Golden Book Of The Commandments And Sacraments - Preview One Chapter

8/8/2019 Golden Book Of The Commandments And Sacraments - Preview One Chapter

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Golden Book Of The Commandments And Sacraments

By: St. Alphonsus Ligouri

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Table of Contents

Abridgement of the Christian Doctrine..........................................................3Practical Introduction........................................................................................7

On the First Commandment...........................................................................12The Second Commandment............................................................................37The Third Commandment...............................................................................46On the Fourth Commandment ......................................................................57On the Fifth Commandment...........................................................................72On the Sixth Commandment..........................................................................76On the Seventh Commandment.....................................................................87On the Sacraments in General......................................................................104

On Baptism.......................................................................................................105On the Sacrament of Confirmation.............................................................107On the Sacrament of the Eucharist..............................................................109On the Sacrament of Penance......................................................................113On Extreme Unction, Holy Order and Matrimony...................................140

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Abridgment of the Christian Doctrine

Dearly beloved Christian, impress well on your mind themysteries of your holy faith, and the things that are necessary for

making your confessions and Communions with fruit. And after havinglearned them well, repeat them at home and teach them to others. Youwill thus give great pleasure to Jesus Christ; and with a little trouble

you shall share in and gain all the good which, through yourinstructions, others shall afterwards do.

In order to save your soul, it is not enough for you to be made aChristian by the sacrament of Baptism, which you have received; it is,moreover, necessary for you to know the mysteries of faith, to observe

the commandments of God and the Church, and to receive the holySacraments with the requisite dispositions. First, you must believe thatthere is one only God, and that He is omnipotent; that is, that He hascreated the heavens, the earth, the angels, men, yourself, and allthings. God is immense; that is, He is in heaven, on earth, and in allplaces. God is just; He punishes sinners, and rewards the good; He sendsto hell all who die in mortal sin, and gives the glory of heaven to themwho die in His grace. You must believe in the most holy Trinity; that is,

that in this infinite, eternal, omnipotent, immense, and just God, thereare three divine persons, who are called Father, Son, and Holy Ghost;three persons, and only one God. You must believe that the Son of God,that is, the second person of the most holy Trinity, was made man inthe most chaste womb of the Virgin Mary by the operation of the HolyGhost; that He was born an infant, in a stable, and that He died on across in order to save our souls; and that He is called Jesus Christ, trueGod and true man; that, after death, He arose again the third day fromthe dead, that He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand ofthe Father; that, on the day of the general judgment, He will come to

judge the whole world; that He will send to hell the souls and bodies ofall who have died in mortal sin, and that He will bring with Him intoheaven the souls and bodies of them who have died in His grace.

You must believe that Jesus Christ has instituted the holySacraments, by means of which He pardons our sins and sanctifies our

souls, by applying to us His own merits and the efficacy of His preciousblood. And all these truths of faith you must believe, not because thepriest teaches them to you, but because Jesus Christ has taught them to

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His Church, and His holy Church teaches them to us. And by this holyChurch I mean the Pope, who teaches all the faithful, or the holypastors along with the Pope, who is their head.

Secondly, you must hope for the pardon of your sins, for thegrace of God, for a good death, and for the glory of heaven. This hope isfounded on the promises of God, on the blood of Jesus Christ, and onthe infinite mercy of God. But remember that, in order to save yoursoul, it is not enough to hope; it is necessary to lead a Christian life,and, at the same time, to hope in your God.

Thirdly, you must love your God, your Father, your Creator,your Redeemer Jesus Christ above all things, and your neighbors asyourself. You must love God because He deserves to be loved; and your

neighbors (that is, all the nations of the earth) because God wishes youto love them; whether they are friends or enemies, grateful orungrateful, you must love them for the love of God, and in order toobey His command. There are ten commandments of God; but they arereduced to two: The first is to love God above all things, that is, toesteem Hhis glory, His law, His will, more than riches, parents, honors,and even more than life. The second is, to love your neighbor as

yourself; that is, not to do to others the evil which you would not wish

to be done to yourself, and to desire and to do to them the good whichyou wish for yourself. Treat others, then, as you wish to be treated bythem and by God. If you do this you shall be saved. Recollect yourself,and say, I believe the things of God, because the holy Church has taughtthem. I hope for every good, because God has promised it. I love God,because God deserves to be loved.

Fourthly, you must confess your sins with the requisitedispositions; for, if you die in mortal sin, you shall go to hell. The

Church commands you to go to confession at least once a year, fromthe time you attain the use of reason, from the age of seven years. Inorder to make a good confession, you must know that penance is one ofthe seven sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ; that in this sacrament,

Jesus Christ, by the absolution of a confessor, applying his preciousblood to their souls, pardons the sins of those who make a goodconfession.

In order to make a good confession, you must first endeavor to

discover all the sins which you have committed by thought, word,deed, or omission, since the last confession which you made with the

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requisite conditions. Secondly, before confession, you must repent withyour whole heart of all the sins which you have committed; you mustdetest sin sovereignly and above all things, either because by it youhave deserved hell, or because you have lost heaven, or because youhave offended God, who is the supreme good, infinite goodness, andworthy of our love. Thirdly, you must promise to God never more tocommit mortal sin, and to die rather than offend Him; and you mustavoid the occasions which make you frequently fall into sin. Fourthly,

you must tell to a confessor all the sins of thought, word, and deed,which you remember, and the number of times you have committedeach mortal sin. If you voluntarily conceal a single mortal sin, throughmalice or shame, the confession is bad; God does not pardon any of

your sins; you commit a sacrilege, and are more accursed by God, and agreater enemy to Him, than you were before confession. O, how manypoor souls, through fear or shame, conceal shameful sins in confession,commit sacrileges, and go to hell! Fifthly, you must perform thepenance imposed by the confessor as soon as you can, and you mustperform it as it ought to be performed.

Sixthly, you must, also, go to communion about the age of tenyears; and in order to make a good communion you must know, first,

that the Eucharist is one of the seven sacraments instituted by JesusChrist. Secondly, that Jesus Christ, true God and true man, is contained,in soul, body, and divinity, in the consecrated host, and in everyparticle of it. Thirdly, that when you communicate, you must be in thestate of grace, and must take away mortal sin from the soul by a goodconfession. Fourthly, you must be fasting, so that you cannot swalloweven a particle of paper after twelve o'clock on the night before yourcommunion. Fifthly, if you are in mortal sin. and if knowing that you

are in that state, you go to communion without first making a goodconfession, or if you communicate after having broken your fast, or if

you communicate more than once on the same day, (unless the secondshould be the viaticum,) you receive Jesus Christ; but you do notreceive the grace of Jesus Christ, nor do you fulfil the paschal precept,and you are guilty of a horrible sacrilege. God preserve you from such acrime. Sixthly, if, in receiving Communion, the consecrated host shouldadhere to the palate, you ought not to touch it with the fingers; but

should remove it with the moisture of the mouth, or with a little water,and after Communion you should not spit out for about a quarter of an

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hour. Seventhly, before Communion, you ought to think of Jesus Christ,and make acts of devotion; and after Communion, remain at leasttwenty minutes in thanking Jesus Christ, and in asking His graces.

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Practical Introduction

To fulfil his duties, it is, first of all, necessary for man to knowwhat is his last end, in which he may find perfect felicity. The last end

of man is to love and serve God in this life, and to enjoy Him foreternity in the next. Thus, God has placed us in this world, not toacquire riches, honors, or pleasures, but to obey His commands, and, byobedience to them, to gain the eternal beatitude of paradise.

For this end the Lord created Adam, who was the first man, andgave him Eve for his wife, that they might propagate the human race.He created them in his grace, and placed them in the terrestrialparadise, signifying to them that they should be thence transferred to

heaven, to enjoy complete and eternal felicity. During their sojourn onthis earth, He gave them for their food all the fruits of that garden ofdelights but, to try their obedience, He forbade them to eat the fruit ofonly one tree, which he pointed out to them. But Adam and Evedisobeyed the divine command, and ate the forbidden fruit. Inpunishment of their disobedience, they were deprived of divine grace,were instantly banished out of the terrestrial paradise, and, as rebels tothe divine Majesty, were, along with all their posterity, condemned to

temporal and eternal death. Thus, the celestial paradise was shutagainst them and all their descendants.

This is the original sin, in which, as children of a rebelliousfather, we are all born children of wrath and enemies of God. When avassal rebels against his sovereign, all the descendants of the rebelbecome hateful to the prince, and are banished from the kingdom.Thus original sin is for us a deprivation of the divine grace, inpunishment of the disobedience of Adam.

Most holy Mary only had, according to the pious and commonopinion, the privilege of being exempt from original guilt. It is certainthat she was free from all actual sin. Such is the doctrine of the Church,as the Council of Trent has declared "No one can avoid all venial sinsduring his whole life, unless by a special privilege, such as the Churchholds was given to the Blessed Virgin Mary" (Session 6, Canon 23) Thisaffords a strong argument in favor of the Immaculate Conception of

Mary; for, had she been infected with original guilt, she could not befree from actual sin. But, if she contracted no guilt from which sherequired to be redeemed, must it be said that she was not redeemed by

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Jesus Christ, as were all the other children of Adam? No; she wasredeemed, but redeemed in a more excellent manner. Others havebeen redeemed after having incurred original guilt; Mary wasredeemed by being preserved from it. And this singular privilege was

justly given to her who was singularly blessed, and who was destined tobe the mother of God.

We have all been infected with the sin of Adam, in punishmentof which our understanding has been darkened, and our will inclined toevil. But, through the merits of Jesus Christ, by holy baptism, we obtainthe divine grace and the remedy for all our misery. We thus become theadopted sons of God and heirs of paradise, provided we preserve tilldeath the grace acquired in baptism. If we lose it by mortal sin, we are

condemned to hell, and can obtain pardon only by the sacrament ofpenance.With regard to the sins which we actually commit, it is

necessary to distinguish mortal from venial sin. To understand thenature of mortal sin, it is necessary to know that, as the soul gives lifeto the body, so the grace of God gives life to the soul. Hence, as thebody without the soul is dead, and fit only for the tomb, so by sin thesoul dies to the grace of God, and is doomed to be buried in hell. Hence

grievous sin is called mortal, because it kills the soul. "The soul thatsinneth, the same shall die" (Ezec. 18:20.) I have said that the soul isdoomed to hell. But what is hell? It is a place in which all who die in sinsuffer for eternity. "These shall go into everlasting punishments" (Matt25:46.) And what are the pains of hell? I answer, all kinds of pains; therethe damned are immersed in a sea of fire, tortured by all sorts oftorments, overwhelmed with despair, and abandoned by all for alleternity.

But why should a soul suffer an eternity of torments for a singlemortal sin? He who speaks thus, shows that he does not understandwhat is meant by mortal sin. Mortal sin is a turning away from God.Thus it is defined by St. Thomas and St. Augustine. "Aversion to theimmutable good" (S. Thomas Summa Part I Question 24 Article 4) Hencethe Lord says to the sinner, "Thou hast forsaken me, thou hast gonebackward." (Jer. 15:6) Mortal sin is an insult offered to God. "I havebrought up children, and exalted them; but they have despised me."

(Isa. 1:2) It is a dishonor to the Divine Majesty. "By the transgression ofthe law, thou dishonorest God." (Rom. 2:23) It is a declaration to God

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that you will not serve Him. "Thou hast broken my yoke, . . . and thousaidst, I will not serve" (Jer. 2:20) Such is the nature of mortal sin.Hence the pains of hell are too small a punishment for it. A hundredthousand hells are not sufficient to punish a single mortal sin. If aperson unjustly offends a peasant, he deserves to be punished; if heinsults a nobleman, a prince, or an emperor, he merits far greaterchastisement But what are all the kings of the earth, and even all thesaints of heaven, before the Lord? They are as nothing. "All nations arebefore him as if they had no being at all." (Isa. 40:17) Now, I ask, whatchastisement is due to an insult offered to God, and to a God who hasdied for the love of us?

However, it must be observed, that for mortal sin three things

are required full advertence, perfect consent, and grievous matter. Ifany of these three be wanting, the sin is not mortal; it can be only avenial sin.

Venial sin does not kill, but it wounds, the soul. It is not agrievous offence, but still it is an offence against God. It is not so greatan evil as mortal sin; but it is a greater evil than all the evils that canhappen to creatures. A lie, a venial imprecation, is a greater evil thanthe damnation of all men, of all the saints, and of all the angels. Some

venial sins are deliberate, others are indeliberate: indeliberate venialsins, or sins committed without full advertence or perfect consent, areless culpable; all men fall into such sins. The Blessed Virgin only hadthe privilege of being exempt from them. Deliberate venial sins, whichare committed with full advertence and consent, are more criminal,particularly when there is an affection to them; such as certain feelingsof hatred, of ambition, certain rooted attachments, and the like. "Who"says St. Basil, "shall dare to call any sin light?" To induce us to fly sin

more than all evils, it is enough to know that every sin is an offenceagainst God. The deformity of a venial sin was once shown to St.Catherine of Genoa; she afterwards felt surprised that she did not die ofhorror at the sight of it And let him who thinks little of venial sinsremember that, if he does not amend, he is in danger of falling intosome mortal sin. The more venial sins the soul commits, the weakershe becomes, the greater the strength which the devil acquires in herregard, and the fewer the helps which God bestows upon her. "He that

contemneth small things, shall fall by little and little." (Eccl. 19:1)

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Let us, then, be careful to avoid sin, which alone can make usunhappy in this life and in the next; and let us continually thank Godfor not having sent us to hell for the sins we have committed. Let ushenceforth attend to the salvation of our souls, and let us consider aslittle all that we do for eternal life.

St. Augustine relates that when the emperor Gratian was in thecity of Treveri, two of his courtiers went one day to visit a monastery ofcertain good religious, which was outside the city. As soon as theyentered that holy solitude, they began to read the Life of St. Antony,which lay on the table of one of the religious. One of them, enlightenedby God, said to the other, "My friend, after all the labors and fatigueswhich we endure in this world, what can we expect? The most we can

hope for is, to remain in the court and gain the favor of the emperor.This is the greatest happiness we can expect; and, should we succeed inattaining it, how long shall it last? But if I wish for the friendship ofGod, I can have it this moment." He continued to read until,enlightened still more by God, he saw with the divine light the vanityof the world, and resolutely said to his companion, "I wish now toforsake all things, and to save my soul. I this moment resolve to remainin this monastery, to think only of God. If you are unwilling to follow

my example, do not, I pray you, oppose my design." The companionsaid that he too was resolved to enter the monastery; and heafterwards executed his purpose. By their example, two young ladies,to whom they had been betrothed, were induced to leave the world,and consecrate their virginity to God.

But to be saved, it is not enough to begin; it is necessary topersevere; and in order to persevere, it is necessary to be humble,always distrusting our own strength, confiding in God alone, and

continually asking his help to persevere. Miserable the man who trustsin himself and glories in his own works!

Palladius relates that a certain solitary, in a desert, spent theday and night in prayer; that he led a most austere life, and thereforewas honored by many. The unhappy man yielded to self-esteem, and,on account of his virtues, considered himself secure of perseveranceand salvation. But afterwards the devil appeared to him in the form of awoman, and tempted him to sin. The unhappy solitary was unable to

resist the temptation, and fell. Immediately after his fall, the devil,bursting into loud laughter, disappeared. The solitary afterwards left

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the desert, returned to the world, became a prey to all sorts of vice; andthus an example of the great danger of trusting in our own strength.Still more frightful was the end of the celebrated brother Justin, who,after having refused very honorable offices that had been offered tohim by the king of Hungary, became a religious of the order of StFrancis, and made such progress in perfection that he had frequentecstasies. One day, during dinner in the convent of Ara Coeli, he was, inthe presence of the entire community, raised in the air and carried onhigh to venerate an image of the Blessed Virgin which was hanging onthe wall. On account of this prodigy, Eugene IV sent for him, embracedhim, and, making him sit down, had a long conversation with him. Bythis act of respect on the part of the pope, the unhappy man was so

puffed up, that St. John Capistran said to him, "Brother Justin, you wentout an angel, and returned a devil" He afterwards fell into pride andmany defects, and at length he killed a brother in religion. He then fledinto the kingdom of Naples, where he committed many other crimes,and died in prison an apostate from religion.

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On the First CommandmentThis first command obliges us to give to God due worship and

honor. It is not in our power to comprehend the nature of this God; but

it is enough for us to know that He is independent All things depend onGod, but He depends on no one; and, therefore, He has all perfections,and in Him no one can limit them. He is omnipotent; he can dowhatever He wishes; by an act of His will he created the world. He firstmade the heavens and the angels, who are pure spirits, and these Hecreated in the state of grace. But, being commanded to adore the Son ofGod, who was to be made man, Lucifer, through pride, refused to obey,and induced a third part of the angels to join with him in his rebellion

against God. These rebellious angels were instantly banished fromheaven by St Michael, and condemned to hell. They are the devils, whotempt us to sin in order to make us companions of their torments.Miserable should we be, if we had not God to assist us. We should nothave strength to resist their temptations. But in order to receive thisstrength from God, He requires that, in our temptations, we instantlyturn to Him, and ask His assistance: otherwise, we shall be defeated byour enemies. The angels who remained faithful were immediately

admitted into the enjoyment of the glory of paradise; and from amongthe good angels, the Lord sent those who were to be our guardians. "Hehath given his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways."(Ps. 90) Let us every day thank our angel-guardian, and let us entreathim to assist us always, and never to abandon us.

Next the Lord created the earth and all things which we see. Hethen made man, that is, Adam and Eve, as we have already said. Thus,because he has created all things, he is the Lord of the universe; and ashe has created the world at a beck, so, if he wished, he could destroy itby a single act of His will. This is what is meant by being omnipotentGod is also most wise. He governs all creatures without labor orinconvenience. He sees and has before Him all things, past and future,and knows all our thoughts better than they are known to ourselves.He is eternal; He has always been, and shall always be; so that He neverhad a beginning, and never shall have an end. He is immense; He is in

heaven, on earth, and in all places. He is holy in all His works, andincapable of any malice. He is just; he leaves no sinful act unpunished,and no good act without a reward. He is all mercy to penitent sinners,

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and all love to the souls that love Him. In a word, God is infinitegoodness; so that He cannot be more bountiful nor more perfect thanHe is.

But we are bound to love and honor this God, our Creator andConservator; and, as St Augustine says, we should honor Himprincipally by acts of the three theological virtues of faith, hope, andcharity.

On Faith

Faith is a virtue, or a gift, which God infuses into our souls bybaptism, by which gift we believe the truths which God himself has

revealed to the holy Church, and which she proposes to our belief. Bythe Church is meant the congregation of all who are baptized, (forpersons not baptized are out of the Church,) and profess the true faithunder a visible head, that is, the Sovereign Pontiff. I say the true faith,to exclude heretics, who, though baptized, are separated from theChurch; I have also said, under a visible head, to exclude schismatics,who do not obey the Pope, and, on that account, easily pass fromschism to heresy. Hence St Cyprian has written, "Heresies and schisms

have no other origin than that obedience is refused to the priest of God,and that men lose sight of the fact that there is one judge in the placeof Christ in this world. 1

We have all revealed truths in the sacred Scriptures and in thetraditions gradually communicated by God to His servants. But howshould we be able to ascertain what are the true traditions and the trueScriptures, and what is their meaning, if we had not the Church toteach us? This Church Jesus Christ established as the pillar and ground

of truth. "The church of the living God," says St. Paul, "the pillar andground of truth." (1 Tim. 3:15) Our Savior himself has promised thatthis Church shall never be conquered by her enemies. "The gates ofhall shall prevail against it." (Matt. 16:18) The gates of hell are theheresies and heresiarchs that have opened the way to so manymiserable, deluded souls. It is this Church that teaches us, through herministers, the truths which we are to believe. Hence St. Augustine has

said, "I would not believe the gospel, were I not moved by the authorityof the Church."

1 Note this is quoted by Pope Leo XIII in 'Satis Cognitum' paragraph 15

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Hence the motive which should induce us to believe the truthsof faith is, that God, the infallible truth, has revealed them, and that theChurch proposes them to our belief. Behold, then, how we should makean act of faith: My God, because you, who are the infallible truth, haverevealed to the Church the truths of faith, I believe all that the Churchproposes to my belief.

This is the motive which should impel us to believe revealedtruths. But let us now see what we are obliged to believe. Among thetruths of faith are four principal articles. The first is, that there is aGod. The second is, that He is a remunerator who rewards with theeternal glory of paradise all who observe his law, and punishes all whotransgress it with the everlasting torments of hell. The third is, that in

God there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost;but though distinct among themselves, they are but one God, becausethey are one essence and one divinity. Hence, as the Father iseternal, omnipotent, immense, so are the Son and the Holy Ghostequally eternal, omnipotent, and immense. the Holy Ghost proceedsand is breathed from the will of the Father and of the Son, by the lovewith which they mutually love each other. the fourth principal articleis, the incarnation of the Eternal Word that is, of the Second Person

the Son, who, by the operation of the Holy Ghost, was made man inthe womb of the Virgin Mary for the person of the Word assumedthe humanity, so that the two natures, the divine and human, wereunited in the person of Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for oursalvation. But what necessity was there that Jesus Christ should sufferfor our redemption? Listen: man had sinned: hence, to obtain pardon,man should make to God condign satisfaction. But how could manmake such satisfaction to the infinite majesty of God? What did God do?

The Father sent the Son to take human nature; and this Son, JesusChrist, being true God and true man, atoned to the divine justice inbehalf of man. Behold the obligations and the love which we owe to

Jesus Christ. The Carthusian relates, that a certain young man, hearingMass, neglected to bend his knee at the words of the creed, et homofactus est. A demon with a stick in his hand appeared to him, and said,"Ungrateful wretch! do you not thank God, who became man for thelove of you? Had He done for us what He has done for you, we would

prostrate ourselves on the earth, and thank Him forever: and you do

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not even acknowledge your obligation to Him." The devil then struckthe young man with the stick, and wounded him severely.

We should also know that to believe some articles is necessary,as a means to obtain salvation, and that to believe others is necessaryas a matter of precept. To say that it is necessary as a means ofsalvation to believe certain articles, implies that, unless we believethese articles, it is utterly impossible for us to be saved. To say that thebelief of other articles is necessary as a matter of precept, implies thatwe are bound to believe these articles; but, should we be in inculpableignorance of them, we are excused from sin, and may be saved. Toknow and believe the two first articles already laid down, viz. thatthere is a God, and that He is a remunerator of vice and virtue,

according to the words of the apostle, "For he that cometh to God, mustbelieve that He is a rewarder to them that seek Him," (Heb. 11:6) iscertainly necessary as a means of salvation. Some authors hold that thebelief of the other two articles the Trinity of Persons, and theincarnation of the Word is strictly commanded, but not necessary asa means, without which salvation is impossible; so that a personinculpably ignorant of them may be saved. But according to the mostcommon and best opinion, the explicit belief of these articles is

necessary as a means without which no adult can be saved. It is certain,as Innocent XI declared in the condemnation of the sixty-fourthproposition, that he who is ignorant of the two mysteries of the MostHoly Trinity and of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, cannot be absolved.

We are obliged, by a precept which binds under grievous sin, tobelieve the other articles of the Creed, at least the principal articlesamong them, such as, that God has created heaven and earth; that hepreserves and governs the universe; that most holy Mary is the true

mother of God, and has been always a virgin; that on the third day afterHis death, Jesus Christ rose from the dead by His own power; and thatHe afterwards ascended into heaven, where He sits on the right hand ofHis Eternal Father. It is understood that Jesus Christ, as man, sits at theright hand of God that is, that he permanently possesses a gloryequal to that of the Father, as Bellarmine teaches in his Catechism. Ihave said even as man. I explain myself: as God, Jesus Christ is in allthings equal to the Father; but, as man, He is less than the Father; but

because our Savior is at the same time man and God, and only oneperson, as has already been said, the humanity of Jesus Christ in heaven

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is equal in glory and majesty to the Father, not by its own dignity, butbecause it is united to the person of the Son of God. When a king sits onhis throne, the regal purple which he wears is also enthroned; thus thehumanity of Christ, by itself, is not equal to God, but, because it isunited to a Divine Person, it is seated on the same throne with God,equal in glory to God.

We are also bound to know and believe that on the last day ofthe world all men shall rise, and shall be judged by Jesus Christ; wemust believe that the Roman Catholic Church is the only true church.Hence they who are out of our Church, or separated from it, cannot besaved, except infants who die after baptism. We are obliged to believethe communion of saints that is, that all the faithful, in the state of

grace, partake of the merits of all the saints, living and dead. We mustalso believe in the remission of sins that is, that our sins are remittedin the sacrament of penance, provided we are sincerely penitent forthem. Lastly, we must believe in eternal life that is, that he who issaved by dying in the state of grace, goes to heaven, where he willenjoy God for all eternity; and, on the other hand, that he who dies insin, goes to hell, where he shall be tormented for all eternity.

Moreover, every Christian is obliged to know the precepts of the

Decalogue, and the principal obligations of his own state of life.Every one is bound also to know and believe the sevensacraments, and their effects, particularly the sacraments of baptism,confirmation, penance, and Eucharist, and the other sacraments whenhe has to receive them. All are likewise obliged to know the PaterNoster. What is the Pater Noster? 2 It is a prayer which Jesus Christhimself has composed, and has left to us, that we may know how to askfrom him the graces which are most necessary for our salvation. St.

Hugh, bishop of Grenoble, during sickness, repeated the Pater Nosterthree hundred times in one night. His servant heard him, and advisedhim not to repeat it so often, lest it should increase his illness. The saintanswered, that the more frequently he repeated it, the more speedilyhe was recovering from his infirmity. It is particularly useful to repeatthe little prayer of the Pater Noster, "thy will be done on earth as it isin heaven;" for the greatest grace which God can bestow upon us is tomake us do His holy will here on earth. It is also very profitable to

2 Pater Noster is Latin for Our Father, being the prayer Jesus taught us in theGospels.

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repeat the petition, "and lead us not into temptation" begging the Lordto deliver us from the temptations in which He foresees that we wouldfall. All should learn the Hail Mary, in order to know how torecommend themselves to the mother of God, through whom, as St.Bernard says, we receive all graces from God. All should likewise knowthat there is a purgatory, where Christians pay temporal penalties dueto past sins. Hence we ought to be mindful to pray and offer oursuffrages for the holy souls in purgatory, whom we are in some mannerbound to relieve in their sufferings; for the pains of these spouses ofChrist are most intense, (the least of the pains of purgatory surpassesall the pains of the present life,) and these poor souls are unable toassist themselves. If, on this earth, we could, without grievous

inconvenience, relieve a neighbor suffering intense pain, would we notbe obliged to give him assistance? In like manner we are obliged tocomfort these holy souls, at least by our prayers.

We should also know that it is very useful to us to procure theintercession of the saints, and particularly of most holy Mary. This is offaith, as the Council of Trent has declared, (Session 25, on theinvocation of the Saints) against the impious Calvin, who censured theinvocation of saints. According to St. Thomas, we mortals are under a

certain obligation of invoking the saints, in order to obtain, throughtheir intercession, the divine graces necessary for our salvation; notbecause God cannot save us without the intercession of the saints, butbecause the order established by God requires that, while we remain inthis life, we be brought to God by the prayers of the saints. Thisdoctrine is also held by Silvius, and the continuator of Tournelly. Weshould likewise venerate the relics of the saints, the cross, and sacredimages.

Before I proceed farther, I will in this place answer an objectionwhich some may propose to me. It is said that the truth of our faith isclear; but how can it be clear when there are so many mysteries, suchas the Trinity, the incarnation of the Word, and the Eucharist, whichare to us obscure and incomprehensible? I answer, that the objects offaith are obscure, but not the truth of faith. That our faith is true, isrendered too clear by the evident proofs which we have of its truth.The mysteries of faith are to us obscure, and God himself wishes them

to be obscure to us: first, because He wishes to be honored by ourbelieving, though we cannot comprehend them, all the truths which He

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has revealed; and, secondly, because we merit a reward by believingwhat we do not see. What merit should a man have for believing whathe sees and comprehends? Saint Gregory says that faith has no merit ifhuman reason furnishes a proof for it. But we are unable tocomprehend the material things of this world. Who is there thatcomprehends how the magnet attracts iron? How a single grain ofcorn, sown in the earth, produces a thousand other grains? Whocomprehends the effects of the moon, or the effects of the thunder? Nowonder, then, that we are unable to comprehend the mysteries of God.

The objects of faith are to us obscure; but the truth of our faithis established by so many evident proofs, that he who does not embraceit must be regarded as a fool. These proofs are numerous: the first is

taken from the prophecies written in the Holy Bible so many agesbefore the event, and afterwards punctually fulfilled. Long before ithappened, the death of our Redeemer was foretold by several prophets:by David, by Daniel, by Aggeus, and Malachi the circumstances of Hisdeath were also foretold. It was foretold that, in punishment of themurder of Jesus Christ, the Jews should lose their temple and theircountry; that they would remain blinded in their sin, and should bescattered over the earth. We know that all this has taken place. The

conversion of the world after the death of the Messiah, was alsoforetold; and this conversion was effected by the holy apostles, who,unaided by learning, nobility, riches, or the protection of the great, andeven in spite of the opposition of the potentates of the earth, convertedthe world, inducing men to forsake their gods and their inveteratehabits of vice, in order to embrace a faith which taught them to believeso many mysteries which they could not comprehend, and imposed onthem so many precepts hard to be reduced to practice on account of

their repugnance to our bad passions; such as to love enemies, toabstain from pleasures, to bear insults, and to place all our affections,not on the goods which we see, but on the goods of a future life, whichwe do not see.

We have evident proofs of our faith in so many miracleswrought by Jesus Christ, by the apostles, and other saints, in thepresence of their very enemies, who, when they could not deny them,said that these prodigies were performed by diabolical agency. But true

miracles, which surpass the power of nature, such as the raising of thedead to life, giving sight to the blind, and the like, cannot be wrought

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by the devils; they have no power to work such miracles. God cannotpermit a miracle except in confirmation of the true faith: should Hepermit a miracle in confirmation of error, He Himself would deceive us.Hence the true miracles which are wrought in the Catholic Church (letthe miracle of St Januarius suffice for all) are infallible proofs of thetruth of our faith.

The constancy of the martyrs is also a very strong argument infavor of our faith. In the first ages of the Church, in the reign of thetyrants, there were so many millions, and among them so many tendervirgins and children, who, rather than deny the faith of Jesus Christ,embraced with joy torments and death, Sulpitius Severus writes, that inthe time of Diocletian, the martyrs presented themselves to their

judges with a greater desire of martyrdom than that with which men ofthe world embrace the dignities and riches of this earth. Themartyrdom of St. Mauritius, and the whole Theban legion, is famous inhistory. The emperor Maximinian commanded all his soldiers to assistat an impious sacrifice which he one day offered to his false deities. St.Mauritius, and his soldiers, because they were all Christians, refused toobey the order of the emperor. Having heard of their refusal,Maximinian, in punishment of their disobedience, ordered them to be

decimated, or the head of every tenth man in the legion to be cut off.Each of them desired to die; and the soldiers who were left alive enviedthe happiness of those who were put to death for Jesus Christ As soonas this was made known to Maximinian, he ordered them to bedecimated a second time; but this only increased their desire ofmartyrdom. In the end, the tyrant ordered them all to be beheaded:they with joy laid down their arms, and, like so many meek lambs,gladly, and without resistance, submitted to death.

Prudentius relates that a child of seven years was tempted byAsclepiades to deny the faith of Christ; but when the boy refused, andsaid that he had been taught by his mother, the tyrant sent for her, andin her presence caused the child to be scourged till his entire bodybecame one wound. All the spectators shed tears of pity, but themother exulted with joy at the sight of the fortitude of her son. Beforedeath, the child, being thirsty, asked for a little water. "Son" said themother, "have patience; in a little time you shall be satiated in heaven

with every delight." The prefect, enraged at the constancy of themother and the son, instantly commanded his head to be cut off. After

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the execution of the order, the mother took the dead child into herarms, and full of joy at seeing him dead for Jesus Christ, she embracedhim with maternal tenderness.

From this we should learn how great are our obligations tothank God for having bestowed upon us the gift of the true faith. Howgreat is the number of infidels, heretics, and schismatics! Catholics donot amount to the tenth part of the human race. Among them the Lordhas placed us, by making us be born in the bosom of the true Church.Few thank him for this great benefit Let us be careful to thank him forit every day.

Hope

Hope is a virtue which God infuses into our souls, and by whichwe expect from the divine mercy, with certain confidence, eternalbeatitude through the merits of Jesus Christ, and also by means of thegood works which we will perform with the divine aid. Hence theprimary object of Christian hope is eternal life that is, God Himself,Whom we hope to enjoy: the secondary objects are the means to obtaineverlasting happiness, which are the divine grace, and our good works,

which we will perform with the assistance of grace. The motives ofhope are the omnipotence of God, by which He is able to save us; Hismercy, by which He wishes to save us; and the fidelity of God to Hispromise to bring us to glory through the merits of Jesus Christ,provided we pray to Him for salvation through the merits of JesusChrist. Behold the promise: "Amen, amen, I say to you, if you ask theFather any thing in my name, He will give it you." (John 16:23) Withoutthis promise we should nave no certain grounds to hope from God for

our salvation, and the grace to obtain it.But, if God is our hope, why does the holy Church call the

blessed Virgin Mary our hope? "Spes nostra, salve" It is necessary tomake a distinction: God, as the author of grace and of every good, is ourprincipal hope; and Mary is our hope, because she prays for us to JesusChrist. Hence St Bernard thus addresses her: "Through thee, Oinventress of grace, mother of salvation, we have access to the Son,

that, through thee, He may receive us, who, through thee, was given tous." He meant to say, that as we have access to the Father only throughJesus Christ, who is a mediator of justice, so we have access to the Son

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only through Mary, who is a mediatrix of grace, and who, by prayingfor us in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, obtains thegraces which He has merited for us. Hence St. Bernard called Mary theentire ground of his hope. Hence the holy Church calls her "our life,our sweetness, and our hope."

How is the precept of hope violated? It is violated, first, bydespair of the divine mercy. Thus Cain sinned when, after having killedhis brother Abel, he said, "My iniquity is greater than that I maydeserve pardon." (Gen. 4:13) As if God, who has said, "Turn ye to Me- . . . . and I will turn to you," (Zac. 1:3) could not pardon him, though heshould repent of his sin. Secondly, the precept of hope is violated bypresuming to be saved without the divine assistance, or without

renouncing sin. Hence, if we wish to obtain holy perseverance, we mustalways distrust ourselves, and place our confidence in God. He whotrusts in his own strength to conquer temptations, does not receive aidfrom God, and is defeated by his enemies. They who wish to overcometemptations, must have recourse immediately, and with confidence, toGod. "None of them," said David, "that trust in Him, shall offend." (Ps.33:23) And God himself says, "Because He hoped in me, I will deliverhim." (Ps. 90:14)

How are we to make an act of hope? My God, trusting in yourpromises, through the merits of Jesus Christ, I hope from You, becauseYou are all-powerful, merciful, and faithful to Your word, for the gloryof heaven and the means to obtain it.

Hope is necessary for the attainment of eternal life; but hopealone is not sufficient for salvation: in order to gain everlasting glory,good works are also necessary. The saints have forsaken all things togain heaven. In the life of Josaphat, a monk. St. John Damascene relates,

that this young man was the son of a king, and heir to a throne; but,enlightened by celestial light, in order to secure his salvation, despisingall the riches and delights of the earth, he fled from the royal palace,and secretly retired into a desert, where he spent all the remainingdays of his life in prayer and penitential austerities. At death, angelswere seen carrying his blessed soul to heaven. Listen to what a certainwoman did in order to gain heaven. Socrates relates, that when theArian emperor, Valens, had commanded the prefect of the city to

slaughter all the Catholics, who should assemble in a certain place inorder to perform their devotions, the prefect, on his way to execute the

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barbarous order, met a young woman carrying an infant in her armsand walking very quickly. Being asked where she was going, shereplied, "I am going to the place where the other Catholics assemble.""But do you not know," said a person present, "that they are all to beput to death?" "It is for that reason," rejoined the woman, "that Ihasten with this my only child, that we may have the happiness ofdying for Jesus Christ, and of going to enjoy Him in heaven." As soon asthe prefect heard this, he returned to the emperor, and related the fact.Confounded by the generous resolution of the woman, the emperorordered her to be left in peace.

Charity

Charity is a virtue which God infuses into the soul, by which welove God above all things, because He is infinite goodness, and by whichwe love our neighbors as ourselves, because God commands us to lovethem. Hence the motive of loving God is His infinite goodness, by whichHe deserves to be loved, though there were no reward for loving Him,nor any chastisement for not loving Him. While St. Louis, king ofFrance, was once travelling, a woman was seen on the road with a

lighted torch in one hand, and a vessel filled with water in the other.Being asked why she carried them, she answered, I would wish, withthis torch, to burn paradise, and with this water to extinguish the fireof hell, that God might be loved, not for the reward of heaven, nor forfear of the torments of hell, but because He deserves to be loved.

Let us now examine the obligation by which we are bound tomake acts of faith, hope, and charity. These acts should be made fromtime to time; because it is by acts that virtues are preserved. We are

obliged to make acts of the love of God more frequently than acts offaith and hope; for, in the holy Scripture, God tells us that we ought tomeditate constantly on this precept of loving God, sitting in our house,walking in our journey, sleeping and rising; that we should bind it as asign on our hands, keep it before our eyes, and write it in the entry anddoors of our house. (Deuter. 6:7ff) This passage of Deuteronomysignifies that we should continually endeavor to make acts of divine

love. The reason is, because he who does not frequently exercisehimself in loving God, can scarcely observe the divine law. St. Teresaused to say, that acts of love are the fuel which keeps the holy fire of

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divine charity burning in our heart. Some theologians hold that we arebound to make an act of charity at least on every festival; others once aweek. I say, that we are obliged to make an act of divine love, at leastonce a month. But it is right that every Christian should make acts offaith, hope, and charity every day.

Hence we should, at least once a month, make a formal act ofthe love of our neighbor; because, without frequent acts of fraternalcharity, we shall scarcely practise the charity which we owe to ourneighbor. With regard to the precept of fraternal charity, it isnecessary to know that Pope Innocent XI condemned the followingproposition. "We are not bound to love our neighbor by an internal andformal act." (Prop. 10, damnat.) This proposition has been condemned;

because we are bound to love all men, not only externally but alsointernally, with the heart, and by formal acts of love. Hence it is a sin totake complacency in the misfortune of a neighbor, or to be grieved athis wellfare. This is the meaning of the precept of loving our neighboras ourselves: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matt. 22:39)

However, it is not sinful to desire or to be glad at the temporalmisfortunes of an obstinate sinner, in order that he may amend his lifeand cease to give scandal, or to harass innocent persons. Such is the

doctrine of St. Gregory. But he who delights in the death or in anyother misfortune of a neighbor, for any temporal benefit to himself, isguilty of sin. But observe, that it is one thing to rejoice in the causewhich is productive of any advantage, and another to takecomplacency in the effect produced by that cause. It is lawful to rejoicein the effect, but sinful to be glad at the cause. For example, it is lawfulto rejoice at the acquisition of a property which comes to us after thedeath of a parent; but it is unlawful to rejoice at his death; for Innocent

XI has condemned the proposition (15 prop. dam.,) which asserts that itis lawful for a son to rejoice at the death of his father, on account of theinheritance which shall fall to him.

Hence we are bound to love our neighbor with an internal love:and therefore we ought at least once a month, as has been already said,to make an explicit act of fraternal charity. We shall shortly speak ofthe external act of charity which we owe to our neighbor.

Let us see how we are to make all the acts of which I have

spoken.

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An act of faith. My God, because you, who are the infallibletruth, have revealed to the Church the truths of faith, I believe all thatthe Church proposes to my belief: and I believe that you are my God,the Creator and Lord of all things, who rewards for eternity the just inheaven, and chastises forever the wicked in hell. I believe that you areone in essence, and three in persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; threepersons, and only one God. I believe that the second person that is,the Son, has become man, has died on a cross, and has risen from thedead, in order to save sinners. these are the four principal mysteries,the belief of which is necessary as a means without which salvation isimpossible. Let us also make an act of faith of the other truths, whichwre are bound by a strict precept to believe. "I also believe that most

holy Mary is the true mother of God, and has been always a virgin. Ibelieve that on the third day after his death, Jesus Christ rose again byHis own power, and, forty days after His Resurrection, ascended intoheaven, where He sits at the right hand of his Eternal Father, that is,equal in majesty and glory to the Father. I believe that on the last day,when all men shall rise from the dead, Jesus Christ will come to judgethem. I believe that the Roman Catholic Church is the only true Church,out of which no one can be saved. I believe in the communion of saints

that is, that all the faithful, in the state of grace, share in the meritsof the just. I believe that God remits sins to penitent sinners. I believein the seven sacraments, and that through them the grace of JesusChrist is communicated to our souls. I believe the ten commandmentsof the decalogue. In fine, I believe all that the holy Church believes. Ithank you, O my God, for having made me a Christian, and I protestthat in this holy faith I wish to live and die."

An act of hope. My God, trusting in your promises, because you

are faithful, powerful, and merciful, I hope, through the merits of JesusChrist, for the glory of heaven and the weans to obtain it; that is, thepardon of my sins, and final perseverance in your grace.

An act of contrition and act of charity. My God, because you areinfinite goodness, worthy of infinite love, I love you above all thingswith my whole heart, and for the love of you, I also love my neighbor:and for having offended you, O sovereign good, I am sorry, and repentwith my whole soul. With the aid of your grace, which I ask for this

moment and for my whole life, I purpose to die rather than ever moreoffend you, and I purpose to receive the holy sacraments in life and at

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death. Benedict XIV has granted, a partial indulgence to theperformance of these acts, as often as they are made; and they whomake them every day for a month, gain a plenary indulgence.

Every Christian is bound to make these acts when he comes tothe use of reason, and when he is in danger of death; during life, weare, as has been already said, obliged to make acts of the love of Godand our neighbor, at least once a month. The theologians of Salamancasay that we are not bound directly by the divine precepts, to make actsof faith and hope, more than once a year; and, according to Franzoiaand Concina, this is the common opinion of theologians. Franzoia says,that "the precept of faith of itself binds at least once every year, asConcina proves." Of the precept of hope, he says, that "of itself, it

obliges at least once a year; and, as Concina says, this is the commonopinion." At least, we are not obliged to make these acts as frequentlyas the acts of charity. However, we are at other times bound, indirectlyor by accident, to make these acts; such as when we receive thesacraments, or when we are tempted grievously against faith, or hope,or charity, or chastity; and when, by any of the preceding acts, we canfree ourselves from the temptation. But, let us be careful to make themalways at least once a day; and let us make the act of charity more

frequently. Dearly beloved Christians, let us be persuaded that he whodoes not acquire the love of God, will scarcely persevere in the grace ofGod; for, it is very difficult to renounce sin merely through fear ofchastisement; and he who abstains from sin through such a motive,perseveres but a short time. Let us, then, implore of God to give us hisholy love, and let us endeavor continually to make acts of love, whichare so pleasing to God.

On Prayer

Let us also attend to the obligation by which we are obliged torecommend ourselves to God, that he may help us to conquertemptations and to persevere in his grace. We cannot as the council ofTrent has declared, (Session 6) merit the grace of final perseverance. Itis a gift which God gives gratuitously to whom He pleases, but He

infallibly gives it to all who ask it with humility and confidence.Theologians commonly teach that prayer, or to recommend ourselvesto God and to ask His graces, is necessary for all adults as a means of

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salvation; and that, for him who neglects prayer, it is impossible topersevere in grace and to be saved. Hence they say, that a Christianwho neglects for an entire month to recommend himself to God, isguilty of a mortal sin.

The Lord desires to give us His graces; but He wishes that we askthem. "For," says Jesus Christ, "every one that asketh, receiveth."(Matt. 7:8) Mark the words every one, which show that even sinners,who ask the divine graces, obtain them. "Every one," says the author ofthe Imperfect Work, "whether he be a just man or a sinner." It is truethat a sinner is unworthy of God's graces; but, according to St. Thomas,the efficacy of prayer is founded, not on the merit of the person whoprays, but on the mercy of God, and His fidelity to His promises. He has

said, "Ask, and you shall receive." (John 16:24) These are the words ofGod; they cannot fail.It is necessary to observe that this promise has been made for

spiritual, but not for temporal, favors. Because He loves us, the Lordoften refuses temporal blessings, such as riches, honors, and bodilyhealth. He foresees that they should be injurious to the soul, andtherefore He withholds them. Hence, in asking temporal favors, weshould pray for them with resignation, and on the condition that they

will be profitable to the soul. If they are not conducive to salvation, theLord will not grant them to us. But we ought to ask spiritual gracesabsolutely and unconditionally, with confidence, with humility andperseverance.

With confidence. "All things, whatsoever ye ask when ye pray,believe that ye shall receive, and they shall come unto you." (Mark11:24.) With humility. "God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to thehumble." (St. James 4:6) With perseverance. Thousands of graces are

necessary for the attainment of salvation. To save our souls, we standin need of a chain of graces, which must come from God. Now, to thischain of graces, a chain of prayers on our part must correspond. If ourpetitions cease, the divine helps shall also cease, and we shall not besaved. Hence, as we are continually tempted to offend God, we mustcontinually pray to Him for aid. We must always act like beggars withGod, always saying, Lord, assist me: Lord, assist me; keep Your handupon me; give me perseverance; give me Your love. We must begin to

make these petitions as soon as we rise in the morning, and continue torepeat them during the day, in hearing Mass, in out visits to the most

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holy sacrament, before going to bed at night. And particularly when weare tempted, let us say, My God assist me; mother of God, pray for me.In a word, if we wish to be saved, it is necessary to have our mouthsalways open to pray to Jesus Christ and our mother Mary, who obtainsfrom her Son whatsoever she wishes.

On Charity to Our Neighbor

The love of God is united with the love of our neighbor. "Thiscommandment," says St. John, "we have from God, that he who lovesGod, loves also his brother." (1 John 4:21) He who loves not hisneighbor, loves not God. However, charity is well ordered.

We ought to love God above all things, and our neighbor asourselves. "Sicut teipsum," as ourselves, but not more thanourselves. Hence we are not bound to prefer the good of a neighbor toour own, unless when the good of the neighbor is of an order superiorto ours, and when he is in extreme necessity. The order of goods is this:first, the spiritual life of the soul; then, the temporal life of the body;next, reputation or character; and, after that, property. Hence when heis in extreme necessity we are obliged to prefer a neighbor's good to

our own of an inferior order; that is, his spiritual salvation to ourtemporal life; his life to our reputation; and his reputation to ourproperty. But we are bound by this obligation, as I have said, only whenhe is in extreme necessity. If he is not in such necessity, we are notbound to prefer his good, though it be of a superior order. Hence if I amunjustly assailed by another, who attempts to kill me, I can lawfullydefend myself, and (if I have no other means of escaping death) I cantake away his life, though, by dying in the state of sin, he should lose

eternal life, and be damned; for, in that case, my neighbor is not in thenecessity of killing me in order to save his soul.

By the precept of charity we are bound to love all our neighborswho have died in favor with God. We cannot love the damned; we, onthe contrary, are obliged to hate them as the eternal enemies of God.We must love all the living, even sinners, and even our own enemies. Isay, even sinners; for, though they are the actual enemies of God, theymay still be reconciled with Him, and may obtain eternal life.

I also say, even our enemies; because the law of Jesus Christ is alaw of love. God wishes that all, even enemies, love us; and, in like

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manner He commands us to love even those who hate us. The paganslove all who love them; but we Christians are obliged to love even thosewho wish us evil. "But," says Jesus Christ, "I say to you, love yourenemies, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them thatpersecute and calumniate you." (Matt. 5:44) When a Christian forgivesan enemy, he may be secure of obtaining from God the pardon of hissins; for the Lord has said, "Forgive, and you shall be forgiven." (Luke6:37) But, on the other hand, he who will not pardon others, cannotexpect forgiveness from God. "For," says St James, "judgment withoutmercy to him that hath not done mercy." (2:13) It is but just that Godshould not have compassion for the man who has not compassion forhis neighbor. With what face, says St. Augustine, can he ask forgiveness

of his sins, who refuses to obey God commanding him to pardonothers? Do you wish to have revenge for an injury which a neighborhas done you? If you do, God will take vengeance on you for so manyinjuries which you have offered to His divine majesty. And rememberthat he who is prepared to seek revenge for an insult received from aneighbor, is in the state of mortal sin.

It is not thus the saints act: the saints seek to do good to themfrom whom they have received evil. On an assassin who had made an

attempt on the life of St. Ambrose, the saint fixed a pension sufficientfor his support. St Catherine of Sienna performed the office of a servantto a certain woman who had endeavored to destroy her reputation. Inthe life of St John the Almoner, it is related, that one of his relatives,who had been grievously maltreated by an inn-keeper in Alexandria,came to complain to the saint of the injuries he had received. The saintsaid to him, "Since this man has acted with so much rashness, I willteach him his duty, and will treat him so as to excite the wonder of the

entire city." And what did the saint do? He ordered the minister of hishousehold to remit every year the amount which the inn-keeper wasobliged to pay. Such the revenge which the saint inflicted, and trulyexcited the wonder of the whole city. Thus the saints have soughtrevenge, and thus they have become saints.

But, on the other hand, miserable the soul that bears hatred to aneighbor. The author of the Bibliotheca of Pastors relates that therewere two men who bore enmity to each other; at death one of them

yielded to the advice of his confessor, and consented to areconciliation. The other came, and both were reconciled. In leaving

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the room of the dying man, the other said, "This man wishes to makepeace, now that he cannot take revenge" The dying man heard thewords, and said, "If I recover, you shall experience my vengeance." Hethen fell into, such a rage, that he expired in a short time. He had hisrevenge; for while his enemy was standing in a public square, afrightful spectre appeared with an axe in the hand, and said, "I amcome to have revenge; and since we have been enemies during life, Iwish that we be also enemies for eternity in hell." After saying this, thespectre struck him with the axe, and killed him.

Among the obligations, then, of the precept of fraternal charity,the first is to love all men, not only with an internal, but also with anexternal love. Hence we are bound to exhibit to an enemy all the

ordinary signs of benevolence which we show to friends. We are boundto salute him when he salutes us; and, with regard to superiors, andpersons whose rank is superior to ours, it is our duty to salute thembefore they salute us. And if without a grievous inconvenience I cansalute even an equal, and thus free him from the hatred which he bearsme, I am obliged to do it. Moreover, if a person who had received aninjury or wound from another should say, that he forgave the personwho inflicted the injury or wound, but would refuse to remit the injury

on the pretence that it is useful to punish malefactors, I should scarcelyabsolve him, because I can hardly be persuaded, if there are no otherjust causes to excuse him, that he is free from the desire of revenge.

The second obligation which we owe to our neighbor is, to givehim alms when he is in need, particularly if he is ashamed to beg, andwe have it in our power to assist him. "But yet that which remaineth,give alms." (Luke 10:41) Such the precept of Jesus Christ. However it isnecessary to make a distinction; when poor person is in extreme

necessity, and in danger of death, we are obliged to relieve him withthese goods which are not necessary for the preservation of our life.When he is in grievous necessity, we are bound to assist him with whatis not necessary for our state or condition. Oh how many blessings doesGod bestow upon us for giving relief to the poor. "Alms delivereth fromdeath, and the same is that which purgeth away sins, and maketh tofind mercy and life everlasting." (Tob. 12:9) Hence alms delivereth fromdeath that is, eternal death; for we must all submit to temporal

death. It purgeth away sins that is, it obtains for us the divine graces,to enable us to cleanse our souls from sin. And maketh to find mercy

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and life everlasting; because, by the mercy we show to others, God ismoved to extend mercy to us, and to bring us to the glory of heaven.When we can do nothing else, let us assist our neighbor byrecommending him to God. If we have nothing to give him, let us atleast say a Hail Mary for his soul.

In the Life of St. Francis Xavier, it is related, that he one dayasked of Peter Veglio, who was in comfortable circumstances, amarriage portion for a young female who was exposed to great danger.Peter was playing chess, and jocosely said to the saint, "How can youexpect that I will give you my own property, when I am laboring to winwhat belongs to another?" But he afterwards added, "Here is the key ofmy desk: go, and take as much as you want." The saint took three

hundred crowns, and afterwards said to his friend, "Peter, know thatGod has accepted your alms, and, on his part, I promise that, duringlife, you shall always have the means of living in comfort; and, beforedeath, you shall, that you may prepare for it, be warned of its approachby feeling the taste of wine bitter." The prediction was verified. Oneday Peter perceived the wine which he drank to be bitter; andimmediately he began to prepare for death: thus he led a happy life anddied a happy death. Alms, then, make us find the divine mercy that

is, mercy for past sins, but not to sin with impunity. For, says St.Augustine, he who would wish to corrupt, as it were, the divine justiceby charity to the poor, shall, in spite of all his alms, be damned, andshall experience the divine justice.

The third obligation is fraternal correction, which we ought toapply to our neighbor when he is in mortal sin or in danger of fallinginto mortal sin, and when there is reason to hope that the correctionwill be profitable to him. "Go and rebuke him," says Jesus Christ. (Matt.

18:15) To this you are obliged, even when the person who sins is yoursuperior, or even your father. And, according to St. Thomas, if the firstadmonition has not been effectual, it is necessary to repeat thecorrection several times, where there is reason to hope that it will beuseful. We are bound by this obligation, first, when the sin of ourneighbor is certain, but not when it is doubtful; secondly, when there isno other person capable of giving the admonition, and when it is notexpected that any other will give it, we are then bound to correct our

neighbor; thirdly, when there is not ground for a prudent fear that, bycorrecting him, we shall suffer a grievous loss or inconverience. When

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we have just reason to apprehend such loss or inconvenience, we areexcused from the obligation of correction, because it is only anobligation of charity. But fathers and mothers are bound to correcttheir children, even when the correction is attended with grievousinconvenience. But we shall speak at length on this point in treating ofthe fourth commandment. Remember, that frequently it is useful todefer the correction, and wait for a more convenient time andoccasion, that the admonition may be more profitable.

The fourth obligation of fraternal charity is, when we are able,to comfort the afflicted, and particularly the sick. Jesus Christ says, thatwhat is done to the poor, he accepts as done to himself. "As long as youdid it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me." (Matt. 25:40)

St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi used to say, that it was more pleasing toher to be employed in assisting a neighbor, than in being united withGod in an ecstasy; and for this she assigned the following reason."When I am in an ecstasy, God assists me; but, in relieving a neighbor, Iassist God." Hence St. Cyprian writes, that he who assists his neighbor,in a certain manner, renders God his debtor. I will here relate an heroicact of charity which, as we read in ecclesiastical history, St. Didimusperformed for St. Theodora. Through hatred to the faith, St. Theodora

was sent by the tyrant to a brothel. St Didimus went to the place, andsaid to her, "Theodora, fear not any injury from me, for I am come tosave your honor: take my clothes, and give me yours, and thus youshall escape from this place of infamy Being clad as a soldier, she wasallowed, because she was not known, to depart from that infamousplace, and Didimus remained in the dress of a woman. The holy youthwas instantly condemned to death by the tyrant. Having heard of hiscondemnation, St Theodora went to him, and said, "I have consented

that you should save my honor, but not that you should take from methe crown of martyrdom; this crown belongs to me: if you sought todeprive me of it, you have deceived me." Hearing of the holy contest,the judge condemned both to be beheaded; and both had the happinessof suffering martyrdom for Jesus Christ

The fifth obligation of fraternal charity is, to show goodexample, and not to give scandal to our neighbor. Scandal is defined asa word or act which leads another to sin. Scandal is twofold direct

and indirect. It is direct, when a person deliberately intends to induceothers to commit sin; and indirect when, by his language or bad

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example, he leads them into sin. Both the one and the other aremortally sinful when they are to any person the occasion ofcommitting a grievous fault.

There are also two other kinds of scandal the scandal of theweak, and pharisaical scandal, A person is guilty of scandal to the weakwhen he does an indifferent, or even a good act, which is to others, onaccount of their weakness, an occasion of sin; for example, a youngfemale knows that by going to the chapel, or to the park, she gives adissolute young man an occasion of bad thoughts. She is, in such a case,obliged, if she can do it without great inconvenience, to abstain fromgoing to such places. But for how long? Must she forever abstain fromgoing to these places? No; but only as long as Christian prudence

dictates; otherwise she should submit to grievous inconvenience, andto that, charity does not oblige her. Pharisaical scandal is the scandaltaken by those who, without reason, and through their own malice,wish to be scandalized at any action. The occasions of this kind ofscandal we are not bound to avoid, because it is not true scandal.

The worst kind of scandal is that which is given by those who, asis commonly said, hear and carry. They hear one person speaking ofanother, and immediately go and relate to the other what they have

heard; from tale-bearing of this kind arise hatred, discord, andquarrels. For all these sinful consequences, tale-bearers have to renderan account to God. Behold the advice of the Holy Ghost on this point:"Hast thou heard a word against thy neighbor? let it die withinthee." (Eccl. 19:10) Have you heard a person speaking ill of another? let what you have heard die within you; tell it to no one. Others, thoughthere is no intention of marriage, carry love messages to married orunmarried females. Others perform the very office of the devil by

positively tempting a neighbor to sin; and some go so far as to teachothers to sin, and to point out the means of committing it: this the devilhimself does not do. Some (and this is a common scandal) speakimmodestly before females, before young persons, and even in thepresence of innocent little children. O! what havoc of souls do theycause! William Garaldo has written, that obscene words are the spittleof the devil, which murders souls. One person, says St. Bernard, utters asingle immodest word, and he kills the souls of many who hear him.

Miserable the man that gives scandal! "But," says Jesus Christ,"he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it

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were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neckand that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea." (Matt, 18:6)What hope of life can the man entertain, who is cast into the sea with amillstone about his neck? The gospel, then, appears to say that there isbut little hope for the salvation of the authors of scandal. St.Chrysostom writes, that the Lord is more inclined to show mercy tothem who commit other more grievous sins, than to them who areguilty of the sin of scandal. What! says the Lord to the authors ofscandal, are you not satisfied with offending me by your own sins? Do

you wish to induce others also to insult Me? In the Mirror of Examples,it is related that Jesus Christ said one day, to a scandalous sinner,"Accursed wretch, you have despised what I have purchased by My

blood."And let it be remembered that females who keep their breastuncovered, or dress immodestly in any other way, are guilty of the sinof scandal, as also actors in immodest comedies, and still more thepersons who compose such comedies; also painters who paint obscenepictures, and the heads of families who keep such pictures in theirhouses. The father who speaks obscenely, or blasphemes the saints, inpresence of his children, and the mother who brings into her house,

among her daughters, young men who are in love with them, or othersuspected persons, are guilty of a still more grievous sin of scandal.Some mothers say, I do not suspect any evil. I answer, that it is theirduty to suspect; otherwise they shall have to render to God an accountof all the sins which will follow.

"Woe to that man by whom the scandal cometh." (Matt, 18:7)Listen to the horrible fact which happened in the city of Savona, in the

year 1560. I have read it in the chronicles of the Capuchins, and it is

also related by Father Ardia. A certain married lady, after a bad life,continued to give scandal. She was suddenly deprived of her senses,and saw the Lord condemning her to hell. She recovered the use of hersenses, and continued unceasingly to cry aloud, saying, Alas, I amdamned, I am damned! A confessor came to comfort her. Sheexclaimed, What! confession? I am damned. She refused to make herconfession. Her daughter approached the bed, in order to encourageher; but she cried out, Ah, accursed child! on your account, too, I am

damned; for through you I have given scandal to others. After thesewords, the devils, in presence of all who were in the apartment, raised

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her up to the ceiling, and then dashed her so violently against the floor,that she instantly expired.

The author of The Bibliotheca of Pastors (page 120) relates, thata boy, having associated with a dissolute young man, was scandalizedby his bad example, and lost his innocence. On the following morning,the boy went to the house of his companion, that they might, as usual,go to school together. The father of this wicked young man went to theroom in which he slept, to reprove him for his sloth. But on openingthe door, he was driven back by a frightful spectre. The mother ran tothe window, and saw her unhappy son dead on the bed, black as a coal,and covered with marks of fire. The parents learned from the boy thescandal which had been given to him on the previous day, and thus

perceived the cause of the vengeance inflicted on their unhappy son.Is there, then, no hope of salvation for him who has been guiltyof the sin of scandal to others? Yes; the mercy of God is infinite; but hewho has given scandal must do great penance, and must unceasinglyask pardon of God; he must also repair the scandal by giving goodexample, by frequenting the sacraments, and leading a life of piety.Fearing that he had given scandal by dissuading a person from areligious vocation, St. Raymond left the world, and became a religious

of the order of St. Dominic.

On Religion

By the first precept of the decalogue we are obliged to practisethe virtue of religion. What is the virtue of religion? It is a virtue whichrenders to God the honor due to Him. It also includes the duty ofvenerating the divine Mother, the angels, and the saints. We should

venerate their relics and sacred images; for, in these, we do notvenerate the metal, the wood, or the canvass, of the images, as theidolaters did, but the saints whom these images represent.

The vices opposed to the virtue of religion are superstition andirreligion. Superstition consists in giving to God or the saints a falsehonor, as would, be the case, if a person gave to the Holy Virgin theadoration due to God, as some heretics did; or if a person exposed false

relics of the saints to the veneration of the faithful, or should publishfalse miracles. It is also superstition, and a most grievous sin, to give tocreatures what is due to God. Hence superstition contains four kinds of

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sin: idolatry, divination, magic, and vain observation. Idolatry is thesame as the worship of the pagans, who adored as gods men who weredead, and even animals, statues, and other creatures. Divinationconsists in seeking, by an express or tacit compact with the devil, toknow things that are future or occult, through his agency. Magic isnearly the same thing as divination, and consists in seeking to produce,through the devil, any effect which exceeds human power. All these aremost grievous sins, against which God has threatened the most severechastisements, "The soul that shall go aside after magicians andsoothsayers, and shall commit fornication with them, I will set my faceagainst that soul, and destroy it out of the midst of its people." (Levit20:6) Vain observation consists in endeavoring to attain any object

such as to get rid of any infirmity or pain, by the employment ofcertain vain means, such as by uttering certain words, by saying aprayer in a certain posture, with yellow candles, or with a fixednumber of candles, or with the eyes closed, or making the sign of thecross with the left hand. Give up all these vain circumstances. Either

you expect the favor from God, (and in that case these things are notwanted,) or yea expect it from the devil, and that is a most grievous sin.because it is a communication with the enemy of God.

Abstain, then, from all these kinds of superstition: such as fromcertain determinate signs, cards, and words, which certain personsemploy in order to prevent worms from doing injury, to remove pain,to stop the flow of blood, to gain the affection of others, and the like.All these are most grievous sins. Hence they who read or retain bookswhich treat on such superstitions are also guilty of sin. Be assured thatall these superstitions are lies, deceits, and thefts; if you believe inthem, you shall lose your soul and your money. When you meet with

any tribulation, have recourse to the most holy sacrament to thecrucifix, to the the Virgin Mary, to St. Antony of Padua, to St VincentFerrer; have recourse to the oil which burns in their lamps, to the cardsof immaculate Mary, to the images of the saints; and, withoutcommitting sin, you shall obtain the favor which you stand in need of;but if you have recourse to any superstitious means, you shall notreceive the favor you want, and you shall lose your soul.

There are two sins, then, against the virtue of religion. We have

already spoken of superstition: let us now say something on irreligion,which is an irreverence offered to God, and contains three species;

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tempting God, sacrilege, and simony. A person would be guilty oftempting God who should throw himself into a deep pool of water, totry if God is able to save him; to tempt God in such a manner is a mortalsin. Sacrilege may be committed in three ways: first, by offering aninjury to a person consecrated to God that is, by striking anecclesiastic or religious. A person who strikes an ecclesiastic orreligious, incurs an excommunication, and is to be avoided; that is, noone (except the members of his own family, his children, brothers,grandchildren, and servants) can speak to him; should others speak tohim, they incur a minor excommunication, which does not supposemortal sin, but prevents the reception of the sacraments. It is also asacrilege to commit a sin against purity with a person who has made a

vow of chastity. Secondly, It is a sacrilege to defile a holy place by anyexternal sin of action, of words, of theft, by speaking obscenely, byblaspheming, Thirdly, it is a sacrilege to profane holy things, such as toreceive a sacrament in the state of mortal sin; to treat with contemptthe relics of the saints, the cross, sacred images, beads, and the like. Itwould be a still greater sacrilege to employ sacred things as a means ofcommitting any sin. Finally, simony consists in buying or selling anything spiritual for a temporal price. Hence it is a sin against religion to

endeavor to purchase by money, service, or any thing temporal, a relicof a saint, absolution from a confessor, any ecclesiastical order, anybenefice from a bishop.

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