Another means of ascertaining the belief of
the holy Church on matters of faith is the condemnation of the contrary
doctrine and opinion. It is manifest that belief in the Real Presence of the
body of Christ in the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist was so spread and taught
throughout the universal Church and unanimously professed by all the faithful,
that when, five centuries ago, Berengarius presumed to deny this dogma,
asserting that the Eucharist was only a sign, he was unanimously condemned in
the Council of Vercelli, which Leo IX had immediately convoked, whereupon he himself
anathematised his error.
Relapsing, however, into the same wicked
folly, he was condemned by three different Councils, convened, one at Tours,
the other two at Rome; of the two latter, one was summoned by Pope Nicholas II,
the other by Pope Gregory VIII.' The General Council of Lateran, held under
Innocent III, further ratified the sentence. Finally this truth was more
clearly defined and established in the Councils of Florence and Trent.
Two Great Benefits Of Proving The Real
Presence
If, then, pastors will carefully explain
these particulars, they will be able, while ignoring those who are blinded by
error and hate nothing more than the light of truth, to strengthen the weak and
administer joy and consolation to the pious, all the more as the faithful
cannot doubt that this dogma is numbered among the Articles of faith.
Faith Is Strengthened
Believing and confessing, as they do, that
the power of God is supreme over all things, they must also believe that His
omnipotence can accomplish the great work which we admire and adore in the
Sacrament of the Eucharist. And again since they believe the Holy Catholic
Church, they must necessarily believe that the true doctrine of this Sacrament
is that which we have set forth.
The Soul Is Gladdened
Nothing contributes more to the spiritual joy
and advantage of pious persons than the contemplation of the exalted dignity of
this most august Sacrament. In the first place they learn how great is the
perfection of the Gospel Dispensation, under which we enjoy the reality of that
which under the Mosaic Law was only shadowed forth by types and figures. Hence
St. Denis divinely says that our Church is midway between the Synagogue and the
heavenly Jerusalem, and consequently participates of the nature of both.
Certainly, then, the faithful can never sufficiently admire the perfection of
holy Church and her exalted glory which seems to be removed only by one degree
from the bliss of heaven. In common with the inhabitants of heaven, we too
possess Christ, God and man, present with us. They are raised a degree above
us, inasmuch as they are present with Christ and enjoy the Beatific Vision;
while we, with a firm and unwavering faith, adore the Divine Majesty present
with us, not, it is true, in a manner visible to mortal eye, but hidden by a
miracle of power under the veil of the sacred mysteries.
Furthermore the faithful experience in this
Sacrament the most perfect love of Christ our Saviour. It became the goodness
of the Saviour not to withdraw from us that nature which He assumed from us,
but to desire, as far as possible, to remain among us so that at all times He
might be seen to verify the words: My delight is to be with the children of
men.
Meaning of the Real Presence
Christ Whole
And Entire Is Present In The Eucharist
Here the pastor should explain that in this
Sacrament are contained not only the true body of. Christ and all the
constituents of a true body, such as bones and sinews, but also Christ whole
and entire. He should point out that the word Christ designates the God-man,
that is to say, one Person in whom are united the divine and human natures;
that the Holy Eucharist, therefore, contains both, and whatever is included in
the idea of both, the Divinity and humanity whole and entire, consisting of the
soul, all the parts of the body and the blood,- all of which must be believed
to be in this Sacrament. In heaven the whole humanity is united to the Divinity
in one hypostasis, or Person; hence it would be impious, to suppose that the
body of Christ, which is contained in the Sacrament, is separated from His
Divinity.
Presence In
Virtue Of The Sacrament And In Virtue Of Concomitance
Pastors, however, should not fail to observe
that in this Sacrament not all these things are contained after the same
manner, or by the same power. Some things, we say, are present in virtue of the
consecration; for as the words of consecration effect what they signify, sacred
writers usually say that whatever the form expresses, is contained in the
Sacrament by virtue of the Sacrament. Hence, could we suppose any one thing to
be entirely separated from the rest, the Sacrament, they teach, would be found
to contain solely what the form expresses and nothing more.
On the other hand, some things are contained
in the Sacrament because they are united to those which are expressed in the
form. For instance, the words This is my body, which comprise the form used to
consecrate the bread, signify the body of the Lord, and hence the body itself
of Christ the Lord is contained in the Eucharist by virtue of the Sacrament.
Since, however, to Christ's body are united His blood, His soul, and His
Divinity, all of these also must be found to coexist in the Sacrament; not,
however, by virtue of the consecration, but by virtue of the union that
subsists between them and His body. All these are said to be in the Eucharist
by virtue of concomitance. Hence it is clear that Christ, whole and entire, is
contained in the Sacrament; for when two things are actually united, where one
is, the other must also be.
Christ Whole
And Entire Present Under Each Species
Hence it also follows that Christ is so
contained, whole and entire, under either species, that, as under the species
of bread are contained not only the body, but also the blood and Christ entire;
so in like manner, under the species of wine are truly contained not only the
blood, but also the body and Christ entire.
But although these are matters on which the
faithful cannot entertain a doubt, it was nevertheless wisely ordained that two
distinct consecrations should take place. First, because they represent in a
more lively manner the Passion of our Lord, in -which His blood was separated from
His body; and hence in the form of consecration we commemorate the shedding of
His blood. Secondly, since the Sacrament is to be used by us as the food and
nourishment of our souls, it was most appropriate that it should be instituted
as food and drink, two things which obviously constitute the complete
sustenance of the (human) body.
Christ Whole
And Entire Present In Every Part Of Each Species
Nor should it be forgotten that Christ, whole
and entire, is contained not only under either species, but also in each
particle of either species. Each, says St. Augustine, receives Christ the Lord,
and He is entire in each portion. He is not diminished by being given to many,
but gives Himself whole and entire to each.
This is also an obvious inference from the narrative
of the Evangelists. It is not to be supposed that our Lord consecrated the
bread used at the Last Supper in separate parts, applying the form particularly
to each, but that all the bread then used for the sacred mysteries was
consecrated at the same time and with the same form, and in a quantity
sufficient for all the Apostles. That the consecration of the chalice was
performed in this manner, is clear from these words of the Saviour: Take and
divide it among you.
What has hitherto been said is intended to
enable pastors to show that the true body and blood of Christ are contained in
the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
The Mystery of Transubstantiation
The next point to be explained is that the
substance of the bread and wine does not continue to exist in the Sacrament
after consecration. This truth, although well calculated to excite our profound
admiration, is yet a necessary consequence from what has been already
established.
Proof From The Dogma Of The Real Presence
If, after consecration, the true body of
Christ is present under the species of bread and wine, since it was not there
before, it must have become present either by change of place, or by creation,
or by the change of some other thing into it. It cannot be rendered present by
change of place, because it would then cease to be in heaven; for whatever is
moved must necessarily cease to occupy the place from which it is moved. Still
less can we suppose the body of Christ to be rendered present by creation; nay,
the very idea is inconceivable. In order that the body of our Lord be present
in the Sacrament, it remains, therefore, that it be rendered present by the
change of the bread into it. Wherefore it is necessary that none of the
substance of the bread remain.
Proof From The Councils
Hence our predecessors in the faith, the
Fathers of the General Councils of Lateran and of Florence, confirmed by solemn
decrees the truth of this dogma. In the Council of Trent it was still more
fully defined in these words: If any one shall say that in the most Holy
Sacrament of the Eucharist the substance of the bread and wine remains,
together with the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, let hint be
anathema.
Proof From Scripture
The doctrine thus defined is a natural
inference from the words of Scripture. When instituting this Sacrament, our
Lord Himself said: This is my body. The word this expresses the entire
substance of the thing present; and therefore if the substance of the bread
remained, our Lord could not have truly said: This is my body.
In St. John Christ the Lord also says: The
bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world. The bread which
He promises to give, He here declares to be His flesh. A little after He adds:
Unless you eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not
have life in you. And again: My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink
indeed. Since, therefore, in terms so clear and so explicit, He calls His flesh
bread and meat indeed, and His blood drink indeed, He gives us sufficiently to
understand that none of the substance of the bread and wine remains in the
Sacrament.
Proof From The Fathers
Whoever turns over the pages of the holy
Fathers will easily perceive that on this doctrine (of transubstantiation) they
have been at all times unanimous. St. Ambrose says: You say, perhaps,
"this bread is no other than what is used for common food." True,
before consecration it is bread; but no sooner are the words of consecration
pronounced than from bread it becomes the flesh of Christ. To prove this
position more clearly, he elucidates it by a variety of comparisons and
examples. In another place, when explaining these words of the Psalmist,
Whatsoever the Lord pleased he hath done in heaven and on earth, St. Ambrose
says: Although the species of bread and wine are visible, yet we must believe
that after consecration, the body and blood of Christ are alone there.
Explaining the same doctrine almost in the same words, St. Hilary says that
although externally it appear bread and wine, yet in reality it is the body and
blood of the Lord.
Why The Eucharist Is Called Bread After
Consecration
Here pastors should observe that we should
not at all be surprised, if, even after consecration, the Eucharist is
sometimes called bread. It is so called, first because it retains the
appearance of bread, and secondly because it keeps the natural quality of
bread, which is to support and nourish the body.
Moreover, such phraseology is in perfect
accordance with the usage of the Holy Scriptures, which call things by what
they appear to be, as may be seen from the words of Genesis which say that
Abraham saw three men, when in reality he saw three Angels. In like manner the
two Angels who appeared to the Apostles after the Ascension of Christ the Lord
into heaven, are called not Angels, but men.
The Meaning of Transubstantiation
To explain this mystery is extremely
difficult. The pastor, however, should endeavour to instruct those who are more
advanced in the knowledge of divine things on the manner of this admirable
change. As for those who are yet weak in faith, they might possibly be
overwhelmed by its greatness.
Transubstantiation
A Total Conversion
This conversion, then, is so effected that
the whole substance of the bread is changed by the power of God into the whole
substance of the body of Christ, and the whole substance of the wine into the
whole substance of His blood, and this, without any change in our Lord Himself.
He is neither begotten, nor changed, not increased, but remains entire in His
substance.
This sublime mystery St. Ambrose thus
declares: You see how efficacious are the words of Christ. If the word of the
Lord Jesus is so powerful as to summon into existence that which did not exist,
namely the world, how much more powerful is His word to change into something
else that which already has existence ?
Many other ancient and most authoritative
Fathers have written to the same effect. We faithfully confess, says St.
Augustine, that before consecration it is bread and wine, the product of
nature; but after consecration it is the body and blood of Christ, consecrated
by the blessing. The body, says Damascene, is truly united to the Divinity,
that body which was derived from the virgin; not that the body thus derived descends
from heaven, but that the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of
Christ.
This admirable change, as the Council of
Trent teaches, the Holy Catholic Church most appropriately expresses by the
word transubstantiation. Since natural changes are rightly called
transformations, because they involve a change of form; so likewise our
predecessors in the faith wisely and appropriately introduced the term
transubstantiation, in order to signify that in the Sacrament of the Eucharist
the whole substance of one thing passes into the whole substance of another.
According to the admonition so frequently
repeated by the holy Fathers, the faithful are to be admonished against curious
searching into the manner in which this change is effected. It defies the
powers of conception; nor can we find any example of it in natural
transmutations, or even in the very work of creation. That such a change takes
place must be recognised by faith; how it takes place we must not curiously
inquire.
No less of caution should be observed by
pastors in explaining the mysterious manner in which the body of our Lord is
contained whole and entire under the least particle of the bread. Indeed,
discussions of this kind should scarcely ever be entered upon. Should Christian
charity, however, require a departure from this rule, the pastor should
remember first of all to prepare and fortify his hearers by reminding them that
no word shall be impossible with God.
A Consequence
Of Transubstantiation
The pastor should next teach that our Lord is
not in the Sacrament as in a place. Place regards things only inasmuch as they
have magnitude. Now we do not say that Christ is in the Sacrament inasmuch as
He is great or small, terms which belong to quantity, but inasmuch as He is a
substance. The substance of the bread is changed into the substance of Christ,
not into magnitude or quantity; and substance, it will be acknowledged by all,
is contained in a small as well as in a large space. The substance of air, for
instance, and its entire nature must be present under a small as well as a
large quantity, and likewise the entire nature of water must be present no less
in a glass than in a river. Since, then, the body of our Lord succeeds to the
substance of the bread, we must confess it to be in the Sacrament after the
same manner as the substance of the bread was before consecration; whether the
substance of the bread was present in greater or less quantity is a matter of
entire indifference.
The Mystery of the Accidents without a
Subject
We now come to the third great and wondrous
effect of this Sacrament, namely, the existence of the species of bread and
wine without a subject.
Proof From The Preceding Dogmas
What has been said in explanation of the two
preceding points must facilitate for pastors the exposition of this truth. For,
since we have already proved that the body and blood of our Lord are really and
truly contained in the Sacrament, to the entire exclusion of the substance of
the bread and wine, and since the accidents of bread and wine cannot inhere in
the body and blood of Christ, it remains that, contrary to physical laws, they
must subsist of themselves, inhering in no subject.
Proof From The Teaching Of The Church
This has been at all times the uniform
doctrine of the Catholic Church; and it can be easily established by the same
authorities which, as we have already proved, make it plain that the substance
of the bread and wine ceases to exist in the Eucharist.
Advantages Of This Mystery
Nothing more becomes the piety of the
faithful than, omitting all curious questionings, to revere and adore the
majesty of this august Sacrament, and to recognise the wisdom of God in
commanding that these holy mysteries should be administered under the species
of bread and wine. For since it is most revolting to human nature to eat human
flesh or drink human blood, therefore God in His infinite wisdom has
established the administration of the body and blood of Christ under the forms
of bread and wine, which are the ordinary and agreeable food of man.
There are two further advantages: first, it
prevents the calumnious reproaches of the unbeliever, from which the eating of
our Lord under His visible form could not easily be defended; secondly, the
receiving Him under a form in which He is impervious to the senses avails much
for increasing our faith. For faith, as the well known saying of St. Gregory
declares, has no merit in those things which fall under the proof of reason.
The doctrines treated above should be
explained with great caution, according to the capacity of the hearers and the
necessities of the times.
The Effects of the Eucharist
But with regard to the admirable virtue and
fruits of this Sacrament, there is no class of the faithful to whom a knowledge
of them is not most necessary. For all that has been said at such length on
this Sacrament has principally for its object, to make the faithful sensible of
the advantages of the Eucharist. As, however, no language can convey an
adequate idea of its utility and fruits, pastors must be content to treat of
one or two points, in order to show what an abundance and profusion of all
goods are contained in those sacred mysteries.
The Eucharist Contains Christ And Is The
Food Of The Soul
This they will in some degree accomplish, if,
having explained the efficacy and nature of all the Sacraments, they compare
the Eucharist to a fountain, the other Sacraments to rivulets. For the Holy
Eucharist is truly and necessarily to be called the fountain of all graces,
containing, as it does, after an admirable manner, the fountain itself of
celestial gifts and graces, and the author of all the Sacrament, Christ our
Lord, from whom, as from its source, is derived whatever of goodness and
perfection the other Sacraments possess. From this (comparison), therefore, we
may easily infer what most ample gifts of divine grace are bestowed on us by
this Sacrament.
It will also be useful to consider
attentively the nature of bread and wine, which are the symbols of this
Sacrament. For what bread and wine are to the body, the Eucharist is to the
health and delight of the soul, but in a higher and better way. This Sacrament
is not, like bread and wine, changed into our substance; but we are, in some
wise, changed into its nature, so that we may well apply here the words of St.
Augustine: I am the food of the frown. Grow and thou shalt eat Me; nor shalt
thou change Me into thee, as thy bodily food, but thou shalt be changed into
Me.
The Eucharist Gives Grace
If, then, grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ, they must surely be poured into the soul which receives with purity and
holiness Him who said of Himself: He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood
abideth in me and I in him. Those who receive this Sacrament piously and
fervently must, beyond all doubt, so receive the Son of God into their souls as
to be ingrafted as living members on His body. For it is written: He that
eateth me, the same also shall live by me; also: The bread which I will give is
my flesh for the life of the world. Explaining this passage, St. Cyril says:
The Word of God, uniting Himself to His own flesh, imparted to it a vivifying
power: it became Him, therefore, to unite Himself to our bodies in a wonderful
manner, through His sacred flesh and precious blood, which we receive in the
bread and wine, consecrated by His vivifying benediction.
The Grace Of The Eucharist Sustains
When it is said that the Eucharist imparts
grace, pastors must admonish that this does not mean that the state of grace is
not required for a profitable reception of this Sacrament. For as natural food
can be of no use to the dead, so in like manner the sacred mysteries can
evidently be of no avail to a soul which lives not by the spirit. Hence this
Sacrament has been instituted under the forms of bread and wine to signify that
the object of its institution is not to recall the soul to life, but to
preserve its life.
The reason, then, for saying that this
Sacrament imparts grace, is that even the first grace, with which all should be
clothed before they presume to approach the Holy Eucharist, lest they eat and
drink judgment to themselves,' is given to none unless they receive in wish and
desire this very Sacrament. For the Eucharist is the end of all the Sacraments,
and the symbol of unity and brotherhood in the Church, outside which none can
attain grace.
The Grace Of The Eucharist Invigorates And
Delights
Again, just as the body is not only supported
but also increased by natural food, from which the taste every day derives new
relish and pleasure; so also is the soul not only sustained but invigorated by
feasting on the food of the Eucharist, which gives to the spirit an increasing
zest for heavenly things. Most truly and fitly therefore do we say that grace
is imparted by this Sacrament, for it may be justly compared to the manna
having in it the sweetness of every taste.
The Eucharist Remits Venial Sins
It cannot be doubted that by the Eucharist
are remitted and pardoned lighter sins, commonly called venial. Whatever the
soul has lost through the fire of passion, by falling into some slight offence,
all this the Eucharist, cancelling those lesser faults, repairs, in the same
way -- not to depart from the illustration already adduced -- as natural food
gradually restores and repairs the daily waste caused by the force of the vital
heat within us. Justly, therefore, has St. Ambrose said of this heavenly
Sacrament: That daily bread is taken as a remedy for daily infirmity. But these
things are to be understood of those sins for which no actual affection is retained.
The Eucharist Strengthens Against
Temptation
There is, furthermore, such a power in the
sacred mysteries as to preserve us pure and unsullied from sin, keep us safe
from the assaults of temptation, and, as by some heavenly medicine, prepare the
soul against the easy approach and infection of virulent and deadly disease.
Hence, as St. Cyprian records, when the faithful were formerly hurried in
multitudes by tyrants to torments and death, because they confessed the name of
Christ, it was an ancient usage in the Catholic Church to give them, by the
hands of the Bishop, the Sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord, lest
perhaps overcome by the severity of their sufferings, they should fail in the
fight for salvation.
It also restrains and represses the lusts of
the flesh, for while it inflames the soul more ardently with the fire of
charity, it of necessity extinguishes the ardour of concupiscence.
The Eucharist Facilitates The Attainment
Of Eternal Life
Finally, to comprise all the advantages and
blessings of this Sacrament in one word, it must be taught that the Holy
Eucharist is most efficacious towards the attainment of eternal glory. For it
is written: He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting
life, and I will raise him up on the last day. That is to say, by the grace of
this Sacrament men enjoy the greatest peace and tranquillity of conscience
during the present life; and, when the hour of departing from this world shall
have arrived, like Elias, who in the strength of the bread baked on the hearth,
walked to Horeb, the mount of God, they, too, invigorated by the strengthening
influence of this (heavenly food), will ascend to unfading glory and bliss.
How The Effects Of The Eucharist May Be
Developed And Illustrated
All these matters will be most fully
expounded by pastors, if they but dwell or. the sixth chapter of St. John, in
which are developed the manifold effects of this Sacrament. Or again, glancing
at the admirable actions of Christ our Lord, they may show that if those who
received Him beneath their roof during His mortal life, or were restored to
health by touching His vesture or the hem of His garment, were justly and
deservedly deemed most blessed, how much more fortunate and happy we, into
whose soul, resplendent as He is with unfading glory, He disdains not to enter,
to heal all its wounds, to adorn it with His choicest gifts, and unite it to
Himself.
Recipient of the Eucharist
Threefold Manner Of Communicating
That the faithful may learn to be zealous for
the better gifts, they must be shown who can obtain these abundant fruits from
the Holy Eucharist, must be reminded that there is not only one way of
communicating. Wisely and rightly, then, did our predecessors in the faith, as
we read in the Council of Trent, distinguish three ways of receiving this
Sacrament.
Some receive it sacramentally only. Such are
those sinners who do not fear to approach the holy mysteries with polluted lips
and heart, who, as the Apostle says, eat and drink the Lord's body unworthily.
Of this class of communicants St. Augustine says: He who dwells not in Christ,
and in whom Christ dwells not, most certainly does not eat spiritually His
flesh, although carnally and visibly he press with his teeth the Sacrament of
His flesh and blood. Those, therefore, who receive the sacred mysteries with
such a disposition, not only obtain no fruit therefrom, but, as the Apostle
himself testifies, eat and drink judgment to themselves.
Others are said to receive the Eucharist in
spirit only. They are those who, inflamed with a lively faith which worketh by
charity,' partake in wish and desire of that celestial bread offered to them,
from which they receive, if not the entire, at least very great fruits.
Lastly, there are some who receive the Holy
Eucharist both sacramentally and spiritually, those who, according to the
teaching of the Apostle, having first proved themselves and having approached
this divine banquet adorned with the nuptial garment, derive from the Eucharist
those most abundant fruits which we have already described. Hence it is clear
that those who, having it in their power to receive with fitting preparation
the Sacrament of the body of the Lord, are yet satisfied with a spiritual
Communion only, deprive themselves of the greatest and most heavenly
advantages.
Necessity Of Previous Preparation For
Communion
We now come to point out the manner in which
the faithful should be previously prepared for sacramental Communion. To
demonstrate the great necessity of this previous preparation, the example of
the Saviour should be adduced. Before He gave to His Apostles the Sacrament of
His precious body and blood, although they were already clean, He washed their
feet to show that we must use extreme diligence before Holy Communion in order
to approach it with the greatest purity and innocence of soul.
In the next place, the faithful are to
understand that as he who approaches thus prepared and disposed is adorned with
the most ample gifts of heavenly grace; so, on the contrary, he who approaches without
this preparation not only derives from it no advantage, but even incurs the
greatest misfortune and loss. It is characteristic of the best and most
salutary things that, if seasonably made use of, they are productive of the
greatest benefit; but if employed out of time, they prove most pernicious and
destructive. It cannot, therefore, excite out surprise that the great and
exalted gifts of God; when received into a soul properly disposed, are of the
greatest assistance towards the attainment of salvation; while to those who
receive them unworthily, they bring with them eternal death.
Of this the Ark of the Lord affords a
convincing illustration. The people of Israel possessed nothing more precious
and it was to them the source of innumerable blessings from God; but when the
Philistines carried it away, it brought on them a most destructive plague and
the heaviest calamities, together with eternal disgrace. Thus also food when
received from the mouth into a healthy stomach nourishes and supports the body;
but when received into an indisposed stomach, causes grave disorders.
Preparation Of Soul
The first preparation, then, which the
faithful should make, is to distinguish table from table, this sacred table
from profane tables, this celestial bread from common bread. This we do when we
firmly believe that there is truly present the body and blood of the Lord, of
Him whom the Angels adore in heaven, at whose nod the pillars of heaven fear
and tremble, of whose glory the heavens and the earth are full. This is to
discern the body of the Lord in accordance with the admonition of the Apostle.
We should venerate the greatness of the mystery rather than too curiously
investigate its truth by idle inquiry.
Another very necessary preparation is to ask
ourselves if we are at peace with and sincerely love our neigh r. If,
therefore, thou offerest thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy
brother hath anything against thee, leave there thy offering before the altar,
and go first to be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming thou shalt offer
thy gift.
We should, in the next place, carefully
examine whether our consciences be defiled by mortal sin, which has to be
repented of, in order that it may be blotted out before Communion by the remedy
of contrition and confession. The Council of Trent has defined that no one
conscious of mortal sin and having an opportunity of going to confession,
however contrite he may deem himself, is to approach the Holy Eucharist until
he has been purified by sacramental confession.
We should also reflect in the silence of our
own hearts how unworthy we are that the Lord should bestow on us this divine
gift, and with the centurion of whom our Lord declared that he found not so
great faith in Israel, we should exclaim from our hearts: Lord, I am not worthy
that thou shouldst enter under my roof.
We should also put the question to ourselves
whether we can truly say with Peter: Lord, thou knowest that I love thee, and
should recollect that he who sat down at the banquet of the Lord without a
wedding garment was cast into a dark dungeon and condemned to eternal torments.
Preparation Of Body
Our preparation should not, however, be
confined to the soul; it should also extend to the body. We are to approach the
Holy Table fasting, having neither eaten nor drunk anything at least from the
preceding midnight until the moment of Communion.
The dignity of so great a Sacrament also
demands that married persons abstain from the marriage debt for some days
previous to Communion. This observance is recommended by the example of David,
who, when about to receive the show-bread from the hands of the priest,
declared that he and his servants had been clean from women for three days.
The above are the principal things to be done
by the faithful preparatory to receiving the sacred mysteries with profit; and
to these heads may be reduced whatever other things may seem desirable by way
of preparation.
The Obligation of Communion
How Often Must Communion Be Received?
Lest any be kept away from Communion by the
fear that the requisite preparation is too hard and laborious, the faithful are
frequently to be reminded that they are all bound to receive the Holy
Eucharist. Furthermore, the Church has decreed that whoever neglects to
approach Holy Communion once a year, at Easter, is liable to sentence of
excommunication.
The Church Desires The Faithful To
Communicate Daily
However, let not the faithful imagine that it
is enough to receive the body of the Lord once a year only, in obedience to the
decree of the Church. They should approach oftener; but whether monthly,
weekly, or daily, cannot be decided by any fixed universal rule. St. Augustine,
however, lays down a most certain norm: Live in such a manner as to be able to
receive every day.
It will therefore be the duty of the pastor
frequently to admonish the faithful that, as they deem it necessary to afford
daily nutriment to the body, they should also feel solicitous to feed and
nourish the soul every day with this heavenly food. It is clear that the soul
stands not less in need of spiritual, than the body of corporal food. Here it
will be found most useful to recall the inestimable and divine advantages
which, as we have already shown, flow from sacramental Communion. It will be
well also to refer to the manna, which was a figure (of this Sacrament), and
which refreshed the bodily powers every day. The Fathers who earnestly
recommended the frequent reception of this Sacrament may also be cited. The
words of St. Augustine, Thou sinnest daily, receive daily, express not his
opinion only, but that of all the Fathers who have written on the subject, as
anyone may easily discover who will carefully read them.
That there was a time when the faithful
approached Holy Communion every day we learn from the Acts of the Apostles. All
who then professed the faith of Christ burned with such true and sincere
charity that, devoting themselves to prayer and other works of piety, they were
found prepared to communicate daily. This devout practice, which seems to have
been interrupted for a time, was again partially revived by the holy Pope and
martyr Anacletus, who commanded that all the ministers who assisted at the
Sacrifice of the Mass should communicate-an ordinance, as the Pontiff declares,
of Apostolic institution. It was also for a long time the practice of the
Church that, as soon as the Sacrifice was complete, and when the priest himself
had communicated, he turned to the congregation and invited the faithful to the
Holy Table in these words: Come, brethren, and receive Communion; and thereupon
those who were prepared, advanced to receive the holy mysteries with the most
fervent devotion.
The Church Commands; The Faithful To
Communicate Once A Year
But subsequently, when charity and devotion
had grown so cold that the faithful very seldom approached Communion, it was
decreed by Pope Fabian, that all should communicate thrice every year, at
Christmas, at Easter and at Pentecost. This decree was afterwards confirmed by
many Councils, particularly by the first of Agde.
Such at length was the decay of piety that
not only was this holy and salutary law unobserved, but Communion was deferred
for years. The Council of Lateran, therefore, decreed that all the faithful
should receive the sacred body of the Lord, at least once a year, at Easter,
and that neglect of this duty should be chastised by exclusion from the society
of the faithful.
Who Are Obliged By The Law Of Communion
But although this law, sanctioned by the
authority of God and of His Church, concerns all the faithful, it should be
taught that it does not extend to those who on account of their tender age have
not attained the use of reason. For these are not able to distinguish the Holy
Eucharist from common and ordinary bread and cannot bring with them to this
Sacrament piety and devotion. Furthermore (to extend the precept to them) would
appear inconsistent with the ordinance of our Lord, for He said: Take and eat -
words which cannot apply to infants, who are evidently incapable of taking and
eating.
In some places, it is true, an ancient
practice prevailed of giving the Holy Eucharist even to infants; but, for the
reasons already assigned, and for other reasons in keeping with Christian
piety, this practice has been long discontinued by authority of the Church.
With regard to the age at which children
should be given the holy mysteries, this the parents and confessor can best
determine. To them it belongs to inquire and to ascertain from the children
themselves whether they have some knowledge of this admirable Sacrament and
whether they desire to receive it.
Communion must not be given to persons who
are insane and incapable of devotion. However, according to the decree of the
Council of Carthage, it may be administered to them at the close of life,
provided they have shown, before losing their minds, a pious and religious
disposition, and no danger, arising from the state of the stomach or other
inconvenience or disrespect, is likely.
The Rite of Administering Communion
As to the rite to be observed in
communicating, pastors should teach that the law of the holy Church forbids
Communion under both kinds to anyone but the officiating priests, without the
authority of the Church itself.
Christ the Lord, it is true, as has been
explained by the Council of Trent, instituted and delivered to His Apostles at
His Last Supper this most sublime Sacrament under the species of bread and
wine; but it does not follow that by doing so our Lord and Saviour established
a law ordering its administration to all the faithful under both species. For
speaking of this Sacrament, He Himself frequently mentions it under one kind
only, as, for instance, when He says: If any man eat of this bread, he shall
live for ever, and: The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the
world, and: He that eateth this bread shall live for ever.
Why The Celebrant Alone Receives Under
Both Species
It is clear that the Church was influenced by
numerous and most cogent reasons, not only to approve, but also to confirm by
authority of its decree, the general practice of communicating under one
species. In the first place, the greatest caution was necessary to avoid
spilling the blood of the Lord on the ground, a thing that seemed not easily to
be avoided, if the chalice were administered in a large assemblage of the
people.
In the next place, whereas the Holy Eucharist
ought to be in readiness for the sick, it was very much to be apprehended, were
the species of wine to remain long unconsumed, that it might turn acid.
Besides, there are many who cannot at all
bear the taste or even the smell of wine. Lest, therefore, what is intended for
the spiritual health should prove hurtful to the health of the body, it has
been most prudently provided by the Church that it should be administered to
the people under the species of bread only.
We may also further observe that in many
countries wine is extremely scarce; nor can it, moreover, be brought from
elsewhere without incurring very heavy expenses and encountering very tedious
and difficult journeys.
Finally, a most important reason was the
necessity of opposing the heresy of those who denied that Christ, whole and
entire, is contained under either species, and asserted that the body is
contained under the species of bread without the blood, and the blood under the
species of wine without the body. In order, therefore, to place more clearly
before the eyes of all the truth of the Catholic faith, Communion under one
kind, that is, under the species of bread, was most wisely introduced.
There are also other reasons, collected by
those who have treated on this subject, and which, if it shall appear
necessary, can be brought forward by pastors.
The Minister of the Eucharist
To omit nothing doctrinal on this Sacrament,
we now come to speak of its minister, a point, however. on which scarcely
anyone can be ignorant.
Only Priests Have Power To Consecrate And
Administer The Eucharist
It must be taught, then, that to priests
alone has been given power to consecrate and administer to the faithful, the
Holy Eucharist. That this has been the unvarying practice of the Church, that
the faithful should receive the Sacrament from the priests, and that the
officiating priests should communicate themselves, has been explained by the
holy Council of Trent, which has also shown that this practice, as having
proceeded from Apostolic tradition, is to be religiously retained, particularly
as Christ the Lord has left us an illustrious example thereof, having
consecrated His own most sacred body, and given it to the Apostles with His own
hands.
The Laity Prohibited To Touch The Sacred
Vessels
To safeguard in every possible way the
dignity of so august a Sacrament, not only is the power of its administration
entrusted exclusively to priests, but the Church has also prohibited by law any
but consecrated persons, unless some case of great necessity intervene, to dare
handle or touch the sacred vessels, the linen, or other instruments necessary
to its completion.
Priests themselves and the rest of the
faithful may hence understand how great should be the piety and holiness of
those who approach to consecrate, administer or receive the Eucharist.
The Unworthiness Of The Minister Does Not
Invalidate The Sacrament
What, however, has been already said of the
other Sacraments, holds good also with regard to the Sacrament of the
Eucharist; namely, that a Sacrament is validly administered even by the wicked,
provided all the essentials have been duly observed. For we are to believe that
all these depend not on the merit of the minister, but are operated by the
virtue and power of Christ our Lord.
These are the things necessary to be
explained regarding the Eucharist as a Sacrament.
The Eucharist as a Sacrifice
We must now proceed to explain its nature as
a Sacrifice, that pastors may understand what are the principal instructions
which they ought to impart to the faithful on Sundays and holy days, regarding
this mystery in conformity with the decree of the holy Council (of Trent).
Importance Of Instruction On The Mass
This Sacrament is not only a treasure of
heavenly riches, which if turned to good account will obtain for us the grace
and love of God; but it also possesses a peculiar character, by which we are enabled
to make some return to God for the immense benefits bestowed upon us.
How grateful and acceptable to God is this
victim, if duly and legitimately immolated, is inferred from the following
consideration. Of the sacrifices of the Old Law it is written: Sacrifice and
oblation thou wouldst not; and again: If thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would
indeed have given it: with burnt-offerings thou wilt not be delighted. Now if
these were so pleasing in the Lord's sight that, as the Scripture testifies,
from them God smelled a sweet savour, that is to say, they were grateful and
acceptable to Him; what have we not to hope from that Sacrifice in which is
immolated and offered He Himself of whom a voice from heaven twice proclaimed:
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
This mystery, therefore, pastors should
carefully explain, so that when the faithful are assembled at the celebration
of divine service, they may learn to meditate with attention and devotion on
the sacred things at which they are present.
Distinction of Sacrament and Sacrifice
They should teach, then, in the first place,
that the Eucharist was instituted by Christ for two purposes: one, that it
might be the heavenly food of our souls, enabling us to support and preserve
spiritual life; and the other, that the Church might have a perpetual
Sacrifice, by which our sins might be expiated, and our heavenly Father,
oftentimes grievously offended by our crimes, might be turned away from wrath
to mercy, from the severity of just chastisement to clemency. Of this thing we
may observe a type and resemblance in the Paschal lamb, which was wont to be
offered and eaten by the children of Israel as a sacrament and a sacrifice.
Nor could our Saviour, when about to offer
Himself to God the Father on the altar of the cross, have given any more
illustrious indication of His unbounded love towards us than by bequeathing to
us a visible Sacrifice, by which that bloody Sacrifice, which was soon after to
be offered once on the cross, would be renewed, and its memory daily celebrated
with the greatest utility, unto the consummation of ages by the Church diffused
throughout the world.
But (between the Eucharist as a Sacrament and
a Sacrifice) the difference is very great; for as a Sacrament it is perfected
by consecration; as a Sacrifice, all its force consists in its oblation. When,
therefore, kept in a pyx, or borne to the sick, it is a Sacrament, not a
Sacrifice. As a Sacrament also, it is to them that receive it a source of
merit, and brings with it all those advantages which have been already
mentioned; but as a Sacrifice, it is not only a source of merit, but also of
satisfaction. For as, in His Passion, Christ the Lord merited and satisfied for
us; so also those who offer this Sacrifice, by which they communicate with us,
merit the fruit of His Passion, and satisfy.
The Mass Is a True Sacrifice
Proof From The Council Of Trent
With regard to the institution of this
Sacrifice, the holy Council of Trent has left no room for doubt, by declaring
that it was instituted by our Lord at His Last Supper; while it condemns under
anathema all those who assert that in it is not offered to God a true and
proper Sacrifice; or that to offer means nothing else than that Christ is given
as our spiritual food.
Nor did (the Council) omit carefully to
explain that to God alone is offered this Sacrifice. For although the Church
sometimes offers Masses in honour and in memory of the Saints, yet she teaches
that the Sacrifice is offered, not to them, but to God alone, who has crowned
the Saints with immortal glory. Hence the priest never says: I offer Sacrifice
to thee Peter, or to thee Paul; but, while he offers Sacrifice to God alone, he
renders Him thanks for the signal victory won by the blessed martyrs, and thus
implores their patronage, that they, whose memory we celebrate on earth, may
vouchsafe to intercede for us in heaven."
Proof From Scripture
This doctrine, handed down by the Catholic
Church, concerning the truth of this Sacrifice, she received from the words of
our Lord, when, on that last night, committing to His Apostles these same
sacred mysteries, He said: Do this for a commemoration of me; for then, as was
defined by the holy Council, He ordained them priests, and commanded that they
and their successors in the priestly office, should immolate and offer His
body.
Of this the words of the Apostle to the
Corinthians also afford a sufficient proof: You cannot drink the chalice of the
Lord, and the chalice of devils: you cannot be partakers of the table of the
Lord and of the? table of devils. As then by the table of devils must be
understood the altar on which sacrifice was offered to them; so also - if the
conclusion proposed to himself by the Apostle is to be legitimately drawn -- by
the table of the Lord can be understood nothing else than the altar on which
Sacrifice was offered to the Lord.
Should we look for figures and prophecies of
this Sacrifice in the Old Testament, in the first place Malachy most clearly
prophesied thereof in these words: From the rising of the sun even to the going
down, my name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place there is
sacrifice, and there is offered to my name a clean oblation: for my name is
great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of hosts.
Moreover, this victim was foretold, as well
before as after the promulgation of the Law, by various kinds of sacrifices;
for this victim alone, as the perfection and completion of all, comprises all
the blessings which were signified by the other sacrifices. In nothing,
however, do we behold a more lively image of the Eucharistic Sacrifice than in
that of Melchisedech; for the Saviour Himself offered to God the Father, at His
Last Supper, His body and blood, under the appearances of bread and wine,
declaring that He was constituted a priest for ever, after the order of
Melchisedech.
Excellence of the Mass
The Mass Is The Same Sacrifice As That Of
The Cross
We therefore confess that the Sacrifice of
the Mass is and ought to be considered one and the same Sacrifice as that of
the cross, for the victim is one and the same, namely, Christ our Lord, who
offered Himself, once only, a bloody Sacrifice on the altar of the cross. The
bloody and unbloody victim are not two, but one victim only, whose Sacrifice is
daily renewed in the Eucharist, in obedience to the command of our Lord: Do
this for a commemoration of me.
The priest is also one and the same, Christ
the Lord; for the ministers who offer Sacrifice, consecrate the holy mysteries,
not in their own person, but in that of Christ, as the words of consecration
itself show, for the priest does not say: This is the body of Christ, but, This
is my body; and thus, acting in the Person of Christ the Lord, he changes the
substance of the bread and wine into the true substance of His body and blood.
The Mass A Sacrifice Of Praise,
Thanksgiving And Propitiation
This being the case, it must be taught
without any hesitation that, as the holy Council (of Trent) has also)
explained, the sacred and holy Sacrifice of the Mass is not a Sacrifice of
praise and thanksgiving only, or a mere commemoration of the Sacrifice
performed on the cross, but also truly a propitiatory Sacrifice, by which God
is appeased and rendered propitious to us. If, therefore, with a pure heart, a
lively faith, and affected with an inward sorrow for our transgressions, we
immolate and offer this most holy victim, we shall, without doubt, obtain mercy
from the Lord, and grace in time of need; for SO delighted is the Lord with the
door of this victim that, bestowing on us the gift of grace and repentance, He
pardons our sins. Hence this usual prayer of the Church: As often as the
commemoration of this victim is celebrated, so often is the work of our
salvation being done; that is to say, through this unbloody Sacrifice flow to
us the most plenteous fruits of that bloody victim.
The Mass Profits Both The Living And The
Dead
Pastors should next teach that such is the
efficacy of this Sacrifice that its benefits extend not only to the celebrant
and communicant, but to all the faithful, whether living with us on earth, or
already numbered with those who are dead in the Lord, but whose sins have not
yet been fully expiated. For, according to the most authentic Apostolic
tradition, it is not less available when offered for them, than when offered
for the sins of the living, their punishments, satisfactions, calamities and
difficulties of every sort.
It is hence easy to perceive, that all
Masses, as being conducive to the common interest and salvation of all the
faithful, are to be considered common to all.
The Rites and ceremonies of the Mass
The Sacrifice (of the Mass) is celebrated
with many solemn rites and ceremonies, none of which should be deemed useless
or superfluous. On the contrary, all of them tend to display the majesty of
this august Sacrifice, and to excite the faithful when beholding these saving
mysteries, to contemplate the divine things which lie concealed in the Eucharistic
Sacrifice. On these rites and ceremonies we shall not dwell, since they require
a more lengthy exposition than is compatible with the nature of the present
work; moreover priests can easily consult on the subject some of the many
booklets and works that have been written by pious and learned men.
What has been said so far will, with the
divine assistance, be found sufficient to explain the principal things which
regard the Holy Eucharist both as a Sacrament and Sacrifice.
THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE
Importance Of Instruction On This
Sacrament
As the frailty and weakness of human nature
are universally known and felt by each one in himself, no one can be ignorant
of the great necessity of the Sacrament of Penance. If, there- fore, the
diligence of pastors should be proportioned to the weight and importance of the
subject, we must admit that in ex pounding this Sacrament they can never be
sufficiently diligent. Nay, it should be explained with more care than Baptism.
Baptism is administered but once, and cannot be repeated; Penance may be
administered and becomes necessary, as often as we may have sinned after
Baptism. Hence the- Council of Trent declares: For those who fall into sin
after Baptism the Sacrament of Penance is as necessary to salvation as is
Baptism for those who have not been already baptised. The saying of St. Jerome
that Penance is a second plank, is universally known and highly commended by
all subsequent writers on sacred things. As he who suffers shipwreck has no
hope of safety, unless, perchance, he seize on some plank from the wreck, so he
that suffers the shipwreck of baptismal innocence, unless he cling to the
saving plank of Penance, has doubtless lost all hope of salvation.
These instructions are intended not only for
the benefit of pastors, but also for that of the faithful at large, to awaken
attention, lest they be found culpably negligent in a matter so very important.
Impressed with a just sense of the frailty of human nature, their first and
most earnest desire should be to advance with the divine assistance in the ways
of God, without sin or failing. But should they at any time prove so
unfortunate as to fall, then, looking at the infinite goodness of God, who like
the good shepherd binds up and heals the wounds of His sheep, they should not
postpone recourse to the most saving remedy of Penance.
Different Meanings of the Word
"Penance"
To enter at once on the subject, and to avoid
all error to which the ambiguity of the word may give rise, its different
meanings are first to be explained. By penance some understand satisfaction;
while others, who wander far from the doctrine of the Catholic faith, supposing
penance to have no reference to the past, define it to be nothing more than
newness of life. It must, therefore, be shown that the word has a variety of
meanings.
In the first place, it is said of those to
whom that which was before pleasing is now displeasing, whether the object
itself was good or bad. In this sense all those repent whose sorrow is
according to the world, not according to God; and therefore, worketh not
salvation, but death.
In the second place, it is used to express
that sorrow which the sinner conceives, not, however, for the sake of God, but
for his own sake, concerning some sin of his in which he once took pleasure.
A third kind of penance is that by which we
experience interior sorrow of heart, or give exterior indication of such sorrow
for the sake of God alone. To all these kinds of sorrow the word repentance
properly applies.
When the Sacred Scriptures say that God
repented, the expression is evidently figurative. When we repent of any thing,
we are most anxious to change it; and hence when God has resolved to change any
thing, the Scriptures, accommodating their language to our manner of speaking, say
that He repents. Thus we read that it repented him that he had made man, and
also that He was sorry that He had made Saul king.
But an important distinction is to be made
between these different significations of the word. The first kind of penance
must be considered faulty; the second is only the agitation of a disturbed
mind; the third we call both a virtue and a Sacrament. In this last sense
penance is taken here.
The Virtue of Penance
We shall first treat of penance as a virtue,
not only because it is the duty of the pastor to lead the faithful to the
practice of every virtue; but also, because the acts which proceed from penance
as a virtue, constitute the matter, as it were, of Penance as a Sacrament, and
unless the virtue be rightly understood, the force of the Sacrament cannot be
appreciated.
The faithful, therefore, are first to be
admonished and exhorted to labor strenuously to attain this interior penance of
the heart which we call a virtue, and without which exterior penance can avail
them very little.
Meaning Of Penance
Interior penance consists in turning to God
sincerely and from heart, and in hating and detesting our past transgressions,
with a firm resolution of amendment of life, hoping to obtain pardon through
the mercy. Accompanying this penance, like inseparable companion of detestation
for sin, is a sorrow and sadness, which is a certain agitation and disturbance
of the soul, and is called by many a passion. Hence many of the Fathers define
penance as an anguish of soul.
Penance, however, in those who repent, must
be preceded by faith, for without faith no man can turn to God. Faith,
therefore, cannot on any account be called a part of penance.
Penance Proved To Be A Virtue
That this inward penance is, as we have
already said, a virtue, the various commands which have been given regarding it
clearly show; for the law commands only those actions that are virtuous.
Furthermore, no one can deny that it is a
virtue to be sorrowful at the time, in the manner, and to the extent which are
required. To regulate sorrow in this manner belongs to the virtue of penance.
Some conceive a sorrow which bears no proportion to their crimes. Nay, there
are some, says Solomon, who are glad when they have done evil. Others, on the
contrary, give themselves to such melancholy and grief, as utterly to abandon
all hope of salvation. Such, perhaps, was the condition of Cain when he
exclaimed: My iniquity is greater than that I may deserve pardon. Such
certainly was the condition of Judas, who, repenting, hanged himself, and thus
lost soul and body. Penance, therefore, considered as a virtue, assists us in
restraining within the bounds of moderation our sense of sorrow.
That penance is a virtue may also be inferred
from the ends which the true penitent proposes to himself. The first is to
destroy sin and efface from the soul its every spot and stain. The second is to
make satisfaction to God for the sins which he has committed, which is clearly
an act of justice. Between God and man, it is true, no relation of strict
justice can exist, so great is the distance that separates them; yet between
them there is evidently a sort of justice, such as exists between a father and
his children, between a master and his servants. The third (end of the
penitent) is to reinstate himself in the favour and friendship of God whom he
has offended and whose hatred he has earned by the turpitude of sin. The
foregoing considerations sufficiently prove that penance is a virtue.
The Steps Which Lead Up To This Virtue
We must also point out the steps by which we
may ascend to this divine virtue. I The mercy of God first goes before us and
converts our hearts to Him. This was the object of the Prophet's prayer:
Convert us, O Lord, to thee, and we shall be converted.
Illumined by this light the soul next tends
to God by faith. He that cometh to God, says the Apostle, must believe that he
is, and is a rewarder of them that seek him.
A salutary fear of God's judgments follows, and
the soul, contemplating the punishments that await sin, is recalled from the
paths of vice. To this (state of soul) seem to refer these words of Isaias: As
a woman with child, when she draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain
and crieth out in her pangs, so are we become.
Then follows a hope of obtaining mercy from
God, encouraged by which we resolve on improvement of life.
Lastly, our hearts are inflamed by charity,
whence springs that filial fear which good and dutiful children experience; and
thus dreading only to offend the majesty of God in anything, we entirely
abandon the ways of sin.
Fruits Of This Virtue
Such are, as it were, the steps by which we
ascend to this most exalted virtue, a virtue altogether heavenly and divine, to
which the Sacred Scriptures promise the kingdom of heaven; for it is written in
St. Matthew: Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. If, says
Ezechiel, the wicked do penance for all his sins which he hath committed, and
keep all my commandments, and do judgment and justice, living he shall live. In
another place: I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn
from his way and live, words which are evidently understood of eternal life.
Penance as a Sacrament
Regarding external penance it will be
necessary to show that in it the Sacrament properly consists, and that it
possesses certain outward and sensible signs which denote the effect that takes
place interiorly in the soul.
Why Christ Instituted This Sacrament
In the first place, however, it will be well
to explain why it is that Christ our Lord was pleased to number Penance among
the Sacraments. One of His reasons certainly was to leave us no room for doubt
regarding the remission of sin which was promised by God when He said: If the wicked
do penance, etc. For each one has good reason to distrust the accuracy of his
own judgment on his own actions, and hence we could not but be very much in
doubt regarding the truth of our internal penance. It was to destroy this, our
uneasiness, that our Lord instituted the Sacrament of Penance, by means of
which we are assured that our sins are pardoned by the absolution of the
priest; and also to tranquilize our conscience by means of the trust we rightly
repose in the virtue of the Sacraments. The words of the priest sacramentally
and lawfully absolving us from our sins are to be accepted in the same sense as
the words of Christ our Lord when He said to the paralytic: Son, be of good
heart: thy sins are forgiven thee.
In the second place, no one can obtain
salvation unless through Christ and the merits of His Passion. Hence it was
becoming in itself, and highly advantageous to us, that a Sacrament should be
instituted through the force and efficacy of which the blood of Christ flows
into our souls, washes- away-all the sins committed after Baptism, and thus
leads us to recognise that it is to our Saviour alone we owe the blessing of
reconciliation.
Penance Is a Sacrament
That Penance is a Sacrament pastors can
easily show from what follows. As Baptism is a Sacrament because it blots out
all sins, and especially original sin, so for the same reason Penance, which
takes away all the sins of thought and deed committed after Baptism, must be
regarded as a true Sacrament in the proper sense of the word.
Moreover -- and this is the principal reason
-- since what is exteriorly done, both by priest and penitent, signifies the
inward effects that take place in the soul, who will venture to deny that
Penance is invested with the nature of a proper and true Sacrament ? For a
Sacrament is a sign of a sacred thing. Now the sinner who repents plainly
expresses by his words and actions that he has turned his heart from sin; while
from the words and actions of the priest we easily recognise the mercy of God exercised
in the remission of sins.
In any event, the words of our Saviour
furnish a clear proof: I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven
whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven. The
absolution announced in the words of the priest expresses the remission of sins
which it accomplishes in the soul.
This Sacrament May Be Repeated
The faithful should be instructed not only
that Penance is to be numbered among the Sacraments, but that it is one of the
Sacraments which may be repeated. To Peter, who had asked whether pardon could
be given to sin seven times, our Lord replied: I say not to thee, till seven
times; but till seventy times seven.
If, then, (the pastor) happens to encounter
those who seem to distrust the infinite goodness and clemency of God, let him
endeavour to inspire their minds with confidence, and raise them up to the hope
of obtaining the grace of God. He will easily accomplish this object by
explaining the above and other passages which are frequently met with in Holy
Writ; as well as by using the arguments and reasons which may be found in St.
Chrysostom's book On the Lapsed, and St. Ambrose's books On Penance.
The Constituent Parts of Penance
The Matter
There is nothing that should be better known
to the faithful than the matter of this Sacrament; hence they should be taught
that Penance differs from the other Sacraments in this that while the matter of
the other Sacraments is some thing, whether natural or artificial, the matter,
as it were, of the Sacrament of Penance is the acts of the penitent, -- namely,
contrition, confession and satisfaction, -- as has been declared by the council
of Trent. Now, inasmuch as these acts are by divine institution required on the
part of the penitent for the integrity of the Sacrament, and for the full and
perfect remission of sin, they are called parts of Penance. It is not because
they are not the real matter that they are called by the Council the matter as
it were, but because they are not of that sort of matter which is applied
externally, such, for instance, as water in Baptism and chrism in Confirmation.
As regards the opinion of some who hold that
sins themselves are the matter of this Sacrament, it will be found, when
carefully examined, that it does not really differ from the explanation already
given. Thus we say that wood which is consumed by fire is the matter of fire.
In the same way, sins which are destroyed by Penance may properly be called the
matter of Penance.
The Form Of Penance
Pastors should not neglect to explain the
form of the Sacrament of Penance. A knowledge of it will excite the faithful to
receive the grace of this Sacrament with the greatest possible devotion. Now
the form is: I absolve thee, as may be inferred not only from the words,
whatsoever you shall bind upon earth shall be bound also in heaven, but also
from the teaching of Christ our Lord, handed down to us by the Apostles.
Moreover, since the Sacraments signify what
they effect, the words, I absolve thee, signify that remission of sin is
effected by the administration of this Sacrament; and hence it is plain that
such is the perfect form of the Sacrament. For sins are, so to say, the chains
by which the soul is bound, and from which it is freed by the Sacrament of
Penance. And none the less truly does the priest pronounce the form over the
penitent who, through perfect contrition, accompanied by the desire of
confession, has already obtained remission of his sins from God.
Several prayers are added, not that they are
necessary to the form, but in order to remove every obstacle that can impede
the force and efficacy of the Sacrament owing to the fault of him to whom it is
administered.
How thankful, then, should not sinners be to
God for having bestowed such ample power on the priests of His Church ! Unlike
the priests of the Old Law who merely declared the leper cleansed from his
leprosy, the power now given to the priests of the New Law is not limited to
declaring the sinner absolved from his sins, but, as a minister of God, he truly
absolves from sin. This is an effect of which God Himself, the author and
source of grace and justice, is the principal cause.
The Rites Observed in the Sacrament of
Penance
The faithful should take great care to
observe the rites which accompany the administration o f this Sacrament. In
this way they will have a higher idea of what they obtain from this Sacrament,
that is, that they have been reconciled as slaves to their kind master, or
rather, as children to their best of fathers; and at the same time they will
also better understand what is the duty of those who desire, as everyone
should, to show their gratitude and remembrance of so great a benefit.
The sinner, then, who repents, casts himself
humbly and sorrowfully at the feet of the priest, in order that by there
humbling himself he may the more easily be led to see that he must tear up the
roots of pride whence spring and flourish all the sins he now deplores. In the
priest, who is his legitimate judge, he venerates the person and the power of
Christ our Lord; for in the administration of the Sacrament of Penance, as in
that of the other Sacraments, the priest holds the place of Christ. Next the
penitent enumerates his sins, acknowledging, at the same time, that he deserves
the greatest and severest chastisements; and finally, suppliantly asks pardon
for his faults.
All these rites have a sure guarantee for
their antiquity in the authority of St. Denis.
Effects of the Sacrament of Penance
Nothing will prove of greater advantage to
the faithful, nothing will be found to conduce more to a willing reception of
the Sacrament of Penance, than for pastors to explain frequently the great
advantage to be derived therefrom. They will then see that of Penance it is
truly said that its roots ale bitter, but its fruit sweet indeed.
First of all, then, the great efficacy o
Penance consists in this, that it restores us to the grace of God, and unites
us to Him in the closest friendship.
In pious souls who approach this Sacrament
with devotion, profound peace and tranquillity of conscience, together with
ineffable joy of soul, accompany this reconciliation. For there is no sin,
however great or horrible, which cannot be effaced by the Sacrament of Penance,
and that not merely once, but over and over again. On this point God Himself
thus speaks through the Prophet: If the wicked do penance for all his sins
which he hath committed, and keep all my commandments, and do judgment, and
justice, living he shall live, and shall not die, and I will not remember all
his iniquities that he hath done. And St. John says: If we confess our sins; he
is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins; and a little later, he adds: If
any man sin, -- he excepts no sin whatever, -- we have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ, the just; for he is the propitiation for our sins; and
not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.
When we read in Scripture that certain
persons did not obtain pardon from God, even though they earnestly implored it,
we know that this was due to the fact that they had not a true and heartfelt
sorrow for their sins. Thus when we find in Sacred Scripture and in the
writings of the Fathers passages which seem to assert that certain sins are
irremissible, we must understand the meaning to be that it is very difficult to
obtain pardon for them. A disease is sometimes called incurable, because the
patient is so disposed as to loathe the medicines that could afford him relief.
Ill the same way certain sins are not remitted or pardoned because the sinner
rejects the grace of God, the only medicine for salvation. It is in this sense
that St. Augustine wrote: When a man who, through the grace of Jesus Christ,
has once arrived at a knowledge of God, wounds fraternal charity, and, driven
by the fury of envy, lifts up his head against grace, the enormity of his sin
is so great that, though compelled by a guilty conscience to acknowledge and
confess his fault, he finds himself unable to submit to the humiliation of
imploring pardon.
The Necessity of the Sacrament of Penance
Returning now to the Sacrament, it is so much
the special province of Penance to remit sins that it is impossible to obtain
or even to hope for remission of sins by any other means; for it is written:
Unless you do penance, you shall all likewise perish. These words were said by
our Lord in reference to grievous and mortal sins, although at the same time
lighter sins, which are called venial, also require some sort of penance. St.
Augustine observes that the kind of penance which is daily performed in the
Church for venial sins, would be absolutely useless, if venial sin could be
remitted without penance.
The Three Integral Parts of Penance
But as it is not enough to speak in general
terms when treating of practical matters, the pastors should take care to
explain, one by one, those things from which the faithful can understand the
meaning of true and salutary Penance.
Their Existence
Now it is peculiar to this Sacrament that
besides matter and form, which it has in common with all the other Sacraments,
it has also, as we have said, those parts which constitute Penance, so to say,
whole and entire; namely, contrition, confession and satisfaction. On these St.
Chrysostom thus speaks: Penance enables the sinner to bear all willingly in his
heart is contrition; on his lips confession; in his actions entire humility or
salutary satisfaction.
Their Nature
These three parts belong to that class of
parts which are necessary to constitute a whole. The human body is composed of
many members, -- -hands, feet, eyes and the various other parts; the want of
any one of which makes the body be justly considered imperfect, while if none
of them is missing, the body is regarded as perfect. In the same way, Penance
is composed of these three parts in such a way that though contrition and
confession, which justify man, are alone required to constitute its essence,
yet, unless accompanied by its third part, satisfaction, it necessarily remains
short of its absolute perfection.
These three parts, then, are so intimately
connected with one another, that contrition includes the intention and
resolution of confessing and making satisfaction; contrition and the resolution
of making satisfaction imply confession; while the other two precede
satisfaction.
Necessity Of These Integral Parts
The reason why these are the integral parts
may be thus explained. Sins against God are committed by thought, by word and
by deed. It is, then, but reasonable, that in recurring to the power of the
keys we should endeavour to appease God's wrath, and obtain pardon for our sins
by means of the very same things which we employed to offend His sovereignty.
A further reason by way of confirmation can
also be assigned. Penance is a sort of compensation for sin, springing from the
free will of the delinquent, and is appointed by God, against whom the offence
has been committed. Hence, on the one hand, there is required the willingness
to make compensation, in which willingness contrition chiefly consists; while,
on the other hand, the penitent must submit himself to the judgment of the
priest, who holds God's place, in order to enable him to award a punishment
proportioned to the gravity of the sin committed. Hence the reason for and the
necessity of confession and satisfaction are easily inferred.
The First Part of Penance
Contrition
As the faithful require instruction on the
nature and efficacy of the parts of Penance, we must begin with contrition.
This subject demands careful explanation; for as often as we call to mind our
past transgressions, or offend God anew, so often should our hearts be pierced
with contrition.
The Meaning Of Contrition
By the Fathers of the Council of Trent,
contrition is defined: A sorrow and detestation for sin committed, with a
purpose of sinning no more. and a little further on the Council, speaking of
the motion of the will to contrition, adds: If joined with a confidence in the
mercy of God and an earnest desire of per forming whatever is necessary to the
proper reception of the Sacrament, it thus prepares us for the remission of
sin.
Contrition Is A Detestation Of Sin
From this definition, therefore, the faithful
will perceive that the efficacy of contrition does not simply consist in
ceasing to sin, or in resolving to begin, or having actually begun a new life;
it supposes first of all a hatred of one's ill-spent life and a desire of
atoning for past transgressions.
This is especially confirmed by those cries
of the holy Fathers,. which we so frequently meet with in Holy Scripture. I
have laboured in my groaning, says David; every night I will wash my bed; and
again, The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. I will recount to thee all
my years, says another, in the bitterness of my soul. These and many like
expressions were called forth by an intense hatred and a lively detestation of
past transgressions.
Contrition Produces Sorrow
But although contrition is defined as sorrow,
the faithful are not thence to conclude that this sorrow consists in sensible
feeling; for contrition is an act of the will, and, as St. Augustine observes,
grief is not penance but the accompaniment of penance. By sorrow the Fathers
understood a hatred and detestation of sin; in the first place, because the
Sacred Scriptures frequently use the word in this sense. How long, says David,
shall I take counsels in my soul, sorrow in my heart all the day. And secondly,
because from contrition arises sorrow in the inferior part of the soul which is
called the seat of concupiscence.
With propriety, therefore, is contrition
defined a sorrow, because it produces sorrow; hence penitents, in order to
express it, used to change their garments. Our Lord alludes to this custom when
He says: Woe to thee, Corozain, woe to thee, Bethsaida: for if in Tyre and Sidon
had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in you, they had long ago
done penance in sack-cloth and ashes.
Names Of Sorrow For Sin
To signify the intensity of this sorrow the
name contrition has rightly been given to the detestation of sin of which we
speak. The word means the breaking of an object into small parts by means of a
stone or some harder substance; and here it is used metaphorically, to signify
that our hearts, hardened by pride, are beaten and broken by penance. Hence
no-other sorrow, not even that which is felt for the death of parents, or
children, or for any other calamity, is called contrition. The word is
exclusively employed to express the sorrow with which we are overwhelmed by the
forfeiture of the grace of God and of our own innocence.
Contrition, however, is often designated by
other names. Sometimes it is called contrition of heart, because the word heart
is frequently used in Scripture to express the will. As the movement of the
body originates in the heart, so the will is the faculty which governs and
controls the other powers of the soul.
By the holy Fathers it is also called
compunction of heart, and hence they preferred to entitle their works on
contrition treatises On Compunction of Heart; for as ulcers are lanced with a
knife in order to allow the escape of the poisonous matter accumulated within,
so the heart, as it were, is pierced with the lance of contrition, to enable it
to emit the deadly poison of sin.
Hence, contrition is called by the Prophet
Joel, a rending of the heart. Be converted to me, he says, with all your hearts
in fasting, in weeping, in mourning, and rend your hearts.
Qualities of Sorrow for Sin
It Should Be Supreme
That sorrow for sins committed should be so
profound and supreme that no greater sorrow could be thought of will easily
appear from the considerations that follow.
Perfect contrition is an act of charity,
emanating from what is called filial fear; hence it is clear that the measure
of contrition and of charity should be the same. Since, therefore, the charity
which we cherish towards God, is the most perfect love, it follows that
contrition should be the keenest sorrow of the soul. God is to be loved above
all things, and whatever separates us from God is therefore to be hated above all
things. It is also worthy of note that to charity and contrition the language
of Scripture assigns the same extent. Of charity it is said: Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with thy whole heart.' Of contrition the Lord says through the
Prophet: Be converted with your whole heart.
Secondly, it is true that of all objects
which deserve our love, God is the supreme good, and it is not less true that
of all objects which deserve our execration sin is the supreme evil. The same
reason, then, which prompts us to confess that God is to be loved above all
things, obliges us also of necessity to acknowledge that sin is to be hated
above all things. That God is to be loved above all things, so that we should
be prepared to sacrifice our lives rather than offend Him, these words of the
Lord clearly declare: He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not
worthy of me; He that will save his life shall lose it.
Further, it should be noted that since, as
St. Bernard says, there is no limit or measure to charity, or to use his own
words, as the measure of loving God is to love Him without measure, there
should be no limit to the hatred of sin.
Sorrow For Sin Should Be Intense
Besides, our contrition should be not only
the greatest, but also the most intense, and so perfect that it excludes all
apathy and indifference; for it is written in Deuteronomy: When thou shalt seek
the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him: yet so if thou seek him with all thy
heart, and all the affliction of thy soul, and in Jeremias.: Thou shalt seek me
and shalt find me, when thou shalt seek me unto all thy heart; and I will be
found by thee, saith the Lord.
If, however, our contrition be not perfect,
it may nevertheless be true and efficacious. For as things which fall under the
senses frequently touch the heart more sensibly than things purely spiritual,
it sometimes happens that persons feel more intense sorrow for the death of
their children than for the grievousness of their sins.
Our contrition may also be true and
efficacious, although unaccompanied by tears. Penitential tears, however, are
much to be desired and commended. On this subject St. Augustine has well said:
The spirit of Christian charity lives not within you, if you lament the body
from which the soul has departed, but lament not the soul from which God has
departed. To the same effect are the words of the Redeemer above cited: Woe to
thee, Corozain, woe to thee, Bethsaida: for if in Tyre and Sidon had been
wrought the miracles that have been wrought in you, they had long since done
penance, in sack-cloth and ashes. To establish this truth it will suffice to
recall the well-known examples of the Ninivites, of David, of the woman who was
a sinner, and of the Prince of the Apostles, all. of whom obtained the pardon
of their sins when they implored the mercy of God with abundant tears.
Sorrow For Sin Should Be Universal
The faithful should be earnestly exhorted and
admonished to strive to extend their contrition to each mortal sin. For it is
thus that Ezechias describes contrition: I will recount to thee all my years in
the bitterness of my soul. To recount all our years is to examine our sins one
by one in order to have sorrow for them from our hearts. In Ezechiel also we
read: If the wicked do penance for all his sins, he shall live. In this sense
St. Augustine says: Let the sinner consider the quality of his sins, as to
time, place, variety and person.
In this matter, however, the faithful should
not despair of the infinite goodness and mercy of God. For since God is most
desirous of our salvation, He will not delay to pardon us. With a father's
fondness, He embraces the sinner the moment he enters into himself, turns to
the Lord, and, having detested all his sins, resolves that later on, as far as
he is able, he will call them singly to mind and detest them. The Almighty
Himself, by the mouth of His Prophet, commands us to hope, when He says: The
wickedness of the wicked shall not hurt him, in what day soever he shall turn
from his wickedness.
Conditions Required for Contrition
From what has been said we may gather the
chief requisites of true contrition. In these the faithful are to be accurately
instructed, that each may know the means of attaining, and may have a fixed
standard by which to determine, how far he may be removed from the perfection
of this virtue.
Detestation Of Sin
We must, then, in the first place, detest and
deplore all out sins. If our sorrow and detestation extend only to some sins,
our repentance is not salutary, but feigned and false. Whosoever shall keep the
whole law, says St. James, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all.
Intention Of Confession And Satisfaction
In the next place, our contrition must be
accompanied with a desire of confessing and satisfying for our sins. Concerning
these dispositions we shall treat in their proper place.
Purpose Of Amendment
Thirdly, the penitent must form a fixed and
firm purpose of amendment of life. This the Prophet clearly teaches in the
following words: If the wicked do penance for all his sins which he hath
committed, and keep all my commandments, and do judgment, and justice, living
Ice shall live, and shall not die: I will not remember all his iniquities which
he hath done. And a little after: When the wicked turneth himself away from his
wickedness which he hath wrought, and doth judgment and justice, he shall save
his soul alive. Still further on he adds: Be converted and do penance for all
your iniquities, and iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all
your transgressions, by which you have transgressed, and make yourselves a new
heart and a new spirit. To the woman taken in adultery Christ our Lord
commanded the same thing: Go thy way, and sin no more; and also to the lame man
whom He cured at the pool of Bethsaida: Behold, thou art made whole, sin no
more.
Reasons For These Conditions
That a sorrow for sin and a firm purpose of
avoiding sin for the future are two conditions indispensable to contrition
nature and reason clearly show. He who would be reconciled to a friend whom he
has wronged must regret to have injured and offended him, and his future
conduct must be such as to avoid offending in anything against friendship.
Furthermore, these are conditions to which
man is bound to yield obedience; for the law to which man is subject, be it
natural, divine, or human, he is bound to obey. If, therefore, by force or
fraud, the penitent has taken anything from his neighbour, he is bound to
restitution. Likewise if, by word or deed he has injured his neighbour’s honour
or reputation, he is under an obligation of repairing the injury by procuring
him some advantage or rendering him some service. Well known to all is the
maxim of St. Augustine: The sin is not forgiven unless what has been taken away
is restored.
Forgiveness Of Injuries
Again, not less necessary for contrition than
the other chief conditions is a care that it be accompanied by entire
forgiveness of the injuries which we may have received from others. This our
Lord and Saviour admonishes when He declares: If you will forgive men their
offences, your heavenly Father will forgive you also your offences, but if you
will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your offences.
These are the conditions which the faithful
should observe as regards contrition. There are other dispositions which,
although not essential to true and salutary penance, contribute to render
contrition more perfect and complete in its kind, and which pastors will
readily discover.
The Effects of Contrition
Simply to make known those things which
pertain to salvation should not be deemed a full discharge of the duty of
pastors; their zeal and industry should be exerted to persuade the people to
adopt these truths as their rule of conduct and as the governing principle of
their actions. Hence it will be highly useful often to explain the power and
utility of contrition.
For whereas most other pious practices, such
as alms, fasting, prayer and similar holy and commendable works, are sometimes
rejected by God on account of the faults of those who perform them, contrition
can never be other than pleasing and acceptable to Him. A contrite and humble
heart, O God, exclaims the Prophet, thou wilt not despise.
Nay more, the same Prophet declares elsewhere
that, as soon as we have conceived this contrition in our hearts, our sins are
forgiven by God: I said, I will confess my injustice to the Lord, and thou hast
forgiven the wickedness of my sin. Of this truth we have a figure in the ten
lepers, who, when sent by our Lord to the priests, were cured of their leprosy
before they had reached them; which gives us to understand that such is the
efficacy of true contrition, of which we have spoken above, that through it we
obtain from the Lord the immediate pardon of all sins.
Means of Arousing True Contrition
To move the faithful to contrition, it will
be very useful if pastors point out some method by which each one may excite
himself to contrition.
They should all be admonished frequently to
examine their consciences, in order to ascertain if they have been faithful in
the observance of those things which God and His Church require. Should anyone
be conscious of sin, he should immediately accuse himself, humbly solicit
pardon from God, and implore time to confess and satisfy for his sins. Above
all, let him supplicate the aid of divine grace, in order that he may not
relapse into those sins which he now penitently deplores.
Pastors should also take care that the
faithful be excited to a supreme hatred of sin, both because its turpitude and
baseness are very great and because it brings us the gravest losses and
misfortunes. For sin deprives us of the friendship of God, to whom we are
indebted for so many invaluable blessings, and from whom we might have expected
and received gifts of still higher value; and along with this it consigns us to
eternal death and to torments unending and most severe.
The Second Part of Penance
Confession
Having said so much on contrition, we now
come to confession, which is another part of Penance. The care and exactness
which its exposition demands of pastors must be at once obvious, if we only
reflect that most holy persons are firmly persuaded that whatever of piety, of
holiness, of religion, has been preserved to our times in the Church, through
God's goodness, must be ascribed in great measure to confession. It cannot,
therefore, be a matter of surprise that the enemy of the human race, in his
efforts to destroy utterly the Catholic Church, should, through the agency of
the ministers of his wicked designs, have assailed with all his might this
bulwark, as it were, of Christian virtue. It should be shown, therefore, in the
first place that the institution of confession is most useful and even
necessary to us.
Necessity Of Confession
Contrition, it is true, blots out sin; but
who does not know that to effect this it must be so intense, so ardent, so
vehement, as to bear a proportion to the magnitude of the crimes which it
effaces? This is a degree of contrition which few reach; and hence, in this
way, very few indeed could hope to obtain the pardon of their sins. It,
therefore, became necessary that the most merciful Lord should provide by some
easier means for the common salvation of men; and this He has done in His
admirable wisdom, by giving to His Church the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
According to the doctrine of the Catholic
Church, a doctrine firmly to be believed and constantly professed by all, if
the sinner have a sincere sorrow for his sins and a firm resolution of avoiding
them in future, although he bring not with him that contrition which may be
sufficient of itself to obtain pardon, all his sins are forgiven and remitted
through the power of the keys, when he confesses them properly to the priest.
Justly, then, do those most holy men, our Fathers, proclaim that by the keys of
the Church the gate of heaven is thrown open, a truth which no one can doubt
since the Council of Florence has decreed that the effect of Penance is
absolution from sin.
Advantages Of Confession
To appreciate further the great advantages of
confession we may turn to a fact taught by experience. To those who have led
immoral lives nothing is found so useful towards a reformation of morals as
sometimes to disclose their secret thoughts, all their words and actions, to a
prudent and faithful friend, who can assist them by his advice and cooperation.
For the same reason it must prove most salutary to those whose minds are
agitated by the consciousness of guilt to make known the diseases and wounds of
their souls to the priest, as the vicegerent of Christ our Lord, bound to
eternal secrecy by the strictest of laws. (In the Sacrament of Penance) they
will find immediate remedies, the healing qualities of which will not only
remove the present malady, but will also have such a heavenly efficacy in
preparing the soul against an easy relapse into the same kind of disease and
infirmity.
Another advantage of confession, which should
not be overlooked, is that it contributes powerfully to the preservation of
social order. Abolish sacramental confession, and that moment you deluge
society with all sorts of secret and heinous crimes -- crimes too, and others
of still greater enormity, which men, once that they have been depraved by
vicious habits, will not dread to commit in open day. The salutary shame that
attends confession restrains licentiousness, bridles desire and checks
wickedness.
Definition Of Confession
Having explained the advantages of
confession, pastors should next unfold its nature and efficacy. Confession,
then, is defined: A sacramental accusation of one's sins, made to obtain pardon
by virtue of the keys.
It is rightly called an accusation, because
sins are not to be told as if the sinner boasted of his crimes, as they do who
are glad when they have done evil; nor are they to be related as stories told
for the sake of amusing idle listeners. They are to be confessed as matters of
self-accusation, with a desire, as it were, to avenge them on ourselves.
We confess our sins with a view to obtain
pardon. In this respect the tribunal of penance differs from other tribunals,
which take cognisance of capital offences, and before which a confession of
guilt does not secure acquittal and pardon, but penalty and punishment.
The definition of confession by the holy
Fathers, although different in words, is substantially the same. Confession,
says St. Augustine, is the disclosure of a secret disease, with the hope of
obtaining pardon; and St. Gregory: Confession is a detestation of sins. Both of
these definitions accord with, and are contained in the preceding definition.
Confession Instituted By Christ
In the next place, it is a duty of greatest
moment that pastors should unhesitatingly teach that this Sacrament owes its
institution to the singular goodness and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
has ordered all things well, and solely with a view to our salvation.
After His Resurrection He breathed on the
Apostles, assembled together, saying: Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whose sins you
shall forgive, they are forgiven; and whose sins you shall retain, they are
retained. Now in giving to priests the power to retain and forgive sins, it is
evident that our Lord made them also judges in this matter.
Our Lord seems to have signified the same thing
when, having raised Lazarus from the dead, He commanded His Apostles to loose
him from the bands in which he was bound. This is the interpretation of St.
Augustine. The priests, he says, can now do more: they can exercise greater
clemency towards those who confess and whose sins they forgive. The Lord, in
giving over Lazarus, whom He had already raised from the dead, to be loosed by
the hands of His disciples, wished us to understand that to priests was given
the power of loosing.
To this also refers the command given by our
Lord to the lepers cured on the way, that they show themselves to the priests,
and subject themselves to their judgment.
Invested, then, as they are, by our Lord with
power to remit and retain sins, priests are evidently appointed judges of the
matter on which they are to pronounce; and since, according to the wise remark
of the Council of Trent, we cannot form an accurate judgment on any matter, or
award to crime a just proportion of punishment without having previously
examined and made ourselves well acquainted with the case, it follows that the
penitent is obliged to make known to the priests, through the medium of
confession, each and every sin.
This doctrine the pastors should teach as
defined by the holy Council of Trent, and handed down by the uniform doctrine
of the Catholic Church. An attentive perusal of the Fathers will present
passages throughout their works, proving in the clearest terms that this
Sacrament was instituted by our Lord, and that the law of sacramental confession,
which, from the Greek, they call exomologesis, and exagoreusis, is to be
received as true Gospel teaching.
If we seek figures in the Old Testament, the
different kinds of sacrifices which were offered by the priests for the
expiation of different sorts of sins, seem, beyond all doubt, to have reference
to confession of sins.
Rites Added By The Church
Not only are the faithful to be taught that
confession was instituted by our Lord. They are also to be reminded that, by
authority of the Church, certain rites and solemn ceremonies have been added
which, although not essential to the Sacrament, serve to place its dignity more
fully before the eyes of the penitent, and to prepare his soul, so that,
kindled with devotion, he may more easily receive the grace of God. When, with
uncovered head and bended knees, with eyes fixed on the earth and hands raised
in supplication, and with other indications of Christian humility not essential
to the Sacrament, we confess our sins, our minds are thus deeply impressed with
a clear conviction of the heavenly virtue of the Sacrament, and also of the
necessity of most earnestly beseeching and imploring the mercy of God.
The Law of Confession
Nor let it be supposed that, although
confession was instituted by our Lord, He did not declare its use to be
necessary. The faithful must be impressed with the conviction that he who is
dead in sin is to be recalled to spiritual life by means of sacramental
confession.
Proof Of The Obligation
This truth is clearly conveyed by our Lord
Himself, when, by a most beautiful metaphor, He calls the power of
administering this Sacrament, the key of the kingdom of heaven. Just as no one
can enter any place without the help of him who has the keys, so no one is
admitted to heaven unless its gates be unlocked by the priests to whose custody
the Lord gave the keys. This power would otherwise be of no use in the Church.
If heaven can be entered without the power of the keys, in vain would they to
whom the keys were given seek to prevent entrance within its portals.
This thought was familiar to the mind of St.
Augustine. Let no man, he says, say within himself: "I repent in secret to
the Lord. God, who has power to pardon me, knows the inmost sentiments of my
heart.,, Was there, then, no reason for saying "whatsoever you loose on
earth, shall be loosed in heaven," no reason why the keys were given to
the Church of God? The same doctrine is taught by St. Ambrose in his treatise
On Penance, when refuting the heresy of the Novatians who asserted that the
power of forgiving sins belonged solely to God.' Who, says he, yields greater
reverence to God, he who obeys or he who resists His commands? God commands us
to obey His ministers; and by obeying them, we honour God alone.
The Age At Which The Law Of Confession
Obliges
As the law of confession was no doubt enacted
and established by our Lord Himself, it is our duty to ascertain, on whom, at
what age, and at what period of the year, it becomes obligatory. According to
the canon of the Council of Lateran, which begins: Omnis utriusque sexus, no
person is bound by the law of Confession until he has arrived at the use of
reason, -- a time determinable by no fixed number of years. It may, however, be
laid down as a general principle, that children are bound to go to confession
as soon as they are able to discern good from evil, and are capable of malice;
for, when a person has arrived at an age when he must begin to attend to the
work of his salvation, he is bound to confess his sins to a priest, since there
is no other salvation for one whose conscience is burdened with sin.
At What Time The Law Of Confession Obliges
In the same canon holy Church has defined the
period within which we are especially bound to discharge the duty of
confession. It commands all the faithful to confess their sins at least once a
year. If, however, we consult our eternal interests, we will certainly not
neglect to have recourse to confession as often, at least, as we are in danger
of death, or undertake to perform any act incompatible with the state of sin,
such as to administer or receive the Sacraments. The same rule should be
strictly followed when we are apprehensive of forgetting some sin, into which
we may have fallen; for we cannot confess sins unless we remember them, neither
do we obtain pardon unless our sins are blotted out through sacramental
confession.
The Qualities of Confession
But since in confession many things are to be
observed, some of which are essential, some not essential to the Sacrament, all
these matters should be carefully treated. Access can easily be had to works
and treatises from which an explanation of all these things can be drawn.
Confession Should Be Entire
Pastors should teach, first of all, that care
must be exercised that confession be complete and entire. All mortal sins must
be revealed to the priest. Venial sins, which do not separate us from the grace
of God, and into which we frequently fall, although they may be usefully
confessed, as the experience of the pious proves, may be omitted without sin,
and expiated by a variety of other means. Mortal sins, as we have already said,
are all to be confessed, even though they be most secret, or be opposed only to
the last two Commandments of the Decalogue. Such secret sins often inflict
deeper wounds on the soul than those which are committed openly and publicly.
So the Council of Trent has defined, and such
has been the constant teaching of the Church, as the Fathers declare. St.
Ambrose speaks thus: Without the confession of his sin, no man can be justified
from his sin. In confirmation of the same doctrine, St. Jerome, on
Ecclesiastes, says: If the serpent, the devil, has secretly and without the
knowledge of a third person, bitten anyone, and has infused into him the poison
of sin; if unwilling to disclose his wound to his brother or master, he is
silent and will not do penance, his master, who has a tongue ready to cure him,
can render him no service. The same doctrine we find in St. Cyprian, in his
sermon On the Fallen. Although guiltless, he says, of the heinous crime of
sacrificing to idols, or of having purchased certificates to that effect; yet,
as they entertained the thought of doing so, they should confess it with grief
to the priests of God. In fine, such is the unanimous voice and teaching of all
the Doctors of the Church.
In confession we should employ all that care
and exactness which we usually bestow upon worldly concerns of great moment,
and all our efforts should be directed to the cure of our soul's wounds and to
the destruction of the roots of sin. We should not be satisfied with the bare
enumeration of our mortal sins, but should mention such circumstances as
considerably aggravate or extenuate their malice. Some circumstances are so
serious as of themselves to constitute mortal guilt. On no account whatever,
therefore, are such circumstances to be omitted. Thus if one man has killed
another, he must state whether his victim was a layman or an ecclesiastic. Or,
if he has had sinful relations with a woman, he must state whether the female
was unmarried or married, a relative or a person consecrated to God by vow.
These circumstances change the nature of the sins; so that the first kind of
unlawful intercourse is called by theologians simple fornication, the second
adultery, the third incest, and the fourth sacrilege. Again, theft is numbered
in the catalogue of sins. But if a person has stolen one golden coin, his sin
is less grievous than if he had stolen a hundred or two hundred, or an immense
sum; and if the stolen money belonged to the Church, the sin would be still
more grievous. The same rule applies to the circumstances of time and place,
but' the examples are too well known from many books to require mention here.
Circumstances such as these are, therefore, to be mentioned; but those which do
not considerably aggravate the malice of the sin may be lawfully omitted.
Sins Concealed
So important is it that confession be entire
that if the penitent confesses only some of his sins and wilfully neglects to
accuse himself of others which should be confessed, he not only does not profit
by his confession, but involves himself in new guilt. Such an enumeration of
sins cannot be called sacramental confession; on the contrary, the penitent
must repeat his confession, not omitting to accuse himself of having, under the
semblance of confession, profaned the sanctity of the Sacrament.
Sins Forgotten
But should the confession seem defective,
either because the penitent forgot some grievous sins, or because, although
intent on confessing all his sins, he did not examine the recesses of his
conscience with sufficient accuracy, he is not bound to repeat his confession.
It will be sufficient, when he recollects the sins which he had forgotten, to
confess them to a priest on a future occasion.
It should be noted, however, that we are not
to examine our consciences with careless indifference, or to be so negligent in
recalling our sins as to seem as if unwilling to remember them. Should this
have been the case, the confession must by all means be made over again.
Confession Should Be Plain, Simple,
Sincere
In the second place our confession should be
plain, simple and undisguised; not artfully made, as is the case with some who
seem more intent on defending themselves than on confessing their sins. Our
confession should be such as to disclose to the priest a true image of our
lives, such as we ourselves know them to be, exhibiting as doubtful that which
is doubtful, and as certain that which is certain. If, then, we neglect to
enumerate our sins, or introduce extraneous matter, our confession, it is
clear, lacks this quality.
Confession Should Be Prudent, Modest,
Brief
Prudence and modesty in explaining matters of
confession are also much to be commended, and a superfluity of words is to be
carefully avoided. Whatever is necessary to make known the nature of every sin
is to be explained briefly and modestly.
Confession Should Be Made Privately And
Often
Secrecy as regards confession should be
strictly observed, as well by the penitent as by the priest. Hence, no one can,
on any account, confess by messenger or letter, because in those cases secrecy
would not be possible.
The faithful should be careful above all to
cleanse their consciences from sin by frequent confession. When a person is in
mortal sin nothing can be more salutary, so precarious is human life, than to
have immediate recourse to confession. But even if we could promise ourselves a
long life, yet it would be truly disgraceful that we who are so particular in
whatever relates to cleanliness of dress or person, were not at least equally
careful in preserving the lustre of the soul unsullied from the foul stains of
sin.
The Minister of the Sacrament of Penance
The Usual Minister
We now come to treat of the minister of this
Sacrament. That the minister of the Sacrament of Penance must be a priest
possessing ordinary or delegated jurisdiction the laws of the Church
sufficiently declare. Whoever discharges this sacred function must be invested
not only with the power of orders, but also with that of jurisdiction. Of this
ministry we have an illustrious proof in these words of our Lord, recorded by St.
John: Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you
shall retain, they are retained, words addressed not to all, but to the
Apostles only, to whom, in this function of the ministry, priests succeed.
This is also most fitting, for as all the
grace imparted by this Sacrament is communicated from Christ the Head to His
members, they who alone have power to consecrate His true body should alone
have power to administer this Sacrament to His mystical body, the faithful,
particularly as these are qualified and disposed by means of the Sacrament of
Penance to receive the Holy Eucharist.
The scrupulous care which in the primitive
ages of the Church guarded the right of the ordinary priest is easily seen from
the ancient decrees of the Fathers, which provided that no Bishop or priest,
except in case of great necessity, presume to exercise any function in the
parish of another without the authority of him who governed there. This law
derives its sanction from the Apostle when he commanded Titus to ordain priests
in every city, to administer to the faithful the heavenly food of doctrine and
of the Sacraments.
The Minister In Danger Of Death
In order that none may perish, if there is
imminent danger of death, and recourse cannot be had to the proper priest, the
Council of Trent teaches that according to the ancient practice of the Church
of God it is then lawful for any priest, not only to remit all kinds of Sill,
whatever faculties they might otherwise require, but also to absolve from excommunication.
Qualifications Of The Minister
Besides the powers of orders and of
jurisdiction, which are of absolute necessity, the minister of this Sacrament,
holding as he does the place at once of judge and physician, should be gifted
not only with knowledge and erudition, but also with prudence.
As judge, his knowledge, it is evident,
should be more than ordinary, for by it he is to examine into the nature of
sins, and among the various kinds of sins to judge which are grievous and which
are not, keeping in view the rank and condition of the person.
As physician he has also occasion for
consummate prudence, for to him it belongs to administer to the diseased soul
those healing medicines which will not only effect the cure, but prove suitable
preservatives against its future contagion.
The faithful, therefore, will see the great
care that each one should take in selecting (as confessor) a priest, who is
recommended by integrity of life, by learning and prudence, who is deeply
impressed with the awful weight and responsibility of the station which he
holds, who understands well the punishment due to every sin, and can also
discern who are to be loosed and who to be bound.
The Confessor Must Observe The Seal Of
Confession
Since each one is most anxious that his sins
and defilements should be buried in oblivion, the faithful are to be admonished
that there is no reason whatever to apprehend that what is made known in
confession will ever be revealed by the priest to anyone, or that by it the
penitent can at any time be brought into danger of any sort. The laws of the
Church threaten the severest penalties against any priests who would fail to
observe a perpetual and religious silence concerning all the sins confessed to
them. Let the priest, says the great Council of Lateran, take special care,
neither by word or sign, nor by any other means whatever, to betray in the
least degree the sinner.
Duties of the Confessor towards Various
Classes of Penitents
Having treated of the minister of this
Sacrament, the order of our matter requires that we next proceed to explain
some general heads which are of considerable importance with regard to the use
and practice of confession.
Many of the faithful, to whom, as a rule, no
time seems to pass so slowly as that which is appointed by the laws of the
Church for the duty of confession, are so removed from Christian perfection
that, far from bestowing attention on those other matters which are obviously
most efficacious in conciliating the favour and friendship of God, they do not
even try to remember the sins that are to be confessed to the priest.
Since, therefore, nothing is to be omitted
which can assist the faithful in the important work of salvation, the priest
should be careful to observe if the penitent be truly contrite for his sins,
and deliberately and firmly resolved to avoid sin for the future.
The Well Disposed Should Be Exhorted To
Thanksgiving And Perseverance
If the sinner is found to be thus disposed,
he is to be admonished and earnestly exhorted to pour out his heart in
gratitude to God for so great and so singular a blessing, and to supplicate
unceasingly the aid of divine grace, shielded by which he may securely combat
his evil propensities.
He should also be taught not to suffer a day
to pass without devoting a portion of it to meditation on some mystery of the
Passion of our Lord, and to exciting and inflaming himself to the imitation and
most ardent love of his Redeemer. The fruit of such meditation will be to
fortify him more and more every day against all the assaults of the devil. For
what other reason is there why our courage sinks and our strength fails the
moment the enemy makes even the slightest attack on us, but that we neglect by
pious meditation to kindle within us the fire of divine love, which animates
and invigorates the soul?
The Indisposed Should Be Helped
But should the priest perceive that the
penitent is not truly contrite, he will endeavour to inspire him with an
anxious desire for contrition, inflamed by which he may resolve to ask and
implore this heavenly gift from the mercy of God.
Those Who Seek To Excuse Their Sins Should
Be Corrected
The pride of some who seek by vain excuses to
justify or extenuate their offences is carefully to be repressed. If, for
instance, a penitent confesses that he was wrought up to anger, and immediately
transfers the blame of the excitement to another, who, he complains, was the
aggressor, he is to be reminded that such apologies are indications of a proud
spirit, and of a man who either thinks lightly of, or is unacquainted with the
enormity of his sin, while they serve rather to aggravate than to extenuate his
guilt. He who thus labours to justify his conduct seems to say that then only
will he exercise patience, when no one injures him -- a disposition than which
nothing can be more unworthy of a Christian. Instead of lamenting the state of
him who inflicted the injury he disregards the grievousness of the sin, and is
angry with his brother. Having had an opportunity of honouring God by his
exemplary patience, and of correcting a brother by his meekness, he turns the
very means of salvation to his own destruction.
Those Who Are Ashamed To Confess Their
Sins Should Be Instructed
Still more pernicious is the fault of those
who, yielding to a foolish bashfulness, cannot induce themselves to confess
their sins. Such persons are to be encouraged by exhortation, and are to be
reminded that there is no reason whatever why they should fear to disclose
their sins, that to no one can it appear surprising if persons fall into sin,
the common malady of the human race and the natural consequence of human
infirmity.
The Careless Should Be Rebuked
There are others who, either because they
seldom confess their sins, or because they have bestowed no care or attention
on the examination of their consciences, do not know well how to begin or end
their confession. Such persons deserve to be severely rebuked, and are to be
taught that before anyone approaches the tribunal of Penance he should employ
every diligence to excite himself to contrition for his sins, and that this he
cannot do without endeavouring to know and recollect them severally.
The Unprepared Should Be Dismissed Or Led
To Good Disposition
Should the confessor meet persons of this
class entirely unprepared, he should dismiss them without harshness, exhorting
them in the kindest terms to take some time to reflect on their sins, and then
return; but should they declare that they have already done everything in their
power to prepare, and there is reason to apprehend that if sent away they may
not return, their confession is to be heard, particularly if they manifest some
disposition to amend their lives and can be induced to accuse their own
negligence and promise to atone for it at another time by a diligent and
accurate scrutiny of conscience. In such cases, however, the confessor should
proceed with caution. If, after having heard the confession, he is of the
opinion that the penitent did not entirely lack diligence in examining his
conscience or sorrow in detesting his sins, he may absolve him; but if he has
found him deficient in both, he should, as we have already said, admonish him
to use greater care in his examination of conscience, and dismiss him as kindly
as he can.
The Pastor Should Show The Wrong Of Human
Respect
But as it sometimes happens that females, who
may have forgotten some sin in a former confession, cannot bring themselves to
return to the confessor, dreading to expose themselves before the people to the
suspicion of having been guilty of something grievous or of looking for the
praise of extraordinary piety, the pastor should frequently remind the
faithful, both publicly and privately, that no one is gifted with so tenacious
a memory as to be able to recollect all his thoughts, words and actions; that
the faithful, therefore, should they call to mind some sin which they had
previously forgotten, should not be deterred from returning to the priest.
These and many other matters of the same nature demand the attention of priests
in confession.
The Third Part of Penance
Satisfaction
Let us now come to the third part of Penance,
which is called satisfaction. We shall begin by explaining its nature and
efficacy, because the enemies of the Catholic Church have on these subjects
taken ample occasion to sow discord and division, to the serious detriment of
Christians.
General Meaning Of The Word
"Satisfaction,"
Satisfaction is the full payment of a debt;
for that is sufficient or satisfactory to which nothing is wanting. Hence, when
we speak of reconciliation to favour, to satisfy means to do what is sufficient
to atone to the angered mind for an injury offered; and in this sense
satisfaction is nothing more than compensation for an injury done to another.
But, to come to the object that now engages us, theologians make use of the
word satisfaction to signify the compensation man makes, by offering to God
some reparation for the sins he has committed.
Various Kinds Of Satisfaction To God
This sort of satisfaction, since it has
several degrees, can be understood in various senses.
The first and highest degree of satisfaction
is that by which whatever we owe to God on account of our sins is paid
abundantly, even though He should deal with us according to the strictest
rigour of His justice. This degree of satisfaction appeases God and renders Him
propitious to us; and it is a satisfaction for which we are indebted to Christ
our Lord alone, who paid the price of our sins on the cross, and offered to God
a superabundant satisfaction. No created being could have been of such worth as
to deliver us from so heavy a debt. He is the propitiation for our sins, says
St. John, and not for ours only but also for those of the whole world. This
satisfaction, therefore, is full and superabundant, perfectly adequate to the
debt of all sins committed in this world. It gives to man's actions great worth
before God, and without it they would be deserving of no esteem whatever. This
David seems to have had in view when, having asked himself, what shall I render
to the -Lord, for all the things that he hath rendered to me? and finding
nothing besides this satisfaction, which he expressed by the word chalice, a
worthy return for so many and such great favours, he replied: I will take the
chalice of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord.
There is another kind of satisfaction, which
is called canonical, and is performed within a certain fixed period of time.
Hence, according to the most ancient practice of the Church, when penitents are
absolved from their sins, some penance is imposed, the performance of which is
commonly called satisfaction.
By the same name is called any sort of
punishment endured for sin, although not imposed by the priest, but spontaneously
undertaken and performed by ourselves.
Elements Of Sacramental Satisfaction
This, however, does not belong to Penance as
a Sacrament. Only that satisfaction constitutes part of the Sacrament which, as
we have already said, is offered to God for sins at the command of the priest.
Furthermore, it must be accompanied by a deliberate and firm purpose carefully
to avoid sin for the future.
For to satisfy, as some define it, is to pay
due honour to God: and this, it is evident, no person can do, who is not
entirely resolved to avoid sin. Again, to satisfy is to cut off all occasions
of sin, and to close every avenue against its suggestions. In accordance with
this idea of satisfaction some have defined it as a cleansing, which effaces
whatever defilement may remain in the soul from the stains of sin, and which
exempts us from the temporal chastisements due to sin.
Necessity Of Satisfaction
Such being the nature of satisfaction, it
will not be difficult to convince the faithful of the necessity imposed on the
penitent of performing works of satisfaction. They are to be taught that sin
carries in its train two evils, the stain and the punishment. Whenever the
stain is effaced, the punishment of eternal death is forgiven with the guilt to
which it was due; yet, as the Council of Trent declares, the remains of sin and
the temporal punishment are not always remitted.
Of this the Scriptures afford many
conspicuous examples, such as are found in the third chapter of Genesis, in the
twelfth and twenty-second of Numbers, and in many other places. That of David,
however, is the best known and most striking. Although the Prophet Nathan had
announced to him: The Lord also hath taken a-way thy sin, thou shalt not , yet
David voluntarily subjected himself to the most severe penance, imploring night
and day the mercy of God in these words: Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and
cleanse me from my sin; for I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me.
Thus did he beseech the Lord to pardon not only the crime, but also the
punishment due to it, and to restore him, cleansed from the remains of sin, to
his former state of purity and integrity. This he besought with most earnest
supplications, and yet the Lord punished his transgression with the loss of his
adulterous offspring, the rebellion and death of his beloved son Absalom, and
with the other chastisements and calamities with which he had previously
threatened him.
In Exodus, too, we read that though the Lord
yielded to the prayers of Moses and spared the idolatrous Israelites, yet He
threatened the enormity of their crime with heavy chastisement, and Moses
himself declared that the Lord would take severest vengeance on it, even to the
third and fourth generations.
That such was at all times the doctrine of
the holy Fathers in the Catholic Church, their own testimony most clearly
proves.
Advantages of Satisfaction
It Is Required By God’s Justice And Mercy
Why in the Sacrament of Penance, as in that
of Baptism, the punishment due to sin is not entirely remitted is admirably
explained in these words of the Council of Trent: Divine justice seems to
require that they who through ignorance sinned before Baptism, should recover
the friendship of God in a different manner from those who, after they have
been freed from the thraldom, of sin and the devil and have received the gifts
of the Holy Ghost, dread not knowingly to violate the temple of God and grieve
the Holy Spirit. It is also in keeping with the divine mercy not to remit our
sins without any satisfaction, lest, taking occasion hence, and imagining our
sins less grievous than they are, we should become injurious, as it were, and
contumelious to the Holy Ghost, and should fall into greater enormities,
treasuring up to ourselves wrath against the day of wrath. These satisfactory
penances have, no doubt, great influence in recalling from and, as it were,
bridling against sin, and in rendering the sinner more vigilant and cautious
for the future.
Satisfaction Atones To The Church
Furthermore (these satisfactions) serve as
testimonies of our sorrow for sin committed, and thus atone to the Church which
is grievously insulted by our crimes. God, says St. Augustine, despises not a
contrite and humble heart; but, as heartfelt grief is generally concealed from
others, and is not manifested by words or other signs, wisely, therefore, are
penitential times appointed by those who preside over the Church, in order to
atone to the Church, in which sins are forgiven.
Satisfaction Deters Others From Sin
Besides, the example presented by our
penitential practices serves as a lesson to others, how to regulate their lives
and practice piety. Seeing the punishments inflicted on sin, they must feel the
necessity of using the greatest circumspection through life, and of correcting
their former habits.
The Church, therefore, with great wisdom
ordained that when anyone had committed a public crime, a public penance should
be imposed on him, in order that others, being deterred by fear, might more
carefully avoid sin in future. This has sometimes been observed even with
regard to secret sins of more than usual gravity.
But with regard to public sinners, as we have
already said, they were never absolved until they had performed public penance.
During the performance of this penance, the pastors poured out prayers to God
for their salvation, and ceased not to exhort the penitents to do the same. In
this respect, great was the care and solicitude of St. Ambrose, of whom it is
related that many who came to the tribunal of Penance with hardened hearts were
so softened by his tears as to conceive the sorrow of true contrition. But in
process of time the severity of ancient discipline was so relaxed and charity
grew so cold, that in our days many of the faithful think inward sorrow of soul
and grief of heart unnecessary for obtaining pardon, imagining that a mere
appearance of sorrow is sufficient.
By Satisfaction We Are Made Like Unto
Christ
Again, by undergoing these penances we are
made like unto Jesus Christ our Head, inasmuch as He Himself suffered and was
tempted. As St. Bernard observes, nothing can appear so unseemly as a delicate
member under a head crowned with thorns. To use the words of the Apostle: We
are joint-heirs with Christ, yet so if we suffer with him; and again, If we be
dead with him, we shall live also with him; if we suffer, we shall also reign
with him.
Satisfaction Heals The Wounds Of Sin
St. Bernard also observes that sin produces
two effects: a stain on the soul and a wound; that the stain is removed through
the mercy of God, while to heal the wound inflicted by sin the remedy of
penance is most necessary. When a wound has been healed, some scars remain
which demand attention; likewise, with regard to the soul, after the guilt of
sin is forgiven, some of its effects remain, from which the soul requires to be
cleansed.
St. Chrysostom fully confirms the same
doctrine when he says: It is not enough that the arrow has been extracted from
the body; the wound which it inflicted must also be healed. So with regard to
the soul, it is not enough that sin has been pardoned; the wound which it has
left must also be healed by penance.
St. Augustine also frequently teaches that
penance exhibits at once the mercy and the justice of God, -- His mercy by
which He pardons sin and the eternal punishment due to sin; His justice by
which He exacts temporary punishment from the sinner.
Satisfaction Disarms The Divine Vengeance
Finally, the punishment which the sinner
endures disarms the vengeance of God and averts the punishments decreed against
us. Thus the Apostle says: If we would judge ourselves, we should not be
judged; but whilst we are judged, we are chastised by the Lord, that we be not
condemned with this world. If all this is explained to the faithful, it must
have great influence in exciting them to perform works of penance.
Source of the Efficacy of Satisfactory
Works
Of the great efficacy of penance we may form
some idea, if we reflect that it arises entirely from the merits of the Passion
of Christ our Lord. It is His Passion that imparts to our good actions two
greatest advantages: the first, that we may merit the rewards of eternal glory,
so that a cup of cold water given in His name shall not be without its reward;
the second, that we may be able to satisfy for our sins.
Nor does this lessen the most perfect and
superabundant satisfaction of Christ our Lord, but, on the contrary, renders it
still more conspicuous and illustrious. For the grace of Christ is seen to
abound more, inasmuch as it communicates to us not only what He merited and
paid of Himself alone, but also what, as Head, He merited and paid in His
members, that is, in holy and just men. Hence it can be seen how such great
weight and dignity belong to the good actions of the pious. For Christ our Lord
continually infuses His grace into the devout soul united to Him by charity, as
the head to the members, or as the vine through the branches. This grace always
precedes, accompanies and follows our good works, and without it we can have no
merit, nor can we at all satisfy God.
Hence it is that nothing seems wanting to the
just. Through their works done by the power of God, they are able, on the one
hand, to satisfy God's law, as far as their human and mortal condition will
allow; and, on the other hand, they can merit eternal life, to the fruition of
which they will be admitted if they die in the state of God's grace. Well known
are the words of the Saviour: He that shall drink of the water that I will give
him shall not thirst for ever; but the water that I will give him shall become
in him a fountain of water, springing up into life everlasting.
Conditions for Satisfaction
In satisfaction two things are particularly
required: the one, that he who satisfies be in a state of grace, the friend of
God, since works done without faith and charity cannot be acceptable to God;
the other, that the works performed be such as are of their own nature painful
or laborious. They are a compensation for past sins, and, to use the words of
the holy martyr Cyprian, the redeemers, as it were, of past sins, and must,
therefore, in some way be disagreeable.
It does not, however, always follow that they
are painful or laborious to those who undergo them. The influence of habit, or
the intensity of divine love, frequently renders the soul insensible to things
the most difficult. Such works, however, do not therefore cease to be
satisfactory. It is the privilege of the children of God to be so inflamed with
His love, that while undergoing the most cruel tortures, they are either almost
insensible to them, or bear them all with the greatest joy.
Works Of Satisfaction Are Of Three Kinds
Pastors should teach that all kinds of
satisfaction are reducible to three heads: prayer, fasting and almsdeeds, which
correspond to three kinds of goods which we have received from God, those of
the soul, those of the body and what are called external goods.
Nothing can be more effectual in uprooting
all sin from the soul than these three kinds of satisfaction. For since
whatever is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence
of the eyes, and the pride of life, everyone can see that to these three causes
of disease are opposed also three remedies. To the first is opposed fasting; to
the second, almsdeeds; to the third, prayer.
Moreover, if we consider those whom our sins
injure, we shall easily perceive why all kinds of satisfaction are reduced
especially to these three. For those (we offend by our sins) are: God, our
neighbour and ourselves. God we appease by prayer, our neighbour we satisfy by
alms, and ourselves we chastise by fasting.
As this life is chequered by many and various
afflictions, the faithful are to be particularly reminded that those who
patiently bear all the trials and afflictions coming from the hand of God
acquire abundant satisfaction and merit; whereas those who suffer with
reluctance and impatience deprive themselves of all the fruits of satisfaction,
merely enduring the punishment which the just judgment of God inflicts upon
their sins.
One Can Satisfy For Another
In this the supreme mercy and goodness of God
deserve our grateful acknowledgment and praise, that He has granted to our
frailty the privilege that one may satisfy for another. This, however, is a
privilege which is confined to the satisfactory part of Penance alone. As
regards contrition and confession, no one is able to be contrite for another;
but those who are in the state of grace may pay for others what is due to God,
and thus we may be said in some measure to bear each other's burdens.
This is a doctrine on which the faithful
cannot for a moment entertain a doubt, since we profess in the Apostle's Creed
our belief in the Communion of Saints. For since we are all reborn to Christ in
the same cleansing waters of Baptism and are partakers of the same Sacraments,
and, above all, are nourished with the same body and blood of Christ our Lord,
as our food and drink, we are all, it is manifest, members of the same body. As
then the foot does not perform its functions solely for itself, but also for
the sake of the eyes, and as the eyes see not only for their own sake, but for
the general good of all the members, so also works of satisfaction must be
considered common to us all.
This, however, is not true in reference to
all the advantages to be derived from satisfaction. For works of satisfaction
are also medicinal, and are so many remedies prescribed to the penitent to heal
the depraved affections of the soul. It is clear that those who do not satisfy
for themselves can have no share in this fruit of penance.
These three parts of Penance, contrition,
confession and satisfaction, should be fully and clearly explained.
Duties of the Confessor as Regards
Satisfaction
Restitution Must Be Insisted On
Above all, priests should be very careful not
to give absolution to any penitent, whose confession they have heard, without
obliging him to make full satisfaction for any injury to his neighbour’s goods
or character for which he seems responsible. No person is to be absolved until
he has first faithfully promised to restore all that belongs to others.
But as there are many who readily promise to
comply with their duty in this respect, yet are deliberately determined never
to fulfil their promises, these persons should be obliged to make restitution,
and the words of the Apostle are to be frequently pressed upon their minds: He
that stole, let him now steal no more; but rather let him labour, working with
his hands the thing which is good, that he may have something to give to him
that suffereth need.
Quantity And Quality Of Penances Should Be
Reasonable
In imposing penance priests should do nothing
arbitrarily, but should be guided solely by justice, prudence and piety. In
order to show that they follow this rule, and also to impress more deeply on
the mind of the penitent the enormity of his sin, it will be useful sometimes
to remind him of the severe punishments inflicted by the ancient penitential
canons, as they are called, for certain sins. The nature of the sin, therefore,
will regulate the extent of the satisfaction.
No satisfaction can be more salutary than to
require of the penitent to devote, for a certain number of days, some time to
prayer, not omitting to pray to God in behalf of all mankind, and particularly
for those who have departed this life in the Lord.
Voluntary Works Of Penance Should Be
Recommended
Penitents should also be exhorted to
undertake of their own accord the frequent performance of the penances imposed
by the confessor, and thus so to conduct their lives that, having faithfully
complied with everything which the Sacrament of Penance demands, they may never
cease earnestly to practice the virtue of penance.
PUBLIC PENANCES SHOULD SOMETIMES BE GIVEN
Should it be deemed proper sometimes to visit
public crimes with public penance, and should the penitent express great
reluctance of seek to escape from its performance, he should not be listened to
too readily, but should be persuaded to embrace with cheerfulness and readiness
that which will be salutary to himself and to others.
Admonition
These things concerning the Sacrament of
Penance and its several parts should be taught in such a manner as to enable
the faithful not only to understand them perfectly, but also, with the Lord's
help, to resolve to put them in practice piously and religiously.
THE SACRAMENT OF EXTREME UNCTION
Importance Of Instruction On Extreme
Unction
In all thy works, the Scriptures teach,
remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin, words which convey to the
pastor a silent admonition to omit no opportunity of exhorting the faithful to
constant meditation on death. The Sacrament of Extreme Unction, because
inseparably associated with recollection of the day of death, should, it is
obvious, form a subject of frequent instruction, not only because it is right
to explain the mysteries of salvation, but also because death, the inevitable
doom of all men, when recalled to the minds of the faithful, represses depraved
passion. Thus shall they be less disturbed by the approach of death, and will
pour forth their gratitude in endless praises to God, who has not only opened
to us the way to true life in the Sacrament of Baptism, but has also instituted
that of Extreme Unction, to afford us, when departing this mortal life, an
easier way to heaven.
Names of this Sacrament
In explaining what is more necessary on this
subject we shall follow almost the same order observed in the exposition of the
other Sacraments. Hence we shall first show that this Sacrament is called
Extreme Unction, because among all the unctions prescribed by our Lord to His
Church, this is the last to be administered.
For this reason it was also called by our
predecessors in the faith, the Sacrament of the anointing of the sick, and also
the Sacrament of the dying, names which easily turn the minds of the faithful
to the remembrance of that last hour.
Extreme Unction Is a True Sacrament
That Extreme Unction is strictly speaking a
Sacrament, is first to be explained; and this the words of St. James the
Apostle, promulgating the law of this Sacrament, clearly establish. Is any man,
he says, sick amongst you ? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let
them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the
prayer of faith shall save the sick man; and the Lord shall raise him up; and
if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him. When the Apostle says that sins
are forgiven, he ascribes to Extreme Unction the nature and efficacy of a
Sacrament.
That such has been at all times the doctrine
of the Catholic Church on Extreme Unction, many Councils testify, and the
Council of Trent denounces anathema against all who presume to teach or think
otherwise. Innocent I also recommends this Sacrament with great earnestness to
the attention of the faithful.
Extreme Unction Is But One Sacrament
Pastors, therefore, should teach that Extreme
Unction is a true Sacrament, and that, although administered with many
anointings, each given with a peculiar prayer, and under a peculiar form, it
constitutes not many, but one Sacrament. It is one, however, not in the sense
that it is composed of inseparable parts, but because each of the parts
contributes to its perfection, as is the case with every object composed of
many parts. As a house which consists of a great variety of parts derives its
perfection from unity of plan, so is this Sacrament, although composed of many
and different things and words, but one sign, and it effects only that one
thing of which it is the sign.
Essential Parts of Extreme Unction
Pastors should also teach what are the
component parts of this Sacrament, its matter and form. These St. James does
not omit, and each is replete with its own peculiar mysteries.
The Matter Of Extreme Unction
Its element, then, or matter, as defined by
Councils, particularly by the Council of Trent, consists of oil consecrated by
the Bishop. Not any kind of oil extracted from fatty or greasy substances, but
olive oil alone (can be the matter of this Sacrament).
Thus its matter is most significant of what
is inwardly effected in the soul by the Sacrament. Oil is very efficacious in
soothing bodily pain, and the power of this Sacrament lessens the pain and
anguish of the soul. Oil also restores health, brings joy, feeds light, and is
very efficacious in refreshing bodily fatigue. All these effects signify what
the divine power accomplishes in the sick man through the administration of this
Sacrament. So much will suffice in explanation of the matter.
The Form Of Extreme Unction
The form of the Sacrament is the word and
solemn prayer which the priest uses at each anointing: By this Holy Unction may
God pardon thee whatever sins thou hast committed by the evil use of sight,
smell or touch.
That this is the true form of this Sacrament
we learn from these words of St. James: Let them pray over him . . . and the
prayer of faith shall save the sick man. Hence we can see that the form is to
be applied by way of prayer. The Apostle does not say of what particular words
that prayer is to consist; but this form has been handed down to us by the
faithful tradition of the Fathers, so that all the Churches retain the form
observed by the Church of Rome, the mother and mistress of all Churches. Some,
it is true, alter a few words, as when for God pardon thee, they say (God)
remit, or (God) spare, and sometimes, May (God) remedy all the evil thou hast
committed. But as there is no change of meaning, it is clear that all
religiously observe the same form.
It should not excite surprise that, while the
form of each of the other Sacraments either absolutely signifies what it
expresses, such as I baptise thee, or I Sign thee with the sign of the cross,
or is pronounced, as it were, by way of command, as in administering Holy
Orders, Receive power, the form of Extreme Unction alone is expressed by way of
prayer. Wisely has it been so appointed. For since this Sacrament is
administered not only for the spiritual grace which it bestows, but also for
the recovery of health, which, however, is not always obtained, therefore use a
deprecative form, in order to implore of God's mercy what the virtue of the
Sacrament does not always and uniformly effect.
The Ceremonies Of Extreme Unction
In the administration of this Sacrament
special rites are also used, consisting principally of prayers offered by the
priest for the recovery of the sick person. There is no Sacrament, the
administration of which is accompanied with more numerous prayers; and with
good reason, for at that moment more than ever the faithful require the
assistance of pious prayers. All who may be present, and especially the pastor,
should pour out their fervent aspirations to God, and earnestly commend to His
mercy the life and salvation of the sufferer.
Institution of Extreme Unction
Having thus proved that Extreme Unction is
truly and properly to be numbered among the Sacraments, we rightly infer that
it owes its institution to Christ our Lord. It was subsequently made known and
promulgated to the faithful by the Apostle St. James.
Our Saviour Himself, however, seems to have
given some indication of it, when He sent His disciples two and two before Him;
for the Evangelist informs us that going forth, they preached that all should
do penance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many who were
sick, and healed them.
This anointing cannot be supposed to have
been invented by the Apostles, but was commanded by our Lord. Nor did its power
arise from any natural virtue. Its efficacy, we must believe, was mystical,
having been instituted to heal the maladies of the soul, rather than to cure
the diseases of the body. This is the doctrine taught by St. Denis, St.
Ambrose, St. Chrysostom and St. Gregory the Great; so that it cannot be at all
doubted that Extreme Unction is to be recognised and venerated as one of the
seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church.
The Subject of Extreme Unction
But although instituted for the use of all,
Extreme Unction is not lo be administered indiscriminately to all.
The Subject Must Be In Danger Of Death
In the first place, it is not to be
administered to persons in sound health, according to these words of St. James:
Is anyone sick amongst you? This is also proved by the fact that Extreme
Unction was instituted as a remedy not only for the diseases of the soul, but
also for those of the body. Now only the sick need a remedy, and therefore this
Sacrament is to be administered to those only whose malady is such as to excite
apprehensions of approaching death.
It is, however, a very grievous sin to defer
the Holy Unction until, all hope of recovery being lost, life begins to ebb,
and the sick person is fast verging into a state of insensibility. It is obvious
that if the Sacrament is administered while consciousness and reason are yet
unimpaired, and the mind is capable of eliciting acts of faith and of directing
the will to sentiments of piety, a more abundant participation of its graces
must be received. Though this heavenly medicine is in itself always salutary,
pastors should be careful to apply it when its efficacy can be aided by the
piety and devotion of the sick person.
The Danger Must Arise From Sickness
Extreme Unction, then, can be administered to
no one who is not dangerously sick; not even to those who are in danger of
death, as when they undertake a perilous voyage, or enter into battle with the
sure prospect of death, or have been condemned to death and are on the way to
execution.
The Person Anointed Must Have Attained The
Use Of Reason
Furthermore, all those who have not the use
of reason are not fit subjects for this Sacrament; and likewise children who,
having committed no sins, do not need the Sacrament as a remedy against the
remains of sin. The same is true of idiots and insane persons, unless they give
indications in their lucid intervals of a disposition to piety, and express a
desire to be anointed. To persons who from their birth never enjoyed the use of
reason this Sacrament is not to be administered; but if a sick person, while in
the possession of his faculties, expresses a wish to receive Extreme Unction
and afterwards becomes delirious he is to be anointed.
Administration of Extreme Unction
The Sacred Unction is to be applied not to
the entire body, but to the organs of sense only, -- to the eyes, on account of
sight; to the ears, on account of hearing; to the nostrils, on account of
smell; to the mouth, on account of taste and speech; to the hands, on account
of touch. The sense of touch, it is true, is diffused throughout the entire
body, yet it is more developed in the hands.
This manner of administering Extreme Unction
is observed throughout the universal Church, and is in keeping with the
medicinal nature of the Sacrament. As in corporal disease, although the malady
affects the entire body, yet the cure is applied to that part only which is the
seat and origin of the disease; so likewise this Sacrament is applied not to
the entire body, but to those members in which the power of sensation is most
conspicuous, and also to the loins, which are, as it were, the seat of
concupiscence, and to the feet, by which we move from one place to another.
Here it is to be observed that, during the
same illness, and while the danger of dying continues the same, the sick person
is to be anointed but once. Should he, however, recover after he has been
anointed, he may receive the aid of this Sacrament as often as he shall have
relapsed into the same danger of death. This Sacrament, therefore, is evidently
to be numbered among those which may be repeated.
Dispositions for the Reception of Extreme
Unction
As all care should be taken that nothing
impede the. grace of the Sacrament, and as nothing is more opposed to it than
the consciousness of mortal guilt, the constant practice of the Catholic Church
must be observed of administering the Sacrament of Penance and the Eucharist
before Extreme Unction.
And next, let parish priests strive to
persuade the sick person to receive this Sacrament from the priest with the
same faith with which those of old who were to be healed by the Apostles used
to present themselves. But the salvation of his soul is to be the first object
of the sick man's wishes, and after that the health of the body, with this
qualification, if it be for the good of his soul.
Nor should the faithful doubt that those holy
and solemn prayers which are used by the priest, not in his own person, but in
that of the Church and of our Lord Jesus Christ, are heard by God; and they are
most particularly to be exhorted on this one point, to take care that the
Sacrament of this most salutary oil be administered to them holily and
religiously, when the sharper conflict seems at hand, and the energies of the
mind as well as of the body appear to be failing.
The Minister of Extreme Unction
Who the minister of Extreme Unction is we
learn from the same Apostle that promulgated the law of the Lord; for he says:
Let him bring in the priests (presbyters). By which name, as the Council of
Trent has well explained, he does not mean persons advanced in years, or of
chief authority among the people, but priests who have been duly ordained by
Bishops with the imposition of hands.
To the priest, therefore, has been committed
the administration of this Sacrament; not, however, to every priest, as holy
Church has decreed, but to the proper pastor who has jurisdiction, or to
another authorised by him to discharge this office.
In this, however, as also in the
administration of the other Sacraments, it is to be most distinctly remembered
that the priest is the representative of Christ our Lord, and of His spouse,
holy Church.
The Effects of Extreme Unction
The advantages we receive from this Sacrament
are also to be accurately explained, so that if nothing else can allure the
faithful to its reception, they may be induced at least by its utility; for we
are naturally disposed to measure almost all things by our interests.
Pastors, therefore, should teach that by this
Sacrament is imparted grace that remits sins, and especially lighter, or as
they are commonly called, venial sins; for mortal sins are removed by the
Sacrament of Penance. Extreme Unction was not instituted primarily for the
remission of grave offences; only Baptism and Penance accomplish this directly.
Another advantage of the Sacred Unction is
that it liberates the soul from the languor and infirmity which it contracted
from sins, and from all the other remains of sin. The time most opportune for
this cure is when we are afflicted with severe illness and danger to life
impends, for it has been implanted in man by nature to dread no human
visitation so much as death. This dread is greatly augmented by the
recollection of our past sins, especially if our conscience accuses us of grave
offences; for it is written: They shall come with fear at the thought of their
sins, and their iniquities shall stand against them to convict them. Another
source of vehement anguish is the anxious thought that we must soon afterwards
stand before the judgment seat of God, who will pass on us a sentence of
strictest justice according to our deserts. It often happens that, struck with
this terror, the faithful feel themselves deeply agitated; and nothing conduces
more to a tranquil death than to banish sadness, await with a joyous mind the
coming of our Lord, and be ready willingly to surrender the deposit entrusted
whenever it shall be His will to demand it back. To free the minds of the
faithful from this solicitude, and fill the soul with pious and holy joy is,
then, an effect of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.
From it, moreover, we derive another
advantage, which may justly be deemed the greatest of all. For although the
enemy of the human race never ceases, while we live, to meditate our ruin and
destruction, yet at no time does he more violently use every effort utterly to
destroy us, and, if possible, deprive us of all hope of the divine mercy, than
when he sees the last day of life approach. Therefore arms and strength are
supplied to the faithful in this Sacrament to enable them to break the violence
and impetuosity of the adversary, and to fight bravely against him; for the
soul of the sick is relieved and encouraged by the hope of the divine goodness,
strengthened by which it bears more lightly ail the burdens of sickness, and
eludes with greater ease the artifice and cunning of the devil who lies in wait
for it.
Finally, the recovery of health, if indeed
advantageous, is another effect of this Sacrament. And if in our days the sick
obtain this effect less frequently, this is to be attributed, not to any defect
of the Sacrament, but rather to the weaker faith of a great part of those who
are anointed with the sacred oil, or by whom it is administered; for the
Evangelist bears witness that the Lord wrought not many miracles among His own,
because of their unbelief.
It may also be truly said at the Christian
religion, since it has struck its roots more deeply in the minds of men, stands
now less in need of the aids of such miracles than it did formerly, at the
commencement of the rising Church. Nevertheless, faith should be strongly
excited in this respect, and whatever it may please God in His wisdom to do
with regard to the health of the body, the faithful ought to rely on a sure
hope of attaining, by virtue of this sacred oil, health of the soul, and of
experiencing, should the hour of their departure from life be at hand, the
fruit of that glorious assurance: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.
Admonition
We have thus explained briefly the Sacrament
of Extreme Unction. But if these points are developed by the pastor at greater
length and with the care the subject demands, it is not to be doubted that the
faithful will derive very great fruit of piety from his instruction.
THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS
Importance Of Instruction On This
Sacrament
If one attentively considers the nature and
essence of the other Sacraments, it will readily be seen that they all depend
on the Sacrament of Orders to such an extent that without it some of them could
not be constituted or administered at all; while others would be deprived of
all their solemn ceremonies, as well as of a certain part of the religious
respect and exterior honour accorded to them. Wherefore in continuing the
exposition of the doctrine of the Sacraments, it will be necessary for pastors
to bear in mind that it is their duty to explain with even special care the
Sacrament of Orders.
This explanation will be highly advantageous.
First of all to the pastor himself, then to all those who have entered on the
ecclesiastical state, and finally to the people in general. To the pastor
himself, because by treating of this subject he himself will be more deeply
moved to stir up within him the grace he has received in this Sacrament; to
those who have been called to the portion of the Lord, partly by animating them
with a like spirit of piety, and partly by affording them an opportunity of
acquiring a knowledge of such things as will enable them all the more easily to
advance to higher orders; to the rest of the faithful, first, because it
enables them to understand the respect due to the Church's ministers, and
secondly, because as it often happens that many may be present who have
destined their children, while yet young, for the Church's service, or who
desire to embrace that life themselves, it is far from right that such persons
should be unacquainted with the principal truths regarding this particular
state.
Dignity of this Sacrament
In the first place, then, the faithful should
be shown how great is the dignity and excellence of this Sacrament considered
in its highest degree, the priesthood.
Bishops and priests being, as they are, God's
interpreters and ambassadors, empowered in His name to teach mankind the divine
law and the rules of conduct, and holding, as they do, His place on earth, it
is evident that no nobler function than theirs can be imagined. Justly,
therefore, are they called not only Angels, but even gods, because of the fact
that they exercise in our midst the power and prerogatives of the immortal God.
In all ages, priests have been held in the
highest honour; yet the priests of the New Testament far exceed all others. For
the power of consecrating and offering the body and blood of our Lord and of
forgiving sins, which has been conferred on them, not only has nothing equal or
like to it on earth, but even surpasses human reason and understanding.
And as our Saviour was sent by His Father,
and as the Apostles and disciples were sent into the whole world by Christ our
Lord, so priests are daily sent with the same powers, for the perfecting of the
saints, for the work of the ministry, and the edifying of the body of Christ.
Requirements in Candidates for Orders
Holiness, Knowledge, Prudence
The burden of this great office, therefore,
should not be rashly imposed on anyone, but is to be conferred on those only
who by their holiness of life, their knowledge, faith and prudence, are able to
bear it.
Divine Call
Let no one take the honour to himself, but he
that is called by God as Aaron was; and they are called by God who are
called by the lawful ministers of His Church.
It is to those who arrogantly intrude themselves into this ministry that the
Lord must be understood to refer when He says: I did not send prophets, yet
they ran. Nothing can be more unhappy and wretched than such a class of men as
this, and nothing more calamitous to the Church of God.
Right Intention
In every action we undertake it is of the
highest importance to have a good motive in view, for if the motive is good,
the rest proceeds harmoniously. The candidate for Holy Orders, therefore,
should first of all be admonished to entertain no purpose unworthy of so
exalted an office.
This subject demands all the greater
attention, since in these days the faithful often sin gravely in this respect.
Some there are who embrace this state to secure the necessaries of life, and
who, consequently, seek in the priesthood, just as other men do in the lowest
walks of life, nothing more or less than gain. Though both the natural and
divine law lay down, as the Apostle remarks, that he who serves the altar
should live by the altar; yet to approach the altar for the sake of gain and
money is one of the very gravest of sacrileges.
Some are attracted to the priesthood by
ambition and love of honours; while there are others who desire to be ordained
simply in order that they may abound in riches, as is proved by the fact that
unless some wealthy benefice were conferred on them, they would not dream of
receiving Holy Orders. It is such as these that our Saviour describes as
hirelings, who, in the words of Ezechiel, feed themselves and not the sheep,
and whose baseness and dishonesty have not only brought great disgrace on the
ecclesiastical state, so much so that hardly anything is now more vile and
contemptible in the eyes of the faithful, but also end in this, that they
derive no other fruit from their priesthood than was derived by Judas from the
Apostleship, which only brought him everlasting destruction.
But they, on the other hand, who are lawfully
called by God, and who undertake the ecclesiastical state with the single
motive of promoting the honour of God, are truly said to enter the Church by
the door.
This, however, must not be understood as if
the same law did not bind all men equally. Men have been created to honour God,
and this the faithful in particular, who have obtained the grace of Baptism,
should do with their whole heart, their whole soul, and with all their
strength.
But those who desire to receive the Sacrament
of Orders, should aim not only at seeking the glory of God in all things-an
obligation admittedly common to all men, and particularly to the faithful --
but also to serve Him in holiness and justice in whatever sphere of His
ministry they may be placed. Just as in the army all the soldiers obey the
general's orders, though they all have not the same functions to discharge, one
being a centurion, another a prefect, so in like manner, though all the
faithful should diligently practice piety and innocence, which are the chief
means of honouring God, yet they who are in Holy Otters have certain special
duties and functions to discharge in the Church. Thus they offer Sacrifice for
themselves and for all the people; they explain God's law and exhort and form
the faithful to observe it promptly and cheerfully; they administer the
Sacraments of Christ our Lord by means of which all grace is conferred and
increased; and, in a word, they are separated from the rest of the people to
fill by far the greatest and noblest of all ministries.
The Twofold Power Conferred by this
Sacrament
Having explained all this, the pastor should
now turn his attention to the special properties of this Sacrament, so that the
faithful who desire to enter into the ecclesiastical state may understand the
nature of the office to which they are called and the extent of the power
bestowed by God on the Church and her ministers.
This power is twofold: the powers of orders
and the power of jurisdiction. The power of orders has for its object the real
body of Christ our Lord in the Blessed Eucharist. The power of jurisdiction
refers altogether to the mystical body of (Christ. The scope of this power is
to govern and rule the Christian people, and lead them to the unending bliss of
heaven.
The Power Of Orders
The power of orders not only embraces the
power of consecrating the Eucharist, but also fits and prepares the souls of
men for its reception. It also embraces all else that can have any reference to
the Eucharist. Regarding this power numerous passages of Sacred Scripture may
be adduced; but the weightiest and most striking are those which are read in
St. John and St. Matthew: As the Father, says our Lord, hath sent me I also
send you. .... Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins you shall forgive they are
forgiven them, and whose sins you shall retain they are retained; and: Amen, I
say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth shall be bound also in heaven;
and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth shall be loosed a also in heaven.
These texts, when expounded by pastors, in accordance with the teaching and
authority of the Fathers, will throw great light on this truth.
Greatness Of This Power
This power far excels that given under the
law of nature to certain ones who had charge of sacred things. The period
previous to the written law must have had its priesthood and its spiritual
power, since it is certain that it had its law; for these two, as the Apostle
testifies, are so closely connected that if the priesthood is transferred, the
law must necessarily be transferred also. Guided, therefore, by a natural
instinct, men recognised that God is to be worshipped; and hence it follows
that in every nation some, whose power might in a certain sense be called
spiritual, were given the care of sacred things and of divine worship.
This power was also possessed by the Jews;
but though it was superior in dignity to that with which priests were invested
under the law of nature, yet it must be regarded as far inferior to the
spiritual power that is found in the New Law. For the latter is heavenly, and
surpasses all the power of Angels; it is derived not from the Mosaic
priesthood, but from Christ our Lord who was a priest, not according to the
order of Aaron, but according to the order of Melchisedech. For He it is who,
Himself endowed with the supreme power of granting grace and remitting sins,
left to His Church this power, although He limited it in extent and attached it
to the Sacraments.
Names of this Sacrament
Hence to exercise this power certain
ministers are appointed and solemnly consecrated, which consecration is called
the Sacrament of Orders, or Sacred Ordination. The Fathers used this word,
which in itself has a most extensive signification, to show the dignity and
excellence of God's ministers.
In fact, order, when understood in its strict
meaning and acceptation, is the arrangement of superior and inferior things so
disposed as to stand in mutual relation towards each other. Now as in this
ministry there are many grades and various functions, and as all these are
disposed and arranged according to a definite plan, the name Order has been well
and properly applied to it.
Holy Orders Is a Sacrament
That Sacred Ordination is to be numbered
among the Sacraments of the Church, the Council of Trent has established by the
same line of reasoning as we have already used several times. Since a Sacrament
is a sign of a sacred thing, and since the outward action in this consecration
denotes the grace and power bestowed on him who is consecrated, it becomes
clearly evident that Order must be truly and properly regarded as a Sacrament.
Thus the Bishop, handing to him who is being ordained a chalice with wine and
water, and a paten with bread, says: Receive the power of offering sacrifice,
etc. In these words, pronounced along with the application of the matter, the
Church has always taught that the power of consecrating the Eucharist is
conferred, and that a character is impressed on the soul which brings with it
grace necessary for the due and proper discharge of that office, as the Apostle
declares thus: I admonish thee that thou stir up the grace of God which is in
thee, by the imposition of my hands; for God hath not given us the spirit of
fear, but of power, and of love, and of sobriety.
Number of Orders
Now, to use the words of the holy Council:
The ministry of so sublime a priesthood being a thing all divine, it is but
befitting its worthier and more reverent exercise that in the Church's
well-ordered disposition there should be several different orders of ministers
destined to assist the priesthood by virtue of their office, -- orders arranged
in such a way that those who have already received clerical tonsure should be
raised, step by step, from the lower to the higher orders.
It should be taught, therefore, that these
orders are seven in number, and that this has been the constant teaching of the
Catholic Church. These orders are those of porter, lector, exorcist, acolyte,
subdeacon, deacon and priest.
That the number of ministers was wisely
established thus may be proved by considering the various offices that are
necessary for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the
consecration and administration of the Blessed Eucharist, this being the
principal scope of their institution.
They are divided into major or sacred, and
minor orders. The major or sacred orders are priesthood, deaconship and
subdeaconship; while the minor orders are those of acolyte, exorcist, lector
and porter, concerning each of which we shall now say a few words so that the
pastor may be able to explain them to those especially whom he knows to be
about to receive any of the orders in question.
Tonsure
In the beginning should be explained first
tonsure, and it should be shown that this is a sort of preparation for the
reception of orders. As men are prepared for Baptism by exorcisms and for
Matrimony by engagement, so to those who dedicate themselves to God by tonsure
the way is opened that leads to the Sacrament of Orders; for by the cutting off
of hair is signified the character and disposition of him who desires to devote
himself to the sacred ministry.
The Name "Cleric"
Regarding the name cleric, which is then
given him for the first time, it is derived from the fact that he thereby
begins to take the Lord for his lot and inheritance, just as those, who among
the Jews were attached to the service of God, were forbidden by the Lord to
have any part of the ground that would be distributed in the land of promise: ,
he said, am thy portion and inheritance. And although these words are true of
all the faithful, yet it is certain that they apply in a special way to those
who consecrate themselves to the service of God.
Origin And Meaning Of Tonsure
The hair of the head is cut off in the form
of a crown. It should be always worn thus, and should be enlarged according as
one is advanced to higher orders.
The Church teaches that this usage is derived
from Apostolic origin, as mention is made of it by the most ancient and
authoritative Fathers, such as St. Denis the Areopagite, St. Augustine and St.
Jerome.
It is said that the Prince of the Apostles
first introduced this usage in memory of the crown of thorns which was put upon
our Saviour's head, so that the devices resorted to by the impious for the
ignominy and torture of Christ might be used by His Apostles a sign of honour
and glory, as well as to signify that the ministers of the Church should strive
to resemble Christ our Lord and represent Him in all things.
Some, however, assert that by tonsure is
denoted the royal dignity, that is, the portion reserved especially for those
who are called to the inheritance of the Lord. It will readily be seen that
what the Apostle Peter says of all the faithful: You are a chosen generation, a
kingly priesthood, a holy nation, applies especially and with much greater
reason to the ministers of the Church.
Still there are some who consider that by the
circle, which is the most perfect of all figures, is signified the profession
of a more perfect life undertaken by ecclesiastics; while in view of the fact
that the hair of their heads, which is a kind of bodily superfluity, is cut
off, others think that it denotes contempt for external things, and detachment
of soul from all human cares.
The Minor Orders
Porter
After tonsure it is customary to advance to
the first order, which is that of porter. The function (of porter) is to guard
the keys and doors of the church, and to allow no one to enter there to whom
access has been forbidden. Formerly the porter used to assist at the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass, to see that no one approached too near the altar, or
disturbed the priest during the celebration of the divine mysteries. Other
duties were also assigned to him, as may be seen from the ceremonies used at
his ordination.
Thus the Bishop, taking the keys from the
altar, hands them to him who is being made porter, and says: Let your conduct
be that of one who has to render to God an account of those things that are
kept under these keys.
How great was the dignity of this order in
the ancient Church may be inferred from a usage which exists in the Church in
these times. For the office of treasurer, which is still numbered among the
more honourable functions of the Church, was entrusted to porters, and carried
with it also the guardianship of the sacristy.
Reader
The second degree of orders is the office of
reader, whose duty it is to read in the church in a clear and distinct voice
the books of the Old and of the New Testament, and especially those which are
read during the nocturnal psalmody. Formerly it was also his duty to teach the faithful
the first rudiments of the Christian religion.
Hence it is that when ordaining him, the
Bishop, in the presence of the people, handing him a book in which are set down
all that regards this office, says: Take, and be you an announcer of the word
of God; if you faithfully and profitably discharge your office, you shall have
a part with those who from the be- ginning have well ministered the word of
God.
Exorcist
The third order is that of exorcists, to whom
is given the power to invoke the name of the Lord over those who are possessed
by unclean spirits. Hence the Bishop when ordaining them presents to them a
book in which the exorcisms are contained, and at the same time pronounces this
form of words: Take, and commit to memory, and have the power of imposing hands
over the possessed, whether baptised or catechumen.
Acolyte
The fourth degree is that of acolytes, and it
is the last of the orders that are called minor and not sacred. Their duty is
to attend and serve the ministers who are in major orders, that is, the deacon
and subdeacon, in the Sacrifice of the altar. They also carry and attend to the
lights during the celebration of the Sacrifice of the Mass, and especially
during the reading of the Gospel, from which fact they are also called candle-bearers.
Therefore at the ordination of acolytes the
Bishop observes the following rite: First of all he carefully warns them of the
nature of their office; then hands to each of them a light, saying: Receive
this candlestick and candle, and remember that henceforth you are given the
charge of lighting the candles of the church, in the name of the Lord. Then he
hands them empty cruets in which are presented the wine and water for the
Sacrifice, saying: Receive these cruets to supply wine and water for t) c
Eucharist of Christ's blood, in the name of the Lord.
The Major Orders
Subdeacon
From the minor orders, which are not sacred,
and of which we have been speaking until now, one lawfully enters and ascends
to major and Sacred Orders.
Now the subdiaconate is the first degree of
(major orders). Its function, as the name itself indicates, is to serve the
deacon at the altar. It is the subdeacon who should prepare the altar linen,
the vessels and the bread and wine necessary for the celebration of the Holy
Sacrifice. He also it is who presents water to the Bishop or priest when he
washes his hands during the Sacrifice of the Mass. It is also the subdeacon who
now reads the Epistle which in former times was read at Mass by the deacon. He
assists as witness at the Holy Sacrifice, and guards the celebrant from being
disturbed by anyone during the sacred ceremonies.
The various duties that pertain to the
subdeacon are indicated by the solemn ceremonies used at his ordination. In the
first place the Bishop warns him that the obligation of perpetual continence is
attached to this order, and declares that no one is to be admitted among the
subdeacons who is not ready and willing to accept the obligation in question.
Then, after the solemn recitation of the Litanies, the Bishop enumerates and
explains the duties and functions of the subdeacon. Thereupon each one of those
who are being ordained receives the chalice and sacred paten from the Bishop;
and, to show that he is to serve the deacon, the subdeacon receives from the
archdeacon cruets filled with wine and water, together with a basin and towel
with which to wash and dry the hands. At the same time the Bishop pronounces
these words: See what sort of ministry is entrusted to you; I admonish you
therefore, to show yourself worthy to please God. Other prayers follow, and
finally, when the Bishop has clothed the subdeacon with the sacred vestments,
for each of which there are special words and ceremonies, he gives kiln the
book of the Epistles, saying: Receive the book of the Epistles with power to
read them in the Holy Church of God, as well for the living as for the dead.
Deacon
The second degree of Sacred Orders is that of
the deacons, whose functions are much more extensive and have always been
regarded as more holy. His duty it is to be always at the side of the Bishop,
guard him while he preaches, serve him and the priest during the celebration of
the divine mysteries, as well as during the administration of the Sacraments,
and to read the Gospel in the Sacrifice of the Mass. In former times he
frequently warned the faithful to be attentive to the holy mysteries; he
administered our Lord's blood in those churches in which the custom existed
that the faithful should receive the Eucharist under both species; and to him
was entrusted the distribution of the Church's goods, as well as the duty of
providing for all that was necessary to each one's sustenance. To the deacon
also, as the eye of the Bishop, it belongs to see who they are in the city a
that lead a good and holy life, and who not; who are present at the Holy
Sacrifice and sermons at appointed times, and who not; so that he may be able
to give an account of all to the Bishop, and enable him to admonish and advise
each one privately, or to rebuke and correct publicly, according as he may deem
more profitable. He should also read out the list of the catechumens and
present to the Bishop those who are to be admitted to orders. Finally in the
absence of a Bishop or priest, he can explain the Gospel, but not from the
pulpit, thus letting it be seen that this is not his proper office.
The Apostle shows the great care that should
be taken that no one unworthy of the diaconate be promoted to this order, when
in his Epistle to Timothy he sets forth a deacon's character, virtues and
integrity. The same point is also gathered from the rites and solemn ceremonies
which the Bishop employs when ordaining him. The Bishop uses more numerous and
more solemn prayers at the ordination of a deacon than at that of a subdeacon,
and he also adds other kinds of sacred vestments. Moreover, he imposes hands on
him, just as we read the Apostles used to do when ordaining the first deacons.
Finally, he hands him the book of the Gospels, with these words: Receive the
power to read the Gospel in the Church of God both for the living and the dead
in the name of the Lord.
Priest
The third and highest degree of all Sacred
Orders is the priesthood. The Fathers of the first centuries usually designated
those who had received this order by two names. At one time they called them
presbyters -- a Greek word signifying elders, not only because of the ripe
years very necessary for this order, but much more on account of their gravity,
knowledge and prudence; for it is written: Venerable old age is not that of
long time nor counted by the number of years; but the understanding of a man is
grey hairs and an unspotted life is old age. At other times they call them
priests, both because they are consecrated to God, and because to them it
belongs to administer the Sacraments and take charge of things sacred and
divine.
Twofold Priesthood
But as Sacred Scripture describes a twofold
priesthood, one internal and the other external, it will be necessary to have a
distinct idea of each to enable pastors to explain the nature of the priesthood
now under discussion.
The Internal Priesthood
Regarding the internal priesthood, all the
faithful are said to be priests, once they have been washed in the saving
waters of Baptism. Especially is this name given to the just who have the
Spirit of God, and who, by the help of divine grace, have been made living
members of the great High-priest, Jesus Christ; for, enlightened by faith which
is inflamed by charity, they offer tip spiritual sacrifices to God on the altar
of their hearts. Among such sacrifices must be reckoned every good and virtuous
action done for the glory of God.
Hence we read in the Apocalypse: Christ hath
washed us front our sins. in his own blood and hath made us a kingdom, and
priests to God and his Father. In like manner was it said by the Prince of the
Apostles: Be you also as living stones built up, a spiritual house a holy
priesthood offering up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ;
while the Apostle exhorts us to present our bodies a living sacrifice holy ,
pleasing unto God your reasonable service. And long before this David had said:
A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humble heart O God
thou wilt not despise. All this clearly regards the internal priesthood.
The External Priesthood
The external priesthood, on the contrary,
does not pertain to the faithful at large, but only to certain men who have
been ordained and consecrated to God by the lawful imposition of hands and by
the solemn ceremonies of holy Church, and who are thereby devoted to a
particular sacred ministry.
This distinction of the priesthood can be
seen even in the Old Law. That David spoke of the internal priesthood, we have
just shown. On the other hand, everyone knows the many and various precepts
given by the Lord to Moses and Aaron regarding the external priesthood. Along
with this He appointed the whole tribe of Levi to the ministry of the Temple,
and He forbade by law that anyone belonging to another tribe should dare to
intrude himself into that function. Hence it was that King Ozias was afflicted
with leprosy by the Lord for having usurped the sacerdotal ministry, and had to
suffer grave chastisements for his arrogance and sacrilege.
Now as the same distinction (of a twofold)
priesthood may be noted in the New Law, the faithful should be cautioned that
what we are now about to say concerns that external priesthood which is
conferred on certain special individuals. This alone belongs to the Sacrament
of Holy Orders.
Functions of the Priesthood
The office of a priest, then, is to offer
Sacrifice to God and to administer the Sacraments of the Church. This is proved
by the very ceremonies used at his ordination. When-ordaining a priest, the
Bishop first of all imposes hands on him, as do all the other priests who are
present. Then he puts a stole on his shoulders and arranges it over his breast
in the form of a cross, declaring thereby that the priest is clothed with power
from on high, enabling him to carry the cross of Christ our Lord and the sweet
yoke of God's law, and to inculcate this law not only by words, but also by the
example of a most holy and virtuous life.
He next anoints his hands with holy oil, and
then gives him the chalice with wine and the paten with a host, saying at the
same time: Receive the power to offer Sacrifice to God and to celebrate Masses
both for the living and for the dead. By these words and ceremonies the priest
is constituted an interpreter and mediator between God and man, which indeed
must be regarded as the principal function of the priesthood.
Lastly, placing his hands a second time on
the head (of the person ordained the Bishop) says: Receive the Holy Ghost;
whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven them, and whose sins you shall
retain they are retained, thus communicating to him that divine power of
forgiving and retaining sin which was given by our Lord to His disciples. Such,
then, are the special and principal functions of the sacerdotal order.
Degrees of the Priesthood
Priests
Now although (the sacerdotal order) is one
alone, yet it has various degrees of dignity and power. The first degree is
that of those who are simply called priests, and of whose functions we have
hitherto been speaking.
Bishops
The second is that of Bishops, who are placed
over the various dioceses to govern not only the other ministers of the Church,
but the faithful also, and to promote their salvation with supreme vigilance
and care. Hence it is that in Sacred Scripture they are often called pastors of
the sheep. Their office and duty has been well described by St. Paul in his
sermon to the Ephesians, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles; while St.
Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, has also laid down a divine rule for the
exercise of the episcopal office. And if Bishops strive to conform their
actions according to this rule, there can be no doubt that they will be good
pastors and will be also esteemed as such. Bishops are also called pontiffs.
This name is derived from the pagans, who thus designated their chief priests.
Archbishops
The third degree is that of Archbishops, who
preside over a number of Bishops and who are called Metropolitans, because they
are Bishops of those cities which are regarded as the metropolis of their
respective provinces. Hence they enjoy greater dignity and more extensive power
than Bishops, although their Ordination is the same.
Patriarchs
In the fourth degree come Patriarchs, that is
to say, the first and highest of the Fathers. Formerly, besides the Roman
Pontiff, there were in the universal Church only four Patriarchs, who, however,
were not of equal dignity. Thus Constantinople, though it reached the
patriarchal honour only after all the others, yet it obtained a higher rank by
reason of being the capital of the Empire. Next in rank came the Patriarch of
Alexandria, which Church had been founded by St. Mark the Evangelist by order
of the Prince of the Apostles. The third was that of Antioch, where Peter fixed
his first See. Finally, that of Jerusalem, a See first governed by James, the
brother of our Lord.
The Pope
Above all these, the Catholic Church has
always placed the Supreme Pontiff of Rome, whom Cyril of Alexandria, in the
Council of Ephesus, named the Chief Bishop, Father and Patriarch of the whole
world. He sits in that chair of Peter in which beyond every shadow of doubt the
Prince of the Apostles sat to the end of his days, and hence it is that in him
the Church recognises the highest degree of dignity, and a universality of
jurisdiction derived, not from the decrees of men or Councils, but from God
Himself. Wherefore he is the Father and guide of all the faithful, of all the Bishops,
and of all the prelates, no matter how high their power and office; and as
successor of St. Peter, as true and lawful Vicar of Christ our Lord, he governs
the universal Church.
From what has been said, therefore, pastors
should teach what are the principal duties and functions of the various
ecclesiastical orders and degrees, and also who is the minister of this
Sacrament.
The Minister of Holy Orders
Beyond all doubt, it is to the Bishop that
the administration (of orders) belongs, as is easily proved by the authority of
Holy Scripture, by most certain tradition, by the testimony of all the Fathers,
by the decrees of the Councils, and by the usage and practice of Holy Church.
It is true that permission has been granted
to some abbots occasionally to administer those orders that are minor and not
sacred; yet there is no doubt whatever that it is the proper office of the
Bishop, and of the Bishop alone to confer the orders called holy or major.
To ordain subdeacons, deacons and priests,
one Bishop suffices; but in accordance with an Apostolic tradition that has
been always observed in the Church, Bishops are consecrated by three Bishops.
The Recipient of Holy Orders
We now come to indicate who are fit to
receive this Sacrament, and especially the priestly order, and what are the
principal dispositions required of them.
From (what we shall lay down concerning the
dispositions requisite for the priesthood) it will be easy to determine what
ought to be observed in conferring the other orders, due account being taken of
the office and dignity of each. Now the extreme caution I hat should be used in
conferring this Sacrament is gathered from the fact that, while all the other
Sacraments impart grace to the recipient for his own use and sanctification,
he, on the other hand, who receives Holy Orders is made partaker of heavenly
grace precisely that by his ministry he may promote the welfare of the Church
and therefore of all mankind.
Hence we readily understand why it is that
ordinations take place only on special days, on which, moreover, in accordance
with a very ancient practice of the Catholic Church, a solemn fast is appointed
in order that by holy and fervent prayer the faithful may obtain from God
ministers who will be well qualified to exercise properly and to the advantage
of the Church the power of so great a ministry.
Qualifications for the Priesthood
Holiness Of Life
The chief and most necessary quality
requisite in him who is to be ordained a priest is that he be recommended by
integrity of life and morals: first because, by procuring or permitting his
ordination while conscious of mortal sin, a man renders himself guilty of a new
and enormous crime; and secondly, because the priest is bound to give to others
the example of a holy and innocent life.
In this connection pastors should set forth
the rules which the Apostle laid down to Titus and Timothy, and he should also
explain that those bodily defects, which, by the Lord's command excluded from
the service of the altar in the Old Law, should for the most part be understood
of deformities of soul in the New Law. This is why the holy custom has been
established in the Church that he who is about to be admitted to orders should
first take great care to cleanse his conscience in the Sacrament of Penance.
Competent Knowledge
In the second place there is required of the
priest not only that knowledge which concerns the use and administration of the
Sacraments; but he should also be versed in the science of Sacred Scripture, so
as to be able to instruct the people in the mysteries of the Christian faith
and the precepts of the divine law, lead them to piety and virtue, and reclaim
them from sin.
The priest's duties are twofold. The first is
to consecrate and administer the Sacraments properly; the second is to instruct
the people entrusted to him in all that they must know or do in order to be
saved. Hence the words of the Prophet Malachias: The lips of the priest shall
keep knowledge, and they shall seek the Law at his mouth; because he is the
angel of the Lord of hosts.
Now to fulfil the first of these duties it is
enough for him to be endowed with a moderate share of knowledge. As for the
second, it is no mere ordinary, but very special knowledge that is required. At
the same time, however, it should be remembered that a profound knowledge of
abstruse questions is not demanded of all priests in an equal degree. It is
enough that each one knows all that is necessary for the discharge of his
office and ministry.
Canonical Fitness
This Sacrament should not be conferred on
children, nor on the insane or mad, because they are devoid of the use of
reason. Yet if it does happen to be administered to them, we must
unhesitatingly believe that the sacramental character becomes impressed on
their souls. As for the precise age requisite for the reception of the various
orders, this will easily be found in the decrees of the Council of Trent.
Slaves also are excluded. He who is not his
own master and who is in the power of another, should not be dedicated to the
divine service.
Homicides and men of blood are also rejected,
because they are excluded by a law of the Church and are declared irregular.
The same must be said of the illegitimate and
of all those not born in lawful wedlock. It is only right that those who are
dedicated to the divine service should have nothing in them which could expose
them to the well-deserved derision or contempt of others.
Finally, those who are notably maimed or
deformed should not be admitted. A defect or deformity of this kind cannot but
offend the eye and stand in the way of the due administration of the
Sacraments.
Effects of Holy Orders
This much being explained, it now remains for
pastors to point out the effects of this Sacrament. It is evident that the Sacrament
of Orders, while mainly concerned, as already explained, with the welfare and
beauty of the Church, nevertheless also confers on the soul of him who is
ordained the grace of sanctification, fitting and qualifying him for the proper
discharge of his functions and for the administration of the Sacraments, in the
same way as by the grace of Baptism each one is qualified to receive the other
Sacraments.
Another grace is clearly conferred by this
Sacrament; namely, a special power with reference to the most Blessed Sacrament
of the Eucharist. This power is full and perfect in the priest, because he
alone can consecrate the body and blood of our Lord; but it is greater or less
in the inferior ministers in proportion as their ministry approaches the Sacrament
of the Altar.
This power is also called a spiritual
character, because those who have been ordained are distinguished from the rest
of the faithful by a certain interior mark impressed on the soul, by which they
are dedicated to the divine worship. It is this grace which the Apostle seems
to have had in view when he said to Timothy: Neglect not the grace that is in
thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with imposition of hands of the
priesthood; and again: I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace of God
which is in thee by the imposition of my hands.
Admonition
This much will suffice for the Sacrament of
Orders. We have aimed at presenting nothing more than the principal points that
bear on the subject, so as to supply the pastor with sufficient matter for
instructing the faithful, and directing them to Christian piety.
THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY
Importance Of Instruction On This
Sacrament
As it is the duty of the pastor to seek the
holiness and perfection of the faithful, his earnest desires must be in full
accordance with those expressed by the Apostle when writing to the Corinthians:
I would that all men were even as myself, that is, that all should embrace the
virtue of continence. No greater happiness can befall the faithful in this life
than to have their souls distracted by no worldly cares, the unruly desires of
the flesh tranquillised and restrained, and the mind fixed on the practice of
piety and the contemplation of heavenly things.
But as, according to the same Apostle, every
one hath his proper gift from God, one after this manner, and another after
that; and as marriage is gifted with great and divine blessings, so much so as
truly and properly to hold a place among the other Sacraments of the Catholic
Church, and as its celebration was honoured by the presence of our Lord
Himself, it is clear that this subject should be explained, particularly since
we find that St. Paul and the Prince of the Apostles have in many places
minutely described to us not only the dignity but also the duties of the
married state. Filled with the Spirit of God (these Apostles) well understood
the numerous and important advantages which must flow to Christian society from
a knowledge, and an inviolable observance by the faithful of the sanctity of
marriage; while they saw that from ignorance or disregard of (its holiness),
many and serious calamities and losses must be brought upon the Church.
Nature and Meaning of Marriage
The nature and meaning of marriage are,
therefore, to be first explained. Vice not infrequently assumes the semblance
of virtue, and hence care must be taken that the faithful be not deceived by a
false appearance of marriage, and thus stain their souls with turpitude and
wicked lusts. To explain this subject, let us begin with the meaning of the
word itself.
Names Of This Sacrament
The word matrimony is derived from the fact
that the principal object which a female should propose to herself in marriage
is to become a mother; or from the fact that to a mother it belongs to
conceive, bring forth and train her offspring.
It is also called wedlock (conjugium) from
joining together, because a lawful wife is united to her husband, as it were,
by a common yoke.
It is called nuptials, because, as St.
Ambrose observes, the bride veiled her face through modesty -- a custom which
would also seem to imply that she was to be subject and obedient to her
husband.
Definition Of Matrimony
Matrimony, according to the general opinion
of theologians, is defined: The conjugal union of man and woman, contracted
between two qualified persons, which obliges them to live together throughout
life.
In order that the different parts of this
definition may be better understood, it should be taught that, although a
perfect marriage has all the following conditions, -- namely, internal consent,
external compact expressed by words, the obligation and tie which arise from
the contract, and the marriage debt by which it is consummated; yet the
obligation and tie expressed by the word union alone have the force and nature
of marriage.
The special character of this union is marked
by the word conjugal. This word is added because other contracts, by which men
and women bind themselves to help each other in consideration of money received
or other reason, differ essentially from matrimony.
Next follow the words between qualified
persons; for persons excluded by law cannot contract marriage, and if they do
their marriage is invalid. Persons, for instance, within the fourth degree of
kindred, a boy before his fourteenth year, and a female before her twelfth, the
ages established by law, cannot contract marriage.
The words, which obliges them to live
together throughout life, express the indissolubility of the tie which binds
husband and wife.
Essence And Cause Of Marriage
Hence it is evident that marriage consists in
the tie spoken of above. Some eminent theologians, it is true, say that it
consists in the consent, as when they define it: The consent of the man and
woman. But we are to understand them to mean that the consent is the efficient
cause of marriage, which is the doctrine of the Fathers of the Council of
Florence; because, without the consent and contract, the obligation and tie
cannot possibly exist.
The Kind of Consent Required in Matrimony
It is most necessary that the consent be
expressed in words denoting present time.
Mutual
Marriage is not a mere donation, but a mutual
agreement; and therefore the consent of one of the parties is insufficient for
marriage, the consent of both being essential.
External
To declare this consent words are obviously
necessary. If the internal consent alone, without any external indication, were
sufficient for marriage, it would then seem to follow as a necessary
consequence, that were two persons, living in the most separate and distant
countries, to consent to marry, they would contract a true and indissoluble
marriage, even before they had mutually signified to each other their consent
by letter or messenger -- a consequence as repugnant to reason as it is opposed
to the decrees and established usage of holy Church.
Present
Rightly was it said that the consent must be
expressed in words which have reference to present time; for words which
signify a future time, promise, but do not actually unite in marriage. Besides,
it is evident that what is to be done has no present existence, and what has no
present existence can have little or no firmness or stability. Hence a man who
has only promised to marry a certain woman acquires by the promise no marriage
rights, since his promise has not yet been fulfilled. Such promises are, it is
true, obligatory, and their violation involves the offending party in a breach
of faith. But he who has once entered into the matrimonial alliance, regret it
as he afterwards may, cannot possibly change, or invalidate, or undo what has
been done.
As, then, the marriage contract is not a mere
promise, but a transfer of right, by which the man actually yields the dominion
of his body to the woman, the woman the dominion of her body to the man, it
must therefore be made in words which designate the present time, the force of
which words abides with undiminished efficacy from the moment of their
utterance, and binds the husband and wife by a tie that cannot be broken.
Instead of words, however, it may be
sufficient for marriage to substitute a nod or other unequivocal sign of
internal consent. Even silence, when the result of female modesty, may be
sufficient, provided the parents answer for their daughter.
The Essence of Marriage Constituted by the
Consent
Hence pastors should teach the faithful that
the nature and force of marriage consists in the tie and obligation; and that,
without consummation, the consent of the parties, expressed in the manner
already explained, is sufficient to constitute a true marriage. It is certain
that our first parents before their fall, when, according to the holy Fathers,
no consummation took place, were really united in marriage. Hence the Fathers
say that marriage consists not in its use but in the consent. This doctrine is
repeated by St. Ambrose in his book On Virgins.
Twofold Consideration of Marriage
When these matters have been explained, it
should be taught that matrimony is to be considered from two points of view,
either as a natural union, since it was not invented by man but instituted by
nature; or as a Sacrament, the efficacy of which transcends the order of
nature.
Marriage As A Natural Contract
As grace perfects nature, and as that was not
first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; afterwards that which is
spiritual, the order of our matter requires that we first treat of Matrimony as
a natural contract, imposing natural duties, and next consider what pertains to
it as a Sacrament.
Instituted By God
The faithful, therefore, are to be taught in
the first place that marriage was instituted by God. We read in Genesis that
God created them male and female, and blessed them, saying: "Increase and
multiply"; and also: "It is not good for man to be alone: let us make
him a help like unto himself.,' And a little further on: But for Adam there was
not found a helper like himself. Then the Lord God cast a deep sleep upon Adam;
and when he was fast asleep, he took one of his ribs, and filled up flesh for
it. And the Lord God built a rib which he took from Adam. into a woman, and
brought her to Adam; and Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones, and
flesh of my flesh: she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man:
wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife;
and they shall be two in one flesh," These words, according to the
authority of our Lord Himself, as we read in St. Matthew, prove the divine
institution. of Matrimony.
Marriage Is Indissoluble By Divine Law
Not only did God institute marriage; He also,
as the Council of Trent declares, rendered it perpetual and indissoluble.' What
God hath joined together, says our Lord, let not man separate.
Although it belongs to marriage as a natural
contract to be indissoluble, yet its indissolubility arises principally from
its nature as a Sacrament, as it is the sacramental character that, in all its
natural relations, elevates marriage to the highest perfection. In any event,
dissolubility is at once opposed to the proper education of children, and to
the other advantages of marriage.
Marriage Not Obligatory On All
The words increase and multiply, which were
uttered by the Lord, do not impose on every individual an obligation to marry,
but only declare the purpose of the institution of marriage. Now that the human
race is widely diffused, not only is there no law rendering marriage
obligatory, but, on the contrary, virginity is highly exalted and strongly
recommended in Scripture as superior to marriage, and as a state of greater
perfection and holiness. For our Lord and Saviour taught as follows: He that
can take it, let him take it; and the Apostle says: Concerning virgins I have
no commandment from the Lord; but I give counsel as having obtained mercy from
the Lord to be faithful.
The Motives And Ends Of Marriage
We have now to explain why man and woman
should be joined in marriage. First of all, nature itself by an instinct
implanted in both sexes impels them to such companionship, and this is further
encouraged by the hope of mutual assistance in bearing more easily the
discomforts of life and the infirmities of old age.
A second reason for marriage is the desire of
family, not so much, however, with a view to leave after us heirs to inherit
our property and fortune, as to bring up children in the true faith and in the
service of God. That such was the principal object of the holy Patriarchs when
they married is clear from Scripture. Hence the Angel, when informing Tobias of
the means of repelling the violent assaults of the evil demon, says: I will
show thee who they are over whom the devil can prevail; for they who in such
manner receive matrimony as to shut out God from themselves and from their
mind, and to give themselves to their lust, as the horse and mule which have
not understanding, over them the devil hath power. He then adds: Thou shalt
take the virgin with the fear of the Lord, moved rather for love of children
than for lust, that in the seed of Abraham thou mayest obtain a blessing in
children. It was also for this reason that God instituted marriage from the
beginning; and therefore married persons who, to prevent conception or procure
abortion, have recourse to medicine, are guilty of a most heinous crime --
nothing less than wicked conspiracy to commit murder.
A third reason has been added, as a
consequence of the fall of our first parents. On account of the loss of
original innocence the passions began to rise in rebellion against right
reason; and man, conscious of his own frailty and unwilling to fight the
battles of the flesh, is supplied by marriage with an antidote by which to
avoid sins of lust. For fear of fornication, says the Apostle, let every man
have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband; and a little
after, having recommended to married persons a temporary abstinence from the
marriage debt, to give themselves to prayer, he adds: Return together again,
lest Satan tempt you for your incontinency.
These are ends, some one of which, those who
desire to contract marriage piously and religiously, as becomes the children of
the Saints, should propose to themselves. If to these we add other causes which
induce to contract marriage, and, in choosing a wife, to prefer one person to another,
such as the desire of leaving an heir, wealth, beauty, illustrious descent,
congeniality of disposition -- such motives, because not inconsistent with the
holiness of marriage, are not to be condemned. We do not find that the Sacred
Scriptures condemn the Patriarch Jacob for having chosen Rachel for her beauty,
in preference to Lia.
So much should be explained regarding
Matrimony as a natural contract.
Marriage Considered as a Sacrament
It will now be necessary to explain that
Matrimony is far superior in its sacramental aspect and aims at an incomparably
higher end. For as marriage, as a natural union, was instituted from the
beginning to propagate the human race; so was the sacramental dignity
subsequently conferred upon it in order that a people might be begotten and
brought up for the service and worship of the true God and of Christ our
Saviour.
Thus when Christ our Lord wished to give a
sign of the intimate union that exists between Him and His Church and of His
immense love for us, He chose especially the sacred union of man and wife. That
this sign was a most appropriate one will readily appear from the fact that of
all human relations there is none that binds so closely as the marriage-tie,
and from the fact that husband and wife are bound to one another by the bonds
of the greatest affection and love. Hence it is that Holy Writ so frequently
represents to us the divine union of Christ and the Church under the figure of
marriage.
Marriage Is A Sacrament
That Matrimony is a Sacrament the Church,
following the authority of the Apostle, has always held to be certain and
incontestable. In his Epistle to the Ephesians he writes: Men should love their
wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man
ever hated his own flesh, but nourisheth it and cherisheth it, as also Christ
doth the church; for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his
bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall adhere
to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh. This is a great sacrament; but
I speak in Christ and in the church. Now his expression, this is a great
sacrament, undoubtedly refers to Matrimony, and must be taken to mean that the
union of man and wife, which has God for its Author, is a Sacrament, that is, a
sacred sign of that most holy union that binds Christ our Lord to His Church.
That this is the true and proper meaning of
the Apostle's words is shown by the ancient holy Fathers who have interpreted
them, and by the explanation furnished by the Council of Trent. It is
indubitable, therefore, that the Apostle compares the husband to Christ, and
the wife to the Church; that the husband is head of the wife as Christ is the
head of the Church; and that for this very reason the husband should love his
wife and the wife love and respect her husband. For Christ loved his church,
and gave himself for her; while as the same Apostle teaches, the church is
subject to Christ.
That grace is also signified and conferred by
this Sacrament, which are two properties that constitute the principal
characteristics of each Sacrament, is declared by the Council as follows: By
his passion Christ, the Author and Perfecter of the venerable Sacraments,
merited for us the grace that perfects the natural love (of husband and wife),
confirms their indissoluble union, and sanctifies them. It should, therefore,
be shown that by the grace of this Sacrament husband and wife are joined in the
bonds of mutual love, cherish affection one towards the other, avoid illicit attachments
and passions, and so keep their marriage honourable in all things, . . . and
their bed undefiled.
Marriage before Christ
It Was Not A Sacrament
How much the Sacrament of Matrimony is
superior to the marriages made both previous to and under the (Mosaic) Law may
be judged from the fact that though the Gentiles themselves were convinced
there was something divine in marriage, and for that reason regarded
promiscuous intercourse as contrary to the law of nature, while they also
considered fornication, adultery and other kinds of impurity to be punishable
offences; yet their marriages never had any sacramental value.
Among the Jews the laws of marriage were
observed far more religiously, and it cannot be doubted that their unions were
endowed with more holiness. As they had received from God the promise that in
the seed of Abraham all nations should be blessed," it was justly
considered by them to be a very pious duty to bring forth children, and thus
contribute to the propagation of the chosen people from whom Christ the Lord
and Saviour was to derive His birth in His human nature. Still their unions
also fell short of the real nature of a Sacrament.
Before Christ Marriage Had Fallen From Its
Primitive Unity And Indissolubility
It should be added that if we consider the
law of nature after the fall and the Law of Moses we shall easily see
that-marriage had fallen from its original honour and purity. Thus under the
law of nature we read of many of the ancient Patriarchs that they had several
wives at the same time; while under the Law of Moses it was permissible, should
cause exist, to repudiate one's wife by giving her a bill of divorce. Both
these (concessions) have been suppressed by the law of the Gospel, and marriage
has been restored to its original state.
Christ Restored to Marriage its Primitive
Qualities
Unity Of Marriage
Though some of the ancient Patriarchs are not
to be blamed for having married several wives, since they did not act thus
without divine dispensation, yet Christ our Lord has clearly shown that
polygamy is not in keeping with the nature of Matrimony. These are His words:
For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave unto his
wife, and they shall be two in one flesh; and He adds: wherefore they are no
more two but one flesh. In these words He makes it clear that God instituted
marriage to be the union of two, and only two persons. The same truth He has
taught very distinctly in another passage, wherein He says: Whosoever shall put
away his wife and marry another, committeth adultery against her; and if the
wife shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth
adultery. For if it were lawful for a man to have several wives, there is no
reason why he who takes to himself a second wife, along with the wife he
already has, should be regarded as more guilty of adultery than if he had
dismissed his first wife and taken a second.
Hence it is that when an infidel who,
following the customs of his country has married several wives, happens to be
converted to the true religion, the Church orders him to dismiss all but the
first, and regard her alone as his true and lawful wife.
Indissolubility Of Marriage
The self-same testimony of Christ our Lord
easily proves that the marriage-tie cannot be broken by any sort of divorce.
For if by a bill of divorce a woman were freed from the law that binds her to
her husband, she might marry another husband without being in the least guilty
of adultery. Yet our Lord says clearly: Whosoever shall put away his wife and
shall marry another committeth adultery. Hence it is plain that the bond of
marriage can be dissolved by death alone, as is confirmed by the Apostle when
he says: A woman is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her
husband die she is at liberty; let her marry whom she will, only in the Lord;
and again: To them that are married, not I but the Lord commandeth, that the
wife depart not from her husband; and if she depart that she remain unmarried
or be reconciled to her husband. To the wife, then, who for a just cause has
left her husband, the Apostle offers this alternative: Let her either remain
unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. Nor does holy Church permit husband
and wife to separate without weighty reasons.
Advantages Of Indissolubility
Lest, however, the law of Matrimony should
seem too severe on account of its absolute indissolubility, the advantages of
this indissolubility should be pointed out.
The first (beneficial consequence) is that
men are given to understand that in entering Matrimony virtue and congeniality
of disposition are to be preferred to wealth or beauty -- a circumstance that
cannot but prove of the very highest advantage to the interests of society at
large.
In the second place, if marriage could be dissolved
by divorce, married persons would hardly ever be without causes of disunion,
which would be daily supplied by the old enemy of peace and purity; while, on
the contrary, now that the faithful must remember that even though separated as
to bed and board, they remain none the less bound by the bond of marriage with
no hope of marrying another, they are by this very fact rendered less prone to
strife and discord. And even if it sometimes happens that husband and wife
become separated, and are unable to bear the want of their partnership any
longer, they are easily reconciled by friends and return to their common life.
The pastor should not here omit the salutary
admonition of St. Augustine who, to convince the faithful that they should not
consider it a hardship to receive back the wife they have put away for
adultery, provided she repents of her crime, observes: Why should not the
Christian husband receive back his wife when the Church receives her? And why
should not the wife pardon her adulterous but penitent husband when Christ has
already pardoned him? True it is that Scripture calls him foolish who keepeth
an adulteress ; but the meaning refers to her who refuses to repent of her
crime and quit the disgraceful course she has entered on.
From all this it will be clear that Christian
marriage is far superior in dignity and perfection to that of Gentiles and
Jews.
The Three Blessings of Marriage
The faithful should also be shown that there
are three blessings of marriage: children, fidelity and the Sacrament. These
are blessings which to some degree compensate for the inconveniences referred
to by the Apostle in the words: Such shall have tribulation of the flesh, and
they lead to this other result that sexual intercourse, which is sinful outside
of marriage, is rendered right and honourable.
Offspring
The first blessing, then, is a family, that
is to say, children born of a true and lawful wife. So highly did the Apostle
esteem this blessing that he says: The woman shall be saved by bearing
children.' These words are to be understood not only of bearing children, but
also of bringing them up and training them to the practice of piety; for the
Apostle immediately subjoins: If she continue in faith. Scripture says: Hast
thou children? Instruct them and bow down their necks from childhood. The same
is taught by the Apostle; while Tobias, Job and other holy Patriarchs in Sacred
Scripture furnish us with beautiful examples of such training. The duties of
both parents and children will, however, be set forth in detail when we come to
speak of the fourth Commandment.
Fidelity
The second advantage of marriage is faith,
not indeed that virtue which we receive in Baptism; but the fidelity which
binds wife to husband and husband to wife in such a way that they mutually
deliver to each other power over their bodies, promising at the same time never
to violate the holy bond of Matrimony. This is easily inferred from the words
pronounced by Adam when taking Eve as his wife, and which were afterwards
confirmed by Christ our Lord in the Gospel: Wherefore a man shall leave father
and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they shall be two in one flesh. It
is also inferred from the words of the Apostle: The wife hath not power of her
own body, but the husband: and in like manner, the husband hath not power of
his own body but the wife. Justly, then, did the Lord in the Old Law ordain the
most severe penalties against adulterers who violated this conjugal fidelity.
Matrimonial fidelity also demands that they
love one another with a special, holy and pure love; not as adulterers love one
another but as Christ loves His Church. This is the rule laid down by the
Apostle when he says: Husbands, love your wives as Christ also loved the church.
And surely (Christ's) love for His Church was immense; it was a love inspired
not by His own advantage, but only by the advantage of His spouse.
Sacrament
The third advantage is called the Sacrament,
that is to say, the indissoluble bond of marriage. As the Apostle has it: The
Lord commanded that the wife depart not from the husband, and if she depart
that she remain unmarried or be reconciled to' her husband; and let not the
husband put away his wife. And truly, if marriage as a Sacrament represents the
union of Christ with His Church, it also necessarily follows that just as
Christ never separates Himself from His Church, so in like manner the wife can
never be separated from her husband in so far as regards the marriage-tie.
The Duties of Married People
The more easily to preserve the holy state
(of marriage) from dissensions, the duties of husband and wife as inculcated by
St. Paul and by the Prince of the Apostles must be explained.
Duties Of A Husband
It is the duty of the husband to treat his
wife generously and honourably. It should not be forgotten that Eve was called
by Adam his companion. The woman, he says, whom thou gavest me as a companion.
Hence it was, according to the opinion of some of the holy Fathers, that she
was formed not from the feet but from the side of man; as, on the other hand,
she was not formed from his head, in order to give her to understand that it
was not hers to command but to obey her husband.
The husband should also be constantly
occupied in some honest pursuit with a view to provide necessaries for the
support of his family and to avoid idleness, the root of almost every vice.
He is also to keep all his family in order,
to correct their morals, and see that they faithfully discharge their duties.
Duties Of A Wife
On the other hand, the duties of a wife are
thus summed up by the Prince of the Apostles: Let wives be subject to their
husbands. that if any believe not the word, they may be won without the word by
the conversation of the wives, considering your chaste conversation with fear.
Let not their adorning be the outward plaiting of the hair, or the wearing of
gold, or the putting on of apparel: but the hidden man of the heart in the
incorruptibility of a quiet and meek spirit, which is rich in the sight of God.
For after this manner heretofore the holy women also, who trusted in God,
adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed
Abraham, calling hint lord.
To train their children in the practice of
virtue and to pay particular attention to their domestic concerns should also
be especial objects of their attention. The wife should love to remain at home,
unless compelled by necessity to go out; and she should never presume to leave
home without her husband's consent.
Again, and in this the conjugal union chiefly
consists, let wives never forget that next to God they are to love their
husbands, to esteem them above all others, yielding to them in all things not
inconsistent with Christian piety, a willing and ready obedience.
The Law of the Church on Marriage
The Rite To Be Observed
Having explained these matters, pastors
should next teach what rites are to be observed in contracting marriage. There
is no need, however, that we dwell on these questions here. The Council of Trent
has laid down fully and accurately what must be chiefly observed; and this
decree will not be unknown to pastors. It will suffice, then, to admonish
them-to study to make themselves acquainted, from the doctrine of the Council,
with what regards this subject, and to explain it carefully to the faithful.
But above all, lest young persons, whose
period of life is marked by extreme indiscretion, should be deceived by a
merely nominal marriage and foolishly rush into sinful love-unions, the pastor
cannot too frequently remind them that there can be no true and valid marriage
unless it be contracted in the presence of the parish priest, or of some other
priest commissioned by him, or by the Ordinary, and that of a certain number of
witnesses.
The Impediments Of Marriage
The impediments of marriage are also to be
explained, a subject so minutely and accurately treated by many grave and
learned writers on the virtues and vices as to render it an easy task to draw
upon their labours, particularly as the pastor has occasion to have such works
continually in his hands. The instructions, therefore, which such books
contain, and also the decrees of the Council with regard to the impediments
arising from spiritual relationship, from public honesty, and from fornication,
the pastor should peruse with attention and expound with care.
The Recipient of Matrimony
Dispositions With Which The Sacrament Is
To Be Approached
From the above may be learned the
dispositions with which the faithful should contract matrimony. They should
consider that they are about to enter upon a work that is not human but divine.
The example of the Fathers of the Old Law, who esteemed marriage as a most holy
and religious rite, although it had not then been raised to the dignity of a
Sacrament, shows the singular purity of soul and piety (with which Christians
should approach marriage).
Consent Of Parents
Among other things, children should be
exhorted earnestly that they owe as a tribute of respect to their parents, or
to those under whose guardianship and authority they are placed, not to
contract marriage without their knowledge, still less in defiance of their
express wishes. It should be observed that in the Old Law children were always
given in marriage by their fathers; and that the will of the parent is always
to have very great influence on the choice of the child, is clear from these
words of the Apostle He that giveth his virgin in marriage doth well; and he
that giveth her not, doth better.
The Use Of Marriage
Finally, the use of marriage is a subject
which pastors should so treat as to avoid any expression that may be unfit to
meet the ears of the faithful, that may be calculated to offend the piety of
some, or excite the laughter of. others. The words of the Lord are chaste
words; and the teacher of a Christian people should make use of the same kind
of language, one that is characterised by singular gravity and purity of soul.
Two lessons of instruction to the faithful are, then, to be specially insisted
upon.
The first is that marriage is not to be used
for purposes of lust or sensuality, but that its use is to be restrained within
those limits which, as we have already shown, have been fixed by the Lord. It
should be remembered that the Apostle admonishes: They that have wives, let
them be as though they had them not, and that St. Jerome says: The love which a
wise man cherishes towards his wife is the result of judgment, not the impulse
of passion; he governs the impetuosity of desire, and is not hurried into
indulgence. There is nothing more shameful than that a husband should love his
wife as an adulteress.
But as every blessing is to be obtained from
God by holy prayer, the faithful are also to be taught sometimes to abstain
from the marriage debt, in order to devote themselves to prayer. Let the
faithful understand that (this religious continence), according to the proper
and holy injunction of our predecessors, is particularly to be observed for at
least three days before Communion, and oftener during the solemn fast of Lent.
Thus will they find the blessings of marriage
to be daily increased by an abundance of divine grace; and living in the
pursuit of piety, they will not only spend this life in peace and tranquillity,
but will also repose in the true and firm hope, which confoundeth not, of
arriving, through the divine goodness, at the possession of that life which is
eternal.
PART
III : THE DECALOGUE
Importance Of Instruction On The
Commandments
St. Augustine in his writings remarks that
the Decalogue is the summary and epitome of all laws: Although the Lord had
spoken many things, He gave to Moses only two stone tablets, called
"tables of testimony," to be placed in the Ark. For if carefully
examined and well understood, whatever else is commanded by God will be found
to depend on the Ten Commandments which were engraved on those two tables, just
as these Ten Commandments, in turn, are reducible to two, the love of God and
of our neighbour, on which "depend the whole law and the prophets."
Since, then, the Decalogue is a summary of
the whole Law, the pastor should give his days and nights to its consideration,
that he may be able not only to regulate his own life by its precepts, but also
to instruct in the law of God the people committed to his care. The lips of the
priest shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek the law at his mouth, because
he is the angel of the Lord of hosts. To the priests of the New Law this
injunction applies in a special manner; they are nearer to God, and should be transformed
from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord. Since Christ our Lord has
called them light, it is their special duty to be a light to them that are in
darkness, the instructors of the foolish, the teachers of infants; and if a man
be overtaken in any fault, they who are spiritual should instruct such a one.
In the tribunal of penance the priest holds
the place of a judge, and pronounces sentence according to the nature and
gravity of the offence. Unless, therefore, he is desirous that his ignorance
should prove an injury to himself and to others, he must bring with him to the
discharge of this duty the greatest vigilance and the most practiced
acquaintance with the interpretation of the law, in order to be able to
pronounce, according to this divine rule, on every act and omission; and, as
the Apostle says, to teach sound doctrine, free from error, and heal the
diseases of the soul, which are sins, in order that the people may be
acceptable to God, pursuers of good works.
Motives for Observing the Commandments
In these instructions the pastor should
propose to himself and to others motives for keeping the Commandments
God Is The Giver Of The Commandments
Now among all the motives which induce men to
obey this law the strongest is that God is its author. True, it is said to have
been delivered by angels, but no one can doubt that its author is God. This is
most clear not only from the words of the Legislator Himself, which we shall
shortly explain, but also from innumerable other passages of Scripture that
will readily occur to pastors.
Who is not conscious that a law is inscribed
on his heart by God, teaching him to distinguish good from evil, vice from
virtue, justice from injustice? The force and import of this unwritten law do
not conflict with that which is written. Who is there, then, who will dare to
deny that God is the author of the written, as He is of the unwritten law ?
But, lest the people, aware of the abrogation
of the Mosaic Law, may imagine that the precepts of the Decalogue are no longer
obligatory, it should be taught that when God gave the Law to Moses, He did not
so much establish a new code, as render more luminous that divine light b which
the depraved morals and long-continued perversity of man had at that time
almost obscured. It is most certain that we are not bound to obey the
Commandments because they were delivered by Moses, but because they are
implanted in the hearts of all, and have been explained and confirmed by Christ
our Lord.
The reflection that God is the author of the
law is highly useful, and exercises great influence in persuading (to its
observance); for we cannot doubt His wisdom and justice, nor can we escape His
infinite power and might. Hence, when by His Prophets He commands the law to be
observed, He proclaims that He is the Lord God; and the Decalogue itself opens:
I am the Lord thy God; and elsewhere (we read): If I am a master, where is my
fear?
That God has deigned to make clear to us His
holy will on which depends our eternal salvation (is a consideration) which,
besides animating the faithful to the observance of His Commandments, must call
forth their gratitude Hence Scripture, in more passages than one, recalling
this great blessing, admonishes the people to recognise their own dignity and
the bounty of the Lord Thus in Deuteronomy it is said: This is your wisdom and
understanding in the sight of nations, that hearing all these precepts they may
say: Behold a wise and understanding people, a great nation; again, in the Psalm
(we read): He hath not done in like manner to every nation, and his judgments
he hath not made manifest to them.
The Commandments Were Proclaimed With
Great Solemnity
If the pastor explain the circumstances which
accompanied the promulgation of the Law, as recorded in Scripture, the faithful
will easily understand with what piety and humility they should receive and
reverence the Law received from God.
All were commanded by God that for three days
before the promulgation of the Law they should wash their garments and abstain
from conjugal intercourse, in order that they might be more holy and better
prepared to receive the Law, and that on the third day they should be in
readiness When they had reached the mountain from which the Lord was to deliver
the Law by Moses, Moses alone was commanded to ascend the mountain. Thither
came God with great majesty, filling the place with thunder and lightning, with
fire and dense clouds, and began to speak to Moses, and delivered to him the
Commandments
In this the divine wisdom had solely for
object to admonish us that the law of the Lord should be received with pure and
humble minds, and that over the neglect of His commands impend the heaviest
chastisements of the divine justice.
The Observance Of The Commandments Is Not
Difficult
The pastor should also teach that the
Commandments of God are not difficult, as these words of St Augustine are alone
sufficient to show: How, I ask, is it said to be impossible for man to love --
to love, I say, a beneficent Creator, a most loving Father, and also, in the
persons of his , brethren to love his own flesh? Yet, "he who loveth has
fulfilled the law." Hence the Apostle St. John expressly says that the
commandments of God are not heavy; for as St. Bernard observes, nothing more
just could be exacted from man, nothing that could confer on him a more exalted
dignity, nothing more advantageous. Hence St. Augustine, filled with admiration
of God's infinite goodness, thus addresses God : What is man that Thou wouldst
be loved by him ? And if he loves Thee not, Thou threatenest t him with heavy
punishment. Is it not punishment enough that I love Thee not ?
But should anyone plead human infirmity to
excuse himself for not loving God, it should be explained that He who demands
our love pours into our hearts by the Holy Ghost the fervour of His love; and
this good Spirit our heavenly Father gives to those that ask him with reason,
therefore, did St. Augustine pray: Give what thou commandest and command what
thou pleasest. As, then, God is ever ready to help us, especially since the
death of Christ the Lord, by which the prince of this world was cast out, there
is no reason why anyone should be disheartened by the difficulty of the
undertaking. To him who loves, nothing is difficult.
The Observance Of The Commandments Is
Necessary
Furthermore, it will contribute much to
persuade (obedience to the law) if it is explained that such obedience is
necessary, especially since in these our days there are not wanting those who,
to their own serious injury, have the impious hardihood to assert that the
observance of the law, whether easy or difficult, is by no means necessary to
salvation.
This wicked and impious error the pastor
should refute from Scripture, especially from the same Apostle by whose
authority they attempt to defend their wickedness. What, then, are the words of
the Apostle? Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the
keeping of the commandments of God. Again, inculcating the same doctrine, he
says: , new creature, in Christ, alone avails. By a new creature in Christ he
evidently means him who observes the Commandments of God; for, he who observes
the Commandments of God loves God, as our Lord Himself testifies in St. John:
If anyone love me, he will keep my word.
A man, it is true, may be justified, and from
wicked may become righteous, before he has fulfilled, by external acts, each of
the Commandments; but no one who has arrived at the use of reason can be
justified, unless he is resolved to keep all of God's Commandments.
The Observance Of The Commandments Is
Attended By Many Blessings
Finally, to leave nothing unsaid that may be
calculated to induce the faithful to an observance of the law, the pastor
should point out how abundant and sweet are its fruits. This he will easily
accomplish by referring to the eighteenth Psalm, which celebrates the praises
of the divine law. The highest eulogy of the law is that it proclaims the glory
and the majesty of God more eloquently than even the heavenly bodies, whose beauty
and order excite the admiration of all peoples, even the most uncivilised, and
compel them to acknowledge the glory, wisdom and power of the Creator and
Architect of the universe.
The law of the Lord also converts souls to
God; for knowing the ways of God and His holy will through the medium of His
law, we turn our steps into the ways of the Lord.
It also gives wisdom to little ones; for they
alone who fear God are truly wise. Hence, the observers of the law of God are
filled with pure delights, with knowledge of divine mysteries, and are blessed
with plenteous joys and rewards both in this life and in the life to come.
In our observance of the law, however, we
should not act so much for our own advantage as for the sake of God who, by
means of the law, has revealed His will to man. If other creatures are obedient
to God's will, how much more reasonable that man should follow it?
God's Goodness Invites Us To Keep His
Commandments
Nor should it be omitted that God has
preeminently displayed His clemency and the riches of His goodness in this,
that while He might have forced us to serve His glory without a reward, He has,
notwithstanding, deigned to identify His own glory with our advantage, thus
rendering what tends to His honour, conducive to our interests.
This is a great and striking consideration;
and the pastor, therefore, should teach in the concluding words of the Prophet
that in keeping them there is a great reward. Not only are we promised those
blessings which seem to have reference to earthly happiness, such, for example,
as to be blessed in the city, and blessed in the field: but we are also
promised a great reward in heaven, good measure, pressed down, shaken together
and running over, which, aided by the divine mercy, we merit by our holy and
pious actions.
The Promulgation of the Law
I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of
the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt not have strange
gods before me. Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing. The Law,
although delivered to the Jews by the Lord from the mountain, was long before
written and impressed by nature on the heart of man, and was therefore rendered
obligatory by God for all men and all times.
The People To Whom The Law Was Given
It will be very useful, however, to explain
carefully the words in which it was proclaimed to the Hebrews by Moses, its
minister and interpreter, and also the history of the Israelites, which is so
full of mysteries.
Epitome Of Jewish History
(The pastor) should first tell that from
among the nations of the earth God chose one which descended from Abraham; that
it was the divine will that Abraham should be a stranger in the land of Canaan,
the possession of which He had promised him; and that, although for more than
four hundred years he and his posterity were wanderers before they dwelt in the
promised land, God never withdrew from them, throughout their wanderings, His
protecting care. They passed from nation to nation and from one kingdom to
another people; He suffered no man to hurt them, and He even reproved kings for
their sakes.
Before they went down into Egypt He sent
before them one by whose prudence they and the Egyptians were rescued from
famine. In Egypt such was His kindness towards them that although opposed by
the power of Pharaoh who sought their destruction, they increased to an
extraordinary degree; and when they were severely harassed and cruelly treated
as slaves, God raised up Moses as a leader to lead them out in a strong hand.
It is especially this deliverance that the Lord refers to in the opening words
of the Law: I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of bondage.
Lessons To Be Drawn From Jewish History
From all this the pastor should especially
note that out of all the nations God chose only one whom He called His people,
and by whom He willed to be known and worshipped; not that they were superior
to other nations in justice or in numbers, and of this God Himself reminds the
Hebrews, but rather because He wished, by the multiplication and aggrandisement
of an inconsiderable and impoverished nation, to display to mankind His power
and goodness.
Such having been their condition, he was
closely united to them, and loved them, and Lord of heaven and earth as He was,
He disdained not to be called their God. He desired that the other nations
might thus be excited to emulation and that mankind, seeing the happiness of
the Israelites, might embrace the worship of the true God. In the same way St.
Paul says that by discussing the happiness of the Gentiles and their knowledge
of the true God, he provoked to emulation those who were his own flesh.
The faithful should next be taught that God
suffered the Hebrew Patriarchs to wander for so long a time, and their
posterity to be oppressed and harassed by a galling servitude, in order to
teach us that none are friends of God except those who are enemies of the world
and pilgrims on earth, and that an entire detachment from the world gives us an
easier access to the friendship of God. Further He wished that, being brought
to His service, we should understand how much happier are they who serve God,
than they who serve the world. Of this Scripture itself admonishes us: Yet they
shall serve him, that they may know the difference between my service and the
service of the kingdom of the earth.
(The pastor) should also explain that God
delayed the fulfilment of His promise until after the lapse of more than four
hundred years, in order that His people might be sustained by faith and hope;
for, as we shall show when we come to explain the first Commandment, God wishes
His children to depend on Him at all times and to repose all their confidence
in His goodness.
The Time And Place In Which The Law Was
Promulgated
Finally, the time and place, in which the
people of Israel received this Law from God should be noted. They received it
after they had been delivered from Egypt and had come into the wilderness; in
order that, impressed by the memory of a recent benefit and awed by the
dreariness of the place in which they journeyed, they might be the better
disposed to receive the Law. For man becomes closely attached to those whose
bounty he has experienced, and when he has lost all hope of assistance from his
fellow-man, he then seeks refuge in the protection of God.
From all this we learn that the more detached
the faithful are from the allurements of the world and the pleasures of sense,
the more disposed they are to accept heavenly doctrines. As the Prophet has
written: Whom shall he teach knowledge, and whom shall he make to understand
the hearing? Them that are weaned from the milk, that are drawn away from the
breasts.
THE FIRST
COMMANDMENT : "I am the lord thy god, who brought thee out of the land
of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt not have strange gods before
me. Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any
thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things
that are in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not adore them, nor serve
them. I am the lord thy god, mighty, jealous, visiting the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children, to the third and fourth generation of them that hate
me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my
commandments."
"I am the Lord thy God"
The pastor should use his best endeavours to
induce the faithful to keep continually in view these words: I am the Lord thy
God. From them they will learn that their Lawgiver is none other than their
Creator, by whom they were made and are preserved, and that they may truly
repeat: He is the Lord our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the
sheep of his hand. The frequent and earnest inculcation of these words will
also serve to induce the faithful more readily to observe the Law and avoid
sin.
"Who Brought thee out of the Land of
Egypt, out of the House of Bondage"
The next words, who brought thee out of the
land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, seem to relate solely to the Jews
liberated from the bondage of Egypt. But if we consider the meaning of the
salvation of the entire human race, those words are still more applicable to
Christians, who are liberated by God not from the bondage of Egypt, but from
the slavery of sin and the powers of darkness, and are translated into the kingdom
of his beloved Son. Contemplating the greatness of this favour, Jeremias
foretold: Behold the days come, saith the Lord, when it shall be said no more:
The Lord liveth that brought forth. the children of Israel out of the land of
Egypt; but: The Lord liveth that brought the children of Israel out of the land
of the north and out of all the lands to which I cast them out; and I will
bring them again into their land which gave to their fathers. Behold, I send
many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them, etc. And, indeed, our
most indulgent Father has gathered together, through His beloved Son, His
children that were dispersed, that being made free from sin and made the
servants of justice, we may serve before him in holiness and justice all our
days.'
Against every temptation, therefore, the
faithful should arm themselves with these words of the Apostle as with a
shield: Shall we who are dead to sin live any longer therein? We are no longer
our own, we are His who died and rose again for us. He is the Lord our God who
has purchased us for Himself at the price of His blood. Shall we then be any
longer capable of sinning against the Lord our God, and crucifying Him again?
Being made truly free, and with that liberty wherewith Christ has made us free,
let us, as we heretofore yielded our members to serve injustice, henceforward
yield them to serve justice to sanctification.
"Thou shalt not have Strange Gods
before Me"
The pastor should teach that the first part
of the Decalogue contains our duties towards God; the second part, our duties
towards our neighbour. The reason (for this order) is that the services we
render our neighbour are rendered for the sake of God; for then only do we love
our neighbour as God commands when we love him for God's sake. The Commandments
which regard God are those which were inscribed on the first table of the Law.
The Above Words Contain A Command And A
Prohibition
(The pastor) should next show that the words
just quoted contain a twofold precept, the one mandatory, the other
prohibitory. When it is said: Thou shalt not have strange gods before me, it is
equivalent to saying: Thou shalt worship me the true God; thou shalt not worship
strange gods.
What They Command
The (mandatory part) contains a precept of
faith, hope and charity. For, acknowledging God to be immovable, immutable,
always the same, we rightly confess that He is faithful and entirely just.
Hence in assenting to His oracles, we necessarily yield to Him all belief and
obedience. Again, who can contemplate His omnipotence, His clemency, His
willing beneficence, and not repose in Him all his hopes? Finally, who can
behold the riches of His goodness and love, which He lavishes on us, and not
love Him? Hence the exordium and the conclusion used by God in Scripture when
giving His commands: I, the Lord.
What They Forbid
The (negative) part of this Commandment is
comprised in these words: Thou shalt not have strange gods before me. This the
Lawgiver subjoins, not because it is not sufficiently expressed in the
affirmative part of the precept, which means: Thou shalt worship me, the only
God, for if He is God, He is the only God; but on account of the blindness of
many who of old professed to worship the true God and yet adored a multitude of
gods. Of these there were many even among the Hebrews, whom Elias reproached
with having halted between two sides, and also among the Samaritans, who
worshipped the God of Israel and the gods of the nations.
Importance Of This Commandment
After this it should be added that this is
the first and principal Commandment, not only in order, but also in its nature,
dignity and excellence. God is entitled to infinitely greater love and obedience
from us than any lord or king. He created us, He governs us, He nurtured us
even in the womb, brought us into the world, and still supplies us with all the
necessaries of life and maintenance.
Sins Against This Commandment
Against this Commandment all those sin who
have not faith. hope and charity. such sinners are very numerous, for they
include all who fall into heresy, who reject what holy mother the Church
proposes for our belief, who give credit to dreams. fortune-telling, and such
illusions; those who, despairing of salvation, trust not in the goodness of
God; and those who rely solely on wealth, or health and strength of body. But
these matters are developed more at length in treatises on sins and vices.
Veneration And Invocation Of Angels And Saints
Not Forbidden By This Commandment
In explanation of this Commandment it should
be accurately taught that the veneration and invocation of holy Angels and of
the blessed who now enjoy the glory of heaven, and likewise the honour which
the Catholic Church has always paid even to the bodies and ashes of the Saints,
are not forbidden by this Commandment. If a king ordered that no one else
should set himself up as king, or accept the honours due to the royal person,
who would be so foolish as to infer that the sovereign was unwilling that
suitable honour and respect should be paid to his magistrates? Now although
Christians follow the example set by the Saints of the Old Law, and are said to
adore the Angels, yet they do not give to Angels that honour which is due to
God alone.
And if we sometimes read that Angels refused
to be worshipped by men, we are to know that they did so because the worship
which they refused to accept was the honour due to God alone.
It Is Lawful To Honour And Invoke The
Angels
The Holy Spirit who says: Honour and glory to
God alone, commands us also to honour our parents and elders; and the holy men
who adored one God only are also said in Scripture to have adored, that is,
supplicated and venerated kings. If then kings, by whose agency God governs the
world, are so highly honoured, shall it be deemed unlawful to honour those
angelic spirits whom God has been pleased to constitute His ministers, whose
services He makes use of not only in the government of His Church, but also of the
universe, by whose aid, although we see them not, we are every day delivered
from the greatest dangers of soul and body ? Are they not worthy of far greater
honour, since their dignity so far surpasses that of kings?
Add to this their love towards us, which, as
we easily see from Scripture, prompts them to pour out their prayers for those
countries over which they are placed, as well as for us whose guardians they
are, and whose prayers and tears they present before the throne of God Hence
our Lord admonishes us in the Gospel not to offend the little ones because
their angels in heaven always see the face of their Father who is in heaven.
Their Intercession, therefore, we ought to
invoke, because they always see tile face of God, and are constituted by Him
the willing advocates of our salvation. The Scriptures bear witness to such
invocation. Jacob entreated the Angel with whom he wrestled to bless him; nay,
he even compelled him, declaring that he would not let him go until he had
blessed him. And not only did he invoke the blessing of the Angel whom he saw,
but also of him whom he saw not. The angel, said he, who delivers me from all
evils, bless these boys.
It Is Lawful To Honour And Invoke The
Saints
From all this we may conclude that to honour
the Saints who nave slept in the Lord, to invoke them, and to venerate their
sacred relics and ashes, far from diminishing, tends considerably to increase
the glory of God, in proportion as man's hope is thus animated and fortified,
and he himself encouraged to imitate the Saints.
This is a practice which is also supported by
the authority' of the second Council of Nice, the Councils of Gangra, and of
Trent, and by the testimony of the Fathers. In order, however, that the pastor
may be the better prepared to meet the objections of those who deny this
doctrine, he should consult particularly St. Jerome against Vigilantius and St.
Damascene. To the teaching of these Fathers should be added as a consideration
of prime importance that the practice was received from the Apostles, and has
always been retained and preserved in the Church of God.
But who can desire a stronger or more
convincing proof than that which is supplied by the admirable praises given in
Scripture to the Saints? For there are not wanting eulogies which God Himself
pronounced on some of the Saints. If, then, Holy Writ celebrates their praises,
why should not men show them singular honour ?
A stronger claim which the Saints have to be
honoured and invoked is that they constantly pray for our salvation and obtain
for us by their merits and influence many blessings from God. If there is joy
in heaven over the conversion of one sinner, will not the citizens of heaven
assist those who repent? When they are invoked, will they not obtain for us the
pardon of sins, and the grace of God ?
Objections Answered
Should it be said, as some say, that the
patronage of the Saints is unnecessary, because God hears our prayers without
the intervention of a mediator, this impious assertion is easily met by the
observation of St. Augustine: There are many things which God does not grant
without a mediator and intercessor. This is confirmed by the well-known
examples of Abimelech and the friends of Job who were pardoned only through the
prayers of Abraham and of Job
Should it be alleged that to recur to the
patronage and intercession of the Saints argues want or weakness of faith, what
will (the objectors) answer regarding the centurion whose faith was highly
eulogised by the Lord God Himself, despite the fact that he had sent to the
Redeemer the ancients of the Jews, to intercede for his sick servant?
True, there is but one Mediator, Christ the
Lord, who alone has reconciled us to the heavenly Father through His blood, and
who, having obtained eternal redemption, and having entered once into the
holies, ceases not to intercede for us. But it by no means follows that it is
therefore unlawful to have recourse to the intercession of the Saints. If,
because we have one Mediator Jesus Christ, it were unlawful to ask the
intercession of the Saints, the Apostle would never have recommended himself
with so much earnestness to the prayers of his brethren on earth. For the
prayers of the living would lessen the glory and dignity of Christ's
Mediatorship not less than the intercession of the Saints in heaven.
The Honour And Invocation Of Saints Is
Approved By Miracles
But who would not be convinced of the honour
due the Saints and of the help they give us by the wonders wrought at their
tombs? Diseased eyes, hands, and other members are restored to health; the dead
are raised to life, and demons are expelled from the bodies of men ! These are
facts which St. Ambrose and St. Augustine, most unexceptionable witnesses,
declare in their writings, not that they heard, as many did, nor that they
read, as did man- very reliable men, but that they saw.
But why multiply proofs? If the clothes, the
handkerchiefs, and even the very shadows of the Saints, while yet on earth,
banished disease and restored health, who will have the hardihood to deny that
God can still work the same wonders by the holy ashes, the bones and other
relics of the Saints ? Of this we have a proof in the restoration to life of
the dead body which was accidentally let down into the grave of Eliseus, and
which, on touching the body (of the Prophet), was instantly restored to life.
"Thou shalt not make to thyself a
graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the
earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth: thou
shalt not adore them nor serve them"
Some, supposing these words which come next
in order to constitute a distinct precept, reduce the ninth and tenth
Commandments to one. St. Augustine, on the contrary, considering the last two
to be distinct Commandments, makes the words just quoted a part of the first
Commandment. His division is much approved in the Church, and hence we
willingly adopt it. Furthermore, a very good reason for this arrangement at
once suggests itself. It was fitting that to the first Commandment should be
added the rewards or punishments entailed by each one of the Commandments.
The Above Words Do Not Forbid All Images
Let no one think that this Commandment
entirely forbids the arts of painting, engraving or sculpture. The Scriptures
inform us that God Himself commanded to be made images of Cherubim, and also
the brazen serpent. The interpretation, therefore, at which we must arrive, is
that images are prohibited only inasmuch as they are used as deities to receive
adoration, and so to injure the true worship of God.
They Forbid Idols And Representations Of
The Deity
As far as this Commandment is concerned, it
is clear that there are two chief ways in which God's majesty can be seriously
outraged. The first way is by worshipping idols and images as God, or believing
that they possess any divinity or virtue entitling them to our worship, by
praying to, or reposing confidence in them, as the Gentiles did, who placed
their hopes in idols, and whose idolatry the Scriptures frequently condemn. The
other way is by attempting to form a representation of the Deity, as if He were
visible to mortal eyes, or could be reproduced by colours or figures. Who, says
Damascene, can represent God, invisible, as He is, incorporeal, uncircumscribed
by limits, and incapable of being reproduced under any shape. This subject is
treated more at large in the second Council of Nice. Rightly, then, did the
Apostles say (of the Gentiles): They changed the glory of the incorruptible God
into a likeness of birds, and of four-footed beasts, and of creeping things;
for they worshipped all these things as God, seeing that they made the images
of these things to represent Him. Hence the Israelites, when they exclaimed
before the image of the calf: These are thy gods, Israel, that have brought
thee out of the land of Egypt, are denounced as idolaters, because they changed
their glory into the likeness of a calf that eateth grass.
When, therefore, the Lord had forbidden the
worship of strange gods, He also forbade the making of an image of the Deity
from brass or other materials, in order thus utterly to do away with idolatry.
It is this that Isaias declares when he asks: To whom then have you likened
God, or what image will you make for hill? That this is the meaning of the
prohibition contained in the Commandment is proved, not only from the writings
of the holy Fathers, who, as may be seen in the seventh General Council, give
to it this interpretation: but is also clearly declared in these words of
Deuteronomy, by which Moses sought to withdraw the people from the worship of
idols: You saw not, he says, any similitude in the day that the Lord spoke to
you in Horeb, from the midst of the fire. These words this wisest of
legislators spoke, lest through error of any sort, they should make an image of
the Deity, and transfer to any thing created, the honour due to God.
They Do Not Forbid Representations Of The
Divine Persons And Angels
To represent the Persons of the Holy Trinity
by certain forms under which they appeared in the Old and New Testaments no one
should deem contrary to religion or the law of God. For who can be so ignorant
as to believe that such forms are representations of the Deity? -- forms, as
the pastor should teach, which only express some attribute or action ascribed
to God. Thus when from the description of Daniel God is painted as the Ancient
of days, seated on a throne, with the books opened before hint, the eternity of
God is represented and also the infinite wisdom, by which He sees and judges
all the thoughts and actions of men.'
Angels, also, are represented under human
form and with wings to give us to understand that they are actuated by
benevolent feelings towards mankind, and are always prepared to execute the Lord's
commands; for they are all ministering spirits, sent to minister for them who
shall receive the inheritance of salvation.
What attributes of the Holy Ghost are
represented under the forms of a dove, and of tongues of fire, in the Gospel
and in the Acts of the Apostles, is a matter too well known to require lengthy
explanation.
They Do Not Forbid Images Of Christ And
The Saints
But to make and honour the images of Christ
our Lord, of His holy and virginal Mother, and of the Saints, all of whom were
clothed with human nature and appeared in human form, is not only not forbidden
by this Commandment, but has always been deemed a holy practice and a most sure
indication of gratitude. This position is confirmed by the monuments of the
Apostolic age, the General Councils of the Church, and the writings of so many
among the Fathers, eminent alike for sanctity and learning, all of whom are of
one accord upon the subject.
Usefulness Of Sacred Images
But the pastor should not content himself
with showing that it is lawful to have images in churches, and to pay them
honour and respect, since this respect is referred to their prototypes. He
should also show that the uninterrupted observance of this practice down to the
present day has been attended with great advantage to the faithful, as may be
seen in the work of Damascene on images, and in the seventh General Council,
the second of Nice.
But as the enemy of mankind, by his wiles and
deceits, seeks to pervert even the most holy institutions, should the faithful
happen at all to offend in this particular, the pastor, in accordance with the
decree of the Council of Trent's should use every exertion in his power to
correct such an abuse, and, if necessary, explain the decree itself to the
people.
He will also inform the unlettered and those
who may be ignorant of the use of images, that they are intended to instruct in
the history of the Old and New Testaments, and to revive from time to time
their memory; that thus, moved by the contemplation of heavenly things, we may
be the more ardently inflamed to adore and love God Himself. He should, also,
point out that the images of the Saints are placed in churches, not only to be
honoured, but also that they may admonish us by their examples to imitate their
lives and virtues.
"I am the Lord thy God, mighty,
jealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, to the third
and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of
them that love me, and keep my commandments."
In this concluding clause of this Commandment
two things occur which demand careful exposition. The first is, that while, on
account of the enormous guilt incurred by the violation of the first
Commandment, and the propensity of man towards its violation, the punishment is
properly indicated in this place, it is also attached to all the other
Commandments.
Every law enforces its observance by rewards
and punishments; and hence the frequent and numerous promises of God in Sacred
Scripture. To omit those that we meet almost on every page of the Old
Testament, it is written in the Gospel: If thou wilt enter into life, keep the
commandments; and again: He that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven,
he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; and also: Every tree that doth not
yield good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire; Whosoever is angry
with his brother shall be guilty of the judgment; If you will not forgive men,
neither will your Father forgive you your offences.
How The Sanction Contained In The Above
Words Should Be Proposed
The other observation is that this concluding
part (of the Commandment) is to be proposed in a very different manner to the
spiritual and to the carnal Christian. To the spiritual who is animated by the
Spirit of God, and who yields to Him a willing and cheerful obedience, it is,
in some sort, glad tidings and a strong proof of the divine goodness towards
him. In it he recognises the care of his most loving God, who, now by rewards,
now by punishments, almost compels His creatures to adore and worship Him. The
spiritual man acknowledges the infinite goodness of God towards himself in
vouchsafing to issue His commands to him and to make use of his service to the
glory of the divine name. And not only does he acknowledge the divine goodness,
he also cherishes a strong hope that when God commands what He pleases, He will
also give strength to fulfil hat He commands.
But to the carnal man, who is not yet freed
from a servile spirit and who abstains from sin more through fear of punishment
than love of virtue, (this sanction) of the divine law, which closes each of
the Commandments, is burdensome and severe. Wherefore they should be encouraged
by pious exhortation, and led by the hand, as it were, in the way of the law.
The pastor, therefore, as often as he has occasion to explain any of the
Commandments should keep this in view.
Mighty
But both the carnal and the spiritual should
be spurred on, especially by two considerations which are contained in this
concluding clause, and are highly calculated to enforce obedience to the divine
law.
The one is that God is called the strong.
That appellation needs to be fully expounded; because the flesh, unappalled by the
terrors of the divine menaces, frequently indulges in the foolish expectation
of escaping, in one way or another, God's wrath and threatened punishment. But
when one is deeply impressed with the conviction that God is the strong, he
will exclaim with the great David: Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or
whither shall I pee from thy face?
The flesh, also, distrusting the promises of
God, sometimes magnifies the power of the enemy to such an extent, as to
believe itself unable to withstand his assaults; while, on the contrary, a firm
and unshaken faith, which wavers not, but relies confidently on the strength
and power of God, animates and confirms man. For it says: The Lord is my light
and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
Jealous
The second spur is the jealousy of God. Man
is sometimes tempted to think that God takes no interest in human affairs, and
does not even care whether we observe or neglect His law. This error is the
source of the great disorders of life. But when we believe that God is a jealous
God, the thought easily keeps us within the limits of our duty.
The jealousy attributed to God does not,
however, imply disturbance of mind; it is that divine love and charity by which
God will suffer no human creature to be unfaithful to Him with impunity, and
which destroys all those who are disloyal to Him. The jealousy of God,
therefore, is the most tranquil and impartial justice, which repudiates as an
adulteress the soul corrupted by. erroneous opinions and criminal passions.
This jealousy of God, since it shows His
boundless and incomprehensible goodness towards us, we find most sweet and
pleasant. Among men there is no love more ardent, no greater or more intimate
tie, than that of those who are united by marriage. Hence when God frequently
compares Himself to a spouse or husband and calls Himself a jealous God, He
shows the excess of His love towards us.
Zeal In The Service Of God
The pastor, therefore, should here teach that
men should be so warmly interested in promoting the worship and honour of God
as to be said rather to be jealous of Him than to love Him, in imitation of Him
who says of Himself: With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of hosts,
or rather of Christ Himself, who says: The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up.
"Visiting The Iniquity," Etc.
Concerning the threat contained in this
Commandment it should be explained that God will not suffer sinners to go
unpunished, but will chastise them as a father, or punish them with the rigour
and severity of a judge. This was elsewhere explained by Moses when he said:
Thou shalt know that the Lord thy God is a strong and faithful God, keeping his
covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his
commandments, unto a thousand generations; and repaying forthwith them that
hate him. You will not, says Josue, be able to serve the Lord; for he is a holy
God, and mighty and jealous, and will not forgive your wickedness and sins. If
you leave the Lord and serve strange gods, he will turn and will afflict you,
and will destroy you.
The faithful are also to be taught that the
punishments here threatened await the third and fourth generation of the
impious and wicked; not that the children are always chastised for the sins of
their ancestors, but that while these and their children may go unpunished,
their posterity shall not all escape the wrath and vengeance of the Almighty.
This happened in the case of King Josias. God had spared him for his singular
piety, and allowed him to be gathered to the tomb of his fathers in peace, that
his eyes might not behold the evils of the times that were to befall Juda and
Jerusalem, on account of the wickedness of his grandfather Manasses; yet, after
his death the divine vengeance so overtook his posterity that even the children
of Josias were not spared.
How the words of this Commandment are not at
variance with the statement of the Prophet: The soul that sins shall die, is
clearly shown by the authority of St. Gregory, supported by the testimony of
all the ancient Fathers. Whoever, he says, follows the bad example of a wicked
father is also bound by his sins; but he who does not follow the example of his
father, shall not at all suffer for the sins of the father Hence it follows
that a wicked son, who dreads not to add his own malice to the vices of his
father, by which he knows the divine wrath to have been excited, pays the
penalty not only of his own sins, but also of those of his father. It is just
that he who dreads not to walk in the footsteps of a wicked father, in presence
of a rigorous judge, should be compelled in the present life to expiate the
crimes of his wicked parent.
"And Showing Mercy, Etc.
The pastor should next observe that the
goodness and mercy of God far exceed His justice. He is angry to the third and
fourth generation; but He bestows His mercy on thousands.
"Of Them That Hate Me"
The words of them that hate me display the
grievousness of sin. What more wicked, what more detestable than to hate God,
the supreme goodness and sovereign truth? This, however, is the crime of all
sinners; for as he that hath God's commandments and keepeth them, loveth God,
so he who despises His law and violates His Commandments, is justly said to
hate God.
Of Them That Love Me
The concluding words: And to them that love
me, point out the manner and motive of observing the law. Those who obey the
law of God must needs be influenced in its observance by the same love and
charity which they bear to God, a principle which should be brought to mind in
the instructions on all the other Commandments.
THE SECOND COMMANDMENT : "Thou shalt not take
the name of the lord thy god in vain"
Why This Commandment Is Distinct From The
First
The second Commandment of the divine law is
necessarily comprised in the first, which commands us to worship God in piety
and holiness For he who requires that honour be paid him, also requires that he
be spoken of with reverence, and must forbid the contrary, as is clearly shown
by these words of the Lord in Malachy: The son honoureth the father and the
servant his master if then I be a father, where is my honour?
However, on account of the importance of the
obligation, God wished to make the law, which commands His own divine and most
holy name to be honoured, a distinct Commandment, expressed in the clearest and
simplest terms.
Importance Of Instruction On This
Commandment
The above observation should strongly
convince the pastor that on this point it is not enough to speak in general terms;
that the importance of the subject is such as to require it to be dwelt upon at
considerable length, and to be explained to the faithful in all its bearings
with distinctness, clearness and accuracy.
This diligence cannot be deemed superfluous,
since there are not wanting those who are so blinded by the darkness of error
as not to dread to blaspheme His name, whom the Angels glorify Men are not
deterred by the Commandment laid down from shamelessly and daringly outraging
Him divine Majesty every day, or rather every hour and moment of the day Who is
ignorant that every assertion is accompanied with an oath and teems with curses
and imprecations? To such lengths has this impiety been carried, that there is
scarcely anyone who buys, or sells, or transacts business of any sort, without
having recourse to swearing, and who, even in matters the most unimportant and
trivial, does not profane the most holy name of God thousands of times.
It therefore becomes more imperative on the
pastor not to neglect, carefully and frequently, to admonish the faithful how
grievous and detestable is this crime.
Positive Part of this Commandment
But in the exposition of this Commandment it
should first be shown that besides a negative, it also contains a positive
precept, commanding the performance of a duty To each of these a separate
explanation should be given; and for the sake of easier exposition what the
Commandment requires should be first set forth, and then what it forbids It
commands us to honour the name of God, and to swear by it with reverence It
prohibits us to contemn the divine name, to take it in vain, or swear by it
falsely, unnecessarily or rashly.
In the part which commands us to honour the
name of God, the command, as the pastor should show the faithful, is not
directed to the letters or syllables of which that name is composed, or in any
respect to the mere name; but to the meaning of a word used to express the
Omnipotent and Eternal Majesty of the Godhead, Trinity in Unity Hence we easily
infer the superstition of those among the Jews who, while they hesitated not to
write, dared not to pronounce the name of God, as if the divine power consisted
in the four letters, and not in the signification.
Although this Commandment uses the singular
number, Thou shalt not take the name of God, this is not to be understood to
refer to any one name, but to every name by which God is generally designated
For He is called by many names, such as the Lord, the Almighty, the Lord of
hosts, the King of kings, the Strong, and by others of similar nature, which we
meet in Scripture and which are all entitled to the same and equal veneration
Various Ways Of Honouring God's Name
It should next be taught how due honour is to
be given to the name of God Christians, whose tongues should constantly
celebrate the divine praises, are not to be ignorant of a matter so important,
indeed, most necessary to salvation The name of God may be honoured in a
variety of ways; but all may be reduced to those that follow.
Public Profession Of Faith
In the first place, God's name is honoured
when we publicly and confidently confess Him to be our Lord and our God; and
when we acknowledge and also proclaim Christ to be the author of our salvation.
Respect For The Word Of God
(It is also honoured) when we pay a religious
attention to the word of God, which announces to us His will; make it the
subject of our constant meditation; and strive by reading or hearing it,
according to our respective capacities and conditions of life, to become
acquainted with it.
Praise And Thanksgiving
Again, we honour and venerate the name of
God, when, from a sense of religious duty, we celebrate His praises, and under
all circumstances, whether prosperous or adverse, return Him unbounded thanks
Thus spoke the Prophet Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all he hath
done for thee. Among the Psalms of David there are many, in which, animated
with singular piety towards God, he chants in sweetest strains the divine
praises There is also the example of the admirable patience of Job, who, when
visited with the heaviest and most appalling calamities, never ceased, with
lofty and unconquered soul, to give praise to God When, therefore, we labour
under affliction of mind or body, when oppressed by misery and misfortune, let
us instantly direct all our thoughts, and all the powers of our souls, to the
praises of God, saying with Job Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Prayer
The name of God is not less honoured when we
confidently invoke His assistance, either to relieve us from our afflictions,
or to give us constancy and strength to endure them with fortitude This is in
accordance with the Lord's own wishes Call upon me, He says, in the day of
trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. We have illustrious
examples of such supplications in many passages of Scripture, and especially in
the sixteenth, forty-third, and one hundred and eighteenth Psalms.
Oaths
Finally, we honour the name of God when we
solemnly call upon Him to witness the truth of what we assert This mode of
honouring God's name differs much from those already- enumerated Those means
are in their own nature so good, so desirable, that our days and nights could
not be more happily or more holily spent than in such practices of piety I will
bless the Lord at all times, says David, his praise shall be always in my
mouth. On the other hand, although oaths are in themselves good, their frequent
use is by no means praiseworthy.
The reason of this difference is that oaths have
been instituted only as remedies to human frailty, and a necessary means of
establishing the truth of what we assert As it is inexpedient to have recourse
to medicine unless, when it becomes necessary, and as its frequent use is
harmful; so with regard to oaths, it is not profitable to have recourse to
them, unless there is a weighty and just cause; and frequent recurrence to
them, far from being advantageous, is on the contrary highly prejudicial Hence
the excellent observation of St Chrysostom Oaths were introduced among men, not
at the beginning of the world, but long after; when vice had spread far and
wide over the earth; when all things were disturbed and universal confusion
reigned out; when, to complete human depravity, almost all mankind debased the
dignity of their nature by the degrading service of idols. Then at length it
was that the custom of oaths was introduced. For the perfidy and wickedness of
men was so great that it was with difficulty that anyone could be induced to
credit the assertion of another, and they began to call on God as a witness.
Meaning Of An Oath
Since in explaining this part of the
Commandment the chief object is to teach the faithful how to render an oath
reverential and holy, it is first to be observed, that to swear, whatever the
form of words may be, is nothing else than to call God to witness; thus to say,
God is witness, and By God, mean one and the same thing.
To swear by creatures, such as the holy
Gospels, the cross, the names or relics of the Saints, and so on, in order to
prove our statements, is also to take an oath Of themselves, it is true, such
objects give no weight or authority to an oath; it is God Himself who does
this, whose divine majesty shines forth in them Hence to swear by the Gospel is
to swear by God Himself, whose truth is contained and revealed in the Gospel
(This holds equally true with regard to those who swear) by the Saints, who are
the temples of God, who believed the truth of His Gospel, were faithful in its
observance, and spread it far and wide among the nations and peoples.
This is also true of oaths uttered by way of
execration, such as that of St Paul I call God to witness upon my soul. By this
form of oath one submits himself to God's judgment, who is the avenger of
falsehood We do not, however, deny that some of these forms may be used without
constituting an oath; but even in such cases it will be found useful to observe
what has been said with regard to an oath, and to conform exactly to the same
rule and standard.
Oaths Are Affirmatory And Promissory
Oaths are of two kinds The first is an
affirmatory oath, and is taken when we religiously affirm anything, past or
present. Such was the affirmation of the Apostle in his Epistle to the
Galatians: Behold, before God, I lie not. The second kind, to which
comminations may be reduced, is called promissory It looks to the future, and
is taken when we promise and affirm for certain that such or such a thing will
be done Such was the oath of David, who, swearing by the Lord his God, promised
to Bethsabee his wife that her son Solomon should be heir to his kingdom and
successor to his throne.
Conditions Of A Lawful Oath
Although to constitute an oath it is
sufficient to call God to witness, yet to constitute a holy and just oath many
other conditions are required, which should be carefully explained These, as St
Jerome observes, are briefly enumerated in the words of Jeremias Thou shalt
swear: as the Lord liveth, in truth and in judgment and in justice, words which
briefly sum up all the conditions that constitute the perfection of an oath,
namely, truth, judgment, justice.
First Condition: Truth
Truth, then, holds the first place in an oath
What is asserted must be true and he who swears must believe what he swears to
be true, being influenced not by rash judgment or mere conjecture, but by solid
reasons.
Truth is a condition not less necessary in a
promissory than in an affirmatory oath He who promises must be disposed to
perform and fulfil his promise at the appointed time As no conscientious man
will promise to do what he considers opposed to the most holy Commandments and
will of God; so, having promised and sworn to do what is lawful, he will never
fail to adhere to his engagement, unless, perhaps by a change of circumstances
it should happen that, if he wished to keep faith and observe his promises, he
must incur the displeasure and enmity of God That truth is necessary to an oath
David also declares in these words: He that sweareth to his neighbour, and
deceiveth not.
Second Condition: Judgment
The second condition of an oath is judgment.
An oath is not to be taken rashly and inconsiderately, but after deliberation
and reflection. When about to take an oath, therefore, one should first
consider whether he is obliged to take it, and should weigh well the whole
case, reflecting whether it seems to call for an oath. Many other circumstances
of time, place, etc., are also to be taken into consideration; and one should
not be influenced by love or hatred, or any other passion, but by the nature
and necessity of the case.
Unless this careful consideration and
reflection precede, an oath must be rash and hasty; and of this character are
the irreligious affirmations of those, who, on the most unimportant and
trifling occasions, swear without thought or reason from the influence of bad
habit alone. This we see practiced daily everywhere among buyers and sellers.
The latter, to sell at the highest price, the former to purchase at the
cheapest rate, make no scruple to strengthen with an oath their praise or
dispraise of the goods on sale.
Since, therefore, judgment and prudence are
necessary, and since children are not able, on account of their tender years,
to understand and judge accurately, Pope St. Cornelius decreed that an oath
should not be administered to children before puberty, that is, before their
fourteenth year.
Third Condition: Justice
The last condition (of an oath) is justice,
which is especially requisite in promissory oaths. Hence, if a person swear to
do what is unjust or unlawful, he sins by taking the oath, and adds sin to sin
by executing his promise. Of this the Gospel supplies an example. King Herod,
bound by a rash oath, gave to a dancing girl the head of John the Baptist as a
reward for her dancing. Such was also the oath taken by the Jews, who, as we
read in the Acts of the Apostles, bound themselves by oath not to eat, until
they had killed Paul.
Lawfulness Of Oaths
These explanations having been given, there
can be no doubt that they who observe the above conditions and who guard their
oaths with these qualities as with bulwarks, may swear with a safe conscience.
This is easily established by many proofs.
For the law of God, which is pure and holy, commands: Thou shalt fear the Lord
thy God, and shalt serve him only, and thou shalt swear by his name. All they,
writes David, shall be praised that swear by him.
The Scriptures also inform us that the most
holy Apostles, the lights of the Church, sometimes made use of oaths, as
appears from the Epistles of the Apostle.
Even the Angels sometimes swear. The angel,
writes St. John in the Apocalypse, swore by him who lives for ever.
Nay, God Himself, the Lord of Angels, swears,
and, as we read in many passages of the Old Testament, has confirmed His.
promises with an oath. This He did to Abraham and to David. Of the oath sworn
by God David says: The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: thou art a
priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.
In fact, if we consider the whole matter
attentively, and examine the origin and purpose of an oath, it can be no
difficult matter to explain the reasons why it is a laudable act.
An oath has its origin in faith, by which men
believe God to be the author of all truth, who can never deceive others nor be
deceived, to whose eyes all things are naked and open, who, in fine,
superintends all human affairs with an admirable providence, and governs the
world. Filled with this faith we appeal to God as a witness of the truth, as a
witness whom it would be wicked and impious to distrust.
With regard to the end of an oath, its scope
and intent is to establish the justice and innocence of man, and to terminate
disputes and contests. This is the doctrine of the Apostle in his Epistle to
the Hebrews.
An Objection Against Oaths
Nor does this doctrine at all clash with
these words of the Redeemer, recorded in St. Matthew: You have heard that it
was said to them of old: "Thou shalt not foreswear thyself, but thou shalt
perform thy oaths to the Lord"; but I say to you not to swear at all;
neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; neither by the earth, for it is
his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king; neither
shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or
black. But let your speech be "yea, yea"; "no, no"; and
that which is over and above these is of evil.
It cannot be asserted that these words
condemn oaths universally and under all circumstances, since we have already
seen that the Apostles and our Lord Himself made frequent use of them. The
object of our Lord was rather to reprove the perverse opinion of the Jews, who
had persuaded themselves that the only thing to be avoided in an oath was a
lie. Hence in matters the most trivial and unimportant they did not hesitate to
make frequent use of oaths, and to exact them from others. This practice the
Redeemer condemns and reprobates, and teaches that an oath is never to be taken
unless necessity require it. For oaths have been instituted on account of human
frailty. They are really the outcome of evil, being a sign either of the
inconstancy of him who takes them, or of the obstinacy of him who refuses to
believe without them. However, an oath can be justified by necessity.
When our Lord says: Let your speech be
"yea, yea"; "no, no," He evidently forbids the habit of
swearing in familiar conversation and on trivial matters. He therefore
admonishes us particularly against being too ready and willing to swear; and
this should be carefully explained and impressed on the minds of the faithful.
That countless evils grow out of the unrestrained habit of swearing is proved
by the evidence of Scripture, and the testimony of the most holy Fathers. Thus
we read in Ecclesiasticus: Let not thy mouth be accustomed to swearing, for in
it there are many falls; and again: A man that sweareth much shall be filled
with iniquity, and a scourge shall not depart from his house. In the works of
St. Basil and St. Augustine against lying, much more can be found on this
subject.
Negative Part of this Commandment
So far we have considered what this
Commandment requires. It now remains to speak of what it prohibits; namely, to
take the name of God in vain. It is clear that he who swears rashly and without
deliberation commits a grave sin. That this is a most serious sin is declared
by the words: Thou shalt not take the name of thy God in vain, which seem to
assign the reason why this crime is so wicked and heinous; namely, that it
derogates from the majesty of Him whom we profess to recognise as our Lord and
our God. This Commandment, therefore, forbids to swear falsely, because he who
does not shrink from so great a crime as to appeal to God to witness falsehood,
offers a grievous Injury to God, charging Him either with ignorance, as though
the truth of any matter could be unknown to Him, or with malice and dishonesty,
as though God could bear testimony to falsehood.
Various Ways In Which Cod's Name Is
Dishonoured: False Oaths
Among false swearers are to be numbered not
only those who affirm as true what they know to be false, but also those who
swear to what is really true, believing it to be false. For since the essence
of a lie consists in speaking contrary to one's belief and conviction, these
persons are evidently guilty of a lie, and of perjury.
On the same principle, he who swears to that
which he thinks to be true, but which is really false, also incurs the guilt of
perjury, unless he has used proper care and diligence to arrive at a full
knowledge of the matter. Although he-swears according to his belief, he
nevertheless sins against this Commandment.
Again, he who binds himself by oath to the
performance of anything, not intending to fulfil his promise, or, having had
the intention, neglect its performance, guilty of the same sin. This equally
applies to those who, having bound themselves to God by vow, neglect its
fulfilment.
Unjust Oaths
This Commandment is also violated, if
justice, which is one of the three conditions of an oath, be wanting. Hence he
who swears to commit a mortal sin, for example, to perpetrate murder, violates
this Commandment, even though he speak seriously and from his heart, and his
oath possess what we before pointed out as the first condition of every oath,
that is, truth.
To these are to be added oaths sworn through
a sort of contempt, such as an oath not to observe the Evangelical counsels,
such as celibacy and poverty. None, it is true, are obliged to embrace these
divine counsels, but by swearing not to observe them, one contemns and despises
them.
Rash Oaths
This Commandment is also sinned against, and
judgment is violated when one swears to what is true and what he believes to be
true if his motives are light conjectures and far-fetched reasons. For,
notwithstanding its truth, such an oath is not unmixed with a sort of
falsehood, seeing that he who swears with such indifference exposes himself to
extreme danger of perjury.
Oaths By False Gods
To swear by false gods is likewise to swear
falsely. What more opposed to truth than to appeal to lying and false deities
as to the true God?
Irreverent Speech
Scripture when it prohibits perjury, says:
Thou shalt not profane the name of thy God, thereby forbidding all irreverence
towards all other things to which, in accordance with this Commandment,
reverence is due. Of this nature is the Word of God, the majesty of which has
been revered not only by the pious, but also sometimes by the impious, as is
narrated in Judges of Eglon, King of the Moabites.
But he who, to support heresy and the
teaching of the wicked. distorts the Sacred Scriptures from their genuine and
true meaning, is guilty of the greatest injury to the Word of God; and against
this crime we are warned by these words of the Prince of the Apostles: There
are certain things hard to be understood. which the unlearned and unstable
wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
It is also a foul and shameful contamination
of the Scripture, that wicked men pervert the words and sentences which it
contains, and which should be honoured with all reverence, turning them to
profane purposes, such as scurrility, fable, vanity, flattery, detraction,
divination, satire and the like -- crimes which the Council of Trent commands
to be severely punished.
Neglect Of Prayer
In the next place, as they honour God who, in
their affliction implore His help, so they, who do not invoke His aid, deny Him
due honour; and these David rebukes when he says: They have not called upon the
Lord, they trembled for fear where there was no fear.
Blasphemy
Still more enormous is the guilt of those
who, with impure and defiled lips, dare to curse or blaspheme the holy name of
God-that name which is to be blessed and praised above measure by all
creatures, or even the names of the Saints who reign with Him in glory.' So
atrocious and horrible is this crime that the Sacred Scriptures, sometimes when
speaking of blasphemy use the word blessing.
Sanction of this Commandment
As, however, the dread of punishment has
often a powerful effect in checking the tendency to sin, the pastor, in order
the more effectively to move the minds of men and the more easily to induce to
an observance of this Commandment, should diligently explain the remaining
words, which are, as it were, its appendix: For the Lord will not hold him
guiltless that shall take the name of the Lord his God in vain.
In the first place (the pastor) should teach
that with very good reason has God joined threats to this Commandment. From
this is understood both the grievousness of sin and the goodness of God toward
us, since far from rejoicing in man's destruction, He deters us by these
salutary threats from incurring His anger, doubtless in order that we may
experience His kindness rather than His wrath. The pastor should urge and
insist on this consideration with greatest earnestness. in order that the
faithful may be made sensible of the grievousness of the crime, may detest it
still more, and may employ increased care and caution to avoid its commission.
He should also observe how prone men are to
this sin, since it was not sufficient to give the command, but also necessary
to accompany it with threats. The advantages to be derived from this thought
are indeed incredible; for as nothing is more injurious than a listless
security, so the knowledge of our own weakness is most profitable.
He should next show that God has appointed no
particular punishment. The threat is general; it declares that whoever is
guilty of this crime shall not escape unpunished. The various chastisements,
therefore, with which we are every day visited, should warn us against this
sin. It is easy to conjecture that men are afflicted with heavy calamities
because they violate this Commandment; and if these things are called to their
attention, it is likely that they will be more careful for the future.
Deterred, therefore, by a holy dread, the
faithful should use every exertion to avoid this sin. If for every idle word
that men shall speak, they shall render an account on the day of judgment, what
shall we say of those heinous crimes which involve great contempt of the divine
name?
THIRD
COMMANDMENT : "Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day. Six days
shalt thou labour, and do all thy works; but on the seventh day is the sabbath
of the lord thy god; thou shalt do no work on it, neither thou nor thy son, nor
thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy beast, nor the
stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the lord made heaven and
earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them, and rested on the seventh
day; wherefore the lord blessed the seventh day and sanctified it."
Reasons For This Commandment
This Commandment of the Law rightly and in
due order prescribes the external worship which we owe to God; for it is, as it
were, a consequence of the preceding Commandment. For if we sincerely and
devoutly worship God, guided by the faith and hope we have in Him, we cannot
but honour Him with external worship and thanksgiving. Now since we cannot
easily discharge these duties while occupied in worldly affairs, a certain
fixed time has been set aside so that it may be conveniently performed.
Importance Of Instruction On This
Commandment
The observance of this Commandment is
attended with wondrous fruit and advantage. Hence it is of the highest
importance for the pastor to use the utmost diligence in its exposition. The
word Remembers with which the Commandment commences, must animate him to zeal
in this matter; for if the faithful are bound to remember this Commandment, it
becomes the duty of the pastor to recall it frequently to their minds in
exhortation and instruction.
The importance of its observance for the
faithful may be inferred from the consideration that those who carefully comply
with it are more easily induced to keep all the other Commandments. For among
the other works which are necessary on holydays, the faithful are bound to
assemble in the church to hear the Word of God. When they have thus learned the
divine justifications, they will be disposed to observe, with their whole
heart, the law of the Lord. Hence the sanctification and observance of the
Sabbath is very often commanded in Scripture, as may be seen in Exodus,
Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and in the prophecies of Isaias, Jeremias," and
Ezechiel, all of which contain this precept on the observance of the Sabbath.
Rulers and magistrates should be admonished
and exhorted to lend the sanction and support of their authority to the pastors
of the Church, particularly in upholding and extending the worship of God, and
in commanding obedience to the injunctions of the priests.
How The Third Differs From The Other
Commandments
With regard to the exposition of this
Commandment, the faithful are carefully to be taught how it agrees with, and
how it differs from the others, in order that they may understand why we
observe and keep holy not Saturday but Sunday.
The point of difference is evident. The other
Commandments of the Decalogue are precepts of the natural law, obligatory at
all times and unalterable. Hence, after the abrogation of the Law of Moses, all
the Commandments contained in the two tables are observed by Christians, not
indeed because their observance is commanded by Moses, but because they are in
conformity with nature which dictates obedience to them.
This Commandment about the observance of the
Sabbath, on the other hand, considered as to the time appointed for its
fulfilment, is not fixed and unalterable, but susceptible of change, and
belongs not to the moral, but the ceremonial law. Neither is it a principle of
the natural law; we are not instructed by nature to give external worship to
God on that day, rather than on any other. And in fact the Sabbath was kept
holy only from the time of the liberation of the people of Israel from the
bondage of Pharaoh. The observance of the Sabbath was to be abrogated at the
same time as the other Hebrew rites and ceremonies, that is, at the death of
Christ. Having been, as it were, images which foreshadowed the light and the
truth, these ceremonies were to disappear at the coming of that light and
truth, which is Jesus Christ. Hence St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Galatians,
when reproving the observers of the Mosaic rites, says: You observe days and
months and times and years; I am afraid of you lest perhaps I have laboured in
vain amongst you. And he writes to the same effect to the Colossians.
So much regarding the difference (between
this and the other Commandments) .
How The Third Is Like The Other Commandments
This Commandment is like the others, not in
so far as it is a precept of the ceremonial law, but only as it is a natural
and moral precept. The worship of God and the practice of religion, which it
comprises, have the natural law for their basis. Nature prompts us to give some
time to the worship of God. This is demonstrated by the fact that we find among
all nations public festivals consecrated to the solemnities of religion and
divine worship.
As nature requires some time to be given to
necessary functions of the body, to sleep, repose and the like, so she also
requires that some time be devoted to the mind, to refresh itself by the
contemplation of God. Hence, since some time should be devoted to the worship
of the Deity and to the practice of religion, this (Commandment) doubtless
forms part of the moral law.
The Jewish Sabbath Changed To Sunday By
The Apostles
The Apostles therefore resolved to consecrate
the first day of the week to the divine worship, and called it the Lord's day.
St. John in the Apocalypse makes mention of the Lord's day; and the Apostle
commands collections to be made on the first day of the week, that is,
according to the interpretation of St. Chrysostom, on the Lord's day. From all
this we learn that even then the Lord's day was kept holy in the Church.
Four Parts Of This Commandment
In order that the faithful may know what they
are to do and what to avoid on the Lord's day, it will not be foreign to his
purpose, if the pastor, dividing the Commandment into its four natural parts,
explain each word of it carefully.
First Part of this Commandment
In the first place, then, he should explain
generally the meaning of these words: Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath
day.
"Remember"
The word remember is appropriately made use
of at the beginning of the Commandment to signify that the sanctification of
that particular day belonged to the ceremonial law. Of this it would seem to
have been necessary to remind the people; for, although the law of nature
commands us to devote a certain portion of time to the external worship to God,
it fixes no particular day for the performance of this duty.
They are also to be taught, that from these
words we may learn how we should employ our time during the week; that we are
to keep constantly in view the Lord's day, on which we are, as it were, to
render an account to God for our occupations and conduct; and that therefore
our works should be such as not to be unacceptable in the sight of God, or, as it
is written, be to us an occasion of grief, and a scruple of heart.
Finally, we are taught, and the instruction
demands our serious attention, that there will not be wanting occasions which
may lead to a forgetfulness of this Commandment, such as the evil example of
others who neglect its observance, and an inordinate love of amusements and
sports, which frequently withdraw from the holy and religious observance of the
Lord's day.
Sabbath
We now come to the meaning of the word
sabbath. Sabbath is a Hebrew word which signifies cessation. To keep the
Sabbath, therefore, means to cease from labor and to rest. In this sense the
seventh day was called the Sabbath, because God, having finished the creation
of the world, rested on that day from all the work which He had done. Thus it
is called by the Lord in Exodus.
Later on, not only the seventh day, but, in
honour of that day, the entire week was called by the same name; and in this
meaning of the word, the Pharisee says in St. Luke: I fast twice in a sabbath.
So much will suffice with regard to the signification of the word sabbath.
"Keep Holy"
In the Scriptures keeping holy the Sabbath
means a cessation from bodily labor and from business, as is clear from the
following words of the Commandment: Thou shalt do no work on it. But this is
not all that it means; otherwise it would have been sufficient to say in
Deuteronomy, Observe the day of the sabbath; but it is added, and sanctify it;
and these additional words prove that the Sabbath is a day sacred to religion,
set apart for works of piety and devotion.
We sanctify the Sabbath fully and perfectly,
therefore, when we offer to God works of piety and religion. This is evidently
the Sabbath, which Isaias calls delightful; for festivals are, as it were, the
delight of God and of pious men. And if to this religious and holy observance
of the Sabbath we add works of mercy, the rewards promised us in the same
chapter are numerous and most important.
The true and proper meaning, therefore, of
this Commandment tends to this, that we take special care to set apart some
fixed time, when, disengaged from bodily labor and worldly affairs, we may
devote our whole being, soul and body, to the religious veneration of God.
Second Part of this Commandment
The second part of the precept declares that
the seventh day was consecrated by God to His worship; for it is written: Six
days shalt thou labour, and do all thy works; but on the seventh day is the
sabbath of the Lord thy God. From these words we learn that the Sabbath is consecrated
to the Lord, that we are required on that day to render Him the duties of
religion, and to know that the seventh day is a sign of the Lord's rest.
"The Seventh Day Is The Sabbath Of
The Lord Thy God"
This particular day was fixed for the worship
of God, because it would not have been well to leave to a rude people the
choice of a time of worship, lest, perhaps, they might have imitated the
festivals of the Egyptians.
The last day of the week was, therefore,
chosen for the worship of God, and in this there is much that is symbolic.
Hence in Exodus,' and in Ezechiel the Lord calls it a sign: See that you keep
my sabbath because it is a sign between me and you in your generation, that you
may know that I am the Lord who sanctify you.
It was a sign that man should dedicate and
sanctify himself to God, since even the very day is devoted to Him. For the
holiness of the day consists in this, that on it men are bound in a special
manner to practice holiness and religion.
It was also a sign, and, as it were, a
memorial of the stupendous work of the creation. Furthermore, to the Jews it
was a traditional sign, reminding them that they had been delivered by the help
of God from the galling yoke of Egyptian bondage. This the Lord Himself
declares in these words: Remember that thou also didst serve in Egypt, and the
Lord thy God brought thee out from thence with a strong hand and a stretched
out arm. Therefore hath he commanded thee that thou shouldst observe the
sabbath day.
It is also a sign of a spiritual and
celestial sabbath. The spiritual sabbath consists in a holy and mystical rest,
wherein the old man being buried with Christ, is renewed to life and carefully
applies himself to act in accordance with the spirit of Christian piety. For
those who were once darkness but are now light in the Lord, should walk as
children of the light, in all goodness and justice and truth, having no
fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.
The celestial sabbath, as St. Cyril observes
on these words of the Apostle, There remaineth therefore a day of rest for the
people of God, is that life in which, living with Christ, we shall enjoy all
good, when sin shall be eradicated, according to the words: No lion shall be
there, nor shall any mischievous beast go up by it, nor be found there; but a
path shall be there, and it shall be called the holy way; for in the vision of
God the souls of the Saints obtain every good. The pastor therefore should
exhort and animate the faithful in the words: Let us hasten therefore to enter
into that rest.
Other Festivals Observed By The Jews
Besides the seventh day, the Jews observed
other festivals and holydays, instituted by the divine law to awaken the
recollection of the principal favours (conferred on them by the Almighty).
The Sabbath, Why Changed To Sunday
But the Church of God has thought it well to
transfer the celebration and observance of the Sabbath to Sunday.
For, as on that day light first shone on the
world, so by the Resurrection of our Redeemer on the same day, by whom was
thrown open to us the gate to eternal life, we were called out of darkness into
light; and hence the Apostles would have it called the Lord's day.
We also learn from the Sacred Scriptures that
the first day of the week was held sacred because on that day the work of
creation commenced, and on that day the Holy Ghost was given to the Apostles.
Other Festivals Observed By The Church
From the very infancy of the Church and in
the following centuries other days were also appointed by the Apostles and the
holy Fathers, in order to commemorate the benefits bestowed by God. Among these
days to be kept sacred the most solemn are those which were instituted to
honour the mysteries of our redemption. In the next place are the days which
are dedicated to the most Blessed Virgin Mother, to the Apostles, Martyrs and
other Saints who reign with Christ. In the celebration of their victories the
divine power and goodness are praised, due honour is paid to their memories,
and the faithful are encouraged to imitate them.
"Six Days Shalt Thou Labour And Do
All Thy Work"
And as the observance of the precept is very
strongly assisted by these words: Six days shalt thou labour, but on the
seventh day is the sabbath of God, the pastor should therefore carefully
explain them to the people. For from these words it can be gathered that the
faithful are to be exhorted not to spend their lives in indolence and sloth,
but that each one, mindful of the words of the Apostle, should do his own
business, and work with his own hands, as he had commanded them.
These words also enjoin as a duty commanded
by God that in six days we do all our works, lest we defer to a festival what
should have been done during the other days of the week, thereby distracting the
attention from the things of God.
Third Part of this Commandment
The third part of the Commandment comes next
to be explained. It points out, to a certain extent, the manner in which we are
to keep holy the Sabbath day, and explains particularly what we are forbidden
to do on that day.
Works Forbidden
Thou shalt do no work on it, says the Lord,
thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant,
nor thy beast, nor the stranger that is within thy gates.
These words teach us, in the first place, to
avoid whatever may interfere with the worship of God. Hence it is not difficult
to perceive that all servile works are forbidden, not because they are improper
or evil in themselves, but because they withdraw the attention from the worship
of God, which is the great end of the Commandment.
The faithful should be still more careful to
avoid sin, which not only withdraws the mind from the contemplation of divine
things, but entirely alienates us from the love of God.
Works Permitted
But whatever regards the celebration of
divine worship, such as the decoration of the altar or church on occasion of
some festival, and the like, although servile works, are not prohibited; and
hence our Lord says: The priests in the temple break the sabbath, and are
without blame.
Neither are we to suppose that this
Commandment forbids attention to those things on a feast day, which, if
neglected, will be lost; for this is expressly permitted by the sacred canons.
There are many other things which our Lord in
the Gospel declares lawful on festivals and which may be seen by the pastor in
St. Matthew and St. John.
Why Animals Are Not To Be Employed On The
Sabbath
To omit nothing that may interfere with the
sanctification of the Sabbath, the Commandment mentions beasts of burden,
because their use will prevent its due observance. If beasts be employed on the
Sabbath, human labor also becomes necessary to direct them; for they do not
labor alone, but assist the labours of man. Now it is not lawful for man to
work on that day. Hence it is not lawful for the animals to work which man
uses.
But the Commandment has also another purpose.
For. if God commands the exemption of cattle from labor on the Sabbath, still
more imperative is the obligation to avoid all acts of inhumanity towards
servants, or others whose labor and industry we employ.
Works Commanded Or Recommended
The pastor should also not omit carefully to
teach what works and actions Christians should perform on festival days. These
are: to go to church, and there, with heartfelt piety and devotion, to assist
at the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; and to approach
frequently the Sacraments of the Church, instituted for our salvation in order
to obtain a remedy for the wounds of the soul.
Nothing can be more seasonable or salutary
for Christians than frequent recourse to confession; and to this the pastor
will be enabled to exhort the faithful by using the instructions and proofs
which have been explained in their own place on the Sacrament of Penance.
But not only should he urge his people to
have recourse to that Sacrament, he should also zealously exhort them again and
again to approach frequently the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist.
The faithful should also listen with
attention and reverence to sermons. Nothing is more intolerable, nothing more
unworthy than to despise the words of Christ, or hear them with indifference.
Likewise the faithful should give themselves
to frequent prayer and the praises of God; and an object of their special
attention should be to learn those things which pertain to a Christian life,
and to practice with care the duties of piety, such as giving alms to the poor
and needy, visiting the sick, and administering consolation to the sorrowful
and afflicted. Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father is this,
says St. James, to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation.
From what has been said it is easy to
perceive how this Commandment may be violated.
Motives for the Observance of this
Commandment
It is also a duty of the pastor to have ready
at hand certain main arguments by which he may especially persuade the people
to observe this Commandment with all zeal and the greatest exactitude.
Reasonableness Of This Duty
To the attainment of this end it will
materially conduce, if the people understand and clearly see how just and
reasonable it is to devote certain days exclusively to the worship of God in
order to acknowledge, adore, and venerate our Lord from whom we have received
such innumerable and inestimable blessings.
Had He commanded us to offer Him every day
the tribute of religious worship, would it not be our duty, in return for His
inestimable and infinite benefits towards us, to endeavour to obey the command
with promptitude and alacrity? But now that the days consecrated to His worship
are but few, there is no excuse for neglecting or reluctantly performing this
duty, which moreover obliges under grave sin.
The Observance Of This Commandment Brings
Many Blessings
The pastor should next point out the
excellence of this precept. Those who are faithful in its observance are
admitted, as it were, into the divine presence to speak freely with God; for in
prayer we contemplate the divine majesty, and commune with Him; in hearing
religious instruction, we hear the voice of God, which reaches us through the
agency of those who devoutly preach on divine things; and at the Holy Sacrifice
of the Mass, we adore Christ the Lord, present on our altars. Such are the
blessings which they preeminently enjoy who faithfully observe this
Commandment.
Neglect Of This Commandment A Great Crime
But those who altogether neglect its
fulfilment resist God and His Church; they heed not God's command, and are
enemies of Him and His holy laws, of which the easiness of the command is
itself a proof. We should, it is true, be prepared to undergo the severest
labor for the sake of God; but in this Commandment He imposes on us no labor;
He only commands us to rest and disengage ourselves from worldly cares on those
days which are to be kept holy. To refuse obedience to this Commandment is,
therefore, a proof of extreme boldness; and the punishments with which its
infraction has been visited by God, as we learn from the Book of Numbers,'
should be a warning to us.
In order, therefore, to avoid offending God
in this way, we should frequently ponder this word: Remember, and should place
before our minds the important advantages and blessings which, as we have
already seen, flow from the religious observance of holydays, and also numerous
other considerations of the same tendency, which the good and zealous pastor
should develop at considerable length to his people as circumstances may
require.
THE
fourth COMMANDMENT : "Honour thy father and thy mother, that thou mayest
be long lived upon the land which the lord thy god will give thee."
Relative Importance Of The Preceding And
The Following Commandments
The preceding Commandments are supreme both
in dignity and in importance; but those which follow rank next in order because
of their necessity. For the first three tend directly to God; while the object
of the others is the charity we owe to our neighbour, although even these are
ultimately referred to God, since we love our neighbour on account of God, our
last end. Hence Christ our Lord has declared that the two Commandments which
inculcate the love of God and of our neighbour are like unto each other.
Importance Of Instruction On The Fourth
Commandment
The advantages arising from the present
subject can scarcely be expressed in words; for not only does it bring with it
its own fruit, and that in the richest abundance and of superior excellence,
but it also affords a test of our obedience to and observance of the first
Commandment. He that loveth not his brother whom he seeth, says St. John, how
can he love God whom he seeth not? In like manner, if we do not honour and
reverence our parents whom we ought to love next to God and whom we continually
see, how can we honour or reverence God, the supreme and best of parents, whom
we see not? Hence we can easily perceive the similarity between these two
Commandments.
The application of this Commandment is of
very great extent. Besides our natural parents, there are many others whose
power, rank, usefulness, exalted functions or office, entitle them to parental
honour.
Furthermore.(this Commandment) lightens the
labor of parents and superiors; for their chief care is that those under them
should live according to virtue and the divine Law. Now the performance of this
duty will be considerably facilitated, if it be known by all that highest
honour to parents is an obligation, sanctioned and commanded by God.
The Two Tables Of The Law
To impress the mind with this truth it will
be found useful to distinguish the Commandments of the first, from those of the
second table. This distinction, therefore, the pastor should first explain.
Let him begin by showing that the divine
precepts of the Decalogue were written on two tables, one of which, in the
opinion of the holy Fathers, contained the three preceding, while the rest were
given on the second table.
This order of the Commandments is especially
appropriate, since the very collocation points out to us their difference in
nature. For whatever is commanded or prohibited in Scripture by the divine law
springs from one of two principles, the love of God or of our neighbour: one or
the other of these is the basis of every duty required of us. The three
preceding Commandments teach us the love which we owe to God; and the other
seven, the duties which we owe to our neighbour and to public society. The
arrangement, therefore, which assigns some of the Commandments to the first and
others to the second table is not without good reason.
In the first three Commandments, which have
been explained, God, the supreme good, is, as it were, the subject matter; in
the others, it is the good of our neighbour. The former require the highest
love, the latter the love next to the highest. The former have to do with our
last end, the latter with those things that lead us to our end.
Again, the love of God terminates in God
Himself, for God is to be loved above all things for His own sake; but the love
of our neighbour originates in, and is to be regulated by, the love of God. If
we love our parents, obey our masters, respect our superiors, our ruling
principle in doing so should be that God is their Creator, and wishes to give
pre-eminence to those by whose cooperation He governs and protects other men; and
as He requires that we yield a dutiful respect to such persons, we should do
so, because He deems them worthy of this honour. If, then, we honour our
parents, the tribute is paid to God rather than to man. Accordingly we read in
St. Matthew concerning duty to superiors: He that receiveth you, receiveth me;
and the Apostle in his Epistle to the Ephesians, giving instruction to
servants, says: Servants, be obedient to them that are your lords according to
the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the simplicity of your heart, as to
Christ: not serving to the eye, as it were pleasing men, but as the servants of
Christ.
Moreover, no honour, no piety, no devotion
can be rendered to God sufficiently worthy of Him, since love of Him admits of
infinite increase. Hence our charity should become every day more fervent
towards Him, who commands us to love Him with our whole heart, our whole soul,
and with all our strength. The love of our neighbour, on the contrary, has its
limits, for the Lord commands us to love our neighbour as ourselves.
To outstep these limits by loving our
neighbour as we love God would be an enormous crime. If any man come to me,
says the Lord and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and
brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also; he cannot be my disciple. In
the same way, to one who would first attend the burial of his father, and then
follow Christ, it was said: Let the dead bury their dead; and the same lesson
is more clearly conveyed in St. Matthew: He that loveth father or mother more
than me, is not worthy of me.
Parents, no doubt, are to be highly loved and
respected; but religion requires that supreme honour and homage be given to Him
alone, who is the Creator and Father of all, and that all our love for our
earthly 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, o{ 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.
Explanation of the Fourth Commandment:
"Honour"
After these preliminaries the pastor should
explain the words of the Commandment, beginning with honour. To honour is to
think respectfully of anyone, and to hold in the highest esteem all that
relates to him. It includes love, respect, obedience and reverence.
Very properly, then, is the word honour used
here 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.
"Thy Father"
The pastor should next explain who they are,
whom the Commandment designates as fathers; for although the law refers
primarily to our natural fathers, yet the name belongs to others also, and
these seem to be indicated in the Commandment, as we can easily gather from
numerous passages of Scripture. Besides our natural fathers, then, there are
others who in Scripture are called fathers, as was said above, and to each of
these proper honour is due.
In the first place, the prelates of the
Church, her pastors and priests are called fathers, as is evident from the
Apostle, who, writing to the Corinthians, says: I write not these things to
confound you; but I admonish you as my dearest children. For if you have ten
thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus by
the gospel I have begotten you. It is also written in Ecclesiasticus: Let us
praise men of renown, and our fathers in their generation.
Those who govern the State, to whom are
entrusted power, magistracy, or command, are also called fathers; thus Naaman
was called father by his servants.
The name father is also applied to those to
whose care, fidelity, probity and wisdom others are committed, such as
teachers, instructors masters and guardians; and hence the sons of the Prophets
called Elias and Eliseus their father. Finally, aged men, advanced in years, we
also call fathers.
Why Parents Should Be Honoured
In his instructions the pastor should chiefly
emphasise the obligation of honouring all who are entitled to be called
fathers, especially our natural fathers, of whom the divine Commandment
particularly speaks. They are, so to say, images of the immortal God. In them
we behold a picture of our own origin; from them we have received existence,
them God made use of to infuse into us a soul and reason, by them we were led
to the Sacraments, instructed in our religion, schooled in right conduct and
holiness, and trained in civil and human knowledge.
"And Thy Mother"
The pastor should teach that the name mother
is mentioned in this Commandment, in order to remind us of her benefits and
claims in our regard, of the care and solicitude with which she bore us, and of
the pain and labor with which she gave us birth and brought us up.
Manner Of Honouring Parents
The honour which children are commanded to
pay to their parents should be the spontaneous offering of sincere and dutiful
love. This is nothing more than their due, since for love of us, they shrink
from no labor, no exertion, no danger. Their highest pleasure it is to fed that
they are loved by their children, the dearest objects of their affection.
Joseph, when he enjoyed in Egypt the highest station and the most ample power
after the king himself, received with honour his father, who had come into
Egypt. Solomon rose to meet his mother as she approached; and having paid her
respect, placed her on a royal throne on his right hand.
We also owe to our parents other duties of
respect, such as to supplicate God in their behalf, that they may lead
prosperous and happy lives, beloved and esteemed by all who know them, and most
pleasing in the sight of God and of the Saints in heaven.
We also honour them by submission to their
wishes and inclinations. My son, says Solomon, hear the instruct-on of thy
father, and forsake not the law of thy mother; that grace may be added to thy
head, and a chain of gold to thy neck. Of the same kind are the exhortations of
St. Paul. Children, he says, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is just;
and also, children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing
to the Lord. (This doctrine) is confirmed by the example of the holiest men.
Isaac, when bound for sacrifice by his father, meekly and uncomplainingly
obeyed; and the Rechabites, not to depart from the counsel of their father,
always abstained from wine.
We also honour our parents by the imitation
of their good example; for, to seek to resemble closely anyone is the highest
mark of esteem towards him. We also honour them when we not only ask, but
follow their advice.
Again we honour our parents when we relieve
their necessities, supplying them with necessary food and clothing according to
these words of Christ, who, when reproving the impiety of the Pharisees, said:
Why do you also transgress the commandments of God because of your traditions?
For God said: "Honour thy father and thy mother," and "He that
shall curse father or mother let him die the death." But you say:
"Whosoever shall say to his father or mother, The gift whatsoever
proceedeth from me, shall profit thee." And he shall not honour his father
or his mother; and you have made void the commandment of God for your
tradition.
But if at all times it is our duty to honour
our parents, this duty becomes still more imperative when they are visited by
severe illness. We should then see to it that they do not neglect confession
and the other Sacraments which every Christian should receive at the approach
of death. We should also see that pious and religious persons visit them
frequently to strengthen their weakness, assist them by their counsel, and
animate them to the hope of immortality, that having risen above the concerns
of this world, they may fix their thoughts entirely on God. Thus blessed with
the sublime virtues of faith, hope and charity, and fortified by the helps. of
religion, they will not only look at death without fear, since it is necessary,
but will even welcome it, as it hastens their entrance into eternity.
Finally, we honour our parents, even after
their death, by attending their funerals, procuring for them suitable obsequies
and burial, having due suffrages and anniversary Masses offered for them, and
faithfully executing their last wills.
Manner Of Honouring Other Superiors
We are bound to honour not only our natural
parents, but also others who are called fathers, such as Bishops and priests,
kings, princes and magistrates, tutors, guardians and masters, teachers, aged
persons and the like, all of whom are entitled, some in a greater, some in a
less degree, to share our love, our obedience, and our assistance.
The Honour Due To Bishops And Priests
Of Bishops and other pastors it is written:
Let the priests that rule well be esteemed worthy of double honour especially
they who labour in the word and doctrine.
What wondrous proofs of love for the Apostle
must the Galatians have shown ! For he bears this splendid testimony of their
benevolence: I bear you witness that if it could be done, you would hove
plucked out your own eyes, and would have given them to me.
The priest is also entitled to receive
whatever is necessary for his support. Who, says the Apostle, serveth as a
soldier at his own charges? Give honour to the priests, it is written in
Ecclesiasticus, and purify thyself with thy arms; give them their portion, as
it is commanded thee, of the first fruits and of purifications.
The Apostle also teaches that they are
entitled to obedience: Obey your prelates, and be subject to them; for they
watch as being to render an account of your souls. Nay, more. Christ the Lord
commands obedience even to wicked pastors: Upon the chair of Moses have sitten the
scribes and Pharisees: all things, therefore, whatsoever they shall say to you,
observe and do; but according to their works do ye not, for they say and do
not.
The Honour Due To Civil Rulers
The same is to be said of civil rulers,
governors, magistrates and others to whose authority we are subject. The
Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans, explains at length the honour, respect
and obedience that should be shown them, and he also bids us to pray for them.
St. Peter says: Be ye subject, therefore, to every human creature for God's
sake; whether it be to the king as excelling, or to governors as sent by him.
For whatever honour we show them is given to
God, since exalted human dignity deserves respect because it is an image of the
divine power, and in it we revere the providence of God who has entrusted to
men the care of public affairs and who uses them as the instruments of His
power.
If we sometimes have wicked and unworthy
officials it is not their faults that we revere, but the authority from God which
they possess. Indeed, while it may seem strange, we are not excused from highly
honouring them even when they show themselves hostile and implacable towards
us. Thus David rendered great services to Saul even when the latter was his
bitter foe, and to this he alludes when he says: With them that hated peace I
was peaceable.
However, should their commands be wicked or
unjust, they should not be obeyed, since in such a case they rule not according
to their rightful authority, but according to injustice and perversity.
'That Thou Mayest be Long-lived,"
etc.
Having explained the above matters, the
pastor should next consider the reward promised to the observance of this
Commandment and its appropriateness. That reward is great, indeed, for it
consists principally in length of days. They who always preserve the grateful
remembrance of a benefit deserve to be blessed with its prolonged enjoyment.
Children, therefore, who honour their parents, and gratefully acknowledge the
blessing of life received from them are deservedly rewarded with the protracted
enjoyment of that life to an advanced age.
Reward Promised For Observance Of This
Commandment
The (nature of the) divine promise also
demands distinct explanation. It includes not only the eternal life of the
blessed, but also the life which we lead on earth, according to the
interpretation of St. Paul: Piety is profitable to all things, having promise
of the life that now is, and of that which is to come
Many very holy men, it is true, such as Job,
David, Paul, desired to die, and a long life is burdensome to the afflicted and
wretched: but the reward which is here promised is, notwithstanding, neither
inconsiderable, nor to be despised.
The additional words, which the Lord thy God
will give thee, promise not only length of days, but also repose, tranquillity,
and security to live well; for in Deuteronomy it is not only said, that thou
mayest live a long time, but it is also added, and that it may be well with
thee, words afterwards quoted by the Apostle.
Why This Reward Is Not Always Conferred On
Dutiful Children
These blessings, we say, are conferred on
those whose piety God rewards; otherwise the divine promises would not be
fulfilled, since the more dutiful child is sometimes the more short lived.
Now this happens sometimes because it is
better for him to depart from this world before he has strayed from the path of
virtue and of duty; for he was taken away lest wickedness should alter his
understanding, or deceit beguile his soul. Or because destruction and general
upheaval are impending, he is called away that he may escape the calamities of
the times. The just man, says the Prophet, is taken away from before the face
of evil, lest his virtue and salvation be endangered when God avenges the
crimes of men. Or else, he is spared the bitter anguish of witnessing the
calamities of his friends and relations in such evil days. The premature death
of the good, therefore, gives special reason for fear.
Punishment For Violation Of This
Commandment
But if God promises rewards and blessings to
grateful children, He also reserves the heaviest chastisements to punish those
who are wanting in filial piety; for it is written: He that curseth his father
or mother shall die the death: He that afflicteth his father and chaseth away
his mother, is infamous and unhappy." He that curseth his father and
mother, his lamp shall be put out in the midst of darkness: The eye that
mocketh at his father, and that despiseth the labour of his mother in bearing
him, let the ravens of the brooks pick it out, and the young eagles eat it.
There are on record many instances of undutiful children, who were made the
signal objects of the divine vengeance. The disobedience of Absalom to his
father David did not go unpunished. On account of his sin he perished
miserably, transfixed by three lances.
Of those who resist the priest it is written:
He that will be proud, and refuse to obey the commandment of the priest, who
ministereth at that time to the Lord thy God, by the decree of the judge, that
man shall die.
Duties of Parents Towards their Children
As the law of God commands children to
honour, obey, and respect their parents so are there reciprocal duties which
parents owe to their children. Parents are obliged to bring up their children
in the knowledge and practice of religion, and to give them the best rules for
the regulation of their lives; so that, instructed and trained in religion,
they may serve God holily and constantly. It was thus, as we read, that the
parents of Susanna acted.
The priest, therefore, should admonish
parents to be to their children guides in the virtues of justice, chastity,
modesty and holiness.
Three Things To Be Avoided By Parents
He should also admonish them to guard
particularly against three things, in which they but too often transgress.
In the first place, they are not by words or
actions to exercise too much harshness towards their children. This is the
instruction of St. Paul in his Epistle to the Colossians: Fathers, he says,
provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. For there is
danger that the spirit of the child may be broken, and he become abject and
fearful of everything. Hence (the pastor) should require parents to avoid too
much severity and to choose rather to correct their children than to revenge
themselves upon them.
Should a fault be committed which requires
reproof and chastisement, the parent should not, on the other hand, by undue
indulgence, overlook its correction. Children are often spoiled by too much
lenity and indulgence on the part of their parents. The pastor, therefore,
should deter from such excessive mildness by the warning example of Heli, the
high-priest, who, on account of over-indulgence to his sons, was visited with
the heaviest chastisements.
Finally, to avoid what is most shameful in
the instruction and education of children, let them not propose to themselves
aims that are unworthy. Many there are whose sole concern is to leave their
children wealth, riches and an ample and splendid fortune; who encourage them
not to piety and religion, or to honourable employment, but to avarice, and an
increase of wealth, and who, provided their children are rich and wealthy, are
regardless of their good name and eternal salvation. Can anything more shameful
be thought or expressed? Of such parents it is true to say, that instead of
bequeathing wealth to their children, they leave them rather their own
wickedness and crimes for an inheritance; and instead of conducting them to
heaven, lead them to the eternal torments of hell.
The priest, therefore, should impress on the
minds of parents salutary principles and should exhort them to imitate the
virtuous example of Tobias, that having properly trained up their children to
the service of God and to holiness of life, they may, in turn, experience at
their hands abundant fruit of filial affection, respect and obedience.
THE FIFTH
COMMANDMENT : "Thou
shalt not kill"
Importance Of Instruction On This
Commandment
The great happiness proposed to the
peacemakers, of being called the children of God, should prove a powerful
incentive to the pastor to explain to the faithful with care and accuracy the
obligations imposed by this Commandment. No means more efficacious can be
adopted to promote peace among mankind, than the proper explanation of this
Commandment and its holy and due observance by all. Then might we hope that
men, united in the strictest bonds of union, would live in perfect peace and
concord.
The necessity of explaining this Commandment
is proved from the following. Immediately after the earth was overwhelmed in
universal deluge, this was the first prohibition made by God to man. I will
require the blood of your lives, He said, at the hand of every beast and at the
hand of man. In the next place, among the precepts of the Old Law expounded by
our Lord, this Commandment was mentioned first by Him; concerning which it is
written in the Gospel of St. Matthew: It has been said thou shalt not kill,
etc.
The faithful, on their part, should hear with
willing attention the explanation of this Commandment, since its purpose is to
protect the life of each one. These words, Thou shalt not kill, emphatically
forbid homicide; and they should be heard by all with the same pleasure as if
God, expressly naming each individual, were to prohibit injury to be offered
him under a threat of the divine anger and the heaviest chastisements. As,
then, the announcement of this Commandment must be heard with pleasure, so also
should the avoidance of the sin which it forbids give pleasure.
Two Parts Of This Commandment
In the explanation of this Commandment the
Lord points out its twofold obligation. The one is prohibitory and forbids us
to kill; the other is mandatory and commands us to cherish sentiments of
charity, concord and friendship towards our enemies, to have peace with all
men, and finally, to endure with patience every inconvenience.
The Prohibitory Part of this Commandment
Exceptions: The Killing Of Animals
With regard to the prohibitory part, it
should first be taught what kinds of killing are not forbidden by this
Commandment. It is not prohibited to kill animals; for if God permits man to
eat them, it is also lawful to kill them. When, says St. Augustine, we hear the
words, "Thou shalt not kill," we do not understand this of the fruits
of the earth, which are insensible, nor of irrational animals, which form no
part of human society.
Execution Of Criminals
Another kind of lawful slaying belongs to the
civil authorities, to whom is entrusted power of life and death, by the legal
and judicious exercise of which they punish the guilty and protect the
innocent. The just use of this power, far from involving the crime of murder,
is an act of paramount obedience to this Commandment which prohibits murder.
The end of the Commandment- is the preservation and security of human life. Now
the punishments inflicted by the civil authority, which is the legitimate
avenger of crime, naturally tend to this end, since they give security to life
by repressing outrage and violence. Hence these words of David: In the morning
I put to death all the wicked of the land, that I might cut off all the workers
of iniquity from the city of the Lord.
Killing In A Just War
In like manner, the soldier is guiltless who,
actuated not by motives of ambition or cruelty, but by a pure desire of serving
the interests of his country, takes away the life of an enemy in a just war.
Furthermore, there are on record instances of
carnage executed by the special command of God. The sons of Levi, who put to
death so many thousands in one day, were guilty of no sin; when the slaughter
had ceased, they were addressed by Moses in these words: You have consecrated
your hands this day to the Lord.
Killing By Accident
Again, death caused, not by intent or design,
but by accident, is not murder. He that killeth his neighbour ignorantly, says
the book of Deuteronomy, and who is proved to have had no hatred against him
yesterday and the day before, but to have gone with him to the wood to hew
wood, and in cutting down the tree the axe slipt out of his hand, and the iron
slipping from the handle struck his friend and killed him, shall live. Such
accidental deaths, because inflicted without intent or design, involve no guilt
whatever, and this is confirmed by the words of St. Augustine: God forbid that
what we do for a good and lawful end shall be imputed to us, if, contrary to
our intention, evil thereby befall any one.
There are, however, two cases in which guilt
attaches (to accidental death). The first case is when death results from an
unlawful act; when, for instance, a person kicks or strikes a woman in a state
of pregnancy, and abortion follows. The consequence, it is true, may not have
been intended, but this does not exculpate the offender, because the act of
striking a pregnant woman is in itself unlawful. The other case is when death
is caused by negligence, carelessness or want of due precaution.
Killing In Self-Defence
If a man kill another in self-defence, having
used every means consistent with his own safety to avoid the infliction of
death, he evidently does not violate this Commandment.
Negative Part Of This Commandment Forbids
Murder And Suicide
The above are the cases in which life may be
taken without violating this Commandment; and with these exceptions all other
killing is forbidden, whether we consider the person who kills, the person
killed, or the means used to kill.
As to the person who kills, the Commandment
recognises no exception whatever, be he rich or powerful, master or-parent.
All, without exception or distinction, are forbidden to kill.
With regard to the person killed, the law
extends to all. There is no individual, however humble or lowly his condition,
whose life is not shielded by this law.
It also forbids suicide. No man possesses
such power over his own life as to be at liberty to put himself to death. Hence
we find that the Commandment does not say: Thou shalt not kill another, but
simply: Thou shalt not kill.
Finally, if we consider the numerous means by
which murder may be committed, the law admits of no exception. Not only does it
forbid to take away the life of another by laying violent hands on him, by
means of a sword, a stone, a stick, a halter, or by administering poison; but
also strictly prohibits the accomplishment of the death of another by counsel,
assistance, help or any other means whatever.
Sinful Anger Is Also Forbidden By The
Fifth Commandment
The Jews, with singular dullness of
apprehension, thought that to abstain from taking life with their own hands was
enough to satisfy the obligation imposed by this Commandment. But the
Christian, instructed in the interpretation of Christ, has learned that the
precept is spiritual, and that it commands us not only to keep our hands
unstained, but our hearts pure and undefiled; hence what the Jews regarded as
quite sufficient, is not sufficient at all. For the Gospel has taught that it
is unlawful even to be angry with anyone: But I say to you that whosoever is
angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall
say to his brother, "Raca," shall be in danger of the council. And
whosoever shall say, "Thou fool," shall be in danger of hell fire. From
these words it clearly follows that he who is angry with his brother is not
free from sin, even though he conceals his resentment; that he who gives
indication of his wrath sins grievously; and that he who does not hesitate to
treat another with harshness, and to utter contumelious reproaches against him,
sins still more grievously.
This, however, is to be understood of cases
in which no just cause of anger exists. God and His laws permit us to be angry
when we chastise the faults of those who are subject to us. For the anger of a
Christian should spring from the Holy Spirit and not from carnal impulse,
seeing that we should be temples of the Holy Ghost, in which Jesus Christ may
dwell.
Our Lord has left us many other lessons of
instruction with regard to the perfect observance of this law, such as Not to
resist evil; but if one strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the
other. And if a man will contend with thee in judgment, and take away thy coat,
let go thy cloak also unto him; and whosoever will force thee one mile, go with
him two.
Remedies Against The Violation Of This
Commandment
From what has been said, it is easy to see
how inclined man is to those sins which are prohibited by this Commandment, and
how many are guilty of murder, if not in fact, at least in desire. As, then,
the Sacred Scriptures prescribe remedies for so dangerous a disease, the pastor
should spare no pains in making them known to the faithful.
Of these remedies the most efficacious is to
form a just conception of the wickedness of murder. The enormity of this sin is
manifest from many and weighty passages of Holy Scripture. So much does God
abominate homicide that He declares in Holy Writ that of the very beast of the
field He will exact vengeance for the life of man, commanding the beast that
injures man to be put to death. And if (the Almighty) commanded man to have a
horror of blood,' He did so for no other reason than to impress on his mind the
obligation of entirely refraining, both in act and desire, from the enormity of
homicide.
The murderer is the worst enemy of his
species, and consequently of nature. To the utmost of his power he destroys the
universal work of God by the destruction of man, since God declares that He
created all things for man's sake. Nay, as it is forbidden in Genesis to take
human life, because God created man to his own image and likeness, he who makes
away with God's image offers great injury to God, and almost seems to lay
violent hands on God Himself !
David, thinking of this with a mind divinely
illumined, complained bitterly of the bloodthirsty in these words: Their feet
are swift to shed blood. He does not simply say, they kill, but, they shed
blood, words which serve to mark the enormity of that execrable crime and to
denote the barbarous cruelty of the murderer. With a view also to describe in
particular how the murderer is precipitated by the impulse of the devil into
the commission of such a crime, he says: Their feet are swift.
Positive Part of this commandment
Love Of Neighbour Inculcated
The mandatory part of this Commandment, as
Christ our Lord enjoins, requires that we have peace with all men. Interpreting
the Commandment He says: If therefore thou offer thy gift at the altar, and
there thou remember that thy brother hath anything against thee; leave there
thy offering before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy brother,
and then coming thou shalt offer thy gift, etc.
Charity To All Commanded
In explaining this admonition, the pastor
should show that it inculcates the duty of charity towards all without
exception. In his instruction on the precept he should exhort the faithful as
much as possible to the practice of this virtue, since it is especially
included in this precept. For since hatred is clearly forbidden by this
Commandment, as whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer, it follows, as an
evident consequence, that the Commandment also inculcates charity and love.
Patience, Beneficence And Mildness
Commanded
And since the Commandment inculcates charity
and love, it must also enjoin all those duties and good offices which follow in
their train. Charity is patient, says St. Paul. We are therefore commanded
patience, in which, as the Redeemer teaches, we shall possess our souls.
Charity is kind; beneficence is, therefore, the friend and companion of
charity. The virtue of beneficence and kindness has a great range. Its
principal offices are to relieve the wants of the poor, to feed the hungry, to
give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked; and in all these acts of
beneficence we should proportion our liberality to the wants and necessities of
those we help.
These works of beneficence and goodness, in
themselves exalted, become still more illustrious when done towards an enemy;
for our Saviour says: Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, which
also the Apostle enjoins in these words: If thine enemy be hungry, give him to
eat: if he thirst, give hint to drink. For, doing this, thou shalt heap coals
of fire on his head. Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good.
Finally, if we consider the law of charity,
which is kind, we shall be convinced that to practice the good offices of
mildness, clemency, and other kindred virtues, is a duty prescribed by that
law.
Forgiveness Of Injuries Commanded
But the most important duty of all, and that
which is the fullest expression of charity, and to the practice of which we
should most habituate ourselves, is to pardon and forgive from the heart the
injuries which we may have received from others. The Sacred Scriptures, as we
have already observed, frequently admonish and exhort us to a full compliance
with this duty. Not only do they pronounce blessed those who do this, but they
also declare that God grants pardon to those who really fulfil this duty, while
He refuses pardon to those who neglect it, or refuse to obey it.
How to Persuade Men to Forgive Injuries
As the desire of revenge is almost natural to
man, it becomes necessary for the pastor to exert his utmost diligence not only
to instruct, but also earnestly to persuade the faithful, that a Christian
should forgive and forget injuries; and as this is a duty frequently inculcated
by sacred writers, he should consult them on the subject, in order to be able
to subdue the pertinacity of those whose minds are obstinately bent on revenge,
and he should have ready the forcible and appropriate arguments which those
Fathers piously employed. The three following considerations, however, demand
particular exposition.
All We Have To Endure Comes From God
First, he who thinks himself injured ought
above all to be persuaded that the man on whom he desires to be revenged was
not the principal cause of the loss or injury. Thus that admirable man, Job,
when violently injured by the Sabeans, the Chaldeans, and by Satan, took no
account of these, but as a righteous and very holy man exclaimed with no less
truth than piety: The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away. The words and the
example of that man of patience should, therefore, convince Christians, and the
conviction is most just, that whatever chastisements we endure in this life
come from the hand of God, the Father and Author of all justice and mercy. He
chastises us not as enemies, but, in His infinite goodness, corrects us as
children. To view the matter in its true light, men, in these cases, are
nothing more than the ministers and agents of God. One man, it is true, may
cherish the worst feelings towards another, he may harbour the most malignant
hatred against him; but, without the permission of God, he can do him no
injury. This is why Joseph was able patiently to endure the wicked counsels of
his brethren, and David, the injuries inflicted on him by Semei.
Here also applies an argument which St.
Chrysostom has ably and learnedly handled. It is that no man is injured but by
himself. Let the man, who considers himself injured by another, consider the
matter in the right way and he will certainly find that he has received no
injury or loss from others. For although he may have experienced injury from
external causes, he is himself his greatest enemy by wickedly staining his soul
with hatred, malevolence and envy.
Advantages Of Forgiveness
The second consideration is that there are
two advantages, which are the special rewards of those, who, influenced by a
holy desire to please God, freely forgive injuries. In the first place, God has
promised that he who forgives, shall himself obtain forgiveness of sins, a
promise which clearly shows how acceptable to God is this duty of piety. In the
next place, the forgiveness of injuries ennobles and perfects our nature; for
by it man is in some degree made like to God, Who maketh his sun to shine on
the good and the bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust.
Disadvantages Of Revenge
Finally, the disadvantages which arise from
the refusal to pardon others are to be explained. The pastor, therefore, should
place before the eyes of the unforgiving man that hatred is not only a grievous
sin, but also that the longer it is indulged the more deeply rooted it becomes.
The man, of whose heart this passion has once taken possession, thirsts for the
blood of his enemy. Filled with the hope of revenge, he will spend his days and
nights brooding over some evil design, so that his mind seems never to rest
from malignant projects, or even from thoughts of blood. Thus it follows that
never, or at least not without extreme difficulty, can he be induced generously
to pardon an offence, or even to mitigate his hostility. Justly, therefore, is
hatred compared to a wound in which the weapon remains firmly embedded.
Moreover, there are many evil consequences
and sins which are linked together with this one sin of hatred. Hence these
words of St. John: He that hateth his brother, is in darkness, and walketh in
darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth; because the darkness hath blinded
his eyes. He must, therefore, frequently fall; for how can anyone view in a
favourable light the words or actions of him whom he hates? Hence arise rash
and unjust judgments, anger, envy, detractions, and other evils of the same
sort, in which are often involved those who are connected by ties of friendship
or blood; and thus does it frequently happen that this one sin is the prolific
source of many.
Not without good reason is hatred called the
sin of the devil. The devil was a murderer from the beginning; and hence our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, when the Pharisees sought His life, said
that they were begotten of their father the devil.
Remedies Against Hatred
Besides the reasons already adduced, which afford
good grounds for detesting this sin, other and most suitable remedies are
prescribed in the pages of Holy Writ.
Of these remedies the first and greatest is
the example of the Redeemer, which we should set before our eyes as a model for
imitation. For He, in whom even suspicion of fault could not be found, when
scourged with rods, crowned with thorns, and finally nailed to a cross, uttered
that most charitable prayer: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they
do. And as the Apostle testifies: The sprinkling of his blood speaketh better
than Abel.
Another remedy, prescribed by Ecclesiasticus,
is to call to mind death and judgment: Remember thy last end, and. thou shalt
never sin." As if he had said: Reflect frequently and again and again that
you must soon die, and since at death there will be nothing you desire or need
more than great mercy from God, that now you should keep that mercy always
before your mind. Thus the cruel desire for revenge will be extinguished; for
you can discover no means better adapted, none more efficacious to obtain the
mercy of God than the forgiveness of injuries and love towards those who in
word or deed may have injured you or yours.
THE SIXTH
COMMANDMENT : "Thou shalt not commit adultery"
The Position Of This Commandment In The
Decalogue Is Most Suitable
The bond between man and wife is one of the
closest, and nothing can be more gratifying to both than to know that they are
objects of mutual and special affection. On the other hand, nothing inflicts
deeper anguish than to feel that the legitimate love which one owes the other
has been transferred elsewhere. Rightly, then, and in its natural order, is the
Commandment which protects human life against the hand of the murderer,
followed by that which forbids adultery and which aims to prevent anyone from
injuring or destroying by such a crime the holy and honourable union of
marriage -- a union which is generally the source of ardent affection and love.
Importance Of Careful Instruction On This
Commandment
In the explanation of this Commandment,
however, the pastor has need of great caution and prudence, and should treat
with great delicacy a subject which requires brevity rather than copiousness of
exposition. For it is to be feared that if he explained in too great detail or
at length the ways in which this Commandment is violated, he might
unintentionally speak of subjects which, instead of extinguishing, usually
serve rather to inflame corrupt passion.
As, however, the precept contains many things
which cannot be passed over in silence, the pastor should explain them in their
proper order and place.
Two Parts Of This Commandment
This Commandment, then, resolves itself into
two heads; the one expressed, which prohibits adultery; the other implied,
which inculcates purity of mind and body.
What this Commandment Prohibits
Adultery Forbidden
To begin with the prohibitory part (of the
Commandment), adultery is the defilement of the marriage bed, whether it be
one's own or another's. If a married man have intercourse with an unmarried
woman, he violates the integrity of his marriage bed; and if an unmarried man
have intercourse with a married woman, he defiles the sanctity of the marriage
bed of another.
Other Sins Against Chastity Are Forbidden
But that every species of immodesty and
impurity are included in this prohibition of adultery, is proved by the
testimonies of St. Augustine and St. Ambrose; and that such is the meaning of
the Commandment is borne out by the Old, as well as the New Testament. In the
writings of Moses, besides adultery, other sins against chastity are said to
have been punished. Thus the book of Genesis records the judgment of Judah
against his daughter-in-law. In Deuteronomy is found the excellent law of
Moses, that there should be no harlot amongst the daughters of Israel. Take
heed to keep thyself, my son, from all fornication, is the exhortation of
Tobias to his son; and in Ecclesiasticus we read: Be ashamed of looking upon a
harlot.
In the Gospel, too, Christ the Lord says:
From the heart come forth adulteries and fornications, which defile a man. The
Apostle Paul expresses his detestation of this crime frequently, and in the
strongest terms: This is the will of God, your sanctification, that you should
abstain from fornication; Fly fornication; Keep not company with fornicators;
Fornication, and an uncleanness and covetousness, let it not so much as be
named among you; " Neither fornicators nor adulterers, nor the effeminate
nor sodomites shall possess the kingdom of God.
Why Adultery Is Expressly Mentioned
But the reason why adultery is expressly
forbidden is- because in addition to the turpitude which it shares with other
kinds of incontinence, it adds the sin of injustice, not only against our
neighbour, but also against civil society.
Again it is certain that he who abstains not
from other sins against chastity, will easily fall into the crime of adultery.
By the prohibition of adultery, therefore, we at once see that every sort of
immodesty and impurity by which the body is defiled is prohibited. Nay, that
every inward thought against chastity is forbidden by this Commandment is
clear, as well from the very force of the law, which is evidently spiritual, as
also from these words of Christ the Lord: You have heard that it was said to
them of old: "Thou shalt not commit adultery." But I say to you, that
whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed
adultery with her in his heart.
These are the points which we have deemed
proper matter for public instruction of the faithful. The pastor, however,
should add the decrees of the Council of Trent against adulterers, and those
who keep harlots and concubines, omitting many other species of immodesty and
lust, of which each individual is to be admonished privately, as circumstances
of time and person may require.
What this Commandment Prescribes
Purity Enjoined
We now come to explain the positive part of
the precept. The faithful are to be taught and earnestly exhorted to cultivate
continence and chastity with all care, to cleanse themselves from all
defilement of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting sanctification in the
fear of God.
First of all they should be taught that
although the virtue of chastity shines with a brighter lustre in those who make
the holy and religious vow of virginity, nevertheless it is a virtue which
belongs also to those who lead a life of celibacy; or who, in the married
state, preserve themselves pure and undefiled from unlawful desire.
Reflections which Help one to Practice Purity
The holy Fathers have taught us many means
whereby to subdue the passions and to restrain sinful pleasure. The pastor,
therefore, should make it his study to explain these accurately to the
faithful, and should use the utmost diligence in their exposition. Of these
means some are reflections, others are active measures.
Impurity Excludes From Heaven
The first kind consists chiefly in our
forming a just conception of the filthiness and evil of this sin; for such
knowledge will lead one more easily to detest it. Now the evil of this crime we
may learn from the fact that, on account of it, man is banished and excluded
from the kingdom of God, which is the greatest of all evils.
Impurity Is A Filthy Sin
The above-mentioned calamity is indeed common
to every mortal sin. But what is peculiar to this sin is that fornicators are
said to sin against their own bodies, according to the words of the Apostle:
Fly fornication. Every-sin that a man doth is without the body; but he that
committeth fornication, sinneth against his own body. The reason is that such a
one does an injury to his own body violating its sanctity. Hence St. Paul,
writing to the Thessalonians, says: This is the will of God, your
sanctification; that you should abstain from fornication, that every one of you
should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; not in the
passion of lust, like the Gentiles that know not God.
Furthermore, what is still more criminal, the
Christian who shamefully sins with a harlot makes the members of Christ the
members of an harlot, according to these words of St. Paul: Know you not that
your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ
and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid. Or know you not, that he who
is joined to a harlot is made one body? Moreover, a Christian, as St. Paul
testifies is the temple of the Holy Ghost ; and to violate this temple is
nothing else than to expel the Holy Ghost.
Adultery Is A Grave Injustice
But the crime of adultery involves that of
grievous injustice. If, as the Apostle says, they who are joined in wedlock are
so subject to each other that neither has power or right over his or her body,
but both are bound, as it were, by a mutual bond of subjection, the husband to
accommodate himself to the will of the wife, the wife to the will of the
husband; most certainly if either dissociate his or her person, which is the
right of the other, from him or her to whom it is bound, the offender is guilty
of an act of great injustice and wickedness.
Adultery Is Disgraceful
As dread of disgrace strongly stimulates to
the performance of duty and deters from the commission of crime, the pastor
should also teach that adultery brands its guilty perpetrators with an unusual
stigma. He that is an adulterer, says Scripture, for the folly of his heart
shall destroy his own soul: he gathereth to himself shame and dishonour, and
his reproach shall not be blotted out.
Impurity Severely Punished
The grievousness of the sin of adultery may
be easily inferred from the severity of its punishment. According to the law
promulgated by God in the Old Testament, the adulterer was stoned to death. Nay
more, because of the criminal passion of one man, not only the perpetrator of
the crime, but a whole city was destroyed, as we read with regard to the
Sichemites. The Sacred Scriptures abound with examples of the divine vengeance,
such as the destruction of Sodom and of the neighbouring cities,' the
punishment of the Israelites who committed fornication in the wilderness with
the daughters of Moab, and the slaughter of the Benjamites. These examples the
pastor can easily make use of to deter men from shameful lust.
Impurity Blinds The Mind And Hardens The
Heart
But even though the adulterer may escape the
punishment of death, he does not escape the great pains and torments that often
overtake such sins as his. He becomes afflicted with blindness of mind a most
severe punishment; he is lost to all regard for God, for reputation, for
honour, for family, and even for life; and thus, utterly abandoned and
worthless, he is undeserving of confidence in any matter of moment, and becomes
unfitted to discharge any kind of duty.
Of this we find examples in the persons of
David and of Solomon. David had no sooner fallen into the crime of adultery
than he degenerated into a character the very reverse of what he had been
before; from the mildest of men he became so cruel as to consign to death Urias,
one of his most deserving subjects. Solomon, having abandoned himself to the
lust of women, gave up the true religion to follow strange gods. This sin,
therefore, as Osee observes, takes away man's heart and often blinds his
understanding.
means of practicing purity
Avoidance Of Idleness
We now come to the remedies which consist in
action. The first is studiously to avoid idleness; for, according to Ezechiel,
it was by yielding to the enervating influence of idleness that the Sodomites
plunged into the most shameful crime of criminal lust.
Temperance
In the next place, intemperance is carefully
to be avoided. I fed them to the full, says the Prophet, and they committed
adultery. An overloaded stomach begets impurity. This our Lord intimates in
these words: Take heed to yourselves, lest perhaps your hearts be overcharged
with surfeiting and drunkenness. Be not drunk with wine, says the Apostle,
wherein is luxury.
Custody Of The Eyes
But the eyes, in particular, are the inlets
to criminal passion, and to this refer these words of our Lord: If thine eye
scandalise thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. The Prophets, also,
frequently speak to the same effect. I made a covenant with mine eyes, says
Job, that I would not so much as think upon a virgin. Finally, there are on
record innumerable examples of the evils which have their origin in the
indulgence of the eyes. It was thus that David sinned, thus that the king of
Sichem fell, and thus also that the elders sinned who calumniated Susanna.
Avoidance Of Immodest Dress
Too much display in dress, which especially
attracts the eye, is but too frequently an occasion of sin. Hence the
admonition of Ecclesiasticus: Turn away thy face from a woman dressed up. As
women are given to excessive fondness for dress, it will not be unseasonable in
the pastor to give some attention to the subject, and sometimes to admonish and
reprove them in the impressive words of the Apostle Peter: Whose adorning let
it not be the outward plaiting of the hair, or the wearing of gold, or the
putting on of apparel. St. Paul likewise says: Not with plaited hair, or gold,
or pearls, or costly attire. Many women adorned with gold and precious stones,
have lost the only true ornament of their soul and body.
Avoidance Of Impure Conversation, Reading,
Pictures
Next to the sexual excitement, usually
provoked by too studied an elegance of dress, follows another, which is
indecent and obscene conversation. Obscene language is a torch which lights up
the worst passions of the young mind; and the Apostle has said, that evil
communications corrupt good manners. Immodest and passionate songs and dances
are most productive of this same effect and are, therefore, cautiously to be
avoided.
In the same class are to be numbered soft and
obscene books which must be avoided no less than indecent pictures. All such
things possess a fatal influence in exciting to unlawful attractions, and in
inflaming the mind of youth. In these matters the pastor should take special
pains to see that the faithful most carefully observe the pious and prudent
regulations of the Council of Trent.
Frequentation Of The Sacraments
If the occasions of sin which we have just
enumerated be carefully avoided, almost every excitement to lust will be
removed. But the most efficacious means for subduing its violence are frequent
use of confession and Communion, as also unceasing and devout prayer to God,
accompanied by fasting and almsdeeds. Chastity is a gift of God. To those who
ask it aright He does not deny it; nor does He suffer us to be tempted beyond
our strength.
Mortification
But the body is to be mortified and the
sensual appetites to be repressed not only by fasting, and particularly, by the
fasts instituted by the Church, but also by watching, pious pilgrimages, and
other works of austerity. By these and similar observances is the virtue of
temperance chiefly manifested. In connection with this subject, St. Paul,
writing to the Corinthians, says: Every one that striveth for the mastery,
refraineth himself from all things; and they indeed that they may receive a
corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible one. A little after he says: I
chastise my body and bring it into subjection, lest, perhaps, when I have
preached to others, I myself should become a castaway. And in another place he
says: Make not provision for the flesh in its concupiscence.
THE
SEVENTH COMMANDMENT : "Thou shalt not steal"
Importance Of Instruction On This
Commandment
In the early ages of the Church, it was
customary to impress on the minds of hearers the nature and force of this
Commandment. This we learn from the reproof uttered by the Apostle against some
who were most earnest in deterring others from vices, in which they themselves
were found freely to indulge: Thou, therefore, that teachest another, teachest
not thyself: thou that preachest that men should not steal, stealest. The
salutary effect of such instructions was not only to correct a vice then very
prevalent, but also to repress quarrels, litigation and other evils which
generally grow out of theft. Since in these our days men are unhappily addicted
to the same vices, with their consequent misfortunes and evils, the pastor,
following the example of the holy Fathers and Doctors, should strongly insist
on this point and explain with diligent care the force and meaning of this
Commandment.
This Commandment A Proof Of The Love Of
God Towards Us And A Claim On Our Gratitude
In the first place the pastor should exercise
care and industry in declaring the infinite love of God for man. Not satisfied
with having fenced round, so to say, our lives, our persons and our reputation,
by means of the two Commandments, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit
adultery, God defends and places a guard over our property and possessions, by
adding the prohibition, Thou shalt not steal. These words can have no other
meaning than that which we indicated above when speaking of the other
Commandments. They declare that God forbids our worldly goods, which are placed
under His protection, to be taken away or injured by anyone.
Our gratitude to God, the author of this law,
should be in proportion to the greatness of the benefit the law confers upon
us. Now since the truest test of gratitude and the best means of returning
thanks, consists not only in lending a willing ear to His precepts, but also in
obeying them, the faithful are to be animated and encouraged to an observance
of this Commandment.
Two Parts Of This Commandment
Like the preceding Commandments, this one
also is divided into two parts. The first, which prohibits theft, is mentioned
expressly; while the spirit and force of the second, which en- forces
kindliness and liberality towards our neighbour, are implied in the first part.
Negative Part of this Commandment
Stealing Forbidden
We shall begin with the prohibitory part of
the Commandment, Thou shalt not steal. It is to be observed, that by the word
steal is understood not only the taking away of anything from its rightful
owner, privately and without his consent, but also the possession of that which
belongs to another, contrary to the will, although not without the knowledge,
of the true owner; else we are prepared to say that He who prohibits theft does
not also prohibit robbery, which is accomplished by violence and injustice,
whereas, according to St. Paul, extortioners shall not possess the kingdom of
God, and their very company and ways should be shunned, as the same Apostle
writes.
Theft And Robbery Forbidden
But though robbery is a greater sin than
theft, inasmuch as it not only deprives another of his property, but also
offers violence and insult to him; yet it cannot be a matter of surprise that
the divine prohibition is expressed under the milder word, steal, instead of
rob. There was good reason for this, since theft is more general and of wider
extent than robbery, a crime which only they can commit who are superior to
their neighbour in brute force and power. Furthermore, it is obvious that when
lesser crimes are forbidden, greater enormities of the same sort are also
prohibited.
Various Names Given To Stealing
The unjust possession and use of what belongs
to another are expressed by different names, according to the diversity of the
objects taken without the consent and knowledge of the owners To take any
private property from a private individual is called theft; from the public,
peculation. To enslave a freeman, or appropriate the slave of another is called
man-stealing. To steal anything sacred is called sacrilege -- a crime most
enormous and sinful, yet so common in our days that what piety and wisdom had
set aside for the necessary expenses of divine worship, for the support of the
ministers of religion, and the use of the poor is employed in satisfying
individual avarice and the worst passions.
Desire Of Stealing Forbidden
But, besides actual theft, that is, the
outward commission, the will and desire are also forbidden by the law of God.
The law is spiritual and concerns the soul, the source of our thoughts and
designs. From the heart, says our Lord in St. Matthew, come forth evil
thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies.
Gravity Of The Sin Of Stealing
The grievousness of the sin of theft is
sufficiently seen by the light of natural reason alone, for it is a violation
of justice which gives to every man his own. The distribution and allotment of
property, fixed from the beginning by the law of nations and confirmed by human
and divine laws, must be considered as inviolable, and each one must be allowed
secure possession of what justly belongs to him, unless we wish the overthrow
of human society. Hence these words of the Apostle: Neither thieves, nor
covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the
kingdom of God.
The long train of evils which this sin
entails are a proof at once of its mischievousness and enormity. It gives rise
to hasty and rash judgments, engenders hatred, originates enmities, and
sometimes subjects the innocent to cruel condemnation.
What shall we say of the necessity imposed by
God on all of satisfying for the injury done? Without restitution, says St.
Augustine, the sin is not forgiven. The difficulty of making such restitution,
on the part of those who have been in the habit of enriching themselves with
their neighbour’s property, we may learn not only from personal observation and
reflection, but also from the testimony of the Prophet Habacuc: Woe to him that
heapeth together what is not his own. How long also doth he load himself with
thick clay? The possession of other men's property he calls thick clay, because
it is difficult to emerge and extricate one's self from (ill-gotten goods).
The Chief Kinds Of Stealing
There are so many kinds of stealing that it
is most difficult to enumerate them all; but since the others can be reduced to
theft and robbery, it will be sufficient to speak of these two. To inspire the
faithful with a detestation of such grievous crimes and to deter them from their
commission, the pastor should use all care and diligence. Now let us consider
these two kinds of stealing.
Various Forms Of Theft
They are guilty of theft who buy stolen
goods, or retain the property of others, whether found, seized, or pilfered. If
you have found, and not restored, says St. Augustine, you have stolen. If the
true owner cannot, however, be discovered, whatever is found should go to the
poor. If the finder refuse to make restitution, he gives evident proof that,
were it in his power, he would make no scruple of stealing all that he could
lay his hands on.
Those who, in buying or selling, have
recourse to fraud and lying, involve themselves in the same guilt. The Lord
will avenge their trickery. Those who sell bad and adulterated goods as real
and genuine, or who defraud the purchasers by weight, measure, number, or rule,
are guilty of a species of theft still more criminal and unjust. It is written
in Deuteronomy: Thou shalt not have divers weights in thy bag. Do not any
unjust thing, says Leviticus, in judgment, in rule, in weight or in measure.
Let the balance be just, and the weights equal, the bushel just, and the
sextary equal. And elsewhere it is written: Divers weights are an abomination
before the Lord; a deceitful balance is not good.
It is, also, a downright theft, when
labourers and artisans exact full wages from those to whom they have not given
just and due labor. Again, dishonest servants and agents are no better than
thieves, nay they are more detestable than other thieves; against these
everything may be locked, while against a pilfering servant nothing in a house
can be secure by bolt or lock.
They, also, who obtain money under pretence
of poverty, or by deceitful words, may be said to steal, and their guilt is
aggravated since they add falsehood to theft.
Persons charged with offices of public or
private trust, who altogether neglect, or but indifferently perform their
duties, while they enjoy the salary and emoluments of such offices, are also to
be reckoned in the number of thieves.
To enumerate the various other modes of
theft, invented by the ingenuity of avarice, which is versed in all the arts of
making money, would be a tedious and, as already said, a most difficult task.
Various Forms Of Robbery
The pastor, therefore, should next come to
treat of robbery, which is the second general division of these crimes. First,
he should admonish the Christian people to bear in mind the teaching of the
Apostle: They that will become rich fall into temptation, and the snare of the
devil; and never to forget the rule: All things whatsoever you will that men do
to you, do you also to them; and always to bear in mind the words of Tobias:
See thou never do to another what thou wouldst hate to have done to thee by another.
Robbery is more comprehensive than theft.
Those who pay not the labourer his hire are guilty of robbery, and are exhorted
to repentance by St. James in these words: Go to now, ye rich men, weep and
howl for your miseries, which shall come upon you. He adds the reason for their
repentance: Behold the hire of the labourers, who have reaped down your fields,
which by fraud has been kept back by you, crieth: and the cry of them hath
entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. This sort of robbery is strongly
condemned in Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Malachy, and Tobias.
Among those who are guilty of robbery are
also included persons who do not pay, or who turn to other uses or appropriate
to themselves, customs, taxes, tithes and such revenues, which are owed to the
Church or civil authorities.
To this class also belong usurers, the most
cruel and relentless of extortioners, who by their exorbitant rates of
interest, plunder and destroy the poor. Whatever is received above the capital
and principal, be it money, or anything else that may be purchased or estimated
by money, is usury; for it is written in Ezechiel: He hath not lent upon usury,
nor taken an increase; and in Luke our Lord says: Lend, hoping for nothing
thereby. Even among the pagans usury was always considered a most grievous and
odious crime. Hence the question, "What is usury ?" was answered:
"What is murder?" And, indeed, he who lends at usury sells the same
thing twice, or sells that which has no real existence.
Corrupt judges, whose decisions are venal,
and who, bought over by money or other bribes, decide against the just claims
of the poor and needy, also commit robbery.
Those who defraud their creditors, who deny
their just debts, and also those who purchase goods on their own, or on another's
credit, with a promise to pay for them at a certain time, and do not keep their
word, are guilty of the same crime of robbery. And it is an aggravation of
their guilt that, in consequence of their want of punctuality and their fraud,
prices are raised to the great injury of the public. To such persons seem to
apply the words of David: The sinner shall borrow, and not pay again.
But what shall we say of those rich men who
exact with rigour what they lend to the poor, even though the latter are not
able to pay them, and who, disregarding God's law, take as security even the
necessary clothing of the unfortunate debtors ? For God says: If thou take of
thy neighbour a garment in pledge, thou shalt give it him again before sunset,
for that same is the only thing wherewith he is covered, the clothing of his
body, neither hath he any other to sleep in: if he cry to me I will hear him,
because I am compassionate. Their rigorous exaction is justly termed rapacity,
and therefore robbery.
Among those whom the holy Fathers pronounced
guilty of robbery are persons who, in times of scarcity, hoard up their corn,
thus culpably rendering supplies scarcer and dearer. This holds good with
regard to all necessaries of life and sustenance. These are they against whom
Solomon utters this execration: He that hideth up corn, shall be cursed among
the people. Such persons the pastor should warn of their guilt, and should
reprove with more than ordinary freedom; he should explain to them at length
the punishments which await such sins.
So much for what the seventh Commandment
forbids.
Positive Part of this Commandment
Restitution Enjoined
We now come to the positive part of this
Commandment, in which the first thing to be considered is satisfaction or
restitution; for without restitution the sin is not forgiven.
Who Are Held To Restitution
But as the law of making restitution to the
injured party is binding not only on the person who commits theft, but also on
all who cooperate in the sin, it is necessary to explain who are indispensably
bound to this satisfaction or restitution. There are several classes (who are
thus bound).
The first consists of those who order others
to steal, and who are not only the authors and accomplices of theft, but also
the most criminal among thieves.
Another class embraces those, who, when they
cannot command others to commit theft persuade and encourage it. These, since
they are like the first class in intention, though unlike them in power, are
equally guilty of theft.
A third class is composed of those who
consent to the theft committed by others.
The fourth class is that of those who are
accomplices in, and derive gain from theft; if that can be called gain, which,
unless they repent, consigns them to everlasting torments. Of them David says:
If thou didst see a thief, thou didst run with him.
The fifth class of thieves are those who,
having it in their power to prohibit theft, so far from opposing or preventing
it, fully and freely suffer and sanction its commission.
The sixth class is constituted of those who
are well aware that the theft was committed, and when it was committed; and
yet, far from mentioning it, pretend they know nothing about it.
The last class comprises all who assist in
the accomplishment of theft, who guard, defend, receive or harbour thieves.
All these are bound to make restitution to
those from whom anything has been stolen, and are to be earnestly exhorted to
the discharge of so necessary a duty.
Neither are those who approve and commend
thefts entirely innocent of this crime. Children also who steal from their
parents, and wives who steal from their husbands are not guiltless of theft.
Almsdeeds Enjoined
This Commandment also implies an obligation
to sympathise with the poor and needy, and to relieve their difficulties and
distresses by our means and good offices. Concerning this subject, which cannot
be insisted on too often or too strongly, the pastor will find abundant matter
to enrich his discourses in the works of St. Cyprian, St. John Chrysostom, St.
Gregory Nazianzen, and other eminent writers on almsdeeds.
Inducements To Practice Almsgiving
The pastor, therefore, should encourage the
faithful to be willing and anxious to assist those who have to depend on
charity, and should make them realise the great necessity of giving alms and of
being really and practically liberal to the poor, by reminding them that on the
last day God will condemn and consign to eternal fires those who have omitted
and neglected the duty of almsgiving, while on the contrary He will praise and
introduce into His heavenly country those who have exercised mercy towards the
poor. These two sentences have been already pronounced by the lips of Christ
the Lord: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess the kingdom prepared for you;
and: Depart front me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.
Priests should also cite those texts which
are calculated to persuade (to the performance of this important duty): Give
and it shall be given to you. They should dwell on the promise of God, the
richest and most abundant that can be conceived: There is no man who hath left
house, or brethren, etc., that shall not receive an hundred times as much now
in this time and in the world to come life everlasting; and he should add these
words of our Lord: Make unto yourselves friends of the mammon of iniquity, that
when you shall fail, they may receive you into everlasting dwellings.
Ways Of Giving Alms
They should also explain the parts of this
necessary duty, so that whoever is unable to give may at least lend to the poor
what they need to sustain life, according to the command of Christ our Lord:
Lend, hoping for nothing thereby. The happiness of doing this is thus expressed
by holy David: Acceptable is the man that showeth mercy and lendeth.
But if we are not able to give to those who
must depend on the charity of others for their sustenance, it is an act of
Christian piety, as well as a means of avoiding idleness, to procure by our
labor and industry what is necessary for the relief of the poor. To this the
Apostle exhorts all by his own example. For yourselves, he says to the
Thessalonians, know how you ought to imitate us; and again, writing to the same
people: Use your endeavour to be quiet, and that you do your own business, and
work with your own, hands, as we commanded you; and to the Ephesians: He that
stole, let him steal no more; but rather let him labour working with his hands
the thing which is good, that he may have something to give to him that
suffereth need.'
Frugality Is Enjoined
We should also practice frugality and draw
sparingly on the kindness of others, that we may not be burden or a trouble to
them. The exercise of considerateness is conspicuous in all the Apostles, but
preeminently so in St. Paul. Writing to the Thessalonians he says: You
remember, brethren, our labour and toil; working night and day lest we should
be chargeable to any of you, we preached amongst you the gospel of God. And in
another place the same Apostle says: In labour and in toil, we worked night and
day, lest we should be burdensome to any of you.
Sanction Of This Commandment
The Punishment Of Its Violation
To inspire the faithful with an abhorrence of
all infamous sins against this Commandment, the pastor should have recourse to
the Prophets and the other inspired writers, to show the detestation in which
God holds the crimes of theft and robbery, and the awful threats which He
denounces against their perpetrators. Hear this, exclaims the Prophet Amos, you
that crush the poor, and make the needy of the land to fail, saying: "When
will the month be over, and we shall sell our wares, and the sabbath, and we
shall open the corn; that we may lessen the measure, and increase the sickle,
and may convey in deceitful balances? Many passages of the same kind may be
found in Jeremias, Proverbs,' and Ecclesiasticus. Indeed it cannot be doubted
that such crimes are the seeds from which have sprung in great part the evils
which in our times oppress society.
The Reward Of Observing This Commandment
That Christians may accustom themselves to
those acts of generosity and kindness towards the poor and the needy which are
inculcated by the second part of this Commandment, the pastor should place
before them those ample rewards which God promises in this life and in the next
to the beneficent and the bountiful.
Excuses for Stealing Refuted
As there are not wanting those who would even
excuse their thefts, these are to be admonished that God will accept no excuse
for sin; and that their excuses, far from extenuating, serve only greatly to
aggravate their guilt.
The Plea Of Rank And Position
How insufferable the vanity of those men of
exalted rank who excuse themselves by alleging that they act not from cupidity
or avarice, but stoop to take what belongs to others only from a desire to
maintain the grandeur of their families and of their ancestors, whose repute
and dignity must fall, if not upheld by the possession of another man's
property. Of this harmful error they are to be disabused; and they are to be
convinced that the only means to preserve and augment their wealth and to
enhance the glory of their ancestors is to obey the will of God and observe His
Commandments. Once His will and Commandments are contemned, the stability of
property, no matter how securely settled, is overturned; kings are dethroned,
and hurled from the highest stations of honour; while the humblest individuals,
men too, towards whom they cherished the most implacable hatred, are sometimes
called by God to occupy their place.
It is incredible to what degree the divine
wrath is kindled against such offenders, and this we know from the testimony of
Isaias, who records these words of God: Thy princes are faithless, companions
of thieves; they all love bribes, they run after rewards. Therefore, saith the
Lord, the God of Hosts, the mighty one of Israel: Ah! I will comfort myself
over my adversaries; and I will be revenged of my enemies; and I will turn my
hand to thee, and I will clean purge away thy dross.
The Plea Of Greater Ease And Elegance
Some there are, who plead in justification of
such conduct, not the ambition of maintaining splendour and glory, but a desire
of acquiring the means of living in greater ease and elegance. These are to be
refuted, and should be shown how impious are the words and conduct of those who
prefer their own ease to the will and the glory of God whom, by neglecting His
Commandments, we offend extremely. And yet what real advantage can there be in
theft? Of how many very serious evils is it not the source? Confusion and
repentance, says Ecclesiasticus, is upon a thief. But even though no
disadvantage overtake the thief, he offers an insult to the divine name,
opposes the most holy will of God, and contemns His salutary precepts. From
hence result all error, all dishonesty, all impiety.
The Plea Of The Other's Wealth
But do we not sometimes hear the thief
contend that he is not guilty of sin, because he steals from the rich and the
wealthy, who, in his mind, not only suffer no injury, but do not even feel the
loss? Such an excuse is as wretched as it is baneful.
The Plea Of Force Of Habit
Others imagine that they should be excused,
because they have contracted such a habit of stealing as not to be able easily
to refrain from such desires and practices. If such persons listen not to the
admonition of the Apostle: He that stole, let him now steal no more, let them
recollect that one day, whether they like it or not, they will become
accustomed to an eternity of torments.
The Plea Of Favourable Opportunity
Some excuse themselves by saying that the
opportunity presented itself. The proverb is well known: Those who are not
thieves are made so by opportunity. Such persons are to be disabused of their
wicked idea by reminding them that it is our duty to resist every evil
propensity. If we yield instant obedience to every inordinate impulse, what
measure, what limits will there be to crime and disorder? Such an excuse,
therefore,- is of the lowest character, or rather is an avowal of a complete
want of restraint and justice. To say that you do not commit sin, because you
have no opportunity of sinning, is almost to acknowledge that you are always
prepared to sin when opportunity offers.
The Plea Of Revenge
There are some who say that they steal in
order to gratify revenge, having themselves suffered the same injury from
others. To such offenders it should be answered first of all that no one is
allowed to return injury for injury; next that no person can be a judge in his
own cause; and finally that still less can it be lawful to punish one man for
the wrong done you by another.
The Plea Of Financial Embarrassment
Finally, some find a sufficient justification
of theft in their own embarrassments, alleging that they are overwhelmed with
debt, which they cannot pay off otherwise than by theft. Such persons should be
given to understand that no debt presses more heavily upon all men than that
which we mention each day in these words of the Lord's Prayer: Forgive us our
debts. Hence it is the height of folly to be willing to increase our debt to
God by new sin, in order to be able to pay our debts to men. It is much better
to be consigned to prison than to be cast into the eternal torments of hell; it
is by far a greater evil to be condemned by the judgment of God, than by that
of man. Hence it becomes our duty to have recourse to the assistance and mercy
of God from whom we can obtain whatever we need.
There are also other excuses, which, however,
the judicious and zealous pastor will not find it difficult to meet, so that
thus he may one day be blessed with a people who are followers of good works.
THE
EIGHTH COMMANDMENT : "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy
neighbour"
Importance Of Instruction On This
Commandment
The great utility, nay the necessity, of
carefully explaining this Commandment, and of emphasising its obligation, we
learn from these words of St. James: If any man offend not in word, the same is
a perfect man; and again, The tongue is indeed a little member, and boasteth
great things. Behold how small a fire, what a great wood it kindleth; and so
on, to the same effect.
From these words we learn two truths. The
first is that sins of the tongue are very prevalent, which is confirmed by
these words of the Prophet: Every man is a liar, so that it would almost seem
as if this were the only sin which extends to all mankind. The other truth is
that the tongue is the source of innumerable evils. Through the fault of the
evil-speaker are often lost the property, the reputation, the life, and the
salvation of the Injured person, or of him who inflicts the injury. The injured
person, unable to bear patiently the contumely, avenges it without restraint.
The offender, on the other hand, deterred by a perverse shame and a false idea
of what is called honour, cannot be induced to make reparation to him whom he
has offended.
This Commandment Should Call Forth Our
Gratitude
Hence the faithful are to be exhorted to
thank God as much as they can for having given this salutary Commandment, not
to bear false witness, which not only forbids us to injure others, but which
also, if duly observed, prevents others from injuring us.
Two Parts Of This Commandment
In its explanation we shall proceed as we
have done with regard to the others, pointing out that in it are contained two
laws. The first forbids us to bear false witness. The other commands us to lay
aside all dissimulation and deceit, and to measure our words and actions by the
standard of truth, a duty of which the Apostle admonishes the Ephesians in
these words: Doing the truth in charity, let us grow up in all things in him.
Negative Part Of This Commandment
With regard to the prohibitory part of this
Commandment, although by false testimony is understood whatever is positively
but falsely affirmed of anyone, be it for or against him, be it in a public
court or elsewhere; yet the Commandment specially prohibits that species of
false testimony which is given on oath in a court of justice. For a witness
swears by the Deity, because the words of a man thus giving evidence and using
the divine name, have very great weight and possess the strongest claim to
credit. Such testimony, therefore, because it is dangerous, is specially
prohibited; for even the judge himself cannot reject the testimony of sworn
witnesses, unless they be excluded by exceptions made in the law, or unless
their dishonesty and malice are notorious. This is especially true since it is
commanded by divine authority that in the mouth of two or three every word
shall stand.
"Against Thy Neighbour"
In order that the faithful may have a clear
comprehension of this Commandment it should be explained who is our neighbour,
against whom it is unlawful to bear false witness. According to the
interpretation of Christ the Lord, our neighbour is he who needs our
assistance, whether bound to us by ties of kindred or not, whether a
fellow-citizen or a stranger, a friend or an enemy.' It is wrong to think that
one may give false evidence against an enemy, since by the command of God and
of our Lord we are bound to love him.
Moreover, as every man is bound to love
himself, and is thus, in some sense, his own neighbour, it is unlawful for
anyone to bear false witness against himself. He who does so brands himself
with infamy and disgrace, and injures both himself and the Church of which he
is a member, much as the suicide, by his act, does a wrong to the state. This
is the doctrine of St. Augustine, who says: To those who do not understand (the
precept) properly, it might seem lawful to give false testimony against one's
self, because the words "against thy neighbour" are subjoined in the
Commandment. But let no one who bears false testimony against himself think
that he has not violated this Commandment, for the standard of loving our
neighbour is the love which we cherish towards ourselves.
False Testimony In Favour Of A Neighbour
Is Also Forbidden
But if we are forbidden to injure our
neighbour by false testimony, let it not be inferred that the contrary is
lawful, and that we may help by perjury those who are bound to us by ties of
kinship or religion. It is never allowed to have recourse to lies or deception,
much less to perjury. Hence St. Augustine in his book to Crescentius On Lying
teaches from the words of the Apostle that a lie, although uttered in false
praise of anyone, is to be numbered among false testimonies. Treating of that
passage, Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have given
testimony against God, that he hath raised up Christ whom he hath not raised,
if the dead rise not again, he says: The Apostle calls it false testimony to
utter a lie with regard to Christ, even though it should seem to redound to His
praise.
It also not infrequently happens, that by
favouring one party we injure the other. False testimony is certainly the
occasion of misleading the judge, who, yielding to such evidence, is sometimes
obliged to decide against justice, to the injury of the innocent.
Sometimes, too, it happens that the
successful party, who by means of perjured witnesses, has gained his case and
escaped with impunity, exulting in his iniquitous victory, soon becomes
accustomed to the work of corrupting and suborning false witnesses, by whose
aid he hopes to obtain whatever he wishes.
To the witness himself it must be most
grievous that his falsehood and perjury are known to him whom he has aided and
abetted by his perjury; whilst encouraged by the success that follows his
crime, he becomes every day more accustomed to wickedness and audacity.
"Thou Shalt Not Bear False
Witness"
All Falsehoods In Lawsuits Are Forbidden
This precept then prohibits deceit, lying and
perjury on the part of witnesses. The same prohibition extends also to
plaintiffs, defendants, promoters, representatives, procurators and advocates;
in a word, to all who take any part in lawsuits.
False Testimony Out Of Court Is Forbidden
Finally, God prohibits all testimony which
may inflict injury or injustice, whether it be a matter of legal evidence or
not. In the passage of Leviticus where the Commandments are repeated, we read:
Thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not lie; neither shall any man deceive his
neighbour.' To none, therefore can it be a matter of doubt, that this
Commandment condemns lies of every sort, as these words of David explicitly
declare: Thou wilt destroy all that speak a lie.
This Commandment Forbids Detraction
This Commandment forbids not only false testimony,
but also the detestable vice and practice of detraction, -- a pestilence, which
is the source of innumerable and calamitous evils. This vicious habit of
secretly reviling and calumniating character is frequently reprobated in the
Sacred Scriptures. With him, says David, I would not eat; and St. James:
Detract not one another, my brethren.
Holy Writ abounds not only with precepts on
the subject, but also with examples which reveal the enormity of the crime.
Aman, by a crime of his own invention, had so incensed Assuerus against the
Jews that he ordered the destruction of the entire race. Sacred history
contains many other examples of the same kind, which priests should recall in
order to deter the people from such iniquity.
Various Kinds Of Detraction
But, to understand well the nature of this
sin of detraction, we must know that reputation is injured not only by
calumniating the character, but also by exaggerating the faults of others. He
who gives publicity to the secret sin of any man, in an unnecessary place or
time, or before persons who have no right to know, is also rightly regarded as
a detractor and evil-speaker, if his revelation seriously injures the other's
reputation.
But of all sorts of calumnies the worst is
that which is directed against Catholic doctrine and its teachers. Persons who
extol the propagators of error and of unsound doctrine are guilty of a like
crime.
Nor are those to be dissociated from the
ranks of evil-speakers, or from their guilt, who, instead of reproving, lend a
willing ear and a cheerful assent to the calumniator and reviler. As we read in
St. Jerome and St. Bernard, it is not so easy to decide which is more guilty,
the detractor, or the listener; for if there were no listeners, there would be
no detractors.
To the same category belong those who
cunningly foment divisions and excite quarrels; who feel a malignant pleasure
in sowing discord, dissevering by fiction and falsehood the closest friendships
and the dearest social ties, impelling to endless hatred and deadly combat the
fondest friends. Of such pestilent characters the Lord expresses His
detestation in these words: Thou shalt not be a detractor nor a whisperer among
the people. Of this description were many of the advisers of Saul, who strove
to alienate the king's affection from David and to arouse his enmity against
him.
This Commandment Forbids Flattery
Among the transgressors of this Commandment
are to be numbered those fawners and sycophants who, by flattery and insincere
praise, gain the hearing and good will of those whose favour, money, and
honours they seek, calling good evil, and evil good, as the Prophet says. Such
characters David admonishes us to repel and banish from our society. The just
man, he says, shall correct me in mercy, and shall reprove me; but let not the
oil of the sinner fatten my head. This class of persons do not, it is true,
speak ill of their neighbour; but they greatly injure him, since by praising
his sins they cause him to continue in vice to the end of his life.
Of this species of flattery the most
pernicious is that which proposes to itself for object the injury and the ruin
of others. Thus Saul, when he sought to expose David to the sword and fury of
the Philistines, in order to bring about his death, ad dressed him in these
soothing words: Behold my eldest daughter Merob, her will I give thee to wife:
only be a valiant man and fight the battles of the Lord. In the same way the
Jews thus insidiously addressed our Lord: Master, we know that thou art a true
speaker, and teachest the way of God in truth.
Still more pernicious is the language
addressed sometimes by friends and relations to a person suffering with a
mortal disease, and on the point of death, when they assure him that there is
no danger of dying, telling him to be of good spirits, dissuading him from
confession, as though the very thought should fill him with melancholy, and
finally withdrawing his attention from all care and thought of the dangers
which beset him in the last perilous hour.
This Commandment Forbids Lies Of All Kinds
In a word, lies of every sort are prohibited,
especially those that cause grave injury to anyone, while most impious of all
is a lie uttered against or regarding religion.
God is also grievously offended by those
attacks and slanders which are termed lampoons, and other defamatory
publications of this kind.
To deceive by a jocose or officious lie, even
though it helps or harms no one, is, notwithstanding, altogether unworthy; for
thus the Apostle admonishes us: Putting away lying, speak ye the truth. This
practice begets a strong tendency to frequent and serious lying, and from
jocose lying men contract the habit of lying, lose all reputation for truth, and
ultimately find it necessary, in order to gain belief, to have recourse to
continual swearing.
This Commandment Forbids Hypocrisy
Finally, the first part of this Commandment
prohibits dissimulation. It is sinful not only to speak, but to act deceitfully.
Actions, as well as words, are signs of what is in our mind; and hence our
Lord, rebuking the Pharisees, frequently calls them hypocrites. So, far with
regard to the negative, which is the first part of this Commandment.
Positive Part of this Commandment
Judges Must Pass Sentence According To Law
And Justice
We now come to explain what the Lord commands
in the second part. Its nature and purpose require that trials be conducted on
principles of strict justice and according to law. It requires that no one
usurp judicial powers or authority, for, as the Apostle writes, it were unjust
to judge another man's servant.
Again it requires that no one pass sentence
without a sufficient knowledge of the case. This was the sin of the priests and
scribes who passed judgment on St. Stephen. The magistrates of Philippi furnish
another example. They have beaten us publicly, says the Apostle, uncondemned,
men that are Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us
out privately.
This Commandment also requires that the
innocent be not condemned, nor the guilty acquitted; and that (the decision) be
not influenced by money, or favour, hatred or love. For so Moses admonished the
elders whom he had constituted judges of the people: Judge that which is just,
whether he be one of your country or a stranger. There shall be no difference
of persons, you shall hear the little as well as the great; neither shall you
respect any man's person, because it is the judgment of God.
Witnesses Must Give Testimony Truthfully
With regard to an accused person who is
conscious of his own guilt, God commands him to confess the truth, if he is
interrogated judicially. By that confession he, in some sort, bears witness to,
and proclaims the praise and glory of God; and of this we have a proof in these
words of Josue, when exhorting Achan to confess the truth: My son, give glory
to the Lord the God of Israel.
But as this Commandment chiefly concerns
witnesses, the pastor should give them special attention. The spirit of the
precept not only prohibits false testimony, but also commands the truth to be
told. In human affairs, to bear testimony to the truth is a matter of the
highest importance, because there are innumerable things of which we must be
ignorant unless we arrive at a knowledge of them on the faith of witnesses. In
matters with which we are not personally acquainted and which we need to know,
there is nothing so important as true evidence. Hence the words of St.
Augustine: He who conceals the truth and he who utters falsehood are both
guilty; the one, because he is unwilling to render a service; the other,
because he has the will to do an injury.
We are not, however, at all times, obliged to
disclose the truth; but when, in a court of justice, a witness is legally
interrogated by the judge, he is emphatically bound to tell the whole truth.
Here, however, witnesses should be most circumspect, lest, trusting too much to
memory, they affirm for certain what they have not fully ascertained.
Lawyers And Plaintiffs Must Be Guided By
Love Of Justice
Attorneys and counsel, plaintiffs and
prosecutors, remain still to be treated of. The two former should not refuse to
contribute their services and legal assistance, when the necessities of others
call for their aid. They should deal generously with the poor. They should not
defend an unjust cause, prolong lawsuits by trickery, nor encourage them for
the sake of gain. As to remuneration for their services and labours, let them
be guided by the principles of justice and of equity.
Plaintiffs and prosecutors, on their side,
are to be warned not to be led by the influence of love, or hatred, or any
other undue motive into exposing anyone to danger through unjust charges:
All Must Speak Truthfully And With Charity
To all conscientious persons is addressed the
divine command that in all their intercourse with society, in every
conversation, they should speak the truth at all times from the sincerity of
their hearts; that they should utter nothing injurious to the reputation of
another, not even of those by whom they know they have been injured and
persecuted. For they should always remember that between them and others there
exists such a close social bond that they are all members of the same body.
Inducements To Truthfulness
In order that the faithful may be more
disposed to avoid the vice of lying, the pastor should place before them the
extreme lowness and disgrace of this sin. In the Sacred Scriptures the devil is
called the father of lies; for as, he stood not in the truth, he is a liar and
the father thereof.
To banish so great a sin, (the pastor) should
add the mischievous consequences of lying; but since they are innumerable, he
must be content with pointing out the chief kinds of these evils and
calamities.
In the first place, he should show how
grievously lies and deceit offend God and how deeply they are hated by God.
This he should prove from the words of Solomon: Six things there are which the
Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth: haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that
are swift to run into mischief, a deceitful witness that uttereth lies, etc.
Who, then, can protect or save from severest chastisements the man who is thus
the object of God's special hate?
Again, what more wicked, what more base than,
as St. James says, with the same tongue, by which we bless God and the Father,
to curse men, who are made after the image and likeness of God, so that out of
the same fountain flows sweet and bitter water. The tongue, which was before
employed in giving praise and glory to God, afterwards, as far as it is able,
by lying treats Him with ignominy and dishonour. Hence liars are excluded from
a participation in the bliss of heaven. To David asking, Lord! who shall dwell
in thy tabernacle? the Holy Spirit answers: He that speaketh truth in his
heart, who hath not used deceit in his tongue.
Lying is also attended with this very great evil
that it is an almost incurable disease. For since the guilt of the calumniator
cannot be pardoned, unless satisfaction be made to the calumniated person, and
since, as we have already observed, this duty is difficult for those who are
deterred from its performance by false shame and a foolish idea of dignity, we
cannot doubt that he who continues in this sin is destined to the unending
punishments of hell. Let no one indulge the hope of obtaining the pardon of his
calumnies or detractions, until he has repaired the injury which they have
inflicted on the honour or fame of another, whether this was done in a court of
justice, or in private and familiar conversation.
But the evil consequences of lying are
widespread and extend to society at large. By duplicity and lying, good faith
and truth, which form the closest links of human society, are dissolved,
confusion ensues, and men seem to differ in nothing from demons.
How To Avoid Lying
The pastor should also teach that loquacity
is to be avoided. By avoiding loquacity other evils will be obviated, and a
great preventive opposed to lying, from which loquacious persons can scarcely
abstain.
Excuses for Lying Refuted
The Plea Of Prudence
There are those who seek to justify their
duplicity either by the unimportance of what they say, or by the example of the
worldly wise who, they claim, lie at the proper time. The pastor should correct
such erroneous ideas by answering what is most true, namely, that the wisdom of
the flesh is death. He should exhort his listeners in all their difficulties
and dangers to trust in God, not in the artifice of lying; for those who have
recourse to subterfuge, plainly show that they trust more to their own prudence
than to the providence of God.
The Plea Of Revenge
Those who lay the blame of their own
falsehood on others, who first deceived them by lies, are to be taught the
unlawfulness of avenging their own wrongs, and that evil is not to be rendered
for evil, but rather that evil is to be overcome by good. Even if it were lawful
to return evil for evil, it would not be to- our interest to harm ourselves in
order to get revenge. The man who seeks revenge by uttering falsehood inflicts
very serious injury on himself.
The Pleas Of Frailty, Habit, And Bad.
Example
Those who plead human frailty are to be
taught that it is a duty of religion to implore the divine assistance, and not
to yield to human infirmity.
Those who excuse themselves by habit are to
be admonished to endeavour to acquire the contrary habit of speaking the truth;
particularly as those who sin habitually are more guilty than others.
There are some who adduce in their own
justification the example of others, who, they contend, constantly indulge in
falsehood and perjury. Such persons should be undeceived by reminding them that
bad men are not to be imitated, but reproved and corrected; and that, when we
ourselves are addicted to the same vice, our admonitions have less influence in
reprehending and correcting it in others.
The Pleas Of Convenience, Amusement, And
Advantage
With regard to those who defend their conduct
by saying that to speak the truth is often attended with inconvenience, priests
should answer that (such an excuse) is an accusation, not a defence, since it is
the duty of a Christian to suffer any inconvenience rather than utter a
falsehood.
There remain two other classes of persons who
seek to justify lying: those who say that they tell lies for the sake of
amusement, and those who plead motives of interest, claiming that without
recourse to lies, they can neither buy nor sell to advantage. The pastor should
endeavour to reform both these kinds of liars. He should correct the former by
showing how strong a habit of sinning is contracted by their practice, and by
strongly impressing upon them the truth that for every idle word they shall
render an account. As for the second class, he should upbraid them with greater
severity, because their very excuse is a most serious accusation against
themselves, since they show thereby that they yield no faith or confidence to
these words of God: Seek first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all
these things shall be added unto you.
THE NINTH
AND TENTH COMMANDMENTS : "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house:
neither shalt thou desire his wife, nor his servant, nor his hand-maid, nor his
ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is his."
Importance Of Instruction On These Two
Commandments
It is to be observed, in the first place,
that these two precepts, which were delivered last in order, furnish a general
principle for the observance of all the rest. What is commanded in these two
amounts to this, that if we wish to observe the preceding precepts of the law,
we must be particularly careful not to covet. For he who does not covet, being
content with what he has, will not desire what belongs to others, but will
rejoice in their prosperity, will give glory to the immortal God, will render
Him boundless thanks, and will observe the Sabbath, that is, will enjoy
perpetual repose, and will respect his superiors. In fine, he will injure no
man in word or deed or otherwise; for the root of all evil is concupiscence,
which hurries its unhappy victims into every species of crime and wickedness.
Keeping these considerations in mind, the pastor should be more diligent in
explaining this Commandment, and the faithful more ready to hear (his
instruction).
Why These Two Commandments Are Explained
Here Together
We have united these two Commandments
because, since their subject-matter is similar, they may be treated together.
However, the pastor may explain them either together or separately, according
as he may deem it more effective for his exhortations and admonitions. If,
however, he has undertaken the exposition of the Decalogue, he should point out
in what these two Commandments are dissimilar; how one covetousness differs
from another -- a difference noticed by St. Augustine, in his book of Questions
on Exodus. The one covetousness looks only to utility and interest, the other
to unlawful desire and criminal pleasure. He, for instance, who covets a field
or house, pursues profit rather than pleasure, while he who covets another
man's wife yields to a desire of pleasure, not of profit.
Necessity Of Promulgating These Two
Commandments
The promulgation of these two Commandments
was necessary for two reasons. The first is to explain the sixth and seventh
Commandments. Reason alone shows that to prohibit adultery is also to prohibit
the desire of another man's wife, because, were the desire lawful, its
indulgence must be so too; nevertheless, many of the Jews, blinded by sin,
could not be induced to believe that such desires were prohibited by God. Nay,
even after the Law had been promulgated and become known, many who professed
themselves its interpreters, continued in the same error, as we learn from
these words of our Lord recorded in St. Matthew: You have heard that it was
said to them of old: "Thou shalt not commit adultery," but I say to
you, etc.
The second reason (for the promulgation) of
these two Commandments is that they distinctly and in express terms prohibit
some things of which the sixth and seventh Commandments do not contain an
explicit prohibition. The seventh Commandment, for instance, forbids an unjust
desire or endeavour to take what belongs to another; but this Commandment
further prohibits even to covet it in any way, even though it could be acquired
justly and lawfully, if we foresee that by such acquisition our neighbour would
suffer some loss.
These Two Commandments Teach God's Love
For Us And Our Need Of Him
But before we come to the exposition of the
Commandments, the faithful are first to be informed that by this law we are
taught not only to restrain our inordinate desires, but also to know the
boundless love of God towards us.
By the preceding Commandments God had, as it
were, fenced us round with safeguards, securing us and ours against injury of
every sort; but by the addition of these two Commandments, He intended chiefly
to provide against the injuries which we might inflict on ourselves by the
indulgence of inordinate desires, as would easily happen were we at liberty to
covet all things indiscriminately. By this law then, which forbids to covet,
God has blunted in some degree the keenness of desire, which excites to every
kind of evil, so that by reason of His command these desires are to some extent
diminished, and we ourselves, freed from the annoying importunity of the
passions, are enabled to devote more time to the performance of the numerous
and important duties of piety and religion which we owe to God.
Nor is this the only lesson of instruction
which we derive from these Commandments. They also teach us that the divine law
is to be observed not only by the external performance of duties, but also by
the internal concurrence of the heart. Between divine and human laws, then,
there is this difference, that human laws are fulfilled by an external
compliance alone, whereas the laws of God, since He reads the heart, require
purity of heart, sincere and undefiled integrity of soul.
The law of God, therefore, is a sort of
mirror, in which we behold the corruption of our own nature; and hence these
words of the Apostle: I had not known concupiscence, if the law did not say:
"Thou shalt not covet." ' Concupiscence, which is the fuel of sin,
and which originated in sin, is always inherent in our fallen nature; from it
we know that we are born in sin, and, therefore, do we humbly fly for
assistance to Him, who alone can efface the stains of sin.
Two Parts Of These Commandments
In common with the other Commandments,
however, these two are partly mandatory, partly prohibitory.
Negative Part
"Thou Shalt Not Covet"
With regard to the prohibitory part, the
pastor should explain what sort of concupiscence is prohibited by this law,
lest some may think that which is not sinful to be sinful.
What Sort Of Concupiscence Is Not
Forbidden
Such is the concupiscence of the spirit
against the flesh; Or that which David so earnestly desired, namely, to long
after the justifications of God at all times.
Concupiscence, then, is a certain commotion
and impulse of the soul, urging men to the desire of pleasures, which they do
not actually enjoy. As the other propensities of the soul are not always sinful,
neither is the impulse of concupiscence always vicious. It is not, for
instance, sinful to desire food and drink; when cold, to wish for warmth; when
warm, to wish to become cool. This lawful species of concupiscence was
implanted in us by the Author of nature; but in consequence of the sin of our
first parents it passed the limits prescribed by nature and became so depraved
that it frequently excites to the desire of those things which conflict with
the spirit and reason.
However, if well regulated, and kept within
proper bounds, it is often still the source of no slight advantage. In the
first place, it leads us to supplicate God continually, and humbly to beg of
Him those things which we most earnestly desire. Prayer is the interpreter of
our wishes; and if this lawful concupiscence did not exist within us, prayer
would be far less frequent in the Church of God. It also makes us esteem the
gifts of God more highly; for the more eagerly we desire anything, the dearer
and more pleasing will be its possession to us. Finally, the gratification
which we receive from the acquisition of the desired object increases the
devotion of our gratitude to God.
If then it is sometimes lawful to covet, it
must be conceded that not every species of concupiscence is forbidden. St.
Paul, it is true, says that concupiscence is sin; but his words are to be
understood in the same sense as those of Moses, whom he cites, as the Apostle
himself declares when, in his Epistle to the Galatians he calls it the
concupiscence of the flesh for he says: Walk in the -spirit, and you shall not
fulfil the lusts of the flesh.
Hence that natural, well-regulated
concupiscence which does not go beyond its proper limits, is not prohibited;
still less do these Commandments forbid that spiritual desire of the virtuous
mind, which prompts us to long for those things that war against the flesh, for
the Sacred Scriptures themselves exhort us to such a desire: Covet ye my words,
Come over to me all ye that desire me.
What Sort Of Concupiscence Is Here
Prohibited
It is not, then, the mere power of desire,
which can move either to a good or a bad object that is prohibited by these
Commandments; it is the indulgence of evil desire, which is called the
concupiscence of the flesh, and the fuel of sin, and which when accompanied by
the consent of the will, is always sinful. Therefore only that covetousness is
forbidden which the Apostle calls the concupiscence of the flesh, that is to
say, those motions of desire which are contrary to the dictates of reason and
outstep the limits prescribed by God.
Two Kinds Of Sinful Concupiscence
This kind of covetousness is condemned,
either because it desires what is evil, such as adultery, drunkenness, murder,
and such heinous crimes, of which the Apostle says: Let us not covet evil
things, as they also coveted; or because, although the objects may not be bad
in themselves, yet there is some other reason which makes it wrong to desire
them, as when, for instance, God or His Church prohibit their possession; for
it is not permitted us to desire these things which it is altogether unlawful
to possess. Such were, in the Old Law, the gold and silver from which idols
were made, and which the Lord in Deuteronomy forbade anyone to covet
Another reason why this sort of vicious
desire is condemned is that it has for its object that which belongs to
another, such as a house, maid-servant, field, wife, ox, ass and many other
things, all of which the law of God forbids us to covet, simply because they
belong to another. The desire of such things, when consented to, is criminal,
and is numbered among the most grievous sins. For sin is committed the moment
the soul, yielding to the impulse of corrupt desires, is pleased with evil
things, and either consents to, or does not resist them, as St. James, pointing
out the beginning and progress of sin, teaches when he says: Every man is
tempted by his own concupiscence, being drawn away and allured; then, when
concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; but sin, when it is completed,
begetteth death.
When, therefore, the Law says: Thou shalt not
covet, it means that we are not to desire those things which belong to others.
A thirst for what belongs to others is intense and insatiable; for it is
written: A covetous man shall not be satisfied with money; and of such a one
Isaias says: Woe to you that join house to house, and lay field to field.
The Various Objects We Are Forbidden To
Covet
But a distinct explanation of each of the
words (in which this Commandment is expressed) will make it easier to
understand the deformity and grievousness of this sin.
Thy Neighbour’s House
The pastor, therefore, should teach that by
the word house is to be understood not only the habitation in which we dwell,
but all our property, as we know from the usage and custom of the sacred
writers. Thus when it is said in Exodus that the Lord built houses for the
midwives, the meaning is that He improved their condition and means.
From this interpretation, therefore, we
perceive, that we are forbidden to indulge an eager desire of riches, or to
envy others their wealth, or power, or rank; but, on the contrary, we are
directed to be content with our own condition, whether it be high or low.
Furthermore, it is forbidden to desire the glory of others since glory also is
comprised under the word house.
"Nor His Ox, Nor His Ass'
The words that follow, nor his ox, nor his
ass, teach us that not only is it unlawful to desire things of greater value,
such as a house, rank, glory, because they belong to others; but also things of
little value, whatever they may be, animate or inanimate.
"Nor His Servant
The words, nor his servant, come next, and
include captives as well as other slaves whom it is no more lawful to covet
than the other property of our neighbour. With regard to the free who serve
voluntarily either for wages, or out of affection or respect, it is unlawful,
by words, or hopes, or promises, or rewards to bribe or solicit them, under any
pretext whatever, to leave those to whose service they have freely engaged
themselves; nay more, if, before the period of their contract has expired, they
leave their employers, they are to be admonished, on the authority of this
Commandment, to return to them by all means.
"Thy Neighbour's"
The word neighbour is mentioned in this
Commandment to mark the wickedness of those who habitually covet the lands,
houses and the like, which lie in their immediate vicinity; for neighbourhood,
which should make for friendship, is transformed by covetousness from a source
of love into a cause of hatred.
Goods For Sale Not Included Under This
Prohibition
But this Commandment is by no means
transgressed by those who desire to purchase or have actually purchased, at a
fair price, from a neighbour, the goods which he has for sale. Instead of doing
him an injury, they, on the contrary, very much assist their neighbour, because
to him the money will be much more convenient and useful than the goods he
sells.
"His Wife"
The Commandment which forbids us to covet the
goods of our neighbour, is followed by another, which forbids us to covet our
neighbour’s wife -- a law that prohibits not only the adulterer's criminal
desire of his neighbour’s wife, but even the wish to marry her. For of old when
a bill of divorce was permitted, it might easily happen, that she who was put
away by one husband might be married to another. But the Lord forbade the
desire of another's wife lest husbands might be induced to abandon their wives,
or wives conduct themselves with such bad temper towards their husbands as to
make it necessary to send them away.
But now this sin is more grievous because the
wife, although separated from her husband, cannot be taken in marriage by
another until the husband's death. He, therefore, who covets another man's wife
will easily fall from this into another desire, for he will wish either the
death of the husband or the commission of adultery.
The same principle holds good with regard to
women who have been betrothed to another. To covet them is also unlawful; and
whoever strives to break their engagement violates one of the most holy of
promises.
And if to covet the wedded wife of another is
entirely unlawful, it is on no account right to desire in- marriage the virgin
who is consecrated to religion and to the service of God. But should anyone
desire in marriage a married woman whom he thinks to be single, and whom he
would not wish to marry if he knew she had a husband living, certainly he does
not violate this Commandment. Pharaoh and Abimelech, as the Scripture informs
us, were betrayed into this error; they wished to marry Sarah, supposing her to
be unmarried, and to be the sister, not the wife of Abraham.
Positive Part
Detachment From Riches Enjoined
In order to make known the remedies calculated
to overcome the vice of covetousness, the pastor should explain the positive
part of the Commandment, which consists in this, that if riches abound, we set
not our hearts upon them, that we be prepared to sacrifice them for the sake of
piety and religion, that we contribute cheerfully towards the relief of the
poor, and that, if we ourselves are poor, we bear our poverty with patience and
joy. And, indeed, if we are generous with our own goods, we shall extinguish
(in our own hearts) the desire of what belongs to another.
Concerning the praises of poverty and the
contempt of riches, the pastor will find little difficulty in collecting
abundant matter for the instruction of the faithful from the Sacred Scriptures
and the works of the Fathers.
The Desire Of Heavenly And Spiritual
Things Enjoined
Likewise this Commandment requires us to
desire, with all the ardour and all the earnestness of our souls, the
consummation, not of our own wishes, but of the holy will of God, as it is
expressed in the Lord's Prayer. Now it is His will that we be made eminent in
holiness; that we preserve our souls pure and undefiled; that we practice those
duties of mind and spirit which are opposed to sensuality; that we subdue our
unruly appetites, and enter, under the guidance of reason and of the spirit,
upon a virtuous course of life; and finally that we hold under restraint those
senses in particular which supply matter to the passions.
Thoughts which Help one to Keep these
Commandments
In order to extinguish the fire of passion,
it will be found most efficacious to place before our eyes the evil
consequences of its indulgence.
Among those evils the first is that by
obedience to the impulse of passion, sin gains uncontrolled sway over the soul;
hence the Apostle warns us: Let not sin, therefore, reign in your mortal body,
so as to obey the lusts thereof. Just as resistance to the passions destroys
the power of sin, so indulgence of the passions expels God from His kingdom and
introduces sin in His place.
Again, concupiscence, as St. James teaches,
is the source from which flows very sin. Likewise St. John says: All that is in
the world is the concupiscence of the mesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and
the pride of life.
A third evil of sensuality is that it darkens
the understanding. Blinded by passion man comes to regard whatever he desires
as lawful and even laudable.
Finally, concupiscence stifles the seed of
the divine word, sown in our souls by God, the great husband man. Some, it is
written in St. Mark, are sown among thorns; these are they who hear the word,
and the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust after
other things, entering in, choke the word, and it is made fruitless.
Chief Ways in which These two Commandments
are Violated
They who, more than others, are the slaves of
concupiscence, the pastor should exhort with greater earnestness to observe
this Commandment. Such are the following: those who are addicted to improper
amusements, or who are immoderately given to recreation; merchants, who wish
for scarcity, and who cannot bear that other buyers or sellers hinder them from
selling at a higher or buying at a lower rate; those who wish to see their
neighbour reduced to want in order that they themselves may profit in buying or
selling; soldiers who thirst for war, in order to enrich themselves with
plunder; physicians, who wish for the spread of disease; lawyers, who are
anxious for a great number of-cases and litigations; and artisans who, through
greed for gain, wish for a scarcity of the necessaries of life in order that
they may increase their profits.
They too, sin gravely against this
Commandment, who, because they are envious of the praise and glory won by
others, strive to tarnish in some degree their fame, particularly if they
themselves are idle and worthless characters; for fame and glory are the reward
of virtue and industry, not of indolence and laziness.
PART
IV : THE LORD'S PRAYER
PRAYER
Importance Of Instruction On Prayer
One of the duties of the pastoral office,
which is of the highest importance to the spiritual interests of the faithful,
is to instruct them on Christian prayer; the nature and efficacy of which must
remain unknown to many, if not taught by the pious and faithful diligence of
the pastor. To this, therefore, should the care of the pastor be directed in a
special manner, that his devout hearers may understand how and for what they
are to ask God.
Whatever is necessary to the performance of
the duty of prayer is comprised in that divine formula which Christ the Lord
deigned to make known to His Apostles, and through them and their successors to
all Christians. Its thoughts and words should be so deeply impressed on the
mind and memory as to be ever in readiness. To assist pastors, however, in teaching
the faithful concerning this prayer, we have set down from those writers who
are conspicuous for learning and fullness in this matter, whatever appeared to
us most suitable, leaving it to pastors to draw upon the same sources for
further information, should they deem it necessary.
Necessity of Prayer
In the first place the necessity of prayer
should be insisted upon. Prayer is a duty not only recommended by way of
counsel, but also commanded by obligatory precept. Christ the Lord declared
this when He said: We should pray always. This necessity of prayer the Church
points out in the prelude, if we may so call it, which she prefixes to the
Lord's Prayer: Admonished by salutary precepts, and taught by divine
instruction, we presume to say, etc.
Therefore, since prayer is necessary to the
Christian, the Son of God, yielding to the request of the disciples, Lord,
teach us to pray, gave them a prescribed form of prayer, and encouraged them to
hope that the objects of their petitions would be granted. He Himself was to
them a model of prayer; He not only prayed assiduously, but watched whole
nights in prayer.
The Apostles, also, did not omit to recommend
this duty to those who had been converted to the faith of Jesus Christ. St.
Peter and St. John are most diligent in their admonitions to the devout; and
the Apostle, mindful of its nature, frequently admonishes Christians of the
salutary necessity of prayer.
Besides, so various are our temporal and
spiritual necessities, that we must have recourse to prayer as the best means
for communicating our wants and receiving whatever we need. For since God owes
nothing to anyone, we must ask of Him in prayer those things we need, seeing
that He has constituted prayer as a necessary means for the accomplishment of
our desires, particularly since it is clear that there are blessings which we
cannot hope to obtain otherwise than through prayer. Thus devout prayer has
such efficacy that it is a most powerful means of casting out demons; for there
is a certain kind of demon which is not cast out but by prayer and fasting.
Those, therefore, who do not practice
assiduous and regular prayer deprive themselves of a powerful means of
obtaining gifts of singular value. To succeed in obtaining the object of your
desires, it is not enough that you ask that which is good; your entreaties must
also be assiduous. Every one that asketh, says St. Jerome, receiveth, as it is
written. If, therefore, it is not given you, this is because you do not ask.
Ask, therefore, and you shall receive.
The Fruits of Prayer
Moreover, this necessity of prayer is also
productive of the greatest delight and usefulness, since it bears most abundant
fruits. When it is necessary to instruct the faithful concerning these fruits,
pastors will find ample matter in sacred writers. We have made from these
sources a selection which appeared to us to suit the present purpose.
Prayer Honours God
The first fruit which we receive is that by
praying we honour God, since prayer is a certain act of religion, which is
compared in Scripture to a sweet perfume. Let my prayer, says the Prophet, be
directed as incense in thy sight. By prayer we confess our subjection to God;
we acknowledge and proclaim Him to be the author of all good, in whom alone we
center all our hopes, who alone is our refuge, in all dangers and the bulwark
of our salvation. Of this fruit we are admonished also in these words: Call
upon me in the day of trouble; I -will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
Prayer Obtains What We Request
Another most pleasing and invaluable fruit of
prayer is that it is heard by God. Prayer is the key of heaven, says St.
Augustine; prayer ascends, and the mercy of God descends. High as are the
heavens, and low as is the earth, God hears the voice of man. Such is the utility,
such the efficacy of prayer, that through it we obtain a plenitude of heavenly
gifts. Thus by prayer we secure the guidance and aid of the Holy Spirit, the
security and preservation of the faith, deliverance from punishment, divine
protection under temptation, victory over the devil. In a word, there is in
prayer an accumulation of spiritual joy; and hence our Lord said: Ask, and you
shall receive, that your joy may be full.
Proof
Nor can we, for a moment, doubt that God in
His goodness awaits and is at all times ready to hear our petitions -- a truth
to which the Sacred Scriptures bear ample testimony. Since, however, the texts
are easy of access, we shall content ourselves with citing as an example the
words of Isaias: Then shalt thou call, and the Lord will hear: thou shalt cry,
and he will say, "Here I am"; and again, It shall come to pass, that
before they call, I will hear: as they are yet speaking, I will hear. With
regard to instances of persons, who have obtained from God the objects of their
prayers, they are almost innumerable, and too well known to require special
mention.
Unwise And Indevout Prayers Unheard
Sometimes, indeed, it happens that what we
ask of God we do not obtain. But it is then especially that God looks to our
welfare, either because He bestows on us other gifts of higher value and in
greater abundance, or because what we ask, far from being necessary or useful,
would prove superfluous and injurious. God, says St. Augustine, denies some
things in His mercy which He grants in His wrath.
Sometimes, also, such is the remissness and
negligence with which we pray, that we ourselves do not attend to what we say.
Since prayer is an elevation of the soul to God, if, while we pray, the mind,
instead of being fixed upon God, is distracted, and the tongue slurs over the
words at random, without attention, without devotion, with what propriety can
we give to such empty sounds the name of Christian prayer?
We should not, therefore, be at all
surprised, if God does not comply with our requests; either because by our
negligence and indifference we almost show that we do not really desire what we
ask, or because we ask those things, which, if granted, would be prejudicial to
our interests.
To Devout Prayer And Dispositions God
Grants More Than Is Asked
On the other hand, to those who pray with
devout attention, God grants more than they ask. This the Apostle declares in
his Epistle to the Ephesians, and the same truth is unfolded ill the parable of
the prodigal son, who would have deemed it a kindness to be admitted into the
number of his father's servants.
Nay, God heaps His favours not only on those
who seek them, but also on those who are rightly disposed; and this, not only
with abundance, but also with readiness. This is shown by the words of
Scripture: The Lord hath heard the desire of the poor. For God hastens to grant
the inner and hidden desires of the needy without awaiting their utterance.
Prayer Exercises And Increases Faith
Another fruit of prayer is, that it exercises
and augments the virtues of the soul, particularly the virtue of faith. As they
who have not faith in God, cannot pray as they ought, for how can they call on
him, whom they have not believed ? so the faithful, in proportion to the
fervour of their prayers, possess a stronger and a more assured faith in the
protecting providence of God, which requires principally that in all needs we
have recourse to Him.
Prayer Strengthens Our Hope In God
God, it is true, might bestow on us all
things abundantly, although we did not ask them or even think of them, just as
He bestows on the irrational creation all things necessary for the support of
life. But our most bountiful Father wishes to be invoked by His children; He
wishes that, praying as we ought each day of our lives, we may pray with
increased confidence. He wishes that in obtaining our requests we may more and
more bear witness to and declare His goodness towards us.
Prayer Increases Charity
Our charity is also augmented. In recognising
God as the author of every blessing and of every good, we are led to cling to
Him with the most devoted love. And as those who cherish a mutual affection
become more ardently attached by frequent interviews and conversations, so the
oftener the soul prays devoutly and implores the divine mercy, thus holding
converse with God, the more exquisite is the sense of delight which she
experiences in each prayer, and the more ardently is she inflamed to love and
adore Him.
Prayer Disposes The Soul For Divine
Blessings
Furthermore, God wishes us to make use of
prayer, in order that burning with the desire of asking what we are anxious to
obtain, we may thus by our perseverance and zeal make such advances in
spiritual life, as to be worthy to obtain those blessings which the soul could
not obtain before because of its dryness and lack of devotion.
Prayer Makes Us Realise Our Own
Needfulness
Moreover, God wishes us to realise, and
always keep in mind, that, unassisted by His heavenly grace, we can of
ourselves do nothing, and should therefore apply ourselves to prayer with all
the powers of our souls.
Prayer Is A Protection Against The Devil
The weapons which prayer supplies are most
powerful against our bitterest foes. With the cries of our prayers, says St.
Hilary, we must fight against the devil and his armed hosts.
Prayer Promotes A Virtuous Life
From prayer we also derive this important
advantage that though we are inclined to evil and to the indulgence of various
passions, as a consequence of our natural frailty, God permits us to raise our
hearts to Him, in order that while we address Him in prayer, and endeavour to
deserve His gifts, we may be inspired with a love of innocence, and, by
effacing our sins, be purified from every stain of guilt.
Prayer Disarms The Divine Vengeance
Finally, as St. Jerome observes, prayer
disarms the anger of God. Hence, these words of God addressed to Moses: Let me
alone, when Moses sought by his prayer to stay the punishments God was about to
inflict on His people. Nothing is so efficacious in appeasing God, when His
wrath is kindled; nothing so effectually delays or averts the punishments
prepared for the wicked as the prayers of men.
The Parts Of Prayer
The necessity and advantages of Christian
prayer being explained, the faithful should also know how many, and what are
the parts of which it is composed; for that this pertains to the perfect
discharge of this duty, we learn from the Apostle. In his Epistle to Timothy,
exhorting to pious and holy prayer, he carefully enumerates the parts of which
it consists: I desire therefore first of all that supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men. Although the shades of
distinction between these different parts of prayer are delicate, yet the
pastor, should he deem the explanation useful to his people, should consult,
among others, St. Hilary and St. Augustine.
The Two Chief Parts Of Prayer Petition And
Thanksgiving
There are two principal parts of prayer,
petition and thanksgiving, and since these are the sources, as it were, from
which all the others spring, they appear to us to be of too much importance to
be omitted. For we approach God and offer Him the tribute of our worship,
either to obtain some favour, or to return Him thanks for those with which His
bounty every day enriches and adorns us. God Himself indicated both these most
necessary parts of prayer when He declared by the mouth of David: Call upon me
in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
Who does not perceive how much we stand in
need of the goodness and beneficence of God, if he but consider the extreme
destitution and misery of man?
On the other hand, all that have eyes and
understanding know God's loving kindness toward man and the liberal bounty He
exercises in our behalf. Wherever we cast our eyes, wherever we turn our
thoughts, the admirable light of the divine goodness and beneficence beams upon
us. What have we that is not the gift of His bounty? If, then, all things are
the gifts and favours bestowed on us by His goodness, why should not everyone,
as much as possible, celebrate the praises of God, and thank Him for His
boundless beneficence.
Degrees Of Petition And Thanksgiving
Of these duties of petition and thanksgiving
each contains many subordinate degrees. In order, therefore, that the faithful
may not only pray, but also pray in the best manner, the pastor should propose
to them the most perfect mode of praying, and should exhort them to use it to
the best of their ability.
The Highest Degree Of Prayer: The Prayer
Of The Just
What, then, is the best manner and the most
exalted degree of prayer? It is that which is made use of by the pious and the
just. Resting on the solid foundation of the true faith, they rise successively
from one degree of prayer and virtue to another, until, at length, they reach
that height of perfection, whence they can contemplate the infinite power,
goodness, and wisdom of God; where, too, they are animated with the assured
hope of obtaining not only those blessings which they desire in this life, but
also those unutterable rewards which God has pledged Himself to grant to him
who piously and religiously implores His assistance.
Soaring, as it were, to heaven, on these two
wings, the soul approaches, in fervent desire, the Divinity; adores with
supreme praise and thanksgiving Him from whom she has received such inestimable
blessings; and, like an only child, animated with singular piety and profound
veneration, trustfully tells her most beloved Father all her wants.
This sort of prayer the Sacred Scriptures
express by the words pouring out. In his sight, says the Prophet, I pour out my
proyer, but before him I declare my trouble. This means that he who comes to
pray should conceal or omit nothing, but pour out all, flying with confidence
into the bosom of God, his most loving Father. To this the Sacred Scriptures
exhort us in these words: Pour out thy heart before him, cast thy care upon the
Lord. This is that degree of prayer to which St. Augustine alludes when he says
in that book entitled Enchiridion: What faith believes, that hope and charity
implore.
The Second Degree Of Prayer: The Prayer Of
Sinners
Another degree of prayer is that of those who
are weighed down by the guilt of mortal sin, but who strive, with what is
called dead faith, to raise themselves from their condition and to ascend to
God. But, in consequence of their languid state and the extreme weakness of their
faith, they cannot raise themselves from the earth. Recognising their crimes
and stung with remorse of conscience, they bow themselves down with humility,
and, far as they are removed from God, implore of Him with penitential sorrow,
the pardon of their sins and the peace of reconciliation.
The prayers of such persons are not rejected
by God, but are heard by Him. Nay, in His mercy, He generously invites such as
these to have recourse to Him, saying: Come to me, all you that labour, and are
heavily laden, and I will refresh you, of this class was the publican, who,
though he did not dare to raise his eyes towards heaven, left the Temple, as
(our Lord) declares, more justified than the Pharisee.
The Third Degree Of Prayer: The Prayer Of
Unbelievers
A third degree of prayer is that which is
offered by those who have not as yet been illumined with the light of faith;
but who, when the divine goodness illumines in their souls the feeble natural
light, are strongly moved to the desire and pursuit of truth and most earnestly
pray for a knowledge of it.
If they persevere in such dispositions, God,
in His mercy, will not neglect their earnest endeavours, as we see verified by
the example of Cornelius the centurion. The doors of the divine mercy are
closed against none who sincerely ask for mercy.
The Lowest Degree Of Prayer: The Prayer Of
The Impenitent
The last degree is that of those who not only
do not repent of their sins and enormities, but, adding crime to crime, dare
frequently to ask pardon of God for those sins, in which they are resolved to
continue. With such dispositions they would not presume to ask pardon from
their fellow-man.
The prayer of such sinners is not heard by
God. It is recorded of Antiochus: Then this wicked man prayed to the Lord, of
whom he was not to obtain mercy. Whoever lives in this deplorable condition
should be vehemently exhorted to wean himself from all affection to sin, and to
return to God in good earnest and from the heart.
What We Should Pray For
Under the head of each Petition we shall
point out in its proper place, what is, and what is not a proper object of
prayer. Hence it will suffice here to remind the faithful in a general way that
they ought to ask of God such things as are just and good, lest, praying for
what is not suitable, they may be repelled in these words: You know not what
you ask. Whatever it is lawful to desire, it is lawful to pray for, as is
proved by the Lord's ample promise: You shall ask whatever you will, and it
shall be done unto you, words in which He promises to grant all things.
Spiritual Goods
In the first place, then, the standard which
should regulate all our wishes is that we desire above all else God, the
supreme Good. After God we should most desire those things which unite us most
closely to Him; while those which would separate us from Him, or occasion that
separation, should have no share whatever in our affections.
External Goods And Goods Of Body
Taking, then, as our standard the supreme and
perfect Good, we can easily infer how we are to desire and ask from God our
Father those other things which are called goods. Goods which are called
bodily, such as health, strength, beauty and those which are external, such as
riches, honours, glory, often supply the means and give occasion for sin; and,
therefore, it is not always either pious or salutary to ask for them. We should
pray for these goods of life only in so far as we need them, thus referring all
to God. It cannot be deemed unlawful to pray for those things for which Jacob
and Solomon prayed. If, says Jacob, he shall give me bread to eat and raiment
to put on, the Lord shall be my God. Give me, says Solomon, only the
necessaries of life.
But when we are supplied by the bounty of God
with necessaries and comforts, we should not forget the admonition of the
Apostle: Let them that buy, be as if they possessed not, and those that use
this world, as if they used it not; for the figure of this world passeth away;
and again, If riches abound, set not your heart upon them. God Himself teaches
us that only the use and fruit of these things belong to us and that we are
obliged to share them with others. If we are blessed with health, if we abound
in other external and corporal goods, we should recollect that they are given
to us in order to enable us to serve God with greater fidelity, and as the
means of lending assistance to others.
Goods Of The Mind
It is also lawful to pray for the goods and
adornments of the mind, such as a knowledge of the arts and sciences, provided
our prayers are accompanied with this condition, that they serve to promote the
glory of God and our own salvation.
The only thing which can be absolutely and
unconditionally the object of our wishes, our desires and our prayers, is, as
we have already observed, the glory of God, and, next to it, whatever can serve
to unite us to that supreme Good, such as faith and the fear and love of God,
of which we shall treat at length when we come to explain the Petitions.
For Whom We Ought to Pray
The objects of prayer being known, the
faithful are next to be taught for whom they are to pray. Prayer comprehends
petition and thanksgiving. We shall first treat of petition.
The Prayer Of Petition Should Be Offered
For All
We are to pray for all mankind, without
exception of enemies, nation or religion; for every man, be he enemy, stranger
or infidel, is our neighbour, whom God commands us to love, and for whom,
therefore, we should discharge a duty of love, which is prayer. To the
discharge of this duty the Apostle exhort: when he says: I desire that prayer
be made for all men. In such prayers we should first ask for those things that
concern spiritual interests, and next for what pertains to temporal welfare.
Those For Whom We Should Especially Offer
Our Petitions: Pastors
Before all others the pastors of our souls
have a right to our prayers, as we learn from the example of the Apostle in his
Epistle to the Colossians, in which he asks them to pray for him, that God may
open unto him a door of speech, a request which he also makes in his Epistle to
the Thessalonians. In the Acts of the Apostles we also read that prayers were
offered in the Church without intermission for Peter. St. Basil, in his work On
Morals, urges to a faithful compliance with this obligation. We must, he says,
pray for those who are charged with preaching the word of truth.
Rulers Of Our Country
In the next place, as the same Apostle
teaches, we should pray for our rulers.
Who does not know what a singular blessing a
people enjoy in public officials who are just and upright? We should,
therefore, beseech God to make them such as they ought to be, fit persons to
govern others.
The Just
To offer up our prayers also for the good and
pious is a practice taught by the example of holy men. Even the good and the
pious need the prayers of others. Providence has wisely ordained it so, in
order that the just, realising the necessity they are under of being aided by
the prayers of those who are inferior to them, may not be inflated with pride.
Enemies And Those Outside The Church
The Lord has also commanded us, to pray for
those that persecute and calumniate us. The practice of praying for those who
are not within the pale of the Church, is, as we know on the authority of St.
Augustine, of Apostolic origin. We pray that the faith may be made known to
infidels; that idolaters may be rescued from the error of their impiety; that
the Jews, emerging from the darkness with which they are encompassed, may
arrive at the light of truth; that heretics, returning to soundness of mind,
may be instructed in the Catholic faith; and that schismatics may be united in
the bond of true charity and may return to the communion of their holy mother,
the Church, from which they have separated.
Many examples prove that prayers for such as
these are very efficacious when offered from the heart. Instances occur every
day in which God rescues individuals of every condition of life from the powers
of darkness, and transfers them into the kingdom of His Beloved Son, from
vessels of wrath making them vessels of mercy. That the prayers of the pious
have very great influence in bringing about this result no one can reasonably
doubt.
The Dead
Prayers for the dead, that they may be
liberated from the fire of purgatory, are derived from Apostolic teaching. But
on this subject we have said enough when explaining the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass.
Sinners
Those who are said to sin unto death derive
little advantage from prayers and supplications. It is, however, the part of
Christian charity to offer up our prayers and tears for them, in order, if
possible, to obtain their reconciliation with God.
With regard to the execrations uttered by
holy men against the wicked, it is certain, from the teaching of the Fathers,
that they are either prophecies of the evils which are to befall sinners or
denunciations of the crimes of which they are guilty, that the sinner may be
saved, but sin destroyed.
The Prayer Of Thanksgiving Should Be
Offered For All
In the second part of prayer we render most
grateful thanks to God for the divine and immortal blessings which He has
always bestowed, and still continues to bestow every day on the human race.
Our Thanksgiving Should Especially Be Offered:
For The Saints
This duty we discharge especially when we
give singular praises to God for the victory and triumph which all the Saints,
aided by His goodness, have achieved over their domestic and external enemies.
For The Blessed Virgin Mary
To this sort of prayer belongs the first part
of the Angelic Salutation, when used by us as a prayer: Hail Mary, full of
grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women. For in these words
we render to God the highest praise and return Him most gracious thanks,
because He has bestowed all His heavenly gifts on the most holy Virgin; and at
the same time we congratulate the Virgin herself on her singular privileges.
To this form of thanksgiving the Church of
God has wisely added prayers and an invocation addressed to the most holy
Mother of God, by which we piously and humbly fly to her patronage, in order
that, by her intercession, she may reconcile God to us sinners and may obtain
for us those blessings which we stand in need of in this life and in the life
to come. We, therefore, exiled children of Eve, who dwell in this vale of
tears, should constantly beseech the Mother of mercy, the advocate of the
faithful, to pray for us sinners. In this prayer we should earnestly implore
her help and assistance; for that she possesses exalted merits with God, and
that she is most desirous to assist us by her prayers, no one can doubt without
impiety and wickedness.
To Whom We Should Pray
To God
That God is to be prayed to and His name
invoked is the language of the law of nature, inscribed upon the human heart.
It is also the doctrine of Holy Scripture, in which we hear God commanding:
Call upon me in the day of trouble. By the word God, we mean the three Persons
(of the adorable Trinity).
To The Saints
We must also have recourse to the
intercession of the Saints who are in glory. That the Saints are to be prayed
to is a truth so firmly established in the Church of God, that no pious person
can experience a shadow of doubt on the subject. But as this point was
explained in its proper place, under a separate head, we refer the pastor and
others to that place.
God And The Saints Addressed Differently
To remove, however, the possibility of error
on the part of the unlearned it will be found useful to explain to the faithful
the difference between these two kinds of invocation.
We do not address God and the Saints in the
same manner, for we implore God to grant us blessings or to deliver us from evils;
while we ask the Saints, since they are the friends of God, to take us under
their patronage and to obtain for us from God whatever we need. Hence we make
use of two different forms of prayer. To God, we properly say: Have mercy on
us, Hear us; but to the Saints, Pray for us. Still we may also ask the Saints,
though in a different sense, that they have mercy on us, for they are most
merciful. Thus we may beseech them that, touched with the misery of our
condition, they would interpose in our behalf their influence and intercession
before God.
In the performance of this duty, it is
strictly incumbent on all not to transfer to any creature the right which
belongs exclusively to God. For instance, when we say the Our Father before the
image of a Saint we should bear in mind that we beg of the Saint to pray with
us and to obtain for us those favours which we ask of God, in the Petitions of
the Lord's Prayer, -- in a word, that he become our interpreter and intercessor
with God. That this is an office which the Saints discharge, St. John the
Apostle teaches in the Apocalypse.
Preparation for Prayer
In Scripture we read: Before prayer, prepare
thy soul, and be not as a man that tempteth God. He tempts God who prays well
but acts badly, and while he converses with God allows his mind to wander.
Since, then, the dispositions with which we
pray are of such vital importance, the pastor should teach his pious hearers
how to pray.
Humility
The first preparation, then, for prayer is an
unfeigned humility of soul, an acknowledgment of our sinfulness, and a
conviction that, when we approach God in prayer, our sins render us
undeserving, not only of receiving a propitious hearing from Him, but even of
appearing in His presence.
This preparation is frequently mentioned in
the Scriptures: He hath had regard to the prayer of the humble, and he hath not
despised their petitions; the prayer of him that humbleth himself shall pierce
the clouds. Many other passages of the same kind will suggest themselves to
learned pastors. Hence we abstain from citing more here.
Two examples, however, at which we have
already glanced in another place, and which are apposite to our purpose, we
shall not pass over in silence. The publican, who, standing afar off, would not
so much as lift up his eyes toward heaven, and the woman, a sinner, who, moved
with sorrow, washed the feet of Christ the Lord, with her tears, illustrate the
great efficacy which Christian humility imparts to prayer.
Sorrow For Sin
The next (preparation) is a feeling of sorrow,
arising from the recollection of our past sins, or, at least, some sense of
regret, that we do not experience that sorrow. If the sinner bring not with him
to prayer both, or, at least one of these dispositions, he cannot hope to
obtain pardon.
Freedom From Violence, Anger, Hatred And
Inhumanity
There are some crimes, such as violence and
murder, which are in a special way obstacles to the efficacy of our prayers,
and we must, therefore, preserve our hands unstained by outrage and cruelty. Of
such crimes the Lord says by the mouth of Isaias: When you stretch forth your
hands, I will turn away my eyes from you; and when you multiply prayer, I will
not hear, for your hands are full of blood
Anger and strife we should also avoid, for
they have great influence in preventing our prayers from being heard.
Concerning them the Apostle says: l will that men pray in every place lifting
up pure hands, without anger and contention.
Implacable hatred of any person on account of
injuries received we must guard against; for while we are under the influence
of such feelings,- it is impossible that we should obtain from God the pardon
of our sins. When you shall stand to pray, He says, forgive, if you have aught
against any man; and, if you will not forgive men, neither will your heavenly
Father forgive you your offences.
Hardness and inhumanity to the poor we should
also avoid. For concerning men of this kind it was said He that stoppeth his
ear against the cry of the poor, shall also cry himself, and shall not be
heard.
Freedom From Pride And Contempt Of God's
Word
What shall we say of pride? How much it
offends God, we learn from these words: God resisteth the proud, and giveth
grace to the humble. What of the contempt of the divine oracles? He that
turneth away his ears, says Solomon, from hearing the law, his prayer shall be
an abomination.
Here, however, we are not to understand that
we are forbidden to pray for the forgiveness of the injuries we have done, of
murder, anger, insensibility to the wants of the poor, of pride, contempt of
God's word, in fine, of any other sin.
Faith And Confidence
Faith is another necessary quality for this
preparation of soul. Without faith, we can have no knowledge of the omnipotence
or mercy of the supreme Father, which are the sources of our confidence in
prayer, as Christ the Lord Himself has taught: All things whatsoever you shall
ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive. St. Augustine, speaking of this
faith, thus comments on the Lord's words: Without faith prayer is useless.
The chief requisite, therefore, of a good
prayer is, as we have already said, a firm and unwavering faith. This the
Apostle shows by an antithesis: How shall they call on him whom they have not
believed? Believe, then, we must, both in order to pray, and that we be not
wanting in that faith which renders prayer fruitful. For it is faith that leads
to prayer, and it is prayer that, by removing all doubts, gives strength and
firmness to faith. This is the meaning of the exhortation of St. Ignatius to
those who would approach God in prayer: Be not of doubtful mind in prayer;
blessed is he who hath not doubted. Wherefore, to obtain from God what we ask,
faith and an assured confidence, are of first importance, according to the
admonition of St. James: Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.
Motives Of Confidence In Prayer
There is much to inspire us with confidence
in prayer. Among these are to be numbered the beneficence and bounty of God,
displayed towards us, when He commands us to call Him Father, thus giving us to
understand that we are His children. Again there are the numberless instances
of those whose prayers have been heard.
Further we have as our chief advocate, Christ
the Lord, who is ever ready to assist us, as we read in St. John: If any man
sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the just; and he is the
propitiation for our sins.' In like manner Paul the Apostle says: Christ Jesus,
that died, yea, that is risen also again, who is at the right hand of God, who
also maketh intercession for us. To Timothy he writes: For there is one God,
and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus; and to the Hebrews he
writes: Wherefore, it behoved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren,
that he might become a merciful and faithful high-priest before God. Unworthy,
then, as we are, of obtaining our requests, yet considering and resting our
claims upon the dignity of our great Mediator and Intercessor, Jesus Christ, we
should hope and trust most confidently, that, through His merits, God will
grant us all that we ask in the proper way.
Finally, the Holy Ghost is the author of our
prayers; and under His guiding influence, we cannot fail to be heard. We have
received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry, "Abba,
(Father)." This spirit succours our infirmity and enlightens our ignorance
in the discharge of the duty of prayer; nay, even, as the Apostle says, He
asketh for us with unspeakable groanings.
Should we, then, at any time waver, not being
sufficiently strong in faith, let us say with the Apostles: Lord, increase our
faith; and, with the father (of the demoniac): Help my unbelief.
Correspondence With God's Will
But what most ensures the accomplishment of
our desires is the union of faith and hope with that conformity of all our
thoughts, actions, and prayers to God's law and pleasure. If, He says, you
abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will, and it
shall be done unto you.
Fraternal Charity
In order, however, that our prayers may have
this power of obtaining all things from God, we must, as was previously served,
forget injuries, cherish sentiments of good will, and practice kindness towards
our neighbour.
How to Pray Well
The manner of praying is also a matter of the
highest moment. Though prayer in itself is good and salutary, yet if not
performed in a proper manner it is unavailing. Often we do not obtain what we
ask, because, in the words of St. James, we ask amiss. Pastors, therefore, should
instruct the faithful in the best manner of asking well and of making private
and public prayer. The rules of Christian prayer have been formed on the
teaching of Christ the Lord.
We Must Pray In Spirit And In Truth
We must, then pray in spirit and in truth;
for the heavenly Father seeks those who adore Him in spirit and in truth. He
prays in this manner whose prayer proceeds from an interior and intense ardour
of soul.
Mental Prayer
This spiritual manner of praying does not
exclude the use of vocal prayer. Nevertheless, that prayer which is the
vehement outpouring of the soul, deservedly holds the first place; and although
not uttered with the lips, it is heard by God to whom the secrets of hearts are
open. He heard the silent prayer of Anna, the mother of Samuel, of whom we
read, that she prayed, shedding many tears and only moving her lips. Such was
also the prayer of David, for he says: My heart hath said to thee, my f ace
hath sought thee. In reading the Bible one will meet many similar examples.
Vocal Prayer
But vocal prayer has also its advantages and
necessity. It quickens the attention of the mind, and kindles the fervour of
him who prays. We sometimes, says St. Augustine, in his letter to Proba,
animate ourselves to intensify our holy desire by having recourse to words and
other signs; filled with vehement ardour and piety, we find it impossible at
times not to express our feelings in words; for while the soul exults with joy,
the tongue should also give utterance to that exultation. And surely it becomes
us to make to God this complete sacrifice of soul and body, a kind of prayer
which the Apostles were accustomed to use, as we learn from many passages of
the Acts and of the Apostle.
Private And Public Prayer
There are two sorts of prayer, private and
public. Private prayer is employed in order to assist interior attention and
devotion; whereas in public prayer, which has been instituted to excite the
piety of the faithful, and has been prescribed for certain fixed times, the use
of words is indispensably required.
Those Who Do Nor Pray In Spirit
This practice of praying in spirit is
peculiar to Christians, and is not at all used by infidels. Of these Christ the
Lord has said: When you pray, speak not much, as the heathens; for they think
that in their much speaking they may be heard. Be not ye, therefore, like to
them, for your Father knoweth what is needful for you before you ask him.
But though (our Lord) prohibits loquacity, He
is so far from forbidding continuance in prayer which proceeds from the eager
and prolonged devotion of the soul that by His own example He exhorts us to
such prayer. Not only did He spend whole nights in prayer, but also prayed the
third time, saying the self-same words. The inference, therefore, to be drawn
from the prohibition is that prayers consisting of mere empty sounds are not to
be addressed to God.
Those Who Do Not Pray In Truth
Neither do the prayers of the hypocrite
proceed from the heart; and against the imitation of their example, Christ the
Lord warns us in these words: When ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites
that love to stand and pray in the synagogues, and corners of the streets, that
they may be seen by men. Amen I say, to you they have received their reward.
But thou, when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the
door, pray to thy Father in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay
thee. Here the word chamber may be understood to mean the human heart, which we
should not only enter, but should also close against every distraction from
without that could deprive our prayer of its perfection. For then will our
heavenly Father, who sees perfectly our hearts and secret thoughts, grant our
petitions.
We Must Pray With Perseverance
Another necessary condition of prayer is
constancy. The great efficacy of perseverance, the Son of God exemplifies by
the conduct of the judge, who, while he feared not God, nor regarded man, yet,
overcome by the persistence and importunity of the widow, yielded to her
entreaties." In our prayers to God we should, therefore, be persevering.
We must not imitate the example of those who
become tired of praying, if, after having prayed once or twice, they succeed
not in obtaining the object of their prayers. We should never be weary of the
duty of prayer, as we are taught by the authority of Christ the Lord and of the
Apostle. And should the will at any time fail us, we should beg of God by
prayer the strength to persevere.
We Must Pray In The Name Of Jesus Christ
The Son of God would also have us present our
prayers to the Father in His name; for, by His merits and the influence of His
mediation, our prayers acquire such weight that they are heard by our heavenly
Father. For He Himself says in St. John: Amen, Amen, I say unto you, if you ask
the Father any thing in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto you have not
asked any thing in my name: ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be
full; and again: Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, that will I
do.
We Must Pray With Fervour, Uniting
Petition To Thanksgiving
Let us imitate the fervour of the Saints in
prayer; and to petition let us unite thanksgiving, imitating the example of the
Apostles, who, as may be seen in the Epistles of St. Paul, always observed this
salutary practice.
Fasting And Almsdeeds Should Be Joined To
Prayer
To prayer let us unite fasting and almsdeeds.
Fasting is most intimately connected with prayer. For the mind of one who is
filled with food and drink is so borne down as not to be able to raise itself
to the contemplation of God, or even to understand what prayer means.
Almsdeeds have also an intimate connection
with prayer. For what claim has he to the virtue of charity, who, possessing
the means of affording relief to those who depend on the assistance of others,
refuses help to his neighbour and brother ? How can he, whose heart is devoid
of charity, demand assistance from God unless, while imploring the pardon of
his sins, he at the same time humbly beg of God to grant him the virtue of
charity ?
This triple remedy was, therefore, appointed
by God to aid man in the attainment of salvation. For by sin we offend God, wrong
our neighbour, or injure ourselves. The wrath of God we appease by pious
prayer; our offences against man we redeem by almsdeeds; the stains of our own
lives we wash away by fasting. Each of these remedies, it is true, is
applicable to every sort of sin; they are, however, peculiarly adapted to those
three which we have specially mentioned.
OPENING WORDS OF THE LORD'S PRAYER
"Our Father who art in heaven"
Importance Of Instruction On These Words
The form of Christian prayer given us by
Jesus Christ is so composed and arranged that before coming to requests and
petitions certain words must be used as a sort of preface calculated to
increase our confidence in God when we are about to address Him devoutly in
prayer; and this being so it will be the pastor's duty to explain each of these
words separately and with precision, so that the faithful may have recourse to
prayer more readily because of the knowledge that they are going to commune and
converse with a God who is also their Father. Regarding this preface, if we
merely consider the number of words of which it is composed, it is brief
indeed; but if we regard the ideas, it is of the greatest importance and
replete with mysteries.
"Father"
The first word, which, by the order and
institution of God we employ in this prayer, is Father. Our Saviour could,
indeed, have commenced this divine prayer with some other word, conveying more
the idea of majesty, such, for instance, as Lord or Creator. Yet He omitted all
such expressions because they might rather inspire fear, and instead of them He
has chosen a term inspiring confidence and love in those who pray and ask
anything of God; for what is sweeter than the name Father, conveying, as it
does, the idea of indulgence and tenderness ? The reasons why this name Father
is applicable to God, can be easily explained to the faithful by speaking to
them on the subjects of creation, providence, and redemption.
God Is Called Father Because He Created Us
Thus having created man to His own image -- a
favour He accorded to no other living creature -- it is with good reason that,
in view of this unique privilege with which He has honoured man, Sacred
Scripture calls God the Father of all men; not only of the faithful, but also
of the unbelieving.
God Is Called Father Because He Provides
For Us
From His providence also may be drawn an
argument. By a special superintending care and providence over our interests
God displays a paternal love for us.
God's Care For Us Is Seen In The
Appointment Of Guardian Angels
But in order to comprehend more clearly the
fatherly care of God for men, it will be well in the explanation of this
particular point to say something regarding the guardian Angels under whose
protection men are placed.
By God's providence Angels have been
entrusted with the office of guarding the human race and of accompanying every
human being so as to preserve him from any serious dangers. Just as parents,
whose children are about to travel a dangerous and infested road, appoint
guardians and helpers for them, so also in the journey we are making towards
our heavenly country our heavenly Father has placed over each of us an Angel
under whose protection and vigilance we may be enabled to escape the snares secretly
prepared by our enemy, repel the dreadful attacks he makes on us, and under his
guiding hand keep the right road, and thus be secure against all false steps
which the wiles of the evil one might cause us to make in order to draw us
aside from the path that leads to heaven.
How We Are Helped By The Angels
And the immense advantage springing from the
special care and providence of God with regard to men, the execution of which
is entrusted to Angels, who by nature hold an intermediate place between God and
man, will be clear from a multitude of examples with which Sacred Scripture
supplies us in abundance, and which show that in God's goodness it has often
happened that Angels have wrought wondrous works under the very eyes of men.
This gives us to understand that many and equally important services, which do
not fall under our sight, are wrought by our Angels, the guardians of our
salvation, in our interest and for our advantage.
The Angel Raphael, the divinely appointed
companion and guide of Tobias, conducted him and brought him back safe and
sound; saved him from being devoured by an enormous fish; made known to him the
extremely useful properties possessed by the liver, gall and heart of the
monster; expelled the demon; repressed and fettered his power and prevented him
from injuring Tobias; taught the young man the true and legitimate notion and
use of matrimony; and finally restored to the elder Tobias the use of his
sight.
In the same way the Angel who liberated the
Prince of the Apostles, will supply copious material for the instruction of the
pious flock regarding the striking fruits of the vigilance and protection of
the Angels. The pastor need do no more than depict the Angel lighting up the
darkness of the prison, touching Peter's side and awakening him from his sleep,
loosing his chains, breaking his bonds, ordering him to rise, to take up his
sandals and to follow; and then the pastor will point out how Peter was led
forth out of prison by the same Angel, how he was enabled to pass without let or
hindrance through the midst of the guard, how the doors were thrown open, and
finally how he was placed in safety.
The historical part of Sacred Scripture, as
we have already remarked, is full of such examples, all of which go to show the
extent of the benefits bestowed by God on man through the ministry and
intervention of Angels whom He deputes not only on particular and private
occasions, but also appoints to take care of us from our very births. He
furthermore appoints them to watch over the salvation of each one of the human
race.
This teaching, if carefully explained, will
have the effect of interesting and compelling the minds of the faithful to
acknowledge and venerate more and more the paternal care and providence of God
towards them.
God's Care For Us Seen In The Love He Has
Ever Shown To Man
And here the pastor should especially praise
and proclaim the treasures of God's goodness towards the human race. Though
from the time of our first parents and from the moment of our first sin down to
this very day we have offended Him by countless sins and crimes, yet He still
retains His love for us and never renounces His singular solicitude for our
welfare.
To imagine that He has forgotten us would be
an act of folly and nothing short of a most outrageous insult. God was angry
with the Israelites because of the blasphemy they had been guilty of in
imagining that they had been abandoned by providence. Thus do we read in
Exodus: They tempted the Lord, saying: "Is the Lord amongst us or
not?" and in Ezechiel the divine anger is inflamed against the same people
for having said: The Lord seeth us not: the Lord hath forsaken the earth. These
examples should suffice to deter the faithful from entertaining the criminal
notion that God can ever possibly forget mankind. To the same effect we may
read in Isaias the complaint uttered by the Israelite. against God; and, on the
other hand, the kindly similitude with which God refutes their folly: Sion
said: "The Lord hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me." To
which God answers: Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the
son of her womb? And if she should forget, yet will not I forget thee. Behold,
I have engraven thee in my hands.
Although these passages clearly establish the
point under discussion, yet thoroughly to convince the faithful that never for
a moment can God forget man or cease to lavish on him tokens of His paternal
tenderness, the pastor should still further confirm this by the striking
example of our first parents. They had ignored and violated God's command. When
you hear them sharply accused and that dreadful sentence of condemnation
pronounced against them: Cursed is the earth in thy work, with labour and toil
shalt thou eat thereof all the days of thy life; thorns and thistles shall it
bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herbs of the earth; " when you
see them driven out of Paradise; when you read that to preclude all hope of
their return a cherub was stationed at the entrance of Paradise, brandishing a
flaming sword turning every way; and finally, when you know that, to avenge the
injury done Him, God had afflicted them with punishments, internal and
external, would you- not be inclined to think that man's case was hopeless?
Would you not consider that not only was he bereft of all divine help, but was
even abandoned to every misfortune? Yet, surrounded as he then was by so many
evidences of divine wrath and vengeance, a gleam of the goodness of God towards
him is seen to shine forth. For the Lord God, says Sacred Scripture, made for
Adam and his wife garments of skins and clothed them, which was a very clear
proof that at no time would God abandon man.
This truth, that the love of God can be
exhausted by no human iniquity, was indicated by David in these words: Will God
in his anger shut up his mercies? It was set forth by Habacuc when, addressing
God, he said: When thou art angry thou wilt remember mercy; and by Micheas, who
thus expresses it: Who is a God like to thee who takest away iniquity and
passest by the sin of the remnant of thy inheritance? He will send his fury in
no more, because he delighteth in mercy.
And thus precisely does it happen. At the
very moment when we imagine ourselves to be utterly lost and altogether bereft
of His protection, then it is that God in His infinite goodness seeks us out in
a special way and takes care of us. Even in His anger He stays the sword of His
justice, and ceases not to pour out the inexhaustible treasures of His mercy.
God Is Called Father Because He Has
Granted Us Redemption
The creation of the world and God's
providence are, then, of great weight in bringing into relief the singular love
of God for the human race and the special care He takes of man. But far above
these two shines the work of redemption, so much so indeed that our most
bountiful God and Father has crowned His infinite goodness towards us by
granting us this third favour.
Accordingly the pastor should instruct his
spiritual children and constantly recall to their minds the surpassing love of
God for us, so that they may be fully alive to the fact that having been
redeemed in a wonderful manner they are thereby made the sons of God. To them,
says St. John, He gave power to be made the sons of God . . . and they are born
of God.
This is why Baptism, the first pledge and
token of our redemption, is called the Sacrament of regeneration; for it is by
Baptism that we are born children of God: That which is born of the Spirit,
says our Lord, is spirit; and: You must be born again. In the same way we have
the words of St. Peter: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but
incorruptible, by the word of God who liveth.
By reason of this redemption we have received
the Holy Ghost and have been made worthy of the grace of God. As a consequence
of this gift we are the adopted sons of God, as the Apostle Paul wrote to the
Romans when he said: Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear,
but you have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry:
"Abba, Father." The force and efficacy of this adoption are thus set
forth by St. John: Behold what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon
us, that we should be called, and should be the sons of God.
Duties We Owe Our Heavenly Father
These points having been explained, the
faithful should be reminded of all they owe in return to God, their most loving
Father, so that they may be aware of the extent of the love, piety, obedience
and respect they are bound to render to Him who has created them, who watches
over them, and who has redeemed them; and with what hope and trust they should
invoke Him.
But to enlighten the ignorant and to correct
the false ideas of such as imagine prosperity and success in life to be the
only test that God preserves and maintains His love towards us, and that the
adversities and trials which come from His hand are a sign that He is not well
disposed towards us and that He entertains hostile dispositions towards us, it
will be necessary to point out that even if the hand of the Lord sometimes presses
heavily upon us, it is by no means because He is hostile to us, but that by
striking us He heals us, and that the wounds coming from God are remedies.
He chastises sinners so as to improve them by
this lesson, and inflicts temporal punishments in order to deliver them from
eternal torments. For though He visits our iniquities with a rod and our sins
with stripes, yet his mercy he will not take away from us.
The faithful, therefore, should be
recommended to recognise in such chastisements the fatherly love of God, and
ever to have in their hearts and on their lips the saying of Job, the most
patient of men: He woundeth and cureth; he striketh and his hands shall heal;
as well as to repeat frequently the words written by Jeremias in the name of
the people of Israel: Thou hast chastised me and I was instructed, as a young
bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: convert me and I shall be converted; for thou
art the Lord my God; and to keep before their eyes the example of Tobias who,
recognising in the loss of his sight the paternal hand of God raised against
him, cried out: I bless thee, O Lord God of Israel, because thou hast chastised
me and thou hast saved me.
In this connection the faithful should be
particularly on their guard against believing that any calamity or affliction
that befalls them can take place without the knowledge of God; for we have His
own words: A hair of your heads shall not perish. Let them rather find
consolation in that divine oracle read in the Apocalypse: Those whom I love I
rebuke and chastise; and let them find comfort in the exhortation addressed by
St. Paul to the Hebrews: My son, neglect not the discipline of the Lord;
neither be thou weaned whilst thou art rebuked by him: for whom the Lord loveth
he chastiseth, and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.... But if you be
without chastisement, ... then are you bastards and not sons.... Moreover if we
have had the fathers of our flesh for instructors, and we reverenced them,
shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits and live?
"Our"
When we invoke the Father and when each one
of us calls Him our Father, we are to understand thereby that from the
privilege and gift of divine adoption it necessarily follows that all the
faithful are brethren and should love each other as such: You are all brethren
for one is your Father who is in heaven." This is why the Apostles in
their Epistles address all the faithful as brethren.
Another necessary consequence of this
adoption is that not only are the faithful thereby united in the bonds of
brotherhood, but that, the Son of God being truly man, we are called and really
are his brethren also. Thus, in his Epistle to the Hebrews the Apostle,
speaking of the Son of God, wrote as follows: He is not ashamed to call them
brethren, saying: "I will declare thy name to my brethren. And long before
this, David had foretold this of Christ the Lord; while Christ Himself thus
addresses the women in the Gospel: Go, tell my brethren that they go into
Galilee; there they shall see me. These words, as we know, He pronounced only
after His Resurrection and when He had already put on immortality, thus showing
that no one is at liberty to imagine that the bonds of brotherhood with us have
been severed by His Resurrection and Ascension into heaven. Not only has the
Resurrection of Christ not dissolved this union and love, but we know that one
day, when from His throne of glory and majesty He shall judge mankind of all
ages, He will call even the very least of the faithful by the name of brethren.
Indeed, how can we be other than brethren of
Christ, seeing that we are called His co-heirs? Doubtless He is the first
begotten, the appointed heir of all things; but we are begotten in the second
place after Him, and are His co-heirs according to the measure of heavenly gifts
we receive and according to the extent of the charity by which we show
ourselves servants and cooperators of the Holy Ghost. He it is who by His
inspirations moves and inflames us to virtue and good works, in order that we
may be strengthened by His grace valiantly to undertake the combat that must be
waged to secure salvation. And if we wisely and firmly carry on this combat we
shall at the close of our earthly career be rewarded by our heavenly Father
with the just recompense of that crown promised and held out to all those who
run the same course. God, says the Apostle, is not unjust that He should forget
your work and love.
Dispositions That Should Accompany The
Words, "Our Father": Fraternal Regard
How sincere should be the manner in which we
ought to utter the word our, we learn from St. Chrysostom. God, he says,
listens willingly to the Christian who prays not only for himself but for
others; because to pray for ourselves is an inspiration of nature; but to pray
for others is an inspiration of grace; necessity compels us to pray for
ourselves, whereas fraternal charity calls on us to pray for others. And he
adds: That prayer which is inspired by fraternal charity is more agreeable to
God than that which is dictated by necessity.
In connection with the important subject of
salutary prayer, the pastor should be careful to remind and exhort all the
faithful of every age, condition and rank, never to forget the bonds of
universal brotherhood that bind them, and consequently ever to treat each other
as friends and brothers, and never to seek arrogantly to raise themselves above
their neighbours.
Though there are in the Church of God various
gradations of office, yet this diversity of dignity and position in no way
destroys the bond of fraternal union; just as in the human body the various
uses and different functions of our organs in no way cause this or that part of
the body to lose the name or office of an organ of the body.
Take, for instance, one who wields kingly
power. If he is a Christian, is he not the brother of all those united in the
communion of the Christian faith? Yes, beyond all doubt; and why? Because there
is not one God giving existence to the rich and noble, and another giving
existence to the poor and to subjects. There is but one God, the Father and
Lord of all; and consequently we have all the same nobility of spiritual birth,
all the same dignity, all the same glory of race; for all have been regenerated
by the same Spirit through the same Sacrament of faith, and have been made children
of God and co-heirs to the same inheritance. The wealthy and great have not one
Christ for their God; the poor and lowly, another; they are not initiated by
different Sacraments; nor can they expect a different inheritance in the
kingdom of heaven. We are all brethren and, as the Apostle says in his Epistle
to the Ephesians: We are members of Christ's body, of his flesh and of his
bones. This is a truth which the same Apostle thus expresses in his Epistle to
the Galatians: You are the children of God, by faith in Jesus Christ; for as
many of you as have been baptised in Christ, have put on Christ. There is
neither Greek nor Jew, neither bond nor free, neither male nor female; for you
are all one in Christ Jesus.
Now this is a point which calls for accuracy
on the part of the pastor of souls, and one on which he should purposely dwell
at considerable length; for it is a subject that is calculated both to
strengthen and animate the poor and lowly, and to restrain and repress the
arrogance of the rich and powerful. Indeed it was to remedy this latter evil
that the Apostle insisted on brotherly charity and so often impressed it on the
ears of his hearers.
Filial Confidence And Piety
Do not, then, forget, oh Christian, that when
about to address this prayer to God, you ought to approach Him as a son to his
Father; and hence in beginning your prayers and in pronouncing the words Our
Father you should consider the rank to which God in His goodness has raised you
when He commands you to fly to Him, not as a timid and fearful servant to his
master, but willingly and confidently, like a child to its father.
In this remembrance and in this thought,
consider with what fervour and piety you should pray. Endeavour to act as
becomes a child of God; that is to say, see that your prayers and actions are
never unworthy of that divine origin with which He has been pleased in His
infinite bounty to ennoble you. It is to the discharge of this duty that the
Apostle exhorts us when he says: Be ye therefore imitators of God as most dear
children, so that what the Apostle wrote to the Thessalonians may be truly said
of us: You are all the children of light, and the children of the day.
"Who art in Heaven"
Meaning Of These Words
All who have a correct idea of God will grant
that He is where and in all places. This is not to be taken in the sense that
He is distributed into parts and that He occupies and governs one place with
one part and another place with another part. God is a Spirit, and therefore
utterly incapable of division into parts. Who will dare to assign to any
particular place or circumscribe within any limits that God who says of
Himself: Do I not fill heaven and earth? On the contrary, these words must be
taken in this sense, that by His power and virtue He embraces heaven and earth
and all things contained therein; but that He Himself is not contained in any
place. God is present to all things, either creating them, or preserving them
after He has created them; but He is confined to no place, is limited by no
bounds, nor in any way hindered from being everywhere present by His substance
and power, as is indicated by holy David in the words: If I ascend into heaven
thou art there.
But though God is present in all places and
in all things, without being bound by any limits, as has been already said, yet
in Sacred Scripture it is frequently said that He has His dwelling in heaven.
And the reason is because the heavens which we see above our heads are the
noblest part of the world, remain ever Incorruptible, surpass all other bodies
in power, grandeur and beauty, and are endowed with fixed and regular motion.
God, then, in order to lift up the minds of
men to contemplate His infinite power and majesty, which are so preeminently
visible in the work of the heavens, declares in Sacred Scripture that heaven is
His dwelling-place. Yet at the same time He often affirms, what indeed is most
true, that there is no part of the universe to which He is not present
intimately by His nature and His power.
Lessons Taught By The Words, "Who Art
In Heaven"
In connection with this consideration,
however, let the faithful keep before their minds not only the image of the
common Father of all, but also of a God reigning in heaven; and hence when
about to pray, let them remember that they should raise heart and soul to
heaven, and that the more the name of Father inspires them with hope and trust,
the more should the sublime nature and divine majesty of our Father who is in
heaven inspire them with sentiments of Christian humility and respect.
These words, furthermore, determine what we
ought to ask of God in prayer; for every demand regarding the needs and wants
of this life, if it have not some reference to the goods of heaven and if it be
not directed to that end, is vain and unworthy of a Christian.
Let the pastor, therefore, instruct his pious
hearers regarding this particular element of prayer, confirming his own words
by the authority of the Apostle: If you be risen with Christ, seek the things
that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Mind the
things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth.
THE FIRST PETITION OF THE LORD'S PRAYER : "Hallowed be
thy name"
Why This Petition Is Placed First
What we are to ask of God and in what order,
the Master and Lord of all has Himself taught and commanded. For prayer is the
ambassador and interpreter of our thoughts and desires; and consequently we
pray well and properly when the order of our petitions follows the order in
which the things sought are desirable.
Now, genuine charity tells us to direct our
whole soul and all our affections to God, for He alone being the one supreme
Good, it is but reasonable that we love Him with superior and singular love. On
the other hand, God cannot be loved from the heart and above all things else,
unless we prefer His honour and glory to all things created. For all the good
that we or others possess, all that in any way bears the name of good, comes
from Him, and is therefore inferior to Him, the sovereign Good.
Hence, that our prayers may be made with due
order, our Saviour has placed this Petition regarding the sovereign Good at the
head of all the other Petitions of the Lord's Prayer, thus showing us that
before asking the things necessary for ourselves or for others, we ought to ask
those that appertain to God's honour, and to manifest and make known to Him the
affections and desires of our hearts in this regard. Acting thus, we shall be
faithful to the claims and rules of charity, which teaches us to love God more than
ourselves and to ask, in the first place, those things we desire on His
account, and next, those things we desire on our own.
Object Of The First Three Petitions
But as our desires and petitions concern such
things only as are needed, and as nothing can be added to God; that is to say.
to the Divine Nature, nor can His Divine Substance, which is ineffably rich in
all perfection, be in any way increased, we must remember that the things we
ask of God on God's own account are extrinsic and concern His exterior glory.
Thus we desire and beg that His name may be
more and better known in the world, that His kingdom may be extended, and that
each day new servants may come to obey His holy will. These three things, His
name, His kingdom, and obedience (to His will), do not appertain to the
intrinsic nature and perfection of God, but are extrinsic thereto.
To enable the faithful to understand still
more clearly the force and bearing of these Petitions, the pastor should take
care to point out to them that the words, On earth as it is in heaven, may be
understood of each of the first three Petitions, as follows: Hallowed be thy
name on earth as it is in heaven; Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven;
and, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Hallowed Be Thy Name
In praying that the name of God may be
hallowed, our meaning is that the sanctity and glory of the divine name may be
increased.
On Earth As It Is In Heaven"
But in this connection the pastor should
observe and should point out to his pious hearers that our Saviour does not in
this expression say that the name of God is to be sanctified on earth in the
same manner as it is in heaven; that is, that its earthly sanctification is to
be equal in magnificence to its heavenly, a thing which is absolutely
impossible, but only that such sanctification proceed from love and from the
inmost affections of the soul. True, indeed, the divine name has in itself no
need to be sanctified, since it is terrible and -holy,' as God Himself in His
very Nature is holy, nor can any holiness be attributed Him which He has not
possessed from all eternity; yet seeing that here below an honour far inferior
to that which He deserves is rendered to Him, and that sometimes even He is
dishonoured by cursing and blasphemy, we therefore desire and beg that His name
may be exalted here on earth with praise, honour, and glory, after the example
of that praise, honour and glory which are given Him in heaven.
What Sanctification of God's Name we
should Pray For
That The Faithful May Glorify Him
In other words we pray that our minds, our
souls and our lips may be so devoted to the honour and worship of God as to
glorify Him. with all veneration both interior and exterior, and, after the
model of the heavenly citizens, to celebrate with all our might the greatness,
the glory and the holiness of the name of God.
That Unbelievers May Be Converted
Thus, then, as the heavenly spirits with
perfect unanimity exalt and glorify God, so do we pray that the same be done
over all the earth; that all nations may come to know, worship, and reverence
God; that all without a single exception may embrace the Christian religion,
may devote themselves wholly to the service of God, and may be convinced that
in Him is the source of all sanctity and that there is nothing pure, nothing
holy, that does not proceed from the sanctity of His divine name. According to
the testimony of the Apostle, The church is cleansed by the laver of water in
the word of life. and the word of life signifies the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Ghost in which we are baptised and sanctified.
And since there is no expiation, no purity,
no integrity, in him over whom the divine name has not been invoked, we desire
and pray that all mankind may abandon the darkness of their impious infidelity,
and, enlightened by the rays of divine light, may come to recognise the power
of this name and look to it alone for true sanctity, and that thus receiving
the Sacrament of Baptism in the name of the holy and undivided Trinity, they
may receive the plenitude of sanctity from the right hand of God Himself.
That Sinners May Be Converted
Moreover, our desires and our supplications
extend equally to those, who, stained with sin and wickedness, have lost the
purity of their Baptism and their robe of innocence, thus permitting the
unclean spirit to take up his abode once more in their unhappy souls. We
therefore desire and pray God that in these also His name may be sanctified;
that they may reenter into themselves and, returning to a right frame of mind,
may recover their former holiness through the Sacrament of Penance, and become
once more the pure and holy temple and dwelling-place of God.
That God May Be Thanked For His Favours
Finally, we pray that God may make His light
to shine on the minds of all, so as to enable them to see that every best gift
and e very perfect gift coming from the Father of lights, is conferred on us by
Him, and consequently that temperance, justice, life, health, in a word, all
goods of soul, body and possessions, all goods both natural and supernatural,
must be recognised as gifts given by Him from whom, as the Church proclaims,
proceed all blessings. If the sun by its light, if the stars by their motion
and revolutions, are of any advantage to man; if the air with which we are
surrounded serves to sustain us; if the earth with its abundance of produce and
its fruits furnishes the means of subsistence to all men; if our rulers by
their vigilance enable us to enjoy peace and tranquillity, it is to the
infinite goodness of God that we owe these and innumerable blessings of a
similar kind,-nay, those very causes which philosophers call secondary, we
should regard as so many hands of God, wonderfully fashioned and fitted for our
use, by means of which He distributes His blessings and diffuses them
everywhere in profusion.
That The Church May Be Recognised By All
But what we most particularly ask in this
Petition is that all may acknowledge and revere the spouse of Jesus Christ, our
most holy mother the Church, in which alone is to be found the copious and
inexhaustible fountain that cleanses and effaces all the stains of sin, and
from which are drawn all the Sacraments of salvation and sanctification, those
Sacraments through which, like so many sacred channels, is diffused over us by
the hand of God the dew, of sanctity. To that Church alone and to those whom
she embraces in her bosom and holds in her arms, appertains the invocation of
that divine name, outside of which there is no other name under heaven given to
men whereby we must be saved.
What Sanctification Of God's Name We
Should Practice
The pastor should be careful to insist
particularly on the fact that it is the duty of a good son not only to pray to
God his Father in words, but also to endeavour by his conduct and actions to
promote the sanctification of the divine name. And would to God there were none
who, though continually praying for the sanctification of God's name, yet, as
far as in them lies, violate and profane it by their deeds, and by whose fault
God Himself is sometimes blasphemed. It was of such as these that the Apostle
said: The name of God through you is blasphemed among the Gentiles; and in
Ezechiel we read: They entered among the nations whither they went, and profaned
my holy name, when it was said of them: "This is the people of the Lord,
and they are come forth out of his land"; for according to the sort of
life and conduct led by those professing a particular religion, so precisely in
the eyes of the unlettered multitude will be the opinion held of that religion
and of its author.
Those, therefore, who live according to the
dictates of the Christian religion which they have embraced, and who regulate
their prayers and actions by its precepts, furnish others with a powerful
motive for greatly praising, honouring and glorifying the name of our heavenly
Father. As for us, it is a duty which the Lord has imposed on us, to lead
others by shining deeds of virtue to praise and glorify the name of God. This
is how He addresses us in the Gospel: Let your light so shine before men, that
they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven; and the
Prince of the Apostles says: Having your conversation good among the Gentiles,
that they may, by the good works which they shall behold in you, glorify God.
THE SECOND PETITION OF THE LORD'S PRAYER : "Thy kingdom
come"
Importance Of Instruction On This Petition
The kingdom of heaven which we pray for in
this second Petition is the great end to which is referred, and in which
terminates all the preaching of the Gospel; for from it St. John the Baptist
commenced his exhortation to penance: Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is
at hand. With it also the Saviour of the world opened His preaching. In that
admirable discourse on the mount in which He points out to His disciples the
way to happiness, having proposed, as it were, the subject-matter of His
discourse, our Lord commences with the kingdom of heaven: Blessed are the poor
in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Again, to those who would
detain Him with them, He assigns as the necessary cause of His departure: To
other cities, also, I must preach the kingdom of God; therefore am I sent. This
kingdom He afterwards commanded the Apostles to preach. And to him who
expressed a wish to go and bury his father, He replied: Go thou, and preach the
kingdom of God. And after He had risen from the dead, during those forty days
in which He appeared to the Apostles, He spoke of the kingdom of God.
This second Petition, therefore, the pastor
should treat with the greatest attention, in order to impress on the minds of
his faithful hearers its great importance and necessity.
Greatness Of This Petition
In the first place pastors will be greatly
assisted towards an accurate and careful explanation of this Petition by the
thought that (the Redeemer Himself) commanded this Petition, although united to
the others, to be also offered separately, in order that we may seek with the
greatest earnestness that for which we pray; for He says: Seek first the
kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.
So great and so abundant are the heavenly
gifts contained in this Petition, that it includes all things necessary for the
security of soul and body. The king who pays no attention to those things on
which depends the safety of his kingdom we should deem unworthy of the name. If
a man is so anxious for the welfare of his kingdom, what must be the
solicitude, what the providential care, with which the King of kings guards the
life and safety of man?
We compress, therefore, within the small
compass of this Petition for God's kingdom all that we stand in need of in our
present pilgrimage, or rather exile, and all this God graciously promises to
grant us; for He immediately subjoins: All these things shall be added unto
you. Thus does he declare that He is that king who with bountiful hand bestows
upon man an abundance of all things, whose infinite goodness enraptured David
when he sang: The Lord ruleth me, and I shall want nothing.
Necessity Of Rightly Making This Petition
It is not enough, however, that we utter an
earnest petition for the kingdom of God; we must also add to our prayer the use
of all those means by which that kingdom is sought and found.- The five foolish
virgins uttered earnestly the same petition in these words: Lord, Lord, open to
us; but they used not the means necessary to secure its attainment, and were
therefore rightly excluded. For God Himself has said: Not every one that saith
to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Motives For Adopting The Necessary Means
The priest, therefore, who is charged with
the care of souls, should draw from the exhaustless fountain of the divine
Scriptures those powerful motives which are calculated to move the faithful to
the desire and pursuit of the kingdom of heaven, which portray in vivid
coloring our deplorable condition, and which should make so sensible an
impression upon them that, entering into themselves, they may call to mind that
supreme happiness and those unutterable goods with which the eternal abode of
God our Father abounds.
Here below we are exiles, inhabitants of a
land in which dwell those demons whose hatred for us cannot be softened, who
are the determined and implacable foes of mankind. What shall we say of those
intestine conflicts and domestic battles in which the soul and the body, the
flesh and the spirit, are continually engaged against each other, in which we
have always to fear defeat, nay, in which instant defeat becomes inevitable,
unless we be defended by the protecting hand of God? Feeling this weight of
misery the Apostle exclaims: Unhappy man that I am, who shall deliver me from
the body of this death?
The misery of our condition, it is true,
strikes us at once of itself; but if contrasted with that of other creatures,
it strikes us still more forcibly. Although irrational and even inanimate, the
lower creatures are seldom seen so to depart from the acts, the instincts and
the movements imparted to them by nature, as to fail of obtaining their
appointed and determined end. This is so obvious in the case of beasts, fishes
and birds that there is no need to dwell on it. But if we look to the heavens,
do we not behold the verification of these words of David? For ever, O Lord,
thy word standeth firm in the heavens. Constant in their motions, uninterrupted
in their revolutions, they never depart in the least from the laws divinely
prescribed. The earth, too, and universal nature, as we at once perceive,
adhere strictly to, or at least depart but very little from the laws of their
being.
But unhappy man is guilty of frequent falls.
Seldom does he carry out his good resolutions; often he abandons and despises
what he has well commenced; his best purposes which pleased for a time, are
often suddenly abandoned, and he plunges into designs as degrading as they are
pernicious.
What then is the cause of this misery and
inconstancy? Manifestly a contempt of the divine inspirations. We close our
ears to the admonitions of God, our eyes to the divine lights which shine
before us; nor do we hearken to those salutary commands which are delivered by
our heavenly Father.
To paint to the eyes of the faithful the
misery-of man's condition, to detail its various causes, and to point out the
efficacious remedies are, therefore, among the objects which should employ the
zealous exertions of the pastor. In the discharge of this duty, his labor will
be not a little lightened if he consults what has been said on the subject by
those holy men, John Chrysostom and Augustine, and still more if he refers to
our exposition of the Creed. For with a knowledge of these truths, who will be
so obstinate in sin as not to endeavour, with the help of God's preventing grace,
to rise, like the prodigal son spoken of in the Gospel, to stand erect, and
hasten into the presence of his heavenly Father and king ?
"Thy Kingdom"
Having pointed out the advantages to be
derived by the faithful from this Petition, the pastor should next explain the
favours which it seeks. This becomes the more necessary as the words, kingdom
of God, have a variety of significations, the exposition of each of which will
not be found without its advantages in elucidating other passages of Scripture,
and is necessary to a knowledge of the present subject.
The Kingdom Of Nature
In their ordinary sense, which is frequently
employed by Scripture, the words, kingdom of God, signify not only that power
which God possesses over all men and over the entire universe, but, also, His
providence which rules and governs all things. In his hands, says the Prophet,
are all the ends of the earth. The word ends includes those things also which
lie buried in the depths of the earth, and are concealed in the most hidden
recesses of creation. In this sense Mardochaeus exclaims: O Lord, Lord,
almighty king, for all things are in thy power, and there is none that can
resist thy will: thou art God of all, and there is none that can resist thy
majesty.
The Kingdom Of Grace
By the kingdom of God is also understood that
special and singular providence by which God protects and watches over pious
and holy men. It is of this peculiar and admirable care that David speaks when
he says: The Lord rules me, I shall want nothing, and Isaias: The Lord our king
he will save us.
But although, even in this life, the pious
and holy are placed, in a special manner, under this kingly power of God; yet
our Lord Himself informed Pilate that His kingdom was not of this world, that
is to say, had not its origin in this world, which was created and is doomed to
perish. In this perishable way power is exercised by kings, emperors,
commonwealths, rulers, and all whose titles to the government of states and
provinces is founded upon the desire or election of men, or who have intruded
themselves, by violent and unjust usurpation, into sovereign power.
Not so Christ the Lord, who, as the Prophet
declares, is appointed king by God, and whose kingdom, as the Apostle says, is
justice: The kingdom of God's justice and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Christ our Lord reigns in us by the interior virtues of faith, hope and
charity. By these virtues we are made a portion, as it were, of His kingdom,
become subject in a special manner to God, and are consecrated to His worship
and veneration; so that, as the Apostle could say: I live, yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me, we too are able to say: I reign, yet not , but Christ
reigneth in me.
This kingdom is called justice, because it
has for its basis the justice of Christ the Lord. Of it our Lord says in St.
Luke: The kingdom of God is within you. For although Jesus Christ reigns by
faith in all who are within the bosom of our holy mother, the Church; yet in a
special manner He reigns over those who are endowed with a superior faith, hope
and charity, and have yielded themselves pure and living members to God. It is
in these that the kingdom of God's grace is said to consist.
The Kingdom Of Glory
By the words kingdom of God is also meant
that kingdom of His glory, of which Christ our Lord says in St. Matthew: Come
ye blessed of my Father, possess the kingdom which was prepared for you from
the beginning of the world. This kingdom the thief, when he had admirably
acknowledged his crimes, begged of Christ in the words related by St. Luke:
Lord, remember me, when thou comest into thy kingdom. Of this kingdom St. John
speaks when he says: Unless a man be born again of water and the Spirit, he
cannot enter into the kingdom of God; and of it the Apostle says to the
Ephesians: No fornicator, or unclean, or covetous person (which is a serving of
idols) hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. To it also refer
some of the parables made use of by Christ the Lord when speaking of the
kingdom of heaven.
But the kingdom of grace must precede that of
glory; for God's glory cannot reign in anyone in whom His grace does not
already reign. Grace, according to the Redeemer, is a fountain of water
springing up to eternal life; while as regards glory, what can we call it
except a certain perfect and absolute grace? As long as we are clothed with
this frail mortal flesh, as long as we wander in this gloomy pilgrimage and
exile, weak and far away from God, we often stumble and fall, because we
rejected the aid of the kingdom of grace, by which we were supported. But when
the light of the kingdom of glory, which is perfect, shall have shone upon us,
we shall stand forever firm and secure. Then shall all that is defective and
unsuitable be utterly removed; then shall every infirmity be strengthened and
invigorated; in a word, God Himself will then reign in our souls and bodies.
But on this subject we have dealt already at greater length in the exposition
of the Creed, when speaking of the resurrection of the flesh.
"Come"
Having thus explained the ordinary
acceptation of the words, kingdom of God, we now come to point out the
particular objects contemplated by this Petition.
We Pray For The Propagation Of The Church
In this Petition we ask God that the kingdom
of Christ, that is, His Church, may be enlarged; that Jews and infidels may
embrace the faith of Christ and the knowledge of the true God; that schismatics
and heretics may return to soundness of mind, and to the communion of the
Church of God which they have deserted; and that thus may be fulfilled and
realised the words of the Lord, spoken by the mouth of Isaias: Enlarge the
place of thy tent, and stretch out the skins of thy tabernacles; lengthen thy
cords, and strengthen thy stakes, for thou shalt pass on to the right hand and
to the left, for he that made thee shall rule over thee. And again: The
Gentiles shall walk in thy light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising;
lift up thy eyes round about and see; all these are gathered together, they are
come to thee; thy sons shall come from afar, and thy daughters shall rise up at
thy side.
For The Conversion Of Sinners
But in the Church there are to be found those
who profess they know God, but in their works deny Him; whose conduct shows
that they have only a deformed faith; who, by sinning, become the
dwelling-place of the devil, where the demon exercises uncontrolled dominion.
Therefore do we pray that the kingdom of God may also come to them so that the
darkness of sin being dispelled from around them, and their minds being
illumined by the rays of the divine light, they may be restored to their lost
dignity of children of God; that heresy and schism being removed, and all
offences and causes of sins being eradicated from His kingdom, our heavenly Father
may cleanse the floor of His Church; and that, worshipping God in piety and
holiness, she may enjoy undisturbed peace and tranquillity.
That Christ May Reign Over All
Finally, we pray that God alone may live,
alone may reign within us; that death may no longer exist, but may be absorbed
in the victory achieved by Christ our Lord, who, having broken and scattered
the power of all His enemies, may, in His might, subject all things to His
dominion.
Dispositions That Should Accompany This
Petition
The pastor should also be mindful to teach
the faithful, as the nature of this Petition demands, the thoughts and
reflections with which their minds should be impressed in order to offer this
prayer devoutly to God.
We Should Prize God's Kingdom Above All Things
He should exhort them, in the first place, to
consider the force and import of that similitude of the Redeemer: The kingdom
of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field: which when a man hath found he
hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that
field. He who knows the riches of Christ the Lord will despise all things when
compared to them; to him wealth, riches, power, will appear as dross. Nothing
can be compared to, or stand in competition with that inestimable treasure.
Whoever, then, is blessed with this knowledge will say with the Apostle: I
esteem all things to be but loss, and count them but as dung, that I may gain
Christ. This is that precious jewel of the Gospel, and he who sells all his
earthly goods to purchase it shall enjoy an eternity of bliss.
Happy we, should Jesus Christ shed so much
light on us, as to enable us to discover this jewel of divine grace, by which
He reigns in the hearts of those that are His. Then should we be prepared to
sell all that we have on earth, even ourselves, to purchase and secure its
possession; then might we say with confidence: Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ?
But would we know the incomparable excellence
of the kingdom of God's glory, let us hear the words and teaching of the
Apostle: Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the
heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him.
We Must Realise That We Are Exiles
To obtain the object of our prayers it will
be found most helpful to reflect within ourselves who we are, -- namely,
children of Adam, exiled from Paradise by a just sentence of banishment, and
deserving, by our unworthiness and perversity, to become the objects of God's
supreme hatred, and to be doomed to eternal punishment.
This consideration should excite in us
humility and lowliness. Thus our prayers will be full of Christian humility;
and wholly distrusting ourselves, like the publican, we will fly to the mercy
of God. Attributing all to His bounty we will render immortal thanks to Him who
has imparted to us that Holy Spirit, relying on whom we are emboldened to say:
Abba (Father).
We Must Labor To Obtain God's Kingdom
We should also be careful to consider what is
to be done, what avoided, in order to arrive at the kingdom of heaven. For we
are not called by God to lead lives of ease and indolence. On the contrary, He
declares that the kingdom of God suffereth violence, and the violent bear it
away; and, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. It is not
enough, therefore, that we pray for the kingdom of God; we must also use our
best exertions. It is a duty incumbent on US to cooperate with the grace of
God, to use it in pursuing the path that leads to heaven. God never abandons
us; He has promised to be with us at all times. We have therefore only this to
see to, that we forsake not God, or abandon ourselves.
In this kingdom of the Church, God has
provided all those succours by which He defends the life of man, and
accomplishes his eternal salvation; whether they are invisible to us, such as
the hosts of angelic spirits, or visible, such as the Sacraments, those
unfailing sources of heavenly grace. Defended by these divine safeguards, not only
may we securely defy the assaults of our most determined enemies, but may even
lay prostrate, and trample under foot, the tyrant himself with all his
nefarious legions.
Recapitulation
To conclude, let us then earnestly implore
the Spirit of God that He may command us to do all things in accordance with
His holy will; that He may so overthrow the empire of Satan that it shall have
no power over us on the great accounting day; that Christ may be victorious and
triumphant; that the divine influence of His law may be spread throughout the
world; that His ordinances may be observed; that there be found no traitor, no
deserter; and that all may so conduct themselves, as to come with joy into the
presence of God their King, and may reach the possession of the celestial
kingdom, prepared for them from all eternity, in the fruition of endless bliss
with Christ Jesus.
THE THIRD PETITION OF THE LORD'S PRAYER : "Thy will be
done"
The Relation Of This Petition To The
Previous One
Whoever desires to enter into the kingdom of
heaven should ask of God that His will may be done. For Christ the Lord has
said: Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom
of heaven; but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven. Consequently this Petition follows
immediately after the one which prays for the kingdom of heaven.
Necessity Of This Petition
In order that the faithful may know the
necessity of this Petition and the numerous and salutary gifts which we obtain
through it, the pastor should direct their attention to the misery and
wretchedness in which the sin of Adam has involved mankind.
Man’s Proneness To Act Against God’s Will
From the beginning God implanted in all
creatures an inborn desire of pursuing their own happiness that, by a sort of
natural impulse, they may seek and desire their own end, from which they never
deviate, unless impeded by some external obstacle.- This impulse of seeking
God, the author and father of his happiness, was in the beginning all the more
noble and exalted in man because of the fact that he was endowed with reason
and judgment. But, while irrational creatures, which, at their creation were by
nature Food, continued, and still continue in that original state and-condition,
unhappy man went astray, and lost not only original justice, with which he had
been supernaturally gifted and adorned by God, but also obscured that singular
inclination toward virtue which had been implanted in his soul. All, He says,
have gone aside, they are become unprofitable together; there is none that doth
good, no, not one. For the imagination and thought of man's heart are prone to
evil from his youth. Hence it is not difficult to perceive that of himself no
man is wise unto salvation; that all are prone to evil; and that man has
innumerable corrupt propensities, since he tends downwards and is carried with
ardent precipitancy to anger, hatred, pride. ambition, and to almost every
species of evil.
Man’s Blindness Concerning God’s Will
Although man is continually beset by these
evils, yet his greatest misery is that many of these appear to him not to be
evils at all. It is a proof of the most calamitous condition of man, that he is
so blinded by passion and cupidity as not to see that what he deems salutary
generally contains a deadly poison, that he rushes headlong after those
pernicious evils as if they were good and desirable, while those things which
are really good and virtuous are shunned as the contrary. Of this false
estimate and corrupt judgment of man God thus expresses His detestation: Woe to
you that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light and light
for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.
In order, therefore, to delineate in vivid
coloring the misery of our condition, the Sacred Scripture compares us to those
who have lost their sense of taste and who, in consequence, loathe wholesome
food, and prefer that which is unwholesome.
Man’s Weakness In Fulfilling God’s Will
It also compares us to sick persons who, as
long as their malady lasts, are incapable of fulfilling the duties and offices
proper to persons of sound and vigorous health. In the same way neither can we,
without the assistance of divine grace, undertake actions such as are
acceptable to God. Even should we, while in this condition, succeed in doing
anything good, it will be of little or no avail towards attaining the bliss of
heaven. But to love and serve God as we ought is something too noble and too
sublime for us to accomplish by human powers in our present lowly and feeble
condition, unless we are assisted by the grace of God.
Another very apt comparison to denote the
miserable condition of mankind is that wherein we are likened to children who,
if left to go their own way, are thoughtlessly attracted by everything that
presents itself. Truly we are children, thoughtless children, wholly devoted to
vain conversations and frivolous actions, once we become destitute of divine
assistance; and hence the reproof which divine wisdom directs against us: O
children, how long will you love childishness, and fools covet those things
which are hurtful to themselves? while the Apostle thus exhorts us: Do not
become children in sense.
Not only this, but our folly and blindness
are even greater than those of children; for they are merely destitute of human
prudence which they can of themselves acquire in course of time; whereas, if
not assisted by God's help and grace, we can never aspire to that divine
prudence which is so necessary to salvation. And if God's assistance should
fail us, we at once cast aside those things that are truly good and rush
headlong to voluntary ruin.
Remedy For These Evils
But should this darkness of spirit be removed
with God's help; should we but perceive these our miseries; and, shaking off
our insensibility, should we take account of the presence of the law of the
members and recognise the struggle of the senses against the law of the spirit;
and were we aware of every inclination of our nature to evil; how in that event
could we fail to seek with earnest endeavour a suitable remedy for the great
evils with which our nature is oppressed, and how fail to sigh for that
salutary rule in accordance with which every Christian's life should be modelled
and guided?
Now this is what we ask when we address to
God these words: Thy will be done. We fell into this state of misery by
disobeying and despising the divine will. God vouchsafes to propose to us, as
the sole corrective of such great evils, a conformity to His will, which by
sinning we despised; He commands us to regulate all our thoughts and actions by
this standard. Now it is precisely His help to accomplish this that we ask when
we suppliantly address to God the prayer, Thy will be done.
Man's Passions Rebel Against God's Will
The same should also be the fervent prayer of
those in whose souls God-already reigns; who have been already illumined with
the divine light, which enables them to obey the will of God. Although thus
prepared, they have still to struggle against their own passions on account of
the tendency to evil implanted in man's sensual appetite. Hence even though we
are of the number of the just, we are still exposed to great danger from our
own frailty, and should always fear lest, drawn aside and allured by our
concupiscences, which war in our members, we should again stray from the path
of salvation. Of this danger Christ the Lord admonishes us in these words:
Watch ye and pray that ye enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is
willing but the flesh is weak.
It is not in the power of man, not even of
him who has been justified by the grace of God, to reduce the irregular desires
of the flesh to such a state of utter subjection that they may never afterwards
rebel. By justifying grace God no doubt heals the wounds of the soul; but not
those also of the flesh concerning which the Apostle wrote: J know that there
dwelleth not in me, that is to say, in my flesh, that which is good.
The moment the first man forfeited original
justice, which enabled him to bridle the passions, reason was no longer able to
restrain them within the bounds of duty, or to repress those inordinate desires
which are repugnant to reason. This is why the Apostle tells us that sin, that
is to say, the incentive to sin, dwells in the flesh, thus giving us to
understand that it does not make a mere temporary stay within us as a passing
guest, but that as long as we live it maintains its abode in our members as a
permanent inhabitant of the body.
Continually beset as we are by our domestic
and interior enemies, it is easy for us to understand that we must fly to God's
help and beg of Him that His will may be done in us.
"Thy Will"
Though the faithful are not to be left in
ignorance of the import of this Petition, yet in this connection many questions
concerning the will of God may be passed over which are discussed at great
length and with much utility by scholastic doctors. Accordingly we shall
content ourselves with saying that by the will of God is here meant that will
which is commonly called the will of sign; that is to say, whatever God has
commanded or counselled us to do or to avoid.
Hence, under the word will are here comprised
all things that have been proposed to us as a means of securing the happiness of
heaven, whether they regard faith or whether they regard morals, all, in a
word, that Christ the Lord has commanded or forbidden either directly or
through His Church. It is of this will that the Apostle thus writes: Become not
unwise, but understand what is the will of God.
"Be Done"
We Ask That We May Fulfil What God Desires
Of Us
When, therefore, we pray, Thy will be done,
we first of all ask our heavenly Father to give us the strength to obey His
Commandments, and to serve Him in holiness and justice all our days; to do all
things according to His will and pleasure; to discharge all the duties
prescribed for us in Sacred Scripture; under His guidance and assistance to
perform all that becomes those who are born, not of the will of the flesh but of
God, thus following the example of Christ the Lord who was made obedient unto
death, even unto the death of the cross; finally, to be ready to bear all
things rather than depart from His holy will in even the slightest degree.
Assuredly there is no one who burns with a
more ardent desire and anxiety to obtain (the effect of this Petition) than he
who has been so blessed as to be able to understand the sublime dignity
attaching to those who obey God. For such a one thoroughly understands how true
it is to say that to serve God and obey Him is to reign. Whoever, says the
Lord, shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother and
sister and mother that is to say, to him am I attached by the closest bonds of
good will and love.
The Saints, with scarcely a single exception,
failed not to make the principal gift contemplated by this Petition the object
of their fervent prayers to God. All, indeed, have in substance made use of
this admirable prayer, but not unfrequently in different words. David, whose
strains breathe such wondrous sweetness, pours out the same prayer in various
aspirations: O ! that my ways may be directed to keep thy justifications; Lead
me into the path of thy commandments; Direct my steps according to thy word,
and let no iniquity have dominion over me. In the same spirit he says: Give me
understanding, and I will learn thy commandments; Teach me thy judgments; Give
me understanding that I may know thy testimonies. He often expresses and
repeats the same sentiment in other words. These passages should be carefully
noticed and explained to the faithful, that all may know and comprehend the
greatness and profusion of salutary gifts which are comprehended in the first
part of this Petition.
We Ask That We May Not Yield To Our Own Inordinate
Desires
In the second place, when we say, Thy will be
done, we express our detestation of the works of the flesh, of which the
Apostle writes: The works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication,
uncleanness immodesty, lust, etc.; if you live according to the flesh you shall
die. We also beg of God not to suffer us to yield to the suggestions of sensual
appetite, of our lusts, of our infirmities, but to govern our will by His will.
The sensualist, whose every thought and care
is absorbed in the transient things of this world, is estranged from the will
of God. Borne along by the tide of passion, he indulges his licentious
appetites. In this gratification he places all his happiness, and considers
that man happy who obtains whatever he desires. We, the contrary, beseech God
in the language of the Apostle that we make not provision for the flesh in its
concupiscence, but that His will be done.
We are not easily induced to entreat God not
to satisfy our inordinate desires. This disposition of soul is difficult of
attainment, and by offering such a prayer we seem in some sort to hate
ourselves. To those who are slaves to the flesh such conduct appears folly; but
be it ours cheerfully to incur the imputation of folly for the sake of Christ
who has said: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself. This is
especially so since we know that it is much better to desire what is right and
just, than to obtain what is opposed to reason and religion and to the laws of
God. Unquestionably the condition of the man who attains the gratification of
his rash and inordinate desires is less enviable than that of him who does not
obtain the object of his pious prayers.
We Ask That Our Mistaken Requests Be Not
Granted
Our prayers, however, have not solely for
object that God should deny us what accords with our desires, when it is clear
that they are depraved; but also that He would not grant us those things for
which, under the persuasion and impulse of the devil, who transforms himself
into an Angel of light, we sometimes pray, believing them to be good.
The desire of the Prince of the Apostles to
dissuade the Lord from His determination to meet death, appeared not less
reasonable than religious; yet the Lord severely rebuked him, because he was
led, not by supernatural motives, but by natural feeling.
What stronger proof of love towards the Lord
than that shown by the request of St. James and St. John, who, filled with
indignation against the Samaritans for refusing to entertain their Master,
besought Him to command fire to descend from heaven and consume those
hard-hearted and inhuman men? Yet they were reproved by Christ the Lord in
these words: You know not of what spirit you are; the son of man came not to
destroy souls but to save them.
We Ask That Even Our Good Requests Be
Granted Only When They Are According To God’s Will
We should beseech God that His will be done,
not only when our desires are wrong, or have the appearance of wrong. We should
ask this even when the object of our desire is not really evil, as when the
will, obeying its instinctive impulse, desires what is necessary for our
preservation, and rejects what seems to be opposed thereto. When about to pray
for such things we should say from our hearts, Thy will be done, in imitation
of the example of Him from whom we receive salvation and the science of
salvation, who, when agitated by a natural dread of torments and of a cruel
death, bowed in that horror of supreme sorrow with meek submission to the will
of His heavenly Father: Not my will but thine be done.
We Ask That God May Perfect In Us What His
Grace Has Begun
But, such is the degeneracy of our nature
that, even when we have done violence to our passions and subjected them to the
will of God, we cannot avoid sin without His assistance, by which we are
protected from evil and directed in the pursuit of good. To this Petition,
therefore, we must have recourse, beseeching God to perfect in us those things
which He has begun; to repress the turbulent emotions of passion; to subject
our sensual appetites to reason; in a word, to render us entirely conformable
to His holy will.
We Ask That All May Know God’s Will
We pray that the whole world may receive the
knowledge of God's will, that the mystery of God, hidden from all ages and
generations, may be made known to all.
"On Earth as it is in Heaven"
We also pray for the standard and model of
this obedience, that our conformity to the will of God be regulated according
to the rule observed in heaven by the blessed Angels and choirs of heavenly
spirits, that, as they willingly and with supreme joy obey God, we too may
yield a cheerful obedience to His will in the manner most acceptable to Him.
God requires that in serving Him we be
actuated by the greatest love and by the most exalted charity; that although we
devote ourselves entirely to Him with the hope of receiving heaven as reward,
yet the reason we look forward to that reward should be that the Divine Majesty
has commanded us to cherish that hope. Let all our hopes, therefore, be based
on the love of God, who promises to reward our love with eternal happiness.
There are some who serve another with love,
but who do so solely with a view to some recompense, which is the end and aim
of their love; while others, influenced by love and loyalty alone, look to
nothing else in the services which they render than the goodness and worth of
him whom they serve, and, knowing and admiring his qualities consider
themselves happy in being able to render him these services. This is the
meaning of the clause On earth as it is in heaven appended (to the Petition).
It is then, our duty to endeavour to the best
of our ability to be obedient to God, as we have said the blessed spirits are,
whose profound obedience is praised by David in the Psalm in which he sings:
Bless the Lord, all ye hosts; ye ministers of his that do his will.
Should anyone, adopting the interpretation of
St. Cyprian, understand the words in heaven, to mean in the good and the pious,
and the words on earth, in the wicked and the impious, we do not disapprove of
the interpretation, by the word heaven understanding the spirit, and by the
word earth, the flesh, that every person and every creature may in all things
obey the will of God.
This Petition Contains an Act of
Thanksgiving
This Petition also includes thanksgiving. We
revere the most holy will of God, and in transports of joy celebrate all His
works with the highest praise and acknowledgment, being assured that He has
done all things well. It is certain that God is omnipotent; and the consequence
necessarily forces itself on the mind that all things were created at His
command. We also confess the truth that He is the supreme Good. We must,
therefore, confess that all His works are good, for to all He imparted His own
goodness. But if we cannot fathom in everything the divine plan, let us in all
things banish every doubt and hesitation from the mind, and with the Apostle
declare that his ways are unsearchable.
But the most powerful incentive to revere the
will of God is that He has deigned to illumine by His heavenly light; for, He
hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the
kingdom of the Son of his love.
The Dispositions that should Accompany
this Petition
A Sense Of Our Own Weakness Of Will
To close our exposition of this Petition we
must revert to a subject at which we glanced in the beginning. It is that the
faithful in uttering this Petition should be humble and lowly in spirit:
keeping in view the violence of their inborn passions which revolt against the
will of God; recollecting that in this duty (of obedience) man is excelled by
all other creatures, of whom it is written: All things serve thee; and
reflecting, that he who is unable without divine help to undertake, not to say,
perform, anything acceptable to God, must be very weak indeed.
Appreciation Of The Dignity Of Doing God's
Will
But as there is nothing greater, nothing more
exalted, as we have already said, than to serve God and live in obedience to
His law and Commandments, what more desirable to a Christian than to walk in
the ways of the Lord, to think nothing, to undertake nothing, at variance with
His will? In order that the faithful may adopt this rule of life, and adhere to
it with greater fidelity, (the pastor) should borrow from Scripture examples of
individuals, who, by not referring their views to the will of God, have failed
in all their undertakings.
Resignation To God’s Will
Finally, the faithful are to be admonished to
acquiesce in the simple and absolute will of God. Let him, who thinks that he
occupies a place in society inferior to his deserts, bear his lot with patient
resignation; let him not abandon his proper sphere, but abide in the vocation
to which he has been called. Let him subject his own judgment to the will of
God, who provides better for our interests than we can even desire ourselves.
If troubled by poverty, by sickness, by persecution, or afflictions and
anxieties of any sort, let us be convinced that none of these things can happen
to us without the permission of God, who is the supreme Arbiter of all things.
We should, therefore, not suffer our minds to be too much disturbed by them,
but bear up against them with fortitude, having always on our lips the words:
The will of the Lord be done; and also those of holy Job, As it hath pleased
the Lord, so it is done: blessed be the name of the Lord.
THE FOURTH PETITION OF THE LORD'S PRAYER : "Give us this day
our daily bread"
The Relation Of The Following Petitions To
Those That Preceded
The fourth and following Petitions, in which
we particularly and expressly pray for the needs of soul and body, are
subordinate to those which preceded. According to the order of the Lord's
Prayer we ask for what regards the body and the preservation of life after we
have prayed for the things which pertain to God. For since man has God as his
last end, the goods of human life should be subordinated to those that are divine.
These goods should be desired and prayed for, either because the divine order
so requires, or because we need them to obtain divine blessings, that being
assisted by these (temporal things) we may reach our destined end, the kingdom
and glory of our heavenly Father, and the reverential observance of those
commands which we know to emanate from His holy will. In this Petition,
therefore, we should refer all to God and His glory.
How To Pray For Temporal Blessings
In the discharge of his duty towards the
faithful the pastor, therefore, should endeavour to make them understand that,
in praying for the use and enjoyment of temporal blessings, our minds and our
desires are to be directed in conformity with the law of God, from which we are
not to swerve in the least. By praying for the transient things of this world,
we especially transgress; for, as the Apostle says, We know not what we should
pray for as we ought. These things, therefore, we should pray for as we ought,
lest, praying for anything as we ought not, we receive from God for answer, You
know not what you ask.
Means Of Ascertaining Purity Of Intention
In Offering This Petition
A sure standard for judging what petition is
good, and what bad, is the purpose and intention of the petitioner. Thus if a
person prays for temporal blessings under the impression that they constitute
the sovereign good, and rests in them as the ultimate end of his desires,
wishing nothing else, he unquestionably does not pray as he ought. As St.
Augustine observes, we ask not these temporal things as our goods, but as our
necessaries. The Apostle also in his Epistle to the Corinthians teaches that
whatever regards the necessary purposes of life is to be referred to the glory
of God: Whether you eat or drink, or whatever else you do, do all to the glory
of God.
Necessity of the Fourth Petition
In order that the faithful may see the
importance of this Petition, the pastor should remind them how much we stand in
need of external things, in order to support and maintain life; and this they
will the more easily understand, if he compares the wants of our first parent
with those of his posterity.
Man Needs Many Things For His Bodily Life
It is true that in that exalted state of
innocence, from which he himself, and, through his transgression, all his
posterity fell, he had need of food to recruit his strength; yet there is a
great difference between his wants and those to which we are subject. He stood
not in need of clothes to cover him, of a house to shelter him, of weapons to
defend him, of medicine to restore health, nor of many other things which are
necessary to us for the protection and preservation of our weak and frail
bodies. To enjoy immortality, it would have been sufficient for him to eat of
the fruit which the blessed tree of life yielded without any labor from him or
his posterity.
Nevertheless, since he was placed in that
habitation of pleasure in order to be occupied, he was not, in the midst of
these delights, to lead a life of indolence. But to him no employment would
have been troublesome, no duty unpleasant. From the cultivation of those
beautiful gardens he would always have derived fruits the most delicious, and
his labours and hopes would never have been frustrated.
To Supply His Bodily Wants Man Must Labor
His posterity, on the contrary, are not only
deprived of the fruit of the tree of life, but also condemned to this dreadful
sentence: Cursed is the earth in thy work; with labour and toil shalt thou eat
thereof all the days of thy life; thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to
thee, and thou shalt eat the herbs of the earth. In the sweat of thy face shalt
thou eat bread, till thou return to the earth, out of which thou wast taken;
for dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return.
Without God’s Help Man’s Labor Is Vain
Our condition, therefore, is entirely
different from what his and that of his posterity would have been, had Adam
listened to the voice of God. All things have been thrown into disorder, and
have changed sadly for the worse. Of the resultant evils, this is not the
least, that the heaviest cost, and labor, and toil, are frequently expended in
vain; either because the crops are unproductive, or because the fruits of the
earth are smothered by noxious weeds that spring up about them, or perish when
stricken and prostrated by heavy rains, storms, hail, blight or blast. Thus is
the entire labor of the year quickly reduced to nothing by some calamity of air
or soil, inflicted in punishment of our crimes, which provoke the wrath of God
and prevent Him from blessing our efforts. The dreadful sentence pronounced
against us in the beginning remains.
Pastors, therefore, should apply themselves
earnestly to the treatment of this subject, in order that the faithful may know
that men fall into these perplexities and miseries through their own fault;
that they may understand that while they must sweat and toil to procure the
necessaries of life, unless God bless their labours, their hope must prove
fallacious, and all their exertions unavailing. For neither he that planteth is
anything, nor he that watereth but God who giveth the increase; unless the Lord
build the house, they labour in vain that build it.
Inducements to Use this Petition
Parish priests, therefore, should point out
that the things necessary to human existence, or, at least, to its comfort, are
almost innumerable; for by this knowledge of our wants and weaknesses,
Christians will be compelled to have recourse to their heavenly Father, and
humbly to ask of Him both earthly and spiritual blessings.
They will imitate the prodigal son, who, when
he began to suffer want in a far distant country, and could find no one to give
him even husks in his hunger, at length entering into himself, perceived that
from the evils by which he was oppressed, he could expect relief from no one
but from his father.
Here the faithful will also have recourse
more confidently to prayer, if, in reflecting on the goodness of God, they
recollect that His paternal ears are ever open to the cries of His children.
When He exhorts us to ask for bread, He promises to bestow it on us abundantly,
if we ask it as we ought; for, by teaching us how to ask, He exhorts; by
exhorting, He urges; by urging, He promises; by promising, He puts us in hope
of most certainly obtaining our request.
"Bread"
When, therefore, the faithful are thus
animated and encouraged, (the pastor) should next proceed to declare the
objects of this Petition; and first, what that bread is which we ask.
It should then be known that, in the Sacred
Scriptures, by the word bread, are signified many things, but especially two:
first, whatever we use for food and for other corporal wants; secondly,
whatever the divine bounty has bestowed on us for the life and salvation of the
soul.
We Ask For Temporal Blessings
In this Petition, then, according to the
interpretation and authority of the holy Fathers, we ask those helps of which
we stand in need in this life on earth.
It Is Lawful To Pray For Temporal
Blessings
Those, therefore, who say that it is unlawful
for Christians to ask from God the earthly goods of this life, are by no means
to be listened to; for not only the unanimous teaching of the Fathers, but also
very many examples, both in the Old and New Testaments, are opposed to this
error.
Thus Jacob, making a vow, prayed as follows:
If God shall be with me, and shall keep me in the way, by which I walk, and
shall give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, and I shall return prosperously
to my father's house, the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have
set up for a title, shall be called the house of God; and of all things thou
shalt give to me, I will offer up tithes to thee. Solomon also asked a certain
means of subsistence in this life, when he prayed: Give me neither beggary nor
riches: give me only the necessaries of life.
Nay, the Saviour of mankind Himself commands
us to pray for those things which no one will dare deny appertain to the
benefit of the body. Pray, He says, that your flight be not in the winter, or
on the sabbath. St. James also says: Is any one of you sad? Let him pray. Is he
cheerful in mind? Let him, sing. And the Apostle thus addressed himself to the
Romans: I beseech you, brethren, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the
charity of the Holy Ghost, that you assist me in your prayers for me to God,
that l may be delivered front the unbelievers that are in Judea. As, then, the
faithful are divinely permitted to ask these temporal succours, and as this
perfect form of prayer was given us by Christ the Lord, there remains no doubt
that such a request constitutes one of the seven Petitions.
The Wants, Not The Luxuries Of This Life
Are Meant By The Word "Bread"
We also ask our daily bread; that is, the things
necessary for sustenance, understanding by the word bread, what is sufficient
for raiment and for food, whether that food be bread,- or flesh, or fish, or
anything else. In this sense we find Eliseus to have used the word when
admonishing the king to provide bread for the Assyrian soldiers, to whom was
then given a large quantity of various kinds of food. We also know that of
Christ the Lord it is written, that He went into the house of a certain prince
of the Pharisees on the sabbath day to eat bread, by which words we see are
signified the things that constitute food and drink.
To comprehend the full signification of this
Petition, it is, moreover, to be observed that by this word bread ought not to
be understood an abundant and exquisite profusion of food and clothing, but
what is necessary and simple, as the Apostle has written: Having food and
wherewith to he covered, with these we are content; and Solomon, as said above:
Give me only the necessaries of life.
"Our"
Of this frugality and moderation we are
admonished in the next word; for when we say our, we ask for bread sufficient
to satisfy our necessities, not to gratify luxury.
We do not say our in the sense that we are
able of ourselves, and independently of God, to procure bread; for we read in
David: All expect of thee that thou give them food in season: when thou givest
to them they shall gather up: when thou openest thy hand they shall all be
filled with good; and in another place, The eyes of all hope in thee, O Lord,
and thou givest them meat in due season. (We say our bread, then), because it
is necessary for us and is given to us by God, the Father of all, who, by His
providence, feeds all living creatures.
It is-also called our bread for this reason,
that it is to be acquired by us lawfully, not by injustice, fraud or theft.
What we procure in evil ways is not our own, but the property of another. Its
acquisition or possession, or, at least, its loss, is generally calamitous;
while, on the contrary, there is in the honest and laborious gains of good men
peace and great happiness, according to these words of the Prophet: For thou
shalt eat the labours of thy hands: blessed art thou, and it shall be well with
thee. Indeed to those who seek subsistence by honest labor, God promises the
fruit of His kindness in the following passage: The Lord will send forth a
blessing upon thy storehouses, and upon all the works of thy hands, and will
bless thee.
Not only do we beg of God to grant us to use,
with the aid of His goodness, the fruit of our virtuous toil -- and that is
truly called ours -- but we also pray for a good mind, that we may be able well
and prudently to use what we have honestly acquired.
"Daily"
By the word (daily) also is suggested the
idea of frugality and moderation, to which we referred a short time ago; for we
pray not for variety or delicacy of food, but for that which may satisfy the
wants of nature. This should bring the blush of shame to those who, disdaining
ordinary food and drink, look for the rarest viands and wines.
Nor by this word daily are they less censured
to whom Isaias holds out those awful threats: Woe to you that join house to
house, and lay field to field, even to the end of the place: shall you alone
dwell in the midst of the earth? Indeed the cupidity of such men is insatiable,
and it is of them that Solomon has written: A covetous man shall-not be
satisfied with money. To them also applies that saying of the Apostle: They who
would become rich fall into temptation, and into the snare of the devil.
We also call it our daily bread, because we
use it to recruit the vital power that is daily consumed by the natural heat of
the system.
Finally, another reason for the use of the
word daily is the necessity of continually praying to God, in order that we may
be kept in the practice of loving and serving Him, and that we may be
thoroughly convinced of the fact that on Him depend our life and salvation.
"Give"
With regard to the two words give us, what
ample matter they supply for exhorting the faithful piously and holily to
worship and revere the infinite power of God, in whose hands are all things,
and to detest that abominable boast of Satan: To me all things are delivered,
and to whom I will I give them, must be obvious to everyone. For it is by the
sovereign will of God alone that all things are dispensed, and preserved, and
increased.
But what necessity, some one may say, is
there imposed on the rich to pray for their daily bread, seeing that they
abound in all things? They are under the necessity of praying thus, not that
those things be given them which by the goodness of God they have in abundance,
but that they may not lose their possessions. Hence the Apostle writes that the
rich should learn from this not to be highminded, nor to trust in uncertain riches,
but in the living God, who giveth us abundantly all things to enjoy.
St. Chrysostom adduces as a reason for the
necessity of this Petition, not only that we may be supplied with food, but
that we be supplied with it by the hand of the Lord, which imparts to our daily
bread so wholesome and salutary an influence as to render the food profitable
to the body, and the body subject to the soul.
"us"
But why say give us, in the plural number,
and not give me? Because it is the duty of Christian charity that each
individual be not solicitous for himself alone, but that he be also active in
the cause of his neighbour; and that, while he attends to his own interests, he
forget not the interests of others.
Moreover, the gifts which are bestowed by God
on anyone are given, not that he alone should possess them, or that he should
live luxuriously in their enjoyment, but that he should impart his
superfluities to others. For, as St. Basil and St. Ambrose say, It is the bread
of the hungry that you withhold; it is the clothes of the naked that you lock
up; that money you bury under ground is the redemption, the freedom of the
wretched.
"This Day"
The words this day remind us of our common
infirmity. For who is there that, although he does not expect to be able by his
own individual exertions to provide for his maintenance during a considerable
time does not feel confident of having it in his power to procure necessary
food for the day? Yet even this confidence God will not permit us to entertain,
but has commanded us to ask Him for the food even of each successive day; and
the necessary reason is, that as we all stand in need of daily bread, each
should also make daily use of the Lord's Prayer.
So far we have spoken of the bread which we
eat and which nourishes and supports the body; which is common to believers and
unbelievers, to pious and impious, and is bestowed on all by the admirable
bounty of God, Who maketh his sun to rise on the good and the bad, and raineth
upon the just and the unjust.
The Spiritual Bread Asked for in this
Petition
It remains to speak of the spiritual bread
which we also ask in this Petition, by which are meant all things whatever that
are required in this life for the health and safety of the spirit and soul. For
as the food by which the body is nourished and supported is of various sorts,
so is the food which preserves the life of the spirit and soul not of one kind.
The Word Of God Is Our Spiritual Bread
The Word of God is the food of the soul, as
Wisdom says: Come, eat my bread, and drink the wine which I have mingled for
you. And when God deprives men of the means of hearing His Word, which He is
wont to do when grievously provoked by our crimes, He is said to visit the
human race with famine; for we thus read in Amos: I will send forth a famine
into the land, not a famine of bread, or a thirst of water, but of hearing the
word of the Lord.
And as an incapability of taking food, or of
retaining it when taken, is a sure sign of approaching death, so is it a strong
argument for their hopelessness of salvation, when men either seek not the Word
of God, or, having it, endure it not, but utter against God the impious cry,
Depart from us, We desire not the knowledge of thy ways. This is the spiritual
folly and mental blindness of those who, disregarding their lawful pastors, the
Catholic Bishops and priests, and, abandoning the Holy Roman Church, have
transferred themselves to the direction of heretics that corrupt the Word of
God.
Christ Is Our Spiritual Bread, Especially
In The Holy Eucharist
Now Christ the Lord is that bread which is
the food of the soul. I am, He says of Himself, the living bread which came
down from heaven. It is incredible with what pleasure and delight this bread
fills devout souls, even when they must contend with earthly troubles and
disasters. Of this we have an example in the Apostles, of whom it is written:
They, indeed, went into the presence of the council rejoicing. The lives of the
Saints are full of similar examples; and of these inward joys of the good, God
thus speaks: To him that overcometh, I will give the hidden manna.
But Christ the Lord is especially our bread
in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, in which He is substantially contained. This
ineffable pledge of His love He gave us when about to return to the Father, and
of it He said: He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me,
and I in him, Take ye and eat: this is my body. For matter useful to the
faithful on this subject the pastor should consult what we have already said on
the nature and efficacy of this Sacrament.
The Eucharist is called our bread, because it
is the food of the faithful only, that is to say, of those who, uniting charity
to faith, wash away the defilement of their sins in the Sacrament of Penance,
and mindful that they are the children of God, receive and adore this divine
Sacrament with all possible holiness and veneration.
Why The Holy Eucharist Is Called Our
"Daily" Bread
The Eucharist is called daily (bread) for two
reasons. The first is that it is daily offered to God in the sacred mysteries
of the Christian Church and is given to those who seek it piously and holily.
The second is that it should be received daily, or, at least, that we should so
live as to be worthy, as far as possible, to receive it daily. Let those who
hold the contrary, and who say that we should not partake of this salutary
banquet of the soul but at distant intervals, hear what St. Ambrose says: If it
is daily bread, why do you receive it yearly?
Exhortations
In the explanation of this Petition the
faithful are emphatically to be exhorted that when they have honestly used
their best judgment and industry to procure the necessary means of subsistence,
they leave the issue to God and submit their own wish to the will of Him who
shall not suffer the just to waver for ever. For God will either grant what is
asked, and thus they will obtain their wishes; or He will not grant it, and
that will be a most certain proof that what is denied the good by Him is not
conducive either to their interest or their salvation, since He is more
desirous of their eternal welfare than they themselves. This topic the pastor
will be able to amplify, by explaining the reasons admirably collected by St.
Augustine in his letter to Proba.
In concluding his explanation of this
Petition the pastor should exhort the rich to remember that they are to look
upon their wealth and riches as gifts of God, and to reflect that those goods
are bestowed on them in order that they may share them with the indigent. With
this truth the words of the Apostle, in his First Epistle to Timothy,' will be
found to accord, and will supply parish priests with an abundance of matter
wherewith to elucidate this subject in a useful and profitable manner.
THE FIFTH PETITION OF THE LORD'S PRAYER :
"And
forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors"
The Importance Of Explaining This Petition
So many are the things which display at once
God's infinite power and His equally infinite wisdom and goodness, that
wheresoever we turn our eyes or direct our thoughts, we meet with the most
certain signs of omnipotence and benignity. And yet there is truly nothing that
more eloquently proclaims His supreme love and admirable charity towards us,
than the inexplicable mystery of the Passion of Jesus Christ, whence springs
that never-failing fountain to wash away the defilements of sin. (It is this
fountain) in which, under the guidance and bounty of God, we desire to be
merged and purified, when we beg of Him to forgive us our debts.
This Petition contains a sort of summary of
those benefits with which the human race has been enriched through Jesus
Christ. This Isaias taught when he said: The iniquity of the house of Jacob
shall be forgiven; and this is all the fruit, that the sin thereof should be
taken away. David also shows this, proclaiming those blessed who could partake
of that salutary fruit: Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven.
The pastor, therefore, should study and
explain accurately and diligently the meaning of this Petition, which, we
perceive, is so important to the attainment of salvation.
Difference Between This And The Preceding
Petitions
In this Petition we enter on a new manner of
praying. For hitherto we asked of God not only eternal and spiritual goods, but
also transient and temporal advantages; whereas, we now ask to be freed from
the evils of the soul and of the body, of this life and of the life to come.
Dispositions with which this petition
should be Offered
Since, however, to obtain what we ask we must
pray in a becoming manner, it appears expedient to explain the disposition with
which this prayer should be offered to God.
Acknowledgment Of Sin
The pastor, then, should admonish the
faithful, that he who comes to offer this Petition must first acknowledge, and
next feel sorrow and compunction for his sins. He must also be firmly convinced
that to sinners, thus disposed and prepared, God is willing to grant pardon.
This confidence is necessary to sinners, lest perhaps the bitter remembrance
and acknowledgment of their sins should be followed by that despair of pardon,
which of old seized the mind of Cain and of Judas, both of whom looked on God
solely as an avenger and punisher, forgetting that He is also mild and merciful.
In this Petition, therefore, we ought to be
so disposed, that, acknowledging our sins in the bitterness of our souls, we
may fly to God as to a Father, not as to a Judge, imploring Him to deal with us
not according to His justice, but according to His mercy.
We shall be easily induced to acknowledge our
sins if we listen to God Himself admonishing us through the Sacred Scriptures
in this regard. Thus we read in David: They are all gone aside; they are become
unprofitable together; there is none that doeth good, no not one. Solomon
speaks to the same purpose: There is no just man upon earth, that doth good,
and sinneth not. To this subject apply also these words: Who can say: "my
heart is clean, I am pure from sin?" The very same has been written by St.
John to deter men from arrogance: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Jeremias also says: Thou hast said:
"I am without sin, and am innocent"; and therefore, let thy anger be
turned away from me. Behold, I will contend with thee in judgment, because thou
hast said: "I have not sinned."
Christ the Lord, who spoke by the mouth of
all these, confirms their teaching by this Petition in which He commands us to
confess our sins. The Council of Milevi forbids us to interpret it otherwise.
It hath pleased the Council, that whosoever will have it that these words of
the Lord's prayer, "forgive us our debts," are said by holy men in
humility, not in truth, let him be anathema. For who can endure a person praying,
and lying not to men, but to the Lord Himself, saying with the lips that he
desires to be forgiven, but with the heart, that he has no debts to be forgiven
?
Sorrow For Sin
In making this necessary acknowledgment of
our sins, it is Dot enough to call them to mind lightly; for it is necessary
that the recollection of them be bitter, that it touch the heart, pierce the
soul, and imprint sorrow. Wherefore, the pastor should treat this point
diligently, that his pious hearers may not only recollect their sins, and iniquities,
but recollect them with pain and sorrow; so that with true interior contrition
they may betake themselves to God their Father, humbly imploring Him to pluck
from the soul the piercing stings of sin.
Motives For Sorrow Over Sin: The Baseness
Of Sin
The pastor, however, should not be content
with placing before the eyes of the faithful the turpitude of sin. He should
also depict the unworthiness and baseness of men, who, though nothing but
rottenness and corruption, dare to outrage in a manner beyond all belief the
incomprehensible majesty and ineffable excellence of God, particularly after
having been created, redeemed and enriched by Him with countless and invaluable
benefits.
The Consequences Of Sin
And for what? Only for this, that separating
ourselves from God our Father, who is the supreme Good, and lured by the most
base rewards of sin, we may devote ourselves to the devil, to become his most
wretched slaves. Language is inadequate to depict the cruel tyranny which the
devil exercises over those who, having shaken off the sweet yoke of God, and
broken the most lovely bond of charity by which our spirit is bound to God our
Father, have gone over to their relentless enemy, who is therefore called in
Scripture, the prince and ruler of the world, the prince of darkness, and king
over all the children of pride. Truly to those who are oppressed by the tyranny
of the devil apply these words of Isaias: O Lord our God, other lords besides
thee have had dominion over us.
If these broken covenants of love do not move
us, let at least the calamities into which we fall by sin move us. The sanctity
of the soul is violated, which we know to have been wedded to Christ. That
temple of the Lord is profaned, against the contaminators of which the Apostle
utters this denunciation: If any man violate the temple of God, him shall God
destroy.
Innumerable are the evils brought upon man by
sin, that almost infinite pest of which David says: There is no health in my
flesh, because of thy wrath; there is no peace for my bones, because of my
sins. In these words he marks the violence of the plague, confessing that it
left no part of him uninfected by pestiferous sin; for the poison had
penetrated into his bones, that is, it infected his understanding and will,
which are the two most intimate faculties of the soul. This widespread
pestilence the Sacred Scriptures point out, when they designate sinners as the
lame, the deaf, the dumb, the blind, the paralysed.
But,- besides the anguish which he felt on
account of the enormity of his sins, David was afflicted yet more by the
knowledge that he had provoked the wrath of God against him by his sin. For the
wicked are at war with God, who is offended beyond belief at their crimes;
hence the Apostle says: Wrath and indignation, tribulation and anguish upon
every soul of man that worketh evil. Although the sinful act is transient, yet
the sin by its guilt and stain remains; and the imminent wrath of God pursues
it, as the shadow does the body.
When, therefore, David was pierced by these
tormenting thoughts, he was moved to seek the pardon of his sins. That the
faithful, imitating the Prophet, may learn to grieve, that is, to become truly
penitent, and cherish the hope of pardon, the pastor should call to their
attention the example of David's penitential sorrow, and the lessons of
instruction drawn from his fiftieth Psalm.
How great is the utility of this sort of
instruction, which teaches us to grieve for our sins, God Himself declares by
the mouth of Jeremias, who, when exhorting the Israelites to repentance,
admonished them to awake to a sense of the evils that follow upon sin. See, he
says, that it is an evil and a bitter thing for thee, to have left the Lord thy
God, and that my fear is not with thee, saith the Lord, the God of hosts. They
who lack this necessary sense of acknowledgment and grief, are said by the
Prophets Isaias, Ezechiel and Zachary to have a hard heart, a stony heart, a
heart of adamant, for, like stone, they are softened by no sorrow, having no
sense of life, that is, of the salutary recognition (of their sinfulness).
Confidence In God's Mercy
But lest the faithful, terrified by the
grievousness of their sins, despair of being able to obtain pardon, the pastor
ought to encourage them to hope by the following considerations.
As is declared in an Article of the Creed,
Christ the Lord has given power to the Church to remit sins.
Furthermore, in this Petition, our Lord has
taught how great is the goodness and bounty of God towards mankind; for if God
were not ready and prepared to pardon penitents their sins, never would He have
prescribed this formula of prayer: Forgive us our trespass. Wherefore we ought
to be firmly convinced, that since He commands us in this Petition to implore
His paternal mercy, He will not fail to bestow it on us. For this Petition
assuredly implies that God is so disposed towards us, as willingly to pardon
those who are truly penitent.
God it is against whom, having cast off
obedience, we sin; the order of whose wisdom we disturb, as far as in us lies;
whom we offend; whom we outrage by words and deeds. But it is also God, our
most beneficent Father, who, having it in His power to pardon all
transgressions, has not only declared His willingness to do so, but has also
obliged men to ask Him for pardon, and has taught in what words they are to do
so. To no one, therefore, can it be a matter of doubt, that under His guidance
it is in our power to be reconciled to God. And as this declaration of the
divine willingness to pardon increases faith, nurtures hope and inflames
charity, it will be worth while to amplify this subject, by citing some
Scriptural authorities and some examples of penitents to whom God granted
pardon of the most grievous crimes. Since, however, in the introduction to the
Lord's Prayer and in that portion of the Creed which teaches the forgiveness of
sins, we were as diffuse on the subject as circumstances allowed, the pastor
will borrow from those places whatever may seem pertinent for instruction on
this point, for the rest drawing on the fountains of the Sacred Scriptures.
"Debts"
The pastor should also follow the same plan
which we thought should be used in the other Petitions. Let him explain, then,
what the word debts here signifies, lest perhaps the faithful, deceived by its
ambiguity, pray for something different from what should be prayed for.
First, then, we are to know, that we by no
means ask for exemption from the debt we owe to God on so many accounts, the
payment of which is essential to salvation, namely, that of loving Him with our
whole heart, our whole soul, and our whole mind; neither do we ask to be in
future exempt from the duties of obedience, worship, veneration, or any other
similar obligation, comprised also under the word debts.
What we do ask is that He may deliver us from
sins. This is the interpretation of St. Luke, who, instead of debts, makes use
of the word sins, because by their commission we become guilty before God and
incur a debt of punishment, which we must pay either by satisfaction or by suffering.
It was of this debt that Christ the Lord spoke by the mouth of His Prophet:
Then did I pay that which I took not away. From these words of God we may
understand that we are not only debtors, but also unequal to the payment of our
debt, the sinner being of himself utterly incapable of making satisfaction.
Wherefore we must fly to the mercy of God;
and as justice, of which God is most tenacious, is an equal and corresponding
attribute to mercy, we must make use of prayer, and the intercession of the Passion
of our Lord Jesus Christ, without which no one ever obtained the pardon of his
sins, and from which, as from its source, have flown all the efficacy and
virtue of satisfaction. For of such value is that price paid by Christ the Lord
on the cross, and communicated to us through the Sacraments, received either
actually or in purpose and desire, that it obtains and accomplishes for us the
pardon of our sins, which is the object of our prayer in this Petition.
Here we ask pardon not only for our venial
offences, for which pardon may most easily be obtained, but also for grievous
and mortal sins. With regard to grave sins, however, this Petition cannot
procure forgiveness unless it derive that efficacy from the Sacrament of
Penance, received, as we have already said, either actually or at least in
desire.'
"Our"
The words our debts are used here in a sense
entirely different from that in which we said our bread. That bread is ours,
because it is given us by the munificence of God; whereas sins are ours,
because with us rests their guilt. They are our voluntary acts, otherwise they
would not have the character of sin.
Admitting, therefore, and confessing the
guilt of our sins, we implore the clemency of God, which is necessary for their
expiation. In this we make use of no palliation whatever, nor do we transfer
the blame to others, as did our first parents Adam and Eve. We judge ourselves,
employing, if we are wise, the prayer of the Prophet: Incline not my heart to
evil words, to make excuses in sins.
"Forgive Us"
Nor do we say, forgive me, but forgive us;
because the fraternal relationship and charity which subsist between all men,
demand of each of us that, being solicitous for the salvation of all our
neighbours, we pray also for them while offering prayers for ourselves.
This manner of praying, taught by Christ the
Lord, and subsequently received and always retained by the Church of God, the
Apostles most strictly observed themselves and taught others to observe.
Of this ardent zeal and earnestness in
praying for the salvation of our neighbours, we have the splendid example of
Moses in the Old, and of St. Paul in the New Testament. The former besought God
thus: Either forgive them this trespass; or, if thou dost not, strike me out of
the book that thou hast written; ' while the latter prayed after this manner: I
wished myself to be anathema from Christ for my brethren.
"As we Forgive our Debtors"
The word as may be understood in two senses.
It may be taken as having the force of a comparison, meaning that we beg of God
to pardon us our sins, just as we pardon the wrongs and contumelies which we
receive from those by whom we have been injured. It may also be understood as
denoting a condition, and in this sense Christ the Lord interprets that
formula. If, He says, you forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you your offences; but if you will not forgive men, neither will
your Father forgive you your sins.
Either sense, however, equally contains the
necessity of forgiveness, intimating, as it does that, if we desire that God
should grant us the pardon of our offences, we ourselves must pardon those from
whom we have received injury; for so rigorously does God exact from us
forgetfulness of injuries and mutual affection and love, that He rejects and
despises the gifts and sacrifices of those who are not reconciled to one
another.
Necessity Of Forgiveness
Even the law of nature requires that we
conduct ourselves towards others as we would have them conduct themselves
towards us; hence he would be most impudent who would ask of God the pardon of
his own offences while he continued to cherish enmity against his neighbour.
Those, therefore, on whom injuries have been
inflicted, should be ready and willing to pardon, urged to it as they are by
this form of prayer, and by the command of God in St. Luke: If thy brother sin
against thee, reprove him; and if he repent, forgive him; and if he sin against
thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying,
"I repent," forgive him. In the Gospel of St. Matthew we read: Love
your enemies; and the Apostle, and before him Solomon wrote: If thy enemy be
hungry, give him to eat; if he thirst, give him to drink; and finally we read
in the Gospel of St. Mark: When you shall stand to pray, forgive if you have
anything against any man; that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive
you your sins.
Reasons For Forgiveness
But since, on account of the corruption of
nature, there is nothing to which man brings himself more reluctantly than to
the pardon of injuries, let pastors exert all the powers and resources of their
minds to change and bend the dispositions of the faithful to this mildness and
mercy so necessary to a Christian. Let them dwell on those passages of
Scripture in which we hear God commanding to pardon enemies.
Let them also insist on this certain truth,
that one of the surest signs that men are children of God is their
willingness-to forgive injuries and sincerely love their enemies; for in loving
our enemies there shines forth in us some likeness to God our Father, who, by
the death of His Son, ransomed from everlasting perdition and reconciled to
Himself the human race, which before was most unfriendly and hostile to Him.
Let the close of this exhortation and
injunction be the command of Christ the Lord, which, without utter disgrace and
ruin, we cannot refuse to obey: Pray for them that persecute and calumniate
you; that you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven.
This Petition Should Not be Neglected
But in this matter no ordinary prudence is
required on the part of the pastor, lest, knowing the difficulty and necessity
of this precept, anyone despair of salvation.
Those Unable To Forget Injuries
There are those who, aware that they ought to
bury injuries in voluntary oblivion and ought to love those that injure them,
desire to do so, and do so as far as they are able, but feel that they cannot
efface from their mind all recollection of injuries. For there lurk in the mind
some remains of private grudge, in consequence of which such persons are
disturbed by misgivings of conscience, fearing that they have not in simplicity
and frankness laid aside their enmities and consequently do not obey the command
of God.
Here, therefore, the pastor should explain
the contrary desires of the flesh and of the spirit; that the former is prone
to revenge, the latter ready to pardon; that hence a continual struggle and
conflict goes on between them. Wherefore he should point out that although the
appetites of corrupt nature are ever opposing and rebelling against reason, we
are not on this account to be uneasy regarding salvation, provided the spirit
persevere in the duty and disposition of forgiving injuries and of loving our
neighbour.
Those Who Do Not Love Their Enemies
There may be some who, because they have not
yet been able to bring themselves to forget injuries and to love their enemies,
are consequently deterred by the condition contained in this Petition from
making use of the Lord's Prayer. To remove from their minds this pernicious
error, the pastor should adduce the two following considerations.
(In the first place), whoever belongs to the
number of the faithful, offers this prayer in the name of the entire Church, in
which there must necessarily be some pious persons who have forgiven their
debtors the debts here mentioned.
Secondly, when we ask this favour from God,
we also ask for whatever cooperation with the Petition is necessary on our part
in order to obtain the object of our prayer. Thus we ask the pardon of our sins
and the gift of true repentance; we pray for the grace of inward sorrow; we beg
that we may be able to abhor our sins, and confess them truly and piously to
the priest. Since, then, it is necessary for us to forgive those who have
inflicted on us any loss or injury, when we ask pardon of God we beg of Him at
the same time to grant us grace to be reconciled to those against whom we
harbour hatred.
Those, therefore, who are troubled by that
groundless and perverse fear, that by this prayer they provoke still more the
wrath of God, should be undeceived and should be exhorted to make frequent use
of a prayer in which they beseech God our Father to grant them the disposition
to forgive those who have injured them and to love their enemies.
How to Make this Petition Fruitful
Penitential Dispositions
But that this Petition may be really fruitful
we should first seriously reflect that we are suppliants before God, soliciting
from Him pardon, which is not granted but to the penitent; and that we should,
therefore, be animated by that charity and piety which are fitting in
penitents, whom it eminently becomes to keep before their eyes, as it were,
their own crimes and enormities and to expiate them with tears.
Avoidance Of Dangers Of Sin
To this thought should be joined caution in
guarding for the future against every occasion of sin, and against whatever I
nay expose us to the danger of offending God our Father. With this solicitude
the mind of David was occupied when he said: My sin is always before me; and:
Every night I will wash my bed; I will water my couch with my tears.
Imitation Of Fervent Penitents
Let each one also call to mind the ardent
love of prayer of those who obtained from God through their entreaties the
pardon of their sins. Such was the publican, who, standing afar off through
shame and grief, and with eyes fixed on the ground, only smote his breast,
crying: O God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Such was also the woman, a sinner,
who, standing behind Christ the Lord, washed His feet, wiped them with her
hair, and kissed them. Lastly, there is the example of Peter, the Prince of the
Apostles, who going forth wept bitterly.
Frequent Use Of The Sacraments
They should next consider that the weaker men
are, and the more liable to diseases of the soul, which are sins, the more
numerous and frequent are the remedies they need. Now the remedies of a sick
soul are Penance and the Eucharist; these, therefore, the faithful should
frequently make use of.
Almsdeeds
Next almsdeeds, as the Sacred Scriptures
declare, are a medicine suited to heal the wounds of the soul. Wherefore, let
those who desire to make pious use of this prayer act kindly to the poor
according to their means. Of the great efficacy of alms in effacing the stains
of sin, the Angel of the Lord in Tobias, holy Raphael, is a witness, who says:
Alms deliver from death, and the same is that which purgeth away sins, and
maketh to find mercy and life everlasting. Daniel is another witness, who thus
admonished King Nabuchodonosor: Redeem thou thy sins with alms, and thy
iniquities with works of mercy to the poor.
The Spirit Of Forgiveness
The best alms and the most excellent act of
mercy is forgetfulness of injuries, and good will towards those who have
injured us or ours, in person, in property, or in character. Whoever,
therefore, desires to experience in a special manner the mercy of God, should
make an offering to God Himself of all his enmities, remit every offence, and
pray for his enemies with the greatest good will, seizing every opportunity of
doing them good. But as this subject was explained when we treated of murder,
we refer the pastor to that place.
The pastor ought to conclude his explanation
of this Petition with this final reflection, that nothing is, or can be
conceived, more unjust than that he who is so rigorous towards men as to extend
indulgence to no one, should himself demand that God be mild and kind towards
him.
THE SIXTH PETITION OF THE LORD'S PRAYER : "And lead us
not into temptation."
Importance Of Instruction On This Petition
When the children of God, having obtained the
pardon of their sins, are inflamed with the desire of giving to God worship and
veneration; when they long for the kingdom of heaven; when they engage in the
performance of all the duties of piety towards the Deity, relying entirely on
His paternal will and providence, -- then it is that the enemy of mankind
employs the more actively all his artifices, and prepares all his resources to
attack them so violently as to justify the fear that, wavering and altered in
their sentiments, they may relapse into sin, and thus become far worse than
they had been before. To such as these may justly be applied the saying of the
Prince of the Apostles: It had been better for them not to have known the way
of justice, than, after they have known it, to turn back from that holy
commandment which was delivered to them.
Hence Christ the Lord has commanded us to
offer this Petition so that we may commend ourselves daily to God, and implore
His paternal care and assistance, being assured that, if we be deserted by the
divine protection, we shall soon fall into the snares of our most crafty enemy.
Nor is it in the Lord's Prayer alone that He
has commanded us to beg of God not to suffer us to be led into temptation. In
His address to the holy Apostles also, on the very eve of His death, after He
had declared them clean, He admonished them of this duty in these words: Pray
that ye enter not into temptation.
This admonition, reiterated by Christ the
Lord, imposes on the pastor the weighty obligation of exciting the faithful to
a frequent use of this prayer, so that, beset as men constantly are by the
great dangers which the devil prepares, they may ever ad dress to God, who
alone can repel those dangers, the prayer, Lead us not into temptation.'
Necessity of the Sixth Petition
Human Frailty
The faithful will understand how very much
they stand in need of this divine assistance, if they remember their own
weakness and ignorance, if they recollect this saying of Christ the Lord: The
spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak; if they call to mind how grievous
and destructive are the misfortunes of men brought on through the instigation
of the devil, unless they be upheld and assisted by the right hand of the Most
High.
What more striking example can there be of
human infirmity, than the holy band of the Apostles, who, though they had just
before felt very courageous, at the first sight of danger, abandoned the
Saviour and fled. A still more conspicuous example is the conduct of the Prince
of the Apostles. He who a short time before loudly protested his courage and
special loyalty to Christ the Lord, he who had been so confident in himself as
to say, Though I should die with thee, I will not deny thee, became so
affrighted at the voice of a poor maid-servant that he declared at once with an
oath that he knew not the Lord. Doubtless his courage was not equal to his
good-will. But if, by the frailty of human nature in which they confided, even
the Saints have sinned grievously, what have not others to fear, who are so far
below them in holiness?
The Assaults Of The Flesh
Wherefore, let the pastor remind the faithful
of the conflicts and dangers in which we are continually engaged, as long as
the soul is in this mortal body, assailed as we are on all sides by the world,
the flesh and the devil.
How few are there who are not compelled to
experience at their great cost what anger, what concupiscence can do in us? Who
is not annoyed by these stings? who does not feel these goads? who does not
burn with these smouldering fires? And, indeed, so various are these assaults,
so diversified these attacks, that it is extremely difficult not to receive
some grievous wound.
The Temptations Of The Devil
And besides these enemies that dwell and live
with us, there are, moreover, those most bitter foes, of whom it is written: Our
wrestling is not against, flesh and blood; but against principalities and
powers, against the rulers of the world' of this darkness, against the spirits
of wickedness in the high places. For to our inward conflicts are added the
external assaults and attacks of the demons, who both assail us openly, and
also insinuate themselves by stratagem into our souls, so much so that it is
only with great difficulty that we can escape them.
The Apostle entitles the demons princes, on
account of the excellence of their nature, since by nature they are superior to
man, and to all other visible creatures. He also calls them powers, because
they excel not only by their nature, but also by their power. He designates
them rulers of the world of darkness, because they rule not the world of light
and glory, that is to say, the good and the pious, but the world of gloom and
darkness, namely, those who, blinded by the defilement and darkness of a wicked
life, are satisfied to have for their leader the devil, the prince of darkness.
He also terms the demons the spirits of wickedness, because there is a
wickedness of the spirit, as well as of the flesh. What is called the
wickedness of the flesh inflames the appetite to lusts and pleasures, which are
perceived by the senses; while the wickedness of the spirit are evil purposes
and depraved desires, which belong to the superior part of the soul, and which
are so much worse than the wickedness of the flesh as mind itself and reason
are higher and more excellent (than the senses). The wickedness of Satan the
Apostle spoke of as in the high places, because the chief aim of the evil one
is to deprive us of our heavenly inheritance.
Audacity Of The Demons
From all this we may understand that the
power of these enemies is great, their courage undaunted, their hatred of us
enormous and unmeasured; that they also wage against us a perpetual war, so
that with them there can be no peace, no truce.
How great is their audacity is evidenced by
the words of Satan, recorded by the Prophet: I will ascend into heaven. He
attacked our first parents in Paradise; he assailed the Prophets; he beset the
Apostles in order, as the Lord says in the Gospel, that he might sift them as
wheat.' Nor was he abashed even by the presence of Christ the Lord Himself. His
insatiable desire and unwearied diligence St. Peter therefore expressed when he
said: Your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion goeth about, seeking whom he
may devour.
Number Of The Demons
But it is not Satan alone that tempts men,
for sometimes a host of demons combine to attack an individual. This that evil
spirit confessed, who, having been asked his name by Christ the Lord, replied,
My name is legion; that is to say, a multitude of demons, tormented their
unhappy victim. And of another demon it is written: He taketh with him seven
other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there.
Malignity And Power Of The Demons
There are many who, because they do not feel
the assaults of demons against them, imagine that the whole matter is
fictitious; nor is it surprising that such persons are not attacked by demons,
to whom they have voluntarily surrendered themselves. They possess neither
piety nor charity, nor any virtue worthy of a Christian; hence they are
entirely in the power of the devil, and there is no need of any temptation to
overcome them, since their souls have already become his willing abode.
But those who have dedicated themselves to
God, leading a heavenly life upon earth, are the chief objects of the assaults
of Satan. Against them he harbours bitterest hatred, laying snares for them
each moment. Sacred Scripture is full of examples of holy men who, in spite of
their firmness and resolution, were perverted by his violence or fraud. Adam,
David, Solomon and others, whom it would be tedious to enumerate, experienced
the violent and crafty cunning of demons, which neither human prudence nor
human strength can overcome.
Prayer Protects Man's Weakness Against The
Enemies Of His Soul
Who, then, can deem himself sufficiently
secure in his own resources? Hence the necessity of offering to God pure and
pious prayer, that He suffer us not to be tempted above our strength, but make
issue with temptation, that we may be able to bear it.
But should any of the faithful, through
weakness or ignorance, feel terrified at the power of the demons, they are to
be encouraged, when tossed by the waves of temptation, to take refuge in this
harbour of prayer. For however great the power and pertinacity of Satan, he
cannot, in his deadly hatred of our race, tempt or torment us as much, or as
long as he pleases; but all his power is governed by the control and permission
of God. The example of Job is very well known. Satan could have touched nothing
belonging to him, if God had not said to the devil: Behold, all that he hath is
in thy hand; while on the other hand, had not the Lord added: Only put not
forth thy hand upon his person, Job with his children and possessions, would
have been at once destroyed by the devil. So restricted is the power of demons,
that without the permission of God, they could not even enter into the swine
mentioned by the Evangelists.
"Temptation"
To understand the meaning of this Petition,
it is necessary to say what temptation signifies here, and also what it is to
be led into temptation.
To tempt is to sound a person in order that
by eliciting from him what we desire, we may extract the truth. This mode of
tempting does not apply to God; for what is there that God does not know? All
things are naked and open to his eyes.
Another kind of tempting implies more than
this? inasmuch as it may have either a good or a bad purpose. Temptation has a
good purpose, when someone's worth is tried, in order that when it has been
tested and proved he may be rewarded and honoured, his example proposed to
others for imitation, and all may be incited thereby to the praises of God.
This is the only kind of tempting that can be found in God. Of it there is an
example in Deuteronomy: The Lord your God tries you, that it may appear whether
you love him or not.
In this manner God is also said to tempt His
own, when He visits them with want, disease and other sorts of calamities. This
He does to try their patience, and to make them an example of Christian virtue.
Thus we read that Abraham was tempted to immolate his son, by which fact he
became a singular example of obedience and patience to all succeeding times.
Thus also is it written of Tobias: Because thou wast acceptable to God, it was
necessary that temptation should prove thee.
Men are tempted for a bad purpose, when they
are impelled to sin or destruction. To do this is the work of the devil, for he
tempts men with a view to deceive and precipitate them into ruin, and he is
therefore called in Scripture, the tempter At one time, stimulating us from
within, he employs the agency of the affections and passions of the soul. At
another time, assailing us from without, he makes use of external things, as of
prosperity, to puff us up with pride, or of adversity, to break our spirits.
Sometimes he has for his emissaries and assistants abandoned men, particularly
heretics, who, sitting in the chair of pestilence, scatter the deadly seeds of
bad doctrines, thus unsettling and precipitating headlong those persons who
draw no line of distinction between vice and virtue and are of themselves prone
to evil.
"Lead us not into Temptation"
We are said to be led into temptation when we
yield to temptations. Now this happens in two ways. First, we are led into
temptation when, yielding to suggestion, we rush into that evil to which some
one tempts us. No one is thus led into temptation by God; for to no one is God
the author of sin, nay, He hates all who work iniquity; and accordingly we also
read in St. James: Let no man, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted of
God; for God is not a tempter of evils.
Secondly, we are said to be led into
temptation by him who, although he himself does not tempt us nor cooperate in
tempting us, yet is said to tempt because he does not prevent us from being
tempted or from being overcome by temptations when he is able to prevent these
things. In this manner God, indeed, suffers the good and the pious to be
tempted, but does not leave them unsupported by His grace. Sometimes, however,
we fall, being left to ourselves by the just and secret judgment of God, in
punishment of our sins.
God is also said to lead us into temptation
when we abuse, to our destruction, His blessings, which He has given us as a
means of salvation; when, like the prodigal son, we squander our Father's
substance, living riotously and yielding to our evil desires. In such a case we
can say what the Apostle has said of the law: The commandment that was ordained
to life, the same was found to be unto death to me.
Of this an opportune example is Jerusalem, as
we learn from Ezechiel. God had so enriched that city with every sort of
embellishment, that He said of it by the mouth of the Prophet: Thou wast
perfect through my beauty, which I had put upon thee. Yet Jerusalem, favoured
with such an abundance of divine gifts, was so far from showing gratitude to
God, from whom she had received and was still receiving so many favours, was so
far from making use of those heavenly gifts for the attainment of her own
happiness, the end for which she had received them, that having cast away the
hope and idea of deriving spiritual profit from them, she, most ungrateful to
God her Father, was content to enjoy her present abundance with a luxury and
riotousness which Ezechiel describes at considerable length in the same
chapter. Wherefore those whom God permits to convert into instruments of vice
the abundant opportunities of virtuous deeds which He has afforded them, are
equally ungrateful to Him.
But we ought carefully to notice a certain
usage of Sacred Scripture, which sometimes denotes the permission of God in
words which, if taken literally, would imply a positive act on the part of God.
Thus in Exodus we read: I will harden the heart of Pharoah; and in Isaias:
Blind the heart of this people; and the Apostle to the Romans writes: God
delivered them up to shameful affections, and to a reprobate sense. In these
and other similar passages we are to understand, not at all any positive act on
the part of God, but His permission only.
Objects of the Sixth Petition
What We Do Not Pray For
These observations having been premised, it
will not be difficult to understand the object for which we pray in this
Petition.
We do not ask to be totally exempt from
temptation, for human life is one continued temptation. This, however, is
useful and advantageous to man. Temptation teaches us to know ourselves, that
is, our own weakness, and to humble ourselves under the powerful hand of God;
and by fighting manfully, we expect to receive a never-fading crown of glory.
For he that striveth for the mastery is not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
Blessed is the man, says St. James, that endureth temptation; for when he hath
been proved, he shall receive the crown of life, which God hath promised to them
that love him. If we are sometimes hard pressed by the temptation of the enemy,
it will also cheer us to reflect, that we have a high priest to help us, who
can have compassion on our infirmities, having been tempted himself in all
things.
What We Pray For In This Petition
What, then, do we pray for in this Petition ?
We pray that the divine assistance may not forsake us, lest having been
deceived, or worsted, we should yield to temptation; and that the grace of God
may be at hand to succour us when our strength fails, to refresh and invigorate
us in our trials.
We should, therefore, implore the divine
assistance, in general, against all temptations, and especially when assailed by
any particular temptation. This we find to have been the conduct of David,
under almost every species of temptation. Against lying, he prays in these
words: Take not thou the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; against
covetousness: Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness;
and against the vanities of this life and the allurements of concupiscence, he
prays thus: Turn away my eyes, that they may not behold vanity.
We pray, therefore, that we yield not to evil
desires, and be not wearied in enduring temptation; that we deviate not from
the way of the Lord; that in adversity, as in prosperity, we preserve
equanimity and fortitude; and that God may never deprive us of His protection.
Finally, we pray that God may crush Satan beneath our feet.
Dispositions which should Accompany this
Petition
The pastor ought next to admonish the
faithful concerning the chief thoughts and reflections that should accompany
this prayer
Distrust Of Self And Confidence In God
It will, then, be found most efficacious,
when offering this Petition that, remembering our weakness, we distrust our own
strength; and that, placing all our hopes of safety in the divine goodness and
relying on the divine protection, we encounter the greatest dangers with
undaunted courage, calling to mind particularly the many persons, animated with
such hope and resolution, who were delivered by God from the very jaws of
Satan.
When Joseph was assailed by the criminal
solicitations of a wicked woman, did not God rescue him from the imminent
danger, and exalt him to the highest degree of glory? Did He not preserve
Susanna, when beset by the ministers of Satan, and on the point of being made
the victim of an iniquitous sentence? Nor is this surprising; for her heart,
says the Scripture, trusted in the Lord. How exalted the praise, how great the
glory of Job, who triumphed over the world, the flesh and the devil ! There are
on record many similar examples to which the pastor should refer, in order to
exhort with earnestness his pious hearers to this hope and confidence.
Remembrance Of The Victory Of Christ And
His Saints
The faithful should also reflect who is their
leader against the temptations of the enemy; namely, Christ the Lord, who was
victorious in the same combat. He overcame the devil; He is that stronger man
who, coming upon the strong armed man, overcame him, deprived him of his arms,
and stripped him of his spoils. Of Christ's victory over the world, we read in
St. John: Have confidence: I have overcome the world; and in the Apocalypse, He
is called the conquering lion; and it is. said of Him that He went forth
conquering that He might conquer, because by His victory He has given power to
others to conquer.'
The Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews
abounds with the victories of holy men, who by faith conquered kingdoms,
stopped the mouths of lions, etc. While we read of such achievements, we should
also take into account the victories which are every day won by men eminent for
faith, hope and charity, in their interior and exterior conflicts with the
demons, -- victories so numerous and so signal, that, were we spectators of
them, we should deem no event of more frequent occurrence, none of more
glorious issue. It was with reference to such defeats of the enemies that St.
John wrote: I write unto you, young men, because you are strong, and the word
of God abideth in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.'
Watchfulness
Satan, however, is overcome not by indolence,
sleep, wine, revelling, or lust; but by prayer, labor, watching, fasting,
continence and chastity. Watch ye and pray, that ye enter not into temptation,
as we have already said, is the admonition of our Lord. They who make use of
these weapons in the conflict put the enemy to flight; for the devil flees from
those who resist him.
The Author of victory over Temptation
But from the consideration of these victories
achieved by holy men which we have mentioned, let no one indulge feelings of
self-complacency, nor flatter himself that, by his own single unassisted exertions,
he is able to withstand the temptations and hostile assaults of the demons.
This is not within the power of human nature, nor within the capacity of human
frailty.
The strength by which we lay prostrate the
satellites of Satan comes from God, who maketh our arms as a bow of brass; by
whose aid the bow of the mighty is overcome, and the weak are girt with
strength; who giveth us the protection of salvation, whose right hand upholdeth
us: who teacheth our hands to war, and our fingers to battle. Hence to God
alone must thanks be given for victory, since it is only through His guidance
and help that we are able to conquer. This the Apostle did; for he said: Thanks
to God, who hath given us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. The voice
from heaven, mentioned in the Apocalypse, also proclaims God to be the author
of our victories: Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our
God, and the power of his Christ; because the accuser of our brethren is cast
forth; and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb." The same book
declares that the victory obtained over the world and the flesh belongs to
Christ the Lord, when it says: They shall fight with the Lamb, and the Lamb
shall overcome them. But enough has now been said on the cause and the manner
of conquering (temptation).
The Rewards of Victories over temptation
When these things have been explained, the
pastor should instruct the faithful concerning the crowns prepared by God, and
the eternal and superabundant rewards reserved for those who conquer. He should
quote from the Apocalypse the following divine promises: He that shall overcome
shall not be hurt by the second death; and in another place: He that shall
overcome, shall thus be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his
name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and
before his angels. A little after, our divine Lord Himself thus addresses John:
He that shall overcome, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God: and
he shall go out no more: and again: To him that shall overcome, I win give to
sit with me in my throne; as I also have overcome, and am set down with my
Father in his throne. Finally, having unveiled the glory of the Saints, and the
never ending bliss which they shall enjoy in heaven, He adds, He that shall
overcome shall possess these things.
THE SEVENTH PETITION OF THE LORD'S PRAYER : "But deliver
us from evil"
The Importance Of Instruction On This
Petition
This Petition with which the Son of God
concludes this divine prayer embodies the substance of all the other Petitions.
To show its force and importance our Lord made use of this Petition when, on
the eve of His Passion, He prayed to God His Father for the salvation of
mankind. I pray, He said, that thou keep them from evil. In this Petition,
then, which He not only commanded us to use, but made use of Himself, He has
epitomised, as it were, the meaning and spirit of all the other Petitions. For
if we obtain what this Petition asks, that is, the protection of God against
evil, which enables us to stand secure and safe against the machinations of the
world and the devil, then, as St. Cyprian remarks, nothing more remains to be
asked.
Such, then, being the importance of this
Petition, the diligence of the pastor in its exposition should be great. The
difference between this and the preceding Petition consists in this, that in
the one we beg to avoid sin, in the other, to escape punishment.
Necessity Of This Petition
It cannot be necessary to remind the faithful
of the numerous evils and calamities to which we are exposed, and how much we
stand in need of the divine assistance. The many and serious miseries of human
life have been fully described by sacred and profane writers, and there is
hardly any one who has not observed them either in his own life or in that of
others.
We are all convinced of the truth of these
words of Job, that model of patience: Man, born of woman, and living for a
short time, is filled with many miseries. He cometh forth like a flower, and is
destroyed, and fleeth as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state. That
no day passes without its own trouble or annoyance is proved by these words of
Christ the Lord: Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. Indeed, the
condition of human life is pointed out by the Lord Himself, when He admonishes
us that we are to take up our cross daily and follow Him.
Since, therefore, everyone must realise the
trials and dangers inseparable from this life, it will not be difficult to
convince the faithful that they ought to implore of God deliverance from evil,
since no inducement to prayer exercises a more powerful influence over men than
a desire and hope of deliverance from those evils which oppress or threaten
them. There is in the heart of everyone a natural inclination to have instant
recourse to God in the face of danger, as it is written: Fill their faces with
shame, and they shall seek thy name, Lord.
How this Petition should be Made
If, then, in calamities and dangers the
unbidden impulse of nature prompts men to call on God, it surely becomes the
duty of those to whose fidelity and prudence their salvation is entrusted to
instruct them carefully in the proper performance of this duty.
WE SHOULD SEEK FIRST THE GLORY OF GOD
For there are some who, contrary to the
command of Christ, reverse the order of this prayer. He who commands us to have
recourse to Him in the day of tribulation, has also prescribed to us the order
in which we should pray. It is His will that, before we pray to be delivered
from evil, we ask that the name of God be sanctified, that His kingdom come,
and so on through the other Petitions, which are, as it were, so many steps by
which we reach this last Petition.
Yet there are those who, if their head, their
side, or their foot, ache; if they suffer loss of property; if menaces or
dangers from an enemy alarm them; if famine, war or pestilence afflict them,
omit all the other Petitions of the Lord's Prayer and ask only to be delivered
from these evils. This practice is at variance with the command of Christ the
Lord: Seek first the kingdom of God.
To pray, therefore, as we ought, we should
have in view the greater glory of God, even when we ask deliverance from
calamities, trials and dangers. Thus, when David offered this prayer: Lord,
rebuke me not in thine anger, he subjoined a reason by which he showed that he
was most desirous of God's glory, saying: For there is no one in death that is
mindful of thee, and who shall confess to thee in hell. And again, having
implored God to have mercy on him, he added: I will teach the unjust thy ways;
and the wicked shall be converted to thee.
Our Chief Hope Of Deliverance Should Be In
God
The faithful should be encouraged to use this
salutary manner of praying and to imitate the example of the Prophet. And at
the same time their attention should be called to the marked difference that
exists between the prayers of the infidel and those of the Christian.
The infidel, too, begs of God to cure his
diseases and to heal his wounds, to deliver him from approaching or impending
evils; but he places his principal hope of deliverance in the remedies provided
by nature, or prepared by man. He makes no scruple of using medicine no matter
by whom prepared, no matter if accompanied by charms, spells or other
diabolical arts, provided he can promise himself some hope of recovery.
Not so the Christian. When visited by
sickness, or other adversity, he flies to God as his supreme refuge and
defence. Acknowledging and revering God alone as the author of all his good and
his deliverer he ascribes to Him whatever healing virtue resides in medicines,
convinced that they help the sick only in so far as God wills it. For it is God
who has given medicines to man to heal his corporal infirmities; and hence
these words of Ecclesiasticus: The most High hath created medicines out of the
earth, and a wise man will not abhor them. He, therefore, who has pledged his
fidelity to Jesus Christ, does not place his principal hope of recovery in such
remedies; he places it in God, the author of these medicines.
Hence the Sacred Scriptures condemn the
conduct of those who, confiding in the power of medicine, seek no assistance
from God. Nay more, those who regulate their lives by the laws of God, abstain
from the use of all medicines which are not evidently intended by God to be
medicinal; and, were there even a certain hope of recovery by using any other,
they abstain from them as so many charms and diabolical artifices.
We Must Confidently Expect His Help
The faithful, then, are to be exhorted to
place their confidence in God. Our most bountiful Father has commanded us to
beg of Him our deliverance from evil, in order that His command should inspire
us with the hope of obtaining the object of our prayers. Of this truth the
Sacred Scriptures afford many illustrations, so that they whom reason does not
inspire with confidence may be persuaded to hope by a multitude of examples.
Abraham, Jacob, Lot, Joseph and David are to all unexceptional witnesses of the
divine goodness; and the instances recorded in the New Testament of persons
rescued from the greatest dangers, by the efficacy of devout prayer, are so
numerous as to make it unnecessary to mention special cases. Therefore we shall
content ourselves with one text from the Prophet, which is sufficient to
confirm even the weakest: The just cried, and the Lord heard them; and
delivered them out of all their troubles.
"From Evil"
We now come to explain the meaning and nature
of the Petition. Let the faithful understand that in it we by no means ask
deliverance from every evil.
What We Do Not Pray For
There are some things which are commonly
considered evils, and which, notwithstanding, are of advantage to those who
endure them. Such was the sting of the flesh to which the Apostle was subjected
in order that, by the aid of divine grace, power might be perfected in
infirmity. When the pious man learns the salutary influence of such things, far
from praying for their removal, he rejoices in them exceedingly. We pray,
therefore, against those evils only, which do not conduce to our spiritual
interests; not against such as are profitable to our salvation.
What We Do Pray For
The full meaning of this Petition, therefore,
is, that having been freed from sin and from the danger of temptation, we may
be delivered from internal and external evils; that we may be protected from
floods, fire and lightning; that the fruits of the earth be not destroyed by
hail; that we be not visited by famine, sedition or war. We ask that God may
banish disease, pestilence and disaster from us; that He may keep us from
slavery, imprisonment, exile, betrayals, treachery, and from all other evils
which fill mankind with terror and misery. Finally, we pray that God would
remove all occasions of sin and iniquity.
We do not, however, pray to be delivered only
from those things which all look upon as evils, but also from those things
which almost all consider to be good, such as riches, honours, health, strength
and even life itself; that is, we ask that these things be not detrimental or
ruinous to our soul's welfare.
We also beg of God that we be not cut off by
a sudden death; that we provoke not His anger against us; that we be not
condemned to suffer the punishments reserved for the wicked; that we be not
sentenced to endure the fire of purgatory, from which we piously and devoutly
implore that others may be liberated.
This is the explanation of this Petition
given by the Church in the Mass and Litanies, where we pray to be delivered
from evil past, present and to come.
"Deliver Us"
The goodness of God delivers us from evil in
a variety of ways. He prevents impending evils, as we read with regard to the Patriarch
Jacob, whom He delivered from the enemies that were stirred up against him on
account of the slaughter of the Sichimites. For we read: The terror of God fell
upon all the cities round about, and they durst not pursue after them as they
went away.
The blessed who reign with Christ the Lord in
heaven have been delivered by the divine assistance from all evil; but, as for
us, although the Almighty delivers us from some evils, it is not His will that,
while journeying in this, our mortal pilgrimage, we should be entirely exempt
from all. The consolations with which God sometimes refreshes those who labor
under adversity are, however, equivalent to an exemption from all evil; and
with these the Prophet consoled himself when he said: According to the multitude
of my sorrows in my heart, thy consolations have rejoiced my soul.
God, moreover, delivers men from evil when he
preserves them unhurt in the midst of extreme danger, as He did in the case of
the children thrown into the fiery furnace, whom the fire did not burn; and of
Daniel, whom the lions did not injure.
Deliverance From Satan Especially Asked
For
According to the interpretation of St. Basil
the Great, St. Chrysostom and St. Augustine, the devil is specially called the
evil one, because he was the author of man's transgression, that is, of his sin
and iniquity, and also because God makes use of him as an instrument to
chastise sinful and impious men. For the evils which mankind endures in
punishment of sin are appointed by God; and this is the meaning of these words
of Holy Writ: Shall there be evil in a city which the Lard hath not done? and:
I am the Lord and there is none else: I form the light and create darkness: I
make peace and create evil.
The devil is also called evil, because,
although we have never injured him, he wages perpetual war against us, and
pursues us with mortal hatred. If we put on the armour of faith and the shield
of innocence, he can have no power to hurt us; nevertheless he unceasingly
tempts us by external evils and every other means of annoyance within his
reach. Wherefore we beseech God to deliver us from the evil one.
We say from evil, not from evils, because the
evils which we experience from others we ascribe to the arch enemy as their
author and instigator. Hence instead of cherishing resentment against our
neighbour, we should turn our hatred and anger against Satan himself, by whom
men are instigated to harm us.
Therefore if your neighbour has injured you
in any respect, when you pray to God your Father, beg of Him not only to
deliver you from evil, that is, from the injuries which your neighbour
inflicts; but also to rescue your neighbour from the power of the devil, whose
wicked suggestions impel men to wrong.
Patience and Joy under Continued
Affliction
Next we must remember that if by prayers and
supplications we are not delivered from evil, we should endure our afflictions
with patience, convinced that it is the will of God that we should so endure
them. If, therefore, God hear not our prayers, we are not to yield to feelings
of peevishness or discontent; we must submit in all things to the divine will
and pleasure, regarding as useful and salutary to us that which happens in
accordance with the will of God, not that which is agreeable to our own wishes.
Finally, the pious hearers should be
admonished that during our mortal career we should be prepared to meet every
kind of affliction and calamity, not only with patience, but even with joy. For
it is written: All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution;
and again: Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God; and
further: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so enter into his
glory? A servant should not be greater than his master; and as St. Bernard
says: Delicate members do not become a head crowned with thorns. The glorious
example of Urias challenges our imitation. When urged by David to remain at
home, he replied: The ark of God, and Israel, and Juda, dwell in tents; and
shall I go into my house?
If to prayer we bring with us these
reflections and these dispositions, although surrounded by menaces and
encompassed by evils on every side, we shall, like the three children who
passed unhurt amidst the flames, be preserved uninjured; or at least, like the
Machabees, we shall bear up against adverse fortune with firmness and
fortitude.
In the midst of contumelies and tortures we
should imitate the blessed Apostles, who, after they had been scourged,
rejoiced exceedingly that they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for
Christ Jesus. Filled with such sentiments, we shall sing in transports of joy:
Princes have persecuted me without cause; and my heart hath been in awe of thy
words; I will rejoice at thy words, as one that hath found great spoil.
THE SEAL OF THE LORD'S PRAYER
"Amen"
Necessity Of Explaining The Conclusion Of
The Lord's Prayer
St. Jerome in his commentary on St. Matthew
rightly calls this word what it really is, the seal of the Lord's Prayer. As
then we have already admonished the faithful with regard to the preparation to
be made before this holy prayer, so we deem it necessary that they should also
know why we close our prayers with this word, and what it signifies; for
devotion in concluding our prayers is not less important than attention in
beginning them.
fruits that Come at the Conclusion of
Prayer
Assurance That We Have Been Heard
The faithful, then, should be taught that the
fruits, which we gather from the conclusion of the Lord's Prayer are numerous
and abundant, the greatest and most joyful of them being the attainment of what
we ask. On this point enough has already been said.
Fervour And Illumination
By this concluding word, not only do we obtain
a propitious hearing from God, but also receive other blessings of a higher
order still, the excellence of which surpasses all powers of description.
For since, as St. Cyprian remarks, by prayer
man converses with God, it happens in a wonderful manner that the divine
Majesty is brought nearer to those who are engaged in prayer than to others,
and enriches them with singular gifts. Those, therefore, who pray devoutly, may
not be inaptly compared to persons who approach a glowing fire; if cold, they
derive warmth; if warm, they derive heat. Thus, also, those who approach God
(in prayer) depart with a warmth proportioned to their faith and fervour; the
heart is inflamed with zeal for the glory of God, the mind is illumined after
an admirable manner, and they are enriched exceedingly with divine gifts, as it
is written: Thou hast prevented him with blessings of sweetness.
An example for all is that great man Moses.
By intercourse and converse with God he so shone with the reflected splendours
of the Divinity, that the Israelites could not look upon his eyes or
countenance.
Sweetness
Those who pray with such vehement fervour
enjoy in a wonderful manner the goodness and majesty of God. In the morning,
says the Prophet, I will stand before thee, and will see; because thou art not
a God that willest iniquity.
The more familiar these truths are to the
mind, the more piously do we venerate, and the more fervently do we worship
God, and the more delightfully do we taste how sweet is the Lord, and how truly
blessed are all who hope in Him.
Confidence And Gratitude
Encircled by the most clear light from above
we also discover our own lowliness and how exalted is the majesty of God,
according to the saying of St. Augustine: Give me to know Thee: give me to know
myself. Distrusting our own strength, we thus throw ourselves unreservedly upon
the goodness of God, not doubting that He, who cherishes us in the bosom of His
paternal wondrous love, will afford us in abundance whatever is necessary for
life and salvation. Thus we shall turn to God with the warmest gratitude our
hearts can conceive and our lips express. This we read that holy David did, who
commenced by praying: Save me from all them that persecute me, and concluded with
these words, I will give glory to the Lord according to his justice, and will
sing to the name of the Lord the most High.'
Illustrations From The Psalms
There are innumerable prayers of the Saints
of the same kind, whose beginnings are full of fear, but which end with hope
and joy. This spirit, however, is eminently conspicuous in the prayers of
David.
When agitated by fear he began his prayer
thus: Many are they who rise up against me: many say to my soul, There is no
salvation for him in his God; but at length, armed with fortitude and holy joy,
he adds: I will not fear thousands of the people surrounding me.
In another Psalm, after he had lamented his
misery, we see him towards the end, reposing confidence in God and rejoicing
exceedingly in the hope of salvation: In peace in the self-same, I will sleep,
and I will rest.
Again, with what fear and trembling must the
Prophet not have been agitated when he exclaimed: O Lord, rebuke me not in thy
indignation, nor chastise me in thy wrath! Yet, on the other hand, what
confidence and joy must not have been his when he added: Depart from me, all ye
workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping!
When filled with dread of the wrath and fury
of Saul, with what lowliness and humility does he not implore the divine
assistance: Save me, O Lord, by thy name, and Judge me in thy strength! and
yet, in the same Psalm he adds these words of joy and confidence: Behold, God
is my help; and the Lord is the helper of my soul.
Let him, therefore, who has recourse to holy
prayer approach God his Father, fortified by faith and animated by hope, not
doubting that he will obtain those blessings of which he stands in need.
Meaning of the Word "Amen"
First Explanation
The word amen, with which the Lord's Prayer
concludes, contains, as it were, the germs of many of these thoughts and
reflections which we nave just considered. Indeed, so frequent was this Hebrew
word in the mouth of the Saviour, that it pleased the Holy Ghost to have it
retained in the Church of God. Its meaning may be said to be: Know that thy
prayers are heard. It has the force of a response, as if God answers the
suppliant, and graciously dismisses him, after having favourably heard his
prayers.
This-interpretation has been approved by the
constant usage of the Church of God. In the Sacrifice of the Mass, when the
Lord's Prayer is said she does not assign the word amen to the server who
answers: But deliver us front evil. She reserves it as appropriate to the
priest himself, who, as mediator between God and man, answers Amen, thus
intimating that God has heard the prayers of His people.
This practice, however, is not common to all
the prayers, but is peculiar to the Lord's Prayer. To the other prayers the
server answers Amen, because in every other this word only expresses assent and
desire. In the Lord's Prayer it is an answer, intimating that God has heard the
petition of His suppliant.
Other Explanations Of The Word
"Amen"
By many, the word amen is differently
interpreted. The Septuagint interprets it, So be it; others translate it,
Verily: Aquila renders it, Faithfully. Which of these versions we adopt, is a
matter of little importance, provided we understand the word to have the sense
already mentioned, namely, that when the priest (pronounces Amen), it signifies
the concession of what hag been prayed for. This interpretation is supported by
St- Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians, where he says: All the promises of
God are in him, "it is"; therefore also by him, amen to God, unto our
glory.
Advantages of Terminating our Prayer with
this Word
To us also this word is very appropriate,
containing, as it does, some confirmation of the Petitions which we have
already offered up. It also fixes our attention when we are engaged in holy
prayer; for it frequently happens that in prayer a variety of distracting
thoughts divert the mind to other objects.
Nay, more, by this word we most earnestly beg
of God that all our preceding Petitions may be granted; or rather,
understanding that they have been all granted, and feeling the divine
assistance powerfully present with us, we cry out together with the Prophet:
Behold God is my helper; and the Lord is the protector of my soul.
Nor can anyone doubt that God is moved by the
name of His Son, and by a word so often uttered by Him who, as the Apostle
says, was always heard for his reverence.
END OF CATECHISM