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 The Holy Eucharist. 
 
 iiiiige-- it Co. f.opyil't- 13321. Einsiedeln, SwiUfeilanJ. 
 
THE 
 
 Means of Grace, 
 
 A COMPLETE EXPOSITION OF THE 
 
 SEVEN SACRAMENTS, 
 
 THEIR INSTITUTION,MEANING,REQUIREMENTS,CEREMONIES,ANDEFFICACY; 
 
 OF THE 
 
 SACEAMENTALS OP THE CHUECH, 
 
 HOLY WATER, OILS, EXORCISMS. BLESSINGS, CONSECRATIONS, ETC.; 
 
 AND OF 
 
 PRAYER, 
 
 WITH A COMPREHENSIVE EXPLANATION OF THE 
 
 OUR FATHER AND THH HAIL MARY. 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BY 
 
 NUMEROUS PARABLES, EXAMPLES, AND INTERESTING ANECDOTES, 
 
 DRAWN FROM 
 
 ?l^ols Scripture, tije ILibes of tije Saints, tf)t iFatijers of tj^e ^fjurc^, 
 
 AND OTHER SOURCES. 
 ADAPTED FROM THE GERMAN OF 
 
 Rev. HERMAN ROLFUS, D.D., and Rev. F. J. BRANDLE, 
 
 ' BY 
 
 Rev. RICHARD BRENNAN, LL.D., 
 
 Late Pastor of the Church of the Holy Innocents^ New York, 
 
 NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO! 
 
 BKNZIGKR BROTHERS, 
 
 Printers to the Holy Apostolic See. 
 1894. 
 
^ 
 
 .-f 
 
 ^to 
 
 jimjprimatur. 
 
 •h Michael Augustine, 
 
 Archbishop of New York. 
 New York, June 20, 1893. 
 
 7 
 
 Copyright, 1894, by Benzigbr Brothers, 
 

 pprobation0* 
 
 The German original of this work has received the approba- 
 tion of the following dignitaries of the Church : 
 
 His Eminence Cardinal Maximilian Joseph of Tarnoczy, Arch= 
 bishop of Salzburg, Primate of Germany ; 
 
 His Grace Most Rev. Martin Henni, Archbishop of Milwaukee ; 
 
 His Grace Most Rev. Gregory von Scherr, Archbishop of 
 Munich=Freising ; 
 
 And the Right Rev. Bishops of 
 
 Fort Wayne, 
 
 Marquette, 
 
 DETROIT, 
 
 Green Bay, 
 
 Kansas City, 
 
 ROTTENBURG, 
 
 Brunn, 
 
 BUDWEIS, 
 
 Breslau, 
 
 
 Paderborn, 
 
 Ermland, 
 
 Luxemburg, 
 
 Laibach, 
 
 
 Trier, 
 
 MUNSTER, 
 
 Chur, 
 
 LIMBURG, 
 
 
 ElCHSTADT, 
 
 St. Polten, 
 
 Basel, 
 
 
 Augsburg, St. 
 
 Gall, Leitmeritz. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Ilntrobuctiom 
 
 TheEndofMan. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Instruction, 17 
 
 - Is the World with its Goods the only Aim and End of Man ? . . .18 
 
 What is the only True End and Destiny of Man ?..... 20 
 
 The Means of Attaining our Last End, ..... o . 24 
 
 Zbc (Brace of (5o& in (BeneraL 
 
 Instruction, ........... o . 27 
 
 Meaning of Grace, 27 
 
 Divisions of Grace, ........... 28 
 
 Reflection, ....... ...... 29 
 
 The Necessity of Divine Grace, ......... 29 
 
 Passages from Scripture, .......... 29 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, .... o .... 29 
 
 Illustrations, ............ 29 
 
 Examples, 29 
 
 From Scripture, ........... 29 
 
 From the Lives of the Saints, ........ 29 
 
 Actual Grace. 
 
 Instruction, ............. 33 
 
 Meaning of Actual Grace, .......... 33 
 
 Necessity of Actual Grace, ... ...... 34 
 
 God gives His Grace to all Men, . 34 
 
 How we must Co-operate with Grace, ....... 34 
 
 Reflection, ............. 35 
 
 Co-operation with Grace, .......... 35 
 
 Passages from Scripture, ......... 35 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, 35 
 
 Comparisons, ............ 3^' 
 
 Examples, ............ 3^^ 
 
 Words of Scripture, .......... 3(> 
 
 Withstanding Grace, .......... 37 
 
 Impervious to Grace, .......... 37 
 
 I 
 
2 contents. 
 
 Sanctifying Grace, or the Grace of Justification. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Instruction, 3^ 
 
 Meaning of Sanctifying Grace, 3^ 
 
 Nature of Justification, • • • • 39 
 
 Process of Justification 39 
 
 Loss and Decrease of Sanctifying Grace, ....... 39 
 
 Fruits of Sanctifying Grace, ..... ... 40 
 
 Meritoriousness of Good Works, 40 
 
 Essential Requisites of Good Works, .... ... 41 
 
 Necessity of Good Works, 41 
 
 Kinds of Good Works, 42 
 
 Reflection, 42 
 
 Good Works, 42 
 
 Passages from Scripture, 42 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, . .42 
 
 Comparisons, 43 
 
 Examples, 43 
 
 Spontaneous Good Works, 43 
 
 Preparations for a Journey, 43 
 
 Saturday Evening, .45 
 
 Application, 46 
 
 ^be Sacramento. 
 
 The Sacraments in General. 
 
 Instruction, 47 
 
 Meaning of the Sacraments, ......... 47 
 
 Requisites of a Sacrament, ......... 47 
 
 Effect of the Sacraments, . . . . . . . . . .49 
 
 Number of the Sacraments, ......... 50 
 
 Difference and Division of the Sacraments, ...... 52 
 
 Dispenser and Receiver of the Sacraments, ...... 53 
 
 The Ceremonies, ........... 54 
 
 Reflection, ............. 55 
 
 Passages from Scripture, .......... 55 
 
 The Signification and Operation of the Sacraments, . . . -55 
 
 The Number and Division of the Sacraments, . . . . -55 
 
 The Dispenser of the Sacraments, ........ 55 
 
 The Recipient of the Sacraments, 55 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, ......... 56 
 
 Meaning and Effect of the Sacraments, ....... 56 
 
 The Number and Division of the Sacraments, ..... 56 
 
 The Minister of the Sacraments, ........ 56 
 
 The Recipient of the Sacraments, ........ 57 
 
 The Council of Trent on the Sacraments, ....... 57 
 
 Comparisons, ............ 55 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The Parable of the Good Samaritan, . . , . . . .60 
 
 The Sacred Number Seven, 61 
 
 Testimony of a Non-Catholic in Favor of the Seven Sacraments, . .63 
 Examples, . ............ 64 
 
 Fountains of Health, .......... 64 
 
 The Diseased Janitor, .......... 64 
 
 The Tepid Christian and the Pious Teacher, ...... 65 
 
 Practical Application, .66 
 
 The Sacraments in Particular. 
 
 :flSaptt6m» 
 
 Instruction, 66 
 
 Meaning and Nature of Baptism, ........ 66 
 
 Baptismal Promises, ........... 70 
 
 Necessity of Baptism, 71 
 
 Baptism of Desire and by Blood, 72 
 
 Sponsors, . . . . . , . . . . , . .72 
 
 Ceremonies of Baptism, 74 
 
 Reflection, 76 
 
 Passages from Scripture, . . 76 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, ......... 76 
 
 The Ancient Rite of Baptism, 77 
 
 Comparisons, ............ 80 
 
 Examples, . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 
 
 The Baptism, Conversion, and Martyrdom of Genesius, . . .80 
 
 Baptism by Blood, .......... 81 
 
 The Gate of Heaven, 8r 
 
 Esteem of Baptismal Graces, ......... 84 
 
 Baptismal Promises, .......... 84 
 
 Renewal of Baptismal Promises, ........ 86 
 
 Practical Application, .......... 86 
 
 (Tontttmatton, 
 
 Instruction, ............. 87 
 
 Meaning of Confirmation. Its Nature, ....... 87 
 
 Importance of Confirmation. Its Ministers, 89 
 
 Reception of Confirmation, ......... 90 
 
 Sponsors, 91 
 
 Ceremonies at Confirmation, ......... 91 
 
 Reflection, ............. 92 
 
 Passages from Scripture, .......... 92 
 
 The Testimony of Antiquity, ......... 93 
 
 Comparisons, ............. 98 
 
 Examples of the Power of Confirmation, ....... 98 
 
 Practical Application, .......... 99 
 
4 CONTENTS. 
 
 TLbc Blessed lEucbartst, 
 
 T/ie Blessed Eucharist as a Sacrament. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Instruction, ............. lOO 
 
 Meaning and Names of the Blessed Sacrament, ..... lOO 
 
 The Doctrine of the Real Presence, ........ 102 
 
 The Worship of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, 105 
 
 Reflection, 107 
 
 Paradise and the Church, .......... 107 
 
 The Synagogue and the Church, 108 
 
 Christ's Promise, ........... 110 
 
 The Moment of Institution, 112 
 
 A Comparison, 114 
 
 Testimony of the Fathers, . 115 
 
 The Prayers of the Church, . = ....... 123 
 
 Devout Servants of the Blessed Sacrament, 126 
 
 Corpus Christi, 127 
 
 The HqI} Eucharist as a Sacrifice. 
 
 Instruction, 133 
 
 On Sacrifice in General, 133 
 
 The Mass in Particular, 137 
 
 Reflection, . 143 
 
 Passages from Scripture, 143 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, 143 
 
 Antiquity of the Mass, 144 
 
 The Ceremonies of Mass, • . . . . 149 
 
 The Vestments, . 149 
 
 Church Colors, . 153 
 
 Altar Articles, ...... ..... 154 
 
 The Celebration of Mass, ......... 155 
 
 How to Hear Mass with Profit, 165 
 
 Examples, ............. 166 
 
 The Vision of the Messias, ......... 166 
 
 Angels Accompany the Blessed Sacrament, . 167 
 
 The Blessed Sacrajnent as Cofmmmion. 
 
 Instruction, l6S 
 
 On Holy Communion in General, . 168 
 
 Reception of Holy Communion, . 169 
 
 Advantages of a Worthy Communion, ....... 172 
 
 Unworthy Communion, 1^3 
 
 Spiritual Communion, .......... 175 
 
 Reflection, ............. 176 
 
 Communion in General. Its Reception, . . ^ . . . . 176 
 
 Passages from Scripture, . .176 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, ... 176 
 
CONTENTS. 5 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Bishop Ratherius to Patricus, 176 
 
 Communion Under One Kind, 177 
 
 That Holy Communion is not Lightly to be Omitted, .... 178 
 
 Admonition of Thomas a Keinpis. Words of the Beloved, . . . 178 
 
 Counsels of St. Francis de Sales on Frequent Communion, . . . 180 
 
 Examples of Frequent Communion, ........ 182 
 
 Preparation for Communion, ......... 183 
 
 Passages from Holy Scripture, ........ 183 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, ......... 183 
 
 Rules Laid Down by St. ChrysosLom and St. Charles Borromeo for 
 
 Approaching the Table of the Lord, ....... 184 
 
 A Beautiful Prayer before Communion, 185 
 
 A Good Old Custom, 185 
 
 Advantages of a Worthy Communion, ^ . 185 
 
 Passages from Scripture, ......... 185 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, ......... 186 
 
 The Heinousness of an Unworthy Communion, ..... 188 
 
 Passages from Scripture, 188 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, ......... 188 
 
 The Baseness of an Unworthy Communion, ..... 188 
 
 Penalties of an Unworthy Communion, 189 
 
 Examples, 189 
 
 From Holy Scripture, 189 
 
 Penalty of an Unworthy Communion, 189 
 
 Testimony of St. Cyprian, . 191 
 
 The Communion of an Impenitent Man, 191 
 
 Trifle not with Holy Things, 193 
 
 Spiritual Communion, 193 
 
 Sayings of the Saints, . 193 
 
 The Value of Spiritual Communion, 193 
 
 Mode of Spiritual Communion, . 194 
 
 From St. Leonard of Port Maurice, 194 
 
 St, Juliana Falconieri, 194 
 
 Practical Application, . 195 
 
 Hymn to the Blessed Sacrament, 196 
 
 XTbe Sacrament of penance. 
 
 The Sacrament of Penance in General. 
 
 Instruction, 197 
 
 The Nature of the Sacrament of Penance, ....... 197 
 
 Necessity of the Sacrament of Penance, 198 
 
 Requirements of Sacramental Penance, ....... 199 
 
 Reflection, ............. 199 
 
 The Parable of the Prodigal Son, ........ ii)c) 
 
 The Parable, ............ 100 
 
 The Application, 201 
 
6 CONTENTS. 
 
 Examinaiiofi of Coiiscierice. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Instruction, ....... 203 
 
 Reflection, ...... ...... . 205 
 
 Passages from Scripture, .......... 205 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, . . . ...... 205 
 
 Comparisons, ............ 206 
 
 Examples, 206 
 
 The Young Hermit and his Preceptor, 206 
 
 The Sin Register, 206 
 
 St. Francis Borgia, ........... 207 
 
 For Persons who have Nothing to Confess, ...... 207 
 
 Contrition, 
 
 Instruction, , . 209 
 
 Reflection, ............. 213 
 
 Passages from Scripture, .......... 213 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, ......... 213 
 
 A Comparison, ............ 214 
 
 A Parable, . .214 
 
 Examples, . ' . 217 
 
 Contrition for Venial Sins, ......... 217 
 
 A Sinner's Contrition and Consolation, . 2i3 
 
 Firm Purpose of Ameudinent. 
 
 Instruction, ............. 2iq 
 
 Reflection, ............. 222 
 
 Passages from Scripture, .......... 222 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, 223 
 
 Comparisons, ............ 223 
 
 Examples, ...... ....... 224 
 
 From Sacred Scripture, .......... 224 
 
 The Darling Idol, 226 
 
 Co7ifession. 
 
 Instruction, ............. 227 
 
 How we should Behave Outside the Confessional and Within it, . . 233 
 To whom we should Confess, and when, ....... 235 
 
 General Confession, ........... 235 
 
 Reflection, 236 
 
 Comparisons, ............ 236 
 
 The Old Testament on Confession, , 236 
 
 Confession in the New Testament, . 237 
 
 Historical Testimonies 240 
 
 An Habitual Sin, •......,.,. 240 
 
 Absolution Denied, ........... 241 
 
 Directions for Confessors, ^ .241 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Ancient Rules for Confessing, , . 242 
 
 Words of an Ancient Confessor, 242 
 
 Crowds to Confession. — Special Confessors, ...... 243 
 
 Examples, 243 
 
 Louis the Pious at Attigny, 243 
 
 An Effect of Confession, . . . ... . . . . 244 
 
 A Confessor True to his Calling, 246 
 
 Do not Defer Confession, 246 
 
 Confession-Day a Day of Joy, ........ 247 
 
 Conversion begun by Confession, 247 
 
 Satisfaction, 
 
 Instruction, 248 
 
 Reflection 252 
 
 Passages from Scripture, .......... 252 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, 252 
 
 Comparisons, ............ 253 
 
 Examples, 254 
 
 From Scripture, 254 
 
 Louis the Ninth, 255 
 
 Pontius of Lavaze, 255 
 
 Theodosius, ............ 256 
 
 Sueno, 257 
 
 St. Francis Solano, ........... 257 
 
 The Death Penalty made an Atonement for Sin, 258 
 
 Practical Application, 259 
 
 Indulgences. 
 
 Instruction, 260 
 
 What is Meant by an Indulgence, 260 
 
 The Catholic Church has a Right to Grant Indulgences, .... 261 
 
 Indulgences are Useful and Salutary, ........ 261 
 
 Indulgences Save us from Purgatory, ....... 262 
 
 Indulgences an Encouragement to the Performance of Good Works and 
 
 the Practice of Virtue, 262 
 
 Whence the Power of Indulgences, 263 
 
 Division of Indulgences, .......... 2C4 
 
 Conditions for Gaining an Indulgence, ....... 264 
 
 Reflection, ............. 2C5 
 
 Indulgence Granted by St. Paul, ... ..... 265 
 
 Ancient Penitential Discipline, ......... 266 
 
 The Jubilee, 26S 
 
 The Indulgence of the Portiuncula, ........ 272 
 
 Confraternity Indulgences. — Indulgences attached to Good Works, . . 277 
 
 Confraternities, ........... 277 
 
 Plenary Indulgences attached to different Good Works, and which can 
 
 be gained by any one, .......... 279 
 
 Practical Application, 279 
 
8 CONTENTS. 
 
 lEjtreme XHnctton* 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Instruction, 282 
 
 Extreme Unction is a Sacrament. — Its Effects ...... 282 
 
 Reception of Extreme Unction, 285 
 
 The Ceremonies of Extreme Unction, ....... 287 
 
 Reflection 289 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, 289 
 
 Ancient Manner of Administering Extreme Unction, .... 289 
 
 Comparisons, ............ 291 
 
 Examples, ............. 291 
 
 Effect of Extreme Unction, 291 
 
 Danger of Deferring Extreme Unction, 292 
 
 How to Prepare for Death, ......... 292 
 
 Edifying Deaths, , . 293 
 
 Death of St, Louis, King of France, . 293 
 
 St. Gebhard, ............ 294 
 
 Fenelon, ............. 297 
 
 St. Francis de Sales, .......... 297 
 
 Practical Application, . 298 
 
 Instruction, 299 
 
 Meaning of the Sacrament of Orders, ....... 299 
 
 The Duties of the Laity towards their Priests 302 
 
 The Duties of Priests, 303 
 
 Vocation to the Priesthood, ......... 303 
 
 Reflection, 304 
 
 The Priesthood and its Prerogatives, , . . 304 
 
 Passages from Scripture, ......... 304 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, ......... 305 
 
 The Priesthood in the Old and in the New Law, ..... 305 
 
 Holy Orders. — Its Ceremonies, 308 
 
 Tonsure, 308 
 
 The Osiiariate, 308 
 
 The Lectorate, 309 
 
 Exorcist, o . . . 309 
 
 Acolyte, 309 
 
 Subdeaconship, . . 310 
 
 Deaconship, 310 
 
 Priesthood, , 311 
 
 Reverence due to the Priestly State, ....... . 313 
 
 Passages from Scripture, 313 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, ......... 313 
 
 The Roman Catechism on the Dignity of the Priesthood, . . . 313 
 Examples, ............ 314 
 
 Reverence of Pagans for Priests, . . . . . . . 314 
 
 An Imperial Law, 315 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Respect &nd Reverence, ^ . .315 
 
 Humble Acceptance of a Spiritual Rebuke, 315 
 
 The Duties of Priests, 315 
 
 Passages from Scripture, .......... 315 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, . . .315 
 
 Examples, . . . . . . 316 
 
 The Wonderful Bottle, 316 
 
 The Priest as he should be, ......... 316 
 
 A Priest's Charitable Self-sacrifice, 317 
 
 A Holy Priest, True till Death, 317 
 
 Practical Application, 318 
 
 /iDatrtmoni^. 
 
 Instruction, 319 
 
 Matrimony a Sacrament, .......... 319 
 
 The Reception of the Sacrament, . . 321 
 
 Impediments which Render Marriage Void before God, .... 322 
 Impediments which Render Marriage Illicit and Punishable, but not 
 
 Void, 323 
 
 Mixed Marriages, ........... 324 
 
 The Duties of Married People towards Each Other, 326 
 
 The Marriage Ceremonies, 327 
 
 Reflection, 328 
 
 Passages from Scripture, .......... 328 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, 328 
 
 Comparisons, 329 
 
 Examples, ............. 329 
 
 Proper Preparation for Marriage, . . ' 329 
 
 A Happy Wedding-day, .......... 330 
 
 A Thoughtless Marriage Punished, ........ 331 
 
 St. Monica's Married Life, ...,...., 332 
 
 Conjugal Love in Adversity, . . . , . . . . . 334 
 
 • Conjugal Fidelity, ........... 335 
 
 Practical Application, 335 
 
 Zhc Sacramcntale. 
 
 The Sacramentals in General. 
 
 Instruction, 337 
 
 Meaning of Sacramentals, 337 
 
 Difference between the Sacraments and the Sacramentals, .... 337 
 
 Effects of the Sacramentals, ......... 33S 
 
 The Author of the Sacramentals, ........ 33S 
 
 Sacramentals in the Old Law, 339 
 
 Division of the Sacramentals, ......... 339 
 
lO CONTENTS. 
 
 The Sacramentals in Detail. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Dedications, 34^ 
 
 Ecclesiastical Dedications, 340 
 
 Church Dedication, 340 
 
 The Blessing of Bells and of Church Articles, 343 
 
 The Dedication of Cemeteries, 344 
 
 For the Celebration of Divine Service, ... , . . . . 345 
 
 Holy Water, o . 345 
 
 Blessed Candles, 346 
 
 Blessing of the Ashes, 347 
 
 The Blessing of the Palms, 348 
 
 The Blessing of the Paschal Candle, 348 
 
 The Blessing of the Holy Oils, 349 
 
 Incense, . . . . . . . 349 
 
 Dedication of Persons, .......... 350 
 
 Objects Used and Blessed by the Church, 351 
 
 Exorcisms, 353 
 
 Blessings, 354 
 
 Various Church Practices 355 
 
 Processions, 355 
 
 Pilgrimages, 356 
 
 Confraternities and Missions, 360 
 
 Reflection, 361 
 
 Dedications, . 361 
 
 The Dedication at Einsiedeln, . . 361 
 
 Bells in Joy and Sorrow, 363 
 
 Holy Water, . . . . .366 
 
 From the Fathers,. 366 
 
 Miracles by Holy Water, 367 
 
 Blessed Oil — Blessed Bread — Blessed Salt, 367 
 
 Origin, 367 
 
 Miraculous Effects, 369 
 
 Exorcisms, . . . . . , . 370 
 
 From the Fathers, 370 
 
 Examples, . 371 
 
 A Devil Asserts his Right, 371 
 
 The Confession of a Devil, ......... 371 
 
 Obsession as a Punishment for Despising the Advice of a Bishop, . 372 
 
 Blessings, . 372 
 
 Blessing in the Old and New Laws, ....... 372 
 
 Examples of the Miraculous Power of Blessings, 373 
 
 Seek Blessings, 373 
 
 Practical Application, 374 
 
CONTENTS. II 
 
 prater* 
 
 Prayer in General. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Instruction, 375 
 
 Meaning of Prayer, ........... 375 
 
 The Power of Prayer, 375 
 
 Necessity of Prayer, 376 
 
 Qualities of Prayer, ........... 376 
 
 For Wliat we should Pray, 380 
 
 For Whom we should Pray, 380 
 
 Time for Prayer, 381 
 
 The Place to Pray 384 
 
 Faults at Prayer, ........... 385 
 
 Mental Prayer, 386 
 
 Reflection, 389 
 
 The Power and Effect of Prayer, 389 
 
 Passages from Scripture, 389 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, 390 
 
 Comparisons, ............ 391 
 
 Examples, ............ 391 
 
 Prayer Affords us Help in Need and Trouble, 391 
 
 Prayer Procures Help in Dangers and Temptations, .... 394 
 
 Necessity of Prayer, 396 
 
 Passages from Scripture, 396 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, ......... 396 
 
 Comparisons, 397 
 
 Examples, 397 
 
 Hillel and Maimon . 397 
 
 Duty of Prayer, ............ 398 
 
 Passages from Scripture, ......... 398 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, 398 
 
 Examples, 398 
 
 The Early Christians, .......... 398 
 
 The Old Fathers, 399 
 
 Qualities of Prayer, 399 
 
 Passages from Scripture, 399 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, 401 
 
 Two Comparisons, 402 
 
 Adage, 403 
 
 Examples, ............ 403 
 
 Devout Prayer, ... . c . . 403 
 
 Humble Prayer, ... • , . ... 404 
 
 Trusting Prayer, • . 404 
 
 Persistent Prayer, . . .,•... 405 
 
 Prayer of Resignation, 405 
 
 Zeal in Prayer, 405 
 
 For What we should Pray, 406 
 
 Passages from Scripture, 406 
 
12 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, .. .»-«-.• • 4o6 
 Examples, ..'...<,»--..• 407 
 
 The Shepherd-boy at Prayer, 407 
 
 Solomon's Prayer, 4^7 
 
 The Mother's Prayer Rejected, yet Granted, 408 
 
 For Whom we should Pray, 408 ^ 
 
 Passages from Scripture, 408 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, 408 
 
 Examples, . 409 
 
 St. Severinus, ........... 409 
 
 St, Paschal Bay Ion 410 
 
 The Devout Empress, 410 
 
 Grateful Prayer, ........... 411 
 
 St. Ignatius and St. Francis, . . . . . . . . 411 
 
 Pray for Enemies, 412 
 
 Time for Prayer, 412 
 
 Passages from Scripture, 412 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, 412 
 
 Examples, 413 
 
 Pray without ceasing, .......... 413 
 
 St. Ludger, 413 
 
 The Abbot and the Camel-drivers, 414 
 
 John Berchmans, .......... 415 
 
 Pray before every Important Business, ...... 415 
 
 The Place for Prayer, 415 
 
 Passages from Scripture, . . 415 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, . . . ' 416 
 
 Examples, 416 
 
 We can Pray Everywhere, 416 
 
 Constant Prayer, 416 
 
 St. Ignatius. — St. Chrysostom, ........ 417 
 
 Faulty Prayer, ............ 417 
 
 Passages from Scripture, ... ..... 417 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, ......... 418 
 
 Examples, ............ 418 
 
 The Dumb Woman and the Three Blind Men, ..... 418 
 
 Antiochus Epiphanes, .......... 419 
 
 The Sick Emperor and the Anchoret, ....... 419 
 
 St. Bridget, ............ 419 
 
 Mental Prayer, 420 
 
 Passages from Scripture, 420 
 
 St. Alphonsus on Meditation, ........ 421 
 
 Examples, . 424 
 
 The Correct Eye, 424 
 
 Prayer of Opportunity, , . 425 
 
CONTENTS. 13 
 
 XTbe ©ur J'atber/ 
 
 Introduction. The Great Importance of the Our Father. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Instruction, ............. 425 
 
 Reflection, . . 428 
 
 Various Comments on the Lord's Prayer, ....... 428 
 
 TertuUian, . . . . . . . . . . . . 428 
 
 St. Cyprian, . . . . . . ,. . . . . . 428 
 
 Thomas a Kempis, ........... 428 
 
 The Widow of Thecula, . . . . ...... 428 
 
 Jordan, General of the Dominican Order, . . . . . . 429 
 
 The Prelude to the Our Father. " Our Father^ Who art in Heaven'' 
 
 Instruction, 429 
 
 Reflection, . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430 
 
 Passages from Scripture, . . 430 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, ......... 431 
 
 Comparisons, ..... ...... . 433 
 
 Examples, 433 
 
 The Peasant in the Palace, ......... 433 
 
 St. Louis, King of France, ......... 434 
 
 St. Matilda, 434 
 
 The Negligent Monks, .......... 435 
 
 We are all Brethren, . . . 435 
 
 St. Aldan, 436 
 
 Changing Fathers, ........... 436 
 
 Earthly and Heavenly Inheritance, ........ 436 
 
 Exiled, 437 
 
 Consolation at the Grave, ......... 437 
 
 The First Petition. " Hallowed be Thy Name.'' 
 
 Instruction, 437 
 
 Reflection, ............. 439 
 
 Passages from Scripture, . . . . . . . . , . 439 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, ......... 439 
 
 Examples, ............. 440 
 
 St. Ignatius of Loyola, .......... 441 
 
 To God the Lord be Praise and Honor, . , . . . . . 441 
 
 God Praised at a Death-bed, ......... 443 
 
 St. Polycarp 443 
 
 A Peculiar Mode of Good Example, 443 
 
 St. Jerome and the Blasphemer, ........ 444 
 
 A Brave Host, .<,.... 444 
 
 Zeal for the Conversion of Sinners, „ . . . . . . 444 
 
 Edmund Campian, 445 
 
14 CONTENTS. 
 
 The Second Petition. *' Thy Kifigdom Come'' 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Instruction, • • 445 
 
 Reflection, 44^ 
 
 Passages from Scripture, .......... 44^ 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, 44^ 
 
 Examples, ............. 447 
 
 Institutions for the Spread of the Gospel, 447 
 
 From the Life of St. Francis Xavier, 453 
 
 Alfonso of Aragon, 453 
 
 The Offering of a Poor Negro 454 
 
 The Kingdom of God within us, 454 
 
 The Happy Beggar, .......... 455 
 
 Missions, ............. 455 
 
 Homesickness, ........... 459 
 
 The Unequal Division, . . . . . . .... . 459 
 
 The Third Petition. *' Thy Will be Done on Earth as it is in 
 
 Heaven.'' 
 
 Instruction, 460 
 
 Reflection, 461 
 
 Passages from Scripture, 461 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, 461 
 
 Examples, 463 
 
 Faithful Performers of God's Will, 463 
 
 A Wise Choice, ' . . . 464 
 
 Prayer of Submission, . . . . . . , . . . 464 
 
 True Submission to God's Will, . .... . . . 466 
 
 St. Elizabeth of Thuringia, . . . . . . . . . 466 
 
 St. Hedvvigis, ............ 466 
 
 St. Francis of Assisi, .......... 466 
 
 St. Chrysostom, 467 
 
 Emperor Ferdinand, .......... 467 
 
 Thomas More, 467 
 
 Contentment, 468 
 
 The Fourth Petition. " Give us this Day our Daily Bread." 
 
 Instruction 469 
 
 Reflection, . . . . 471 
 
 Passages from Scripture, . 471 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, ......... 471 
 
 Examples, 472 
 
 Remarkable Instance of Prayer Heard, 472 
 
 Contentment, ............ 473 
 
 Be not Solicitous for the Morrow, 473 
 
 God Rewards Charitable Gifts, 474 
 
 The Blessed Bread, 475 
 
 The Bleeding Bread, , . . . 475 
 
 Reverence for God's Word, . , , 475 
 
CONTENTS. 15 
 
 The Fifth Petitio7i. *' Forgive us our Trespasses^ as we Forgive 
 them who Trespass against us.'' 
 
 Instruction, ............. 476 
 
 Reflection, . o .......... . 478 
 
 Passages from Scripture, . . . . . . . , . . 478 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, ......... 478 
 
 Examples, ............. 478 
 
 Forgive us our Trespasses, 478 
 
 Forgive and you will be Forgiven, . . . . . . . . 479 
 
 Magnanimity, ............ 480 
 
 Reward for Forgiving our Enemies, . . . . . . . 481 
 
 The Sixth Petition, " Lead us not into Temptation^ 
 
 Instruction, ............. 483 
 
 Reflection, 487 
 
 Passages from Scripture, . . 487 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, 487 
 
 Three Counsels against Temptation, 488 
 
 Sayings of the Ancient Fathers, 489 
 
 Examples, ............. 490 
 
 From Holy Scripture, 490 
 
 God stands by us in Temptations, ........ 490 
 
 St. Jerome's Struggles, .......... 490 
 
 Heroic Resistance, 491 
 
 The Seventh Petition. ^'- But deliver us from Evil. Amen.'' 
 
 Instruction, ............. 492 
 
 Reflection, ............. 494 
 
 Passages from Scripture, 494 
 
 Selections from the Fathers, . 494 
 
 Processions and Litanies, .......... 494 
 
 Examples, ............. 496 
 
 Sufferings and Trials are not Evils, 496 
 
 Death not an Evil, ........... 496 
 
 St. Louis and the Duke of Joinville, 497 
 
 But One Thing to Fear, 497 
 
 St. Clare, 497 
 
 Xlbe Hnoelical Salutation. 
 
 Instruction, ............. 499 
 
 Reflection, 500 
 
 The Subject-matter of the Angelical Salutation, ...... 500 
 
 The Angel's Salutation, 500 
 
 Mary and Elizabeth, . . . . ' 502 
 
 The Council of Ephesus, . 502 
 
 High Antiquity of the Hail Mary, 503 
 
 Origin of the Angelus, 505 
 
l6 CONTENTSo 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The Hail Mary an Excellent Prayer, 505 
 
 The Angelical Salutation contains Celestial Strength, and affords Help and 
 
 Consolation in Spiritual and Bodily Necessities, .... 506 
 
 The Storm Stilled, 506 
 
 A Death-bed Conversion, 506 
 
 Blessed Father Salvator, 508 
 
 Persons devoted to the Hail Mary, 508 
 
 Brief Explanation of the Hail Mary, ........ 509 
 
 Reflection, 516 
 
 Praises of the Blessed Virgin, . . . . . . . . .516 
 
 From the Fathers of the Church, . . . . . . . . 516 
 
 The Litany of Loreto, . . . . . . . . • » 519 
 
 The Rosary 524 
 
 The Festival of the Assumption, ........ 528 
 
 The Holy Name of Mary, 529 
 
 The Lovableness of Mary's Name, ....*... 529 
 
 The Power of Mary's Name, 531 
 
 The Festival of the Holy Name of Mary, 531 
 
 Mary, Refuge of Sinners, 533 
 
 Mother of Mercy, 535 
 
 The Archconfraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the Con- 
 version of Sinners, .......... 535 
 
 The Protection of the Blessed Virgin, ....... 537 
 
 From the Fathers, 537 
 
 Mary our Help in Life, . . . . . . . . . . 539 
 
 Mary is the Help of Christians, . . . . . . . . 539 
 
 Mary is the Health of the Sick, « ■ . . . . . . . 542 
 
 Mary the Comfort of the Afflicted, . . . . • . • • 543 
 
 Mary our Helper in Death, ..... o.. . 543 
 
 Mary Soothes the Last Moments of her Servants, .... 543 
 
 Mary Imparts Strength on the Death-bed of her Clients, . . . 543 
 Mary Helps her Clients in the Final Assaults of the Devil, * . . 544 
 Mary will not Permit her Servants to Die Without the Last Sacra- 
 ments, <...«....<>... 544 
 
Ctttrotructiott* 
 
 Z\)c lEnb of fiDam 
 
 HY am I here in this world ? What 
 is my destiny ? What is the chief, 
 proper, and only aim or object for 
 the attainment of which I should 
 struggle and strive? This question 
 is one that every rational being must 
 propose to himself, and to the solu- 
 tion of which all his thoughts, words, 
 and actions should be directed. 
 
 Every human being must have, 
 here below, some special and fixed 
 aim and purpose. It is contradic- 
 tory to the very nature of man to 
 even think otherwise. Moreover, we 
 see in the visible world surrounding 
 us that everything created has its 
 own peculiar aim and purpose, and 
 one which it must and does strive to 
 attain and accomplish. Indeed, we 
 measure the worth or worthlessness 
 of every created thing in proportion 
 as it is fitted or unfitted for the end for which it is intended. 
 
 Now, as every created inanimate thing has its own duly ap- 
 pointed sphere, its proper place in nature, and its own peculiar 
 destiny, it cannot be supposed for a moment that man, who 
 is the masterpiece and crowning glory of creation, should be 
 devoid of all aim and object. 
 
 But what is this end of man ? What is his only true destiny ? 
 
 n 
 
l8 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 If we would enjoy peace of soul, we must first of all have a clear 
 and certain answer to this question. 
 
 Even in the earliest times the philosophers or wise men of 
 the world labored hard to solve this question. But as they were 
 guided solely by their reason and their errors, like the feather 
 in the breeze, or the foam on the ocean wave, they were tossed 
 hither and thither and never reached solid footing. Thus St. 
 Augustine, a bishop of the Church in the early part of the fifth 
 century, assures us that even in his time these wise philosophers 
 had enunciated three hundred different and contradictory pre- 
 tended explanations of the end for which man was created. 
 
 Is the ClioPld caith its Goods the only Rim 
 and Hnd of man ? 
 
 It is but natural that we should in the first place institute an 
 inquiry among the created things about us, in order to ascertain 
 whether they can be the object for which we were created, 
 whether they alone should constitute the object of our thoughts, 
 sentiments, aspirations, desires, and actions. Very few v/ords 
 will suffice to prove the absurdity of such a supposition. 
 
 In the first place, the relation established between man and 
 other created beings is such that the latter are subjected to man, 
 while man is nowise subservient to them. This truth we are 
 taught by our daily experience. It is true, indeed, that man, 
 with his body formed from the slime of the earth, is closely allied 
 with created matter, and is to a certain degree dependent on 
 created things. But man's soul rises aloft above all these things 
 and reigns supreme over them, though from a material point of 
 view they may seem to be greater and stronger. Now if man, 
 in view of his loftier and nobler nature, is conscious that he is 
 lord of creation, it cannot be his duty to serve what is lower and 
 less important than himself. He who would attempt to main- 
 tain such a theory would be compelled to find and to prove that 
 it is natural for intelligence to be the servant of ignorance and 
 irrationalism. 
 
 In the second place, man bears within his very being an irre- 
 pressible desire for happiness, to obtain which should be the true 
 aim and object of his life. Now, the world even with all its 
 goods can make no man happy. For true happiness is that state 
 of being in which a man can have nothing further to wish for. 
 Assuming a man to be in possession and enjoyment of all the 
 
THE END OF MAN. I9 
 
 wealth, honors, and pleasures that this world can afford, he 
 cannot conceal from himself that he must one day leave all 
 these good things, namely, on the day of his death. Moreover, 
 as man cannot find true happiness in these things of themselves, 
 it is still less the case if we consider them in their relation to 
 him. 
 
 All the good things of this world, call them by the happiest 
 and pleasantest names you will, are utterly incapable of satisfy- 
 ing the longings of the human heart. The great King Solomon, 
 whose success and wealth are proverbial, and who owned and 
 enjoyed everything that can rejoice the heart of man, declared 
 them all to be folly and vanity. Alexander the Great, after hav- 
 ing at the head of his forces conquered all of the then known 
 world, wept bitter tears on hearing that there were still other 
 unknown countries that he could not reach even with fire and 
 sword. And even if he could have laid them prostrate in sub- 
 jection, his cravings for more would still be unallayed. 
 
 What countless cares attend the accumulation and even the 
 keeping of worldly goods ! Where is the honored man who 
 has honors enough ? Where the millionaire who has millions 
 enough ? As the thorns surround the roses, so do cares and anx- 
 ieties encompass honors, pleasures, and wealth. Where do we 
 most frequently hear the songs and shouts of joy and happiness, 
 those expressions that spring from a contented and peaceful 
 heart — in the cabins of the poor or in the palaces of the rich ? 
 Such being the case, how can any reasonable being entertain 
 the absurd belief that the true destiny and proper end of 
 man is to be found in the fleeting, troublesome things of this 
 world ? On the contrary, he must acknowledge the truth of 
 what the wise king says: '^ What hath pride profited us? or 
 what advantage hath the boasting of riches brought us ? All 
 those things are passed away like a shadow, and like a post that 
 runneth on : and as a ship that passeth through the waves : 
 whereof when it is gone by, the trace cannot be found, nor the 
 path of its keel in the waters : or as when a bird flieth througli 
 the air, of the passage of which no mark can be found : or as 
 when an arrow is shot at a mark, the divided air presently comelh 
 together again, so that the passage tliereof is not known" 
 (Wisdom v. 8-12). 
 
 And when those days come of which the Holy Scripture says: 
 They please us not, those days of old age, of feebleness, of sick- 
 ness, and of death, — of what avail then are honors and wealth ? 
 
2d Introduction'. 
 
 In the hour of death, what comfort or help can we derive from 
 mountains of gold, from a bed of costly down, or from an army 
 of servants ? Pain will be pain in the presence of untold wealth. 
 Anxiety and sadness will be anxiety and sadness, death will be 
 the same death, whether its victim be a king or a beggar. When 
 did gold or honors ever check a drop of death-sweat on the brow 
 of a dying man ? If then, amid all that the world can offer us, it 
 is impossible to secure contentment, unalloyed happiness, real 
 comfort and strength, it is plain that the world with its goods 
 cannot be the end for which we were created, nor the object for 
 which we should strive and labor with all our best energies. It 
 is not the goal for which our soul should long and pray. It is 
 not the object of our purest and noblest aspirations. Peace of 
 heart and tranquillity of soul must dwell in the destiny of man. 
 
 Uihat is the Only True Hnd and Destiny of CQan? 
 
 To this all-important question, St. Augustine in his Confes- 
 sions gives us this answer : " Our heart, O Lord, will not know 
 rest till it rest in Thee." 
 
 The truth of this statement is contained in what has been 
 said above. Man has within him an irresistible craving for 
 happiness. This craving can be satisfied only when the heart's 
 possession of happiness is complete, unalloyed, and enduring. 
 Now all these conditions the world with its happiness cannot 
 fulfil. God alone can afford us such true and lasting happiness. 
 He alone is eternal goodness, in the possession of which we 
 need have no fear of losing it. He alone is the infinite good and 
 the essence of all good such as can satisfy the human heart. 
 He alone can fill its yawning chasms and thereby render it per- 
 fectly happy. In God alone, therefore, is man's true happiness 
 to be fcund, in God alone, then, are we to find and secure the 
 true end of our existence on this earth. 
 
 Again, man has within his nature an irrepressible desire for 
 truth, and also the power of recognizing and accepting such 
 truth. He seeks it with all the powers of his soul and will not 
 rest contented till he discover it. First of all he desires most 
 ardently to obtain a clear and decisive answer concerning him- 
 self, his whole being, and the aim and purpose of his existence. 
 Where did I come from ? Whither am I going ? Can it be that 
 the grave is the end of my existence, covering up forever all mv 
 hopes and aspirations, and rendering vain and profitless all the 
 
Tlifi ENt> OF MAN. 21 
 
 efforts of my life ? Rather is there not a brighter and a better 
 life beyond the tomb ? How is such life to be reached ? What 
 must I do to secure it? Such are a few of the many vital ques- 
 tions that we cannot stifle in our souls. They will not be turned 
 aside. They demand an answer. But who can answer them ? 
 
 Is man's own private reason able to give a satisfactory reply? 
 Experience and his own innate consciousness teach him the con- 
 trary. If we ask any or all of those pagan though learned na- 
 tions who, because they drifted far away from revelation, had to 
 labor in search of truth with no other light or help than their 
 own clouded understandings and imperfect knowledge, they will 
 one and all assure us that, although they have striven after truth, 
 they have not been able to find it. For four thousand years was 
 the human intellect groping after the precious jewel of truth, and 
 yet at the time of the Saviour, Pilate was compelled to ask Jesus, 
 " What is truth ? " Thus we see that human reason, when left to 
 itself, was not in a condition to discover truth. On the contrary, 
 it was led to doubt even the very existence of truth. 
 
 The efforts of modern times in the same direction have led to 
 a similar result. How many worldly-wise scholars, the so-called 
 philosophers, all during the long course of ages down tQ our own 
 day, have stood up on their proud rostrums, and with loud voice 
 and high-sounding words pretended that they had secured this 
 treasure without the aid of God or His revelation ! And what 
 does all their teaching amount to? One system of philosophy 
 followed on the heels of another, and after an ephemeral life 
 died, was forgotten, and was succeeded by a newer and a 
 stranger system. One philosopher charged the other with error 
 and falsehood, and the latter placed the same brand on still 
 another. What wonder then, if to-day, as in the days of Pilate, 
 human teachers have come to doubt even the possibility of 
 obtaining genuine truth ! 
 
 But the human soul will not be satisfied with the vagaries 
 and doubts of these, would-be teachers. From tliem it cannot 
 obtain any satisfactory answer to the grand questions that are 
 continually pressing themselves on its attention. This fact alone 
 the soul becomes assured of: namely, that in this material tran- 
 sitory life there is not to be found any satisfactory explanation 
 to its inquiries, and that some other system of teaching must be 
 brought into requisition, in order to make mankind hajipy and 
 contented in tiie secure possession of genuine truth. When the 
 world fails to afford light, man lifts his eyes aloft to the Super- 
 
22 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 natural Being from Whom all good proceeds, including light and 
 consolation, for otherwise perplexed and miserable mankind. 
 There alone is truth, eternal, undying truth. There, too, in God 
 alone will the human intellect find rest and happiness, for there 
 it will find truth and secure its possession. There will man learn 
 w^hy he was created ; there he will find and reach his true aim 
 and destiny. 
 
 Man is also led to this same object by his natural sentiments 
 of morality and instincts of justice. Every man necessarily 
 
 desires, both 
 for himself 
 and his fel- 
 low-beings, a 
 properly- 
 earned meas- 
 ure of reward 
 and punish- 
 ment. Good- 
 ness has a 
 right to rec- 
 ognition and 
 c om pe nsa- 
 tion, while 
 evil is justly 
 liable to pen- 
 al ty. But 
 here, too, as 
 in the search 
 for truth, a 
 similar strug- 
 gle ensues for 
 man. First 
 of all, he must 
 ask of him- 
 self. What is 
 really good 
 and what is 
 really evil } 
 The funda- 
 "LiFT UP Your Hearts." mental.princi- 
 
 ples of morality cannot vary with different nations or in different 
 ages. They cannot be modelled after the opinions of individual 
 
THE END OF MAN. ^3 
 
 men. They are everlasting, the same for all times and places, and 
 are binding alike on nations and individuals. But who shall 
 lay down for me these fundamental laws ? Where is the 
 authority to which all men will willingly submit? Here also 
 we see that the man who is interested in true morality must seek 
 his highest ideal, his noblest and last end, far above earthly 
 things — in Infinity; that is to say, in an All-holy God. 
 
 As soon as man, instructed by the word of God, knows what 
 is good and what is bad, he feels within himself an invincible, 
 innate sense of justice, or a desire that virtue should be rewarded 
 and vice punished. This sense or instinct of justice shows further 
 that the world and merely material life cannot satisfy the wants 
 of man; that they cannot constitute the chief end and destiny 
 of a human being. Man's true destiny can be found only in God, 
 Who is justice itself. For wherever man may look about among 
 his fellowmen, he must confess that he can find perfect justice 
 nowhere in this world. All about him he sees innocence suffer- 
 ing and weeping amid the iniquities of evil men. True virtue 
 has to eat the hard bread of affliction, contempt, and poverty. 
 At the same time pride, vice, and sin stalk proudly and 
 triumphantly over the earth. On the man who turns away 
 from his God the world lavishes its honors and riches, while 
 the God-fearing Christian sighs and groans beneath the heavy 
 hand of relentless persecution. Is this the kind of justice that 
 the human heart craves and demands? Impossible! Where, 
 then, is it to find that justice for which it sighs, and which, 
 as it well knows, man must certainly obtain? — for the human 
 heart has been created for it. Here it is that men respond 
 to the invitation, ''sursum corda," "lift up your hearts" to God, 
 the All-just One: there is your goal; He is your last end, your 
 everlasting peace. In Him is the reward of virtue and the pun- 
 ishment of vice. Yes, indeed, the heart of man knows no rest till 
 it finds it in its God. 
 
 Then the tendency towards God and the struggle to reach 
 Him is the highest aim for man here below. How sublime such 
 a tendency ! Where can be found a loftier, nobler, or more sacred 
 destiny ? Oh, how poverty-stricken is the blinded intellect of that 
 man who cannot tear himself away from earthly things and lift 
 himself above the useless trifles offered by this earth ! His efforts 
 meet no reward, his yearnings are never gratified. His hopes 
 are never realized, and what he obtains to-day he loses to-mor- 
 row. With what a look of despair he must regard the gloomy 
 
24 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 darkness of his grave ! Are all his aspirations to be buried for- 
 ever within its dismal portals ? Are all his labors and cares, all 
 his strivings and hopes, all his life-trials, to know no other re- 
 ward than a tombstone, which will be the only means of preserv- 
 ing the memory of his name, and that but for a short time ? 
 Impossible ! impossible ! says the reasonable being. My reason, 
 my heart, the experience of all ages, proclaim to me that the ideal 
 of man is loftier, holier, divine. Hence I will direct my life, my 
 thoughts, my actions, my desires accordingly. Such is the grand 
 and beneficent influence that Christianity exercises on the moral 
 development of mankind. It raises man aloft to God, the just 
 and Holy One, in order to make him holy and just, and conse- 
 quently a child of eternal happiness. This truth is enunciated in 
 words at once sublime and simple in Holy Scripture, when Our 
 Saviour says : " This is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the 
 only true God" (John xvii. 3). 
 
 The ^IVTeans of Attaining ouf liast Hnd. 
 
 If we would reach and possess God we must first endeavor to 
 know Him. For it is only when we know an object and know it 
 intimately that we will tend towards that object, and learn to 
 love it and be ready to serve it willingly and cheerfully. In such 
 a knowledge, such a love, and such a service is to be found the 
 best and surest means to finally reach God, and consequently our 
 last end and only happiness. 
 
 But, if I am to know God, then it is necessary that I should 
 believe all that God has revealed. 
 
 It is true that from outward visible nature I may learn the 
 existence of an almighty, all-wise, and beneficent Creator. But 
 a satisfactory knowledge of God and a proper appreciation of the 
 purpose of my existence cannot be acquired from a mere study 
 of nature. Such knowledge must be imparted to me by God 
 Himself. It is necessary that He Himself should instruct mankind 
 on the internal nature and essence of His Godhead, on His out- 
 ward existence, and on His divine law. God must reveal Himself 
 to man. The supernatural can never result from the natural, nor 
 be contained within it, any more than the earth could be grasped 
 by the hand of man. 
 
 As soon as God reveals Himself to man, — that is, when, in His 
 infinite mercy. He condescends to teach man, — it becomes man's 
 bounden duty to place implicit faith in God's word and teach- 
 ings. This faith is in accordance with reason, for it is a belief in 
 
THE END OF MAN. 25 
 
 eternal truth and wisdom. He who does not believe in God can- 
 not have a correct knowledge of Him, and is thus deprived of the 
 first and most necessary means of reaching everlasting happiness. 
 
 When by the aid of faith man learns to know God in His 
 essence, in His attributes, and in His economy, he also at the same 
 time learns that he himself is dependent on God, because God is 
 the highest and most powerful Lord of heaven and earth, and 
 the Father of all created things, including man himself. From 
 such relation between God and man there grows up for man the 
 duty of obedience to God. In other words, man ought to obey 
 his Creator's law by keeping His commandments. 
 
 When we seek to discharge the high and holy duties of life, 
 to do the divine will, we enter at once on the field of battle, and 
 begin the unceasing warfare, and the series of strivings and long- 
 ings which form the whole of every human life. With sin there 
 came into the world that spirit of opposition which sets man at 
 variance with God, with nature, and with himself. Even the 
 apostle Paul complains that he does not do the good he wishes 
 to do, and does the evil which he does not wish to do. Although 
 Christ the Lord has redeemed us, there still lurks within us a 
 strong inclination to evil, partly in punishment for the past, and 
 partly for the purpose of trying our virtue and of acquiring 
 merit. The strength in man of this tendency to evil and its 
 powers to lead him far away from good are made evident in the 
 countless and nameless vagaries to which men have drifted at all 
 times. Hence Christ established, as one of the first requirements 
 from His believers, that they shall deny themselves; that is to 
 say, they shall fight and conquer their own inclinations. Man 
 could never succeed in winning this difficult victory over himself 
 if a merciful God did not assist and help him with His grace. 
 Hence Christ established means of grace, especially the sacraments 
 and prayer, by the use of which we may gain divine grace. These 
 are, for this reason, called means or channels of grace; and it is 
 these means of grace that are considered and explained in this 
 volume of Christian teaching. 
 
THE MEANS OF GRACE 
 
 Ef)t (i^^vatt oi €^oXf in i3mtval 
 
 II^STl^UCTIOfl. 
 HVTeaning of Gfaee. 
 
 VERY grace is a favor or a gift, to which \vc liave 
 rightful claim. It is a benefit bestowed upon us, a 
 privilege extended to us, purely out of love and mercy, which 
 we could not demand, because we have not merited it. 
 
 Hence, by a divine grace we understand a gift or a favor 
 which God imparts to a man, either in body or in soul, out of 
 
 27 
 
28 THE GRACE OF GOD IN GENERAL. 
 
 friendship, goodness, and mercy, and independent of man's earn- 
 ing it; that is, to say without the man having a right to demand 
 it from God, 
 
 Divisions of GPaec. 
 
 There are natural and supernatural, outward and inward, 
 immediate and indirect graces of God. 
 
 When the grace consists in any kind of a temporal good what- 
 soever, affording to our body or our temporal life some good or 
 advantage, it is called natural grace. 
 
 When it consists of something calculated to help the salva- 
 tion of our soul, giving us an increased power for the successful 
 attainment of our last end, it is called supernatural grace. 
 
 When God, by this grace, influences the outward man, it is 
 called outward grace. When He effects in man an inward influ- 
 ence for his sanctification and salvation, the movement is called 
 inward grace. Thus, for example, the preaching of the word of 
 God is an outward grace, because man is thereby acted upon 
 outwardly by it. When the word of God penetrates to the in- 
 w^ard man, when the eyes of his mind are opened and his will 
 moved to follow the voice of Him Who calls, it becomes an inward 
 grace, for the influence penetrates into man's interior being. 
 
 Sometimes a man receives a call to faith or to conversion 
 from God Himself — as, for example, St. Paul. This is an immedi- 
 ate grace. 
 
 Most frequently God makes use of certain agents or means in 
 imparting to us His graces — as, for exam pie, the messenger of faith, 
 when He sent Philip to the servant of Queen Candace, or He 
 makes use of Christian parents, pious teachers, zealous preachers 
 and pastors, devout confessors, good books, or edifying examples; 
 also dreadful chastisements, general calamity, sufferings, sickness, 
 and trouble, by all or any of which He exercises such an influence 
 on us and in us that we believe, become converted, do penance, 
 or enter upon a strict mode of life. This is a mediate or indirect 
 grace. 
 
 Inward supernatural grace, of which we shall first treat, is 
 divided: 
 
 1. Into grace of assistance, also called efficacious grace and 
 preventing grace, because it works upon the soul. 
 
 2. Into the grace of holiness, also called permanent grace and 
 sanctifying grace, because it remains in the soul and adorns and 
 strengthens it, 
 
NECESSITY OF GRACE. 
 
 29 
 
 f^EFIiHCTION. 
 The fieeessity of Divine Gpaee. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 O man can come to Me, except the Father, 
 Who hath sent Me, draw him " (John vi. 44). 
 " No man can say, the Lord Jesus, but by 
 the Holy Ghost" (I. Corinthians xii. 3). 
 "Not that we are sufficient to think any- 
 thing of ourselves: but our sufficiency is 
 from God " (II. Corinthians iii. 5). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 " As the arid earth, if it be not moistened, cannot bring forth 
 fruit, so we, too, who of ourselves are nothing but dry twigs, can 
 bear no fruit without the wholesome dew of grace " (St. Irenseusj. 
 " To divine grace is to be ascribed all that we succeed in doing 
 in the order of salvation" (St. Gregory the Greaij. "The 
 healthiest bodily eye cannot see anything without light: likewise 
 man, even if perfectly justified, cannot make one step forward in 
 the way of sanctification if divine grace do not assist him " iS:. 
 Augustine). " It is not at all possible to do anything right if one 
 have not grace from above" (St. John Chrysostom). "As the 
 body without the soul is dead and unable to do anything, so the 
 soul without divine grace is dead for the kingdom of heaven: i: 
 cannot do anything towards pleasing God " (Macarius). 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 What the rain is to the plants, the sun to the earth, what food 
 is to the body, and salt to food, divine grace is the same to ilie 
 life of the soul. 
 
 As the body cannot live without the soul, so the soul cannot 
 live without grace. As soon as the grace of God departs, the 
 soul is spiritually dead. 
 
 Grace is the root of spiritual life. 
 
 Grace is like a fire which imparts light, warmth, and life. 
 Tlius it is the grace of God that keeps up within us the light of 
 faith, enkindles the warmth of divine charity, and creates a 
 higher life in and with God: "I live, now not I: but Christ liveth 
 in me " (Galatians ii. 20). 
 
 EXAMPLES- 
 From Holy Scripture. 
 
 A clear proof of the necessity of Gcnl's grace aj^j^ears in the 
 way and manner by wliich tlie apostles came to tiieir blcssetl 
 
30 THE GRACE OF GOD IN GENERAL. 
 
 Master. They were called. Thus Peter and Andrew, as they 
 were casting their nets into the sea (Matthew iv. 19). Thus James 
 and John, while they were occupied in mending their nets 
 (Matt. iv. 21). It was thus that the Lord called Matthew while sit- 
 ting at the custom-house. Although the latter had seen Jesus work 
 many miracles, he was not induced to follow Him till the Saviour 
 Himself said to him, " Follow Me" (Mark ii. 14). To the assembled 
 apostles Our Lord said plainly and emphatically: " You have not 
 chosen Me, but I have chosen you" (John xv. 16). This calling of 
 the apostles is a figure of the calling of all men to eternal life. 
 
 Another example we have in the calling of Lydia, a seller of 
 purple in Thyatira, who heard the apostle St. Paul preaching, 
 and of whom it is w^ritten, the Lord opened her heart " to attend 
 to those things which were said by Paul " (Acts xvi. 14). Cor- 
 nelius, too, although on account of his piety and alms he deserved 
 to receive the faith, did not receive it till the grace of God first 
 sent Peter to him (Acts x. 5). 
 
 From the Lives of the Saints. 
 
 St. Augustine.— The great St. Augustine, whose youth was as 
 full of errors as his mature life was of virtues, owed his conver- 
 sion chiefly to the unceasing prayers of his devout mother, St. 
 Monica, and to a special intervention of God. For a long time 
 his heart yearned for a knowledge of divine truth. The ser- 
 mons of St. Ambrose, many of which Augustine had listened to, 
 had made a deep impression on his mind. With his soul filled 
 with unrest, he would often withdraw from busy life, in company 
 with a single companion, his friend Alypius, in the hope of find- 
 ing truth and grace. It was on one of such occasions that grace 
 did reach his soul and effect his conversion— an event which he 
 thus describes in his " Confessions ": 
 
 " When deep meditation lifted up my misery from a slough 
 of despond, and placed it fairly before the eyes of my soul, there 
 arose within my breast a violent struggle, which was accompanied 
 by a copious flow of tears. To give fuller scope to my feelings, I 
 arose and went away from Alypius ; for solitude seemed to be 
 better adapted to the free flow of my tears. Throwing myself 
 on the ground under a fig-tree, I wept bitterly. Oh, what tor- 
 rents of tears fell from my eyes, and became to Thee, O Lord, a 
 pleasing sacrifice ! And many were the things I said to Thee, if 
 not in the following words, at least in the following sentiments : 
 'And Thou, O Lord, how long? Wilt Thou be angry forever ? Be 
 
NECESSITY OF GRACE. 
 
 31 
 
 not mindful of my past misdeeds.' For I felt the captivity in 
 which they held me, and again cried out : * How long, how long ? 
 To-morrow, always to-morrow? Why not now ? Why shall not 
 this hour be the last of my shame?* 
 
 " Thus I spoke and wept in the greatest bitterness of my heart, 
 when, lo! I seemed to hear, from a neighboring house, the voice 
 of a girl or young boy, who in sweet accents repeated the words : 
 * Take and read, take and read.' At once my expression of 
 countenance changed, and I began seriously to inquire of myself 
 whether it was the voice of children at play. Then reflecting 
 
 further, I sup- 
 pressed m y 
 tears, arose, 
 and felt con- 
 vinced that I 
 had received a 
 divine com- 
 mand to open 
 the sacred 
 Scriptures and 
 read the first 
 passage I 
 should meet. 
 For I had 
 learned from 
 Antony that 
 by reading the 
 Scriptures he 
 had learned to 
 consider as ap- 
 plying to him- 
 self the pass- 
 age which says: 
 * Go, sell what 
 thou hast, and 
 give to the 
 poor, and thou 
 s h a 1 1 have 
 treasu re in 
 " Iakk and Rkad." heaven : and 
 
 come, follow Me' (Matthew xix. 22), and tliat he was converted 
 by the same words. 
 
32 THE GRACE OF GOD IN GENERAL. 
 
 "I hastened back to Alypius, where I had left the Epistles 
 of the Apostle, and, opening the book, I read greedily the first 
 passage that met my eyes: 'Not in rioting and drunkenness, 
 not in chambering and impurities, not in contention and 
 envy : but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not pro- 
 vision for the fiesh in its concupiscences' (Romans xiii. 13, 
 14). I did not wish to read more. It was not necessary; 
 for, as I finished the passage, a light of calm security was shed 
 upon my heart, dispelling the dark vapors of uncertainty and 
 indecision. Closing the book, I related to Alypius what had 
 happened. He begged me to show him what I had read. He 
 read further on than I had, as follows : ' Him that is weak in 
 faith take unto you' (Romans xiv. i). He was strengthened by 
 this passage, and took resolutions similar to mine, though he had 
 for some time been a far better man than I had been. Then we 
 went to my mother and told her what had happened and how it 
 came to pass. She was overpowered with joy, and praised Thee, 
 O God, Who can do more than we can understand. Then she per- 
 ceived that Thou hadst favored me far beyond her expectations. 
 Then didst Thou so convert me that I craved no longer for any- 
 thing worldly. I found myself in that justification by faith which 
 Thou hadst long held out to me. Thou didst change her sorrow 
 into a joy greater than she had asked for." 
 
 Watomica. — In the Society of Jesus, that gathers its members 
 from every clime and race, and sends them into every quarter of 
 the globe, there is at present a red-skinned son of the wilderness, 
 named Watomica. Having completed his studies and finished his 
 preparatory training, he is an ordained priest. God's grace it 
 was that led him to his present high and honorable position. An 
 American missionary writes thus about him : Watomica, or, as 
 his name signifies, Fleet Foot, is the son of one of the most re- 
 nowned Indian chieftains in the tribe of the Delawares, a tribe 
 which at the time of the discovery of America was one of the 
 most numerous and powerful. Watomica was brought up in a 
 Protestant college, where in the simplicity of his heart he em- 
 braced the religion of his preceptors. Animated with a spirit of 
 sincere piety, he devoted much time to prayer and the contem- 
 plation of heavenly subjects, and even practised some severe 
 austerities. Such a mode of life not being in accordance with 
 the notions of his fellow-collegians, he had to bear with much 
 opposition and ridicule. Whilst preparing for the ministry and 
 
ACTUAL GRACE. 
 
 33 
 
 studying the religious system of Calvinism, he suffered deeply in 
 spirit from the constant recurring doubts that arose before his 
 mind. Even prayer and fasting failed to overcome these doubts, 
 or to bring more light to his troubled soul. 
 
 But the ways of Providence are wonderful, and no one seeks 
 His assistance in vain. Watomica, having become a preacher in 
 St. Louis, was one day taking a walk, when chance, or rather 
 Providence, guided his steps to the street in which stands the 
 church of the Jesuits. Numbers of children were gathering for 
 catechism, and he watched them with a strange feeling of curios- 
 ity. Though he had been taught to despise even the name 
 Catholic, his curiosity overcame early prejudice, and he entered 
 the sacred edifice. At once he was seized with emotions that he 
 could not explain even to himself. The altar with its cross, the 
 images of the Blessed Virgin and the saints, the emblems of reli- 
 gion, and above all the light in the sanctuary, made upon him 
 the most vivid impression. The Good Shepherd hidden in the 
 tabernacle influenced mildly yet powerfully the poor wandering 
 sheep. He listened with the utmost attention to the instruction im- 
 parted to the children, which happened to have a bearing on 
 several points to which Watomica had devoted much study. 
 Filled with wonder and happiness at his discovery of truths which 
 he now mastered for the first time, he returned to his home. After 
 a prayer of thanksgiving to God, he felt himself emboldened to 
 call on a priest, to whom he laid open his hitherto troubled and 
 doubting soul. Soon did this child of the wilderness renounce 
 his errors. He made a profession of faith, and entered the Society 
 of Jesus, there to find peace of heart and intellect forever. 
 
 actual (Brace* 
 
 II^STl^UCTIO^SL. 
 
 meaning of fletaal Gpaee. 
 
 Y ACTUAL GRACE, or the grace of assistance, 
 is meant that grace whereby God illumines the 
 understanding and influences the will carefully 
 to avoid evil, and to will and to accomplish good. 
 When we consider actual grace as operating 
 on the understcinding, it is called illuminating 
 grace. When considered in its action on the 
 will, it is called impelling grace. Moreover, as actual grace goes 
 
34 THE GRACE OF GOD IN GENERAL. 
 
 before the influences to good works, and accompanies and accom- 
 plishes our acts, it is called preventive grace, habitual grace, and 
 perfecting grace, respectively. 
 
 fieeessity of Actual Gpaee. 
 
 Actual grace is indispensably necessary, since without it we 
 cannot begin, continue, or complete the smallest action towards 
 our salvation. Eternal happiness, the securing of which is our 
 chief purpose in life, is evidently a good of the supernatural order. 
 Hence it can be reached only through supernatural strength 
 and aid, that is to say — by grace; and without such grace we are 
 unable to work for our salvation. 
 
 God gives His Gpaee to all CQen. 
 
 God gives sufficient grace to all men, to enable them to keep 
 the commandments of obligation upon them, and to reach ever- 
 lasting happiness. For God " will have all men to be saved, and 
 to come to the knowledge of the truth," as St. Paul writes to 
 Timothy (I. Timothy ii. 4). Now if God wills all men to be 
 saved. He certainly gives to all the grace to become so. 
 
 flocu cue must Co operate uiith Graee. 
 
 In order that the grace of God may be effective unto our sal- 
 vation, we must co-operate with it faithfully, and by no means 
 presume to resist it. 
 
 We must co-operate faithfully with the grace of God ; for, as 
 St. Augustine says, God, Who created us without any consent of 
 ours, does not wish to save us against our will, or even without 
 it. He does not effect our salvation within us, as if we were 
 sticks or stones, or some other objects to which by nature no 
 reason or free-will had been given. Hence the Apostle Paul says 
 to the Corinthians : " We helping do exhort you, that you receive 
 not the grace of God in vain" (II. Cor. vi. i). 
 
 We dare not withstand the grace of God. Divine grace does 
 not constrain the human will, but leaves to it perfect freedom of 
 action. Hence, though we have it in our power to oppose grace, 
 woe to us if we do ! We shall not again receive graces greater 
 than those that God wishes to grant us now. He may deprive 
 us of all grace. " For," says St. Augustine, '' it is a most suitable 
 penalty when God withdraws His grace from him who will not 
 make use of it." Let us not, then, say to ourselves, "it is time 
 enough." Now is the time to co-operate with grace, when Our 
 Lord says : '' Behold I stand at the gate, and knock : if any man 
 
Actual grace. 
 
 3i 
 
 shall hear My voice, and open to Me the door, I will come in to 
 him, and will sup with him, and he with Me" (Apocalypse iii. 20). 
 But if you leave your Saviour standing unadmitted. He will go 
 away, and you shall find Him no more. Let us heed the warning 
 of the Psalmist : *' To-day if you shall hear His voice, harden not 
 your hearts" (Psalm xciv. 8). 
 
 t^EpiiECTIO^. 
 Co-opefation caith QpQ.ee, 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 E WOULD have cured Babylon, but she is 
 not healed : let us forsake her, and let 
 us go every man to his own land : be- 
 cause her judgment hath reached even 
 to the heavens, and is lifted up to the 
 clouds " (Jeremias li. 9). " Because I called 
 and you refused : I stretched out My 
 hand, and there was none that regarded. 
 You have despised all my counsel, and have neglected my repre- 
 hensions. I also will laugh in your destruction, and will mock 
 when that shall come to you which you feared" (Proverbs i. 24). 
 "Wicked and slothful servant, thou oughtest to have committed 
 my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have re- 
 ceived my own with usury" (Matt. xxv. 27). ** Looking diligently 
 lest any man be wanting to the grace of God" (Hebrews xii. 15). 
 *' You therefore, brethren, knowing these things before, take heed, 
 lest being led aside by the error of the unwise, you fall from 
 your own steadfastness" (II. Peter iii. 17). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 " God enlightens, indeed, as far as in Him lies, all men that 
 come into the world. But when a person, of his own choice, re- 
 fuses to open his eyes to the light, the fault of his remaining in 
 darkness is not on the part of the light, but his own perverseness 
 renders him unworthy of such blessing" (St. Chrysostom). "Grace 
 precedes the will, that we may will, and follows it, that we may 
 will not in vain" (St. Augustine), "When our free-will obeys the 
 impulse of the divine grace that prevents us to good, we can say: 
 we make ourselves blessed, because we consent to the operation 
 of God which saves us" (St. Gregory the Great). "We have need 
 of a threefold blessing ; the first must prevent us, the second 
 
36 THE GRACE OF GOD IX GENERAL. 
 
 must help us, the third should bring the work of our salvation to 
 a perfect state" (St. Bernard). 
 
 COMPARISONS. 
 
 Actual grace operates in the soul of man as the sun operates 
 on the universe. The latter not only illumines the earth and other 
 planets, but exercises a certain attractive power, so that they con- 
 stantly move about the sun as their centre. Similar results are 
 effected in the human soul by grace, which illumines the under- 
 standing and draws and regulates the will towards goodness. 
 
 As the eye, in order to see, needs light, so does God give His 
 actual grace to the soul of man, in order that man may effect 
 some good. 
 
 As the body is active by the power of the soul, so does man 
 act for good through the power of actual grace. 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 Words of Scripture. 
 
 A striking example of grace is to be found in the Jewish peo- 
 ple, who may truly be called the nation of grace. God in His 
 mercy cast His eye upon them, and chose them from among all 
 other nations. In all their dangers He stood by them, and while 
 they remained in the way of His commandments they were for- 
 tunate and conquered all their enemies. But as soon as they fell 
 away from God and rejected grace, they became an easy prey to 
 their adversaries and were led into captivity. But when, in their 
 captivity, they returned to God, He led them back to their homes, 
 permitted them to rebuild their city and temple, and sent to them 
 the most precious of all their graces, by giving them His only- 
 begotten Son. When they rejected Christ, the measure of divine 
 justice was filled, and hence they were cast off by God, Whose 
 malediction still follows them. 
 
 Thus the Jewish Synagogue is that vineyard of which the 
 weeping Isaias complains : 
 
 "I will sing to my beloved the canticle of my cousin concern- 
 ing his vineyard. ^ly beloved had a vineyard on a hill in a 
 fruitful place. 
 
 "And he fenced it in, and picked the stones out of it, and 
 planted it with choicest vines, and built a tower in the midst 
 thereof, and set up a wine-press therein; and he looked that it 
 should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. 
 
 "And now, O ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and ye men of 
 Juda, judge between me and my vineyard. 
 
ACTUAL GRACE. 37 
 
 " What is there that I ought to do more to my vineyard, that I 
 have not done to it ? Was it that I looked that it should bring 
 forth grapes, and it hath brought forth wild grapes ? 
 
 "And now I will show you what I will do to my vineyard: I 
 will take away the hedge thereof : and it shall be w^asted : I will 
 break down the wall thereof: and it shall be trodden down. 
 
 " And I will make it desolate ; it shall not be pruned, and it 
 shall not be digged : but briars and thorns shall come up : and I 
 will command the clouds to rain no rain upon it " (Isaias v. i-6j. 
 
 So shall the soul of that man who does not correspond with 
 the grace of God be deprived of such grace, be laid waste and 
 made desolate, and be plundered and trodden down by the enemy 
 of its salvation. 
 
 Withstanding Grace. 
 
 Father Matthew Baschi,an eloquent preacher and zealous ser- 
 vant of God, was once approached by a vile, unbelieving man, 
 who, pretending to be deeply affected at the Father's sermon, be- 
 sought him to pray for him, that he might learn to lead a devout 
 life. Then the hypocrite went off to his companions and regaled 
 them with an account of his clever deception practised on the 
 priest. Some days afterw^ards the pretended penitent again vis- 
 ited the man of God, and said to him: "I don't understand 
 w^hat is the reason; but ever since I asked your prayers every 
 spark of faith and piety in my heart has been totally extin- 
 guished." "Perhaps I could explain the reason, but first I want 
 you to help me in a little job." So, leading the man down to the 
 bank of the river, Baschi said to him: " Help me to carry this 
 heavy package to that boat yonder." The man seemed w'illing 
 and took up one end of the package, while Baschi lifted the other. 
 Hardly had they gone a step when the latter let his end drop. 
 This was repeated several times, till at last the irritated man said 
 fiercely: " You old gray-head, you must hold up your end of the 
 burden; or, if you let it alone, I can almost carry it myself alone." 
 Then the priest said: "Let the sack lie there and listen to me. 
 You asked me to help you by my prayers. I did my part. Did 
 you keep your promise .'' Join your prayers in all sincerity to 
 mine, and you will soon experience God's mercy." 
 
 Impervious to Grace. 
 
 Cardinal Bellarmine relates : " I once went to visit an ac- 
 quaintance of mine, a man of position and wealtli, who in con- 
 sequence of his sinful actions was then confined to a bed of 
 
38 
 
 THE GRACE OF GOD IN GENERAL. 
 
 sickness. I suggested to him that, there being no hope of recovery, 
 the best thing for him to do was to awaken feelings of sorrow for 
 his sins, for God never despises a contrite heart. ' I know 
 nothing of such things,' replied the dying man, coldly. Then I 
 said, * Well, out of your old friendship for me, do something for 
 your soul. It would grieve me deeply to see you go before God 
 without some preparation. Say to your Creator that you are 
 sorry for the past, and willing if life were spared to make repara- 
 tion.' Again the sick man replied coldly : ' I don't understand ; 
 such things never concerned me.' In such sentiments he died." 
 
 Sanctifi^inG (Brace, or tbe (Brace of 3u6tification. 
 
 IflSTl^UCTIOri. 
 meaning of Sanctifying Gface. 
 
 ^^^m) ^NCTIFYING grace is an unmerited, super- 
 
 ^^^^ natural gift, which the Holy Ghost imparts 
 
 to the soul, and by virtue of which sinners 
 
 become just men, children of God, and heirs 
 
 to heaven. 
 
 Sanctifying grace is a supernatural gift, 
 because through it, as if through a spiritual 
 generation, God imparts to man a new super- 
 natural life, that is permanent within him as 
 long as he does not destroy it by mortal sin. 
 Hence, sanctifying grace differs from actual grace by being 
 permanent or continual. 
 
 Sanctifying grace is an unmerited grace, because it is a wholly 
 free present from the merciful love of God, since we have not 
 earned it by our natural powers, and are also unable to gain 
 it by ourselves, even with the aid of actual grace. Hence, St. 
 Paul writes in Romans (iii. 24) : " Being justified freely by His 
 grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;" and 
 again in Titus (iii. 5-7): " Not by works of justice, which we 
 have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the 
 laver of regeneration of the Holy Ghost, Whom He hath poured 
 forth upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour: 
 that being justified by His grace, we may be heirs, according to 
 hope, of life everlasting." 
 
SANCTIFYING GRACE. - 39 
 
 Sanctifying grace justifies man — that is to say, it takes him 
 out of a state of sinfulness and places him in a state of justice 
 and holiness. Hence it is called the grace of justification. 
 
 I^atupe of Justifieation. 
 
 The essence of justification consists in this : that we are freed 
 from guilt and received into the favor of God. Justification 
 takes guilt from us and gives us the good-will of God. There- 
 fore justification embraces : first, cleansing from all, or at least 
 mortal sins, together with the remission of the eternal punish- 
 ment ; and, secondly, the healing or the renewal of the internal 
 man, as explained by St. Paul in I. Corinthians (vi. ii): " You are 
 washed, you are sanctified, you are justified in the name of Our 
 Lord Jesus Christ and the spirit of our God." 
 
 Ppoeess of Justification. 
 
 A man passes from the state of sin to the state of justice and 
 holiness in the following manner: First, preventive grace en- 
 lightens the sinner, and so influences him that he turns towards 
 God. Now the sinner must obey this impulse of divine grace — 
 that is to say, he must, with the assistance of the grace, turn vol- 
 untarily towards God, believe all that God has revealed, and 
 most especially the truth that we are justified through Jesus 
 Christ. Then this faith so influences the sinner that he has a 
 wholesome fear of the divine justice, and furthermore that he at 
 the same time hopes to obtain pardon from divine mercy. Now 
 he begins to love God, bewails his sins, makes a resolution to lead 
 a new and God-pleasing life, and if he is not baptized receives 
 the sacrament of baptism ; or, if he is baptized, has recourse to 
 the sacrament of penance. In this way he receives sanctifying 
 grace, and v/ith it the remission of his sins and an internal 
 healing, whereby he becomes really just, pleasing to the Lord, a 
 child of God, and an heir to heaven. We find the clearest ex- 
 amples of this process of justification in the conversion of holy, 
 penitent saints, such as St. Augustine, St. Ignatius, and others. 
 
 lioss and Decpease of Sanctifying Gpaee. 
 
 Even by venial sin sanctifying grace is weakened, if not in 
 its essentials, at least in its accidentals. By mortal sin it is 
 totally lost. For, as Ezechiel says, '* the soul that sinneth, the 
 same shall die" (Ezechiel xviii. 20). 
 
 As long as we are in this life we have not, without a special 
 
40 THE GRACE OF GOD IN GENERAL. 
 
 revelation from God, any infallible certainty whether we are in 
 the grace and friendship of God or not. Yet there are certain 
 signs that afford us a kind of moral probability of the question. 
 One of these signs is for a person always to have a desire to 
 grow in virtue and perfection. Another sign it is, that a person 
 is in a state of grace, if he finds all his enjoyment in God alone, 
 or when he serves God with cheerfulness and pleasure ; always 
 glad to speak of God and heavenly things, and glad to hear 
 them spoken of. 
 
 ppuits of Sanctifying Grace. 
 
 When a man is in a state of sanctifying grace, fruits are not 
 wanting. These fruits are good works — namely, such good acts 
 as we perform in and because of the love of God, and in refer- 
 ence to Him, and therefore in accordance with His divine com- 
 mandments. Hence St. Isidore says: "The pious and just are 
 fruit-bearing trees, and the fruit they produce are good works." 
 Our divine Saviour said the same thing : " Every tree bringeth 
 forth good fruit" (Matt. vii. 17). 
 
 ;|V[ePitoi?iousness of Good Hjorks. 
 
 To the good works that we perform in the state of grace God 
 awards a reward or compensation. 
 By such good works we merit : 
 
 a. The increase of sanctifying grace ; for, as by a wise use and 
 disposition of earthly treasures we increase and extend them 
 and heighten their value, so by the practice of good works we 
 augment sanctifying grace within us. Hence our blessed Lord 
 says: *' To every one that hath shall be given, and he shall 
 abound" (Matt. xxv. 29). 
 
 b. Everlasting happiness is the second and most consolatory 
 reward that is bestowed upon us for the good works we perform 
 while in a state of grace. To this truth St. Paul gives expression 
 as follows : "As to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of 
 justice, which the Lord, the just judge, will render to me in 
 that day : and not only to me, but to them also that love His 
 coming" (H. Tim. iv. 7, 8). 
 
 This meritoriousness accrues to the good works that we per- 
 form in a state of grace only from God; only from the merits of 
 Jesus Christ, Whose living members we become by virtue of sanc- 
 tifying grace. Hence Christ Himself says ; " I am the vine, you 
 
SANCTIFYING GRACE. 4I 
 
 the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same 
 beareth much fruit : for without Me you can do nothing" (John 
 XV. 5). 
 
 Essential {Requisites of Good Wopks. 
 
 A good and meritorious work requires: 
 
 I. A state of grace ; 2, purity of intention. 
 
 Only those works that we perform in a state of sanctifying 
 grace can have any value before God. Man in a state of sinful- 
 ness can do nothing meritorious of heaven. Nevertheless, the 
 good deeds we perform in a state of mortal sin are not wholly 
 worthless. Although we gain by them no merit for eternal hap- 
 piness, yet God on account of them makes us more disposed for 
 the reception of sanctifying grace. We gain by them from the 
 divine mercy the grace of conversion, and sometimes escape tem- 
 poral punishments. 
 
 What is most essential to all our good works is a purity of 
 intention, which sanctifies the most insignificant work, and imparts 
 to it value and merit in the eyes of God. It is true to say: 
 "Good intention transforms lead into gold." Our divine Lord 
 expresses the high value of a proper intention in these words : 
 " Whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup 
 of cold water only in the name of a disciple : amen I say to you, 
 he shall not lose his reward " (Matt. x. 42). In view of its vital 
 importance, we should often awaken within us this purity of in- 
 tention. 
 
 H^ecessity of Good CUoPks. 
 
 Every Christian must practise good works. For, 
 
 1. Without them, our faith is of no avail. " Faith without 
 works is dead," says St. James (ii. 26). 
 
 2. Without good works sanctifying grace cannot be in us, nor 
 abide in us; for it is by good works that we manifest it out- 
 wardly, and at the same time maintain and cherish it within us. 
 
 3. It is by good works that we are to earn the reward of 
 heaven, and merit our crown. Whosoever shall appear witli 
 empty hands before God shall not receive from Him the crown 
 of life. Hence our divine Saviour says : " Every tree that doth 
 not yield good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire" 
 (Matt. iii. 10). 
 
42 
 
 THE GRACE OF GOD IN GENERAL. 
 
 I^inds of Good Cliofks. 
 
 The good works that we ought to perform are chiefly those 
 that are commanded by the law of God and His Church, and that 
 are useful and necessary to the fulfilling of the duties of our 
 state of life. 
 
 The Holy Scripture most especially commends the three fol- 
 lowing : prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Hence the angel said 
 to Tobias : " Prayer is good with fasting and alms, more than to 
 lay up treasures of gold." 
 
 By prayer is meant all exercises of devotion ; by fasting, all 
 works of mortification ; and by almsgiving, all works of Chris- 
 tian charity. 
 
 l^EFIiECTIOfi. 
 Good U-lorks. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 ET your light shine before men, that they may^ 
 see your good works, and glorify your Father Who 
 is in heaven" (Matt. v. i6). '' A good man out 
 of a good treasure bringeth forth good things" 
 (Matt. xii. 35). " Charge of the rich of this 
 world ... to do good, to be rich in good works" 
 (I. Tim. vi. 17, 18). "So faith also, if it have 
 not good works, is dead in itself. Show me thy 
 faith without works, and I w411 show thee, by works, my faith " 
 (James ii. 17, 18). " Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. 
 From henceforth now, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from 
 their labors ; for their works follow them " (Apoc. xiv. 13). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 "Whosoever say they love Christ are not esteemed for what 
 they say, but for what they do. For the tree is known by its 
 fruits. It is better to be a friend, and keep silent, than to prate 
 and not be such. The kingdom of God consists not of words, 
 but of works " (St. Ignatius of Antioch). " The intention maketh 
 the work good ; faith guideth the intention " (St. Augustine). 
 " Be not slothful in good works, that at the proper time you may 
 reap what you have sowed " (The Same). " Our works do not 
 perish as they seem to perish; they become as it were seed sown 
 in eternity. The unwise Christian will be astonished when, from 
 
SANCTIFYING GRACE. 43 
 
 the small seed, he will see a large harvest gathered, either a good 
 one or a bad one, according as the seed has been good or bad " 
 (St. Bernard). 
 
 COnPARISONS. 
 
 As the glowing iron, while retaining the nature of iron, assumes 
 to itself such qualities of fire as partially change it into fire, so 
 does the soul, by virtue of sanctifying grace, share so deeply in 
 the divine nature and perfection as if^it were transformed into 
 something divine. This change is effected by sanctifying grace; 
 for it is an infusion of the divine nature, and causes in us such 
 a transformation that not we live, but that the Spirit of God 
 lives in us. Who pours out His love in our hearts — that divine fire 
 which consumes all that is displeasing in us, so that we become 
 a living temple of God and children of the Lord (Massl). 
 
 EXAHPLES. 
 Spontaneous Good Works. 
 
 Some years ago there lived in Steirmarck a distinguished 
 Count, who had lived the life of an angel rather than that of a 
 man. Indeed, his director, to whom he confessed regularly for 
 many years, could testify that his penitent had never been guilty 
 of a mortal sin. After his death, when examining his affairs, his 
 friends discovered on his kneeling-bench a death's-head bearing 
 on the forehead the inscription : '* What in thy last hour thou 
 wouldst wish to have done, do now whilst thou art well and 
 strong." On the jaw were the words : " If thou hast done 
 much good, conceal it; otherwise thou shalt lose all merit." 
 Every day the Count had passed hours before this death's-head, 
 in prayer and contemplation and studying the Scriptures and 
 urging himself to good works. He would say to himself: 
 "Count, do now what at the hcur of thy death thou shalt 
 wish to have done. Now thou hast strength, leisure, and op- 
 portunity. Wait not for thy death hour, when thou canst do 
 nothing." 
 
 Preparations for a Journey. 
 
 A certain gentleman, who was fonder of this earth than of 
 heaven, owned a handsome country-seat witli a vineyard attached. 
 Whenever he wished to pass a few days on his place, either for 
 pleasure or to superintend the vine-dressing, he would send in 
 advance a cargo of luxuries of all kinds, that he might want for 
 nothing during his stay. All this was duly noted by a ccrtiiin 
 
44 
 
 THE GRACE OF GOD IN GENERAL. 
 
 iLip Instructing the Eunuch of 
 Queen Candace. 
 
 fool belonging to him. It came 
 to pass that the rich man fell 
 sick, and, fearing, death, was 
 worried about disposing of his 
 property by will. One day, when his clown came to his door to 
 inquire after his master's health, the latter called him and said : 
 ** You see your master is going on a long journey." The fool 
 asked where he was going. *'Alas!" said the sick man, "far, 
 far away, to a place I shall never reach." " How can that be?" 
 inquired the clown. His master answered: "Your master is 
 going to travel to heaven." " Oh ! " said the fool, " there is noth- 
 ing up there but clouds and thunder and lightning, and storms 
 and winds and rain. Stay here, where you are well off; espe- 
 cially as you have not sent before you any provisions to live on 
 when you get there. When about to go to your country-place 
 you used to send plenty before you. I have not noticed that you 
 have sent anything before you for this long journey." 
 
SANCTIFYING GRACE. 45 
 
 The poor, senseless idiot, though wanting in intellect, was the 
 means of doing good; for his master was aroused by his words, 
 and, entering into himself, endeavored by a hearty contrition and 
 other good works to lay up, even at that late hour, some treasure 
 in heaven. After providing amply for the future support of his 
 wife and family, he set apart a reasonable amount of money to 
 be distributed among the poor, that they might pray for his de- 
 parted soul. 
 
 Saturday Evening. 
 
 One warm summer evening, Gotthold, an honest farmer, 
 strolled out in the fields with his son Philip. It was a Saturday 
 in harvest-time. During the week the laborers had worked 
 steadily under a hot sun. Just then the bells of the parish church 
 tolled for the devotion of the angelus and the cessation of work 
 for the week. The men threw down their scythes, took off 
 their hats, and knelt down to say a prayer of thanksgiving to 
 God, Who had given them health and strength to complete their 
 labors. " You perceive, my son," said Gotthold, "how glad these 
 men are to hear the sound of the blessed bells. For rest is doubly 
 welcome after honest toil, to say nothing of the pleasure of car- 
 rying home well-earned wages to beloved wife and children. 
 Do you think the idle, lazy man, in all his slothful hours, ever 
 experiences a joy equal to that of his more industrious neigh- 
 bor? " 
 
 " No," replied the boy, "for the idle man must grieve to think 
 that he must go home without any wages to buy necessaries for 
 his little ones." 
 
 " Yes indeed," said the father, " he is to be pitied ; his week is 
 past and nothing done. All this is but a figure of human life, 
 which is one long week of arduous toil. We are the workmen of 
 Our Lord, and each one of us has his allotted task to do. One 
 day the angels' trumpet will proclaim that the time for work is 
 over, and all the workers will assemble around the judgment-seat 
 of their Master to receive their reward. 
 
 "What happiness then for the industrious laborers of the 
 Lord's vineyard! To them He will say: 'Well done, good 
 and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over few 
 things, I will place thee over many. Enter into the joy ol the 
 Lord.' Those unhappy beings who have misspent their time 
 will be filled with sadness, for they will hear the dreadful sen- 
 tence: 'Cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness, where 
 there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' " 
 
46 THE GRACE OF GOD IN GENERAL. 
 
 The boy replied : " Dearest father, I will try to be useful and 
 laborious, and grow to be a 'profitable servant.'" Then the 
 father said : " God bless your good intentions, my son ; be faith- 
 ful in keeping them, and then you shall not appear with empty 
 hands before God." 
 
 APPLICATION. 
 
 Pray for grace every day fervently ; for in possessing it lies 
 all your peace. It converts the sinner, softens the obdurate, 
 strengthens the good to perseverance ; it applies to us the merits 
 of the precious blood of Jesus Christ shed for us on the cross. 
 Where there is no grace there is no faith, no charity, no penance, 
 no virtue, and hence no happiness. Whence comes the estrange- 
 ment from God by so many Christians? Whence the wickedness 
 of life that people refuse to abandon ? Whence loss of faith, 
 whence hatred for virtue? All comes from absence of the grace 
 of God. 
 
 Strive to obtain and retain God's grace by frequenting the 
 sacraments. They are the fountains of grace. Be regular in 
 attendance at Holy Mass. Suffer yourself to be drawn by Jesus 
 in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, 
 
 Do not say : Grace avails me nothing. Use diligently the 
 means of grace, and you will have reason to say the contrary. 
 
 God is merciful. Trust in Him. He willeth not the death of 
 a sinner, but rather that he be converted and live. 
 
€f)e ^acrammts^ 
 
 ^be Sacramente in 6eneraL 
 
 IflSTl^UCTIO^. 
 
 meaning of the Saefaments. 
 
 SACRAMENT is a visible sign of an invisible 
 grace instituted by Jesus Christ for the sanc- 
 tifying of our souls. 
 
 Even the Old Dispensation had, so to 
 speak, its sacraments, or different outward 
 signs ordained by God, such as circumcision, 
 which was a symbol of Baptism ; the yearly 
 paschal feast, a figure of the Eucharist ; the 
 ordination or consecration of the Levitical priests, a figure of our 
 Holy Orders ; and finally, many ablutions, cleansings, and atone- 
 ments, all types or figures of the real inward and true cleansing 
 from sin in the sacrament of Penance. But these so-called sacra- 
 ments of the Old Law were vastly different from the sacraments 
 in the New Testament ; for, whereas the sacraments of the New 
 Dispensation operate of themselves, those of the Old Law operated 
 through a belief in a coming Redeemer, which belief was united 
 to them, and, as plainly appears, was vivified and strengthened 
 by them. 
 
 l^equisites of a Sacfament. 
 
 Three things are necessary to constitute a sacrament : i, an 
 outward sign of grace; 2, an inward operation of grace; 3, to 
 have been instituted by Jesus Christ. 
 
 Since we are men composed of body and soul, and dependent 
 on our external senses, God in His wisdom has been pleased to 
 impart to us His graces, which are altogether spiritual, by means 
 of outward, visible, and tangible signs. Thus man may know, 
 tlirough the aid of his bodily senses, when the grace of a sacra- 
 ment is extended to him, whilst the special inward workings of 
 
 47 
 
48 ' THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 each sacrament are plainly symbolized and interpreted to him by 
 these outward signs. Hence there is in every sacrament some- 
 thing that falls under the senses — namely, some object or some 
 act that can be seen, or some word that can be heard. That 
 which we see is called the matter, and what we hear is called 
 the form of the sacrament. Thus, for example, in Baptism 
 water is the matter; in Confirmation, the chrism ; in the Eu- 
 charist, the species of the bread and wine ; in Penance, the peni- 
 tent's contrite confession and ample satisfaction ; in Extreme 
 Unction, the anointing of the five senses ; in Ordination, the lay- 
 ing on of hands by the bishop ; in Matrimony, the consent and 
 joining of hands by the contracting parties, are the matter of 
 each of the sacraments respectively. The words that are pro- 
 nounced in administering the sacraments are the form. For ex- 
 ample, in Baptism, the words, " I baptize thee," etc., constitute 
 the form of the sacrament of Baptism. If one of these should be 
 wanting the sacrament is invalid. If the person conferring a 
 sacrament should separate the words from the form, there would 
 be no sacrament. Thus if one should attempt to baptize without 
 water, or if, when pouring the water on the person to be bap- 
 tized, he should omit the words, " I baptize," etc., there would be 
 no sacrament of Baptism, but only a meaningless, absurd act, 
 without any effect. St. Augustine says truly : " When the word 
 IS joined to the element, then only is there a sacrament." 
 
 The sun in the firmament shows us when it is morning, noon, 
 and evening, summer and winter, and it is at the same time the 
 cause of its being morning, noon, evening, summer and winter. 
 So with the sacraments: they are not mere fruitless signs, but 
 powerful, efficacious signs; that is to say, they not only point 
 out and symbolize the grace, but they cause it, and make it effect- 
 ive, if we do not on our part place a hindrance to it. 
 
 It is Jesus Christ only Who can unite an inward grace to an 
 outward sign; for He alone, not a man nor an angel, is Lord of 
 all grace. This grace He purchased for us by the infinite merits 
 of His death on the cross, which merits He imparts to us by 
 means of the sacraments. These sacraments are vessels out of 
 which we drink from the inexhaustible fountain of His merits. 
 They are channels through which the hidden graces of God are 
 conveyed to our souls from that same saving fountain. Hence 
 the sacraments, in order to be actual and active means of grace, 
 must have been instituted by Jesus Christ Himself, 
 
THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 49 
 
 Hffeet of the Saefaments. 
 
 The sacraments effect our sanctification, either by imparting 
 to us some sanctifying grace which we have not, or by strength- 
 
 The Seven Sources of Grace. 
 
 ening and augrnenting such measure of sanctifying grace as we 
 already have. 
 
 Each sacrament conveys also a special and particular grace, 
 which is called sacramental grace. This is a grace which corre- 
 sponds to the aim and purpose of each sacrament, which is 
 
50 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 specially and peculiarly its own, and given for the purpose of 
 reaching and realizing the object and aim of that sacrament. 
 
 Thus Baptism bestows the right to a grace which enables the 
 newly-regenerated heir of heaven to live according to the require- 
 ments of the Gospel. Confirmation grants a right to that grace 
 which is needed to enable the Christian confirmed to confess and 
 defend his faith. The Eucharist grants a right to that grace 
 which is required to increase spiritual life. Penance grants a 
 right to that grace which is necessary to purify the subject from 
 the defilement of sin and to guard against relapse. Extreme 
 Unction secures to us a riglit to that special grace necessary to 
 help and protect us in the dread hour of death against the 
 pains of sickness, the fear of death, and the assaults of Satan. 
 Holy Orders gives a right to that grace which is necessary to 
 enable the priest to correspond with his high calling, and to 
 work with zeal and success in the saving of souls. Finally, 
 matrimony gives a right to that grace which is so necessary in 
 cementing and sanctifying matrimonial love, and in enabling the 
 parties to fulfil the duties of their state; chiefly to bring up their 
 children in the love and fear of God. , 
 
 The JSlumbep of the Sacpaments. 
 
 Jesus Christ instituted seven sacraments, no more nor no less. 
 They are named: i. Baptism; 2, Confirmation; 3, Eucharist; 4, 
 Penance; 5, Extreme Unction; 6, Holy Orders; 7, Matrimony. 
 
 That the number is seven, and neither more nor less, we 
 know : a, from Scripture; b, from the Fathers of the Church; c, 
 from the traditions of the sects detached from the Catholic 
 Church; d, from the teaching of the Catholic Church itself. 
 
 True, it is not expressly stated in Scripture that the number 
 of the sacraments is seven. But neither is it stated that there 
 are but two or three, as the heretics would wish to assert. Now, 
 nowhere in the Sacred Scriptures can we find the word Trinity. 
 Yet, who would pretend to say that belief in the doctrine of the 
 Trinity is not based on Scripture, simply because the word 
 Trinity does not occur there? It is enough that what we under- 
 stand by the Trinity is easily and plainly to be found in the Bible. 
 The same holds true with regard to the seven sacraments. The 
 question here is not of the word or name, but of the fact itself; 
 and that fact we find expressed in Scripture in the clearest lan- 
 guage, as we shall see later on, when treating of each of the sacra- 
 
THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. ^I 
 
 merits separately. Moreover, in the Old Testament we find many- 
 allusions to the number seven in relation to the sacraments. 
 
 In the writings of the Fathers we find the seven sacraments 
 clearly enumerated. The Russians and Greeks, and all the sec- 
 tarians who fell away from the true Church in the early centuries 
 of Christianity, retain the seven sacraments — a remarkable proof 
 that the doctrine of the seven sacraments is as old as the Church 
 itself. In the sixteenth century, soon after the great schism and 
 apostasy of Luther, the Protestant theologians in Germany ap- 
 plied to the Greek patriarch in Constantinople, named Jeremias, 
 informing him that they too had separated from Rome. But the 
 patriarch rejected the proferred formula of Protestant belief, on 
 the ground that it did not express the true teachings of the 
 Church, and because it held to only two sacraments, whereas 
 there are seven. 
 
 Finally the Catholic Church, that pillar and ground of truth, 
 has always taught that there are seven sacraments, and main- 
 tained this doctrine every time against every heretic who in the 
 course of ages attacked one or other of them. Such was the case 
 at Constance in the fifteenth session, at Florence in the decree 
 prepared for the Armenians, and at Trent in the seventh session. 
 
 Jesus Christ instituted seven sacraments, because just so 
 many are required for the spiritual life of the soul, as in the 
 natural life man requires seven means to uphold it and to make 
 it useful to himself and his fellow-beings. He must be born, 
 must grow up, must partake of food to strengthen him; must 
 have medical remedies if he fall into sickness; after his recovery 
 he requires to be strengthened and restored to perfect healtli; he 
 must have leaders and teachers whose knowledge and instructions 
 may guide him. Finally, society must replace its dead members 
 by new men in order to keep up its existence. Now all these 
 same things are required for spiritual or supernatural life. We 
 must: T, be born in a spiritual manner, and, by our initiation into 
 Christianity, receive a new life. This is effected by Baptism. 2. 
 As we must always grow and thrive in the spiritual life, Confirma- 
 tion supplies strength and vitality for that purpose. 3. As we 
 stand in need of heavenly food in order to support spiritual life 
 within us, the sacrament of the Eucharist is provided for that 
 purpose. 4. When by means of sin we lose our spiritual life of 
 grace, we stand in need of some means of regaining it, and of 
 healing the wounds inflicted on our soul. Penance heals our 
 soul and restores us again to life. 5. After recovery we remain 
 
ex: 
 
 .. 6. The t : Ciirist stands io r.rt: :^ :-. 
 
 r jide the : t ~zj of salvatic r H : 1 r rs 
 
 r ^ urch wi: 7: _ :; :: the altar : ?:. ::.::-z: : :/.t 
 :ions. 7 The Church is to live unt: : t tr.l : : .e 
 .ce, it must always train up new child -r : : r. e r : : s :: . 
 y reproduction the sacrament of ma: :: s :: : :z5 
 
 7 the human family is perpc.-^-.ri :z tLrzh 
 . ., -. . : ;he elect in heaven is iocrease i. 
 
 Difference and Division of :ine S£i3rcin-ients. 
 
 The sacra ~: r r. : 5 i ftr B^~:zg ihemseiT: 
 sity, dignity, an i t ± r : : s 
 
 In point of zccess :;. .re "rs: £ri ~:: 
 3ii::s~!, without wi::::: vr :£"z:: z± s^ t 
 
 i~rntof the Altar. :i:rn C:if r~i::: ". azd 
 
 Church::: ^t r.trj:^ - ::i :: ~ir-:i:nd, they are r : : recrssar. :: e.erv 
 individual. 
 
 In point of dignity th r Zlrssri E::::: = r:5: rir.ks ~rs: ar.i ::re- 
 -:s: a~:rgall the ::hrr si:rj^- tr:= t:^ sr :: ::":^ rs re^ i y 
 B.r.i -'■'[■■ 'esus Chose, :::r A..::::: ;: ^'.'. :;:t si:--~rr:5 Tre 
 ::t:: ^ ^aity is Holy jritrs :t:i5r :: ■.-t.z^t:^ z :"-: i:i 
 
 authority to adn: :::s:rr : :r si:r- — tr:s : t:: r : : s~ C :: rr~i- 
 tion. Penance, Z:::rT~r Vr:: ]i^:r ~ 1 prcporaoQ as 
 
 each one is in cl s t r r r : t i i z. : : arist. 
 
 In regard to tr t .— 5 :r 5r : - :::Tr.:s : : r. . ey sanctifying 
 
 crace. others cr-. .!:::z^st .'.. s:~t :iz:zrrss =.r. irzcliDle inark. 
 
 the crii and the sacraments of the living, 
 repetition or non-repetition, they are divide 
 subject can receive once only during life ac 
 received oftener. 
 
 Baptism ar. i ?rri:::r are :l. tz sz.'zzzt 
 cause at their rr:er:. ::: : :r -- -:: ^s :: : 
 
THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 53 
 
 therefore is spiritually dead, or may be so. On the other hand, 
 the Eucharist, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony are 
 called sacraments of the living, because to be received properly 
 and profitably we must first have supernatural life, that is, sancti- 
 fying grace; at the time of their reception we must be living spir- 
 itually. 
 
 Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders can be received but 
 once in a lifetime. The other sacraments may be received 
 oftener. The first three sacraments impress upon the soul a 
 spiritual, indelible mark-^that is, a sign, a dedication, a dignity, by 
 which the recipient becomes different from other men. Baptism 
 impresses upon us the character of a Christian, Confirmation 
 the character of a soldier of Christ, and Holy Orders the 
 character of a servant of Christ. These marks can never again 
 be stamped out; for, once a person has become a Christian, a 
 priest, or a soldier under the banner of Christ, he can never again 
 cease to be such. This is also the reason why these sacraments 
 can be received only once, because one cannot become again what 
 he already is. Nevertheless, they can be dishonored and de- 
 graded. 
 
 Dispense? and l^eeeivep of the Sacfaments. 
 
 The power to administer the sacraments was received by the 
 apostles from Christ Himself, for to them He intrusted the duty 
 of preaching and dispensing His mysteries, as St. Paul writes: 
 " Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and 
 the dispensers of the mysteries of God" (I. Cor. iv. i). Thus 
 it is plain that not every Christian without distinction c^n ad- 
 minister the sacraments, but only the successors of the apostles, 
 the bishops, and their helpers, the priests. Otherwise there 
 w^ould be a complete overturning of the order established by 
 Christ in His Church. One sacrament only can be administered 
 by a lay person — that is, Baptism, which is absolutely necessary 
 for salvation; and this can be done only in case of necessity. 
 
 Since, in the administration of the sacraments, the man is but 
 the servant or the agent of Christ, Who Himself really baptizes, 
 confirms, and absolves, an unworthy minister cannot rob the sac- 
 rament of its power and effect. Though his life were soiled with 
 crimes, though his heart were without piety or even belief, — aye, 
 if he Uad just come from the commission of a sin, — the sacrament 
 he administers has its value and effectiveness. *' If the seed is 
 
54 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 good," says St. Augustine, " it matters little whether it be sown 
 by a clean or unclean hand of the farmer: it takes root just as 
 well, sprouts and brings forth fruit." "A dollar from the hand 
 of a peasant," says St. Gregory Xazianzen, " is worth as much 
 as if received from the hand of a prince." The same saint says, 
 furthermore: '• To what shall I compare bad priests if not to bap- 
 tismal water, which washes away the sins of the person baptized, 
 and sends him to the kingdom of heaven, whilst it is itself cast 
 away into the bowels of the earth." 
 
 For the validity of a sacrament it is required of the minister 
 that he have the intention of doing what the Church does. 
 
 On the part of the recipient, if the sacrament is to bring to 
 him holiness and grace, it is necessary that he should present 
 himself for its reception with faith, confidence, and love, with 
 humility and devotion; that he have previously put away all 
 hindrances to the effectiveness of the sacrament, and apply all 
 his intentions to the obtaining of sacramental grace. The sun 
 shines brightly and healthfully in our dwellings; but if we cut 
 off its ingress, either by walling up the windows or closing the 
 shutters, it cannot exercise its vrholesome influence. The room 
 becomes dark and unhealihy, although the sun is shining brightly 
 and warmly without. Such, too, is the condition of our heart 
 when we have not made a good and careful preparation for re- 
 ceiving the sacraments, and thus culpably shut out the light 
 and warmth of sacramental grace. 
 
 He who receives a sacrament unworthily commits a grievous 
 sin, a sacrilege. What was intended to avail unto salvation works 
 our perdition. 
 
 " The Ceremonies. 
 
 The ceremonies usually employed in the administration of the 
 sacraments — namely, the sensible signs and actions united to the 
 matter and form — have been ordained by the Church assisted by 
 the Holy Ghost, in order to increase our devotion and reverence 
 for the sacraments, and also to signify to us both the effects that 
 they operate in us and the duties that we take upon ourselves 
 when receiving them. 
 
 i 
 
THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 55 
 
 t^EFIiECTIO^. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 The Signification and Operation of the Sacraments. 
 
 HE holy sacraments are special fountains of 
 grace, having their original source in Christ: 
 " You shall draw waters with joy out of the 
 Saviour's fountains" (Is. xii. 3). "Of His 
 fulness we all received, and grace for grace ; 
 for grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" 
 (John i. 16, 17). 
 
 The Number and Division of the Sacraments. 
 
 " Wisdom hath built herself a house, she hath hewed her out 
 seven pillars" (Prov. ix. i). These words refer to the seven 
 sacraments. Concerning the indelible character imprinted, St. 
 Paul says: "He that hath anointed us is God; Who hath also 
 sealed us, and given the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts " 
 (II. Cor. i. 21). 
 
 The Dispenser of the Sacraments. 
 
 Bishops and priests are the ministers of the sacraments. " Let 
 a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ and dispensers 
 of the mysteries of God" (I. Cor. iv. i). Christ "gave some 
 apostles, and some prophets, and other some evangelists, and 
 other some pastors and doctors, for the work of the ministry, 
 for the perfecting of the saints, for the edifying of the body of 
 Christ" (Eph. iv. 11). 
 
 The validity of a sacrament does not depend on the worthi- 
 ness or unworthiness of the minister. " Neither he that planteth 
 is anything, nor he that watereth ; but God that giveth the in- 
 crease " (I. Cor. iii. 7). 
 
 The Recipients of the Sacraments. 
 
 " Let a man prove himself," when he is about to receive a 
 sacrament, " and let all things be done decently and according 
 to order" (I. Cor. xiv. 40). "Be zealous for the better gifts" 
 (I. Cor. xii. 31). " When thou shalt sit to eat with a prince, 
 consider diligently what is set before thy face " (Prov. xxiii. 1); 
 that is to say, when you are about to receive a sacrament, 
 consider diligently the graces that the Lord your God offers 
 to you. 
 
56 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 Meaning and Effect of the Sacraments. 
 
 Signification of the sacraments ; '"Who is tlie authior of the 
 sacraments if Ciirist is not? Have we not received them from 
 Heaven'" (St. Ambrose) ''The sacraments of the Old Law 
 foreshadowed the advent of the Saviour ; those of the New Testa- 
 ment supply salvation " (St. Augustine). '' When was Eve formed ? 
 Whilst Adam was asleep. When did the sacraments issue forth 
 from the side of Christ? When He slept on the cross" (The 
 Same). 
 
 Effect of the sacraments : '' The sacraments raise up the 
 fallen and satisfy the hungry and thirsty, satisfying them with- 
 out disgust: nay more, while meeting the needs of the soul they 
 generate a new longing " (St. Augustine). •' The sacraments of 
 God are a pleasant meadow. On one side you may pluck a fresh 
 flower, which of itself emits a glorious fragrance of a happy 
 resurrection. In another place you may pluck a lily, m which is 
 pictured the brightness of eternity. Again, you may pluck a 
 rose, which is the blood of the Lord: indeed, in this meadow the 
 fiock feeds on the Lord Himself " (St. Ambrose). 
 
 The .Number and Division of the Sacraments. 
 
 "All our wants in the order of grace, as in the order of nature, 
 are seven; and on that account Jesus Christ was pleased to insti- 
 tute seven sacraments, no more nor no less, because that many 
 were required for the wants of the Church or of its individual 
 members" (St. Thomas Aquinas). " Baptism is something great. 
 It is the price of the ransom of those who were in slavery. It 
 remits sin, gives to the soul new life, and clothes it with light ; 
 it is an ineffaceable seal of holiness. By this mark or seal we be- 
 long to the flock of Christ; and this seal we receive at the mo- 
 ment when the water cleanses our bodies — at which moment, too, 
 the Holy Ghost sanctifies our souls and impresses upon them the 
 sacred seal" (St. Cyril). 
 
 The .Minister of the Sacraments. 
 
 The bishops and priests are the ministers of the sacraments. 
 There is a great difference in the ecclesiastical and worldly state. 
 The sacraments of the Old Law were far less significant than 
 those of the New Testament, and could be administered only by 
 certain persons. Only the priests of the tribe of Aaron durst 
 exercise this function; and Ozias, because he attempted it, was 
 struck by God " (St. Ambrose). 
 
 i 
 
THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 57 
 
 " The holy sacraments derive their effectiveness not from the 
 ministers, but from Christ; hence, no account is to be taken of the 
 worthiness or sinfulness of the minister. The sacraments are 
 not any more true and holy because they are dispensed by a 
 pious minister, for of themselves they are true and holy on ac- 
 count of the true and holy God Whose property they are" (St. 
 Augustine). ** Look not at the merit but at the office of the priest^ 
 especially in the administration of the sacraments, for God is 
 accustomed to act through unworthy agents'^ (St. Ambrose). 
 " Nothing is lessened in the grace of the sacrament by the man- 
 ner of life of the priest " (St. Chrysostom). *' Baptism is not like 
 him by whose hands it is imparted, but like Him by Whose power 
 it is given. In the Catholic Church nothing more is effected 
 when the Eucharist is administered by a good priest and nothing 
 less effected when administered by a bad one; for the mystery is 
 accomplished, not through the merits of the consecrator but by 
 the words of the Creator in the power of the Holy Ghost " (St. 
 Augustine). " No work of human power is here transacted. He 
 Who once operated at that last Supper operates now too. We 
 have only the functions of the servants, but He is the One Who 
 sanctifies and makes the transubstantiation " (St. Chrysostom). 
 
 The Recipient of the Sacraments. 
 
 " He who does not participate in the sacraments of the Lord 
 is a deserter from the camp of God and His army " (St. Am- 
 brose). *' Only the one worthily prepared to receive receives the 
 benefit of the sacrament. For the sacrament, if not accom- 
 panied by the receiver's fitness, is dead to the recipient " (St. 
 Bernard). " I know that stone cannot bear fruit, no matter how 
 much it be watered. Yet the water flows, it is true, through 
 stone channels into the garden-beds. But the stone channel be- 
 gets nothing in itself, while the garden produces abundant fruits. 
 So it is with the spiritual power of a sacrament : it is received 
 by the properly disposed and prepared subject, whilst through an 
 unclean man it flows uselessly, though it is not itself defiled " 
 (St. Augustine). 
 
 THE COUNCIL OF TRENT ON THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 The General Council of Trent in its seventh session pro- 
 nounced on the holy sacraments. It taught that through them 
 all true righteousness is either begun, or if already begun is in- 
 creased, or if lost is restored, and that without the sacraments 
 
 
58 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 there is no righteousness. It also condemned all those errone- 
 ous teachings that tarnish the purity of the Catholic Church, and 
 imperii the salvation of souls, by excommunicating from the 
 Church their teachers and abettors. It says : 
 
 1. '' If any man say the sacraments of the New Testament 
 were not instituted by Our Lord Jesus Christ, or are less or more 
 than seven : to wit, Baptism, Contirmation, Holy Eucharist, Pen- 
 ance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders,, and Matrimony, or that any 
 of these seven is not a true and proper sacrament, let him be 
 anatiiema." 
 
 2. *' If any one say these seven sacraments are so equal one to 
 another that no one of them is in any way liigher than another, 
 let him be anathema." 
 
 3. '■ If any man say that the sacraments of the Xew Testament 
 are not necessary to salvation, but superfluous, and although not 
 all of them are necessary for all men, nevertheless that with- 
 out them, and without a desire for them, men can obtain from 
 God the grace of justification through faith alone, let him be 
 anathema." 
 
 4. " If any man say that the sacraments of the Xew Testament 
 do not contain the graces which they signify, and do not impart 
 these same graces to those who interpose no obstacle, as if they 
 were only mere outward symbols of grace and justification, that 
 one may receive through faith, and only mere outward miarks of 
 Christian profession, whereby the believers are distinguished 
 among men from the unbelievers, let him be anaiiiema." 
 
 5. " If any man say that through these sacraments, on the part 
 of God, grace is not always imparted, and imparted to all who 
 receive them worthily, but only sometimes to some few, let him 
 be anathema." 
 
 6. " If any man say that in the three sacraments of Baptism, 
 Confirmation, and Holy Orders there is not imprinted on the 
 soul an indelible character, — that is to say, a spiritual and inef- 
 faceable mark or sign, — let him be anathema." 
 
 7. " If any man say that all Christians have authority to 
 preach and to administer the sacraments, let him be anathema." 
 
 S. '* If any man say that to the dispensers of the sacraments, 
 when they are administering the sacraments, at least the inten- 
 tion of doing what the Church does is not necessary, let him be 
 anathema." 
 
 9. " If any man say that a minister of a sacrament who is in 
 mortal sin does not administer or effectuate the sacrament, pro- 
 
THE SACRAMENTS IX GENERAL. 59 
 
 vided he observe all that is essential to the imparting and effect- 
 uating of such sacrament, let him be anathema." 
 
 10. " If any man say that the received and approved usages 
 of the Catholic Church, that are usually observed in the sol- 
 emn administration of the sacraments, may, without sin, be con- 
 temned or omitted at the option of the person administering, or 
 be changed by every churchman into some new form, let him be 
 anathema.'* 
 
 COMPARISONS. 
 
 The seven sacraments are the seven pillars mentioned in Sol- 
 omon's proverbs, and on which Wisdom built her house. There 
 it is thus written: "Wisdom hath built herself a house, she hath 
 hewed her out seven pillars. She hath slain her victims, mingled 
 her wine, and set forth her table. She hath sent her maids to 
 invite to the tower, and to the walls of the city: whosoever is a 
 little one, let him come to me. And to the unwise she said: 
 Come, eat my bread, and drink the wine which I have mingled 
 for you. Forsake childishness, and live and walk by the ways of 
 prudence." Is it possible to explain these passages of Scripture 
 otherwise than as referring to the sacraments ? The eternal Wis- 
 dom of God, the Word made flesh, builds the Church as His house 
 and supports it by the seven sacraments as so many pillars. 
 The most important and prominent among them is that one 
 which is at once sacrament and sacrifice, a true victim of sacrifice 
 that under the appearances of bread and wine is served as flesh 
 and blood on the table of the Lord. To this banquet Jesus 
 Christ, the divine Wisdom, invites us, through His servants the 
 priests. He who comes to it receives grace, and is filled with joy 
 and peace, and strength and courage. He is thus made secure 
 against the power of the evil spirit, as if in a tower and behind 
 strong walls. Whosoever is little should receive the holy sacra- 
 ments, and he shall become big and strong in grace. The unwise 
 shall become wise through heavenly light. But to accomplisli 
 all this we must lay aside all the childish and foolish notions of 
 the world, which, in its treasures and pleasures, believes that it is 
 alone possessed of the most precious, and strive to secure the 
 heavenly treasure offered to us in the sacrament. And as we 
 there receive the greatest of all graces, namely the Sonship of 
 God, we should walk after the ways of good sons, and with cliild- 
 like confidence throw ourselves in the arms of Him Who is pleased 
 to reveal to us His fatherliness. 
 
 The seven sacraments are the seven lamps which the prophet 
 
6o THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 Zacharias saw on a golden candlestick, and into which the oil was 
 constantly tiowing from a funnel, keeping the lamp replenished 
 with oil and bright with light. In a similar manner, from Jesus 
 the Anointed, the oil of grace flows ever into the seven sacra- 
 ments, by which we are nourished and fed with the oil of heav- 
 enly gifts and illuminated with the light of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 They are the seven washings in the Jordan by v/hich Xaaman 
 (IV. Kings v.) was cleansed of his leprosy. So, too, do the holy 
 sacraments cleanse us from leprosy of the soul, — namely, mortal 
 sin, and even venial sin. 
 
 They are the seven stars which, in Revelation i. i6, St. John 
 saw in the right hand of the Son of Man. and which symbolize 
 not only the crown of His bride, — namely, the Church, — but also 
 the sacraments which are the ornaments of the Catholic Church, 
 and the bright burning stars in the night of our earthly pilgrim- 
 age, lighting up our path to heaven, and adorning our souls with 
 superhuman brilliancy. 
 
 THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD 5A.1ARITAN. 
 
 In the parable of the Good Samaritan Our Saviour taught His 
 disciples the great commandment of loving our neighbor, and 
 intimated to them to go and do likewise. This parable has also 
 been understood and explained by the Fathers of the Church in a 
 spiritual sense. 
 
 The traveller is no other than Adam, our first parent, who dwelt 
 in Jerusalem — that is, in the paradise of the love and peace of 
 God. But he left Jerusalem and went down to Jericho; he left 
 what was heavenly and turned towards the earthly, yielding to 
 the vain lust of appetite. Thus he and his descendants fell 
 among robbers — that is, his soul and the souls of his posterity 
 were robbed of divine grace, and left to perish by the wayside. 
 The priest and the levite represent the Mosaic law and the law of 
 nature, which passed by without being able or even wishing to 
 help the much-injured and deeply wounded traveller. Thus the 
 victim lay half dead, as all men did for lour thousand years, in 
 the deepest moral and spiritual desolation. Then came Jesus 
 Christ, the Good Samaritan, Who, hated and rejected by the Jews, 
 cast the eyes of His mercy on the poor souls of men, and pre- 
 pared a remedy formed out of His own blood. He thus became 
 the heavenly physician, as He Himself said to the Pharisees : 
 " They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are 
 ill" (Matt. ix. 12). He bound up the wounds of the sinner; 
 
THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 6l 
 
 but this did not satisfy His love. He also took the wounded vic- 
 tim and brought him to an inn, which is the Church, to be there 
 guarded and fostered. He then commended him to the host of 
 the inn. His own successors; and that they might have wherewith 
 to care and cure him, He left with them the coins of His divine 
 grace, of His enduring grace, which the wounded man needed, 
 till, fully restored to spiritual health, he may resume his journey 
 towards his heavenly fatherland under the guidance of the angels 
 who now conduct his soul. 
 
 THE SACRED NUMBER SEVEN. 
 
 It lay altogether to the free-will of the Lord how many means 
 He would establish for our sanctification. Yet divine wisdom re- 
 quired that He should establish neither too few nor too many. 
 For example, if Baptism were the only sacrament, the impression 
 made by such sacrament on the mind of man would disappear 
 and leave not a trace behind; for he would see it conferred on 
 others, but never on himself, and hence would not realize, even 
 once in his life, the grace of regeneration. If the sacraments 
 were so many that they would be thrust upon a man at every 
 and each of his acts, not one of them would leave a lasting impres- 
 sion on his mind. Religion should not be miserly in its blessings; 
 yet there should not be so many of them that a man should have 
 a choice which he would receive. 
 
 Now the number of the sacraments, as fixed by Christ, cor- 
 responds to the figure seven. This figure represents a holy 
 number, which is intimately associated with the days of Creation, 
 and which appears again and again in the Mosaic history. Thus it 
 was decreed that whoever killed Cain should be seven times pun- 
 ished (Gen. iv. 15). God foretold the deluge to Noe seven 
 days before it came, and ordered him to take into the ark seven 
 pairs of clean animals and birds. It was in the seventh month 
 of the deluge that Noe's Ark grounded in the mountains of Ar- 
 menia. When Abraham was forming a covenant with Abimelech, 
 he placed between them seven lambs as a sign of the agreement 
 (Gen. xxi. 28). For seven days the Israelites in Egypt were to 
 eat unleavened bread (Exodus xii. 15). Seven ligiits were at- 
 tached to the great candlestick that stood before tlie curtain 
 which concealed the holy of holies (Ex. xxv. 37). Seven times 
 was the altar sprinkled at its dedication (Levit. viii. 11). Aaron 
 and his sons when appointed priests were not to go out of 
 the tent for seven days, which was the duration of the ordina- 
 
62 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 tion. From the Sabbath of the Passover seven full weeks were 
 to be reckoned, and then on the following day another food-sacri- 
 fice was to be offered (Levit. xxiii. 15). This sacrifice consisted 
 of seven lambs. Every seventh year was the Sabbath year among 
 the Jews, during which no field was tilled, and no vine trimmed. 
 After every seven weeks of years — that is, after 49 years — 
 came the great year of Jubilee, in which each man regained the 
 property that he had been compelled to sell (Levit. xxv. 4, 8). 
 When the prophet Balaam wanted to curse the people of Israel,. 
 and was compelled against his will to bless them, he ordered 
 seven altars to be built (Numbers xxiii.). The Lord ordered His 
 people to march around the city of Jericho, once a day, for six 
 days. On the seventh day, the priests were to take seven trum- 
 pets and walk seven times around the place, and at the blast 
 of the trumpets the walls of Jericho fell down (Josue vi. 3, 4). 
 The strength of Samson lay in his seven locks of hair, which had 
 never been cut by a scissors (Judges xvi. 19). While Elias was 
 on Mount Carmel praying for rain, he sent his servants toward 
 the west to look seven different times (IIL Kings xviii. 43). The 
 prophet Zacharias saw the high-priest, before whom there was a 
 stone, on which there were seven eyes (Zacharias iii. 9). Accord- 
 ing to the revelation of the archangel Raphael, there were seven 
 spirits standing before the throne of God (Tobias xii. 15). To 
 the new temple, which prefigured God's Church of the New Law, 
 there was an ascent of seven steps, for Ezechiel saw them (Eze- 
 chiel xl. 26). For seven weeks the apostles remained in Jerusalem, 
 after the Resurrection, after which seven weeks they received the 
 Holy Ghost (Acts ii. 2). 
 
 From all these evidences we may conclude that there exists 
 some mysterious relation between the acts of Divinity and 
 the number seven. We discover it in many of His ordinances. 
 Mankind has received enlightenment on this point from the 
 revelations of God, and this number recurs again and again 
 in the more important acts of man. Hence it is in perfect 
 harmony with the economy of God that as, after devoting six 
 days to the creation of the material world. He appointed the sev- 
 enth to be a day of rest, so also should the spiritual creation or 
 regeneration of man, the begetting of a new spiritual race, be 
 associated with six gifts of grace, all of which are to prepare 
 for the seventh gift of Sabbath rest, which man enjoys here below 
 in the reception of the Blessed Sacrament, and hereafter in the 
 beatific vision of the Lamb without stain. 
 
THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 63, 
 
 TESTinONY OF A NON=CATHOLIC IN FAVOR OF THE SEVEN SACRAHENTS. 
 
 The renowned poet Goethe thus writes: "A young man and 
 young woman clasp hands, not indeed as a passing greeting, nor 
 for a dance , the priest pronounces his blessing over the pair, and 
 the clasp is now inseparable. In due time the young couple 
 bring an image of themselves to the foot of the altar. With con- 
 secrated water this image is purified, and so embodied in the 
 Church that it is only through the most dreadful defection that 
 this high privilege can be torn from it. Then the child is in- 
 structed in heavenly questions. When in course of time evidence 
 is furnished that the young Christian is sufficiently strengthened 
 he becomes a veritable citizen, a free-will member in the bosom of 
 the Church, not without outward signs of the importance of this 
 proceeding — namely, through Confirmation. Now has he been 
 made truly a Christian, a strong and perfect Christian, and he 
 recognizes for the first time the privileges as well as the duties of 
 the strengthened Christian. But meanwhile there has occurred 
 to him much that is human, there has been opened up to him 
 how doubtful it is with his soul, and many transgressions will 
 occur again and again. Just here in his discouraged state there 
 is given to him a glorious means of salvation : namely, to confide 
 his deeds, his omissions, his shortcomings, to a worthy man, 
 specially appointed, who rouses him, warns him, comforts him, 
 and by a complete extinction of his guilt revives and inspires 
 him, and restores to him, once more cleansed, the tablet of his 
 humanity. Thus prepared and tranquillized by sacramental 
 acts, he kneels down to receive the consecrated host. To elevate 
 and augment the mystery of this act, he sees the chalice in 
 the distance. This is no common eating or drinking that com- 
 forts him. It is a celestial food, and one that makes him thirsty 
 after celestial drink. Yet neither the youth nor the full-grown 
 man believes that it ends here, for in heavenly things we never 
 learn the end. Again and again we need counsel, comfort, and 
 help. Now still another means of grace is instituted for such 
 purpose. All through life there is awaiting us a man intelligent 
 and pious, ready to reclaim the erring and to relieve the bur- 
 dened. What through life has been tested shall prove its powers 
 of healing in a tenfold degree at the gates of death. When 
 every earthly guarantee disappears, a heavenly one secures for 
 the weak a blessed existence forever. Finally, even the feet are 
 anointed and blessed, in order that the whole man may be sane- 
 
64 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 tified. Even in case of recovery, the feet shall feel an unwilling- 
 ness to touch hard, impenetrable soil. A wonderful elasticity shall 
 be imparted to them, by which they may cast off the clod that 
 hitherto held them down. Thus by a bright series of holy acts 
 of equal value, cradle and grave are connected in an unbroken 
 circle, no matter how wide apart they may happen to be. But 
 all these supernatural wonders do not originate from the natural 
 soil ; they must be sought by prayer from above. Now here we 
 encounter the highest mystery ; we learn that one man can be 
 favored, blessed and sanctified from above more than another. 
 Lest this might appear to be a natural gift, this great privilege, 
 burdened with a heavy duty, must be transferred from one 
 chosen one to the other, and the greatest good that man can 
 attain must be preserved and kept intact on earth by spiritual 
 inheritance. And thus the priest by his ordination enters the 
 line of his predecessors and successors, representing in the circle 
 of his colleagues the Great Blesser on high. His position is the 
 grander, because it is not he whom we revere but his office ; it is 
 not at his beckoning that we bend our knees, but at the blessing 
 which he dispenses, and which seems to come to us all the holier 
 and more directly, because the earthly tool could not weaken or 
 spoil it by a sinful or even a vicious life." 
 
 How this truly spiritual connection has been shattered in 
 Protestantism, by declaring one part of the sacraments to be un- 
 canonical ! And how are they going to prepare us for the high 
 dignity of the remaining ones by the insignificance of the others ? 
 
 EXAHPLES. 
 Fountains of Health. 
 
 A holy priest said, with a sigh: " How many sick persons fre- 
 quent distant and expensive baths ! How many inconveniences 
 they undergo in expectation of being cured of this or that bodily 
 ailment ! Yet we have miraculous springs for all maladies of the 
 soul — which are the sacraments. These fountains of grace heal 
 all the afflicted who make proper use of them. How comes it, 
 then, that so many sinners neglect to have recourse to these heal- 
 ing waters? And why, of those who do come, are so many in- 
 different and unprepared ?" 
 
 The Diseased Janitor. 
 
 St. Bridget advised and taught a soul who feared to receive 
 absolution and communion from the hands of an unworthy priest, 
 and who thought that the power of the sacrament would be un- 
 
THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL. 65 
 
 favorably affected. The saint said : *' Do not be uneasy on that 
 point ; for, although the porter have the leprosy, yet if he have the 
 key he can open the door as well as a sound person. The case 
 is the same with the priest and the administration of the sacra- 
 ments of Penance and Eucharist." 
 
 The Tepid Christian and the Pious Teacher. 
 
 A lukewarm Christian, who went often enough to the sacra- 
 ments, but failed to experience any of their beneficial workings, for 
 the reason that he acted more out of custom than devotion, com- 
 plained with much disappointment that he could discover in 
 himself no improvement of conduct, nor perceive any of the 
 grand effects always ascribed to the sacraments, which they 
 should necessarily produce in men, since they derive their power 
 and value from God. 
 
 In order to correct this erroneous state of mind, and to 
 awaken the complainant from his tepidity, a pious teacher stood 
 up and spoke thus : " A health fountain or medicinal spring, that 
 flows constantly for the benefit of all, derives Us forces from the 
 Creator of nature Himself, and not from the person who applies 
 to the sick, nor from the sick who drink the waters. Now these 
 springs will be of far more benefit to such persons as observe the 
 directions of their physician by avoiding injurious eating, drink- 
 ing, etc., than to others who indeed drink freely from them, but 
 who do so with overloaded stomachs, or who after drinking the 
 healthful waters do not refrain from forbidden pleasures, etc. 
 
 " Persons acting thus should not complain of the failure of the 
 waters to benefit them. They should attribute such failure to 
 their own want of prudence, if that precious gift of nature pro- 
 duce no improvement in their bodily condition, or even, perhaps, 
 on account of their own imprudence, weaken still further their 
 already shattered system. 
 
 *' Hence it is easy to see that although the sacraments, from 
 their institution by Christ, have within themselves and of them- 
 selves a special healing power independent of the minister or recip- 
 ient, yet we must not falsely believe that we have not our part to 
 perform, or indeed nothing to do but to partake of this or that 
 sacrament. We should not blunder so foolishly concerning the 
 doctrine that the sacraments operate through their own innate 
 strength. Their reception must be preceded by a becoming prep- 
 aration, or, in case such preparation be not possible, there must 
 
66 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 be no hindrance present that would render null and void the 
 grace-bringing power of the sacrament." 
 
 The tepid Christian was deeply affected by these words, and 
 felt only too plainly that, if the sacraments did not manifest in 
 him their salutary effects, the fault was altogether his own. 
 
 PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 
 
 As God in the creation and wonderful government of the 
 world was concerned for our bodily necessities, so in instituting 
 the sacraments He was equally concerned for the necessities of 
 our souls. These sacraments are like seven channels, through 
 which the merits of the atoning death of Christ are to be con- 
 veyed to our souls. 
 
 And in order that forgetfulness of them may not steal upon 
 our souls, we see them flowing like sweet brooklets at every step 
 of Qur own life. In them the child and the gray-haired sire, the 
 youth and the man of mature age, the strong man and the dying 
 man, the happy man and the mourner, all find strength, conso- 
 lation and peace of mind. Remove one of the sacraments and 
 you deprive thousands of such comfort and happiness and of sup- 
 port in the vicissitudes of life. How infinitely great are the 
 riches, goodness, and wisdom of God! 
 
 ^be Sacramente in particular 
 Baptism. 
 
 IfiSTI^UCTIOri. 
 leaning and flatupe of Baptism. 
 
 APTISM is a sacrament in which, by water and 
 the word of God, the individual is cleansed 
 from original sin and from all other actual 
 sins that he may have committed before Bap- 
 tism, and is born again to eternal life and sanc- 
 tified in Christ as a new creature. 
 
 Baptism is a real sacrament, because in it 
 are to be found all the qualities of a sacrament. 
 
 Christ the Lord instituted it when He permitted St. John to 
 baptize Him in the river Jordan. " Christ was pleased to be 
 baptized," says Gregory Nazianzen, "in order to drown the old 
 
BAPTISM. 67 
 
 Adam in the water, and especially to sanctify the water that it 
 might have the effect of sanctifying those who would be baptized 
 in it." 
 
 The command to baptize was for the first time given to His 
 apostles just before Christ's ascension into heaven, when He 
 said: "All power is given to Me in heaven and in earth ; going, 
 therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of the 
 Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost " (Matt, xxviii. 19). 
 
 The outward sign of Baptism is the water and the word of God. 
 
 The water used in the administration of the sacrament of 
 Baptism is the water which the Church blesses specially for that 
 purpose on Holy Saturday and on Whitsuneve. It is called bap- 
 tismal water. If such be not at hand, holy water may be used, 
 and, in default of that, ordinary water will suffice. It must be 
 incorrupt, natural water and not artificial, as rose-water, for ex- 
 ample. There must be enough to flow from the head of the per- 
 son baptized. Hence it is not sufficient to merely sprinkle the 
 head with holy water. 
 
 Baptism is performed by pouring water three times on the 
 head of the person to be baptized, each pouring to be done 
 in the form of the cross, with the words clearly pronounced : 
 "I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and 
 of the Holy Ghost. Amen." If a child is to be baptized during 
 birth and when there is danger of death, the water may be ap- 
 plied to any portion of the body that presents itself, if the head 
 cannot be reached. If there is a doubt as to whether the child 
 is alive, the words used at the pouring of the water are: "If 
 thou art alive, I baptize," etc. If it is doubtful whether a child 
 has been baptized or not, the conditional baptism is to be ad- 
 ministered with the words: "If thou art not baptized, I baptize 
 thee," etc. 
 
 Our blessed Lord had a purpose when He selected water as 
 the matter of baptism, for it symbolizes in a remarkable manner 
 the operations of that sacrament. As water cleanses the body 
 from stains, so does Baptism free the soul from its stains, which 
 are its sins. And as water is proper for refreshing the body and 
 cooling it, so does Baptism cool our inordinate desires and refresh 
 and strengthen our souls against temptation. 
 
 The grace operations of holy Baptism are twofold : i, it de- 
 livers the baptized person from evils ; 2, it supplies him with 
 special benefits. 
 
 By Baptism man is purified from all sin; that is to say, original 
 
68 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 sin and all 
 the actual 
 sins he may 
 have com- 
 mitted before 
 Baptism are 
 forgiven, and 
 at the same 
 time the tem- 
 poral and 
 eternal pen- 
 alties due to 
 those sins are 
 remitted. 
 
 This doc- 
 trine God 
 permitted to 
 be foretold in 
 ancient times 
 by the mouth 
 of the proph- 
 et Ezechiel 
 (xxxvi. 2S): 
 " I will pour 
 upon }- o u 
 clean water 
 and you shall 
 be cleansed 
 from all your 
 fil th i ness." 
 CiRCLMcisiox. St. Peter said 
 
 to those persons who, on the occasion of his first preaching, 
 asked him what they should do : " Do penance and be bap- 
 tized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the 
 remission of your sins " (Acts ii. 38). In regard to the remission 
 of the temporal and eternal punishment due to sin, the apostle 
 St. Paul says : " There is now, therefore, no condemnation to 
 them that are [baptized] in Christ Jesus." Pope Eugene IV. 
 teaches clearly: " The effect of this sacrament is the remission of 
 all punishment due to sin. Hence to baptized persons no task 
 of satisfaction is to be imposed for their former sins. If they 
 die before they commit another sin, thev at once obtain heaven 
 
BAPTISM. 
 
 69 
 
 and enter on the beatific vision of God." This is perfectly 
 natural and reasonable; for man being born again by Baptism is 
 altogether a new being, and as such is under no obligation to 
 suffer for the sins and carry the guilt of the former man. Besides 
 all this, the person is by Baptism united with Christ, and thus ac- 
 quires a share in the merits and all-sufificient satisfaction of Christ. 
 
 Again, holy Baptism bestows on the person baptized the three 
 following benefits : i, Man is born again and made holy; 2, he is 
 made a child of God, an heir of heaven; 3, he is joined to Christ 
 and incorpo- 
 rated with 
 the Church. 
 
 Before 
 Baptism we 
 live in sin, 
 and living in 
 sin is the 
 death of the 
 soul. By 
 Baptism we 
 are freed 
 from sin, and 
 thus the soul 
 is restored to 
 life, for it is 
 born again 
 for God and 
 heaven. Very 
 properly, 
 then, does 
 HolyWritde- 
 scribe this 
 change as be- 
 i n g " born 
 over again ;" 
 and as this 
 regeneration 
 is acco m - 
 plished by 
 the spirit of The IUitism of Chkisi. 
 
 God through sanctifying grace, it is further called being " born 
 again of the Holy Ghost." 
 
 
70 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 ■ -'baptism m-akes us children of God. Hence St. Paul writes : 
 "You are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For 
 as many of you as have been baptized in Christ Jesus have put 
 on Christ" (Gal. iii. 26). " Xow if we 'are children and sons of 
 God, we are also heirs through God" (Gal. iv. 3). Wliosoever 
 then hath his name written in the baptismal register will have it 
 also entered on the book of life. If a Christian be damned he has 
 lost all his privileges and happiness, and his name that once stood 
 written in the book of life is stricken- from its pages. 
 
 By Baptism we are united to Christ and admitted to His 
 Church, according to St. Paul, who writes that those who have 
 been baptized in Christ have put on Christ. As such members 
 of the body of Christ we are, at Baptism, received most formally 
 and solemnly into that Church,, outside of which there is no sal- 
 vation; and thus we acquire the right to have a share in all the 
 grace-treasures deposited in the" Church by Christ, in all the 
 prayers, sacrifices, and works of the Church and the faithful ; for 
 all the prayers said in the Church, all the sacrifices, all the good 
 works belong to the common treasury, from which every one of 
 the faithful has a right to draw. 
 
 The human inclinations and weaknesses God leaves in us 
 even after Baptism, that we may not be too confident of our own 
 virtue, and be vigilant in guarding against our enemies. 
 
 Baptismal Promises. 
 
 These excellent and precious graces or effects of Baptism are 
 not bestowed upon us without corresponding duties on our part. 
 
 At Baptism God makes with the baptized Christian, and the 
 latter makes with God, a contract, which we call the baptismal 
 covenant. God promises His grace and never-ending happi- 
 ness to the baptized person ; and the latter promises to believe in 
 the Triune God, to obey Christ and His Church, to renounce the 
 devil with all his works and pomps and pride, and to walk 
 worthily as a sanctified Christian, as a son and heir of God, as a 
 brother of Christ, a member of the Holy Catholic Church, and an 
 agent of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 These holy promises which we make in Baptism are called 
 baptisnhal vows. They are inviolable vows, for, although all 
 other vows can be dispensed with, no one, no power in heaven 
 or on earth, can release us from our baptismal promises. They 
 have not been made to men, but to God in the church, the 
 
BAPTISM. 
 
 71 
 
 house of God, before heaven and earth, in hearing of the angels, 
 who are witnesses of the word and of the fidelity plighted by 
 the subject in Baptism. 
 
 Lest we become unfaithful to these promises, we ought to 
 renew them often. We should do so especially : i, on the day of 
 our first Communion, for next in importance to the grace-laden day 
 of Our Baptism comes our First Communion day, also laden with 
 graces, on which we should vow a new fidelity to God and again 
 renounce the devil ; 2, on every Sunday, for on that day, too, 
 every Christian should renew himself spiritually ; 3, on our 
 patron saint's day, and on the anniversary of our Baptism, for 
 those are days best calculated to remind us of the graces received 
 in our Baptism, and of the duties that we then and there took 
 upon ourselves. 
 
 But it is not enough to renew, even frequently, our baptismal 
 promises. We must also sincerely endeavor to carry out in prac- 
 tical life what we promise in such renewals. Of what avail or 
 use will it be to us to have been baptized, and to wear the seal of 
 election on our souls, if at the same time we tread the paths of 
 impiety and perdition ? 
 
 Necessity of fiaptism. 
 
 Baptism stands at the head and front of the seven sacraments, 
 because it is the first and most necessary sacrament, without 
 which we cannot be saved nor admitted to any other sacrament. 
 " Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he 
 cannot enter the kingdom of heaven " (John iii. 5). 
 
 But not alone grown persons — even infants must be baptized ; 
 for these words of Christ apply to every member of the human 
 family, to every sex and age — consequently, to children. 
 
 What loss is suffered by children who die without baptism 
 remains a secret to us, for God has revealed nothing on the sub- 
 ject. Such children, being laden with original sin, can have no 
 claim on heaven, for nothing defiled can enter heaven. Yet 
 they will not be condemned to everlasting fire, for only personal 
 sins are punished by the everlasting fire of hell. Many of tiie 
 Fathers of the Church and other pious and learned souls hold that 
 God created a special place for such children, where, although 
 deprived of the happiness of heaven, they enjoy a natural hap- 
 piness and love in the Lord. 
 
 Since Baptism is so indispensably necessary to salvation, the 
 
72 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 Church has declared that, in case of necessity, any person can 
 baptize, whether man or woman, cleric or lay ; a believer, or even 
 a heretic, in certain circumstances. But the proper and regular 
 ministers of Baptism are the bishops and the priests appointed 
 for that purpose. 
 
 For the validity of such a private baptism it is required: 
 
 1. That the person who baptizes have the intention to really 
 baptize — that is, to administer the sacrament which Christ institut- 
 ed, and which the Church confers when her ministers give Baptism. 
 
 2. The water used must be natural water, or, if such cannot 
 be had, holy water, or baptismal water; and this must be poured 
 on the head of the person to be baptized, or, if this cannot be 
 done, then on the body itself. 
 
 3. This action and the words must go together. That is, 
 when pouring the water, the person must at that very moment 
 pronounce the words, " I baptize thee in the name of the Father, 
 and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." 
 
 4. Two persons cannot join in the giving of baptism ; it must 
 be all done by one and the same person. If one were to pour the 
 water and a second pronounce the words, " I baptize thee," etc, the 
 baptism would not be valid ; for the one pronouncing the words 
 does not do what he says he does; and the other, who does it, does 
 not say what he does. 
 
 Baptism of Desire and by Blood. 
 
 Besides Baptism by water, there is also a Baptism of desire 
 and a Baptism in blood, which may take the place of the Baptism 
 of water when it cannot be obtained. 
 
 Baptism of desire is an earnest longing and perfect will to 
 obtain Baptism, joined to perfect contrition and love for God. 
 In such cases those conditions are present that are necessary to a 
 valid reception; for if the possibility do not exist, God regards 
 the good will, and takes the will for the deed. 
 
 Baptism in blood is a voluntary martyr's death for the sake of 
 Christ. The constancy which gives up life itself includes faith, 
 charity, desire, and contrition. 
 
 Sponsoits. 
 
 At a Baptism the Church requires the presence of sponsors, 
 who are to act as securities that their god-children will remain 
 true to the grace which they received in Baptism, and fulfil the 
 promises which the sponsors made in their name. 
 
BAPTISM. 73 
 
 The sponsors have the following obligations : i. They are to 
 bring the subject to Baptism, and if he is incapable of doing it, 
 they pronounce in his stead and for him the vows of Baptism. 
 2. They are required, in case of abandonment on the part of 
 parents, or their death, to look after the spiritual and bodily 
 welfare of their god-child. In case the parents neglect to afford 
 a proper training to the child, the sponsors must keep an observ- 
 ant eye on it from time to time, caution it against evil, and 
 urge it to goodness. 
 
 Since sponsors have such important and sacred duties to per- 
 form, parents of children and pastors should not be indifferent 
 in the choice of proper and capable persons for that office. 
 Sponsors should possess the following qualifications: 
 
 1. They should be of a suitable age; the godfather should be 
 at least fourteen and the godmother at least twelve years old. 
 For how could the Church accept as sureties mere children, who 
 do not understand what they are doing ? 
 
 2. They should be Catholics, The Church cannot admit as 
 sureties persons who do not belong to her fold. 
 
 3. They should be well instructed in the mysteries of religion 
 and things of faith. He who himself knows nothing of religion 
 or religious subjects cannot be a guarantee of religious training 
 in others. 
 
 4. They should be correct in their moral life. How could a 
 bad and unscrupulous man contribute to a good training for his 
 god-child ? Hence the Church excludes public and reckless 
 sinners, such as drunkards and others. 
 
 To act the part of sponsor is at all times a work of neighborly 
 charity. Hence no one should shun it without grave reason. On 
 the other hand, it is injudicious for persons to stand sponsor for 
 so many children that they are afterwards unable to look after 
 them if such should become necessary. 
 
 Sponsors contract a spiritual affinity with their god-children 
 and their parents. Hence, unless by dispensation, they cannot 
 marry the baptized person nor his parents. In order to prevent 
 the accumulation of affinities among two many persons, and tluis 
 augment the impediments to matrimony, tlie Church usually 
 admits but one, or at most two, sponsors at a baptism. The 
 others who may be present are only witnesses of the baptism, 
 or sort of honorary sponsors, who contract no affinity with any 
 one. 
 
74 THE SACRAMENTS, 
 
 Ceremonies of Baptism. 
 
 The Church has surrounded the administration of Baptism 
 with several ceremonies, which are intended to impress upon the 
 hearts of the faithful the solemn importance of this holy function, 
 that they may the better preserve its graces, or regain them again 
 by penance. 
 
 The following are the ceremonies : 
 
 1. The sponsors are first to stand before the church-door with 
 the child to be baptized; for the Church is a symbol of heaven, 
 into which nothing defiled can enter. Previous to their baptism 
 children are unclean and under the power of the devil. 
 
 2. The priest breathes three times in the form of a cross on 
 the child, as a sign that the power of the evil enemy is broken 
 by the breathing of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 3. The priest signs the forehead of the child to be baptized 
 with the sign of the cross. The Christian should not be ashamed 
 of the cross of Christ, and should openly profess the doctrines 
 of the Crucified. 
 
 4. The priest also makes the same sign on the breast of the 
 child, for it should ever cherish in its heart a love for the cross 
 of Christ. 
 
 5. A few grains of salt are placed in the mouth of the child. 
 Salt is a symbol of heavenly wisdom. The baptized person 
 should seek such wisdom, and cultivate a taste for the things of 
 God. 
 
 6. The priest places the stole on the child, and takes posses- 
 sion of it in the name of Christ, Who has freed it from the power 
 of the devil. Henceforth it belongs to its Redeemer. 
 
 7. The priest touches the ears and nose of the child with 
 spittle, at the same time saying, " Be thou opened to the fra- 
 grance of meekness." • This is in commemoration of the action of 
 Christ with regard to the deaf and dumb man in the Gospel to 
 whom He restored the faculty of hearing and speaking. Until 
 baptism we are in sin. Persons in sin are deaf to the word of 
 God, and likewise dumb in speaking His praises. The baptized 
 person is now cured, and henceforth he shall both hear and pro- 
 claim God's word. 
 
 8. The child is then anointed with holy oil on the breast and 
 between the shoulders. This points again to the cross of Christ, 
 which the Christian should love in his heart and bear willingly 
 on his shoulders. 
 
BAPTISM. 
 
 75 
 
 9. T h e 
 head of the 
 child is also 
 anointed 
 with chrism, 
 as a sign that 
 the Christian 
 has a share 
 in the royal 
 and priestly- 
 dignity of 
 Jesus Christ. 
 It was to 
 newly-bap- 
 tized Chris- 
 tians that St. 
 Peter said : 
 " You are a 
 chosen gen- 
 eration, a 
 kingly priest- 
 hood." 
 
 10. A white 
 cloth is laid 
 upon the 
 child, with 
 the words : 
 " Receive 
 this white 
 garment: 
 carry it un- ^'^- Ph'lip Baptizing the Eunuch of Queen Candace. 
 
 stained before the judgment-seat of Jesus Christ, that thou may- 
 est have life everlasting." 
 
 II* Then the sponsors place their right hands on a lighted 
 candle, while the priest says: "Receive this burning light; keep 
 thy baptism without stain; observe the commandments of Gcnl, 
 that when the Lord shall come to the nuptial feast tliou niayest 
 go forth to meet Him together with all the saints, and have life 
 everlasting." 
 
 These are reminders to the effect that those only reach 
 heaven who are clothed with a wedding garment, and that a 
 Christian should keep his light burning before men, iliai they 
 
76 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 may see his good works, and render honor to their Father in 
 heaven (Matt. v. i6). 
 
 12. The name of a saint is given to the person to be baptized: 
 I, To signify that by baptism he is numbered among Christians, 
 whom St. Paul calls ''saints." 2, That he may have a guardian, 
 patron, and intercessor. 3, That the saint whose name he bears 
 may be to him a model and example for the direction of his life. 
 Hence, as far as it is possible, parents should choose for their chil- 
 dren names appropriate to their condition in life. 
 
 HEFLiECTION. 
 
 PAS5AGE5 FRO.M SCRIPTURE. 
 
 WILL pour out waters upon the thirsty ground, 
 and streams upon the dry land : I will pour out 
 Aly spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon 
 thy stock. And they shall spring up among the 
 herbs, as willows beside the running waters" 
 (Is. xliv. 3,4). "In that day there shall be a 
 fountain open to the house of David, and to the 
 inhabitants of Jerusalem for the washing of the 
 sinner"' (Zacli. xiii. i). " He that believeth and is baptized shall 
 be saved" (Mark xvi. 16). ••Know you not that all we. who are 
 baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized in His death ?" (Rom. vi. 3.) 
 
 SELECTIONS FROn THE FATHERS. 
 
 •' Man. before he receives the name of God, is doomed to 
 death. But when he has received that seal, he is freed from 
 death and restored to life. That seal is the water. When men 
 descend into this water they are as yet doomed to death, but 
 when they come out they are elected unto life" (Hermas). " As 
 from dry flour without water neither dough nor bread can be 
 made, neither can we without the water which is from heaven 
 be joined in Christ. And as the arid earth when deprived of 
 mois'ure bears no fruit, so we, who are originally but dry wood, 
 would never make our life fruitful without the spontaneous and 
 freely-given blessing from above. For by the bath set up for 
 incorruption have our bodies received union, and by the spirit 
 our souls also received union. Hence both are necessar}*, for 
 they are conducive to life in God" (St. Irenaeus). •'Baptism is 
 called a bath, because our sins are washed away in it; grace, be- 
 cause by it the well-deserved penalties of sin are remitted; illu- 
 
BAPTISM. 77 
 
 mination, because through it we see God, that sacred and sav- 
 ing light; and, finally, completion, because after it man needs 
 nothing more. God's grace supplies us with perfection" (St. 
 'Clement of Alexandria). " Whosoever descends with faith into 
 this bath of regeneration renounces evil, pledges himself to 
 Christ. He renounces the enemy and acknowledges that Christ 
 is God. He puts off slavery and puts on the dignity of a son. 
 He emerges from baptism shining like the sun, beaming with the 
 lightning of justice" (Hippolytus). "Baptism washes away all 
 sins, both original sin and actual sin; sins of thought, word, and 
 work; the sins that we forget and those that we remember. He 
 Who created man regenerates him. He pardons sins and de- 
 mands no reparation. When one departs from this life imme- 
 diately after baptism, there is nothing left for him to atone. All 
 is remitted him" (St. Augustine). 
 
 THE ANCIENT RITE OF BAPTISM. 
 
 In early Christian times, when the many enemies of Christian- 
 ity rendered caution necessary, lest one of them should gain ad- 
 mittance to the fold, and while acting the hypocrite should betray 
 the mysteries of the Church, the obtaining of Baptism was at- 
 tended with some difficulty. The manner in which it was con- 
 ferred shows what solicitous preparation was required, and how 
 highly valued were its graces. We also discover that the cere- 
 monies of Baptism, as now practised, are only a summing up in 
 one act, which in early times extended over the space of months. 
 
 When a person desired Baptism, he had to mention it to the 
 bishop or priest, and then came — 
 
 1. The Reception. The postulant was signed with the sign 
 of the cross ; the chief points of the Christian belief and morals 
 were made known to him, and he was asked whether he accepted 
 them. If he answered affirmatively, he was enrolled and admitted 
 among the catechumens. 
 
 After several days of trial came — 
 
 2. The laying on of hands, a ceremony of dedication, and one 
 to which a great power was ascribed. 
 
 On seven different days during Lent — 
 
 3. The conjurations or exorcisms on tlie catechumens took 
 place. These in their essential points were then about the same 
 as they are now, and had the same triple breatliing. TIkmi pas- 
 sages were read from Holy Scripture, as follows: "Shall the 
 prey be taken from the strong? or can that which was taken by 
 
78 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 the mighty be delivered ? For thus saith the Lord : Yea, verily, 
 even the captivity shall be taken away from the strong : and that 
 which was taken by the mighty shall be delivered" (Is. xlix. 24, 
 25). " You are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood" (I. Pet. 
 ii. 9). Then followed the history of the deaf and dumb man, 
 from St. Mark's account (vii). After this came : 
 
 4. The opening of the ears of the catechumens, who then re- 
 ceived — 
 
 5. The mys- 
 tery of the salt. 
 At the same 
 time t h e y 
 made — 
 
 6. Their re- 
 nunciation of 
 Satan, during 
 whichactashes 
 were strewn on 
 their heads. 
 
 On the eve 
 of the fourth 
 Sunday of 
 Lent the can- 
 didates were 
 taught — 
 
 7. The 
 Apostles' 
 Creed, and 
 eight days af- 
 terwards — 
 
 8. The Our 
 Father was ex- 
 plained. 
 
 Now came: 
 
 9. The act 
 of Baptism, 
 which took 
 place only at 
 Easter and 
 Whitsuntide, 
 
 and later on at the Epiphany. The Baptism was done by im- 
 mersion^ as it is still the practice in the Greek Church, in large 
 
 Baptism. 
 
BAPTISM. 79 
 
 cisterns built in the floor of the church, which were reached by- 
 several steps downwards. 
 
 10. After the immersion the new Christian was anointed on 
 the crown of his head with chrism by the bishop and attending 
 priests. 
 
 In order that the chrism might not be desecrated, the neo- 
 phyte's head was covered with a white cap, through which ran 
 a red band, which symbolized the sufferings of Christ. This 
 bandage was to be worn for eight days, and only the priest could 
 finally take it off. It was then either burned or preserved in the 
 Church to serve at the baptism of some poor person. Any per- 
 son who lost his cap before the expiration of eight days was 
 visited by the Church authorities with a very severe penance. 
 After the anointing the neophyte received — ^ 
 
 11. The kiss of peace, and the psalm was sung, "Blessed are 
 they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered " 
 (Psalm xxxi. i). Then he was arrayed in — 
 
 12. The white garment, and a small wreath of flowers, and in 
 his hand was put — 
 
 13. The burning candle. Thus arrayed, he was led up on a 
 high place and confirmed. After Confirmation came the celebra- 
 tion of Mass, at which first Communion was given. 
 
 The white garment was worn seven days. These seven days 
 represented the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. The day for the 
 laying aside of the white garment was Low Sunday; hence its 
 Latin name, Sunday in white. This ceremony was performed by 
 the priests at the baptismal font. During the seven days the 
 neophyte was expected to be present and to receive Communion 
 at the daily sacrifice. In Rome the newly-baptized person was 
 presented with a wax figure, blessed, and representing the Lamb 
 of God, called an Agnus Dei, as a type of future meekness of life, 
 and also as a memorial. After the laying off of the white gar- 
 ment, the baptized person received for the first time full instruc- 
 tion. The anniversary of the baptismal day was kept a holiday, 
 and the i)romises were renewed. From all tiiis it is plain that 
 those who find fault with our ceremonies of to-day have no 
 ground for saying that they are of modern invention. Original 
 Christianity, with its living and fervent traditions, the earliest 
 Christian times show us tiiat in the administration of Baptism 
 everything was carried out as it is now, only with more solemnity — 
 not, however, in one hurried act, but through a series of ritual 
 observances. Here, as well as in all things done by the Cluircii, 
 
8q the sacraments. 
 
 we see the sense and spirit of the sacrament admirably expressed 
 in the ceremonies. . . 
 
 COMPARISONS. 
 
 As the sick man comes out of the bath newly strengthened, so 
 does the soul come forth from Baptism not only purified from sin, 
 but strengthened in grace and endowed with the sonship of God. 
 
 Every one who is born again in holy Baptism is, as it were, 
 cut off from Adam, the sinful vine-stock, and grafted as a new 
 branch to the living tree, who is Christ Jesus, that he may bloom 
 and bear fruit for eternal life. 
 
 It is for the soldier a most sacred duty to observe faithfully 
 and bravely the oath of allegiance. Remember! thou, too, in 
 Baptism hast registered a vow to God, the just and eternal. 
 How will it fare with thee, if thou become a perjurer before 
 God the Lord, and desert thy colors? 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 The Baptism, Conversion, and Martyrdom of Genesius. 
 
 Genesius suffered martyrdom at Rome, during the joint 
 reign of Diocletian and Maximian. He was a teacher of the 
 ^drama, and one day offered to show the emperor Diocletian the 
 manner in which the Christians celebrated their religious mys- 
 teries. The emperor came with a multitude of people to witness 
 the performance. Then Genesius lay himself down in the middle 
 of the theatre, played the part of a sick man, and begged and 
 implored to be baptized; at the same time gesticulating wildly 
 and crying out, "Alas! my friends, I feel myself heavily burdened 
 and wish to find relief." One of the actors replied, " How can 
 we lighten yourload ? Are we carpenters, who should lay you 
 on the planing bench and plane you down ?" At these words the 
 large audience were convulsed with laughter. But Genesius, 
 whom the Lord was now punishing, cried out to the spectators : 
 "You deluded people! I am a Christian, and long for death." 
 They asked him, "Why so?" He rejoined, "That I may not be 
 found to be a cowardly deserter." At this even the emperor was 
 compelled to laugh aloud. Then the priest and exorcist came on 
 the stage, as previously arranged, and drawing near to Genesius 
 asked him: "Son, why didst thou send for us?" Genesius re- 
 plied: "Because I wish to participate in the saving grace won 
 for us by Christ, and thereby to be born again and made free 
 from the misery of my sinfulness." He then received the sacra- 
 ment, was clothed in a white garment, dragged through the 
 
/ Baptism. - 8r 
 
 sand of the arena by the soldiers," as was usuaHy done to the saints 
 who were to suffer for the faith, and was presented before the 
 emperor to render an account of his religious belief. But though 
 apparently acting the part of a martyr, he was one in reality. 
 Ascending a pedestal, on which stood the statue of Venus, he 
 thus spoke: "Hear me, O Emperor and people! t I have always 
 abhorred the very name of Christian. I have ever ridiculed 
 those who were true to such belief, and have excited against 
 them the anger of the people. I have even cursed my parentSj 
 and other friends because they were Christians. So intense was 
 my dislike for the name of Christ that I studied their most 
 hidden mysteries, not indeed with a view of embracing them, 
 but in order to act them out before you in the most ridiculous 
 comedy, and thus to make them an object of contempt. 
 
 "But just now, as the water was poured on my head and I 
 pronounced the words, * I believe,' I saw a hand descending 
 from heaven, and near me an angel standing, and reading from 
 a book the long list of my sins, who then said to me : ' This 
 water washes away all these many grievous sins of thine.* And 
 when the Baptism was concluded, I saw the leaves of the book 
 made whiter than snow. Thus, while I was striving to please 
 an earthly master, I pleased the Lord of heaven and earth, and 
 while trying to make you laugh, I brought joy to the angels 
 in heaven. And now, O Emperor and all ye people assembled 
 here, cease to mock these holy mysteries which you and I 
 have opposed ^in bur ignorance. Believe that Jesus Christ is true 
 God, the true light, the way and the life, and the only One Who 
 can take away our sins." The astonished Emperor in a rage 
 ordered all who had taken part in the performance to be scourged 
 with rods, for he thought they were all of the same belief as 
 Genesius. But these persons protested vehemently: " We do 
 not believe the same as this crazy man, who has fallen into the 
 ways and notions of the Christians. He alone is responsible and 
 he alone deserves punishment, not we." Genesius was then sub- 
 jected to the most cruel torments, yet ceased not to repeat to his 
 cruel executioners, "You may torture and destroy my body, 
 but you cannot banish Christ from my heart." At last he won 
 the martyr's crown, on the 8th day of September. 
 
 Baptism by Blood. 
 
 The heroic constancy of the Christian martyrs could not fail 
 to make a deep impression on those who, whether as mere 
 
S2 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 spectators or as sufferers themselves, were present at their mar- 
 tyrdom. Hence, we find that not only did Christians by their 
 meekness and patience while in prison convert their jailers, 
 baptizing them and their families, so that when the soldiers 
 came to conduct the prisoners to death the jailers went along 
 with them and fearlessly confessed the same faith and sought 
 the same fate, but even the very executioners threw away their 
 instruments of torture during the martyrdom, and professed 
 themselves fellow-believers of those whom they tortured but 
 could not conquer. Such was the action of the executioner of 
 St. Alban ; of another, also in England, named Antony ; of Sts. 
 Sostenes and Wicklar, once executioners under the Emperor 
 Diocletian ; of Apollinaris,a hangman in Rheims; of St. Cyriacus, 
 another hangman; and of eight executioners who were con- 
 verted at the martyrdom of St. Martina. These and countless 
 others to whom God showed mercy were martyrs baptized in 
 their own blood. Such was the case, too, with St. Ardalion, 
 who, like Genesius and Porphyrins, was a public actor and 
 derided the Christians, but who was converted by the constancy 
 of his subjects of derision, and being burnt to death entered into 
 life. 
 
 The Gate of Heaven. 
 
 Clovis I., King of the Franks, was baptized in the year 496, at 
 Rheims, by St. Remigius. When he was conducted into the 
 church, which was magnificently decorated and brilliantly illu- 
 minated with thousands of lights and sweetly fragrant with the 
 odors of rich incense, he was so overpowered at the effect, as 
 well as at the sight of the ceremonies, that he turned to St. 
 Remigius and inquired : " Father, is this the kingdom of heaven 
 that you promised to me?" "My prince," replied the Bishop, 
 *' this is only a shadow of it," and then, pointing to the baptismal 
 font, he added: "See, that is the gate leading to the true king- 
 dom." During the ceremony Remigius exhorted the king, say- 
 ing : "Lay aside all pride, practise humility and mildness; adore 
 what thou hast hitherto burned, and burn the idols which thou 
 hast hitherto adored," This king was baptized on Christmas-day, 
 and out of regard for this important conversion of royalty many 
 bishops in subsequent ages permitted public baptisms to be per- 
 formed on that feast, as well as on those regularly appointed for 
 the administration of that sacrament. 
 
Bafiism in the Catacombs. 
 83 
 
84 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 Esteem of Baptismal Graces. 
 
 ' St. Louis, King of France, always cherished great respect and 
 affection for the place of his baptism. Often and often he would 
 kneel down before the sacred baptismal font in the Castle Chapel 
 at Poissy, where he had been baptized, and pass hours in acts of 
 thanksgiving to God for the favors bestowed upon him in that 
 holy sacrament. Often, too, he used to sign his name to the most 
 important documents simply as ''Louis of Poissy," and without 
 any symbol of his royal dignity. When asked by his courtiers 
 why he went so often to the chapel at Poissy, why he preferred 
 that unseemly, insignificant little chapel to the grand and stately 
 cathedral at Rheims, in which he had been crowned king, he used 
 to reply: " Have I not good reason for being more fond of the 
 spot where I obtained the dignity of Christian than of the place 
 where I received only the empty, fleeting honors of an earthly 
 king? At Rheims I was decorated with the crown of my 
 father, and anointed as an earthly ruler. But at Poissy I was 
 aidorned with the precious crown of Jesus Christ, and anointed 
 as a child of God. By my coronation at Rheims I received the 
 right only to rule over my subjects, and to sit upon an earthly 
 throne, whose power and splendor must leave me at my death. 
 But at my baptism in Poissy, on the contrary, I received the right 
 to sit upon a throne of everlasting glory in heaven." 
 
 Baptismal Promises. 
 
 Necessary as the grace of Baptism is for securing the kingdom 
 of heaven, equally necessary is it to keep the promises made at 
 the time of its reception — namely, carefully to avoid every sin as a 
 work of the devil, to believe in the Triune God, and to follow the 
 teachings of Christ faithfully. This truth is forcibly shown and 
 proven by the following history related by Pope Benedict XIV., in 
 his famous work on the "Beatification of the Servants of God." 
 This wonderful history was communicated to the Holy See by 
 the Bishop of Esseste, in the province of Kenxi in Asia. 
 
 In a village of that country there lived a man named Lunhie, 
 with the surname Ly. Although his parents had become Chris- 
 tians and urged him often to be baptized and live in accordance 
 with the teachings of Christ, he did not do so, because he did 
 not want to leave the path of sin — a path which even baptized 
 Christians too often tread, and, forgetting that they are soon to 
 die, become liable to meet increased suffering in the next world 
 for having neglected to correspond with the grace of Baptism in 
 
BAPTISM. 85 
 
 this life. At lastj falling sick with a malignant affection of the 
 throatj the man died on the 21st of December, 1734, without re- 
 ceiving Baptism ; for, although he asked for it in the last moment, 
 he was unwilling to express repentance for his sins. 
 
 On the following day, December 22d, a niece of this man's, 
 aged three years, died, having received Baptism and the name 
 Lucy just before death, at the hands of a pious Christian. 
 
 Lunhie was placed in his coffin, and on the 23d of December 
 mourned according to the custom of the country by his surviving 
 parents. But on that very day the dead man came to life, left 
 his coffin, and said: "Baptize me at once, for I wish to obey God's 
 commandments." The spectators were not more astonished at 
 his return to life than they were at his change of conduct, for 
 previously it had been impossible to induce him to lead a life 
 conformable with the teachings of Christ. When questioned about 
 this change in his sentiments, he answered: "When I was dead, 
 I came to a place where I could not enter. Driven back by some 
 unseen and unknown power, I soon found myself on the road to 
 hell. Then I was met by a youth, who said to me: 'Why do 
 you refuse to live according to God's holy commandments?' 
 All of a tremble, I uttered these words: 'Because it is impos- 
 sible for me to live in conformity with those laws.' Then the 
 youth rejoined: 'It is not so hard, if you have an earnest will, 
 and seek the necessary graces from Jesus through the intercession 
 of His Mother. You will then be able to live without sinning 
 grievously. God grants you permission to return to your body, 
 in order that after the reception of Baptism you may give un- 
 doubted evidence to the people that no one can enter the king- 
 dom of heaven without that sacrament, and without having led a 
 life in keeping with the baptismal promises.' " Crowds of people 
 came to see him, and put many questions to him. To mere que- 
 ries of curiosity he made no reply ; but to questions concerning 
 religion he answered with wonderful wisdom. To the question 
 how it had fared with his recently deceased niece, he replied: 
 "She is in heaven and near God." He warned all repeatedly 
 that they should serve God by obeying His commandments and 
 receiving Baptism, if they hoped after this life to have happiness 
 in the next. About a month after his restoration to life he was 
 again called away by God, on the 21st of January, 1735. T^^e 
 Christians of the town testified to the truth of these facts on 
 oath. 
 
S6 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 RENEWAL OF BAPTISflAL PROHISES. 
 
 I believe in God, tiie Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and 
 earth. 
 
 I believe in Jesus Christ, His only-begotten Son, Who for us 
 was born and died. 
 
 I believe in the Holy Ghost. 
 
 I believe in the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of 
 saints, the f(3rgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and 
 life everlasting. 
 
 I renounce Satan and all his works and pomps. 
 
 To Thee, O Jesus, I unite myself ! To Thee I cling. Thee 
 alone will I follow, for Thee alone do I desire to live, and for Thee 
 to die. In the name of God the Father »J*, and of the Son *J*, and 
 of the Holy Ghost. Amen. 
 
 PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 
 
 Often call to mind the great mercy of God which, without any 
 merit of your own, made you in the first days of your life a child 
 of God and heir to eternal happiness. What would become of 
 you, whether in time or eternity, without this holy baptism ? For 
 nothing defiled ran enter heaven. Bear in mind also the duties 
 that were imposed upon you in Baptism, and discharge them with 
 strict conscientiousness. In the presence of God you renounced 
 the evil spirit, with all his works and pomps. Equally solemn 
 was your profession of firm belief in God the Father, Son, and 
 Holy Ghost, as well as in the Catholic Church, and it now be- 
 hooves you to make good these professions every day of your life. 
 Every morning renew your resolution to that effect. Every time 
 you visit the Church let the sacred font of Baptism remind you 
 that there, when a mere infant, you received the first blessing 
 from the " motherly hand of the Church." 
 
 If God sends you children, delay not to secure for them, 
 through a speedy baptism, the same favors and graces, that 
 their souls may not have to hunger too long after justice. If a 
 mother imparts the natural nourishment to her child in the first 
 hours of its existence, how can the father hold back from it its 
 supernatural food ? 
 
CONFIRMATION. 
 
 S7 
 
 Confirmation 
 
 I^iSTl^UCTIOfl. 
 
 leaning of Confirmation. Its IjSlatuPe. 
 
 ONFIRMATION is a sacrament in which, by 
 the laying on of the bishop's hands, joined 
 with anointing and prayer, the baptized 
 Christian is strengthened by the Holy Ghost, 
 in order that he may profess his faith bravely, 
 and live in accordance with its maxims. 
 
 Confirmation is truly a sacrament ; for it 
 contains all the necessary elements of a sacra- 
 ment. 
 
 The outward signs of the sacrament of Confirmation are 
 to be found in the laying on of hands, in the anointing with 
 chrism by the bishop, together with his words, " I sign thee 
 with the sign of the cross, and strengthen thee with the chrism 
 of salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
 of the Holy Ghost." 
 
 Confirmation bestows : i. An increase of sanctifying grace ; 
 for through it we receive the Holy Ghost and with Him the 
 fulness of grace. 2. It imparts to us a special power and strength 
 for our struggle against vice, and for the bold profession of our 
 faith. 3. It impresses upon us an indelible character as soldiers 
 of Jesus Christ. By Baptism we became Christians and children 
 of Christ, but by Confirmation we become soldiers of Christ and 
 defenders of God's truth. Thus Confirmation is, in a certain 
 sense, a perfection or complement of Baptism. 
 
 The effects of Confirmation are expressed by St. Paul in these 
 words : "He that confirmeth us with you in Christ, and that hath 
 anointed us^ is God : Who also hath sealed us, and given the 
 pledge of the Spirit in our hearts" (IT. Cor. i. 21, 22). 
 
 Lastly, Confirmation was instituted by Jesus Christ. This 
 we know from Holy Scripture, and from the constant teaching 
 of the Church. 
 
 According to Scripture, the apostles administered Confirma- 
 tion. In chapter eighth of the Acts the following statement 
 occurs: "Philip going down to the city of Samaria, preached 
 Christ unto them. And the people with one accord were at- 
 
gg- 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 tentive to those 
 things which 
 were said by 
 Philip, hearing 
 and seeing the 
 miracles which 
 he did. -Now, 
 when the apos- 
 tles who were 
 in Jerusalem 
 had heard that 
 Samaria had re- 
 ceived the word 
 of God, they 
 sent unto them 
 Peter and John, 
 who, when they 
 were come,, 
 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 
 baptized in the 
 name of the 
 Lord Jesus. 
 Then they laid 
 their hands 
 
 upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost." Here is 
 plainly described an outward sign, — namely, the laying on of 
 hands, — by which was conveyed to the subject an inward grace, — 
 namely, the infusion of the Holy Spirit ; hence the elements nec- 
 essary to a sacrament are present. Yet this function was some- 
 thing altogether different from Baptism, for it is stated "they 
 were " already " baptized : then they received the Holy Ghost ; " 
 thus showing that even the grace was clearly a different one from 
 that already received in Baptism. If it was but one and the same 
 rite, why did not the deacon Philip himself lay his hands on the 
 converted Samaritans ? Why should two apostles be summoned 
 
 The Sacrament of Confirmation, 
 
CONFIRMATION. 89 
 
 to Samaria merely to perform a ceremony ? They certainly did 
 not go there for the sake of a mere rite. Now, tlien, whence did 
 the apostles learn that they were under an obligation of per- 
 forming this function, and that by their prayers and laying on of 
 hands the Holy Ghost would come down on Christians already 
 baptized ? This commission they must necessarily have received 
 from Christ. Thus, by implication, we see from the Scriptures 
 that Christ instituted the sacrament of Confirmation. 
 
 During all ages the Catholic Church has held that Confirma- 
 tion is a sacrament, and consequently ordained by Christ. 
 
 This doctrine of the Church we find proclaimed through all 
 the centuries in the testimonies of the fathers, who declare ex- 
 plicitly that Confirmation was at all times regarded in the 
 Church as a sacrament, and as such was always administered. 
 Hence the Council of Trent pronounced anathema on all those 
 who say :" Confirmation of baptized persons is a useless cere- 
 mony, and not a true and real sacrament." 
 
 Like the apostles at Samaria and Ephesus, their successors, 
 the bishops of the Church, administered Confirmation from 
 the beginning down to the present day. Church history testifies 
 that in the earliest ages the bishops went about from place to 
 place, laying hands, and calling down the Holy Spirit, on persons 
 previously baptized by the priests. "This is a custom in the 
 Church," writes St. Jerome, "for bishops to go out to the distant 
 towns and villages in order to lay hands, and call down the Holy 
 Ghost, on such persons as had received Baptism from the 
 priests or deacons." 
 
 ImpoPtanee of Confirmation. Its fDinistePs. 
 
 Unlike Baptism, Confirmation is not absolutely necessary for 
 salvation. Yet it facilitates salvation very much, and to omit it 
 through neglect and indifference would be a grievous sin. Tliose 
 who have been baptized are but weak and new-born children; 
 they are soldiers without arms. Hence they are poorly equipped 
 for sustaining a contest with the world, the devil, and the flesh. 
 Confirmation is needed to make the Christian strong and perfect. 
 Now, as God requires us to be perfect, it follows that all arc in 
 that sense obliged to receive this perfecting sacrament. To oinil 
 it wilfully would be a punishable offence. In the earlier ai;es ol 
 Christianity, the Church inflicted on parents who neglectcMl to 
 have their children confirmed a penance of three years' duration — 
 the same that was ordinarily given for mortal sins. 
 
9© THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 On account of its signification and importance, Confirmation 
 is called, as has been already noticed, the Sacrament of Comple- 
 tion, or Perfection; and as such it can be administered by bishops 
 only, as the lawful successors of the apostles. It is only by excep- 
 tion that priests on the mission, exercising their ministry far from 
 a bishop, may, by special permission of the Pope, confirm their 
 recently baptized subjects, who, dwelling as they are in the 
 midst of heathens, might, if deprived of Confirmation's graces, 
 become weak in their faith and relapse into paganism. 
 
 Heeeption of Confipmation. 
 
 Only a baptized Christian can receive Confirmation, It is 
 advisable to defer the reception of this sacrament till the child's 
 seventh year, or after First Communion, unless some pressing 
 necessity should intervene. 
 
 1. The candidate has more respect for the sacrament if he re- 
 ceive it only after a conscious self-preparation. 
 
 2. Its effects are better when the candidate has prepared 
 himself carefully. 
 
 3. If the candidate be confirmed at a reasonably intelligent 
 age, he has the advantage of being able to pronounce himself, and 
 intelligently, the profession of faith that was made for him by 
 others at the time of his baptism. 
 
 In order to receive Confirmation worthily, it is necessary for 
 the candidate to be in a state of grace; for Confirmation is a 
 sacrament of the living, and hence the soul must be in the enjoy- 
 ment of spiritual health if the candidate would receive it profit- 
 ably — that is, to the augmentation of sanctifying grace or super- 
 natural life. Hence, preparation is quite necessary, i. The candi- 
 date must purify his conscience, at least from all grievous sins, by 
 the sacrament of Penance. 2. The candidate must be instructed 
 in the fundamental truths of faith, and especially in those bear- 
 ing on Confirmation. 
 
 During the act of Confirm.ation the postulant should pray 
 fervently for the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and promise God to 
 live henceforth a good Christian, till the hour of death. He 
 should not depart till after the bishop's blessing. 
 
 After Confirmation the person confirmed should humbly 
 thank God for the graces conferred, and pass the remainder of 
 the day in quiet recollection. 
 
CONFIRMATION. 9I 
 
 Sponsors. 
 
 Confirmation-sponsors have a twofold duty: i. They conduct 
 the candidates to Confirmation, and during the ceremony each 
 one stands behind his god-child with his right hand placed on 
 the right shoulder of the candidate, as a sign that he takes him 
 under his care and protection during the struggles of life. 
 
 2. The Confirmation-sponsor has another special duty for the 
 life of the god-child. He must be his assistant, and infuse cour- 
 age into him at every struggle : his witness to remind him of his 
 duties; his teacher and master to give him instructions how, 
 when storms come up, to handle the rudder, and when enemies 
 attack to use his weapons of defence. 
 
 The Church requires of the Confirmation-sponsor the fol- 
 lowing qualifications: He must be another besides the baptismal 
 sponsor, should be of the same sex as the god-child, a Catholic, 
 confirmed, of blameless life, and of such an age as to be capable 
 of understanding and fulfilling his duties as sponsor. 
 
 Sponsors are, too, the spiritual parents of the god-child; hence 
 here the same spiritual affinity is contracted as at Baptism, and 
 the same matrimonial impediments arise. 
 
 Ceremonies at Confirmation. 
 
 Confirmation is administered in the following manner: 
 
 The bishop lays his hands on the candidate, or, if there be 
 several, he spreads his hands out over them all at one time, and 
 prays that the gifts of the Holy Spirit may come down on them. 
 Then he anoints the forehead of each one individually, in the 
 form of a cross, with chrism, which consists of olive oil and bal- 
 sam, saying at the same time: '' I sign thee with the sign of the 
 cross, I confirm " — that is, strengthen — ''thee with the chrism of 
 salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
 Holy Ghost. Amen." 
 
 After this, he gives the person a slight blow on the cheek, 
 with the words: "Peace be to you." 
 
 These significant signs express the whole meaning of this 
 sacred function. 
 
 I. The oil is a symbol of strength. Tiie ancient gladiators 
 always anointed their bodies with it, to make tliemselves more 
 active and powerful in the coml)at in the circus. Taken in a 
 spiritual sense, it here signifies the inward power wiiich we 
 receive in Confirmation, in order tlie more actively and success- 
 fully to contend against the enemies of our salvation. 
 
92 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 2. Balsam is used to preserve tlie bodies of deceased persons 
 from corruption. In a spiritual sense, too, it represents that grace 
 which is to save us from the contamination of the world, and 
 enable us by an exemplary life to diffuse about us the fragrance 
 of many virtues. 
 
 3. The forehead is the seat of shame. Now no Christian 
 should be ashamed of his cross, nor afraid to profess freely and 
 publicly his belief in Christ crucified, according to the example 
 of St. Paul, who says of himself : " I am not ashamed of the 
 Gospel. For it is the power of God unto salvation to every one 
 that believeth " (Rom. i. 16). 
 
 The blow on the cheek is a pain and a humiliation. To-day 
 the true Christian cannot expect to fare any better than did his 
 Lord and Master. But he must not seek revenge. He must 
 suffer in silence, and to him who strikes him on the right cheek 
 he must humbly turn the left. Of this the bishop reminds him 
 by the slight blow. The sacrament enables him to do it. Thus 
 there is contained in every rite and ceremony a profound mean- 
 ing, that when examined speaks to all hearts. 
 
 I^EFIiHCTIOrl. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 ND it came to pass that Paul having passed 
 through the upper coasts came to Ephesus, 
 and found certain disciples. 
 
 " And he said to them : Have you received 
 the Holy Ghost since ye believed ? But they 
 said to him : We have not so much as heard 
 whether there be a Holy Ghost. 
 "And he said : In what then were you baptized ? Who said : 
 In John's Baptism. 
 
 "Then Paul said : John baptized the people with the baptism 
 of penance, saying : That they should believe in Him Who was 
 to come after him — that is to say, in Jesus. 
 
 " Having heard these things, they were baptized in the name 
 of the Lord Jesus. 
 
 " And when Paul had imposed his hands on them, the Holy 
 Ghost came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and proph- 
 esied " (Acts xix. 1-6). 
 
 The meaning of this passage is plain. 
 
 St. Paul on arriving at Ephesus found there remaining some 
 of the former disciples of St. John, to whom he had given his 
 
 I 
 
CONFIRMATION. 
 
 93 
 
 figurative Baptism, and who believed in Christ, because their 
 master, St. John, had declared him to be the veritable Messias. 
 When they told St. Paul they had been baptized, he had some 
 doubts about the nature of their Baptism, and asked them 
 whether they had been confirmed, when it turned out that they 
 had received only the typical Baptism as mentioned above. 
 Therefore, 
 
 St. Paul bap- 
 tized them 
 and then con- 
 firmed them. 
 Now if Bap- 
 tism and Con- 
 fir m a t i o n 
 were not two 
 distinct sa- 
 craments, 
 how could 
 St. Paul have 
 inquired. 
 Were you 
 confirmed 
 after having 
 become 
 Christians ? 
 "In Chrisi 
 you also are 
 after you 
 heard the 
 word of truth, 
 the Gospel of 
 your salva- 
 tion, in whom 
 also believ- 
 ing you were 
 signed with 
 theholyspirit ^S. Peter and John at Samaria. 
 
 of promise" (Eph. i. 13). 
 
 THE TESTIMONY OF ANTIQUITY. 
 
 As there are some persons, even among those who are not 
 wholly strangers to sacred knowledge, who pretend that in 
 Christian antiquity there are not proofs sufficiently clear 
 
 and 
 
94 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 certain concerning Confirmation, we will here quote at some 
 length the testimony of the fathers, popes, and councils ; taking 
 them word for word from the equally sound and learned work 
 on theology written by His Eminence Cardinal Gousset, Bishop of 
 the ancient see of Rheims in France. This celebrated theologian, 
 in his treatise on the Sacraments, says : 
 
 "Confirmation has been administered in the Church from the 
 days of the apostles down to our own without a break ; not 
 merely as a ceremony of Baptism, but as a sacrament having 
 within itself the power of imparting to us a special grace. As 
 witnesses of this practice, w'e have the fathers, the popes, the 
 councils, and even the first centuries themselves. 
 
 '' First, the fathers. Notwithstanding the cautious reserve they 
 had to maintain when speaking of the doctrines and practices of 
 the Church, in order not to betray their sacred mysteries to the 
 hostile pagans, yet the fathers of antiquity have expressed them- 
 selves in a sense more or less defined on the sacrament of Con- 
 firmation. 
 
 " St.Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch, in the middle of the second 
 century, savs that the Christians were so called because they 
 were anointed with the oil of God. St. Irenaeus, who died in 
 the year 202, relates that the Gnostics, after having in their own 
 way baptized their new adherents, gave to them an anointing 
 of balsam. This was nothing more or less than an awkward imi- 
 tation of what was done in the true Church. Tertullian. who 
 belonged to the second and third centuries, expresses himself 
 thus: ' After we leave the baptismal font, we receive anointing 
 with a certain oil. This anointing affects not only the flesh; it has 
 a special spiritual effectiveness, not unlike Baptism, which washes 
 the body and cleanses the soul from sin. Tlien hands are 
 imposed on us, and amid a blessing the Holy Ghost is invoked.' 
 Now this anointing, which, like Baptism, has an effect in our 
 soul, this laying on of hands, during which the Holy Spirit is 
 invoked, were not regarded as mere ceremonies of the sacrament 
 of Baptism. 'The flesh' — that is, the body — 'is washed,' adds 
 Tertullian, ' that the soul may be cleansed; the flesh receives 
 the anointing, that the soul may be healed : the flesh is covered 
 by the imposition of the hands, that the soul may be illuminated 
 with the light of the Holy Ghost. The flesh nourishes itself with 
 the body and blood of Christ, that the soul may be fed by God.' 
 Here we recognize three sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, and 
 Holy Eucharist. The same writer says that the demon permitted 
 
 )i 
 
CONFIRMATION. gc 
 
 the idolaters to simulate the holy sacraments by baptizing, 
 impressing a mark on the forehead, and celebrating the oblation 
 of bread. Again in his first book against Marcion, he distin- 
 guishes Baptism, the holy oil, and the Blessed Eucharist, as three 
 distinct things which he designates as sacraments. 
 
 " Let us hear St. Cyprian : ' It is our custom to present those 
 who have been baptized in our churches to the bishops, that by 
 their prayers and imposition of hands they may receive the Holy 
 Ghost, and be signed with the seal of the Lord.' Here we see 
 that Christians in the third century had to present themselves to 
 the bishops after baptism — not, indeed, to render an account of 
 their faith, but rather to receive the Holy Ghost by the imposi- 
 tion of hands. According to the same father, it is necessary that 
 the baptized person receive the anointing, * that by the recep- 
 tion of the chrism he may become the anointed of God, aHd be 
 enabled to have within him the grace of Jesus Christ.' He says 
 also that, in order to be perfectly sanctified, one must receive 
 Baptism and Confirmation, which are, one and the other, sacra- 
 ments. 
 
 ** St. Cyril of Jerusalem says that a person can only then be 
 properly termed a Christian when he has received the gifts of 
 the sacred chrism; that this chrism was given to those who had 
 been baptized, and that while they received such anointing on 
 their bodies their souls were sanctified by the Holy Ghost. Ac- 
 cording to St. Pacian, Bishop of Barcelona, ' When our sins have 
 been forgiven by Baptism, the Holy Ghost is imparted to us 
 through the anointing.' St. Ambrose says: ' Thou hast received 
 the spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the 
 spirit of counsel and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and of 
 piety, the spirit of the fear of God ; preserve what tliou hast 
 received. God the Father has signed thee with a seal ; Our Lord 
 Jesus Christ has fortified thee, and given to thee the Holy Ghost 
 as a pledge, as the Apostle teaches us.' St. Jerome is no less 
 definite. In his dialogue against the Luciferians, he makes his 
 opponent say: 'Dost thou not know that it is the custom of the 
 Church to impose hands on the baptized, in order to call down 
 the Holy Ghost ? Thou askest where it is written ? In the-Acts 
 of the apostles. Even if we had not the authority of Holy Script- 
 ure, the unanimous voice of all the world would serve us instead 
 of a law.' Then he answers him : * I grant tliat it is tlie custom 
 of the Church; that the bishops repair to small towns to those 
 persons who have been baptized by deacons and priests, to im- 
 
g6 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 pose hands upon them, and to invoke the Holy Spirit on them.' 
 In this passage the question is about that laying on of hands 
 which imparts the Holy Ghost — an imposition belonging to the 
 bishops, hence Confirmation. 
 
 *' St. Augustine, too, speaks of Confirmation as being a sacra- 
 ment. 'The spiritual anointing,' he says, 'is the Holy Ghost;' 
 hence the sacrament is in the visible anointing. He terms it the 
 Sacrament of the Chrism, adding that it is a visible sign, and, 
 like Baptism, a very holy thing. St, Chrysostom, St. Cyril of 
 Alexandria, Theodorus, St. Isidore of Seville, the venerable Bede, 
 Alcuin, Amalarius, Rhabanus Maurus, Malafried, Strabo, Pas- 
 chasius Rathbertus, Theodulph, and Jonas of Orleans — in a word 
 all the ancient Church historians who have spoken of Confirma- 
 tion represent it to us as a sacrament which confirms us in the 
 faith and imparts to us the Holy Ghost. 
 
 " Secondly, the popes. St. Cornelius in his letter to Fabius in 
 Antioch, handed down to us by Eusebius, reproaches the Nova- 
 tian that he had not had himself marked with a sign by the 
 bishop; adding that, because he had not obtained that sign, he 
 could not receive the Holy Ghost. Innocent I. in his letter to 
 Decentius refers to the Acts of the Apostles and the usage of the 
 Church, and says: That it is reserved to the bishops to mark the 
 children with a sign and to impart to them the Holy Ghost — a func- 
 tion not at all allowed to simple priests. Then he distinguishes 
 the baptismal anointing, which may be given by a priest, from 
 the anointing that must be performed by a bishop; ^ for he 
 alone,' says Innocent, ' can infuse the spirit of consolation.' As 
 may be easily seen, he was far from believing that Confirmation 
 was a mere ceremony of Baptism. St. Leo exhorts the faithful 
 to remain steadfast in the faith, because they have received the 
 chrism of salvation and the seal of eternal life. According to 
 St. Gregory the Great, it belongs not to the priests, but to the 
 bishops, to sign with the chrism the foreheads of the children. 
 
 " Thirdly, the councils, or ecclesiastical assemblages. The 
 Council of Elvira, which was held in the year 305, directs that 
 baptized persons be brought before the bishop, that by the impo- 
 sition of the high-priest's hands they may become perfect. That 
 of Laodicea, in the years 366 and 367, commands the faithful, 
 after their baptism, to receive the chrism given by the Church, 
 that they may have a share in the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Here, 
 as well as in the Council of Elvira, we observe two distinct sacra- 
 
Administering the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Catacombs. 
 
pS THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 ments, Baptism and Confirmation. The Council of Nice, in the 
 year 325, forbids that heretics who return to the Church be again 
 baptized, but directs that they undergo the imposition of hands, 
 if they have not been confirmed. By this imposition of hands 
 we are to understand Confirmation, as appears plainly from the 
 Council of Constantinople in the year 381, which, treating the 
 same question, orders heretics, when they have abjured their her- 
 esy, to receive the anointing with holy oil. Among many other 
 ancient councils we might refer to those of Orange in 441, Seville 
 in 619, Chalons in 813, and that of Paris in the year 829. All 
 recognize Confirmation as a sacrament distinct from Baptism, and 
 whose administration belongs to the bishop. 
 
 "To these witnesses may be added the belief in the Universal 
 Church, both Latin and Greek, and even the belief of schismatics 
 and the ancient heretics who have been separated from the Ro- 
 man communion for many centuries. In presence of such over- 
 whelming unanimity all the objections of our adversaries count 
 as nothing." 
 
 COaPARISONS. 
 
 Without Confirmation a Christian is like to a boy who has not 
 reached his full strength; like a plant which, being confined in a 
 room and deprived of fresh air and sunlight, does not acquire 
 vigor; like a knife without an edge; a sick man who is deprived 
 of a physician and nourishing food. 
 
 What bathing in pure water is to the body, that Confirmation 
 is to the soul. It penetrates and fortifies and revives the depths 
 of the human soul, and makes it strong and steadfast and perse- 
 vering in the battle for virtue and for holy faith. 
 
 "Remember always that in Confirmation you were stamped 
 with a spiritual seal — the spirit of truth, of understanding, of 
 counsel, and of fortitude " (St. Ambrose). 
 
 EXAnPLES OF THE POWER OF CONFIRflATION. 
 
 Lactantius Firmianus, who has been styled the Christian Cicero, 
 writes that many Christians were martyred by the tyrants be- 
 cause in the presence of such as were anointed the demons were 
 unable to make any responses through the idols. 
 
 It is known of Novatus, the heretic, that he was converted by 
 the Catholic exorcists to the true faith. He was baptized, but 
 out of fear of martyrdom fell away again. His biographers give 
 as the principal reason that he had not received the sacrament of 
 Confirmation when he could have done so. 
 
Confirmation, 99 
 
 Since in Confirmation we are made partakers of sucli heavenly 
 gifts, it is easy to understand how miracles are so often 
 wrought by virtue of this sacrament. Such a miracle is related 
 to us by St. Bernard in his life of St. Malachy, an Irish bishop. 
 Malachy went to Bishop Malchus, in order to receive more per- 
 fect instruction in the manner of serving God. Malchus was a 
 gray-haired man, of venerable age, abounding in virtue and wis- 
 dom. He went to give Confirmation, and among the candidates 
 was an afflicted person — one of those persons called somnambu- 
 lists. Malchus confirmed him, and healed him by the power of 
 the blessed anointing. 
 
 It is also related that when Faro, Bishop of Meaux, was 
 administering Confirmation to some of his diocesans at Easter- 
 time, a boy who was led up to him totally blind walked away 
 with his sight restored. 
 
 One day as St. Bontus, Bishop of Clermont in Auvergne in the 
 seventh century, was on a journey, he accidentally met two men 
 who were possessed by the devil, and who asked him to lay his 
 hands upon them and confirm them. The holy man was totally 
 ignorant of their affliction, — that they were tormented and ex- 
 hausted by the evil spirits, — yet wishing to grant their request, he 
 betook himself to prayer, laid his hands upon them, confirmed 
 them, and then continued his journey. He had not advanced 
 many yards when he heard loud cries behind him, for the two 
 men were shouting aloud: "The devils have been driven out of 
 us! Our torments have ceased ! We are happy and free!" The 
 case was examined and the truth proven. It was ascertained that 
 they had been possessed by the devil, and were instantly set free 
 when they were confirmed. All wondered, looking upon the 
 occurrence as a miracle wrought by the Holy Ghost in the sacra- 
 ment of Confirmation, and they thanked God that He had opened 
 such a fountain of grace. 
 
 PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 
 
 As you have already received the sacrament of Confirmation, 
 ponder often in your soul the words of Holy Writ: ** Grieve not 
 the Holy Spirit of God: whereby you are sealed unto the day 
 of redemption" (Eph. iv. 30). You would grieve the Holy 
 Spirit if you were not to turn His grace to a good account for 
 yourself by not corresponding witii it. Tiierefore use to yonv 
 sanctification the graces that you have received in Confirmation. 
 Be assiduous in acquiring a spirit of religion and in learning to 
 
loo 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 understand and practise the teachings of faith and morals. 
 Attend sermons and religious instructions regularly; read good 
 books, which may instruct you still more fully in religion. This 
 is the more necessary nowadays, when our Church is so often 
 attacked by the impious, and when we ourselves are in danger of 
 being weakened in our faith by constantly hearing false princi- 
 ples taught and talked on all sides. But if we are steadfast in 
 cherishing our faith in our hearts, we become true and brave 
 soldiers of Christ, who are not ashamed of our religion. If the 
 impious are so bold and persistent in proclaiming their unbelief, 
 why should not w^e openly profess our faith in God and His 
 Church, and be ready at all times to defend it? Do we fear the 
 ridicule of unbelievers ? Should we not fear far more the judg- 
 ments of God on those who deny Christ? Show frequently and 
 boldly that you are brave and strong in the grace of the Holy 
 Spirit — that grace which you received in the sacrament of Con- 
 firmation, Tins will bring its own reward. It is only in battle 
 that victory is won. Happy will you be if, at the close of your 
 life, you can say with St. Paul: "I have fought a good fight, I 
 have kept the faith. As to the rest, there is laid up for me a 
 crown of justice" (II. Tim. iv. 7). 
 
 ZEbe ffileeeeb lEucbanet 
 XTbe JSlesseb JEucbattst as a Sacrament 
 
 I^STl^TJCTIOfi. 
 
 eaning and flames of the Blessed 
 Saci^ament. 
 
 HE BLESSED EUCHARIST, or Sacrament of 
 the Altar, is the true body and true blood 
 of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which, under the 
 appearances of bread and wine, are really and 
 truly present for the nourishment of our 
 souls. 
 
 This sacrament is known by several names. 
 It is called the Sacrament of the Altar, because it 
 is accomplished and preserved on the altar. It is 
 named Eucharist, — a word meaning excellent gift, — because it is 
 the most precious gift of God. It is called the Blessed Sacrament, 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. lOl 
 
 because it contains Jesus Christ, the most Blessed and All-holy 
 One. It is called the Body of Christ, because it contains the holy 
 body of Our Redeemer. It is also called the Bread of Life, the 
 Bread of Angels, the heavenly bread, because it nourishes the life 
 of the soul, and contributes to everlasting life, and because it 
 comes from heaven and leads to heaven. It is also termed the 
 Lord's Supper, because it was instituted by Our Lord at His last 
 supper. It is also called the Table of the Lord, because the Lord 
 invites us all to the banquet and draws us to His feast. Ccm- 
 munion,also, because in receiving it as a sacrament we are united 
 to and commune with Christ. It is called the Viaticum, because 
 it is a spiritual food, that strengthens us on our passage from 
 earth to the other world. It is called the Precious Good, be- 
 cause there is on earth no other good so deserving of our love 
 and devotion. Again, we call it the Sacrament of Love, for in it 
 our divine Saviour gives Himself to us, and indeed in a most 
 wonderful manner, to nourish our souls, while in all the Other 
 sacraments He gives us only special graces. 
 
 In the Blessed Eucharist are to be found all the elements 
 necessary to constitute a sacrament. 
 
 In it are present : 
 
 1. The visible sign, namely, the unleavened bread, the wine 
 from the grape, and the words, " This is My body, this is My 
 blood." 
 
 2. Invisible grace, Jesus Christ Himself, Who is the author 
 and dispenser of all grace. 
 
 3. Institution by Jesus Christ. For our blessed Lord ordained 
 this sacrament at His last supper, on the eve of His passion and 
 death. The holy Evangelists narrate the event in about the fol- 
 lowing words: While they were at supper Jesus took bread, and He 
 gave thanks, and He blessed it, and He broke it, and gave it to 
 His disciples, and said: Take ye and eat. This is My body, which 
 is given for you : do this for a commemoration of Me. In like 
 manner, taking the chalice after He had supped, He gave tlianks 
 and gave it to them, saying: Drink ye all of this, for this is My 
 blood of the new testament, which shall be slied for many to the 
 remission of sins. St. Paul's account is: " The Lord Jesus, the 
 same night m which He was betrayed, took bread, and giving 
 thanks, broke and said: Take ye and eat: this is My bcuiy, which 
 shall be delivered for you : this do for the commemoration of Me. 
 In like manner also the chalice after He iiad snp|i(Ml, saying: 
 This chalice is the new testament in My blood : this do ye as 
 
102 THE SACkAMENtS. 
 
 often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of Me. For as 
 often as you shall eat this bread and drink the chalice, you shall 
 show the death of the Lord until He come." Thus Christ insti- 
 tuted this Blessed Sacrament, in which, under the appearances 
 of bread and wine, He gives Himself for the nourishment of our 
 souls, that they, as He Himself says, may obtain forgiveness of 
 sin and everlasting life. 
 
 The DoetPine of the l^eal Presence. 
 
 When Jesus pronounced over the bread and wine tlie words: 
 " This is My body, this is My blood," the bread was changed into 
 the body of Christ, and the wine into His blood. Of the bread and 
 wine nothing remained but the appearances; that is, what appears 
 to our senses as the form, color, taste, and smell of bread and wine. 
 
 This we learn: i, from the words of Jesus; 2, from the teach- 
 ing of the apostles and of the Church; and 3, reason itself con- 
 firms this truth most clearly and positively. 
 
 Christ had already promised His disciples that He would give 
 them really and truly His flesh to eat and His blood to drink. It 
 was about Easter-time, one year previous to the Last Supper, when 
 He fed 5000 men in the desert with five loaves and two fishes. 
 On the following day there came to Him another multitude of 
 people attracted by the news of this wonderful miracle, which was 
 the subject of conversation among them. Jesus took occasion to 
 speak to these people about a far more precious bread that He 
 would give to those who believed in Him, saying: "The bread 
 that I will give is My flesh for the life of the world." The Jews 
 therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this Man 
 give us His flesh to eat ? Then Jesus said to them: " Amen, amen, 
 I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and 
 drink His blood, you shall not have life in you. For My flesh is 
 meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed." Afterwards, at the 
 Last Supper, Christ explained that what He reached to His 
 disciples was really and truly His body and blood. For He said 
 plainly, " This is My body, this is My blood." 
 
 That the apostles believed and taught that in the Blessed 
 Eucharist the true body and true blood of Christ were present 
 under the forms and appearances of bread and v/ine, appears 
 plainly from the words of St. Paul: " 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?" (L Cor. x. 16.) 
 
I04 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 Such, too, was the belief and doctrine of the Catholic Church 
 at all times. This we learn from the ancient ritualistic prayers 
 and church ceremonies, from all ecclesiastical histor}*, from the 
 decrees of the council'^, as well as from the endless testimon}- of 
 the fathers and other Church writers. Thus writes, for example, 
 away back in the primitive ages of the Church, the holy bishop 
 and martyr St. Ignatius to the congregation at Smyrna about 
 the heretics : " They withdraw themselves from the Eucharist, 
 the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, because they do not admit that 
 it is the fiesh of Our Redeemer Jesus Christ, the same which 
 suffered for our sins, and which the Father in His goodness raised 
 up again. Those who deny this gift die in their opposition and 
 descend without hope to perdition."' 
 
 Finalh', reason itself in- its bearing on this doctrine shows 
 that the words of Christ, *' This is My body, this is ]\Iy blood,'' 
 must necessarily be understood in a literal sense, and that there- 
 fore the true body and the true blood of Jesus Christ are present 
 in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar under the forms and 
 appearances of bread and wine. Our divine Saviour \\ished to 
 leave us in this sacrament a special proof of His divine love. 
 Now what kind of a proof would it be if we had in that sacrament 
 nothing more than bread and wine ? How would the partaking 
 of mere bread be profitable to the soul if it is not the flesh and 
 blood of Christ for the nourishment of that soul ? ^lere bread 
 would be to the soul what sawdust would be to the body. 
 
 In the Sacrament of the Blessed Eucharist Christ is present : 
 
 1. Truly and really, and not figuratively, as Zwinglius pre- 
 tended. 
 
 2. Actually, and not by the belief, as Luther would have it. 
 
 3. Essentially and substantially, with His divinity, hum.anity, 
 flesh and blood, body and soul, and not by simple grace, as Calvin 
 taught. 
 
 Furthermore, Christ is present, not in, nor with, nor under, 
 the bread and wine, but under the forms and appearances of 
 bread and wine. In the Holy Eucharist, that which before the 
 consecration was bread and wine, after the consecration is truly 
 and essentially the body and blood of the Lord. For Jesus 
 Christ did not say : •' This bread, or in this, or by this, or under 
 tfiis. is My body;" but He said, "This is ^ly body." That is. 
 He declared that that which He held in His hands was no longer 
 bread, but His body. 
 
 Lastly, Christ is present in the Blessed Eucharist permanently. 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. I05 
 
 For He also gave to His apostles the power to change bread and 
 wine into His sacred body and blood. This He did likewise at 
 the Last Supper, when He said to them, " This do ye in memory 
 of Me." 
 
 From the apostles this power was transmitted to the bishops 
 and priests, who exercise it during Mass, when they pronounce 
 over the bread and wine the words of Christ, " This is My body, 
 this is My blood." Hence, after these words of consecration 
 there are no longer bread or wine on the altar, but the true body 
 and the true blood of Jesus Christ under the forms of bread and 
 wine. Christ is present not merely by and in the partaking, as 
 Luther held, but also as long after the consecraiion as the 
 species of the bread and the wine are present. As soon as Christ 
 the Lord had uttered the words, '' This is My body, this is My 
 blood," the body and blood of Christ were present at once, and 
 before the apostles received it. For the verb is designates the 
 present and not the past or future tense. Christ did not say, 
 " This will be My body, this will be My blood," but '' This is My 
 body." Hence, it is so now and actually; and it remains present 
 as long as the species remain unchanged. 
 
 Christ is also present, wholly and undivided, under each form 
 or species, as well of the bread as of the wine, as He is wliolly and 
 undivided in heaven. So that, wdien the priest breaks the con- 
 secrated host and divides it, he breaks and divides the species 
 only. In each part the body of Christ is whole and living. This 
 is clear from Sacred Scripture ; for Christ blessed, not each sepa- 
 rate particle that He gave to the apostles, but He blessed tiie 
 whole of the bread at once, and then distributed it among them. 
 This is more clearly expressed when speaking of the chalice, 
 when Christ, in reaching it to His apostles, said : " Take and 
 divide it among you " (Luke xxii. 17). When the disciples 
 doubted the possibility of this thing, Jesus asked them : " Do you 
 not yet understand, neither do you remember the five loaves 
 among five thousand men ?" (Matt. xvi. 9.) 
 
 This is plain and reasonable. For, if that marvellous multi- 
 plication of the few loaves of bread was a thing possible to ilic 
 Divine Saviour, why could He not be present in each consecrated 
 host, and in every separate particle of each host ? 
 
 The CJUottship of Christ in the Holy Euchapist. 
 
 The tabernacle on our altar is the dwelling-place of Goi\ 
 among men, as described in Revelation: "He will dwell wiih 
 
ic6 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 them, and they shall be His people : and God Himself with them 
 shall be their God " (Apoc. xxi. 3). Xow. as Jesus Christ is truly 
 and essentially present in the Blessed Sacrament, we are bound 
 to adore Him in that sacred mystery. For Christ is God, and to 
 God belongs worship. It stands written : " The Lord thy God 
 shalt thou adore" (Matt. iv. ic). 
 
 We ought, therefore, frequently to visit our blessed Lord in 
 this sacrament, and offer to Him due adoration. We should ap- 
 pear at our visits filled with both outward and inward reverence, 
 devoutly falling on our knees, and humbling ourselves with senti- 
 ments of our deep unworthiness before the unbounded majesty 
 of God, at the same time offering to Jesus our holiest homage 
 with heartfelt love and fervent piety. 
 
 Our own welfare and spiritual good, as well as a ser.se of 
 gratitude and love for Jesus, the God of love, should urge and 
 encourage us to such frequent visits and devout adoration of 
 Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. 
 
 Christ, by ordaining the Blessed Sacrament, gave to us the 
 most unspeakable proof of His divine love. Should we not then 
 reciprocate and show to Him our love by offering to Him in the 
 Blessed Sacrament our hearts as victims seeking to be sacrificed 
 for His sake ? 
 
 Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament is a copious fountain of 
 graces. In that mystery of love the divine Saviour has erected 
 His throne of favors, and in all our trials and tribulations we 
 may with confidence draw near to the heavenly King. His ears 
 are ever open to hearken to our prayers : His hands are ever 
 ready to shower upon us the fulness of His divine love and con- 
 descension. Near Him we find counsel and consolation in ail 
 our troubles, strength and assistance in all our dangers, whether 
 of body or soul, courage and fortitude for a devout life, and more 
 inward joy and happiness than the whole world can afford with 
 all its pride and pleasures. 
 
 Hence the Church has always been solicitous to tester devo- 
 tion to the Blessed Sacrament. 
 
 In the first place, she constantly keeps the Blessed Sacrament 
 in the tabernacle on the altar. Then, in order to notify the faith- 
 ful of the place in which Christ, the Light of the world, is re- 
 posing in a mysterious manner, and to enkindle within them a 
 burning dev'otion to the Blessed Sacrament, the Church directs 
 that before the tabernacle there be kept burning the lamp of the 
 sanctuarv. 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 
 
 107 
 
 Moreover, the Church permits the Blessed Sacrament to be 
 exposed for our adoration. 
 
 This is done in many churches principally on Thursdays, to 
 commemorate the day on which the Blessed Sacrament was in- 
 stituted. It is also done at the devotion of the Forty Hours' 
 Adoration. This last mode of honoring the Blessed Sacrament was 
 introduced, at first without the exposition, by a Milanese capuchin 
 friar named St. Joseph, in the year 1556, in commemoration of 
 the forty hours during which the body of the Saviour rested in 
 the sepulchre. In the year 1560 Pope Pius IV, approved a prop- 
 osition of a confraternity in Rome to hold a devotion of forty 
 hours in remembrance of the forty days spent by Christ in the 
 desert. Even here there was not a word about exposition. It 
 was not till near the close of the sixteenth century that the Forty 
 Hours' devotion with solemn exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 
 came into practice. 
 
 The Church endeavors also to keep alive our devotion to the 
 Blessed Sacrament by allowing it to be, from time to time, carried 
 in solemn procession. More especially is this the case in the 
 grand and solemn procession of Corpus-Christi Day. 
 
 In order to afford people an opportunity of manifesting their 
 love for and belief in this sacrament, it is sometimes carried to 
 the sick with much ceremony and solemnity. 
 
 {^EFIiHCTIOl^. 
 
 Paradise and the ChuPch. 
 
 ^pHEN God created Adam He placed him in 
 paradise, in a state of the most perfect 
 human happiness. In peace, contentment, 
 and intercourse with God, he was to live 
 a never-ending, happy, and blessed life— 
 without sickness, without pain, without 
 weakness, without death. That Adam 
 might be able to do this, God gave to him 
 the tree of life, the fruit of which was to keep him from all un- 
 soundness of body. When his time would expire, he was to he- 
 translated from paradise to heaven, like Enoch. This blissful 
 condition Adam trifled away by sinning. He plunged himself 
 and the entire human race into God's disfavor, into punislimcMit 
 and temporal misery. But God's mercy rescued hnn ami re- 
 established the state in which he had stood towards God: 
 
Io8 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 1. God blotted out sin. Adam had been created sinless. 
 
 2. God granted to man, through Baptism, supernatural grace. 
 Adam, too, had had supernatural grace. 
 
 3. But Adam had also had the tree of life as a special grace. 
 What has the Christian to correspond to that ? 
 
 Answer. God was, in a certain sense, compelled to permit 
 man to lose his bodily life, that he might understand God was 
 not to be mocked, and also that he might be reminded that the 
 devil, who had said, " Thou shalt not die," was a liar. But then, 
 in order to favor the Christian far more than Adam. God gave a 
 second tree of life, the fruit of eternal life, the Blessed Sacrament 
 of the Eucharist. If the Church were to be deprived of this 
 sacrament. Adam would have had more grace and higher favor 
 than :he redeemed Christian. The work of Christ would not be 
 complete and perfect. 
 
 But the Lord our God, instead of giving us less, has given us 
 more. The Blessed Sacrament is that miraculous food which, in 
 place of the tree of life, guarantees eternal life to the soul. In it 
 is the wonderful intercourse with God revived. The Lord has 
 given us a food far more excellent than the fruit of the tree of 
 life. It is the fruit of that tree of wliich it is said in Revelation : 
 " He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceed- 
 ing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. On both sides of 
 the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve fruits, yielding its 
 fruits every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing 
 of ihe nations" (Apoc. xxii. I, 2). This tree is the Blessed Sacra- 
 ment on our altars, whose graces never cease to flow. 
 
 The Synagogue and the Church. 
 
 The Xew Dispensation is the fulfilment of the Old. The 
 graces and divine institutions of the former have a close and 
 striking bearing and resemblance to those of the Xew Covenant. 
 
 The Lord spoke to Abraham. Isaac, and Jacob, and formed a 
 covenant with them. He set up His tent among the Israelites, 
 went before them, and preferred them before all other peoples of 
 the earth. He took up His abode in the Ark of the Covenant 
 made by INIoses, and there manifested His glory. 
 
 From it the Lord said to Moses : '-'Hence will I give orders, 
 and will speak to thee over the propitiatory all things which I 
 will command the children of Israel " (Ex. xxv. 22). Again, 
 the Lord said: "I will dwell in the midst of the children of 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 
 
 109 
 
 Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I 
 am the Lord their God " (Ex. xxix. 45, 46). It was from that 
 place that God published His utterances. When Israel was in 
 any difficulty, the high-priest would prostrate himself before the 
 Holy of holies, and the Lord would tell him what was to be done 
 
 The Paschal Lamb. 
 
 to relieve Israel. If the people of Israel lost courage, the Ark of 
 the Covenant was carried before them, and it filled tliem with 
 new vigor and joyousness, and incited them to new wartare. 
 The rivers flowed backwards to their sources, the walls ot the 
 enemy's strongholds fell down in the presence of the ark, while 
 
no THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 terror and feebleness came upon the enemy. And, when the 
 Lord did permit the Israelites to be defeated and the ark to be 
 carried away by their enemies, it was for the purpose of showing 
 them that their strength depended on the presence of God 
 among ihem : at the same time giving the Philistines — into whose 
 hands the Ark of the Covenant had fallen — :o understand that 
 He was among them. For, when they placed the ark in their 
 temple of Dagon, the figure of that false god was hurled twice to 
 the ground (I. Kings v. 3). Whenever the ark was carried into any 
 hostile country, sickness came at once, with plagues and painful 
 death. Xow, as the Lord said to the Israelites, so does He say to 
 us : "I am with you. and remain with you." .Where, then, is the 
 fulfilment of the Old Law, if the Lord is not present in His Church 
 in the Blessed Sacrament ? 
 
 While the Tews, to the number oi two millions, were wander- 
 ing in the desert they were fed with manna. A portion of this 
 manna the Lord directed to be kept in the Ark of the Covenant. 
 This is the same manna which, in the Book of Wisdom, is called 
 precious bread. David calls it the bread of angels, the wonder- 
 ful bread. In another part of the Scripture it is described as the 
 bread that comes down from heaven (Wisdom xvi. 2c: Ps. Ixxvii. 
 
 Christ's Promise. 
 
 As in the Old Testament the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar 
 was prefigured by the tree of life and the manna, in order 10 show 
 to those who were unwilling to believe anything so great the 
 grace and glory of the Old Testament, so the disciples and the 
 people were prepared for the institution of the same when Christ 
 the Lord, at the beginning of His ministry, performed the mir- 
 acle of transubstantiation. by changing the water into wine 
 at the wedding in Cana. Again, about a year before His death. 
 He promised a food which was to be more wonderful than the 
 manna in the desert, at the same time performing a new miracle 
 that had the closest resemblance to the food of the Blessed 
 Sacrament. 
 
 The Saviour had retired into the ceser:, whither He was fol- 
 lowed by such a multitude of people that the\' soon found them- 
 selves without anything to eat. Jesus, having compassion on 
 them, fed the first time five thousand men with five loaves and 
 two fishes, and a second time four thousand with seven loaves, 
 and vet there remained after the first miracle twelve baskets of 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. Ill 
 
 food, and after the second seven baskets. Tims it is in the case 
 of the Blessed Sacrament, to which thousands approach every 
 day, each one receiving the body of Christ, whole and entire, and 
 instead of being exhausted, there remains an abundance for those 
 who are yet to come and partake. 
 
 This multiplication of food in the desert was a true figure of 
 holy Communion. It was indeed a breaking of bread which 
 merely preceded the Eucharist, or "Thanks to God." It was a 
 veritable Table of the Lord, at which He fed those that were 
 fatigued and hungry — a viaticum for those who followed Him. 
 
 With this miracle was joined the promise of the Saviour. For 
 when the people wished to proclaim Him King, and He, eluding 
 them, endeavored to escape over the Lake of Genesareth, find- 
 ing Himself still pursued by many, He reproached them, saying 
 that they followed Him merely for the earthly food, and advised 
 them to seek the heavenly food. 
 
 Among other things He said to them: 
 
 "Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which 
 endureth unto life everlasting, which the Son of man will give 
 you." 
 
 "Moses gave you not bread from heaven, but My Father 
 giveth you the true bread from heaven." 
 
 " The bread of God is that which cometh down from heaven 
 and giveth life to the world." 
 
 " I am the bread of life." 
 
 " I am the living bread which came down from heaven." 
 
 "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." 
 
 " Except you eat of the flesh of the Son of man and drink His 
 blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eateth My flesh 
 and drinketh My blood hath everlasting life, and I will raise him 
 up in the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood 
 is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood 
 abideth in Me and I in him " (John vi.). 
 
 At this discourse many affected to be scandalized, and left 
 Jesus, for they could not comprehend the eating and drinking of 
 His body. Yet He did not undeceive them by saying, " I speak 
 figuratively; you misunderstand Me." No, He let them go. 
 
 From all this the following propositions are plainly true: 
 
 1. The Saviour promised a food more wonderful even than the 
 manna. 
 
 2. This food was to come from heaven. 
 
112 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 3. This food was to be Himself. 
 
 4. This food. He Himself, was to be in His own flesh and 
 blood. 
 
 Like the manna which sustained bodily life, this food was to 
 sustain spiritual life. 
 
 Therefore the doctrine of the Catholic Church is altogether 
 in harmony with the Holy Scripture. 
 
 The flQoment of Institution. 
 
 On this solemn moment the Lord has deigned to give to the 
 saintly Catherine Emmerich information which enables us to put 
 this holy act more clearly before our souls. The blessed woman 
 describes this supreme moment as follows : 
 
 The building in which Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper was 
 the property of Xicodemus and of Joseph of Arimathea. The 
 cup which the apostles had borrowed from St. Veronica had 
 been in the Ark of Xoe: Melchisedech, too, had owned it. In 
 it there was a smaller vessel, on which there stood a small plate, 
 and over this there was a vaulted cover. It consisted of unknown 
 material, which could not be smelted. The table on which Jesus, 
 after the Feast of the Easter Lamb and the washing of feet, insti- 
 tuted the Sacrament of the Altar, was covered with tapestry, 
 over which lay a white embroidered cloth. By the cup there 
 stood an oval plate, with three thin white Easter particles, marked 
 with regular indentations, to be broken easily. The position of 
 Jesus was between Peter and John. The doors were closed ; 
 everything was done with great solemnity. "When the cloth was 
 removed from the cup. Jesus prayed. As one priest teaches the 
 other Holy Mass, so Catherine saw Jesus explain the whole act. 
 Jesus took a white cloth that was hanging over the cup, spread 
 it, took the round plate from the cup. put it on the covered place, 
 and on the plate placed the Easter loaves. Then Jesus blessed 
 the Easter bread, lifted up the plate with the Easter loaves in 
 both hands, looked up to heaven and prayed, offered sacrifice, and, 
 put them down, covering them up. Then He took the cup, 
 ordered Peter to pour some wine into it, and John to pass Him 
 some water, which He blessed, and of wliich with a little spoon 
 He added some to the wine. Then He had Peter and John pour 
 water over His hands. Jesus was becoming more and more 
 affectionate and earnest, and said to the apostles that He was now 
 about to give them all He had — Himself. In this intense emotion 
 
114 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 He, while praying, broke the bread at tlie indentations, placed 
 the pieces one on the other on the plate, broke a small morsel of 
 the first piece, and dropped it in the cup. At the same moment 
 the Mother of Jesus received the sacrament spiritually in another 
 hall of the same building. Now, when Jesus passed the sacra- 
 ment with the words of the Gospel to the apostles, Judas in- 
 cluded, there went out from Him a splendor, wdiile the conse- 
 crated bread was like a luminous substance in the mouths of 
 the apostles. 
 
 The apostles, two by two, stepped up to Jesus to receive the 
 Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, and while one was drinking 
 the other held under his chin a small, stiff, bordered cloth which 
 had lain over the cup. . When Jesus pronounced the words of 
 institution over the cup. He lifted it up a little toward His 
 countenance. Peter and John He allowed to drink from the cup 
 itself; then John ladled the Holy Blood with a small spoon into 
 liirtle cups, which Peter passed to the other apostles, who drank 
 from them two by two. Judas left without prayer or thanks- 
 giving. What little was left in the chalice of the precious blood 
 Jesus poured into a small cup, which had stood in the chalice; 
 then He held His fingers over the chalice, and Peter and John 
 poured water and wine over them. Of this rinsing these two 
 apostles drank again out of the chalice, and what they left was 
 again ladled into the small cups and passed to the other apostles. 
 Then Jesus wiped the chalice dry, placed the cup with the pre- 
 cious blood that was left in the chalice, put the plate with the 
 remaining Easter bread on it^ and on top of it all the cover, 
 spreading the cloth over the chalice, which He then put back on 
 the corporal between the little cups. After the resurrection of 
 Jesus, Anne Catherine Emmerich saw used what was thus saved 
 of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. All the actions of Jesus 
 during the institution of the Holy Sacrament were very formal 
 and solemn, but at the same time doctrinal and instructive. 
 
 R Compapison. 
 
 Many persons pretend to be shocked at the doctrine that 
 bread and wine are really and truly changed into the body and 
 blood of Christ, and are unwilling to believe. Now in ordinary 
 natural physical life we have a very similar phenomenon, which 
 it would seem God keeps before us as a perpetual illustra- 
 tion of the supernatural change that occurs in transubstantiation. 
 Man uses for his nourishment, among other articles of food, bread 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 1x5 
 
 and wine. Are not these two substances transformed into human 
 flesh and blood, as well as bone and sinew ? Who can deny this? 
 And although it is a matter of daily and hourly experience, who 
 can explain the process, or tell how and why it takes place ? The 
 man who would deny this natural process of assimilation would 
 contradict the common sense of all men. So he who denies the 
 Real Presence contradicts the almighty and ever-truthful God. 
 
 Tcstitnony of the pathePs. 
 
 What the Scriptures, both of the Old and the New Testament, 
 teach beyond contradiction, is confirmed by the testimony of the 
 fathers of the Church in all centuries. Whole volumes might be 
 made out of their teachings on this subject. The most intelligent 
 Protestant controversialists have admitted that if the opinions 
 of the fathers be accepted, the contest is forever at an end — it is 
 decided and settled. We shall here quote a few of the most dis- 
 tinguished, in order to show the harmony of their teachings with 
 those of the Church, and shall take them in their turn, adverting 
 to the circumstances and times in which they lived, that their 
 testimony may be the better established. 
 
 St. Ignatius was the disciple of two apostles, St. Peter and St. 
 John, and had himself seen the Saviour after His resurrection 
 from the dead. He succeeded Evagrius, who had been made 
 bishop by St. Peter, and for forty years governed the flock of 
 Christ in Antioch. This was the first congregation of Christians 
 converted from paganism, and to them Judas and Barnabas had 
 been sent by the apostles. Paul also preached there. Hence the 
 Antiochians must have known what Christ taught, and tlieir 
 bishop, St. Ignatius, is an unquestionable and reliable witness to 
 the truth. During the reign of the Emperor Trajan he was 
 thrown to the wild beasts and strangled by lions. We have from 
 his pen seven epistles addressed to the Christian congregations at 
 Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles, Philadelphia, Rome, Smyrna, and one 
 to the Bishop St. Polycarp, who was likewise a disciple of the 
 apostles. 
 
 In his letter to the Smyrnians, St. Ignatius speaks of the errors 
 of the Doceti, who held that Christ had not a real but only an 
 imaginary body. Showing that this heresy would logically iiave 
 a disastrous influence on the doctrine of the Eucharist, he says : 
 "They abstain from Communion and prayer, because they do not 
 believe that the Eucharist is the flesh of Our Lord Jesus Christ— 
 the same flesh that suffered for our sins, and which the Father in 
 
H6 tHE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 His mercy raised from the dead." The saint thus rejects their 
 false theories about Communion, because he and his flock well 
 knew and believed that they received actually the body of the 
 Lord. 
 
 In his letter to the Romans, he writes: " I do not wish any 
 perishable food: I wish the bread of God, the bread of heaven, 
 the bread of life, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ; I desire the 
 drink of God, His blood." In another place, speaking of the 
 deacons, he says: " They are servants not for earthly food and 
 drink, but for the sacred mysteries of the altar." Thus, then, to 
 him the food was a supernatural and mysterious food, conse- 
 quently the body and blood of Christ, or else it was to him the 
 merest earthly food and drink. 
 
 In the second century St. Justin, the martyr and philosopher, 
 defended the principles of Christianity. He was one of the 
 brightest ornaments of the Church, which he took under his pro- 
 tection against Jews and heathens. Educated and accomplished 
 in pagan science, nothing but full conviction could lead him to 
 the Christian religion ; for, as he said himself, the awful charges 
 made against its adherents would have deterred him. But the 
 steadfastness and courage with which they surrendered their 
 lives for their faith filled him with admiration. After embracing 
 Christianity he travelled in Asia, Greece, and Italy, and enjoying 
 direct intercourse with the disciples of the apostles, he must have 
 known well what was the correct Christian teaching. He lived 
 at the same time as St. Polycarp, who was a disciple of St. 
 John. Their deaths were but two years apart, Polycarp hav- 
 ing been burnt in the year 165 a.d., and Justin beheaded 
 in the year 167. In his "Apology for the Christians" he 
 describes with much precision the way in which the Holy Sacri- 
 fice was offered up. He says: *' At the end of prayer we greet 
 each other with the kiss of peace. Then some bread and a vessel 
 filled with wine and water are presented to the bishop, who, tak- 
 ing them in his hands, praises and glorifies the Father in the name 
 of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and pronounces a lengthy 
 prayer of thanksgiving for the gifts which we receive. At the 
 conclusion of his prayer, the people answer aloud, Amen — the 
 Hebrew for 'So be it done.' Then those whom we call deacons 
 divide the bread, wine, and water that have been blessed by the 
 thanksgiving prayer, among all present, and carry them to the ab- 
 sent. This food we call the Eucharist, and no one dare partake of 
 it who does not believe the truth of our faith, who has not been 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. Hy 
 
 baptized unto the forgiveness of sins and eternal life, or who lives 
 not according to the precepts of Christ. For we do not receive 
 it as common bread, or as common drink, but in the same manner 
 as Jesus Christ Our Saviour, being made flesh by the word of 
 God, became man, and assumed both flesh and blood for our 
 salvation; even so we are instructed that this food which nour- 
 ishes our flesh and blood, through the prayer containing His word, 
 is precisely the flesh and blood of this same Jesus become man. 
 For the apostles have told us in their writings, which are called 
 gospels, that Jesus commanded them to do what^He did, and that 
 after He had taken bread and given thanks He said to them: 
 * Do this in commemoration of Me: this is My body.' In like 
 manner, after He had taken the chalice and given thanks. He 
 said, 'This is My blood,' and presented it to them all." 
 
 In his book against the Jew Tryphon he writes: *' The Lord 
 commanded His disciples to offer to God the firstlings of His 
 creatures, not that God needed them, but in order that the 
 disciples might not appear unprofitable and ungrateful. This 
 He did when taking bread, a created thing; He gave thanks and 
 said, 'This is My body '; and in like manner declared the chalice, 
 that is, the created wine, to be His blood, thus teaching a new 
 sacrifice of the New Testament." 
 
 Contemporary with Justin and Polycarp was St. Irenaeus, a 
 native of Smyrna. As he says himself, he was a disciple of St. 
 Polycarp. ** By the grace of God, I had the happiness to hear 
 Polycarp's instructions, which I also wrote down — not, indeed, on 
 paper, but in my innermost heart." What Our Saviour did, and 
 what the Church taught, that did Irenaeus receive through Poly- 
 carp from the holy Evangelist St. John. Surely he ought to be 
 a safe witness. He himself agrees perfectly with this belief. 
 "This clean oblation," says he, "is offered only by the Cluirch. 
 Not by the Jews, for their hands are stained with l)lood; neither 
 did they accept the word which is offered to God. Nor is it offered 
 at the conventicles of the sects; for how can they prove that the 
 bread over which the words of thanksgiving are pronounced is the 
 body of their Lord, or that the chalice is His blood, since they 
 do not admit that He is the Word, that is to say, the Son of the 
 Creator of the world ?" Here Irenaeus distinguishes between [\\c 
 sacrifices of the Jews and of the heathens. Neither have the tiue 
 sacrifice. The Jews do not accept tlie vvoid that wns m;i(h' Hcsh, 
 and yet this it is that is offered to the Lord; wliile the seits wlio 
 
IT5 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 do not admit Christ to be the Son of the Almighty Creator of the 
 world cannot believe in any miracle of omnipotence. 
 
 In another place he writes concerning the holy sacrifice: " We 
 offer to God the blessed bread and the blessed chalice, and thank 
 Him for having permitted these gifts to be brought forth from 
 the earth for our nourishment. We invoke upon them the Holy 
 Ghost, that He may make this offered bread to become the body 
 of Christ, and the drink to become the blood of Christ, that who- 
 ever partakes of these gifts may obtain remission of sins and life 
 everlasting." 
 
 The Gnostics denied the resurrection of the body. Irenaeus 
 proved to them that the human body cannot be perishable, since 
 it receives the Holy Eucharist. " How can you assert," he 
 writes, " that the flesh perisheth and will not participate in life, 
 since it is vitalized by the body of the Lord and by His blood ? 
 You should change your opinion, or should no longer offer up the 
 sacrifice of which we are speaking. Our belief agrees with the Eu- 
 charist, and the Eucharist confirms our belief. Just as the bread 
 that is from the earth, when God is invoked upon it, is no longer 
 common bread, but the Eucharist, consisting of two things, the 
 earthly and the heavenly, so it is with our bodies. When they 
 partake of the Eucharist they are no longer perishable, but have 
 the hope of the resurrection to eternity." Against the Mar- 
 cionites he writes: " Since the mingled chalice and the bread be- 
 come, by the word of the Lord, the Eucharist of the body and 
 blood of Christ, how do you deny that our flesh is susceptible of 
 the gift of God, which is eternal life?" 
 
 In the third century there lived in the Church at Carthage, in 
 Africa, the learned priest Septimius TertuUian, who in the most 
 thorough manner vindicated the Christians against the charges 
 made against them, exposed the absurdities of idolatry, com- 
 bated against the sectarians with all the weapons of a keen in- 
 tellect and forcible eloquence. 
 
 Thus he wrote against the Marcionites mentioned above. He 
 says: "The Lord took the bread, divided it among the disciples, 
 and made it His body by uttering the words, 'This is My 
 body.'" In his writings on the resurrection of the flesh, he says: 
 "Our bodies partake of the body and blood of the Lord, that 
 the soul may be nourished with God." Also in the severest 
 tones he complains that there are Christians who make it their 
 business to manufacture idols with the same hands in which they 
 afterwards take the body of their Lord. For in those ages it 
 

 «»«» 
 
 5:iij||,;ji:,„;|||ffij{ilB 
 iiillliilliliii!i||,'ri''Sil|'W 
 
 Ea^ly Christians receiving Holy Communion in hie Catacombs. 
 
 "9 
 
120 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 was the custom for even the laity to receive the body of the 
 Lord in their hands and then convey it to the mouth. "Those 
 who are fervent in their faith," he writes, "are grieved that any 
 Christian would hurry from his idolatrous figures into the church 
 and receive the body of his Lord in hands that manufacture 
 bodies of the devil." 
 
 In the middle of the third century lived St. Cyprian, Bishop of 
 Carthage, who was specially strict, and ordered that no one who 
 had fallen away in the persecutions should be readmitted to the 
 Church without having done ample penance. Of those who 
 attempted to again approach the Blessed Sacrament without 
 having done sufficient penance for their sin he writes: "They do 
 violence to the body and blood of the Lord, and with hand and 
 mouth sin more grievously before the Lord than at the time 
 when they denied Him." Some among the laity were loath to re- 
 ceive Holy Communion lest they might be informed on as 
 Christians. Of these he writes: "How can we shed our blood 
 for Christ, since we are ashamed to drink His blood?" 
 
 During his time a sect was formed that at Communion took 
 water instead of wine — which, of course, was invalid. Against 
 these he writes: "If Christ writes, I am the true vine-tree, the 
 blood of Christ cannot be water, but wine. It is also plain that 
 the blood of Christ is not offered if wine be wanting." In this 
 same letter St. Cyprian transcribes literally Our Lord's words of 
 the institution, as we read them in St. Paul and the evangelists. 
 
 St. Cyprian finds, away back in the oblation of Melchisedech, 
 a figure of the Blessed Sacrament, and expresses in the plainest 
 and most emphatic terms the transubstantiation, or change of 
 essence. " Christ," says he, "calls this sacrament His body. His 
 flesh and His blood. The ordinary bread is changed into flesh 
 and blood. That bread which the Lord reached to His disciples 
 is not figurative, but real, and, by the omnipotence of the Word, 
 made flesh. 
 
 " As in the person of Christ the humanity is visible, but the 
 divinity invisible, so in the visible sacrament the divine essence 
 infuses itself into the sacrament in an invisible manner." 
 
 Towards the close of the second century, probably at Athens, in 
 Greece, was born Clement, who distinguished himself by his ex- 
 traordinary knowledge, and threw lustre on the Church of the third 
 century. Having been educated by five eminent professors, he 
 made long journeys through Greece, Italy, Asia Minor, Assyria,and 
 Palestine, and thus was enabled to see and study the most famous 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 121 
 
 Christian congregations. At Alexandria he^embraced Christianity. 
 His profound learning induced Demetrius, bishop of that diocese, 
 to name him rector of the school in that city. It was what was called 
 a catechetical school, where with admirable cleverness and industry 
 the Christian doctrines were explained and proved and errors ex- 
 posed and exploded. From its class-rooms went forth well-drilled 
 scholars into the other Roman provinces to carry on the contest 
 with Paganism and Judaism. Clement of Alexandria tells us 
 himself that he lived with some immediate disciples of the 
 apostles. ''These," he writes, " sow in our hearts the divine seed 
 which they received from their predecessors, the apostles." 
 Therefore he must have been familiar with the religious belief 
 held by the Christian congregations and the apostles. In his 
 "Pedagogue," which contains a synopsis of Christian moral 
 teachings, he teaches that the Lord gives us His flesh and blood, 
 and that we should lodge the Lord within us and keep the Saviour 
 in our breast. He expresses this same thought in the following 
 admirable manner: '' Miracle, rich in deep mystery! One is the 
 Father of all things, one also the Word of all things, and one the 
 Holy Ghost, the same now and forever. One alone is the mother 
 and virgin, whom with joy we call the Church. Not this one 
 mother alone had milk, for she was not the only woman; but 
 she is at the same time virgin and mother — stainless as a virgin, 
 loving as a mother. She calls her children to her and nour- 
 ishes them with sacred milk. The Word becomes a child. This 
 is why she has no milk, because her milk was this fair child 
 of her heart, the body of Christ, feeding the new people with 
 the word — a new people which the Lord Himself brought forth 
 with bodily pain, which He Himself bound in swathing-clothes, 
 with His precious blood. 
 
 " O sacred birth ! O blessed swaddling-clothes ! the Word 
 is everything to the child, father and mother, teacher and guide. 
 Eat, said He, My flesh and drink My blood. This very special 
 nourishment the Lord Himself offers; this flesh He bestows, this 
 blood He pours out. Nothing more than this is needed for the 
 growth of children. O incomprehensible mystery ! He oidcrs 
 us to put aside the old and carnal corruption, as well as also [\\c 
 old food, and become partakers of the new food of Clirist, 
 receiving Him, if possible, to place Him within ourselves, and to 
 have the Saviour in our breasts, in order that we may reduce to 
 their proper place the affections of our flesh." Thus writes St. 
 Clement of Alexandria, 
 
122 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 His most illustrious disciple was Origen, a man so distinguished 
 for his learning that he was for eighteen years the chief rector of 
 the Catechetical School. He explained the Holy Scriptures with 
 such depth and unction that his disciples believed that he spoke 
 not otherwise than in communion with the Holy Spirit, and that 
 the Spirit itself, from which the prophets drew inspiration, be- 
 stowed upon him the eloquence of thoughts and language. 
 
 In his third homily on the second book of Moses, he compares 
 the word of God with the body of the Lord, which is received 
 in the Blessed Sacrament. He writes : " You who are accus- 
 tomed to assist at the celebration of the sacred mysteries know, 
 when you receive the body of the Lord, what care and solicitude 
 you exercise that none of it may fall to the ground. You deem 
 yourselves guilty of a grievous sin if out of carelessness any par- 
 ticle do fall. Xow if you are accustomed to exercise so much 
 care about the body of the Lord, and such a very commendable 
 care, do you think it is a lesser sin to neglect His word than His 
 body ^ " ' 
 
 In his seventh homily on the fourth book of Moses, he writes: 
 *' The manna was a figure of the food. But now the flesh of the 
 Son of God is In reality the true food, as He Himself has said; 
 ' My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.' " 
 
 In his homily on the sick servant of the centurion of Caphar- 
 naum he says : " When you partake of the blessed and incor- 
 ruptible food, when you taste the bread and the cup of life, you 
 eat and drink the body and the blood of the Lord — the Lord 
 going, as it were, under your roof. Like the centurion, therefore, 
 you should humble yourself and say, ' Lord, I am not worthy 
 that Thou shouldst enter under my roof." " 
 
 Among Origen's disciples was St. Dionysius, also a teacher in 
 the Catechetical School, and afterwards bishop of the flock for 
 seventeen years. He was a great and learned man, who with 
 power and eloquence defended the doctrines of the divinity 
 and humanity of Christ and the unity of the Church. Concern- 
 ing the Blessed Sacrament he writes: "Through the unspeak- 
 able mystery of the Sacrament of the Altar, called by Christ 
 the New Covenant, He gives Himself to us in the same holy 
 sacrament. Formerly men placed on the altar the flesh of un- 
 reasoning animals, but it is not so now ; but the Lord Himself, 
 the Redeemer, the God of Israel, has said : ' Whosoever eateth 
 Me shall live forever.' " 
 
 Thus we have listened to the voice of the Church in Asia, 
 
 i 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST, 
 
 123 
 
 Africa, and Europe during the first three centuries. All the 
 authors quoted were either disciples of the apostles or their 
 close successors, and all sealed their faith by a martyr's death. 
 We shall rest satisfied with these witnesses, for they now con- 
 tinue to multiply beyond number. 
 
 The Ppayeps of the Clnufeln. 
 
 The great truth so clearly taught by the Fathers individually — 
 namely, that in the consecration which priests and bishops per- 
 form by virtue of the divine power conferred on them at their 
 ordination, a real and true change takes place of the substance 
 of the bread and wine into the flesh and blood of Christ — is still 
 further confirmed by the prayers of the Church. Although the 
 exact date of their composition is not given, nevertheless they 
 reach so far back in antiquity that they were commonly 
 ascribed to the very apostles of Christ, To these prayers belong 
 the liturgies or the regulations laid down for carrying on the 
 public worship in the Church in general, but more especially in 
 those churches that were founded by the apostles or their im- 
 mediate disciples, such as those of Jerusalem, Alexandria, Rome, 
 and Milan. 
 
 St. James the Apostle, a kinsman of the Saviour, celebrated 
 the holy sacrifice of the Mass in Jerusalem for 29 years. The 
 liturgy of Jerusalem, although somewhat changed in form at 
 a later period, bears its name from him, namely, "St. James' 
 Liturgy," In it we find the following passages: " Send down 
 upon us and the gifts here present Thy Holy Spirit, that by 
 His coming and by His good, holy, and glorious presence He 
 may sanctify this bread and make it the sacred body of Thy 
 Christ, and make this chalice the precious blood of Christ." At 
 the breaking of the host, when the priest holds one portion of the 
 sacred body in his right hand and the other in his left, and 
 breaks from the latter a particle to be mingled with the sacred 
 blood, the liturgy orders to be said: "This is the commingling 
 of the all-holy body and the precious blood of our Lord and (lod 
 <iiid Saviour, Jesus Christ; it is united and sanctified and i-oin- 
 [)leted in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
 (jhost, now and forevermore." Then it continues: "Behold the 
 Lamb of God, the Son of the Father, Who beareth tlie sins of the 
 world, slain for the life and for the salvation of the worhi." Tiie 
 following is the thanksgiving : " We thank Thee, Cinist, our 
 
r 
 
 24 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 God, that Thou hast made us worthy to participate in Thy body 
 and blood to the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life." 
 
 Here we perceive how ancient many of the prayers are that 
 the Church directs the priest to say at the holy sacrifice of the 
 Mass at the present day. 
 
 According to the ritual of St. Clement of Rome, the body is 
 administered to the communicants with the words, " The body of 
 Christ," the communicant answering "Amen." The consecrated 
 wine is pre- 
 sented with the 
 words, "The 
 blood of Christ, 
 the chalice of 
 life," to which 
 the communi- 
 cant responds 
 •' Amen," to the 
 strengthening 
 of his faith. 
 Here the 
 th anksgiving 
 prayer reads : 
 " After the re- 
 ception of the 
 precious body 
 and blood of 
 Christ, let us 
 return thanks 
 to Him and be- 
 seech Him Who 
 has made us 
 worthy to par- 
 ticipate m these 
 mysteries that 
 this reception 
 may not be to 
 our judgment 
 and condemna- 
 tion, but to our 
 salvation, to the 
 
 well-being of our souls and bodies, to the preservation of the 
 fear of God, to the remission of our sins, and to eternal life. 
 
 Holy Cgmmlnion. 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. I25 
 
 Let US then stand up and commend ourselves to God and His 
 Christ." 
 
 The Roman liturgy is called also the liturgy of St. Leo, 
 because this great Pope collected and arranged the present 
 prayers, the same that had been in use from the earliest times 
 in Rome at the solemnization of the sacred mysteries. This 
 liturgy contains almost the exact prayers that our priests recite, 
 and shows that most of the principal prayers in our present mis- 
 sals have sprung from a remote antiquity. In it we have the 
 prayer for the mingling of the sacred body and blood: "May this 
 sacred commingling and consecration of the body and blood of 
 Our Lord Jesus Christ be to us that receive unto the sanctification 
 of our body and our soul, and also a salutary preparation for 
 the obtaining of everlasting life." At the Communion: "Let not 
 the participation in Thy body, O Lord Jesus Christ, which I, 
 though unworthy, presume to receive, be to my judgment and 
 condemnation, but through Thy mercy may it be available unto 
 me for the safeguard and cure of mind and body." 
 
 In the Ambrosian liturgy at Milan the priest utters the fol- 
 lowing words at the breaking of the host: "Thy body, O Christ, 
 is broken, the chalice is blessed; may Thy blood, O our God, 
 be ever unto us unto life, and unto the salvation of our souls." 
 Before receiving the consecrated host, the priest says: " Holy 
 Lord, Almighty Father, Eternal God, grant unto us so to receive 
 the body of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and my Lord, that it may not 
 turn to my judgment, but to the remission of my sins." When 
 the Communion is given, the priest says: "The body of Christ," 
 and the communicant answers "Amen." 
 
 It would, in truth, be a superfluous and unnecessary labor to 
 cite turther passages from other ancient liturgies. For the truth- 
 loving and unprejudiced they are not needed, while the obdurate 
 unbelievers who are prejudiced because of their stiff-neckedness 
 would not be convinced by the most overwhelming evidence. We 
 will here call attention to two circumstances only, namely — i. 
 The words of the consecration have not been adopted by us from 
 the different liturgies, for they absolutely coincide with the words 
 of St. Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians. 2. All the sects 
 cut off in the lapse of ages from the Church, the Protestants 
 alone excepted, are agreed among each other on the doctrines t)f 
 the Holy Eucharist and the sacrifice of the Mass, and agree, too, 
 witli the Catholic Church. Witness: The Greeks, Russians, Ncs- 
 
126 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 lorians, Monopln'sts, Armenians, Syrians, Chaldeans, and the 
 Indian Christians. 
 
 Devout Servants of the Blessed SacFament. 
 
 It is related in the life of St. Francis Xavier that after he had 
 labored for the greater part of the day in the saving of souls, he 
 would pass the greater part of the night on his knees before 
 Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. It sometimes happened, when 
 overcome by fatigue and drowsiness, he would lie down on the 
 altar-steps rest himself for a few minutes, and then resume his 
 acts of adoration to his God in the Eucharist. St. Francis Regis, 
 too, used to pass many hours of the night in contemplation before 
 the same sacrament, after having been busy all the preceding 
 day in preaching, hearing confessions, and other duties of his 
 arduous ministry. Even after the churches would be closed he 
 would kneel outside the doors, in order to pay homage to his 
 beloved Lord, even at a distance. Alfred the Great, king of 
 England in the beginning of the ninth century, spent some time 
 every morning before the Blessed Sacrament whenever he would 
 reach a church. The blessed Francis of the Infant Jesus, a 
 brother of the Carm.elite Order, would never pass a church with- 
 out going and adoring Jesus in the tabernacle. " It is not be- 
 coming," he used to say, '• for a servant to pass in front of his 
 master's throne without showing him the deepest reverence." 
 
 Blessed Margaret of the Holy Sacrament, a sister of the Car- 
 melite Order in a convent at Beaune, even when she was a child, 
 would never go by a church without entering and adoring the 
 Real Presence. And when she knew that she was alone and 
 unobserved, it was the greatest delight of her heart to remain 
 there as long as possible, absorbed in silent prayer. And when 
 at last compelled to leave the church, either to accompany her 
 mother or attend to some business, her heart remained shut up 
 in the tabernacle with Jesus, and her every thought was directed 
 to the contemplation of this adorable mystery. 
 
 The illustrious Cardinal Bellarmine, when a boy. had to pass 
 two churches four times a day on his way to and from school, 
 and he never failed each time to enter and salute Jesus in the 
 Blessed Sacrament. Being asked why he never missed a visit, he 
 replied: " It would be an act of . unpardonable impoliteness if a 
 friend or a brother passed by his friend's or his brother's house 
 without going in to wish him at least good-day." 
 
 The venerable Father John of St. William, an Augustiniai; 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 1 27 
 
 friar, was so constant and regular in the same practice that 
 when urged even by the most eminent people to tarry with them 
 a little while longer, and then later go to his devotions in the 
 church, he could not be prevailed upon to defer his visit to the 
 Blessed Sacrament one minute, and he would answer his friends 
 in the words of the Gospel : " Seek first the kingdom of God. 
 Did not our Redeemer Himself, on arriving in the city of Jerusa- 
 lem, repair at once to the temple, there to adore the Eternal 
 Father?" The holy man would then hasten to the church, and, 
 kneeling down before the altar, would remain motionless in one 
 spot for two hours at a time. It sometimes happened that, over- 
 taken on his way to the church by a rain-storm, he would be wet 
 through and through ; yet on leaving the church his clothing 
 would be completely dry, so long was his stay. 
 
 St. Vincent de Paul never went out without first repairing to 
 Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, to ask His blessing. On his 
 return home he would make his first visit to the sanctuary in 
 order to return Him thanks for whatever benefits he had received, 
 and to ask pardon for any faults he might have committed. 
 Before undertaking any work he had recourse to Our Lord in the 
 tabernacle. It might be said of him that his heart remained in 
 adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, even when in body he 
 was far distant. 
 
 Corpus Chfisti. 
 
 The Blessed Sacrament of the Altar is, as St. Thomas 
 Aquinas says, the Sacrament of sacraments; for through it, by 
 the ever-present indwelling of the God-man, all redemption, all 
 sanctification, and all graces are imparted to the believing 
 soul; and from it do all the other sacraments derive their power 
 and efficacy. The celebration of the Blessed Sacrament is the 
 holy Mass. Hence, the feast of Corpus Christi — that is, tlie feast 
 of the Body of Christ — is as old as the Church itself, since tliis 
 sacred and sublime mystery has been commemorated within her 
 bosom in all ages. 
 
 Hence we do not wonder that in the first ages of the Church 
 no special festival day was dedicated to this holy mystery, since 
 every day was sanctified by it. Still, Thursday in Holy Week, 
 the day on which the Eucharist was established by Our Lord, 
 was always observed by Christians as a festival; as St. Augustine 
 plainly testifies, while the great canon of the synod of Laodicea, 
 held in the middle of the fourth century, permits on that day 
 a temporary interruption of the forty days' fast. 
 
128 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 The institu- 
 tion of this fes- 
 tival, with its 
 observance by 
 the faithful, 
 not only as a 
 beacon-light in 
 the time of 
 distress, but 
 also as a most 
 brilliant day in 
 the time of joy, 
 was reserved 
 for a period 
 in which the 
 Blessed Sacra- 
 ment was most 
 violently as- 
 sailed and 
 rudely dese- 
 crated; a 
 period, too, in 
 which the sects 
 who were cut 
 off from the 
 Church dis- 
 graced and dis- 
 honored with 
 sac r i 1 egious 
 
 St. Charles Borromeo administering Holy Communion hands the 
 During THE Plague. sanctuary of 
 
 the Lord. As an All-wise Providence, in order to humiliate the 
 proud and grand ones of the earth, often selects the feeble and 
 lowly to be vessels and instruments of His mercy, so on the 
 present occasion the Church of God was to learn the divine will 
 of heaven from the lips of a maiden unknown to the world. 
 
 In the city of Liittich stood a convent of female hospitallers, 
 among whom, in the year 1220, was one named Juliana, who was 
 favored in her devotions by God with singular privileges and 
 graces, for she lived in converse with heavenly spirits, and was 
 permitted by the Lord to see into the hearts of men. For a long 
 time she saw in spirit a moon all clear and bright, save one dark 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 129 
 
 spot on its surface. The Spirit of God informed her that the 
 moon was the Church, and the dark spot the absence of the 
 festival of the Blessed Sacrament ; and that it was God's will that 
 such a festival should be instituted in honor of that mystery. 
 For twenty years Juliana kept her vision and revelation a pro- 
 found secret, till in the year 1230, when, being chosen prioress of 
 her convent, she revealed the secret of her heart to a canon of 
 the Church of St. Martin, a man then distinguished for his holi- 
 ness of life, and who at once communicated the matter to the 
 Bishop of Liittich and other learned theologians. 
 
 Two men especially interested themselves in the question, 
 namely, the Dominican Hugo and Jacob of Troyes, then arch- 
 deacon in Liittich. The first of these became cardinal legate in the 
 Netherlands; the other, after being Bishop of Verdun and Car- 
 dinal and Patriarch of Jerusalem, ascended the Papal throne as 
 Pope Urban IV. In order to still more clearly point out the will 
 of God, the same vision was vouchsafed to another nun named 
 Isabella, and also to a recluse in the same place named Eva. 
 But it was not till sixteen years afterwards that the Bishop of 
 Liittich gave orders at a synod for the celebration of the festival. 
 A severe fit of sickness rendered him unable to officiate himself, 
 but the canons of St. Martin's celebrated the feast, with great 
 solemnity, in his presence. The following year, in deference to 
 the objections raised by some individuals who thought themselves 
 wise, the celebration was omitted. Juliana died, but as the affair 
 was not of her will, but of the will of God, it did not die with 
 her death. It was chiefly Eva, the recluse, who urged the new 
 bishop, afterwards to become Pope Urban IV. This holy prelate 
 intrusted the task of compiling the office and mass for the festival 
 to the most able theologian and greatest saint of that day. It is 
 to St. Thomas Aquinas that we stand indebted for that wonderful 
 hymn of praise, the " Lauda Sion," into which he infused a glow 
 of divine love while composing it in the depths of his truly 
 angelic soul. 
 
 The day set apart for the festival was the Thursday following 
 Trinity Sunday ; for it is becoming that when all the mysteries 
 of the Redemption have been presented in festal cycle to the 
 souls of men the first Thursday should be devoted to the solemn 
 commemoration of the seal and glory of that same Redemption. 
 
 In the year 1264 Pope Urban signed a bull, ordciing all 
 Christendom to observe this festival in the way in which it was 
 celebrated in the diocese of Liittich. But as lie died that same 
 
I^O tHE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 year, and before the bull could be properly published, the ob- 
 servance was kept in abeyance till the time of the Council of 
 Vienne, in 1311, when the assembled Fathers solemnly instituted 
 the feast in the presence of the kings of England, France, and 
 Arragon. The most prominent feature of the festival is the public 
 procession, in which the Lord of heaven and earth, under the 
 sacramental species, is exposed to the adoration of the faithful, 
 and by going about among them glorifies His Church. 
 
 In Pope Urban's bull, which he wrote with his own hand and 
 sent to Eva, the pious recluse, the object of the festival is set 
 forth in the following language : " It is true that Holy Thursday 
 is the real festival of the Blessed Sacrament, but as on that day 
 the Church is everywhere absorbed in bewailing the death of her 
 Spouse, reconciling sinners, and consecrating the oils, it is proper 
 to appoint another day, on which the Church can give full vent 
 to her rejoicings, and supply what has to be omitted on Holy 
 Thursday. Besides, every festival throughout the year is a festi- 
 val of the Eucharist, and this special festival is appointed chiefly 
 for the purpose of making reparation for the faults and negli- 
 gences of which so many are guilty." 
 
 Thus, the feast of Corpus Christi bears the character of a 
 feast of atonement, on which all the faithful, indeed the whole 
 Church, should make to the Lord solemn acts of atonement for 
 all the indignities offered to this sacred mystery of love through 
 the unbelief of heretics and the indifference of Catholics. Before 
 their Lord in the Blessed Sacrament all should prostrate them- 
 selves in humility, to adore Him and to atone for their own past 
 shortcomings. 
 
 This feast is also a solemn public profession of Catholic faith.' 
 It is a declaration of our belief in the true and real presence of 
 Our Saviour in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. On this day, 
 not alone by individuals and by the ministers of the Church, but 
 by all Christendom, are the words of St. Thomas solemnly and 
 emphatically declared to be true — that there is no other people 
 who have their God so near them as have the Christians. This 
 truth they proclaim with joy and gladness, praising the Lord for 
 His goodness and rejoicing in Him as their Helper and Friend. 
 
 Again, it is a feast of blessings. The curse inflicted by the 
 Creator on the creature because of sin is removed, and all 
 nature is blessed by that same Lord, Who made good all that 
 He made. Even inanimate nature commemorates its redemp- 
 tion. For the flowers in their brightness, the fields in their 
 
Corpus Christi. 
 131 
 
132 THE 5ACRAMEXTS. 
 
 verdure, the trees in their blossoms, the birds in their singing, 
 the day in its freshness and beauty, all seem to : : ::e vith de- 
 vout Christians in praising and giving thanks a.-:, i : " age 10 
 the Lord our God. 
 
 Corpus Christi is furthermore a festival c: tri ::.p:i :\:r the 
 Catholic Church. While division and strife are rampant among 
 ah h f- ?r :- 5 r gathers her children about her in joyful 
 ::arr-::ry — a __a at ess legion devoted to the honor and glory of 
 God in His Church — and with them ceieh rates her triumph over 
 false human opinions and principles. 
 
 In reference to what has been already sairi ;a this s ::;ect. 
 the Council of Trent thus expresses itself on t e re erence and 
 adoration that all true Catholics ought to - hhs sacra- 
 
 ment: "The Holy Council of Trent declares : ^t :: a God- 
 
 fearing and very pious motive the custom has h een introduced into 
 the Church at commemorating yearly this g - ^^nd sublime 
 
 sacrament in a special and solemn manner^ v, . vard rever- 
 
 ence and festivity, carrying it about becomingly and in a re- 
 spectful way thrc gh the streets and other public places. For 
 it is eminently prter t at t.ere should be some special days 
 on which all Christians, with extraordinary ana an: i nt.tai- 
 festation, should testify their arn-e: at: e ani gr^tr senti- 
 ments towards their com nt : n L :ri _ i ih-^ter t :r s: unspeak- 
 able and truly divine a he tent, tnat there t te victory and 
 triumph of His death niay he d-^[y sec Lorin. And it is cer- 
 tainly becoming that truth sh : tild conquer and triumph over 
 error, in order that its ene~ es, at the sight of such spienhzr 
 and such great joy of the CntLrch, should be rendered pa.ver- 
 less and harmless, or else, overcome with sh^nte and remorse, 
 should do penance." 
 
 During the time that this council was being held, the fes- 
 tival of Corpus Christi was mist s ennly celebrated. Besides 
 the Papal legates, the earth as ..r : htr ^nthassadors of princes, 
 there were two hundred hsn.ts :n t te tr.tession. 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 
 
 ^33 
 
 TLbc 1bol^ Bucbatist as a Sacrifice. 
 
 On Saefifiee in General. 
 
 SACRIFICE is a visible gift which man offers 
 to God in order to honor and adore Him as 
 the Supreme Lord. 
 
 This gift is then changed or destroyed in 
 order tliereby to signify the unlimited power 
 of God, and our nothingness and our de- 
 pendence upon Him. 
 
 The sentiment of sacrifice is deeply seated 
 in the reason of man — that is to say, it is altogether consonant 
 with our natural reason for us to outwardly testify by gifts our 
 gratitude to the Supreme Being, through Whom we exist and 
 from Whom we have all things. Indeed, reason demands that 
 the creature should render homage to the Creator. 
 
 The sacrifices which we meet in the different systems of re- 
 ligion have still another basis, founded on man's sense of sin and 
 guilt in consequence of the fall of Adam. By this prevarication 
 his original relations with God were radically changed. In place 
 of that union with God which man should have strengthened 
 and sealed with the sacrifice of voluntary obedience, separation 
 and antagonism ensued after man, by seeking his own will, had 
 placed it before and above the will of God. The realization of 
 the death penalty, as previously threatened, must necessarily have 
 followed us in this case, as in the case of the rebellious angels, 
 if divine love had not intervened, and by decreeing a future re- 
 demption put a check on the severe consequences of the sinful 
 fall. Man on his side felt himself in relation to God deserving 
 of punishment and death, and fear had taken the place of child- 
 like love. Instead of proving this love by further obedience, he 
 was compelled rather to heal the separation, and to effect this he 
 should seek to atone for sin. But as death liad been decreed as 
 tiie punishment for sin, it was necessary that a life should be sac- 
 rificed. 
 
 Sacrifice was offered to God at all times, and by all the na- 
 tions of the world. '^ No people," says St. Augustine, *' were so 
 savage that they did not offer sacrifice to those whom tlu>y hrld 
 to be their gods, and whom they had invented as such." 
 
134 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 Thus, in earliest times, Abel offered to God in sacrifice the 
 firstling of his flock, and Cain the fruits of his field (Gen. iv. 3). 
 Noe, when he came out of the ark, offered to God a thank- 
 offering. Abraham, at the command of God, offered not only 
 animals, but he was ready to sacrifice even his only son, Isaac. 
 
 By the Mosaic law, sacrifice was not only prescribed to the 
 people, but the manner of offering it w^as most exactly described. 
 
 Sacrifices were divided into bloody and unbloody. To the 
 bloody sacrifices belonged ; i. The burnt-offericg, which was 
 looked upon as the first and most perfect of its kind. 2. The sac- 
 rifice . of benefits or peace-offerings, rendered partly to thank 
 God for benefits received, partly to seek for new ones; hence the 
 thank-offering, or petition. In this sacrifice only a portion was 
 burned, the other portion being partly consumed by the family 
 of the one who gave the animals of sacrifice, and the rest was 
 distributed among the poor. 3. The sacrifice of atonement, or sin- 
 offering, in order to obtain pardon for sins. In this rite a portion 
 of the animal sacrificed was burned on the altar : the other was 
 burned outside the city. By the last ceremony it was signified 
 that the sinner had merited to be shut out from the community. 
 
 To the unbloody sacrifices belonged : i. The food-offerings, 
 which consisted of the finest unleavened m.eal or of bread baked 
 with oil and incense ; 2. The liquid-oblation, consisting of wine 
 w'hich was poured about the altar : and 3. The smoke-offerings, 
 which were offered daily, morning and evening, on the golden 
 altar of incense. 
 
 The sacrifices of the heathens were often of a shocking nature; 
 they sacrificed to their gods not only animals but men. 
 
 But tiiese sacrifices, whether of Jews or Gentiles, could not 
 attain their end. They could not avail to free men from sin or 
 to reconcile them to God. Neither were they, as praise-offerings 
 or thank-offerings, worthy of the Deity. God was pleased with 
 them only till the time would come when that which had been 
 decreed from all eternity in the council of the Trinity should be 
 accomplished in the human race. These sacrifices were the 
 merest types of the spotless sacrifice of :":ie Xew Testament. 
 This is clearly expressed in the 39th psalm, verses 7 and 8: 
 '• Sacrifice and oblation Thou didst not desire : but Thou hast 
 pierced ears for Me '" — that is, made Me ready to obedience. 
 '• Burnt-off"ering and sin-offering Thou didst not require. Then 
 said I: Behold I come." In t::ese words of the Psalmist, the 
 divine Son says to the Father : •• The slain-otterings and gifts of 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 
 
 135 
 
 men Thou wishest nevermore; they are too petty for Thy infinite 
 greatness. To Me, Thy only-begotten Son, Thou hast given a 
 human body, which body I will sacrifice in death to Thee, be- 
 cause Thou wilt accept no other sacrifice. Behold, I come in the 
 form of a servant." 
 
 The Saciukice of Melchisedech. 
 
 The sacrifice of the New Law was most clearly prcliguri'd and 
 foreshadowed in the Old Law. 
 
 The plainest figure of the sacrifice of the New Testament is 
 the oblation of Melchisedech. Whilst Lot, the cousin of Abraham, 
 
136 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 was dwelling in Sodom, strange kings came with a large army 
 and assaulted that city. Abraham heard that these enemies 
 were taking Lot and his family prisoners, and robbing him of all 
 his substance. When this news reached him he armed all his 
 servants and dependants to the number of three hundred and 
 eighty. With these he attacked the enemy during the night, 
 rescued Lot from their hands, and even recovered all they had 
 stolen. When Abraham was returning home victorious he was 
 met by Melchisedech, the king of Salem, who came to congratu- 
 late him and to offer a sacrifice to God in thanksgiving for the 
 victory. The sacrifice was a clean oblation of bread and wine, 
 for Melchisedech was a priest of the Most High God (Gen. xiv.). 
 
 Now this Melchisedech was a figure of Christ, Who offers 
 Himself up under the forms and appearances of bread and wine. 
 Hence David, inspired by the Holy Ghost, prophesied concerning 
 the coming Messias : " The Lord hath sworn, and He will not 
 repent : Thou art a priest forever according to the order of Mel- 
 chisedech" (Ps. cix. 4). 
 
 As Christ, then, was prefigured in Joseph as Saviour of His 
 brethren, in Moses as a lawgiver, in Josue as a leader into the 
 Promised Land, as a victorious king in David, so, too, was He 
 prefigured to us in Melchisedech as a high-priest. Christ is truly 
 Melchisedech — that is, a king of peace and of justice ; for He 
 came to vindicate divine justice and to bring peace to men, as 
 Isaias foretold : " He was wounded for our iniquities, He was 
 bruised for our sins : the chastisement of our peace was upon 
 Him" (Is. liii. 5). 
 
 Again, the prophet Malachias foretold the sacrifice of the New 
 Testament most lucidly. The temple had just been finished under 
 Nehemias. But during their captivity the Jews had become 
 habituated to pagan manners and customs. They still retained 
 their heathen wives, paid no tithes, and the priests themselves had 
 grown careless and often offered unclean sacrifices. Then God 
 permitted the prophet Malachias to speak thus to the priests : " I 
 have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of Hosts : and I will 
 not receive a gift of your hand. For 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 offering : for My name is great among the Gentiles, 
 saith the Lord of hosts" (Mai. i. 10, 11). 
 
 This " sacrifice in every place " and " clean oblation " can be 
 none other than the bloodless sacrifice of the New Testament ; for 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. I37 
 
 none but that is offered in every place, none but that is a clean 
 and real food-oblation. 
 
 The CQass in Partieulaf. 
 
 The only real victim of sacrifice in the New Testament is 
 Jesus Christ Himself, the Son of God, Who for our sake offered 
 Himself up to the Eternal Father in the sacrifice of the cross. 
 He is at once the victim sacrificed and the priest sacrificing, Who 
 sacrificed Himself on the altar of the cross as an unblemished 
 victim to God (Heb. ix. 14). 
 
 Now as sacrifice is a requirement even of the natural law, 
 and based on the very essence and nature of religion, and as, 
 moreover, Christianity ought necessarily to be far more perfect 
 than Judaism, the consequence is plain that in the New Law 
 there must exist a sacrifice which surpasses in excellence all the 
 sacrifices of the Old Law. Hence all sacrifice should not and 
 could not cease at the death of Christ; there must also be in the 
 covenant of grace an enduring sacrifice for the purpose of keep- 
 ing at all times before our minds the one which was once con- 
 summated on the cross, and to apply its fruits to our souls. 
 
 Such a perpetual sacrifice was instituted by Jesus Christ when 
 He offered Himself up to His Heavenly Father at the Last Sup- 
 per, under the forms of bread and wine, and enjoined upon His 
 apostles to continue the solemnization of His sacrifice. For at 
 the Last Supper, after the paschal lamb had been consumed 
 and all else had been done as required by the rules of the 
 Passover, Jesus again took bread and the chalice into His 
 sacred hands. Thus He did what is done at every sacrifice and 
 must necessarily be done: He set these gifts apart from all the 
 others for the sacred purpose of religion ; for, whilst holding 
 these gifts in His hands He turned towards His Heavenly Father 
 and presented them to Him, as the yet outward symbols under 
 which the most excellent of all sacrifices was to be offered up. 
 Then, while blessing these gifts, Jesus pronounced over them 
 a prayer of thanksgiving, thereby signifying that He dedicated 
 them to the purposes of religious worship — to a use by which God 
 would be honored, thanked, and besought for grace and assist- 
 ance. 
 
 Therefore we have here all the necessary constituents of a 
 sacrifice — the offering up of outward gifts in acknowledgment 
 of the supremacy, omnipotence, and majesty of God. According 
 to the definition which we have already given of a sacrifice, the 
 
138 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 thing offered to God must be either entirely destroyed or changed 
 in its substance. This, too, took place here; for Christ changed 
 these gifts in their very essence when He changed bread and 
 wine into His body and blood, so that thus there was no more 
 bread and wine, but something altogether different, napiely. His 
 flesh and blood. 
 
 From all these facts it becomes clear that Christ really and 
 truly offered a sacrifice to the Eternal Father, and that what He 
 did was really a sacrifice. 
 
 In obedience to the command of their blessed Master, the 
 apostles and their successors continue this sacrifice when cele- 
 brating Mass. 
 
 Therefore the 
 holy sacrifice of the 
 Mass is the endur- 
 ing sacrifice of the 
 New Law, in which 
 Our Lord Jesus 
 Christ offers Him- 
 self to His Heavenly 
 Father under the 
 forms of bread and 
 wine, in a blood- 
 *<3 i ^^^^ manner, by the 
 
 hands of the priest. 
 The holy sacri- 
 fice of the Mass is 
 no other sacrifice 
 than the sacrifice 
 of the cross ; it is 
 the same sacrifice, 
 though the process 
 of offering is differ- 
 ent. In one and the 
 other sacrifice it is 
 the same Person 
 Who offers and is 
 offered, namely, 
 Jesus Christ. The 
 officiating priest is 
 only the servant and visible representative of Ch.rist. But on the 
 cross Christ offers Himself in a bloody manner, whilst in the 
 
 At the Beginning of the Mass. 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. I^n 
 
 Mass He offers Himself in an unbloody manner by renewing the 
 same sacrifice consummated on the cross, without any suffering 
 or death. This last He underwent once for all time. 
 
 That the holy sacrifice of the Mass is, by its very nature, one 
 and the same sacrifice with the sacrifice of the cross is clear from 
 the words of Christ used at the institution of the Mass. He said : 
 '• This is My body which is delivered up for you ; this is My 
 blood which is shed for you and for many to the remission of 
 sins." Jesus did not say, ''This is My body that will be delivered 
 up for you," but, "that is delivered up for you — that is delivered 
 up now ; at this very moment My body is delivered up for you. 
 As to-morrow I shall deliver it up in a bloody manner, so now do I 
 in an unbloody manner deliver it up — offer it up and present it as 
 a sacrifice to My Heavenly Father." Thus, too, did He speak of 
 His precious blood, " which is shed," and not " which will be 
 shed " ; that is, " My blood is at this moment being shed." 
 
 Besides the bloody sacrifice of the cross, the holy sacrifice of 
 the Mass is also necessary ; not, indeed, to redeem us anew, for 
 the sacrifice of the cross sufficed for the redemption of the whole 
 world, but in order that we may have an ever-enduring com- 
 memoration and a living, although an unbloody, presentation of 
 the bloody sacrifice of the cross — one by which God is perfectly 
 worshipped, and from which the fruits of redemption may be 
 most graciously imparted to ourselves. 
 
 The priest who celebrates the sacrifice of the Mass is only the 
 agent made use of by the Lord to perform the function. He does 
 what the Lord did. For, just as the Lord took bread and blessed 
 it, and looked up towards heaven — that is, presented it to His 
 Father — and changed it, and gave it to His apostles to eat, so 
 does the priest at Mass take the gifts of bread and wine, offer 
 them to God, change them into the body and blood of Ciirist, 
 partake of them himself, and impart them to others as spiritual 
 food. 
 
 Thus, the sacrifice of the Mass has three principal parts — the 
 offertory, the transubstantiation or consecration, and the Com- 
 munion, 
 
 It is offered up to the Lord our God only, for He alone is the 
 Lord to Whom belong all honor and adoration. To Him, then, 
 alone can this holiest and most sacred oblation be directed, lor it 
 is the most solemn act of supreme worshii). 
 
 By this it is not to be understood that we are not piMinilted 
 to mention the saints in tlie holy Mass, for they, above all olliers, 
 
140 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 have derived the graces which we so much admire in them from 
 this holy sacrifice, and they died giving testimony of their belief 
 
 in this sublime mys- 
 tery. Far otherwise; 
 for in the holy Mass 
 from the earliest 
 times the memory 
 of the saintly mar- 
 tyrs has been hon- 
 ored by mentioning 
 their names, as is 
 proved from the 
 most ancient litur- 
 gies of the Church, 
 while equally an- 
 cient is the custom 
 of erecting churches 
 and altars over the 
 places of their in- 
 terment, from which 
 again comes our 
 practice of always 
 depositing their 
 relics in our altars. 
 
 Whilst we honor 
 
 the memory of the 
 
 saints in the holy 
 
 Mass, let us thank 
 
 God for the graces 
 
 and blessings be- 
 
 At the Introit. stowed upon them, 
 
 and invoke their intercession that we may obtain a portion of the 
 
 same. 
 
 The holy sacrifice of the Mass is pre-eminently precious, and 
 unbounded is the blessing that we can derive from it if we assist 
 at it with warm hearts and pious feelings. For the holy sacri- 
 fice of the Mass is, as Christian reason plainly shows: 
 
 I. The sacrifice of adoration and thanksgiving most accept- 
 able to God. Certainly we cannot worship God with any religious 
 act more excellent or better proportioned to His divine majesty 
 than when we offer Him Christ, our head, and with Christ our- 
 selves. Nor is there any more powerful means of thanking God 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 
 
 141 
 
 the Lord for benefits received than by offering Him the source 
 of all grace, Christ Himself, from Whose plenitude we have ob- 
 tained all things. 
 
 2. The most effective form of prayer. Will not all our prayers 
 and devotions ascend with Jesus to the Father? Will not the 
 Father send us everything through Jesus? What favor could 
 the Father refuse to His Son when He asks for it? 
 
 3. The most effective atoning sacrifice for the living. By 
 virtue of this holy sacrifice the divine justice, justly angry at our 
 sins, is calmed and appeased by an infinite power, and forgive- 
 ness is secured to us. How could a sacrifice fail to do this in 
 which the victim offered is the Son of God, Who hath taken away 
 the sins of the world ? " For," as the apostle Paul says, " if the 
 blood of goats and oxen," which were the ordinary victims in the 
 Old Law, "sanctify such as," according to the Jewish law, "are 
 defiled," how much more thoroughly shall the blood of Christ 
 cleanse our conscience from dead works, and obliterate our sins, 
 since it is a precious blood, of infinite value, and amply powerful 
 and sufficient, ay, more than sufficient, to wash away the sins of 
 ten thousand worlds ! 
 
 4. A highly efficient sacrifice of atonement for the dead. 
 Hence from very early times it was a practice in the Catholic 
 Church to offer to God the holy sacrifice of the Mass for the 
 dead. This is right, for when Christ was dying on the cross the 
 very dead felt it in their graves, the earth trembled, the graves 
 opened, and many bodies of the saints arose and, after the Resur- 
 rection, came into the city (Matt, xxvii. 52). When, in the holy 
 sacrifice of the Mass, Christ renews His death, a grace from 
 heaven forces its way down in;o the depths of purgatory to 
 the souls suffering there, which shortens and alleviates their pain, 
 and washes away a stain, so that they ascend so much the sooner 
 to the regions of rest. 
 
 As it is a fault of tepidity not to assist at Mass frequently, 
 it is also an injury for the soul, which is thereby deprived of 
 graces which it would derive from the saving fountain for the 
 benefit of the living and the dead. 
 
 Let us consider well how great is the benefit God has be- 
 stowed upon us. Israel had but one temple, to which the people 
 had to repair three times a year, in Jerusalem. If we had hut 
 one temple, how we would long to approach it and he jhm- 
 mitted to kiss the steps of the altar! And if some one were to 
 tell us that a time would come when our children would have 
 
142 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 a temple for every congregation, would we believe it if told at 
 the same time that these favored ones would not assist daily, 
 as did Simeon and Anna, at the holy sacrifice — that they would 
 not devote one half-hour to the Lord's service, whilst they 
 would squander days and weeks and longer in the service of 
 selfishness, of the world, and even of the devil ? Would not the 
 words of the Saviour be suitable here: " Is thy eye evil because 
 I am good ? " 
 
 A true Catholic Christian considers it a great blessing to 
 be able to assist every day at the holy sacrifice. He neglects 
 
 no Mass that he 
 can possibly attend, 
 and so directs the 
 duties of his world- 
 ly life that he will 
 have every day 
 some spare time to 
 satisfy his religious 
 necessities. The 
 time he spends at 
 public worship he 
 considers time 
 gained, not time 
 lost. During the 
 divine service he 
 follows with the 
 closest union and 
 attention ; with his 
 Saviour he offers 
 himself up ; he 
 adores his Saviour 
 in the consecrated 
 Host; and if he can- 
 ^ __ ^ not receive sacra- 
 
 \' :^^^.^^^^^^t^J=^^^^^^S^^^ mentalCommunion, 
 • ^^^^^^■^C^'^d'^^^^^^4^^ ^"^^^^^k he communicates at 
 
 least spiritually, 
 
 and thus keeps alive 
 
 within his heart an 
 
 ardent longing to be united with the Lord. Thus the holy 
 
 sacrifice of the Mass becomes to him a very fountain of blessings 
 
 and graces, and the Lord then speaks to him as He spoke to 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 
 
 143 
 
 the woman of Canaan : '* Be it done to thee as thou believest 
 receive the fruits of thy faith and charity." 
 
 t^EpiiECTIOfl. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 HAVE no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of 
 Hosts : and I will not receive a gift of your hand. 
 "For 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 offering : for My name 
 is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of 
 Hosts" (Mai. i. to, ii). 
 
 " For if the blood of goats and of oxen, and the 
 ashes of an heifer being sprinkled, sanctify such as are defiled to 
 the cleansing of the flesh : 
 
 " How much more shall the blood of Christ, Who by the Holy 
 Ghost offered Himself unspotted unto God, cleanse our con- 
 science from dead works, to serve the living God ? " (Heb. ix. 13, 
 
 14.) 
 
 SELECTIONS FROH THE FATHERS. 
 
 " The sacrifice of the Old Law was to give place to the sacrifice 
 of the New Covenant. The manifold and varied sacrifices of the 
 saints in the Old Law were simply figures of the present genuine 
 sacrifice; for many sacrifices were to express this one, as many 
 words express the same idea. All typical sacrifices gave place to 
 this highest and true sacrifice" (St. Augustine). 
 
 " The holy Mass is this sacrifice. Who other than Our Saviour 
 alone has ever taught his disciples to offer up the unbloody sac- 
 rifice which is celebrated with mysterious prayers? Hence 
 throughout the whole world altars are erected, churches conse- 
 crated, and the high and holy mysteries of the supernatural sac- 
 rifice are offered to God alone, the Ruler of all things" (Euse- 
 bius). 
 
 " Jesus Himself it is Who here sacrifices and is sacrificed. 
 Thus Jesus Christ is the priest Who performs the sacrifice, and 
 He is also Himself the victim " (St. Augustine). 
 
 "The lamb of sacrifice which is slain to the remission of 
 sins is the Saviour Himself, Whose flesh we eat daily, and Whose 
 blood we drink. This banquet is served daily; daily the Fatlier 
 
144 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 receives His Son. Christ is always being offered for the believers " 
 (St. Jerome). 
 
 ANTIQUITY OF THE 
 
 HASS. 
 
 As the holy sac- 
 rifice of the Mass is 
 the central point of 
 our faith, we shall 
 here again permit 
 the Fathers and 
 Doctors of the 
 Church to speak at 
 length. From the 
 testimony of the 
 early Fathers we 
 shall proceed to 
 positive facts which 
 the history of early 
 Christianity has 
 handed down to us. 
 A schism had 
 broken out in the 
 congregation of 
 Corinth. Some 
 priests who had 
 been ordained by 
 the apostles re- 
 volted, and intro- 
 duced a form of 
 divine service of 
 their own, whence 
 arose much disorder and scandal. The better portion of the 
 congregation applied to Rome, where St. Clement, a disciple 
 of St. Peter, presided. Clement, in virtue of his apostolic 
 supremacy, sent to them a letter in which he refers to the order 
 of performing the sacrifice in the Old Law, and from that teaches 
 them that also in the sacrifice of the New Law any order per- 
 manently established by the Lord was to be observed, and that 
 only such priests as observed this order were pleasing to God. 
 He continues : " It is becoming that all things which the Lord has 
 commanded to be done, be done in a well-defined order. He has 
 commanded that the sacrifice, with the ceremonies of divine wor- 
 
 At the Dominus Vobiscum. 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 
 
 145 
 
 ship, be performed, not arbitrarily and with disorder, but at a 
 fixed time and hour. Those, then, who offer their sacrifices at 
 the prescribed times are blessed and pleasing to God, for they 
 fail not in complying with the commands of God." 
 
 St. Ignatius of Antioch, in several of his letters, makes mention 
 of the sacrifice and the altar of the New Law. In his epistle to the 
 Magnesians he writes : " Gather all together, as in one temple of 
 God, as around one altar, as to one Jesus Christ. Let no one 
 deceive himself : he who is not within the altar — that is, not in com- 
 munion with the bishop who sacrifices at the altar — is deprived of 
 the bread of God." Again, he writes in his letter to the Philadel- 
 phians : " It is one flesh of Our Lord Jesus, and one blood of the 
 same which was shed for us ; it is one bread that is broken for 
 all, and one chalice that is presented to all; one altar of each 
 church as one bishop." 
 
 In the words of Malachias, " In every place there is sacrifice, 
 and there is offered to My name a clean oblation," St. Justin 
 perceives a prophecy bearing on the holy mysteries, and says : 
 '' Concerning the sacrifices which we Gentiles everywhere offer 
 up, namely, of the bread and chalice of the Eucharist, he proph- 
 esies, saying that 'His name,' that is, the Lord's, Ms by us 
 glorified, and by you,' namely, the Jews, ' is profaned.' Those 
 who offer up to Him the sacrifice prescribed by Jesus, namely, 
 the oblation that in the Eucharist is offered up in all places — all 
 such are pleasing to God, as He had previously affirmed. It is 
 evident that the prophecy refers to the bread — that the Lord 
 Jesus has commanded us to offer it in commemoration of the 
 body delivered up for those who believe in Him ; and to the cup — 
 that He has commanded us to offer it up with thanksgiving and 
 in commemoration of His blood. God receives sacrifices from no 
 one, save through His priests." 
 
 St. Irenaeus writes : " Whosoever has comprehended the last 
 ordinances knows that the Lord established in the New Testa- 
 ment a new sacrifice, in accordance with the prophecy of Mala- 
 chias. According to the Revelation of St. John, incense-smoke 
 is the prayers of the saints ; and St. Paul exhorts us to offer up 
 our bodies to God as a sacrifice pleasing to Him, as our practice 
 of service in the spirit." And again : " Let us offer a sacrifice 
 of praise, that is, fruit of the lips. These oblations, indeed, are 
 not according to the law, the handwriting of wiiich the Lt>rd, 
 having blotted out, hath taken away from tiie midst ; but they 
 are offerings according to the spirit, for in spirit and truth we 
 
146 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 ought to worship God. Wherefore, also, the oblation of the 
 Eucharist is not fleshly, but spiritual, and in this pure. For 
 we offer unto God the blessed bread and the cup of the blessing, 
 giving thanks, that is, eucharistizing, to Him, because He hath 
 commanded the earth to bring forth these fruits for our food. 
 And then having ended the oblation we invoke the Holy Spirit 
 that He would make this sacrifice, both the bread Christ's body, 
 and the cup the blood of Christ, in order that they who partake 
 of these antitypes may obtain the remission of sins and life eter- 
 nal. They, therefore, who bring these oblations in commemora- 
 tion of the Lord make no approach to the dogmas of the Jews, 
 
 but, liturgizing spir- 
 r^ -T^fT'T^'V"'*^ . ituallv, shall be 
 
 -^ ^-. --^^-'3J^^ ^.^<?.^.>I-:^ij«^^.£^,^^ of wisdom." 
 
 From what we 
 have read from the 
 pen of St. Irenaeus 
 we will recall only 
 those words which 
 he uttered concern- 
 ing the sectarians : 
 " Either let them 
 |t change their opin- 
 ion or let them de- 
 cline to offer or sac- 
 rifice the things that 
 have been named." 
 Yet we will quote 
 from his writings a 
 passage that is the 
 more remarkable 
 because, not only in 
 the sense alone, but 
 also in the very lan- 
 guage, it agrees 
 with the teachings 
 of St. Justin ; so 
 that it may be seen 
 in the clearest pos- 
 sible manner that the first disciples of the apostles — no matter 
 from which apostle, nor from what disciples of the apostles, they 
 
 At the Epistle. 
 
The blessed eucharisT. i4y 
 
 were instructed — were most closely united in a common faith. 
 The following is the passage : " But Christ also giving instruction 
 to His disciples to offer up to God the first-fruits of His creatures 
 — not as though He needed, but that they themselves might be 
 neither unfruitful nor ungrateful — He took that creature bread, 
 and gave thanks, saying : * This is My body.' And in like manner 
 He confessed the cup — which is, according to us, a thing created 
 (by God) — to be His own blood, and taught the new oblation of 
 the New Testament, which (oblation) the Church, receiving from 
 the apostles, throughout the whole world offers to God, to Him 
 Who grants unto us as sustenance the first-fruits of His own 
 gifts in the New Testament, respecting which Malachias pre- 
 dicted." 
 
 St. Hippolytus, in explaining the passage in the Book of Prov- 
 erbs which reads: "Wisdom hath built herself a house" (Prov. 
 ix. i), says : " He has prepared to present us his own table (Rom. 
 ix. 2), meaning the promised knowledge of the Holy Trinity, 
 and his own venerable and pure body and blood, which, on the 
 mystic and divine table, are daily celebrated (perfected), sacri- 
 ficed for a memorial of the ever-to-be-remembered and first table 
 of the mystical divine supper." 
 
 St. Cyprian endeavored most zealously to impress upon the 
 heretics who wished to make some alterations in the Mass that 
 the Church practised what the Lord had ordered. He writes to 
 Cecilius : *' Since Jesus Christ, Our Lord and God, Himself the 
 high-priest of the Father and the first to offer Himself to the 
 Father in sacrifice, has commanded us to do this in His remem- 
 brance, so does each priest evidently exercise his office in the place 
 of Christ ; for he does again what Christ has done, and offers up 
 in the Church the true and perfect sacrifice to God the Father, if 
 he proceed in the oblation as he sees Christ Himself to have 
 proceeded." 
 
 Let us now glance at the testimony afforded by facts. Al- 
 though the accounts are few and rare ; although the early Chris- 
 tian writers, in order not to expose themselves and their brethren 
 to persecution, were obliged to observe a mysterious silence, yet 
 we are not wholly deprived of indubitable proofs. Thus the 
 most ancient traditions tell us, when describing the death of St. 
 Matthew, that he was slain at the altar during the holy sacrifice 
 of the Mass. We know that St. Justin celebrated Mass in Rome, 
 near the house of a certain Martinus. From Holy Scripture, as 
 well as from the reports of the Roman governor Pliny to tlie 
 
148 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 Emperor Trajan, we learn that the holy Mass was celebrated 
 usually every Sunday; in the second century Wednesday and Fri- 
 day were added, and 
 in the fourth cen- 
 tury Saturday. 
 However, as Scrip- 
 ture tells us, other 
 days were not ex- 
 cluded. The Apos- 
 tolical Constitu- 
 tions, which are a 
 collection of ancient 
 customs, give per- 
 mission to a bishop 
 to offer the holy 
 sacrifice of the Mass 
 in a diocese other 
 than his own. Ter- 
 tullian informs us 
 that even inhis time, 
 on the memorial 
 days of the martyrs, 
 the sacrifice was of- 
 fered, and that the 
 faithful had it of- 
 fered up for their 
 departed fr ie n d s. 
 At the interment of 
 the Emperor Con- 
 stantine a solemn 
 requiem Mass was 
 celebrated for his soul. Bishop Theodoret, of Cyrus, read 
 Mass in the cell of a monk. St. Ambrose read Mass in the 
 house of a noble lady. During the illness of St. Gregory Na- 
 zianzen Mass was several times celebrated in his room. In 
 the life of St. Theodotus, who was a tavern-keeper, w^e read 
 that he converted his saloon into a prayer-hall, in which the 
 holy sacrifice of the Mass was offered up, and that he himself 
 supplied as much bread and wine as the Christians needed for a 
 pure and clean oblation; for the Roman governor had ordered 
 to be mingled with the meal and wine sold in the public stores 
 quantities of those same articles that had been offered to the 
 
 At the Gosi'EL. 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. iaq 
 
 false gods. The holy martyr, St. Lucian, while in prison on the 
 festival of the Epiphany, offered up the holy sacrifice, using 
 his own breast for an altar, and then administered Communion 
 to his fellow-prisoners. St. Saturninus, with forty-nine other 
 Christians, was taken prisoner while he was celebrating the holy 
 mysteries in the house of Octavius Felix. It would be super- 
 fluous to adduce other proofs in a matter the truth of which is 
 so firmly established. 
 
 THE CEREMONIES OF flASS. 
 The Vestments. 
 
 By way of an introduction to the ceremonies of the Mass 
 proper, we will say a few words about the garments of the priest 
 and the furniture of the altar. 
 
 There are seven articles of vesture used by the priest when 
 celebrating Mass: 
 
 1. The amice, or shoulder-cloth, which the priest places about 
 his neck. This vestment, which in early times used to cover the 
 head, signifies the recollection that should characterize the priest 
 in speech and sight. Hence, even to-day, at the ordination of a 
 subdeacon, this vestment is first placed, not on the neck, but on 
 the head of the ordained, and the bishop pronounces the words, 
 *' Receive this garment, whereby carefulness in speech is signi- 
 fied." By this is shown forth how the priest should be inacces- 
 sible to and excluded from all worldly thoughts; how he should 
 not be distracted by anything from his becoming attention and 
 devotion, or from the holy and heavenly thoughts that ought to 
 animate him during the celebration of the holy sacrifice. Hence, 
 when the priest is putting it on before Mass, he prays: " Gird my 
 head, O Lord, with the helmet of salvation, that I may be enabled 
 to combat against and conquer all the assaults of the wicked 
 enemy." 
 
 2. The alb, or long white gown, represents the humanity of 
 Jesus Christ, in Whose place the priest approaches the altar. It 
 was in such a garb that the Son of God appeared in Revelations 
 to St. John (Apoc. i. 13): "In the midst of the seven golden 
 candlesticks I saw one like to the Son of man, clothed with a gar- 
 ment down to the feet, and girt about the loins with a golden 
 girdle." This vestment also signifies the stainless internal just- 
 ness that ought to adorn the priest, and the pure and holy life in 
 
150 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 which he should walk before men. Hence the priest, while put- 
 ting on the alb, prays to God for purity of soul. 
 
 3. The cincture, or girdle, is to remind the priest of purity 
 of soul and body, that he may be enabled to offer the unblem- 
 ished Lamb of God to the Heavenly Father with pure heart 
 and clean hands. The priest obeys the words of Christ: "Let 
 your loins be girt " (Luke xii. 35). " It is then that we gird our 
 loins," says the holy Pope, Gregory the Great, " when by con- 
 tinence, reticence, and temperance we hold our sensual body in 
 restraint." 
 
 4. The maniple, worn on the left arm, signifies the penitential, 
 laborious, and in- 
 
 defatigably active .^s^J^h^ 
 
 life that the priest 
 should lead ; for 
 originally this vest- 
 ment was the hand- 
 kerchief with which 
 the ministers wiped 
 the sweat from their 
 faces during their 
 laborious functions 
 at the altar. Divine 
 service often lasted 
 several hours, and 
 thepriests perspired 
 freely during the 
 long sermons, their 
 chantings,and while 
 receiving the offer- 
 ings of the people, 
 which had to be 
 divided among the 
 poor and sick, and 
 a portion prepared 
 for the Communion 
 of the priests and 
 people. 
 
 5. The stole, a 
 long band placed 
 
 about the neck and hanging from the shoulders in two parts, is 
 the emblem of priestly dignity and power. It also signifies the 
 
 Afikk the Credo. 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 1^1 
 
 spiritual vesture of justice and immortality, of which we were 
 stripped by original sin, and which Our Saviour regained for us 
 through His atonement. By crossing the arms of the stole on 
 the breast is signified the yearning that the priest should have in 
 his soul for the love of God that was lost by Adam's fall and 
 regained by the death of Christ on the cross. 
 
 6. The chasuble, which was originally a full mantle, signi- 
 fies the holy and ample charity with which the priest, like his 
 divine Master, should embrace all men, and yet conceal it as 
 under a mantle. This the bishop declares when placing this vest- 
 ment on the newly ordained priest. When putting on the 
 chasuble, the priest recalls to mind the obedience of Jesus 
 Christ towards His heavenly Father, Who laid the sins of the 
 world on the shoulders of the divine Son: " Surely He hath carried 
 our sorrows" (Is. liii. 4). Hence the priest should be reminded 
 of the ready obedience with which he himself should carry the 
 light and easy yoke of God's commandments, and of the sacred 
 office intrusted to him by Christ, while he repeats the words: 
 *' Thy yoke is sweet and Thy burden light, O God, therefore per- 
 mit me so to wear this vestment," discharge my office, " that I 
 may obtain Thy grace." 
 
 7. The biretta is a three- or sometimes four-cornered head-gear. 
 According to common opinion, it came into use when the practice 
 of wearing the amice on the head was discontinued. Its signifi- 
 cation is akin to that of the amice. 
 
 Besides these vestments worn by the priest at Mass, there is 
 the sanctuary garment, usually called the surplice, but also called 
 the cotta. In the beginning it was a heavy garment worn in the 
 sanctuary, and in winter had attached to it, about the shoulders, 
 skins of animals. To-day it is little more than an ornament, 
 though it also has its spiritual meaning. The cope, or choir- 
 cloak, formerly known as a storm-cloak, as its Latin name 
 pluviale indicates, was worn by the priest when going outside 
 the church, in processions, and for other functions. It was pro- 
 vided with a hood to*protect the head when necessary. Of tliis 
 hood only the merest outline is now to be noticed on the cope 
 of the present day, which, having become a mere adjunct to 
 the beauty and solemnity of the sanctuary, is made up of rich 
 and showy material that would hardly serve the ancient i>urp(^se 
 of that vestment. By the large and ample cope we are rcniindi'd 
 of the fulness of God's boundless mercy and love that encompass 
 all men, as Our Saviour says: "How often would I have gath- 
 
152 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 ered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens 
 under her wings" (Matt, xxiii. 37). 
 
 x\\^i!.7//y. The minor 
 
 clergy have vest- 
 ments of their own 
 order, worn during 
 their functions at 
 the altar. They are 
 called dalmatics, be- 
 cause they resemble 
 an outer garment 
 once very much in 
 vogue in Dalmatia. 
 Their object is to 
 heighten the so- 
 lemnity of divine 
 service, and to 
 express the joy of 
 Christians at the 
 adorable sacrifice, 
 as is clear from the 
 words uttered by 
 the bishop when 
 placing for the first 
 time the vestment 
 on the shoulders of 
 the subdeacon or 
 deacon at ordina- 
 tion. These gar- 
 ments have also 
 special significa- 
 tions. In the ample width of the sleeves is symbolized the generous 
 charity for the poor that ought to mark the wearer, for in the days 
 of the apostles the chief duty of the deacon was to look after the 
 poor. The lesser ministers also wear the maniple, which is a relic of 
 the linen formerly used in dusting and cleaning the sacred vessels. 
 It now has the same meaning and use as the-maniple of the priest. 
 The deacon wears the stole on one shoulder only, to signify that 
 he shares in the priestly authority without possessing it fully. 
 The vesture of a bishop is somewhat different. He w^ears: 
 I. Sandals of the same color as the vestments. These signify 
 the preaching office of Jesus Christ, for w^hich the bishop is sent 
 
 At the Offertory. 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 
 
 153 
 
 as an apostle, and which he should not discontinue, according to 
 the teaching of St. Paul : " Have your feet shod with the prep- 
 aration of the gospel of peace " (Eph. vi. 15). Again, the same 
 saint says: " How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the 
 gospel of peace, of them that bring glad tidings of good things " 
 (Rom. X. 15). 
 
 2. The pectoral cross worn by the bishop on his breast signifies 
 the love of Jesus Christ and His yearning for the death on the 
 cross. " With desire 1 have desired to eat this Pasch with you 
 before I suffer," said the loving Redeemer to His disciples on the 
 evening before His death (Luke xxii. 15). Now the love that the 
 bishop should entertain for the cross of Christ, and for Christ 
 Himself, is symbolized by the cross on his breast. 
 
 3. The bishop also wears under the chasuble the tunic and 
 dalmatics, to show that he unites in himself the power and author- 
 ity of all the ministers of the altar, as well as that of the priest. 
 
 4. The mitre which the bishop wears on his head betokens the 
 lofty dignity and glory that he has received from God as the 
 representative of Christ. 
 
 5. The crosier, or staff, represents the supreme power of Jesus 
 Christ in heaven and on earth (Matt, xxviii. 18), and also the 
 pastoral authority which the bishop possesses and exercises in 
 the name of Christ. 
 
 6. The gloves symbolize the blessed and miraculous hands 
 of Jesus Christ, which He imposed so mercifully on the sick and 
 suffering (Mark vi.), and also the blessings that should flow from 
 the bishop's hands to members of his flock. 
 
 7. The ring which the bishop wears on his finger is an emblem 
 of the love and constant fidelity which Christ bore, even unto 
 death, for His beloved spouse, the Church. " Christ also loved 
 the Church, and delivered Himself up for it, that He might 
 sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water, that He might 
 present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or 
 wrinkle, but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Eph. 
 v. 25). The ring also signifies the love and constancy whicli 
 the bishop owes to the Church, and especially to the members 
 of his own portion of the Church. 
 
 Church Colors. 
 The priestly vestments vary in color on different days and 
 seasons. They are five. The white color denotes the spiritual 
 joy of the festival of Christ and His saints, and also the innocence 
 
^54 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 v\^l 
 
 that marked the lives of the saints on earth. Red signifies the 
 love of God for man, and hence it is used on Pentecost. It be- 
 tokens also the love for God as evinced by the apostles and other 
 martyrs in the shedding of their blood for His name. The green 
 color IS emblematic of our hope in a share of eternal happiness, 
 and of the happy resurrection of our bodies on the last day, when 
 they shall come forth from their graves, like the green plants 
 of spring-time after a long and dreary winter. The violet is 
 the color of humility, penance, and sorrow, especially in Lent 
 and Advent. Finally, black is the color of deep grief on the 
 death-day of Our Saviour. It also denotes our sorrow and 
 
 compassion at com- 
 memoration for the 
 faithful departed. 
 
 Altar Articles. 
 
 The altar takes 
 the place of the 
 table round which 
 our blessed Lord 
 and His disciples 
 gathered to cele- 
 brate their last sup- 
 per. It also repre- 
 sents the altar of 
 the cross on which 
 Christ offered Him- 
 self up to His heav- 
 enly Father, The 
 various articles 
 used at the altar are 
 such as are neces- 
 sary to the sacred 
 functions, yet spirit- 
 ual meanings may 
 beattached to them. 
 The chalice used to 
 hold the precious 
 blood of Christ may 
 remind us of His 
 sepulchre. Its being of gold, or at least gold-lined, ought to 
 suggest to our minds the necessity of adorning our hearts with 
 
 After the Offertory. 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 155 
 
 the gold of charity, in order to receive Christ in holy Com- 
 munion worthily into our souls. The palla covering the mouth 
 of the chalice is suggestive of the stone rolled against the open- 
 ing to the sepulchre. The altar linens remind us of the clean 
 cloths in which the sacred remains were enshrouded. The burning 
 tapers call to our minds Christ, the Light of the world, Who is 
 present in the holy sacrifice of the Mass, and also teach us that 
 we should be present at Mass with pure intention, living faith, 
 and burning devotion. 
 
 The Celebration of Mass. 
 
 In olden times the sacrifice of the Mass was celebrated by 
 bishop and priests together ; the bishop being the actual cele- 
 brant, while the others were, as it were, concelebrants, and read 
 the prayers at the same time with him. Of this mode of officiat- 
 ing in concert we have an example in the method followed at the 
 Mass of ordination. In early days it was far more difficult to 
 solemnize the sacred mysteries than it is now. The persecutors 
 were on the watch. It was only in large cities that there were 
 congregations. With the growth of Christianity it became nec- 
 essary for every priest to celebrate alone. 
 
 The bishop did not ascend the altar till the offertory ; all 
 the preceding prayers and exercises being gone through at the 
 chair or kneeling-bench. After Communion the bishop returned 
 to his chair and read the prayers of thanksgiving. From an early 
 date the priests began the Mass on the left side of the altar and 
 finished at the same place. This, in a spiritual sense, was a re- 
 minder of the transition of the light of divine truth from the 
 Jews to the Gentiles ; and that finally it would in the end reach 
 the Jews. 
 
 The following is the present order of the Mass : 
 
 The priest, clad in the necessary vestments, proceeds to the 
 altar, accompanied by an acolyte, who represents the congrega- 
 tion, and in their name he prays and responds. As a sign of 
 humility, the priest stands at the foot of the altar, and signs iiini- 
 self with the sign of the cross, for he is about to renew tlie sacri- 
 fice of the cross. 
 
 1. The priest recites the 42d psalm, in which lie gives expres- 
 sion to his longing for God, and prays for enliglitenment. 
 
 2. The Confiteor, which is an open acknowledgment of iin- 
 worthiness, is then recited by the priest, and afterwards by the 
 clerk in the name of the laity; for all should be sinless wlien 
 
'56 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 preparing to partake of the sacred banquet of love. After the 
 public confession follows the absolution from venial sins only, for 
 
 grievous sins must 
 be confessed in the 
 tribunal of penance. 
 
 3. The priest, 
 while saying a 
 prayer for the re- 
 mission of his sins, 
 ascends the steps of 
 the platform and 
 kisses the altar. 
 This is really an 
 act of adoration to 
 Christ; but, as there 
 are relics of saints 
 within the altar, the 
 priest beseeches 
 God to forgive him 
 on account of the 
 merits of the saints. 
 
 4. The I n t roi t 
 consists of a verse 
 from the Psalms, 
 having some refer- 
 ence to the festival 
 or season, and ex- 
 pressive of the sen- 
 timents that ought 
 to animate us. 
 Thus, in the Advent 
 
 Mass the Introit reads : *' Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, 
 and let the clouds rain the Just One : let the earth be opened, 
 and bud forth a Saviour" (Is. xlv.). At the Introit the sign of 
 the cross is made on himself by the priest, for we share the fruits 
 of the festival. At Masses for the dead the sign of the cross is 
 made over the book, for the fruits of the sacrifice are to be ap- 
 plied to the departed souls. 
 
 5. ^'Kyrie Eleison " — " Lord, have mercy ;" "Christe Eleison" — 
 " Christ have mercy," is a cry for the mercy and forbearance of God. 
 No one Person of the Blessed Trinity, without the others, sends us 
 grace ; for the divine mercy is common to the three Persons. 
 
 At the Orate Fratres. 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 
 
 157 
 
 The Holy Ghost is also called Lord, for He is "the Lord and 
 Sanctifier." 
 
 6. The " Gloria in excelsis " — " Glory be to God " — is the chant 
 of the angels at the birth of Christ, united with the praises of the 
 Church. It is suggestive of Christ's birth as renewed in the Con- 
 secration at the Mass. It is not heard in penitential or requiem 
 Masses. 
 
 7. The priest frequently salutes the congregation with the 
 words, " Dominus vobiscum" — " The Lord be with you." This is 
 an ancient form of greeting expressive of everything good, for he 
 is wanting in nothing who has the Lord with him. At prayer 
 especially do we 
 need divine assist- 
 ance that our peti- 
 tions may be offered 
 for the best things 
 and may find a 
 ready hearing; also 
 before instruction, 
 that we may under- 
 stand it and lay it 
 well to heart. 
 Hence this saluta- 
 tion is pronounced 
 before the prayers 
 and the Gospel. 
 The congregation 
 answers through its 
 minister, the server, 
 " Et cum spiritu 
 tuo" — " And with 
 thy spirit ;" as if 
 saying : " With thy 
 spirit, O priest, may 
 the Lord be, for 
 thou prayest for us 
 and teachest us ; 
 therefore does thy 
 spirit need the Lord 
 to be near it." A 
 
 bishop salutes with the words, "Pax vobis"—" Peace be to you." 
 This he does as an apostle iind representative of Christ, Who, 
 
 At thk Pkkfack 
 
iS8 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 when coming into the midst of His apostles, used the same 
 words of greeting (John xx. 19). 
 
 .\ii[ff//^ 8. With the word 
 
 ^ c.\^^/^r .A , ^i Oremus " — " Let 
 
 us pray — begins 
 the Collect, or union 
 J^V ' -^ -— ^- "^ iiCiqi prayers. The 
 
 ^f^J ^^""^^^ lifi^^'lNvA/ Collect is the com- 
 
 mon pra}'er for 
 priests and laity, 
 asking for all that 
 is necessary for their 
 spiritual and tem- 
 poral welfare. Then 
 all prayers termi- 
 nate with the " Per 
 Dominum nostrum 
 Jesum Christum" — 
 "Through Our 
 Lord Jesus Christ," 
 for whatever we 
 seek in Jesus' name, 
 that will be given 
 to us. 
 
 9. The Epistle 
 and Gospel come 
 next. The first is a 
 selection from the 
 Old Testament or 
 the writings of the 
 apostles ; the latter 
 is a passage from the history of the life of Our Lord. As these 
 are to be explained, the sermon usually comes in here, as it 
 did, too, in earliest times. At the close of the Epistle the re- 
 sponse is, "Deo gratias" — "Thanks be to God;" and at the close 
 of the Gospel, " Laus tibi, Christe" — " To thee, O Christ, be praise;" 
 for God sent the prophets and enlightened the apostles, whilst 
 the Saviour Himself brought to us the glad tidings of God's 
 kingdom. 
 
 10. The "Credo" — "I believe" — is the Xicene profession of 
 faith, which is recited on Sundays and festivals, and omitted in 
 requiem, votive, and other Masses. Here, formerly, was the line 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 
 
 159 
 
 drawn between the parts of the Mass, when the catechumens and 
 some others were expected to retire. 
 
 11. The offering or offertory now succeeds, and consists of 
 the presenting of the wine and bread, called the " Oblata." The 
 priest, looking up to heaven, like Our Saviour, blesses the gifts of 
 offering. A little water is mingled with the wine to signify that 
 the divinity and humanity are united in Christ, Who as God and 
 man made Himself an offering for our sake. The water alone is 
 blessed, and not the wine. 
 
 12. The offertory made, the priest washes his fingers, reciting 
 the words, " Lavabo " — " I will wash my hands among the inno- 
 cent " (Ps. XXV.). 
 
 For the handling of 
 the blessed offer- 
 ings soon to follow 
 the utmost cleanli- 
 ness of body and 
 purity of soul are 
 becoming and re- 
 quired; for the state 
 of the offerer should 
 be in accordance 
 with the stainless- 
 ness of the gifts to 
 be offered. 
 
 13. With the in- 
 vitation, " Orate 
 fratres," the priest 
 urges the congrega- 
 tion to prayer in 
 common with him 
 and with each other, 
 that God may gra- 
 ciously accept their 
 joint offerings. The 
 priest himself then 
 reads : 
 
 14. The " Se- 
 creta" or low- 
 voice d prayers, 
 
 asking for an acceptance of the gifts of offering. 
 
 i^. The " Secreta " are merged by a " per omnia siucula " into 
 
 BliFORE IHIC CoNSliCKAIlON, 
 
i6o 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 the Preface, a hymn of praise, the burden of which varies with 
 the various seasons and festivals. The priest says : " Sursum 
 
 corda " — "Raise 
 your hearts," and 
 the people respond: 
 "Habemus ad 
 Dominum " — " We 
 have raised them to 
 the Lord." Again, 
 the priest proposes : 
 "Gratias agamus 
 Domino Deo nos- 
 tro" — "Let us give 
 thanks to the Lord 
 our God," and the 
 people respond : 
 " Dignum et justum 
 est " — " It is right 
 and proper." Then 
 the priest continues 
 the words of praise, 
 thanking God for 
 the benefit of the 
 occasion, which al- 
 w a y s has some 
 reference to the 
 feast or the season. 
 i6. The Preface 
 concludes with the 
 triple " Sanctus " 
 o r thrice " Holy." 
 The Church here joins her voice to that of the celestial chorus, 
 praising the adorable Trinity, and saluting the Redeemer Who is 
 soon to come down on the altar : " Holy, holy, holy. Lord God of 
 hosts : blessed is He Who cometh in the name of the Lord ; " 
 the same salutation received by Him on His solemn entry into 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 17. The canon of the Mass is the unchanged and unchange- 
 able, strictly prescribed portion of the Mass, read in low voice, 
 partly preceding the Consecration and partly following it. 
 Before the Consecration, the priest prays for the preservation of 
 peace and unity among Christian peoples, for the success of the 
 
 ^-ioyA^t- 
 
 At the Consecration, 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 
 
 i6i 
 
 Church, for the Pope, bishop, and all present, for the object for 
 which the Mass is offered. He also begs God's saints to add 
 their powerful intercession. 
 
 iS.'The priest holds his hands over the gifts of offering. 
 This is to denote that the bread and wine are now detached and 
 set apart from all other earthly gifts, and from earthly objects 
 have been transformed into heavenly presents. 
 
 19. The Consecration is the true recital of the history of the 
 institution of the Blessed Sacrament or Lord's Supper ; the 
 priest meanwhile blessing the bread and wine, with head and 
 heart bowed down before God. Here is effected precisely the 
 same thing or ac- 
 tion, that was done 
 by Christ at the 
 Last Supper, and in 
 precisely the same 
 way. Hence it is 
 really and truly the 
 continuation of the 
 same mystery, the 
 same action, with 
 the same result 
 and effect, consum- 
 mated by the repre- 
 sentative of Christ, 
 by the authority of 
 Christ, and com- 
 missioned and or- 
 dered by Christ. 
 
 As soon as the 
 words of Christ 
 have been pro- 
 nounced over the 
 gifts of offering, and 
 t ran substantiation 
 has been effected, 
 what was the bread 
 and wine, but what 
 is now the body 
 and blood of the 
 Lord, is raised up 
 adoration. This is the Elevation. The bell Lolls, and the people 
 
 At Tine Agnus Df.i. 
 
 and presented to the pec^j 
 
 lie for tlieii 
 
162 
 
 tHE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 5^ .,^''- I . .^1 for the faithful d 
 
 j!^ I \ ipi\ P^^^^*^' repeats tl 
 
 ■^"^-^^^i \ - '"I invocation of tl 
 
 A .^B .\X 'w -<<fc « 
 
 bow down, that true adoration may be given to God truly and 
 
 really present on the altar. 
 
 20. After the Elevation, the priest continues the recital of other 
 
 prayers and por- 
 tions of the Canon, 
 beseeching God to 
 send down His 
 blessings on all 
 those who are par- 
 ticipating in the 
 present sacrifice. 
 He prays specially 
 for the faithful de- 
 the 
 he 
 saints, strikes his 
 breast while ac- 
 knowledging him- 
 self a sinner, and 
 says the "Pater 
 N o s t e r " — '' Our 
 Father." 
 
 21. The conse- 
 crated Ho St is 
 broken, and a part 
 j>^ of it is mingled with 
 the wine. This is 
 done in commem- 
 oration of the exam- 
 ple of Christ and 
 At the Communion. ^^s apostles, who 
 
 broke bread and 
 
 thereby commemorated the painful death of the Saviour. 
 
 22. Three times the priest repeats the invocation, ** Lamb of 
 God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us," 
 the third time, instead of '' Have mercy on us," saying, "Give us 
 peace." He hereby professes that, under the appearance of bread. 
 He is truly present to Whom St. John the Baptist applied these 
 words, when uttering them near the river Jordan. 
 
 23. After the recital of three prayers for peace with God and 
 our neighbor, and for true Christian charity, the priest receives 
 the body and blood of the Lord. This act of receiving is called 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 
 
 ■63 
 
 the Communion, and means the sacramental union between the 
 Creator and His creature. Just before, the priest had struck his 
 breast three times, and, in the language of the centurion of 
 Capharnaum, had said each time: "Lord, I am not worthy that 
 Thou sliouldst enter under my roof; say but the word, and my 
 soul shall be healed." Away back in very early times, this 
 form of words was used as a preparation for the reception of holy 
 Communion. 
 
 24. After the Communion under both kinds, and of one kind 
 to the laity, the priest rinses his fingers and the chalice, and re- 
 peats a passage from one of the psalms. In olden times, while 
 Communion was v^AjKH/A 
 being administered 
 to the laity, the 
 choir used to sing 
 certain psalms. The 
 passage now read 
 by the priest, and 
 called the " Com- 
 munio," is a rem- 
 nant of the psalms. 
 
 25. The Post- 
 Communion is a 
 prayer of thanks- 
 giving to God for 
 having deigned to 
 admit priest and 
 people to the cele- 
 bration of the iioly 
 mysteries of the 
 Mass just ended. 
 
 26. The "I te, 
 missa est " — " De- 
 part, Mass is over " 
 — proclaims the end 
 of the service. In 
 penitential times 
 and at Masses for 
 the dead it is 
 omitted, because 
 
 then, in olden times, the laity used to remain in the church in 
 prayer, meditation, and otiier religious exercises. 
 
 Aftkr tmk Communion. 
 
164 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 27. The priest gives his blessing to the congregation. This is 
 the summing up of all the blessings and benefits already received 
 
 during the celebra- 
 tion of the holy sac- 
 rifice of the Mass 
 just concluded. 
 
 28. Lastly is 
 read the beginning 
 of the Gospel of St. 
 ''^d'^^l John: "In the be- 
 ginning was the 
 Word," etc. Herein 
 is promised to all 
 Christians who be- 
 lieve the sonship of 
 God and life ever- 
 lasting. It is also a 
 kindly admonition 
 for us to preserve 
 the graces just re- 
 ceived. 
 
 Finally, it is to 
 be remarked that, 
 even in later times, 
 the solemn Mass, 
 with deacon and 
 sub-deacon, was the 
 proper and recog- 
 nized method of 
 conducting the sac- 
 rifice. Low Masses 
 could be read only for the sick or for anchorets. It was rare to 
 have a whole congregation at a low or private Mass. How^ever, 
 we find instances of the celebration of low Masses among the 
 most ancient Fathers of the Church. 
 
 Thus, for example, we read in St. Cyprian that low Masses 
 were read for the Christian prisoners by priests who succeeded in 
 gaining an entrance to their places of confinement. They were 
 often celebrated in the dead of night in presence of only two or 
 three persons. The Christian members of Constantine's staff had 
 a special tent in the camp, where they had low Mass celebrated for 
 themselves. The father of St. Gregory Nazianzen, St. Ambrose, 
 
 At the Last Blessing. 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 165 
 
 and the bishop Cassius had domestic altars, and Gorgonia, the 
 sister of St. Gregory, had one at which certain priests read low- 
 Masses. So that even in this unimportant respect there has 
 been no change in the practice of the Church of God. 
 
 HOW TO HEAR MASS WITH PROFIT. 
 
 On your way to the church, effect a recollection of spirit, 
 remembering where you are going and what is before you. 
 
 Choose a quiet place where you will not be disturbed and will 
 meet the fewest distractions. Let it be one whence you can see 
 the officiating priest and observe the different stages of the holy 
 sacrifice. 
 
 Then awaken your faith, especially with reference to the truth 
 of the great sacrifice, and renew confidence and hope for the 
 obtaining of a rich participation in the blessings to come. Dur- 
 ing Mass you may make use of a good prayer-book containing 
 special prayers and acts of devotion suitable to the different parts 
 of the service. But here you must be careful to unite your 
 thoughts and sentiments to the words that you read and utter, so 
 that your prayers may be a genuine effusion of your heart. As 
 there are so many methods of hearing Mass, you might now and 
 then change one for another, adhering longest to the one that 
 serves the best to warm and nourish your devotion. If they are 
 too long, do not hurry to get over them all. Dwell leisurely on 
 whatever portion most excites your piety and fervor. Pay par- 
 ticular attention to the three principal divisions of the Mass. 
 Mark the time occupied by each part. At the Offertory, together 
 with the offerings presented by the priest, offer up yourself and 
 all that you have to the Lord, and be ready and willing to do 
 His will in all things, and to submit to the same in all things. 
 During the consecration and elevation, adore in deepest humility 
 your divine Redeemer, strike your breast in heart-felt sorrow, and 
 beg for grace and help, for the fulness of heavenly blessings, 
 and especially for the gift of perseverance. At the Communion, 
 reawaken sentiments of sincere contrition, and a fervent desire 
 to receive the body of your Lord. Thus communicate spiritu- 
 ally, holding confiding converse with your loving Saviour, as if 
 you had received Him sacramentally, and continue to pour your 
 soul out to Him in ardent prayer. 
 
 Observe when the priest before the Consecration makes the 
 memento for the living, and after the Consecration the nicnicnto 
 for the dead, and unite your intentions and prayers with liis. 
 
l66 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 In the first instance, pray, not for yourself alone, but also, while 
 presenting your own necessities, pray for your parents, superiors, 
 benefactors, and friends, and even for your enemies. Pray for 
 the universal Church, for its authorities and members : for the 
 just, that they may persevere in the grace of God; for sinners, 
 that they may be converted. Commend also to the mercy of God 
 the souls of the faithful departed in purgatory ; especially those 
 to whom you are under obligations, and who are most deserving 
 or most in need of your prayers. 
 
 At the end of Mass, thank the Lord for the graces received, 
 beg His blessing, and resolve to dedicate to His service the re- 
 mainder of the day. 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 The Vision of the Messias. 
 
 St. Thomas of Villanova, the holy Archbishop of Valencia, 
 was once summoned on a sudden and urgent call to a sick man, 
 who declared that he could not die until he had related to the 
 saint a circumstance of his youth. 
 
 He said : *' I was born of Jewish parents, was carefully 
 brought up in their way. It happened that I went one day with 
 another boy of my race to a village some distance off. On our 
 way we conversed very earnestly about the coming of Christ or 
 the Messias, Whom the Jews were expecting, and Whom we had 
 often heard spoken of by our parents and rabbis. The more we 
 talked on the subject, the more ardent became our wish that He 
 would come in our lifetime, that we might see Him with our own 
 eyes. While we were thus giving expression to our childish 
 wishes, we observed just above the horizon a most unusual daz- 
 zling brightness, and as I had often been told by my father that 
 if I ever saw the heavens opened I should at once ask God for 
 some special favor, we both fell on our knees and begged God to 
 show us the long-desired Messias ; when, lo ! in the midst of the 
 illuminated space there appeared a golden chalice with a Host 
 just above it, as we see it represented in Catholic pictures. 
 Although breathless with astonishment at this apparition, we 
 felt at the same time a profound sensation of calmness and con- 
 solation within our otherwise agitated breasts, together with a 
 powerful conviction concerning'the true Messias Whom we had 
 desired so ardently to know. With childlike timidity we con- 
 cealed from our parents what we had experienced, yet in the 
 
THE BLESSED EUCMARlST. 1^7 
 
 course of some time I had the happiness of becoming a Christian. 
 I never heard what became of my companion." 
 
 The dying man closed his narration with a request that it be 
 made known after his death. But St. Thomas rejoined, prudently, 
 that such signs and wonders are of not as much use to the faith- 
 ful as they are to unbelievers, for whom they are really intended. 
 Indeed, we have no need of seeing a visionary chalice and host 
 in an evening cloud, when we have them both in truth and reality 
 in the church of God. In the chalice and in the host we dis- 
 cern with the eye of faith the blood and body of the Lord, there- 
 fore the Lord and Saviour Himself. But this real spiritual vision 
 must necessarily be more than superficial and floating in an airy 
 cloud ; it must be based on the solid teachings of Catholic 
 dogma, in order that we may be fortified against all ensnaring 
 objections and harassing doubts. So that when the question is 
 put to us : " Catholic Christian, what do you see in the Sacra- 
 ment of the Altar? " we are able to answer : " With my bodily eye 
 I see bread, for I see the appearances of bread ; but with the eye 
 of faith I see not bread, nor the substance of bread, but the body 
 of Christ. For just up to the very moment when this sacrament 
 was being consecrated or changed, Christ's body emerged into 
 existence, by the power of God's word, from the substance of 
 bread. Now that it is consecrated and completed, it subsists of 
 the species or forms and appearances of bread and of the real body 
 of Christ. For the substance of the bread is changed into the 
 substance of this body, the highest has taken the place of the low- 
 est, the heavenly bread has entered into the place of the earthly 
 bread, and remains there as long as the species or forms and ap- 
 pearances remain. So thus in this sacrament we see the presence 
 of Jesus in His divine-human nature ; for, although His divinity is 
 present everywhere. His humanity is present nowhere except in 
 the Sacrament of the Altar : * For the Lord our God is a hidden 
 God.' " 
 
 Angels Accompany the Blessed Sacrament. 
 
 The holy abbot Nilus relates the following wonderful vision 
 seen by his holy master, St. Jolin Chrysostom, the most illus- 
 trious priest of the Church in Constantinople, indeed the 
 bright ornament of the Church Universal. This clear-visioiicd 
 saint saw nearly always, but more especially at the time of ilu* 
 celebration of the divine mysteries, the house of God crowded 
 with angels. One day, when overpowered with wonder and 
 
i68 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 happiness, he revealed this vision in strict confidence to one of 
 his most trusted friends. 
 
 " When the priest began the celebration of the holy sacrifice," 
 he relates, "a throng of spirits from the choirs of heaven swept 
 into the church, arrayed in garments as dazzling as the sun. 
 With their eyes steadily fixed on the altar, these holy spirits 
 remained motionless in a posture of most reverent adoration, till 
 the adorable mysteries were consummated. Then they distrib- 
 uted themselves through different parts of the sacred edifice, 
 accompanying the bishops, priests, and deacons who were admin- 
 istering the Blessed Sacrament to the people, and even helping 
 the latter to receive properly. I relate this in order that the 
 sublime dignity of the divine sacrifice may be the better appre- 
 ciated, that the greatest care may be taken to guard against 
 irreverence or carelessness on the part of those who approach 
 the holy mysteries without sufficient recollection of thought. 
 For the Lord said to Moses, and through him to all priests, 
 " Instruct the sons of Israel in piety and the fear of the Lord, 
 and neglect them not." 
 
 Ube Blesset) Sacrament as Communion^ 
 
 IfiSTt^UCTIO^. 
 
 On Holy Communion in GcnefaL 
 
 ESUS CHRIST is present in the Holy Eucharist 
 not only to be adored: He is there also as a 
 heavenly food for' our souls, which we are to 
 receive in holy Communion. 
 
 Holy Communion is a union or commingling 
 with Jesus Christ, Whom we receive in the Holy 
 Eucharist. It is in fact a real partaking of the 
 body and blood of Jesus Christ for the nourish- 
 ment of our souls. 
 
 That in holy Communion we receive the true body and the 
 true blood of Jesus Christ is confirmed by the Saviour's own 
 words : " My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 
 He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood abideth in Me, 
 and I in him " (John vi. 56, 57). 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 169 
 
 As it is Jesus with flesh and blood, with divinity and humanity, 
 with body and soul, and therefore the real and living body, that 
 Vv^e receive, it follows that under the form of bread we receive not 
 the body alone, but also the blood of Jesus Christ. For in the 
 living body of Christ is also contained His blood ; a living body 
 without blood could not exist. 
 
 Hence, even in the earliest centuries of the Church, Communion 
 was administered under one kind. In times of persecution the 
 Christians took the consecrated bread home with them, carried 
 it with them in their flight from persecution, and even in their 
 ordinary travels, so that if any emergency came they could 
 receive the Communion at once. Hermits, too, who dwelt far 
 away in the deserts, and where there were no priests, received 
 Communion, which, as St. Basil assures us, they preserved in their 
 cells under the one kind of bread. The Church not only ap- 
 proved this manner of receiving under one kind, but also forbade 
 by law any person to receive this sacrament under both kinds 
 without the permission of the Church, except of course the priests 
 who consecrate the body of the Lord at Mass. 
 
 The Church has several reasons for administering Communion 
 to the laity under one kind only, and that the form of bread: 
 
 1. She wanted to guard against the danger of spilling the 
 precious blood on the ground, of which there would be almost 
 certain danger when it was to be presented to a great number of 
 people. 
 
 2. The Blessed Sacrament had to be kept ready for adminis- 
 tration to the sick, and if the species of the wine were kept too 
 long, they would undergo chemical changes destroying their 
 value. 
 
 3. There are some persons who cannot bear the taste or smell 
 of wine. 
 
 4. In many countries wine is scarce, and procurable only at 
 great expense. 
 
 Our blessed Lord wishes to impart Himself in holy Commun- 
 ion as food to all the faithful, and above all to give us a proof of 
 His tender and inexhaustible love; furthermore, to unite Himself 
 to us as intimately as possible, and also to unite us all together 
 in the bonds of charity and unity. 
 
 l^eception of Holy Communion. 
 
 Our divine Saviour commands us, under severe penalty, to 
 receive holy Communion ; for He says : '* Except you eat the flesh 
 
170 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you shall not have life in 
 you " (John vi. 54). 
 
 Hence the reception of Communion is a strict duty, incum- 
 bent on every Catholic who has reached the use of reason. 
 
 Especially should we receive it at Easter-time and on our 
 death-bed, but also at frequent intervals during our lifetime. 
 
 That we ought to receive Communion at Easter or thereabouts, 
 we learn from the commandments of the Church. That we 
 should receive it on our death-bed is plain from the awful 
 solemnity of the moment. That we ought to receive it at 
 intervals during life our own interests plainly teach. For the 
 Eucharist is the bread of life for our immortal souls. Now if 
 the body cannot live long if deprived of food, how can our soul 
 keep itself in the state of grace, or persevere in holiness, if de- 
 prived of spiritual food ? 
 
 Nor is it enough to merely receive Communion often ; we 
 must also receive it worthily. 
 
 Therefore we must prepare ourselves for it right carefully ; 
 for in holy Communion we receive the living God. If even in the 
 Old Law it was necessary to make such elaborate preparations 
 before approaching the mysteries, which were but mere figures 
 and shadows, what preparation must be necessary to receive a 
 God ! 
 
 We must be prepared both in soul and body. 
 
 We prepare our soul, and render it worthy of Communion, by 
 cleansing it of all the dross of sin, and adorning it with virtues. 
 
 How could we receive into a heart stained with sin the all- 
 pure and all-holy One, Whose eye cannot rest on iniquity ? When 
 a very important person comes to visit us, we are not satisfied 
 with cleaning out the room that we offer to him, but we are solici- 
 tous to furnish and adorn it as well as we can. So at the advent of 
 Jesus we should endeavor to fit our hearts for a becoming recep- 
 tion of Him. 
 
 If, then, we would receive Our Lord worthily, we must: i, purify 
 ourselves of all mortal sins by a good confession; 2, we must re- 
 move from our hearts every venial sin, as well as every inordinate 
 inclination, and all hankering after the world ; 3, we must adorn 
 our hearts with good works, by means of devout prayer, fasting, 
 and almsgiving, adding every virtue, but chiefly a living faith, a 
 deep humility, profound reverence, and fervent charity. 
 
 Our bodies should be prepared for holy Communion: i, by fast- 
 ing; 2, by cleanliness and outward reverence. 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 
 
 171 
 
 It is a requirement, having its origin in apostolic times, for the 
 faithful who intend to approach the table of the Lord to be fast- 
 ing from midnight, that is, not to have eaten or drunk anything 
 from tw^elve o'clock of the preceding night. To this observance 
 Vi^e are bound under pain of grievous sin. From this law, how- 
 ever, are exempted the sick, priests who are unexpectedly called 
 to finish a Mass, in which on account of the sudden illness of 
 the celebrant the sacrifice would be left unconsummated. One 
 does not break this fast if he find in his teeth particles of food 
 remaining 
 from a pre- 
 vious meal, 
 nor by a little 
 water he 
 might acci- 
 dentally swal- 
 1 o w when 
 washing h i s 
 teeth and 
 mouth. 
 
 By out- 
 ward bodily 
 respect is 
 meant a due 
 attention to 
 the decency 
 and cl e an 1 i- 
 ness of cloth- 
 ing and per- 
 son. Poor clo- 
 thing should 
 not deter the 
 poor from ap- 
 proaching the 
 altar. 
 
 We should 
 advance to 
 Com m u nion 
 with great 
 reverence, Communion ok St. Hknki.ict. 
 
 with hands joined, eyes modestly cast down, and iIumi kneeling 
 we should hold the Communion cloth properly, raise our liead. 
 
172 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 place our tongue on our under lip, and then receive quietly and 
 with perfect recollection. 
 
 After receiving, we should retire with great internal and ex- 
 ternal reverence to a quiet part of the church, and there spend 
 some time in prayer and thanksgiving. 
 
 No time is so precious and abounding in graces as that imme- 
 diately following holy Communion, hence we should use it to the 
 best advantage. At that time Jesus is dwelling in our hearts as 
 on a throne of mercy, ready to shower graces upon us. He seems 
 to call to us and say : What will you that I do for you ? Thercr 
 fore no one should neglect and lose an opportunity for so much 
 good to himself and others. 
 
 The Communion-day itself we should pass in a devout Christian 
 manner. Especially should we make visits to Jesus in the taber- 
 nacle, for it would be an act of discourtesy not to return the visit 
 of so good a friend. Furthermore, we should, as far as our other 
 duties permit, occupy ourselves with prayer and meditation, 
 avoiding all distracting pleasures and amusements, all useless 
 and especially sinful occupations, and live only for Jesus and 
 our soul. 
 
 Advantages of a Wofthy Communion. 
 
 Unspeakable are the effects of holy Communion. It would be 
 easier to count the stars in the firmament than to enumerate 
 all the graces and benefits which a worthy. Communion brings to 
 the soul and even to the body of the receiver. 
 
 By a worthy Communion our soul is cleansed from venial 
 sins and preserved from mortal sins. It is united with Christ, 
 and ennobled to such a degree that it becomes in a certain sense 
 divine and heavenly. 
 
 Jesus Christ by His presence transformed the stable in which 
 He was born into a paradise of praising angels. Entering into the 
 house of the sinful Zacheus, He washed away all his sins. He 
 descended into limbo, and by His merits brought glory, joy, and 
 salvation to that dark prison. So does He bring all blessings into 
 our souls. 
 
 A worthy Communion fortifies our soul against the enemies of 
 our salvation and gives it courage and strength in suffering 
 and danger. Indeed it confers on a just soul a wonderful strength 
 to tread firmly in the thorny path of virtue and suffering. 
 
 The world is a battle-field, and our life is an unceasing warfare. 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 173 
 
 Our adversaries in this contest are the evil spirits and corrupt 
 inclinations that assail us daily and even hourly. Weary and tedi- 
 ous indeed is this warfare. That we may not be overthrown we 
 need a food that will strengthen us, and this is the Blessed Sacra- 
 ment so appropriately called the soul-strengthening food by the 
 Church and the Fathers. 
 
 A worthy Communion fits our souls for a future resurrection 
 and everlasting life, for it is a pledge of our future resurrection 
 and happiness. 
 
 This Our Lord Himself tells us when He says: " He who eateth 
 My flesh and drinketh My blood hath everlasting life, and I will 
 raise him up on the last day " (John vi.). 
 
 Even the human body is often strengthened and protected to a 
 wonderful degree by the reception of the Blessed Sacrament. 
 
 If every kind of bodily ailment departed from those persons 
 who had the happiness of touching the hem of the Saviour's 
 garment, should not our infirmities be at least relieved who 
 not only touch His clothes and flesh, but receive Him into our 
 hearts and souls ? How many among the sick have experienced 
 a return of strength and of full health soon after receiving the 
 holy Viaticum ! 
 
 The most pre-eminent and wonderful effect produced on the 
 human body by a worthy reception of holy Communion is the 
 fitting of that body and the glorifying of it towards eternal life. 
 
 Jjnixxotttlciy Communion. 
 
 When approaching the holy table of the Lord we must espe- 
 cially guard against the misfortune of an unworthy Communion ; 
 for an unworthy Communion is — 
 
 1. An act of the blackest ingratitude towards our divine 
 Redeemer ; 
 
 2. An awful sacrilege, which, 
 
 3. Makes us unhappy for time and eternity. 
 
 An unworthy Communion is ^/le blackest higratitudc tcmuirds our 
 divine Saviour. 
 
 The love of God could give us nothing greater, the wiscKun ot 
 God could give us nothing better, and the power of (lod could 
 give us nothing holier than Himself. Now he who coniniimi- 
 cates unworthily perpetrates the worst indignity against liis divine 
 Redeemer in the very moment when he receivt-s from I Inn the 
 strongest proof of His love. What ingratitude! Such a miserable 
 
174 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 Christian is guilty of a baser crime against his blessed Master 
 than were the Jews who nailed Him to a cross. These crucified 
 Him, not knowing what they did; but the unworthy communicant 
 knows Jesus, receives Him, retains Him, and meanwhile dishonors 
 Him. 
 
 An unworthy Communion is an awful sacrilege. 
 
 The unworthy communicant commits the sin of Judas ; for he 
 sins against the body and blood of Christ the Lord. As the Apos- 
 tle says, he makes himself " guilty of the body and of the blood of 
 the Lord," and " eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not 
 discerning the body of the Lord " (I. Corinthians xi. 27, 29). He 
 touches with polluted lips and tongue Him Who is purity itself, 
 thus bringing the thrice-holy God in contact with senses and 
 faculties that are addicted to the most iniquitous practices. 
 
 But God does ?iot permit this awful sin to go unpunished. 
 
 God avenged the desecration by Balthasar of the sacred 
 vessels of Jerusalem, in which was contained only the blood of 
 goats and ram.s. Will He not, then, punish those v/ho receive 
 into unclean hearts the body and blood of Christ ? 
 
 And in fact He does so. He punishes such sinners in time 
 and in eternity, in body and soul, in heart and intellect. 
 
 God punishes sacrilegious Communion in heart and intellect 
 by stubbornness and blindness, and often even by despair. 
 
 With regard to the body. He punishes sacrilegious Communion 
 by sickness and other afflictions, and sometimes even by sudden 
 and unprovided death. On this point St. Paul wrote long ago : 
 " Therefore," that is, because you have communicated unworthily, 
 "are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep " 
 (I. Corinthians xi. 30). 
 
 With regard to the soul. He punishes unworthy Communion 
 by almost unavoidable perdition. 
 
 This dreadful penalty was proclaimed by St. Paul in these 
 words: " Whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of 
 the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the 
 blood of the Lord. He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eat- 
 eth and drinketh judgment to himself" (I. Corinthians xi. 27-30). 
 
 Thus, that which to the worthy recipient gives life and bless- 
 ings, brings upon the unworthy recipient death, malediction, 
 judgment, and perdition. In the mode of receiving this holy 
 sacrament are contained blessings and curses. Diverse are the 
 results of the sacrament, according to the mode of receiving it, 
 as held in the ancient Church hymn ; 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. I^^ 
 
 Unto the table of the Lord, 
 Upon the Bread of Life to feed, 
 Come saint and sinner both. 
 
 The one, God's praise ! to find Eternal Life. 
 Alas ! the other to himself doth bring 
 Punishment and mis'ry without end. 
 
 Those who approach the table of the Lord unworthily are : i, 
 those who do not distinguish the body of the Lord from any other 
 ordinary food, that is, those who communicate without faith and 
 reverence ; 2, those who do not prove themselves, that is, who 
 have not properly examined their conscience to know whether 
 they approach the table of the Lord in purity or in a state of sin, 
 hence those who receive Communion without having confessed, 
 although in a state of mortal sin; again, those who have gone 
 through the form of confession and absolution, but invalidly, be- 
 cause they have concealed their sins, or been deficient in contri- 
 tion and a firm purpose of amendment, or in doing satisfaction. 
 
 SpiPitual Communion. 
 
 According to the declaration of the Council of Trent, 13th 
 session, 3d chapter, we can communicate in three ways. 
 
 I. Sacramentally only ; 2. spiritually only; 3. sacramentally 
 and spiritually at once. 
 
 Those persons receive sacramentally only whose souls are 
 stained with mortal sin, and who consequently receive unwor- 
 thily. These indeed receive the sacrament, and with it, instead of a 
 blessing, a curse. 
 
 Those persons receive the Blessed Sacrament spiritually only 
 who are animated with a burning desire to receive sacramentally, 
 and who are filled with such a living faith that, according to tlie 
 words of the Apostle, they feed in spirit on the lieavenly bread, by 
 virtue of their longings. 
 
 Those persons receive both sacramentally and spiritually wiio, 
 in compliance with St. Paul's injunction, have proved tliemselves 
 carefully and closely, and then, arrayed in a wedding garment of 
 grace, approach the sacrament with the required conditions. 
 
 Thus spiritual Communion consists of a burning desire to re- 
 ceive Jesus in the sacrament, and of a loving union with Ilim, as 
 if He had been actually received sacramentally. 
 
 This pious practice has been most emphatically connnendtnl 
 by all spiritual teachers, and by the Council of Trent ; for it is u 
 
 ii: 
 
176 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 means most conducive to the perfecting of the soul, and brings 
 
 manifold blessings and consolations, inasmuch as it contains 
 graces and benefits almost similar to those received in sacramental 
 Communion. 
 
 Hence devout souls often communicate by this method. St. 
 Agatha of the Cross did it two hundred times a day. 
 
 Let us make a spiritual Communion at least once a day, either 
 during a visit to the Blessed Sacrament or during the hearing of 
 Mass. 
 
 I^EFLiECTIOfl. 
 Communion in Genepal. Its l^eeeption. 
 
 iOr^^^""^— PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 S X holy Communion we receive the flesh and blood 
 of Jesus. " For ^[y flesh is meat indeed, and 
 My blood is drink indeed '" (John vi. 56). There- 
 fore we should go to Communion often. '' Ex- 
 cept you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and 
 drink His blood, you shall not have life in you " 
 (John vi. 54). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 "Holy Communion is a union with Jesus Christ. The recep- 
 tion of the divine mysteries in the Most Holy Sacrament is termed 
 Communion, because it affords us a union with God, and 
 makes us participants of His kingdom " (Isidore of Pelusium). 
 '' This sacrament unites us with Christ, makes us sharers of His 
 flesh and His divinity, and reconciles, unites, and gathers us in 
 Christ as in one body " (St. John Damascene). We must receive 
 holy Communion often, for the spirit lacks strength and courage 
 when the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar does not support it, 
 strengthen and inflame it" (St. Cyprian). "To communicate 
 every day and have a share in the sacred body and blood of Jesus 
 Christ is good and profitable, as He Himself says in plain words: 
 ' He that eateth My flesh and drinketh ISIy blood has everlasting 
 life.'" 
 
 BISHOP RATHERIUS TO PATRICUS. 
 
 Ratherius, Bishop of Verona, writing to a certain Patricus, 
 says : " It pains me that you understand so imperfectly the Sacra- 
 ment of the Lord's Supper, which you receive every day. If it 
 is only through an error of your senses that you hold it to be 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 
 
 177 
 
 merely a sym- 
 bol, it would 
 be proper for 
 us rather to 
 pity your mis- 
 take than to 
 blame it. Be- 
 lieve me, dear 
 brother, just as 
 at the wedding- 
 feast in Cana 
 of Galilee the 
 water was 
 changed into 
 real and not 
 figurative 
 wine, so in the 
 Holy Eucharist 
 the wine is 
 changed, not 
 into figurative, 
 but into the 
 real blood of 
 Christ, and the 
 bread into His 
 true flesh." 
 
 connuNiON 
 
 UNDER ONE KIND. 
 
 That, in the 
 first ages of the 
 Church, Com- 
 munion was received under one kind only, and that this Com- 
 munion was given and received validly, appears from the follow- 
 ing evidence: 
 
 St. Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, in a letter to Fabian, 
 Bishop of Antioch, writes that at the time of the Christian per- 
 secutions an old man named Serapion, wlio had previously led a 
 blameless life, fell away, and by denying the name of Cinist 
 escaped the persecution. He subsequently repented, and was ad- 
 mitted to the class of penitents. When on his death-bed he sent 
 his nephew for a priest to come and give him Communion. Hut 
 the priest, being himself sick, gave it to tiie messenger, telling him 
 
 The Institution of the Blessed Sacrament, 
 
178 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 to first moisten it in water, and then to place it on the sick man's 
 tongue. After receiving the Communion in this way, Serapion 
 breathed his last. Here was an instance of Communion received 
 under one kind. 
 
 When St. Ambrose was in his last sickness, Honoratus, Bishop 
 of Vercelli, was lodging in a room just over where the sick man 
 lay. One night he heard a voice calling him, "Arise quickly and 
 hasten to Ambrose: he is dying! " Honoratus hastened to ad- 
 minister the Holy Viaticum, immediately after receiving which the 
 lioly man died. In this instance, too, Communion was received 
 under one kind only. 
 
 The holy acolyte Tharcitus was put to death by the heathens 
 because he would not let them see the body of the Lord, which 
 he carried in a casket. 
 
 Among the effects discovered by the pagan officials in the 
 house of the holy martyrs Indosand Domna was a wooden box, 
 in which had been kept the consecrated species of which they 
 had partaken. 
 
 When the Oratory of St. Ambrose, on the grounds of the Vati- 
 can Cathedral, was excavated, several bodies of Christians were 
 found, which had suspended about their necks gold boxes, in 
 which had been kept during their lifetime the body of the Lord. 
 
 THAT HOLY COMMUNION IS NOT LIGHTLY TO BE OMITTED. 
 Admonition of Thomas h. Kempis. Words of the Beloved. 
 
 1. Thou oughtest often to have recourse to the fountain of 
 grace and of divine mercy, to the fountain of goodness and all 
 purity, and thou mayest be healed. of thy passions and vices, and 
 mayest deserve to be made stronger and more vigilant against 
 all the temptations and deceits of the devil. 
 
 The enemy, knowing the very great fruit and remedy con- 
 tained in the holy Communion, striveth by every method and 
 occasion, as far as he is able, to withdraw and hinder faithful and 
 devout persons from it. 
 
 2. For when some are disposed to prepare themselves for the 
 sacred Communion, they suffer the worst assaults and illusions 
 of Satan. 
 
 This wicked spirit himself, as it is written in Job, cometh 
 amongst the sons of God, to trouble them with his accustomed 
 malice, or to make them over-fearful and perplexed ; that so he 
 may diminish their devotion, or by his assault take away their 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 1^^ 
 
 faith, if haply they may altogether forbear Communion, or ap- 
 proach with tepidity. 
 
 But not the least regard must be had to his wiles and sugges- 
 tions, be they ever so shameful and abominable ; but all such 
 imaginations are to be turned back upon his own head. 
 
 The wretch must be contemned and scorned ; nor is holy 
 Communion to be omitted on account of any assaults and com- 
 motions which he may awaken. 
 
 3. Oftentimes also a person is hindered by too great a solici- 
 tude for having devotion, and a certain anxiety about making 
 confession. 
 
 Follow herein the counsel of the wise, and lay aside all anxiety 
 and scruple ; for it impedeth the grace of God, and destroyeth 
 the devotion of the mind. 
 
 Abandon not the holy Communion for every trifling pertur- 
 bation and heaviness ; but go quickly to confession, and willingly 
 forgive others all their offences. 
 
 And if thou hast offended any one, humbly crave pardon, and 
 God will readily forgive thee. 
 
 4. What doth it avail thee to delay for a longer time thy con- 
 fession, or to put off the holy Communion ? 
 
 Purge thyself as soon as possible, spit out the poison quickly, 
 make haste to take the remedy, and thou wilt find it better for 
 thee than if thou hadst deferred it for a longer time. 
 
 If to-day thou lettest it alone for this cause, to-morrow, per- 
 haps, some greater will fall out ; and so thou mayest be hindered 
 a long time from Communion, and become more unfit. 
 
 As quickly as thou canst, shake off present heaviness and 
 sloth ; for it is to no purpose to continue long in uneasiness, to 
 pass a long time in unquietness, and for these daily impediments 
 to withdraw thyself from the divine mysteries. 
 
 Yea, rather, it is very hurtful to delay Communion long ; for 
 this usually bringeth on a heavy slothfulness. 
 
 Alas, some tepid and lax persons readily take occasion to de- 
 lay going to their confession, and desire that their sacred Com- 
 munion should be therefore deferred, lest they be obliged to give 
 themselves to greater watchfulness. 
 
 5. Ah, how little charity and what slender devotion have they 
 who so easily put off holy Communion ! 
 
 How happy is he, and how acceptable to God, who so livcth, 
 and keepeth his conscience in such purity, as to be prepared and 
 
l8o THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 well disposed to communicate every day, were it permitted to 
 him, and he might pass without observation ! 
 
 If sometimes a person abstaineth out of humility, or from 
 some legitimate preventing cause, he is to be commended for 
 reverence. 
 
 But if sloth creep in upon him, he must bestir himself and do 
 what lieth in him, and the Lord will second his design according 
 to his good will, which He chiefly regardeth. 
 
 6. And when indeed he is lawfully hindered, he should yet 
 always have a good will and a pious intention of communicating 
 and so he will not be without the fruit of the Sacrament. 
 
 For every devout person may every day and every hour, with- 
 out any prohibition, approach to a spiritual communion with 
 Christ with much profit. 
 
 And yet on certain days and at appointed times he ought to 
 receive sacramentally, with an affectionate reverence, the body of 
 his Redeemer ; and rather aim at the praise and honor of Gad 
 than seek his own consolation. 
 
 For as often as he communicateth mystically and is invisibly 
 refreshed, so often doth he devoutly celebrate the Mystery of 
 Christ's Incarnation and Passion, and is inflamed with His love. 
 
 7. But he who prepareth not himself otherwise than when a 
 festival draweth near, or when custom compelleth, shall often- 
 times be unprepared. 
 
 Blessed is he who offereth himself up as a holocaust to the 
 Lord as often as he celebrateth or communicateth. 
 
 Be neither too slow nor too quick in celebrating ; but observe 
 the good common medium of those with whom thou livest. 
 
 Thou oughtest not to beget weariness or tedium in others ; 
 but keep the common way, according to the institution of su- 
 periors, and rather accommodate thyself to the utility of others 
 than follow thine own devotion and affection. 
 
 COUNSELS OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES ON FREQUENT COMMUNION. 
 
 It is said that Mithri dates, king of Pontus, having invented 
 the mithridate, so strengthened his body by the use of it, that 
 afterwards endeavoring to poison himself to avoid falling under 
 the servitude of the Romans, he could not effect his object. To 
 the end that we should live forever, Our Saviour has instituted 
 the most venerable Sacrament of the Eucharist, which contains 
 really His flesh and His blood. Whoever, therefore, frequently 
 eateth of this food, with devotion, so effectually confirmeth the 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. l8i 
 
 health of his soul, that it is almost impossible he should be 
 poisoned by any kind of evil affection ; for we cannot be nourished 
 with this flesh of life and at the same time live with the affections 
 of death. Thus, as men dwelling in the terrestrial paradise 
 might have avoided corporal death by feeding on the fruit of the 
 tree of life which God had planted therein, so they may also 
 avoid spiritual death by feeding on this sacrament of life. If the 
 most tender fruits, and such as are most subject to corruption, 
 as cherries, strawberries, and apricots, can be easily preserved the 
 whole year with sugar or honey, why should not our hearts, how- 
 ever frail and weak, be preserved from the corruption of sin, 
 when seasoned and sweetened with the incorruptible flesh and 
 blood of the Son of God ? What reply shall reprobate Christians 
 be able to make, when the just Judge shall upbraid them with their 
 folly, or rather madness, in having involved themselves in eternal 
 death, since it was so easy to have maintained themselves in 
 spiritual life and health, by feeding on His body, which He has 
 left them with that intention. Miserable wretches ! will He say, 
 why did you die having the fruit and the food of life at your 
 command ? 
 
 If worldlings ask you why you communicate so often, tell 
 them it is to learn to love God, to purify yourself from your im- 
 perfections, to be delivered from your miseries, to be comforted 
 in your afflictions, and supported in your weaknesses. Tell them 
 that ^wo sorts of persons ought to communicate frequently, — the 
 perfect^ because being well disposed they would be greatly to 
 blame not to approach to the source and fountain of perfection ; 
 and the imperfect^ to the end that they may be able to aspire to 
 perfection ; the strongs lest they should become weak ; the sick^ 
 that they may be restored to health ; and the healthy, lest they 
 should fall into sickness: that for your part, being imperfect, 
 weak, and sick, you have need to communicate frequently with 
 Him Who is your perfection, your strength, and your physician. 
 Tell them that those who have not many worldly affairs to k)()k 
 after ought to communicate often, because they have leisure ; 
 that those who have much business on hand should also com- 
 municate often, for he who labors much and is loaded with j)aiiis 
 ought to eat solid food, and that frequently. Tell them that you 
 receive the Holy Sacrament to learn to receive it well, because one 
 hardly performs an action well which he does not often practise. 
 
 Communicate frequently, then, and as frequently as you can, 
 with the advice of your ghostly father ; and, believe me, as liarcs 
 
l82 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 in our mountains become white in winter because they neither 
 see nor eat anything but snow, so by approaching to and eating 
 beauty, purity, and goodness itself in this divine sacrament, you 
 will become altogether fair, pure, and virtuous. 
 
 EXAMPLES OF FREQUENT COMMUNION. 
 
 Concerning the first Christians at Jerusalem, we read in the 
 Acts of the Apostles ii. 46: " Continuing daily with one accord in 
 the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they took 
 their meat with gladness." Thus their Communion was of every 
 day — a custom that endured for centuries. Every time that the 
 holy sacrifice of the Mass was offered up all the laity who were 
 present went to Communion. 
 
 In times of persecution the Christians used to carry the 
 Blessed Sacrament to their homes, so that early in the morning, 
 before entering on the duties of the day, they could strengthen 
 themselves by receiving. 
 
 This is shown from the advice given by Tertullian to a Chris- 
 tian maiden to dissuade her from marrying a heathen. He 
 says : " How will you be able to keep concealed from the eyes of 
 your husband that which you receive early in the morning, 
 before any other nourishment ?" 
 
 In the Scythian deserts there lived many thousand hermits, 
 who were at once in community and solitude, for they dwelt 
 singly in their cells, without any intercourse with each other 
 and on Sunday they assembled in common for divine worship 
 and to receive each time the holy Communion. 
 
 The Order of St. Benedict, founded in the sixth century, em- 
 braced not only priests, but laymen also. According to the rule 
 of the order, these latter were to receive Communion every day. 
 
 In Germany, the Capitularies of Charlemagne, which were the 
 laws by which he regulated spiritual and temporal affairs, in- 
 sisted strictly on frequent Communion. One of these laws says: 
 *' We have decreed that every one of the faithful shall communi- 
 cate every Sunday if possible." 
 
 It was chiefly from holy Communion that the saints in all 
 ages secured the graces and favors which they enjoyed. St. 
 Matilda went almost every day to Communion. St. Catherine of 
 Siena was sick the day she could not go to Communion. St. 
 Teresa assures us that during the space of forty years she was 
 never perfectly well except at the moment of Communion. St. 
 Nicholas of Flue lived for many years on no other food but the 
 sacramental species. One day the Bishop of Constance sent to 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 1S3 
 
 him some priests with a command that he should partake of 
 some food. Nicholas in his humility and meekness tried to obey, 
 but he was seized with such illness that he could not retain the 
 food on his stomach, and the command had to be withdrawn. 
 
 In order to show that persons can go to Communion fre- 
 quently, even in those circumstances which they allege prevent 
 them, let us hear a few examples. 
 
 The Roman empress Anna Eleonora of Mantua, wife of Fer- 
 dinand II., used to go to Communion every Sunday during the 
 lifetime of her husband, and three times a week afterwards. 
 
 The Duke of Burgundy, co-regent with Louis XIV., king of 
 France, went to Communion at least every fortnight, and with so 
 much humility and recollection of thought that all who saw him 
 were deeply edified. 
 
 St. Francis Borgia, while yet living in the world, and viceroy 
 of Catalonia, used to receive Communion every Sunday, for he 
 believed that he could rule his viceroyalty the better by having 
 for his friend the Ruler of rulers, the King of heaven and earth. 
 No duty would ever keep him from his regular Communion. 
 
 Ppepafation fot» Communion. 
 
 PASSAGES FROn HOLY SCRIPTURE. 
 
 " Let a man prove himself : and so let him eat of that bread 
 and drink of the chalice " (I. Corinthians xi. 29). " The work is 
 great, for a house is prepared, not for man, but for God" (I. 
 Paralipomenon xxix. i). " They that fear the Lord will pre- 
 pare their hearts, and in His sight will sanctify their souls " 
 (Ecclesiasticus ii. 20). " I will that men pray, lifting up pure 
 hands: in like manner women also in decent apparel, adorning 
 themselves with modesty and sobriety " (I. Timothy ii. 8). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROH THE FATHERS. 
 
 "Would anybody put away a costly garment in a closet filled 
 with rubbish? Now if we would not put even our clothing in 
 an unclean closet, how can we presume to receive the Blessed 
 Sacrament in a heart soiled with the uncleanness of sin?" (St. 
 Augustine.) " Purify your soul and cleanse your mind for [he 
 reception of these mysteries. For if you were intrusted to take 
 care of a king's son clothed in linen and purple, with a precious 
 crown on his head, you would forget everytliing else on carih. 
 And here you receive the Son not of an earthly king, but the 
 only begotten Son of God Himself. Are you not afraid ? Why 
 
184 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 do you not expel from you the love for all those things that 
 belong to a worldly life?" (St. Chrysostom.) "In order to re- 
 ceive the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar worthily, the Christian 
 should purify his conscience by ardent prayer, almsgiving, fast- 
 ing, and other spiritual exercises" (St. Augustine). 
 
 RULES LAID DOWN BY ST. CHRYSOSTOn AND ST. CHARLES BORROflEO FOR 
 APPROACHING THE TABLE OF THE LORD. 
 
 St. Chrysostom says to communicants: "When you are about 
 to approach this solemn divine table, this adorable mystery, 
 draw near with fear and trembling, with a clean conscience, with 
 prayer and fasting, not with distraction, nor jostling one another. 
 Consider well the sacredness of the Host you are about to meet, 
 the table to which you come. Remember that although you are 
 but dust and ashes, you receive the body and blood of Christ. 
 If a king were to invite you to his table, you would go there in 
 trepidation, and eat the viands in respectful silence. Now that 
 God invites you to the grandest banquet and gives you His Son 
 for food, that the angelic powers stand trembling and awe- 
 stricken, that the cherubim veil their faces, and the seraphim cry 
 out, ' Holy, holy, holy is the Lord,' how can you presume to ap- 
 proach the spiritual banquet with irreverent precipitation ? When 
 you are come up, try not to imagine that you receive the divine 
 body from the hands of a man : it should seem to you as if a 
 cherub were dealing out fire to you. It should seem to you as if 
 you actually saw the precious blood issuing from the sacred side 
 of God and flowing towards you, and as if you would lap it up 
 with your lips. I do not say this as if I wished to deter you from 
 approaching so holy and sublime a mystery, but that you may 
 not come thoughtlessly and without preparation. For as it is 
 fatal to approach without preparation, so would it be death to us 
 if we w^ould not go at all. I exhort you, therefore, and conjure 
 you, let us go forward with fear and solicitude, our eyes mod- 
 estly cast down, but our souls lifted up in faith." 
 
 With great exactness St. Charles Borromeo describes the 
 proper external observances to be practised when one approaches 
 the holy table of the Lord. He says : "The faithful should draw 
 near to the body of the Lord with all reverence and humility, and 
 so receive it. They should not have distractions of the eyes, nor 
 stare in the face of the priest ; but they should look reverently at 
 the consecrated Host, holding the Communion-cloth under the 
 chin, the head raised moderately, the tongue resting on the under 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST, 
 
 185 
 
 lip, not protruding the tongue, nor drawing it in till the priest has 
 placed the Blessed Sacrament upon it. Then they should humbly 
 bow the head, and not give way to audible sighing. The hands 
 should be crossed on the breast, according to the ancient custom 
 in the Church, or they may be joined together. Those who can 
 afford it should appear in a mantle, but not in decorated bonnets 
 trimmed with feathers. All warlike weapons should be laid 
 aside, and the whole condition of the body should be humble, 
 respectful, and cleanly. Women should not wear extravagant, 
 showy clothing, nor have their hair fancifully dressed, nor have 
 their faces painted. They should not presume to come with half- 
 clothed necks, or wearing transparent veils ; they should so dress 
 that all except their face be covered. All should receive the 
 sacred Host on their knees, and not leaning clumsily on the altar- 
 rail. 
 
 A BEAUTIFUL PRAYER BEFORE COMMUNION. 
 
 The venerable Rodriguez directs us to pray thus for purity of 
 heart before holy Communion : " O Lord, if a mighty king were 
 about to take up his abode in the cabin of a poor man he would 
 not depend on the preparations of the latter, but would send in 
 advance his own servants with necessary furniture to make the 
 house habitable. Do the same, O Lord, with my poor soul, in 
 which rhou art pleased to take up Thy abode. Send Thy angels 
 before Thee, that they may make it a suitable dwelling-place for 
 Thee, removing all the uncleanness with which it abounds, and 
 furnishing it with every necessary virtue." 
 
 A GOOD OLD CUSTOM. 
 
 St. Gregory tells us of a custom that existed in the early days 
 of Christianity. When the people were about to receive Com- 
 munion, the deacon would address them as follows: ''Those 
 who are not prepared to participate in this grand and sublime 
 mystery must withdraw and give place to the others." Then he 
 said to those who were ready to receive, '' Come forward with 
 faith, reverence, and love." A revival of such practice miglit not 
 be inappropriate in our day. 
 
 Advantages of a (XloPthy Communion. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 A worthy Communion purifies and cnnobh's [\\c soul, and 
 renders it capable of performing good works. '' As [\\v hi.nu h 
 cannot bear fruit of itself, unless il abide in the vine ; so nrilhcr 
 
l86 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 can you, unless you abide in Me. He that abideth in Me, and I 
 in him, the same beareth much fruit" (John xv. 4, 5). 
 
 It unites man with God, and thereby makes him, as it were, 
 divine, godly. " He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood 
 abideth in Me, and I in him " (John vi. 57). 
 
 It fortifies us against the enemy of our salvation. " Thou 
 hast prepared a table before me, against them that afflict me" 
 (Psalm xxii. 5). 
 
 It imparts heavenly sweetness and joy. " Taste and see that 
 the Lord is sweet " (Psalm xxxiii. 9). 
 
 It assures us of eternal life, and leads our bodies towards 
 future resurrection and glorification. " He that eateth My flesh 
 and drinketh My blood hath everlasting life ; and I will raise 
 him up in the last day" (John vi. 55). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROfl THE FATHERS. 
 
 A worthy Communion purifies and ennobles the soul, and 
 renders it capable of performing good works. '' I must receive 
 the blood of the Lord daily in order that I may receive forgive- 
 ness for my daily sins ; for if I sin daily, I must have daily reme- 
 dies for sin " (St. Ambrose). " The blood of Christ causes a 
 divine blood to glow in our veins, gives beauty and nobleness to 
 the soul, and by nourishing it prevents exhaustion. This blood 
 is salvation itself to the soul, v/hich it purifies, beautifies, inflames, 
 and makes brighter than gold or fire. As he who thrusts his 
 hand or his tongue into molten gold draws it out all gilded, so 
 the soul which bathes in this blood becomes as bright and beauti- 
 ful as gold " (St. Chrysostom). 
 
 It unites the creature to the Creator, and in a certain sense 
 makes him godlike. " Tiiou, O Lord, desirest to change us into 
 Thyself ; Thou wilt incorporate us into Thyself, laying Thy 
 heart on our heart, and fill it with Thy love, so that we may 
 have but one soul with Thee and one life with Thine " (St. Bona- 
 venture). 
 
 " O man, consider the honor that thou sharest when approach- 
 ing the table of the Lord ! We here below taste what the angels 
 above only see with trembling ; we unite ourselves to Him, be- 
 come with Him one flesh and one body " (St. Chrysostom). 
 
 It fortifies us against the enemies of our salvation. '' When 
 Jesus Christ takes possession of us. He mollifies the hard law in 
 our members, smothers the heat of our passions, and heals our 
 wounds " (St. Cyril). " If you are swollen with the poison of 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 
 
 187 
 
 pride, receive this sacrament, and this humble bread will make 
 you humble. If you are overpowered with avarice, taste the 
 bread of heaven, and this generous bread will make you gen- 
 erous. If you are choking with the poisonous atmosphere of 
 envy, take this angelic bread, and this kindly bread will make you 
 feel kindly. If you are immoderate in eating aud drinking, taste 
 this flesh and blood of Jesus Christ, and this flesh, which under- 
 went such self-denial, which fasted forty days and forty nights, 
 and before its separation from ihe soul had no other refiesh- 
 m e n t than 
 vinegar and 
 gall, will make 
 you temperate. 
 If folly has 
 overcome you, 
 madeyoutepid, 
 so that you do 
 not meditate 
 on eternal 
 truths, noreven 
 pray orally, 
 strengthen 
 yourself with 
 the body of 
 Christ, and you 
 will be filled 
 with fervor. 
 Lastly, if you 
 are prone to 
 the sin of im- 
 purity, receive 
 this sacrament, 
 and the chaste 
 flesh of Jesus 
 Christ will 
 make you pure 
 and chaste" 
 (The Same). 
 
 " It im[)arts 
 heavenly joy 
 
 and sweetness. There is no tongue (•apal)h^ of j^roporly declaring 
 the pleasantness of this sacrament. And ilic reason of tliis is. 
 
 First Comm union. 
 
l88 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 that in it we taste sweetness in its very fountain" (St. Thomas 
 Aquinas). 
 
 " It secures to us eternal life, and draws our bodies towards 
 future resurrection and glorification. Those who receive this 
 food and this drink become immortal and incorruptible " (St. 
 Augustine). "It is altogether impossible that this divine Word, 
 which by its very nature is life itself, should not overcome cor- 
 ruption, and one day triumph over the death of this flesh of ours, 
 which unites itself to the flesh that was assumed by Him. Death 
 entered into the possession of our body only, for it was into that 
 that sin entered. Nevertheless, the body must rise again, for Jesus 
 entered into it. Just as we place a spark amid a heap of straw 
 in order to kindle a fire, so does Jesus Christ impart His sacred 
 flesh to ours, and incorporate it with ours, in order to furnish us 
 with a principle of immortality, which neutralizes corruption " 
 (St. Cyril). 
 
 The ^einousness of an iJnoaofthy Communion. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 " Whosoever shall eat this bread or drink the chalice of the 
 Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood 
 of the Lord " (I. Corinthians xi. 27). The fate of the unworthy 
 communicant will be similar to that of the guest who came to 
 the wedding without a suitable garment (Matthew xxii. 1-15); or 
 of Queen Vasthi, who, for having slighted the invitation of King- 
 Assuerus to the banquet, lost her crown and her position 
 (Esther i. 9). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 The Baseness of an Unworthy Communion. 
 
 " The Jews who nailed Christ to the cross did not abuse His 
 divinity, only His humanity. They put Him to death in great 
 torture, but they slew only His mortal suffering body. The 
 suffering and death in this case were the result, as it were, of His 
 human nature, which He had assum.ed out of love for us. But 
 you, my Christians, if you were guilty of the crime of receiving 
 an unworthy Communion, would outrage His divinity itself. 
 You would outrage Him Who sits in glory at the right hand of 
 the eternal Father. You would drag Him down from His throne 
 of glory and subject Him to new sufferings. At the time of His 
 glorious resurrection from the dead He had ended His trials and 
 sufferings. But you compel Him to undergo them anew, and to 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. igg 
 
 permit Himself to be laden with ignominy and shame. That 
 glorious flesh, which should never again know death, you nail it 
 again to the cross, and in a more infamous manner. Alas, ve 
 impious people, you are far worse in your desecration of the 
 Holy of Holies than were the Jews and the Roman soldiers ; you 
 are a thousand times more cruel and barbarous than they were ! " 
 (St. Augustine.) 
 
 Penalties of an Unworthy Communion. 
 
 ''A great crime among Christians, a crime that draws down 
 dreadful punishment on its perpetrator, is the unworthy recep- 
 tion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the sacrament of His 
 love. The desecrators of this adorable sacrament shall drink the 
 cup of divine wrath all through eternity" (St. John Damascene). 
 ''Those who abuse this divine sacrament are capable of abusing 
 anything. They commit grievous sins recklessly, and with more 
 scandal ; they become more steadfast in evil, and more careless in 
 bettering their lives" (St. Laurence Justinian). 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 From Holy Scripture. 
 
 Holy Scripture itself offers us the first sad example of an un- 
 worthy Communion. It was made by Judas, of whom St. Chrys- 
 ostom says : " Judas finds fault when Mary Magdalene anoints 
 the Lord with precious ointment : Jesus bears it. Judas is an 
 avaricious thief : Jesus bears it. Judas makes a bargain to 
 betray his blessed Master, Jesus: Jesus knows it and bears it. 
 But as soon as he communicates unworthily, he is driven from 
 his position to the power of Satan ; as the Scripture says : ' After 
 the morsel, Satan entered into him*" (John xiii. 27). 
 
 In the congregation at Corinth there were some persons who 
 had received unworthily, and hence St. Paul, in his first epistle 
 to them, warns them of the dreadful punishments due to such 
 sin, telling them that they are guilty of the body and l)l()()d of 
 the Lord, and adds that some among them had already met 
 death in consequence. Experience teaches that premature death 
 is very often the penalty for an unworthy Communion. 
 
 Penalty of an Unworthy Communion. 
 
 One day a poor man asked St. Paulinus for an alms The 
 bishop, observing that the poor beggar had a withered hand, 
 asked him compassionately how it had happened. 
 
 The poor man, looking cautiously about to be sure theie were 
 
IQO THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 no listeners, began the following story : " Only to yourself as 
 bishop would I dare to reveal my awful secret. In my earliest 
 youth I was very disobedient to my good mother, who was a 
 poor widow. When I grew up I soon squandered her little sav- 
 ings by an idle, useless life. One day, because she refused to 
 let me have her last few shillings, which I knew to be secreted 
 somewhere in the house, I got into an altercation with her, and 
 in a fit o^ passion killed her with this hand, which you now see 
 withered and helpless. The deed was done on the eve of Holy 
 Thursday, when I Avas about to m^ake my Easter Communion. 
 And actually, after having concealed my mother's corpse and 
 removed every trace of her murder, I dared to approach the holy 
 table of the Lord. But lo I hardly had I received the sacred 
 Host in this hand of mine * when it grew suddenly stiff, and. amid 
 the most excruciating pain, began gradually to dry up and lose 
 its power and feeling. I was compelled to scream with anguish, 
 and all who were present gazed at me with astonishnient and 
 horror. I hurried out of the church, wandered far away from my 
 home, carrying everywhere this useless member as a well-merited 
 punishment. But oh, how easily I would suffer this affliction if 
 I had not also to suffer hereafter the eternal punishment of my 
 heaven-crying sin I " 
 
 These last words he uttered in a tone of despair. Then the 
 bishop questioned him : "Are you sincerely sorry for your sin ?" 
 "Ah I yes," replied the beggar timidly; "but of what use is my 
 sorrow?" "Do penance," replied the bishop, "and the sin will 
 be forgiven." AVith a look of dawning hope the poor man in- 
 quired : " Can that be possible? What shall I do ? " " Go, and 
 every Sunday and holy-day stand with uncovered head and 
 naked feet at the church-door till seven years are past. To those 
 who pass in and out show your disabled hand, and confess to 
 them the cause of your punishment, and beg their prayers." 
 
 The poor man at once began with a hopeful heart the penance 
 imposed. 
 
 The faithful were deeply moved at the sight of the penitent 
 and the recital of his humble confession. So when three years 
 had elapsed of the time assigned for his penance, they besought 
 the bishop to remit the remaining four years, for the poor peni- 
 tent was certainly contrite. 
 
 Paulinus readily granted their request, led the penitent into 
 
 * In early Christian times the faithful received in their hands the consecrated- 
 specieSi whicli they then conveyed to the mouth. 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. 
 
 191 
 
 the church, and, after having pronounced solemn absolution over 
 him, administered to him the holy Communion. 
 
 Butlo! hardly had he with the utmost fervor received the 
 Blessed Eucharist when a warm thrill of life and strength ran 
 through the hand and arm so long withered and helpless, restor- 
 ing the member to health and strength. 
 
 Testimony of St. Cyprian. 
 
 At the time of the holy bishop St. Cyprian, who died a martyr 
 in the year 258, God punished even in this life the sin of an un- 
 worthy Communion, as a forewarning of the everlasting penalty 
 incurred. In those days it was customary to intrust the Blessed 
 Sacrament to the laity, who preserved it in vessels at their 
 homes, that they might fortify themselves with it when about to 
 be dragged on account of their faith before the pagan judges, 
 and also at the moment just preceding their cruel death, which 
 they might expect at any time. 
 
 St. Cyprian tells us of a person who undertook to open one of 
 these vessels with a sacrilegious hand, for she was in a state of 
 mortal sin. At the same moment a flame burst forth, frighten- 
 ing her to such a degree that she dares not go near the vessel 
 again. 
 
 Another, whose conscience was soiled with a mortal sin, pre- 
 sumed at the end of Mass to mingle among the others and 
 secure and carry away the sacred species. But suddenly he felt 
 a strange sensation, and, opening his hand, found nothing but 
 ashes — a sign that the Lord and His graces and blessings depart 
 from all who receive Him unworthily. 
 
 How many, because they have not done penance nor con- 
 fessed their sins, are every day seized by evil spirits ! How many 
 become insane and otherwise diseased on account of bad Com- 
 munions! I will not say how many meet with sudden deaths. Let 
 no one who communicates unworthily expect to escape punish- 
 ment because it does not come all at once. Let him fear the 
 chastisement held in store for him by the angry judge. Thus 
 writes St. Cyprian. 
 
 The Communion of an Impenitent flan. 
 
 Lothaire, a son of Lothaire I., at tiie distribution of the king- 
 dom in the year 855, received the lands bounded by tlie rivers 
 Rhine, Moselle, Maas, and Schelde for his portion ; hcucc. its 
 name, Lorraine. Although lawfully married to Tiiietberg in the 
 
192 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 year 856, he some time after had illicit intercourse with a young 
 woman named Waldrada, and in order to continue in his wicked- 
 ness he charged his lawful wife with a crime, and attempted to 
 cast her aside. Pope Nicholas I., to whom he applied for a bill 
 of divorce, sent him instead a letter of excommunication on 
 account of his adultery. Under the next Pope, Adrian, the king 
 made a journey to Rome, in order to be received back into the 
 Church. To secure his restoraticn. he assured Pope Adrian that, 
 at the advice of his predecessor, Nicholas I., he had broken off 
 his sinful intercourse with Waldrada. He then besought the 
 pontiff ardently to receive him back into the Church solemnly, 
 by admitting him publicly to the Sacrament of the Holy Eucha- 
 rist. Adrian consented, and appointed Monte Casino as the 
 place where he would celebrate Mass in presence of the king. 
 Towards the end of the Mass. the Pope, holding the Blessed Sac- 
 rament in his hand, turned towards Lothaire and said : "Prince, 
 if, since the admonition of Nicholas I., you have committed no 
 act of adultery, and have come to the firm determination of no 
 longer living in sin with Waldrada, then come forward with con- 
 fidence and receive the sacrament of eternal life. But if your 
 repentance is not sincere, do not presume to receive the body 
 and blood of the Lord, and by desecration of this sacrament 
 bring upon yourself condemnation." The king failed to be 
 warned by these words, and thus became at once guilty of per- 
 jury and sacrilege. His example was followed by most of his 
 courtiers, to all of whom the Pope had said : " If you have not 
 had any culpable share in the sinful errors of your monarch, and 
 have now the firm resolution to owe no further allegiance to him 
 if he sin again, come forward and receive the body and blood of 
 our divine Redeemer to your sanctification and salvation." Some 
 few. terrified by the Pope's words, drew back. The greater part 
 were guilty of the sacrilege. Punishment came swift and sure. 
 On the very day of the sacrilegious Communion two of the king's 
 attendants fell dead suddenly in the city of Rome. Others died 
 on the road the next day. In Lucca, where the royal party 
 halted for two days, the king saw himself surrounded with the 
 dead bodies of several mjore attendants. He himself felt the first 
 symptoms of a fever. He resumed his journey, however, but was 
 unable to go further than Piacenza, where, on the night of his 
 arrival, about two o'clock, he suddenly lost speech and conscious- 
 ness, and at nine o'clock the next morning he died without any 
 sign of repentance, because all through the eight days following 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. I93 
 
 his unworthy Communion he had refused to recognize the hand 
 of God in the sudden death of his adherents and companions in 
 iniquity. All who had received Communion died suddenly, 
 while those who had held back escaped death, that the punish- 
 ment of God might be the more marked. 
 
 Trifle not with Holy Things. 
 
 Godwin, Duke of Kent, was charged by the king with having 
 slain his brother. The duke attempted to defend himself, and, 
 according to the custom then prevailing in England, wished to 
 be judged before the Blessed Sacrament. The duke therefore 
 took the consecrated particle in his hands, and turning towards 
 the king said : " If ever I thought or did evil against you or 
 your brother, may this consecrated bread choke me on the spot." 
 Hardly had he said this when his throat closed, and death from 
 suffocation ensued. 
 
 SpiPitaal Commanion. 
 
 SAYINGS OF THE SAINTS. 
 
 "Spiritual Communion is very profitable ; therefore do not 
 omit it, for by it the Lord learns how much you love Him " 
 (St. Teresa). '* I advise every one who desires to grow in love 
 for Jesus to communicate in this spiritual manner at least once 
 a day, during a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, or at Mass. And 
 it is better yet if it be done three times at Mass, first at the be- 
 ginning, secondly at the middle, and lastly at the end of Mass. 
 This devotion is far more salutary than many suppose, while at 
 the same time it is very easy of practice" (St. Alphonsus). " In 
 order to receive Christ in the sacramental Communion profitably 
 and properly, it is very useful that we often make a spiritual 
 Communion " (Peter Faber). *' O my Lord, what a delightful 
 way this is to communicate, without giving my father-confessor 
 any trouble, or depending on any one save Thyself, Who dost 
 draw near to the solitude of my soul and speakest to my heart" 
 (Angela of the Cross). 
 
 THE VALUE OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION. 
 
 Jesus once appeared to the venerable Paula Marcsca and 
 showed her two precious vases, one of gold, the other of silver; 
 and He said to her : ** In the golden vessel I keep sacranuMital 
 Communion, and in the silver vessel s|)iritnai Coniinuiiioii." 
 
 To the blessed Jane of the Cross our divine Saviour dmcc said: 
 
194 THE SACRAMEVTS. 
 
 "As often as you make a spiritual Communion I send you a 
 grace which is in a measure similar to the grace which I grant 
 you in sacramental Communion." 
 
 .MODE OF SPIRITUAL CO.MMLMON. 
 From St. Leonard of Port >\aurice. 
 
 In order to m.ake a good spiritual Comm::::: : n. be recollected. 
 make an act oi true contrition, and then awaken within you 
 those sentiments of love and confidence which you are accus- 
 tomed to have at your sacramer.tal Communion. Join to all that 
 a heartfelt longing to receive Jesus Christ. Who is hidden under 
 the sacramental forms and appearances. T: heighten still fur- 
 ther your devotion, imac : t :h : : r E rssri \':-g: :: or your 
 guardian angel is prese::;:::g :. y^iu :::c Scivirea Hc,s:. Repeat 
 the w;ris : 'Come, my Jesus. Thou love and life of my soul, 
 come ::::: r. y p:or heart; come and quiet my longings, come 
 and sar-::i:y :::e : yes. come. O sweet Jesus, come and abide with 
 m^e forever. ■■ 
 
 Then be silent, and see within yourself y:ur m.erciful God, 
 the same as if you had actually received Him ir. the Blessed Sac- 
 ram.ent : ad; re Him., thank Him. a7,-aken within you all those 
 sacred aspirations which you are In the habit of awaking at your 
 regular Communion. 
 
 ST. JLLLANA FALCOMERL 
 
 This saint had reached the age of seventy years : virtuous as 
 sbr bad ever been, she was tried by deep a~:::-::.s She vras 
 ;r:s:rated with an incurable weakness o: the stomaab. At last 
 she could not retain a particle of food — was totally deprived of the 
 consolation of receiving the ever-blessri : : rly of her Lo:"d. which 
 she could not receive even as Holy \ba:::-::". This privation 
 caused her inexpressible grief, and sd great '.vas her mourning 
 and weeping- :b-: 1: seemel as If she mas: lie :f srrrrv, At 
 last she beggt a btr father-: : a: ess: r In the m :s: baa:: It :rrms to 
 bring the Blessed Sacrament near her. He promised to comply 
 with her request. When he appeared carrying the Blessed Sac- 
 rament, she prostrated herself in the form of a cross before her 
 Lord, and adored Him. Her countenance becam.e bright like an 
 angel's. Then she begged for permission to touch the Blessed 
 Sacrament with her lips, but this could not be permitted. Then 
 she begged the priest to lay a veil on her longing, burning breast, 
 and to place the Blessed Sacrament on it, that she might at least 
 
THE BLESSED EUCHARIST. Ip^ 
 
 receive her Jesus in a spiritual Communion. This wish was com- 
 plied with, when, lo ! hardly had the sacred Host touched her 
 fervent breast than it disappeared suddenly, and could be found 
 no more. A moment afterwards St. Juliana departed this life, 
 with a smile on her features. 
 
 PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 
 
 If there is anything for which man should be thankful to God, 
 it is certainly for the institution of the Blessed Sacrament ; but 
 we are thankful only when we make right use of this sacred 
 mystery, as was the intention of Christ that we should do. 
 
 It exists for the purpose of being to us a sacrament, a food, 
 and a sacrifice. 
 
 As a sacrament we should regularly visit it and adore it on the 
 feasts established in its honor, at Benediction, on Holy Thursday, 
 during the Forty Hours' Devotion, on Corpus Christi. Although 
 with our bodily eyes we see but the forms and appearances, faith 
 and the words of Eternal Truth teach us that Jesus Christ Himself, 
 both as man and God, is concealed under those forms and appear- 
 ances. Though human reason may pretend to be ashamed of 
 this mystery, our heart revels in holy joy and pure love, because 
 it feels the presence of God. 
 
 As a sacrifice you should be present at it often, if possible daily, 
 and there contribute to the sacrifice all that you have. It is, 
 indeed, the same sacrifice that was once offered on the cross of 
 Calvary to the eternal Father, with this difference : that there it 
 was a blood-sacrifice, while here it is offered in an unbloody 
 manner. Place yourself in spirit for a moment under the cross 
 of the dying Saviour. What solemn feelings pervade your soul 
 as you see your Lord and God bleeding and dying for your sake ! 
 The same sentiments should animate you when at holy Mass ; for 
 there too is Christ, Who every day offers Himself up to the eternal 
 Father for our sins. 
 
 As celestial food you should receive the Blessed Sacrament 
 often, and with due preparation ; for it is, in truth, the nourish- 
 ment of your soul and your safest pledge for eternal hapjiiness. 
 How much labor, effort, and care a man will undergo for his tem- 
 poral success ! How he longs for money, property, and Iionors ! 
 Oh, that you had a similar longing, a similar fondness, for your 
 Saviour in the Blessed Sacrament ! Wiiat more could God do to 
 show you how tenderly He loves you, how earnestly He desires 
 your happiness? How then will you excuse yourseli, it you 
 
tion? Oh, do not sligh: esus Christ in your lifetime, tha: He 
 may strengthen you in your death-hour, ari feal ^rr.:'.- with 
 you on your judgment-day. 
 
 HYMN' 
 
 \'T. 
 
 -^ 
 
 
 c- 
 
 O 5r 
 Rr: 
 
 O -1^: 
 
 O 
 
PENANCE. IQ^ 
 
 ^be Sacrament of penance. 
 XTbe Sacrament of penance In OeneraL 
 
 IflSTl^lJCTIOrl. 
 
 flatufc of the Saci»ament of Penance. 
 
 HE holy Sacrament of Penance is that sacra- 
 ment in which the duly authorized priest, taking 
 the place of God, remits to the sinner the sins 
 he has committed after Baptism, when he con- 
 tritely and fully confesses them, and has the firm 
 determination to amend his life and do penance. 
 <^^i^ That the Sacrament of Penance is a true sacra- 
 
 ment is clear from the fact that it has all the marks 
 necessary to make it such ; namely, i. Institution by 
 Christ; 2. Outward signs of grace; 3. The inward working of 
 grace. 
 
 Christ really ordained the Sacrament of Penance ; for the 
 wholly peculiar thing in the Sacrament of Penance is the loosing 
 and binding. Now this Christ ordained on the evening of the 
 day on which He rose from the dead. St. John relates : "When it 
 was late that same day, the first of the week, and the doors were 
 shut, where the disciples were gathered together for fear of the 
 Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them : 
 Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent Me, I also send you. 
 When He had said this, He breathed on them : and He said to 
 them : Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, 
 they are forgiven them ; and whose sins you shall retain, they 
 are retained" (John xx. 19-24). 
 
 This power of binding and loosing sin extends to all those 
 who succeed the apostles in the priestly office ; for Christ has 
 established His means of salvation for all ages, and for all men 
 who stand in need of them. 
 
 If any one object that it is unfitting for a priest, a man who 
 may be himself a sinner, to have the power of remitting the sins 
 of others in the tribunal of penance, let him remcinhiM- that in 
 Baptism too sins are remitted, and tlie power is exercised there 
 too by a sinful man. Besides, are not the rulers who in the p\i\cc 
 of God govern nations, and to wlioni the weal or the woe ot wlioie 
 peoples is intrusted, also men siniihir to tliose over wlioni they 
 
THE SACRAMENTS, 
 
 are placed ? Do not doctors themselves get sick and die ? And 
 yet we call them to us when we are sick. 
 
 The outward signs in the Sacrament of Penance are : i. The 
 actions of the penitent ; namely, the act of contrition, the confes- 
 sion, and the satisfaction. 2. The words of absolution : " I ab- 
 solve thee." 
 
 With these outward signs of the Sacrament of Penance are 
 joined the inward workings of grace. 
 
 The chief effects of the Sacrament of Penance are : i. All for- 
 giveness of 
 the sins com- 
 mitted after 
 Baptism, 
 however 
 g r e at their 
 number or 
 their enor- 
 mity. 2. Re- 
 mission of the 
 eternal pun- 
 ishment due 
 to sin. 3. The 
 meritorious- 
 ness of good 
 works p e r- 
 formed in a 
 state of grace. 
 
 4. Recovery of God's friendship, and of our lost peace of con- 
 science. 5. Bestowal of many special graces, as each soul needs 
 them. 
 
 St. John preaching in the Desert. 
 
 Necessity of the Saefament of Penanee. 
 
 The Sacrament of Penance is necessary to salvation for all 
 those who have sinned grievously since their Baptism. 
 
 As original sin can be extinguished by Baptism, and as also all 
 the actual sins committed before Baptism are remitted by that 
 first sacrament, so the mortal sins committed after Baptism are 
 remitted by the Sacrament of Penance only. An exception may 
 arise, when it is naturally or morally impossible to have recourse 
 to the sacrament, in which case the penitent may save his soul 
 by perfect contrition joined with an earnest purpose of amend- 
 
PENANCE. 
 
 199 
 
 ment, a sincere desire for confession, and the will to do satisfac- 
 tion. 
 
 On account of the necessity of the Sacrament of Penance to 
 reconciliation between God and the man who sinned after Bap- 
 tism, the holy Fathers call it the only plank of safety after one 
 has had the misfortune to suffer moral shipwreck. 
 
 t^equit»ements of Saefatnental Penance. 
 
 In order that a sinner may be reconciled to God through the 
 Sacrament of Penance, the following conditions are necessary on 
 his part : i. A careful examination of conscience ; 2. Inward and 
 upright contrition joined with a firm purpose of amendment ; 3. 
 A full confession ; 4. Satisfaction. 
 
 Without these four points Sacramental Penance has no value 
 or utility : no one of these points can be wanting. Those peo- 
 ple fall into a deplorable error who imagine that this sacrament 
 is received worthily when they confess their sins merely with 
 their lips. More than that is required : the whole man must do 
 penance — the understanding through the examination of con- 
 science, the heart through contrition, the will through earnest 
 determination, the mouth through self-accusation, and the whole 
 being through satisfaction. 
 
 l^HFIiECTIOrl. 
 
 The Payable of the Pfodigal Son. 
 
 THE PARABLE. 
 
 HIS parable is found in the Gospel of St. Luke, 
 XV. 11-32 : 
 
 " A certain man had two sons ; 
 " And the younger of them said to his father : 
 Father, give me the portion of substance that 
 falleth to me. And he divided unto tliem liis 
 substance. 
 
 " And not many days after, the younger son gath- 
 ering iiU togetiier, went abroad into a far country, and tliere 
 wasted his substance living riotously. 
 
 "And after he had spent all, there came a mighty famine in 
 that country, and he began to be in want. 
 
200 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 "And he went, and cleaved to one of the citizens of that coun- 
 try. And he sent him into his farm to feed swine. 
 
 " And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks the 
 swine did eat : and no man gave unto him. 
 
 '' And returning to himself, he said : How many hired ser- 
 vants in my father's house abound with bread, and I here perish 
 with hunger ? 
 
 " I will arise, and will go to my father, and say to him : 
 Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee : 
 
 " I am not now worthy to be called thy son : make me as one 
 of thy hired servants. 
 
 "And rising up he came to his father. And when he was 
 yet a great way off, his father saw him, and was moved with 
 compassion, and running to him fell upon his neck and kissed 
 him. 
 
 "And the son said to him: Father, I have sinned against 
 heaven, and before thee: I am not now worthy to be called thy 
 son. 
 
 " And the father said to his servants : Bring forth quickly the 
 first robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and 
 shoes on his feet : 
 
 "And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat 
 and make merry : 
 
 " Because this my son was dead, and is come to life again : 
 was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 
 
 " Now his elder son was in the field, and when he came and 
 drew nigh to the house he heard music and dancing: 
 
 " And he called one of the servants, and asked what these 
 things meant. 
 
 "And he said to him : Thy brother is come, and thy father 
 hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe. 
 
 "And he was angry, and would not go in. His father there- 
 fore coming out began to entreat him. 
 
 " And he answering, said to his father : Behold, for so many 
 years do I serve thee, and I have never transgressed thy com- 
 mandment, and yet thou hast never given me a kid to make 
 merry with my friends : 
 
 " But as soon as this thy son is come, who hath devoured his 
 substance with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted 
 calf. 
 
 "But he said to him : Son, thou art always with me, and all 
 I have is thine : 
 
PENANCE. 
 
 201 
 
 " But it was fit that we should make merry and be glad, for 
 this thy brother was dead, and is come to life again : he was lost, 
 and is found." 
 
 THE APPLICATION. 
 
 In the conduct of this kind and forgiving father, Our Saviour 
 wished to portray the methods of love employed by God towards 
 the sinner. We are all prodigal sons as soon as we commit sin. 
 As the father received cordially and forgivingly his returning 
 r e p e n tant 
 son, so does 
 the Heaven- 
 ly Father 
 accept gra- 
 ciously the 
 erring sin- 
 ner, when he 
 returns with 
 a contrite 
 heart. Now 
 what steps 
 did the pro- 
 d igal son 
 take to- 
 wards his 
 conversion ? 
 He entered 
 into himself. 
 This was 
 thefirststep. 
 He recog- 
 nized, I, the 
 enormity of 
 his crime: 
 herewe have 
 the exami- 
 nation of 
 conscience. 
 H e d e- 
 tests, 2, his 
 folly: "How 
 
 many hired servants in my father's house abound with bread, 
 and I here perish with hunger ?" He was deeply sorry lor iiaving 
 
 TiiK I'kodical Son. 
 
202 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 deserted his good and kind father. Here we have contrition- 
 He resolved, 3, to return to his father and seek his pardon. " I will 
 
 arise, and will go to my father." Here we have the firm purpose of 
 amendment. So he really goes back, and meets his father on the 
 way hastening to receive and embrace him. The son acknowl- 
 edges his transgressions, saying : " Father, I have sinned against 
 heaven, and before thee : I am not now worthy to be called thy 
 son." Here we have, 4, a species of confession. He was ready 
 to do penance for his faults, not asking to be treated as a son, 
 but as a servant. He continued to dwell with his father in obe- 
 dience. Here we have, 5, satisfaction. 
 
 In return for his sincere penance and his contrite confession, 
 the prodigal son receives full forgiveness from his father, who 
 commanded that a ring be put on his finger, shoes on his feet, 
 the fatted calf to be killed, and a banquet to be prepared. The 
 ring is a symbol of the sacred spiritual covenant which the re- 
 pentant si.nner makes with Christ the Lord, x^ccording to St. 
 Augustine, it is the seal of the Holy Spirit. The shoes placed 
 upon the feet of the prodigal son are, according to the holy 
 Fathers, a symbol of the grace that enables us to " walk not ac- 
 cording to the flesh, but according to the spirit" (Rom. viii. 4). 
 It is this same grace that the royal Psalmist alludes to, when he 
 says of those who are under the protection of the Most High : 
 *' Thou shalt walk upon the asp and the basilisk : thou shalt 
 trample under foot the lion and the dragon" (Psalm xc. 13). 
 Complete reconciliation was celebrated at the feast of gladness. 
 How like the relations between the sinner and Christ ! Not only 
 does the sinner receive from divine mercy forgiveness of his 
 guilt and the grace of strength against evils, but Christ even in- 
 vites him to that truly celestial banquet at which he bestows 
 even Himself on the returning sinner as a food, and thus infuses 
 new life into him. Here indeed have the words their meaning : 
 *' Let us eat and make merry: for my son that was dead has come 
 to life ; he was lost, and is found," 
 
PENANCE. 
 
 203 
 
 lEramtnatton of Conscience, 
 
 IfiSTl^UCTIOl^. 
 
 O examine our conscience means to try earnestly 
 to recall our sins, that we may know them well. 
 This examination of conscience is the first 
 and most necessary condition in the Sacrament 
 of Penance. Without it there can be no contri- 
 tion, no purpose of amendment, no sincere and 
 full confession, no satisfaction. 
 Since, as St. Francis Xavier says, self-knowledge 
 is a special gift from God, to be prayed for by him 
 who seeks it, we must begin the examination of conscience by 
 invoking the Holy Spirit. 
 
 Then we proceed with our examination : 
 
 1. In quiet retirement and holy recollection of spirit. When 
 free from the business and cares of life, and far from the tumult 
 of the world, we are best enabled to look within ourselves. 
 
 2. With zeal and exactness. We should search every corner 
 of our hearts, recall every place where we have been, the persons 
 with whom we have associated, the thoughts that have been in 
 our mind, the words we have spoken, the evil works we have 
 done and the evil occasions we have used. We must not confine 
 ourselves to the evil we have done ; we must remember the good 
 we have omitted. Furthermore, we must recall the nature of 
 our sins, whether they were grievous or slight, mortal or venial ; 
 whether we committed them with forethought and delibera- 
 tion, or rather through ignorance, weakness, and precipitation. 
 Finally, we must calculate the number of our sins, the frequency of 
 our relapses, and find out their sources and causes ; for if we 
 would stem the tide of our sins, we must shut off the fountains. 
 
 3. With strictness and impartiality. In examining our ccmi- 
 sciences, we must proceed with the same severity that one would 
 use when about to investigate the life of his worst enemy. Surli 
 a person proceeds with all exactness and closeness, ovim looking- 
 nothing, scrutinizing everything, defending no weakness, excus- 
 ing no fault. Thus must we do when examining our own lives. 
 We must prove ourselves as if we were standing before (lod's 
 judgment-seat, and as if this confession were to he the last ot our 
 life. Nay, we should use against ourselves the same rigor and 
 
204 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 impartiality with which one day the divine Judge will demand an 
 accounting from us — a rendering an account of every idle word. 
 
 4. According to certain rules. Of these rules, the following 
 are the most important : 
 
 a. Recall to mind the time when you were at your last confes- 
 sion, and a confession that was valid. For if one confessed in- 
 validly the last time, or several times previous, he must overhaul 
 every confession he has made since he made a valid one. 
 
 We must also examine carefully whether, previous to our last 
 confession, we had searched our conscience thoroughly and not 
 superficially and hurriedly; whether in our confession we told 
 everything, and did not, either through carelessness, or design- 
 edly and to spare our shame, conceal any mortal sin ; whether 
 we had true contrition, with a firm purpose of amendment and a 
 determination to make satisfaction, so that all the requirements 
 for a good confession were fulfilled. If this were not done, and 
 we do not repeat every confession all the way back to our last 
 valid confession, then the confession we are about to make will 
 be also null and void. 
 
 b. We must recall whether we have discharged faithfully the 
 penances imposed upon us by our confessors. If we had not at 
 least the good will to do our penance, then that confession was 
 useless. If we had the intention to do it, and then afterwards 
 through culpable negligence failed to do it, then although the 
 confession was not invalid, yet we committed a grave sin, and 
 thereby deprived ourselves of many previous graces. 
 
 c. If we were not absolved in our last confession, the priest 
 having either denied us absolution or deferred it to a given time, 
 that fact must be told in the very beginning of the confession, 
 adding whether we returned to confession at the time appointed, 
 or whether we failed to come, and the reason for not coming. 
 Furthermore, we must tell whether we did what our confessor 
 prescribed, and what means we employed to amend our life. 
 This sin from which we were not absolved must be treated sepa- 
 rately from other sins. 
 
 d. Then we examine our conscience : i. On the ten command- 
 ments of God ; 2. On the six precepts of the Church ; 3. On the 
 different kinds of sin ; 4. On the duties of our state of life. 
 
 e. We may, and it is recommended to do so, make use of a table 
 of sins ; but we must not forget that hardly any one such table 
 contains all on which each individual should examine himself 
 according to his particular circumstances. We must not suppose 
 
PENANCE. 
 
 205 
 
 'something to be not a sin because it is not laid down in the table, 
 although our conscience suspects it. Such we must reveal to our 
 confessor, and abide by his decision. 
 
 This examination of conscience before confession can be spe- 
 cially lightened by the following methods: i, by a daily exami- 
 nation ; 2, by frequent confession. 
 
 Whosoever examines his conscience every night before retir- 
 ing, reviewing his thoughts, words, works, and omissions, will 
 certainly have little trouble in examining his conscience for con- 
 fession. 
 
 On the other hand, the Christian who contents himself with 
 examining his conscience for confession only will find his soul a 
 vineyard run wild. A heart that is searched and purified every 
 day gradually becomes unable to tolerate any uncleanness. As in 
 a garden which the gardener attends to regularly every day no 
 weeds can thrive, so no anger, envy, impatience, or other evil 
 habit can strike deep root in our heart if it is examined every 
 day. 
 
 By frequent confession too, we can lighten our examinations 
 of conscience ; for he who confesses often will examine his con- 
 science often, and what one does often soon becomes easy. 
 
 A diligent examination of conscience is a source of much con- 
 solation ; for it makes us easy about previous confessions. A 
 careless examination brings in later years unrest and qualms of 
 conscience ; and even though a general confession has settled all 
 doubts about previous confessions, there still lingers much spirit- 
 ual uneasiness. 
 
 I^EFLiHCTIOfl. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 HOU lightest my lamp, O Lord. O my God, 
 enlighten my darkness" (Psalm xvii. 29). "I 
 meditated in the night with my own lieart, and 
 I was exercised, and I swept my spirit " (Psalm 
 Ixxvi. 7). " The wisdom of a discreet man is tt) 
 understand his way " (Proverbs xiv. S). "Try 
 your own selves if you be in the faitii : prove ye 
 
 .et every one prove 
 (Gal. vi. 4). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 " The judgment-seat is in lliy own soul, (iod is tlir ju(li;i\ tliy 
 conscience is the complainant, and internal anguisii tiiy penalty" 
 
 1^^ your own selves if you be m tli 
 1^ yourselves" (II. Cor. xiii. 5). " L( 
 ' his own work" (Gal. vi. 4). 
 
2o6 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 (St. Augustine). "Ascend the judgment-seat of thy own heart 
 against thyself, and declare thyself guilty" (The Same). "Let 
 no man plead ignorance. We have a director — conscience " (St. 
 Chrysostom). " The grace of repentance does not enter a soul 
 before the latter has sketched out and vividly painted before its 
 vision a true picture of its gross uncleanness " (St. Gregory). 
 " The whole perfection of men consists in knowing how imper- 
 fect they are " (St. Jerome). "Without a sound self-knowledge 
 we cannot be just or happy" (St. Bernard). "Conscience re- 
 proaches us for the past, accuses the present, and trembles for 
 the future " (St. Bonaventure). 
 
 COMPARISONS. 
 
 St. Ephrem compares the Christian to a good business man, 
 who, while carrying on his business, wishes at the same time to 
 be certain whether he has gained or lost. He says : " The indus- 
 trious business man bestows no little care on his account-book, 
 seeking always to be well informed about the condition of his 
 affairs. When he perceives that he has suffered a loss and is in 
 danger of further detriment, he hastens to repair the defect. 
 Should not you, O Christian, imitate this cautious man of busi- 
 ness, since the business of your soul is so much more important, 
 and the question is about eternal loss or eternal gain?" Thus 
 the account-book of the Christian is his conscience, as St. ChryS*- 
 ostom aptly says : " Conscience is a book in which one's sins are 
 daily written down." Examine this book every day, and when 
 you find a debt liquidate it by the second Baptism ; for we have 
 two baptisms — a baptism of water and a baptism of tears, the 
 Holy Sacrament of Penance. 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 
 The Young Hermit and His Preceptor. 
 
 A young hermit said to his tutor: "It seems to me, father, 
 that I am virtuous and pleasing in the eyes of God." " Ah," 
 replied the venerable man, " he who does not know his sins im- 
 agines that he is good ; but he who remembers the sins he has 
 committed is always of a far different opinion." 
 
 The Sin Register. 
 
 St. Climachus tells us that the ancient monks of the desert 
 used to examine their consciences with the closest scrutiny and 
 Strictest impartiality. They wore a penance girdle, on which 
 
PENANCE. 
 
 207 
 
 each one wrote, as if in a day-book of sin, every thought, 
 every fault, even the smallest imperfection, in order to be thus 
 able to accuse himself in confession without any palliation or 
 self-love. 
 
 St. Francis Borgia. 
 
 St. Francis Borgia spent two hours every day in studying his 
 disposition and seeking to know himself. By means of this salu- 
 tary practice, he came to have such a poor opinion of himself 
 that he was astonished not to find himself despised, ridiculed, 
 and abused by everybody. He thus became a model of humility. 
 
 For Persons who have Nothing to Confess. 
 
 There was once a distinguished lady who went often to con- 
 fession, and consequently was very much at her ease, as if she 
 had no sin on her soul. St. Margaret of Cortona, who used to 
 pray most fervently for this lady, received from the Lord a com- 
 mission to communicate the following suggestions to her confes- 
 sor, that he might place them before his penitent, and thus guide 
 her to a heartfelt and penitential confession. The suggestions 
 were: that prior to her marriage she had been frivolous and not 
 altogether modest ; that at the time of her marriage she adorned 
 herself extravagantly, taking little or no pleasure in the things 
 of God ; that during her married life many things took place 
 that were unbecoming her state of life, and this even on festi- 
 vals of the Church ; that in a certain lawsuit with one of her 
 acquaintances, she would have gladly brought about an unfair 
 decision ; that when she went out she wished to appear more 
 beautiful than other women ; that she pretended to be friendly 
 to the members of her household, while she found fault with 
 them behind their backs ; that she loved no one but her husband 
 and her sons, and these to an excess ; that she never had a true 
 solid contrition for all her sins, and even in the holiest season 
 performed her devotions tepidly ; that her fasts were devoid of 
 meritorious intention ; that she was too fond of good food and 
 gave luxurious and ostentatious banquets ; that she was not free- 
 handed in her almsgiving, and looked for worldly reward for 
 what slie did give ; that she arrayed herself in costly attire, and 
 had no concern for those who had to toil in nakedness and cold ; 
 that she was imperative and overbearing towards her house- 
 hold ; that she sj^oke ill of otluMS hcliiiui their hark, disparaging 
 tlieir g(K)d qualities, and censniing their every motion, and re- 
 joicing at their discomfiture ; that, instead of regretting tiie evil 
 
208 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 ways of others, she found satisfaction in retailing them among 
 neighbors ; that she was agreeable and flattering to persons 
 whom she afterward ridiculed in their absence ; that she was cove- 
 tous and greedy for good things ; that in church she did not fix 
 her heart on God, but permitted her thoughts to dwell on earthly 
 things; that she censured the service and sermon ; that she did 
 not serve God with pure motives ; that she took pleasure in look- 
 ing at herself in the glass, and envied the good appearance of 
 other women ; that she exaggerated her own slight trials, and 
 belittled the heavy afflictions of others, and had no compassion 
 for them ; that she was proud and shunned the simple and 
 lowly. 
 
 Christian reader, among all these offences have you found 
 any that are yours, and that you have neglected in confession ? 
 Be more careful in future to discover everything evil that may lie 
 hidden away in some remote corner of your soul : for if we judge 
 ourselves, we shall not be judged by God. Inquire of your 
 friends and acquaintances what they see reprehensible in your 
 life. Ask yourself if there be not foundation for the fault people 
 find with you, and which you attribute to their want of charity. 
 What thoughts distract you in prayer and at church ? "What is 
 your darling wish ? What do you fear the m^ost ? 
 
 It may be that while you have committed no grievous sin, 
 your conscience is laden down with petty offences, faults, and 
 imperfections, such as the self-deceived widow lady described 
 above carried about with her under an appearance of great good- 
 ness. Think seriously about them, and confess them without 
 unnecessary delay. A cargo of millstones may not sink the ship, 
 but an overload of grains of corn may easily and most unex- 
 pectedly take her to the bottom of the sea. 
 
PENANCE. 
 
 209 
 
 Contrition, 
 
 I^STl^UCTIOl^. 
 
 HE second quality indispensably necessary to 
 the Sacrament of Penance is contrition. 
 
 Contrition consists in an inward sorrow that 
 we experience in our hearts because we have 
 offended God, joined with a hatred for our past 
 sins. 
 There are several kinds of sorrow. But not every 
 sorrow is effective before God, nor calculated to ob- 
 tain grace and pardon. 
 
 Hence it is very necessary to know the qualities of the true 
 sorrow that is effective in the eyes of God. They are the follow- 
 ing : 
 
 1. Contrition must be internal; that is to say, we must not 
 only regret our sins with our lips, but also with our hearts, as 
 the greatest evils, and wish we had never committed them. 
 
 To merely say, I am sorry, is not contrition. Nor is it always 
 a true sign of contrition when we shed tears. Striking the 
 breast is not contrition. These are merely externals. Internal 
 sorrow is required. 
 
 To such internal sorrow we are exhorted by the prophet Joel 
 (xi. 13), who cries out, " Rend your hearts, and not your garments." 
 David assures us that internal sorrow is available in the eyes of 
 God : " A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit ; a contrite and 
 humble heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise " (Psalm 1. 19). 
 
 2. Contrition must be universal ; that is to say, we must be 
 sorry for all the sins we have committed. Were a sinner to be 
 sorry for all his other grievous sins and not renounce one, — for 
 instance, if he failed to abhor some pet passion, — his confession 
 would be invalid because of defective contrition. For we read in 
 Ezecliiel xviii. 21, " If the wicked do penance for all his sins, and 
 keep all My commandments, he sliall live, and shall not die." 
 
 Even if we have only venial sins to confess, we inust liave 
 true contrition for at least one of them, otherwise our roiift'ssion 
 is invalid. 
 
 3. Contrition must be sovereign ; that is io say. nothing 
 should give us more sorrow than to have offondtMl God an<l (ov- 
 feited Ilis grace and love. We must have for our sins suih an 
 
216 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 abhorrence as to hate them more than any other evil, and be 
 ready to suffer everything and to lose everything rather than 
 commit one sin. If this be not the case, our renunciation of the 
 world and our return to God would be incomplete. We would 
 be hankering after some creature that we prefer to God. 
 
 The Contrition of Petf.r. 
 
 4. Finally, contrition must be supernatural ; that is to say, we 
 must be sorry for our sins, not on account of their natural results, 
 but from supernatural reasons, because we have offended God, 
 lost His grace, and deserved hell. If we bewail our sins only 
 
PENANCE. 211 
 
 because they bring us trouble, or involve us in temporal losses 
 and disgrace, such would be mere natural sorrow. 
 
 For example, a young woman who would be sorry for having 
 yielded to the allurements of impurity, simply because her sin 
 was about to become publicly known, and she herself was to be 
 disgraced, or because her father was about to drive her from the 
 house, or because she lost her chances of a good marriage, would 
 not have true supernatural contrition. A servant who would be 
 sorry for his infidelity to his employer because he was going to 
 lose a good place with good wages would not have supernatural 
 contrition. A drunkard who is sorry for his excesses because he 
 has spent his money, a victim of lust because he has injured his 
 health, would not have supernatural contrition. It is simply 
 natural to be sorry for temporal misfortunes. 
 
 Holy Scripture teaches plainly that mere natural sorrow 
 avails nothing before God. Antiochus Epiphanus, king of Syria, 
 cruelly persecuted the Jews who were true to their belief. He 
 stole the treasures of the temple at Jerusalem, and even ordered 
 an idol to be set up in the sanctuary of the living God to be 
 adored by the people. One day he was put to flight by his 
 enemies. Deeply enraged, he sought to wreak vengeance on the 
 Jews, and declared, " I will lay Jerusalem in ruins, and leave its 
 inhabitants a heap of dead bodies." Hardly were the words out 
 of his mouth when God struck him with illness. A burning 
 pain raged in his bowels, worms gnawed at his vitals, his flesh 
 fell from his bones, and an intolerable stench was emitted from 
 his whole person. Then he began to be sorry for all the afflic- 
 tions he had brought upon the Jews. In his grief he even 
 promised to become a Jew, and to preach everywhere the power 
 of the true God. But all this sorrow was merely a worldly one. 
 It arose from his bodily sufferings and temporal losses, and 
 availed him naught before God. The Holy Scripture says, 
 "Then this wicked man prayed to the Lord, of Whom he was not 
 to obtain mercy " (II. Mach. ix. 13). 
 
 Supernatural sorrow is either perfect or imperfect. 
 
 Supernatural sorrow is perfect when it arises from [HMtcct 
 love for God : when we lament and abhor our sins, because by 
 them we have offended God, the eternal love, tlie source (^f all 
 goodness, the only beauty, the only supreme good — evtMi if tluMc 
 were no heaven or hell, reward or punishment. 
 
 Supernatural sorrow is imperfect when, .-iltlioiiL;li arising 
 from supernatural motives — such, for example, as a desire for 
 
212 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 eternal happiness, fear of the punishment of hell, hatred and 
 horror of sin — yet is not from perfect love for God as the su- 
 preme and most amiable good. 
 
 According to the teaching of the Church, we must labor to 
 have always perfect contrition ; because the more perfect it is, 
 the more meritorious it is and pleasing to God, and the more 
 certain it is to secure our pardon. However, in our human im- 
 perfection, supernatural imperfect contrition is sufficient to the 
 validity of our confession and the forgiveness of our sins. 
 
 On the other hand, the Fathers of the Church teach that 
 an imperfect supernatural contrition, without the reception of 
 the holy Sacrament of PeHance, is not sufficient for the remission 
 of sins. 
 
 Thus when a Christian is about to die in some sudden and un- 
 expected calamity, without being able to get the attendance of a 
 priest, he could still obtain pardon for his sins through perfect 
 supernatural contrition ; but with imperfect he could not. 
 
 We all know how difficult and rare it is to get up a perfect 
 supernatural contrition, even when we are in circumstances the 
 most favorable for that purpose. How, then, at the very moment 
 of death, when the sinner's soul is beset with anxieties and his 
 mind with perplexities, can he hope to arouse within him such 
 perfect contrition ? It is therefore unpardonable for a sick per- 
 son or his attendants to neglect sending in time for a priest, be- 
 cause they foolishly suppose that the good-will of the patient to 
 confess and his perfect contrition will secure his salvation. 
 
 In order to awaken a true supernatural contrition we need 
 the divine assistance. Hence we must often pray earnestly for it. 
 At the same time we must stimulate our hearts to contrition by 
 salutary meditation on such subjects as the Passion, the ineffable 
 love of Jesus towards us, as well as our owm wickedness and in- 
 gratitude towards Him. 
 
 In conclusion we may remark that in the Sacrament of Pen- 
 ance the penitent must stir up his contrition before confession, 
 or at the latest before the absolution of the priest. Without 
 contrition the absolution would be null and void. When away 
 from the sacrament, we should awaken contrition: i, whenever 
 there is danger of death ; 2, whenever any great misfortune 
 befalls us, or when we commit sin and cannot go to confession, 
 for while we are in mortal sin we are deprived of God's grace 
 and friendship. 
 
PENANCE. 
 
 213 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 ND 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" (Deut. iv. 29). *' O Lord, be 
 Thou merciful to me: heal my soul, for I 
 have sinned against Thee " (Psalm xl. 5). '' I 
 have acknowledged my sin to Thee, and my 
 injustice I have not concealed " (Psalm xxxi. 
 5). "There is no peace for my bones, because of my sins" 
 (xxxvii. 4). " I am turned in my anguish, while the thorn is 
 fastened " (Psalm xxxi. 4). "Be converted to Me with all your 
 heart, and rend your hearts and not your garments, and turn to 
 the Lord your God " (Joel ii. 12, 13). "I will recount to Thee 
 all my years in the bitterness of my soul" (Isaias xxxviii. 15). 
 "The sorrow that is according to God worketh penance stead- 
 fast unto salvation ; but the sorrow of the world worketh death" 
 (IL Cor. vii. 10). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 "It is only hatred for sin and love for God that produces a 
 safe contrition. When thou art so sorry for thy sins that what 
 formerly gave thee joy and pleasure now causes bitterness in 
 thy soul, and that which formerly delighted thee now martyrs 
 thee beyond expression, then thy sighs before God are genuine, 
 then thou canst say with truth : * Against thee only have I sinned, 
 O Lord '" (St. Augustine). "No one chooses a new life if he do 
 not regret the old one" (The Same). "It is not enough to 
 change one's life, and to lead a pious one and to keep one's self 
 away from evil, if one render no satisfaction to God for past sins 
 by the sorrows of penance, tlie groans of a humiliated soul, tlic 
 sacrifice of a crushed heart and almsgiving " (The Same). " Con- 
 trition must be a good movement of the lieart : now there is no 
 such good movement that does not arise from the love infused 
 into our hearts by the Holy Ghost" (St. Prosper). "We must 
 not suppose that God has forgiven our sins as soon as we stop 
 committing them, if we do not purify ourselves more and more 
 by our tears : just as he who ceases to write does not erase what 
 he has already written, although he may write nothing new " 
 (St. Gregory). "Genuine contrition is altogether a special gilt 
 
214 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 of God, and exceeds our own resources and strength. Therefore 
 should we implore the heavenly Samaritan for help, that He 
 would come down in His mercy, pour first into the wounds of 
 our heart the smarting but wholesome wine of grief, and then 
 the soothing oil of confidence, and afterwards lead us into the 
 inn for the wanderers, namely, the confessional, and give us up 
 to be healed and cured by His representative, the father con- 
 fessor " (St. Ambrose). " Penitential tears are the wine of angels. 
 As wine gladdens the heart of men, so penitential tears rejoice 
 the angels " (St. Bernard). " The tears of a penitent are powerful 
 words ; for while it is true that penitential prayers move God to 
 forgiveness, penitential tears force Him " (St. Jerome). 
 
 A COnPARISON. 
 
 When the fertilizer is spread on the proper place, it makes 
 fruitfulness. When it is gathered into one spot, it makes it un- 
 wholesome. For example, wherever I find a sorrowing person, 
 I perceive a fertilizer. I inquire about the place. Tell me, 
 friend, why are you sorrowing? He replies : I have lost money. 
 Then the place is unsuitable, and consequently unwholesome. 
 No fruitfulness is effected. Let him hear the Apostle : "Worldly 
 sorrow 'produceth death." I see another who is sighing and 
 praying. Here I discover a fertilizer, and inquire about the 
 place, listen to his prayer, and hear him say : Lord, have pity on 
 me, make whole my soul ; for I have sinned against Thee. He 
 groans for his sins. Here I discover a field and expect fruitful- 
 ness. Thanks be to God. The fertilizer has been spread in a 
 fitting place. It lies there not in vain ; it will bring forth fruit. 
 A sorrow that is pleasing to God produces penance unto certain 
 salvation. What is more unpleasant than a manured field ! 
 Formerly it was more beautiful. It was made unpleasant that 
 it might become fruitful. 
 
 A PARABLE. 
 
 A good father had five children. It was the fondest wish of 
 his heart to bring them up properly and make them happy. For 
 this purpose he omitted nothing, and no sacrifice was too great 
 for him. But these children were of different tempers and dispo- 
 sitions. One of them was quite degenerate, rude, and vicious, 
 without either love or fear towards his father. The latter might 
 caution, advise, threaten, punish ; whether he commanded or 
 forbade, or granted the child favors, the child paid not the 
 
PENANCE. 
 
 21^ 
 
 slightest attention, but did as he pleased, even if it displeased 
 his father, A second child, too, was without any love for his 
 parent, and he would do nothing to please him. But he feared 
 punishment, and this compelled submission, though only when 
 there was danger of punishment. When from under the eyes of 
 his father, and there was nothing to fear, he paid no regard to 
 precept or prohibition, but did as he liked. The third child had 
 not quite so evil a disposition. He had some affection for his 
 father, and complied with his wishes, but only in matters where 
 obedience cost him but little self-denial. If the father ordered 
 anything that interfered with the child's passions, love softened 
 their violence somewhat. But he would sacrifice duty to follow 
 his ruling tendency. The fourth child had a far better heart. 
 He loved his father dearly and sincerely. Indeed his filial love 
 was such that he placed his father's wishes before and above all 
 things else. But yet his love was wanting in one respect. True, 
 he did the will of his father ; but sometimes a spirit of opposition 
 was perceptible, which made obedience so difficult that fear of 
 his father's anger became necessary to compel compliance. The 
 thought, " This will displease and offend a fond father," would 
 not have been sufficient to make him do his duty, if he did not 
 fear to vex his father and bring punishment on himself. For love 
 for his father had not reached that high degree which is ordina- 
 rily sufficient to overcome all hindrances and temptations. Fear 
 underlay his love, and so he was always obedient. The fifth 
 child had a perfect love for his father. He loved him more than 
 anything else, and loved him alone. Everything else was indif- 
 ferent to him. He thought of nothing else than to please and 
 gratify his father and make him happy by ever giving him new 
 proofs of his obedience. 
 
 What I relate here of the father and his children is no fiction, 
 but a true story that is recognized by us all. As our divine 
 Saviour has so often said to us : God is our Fatlier and the 
 Father of all men. But we shall speak only of sucli children as 
 He has made His own, and who are to be found in the Churcli, 
 which is the Father's house. There are, sad to say, many evil- 
 disposed children who neither love nor fear God. OiIums, by 
 reason of the fear of hell which faith gives tlieni, iwc inlluenced 
 by motives of fear, and desist from evil deeds, 'i'lu-sc have the 
 minds of slaves and not the hearts of children. With cuIums this 
 fear forms tlie basis of a love of justice and of a tendency toward 
 God. But this love is usually so feeble that it seldom produces 
 
2l6 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 more than fruitless intentions, and leaves the heart still under 
 the dominion of passion. Then, again, there are others who are 
 devoted to God with a more perfect love. Their love for God is 
 stronger than their love for creatures, but it is as yet imperfect. 
 For when called upon to prefer God's will to everything else, 
 and to walk strictly in the paths of His commandments, it costs 
 them a great effort and struggle ; while to save them from yield- 
 ing to temptation it is necessary to frequently warn and arouse 
 
 them through 
 the fear of 
 hell fire. In 
 a word, love 
 for God has 
 a prominent 
 place in their 
 hearts, yet it 
 is not perfect. 
 For it is sur- 
 rounded by 
 so many 
 worldly incli- 
 nations, and 
 although it 
 may hold 
 them in sub- 
 jection, it has 
 not the power 
 over them 
 sufficient to 
 crush them or 
 drive them 
 from the heart 
 and soul. The 
 last are those 
 who possess a 
 perfect love, 
 as far as it is 
 possible in 
 this world. 
 The differ- 
 ence between those persons who have only an imperfect love, 
 or one tainted with fear, and those who have a perfect love, 
 
 The Holy Penitent Mary Magdalene. 
 
PENANCE. 
 
 217 
 
 is this : the former love God above all things, the latter 
 love God only in this sense, namely, that whatever they do love 
 beside Him, they love in Him and for Him only ; that is, they 
 love Him in everything. The former go forward on the right 
 path, but with effort and difficulty; while the latter run forward 
 with energy and enthusiasm. The former bear evils and misfor- 
 tunes patiently and in a spirit of penance, the latter find in these 
 their joy and happiness. The former have a desire for the other 
 life, though they are not wearied with this one. They are ready 
 to leave it v^henever God pleases to call them, for they are sub- 
 missive to His will. But the natural sentiments that live in them 
 prevent them from being in a hurry to give up this life for the 
 next. The last, filled with longing to be united to God for all 
 eternity, and feeling that their sojourn here below is a painful 
 separation from Him, pray and sigh for the moment when their 
 souls shall be set free. While bearing earthly life with patience, 
 they accept death with satisfaction and even pleasure. It was 
 thus that the apostles loved their heavenly Father ; the martyrs, 
 too, and the saints — all were perfect in such love. This love has 
 no taint of slavish fear, but shows the salutary fear of a child to 
 be separated from its father. 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 Contrition for Venial Sins. 
 
 St. Paula, an illustrious widow lady of Rome, always wept 
 bitterly over even the slightest venial sin. Her tears flowed so 
 unceasingly as to give rise to fears that she would lose her eye- 
 sight, as St. Jerome tells us. She used to spread her penitential 
 garb on the earth and sleep on it, although she had first passed 
 nearly the whole night in prayer. When told that she should 
 cease weeping and take care of her looks, she replied : " It is right 
 that I should disfigure my face now, for formerly I used to jxiint 
 it ; it is proper that I should now chastise my body, for formerly 
 I indulged it too much. It is but right that I should strive to 
 make good with tears all the sin I occasioned by my frivcWons 
 behavior and conversation, and that coarse penitential garments 
 should replace my fine silks and linens. Formerly I loved the 
 world, now I must endeavor to please my Saviour." 
 
2l8 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 A Sinner's Contrition and Consolation. 
 
 St. Gregory, in his explanation of the parable of the ten drach- 
 mas, relates the following history: There lived in our country one 
 Victorinus, a man of some standing and of considerable wealth. 
 Now, as sin usually finds its way to where riches abound, Vic- 
 torinus yielded to temptation and contracted a vicious habit. He 
 soon realized the evil he was doing, became exceedingly contrite, 
 arose from his unhappy state of sinfulness, gave away all his 
 treasures, and entered a monastery. At once he became to all 
 his brethren such a model of humility and resignation that, al- 
 though they had already made great progress in the love of God, 
 their virtues seemed insignificant when they witnessed Victorinus' 
 penitential life. For he labored with all the powers of his soul 
 to crucify his flesh, to break his own will, to seclude himself in 
 prayer and meditation, to offer himself up daily in tears of sorrow, 
 to think but little of himself, and to shun all the honors that his 
 fellow-religious would confer upon him. Every night, before the 
 latter would assemble for their devotions, he would anticipate and 
 perform his alone first, and then join the others. The mountain 
 on which the monastery stood rose on one side to a great height, 
 where the solitude became intense. Up this lonely height the 
 penitent would repair every day to say his prayers alone, and there, 
 away from the gaze of all, offer himself to God amid copious 
 tears of repentance. When he thought of the severity of future 
 judgment, he would anticipate its terrors by lashing himself 
 severely. One night the abbot watched him, and seeing him 
 quietly leave the convent, followed him at a short distance unper- 
 ceived. Soon he saw the penitent throw himself on his knees and 
 begin to pray. After a few minutes a ray of light seemed to come 
 down suddenly from heaven, and sitting upon the prayerful 
 monk, lit up the whole vicinity. The abbot, deeply affected, 
 hurried back to the monastery, and when, about an hour later, 
 just in time for the regular exercise of devotions, Victorinus re- 
 turned, the abbot, anxious to know whether he had been con- 
 scious of the strange light, asked the monk where he had been. 
 The latter said quietly that he had been strolling in the woods. 
 Then the abbot ordered him to tell what had happened. When 
 Victorinus saw that he was discovered, he related his whole life 
 to the abbot, adding : '^ When you saw the light shining upon me 
 I heard a voice saying, ' Thy sins are forgiven thee.' " It is true 
 that Almighty God could have forgiven him his sins without let- 
 ting him know it- But he chose to do it in this extraordinary 
 
PENANCE. 
 
 219 
 
 mann-er, in order to give a proof of His great mercy, and thereby 
 move the hearts of men to repentance. 
 
 iftrm purpose of Hmenbment 
 
 IfiSTJ^lJCTIOfl. 
 
 ^^S) ONTRITION, to be true and genuine, must ne- 
 
 ^ ^^ cessarily contain a firm purpose of amendment, 
 
 that is to say, an earnest and upright intention 
 
 to better our lives, and to avoid all sin and 
 
 every occasion of it. 
 
 Without a sincere intention of amendment 
 there is no true contrition. For although we 
 may even curse a sin, yet if we have at the 
 same time a willingness to commit that same 
 sin at the next opportunity, our abhorrence of the sin is only 
 pretence and hypocrisy. 
 
 A purpose of amendment is firm and^true only when it is (i) 
 inward and earnest, (2) general and actual. 
 
 A purpose of amendment is inward and earnest when we not 
 only promise amendment, but also are firmly resolved in our 
 hearts to hate sin and flee from it for evermore, preferring to sac- 
 rifice all that is near and dear to us on earth, to suffer all things, 
 even death itself, rather than offend God willingly by the com- 
 mission of one single sin. Neither the enticements of the world, 
 nor the lusts of the flesh, nor the assaults of the devil should 
 move us to unfaithfulness to God. We should be able to say 
 with St. Paul : *' Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor princi- 
 palities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor 
 might, nor height, nor depth, shall be able to separate us from 
 the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus Our Lord ' (Romans 
 
 viii. 38, 39). 
 
 Our firm purpose of amendment is general when we are fully 
 resolved to avoid all sins without any exception, and every occa- 
 sion of sin ; that is, to shun everything and every place that had 
 often led to our fall, and which could still easily lead us into a 
 repetition of our sin. 
 
 If we would have our purpose to be general, wc must be ic- 
 solved to avoid all sins, but most certainly mortal sins ; foi lien- 
 are applicable the words of the apostle St. James : " Wiiosocver 
 
220 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 shall keep the whole law, but offend in ofie point, is become guilty 
 of all" (St. James ii. lo). 
 
 Regarding the occasion of sin, it is necessary first of all to 
 know what is an occasion dangerous unto evil. 
 
 Everything constitutes a dangerous occasion for a man which 
 generally, or according to his personal weakness, induces him to 
 sin, and exercises over him so powerful an influence that it can 
 lead to his fall. To such occasions belong the reading of bad 
 books, the frequenting of immodest spectacles, intercourse with 
 wicked persons, familiarity with persons of the opposite sex, 
 visits in doubtful society, and plays that excite the passions. 
 Such occasions must be avoided by the Christian. His duty to 
 his soul's salvation demands it, for he cannot in conscience ex- 
 pose it to danger. He that loveth danger shall perish therein. 
 
 On the other hand, there are circumstances which are dan- 
 gerous occasions of sin for some, but not for others. Thus, for 
 example, the military life, the medical profession, the duties of a 
 confessor, the business of a lawyer, are in themselves good and 
 laudable, yet for some they offer very dangerous temptations. 
 He who is indifferent to the service of God will be indifferent as 
 a soldier. He who is subject to temptations against purity will 
 but increase such temptations in pursuing the duties of a physi- 
 cian. He who is influenced by the fear of men will by too much 
 lenience in the confessional lead others and himself astray. He 
 who is subject to avarice runs great risk of temptation when he 
 undertakes wicked causes for the sake of the pay. Each one then 
 must be sure to prove his powers of resistance, and take counsel 
 with his father confessor as to whether he can live in certain 
 conditions without danger of sin, or whether he must refrain 
 from such circumstances, because they would become to him a 
 dangerous occasion. 
 
 The dangerous occasion becomes a proximate occasion when 
 it can be shown and is evident that a person cannot withstand its 
 influence and has already too often yielded. These proximate 
 occasions are to be at once shunned or driven away, if our pur- 
 pose of amendment is to be a firm purpose. If the penitent do 
 not do this, he must not expect absolution from his confessor. 
 
 In regard to proximate occasions, the following rules are 
 important : 
 
 a. In order to constitute a proximate occasion of sin, it is not 
 necessary that the person should have already been led astray by 
 it every time he got into it. It is enough if he have fallen once or 
 
PENANCE. 221 
 
 twice. This is proof sufficient that it is a severe temptation for 
 him, and that he must not expect to escape if he meet it again. 
 
 b. If one can avoid a proximate occasion of sin, he must resolve 
 to do so, and promise it at confession, in order to be absolved. 
 For instance, if a man knows from experience that when he visits 
 a public-house he is in danger of getting drunk, or that as often 
 as he joins in certain company he is in danger of giving his assent 
 to impious, irreligious, or unchaste conversation, or if he take 
 part in a certain play, he is in danger of becoming angry and of 
 cursing and swearing. A young man and a young woman are 
 acquainted, and know that they experience temptation, or that 
 one of them does, when in each other's company. These are 
 proximate occasions of sin, yet they can be, and indeed must be, 
 avoided. These persons are bound to shun the public-house, the 
 dangerous company, the lascivious theatres. They must promise 
 this to themselves and to their father confessor. If they make tlie 
 promise required by their confessor, and yet have the intention of 
 again going to such places and company, their absolution is 
 worthless. 
 
 c. On the other hand, there are proximate occasions of sin 
 which one can not only avoid, but must remove altogether. For 
 instance, if a person were so blind as to keep in his house another 
 for whom he has an illicit love. This occasion the sinner cannot 
 avoid ; hence it is not sufficient to promise that he will not com- 
 mit the sin again, for he has found by sad experience that the 
 power of temptation will overcome his good resolutions. Such 
 a proximate occasion must be removed altogetlier, and the peni- 
 tent should not wonder if his confessor withhold absolution till 
 the other party be removed from the house and put out of harm's 
 way. If he did otherwise, he would commit a grievous sin, and 
 imperil both his own soul and that of his penitent. A confessor 
 must not be found fault with for his solicitude as well for the 
 safety of his penitent's soul and for the sacred ness of tlie sacra- 
 ment. 
 
 d. Again, there are some proximate occasions that can neither 
 be avoided nor removed. Thus it often happens that a hushaiul 
 is a cause of temptation for his wife. Now the wife cannot slum 
 her husband, nor break off her relations with liiin. In sueli 
 cases tlie confessing parties must abide by the directions ot' their 
 confessor. 
 
 A pnrpose of amendment is realized when an iinprovemeiit 
 takes place in the Christian's life. "A man is a nuukei and no 
 
222 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 penitent," says St. Isidore, Archbishop of Seville, " when he con- 
 tinues to do evil for w^hich he has shown sorrow." 
 
 In order that our firm purpose of amendment be efficient, 
 we must use all necessary means. These means are threefold, 
 namely : 
 
 a. The means that remedy our weakness. To these belong 
 the frequent reception of the sacraments, and the exercises of 
 penance. 
 
 b. The means that maintain within us a hatred for sin. To 
 these belong the consideration of sin, of the four last things, of 
 the method of awakening contrition, a solemn review of the past 
 sins of our lives, the remembrance of the misery they entail upon 
 our souls. 
 
 c. The means that encourage within us a love of justice. To 
 these belong the contemplation of the infinite beauty, lovable- 
 ness, and goodness of God, the thoughts on the beauty of the 
 different virtues and of the happiness they produce, on the crown 
 in store for us, on the happiness of the saints, and many more. 
 
 By using these means the sinner will be saved from relapse, 
 and will gather the fruits of the Sacrament of Penance, instead 
 of confessing uselessly. 
 
 l^HFIiHCTIO^. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 HAVE sworn and am determined to keep the 
 judgments of Thy justice" (Ps. cxviii. io6). 
 " The sluggard willeth and willeth not " (Prov. 
 xiii. 4). " No man putting his hand to the plough, 
 and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God " 
 (Luke ix. 62). " Go, and now sin no more " (John 
 viii. 11). '' Behold thou art made whole: sin 
 no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee " 
 (John V. 14). " If thy hand scandalize thee, cut it off : it is 
 better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two 
 hands to go into hell, into unquenchable fire" (Mark ix. 42). 
 "Watch ye and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. The 
 spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. xxvi. 41). 
 "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, do manfully, and be strength- 
 ened " (I. Cor. xvi. 13). 
 
PENANCE. 
 
 223 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 ''When your penance is of such a nature that what was for- 
 merly sweet to you is now bitter, and what once pleased your 
 body is now hateful to your soul, then are thy mournings sincere 
 before God " (St. Ambrose). " I was disgusted at my absurd re- 
 pugnance to yield myself to Thy will and Thy law, O God ; for 
 all my common-sense urged me to do so, — the more so as no 
 ship, no wagon, nor even my feet, were necessary to travel that 
 road. To go to Thee and to obtain Thee, nothing was required 
 but good will, strong will of the heart, and not a half-way will 
 or a sick one, wavering now one way, now another, standing with 
 one part and falling with another" (St. Augustine). "If thou 
 would conquer sin, flee the occasion " (The Same). "That peni- 
 tent is a mocker who again does what he was sorry for" (The 
 Same). "He is perfectly converted who weeps once for what he 
 has done, and never does it again to be compelled to weep again 
 for it " (St. Gregory). " The thoughts of God shut out all vice " 
 (St. Jerome). " He who will remain on the ice after his fall is 
 not sorry for his fall, neither is he who will not be guided after 
 he has gone astray. The truest sign of repentance is flight from 
 danger, the removal of occasions " (St. Bernard). " Notliing is 
 more disastrous to a good resolution than delay : for delay not 
 only fails to gather new graces, but loses those already gained " 
 (St. Lawrence Justinian). "Our perseverance in virtue is regu- 
 lated by our resolution. He who will increase in true goodness 
 must make many efforts. If even he falls ofien who has made 
 a firm resolution, how will it fare with the man wlio resolves 
 only seldom to mend his life, or resolves feebly?" (Following of 
 Christ.) 
 
 COMPARISONS. 
 
 A firm purpose of amendment is like a stake that the farnuM- 
 ties by a tree to make it grow straight. If the slaki' is slroi)0(«r 
 tliaii the young tree, it will hold the tree; but if il is weaker, then 
 it will bend towards the tree and allow it to i^vow crooked. If 
 your purpose of amendment is stronger than yoiii" jiu'linat ion to 
 sill, the latter will be overpoweri-d ; if weakei, llieii tin- i\'soliit uui 
 comes to naught. 
 
 To Ileal but foui* out of live mortal wouiuls ine.iiis to seek 
 death. So will the soul of that Cliiistian die who d.u-s u.-t e\- 
 ir.\\(\ his (inn purpose! of anieiidinent to all and e\-ei y oiu' of his 
 bins. 
 
 J 
 
224 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 David not only wounded Goliath the giant, but also cut off 
 his head. So we in our confession should not only cast the devil 
 to the ground, but should also cut off his head; that is, we should 
 not allow our sins to revive and regain their strength. 
 
 A firm purpose of amendment flows from true contrition, as 
 light comes from the sun or water from the fountain, 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 From Sacred Scripture. 
 
 The Holy Scripture by countless examples shows how incon- 
 stant and unreliable the human heart is, and how imperatively 
 necessary it is to fly from occasions of sin. 
 
 The descendents of Seth continued to love and fear God till 
 they began to mingle with the descendents of Cain and marry 
 their daughters (Gen. vi. 2). In order to serve his God faith- 
 fully Abraham was compelled to abandon his native land and 
 his kinsfolk (Gen, xii. i). In order that Isaac might be saved 
 God commanded Abraham to drive Agar and her child from 
 the house (Gen. xxi, 10). Dina, the daughter of Jacob, lost 
 her innocence because she went out thoughtlessly to look at the 
 daughters of the land (Gen. xxxiv. i). When the Hebrews adored 
 the golden calf twenty-three thousand of them were slain. Yet 
 this punishment did not restrain that people from idolatry; there- 
 fore Moses was compelled to overturn all the altars of the idols in 
 the land of the enemy, to destroy their images and cut down their 
 forests, and to forbid the Israelites to make friends among the 
 inhabitants (Exod. xxxiv. 12). Nay more ; the Lord gave orders 
 to slay the inhabitants of the promised land, lest they should be 
 the occasion of still further temptation (Deut. xxxiii. 52). We 
 read in the Gospel that St. Matthew when called by Our Lord 
 abandoned his desk at the custom-house, where he used to receive 
 money, and gave up his occupation : "and leaving all things, he 
 rose up and followed Him " (Luke v. 28). On the other hand, 
 St. Peter, who was a fisherman, continued, in accordance with 
 his avocation, to ply his trade, and for this reason : he found in 
 it no temptation that would lead to transgression of Christ's 
 commandments, while St. Matthew saw that his occupation was 
 fraught with danger to his soul. 
 
 The restoration of Lazarus to life is still another striking 
 image, which, if considered in a spiritual sense, shows what the 
 relapsing sinner has to do in order to test the genuineness of his 
 penitential dispositions. 
 
2 26 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 When Our Lord wished to raise Lazarus to life, He first cried 
 out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." Then He ordered 
 the bystanders to take off his grave-clothes, sayino- to them, 
 ''Let Lazarus come forth from the grave." On this the learned 
 Cardinal Hugo remarks : " If Lazarus had retired immediately 
 and laid himself down in the s^rave, it would have been alles^ed 
 that he had not risen from death really and truly. But to go 
 away from the grave was unmistakably a sign of life. So should 
 it be with the repentant sinner. Once he has come forth from 
 the death of sin to new life through the gates of penance, he 
 should never again go back to the tomb of sinfulness, but always 
 amend his life to the best of his power ; for if he really do fall 
 back into his former sins, it is a sign that his firm purpose of 
 amendment was wanting." 
 
 The Darling Idol. 
 
 What St. Sebastian relates of Chromatins, a governor of Rome, 
 is applicable to sinners in view of grievous sins. This governor 
 was ill with an incurable disease. Hearing of the miracles 
 wrought by St. Sebastian, he sent for him, and asked him by 
 what power he accomplished such strange things. Sebastian 
 answered, "I effect them by the power of Jesus Christ for the 
 conversion of sinners," and then began to instruct the sick man 
 in the religion of Christ. Chromatius then said, "* If Jesus Christ 
 would make me well, I would believe in Him." "It shall be 
 done." said Sebastian ; " but first you must destroy all your idols." 
 
 Chromatius promised, but he became more sick than ever. 
 So, sending again for St. Sebastian, he said querulously. Is this 
 the health you promised me if I would do away with my idols ? " 
 "Have you done away with them all?" inquired Sebastian. 
 "Ah," replied the governor, *' I retained only one golden image, 
 that I am very fond of, for it has been a long time in my family." 
 " If," said St. Sebastian, " that image were worth the whole world, 
 you must send it away, and then you will get well." The gover- 
 nor obeyed, and recovered his health. So should we do. Our 
 habitual sin, that darling idol of ours, must be at once dismissed 
 by contrition if we would regain the health of our soul. If the 
 worst sinner do penance for all his sins, he shall live. 
 
PENANCE. 
 
 227 
 
 Confession^ 
 
 IfiSTl^UCTIOfi. 
 
 HE fourth requisite for the Sacrament of Pen- 
 ance is confession. Confession is the open and 
 contrite acknowledgment of all our sins to a 
 regularly authorized priest in order to obtain 
 absolution. 
 
 Among all the doctrines of the Catholic 
 Church none has been so persistently assailed as 
 the doctrine of auricular confession. Hence it is 
 necessary to treat the subject at some length. 
 
 Confession is no human invention : it was ordained by Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 That Christ established auricular confession is clear from His 
 own words addressed to the apostles : " Whose sins you shall for- 
 give, they are forgiven them ; and whose sins you shall retain, 
 they are retained." By the utterance of these words Christ ap- 
 pointed the apostles and their successors judges in His stead 
 over men. But they were to exercise 'their authority rightly and 
 according to justice, absolving the penitent only, and retaining 
 the sins of the impenitent. Now as the apostles and their suc- 
 cessors are not omniscient, so as to know by intuition how they 
 ought to decide, whom they ought to absolve and whom they 
 should not, it follows necessarily that the penitent must in all 
 humility and sorrow reveal his internal life to a priest, — that is, 
 he must confess. 
 
 It is simply absurd for any one to assert that confession is an 
 invention of man. Usually men discover and put forth some- 
 thing that yields them worldly advantage, such as steamboats, 
 railroads, telegraphs, telephones, and other machines of various 
 kinds ; but men do not invent systems to humiliate themselves, 
 in order to lift themselves up to heaven. 
 
 But how could men introduce confession ? Would not the 
 priests liave objected most strenuously to assume sucli a heavy 
 burden as to sit for hours listening to things that vvouhl harass 
 and disgust tlieir very hearts and souls? Wliat would the laity 
 have said wiien first told that they were to reveal their sins to a 
 man ? 
 
228 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 But who invented confession ? Some say Pope Innocent III., 
 in the year 1215. Not at all. This pope, on account of the ever- 
 increasing lukewarmness of Christians, issued a command that 
 " every Catholic should confess at least once a year." But this 
 was not inventing the confessional : it already existed. 
 
 Men have confessed ever since the Church came into exist- 
 ence. 
 
 This is testified to by the Fathers of the Church, from the first 
 century down through all ages. 
 
 In the first century of the Church St. Clement, a disciple and 
 a successor of St. Peter, expressed himself thus : '' Whosoever 
 has a care for his soul, let him not blush to acknowledge his sins 
 to a superior, that he may obtain relief from them and have them 
 healed." Then he adds : '* St. Peter taught that we should re- 
 veal even our thoughts to the priests. As long as we are in this 
 world we wish with our whole heart to be converted, for when 
 we have departed from it we cannot confess any more nor do pen- 
 ance." In the second century Tertullian writes: "Several shirk 
 the declaration of their sins, because they are more solicitous 
 about their honor than their salvation. They are like sick per- 
 sons, who, when they have a secret infirmity, conceal it from the 
 physician, and so destroy themselves. Which is the most impor- 
 tant? To be damned by hiding their sins, or to be saved by de- 
 claring them ? " In the third century Origen, that great light of 
 the Eastern Church, wrote thus : "If we are sorry for our sins, 
 and confess them not only to God, but also to those who can 
 apply a healing remedy, these sins will be forgiven us." In the 
 fourth century St. Basil, who died in the year 378, repeated al- 
 most the same language. "We must thoroughly," he says, " re- 
 veal our sins to those who have received the dispensation of the 
 mysteries of God." St. Athanasius, who died in the year 373, 
 thus expresses himself : ''As the man who is baptized by a priest 
 is enlightened by tiie Holy Ghost, so he who confesses his sins 
 in penance obtains forgiveness through the priests." In the 
 fifth century St. Paulinus, in his Life of St. Ambrose, relates that 
 when any one confessed his faults to the saint, he wept so copi- 
 ously that he made the penitent weep. It seemed as if he him- 
 self had committed the sin, and not the penitent. " However," 
 he adds, " the saint spoke of the sin confessed to him only to 
 God, to whom he interceded for the sinner." In the same cen- 
 tury St. Augustine, who died in the year 430, said : " Let no one 
 say, ' I confess privately to God ; it is sufficient that he who is to 
 
PENANCE. 229 
 
 forgive me should know the sorrow of my heart.' If such were 
 true, then Jesus Christ has said without purpose or meaning, 
 'Whatsoever you loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven/ 
 And for what purpose would He have entrusted the keys to His 
 Church? It is then not sufficient to confess to God : one must 
 confess to those who have received from Him the power to bind 
 and to loose." In the sixth century St. John Climachus expresses 
 himself thus: "It is unheard that the sins revealed in the confes- 
 sional have ever been revealed. God has so ordained in order 
 that sinners may not be deterred from confessing, and thus be 
 deprived of their only hope of salvation." In the seventh cen- 
 tury St. Ansbert, Archbishop of Rouen, was confessor to King 
 Dietrich I, The first council held in Germany, in the year 742, 
 ordered every military commander to provide a chaplain, that 
 the soldiers might be enabled to go to confession. 
 
 In the eighth century St. Martin, a monk of Corbei, discharged 
 the office of confessor to Charles Martel. In the ninth century 
 Charlemagne had for his confessor Hildebrand, Archbishop of 
 Cologne. In the tenth century St. Ulrich, Bishop of Augsburg, 
 heard the confession of the Emperor Otho. In the eleventh cen- 
 tury we see that a priest named Stephen, of the diocese of Orleans, 
 was confessor to Queen Constantia, the devout wife of the pious 
 King Robert. St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, who died 
 in the year 1109, in his homily on the ten lepers thus expresses 
 himself : " Lay open plainly to the priests by an humble confes- 
 sion all the stains of your internal life, that you may be cleansed 
 from them." In another of his works the same doctor says : " As 
 original sin is remitted in baptism, so are personal sins remitted 
 in confession : it is a veritable tribunal. For there are two tri- 
 bunals of God : one is held here below in the confessional ; the 
 other will be held on the last day, at the trial where God will be 
 the judge, the devil the accuser, and man the accused. In the 
 tribunal of confession the priest, as representative of Jesus Christ, 
 is the judge, the penitent is at once the accuser and the criminal, 
 the penance imposed constitutes the penalty." St. Bernard, who 
 died in the year 1153, said to some persons who were tempted to 
 conceal their sins in confession : " Of what avail is it to recount 
 one half of our sins and to suppress the other half ? to cleanse one 
 half of one's self and to soil the other half? Is not everything 
 manifest to the all-seeing eye of God ? What ! you dare to con- 
 ceal something from him who in this great sacrament takes the 
 place of God?" And so the proofs and testimonies go down 
 
230 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 through the 
 ages. 
 
 Except in 
 case of physi- 
 cal or moral 
 impossibility, 
 auricular con- 
 fession is ab- 
 solutely nec- 
 essary to re- 
 conciliation 
 with God in 
 the Sacra- 
 ment of Pen- 
 ance. 
 
 For what 
 purpose has 
 Christ the 
 Lord given 
 power to His 
 disciples and 
 their succes- 
 sors toforgive 
 and retain 
 sins, if it were 
 not His will 
 that the sin- 
 ner should 
 confess his 
 sins? Of 
 
 The Return of the Prodigal Son. 
 
 what avail 
 was it for the 
 apostles and their successors to have the keys ot heaven, if peo- 
 ple can enter there without requiring the services ot the serv- 
 ants to open the gates ? 
 
 Auricular confession is productive of the greatest advantage 
 both to individuals and to the community at large, and is on that 
 account very necessary. 
 
 Experience teaches us that confession is an admirable restraint 
 on our desires and passions. The mere thought, " I must confess 
 this sin," has saved many a soul from the destruction to which 
 its natural inclinations were impelling it. 
 
PENANCE. 231 
 
 If everybody in the world would practise confession according 
 to the teachings of the Catholic Church, that is, with contrition 
 and sincerity, certainly there would be no cause left for uneasiness 
 or insecurity in society. For by such confession the unjust would 
 be made just, the passions would be softened, hatred would be 
 discontinued, strife and enmity would be allayed, disobedience 
 would cease, every vice would be eliminated, and every virtue 
 would be fostered and practised. 
 
 But if confession is to obtain for the sinner remission of his 
 sins, release from eternal punishment, restoration of grace and 
 a tranquil conscience, and for society the advantages above 
 named, then it must have the following qualifications : 
 
 It must be, i, complete ; 2, sincere ; 3, clear. 
 
 Confession is complete when the penitent confesses at least all 
 the mortal sins he remembers, together with their number and 
 aggravating circumstances. 
 
 Thus three things are necessary to make a confession full or 
 complete, ist. One must not omit knowingly any grievous sin. 
 It is also good and salutary to confess venial sins. 2d. The num- 
 ber should be told — how often one has committed such and such 
 a sin. If the penitent do not know the exact number, he should 
 approximate as closely as he can, and say, '' This sin I have commit- 
 ted about so many times, once, twice, thrice, etc.," as the case may 
 be ; every day, every week, or every month, as the case may be. 
 3d. The penitent must make known such circumstances as change 
 the species of the sin, as, for instance, making a venial sin a mor- 
 tal sin ; and above ail, he must declare every detail that may be 
 necessary to enable the spiritual director to form a correct judg- 
 ment of the state of his penitent's conscience, and so save him 
 from relapse ; hence the confession is incomplete if the penitent 
 merely says, "I have sinned against the ten commandments, 
 against the precepts of the Church," or "against the second com- 
 mandment, or the eighth," etc. He must be more definite, and 
 say how, and how often, and against what special commandment 
 he has transgressed. It is not enough to say, "I iiave omitted 
 Mass on Sunday," and then stop. We must add the number of 
 times, and give the reason — whether through sloth, negligence, 
 for a trivial cause, etc. Moreover, we must express ourselves as 
 decently as the nature of the sin will permit. We must never 
 mention the name of another, nor make long stories, etc. 
 
 Our confession is sincere when we accuse ourselves just as 
 
232 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 we would acknowledge ourselves to be guilty before God; con- 
 cealing nothing, making no excuses, nor justifying ourselves. 
 
 " In order that our confession may be simple and sincere," 
 says St. Bernard, " we must take heed not to justify the evil inten- 
 tion with which we committed the sin : for this cannot be called 
 confessing ; it would be concealing and defending our guilt. 
 Further, we must not lessen the guilt and make it appear in a 
 false light, ascribing the fault to others, as if they had tempted 
 us, and pleading the occasions that were presented to us. One 
 never sins if he do not consent with his own will." 
 
 Our confession is clear when we so express ourselves that our 
 father confessor is able to understand everything, and form a 
 correct judgment of the state of our soul. We should speak in 
 an intelligible voice and use plain language. 
 
 It would be a violation of clearness in our confession if we 
 were not to speak openly, or to use obscure terms ; or if we were 
 to speak in too general terms, saying, for example, " I have not 
 loved God, I have spoken bad language ; " or, " I have had evil 
 thoughts," etc. The sins must be mentioned by their names, and 
 their species and nature must be described. 
 
 At confession we should specially guard against false shame 
 and human respect. 
 
 It is false shame to fail to make known our sins sincerely be- 
 cause they are great or disgraceful. 
 
 Let us never be influenced by this false shame when stating 
 our sins. It is a favorite artifice of the evil spirit. When we are 
 tempted to offend God the evil spirit renders us bold and shame- 
 less. But when we are about to confess them he makes us timid 
 and hesitating. He deprives us of our shame while we are sin- 
 ning, and brings it back to us when we are about to take steps 
 to repair the evil by confession. 
 
 It would be giving way to human respect at confession if we 
 should fail to avow our sins sincerely because we feared the 
 priest might have a bad opinion of us. 
 
 Let us be guarded against this human respect when making our 
 confession. We must not think : " What opinion will my father 
 confessor have of me when I reveal such grievous sins ? " It was 
 not without a wise purpose that God appointed sinful men to 
 hear confessions, and not angels ; for the former knov/ how easy 
 it is for a fellow-man to fall and how hard to rise, and will there- 
 fore exercise gentleness and compassion toward the penitent, 
 mingle their tears with his, and, like the angels in heaven, rejoice 
 
PENANCE. 
 
 ^2,Z 
 
 at the conversion of the sinner. Moreover, the penitent has 
 nothing to fear from the priest, knowing that he cannot reveal 
 what he hears in confession. For every confessor is bound be- 
 fore God to suffer death itself rather than to violate the duty of 
 absolute secrecy. 
 
 Those who fear to confess sincerely because of human respect 
 should remember, ist, that an insincere confession effects no 
 remission of sin, brings no peace of mind, but, on the contrary, 
 becomes, as does the Communion following it, a new sin and a 
 sacrilege ; 2d, that it is better to make known our sins to a 
 priest bound to silence than to live unhappily, to die miserably, 
 and on the last day to be shamed and disgraced before the whole 
 world. 
 
 How we should behave outside the Confessional and within it. 
 
 When we approach the confessional we should not press for- 
 ward ahead of others. While waiting for our turn to come, we 
 should not talk or look around, but pray to God in the anguish 
 of our hearts, yet with confidence, for forgiveness of our sins. 
 We should not go too near the box, lest we might hear some sin. 
 If we do hear any, we are strictly bound to silence. It would be 
 a shocking crime to try to hear. 
 
 On entering the confessional we should at once kneel down, 
 bearing well in mind that we appear there as a poor sinner before 
 God's representative, the priest. Then we say, "Bless me, 
 father, for I have sinned." While the priest is saying the words, 
 " May the Lord be in thy heart and on thy lips, that thou may- 
 est confess thy sins aright and with fidelity, in the name of the 
 Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," we sign our- 
 selves with the sign of the cross, and begin the Confiteor, which 
 we continue as far as the last " through my most grievous fault." 
 Then we say : " Since my last confession, which was at such a 
 time, and when I received absolution, I have been guilty of the 
 following sins." Then we relate our sins, and close with the 
 words, "For these and all the sins I cannot now remember, I 
 humbly ask pardon of God, and absolution from you, my father." 
 
 The priest then delivers tlie necessary warnings and exhorta- 
 tions, prescribes the means adapted to prevent a relapse into sin, 
 and imposes the proper penance. Then, before pronouncing the 
 words of absolution, he prays : " May the Almighty God have 
 mercy on thee, and thy sins being dismissed, may lie it\i(l {\\cc 
 into life everlasting. Amen., May the almighty and merciful 
 
'34 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 God grant thee indulgence, absolution, and remission of all thy 
 sins. Amen. May Our Lord Jesus Christ absolve thee, and I, by 
 His authority, absolve thee from all bands of excommunication, in 
 as far as I am able and thou needest." Then follows the absolution 
 proper : '' Therefore I absolve thee from all thy sins, in the name 
 of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." 
 Then he adds the prayer : '' May the Passion of Our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, the m-eritsof the Blessed Virgin and of all the saints, what- 
 
 ^_ ever good thou 
 
 hast done or 
 evil thou hast 
 borne, be to 
 thee for the re- 
 mission of thy 
 sins, the in- 
 crease of grace, 
 and the reward 
 of life everlast- 
 ing. Amen." 
 
 "Wh e never 
 the confessor 
 puts a question 
 to the penitent, 
 he must answer 
 decidedly and 
 in strict accord- 
 ance with truth. 
 For whosoever 
 in the confes- 
 sional deliber- 
 ately and know- 
 ingly utters an 
 untruth con- 
 cerning the 
 stare of his con- 
 science, lies not 
 to man, but to 
 God. as did 
 Ananias and 
 Sapphira. 
 
 The penitent must also give particular attention to the advice 
 of his confessor, and to the penance he imposes, and not depart 
 
 At Confession". 
 
PENANCE. :235 
 
 from the box till he is sure of having received the dismissal in 
 the words : " Go in peace, and the Lord be with you," said by 
 the priest in Latin. 
 
 If the penitent do not obtain absolution, let him receive the 
 sentence of his director and judge with all humility, resolve by 
 an amendment of life to make himself worthy of absolution the 
 next time, and not run off to another priest in the hope of 
 obtaining it with less difficulty. 
 
 To whom we should confess, and when. 
 
 We are to confess our sins to the bishop, or to a priest duly 
 authorized by him, that is, to a priest regularly ordained, and 
 having from the bishop the right and jurisdiction to hear confes- 
 sions and pronounce sentence ; for it is to such only that Christ 
 gives power and authority. 
 
 We should go to confession : i. After every mortal sin, with- 
 out delay and as soon as possible ; for we know not the day 
 nor the hour when the Lord may call us away, and so might un- 
 happily die in a state of sin if we put off our confession from day 
 to day. 2. We ought also confess frequently during our lives, in 
 order to maintain and strengthen ourselves in the practice of 
 virtue. 
 
 Gencfal Confession. 
 
 A general confession is one in which we repeat several or all 
 of our previous confessions. 
 
 When we confess all the sins of our past life, that is, from the 
 time we came to the use of reason till the present time, we make 
 what is called a life-confession, or a general confession in tlie 
 strict sense of the term. If we repeat only several confessions 
 for one or more years, that may be called a year-confession, or a 
 general confession in the wider sense of the word. 
 
 Such general confessions are necessary to some Christians 
 and useful to all. 
 
 A general confession is necessary for all those who have been 
 living for many years in a state of habitual sin, or whose former 
 confessions were invalid, whether from a want of sincerity, or of 
 contrition, or of a firm purpose of amendment, or from a culpable 
 negligence in the examination of conscience ; for such persons 
 have not had their sins forgiven them. They must, therefore, 
 confess all over again in order to obtain remission of their sins, 
 
236 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 and it is only then that they will find peace of heart and return 
 to the practice of virtue. 
 
 A general confession is particularly advisable and useful at the 
 time of preparation for First Communion, of a jubilee, a mission, 
 or during a dangerous sickness ; also on entering a new state of 
 life, such as the religious state, or holy matrimony. 
 
 f^EFLiECTIO^. 
 
 COMPARISONS. 
 
 ^p)E may here give a quotation from Origen 
 which will serve at once as an illustration 
 
 ^1^ 
 
 and also as an important historical proof 
 of public and private confession. Origen, 
 who was born only one hundred and eighty- 
 five years after Christ, wrote as follows in 
 his second homily on the 37th Psalm : 
 " When the sinner accuses himself and con- 
 fesses, he spits out his sin and purges himself of the cause of his 
 crime. Now consider well to whom you confess. Test the phy- 
 sician before whom you lay the causes of your sickness, that he be 
 weak with the weak, and weep with the weeping ; that he know 
 what compassion and sympathy are, that thus you may act accord- 
 ing to the directions and follow the advice of one whom you have 
 found to be an experienced and merciful physician. And when 
 he perceives that your illness is of such a nature that it must be 
 laid before the whole church in order to be properly treated and 
 cured, and to thereby edify others, let this be done in compliance 
 with the decision of that wise judge and skilful physician." 
 
 THE OLD TESTAMENT ON CONFESSION. 
 
 It is remarkable what importance the Scriptures of the Old 
 Testament attached to the practice of confessing a sin that had 
 been committed. It was regarded as the beginning of conversion. 
 
 When Adam and Eve sinned, the Lord, though knowing all 
 things, instituted an inquiry into their action, and asked them 
 whether they had eaten of the tree of knowledge. They were 
 compelled to confess, although the Lord knew it. They con- 
 fessed and were punished, and because they confessed God did 
 not inflict the curse on Adam and Eve, but on the serpent and 
 the earth (Gen. iii.). Cain, too, was questioned concerning his 
 
PENANCE. 237 
 
 criminal act: "Where is thy brother Abel?" said the Lord. 
 But Cain, instead of confessing, answered insolently, '' I know- 
 not : am I my brother's keeper?" Therefore God inflicted the 
 curse on Cain, " Cursed shalt thou be upon the earth " (Gen. 
 iv. 11). When Pharao, after giving the Israelites permission to 
 depart, recalled the permission and thereby brought about a 
 renewal of the plagues, he confessed and said : " I have sinned 
 this time also " (Exod. ix. 27). When the Israelites were bitten 
 by the fiery serpent, they came to Moses and said : '' We have 
 sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and thee " 
 (Num. xxi. 7). Achan, in opposition to a command, took from 
 the spoils of the enemy a scarlet mantle and some gold and 
 silver. Josue instituted an inquiry by lottery, and said to 
 Achan : " My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and con- 
 fess, and tell me what thou hast done, and hide it not " (Josue 
 vii. 19). Saul confessed (I. Kings xxvi. 12) ; David, Esdras, and 
 Nehemias. Countless are the examples in the Old Testament to 
 show that confession or avowal was always a part of repentance. 
 But there was also a legal confession in the Old Dispensa- 
 tion. For a great number of sins offerings were prescribed 
 that were to be used in sacrifice. When such an offering was 
 brought to the priest, who alone was authorized to offer sacrifice, 
 lie at once knew, from the character of the gift, the nature of the 
 sin to be atoned for, even if the party bringing the gift did not 
 mention it. Thus we find that confession and repentance went 
 hand in hand in the Old Law. These offerings were styled guilt- 
 offerings, or sin-offerings, according as the person had trans- 
 gressed knowingly or unknowingly. Thus it is plain that the 
 almighty God set great value on an acknowledgment of wrong- 
 doing, since the penitent was expected to confess not only cer- 
 tain positive sins, but also those committed through ignorance ; 
 and not only the gross sins, but also all kinds. It is written 
 plainly : '* When a man, or woman, shall have committed any of 
 all the sins that men are wont to commit, and by negligence 
 shall have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, they 
 shall confess their sin" (Num. v. 6, 7). 
 
 CONFESSION IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 
 
 We read that when St. Joiin was baptizing in the Jordan tiie 
 Jews went to him confessing their sins (Matt. iii. 6). Did tlu^v 
 confess? Many deny this, yet ihey must have said st)nu'tliing, 
 
238 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 and it is inconceivable that something special was not men- 
 tioned. 
 
 Some object as follows : We do not read in the Sacred Scrip- 
 tures that the apostles heard confessions. Well, there is not 
 much use in stubborn controversy. But we certainly do read 
 that the apostles administered Confirmation, and yet our object- 
 ing brethren reject Confirmation, because they do not wish to 
 believe in it. It is about the same with confession. 
 
 True, hearing confessions was not the ordinary occupation of 
 the apostles, as it is to-day of the priests. And why? The apos- 
 tles went among Jews and pagans, whom they converted to 
 Christianity. These they baptized without confession, for Bap- 
 tism washed away their personal sins as well as original sin. 
 The case is the same to-day : Jews, Turks, and heathens who re- 
 ceive Baptism are admitted into the Church without going to 
 confession, while heretics who have been baptized and return to 
 the Church are obliged to confess. Indeed at the time of the 
 apostles there were few to go to confession. 
 
 After the neophytes of the apostles were baptized, they were 
 careful to keep from sin. They were enthusiastically faithful to 
 their belief, while the grand example of the lives of the apostles 
 sustained and encouraged them. The never-ceasing persecutions 
 in which they lived made them extremely vigilant, and their 
 daily Communion fortified them. It was therefore natural that 
 no very grievous sins would be committed. Moreover, as soon 
 as the apostles had formed a congregation, they went elsewhere 
 to form new ones, leaving the first to the care of the local bishops, 
 who would be the persons to attend to the Sacrament of Penance. 
 It is no wonder, then, that we read so little in the Acts of the 
 Apostles concerning confessions. 
 
 Yet the Acts mention a remarkable case: 
 
 A Christian congregation had been organized at Ephesus. 
 Many among the recent believers still hankered after the follies 
 and sinful practices of the heathens. These people the Jewish 
 magicians endeavored to perplex and blind. But the evil spirit 
 himself gave testimony of Jesus Christ in a most extraordinary 
 manner, and fear fell upon all. Many of the believers (not all 
 had been led astray) came and confessed, telling what they 
 had done. Thus they did precisely what the Church requires in 
 confession. The party confessing needs only to tell what he has 
 done: the Church seeks no further. Then those who had super- 
 stitious books not only confessed, but brought the books together 
 
The Sackamknt of Pknanck amonc. iiik I':ari.v Ciikisiians. 
 
 2jy 
 
240 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 and burned them in presence of all. They, too, did just what 
 they would be required to do at the present day: any one 
 having bad books should bring them to the father confessor for 
 destruction. 
 
 Furthermore, we read in the Epistle of St. James the apostle: 
 '' Is any man sick among 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. Confess therefore your sins one to 
 another : and pray one for another, that you may be saved " 
 (James v. 14-16). 
 
 In this passage it is plainly asserted that we should acknowl- 
 edge our sins. 
 
 But to whom should we acknowledge them ? The adversaries 
 of confession say that priests are not here mentioned nor meant ; 
 but as these objectors confess to nobody at all, they are far from 
 complying with the command in the Scriptures. 
 
 When it is said, " Confess your sins one to another, and pray 
 one for another," we should confess to those who pray for us. But 
 it is also said that the sick man is to send for the priests, who are 
 to pray over him. It is natural that the confession here spoken 
 of is a confession in a dangerous sickness. In such emergency the 
 sick person is to call for the priests, confess to them, and the 
 Sacrament of Extreme Unction, united with the prayers of the 
 priests, is to be of benefit to the sick person in soul and body ; 
 for " the Lord shall raise him up : and if he be in sins, they shall 
 be forgiven him." It is plain, therefore, that the Scriptures them- 
 selves, in this case at least, if nowhere else, mention confession. 
 
 We read in the First Epistle of St. John: '^ If we confess our 
 sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse 
 us from all iniquity " (I. John i. 9). It is clear that here, too, con- 
 fession is meant, for it is not said that we shall confess our sin- 
 fulness, but shall " confess our sins'' 
 
 HISTORICAL TESTIMONIES. 
 An Habitual Sin. 
 
 During the pontificate of Pope Hyginus, who died in the 
 year 142, a man named Cerdo came to Rome. Although pro- 
 fessing to be a Christian, he entertained some erroneous opinions 
 which he endeavored to instil into the minds of other people. 
 St, Irenaeus tells of this Cerdo that he passed himself off as a 
 
PENANCE. 241 
 
 true believer, and when detected in his heresy he would go to 
 confession. After several confessions followed by relapses, he 
 was about to be excommunicated, when he left of his own accord. 
 The passage reads: '^ Cerdo came often to the church and made 
 his confession, but he was fickle, for he would teach error secretly, 
 then run to confession, and then fall again." He was a relapsing 
 sinner like too many of the present day. 
 
 Absolution Denied. 
 
 In a book ascribed to Dionysius the Areopagite, who died 
 about ninety-five years after Christ, a priest named Demophil 
 receives a sharp rebuke for having denied absolution to a peni- 
 tent sinner who confessed to him. It appears that the penitent 
 was really sincere and in earnest, and applied to another priest, 
 who absolved him. When Demophil learned that his judgment 
 was reversed, he went so far as to abuse the other priest. The 
 passage reads: "The Lord takes upon His shoulders him w^ho 
 returns from his wanderings. He causes the angels to rejoice at 
 the return. He is gentle towards those who have been ungrate- 
 ful towards Him. He permits His sun to shine upon the good 
 and the bad, and gives life to those who flee to Him. But you, 
 as appears from your letter, have, by your sentence, driven 
 from you a sinner who threw himself at the feet of a priest. 
 He sought healing remedies for his sins; but you find fault with 
 a well-meaning priest who took pity on this penitent and ab- 
 solved him from his sins." 
 
 Here we see plainly that it was not a general confession in 
 public that was alluded to, but a confession of particular and 
 specified sins. 
 
 Directions for Confessors. 
 
 We have a book called " The Apostolic Principles," which is 
 ascribed to St. Clement, the successor of St. Peter, and in any 
 case is extremely ancient. In this work the following directions 
 are laid down for confessors: "Do not pronounce the same sen- 
 tence on every sin, but judge each one in particuhir, the great 
 and the small, with careful prudence. I say, treat a sinful word 
 one way, a sinful intention another way, an abusive word anotlier 
 way, and a suspicious word still another way. Some you sliouUl 
 bring back tlnongh threats and harsh wofds only. On oiIums 
 you should impose an alms as pciianci*. OiIums vou should 
 subdue by fasting. Others, again, you should expel from the 
 churcli for the enormity of their sins. The law itself does not 
 
242 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 visit every transgression with the same punishment. If one sins 
 against God, or against the priest, or against the church edifice, 
 or against the sacrifice, the law inflicts a corresponding punish- 
 ment. So, also, whether a person sins against a king, a general, 
 a soldier, an equal, an inferior, a servant, or attacks another's 
 property, the penalty varies. The law punishes deliberate sins 
 more severely than precipitate sins. Sometimes it punishes with 
 death, and orders the criminal to be crucified or stoned. Others 
 it punishes by fines, and others by flogging. Therefore do you 
 inflict different penances on different transgressions, that injustice 
 may not be done, nor God's displeasure be incurred." 
 
 From these instructions it is again clear that the confession 
 alluded to was the confession of specified and particular sins. 
 The confessors of those early days were required to do exactly 
 the same as is done by the confessors in our own times. 
 
 Ancient Rules for Confessing. 
 
 John the Faster, Patriarch of Constantinople towards the 
 end of the sixth century, composed a ritual to be used in the 
 Greek Church. In this w^ork he prescribed the method in w^hich 
 the penitent was to begin his confession, even giving the words, 
 as follows : "I confess to Thee, Heavenly Father, Creator and 
 Lord of heaven and earth, all the hidden things in m}" heart." 
 "Then," says the ritual, "the confessor shall question the peni- 
 tent about all the species of sins of which he has been guilty, 
 paying attention to his age and condition." 
 
 Fifty years previous, St. Fulgentius had composed a table of 
 sins for confession, according to which the penitent is to begin 
 with the w^ords : " I confess to Thee, O Lord, Creator of heaven 
 and earth, and before this Thy priest." In this table of sins w^e 
 find, among other things, the following: " Have I had evi'l 
 thoughts, and are my heart and body stained? Have I received 
 the body and blood of the Lord unworthily because I did not 
 properly prepare myself by confession and penance ?" 
 
 Words of an Ancient Confessor. 
 
 In the above-mentioned ritual of the Patriarch John the 
 Faster we find given an exhortation of a father confessor to his 
 penitent who is ashamed to confess his sins. It reads thus : 
 " Spiritual child, in a certain sense it is not I that receives your 
 confession and gives you absolution, but God it is Who through 
 me receives the confession of your sins, and through my mouth 
 grants you forgiveness of them, as He has Himself declared 
 
PENANCE. 243 
 
 with His own lips, ^ Wliose sins you shall forgive they are for- 
 given.' Therefore reveal all before the holy angels, and do not 
 conceal from me anything that you have done secretly. Do the 
 same as if you were confessing to God, Who knows the most 
 hidden things of your heart ; for if you find it hard to reveal 
 shameful sins now, be assured that that very delicacy will pre- 
 vent a repetition of the sin, and if you obey this regulation you 
 will receive not only forgiveness but a crown." 
 
 Crowds to Confession.— Special Confessors. 
 
 In early times, before the bishops were burdened with other 
 duties, they used to hear confessions in cases where canonical 
 punishments were assigned, or else they appointed special peni- 
 tentiaries from among the priests. Sins to which no penalties 
 were attached could be heard by all priests. The Greek histo- 
 rian Nicephorus relates that about the year 650 the bishops, on 
 account of their own accumulated duties and the throng of peni- 
 tents, commissioned the priests generally to hear all confessions. 
 About that time arose the custom for kings and others to have 
 special confessors. In general, however, after that period we 
 find special priests authorized to hear confessions. They were 
 often known by the designation of penitentiaries, and had for 
 their direction books called penitential books. 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 Louis the Pious at Attigny. 
 
 Louis the Pious, son of the Emperor Charlemagne, having 
 taken as prisoner of war one of his nephews who had taken up 
 arms against him, had him arraigned before a court that con- 
 demned him to death. The same prince also confined his own 
 three younger brothers in a monastery because he feared they 
 v/ould incite a rebellion against his government. 
 
 Soon after this, great calamities befell the kingdom — failure in 
 the crops, scarcity, pestilence among men and cattle, and also 
 floods that threatened to destroy all hope of the following year's 
 harvest. To these were added disturbances in nature, sucli as 
 eartliquakes, sinking of the ground, an intolerable and paiching 
 heat in summer, excessive cold in winter, freezing the rivers to 
 tlie bottom of their beds. This multij)licity of misf(Mtunes filled 
 the pious heart of Louis with anxiety and terror, for he looked 
 upon them as so many judgments sent by (lod on himself and 
 his people in punishment for his sins. Filled with remorse, and 
 
244 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 in the hope of easing his conscience, he assembled a general par- 
 liament at Attigny, on the river Aisne. When all the distin- 
 guished members were met together Louis appeared before them 
 clad in penitential garb, and in a loud voice made a public con- 
 fession of his sins. He accused himself of the murder of his 
 nephew, King Bernard, for, though he could have prevented it, 
 he did not do so ; of his cruelty towards his own brothers, 
 Hugh, Drogo, and Theodorich, whom, for interested motives, he 
 had imprisoned in a monastery; and of some other acts of injustice 
 which he had perpetrated against others of his fellow-men. Then, 
 in a flood of tears, he asked forgiveness of those whom he 
 had wronged, and of the whole assembly. He declared that his 
 sins of commission and omission were the sole causes of the 
 calamities befalling the country. He promised to amend his life 
 and make full reparation, and begged the bishops who were 
 present to impose a public penance on him. The whole proceed- 
 ing, so rare in the history of princes, filled the assembly with 
 astonishment. It was really a touching spectacle to see the 
 greatest and most powerful monarch in the world, whose au- 
 thority knew no limits save those placed upon it by God and 
 nature, now humbling himself before his subjects, becoming his 
 own accuser, confessing publicly his sins and weaknesses, and 
 beseeching the nation, whose ruler he was, for mercy, pardon, 
 and forbearance. 
 
 After the adjournment of the meeting, Louis published to all 
 classes of his people throughout the empire an edict in which the 
 following passage occurred: " As we admit that we have sinned 
 more grievously than any one else, although we should have been 
 a model to all, having a care for all, and preventing the evil 
 deeds of the wicked, we now declare that with God's help we 
 will seek pardon by making sufficient reparation, and shall 
 endeavor, by a wholesome amendment and most strenuous 
 efforts, following the counsel of our faithful advisers, to do all we 
 can to make good all the wrongs that have resulted from our 
 sins of omission and commission." 
 
 An Effect of Confession. 
 
 "It is now some twenty years," relates Caesarius, ''and about 
 the time that I entered the Order, in 1198, that I heard from 
 several learned and holy men what I am now going to tell you. 
 
 "There lived in the renowned city of Paris a young student 
 who, tormented with evil desires and sorely tempted by the devil, 
 
PENANCE. 
 
 245 
 
 committed such 
 gr i evous sins 
 that he could 
 not so far over- 
 come his shame 
 as to confess 
 them. But as 
 he had been 
 piouslybrought 
 up and feared 
 the judgments 
 of God, he was 
 torn inwardly 
 with remorse of 
 conscience that 
 showed itself in 
 his exterior and 
 destroyed his 
 peace of mind 
 day and night. 
 After a long 
 struggle with 
 himself he was 
 at last moved 
 by divine grace, 
 burst into tears, 
 overcame his 
 shame, and 
 hastened to the 
 monastery of 
 St. Victor, and 
 begged the 
 prior to hear his confession. The latter led his penitent to a 
 confessional and spoke to him words of encouragement. At that 
 moment our blessed Lord infused such a hearty sorrow into 
 the young man's heart that his sighs and tears fairly clioked 
 his words, and he couhl not speak. This state of things lasted 
 so long that the prior finally said to him : ' My son, go and \vi itc 
 down your confession and bring me the paper.' 
 
 "Next day the youth returned and endeavorc^l again tc^ con- 
 fess orally, but could not s|:)eak. He thereforo liaiulcci t^^ tlie 
 prior a sheet of paper containing the confcssi(.)n ; on reading 
 
 The Martyrdom of St, John Nepomucenk. 
 
246 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 which the prior, although a man of large experience and learning, 
 was shocked. ' My son,' he said, ' these matters are so awful that 
 I must take counsel. Will you permit me to show them, under 
 promise of strict silence, to the abbot?' The youth consented. 
 What then followed is well calculated to comfort the most de- 
 spondent sinner. When the abbot opened the paper to read, the 
 prophecy of Isaias was fulfilled to the letter: 'I have washed 
 away thy iniquities like a cloud, and thy sins like a mist.' The 
 whole page was a blank. The abbot said to the prior: 'What 
 do you wish me to read? There is not a letter on this paper.' 
 The wondering prior looked at the page and found it a perfect 
 blank, and said: 'I can call God to witness that the sins of the 
 penitent w^ere written there, and I wished to submit the case to 
 you and have your advice how to proceed. Now I perceive that 
 an all-merciful God, on account of the young person's excessive 
 contrition, has blotted out even a remembrance of them.' Calling 
 the student, they handed him the blank paper, which he received 
 with mingled feelings of awe, gratitude, and joy. The good 
 priests warned him never to forget this miraculous act of mercy 
 by again giving way to sin. He praised God from the bottom of 
 his heart, and ever afterwards led a strictly Christian life." 
 
 A Confessor True to his Calling. 
 
 Bishop Porcellot was one day ready to celebrate Mass, when 
 he sent his servant for a priest to hear his confession. Father 
 Peter Fourriere, the pious pastor, came, but begged to be excused, 
 saying he was not worthy to be the judge of his lord. The 
 bishop insisted, and said all could be done with a few words. 
 But the case was not settled in a few words, for Peter insisted 
 with much severity on three points: '^ First, the yearly visitation 
 of the diocese was omitted ; secondly, in violation of the Council 
 of Trent, the bishop held possession of several benefices ; and 
 thirdly, he had neglected to put aside a long-standing enmity 
 with a certain nobleman." On these three points the priest was 
 so particular that he kept the bishop nearly two hours in the 
 confessional, and would not absolve him till he had promised to 
 mend these matters. The bishop afterwards told all this to 
 another prelate, expressing his happiness at having found in his 
 diocese so faithful and consistent a priest. 
 
 Do not defer Confession. 
 
 The Venerable Bede, in his history of ancient England, tells of 
 a nobleman who was exhorted by the king himself to make his 
 
PENANCE. 247 
 
 confession. He answered: "If I were well, I would do it, but 
 not now when I am sick, for my friends would say that I had 
 done it through fear of death." But he never grew well, and 
 died without confession. 
 
 Confession Day a Day of Joy. 
 
 A Spanish sea-captain, who had not been to confession for six 
 years, was one day led into a church by his pious sister, and, find- 
 ing his heart touched by the sermon, he resolved to make a gen- 
 eral confession. The priest, having no time, bade him come in 
 the morning. During the night the captain changed his mind. 
 He imagined that his friends would laugh at him, and he resolved 
 not to go to confession. But being a man of honor, as the world 
 goes, he wished to keep his word, and went to the church, intend- 
 ing to tell the priest that he would not confess. The latter was 
 grieved, and regretted that he had not heard him the day before. 
 Then he asked him what it was in yesterday's sermon that 
 affected him. The captain replied, '' I only remember the open- 
 ing words: ' Come to Me, all ye that are heavily burdened, and I 
 will refresh you.' " " Yes, indeed," said the priest; " God's good- 
 ness and mercy are powerful to the forgiveness of our sins, and He 
 calls to us: * Come, and I will refresh you.' " The captain's heart 
 was again moved, so, kneeling down, he made his confession with 
 true contrition, and having received absolution he arose and 
 wept. Then he went home and told his gratified sister what had 
 happened, saying: " I have had more of the enjoyment of life 
 than is granted to most men, but in my whole existence I have 
 never tasted joy such as I feel at the present moment, when I am 
 once more a friend of God. This is the happiest day of my life." 
 
 Conversion begun by Confession. 
 
 A certain general once imparted to a favorite and highly es- 
 teemed under-officer some doubts that he had on certain points 
 in religion. The officer begged him to seek instruction, and 
 introduced him to two learned priests who very cheerfully laved 
 before him all the proofs of the doubted points. The geiuM-al 
 remained unconvinced. Then the officer begged his doubting 
 superior to apply to a very virtuous priest, who was his confessor. 
 The general called on the priest, explained the reason of his visit, 
 and told him of tlie failure of the two learned theologians to 
 remove liis doubts. "Sir," said the worthy priest, " what can I 
 say to you that has not been far biMtcr said by those two It'ariu'd 
 men ? Suppose you make your confession." " Confession for 
 
248 
 
 THE SACRAMEXT5. 
 
 me," replied the general, " who do not believe in God ? " '• Kneel 
 down and bless yourself," said the priest. " I will help you to 
 remember your sins." After many expressions of astonishment, 
 many declarations of his unbelief, and much hesitation, the gen- 
 eral obeyed, and answered frankly the questions put to him by 
 the priest. The latter pointed out the first causes of his going 
 astray, then led him on to their subsequent consequences, 
 namely, doubt and perplexity of mind, with a wish to disbelieve 
 in a hereafter. Tears now flowed abundantly from the penitent's 
 eyes, and he tried in vain to hide them. Then the priest discon- 
 tinued his questions and addressed to him words of consolation 
 and encouragement. " O my father !" said the penitent general, 
 amid his sighs and tears. *• you have found out the only way 
 that leads to my heart. I am a poor, unhappy wretch, made blind 
 by my passions. In the deepest recesses of my soul I felt the 
 actual presence of a judge and monitor, but I repressed His warn- 
 ings, and preferred to disbelieve rather than to lead a virtuous 
 life. To-morrow morning I will return and finish my confession 
 more thoroughly." He was true to his promise, and from that 
 time forward led a life of penance based on an unshaken belief in 
 all the truths of religion. 
 
 Satisfaction, 
 
 ^^^ 
 
 mSTHTJCTIOl^. 
 
 T is not sufficient to bewail our sins, to confess 
 them, and to discontinue them : we must do 
 something to make reparation for the past, we 
 must be punished, and God's justice, which has 
 been violated, must be vindicated. By sin God is 
 ofi"ended. He has the right to require observance 
 of His commandments. The sinner violates that 
 right. Then he is bound to satisfy that infringed 
 reestablish it. For the violation itself he must 
 atone for the sin, and satisfy the penalty thereof. 
 
 This punishment should be suffered by every man. But 
 Christ in His love has taken upon Himself the sins of all men 
 and suffered the punishment due to them. He has made infinite 
 satisfaction to divine justice, and ordained sacraments to enable 
 us to apply His merits to ourselves. Hence we obtain forgive- 
 ness of our sins and remission of their temporal punishment in 
 
 right, and to 
 
PENANCE. 249 
 
 the sacraments of Penance and Baptism, through the merits of 
 Jesus Christ. On the other hand, it is by no means true that, 
 together with remission of the sin and its eternal punishment, all 
 and every punishment is obviated without any remains whatever. 
 On the contrary, it is proved from Scripture that even after for- 
 giveness of the sin God can impose a penalty. Let us consider 
 the example of David. 
 
 David sinned with Urias's wife, who bore him a son. Then the 
 Lord sent to David His prophet Nathan to rebuke him for his 
 sin. David entered into himself, and then heard from Nathan 
 these comforting words: " The Lord hath taken away thy sin." 
 Nevertheless David was punished by the death of his child, whom 
 he loved tenderly (II. Kings xii. 1-14). Thus God forgave the 
 sin, remitted the eternal punishment it deserved, but sent a tem- 
 poral punishment in the privation of what was dearest to David's 
 heart. Hence the Council of Trent teaches plainly "that it is 
 altogether false and contrary to the word of God to hold that 
 no sin is remitted by God without a remission of all the guilt 
 attached thereto; for in Holy Scripture there are found clear 
 and evident examples by which, according to divine tradition, 
 this error is plainly and openly exposed and refuted." It is there- 
 fore proper for the father confessor to impose a temporal punish- 
 ment on the repenting sinner, that by bearing it patiently the 
 sinner may turn away from himself the temporal punishments of 
 God, such as sickness, affliction, poverty, etc., which he must 
 bear in this world, or else suffer in the next, and suffer in order 
 to resemble Christ and to join himself with His sufferings and 
 thus be made better. 
 
 These penalties imposed by the confessor on the penitent are 
 termed penances, and there is no doubt that the priest of God has 
 this power, for it is given to the Church not only to loose but also 
 to bind (Matt, xviii. 18). These penances are given by the 
 priest: i. For the remission of temporal punisliment ; 2. For the 
 bettering of our lives. They consist generally in the recital of 
 certain prayers, the performance of good works, the suffering of 
 privations, by all of which the spirit of piety and self-control is 
 encouraged. 
 
 Tliese penances we ought to perform punctiliously, holding 
 ourselves bound to the time, mode, and manner prescribed. If 
 we do not intend to do this, our confession becomes invalid. If 
 we intend to do it and yet fail to do il, we depiive ourselves of 
 many graces and merit the punisliment of purgatory. 
 
250 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 But when a father confessor, who surely has an unquestioned 
 right to pay due regard to the condition of his penitent's soul, 
 imposes a perfectly appropriate penance, it is not to be supposed 
 that the work of penance is complete. On the contrary, the 
 imposing of the penance is merely for the purpose of awakening 
 and cultivating a spirit of penance, in order that we may punish 
 ourselves voluntarily and thus escape the future punishments of 
 God. The life of man is a way of penance. David did penance 
 all his life, also St. Peter and St. Mary Magdalene. Now there 
 are many who have sinned more grievously than David or Peter. 
 Can such sinners expect to appease the wrath of God by a few 
 short prayers? Let us not deceive ourselves; for, although we 
 may imagine ourselves safe after confession and absolution, if the 
 spirit of penance is not alive within us we shall soon again fall 
 into sin. False and unfounded security is the first step down- 
 ward to sin. On the other hand, there, are many souls upon 
 whom the Lord Himself imposes penances, sending them such 
 severe temporal penalties, and visiting themi with so many trials 
 and afflictions, that they are likely to become discouraged. For 
 these penalties the Christian ought to be ready and willing; for 
 the Lord chastises those whom He loves. He whom the Lord 
 punishes is not abandoned by Him. The Lord punishes here 
 that He may not punish hereafter. He preserves those whom He 
 strikes. Such visitations from God are the best penitential exer- 
 cises, for He Who sends them knows best what man needs. It is, 
 then, a fruitful penitential practice to be ever patient in bearing 
 afflictions, and, by offering them all up to God for our sins, 
 thereby to do satisfaction. If we are too feeble and cowardly to 
 freely choose a cross for ourselves, let us at least bear with 
 patience and resignation whatever a loving God chooses to send 
 upon us. 
 
 Temporal punishment, however, is only a part of the satisfac- 
 tion that the sinner ought to make. Equally important is it 
 that we repair, as far as it is possible, all the temporal conse- 
 quences of our sin. - 
 
 1. Whatever the sinner may have unlawfully appropriated to 
 himself is to be returned in the same condition. 
 
 2. If the object itself cannot be returned, its equivalent must 
 be; the proper value to be decided by the father confessor. 
 
 3. Not only must the object or its equivalent be returned, but 
 also the interest or usufruct that it would have rendered to its 
 right owner. 
 
PENANCE. 
 
 551 
 
 4. Every additional loss is to be made good. 
 
 5. Suspicions, rash judgments, detractions, and calumnies are 
 to be all taken back. 
 
 6. Scandals given are to be discontinued, and repaired by good 
 example. 
 
 Tni-: Calling ok Zaciikus. 
 
 7. Offences are to be apologized for; enmities aie to be 
 eradicated. 
 
 It is to be observed hero that vvheii the jxMiitent is niuHMtain 
 how to proceed he should take counsel with his spiritual di- 
 rector. 
 
252 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 The gaze of the repentant sinner must not be always back- 
 ward and towards the past. He must also look towards the 
 future; for satisfaction is to be done in that direction also, by 
 using earnestly every means to better his life. Let him receive 
 regularly the sacraments, avoiding whatever could lead him into 
 temptation, and cherishing ever in his heart a hatred for sin and 
 an undying love for God. This was explained in the instruction 
 on the firm purpose of amendment. Thus the chief object of his 
 solicitude will be the salvation of his immortal soul. God's 
 grace will not be wanting if the penitent have good will. 
 
 f^HFIiHCTIO]^. 
 
 PASSAGES FROn SCRIPTURE. 
 
 L]\IS deliver from all sin, and from death, and 
 will not suffer the soul to go into darkness" 
 (Tob. iv. II). " By mercy and truth, iniquity 
 is redeemed " (Prov. xvi. 6). " They that fear 
 the Lord say: If we do not penance, we 
 shall fall into the hands of the Lord " (Ec- 
 cles. ii. 22). "Redeem thou thy sins with 
 alms, and thy iniquities with works of mercy 
 to the poor: perhaps He will forgive thy offences" (Dan. iv. 
 24). " If that wicked man restore the pledge, and render what 
 he had robbed, and walk in the commandments of life, and do 
 no unjust thing: he shall surely live, and shall not die" (Ezech. 
 xxxiii. 15). "Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance" 
 (Matt. iii. 8). " I say tothee, thou shalt not go out from thence 
 till thou repay the last farthing" (Matt. v. 26). "I fill up those 
 things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh 
 for His body, which is the Church " (Coloss. i. 24). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROn THE FATHERS. 
 
 " If any one is conscious that he has a mortal sin in his interior, 
 and has not expelled it from himself by the penitential exercises 
 of a complete satisfaction, let him not hope that Christ will come 
 to him" (Origen). "How foolish, how unfair it is not to fulfil 
 one's penance, and yet expect to obtain pardon of our offences ! 
 It is about the same as taking a man's goods and refusing pay- 
 ment ; for at this price is the Lord willing to grant us pardon — 
 for reparation through penance He offers us release from punish- 
 
PENANCE. 253 
 
 ment " (Tertullian). "Considerate and kind as God ever is in 
 His fatherly love, He is equally awful in His majesty as judge. 
 The greater our wounds are, the more do we bemoan them. 
 Deep wounds require a careful and tedious healing process. The 
 penance should not be less than the crime. We must pray assid- 
 uously, pass the day in grieving, the night in watching and weep- 
 ing, and, clad in penitential garments, spend much time in 
 lamentations on the ground, strewn with ashes. After the loss of 
 Christ's presence we should no longer care for our clothing, 
 should rather fast from the devil's food, and thirst after the 
 works of justice by which sin is obliterated, and give alms, by 
 which souls are delivered from death. He who renders to God 
 such satisfaction, he who, out of shame for his crimes and out of 
 sorrow for his misdeeds, laments more on account of virtue and 
 faith than on account of his own fall, will be heard and sustained 
 by the Lord, will rejoice the Church that he has grieved, and will 
 gain not only pardon but also a crown" (St. Cyprian). "Al- 
 though the sin was the cause of making man liable to punish- 
 ment, yet, even when the sin is remitted, the penalty remains; 
 for the punishment endures longer than the guilt, in order 
 that the guilt may not be considered too slight, as it would 
 if the penalty were removed with it" (St. Augustine). "Those 
 who after confession do not wish to make satisfaction resemble 
 those who show their wounds to their physician, and, as long as 
 he sits by them, promise to use the prescribed remedies, but 
 then tear off the bandages and afterwards find fault with the 
 physician " (Pacian). 
 
 COnPARISONS. 
 
 The debtor has in no way discharged his obligations when he 
 simply ceases to contract more debts. He is required to cancel 
 the old ones and render satisfaction. So it is with the sinner. 
 He, too, has debts before God, and it is not enough for him to 
 promise the Lord to commit no furtlier sins. He must cancel 
 his old debts in the confessional, and then make satisfactit)n for 
 them to a just God. 
 
 It is not sufficient to withdraw the dagger from a W(Miiu1 ; it 
 must be i)ound up and subjected to the usual healing remedies, 
 else it will not heal. So for the sinner: it is not encMigh to 
 remove liis sins from himself in (^)nfession ; he niusl, by a suf- 
 ficient rc^paration, make good all the unhealthiiicss that the sin 
 has produced in his soul. 
 
254 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 As the sick man follows all the directions of his doctor, so, too, 
 must the penitent conscientiously perform all penitential exer- 
 cises assigned to him by his confessor. 
 
 EXAflPLES. 
 
 From Scripture. 
 
 Adam and Eve afford us the best example of the necessity of 
 punishment following the forgiveness of sin. God, wishing to 
 restore them to favor, forgave them, but He punished them, and in 
 them all their descendants, to such an extent that even after the re- 
 demption by Jesus Christ those sanctified by holy Baptism are com- 
 pelled to suffer temporal penalties, misery, sickness, and death. 
 
 God wished to destroy the Jews in the desert because they 
 had offended Him grievously by their idolatry. Then [Nloses 
 besought the Lord for His people, "and the Lord was appeased 
 from doing the evil which He had spoken against His people" 
 (Exod. xxxii. 14). Again, they murmured when their messen- 
 gers returned from the Promised Land, and again the Lord was 
 about to destroy them. But Moses prayed once more. 
 
 "And the Lord said : I have forgiven according to thy word. 
 
 "As I live: and the whole earth shall be filled with the glory 
 of the Lord. 
 
 "But yet all the men that have seen ^ly majesty, and the 
 signs that I have done in Egypt, and in the wilderness, and have 
 tempted ^le now ten times, and have not obeyed I\Iy voice, 
 
 " Shall not see the land for which I swore to their fathers, 
 neither shall any one of them that hath detracted ]\Ie behold it" 
 (Num. xiv. 20-23). 
 
 Here, although the Lord forgave. He inflicted temporal pun- 
 ishment. Even Moses and Aaron, on account of their little faith, 
 were subjected to the temporal punishment of being denied the 
 privilege of entering the Promised Land. Yet God had forgiven 
 them, for, as the Scripture says, they were gathered to their 
 people (Xum. xx. 26 ; Deut. xxxii. 50). 
 
 The devout Judith, who for three years and six months wore a 
 garb of penance, and fasted nearly every day, reproached the 
 chief men of her city, Bethulia, because in their timidity and want 
 of faith they were ready to surrender their city to Holofernes if 
 help did not arrive within five days. She said : 
 
 "And who are you that tempt the Lord ? 
 
 "This is not a word that may draw down mercy, but rather 
 that may stir up w^rath, and enkindle indignation. 
 
PENANCE, 255 
 
 ** You have set a time for the mercy of the Lord, and you have 
 appointed Him a day, according to your pleasure. 
 
 " But for as much as the Lord is patient, let us be penitent 
 for this same thing, and with many tears let us beg His pardon : 
 
 " For God will not threaten like man, nor be inflamed to 
 anger like the son of man. 
 
 " And therefore let us humble our souls before Him, and con- 
 tinuing in an humble spirit in His service, 
 
 "Let us ask the Lord with tears, that according to His will 
 so He would show His mercy to us : that as our heart is troubled 
 by their pride, so also we may glory in our humility " (Judith viii. 
 
 13-18). 
 
 St. Mary Magdalene was forgiven many sins because of her 
 great love for God (Luke vii. 47). Zacheus, although a pagan, 
 could say to the Saviour : '' Lord, the half of my goods I give 
 to the poor: and if I have wronged any man of any thing, I 
 restore him four-fold " (Luke xix. 8). 
 
 Louis the Ninth. 
 
 Louis the Ninth, King of France, before setting out for the 
 Crusades, wished to make reparation to every person whom he 
 might have thoughtlessly wronged. Accordingly he gave orders 
 all through his kingdom for all claims against him to be sent in, 
 that he might satisfy them. The chiefs who were to accompany 
 the king followed his example, as Poinville relates even of him- 
 self, who, before departing, gathered his tenants about him and 
 said : " I am going far away, and know not whether I shall ever 
 return. If I have done any wrong to any one among you, let 
 him tell me freely, and I will make ample reparation." He sat- 
 isfied the claims of all. 
 
 Pontius of Lavaze. 
 
 Pontius of Lavaze, who for some time had been the terror 
 of his neighbors and the scourge of all Aragonia, was, in the 
 year 1 134, suddenly seized with such a dread of divine punish- 
 ment that he resolved to do public penance, changed his manner 
 of life at once, and persuaded six of his friends, who had shared 
 his errors, to do the same. On Palm Sunday he repaired ti> 
 Lodore, and waited there till the solemn religious procession 
 arrived at tlu^ ])iiblic scpiare, wluM-e had been erected a platform, 
 from wiiicli a sermon was to be deliveied to tiie people. 'I'hen 
 Pontius, with a rope about his neck and his shoulders bared, liad 
 
256 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 himself led by some neighbors, who, in obedience to his orders, 
 scourged him on his naked shoulders. He ascended the plat- 
 form, where the clergy were assembled, threw himself at the feet 
 of the bishop, handed him a paper on which were written all his 
 past sins, and in the hearing of all present begged for absolu- 
 tion. The bishop wished to spare the penitent's feelings, but the 
 latter insisted that the list of his sins should be publicly read. 
 During the reading, which was slow and tedious, he had himself 
 scourged again continually, while he kept acknowledging all the 
 ^ins read, and begged for mercy and pardon. So deeply were 
 the spectators edified that they -hed tears copiously. Some who 
 through a false shame had never confessed properly were so 
 affected at the spectacle that they, too, did public penance. The 
 following day was appointed for reparation, when Pontius fell 
 at the feet of those whom he had wronged, besought their for- 
 giveness, made restitution as far as his money went, and then 
 sold all his property to make up the deficiency. Then, with his 
 companions, all clothed in penitential garments, he went on a 
 pilgrimage to several holy places, and finally settled down in a 
 desert place, pointed out to him by the bishop, in the diocese of 
 Lavaux. There the seven penitents labored constantly in the 
 field, and by their holy lives became the benefactors of the 
 country. 
 
 Theodosius. 
 
 Under the Emperor Theodosius an insurrection took place in 
 Thessalonica, in which many of the imperial officials were slain. 
 The indignant emperor resolved on immediate revenge. At the 
 earnest entreaty of St. Ambrose, bishop of the place, he relented. 
 But his counsellors again worked on his feelings, and extorted 
 from him an order to chastise the inhabitants of Thessalonica. 
 Again he relented, and sent messengers countermanding the 
 order ; but the previous order had been carried out, and seven 
 thousand men were put to death. St. Ambrose wrote to him, 
 and reproached him with his cruelty and injustice. Theodosius 
 did not reply, but the next Sunday he and his whole court were 
 on their way to the church to receive Communion, when St. Am- 
 brose met them at the door, refused them admittance, and said : 
 "Do not add a new sin to your past ones by presuming to ap- 
 proach Holy Communion unworthily." The emperor alluding to 
 the case of King David, the bishop replied : " Imitate him in his 
 penance, as you have imitated him in his sin." The emperor, 
 entering into himself, laid aside his imperial robes, did penance 
 
PENANCE. 257 
 
 for eight months, and then publicly, beifore the people, threw 
 himself on the ground, crying out : " My soul clings to the earth : 
 grant me life, according to Thy promise." Ambrose then declared 
 the emperor reconciled to the Church, after the l«atter had re- 
 enacted the law that thirty days should elapse between the pro- 
 nouncing of the death penalty and its execution, that thus calm- 
 ness and deliberation, instead of passionate revenge, could be 
 exercised towards the condemned person. 
 
 Sueno. 
 
 Another example of penitential reparation occurs in the his- 
 tory of Sueno, King of Denmark, who, in his anger, had put to 
 death in a church all among the nobility who had spoken of him 
 disparagingly. One day soon after the king came to assist at 
 divine service in the church, but the bishop, contrary to custom, 
 did not advance to meet him. The king was approaching the 
 door of the church when he was met by the bishop, who held 
 his crosier as a barrier to his entrance, reproached him with 
 being a murderer and a defiler of the house of God, and de- 
 clared him excommunicated. In a moment the royal guard sur- 
 rounded the bishop with drawn swords, and awaited only the 
 signal to put him to death. But the Spirit of God, that inspired 
 the bishop, also moved the heart of the king. He acknowledged 
 his crime, hastened back to his palace, and exchanged his royal 
 robes for a garb of penance. Meanwhile the bishop began to cele- 
 brate Mass with great solemnity, as if nothing had happened. He 
 had not reached the Gloria when a messenger informed him that 
 the king was again at the door, clad in the garb of a penitent. 
 Leaving the altar, he went through the church, and as he ap- 
 proached the door Sueno met him with a flood of tears and every 
 sign of contrition, and promising satisfaction. The prelate, in 
 his moderation, released him from the excommunication, imposed 
 a suitable penance on him, and led him up to the altar. In due 
 time the king made ample reparation. 
 
 St. Francis Solano. 
 
 St. Francis Solano, priest of the Order of St. Francis, had 
 long been a laborious missionary in South America when the 
 Lord was pleased to send liim a severe sickness as a last trial 
 before death. The saint bore? it i)ati(Mitly, and said : "Since, for 
 want of strength, I am now not ahic to chastise my body, the 
 Lord, in His mercy, takes my [)lacc, and chastises me according 
 
258 
 
 The Sacraments. 
 
 to my deserts." St. Francis spoke truly ; for, as St. Gregory 
 says, " it is a great favor to be permitted to atone in the body 
 for the sins of the body." 
 
 The Death Penalty made an Atonement for Sin. 
 
 It is an awful crime to take the life of a fellow-being. It is 
 also a frightful penalty to be compelled by the stern hand of the 
 law to yield one's own life in penalty for such a crime. Perhaps 
 
 the fear of 
 death, while 
 the culprit is 
 awaiting the 
 day of execu- 
 tion, is worse 
 than the death 
 itself. Yet 
 God is merci- 
 ful and for- 
 giving to- 
 wards the 
 murderer who 
 is ready to do 
 penance and 
 willing to 
 atone for the 
 life which he 
 took by suffer- 
 ing the loss of 
 his own. 
 
 Let us 
 listen to what 
 St. Catherine 
 relates of a 
 certain mur- 
 derer who was 
 condemned to 
 death. This 
 man, whose 
 St. Francis Solano. name was 
 
 Nicholas Tal- 
 do, was so benefited by a visit from the saint that he con- 
 fessed his sins and with sentiments of deep contrition pre- 
 
PENANCE. 259 
 
 pared for death. " I was obliged to promise him," says St. 
 Catherine, " that I would be present with him, for sake of the 
 love of God, at the moment of his execution. Early on the 
 morning of the fatal day, before the ringing of the Angelus, I 
 hastened to the prison, and was with him when he received Com- 
 munion — the first in his whole life. He was perfectly resigned 
 to God's will, but had some slight fears that his strength might 
 fail him in the last hour. 'Stay near me,' he said, 'and I shall 
 be all right and shall die happy.' As I noticed some little trepi- 
 dation in his manner, I said to him : ' Have courage, dear brother ; 
 you will soon be at the nuptials of the Lamb. You go forth 
 washed with the precious blood of the Son of God, and cleansed 
 in His holy name. Do not cease to utter that sacred name. I 
 will meet you at the place of execution.' Then his heart was 
 relieved of all dread, his face brightened, and he felt consoled. 
 'Whence,' he asked, 'comes to me this great favor? I will go 
 forth to meet death joyfully and bravely.' 
 
 " Then I betook myself," says St. Catherine, " to the fatal 
 place, and praying fervently laid my head on the block. While 
 lying in that position I begged God to send the culprit light and 
 internal peace at the moment of his awful execution. Feeling 
 that my prayer was heard, I was so overcome with joy that I did 
 not see one person about the scaffold, though there were hun- 
 dreds assembled. Then the poor sinner was seen approaching, 
 gentle as a lamb. He smiled when he saw me, and asked me to 
 give him my blessing, which I did, adding : 'We are going to 
 the nuptials of the Lamb, dear brother. Soon you will be in life 
 eternal.' With deep recollection he laid his head on the block. 
 I bared his neck, calling his attention to the saving blood of the 
 Lamb. His only words were: 'Catherine! Jesus!' Whilst I 
 was soaking up his blood I saw Jesus, brighter than the sun. I 
 saw Him receiving into the wound in His side the soul just de- 
 parted, and I was given to understand that He received it solely 
 out of mercy and grace, without any reference to what had been 
 done before. Oh, liow delightful it was for me to see the love 
 and friendship with which God accepted that soul ! My mi«d 
 was consoled when I saw that soul at rest. I have never per- 
 mitted his blood-stains to be washed from the garment I wore 
 that day." 
 
 PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 
 
 Every time you go to confession remember that you are per- 
 forming a duty on wiiicli dei^ends the salvation or the loss of 
 
26o 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 your soul. This thought will animate you with a wholesome 
 earnestness, and have the effect of making you comply with all 
 the requirements necessary to a good confession. 
 
 When you examine your conscience and wish to excite con- 
 trition, imagine that this confession is to be your last, that you 
 will die and must appear before the judgment-seat of God 
 before you can make another confession. And may not this 
 really come to pass? Such a thought is the best guide in direct- 
 ing you to examine your conscience, make a good confession, 
 and renew in your heart a firm purpose of amendment. 
 
 When you enter the confessional remember that you are not 
 alone, that two beings accompany you, your angel on your right 
 hand and Satan on your left. The angel is there to encourage 
 you to make a good confession, the devil to turn you away from 
 it. Learn to whom you should listen. 
 
 Whilst you are confessing, imagine that you are speaking to 
 Jesus Christ, the omniscient God-man. With such a thought, it 
 is inconceivable that you would yield to the temptation of con- 
 cealing or mitigating your past transgressions ; on the contrary, 
 your confession will be sincere, contrite, and full. 
 
 When you are about to perform your penance, descend in 
 spirit into purgatory and there contemplate the torments that 
 await your soul, to purge it from the temporal punishment due 
 to its sins. Such thoughts will lead to such a perfect discharge 
 of your penance tl:at it will be worthy and pleasing in the eyes 
 of God. 
 
 Finally, select rather a severe than a gentle confessor. 
 
 UnDultjences, 
 
 inSTHUCTION. 
 
 CCihat is ;|VIeant by an Indulgence. 
 
 ACRED history teaches us that although God 
 forgives the repenting sinner's offences, He 
 does not always remit the punishment due to 
 them. It tells us that although He received 
 our first parents back into His favor by the 
 promise of a Redeemer, yet He punished them 
 with afflictions, pains, and death. It tells 
 how Moses was excluded from the Promised 
 Land for want of confidence in God, though 
 he had been forgiven for that want ; how Nathan came to an- 
 
PENANCE. 261 
 
 nounce to King David the Lord's forgiveness of his double crime : 
 "The Lord hath taken away thy sin. Yet thy son shall die the 
 death." 
 
 This method of dealing with penitent sinners is in perfect har- 
 mony with God's mercy and justice; for although it is consist- 
 ent with His mercy to relieve the repenting sinner of his guilt 
 and the eternal punishment, yet, on the other hand, divine justice 
 demands that sin, which as an offence against God cannot be un- 
 done, should be atoned for by a punishment, even if it be a light 
 one, inflicted on the sinner. 
 
 In the Sacrament of Penance the Church, as God's represent- 
 ative, can remit the sin and eternal punishment of the penitent, 
 but she cannot remit the temporal punishment ; for in adminis- 
 tering that sacrament she must deal with the penitent as God 
 deals with him. Hence the temporal punishments are to be 
 borne by the sinner either in this world by performing works of 
 satisfaction, or in the other by undergoing the pains of purgatory. 
 
 But they can be remitted by the indulgences of the Church. 
 
 An indulgence is a remission or a lessening, granted by the 
 Church outside of the Sacrament of Penance, of those tem- 
 poral punishments which the sinner still owes to divine justice 
 for the sins which have been remitted as to their guilt and eternal 
 punishment in the Sacrament of Penance. Hence an indulgence 
 is never a remission of the sin itself nor of its eternal punishment. 
 This is to be secured through the sacraments of Baptism and 
 Penance only. 
 
 The Catholic Chui^ch has a l^ight to Grant 
 Indulgences. 
 
 From the words of our divine Saviour, " I will give to thee the 
 keys of the kingdom of heaven : whatsoever thou shalt loose upon 
 earth shall be loosed also in heaven," it is plain that Clirist prom- 
 ised and gave to His Church the most unlimited power to close 
 heaven, and also to take away anything that might impede our 
 entrance thereto. Now temporal penalties unsatisfied certainly 
 impede our entrance into heaven ; therefore the Catholic Church 
 has the power to relieve us of these impediments by granting us 
 indulgences. 
 
 Indulgences ane Useful and Salutary. 
 
 The Church, sj^eaking through tlie sacred Couiuil i^i Tvcul, 
 says that tlie practice of indulgences is very salutary to liic Chris- 
 
262 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 tian people. She speaks truly; for indulgences save us from the 
 dreadful fires of purgatory, and encourage us to the practice of 
 good works and Christian virtues. 
 
 INDULGENCES SAVE US FROfl PURGATORY. 
 
 As often as we confess our sins in order to obtain their re- 
 mission, the priest imposes on us a penance, the performance of 
 which is necessary and sufficient for the integrity of the sacra- 
 ment. But in most cases this penance is not sufficient to the full 
 discharge of the satisfaction yet owing to God. If we content 
 ourselves with the penance laid on us in the confessional, or with 
 some other additional reparation made according to our own 
 choice and fancy, we must have good cause to dread a very 
 severe punishment in the next life. Then the Church, as our 
 always mild and loving mother, comes to the relief of our weak- 
 ness with the precious treasure of her indulgences, by means of 
 which she makes amends for our poor works of penance, so care- 
 lessly and imperfectly performed. By this proceeding she makes 
 us truly free of our debts to God, so that the fires of purgatory 
 may not await us after death. 
 
 INDULGENCES AN ENCOURAQEflENT TO THE PERFORMANCE OF GOOD WORKS 
 AND THE PRACTICE OF VIRTUE. 
 
 The adversaries of truth say that the granting of indulgences 
 is nothing more than a permission to sin with impunity, and that 
 the Catholic Church by her system of indulgences only opens 
 the door to a relaxation of morals. This is certainly a false as- 
 sertion. An indulgence forgives neither the sin nor its eternal 
 penalty, but only the temporal punishment that still remains un- 
 satisfied of the sin already forgiven. Now even this punishment 
 can be removed only from such penitents as have been recon- 
 ciled to God. There is no indulgence for a sinner as long as he 
 remains unreconciled to his God ; for the Lord never remits the 
 punishment due to any sin as long as the sin itself is unrepented 
 and its stain or guilt remains uncleansed. According to the 
 Catholic doctrine, as clearly defined in the apostolic Bulls, an 
 indulgence can be gained only by a truly contrite and humili- 
 ated soul which already possesses the friendship of God and 
 sanctifying grace. How, then, can it open the dike to relaxation 
 of morals ? How can it be a permission to offend God with im- 
 punity, since He first requires the annihilation of the sin and 
 demands a complete conversion ? No, the Catholic Church does 
 not encourage sinfulness by granting indulgences to her penitent 
 
PENANCE. 263 
 
 children ; she encourages the practice of good works and all 
 Christian virtues. For in order to gain an indulgence, and es- 
 pecially a plenary one, not only a sincere conversion is demanded, 
 but also a faithful performance of some works of piety, charity, 
 self-denial, and nearly always confession and Communion. 
 
 IXjhenee the Pooaef of Indulgenees, 
 
 The power of indulgences is derived from the so-called treas- 
 ury of the Church, that is, from the accumulated merits and 
 satisfactions of Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of 
 the saints, or rather from the value of our divine Redeemer's 
 atonement, which was infinite and inexhaustible ; and then from 
 the satisfaction done by the Blessed Virgin, the martyrs, and 
 other saints, inasmuch as their merits were not all required for 
 the atonement of their indebtedness. 
 
 On most proper and solid grounds do the most learned and 
 holiest Doctors of the Church base the doctrine that many of the 
 saints of God performed greater works of penance than were 
 needed to obliterate their own personal sin-penalties. Some had 
 nothing to do penance for. The Mother of God, for example, 
 being stainless of all sin, even original sin, had no punishment to 
 undergo, yet how great and how many were her sufferings 
 through life ! St. John the Baptist, who was sanctified in his 
 mother's womb — how many and severe were his penances, end- 
 ing in a cruel death ! So were there countless other penitents, 
 martyrs, virgins, and confessors who went through pains and 
 sufferings far beyond the amount and intensity required to blot 
 out their penalties for sin. Now, then, this superabundant satis- 
 faction of the merits of Jesus Christ, these overflowing merits of 
 the Blessed Virgin and the other saints, all gained through His 
 grace, form the unbounded treasury of the Church, from which 
 she draws the indulgences which she grants to her children. 
 
 Hence indulgences are called *' heavenly treasures" by the 
 Council of Trent. At an earlier date, Pope Clement VI. taught : 
 "Jesus Christ, by His superabundant sufferings, left to the 
 Church militant on earth an inexhaustible treasury, which He 
 has not folded in a napkin nor buried in a field, but has in- 
 trusted it to St. Peter and his successors, who, as His own repre- 
 sentatives on earth, liave the power of the keys of heaven, that 
 they may judiciously divide it among the faithful. To whicli 
 same treasury were also added the merits of the Mother of God 
 and all the other elect from the first just person to the last." 
 
264 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 Division of Indulgences. 
 
 An indulgence is either plenary or partial. By a plenary in- 
 dulgence all temporal punishments are remitted. Whosoever 
 has the good fortune to gain a plenary indulgence in the moment 
 of death will go at once to heaven without being obliged to feel 
 the least pain of purgatory. By a partial indulgence only a 
 portion of the temporal punishment is remitted. Thus, through 
 an indulgence of from forty to one hundred days, or from one to 
 two or even to ten years, as much of the temporal punishment is 
 remitted as would be satisfied and remitted if we had done 
 penance during an equivalent period of time under the ancient 
 canonical discipline. How long the period thus escaped from 
 purgatory the Church has never pretended to teach. 
 
 Furthermore, indulgences are either for the living or the dead, 
 or for both. 
 
 To the dead, who are no longer under her guidance, the 
 Church can grant the benefit of indulgences only in the form of 
 intercession, by offering to God the satisfying merits of her 
 treasury of graces in aid of her departed members, and beseech- 
 ing Him earnestly that He would be pleased to accept them for 
 the remission of their sufferings, and call them to the enjoyment 
 of heavenly happiness. 
 
 Finally, an indulgence is either local, real, or personal. It 
 may be attached to a place, as to a church or oratory or altar, so 
 that a person desiring to gain it must visit the locality and there 
 comply with the required conditions. It is real when attached 
 to an article, such as a rosary or medal or crucifix. It is per- 
 sonal when granted to individuals, as, for example, members of a 
 confraternity. 
 
 Conditions iof Gaining an Indulgence. 
 
 To the gaining of every indulgence it is required : 
 
 1. That we be in a state of grace. If the conscience be bur- 
 dened with even one mortal sin, the smallest indulgence cannot 
 be acquired. 
 
 2. That we perform the prescribed works really and fully, at 
 the time appointed, in the prescribed place, and with a spirit of 
 piety and penance. 
 
 3. That at the time of performing the prescribed works we 
 have the intention of gaining the indulgence. 
 
 Here it is to be observed : 
 
PENANCE. 
 
 265 
 
 a. At the granting of a plenary indulgence it is usually pre- 
 scribed that we pray according to the intention of the Church or 
 the Pope, without stating any definite prayers. In such cases it 
 is sufficient to say with devotion five Our Fathers and five Hail 
 Marys, or the litany of Jesus or of the Blessed Virgin. 
 
 b. Receiving Communion is required for the gaining of a 
 plenary indulgence, except the indulgence at the hour of death, 
 in case of inability to receive, and the indulgence of the stations. 
 
 t^EFIiHCTIOlSl. 
 INDULGENCE GRANTED BY ST. PAUL. 
 
 HERE was a young man at Corinth living in 
 sinful relations with his stepmother. This was 
 a crime even in the eyes of the pagans. Though 
 warned to discontinue the scandal, he would 
 not obey, and the chief people of Corinth 
 hardly knew how to proceed in the matter, for 
 such a crime had never occurred there before. 
 Meanwhile St. Paul heard of it and wrote to the 
 Corinthians pronouncing sentence on the man, in 
 these words : " I indeed absent in body, but present in spirit, 
 have already judged, as though I were present, him that hath 
 so done, in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, you being 
 gathered together and my spirit, with the power of Our Lord 
 Jesus, to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the 
 flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of Our Lord Jesus 
 Christ" (I. Cor. v. 3-5). 
 
 Thus St. Paul as chief pastor inflicted the sentence of excom- 
 munication on this incestuous man. He expelled him from the 
 communion of the faithful and placed him beyond the pale of 
 the Church. This sentence was to be read in a public church as- 
 sembly, in which St. Paul was present in spirit. The sinner's body 
 was to be given to Satan, that his soul might be saved ; that is to 
 say, he was to be deprived of that means of grace afforded liim 
 by the Cliurch to strengthen him against temptation, that thus, 
 at the sight of his isolation and helplessness, lie might be brouglit 
 to his senses and a feeling of repentance. 
 
 The object of the excommunication was really attained. Tlie 
 man performed such severe penances that it was feared he would 
 fall into despair. So the people applied to St. Paul, who, as rep- 
 resentative of Christ, forgave tlie man and restored him to t!^e 
 
266 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 Church, saying to the people of Corinth : " To whom you have 
 pardoned any thing, I also : for, what I have pardoned, if I have 
 pardoned any thing, for your sakes have I done it in the person 
 of Christ " (11. Cor. ii. lo). Concerning this absolution by St. 
 Paul, St. Chrysostom remarks: "The sinner was not deserving 
 of it, nor was his penance in proportion to his crime. But 
 because he was weak the Apostle pardoned him, lest he should 
 sink into despondency." This was a true and perfect indulgence, 
 a remission of merited temporal punishment. 
 
 ANCIENT PENITENTIAL DISCIPLINE. 
 
 Penance was a long, tedious, painful method of cleansing 
 one's self from the sins committed after Baptism, One could 
 not go to confession as often as he sinned. In the early Church 
 many penances were for life, and seldom was an indulgence 
 granted. Indeed, there were holy bishops who held that a Chris- 
 tian who fell into sin after Baptism, though he might do penance, 
 ought not to be received into the Church again, not even on his 
 death-bed, but to be left to the mercy of God. But the Church 
 disapproved of such severity, and always reconciled penitent sin- 
 ners when on their death-bed. But if a man, during the days of 
 his health and strength, neglected to do penance, putting off his 
 conversion till the time of death, penance and forgiveness were 
 denied him ; for the Church believed that such a person was in- 
 fluenced not by contrition and hatred of sin, but by fear of 
 death. 
 
 Penitents had to go through four stages of penance — the stage 
 of the Weepers, the Hearers, the Kneelers, and the Standers. 
 This practice was in vogue as early as the third century. 
 
 The penitents began their long, tedious process of penance by 
 weeping. They lay prostrate outside the church door, and, beg- 
 ging amid their tears for the prayers of those passing into the 
 church, confessed their sins aloud. They had to lay aside their 
 ordinary dress and put on sackcloth and ashes, in order, by these 
 signs of penance, to move the Church to pity. All were sub- 
 jected to this process — rich and poor, lowly and powerful. No 
 one could lay aside his penitential garb till he had served out 
 his time, and he wore it while being absolved and reconciled. 
 
 When a sinner sought penance the priest imposed hands on 
 him and drew the garb of penance over his head. The men 
 had their hair shaved off ; the women had to veil their faces. 
 They durst not indulge in any pleasure, were forbidden to attend 
 
 • 
 
PENANCE. 
 
 267 
 
 banquets, to make or receive calls, or to wash their bodies. As 
 they could not live as husband and wife, the sinner could not 
 enter on a course of penance without the consent of the wife or 
 husband, as the case might be. They could not taste wine, nor 
 bear arms, nor ride, nor marry, nor be seen in public save at the 
 church door. Sometimes it became a part of their penance to 
 bury the dead. 
 
 Sometimes the Weepers were imprisoned from the beginning 
 of Lent till 
 Holy Thurs- 
 day, wearing 
 iron rings on 
 their necks, 
 arms, and 
 other parts 
 of the body. 
 Again, they 
 were sent to 
 make long 
 pilgrimages, 
 carrying 
 with them a 
 document 
 d escribin g 
 their sin and 
 the penalty 
 imposed. 
 When they 
 came to a 
 cathedral 
 church they 
 were ex- 
 pected to 
 demand dis- 
 c i p 1 i n i n g 
 from its 
 clergy, a n d 
 even to con- 
 fess t li c i r 
 sins. F o r 
 
 some sins penitents were kept several years in this stage. An incest- 
 uous person had to remain three full years among the Weepers. 
 
 Al'l'KARANCE OK OUR LoKI) TO Hl.KSSKD MAKGAKKr MaRY 
 
 Alaccxjuk. 
 
26S THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 The penitents of the second class, called the Hearers, were 
 allowed to enter the church, but were assigned to a certain place. 
 It was permitted to them to assist at the readings and sermons, 
 that they might the better understand the enormity of their sins ; 
 but when Mass proper began they had to leave the church, being 
 deemed unworthy. 
 
 This stage lasted, especially for incestuous sins, three full 
 years. Sometimes the bishop shortened or lengthened tlie 
 period of penance in proportion to the greater or less grade of 
 crime. 
 
 The kneeling or prostrate penitents came to the church on 
 festivals and fasting days, and prostrated themselves, with their 
 faces to the ground, in a certain part of the sacred edifice. While 
 the bishop, attended by the priests, laid his hands upon them, 
 they recited certain prayers for reconciliation. They were not 
 allowed to remain during the sacrifice of the Mass. "With this 
 stage began the real time of penance, for the two previous stages 
 were merely ones of preparation for penance. 
 
 The standing penitents were those who were permitted to 
 stand with the faithful near the altar at the time of Mass. Their 
 offerings were not accepted, their names were not inscribed on 
 the lists of the faithful, nor could they partake of Communion — a 
 punishment that was very much dreaded by zealous Chris- 
 tians. 
 
 The bishop could sometimes permit the penitent to pass a 
 grade if his penances were very sincerely and strictly performed. 
 Every time this was done an indulgence was granted. 
 
 Penances were imposed to last for days or quarantines or 
 years. When the penance was thirty days or less, the penitent 
 had to fast during the whole time on bread and water. If it was 
 a quarantine, or forty days, the penitent not only fasted on 
 bread and water, but was compelled to eat alone, was forbid- 
 den to wear linen, to ride in a wagon or on horseback, or to 
 carry arms. If the penance lasted a year, some modifications 
 were made in the fasting, and the recital of psalms was substi- 
 tuted. 
 
 This system of penance lasted several hundred years in the 
 Church. 
 
 THE JLBILEE. 
 
 Among the many indulgences granted by the Church to the 
 faithful the jubilee indulgence is the most remarkable, being 
 the most comprehensive. 
 
PENANCE. 269 
 
 The Christian jubilee was plainly prefigured in the Old Law, 
 as the shadow to the light, as the figure to the thing itself. 
 
 Among the Jews every fiftieth year was called the year of 
 jubilee, because it was announced by the priests with the aid of 
 trumpets. During this year all debts were forgiven to such as 
 were unable to pay, and all property bought under pressure of 
 law was returned. The fields and vineyards were left unculti- 
 vated, and people lived on what they had stored, or plucked 
 whatever grew spontaneously. 
 
 Now the Christian jubilee year resembles the Jewish inas- 
 much as it is a year of release, not, indeed, of worldly debts, but of 
 the debts due to God. In the Jewish jubilee slaves were set free ; 
 in the Christian jubilee we are freed from the slavery of Satan. 
 
 The jubilee indulgence is the fullest of all releases from tem- 
 poral punishments due to sin, even though we be unable to com- 
 ply strictly with all the conditions. The Pope, in this case, 
 wishes to use all his power and authority to remove all sin-pen- 
 alties in the most effective manner. All can gain this indulgence, 
 even those who are unable to perform the works ; for the con- 
 fessors have authority to change the exercises for the sick, blind, 
 lame, cloistered religious, prisoners, soldiers, travellers, sailors, 
 and others. 
 
 The origin of the jubilee year is thus described. In the year 
 1299, about Christmas-time, there came to Rome an immense 
 throng of pilgrims, eager to gain the centenary indulgence 
 granted in that city every hundred years. Among these was a 
 Savoyard 109 years old, who told Pope Boniface VIII. that his 
 father, who had attended the jubilee one hundred years previous, 
 had enjoined him, if he would live to see the year 1300, to go to 
 Rome to gain the great indulgence. Two aged Frenchmen and 
 one Italian corroborated the story. 
 
 Pope Boniface had all the old records searched, but found no 
 trace of the jubilee mentioned. In order to gratify the piety of 
 the people, and to honor St. Peter and St. Paul, Pope Boniface 
 issued a bull, in which he granted a plenary indulgence to all 
 such inhabitants of Rome as would make thirty visits on separate 
 days to the churches dedicated to those apostles. Slianoers 
 from other parts could gain the same indulgence by making the 
 visits in fifteen days. This indulgence could be gaiiu'd only 
 once in a hundred years. 
 
 In the year 1300 two hundred thousand strangers visited 
 Rome to gain this indulgence. 
 
270 THE SACRAMEN'IS. 
 
 In the year 1342 Pope Clement \'I.. at the request of the Ro- 
 mans, reduced the period from one hundred to fifty years, as many 
 persons were born, lived long, and died without an opportunity 
 to gain the indulgence. In the year 13S9 Urban VI. ordered the 
 jubilee every thirty-three years, in honor of the years passed by 
 Christ on earth. Finally Pope Paul II. fixed the time at twenty- 
 five years, so as to place the indulgence within the span of an 
 ordinary lifetime. 
 
 Like the Jewish jubilee, the Christian jubilee is proclaimed 
 amid the sound of trumpets from the principal churches of 
 Rome, on the doors of which the Pope's brief authorizing it is 
 attached. This is done first on the Ascension Day of the pre- 
 ceding year, and on the fourth Sunday of Advent the announce- 
 ment is again made. The jubilee proper begins on Christmas 
 Eve. After first vespers the Pope intones the hymn •'Come, 
 Holy Ghost," and then proceeds in state to St. Peter's Church, 
 through the holy door, which is kept constantly walled up ex- 
 cept on the occasion of a jubilee. While the Pope is officiating 
 in St. Peter's :hree cardinal legates are similarly engaged in the 
 three other principal churches of Rome — St. John Lateran, St. 
 Mary Major, and St. Paul. Thus is opened the year of jubilee, 
 which lasts till the vespers of Christmas in the succeeding year, 
 when the Pope leaves St. Peter's through the holy door, which 
 is then walled up again. 
 
 Besides this there are held at different times other extraordi- 
 nary jubilees: for instance, at the election of a Pope, in time of 
 war or some other great event. 
 
 We have, then, two kinds of jubilee : 
 
 I. The ordinary jubilee or the sacred year, which occurs every 
 twenty-fifth year; and, 2. The extraordinary jubilee, held on oc- 
 casion of some special event. 
 
 I. The jubilee of the holy year is celebrated only in Rome, and 
 during the time all the other indulgences are suspended, leaving 
 in force only the following : 
 
 a. Indulgence at the hour of death. 
 
 b. Indulgences attached to privileged altars. 
 
 c. Indulgences granted exclusively to the faithful departed. 
 
 d. Indulgence of the Angelus. 
 
 e. Indulgence for attending the Communion to the sick. 
 
 /. Indulgence of seven years and seven times torty days at 
 the devotion of the Forty Hours' Adoration. 
 
 g. Finally, Pope Benedict XIII. granted what Benedict XI\'. 
 
PENANCE. 271 
 
 confirmed, that all the indulgences suspended for the living 
 might be gained for the departed souls. 
 
 h. The indulgences granted on special occasions during the 
 year by the Pope's authorized representatives. 
 
 For the benefit of those who cannot visit Rome, the Pope 
 grants this indulgence to all Catholics throughout the world, 
 under certain conditions, in order that they may not be deprived 
 of the graces offered. Although the time of jubilee is twelve 
 months, yet the time for gaining the indulgence is often shorter, 
 possibly with a view to promoting ardor and fervor in -the piety 
 of the faithful. It is necessary for the gaining of the indulgence 
 that the jubilee be proclaimed by the local bishop of the dio- 
 cese. Without this no one could gain the indulgence in such 
 diocese, although it might be known to all that the publication 
 had been made in Rome. 
 
 2. The extraordinary jubilee is of short duration, usually fif- 
 teen days. It is to be remarked that during this jubilee the in- 
 dulgences for the living remain in force. 
 
 The conditions for gaining the jubilee indulgence, with other 
 directions, are mentioned in the papal letters. In general we can 
 say that all confessors have permission to absolve from cases 
 reserved to the bishops and even to the Pope, as well as from 
 Church penalties. They also have, among other privileges, that 
 of commuting the works prescribed, in cases where persons are 
 unable to perform them. 
 
 The conditions for gaining the indulgence must be strictly 
 observed, and with the intention of gaining it. They are always 
 stated in the letters, and usually are : i. A good confession ; 2. 
 A worthy Communion ; 3. Visiting some churches ; 4. Fasting ; 
 5. Almsgiving ; 6. Some prayers. The last three are defined by 
 the Church authorities. 
 
 In general, the following is to be observed : 
 
 1. The confession must be a valid one, and is required even 
 of those who have only venial sins to confess. Anyone who can- 
 not confess cannot gain the indulgence. We may confess witliin 
 the prescribed time or out of it, but we must be in the state of 
 grace when we perform the last work. 
 
 2. The Communion must be a worthy one, and it is advisable 
 that it be the last condition we fulfil. 
 
 3. The Faster Communion will not do for the jubilee, but tlie 
 Easter confession will, 
 
 4. Children old enough to confess, but not prepared for First 
 
272 THE SACPAMEXTS. 
 
 Communion, can gain the indulgence, but their confessor must 
 substitute some other good work in place of Communion. 
 
 5. In Rome the appointed churches, usually four, are all to 
 be visited the same day. Outside of Rome the visiis are arranged 
 according to circumstances. 
 
 6. The prayer is usually the prayer of indulgence, unless some 
 other is prescribed. 
 
 7. All are required to fast who are able, between the ages of 
 twenty-one and sixty. When fasting is impossible the confessor 
 must substitute some other pious work. 
 
 S. By almsgiving is understood some corporal work of mercy. 
 All who have means must give alms ; wives and children of their 
 own means, servants from their wages. When the person has 
 absolutely nothing, the confessor commutes to something else. 
 
 In case of any doubt or uncertainty, the confessor is to be 
 consulted, 
 
 THE INDULGENCE OF THE PORTILNCULA. 
 
 This indulgence derives its nam.e from the little church of 
 Portiuncula. in the valley of Spoleto, near the town of Assisi. the 
 mother-house of the sons of St. Francis. 
 
 The church was built in the year 513, by four pilgrims who 
 came from the Holy Land. It was afterwards attended by the 
 Benedictines from Mount Subas. On account of its smailness, 
 and the two small fields adjoining that belonged to the Bene- 
 dictines, it was called Portiuncula. or small portion. It was also 
 known as St. Mary of the Angels, on account of a picture of the 
 Assumption that was painted within 
 
 Because it was small and poor it was the favorite church of 
 St. Francis, the apostle of poverty. Having associated with 
 himself two companions, he asked the Benedictines for the use of 
 the church, which they then offered to give to him. But he 
 declined the ownership, and to show his dependence as a mere 
 tenant, he used to bring every year some few fishes to the neigh- 
 boring abbot. The Benedictines would give him in return boun- 
 tiful alms. The place was favored by the Almighty God with 
 miracles, and, like Solomon's temple of old, even with His visible 
 presence. 
 
 The history of this indulgence we will give in the words of 
 Michael Bernardi, an Italian historian, who lived at the time of 
 St. Francis, and was a citizen of Assisi. 
 
 He gives the following testimony: 
 
PENANCE. 
 
 273 
 
 "In the 
 name of the 
 undivided 
 Trinity, 
 Father, Son, 
 and Holy 
 Ghost, and 
 of the ever- 
 blessed Vir- 
 gi n Mary, 
 and of all 
 the saints, I, 
 Michael Ber- 
 nardi, for- 
 merly of Pol- 
 lio, but now 
 dwelling in 
 the town of 
 Assisi, as a 
 venerator 
 and spiritual 
 friend of the 
 blessed Fran- 
 cis and his 
 order, went 
 one day to 
 ' Mary of the 
 Angels,' or 
 Portiuncula, 
 where I met 
 Brother Leo, 
 
 Brother Peter of Cataneo, Brother Angelus of Reate, Brother 
 Philip Chipi of Casta, Brother Massaeus of Marignano, and Brother 
 Sylvester. They were all talking together, and as they lowered 
 their voices at my approach I was about to retrace my steps. 
 But they called me to join them; and there, in the garden con- 
 taining the cell of St. Francis, we had the following conversa- 
 tion. Brother Peter of Cataneo began by saying: Listen, 
 Michael, to the wonderful things that happened here in days 
 gone by. One niglit last January, while Francis was absorbed in 
 devout prayer, Satan came to him, and urged him to abandon his 
 life of austerity, and to go and enjoy himself in the world. 
 
 St. Dominic and St. Catharine of Siena. 
 
2 74 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 But at the same time Francis felt within himself such an extra- 
 ordinary strength that, rising up, he went into the woods, and 
 laying off his garments, rolled himself amid the dense under- 
 growth of thorns, thistles, and sharp briers, till his blood flowed 
 in streams from his torn flesh. The evil spirit fled in dismay. 
 This signal victory was at once crowned by Heaven. For the 
 woods were suddenly lighted up with a warm and brilliant 
 light, and although it was midwinter, the shrubbery was seen 
 all laden down with a profusion of red and white roses. 
 Then a sweet soft voice was heard floating through the woods, 
 saying : ' Let us hasten to the church, where Our Saviour 
 and His Mother are present.' Francis plucked twelve white 
 roses and the same number of the red, and going into the 
 church, laid them on the altar, and then prostrated himself 
 on the ground. Then Christ said to him: ' Francis, ask 
 whatsoever you desire for the salvation of men and the good 
 of souls.' When the saint had somewhat recovered his pres- 
 ence of mind, he prayed : ' Holy Father, though I am a poor 
 sinful man, I humbly beg that Thou wouldst grant this grace 
 to all who come to this church, namely, that after they 
 have confessed their sins to a priest they may obtain pardon and 
 absolution, and a remission of the temporal penalties due to such 
 sins.' The Lord answered : ' You ask much. But I deem you 
 worthy of still greater things, and your petition is granted. But 
 you must first apply to My Vicar, Pope Honorius III., and in My 
 name ask for the indulgence which I have already granted.' 
 Then the vision was over. Next morning Francis was up bright 
 and early, and set out for Rome to see the Pope. On hearing 
 the message the Pope wanted to delay the matter for six years. 
 But as Francis adhered to his original request, nothing was done 
 at that time. In another similar vision Jesus Christ Himself 
 then appointed the day, in these words : ' From the evening of 
 the first of August till the close of the following day, whosoever 
 cometh here, and with sincere contrition will confess his sins, 
 shall have forgiveness of them from the day of his birth till the 
 hour of his entrance into this sacred place.' Francis, prostrate 
 on the ground, said : * Holy Father and Redeemer, how can this 
 be made known to an unbelieving world ? ' Christ answered : 
 ' It shall be done through My grace. But do thou go to My 
 Vicar at Rome, and he will proclaim the indulgence as seems 
 best to his knowledge and experience.' Francis inquired: '"Will 
 Your Vicar believe a poor sinner like me ? ' Christ replied: 'Take 
 
PENANCE. 275 
 
 with you some of your brethren who are now listening. Carry 
 also with you some of the white and red roses that bloomed at 
 the time you were chastising your body in the woods.' This 
 dialogue was heard by the following brothers: Peter Cataneo, 
 Rufinus Chipi, Bernard Quintavalle, and Massaeus of Marignano, 
 who were keeping vigils in their cells close to the church. 
 
 " At break of day Francis and these brothers set out for 
 Rome, where, in the Lateran Church, they related to Pope 
 Honorius all as above described. In proof of the truth Francis 
 presented to the Pontiff three white and three red roses. Honorius 
 was astonished to see such fresh and fragrant flowers in the month 
 of January, and accepted then as true the story of Francis. 
 But not wishing to proclaim the benefits of the indulgence with- 
 out first taking counsel, he summoned all his cardinals. So next 
 day Francis and his brethren had to appear before the conclave 
 and make a statement of the whole affair. As there could be no 
 pretext for any further delay, the Pope wrote to all the bishops 
 in the neighborhood of Assisi, ordering them to publish the 
 indulgence under the direction of Francis. Then the latter 
 called on all the people to assemble on the day appointed. He 
 had a platform erected and a place prepared for the bishops, the 
 remains of which are to be seen to this day in the same church. 
 The bishops being now all arrived, commissioned Francis to make 
 the announcement in their presence. He consented, saying : 
 'Though I am not worthy, I will with your consent preach a 
 sermon and proclaim the indulgence which has been established 
 by the command of God and the intercession of His ever-blessed 
 Mother.' Then he began, and spoke so effectively that he 
 seemed more like an angel from heaven than a man of the earth. 
 At the close of his discourse he announced the indulgence : 
 * Whosoever will visit this churcli, called St. Mary of the Angels, 
 at any time from the evening of the first of August till the close 
 of the following day, shall have his sins forgiven him,' etc. 
 The bishops were not satisfied at these words ; for in those days 
 the granting of a plenary indulgence for all eternity was quite 
 out of the usual discipline of the Church. They therefore agreed 
 together to limit the indulgence to ten years. The Bishop of 
 Assisi was the first to speak. When he came to designate the 
 time, he could not say a word but just what Francis had said. 
 Each bisho[), one after the other, stood up to speak, and en- 
 deavored to proclaim the indulgence for ten years only. I^ut not 
 one of them could get out a word different from wiiat had been 
 
276 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 said by Francis. They were perplexed ; yet, feeling that it was 
 a miracle, they recognized the will of God, and with St. Francis 
 proclaimed unanimously the indulgence as the holy Francis 
 wanted it. 
 
 "At this meeting were present, besides the above-named bish- 
 ops, many other distinguished persons from Perus and the ad- 
 jacent towns and castles, as well as from the rural districts. Of 
 the brethren themselves were Angelus, the Provincial of the 
 Province of St. Francis, Boniface, Guido, and many others from 
 the Monastery of Portiuncula itself." 
 
 From the above narrative it is clear that this " Portiuncula 
 Indulgence" is a providential and preferred one, inasmuch as 
 Christ Himself gave it, and His visible Head and Vicar so recog- 
 nized it. In order to make this indulgence accessible to as many 
 persons as possible the sovereign pontiffs have since extended 
 it far and wide. Concerning this indulgence it is to be ob- 
 served : 
 
 1. Whoever wishes to gain this indulgence must on the ap- 
 pointed day visit the Church of the Portiuncula, or some other 
 church similarly privileged. It is not necessary that the pre- 
 scribed confession and Communion be made in one of such 
 churches. 
 
 2. Confession must be made either on the eve of the festival 
 or on the day itself. 
 
 3. According to subsequent papal grants this indulgence may 
 be gained for the benefit of the souls in purgatory. 
 
 4. It may be gained on the 2d of August by a visit to any 
 church of the Franciscans, whether of the first, second, or third 
 Order ; hence to any church of the Capuchins, Franciscans, Con- 
 ventuals, Clares, and Tertiaries. 
 
 5. This indulgence can be gained as often as (toties, quoties) 
 a visit is made to the church on the appointed day. Hence, if 
 one has confessed and communicated worthily, he can gain the 
 indulgence several times, and turn them over to different souls 
 in purgatory. A decision to this effect was rendered by the 
 Roman Congregation of Indulgences on the 8th of July, 1850. 
 
 6. The members of the Third Order of St. Francis, of both 
 sexes, can gain this indulgence in all churches. The sick can 
 gain it at home, prisoners in their cells, and travellers every- 
 where. 
 
 7. By virtue of a papal indult this indulgence can be gained 
 in some lands on the first Sunday in August, in all Franciscan 
 
PENANCE. 277 
 
 churches, as well as in parish churches and such other churches 
 as are affiliated, in which ordinary public services are held. 
 
 From all that has been described it is evident that this indul- 
 gence is of immense advantage to myriads of souls, and contrib- 
 utes vastly to the zeal and piety of the faithful. 
 
 CONFRATERNITY INDULGENCES.-INDULGENCES ATTACHED TO GOOD WORKS. 
 
 For the honor and glory of God and the edification of the 
 faithful, we will here make mention of some other indulgences 
 that may be easily gained by all persons. 
 
 Confraternities. 
 
 The Confraternity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. — The members 
 say daily one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Apostles' 
 Creed, adding: "Divine Heart of Jesus, grant that I may ever 
 love Thee more and more." Such persons receive a plenary in- 
 dulgence on the day of their reception into the society, on the 
 feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, on the festival of the Holy 
 Name, or on the following Sunday ; on the first Friday of the 
 month or the Sunday after ; on one day of the month, accord- 
 ing to selection ; on the feast of the Immaculate Conception ; on 
 the 8th of September ; on the Annunciation, Candlemas Day, the 
 Assumption, All Saints', All Souls', St. Joseph's Day ; the feasts of 
 Sts. Peter and Paul, St. John the Evangelist ; and also at the hour 
 of death, on condition that the dying person invoke the name of 
 Jesus with the lips, or at least with the heart. 
 
 The Confraternity of the Holy and Immaculate Heart of Mary. — 
 The members wear the medal of the Immaculate Conception, 
 and say daily a Hail Mary, with the prayer of St. Bernard, " Re- 
 member, O most compassionate Virgin Mary, that," etc. ; adding 
 the words, " O Mary, refuge of sinners, pray for us." Tliey gain 
 a plenary indulgence on the day of their reception into the arcli- 
 confraternity, on the anniversary of their baptism, at the hour 
 of death, on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Mary as celebrated 
 on the Sunday before Septuagesima, on New Year's Day, Can- 
 dlemas Day, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, the Assumption, 
 the Immaculate Conception, the conversion of St. Paul, on the 
 25th of January, on the festival of St. Mary Magdalene ; also on 
 any two selected days of the month, which may also be applied 
 to the departed souls. 
 
 The Rosary Society. — The members are to have a rosary prt>p- 
 erly blessed, and recite tlie fifteen mysteries once during the 
 week, meditating on each mystery. They can gain plenary in- 
 
278 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 dulgences as follows : On the third Sunday in April, Easter Day, 
 Ascension Thursday, Whitsunday, Trinity Sunday, Corpus 
 Ghristi, Christmas, the patronal feast of their church, on Good 
 Friday, and on the Sundays succeeding the Assumption and 
 Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, as well as on Rosary Sunday and 
 all festivals of Mary; likewise every monthly Sunday, if they join 
 in the procession. 
 
 The Scapular Society. — The members wear a scapular properly 
 blessed, and are duly invested, and say some prayers daily to the 
 
 Blessed Vir- 
 gin — usually 
 seven Our 
 Fathers and 
 as many Hail 
 Marys. If 
 they lose their 
 scapular they 
 can put one 
 onthemselves, 
 nor is it neces- 
 sary to have 
 it blessed. 
 They may 
 gain plenary 
 indulgences 
 on the day of 
 their enrol- 
 ment, any day 
 during the 
 Octave of 
 Our Lady of 
 Mount Car- 
 mel, at the 
 hour of death, 
 and on the 
 monthly Sun- 
 days by join- 
 ing the pro- 
 cession. All 
 indulgences 
 may be applied to the souls of the faithful departed. 
 
 The Confraternity of the Precious Blood.— The members repeat 
 
 St, Simon Stock receiving the Scapular. 
 
PENANCE. 279 
 
 daily seven Glory be to the Fathers, etc., in honor of the seven 
 sheddings of Our Saviour's blood. They are directed to recite 
 the little rosary of the Precious Blood, and to wear some mark, 
 blessed, as a girdle, scapular, etc.; and when they hear of the 
 death of a member they are to perform some good work for the 
 benefit of the departed soul. They can gain plenary indulgences 
 orx the day of their enrolment, at the hour of death, at Christ- 
 mas, Easter, Ascension, on the five principal festivals of the 
 Mother of God, on the feast of her Seven Sorrows, and on the 
 first Sunday of September. 
 
 Plenary Indulgences attached to different Good Works, and which can be 
 gained by any one. 
 
 1. A plenary indulgence can be gained once a month by all 
 those who, being contrite of heart, say daily, in honor of the 
 adorable Trinity, " Holy, holy, holy. Lord God of hosts ; the 
 heavens and the earth are full of Thy glory. Glory be to the 
 Father," etc. 
 
 2. A plenary indulgence is granted once a month to all those 
 who, in honor of the Blessed Sacrament, say daily : 
 
 " Praise and thanks without end to the ever-blessed Sacrament." 
 
 3. There is a plenary indulgence granted at the hour of death 
 to all those who have practised the Christian salutation, 
 " Praised be Christ Jesus " " forever and ever. Amen." 
 
 These three pious practices alone afford the faithful sufficient 
 opportunities to obtain rich and abundant graces for themselves, 
 and their departed friends. 
 
 PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 
 
 Whosoever keeps in mind human sinfulness in all its enormity, 
 as well as the punishment it entails, cannot fail to appreciate 
 the advantages whicli are offered to him in the indulgences of 
 the Catholic Church. When we recall the long and severe pen- 
 ances undergone by the early Christians in order to obtain remis- 
 sion of the penances due their sins, we ought to be ashamed at 
 our indifference towards the easy means offered to us for the 
 same purpose. Others have surrendered all their possessions, 
 even their freedom and their very life, in order to obtain a 
 plenary indulgence. Why should we be slow in sacrificing some 
 little time and convenience ? — a small sacrifice, that will bring us 
 peace of conscience, and soothe tlie last moments of our life. 
 Strive, then, to gain as many indulgences as you can. Apply 
 
28o THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 some of them to the souls in purgatory. You have dear departed 
 ones. Help them in their sufferings, and your own reward will 
 be great. 
 
 In a circular issued in the year 1865 the Cardinal Archbishop 
 of Vienna wrote: "Throughout all the warnings given by the 
 Church, and throughout all the mysteries she celebrates, there 
 ever resounds that appeal to the human heart : * Now is the time 
 to rise from sleep.' With more especial stress does this cry go 
 forth when the faithful are solemnly exhorted to strive for some 
 plenary indulgence. You know, dearly beloved, that an indul- 
 gence affects only the temporal punishment which remains to be 
 undergone by the penitent after he has received remission of 
 the guilt and of the eternal punishment. Hence a plenary in- 
 dulgence can be offered only to those who have worthily received 
 the Sacrament of Penance, and thereby made themselves worthy 
 to partake of the bread which is life and brings life unto salva- 
 tion. Every one who desires to throw off the burdens imposed 
 upon him by sin, and to stand regenerated in the midst of the 
 just, will be brought to confession in his effort to gain the 
 indulgence. If his soul is defaced with the stain of heavy guilt, 
 he will be carried that way in order to turn away the threaten- 
 ing danger of eternal perdition ; and then he obtains a benefit, 
 and indeed a great benefit. There are indeed some persons who, 
 because they go to confession once a year, think they do all that 
 is required, and would have nothing to tell to the priest. These 
 are the very persons who stand most in need of the Sacrament 
 of Penance. It fares with them as it does with a man who sud- 
 denly leaves the bright, noisy streets and enters a dark room. 
 At first he can see nothing. But if he wait awhile he will begin 
 to discover the outlines of many an object, and soon see them all in 
 their true shape, size, and color. Amid their business, cares, and 
 pleasures they are strangers to their own dark interior. When 
 they begin to examine their conscience they can see nothing. 
 But if they persevere they soon discover the outlines of many a 
 sin, and if they permit the grace of God to enter they will see 
 their sins in their true light. 
 
 " Then the Sacrament of Penance is the door that opens into 
 the Holy of Holies and leads us to Our Lord and Saviour. 
 After we have cleansed ourselves from sin by contrition and con- 
 fession, we may receive the Word made flesh, concealed under 
 the appearance of bread. Nor does the Lord come to us with 
 empty hands ; for He will and can give us all that is worth wish- 
 
PENANCE. 251 
 
 ing for. For our sake He lay in the manger, a tender child; for 
 our sake He bore the privations of poverty and the fatigue of 
 labor in the humble home at Nazareth. For our sake He suffered 
 the crown of thorns and the nailing to the cross; for our sake 
 He effected the most tender and sacred miracle of love in the 
 Sacrament of the Eucharist, making Himself the invigorating 
 food of our souls. To His chosen ones He becomes food, in 
 order to vitalize their faith, inflame their love, forgive their sins, 
 turning their weakness into strength, giving them consolation in 
 trouble, power in temptation, and victory in battle. He is the 
 pledge of everlasting glory. 
 
 "To Our Saviour is all power given in heaven and on earth. 
 Yet He can do nothing greater for us than to give Himself to us. 
 During His abiding with us He brings us benefits that no thief 
 can steal, if we avail ourselves properly of His presence with us. 
 The admonition to begin a new life, and to consecrate all our 
 acts and omissions to the Lord by a right intention, never comes 
 to us with greater force than when we are, as it were, one with Our 
 Lord and Saviour, If there be no change within us for the 
 better, the fault lies with ourselves, and not with the heavenly 
 Guest Who visits us. At the north-pole the same sun shines 
 as with us, and as brightly; the ice-fields glisten with its light, 
 yet remain solid and cold. It is somewhat similar with those 
 persons who approach holy Communion only half recollected, 
 and devoid of any serious desire to be renewed in spirit. But if 
 we find not assistance with the Lamb of God, where shall we 
 look for strength and safety ? Therefore we must return to Him 
 again and again. There is nothing left for us but to invoke the 
 assistance of the Holy Ghost, to commend ourselves to Mary the 
 Mother of Mercy, to pray to our guardian angel not to abandon 
 us, and then to urge ourselves to receive the Sacrament of Pen- 
 ance with profound contrition, and the holy Communion with 
 greater love and devotion than ever before. If we feel a vivid 
 shame and smarting sorrow at the imperfection with which we 
 have hitherto approached the table of the Lord, that is a very 
 good sign. For the more penetrated we become with a sense of 
 our own weakness and sinfulness, the more assuredly may we 
 count on helping grace, without which we can do nothing." 
 
 It is to sucli an earnest spirit of penance, and thence to the 
 sublime happiness of a valid confession and a pr()fital)le Com- 
 munion, that the indulgences of the Catholic Ciunch iniiH'l and 
 guide us. 
 
282 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 lEytreme innctiom 
 
 IflST^UCTIO^. 
 
 E3<LtPeme Unction is a Sacpatnent. — 
 Its Hffeets. 
 
 XTREME UNCTION is a sacrament in which, 
 by the anointing with oil and the prayers of 
 the priest, the grace of God is imparted to the 
 sick, for the welfare of their souls and often of 
 their bodies. 
 
 This sacrament is called Extreme Unction, 
 because it is the last anointing with oil that a 
 Christian can receive. The other anointings 
 are at Baptism, Confirmation, and Ordination. 
 
 Extreme Unction is really a sacrament, since it has all the 
 necessary qualities for such ; namely : i. The institution by 
 Christ ; 2. The outward sign of grace ; 3. The inward operation 
 of grace. 
 
 That Jesus Christ instituted Extreme Unction and raised it 
 to the dignity of a sacrament we know both from Holy Scrip- 
 ture and the early teaching and practice of the Church. 
 
 In the Gospel according to St. Mark we read that even during 
 the lifetime of Christ the apostles anointed the sick with oil. 
 The passage reads : '* Going forth they preached that men should 
 do penance : and they cast out many devils, and anointed with 
 oil many that were sick, and healed them " (St. Mark vi. 12, 13). 
 This passage of Scripture is now generally admitted. It shows 
 clearly that Christ must have taught His apostles the using of 
 oil in dealing with the sick. 
 
 That Christ also elevated this anointing to the dignity of a 
 sacrament is clearly shown by the words of St. James the apos- 
 tle : " Is any man sick among 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 " (St. James v. 14, 15). 
 
 Here St. James plainly states that the grace of fortitude, of 
 consolation, and of pardon of sin is joined to the anointing with 
 oil and the prayers of the priest. It is evident that so saving a 
 power could not be ascribed by the apostle to these mere out- 
 
EXTREME UNCTION. 283 
 
 ward signs and acts if he were not sure that they came from 
 Christ and were ordained by Him. 
 
 Unbelievers have raised many objections-, striving to weaken 
 the proving powers of this passage of Scripture, but their ob- 
 jections are altogether groundless. 
 
 The Good Samaritan. 
 
 They say that tlie apostle does not write : "Tlie priests of 
 the Church," but " the elders" ; tiiat is, the chief persons of the 
 congregation. Admitting this reading or translation, what fol- 
 lows ? In those days the Christian congregations had no hiy 
 officers, for the heads or chief men of tlic congregation were the 
 
284 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 bishops and the priests ; hence St. James, when saying " the 
 elders," if he did say it, meant the bishops or the priests over 
 the congregations. 
 
 That such is the truth is shown by the following facts : 
 
 When the primitive Christians sold their property they laid 
 their money at the feet of the apostles only. And as these were 
 then unable to attend to the temporal affairs of the Christian 
 communities, they did not appoint secular officers, but committed 
 such business to the deacons. 
 
 Furthermore, when St. Paul called the ancients of the Church 
 from Ephesus to Miletus, he said to them, " Take heed to your- 
 selves, and to the whole flock wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed 
 you bishops to rule the Church of God " (Acts xx. 28). 
 
 Others, again, pretend that St. James, directed the anointing 
 with oil as a mere natural or medicinal remedy. If this were so, 
 then the ordinary attendants of the sick could have done it, 
 neither priest nor elder nor other ecclesiastic being required for 
 this. 
 
 Finally, we learn from the most ancient teachings of the 
 Church that she always reckoned Extreme Unction among the 
 seven sacraments. This is further proved from the constant 
 practice of all the ancient Eastern churches, every one of which 
 considered it a sacrament. If it is a sacrament, then it must owe 
 its institution to Jesus Christ, 
 
 And why should it not have been ordained by llim ? It is pre- 
 cisely in the time of sickness and at the article of death that 
 the Christian is most in need of help. Just then he is dis- 
 couraged, impatient, disposed to murmur against God, unable 
 to detach his heart from the world, and exposed to the final 
 assaults of Satan. Is it not, then, eminently becoming that our 
 High Priest, Who so often has had compassion on us poor sin- 
 ners, should complete and crown His mercy, and through the 
 visible sign of anointing with oil, which heals our wounds, 
 strengthens our bodies, rejoices our hearts, and enkindles within 
 us the fires of charity, should show us that He infuses into our 
 souls forgiveness, strength, and enlightenment? 
 
 The outward signs of Extreme Unction are : 
 
 1. The blessed oil with which the priest anoints the five 
 senses of the sick Christian ; and, 
 
 2. The words uttered as a prayer by the priest at each anoint- 
 ing, and which are as follows: "By this holy anointing, and 
 through His own good mercy, may the Lord be pleased to for- 
 
EXTREME UNCTION. 285 
 
 give thee whatsoever thou hast sinned by the sense of thy sight, 
 smell, hearing, taste, speech, touch, motion, and also by thy 
 thoughts and the lusts of thy heart." 
 
 The Sacrament of Extreme Unction produces beneficial effects 
 in soul and body. 
 
 In the soul it produces the following effects: 
 
 1. Like all the sacraments for the living, it augments sancti- 
 fying grace. 
 
 2. It remits venial sins, and such mortal sins as we may have 
 done unknowingly, as well as those grievous sins which the sick 
 person is no longer able to confess, and it destroys the relics of 
 sins already forgiven, especially the temporal punishments due 
 to them, as well also as the evil tendencies of the heart, the 
 weakness of the will, — all of which are effects of past sins. Ex- 
 treme Unction is a complement of the Sacrament of Penance. 
 
 3. It strengthens the sick person in his sufferings and temp- 
 tations, especially in the death agony. The Council of Trent 
 teaches this in the following words : " The Sacrament of Extreme 
 Unction quiets our fears, illumines the gloom in which the soul 
 is enveloped, fills it with pious and holy joy, and enables us to 
 wait with cheerfulness ihe coming of the Lord, prepared to yield 
 up all that we have received from His bounty whenever He is 
 pleased to summon us from this world of woe. Another, and the 
 most important, advantage derived from Extreme Unction is 
 that it fortifies us against the violent assaults of Satan. It arms 
 and strengthens the faithful against the violence of such assaults, 
 and enables them to fight resolutely and successfully against 
 them." 
 
 On the body also Extreme Unction produces frequently favor- 
 able effects. It often lightens the pains of sickness, and if it is 
 for the patient's spiritual good, it sometimes restores him to full 
 health and strength. 
 
 l^eception of E:j^tPemc Unction. 
 
 Extreme Unction may be received by every Catholic Christian 
 who is dangerously sick and has reached the use of reason. 
 
 Only a Catholic Christian can receive the Saciament of Ex- 
 treme Unction, for it is administered only by the jMit'sts of tiie 
 Cliurch to the children of the Church. " Let him " — that is, the 
 sick man — " bring in tlie iM'iests of the Church." It should ncU, 
 therefore, be administered to such C^itholics who wliiU' they 
 were in iH^allh did not participate in the other saving rcnuHlies 
 
286 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 of the Church, if they have not asked for the sacrament and are 
 lying senseless in the struggles of death. Yet it may be granted 
 to them if they have pre.i;usly shown sorrow for their neglect, 
 and desired to die well. 
 
 Furthermore, the subject of this sacra. ~ em mus: be sick, aad_ 
 dangerously sick ; for St, James says : "Is any one sick among 
 you?" Hence persons in health, although in danger of death, 
 and even when death is certain, cannot receive Extreme Unction ; 
 hence soldiers about to e:.:er battle, sailors in shipwreck, women 
 about to be confined, cr ::.: bs about to be put to death, should 
 not be anointed. Old ztiz'.- :an, however; for old age, with 
 its feebleness, is real-v a sickness. 
 
 Nor shoui b ze rx.rrfri : persons who are seized by the 
 struggles o: ieab. .: ; :e ac: :: committing mortal sin, unless 
 they can show some signs of contrition. 
 
 Finally, the subject must have come to the age of reason. 
 Hence children cannot be anointed, since being incapable of sin 
 there would be no spiritual ailments :c e be^lec :y b:e sacra- 
 mental curative powers of the sacra-.ec: b s^ r ctrs: s ^re 
 incapable of receiving this sacrance::. .: brss t e :- :.ec. 
 with lucid inter\-ais. Persons insane or idiotic from birth should 
 not be anointed. 
 
 Extreme Unction can be adn2in:s:erri crby cnce in :be same 
 sickness. If the danger of death has passed away, and the sick- 
 ness return again with rene-ived danger c: death, the an:int:ng 
 may be repeated. 
 
 Extrence Unction should be received — 
 
 1. Iq the state of grace ; for it is a sacrament of the living. 
 Hence we must have life in our soul when we receive it. Con- 
 fession should go before, or at leas: an act c: neriect contri- 
 tion. 
 
 2. It should be received with faith, hope, charity, and with 
 resignation to God's will. 
 
 3. It should be received while the patient is in fair enjoy- 
 ment of his faculties. \'ery much depends on the subject being 
 anointed while he can n::i:r : = : is being done, and join with 
 devotion in the prayers :: b.e rr est. The more devoutly the 
 patient crrresn ends with the sacrament the mere powerful will 
 be its effects. 
 
 Those persons who willingly and knowingly negiec: the re- 
 ception of Extreme Unction are guilty of a grit : 5 sin; for 
 
EXTREME UNCTION. 287 
 
 they deprive their souls of those highly necessary graces that 
 are obtained through this sacrament. 
 
 The Ceremonies of E>!ittteme IJnetion. 
 
 In the sick room, where Extreme Unction is to be adminis- 
 tered, the following preparations should be made : 
 
 Let the room be clean and tidy, and, if possible, clean cloth- 
 ing on the bed. Let there be a small table, covered with a clean 
 cloth, bearing a crucifix, two candlesticks with candles burning, 
 a vessel with holy water, and a plate with some cotton. On an- 
 other table let there be a plate with some salt, a piece of the soft 
 part of the bread for cleansing the priest's fingers, and some 
 water and a towel. 
 
 The ceremonies are as follows : 
 
 1. The priest on entering the room says: "Peace be to this 
 house and to all who dwell therein." 
 
 2. Then the priest sets down the oil on the table, and, having 
 put on his surplice and violet stole, takes the crucifix and pre- 
 sents it to the lips of the sick person. 
 
 3. Then the priest sprinkles holy water on the sick person and 
 others present, saying, in the name of the patient, the prayer of 
 the penitent David : " Sprinkle me, O Lord, with hyssop, and I 
 shall be cleansed ; wash me, and I shall be made whiter than 
 snow." 
 
 4. The priest, turning towards the sick person, implores the 
 Lord to remove from him the spirit of darkness, and to send His 
 good angel to help him. He asks grace and mercy for him after 
 he, or the surrounding friends in his name, have acknowledged 
 his sins by repeating the general confession, " I confess to Al- 
 mighty God," etc. Here may be said the psalm Miserere and 
 the litany of the saints for the sick, in order to obtain for him 
 through the intercession of the saints a spirit of true penance for 
 his sins. 
 
 5. Tlie priest, having again said a short prayer for pardon for 
 the sick man and for his spiritual and temporal welfare, ap- 
 proaches the bed, makes the sign of the cross over it tliree times, 
 stretches out his hand, and says : " In the name of the Father 
 and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, may all the power of 
 Satan in thee be destroyed by the laying on of our hands, and by 
 the invocation of all the holy angels, arciiauods, patriarchs. 
 prophets, apostles, martyrs, virgins, and all tiic saints." 
 
288 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 Thz Sacra^ient c7 E: 
 
 Unctigx. 
 
 6. Then the 
 priest begins 
 the anointings, 
 on both eyes, 
 both ears, both 
 nostrils, be- 
 ginning with 
 the right one in 
 each case ; on 
 the lips, the 
 right and left 
 hand, the right 
 and left foot — 
 in a word, on 
 all the organs 
 of sense. At 
 each anointing 
 he Sc^ys. in ref- 
 erence to each 
 sense: *"Ey this 
 holy anointing, 
 and through 
 His own mercy, 
 n:ay Our Lord 
 forgive thee 
 whatscever sin 
 thou hast com- 
 nr.itted by the 
 sense of thy 
 sieht. thy hear- 
 ino^, thv smell. 
 
 sense he makes the 
 
 ib of 
 
 thy taste, thy touch." etc. On ea:': 
 sign :: the cross with the holy oil. 
 
 7. After the anointing he clear se 
 bread, washes them, and directs that 
 ton that has zeen nsei in anointing be i-i: 
 
 8. Again, the priest recites three prayers 
 bodily welfare of the sick person, and makes with the crucifix 
 three signs of the cress over the sick persin. asking tt-r such 
 welfare th'"'~'^i'3'h "h-" — -^"it^i; of the criicmei iReceerner. and say' 
 ing: "May Our L;ru Jesus Ci:rlst i: e -vith thee te pritect thee, 
 in thee to enliven tiiee. near thee to uphold thee, betore taee to 
 
 nis nngers witn a crumi 
 the water as well as the cot- 
 
 rhc sniritual and 
 
EXTREME UNCTION. 
 
 guide and lead thee, behind thee to strengthen thee, over thee to 
 protect and bless thee everywhere. May the Holy Ghost come 
 down upon thee and remain with thee." 
 
 9. Finally, after some short petitions for remission of all sins, 
 for deliverance from weakness, for preservation from perdition, 
 for the granting of the sick man's desires and longings, the 
 priest lays his right hand on the head of the patient, and says : 
 "May God the Father heal thee. Who created thee in the flesh. 
 May God the Son heal thee, who for thy sake died on the cross. 
 May the Holy Ghost heal thee. Who came to thee in Baptism. 
 May the holy and adorable Trinity, one God, be pleased to in- 
 crease in thee His grace to thy spiritual and bodily welfare, pre- 
 serve thee from all evil, and strengthen thee in all good." 
 
 I^EFIiHCTIO^. 
 
 SELECTIONS FROfl THE FATHERS. 
 
 ^3) HEN you are about to discharge the duty 
 ^ of charity by imparting anointing to a sick 
 person, be careful to regulate your eyes, 
 hands, and tongue, that you may in no 
 manner pass the bounds of moderation" 
 (St. Ephrem). "When they" — the priests 
 — "anoint the sick with oil, they fortify the 
 weak with the power of faith. But they 
 fortify them through the prayer of faith, which a merciful God 
 will hear, Whose sacrament the blessed oil is " (St. Jerome). 
 "When sickness comes on, you should not seek a magician, a 
 soothsayer, or any superstitious writing ; you should not perform 
 magic at any well, tree, or cross-roads ; but the sick person should 
 confide in God's mercy only, receive with faith and devotion the 
 Sacrament of the Altar, and ask earnestly from the Church the 
 blessed oil, with which your body may be anointed. And, as the 
 apostle says, tlie prayer of faith will save the sick person " (St. 
 Augustine). 
 
 ANCIENT HANNER OF ADMINISTERING EXTREME UNCTION. 
 
 The Church always exercised the utmost care that no one 
 should die without Extreme Unction, or that the sick jierson 
 should be so far gone in weakness as 10 be half dead, and not 
 know what was being done to him. In early times the sacra- 
 ment was administered as soon as the sic'Uness set in, for the 
 early Christians were firmly convinced of its favorable effect on 
 
290 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 the body. It was administered before the Viaticum, for all the 
 relics of sin should be killed before the reception of the Blessed 
 Eucharist. In the Latin Church, too, the custom prevailed for 
 several priests to take part in making the holy anointings, though 
 this did not belong to the essence of the sacrament, otherwise 
 their number would have been defined. 
 
 Extreme Unction was administered in the church, where there 
 was a room for the purpose, a kind of prayer hall, called the Cate- 
 chumenate, in which were instructed persons preparing for Bap- 
 tism. There the sick person remained till death came, or recovery. 
 
 When a person fell sick his body was washed, clad in a white 
 garment, and carried to the church, where it was laid on a sack, 
 on which ashes had been strewn in the form of a cross. Then 
 came the priests, with cross and holy water carried before them. 
 Pouring blessed oil into the holy water, they sprinkled the sick 
 person. Ashes were strewn in the form of a cross on his head 
 and breast, and the seven penitential psalms were recited. In 
 the Greek Church there were usually seven priests administering, 
 who, one after the other, read seven epistles from the New Tes- 
 tament, seven gospels, and said seven prayers for bodily recovery. 
 As each priest finished his reading and his prayer he anointed the 
 sick person. Finally, the book of the gospels was presented to the 
 sick man to be kissed, and he gave thanks for the graces received. 
 
 Then he had to repeat the Our Father and the Apostles' 
 Creed, commend his soul to the hands of God, sign himself 
 with the sign of the cross, and take leave of the living. The 
 priest gave him the kiss of peace and the Holy Viaticum. The 
 sick person was now dead to the world, but if he lived seven 
 days the priests visited him again and continued the anointing. 
 
 In the beginning a Mass for the sick person had been read. 
 If he died, the Mass for the Dead was celebrated in the church, 
 the body being present. Offerings in behalf of the deceased 
 were made. If he recovered, a Mass of thanksgiving was cele- 
 brated. How vastly different this from the sad way in which 
 the sick are now treated ! In order not to frighten them, they 
 are kept in ignorance of the near approach of death. During 
 all the time of their illness not a Mass is offered up. When the 
 final moment draws near the whole neighborhood flock around, 
 and distract and distress the departing Christian. He himself 
 sometimes permits his mind to be distracted by worldly cares 
 till his last breath. Thus he is not released unto Christ, but 
 busied with a world he does not wish to leave or give up. 
 
EXTREME UNCTION. 29I 
 
 COMPARISONS. 
 
 As in olden times, before a contest, the gladiators anointed 
 their bodies to strengthen their muscles and render the attack 
 of their adversaries more difficult, so the Christian, prior to his 
 last decisive struggle, has his body anointed with holy oil to 
 strengthen his soul, and thus to nullify the assaults of his evil 
 enemy. 
 
 Oil soothes the pain and helps the healing of a wound. 
 Hence the good Samaritan pours oil into the wounds of the trav- 
 eller who had fallen into the hands of robbers. Many a Chris- 
 tian lies suffering on a bed of pain, with a deeply wounded soul, 
 until the Lord sends the priest as a good Samaritan with the 
 miraculous oil, by which the pain is alleviated, and the healing 
 of the soul, as well as of the body, is furthered. 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 Effect of Extreme Unction. 
 
 The saintly penitent Mary of Ogniak was often present at the 
 administration of Extreme Unction, on which occasion she often 
 saw Christ present with His angels, comforting and strengthen- 
 ing the sick person. She also noticed that when the holy oil 
 was applied to the patient the parts shone with a bright light. 
 When she herself was receiving the same sacrament she was 
 gladdened by the sight of the apostles. St. Peter showed her 
 the keys as a sign that the door of eternity stood open before 
 her. The other apostles consoled the dying penitent. 
 
 St. Eleazer, a member of the Third Order of St. Francis, who 
 lived more like an angel than a man, preserving his virginity 
 even in his married life with his holy spouse Delphina, once fell 
 mortally sick. His countenance, which had always worn an air 
 of cheerfulness, became suddenly haggard, like that of a terrified 
 man, and he was heard to exclaim : " My God ! how frightful is 
 the power of the devil ! " He received the Sacrament of Ex- 
 treme Unction, and, lo ! at once his face brightened again. He 
 consoled the frightened bystanders, and said, "By the grace of 
 my Lord I have conquered." 
 
 A woman in Bangor, Ireland, being in danger of death, sent 
 for St. Malachy, Archbishop of Armagh. He came, consoled her 
 with pious and salutary sentiments, and wished to administer to 
 her the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. But her relatives per- 
 suaded him that it would be better to defer it till the next day, 
 when she would be better prepared to receive it. The holy 
 
292 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 bishop yielded, though reluctantly, to their suggestion, and went 
 back to his monastery. That same evening the sick woman's 
 house was all in an uproar. The relatives were weeping and 
 running hither and thither, not knowing what to do or say. A 
 servant ran off to the bishop to announce that the woman was 
 dead. St. Malachy hastened to her apartment, and was shocked 
 to find her really dead. With his hands raised to heaven he ac- 
 cused himself of being accessory to this misfortune, and poured 
 himself out in prayer, in which he ordered all present to unite 
 fervently. Thus they passed the whole night. At daybreak the 
 dead woman gave signs of returning life, and opening her eyes 
 recognized the bishop. The astonished spectators found their 
 grief turned into joy, for the bishop immediately administered 
 Extreme Unction. The woman recovered her health completely, 
 passed the remainder of her days in penance, and died the death 
 of the just. 
 
 Danger of Deferring Extreme Unction. 
 
 A soldier was sick — a pious man, who feared his God. After 
 receiving the sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist he asked 
 also for the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. But his wife, with 
 a view of calming his apprehension of death, failed to call the 
 priest in time, and it was only after he lost consciousness that 
 the poor man received the sacrament. He lay senseless for six 
 full hours, and then, regaining consciousness, he said to his wife : 
 " Unhappy woman, you have done me great harm by not per- 
 mitting me to receive Extreme Unction at the proper time. If I 
 had received that sacrament in my senses, by virtue of the prayers 
 which I would have said I would have to remain but thirty days 
 in purgatory. But now I have to stay there seven long years. 
 And you, for your carelessness, will be an invalid for the rest of 
 your life." The man died, and his wife remained a sufferer till 
 the day of her death. 
 
 HOW TO PREPARE FOR DEATH. 
 
 A Christian who was very solicitous about his salvation once 
 asked a holy and learned doctor how a person should prepare 
 himself for death, and received for answer: "A man prepares 
 himself properly for death if he receive devoutly and in good 
 time the sacraments of the dying, namely, Penance, Holy Viati- 
 cum, and Extreme Unction." This answer did not satisfy the 
 good man. All this he was ready to do, but it seemed to him 
 insufficient. He therefore asked further how the reverend 
 
EXTREME UNCTION. 293 
 
 doctor would proceed to prepare a sick man for a happy death. 
 As the clergyman was willing in every way to benefit his in- 
 quirer he replied : "After the sick man had duly received the 
 last sacraments I would first advise him to settle his worldly 
 affairs most conscientiously, if he had not done so already. Sec- 
 ondly, I would suggest that he bequeath to his heirs the per- 
 formance of some good work for the benefit of his soul. In the 
 third place, I would counsel him to repair any wrong he had ever 
 done a neighbor. Fourthly, he should forgive all his enemies. 
 Fifthly, I would have him counsel all his friends and relatives to 
 live in the love and fear of God. Then I would advise him to 
 practise holy indifference as to whether he should live or die. 
 Seventhly, I would prompt him to heartfelt acts of contrition, and 
 of faith, hope, and charity, and of thanksgiving. Eighthly, I 
 would place within his view a crucifix, a picture of the Blessed 
 Virgin, and a vessel of holy water, that he might frequently be 
 encouraged by gazing at the sacred images, and now and then 
 sprinkle himself with the holy water, to guard against his ene- 
 mies. Ninthly, I would take care to have him now and then 
 visited by a clergyman, who would make to him pious sugges- 
 tions. I would keep from him people of the world, for the sick 
 man's soul needs recollection. In the tenth place, if his life 
 should be prolonged, I would invent other pious means to keep 
 up his fervor. I would say litanies with him, read psalms for 
 him, and the lives of the martyrs or the sufferings of Christ, 
 and suggest short ejaculatory prayers. In the eleventh place, I 
 would encourage him to gain indulgences. I would have him 
 prayed for in the churches and religious communities. I would 
 have him renew his baptismal vows, and make still further acts 
 of resignation. I would urge him to place himself wholly in the 
 hands of God. I would read for him the prayers in the Ritual, 
 and commend his soul to the hands of his Creator." 
 
 Thus spoke the holy man, and it were to be wished that the 
 sick could be always thus prepared. Many a dying Christian 
 might become sanctified on his death-bed, and reach a very high 
 degree of glory in heaven. 
 
 EDIFYING DEATHS. 
 Death of St. Louis, King of Prance. 
 
 St. Louis was crowned King of France at the age of twelve 
 years. During his minority, Blanche, his motlier, guided the 
 reins of government with great wisdom and success. At the age 
 
294 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 of twenty Louis himself took his sceptre in hand, and unlike 
 the other princes of those days, instead of seeking enlargement 
 of territory and personal fame, he showed himself a true servant 
 of God and a lover and father of his people. When he had been 
 king about fifteen years he was attacked by a malignant fever, 
 that brought him to the edge of the grave. He was already in 
 his agony, when the Almighty, touched by the prayers and deep 
 grief of his subjects, restored him to health. Louis, to show his 
 gratitude to God, made a vow to put on the cross of a crusader, 
 and to set out for the East with a large army, to rescue the tomb 
 of Christ from the hands of the infidels. He carried out his 
 promise in 1248, but the expedition proved most unfortunate. 
 After an absence of seven years he was compelled to return to 
 France on account of his mother's death. He was busily engaged 
 in managing the affairs of his kingdom when renewed lamenta- 
 tions on the state of the Christians in Palestine reached his ears. 
 He again mustered a large army, and set forth to chastise the 
 enemies of the cross of Christ in the East. Wishing to deal a 
 chastising blow at Tunis, he entered the harbor of Carthage, 
 when a pestilence broke out in his army, carrying off his son 
 John, and finally seizing on the king himself. Before dying he 
 called to his bedside his son and successor, Philip, to whom he 
 imparted lessons of wisdom and virtue. Then he asked for the 
 sacraments of the dying, which he received with the utmost fervor. 
 After lying quiet for half an hour, with his hands joined in 
 prayer, he uttered his last words : " I will go into Thy house, O 
 Lord ; I will worship in Thy temples and confess Thy name." 
 He died peacefully on the 25th of August, 1270. 
 
 St. Gebhard. 
 
 St. Gebhard, Bishop of Constance and Count of Bregenz, 
 while returning from Rome met with an accident that resulted 
 in his death. 
 
 As his case grew worse, and there were no further hopes 
 of recovery, this saintly bishop remarked : '' My pilgrimage is 
 now at an end. I shall soon be called home. I am satisfied. 
 May God's will be done in my regard. He is the Master of My 
 life, and can do with it as seems best to Him. Whatever He 
 does is the best for me. I am not afraid of death ; it is but a 
 passage to a better life; a brief sleep, after which even the body 
 will awake to eternal life. In this faith and hope I am ready to 
 leave this perishable body at any moment. But as I know that 
 
The Sacrament of Extreme Unction among the Early Christians. 
 
 29s 
 
296 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 nothing defiled can enter heaven, and as I know, too, that I have 
 not trod this earth without making many faulty and wrong steps, 
 and am now very imperfect, I beg God's mercy. My faith fur- 
 nishes me with the consoling assurance that God does not reject 
 the penitent sinner, but looks on him with a father's compassion. 
 The goodness of my heavenly Father, and the death of my be- 
 loved and divine Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and the grace of the 
 Holy Ghost, are to me an assurance of certain forgiveness of all 
 my sins." 
 
 Then he settled all the affairs of his diocese, saying : "Every- 
 thing should be set in order before so long a journey. It is essen- 
 tial to a peaceful and happy death that all our affairs be settled 
 in time. He who neglects this point often leaves behind him 
 unlimited sources of strife, contention, and sin.*' 
 
 Then, although there was no immediate danger of death, he 
 asked to have the last sacraments administered to him. " For," 
 said he, " we should not defer what is most important, nor wait for 
 that hour in which the soul is rendered almost powerless, and to- 
 tally unable to appreciate the strength and consolation to be ob- 
 tained in the reception of the sacraments. A sick man has need 
 of fortitude and consolation, even if he is not going to die. Where 
 are such strength and comfort to be found if not in the holy 
 sacraments?" Then the sacraments were administered to the 
 dying bishop in the most public and solemn manner possible, for 
 such were his orders. He said : " I must be a model to my 
 people, even in my death." When all his affairs, temporal and 
 spiritual, were settled, and he had received the Holy Viaticum, he 
 said : " Now I am equipped for the journey. Call me, O Lord, 
 whenever Thou wiliest ; I am ready to come." Suffering all his 
 pains with truly Christian fortitude, he awaited, in perfect resig- 
 nation to the will of God, whatever should befall him, and expe- 
 rienced a veritable Christian happiness in the prospect of his 
 speedy dissolution. 
 
 His gaze now alternated from his crucifix towards heaven 
 and back again, while his heart was fixed on Jesus Christ, and 
 his prayer was for the safety of his soul and the welfare of the 
 Church of God. In his last moments he was heard to utter the 
 words: " Jesus, Jesus, do not abandon my flock." Then he 
 closed with the words : " Jesus, I am coming." He died on the 
 27th of August, 996, in the city of Constance, where for sixteen 
 years he had guided and governed the church with all the virtues 
 of a holy and zealous bishop. 
 
EXTREME UNCTION. 297 
 
 F^nelon. 
 
 This great and venerable man was only a short time sick — 
 between six and seven days. During that time he would listen 
 to nothing but the reading of the Sacred Scriptures. His friends 
 read for him the whole Book of Tobias twice over, and also por- 
 tions of the New Testament, especially from St. Paul's Epistle to 
 the Corinthians. He was consoled and happy, and even made 
 comments on the sacred words. 
 
 During the last two days and nights he begged his attendants 
 to read for him passages best adapted to his present condition. 
 Sometimes he would repeat the words of St. Martin : " Lord, if 
 I can be still of any use to Thy people, I do not decline the bur- 
 den of life ; Thy will be done." When asked kindly : " Why will 
 you leave us ? Into whose hands shall we fall in our loneliness? 
 Perhaps we shall become the prey of ravening wolves," he an- 
 swered with a sigh only. On the second day of his illness he 
 made his confession. On the third he received the Viaticum. 
 When told that he was not in imminent danger, he replied: "I 
 know from my feelings that I am near death." Although all 
 about him were in tears, he was calm and peaceful, and breathed 
 his last uttering a prayer. 
 
 St. Francis de Sales. 
 
 One day St. Francis de Sales, after a long and laborious visi- 
 tation through his diocese, returned home very much exhausted, 
 and sank fainting into an arm-chair. This weakness was but the 
 premonitory symptom of an attack of apoplexy which followed 
 immediately, leaving the saint unconscious, save now and then a 
 momentary lucid interval. In one of these he was asked if he 
 wished to die in the Catholic Church. '' Certainly," he replied ; 
 "administer the sacraments to me ; do not delay Extreme Unc- 
 tion." This sacrament he received with perceptible clearness of 
 understanding and remarkable piety and fervor. Tlien with 
 feeble voice he responded to the prayers recited by his attending 
 priests. Though evidently communing with his God, he asked 
 to have read for him some passages from the Psalms as con- 
 tained invocations for mercy and forgiveness. He emitted fre- 
 quently such ejaculations as: ''Have mercy on me, O Lord, ac- 
 cording to Thy great mercy ;" " Wash me, O Lord, yet more and 
 more ; " *' Mercy, O Lord ; have mercy ! " 
 
 Though his strength diminished rapidly, he asked to have the 
 Miserere repeated, and at the words, "Cleanse me, O Lord," he 
 
290 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 cried aloud, "Jesus, my Jesus," and fell into his death agony. 
 He lay in a very weak condition till towards midnight on the 
 festival of the Holy Innocents. His attendants began the recital 
 of the Litany of the Saints, and when they came to the words, 
 " All ye Holy Innocents, pray for us," he surrendered his pure 
 soul into the hands of his Creator. 
 
 PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 
 
 The Catholic Church is the truest mother and guide on our 
 pilgrimage through life. Hardly have we seen the light of the 
 world when she takes us in her arms and brings us to God as 
 His newly born children. In the sacraments of Confirmation, 
 Penance, and Blessed Eucharist she pours into our hearts the 
 whole bliss of heaven, consoling us when we are sad, lifting us 
 up when we fall, healing us when we are wounded. In the midst 
 of our sinfulness her teachings and means of grace preserve us 
 from despondency before the rigorous justice of God. And 
 when we lie down to die, when the last hour of our earthly 
 troubles and disappointments draws nigh, when all human aid is 
 useless, she sends her holy ministers to pray over us and anoint 
 us with sacred oil. And the prayers of the priest and the holy 
 anointing clear away what remains of our former wickedness. 
 Thus comforted and strengthened, we are enabled to look with 
 confidence towards that tribunal of justice before which our soul 
 is soon to take its stand. What mother could do more for her 
 child than the Church does for her own offspring? With your 
 whole heart thank the Lord your God that He has given you 
 the grace, altogether unmerited on your part, to be a member of 
 this Church, so rich in consolations. Pray often and earnestly for 
 those who in the blindness of their hearts oppose this Church, 
 her teachings, her blessings, her mjcans of grace. Pray for them ; 
 pray that God in His mercy may guide them to a clearer under- 
 standing, and grant them and you a happy death. 
 
 ^'^^/^^& 
 
 ^^^ ^ _ 
 
 ^^'^^^'^^^^^^J^?'^^' 
 
 11 
 
HOLY ORDERS. 
 
 299 
 
 IfiSTl^UCTIOfi. 
 
 ;|VIeaning of the Saefa^ 
 ment of Ofdei^s. 
 
 OLY ORDERS is a sacrament by which the 
 priestly authority and power are conferred 
 upon the recipient, together with a special 
 grace enabling him to exercise his office prop- 
 erly. 
 
 Holy Orders is a true sacrament, for it 
 bears all the signs of such : i. Institution by 
 Jesus Christ ; 2. An outward sign of grace ; 
 3. An inward working of grace. 
 
 Under the ancient dispensation God appointed the tribe of 
 Levi to serve in the Ark of the Covenant, and the family of Aaron 
 to attend to the sacred sacrifices. But that priesthood of the Old 
 Law was only a shadow and figure of the priesthood under the 
 new dispensation. As there was to be a new sacrifice, so there 
 should be a new priesthood established. This new priesthood 
 Christ really did set up, conferring it directly upon His apostles, 
 and indirectly upon their successors in the ministry, through the 
 Sacrament of Holy Orders. He established this sacrament when, 
 at the celebration of the Last Supper, He commanded His apos- 
 tles, saying : " Do this for a commemoration of Me " (Luke xxii. 
 19). In these words He bestowed on them and their successors 
 the right and power to do what He Himself did, namely, to con- 
 vert bread into His body and wine into His blood, thus found- 
 ing an ever-enduring priestly office. After His resurrection He 
 completed the institution of the sacrament, by saying : "As the 
 Father hath sent Me, I also send you. Receive ye the Holy 
 Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them," 
 etc.; and again just before His ascension, when He said : "Go- 
 ing, therefore, teach ye all nations," etc. (Matt, xxviii. 19). In 
 these words Christ gave to the apostles and their successors 
 authority over the religious and moral body of the Church, 
 thereby delivering to them all the other powers which appertain 
 to the priestly office, and also supplying them with the graces 
 necessary for a worthy discharge of their office. Hence St. Paul 
 says repeatedly, that with the outward and visible laying on of 
 
300 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 hands there is joined an effectiveness of grace for the exercise 
 of the sacerdotal duties, which cannot be accomplished by an 
 apostle, but only by Christ, the dispenser of graces. "Neglect 
 not," says St. Paul, " the grace that is in thee, which was given 
 thee with the imposition of hands of the priesthood " (I. Tim., iv. 
 
 14)- 
 
 Therefore the priestly authority is not derived from the con- 
 gregation ; it is bestowed upon the priest by God. The priest is 
 not a hireling ; he is selected by God. Hence St. Paul writes : 
 
 " Neither doth 
 any man take 
 the honor to 
 himself, but he 
 that is called 
 by God, as 
 Aaron was" 
 (Heb. V. 4). 
 
 The o u t- 
 ward signs of 
 Holy Orders 
 are : 
 
 1. The mat- 
 ter ; consisting 
 of the imposi- 
 tion of the 
 bishop's hands, 
 the anointing 
 with blessed 
 oil, and the de- 
 livering of the 
 sacred vessels. 
 
 2. The form; 
 consisting of 
 the words ut- 
 tered by the 
 bishopwhileim- 
 posing hands, 
 anointing, and 
 delivering the 
 
 The Sacrament of Holy Orders. symbols. 
 
 The apostles administered Holy Orders by the imposition of 
 hands and by prayer only. But in very early times the Church 
 
HOLY ORDERS. 30I 
 
 added the anointing and the passing of the priestly symbols, 
 and appointed set forms of words to be uttered by the ordaining 
 bishop at each act. 
 
 Bishops only are authorized to administer the Sacrament of 
 Holy Orders, for they are the only successors of the apostles, 
 and receive this right through their episcopal consecration. 
 
 With Holy Orders many effects of grace go hanfl in hand. 
 
 1. Holy Orders increases in its recipient sanctifying grace. 
 His soul, now clothed with this sanctifying grace, the sacrament 
 adorns with clearer light, deeper charity, and higher sanctity. 
 It confers upon him the grace to properly exercise the functions 
 of the priesthood and to discharge faithfully its onerous duties, 
 to undergo cheerfully all its struggles and privations, and, if 
 need be, to lay down his life in the sacred service. 
 
 2. Holy Orders imprints upon its recipient an enduring mark 
 as a consecrated servant of the Lord. It distinguishes him from 
 the rest of the faithful, and can be received only once. 
 
 Once a man has received Holy Orders he can never lose such 
 consecration. If he have the misfortune to fall away even from 
 the faith he does not lose the priestly power, and may exercise 
 all the priestly functions as soon as he becomes properly recon- 
 ciled to the Church. Even though he be not reconciled to the 
 Church, he may, when there is danger of death, and no other 
 priest can be had, hear the confession of the dying person, and 
 administer valid absolution. 
 
 3. Holy Orders confers upon the recipient a sublime power 
 and authority, such as not even angels possess. It gives him 
 (a) power over the real body of Jesus Christ, Who was born of the 
 Virgin Mary, and is now enthroned in heaven at the right hand 
 of the Father. At the word of the priest Jesus descends upon 
 the altar and veils His body and blood within the forms and 
 appearances of bread and wine. It grants to him, also, {/?) power 
 over the mystic, mysterious body of Christ ; that is, the mystic 
 body of the faithful. To these he dispenses the holy sacraments 
 from their cradle to the grave. As God's messenger, he pro- 
 claims to them the word of God. He brings down upon tliem 
 the benediction of Heaven through his prayers and the blessing 
 of his consecrated hands. For them he offers up the great sac- 
 rifice of the New Law, and stands as a mediator between earth 
 and heaven. 
 
302 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 The Duties of the Iiaity tooua^ds theitr Priests. 
 
 In the first place, we owe esteem and reverence to our priests. 
 "Render honor to whom honor is due," says St. Paul (Rom. 
 xiii. 7). Honor is due to one man more than to another on 
 various grounds : first, on account of the dignity and elevation 
 to which he. has been raised — thus we owe greater honor to a 
 prince or king than to a common man, even though he be a rich 
 gentleman ; secondly, on account of the excellence of the office 
 intrusted to him — for instance, a true poet is deserving of more 
 honor than a servant, or even an ordinary writer ; thirdly, be- 
 cause of the person who is represented— thus to an ambassador 
 or representative of a king the same honor is due that we 
 would show to the monarch himself, though the representative 
 be of low origin. For all these same reasons the highest honor 
 and respect are due to the priests. "Touch ye not My anointed," 
 saith the Lord in the 104th Psalm, verse 15. 
 
 If we notice some human weaknesses or faults in a priest we 
 should not take scandal therefrom, but rather look at his good 
 qualities, and do what he says rather than imitate his doings. 
 " A priest," says St. Isidore, " even if he lead a faulty life and 
 have his deficiencies, is nevertheless an angel of the Almighty ; 
 for he performs the act of Divine Sacrifice and cares for the wel- 
 fare of men's souls." 
 
 Furthermore, we should render to our priests obedience and 
 profound respect. They are our spiritual fathers, our guides on 
 the road to God, and our mediators. They are messengers to 
 us from Jesus Christ, sent to strengthen us with the holy sac- 
 raments, to labor for the salvation of our souls, to preach the 
 Gospel to the poor, to comfort the hearts of such as are in afflic- 
 tion, and to announce to the oppressed the gracious coming of a 
 Saviour and the speedy arrival of the day of compensation. The 
 words of Christ on this point are formidable indeed : " He that 
 heareth you heareth Me, and he that despiseth you despiseth Me; 
 and he that despiseth Me despiseth Him that sent Me " (Luke 
 X. 16). 
 
 Finally, we should pray for the priests, that they may be en- 
 abled to discharge their duties faithfully. We should pray also 
 that God would send many pastors to His flock. A very suitable 
 time for such prayers are the Ember Days, when those who have 
 chosen the portion of the Lord are promoted to Orders. 
 
 11 
 
HOLY ORDERS. 303 
 
 The Duties of Priests. 
 
 Sacerdotal dignity requires in the priest, above all, a pure and 
 pious mode of life. Sublime mysteries are placed in his hands , 
 to him is intrusted the keeping and dispensing of the sacraments. 
 Through his hands Jesus Christ offers Himself daily to the 
 eternal Father. From his lips proceed the word of God to the 
 laity. What purity of body and soul are required for such sub- 
 lime duties ! 
 
 A priest should avoid every sin and every scandal with the 
 greatest solicitude. St. Chrysostom writes: "If some unimpor- 
 tant portion of the body be injured, no great detriment results to 
 the whole frame ; but if the eye or head be injured, the whole 
 human system is sadly affected. So it is with a man who, like a 
 light on the housetop, is set up on high for the purpose of en- 
 lightening others. If such a one fall, he inflicts a great and 
 wide-spread injury; for he not only ruins himself, but he gives 
 scandal to all those who have looked up to him." 
 
 Again, a priest is required to have an untiring zeal, tem- 
 pered with prudence and charity. 
 
 The priest must be unceasing in prayer, for he needs force 
 and courage from above to be true to his arduous calling ; and 
 indefatigable in his office, with an ever-watchful eye over the 
 good and the bad : for the good, that they may not stumble; 
 and for the bad, that they may be saved. At all hours he should 
 be ready to give counsel to the healthy and comfort to the sick. 
 But in his zeal he must be prudent and charitable. Like a father 
 among his children, he must have kindness for the good and a 
 paternal firmness and severity for the wayward. Let him seek 
 to better, not to embitter. Let him always manifest a true Chris- 
 tian spirit, with a leaning to forgiveness and love. 
 
 Vocation to the Priesthood. 
 
 Great is the dignity of the priest, and heavy is the burden 
 of his sacred office. Hence the Church demands many impor- 
 tant qualifications in those who seek to become priests. She 
 requires, first, the age of manhood. Only men of strictly mas- 
 culine gender are competent for the sublime duties of the priestly 
 state ; for, since God has made woman subject to man, it would 
 be unbecoming for a woman, in tlie important matter of salva- 
 tion, to have power over men, or even to share their power and 
 authority. Moreover, the Cliurch has established for subdea- 
 
304 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 conship the age of twenty-two years ; for the diaconate, twenty- 
 three years ; and for priesthood, twenty-four years. 
 
 She requires, in the second place, a high degree of piety for 
 the furtherance of salvation of souls, and for the prevention of 
 personal degeneration. Thirdly, a well-grounded knowledge, 
 without which no man could discharge the obligations prop- 
 erly. Fourthly, prudence and modest discretion. Giddy, impul- 
 sive, and thoughtless persons are altogether unfitted for the 
 priestly state. Fifthly, a divine vocation ; since it belongs to 
 God to choose His servants, as the king has a right to appoint 
 his officials. The signs of such a vocation are a supernatural 
 and persevering leaning to the priesthood, purity of life, piety, 
 a liking for holy things and practices that contribute to the 
 glory of God, zeal for souls, chastity, contempt for the world, 
 capability, and tact for the duties of the sublime state. Sixthly, 
 perfectly pure intention, by which the candidate is influenced 
 solely through a motive to increase God's glory and insure his 
 own salvation, as well as to contribute to the salvation of others. 
 
 I^HFLiECTIOn. 
 The Ppicsthood and its Ppepogatives. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 WILL sanctify also the tabernacle of the testimony 
 with the altar, and Aaron with his sons, to do the 
 office of priesthood unto Me" (Ex. xxix. 44). "I 
 will take of them [the heathens] to be priests and 
 Levites, saith the Lord. For as the new heavens 
 and the new earth which I make to stand before 
 Me : so shall your seed stand and your name " (Is. 
 Ixvi. 22). "And when they had ordained to them 
 priests in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they com- 
 mended them to the Lord in Whom they believed " (Acts xiv. 22). 
 " The Holy Ghost said to them : Separate me Saul and Barnabas, 
 for the work whereunto I have taken them. Then they, fasting 
 and praying and imposing their hands upon them, sent them 
 away" (Acts xiii. 2, 3). " Neglect not the grace that is in thee, 
 which was given to thee by prophecy, with the imposition of the 
 hands of the priesthood " (I. Tim. iv. 14). "Impose not hands 
 lightly upon any man" (I. Tim. v. 22). " For which cause I ad- 
 monish thee, that thou stir up the grace of God, which is in thee 
 by the imposition of my hands " (II. Tim. i. 6). 
 
HOLY ORDERS. ^0<, 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 " How can a man of himself assume the priesthood if he have 
 not received this dignity from a higher power ? Or, how can 
 he undertake what is becoming to a priest only?" (St. Clement 
 of Rome.) "Everything that you do must be done in Christ, 
 according to due order. The laity should submit to the deacons, 
 these to the priests, these to the bishops, these to Christ, as Christ 
 was subject to the Father " (St. Ignatius). *' Who confers epis- 
 copal grace ? God or man ? Without doubt you answer, God 
 gives it. Well, but God gives it through man. Man imposes 
 hands, God imparts the grace. The priest prays, imposes his 
 hands, and God imparts the blessing with an almighty hand. 
 The bishop imparts the ordination, and God confers the dignity" 
 (St. Ambrose). " The Apostle shows that by the words and im- 
 position of hands of the ordainer grace is given. It is by the 
 words that he is called a worthy doctor and teacher. The im- 
 position of hands is the secret words by which the chosen one 
 is established, and receives such power that he may presume to 
 offer sacrifice in the place of God" (The Same). 
 
 THE PRIESTHOOD IN THE OLD AND IN THE NEW LAW. 
 
 How sacred is the service in the house of God may be easily 
 learned from the priesthood under the Old Dispensation — a dis- 
 pensation whose ritual cannot certainly be compared to the 
 sublime worship of the New Law. In Israel the first-born male 
 of every family belonged to the Lord as His own. He was in a 
 certain sense sacred to Him, and was to be offered up to Him. 
 But as God did not wish to man His service with such first-born 
 sons, but wished rather to segregate for His service one special 
 family, which should be, as it were, a chosen race in a chosen 
 nation. He selected the descendants of the tribe of Levi to be His 
 special servants, and every first-born child had to be redeemed 
 with the consent of that tribe. This tribe of Levi received this 
 direction in reward for the zeal which its members displayed at 
 the time when the Israelites permitted themselves to worship the 
 golden calf. For they remained faithful to Moses, and slew 
 twenty-three thousand of the idolaters (Ex. xxxii. 28). Yet not 
 all the members of the tribe of Levi were permitted to perform 
 the divine functions ; only such as were perfectly free from 
 bodily blemish. 
 
 Nor were all its members admitted to equal honors. The 
 family of Aaron was called to the priesthood. The others were 
 
3o6 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 to assist them in the priestly functions. Hence there were in 
 Israel two ecclesiastical orders, the priests and the Levites. 
 
 The Levites were the teachers of the Hebrew people, and had 
 to care for the conducting of the ceremonies in divine worship. 
 While the people were in the desert, and before the temple was 
 built in the Promised Land, they had to see to the transporta- 
 tion of the Ark of the Covenant and its equipments, to erect and 
 take down the temporary tabernacle. When the Ark of the Cove- 
 nant was deposited in the temple, these Levites had the guardian- 
 ship of the sacred edifice and its treasures, and the direction of 
 the music and sacred chant. 
 
 They had also to help the priests at the sacrifices and the 
 slaughtering of the animals, to provide the wood and water, and 
 to clean the sacred utensils. 
 
 Only the priests were permitted to preside at the sacrifices, and 
 offer incense to the Lord with blessed fire. They were also the 
 judges in Israel. Strict laws were laid dowm prohibiting irom 
 the exercise of the priestly office any member of the family of 
 Aaron who was not perfectly blameless. They were divided into 
 twenty-four classes, and took their turns regularly at duty. 
 
 When the Israelites had gained the Promised Land, it was so 
 partitioned off that each tribe got a special portion. The 
 Levites, however, had no share allotted to them. The Lord said : 
 "They shall have no inheritance, I am their inheritance : neither 
 shall you give them any possession in Israel, for I am their pos- 
 session " (Ezech. xliv. 28). The Levites received, however, the 
 tenth part of the cattle and fruits of the earth, and they had to 
 surrender a tenth part of that tenth to the priests. The Levites 
 lived in thirty-five towns throughout the country; while for the 
 priests thirteen towns were set apart in the neighborhood of 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 To-day their temple is in ruins, and their sacrifices have 
 ceased. No Israelite now knows to what tribe he belongs, and 
 it is impossible to distinguish the priestly race. The Jews them- 
 selves admit that if they returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt their 
 temple they could offer no sacrifice through lack of priests. But 
 long ago their own prophets foretold that another sacrifice would 
 replace the old one, and that Levites would be chosen by the Lord 
 from among the Gentiles. 
 
 All this has been fulfilled to the letter. We have the sacrifice, 
 priests, and Levites of the New Dispensation. Everywhere we 
 have temples of the true God. The priesthood among the Jews 
 
CoNi'EKKiNG Holy Orders in the Catacombs. 
 
 307 
 
3o8 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 was only an outward office of honor ; for every Israelite might 
 have slaughtered victims and offered incense. The priests of 
 the New Law are clothed with more than an honorary office ; they 
 require an infinitely high power and a supernatural grace, for in 
 the consecration they must work miracles, and in their other 
 functions dispense divine grace. Who, then, can be so foolish as 
 to believe that Christ instituted no special sacrament for the con- 
 ferring of this great power, and that any one may presume to 
 dispense the holy mysteries, or that the congregation may, if it 
 choose, perform divine service as they would transact any other 
 business? Away with such nonsense! Without the Sacrament 
 of Holy Orders the altar of the New Testament would not rank 
 as high as the altar of sacrifice in the Old Law, while the mys- 
 teries of the Jewdsh ritual would be more sublime than the wor- 
 ship of the Christian Church, and the work of the Lord, instead 
 of being completed, would have lost its power. 
 
 HOLY ORDERS.-ITS CEREMONIES. 
 
 There is no sacrament which the recipient approaches by 
 so many steps as the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Hence w^e 
 should learn to know and appreciate the grandeur and excellence 
 of that sacrament. The different steps are : i. Tonsure ; 2. The 
 four minor orders ; 3. The three sacred orders. 
 
 Tonsure. 
 
 Tonsure, or the shaving of the candidate's head, is not a dedi- 
 cation, but only a preparation thereto. It is, as it were, the intro- 
 duction into the clerical state. The bishop cuts some locks of 
 hair from the head of the candidate, who thereby renounces all 
 worldly pride. He belongs no more to the world, but to God. 
 
 While cutting the hair, the bishop impresses this truth on the 
 candidate, saying : " The Lord is the portion of my inheritance 
 and of my cup : it is Thou that wilt restore my inheritance 
 to me" (Ps. XV. 5). The tonsured one is now of God's por- 
 tion, and is called a cleric, as all belonging to the ecclesiastical 
 state are called clergy. 
 
 The new cleric henceforth wears his tonsure, shaved in the 
 form of a circle, if he belongs to the Latin rite, and if to the 
 Greek rite, he wears it all over the top of his head. The bishop 
 also recites a psalm and a prayer over the tonsured, and puts on 
 him the surplice, which is an emblem of the priestly dignity. 
 
 The Ostiariate. 
 
 This, the first of the minor orders, was in the time of Chris- 
 tian persecution a very important office. It combined the au- 
 
HOLY ORDERS. 309 
 
 thorlty and obligation to summon the congregations to divine 
 worship, to preserve outw^ard decorum and order, and to exclude 
 from the assembly all who were forbidden by the Church to 
 enter. Hence to-day, at the conferring of this order, the keys of 
 the church are handed to the candidate. 
 
 The Lectorate. 
 
 This forms the second step in minor orders. It gives the 
 right to read, in the church, the Sacred Scriptures of the New 
 and Old Testaments — a privilege to be granted by the bishop 
 only. The origin of its ceremonies is lost in the remotest 
 ages of the Church. It is mentioned by such early writers as St. 
 Justin, Tertullian, and St. Cyprian. In the year 398 the Council 
 of Carthage arranged the ceremonies in the same order as we 
 have them to-day. The book of the gospels is handed to the 
 candidate, and a code of doctrines is placed in his hands, that he 
 impart them precisely as did the apostles. 
 
 Exorcist. 
 
 In the conferring of this order we are reminded of the words 
 addressed by Christ to His disciples, when He imparted to them 
 power over spirits. The bishop says : " By the power of the 
 cross and name of Jesus shall be broken all power interposed by 
 hell to the salvation of the faithful." Then a book containing 
 the appropriate prayers is handed to the candidate. 
 
 Acolyte. 
 
 Though this office existed in the Church in early times, it was 
 more clearly defined and prescribed in the Council of Carthage, 
 in the year 398. It appertains more especially to the serving at 
 Mass. The bishop, just before handing a lighted taper to the 
 candidate for this order, says, in the language of St. Paul : " In 
 the midst of a perverse and depraved people, do thou shine in 
 the world like a beacon-light, keeping the word of God." What 
 was required in apostolic times is to-day expected by the Church 
 from those in whose hands she places a burning light. This 
 order is the last of the preparatory stages through which the can- 
 didate advances towards the priesthood. 
 
 In these four minor orders the clerics are inducted to the 
 lesser services of the Church, such as ringing the bells, opening 
 and closing the doors, reading in the church, lighting the 
 candles, carrying the offerings, serving tlie priest, and rendering 
 other services that are now usually performed by the altar-boys. 
 
310 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 In ancient days so great was the reverence for such duties, 
 that no one was allowed to do them unless he had received one 
 or more of the minor orders. 
 
 The sacred orders are subdeaconship, deaconship, and priest- 
 hood. 
 
 Subdeaconship. 
 
 Whosoever embraces this order must renounce matrimony, 
 and live only for God and His Church. 
 
 From all earthly cares, and from what is called the pleasures 
 of life, the Catholic priest must be exempt, that he may live 
 solely for God and His Church. 
 
 He who has a wife, says St. Paul, lives for the world, and is 
 divided. 
 
 The subdeacon serves the priest at High Mass, reads or chants 
 the epistle, and hands the offerings to the celebrant. It was not 
 until the number of the faithful had increased that ecclesiastical 
 attendants wtre set apart. 
 
 Deaconship. 
 
 The manner of conferring deaconship is not unlike that 
 
 of subdeaconship. Deacons have authority to 
 
 Ordination of a Deacon. 
 
 preach, bap- 
 tize, and 
 administer 
 Commun- 
 ion in the 
 absence of 
 the priest. 
 They are 
 also permit- 
 ted to take 
 care of the 
 church 
 utensils, the 
 offerings of 
 the laity, 
 and to ad- 
 monish the 
 latter to be 
 pious and 
 
 attentive. In ancient times they had charge of the poor. 
 
 Before conferring this order, the bishop inquires of the 
 people if they have any objection to interpose against the persons 
 to be ordained. The bishop then reminds the candidates that the 
 
HOLV ORDERS. 31I 
 
 apostles raised St. Stephen to the dignity of deacon because of 
 his purity of heart, and that now the Church demands a pure 
 conscience, and the world a complete devotedness to duty, on the 
 part of every deacon. 
 
 Priesthood. 
 
 {Presbyterate.) 
 
 The priesthood was instituted by Jesus Christ. " As the 
 Father hath sent Me, I also send you " (John xx. 21). 
 
 Only a deacon is eligible to priesthood. Before this takes 
 place, the bishop inquires whether the candidate is qualified by 
 good life and learning for the sublime office. The latter then 
 passes some days in spiritual retreat and fasting, and receives 
 the Sacrament of Penance. 
 
 Priesthood is administered during Mass by the bishop. After 
 the epistle, he seats himself in a chair on the platform of the 
 altar, and summons the candidates, inquires about their fitness for 
 the dignity, and addresses them on the responsibilities and duties 
 to be assumed. 
 
 Then the bishop kneels, and the deacons prostrate themselves 
 on the floor to signify their utter unfitness for the priestly dignity, 
 if not assisted by divine grace. The bishop and attendants 
 recite the Litany of the Saints to obtain such grace from God. 
 
 Then the bishop and all the other priests present impose 
 hands on the candidates, to signify that through this imposition 
 the priestly power and the grace of the Holy Ghost are imparted, 
 and that all the priests present pray to Heaven for them, that they 
 may obtain the grace of God to a worthy exercise of the holy 
 office into which they are now being admitted. 
 
 The bishop places a stole crosswise on the breast of the 
 ordained, thereby signifying that they are to dedicate themselves 
 to the cross of Christ, namely. His doctrine and ministry, and to 
 be provided therefor with strength and grace. 
 
 Then the chasuble is rolled up from the back and drawn over 
 the head, to signify their acceptance of the sweet yoke and easy 
 burden of the divine law, though the fulness of priestly power is 
 not yet conferred. 
 
 The bishop then anoints the hands of the candidates with oil, 
 for Christ is called the Anointed; and by anointing, the strength, 
 efficiency, and grace of the priestly functions are imparted to 
 the young priests. 
 
 The bishop holds the chalice and patena for the young priest 
 
313 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 to touch, to show that he receives power to offer up the holy sac- 
 rifice of the Mass, and the bishop says : " Receive the power to 
 offer the holy sacrifice to God, and to celebrate Masses for the 
 living and the dead." 
 
 The bishop now goes on with his Mass, and one of the newly 
 ordained, after receiving his benediction, reads or sings the 
 gospel. 
 
 The bishop being once more seated, the newly ordained 
 men approach, kiss his hand, and on their knees present to him 
 lighted tapers, as a symbol of the enlightenment of their minds 
 through faith, and the warming of their hearts through grati- 
 tude and hope, and of love for God and men, whose priests they 
 are to be forever. Returning to their places, they read from mis- 
 sals prepared for the purpose, and in concert with the bishop 
 the prayers appropriate for the offering of the bread and wine, 
 and the other portions of the Mass as far as the Agnus Dei. 
 
 Then one of the new priests approaches the bishop and re- 
 ceives from him the kiss of peace as a sign of the peace, love, and 
 unity that should prevail among Christians, The words are : 
 "Peace be to you," with the response, "And with thy spirit." 
 
 After the bishop's Communion the new priests all receive from 
 his hands. The bishop, again addressing them, says, in the 
 words of Christ to the apostles : " I will not now call you ser- 
 vants. I have called you friends, because all things whatsoever 
 I have heard of My Father I have made known to you. Receive 
 the Paraclete, Whom I will send you from the Father. He it is 
 Whom the Father sendeth to you. You are My friends if you do 
 the things that I command you." 
 
 The bishop being again seated, the new priests read the Apos- 
 tles' Creed, which they are to preach and explain. 
 
 Now the bishop again lays his hands on their heads, saying : 
 " Receive the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive they 
 are forgiven, and whose sins you shall retain they are retained " 
 (John XX. 22). Thus they receive the grace and power to forgive 
 sins, as did the apostles from Jesus. The bishop now unrolls 
 and lets down the chasuble to its full length, to signify that the 
 newly ordained is fully a priest. Placing his hands within those 
 of the bishop, the priest answers"! promise" to the former's 
 question: "Dost thou promise to me and my successors obedi- 
 ence and reverence ? " The bishop, embracing him, says, " Peace 
 be to thee for all time." 
 
 In conclusion, the bishop exhorts the newly ordained priests 
 
HOLY ORDERS. 313 
 
 to be zealous and edifying in the discharge of their official duties, 
 and to lead a life worthy of their calling. 
 
 l^evepcnee due to the Ppiestly State. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 " He that will be proud and refuse to obey the command- 
 ment of the priest, who ministereth at the same time to the Lord 
 thy God, and the decree of the judge, that man shall die, and 
 thou shalt take away the evil from Israel" (Deut. xvii. 12). 
 " Honor God with all thy soul, and give honor to the priests" 
 (Ecclus. vii. ^^). " Let a man so account of us as of the minis- 
 ters of Christ, and the dispensers of the mysteries of God" (I. 
 Cor. iv. i). " Let the priests that rule well be esteemed worthy 
 of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doc- 
 trine " (I. Tim. V. 17). "For Christ therefore we are ambassa- 
 dors, God as it were exhorting by us" (IL Cor. v. 20). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 " The priesthood is the greatest of all honors that can be 
 found among men " (St. Ignatius of Antioch). " It is true the 
 priesthood is exercised on earth, but we must class it in the num- 
 ber of heavenly things. And that is proper, for this ordinance 
 was brought and introduced by no mortal, nor angel, nor arch- 
 angel, nor any created power, but by the Comforter Himself, 
 that is, the Holy Ghost. Hence it is very easy to conceive what 
 honor, what dignity, what great grace the Holy Ghost has con- 
 ferred on the priests" (St. Chrysostom). "The grandeur and 
 sublimity of the priestly dignity surpasseth all understanding, 
 all language, all thoughts ; and I am of opinion that it is of this 
 St. Paul speaks when, in the full admiration of his soul, lie ex- 
 claims in the words, ' Oh, the greatness and the depths of the 
 riches and of the goodness of God ' " (St. Ephrem). " The priest- 
 hood is the grandest and most excellent of all honors " (St. Greg- 
 ory Nazianzen). " The priests are the gates of the eternal 
 city, through which all believers in Christ come to Christ " (St. 
 Prosper). 
 
 THE ROMAN CATECHISM ON THE DIGNITY OF THE PRIESTHOOD. 
 
 "The faithful are to be made acquainted with the exalted 
 dignity and excellence of this sacrament in its highest degree, 
 which is the priesthood. Priests and bishops are, as it were, tlie 
 interpreters and heralds of God, commissioned in His name to 
 
314 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 teach mankind the law of God and the precepts of a Christian 
 life — they are the representatives o: God upon earth. It is im- 
 possible, therefore, to conceive a more exalted dignity or a func- 
 tion more sacred. Justly, therefore, are they called not only- 
 angels, but gods, holding as they c: he pace and power and 
 authority of God on earth. But the priesthood, at all times an 
 elevated office, transcends in the New Law all otiiers in dignity. 
 The power of consecrating and offering the body and blood of 
 Our Lord, and of remitting sin, with which the priesthood of the 
 Xe V Law is invested, is such as cannot be comprehended by the 
 huu u: r. ind, still less is it equalled by : r assiniilated to anything 
 on earth. Again, as Christ was sent by the Father, the apostles 
 and disciples by Christ, even so are priests invested with the 
 sante piwer. and sent 't'tr the perfecting of the saints, for the 
 work of the ministry, and the edification d the body of Christ.'" 
 
 EXAMPLE5. 
 
 Reverenc-e of Paeans for Priests. 
 
 The heathens entertained such a reverence for their idolatrous 
 priests, that the Lacedemonians, Abyssinians, and Egyptians 
 would acknowledge no king who was not also a priest. Many 
 kings, even Roman emperors, considered themselves highly 
 honored and favored to have the priestly dignity united to their 
 kingly and imperial grandeur. Ail the chief senators of the fa- 
 mous cit}' of Athens bore the title :f priest. L :lrr:l il' rations 
 held priests in such high estetin. that a heah t: riTi says : 
 "Although morality reached its lowest ebb. yet reverence for the 
 priests was cherished in the hearts of the depraved people." 
 
 When Alexander the Great, before whom the whole world 
 was struck dumb, according to I. IMach. i. 3. came with his 
 army to destroy Jerusalem. Taddus, the high-priest, came forth to 
 m.eet him. As s::n as the ^trtr-l perceived the priest, he 
 alighted from his chariot, prostrated himself on the ground, and 
 granted all that the priest asked. Alexander's attendants, who 
 had always seen him treated as a very god, were offended at his 
 humility in this instance, and asked why he acted thus? "Ah ! " 
 replied the general, "not Jaddus have I honored, but the true 
 God, Whose priest he is. I acknowledge and reverence the 
 eternal God in the person of His servant, and als: h:n>r the 
 servant because of his God." 
 
HOLY ORDERS. $1$ 
 
 An Imperial Law. 
 
 The great Emperor Charlemagne issued the following order : 
 "It is our earnest wish and command that all our subjects obey 
 strictly their priests as God's representatives : for we cannot 
 understand how those persons can be true and obedient to us 
 who are untrue and disobedient to God and His priests. All 
 who disobey the priests shall meet their deserts, even if my sons 
 be among the number. We will not tolerate such wicked people 
 in our vicinity ; we declare them unfaithful, dishonorable, and 
 irnpious, and banish them from the land : for our country shall 
 be a Christian land, and not a pagan one." 
 
 Respect and Reverence. 
 
 When the Emperor Constantine visited the first Council of 
 Nice he wished to take the last place, and refused to be seated 
 in presence of the priests. 
 
 St. Antony used to prostrate himself before every priest he 
 met, and would not rise till he had received his blessing. 
 
 St. Francis Assisi used to say that if he met a priest and an 
 an.gel, he would first salute the priest and kiss his hand, for those 
 hands with which he consecrated would place the priest before 
 the angel. 
 
 Humble Acceptance of a Spiritual Rebuke. 
 
 Once a zealous preacher denounced a certain vice in such 
 plain and direct language, that all who were present knew it 
 was meant for Francis Sforza, Duke of Milan, who was also in 
 the church. The courtiers endeavored to incite the duke to have 
 the preacher punished for his audacity. But he replied : " The 
 priest did nothing more than his duty. It would be well for all 
 of us if we did ours with the same fearlessness. I am deeply 
 indebted to the preacher for making known to me my failings. 
 I now know their hatefulness, and shall try to avoid them in 
 future." 
 
 The Duties of Pfiests. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 " Priests shall be holy to their God " (Lev. xxi. 6). " Be- 
 cause thou hast rejected knowledge, I will reject thee, that thou 
 slialt not do the office of priesthood to Me" (Osee iv. 6). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 "Purer and l)righter than the sun must we priests be" (St. 
 Chrysostom). " Consider what it is to stand before a holy 
 
310 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 people, and bear in mind how important it is to have to deal 
 with God's sacraments. He who lives by the altar, must also do 
 
 honor to the altar" (St. Augustine). ''Bear with all things, as 
 the Lord bears with you. Bear with the weakness of others 
 with the strength of a combatant " (St. Ignatius). '* You have 
 put your hands to a powerful work, and need power ; you are a 
 watchman in Israel, and need vigilance ; you are judge of the 
 wise and the unwise, and need justice ; lastly, you need chiefly 
 temperance, that while preaching to others you may not be your- 
 self a castaway" (St. Bernard). '" Yes, my brethren, this office is 
 so important, that no one, even if he were the greatest saint, 
 should presume to seek it if he be not called by God and 
 directed by the wisdom of prelates and the counsels of reliable 
 persons. Even then one should tremble before the burden he is 
 about to take upon his shoulders, for it is sufficient to bear down 
 the shoulders of an angel " (St. John of Matha). 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 The Wonderful Bottle. 
 
 Whenever St. Francis Assisi thought of the sanctit}' and 
 purity required to discharge the functions of the priesthood, he 
 would shudder throughout his whole system. Hence he would 
 never accept priest's orders. One day an angel appeared to 
 him, holding up a clear bottle containing a still clearer fluid, and 
 said: "' Francis, the soul of a priest should be as clear as this 
 liquid." When the saint compared the clearness of the fluid 
 with the state of his soul, he became maore firmly determined 
 than ever never to think of becoming a priest and celebrating 
 holy Mass. 
 
 The Priest as he should be. 
 
 One of the most malicious actors in the French Revolution, 
 who among other crimes had bathed his hand in priestly blood, 
 fell very sick. He had often vowed that if a priest ever put his 
 foot into his house he would never leave it alive. A neighbor- 
 ing pastor, well acquainted with the sentiments of the unhappy 
 man, hearing of his illness and knowing the duties of every good 
 shepherd, resolved to go in search of this erring soul, and if 
 necessary to lay down his life in the pursuit. When he entered 
 the sick-room the dying sinner seemed to regain a new lease of 
 life and strength, and raising himself up, called for his pistol. 
 The priest said calmly : '' Brother, what do 3'ou want your pistol 
 for? My love for you, and my fearlessness too, are stronger than 
 
HOLY ORDERS. 317 
 
 your misguided feelings." The other, not getting his pistol, 
 stretched out his bare arm and shrieked : "See that arm ! it has 
 strangled dozens stronger than you." The priest replied : "You 
 are mistaken ; there was one whom you did not strangle, though 
 you tried to do so, and " thought you had : I am that one. 
 Through God's mercy I escaped the death you planned for me, 
 and was saved that I might this day save you." The sinner was 
 overcome, and, yielding to God's grace and the gentle tact of 
 the priest, prepared to atone for his wicked life. 
 
 A Priest's Charitable Self =sacrif ice. 
 
 As soon as it is announced to the brethren in the Franciscan 
 monastery at Jerusalem that an epidemic has appeared in any 
 part of the city, one of them, well fortified with the sacraments, 
 goes forth from the monastery. He then goes about among the 
 sick, administering the sacraments to the Catholics, bringing 
 comfort and aid to all persons irrespective of religion, taking 
 care not to mingle among his brethren lest he should affect them 
 with the contagion. Every day he comes to the convent gate, 
 and gives a signal, previously agreed upon, by his manner of 
 ringing the bell, to indicate that he is still on his feet and able 
 to do duty. If the bell is not rung, then it is a sign that he has 
 fallen a victim to the disease, and another friar prepares to go 
 forth to take his place, and probably to follow him to the grave. 
 
 A Holy Priest, True till Death. 
 
 There once lived a priest in a very poor parish. He was 
 simple in his habits, humble and zealous in the service of God, 
 charitable and earnest towards his fellow-men. All the members 
 of his parish, which covered a large mountain district, were like 
 children in their love and obedience towards him. After many 
 years of hard service, the good priest began to fail in health and 
 strength. One day, when he was weaker than usual, there came 
 a summons to bring the last sacraments to a person dying away 
 up in the mountains, several miles distant. With tears in his 
 eyes he informed the messenger that he was unable to leave the 
 house, and begged him to apply to the priest of a neighboring 
 parish. The messenger went away. Some six hours afterwards 
 there came a second messenger, bearing the sick i)ers()n's most 
 urgent request that the priest himself, wlio had been his confessor 
 and father for many years, would come up in the mountains and 
 comfort him in the last moments of his life. The agi'd [driest, 
 who was now in bed, both weak and sick, urgt'd his inabihty 
 
3l8 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 to travel over the snow-covered mountain roads. But the 
 patient would not be comforted, and dispatched a third 
 messenger to the priest, saying that he could not die easy with- 
 out seeing his venerable form once more. Then the poor old 
 man seemed to forget his pains and feebleness, and raising himself 
 up in the bed, said: "I feel that I am dying, yet I cannot refuse 
 to discharge this duty, which will be the last of my life, God 
 grant me strength to do it." He dressed himself, took his place 
 in a kind of bier borne by strong men, and was carried amid the 
 most inclemient weather up the mountain. During the journey 
 the devoted servant of God never ceased to pray and to adore 
 the Blessed Sacrament, which he had taken with him. At length 
 the party reached the door of the mountain cabin, and the priest 
 uttered the words, " Peace be to this house," when the sick man, 
 opening his languid eyes, uttered a cr}' of joy and gratitude, and 
 raised his feeble hands to heaven. When the dying priest was 
 laid beside the bed of his dying parishioner, the latter took the 
 end of the stole and kissed it several times. During the admin- 
 istration of the last sacraments, under such touching circum- 
 stances, the attendants were bathed in tears. The voice of the 
 priest grew weaker, the breathing of the parishioner grew fainter. 
 The priest presented to his parishioner the cross to kiss, then 
 kissed it himself, and died. The parishioner breathed his last 
 a moment later. 
 
 PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 
 
 Honor and esteem your priests. They are the Lord's anoint- 
 ed, and cannot be touched with impunity. Observe the lives 
 and deaths of the enemies of the clergy, and you will see that 
 God does not allow His servants to be mocked. As long as there 
 is evil on the earth priests will be hated and persecuted. Christ 
 foretold this, and indeed it is the sign of a genuine priesthood. 
 
 How much mankind owes to the priests ! They it is who at 
 all times fostered knowledge, civilized nations, and guarded truth 
 and justice. They it is who have rendered still more valuable 
 services to the souls of men, and still do so. Daily they offer up 
 to God in holy Mass the divine Victim of our sins and iniquities. 
 Daily and hourly do they pray for us when our worldly cares 
 and duties prevent us from praying for ourselves. The true 
 priest prays for his friends and his enemies, for old and young, 
 for the sick and the well, for the living and the dead. In fact, 
 what would life be worth without our priests — without the bless- 
 ings they bring us through the holy sacraments? Remember all 
 
MATRIMONY. 
 
 319 
 
 these things, and you will see how cruelly ungrateful it is to per- 
 secute the clergy. 
 
 Ah, but the faults of the priests ! Alas ! there are some who 
 have them. But where is the man who is faultless ? Pray for 
 such priests, that they may correct their failings. And if they 
 have their faults their state is not responsible, only they indi- 
 vidually. Their calling is ever holy. St. Chrysostom tells us 
 that even faulty priests have a power such as is not granted to 
 angels nor arcliangels, for it was not to these latter that Christ 
 said: *' Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in 
 heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed 
 in heaven." Whatsoever the priests do on earth in the discharge 
 of their office is ratified by God in heaven. The Lord confirms 
 the sentence of His servants. Therefore listen to the priests, 
 esteem them as the Lord's servants, the dispensers of His holy 
 mysteries. Pray for them, and beg of God that you may not be 
 deprived of their sacred ministrations at the hour of your death. 
 
 m^ 
 
 flDatnmoni?. 
 
 I|4STl^UCTIOJ^. 
 
 rnatrimony a Saefament. 
 
 ^^^^^ ATRIMONY is a sacrament by which two 
 ^ Christian persons, male and female, if free 
 from all impediment, are united in wed- 
 lock, and are strengthened by the grace 
 of God to fulfil the duties of their state 
 faithfully till death. 
 
 Matrimony is a sacrament, and not a 
 
 mere worldly contract, as Luther and 
 
 Calvin and their followers would have it to be. It contains the 
 
 three requisites of a sacrament : i. Divine institution ; 2. The 
 
 outward sign ; 3. The inward grace. 
 
 God established matrimony in the Garden of Eden, and 
 Christ afterwards raised it to the dignity of a sacrament. 
 
 After the Lord had creatc^d Adam He cast a deep slee{t upon 
 hiin, during which He took one of his ribs and built it up into a 
 woman, whom \\c named Eve. For tlie Lord had said, *' It is not 
 good for man to Ix; alone : let us make him a hel|) like unto him- 
 self." Then He brought her to Adam to be liis companion. And 
 Adam said : " This is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh : 
 
120 
 
 ^^ :hej shall be 
 
 * ^#i ,==1 :wo io one 
 :^ r s h ." And 
 
 (Ge". i. and 
 
 d by the 
 
 L:ri H: 
 
 :a not 
 
 k anion was not 
 
 
 ir = :a 
 
 r i: :re :!»aviour 
 
 :: t z^estion, *' Is ': li".: 1 for a rr=" :; c :: i .v = y his wife?" 
 Ke ir? . r-ed, " Whi: i i Moses coir ~ ::: ^ - T: ey replied, 
 
 M srs rerniitted e a bill : :r. ^ i :: put her 
 
 away." T ; rhis rs rr : r ! •' Because Moses by reason of the 
 hardness of your nearc permiited you to put away your wives ; 
 
MATRIMONY. 32I 
 
 but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, that 
 whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, 
 and shall marry another, committeth adultery." Then to His 
 disciples He said further : "Whosoever shall put away his wife 
 and marry another committeth adultery, and he that shall marry 
 her that is put away committeth adultery" (Matt, xix.; Luke x.). 
 
 That Christ elevated matrimony to the dignity of a sacra- 
 ment is clearly seen from the words of St. Paul the apostle to 
 the Ephesians (v. 25), who, because it is an image of the union 
 between Christ and His Church, calls it "a great sacrament." 
 In all this there could be no meaning if the union between a 
 married couple be not like to that existing between Christ and 
 His Church, which is a supernatural union, and one sanctified by 
 divine grace. 
 
 The same doctrine has ever been held and taught by the 
 Church. The sacred writers all speak of matrimon}?- not only 
 as a holy and religious act, but they teach expressly that Christ 
 sanctified it and attached a special grace to it ; they even name 
 it a sacrament. In the ancient rituals, both of the Eastern and 
 Western churches, matrimony always takes its place among the 
 seven sacraments. 
 
 The outward sign of matrimony and its matter is the ex- 
 pressed consent by which the bridal pair declare in the face of 
 the Church, before their lawful pastor and two witnesses, their 
 mutual consent to be married. The form of the sacrament con- 
 sists of the words by which this consent to inseparable union is 
 expressed, and the blessing by which the priest sanctifies the 
 union. 
 
 Matrimony imparts the following graces : i. It augments 
 sanctifying grace. 2. It confers on the married couple the 
 special grace to live together in truth and love and mutual hap- 
 piness, and with God's blessing to bring up their children in a 
 Christian manner, and to bear with patience the burdens always 
 associated with the married state. 
 
 The J^cception of the Saepament. 
 
 The Christian, before entering the married state, should first 
 ask God for light, and calmly consider whether he is called to 
 this state, and is able to discharge the onerous duties connected 
 with it ; for all men are not called tc^ the married slate. Sickly 
 persons, those unable to support a family, to conduct a house- 
 
32± THK sAeajoBEans. 
 
 JBoM), and to tiaiii clnMr^^im^ ams etridesBttlljr iKo^t fr:!^M^^ to 
 and if they enter upon it tfinej act i^oiraratEj^ and loider 
 s^res and otiiecs nnlianp^. 
 
 ]liatinini€Haj mnst be enteired npon witii npoglBt and hdty in- 
 tenticHBS. Tlie ciandidane nBuist a&MPTe aSl IsaTe no intention bat 
 sncii as becomes a tsvi& ClMistian^ namm^j^ to a^rail binss^f of tbe 
 state to fnirtber bis bopes €^ sa£¥ati€»n for Mmmself and bis com- 
 panicMB. He sbonld also nesoiwe to biring^ np bis csi^pon^ if 
 HeaT^en ^ooid be pleased to send bisn an j, in tbe HoTe and fear 
 ei. tbe LeMnd, tbat tbej in tbor tmnm naaT do bon€M' to Gfid and 
 saTe tbeir sorals and tbe soesIs c^ tbor c&ildinoiL Anotbo* good 
 intOBtic^B to bare is tbat of joiniixg; t(0< (n)ime''s sg-Hf a bel|Mnate in 
 lesasting tensptatisMBS and in practiisoig' Tinnxes t±:ino>ngb tbe jcMir- 
 ney c^ Kfe- Tbose wbo enttes- tbis foQij stiste for tbe base pmpose 
 c^ gcatifjrin«r passion are like tbe beasts of tbe Seid. 
 
 Wben itnafcing a cboicDe csf busband or wife one sbonM n€»t be 
 inSHienceci saieEr bj wcMidlj a£tractioim% bnt ratrber hj bcMBest 
 excdHoiCr i" 1 TtrtMe. If tbe nBanried state wonld be a happy 
 oms,, both : ; - : t ; :-':": pffufess tbe same rdligioz. £:i f £5 fir £> 
 possiMe ; r : : t : ^ t : 3nditi€MB && lifei. 
 
 In makir ^ i i t t ; : ni, tbe CDonnsel &i parei:^ i - : . ; _ 3 
 firiends sbocLl : :. :- ^ :rT:"T- 177:1 = 1 
 
 Tbe en^E r t " t : : : ; _ : : r : ; t - i ^ _ : : ; : : : . : .i 
 Iwnding in e : : ; ; t : : r i ' : : - : _ : : to iniMi it. 
 
 T : : : ^.c i -r;i-e :_±~ sr. / r:s liiaEi^ffl]!^ f or tbe 
 
 ^: .i"^?«t. A. Tbe frotEEsemt and bBf^ssing ai 
 
 r obtanned- ^_ DiairiiiDg^ comrtsbip^ tbe 
 
 It 131 tbe I'^-^ I' I f-far of G€^ pffayii^ 
 
 : - : ^ ; " r tlie s.i : - - ': - ' :5 of Poiance and 
 
 : : : roriTe t " - r .: ' : irled^ of Cbristian 
 
 : : : .t. : .: t ~ ?c-lTes 1 1 r - n i-irtiiLg' in5trnt€ti€?n to 
 
 p. EjnrsT^ Tbat rs. ^ " t 7 ^ ; 3t mmrstake married one per- 
 
 ■-:--:' ' ^ ' ;' T - : - 1 ^ : i ' ri"T Lr.i : : "^acob instead 
 
 JL CSne^gnmL Wr t - ^ : trso-n w&o li : - t t ; : : ; ^ its MLarriage 
 witb one -mh.® is a sL^Te : Teing a: t :: - it - - t " ztter 
 
 is a sla«ie- Tbis impeid _ t I'^^'g^r t : : : : . :;„:-_'. ss 
 
 slaTejry is abobsbed ererrw:. -■-. 
 
 £, A MismMWffBBL A morij:. - r-_.i 1 :- t.-: lii" ;: ~i-; be- 
 
MATRIMONY. 323 
 
 cause they have made a solemn vow ; their marriage is void and 
 sacrilegious. 
 
 d, Relatiojiship. Marriage between brother and sister would be 
 incestuous and void, nor can marriage take place between cousins 
 down to the fourth degree. 
 
 e. Crime. If a husband should kill his wife, or a wife her hus- 
 band, with the intention of marrying another person, such a 
 marriage would be void. If a man and a woman committed 
 adultery with one another under the promise of marriage, such a 
 marriage, if afterward ratified, is also void. 
 
 /. Viole7ice and fear. If a person is forced to enter upon mar- 
 riage by an unjust threat of a real evil or suffering, such a mar- 
 riage is void. 
 
 g. Abductio7i. If a man abducts a girl from her parents, he 
 cannot marry her until he has, according to the will of her 
 parents or guardians, given her back her entire liberty. 
 
 h. Sacred orders. A subdeacon, a deacon, a priest, cannot 
 marry. 
 
 i. An existing marriage. People already married cannot enter 
 upon another marriage until the bond of marriage in which 
 they stand is broken by death. If they do so nevertheless, this 
 later union is not marriage, but adultery. 
 
 k. Secrecy. If a marriage is not ratified according to laws de- 
 manding publicity, it is void. 
 
 /. Public propriety. When a promise or engagement has taken 
 place between two persons, they cannot marry the brother or 
 sister of each other, without having received dispensation. 
 
 inPEDIMENTS WHICH RENDER HARRIAGE ILLICIT AND PUNISHABLE, BUT NOT 
 
 VOID. 
 
 a. Prohibition by the Church. The Church forbids her children 
 to marry on fast-days, during Advent, and during Lent, because 
 the joys of the wedding interfere with the holy mourning of 
 penance. She forbids marriages in chapels outside of the parish 
 church, to avoid all semblance of secrecy. Slie forbids marriage 
 with persons of another religion, to prevent the dangers of aliena- 
 tion among the married themselves and their children. 
 
 b. Promise of marriage. One who is engaged to a person owes 
 to that person a perfect arrangement and understanding before 
 entering upon other obligations. 
 
 c. 77ie simple voiv of chastity, either not to marry or to c^o 
 into a monastery. It would be a mortal sin to marry after hav- 
 
324 THE SACRAMENTS, 
 
 ing entered upon such obligations towards God. Dispensation 
 from such vows must be previously obtained from the spiritual 
 superiors. 
 
 As marriage is a sacrament of the living, those who wish to 
 receive it must be in the state of grace : therefore it is necessary 
 to confess and communicate before receiving the holy Sacrament 
 of Marriage. Those who receive the holy sacrament when not 
 in the state of grace are guilty of a mortal sin and unworthy 
 of the divine blessings. 
 
 Therefore, if two persons wish to receive the holy Sacrament 
 of Marriage they must declare before their pastor, or, by his per- 
 mission or that of the bishop, before another pastor, and before 
 at least two witnesses, that they take each other for husband and 
 wife, whereupon the priest blesses their union. 
 
 By a mixed marriage is undersiood a marriage between a 
 Catholic and a non-Catholic. 
 
 At all times the Church, for the most important reasons, has 
 looked unfavorably, on mixed marriages, and disapproved them. 
 From long experience she knows too well that the Catholic party 
 is in great danger of losing the faith, or at least of becoming 
 indifferent to it ; that the religious training of the children is 
 defective, and sometimes altogether neglected ; that the non-Cath- 
 olic party not considering matrimony a sacrament nor an indis- 
 soluble bond, the union is not really what it ought to be, namely, 
 an image of the intimate, sacred, and inseparable union of Christ 
 with His Church ; finally, that the happiness of the lives of both 
 parties depends much on community of belief. 
 
 When the Church does give assent to a mixed marriage she 
 requires the following conditions : i. That the Catholic party be 
 allowed to practise his or her religion unmolested ; 2. That there 
 be a hope of bringing about the conversion of the non-Catholic 
 party through good example and honest conviction. 
 
 It is never allowed to contract a marriage if the religious 
 training of the children is not guaranteed to be Catholic. Such 
 a marriage would be an injury to the Catholic Church and a 
 spiritual wrong to the children. Careless parents who seek such 
 alliances for their children incur a grave responsibility before 
 God. 
 
A Marriage among thk Early CuRisriANi 
 325 
 
^26 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 The Duties of Married People tocuards Eaeh Other. 
 
 1. Married people should dwell :;ge:her in 'r.arrr.z-y, love, 
 and honorable fidelity till dea:h serar<^:e ihe.T.. AVi^.en devoid 
 of love and fidelity the state of matrimony is a s:a:e of misery, 
 an insupportable yoke, attended with hatred, sirii'e. and conten- 
 tion. They m.ust cultivate a hearrlel: love, r.oi merely - f.rshly 
 eagerness for each other, that thus ".'.rir :r o. :al .- ::a::.r::r:.: may 
 be not a passing passion, but an e::o .::■:_ z.~z ::::■:.. 
 
 I: is a m.ost important duty to preserve between themselves a 
 strict fidelity. This !^deli:y in m.arri-^t is ::' so tender a nature 
 that each one is i: : . n 1 :; ^v::o vh-: :ulo wear even the sem- 
 blance of infidelity. By inf. iriiy the vow made at the altar is 
 violated : the bonds are strained, if not broken, that were riveted 
 by the hands of the priest. Jealousy gnaws the mind of one or 
 both of the married couple: and when the family peace is dis- 
 turbed, the parents living in strife and contention, there can be 
 no hope for a proper training of children, who will not love nor 
 obey parents who do not respect themselves. The adulterer is 
 condemned by God. and like David he draws down the wrath of 
 God, and will be cast out if he give not himself up to discipline. 
 Even in the Old Dispensation :ne Holy Sniri: said : " He that is 
 an adulterer, for the folly of his bear: snail destroy Inis own 
 soul: he gathereth to himself shame and dishonor, and his re- 
 proach shall not be blotted out" (Prov. vi. ^2, ^^). 
 
 The married couple should be patient towards each other, 
 remembering to bear with one another's failings and shortcom- 
 ings, avoiding strife and contention to gain the upper hand, and 
 never having a secret one from the other. 
 
 2. The married couple should edify each other by the correct- 
 ness of their conduct, bearing ever in mind that marriage is not 
 only for this life, but also for the life to come : and that as they 
 stood at the foot of the altar blam.eless. so are tney expected to 
 stand before the judgm ont-seat of the sinless Judge. The}' must 
 endeavor to sanctify e ::. ::::er, and with mild and gentle words 
 seek to remedy each other's faults, and to encourage each other 
 in the practice of pious exercises. A wise man has said of mar- 
 ried couples that it is a rare occurrence for one to go to heaven 
 and the other to hell ; that, as a rule, both are either lost or 
 saved. 
 
 Above all things, tliey should do nothing to shock miodesty, 
 never transscress the rules of decencv. and even in their lawful 
 
MATRIMONY. 327 
 
 relations practise continency in penitential times, like Sara and 
 Tobias, who said to each other : *' Have mercy on us, O Lord, 
 and let us grow old both together in health " (Tob. viii. 10). 
 
 3. The married couple should help each other. The husband 
 is in duty bound to support his wife, and cherish her in health 
 and sickness. He should give her not only the necessaries of 
 life, but all else suited to her condition and station in life. The 
 wife should obey her husband, unless he demand what is unlawful, 
 when she should not obey at all. She must not desert him if 
 misfortune overtake him, but must accompany him to a foreign 
 land if he require her to do so. On the other hand, the hus- 
 band must not make unreasonable demands, but order all things 
 wisely, and even consult his wife before undertaking anything of 
 importance, and pay due regard to her counsels. The wife's obe- 
 dience should be cheerfully granted ; as the Church is subject to 
 Christ, her founder, so should the wife be to her husband. The 
 husband's ruling should be pleasant and loving, for St. Paul 
 says : "As the Church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives 
 be to their husbands in all things" (Eph. v. 24). 
 
 The ^IVEafi^iage Ceremonies. 
 
 The bridal pair, having complied with the preliminary re- 
 quirements, present themselves before the altar, and in presence 
 of their pastor and two witnesses declare that they take one 
 another as husband and wife. 
 
 A priest other than the pastor can officiate at this sacrament 
 only when he has the permission of the pastor or bishop. 
 
 The bridal pair emphasize their consent by giving each other 
 their right hand. 
 
 The priest, while sprinkling them with holy water, confirms 
 their union in these words : *' I join you in matrimony in the 
 name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. 
 Amen." The priest then blesses the wedding-ring, which is a 
 symbol of their indissoluble union and the love and fidelity of 
 the married pair. 
 
 The married couple then receive the special and solemn mat- 
 rimonial benediction, which is given during the nuptial Mass, 
 immediately after the Pater Noster. 
 
328 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 I^EFIiHCTIOH. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 OUSE and riches are given by parents : but 
 a prudent wife is properly from the Lord" 
 (Prov. xix. 14). "Marry thy daughter well, 
 and thou shalt do a great work, and give her 
 to a wise man" (Ecclus. vii. 27). "Then the 
 angel Raphael said to Tobias : Hear me, and 
 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" (Tob. vi. 16). 
 " And when all had said, Amen, they went to the feast : but the 
 marriage-feast they celebrated also with the fear of the Lord " 
 (Tob. ix. 12). Let marriage be "honorable in all, and the bed un- 
 defiled. For fornicators and adulterers God will judge" (Heb. 
 xiii. 4). "To them that are married, not I, but the Lord com- 
 mandeth, that the wife depart not from her husband. And if 
 she depart, that she remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her 
 husband. And let not the husband put away his wife" (I. Cor. 
 vii. 10, 11). " Let every one of you in particular love his wife 
 as himself" (Eph. v. ^;^). "Be not jealous over the wife of thy 
 bosom, lest she show in thy regard the malice of a wicked 
 lesson " (Ecclus. ix. i). " Take heed to keep thyself, my son, 
 from all fornication, and beside thy wife never endure to know 
 a crime " (Tob. iv. 13). " From all appearance of evil refrain 
 yourselves " (I. Thess. v. 22). " If a man have not care of his own, 
 and especially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith, 
 and is worse than an infidel " (I. Tim. v. 8). " Let women be 
 subject to their husbands as to the Lord " (Eph. v. 22). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROfl THE FATHERS. 
 
 "It is proper and becoming that bride and bridegroom, by 
 the decision and consent of the bishop, contract marriage, that 
 the marriage may be performed according to the will of the Lord, 
 and not according to the lust of the senses" (St. Ignatius of 
 Antioch). "It is becoming that we make serious reflections on 
 the mystery of matrimony " (St. Irenaeus). " Like everything 
 else, Christ restored matrimony to its original perfection, making 
 that which was fleshly, spiritual, so that Christian marriage is a 
 
MATRIMONY. 329 
 
 figure that represents His union with the Church " (Tertullian). 
 " He who has a wife shall seek nothing beyond her, but be con- 
 tent with her alone, to tame his flesh and preserve the sacrament 
 of indissoluble matrimony " (Lactantius). " To believing married 
 people matrimony should commend not only fruitfulness in the 
 generation of children, or chastity whose bond is fidelity, but 
 rather the dignity of a sacrament. Hence the Apostle says, 
 * Love your wives as Christ loveth the Church.' All persons and 
 nations find their advantage therein by means of generation 
 and truly chaste fidelity ; the people of God have, moreover, the 
 holiness of the sacrament, which is of more worth than maternal 
 fruitfulness" (St. Augustine). "The undoing of the blessing 
 which the priest imparts to the believers on entering matrimony 
 is nothing less than sacrilege " (Pope Sergius). 
 
 COMPARISONS. 
 
 Matrimony is a tree in God's garden, on which, according to 
 the decree of the Creator, good children should grow like fruit. 
 
 If human society in a well-ordered condition resembles a 
 building, matrimony is the foundation of the building, which has 
 its strength in morality, order, and purity. 
 
 As a tree draws its nourishment from the root, so does 
 human society derive its strength from marriage. If the root is 
 tainted, the tree is tainted ; if the root absorbs poisoned sap, 
 poisoned fruits are produced. Just so will the state be destroyed 
 if it taint the sanctity and moral character of matrimony. 
 
 EXAnPLES. 
 Proper Preparation for Marriage. 
 
 The following history shows us the manner of making prep- 
 aration for the worthy reception of the Sacrament of Matrimony. 
 Some few years ago a young physician of Paris was introduced 
 by a friend to a family where there was a very virtuous daughter. 
 Soon this amiable young woman was betrothed to the young 
 doctor, whose good qualities were everywhere recognized. Some 
 ten days before the marriage ceremony the young man called 
 alone on the motlier of his betrothed, and begged leave to hold 
 some conversation with her daughter Emily. " That is im- 
 possible," replied the mother kindly, ** for my daughter has been 
 unwell for a couple of days, and needs rest." He said : " It is 
 rather hard that 1 cannot see Emily for a monuMit ; indeed I iiave 
 not had the pleasure of her company except ihicc or four times 
 
330 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 in society; to this very hour I have not had a chance to express 
 to her my feelings or to know hers." — " Your importunity touches 
 me ; but my daughter cannot be seen." — '' I have something very 
 important to tell her." — "Well, I will call her if you insist, and 
 you may speak to her in my presence ; my daughter has never 
 spoken to a man alone." — "But I am her future husband." — 
 " After marriage my daughter will be no longer under my care ; 
 until then I must fulfil all the duties of a Christian and prudent 
 mother in regard to her." — "Oh," exclaimed the physician,"! 
 suppose I m.ust confide my intention to you. Educated by relig- 
 ious parents, I have always remained faithful to the holy religion 
 that prescribes your present action to you. The indifference 
 which unfortunately is found among men of my avocation 
 might cause you distrust, but I count it a glory and an honor 
 to live up to the practices of our faith in every point ; the better 
 I know them, the greater and the more venerable they appear to 
 me. When I insisted so strongly upon an interview with your 
 daughter, I did so only that I might test her sentiments in this 
 regard, and to ask her, by a general confession, to prepare herself, 
 that with the marriage blessing she might receive also all the 
 gifts of grace connected with it." At these words the mother 
 could not keep back her tears ; she fell on the neck of the virtu- 
 ous physician, and, pressing him to her heart, said: "Well, my 
 son, we will all communicate together ; go to your betrothed and 
 tell her that I have called you my son. Your sentiments vouch 
 to me your own happiness and that of my daughter." 
 
 The virtuous physician did more. During a whole week holy 
 Mass was celebrated, in order to bring dow^n the entire fulness 
 of the heavenly blessings. But the most beautiful, the most 
 touching, scene on the wedding-day was to see the two betrothed 
 come to the holy table, he accompanied by his venerable parents 
 weeping, she with her mother and grandmother, all of whom, 
 with their Worthy children, received Communion out of the 
 hands of the officiating priest. Oh, if all marriage unions 
 resembled this one, how happy would married life be, and how 
 happy all human society ! 
 
 A Happy Wedding=day. 
 
 There was once a grand marriage in a certain country vil- 
 lage, the son of the local judge having wedded the daughter of 
 a neighboring wealthy farmer. On their return from the church 
 the bride, who had a tender and generous heart, saw^ a young 
 
MATRIMONY. 33 1 
 
 peasant-girl coming out of a poor cabin carrying a pot and a 
 small shovel, and on inquiry it appeared that she lived with her 
 poor, aged mother, and both subsisted on alms. When the bride 
 reached her new home, saw the splendid wedding-breakfast pre- 
 pared by her husband, she said to him : " How happy we ought 
 to be amid the abundance given to us by the Almighty God. 
 Let us show our gratitude by assisting the poor widow and her 
 daughter, whose desolate home we have just passed." "Well 
 said, my dearest wife ; I now love you more than ever," said the 
 delighted husband. Then they went forth together, laden with 
 the best on the table for the poor widow and her daughter, for 
 whom they ever afterwards provided. 
 
 How touching it was for these young people to think of 
 performing a work of mercy at a time when such is usually the 
 last thing thought of ! They remembered the words of the 
 Apostle : " Give every one as he hath determined in his heart, 
 not with sadness, or of necessity : for God loveth a cheerful 
 giver." 
 
 A Thoughtless Marriage Punished. 
 
 A young couple, after keeping forbidden company, got mar- 
 ried against the will of their parents. Although before the cere- 
 mony they had been inseparable, and seemed unable to live 
 apart, yet their affection was shallow and short-lived. Quarrels 
 became an every-day affair, till at last the unhappy woman was 
 about to die from the cruel treatment she had been subjected to 
 by her heartless husband. Before she died she said to her 
 daughter: "My child, you see in what condition I am; you 
 know how inhumanly your father has treated me. I have en- 
 dured everything in a spirit of penance, considering it all a well- 
 deserved punishment for my disobedience and the vexation I 
 caused my parents when I married against their will. Let this 
 be a warning to you to use more sense than I did. I leave you 
 to the care of your loving aunt, who will watch over your edu- 
 cation. Undertake nothing without her counsel, and take care 
 not to be guided by your vanity. Keep God before your eyes in 
 fear. Be humble and chaste. Avoid intimacy with young men, 
 for this was the rock on which my happiness was wrecked. I 
 am sorry for you, my daughter. Soon you will have no mother ; 
 but I commend you into the hands of the ever-blessed Virgin ; 
 she will be your mother, and protect you. Never forget tlie 
 reverence which you owe to your father. He is not able to in- 
 struct you, to be sure, but you must obey him and pray to tlic 
 
332 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 Lord for his conversion. For his harsh conduct towards me I 
 forgive him for Jesus' sake." 
 
 She died with a perfect acceptance of the Lord's ordinances, 
 and her daughter profited so well by the wholesome exhortations 
 of her dying mother, that she lived very retired, following the 
 advice of her aunt, and was very happily married. 
 
 Her father grieved so violently over the death of his wife, the 
 result of his own cruel treatment, that -he fell ill, and within a 
 few days died in despair. 
 
 St. Monica's Married Life. 
 
 St. Augustine thus confesses before God about his mother 
 Monica : " Having grown up pious and gentle, and made subject 
 to her parents by Thee more than they made her subject to Thee, 
 she was given in marriage to a man whom she served as her 
 master. She labored to win him to Thee by her good example, 
 and by the admirable qualities with which Thou didst enrich her, 
 and make her worthy of the esteem and admiration of her hus- 
 band. His infidelities she bore without a word of reproach ; for 
 she awaited Thy mercy in his behalf, that through faith in Thee 
 he might become chaste. Although a kind man, he was violent in 
 his passion. She knew enough not to oppose an angry man 
 either by word or deed. But when his anger abated and he was 
 calm, she would avail herself of such opportunity to gently 
 reprove him for his misconduct. 
 
 " When other women, who had gentler husbands, sometimes 
 showed in their persons traces of hard abuse, and would indulge 
 in denunciation of their husbands' cruelty, she would stop their 
 tongues and kindly admonish them to bear the trials of their 
 married life. When they would express their wonder that she 
 had no contention with her husband Patricius, and would ask 
 for an explanation, she would teach them in words of wisdom, 
 which I still remember. Such women as hearkened to her advice 
 would soon learn to live in peace, while those who disregarded 
 her counsels were always cruelly treated by their husbands. 
 Even her mother-in-law, who at first was violently opposed to 
 my mother, was gradually won over so far to her side as to live 
 in the most perfect peace and happiness with her. 
 
 *' This other great blessing, my God and my Mercy, didst Thou 
 bestow on Thy servant who bore me, namely, to conduct herself 
 so agreeably amid strife and contention as never to utter an ex- 
 pression that was nQt calculated to bring about peace and lasting 
 
" LET EVERY ONE OF YOU IN PARTICULAR LOVE HIS WIFE 
 AS himself: and let the WIFE FEAR HER HUSBAND." — 
 EFH. V. 34. 
 
 /Ll..^c. 
 
 "^ 
 
 333 
 
334 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 reconciliation. Perhaps I would not sufficiently appreciate this 
 great gift of my mother's did I not know from sad experience that 
 there are many persons who, instead of quelling disturbances, 
 multiply and intensify them by carrying the sayings of enemies 
 to one another, and often adding bitter words that were never 
 uttered. 
 
 " Finally, she converted to Thee her husband, my father, and 
 had nothing to complain of him, when he believed, of those 
 things which she had to bear when he was an unbeliever. She 
 was, moreover, a servant to Thy servants. Who among them 
 knew her and did not praise, love, and respect her in Thee? 
 Every one discovered Thy presence in her heart, for the fruits of 
 her holy life showed it forth. She was a faithful wife to her hus- 
 band, dutifully she revered her parents, she managed her house- 
 hold devotedly, and everywhere gave testimony of good works. 
 She trained up her sons, and suffered again the pains of maternity 
 when she saw them straying from Thy paths. Finally. O Lord, 
 Thou Who permittest me to speak of Thy handmaid, when before 
 her death we were again united to her, and had received the 
 grace of Baptism, she renewed her cares as if she had borne us 
 over again, or as if she were herself our child." 
 
 Conjugal Lo\e in Adversity. 
 
 John Wasa. Duke of Finland, for refusing to recognize the 
 authority of his brother Erich, King of Sweden, was cast into 
 prison, and even condemned to death. The king commuted the 
 sentence to imprisonment for life in the castle at Gripsholm. The 
 prisoner's wife Catharine hastened to the king and begged to 
 share her husband's confinement. "Are you aware, madam," said 
 the king, " that your husband is in total darkness, and shall never 
 again see the light of day?" "I know that," she replied. Then 
 the king added. "Do you know that he is no longer a prince, 
 but a degraded traitor?" '"I know that too," said the brave 
 woman. " But be he prince or traitor, he is my husband, and 
 will remain so till death take one of us." Her request was 
 granted, and daily she visited her imprisoned husband during 
 eleven years. When Erich was dying he was taken from his 
 dungeoa and placed on the throne. 
 
 This certainly was heroic self-sacrifice, such as is possible to 
 love alone. 
 
 In a village twenty miles from Altona there lived a poor cob- 
 bler whose wife lost her sight during a severe illness. Poor 
 
MATRIMONY. 335 
 
 people, especially in the country, generally hesitate a long time 
 before calling in a regular physician, as they dread the expense. 
 But this poor man spent everything to restore his wife's sight. 
 At the expiration of two or three years, having in the mean time 
 tried everything in vain, he heard of an able oculist at Altona. 
 Without delay and in spite of the severe weather he started out 
 to try this last resource, leading his blind wife over twenty miles 
 of road. The physician promised to heal her, but demanded 
 twenty-five dollars for the treatment. This was a large sum for 
 the cobbler ; but, nothing daunted, he returned home alone, and 
 sold his only cow, his sole property and hitherto the support of 
 the family, took the money to the physician, and in a few weeks 
 had the happiness of seeing his wife completely cured. 
 
 Conjugal Fidelity. 
 
 The Goths, under the leadership of Alaric, besieged and cap- 
 tured the city of Rome in the year 410. A young Christian wife 
 fell into the hands of a ruthless barbarian, who, holding his sword 
 above her head, threatened to take her life if she did not submit 
 to his wicked caresses. Fearless of the death of the body, she 
 bowed her head and bade him strike. At once the wicked heart 
 of the soldier underwent a change, and he became her protector 
 against the assaults of other soldiers. Conducting her into the 
 church of St. Peter, he sent for her husband and placed her safely 
 in his hands. 
 
 PRACTICAL APPLICATION. 
 
 One of the most solemn and important events in human life 
 is the entering of the holy bonds of matrimony. The step often 
 decides the temporal and eternal fate of the married persons. 
 Nor is it confined to them alone, for it influences the destinies of 
 their children, and their children's children, unto all ages. Hence 
 it belongs solely to the Church to solemnize and bless the mar- 
 riage ceremony, and bring down the grace of Heaven on the mar- 
 ried couple, who thus are enabled to meet bravely those difficul- 
 ties in married life which often render their condition one of 
 disappointment and hardship. Those who would make marriage 
 a mere civil contract strike a deadly blow at the very life-spring 
 of society. Matrimony is a sacrament ; but only in Christ, says 
 St. Paul. Whoever would separate matrimony from Ciirist 
 deprives it of every blessing, because depriving it of God's grace. 
 It is only in the ring blessed by the prayers of the Church that 
 is found the symbol of enduring Christian love. It is only in the 
 
33^ 
 
 THE SACRAMENTS. 
 
 covenant authorized by the Stole of the priest that strength and 
 perseverance in virtue are to be found. It is only such persons as 
 
 are thus married in the 
 Church that can transmitto 
 their children the precious 
 legacy of the true faith, 
 and a life according to 
 God's own heart. Such 
 married persons shall re- 
 ceive an everlasting re- 
 ward for all the souls who 
 through them shall come 
 into the world. 
 
 If, Christian reader, you 
 are about to enter the holy 
 state of matrimony, seek 
 counsel from God, and fre- 
 quently consult your spiri- 
 tual director. Test your 
 own heart, whether you 
 possess the necessary qual- 
 ities of spirit and body to 
 do your share in founding 
 a happy state of matri- 
 mony. In choosing your 
 companion for life, do not principally or exclusively look at the 
 worldly things, such as riches, beauty, etc. ; they pass away. 
 Rather look for a heart acceptable to God. Enter upon the union 
 in the innocence of your heart and with God. Sin and vice 
 which you take with you into matrimony are the poisoned wells 
 from which springs death to happiness in married life, A be- 
 ginning with God brings a living with God, followed in due time 
 by a death and a resurrection in and with God. The anniversary 
 of your union you should celebrate every year by Holy Com^ 
 munion, which will support you and strengthen you in your 
 visitations. 
 
 The Holy Family. 
 
Ci^e ^acrammtals^ 
 
 ^be Sacramentale in (BeneraL 
 
 Cleaning of Sacfamentals. 
 
 ESIDES those means of grace ordained by 
 God Himself, namely, the sacraments, the 
 Church has established other lesser blessings, 
 dedications, and ceremonies for the sanctification 
 of the faithful. 
 
 These means of grace are called sacra- 
 mentals, because they resemble the sacraments 
 in having, or being in themselves, outward signs and words, and 
 they also confer internal supernatural power or grace. 
 
 Diffefence betcaecn the Sacttaments and the 
 Saepamentals. 
 
 The seven sacraments and the sacramentals differ from each 
 other essentially, as well with regard to institution or ordinance as 
 with regard to the effects of grace. 
 
 1. The sacraments were ordained by God Himself, and pro- 
 duce their effects through the power that God has infused into 
 them. The sacramentals, on the other hand, were established by 
 the Church, and produce their effects through the prayers and 
 blessings of the Church. 
 
 2. The sacraments operate infallibly, if we do not interpose 
 some hindrance. In the case of the sacramentals the effect is 
 produced chiefly through the good dispositions of him who 
 makes use of them. 
 
 3. The sacraments produce their sanctifying effects directly. 
 The sacramentals only contribute thereto by imparting secondary 
 graces, and they protect us from evils. 
 
33^ THE SACRAMENTALS. 
 
 4. The sacraments are generally necessary and commanded 
 by God. The sacramentals are merely commended by the 
 Church as useful and salutary. 
 
 Effects of the SacPamentals. 
 
 The effects of the sacramentals are as follows : They free us 
 from spiritual, bodily, and temporal evils, and bring us spiritual, 
 bodily, and temporal advantages. They heal suffering and 
 wrong, dispel trouble of mind, moderate the passions, temper 
 temptations, save us from barrenness, drought, storms, and 
 devilish plagues, and send us growth, fruitfulness, and bodily 
 strength. 
 
 The fluthott of the SaePamentals. 
 
 It is self-evident that no one but God can bestow these favors 
 on our souls and bodies. God grants them through Our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, and on His account. 
 
 The Saviour told His apostles plainly that if they had faith 
 they could perform still greater miracles. Before His Ascension 
 into heaven He said : " These signs shall follow them that believe : 
 In My name they shall cast out devils : they shall speak with 
 new tongues : they shall take up serpents : and if they shall 
 drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them : they shall lay 
 their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover" (Mark xvi. 17, 
 
 18). 
 
 Now, in order to strengthen the confidence of Christians, the 
 Church of God has directed that these graces be conferred under 
 certain symbols or signs. She has attached certain fixed signs 
 to the graces promised by God, and unites her prayers with these 
 signs, so that the sacramentals have been really established by 
 Christ through His holy Church. 
 
 The Church, then, has only appointed the outward signs and 
 ceremonies that are to accompany the prayers which she offers 
 up for the purpose of obtaining the graces which Christ has 
 promised. This she has done because she has the authority to 
 bless, to dedicate, and to exorcise. And we should not doubt 
 but that such graces are imparted to us ; for the prayer of the 
 Church has a special power, since it is united to the prayer of 
 Christ and His saints. 
 
THE SACRAMENTALS IN GENERAL. 
 
 339 
 
 Sacpamentals in the Old Liam. 
 
 Such effective outward signs were found in the Old Testa- 
 ment. Thus God imparted to Aaron's staff the force of working 
 miracles, to the confusion of Pharao and his magicians (Ex. vii. 9). 
 Then, God did not Himself, at the prayer of Moses, heal those 
 who were bitten by the fiery serpents, but He ordered a brazen 
 serpent to be set up, and those who were bitten were cured 
 merely by 
 looking at it 
 (Num. xxi. 9). 
 God impart- 
 ed curative 
 powers to the 
 ashes of the 
 red cow 
 (Num. xix. 9). 
 When Saul, 
 on account of 
 his sins, was 
 rejected by 
 the Lord, 
 Samuel, at 
 God's r e - 
 quest, anoint- 
 e d David, 
 
 "and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day 
 forward" (I. Kings xvi. 13). 
 
 The New Dispensation, with its sacramentals, is, then, nothing 
 else than the completion of the Old Covenant. 
 
 Division of the Sae^amentals. 
 
 Samuel anointing David. 
 
 They are divided as follows 
 
 a. The Dedications. 
 
 b. The Exorcisms. 
 
 c. The Blessings. 
 
 d. Usages in the Church. 
 
340 
 
 THE SACRAMENTALS. 
 
 ^be Sacramentale in 2)etaiL 
 
 dedications. 
 
 Eeelcsiastieal Dedieations. 
 
 Y dedications are understood those prayers and 
 ceremonies of the Church by which persons or 
 things are especially set apart for God's service. 
 The chief of these are : 
 
 a. The dedication of the church itself and 
 of all that belongs to its internal furnish- 
 ing. 
 
 The blessing of objects used in God's service. 
 The blessing or dedication of ecclesiastical persons. 
 
 CHURCH DEDICATION. 
 
 By church dedication is understood that solemn proceeding 
 by which an edifice is transformed into a temple of God. 
 
 This dedication is effected either by a simple blessing, which 
 may be given even by a priest with the permission of the bishop, 
 or by consecration proper, which can be performed by a bishop 
 only. 
 
 The custom of dedicating churches can be traced back to the 
 first ages of Christianity, and it has its precedent in the dedica- 
 tion of Solomon's Temple under the Old Law. 
 
 Holy Scripture relates to us with what pomp and magnifi- 
 cence King Solomon and the whole people of Israel dedicated 
 their Temple at Jerusalem : "And the king, and all Israel with 
 him, offered victims before the Lord. And Solomon slew victims 
 of peace-offerings, which he sacrificed to the Lord, two and 
 twenty thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand 
 sheep : so the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the 
 Temple of the Lord" (III. Kings viii. 62, 6^). Every year after- 
 wards the Hebrews observed a solemn festival in commemoration 
 of this important event. 
 
 Far holier than the Jewish Temple are the Catholic churches ; 
 for in them dvvelleth God, not as a symbol, but truly, really, and 
 substantially in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. Mainly on 
 this account, the Christians began to dedicate their places of wor- 
 ship with great reverence and solemnity as soon as they were 
 permitted to erect their own temples, after the cessation of the 
 
DEDICATIONS. 
 
 341 
 
 great persecutions. The rejoicings of the Christians were great 
 on such occasions. The neighboring bishops assembled to take 
 part in the festivities, and contributed to the magnificence of the 
 occasion, either by the learned and eloquent sermons they 
 preached to the assembled people, or by the grandeur amid which 
 they celebrated the holy sacrifice of the Mass. 
 
 The consecration of a church proceeds as follows : 
 
 a. The day before the ceremony, the bishop and the clergy 
 and congregation belonging to the church observe a strict fast, 
 in order to fit themselves for a most holy work. Into the temple 
 of the Lord we should not enter unless animated by a true spirit 
 of penance. 
 
 b. In the altars are placed relics of saints and grains of in- 
 cense. These, on the evening previous, are deposited in a sealed 
 casket and 
 placed in a 
 tent be- 
 fore the 
 church, 
 where 
 t h ey re- 
 main f o r 
 the night, 
 with lights 
 burning 
 near them. 
 By this is 
 si g n ifi ed 
 the man- 
 n e r in 
 
 • which the 
 Holy of 
 Holies in 
 
 the Old Law was kept in a tabernacle prior to the erection of the 
 Temple. 
 
 c. On the morning of the consecration, the bishop goes in 
 procession three times around the exterior of the empty church, 
 sprinkling the walls with holy water. Every time that he ap- 
 proaches the main door, he strikes it with his crosier, and recites 
 the words of the Psalmist : " Lift up your gates, O ye princes: 
 and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of Glory 
 shall enter in " (Ps. xxiii. 7). 
 
 Consecrating the Altar. 
 
34^ THE SACRAMENTALS. 
 
 The deacon, who is now inside, answers, in words of the same 
 psalm, *' Who is this King of Glory ?" and the bishop continues : 
 " The Lord Who is strong and mighty: the Lord mighty in 
 battle " (verse 8). 
 
 At the end of the third circuit, the bishop makes the sign of 
 the cross, with the foot of his crosier, on the threshold, and says : 
 " Behold the sign of the cross ! Let all evil spirits depart." Then 
 the door is opened, and the bishop, with his attendants, enters, 
 saying, " Peace be to this house." 
 
 d. Then the Holy Ghost and the intercession of the saints are 
 invoked, that the favor of God may come down on this sacred 
 work. 
 
 e. The bishop, with the foot of his crosier, inscribes the Greek 
 and Latin alphabets in the two shafts of a cross that has been 
 made with ashes on the floor. The Church of God, of which 
 the church edifice is a figure and an epitome, is a union of all 
 languages and nations. 
 
 f. Then the Gregorian water is blessed ; that is, water min- 
 gled with salt, ashes, and wine. The water symbolizes human 
 nature, the wine divine nature, the ashes mortality, and the salt 
 incorruptible immortality. With this water the walls and floor 
 are sprinkled in the form of a cross ; some of it is scattered tow- 
 ards the four points of the compass, and the remainder is spilled 
 at the foot of the altar. Mortal man is united by the sacraments 
 with his Redeemer unto immortality. 
 
 g. With his crosier the bishop signs the main door, on top and 
 bottom, with the sign of the cross. The whole building is to be 
 placed under the protection of Christ crucified. 
 
 h. The relics are borne in solemn procession about the church 
 outside, then into it, and to the altar, where they are depos- 
 ited in an opening emblematic of a tomb, which is then closed by 
 the bishop with cement moistened with Gregorian water. This 
 signifies the solemn procession of saints after the Lamb, to 
 Whom they are joined, making one body in Christ. 
 
 i. On the altar there are three chiselled crosses which the 
 bishop then anoints. These represent the five wounds of Christ, 
 Who was once offered on the altar of the cross. 
 
 k. On the walls there are twelve figures of the cross inscribed. 
 These are anointed by the bishop, and a candle is left burning 
 before each one. The Church is founded on the twelve apostles, 
 who received the unction of the Holy Spirit and carried the light 
 of faith to all parts of the world. 
 
DEDICATIONS. 343 
 
 /. The altar is now incensed. It represents Christ, while in- 
 cense is the symbol of prayer. Jesus Christ deserves praise and 
 worship, which the faithful should bring to Him. 
 
 m. Now five crosses of incense and five of wax are burned. 
 Fervent prayer and burning charity are the gifts of sacrifice due 
 to the Lord from all the faithful. 
 
 Thus a church dedication is a reminder that we ourselves are 
 living temples of God and destined one day to enter into the 
 eternal temple of heaven. 
 
 THE BLESSING OF BELLS AND OF CHURCH ARTICLES. 
 
 Bells have a deep significance in the Church. The first duty 
 of a bell is to proclaim the praises of God. Hence at the eleva- 
 tion of the host in Mass, at the passing of the Viaticum to the 
 sick, and on like occasions, the bell rings to notify the people 
 that they may adore Our Lord in the Blessed Eucharist. Second- 
 ly, bells serve to summon the clergy and the laity to the cele- 
 bration of Mass and other devotions. Thirdly, when they are 
 rung during a calamity, at a funeral, or on commemorative 
 anniversaries, they warn us to pray for the dead. Fourthly, by 
 their influence all unhealthiness, storms, and bad weather are 
 averted from Christians. Fifthly and finally, they serve to an- 
 nounce, and also to add to the solemnity of, the feasts and fasts 
 of God's Church. 
 
 The object of bells being so sacred and noble, they are sol- 
 emnly blessed by the Church before they are used. 
 
 In some places the ceremony of blessing a bell is called a bap- 
 tism, for the reason that there are ablutions in it, that a name is 
 given to the bell, and that sponsors are sometimes appointed, 
 though they are only witnesses. The blessing of a bell proceeds 
 as follows : 
 
 a. Salt and water are blessed, and a prayer is offered to God 
 that when the bell rings the power of the evil spirit, all thunder, 
 lightning, storms, and foul weather may vanish, while, on the 
 other hand, devotion may be increased in the hearts of the 
 faithful. 
 
 b. The bell is then washed inside and outside with holy water, 
 and marked with blessed oil in the form of a cross, by which 
 ceremonies it is besought that all unwholesomeness, whether 
 natural or diabolical, may vanish before these signs. 
 
 c. The bell is signed with four crosses of chrism on the in- 
 side and seven crosses of holy oil on the outside. The bell is 
 
344 THE SACRAMENTALS. 
 
 intended to proclaim everywhere the glory of Christ crucified, 
 and to indicate to the faithful the dispensing of the seven sacra- 
 ments. The faithful themselves should be living bells, with God's 
 praises on their tongues. 
 
 d. The censer is placed under the bell, which is in this way 
 incensed. Our prayers should ascend to God like the fragrant 
 fumes of incense. 
 
 e. Finally is read the gospel narrating the visit of Our Lord 
 to the house of Lazarus, where Mary sat at His feet while Martha 
 was busy with much serving. Like Mary, we should assist at 
 God's service with all fervor and zeal, and hearken eagerly to 
 His sacred word. 
 
 Church articles, vestments, and draperies, that is, the uten- 
 sils devoted to divine service, such as chalices, remonstrances, 
 and others, also altar-cloths and the like, are blessed by the 
 Church, because they are to be used on and about the altar, and 
 often come in contact with the Blessed Sacrament. 
 
 THE DEDICATION OF CEflETERIES. 
 
 Even the heathens considered the resting-place of the dead 
 sacred and inviolable, and with them it was a heinous offence to 
 disturb the repose of the dead or to dishonor a place of burial. 
 How much more, then, should the Church of God consider it 
 necessary to solemnly bless the resting-place of her departed 
 members, believing as she does that there the unsouled bodies of 
 men, which were once the temples of the Holy Ghost, are re- 
 posing under the shadow of the cross, and like the sowed seed 
 of the wheat are buried in God's acre, whence they are one day 
 to come forth to a glorious resurrection. 
 
 The dedication of a cemetery proceeds thus : 
 
 In the middle of the graveyard a cross is erected, on which 
 three wax candles are set, though not lighted in the beginning, 
 in order to show that eternal light is to come to us only through 
 the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. The gospel about the 
 tares among the wheat is read, for the cemetery is the veritable 
 field from which all of us will be one day gathered up, either to 
 be cast into never-ending fire or to be placed in the granary of 
 heaven. Then the Litany of the Saints is recited or chanted, to 
 obtain the powerful intercession of these friends of God in behalf 
 of all. Finally the cemetery is sprinkled in every part with 
 holy water. 
 
DEDICATIONS. 
 
 345 
 
 FOR THE CELEBRATION OF DIVINE SERVICE 
 
 the following articles are blessed : 
 
 I. Holy water. 2. Candles. 3. Ashes. 4. Palms. 5. The 
 paschal candle. 6. The holy oils. 7. Incense, 
 
 Holy Water. 
 
 Among the sacramentals of the Church holy water occupies 
 a prominent place, for it is used by the Church herself in nearly 
 all her blessings, and is recommended for use among the laity 
 both in the Church and out of it. Hence she blesses holy water 
 every Sunday. This blessing is very ancient, for St. Jerome 
 makes mention of it. Indeed, it was foreshadowed under the 
 Old Dispensation. Once when the water in and around the city 
 of Jericho had become very unwholesome, some of the citizens 
 came to the prophet Eliseus and asked him for help in their 
 trouble. He answered : '"Bring me a new vessel, and put salt 
 into it.' 
 
 And when 
 
 they had 
 
 brought it, 
 
 he went 
 
 out to the 
 
 spring of 
 
 the waters, 
 
 and cast the 
 
 salt into it, 
 
 and said : 
 
 'Thus saith 
 
 the Lord : 
 
 I have 
 
 healed 
 
 these wa- 
 
 ters, and 
 
 there shall 
 
 be no more in tliem death or barrenness.' 
 
 healed unto this day " (IV. Kings ii. 20-22). 
 
 The chief blessings and effects of holy water when used 
 piously and with faith, as indicated in the prayers of tlie bless- 
 ing, are chiefly the following : 
 
 I. The cleansing of venial sins. Hence the people are sprin- 
 kled with it before Mass, to signify that tliey should appear pure 
 
 HLKssiN(i Water. 
 
 And the waters were 
 
346 THE SACRAMENTALS. 
 
 and holy in the presence of God, and when about to pray to 
 Him. We also sprinkle ourselves and the graves of our friends 
 for the same purpose, namely, the cleansing of venial sins. 
 
 2. Holy water serves to expel evil spirits and diseases of the 
 body. 
 
 Blessed Candles. 
 
 Of this blessing, too, we have indications in the Old Testa- 
 ment. God Himself ordered a golden candlestick with seven 
 lights to be set up in the tabernacle ; and Solomon placed sev- 
 eral, made of the finest gold, in the Temple. How much more, 
 then, it behooves us to honor by the use of lights the presence of 
 Our Lord in the Eucharist, at Mass, and in other solemnities of 
 the Church ! 
 
 Besides all this, blessed candles when burning have a special 
 significance for ourselves. In the first place, they remind us that 
 we ought to acquire the three divine virtues : faith which illumi- 
 nates, hope which warms, and charity which inflames ; for the 
 candle gives light, warmth, and comfort. Furthermore, they 
 suggest to us Christian love of neighbor ; for as the burning 
 taper, while warming us to charity, wastes itself, so too should 
 we enlighten our fellow-men by our good works, and at the same 
 time spend ourselves by our deeds of charity and works of neigh- 
 borly love for others. As the flame of the candle, no matter how 
 we hold it, always burns upward, so too should all our wishes 
 and efforts be directed from the lower to the higher. Our 
 thoughts should be in heaven. Finally, a burning taper reminds 
 us of the uncertainty and fleetness of human life ; for when a 
 candle is lighted it begins to waste, and steadily consumes itself, 
 bearing a lively resemblance to human life : at the moment of 
 our birth we began to die, and our life is gradually wasting away 
 amid the din and struggle of life's battle. 
 
 Candles are blessed mostly on the feast of the Purification 
 of the Blessed Virgin, or Candlemas Day, that we may be re- 
 minded that Christ is the Light for the enlightenment of the 
 Gentiles, and that we should be children of light. 
 
 On that day there is a procession with lighted candles, to 
 place more vividly before our memories the procession of the 
 Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph, together with holy Simeon and 
 devout Anna, to the altar in the Temple, and to honor Mary who 
 gave to us the Light of the world. 
 
 Blessed candles are used at Baptism and at the death-bed. 
 
DEDICATIONS. 347 
 
 At Baptism the priest places a blessed candle in the hand of 
 the person baptized, to signify to him that he has been called 
 from darkness to light ; which Light, Who is Jesus Christ, he 
 should now follow, and become himself a light kindled at the 
 Sun of justice, Jesus Christ, and allow his light to shine in a faith 
 enlivened by good works. 
 
 A lighted candle is placed in the hand of a dying Christian, 
 that Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, may enlighten the de- 
 parting Christian on his journey through the dark night of death, 
 and lead him to the joyous light of everlasting life. 
 
 Candles are also blessed on the festival of St. Blase, bishop 
 and martyr. 
 
 Blessing of the Ashes. 
 
 Ashes represent the outward destruction of the material 
 world, and show the endless decomposition of all bodies when 
 detached from the source of organization and life. They are, 
 therefore, the symbol of earthly decay and death, and remind us 
 forcibly of the disorganization of bodily life ; in other words, of 
 death itself. But death is the wages of sin, and at the same time 
 the symbol of sin's penalties, and as such is calculated to warn 
 us sternly that we should endeavor to regain true life by a return 
 to God over the path of sincere repentance. 
 
 In the Old Testament, too, ashes served the purpose of a sign 
 of penance, grief, humility, and self-denial. Thus, for example, 
 the Ninivites did penance in sack-cloth and ashes. At the preach- 
 ing of the prophet Jonas, the king of Ninive came down from 
 his throne, put on a penitential garment, and covered his head 
 with ashes (Jonas iii. 6). Judith put on a similar garb, covered 
 herself with ashes, threw herself before God, and besought His 
 blessing on her undertaking (Jud. ix. i). When Mardochai 
 heard of the attempt on the lives of all the Jews in Persia, he 
 rent his garments, put on sack-cloth, and strewed ashes on his 
 head. And many used sack-cloth and ashes for their bed (Estli. 
 iv. 1-3). 
 
 The Church blesses ashes and distributes them on the heads 
 of the faitliful on Ash Wednesday. Thus she is pleased, by this 
 reminder of approaching and certain death, to incite us to pen- 
 ance, and to awake witliin us a spirit of humility and self-abase- 
 ment, without which no penance can be real and pleasing to (lod. 
 Hence the priest says, while giving the ashes, " Remember, man, 
 thou art but dust, and into dust tluMi shalt return." 
 
348 
 
 THE SACRAMENTALS. 
 
 The ashes used on Ash Wednesday have been made by burn- 
 ing the palm branches blessed on the Palm Sunday of the fore- 
 going year, and are blessed immediately before the Mass of Ash 
 Wednesday. 
 
 The Blessing of the Palms. 
 
 On Palm Sunday the Church blesses branches of palm, to 
 remind us of the solemn entry of our divine Saviour into Je- 
 rusalem, when the people strewed His way with green boughs. 
 Then, as palm is the emblem of victory, the Church makes use 
 
 of it to di- 
 rect our at- 
 tention to 
 the victory 
 won by 
 Christ over 
 sin, death, 
 ^^^ and hell. 
 She prays, 
 too, that all 
 those who 
 carry this 
 blessedpalm 
 with pious 
 i n te n t i on 
 may be 
 blessed i n 
 body and 
 soul, grow 
 green in the service of God, and bloom with good works, like the 
 branches of a fruitful tree ; and that after we have won the final 
 victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil, we may enter with 
 Christ into the heavenly Jerusalem. Another end for which she 
 prays is that these branches may afford to her children protec- 
 tion against the assaults of the devil, and shelter their homes 
 and fields against storms and unfavorable weather. 
 
 Blessing Palms. 
 
 The Blessing of the Paschal Candle. 
 
 The paschal or Easter candle represents the risen Christ, and 
 also the pillar of fire in the desert. For as in olden time this 
 fiery pillar led the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage, 
 
DEDICATIONS. 349 
 
 SO did Christ, the Risen One, rescue us from the slavery of 
 Satan. 
 
 The paschal candle is blessed on Holy Saturday with solemn 
 and impressive ceremonies. It should be made of bleached wax, 
 in order to symbolize properly the pure and holy body of Christ, 
 which proceeded from the immaculate bosom of the Blessed Vir- 
 gin. To the candle are attached in five separate openings, in the 
 form of a cross, five grains of incense, which have been blessed 
 that same morning. These five openings represent the five 
 wound-marks of Christ which He retained after His resurrection, 
 and which we shall all look upon on the day of judgment, either 
 to our joy or to our sorrow. The incense grains represent the 
 spices and ointments with which Nicodemus and Joseph of Ari- 
 mathea embalmed the body of Jesus. 
 
 As this Easter candle is an emblem of the risen Saviour, it 
 stands burning on the gospel side of the altar all through Eas- 
 tertide. After the gospel at High Mass on Ascension Thursday 
 it is extinguished and carried away, in memory of Christ's de- 
 parture from the earth, when He ascended from Mount Olivet. 
 
 The Blessing of the Holy Oils. 
 
 By the holy oils we mean the three oils blessed by the bishop 
 on Holy Thursday — the chrism, the oil of catechumens, and the 
 oil for the sick. 
 
 The blessing takes place during the pontifical Mass, with 
 many prayers and ceremonies. Tlie bishop is attended by twelve 
 priests, all in white vestments, to represent the twelve apostles 
 who were with Our Saviour on the eve of His passion and death. 
 Then there are seven deacons and seven sub-deacons in 'white 
 dalmatics and tunics, some of whom carry the holy oils. , 
 
 Incense. 
 
 The Church blesses incense, and makes use of it, because it is 
 a sign of adoration and of prayer, which should ascend to God in 
 heaven like a sweet odor. 
 
 Incense is a sign of adoration ; henc^e even the pagans burnt 
 it in honor of their false gods. God Himself, in the Old Law, 
 ordered incense to be used in the public service, and in the Tem- 
 ple at Jerusalem there was an altar known as the altar of in- 
 cense. 
 
 It is also a sign of prayer. Hence David prayed : " Let my 
 prayer be directed as incense in Thy sigiit " (Ps. cxI. 2). 
 
350 THE SACRAMENTALS. 
 
 DEDICATION OF PERSONS. 
 
 In treating the Sacrament of Holy Orders we have seen how 
 solemnly the Church blesses those who dedicate themselves to 
 her divine service. We will allude to only three kinds of dedi- 
 cation — I. The inauguration of the Pope ; 2. The consecration 
 of abbots and abbesses, and the blessing of the different mem- 
 bers of the Church Orders of both sexes ; 3. The coronation 
 of kings and emperors. 
 
 For a new Pope there is a special ceremony of inauguration, 
 intended to sanctify and bless his important station, and to 
 obtain for him special graces, enabling him to exercise his sub- 
 lime office and duties in governing and guiding God's kingdom 
 on earth. 
 
 The dedication, or, what is the same, the inauguration and 
 coronation of the Pope, is done as follows : The newly elected 
 pontiff is borne in solemn procession to the place called the Con- 
 fession of St. Peter, where in early days thousands of Christians 
 were martyred, and where at the present day repose the relics of 
 the twin apostles St. Peter and St. Paul. Here several prayers 
 are pronounced by bishops over the newly-elected Pope, implor- 
 ing for him the fulness of heavenly benediction and strength. 
 The pallium is placed upon his shoulders, with the words : " Re- 
 ceive the pallium, the plenitude of the papal office, to the honor 
 of the Almighty God, of the ever-blessed Virgin Mary, of the 
 holy apostles Peter and Paul, and of the holy Roman Church." 
 During the solemn Mass celebrated by the new Pope the epistle 
 and gospel are chanted in the Latin and Greek languages, to sig- 
 nify that the Pope is the chief pastor of all Christendom. At the 
 coronation he is crowned with the triple crown called the tiara, 
 with the words : " Receive the tiara adorned with three crowns, 
 and know that thou art the father of princes and kings, the ruler 
 of the universe, and the vicar of Jesus Christ our Saviour." 
 
 To abbots and abbesses also, as well as to members of re- 
 ligious Orders of both sexes, the Church imparts a special bene- 
 diction, inasmuch as their calling and office are in close union 
 with the service of God. 
 
 The blessing or consecration of abbots is merely a solemn 
 induction into office, by virtue of which they in no way cease 
 to belong to the order of priests. Their using a crosier, ring, and 
 mitre is but an honorary privilege, granted because of their per- 
 sonal merits or because of the good done by their community. 
 
DEDICATIONS. 35 1 
 
 Abbesses receive their own peculiar blessing, and in some con- 
 vents they carry crosiers as a sign of honorable distinction. 
 
 Lastly, kings and emperors are solemnly inducted by the 
 Church into their office and its duties ; for, as rulers of the people, 
 they exercise a power the right use of which should bring bless- 
 ings on the Church of God. 
 
 Even among God's chosen people, the Jews of the Old Law, 
 it was the custom to anoint the kings. The same practice pre- 
 vailed in the Catholic Church, when the royal family were 
 Catholics. The first Christian emperor thus anointed was Theo- 
 dosius the Younger, who was blessed by the Patriarch Proclus. 
 The emperor had the crown placed on his head, amid many 
 anointings, by the patriarch. The assembled people wished him 
 a long life. He then ascended his throne, blessed himself with 
 the sign of the cross, and addressed the assembled multitude. 
 
 Objects iJsed and Blessed by the Chufeh. 
 
 The Church blesses many articles for the use of her children. 
 This she does, first, after the example of Christ, Who blessed 
 the loaves and fishes. " Taking the five loaves and two fishes, 
 He looked up to heaven, and blessed them " (Luke ix. i6). 
 Secondly, because she wishes to call down blessings on the faith- 
 ful, in order that, " to them that love God, all things work to- 
 gether unto good" (Rom. viii. 28), and that thus God's blessing 
 may descend on all, as the curse brought by Adam's sin was 
 spread over all creatures (Gen. iii. 17, and Rom. viii. 20-28). 
 
 The principal articles blessed by the Church for our pious 
 usage are : 
 
 1. Bread, which is blessed at Easter, on the festivals of St. 
 Blase, St. Agatha, and St. Gebhard. In the blessing of bread, 
 the Church refers to Christ's blessing of the five loaves in the 
 desert, as well as to Himself personally, Who is really " the living 
 bread " and " the bread of angels." Tliis practice prevailed as 
 early as the fourth century. 
 
 2. She blesses wine on the festival of St. Jolin the Evangelist, 
 in commemoration of the miracle which that saint wrought, 
 when, by the sign of the cross, lie shattered tlie cup offered to 
 him containing poison. It is the wish of the Church that wlien 
 we drink the St. John's wine we should also imbibe St. John's 
 charity and love for God. 
 
 3. Slie blesses new fruits and other eatables. 
 
352 
 
 THE SACRAMENTALS. 
 
 Here the Church beseeches God to grant health of body and 
 soul to all those who in His name partake of these blessings. 
 
 4. The blessing of vegetables on Lady Day in harvest. On 
 this day the Blessed Virgin celebrates her reunion with her be- 
 loved Son. This bridal festival of Mary the Church glorifies on 
 earth by the blessing of fragrant herbs and green things, and 
 thus commemorates the tender and beautiful symbols by which 
 the heavenly bride is so often represented in Holy Scripture, such 
 as the lily-of-the-valley, the flower of the field, and others. In 
 this blessing the Church prays that her children may be spared 
 all evils of soul and body. 
 
 5. The " Agnus Dei," which consists of wax bearing the impress 
 
 of the Lamb 
 
 such is the En- 
 glish meaning 
 of the word 
 ''Agnus Dei." 
 These are held 
 in high e s- 
 teem, because 
 they have 
 been blessed 
 by the Pope 
 on Easter 
 Tuesday, once 
 only in every 
 seven years. 
 The sight of 
 the image 
 
 should remind the person wearing it of the innocence, meekness, 
 and patience by which we should be distinguished as followers 
 of the Lamb, Who is Christ Our Saviour. 
 
 In early times these images were handed to the faithful dur- 
 ing High Mass, to be kissed. For formerly the kiss of peace was 
 passed, just before Communion, to all present at the High Mass. 
 Later on the kiss of peace was not passed beyond the clergy, and 
 in its place the Agnus Dei was handed around. 
 
 6. Finally, the Church blesses also crosses, sc-apulars, rosaries, 
 pictures, and medals, to the end that by the pious use of them 
 we may be frequently reminded of Christ, His* blessed Mother, 
 and all the saints, 
 
 Blessing Bread. 
 
EXORCISMS. 353 
 
 The following is the prayer the Church pronounces when 
 blessing a cross : " May this image of the cross be sanctified in 
 the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, 
 that those who, for the sake of the Lord, kneel and pray before it 
 may obtain health of body and soul. Through Christ Our Lord. 
 Amen." 
 
 lE^orcisms* 
 
 An exorcism is the exercise of the power left by Christ to His 
 Church to drive out evil spirits and to break their influence over 
 men. 
 
 It is certain that the devil has power over men. True, Christ 
 destroyed his dominion, so that he cannot any longer be a hin- 
 drance to their happiness. Yet He permits the devil to tempt men, 
 as He Himself was tempted by him, in order to try men and to 
 give them an opportunity to imitate His example, and to drive 
 him away as Christ drove him away from Himself m the desert. 
 But then God permits the evil spirit to afflict man in his body, 
 either to punish him for his sins, or to try him. This we learn 
 from the history of Job and of the possessed man in the gospel. 
 Our Saviour says, " I saw Satan falling from heaven." By this Our 
 Saviour wished to say that Satan indeed had been hurled by the 
 power of the Blessed Trinity from heaven into hell, yet not that 
 he was totally deprived of his power: else He would not have 
 given to His disciples the power to drive out devils. We read 
 that St. Paul actually did expel evil spirits (Acts xix. 12), and he 
 himself says : " Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood : but 
 against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world 
 of this darkness" (Eph. v. 12). St. James the apostle says: 
 ** Resist the devil, and he will fly from you " (James iv. 7). St. 
 Peter writes : " Be sober and watch : because your adversary the 
 devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about, seeking whom he may 
 devour : whom resist ye, strong in faith " (I. Pet. v. 9). 
 
 In these struggles the Church comes to our assistance, and 
 in her exorcisms supplies us with a weapon against the devil. A 
 Cliristian may command tlie devil, in the name of Jesus Christ, to 
 desist from evil. He need but sign himself with the sign of tlie 
 cross and si)rinklc lioly water. 
 
354 THE SACRAMENTALS, 
 
 By these blessings of the Church are meant the various 
 prayers of blessing and protection which she pronounces over 
 persons or things. 
 
 These she usually pronounces over the following persons : 
 
 1. Bride and bridegroom, especially at the nuptial Mass. 
 
 2. Women who seek to be churched. This ceremony is not of 
 obligation. But it is a pious and useful practice for a mother 
 to imitate the Mother of God by going to the church to offer up 
 her child, bringing a small offering, and asking the blessing of 
 the priest. 
 
 3. In some places it is the custom on the 3d of February, the 
 festival of St. Blase, to obtain a blessing under his invocation. 
 The priest invokes the saint that God would preserve the person 
 blessed from all throat troubles, in memory of the miracle by 
 which this holy Bishop of Sebaste rescued from death the only 
 son of a widow. 
 
 4. There are the blessings of priests, and especially of bishops, 
 imparted to persons. The priest's blessing is twofold : during 
 Mass and outside of Mass. The blessing of the priest towards 
 the end of Mass is the summing up of all that has been granted 
 during the sacrifice just closed. Outside of Mass, blessing or 
 benediction is given with the Blessed Sacrament, with a piece of 
 the true cross, with a crucifix, or even with the hand, according 
 to the occasion. It is also the custom to ask the blessing of a 
 priest and bishop outside the church. Newly ordained priests 
 when imparting their blessing lay both hands open on the head 
 of each person blessed. 
 
 A very special blessing is the one given by a priest at the 
 moment of death. It has ever been considered a great happiness 
 to have a priest present at that solemn time, even after all the 
 sacraments have been administered. Hence St, Ephrem says : 
 "Honor the priests, that at your last breath you may receive 
 their blessing. Whosoever dishonors the priests will not be 
 worthy to receive their blessing on his death-bed." 
 
 Another blessing is that given, by permission of the Pope, to 
 the dying who have received the last sacraments, and which 
 confers a plenary indulgence. 
 
 The Church also blesses a variety of objects, in order to com- 
 municate to them a spiritual strength and efficacy. That such 
 
VARIOUS CHURCH PRACTICES. 355 
 
 efficacy proceeds from the blessing of the Church, we learn from 
 the words of St. Paul : *' Every creature of God is sanctified by 
 the word of God and prayer" (I. Tim. iv. 4, 5). 
 
 Indeed all created things were good, having come from the 
 hand of God ; but when man, for whom God had made all things, 
 fell by sinning, the curse of God fell upon the earth. Hence it 
 is becoming to bless fields and hom.es and the food of men. The 
 Church does this in public ceremony sometimes. 
 
 The use of such blessings is very ancient. St. Basil, among 
 others, assures us that they are based on apostolic usages. St. 
 Chrysostom says the same thing. 
 
 Darious Cburcb ipracttces. 
 
 By solemn Church usages we understand those general prac- 
 tices of devotion permitted and sanctioned by our holy Church 
 for the purpose of edifying and sanctifying her children. They 
 are chiefly the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the various 
 devotions to Mary and the saints, and more especially proces- 
 sions, pilgrimages, confraternities, and missions. 
 
 ppocessions. 
 
 By processions we mean the solemn marclies of the faithful 
 accompanied with prayer and chant : i. In order to praise God, 
 to thank Him, to implore His protection and blessing on city 
 and country, and to avert His chastisements ; 2. To celebrate 
 the victory and triumph of Christianity ; 3. To remind ourselves 
 that we are but mere passing pilgrims here on earth, and should 
 constantly walk before God. 
 
 The practice of religious processions is very ancient, mention 
 being made of them in the Old Testament. Thus Josue, with his 
 people, marched seven times around Jericho, whose walls fell 
 down at the end of the last circuit. David accompanied the Ark 
 and brought it home in procession. The triumphal entrance of 
 Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday was also a kind of solemn 
 religious procession. The custom passed from the Old Law to 
 the New Dispensation, Of course in the first ages of the Church 
 the Christians could not think of holding public processions, for 
 the persecution was too violent ; but as soon as pagan opposi- 
 tion ceased, processions were revived. 
 
 Tertuliian, who lived about two hundred years after the birth 
 of Christ, speaks of them as a practice in use. St. Chrysostom 
 
356 THE SACRAMENTALS. 
 
 likewise speaks of prayer-marches that were held in his time to 
 implore God for the cessation of excessive and unseasonable 
 rains. 
 
 The processions held on the three Rogation Days, just before 
 Ascension Thursday, are also of very ancient origin. When St. 
 Mammertus became Bishop of Vienne in France, the practice of 
 religious processions was old enough to have become partially 
 neglected. But when, in the year 469, the city was visited by 
 earthquakes, famine, conflagrations, and other calamities, this 
 holy bishop gave orders that the three days preceding the Ascen- 
 sion of Our Lord should be observed as days of prayer and 
 penance, so that by those means, as well as by religious proces- 
 sions, God's anger might be averted and His mercy propitiated. 
 The custom was soon taken up by the other bishops of France, 
 and in a council held at Orleans, about the year 511, the uni- 
 versal observance of these rogations was commanded. Soon the 
 practice spread over all Christendom. 
 
 The procession on St. Mark's Day was established in the year 
 590, by Pope Gregory the Great, whilst a pestilence was raging 
 in the city of Rome and over all Italy. The air then was so 
 poisonous that if a person only gaped or sneezed he fell down 
 dead. Hence arose the custom of saying, " God bless us," after 
 sneezing, and of making the sign of the cross when yawning. 
 For the cessation of this plague, Pope Gregory ordered a solemn 
 religious procession, as we learn from a sermon which he 
 preached on the occasion, and which is still extant. 
 
 Extraordinary and special processions were practised from 
 remote times, on occasion of unusual events, in special dangers 
 to health and life, for daily bread, and in great afflictions. 
 Nearly always the purpose sought for was granted by Heaven. 
 
 Pilgpimages. 
 
 God, being a pure Spirit, is to be worshipped in spirit and in 
 truth (John iv. 24). This is the only condition on which prayer 
 can become pleasing to God. When we pray we must offer up 
 our minds in sacrifice to God. Our prayer must be internal, 
 not a mere lip-service, and our demeanor should not be a con- 
 tradiction to such prayer. Prayer should be the purest expres- 
 sion of the voice of our soul. Yet, in the above admonition or 
 instruction, not a word is said about a place for prayer ; neither 
 appointing any nor forbidding any, nor preferring one place to 
 another. It is merely implied that we can pray in any and 
 
VARIOUS CHURCH PRACTICES. 357 
 
 every place. Yet it is easier for us to be more devout in one 
 place than another, and God may be pleased to dispense graces 
 more abundantly in one place than in another. 
 
 There is no doubt but that places in which extraordinary 
 things have been done, and where even yet, to some extent, there 
 remain visible signs of the magnanimity of God, make a deep 
 impression on the human mind. In such places we realize more 
 vividly the ways of Providence, and recall at one glance the 
 whole long line of God's mercies and benefits conferred there. 
 
 This is the reason why the first Christians cherished in their 
 hearts such ardent longings to visit the Holy Land. Even when 
 the apostles John and James were yet in Jerusalem, many per- 
 sons came to visit the places where the Son of God had passed 
 His holy life and where He had suffered in His atoning Passion. 
 As there were then living many eye-witnesses of the events, a 
 tradition was firmly established and handed down which pre- 
 served for later generations a certainty concerning every spot 
 consecrated by the Saviour's presence. 
 
 It is plain, too, that none but Christians attached any value 
 to such memories, and they certainly would not deceive nor be 
 deceived in so sacred a matter. Hence we ought not to wonder 
 that so much positive certainty has been transmitted to us con- 
 cerning the holy places connected with the Redeemer's life and 
 presence. 
 
 As, in the time of persecution, thousands of martyrs bled and 
 died, and after their death their graves were glorified by miracles, 
 the surviving Christians began to pray at their graves, and God 
 was pleased to reward such prayers by remarkable concessions 
 of His favors. Hence these graves became places of pilgrimage, 
 the one most in favor, after the Holy Land, being the city of 
 Rome, where the apostles Sts. Peter and Paul and countless other 
 martyrs of Christ were entombed. 
 
 Thus did St. Lucy and her mother Eutychia visit the grave 
 of St. Agatha, where Eutychia. was miraculously cured. Who had 
 a more perfect knowledge of the right and the true than St. John 
 Chrysostom ? Yet he always had an ardent desire to visit and 
 venerate the chains of St. Peter. St. Augustine resolved to 
 make a pilgrimage to the bones of St. Jerome at Bethloliem. In 
 Rome itself it early became the custom for the people to go in 
 solemn procession to St. Peter's, on the Vatican Hill, and St. 
 Paul's, on the Ostian Road. Alternately religious sorvi(X^s were 
 held at tlu^ different tombs of the saints, as we may see to-day in 
 
3S8 
 
 THE SACRAMEXTALS. 
 
 the Mass-books the designations : Station at St. Mary Major, 
 at St. Mary's beyond the Tiber, St. Peter's, St. Paul's, the Holy 
 Cross, and others. Xo one ever thought such pious practices 
 superstitious. 
 
 But God's love and mercv are not confined to a few localities. 
 
 Decorating ax Altar of the Blessed Virgix. 
 
 In heathen lands the missionaries of Christ wrought many prodi- 
 gies, and many saints were honored with the gift of miracles. 
 In many places most wonderful events occurred, by which the 
 confidence of fervent prayer was rewarded. In such places the 
 
VARIOUS CHURCH PRACTICES. 35Q 
 
 faithful erected churches or oratories, for which the pious senti- 
 ments of the faithful experienced a special attraction. Thus 
 arose what are called shrines of grace, that is to say, places in 
 which the faithful hoped to obtain graces and the object of their 
 prayers through the intercession of some saint, more especially 
 the Blessed Virgin, basing such expectations on the fact that 
 such graces and favors had been already obtained at those shrines. 
 
 No one can deny that it is quite consistent with the wisdom 
 of God to manifest His power and goodness more plainly in one 
 place than in another, and to favor one special place more than 
 another, if it were for no other purpose than to impress the 
 faithful with the extent of His love and goodness. He Who 
 ordered Naaman, the Syrian general, to wash in the Jordan in 
 order to be cured of his leprosy. Who vouchsafed an answer to 
 the high priest when praying before the Ark, Who imparted heal- 
 ing qualities to the waters of Bethesda, Who selected the site for 
 the building of the Temple, and Who, in the New Law, estab- 
 lished visible signs and forms for the sacraments, can certainly, if 
 He choose, perform more miracles in one place than in another. 
 If we were inclined to disbelieve that God has so acted, the fact 
 itself is proved by the unshaken belief of thousands who for cen- 
 turies have ever cherished faith in these holy places. 
 
 Hence there can be no valid objection raised against the 
 time-honored practice of making religious pilgrimages. It is the 
 abuse of them that is to be deplored. Pilgrimages, though not 
 necessary, are useful, and have the approval of the Church. 
 Through their means thousands have been benefited in soul and 
 body. Countless numbers of hardened sinners have been moved 
 to repentance by a simple prayer pronounced at some favored 
 shrine, and, led by the grace of God, have sought for renewal of 
 spiritual life at the knees of some devoted confessor. But re- 
 course to this particular devotion must be had in the best Chris- 
 tian spirit. The following rules should be observed : 
 
 1. When one is about to perform a pilgrimage he must be 
 sure that he will neglect no duty ; for the slightest duty takes 
 precedence of every pilgrimage, since the compliance with a 
 duty is necessary for the soul's salvation. A pilgrimage, on the 
 other hand, is purely voluntary. Let each one ask liimself, then, 
 whether during his absence on a pilgrimage any home duty is to 
 be neglected. 
 
 2. The pilgrimage should be made in good company. It 
 makes great difference by whom we are surrounded at a time 
 
360 THE SACRAMENTALS. 
 
 when we need to be devoutly impressed. We should edify each 
 other on the journey. When the company consists of persons 
 who are influenced by unworthy motives, such as escape from 
 work, curiosity, and so forth, there will be much idle conversa- 
 tion, much distraction, and perhaps dissipation. Recollection of 
 spirit and true devotion will be lost. The journey to the shrine 
 should be a preparation, and the pilgrims should be animated 
 with an ardent desire to be properly disposed for the reception 
 of the graces expected. 
 
 3. A pilgrimage should be a penitential journey, and there- 
 fore should be made on foot, as far as circumstances permit, and 
 amid some privation and fatigue. It is thus that the pilgrim 
 manifests a spirit of sacrifice in atonement for his sins, and 
 obtains the favor of God. 
 
 4. While tarrying at the place of pilgrimage the time should 
 be wisely and judiciously utilized. The pilgrim should freely 
 open his heart for the admission of the graces of the pilgrimage. 
 He should avoid as much as possible the noise and confusion of 
 the crowd, and maintain a spirit of recollection. He should 
 study the state of his soul, examine his conscience, and, if possi- 
 ble, approach the sacraments of Penance and Eucharist. 
 
 5. The homeward journey should be a continuation of the 
 pilgrimage, and be so made as not to risk the loss of the benefits 
 received. 
 
 6. After returning home the pilgrim should carry out his 
 good resolutions, and by his amended life show that he has re- 
 ceived new faith, hope, and charity, and become another man. 
 
 Thomas a Kempis says : '' Those who go much abroad seldom 
 become saints." He alludes to those persons who go on pilgrim- 
 ages as a mere matter of custom, and without the proper motives, 
 and who consequently derive very little benefit. While such 
 pilgrimages are better omitted, a pilgrimage undertaken in the 
 spirit of the Church bears in itself the fruitful seed of abundant 
 fruit. 
 
 Confraternities and missions. 
 
 By confraternities are understood those associations, usually 
 approved by the Pope, the members of which pray for one another, 
 and encourage one another to the frequent reception of the sacra- 
 ments and the performance of other good works. The utility of 
 such confraternities is evident from their very nature. Moreover, 
 most of them have been enriched with many indulgences. 
 
DEDICATIONS. 
 
 361 
 
 By a mission is understood a special renewal of spiritual life 
 in a congregation or parish, by means of sermons, instructions, 
 and other acts of devotion. The object is amendment and sanc- 
 tification of life among the individual Christians. 
 
 In fact, missions are as old as the preaching of the Gospel 
 itself. For the form in which they are now held we are indebted 
 chiefly to the Jesuits, who follow the rules and regulations laid 
 down for such spiritual exercises by St. Ignatius himself. Many 
 other religious orders devote themselves to the giving of missions. 
 
 We know of few means that are better adapted for the sanc- 
 tification of the people than the holding of missions. Experience 
 has proved that not only individuals but whole congregations 
 have been converted from the ways of sin to the love and service 
 of God. Of course whatever advantage we derive from a mis- 
 sion must be attained through our own cooperation with the 
 graces always sent by God in such blessed times. 
 
 l^HFIiHCTIOfl. 
 
 H)eblcattonB» 
 
 The Dedication at Hinsiedeln. 
 
 HE following is the origin of the festival of 
 Dedication at this renowned place of pilgrimage 
 in Switzerland : In the year 936, whilst Eber- 
 hard I. was abbot at Einsiedeln, the monastery 
 was rebuilt and made ready for dedication. 
 The ceremony, which was to be performed by 
 <^|^ the Bishop of Constance, was appointed for a day in 
 September in the year 948. An immense concourse 
 of prelates, priests, and people had assembled from far 
 and near. Towards midnight, on the eve of the ceremony, the 
 bishop, accompanied by some monks, repaired to the new church 
 to say some prayers. As he approached he heard delightful 
 strains of sacred melody resounding through the building. On 
 entering he was astonished to perceive that a choir of angels 
 were chanting the psalms proper for a dedication. In the 
 miraculous chapel he saw Jesus clothed in violet vestments, 
 standing at the altar and celebrating Mass, assisted by Sts. Peter, 
 Gregory, Augustine, Stephen, and Lawrence. To one side kiu^It 
 the Blessed Virgin, absorbed in silent prayer and adoration. St. 
 
362 
 
 THE SACRAMEXTALS. 
 
 Michael conducted the choir. St. Stephen was subdeacon, and 
 St. Lawrence was deacon. The Sanctus was chanted as follows : 
 " Holy God, in the dwelling-place of the glorious Blessed Virgin, 
 have mercy on us. Glory, honor, and praise to Mary's Son, Who 
 has come to reign for all eternity." The Agnus Dei was sung thus : 
 " Lamb of God, have mercy on the living who believe in Thee : 
 have mercy on us. Lamb of God, have mercy on the faithful 
 
 departed, who believed 
 and hoped in Thee : 
 have mercy on us. 
 Lamb of God, give 
 peace to the living and 
 the dead." To the 
 " Dominus Vobiscum " 
 tlie angels responded : 
 " Who sittest above the 
 cherubim and lookest 
 down into the depths " 
 Meanwhile day- 
 break came. It was 
 the morning of the 14th 
 of September, the feast 
 of the Exaltation of the 
 Cross. Thepeoplefilled 
 the church in every 
 part, and everything 
 was ready for the cere- 
 mony of the dedication. 
 The bishop continued 
 to pray, and showed no 
 signs of beginning. At 
 last some one reminded 
 him that it was alm.ost 
 noontime, and begged him to go on with the ceremony. He 
 hesitated, saying that he awaited some sign, and communicated 
 to some few friends the vision of the previous night. These 
 considered the thing a mere vision, or perhaps a heavenly ecstasy 
 on the part of the holy bishop, and urged him to begin. But 
 hardly had the bishop begun to vest when a voice was heard : 
 " Desist, desist, brother ; the chapel has been dedicated." These 
 words were repeated three times, filling all present with awe and 
 
 Dedication of the Chapel at Etnstedeln. 
 
DEDICATIONS. 363 
 
 wonder. All then admitted that the bishop was right in fearing 
 to begin the ceremonies. 
 
 Such is the origin of the grand yearly festival at Einsiedeln, 
 known as the "Angels' Dedication." Every returning pilgrim 
 told in his home of the miraculous dedication, and the subse- 
 quent miraculous cures wrought at the shrine seemed to set the 
 seal of truth on the story. 
 
 Bells in Joy and Sof fooa. 
 
 When the bells ring in the lofty tower our very hearts are 
 deeply moved. There is something in the sound of a bell that 
 seems to resound in our very being, rejoicing in our joys and 
 sorrowing in our sorrows. Hardly has man entered the world 
 when he is transformed by Baptism into a child of God, and 
 the bell in the tower peals forth as if it would proclaim the 
 birth of an heir for heaven's kingdom. The child grows up amid 
 the sounds of his parish bells, which, like the guardian angels of 
 his home and parish, call him to prayer and other good works ; 
 and when, grown to man's estate, he leaves his native town, the 
 last voices he hears are those of his village bells. When he re- 
 turns they are the first to greet him and bid him welcome as he 
 rushes into the embrace of father and mother, and tells them 
 that he has been true and faithful to their early teachings. 
 Again, when the young married couple are about to found a new 
 Christian home, the joyous wedding-bells seem to sprinkle, in 
 their sweet sounds, blessings on the undertaking. And if toil 
 and struggle be the lot of the Christian family, if the head of 
 the house have to support his children by the sweat of his brow, 
 the Angelus bell three times a day reminds him that his labor 
 may be made available unto the salvation of his immortal soul, 
 and thus consoles him in his frugal life of toil ; and when his 
 day's work is over and the setting sun casts a parting glance on 
 the fruit of his toil, the Christian man kneels down at the sound 
 of the vesper-bell to return thanks to Him Who gave him health 
 and strength to complete his honest task. And when at last 
 life's struggle is over, again the bell announces the coming of the 
 priest bearing the God of hosts and words of pardon and bene- 
 diction. Then do the bells seem to unite their voices to that of 
 the departing Christian, saying, " Now, O Lord, Thou dost dis- 
 miss Thy servant in peace, for my eyes have seen Thy salvation." 
 
 Bells are not always rung by good angels, however; evil spirits, 
 too, ring them, when distress, misery, and trouble overwhelm 
 
Joy Bells. 
 364. 
 
KUNKUKAI, HkI.LS. 
 365 
 
366 THE SACRAMENTALS. 
 
 whole nations or families, or even a single man. When the fury 
 of civil war unbinds all human passions, rendering children 
 orphans and the country a desert ; or when fire. consumes whole 
 cities, leaving nothing but ruins ; or when the still more dread- 
 ful waters rise above their banks, devastating whole countries — 
 then it is the bell that calls from its height, not as a comfort and 
 joy, but with a sound that pierces bones and marrow. And when 
 the destroying angel of death, the plague, rages through the 
 country like a wild, invisible rider, whose breath kills everything 
 that lives — then again it is the bell which does not deny the 
 dead the last service of love. And again, it tolls so sadly, so 
 plaintively, when it admonishes a poor sinner on his last way to 
 the scaffold to repent, when it announces to him the approaching 
 judgment and the just but merciful judge, God. 
 
 Thus the bell enters into the joys and sorrows of human life. 
 Hardly an important moment is there in which the bell does not 
 partake, be it of joy or of pain. But the bell brings consolation, 
 too. When you stood at the newly-made grave of your father or 
 sister or friend, crying as if your heart would break, was it not the 
 sound of the bell that comforted and roused you ? And why ? Be- 
 cause it reminded you that there is a resurrection and a reunion 
 in heaven. It came to you like an angel's voice across the dark 
 grave, and you thanked God that He gave you an immortal soul, 
 that lives beyond the grave and is to dwell together with all the 
 blessed ones in heaven, and with God the Father, the Son, and 
 the Holy Ghost. 
 
 ^oly Watep. 
 
 FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 On this subject Pope Alexander I. thus wrote : "We bless 
 water mingled with salt for the people, that all of them who shall 
 be sprinkled with it may be cleansed and sanctified ; and we 
 direct all priests to do this. For as, of old, the ashes of the 
 sacrificed victims, sprinkled with blood, purified and sanctified 
 the people, how much more will they be sanctified by water min- 
 gled with salt and blessed with prayer ! And if the unfruitful- 
 ness of the water was so healed by prayer when the prophet 
 Eliseus sprinkled salt over it, how much more likely is this water 
 sanctified by prayer to remove the unfruitfulness of earthly 
 things, to sanctify the unholy, to increase all good things, to 
 turn away the assaults of the devil, and to protect men against 
 
DEDICATIONS, 367 
 
 treacherous deceits. For if we believe that the sick were healed 
 by the mere touching of the Saviour's garment, how much more 
 will the elements be sanctified by God through the power of His 
 sacred words, whereby feeble man seeks health of body and soul ! 
 Now, since we have received these and other ancient teachings 
 and practices, pay attention, ye priests of the Lord, to the wishes 
 of each one, and be careful, by the power of the Holy Spirit and 
 prayer, to fulfil, by virtue of your office, all these wishes. Bless 
 the elements — those of which I have just spoken as well as others 
 that are used in God's service and are necessary to human weak- 
 ness." 
 
 MIRACLES BY HOLY WATER. 
 
 We might give countless examples in which the power of 
 holy water is made plainly visible, but we shall confine ourselves 
 to a few related by approved writers. 
 
 The holy Bishop Marcellus threw down an idolatrous temple 
 by sprinkling on it a few drops of holy water. Sts. Chrysostom, 
 Fortunatus, Theodore, Luthbert, Hegesippus, Anno, Anselm, 
 Bernard, Malachy, Columba, and Edmond healed many afflicted 
 persons from evils both of soul and body. The holy Archbishop 
 Lawrence healed instantly, by holy water, a formidable wound 
 inflicted on him by a crazy man. The holy Deacon Eugene 
 raised a dead person to life by holy water. The holy Pope 
 Stephen VI. and St. Aphraates, by sprinkling holy water over the 
 fields, drove off swarms of locusts that w^ere destroying the crops. 
 
 The water flowing from the rock at the touch of Moses' rod, 
 and so grateful to the Israelites, could not equal the holy water 
 of the New Law in blessings for Christians. 
 
 filessed Oil — Blessed Biiead — Blessed Salt. 
 
 ORIGIN. 
 
 The practice of blessing each of these three articles dates back 
 to apostolic times. 
 
 The blessed bread, anciently called culogia, consisted of such 
 offerings at Mass as were not used for the consecration or Com- 
 munion. It was blessed by the priests and distributed among 
 the faithful, who carried it to their homes. When in tlie act of 
 receiving it, they kissed the priest's hand ; for they believed that 
 blessings must flow from the hand tiiat touclies tlie body of the 
 Lord. Hence arose the practice of kissing a priest's liand. 
 
368 
 
 THE SACRAMENTALS. 
 
 Both priests and people used to exchange this blessed bread 
 with one another, as a sign of Catholic unity and charity. Many 
 families used to have their ordinary bread blessed by the priests. 
 
 _nSTACH-£ LORSAY fl. BDMAAIELLI J't. J.&UILLAUMC 5. 
 
 Moses brixging Water from the Rock. 
 
 Salt was blessed in order to be kept as well as to be used in 
 the ceremony of blessing holy water. St. Chrysostom tells us 
 that there prevailed among the faithful a firm belief that salt 
 
DEDICATIONS. 369 
 
 blessed on Epiphany or Trinity Sunday would retain its strength 
 and savor undiminished for a full year. Blessed salt used to be 
 given at Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost to such penitents 
 and catechumens as could not receive Communion. To this day 
 it is placed on the tongue of persons being baptized. 
 
 The practice of blessing oil is equally ancient. There is no 
 doubt but that it was used by the apostles. St. Jerome, in writing 
 about St. Hilarion, tells us that, from city and country, crowds of 
 the faithful came to him to have him bless their bread and oil. 
 
 MIRACULOUS EFFECTS. 
 
 St. Germanus restored to health a whole village by giving 
 them blessed bread to eat. By the same means he restored a 
 woman who was already in her agony. St. Arnulf cured an in- 
 sane person ; St. Eutychius restored speech to a dumb person ; 
 St. Maxentius restored sight to a blind man — all by the same 
 means. The bread that St. Bernard blessed would last, fresh and 
 eatable, from seven to eleven years, and effected many cures. 
 In time of a cattle plague he would administer blessed salt to 
 the infected cattle and save them from perishing. St. Mona- 
 gunda gave blessed salt to some people, who were cured by its 
 use long after the saint had died. The holy abbot St. Columban 
 blessed some rock-salt and by applying it restored eyesight to 
 several persons, though it is well known that salt is naturally 
 detrimental to the eyes. The holy Genevieve healed with blessed 
 salt a child which from birth had been deaf, hunchbacked, and 
 blind. The holy Bishop Parthemnis blessed some salt and had 
 it cast over a vineyard which for lack of rain had withered : in 
 the harvest-time a very large crop of grapes was gathered. A 
 simple Christian of the name of Proculus healed Emperor Severus 
 with blessed oil. As a remedy for the bites of scorpions, the 
 plague of the Orient, the first Christians employed nothing but 
 blessed oil and the sign of the cross. The Queen of Persia came 
 with her courtiers to Simeon Stylites and asked him for some 
 blessed oil. St. Augustine narrates the following: ^' I know a 
 virgin in Hippo who was delivered from the devil by an anoint- 
 ment with holy oil." The monk Benjamin could heal every dis- 
 ease with oil over which he had prayed. Innumerable instances 
 more could be given. 
 
370 THE SACRAMENTALS, 
 
 JEjorclsms* 
 
 FROn THE FATHERS. 
 
 "The so-called demons or evil spirits seek nothing more than 
 to decoy men from God, the Creator of all things, and from Christ, 
 His only begotten Son. Such persons as are not capable of lift- 
 ing themselves above the earth are held fast to earthly things, 
 and to things made by the hands of men, by these evil spirits. 
 Such as are competent of rising to the contemplation of heavenly 
 things, if they are not strong in mind, and if they do not live 
 pure and free from passion, these the evil spirits will seek to make 
 godless" (St. Justin Martyr). " Many Christians in the whole 
 world, as well as in your city, were relieved from evil spirits by 
 exorcisms in the name of Jesus Christ Who was crucified under 
 Pontius Pilate, though they had failed to find relief from other 
 helpers, potions, and diabolical conjurations. They are cured by 
 having the devils that possess them driven out and rendered 
 powerless " (The Same). " The demons which assail men de- 
 stroy their ill-disposed souls by many false pretences, in order 
 that they may not be able to regain their way to heaven. Some- 
 times, too, by the tempest of their malice, they agitate our bodies, 
 but by the power of the word of God they are weakened, and 
 the afflicted person is restored to health " (Tatian). " It is 
 known to most of you that the demons confess themselves when- 
 ever, by the power of the w^ord and the fervor of prayer, they 
 are driven out of their victims' bodies. As soon as they are 
 conjured in the name of the one living God, they tremble involun- 
 tarily, and in the consciousness of suffering they either spring 
 forth from the bodies at once or they vanish gradually, accord- 
 ing as the faith of the victim or the grace of the exorcist has 
 power and effect " (Minucius Felix). " Many Christians drive 
 devils out of possessed persons by ordinary prayers and sim- 
 ple means, just as any simple person can " (Origen). *' Will the 
 Christian hold vigils before the temples of the idols that he has 
 renounced, or participate in eating where it was so displeasing 
 to the Apostle ? And will he take under his protection at 
 night those whom he has exorcised during the day?" (Tertul- 
 lian.) 
 
EXORCISMS. 371 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 
 A Devil Asserts His Right. 
 
 The church historian Tertullian relates a remarkable case of 
 a woman possessed by the devil, which we will repeat in his own 
 words, and without any comment, leaving the reader to make the 
 moral application. Tertullian says : *' We have an instance of a 
 woman who went to an improper public spectacle and came back 
 possessed by a devil. When the unclean spirit was forced by 
 exorcisms to explain how he dared to attack a believer, he an- 
 swered, 'I acted with authority and right, for I found her in a 
 place that belongs to me.' " 
 
 The Confession of a Devil. 
 
 In the Life of St. Bernard we read : " A man brought his pos- 
 sessed wife to the saint. The devil continued to speak in a tone 
 of mockery through the woman : ' This vegetarian and root- 
 eater cannot drive me from my slut,' as he termed the woman. 
 He uttered also other derisive language in order to insult the 
 man of God and degrade him before the people. But the saint 
 knew the wily ways of the devil, and mocked the mocker. He 
 ordered the evil spirit to bring the possessed woman into the 
 church at Pavia, dedicated to Syrus, in order to give the glory of 
 her restoration to that martyr. The saint said to the evil one, 
 ' Neither St. Syrus nor St. Bernard will expel you, but the Lord 
 Jesus Christ.' Then he began to pray, and besought God for help 
 to overcome the devil. The evil spirit cried out, changing his 
 tone and language : * Oh, how gladly would I flee from this slut ! 
 How gladly I would escape the pains I am suffering on account 
 of these prayers ! But I cannot ! ' When questioned why he 
 could not get away, he replied, ' Because it is not pleasing to 
 the most high God. ' When St. Bernard inquired who this most 
 high God might be, the spirit answered, * Jesus of Nazareth.' St. 
 Bernard continued : * Then you know the Lord Jesus ? Where 
 have you seen Him?' The devil answered, * I have seen Him in 
 His glory.' * Then you were in glory ?' said the saint. ' How did 
 you come to leave it ? ' The evil spirit said, ' Many of us fell 
 with Lucifer.' These words he uttered in a doleful, lachrymose 
 tone through the mouth of the woman, in the hearing of all who 
 were present. 'Would you be willing to return to that glory?' 
 inquired St. Bernard. To this question the devil replied, in an 
 
372 THE SACRAMENTALS. 
 
 unusually loud tone of voice, 'It is too late.' These were his 
 last words, and he would not answer any further questions. 
 Then St. Bernard prayed once more, the evil spirit fled away, and 
 the woman returned home perfectly restored." 
 
 Obsession as a Punishment for Despising the Advice of a Bishop. 
 
 Dancing-parties were always looked upon as leading to the 
 commission of sin. About the year 600 the holy Bishop Eligius, 
 like every other true pastor of souls, preached vehemently against 
 this abuse. But his wise words were neglected, just as the advice 
 of preachers and confessors to-day is often ignored by thought- 
 less Christians. One day, such a dancing festival being held near 
 his own house, the holy man went out and besought the dancers 
 to stop the scandal. But they laughed and went on with their 
 amusement. Punishment soon came, for some thirty of their 
 number became possessed of the devil, and acted so violently 
 that they had to be put in irons. Their obsession had lasted a 
 year when the holy bishop had them led into the church, and 
 then, throwing himself on his knees before God, he begged that 
 the afflicted sinners might be relieved. His prayers were heard, 
 and the possessed persons went away entirely cured. Do not 
 many persons in our day return from dancing-parties fully pos- 
 sessed by the devil, if not in body, at least in soul ? 
 
 filessing in the Old and Jieixi liaoas. 
 
 God Himself gave us the first instance of a blessing when 
 He blessed our first parents and blessed the Sabbath day ; 
 after the Deluge He blessed Noe and his sons (Gen. i. 28 ; ii. 
 3; ix. i). 
 
 Even in the Old Testament we meet with the priest's bless- 
 ing. Thus God commanded Moses and Aaron to bless the 
 people of Israel, and even told them what to say: "The Lord 
 bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord show His face to 
 thee, and have mercy on thee. The Lord turn His countenance 
 to thee, and give thee peace " (Num. vi. 24-26). This bless- 
 ing was imparted with outstretched hands (Levit. ix. 22). 
 The high-priest Heli blessed the devout Elcana and his wife 
 Anna (I. Kings ii. 20). Whilst Ezechias was offering the paschal 
 lamb, the priests and Levites arose and blessed the people 
 (II. Paral. xxx. 27). 
 
BLESSINGS. 373 
 
 In the New Testament we read that Christ called little 
 children to come to Him, and placed His hands upon them 
 (Matt. xix. 15). At His Ascension into heaven He spread 
 out His arms in the form of a cross and blessed His apostles. 
 There is no doubt that the practice of blessing ourselves with 
 the sign of the cross comes down from apostolic times. 
 
 H^^amples of the mit^aeulous Pocaef of Blessings. 
 
 The history of God's saints furnishes us with many instances 
 of miracles performed through their blessings. 
 
 St. Benedict, by imparting his blessing to a certain person, 
 enabled him to lift and place in a wall a heavy stone that pre- 
 viously no one could even move. By prayer and blessing the 
 holy Bishop John healed a person who had been poisoned by tlie 
 bite of a venomous reptile. By the same means he also saved 
 a dying boy from the grasp of death. St. Martin cured a leper 
 by blessing him and kissing his sores. St. Theodore, by his 
 blessing, rendered a barren woman fruitful. St. Cuthbert, by 
 imparting his blessing, released a young man from a protracted 
 illness, a child from the plague, and even turned water into 
 wine. St. Sabbas banished disorders from diseased cattle. 
 St. Columba, by bestowing a blessing, stopped a dangerous flow 
 of blood. He changed water into wine, brought water out of a 
 rock, and made unripe fruit ripe and wholesome. The holy 
 Bishop Ulrich cured the falling sickness. By virtue of his holy 
 blessing, St. Patrick banished all reptiles from Ireland. 
 
 Seek Blessings. 
 
 A blessing was at all times most highly prized. St. Antony, 
 the holy hermit, used to bow down and seek a blessing from 
 the humblest clerics. The Venerable Bede followed the same 
 practice. Persons of every sex, age, and condition knelt down 
 and implored the blessing of St. Epiphanius at Jerusalem. The 
 Empress Eudoxia brought her child to St. Porphyrus, bowed 
 low, and asked a blessing. When she was with child she 
 would seek blessings from bishops. When St. Clirysostom 
 returned from exile she hastened to receive his blessing. St. 
 Sabbas blessed the Emperor Justinian when he called to visit 
 him. Devout persons brought the prince, the son of King Aido, 
 to St. Columba, to receive that saint's blessing. Many persons 
 have obtained benefits from the blessings of saints already dead. 
 
374 THE SACRAMENTALS. 
 
 Pfaetieal Hpplieation. 
 
 Although the sacraments afford us sufficient means to 
 attain the salvation of our souls, yet we should not, for that rea- 
 son, look upon the sacramentals as of no account and super- 
 fluous. When the traveller knows where he is going, and is sure 
 of his way, and has all requisites for his journey, he has indeed 
 what is of necessity. Nevertheless, he will not reject any- 
 thing that may help him on his way, but rather avail himself 
 of it to lighten the fatigue of his travels. Now you. Chris- 
 tian reader, are also a pilgrim on the wearisome journey of 
 life, striving for the goal of eternal happiness. For this jour- 
 ney the sacraments furnish the necessaries, and the sacramen- 
 tals make your journey easier. Why, then, should you not 
 avail yourself of these holy sacramentals of the Church ? 
 
iPrager^ 
 
 praper in (BeneraK 
 
 IT4STHtlCTI0^. 
 
 leaning of Pi^ayer. 
 
 N prayer we raise our hearts to God and hold 
 intercourse with Him through pious thoughts and 
 affections. Every thought of God, every look 
 towards Him is a prayer if it be only accom- 
 panied with pious sentiments. Hence we pray 
 whenever we think of God or His infinite perfec- 
 tions, and feel ourselves penetrated with joy, rev- 
 erence, love, admiration, and other good affec- 
 tions. We pray whenever we call to our minds the benefits we 
 have received from our Creator, Sustainer, and Father, and are 
 thereby moved to sentiments of gratitude ; that too is prayer. 
 Whenever, in the hour of danger, our virtue and innocence being 
 at stake, conscious of our own helplessness we beg for help, that 
 is prayer. Finally, when, in sorrow for our sins, we turn to God 
 and weep because we have offended a kind father, angered a stern 
 judge, and strayed away from our chief and only good, our last 
 end ; when we implore forgiveness of our sins and promise future 
 rectitude of life — that is prayer. 
 
 The Pouxetf of Pfayci*. 
 
 There is nothing more admirable, more effectual, more useful 
 to man than a prayer which ascends to God like incense from the 
 altar of a simple and contrite heart. It lifts us up to God, lessens 
 our troubles, strengthens our weaknesses, intensifies our virtues, 
 opens heaven's gates, overcomes the power of hell — in a word, it 
 is all-powerful. Strong and miglity is a king, and all must obey 
 his signal. Strong and mighty among the animals is the Hon, 
 who exceeds them all in power, and by his very voice scuds terror 
 to the liearts of both man and l)east. Strong and mighty among 
 
 375 
 
376 PRAYER. 
 
 the elements are fire and water. The force of the latter nothing 
 can withstand. The former, in one brief hour, can lay a city in 
 ashes. Yet stronger far than any of these is prayer, especially 
 the prayer of the just man ; for him not even the Almighty God 
 can withstand, for His divine heart is overcome. Hence for the 
 acquisition of virtue and the repression of sin there is no 
 means more effectual than prayer. On this point St. Ephrem 
 says, very aptly : '' Prayer restrains pride, soothes revenge, expels 
 envy, and leads to piety. Prayer blesses the individual with for- 
 titude, the family with prosperity. Prayer is the seal of the 
 virgin, the safeguard of married life, the defence of the travel- 
 ler, the guardian of the sleeping, the refuge of the waking, the 
 fruitfulness of the soil, the safety of the tempest-tossed mariner. 
 Prayer defends the condemned, ransoms the captive, comforts 
 the mourner. Prayer is the crown of the living, and relieves the 
 dead in purgatory. Prayer is the fountain of untold goodness. 
 It is mightier than a king. Nothing so effectually dispels sloth 
 and tepidity as prayer. Whosoever prays in his hour of trial 
 shall receive many consolations in his soul. To sinners prayer 
 is a mother, a mother who heals with the tears she sheds." 
 
 I^eeessity of Ppayer. 
 
 Prayer is as essential to spiritual life as food and air are to 
 natural existence. Hence Our Saviour impresses upon us, both 
 by His word and example, the necessity of prayer. He says: 
 "We ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke xviii. i) ; 
 "Ask, and it shall be given you" (Matt. vii. 7). He set us the 
 example by passing whole nights in prayer (Luke vi. 12). Besides, 
 He has made prayer necessary for the obtaining of many favors ; 
 for, without prayer we secure not even the necessary grace of 
 persevering from beginning to end : Your Father from heaven 
 giveth the good Spirit to them that ask Htm (Luke xi. 13). Not 
 to pray and yet to remain free from sin, not to pray and yet to 
 desire eternal felicity, is like trying to see without eyes, talk with- 
 out a tongue, hear without ears, walk without feet. 
 
 From its very necessity it follows that prayer is a sacred duty 
 incumbent upon us, to be discharged willingly and industriously, 
 for he who does not pray will receive nothing. 
 
 Qaalities of Ppayer. 
 
 I. We should prepare ourselves to pray. If we were going 
 to talk with a prince or some great lord we would first collect 
 
St. Amurosk FoKiiiDuiNc; ihk KMrKKou Tukodosius ro lnticr 
 
 'IIIK CllUUClI, 
 377 
 
378 PRAYER. 
 
 our thoughts, reflect upon what we were going to say, how we 
 could present our petition, and even how we could make the 
 best personal appearance. How much more cautious should we 
 be when we are going to pray I For then we do not talk with 
 a man. nor with a prince, nor yet a great one of this earth, but 
 with God, the supreme Ruler of heaven and earth, before Whom 
 all knees bend.' Hence the Holy Ghost says : '* Before prayer 
 prepare thy soul : and be not as a man that tempteth God " 
 (Ecclus. xviii. 2^). The harper tunes his instrument before he 
 begins to play in presence of his patron. So should we dispose 
 the chords of our hearts, that they may sound sweetly in the ear 
 of the Most High. Therefore, before beginning your prayer, 
 compose your thoughts, and keep in mind that you are in the 
 presence of God, Who sees you and knows all that you do, think, 
 and speak. 
 
 2. We should pray with devotion. When we pray our heart 
 should feel what our lips utter : for God regards the heart of the 
 petitioner, and not his lips. '* In prayer," says St. Bonaventure, 
 '•the voice of the heart should be heard rather than that of the 
 mouth." Nothing displeases God more than a distracted and 
 inattentive prayer. Hence He has complained of those who pray 
 only with their lips, while their minds are filled with wandering 
 thoughts. He says : ''This people honoreth Me with their lips : 
 but their heart is far from Me " (Matt. xv. 8). Away, then, with 
 all distractions ; for if we admit them freely, they become sinfuL 
 We should struggle against them by keeping out of our minds, 
 as much as possible, when at prayer, all thoughts of worldly 
 matters, and place ourselves in the presence of God. 
 
 3. We should pray with humility. When we have recourse to 
 prayer we should humble ourselves and acknowledge first of all 
 our own weakness and necessity of help. '' When we pray," says 
 St. Augustine, '' we are beggars who ask alms from God. Now 
 if a beggar filled with pride should ask for a favor, what would 
 he get in return ? Instead of the gentle gift, certainly a severe 
 rebuke of his proud and unbecoming conduct. So it fares with 
 him who prays without humility." David, that great and mighty- 
 king, in the humility of his heart acknowledged his poverty and 
 nothingness. Hence when kneeling in prayer before God he 
 exclaimed: ''Lord, I am needy and poor: O God, help me" 
 (Ps. ixix. 6). When we pray we should humble ourselves by 
 acknowledging our sinfulness and unworthiness. Let us call to 
 mind the prayers of the Pharisee and the publican (Luke xviii.). 
 
PRAYER IN GENERAL. 379 
 
 The former prays with pride, praising his fasting and prayers ; 
 the other prays with humility, acknowledging himself a sinner, 
 striking his breast, and not daring to look up to heaven. Every 
 one knows the result of these two very different prayers. The 
 prayer of the Pharisee was rejected, that of the publican was 
 heard. The former by his pride invited rejection of himself and 
 his prayer ; the other was justified before God on account of his 
 humility. Therefore the prayer that is effective for eternal life 
 must be based on humility and rest on the mercy of God, as is 
 becoming. 
 
 4. We should pray with faith and confidence, without which 
 there is no true and efficient prayer. Hence St. Augustine says : 
 " If your faith sinks, the ardor of your prayer sinks ; for how can 
 he pray who does not believe ? " And St. Bernard writes : " Our 
 confidence decides the measure of grace that we receive from 
 God : if our confidence is great, we shall receive great graces. 
 For divine mercy is an inexhaustible fountain ; he who carries 
 to it the largest vessel of confidence will draw from it the larg- 
 est quantity of good. The oil of Thy mercy, O Lord, Thou 
 pourest out into the largest vessels of confidence." Hence St. 
 James says (i. 6) : " Ask in faith, nothing wavering." ' And why 
 should we not ask with faith and confidence ? Are we not apply- 
 ing to a God Who is all-powerful and full of charity. Who is able 
 to give us all good, and Who, for the sake of Jesus, is willing to 
 give, as the same Saviour plainly promises when He says : 
 " Amen, amen I say to you : if you ask the Father anything in 
 My name. He will give it you " ? (John xvi. 23.) 
 
 5. We should pray with resignation to God's will. "We 
 should not," says St. Francis of Sales, " ask of God to receive 
 any gift at this or that place, in this or that manner, for this or 
 that time. Our prayer and wish should be general. We should 
 prescribe limits for God no more than a sick and ignorant 
 patient should dictate to his physician what treatment to follow. 
 We should, then, ask only for those things that correspond to 
 the will of God and are useful to our souls." It was thus that the 
 leper in the gospel prayed. He did not say, "Lord, make me 
 whole," but, "Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean" 
 (Luke V. 12). It was thus, too, that Christ Himself prayed in 
 the garden of Olives: "My Father, if it be possible, let this 
 chalice " of affliction " pass from Me ; nevertheless noi as I will, 
 but as Thou wilt" (Matt. xxvi. 39). 
 
 6. We should pray with perseverance. St. (iregory says: 
 
380 PRAYEP. 
 
 "God wishes to be implored, importuned, ay, to be as it were 
 compelled ; hence He does not let us wait long. But some delay 
 is not a refusal by any means, but rather a right salutary test. 
 He wishes thus to increase within us the ardor of our longing, 
 to try our fidelity, and to teach us to appreciate the value of His 
 gifts." Therefore do not weary in your praying. 
 
 pop tdhat cue should Pray. 
 
 " Seek first the kingdom of God, and His justice," says Christ 
 to us. Hence first of all we should pray for faith, hope, and 
 charity ; for victory over our passions, for grace and strength to 
 do good, for perseverance in virtue — in short, for all good that 
 contributes to the glory of God and our own salvation. We are 
 permitted to pray for temporal goods, for the necessaries of life 
 and health, for prosperous times, for success in our lawful under- 
 takings, for deliverance from evil, and the like. Yet we should 
 ever be animated with sentiments of complete resignation to 
 God's will. IMore especially should we pray for the grace to live 
 and die in the love of God. 
 
 pof UXh.om uxz should Pray. 
 
 The believing Christian will pray not only for himself, but also 
 for his fellow-men. To this we are plainly advised by St. Paul, 
 when he savs : " I desire therefore first of all that supplications, 
 prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men : 
 for kings and for all that are in high station, that we may lead a 
 quiet and peaceable life in all piety and chastity" (I. Tim. ii. 
 1-3). We should also pray for all without exception, without 
 regard to religion or race — for friends and enemies, for just men 
 and sinners, for heretics and infidels, for the living and the dead. 
 Especially should we pray for rulers, for spiritual and temporal 
 authorities, that both civil and ecclesiastical order be preserved 
 and strengthened. Still more particularly should children pray 
 for their parents, and parents for their children. 
 
 And we should pray thus earnestly for one another : i. Because 
 it is o-ood and salutary for ourselves as well as for those for whom 
 we pray ; 2. Because it is highly pleasing to God to do so. 
 
 Mutual prayer is good and salutary for ourselves, for never 
 does a person pray as ardently for himself as when he is pray- 
 ing for another. You offer your prayer for all other Christians, 
 and all other Christians offer their prayer for you. You may 
 
PRAYER IN GENERAL. 381 
 
 now and then, perhaps, make a careless or tepid prayer while 
 thousands are repeating a fervent and acceptable prayer for 
 you. 
 
 Mutual prayer profits those whom we pray for, for very 
 often God grants to them, on account of our prayers, the graces 
 which we ask for them, as, for example, the grace of conversion, 
 or the grace of the true faith, and the like. 
 
 Finally, mutual prayer is very pleasing to God, for He is a 
 God of charity. Hence St. Chrysostom writes: "When we pray 
 for ourselves we are in a manner forced by nature, but to pray for 
 others is a work of love and grace. It is natural to pray for 
 ourselves, — our misery forces us to do it, — but to pray for others 
 is a work of the purest charity." 
 
 Time foi« Pi^aycf. 
 
 Christ says we should pray without ceasing. St. Paul adds, 
 "Pray always." As God is at all times with us, offering us His 
 favors, so should our souls be always with Him. Notwithstanding 
 our business and work, it is possible for us to pray always. For, 
 if we perform all our actions out of love for God, if by pious in- 
 tention we dedicate all our thoughts, words, and works to Him, 
 and offer to Him all our joys and sorrows — in a word, if we follow 
 the counsel of the Apostle when he says, " Whether you eat or 
 drink, or whatsoever else you do : do all to the glory of God " (I. 
 Cor. X. 31), — when we so live and work, when we do all for God, 
 as He did everything for us, then we pray without ceasing. And 
 liow easy it is for us to offer to God all our deeds and omissions ! 
 — a hasty look towards heaven, a short prayer, such as : " All for 
 Tfiee, O Lord," " To Thy greater glory," and so forth, in order 
 to unite ourselves to God, and thus make all our life one continued 
 prayer. 
 
 We should especially pray : 
 
 1. Morning and night. 
 
 2. Before and after meals. 
 
 3. At the striking of the clock, before all important under- 
 takings, in temptation, in care and trouble, in personal and pub- 
 lic afflictions. 
 
 Morning prayer is particularly necessary and useful. As the 
 body, when emerging from sleep in the morning, needs food to 
 strengthen it for the day, so too does our soul, in the morning, 
 need spiritual nourishment in order to discharge its duties of the 
 day to the honor of God, to j^ersist in its struggles, and to bear 
 
382 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 its disappointments with Christian patience. This kind of spir- 
 itual morning food consists in morning prayer. 
 
 Another motive for morning prayer is the fact that we owe 
 to God the first-fruits of the young day. These are the most 
 pleasing in His sight, and through them we sanctify all the 
 
 , others. Bv 
 
 ■^ 
 
 -^^Sf 
 
 ^#!*Jm- 
 
 Praying for the Loved Ones tvho are gone before. 
 
 them we 
 draw down 
 a blessing 
 from heaven 
 early. They 
 arethemorn- 
 ing dew that 
 freshens and 
 strengthens 
 us for the 
 rest of the 
 day. Hence 
 Our Lord 
 Himself 
 urges us to 
 morning 
 prayer when 
 He says, 
 through His 
 prophet 
 Amos, 
 ''Bring in 
 the morning 
 }• o u r vic- 
 tims," or 
 offerings 
 (Amos iv. 4); 
 and also in 
 E c c 1 u s . 
 XX xii. 18, 
 where He 
 
 speaks plainly of the blessing that rests on morning prayer: 
 "They that will seek Him " — that is, the Lord — " early, shall find 
 a blessing." 
 
 Since morning prayer is so useful, bringing us so many bless- 
 ings, it should never be omitted, and all hindrances tg it should 
 
PRAYER IN GENERAL. 383 
 
 be removed. Our great arch-enemy knows well what graces and 
 blessings are brought upon us by morning prayer, and hence he 
 leaves no means untried to keep us from the performance of this 
 salutary practice, or at least to render it imperfect. Either he 
 detains us in bed so long that there is no time left for prayer, or 
 else he holds up before our vision, the moment we rise, the many 
 and pressing worldly duties to be performed, and so, grudging 
 the time necessary for prayer, we hurry off to our work or busi- 
 ness. Let us not begin the day by falling into his snares. No 
 matter how pressing our duties, let us first hold converse with 
 God. The more urgent and necessary those duties, the more 
 need have we of God's grace and presence. The few moments 
 devoted to our morning devotion will be amply supplied during 
 the day by increased help from heaven. 
 
 Our morning devotions should consist : i. Of heartfelt 
 thanks for a good night's rest and for the privilege of seeing 
 another new day ; 2. In making good resolutions for the coming 
 day ; 3. In praying for help and guidance in passing the day. 
 
 As every day, in the Temple of Jerusalem, morning and even- 
 ing sacrifices were offered up, so should our devotions ascend 
 before the throne of God, like sweet offerings of incense, morn- 
 ing and evening. Common gratitude to God demands this. 
 Would we not be guilty of the basest ingratitude to God, were 
 we to lie down at night without remembering the many benefits 
 He had bestowed upon us during the day? But not gratitude 
 alone, our own self-interest should induce us to say our night 
 prayers, for during the darkness *and uncertainty of the long 
 night we need God's protection and guardianship ; hence we 
 should pray for that blessing. 
 
 Then our night devotions should consist : i. In thanking God 
 for the benefits of the day just closed ; 2, In recalling to mind 
 how we have made use of these benefits, and then bewailing our 
 faults and resolving on an amendment of our lives; 3. In commend- 
 ing ourselves to the protecting hand of God during the coming 
 night. 
 
 Examination of conscience at night is very salutary. Alas, 
 how many souls are in eternal damnation because they omitted 
 this holy practice ! A sudden death seized them in the midst of 
 their sleep, and, being in mortal sin, they were hurled into hell. 
 Had they, before retiring, examined their consciences and made 
 an act of contrition, they might have obtained pardon for their 
 sins and secured the salvation of their immortal souls, 
 
384 PRAYER. 
 
 Every good gift comes from above and needs the blessing 
 of God. Even the food we eat comes from God, and is distrib- 
 uted among us by God. Hence it is highly proper that we 
 should send up to Him, before and after our meals, acts of peti- 
 tion and of thanks. Of this duty of prayer before and after 
 meals we are reminded by St. Paul, who writes : " Whether yuu 
 eat or' drink, or whatsoever else you do : do all to the glory of 
 God " (I. Cor. X. 31). 
 
 It is a sad state of affairs among Christians when so many are 
 ashamed of their prayers and are beginning to omit them alto- 
 gether. We cannot wonder that the blessing of God is taking 
 leave of so many families, and want and misery are entering in 
 instead ; for, as St. Chrysostom says, nothing goes wrong in that 
 family where the members begin and end with God, while want 
 and destitution creep in where He is forgotten. 
 
 Whether we eat at home or abroad, we sliould pray, before 
 doing so, that God may bless the viands, and after eating return 
 thanks for His benefits. 
 
 The Catholic Church, by the sound of the Angelus bell, 
 reminds us three times a day of that unspeakably grand benefit, 
 the Incarnation of the Divine Son, and bids us reflect upon it 
 with grateful hearts, and also not to forget the ever-blessed 
 Virgin who brought into the world its loving Saviour. The 
 words of the Angelus devotion are as old as the Scriptures, from 
 whence they are taken. The order to ring the Angelus bell 
 three times a day, morning, noon, and evening, and to repeat the 
 Hail ^Nlarys, was issued by Pope Urban 11. at the Council of 
 Clermont, in the year 1095. 
 
 Even the Turks turn three times in the day their faces tow- 
 ards the city of ^Slecca, in order to thank their Prophet for the 
 gift of their belief. Would it not then be a disgrace for a 
 Catholic to be ashamed, when he hears the Angelus bell, to un- 
 cover his head, to do honor to the grandest mystery of his faith, 
 and to commend himself to the powerful protection of Mary? 
 
 In all our important undertakings, in temptation, in sorrow 
 and affliction, in persecution — in a word, in all our affairs, we 
 should have recourse to prayer. 
 
 The Plaee to Pray. 
 
 We should, for we can, pray in all places — in open nature or 
 in our quiet rooms, in the field or at home, in the office and in 
 the workshop. 
 
PRAYER IN GENERAL. 385 
 
 But we should pray especially in the church, for: i. The 
 church is really a house of prayer, as Christ Himself tells us in 
 Matt. xxi. 13. Here dwelleth our God, living in the Blessed 
 Sacrament, more disposed than anywhere else to bestow graces 
 upon us. 2. Besides, in the church we have not only facility 
 and opportunity for prayer, but also mutual example and edifica- 
 tion. 3. Then the common prayer recited in the church by all 
 together brings us greater advantages, as Christ told us when 
 He said : " If two of you shall consent upon earth, concerning 
 anything whatsoever they shall ask, it shall be done to them by 
 My Father Who is in heaven " (Matt, xviii. 19). If the prayer in 
 common between two petitioners is so powerful, what can be 
 effected by the united prayer of a whole congregation ? 
 
 paults at Pjpayet*. 
 
 Why is it that our prayers are not always heard ? Because 
 they are often defective. Sometimes we do not pray for the 
 right thing, at other times we do not pray in the right way. 
 
 Often we do not pray for the right thing. Many pray for the 
 things of this world and for temporal prosperity, not bestowing 
 a thought on their sins nor on heaven. Solomon understood 
 what to pray for, and therefore found a ready hearing on the 
 part of God. Not so King Jeroboam. This man raised his hand 
 against God's prophet, and it withered instantly. Then he said 
 to the prophet, '' Pray for me that my hand be restored." In- 
 stead of seeking pardon for his sin in attempting to assault the 
 prophet, he prayed for the recovery of his hand, thinking only 
 of it, and not at all of his soul. So it happens often. When man 
 suffers worldly losses, he laments and grieves, deplores the bad 
 times, rebels at loss of health, and running to God's prophet of 
 the New Law, the priest, he cries : " Pray for me tliat my losses 
 may be made good, that I may recover my health," and so on. 
 But the affairs of the soul give the least concern. 
 
 Often we do not pray in the right manner. Many pray with 
 distractions, many with false hearts, many without the slightest 
 amendment in their way of living. Many, again, when praying, 
 look only for sweetness and internal consolation, which if they 
 do not feel at once, they fall from their zeal in prayer. Many 
 pray with slothfulness, dryness, and coldness. Finally, many 
 are wanting in confidence and perseverance. 
 
386 PRAYER. 
 
 Rental Pt»ayei». 
 
 It is not necessary that prayer should always be in the form 
 of words from the lips. We can pray inwardly and without 
 uttering a word. This mode of prayer is called mental prayer 
 or meditation. 
 
 Although oral prayer is most excellent, yet mental prayer 
 rates higher and is of more value, for it furnishes the material for 
 oral prayer ; then it can be practised at times when we w^ould 
 be unable to pray orally. Meditation is thus a more exact and 
 intimate intercourse with God. The Christian who meditates 
 retires within himself, dwells in the vision of God, in the remem- 
 brance of His greatness, goodness, glory, majesty, and justice. 
 He places before himself the subject of some sublime mystery, of 
 some admirable deed of divine mercy, and draws forth nourish- 
 ment for his soul. Thus meditation supplies food to the soul, 
 preserving it from dryness, aridity of sentiment, pusillanimity, 
 and despondency. On this account every Christian should 
 devote some time, be it ever so short, to daily mental prayer. 
 
 The most suitable time, undoubtedly, for meditation is the 
 morning, immediately after our rising. Then the heart is not 
 yet disturbed by passion, nor the mind by distracting thoughts. 
 A good meditation in the morning closes the door against sin, 
 and as its object is to make good resolutions, it bears them in 
 abundance like a fruitful mother. Nor is any great cleverness 
 required for a profitable meditation. It is precisely to the poor 
 in spirit that the Holy Ghost reveals all the depth and grandeur 
 of the Gospel. 
 
 Meditation may be made according to the following simple 
 suggestions: 
 
 Let the Christian select his subject from the Ten Command- 
 ments, the seven petitions of the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the 
 mysteries of the rosary, or a passage from the Bible, a verse 
 from a hymn, a paragraph from a catechism, or whatever w411 
 engage his attention. Then let him collect and compose his 
 thoughts, that peace and repose may dwell in his soul. Then let 
 him reflect according to the following rules : 
 
 1. Place yourself in the presence of God, and invoke the 
 Holy Ghost that He would infuse light, understanding, and con- 
 solation into your soul. 
 
 2. Then take the mystery on which you are to meditate, 
 whether it be a dogma of faith, a moral precept, or an incident 
 
PRAYER IN GENERAL. 
 
 387 
 
 from Sacred Scripture, and say to yourself : " What does this say 
 to me ? what does the Lord wish ? what lesson am I to draw 
 from this?" etc. This is the first part of the meditation, called 
 the consideration or prelude. 
 
 MkDI 1 AllON. 
 
 3. When you have considered the matter of liie subject make 
 the application to your circumstances and callin<r in life, and 
 ask yourself what God requires from you at your tinie of life, in 
 
388 PRAYER. 
 
 your state of life, and what you should do. For example, in 
 meditating on the precept, " Be ye merciful," it is plain that the 
 father of a family, the servant, the priest, the doctor, the judge, 
 the soldier, must all obey it alike, though their modes of doing 
 so must necessarily be very varied. 
 
 4. Then resolve to do whatever the Lord requires you to do. 
 To this end make a firm resolution as to what you are to do to- 
 day. Before this, consider here what works you will have to do 
 during the day, how you will do them, in what danger you may 
 be placed with regard to sin, in what places you will be, whom 
 you will meet ; and then form your resolve. 
 
 Thus meditation consists of three divisions — the consider- 
 ation, the application, and the resolution. In conclusion, ask 
 God for grace to carry out your resolution, commend yourself 
 to your guardian angel and patron saint, say an Our Father for 
 the souls in purgatory, and often during the day recall and 
 renew your good resolutions. Thus your meditation will be like 
 unto a fire that illuminates your spirit, warms your heart, and 
 inspires your whole being with sentiments of praise, prayer, and 
 thanksgiving. 
 
 There is also another very profitable mode of mental prayer, 
 sometimes called accidental prayer, or the prayer of opportunity. 
 
 We can take any object that we meet, and consider it in its 
 supernatural relation to God, the great and beneficent Cre- 
 ator. Thus the fire on the hearth may remind us of the tor- 
 ments of hell. The fair spring season, recalling all nature to 
 life, may suggest the resurrection of the body on the last day. 
 The fruit-laden tree is a figure of the good Christian. The 
 leafless, fruitless tree in winter suggests the poverty of soul in a 
 slothful Christian. A street-crossing may remind us of the ne- 
 cessity of choosing the right path in our spiritual journey to the 
 next world. A pious thought may arise out of every incident in 
 our daily life. 
 
 Meditation of this kind on God's works in nature fills our 
 heart with faith in God's wisdom and providence. Thus David 
 was first a shepherd-boy in the field, then an inspired composer, 
 and afterwards an instrument in the hand of God, and the favor- 
 i?te of heaven. 
 
PRAYER m GENERAL. 
 
 389 
 
 l^HFIiHCTIOrl. 
 The Poouep and Effect of Pfayei?. 
 
 PASSAGES FROn SCRIPTURE. 
 
 EAR the word of the Lord. The Lord waiteth 
 that He may have mercy on you. At the voice 
 of thy cry, as soon as He shall hear, He will 
 answer thee. And rain shall be given to thy 
 seed, wheresoever thou shalt sow in the land : 
 and the bread of the corn of the land shall be 
 most plentiful, and fat ; the lamb in that day 
 shall feed at large in thy possession : and thy 
 oxen, and the ass-colts that till the ground, shall eat mingled 
 provender" (Is. xxx.) 
 
 "If heaven shall be shut up, and there shall be no rain, . . . 
 "If a famine arise in the land, or a pestilence, or corrupt air, 
 or blasting, or locust, or mildew, if their enemy afflict them be- 
 sieging the gates, whatsoever plague, whatsoever infirmity, 
 
 "Whatsoever curse or imprecation shall happen to any man 
 of Thy people Israel : when a man shall know the wound of his 
 own heart, and shall spt-ead forth his hands in this house, 
 
 " Then hear Thou in heaven, in the place of Thy dwelling, and 
 forgive, and do so as to give to every one according to his ways, 
 as Thou shalt see his heart (for Thou only knowest the heart of 
 all the children of men): 
 
 " That they may fear Thee all the days, that they may live 
 upon the face of the land, which Thou hast given to our fathers. 
 " Moreover also the stranger, who is not of Thy people Israel, 
 when he shallcomeoutof a far country for Thy name's sake (for they 
 shall hear everywhere of Thy great name and Thy mighty hand, 
 " And Thy stretched out arm), so when he shall come, and shall 
 pray in this place, 
 
 " Then hear Thou in heaven, in the firmament of Tliy dwell- 
 ing-place, and do all those things, for which that stranger shall 
 call upon Thee: that all the people of the earth may learn to fear 
 Thy name, as do Thy people Israel, and may prove that Thy name 
 is called upon on this house, which I have built. 
 
 "If Thy people go out to war against their enemies, by what 
 way soever Thou shalt send them, they shall pray to Tliee towards 
 the way of the city, which Thou hast chosen, and towaids the 
 house which I have built to Thy name, 
 
39© PRAYER. 
 
 " And then hear Thou in heaven their prayers, and their sup- 
 plications, and do judgment for them " (III. Kings viii. 35-45). 
 " Cry to Me, and I will hear thee " (Jer. xxxiii. 3). 
 " Thou shalt cry, and He shall say : Here I am " (Is. Iviii. 9). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 *' Through prayer we can effect everything; by prayer we 
 shall obtain from the Lord that strength which is wanting to us" 
 (St. Chrysostom). " Nothing is more powerful than a man who 
 prays ; for the praying man participates in the might of God" 
 (The Same). " Prayer is a key that opens heaven unto our sal- 
 vation. At the same moment that our prayer ascends to God the 
 grace for which we pray descends into our heart " (St. Augustine). 
 '' Prayer is a saving anchor for those who are in danger of suffer- 
 ing shipwreck ; it is an unlimited treasure for the poor, a power- 
 ful means of sanctification for those who wish to remain good" 
 (St. Chrysostom). " What power there is in prayer I It soothes 
 God, it obtains what we ask for, it conquers our enemies, it 
 transforms men. Prayer calms the wrath of God, Who at once 
 forgives the sinner who prays humbly. It triumphs over all the 
 power of the enemy. In a word, it transforms men, for it makes 
 the blind see, the weak strong, the wicked holy " (St. Lawrence 
 Justinian). "Whosoever avails himself of the great weapon of 
 prayer shall not fall into sin, will free himself from the earth, will 
 lift himself up to dwell in heaven, and even here on earth will 
 hold converse with God" (St. Chrysostom). "Truly prayer is 
 all-powerful, for by it miracles are performed " (Theodoret). 
 " Prayer is the well-spring of all virtues, the channel through 
 which all the graces of Jesus Christ, all divine gifts flow, and the 
 best means to grow in virtue. It is the food of the soul, the light 
 of the intellect, an antidote against the temptation of despair, a 
 secure bond of love between the soul and its God, a sign of the 
 soul's election" (St. John Climachus). "Prayer is a powerful 
 weapon to ward off the attacks of the devil, a means of protection 
 that preserves us amid all dangers, a safe harbor that shelters us 
 during storms, and at the same time a treasure that provides us 
 with good things" (St. Chrysostom). "The power of hell is, 
 indeed, great, but prayer is greater than all the devils, and the 
 reason is because by prayer the soul obtains the assistance of 
 God, which far surpasses all created power " (St. Bernard). 
 
PRAYER IN GENERAL. 
 
 391 
 
 COMPARISONS. 
 
 To the Christian, prayer is a shield with which he averts the 
 attack of the enemy ; a sword with which he battles for good ; 
 an army with which he puts evil to flight. 
 
 If from our intercourse with wise and virtuous men we derive 
 much benefit, how infinitely useful and salutary must be our fre- 
 quent intercourse with God ! 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 Prayer Affords us Help in Need and Trouble. 
 
 From Holy Scripture. — Ismael, the son of Agar, when almost 
 exhausted in the desert, prayed to God, Who pointed out to him 
 a well, from which he was revived and refreshed (Gen. xxi. 17). 
 Jacob prayed, and forthwith the Lord turned the heart of his 
 brother Esau (Gen.xxxii. 9). As long as Moses held up his hands 
 in prayer, the enemy lost in battle, wherefore Aaron and Hur 
 supported his hands till evening (Exod, xvii. 12). Often did 
 Moses by his prayer turn aside the anger of God from Israel. 
 By her prayers, Anna the wife of Elcana obtained fruitfulness (I. 
 Kings i. 10). Elias prayed, and God, Who for three years had 
 afflicted the land with a drought, sent refreshing rain (III. Kings 
 xviii. 37). The same prophet by praying raised a dead child to 
 life (III. Kings xvii. 20). Eliseus did the same (IV. Kings iv. 33). 
 Manasses prayed, and the Lord brought him back to Jerusalem 
 and restored to him his kingdom (II. Paral. xxxiii. 12). By their 
 prayers, Judith and Esther rescued their people from destruc- 
 tion (Jud. X. II ; Esth. xiv. 3). By prayer, Jonas was saved by a 
 whale (Jonas ii. 2). These are but a few of the countless exam- 
 ples of the efficacy of prayer to be found in Holy Scripture. 
 
 The Refreshing Rain. — The Emperor Marcus Aurelius was 
 waging war against the Quades and Marcomans. Sorely pressed 
 by a powerful enemy, he found himself and his army, after long 
 and severe marches under a burning sun, enclosed in a valley in 
 which' not a drop of water was to be found. It looked as if they 
 would have to die of thirst. Those among them who were 
 pagans called on their gods in vain. Then the Christians of a 
 certain legion turned to the one true God, and begged His assist- 
 ance in the hour of trial and want. Soon a small black cloud 
 was seen gathering, which grew in dimensions, and, lloating over 
 the valley, deluged the place with a copious rain, which tiie 
 soldiers caught in their shields and helmets. All were saved, 
 
39^ PRAYER. 
 
 men and horses : while the enemy were at the same tim.e visited 
 by a violent shower of haii that destroyed m.any and unfitted the 
 rest for further hostilities. 
 
 A Battle Won. — In the year 313. Maxim.inus. with sixty thou- 
 sand men, marched against his rival Licinius, who had hardly 
 time to get together thirty thousand men to meet him. In order 
 to make his expected victory more secure, Maximinus m.ace a 
 solemn vow to Jupiter to eradicate the very name of the Chris- 
 tians, if that deity would help him in battle. Before entering 
 the engagement, the soldiers of Licinius prayed as follows : 
 '• Great God, we invoke Thee. Holy God, we implore Thy 
 almighty assistance. To Thee we commend our just cause, to 
 Thy hands we intrust our safety and our country. In Thee we 
 live, in Thee we conquer, in Thee we hope to win the victory. 
 Great and holy God, hear our prayer. To Thee do we lift up 
 our hands and our hearts. Almighty and all-holy God, deign to 
 hear us." After their prayer the soldiers of Licinius threw them- 
 selves into the conflict with hope and confidence. The enemy, 
 who were double their number, becoming panic-stricken, were 
 unable to use their weapons, and, finding themselves fiercely 
 assailed, turned and ran. Maximinus succeeded in reaching the 
 town of Tarsus, where, shut in by land and sea, he saw no means 
 of escape from his pursuers, save by poison. He died, racked 
 with disappointment and pain. 
 
 An Enemy Overcome. — In the year 350 the city of Xisibis was 
 besieged by the Persian king Sapor II. St. James, the holy 
 bishop of the place, mounted the walls and begged God for 
 strength to resist the enemy. Then the Lord sent an immense 
 swarm of flies, which, entering the ears, nostrils, and eyes of the 
 elephants, m.ade them so furious that they created great disorder 
 in the camp and crushed many of the Persians to- death. Sapor 
 recognized that God Himself was protecting the city, and raised 
 the siege. 
 
 The Confiagration in Constantinople. — In the year 433 a great 
 conflagration occurred in Constantinople. The large northern 
 portion of the city was reduced to a mass of ruins. Public 
 granaries and business places of all kinds, as well as many pri- 
 vate houses, were consumed by the flames. Many inhabitants 
 had sought refuge in a church, which, however, was soon sur- 
 rounded by the fire. Sparks and smoke entered through the 
 w-indows, the heat from the burning buildings became unbear- 
 able, and the walls of the church took fire. Flight was impos- 
 
PRAYER IN GENERAL. 393 
 
 sible, help seemed out of question. Then the refugees, with the 
 archbishop, threw themselves on their knees and prayed aloud 
 to God to stifle the fire and to spare their lives. Tlieir prayer 
 was heard, the flames by a miracle were driven back, and the 
 church, with all those who had sotight refuge in it, was saved 
 by the Almighty. 
 
 The Prayer of the Just is Powerful. — During the time when 
 Simeon stood on his column in prayer and meditation there 
 raged in Antioch an unwonted mortality. Many houses stood 
 empty, whole families had died out, the earth shook repeatedly, 
 and so violently that even the pillar of St. Simeon came near 
 falling. The people of Antioch were beside themselves with 
 terror and fright, and almost the entire population fled for 
 help to the holy hermit. Simeon wept with them and prayed 
 with them, but suddenly he changed to harsh words, reproached 
 them for their infamy, and declared that the Lord had turned 
 His countenance away from them on account of their avarice, 
 their luxurious living, and their shameful vices. They should 
 not dare again to raise their unclean, blasphemous hands up to 
 Heaven. He, however, would intercede for them. While he was 
 still praying, another violent earthquake was felt. Terrified, the 
 people fell down, and then Simeon permitted them again to lift 
 up their cries to Heaven. He joined with increased fervor in 
 their prayers. After a time he rose and announced that God had 
 accepted their prayer, and that He would take compassion on the 
 city. But, said he, among the great multitude assembled there 
 was only one man whose prayer had reached God and had been 
 accepted. He pointed with his hand at a simple peasant, com- 
 manding him to come nearer. " My son," he continued, address- 
 ing him, " tell me what pious thing you have done, that God has 
 shown you such great favor." " I, reverend father," replied 
 the peasant, *' am no better than the others; I am a miserable 
 sinner like them." This humble answer corroborated what 
 Simeon already knew. When he urged the peasant to confess 
 the truth, the latter told with great modesty that he was in the 
 habit of dividing his earnings into three parts, of which he gave 
 one to the poor, paid his taxes with another, and supported him- 
 self and his family with the third. 
 
 Help at the Right Moment. — St. Columban built a monastery 
 in the Vosges Mountains, on the ruins of the deserted and dilapi- 
 dated castle Anegrai. The country was utterly wild, stony, and 
 uni-nhabited, so that, in spite of their frugality, St. Columban and 
 
394 PRAYER. 
 
 his companions, though satisfied with a few wild, edible herbs, 
 
 were frequently in danger of starvation. But Providence always 
 cared for them in a miraculous manner. Once one of them was 
 very ill. All were afflicted and troubled because they could give 
 their sick brother nothing but some bark of the trees and wild 
 
 herbs for his sustenance and refreshment. As always in times of 
 need, they resorted to prayer, and before long there came to their 
 gate a peasant, who lived some hours' walk from the cloister, 
 bringing bread and all sorts of refreshments. The good man 
 said that for three days and nights he had been haunted by the 
 notion that the pious monks of Anegrai were in deepest distress, 
 until at last he could no longer resist the impulse to take them 
 provisions. When the monks thanked him, he requested them 
 to intercede with God for his sick wife. St. Columban at once 
 went into the chapel with his companions, and even before the 
 anxious husband reached home his wife was in perfect health. 
 
 Prayer procures Help in Dangers and Temptations. 
 
 The Missionary of the Wild Namaquas. — Placidus, a pious man, 
 went to Africa, into the country of the wild Xamaquas, to preach 
 to them the word of God. One day while he was in the fields, 
 in tlie midst of the wild tribe, preaching the name of God. our 
 hea\-enly Father, lo 1 there came out of the sand a black, poison- 
 ous snake, which wound itself around his feet. When the Xa- 
 maquas saw this they were very much frightened, for they be- 
 lieved the snake would kill Placidus, and they dared not attack 
 the animal lest they might rouse its anger. But Placidus stood 
 there very quiet, and folding his hands looked up to heaven. 
 Then the snake wound its coils around the knees, the loins, and 
 the body of the man. The multitude, still more frightened, held 
 their breath in terror. Then the monster coiled its black body 
 around the neck and throat of the pious man, stretched its head 
 over his head, while its eyes glittered like two rubies and its 
 tongue in its mouth like aflame. But he stood there quiet, look- 
 ing up to heaven. Then the people thought : " Now his hour 
 has come and nothing can save him." But the snake did him 
 no harm ; it unwound itself gently from his body down to the 
 ground and slipped into its hole. The astonished multitude 
 would have worshipped Placidus. but he did not permit-it, say- 
 ing : " Worship Him in AVhom I trust and Whose work I do. 
 Has He not called me and created the snake ? I§ it such a great 
 thing to preserve me ? " 
 
PRAYER IN GENERAL. 
 
 395 
 
 The Light in the Lantern. — In the seventh century, when Sigi- 
 bert, the son of King Dagobert, was on the French throne, there 
 lived in a very strong castle near Brussels a count named 
 Witger. He had three children, who were educated together 
 in the fear of God. The youngest one was Gerdila, a girl 
 
 A Monk at Praykk. 
 
 of angelic purity, of great virtue, and a model for her play- 
 mates. To do good and make otliers liappy was a characteristic 
 of her pious soul even in her curliest year§. §he IpvcU nothing 
 
39^ PRAYER. 
 
 better than a lonely, retired life ; she sought after nothing more 
 
 than God and His pleasure. As soon as the bell from the Church 
 of St. Salvator at Morzelle, half an hour's walk from the castle, 
 gave the first signal for morning service, she rose from her couch, 
 put on a long white veil, and with her trusty maiden, who car- 
 ried a lamp in a lantern, she set out on her pilgrimage to the old 
 church. Xo accident, no complaint, no pleasure ever interfered 
 with this daily accustomed errand. Once, when she was on her 
 way in the early morning hour, a man in a black cloak suddenly 
 confronted her and, to frighten her, extinguished the light in the 
 lantern. Trembling with fear and horror, this holy virgin knelt 
 down and, praying aloud, cried to God for help ; and lo I imme- 
 diately a gust of wind passed by her, fanning into a flame the 
 spark still gleaming in the wick. When the black tempter saw 
 this, he fled, as fast as he could, into the darkness, cursing. 
 
 I^eeessity of Prayer. 
 
 PASSAGES FROn SCRIPTURE. 
 
 "He is the Lord thy God. and Him they shall adore" (Ps. 
 xliv. 12). " Jesus spoke also a parable, that we ought always to 
 pray, and not to faint" (Luke xviii. i). "Ask, and it shall be 
 given you : seek, and you shall find : knock, and it shall be 
 opened to you " (Matt. vii. 7). •' Watch ye, and pray that ye 
 enter not into temptation " (John xxvi. 41). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROn THE FATHERS. 
 
 " After Baptism, continual prayer is necessary for man, that 
 he may attain to heavenly joys ; for although by Baptism sins 
 are remitted, yet there always remains in us an inclination to sin 
 that rages inwardly, and the world and the devil that assail us 
 from without. So to be happy we must struggle and conquer. 
 Now without assistance from God no man can become master 
 over so many powerful opponents. Such divine assistance is 
 secured only by prayer ; consequently there can be no salvation 
 without prayer" (St. Thomas Aquinas). '"As the plants require 
 moisture in order to remain fresh and not to dry up, so do we 
 need prayer in order to be saved" (St. Chrysostom). "As the 
 body receives vitality from the soul, so does the soul receive life 
 from prayer" (The Same). " Prayer is the food of the soul ; for 
 as the body cannot live without nourishment, neither can the 
 soul maintain its life without prayer" (St. Augustine). "Never 
 
PRAYER IN GENERAL. 397 
 
 will the person attain piety of life who does not know how to 
 pray well" (The Same). 
 
 COriPARISONS. 
 
 As a tree standing in a place where there is no sunshine does 
 not thrive nor bring forth fruit, so is it with a soul that does not 
 pray, and does not receive the warmth of divine grace obtained 
 by prayer. It will never reach perfection in virtue. 
 
 The fish cannot live out of water, but dies very soon. Neither 
 can the soul of man live without prayer : it gradually dies. 
 
 EXAHPLE. 
 Hillel and riaimon. 
 
 The wise Hillel had a disciple named Maimon, and was proud 
 of the latter's abilities and good disposition. But Hillel began 
 to notice that Maimon depended too much on his own cleverness, 
 and neglected the aid of prayer. The youth had said in his own 
 heart : "What is the use of prayer? Does an all-knowing God 
 need our advice to induce Him to help and give? He would be 
 a child of man. Can man's importunities change the mind of 
 God? If He is all-good, will He not of His own accord grant 
 us what is good and useful?" Such were the young man's 
 thoughts. 
 
 Hillel was troubled in soul that Maimon should think himself 
 wiser than the Divine Word, and he resolved to correct him. 
 
 One day Maimon found Hillel seated in his garden under a 
 shady palm-tree, with his head resting on his hand. Then 
 Maimon spoke, and inquired : "Master, what are you meditating 
 on?" Hillel, raising his head, replied: "I have a friend who 
 lives on his farm, which he once cultivated carefully ; but lately 
 he has thrown away the plough and the harrow, and leaves the 
 soil to itself. Hence he will soon be poor and needy, notwith- 
 standing the natural wealth of his farm." " Is the man a fool ?" 
 inquired the disciple. " No," replied Hillel. " He is well trained 
 and skilled in divine and human knowledge. But he says : 'The 
 Lord is almighty, and can afford me a living witliout ni}'- toiling 
 for it. He is good, and will supply my wants.' " " But," said 
 Maimon, "is not tliat a tempting of God ? Did you not tell him 
 so, my rabboni ?" 
 
 Then Hillel smiled, and said : "I will tell him so. My dear 
 Maimon, you are the friend I am speaking of." " I ?" exclaimed 
 
398 PRAYER. 
 
 the disciple. The old man replied : *' Yes, it is you ; for are you 
 not tempting God? Is prayer of less importance than labor, or 
 divine gifts less valuable than the fruits of the field ? O my son, 
 be humble, believing, and prayerful." The latter resumed his 
 prayers, and became a better man. 
 
 Duty of Ppayep. 
 
 PASSAGES FROn SCRIPTURE. 
 
 "We ought always to pray and not to faint" (Luke xviii. i). 
 "Let nothing hinder thee from praying alwa^'s " (Ecclus. 
 xviii. 22). " In everything by prayer and supplication with 
 thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God" 
 (Philipp. iv. 6). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROH THE FATHERS. 
 
 " Every day and at every moment we ought to pray" (Ter- 
 tuUian). "Who among just men has fought without praying? 
 Moses prayed and conquered. He ceased to pray and was con- 
 quered. Therefore let the Christian learn what a stern duty 
 prayer is ; let him learn whence come his victories and defeats 
 in his spiritual warfare. Yes, let him learn that he must be more 
 instant in prayer than ^Nloses, partly because the enemjy with 
 whom he has to contend is far more dangerous, and partly be- 
 cause he has to combat for himself and not for others " (St. 
 Chrysostom). " What the weapon is to the soldier, that is prayer 
 to the Christian ; as the soldier dare not enter battle without 
 his weapons, so the Christian should not go anywhere without 
 praying" (Eligius). "As the young bird lying helpless and un- 
 fledged in the nest must cry to the old one for help, so the man 
 who has become deprived of God's grace, and therefore is in 
 need of help, must call on God " (Louis of Granada). 
 
 EXAflPLES. 
 The Early Christians. 
 
 The early Christians practised the holy duty of prayer in a 
 manner highly reproaching to us. Day and night they assem- 
 bled to praise the Lord, to pour out their hearts in prayer 
 before Him, to make known their wants, and to implore Him for 
 protection against their enemies, and for peace and happiness 
 amid the believing flock just beginning to thrive and flourish. 
 
PRAYER IN GENERAL. 399 
 
 When the pagans were buried in sleep these Christians kept vigils 
 with closed doors in obscure rooms and subterranean vaults, 
 where they passed many hours in prayer. 
 
 The Old Fathers. 
 
 The ancient Christian Fathers once held counsel to see what 
 was the most necessary and most useful exercise to obtain ever- 
 lasting happiness, and they decided that it was the frequent 
 repetition of David's short prayer, " Lord, make haste to help 
 me." 
 
 Qualities of PpayeP. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 " Before prayer prepare thy soul : and be not as a man that 
 tempteth God " (Ecclus. xviii. 23). 
 
 " 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. Wash yourselves, be clean, take 
 away the evil of your devices from My eyes : cease to do per- 
 versely" (Is. i. 15, 16). 
 
 "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse 
 your hands, ye sinners : and purify your hearts, ye double- 
 minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep : let your laughter 
 be turned into mourning, and your joy into sorrow. Be hum- 
 bled in the sight of the Lord, and He will exalt you " (James iv. 
 8-10). 
 
 " A contrite and humble heart, O God, Thou wilt not de- 
 spise " (Ps. 1. 19). "The prayer of him that humbleth himself 
 shall pierce the clouds : and he will not depart till the Most 
 High behold" (Ecclus. xxxv. 21). 
 
 " God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble " 
 (James iv. 6). " He hath regard to the prayer of the humble : 
 and He hath not despised their petition " (Ps. ci. 18). " But if 
 any of you want wisdom, let him ask God, Wiio giveth to all men 
 abundantly, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, 
 nothing wavering, for he that wavereth is like a wave of tlie sea, 
 which is moved and carried about by the wind. Therefore let 
 not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord " 
 (James i. 5-7). " Whatsoever you ask when ye pray, believe that 
 you sliall receive, and they shall come unto you " (Mark xi. 24). 
 "Amen, amen, I say to you : if you ask the Father anything in 
 My name He will give it you " (John xvi. 23). " Cursed be he 
 
400 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 that doth the work of the- Lord deceitfully " (Jer. xlviii. lo). 
 *' Speak not anything rashly, and let not thy heart be hasty to 
 utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon 
 
 Prayer our Help in Danger. 
 
 earth : therefore let thy words be few " (Eccles. v. i). " Be in- 
 stant in prayer, watching in it" (Col. iv. 2). "Let nothing 
 hinder thee from praying always" (Ecclus. xviii. 22). Be "re- 
 
t»RAY£R In central. 4OI 
 
 joicing in hope : patient in tribulation : instant in prayer " (Rom. 
 xii. 12). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 "When a suppliant throws himself at your feet after he has 
 dipped his hands in defilement, and with such stained hands 
 prays to you, he would not only find no hearing, but rather 
 your displeasure. It is just the same with the prayer of him 
 who appeareth before God with an insincere, stained heart " (St. 
 Chrysostom). " Never did any one contritely implore the Lord 
 for benefits who did not receive what he sought " (The Same). 
 " Humility and charity are the spiritual wings of prayer, on 
 which man soars to the heights of divinity " (St. Lawrence Jus- 
 tinian). " He brings to God the Lord a true prayer who in his 
 humility acknowledges that he is only dust" (St. Gregory the 
 Great). " The suppliant must fix his look on two things : first, 
 on himself and his own misery, at the contemplation of which he 
 should humble himself, be inwardly ashamed, and consider him- 
 self undeserving of any good ; secondly, he must direct his gaze 
 on the goodness, mercy, and promises of God, and then his heart 
 should expand and form the resolution to attain every good. 
 These two virtues, humility and confidence, are the two pinions 
 on which prayer ascends to God, and the two weapons with 
 which one wrests every grace from His hands " (Scaramelli). 
 "When we petition an earthly man for an earthly object we bow 
 down almost to the ground in our humility ; and when we be- 
 seech God for pardon for our offences and for everlasting rest 
 we do not condescend to bow down our heads" (Caesar of Aries). 
 " Divine mercy is an inexhaustible fountain : whoever brings to 
 it the largest measure of confidence will carry away the largest 
 amount of good things. The oil of Thy mercy Thou pourest into 
 vessels of confidence " (St. Bernard). " He wlio doubts will 
 receive nothing ; for the unjust wavering that disquiets him will 
 hinder divine mercy to hear his prayers. You have not prayed 
 aright, because you prayed doubting " (St. Basil). " Pray in tlie 
 name and through the merits of Jesus Christ. But we do not 
 pray in the name of Our Saviour when we pray for sometliing 
 that is unfavorable to our salvation " (St. Augustine). "Whoso- 
 ever at the time of prayer has not his attention fixed on some- 
 thing useful for his soul is a trifier and a babbler" (St. Gregory 
 of Nyssa). " Suppliant ! you offer God a great insult when you 
 ask Him to hear your prayer, to which you yourself give no atten- 
 
462 PRAYER. 
 
 tion when uttering it. What ! You ask Him that He be mind- 
 ful of you, and you are mindful neither of Him nor yourself?" 
 (St. Bernard.) " The farmer waits a whole year for the seed to 
 come up from the earth, form into a plant, and bring forth timely 
 fruit. How many years must he wait before he can taste the 
 fruit of a tree he has planted ? Yet we wish to taste the fruit of 
 our prayers on the instant " (St. Francis of Sales). " The farmer 
 should not hesitate to till his field just because heaven does not 
 send the rain and dew at his bidding. Nor should the sinner, 
 just because the heavenly Physician is not at hand to heal his 
 wounds at once, cease his supplications for forgiveness ; for if 
 the farmer sow no seed the rain will be of no use to him, and if 
 the sinner do not pray, God, though merciful, will not give health 
 to his soul " (St. Ephrem). " Persevere in prayer. If God some- 
 times gives slowly, He thereby teaches us the better to appreci- 
 ate the value of His gifts, but He does not refuse them. Graces 
 that have been long sought after are held in honor, and when 
 obtained we retain them more faithfully. What comes easily 
 goes quickly " (St. Augustine). " Only continue to pray. The 
 grace that God does not concede to you in this hour He may 
 grant to you at another time. What He does not give you in 
 one day, or in one week, or in one month, or in one year, He can 
 give you some other day, or week, or month, or year. Persevere 
 in your work and zeal in prayer, and God will reward it with 
 His grace when it shall please Him. The smith when making a 
 knife gives the iron many blows before the knife is finished, but 
 at last one final stroke finishes it " (^Egidius). " Jesus does not 
 only say, 'Ask and you shall receive,' but also, 'Seek and you 
 shall find.' God wishes not only to be asked, but also to be 
 sought. One must knock repeatedly at the door of this great 
 Lord till it be opened " (St. Augustine). " Our will should be 
 submitted to the divine will to the degree that as far as we know 
 His will we wish to will the same, and on the other hand will 
 nothing which we know He does not will " (St. Bernard). " In 
 everything that our heart desires we should say, ' Lord, if it be 
 Thy will, let it be so done ' " (Thomas a Kempis). 
 
 TWO COMPARISONS. 
 
 We read that God required Abraham to sacrifice his son. On 
 coming to the foot of the hill of sacrifice the patriarch said to 
 the servants : " Stay you here with the ass : I and the boy will 
 go with speed as far as yonder, and after we have worshipped 
 
PRAYER IN GENERAL. 46j 
 
 will return to you." Abraham going to the mountain to offer 
 sacrifice is a figure of a man who wishes to worship God by a 
 sacrifice of praise or prayer, as the Psalmist says : " Offer to God 
 a sacrifice of praise." By the ass is to be understood our body ; 
 by the servants, our outward senses. As Abraham ordered the 
 servants to stay with the ass at the foot of the mountain, so also 
 must he who prays before the church command his outward 
 senses with the body, with all cares and irrelevant business, to 
 wait, and he must be present as if without his body. 
 
 St. Augustine explains this by another simile. When Jacob 
 was travelling to Mesopotamia, and was overtaken by night, he 
 went to sleep after sunset, and in his sleep saw a ladder that 
 reached from the earth to heaven, and God standing on it, and 
 angels ascending and descending. According to the explanation 
 of St. Augustine, this ladder represents true prayer, which like- 
 wise reaches from the earth to heaven, as the wise man says : 
 *' The prayer of him who humbleth himself pierces the clouds." 
 But in order that the spirit may thus be enabled to rise, and the 
 prayer to ascend to God, Jacob must go to sleep under the ladder ; 
 that is, the body must so act as if it were asleep, feeling nothing 
 and without life, as the Church also says: "I sleep, but my 
 heart watcheth." 
 
 Adage. 
 
 The farther back a man stretches his bow, the higher does the 
 arrow ascend. The more lowly a man humbles himself, the 
 more powerfully does his prayer rise towards heaven. 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 Devout Prayer. 
 
 St. Aloysius Gonzaga was favored by Heaven with such a 
 true spirit of fervent prayer, that when engaged in that holy ex- 
 ercise lie not only wept copiously himself, but even moved all 
 who happened to see him to the shedding of tears. One day 
 the confessor of this angelic youth asked him wliether he ever 
 had any distraction in prayer. After some reflection, Aloysius, 
 with much modest embarrassment, replied : "When I count up 
 all my distractions at prayer for the last half year, I find tliey 
 would not cover the space of one Hail Mary." The making of 
 this acknowledgment by Aloysius was harder for him tlian would 
 be the confession of many wilful distractions. 
 
404 PRAYEft, 
 
 Humble Prayer. 
 
 The Princess Ann of Saxony, when lying on her death-bed, 
 feeling that she would need the help of prayer in her last 
 agony, sent a request to all her subjects that they would be 
 good enough to offer up their prayers to God, not indeed for a 
 princess, since she had already laid aside every worldly vanity, 
 but, to use her own words, " for a poor sinner, w^iose life is 
 drawing to a close, and who in the name of Our Saviour begs 
 the prayers of her people that God would grant her the grace 
 of a happy death." 
 
 Trusting Prayer. 
 
 An aged pastor who had always found it difficult enough 
 to meet the many demands on his charity, and yet never lost 
 confidence in the goodness of God, Who always helps in the 
 moment of need those who love Him, one day found himself so 
 utterly destitute that there was nothing left for his dinner. His 
 distressed housekeeper begged his permission to go and borrow 
 something from one of the neighbors, thinking that such a pro- 
 ceeding would awaken the generosity of other parishioners, and 
 that some means might be supplied to the good pastor. But the 
 latter, fully confident that God, Who had never allowed him to 
 be hungry, w^ould not fail to send him that day's bread, refused 
 the permission to the housekeeper, offered up a fervent prayer to 
 God, and then bade her set the table for dinner. She obeyed, 
 and covered the table with empty dishes. The good Father took 
 his place, and began, to say the prayer before meals. Before he 
 finished there was a knock at the door, and a servant of a wealthy 
 parishioner entered, bearing a basket filled with provisions. He 
 said his master, having expected to dinner a large party of 
 friends who were suddenly prevented from coming, had sent all 
 the materials to the pastor, thinking he might need them for 
 distribution among the poor. 
 
 The good priest then quietly partook of what was necessary 
 for himself, and ordered the remainder to be given to the poor, 
 though none there were poorer than he. Before the hour came 
 for the next meal some other parishioners had provided for the 
 wants of their pastor, w^ho till the day of his death never lost his 
 trust in that God Who cares for those who love Him and confide 
 in His goodness and mercy. 
 
^RAYfiR IN GENERAL. 4©^ 
 
 Persistent Prayer. 
 
 Often in the lives of God's saints are seen instances of persist- 
 ency which in the eyes of worldlings wear the appearance of 
 presumption. But God judges differently from the world. 
 
 In the life of St. Catharine of Siena we read that her mother 
 died suddenly and without the last sacraments. Whereupon the 
 saint cried out to God : " O Lord ! where is Thy promise, that 
 none of my family should die unhappily? Hear me, O Lord ! I 
 shall not depart from this place till Thou restore my mother to 
 life." The mother returned to life and lived many years. 
 
 Prayer of Resignation. 
 
 We read the following in the lives of the early Fathers. The 
 fields and vineyards of a certain farmer were more thriving and 
 productive than those of his neighbors. When these asked him 
 how that was, he replied : "There is nothing to be wondered at 
 in this, for I always have the weather just as I want it." Then 
 they wondered the more, and said : "How is that?" He ex- 
 plained : "I never ask God to send any weather but such as 
 pleases Himself ; and as I will what He wills, I always have my 
 own way, and plentiful crops besides." 
 
 Zeal in Prayer. 
 
 Christ, the model of all Christians, arose early in the morn- 
 ing to pray, as St. Mark tells us in his gospel (i. 35). St. Clem- 
 ent tells us of St, Peter, too, that he used to assemble the 
 faithful at an early hour every morning to pass some time in 
 prayer and praise. From the writings of the pagan Pliny we 
 learn that the primitive Christians continued this pious practice. 
 He says : " After a close examination, I can find nothing to be 
 blamed in the lives of the Christians. Every morning before 
 sunrise they meet together and sing the praises of Christ, Who is 
 their God." Sidonius Apollinaris writes concerning Theodoric, 
 King of the Goths: " Every morning regularly he appeared with 
 a small retinue at the assembly of the priests, and followed the 
 exercises with close attention." In the life of St. Pulcheria we 
 read that she, her three sisters, her brother the emperor, with his 
 wife Eudoxia, used to assemble in her chapel every morning before 
 sunrise to pray and to assist at holy Mass. Count Eleazer, w ho 
 died in France in the year 1285, ordered all his servants and 
 farm-hands to spend a certain time every morning in prayer, and 
 
4o6 PRAYER. 
 
 in commending their day's work to God. What was done once 
 could be done again. 
 
 For UUhat uie should Pray. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 " Two things I have asked of Thee, deny them not to me be- 
 fore I die. 
 
 " Remove far from me vanity and lying words. Give me 
 neither beggary, nor riches : give me only the necessaries of life. 
 
 " Lest perhaps being filled, I should be tempted to deny, and 
 say: Who is the Lord? or being compelled by poverty, I 
 should steal, and forswear the name of mv God "' (Prov. xxx. 
 
 7-9)-^ 
 
 " Seek not you what you shall eat, or what you shall drink : 
 and be not lifted up on high " with anxious, worldly cares : '• for 
 all these things do the nations of the world seek. But your Father 
 knoweth that you have need of these things. But seek ye first 
 the kingdom of God and His justice : and all these things shall 
 be added unto you "' (Luke xii. 29-31). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROH THE FATHERS. 
 
 '' Pray for the kingdom of heaven, and for such things as will 
 help you to reach it. Whosoever asks for anything else asks for 
 nothing ; not, indeed, as if what he asks for were nothing, but 
 because all earthly goods, in comparison with celestial and eter- 
 nal things, are to be counted as nothing " (St. Augustine). '' When 
 you pray, look for worthy things ; not fleeting, but everlasting" 
 (St. Ambrose). "As no one would dare to ask an emperor for a 
 ragged garment or a few pennies, so be careful not to ask the 
 sovereign Lord of heaven and earth for frivolous and unworthy 
 things " (St. Chrysostom). " It happens from time to time that 
 we ask God for temporal gifts, and that He does not hear us 
 favorably, but it is because He loves us, and seeks to exercise 
 mercy in our behalf. Whosoever, with full confidence, petitions 
 the Lord for the necessities of life, is heard out of mercy, and is 
 not heard out of mercy, for the physician knows better than the 
 patient what is useful to the latter. A physician who loves his 
 patient does not allow him what would injure him. Oh, how 
 many, if they were poor and sick, would escape falling into those 
 sins which they commit because they are wealthy and healthy" 
 (St. Augustine). 
 
PRAYEk IN GENERAL. 407 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 The Shepherd=boy at Prayer. 
 
 Simeon Stylites, when a youthful shepherd-boy, went one day 
 to a remote and solitary chapel that stood over the grave of a 
 martyr. Here, throwing himself on his knees, he prayed from 
 his inmost heart to high Heaven. What was the import of his 
 petition? Answer: "The substance of his prayer was that God 
 would save his soul, guide him in the path of sanctity, make 
 known to him the divine will, and enable him to follow it." In 
 this prayer he persisted for seven whole days without taking any 
 nourishment. 
 
 Solomon's Prayer. 
 
 **The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, saying: 
 Ask what thou wilt that I should give thee. 
 
 " And Solomon said : Thou hast showed great mercy to Thy 
 servant David my father, even as he walked before Thee in truth, 
 and justice, and an upright heart with Thee: and Thou hast kept 
 Thy great mercy for him, and hast given him a son to sit on his 
 throne, as it is this day. 
 
 " And now, O Lord -God, Thou hast made Thy servant king 
 instead of David my father : and I am but a child, and know not 
 how to go out and come in. 
 
 ** And Thy servant is in the midst of the people which Thou 
 hast chosen, an immense people, which cannot be numbered nor 
 counted for multitude. 
 
 "Give therefore to Thy servant an understanding heart, to 
 judge Thy people, and discern between good and evil. For who 
 shall be able to judge this people, Thy people which is so numer- 
 ous ? 
 
 " And the word was pleasing to the Lord, that Solomon liad 
 asked such a thing. 
 
 "And the Lord said to Solomon: Because tliou hast asked 
 this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life nor riclies, nor 
 the lives of thy enemies, but hast asked for thyself wisdom to 
 discern judgment : 
 
 " Behold I have done for thee according to thy words, and 
 have given thee a wise and understanding heart, in so niiicli tliat 
 there hath been no one like tliee, before tlice, nor sliall arise after 
 thee. 
 
 " Yea, and the tilings also which thou didst not ask I have 
 given thee: to wit, riches and glory, so that no one hath been 
 
4oS ' f>RAV£R. 
 
 like thee among the kings in all days heretofore " (III. Kings iii. 
 5-^3). 
 
 The riother's Prayer Rejected, yet Granted. 
 
 St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, besought divine provi- 
 dence to hinder her son's journey into Italy, knowing, as she did, 
 that he would there encounter many temptations. Notwithstand- 
 ing his mother's prayers, Augustine arrived in Italy, where, for 
 the first time, his thoughts were directed to God, and he received 
 the first impulses to conversion. 
 
 pop UUhom cue should Pi»ay. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 " Pray for one another, that you may be saved " (James v. i6). 
 "I desire therefore first of all that supplications and thanksgiv- 
 ings be made for all men : for kings and for all that are in high 
 station, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all piety 
 and chastity " (I. Tim. ii. r, 2). " Peter therefore was kept in 
 prison. But prayer was made without ceasing by the Church 
 unto God for him " (Acts xii, 5). " I give thanks to my God in 
 every remembrance of you, always in all my prayers making 
 supplication for you all with joy " (Philipp. i. 3, 4). " Love your 
 enemies ; pray for them that persecute and calumniate you " 
 (Matt. V. 44). " It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to 
 pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins" (II. 
 Mach. xii. 46). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROH THE FATHERS. 
 
 " The prayer which we say for others increases our own merits 
 as well to the regaining of graces in this life as to glory in the 
 next life" (St. Francis of Sales). "Let us, then, pray for each 
 other. For it is but merely natural to ask for one's self, whilst 
 it is always a labor of the purest charity to pray for others " (St. 
 Chrysostom). ''From the bottom of our hearts we pray for all 
 emperors, that they may have long life, uninterrupted reigns, 
 domestic safety, brave armies, a senate to do them honor, a 
 people who obey them, peace throughout their dominions, in 
 fact, for all that they may desire whether as emperors or as pri- 
 vate individuals" (Tertullian). "We pray to God for the dead 
 when we offer up to Him in sacrifice Jesus Christ Himself as 
 victim, Who died for our sins, that He, Who is so merciful, might 
 deal graciously with the dead and with ourselves " (St. Cyril). 
 
PRAYER IN GENERAL. 409 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 5t. Severinus. 
 
 Every one who observes the ways of God even in regard to 
 himself must have felt the value and power of mutual prayer, 
 whilst in the lives of the saints we find countless striking in- 
 stances. We select only one, St. Severinus, the apostle of 
 Austria, whose example shows forth the power of faith. In the 
 strictest sense of the word, he was the good angel of the place 
 he dwelt in. He supplied the people not only with the light of 
 the Gospel, but he averted from them by his prayers innumer- 
 able calamities of every kind, and during the unsettled times of 
 the barbarian invasions he was the means of alleviating much 
 suffering. 
 
 A famine came upon one of the cities on the banks of the 
 Danube. All provisions were exhausted, and the inhabitants 
 were anxiously awaiting the arrival of some boats laden with 
 provisions from Bavaria. But the boats were all frozen fast in 
 the ice, for the season was intensely cold. 
 
 When their case became desperate, the inhabitants sent for 
 St. Severinus to come and help them. He responded to their 
 call, exhorted them to do penance, and while praying with them, 
 behold, the ice in the river broke up, and the provisioned boats 
 reached the starving city ! 
 
 Another time the country was infested with swarms of locusts, 
 that seemed inclined to remain. Again St. Severinus was called. 
 He came, urged the people to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and 
 forbade them to make any attempt to drive away the locusts, 
 for all human efforts would be useless. One poor man, who had 
 only one acre, thought he would be able to clear it of the de- 
 structive insects, and disobeyed the saint. When, a day or two 
 later, the locusts left the country, all the crops in every field 
 were safe, except those of the disobedient man. He began to 
 utter loud lamentations, when the saint reproved him sharply, 
 and then applied to his neighbors to lend him aid till such time 
 as he could raise another crop. 
 
 So many were the cures wrought by St. Severinus, that peo- 
 ple crowded the roads carrying their sick and disabled to his 
 monastery. He multiplied loaves of bread, like his blessed 
 Master in the desert, and even raised the dead to life. 
 
 But many will say: " Oh, these were saints ! " But how did 
 they become saints? By the power of faith. Not only did they 
 pray with faith and confidence, but they resisted their evil incli- 
 
4IO PRAYER. 
 
 nations. This same faith has been given to us as a weapon for 
 defence and a shield for protection. 
 
 St. Paschal Baylon. 
 
 In the life of St. Paschal Baylon we read : A gentleman who 
 was very fond of the Order of St. Francis, and a special friend 
 of St. Paschal, allowed himself to be entrapped in the snares of 
 Satan by the wiles of a wicked married woman. One evening, 
 while on the way to visit her, he heard the ringing of a bell, 
 which, distant at first, came nearer and nearer, and at last so 
 near as to make him believe it was fastened to his heel. He was 
 ashamed of every one he met. This shame led him to think of 
 his evil ways, and, taking his beads, he began to say the Rosary 
 and turned homeward. Next day the woman met him, and said 
 it was lucky that he had not called on her the preceding evening, 
 for her husband, having become suspicious, had hired two assas- 
 sins to kill him. She added that she was miserable and con- 
 science-stricken, and was then on her way to confession, and 
 that he must never again call on her. The man entering seri- 
 ously into himself, repaired to the Franciscans, resolved to go to 
 confession. St. Paschal opened the door, and called out joyfully : 
 "Thank God you are come. I am so glad to see you." "Why 
 so?" asked the man. "Because all day yesterday I felt great 
 anxiety about you, and prayed for you incessantly." " If I am 
 to believe that all that came from God," replied the man, " tell 
 me what happened last evening." Then St. Paschal told him 
 about the bell, and the assassins, and the woman, and the rosary, 
 and both joined in giving praise to God. 
 
 The Devout Empress. 
 
 Matilda, the empress of Henry the Fowler, after she became a 
 widow followed a regular rule of life, which shows forth her sin- 
 cere piety and genuine fear of God. When all would be buried 
 in sleep, she would arise quietly, and, calling her maid, would 
 repair to the castle chapel. Here she would pray with uplifted 
 hands for mercy and pardon for all sinners, for peace for all 
 souls, especially for such as were nearest and dearest to her. 
 When she would perceive that the hour was approaching for the 
 nocturnal devotions of the priests, she would return quietly to 
 her room and go to bed. As soon as the morning bell rang she 
 v/as the first to arise and hasten to the church, just as if she had 
 slept the whole night. 
 
PRAYER IN GENERALo 
 
 411 
 
 Grateful Prayer. 
 
 In his younger days St. Augustine had caused his good, pious 
 mother many a sigh and many a bitter tear. But later in life, 
 when he re-entered the path of virtue, he endeavored to repair 
 his un kind- 
 ness by d e- 
 vout, fervent, 
 and frequent 
 prayer forher. 
 He begged 
 God to bless 
 and reward 
 his holy 
 mother for all 
 the grief and 
 anxiety she 
 had sustained 
 on his a c- 
 count. When 
 death d e- 
 prived him of 
 her he was in- 
 c o ns o lable, 
 and ever 
 afterwards he 
 would shed 
 tears when he 
 recalled her 
 many kind 
 and gentle 
 acts. He ever 
 remembered 
 her at tlie al- 
 tar, and com- 
 mended her 
 soul to tlie 
 
 St. Ai.oysius Gonzaga. 
 
 prayers of the faithful, as we learn from his book known as the 
 " Confessions." 
 
 St. Ignatius and 5t. Francis. 
 
 It was the daily custom of vSt. Ignatius Loyola to pray for all 
 rulers of nations, that God would bless their undertakings for 
 
412 PRAYER. 
 
 the good of the people and for the spread of the Catholic faith. 
 Most fervently did he pray for the Head of the Church, and when 
 he heard that Pope Julius III. was sick he redoubled his prayers 
 that he might be spared to govern and guide the Bark of Peter. 
 
 St. Francis Xavier prayed incessantly for the conversion of 
 the heathens. His prayers and preaching brought thousands of 
 souls to the light of the true faith. 
 
 Pray for Enemies. 
 
 An ill-minded man annoyed St. Francis of Sales most griev- 
 ously, and would not be deterred even by the kindest words of 
 the saint. The latter, more grieved at the offence given to God 
 than at his own troubles, said to this man: " Would you believe 
 that if in your anger you put out cme. of my eyes, I would look 
 out of the other at you as if you were my best friend ? I cannot 
 deny that my human feelings are outraged at your insults, yet 
 the Word of God forbidding me to sin, teaches me to suppress 
 my feelings ; while the example of Our Lord on the cross pray- 
 ing for those who put Him to death must always be kept before 
 my mind." 
 
 Time foi» Pi^ayef. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 "We ought always to pray, and not to faint " (Luke xviii. i). 
 ''Pray without ceasing" (I. Thess. v. 17). "Whether you eat or 
 drink, or whatsoever else you do : do all to the glory of God " 
 (I. Cor. X. 31). "He will give his heart to resort early to the 
 Lord that made him, and he will pray in the sight of the Most 
 High. He will open his mouth in prayer, and will make suppli- 
 cation for his sins " (Ecclus. xxxix. 6, 7). " I have cried to 
 God : and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at 
 noon I will speak and declare : and He shall hear my voice" (Ps. 
 liv. 17, 18). " It is good to give praise to the Lord : and to 
 sing to Thy name, O Most High. To show forth Thy mercy in 
 the morning : and Thy truth in the night " (Ps. xci. 2, 3). 
 "And thou shalt have eaten and be full : take heed diligently 
 lest thou forget the Lord" (Deut. vi. 12, 13). "Bless God at 
 all times: and desire of Him to direct thy ways, and that all thy 
 counsels may abide in Him " (Tobias iv. 20). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 " Whosoever begins a discourse or any other affair, can follow 
 no better plan than to begin with God and end with God " (St. 
 
PRAYER IN GENERAL. 413 
 
 Gregory Nazianzen). " What, then, can be more benefiting than 
 for man to imitate the holy angels in heaven, and in the morning 
 to assemble his family for prayer, praise, and blessing his Creator 
 in hymns of adoration " (St. Basil). "We ought not to partake 
 of food till we have prayed ; and at our awaking we should 
 return thanks to our Creator. When we go out, we should arm 
 ourselves with prayer : when we return, we should pray before 
 we sit down. We should not rest our bodies till we have first 
 composed our souls " (St. Jerome). 
 
 EXAHPLES. 
 Pray without ceasing. 
 
 All pious souls, eager for their sanctification and salvation, 
 have endeavored to follow this admonition of praying always. 
 By offering up to God their smallest and their greatest actions, 
 they acquired merit for time and eternity. 
 
 St. Baldomere, a blacksmith, used to repeat at every blow of 
 his hammer, " In the name of God." 
 
 St. Climachus, a monastery cook, had every day to prepare 
 meals for two hundred and thirty persons, without counting 
 visitors. As he was always merry and laughing, people would 
 express their wonder that he would not sometimes grow weary 
 and ill-humored over his excessive and disagreeable work in the 
 kitchen. " Not at all," he would say cheerfully, " I simply keep 
 in mind that I am cooking for God, for Our Saviour assures us 
 that whatsoever is done for the least among the brethren, is done 
 for Him." 
 
 When St. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi was superioress over a 
 convent of religious, it was her practice to come suddenly upon 
 them while at their work, and ask them unexpectedly : *' Why 
 do you sew, why do you knit, why do you cook, why are you in 
 such a hurry, "etc.? The good sisters, remembering their admi- 
 rable training in their novitiate, would say : " For the love of 
 God ; for the honor of God; for the good of God's souls." 
 
 St. Ignatius, the founder of the Society of Jesus, used to ac- 
 company his every action with the words : " For the greater 
 glory of God." 
 
 St. Ludger. 
 
 We should never allow anything to keep us from saying (nir 
 morning and evening prayers regularly. Of fidelity to this duty 
 we have a touching instance in the life of St. Ludger, first bisliop 
 
414 PRAYER. 
 
 of Miinster. He had been called to court by Charlemagne, who 
 wished to profit by his wisdom and learning. Being called one 
 morning very early, while at his devotions, to meet the emperor, 
 he said he would go as soon as he had finished his morning 
 prayers. The emperor sent a second and third time, but St. 
 Ludger, knowing well that duty to God must go before duty to 
 man, replied each time that he would come as soon as he had 
 finished the portion of the office he had already begun. At 
 length when he appeared before the emperor and was questioned 
 about the delay, he said firmly: ''Emperor, I have always be- 
 lieved that your commands are to be obeyed, but that God's 
 commandments take the precedence. Such, too, was the coun- 
 sel you gave me when I was made bishop : that I was first of all 
 to serve God, and then obey your laws. Obedient to the 
 authority of this your command, and, surely, judging correctly 
 and justly, I do not doubt that God is to be preferred to you 
 and to all mortals ; nor did I believe you desired anything con- 
 trary to this command and right reason. I have not, therefore, 
 dishonored or despised your imperial majesty, as wicked men 
 have calumniated me, but have attended to that which I owe 
 God, for my salvation's sake ; and I have now come better quali- 
 fied to your service." The good emperor received the answer 
 graciously, saying : "I thank you, bishop, that you have proved 
 yourself such a man as I have always thought you to be. Con- 
 tinue, as in the past, to do God's will always ; and, faithful and 
 true to us, to remember our kingdom in your prayers." 
 
 The Abbot and the Camel=drivers. 
 
 Some camel-drivers who had lost their way in the passage 
 across the desert arrived with their tired beasts at the door of 
 Abbot Saba's cell. He supplied his guests with the best provi- 
 sions he could set before them, expressing his regret at not being 
 able to give them anything better than some roots and vegeta- 
 bles which he himself raised in his own small garden. On their 
 next journey through the desert the camel-drivers stopped at the 
 abbot's cell, and to show their gratitude for his kind hospitality 
 presented him with a good supply of cheese and a basket of fresh 
 dates. When the abbot showed his presents to the brethren of 
 the monastery, and praised the gratitude of the strangers, he be- 
 came very earnest, and said : " Wo to us ! these rude people are 
 heathens ; yet they, instead of forgetting a slight favor, man- 
 ifest their gratefulness by giving rich presents. How repre- 
 
PRAYER IN GENERAL. 415 
 
 hensible, aye, how unpardonable, it is in iis Christians, who pre- 
 tend to recognize God as our greatest benefactor, to enjoy His 
 daily benefits to us, and yet make so little effort to show Him our 
 gratitude by pious, childlike prayer." All took to heart the 
 timely words of the abbot, and with sincere thanks to God par- 
 took of the gifts given to them by the abbot. 
 
 John Berchtnans. 
 
 This servant of God never began any duty without previously 
 invoking God in prayer for guidance and help. It was his firm- 
 est conviction that prayer is a most salutary remedy for all im- 
 perfections. Hence he used to say often : ** If I do not love 
 prayer, I cannot live in peace." When he prayed, he would kneel 
 down, close his eyes, cross his hands on his breast, and become 
 penetrated with devout fervor, that those who were praying near 
 him would become animated with a special glow of devotion, 
 and be drawn into increased prayerfulness. 
 
 Pray before every Important Business. 
 
 As often as Josue in his wars called on God, he was success- 
 ful. Once he failed to call on God, and met with disaster. 
 Achab called on God to help him against the Syrians with the 
 mighty army and their three-and twenty allied kings, and he 
 was victorious. King David, with only four hundred men, was 
 contending against the numerous and cruel Amalecites. Al- 
 though he was discouraged, yet the Scripture tells us he strength- 
 ened himself in the Lord his God. Asking for divine guidance 
 and help, he was told to give them chase and he would conquer 
 them and capture their booty. He struck them successfully, and 
 captured all except four hundred young men who fled on camels. 
 When the devout Judith was about to destroy Holofernes, she 
 called fervently on God for light and strength, and effected her 
 purpose. When Mardocliai and the whole Jewish people were 
 in danger of being exterminated, the pious Esther, through her 
 humble prayers to God, softened the heart of King Assuerus, 
 and saved her people. 
 
 The Place fof Pfayet*. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 "Am I, think ye, a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a 
 God afar off? 
 
4l6 PRAYER. 
 
 " Shall a man be hid in secret places, and I not see him, saith 
 the Lord ? Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord ?" (Jer. 
 xxiii. 23, 24.) 
 
 "And when ye pray, you 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 rev^^ard. 
 
 " 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 " (Matt. vi. 5, 6). 
 
 "My house shall be called the house of prayer" (Matt. xxi. 
 '3). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 "No place is without God, and every place is in God. He is 
 in heaven. He is in the depths. He is over the seas " (St. Hilarius). 
 " God despises no place ; He merely requires a devout heart and 
 an upright soul. Paul prayed while lying in bondage and irons, 
 even in prison, and moved the foundations of the jail " (St. Chrys- 
 ostom). " You can, of course, pray all alone in the house. But it 
 cannot be that you pray so well and profitably when alone, as in the 
 church, where so many pray with you, where you are stimulated 
 by the example of so many, and where the supplications of all 
 rise to the throne of God " (St. Chrysostom). 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 We can Pray Everywhere. 
 
 We can pray everywhere and find a hearing with God. Daniel 
 prayed in the lions' den and was heard. Manasses prayed in the 
 darkness of a prison and loaded with chains, yet his prayer as- 
 cended to the throne of God, and was made acceptable. Eze- 
 chias prayed in his camp, Jonas in the whale's belly, Job on a 
 dunghill, and all were heard. The Babylonian youths and 
 many Christian martyrs praised and glorified God in the midst 
 of the flames that consumed them. 
 
 Constant Prayer. 
 
 St. Francis of Sales, no matter where he was, raised himself 
 by pious contemplation of even earthly things to the throne of 
 God. When enjoying the beauty of the fields, he would say: 
 "We, too, are fields, laid out and prepared by God, that we may 
 produce good fruit." When looking at a rich and stately 
 church, he would remark; "We, too, are temples of the living 
 
PRAYER IN GENERAL. 41^ 
 
 God. Why are not our souls adorned with virtues ?" When he 
 saw beautiful flowers, he would ask : " Why are not our flowers 
 of virtue followed by good fruit ?" When he looked at fine and 
 costly pictures, he would remark : " Nothing is fairer than a 
 human soul made after God's own likeness." Passing through 
 a garden, he would sigh, and say : "When shall the gardens of 
 our souls be so well kept and cultivated as to yield fair flowers 
 and sweet fruits ? " At the sight of a fountain he would yearn 
 for the happy day when he could drink without interruption the 
 living waters from the fountain of his divine Saviour. When 
 crossing a river, he used to ask : " When shall we be merged into 
 our God as this river flows into the great ocean ? " 
 
 St. Ignatius.— St. Chrysostom. 
 
 Even the early Christians used to assemble for common 
 prayer, for they were convinced that such mutual devotions pro- 
 duced salutary results in their souls, and moved their heavenly 
 Father to listen favorably. Hence Tertullian writes : " We meet 
 together in large numbers, that, like a mighty army, we may with 
 one voice and united strength find a hearing before God for our 
 prayer, and obtain our requests. In that way we force, as it 
 were, the Almighty, Who is, however, beyond force, and do Him 
 violence that He may hear us. And, lo ! this pressure is even 
 pleasing to Him." St. Ignatius, the holy martyr, exhorts the 
 faithful at Magnesia, saying : " Come all together to pray in the 
 house of God. Let there be one prayer, one sentiment, one 
 hope in undisguised love and joy. For Christ is but one, and 
 there is nothing more precious than He." St. Chrysostom testi- 
 fied to the people of Antioch : " True, we can pray in solitude ; 
 but not as in the church, where the invocation ascends to God in 
 many voices united. You will not be heard in the same way 
 when you pray for yourself alone as when you pray with your 
 brethren ; for here is something more, namely, unity, harmony, 
 and the bonds of peace." 
 
 Faulty Pf ayep. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 "You ask, and receive not : because you ask amiss" (James 
 iv. 3). *' We know that God doth not hear sinners" (John ix. 
 31). "Then shall they call upon Me, and I will not hear" (Prov. 
 i. 28). "And when ye pray, you shall not be as the liypocrites, 
 
41 8 PRAYER. 
 
 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 " i^^NIatt. vi. 5). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROT THE FATHERS. 
 
 "Many invoke God in prayer, but not as God. They ask of 
 God such things as show they do nut seek the honor of God, but 
 something which they can consume in their passions. They 
 degrade God to be their subject and their servant, the servant of 
 their desires, their pride, their avarice, their lustful lives. How 
 then could God hear them or grant their prayer?" (St. Augus- 
 tine.) " He who would turn to an evil purpose whatever he 
 would ask of God receives no:hing, because God realh' has pity 
 on him " (The Same). " How can you ask God to care for you 
 when you do not take care of yourself?" (St. Cyprian.) "If 
 there is any one who prays in a mere hypocritical way, and not 
 from his heart, he may strive and struggle : it is all in vain. And 
 I am not sorry if he suffer punishment for his treachery " (St. 
 Gregory Xazianzen). '' The Almighty God will not hear the 
 prayer of that man in trouble who does not fulfil his command- 
 ments in practice ; for it is becoming that he should be shut out 
 from God's benefits who, instead of submitting to God's laws, 
 chooses to continue to wilfully live in sin and vice" (St. Law- 
 rence Justinian). " Whosoever prays with words onh*. heaps upon 
 himself sin where he should increase his merits " (Caesar of 
 Aries). '' Where is the faith among you Christians, who pray 
 with your lips and in your mind turn your back on God ? " (St. 
 Jerome.) "He is a fool who. when he has the choice, chooses 
 lead instead of precious gold : who despises pearls, and with in- 
 dustry gathers mussels ; who, when he might partake of choice 
 fruit, is content with sour grapes and wild acorns. In a word, he 
 is a fool who neither seeks nor desires the most useful and neces- 
 sary when he might have them both " (St. Chrysostom). 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 The Dumb Woman and the Three Blind 7\en. 
 
 St. Vincent Ferrer was one day accosted by a dumb woman, 
 who made signs to him that she would like to have an alms, and 
 also that he would have the kindness to beg of God to give her 
 the use of her tongue. Willingly the holy and compassionate 
 servant of God gave an alms, but informed her that he would 
 
PRAYER IN GENERAL. 419 
 
 not ask God to give her the use of her speech, for he knew that 
 it would do her soul more harm than good. 
 
 Something similar is related in the life of St. Ubaldus. Three 
 blind men came to him and besought him to obtain for them the 
 use of their eyes. Ubaldus prayed fervently to God, and cured 
 two of them, whilst he exhorted the third to have patience, say- 
 ing : "It would be of no service to you to receive your sight; 
 without it you will serve the Lord better, and in the glory of 
 heaven you will see Him clearer than many to whom God has 
 given eyesight here below." With these words the saint left the 
 blind man with his request refused. 
 
 It is thus that God often deals with us. He leaves our prayers 
 unheard because He knows that we pray for something that 
 would lead to our detriment, and perhaps our eternal loss. 
 
 Antiochus Epiphanes. 
 
 The wicked King Antiochus Epiphanes, of whose pride and 
 cruelty the Holy Scripture gives us such dismal account, was 
 visited by God with a horrible disease. As he lay helpless in his 
 pain and misery he began to pray, making to the Lord the fairest 
 promises. But it was all a matter of self-interest, and even of 
 hypocrisy, for his heart was buried in sin, and he prayed merely 
 in the hope to escape the swift-coming penalties of God. There- 
 fore the Lord, instead of hearing his prayer, permitted him to be 
 consumed by worms till he drew his last breath. 
 
 The Sick Emperor and the Anchoret. 
 
 Theodore Siceota, the holy anchoret, was summoned to Con- 
 stantinople, to cure the emperor by means of prayer. Laying 
 his holy hands on the sick monarch, the pains ceased at once. 
 But as Theodore wished rather to give to the emperor a proof of 
 the power of faith and prayer, the relief was only temporary, and 
 the pains returned in a few days. In obedience to a second call, 
 Theodore left his cell again and came to Constantinople. But 
 he quietly told the emperor that no prayer could bring him relief 
 as long as he continued to oppress his subjects, shed their blood 
 in streams, as he was then doing ; nor until he strove with all 
 earnestness and sincerity to amend his wicked life. 
 
 St. Bridget. 
 
 St. Bridget having suffered for a long time from many severe 
 and malignant bodily diseases, begged God to lessen her pains 
 
420 PRAYER. 
 
 and trials. But all was useless. The more she prayed the 
 worse she became. In a moment of weakness, when her pains 
 were almost beyond endurance, she exclaimed : '' For years, O 
 Lord, I have prayed, and Thou hast not heard me ; of what use 
 are all my prayers? I see and know that my petitions have no 
 value in Thy eyes. Therefore I will not trouble Thee any more 
 with my importunities." 
 
 With such thoughts in her mind she fell into a slumber, in 
 which she seemed to hear the Blessed Virgin say : " What is this, 
 Bridget, my daughter ? Are you going to cease praying? Do 
 you mean to obey the evil suggestions of your enemy, and thus 
 lose the double crown intended to reward your zeal and con- 
 stancy in prayer ? Do you really intend to stray from the path 
 of holiness, and wander into the road of perdition ? O my 
 daughter, do you not know that your divine Spouse merely 
 wished to try whether you were deserving of His love. Are you 
 unwilling to stand the test?" Thus spoke the Queen of heaven. 
 St. Bridget was ashamed of her weakness in faith, and from that 
 time forward continued to pray with greater fervor and persist- 
 ence and fond hope and confidence than she had ever done dur- 
 ing the whole of her previous life. 
 
 lyiental Ppayef. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 " If I have remembered Thee upon my bed, I will meditate 
 Thee on the morning " (Ps. Ixii. 7). *' I will hear wliat the Lord 
 God will speak in me " (Ps. Ixxxiv. 9). " O how I have loved 
 Thy law, O Lord ! it is my meditation all the day " (Ps. cxviii. 
 97). " I meditated on all Thy works : I mused upon the works 
 of Thy hands " (Ps. cxlii. 5). 
 
 *' Blessed is the man that shall continue in wisdom, and that 
 shall meditate in His justice, and in his mind shall think of the 
 all-seeing eye of God. He that considereth her ways in his 
 heart, and hath understanding in her secrets, who goeth after 
 her as one that traceth, and strayeth in her ways. He who look- 
 eth in at her windows and hearkeneth at her doors " (Ecclus. xiv. 
 22-24). " Thou that seest many things, wilt thou not observe 
 them ? Thou that hast ears open, wilt thou not hear ? " (Isaias 
 xlii. 20.) 
 
PRAYER IN GENERAL. 
 
 421 
 
 ST. ALPHONSUS ON MEDITATION. 
 
 {From the ^''Spouse 0/ Christ.'''') 
 
 He who neglects meditation, and is distracted with worldly 
 affairs, shall not know his spiritual wants, the danger to which 
 his salvation is exposed, the means which he must adopt in order 
 to conquer temptations, or even the necessity of the prayer of 
 petition for all men ; thus he shall give up the practice of prayer, 
 and by neglecting to ask God's graces he will certainly be lost. 
 
 Meditation and Prayer. 
 
 The great Bishop Palafox, in his "Annotations to the Letters of 
 St. Teresa," says (lib. viii. n. lo) : " How can charity last unless 
 God gives perseverance ? How will the Lord give us perseverance 
 if we neglect to ask Him for it ? And how shall we ask Him with- 
 out mental prayer? Without mental prayer there is not the 
 communication with God which is necessary for the preservation 
 of virtue.'" And Cardinal Bellarmine says that for him who 
 neglects meditation it is morally impossible to live without sin. 
 
422 PRAYER. 
 
 Some one may say : I do not make mental prayer, but I say 
 many vocal prayers. But it is necessary to know, as St. 
 Augustine remarks, that to obtain the divine grace it is not 
 enough to pray with the tongue, it is necessary also to pray 
 with the heart. On the words of David : " I cried to the Lord 
 with my voice " (Ps. cxli.), the holy doctor says : " Many cry, 
 not with their own voice (that is, not with the interior voice of 
 the soul), but with that of the body. Your thoughts are a cry to 
 the Lord. Cry within, where God hears " (Ps. v. 30). This is 
 what the Apostle inculcates. "Praying at all times in the spirit" 
 (Eph. vi. 18). In general, vocal prayers are said distractedly with 
 the voice of the body, but not of the heart, especially when they 
 are long, and still more especially when they are said by a person 
 who does not make mental prayer ; and therefore God seldom 
 hears them, and seldom grants the graces asked. Many say the 
 rosary, the office of the Blessed Virgin, and perform other works 
 of devotion ; but they still continue in sin. But it is impossible 
 for him who perseveres in mental prayer to continue in sin ; he 
 will either give up meditation or renounce sin. A great servant 
 of God used to say that mental prayer and sin cannot exist 
 together. And this we see by experience : they who make 
 mental prayer rarely incur the enmity of God ; and should they 
 ever have the misfortune of falling into sin, by persevering in 
 mental prayer they see their misery and return to God. Let a 
 soul, says St. Teresa, be ever so negligent, if she persevere in 
 meditation the Lord will bring her back to the haven of sal- 
 vation. 
 
 In a word, all the saints have become saints by mental prayer. 
 Mental prayer is the blessed furnace in which souls are inflamed 
 with the divine love. " In my meditations," says David, " a fire 
 shall" flame out " (Ps. xxxviii. 4). St. Vincent de Paul used to 
 say that it would be a miracle if a sinner who attends at the ser- 
 mons in the mission, or in the spiritual exercises, were not con- 
 verted. Now he who preaches and speaks in the exercises is 
 only a man ; but it is God Himself that speaks to the soul in 
 meditation. " I will lead her into the wilderness ; and I will 
 speak to her heart " (Osee ii. 14). St. Catharine of Bologna used 
 to say : " He who does'not practise mental prayer deprives him- 
 self of the bond that unites the soul with God ; hence, finding 
 her alone, the devil will easily make her his own." " How," she 
 would say, " can I conceive that the love of God is found in the 
 soul that cares but little to treat with God in prayer?" And 
 
PRAYER IN GENERAL. 423 
 
 where but in meditation have the saints been inflamed with 
 divine love? By means of mental prayer St. Peter of Alcantara 
 was inflamed to such a degree that, in order to cool himself, he 
 ran into a frozen pool, and the frozen water began to boil like 
 water in a caldron placed on the fire. In mental prayer St. 
 Philip Neri became inflamed, and trembled so that he shook the 
 entire room. In mental prayer St. Aloysius Gonzaga was so in- 
 flamed with divine ardor that his very face appeared to be on 
 fire, and his heart beat as strongly as if it wished to fly from the 
 body. "Ex oratione," says St. Lawrence Justinian, " fugatur 
 tentatio, absedit tristitia, virtus reparatur, excitatur fervor, et 
 divina amoris flamma succrescit " (De cast. Con. c. 22, n. 4): By 
 the efficacy of mental prayer, temptation is banished, sadness is 
 driven away, lost virtue is restored, fervor which has grown cold 
 is excited, and the lovely flame of divine love is augmented. 
 Hence St. Aloysius Gonzaga has justly said that he who does not 
 make much mental prayer shall never attain a high degree of 
 perfection. 
 
 A man of prayer (says David) is like a tree planted near the 
 current of waters, which brings forth fruit in due time ; all his 
 actions prosper before God. " Blessed is the man . . . who shall 
 meditate on His law day and night ! And he shall be like a tree 
 planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit 
 in due season, and his leaf shall not fall off, and all whatsoever he 
 shall do shall prosper " (Ps. i. 3). Mark the words " in due season," 
 that is, at the time when he ought to bear such a pain, such an 
 affront, etc. St. John Chrysostom compared mental prayer to a 
 fountain in the middle of a garden. Oh, what an abundance of 
 flowers and verdant plants do we see in the garden which is 
 always refreshed with water from the fountain! Such precisely 
 is the soul that practises mental prayer: you will see that she 
 always advances in good desires, and that she always brings forth 
 more abundant fruits of virtue. Whence does she receive so 
 many blessings? From meditation, by which she is continually 
 irrigated. " Thy plants are a paradise of pomegranates with the 
 fruits of the orchard, . . . the fountain of gardens, tlie well of 
 living waters, which run with a strong stream from Libanus" 
 (Cant. iv. 13, etc.). But let the fountains cease to water tlie 
 garden, and, behold ! the flowers, plants, and all instaiUly witlier 
 away; and why? Because the water has failed. You will see 
 that as long as such a religious makes mental prayer she is mod- 
 est, humble, devout, and mortified in all things. But let her omit 
 
424 PRAYER. 
 
 meditation, and you shall instantly find her wanting in modesty 
 of the eyes, proud, resenting every word, indevout, no longer 
 frequenting the sacraments and the church ; you shall find her 
 attached to vanity, to useless conversations, to pastimes, and to 
 earthly pleasures, and why ? The water has failed, and there- 
 fore fervor has ceased. " My soul is as earth without water unto 
 Thee. . . . My spirit has fainted away " (Ps. cxlii. 6, etc.). She 
 has neglected mental prayer ; the garden is therefore dried up, 
 and the miserable soul goes from bad to worse. When a soul 
 abandons meditation St. Chrysostom regards her not only as 
 sick, but as dead. " He," says the holy doctor, " who prays not to 
 God, nor desires to enjoy assiduously His divine conversation, 
 is dead. . . . The death of the soul is not to be prostrated before 
 God " (lib. i., de Orando Deo). 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 The Correct Eye. 
 
 St. Felix of Cantalicio, born of poor but pious parents, when 
 a boy was hired to tend cattle, and when older entered the service 
 of an estated gentleman to take care of his flocks and herds. 
 Knowing how to utilize his worldly employments for the good of 
 his soul, he offered up all his duties as a prayer to God. He 
 would arise early so as to hear Mass every morning, and during 
 the day would pray at every opportunit}^ under a tree, in the 
 bark of which he had carved a simple cross. 
 
 While his hands were busy at work his soul was raised to God. 
 Nature itself became his teacher and preacher, exhorting him to 
 love, honor, and praise the great Creator. Although devoid of 
 learning, he became a great proficient in heavenly contemplation, 
 and advanced in every virtue. He was never known to utter a 
 complaint, nor evince any sign of impatience or discontent. 
 When any one annoyed him he would say, " May our blessed 
 Lord make you a saint." Becoming a lay-brother in the Capuchin 
 Order, he spent many years begging through the streets of Rome. 
 Distracting as was his occupation, he always remained absorbed 
 in thoughts on his soul and his Creator. When asked how he 
 managed to keep his mind always fixed on spiritual things, he 
 would answer, "All created things lift us up to God, if we look 
 at them in the proper light and with a correct eye." 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 
 
 425 
 
 Prayer of Opportunity. 
 
 Gotthold, a devout farmer, had accustomed himself to con- 
 template everything in a religious sense, and to compare the 
 doings of nature with the doings of men, in order to draw whole- 
 some lessons from everything that fell under his notice. This 
 becoming known, he was often sought out by persons who wished 
 to profit by his study and meditation. 
 
 Thus a friend one day told him that he had seen a hawk descend 
 from the air for the purpose of stealing a fowl, and asked whether 
 such an incident could suggest any good or useful thought. 
 ''Why not?" rejoined Gotthold. "That bird is a figure of a 
 worldly-minded man, who, while wearing an appearance of god- 
 liness, denies the power thereof" (II. Tim. iii. 5). That bird soars 
 aloft, and would seem to aim at heaven, while its sharp eyes are 
 constantly turned towards the earth, watching for prey. Such 
 are all hypocrites. Their conversation is on sublime topics ; they 
 go to church, and even approach the sacraments ; they pray, read, 
 and sing, but their hearts are on the earth. 
 
 Zhc ®ur 3fatbei\ 
 Ifnttobuctton. 
 
 The Gfeat ImpoftaiiGe of the Out* pathep. 
 H^STl^UCTIOfl. 
 
 HE greatest and sublimest prayer is the "Our 
 Father," or the " Lord's Prayer, ' and this (i) on 
 account of its origin, (2) on account of its con- 
 tents, (3) on account of its beauty and power. 
 The " Our Father " originated witii Jesus Christ 
 Himself. He it was Who taught it to us ; there- 
 fore it is called the " Lord's Prayer." 
 
 One of the disciples once found the divine Re- 
 deemer engaged in prayer. He saw with what ardor, 
 with what fervor, Christ prayed. He saw that his Lord and 
 Master was in truth also the master of prayer. The sight filled 
 him with reverent wonder; and, carried away with ilie desire to 
 pray as ardently and devoutly, with as much fervor and unction. 
 
426 PRAYER. 
 
 as his divine Master, he confidently approached and besought 
 Him, " Lord, teach us to pray." Teach us to pray from our in- 
 most hearts, as Thou dost, and as Thou alone canst. Then Jesus, 
 turning lovingly to His disciples, said : "When you are praying, 
 speak not much, as the heathens ; for they think that in their 
 much speaking they may be heard. Be not you therefore like 
 to them ; for your Father knoweth what is needful for you before 
 you ask Him. Thus therefore shall you pray : 
 
 " Our Father Who art in heaven, 
 
 " Hallowed be Thy name. 
 
 " Thy kingdom come, 
 
 *'Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 
 
 " Give us this day our daily bread, 
 
 "And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that tres- 
 pass against us. 
 
 "And lead us not into temptation, 
 
 "But deliver us from evil. Amen." 
 
 In regard to its import, the Our Father is the most excellent 
 and most sublime prayer, for it contains all that we can expect 
 from God, and tells how to pray to God, and what to ask for. If 
 we examine all the prayers contained in the Bible we shall not 
 find anything that is not already contained in the Lord's Prayer. 
 
 Rightly does St. Cyprian style the Lord's Prayer " the gospel 
 abridged." 
 
 The Our Father, finally, is the most excellent of all prayers, 
 because it has greater power and value before God than any other 
 prayer. 
 
 This is a certain truth, for Christ tells us to ask in His name 
 and we shall infallibly receive what we ask. Now, never do we 
 pray so truthfully in His name as when we pray in His own 
 words. Hence there can be no more powerful prayer than that 
 which Jesus taught us. 
 
 The Our Father consists of a preface and seven petitions, of 
 which the first three relate to the promoting of God's glory, and 
 the other four to the welfare of body and soul for ourselves and 
 fellow-men, for time and eternity. 
 
The Our Father. 
 427 
 
428 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 t^EFIiECTIO^. 
 Vai»ious Comments on the Iioi»d's Ppayep. 
 
 TERTULLIAN. 
 
 ERTULLIAN, that ancient priest of the church 
 in Carthage, a distinguished teacher and writer, 
 writes thus concerning the Lord's Prayer: 
 "How brief in words, yet how rich in matter, is 
 the Lord's Prayer ! It not only contains a prayer 
 as it should be, not only the correct method of 
 honoring God, and the things for which men 
 should pray, but also all that the Lord taught and 
 ordained ; so that, in fact, the whole Gospel condensed 
 is to be found in it. On this prayer are to be founded all other 
 prayers, and all others are to be sealed and stamped with it." 
 
 ST. CYPRIAN. 
 
 This holy Church Father says of the Lord's Prayer: "How 
 full of mystery, beloved brethren, is the Our Father ! How many 
 and what great things are contained within it ! How manifold 
 its spiritual meaning ! So much so, that nothing is left out. 
 Everything for which we could ask is contained within this short 
 epitome of heavenly teachings." 
 
 THOMAS A KEMPIS. 
 
 The devout and venerable Thomas a Kempis speaks of the 
 sublimity and excellence of the Our Father in words bordering 
 on inspiration. He says : " Amid all that is noble there is noth- 
 ing nobler than virtue ; amid all that is fair there is nothing 
 fairer than chastity ; amid all knowledge there is none higher 
 than wisdom ; amid all books of devotion there is none more 
 salutary than the Life of Christ ; amid all prayer and praise 
 there is none better or holier than the Our Father. The Lord's 
 Prayer surpasses all the prayers of the saints, it exceeds all the 
 love affections of inspired and ardent souls. It contains in itself 
 all the sayings of the prophets and the honeyed words of the 
 psalms and canticles. It asks for all that is necessary. It praises 
 God becomingly, penetrates the clouds, ascends above the angels, 
 carries the mind to heaven, and unites the soul with God. Happy 
 is he who ponders well all the words of the Lord, the golden 
 words of the Our Father." 
 
 THE WIDOW OF THECUA. 
 
 In the fourteenth chapter of the Second Book of Kings we 
 read that Joab employed a simple widow woman to reconcile 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 
 
 429 
 
 David with his son Absalom, who had fallen into disfavor. Hav- 
 ing learned from Joab the words to be used, the good widow 
 repaired to the presence of the king, and falling on her knees 
 made known the object of her coming. David, very much moved, 
 inquired of the woman who had instructed her. She answered, 
 "My king and my master, the words that I have spoken to thee 
 have been put into my mouth by thy faithful servant Joab." At 
 once the king granted the widow's prayer. 
 
 What may we not obtain from God if we approach Him with 
 a prayer containing the words of His own beloved Son? May 
 we not say to Him, in the words of the woman of Thecua : " My 
 Lord and my King, the words that I address to Thee have been 
 put into my mouth, not, indeed, by Thy faithful servant Joab, 
 but by Thy own divine Son." Will not such language move the 
 Lord to give us what we ask and need ? 
 
 JORDAN, GENERAL OF THE DOMINICAN ORDER. 
 
 A priest of his monastery once asked the blessed Jordan, gen- 
 eral of the Dominican Order, how they would ever be able to 
 thank God suitably and sufficiently for all the abundant alms 
 bestowed on their monastery by kind and generous benefactors. 
 The holy man replied : " One single Our Father, if said with true 
 inward devotion, is a rich compensation for all benefits received. 
 This short prayer will bring down blessings from heaven on all 
 who bestow alms in true Christian charity on the poor and desti- 
 tute." 
 
 XTbe prelude to tbe ©ur jfatber, 
 
 *' Ouf pathep IXXIno Qi»t in ^eaven.'* 
 
 IfiSTHOCTIOiri. 
 
 S is becoming, the Lord's Prayer opens with a 
 prelude. Whenever we ask some great person- 
 age for a favor we do not begin by abruptly say- 
 ing, " Give me this, or give me that." We 
 make some kind of an introduction. Is it not, 
 then, becoming that we should first honor with 
 His appropriate title our loving God and Lord 
 of heaven and earth before we presume to ask 
 
 for a favor ? Hence we address God here with the words, " Our 
 
 Father Who art in heaven." 
 
 Our divine Saviour Himself directed us, wlienever we pray 
 
 to God, to address Him, not as *' Creator," ** Lord," or " Majesty," 
 
43° 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 but simply as "Father," for He wished to encourage us to draw 
 near to the eternal Father with love and confidence. 
 
 The title Creator, Lord, Majesty, contains the idea of grandeur 
 and severity, and is apt to beget fear within our hearts. The 
 word Father, on the contrary, reminds us of all the good that 
 God has bestowed upon us, and this remembrance awakes 
 within us a happy confidence that He Who gave without being 
 asked, gave us so much unspeakable good, will also grant us the 
 gifts for which we do ask if they be for our spiritual benefit. 
 
 Christ is really the only begotten Son of God. As far as we 
 are concerned, who are children of God only by grace of adop- 
 tion, God is our common Father. Hence we are all brothers 
 and sisters, and as such are obliged to love one another, and also 
 to pray that our brethren may receive the good things which we 
 ask for ourselves. 
 
 Hence Christ teaches us to say our Father, and not 7ny 
 Father. 
 
 The words " Who art in heaven " were added by Christ in 
 order to distinguish the one true God Who dwells chiefly in 
 heaven from the false gods which the heathens believe to dwell 
 in the woods, mountains, lakes, and rivers. By this our divine 
 Saviour wished to strengthen us in the true faith, and to guard 
 us against the worship of all false gods. Also, by these words 
 we acknowledge that we are here below but pilgrims, and that 
 our true home is in heaven ; for where the Father is, there too 
 should the children be. 
 
 Lastly, these words remind us that when we pray we should 
 divest ourselves of all earthly thoughts, and fix our attention on 
 heaven. 
 
 HHFIiECTIO]^. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 AVE we not all one Father ? hath not one 
 God created us?" (Mai. ii. lo.) "For you 
 have not received the spirit of bondage again 
 in fear, but you have received the spirit of 
 adoption of sons, whereby we cry : Abba 
 (Father)" (Rom. viii. 15). "You are all the 
 children of God by faith, in Christ Jesus. 
 There is neither Jew nor Greek ; there is 
 neither bond nor free: there is neither male nor female. For 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 43I 
 
 you are all one in Christ Jesus " (Gal. iii. 26, etc.). " Behold 
 what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, that 
 we should be called, and should be, the sons of God " (I. John 
 iii. i). "But be not you called Rabbi ; for one is your Master, 
 and all you are brethren. And call none your Father upon 
 earth : for one is your Father, Who is in heaven " (Matt, xxiii. 
 8,9). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 "In order to enkindle and encourage within us men child- 
 like confidence, Jesus Christ attributed to the Lord no other 
 name but the loving one of Father. He could have styled Him 
 Creator, Lord, or His Majesty ; but He did not, for such terms 
 imply sternness and severity, and might beget in us a certain 
 fear. But the name Father suggests love and generates confi- 
 dence, and hence it is prefixed as the first word to the Lord's 
 Prayer " (St. Francis of Sales). " Great, indeed, dearly beloved, 
 is this mystery of grace, and admirable the favor above all other 
 favors, that God calls man, child, and man calls God, Father" 
 (Leo the Great). " O what a royal word, so full of sweetness 
 and loving consolation : with fervent devotion should man utter 
 it. What mortal would have ever dared to call Thee Father, 
 Who art the almighty Ruler, if Thy onl}'- begotten Son had not 
 permitted it?" (Louis of Granada.) "If God is my Father, it 
 belongs to His nature that He love me and grant me all things 
 necessary, that He guide me, protect me, defend me, advise me, 
 instruct me, and when necessary, punish me : that He consider 
 me His child and make me His heir " (The Same). " In order 
 that we may pray to God with confidence, Our Saviour taught us 
 that when we pray to God in the Lord's Prayer for the graces 
 necessary to our salvation, all of which are contained in that 
 prayer, we should call Him Father, and not Lord. Our Father : 
 for He wishes that when we ask God for graces, we should do it 
 with the same confidence as a poor sick son would ask liis earthly 
 father for help and medicine. If, for example, a son were dying 
 of hunger, it would certainly be enough for him to inform his 
 father, and the latter would furnish him with food. Or if the son 
 had been bitten by a poisonous serpent, it would be enough to 
 show the wound to his father, and the latter would apply a rem- 
 edy " (St. Alphonsus Liguori). 
 
 '* You are all children of God, therefore you should be of one 
 heart and one mind, that you may be able to say worthily * Our 
 
 I 
 
432 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 Father*" (St. Chrysostom). *' Christ did not teach us to say 
 * my Father,' but * our Father/ that we may pray in common 
 and for one another. The Lord's Prayer is then also the public 
 and com- 
 mon prayer 
 of Chris- 
 tians " (St. 
 Cyp r ia n). 
 ''We must 
 exert o u r- 
 selves to be 
 in truth 
 children of 
 God. For 
 God is only 
 then our 
 Father 
 when we 
 work for 
 good. On 
 the c o n - 
 trary,He be- 
 comes our 
 judge when 
 we commit 
 sin" (St. 
 Ambrose). 
 "The Lord's 
 Prayer is 
 univer sa 1 , 
 incl ud i n g 
 all the faith- 
 ful i n a S- 
 
 much as they are all at once our brothers in Christ and children of 
 the same heavenly Father. Hence Our Saviour did not wish that 
 we should say ' give me,' but ' give us ' ; not ' forgive me,' but ' for- 
 give us'; not * my Father,' but 'our Father'; that we might 
 thereby infer that the welfare of our fellow-men should be as near 
 our hearts as our own welfare. Under this Father the master and 
 his servants are brothers. Under this Father the general and the 
 soldier are brothers. Under this Father the rich and poor are the 
 brethren, Qn the earth Christians have divers fathers, some 
 
 " Our Father Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.' 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 433 
 
 noble, some plebeian, but they all invoke one Father Who is in 
 heaven " (St. Augustine). " In the name Father there is con- 
 tained a sure and favorable reception; for before we pray, we 
 have already received the great favor of being permitted to say 
 ' Our Father.' What, then, will be refused to His suppliant 
 children by a God Who has already permitted them to be His 
 children " (The Same). 
 
 COMPARISON. 
 
 Every one when writing to his parents or friends, and more 
 especially to an unknown person, will preface his letter with 
 some mode of address suitable to the person's dignity and call- 
 ing. Higher than all earthly dignitaries is God, Whom we should 
 address with His proper title, when about to offer Him a prayer. 
 If, in ordinary life, we endeavor to give terms of respect to 
 our fellow-men, should we not endeavor to pronounce with 
 the utmost reverence the salutation " Our Father, Who art in 
 heaven " ? 
 
 EXAnPLES. 
 The Peasant in the Palace^ 
 
 A poor countryman, having met with a succession of misfort- 
 unes which reduced himself and his helpless family to hopeless 
 destitution, was sorely perplexed to know where to apply for 
 any relief. One day it occurred to him to call on a rich prince 
 in a neighboring town, who was well known for his generosity. 
 The poor man, leaving his wife and children weeping with cold 
 and hunger, set off on his journey. As he travelled along the 
 road he grew uneasy as to the manner in which he should ap- 
 proach and address the prince. " What shall I say to this great 
 man ? " was the question ever presenting itself to the poor man's 
 mind. At last he reached the palace, and went in ; but the pro- 
 fuse magnificence of the grand halls, as he went on from one 
 to another, completely dazed him, till at length he perceived a 
 pretty little chapel to one side. Then he said to himself, " I will 
 go no further : instead of appealing to an earthly prince I will 
 call on the Blessed Lord, Who once, like me, had not whereon to 
 lay His aching head. I have only to say His own plain words, 
 as I learned them in the ' Our Father,' and He will be pleased 
 with my petition." So, falling on his knees, he made known his 
 woes to the Prince of all princes, and then arose and went home 
 with renewed feelings of confidence. When drawing near his 
 
434 PRAYER. 
 
 poor cabin he was met by his children, who joyfully told him 
 that a great prince from the city had sent them an abundance of 
 provisions, clothing, fuel, and other necessaries. The truth was, 
 the prince had heard of the poor countryman's misfortunes and 
 subsequent destitution; had recognized him timidly approaching 
 the palace, and seen him kneeling in the chapel, and had antici- 
 pated his wishes by sending relief to the family. 
 
 St. Louis, King of France. 
 
 St. Louis, King of France, always cherished great respect 
 and affection for the place of his baptism. Often and often he 
 would kneel down before the sacred baptismal font in the Castle 
 Chapel at Poissy, where he had been baptized, and pass hours in 
 thanksgiving to God for the favors bestowed upon him in that 
 holy sacrament. Often, too, he used to sign his name to the 
 most important documents simply as " Louis of Poissy," and 
 without any symbol of his royal dignity. When asked by his 
 courtiers why he went so often to the chapel at Poissy — why he 
 preferred that unseemly, insignificant little chapel to the grand 
 and stately cathedral at Rheims, in which he had been crowned 
 king, he used to reply : " Have I not good reason for being more 
 fond of the spot where I obtained the dignity of Christian than 
 of the place where I received only the empty, fleeting honors of 
 an earthly king? At Rheims I was decorated with the crown of 
 my father, and anointed as an earthly ruler ; but at Poissy I 
 was adorned with the precious crown of Jesus Christ, and 
 anointed as a child of God. By my coronation at Rheims I re- 
 ceived the right only to rule over my subjects and to sit upon 
 an earthly throne, whose power and splendor must leave me at 
 my death ; but at my baptism in Poissy, on the contrary, I re- 
 ceived the right to sit upon a throne of everlasting glory in 
 heaven." 
 
 St. riatilda. 
 
 This devout servant of God once asked Him what she should 
 believe the most firmly concerning His unspeakable goodness. 
 The Lord answered her : " My daughter ! believe with confi- 
 dence that I shall always receive you, as the loving father re- 
 ceives his favorite child. For surely, no father has ever given so 
 bountifully and willingly his best gifts to a child as I do give 
 My gifts, including even Myself, to you, and as I will continue to 
 give. Whosoever hopes and believes thus in My goodness, and 
 
ttt£ OUR fAthM. 43^ 
 
 yields himself to Me with childlike love, shall be saved." And 
 He further added : " I am pleased when I hear Myself called 
 Father, and see men putting confidence in My fatherly goodness. 
 In life I will stand by these like a Father, and after their death 
 will reward them far beyond their merits." 
 
 The Negligent Monks. 
 
 The monks of a convent in Siena departed from the strict 
 observance of the rules of their founder, by allowing themselves 
 some few ordinary comforts. One day, while singing, at solemn 
 service in the church, the versicle, " Pray for us, O holy father 
 St. Dominic!" they heard a voice saying: "I am not your 
 father, nor are you my children." There could be no mistake ; 
 for every one heard the voice. Then, acknowledging that they 
 had incurred the just displeasure of St. Dominic, by changing 
 his rule of life for their convenience, they at once revived it and 
 observed it strictly ever afterwards. Now if those brethren so 
 displeased God, not by committing any grievous sin, but simply 
 by imagining themselves to be unable to keep the strict rule of 
 their Order, how will it be with us, who fear not to offend God 
 mortally, and still call Him " Our Father, Who art in heaven," 
 and say " forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others." How 
 terrible it would be for us to hear Him say : " I am not your 
 Father, nor are you My children"! 
 
 We are All Brethren. 
 
 St. Rupert was born at Bingen on the Rhine, during the 
 reign of Louis I. His father, Robolaus, was a heathen general, 
 and bitterly opposed to the Christians. When Rupert was three 
 years old, his Christian mother, Bertha, entered on a retired and 
 strict method of life, with a view of devoting herself wholly to 
 the careful bringing up of her only son. She placed over him 
 the best tutors that the times could afford, while she herself 
 strove in every way to form his heart and soul according to the 
 rules and requirements of religion. The youth responded nobly 
 to the efforts of his mother ; and when a mere boy, if he met on 
 the street a child who was in want, he would take him by the 
 hand, and, leading him to his mother, say to her :" See mother, 
 here is your son." Bertha, gratified at her son's spirit of 
 Gh-ar/itSy, would rfeply : " Yes, indeed, he is o'li^'bf ^^b^irr -bi-otliefsj*^ 
 am]d,would -then provide for theitlestitutedhild;'*^'' ''<>^> i'"^^ .^nnn 
 
 \')/odxi <i(i3Vii3d 3ilJ ni 
 
430 PRAYER. 
 
 St. Aidan. 
 
 King Alwin made a present to this holy bishop of a very fine 
 horse, with a costly bridle and saddle ; for that zealous mission- 
 ary in preaching the Gospel had often to make long journeys, 
 in which he had to wade or swim across dangerous rivers, where 
 a safe and true horse was often a matter of life or death to the 
 rider. Xot many days later, while the bishop was riding along 
 a country-road, he was met by a poor man, who had lost every- 
 thing he had in the world, and was in a sad state of destitution. 
 St. Aidan, deeply moved at the poor man's piteous tale of woe, 
 dismounted from his horse and gave it to him. When the king 
 heard this he reproached the charitable bishop for his prodi- 
 gality. The saint replied meekly, " I had nothing else to give. 
 Do not reproach me for doing what everybody knows your 
 Majesty would do, in the goodness of your own heart ; for you 
 understand as well as anybody that an animal is not to be com- 
 pared to a poor human being, who is a child of God our Father." 
 
 Changing Fathers. 
 
 When St. Francis, directed by the light of divine grace, 
 began to distribute his substance among the poor, he was sum- 
 moned before the bishop, who ordered him to sign a paper re- 
 nouncing his right to his father's estate, lest he should also give 
 that away after the latter's death. Francis complied willingly, 
 and then taking off his garments he laid them at his father's 
 feet, saying : ''Hitherto I have always during life called thee 
 father. Henceforth I can say, with much more truth and satis- 
 faction of mind, ' Our Father. Who art in heaven : ' for in His 
 hands I have deposited all my treasure ; in Him are now placed 
 all my hopes and expectations." Ever afterwards, his father 
 continued to curse him. So Francis took a poor, despised old 
 man, adopted him as his father in Christ ; fed, clothed, and shel- 
 tered him — on the one condition that he would bless St. Francis 
 each time that he was cursed by his own unkind father. 
 
 Earthly and heavenly Inheritance. 
 
 When St. Theodore was but fourteen years of age, he was one 
 day shown, gathered together in his father's house, the grand 
 treasures to which he was the heir, and of which he would one 
 day be the sole and undisputed owner. Lifting up his eyes to 
 heaven, he said : " What would it avail me, if all the world were 
 mine, and God was not mine ? My Father, and my treasures, are 
 in the heavens above/' 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 
 
 437 
 
 Exiled. 
 
 St, Chrysostom, the great patriarch and doctor of the Church, 
 for his firm fidelity to principle, was sent into exile by the Empress 
 Theodosia. When he heard his sentence, he remarked calmly : " I 
 accept my sentence gladly ; for wherever I go, heaven is ever 
 above me, where dwelleth my Father, Who created me out of 
 nothing, and Who will surely continue to be my Father, leading, 
 guiding, feeding, clothing, and comforting me." 
 
 Consolation at the Grave. 
 
 Jane of Orvietto lost her loving father while she was still 
 quite young. Her afflicted mother used to take her every Sun- 
 day and holy-day to her father's grave, where they would unite 
 their prayers for the repose of the departed soul. One day her 
 mother grieved more than usual, and complained that Provi- 
 dence had dealt harshly with her in taking away so soon the 
 protector of her orphan girl. Jane, taking her mother's hand, 
 said : '' Mother, do you not know that we have still a Father 
 above — the heavenly Father, Who is loving and good ? You 
 know you taught me to say : ' Our Father Who art in heaven.' " 
 These simple words of an innocent child made such a powerful 
 impression on the mother's heart, that the poor woman dried her 
 tears, looked up to heaven with joy, then upon her child, and at 
 once resolved never again to murmur against the decrees of her 
 heavenly Father. The future proved that Jane also had a Father 
 in heaven, for under His care and blessing she grew to be a 
 fair and fragrant flower in the garden of the Father's Church. 
 
 Ube fiVBt petttton In tbe ©ur fatbcv. 
 
 '*flallooaed be Thy ^^lame.'* 
 
 ROM the prelude to the Lord's Prayer we have 
 seen that God is our Fatlier and we are His 
 children. From this it most naturally and nec- 
 essarily follows that we should desire nothing 
 more ardently than that our Father should be 
 loved, praised, and honored by ourselves and 
 by all men. Hence the first petition of the 
 Our Father: *' Hallowed be Thy name." 
 If what we pray for in this first petition is to be truly realized, 
 
43^ tRAYER. 
 
 we should not be satisfied with mere words, but should rather 
 endeavor by our whole manner of life to labor for the glory of 
 the divine name, through the knowledge, love, and worship of 
 God. 
 
 We can make God's name holy in ourselves : 
 
 1. If we render unceasing honor to God. If we have received 
 favors from God, If He has endowed us with good talents, we 
 should not take the credit to ourselves. If God has blessed us 
 with prosperity, and we can do good, much good, for our neigh- 
 bor, we should not be proud on that account. Not unto us, O 
 Lord, not unto us be praise and glory given, but to Thy own 
 name. 
 
 2. When we glorify God's name by word and deed. This we 
 do when we praise His holy name, and give it glory in our 
 prayers, whether we be in adversity or prosperity, and when we 
 do everything for that same honor and glory. 
 
 We can make God's name holy in others : 
 
 1. By edifying them through the example of a good life on 
 our part. If the early Christians had not led such holy lives, 
 there would be to-day few to say, " Hallowed be Thy name." 
 The heroic virtues of those primitive Christians led many to em- 
 brace Christianity, and thus to sanctify and glorify God's name. 
 If all Catholics were what their faith requires them to be, it 
 would long ago have been evident to the world that the Catholic 
 Church alone has the saving means of salvation and the power 
 to apply them, and that without her pale are error and sin. 
 Those who separated from her would long ago have returned to 
 her motherly bosom, and the great chasm of Christianity would 
 have been closed. 
 
 2. By refraining from all sinfulness. Sin is a contempt for 
 God ; through it the Son of God is crucified over again. 
 
 3. By praying to God for the salvation of our fellow-men. 
 Millions are even yet living in ignorance of God's name, and walk- 
 ing in the shadows of darkness. They too should be brought to 
 sanctify God's name, by making them acquainted with the love 
 of the heavenly Father. Hence every time we repeat the words, 
 "Hallowed be Thy name," we should pray that they too may 
 soon join us in the same prayer, and be one with us in proclaim- 
 ing God's glory. 
 
 .,.._ .X _ . luO « 
 
 .ioi.liJf)q rdiil pjili in loli ^{Siq 9W iBdvi \l 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 
 
 439 
 
 l^HFIiHCTIO^^. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 OLY and terrible is His name" (Ps. ex. 9). 
 " Kings of the earth, and all peoples : princes 
 and all judges of the earth, young men and 
 maidens: let the old with the younger praise 
 the name of the Lord " (Ps. cxlviii. 11, 12). 
 " Be without offence to the Jews and to the 
 Gentiles, and to the Church of God " (I. Cor. x. 
 32). "Giving no offence to any man, that our 
 ministry be not blamed " (II. Cor. vi. 3). *' We entreat you that 
 you walk honestly towards them that are without " (I. Thess. iv. 
 11). " So let your light shine before men, that they may see 
 your good works, and glorify your Father Who is in heaven " 
 (Matt. V. 16). "It is He Who giveth to all life, and breath, and 
 all things " (Acts xvii. 25). " In Him were all things created, all 
 things were created by Him and in Him : and He is before all, 
 and by Him all things consist " (Colos. i. 16). " The servant of 
 the Lord must be mild towards all men, with modesty admonish- 
 ing them that resist the truth, if peradventure God may give 
 them repentance to know the truth, and they may recover 
 themselves from the snares of the devil " (II. Tim. ii. 25, 26). 
 " We beseech you, brethren, rebuke the unquiet, comfort the 
 feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient towards all men " 
 (I. Thess. V. 14). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 " When we say * Hallowed be Thy name,' we do not mean to 
 pray as if God's name were not already holy, but that it may 
 become so among men, and that God may make it so known 
 among them, they may believe there is nothing more holy among 
 men, and which they ought to be afraid to offend, for it is just 
 to sanctify God's name, to fear Him of Whom it is said, His 
 name is Lord" (St. Augustine). "'Hallowed be Thy name.' 
 What means hallowed ? It is as if we wished Him to be glorified 
 Who said : ' Be holy, because I am holy;' as if from our praising 
 and honoring Him there came sanctification. * The name of 
 God is holy by its very nature, whetlier we call it so or not. 
 But as it is desecrated by those who sin, according to the saying 
 of Isaias the prophet' (Hi. 5), * My name is continually bhis- 
 phemed all day long ' among the heathens, we therefore pray 
 
 I 
 
44<^ PRAYER. 
 
 that the same name of God may be hallowed or sanctified in us, 
 
 not indeed as being previously unhallowed, but that it be hal- 
 lowed in us. by ourselves " (St. Cyril). 
 
 '• Generally we should not pray for anything, till we have 
 prayed for the glory of God, for God is unquestionably a greater 
 good than ail other creatures combined. Hence we should first 
 be most zealous for His honor, after the example of Christ, Who 
 in all His doings sought only the glory of His Father. ' Father,' 
 prayed He. ' I have revealed Thy name to men ' " (St. Chrysos- 
 tom). 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 
 St. Ignatius of Loyola. 
 
 Among the many saints in the Church who made the glorifv- 
 ing of God's name the labor of their lives St. Ignatius takes a 
 foremost place. His well-known motto was : " To the honor and 
 glory of God." In the early part of his life he was more or less 
 devoted to the ways of the world, bu: being prostrated on a bed 
 of pain, his soul was enlightened by divine grace, and he re- 
 solved, if he lived, to devote himself to the honor and glory of 
 his heavenly Father. He made a pilgrimage to the shrine of 
 Our Lady at Montserrat, prayed and fasted much, and went to 
 Jerusalemi, there to do honor to the name of the Father Who 
 gave us His only Son to suffer and die for our sake. On his way 
 out and home he lost no opportunity to deter the sailors and 
 others from dishonoring the holy names of God and Jesus. 
 When he was derided and persecuted, he would say softly to 
 himself: -'For the honor and glory of God.'" All aglow with 
 zeal for the promotion of God's honor and glory, he would gather 
 the children from the streets and teach them the Christian doc- 
 trine, and especially to love and venerate the name of God. 
 
 In his zeal and piety he gathered about him in Paris nine 
 other young men, in union with whom he laid the foundation, so 
 to speak, of the great Society of Jesus, the chief purpose of which 
 alwavs has been to contribute to the glorifying of God's Holy 
 Name. And how many souls have been gained to Christ through 
 this company of St. Ignatius I How many in the remotest cor- 
 ners of the earth first learned to utter the Holy Name of Jesus 
 through the zealous efforts of his self-sacrificing sons I Millions 
 were converted to the knowledge of the one true God, and 
 taught to say, from their simple hearts : '' Hallowed be Thy 
 name." 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 44I 
 
 So enthusiastic was St. Ignatius for the honor of the Holy 
 Name, that he often used to say : "If the choice were given me, 
 either to dwell longer on earth, and labor and suffer for the glory 
 of God and the salvation of souls, or to go at once into the king- 
 dom of heaven, I would choose the first." 
 
 To God the Lord be Praise and Honor. 
 
 When Mary was greeted with words of high praise by the 
 angel, she styled herself simply, " the handmaid of the Lord." 
 When saluted by St. Elizabeth, the same virgin only sang the 
 praises of the Lord in the inspired Magnificat. 
 
 When Peter and John cured the lame man at the gate of the 
 Temple, and drew upon themselves the admiring praises of the 
 multitude, Peter took good care to explain that the miracle had 
 been effected, not by virtue of their power, but by faith in the 
 name of Jesus, Who was crucified and rose from the dead, the 
 same Messias foretold by the prophets. 
 
 Notwithstanding his brilliant talents, St. Augustine was never 
 proud, but attributed all his advantages to the grace of God. 
 Indeed, he would consider it an injustice to God to think other- 
 wise. Hence he used to say: "All things bright and fair are 
 Thine, O Lord. Thine is the glory. Whosoever, therefore, 
 seeks his own honor in Thy works is a robber and a thief, for he 
 robs Thee of the glory. Who art his Lord and Master." 
 
 One day when King Canute was walking near the sea-shore 
 one of his attendants said to him : " Who, O king, is greater than 
 thou? Millions of men obey thee. Thou canst command the 
 very ocean, and it will obey thee." The king, amused rather 
 than indignant at the silly flatterer, had his chair placed on the 
 beach, and with mock solemnity said : " I order thee, thou ocean, 
 not to approach thy master." Just then a large wave broke at 
 the king's feet, and he said, laughing : " Behold ! what great 
 authority I have over the sea ! How it disregards my orders ! 
 The only Lord and Master of heaven and earth is the God Who 
 made them. To Him be all honor and glory." 
 
 The same King Canute placed his royal crown on the head of 
 the figure of Our Lord in the cathedral at Winchester, and re- 
 peated in touching tones the words of the 88th Psalm : 
 
 "O Lord God of Hosts, who is like to Thee? Tiiou art 
 mighty, O Lord, and Thy truth is round about Thee. Tliou 
 rulest the power of the sea, and appeasest the motion of the waves 
 thereof," 
 
442 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 St. Francis at one time dwelt in the same convent at Portiun- 
 cula with Brother Massaeus, a man of great sanctity, profound 
 
 wisdom, and 
 great ability 
 t o discourse 
 about God. 
 The saint w^as 
 very much at- 
 tached to him. 
 Oneday Broth- 
 er Massaeus 
 met Francis 
 returning 
 from the 
 woods, where 
 he had been 
 praying, and, 
 wishing to try 
 the saint's hu- 
 mility, said to 
 him curtly and 
 s h a r p 1 y : 
 '* Why do peo- 
 ple make so 
 much ado 
 about you? 
 You have no 
 personal pres- 
 e n c e, you 
 don't know 
 Blessed be the Name of the Lord. much you are 
 
 not of noble birth. Why do they crowd around to hear you 
 and follow your directions?" The saint was glad in his heart 
 when he heard these remarks, and raising his eyes to heaven re- 
 mained absorbed in thoughts on God. Then, kneeling down and 
 thanking God aloud, he turned and said to Brother Massaeus : 
 '^ You wish to know why people flock about me ? I owe it all to 
 God, Who sees good and bad people in all places, and as His eyes 
 light on no sinner greater than I am myself, He selects me to 
 effect a purpose, and to make the purpose miraculous chooses a 
 sinner. He wishes to shame the nobility, beauty, skill, learning, 
 and eloquence of the world. He wishes also that people should 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 443 
 
 know that all virtues belong to God, and not to the creature ; 
 that in His presence no creature should take credit to himself, 
 but give all credit to the Lord." After listening to these words, 
 Massaeus really felt that Francis was well grounded in humility. 
 When the famous musical composition of ** The Creation " 
 was performed for the first time in public the whole world re- 
 sounded with the praises of Haydn, its author. But he simply 
 pointed heavenwards and said, *' Nothing comes from me ; all is 
 from above." 
 
 God Praised at a Death°bed. 
 
 St. Joseph Oriolo, a Spanish priest, who all through a long 
 life had toiled assiduously for the salvation of souls, feeling his 
 end approaching, entered the house of a poor acquaintance and 
 said, " My friend, let me have a place to lie down, for I shall 
 soon die." Then, lying down on a bed, he became much worse. 
 The inmates of the house and many neighbors wept to see their 
 beloved friend so sick. But he said : *' My good friends, be cheer- 
 ful ; have courage. God will soon take me to Himself, and then 
 I shall sing hymns in His honor and praise His holy name for all 
 eternity." Then he sent for four choir singers, who began to 
 sing to the accompaniment of a harp. St. Joseph joined in the 
 chant of praise with a feeble but pleasant voice, his eyes fastened 
 on his crucifix, and his heart fixed on God. While singing he 
 breathed forth his soul to God. 
 
 St. Polycarp. 
 
 When the holy Bishop Polycarp, amid the threats of his per- 
 secutors, was urged to blaspheme the name of God, he said, 
 calmly: "I have served the one true God for six-and-eighty 
 years, and have received endless blessings from His hands. How 
 can you ask me to blaspheme Him Who redeemed me ? I will 
 praise His name and proclaim His glory. I cannot offend my 
 Lord and Master." Willingly he surrendered his aged body into 
 the hands of his executioners. God glorified His venerable ser- 
 vant even in death, for the flames refused even to singe him. 
 The sword had to be used to effect his death. 
 
 A Peculiar Mode of Good Example. 
 
 St. Francis once said to a brother, "Come, let us go out and 
 preach to the people." After traversing several streets in silence 
 they returned to the monastery. The wondering brother re- 
 marked, "Father Francis, what about the sermon you were to 
 preacli?" The saint replied, "The sermon is over." 
 
444 PRAYER. 
 
 Thus the saint believed that a pious and recollected demean- 
 or, a good example, an appearance of true humility, contribute 
 as much to the glory of God and the salvation of souls as an 
 eloquent sermon. 
 
 St. Jerome and the Blasphemer. 
 
 A miserable, abandoned man had the boldness to blaspheme 
 God's name in the presence of St. Jerome. The latter, deeply 
 indignant, rebuked him sternly, saying: ''The very dogs bark 
 for their master, and you do not wish me to speak the truth of 
 Christ. Why should I be silent when God's name is dishonored ? 
 God forbid I should. I can die, but I cannot be silent." 
 
 A Brave Host. 
 
 Once when a number of persons in a tavern were using profane 
 language, each one trying to outdo the other in dishonoring the 
 name of God, the landlord took down the crucifix from its place 
 on the wall, and was about to carry it from the room. The guests 
 halted in their conversation, while one asked the landlord why 
 he was taking away the crucifix. He answered sternly and curtly, 
 '' It is not becoming for the sacred image to hear your talk." The 
 guests were touched to the heart, and quietly emptying their 
 glasses departed. 
 
 Zeal for the Conversion of Sinners. 
 
 An acquaintance of St. Ignatius Loyola kept up an improper 
 intercourse with a woman who lived in the country outside of 
 Paris. The saint, after much fruitless advice to the young man, 
 walked out one evening on the same road, and stood near the 
 edge of a half-frozen pond. When he saw his acquaintance com- 
 ing he plunged up to his neck in the water, and said : '' Go and 
 satisfy your lust. ^^leanwhile I will suffer here for your sin, in 
 order to hold back from you the avenging hand of God, that is 
 ready to strike you." The sinful man became ashamed of his 
 conduct, and returned home penitent. 
 
 St. Francis Assisi once met a young man who was leading an 
 irregular life. Spreading his mantel on the road, he bowed pro- 
 foundly before the young man. When asked why he did that, 
 Francis replied, '' This man whom I took for a sinner will one 
 day be a great saint." The young man, touched by the saint's 
 words and humility, entered seriously into himself, and began to 
 lead a devout, penitential life. 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 
 
 445 
 
 Edmund Campian. 
 
 Among the many servants of God who sacrificed their all 
 to glorify the name of God among heretics and unbelievers, 
 Edmund Campian, an Englishman, stands pre-eminent. When 
 unjustly condemned to death for alleged treason, he returned 
 thanks to God by repeating the Te Deum, a hymn in which the 
 name of the Lord is praised over and over again. When stand- 
 ing on the scaffold, before the eyes of assembled London, he said: 
 "We are here to-day, a spectacle to men and angels. Here I 
 am to die as a traitor. But Thou, O Lord, knowest my inno- 
 cence. Thou knowest that I had no other wish but Thy glory 
 and England's welfare. The day will come when all shall be 
 made manifest, even the most hidden things." Then he prayed 
 for his persecutors, and said: " I have always prayed to God, and 
 do now pray, that my death, which I accept willingly, may be an 
 atoning sacrifice for your sins, to bring you faith and eternal 
 happiness, that you may hereafter sanctify and glorify the name 
 of God, as I even now wish to sanctify and glorify it, even by 
 the last drop of my blood." 
 
 Zbc Secont) petition in tbe Qnv ffatber. 
 
 "Thy l^ingdom Come." 
 IflSTt^TJCTIOISl. 
 
 HE kingdom of God may be described as three- 
 fold ; namely, His kingdom in its outward and 
 visible form, which is the Church ; secondly. His 
 kingdom among men, in which He rules their 
 souls; and, finally. His kingdom full and com- 
 plete in heaven. 
 
 Hence when we say, "Thy kingdom come," 
 we pray : 
 
 I. For the growth of the holy Catholic Church, 
 and the destruction of the devil's dominion on earth ; begging at 
 the same time that the unbelievers and Jews may be brought to 
 faith in Christ and a knowledge of the one true God, and that 
 heretics and schismatics may also return to the one fold and the 
 one shepherd. 
 
 2. For the establishment of God within us, asking that God 
 would destroy the reign of sin in our hearts, expel all unholy 
 desires, all sinful words, and all works of darkness, and that by 
 virtue of His grace He would reign in our hearts in ]")iety and 
 all good works, so that we could say with the apostle Paul, " I 
 
446 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me " (Gal. ii. 20). It is not 
 I who govern my heart, but Chris:. He rules with His divine 
 grace in my interior life. '' For the kingdom of God is justice, 
 and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost " (Rom. xiv. 17). 
 
 3. For the securing of God's heavenly kingdom, our own true 
 home, since we are here below but pilgrims journeying towards 
 our fatherland. 
 
 As children of God, we rightly pray first of all for the sancti- 
 fying of God's name. But as this can be best accomplished in 
 the Church through pious hearts penetrated with His grace, and 
 by the saints and elect, we pray at the same time, "Thy king- 
 dom come." In truth, the second petition of the Our Father is 
 inseparably associated with the first. 
 
 M 
 
 HHFIiHCTIOfl. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 ^^-^^-^^>j EEK ye therefore first the kingdom of God, 
 and His justice : and all these things shall be 
 ^ added unto you" (Matt. vi. 33). "The king- 
 dom of heaven suffereth violence, and the vio- 
 lent bear it away " (Matt. xi. 12). "The king- 
 dom of God shall be taken from you, and shall 
 be given to a nation yielding the fruits 
 thereof" (Matt. xxi. 43). " Xo man putting 
 his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit 
 for the kingdom of God" (Luke ix. 62). " The 
 
 unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God " (I. Cor. vi. 9). 
 
 " Flesh and blood cannot possess the kingdom of God " (I. Cor. 
 
 XV. 50). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 '' When we say. ' Thy kingdom come,' we pray that our king- 
 dom may come, which was promised to us by Christ and pur- 
 chased by His suffering and death, that thus we, who have here- 
 tofore ruled in the world may afterwards rule under the 
 dominion of Christ" (St. Cyprian). "The whole earth is a 
 house of God, founded through faith, erected through confidence 
 and completed through charity. Let then the living stones be 
 drawn together and joined together in the temple structure for 
 God " (St. Augustine). " The kingdom of God comes to you 
 when you have sought its graces "' (St. Ambrose). "The second 
 petition of a pure mind is the wish that the kingdom of his 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 447 
 
 Father may come, that, namely, in which Christ the Lord reigns 
 with His saints forever and ever. Tliis takes place when the 
 dominion of the devil is broken in our hearts by the extermina- 
 tion of vice, when God secures the upper hand within us be- 
 cause we are more zealous for virtue, when tepidity is overcome, 
 unrest removed, pride cast down, and chastity, humility, and 
 peace prevail in our souls" (Cassian). "It is an act of bold- 
 ness to pray for the coming of the kingdom of God, and not to 
 fear its coming " (St. Jerome). 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 Institutions for the Spread of the Gospel. 
 
 The Church not only teaches her children to say the Our 
 Father, but she also encourages them to employ their means in 
 having it reduced to practice, giving them opportunities to 
 assist in extending the kingdom of God. 
 
 After the death of their blessed Master the apostles went 
 forth into all the world to preach the lessons of the cross, and 
 wherever they founded churches they also encouraged devout 
 and God-fearing persons, who in their turn went forth to teach, 
 to make their heathen brethren sharers in their blessings. Thus 
 were our ancestors taught Christianity, for every land had its 
 apostles. 
 
 The popes especially have in all ages effected much, often 
 with their own private means. They have sent messengers of 
 the Faith into all parts of the world, and sustained them by every 
 means in their power. The different orders established by the 
 Church, such as the Franciscans, Jesuits, Lazarists, Dominicans, 
 and other associations, have sent out many of their brethren. 
 These noble champions of Christ have not only endured untold 
 sufferings, battling against the elements, hunger, thirst, heat, 
 cold, the violent opposition of people, but they have suffered 
 dreadful tortures, and sacrificed their lives, like the first Chris- 
 tians. 
 
 In the year 1622 Pope Gregory XV. gave firm basis to the 
 system of foreign missions. In order to establish unity of action 
 he founded the Society for the Propagation of the Faith (Con- 
 gregatio de Propaganda Fide) at Rome. Pope Urban VIII. be- 
 stowed upon it a seminary for the training and educating of 
 missionaries of all nationalities. This College of Propaganda he 
 placed under the direction of the same congregation, began a 
 library and a printing department in all languages, and gave out 
 
448 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 of his own means enough to maintain all. At the same time he 
 established free scholarships for pupils of all countries, who 
 were afterwards to return as missionaries to their fatherland. 
 Every year, on the feast of the Epiphany, this college holds what 
 is called the Language Festival, at which students from different 
 
 coun tries 
 make addres- 
 ses in their 
 respective 
 tongues ; thus 
 showing forth 
 the universal- 
 ity or catholic- 
 ity of God's 
 Church. 
 
 Under the 
 loving care 
 of the Church 
 devoted mis- 
 sionaries travel 
 to all parts 
 of the world, 
 where they are 
 to give them- 
 selves up to the 
 propagation of 
 our holy faith 
 and its s a 1 u- 
 tary teachings. 
 As they must 
 consecrate 
 themselves en- 
 tirely to their 
 vocation, they 
 depend for 
 their support 
 
 on the benevolence of their brethren at home. Xor are the 
 necessaries of life alone sufficient for them : they have to build 
 schools and churches, furnish teachers for the instruction of the 
 young, and often deny themselves every comfort in order to 
 help others. There is a vast field for apostolic work, for the 
 vineyard is large and the laborers are few, and the mi§sionary 
 
 Thy Kingdom Come." 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 449 
 
 who does not meet a martyr's death generally succumbs to the 
 burden of work and privations. 
 
 There are still five hundred millions of pagans to be con- 
 verted. In a country as large as Germany there are frequently 
 only two or three missionaries, and their districts cover from a 
 hundred and fifty to two hundred miles. It is heartrending to 
 read of the misery of these men, who have left their families, 
 homes, and positions to preach the Gospel to the heathens, and 
 who are frequently prevented from doing the good they might 
 do through want of means to carry on their work. A mission- 
 ary of the Society of Jesus, who with three brethren went to the 
 Lebanon in the hope of strengtheniaig and sustaining in their 
 faith the Catholics there, whom the Mohammedans are con- 
 stantly trying by threats and violence to force into their faith, in 
 a letter in which he asks for help, writes : 
 
 " We are now four missionaries on the highway, without a 
 roof, almost without clothes and food. We live like the vagrant 
 Arabs. A stick scooped out at one end serves as a spoon ; I 
 drink from a piece of skin ; one earthen vessel is my sole cook- 
 ing utensil; and a little rice and bread is my food day in and day 
 out, except at such times when the bread and rice are wanting. 
 As to wine, I believe a glass of wine would affect me now, I am 
 so used to water. From this you can imagine the rest. 
 
 " My brother, P. Planchet, does much good in the desert plains 
 at Balbek ; the reports of the caravans coming from there some- 
 times border on the marvellous. The poor man, however, is 
 frequently destitute of the necessities of life, in spite of all his 
 exertions. He is building himself a house now, helping in the 
 work himself, and cheering the others by his example ; and he is 
 all alone in this forlorn, impoverished country, living with the 
 Bedouins, like one of them. In the enormous district between 
 Al Maalaka and Bkaa he is the only physician ; all come to him 
 for help — Christians, Bedouins, infidels, and wandering Arabs. 
 But in order to help these people medicine is indispensable, 
 and of this there is seldom any on hand. 
 
 " I beg you to render us some assistance. I only ask that you 
 send us out of your sacristy and wardrobe what you can no 
 longer use. What is waste and cast-off with you will be a treas- 
 ure here. A ball of yarn, a card of buttons, and a few needles 
 will prove very acceptable, as we h£ive to go for montlis some- 
 times in torn garments, for want of thread and needle with which 
 to repair them.'* 
 
450 PRAYER. 
 
 This is the tone of most of the reports of these messengers of 
 the Lord. Now we can all share in the fruits of the holy mis- 
 sion by assisting the noble men who are devoted to this work. 
 This is not only a work full of blessings, yielding ample fruit, 
 but it is also our duty ; we give only a trifle of what we have 
 received, and return thanks to God for the light of truth, which 
 in His mercy He sheds upon us. It would be a shame for any 
 Christian so situated that he can help, to allow the missionaries 
 to starve for want of the little he can contribute. It will be of 
 little avail to pray if we are not willing to make some sacrifice. 
 
 To receive the contributions of Christians for their poor 
 brethren, the heathens, several associations have been instituted, 
 of which we will mention only three. 
 
 The Society for the Propagation of the Faith. — This organiza- 
 tion was founded in 1726 by the French bishops, and, thanks to 
 the Lord, has spread to all Christian countries. Its purpose is to 
 collect contributions for the missionaries, and to distribute them 
 where most needed. The society has two executive branches — 
 one located at Paris and the other at Lyons. Members pay an 
 annual fee of about fifty cents, which money is collected from 
 each ten members by one of them, who delivers it to another, and 
 he collects from ten such groups of ten. They help the mission- 
 aries further by saying the Lord's Prayer once a day in honor of 
 St. Francis Xavier, the patron-saint of missionaries. This asso- 
 ciation works a great deal of good, and through it the unity of 
 the Church and active Christian charity bring forth the best 
 fruit. But there are several hundred mission-stations to support, 
 with their priests, teachers, nurses, catechists, churches, semi- 
 naries, etc.; and there remiains much to be wished for, although 
 all that is required could be easily furnished if all who are able 
 would share in the work. It is sad to note that only about one 
 in a hundred helps in this work. 
 
 The Association of the Holy Childhood. — Among the many 
 horrors of paganism one of the most infamous is that, among 
 many nations, a father is free to choose whether the children that 
 are born to him shall live or not. Thus every year many thou- 
 sands of children are killed, because they are weak or deformed, 
 or because the parents are unable or unwilling to support them. 
 Especially is this the case in China, where thousands of children 
 are either drowned or thrown into the streets, where they are 
 devoured by dogs and hogs, crushed to death under horses' 
 hoofs, or thrown into a cart and buried. In the city of Peking 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 
 
 451 
 
 alone three thousand children are thus disposed of annually. 
 Large children are sold by their own parents, and carried into 
 strange lands as slaves. No one takes pity on them ; they perish 
 miserably, and are lost to heaven for want of Baptism. 
 
 But for these children too God has provided, if only men will 
 lend their aid. 
 This crying evil 
 touched the ten- 
 der heart of the 
 noble Bishop 
 Forbin-Janson 
 of Nancy, and he 
 did everything 
 in his power to 
 put a stop to it, 
 by buying these 
 children from 
 their unnatural 
 parents, baptiz- 
 ing them, nurs- 
 ing them till they 
 died, or, if they 
 survived, by edu- 
 cating them. 
 Thus the Asso- 
 ciation of the 
 Holy Childhood 
 was established. 
 The good bishop 
 addressed him- 
 self especially to the hearts of children, appealing to them to give 
 part of their little savings for their poor brothers and sisters. 
 
 This association is in no way connected with the Society for 
 the Propagation of the Faith. It is intended primarily for chil- 
 dren, and the annual contribution is about fifty cents. Of 
 course grown persons may also share in this work, but the 
 founder of the association has made it an express condition tliat 
 no adult may contribute who is not a member of the Society for 
 the Propagation of the Faith, in order that the latter institution 
 may not suffer any loss. 
 
 The Association of the Holy Childhood saves thousands of 
 souls for heaven, for a child may be bought for a few dollars. 
 
 Holy Childhood 
 
452 PRAYER. 
 
 We can understand, however, that the nursing and education 
 of the children entail considerable expense. Christian parents 
 thus have a grand opportunity of planting in the hearts of their 
 children the seeds of compassion and sympathy, by encouraging 
 them to take part in this good work. 
 
 St. Boniface Societyo — It may seem incredible, but it is none 
 the less true, that in happy Germany there are Catholics who are 
 being lost to the Church for want of instruction, and others are 
 longing for the holy sacraments, but are unable to obtain them, 
 because of their great distance from church and priest. In 
 Northern Germany there are many Catholics living among 
 Protestants, and there is often no priest within miles of them, 
 and this in districts where Catholic churches still exist erected 
 by Catholic piety for the service of the most holy sacrifice. It 
 often happens, too, that one Catholic must teach the Faith to 
 others, and they see a priest only once or twice a year when he 
 comes on his visit, and many a time he is not even allowed to 
 celebrate holy Mass. 
 
 In 1851 a noble-minded man, Count Joseph of Stolberg, from 
 Westphalia, moved by the sad condition of the Church in North- 
 ern Prussia, Hanover, Brunswick, Mecklenburg, the free cities, 
 Schleswig, Holstein, Lauenburg, etc., formed a society to sup- 
 port the Church where there is a priest, and to found new sta- 
 tions and schools. He put the society under the patronage of 
 St. Boniface, the apostle of the Germans, in whose honor the 
 members daily say the Lord's Prayer, The annual contribution 
 is voluntary. With the blessing of God and the help of this 
 society the light of the faith will again shine on these people. 
 
 The members of these societies can earn many indulgences. 
 The zeal of Catholics can always find an opportunity to work 
 for the extension of God's kingdom on earth, and should seek 
 one if it does not offer itself. If no other channel can be found, 
 offerings may be given- to one's pastor. Greater efforts must be 
 made if we would prove ourselves worthy of favors and graces 
 received. It is calculated that the Catholics of Europe apply 
 two million dollars annually to the propagation of the faith. 
 But in England alone four million dollars annually go to the 
 Protestant missions, and a million Bibles and a couple of millions 
 of tracts are distributed. Notwithstanding this the Protestant 
 missions have no success, for the well-paid married missionaries 
 remain at the coast, under the protection of the war-ships of their 
 nation, and go into trade instead of preaching, and return home 
 
The our FATiiEk. 
 
 453 
 
 rich, while the poor Catholic missionary who sacrifices health 
 and life wins thousands of souls. Catholics should blush at this 
 when they consider what the Church might do for the kingdom 
 of God if the zeal of the members were more active. 
 
 The Apostle says : "How beautiful are the feet of them that 
 preach the gospel of peace, of them that bring glad tidings of 
 good things " (Rom. x. 15), How pleasing then must be the hands 
 of those who support these evangelists and -r.essengers of peace. 
 
 From the Life of St. Francis Xavier. 
 
 Among the countless missionaries of God's Church we shall 
 mention 
 but one — 
 the devoted 
 St. Francis 
 Xavier. He 
 was born in 
 Spain in the 
 year 1506. 
 Soon after 
 joining St. 
 Ignatius he 
 was sent to 
 preach the 
 Gospel in 
 the East In- 
 dies. Even 
 on s h i p - 
 
 board he instructed the sailors daily in their duty to God, and 
 preached twice every Sunday. On reaching Goa he revived 
 a religious spirit among the European settlers, and then entered 
 on his work among the pagans, of whom he baptized over 
 200,000 with his own hand. After ten years of the most disin- 
 terested missionary labors, he died at his work, in the year 1552. 
 
 Alfonso of Aragon. 
 
 The pious and wise Alfonso of Aragon was accustomed to 
 offer his special thanks to God for the following benefits : First, 
 because He had created him a reasonable being ; secondly, 
 because He had allowed him to grow up in the bosom of tlie 
 Catholic Church ; and, thirdly, because lie had given him such 
 great power on eartli, and thei-(>l)y an opportunity to contribute 
 by word and deed to the extension of the heavenly kingdom on 
 
 St. Francis Xavier preaching the Gospel. 
 
454 PRAYER. 
 
 earth. And under this pious king the Catholic Church reached 
 its richest development throughout his wide kingdom. 
 
 The Offering of a Poor Negro. 
 
 Years ago, among those whom a missionary in Berbice called 
 up in order to learn how much each was willixig to give toward 
 the erection of a new house of God, was a poor negro. "Here I 
 am," he exclaimed ; and full of zeal he limped on his wooden leg 
 to the table. Putting liis hand in his pocket he took out some 
 silver, and with amiable impetuosity he said : " Here is my con- 
 tribution, sir." When the missionary told him to keep his 
 money and he would call for it later, the negro replied : '* Why, 
 my dear sir, God's work must be done ; why, I might die." And 
 with this he brought out some more silver, and said : "This is 
 for my wife, sir ;" and from another pocket he brought a third 
 package, saying: "And this is for my child, sir." Altogether he 
 gave about twenty dollars. 
 
 The Kingdom ot God within us. 
 
 Thomas of Jesu used to pray with great fervor that the 
 kingdom of God might enter his heart. This prayer was as 
 follows: -'Enter our hearts, kindest Father! rule therein, O 
 supreme ^Master, and dwell therein. If my soul may be so happy 
 as to become Thy kingdom here on earth, then am I willing that 
 Thou shouldst postpone for me the possession of the heavenly 
 kingdom as long as it may please Thee : for neither in heaven 
 nor on earth do I wish for aught but Thee, and if Th.ou wilt 
 only rule within me with perfect power, all my desires are 
 granted." 
 
 In similar manner Louis of Granada used to pray. " Behold, 
 O Lord." he cried, "how many kings or rather tyrants wish to 
 rule us I The devil with his malice, the world with its splendor, 
 the flesh with its lusts, and selfishness with its greed. Tyrants 
 thev are, doing violence to Thy kingdom, endeavoring to destroy 
 Thy power, and importuning us to do their will. Rise then, O 
 heavenly King I attack this pernicious tyranny, restore order, 
 and no longer permit such iniquity in Thy kingdom. Drive out 
 the tvrants, destroy- Thine enemies, that those who hate Thee 
 shall flee ! Command me, my Sovereign ! Thou alone shalt 
 reign, and to Thy throne only let us bow I Thou alone shalt 
 dwell in mv heart, with Thy kingdom alone be my soul occu- 
 pied. Grant. O God, that in future I may think of nothing and 
 seek nothing but Thy kingdom alone." 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 455 
 
 The Happy Beggar. 
 
 Blessed are we when God has entered our heart and dwells 
 therein ! We shall want nothing on earth. 
 
 On one occasion a gentleman while out hunting heard some 
 one singing at a distance, and following the sound he came upon 
 a poor leper. To the question whether it was he who had sung 
 so merrily and cheerfully, he replied that it was, and when the 
 gentleman asked how he could be contented and sing while in 
 such pain and suffering so many privations, he answered : " Well, 
 you see, my dear sir, with all my physical distress and with all 
 my outward sufferings I can still be of good cheer, because I 
 carry God in my heart. The more, therefore, my body, this 
 miserable wall of clay, crumbles to pieces, the nearer I am 
 brought to Him, and for joy of this I sing so merrily." 
 
 riissions. 
 
 The Church sends preachers of the faith even to those of her 
 children who have their own pastor and from their youth are 
 brought up in the true faith. Among these, too, she wishes to 
 spread the kingdom of God, that is to say, she wishes to impress 
 the faith deeper on their hearts, to give new life to their faith, to 
 destroy vice and all bad habits. These preachers of the faith 
 work together with the pastor in the so-called popular inissions 
 for the great work of conversion and salvation of souls. 
 
 These popular missions have existed in the Church at all 
 times. As often as necessary, God awakens as His chosen knights 
 those who, like the prophets of old, go forth and with powerful 
 voice announce punishment and judgment to hardened sinners, 
 mercy and peace to those who are converted. Around these the 
 multitude crowd to profit by their doctrines and example. They 
 preach nothing new or different, but they speak like one who has 
 power from on high. Frequently these men lived in deserts and 
 waste places, without ever leaving them ; but the people flocked 
 there from far and near, asking them to preach to them and to 
 teach them. Such men, like St. Antony the hermit, Simeon 
 Stylites, etc., were the pillars of the Catholic Cluircii in times 
 when she was in great danger from heresies. 
 
 In the middle ages God awakened itinerant preachers, who 
 travelled over whole countries, and sliook up continents, strength- 
 ening the faith and freeing thousands from the bonds of sin. 
 Such men were St. Bernard, St. Dominic, St. Antony of Padua, 
 St. Vincent Ferrer, John Capistran, Berthold of Ratisbon, etc. 
 
456 PRAYER. 
 
 These always a'tfracted great multitudes, preaching as a rule 
 under the open sky, because no church was large enough to hold 
 their followers. 
 
 The Fathers of St. Francis and St. Dominic had great in- 
 fluence over the people by their sermons, and lent powerful as- 
 sistance to the pastors. Other religious communities were erected 
 to lighten the burden of the secular priests. Thus, St. Cajetan 
 founded the Order of the Theatines, about 1524; St. Philip 
 Neri the Oratorians, about 1564; the Blessed John Leonard! the 
 Marianites, 1574 ; St. Francis Caracciolo the Minor Clerics, 1588 ; 
 Charles Caraffa the Pious Laborers, 1620. All these join with 
 the secular priests in furthering the kingdom of God among 
 Christians, that the baptized may be Christians in deed as well 
 as in name. 
 
 St. Vincent of Paul, the founder of the Lazarists, about 1624 ; 
 St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, about 
 1540 ; and St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, the founder of the 
 Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (the Redemptorists), 
 about 1732, more than others learned from painful experience 
 how sin and ignorance had grown among the people, and they 
 and their brethren spared no pains to influence the people 
 through sermons and instruction. They introduced spiritual 
 exercises, which to this day are carried on under the name of 
 Popular Missions, principally by their spiritual sons, and work 
 an extraordinary amount of blessings. But for this very reason 
 they are attacked by many. They are accused of many things 
 which we shall not speak of here, because we wish to state only 
 their usefulness. 
 
 1. The popular missions are spiritual exercises. Exercise in 
 spiritual things (meditation, the word of God, sacraments, etc.) 
 is necessary for every Christian. It must be of great advantage, 
 therefore, to practise it for a few days continuously under the 
 guidance of an experienced guide of souls. 
 
 2. A large part of mankind is in the sleep of sin, and must be 
 frightened out of it. But this cannot be done by impressions to 
 which they are accustomed. To be brought to their senses they 
 must be shaken up in an extraordinary way. 
 
 3. Good example is a powerful factor in conversion. A sinner 
 who, touched by the mercy of God, has recognized his misery 
 and is willing to reform, frequently has no one to understand his 
 changed condition, and every one seems to take pains to turn him 
 from his good resolutions. In a mission the zeal of many is 
 
458 PRAYER. 
 
 aroused, and the good example of one is a support to the 
 others. 
 
 4. Many sins are confessed that for years were concealed, and 
 many unworthy confessions are made good ones. False pride is 
 more easily put aside in the confessional, for the excitement is 
 greater, and it is easier to confess to a strange priest, well known 
 for his zeal and piety. It not infrequently occurs that parish- 
 ioners hide sins from their own pastors because they are ashamed 
 before them, and fear to lose their respect. 
 
 5. Ignorance in matters of salvation is greater than one thinks, 
 and not only among the lowly, but also among the educated. Of 
 course we know what the catechism teaches, but we do not com- 
 ply with these teachings, because the will is wanting. In a holy 
 mission instruction is given more fully, and the shortcomings of 
 the soul are shown as in a mirror ; we see our faults in the family, 
 in the education of our children, in our relations to our neigh- 
 bors, as we never saw them before. 
 
 1. Some may think that the holding of a mission is a reproach 
 to a congregation and a reflection on its piety. They should 
 bear in mind, however, that in the best congregation, as in others, 
 there are young people. All young people, without exception, 
 stand in need of earnest exhortation, and are apt to be careless 
 in confession, not by concealing anything, but in a superficial 
 examination of conscience, by being wanting in a firm pur- 
 pose of amendment and in contrition, by which their confessions 
 are as unworthy as if they had concealed their sins. Therefore, 
 for the sake of the young people alone, if for no other reason, a 
 mission is needed even in the best congregation. 
 
 2. A mission is a renewal of spirit useful to every one ; for the 
 soul, too, requires to refresh itself. Every one should devote a 
 few days each year to the salvation of his soul, undisturbed by 
 human affairs. 
 
 3. Even the most God-fearing man is not perfect. Most people 
 are guilty of carelessness and want of attention at divine service, 
 in prayer, etc. It is well, therefore, that they should do a little 
 more a few days in the year, and thereby make some amend- 
 ment. 
 
 4. Much praying is done during a mission. This brings down 
 upon us the blessing of God, and for this we pray. 
 
 5. Seed sown on good soil bears rich fruit ; sown on rock, it 
 perishes. A good congregation is the best soil for a holy mission. 
 We all are sinners, weak and full of faults ; but all have not good- 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 459 
 
 will. Now, why should a congregation that can truthfully say, 
 " The soil is here," object to having the seed sown ? 
 
 Whoever, then, earnestly wishes that the kingdom of God be 
 implanted in the hearts of the faithful will find a mighty helper 
 in popular missions. 
 
 Homesickness. 
 
 A distinguishing characteristic of the saints of God is their 
 extraordinary longing for heaven. All their entreaties and prayers 
 are one continuous petition for possession of heavenly bliss. 
 
 Louis of Granada exclaims : " Happy mansion of glory, the 
 desires of my heart are directed to thee ; thy infinite beauties con- 
 stitute the delight of my soul ; the more I consider thee, the more 
 I languish with love for thee. Sole object of my ardent desires, I 
 am charmed with the sweet remembrance of thee. How happy 
 my soul, and eternally happy, O heavenly city, should it merit to 
 contemplate thy glory, thy beauty, thy happiness ; to see thy 
 gates, thy walls, thy streets, thy numerous buildings, thy illus- 
 trious inhabitants, and thy Almighty Sovereign enthroned in 
 splendor and majesty in the midst of thee ! For thy walls are of 
 precious stones, thy gates are of beauteous pearl, and thy streets 
 are of the purest gold, ever resounding with joyful Alleluias. 
 Thy many mansions are founded upon hewn, square, sapphire 
 stone, and covered in with plates of gold. There are the harmo- 
 nious choirs of angels ; there the assemblage of the heavenly citi- 
 zens ; there the joyful procession of all those blessed souls who 
 from the melancholy pilgrimage of this life return to the never- 
 ending joys of their heavenly country." And the pious author of 
 the Following of Christ sighs: "O thou most blessed dwelling of 
 the celestial city ! O shining day of eternity, darkened by no 
 night ! O would that day had come, and the end of all that is 
 temporal! O when are these evils to cease ? When am I, O Lord, 
 to think of Thee alone, in perfect joy? Lord, comfort me in my 
 misery, soften my pain ! All that this world can offer for con- 
 solation is only a burden to me. Ah ! when am I to stand before 
 Thee and gaze upon Thee? when look upon the glories of Thy 
 kingdom? When wilt Thou be all in all to me? When am I to 
 come to Thee into Thy kingdom, which Thou hast prepared for 
 Thy beloved ones from eternity?" 
 
 The Unequal Division. 
 
 When St. Bernard, that great servant of God, was going into 
 solitude, he met his little brother, Nivard by name, who was play- 
 
460 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 ing with his comrades. In passing he called to him : " Farewell, 
 Nivard ! I leave to you all my paternal treasures and posses- 
 sions, as I am about to enter an Order, to seek there the kingdom 
 of God, which is heaven." "What?" replied the little boy, 
 "what? The treasures of heaven are to be for you and those 
 of the earth for me ? This division is unequal : I prefer to share 
 heaven wdth you." And he followed him at once. 
 
 ITbe Ubtr^ petition in tbe ®ur ffatber. 
 
 **Thy U-lill be Done on Earth as it is in jpleaven." 
 
 IflSTl^UCTIOri. 
 
 N the second petition of the Our Father we pray 
 to God that His kingdom may come. It will 
 come to us in reality and truth if we at all times 
 do God's will cheerfully and exactly. The Lord 
 Himself says : " Not every one that saith to Me, 
 Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of 
 heaven : but he that doth the will of My Father " 
 (Matt. vii. 21). Hence in the third petition of the 
 
 Lord's Prayer we say, " Thy will be done on earth as it is in 
 
 heaven." 
 
 Now we do God's will — 
 
 1. When with loyal fidelity and a holy promptness, such as 
 we see among the inhabitants of heaven, we comply with God's 
 precepts and counsels. 
 
 2. When we submit patiently and quietly to all the trials sent 
 to us by God, and are content with the condition of life in which 
 He has placed us : not murmuring when God sends us sickness, 
 disappointment, or losses of temporal goods ; not petulantly 
 asking why God has done this to us. 
 
 Thus we ask in this third petition of the Lord's Prayer — 
 
 1. The grace to be enabled to keep God's commandments 
 and those of His holy Church, and to comply with all other 
 duties temporal and spiritual. This we do because our will 
 from our very youth up is inclined to evil and prone to yield to 
 temptation. 
 
 2. The grace to say in all our troubles of life, "Not my will, 
 but Thine be done, O Lord," and to do violence to our own will, 
 as Christ did in the garden of Olives. 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 
 
 461 
 
 I^HFLiHCTIOri. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 HALL the clay say to him that fashioneth it : 
 What art thou making ? " (Is. xlv. 9.) " Shall 
 there be evil in a city, which the Lord hath 
 not done?" (Amos iii. 6.) "Not everyone 
 that saith to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into 
 the kingdom of heaven : but he that doth the 
 will of My Father Who is in heaven " (Matt, 
 vii. 21). " If thou wilt enter into life, keep the 
 commandments" (Matt. xix. 17). 
 
 " Epaphras is always solicitous for you in prayers, that you 
 may stand perfect and full in all the will of God " (Col. iv. 12). 
 "Become not unwise : but understanding what is the will of 
 God" (Eph. V, 17). "Let every man abide in the same calling 
 in which he was called. Wast thou called, being a bondman? 
 care not for it " (I. Cor. vii. 21). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 "The private soldier does not mark out the line of march, nor 
 go whithersoever he listeth, nor station himself wheresoever he 
 pleases. God forbid ! He accepts the directions from his gen- 
 eral and obeys them promptly and exactly. If he act against 
 orders or change the line of march, he receives punishment in- 
 stead of reward, and nowhere finds a permanent place. So, too, 
 must we go the way and receive the positions which God has 
 assigned to us. We must willingly submit to the divine precepts 
 and commands, that is, fulfil exactly the holy will of God. Thus 
 will take place that for which we pray, when we say 'Thy 
 will be done on earth as it is in heaven ' " (St. Ambrose). " When 
 we say, ' Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,' we do 
 not ask God to do His own will, but rather that we should 
 be in a condition to do what He wills. The will of God is that 
 which Christ Himself practised and preached, namely, humility 
 in conduct, constancy in faith, righteousness in action, cliarity in 
 works, strictness in morals ; to do no wrong; to love God with 
 our whole hearts, to love Him because He is our Father, to fear 
 Him because He is God ; to prefer nothing before Christ as He 
 preferred nothing before us; to cling to Ilim with an undying 
 love, to clasp Hi? cross with firm and loving hands when ihore 
 
462 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 is question of defending His honor and name ; to be bold in pro- 
 fessing the faith ; in time of trial, to feel confident of victory 
 
 and so 
 advance 
 to the 
 combat; 
 showing 
 pat i e n ce 
 in death, 
 by which 
 we are 
 crowned : 
 this is 
 what is 
 called a 
 co-heir of 
 Christ; 
 this is 
 called 
 ob e y i n g 
 God'scom- 
 m a n d s ; 
 this is 
 called 
 doing our 
 F a t h e r's 
 will" (St. 
 Cyprian). 
 "The Lord 
 wishes 
 thataslong 
 as we live 
 here on 
 "Thy Will be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven." earth we 
 
 should hold intercourse with the inhabitants of heaven ; and He 
 also wishes that before it becomes our privilege to enter heaven, 
 we should make earth a heaven " (St. Chrysostom). *' Do not 
 pray that what thou wilt be done, but pray rather as thou wast 
 taught to pray, that God's will be done in thee " (Nilus). " What 
 does God hate, or what does He punish besides self-will ? Self- 
 will should cease, and hell would cease, for against what else could 
 the fires rage, but against self-will " (St. Bernard). 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 463 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 Faithful Performers of God's Will. 
 
 From Holy Scripture. — The examples of this virtue to be 
 found in Holy Writ are too well known to need recounting here. 
 Abraham, who was ready to slaughter his only son, and without 
 a murmur, although he was his only hope as the progenitor of 
 the promised generations ; Job, whose patience is proverbial ; 
 the Saviour Himself, Who drank the chalice of suffering to its 
 very dregs; Mary, who never lost faith or hope, even under the 
 cross, — these are all admirable examples of obedience to the 
 divine will. 
 
 Another example, and one that ought to make Christians 
 ashamed, is given us by King David. He was compelled to flee 
 before his own son Absalom. Although he had the sympathy 
 of most of his subjects, and even of the priests who carried the 
 Ark of the Covenant out of Jerusalem, he said to the priest 
 Sadoc: "Bring back the ark to the city. If I shall find grace 
 in the sight of the Lord, He will lead me back, and let me see it 
 and the tabernacle. But if He say to me: Thou pleasest Me 
 not, I am ready. Let Him do to me what seems good to 
 Him." 
 
 From the History of the Saints. — Blessed Henry of Suso ful- 
 filled day and night with tender conscientiousness the will of his 
 heavenly Father. He found it easy to keep the commandments 
 of God, even in the smallest matters. Hence he used to say 
 often: ** God does not require us to abound in knowledge of 
 heavenly things; but He desires us to do His will in all things, 
 and to subject ourselves to that divine will." 
 
 Every time that St. Catherine of Siena said the Our Father 
 she laid special stress on the words: "Thy will be done on earth 
 as it is in heaven." Not unfrequently she would inquire of her- 
 self: "How do I stand? Is God's will always obeyed by me?" 
 By such and other questions she acquired new courage to obey 
 the will of God. 
 
 One day St. Stephana in spirit saw herself placed in heaven, 
 where she saw mingling among the seraphim many deceased 
 persons whom she had formerly known on earth, and heard a 
 voice assuring her that the souls had attained that high degree 
 of glory because when on earth they had not only prayed " Thy 
 will be done," but because they had truly made it their food 
 ever to do the will of the Lord. 
 
464. PRAYER. 
 
 It was a most pleasing and sacred task to that devout ser- 
 vant of God, Louis of Granada, to do God's will, and he prayed 
 unceasingly to that effect. ''Only this one thing, O Lord," he 
 used often to say, " only this one thing do I seek — that Thy holy 
 will be done perfectly, that I be all Thine, and ever give myself : 
 to Thy holy service. I will ask nothing contrary to Thy will; I. 
 will do nothing against that will, even to please friends and, 
 acquaintances or gratify flesh and blood. Thy holy will is my, 
 only joy, and the delight and consolation of my soul." 
 
 A Wise Choice. 
 
 While Francis Borgia vras Duke of Gandia his wife was 
 grievously sick, and God permitted him to choose between her 
 death and her restoration to health. With sad but submissive 
 heart Francis said: " Lord, I have nothing to say. Both in 
 regard to my wife and my children I wish Thy holy will be 
 done." 
 
 Prayer of Submission. 
 
 ^ The noble and devout Elizabeth, sister to King Louis XVL,. 
 who died on the guillotine in Paris,.used to say every day in her 
 prison cell the following prayer: "O my God, I know not what 
 is^ to befall me. But I know that nothing can be done to me 
 except by Thy holy will, and that consoles me. I adore Thy 
 sacred. decrees, and submit myself to them with all my soul. I' 
 will whatever Thou wiliest, accept whatever comes from Thy 
 blessed hands, offer everything up to Thee, in union with my 
 Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In His name, and by virtue of 
 His infinite merits, I implore Thee, O God, for patience in my 
 sufferings, and for perfect resignation to whatever may befall 
 me." 
 
 When St. Martin of Tours informed his assembled disciples 
 that the hour of his death had come, they began to weep, and 
 say: " Father, why do you leave us ? To whom will you give us 
 to be cared for? Ravening wolves will make a descent upon 
 j'our deserted flock. We know you desire to be united with 
 Jesus; but your reward is secure, and although it be deferred, 
 it will always remain certain. Have pity on our distress ; think 
 of the dangers to which we shall be exposed." Then St. Martin 
 prayed as follows: " Lord, I fear not death, but do not hesitate 
 to let me live. If I am necessary to Thy people, I am ready to 
 work and to suffer. Thv holv will be done." 
 
466 PRAYER. 
 
 True 5ubmi5i.ion to God's \^i\\. 
 
 "When the news was brought to Job that his cattle had been 
 stolen byhis enemies and his children killed in the destruction 
 of his house, he was indeed grieved: yet he fell down and wor- 
 shipped God, and prayed: "The Lord gave and the Lord hath 
 taken away: as it hath pleased the Lord so it is done: blessed 
 be the name of the Lord" (Job i. 21). Again, when his whole 
 body was covered with sores, and he lay helpless and friendless 
 on a dunghill, he said to his complaining wife, "If we have 
 received good things at the hand of God, wh}^ should we not 
 receive evil ?" 
 
 St. Elizabeth of Thurin:jia. 
 
 When St. Elizabeth sa-.v t::e comn conraining the remains of 
 her young husband, who had been killed in the holy wars, her 
 whole body shuddered with painful grief. But soon recovering 
 herself, she said: "Although I loved him with my whole heart, 
 I do not complain, O Lord, that he has offered himself up to 
 Thee, and lost his life in a foreign land, doing Thy will as he 
 thought best. Thou knov.est. O Lord, that had it been Thy 
 divine will his life and presence would be to me the dearest thing 
 on earth. I would have gladly begged through the world in his 
 company all the days oi my life. But now, O Lord. I do not 
 murmur against Thy divine will, but resign myself and him to 
 Thy kind providence. I would not bring him back to life against 
 Thy will." 
 
 When afterwards she was driven from her castle, and refused 
 shelter in Eisenach, where she had given so much charity, and 
 compelled to take refuge in a stable, she had the fortitude to 
 repair at the hour of matins to the monks' chapel, and beg 
 them to sing a Te Deura in thanksgiving to God for her deep 
 afflictions. 
 
 St. Hedwigis. 
 
 St. Hedwigis. a Polish princess, loved her husband and chil- 
 dren with true maternal tenderness. Yet when the former died 
 after a disgraceful imprisonment, and her oldest son fell in battle, 
 she shed but few tears, and said : "It was God's will that they 
 should die, and God wills always what is best for us." 
 
 St. Francis oi .Assi^i. 
 
 One day. when St. Francis was enduring great pain, one of 
 his brethren said thoughtlessly : " Pray to God, dear brother, 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 467 
 
 that He would deal more gently with you, for it seems to me 
 that He is treating you with much severity." Then St. Francis 
 replied : " Be assured, brother, that if I did not know you said 
 those words out of simplicity of heart, I would not see you any 
 more ; for you have dared to find fault with the will of God." 
 Then the saint, notwithstanding his pains, kissed the ground 
 and exclaimed : " I thank Thee, O God, for all my pains. If it 
 be Thy holy will, send me more sufferings. For I wish Thee to 
 afflict me unsparingly, it being my greatest happiness on earth 
 to submit to Thy holy will." 
 
 St. Chrysostom. 
 
 When St. Chrysostom was addressing his last discourse to his 
 people before going into undeserved exile, he said : "Christ is 
 with me; whom shall I fear? Even if the whole ocean rose up 
 and overwhelmed me I would consider it a trifle, for I would 
 say all the time, 'Thy will be done, O Lord.' Not what this one 
 or that one wills, but what Thou wiliest. Thy will is my vesture, 
 my rock, my staff." Thus he spoke and thus he lived, accept- 
 ing all things from God's hand joyfully, adversity as well as 
 prosperity. 
 
 Emperor Ferdinand. 
 
 The Emperor Ferdinand H. used to say : " Long ago would I 
 have been crushed by my overwhelming misfortunes if I had not 
 striven with all my will to submit to the will of God." Daily he 
 used to pray : " Lord, if Thy honor and the good of my soul 
 require that I should be greater than I am, lift me up, and I will 
 glorify Thee. If Thy honor and my own good demand that I 
 remain in my present position, I beg Thee to keep me there, and 
 I will glorify Thee. If my degradation would contribute to Thy 
 honor and my own good, then degrade me according to Thy 
 good pleasure, and I will glorify Thee." 
 
 Thomas More. 
 
 That exemplary model of perfect patience. Sir Thomas More, 
 regulated his will altogether in accordance with the will of God, 
 as the following shows. 
 
 While detained at the court of the king, some distance from 
 home, he received a letter from his wife informing iiim that a 
 portion of their house had been destroyed by fire, together with 
 all their barns and very valuable contents. More answered his 
 wife's letter as follows : " Dear Aloysia, you inform me tliat our 
 
468 PRAYER. 
 
 barn and that of our neighbor have been destroyed with all 
 their contents. It is a cause of sorrow, but not of murmuring 
 against the will of God. Since it has pleased God to thus 
 chastise us, we must not only be patient, but also willing to bear 
 with the outstretched hand of the Lord. What we have lost 
 was given us by God. As He has taken it away, welcome be 
 His holy will. Let us not be cast down at the calamity ; but, as 
 is becoming, be reconciled, and even thank God the same as if 
 He had sent us a fortune. And, indeed, if we look at it in the 
 right light, this loss is a gain, a benefit from God. For what 
 contributes to our sanctification is better known to God than to 
 us. 
 
 " So I beg you be consoled, take the whole household with 
 you into the church, thank God for what He gave and what He 
 has taken away, and also for what He has left us. If He choose, 
 He can easily deprive us of what is left to us. If He resolve to 
 take more from us, let it be as He wills. Ascertain the amount 
 lost by our neighbor, and beg him not to worry at the affliction. 
 For I cannot permit him to suffer on my account, if I be com- 
 pelled to part with all I have to compensate him. 
 
 "I request you, Aloysia, to rejoice in the Lord, together with 
 all the children and the rest of the household. We are all in the 
 hands of the Lord. We are altogether dependent on His will, 
 and never should we be cast down by any mishap. Farewell." 
 
 Contentment. 
 
 Charles Albert, whilst riding through the country with some 
 of his courtiers, met on the roadside a shepherd-boy caring for a 
 flock of sheep. The prince, reining up his horse, inquired who 
 owned the sheep. The boy, pointing his stick to a neighboring 
 farm-house, intimated that there the owner lived. "And what 
 do you receive for your service?" inquired the prince further 
 "The owner supplies me with food and clothing," replied the 
 boy. " That is not much," rejoined Charles Albert. " Have 
 you any more?" artlessly asked the boy. The emperor stood 
 still, pulled out his purse, and threw the boy a gold coin. Then, 
 as he rode away, he said to his attendants : " Truly, that is a 
 valuable lesson for a prince." 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 
 
 469 
 
 XTbe ffourtb petition In tbe Xorb's prater, 
 
 "Give us this Day out» Daily Bfead." 
 I^STt^UCTION. 
 
 HE first three petitions in the Lord's Prayer 
 
 have for their object that God would give 
 
 us the grace to attain the end for which we 
 
 have been created ; namely, to honor Him, to 
 
 serve Him, and to come to Him in heaven. 
 
 The last four petitions have regard to what we 
 
 need during our earthly pilgrimage, for we live 
 
 much need and much anxiety of soul and 
 
 body. 
 
 Hence we pray, first of all, for our daily bread; meaning 
 thereby not only that ordinary article of food, but everything 
 that we need for soul and body, that our bodily life may not 
 become exhausted nor our spiritual life extinct, but that we 
 may have strength and vigor to fulfil our duties as Christians. 
 
 Holy Scripture often understands by bread whatever is neces- 
 sary for life, especially our bodily support. Thus says the 
 Psalmist: "I have been young, and now am old: and I have 
 not seen the just forsaken, nor His seed seeking bread " (Ps. 
 xxxvi. 25). Of Our Saviour we are told that '' Jesus went into 
 the house of one of the chief of the Pharisees on the Sabbath 
 day to eat bread" (Luke xiv. i). 
 
 We pray to God for nourishment for the body; for although 
 we may work, the blessing comes not from ourselves, but from 
 God. " Neither he that planteth is anything, nor lie that water- 
 eth : but God that giveth the increase " (I. Cor, iii. 7). As the 
 prayer is a universal one, we ask for bread, not for this one or 
 that one only, but for us, that is to say, for all men ; for a true 
 Christian cannot eat his bread in contentment when he sees his 
 fellow-beings in want. 
 
 We say, too, give us oicr daily bread, and not tJic daily 
 bread ; for we do not ask for a bread unsuited to ourselves, 
 but for that bread which a kind Providence has appointed 
 for us, and to earn which we gladly exert ourselves. We do 
 not seek the bread of unrighteousness, we do not wish to cat 
 at the expense of other men's labor; we seek our own bread, and 
 
47o 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 not that of the stranger, as long as God is pleased to save 
 us from becoming a burden on others. 
 
 When a bountiful God gives us bread, let us promise to 
 consider it our common bread, and not to shut our brethren out 
 from a share in it, but rather to break it cheerfully with the 
 needy, and to acknowledge gratefully that the share of the poor 
 has been intrusted to our hands, and that we are the stewards 
 of the Lord. 
 
 We pray for bread, and show that we are satisfied if God 
 
 gives us what 
 
 IS necessary 
 only. I t i s 
 not superflu- 
 ity that we 
 desire, but 
 merely what 
 is necessary 
 for life, leav- 
 ing it to the 
 good pleasure 
 of God to add 
 more. We are 
 not solicitous 
 as to what we 
 shall eat and 
 what we shall 
 drink, but we 
 rely on Him 
 Who said: 
 *' C a s t thy 
 care upon the 
 Lord, and He 
 shall sustain 
 thee" (Ps. liv. 
 23). As we 
 pray daily, we 
 do not doubt 
 but that our 
 prayer will be 
 heard daily. 
 
 **GiVE us THIS Day our Daily Bread.*' 
 
 " Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that 
 
 proceedeth from the mouth of God " (Matt. iv. 4). The soul, 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 
 
 47t 
 
 then, must be fed as well as the body, and in the fourth petition 
 we also pray for the nourishment for tlie soul. But the bread 
 of the soul is Christ and His grace. He and His word are 
 the saving means that nourish the soul, and strengthen it against 
 the disease and death of sin. ** I am the bread of life," says the 
 Lord (John vi. 35). Hence we pray that God's word may be 
 spoken to us in sermons and instructions, that we may have 
 zealous priests to dispense to us the sacraments, and above 
 all that we ourselves be made worthy to receive often and 
 profitably the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar; for it is the 
 supersubstantial bread that helps to life, for he who eats of it 
 shall live forever (John v. 35). 
 
 Thus the fourth petition of the Lord's Prayer is a petition for 
 the means by which the object of the first three petitions is to be 
 secured. 
 
 t^EFIiHCTIOH. 
 
 PASSAGES FROn SCRIPTURE. 
 
 HE eyes of all hope in Thee, O Lord : and Thou 
 givest them meat in due season " (Ps. cxliv. 15). 
 "Deal Thy bread to the hungry" (Is. Iviii. 7). 
 " Be not therefore solicitous for to-morrow. For 
 the morrow will be solicitous for itself; sufficient 
 for the day is the evil thereof" (Matt. vi. 34). 
 " Having food, and wherewith to be covered, 
 with these we are content. For they that will 
 become rich fall into temptation, and into the snare 
 of the devil, and into many unprofitable and hurtful desires, 
 which drown men into destruction and perdition " (I. Tim. vi. 9). 
 "Let your manners be without covetousness, contented with 
 such things as you have: for He hath said : I will not leave thee, 
 neither will I forsake thee" (Heb. xiii. 5). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 " We say. Give us this day our daily bread. But what is our 
 daily bread ? Nothing else than the Lord's Supper" (St. Augus- 
 tine). 
 
 "We have need to pray. Give us this day our daily bread, not 
 only that we may have food, but also that it may be reached to 
 us by the hand of the Lord, which imparts to the daily bread so 
 sound and healthful a force that the food is profitable to the 
 body and the body serves the soul" (St. Chrysostom). "As we 
 
472 PRAYER. 
 
 consist of two natures, one of which is corporeal, the other spir- 
 itual, we ask for bread for both. For our corporeal being we 
 ask for earthly bread, and for our soul heavenly food, the bread 
 of angels ; who, as spiritual beings, nourish themselves on no 
 other food but Thyself, O God, Who art the feeder of spiritual 
 existence " (Louis of Granada). " Give us bread, O Lord. No 
 superfluity, no luxury, no golden ornaments, no glistening stones, 
 no acres, no authority over people, no silken garments, no musi- 
 cal delights of the ear, nothing by which the soul would be 
 diverted from high and divine things, but only bread " (St. 
 Gregory of Nyssa). " A disciple of Christ prays properly only 
 for his daily subsistence, for he is forbidden to be solicitous for 
 the morrow ; for it is contradictory and unfitting that we should 
 pray to live long in this world, we who pray that God's kingdom 
 may soon come to us" (St. Cyprian). " He who eats honestly 
 well-earned bread eats his own bread. But he who eats bread 
 dishonestly earned eats the bread of others" (St. Chrysostom). 
 " If Christ is our daily bread, why do you partake of it only once 
 a year ? Live so that you may receive it daily " (St. Ambrose). 
 
 EXAHPLES. 
 Remarkable Instance of Prayer Heard. 
 
 There is no prayer more effective to influence the heart of a 
 father, and move him to a speedy response, than the prayer of 
 his children for bread. But if the heart of an earthly father is 
 so powerfully affected by the words, "Give us bread," can it be 
 less effective with our loving Father in heaven? Certainly not. 
 Whosoever, with childlike confidence, sends up such a prayer to 
 heaven will surely find a favorable hearing. The following inci- 
 dent shows this. 
 
 Some years ago a poor young shoemaker died, leaving a 
 widow and three children without any means. In a short time 
 they were without anything to eat, and knew not where to find 
 any. The anguish of the female mind in such circumstances is 
 bitter indeed ; but how much more so when she is a widowed 
 mother with several starving children ! Then she said to the two 
 oldest, " I cannot give you anything to eat, for I have nothing ; 
 let us kneel down and ask the merciful God to help us." So 
 they knelt down, and all together repeated the Our Father, being 
 unusually fervent at the words, " Give us this day our daily 
 bread." Just about that time a parishioner had died, and his 
 friends came to the pastor with some offerings for Masses for the 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 473 
 
 repose of the soul of the deceased. The pastor said he did not 
 need the nion.ey, but would see that the Masses were celebrated, 
 while the friends could give the alms to some poor person. God 
 guided their footsteps to the house of the poor woman and her 
 children as they were praying for their daily bread. 
 
 Contentment. 
 
 - Many bright examples of satisfied moderation are to be found 
 in Holy Scripture. 
 
 Thus King Solomon prayed, "Lord, give me neither beggary 
 nor riches : give me only the necessaries of life " (Prov. xxx. 8). 
 
 The prophet Eliseus led the Assyrian soldiers to the king and 
 said to him, "Set bread and water before them, that they may 
 eat and drink, and go to their master " (IV. Kings vi. 22). 
 
 A very special model of contentment is St. Francis Assisi. 
 While making a pilgrimage to Rome in company of his friend, 
 Brother Massaeus, the saint was almost fainting from weakness 
 and the heat of the weather, when they came to a clear, fresh 
 spring issuing from between two stones. The two pilgrims sat 
 down on the grass, and made their frugal meal on some hard, dry 
 crusts of bread that they had begged on the way. Francis be- 
 came quite cheerful, and made no effort to conceal his pleasant 
 state of mind. "O Brother Massaeus!" he exclaimed, "let us 
 make merry, and thank God for the rich treasure He has sent to 
 me." Brother Massaeus wondered where the great treasure was, 
 for they had but bread and water for dinner, and not too much 
 of that. " O Massaeus ! " replied St. Francis, " is it not equal to 
 a' great treasure to have here this beautiful shady spot, with its 
 riunning stream of sweet water and its green, grassy turf, to say 
 nothing of the good wholesome bread that God has induced 
 good, kind people to give us on the way ?" 
 
 Be not Solicitous for the Morrow. 
 
 St. Paul of Lower Thebais, the first hermit, in order to es- 
 cape the persecution of the Christians by the Emperor Decius, 
 fled in his twenty-third year to the country of Upper Tliebais. 
 There for thirty years he lived on the fruit of one date-tree and 
 the water of the same spring. During the sixty years following 
 he lived on a half loaf of bread brought to him daily by a raven. 
 In the year 341 the saintly hermit, warned by Heaven, went to 
 visit St. Antony, when, lo and behold ! the same raven came and 
 brought this time a whole loaf of bread, and laid it at their feet. 
 
474 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 God Rewards Charitable Gifts. 
 
 There lived in Bavaria a devout pastor named Fenneberg. 
 He was kind beyond measure, and hence he was himself often 
 very much embarrassed for the necessaries of life. It was in 
 such moments that his confidence in God was deepest. 
 
 It happened one day that he needed money for a certain pur- 
 pose, and knew not where to procure it. Such a position, for a 
 devoted pastor of souls, is trying in the extreme. His heart 
 sympathizes with all the members of his congregation, as does a 
 father's heart for each and every child of his family ; and it 
 pains him deeply to see want, and not have the means to relieve 
 
 Paul Fed by a Raven. 
 
 it. It occurred to him that some time previous he had lent two 
 dollars to a person to enable him to go to a distant town in 
 search of employment. He did not regret the loan, but as the 
 amount now needed was just two dollars, the incident came to 
 his mind naturally. Standing uneasily at his window, he said : 
 " Beloved Lord and Master, Thou knowest that for Thy sake I 
 loaned a poor man two dollars ; I beg Thee to inspire him to 
 remit them to me now in my hour of necessity." He had hardly 
 finished his simple prayer when a smart knock was heard at the 
 door, and on opening it he found there the letter-carrier with 
 a package containing two hundred dollars, and addressed to the 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 475 
 
 pastor. The matter was soon explained. The poor man who 
 had borrowed the two dollars found steady employment in the 
 service of a wealthy townsman, to whom he related the goodness 
 of the poor priest. This man, though wealthy, had not his heart 
 in his riches, nor was it made of marble ; he had a Christian 
 heart, into which the light of charity easily penetrated. So he 
 said to himself: *' I have much more than I need, and a chari- 
 table pastor of souls must have many ways that the world knows 
 nothing about of employing money for the good of souls." 
 Moved by such reflections, he remitted to the priest the two hun- 
 dred dollars — a hundred dollars for each one loaned in kindness. 
 
 The Blessed Bread. 
 
 When the great Cardinal Bellarmine was asked what class of 
 persons were most likely to attain their salvation, he replied : 
 " The class who earn their daily bread. For these people," said 
 he, " work steadily from morning to night ; so there is no temp- 
 tation to sloth, and many opportunities for the exercise of the 
 most heroic virtues. Their scant subsistence relieves them of 
 many temptations. With truth can they pray : ' Give us our 
 daily bread :' and with truth can they say : *this is our daily 
 bread ; ' for it is in every sense their own." 
 
 The Bleeding Bread. 
 
 The venerable, wonder-working Father Matthew Bussi was 
 once invited to supper by a dishonest lawyer of Venice. Taking 
 a piece of bread, he squeezed it, and a stream of blood was seen 
 issuing from it. This he showed to his host, and said : " Such is 
 the bread you have on your table. You squeeze the very life's 
 blood from poor widows and orphans, and yet presume to say 
 daily to your heavenly Father, * Give us this day our daily 
 bread.' You ought to shudder at the words, and remember the 
 dreadful bread you eat, moistened with the blood and tears of 
 the unfortunate." 
 
 Reverence for God's Word. 
 
 Frances of Jesus had an inappeasable desire to hear God's 
 word, for in it she found strength and consolation. It was as 
 necessary and dear to her soul as her daily bread. When listen- 
 ing to a sermon her whole countenance would glow with respect- 
 ful devotion. It mattered little whether tlie preacher observed 
 the rules of rhetoric or not, her ear was attentive and her eyes 
 shed tears, To some young people, who found fault with a 
 
476 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 preacher's mode of delivery, she said : " When exiles in a strange 
 land hear news from home, they pay little attention to the lan- 
 guage or manner of the messenger, if they can only get the news. 
 Should not we, who are pilgrims and strangers in this vale of 
 tears, be glad to hear news from our Father in heaven, no mat- 
 ter who brings it ? " 
 
 Ube fifth ipetttton in tbe Xorb's prater* 
 
 popgivc us our Trespasses, as cue Forgive them 
 caho Trespass against us." 
 
 IJ^STl^UCTIOH 
 
 N the fourth petition of the Lord's Prayer we 
 pray for bread for soul and body. But how 
 ^ often, in our forgetfulness of the gifts of our 
 divine Giver, do we sin by ingratitude and for- 
 getfulness of God ! Hence, to the petition, 
 __ , " Give us this day our daily bread," we add at 
 
 . ^'^k ■ once, " And forgive us our trespasses." 
 
 Now all men without exception are sinners. 
 The preacher saith : " There is no just man upon earth, that 
 doth good, and sinneth not " (Eccles. vii. 21). Solomon the wise 
 man asks : "Who can say : My heart is clean, I am pure from 
 sin ?" (Prov. xx. 9.) St. Paul says that the man who says he is 
 free from sin deceives himself, and the truth is not in him. 
 Hence all men have good reason to sue for pardon before God 
 from their sins. 
 
 But God will forgive us our sins only on condition that we for- 
 give those who offend us. He has, as it were, made a covenant 
 with us sinners in these words : "If you forgive those who have 
 offended you, I will forgive your offences committed against Me. 
 If you do not forgive, you cannot expect Me to forgive." This 
 truth we learn from Our Saviour's own lips, when relating the 
 well-known parable of the unmerciful servant, who had been re- 
 lieved of a large debt by his master, and then cast his fellow- 
 servant into prison for a debt of a hundred pence; When the 
 lord heard of this action of the unmerciful servant, he called 
 him and said to him : " Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee 
 all the debt, because thou besoughtest me. Shouldst not thou 
 then have had compassion also on thy fellow-servant, even as I 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 
 
 .477 
 
 " For- 
 our 
 
 had compassion on thee? And his lord being angry delivered 
 
 him to the torturers until he paid all the debt." " So also," 
 
 adds Christ, 
 
 ''shall My 
 
 heavenly 
 
 Father do to 
 
 you if you 
 
 forgive not 
 
 every one his 
 
 brother from 
 
 your heart " 
 
 (Matt, xviii. 
 
 32-35). Hence 
 
 He c o m- 
 
 manded us to 
 
 pray: 
 
 give us 
 
 trespasses as 
 
 we forgive 
 
 them who 
 
 tres pass 
 
 against us." 
 
 We pray 
 then in vain 
 to God, For- 
 give us o u r 
 debts, i f w e 
 be hard- 
 hearted 
 against our 
 fellow men 
 and cherish 
 en mi t y 
 against them. 
 Indeed by so 
 
 doing we utter the Lord's Prayer to our destruction, for we 
 really ask God to forgive us in the same proportion as we for- 
 give others. 
 
 Forgive 
 
 us OUR Trespasses as we Forgive 
 Trespass against us." 
 
 them who 
 
478 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 t^EFLiHCTIO]|Sl. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 ROM my secret sins, cleanse me, O Lord 
 
 Ps. 
 
 xviii. i^). *'Who is a God like to Thee, Who 
 takest away iniquity, and passest by the sin of 
 the remnant of Thy inheritance ? " (Mich. vii. 
 i8.) " Say not : I will return evil : wait for the 
 Lord and He will deliver thee " (Prov. xx. 22). 
 " If you will forgive men their offences : your 
 heavenly Father will forgive you also your 
 offences " (Matt. vi. 14). " If thou meet thy enemy's ox or 
 ass going astray, bring it back to him" (Ex. xxiii. 4). "When 
 thy enemy shall fall, be not glad, and in his ruin let not 
 thy heart rejoice" (Prov. xxiv. 17). " If thy enemy be hungry, 
 give him to eat: if he thirst, give him water to drink "(Prov. 
 XXV. 21). " Love your enemies : do good, and lend, hop- 
 ing for nothing thereby: and your reward shall be great" 
 (Luke vi. 35). "Let not the sun go down upon your anger" 
 (Eph. iv. 26). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 " How forcibly and profitably we are reminded that we are 
 sinners by the soul remembering itself while asking for pardon. 
 By praying for forgiveness every day we are every day reminded 
 that we are sinning every day. To your enemies wish only good: 
 only cease to have enmity towards him, and he will be your 
 enemy no longer. It is not the human nature within him that is 
 your enemy, but sin. Only remember our origin: God is our 
 Father, the Church is our mother, therefore we are brothers" 
 (St. Augustine). " How can you raise your hands to heaven, or 
 move your tongue, or seek forgiveness ? For if God will pardon 
 you your sins, you do not permit it as long as you have hostile 
 feelings towards your neighbor" (St. Chrysostom). "If thou do 
 not forgive the indignity done to thyself, thou dost not offer a 
 prayer for thyself, but seekest and bringest down on thyself the 
 curse of God " (St. Athanasius). '' Thou hurtest thyself if thou 
 do not love thy enemy " (St. Bernard). 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 Forgive us our Trespasses. 
 
 Even under the Old Dispensation there were many good and 
 pious servants of God who used to cry out, " Forgive us, O Lord, 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 479 
 
 our debts." In the New Dispensation such persons are beyond 
 all reckoning. 
 
 Filled with grief, Isaias exclaims, " Be not very angry, O Lord, 
 and remember no longer our iniquity ; behold, see we are all Thy 
 people" (Is. Ixiv. 9). 
 
 Daniel, in a spirit of penance, raised his imploring voice and 
 prayed : '' I beseech Thee, O Lord God, great and terrible, Who 
 keepest the covenant and mercy to them that love Thee, we have 
 sinned, we have committed iniquity. But to Thee, O Lord, 
 belong mercy and forgiveness. Incline Thine ear and hear. For- 
 give " (Dan. ix. 4 ). 
 
 David wept and groaned day and night because of his tres- 
 passes against God's law, and ceased not to pray to be forgiven. 
 
 In the same strain prayed the poor publican in the Temple, 
 *' Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner." Mary Magdalene, at the feet 
 of Jesus, begged to have her sins forgiven. And many sins were 
 forgiven her. 
 
 So it was at all times proved that God is a merciful God to 
 those who call on Him, if they themselves forgive those who 
 offend them. 
 
 St. Bernard. — This servant of God, who may be justly styled 
 an angel of innocence, often used to say to himself : " How dare 
 I presume to raise my eyes to the face of God, Who is so good a 
 Father, while I am so undutiful a son ? Break forth, my eyes, 
 into a torrent of tears ; let shame cover my countenance, let my 
 life waste with pain, and amid sighs and tears over myself may 
 my days vanish." 
 
 Forgive and you will be Forgiven. 
 
 St. John the Almoner, Patriarch of Alexandria, had often 
 advised a great lord to be reconciled with his enemy ; but find- 
 ing him obstinate to his advice he conducted him one day into a 
 private chapel to be present at Mass. There was no one but St. 
 John with his server, and the irreconcilable lord, at the Mass. In 
 those days it was the practice for the celebrant and the people to 
 recite together the Pater Noster aloud. When the petition was 
 reached, " Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them who tres- 
 pass against us," the Patriarch lowered his voice, as did also 
 the boy, according to previous instructions, so that the lord heard 
 himself only saying the words. Then the priest turned towards 
 him, and said in gentle tones: ''Tliink, T implore you, on the 
 words you have just spoken to God ! Wiiile asking His forgive- 
 
480 PRAYER. 
 
 ness you have asserted that you forgive those who have tres- 
 passed against yourself." The great man felt as if a thunderbolt 
 had fallen on him, and throwing himself prostrate on his face he 
 said, ''Your servant is ready to do what you have asked me to 
 do." So he at once went away, and was reconciled to his former 
 enemy. 
 
 Magnanimity. 
 
 St. Anselm. — Whilst William the Conqueror was King of Eng- 
 land, St. Anselm was Archbishop of Canterbury. The king, who 
 was unjust and violent to a degree, robbed the churches of much 
 of their wealth, and then sought to compel St. Anselm to ratify 
 the theft and even to pay a large sum of money himself. The 
 holy archbishop protested against the injustice, and defended 
 the rights of the Church, thereby incurring the angry hatred of 
 the king and much persecution. He was deprived of his diocese 
 and compelled to leave England. But he who had long before 
 renounced the world, and acquired virtue under the guidance of 
 the holy rule of St. Benedict, had also learned to forgive his ene- 
 mies and persecutors. Free from all spite or rancor, the bishop, 
 presenting himself before the king, said, " I am now about to 
 leave the country, and if you do not object, I wish to leave Your 
 Majesty my blessing." Then he set out for Rome, and soon after 
 was present at the Council of Bary, w^here steps were taken to 
 excommunicate King William of England for his outrageous 
 conduct against God's Church and its clergy. But St. Anselm, 
 falling on his knees, begged the bishops to spare the king, which 
 they did at the request of the lenient and forgiving bishop. 
 
 A Priest's Revenge. — In a little village in the Vosges Moun- 
 tains there once dwelt a French priest named Wagner, who to 
 much amiability of character united strength and vigor. Though 
 he would not offend a child, he w^as inexorable in denouncing 
 and suppressing abuses in his parish. Consequently he had 
 some enemies, one of whom one day fired a pistol at him, inflict- 
 ing a wound of which he died in a few days. The murderer was 
 condemned to imprisonment for life. The pastor then made his 
 will, and chose as his heirs for everything he owned the children 
 of his murderer. 
 
 The Duke of Guise. — A certain Protestant was resolved to kill 
 the Duke of Guise, w^ho always showed himself a zealous de- 
 fender of the Catholic Church. The attempt being frustrated, 
 the duke said to the would-be murderer: " Have I ever done you 
 any wrong?" "No," replied the other. "What, then, coi^ld 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 481 
 
 induce you to try to kill me." "I wanted to save my religion," 
 replied the man. *' Ah well," said the duke, "if your religion 
 requires murder to protect it, my religion tells me to love my 
 enemies. I forgive you." 
 
 Max Emanuel. — This general was once retreating through the 
 mountain passes of the Tyrol, when the hostile inhabitants con- 
 cealed themselves in many places in ambush, and harassed him 
 and his army as they passed. His faithful vassal rode by the 
 general's side, and would change from left to right, and fight to 
 left, according as he anticipated danger on one side or the 
 other. At last he received a shot intended for Max Emanuel, 
 and fell dead by his side. Afterwards the murderer was dis- 
 covered and brought before Max Emanuel, who not only par- 
 doned him, but furnished him with means to get away from the 
 people, who were not actuated with the same spirit of forgive- 
 ness. 
 
 Forgiveness is a Christian's Revenge. — An inhabitant of Corsica 
 was one day, with three friends, resting himself near a fountain 
 on the grounds of Count Frasle, when he saw coming towards 
 him a man who had murdered his son, and known only to him- 
 self. Greeting him politely, he asked him to share in their 
 refreshments. The guilty man was so frightened at the meeting, 
 that the blood seemed to chill in his veins; but seeing no means 
 of escape, he joined the party, more dead than alive, feeling that 
 at last retribution had come, and he would be handed over to the 
 authorities, if not murdered by the outraged father. Soon the 
 three friends took their departure, and the murderer was left 
 alone with the father of the young man he had killed. " Your 
 life," said the bereaved father, ** is now in my hands, and I might 
 now avenge the death of my son. You have brought grief and 
 suffering to my family; but I will forget my wrongs if you 
 promise always to treat your enemies as I now treat you, and 
 learn that to forgive is better than to seek revenge." With these 
 words he left the guilty man, who at once began a life of severe 
 penance in atonement for his crime. 
 
 Reward for Forgiving our Enemies. 
 
 St. John Gualbert. — St. John Gualbert, founder of the re- 
 nowned monastery of Vallombrosa, while yet in the world met 
 the murderer of his brother, on a Good Friday. (lualbert was a 
 powerful man, and there being no chance of escape, the mur- 
 derer believed that his end was come. So tlirowing himself on 
 
4S2 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 his knees before Gualbert, he begged him, for the sake of Our 
 Lord, Who had died on that day for the sins of men, to spare 
 him. Gualbert answered: '' Since you ask me for pardon in the 
 name of God, and on this day, I cannot refuse." Then the saint 
 embraced him, and repairing to a neighboring church he per- 
 ceived the figure of our crucified Redeemer bowing its head, as 
 if in approval of his Christian feelings and action. Here, too, 
 
 St. John Gualbert. 
 
 Gualbert found his first grace, that afterwards led to his sublime 
 holiness in the service of God. 
 
 Nicephorus and Sapricius. — Nicephorus and Sapricius, two 
 Christians living at Antioch under the reign of the Emperor 
 Aurelian, although at first loving each other like brothers, be- 
 came afterwards such enemies that they would not speak to 
 each other. At last Nicephorus entered seriously into himself, 
 and regretting the uncharitable feelings existing between him 
 and his former friend, made repeated efforts to be reconciled. 
 He even went to the house of Sapricius, and threw himself at his 
 feet, asking forgiveness, which the latter persistently refused. 
 At last, one day, Sapricius was arrested because of his religion, 
 which he steadfastly professed before the judges. The governor 
 ordered him to be placed in a kind of press, where he was slowly 
 and painfully squeezed almost to death. Yet, as he remained 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 483 
 
 faithful to his faith, he was condemned to lose his head. Then 
 Nicephorus ran to meet him, and throwing himself before him, 
 cried and begged, saying: *' Martyr of Christ, forgive me, as 
 Christ forgave His enemies." But Sapricius turned aside his 
 head and deigned no answer. Nicephorus persisted so in his 
 prayer for pardon, that the pagans looked upon him as a crazy 
 man, and laughed at his eagerness to obtain pardon from one 
 who was condemned to death as a criminal. But Heaven could 
 not look with indifference on the want of charity in Sapricius. 
 The same Jesus Who had taught His disciples to say: " Forgive 
 us our trespasses, as we forgive them who trespass against us," 
 withdrew his grace from the hard-hearted Sapricius. Then what 
 happened ? When the moment came for the execution of the 
 sentence, and Sapricius should place his head on the block to 
 receive the blow of the axe, he hesitated, then denied Christ, 
 and promised to v/orship the false gods. " No, no," exclaimed 
 Nicephorus, " you must not throw away your martyr-crown, 
 already stained with your blood, and for which you have already 
 suffered so much. Do not dishonor your Redeemer, Who is even 
 now holding that crown over your head." But Sapricius would 
 not take advice from a man whom he hated. Then Nicephorus, 
 grieved to the heart at his enemy's apostasy, cried out: " I too 
 am a Christian, and profess what Sapricius has renounced. Per- 
 mit me to repair this scandal by dying in his place." The prayer 
 was granted. Thus was the crown of martyrdom denied to the 
 unforgiving Sapricius and bestowed on the forgiving Nicephorus. 
 
 Ubc Stjtb petition of tbe Qnt fatbcv. 
 
 *' liead us not into Temptation." 
 
 IfiSTl^liCTIOrl. 
 
 O test a thing means to experiment upon it, or 
 to place it in certain positions and circum- 
 stances, from the influence of which upon it and 
 its corresponding changes it may be discovered 
 what is in it and of what it is made. Tluis tlie 
 lapidary tests metals and stones by subjecting 
 •^1^^ them to fire and acids, to ascertain their value and 
 quality. So, too, are men tested by their fellow men, 
 who place them in various circumstances and op- 
 portunities that are calculated to try their prudence, courage, 
 honesty, and other qualifications. 
 
4S4 PRAYER. 
 
 God Himself exercises such tests on the souls of men. Holy 
 Scripture furnishes us with many an example. He tested and 
 tried our first parents. He tried the faith and obedience of 
 Abraham, commanding him to slay his only son. The elder 
 Tobias was tried by God ; for it was not by accident that the 
 dung of the swallows fell into his eyes and deprived him of sight. 
 Not that God needed to make such tests in order to know His 
 creatures, ''for the wisdom of God is great, seeing all men with- 
 out ceasing." God's motive for trying and testing men lies in 
 the nature of men themselves. 
 
 God created man a free and self-conscious being. Hence man 
 must himself first declare for God and His law before God can 
 make him happy. In order that this be done, God puts man in 
 some occasion or opportunity, in which the latter chooses, and 
 decides whether he will obey God or the world, whether he will 
 follow the higher and holier will or the will of the flesh ; that is 
 to say, God tries or tempts man. 
 
 Xo man can escape these trials, and when we say, " Lead us 
 not into temptation," we must not presume to ask God to exempt 
 us altogether from trials or temptations ; for they are to us oppor- 
 tunities of winning a crown. This is what St. James the Apostle 
 teaches when he exclaims : " Blessed is the man 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" 
 (James i. 12). Thus if we asked God to free us altogether from 
 every temptation, it would be equivalent to saying, ''Deprive me 
 of all opportunity of winning a victory and of gaining a crown." 
 
 To tempt means also to incite one to commit sin. In this 
 sense God cannot tempt us, for He is holiness itself, and there- 
 fore abhors all sin. St. James says, "Let no man, when he is 
 tempted, say that he is tempted by God ; for God is not a tempter 
 of evils, and He tempteth no man " (James i. 13). These wicked 
 temptations come partly from our own internal enemies, from 
 our evil inclinations and our flesh ; and partly from our outer 
 enemies, the world and the devil. It is only in the following 
 sense that God ^- leads us into temptation," namely, that He per- 
 mits them to come to us, either for the purpose of increasing our 
 merits or of humiliating our pride and punishing our sins. It is 
 from such evil temptations we seek to be freed when we pray, 
 '• Lead us not into temptation ; " or w^e pray at least for strength 
 from above not to yield under the trials. 
 
 This sixth petition in the Our Father follows naturally the 
 
THE OUR FATHEk. 
 
 4S5 
 
 fifth petition, in which we have already besought the heavenly- 
 Father for remission of the guilt due to our sins. In the sixth 
 we pray to be saved from a relapse into sin ; saying, as it were, 
 *' Lord, cleanse us from our sins ; and since through Thy mercies 
 we have been washed from them, do not permit us to taint our- 
 selves anew by new sins and new guilt." 
 
 But it is not enough to pray, " Lead us not into tempta- 
 tion ; " we ourselves must be careful not to stumble easily into 
 the way of 
 
 temptation 
 and sin, 
 but faith- 
 fully make 
 use of such 
 means as 
 are adapt- 
 ed to the 
 prevention 
 of them 
 and of 
 conquer- 
 ing them. 
 "There- 
 fore take 
 unto you 
 the armor 
 of God, 
 t h^ you 
 may be 
 able to re- 
 sist in the 
 evil day, 
 and to 
 stand in all 
 things per- 
 fect" (Eph. 
 vi. 13). 
 
 The 
 chief 
 
 means to " Lead us not into Tkmi'iation.'' 
 
 be used against temptations are the following: 
 
 I. Speedy flight from danger, and from evil occasions. The 
 
4^ PRAYER. 
 
 ~ :re £::e::: : : : : e :rs:: " s :r. :hr:::iu:rr::r:::s:o sio, the more 
 rtr 3 r T ,:r t : r " :rt i :^ : : : r : : ::: certain the vic- 
 
 ::r ^ ^ i ~^?. 3.:::ri ::^ :: Gid's own heart, 
 
 ^5 1 a, and fell into adultery and 
 
 :, by imr-iier: familiarity with 
 
 •later. S:. ?r:tr, by associating- 
 with the cr.e~irs :: rsus Lr:izi :hr zre :: ::i s zei^r: e a 
 trail: r. 
 
 It IS wnen a n: 
 
 4). 
 
 3ie 
 
 in justice ai?c :r :rir : i ; r;-re .: s: 
 
 1 : :lus. iL i). 
 
 . ;-. " Idleness is th r — :::.tr ::' —isihiri." s?^ 
 
 r : err. As 1: "5 £ 5 I : i was busily er ^'; ^ 
 
 . :;;f ^--rs :: Zriz /.t ^^ £ :ruly vir :.;::. 5 
 rr :.i: :;^i Sr:;: ':^: -s 1 5.::stitnte in :.;r 
 
 tification of tiit serses tre :::r Trirs :: :s: commonlT usei by 
 a'! he saints to restrain :::r iti lisrs :: rat:: re. as " eii iS :: 
 : r : ::r all temptations. 
 
 cclus. vii. 40). "As 
 £S s :r £5 :u fold 
 
 : .:.- i-.car; " ,St. Au- 
 : -: : :ation : ** Watch 
 r ^ .'::t. xxvL 41). 
 
 7, C ::--::::;;::::: G: i. '• x:::5r ".■.:: :. : z t ir. :::r L:ri." saith 
 David, " shall :: : : : erlsh." 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 
 
 487 
 
 t^HFIiHCTIOri. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 HAT doth He know that hath not been 
 tried?" (Ecclus. xxxiv. 9.) "And lest the 
 greatness of the revelations should exalt 
 me, there was given me a sting, of my flesh, 
 an angel of Satan, to buffet me. For which 
 thing thrice I besought the Lord, that it 
 might depart from me : and He said to me : 
 My grace is sufficient for thee " (II. Cor. xii. 
 7-9). *' Blessed is the man that endureth temptation : for when 
 he hath been proved, he shall receive the crov/n of life, which 
 God hath promised to them that love Him. Let no man, when 
 he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God : for God is not 
 a tempter of evils : and He tempteth no man" (James i. 12). 
 " Resist the devil, and he will fly from you" (James iv. 7). " He 
 that thinketh himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall " 
 (I. Cor. X. 12). "Be prudent therefore, and watch in prayers" 
 (I. Pet. iv. 7). " Be sober and watch " (I. Pet. v. 8). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 " When we pray that we be not led into temptation, we are 
 reminded of our weakness and helplessness, inasmuch as we pray 
 that no pride may arise within us, that no one may esteem him- 
 self something in his own pride and presump.tion, that no one 
 may consider his fame his own ; for the Lord of humility has 
 taught and said : * Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temp- 
 tation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak ; ' hence 
 when an humble and submissive confession is put forth, and 
 everything is ascribed to God, all that we pray for with fear and 
 reverence for God will, through His loving-kindness, be granted " 
 (St. Cyprian). " Whosoever does not devote himself to prayer, 
 places himself in temptation" (St. Peter Chrysologus). "When 
 prayer precedes business, sin finds no entrance to the soul " (St. 
 Gregory of Nyssa). " Worldlings do not know what a temptation 
 is, for they are so entangled in vice and buried in eartlily affairs 
 that they always anticipate evil and help the devil to tempt 
 them" (St. Antoninus). "The wicked enemy can cause pas- 
 sions to rage within thee, but it rests with thee either to give 
 them encouragement or to refuse them gratification " (St. 
 Bernard). 
 
4^8 PRAYER. 
 
 THREE COUNSELS AGAINST TEMPTATION. 
 
 1. Make known your temptations to a pious, wise, and faithful 
 friend. The most illustrious ascetics, in their own many temp- 
 tations and sufferings of soul, have discovered that heaven's light 
 never was bright within them till they revealed their tempta- 
 tions and troubled conscience to some master of the spiritual life. 
 You must reveal your temptations, or they will rack your heart 
 and drive you to misery. Do not reveal them to a fool. Do 
 not imitate the two wretches who assaulted Susanna. They 
 made known their temptations to each other, to their ruin ; for if 
 the blind lead the blind, they both fall into the pit. 
 
 2. Always bear in mind that many temptations are awaiting 
 you. An aged anchoret used to conduct his newly arrived dis- 
 ciples to the top of a high tower, and showing them the outlying 
 stretch of country would say : "You must know that if every 
 foot of that expanse were planted with crosses, they would not 
 equal your crosses in number. Prepare to meet temptations, for 
 you will have to suffer much here." Thus he fortified the new 
 beginners in religious life. 
 
 Sennacherib, King of Assyria, with a numerous and powerful 
 army overran the land of Judea, and turned his whole strength 
 to the capture of Jerusalem. But the wise and prudent king 
 Ezechias, himself a brave and experienced soldier, urged his 
 people to resistance and victory. " Behave like men," he said, 
 " and take courage ; be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of 
 the Assyrians, nor for all the multitude that is with him, for 
 there are many more with us than with him. For with him is 
 an arm of flesh : with us, the Lord our God, Who is our helper, 
 and fighteth for us. And the people were encouraged with these 
 words of Ezechias, King of Juda" (II. Paral. xxxii. 7, 8). Thus> 
 neither should we quail before approaching temptations, nor fear 
 their force and numbers. With us is the Lord our God, our 
 helper. Who doth battle with us. "The Lord is my light and 
 my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of 
 my life, of whom shall I be afraid ? Whilst the wicked draw 
 near against me to eat my flesh, my enemies that trouble me 
 have themselves been weakened, and have fallen. If armies in 
 camp should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear. 
 If a battle should rise up against me, in this will I be confident" 
 (Ps. xxvi. 1-3). " I will not fear thousands of the people sur- 
 rounding me " (Ps. iii. 7). 
 
 3. Remove all occasions of temptation. When the flint and 
 
THE OUR FATHER, 489 
 
 the Steel are struck together, sparks spring forth, the flame is 
 kindled. Take away the tinder, if you do not want fire. So, 
 too, remove the tinder of temptation or it will blaze up into a 
 conflagration. Go, then, ye fools, and fill your money-bags, 
 crave after honors and dignities, hunger and thirst after pleas- 
 ures, give free rein to your senses. It is on such flufi"y, flaky 
 tinder that temptations take hold, and whirl you to destruc- 
 tion. 
 
 SAYINGS OF THE ANCIENT FATHERS. 
 
 A certain hermit used to say : "As no one can harm the man 
 who stands by the side of the emperor, neither can Satan do us 
 any injury if our soul is attached to God. For it is written : 
 'Draw near to Me and I will turn towards thee.' But we lift 
 ourselves up too often, hence it is easy for the wicked enemy to 
 hurl our souls down into the mire of passion." 
 
 A brother once said to a holy anchoret : " I feel no strife or 
 struggle in my heart." The anchoret replied : "You are like a 
 house with many doors, and all standing open, so that every 
 stranger can pass in at leisure, and you do not know it. For if 
 you had a door to your heart and kept it fastened against the 
 entrance of evil thoughts, you would soon see and feel a mighty 
 struggle going on without." 
 
 It is related of one of the Fathers of the desert, that when 
 idle thoughts would suggest to him, " Let things go for to-day, 
 and do penance to-morrow," he would contradict them and 
 say, " Not at all : but do penance to-day ; to-morrow trust to 
 the will of God." 
 
 Another ancient Father used to say : " If our outer man do 
 not fast, our inner man will starve unto spiritual death." 
 
 Still another used to say: "Satan has three powers that pave 
 the way to all kinds of vice. The first is forgetfulness of God ; 
 the second is negligence ; and third is concupiscence. Forget- 
 fulness begets negligence, negligence begets concupiscence. 
 With concupiscence comes disaster to man. But if a man be 
 abstemious and reasonable, he will not be entrapped in the 
 meshes of negligence. If he be not negligent, he will escape the 
 snares of concupiscence. If he shun concupiscence, with the help 
 of God he will never fall." 
 
 Another said : Observe silence, and repress idle thoughts ; do 
 not cease to meditate, whether lying or standing, and always live 
 in the fear of God. If you do thus, you need not fear the 
 flS§auU§ of the enemy. 
 
490 PRAYER. 
 
 Another spiritual father said to one of his brethren : The 
 devil is the enemy, and you are the house besieged by that 
 enemy. Without cessation he throws at you everything that 
 is filthy, and fills you with uncleanness. Your duty it is to 
 throw out whatever he throws in. If you be negligent and slow, 
 your house will soon be filled with the uncleanness of sin, so 
 that you cannot stay within, nor yet go out. Throw out his un- 
 wholesome missiles, and your house will be clean and healthy. 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 
 From Holy Scripture. 
 
 We know how Our Saviour repelled the tempter. He did 
 not permit Himself to hold a discussion with him, but relying 
 on the word of God, said : " It is written " (Matt. iv. 4). Job 
 withstood great temptations steadfastly, and in reward received 
 afterwards the double of what he had lost (Job xlii. 10). St. 
 Paul was able to say that God augmented his graces in propor- 
 tion to the temptations sent. He says : "When I am weak, then 
 am I powerful" (II. Cor. xii. 10). St. Peter, on the other hand, 
 fell ; because he confided too much in himself, and had boasted: 
 "Although all shall be scandalized in Thee: yet not I" (Mark 
 xiv. 29). 
 
 God stands by us in Temptations. 
 
 St. Catherine of Siena, like all other servants of God, had to 
 tread the thorny path of temptation and spiritual aridity ; often 
 undergoing trials that endured for a year at a time. But Our 
 Saviour often sent her peace of mind, and sometimes even 
 appeared to her to enable her to bear her troubles patiently. 
 One day, after being sorely tormented with the most disgusting 
 thoughts, when Christ had dispelled the dark clouds from her 
 soul, she said to Him: "Where wast Thou, O Lord, while such 
 dreadful thoughts were haunting my mind?" Christ replied: 
 "I was a spectator in thy heart." When she inquired: "How 
 couldst Thou be in my heart while such thoughts were there?" 
 He asked: "Did these thoughts please thee?" "By no means. 
 Lord ; far otherwise," was her answer. Then Christ said : 
 "That is what My presence effected, and without it thou couldst 
 easily have yielded assent to the thoughts." 
 
 St. Jerome's Struggle. 
 
 Among the many servants of God who in their early life 
 sustained the most formidable assaults of Satan perhaps St. 
 Jerome stands in the foremost place. 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 49I 
 
 Leaving the world, he first made a visit to the hoi)' places in 
 Jerusalem, and then took up his abode in a desert place, where 
 he passed many years. Although he led a life of the strictest 
 austerity, he was so tormented with temptations that his account 
 of his struggles should move us to tears. He himself thus wrote 
 to a devout friend: "Alas! even in this desolate place, where 
 the drought and heat render life almost impossible, the most 
 distressing temptations persistently besieged my poor wearied 
 soul. I hurried away to solitude and penance in the hope of 
 conquering my evil inclinations, and to bewail my past sins. 
 I have clothed my body in the coarsest of penitential garbs, 
 have bedewed the ground with tears, and sighed and groaned 
 day and night. My bed was the earth. My food, even in sick- 
 ness, was coarse herbs and water. And yet in this dreadful 
 place, whither I came in order to escape hell, in the company 
 of scorpions and wild beasts, I often fancied myself in the most 
 seductive saloons of a great city. My features were haggard and 
 worn from fasting, yet my soul burned witli the fire of passion. 
 In my deplorable agony of mind, I threw myself in spirit at the 
 feet of Jesus, watered His feet with my tears, and by many suc- 
 cessive weeks of fasting labored to conquer my rebellious flesh. 
 I cried to Heaven for relief, I fairly howled, and beat my breast. 
 At last God was pleased to hear my prayers, and sending His 
 grace to my soul, gave me tranquillity." 
 
 Heroic Resistance. 
 
 Resistance to temptation should not be merely interior. The 
 tempted Christian must struggle outwardly, as many saints have 
 done to a heroic and superhuman degree. 
 
 When St. Thomas Aquinas was abandoning the world, his 
 brother, who wished to retain him, tempted him by placing near 
 him a young and fascinating girl, who was to be rewarded with 
 a sum of money if she could decoy the saint into sin. Thomas 
 first raised his eyes to God for a moment, and then drove iier 
 away from the house. He then offered up a prayer of thanks- 
 giving to God, Who was pleased to spare him evermore from 
 temptation against holy purity. 
 
 A similar grace was bestowed by Heaven upon St. Benedict, 
 the patriarch of the monks in western Christendom. Once lie 
 was so severely tempted that he was on the point of leaving the 
 desert and returning to the world. But seeing near him a thick 
 undergrowth of thorns and briars, he took off his garment, and 
 
492 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 throwing himself headlong into the bushes, rolled himself amid 
 the thistles and thorns till the blood flowed in streams from his 
 lacerated body. Thus he conquered sin, and was never again 
 troubled with a similar temptation. This incident in the life of 
 St. Benedict is given us by the holy Pope Gregory in his biog- 
 raphy of that holy man. When temptations assailed St. Francis 
 Assisi he used to plunge up to his neck in frozen water. St. 
 Bernard used a similar remedy. Both conquered the tempter. 
 Thus does God reward the heroism of those who wish to serve 
 Him. 
 
 TLbc Seventh petition in the Xorb's prater. 
 
 " 6ut deliver us fpom Evil. Rmen." 
 H^STl^UCTIOri. 
 
 HEN we ask God to deliver us from evil, 
 we do not understand by this evil, suffer- 
 ings, troubles, or sickness or other afflic- 
 tions. For these pave the way for us to 
 heaven. Indeed, such was the way chosen 
 by Christ, — the way of suffering. 
 
 Even death is not an evil from which 
 we should pray to be spared. To the 
 pious Christian it is the greatest benefit, 
 since it opens the gates for admittance into heaven. 
 
 The evil from which we desire so ardently to be freed is 
 sin. 
 
 Sin is the greatest evil on earth. It robs the soul of whatever 
 good it may have acquired, it distorts God's image within us, 
 takes away all beauty, and makes our soul an object of divine 
 displeasure. It robs us of internal peace even on earth, and of 
 our future happiness in heaven. 
 
 Sin is also the source of all the other evils in the world. By 
 sin came poverty, misery, grief, sickness, death, and all other 
 calamities. It transformed the garden of paradise into a vale 
 of tears and woe. 
 
 That the sixth and the seventh petitions in the Lord's Prayer 
 have a bearing on the same point, is shown by the word "but,"' 
 which connects the two petitions together. 
 
 Moreover, we cry in vain to God to deliver us from evil, which 
 ts sin, if we ourselves have no horror for sin, nor cherish in our 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 
 
 493 
 
 hearts a wish to combat it, by the avoidance of evil occasions 
 
 and the application of Christian means of saving grace. 
 
 In this seventh petition we also ask God for deliverance from 
 
 all those 
 
 temporal 
 
 evils which 
 
 are not nec- 
 
 e s s a r y or 
 
 useful to 
 
 our so u 1 *s 
 
 welfare. 
 
 The Church 
 
 herself in 
 
 many of her 
 
 prayers 
 
 teaches u s 
 
 thus. 
 
 The word 
 Amen signi- 
 fies, So let 
 it be. This 
 word we 
 add to the 
 Lord's 
 Prayer in 
 order to ex- 
 press our 
 great eager- 
 ness to be 
 heard fav- 
 orably. It 
 is as if we 
 said: Grant, 
 O Lord, 
 W h a t w e " ^^^ deliver us from Evil. Amen." 
 
 have just been praying for. Confirm the words of Thy divine 
 Son, which we have just repeated in His prayer. 
 
494 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 J^HFIiECTIO]S[. 
 
 PASSAGES FROM SCRIPTURE. 
 
 PRx\Y not, heavenly Father, that Thou shouldst 
 take them out of the world," that is, free them 
 altogether from temptation, '' but that Thou 
 shouldst keep them from evil" (John xvii. 15). 
 " But if the just man turn himself away from his 
 justice, and do iniquity according to all the abomi- 
 nations which the wicked man useth to work, 
 shall he live ? all his justices, which he had done, 
 shall not be remembered : in the prevarication, by which he 
 hath prevaricated, and in his sin, which he hath committed, in 
 them he shall die" (Ezecho xviii. 24). 
 
 *' Offer sacrifice no more in vain : incense is an abomination 
 to me. The new moons, and the sabbath, and other festivals I 
 will not abide, your assemblies are wicked. My soul hateth your 
 new moons, and your solemnities : they are become troublesome 
 to Me, I am weary of bearing them. And 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 " (Is. i. 13-15). 
 
 SELECTIONS FROM THE FATHERS. 
 
 " We must pray that we be not led, not only into an evil 
 which we have not, for for this we pray in the sixth precept, but 
 also that we be freed from the evil into which we have been act- 
 ually led, that is, from sin " (St. Augustine). " The sinner for- 
 feits the happiness for which he was created, and finds misery 
 for which he was not created. Hence we cry to God, Deliver us 
 from the evil of sin " (The Same). " Among earthly things we 
 should call nothing evil except sin " (Cassian). " Many think 
 that eternal damnation is the last and greatest evil ; but I be- 
 lieve and shall continually teach, that it is a far greater evil to 
 offend Jesus Christ than to suffer in the flames of hell" (St. 
 Chrysostom). 
 
 PROCESSIONS AND LITANIES. 
 
 All men have within them a consciousness that there is some 
 high Power who sends them trials and afflictions, which no 
 human sagacity can prevent; and also that this same high Power 
 can be propitiated by prayers and invocations. Hence, the heath- 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 495 
 
 ens, although they knew not the true God, offered prayers and 
 sacrifices. Thus we find that the heathens, when they wished to 
 be successful in war, or to avert some calamity, sought to concili- 
 ate the gods by sacrifices; and the greater the necessity, the 
 richer and more abundant were the victims. They offered up 
 even human sacrifices ; and parents offered what was most pre- 
 cious to them — their own children. 
 
 The Christian is more happily situated than the pagan. He 
 knows that in heaven he has a Father, Who continues to be his 
 Father even when in anger. Knowing, too, that He is not to be 
 appeased by a bloody sacrifice, he offers Him the bloodless 
 oblations of contrition and compunction, of good works, and of 
 prayer and praise. As he has been taught to pray for deliver- 
 ance from evil, he has recourse to prayer in the hour of suffering 
 and trial. 
 
 Such prayers in common and public for the averting of tem- 
 poral evils, such as plagues, wars, droughts, famines, and others, 
 are the religious processions and the litanies. The latter, 
 although used on many other occasions, pubHc and private, are 
 associated with processions, and always said or sung at them 
 They consist of a series of invocations, addressed to God some- 
 times directly, and sometimes indirectly through His saints, 
 begging the granting of the divine protection and mercy. 
 
 Such processions are termed extraordinary when held on 
 account of some special occurrence. Others are ordinary, and 
 are held on regular feasts of the Church, and other days ; as for 
 instance, to beg God's blessing on the crops. These public 
 prayer-marches begin with a litany, recited or chanted alter- 
 nately by the faithful. 
 
 These processions are also a figure of our journey through 
 life, which should be always accompanied by prayer. The cross 
 is carried before us, because we should at all times be followers 
 of Christ crucified, expecting our salvation through the cross, 
 which should be the weapon in our struggle. The banners are 
 ensigns showing us to be soldiers enrr)lled in the army of Christ, 
 and that we are sworn to maintain His cause. The exit is a 
 figure of our going forth to encounter the trials of life ; tlie re- 
 turn amid joyful chants represents our entrance to the heavenly 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 We are not to suppose that processions are a new devotion in 
 the Church. They were held by the Israelites. Before Jericho 
 could be taken they had to march about the city for seven days 
 
49^ , PRAYER. 
 
 in praying procession, during which the priests blew the trum- 
 pets (Josue vi. i6). David and Solomon instituted solemn pro- 
 cessions, in which the Ark of the Covenant was carried. In the 
 New Testament the solemn entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on 
 Palm Sunday, amid the waving of palm branches and the chant- 
 ing of songs of welcome, was a solemn public procession. Often 
 are the relics of martyrs taken from their tombs, and amid 
 crowds of people carried with much solemnity into some church. 
 In times of special opposition of the Church the bishops used to 
 order the holding of public religious processions. Thus Mam- 
 mertus, the Bishop of Vienne in France, ordered the processions 
 on the Rogation days. The Litany of the Saints was introduced 
 by Pope Gregory the Great into the grand procession held at 
 Rome, about the year 600, for the cessation of a dreadful plague 
 then raging in that city. 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 Sufferingrs and Trials are not Evils. 
 
 By means of sickness and other trials, God has led many souls 
 over the road of heroic virtue to the peace and happiness of 
 heaven. A very touching example of this is furnished us by 
 St. Jerome, from the history of a certain widow, named Blasilla. 
 
 ''Let us study the life," he says, "of our Blasilla. She used 
 to stand for hours before the glass, dressing her hair, and other- 
 wise adorning herself. But the Lord prostrated her in a fit of 
 sickness that lasted thirty days, and now she stands before Jesus 
 Christ, our true mirror, and says her prayers. She who formerly 
 belonged to the world, is now a stranger to the frivolities of life. 
 She rises in the morning early and hastens to prayer. She who 
 was once a hindrance to many, now urges them to praise God. 
 She kneels on the bare ground, and though once so fastidious, is 
 not afraid to soil her garments on the floor of the church. Once 
 she had no time to think of heaven: since her illness, Jesus Christ 
 is her only consolation." 
 
 Death not an Evil. 
 
 Once two men, in a state of wild excitement, rushed into the 
 cell of St. Hilarion. They were robbers. " What would you 
 do," said they, " if robbers paid you a visit?" ''He who has 
 nothing to lose," said the saint, " need not fear robbers." " But," 
 replied one of them, " we could kill you." ''You could, indeed," 
 answered Hilarion ; " but he who has a good conscience, and there- 
 fore hopes for a better life, does not fear death."' The robbers 
 
THE OUR FATHER. 497 
 
 were astonished at the quiet fearlessness of the good man. 
 *' Henceforth," said they, "we will rob no more; for we now 
 know for a certainty that a good conscience is the most precious 
 treasure in life. He who possesses one may look death in the 
 face, and have no fear." 
 
 5t. Louis and the Duke of Joinville. 
 
 St. Louis, King of France, once inquired of the Duke of 
 Joinville if a man had to choose between the leprosy and a 
 mortal sin, which of the two evils he should prefer. The latter 
 answered : ''I would rather commit thirty mortal sins than have 
 the leprosy." Deeply grieved at such an unlooked-for answer, 
 the saint said: "Surely, you cannot know what it is to offend 
 God ; otherwise your choice would be the other way. You know 
 that there is no greater evil than a miortal sin. It made devils of 
 the angels, and made men children of wrath." 
 
 But One Thing to Fear. 
 
 Olympias, a devout widow, led a pure and holy life, devoting 
 her time, energy, and means to works of piety and charity. 
 Some powerful men of Constantinople had the cruelty to perse- 
 cute her with wearisome and costly lawsuits, that exhausted 
 everything she owned. In her distress she wrote to St. John 
 Chrysostom, relating her troubles and losses. But that holy 
 doctor of the Church, in his answer, told her she was wrong in 
 calling such things *' troubles and losses." " For," asked he, 
 "what misfortune have you met? Some one might say, 'The 
 loss of property.' But, then, are you not freed from the trouble 
 of taking care of it, and of distributing it among the poor, as you 
 always did. You say you are in danger of exile. Well, then, 
 you will travel and see strange lands, doing for God's sake what 
 others do for pleasure and at vast expense. If your enemies 
 put you to death, they will only compel you to pay a debt a little 
 sooner than usual. Remember the words I often said to you, 
 and which I now repeat, 'But one thing is to be feared, namely, 
 sin.' For it robs the soul of everything good. Therefore let us 
 pray fervently to God to ' Deliver us from evil.' " 
 
 St. Clare. 
 
 God can pour out His vials of evil over whole nations, yet 
 save individuals from it, as we may see in the life of St. Clare. 
 The Emperor Frederic II., after devastating Italy, made an alli- 
 ance with the Saracens against the Pope. These wild men in- 
 
498 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 vaded the Papal territory, and besieged the town of Assisi, where 
 St. Clare was living with some other virgins in strict observance 
 of monastic life. The enemy aimed its cannons at her convent. 
 The saint, filled with a spirit of confidence, although sick in bed, 
 had herself carried to the door of her convent, preceded by the 
 Blessed Sacrament in a silver case. There, kneeling down with 
 
 St. Clare. 
 
 the rest of her community, she exclaimed : " O blessed Lord, 
 wilt Thou deliver over to the unbelievers Thy poor servants, who 
 have no other protector than Thou ? " Then the Lord spoke, 
 apparently from the ciborium : " Fear not, my daughter. I will 
 save thee from all misfortune." Just then a panic came on the 
 soldiers, and they beat a hasty retreat. 
 
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 
 
 499 
 
 Z\)c angelical Salutatiom 
 
 Ube Hngelical Salutation in 6eneraL 
 
 II^STl^IJCTIO^Sl. 
 
 O the recital of the Lord's Prayer we Catholics 
 usually add the Angelical Salutation or Hail 
 Mary. This is becoming and proper ; for if we 
 would be assured that we are to obtain from God 
 what we asked for in the Lord's Prayer, we should 
 turn to Mary as to our mother, that by her power- 
 ful intercession she may strengthen our feeble 
 prayer before the throne of her divine Son. "You 
 know," writes St. Cyril, " that those persons have 
 access to the court whose queen receives them, and that they 
 receive all they pray for. And so shall we obtain all we ask for 
 and all we desire if, we have the Mother of God for our advocate 
 before the King Whom she implores earnestly for us." 
 
 The Hail Mary is a most excellent form of prayer, and de- 
 serves frequent repetition on our part. 
 
 This excellence of the Hail Mary we may discover from its 
 subject-matter, from its effect, and its power. 
 
 The subject-matter of the Hail Mary consists of a prayer of 
 praise and a prayer of petition. The prayer of praise consists, 
 again, i, of the words of the angel Gabriel, "Hail, Mary, full 
 of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women " 
 (Luke i. 28) ; and, 2, of the words of St. Elizabeth, "And blessed 
 is the fruit of thy womb" (Luke i. 42); to which we add the 
 word " Jesus." The prayer of petition consists of the addition 
 made by the Church : "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us 
 sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen." 
 
 We are indebted, then, for this beautiful prayer to the holy 
 archangel Gabriel, to the heaven-favored St. Elizabeth, the 
 mother of St. John, and to the infallible Church. Hence when- 
 ever we say the Hail Mary we do nothing but what the angel 
 did and said, and what St. Elizabeth did and said. We praise 
 Mary's excellence and dignity, and with the approbation of our 
 holy mother, the Church, we add our supplication for Mary's 
 help in life and at the hour of death. Certainly, an excellent 
 mode of prayer. 
 
^06 
 
 PkAYER. 
 
 Furthermore, whoever has addressed this prayer with child- 
 like confidence to the Mother of God must have discovered that 
 it contains a holy and heavenly power. Thomas a Kempis, that 
 profound ascetic, thus speaks on the subject: "Whenever I 
 salute our blessed Lady in the words of the angel : ' Hail Mary 
 full of grace ! ' heaven rejoices, the earth wonders, the devil 
 shudders, hell trembles, sadness disappears, joy returns, the 
 heart smiles in charity and is penetrated with a holy fervor, 
 compunction is awakened, hope is revived. Indeed, so profound 
 is my happiness that I cannot find words to describe it." And 
 Marchantius writes : "Would you know the power and effect of 
 the Angelical Salutation? Well, then, know it is a heavenly 
 antidote which preserves the soul against the deadly bite of the 
 serpent, and protects it against his strength ; it is a rod with 
 which thou canst strike this destructive serpent on the head and 
 overcome its hostile attacks." 
 
 Then let us often repeat the Hail Mary with love and devo- 
 tion, for whenever we salute Mary, she returns the greeting, and 
 with genuine consolations and benefits. 
 
 l^HpiiECTIOri. 
 The SubjeGt-mattcf of the Angelieal Salutation. 
 
 THE ANGEL'S SALUTATION. 
 
 N a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, dwelt a 
 virgin who was espoused to a man named Joseph, 
 of the house of David. The name of the virgin 
 was Mary. This virgin served her God in purity 
 and humility, dwelling in holy retirement and 
 walking in the ways of justice. One day she 
 knelt before God, absorbed in silent prayer ; 
 praising the endless mercies He had shown to 
 her people from generation to generation ; contemplating the 
 gradual and regular fulfilment, from age to age, of the divine 
 promises, and lamenting the degradation in which her nation, 
 and indeed the whole world, was then buried. Good reason 
 had she, in truth, to add her longing prayer to that of the 
 anxious patriarchs of old, saying : " Drop down dew, ye heavens; 
 let the heavens rain the Just One." In such a moment of eager 
 prayer it was that, as St. Luke relates, the angel Gabriel was 
 sent to her, bringing the glad tidings that she was to become the 
 mother of the world's Redeemer. The Holy Scripture goes on : 
 
The Angelical Salutation. 
 501 
 
502 PRAYER. 
 
 " And the angel being come in, said unto her : Hail, full of grace: 
 the Lord is with thee : blessed art thou among women. Who 
 having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with 
 herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the 
 angel said to her : Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace 
 with God. 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, and the 
 Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of David His father: 
 and He shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever, and of His king- 
 dom there shall be no end. And Mary said to the angel : How 
 shall this be done, because I know not man ? And the angel 
 answering said to her : The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, 
 and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And 
 therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be 
 called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she 
 also hath conceived a son in her old age : and this is the sixth 
 month with her that is called barren : because no word shall be 
 impossible with God. And Mary said : Behold the handmaid of 
 the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word. And the 
 angel departed from her " (Luke i. 28-38). 
 
 MARY AND ELIZABETH. 
 
 When Mary received from the lips of the angel the tidings 
 that her cousin Elizabeth, though now aged and hitherto child- 
 less, was to be blest miraculously by God with a son, she arose 
 hastily and went to visit Elizabeth in her mountain home, and 
 render her what assistance she could. When Elizabeth saw 
 Mary coming towards her, she passed into an ecstasy, and the 
 infant leaped in her womb for joy. It was at that moment that 
 Elizabeth addressed to her cousin the words : " Blessed art thou 
 among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb " (Luke i. 
 42). 
 
 THE COUNCIL OF EPHESUS. 
 
 In the fifth century of the Church, Nestorius, Bishop of Con- 
 stantinople, a proud and haughty man, who concealed much 
 impiety under an appearance of zeal and piety, displayed at 
 length the venom of his heart by preaching publicly in the 
 Church that it was not permitted to call Mary the Mother of 
 God. The people heard this impiety with the greatest conster- 
 nation. All Constantinople was excited; and the faithful were 
 indignant at the insult offered to Mary, by attempting to deprive 
 
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 503 
 
 her of a title which had been given her from the days of the 
 apostles. Venerable old men, who in the desert had spent their 
 lives in the practice of the severest austerities, now abandoned 
 their retreats, and appeared in the streets and public assemblies, 
 to defend the honor of the Queen of Heaven, and to caution the 
 people against the errors of the impious Nestorius. The bishops 
 and pastors of the Church, well knowing that the whole history 
 of human redemption would be annihilated if the error of 
 Nestorius prevailed, undertook the defence of Mary's dignity 
 with the greatest zeal. A general council was held at Ephesus 
 in 431, at which bishops from various countries assisted, and 
 over which St. Cyril, the Patriarch of Alexandria, presided, as 
 legate of Pope Celestine. The error of Nestorius was con- 
 demned, and he himself anathematized as an innovator. It is 
 difficult to describe the joy and exultation which this decision ex- 
 cited in the Church in Ephesus and throughout all Christendom. 
 On the day in which the decree of the council on the nature of 
 Mary's dignity was solemnly announced, almost the whole city 
 gathered before the church where the bishops were assembled. 
 The people awaited patiently the whole day, as if nothing was 
 more important or dearer to their hearts than the determination 
 of this question. At length, the doors being thrown open, St. 
 Cyril appeared at the head of more than two hundred bishops, 
 and announced to the people the condemnation of Nestorius and 
 his impious doctrine. Scarcely had he ceased to speak when the 
 multitude burst into exclamations of joy, and the whole city 
 resounded with hymns and congratulations to Mary. " The 
 enemy of Mary is overcome ! " they exclaimed. " Joy to Mary, 
 the great, the sublime, the glorious Mother of God • " The 
 Fathers of the council were received by the people with loud 
 praises, and conducted home, accompanied by innumerable 
 torches. Costly perfumes were burned in the streets through 
 which they passed; the whole city was illuminated; and nothing 
 was omitted to render the triumph of Mary complete. It was on 
 this occasion that the Church added to the angel's salutation the 
 words: '' Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now 
 and at the hour of our death. Amen." 
 
 ^igh Antiquity of the fLsiii CClQny. 
 
 From an early age it was a universal practice in the Church 
 to address the Blessed Virgin in the words of the angelical salu- 
 tation. This we learn partly from the ancient liturgies, partly 
 
564 tRAVER. 
 
 from the writings of the holy Fathers who lived in the early ages 
 of the Church. 
 
 In that very old liturgy ascribed to the apostle St. James 
 we find the following form of prayer to Mary : " Whilst with all 
 the saints and just we celebrate the memory of our most holy, 
 immaculate, and glorious Lady, Mary, the ever-unblemished 
 Virgin, and Mother of God, we recommend ourselves and our 
 whole life to Christ our God." It continues: "Let us honor the 
 memory of our most holy, immaculate, glorious, and blessed 
 Lady, the Mother of God and ever a virgin, and of all the saints 
 and just, that through their intercession we may obtain all 
 mercy." Then follow the words of the angelical salutation: 
 " Hail Mary, full of grace ; the Lord is with thee ; blessed art 
 thou among women ; and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for 
 thou hast borne the Saviour of our souls. It is becoming that 
 we praise thee, ever-blessed Mother of God raised above all 
 reproach, Mother of our God, grander than the cherubim, more 
 brilliant than the seraphim, thou who without detriment to thy 
 virginity hast borne God the Word. In thee, who art full of 
 grace, do all creatures rejoice ; the choirs of the angels and the 
 human race congratulate thee, who art a sacred temple," etc. 
 
 St. Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople, who lived in the 
 fourth century, and who on account of his eloquence was called 
 the golden-mouthed, in his Liturgy or Mass in honor of Mary 
 prays in the following words, which are very similar to those 
 above quoted : " It is truly just and proper that we glorify thee, 
 Mother of God, the ever-blessed and immaculate Mother of our 
 God, who art more worthy than the cherubim, and without 
 comparison more glorious than the seraphim, and who, without 
 detriment to thy virginity, didst bring forth the Lord: thee, 
 true Mother of God, we praise. Hail Mary, full of grace, the 
 Lord is with thee ; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed 
 is the fruit of thy womb, for thou hast borne the Saviour of our 
 souls." 
 
 Also St. Athanasius, Bishop and Patriarch of Alexandria, a 
 mighty defender of the Catholic faith against the Arians, used 
 to address the Blessed Virgin in the following words: "We 
 praise thee, Mary; again and again and always and everywhere 
 blessed. On thee do we call, remember us, O most blessed 
 Virgin, who although thou didst bring forth, didst remain a 
 virgin. Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. The hier- 
 archies of all the angels and children of earth praise thee. 
 
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 505 
 
 Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy 
 womb. Pray for us, O Lady and Mistress, Queen and Mother 
 of God." 
 
 Ofigin of the Angelas. 
 
 The practice of saying the Hail Mary in an alternate way is 
 about eight hundred years old. Whilst the crusaders were march- 
 ing to the Holy Land to rescue the tomb of Our Saviour from the 
 hands of the unbelievers, Pope Urban, in the Council of Clermont, 
 in the year 1095, ordered the bells to be rung every day at morn- 
 ing, noon, and night, and the Hail Mary to be said each time. 
 He wished by this devotion to secure the aid of Mary for the 
 crusaders. 
 
 St. Bonaventure, that most zealous defender of the Blessed 
 Virgin, in the chapter of his Order held at Pisa in the year 1262, 
 directed the members of his society to notify by the sound of 
 the bell the people of their respective districts to honor the mys- 
 tery of the Incarnation, and to salute Mary. 
 
 This devotional exercise thus introduced into Western France 
 was approved in the year 1318 by Pope John XXII., who also 
 granted an indulgence of ten days to all those who would say it 
 in a spirit of penance. The same Pontiff, in the year 1327, di- 
 rected the Cardinal Vicar of Rome to have the bells rung every 
 evening to remind the people to say the Angelus. 
 
 At the Synod of Vaurens, in 1368, the heads of churches were 
 ordered to have the Angelus bell rung every morning at sunrise, 
 and an indulgence was also attached. 
 
 Finally, during a bloody and devastating war, Pope Callixtus 
 III. ordered that throughout all Christendom the Angelus bell 
 should be rung at midday. 
 
 In order to encourage the practice of the devotion. Pope Bene- 
 dict XIII., in the year 1724, granted to all those who would recite 
 the Angelus daily a plenary indulgence once a month, to be 
 gained on the day when they approached worthily the sacra- 
 ments of Penance and Eucharist, provided they prayed for the 
 Church. He also granted a partial indulgence of a hundred 
 days for each pious recital of the Angelus. 
 
 The Hail ^apy an Excellent Prayett. 
 
 The Blessed Virgin herself assured St. Gertrude that tliis 
 prayer was dearest to her, and that she would assist tlie saint in 
 Cleath as often as she hi\d said the Ilail Mary, 
 
5o6 PRAYER. 
 
 The Blessed Jane of France earnestly begged our blessed Lady 
 to make known to her what prayer was most pleasing to her. Mary 
 revealed to her that no prayer was more agreeable to her than 
 the Hail Mary. 
 
 Blessed Francis, of the Servants of Mary, used to say every 
 day five hundred Hail Marys in her honor. How pleasing this 
 was to our blessed Lady she made known after his death, for a 
 beautiful lily grew miraculously out of his mouth. 
 
 St. Catharine of Sweden began every work, every duty, with 
 a Hail Mary. In reward for this pious practice our blessed Lady 
 visited her on her death-bed, and conducted her soul into heaven. 
 
 The flngelieal Salutation contains Celestial Strength, 
 and affopds fLelp and Consolation in Spiritual and 
 Bodily fleeessities. 
 
 THE STORM STILLED. 
 
 It is related in the life of St. John of God that while in a ter- 
 rific storm at sea he turned with childlike confidence to the pow- 
 erful queen of heaven and uttered one fervent Hail Mary. At 
 once the storm subsided and the sea became calm. 
 
 A DEATH=BED CONVERSION. 
 
 Some years ago a priest in Strasburg was asked to visit a sick 
 man, an old college companion of his, who, though dangerously 
 ill, would not listen to any suggestion to prepare for death. The 
 priest responded promptly, and discovered at the mention of 
 religion that he had to deal with a man who had long ago 
 suffered shipwreck of his faith, and whose mind had been feed- 
 ing on the unwholesome husks of an absurd and false philosophy. 
 A discussion ensued, in which the sick man soon found himself 
 worsted, yet he would not listen to any advice concerning his 
 future state. The festival of the Annunciation of the Blessed 
 Virgin was drawing near, so the priest said to his obstinate pa- 
 tient : " My dear friend, although you have refused me every 
 request so far, do not refuse me, now that you are standing on 
 the very threshold of eternity, to say a short prayer to the 
 blessed Mother of God. Repeat now and then one Hail Mary, 
 and if contrition and confidence do not come to your heart lay 
 the blame on me. If you promise to do this I assure you that 
 on Annunciation Day you will be reconciled with God." Tears 
 came to the sick man's eyes, and, taking the priest's hand, he 
 
5o8 PRAYER. 
 
 promised to comply. He repeated piously several Hail Marys, 
 and when the priest came again he found he had a different man 
 to deal with. The Mother of Mercy had looked down graciously 
 upon this desponding soul, and obtained for it the grace of con- 
 version. He confessed his sins with all the signs of a true peni- 
 tent, received the last sacraments, and full of faith and hope he 
 breathed his last on the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed 
 Virgin Mary. 
 
 BLESSED FATHER SALVATOR. 
 
 In the town of Tortosa dwelt a man who had a child so griev- 
 ously afflicted that it would at times fall down and lie as if it 
 were dead. Every natural remedy failed to bring relief to the 
 little sufferer. One day Blessed Salvator happened to come beg- 
 ging to the door of the child's father's house. The latter at once 
 fell at his feet and besought him to pray for his sick child. Sal- 
 vator, feeling deep sympathy both for father and child, laid his 
 hand on the head of the latter, raised his eyes to heaven, said one 
 Hail Mary, and went away. That same evening the child was 
 restored to perfect health. 
 
 Another time the same Salvator, while going about begging, 
 encountered a young girl who lay dangerously sick of a burning 
 fever. Placing his rosary about her neck, the servant of God said 
 one Hail Mary, and at once the sufferer began to grow better, 
 and finally recovered her former health and strength. 
 
 Pevsons devoted to the Hsiil ^VTapy. 
 
 The illustrious St. Alphonsus Rodriguez made it a constant 
 practice to say a Hail Mary every time the clock struck. Even 
 at night he never omitted, if he awoke. 
 
 Whenever St. Catharine went up or downstairs she used to 
 kneel on each step, and say the Hail Mary with childlike de- 
 votion, in order to praise and honor her heavenly mother 
 Mary. 
 
 St. Teresa used to tear herself away from all worldly affairs, 
 and say Hail Marys in solitude. This pious practice she began 
 at her seventh year, and continued it till her death. 
 
 St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Alphonsus Liguori, and St. Leonard 
 of Port Maurice used to say the Hail Mary several times in the 
 day. 
 
 When St. Bruno founded the renowned Carthusian monastery 
 in the forest of Grenoble he set up a shrine of the Blessed Virgin, 
 
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 509 
 
 and whenever he came before an image of the Blessed Virgin 
 hung up in it he would stop to say a Hail Mary. 
 
 Blessed Bonvenuta of Forli, a Dominican, said one thousand 
 Hail Marys every day. On Saturdays he doubled the number, 
 and was rewarded with sweet singing by the angels and a 
 heavenly calm in his heart. 
 
 fii?ief Ejiplanation of the H^iil ^ai»y. 
 
 •' HAIL." 
 
 When we address this word to Mary we not only salute, but 
 praise and honor her. 
 
 This we do because of the high distinction conferred upon 
 her by the Lord in His merciful love, when He preordained her 
 and selected her to be the mother of His only beloved Son, and 
 bestowed upon her all the gifts of grace to fit her for this dig- 
 nity. The second ground for our veneration of Mary is to be 
 found in Mary herself, who accepted these graces most thank- 
 fully, corresponded with them most faithfully, and thus attained 
 such a high degree of perfection, that in a certain sense she 
 really deserved to become the mother of the world's Redeemer. 
 Lastly, we honor and venerate Mary on account of the glory and 
 power which she enjoys in heaven. 
 
 The chief excellence in all our devotion to Mary consists in 
 imitating her virtues. Mary will recognize us as her sons and 
 daughters when she perceives in us a resemblance to her divine 
 Son and herself. It is only then that she will bestow on us her 
 motherly affection. All those persons practise a false devotion 
 to Mary, or no devotion at all, who fancy that they are under 
 her protection just because they recite daily a few Hail Marys, 
 without laboring to amend their lives. 
 
 "MARY." 
 
 After the sacred name of Jesus there is no name on earth so 
 holy as the name of Mary. 
 
 It contains the three following significations : 
 I. It signifies the sea. Mary is an unfathomable sea because 
 of the boundless graces she received from God. "As God 
 called the immeasurable waters the sea, so did He call ihe im- 
 measurable ocean of grace Mary," says St. Augustine. In this 
 mystical sea of grace, in Mary, are found all the graces and gifts 
 of angels and men, of patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, 
 confessors, and virgins. 
 
5^0 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 2. The name Mary also signifies lady, mistress, queen. Mary 
 is in truth and fact a mistress, for the princes of heaven do her 
 
 homage, Jesus 
 Christ the 
 King of kings 
 was subject to 
 her, and shared 
 with her H i s 
 power. He 
 refuses no re- 
 quest of hers : 
 hence St. Ber- 
 nard styles her 
 the ''omnipo- 
 tent advocate." 
 If it is truly 
 said that the 
 elect reign 
 with Christ in 
 heaven, how 
 much more 
 truly can it be 
 said that Mary 
 is queen both in 
 heaven and on 
 earth ! 
 
 3. The word 
 Mary signifies 
 "star of the 
 sea.'' The 
 Blessed Virgin 
 is a veritable 
 ocean-star : for 
 
 The Annunciatiox. 
 
 as the mariner is guided to his haven by a star, so are Christians 
 guided to everlasting glory by Mary's motherly intercession. 
 
 The name Mary, unlike other human names, is not merely a 
 designating term, but contains within itself a mysterious power. 
 
 x\t all times the pious admirers of this sweet name experi- 
 enced an extraordinary sweetness and lovableness as they pro- 
 nounced it with reverence. 
 
 Furthermore, the holy name of Mary is so rich in blessings 
 
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 511 
 
 and graces that we cannot pronounce it without devotion, nor 
 without sharing in some grace. 
 
 Finally, no general on earth is more afraid of a powerful 
 enemy than are the evil spirits of the name of Mary. In the 
 solemn death-hour the name of Mary is the strongest defence 
 against the assaults of hell. 
 
 Let us then often pronounce the powerful and sacred name 
 of Mary with devout reverence, and we shall soon find its bless- 
 ings coming upon us. 
 
 "FULL OF GRACE." 
 
 We style Mary " full of grace," because she is, i, a vessel of 
 grace; 2, a dispenser of graces. 
 Mary is a vessel full of grace — 
 
 1. Because she was filled with graces even before her birth; 
 
 2. Because she always corresponded with grace; 
 
 3. Because she bore the Author of grace. 
 
 Even in the moment of her conception Mary appears before 
 us as full of grace; for from the first instant she became the lily 
 amid the thorns, that is, she was conceived immaculate, free from 
 all stain of sin. This doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of 
 Mary is founded on Holy Scripture, and on the primitive and 
 continued belief of the holy Catholic Church. 
 
 The land in which the enemy shall sow no cockle ; the burn- 
 ing bush, mentioned in the Book of Exodus, and which burned 
 without being consumed; the Ark of the Covenant, in presence of 
 which the river Jordan ceased to flow, — are all plain figures and 
 emblems of the immaculate conception of the ever-blessed Virgin. 
 
 " Is it becoming," ask all the devout confessors and doctors 
 of God's Church, " that she who was destined to give to the 
 world Him Who by His death destroyed the kingdom of sin 
 should be herself tainted with sin? Should she, who was to give 
 birth to the Conqueror of death and hell, begin by finding herself 
 under the dominion of both ? " Finally, how can we conceive the 
 slightest taint being attached to the flesh which was to become 
 the Word made flesh ? 
 
 On account of this extraordinary prerogative of the Blessed 
 Virgin, the Church celebrates the festival of the Immaculate Con- 
 ception, which was solemnly declared to be a dogma of faith on 
 the 8th of December, 1854. 
 
 But Mary is full of grace, not only because she was filled with 
 grace before her birth, but also because she continually advanced 
 
512 PRAYER. 
 
 in grace, inasmuch as by her holy deportment and her good 
 works she increased always in sanctifying grace, and thus at- 
 tained to the highest degree of holiness and justice : " Thou art 
 beautiful in form above the sons of men : grace is poured abroad 
 in thy lips : therefore hath God blessed thee forever " (Ps. xliv. 3). 
 St. Peter Chrysologus writes : " Other saints indeed have received 
 portions of grace, but the fulness thereof was poured out into 
 Mary's heart." 
 
 - Furthermore, Mary is '' full of grace," because she bore the 
 Author of grace. Must not she who carried so near her heart 
 the Lord of grace be full of grace herself ? " The Blessed Vir- 
 gin," says St. Thomas Aquinas, "has received such a plenitude of 
 grace, that she came nearest to the Author of grace, and for that 
 reason conceived Him Who is full of grace." 
 
 The Blessed Virgin does not keep to herself the graces be- 
 stowed upon her in such rich abundance by God : she shares 
 them gladly with her devout and zealous servants. By her 
 powerful intercession with God she effects an increase of grace 
 in the just, and a restoration of lost grace to sinners. 
 
 One proof of this truth we find in the countless votive offer- 
 ings met at favorite shrines and places of pilgrimage, where Mary 
 is pleased to manifest herself as the Mother of divine grace. 
 
 From all this it follows that we should often ask Mary for the 
 graces necessary to our salvation. The just should pray for 
 increase of sanctifying grace, and the sinner for the recovery of 
 graces lost. 
 
 "THE LORD IS WITH THEE." 
 
 These words, " the Lord is with thee," mean and say that 
 God is with the Blessed Virgin in a special and distinguished 
 manner, because she is the most beloved daughter of the 
 heavenly Father, the true Mother of the divine Son, and the 
 chaste spouse of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 Yes, the Lord is with Mary, for with her is the omnipotence 
 of the Father, Who made her fruitful. With her is the wisdom 
 of the Son, Who prepared her to be His worthy Mother. With 
 her is the purity of the Holy Spirit, Who preserved her a pure 
 virgin in her conception and birth. With her is the Father, 
 Who chose her from all eternity to be the mother of life. With 
 her is the Son, Who chose to dwell in her virginal bosom. With 
 her is the Holy Ghost, Who was pleased to fill her with heavenly 
 graces, and through her to distribute them throughout mankind. 
 
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 
 
 513 
 
 This great grace of having the Lord always with her was 
 merited by the Blessed Virgin by being always with the Lord, 
 that is, always walking before the Lord in virtue and holiness. 
 
 " BLESSED ART THOU AMONG WOMEN." 
 
 Rightly may the Blessed Virgin be styled the most blessed, 
 the most highly favored among the whole female sex : i. Because 
 she was 
 c h o s e n 
 above all 
 other wo- 
 men to be 
 the Mother 
 of God; 
 and, 2. Be- 
 cause she 
 alone is at 
 once moth- 
 er and vir- 
 gin. 
 
 H e n ce 
 St. Peter 
 Chrysolo- 
 gus cries 
 out: "The 
 Blessed 
 Virgin is in 
 truth bless- 
 ed ; for she 
 merited to 
 conceive by 
 the opera- 
 t i o n of 
 the Holy 
 Ghost and 
 yetto main- 
 t a i n her 
 crown of 
 
 Blessed akt iiiou amonc. Womkn. 
 
 v 1 r g inity. 
 
 She is 
 
 blessed because she had the honor of conrciviiig .1 child (hat is 
 
 God, and yet remain the queen of virgins. Slie is hh'ssed bcrausc 
 
514 PRAYER. 
 
 she is greater than the firmament, mightier than the earth, 
 more perfect than all created beings ; and because she con- 
 ceived Him Who created and upholds the structure of the uni- 
 verse, and because she nourished at her breast Him Who feeds all 
 living creatures." 
 
 Mary is also the most blessed among women because she 
 brought us overwhelming blessings by bearing the Redeemer of 
 the world, and thus removing from the world the curse brought 
 upon it by Eve. 
 
 " AND BLESSED IS THE FRUIT OF THY WOMB, JESUS." 
 
 The proposition ''and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, 
 Jesus" is uttered in the Hail Mary to signify that the honoring 
 of Mary is inseparable from the worshipping of Christ, and that 
 we venerate the tree for its fruit, and the Mother on account of 
 the Son. 
 
 Mary would never have been blessed among women if she 
 had not brought forth so blessed a fruit, who is Jesus Christ, true 
 God of true God. 
 
 Christ is not styled blessed among men as Mary is termed 
 blessed among women : He is called generally, absolutely, and 
 without limitation the Blessed One, in order thereby to signify 
 that He is supremely honored and adored in heaven and on 
 earth, and that there is no comparison between the Creator and 
 the creature. 
 
 In the year 1262 Pope Urban IV. ordered that to the words 
 of St. Elizabeth, " blessed is the fruit of thy womb," the adorable 
 name of Jesus should be added, in order that the faithful might 
 know who is the blessed fruit of Mary's womb, and what is the 
 basis of the honor we show to her. 
 
 "HOLY MARY, MOTHER OF GOD." 
 
 In the truest and strictest sense of the word, Mary is the Mother 
 of God. True, she did not bear the Divinity, but she bore a Son 
 Who is God ; she bore a body with whose flesh and blood taken 
 from her chaste substance a God was personally, inseparably, 
 and mysteriously united. Hence the angel said to Mary, "The 
 Holy which shall be born of thee will be called the Son of the 
 Most High God." 
 
 This important doctrine, that Mary is really the Mother of 
 God, the Church has always steadfastly maintained, and de- 
 fended most determinedly in her councils against the heretics. 
 
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 515 
 
 As true Catholics, therefore, we are in duty bound to cheerfully 
 believe, profess, and defend this dogma. 
 
 As Mary is the Mother of Christ and God, so is she also our 
 Mother. For as Christ is our Brother, His Mother is also our 
 Mother. This truth should encourage us to a childlike con- 
 fidence in her help and protection, and awaken a tender love 
 towards her. 
 
 " PRAY FOR US SINNERS." 
 
 We appeal to Mary and say, '' Pray for us," because we know 
 she is a powerful intercessor and helper before the throne of 
 God ; for she can and will pray for us. 
 
 Mary can pray for us and help us, because she is the Mother 
 of God ; for as such she can effect anything with her divine Son. 
 "As the prayers of Mary are the prayers of a mother," says St. 
 Alphonsus Liguori, " they are in a certain sense like commands to 
 Jesus, and hence it is impossible for her to pray and not be heard." 
 
 Mary is willing to help us by her prayers ; for even when she 
 was on earth she was merciful and loving towards the afflicted. 
 How much more readily, then, now that she reigns in heaven, 
 will she sympathize with us. Furthermore, she is our Mother, 
 and can a mother be unmindful of her children ? 
 
 We say, Pray for us, and add the word sinners, for we are 
 all sinners, and Mary is the refuge of sinners. "She is," says 
 St. John Damascene, "appointed by God as a refuge for all sin- 
 ners who by their sins have deserved death. In a certain sense 
 she is compelled to obtain for such sinners as invoke her the 
 grace of a perfect conversion and reconciliation witli God, as 
 many persons testify who by her intercession were converted and 
 brought to happiness." Hence St. Bonaventure compares Mary 
 to the dove wliich brought back to the ark the olive branch, the 
 emblem of peace and reconciliation. 
 
 But if the sinner would find a place of refuge with Mary, he 
 is required on his side to be sorry for his sins. Where there is 
 no contrition, no firm purpose of amendment, Mary's advocacy 
 will be sought in vain. Only those who are sincere will be heard. 
 
 "PRAY FOR US NOW." 
 
 By the words " Pray for us now" we seek Mary's help and 
 protection in this life, and beg that as long as we tarry in this 
 vale of tears she would guard us as a mother guards her cliild. 
 For the time of grace and mercy is now wliile we are on eartli. 
 After death comes stern justice only. Then Mary cannot assist 
 
Si6 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 US, for the Father has committed judgment to the Son, and 
 mercy only to Mary. 
 
 "AND AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH. AMEN." 
 
 Dreadful sufferings await us on our death-bed : the qualms of 
 remorse for our sins, anxiety on account of the impending judg- 
 ment, the uncertainty of our salvation, all trouble our pocr 
 frightened heart. To these are added the violent temptations of 
 the enemy, who in this last dread hour comes with his final temp- 
 tation, and with renewed violence, to conquer our soul. When 
 we consider all these and the bodily sufferings, we must feel con- 
 vinced of the necessity of extraordinary help and consolation, lest 
 at the last hour we depart from the secure path of salvation. 
 Hence we say at the end of the Hail Mary, " at the hour of our 
 death," begging Mary not to abandon us in the death struggle, 
 where we shall most need her help and consolation. 
 
 Nor does Mary abandon her true servants in that dread hour. 
 Often, indeed, she sweetens the bitterness of death, brings pa- 
 tience and strength and courage amid the enemy's last tempta- 
 tions, and makes death easy and peaceful. 
 
 I^EFIiHCTIO^. 
 
 Praises of the Blessed Virgin. 
 
 FROM THE FATHERS OF THE CHURCH. 
 
 F the countless passages in which the piety and 
 
 love of the faithful for the Blessed Virgin 
 
 have found undoubted expression, we shall 
 
 ?;s^select but a few of the most striking for our 
 
 edification and instruction. 
 
 Thus we read in the Mass-book of St. 
 James the Apostle : 
 
 " It is becom.ing, O Blessed Virgin, that 
 we should acknowledge thee to be the 
 wholly immaculate 3*Iother of our God, and more venerable than 
 the cherubim and more glorious than the seraphim. Thou hast 
 borne the Word without any stain, therefore we deem ihee great. 
 May all creatures praise and honor thee, who art full of grace. 
 May the angels, too, and all men venerate thee and recognize 
 thee as the consecrated temple, the spiritual garden of delights, 
 and the pride of virgins, from whom God assumed flesh, and 
 whom He honored as a child honors his mother." 
 
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 517 
 
 St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, about the year 200, wrote : " As 
 Eve was deceived by the word of the angel of darkness, and fell 
 from her obedience to God, so through Mary was proclaimed the 
 word of an angel, that if she obeyed she would carry God in her 
 body ; and as the devil had induced the former to abandon God, 
 the latter would be moved to follow and obey him, and thus become 
 a mediator. Again, as the whole human family was made sub- 
 ject to death by a virgin, so was it delivered from the same death 
 by a virgin, inasmuch as the obedience of the latter cancelled 
 and made good the disobedience of the former. Finally, as the 
 sin of the first man was obliterated by the sufferings of the Son 
 of God, so did the simplicity of the dove win a victory over tlie 
 cunning of the serpent, in order that we might be loosed from 
 the chains that bound us." 
 
 St. Gregory, Bishop of Neo-Caesarea, surnamed the miracle- 
 worker, had the happiness of being instructed in the Catholic 
 faith by the Blessed Virgin herself in a vision. Thankful for 
 such a favor, he never forgot to praise her before the people, and 
 he spoke thus in her honor : " With what words shall we be able 
 to express the excellence of the Blessed Virgin ? What eulogy 
 will be sufficient to praise her incomparable beauty? What 
 paean can our souls send up to her who is lauded by even angels' 
 voices? She bloometh in the house of the Lord, as a fair olive- 
 tree whom the Holy Ghost has made fruitful by the overshadow- 
 ing of His grace, and through whom He has called us to be 
 children and heirs of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. She is that 
 blossoming garden of delights and of immortality in which is 
 planted the tree of life, whose fruits preserve us from death. She 
 is the ornament and honor of virgins, the joy and consolation of 
 mothers, the basis of the believing, the perfect image of believers, 
 the perfect model of the saints. With her dwell virtue and truth. 
 She is the living spring who bore the Lord, and from whom 
 floweth the life-giving water. All those who cherish a sincere 
 devotion to this holy virgin, and love her incomparable purity 
 and sanctity, will enjoy an angelic grace.'- 
 
 In the fourth centur}^, St. Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis, 
 wrote : "The Blessed Virgin surpasses in glory the first of the 
 heavenly powers. Only God is above her. All that is not God 
 she sees beneath her feet." The same saint also styles her the 
 temple and throne of the Divinity, the priceless pearl of paradise, 
 the mediator between heaven and earlli. Then he adds : 
 
 " Through thee, O Blessed Virgin, has celestial peace been 
 
5l8 PRAYER. 
 
 given to the world. Through thee have men been made like to 
 the angels ; through thee have they received the honorable titles 
 of servants, friends, and children of God. Through thee has 
 death been overthrown and hell conquered. Thou hast de- 
 stroyed the idols, and brought back to men the knowledge of 
 heavenly things. Through thee have we known the Son of God, 
 Whom thou, O holy virgin, hast borne !" 
 
 Concerning those words in the Angelical Salutation, " full of 
 grace," St. Eucherius, Bishop of Lyons, writes as follows : " What 
 creature has ever been endowed with such great and wonderful 
 graces as the Blessed Virgin Mary ? To others grace has been 
 dealt out in a certain measure, but of her it is said that she is 
 'full of grace.' Consider how man}^ excellent and holy women 
 and maidens have existed since her, and how she, nevertheless, 
 reached so high a point of perfection that she merited to be the 
 Mother of God; how much grander and more wonderful her privi- 
 lege to have been chosen for that dignity from among so many 
 thousands of holy persons ! But if she were full of grace before 
 conceiving the Son of God, who can comprehend the measure of 
 her graces after she conceived Him ? Justly, then, is she termed 
 ' blessed among women ; ' for the female sex was blessed through 
 her, and the world freed from its malediction." 
 
 We shall quote one more passage from a more modern 
 teacher in the Church, who enumerates the antitypes of the 
 Blessed Virgin. St. Bonaventure writes : "Mary was prefigured 
 in the spring that arose out of the earth (Gen. ii. 6); in the tree 
 of life that stood in the midst of paradise (Gen. ii. 9); by the para- 
 dise that was watered by the river of pleasure (Gen. ii, 10); by 
 the ark of Noe, in which the human race was saved; by the rain- 
 bow which God set in the clouds (Gen. ix. 13) ; by the ladder 
 which Jacob saw in his dream (Gen. xxviii.) ; by the bush that 
 burned and was not consumed (Ex. iii.) ; by the vessel in which 
 the manna was kept (Ex. xvi.) ; in the staff of Aaron that budded, 
 contrary to nature's law (Num. xvii. 8) ; in the star and in the 
 sceptre of which Balaam prophesied (Num.xxiv. 17) ; in the dove 
 which brought the bough of an olive-tree to Noe and his sons in 
 the ark (Gen. viii.) ; in the stake that bore the brazen serpent 
 (Num. xxi. 8); in Gedeon's fleece (Judges vi.); by the house of the 
 Lord which Solomon built, and into which the glory of God en- 
 tered (III. Kings vi.); in Abigail, who made peace between Nabal 
 and David (L Kings xxv.); in Judith, who killed Holofernes and 
 delivered the people (Jud. xiii.) ; in Esther, who saved Mar- 
 
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 
 
 519 
 
 dochai with his people (Esth. vii.) ; by the gate that was shut 
 and through which no man should pass (Ezech. xliv. 2) ; in the 
 woman whom John beheld (Apoc. xii.)." 
 
 THE LITANY OF LORETO. 
 
 The Litany of Loreto, so called from the shrine of that name 
 in Central Italy, where it was first used, is a summary form of 
 devotion adopted and now used by all Christendom to honor 
 the Blessed 
 Virgin. It 
 consists of a 
 series of in- 
 vocati o n s, 
 each one of 
 which is an 
 expressi o n 
 of some 
 sublime 
 prerogative 
 appertai n- 
 ing to her 
 as the 
 chosen 
 Mother of 
 God and 
 Queen o f 
 heaven and 
 earth. 
 
 Mary is 
 the Mother 
 of God, for 
 she has 
 bornefor us 
 the Son of 
 God, Who 
 deigned to 
 assume 
 flesh from 
 her body. 
 But she is 
 
 also the only one amoni 
 mother with the far higher dignity of 
 
 Death ov tiik Bi.kssed Vircin. 
 
 mortals who unitod tlio dignity of 
 
 \cr 
 
 Ilonco slic is 
 
5^0 PRAYER. 
 
 the Virgin of virgins. It is for this reason that her maternal 
 dignity is praised together with her virginity, when the Church 
 in order to honor her entreats us in the words : " Let us praise 
 the birth of the glorious Virgin, who while .enjoying the honor 
 of motherhood preserved the beauty of virginity." Mary is the 
 Mother of Christ, and on that account is also mother of divine 
 grace. Has she not given us the greatest of all graces, the 
 Saviour Himself ? And what graces does she not impart to 
 all those who call upon her .^ It is not too much for us to 
 say,-in the words of St. Bernard, that all the graces we have 
 we receive through the hands of Mary; and that all the graces 
 which we may still receive are not to be compared to those 
 which we have received already. Then this mother of divine 
 grace is the most pure of all mothers, for she was free not only 
 from all actual sin, but even remained free by a miracle from 
 the stain of original sin. The soil from which sprang the rod 
 of Jesse could not lie under the blight of original sin ; the 
 sacred body that was to receive within itself the Son of God 
 could not be in the dominion of the great enemy. Mary was 
 conceived immaculate, and immaculate she conceived by the 
 overshadowing of the Holy Ghost ; hence she is invoked as the 
 mother most chaste, mother inviolate, mother undefiled. 
 
 Looking, then, at these virtues and prerogatives, that made 
 her worthy to be selected from all others of her sex, we have to 
 cry out : " Mother most amiable, pray for us ; Mother most 
 admirable, pray for us." Yes, admirable truly and indeed, for a 
 creature becomes the mother of our Creator, a daughter of earth 
 becomes mother of our Redeemer, and the Church salutes her 
 with the' words: ^'Blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary, who didst 
 carry in thy womb the Lord and Creator of heaven and earth. 
 Thou hast borne Him Who created thee, and yet thou remainest a 
 virgin for all eternity." Mary is a virgin most prudent. She bore 
 for us the Eternal Wisdom, and instructed the apostles in the mys- 
 teries of the conception, birth, circumcision, and private life of 
 Christ. She was the tutoress of the apostles. She is the virgin 
 most venerable, for she penetrated the most sacred mysteries and 
 knew things that human knowledge could not comprehend; and 
 yet amid all such knowledge of divine things she remained so 
 modest and humble and reticent that she concealed even from her 
 spouse a knowledge of the honor that had been announced to 
 her through the message of the angel. Again, as Mary had all 
 authority over her Child, and as the same Son Who was subject 
 
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 
 
 521 
 
 to her on earth and acceded to all her requests, even when His 
 time was not yet come, does not now reject her prayers, when 
 He is in heaven, she is truly a "virgin most powerful" and a 
 " virgin most faithful," who shows herself ready to help those 
 who call upon her assistance. Hence St. Bernard could exclaim: 
 *' O blessed Virgin ! If any one called upon thee without being 
 heard, let him be forever silent concerning thy mercy." Mary is 
 also called the " mirror of justice," because being free from every 
 sin and defect she as it were reflects within herself the righteous- 
 ness of the king- 
 dom of God, 
 which He com- 
 manded us to seek 
 first of all. She 
 is the " seat of 
 wisdom," for her 
 divine Son came 
 toenlighten every 
 man that cometh 
 into this world, 
 and for that rea- 
 son we in ourhap- 
 py redemption 
 from darkness 
 and ignorance of 
 spirit salute Mary 
 as the "cause of 
 our joy." 
 
 When the |i,i 
 term " vessel" is 
 applied to the 
 Blessed Virgin it 
 is to be under- 
 stood in the same sense as it is applied in Holy Scripture to 
 the apostle Paul (Acts ix. 15), who is called a vessel of elec- 
 tion, chosen to carry the name of the Lord before the gen- 
 tiles and the kings, as well as to the children of Israel. The 
 Apostle himself gives to the saints tiiis name when he says : 
 "God showeth the riches of His glory on the vessels of His 
 mercy" (Rom. ix. 23). Thus Mary is a "spiritual vessel ;" (ov, 
 being illuminated by the Holy Spirit of God, she was adoined 
 with all the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. She is a "vessel ol 
 
 Mary our Moiiier 
 
522 PRAYER. 
 
 honor," for she unites within herself all that can influence rev- 
 erence and respect in men, and does herself inspire unbounded 
 respect in all who know her. Hence St. Denis the Areopagite, 
 who travelled from Athens to Jerusalem to see the Blessed Vir- 
 gin, acknowledged that he discovered in her a superhuman 
 majesty, and felt in his own soul a most extraordinary sense of 
 comfort and reverence. She is a '* vessel of singular devotion," 
 not only because she is to us the most brilliant example of fervent 
 devotion, but also because she asks for us the grace that our 
 souls be freed from everything earthly, and thus ascend in prayer 
 to the Lord. Now this glowing devotion, in which her soul was 
 bathed, makes her the " spiritual rose." As the rose exceeds 
 all other flowers of the garden in beauty and fragrance, so did 
 Mary when on earth outshine all the children of men in her devo- 
 tion, and so does she now in heaven outshine all the angels and 
 saints. Concerning her glory, it was revealed to a pious soul 
 that when she was received into heaven by the Lord, amid the 
 rejoicing of the angels, the heavenly choirs, in their astonish- 
 ment and admiration, recalled the words of Solomon in the Can- 
 ticle of Canticles, and exclaimed : " Who is she thatcometh forth 
 as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun?" 
 (Cant. vi. 9.) 
 
 Again, Mary is compared to the ''tower of David," for she is 
 to us the tower of Sion against our enemies, and a tower of defence 
 to all men against the hereditary enemy of the human family, the 
 devil himself. She is, too, a "tower of ivory," for the protection 
 she affords us may well be likened to the strength and durability 
 of ivory, as her own purity may be compared to the clearness 
 and brilliancy of that rare article. Through the Blessed Virgin 
 the Lord dispenses His graces to us ; hence she becomes our 
 " house of gold," for Our Lord grants our prayers through her, 
 as of old He granted the petitions offered to Him under the 
 golden roof of Solomon's temple. Yes, and she is still more to 
 us. She is the " ark of the covenant," — the ark to which we 
 must have recourse if we would be saved from drowning in the 
 deluge of worldliness and sin. She is for us the portal of grace, 
 through which came to us the Saviour of the world, the "gate 
 of heaven," through whose intercession we may once more regain 
 our hope of happiness. She is our " morning star," that con- 
 tinues to light and guide us even in our dreary hour of darkness, 
 when, alas ! we have turned away from Christ, the noonday sun 
 of our life. If by our sins we offend Our Saviour, and instead 
 
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 523 
 
 of mercy deserve and expect punishment, Mary is still all good- 
 ness and love if we but appeal to her. To her should every 
 oppressed mind, every uneasy conscience, every heart bowed 
 down in grief and pain, address itself. For she is the "health 
 of the sick " and the " comforter of the afflicted," who through her 
 intercession obtain tranquillity and courage. She is the " refuge 
 of sinners," who hope through her to secure remission of their 
 iniquities. She is the "help of Christians," and in gratitude for 
 being rescued from many dreadful evils, all Christians celebrate 
 the festival of Our Lady of Victory, on the first Sunday in 
 October, to thank her for having so repeatedly saved Christen- 
 dom from the hands of the Infidels and the Turks, and for having 
 saved us from the heresies that assailed the Church in the six- 
 teenth century. The Church sings : " Rejoice and be glad, O 
 Virgin Mary, for thou hast conquered all heresies." 
 
 Towards the end of the Litany the Blessed Virgin is sa- 
 luted as queen. For Our Lord, on receiving her into eternity, 
 appointed and crowned her queen of heaven and earth. She 
 is the " queen of angels," above whom she was placed by the 
 Lord, as the Church sings on Assumption Day : " Elevated 
 above the choirs of angels in the heavenly kingdom is the holy 
 Mother of God." She is the "queen of patriarchs," who longed 
 in Limbo for the Redeemer, and who greeted with joy the hour 
 of Mary's birth as the hour that preceded the rising of the Sun 
 of Salvation, Christ Jesus. She is the "queen of prophets," who, 
 enlightened by the Spirit of God, pointed to her in their predic- 
 tions. Thus Sirach alludes to her where he causes Wisdom to 
 say ! " He that made me rested in my tabernacle, and He said 
 to me : Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thy inheritance in 
 Israel, and take root in my elect" (Ecclus. xxiv. 12, 13). The 
 prophet Micheas comforts the people of Israel with a description 
 of the time in which she should live (Mich. v. 3). Mary is the 
 " queen of apostles," with whom she dwelt, and by whom she 
 was honored and loved as a mother and teacher. She is tlie 
 "queen of martyrs," "queen of confessors," and "queen of 
 virgins," who all walked in the footsteps of tliat sorrowing 
 Mother of God and purest of virgins, drawing strength from 
 her sublime example and powerful prayer,— a strength which 
 enabled them to preserve their purity and their faith. She is, 
 finally, the " queen of all saints; " for she stands at their head in 
 the court of heaven, and unites with them in praising and glori- 
 fying Him Whose favor has glorified them. 
 
524 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 Thus the Litany of Loreto is the expression of hearts filled 
 with tender love and veneration for Mary as the Mother of 
 grace. 
 
 THE ROSARY. 
 
 The form of prayer called the Rosary was introduced more than 
 six hundred years ago by St. Dominic, when preaching in France 
 
 against the heresy 
 of the Albigenses. 
 These misguided 
 people, among 
 other errors, cher- 
 ished a violent 
 hatred against the 
 Blessed Virgin, de- 
 stroyed churches, 
 burned altars and 
 holy pictures, dis- 
 honored sacred 
 relics, and were 
 guiltyof the shame- 
 ful excesses with 
 which the history 
 of heresy is always 
 accompanied. Ac- 
 cording to reliable 
 tradition, St. Dom- 
 inic was instructed 
 to use this form 
 of prayer by the 
 Blessed Virgin her- 
 self. It was not 
 only to convert the 
 Albigenses, but it 
 was to remain a 
 bond of union for all Catholic Christians in their determined 
 efforts to oppose the progress of all heresies. 
 
 Such a hearty welcome did it find among all classes that it 
 soon spread all through the Church, and the beads, which were 
 its outward sign, became the distinguishing mark for all true 
 Christians. It follows, necessarily, that such a devotion has a 
 high intrinsic value, which commends it to the hearts and minds 
 
 Queen of the Most Holy Rosary. 
 
Mary, the Queen of all Saints. 
 
 525 
 
5 20 PRAYER. 
 
 of all, and that it is not to be underestimated, as it is sometimes, 
 by superficial Catholics. 
 
 Truly the Rosary is a most sacred and fruit-bringing form of 
 devotion. 
 
 It is sacred because it is made up of sacred elem.enrs. namely: 
 
 1. Of the sign of the cross. 
 
 2. Of the A"^:s::es' Creed. 
 
 3. Of the Glory be to the Father, etc. 
 
 4. Of the^ Lord's Prayer. 
 
 5. Of :ue Hail Mary' 
 
 6. Of t::e f.zieen principal mysteries or events in the life and 
 death of Our Saviour, and on which we are to meditate while 
 praying. 
 
 7. Of a prayer for the increase of faith, hope, and charity. 
 
 Can there be a more worthy prayer than such a one ? Every- 
 thing in i: is ziolical and apostolic. It would be presumption 
 to find faui: 7,i:h the single parts, and a folly to despise the 
 well-ordered arrangement :: su:': :^u':less parts. This prayer is 
 indeed a garland :: rrsts. -vh:::: "Vr '.:.■■ a.: :::t feet of the 
 Blessed \'irg:n. v;::: :s :;e:sel: a •• "ys:::a; rise. " I: is a wreath 
 of sweet fiowers of many colors, in which the five joyful mys- 
 teries are symbolized by the white roses, the sorrowful mysteries 
 bv the red roses, and the glorious mysteries by roses of a golden 
 hue. Thus is this devotion a good one. 
 
 It is also fruitful ::r i: is n:ade s :- by — 
 
 1. Its compone::: ;ar:s, T::e L : r:l's Py^^ver must be heard, the 
 Hail Mary must be pleasing :o G;d. the supplications of the 
 Church must ascend to the Blessea \':ri':::. the Glory be to the 
 Father, etc., must be acceptable :: :;.r Blessed Trinity, while 
 the devout contemplation :: ::.r Sc,:rri ru.ys.rr-rs ruust have a 
 salutary effect on our own incenor c:sp;si:l^ns, and help to 
 shape our lives in imitation of the lives of Alary and her divine 
 Son. 
 
 2. The union in one common prayer of all Christians in the 
 Church who send up their supplications to Heaven. 
 
 3. The Indulgences granted by the Church to those who recite 
 the Rosary, and which may be applied to the living or the dead. 
 
 Thus the Rosary is a golden chain that unites the living and 
 the dead, ioinins^ together the Church militant, the Church 
 suffering, and the Church triumphant. 
 
 The objections usually raised agams: the devotion of the 
 Rosarv are frivolous and unfounded. It is sometimes said : 
 
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 527 
 
 1. "One Our Father devoutly recited is worth more than ten 
 such prayers when mumbled rapidly and thoughtlessly." Very 
 true. But ten devoutly recited Our Fathers are better than one ; 
 and we are to recite them devoutly, and not mumble them. 
 
 2. ** Such frequent repetition is useless. God knows what we 
 need." But from the earliest ages it has been customary to repeat 
 Our Fathers and Hail Marys and other prayers, as well as the 
 psalms and passages from Sacred Scripture. To prevent the 
 distraction that would arise from keeping account of these repe- 
 titions, the early Fathers used a number of pebbles, which they 
 passed from one side to the other as they finished each prayer. 
 Then again, in the Old Law, David repeats twenty-six times in the 
 Psalms the words : " Praise the Lord." 
 
 The three children in the fiery furnacechanted together a hymn 
 containing twenty-one repetitions of the words : " Praise the Lord, 
 and exalt Him forever ! " (Dan. iii. 57.) Before the throne of 
 God the cherubim and seraphim sing Holy ! holy ! holy ! (Is. 
 vi. 3) and the living creatures in the Apocalypse sing without 
 ceasing (Apoc. iv. 8). Hence it is plain that God may be 
 honored by a repetition of the same form of prayer. 
 
 Furthermore it may be objected : 
 
 3. *' This repetition makes it impossible to pray devoutly, for it 
 begets thoughtlessness." The very contrary is true. At the be- 
 ginning of prayer the mind is seldom recollected and concen- 
 trated. It is only after some reflection that devotion comes to 
 us, and the deeper our meditation the more inward does our 
 prayer become. 
 
 4. " When people pray often, they become distracted and think 
 of many outside things." But we may read prayers from a book, 
 and yet let our minds wander in all directions. Whoever is not 
 in earnest, is as careless in the one case as in the other. 
 
 We must here observe that one special festival, namely, that of 
 the Holy Rosary, was established by the Church, and united with 
 the feast of Our Lady of Victory in commemoration of the great 
 naval battle between the Christians and Turks in the year 157 1. 
 It occurs on the first Sunday of October every year. 
 
 THE FESTIVAL OF THE ASSUMPTION. 
 
 After the death of Our Saviour the Blessed Virgin remained 
 in Jerusalem, in company of the apostles, and especially of St. 
 John, the beloved disciple, to whom she was intrusted by her 
 divine Son. Even during her lifetime on earth she was an object 
 
528 PRAYER. 
 
 of veneration, and countless numbers of the faithful came from 
 all countries to Jerusalem to visit her and receive lessons of wis- 
 dom from her lips. 
 
 Ancient and credible chroniclers tell us that Mary lived upon 
 earth some twelve or fifteen years after the Ascension of Our 
 Lord. At last the hour came when she was to be reunited to 
 Him. Her death was the result of the intense t^res of love for 
 God that burned within her heart. The scene of her death was 
 the room in which Our Lord had instituted the Sacrament of the 
 Last Supper. A short time previous the Spirit of the Lord led 
 all the apostles except Thomas to the city of Jerusalem. When 
 she was about breathing her last, Our Lord came, accompanied 
 by angels, and handed her soul to the keeping of St. ^Michael, the 
 great archangel. Then the apostles, with a great throng of the 
 believers, carried her precious remains to a newly made tomb in 
 Gethsemani. For three days the apostles remained on the spot 
 praying and singing psalms, and mingling with their voices were 
 heard sweet strains of angelic music. 
 
 On the third day St. Thomas arrived, and wishing to look 
 once more at the sacred body of the Blessed Mother, the lid of 
 the tomb was lifted, but there was no body there. Then all 
 understood that as the sacred body which had enclosed the body 
 of Our Lord, and which had been conceived immaculate, could 
 not be left to undergo corruption, it must have been carried to 
 heaven. Thus to ^Nlary could be applied the words of David : 
 " Thou wilt not give Thy holy one to se-e corruption." 
 
 In commemoration of this glorification of INIary the Church 
 now celebrates every year, on the 15th August, the festival of her 
 reception into heaven and her coronation. It is known as_the 
 festival of the Assumption of the Blessed \"irgin Mary, and is 
 one of the most ancient established to honor our blessed Mother. 
 As on this day it is in some places customary to bless fresh 
 flowers and sweet herbs and other autumn fruits ; it is often called 
 Lady Day in Harvest. 
 
 The Holy ^ame of JVIary. 
 
 THE L0VABLE.NE5S OF MARY'S NAME. 
 
 St. Antony of Padua used to pronounce the name of Mary 
 many times during the day and night. The very utterance of 
 the word filled his heart with sentiments similar to those that 
 pervaded the heart of St. Bernard when he pronounced the sacred 
 -name of Jesus. Like St. Bernard, St. Antony would exclaim: 
 
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 5'^9 
 
 ** The name of Mary brings joy to the heart, is honey on the lips, 
 and music in the ear." 
 
 Blessed Henry Suso used to say that when he uttered the 
 name of Mary his confidence and hope were wonderfully aug- 
 mented and his love for God inflamed, and that the very name 
 seemed so sweet to his heart that- he would cry out in ecstatic 
 voice : " O sweet name ! O Mary ! what must thou be in 
 heaven, when thy mere name is love-inspiring on earth ?" 
 
 Abbot Franconus said that next to the holy name of Jesus 
 the name of Mary is so rich in grace and sweetness that neither 
 in heaven nor on earth is there any other name that so fills the 
 soul of man with grace, hope, and sweetness. " For," he adds, 
 "the name of Mary contains something so admirable, so sweet, 
 and so godlike, that when it penetrates a well-disposed heart it 
 diffuses in it a sweet fragrance. Another remarkable peculiarity 
 about this name is that, although those who revere it may hear 
 it a thousand times, it always seems new, and leaves each time 
 traces of love and sweetness." 
 
 St. Bernard, whose heart was all charity, addressed to his 
 beloved Mother the following words : " O great, O pious, O ad- 
 mirable and praiseworthy Virgin Mary ! thy name is so sweet 
 and amiable that no one can utter it without being inflamed with 
 love for thee and for God, Who conferred the name upon thee." 
 
 St. Alphonsus Liguori, that devout and faithful son of Mary, 
 who wrote so many beautiful things about her, can hardly find 
 words expressive enough to describe the joy and consolation he 
 experienced when pronouncing the name of Mary. He has par- 
 tially shown forth his sentiments in the following lines: 
 
 " Mother Mary, Qneen most sweet ! 
 Joy and love my heart inflame. 
 Gladly shall my lips repeat 
 Every moment thy dear name. 
 
 " Ah ! that name, to God so dear, 
 Has my heart and soul enslaved ; 
 Like a seal it shall appear 
 
 Deep on heart and soul engraved, 
 
 " When the morning gilds the skies 
 I will call on Mary's name ; 
 When at evening twilight dies 
 Mary still will 1 exclaim." 
 
530 I^RAYER. 
 
 THE POWER OF MARY'S NAME. 
 
 Under the special guidance of the Virgin Mother Mary, Albert 
 the Great became a learned and saintly man. Hence all through 
 his life he revered her with the tenderest love, and never uttered 
 her name but in terms and tones of profound reverence. By 
 means of this pious practice he found help and relief in many 
 arduous undertakings and perilous circumstances. 
 
 In the year 1322 three missionaries of the Order of St. Francis 
 were condemned to be burned to death for defending their faith 
 against the blasphemies of the Mohammedans. The oldest, named 
 Thomas, wished to be the first to ascend the scaffold, but was 
 prevented by a Mohammedan because he was old and feeble, and 
 also might have about him some charm that would protect him 
 against the fire. Whereupon Jacob was seized and thrown into 
 the burning pile of wood. As the flames rose about him he was 
 heard to pronounce the name of Mary. In a moment the flames 
 parted, showing the martyr standing unhurt, with outstretched 
 arms, and praising God. As the fire would not touch him, he 
 and his two companions were beheaded. 
 
 The wonderful power of Mary's name is specially seen on 
 death-beds. Hence St. Camillus Leilis warned his brother friars 
 to exhort the dying to call on the names of Jesus and Mary, as 
 he himself always did on his sick calls. 
 
 THE FESTIVAL OF THE HOLY NAME OF MARY. 
 
 This festival, which occurs on the Sunday within the Octave 
 of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, was established by Pope In- 
 nocent XL to commemorate the deliverance of the city of Vienna 
 from the hands of the Turks, and also with a view to have the 
 faithful on this day beseech God, through the Blessed Virgin, for 
 the welfare of the Church, and to thank Him for His mercies. 
 For it was certainly a great act of mercy on the part of God to 
 permit the defeat of the Turks and Tartars, those avowed ene- 
 mies of the cross of Christ. 
 
 The Sultan Mohammed IV., conceiving the plan to extend his 
 conquests as far west as the rivers Danube and Rhine, resolved 
 to erect the crescent in triumph over the cross. His chief officer, 
 Cara Mustapha, at the head of 20,000 Turks and Tartars, overran 
 Hungary with fire and sword, and finally laid siege to Vienna, a 
 city that was just then but poorly fortified. Terror seized upon 
 the inhabitants, many of whom abandoned their all and fled to 
 distant parts. Even the Emperor Leopold fled with his wife. 
 
The AsbUMi'TiON of the Blessed Vh^gin. 
 531 
 
532 PRAYER. 
 
 Count Staremberg, the commander of the imperial troops within 
 the city, did not lose courage, and by his side stood a goodly 
 number of the chief citizens, who were determined to save their 
 homes or die in the attempt. On the eve of the Assumption 
 the Turks opened fire on the city. To add to the misfortune of 
 the inhabitants, one of their finest churches took fire from a 
 Turkish bomb, and the conflagration threatened to destroy the 
 magazine in which was stored their scanty ammunition. As- 
 sumption Day dawned, and the people flocked to their places of 
 worship to implore the protection of the Blessed Virgin against 
 the enemies of the Christian name and cause. Suddenly the 
 fires went out, and time was given to remove the war supplies to 
 a safe place. This circumstance revived the prostrate spirits of 
 the besieged. The bombs and shot of the besiegers did not deter 
 the people from praying day and night for assistance from heaven 
 through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. On the 31st of 
 August the enemy had so far pushed his assault that the soldiers 
 began to meet in hand-to-hand combat. 
 
 Vienna, the bulwark of Christendom, was about to be laid in 
 ashes when on the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin 
 news reached the afflicted people that assistance was coming.- 
 Two days later they beheld an army encamped on a neighboring 
 hill, and they were delighted to recognize the banner of the brave 
 John Sobieski, who, with the Emperor Leopold, had marched in 
 haste, at the urgent request of Innocent XL, to the relief of their 
 besieged fellow-Christians. On the 12th of September Sobieski 
 and his troops heard Mass in the Church of St. Leopold. The 
 royal general himself served the Mass, received holy Communion, 
 and at the end of the service, having placed himself and his men 
 under the protection of the Blessed Virgin, he cried out aloud : 
 " Now let us march against the enemy under the guidance of 
 heaven and its immaculate Queen." 
 
 When the small but gallant army saw before them the count- 
 less array of hostile forces they felt that only Heaven could achieve 
 a victory for the Christian cause. In fact the victory was a mir- 
 acle. Soon after the first attack the Tartars, breaking ranks, 
 turned and fled, carrying along with them in their panic the 
 better disciplined but hardly less terrified Turkish regiments. 
 They left behind them many thousands of their dead, all their 
 baggage and munitions of war, together with Mohammed's stand- 
 ard, which Queen Sobieski sent to the Pope. 
 
 The following day, the 13th of September, Sobieski entered 
 
tHE ANGELICAL SALUTATlOiST. 533 
 
 the liberated city in triumph. He himself intoned the Te Deum 
 with the same powerful and manly voice that the day before had 
 ordered the movements of his conquering soldiers. From that 
 time his confidence in Mary never wavered, and he always had 
 borne before his army an image of the " Virgin most Powerful." 
 Ever since the feast of the Holy Name of Mary has been observed 
 in commemoration of that important Christian victory. 
 
 niatty, the t^efage of Sinners. 
 
 Whoever has had the grievous misfortune to offend God can- 
 not do better than fly to Mary in a spirit of penance, to obtain, 
 through her, reconciliation with God. Among the innumerable 
 examples of this truth which the annals of the Church record, 
 that of St. Mary of Egypt is particularly remarkable. This cele- 
 brated penitent was born in Egypt in the fourth century, and 
 was converted from a sinful course of life in a very remarkable 
 manner. She devoted the remainder of her days to the practice 
 of the most austere penance, as she related in the following man- 
 ner to the Abbot Zozimus, who met her by chance in the desert. 
 
 In the twelfth year of her age, contrary to the will of her 
 parents, she came to Alexandria, where she spent seventeen years 
 in the commission of every base and degrading crime. She one 
 day saw crowds embarking for Jerusalem to celebrate the festival 
 of the exaltation of the cross ; she accompanied them, and during 
 the journey continued her irregularities. On arriving at Jeru- 
 salem she mingled with the crowd that flocked to the church 
 where the Holy Cross was to be publicly exposed ; when slie 
 arrived at the porch she attempted to enter with the rest, but 
 felt herself restrained by an irresistible power. This happened 
 three or four times. She was much moved; and not doubting 
 but that her sinfulness was the cause why she was not per- 
 mitted to enter the church, she burst into tears. While she 
 lingered about the church door, sighing and weeping, and beating 
 her breast in a spirit of compunction, she looked up to a picture 
 of the Mother of God, painted on the wall. The sight encouraged 
 her, and she addressed the Refuge of Sinners in tliese words : 
 '* Holy Virgin, Mother of God, I know that the sins in which I 
 live render me unworthy to look up to thee. Thou art a pure and 
 spotless Virgin. Thou who art so pure and holy must have a 
 horror for a soul so immersed in guilt as mine is. However, I 
 have always heard that the Saviour, Whom thou hadst the happi- 
 ness to bear in thy virginal womb, came into this world to call 
 
534 PRAYER. 
 
 sinners to penance. I implore thee to assist me in my distress. 
 Permit me to enter the church, O Queen of Heaven I Grant that 
 although unworthy I may be allowed to enter, that I may not be 
 deprived of the happiness of seeing that precious cross on which 
 thy Son poured forth all His blood. I promise thee, in the name 
 of the same Redeemer, never more to relapse into my former 
 offences. As soon as I shall have seen the cross I will abandon 
 all, and go wheresoever thou, O Holy Virgin, my advocate and 
 intercessor, wilt tell me." 
 
 Having finished this prayer, she felt within herself great con- 
 fidence. She made another effort to enter the church, and did 
 not experience the least difficulty. She reverenced the Holy 
 Cross, cast herself on her knees, and amidst abundance of tears, 
 kissed the ground of the holy places ; being deeply touched with 
 the thought of God's mercy and goodness in receiving sinners, 
 whenever they return to Him in a spirit of penance. Having 
 satisfied her devotion, she returned to the image of the holy 
 Virgin, and kneeling dow-n before it, returned thanks for the 
 grace she had obtained through her, and besought her direction 
 in her design of doing penance and reforming her life. While 
 she thus poured out her soul before the image of Mary, she heard 
 a voice as if from a distance, saying : " If you will pass the Jor- 
 dan, you will find rest." She immediately arose, and turning 
 her eyes to the picture, said : " Virgin of virgins, through w^hom 
 salvation has been brought to man, do not abandon me ; I beseech 
 thee grant me this favor." She immediately hurried to pass the 
 Jordan, and buried herself in the wildest part of the desert, where 
 she spent forty-seven years, in the practice of the most severe 
 austerities. During many years she was exposed to the most 
 violent temptations from the infernal enemy of her soul, but 
 always was assisted and sustained by ]\Iary. '' In all my com- 
 bats," said she herself to the Abbot Zozimus, '' I raised my heart 
 to that Immaculate Virgin, who had been so merciful to me ; I 
 begged her to assist me in my penance and solitude, and she has 
 never forsaken me. She has been my protectress in all my diffi- 
 culties." The holy penitent at length obtained, through the 
 intercession of Mary, the grace to receive from Abbot Zozimus the 
 last sacraments at her death, and thus passed from the desert, which 
 had been the witness of her extraordinary austerities, to that 
 paradise which God has prepared — not for those who imagine they 
 are rich in virtue, and stand in need of nothing, but for the pub- 
 licans and sinners who return to Him by a sincere repentance. 
 
THE ANGELtCAL SALUTATION. 535 
 
 MOTHER OF MERCY. 
 
 One day a great sinner came to St. Alphonsus Liguori, and 
 amid a flood of tears complained to him of the wretched state of 
 her soul. The Saint had deep compassion on the poor Magdalen, 
 and, as was his wont in such cases, he directed her thoughts to 
 the Blessed Virgin, the refuge of sinners. " Have confidence, 
 my daughter," he said kindly, " have confidence. I will show 
 you a path by which you may once more return to your heavenly 
 Father. Remember that we have a Mother called Mary. She 
 is the refuge of sinners. What will not a mother do for her 
 children. If she sees one fall, does she not leave the others, and 
 pick up the fallen one ? Then how she tries to soothe its pain, to 
 brush the dust and dirt from the hands and dress ! Hasten to 
 this loving Mother. She will raise you from your fallen state 
 and cleanse your soul from the stains of sin." The Saint's advice 
 was not given in vain. The sinner did as she was directed, and 
 soon found that Mary is indeed the refuge of sinners. 
 
 THE ARCHCONFRATERNITY OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, FOR THE 
 CONVERSION OF SINNERS. 
 
 The fruits of a sincere devotion to Mary as the refuge of 
 sinners have been often exhibited, in a very extraordinary man- 
 ner, in a confraternity attached to the Church of Notre-Dame- 
 des-Victoires in Paris. This parish is situated in the centre of 
 that city, and contains a population almost entirely engrcftsed 
 with the cares and pleasures of life, the agitation of politics, and 
 the amusements of the theatre. Almost every religious sentiment 
 seemed extinct in the vast majority of the people ; the church 
 was deserted even on the greatest solemnities, and the sacraments 
 were entirely neglected. The zealous pastor of this church, 
 afflicted beyond measure by the evils he was obliged to witness, 
 without being able to remedy them, resolved to consecrate his 
 parish to the most holy and immaculate Heart of Mary. Tiie 
 Archbishop of Paris approved of this devotion by an ordinance 
 of the i6th December, 1836. On the third Sunday of Advent tlie 
 exercises commenced by singing the vespers of the Blessed Virgin, 
 at which a more numerous congregation assisted tiian was wont 
 to be on the greatest festivals. A sermon was preached on the 
 nature and object of the devotion; after which, at the HencdictiiMi 
 of the Holy Sacrament, the Litany of the Blessed Virgin was 
 sung. The " Refuge of Sinners " was chanted with extraordinary 
 feeling, and with an effusion of feeling which showed that among 
 this congregation, consisting of from five to six hundred persons, 
 
536 PRAYER. 
 
 there were many who felt the need they had of the divine mercy, 
 and the confidence they placed in the intercession of Mary. 
 
 The pastor was kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament, and 
 felt himself deeply affected at this manifestation of feeling. He 
 raised his eyes to Mary, and recommended to her protection this 
 pious association. "As a sign of thy protection," added he, "ob- 
 tain for me the conversion of M . I will visit him to-morrow 
 
 in thy name." This gentleman w^as one of the last ministers of 
 the virtuous but unfo«rtunate Louis XVI. He had been attached 
 to the sect of pretended philosophers of the last century, and had 
 not practised any of the duties of his religion since his youth. 
 He was now in the eightieth year of his age, and for some 
 months had been sick and blind, although his intellect was as 
 strong as ever. Ten times had the worthy pastor endeavored to 
 approach him, and ten times had he been refused entrance. On 
 the following Monday, the 12th of December, he presented him- 
 self once more, but was at first denied admittance ; he persisted, 
 and was at length allowed to enter. After some moments of 
 
 indifferent conversation M said to his pastor, without making 
 
 any preamble : " Please give me your benediction — I am delighted 
 at your visit ; I cannot enjoy the satisfaction of beholding you, 
 but I feel your presence. Since your visit I enjoy a calm, an 
 interior joy, which I have not known before." The worthy pastor 
 did not let this opportunity pass without profiting by it, and 
 
 completely succeeded in the great object of his visit. M 
 
 survived until the following April, and all his time was devoted 
 to the great concern of his salvation. He expired in the most 
 edifying sentiments of faith and hope. This manifest benedic- 
 tion of God on the infant association inspired its members with 
 increased confidence in Mary. The devotion w^as soon propa- 
 gated, not only in France, but throughout the rest of Europe. 
 Naples, Portugal, and Sweden are the only countries whose 
 names are not inscribed on the register of the association at 
 the time of the publication of the book whence these facts 
 have been taken. We find even New York, Charleston, Dubuque, 
 Detroit, the Bermuda Isles, Martinique, and St. Domingo men- 
 tioned as possessing members of this most amiable devotion. 
 Pope Gregory XVI., by an apostolical brief, dated the 24th of 
 April, 1838, erected the association into an archconfraternity, 
 and enriched it with many spiritual treasures. The most hard- 
 ened sinners have been converted in a manner that showed that 
 these miracles of grace were the result of Mary's powerful inter- 
 
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 
 
 537 
 
 cession, procured by the fervent prayers of the devout members 
 of this association. 
 
 The PpotCGtion of the Blessed Vii^giti. 
 
 FROn THE FATHERS. 
 
 St. Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria, prays thus to Mary: 
 *' Hear now our prayer, O ever blessed daughter of David and 
 Abraham ! Be gracious to our request, and forget not thy people; 
 for we are in 
 duty bound 
 to recognize 
 thee as pur 
 Mother,Lady 
 and Princess, 
 and as such 
 to greet thee. 
 For from 
 thee was 
 born the One 
 Whom we 
 adore as our 
 supreme 
 Lord and 
 God. To 
 thee we have 
 recourse, 
 that thou 
 m a y e s t re- 
 member u s, 
 O holy, and 
 ever immacu- 
 late Virgin. 
 Since thou 
 art full of 
 grace, permit 
 us to share in 
 thy abundant 
 treasures, for 
 
 the measure Mary, IIki.p ok Ciikisiians. 
 
 of praise that 
 
 we can bring thee is small indeed. An archangel first sounded 
 
 thy praises when he brouglit to thee the honored greeting, and 
 
538 PRAYER. 
 
 said : ' Hail I full of grace, the Lord is with thee.' And all the 
 
 choirs of. angels unite their voices in praising and honoring thee, 
 as ' blessed among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.' 
 From these celestial hosts have we men learned to praise thee 
 and do thee honor. They have placed upon our tongues the 
 words : ' Be ever blessed to us, O Mary full of grace, the Lord is 
 with thee.' Thou who art our Lady, Queen, and honored Mother, 
 be thou our advocate : the more so, as thou wast born amongst 
 us, and as He Who clothed Himself in thy chaste womb with 
 our poor nature is our very God, to Whom belong all honor and 
 glory." 
 
 St. Ephrem exclaims : ''Our more than blessed, ever-immacu- 
 late Virgin, Mother of my God and Queen of light, thou art 
 powerful and gracious, higher than all the heavenly hosts, purer 
 than the rays of the sun, more venerable than the cherubim, holier 
 than the seraphim, incomparably more glorious than all the choirs 
 of heaven. O holy Lady, thou wert the hope of the patriarchs, 
 the longing of the propliets, the ornament of the apostles, the 
 honor of the martyrs, the joy of the saints, the crown of the vir- 
 gins. Take me, and in thy goodness keep and save me. Have 
 pity on me, for I am a miserable sinner and all clouded in the 
 mist of m\' vices, which have displeased Jesus Christ, my God and 
 my Judge. O ^Mother of mercy, do not permit the evil spirit, the 
 sworn enemy of my soul, to overpower me. After God, I have 
 no other hope than thou, O holy \^irgin. Thou art my haven of 
 security amid the storms of this life ; thou art my refuge and 
 defender, my place of repose where I may be free from danger. 
 With deep sincerity of heart and tearful eyes I throw myself at 
 thy feet, to implore thy assistance, and by the aid of thy prayers 
 to be received by Jesus Christ, thy Son, the Author of my exist- 
 ence. ]\Iay He not reject me because of my sins." 
 
 St. Augustine prays : " Bear our petitions, O blessed Virgin, 
 into the sanctuary of appeals, and obtain for us the grace of rec- 
 onciliation. Thou canst excuse what we bring before thee, thou 
 canst accept what we offer. Obtain for us what we seek, avert 
 from us what we dread. Xo one is more worthy to appease the 
 anger of the Judge than thou, who wast deemed worthy to be the 
 Mother of the Judge and Redeemer. Help the afflicted, encourage 
 the pusillanimous, look upon those who weep, pray for the people, 
 assist the clergy, plead for the monks, intercede for the religious 
 of the devout female sex. May all those experience thy assist- 
 ance who honor thy name- Have compassion on the oppressed. 
 
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 539 
 
 have pity on the exiled from fatherland. To thee has been 
 erected a royal throne by the angels in the court of the eternal 
 King, the King of all kings, Who Himself loves thee above all 
 others as His faithful Mother and chaste Bride." 
 
 In another place the same Saint prays : " O blessed Mary, 
 who can render to thee sufficient thanks for the benefits which a 
 lost world obtained through thy willing consent? How can this 
 poor nature of ours, that was well-nigh lost, and which by thy 
 mediation regained the beginning of freedom, ever be able to 
 praise and thank thee ? Permit our thanksgiving to be accept- 
 able to thee, poor and insignificant as it is, and unworthy of thy 
 deserts. Accept our request and dispel our iniquities by thy 
 powerful prayers. Receive what we offer to thee, give what we 
 ask of thee. Through thee do we hope for pardon of our sins 
 and expect future happiness. Holy Mary, succor the miserable, 
 help the pusillanimous, strengthen the weak, pray for the people, 
 the clergy, and the devout female sex. Let all who honor thy 
 memory feel the effect of thy assistance. Be gracious to such as 
 have recourse to thy gentle guidance ; grant theip wishes. O 
 blessed Virgin, who wast worthy to bear the Redeemer of the 
 world. Who lives and reigns in eternity, pray for the faithful 
 laity. Amen." 
 
 These few passages suffice to prove that the ancient Church 
 had recourse to Mary in the same language that we use at the 
 present day ; that no new doctrine, but rather the old Catholic 
 teaching and practice, are preached in our Church. 
 
 MARY OUR HELP IN LIFE. 
 Mary is the Help of Christians. 
 
 The famous victory which the Christians gained in 1571 over 
 the Turks near Lepanto, in the Ionian Sea, will forever be a 
 monument of Mary's title to the appellation of " Help of Chris- 
 tians." For more than a century before that time tlie Turks 
 caused the Christians the greatest anxiety and apprehension. 
 They gained victory after victory. God permitted tliis to punisii 
 and humble the Christians, and by this liumiliation to awaken 
 their faith, as well as to manifest His glory and power l)y honoi- 
 ing Mary tli rough the wonders He was to work for her seivaiUs. 
 
 The Turkisli Sultan, Selim, the son and successor of Si)iiinan, 
 had taken the isle of Cyprus from tlie Venetians, and, t'lalcd 
 with his success, tliought of nothing less than subjecting all the 
 Christian kingdoms to his sway. At that time the chair of St, 
 
540 PRAYER. 
 
 Peter at Rome was filled by St. Pius V., whose zeal for the faith 
 and confidence in the intercession of Mary were unlimited. The 
 Pope was greatly alarmed at the danger to which Christendom 
 was exposed, but, with undoubting confidence in Mary, he united 
 with the Venetians and Spaniards to repel the common enemy. 
 There was, indeed, no proportion between the Turkish and Chris- 
 tian fleets, and in all human appearance it must have seemed 
 foolish to contend with such a superior enemy ; but the holy 
 Pope did not for a moment doubt that Mary would obtain vic- 
 tory for the Christians. He accordingly ordered general fast- 
 days, and specially exhorted all Christians to turn to Mary for 
 protection. All Europe was aroused by the approaching danger 
 and joined in this devotion, and everywhere processions and 
 other devotional practices in honor of the Mother of God were 
 established. As Pius sent his blessing to John of Austria, the 
 admiral of the Christian fleet, he gave him the strongest assur- 
 ances that he would gain the battle. He ordered him, at the 
 same time, to dismiss all disorderly soldiers, or such as thirsted 
 after plunder, lest God should withdraw His protection from the 
 cause in consequence of such sinners. Like another Moses, Pius 
 raised his hands incessantly to heaven, and sought through Mary, 
 the Mother of mercy, the blessing of God on the Christian arms. 
 The battle took place on the yth of October, 1571, at Lepanto. 
 Both sides engaged with the greatest fury, and for a while the 
 Christians seemed to be on the point of yielding to the superior 
 power of the infidels. Mary, however, had heard the prayers of 
 her children, and the God of armies decided the cause in favor 
 of the Christians. The Turks were completely beaten ; they lost 
 upw^ards of thirty thousand men, and their formidable fleet was 
 forever destroyed. While the battle was raging the holy Pope 
 was engaged in conference with the cardinals, when suddenly 
 stopping the discourse he raised his eyes to heaven and ex- 
 claimed : " Enough of business to-day ; at present we have noth- 
 ing better to do than to thank God for the victory He has given 
 to the Christian arms." The sequel showed that at the very 
 moment in which Pius spoke these words the battle was gained 
 at Lepanto, and the holy Pope was fully convinced that this vic- 
 tory was to be ascribed to the intercession of the Mother of God. 
 To leave a perpetual memorial of this great benefit he inserted 
 in her litany the words, " Help of Christians, pray for us," and 
 instituted the feast of the Holy Rosary for the same purpose. 
 Gregory XIH. ordered it to be celebrated throughout the Church 
 
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 54I 
 
 on the first Sunday of October, which is therefore called *' Rosary 
 Sunday." 
 
 Gabriel Malagrida. — That well-known and heroic missionary 
 Father Gabriel Malagrida was returning in 1749 from his arduous 
 missions in America. He had already come in sight of land, and 
 could discern on the shore some friends who had come to bid 
 him welcome home, when his ship was suddenly overtaken by a 
 violent storm. The masts were broken, the sails torn, and all the 
 strong timbers of the vessel twisted out of place and shape. It 
 seemed as if he must perish in sight of home and friends. He 
 alone was not dismayed. Taking an image of the Blessed Virgin 
 which he had always near him during his perilous missionary 
 travels in America, he fastened it to a broken mast and bade the 
 crew and passengers pray fervently to the Mother of God. They 
 had not finished their devotions when, lo ! the storm subsided 
 and permitted them to reach the shore in safety. All the saved, 
 together with their friends, went in procession to the Lisbon 
 cathedral to return thanks to God for having, through the inter- 
 cession of Mary, Star of the Sea, brought them safely home. 
 
 Mary is the Health of the Sick. 
 
 A Wonderful Cure. — Among the many remarkable cures that 
 have resulted from prayers to the Blessed Virgin we will cite 
 one that occurred in modern times, which cannot be explained 
 naturally, and which has been examined and pronounced true 
 and genuine by the Church. In 1823 the venerable Bishop 
 of Marseilles addressed to his clergy a circular on the subject, 
 and from it we quote : " Sister Mary Julia, a religious of the 
 Visitation convent at Marseilles, had been confined to her bed 
 with a complication of diseases for five years. Notwithstanding 
 the assiduity and skill of physicians and nurses, she grew weaker 
 and weaker as time passed, and even received tlie last sacraments. 
 Though all expected immediate death, Sister Mary JuHa was 
 confident of recovery, 
 
 " The superioress of the convent, hearing that on the following 
 day the religious procession of Our Blessed Lady of Grace 
 would pass under tiie windows of the house, felt herself impelled 
 to have prayers said for the recovery of the afflicted sistri-, \\\\o 
 persisted in saying that she would not die then, lliou«;li cvcvy 
 one else looked for her death each inonuMit. h^arly in the nioiii- 
 ing on the day of the procession, her bed was sd adjnstfd that 
 she could see the statue of the Blessed Virgin as it was carrietl 
 
542 PRAYER. 
 
 past the house. Hardly had it come in sight when she felt her 
 whole system convulsed, and a flood of tears coursed down her 
 cheeks. At once her strength returned and she felt herself per- 
 fectly restored, and for the first time in many years she arose 
 from her bed without assistance. To-day she is alive and well, as 
 we know from personal observation. All agree that this cure 
 was miraculous." 
 
 The bishop ordered prayers to be offered up throughout his 
 diocese, in thanksgiving to God for this signal proof of Mary's 
 right and title to the name of " Help of Christians." 
 
 The Boy Odilo. — St. Peter Damian tells of a poor feeble boy 
 whose feet were so crippled that he h"d always to be carried 
 from place to place. One day he was placed near the door of a 
 church. Feeling a curiosity to see the interior of the grand edi- 
 fice, he crawled inside with the greatest difficulty and managed 
 to reach the steps of an altar dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. 
 Charmed, in his childish simplicity, with her picture hanging over 
 the altar, he spoke to it and said : '' Dearest Mother, please reach 
 me your hand that I may stand up and walk ;" when, lo ! his 
 childlike confidence was rewarded. His parents were astounded 
 when they saw him come running home. This child was Odilo, 
 afterwards the illustrious abbot of Cluny and one of the bright- 
 est ornaments of God's Church. 
 
 Mary the Comfort of the Afflicted. 
 
 The Heart Relieved. — St. Francis of Sales was from his youth 
 a devout client of Mary, and whilst a student at Paris made a 
 vow of perpetual chastity out of reverence and love for the Queen 
 of purity. Soon afterwards he was afflicted with a dryness of 
 spirit that led him to the verge of despondency. His mind w^as 
 haunted by the most dismal reflections, and he spent his days in 
 weeping and groaning. One day he strayed listlessly into a 
 church. His eyes fell on a picture of the Blessed Virgin, when, 
 lo ! a ray of new courage lit up his afflicted heart. Throwing 
 himself on his knees, he prayed to the " Comfort of the Afflicted," 
 when his load of desolation seemed to fall with the weight of a 
 millstone from his breast, and he was restored to a state of peace 
 and happiness. 
 
 A Remedy in Temptation. — St. Thomas of Villanova was so 
 persistently and frightfully assailed by the evil spirit that he fell 
 into a profound melancholy. His only resource was to fly to the 
 protecting arms of the Mother of God. He gives us the follow- 
 
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 543 
 
 ing advice : " When temptations annoy us, we must do as the 
 chickens do when they see a hawk hovering in the air above 
 them. They hasten to hide themselves under the wing of their 
 mother. So, too, should we, when we perceive a temptation 
 approaching, hasten to shelter ourselves under the protecting 
 mantle of Mary, and cry out to her, saying : ' Beloved Mother 
 and Queen, thou must defend us ; for after God we have no 
 refuge but in thee, who art our only hope.' " 
 
 MARY OUR HELPER IN DEATH. 
 Mary Soothes the Last Moments of Her Servants. 
 
 The blessed Father Suarez always cherished deep love and 
 reverence for Mary. He died so happily and peacefully that in 
 his last moments he was heard to say, " I could not have believed 
 that death is so sweet." 
 
 Mary Imparts Strength to her Clients on their Oeath=bed. 
 
 In the j^'ear 1628 died a pious German princess, whose pain- 
 ful death-agony lasted thirteen months. During all this time she 
 never uttered a complaint or showed a sign of uneasiness. All 
 who saw her attributed her patience to the intercession of the 
 " Help of the Sick," to whom the dying person had always been 
 piously devoted. 
 
 Mary Helps her Clients in the Final Assaults of the Devil. 
 
 St. Andrew Avellino. — St. Alphonsus Liguori assures us that 
 St. Andrew Avellino in his last moments underwent such a strug- 
 gle with the tempter that his fellow-monks about his bed trem- 
 bled with fear and anxiety. Their only comfort was that their 
 dying brother, when his sufferings were greatest, would keep 
 his eyes fixed on an image of the Blessed Virgin. They remem- 
 bered, too, that he used to say that Mary would be his protector 
 at the hour of death. At last he became tranquil, and, bowing 
 his head towards the picture, as if in gratitude for Mary's help. 
 he smiled sweetly, and peacefully breathed his last. 
 
 The Blessed TJlfer. — Blessed Ulfer, a monk of the monastery 
 of St. John in Langres, France, was always a devoted servant of 
 Mary. Being skilled in medicine, lie was sent by his abbot to llie 
 monastery of St. Germain, where several of the monks lay sick. 
 After prescribing the necessary medicine and giving directions 
 to the nurses, he expressed a wish to return home, d^v \\c liail 
 himself become quite ill and felt that he was about to die. 1 1 is 
 sickness grew apace, so that he could not leave. As he lay on 
 
544 PRAYER. 
 
 his simple mattress he became terror-stricken, kept his eyes 
 closed, and refused to speak, nor would he be comforted by the 
 friendly monks. And behold I ^lary appeared to him in a vision 
 and said : '' Ulfer. why are you so sad ? What do you fear ? Not 
 death, certainly?" "Yes." he replied, '"I am afraid to die." 
 Mary answered : " Be of good cheer : when the hour of your 
 death comes I will be here to assist you." Then she vanished, 
 and with her all fear left the hitherto troubled heart of Ulfer. 
 He sent for the abbot and all the members of the community, 
 related to them what had happened, and then died peacefully 
 and full of hope and resignation. 
 
 Mary will not Permit her Servants to Die Without the Last Sacraments. 
 
 Father Auriemma relates the history of a poor shepherdess who 
 had so great a devotion to the Blessed Virgin that her greatest 
 delight was to retire to a small mountain chapel dedicated to 
 Our Lady. There she poured forth her heart in prayer before 
 her ''Good Mother," — for that was the name by which she ad- 
 dressed her, — incessantly repeating the angelical salutation, 
 " Hail Mary, full of grace." Her piety found such solid satisfac- 
 tion in this simple exercise that she often remained in the chapel 
 for several successive hours, while her flock pastured before it. 
 
 The image of the Blessed Virgin Avhich was in this chapel 
 was a simple and unadorned statue. The pious girl made for 
 it a rustic but becoming mantle. She made a garland of some 
 flowers which she had gathered in the neighborhood, and kneel- 
 ing before the altar she presented it to her '• Good Mother," say- 
 ing, " Hail Mary, full of grace." Then ascending the altar she 
 placed this simple but beautiful crown on the head of the statue. 
 " ^lother, dear ^Mother," she said then to ^lary, " I would willingly 
 place on thy head a crown enriched with gold and precious jewels, 
 but I am a poor shepherdess and can only offer thee this gar- 
 land. Accept it as a token of my affection. Thou knowest how 
 I love thee ; I can only say Hail Mary." 
 
 Such simple piety and artless love could not pass unrewarded. 
 This zealous servant of Mary fell sick, and was soon reduced to 
 the last stage of the malady from which she suffered. At that 
 time two members of a religious Order who were travelhng in 
 that district sat down to rest under the refreshing shade of a 
 tree. Both fell asleep, and both had precisely the same vision. 
 They beheld coming down from heaven, like a golden cloud, a 
 band of beautiful virgins, in the midst of whom was one of sur- 
 
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION. 545 
 
 passing beauty and majesty. On being asked whither she was 
 going, she replied : " I am the Mother of God, and I am going 
 with these holy virgins to visit a dying shepherdess who during 
 her life visited me frequently." The vision then vanished. On 
 awaking from sleep they communicated to each other what they 
 had seen and heard. "Let us also go," said they, "and visit 
 this faithful servant of Mary." Providence conducted them to 
 the cottage of the poor shepherdess, who had attained a high 
 degree of sanctity by the practice of her humble duties. They 
 found her stretched on a pallet of straw, exhibiting in the lily- 
 whiteness of her features the purity of soul which had dis- 
 tinguished her, and in the beautiful expression of her counte- 
 nance a confirmation of the vision they had been favored with. 
 Turning her eyes towards the missionaries, she welcomed them, 
 and thanked God that her prayer had been heard and that now 
 she could receive the last sacraments and die peacefully. As the 
 missionaries were concluding the prayers after Extreme Unction 
 and Viaticum, this devout client of Mary whispered : " O pious, 
 O gentle, O sweet Virgin Mary," and expired. 
 
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 Protestantism. 
 What Catholics do not believe. 
 The Councils of the Church. 
 Distinguished American Converts. 
 
 Marriage and Divorce. 
 
 Practical Directions to a Protestant 
 
 before and after being received into 
 
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 Answers to Popular Objections to Catho- 
 
 licity. 
 Private Interpretation of Scripture. 
 Interesting Statistics on the Religions 
 
 of the World. 
 
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 Rev. O. Gisler, by 
 
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CHRIST ON THE ALTAR. 
 
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THE CHRISTIAN FATHER. 
 
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