Part III, The Means of Grace: The Sacraments

On the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit manifested His coming by a visible and audible sign ; the tongues of fire indicated the enlight enment of the apostles and the gifts of tongues; the mighty wind the power imparted to them. In like manner, it is the good pleasure of Our Lord to convey graces to us by means of sensible signs. He ordained for the communication of graces the use of such words and objects as clearly signify the grace bestowed; for the washing away of original sin He ordained that water should be poured on the head (because water cleanses) and at the same time a form of words used which indicates that it is done by the power of the Holy Trinity. In order to impart to us the gifts of the Holy Spirit, light and fortitude, He instituted the laying on of hands, with prayer and anointing with oil (oil being used to give light and warmth).

1. The sacraments are sensible signs instituted by Christ, by means of which the graces of the Holy Spirit are communicated to us.

In every sacrament there is: An appropriate ceremony, called the matter, and a form of words, which accompanies the sign or ceremony ; and besides, there is the grace conveyed. The sign, or visible part of the sacrament, not only signifies what is effected in the sacra ment, but effects what is signified. They are, therefore, practical signs ; they may also be termed instruments, and the graces conveyed through them the effect of those instruments. The signs of the sacraments are like Our Lord's humanity, and the graces conveyed like the Godhead concealed beneath this humanity. The word sacrament (sacr amentum) means something holy and also mysterious, because in early times holy things were hidden from the knowledge of the heathen.

Sensible signs were instituted by Our Lord for this purpose: that the graces conferred by their means might be made duly apparent, and thus recognized by man.

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As water cleanses from impurity and extinguishes fire, the use of water signifies that our souls are cleansed and the fire of hell is quenched for us. As oil gives light and strengthens the body, its use in Confirmation indicates plainly that our souls are enlightened and fortified by the Holy Spirit. Thus the practical effect of the sacra ment may be known by the sensible sign. Our Lord made use of distinct signs in conferring graces and benefits, although a thought, a word on His part, would have sufficed; He touched the eyes of the blind man (Matt. ix. 29) ; He touched the leper (Matt. viii. 3) ; He breathed on the apostles and said to them : " Receive ye the Holy Ghost" (John xx. 22). Under the Old Dispensation likewise, God bestowed His favors through signs ; witness Moses' rod, the brazen serpent, the gall of the fish wherewith Tobias' sight was restored, the cure of Naaman by washing in the Jordan. Sensible signs were instituted by Our Lord for the purpose of humbling the pride of man. Man, who aspired to be as God, is now dependent for the recovery of the grace he lost upon what is lowest in creation, lifeless matter. As for the sake of what is sensible man renounced heaven, it is meet that by use of what is sensible he should rise again to that which is suprasensible. Sensible signs are, in fact, required by the nature of man. If we were pure spirits we could dispense with corporal signs for the communication of spiritual gifts, but as we are composed of body and soul, we have need of them.

In addition to the signs instituted by Christ, certain cere monies have been appointed by the Church, in order to indicate still more perceptibly the graces conferred, and to increase the devotion of those who dispense and those who receive the sacra ments.

The various significant ceremonies are like a mirror, wherein a man sees the reflection of what goes on within his soul. The benefits God bestows on us are more deeply impressed upon our minds by the accompanying ceremonial; it also deepens the devotion of both the dispenser and the recipient of the sacrament. If an earthly monarch is seen by his subjects in all the grandeur of his regal dignity, attended by the grandees of his court, they think more of him than when he is in ordinary attire. The sacraments are not dispensed in a bare and informal manner, but are accompanied by the accessories of a rich and solemn ceremonial ; this is not only to make a greater impression upon mortals, but to give greater glory to God. The cere monies also constitute a certain preparation for the reception of the sacraments; they prepare the soil of the heart, that the good seed may bear more abundant fruit. The ritual is not precisely the same in all dioceses, local custom having added some rites which cannot well be abolished, but the Roman ritus is the one universally followed. The ceremonies of the Church may be omitted in case of necessity, as in Baptism when there is danger of death.

2. Christ instituted seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony.

The doctrine of the seven sacraments is as old as the Church

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herself. All the sects that fell away from the Church in the early centuries retained the seven sacraments, as did the Greeks and Romans at a later period. The institution of seven sacraments is, it is true, not mentioned in Holy Scripture, but it is not said that there were more or less. On this point Tradition is sufficient authority. The seven sacraments answer exactly to the needs of the soul, which resemble to a certain extent the exigencies of the body. The life of the soul begins at Baptism, it is fortified by Confirmation, brought to perfection by the Holy Eucharist; if the life of the soul be lost, it is restored by Penance and Extreme Unction; it is kept up by Holy Orders and Matrimony from generation to generation.

Through the seven sacraments we receive divine grace at the very time of our life when we are most in need of it.

These times occur at birth, at our entrance into youth, when we have lost the friendship of God, when we embrace a new state of life, and at the hour of death. As at sea there are islands and harbors, where the mariner can cast anchor and take in supplies; as there are roadside inns where the traveller can pause to rest and recruit his strength, so on the weary journey of life the sacraments are provided to afford support and refreshment now and again to the pilgrim.

3. By the three sacraments, Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, there is imprinted upon the soul a certain spiritual and indelible mark or character, on account of which they cannot be repeated (Council of Trent, 7, 9).

The indelible mark or character consists in a special consecration and dedication to Christ. By this mark the angels know whether a man is one of God's family, and if so, they give him particular protection. This mark is not effaced by mortal sin, it never can be removed from the soul. Consequently these three sacraments can never be received a second time, not even by one who has apostatized from the faith and has been received back into the Church. These three sacraments will be like a seal upon the soul in a future life; they will be a cause of eternal glory and rejoicing to the blessed; to the reprobate they will be a source of shame and confusion.

4. Two of the sacraments, Baptism and Penance, are instituted principally with the object of conferring sanctifying grace where it was not already given; the five others with the object of in creasing that gift.

The holy sacraments are the wine and oil of the Samaritan in the Gospel, for the maintenance and restoration of the health of the soul. Baptism and Penance are called sacraments of the dead, of those who are spiritually dead, because they were instituted for those whose spiritual life is destroyed by mortal sin. The five others are sacraments of the living, because they were instituted for those who are in a state of grace. It is, however, possible for sanctifying grace to be increased by Baptism and Penance, if through earnest amend ment of life and heartfelt Contrition a man has merited to receive the Holy Ghost previous to Baptism or confession, like the centurion

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Cornelius, on whom, and on whose household, the Holy Ghost was poured out while St. Peter was preaching (Acts x. 44). So also one may go to confession without being guilty of mortal sin and thereby acquire more grace.

Each sacrament has besides its own individual object, and confers a grace peculiar to itself.

Thus Baptism confers the grace to live according to the precepts of the Gospel ; Confirmation, to confess the faith fearlessly ; the Holy Eucharist, to make progress in the supernatural life; Penance preserves us from relapse into sin; Extreme Unction is a remedy; Holy Orders and Matrimony confer the graces appropriate to those states in life. Such is the great practical efficacy of the sacraments, and yet how little we appreciate their value ! What efforts, what sacrifices, people make to keep or to regain their bodily health ! And yet they will not employ the simple, easy means within their reach for preserving the health of their soul, which is far more important.

5. Due preparation must be made before receiving the sacra ments, in order to obtain the graces they convey.

Any one who approaches the Sacrament of Baptism or Penance without a thorough change of heart, or who receives the other sacraments in a state of mortal sin, commits the terrible sin of sacrilege, and will not obtain the graces of the Holy Spirit until the hindrance to grace has been removed.

On this account in the early ages of Christianity a two years' probation was required before admission to Baptism, the object of this being to give the heathens time to reform their life. St. Peter in his preaching insisted on the necessity of penance and sincere conversion (Acts ii. 38; iii. 19). To this day the Church requires those who approach holy communion to go to confession first. How reprehensible is the conduct of those who, from force of habit, or because of some special indulgence, go to confession without purposing a serious amendment of life ! " The sacraments," St. Augustine says, " are the salvation of those who use them aright, the damnation of those who misuse them." That which is meat to the healthy is poison to the sick. Infant baptism is the only case in which no previous preparation is necessary. And if any one is so unhappy as to receive one of the sacraments sacrilegiously he may yet participate in the grace of the sacrament, if the obstacle to it be removed. The sacra ments are like the sunshine; it cannot penetrate into a room of which the shutters are closed, but as soon as they are opened, it streams in, warming it and illumining it. In like manner a sacra ment, if received unworthily, need- not be received again ; on amend ment of life, its gracious influences are freely exercised. This rule does not hold good in regard to the Holy Eucharist ; if it be received by one who is in mortal sin, the grace of it is lost, even if the sinner returns to a. state of grace. The more worthy the recipient, the greater the graces conferred by the sacrament. The drier the wood, the more freely it burns. If the vessel taken to the spring be clean, the water contained in it will be pure.

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There are two indispensable conditions which the Church imposes on those who approach the sacraments: They must be qualified to receive them, and desirous to receive them.

The power of assimilating food is dependent upon certain organs of the human body; even so certain qualifications are necessary for the reception of the sacraments. An unbaptized person is incapable of receiving any of the other sacraments; a child who has not reached the age of reason cannot receive the Sacrament of Penance; Extreme Unction cannot be given to one who is in robust health ; no one under the age of twenty-three can receive Holy Orders. If a sacrament is administered to any one against his will, it is invalid. The Church has never sanctioned the action of secular rulers who have compelled their subjects to be baptized, as was done in early times. Thus now at Baptism the question is asked : " Wilt thou be baptized ? " The last rites of the Church are, it is true, administered to persons who are unconscious, before death; but only if it be supposed that they would have wished for the sacraments had they been conscious. The baptism of infants is justified on these grounds.

6. Supposing the priest who administers the sacrament to be unworthy, the graces of the Holy Spirit will still be communicated by means of the sacrament.

The entire efficacy of the sacraments is derived from the merits of Christ, not those of the priest who dispenses them. It is out of the power of man to confer what is divine. The sacraments are essentially holy in themselves, not because they are administered by one who is holy. Nor is the grace of the sacraments lessened by the evil life of the priest. God is wont to make use of unworthy instruments. The minister is but the dispenser of the mysteries of God (1 Cor. iv. 1). A leper can act as porter as well as a healthy man, provided he has the key of the door. A judge may be, as a man, worse than the criminal before him, yet he can pass sentence on him. The coin of the realm has the same value in the hand of a bad as of a good man. The wine is the same, whether it be drunk out of an ordinary glass or a gold goblet. So it is with the sacraments; the Donatists, who asserted the contrary, were heretics. If the sacraments could only be administered aright by good priests, one would never have any certainty in regard to them.

The Church imposes two indispensable conditions on those who administer the sacraments: they must make use of the prescribed sensible sign without any essential alteration at the same time as the form of words, and they must have the in tention to do what the Church does.

If wine, for instance, were employed instead of water for baptizing, the visible sign would be essentially changed, and it would be no baptism at all. Or if one were to say : " I baptize thee in the name of Christ," the audible sign would be essentially changed, and it would be no baptism. But the wrong pronounciation of some word — by a foreigner perhaps — would not interfere with the efficacy of

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the sacrament. Ii the prescribed form of words is pronounced sometime before or after the water is poured upon the head of the person to be baptized, the baptism is not valid; the two actions must be simultaneously performed. When Protestants baptize, their baptism is valid, if they have the intention to do what the (true) Church does, and are careful to adhere to what is prescribed.

1. Baptism

Even heathen nations, such as the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, made use of water to cleanse their souls and render them pleasing to the Deity. The Jewish law enjoined purifications, to cleanse from various legal uncleannesses (Lev. xii.-xv.). Before the giving of the Ten Commandments the people were to be sanctified and wash their garments (Exod. xix. 10). John the Baptist baptized in the desert those who promised amendment of life, to signify the remission of sins which they would gain by their penitential works. The baptism of Christ is of a different nature; it has a transforming power, for it washes away sin and confers the gift of the Holy Ghost (Matt, iii. 11).

1. This is what takes place at Baptism: Water is poured upon the head of the person to be baptized, and at the same time the words appointed by Our Lord are repeated; the person is thereby cleansed from original sin and all other sins, he is gifted with habitual and sanctifying grace, and becomes a child of God, an heir of heaven, and a member of the Church.

At our baptism much the same takes place as at Our Lord's baptism : like Him, we have water poured upon our head, and certain words are spoken (" I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ") ; the Holy Ghost descends upon us (although not in the form of a dove), we are made temples of the Holy Ghost and endowed with sanctifying grace; God the Father says : " This is My beloved son, in whom I am well pleased " (we are made children of God), and the heavens are opened (we are made heirs of immortality). Again, much the same takes place at our baptism as at the cleansing of Naaman (4 Kings v. 14); we are washed with water, and delivered from the leprosy of sin, both original and actual. So again much the same takes place at our baptism as at the passage of the Israelites through the Jordan (1 Cor. x. 2) ; we pass through the water of Baptism into the promised land, the Church of which we become members. Those on whom sanctifying grace has been bestowed, are in virtue of that bestowal children of God and heirs of heaven. Only the baptized have the right to call God their Father, hence in early times the Lord's Prayer was not taught to the unbaptized. St. Louis of France used to say : " I think more of the private chapel where I was baptized, than of the Cathedral of Rheims where I was crowned; for the dignity of a child of God, which was bestowed on me at Baptism, is greater than that of the ruler of a kingdom. The latter I shall lose at death; the other will be my passport to everlasting glory." It is because man is

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cleansed from sin by baptism that St. Paul exclaims : " There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus " (Rom. viii. 1). The words of St. Peter on the Day of Pentecost show what is the effect produced by Baptism : " Do penance, and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts ii. 38). St .Paul speaks of Baptism as "the laver of regeneration and renovation of the Holy Ghost," whereby "being; justified by His grace we may be heirs according to hope of life everlasting" (Titus iii. 5, 7). Again he says: "In one spirit were we all baptized into one body " (1 Cor. xii. 13).

Baptism was instituted by Our Lord at His own baptism and enjoined upon the Church at His ascension.

Our Lord caused Himself to be baptized in the Jordan in order to sanctify water and impart to it a cleansing power. The manifestation of all the three persons of the Holy Trinity at the time of His baptism showed that the sacrament was to be administered in the name of the three divine persons. Christ also told His apostles at His ascension to go, " baptizing all nations in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matt, xxviii. 19).

2. Baptism acts spiritually as water does materially.

It cleanses us from the stains of sin, it extinguishes for us the names of hell and of purgatory; it imparts to us a new life, it quenches the thirst of the soul, it gives us strength to fulfil the commandments, causes us to bring forth fruit to life eternal, and makes us members of Christ's mystical body.

Every one knows that in the natural order water cleanses the body, puts out fire, and recalls to consciousness one who has fainted; that it invigorates the human frame and gives fertility to the soil. The water of Baptism does the same in the spiritual order. Every new born infant has the stain of original sin attaching to him, and every adult has, in addition, that of actual sin. These sins vanish at the laver of regeneration as a spark disappears if it falls into the ocean. On this account no penance is enjoined on the newly-baptized. Any one dying immediately after baptism, goes straight to heaven if he has at the time no attachment to venial sin, thus escaping purgatory and hell. And since the person baptized receives the Holy Ghost, and with Him sanctifying grace, a new life begins for him, the life in God. Thus Baptism is the birth of the soul, whereas the other sacraments are its food or its medicine. Baptism is also called regeneration, because it is the commencement of another and a new life. When the water is poured upon the exterior, an interior change takes place; the individual becomes a new creature — from sinful he becomes just. In Baptism true peace of mind is acquired through the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. The early Christians used to feel the same interior happiness after baptism that we feel after making a good confession. It may truly be said that the water of Baptism quenches the thirst of the soul. Furthermore, when the Holy Ghost enters into the soul at Baptism, He enlightens the understanding and

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justifies the will. When Saul, the persecutor of the Christians, was baptized, there fell from his eyes as it were scales (Acts ix. 18), indicating that his spiritual blindness was at an end. Baptism also confers strength to resist the temptations of the evil enemy. Yet the corrupt proclivity remains, and man is ever subject to temptations, as the Hebrews, when they had escaped from servitude by the passage of the Ked Sea, were still exposed to the attacks of their adversaries in the desert. As the will is fortified by Baptism, we are better able to perform good works. He who has received the Holy Ghost possesses divine charity (Council of Trent, 6, 7), and by charity we abide in God, and are closely united to Him (John xiv. 23 ; 1 John iv. 16). Hence, having received the Holy Ghost and with Him divine charity, we are in Baptism made one with Christ (Gal. iii. 27) ; we are united to Christ as members to the head ; " your members are the members of Christ" (1 Cor. vi. 15). We are made members of the one great body of which Christ is the head and the life; all the graces which we receive as members of the Church proceed from Christ. Hence He is rightly termed the lifegiving Head of tho Church, for in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body (1 Cor. xii. 13, 15). In Baptism we are cut off from the stock of the old sinful Adam, and grafted into Christ as new creatures; we are no longer of the posterity of the old Adam, but of the posterity of Christ. Baptism is compared to the door of Noe's ark. See how marvellous are the effects of this sacrament ! The grace of Baptism is of all the gifts of God the most excellent, the most exalted, the most precious. Who, being unbaptized, would not desire Baptism?

3. Baptism is indispensably necessary to salvation. Hence children who die unbaptized cannot enter heaven (Council of Trent, 7, 5).

Our Lord says : " Unless a man be born again of water and of the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven " (John iii. 5). He makes no exception, not even in the case of infants. St. Basil says Baptism is the vessel wherein we embark for the celestial port. Baptism is no less indispensable in the spiritual order than water in the natural order, and since it is so indispensable, God has made it very easy. Nothing is absolutely necessary but water, which may be had everywhere ; every one can baptize in case of need ; new born infants may be baptized; and for adults the simple desire is sufficient, if actual baptism is impossible. And since Baptism is of such urgent necessity for salvation, it follows that infants dying unbaptized cannot attain eternal felicity. For every child coming into tho world has the taint of original sin, and has not sanctifying grace, without which no man can enter heaven. Yet, although in fants dying without baptism are excluded from participation in celestial joys, the divine Judge does not consign them to the torments of hell, because they have never committed actual sin; they enjoy a certain natural happiness without physical suffering or mental sadness; they are cheerful as those are with whom all goes well on earth. But the happiness which is their portion bears much the same relation to everlasting felicity as the feeble light of a candle does to the brilliance of the noonday sun. Thus parents who through negligence allow their children to die unbaptized have much to answer for. The

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eternal salvation of the infant is entirely dependent on the free will of its fellow-man, especially near relatives. St. Augustine mentions the relics of St. Stephen having been efficacious in restoring to life a dead child in order that it might leceive Baptism.

4. Hence it follows that parents ought to have their children haptized immediately after their birth, because new-born infants hover between life and death.

Infant baptism has been customary since apostolic times. St. Alphonsus says that if parents, without an urgent reason, neglect to have their children baptized within ten days after their birth, they incur the guilt of mortal sin.

5. In case of necessity any one can administer baptism, and without the usual ceremonies.

Nurses often baptize weakly infants. The baptism by Jews and heretics is valid, provided it is correctly administered, that is, if water be poured on the child's head (or some other portion of the body) and at the same moment the formula is repeated : " I baptize thee, etc." If the child lives, he should be taken to the church later on for the usual ceremonies. If it be surmised that through overhaste, or some other cause, the first baptism was not properly performed, the priest must baptize the child again, conditionally.

In the majority of cases only priests should administer Baptism, and that in the church with the prescribed ceremonial.

In the early ages of Christianity only the bishop, or a priest whom he empowered to act for him, had the right to baptize. But when the dioceses became larger, and it was impossible for the bishop to go about continually to administer that sacrament, the power to baptize was made a part of the priests' office. As a matter of fact in the present day only the priest of the parish possesses this right, unless he authorizes another to act in his stead. Originally Baptism was only administered in baptistries, or small stone chapels containing all that was necessary for baptism, situated either in close proximity to the principal church of the diocese, or in the interior of the building. About the seventh century infant baptism be came universal, and adult baptism of rare occurrence; fonts contain ing blessed water were then placed in the church where the bishop officiated. Baptism in private houses was strictly forbidden, but in the case of the children of kings and princes it might be administered in the palace-chapel. So sacred and solemn a ceremony ought to be performed in a consecrated place. In the present day the bishop's permission must be obtained for the administration of Baptism in a private house.

6. If baptism by water is impossible, it may be replaced by the baptism of desire, or by the baptism of blood, as in the case of those who suffer martyrdom for the faith of Christ,

The Emperor Valentinian II. was on the way to Milan to be baptized when he was assassinated; St. Ambrose said of him that his desire had been the means of his cleansing. The patriarchs, prophets.

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and holy men of the Old Testament had the baptism of desire ; their love of God was ardent, and they wished to do all that He commands. God accepts the will for the deed; in this He manifests His super abundant loving kindness. But all the temporal penalties of sin are not remitted by the baptism of desire. Martyrdom for Christ's sake is the baptism of blood. This the holy innocents received, and the Church commemorates them as saints. All unbaptized persons who suffer martyrdom for the Christian faith, for some act of Christian virtue, or the fulfilment of a Christian duty, also received the baptism of blood. Witness St. John Baptist; or St. Emerentiana, who, while yet a catechumen, was found by the pagans praying at St. Agnes' tomb, and was put to death by them. The Church does not pray for the unbaptized who suffer death for Christ; for He Himself says: " He that shall lose his life for Me, shall find it " (Matt, x. 39).

7. In the early ages of the Church solemn Baptism was administered on three days of the year: Holy Saturday, the eve of Whitsunday, and in the East on the eve of the Epiphany.

Baptism used to be administered in the night preceding Easter and Whitsunday. It was administered at Easter, because it is a spiritual resurrection, and therefore appropriate to the season; at Pentecost, because on the first day of Pentecost three thousand persons were baptized, and because the Holy Spirit is given in Baptism ; on the eve of the Epiphany because the Church commemorates the baptism of Our Lord in the Jordan on that day. Individuals were also baptized at other times, the sick, for instance, or converts who were thoroughly versed in Christian doctrine. The water to be used in Baptism is solemnly blessed on Holy Saturday and on the eve of Pentecost to this day; the ceremonial is elaborate and impressive; it is accompanied by prayers and chants, and many beautiful symbolical ceremonies, such as the mixing of the chrism, breathing upon the water, dipping the paschal candle into it, etc.

In the first ages of Christianity, religious instruction preceded Baptism; the candidates for Baptism were called catechumens.

Any one who desired to become a Christian had to present himself to the bishop, who questioned him closely, and if he thought him worthy admitted him into the number of the catechumens. He laid his hands upon him, as a sign that he was soon to receive the Holy Ghost; he made the sign of the cross upon his forehead and breast, to signify that he must believe the teaching of our crucified Lord, and shape his life thereby; finally he put salt on his lips, to denote preservation from the temptation of sin. The candidate was then a catechumen of the first class; for two years he was instructed in biblical history, the Ten Commandments, the precepts of charity, and allowed to be present at Mass until the creed. At the end of the second year, he became a catechumen of the second class : that is, he was obliged to fast in Lent, to hear sermons, to confess his sins in public and undergo various exorcisms, anointings and other symbolical ceremonies. In the last week before Baptism was administered, after Palm Sunday, that is, the candidates were taught the

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doctrine of the mystery of the Holy Trinity, the Apostles' Creed and the Lord's Prayer. All these ceremonies previous to Baptism have been retained until the present day.

Immediately before Baptism the candidate had to take a solemn vow to believe and follow the teachings of Christ. (The baptismal vow or covenant.)

Standing with his face towards the west, he renounced the devil and all his works (the worship of idols and the corrupt practices of the heathen), and the pomps and vanities of the world. Then turning towards the east, he promised to believe and follow the teaching of Christ. This promise is known as the baptismal vow; it is also called a covenant, because God at the same time promises the assistance of His grace to fulfil the promise made, and to reward those who keep it with eternal felicity after death. The baptismal vow resembles the military oath taken by the soldier, for at baptism we are enrolled under the banner of Christ, and promise to fight against the adversaries of God. The baptismal vow also resembles the marriage treaty concluded between those who are wedded at the altar, for the soul then promises fidelity and love to her celestial Bride groom. It is well for those who have been baptized in their infancy to renew their vows at certain times after they have attained the age of reason, particularly before approaching the sacraments. St. John Chrysostom used to renew his vows in the hours of temptation, saying : " I renounce the devil and give myself wholly to Christ." In the time of persecution the early Christians were accustomed to solemnly renew their vow once a year, to strengthen themselves in the faith. One could wish that this was done now. Christians wrho have been unfaithful to their vows will, at the Last Judgment, hear from the lips of Our Lord the appalling words : " Thou wicked servant, out of thine own mouth will I condemn thee, by the promise thou didst once solemnly make to Me."

Formerly baptism was generally by immersion, but often times water was sprinkled or poure'd upon the individual.

The priest and the godfather, or in the case of women, the godmother, led the person to be baptized by the hand down the steps, and plunged him three times under the water, while the priest pronounced the words prescribed by Our Lord. The threefold immersion was in honor of the most Holy Trinity; it was also in commemoration of the burial of Christ and His rising again, and was intended to signify that the old, sinful man was buried, and the new man had arisen (Rom. vi. 3, 11). In the later centuries baptism by immersion was abolished, and the custom of sprinkling almost exclusively adopted.

The name of a saint was given to every one at the baptismal font; this was his baptismal or Christian name.

The individual baptized was placed under the special protection of a saint or angel, who was to serve him as a model. Socrates of old used to advise parents to give the names of virtuous persons to their children in order to encourage them to imitate their example. Alexander the Great used to say to soldiers who had the same name as

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himself : " Either take another name, or see that thou dost credit to my name." The addition of the name of some saint was to indicate that the person baptized had been made a child of God, and in corporated into the company of the saints. On occasions when God bestowed particular favors on one of His servants, the name was sometimes altered; as Abram became Abraham, Simon was called Peter, Saul was changed to Paul. The Church does not approve of heathen or fantastical names being given to children. Priests cannot give such names in Baptism, though they enter them in the register. The name of a saint may often prove an incentive to him who bears it, to lead a Christian life.

When Baptism is administered with the usual ceremonies, which is called solemn Baptism, the person baptized must have a godfather or godmother, or one of each, but not more.

The obligation of a sponsor is to see that the person baptized keeps the faith and leads a Christian life. In appointing sponsors, the Church acts like a man who lends money; he requires securities. A child when born into the world, requires a nurse to bring it up ; so one who is baptized needs some one to watch over his spiritual growth. The sponsors have also to provide for the Christian instruction of their godchild, if the parents neglect their duty in this respect, or are removed by death. JSTow that children receive regular religious teaching at school, the responsibilities of the sponsor are virtually almost nothing ; still he should endeavor to influence his godchild for good, if necessary. A spiritual affinity is contracted between the sponsors and the person baptized and his natural parents, which the Church regards as an impediment to marriage. Hence the number of godparents is limited to two, to prevent difficulties arising. One sponsor is indispensably necessary. If a man, he must be at least fourteen years old; if a woman, twelve is the lowest age admissible; the sponsor, if there be but one, must be of the same sex as the person baptized, and a Catholic (non-Catholics can only be allowed as witnesses). The sponsor ought to have been confirmed, and be known to lead a good life; the parents of the child cannot possibly act as his sponsors, nor members of a religious Order, because they cannot, if necessary, replace the parents. At baptism the sponsor, holding the infant on his right arm, awaits at the entrance of the baptistry the coming of the priest, who asks the name the child is to receive, and interrogates him by name thus : " What dost thou ask of the Church of God ?" The answer is : " Faith and life everlasting, which it obtains for me." The priest then performs the same ceremonies as were prescribed for the reception of a catechumen; afterwards he lays his stole upon the child (as a sign of his ecclesiastical powers), and admits both him and his sponsor into the church, when the Apostles' Creed and the Lord's Prayer are recited. Next the person to be baptized, or if he be an infant, his sponsor, takes the baptismal vows; to the three first questions addressed to him he replies : " I renounce them," and to the three last, " I believe." The baptism then takes place, and presently the priest dismisses the party with a valedictory benediction : " Go in peace and the Lord be with you."

584 The Means of Grace.

The beautiful ceremonies following upon Baptism denote the dignity conferred upon the newly baptized, and the obligations resting upon him.

The priest anoints the person or child on the top of the head with chrism in the form of a cross, to remind him that he is now a Christian, an anointed one. This unction also recalls his royal dignity as a son of the King of heaven; it admonishes him to overcome the concupiscences of the flesh (Gen. iv. 7). Moreover oil, being a mild substance, reminds him to practice meekness, and exercise the works of mercy; it also signifies the illuminating and justifying grace of the Holy Spirit. In former times the newly-baptized used to put on a white robe which they wore in the church for a week, until Low Sunday, as a symbol of the robe of baptismal innocence, and of the wedding-garment of sanctifying grace, which they were to keep unspotted until death. On the present day a white cloth is laid upon the newly-baptized. A lighted candle is then given to the person baptized (or to the sponsor, if an infant). This is to denote the light of the Holy Spirit, which he has received, and recalls the words of Our Lord : " 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 also indicates that the portals of the city of eternal light are opened to him. All these ceremonies have a sanctifying influence, and consecrate him who receives them to be a fitting temple of the Holy Ghost.

Formerly the person baptized was confirmed immediately afterwards, and admitted to holy communion.

He was also fully instructed in the doctrine of holy Mass, the sacraments, and prayer, the so-called disciplina arcani. Previous to Baptism he would not have understood them, as he was without the enlightening presence of the Holy Ghost, ^ee how great the esteem in which religious instruction was held!

2. Confirmation

Confirmation is so-called from its effect, which is to confirm and strengthen in the faith those who receive it; it is also spoken of as the laying on of hands (Acts viii. 17), from the nature of the cere monies. Our Lord had given the Holy Spirit to His apostles before His ascension, yet they were timid and fearful, and did not lose this timidity until the Day of Pentecost, when the plenitude of the Spirit was poured out upon them. So we receive the Holy Ghost at our baptism, but not in all His fulness; this we receive at our Confirmation. On the Day of Pentecost the Holy Ghost came down upon the apostles under sensible signs, tongues as of fire and a mighty wind ; so in Confirmation the visible sign is the imposition of hands, the audible sign the prayers repeated by the bishop. At Pentecost the apostles received the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, pre-eminently the gift^of fortitude, and the extraordinary gift of tongues; it is the same with us at Confirmation, only the gift of tongues is not now given. What

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the Day of Pentecost was to the apostles, Confirmation is to the Christian.

1. The ceremonial of Confirmation is as follows: The bishop lays his hands upon the candidates and anoints each one severally with chrism upon the forehead, with prayer; and those who are so anointed receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, especially courage to profess their faith.

The bishop extends his hands over the persons to be confirmed, while he invokes the Holy Spirit with His sevenfold gifts, to indicate that a supernatural power is communicated to them; he then goes to each one separately, and laying upon his head four fingers of his right hand, with the thumb of the same hand he makes the sign of the cross with chrism on the forehead of the person to be confirmed, giving him thereby to understand that he must never be ashamed to profess himself the disciple of a crucified Saviour, saying meanwhile: " I sign thee with the sign of the cross and I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen." Then he gives him a slight blow upon the cheek, to teach him that he must be ready to suffer persecution for the faith, saying : " Peace be with thee." In conclusion the bishop gives to all his blessing. The chrism is composed of olive oil and balm of Gilead; it is solemnly blessed by the bishop in the cathedral church on Maundy Thursday.

The apostles administered Confirmation, as at Samaria and Ephesus.

The holy apostles Peter and John laid their hands on the Christians at Samaria, and they received the Holy Ghost (Acts viii. 11-17). St. Paul did the same at Ephesus. At that time when Confirmation was administered, it was generally accompanied by extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost, such as the gift of tongues and of prophecy (Acts xix. 6). At the laying on of hands the Holy Ghost was wont to manifest His coining by visible signs, so that the apostles needed not to make use of chrism. Originally oil alone was employed; not until the sixth century was balm mingled with it. The oldest writers and Fathers of the Church speak of the Sacrament of Confirmation. Pope Urban, in the third century, says : " All the faithful ought, after baptism, to receive the Holy Ghost by imposition of hands, in order that they may become perfect Christians." St. Augustine remarks that it must not be concluded, because the gift of tongues is no longer given, that the Holy Ghost is not communicated by imposition of hands. It was only given in early times for the more rapid propagation of the Gospel. The Council of Trent expressly declares Confirmation to be a true sacrament, not a mere rite, which formerly was appended to Baptism, nor a public profession of faith in presence of the faithful.

2. The supernatural effect of Confirmation is similar to the natural effect of oil.

It creates within us a spirit of meekness; it increases, that

586 The Means of Grace.

is, our charity towards God and our neighbor, it enlightens our understanding, strengthens our will, preserves our soul from the corruption of sin, and fills us with the cweet odor of virtue.

Oil softens what is hard, it adds vigor to the frame, it diffuses an agreeable light. Balm is a preservative against putrefaction, and emits a fragrant smell. Confirmation increases our charity towards God and our neighbor, or, in other words, it increases sanctifying grace, and imparts to us the fulness of the divine Spirit. Hence Confirmation is the complement of Baptism ; in Baptism we are made the temples of the Holy Ghost, in Confirmation we receive Him in all His plenitude of graces. In Baptism we are made soldiers of Christ; at Confirmation our weapons are handed to us. Those who have been confirmed enjoy a greater degree of glory in heaven than the unconfirmed. This is why, in early times, Confirmation was administered to infants. The enlightenment of the mind consists in giving man a sense of the worthlessness of the goods and pleasures of this world, and inspiring him with an abhorrence of them. By Confirmation our thoughts and aspirations are directed towards heaven; from earthly, man becomes heavenly, from sensual, spiritual; he becomes a perfect Christian. By Confirmation timidity is dispelled and courage imparted. Before the Day of Pentecost the apostles were faint-hearted as children; after that day they were bold as lions. The Holy Spirit produces a like change in those who are confirmed : they can say : " I can do all things in Him Who strengtheneth me " (Phil. iv. 13). St. Vincent is of opinion that at the end of the world Antichrist will spare no effort to deter Christian people from receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation, as in that case they would more readily apostatize from the faith. And since Confirmation confirms the will, it makes it easier for those who have received it to resist temptation, and thus avoid sin. If such a one should fall into mortal sin, he will incur a rigorous chastisement, like a soldier who deserts to the enemy's camp. And the stronger the will, the less difficult does the practice of virtue become. Confirmation tends especially to render us humble and meek, as the oil and balm denote: for balm sinks into the liquid into which it is poured, symbolizing humility, and oil always floats on the surface, teaching man to rise superior to the vexations of life by unfailing meekness. Holy Scripture speaks of virtue as a good odor (2 Cor. ii. 15), because those who are virtuous are as pleasing to God as a sweet perfume is to us.

3, Christians ought to be confirmed at the age when they pass from childhood to youth, because at that period temptations thicken around them, and they need strength of will to resist them.

It is not well to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation before a child has attained the age of seven years, and the use of reason. The most suitable age is about twelve; it should not be deferred longer than the age of fourteen, but it is impossible to fix an exact time, as in large dioceses the bishop can only visit the more remote parishes at long intervals.

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It is a grievous sin wilfully to omit to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.

To do this is to act like a traveller who, having to pass along a dangerous road, refuses to accept the means of defence offered to him ; what wonder if he have to pay a high price for his folly! Although Confirmation is not absolutely necessary to salvation, yet God punishes contempt of this sacrament severely. The Fathers of the Church ascribe all the misery of Novatus, who became a teacher of heresy and ended his days in wretchedness, to his having neglected to be confirmed. In early times parents who did not have their children confirmed had to do penance for three years. Let it be enough for us to know that it is Christ's will that all should be filled with the Spirit (John vii. 37).

4. The candidate for Confirmation ought previously to go to confession and, if possible, to holy communion ; for to receive this sacrament one must be in a state of grace.

For any one in mortal sin to receive Confirmation is as if a precious and delicate substance were poured into an unclean vessel. It it not obligatory on one who is unquestionably in a state of grace to go to confession before Confirmation. In the early ages of the Church it was the custom to confirm very young children, as is now done in Greece and in Spain. In many dioceses children are confirmed before they make their first communion, provided they are eight years old and have been to confession, in order that they may not lack the graces Confirmation imparts at the time when they most need them. St. Charles Borromeo established this rule throughout his diocese.

The candidate for Confirmation must be well instructed in the doctrines of the faith, and prepare himself to receive the Holy Ghost by retirement and prayer.

He should in this respect imitate the apostles, who spent the ten days before Pentecost in persevering prayer (Acts i. 14). On this account several Synods decreed that candidates for Confirmation should be placed under instruction for a week previously; that each day in that week they should repeat seven Our Fathers and seven Hail Marys in honor of the Holy Ghost, and that they should keep the eve of their Confirmation day as a fast. Every one must be provided by his parish priest with a certificate, to certify that he is properly prepared for the reception of this sacrament. Without this the bishop will not confirm him.

5. Confirmation is usually administered about Whitsuntide, as the bishop visits the whole of his diocese at intervals of a few years.

In the first centuries of the Church Confirmation was, as a rule, administered at Easter and Pentecost, because it followed immediately upon Baptism. St. Jerome relates that in his time (about the commencement of the fifth century), the bishops used to take long journeys for the purpose of confirming those who had been baptized

588 The Means of Grace.

by a priest or a deacon. An ordinary priest cannot administer Confirmation unless he be expressly authorized and empowered to do so by the authority of the Pope ; they are thus empowered in mission ary dioceses, which are of too great extent for the bishop to traverse, and where the converts would be in danger of relapsing into paganism unless they were confirmed in the faith as soon as possible. As in erecting a building the whole of the work is done by the work men, the finishing touch alone being put by the architect, so in the spiritual fabric it devolves upon the bishop to administer Confirmation, whereby the top-stone is put to the edifice (St. Thomas Aquinas). This sacrament appears more imposing when administered by the bishop in person.

The person confirmed receives the name of some saint at his Confirmation.

When Confirmation followed immediately upon Baptism, no other name was added to that given in baptism. But when in after years, the convert got into the habit of retaining his heathen name after Baptism, he was made to take the name of some saint at his Confirmation, on whom he was to look as his model in the spiritual warfare, as a soldier looks to his general. And he whom he chose for his pattern on earth he was to invoke as his intercessor in heaven. Besides this heavenly guide, the Christian has at Confirmation an earthly guide.

The person to be confirmed must also have a godfather or godmother.

The gladiator who is about to enter the arena requires some one to instruct him in swordsmanship and assist him with his counsel; so it is at Confirmation. In all the difficulties of life the godparent ought to be ready to support and help his godchild; he ought to do his utmost to induce him to keep within the paths of virtue ; and the godchild ought to feel that he must not rely too much on his own powers, but must seek counsel from others. A spiritual relationship exists between the two, which constitutes an ecclesiastical hindrance to marriage. The sponsor chosen ought to be one who has himself been confirmed, a person of blameless life, older than the one to be confirmed, and of the same sex; not, if it can be avoided, the same who stood sponsor for him at the baptismal font.

Those who present themselves to the bishop to be confirmed must be simply and suitably dressed.

The Holy Spirit does not take up His abode in the heart that is enslaved by the pride of life. God resisteth the proud (1 Pet. v. 5). Some, on going to be confirmed, think more of their dress than of the sacrament they are about to receive. It is no longer required of the candidates for Confirmation that they should be fasting, in fact, this would not be possible now, as the ceremony often lasts a long time. They should be dressed simply, their forehead being uncovered ; each one should have a prayer-book, and the necessary certificate. Adults kneel, children either stand or kneel, to receive the sacrament; behind each one stands the sponsor, his right hand on the right shoul-

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der of his godchild. All must be present in the church before the bishop extends his hands over all in general, after that the door is closed and no one else admitted. Nor must any one depart before the bishop gives the final blessing, although it does not constitute an integral part of the sacrament. After receiving Confirmation, one must be careful not to drive away the Holy Spirit by feasting and diversions. " Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God " (Eph. iv. 30). The chief reason why the faith of Christians is so cold in the present day is because so little is now thought of the Sacrament of Confirmation.

S. THE HOLY EUCHARIST. Institution and Nature of the Holy Eucharist.

Our Lord promised the Jews at Capharnaum that He would give them His flesh to eat and His blood to drink (John vi.).

After the miraculous multiplication of the loaves arid fishes the people went in search of Christ, and found Him in the synagogue at Capharnaum. They wanted Him to give them bread again; but He promised to give them the bread of immortality. When they asked Him for it, He answered : " The bread that I will give is My flesh." And when they refused to believe His words, He added : " Except you eat 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 at the Last Day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed " (John vi. 52-56).

Our Lord fulfilled this promise at the Last Supper; He changed the bread into His body, and the wine into His blood and gave it to the apostles (Matt. xxvi. 28).

The apostles did not, however, see the body of Christ under the appearance of flesh, for the accidents of the bread remained, i.e., its color, taste, smell, weight. Nor did they see His blood otherwise than as wine, because the accidents of the wine were retained; the substance only was changed. So the shell of an egg remains the same while what is contained within it is changed into a living bird.

1. The body of Christ under the appearance of bread, and the blood of Christ under the appearance of wine, is called the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

Here again we find the three essentials of a sacrament. The visible sign is the form of bread and of wine, the audible sign is the words of Christ; the invisible grace is the reception of the body and blood of Christ; the institution of this sacrament took place at the Last Supper. The visible form portrays the invisible grace: the bread prepared with water and the flour of wheat, and baked with fire, represents the body of Christ which was subjected to cruel suffering; the wine, the juice pressed from the grape, represents the blood of Christ, which flowed from the wounds of His sacred body.

690 The Means of Grace.

The bread is unleavened, to denote the purity of Christ's body; it is round in shape, because it conceals Him Who is without beginning and without end (Heb. vii. 3). Water is mixed with the wine, to signify the intimate union of the Godhead and manhood in His person. Bread and wine being the principal means of nourishment for the body, signify that the body and blood of Christ are the chief sustenance of the soul. This Sacrament is called the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, because the change of substance takes place upon the altar; it is called the Blessed Sacrament, because in it not only are the graces of the Sacrament received, but the Author and Giver of all grace; and it is besides the most exalted and sublime of all the sacraments. It is called the Bread of heaven, the Bread of angels, because Our Lord comes down from heaven to be our food, a food which makes men like to angels.

We speak of this Sacrament as the Sacrament of the Altar, because the priest, standing at the altar, does the same by Christ's command which He Himself did at the Last Supper.

Our Lord commanded the apostles : " Do this for a commemoration of Me" (Luke xxii. 19). On this account the priest pronounces exactly the same words over the bread and wine which Our Lord uttered at the Last Supper, thereby changing the bread into the body, and the wine into the blood of Christ.

The Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar is reserved in the tabernacle in every parish church.

The tabernacle, which stands in the middle of the high altar, is made of wood, marble or brass, gilt inside, and lined with white silk curtains. In earlier times it was situated beside, not above the altar. The name of tabernacle, or tent, is given to it, from the sacred tent of the Israelites ; and the mysterious cloud that accompanied them on their journey, was a type of the tabernacle of God in which He dwells with men (Apoc. xxi. 3). A lamp is kept burning continually in the sanctuary before the tabernacle, to indicate the place where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved, and also to symbolize the Light of the world. It is, besides, emblematic of the perpetual adoration the angels pay to the God present upon the altar. In the Temple at Jerusalem there was a candlestick with seven branches in which lights burned continually. Our divine Lord is thus ever present with mortal men; as He Himself declares : " I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world" (Matt, xxviii. 20). He is as truly present with us as with the saints in heaven ; the only difference is that they behold Him face to face, whereas He is hidden from our sight beneath the eucharistic veils. The manna preserved in the ark was a type of the hidden God present in our tabernacles (Exod. xvi. 33).

2. The presence of the body and blood of Christ under the appearance of bread and wine is a mystery, because our feeble reason cannot comprehend it.

Our Lord conceals Himself under the appearance of bread and wine in order to test our faith, whether we believe His words rather than the testimony of our senses. If we saw what we believe, faith

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would have no merit. Moreover, if we were to behold Our Lord in all the majesty of His glorified body, radiant with light, we should be struck with alarm, and dazzled, as those are dazzled who look with the naked eye on the noonday sun. Even the apostles could not bear the unveiled brilliance of the glorified body at Our Lord's transfiguration, for they fell to the ground upon their faces. And Moses covered his face, when God appeared to him in the burning bush. We cannot trust our senses even in natural things, for they often deceive us. For instance, an oar half in the water looks as if it were broken ; objects seen from a distance appear quite small. Faith teaches us to believe that as the food we eat is assimilated to our body, as the moist ure of the earth is changed into the sap of the vine and the juice of the grape, even so, and far more, by the power of His word, can Christ change bread into the substance of His body, and wine into His blood. He, Who by His almighty power can create things out of nothing, can surely effect a change in what already exists. He Who can cause the earth to bring forth bread, can change that bread into His own body. Many different heretics have contested the truth of this doctrine of the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar, and endeavored to attach a different meaning to Our Lord's words: " This is My body." But in the course of centuries almighty God has worked many striking miracles in confirmation of the truth. Consecrated Hosts have remained unconsumed in the midst of fire; they have remained suspended in the air without support ; the place where they were concealed has been disclosed by a bright light hover ing around it; blood has flowed from the sacred Host during Mass; Our Lord has appeared in it in the form of an infant, etc.

It has been the firm belief of Christians in all ages that the bread and wine are converted into the body and blood of Christ.

St. Augustine says : " Our Lord held Himself in His own hands, when He gave His body to the disciples." St. Cyril: "If Christ changed water into wine on one occasion, He can also change wine into His blood." And when He asserts that it is His body, who shall dare to gainsay it? It was a calumny commonly brought against Christians by the heathen that they killed and ate the flesh of a child at their ceremonies.

3. It is most true that under the species of bread, as also under the species of wine, Christ is present, God and man, whole and entire.

Where the body and blood of Christ are, there He must be present, not in part, but in His whole person ; for now He hath risen from the dead to die no more, and consequently the body can no more be separated from the blood than the body and blood can be separated from the soul of Christ. Our Lord's words : " This is My body which is given for you," and : " This is My blood, which shall be shed for many," demonstrate that it is His living body, His living blood, that are present under the appearance of bread and wine, and therefore the living, not the dead Christ Who is present upon the altar. As a whole landscape may be seen in the pupil of the eye, so Christ is contained whole and entire in the sacred Host.

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4. Our Lord is present in every particle, however minute, of the consecrated bread and wine.

We have seen that Christ is present in every Host, and when the priest breaks the Host, He is equally present in every fragment of it. If a magnet be broken in pieces, each part forms a separate magnet with the property of pointing to the north. And if a mirror is broken, in each portion one's face is reflected. But the body of Christ is not multiplied; His body is but one, animated and pervaded by His divinity, which fills all space. It is not increased by each fresh consecration, nor diminished by the numbers who receive it. As the light of a candle is not lessened, however many other candles are lighted at its flame, so Our Lord's body suffers no diminution when it is given to thousands of communicants. Thus St. Andrew said to the proconsul at Achaia : " I daily offer upon the altar to the almighty and true God the immaculate Lamb of God. And when all the faithful have received His sacred body, the Victim that was slain is yet alive and unconsumed."

5. Christ is present in the consecrated elements as long as the accidents of bread and wine remain.

Our Lord is not only present in the Sacrament of the Altar at the moment of communion, but both before and after the Host is consumed. Had this been otherwise, He would not have said : " Take and eat this, for this is My body." And He is present in those who receive the sacred Host as long as the accidents of bread remain unconsumed. Thus after communion we bear in our body the body of Christ.

6. The duties of the Christian in regard to the Holy Sacrament of the Altar are these: He ought to visit it frequently, to adore it, and to receive it.

We ought to visit the Blessed Sacrament frequently. In this respect the shepherds and the three kings, who came to worship the Infant Saviour in the manger, set us an excellent example. The saints spent many hours in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Cardinal Bellarmine, when a student, was accustomed whenever he passed by a church to go in and say an Our Father. When asked why ho did this, he replied : " It would be ill manners to go by a friend's house without a word of greeting." He was distinguished while yet a youth for his great wisdom. Access to Our Lord is not denied us; the church door stands open, and from the tabernacle the voice of Our Lord calls to us : " Come unto Me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you" (Matt. xi. 28). St. Teresa declares that Our Lord in the Adorable Sacrament of the Altar affords us far more satisfaction than can be derived from the whole world, with its festivities and pleasures. In His presence the sorrowful are comforted, the foolish learn wisdom, the feeble are strengthened, and the poor are enriched. Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together; and in like manner the faithful should hasten to the Blessed Sacrament, the food of the soul. The saints loved to drink of this river of paradise, as the hart pants to quench his thirst at the fountains of water. Unwise in-

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deed are they who in the hour of need, choose rather to seek human aid, to pour their troubles into a human ear ; they do not betake themselves to the church, to Christ, Who is so willing, so able to help them.

The Church admonishes us to pay homage to the Holy Sacra ment of the Altar by the sanctuary lamp; by the bell rung at Mass and when the Viaticum is carried to the sick, by the processions of Corpus Christi, and by frequent Expositions of the Blessed Sacrament.

It is customary on entering or leaving a church to genuflect before the Blessed Sacrament ; to kneel down reverently at the consecration, and when benediction is given with the Blessed Sacrament. In former times people used to kneel whenever they met a priest carry ing the sacred Host to the sick; it is related cf Rudolph of Hapsburg that once when he was out hunting, he met a priest going to give communion to a dying man; immediately he dismounted, and kneeling by the roadside, gave his horse to the priest; nor would he allow the animal to be again used except in the service of the Church. Before receiving holy communion, we ought to make an act of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Unhappily many among us possess no living faith ; they pass by the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar with cold indifference. The procession of Corpus Christi was instituted by Pope Urban IV. in 1264, with a view to increase our faith in the presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, and the Exposition of the Forty Hours has the same object. The Confraternity of the Perpetual Adoration is intended to keep up the worship of the Blessed Sacrament uninterruptedly; each member has to spend at least one hour every month in adoration before the altar. This Sacrament was instituted by Our Lord immediately before His death in order to give it greater importance in our eyes, as we treasure more the last gift of a dying friend. If the Jews were not permitted to behold, much less to touch, the Ark of the Covenant, which was a type of the Adorable Sacrament of the Altar, what dread ought we not to feel in presence of the reality !

Christ invites us to receive the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar when He says : " Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you " (John vi. 54).

The reception of this Sacrament is known as communion, that is, union with Christ. In communion we receive Our Lord, as Zacheus did, into our house. In the Scriptures there are many types of the Holy Eucharist ; for instance, the tree of life in the rnidst of paradise, which gave immortality to our first parents ; the manna ; the paschal lamb ; the bread that gave Elias strength to go the forty days' journey to Mount Horeb ; the miraculous multiplication of the loaves ; the water made wine at the marriage of Cana. And holy communion is itself an earnest of the spiritual food wherewith we shall be nourished in heaven.

The faithful receive the Holy Eucharist under the form of

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bread only; the priest alone, at Mass, receives it under both

kinds.

The priest at the altar oilers an oblation, the very same as the. one Christ offered on Calvary. On the cross Christ shed almost all His blood, so that His body and blood were separated one from the other. The two several species of bread and wine in the Mass signify this separation of Our Lord's body and blood. The faithful, on the other hand, do not sacrifice the Victim, but receive the Sacrament ; it is unnecessary for them to receive the chalice, as Our Lord is contained wholly under either species. He Himself says : " He that eateth this bread shall live forever" (John vi. 59). There are many reasons for withholding the chalice from the laity; the precious blood might easily be spilled in passing from one to another ; there is the difficulty of procuring wine in some places; the difficulty of reserving it and bearing it to the sick ; and some people cannot bear the taste of wine. Communion in both kinds was, it is true, enjoined on the laity by the Holy See in the fifth century, but this was only done to combat the error of the Manichees, who declared wine to be an invention of the devil and wholly to be avoided. And in 1433 the chalice was for a time given to the laity, to induce the followers of Huss to return to the unity of the Church.

The Necessity of Holy Communion.

1. The Holy Sacrament of the Altar is the nourishment of our souls.

Consequently the reception of this Sacrament is an indispensable means whereby to attain spiritual perfection or sanctity here, and eternal life hereafter.

The Holy Eucharist is the nourishment of our souls; on it our spiritual life is dependent. Our Lord says: "He that eateth Me, the same also shall live by Me ;" and again : " Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you" (John vi. 58, 54). Holy communion is therefore essential to our progress in sanctity, and to the final attainment of eternal life. As the bodily health cannot be maintained without nourishing food, so spiritual health cannot be acquired and preserved without holy communion. St. Francis of Sales tells us that there are two classes of men who need holy communion : the perfect, that they may not decline in perfection, and the imperfect, that they may become perfect ; the strong, that they may maintain their strength, and the weak, that they may acquire strength. The early Christians communicated daily, and this it was that gave them constancy, and fortitude to suffer martyrdom. As a rule the saints communicated frequently. Yet it must not be supposed that frequent communion is in any way a mark of sanctity, or the reward of sanctity; it is only a means of acquiring it.

Therefore those who rarely receive holy communion will not make rapid progress in perfection.

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The consciousness that even after confession we are unworthy to receive Our Lord, ought not to deter us from going to communion. The Church puts the words of the heathen centurion upon the lips of the intending communicant. No mortal can ever be worthy to receive a God. Yet it must be remembered that Christ did not institute the Holy Sacrament of the Altar for angels, but for men. Those who are conscious of their own misery, and desire to remedy it, will feel the need of' frequent communion. Our daily failings ought not to hold us back; on the contrary, they ought to incite us to approach the holy table, that we may be delivered from them. For holy communion purifies the soul from venial sin, and weakens the force of evil concupiscence. Nor ought the absence of sweetness and consolation deter us from communicating ; " how unwise would be the man," says St. Ignatius, " who refused to eat his bread, and chose to die of hunger, because it was not spread with honey." Again, who would wait until he was warm before going to the fire ? " He who censures the practice of frequent communion," says Segur, " does the devil's work." The saints have always advocated frequent communion, and it has been urged on the faithful repeatedly by the Holy See.

Those' who wilfully neglect holy communion for a length ened period, incur the risk of spiritual death here and eternal damnation hereafter.

The soul cannot live without food any more than the body. Yet as certain saints have existed without taking any corporal sustenance, so others have lived for years without holy communion. St. Mary of Egypt, for instance, who spent forty years in the desert; and several anchorites, such as St. Paul and St. Anthony. The Holy Spirit, who led them into the wilderness, replaced all that holy communion could have been to them. Yet most, if not all, were communicated before their death. Every one, however, if he be prevented from receiving communion, is bound to make a spiritual communi6n; that is, he must desire to communicate, and must do so actually, whenever opportunity offers.

2. We are bound under pain of mortal sin to communicate at least once a year, and that at Easter; also in case of dangerous illness. It is, moreover, the wish of the Church that the faithful should, if possible, receive holy communion on Sundays and holydays.

In the first ages of Christianity the Christians communicated daily. About the middle of the third century it became necessary to enjoin upon the faithful to communicate three times a year, at the three great festivals. In the Middle Ages people grew careless, some absented themselves from the holy table for years; consequently in the Lateran Council (1215) the Church decreed that every Catholic who had come to the age of reason, should receive holy communion at least once in the year, and that at Easter ; those who failed to obey this precept were to be deprived of Christian burial. ' Children are to be admitted to holy communion as soon as they can distinguish the heavenly food from the earthly, and it can confidently be assumed that

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they will receive this Holy Sacrament with due reverence and devotion. It is not well to postpone the first communion until children have reached the age of fourteen years, as it is most important that it should take place while their innocence is still unstained. In the Middle Ages children were allowed to make their first communion when they were seven years old. The Christian is also bound to receive holy communion if he be in danger of death. Hence the communion given to the sick is called the Viaticum, the sustenance of the traveller on his last journey. The sacred Host must not be administered to any one who cannot swallow, or who is subject to vomiting. If the illness is of prolonged duration, the sick man may receive communion two or three times during its course, if he desire to do so. Holy communion may also be given to children who are in danger of death, provided they have attained the use of reason (seven years of age), although they have not previously approached the sacraments. The priest must briefly instruct them in the chief truths of the faith, and the sacraments they are about to receive. Furthermore, it is the desire of the Church that the faithful should, in as far as is possible, communicate on all Sundays and holydays. The Council of Trent would fain indeed that at each Mass the faithful who are present should communicate, not only in spiritual desire, but also by sacra mental participation of the Eucharist, that thereby a more abundant fruit might be derived to them from this holy sacrifice (Council of Trent, 22, 6). Now it is of obligation that every Catholic should hear Mass on all Sundays and holydays, hence it may be inferred that they should receive holy communion on all those days at the least. Many Fathers and Doctors of the Church urge frequent communion on the faithful. " We give our bodies nourishment several times a day," says St. Charles Borromeo, " and shall our souls receive nourish ment only once a year ? " It is the duty of those who have the cure of souls to exhort the faithful to the practice of frequent, if not daily communion, as the soul, like the body, will languish without nourish ment.

The confessor must not, however, recommend frequent communion to all indiscriminately; he must have due regard to the spiritual state and the manner of life of each individual.

St. Alphonsus says that there are but few who may not be admitted to communion once a month. Weekly communion must only be permitted to those who keep themselves free from mortal sin, and give no scandal in their daily life; who, that is to say, have not the character of being tattlers, slanderers, quarrelsome, etc. Weekly communion is sometimes almost a necessity for persons who are constantly tempted to mortal sin, for by it they obtain the power to resist. Daily communion must only be granted to those who are earnestly striving after perfection, who courageously resist venial sin, and who ardently desire holy communion. Such persons should seek to lead a blameless life; they must have sufficient time at their command to make their preparation and their thanksgiving with due deliberation, and they must have intelligence of divine things. The daily communicant is not obliged to go to confession every day, for holy communion cleanses from venial sin ; it is only obligatory upon

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him to go to confession previously if he is conscious to himself of mortal sin (Council of Trent, 13, 7), but as a rule he is expected to avoid all such sins. For one who leads a worldly life, or who is not bent upon overcoming his faults, such as irascibility, vanity, love of gossip, etc., frequent communion would be exceedingly hurtful; for holy communion is like a fire, which, if it does not purify, consumes every thing in its flame.

The priest must not administer holy communion to persons who are not able to distinguish this supersubstantial bread from ordinary food, or of whom it may be surmised that they will receive it without reverence and devotion.

Thus children who have not attained the use of reason are not admitted to holy communion. If exceptions to this rule have been made in former days, it was because of the exigencies of the times. Children must also be thoroughly instructed in faith and morals before making their first communion. Idiots and lunatics are incapable of communicating; the latter may, however, have lucid intervals, or recover their reason at the approach of death.

The Effects of Holy Communion.

Holy communion is of great benefit both for the soul and the body. " The divine King," says St. Alphonsus, " is accustomed to reward royally all those who entertain Him well."

Holy communion acts spiritually, as bread and wine act materially.

Bread and wine, i.e., material food, (1), Assimilates itself to the body; (2), Maintains life, promotes growth; (3), Dispels fatigue and weakness and imparts strength to the body; (4), Affords a certain satisfaction by pleasing the palate; (5), And influences the mind by the medium of the body. In a similar way the action of holy communion upon the soul may be described.

1. By holy communion we are united most closely to Christ. Our Lord says : " He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood, abideth in Me, and I in him " (John vi. 57) .

Holy communion is, as it were, a continuation of the Incarnation. By His Incarnation Our Lord united Himself to mankind in general, by holy communion He unites Himself to each individual member of the human race. As two pieces of wax when melted are amalgamated with each other, so completely does Our Lord make Himself one with us in holy communion. He is in us and we are in Him. St. Augus tine says that those who receive Our Lord frequently assume His nature, are, as it were, transformed into Him. By communion Christ changes our nature into His own, as leaven changes a quantity of flour. There is this difference between the spiiitual food we receive in communion and the ordinary food of the body; the latter is less powerful than our nature, and is assimilated by it ; the former is more powerful than our nature, and consequently it converts that nature

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into its own. Our nature is ennobled by communion, as a wild tree is ennobled by being grafted with a cultivated tree. Holy communion also unites us to one another; all Catholics by means of it are made one body, as St. Paul says : " For we, being many, are one bread, one body, all that partake of one bread" (1 Cor. x. 17). The Fathers speak of communion as the general union of all the faithful in Christ and with one another (communis, unio}. Hence it is called " the sign of unity, the bond of charity, the symbol of concord " (Council of Trent, 13, 8).

2. Holy communion imparts actual graces, and also maintains and increases sanctifying grace in the soul.

At each communion fresh actual graces are obtained, that enlighten the understanding and strengthen the will. Holy communion acts like the rising sun, dispelling darkness and bringing light. It imparts strength as did the bread of which Elias partook (3 Kings xix.) ; and power to withstand temptation and to practice virtue. Holy communion gives to the timid the courage of lions; St. John Chrysostom says that the devils tremble when they see lips reddened with the blood of the Lord. Those who have great trials and suffer ings to endure ought to communicate often to acquire strength. It was because the early Christians were so cruelly persecuted that they used to fortify themselves so often by receiving holy communion; thence they gained courage to confront martyrdom. Whenever they knew that some danger had to be encountered, they approached the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, for they were conscious that otherwise their force would fail them. Those also who are exposed to violent temptations ought to communicate often, for holy communion has even more power than had the blood of the paschal lamb sprinkled on the doorposts, to deliver from the destroyer. Holy communion preserves the life of the soul, as bread and wine do that of the body ; for it maintains within us sanctifying grace, which gives vitality to the soul. Hence Our Lord says : " He that eateth Me, the same also shall live by Me ;" and again : " If any man eat of this bread, he shall not die " (John vi. 50, 58), that is to say, he will not fall into mortal sin, and thus destroy the life of the soul. Holy communion is also the means of keeping us from relapse into mortal sin ; it is an antidote against the poison of sin (Council of Trent, 13, 2). Those who communicate frequently persevere in grace ; for where God is often present, the enemy of God can find no permanent abode. Holy communion also increases sanctifying grace in the soul; and since the degree of felicity we shall enjoy hereafter is dependent on the measure of sanctifying grace we possess here, it follows that holy communion conduces to the augmentation of our eternal happiness.

3. The force of evil concupiscence is lessened by holy communion, and we are freed from venial sin by means of it.

Physicians order nourishing food for those who are infirm, that they may gain strength. There is an aliment cf surpassing excellence well calculated to remove spiritual infirmities and impart vigor to the soul. He who communicates frequently will feel less sharply the stimulus of anger, envy, uncleanness, and other evil propensities. Holy communion quenches the flame of concupiscence; it is the corn

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of the elect and the wine springing forth virgins (Zach. ix. 17). It cleanses us from venial, but not from mortal sin ; like fire which consumes wood and straw, but does not burn stone or iron. It is the food and the medicine of the soul; now food and medicine are beneficial to the sick, but in no wise to the dead. Therefore if after confession we commit some venial sin, it is not necessary to go to confession again before approaching holy communion.

4. Holy communion often affords much refreshment to the soul.

The manna is said to have had a pleasant taste, like honey. In holy communion, St. Thomas Aquinas says we taste sweetness at its true source. In the prayer said before benediction is given with the Blessed Sacrament, it is declared to contain within itself all sweet ness (Wisd. xvi. 20). The greater the worthiness of the communicant the greater is the sweetness he experiences in holy communion ; but sometimes God withdraws all consolation, even from the saints.

5. Holy communion sanctifies the body, and implants in it the germ of a future glorious resurrection.

The temporal penalties of sin are cancelled by holy communion according to the measure of our devotion. If those who did but touch the hem of Our Lord's garment were cured of whatever infirmities they labored under, how much the more shall we be healed of our spiritual sickness, who have the privilege of receiving Christ into our breast? St. Louis Bertrand used to advise the sick to receive holy communion as a means of recovering bodily health. Our Lord says : " He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the Last Day" (John vi. 55). The body of Christ is the seed of immortality for our flesh. Communion represents to us the tree of life, which stood in the midst of Eden.

The graces above named are the portion of those who receive holy communion frequently, and prepare themselves carefully for it.

The best means of learning to receive Our Lord well is to receive Him often, for in everything it is practice that makes perfect.

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Preparation for Holy Communion.

1. We must make a suitable preparation of body and soul before receiving holy communion.

We must endeavor, before approaching holy communion, to render ourselves as much like Our Lord as possible ; for unless we resemble Him spiritually no union between Him and us will be practicable. Liquids cannot mingle one with another, without they are of the same nature; thus wine and water can be mixed, but not water and oil. The better our preparation for holy communion, the more plentiful the graces we receive from it. Those who make a bad preparation for communion, or none at all, draw down on themselves the divine anger. Such persons lose all reverence for the Holy Sacrament of the Altar; in fact their faith in the presence of Our

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Lord under the eucharistic veils dies out altogether. He who approaches holy communion merely from force of habit, cannot expect to receive anything from God.

2. The manner in which we should prepare our soul is this: We must cleanse our souls from mortal sin by confession, perform good works, and adorn ourselves with the virtues.

When a monarch visits a town it is previously cleansed and decorated. We should do the same when the King of kings comes to us; we should purify our conscience by confession and adorn our soul by good works. St. Paul says : " Let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that chalice " (1 Cor. xi. 28). We must examine our conscience before approaching holy communion, and that not merely in regard to greater transgressions, but also minor offences. The apostles laid their garments upon the ass, before they made Our Lord sit thereon; so we should deck ourselves with virtues when we prepare to receive Him in communion. Some people think more of communicating upon certain festivals, than of purifying their hearts by confession, although this is of far greater importance. Wherefore it is not he who communicates often, or he who communicates seldom, who should be esteemed, but he who communicates with a clean heart.

To receive holy communion when one is conscious of having committed a mortal sin, is to incur the guilt of sacrilege.

He who receives holy communion in a state of mortal sin profanes the Holy Sacrament ; he is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor. xi. 27), that is, his sin is the same as if he had put Our Lord to death. The unworthy communicant acts like the Philistines, who took possession of the ark and placed it close to the image of their god Dagon, for he introduces Christ where Satan is. Holy communion is like the light, which is salutary to good eyes, but hurtful to those that are diseased; so the Lord's body is a medicine, giving spiritual health to the pure of heart, but spiritual death to the unclean and evil. Holy communion is like the pillar of the cloud, enlightening the Israelites but enveloping the Egyptians in darkness (Exod. xiv. 20). Wherefore if any man call to mind a mortal sin before he communicates, let him go to confession at once, if by any means he can do so. If it be impossible, he may communicate, but he must confess the sin in question the next time he goes to confession; for as it was not wilfully omitted, it was remitted with the rest by the sacerdotal absolution.

The consequences of a sacrilegious communion are very terrible; it produces spiritual blindness, obduracy of heart, and brings upon the sinner chastisements both temporal and eternal.

Satan enters into the unworthy communicant, as he did into Judas after his sacrilegious communion (John xiii. 27). If the possession of the ark brought such grievous afflictions upon the Philistines; if the profanation of the sacred vessels by Baltassar was so bitterly expiated (Dan. v.), what must be the punishment of those who lay violent hands on the body of the Lord ? The Apostle tells us

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that infirmities and death are no unusual chastisements of unworthy communicants (1 Cor. xi. 30). Remember the awful fate of Judas. Terror, despair, hatred of God, the torments the lost suffer in hell, begin on earth for the unworthy communicant. He who comes to the marriage feast (holy communion) without a wedding garment (sanctifying grace), shall be cast into exterior darkness (Matt. xxii). St. Paul warns the Christians of communicating unworthily when he says : " He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body " (1 Cor. xi. 29).

All that is absolutely required for the worthy reception of holy communion is to be in a state of grace; but it is greatly to be desired that all unruly attachment to earthly things should be completely given up before approaching the Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

" If you are in a state of grace," says St. John Chrysostom, " why do you not go to communion, which was instituted with the object of enabling you to continue in that state ? " The more we are detached from earthly things the greater will be our charity, and the greater our charity the more abundant will be the graces we receive in communion. Thus the avaricious, the ambitious, the intemperate, all who indulge their evil tendencies, will derive little benefit from holy communion. A pure heart is the only fit dwelling for the God of purity.

Prayer, acts of self-denial, the works of mercy, are the good works which we ought to practise before going to communion.

At least half an hour ought to be spent in prayer before holy communion. It is advisable to hear Mass first. On the previous day we should be specially abstemious at table, deny ourselves worldly pleas ures and amusements, avoid idle conversation, etc. It is well also to perform some works of mercy. " If thou givest earthly food to Christ (in the person of His poor)," says St. Augustine, " He will in return give thee celestial food."

Those who receive holy communion ought to possess these virtues in particular: Faith, hope, charity, humility, and meekness.

It is usual before communion to make acts of the three theological virtues and also of contrition. The Church herself seeks to awaken these sentiments in the heart of the communicant; for after the Confiteor has been said by the sinner, the priest implores the pardon of God, and when elevating the sacred Host he repeats the words of St. John Baptist : " Behold the Lamb of God, etc.," as well as those of the centurion : " Lord, I am not worthy, etc." Children generally are made to renew their baptismal vows before making their first communion. Before communicating we ought to make an act of faith, for Our Lord always required a lively faith in those on whom He bestowed graces and for whose sake He worked miracles. Thus we read that He said to the blind men : " Do you believe that I can do this unto you ? " and until they answered in the affirmative He did

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not heal them. We ought also to make an act of hope before communicating. When Our Lord was on earth He never sent any one away empty who came to Him in trustful confidence. The woman "who had been afflicted for twelve years was made whole immediately upon touching the hem of His garment in faith (Matt. ix. 20). We ought also to make an act of charity before communicating; for the greater our love to God, the greater is His generosity towards us. He must be received with love Who out of love gives Himself to us. " Love Him," says St. Augustine, " Who for love of thee comes to unite thy mortality to His immortality." We ought also to humble ourselves before God before communicating, considering His majesty and our misery, and deploring our sinfulness, for God resisteth the proud, but to the humble He gives grace (1 Pet. v. 5). Meekness is also necessary in those who communicate, for without it we cannot be pleasing to the Lamb of God.

3. Our body must be prepared for holy communion by fasting from midnight; by dressing in a neat and suitable manner, and by a reverent deportment at the time of communion.

The heavenly food must be taken before the earthly, for precedence is always given to the noblest and most excellent. The body of Our Lord when taken down from the cross was laid in a sepulchre wherein never yet had any man been laid. Our bodies must also be cleansed ; Christ washed the apostles' feet before giving them communion. The Israelites were even commanded to wash their clothes before the Ten Commandments were delivered to them. External cleanliness is supposed to represent inward purity. The guests at a marriage have to appear in wedding garments, and shall we come to the Lord's Supper in soiled apparel? At the table of an earthly monarch a certain etiquette has to be observed; how much the more should we behave with reverence when approaching holy communion.

Only in the case of those who are in danger of death may holy communion be received after taking food.

Necessity knows no law. Those who are dangerously ill may receive holy communion repeatedly by way of Viaticum ; but those who are sick, and not in danger of death, must communicate fasting.

It is necessary to obtain an express permission from the Pope for any one who is not dangerously sick to take anything before communicating.

The permission in question is only granted to kings and emperors before their coronation ; to aged and infirm priests who are obliged to say Mass, and yet cannot fast without serious injury to their health; to sick priests who are not under the obligation of celebrating Mass, but yet are allowed to do so two or three times in the week; and certain of the laity who are sick, but in this case the permission only extends to five or at most six times in a month. For this privilege application must be made to the Holy See through the bishop of the diocese, and the permission as a rule, applies to liquid, not solid food. If any one inadvertently eats or drinks anything before going to communion, he must not communicate on that day.

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Our dress should be clean and suited to our station when we go to communion; that is to say, we should put on better things than those in daily wear, but not dress showily.

To attach importance to dress when approaching the holy table, would lead us to overlook what is essential, and mar devotion. Shabby clothes are no shame to the wearer; Christ was poor and He loves the poor. He looks at the interior, not the exterior of a man.

Our demeanor should be reverent when we go to communion; we should avoid singularity and everything prejudicial to devotion.

When the priest repeats the words : Do mine non sum dignus, the intending communicant should strike his breast, and rising from his knees, go slowly up 'to the altar-rails without looking about him; when the priest advances to give him the sacred Host, let him raise his head, close his eyes, open his mouth, and put his tongue forward as far as the underlip ; then let him swallow the Host as soon as possible, and after a few moments' pause return reverently to his place.

Behavior after Receiving Holy Communion.

After receiving communion we should make our thanksgiving, and proffer our petitions to almighty God, praying for the Pope, for the authorities, secular and ecclesiastical, for our relatives, friends, and benefactors, and for the holy souls in purgatory.

Our thanksgiving ought to last at least a quarter of an hour. Priests recite the Benedicite after Mass. To leave the church after communion without thanksgiving would be a very rude act; how illmannered would he be thought who, when invited to the table of one far above him in rank, did not so much as thank his host ! To do so is to be like Judas who, after receiving communion, immediately went out. St. Philip Neri once sent two acolytes with burning tapers to accompany a person whom he observed thus hurrying from the church. We ought also to present our petitions to God after communion. Queen Esther pleaded with King Assuerus on behalf of the Jewish people after the banquet, for she knew this was the most favorable moment to make her request, and it was granted her (Esther vii.). There is no better time for us to hold converse with God than when He is present with us as our Guest. Our prayers have far more weight with God after communion than at any other time, because they are sanctified by the presence of Our Lord. We have not Him always with us (Mark xiv. 7). " How much those lose," exclaims St. Alphonsus, " who neglect to implore graces after receiving holy communion ! "

No food should be taken until at least a quarter of an hour after receiving communion, when the species of bread are consumed.

It is not well to indulge in worldly amusements on the day of

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communion, for by doing so we lose the graces we have received. We shall do better if we go to a church, and thus return the visit Our Lord has graciously vouchsafed to pay us.

Spiritual Communion.

Spiritual communion consists in awakening within the heart a lively desire to receive holy communion.

To make a spiritual communion is a matter of no difficulty; it is enough to recollect one's self for a few minutes, to place one's self in spirit before the tabernacle, and to say : " Lord Jesus, come, I beseech Thee, into my heart."

We ought to make a spiritual communion during Mass, more particularly at the communion of the priest, and also when we pay a visit to the Blessed Sacrament.

We may even communicate spiritually every hour of the day, the oftener the better. For this there is no need to fast beforehand, nor to obtain permission from our confessor.

Spiritual communion is the means of enriching the soul with many and precious graces.

Actual communion is compared to a golden, spiritual communion to a silver vessel. Our Lord, when on earth, did not heal those only to whom He went in person, but those also who were absent, and who ardently desired His presence. Remember how He acted in regard to the centurion's servant; He does the same now as He did then (Cochem). The Council of Trent says (13, 8) : " Those who eat in desire that heavenly bread, are by a lively faith which worketh by charity, made sensible of the fruit and usefulness thereof." Spiritual communion is the best preparation for sacramental communion. Our Lord did not come to earth until His advent was ardently desired; and in like manner He is reluctant to visit the soul that does not earnestly long to receive Him.

4. THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE. The Nature and the Necessity of Penance.

As soon as the fish swallows the bait, he feels the smart. So it is with the sinner. Yet what God has laid upon us as a chastisement He has made the means of our salvation; He sends suffering as the chastisement of sin ; but by suffering we can be delivered from sin.

Interior sorrow for sin, accompanied by sincere turning from creatures and turning to God, is generally called penance.

As a matter of fact, our whole life ought to be one continued penance. Our Lord says: "Unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise perish" (Luke xiii. 3). And again: "Woe to you that now

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laugh, for you shall mourn and weep" (Luke vi. 25). He often threatens those who only desire to enjoy life, with eternal perdition (John xii. 25). No man, even should he not be conscious of any sin, ought to depart out of this world without doing penance (St. Augus tine). St. Jerome says we can no more attain everlasting life without penance, than we can get at the kernel of a nut without breaking the shell. The greatest saints used to perform severe penances for their slightest faults.

Our Lord instituted the Sacrament of Penance on the day of His resurrection, when He spoke these words to His apostles : " Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained " (John xx. 23).

With these words Christ on the one hand imparted to the apostles the power to remit sins, and on the other laid upon the faithful the injunction to confess their sins to a priest in order to obtain the remission of them. The conditions under which forgiveness of sins is to be obtained, are indicated in the following instances: (1), the cure of the man sick of the palsy (Matt, ix.) ; sin is a spiritual paralysis; when sin is forgiven, a penance is imposed on the penitent, as the paralytic was commanded to carry his bed; (2), The cleansing of the leper (Matt, viii.) ; sin is a spiritual leprosy ; the sinner must show himself to the priest, who will declare him to be clean by God's authority; (3), The absolving of the penitent Magdalen, who cast herself at Our Lord's feet, and heard from His lips the words : " Thy sins are forgiven thee " (Luke vii.). The sinner now acts as she did; filled writh contrition, he casts himself at the feet of Christ's representative, and obtains the pardon of his transgressions.

1. In the Sacrament of Penance the repentant Christian confesses his sins to a duly authorized priest, who, standing in the place of God, pronounces the absolution by means of which they are forgiven.

The method of confession is this: The penitent, kneeling down in the confessional, makes the sign of the cross and receives the priest's blessing. He recites the first part of the Confiteor, then accuses himself of his sins, and repeats the concluding part. The priest asks him any questions that may be necessary, gives him a short instruction, sets him a penance, gives him absolution and dismisses him with his blessing. The penitent then withdraws to one of the benches to say his penance, and prepare for communion, if he is about to communicate. The words of the sacerdotal absolution are these : " I absolve thee from thy sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." The absolution is a judicial act (Council of Trent, 14, 9). Like* the lightning, it consumes the sin at a flash. Even when the priest withholds the absolution, he gives the blessing. A crucifix always hangs in the confessional, sometimes a picture is added, calculated to excite contrition, such as the prodigal son, the repentant Magdalen, the sorrowing Peter, etc. In very old confessionals one may sometimes see a rose carved, as an emblem of the silence which is binding upon the confessor. The ancient Romans used to suspend a rose over the dining-table, to warn their

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guests not to indulge in any confidential conversation in the presence of strangers.

2. The Sacrament of Penance is indispensably necessary for those who have fallen into sin after Baptism, for without this sacrament they are unable to recover the justice they have lost (Council of Trent, 14, 1; 6, 29).

" The Sacrament of Penance is, for those who have fallen after Baptism, as necessary unto salvation as Baptism itself is for those who have not yet been regenerated " (Council of Trent, 14, 2). Hence the Fathers term this sacrament : " the second baptism," or " the plank after shipwreck." By Baptism we embark upon the ship that is bound for the port of salvation. By mortal sin we are shipwrecked ; and in this case our only hope of rescue is by clinging to a plank. The Sacrament of Penance is that plank. No one who has been bitten by the old serpent, the devil, can be cured, unless he discovers his hurt to the physician. Through pride the sinner places himself at a distance from God ; only by humility can he return to God.

The man who has fallen into mortal sin ought to approach the Sacrament of Penance as speedily as possible.

A dislocated limb must be set right at once; if not, a swelling forms and the cure becomes difficult. If a vessel leaks, the pumps must be set at work immediately, or the water will cause the ship to sink; if a house is on fire, the conflagration must be got under promptly, or the house will be burned down. If any one has taken poison, he must swallow an emetic forthwith, or he will lose his life. So it is with mortal sin. The Church does not appoint a fixed time for the forgiveness of sin; the sinner may at any time make his peace with God. Do not presume upon the long-suffering of the Most High! The longer you postpone your penance, the more rigorously will you be judged; the more severe will be your punishment. Those who put off repentance until the hour of death, often have no opportunity allowed them to reconcile themselves with their Maker (Job xxii. 16). It is the just penalty of sin that he who would not do what is right when lie could, cannot do it when he will. Our Lord says: " You shall seek Me and shall not find Me " (John vii. 34). No one knows how soon the time of grace may end. It is a sorry thing when a man begins to buy what he needs just as the yearly market is over. One of the thieves upon the cross was forgiven, that nobody might despair; but only one, that nobody might presume, and put off repentance until the hour of death. St. Bernard declares death-bed repentances to be, not examples, but miracles of grace. Those who postpone repentance will meet with the fate of the fig-tree which Our Lord, finding no fruit on it, cursed. " Trust not," says St. Augustine, " to the morrow ; for thou knowest not whether there will be any morrow for thee." Contrition, moreover, is of little value when a man has no more opportunity to sin ; in that case you do not abandon sin, but sin abandons you. Finally, on the approach of death, the sinner in his alarm becomes bewildered and frightened ; he is like a traveller who, just as night closes down, discovers that he has lost his way. Besides this, the long habit of sin deprives a man of the

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power to do penance; he is like one who has slept heavily, and, though he wishes to get up, cannot pull himself together and rise from his bed. 'No one considers it safe to sleep in a half-ruined house, yet, frail as is your body, you do not scruple to live on, for weeks, months, nay, years, in a state of mortal sin.

3. Let no one be deterred by a feeling of shame from confess ing his sins ; the priest dare not, under any pretext, reveal what is said in the confessional, and he is ever ready to receive the contrite sinner kindly.

Furthermore, let him who is ashamed to confess to the priest now, remember that one day he will be put to confusion before the whole world, and condemned to endless misery.

The priest dare not, even to save his life, disclose the secrets of the confessional. We shall speak further on of the seal of confession. The penitent is always received with kindness by the priest. Some one who had confessed several grievous sins to St. Francis of Sales, afterwards said to him : " What can you think of me now ? " The saint replied : " I think you must be a very holy person, for only the saints have made so good a confession." Nothing gives a priest greater joy than to see that a penitent has made a full and sincere confession of all his misdeeds, for then he knows that his conversion is real. The priest is like a fisherman, who, the bigger the fish he catches, the better pleased is he. God frequently calls those who have themselves been great sinners to the care of souls, in order that they may deal more gently with transgressors. For he who knows himself to be guilty of heinous offences will be lenient towards those who have also offended. Shrink not, therefore, from confessing your sins to one who is himself a sinner; who perhaps is more deeply stained than you are. Christ did not give the power of the keys to angels, but to men. He who is ashamed of confessing to the priest will one day be put to confusion before the whole world, and be condemned to endless misery. To such a one God says : " I will show thy nakedness to the nations, and thy shame to kingdoms " (Nahum iii. 5). Far better is it to confess one's misdeeds to the servant of God, who has compassion with the sinner, than to be put to shame in the sight of all men; far better willingly to acknowledge them once for all, than to do so compulsorily throughout all eternity. What man conceals, God reveals; what man confesses, God suppresses. Who would not rather go to confession here, than burn forever in hell? It is the devil who makes us timid and shamefaced in regard to confession. When we are about to sin he takes all fear from us, but when it is a question of acknowledging our offences, he inspires us with alarm and embarrassment. How else can it be explained that men who on the battle-field face death without fear, tremble on approaching the confessional? The early Christians did not hesitate to confess their sins openly before all the faithful; St. Augustine wrote a book of confessions, in which he acquaints all the world with his transgressions. As the sick man, if he has any sense, will gladly swallow the bitter potion which he hopes will restore him to health, so he who is spiritually sick ought not to shrink from the penance, however severe, which will cure the malady of his soul.

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4. He who from a sense of shame conceals a mortal sin in confession, does not obtain forgiveness, but only adds to his other sins that of sacrilege; and exposes himself to the grave risk of dying impenitent.

Moreover all his subsequent confessions are invalid, so long as he does not confess over again all the sins of which he has been guilty since his last valid confession.

The devil acts like the wolf, who seizes the lamb by the throat, that it may not cry out; the devil stops the sinner's mouth, that he may not confess his misdeeds. He who conceals one mortal sin in confession does not obtain forgiveness. If all the locks on a door are unfastened except one, the door cannot be opened; so it is with the soul; unless every mortal sin, those locks of the soul, are subjected to the power of the keys, wielded by the priest, the door of reconciliation cannot be unclosed. Moreover, to conceal a mortal sin in confession is to commit the grievous sin of sacrilege, which is a profanation and contempt of divine things. By concealing' one sin, a man also embitters his life. Sin unconfessed is like indigestible food, which lies in the stomach and ruins the health. " Sin concealed," says St. Augustine, " scourges the conscience, lacerates the heart, and fills the soul with anguish and terror." Whoso lies in the confessional deceives himself, not God. To conceal a mortal sin in confession is to merit the danger of dying impenitent. Sin concealed is fatal to the life of the soul ; it is like a wound which bleeds inwardly and causes death. St. Antoninus, Archbishop of Florence, speaks of a woman who purposely omitted a mortal sin in confession, and then made a sacrilegious communion; later on she repeatedly went to confession with the intention of revealing that sin, but every time failed to do so, through a false shame. Even when she lay on her deathbed, she could not prevail upon herself to mention the long-concealed sin. Just before breathing her last, she shrieked aloud : " I am damned, for ever since my youth I have concealed a mortal sin ! " What a terrible thing it is, thus to abuse the Sacrament of Penance ! One sacrilegious confession renders all subsequent ones invalid. In order to return to a state of grace, under such circumstances, it is necessary not only to confess the sin wittingly concealed, but all the other sins mentioned in the first invalid confession, as well as all that have been subsequently committed, whether they have been confessed or not. It is the same with confession as with a sum in arithmetic. If one has made the omission of a single figure in the first row, the total will be wrong, and the whole must be reckoned up over again. In the same way, if a man has buttoned his coat wrong at the top, all the other buttons must be undone to set that one right. Hence St. Bonaventure gives this advice : " Begin with the sin which it costs thee most to confess, and afterwards all the rest will come easy to thee." When once the general is slain, the whole army will speedily be routed. If you find it very difficult to confess any sin in particular, say at least to the confessor : " There is something more, but I cannot bring myself to tell it."

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The Confessor.

1. No priest can give absolution who has not received the faculties for hearing confessions from the bishop of the diocese.

To none but the apostles and their successors did Our Lord give the power to forgive sins. To them alone did He say after His resurrection : " 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. 23). He commanded the apostles to loose the bands of Lazarus, after he had risen from the grave, to indicate that to them was given the power to unbind. This power is called the power of the keys, because by it the gates of heaven, closed against the sinner, are reopened to him. Thus the confessor is the doorkeeper of heaven. The bishops can confer the right to forgive sins to such priests as they deem fitted to hear confession. A priest, as a rule, has faculties for the whole diocese in which the bishop has given him an appointment.

2. Priests who are duly authorized to hear confessions have not power to absolve from all sins, since there are certain sins which the Pope or the bishop has reserved to himself for judgment. (Council of Trent, 14, 11).

They can only absolve from these sins if jurisdiction be delivered to them by the Holy See or the bishop of the diocese.

These are called reserved cases. The bishops are accustomed to reserve to themselves the absolution from more heinous crimes, such as apostasy, perjury, murder, arson ; the object of this is to deter the faithful more effectually from the commission of such crimes. Secular magistrates cannot pass sentence on all criminals ; many cases have to be sent up to a higher court for judgment. But at the point of death all priests may absolve all penitents whatever from every kind of sin or censure (Council of Trent, 14, 7). In places of pilgrimage the priests can usually absolve in cases reserved for the bishop; and in many dioceses they are empowered to do so during missions, at Easter, or when a general confession is made,

3. In the confessional the priest stands in the place of God; therefore the penitent is bound to yield him obedience.

If Our Lord Himself sat in one confessional, and an ordinary priest in another, the one would not remit sins more fully than the other. Why is this? We call the priest who hears confessions " Father " because he represents our heavenly Father. For the same reason he deals with the penitent gently and indulgently, like a father. We must obey the confessor, for it is not a man whom we obey in his person, but God, Who has said : " He that heareth you, heareth Me." If we obey our confessor, we may be sure that we shall not have to give account of our actions to God ; for should the confessor be at error, there is no blame attaching to the penitent; he cannot do in obeying- Tho^e who wovM make progress in perfection

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should obey their confessor as they would obey the voice of God, even should the practice of some devotion or penance be forbidden them. St. John of the Cross says that to rebel against the dictum of the confessor manifests pride and want of faith.

In the confessional the priest exercises three functions: The office of a teacher, a physician, and a judge.

In his office of teacher the priest has to instruct the penitent if he perceives that he is in ignorance of something important for him to know. Like a guardian angel, he directs the traveller in the right way. In his office of physician he listens to the penitent, who is sick with the disease of sin, while he gives an account of his condition, as the physician listens to the patient describing his bodily pains. He gives him the remedy to effect his spiritual cure, as the physician prescribes medicines for those who are sick in body. In his office of judge, he must decide whether the penitent is or is not to be absolved ; in the former case he gives him absolution, in the latter he withholds it.

4. Under no possible conditions may the priest repeat anything out of the confessional,

This obligation to secrecy is called the seal of confession. Not even to save his life may the priest reveal what has been said in confession. St. John Nepomucene could not be prevailed upon either by menaces or torture to disclose the queen's confession to King Wenceslas. That monarch accordingly ordered him to be thrown into the Moldau, and five lights floating over the water marked the spot where his corpse lay. Not even to avert a terrible calamity may the priest reveal what has been said in confession. A king once asked the court chaplain whether, if any one confessed that he intended to assassinate the king, he would make it known. " On no account," the clergyman replied. " Then," said the king, " my life is not safe." " It would be less so," the priest rejoined, " but for confession, and the seal of confession." The obligation of secrecy also exists in regard to the penitent. A priest's servant once confessed to him that he had stolen his corn; the priest was obliged to leave the key in the barn-door the same as before. The seal of confession must be observed no less strictly in a court of justice, for the divine law is higher than human law. The penalty for violating the seal is deprivation for the remainder of the priest's life, besides severe ecclesiastical punishments. We hear from time to time of bad priests who apostatize, but never has one been known to fall so low as to break the seal of confession. The obligation of secrecy is for the protection of the penitent as well as to safeguard the Sacrament of Penance. The penitent may give the priest permission to make use of what he has told him in confession, but the confessor must be very chary of availinghimself of that permission. He must only do so when something really important is at stake, and there is no risk of thereby bringing confession into discredit. The seal of confession does not bind the priest if any one speaks outside the confessional of what he has previously confessed.

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5. Every Catholic is perfectly free to choose his own confessor.

The slightest coercion in regard to confession is forbidden, for fear of leading any one to conceal a sin. St. Teresa says : " Oh, what mischief the evil one is enabled to do, if force is put upon any one in regard to confession ! " Accordingly no one is obliged to go to confession to his parish priest (unless it be at Easter, as is the rule in someplaces) ; every one is at liberty to approach the sacraments wherever he chooses, and the priest may not refuse to hear any man's confession because he belongs to another parish. Monks are required to go to confession to a member of their Order. Nuns have their confessor appointed by the bishops ; yet besides the ordinary confessor, the bishop or other superior has to offer them twice or thrice a year an extra ordinary confessor whose duty it is to hear them (Council of Trent, 25, 10). No one can prevent them from making their confession to him.

Whoso desires to make progress in perfection must place himself under the guidance of some particular confessor (St. Philip

If a man wants to learn a profession or trade, he must have a master to instruct him; how much more he who wishes to acquire that most difficult of all professions, Christian perfection! He who would ascend a high mountain must have an experienced guide; how much more he who would scale the heights of Christian perfection! Choice should not be made of a confessor without mature deliberation and fervent prayer. For twenty years St. Teresa failed to find a spiritual Father who understood her; she persevered in prayer, and St. John of Avila was sent to her. A wise confessor should be chosen ; one would not consult the first doctor one met with about one's bodily ailments ; nor in legal difficulties would one take the advice of any .but a good solicitor. And should one use less precaution in a matter on which one's eternity depends? One must also choose a confessor in whom one has entire confidence. The devil ruins many souls by sowing distrust between the penitent and his confessor. One's confessor should not be changed without good reason, any more than one would leave a doctor who has attended one for long, and who knows one's constitution. It is, however, well to go to some one else occasionally, so as not to get into servile subjection to one individual.

The Effects of Penance.

It is not any easy matter to do penance; confession, the sincere acknowledgment of sins of which we are ashamed, in itself requires great self-conquest. On this account penance is liberally rewarded by God. Confession is, moreover, an act of profound humility, and to the humble God giveth grace (1 Pet. v. 5).

By worthily receiving the Sacrament of Penance we obtain the following graces:

1. The guilt of sin is remitted and the debt of eternal punish-

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ment; yet there remains the debt of temporal punishment to be discharged (Council of Trent, 6, 30; 14, 12).

God says in Holy Scripture : " If the wicked do penance for all the sins which he hath committed, he shall live, and not die. I will not remember all his iniquities that he hath done " (Ezech. xviii. 21). Thus Our Lord said to Magdalen : " Thy sins are forgiven thee " (Luke vii. 48). To those who confess their sins Christ is not a judge, but an advocate and protector. In the Last Judgment the sins that have been expiated by penance will be no more remembered against the sinner; they alone will be hidden, when all else is revealed. Seneca used to say : " He who repents of the wrong he has done is no longer guilty.'" Through the absolution the debt of eternal punish ment is changed into a temporal debt. God acts like the monarch who commutes capital punishment into imprisonment for a term of years. Holy Scripture furnishes many examples in which God imposed a penalty for sin forgiven : He forgave Adam, yet He cast him out of paradise and laid severe penances upon him. Moses, who offended God by not believing His word, was pardoned, but not permitted to enter the Land of Promise (Numb. xx. 12). The Jews who murmured in the wilderness were forgiven upon Moses' intercession, but were condemned to die in the desert (Numb. xiv.). David was forgiven when he had committed two mortal sins, but the child that was born to him died (2 Kings xii. 14). No sin is left unpunished; either we punish ourselves by doing penance, or God lays chastise ments upon us. For every sin satisfaction must be made either in this world or in purgatory; the more we have sinned here, the more we shall suffer hereafter. Our transgressions are rightly called debts; as debts must be paid, so sins must be blotted out.

The debt of temporal punishment for sin must be discharged either in this world or in purgatory.

In this world we make satisfaction by performing the penances enjoined on us by the priest in confession ; by works voluntarily un dertaken, such as prayer, fasting, almsdeeds, or other pious acts, and also by bearing patiently the punishments inflicted on us by God ; for instance, accepting death willingly, and finally by gaining indulgences (Council of Trent, 14, 13).

God in His wisdom never leaves sin wholly unpunished, lest we should think lightly of it (St. Augustine).

At baptism all the punishment due to sin is remitted, but in the Sacrament of Penance this is not so. Sin committed after baptism is much more grievous than that which is committed before; those who sin before baptism sin in ignorance, but after baptism in malice, for they have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit, and consequently have a better knowledge of sin. Those who are regenerate, moreover be it remembered, when they sin knowingly violate the temple of God (1 Cor. iii. 17), and are guilty of breaking their promise; for by sin on the one hand they banish the Holy Ghost Who dwells within them, and on the other hand they break the solemn vows taken at baptism. A good father forgives his child's disobedience

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the first time, if he promises amendment ; but if the child repeats the offence, his father forgives him, but does not this time let him go unpunished. God acts in a similar manner; at baptism He remits both the sin and its penalty hut afterwards He is not so indulgent to the transgressor.

The more perfect our contrition., the greater will be the amount of the punishment remitted to us.

" Many sins are forgiven her, for she loved much," Our Lord said of Magdalen. Sometimes God touches the heart of man so profoundly that his contrition avails for the complete remission both of sin and its penalty.

2. The Holy Spirit returns to the repentant sinner, and imparts to him sanctifying grace; and the merits of all the good works he formerly performed while in a state of grace are restored to him again.

The contrite sinner, like the prodigal son, receives a beautiful robe, sanctifying grace, and a ring is placed on his finger, a token of divine charity. Traces of our sins will, it is true, always be apparent on the white robe of sanctifying grace, but having been washed out by penance, they will not disfigure its beauty. Penance is a ladder whereby we may ascend again to the place whence we have fallen. The heart that is full of sin is the habitation of swine ; by penance it becomes the dwelling-place of the Most High. Penartce is a crucible wherein base metal is changed to silver. It would indeed be a miracle, if by a single word some one were to make the black skin of the negro white. Yet a greater wonder is worked by the words of absolution, spoken over the penitent sinner, for thereby the soul, which through sin was black as ink, becomes white as snow. When the sinner is restored to a state of grace, as a matter of course he is again a child of God, an heir of heaven, capable of performing meritorious works. Another effect of penance is that the merit of all good works done formerly in a state of grace is recovered. For the merit of all those works was lost through mortal sin (Ezech. xviii. 24) ; not because God withdrew their merit on account of the mortal man, but because man made them of no effect. So a meadow, parched by long drought, recovers its verdure under the influence of gentle rain and soft sunshine.

If before confession we are already in a state of grace, we receive an increase of grace.

Any one who is free from mortal sin, or who has perfect contrition, is in a state of grace before confession. The greater the degree of sanctifying grace we possess here, the higher will be our degree of glory hereafter; hence let no one say it is useless for him to go to confession, as he has no mortal sin on his conscience. Those who speak thus are, alas ! too often living in mortal sin.

3. Through the indwelling of the Holy Ghost we obtain great peace of mind, nay, great consolations, if our conversion be sincere.

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Penance gives us peace of mind. The Holy Ghost is a comforter (John xiv. 26). When we have relieved our soul by confession, a deep peace ensues, as the sea became calm as soon as the sinful prophet Jonas had been cast out of the ship. The Sacrament of Penance distils balm on the wounds of the soul; it relieves us of a heavy burden. The restoration of one's peace of mind often has a beneficial effect upon the body, and contributes to the recovery of health. Hence the saints used to exhort the sick to receive the sacraments. To the contrite sinner great consolations are often given. Our Lord says : " Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Matt. v. 5). On the return of the prodigal son, his father caused the fatted calf to be killed, and a merry banquet was held, with music and dancing (Luke xv.). Thus God acts with regard to the repentant sinner whose conversion is real ; He makes him to abound in consolations and spiritual delights. In fact the grievous sinner seems in reality to fare better than the just man; remember what the elder son said to his father respecting the reception given to the prodigal (Luke xv. 29). By these consolations God encourages us to walk more resolutely in the toilsome path of virtue ; for the penitent has a sharp conflict to wage with his corrupt nature. When first we enter upon the way of holiness, God lavishes these consolations upon us; later on He withdraws them, lest they should prove prejudicial to us. Therefore we ought to render Him thanks when He deprives us of them.

4, The Holy Spirit imparts to us the strength necessary to overcome sin.

The converted sinner is like one recovering from an illness; his former strength has to be regained. By penance the broken limb is set, and its power restored. The might of the Holy Spirit is communicated to the newly-converted, to enable him to resist evil. Confession serves to keep us from falling into sin in future, as well to cleanse us from past offences. Converted sinners are generally faithful and zealous servants of God. On this account Our Lord says that " there is joy in heaven upon one that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just persons" (Luke xv. 7). Which is to be preferred, the soldier who has evaded the battle, or the one who has fled from the field, but returns to the attack, to repair his fault, and has valiantly routed the enemy? The former is the tepid Christian, the latter the fervent penitent.

Yet these graces are only given if the Sacrament of Penance is received worthily; they are given abundantly if the sacra ment is received frequently.

The more often a house is purified the cleaner it is; so it is with the soul of the Christian. The more frequently he goes to confession, the more thoroughly he casts off the yoke of the devil; for as a bird does not generally return to build its nest again in a place whence it has been driven away, so the evil one is not so prompt to molest the soul whence he has been expelled by confession. Confession once a year suffices to make one a member of the Catholic Church, but it is not sufficient for the welfare of the soul. As well

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might one expect a house to be clean that was only swept out once a year. The Christian who only g-oes annually to confession is like Absalom, who only had his hair polled once a year (2 Kings xiv. 26) ; in the hour of temptation he is in danger of being caught and held fast, as Absalom was in the branches of the oak.

The Worthy* Reception of the Sacrament of Penance.

No rule can be laid down here, as in regard to holy communion, concerning ^ the time to be employed in preparation. The reality of our contrition, not the length of our previous preparation, is what is of true importance. However, a few minutes are not enough. " Noe was a hundred years building the ark," says St. Thomas Aquinas, " and thinkest thou in a brief moment to construct the ark which is to save thee from temporal and eternal perdition ? "

In order to receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily, we must do as follows:

Since we sin in our heart, by our lips, and in our actions, we must atone for it by the sorrow which is felt in the heart, expressed by the lips, accomplished in our actions. We must do as the prodigal did: as soon as he experienced the gracious operation of the Holy Ghost, he thought over his misdeeds, and acknowledged them (examination of conscience). He saw how ungrateful he had been towards his father, and was truly grieved at heart (contrition). He deter mined to return to his father and begin a fresh life at home (resolution of amendment). He went back to his father, fell at his feet, confessed his fault and implored forgiveness (confession). He said he would no longer take the place of a son, but of a servant (satisfaction). The father fell on his neck and kissed him (absolution). Then followed a joyous repast (communion).

1, We must examine our conscience, i.e., we must carefully consider what sins we have committed and not yet confessed.

We must make as careful a scrutiny as if we were immediately to appear before the judgment seat of God. If our examination is insufficient, the Sacrament of Penance may conduce to our damnation, rather than to our salvation. Yet we must not bo over-anxious, as some scrupulous persons are, for God does not require from us what is out of our power. The examination of conscience is most important, for by it we learn to know ourselves, and this is the beginning of all improvement. One can no more acknowledge and overcome a fault of which one is not aware, than one can cure a malady of the existence of which one is ignorant. Most men are wanting in self-knowledge. There are many who search into the secrets of nature, who observe the course of the stars and the laws of motion, but who know nothing about themselves, and never look into their own heart. They are to be commiserated, despite their learning and their fame, because they pay no heed to their most glaring faults. The Creator has placed a book in the hands of every man, his conscience; study this book diligently, for of all your li-

616 The Means of Grace.

brary it is the only one which you can take with you into eternity. Self-knowledge leads to the knowledge of God.

Before examination of conscience let us invoke the aid of the Holy Spirit, that He may enlighten us.

We can find a thing that is in a dark room much more quickly if we bring a light with us; and it is the same when we search out our sins. When the sun shines into a room we notice a thousand motes which were unobservable before; so the soul, when illuminated by the Spirit of God, sees the slightest imperfections. Self-knowledge is a gift of God, which we can obtain by prayer alone. The eye sees everything but itself ; it is the same with our spiritual sight ; it is quick in discerning the faults of others, and slow to see its own. It is well to examine one's conscience in solitude, for there the Holy Spirit speaks to the heart (Osee ii. 14).

When examining our conscience we must put aside self-love and earnestly endeavor to acquaint ourselves with our faults.

Many sick people will not allow that there is anything serious the matter with them, and sinners often do the same. This arises from self-love, and self-complacency, on account of the advantages they imagine themselves to possess, both natural and acquired. Some even count their faults as virtues; they think arrogance to be manliness, deceitfulness to be prudence, etc., like some mothers who are so infatuated about their children that they think all their faults to be praiseworthy qualities. In examining his conscience, let a man look on himself as his own enemy; enemies have a sharp eye for one another's feelings.

In examining our conscience, it is well to go through the Ten Commandments, the precepts of the Church, and the deadly sins.

Children may ask themselves: (1), Have I forgotten my prayers or been inattentive at them? (2), Have I uttered the name of God, or spoken of holy things irreverently, or said any bad words? (3), Have I done servile work on Sundays or holydays of obligation? have I missed hearing Mass, or behaved badly in church? or eaten meat on Fridays? (4), Have I been rude or disobedient to my parents? (5), Have I been unkind to others, struck them, or led them to do wrong? provoking them to anger? (6), Have I indulged any thought, or spoken any words or done any deeds of impurity? (7), Have I ever taken what was not mine, and if so, given it back to the owner? have I injured or deceived any one? (8), Have I told a false hood, accused any one wrongly, abused any one, or told of his faults? (9 and 10), Have I coveted another person's goods? or been proud, given way to anger, or greediness, or been idle at school or at work?

In regard to mortal sins, we must remember how often we have been guilty of them.

All the mortal sins of which the penitent is conscious after a diligent examination of himself, must needs be enumerated in confes-

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sion (Council of Trent, 11, 5, 7). If the exact number of times cannot be remembered the approximate number must at least be stated.

It is not necessary, though it is advisable, to examine one's self in regard to venial sins.

Venial sins, though rightly and profitably declared in confession, may be omitted without guilt (Council of Trent, 14, 5). The most usual defect in the examination of conscience is that the penitent keeps back certain shameful sins, and is careful to search out slight er ones. Such persons are like the Pharisees, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel (Matt, xxiii. 24). Hence it is that many do not benefit at all from frequent confession. .How many apparently pious people will take their sins with them to eternity !

We must also consider whether there are circumstances which alter or aggravate the sin we confess.

All those circumstances which change the quality and nature of the sin are to be explained in confession (Council of Trent, 14, 5). For instance, if a man has taken another's goods by violence, it is not enought to say : " I stole ;" for robbery with violence and theft are t'vo different sins. If anything was stolen in a church, this must also be mentioned.

We ought to examine our conscience every evening in order to render our examination easier before confession.

If a man will not do the necessary repairs of his house as they are wanted, it will become dilapidated and require thorough renovation; so it is with the soul, if its condition is not continually seen to and amended. If a master looks through his steward's accounts daily, they do not get into disorder, and we must do the same with our conscience if we would keep it right. Daily examination is very profit able ; it guards us from falling into mortal sin. If a merchant makes up his debit and credit account every day, he is not liable to get deeply into debt. Daily examination keeps our conscience pure, and conduces to moral perfection. St. Ignatius asserts it to be more important than prayer. If a king knew that his enemies were concealed in a certain quarter of his dominions, he would assuredly search out their hiding-place and frustrate their schemes. You have foes within you, your unruly passions; search them out daily, and vanquish them with the sword of sorrow. It is not enough merely to gain a knowledge of our faults, we ought earnestly to deplore them and endeavor to overcome them by good resolutions.

2. We must truly repent of our sins, that is, we must grieve from our heart that we have offended God by them, and the thought of offending Him must be abhorrent to us.

As instances of true contrition, we may mention Magdalen, who fell at Our Lord's feet weeping (Luke vii.) ; St. Peter, who after he had denied Christ, went out and wept bitterly (Matt. xxvi. 75) ; David, who when the prophet Nathan had awakened him to a sense

618 The Means of Grace.

of sin, lay upon the ground and did neither eat nor drink (2 Kings xii.), but cried: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity. A contrite and humbled heart, O God, Thou will not despise" (Ps. 1.). Repentance, unless accompanied by trust in God's mercy, would be despair. Remember Judas' repentance. True contrition is also sorrow of soul. An external action alone, such as the recitation of a certain formula of prayer, wailing like that of the Jewish women, rending of garments (Joel ii. 13), do not constitute repentance. Exterior grief without inward grief is mere hypocrisy. But interior heartfelt contrition shows itself exteriorly, for we mortals can rarely prevent all outward manifestation of what we feel inwardly. True repentance has reference to God; hence we call it supernatural, because it proceeds from faith in an unseen, supernatural world. Sorrow for sin because of its disastrous consequences is no true contrition ; it is a natural sentiment, without merit before God. The cruel King Antiochus Epiphanus bewailed his wicked deeds when he was eaten by worms; but not because he had offended God (2 Mach. ix. 13). In like manner a gambler, a drunkard, a criminal who is arrested, may regret his folly when he perceives the evil resulting from it. Temporal calamities may be the occasion, but not the motive of our sorrow. True repentance implies profound detestation of sin, or a complete abandonment of sin; it is more a matter of the will than of the feeling. " If," says St. Augus tine, " that which formerly caused thee joy and pleasure, now fills thy soul with bitterness, and that which formerly thou didst enjoy is now a torture to thee, then know that thy repentance is real." That is true conversion when a man turns to God with his whole heart, and detaches himself completely from earthly things. Penance is worth less if it produces no amendment. To him who is truly penitent, the thought of offending God is abhorrent. Repentance is not real if every evil affection without exception is not given up. What does it profit thee to break every other chain, if one remains, binding thee to hell? (St. Augustine.)

True contrition often manifests itself in tears.

It was so in the case of Magdalen in Simon's house (Luke vii. 38), and of St. Peter when he had denied Our Lord (Matt. xxvi. 75). The apostle's sorrow was lifelong; it is said that his tears made two furrows on his cheeks. Penitential tears are not indispensable, but they are very efficacious; they render forgiveness more sure. The tears of the penitent are the most forcible language he can use ; they compel God to forgive him. Penitential tears wash away the stains of sin; they are a kind of baptism, only the cleansing waters come from within, not from without. They enlighten the mind, as rain clears the sky. The more we weep for sin the more clearly we perceive its turpitude, and our tears lead to a fundamental amendment of life. As medicinal springs heal bodily sickness, so tears cure the maladies of the soul. They brins1 interior consolation ; they refresh the soul as dew does the plant. The tears of the penitent give joy to the angels and drive away the devils; they have much the same effect on thein as holy water has.

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The means of awakening true contrition is to reflect that by our sins we have grievously offended the infinite majesty of God, and have displeased our loving Father, our greatest Benefactor.

Contemplate the myriad stars in the firmament of heaven, consider the countless number of human beings upon earth, the innumerable hosts of spirits in the realms of space, and thence conclude how infinite is the divine greatness. And you have offended this sovereign Lord ! Consider furthermore the greatness of your heavenly Father's love for you, in that He gave what was dearest to Him, His only-begotten Son for you. How shameful to offend so loving a father ! Remember also all that the Son of God suffered in your stead. Consider too, the innumerable benefits which throughout your life you have received from God; health, food, clothing, etc., all these things are His gifts, which, when He sees fit, He withdraws from the ungrateful ; how instead of showing your thankfulness to God, you have often grieved Him, and repaid His benefits with ingratitude.

The contrition which arises from the love of God is called perfect contrition. Perfect contrition reconciles man with God immediately, before the Sacrament of Penance be actually received (Council of Trent, 14, 4).

Let us suppose that a father sends his two boys into a town to make some purchases. They loiter and play on the way, and are late by several hours. On reaching home, they are frightened; one of them begins to cry, because he is afraid he will be whipped for his negligence; the other boy cries because he knows he has vexed his father. The second boy is an example of perfect contrition, the first of imperfect. He only has perfect contrition who is sorry for his sin because he has thereby offended God. Of this we find examples in David, St. Peter, Magdalen, the publican in the Temple; all these transgressors were speedily forgiven. Perfect contrition is, as may be gathered from Our Lord's words to Magdalen (Luke vii. 47), as a matter of fact, nothing more or less than fervent charity towards God, the operation of the Holy Spirit dwelling in man; and he in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, possesses sanctifying grace and is free from mortal sin. The least degree of perfect contrition suffices instantly to cancel the debt of sin (St. Thomas Aquinas). And if one who is not in mortal sin awakens perfect contrition, the effect is to increase sanctifying grace and remit the temporal punishment due to sin. Perfect contrition is accompanied by the desire of confession; yet it is not necessary to go to confession at once ; it is enough to do so when the precept of the Church enjoins this upon one. In fact, it is not indispensable to perfect contrition that the desire for confession should be explicit; it is enough that the penitent should be ready to go to confession when the obligation arises.

We should make an act of perfect contrition from time to time in the course of our life, particularly in the hour of death, or if our life is in danger.

If, in travelling by land or sea, we should perceive an accident to be imminent, let our first thought be to make an act of perfect con-

620 The Means of Grace.

trition, and our reconciliation with God will be complete. It happened once that the father of a family broke a blood-vessel. A messenger was instantly dispatched to summon a priest, but meanwhile the youngest child, who had recently made his first communion, perceiving that his father's life was fast ebbing away, took a crucifix from the wall, and holding it before the dying man's eyes, repeated aloud an act of perfect contrition. Tears filled the father's eyes; he expired before the priest came, but he was safe for all eternity. It is probable that at the time of the Deluge, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha, some persons were saved from eternal perdition by an act of perfect contrition. If you should have the misfortune to offend God grievously, make an act of contrition immediately. Do not go to rest at night, or begin the day's work, or start on a journey, without in this manner making your salvation sure. It is no difficult matter to awaken true contrition, if one has a goodwill. Under the Old Dispensation it was the only means of obtaining remission of sin; and every Christian is bound, under pain of mortal sin, to make an act of perfect contrition in the hour of death, in case he is conscious of sin and cannot go to confession again. Only those find it hard who neglect all the ordinances of religion ; they are like a clock which will not go, even when wound up by sanctifying grace, because the works are rusty from disuse, A special interposition of Providence, or a miracle of grace is needed to enable such persons to awaken perfect contrition. Cardinal Franzelin was so impressed with the immense value of perfect contrition, that he declared were he to go as a preacher from land to land, it should be the principal theme of his discourses.

The consideration that we must expect the just judgments of God on account of our sins, also disposes us to true contrition.

Remember the punishment of the rebel angels, of our first parents, of the population of Sodom, of Noe's contemporaries, etc. Reflect upon the awful pains of hell. And even if you do escape hell, there is the fire of purgatory to be endured ; there the least punishment far exceeds all that one can suffer on earth, even the tortures inflicted on the martyrs. None but great saints have been exempted from this chastisement. How then can you expect to elude it? How terrible a thing it is to offend God!

The contrition which arises from fear of God is called attrition, or imperfect contrition. When the contrition of the penitent is imperfect, forgiveness of sin is only obtained through sacerdotal absolution.

The contrition of the Ninivites was imperfect, when, smitten with fear at the preaching of Jonas, they did penance (Council of Trent, 14, 4). The penitent who is actuated by fear alone, retains a certain attachment to sin, though he may abstain from the outward act. Hence his repentance is less efficacious. Imperfect contrition is like a tiny spark, which must be fanned by confession and the priest's absolution, before it consumes the chaff of sin,

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Confession without contrition does not obtain the divine for giveness,

Whoso goes to confession without sorrow of mind, detestation of sins committed, and the purpose of not sinning in future, but merely from force of habit and not from consciousness of sin, derives no benefit from the act. The husbandman who scatters seed on untilled soil, labors in vain; in like manner the words of absolution are in efficacious in regard to one whose heart is unprepared, and who will not renounce sin. Confession without contrition is like a gun loaded without shot, an ear of corn empty of grain ; it is like the barren figtree Our Lord cursed; for on the tree of penance confession is but the leaves, while contrition is the fruit. St. John Chrysostom compares the man who goes to confession without contrition to an actor in a play. From the story of the prodigal we gather that confession alone is not everything; the father scarcely heeded what his son said, but as soon as he perceived his heart was changed, he hardly let him finish speaking, but clasped him in his arms.

3. We must make a firm resolution, that is, we must stead fastly determine with the help of God to desist from all sin, and to avoid the occasions of sin for the future.

The purpose of amendment is an essential part of true contrition (Council of Trent, 14, 4). The resolution to sin no more arises out of contrition, as water issues from a spring. So long as the will retains its attachment to sin, neither mortal nor venial sin can be remitted. All men are not thus resolute, for many do not adhere to their resolutions. They act like a woman, who, when her husband dies, makes a terrible outcry, extolling loudly the excellent qualities of the deceased, and protesting vehemently that she will never marry again ; but in a very short time, oblivious of her asseverations, she gives her hand to another man. Those who in time of illness or of adversity form good resolutions, but do not carry them out, are like the wolf who retreats to the wood when he hears the dogs bark and the shepherds cry out, but remains a wolf none the less. A good resolution is like a nail driven fast into a wall; but the resolutions of too many resemble a nail badly knocked in, which falls out as soon as anything is hung upon it. The wa,v to hell is paved with good resolutions, which have not been carried out. All men will not determine to renounce every sin. St. Sebastian promised to heal the proconsul if he would destroy all the idols in Rome; the proconsul .did this, with the exception of a little idol of gold, an heirloom in his family, which he concealed. The saint consequently could not cure him, and he told him the reason. Many sinners do the same; there is one darling sin which they will not give up, and therefore they cannot break away from the devil and become the friends of God; for God's sake everything must be renounced. The penitent must also seriously avoid all occasions of sin. The man who merely dislikes his neighbor, contents himself with eschewing his company; but if he has a thoroughgoing hatred for him, he gets rid of everything that can remind him of him; he holds aloof from his friends and relatives, he destroys his portrait, the presents he has received from him, etc. Thus must the penitent act who has a

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real detestation of sin; he must avoid all and everything that leads to sin, or that reminds him of sin. Those who wish to do better, but will not avoid the occasion of sin, are like one who sweeps away the cobweb, but does not kill the spider; thus a fresh web is soon spun. Or he is like a gardener who cuts off the weeds and does not root them up; in a little time they are greener than ever. Too often sinners who confess their sins but will not give up the occasion of sin transgress more deeply than before. If you would keep the flies from your table, you must remove the sweet dishes that attract them ; so if you would keep free from sin, you must keep far from you the occasions of sin. Good resolutions are no use without the divine assistance, any more than the corn can fructify without rain and sunshine. Hence we must not trust to our own strength, but in the grace of God.

Our resolution should have reference to one particular sin, and that the one to which we are most attached.

It is impossible to carry out many resolutions at a time. To at tempt this is like endeavoring to roll several large stones up hill all at once; we shall succeed with none. It is enough if we set ourselves resolutely to overcome one fault, for in doing so we shall combat all the others, just as while curbing one restive horse, we check the others who are harnessed with it. If we did but root out one vice every year, we should soon become perfect men.

4. We are under the obligation of confessing our sins, that is, we must secretly to the priest enumerate all the mortal sins of which we are conscious, accurately, simply and humbly; with the number of times we have committed them, besides all that is necessary to make known the nature of the sin (Council of Trent, 14, 5, 7).

It is not necessary, but it is salutary and profitable to confess venial sins.

If a mortal sin has been forgotten in confession, it must be mentioned the next time.

Confession must be made secretly, that is, we must speak in so low a tone that no one near, besides the priest, shall hear what is said. Confession must be accurate. We should avoid the use of general terms ; for instance, it is not right to say : I have transgressed the Third, Fifth or Seventh Commandment; I have not loved God with my whole heart; I have sinned in thought, word and deed. Such phrases are unmeaning. Yet, while entering into particulars, everything should be told as briefly as possible, every superfluous detail being avoided. Any one who has been accessory to our sin is not to be mentioned by name. Simple: Ambiguous expressions, at tempts at self -justification, cannot be allowed in confession; the penitent must be simple and candid, as a crystal is clear and transparent. To seek to justify one's self is to act like our first parents in paradise, who shifted the blame from their own shoulders, and were punished more severely for it. " Accuse thyself, and God will excuse

TJie Sacraments. 623

thee; excuse thyself and God will accuse thee " (St. Augustine). Humble: The penitent must not take offence if the confessor reproves or questions him. In the confessional the priest is in the place of God, the penitent is but a miserable sinner. King Louis IX. once said to a priest, who timidly addressed him as " Your Majesty " ; " I am not a king here, nor are you a subject; I am a child, and you are a father." The Empress Constantia once sent for the Abbot Joachim, and wanted him to hear her confession while she remained seated on her throne. But the abbot said : " If thou art to be in the place of Magdalen, and I in that of Christ, thou must leave thy throne and kneel at my feet; otherwise I will go away at once." If the priest perceives that the confession is not entire and complete, he asks questions; just as the customs officer, if he thinks that a traveller has articles on which duty has to be paid, does not satisfy himself with yes or no, but searches his luggage. If the penitent is unable to speak, for instance, if he is deaf and dumb, or extremely ill, he must make his confession by signs, or the deaf-mute may make it in writing. Absolution can never be given to any one at a distance, though it is besought by letter or by a messenger. It is enough if all mortal sins are confessed. For if the beams are burned away, the planks will probably be consumed with them, but the reverse is not the case. Unfortunately, people are too apt to confess venial and conceal mortal sins. Yet it is profitable to confess venial sins, for thereby a portion of the temporal penalty is cancelled, and greater peace of mind is acquired, since in regard to some sins we cannot decide with certainty whether they are mortal or venial. Those who cannot accuse themselves of any mortal sin, must at least confess some venial sins, or a sin of their past life, otherwise they cannot receive absolution. All mortal sins must be declared, unless under exceptional circumstances, such as the penitent being at the point of death, in imminent danger (on a sinking ship), too ill to speak more than a few words, or in a hospital where his confession may be overheard. In such cases an incomplete confession is permissible. All the mortal sins of which we are conscious must, as has been said, be enumerated in confession ; yet it may occur that one is forgotten ; if so, it must be mentioned next time, and we need not distress ourselves if we do not remember it until after communion, for our confession was not sacrilegious. We must also declare as nearly as possible how often any mortal sin has been committed.

5. Satisfaction must be made: i.e., we must perform the penance enjoined upon us by the confessor.

The debt of temporal punishment is in no wise remitted by the Sacrament of Penance. For God is not more merciful than He is just ; therefore works of penance are imposed on the penitent, whereby he may discharge the debt of temporal punishment due to his sins. Works of penance are not only for the punishing or avenging of past sins, they are also a medicine. The sinner is like a wounded warrior ; it is not enough to extract the bullet from the wound ; bandages and balsam must be applied to heal it. The priest does not merely deliver the penitent from the guilt of sin. he enjoins on him suitable and salutary satisfaction, which shall act as a remedy against relapse. As a rule, he imposes on him penances exactly opposed to his evil

624 The Meant of Grace.

propensities; almsdeeds on the avaricious, fasting on the intemperate, and so forth. Nothing is more efficacious in eradicating sin than prayer, almsgiving, and fasting, because the concupiscence of the eyes, the concupiscence of the flesh, and the pride of life, are overcome by the practice of the opposite virtues.

The confessor generally enjoins upon the penitent, prayer, almsdeeds, and fasting, as works of penance, in order that he may thereby discharge the temporal penalties, and weaken the power of evil tendencies (Council of Trent, 14, 8).

In former times most rigorous penances were imposed; e.g., fasting on bread and water, abstinence from meat and wine, the nonreception of holy communion, and the like. These penances were not for a few days, they lasted months and even years, nay, many were lifelong. Some penitents withdrew to the desert to live a life of penance, as did St. Mary of Egypt. Nor were these penances only imposed for grievous sins, but for comparatively slight transgressions, such as the omission of Mass, neglect of the rule of fasting, misbehavior in church, etc. Nowadays the penances imposed are very different; they bear no possible proportion to the punishment we have merited. It is well therefore to undertake some voluntary penances, that we may not suffer in purgatory hereafter, as will be shown presently.

The confessor also directs reparation to be made for any injury that has been done, and the suppression of all that may cause scandal.

He obliges those who have stolen other people's goods to make restitution; those who have wronged others by slander to retract their words and make an apology. He deals gently with the penitent, and does not require from him what he cannot or will not perform.

The works of penance imposed by the confessor ought to be conscientiously performed in union with the satisfaction of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

By the performance of our sacramental penance (that enjoined by the priest), we discharge more of our debt than by works voluntarily undertaken. The former have the virtue of obedience; they would lose their value if they were knowingly altered, therefore they must be done with scrupulous exactitude. If they cannot be performed, this must be told to the priest in the next confession. They must also be performed without delay, for they have no efficacy in remitting sin or earning grace unless the penitent is in a state of grace, and this is most certain immediately after confession. Still there is no obligation to say one's penance before approaching holy communion, but we must not put off saying it until there is a danger of our forgetting it. Whoso neglects to perform his sacramental penance loses many graces, and violates the obedience he owes to the priest as God's representative; but he does not thereby render his confession invalid. He is like a sick man who, when the physician has gene, will not take the medicine he prescribed. He shows more-

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over, that lie does not think seriously of amending his life. All our works of penance are of themselves without merit; they derive their sufficiency from the merit of the satisfaction made by Christ. For this reason the Church concludes all her petitions with the words: Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum. Our works cannot, nevertheless, be dispensed with, for Christ has only merited for us what was beyond our reach ; He has opened heaven to us again, it behooves us through the satisfaction we make to appropriate to ourselves what He merited for us. We know that only if we suffer with Him shall we also be glorified with Him (Rom. viii. 17).

We should, besides, make satisfaction by punishments voluntarily undertaken of ourselves; and also by bearing patiently the temporal scourges inflicted of God (Council of Trent, 14, 9).

We ought to perform voluntary penances as well as those enjoined on us. The man who owes a thousand dollars does not deem himself out of debt when he has paid three or four hundred; he cannot rest until the whole debt is paid off. So we must labor continually to discharge our debt. Divine justice can only be satisfied by long and continuous penance. " Chastise thyself," says St. Augustine, " if thou wouldst not have God chastise thee." By a little labor here we can avert great pains hereafter. The whole life of the Christian ought to be a perpetual penance (Council of Trent, 14, 9). " Attach no credit," says St. John of the Cross, " to the man who decries penance, although he may have the gift of miracles." While we do penance, we may count upon the assistance of grace. Patience under suffering is an effectual means of making satisfaction; the merit of suffering does not consist in the amount we bear, but the manner in which we bear it. Comparatively slight afflictions borne patiently will have far more value as expiation for sin than much greater works under taken of our own free will. Happy those to whom it is given to expiate their sins on earth, for the fires of purgatory are infinitely worse than anything we suffer here, and they do not contribute to our future felicity; they are simply punitive, not meritorious. Another most profitable means of making satisfaction is the willing acceptance of death at the hand of God. Since Christ died for us, death is not now regarded so much in the light of a chastisement, and by nothing can we merit so greatly as by accepting it willingly.

The works of penance which we perform and the sufferings we bear patiently do not only cancel the temporal punishment due to our sins, but they contribute to the increase of our eternal happiness.

The satisfaction we make here obtains not only pardon from God, but also a reward. All suffering is the penalty of sin, but by God's mercy it is also a ladder whereby we may ascend to heaven. How vast is the mercy and loving kindness of God !

General Confession.

1. By a general confession is meant the confession of all the sitts we have committed within a considerable period of time,

626 The Means of Grace.

Dwelling-houses are swept and cleaned every week, but at longer intervals a thorough cleansing is necessary; the ceilings are white washed, the floors are scrubbed. It is the same with our soul; we cleanse it frequently during our lives by confession, but occasionally we purify it more fully by a general confession.

2. A general confession is profitable because it produces in us greater self-knowledge, deeper humility, increased tranquillity of conscience, and obtains many graces from God.

It produces greater self-knowledge, because it brings many hidden sins to light. If we fish with a rod or a net, not many fishes are caught, for they shelter themselves under the banks; but if all the water is drawn off the pond, all the fish come to sight. The difference between ordinary confession and a general confession is much the same. It also deepens humility. A small troop of soldiers attacking the enemy has not the same force as the whole army; so the sins we confess from time to time have not the same power to humble our pride as the whole array when disclosed by a general confession. It increases tranquillity of conscience. When a steward has to make up his accounts to his master, he is afraid lest some error should be detected; but when they are all looked over and found correct, his mind is at rest. So it is with confession. It also obtains great graces from God. Just as a beggar excites more commiseration if he tells the full tale of his woes, so man appeals more strongly to the compassion of God, and obtains more graces from Him, if he humbles himself by the acknowledgment of all his misery and frailty. With many persons a general confession has inaugurated a new life. Hence we may conclude that it is a means of obtaining a large measure of grace.

3. A general confession is indispensable, if an invalid confession has once been made; it is also advisable in the case of persons who are entering upon a new state of life, or who are in danger of death.

What has already been said upon concealment of sins in confession need not be repeated here. People about to be married, or clerics on the eve of ordination, ought to make a general confession. What consolation for the dying to know that the affairs of their soul are all well-ordered! Scrupulous persons should be forbidden to make a general confession; for them the practice of obedience is more salutary.

Confession a Divine Institution.

1. Confession of sins was instituted by Our Lord, and has been the practice of the Church in all centuries.

Confession was practised under the Old Dispensation, not indeed as a sacrament, but as foreshadowing the sacrajnent. The first confession was made in paradise ; God was the Confessor, Adam and Eve were the penitents. God called upon Cain to make a confession ;

The Sacraments. 627

he refused to do so and was cursed in consequence. David confessed his sin and was forgiven. Under the law of Moses a certain form of confession was customary among the Jews (Numb, v.-vii.). The people who came to John the Baptist to be baptized confessed their sins (Mark i. 5). Christ, Who did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfil it (Matt. v. 17), confirmed and perfected the existing practice of confession, and attached many graces to it.

1. On the day of His resurrection Our Lord gave to the apostles and their successors the power to forgive and to retain sins. It is obvious that in order that this power may be exercised aright, it is necessary for the sinner to reveal the state of his soul.

The words of Our Lord are these : " Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained" (John xx. 23).

2. Even in the apostles7 time the Christian converts came to them, " confessing and declaring their deeds."

Thus they came to St. Paul in Ephesus (Acts xix. 18). St. John also states that by confession of sin pardon may be obtained (1 John i. 9).

3. In the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church in the first centuries Christians are frequently exhorted to confess their sins, many appropriate and beautiful similes being made use of in illustration.

Tertullian, St. Basil, St. Gregory the Great and others compare the sinner to a sick man, who, if he would be cured, must declare his symptoms or exhibit his festering sore to a skilful and experienced physician. So the sinner must apply to the dispenser of the divine mysteries and confess his sins that he may obtain remission. St. Augustine says : " It is not enough that a man acknowledge his sins to God, from Whom nothing is hidden; he must also confess them to the priest, God's representative." Pope Leo I. censured the custom of public confession as too rigorous, asserting that secret confession was quite sufficient. It is noteworthy how often the Fathers warn Christians against concealing a sin in confession. Even Protestants cannot contest the fact that confession was practised both in the first centuries of Christianity and in the Middle Ages; in regard to the latter, history affords abundant evidence, for the very names of the confessors of distinguished Christian rulers are recorded.

4. Confession was also retained by the earlier heretical sects which fell away from the Church.

This fact affords unquestionable proof of the antiquity of confession. But we find the practice in a perverted form among sec taries; for instance, it is said that in the Russian Church the priest is bound to inform against any one who confesses crimes of a Nihilistic character. What a contrast to the rules of the Catholic Church !

628 The Means of Grace.

5. It is impossible to prove confession to be of human institution.

The name of the inventor or originator is generally attached to every human institution or discovery. But those who deny the divine origin of confession, cannot say in what land and at what epoch this custom — than which none other is so difficult and wearisome, and at the same time so unremunerative for the priest — was first introduced. Protestants do, it is true, allege that it was introduced at the Lateran Council in 1215, when confession once a year was made obligatory for the faithful; but who would be so foolish as to conclude, because a father bade his son pay him a visit regularly once every year, that until then he had not been in the habit of ever visiting him?

2. The institution of confession affords us proof of the infinite mercy and wisdom of God.

How easy it is for us, who on account of our sins are like crimnals condemned to death, to obtain pardon from God! He does not require of us severe sufferings, a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, or the like ; nothing but the confession of our sins to any one of His ministers whom we may select, and who is pledged to strictest secrecy. ISTo earthly monarch was ever so indulgent to transgressors. What exertions a prisoner confined in a subterranean dungeon will make to regain his liberty! For a whole year he will work at filing through a bar or loosening a stone. The spiritual prisoner need take no such pains to recover his freedom; such is the unfathomable bounty and mercy of God. The infinite wisdom of God is also exhibited in the institution of confession. The skill of an experienced physician is shown by the fact that he not only relieves the patient, but by the employment of a remedy opposed to the disease, eliminates its cause. Now we know that all transgressions come from pride; it is, as St. Thomas Aquinas declares, the source of all sin; confession is diametrically opposed to pride, it is a humiliation for the sinner. Thus God manifests His wisdom by appointing a practice easy and simple in itself, and yet most painful to human nature; for confession requires no slight conquest of self.

The Advantages of Confession.

Confession is extremely useful both to individuals and to society in general.

1. Confession is profitable to the individual inasmuch as he derives from it self-knowledge, delicacy of conscience, interior peace, strength of character, and moral purity.

By comparing all that he has done or left undone with the law of God's commandments, the penitent learns to know his own heart. His conscience also speaks more clearly. By frequent confession the law of God is more deeply impressed on the heart of man ; when tempted to sin, the commandment he is about to break presents

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itself to his mind. The mere thought of confession also acts as a deterrent from sin; some persons abstain from sin because they could not bear to tell it to the priest. Experience proves how great a relief confession is to the mind of one who has committed a grievous sin. The impulse to confess one's misdeeds is inherent in human nature; confession answers to this feeling, and the assurance of pardon affords the greatest consolation. Confession also increases strength of character, for by it we learn to overcome ourselves. Moreover the Holy Spirit enlightens our understanding and fortifies our will, and the more steadfastly the will is inclined to what is good, the more strength of character we shall possess. Confession, being in itself an act of humility, cannot fail to make a man humble, and humility is the foundation of all moral perfection. Proud people have the greatest aversion to confession. It is a means of freeing ourselves from the fetters of the devil, for by telling the truth when it would be so easy to deceive, and the temptation to conceal is often experienced, we throw off the yoke of the father of lies, and turn to Him Who is eternal Truth. And the less power the devil has over a man, the more easily he will draw nigh to God. The first step in amend ment of life is to go to confession. " Before applying thyself to good deeds," says St. Augustine, " confess thy misdeeds."

2. Confession is profitable to society at large because it is a means whereby disputes are settled, stolen property is restored, crimes are prevented, and vice effectually suppressed.

Absolution is not given to the penitent who refuses to forgive his neighbor or make restitution of property wrongfully obtained. The reason why non-Catholics often prefer Catholic servants and are willing to let them go to confession is apparent. The priest in the confessional spares no pains to dissuade those who come to him from carrying out any evil designs they may have formed, and tells them what measures they must take to master their passions. More is done in the confessional than in the pulpit for the furtherance of morality, for what is said in private has more effect that what is said in public. Pope Pius V. used to say : " Give me good confessors and I will reform the whole world." If the discovery were made that confession was practised by one of the pagan nations of antiquity, too much could not be said in praise of so excellent and wise an institution; but because it is practised in the Catholic Church, and appointed by the living God, it is termed foolish, tyrannical, and degrading.

The Sin of Relapse.

When the Ark of the Covenant, we are told, was carried to the brink of the Jordan, the water left off flowing downwards, and stood together in a heap. But no sooner had the ark passed over, than the waters returned into their channel and ran on as they were wont before (Josue iii.). So it is with many a Christian. When they have received the sacraments, they restrain their passions a little; but before long they again give them free rein, and sin even more deeply than ever. "Many," says St, Jerome, "begin well, but few

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persevere." " They put their hand to the plough and then look back" (Luke ix. 62). They are to be compared to the sow that was washed and returns to her wallowing in the mire (2 Pet. ii. 22), or to the dog that returneth to his vomit (Prov. xxvi. 11).

1. He who after his conversion relapses into mortal sin, is in danger of dying impenitent, because the devil acquires great power over him, and the influence of the Holy Spirit is lessened.

It is impossible for those who were once illuminated, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and are fallen away, to be renewed again to penance (Heb. vi. 4). The backslider finds it difficult to regain the right road. Relapse into sin is like the relapse of a convalescent; the disease from which he suffered has more hold on him than before. Our Lord says of such a one that the unclean spirit returns to him and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself (Luke xi. 26). The devil deals with the backslider as a prudent warder does with a prisoner who has once escaped; he guards him more watchfully than before. The backslider grieves the Holy Spirit of God (Eph. iv. 30) ; nay he drives Him away, and violates the temple of God (1 Cor. iii. 17). Thus the sin of relapse renders a man unworthy of the assistance of divine grace. He does not deserve to be cured who opens his wounds afresh. A prince will not readily readmit a man to his favor, who despite all protestations of fidelity has proved himself a traitor. The sin of relapse is severely punished by God. Our Lord said to the man whom He had healed : " Sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee " (John v. 14).

2. If any one should relapse into mortal sin, let him forthwith repent and go to confession; for the longer penance is delayed, the more difficult, the more uncertain conversion will be.

The backslider ought to act as St. Peter did when he had denieu. Christ; he went out and wept bitterly (Matt. xxvi. 75). If firebreaks out in a house, it can be extinguished at once if help is at hand; and if the Backslider does penance immediately, his sin may be pardoned; nay more, his fall may even obtain for him a greater measure of grace. In the case of some saints, their fall produced in them a greater accession of fervor, and the depth of their contrition obtained for them a higher degree of grace. But the longer penance is postponed, the worse it will fare with the sinner. It is the opinion of the Fathers that as almighty God has appointed beforehand the number of talents to be confided to every individual, so He has fixed the number of sins which shall be forgi-ven to each; when this number is complete, there is no more pardon to be found. St. Augustine says that the long-suffering of God bears with the sinner up to a certain point; after that he cannot obtain forgiveness. In his first illness the infidel Voltaire repented; but he presently fell into greater wickedness than before, and his end was a dreadful one.

3. If, through frailty, we fall into venial sin, we must not be disquieted on that account, but humble ourselves before God.

To be vexed and out of temper with one's self shows pride ; we cannot tolerate the sight of our own imperfections. It is of no use to

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be angry because we are men, not angels; in that way we only perpetuate our faults. "If," as St. Francis of Sales says, "we are angry with ourselves for being angry with another, we feed our anger instead of stifling it." No one is able throughout his whole life to avoid all sins, except by a special privilege from God, as the Church holds in regard of the Blessed Virgin (Council of Trent, 6, 23). God permits us to fall into venial sins to keep us humble. He does like the mother who lets her child run alone in a soft meadow, where a fall will do him no harm; but on a rough road she carries him in her arms. So God upholds us in great dangers by His almighty hand, but in slight matters He leaves us more to ourselves. Hence we must act like children, when they fall; they cry a little and get up again; so we must at once bewail our fault, acknowledge our misery, renew our trust in God, and go on as before. Thus our sins may be made of profit to us ; they ought to humble, not to discourage us (St. Francis of Sales). It is impossible to keep the linen we wear perfectly clean, but we can have it washed when it is soiled. It is equally impossible to keep our soul free from all stains, yet it is in our power to cleanse it when we have fallen into sin. The just man falls seven times, but he shall rise again seven limes (Prov. xxiv. 16).

4. Since we cannot possibly continue in a state of grace until death without the special assistance of the Holy Spirit, let us fervently implore of God the grace of final perseverance.

In addition to sanctifying grace the just man needs actual grace, in order to persevere in justice. As the most healthy eye cannot see without the light of the sun, so the best of men cannot live aright without the operation of grace. The justified are not able to persevere in justice received without the special help of God (Council of Trent, 6, 22). Without the assistance of grace we should quickly relapse into our former sins, and into yet worse ones, just as creation would fall back into nothing if not preserved in existence by God. The gift of final perseverance is the greatest gift we can receive from God, for all other graces are valueless without it. " He that shall persevere unto the end, he," and he only, " shall be saved " (Matt. xxiv. 13). It is useless to lay the foundation of a house if the structure is not to be finished. " The Christian," says St. Augustine, " will not be questioned about the commencement, but the end of his life." St. Paul made a bad beginning, but a good end. Judas began well, and ended by betraying Our Lord, to his own damnation. The gift of final perseverance will not be denied to him who humbly implores it.

By good works also we may make sure our calling and election (2 Pet. i. 10). Unremitting prayer, and heartfelt devotion to the Mother of God are besides excellent means to enable us to persevere in justice.

The more good work we have done the less need we fear damnation. Hence the prophet said to Josaphat, the King of Israel : " Thou didst deserve indeed the wrath of God2 but good works are found in

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thee" (2 Par. xix. 3). Why were David and St. Peter treated by God with such favor and indulgence after their fall? Because of the good works they had previously performed. Unremitting prayer is also an excellent means of persevering in justice. As birds continually move their wings in the air, to keep from falling to the ground, so we should soar to God on the pinions of prayer, lest we fall into mortal sin. Our Lord enjoins on us " always to pray " (Luke xviii. 1). There is nothing more certain to preserve us through out our life in the grace of God than unceasing prayer. Hot water does not get cold if it be placed close to the fire, neither does the warmth of divine charity die out of our heart if we keep it near to God by frequent ejaculatory prayers. And since all graces come to us through the hands of the Mother of God, we cannot doubt that the gift of final perseverance, the greatest of all graces, will only be obtained through her intercession on our behalf. " If thou dost enjoy Mary's favor," St. Bernard declares, " thou art sure of salvation."