Tridentine Catechism of the Holy Catholic
Church
The work presented here is
variously known as The Catechism of the Council of Trent, the Roman Catechism,
or the Catechism of Pius V.
The translation and preface are
by John A. McHugh, O.P. and Charles J. Callan, O.P. (circa 1923)
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
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
In order that the literary style
of the Catechism might be in keeping with the sublimity of its doctrine,
Meanwhile Pius IV died and was
succeeded on
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
Likewise Pius X in his Encyclical
Acerbo nimis of
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
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, t at
Carmelite commentators on St. Thomas, paid the following high tribute to the
Catechism: "The authority of this Catechism has always been of t
atest 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
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.
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CATECHISM OF THE COUNCIL OF
Issued by order of Pope Pius V
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
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
t atest 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 t eks 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 t at
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
"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
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
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 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
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 t at 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, t ater 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
t atness 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
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
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 t
at 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
"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
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
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
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 t at 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.
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 have all 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
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
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
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 t atest 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
"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
"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
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
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 t atness 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 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
"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
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
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 t atest 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 t atest 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
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
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 t at 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
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 t atest 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
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,
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
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 t ater, 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
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 t eks, 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
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
Mysteries Which The
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
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
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
Portions of the
The private families of the
faithful he also calls churches. The church in the family of Priscilla and
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
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
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,
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
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
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
t at city of
"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 t at 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
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 t atness 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.
T at 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
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
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 (
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
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
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
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
The wicked, too, shall rise with
all their members, even with those lost through their own fault. T ater
the number of members which they shall have, t ater 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
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
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 t atest 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 t at 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
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 t atest. 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 t atness 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
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,
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 - 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. T eks, 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
"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
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
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
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
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, t
atest 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 t ater 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
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
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
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
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
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 t atest 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.
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
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
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
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
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,
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
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, t ek 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 t ek 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 t at 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
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
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.
Speaking of this same duty of
sponsors,
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 t at 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
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,
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
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
When
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
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
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 t atest 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.
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
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 t
atest 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 t atest 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 t
atest 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 t
atest 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
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 t ek 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, t ater 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 t at 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 t atest 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, d 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 t atness 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 t ater 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 t
eks, 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 t at 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 t atest 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 t atest 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 t at 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 t atest 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 t atest misfortune and loss. It is characteristic of the
best and most salutary things that, if seasonably made use of, they are
productive of t atest benefit; but if employed out of time, they prove
most pernicious and destructive. It cannot, therefore, excite out surprise that
t at and exalted gifts of God; when received into a soul properly disposed,
are of t atest 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 t atness 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, t atest 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 t atest 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 t at 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 t atest 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 t atest 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
t at 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, t at
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 t atest, 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 t at
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 t ek, 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 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
t at 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 t at 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 t atest 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 t at 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 t atest
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 t at; 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 t atest 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 t
ater 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 t
atest 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 t at 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 t at 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 t atest 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 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
, 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 , 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 t atest 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 , 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 . 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 .
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 . 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 "
The next words, who brought thee
out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of , seem to relate solely to
the Jews liberated from the 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 of Egypt, but from
the slavery of sin and the powers of darkness, and are translated into the
kingdom of his beloved Son. Contemplating t atness 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 t atest 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 t at 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 t at 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 t at
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 na 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 t atest 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 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 . 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 t at 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 t atest
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
T at 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 . 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 with an
unmarried woman, he violates the integrity of his marriage bed; and if an
unmarried man have 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 t atest 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 t at 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 t atness 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 t at 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 rigorou 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 t at 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
T at 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 t at;
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 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 ; 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 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, t at 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 t atest 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 t at 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. T at 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 t atest 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
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 s 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 t
atness, 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 t at 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 t atest 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 t atest 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 t at 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 t at 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 t atness 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 t atest 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 t at 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 t atest 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 t at 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 t atest
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 t ater 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 t atest 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 t at, 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, t atest 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 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
This-interpretation has been
approved by the constant usage of the
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:
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
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© Paul Halsall, January 1999
halsall@fordham.edu
