PART II : THE SACRAMENTS
Importance Of Instruction On The Sacraments
The exposition of every part of Christian doctrine
demands knowledge and industry on the part of the pastor. But instruction on
the Sacraments, which, by the ordinance of God, are a necessary means of
salvation and a plenteous source of spiritual advantage, demands in a special
manner his talents and industry By accurate and frequent instruction (on the
Sacraments) the faithful will be enabled to approach worthily and with salutary
effect these inestimable and most holy institutions; and the priests will not
depart from the rule laid down in the divine prohibition: Give not that which
is holy to dogs: neither cast ye your pearls before swine.
The Word "Sacrament"
Since, then, we are about to treat of the Sacraments in
general, it is proper to begin in the first place by explaining the force and
meaning of the word Sacrament, and showing its various significations, in order
the more easily to comprehend the sense in which it is here used. The faithful,
therefore, are to be informed that the word Sacrament, in so far as it concerns
our present purpose, is differently understood by sacred and profane writers.
By some it has been used to express the obligation which
arises from an oath, pledging to the performance of some service; and hence the
oath by which soldiers promise military service to the State has been called a
military sacrament. Among profane writers this seems to have been the most
ordinary meaning of the word.
But by the Latin Fathers who have written on theological
subjects, the word sacrament is used to signify a sacred thing which lies
concealed. The Greeks, to express the same idea, made use of the word mystery.
This we understand to be the meaning of the word, when, in the Epistle to the
Ephesians, it is said: That he might make known to us the mystery (sacramentum)
of his will; and to Timothy: great is the mystery (sacramentum) of godliness;
and in the Book of Wisdom: They knew not the secrets (sacramenta) of God. In
these and many other passages the word sacrament,- it will be perceived,
signifies nothing more than a holy thing that lies concealed and hidden.
The Latin Doctors, therefore, deemed the word a very
appropriate term to express certain sensible signs which at once communicate
grace, declare it, and, as it were, place it before the eyes. St. Gregory,
however, is of the opinion that such a sign is called a Sacrament, because the
divine power secretly operates our salvation under the veil of sensible things.
Let it not, however, be supposed that the word sacrament
is of recent ecclesiastical usage. Whoever peruses the works of Saints Jerome
and Augustine will at once perceive that ancient ecclesiastical writers made
use of the word sacrament, and some times also of the word symbol, or mystical
sign or sacred sign, to designate that of which we here speak.
So much will suffice in explanation of the word
sacrament. What we have said applies equally to the Sacraments of the Old Law;
but since they have been superseded by the Gospel Law and grace, it is not
necessary that pastors give instruction concerning them.
Definition of a Sacrament
Besides the meaning of the word, which has hitherto
engaged our attention, the nature and efficacy of the thing which the word
signifies must be diligently considered, and the faithful must be taught what
constitutes a Sacrament. No one can doubt that the Sacraments are among the
means of attaining righteousness and salvation. But of the many definitions,
each of them sufficiently appropriate, which may serve to explain the nature of
a Sacrament, there is none more comprehensive, none more perspicuous, than the
definition given by St. Augustine and adopted by all scholastic writers. A
Sacrament, he says, is a sign of a sacred thing; or, as it has been expressed
in other words of the same import: A Sacrament is a visible sign of an
invisible grace, instituted for our justification.
"A Sacrament is a Sign"
The more fully to develop this definition, the pastor
should ex plain it in all its parts. He should first observe that sensible
objects are of two sorts: some have been invented precisely to serve as signs;
others have been established not for the sake of signifying something else, but
for their own sakes alone. To the latter class almost every object in nature
may be said to belong; to the former, spoken and written languages, military
standards, images, trumpets, signals a and a multiplicity of other things of
the same sort. Thus with regard to words; take away their power of expressing
ideas, and you seem to take away the only reason for their invention. Such
things are, therefore, properly called signs. For, according to St. Augustine,
a sign, besides what it presents to the senses, is a medium through which we
arrive at the knowledge of something else. From a footstep, for instance, which
we see traced on the ground, we instantly infer that some one whose trace
appears has passed.
Proof From Reason
A Sacrament, therefore, is clearly to be numbered among
those things which have been instituted as signs. It makes known to us by a
certain appearance and resemblance that which God, by His invisible power,
accomplishes in our souls. Let us illustrate what we have said by an example.
Baptism, for instance, which is administered by external ablution, accompanied
with certain solemn words, signifies that by the power of the Holy Ghost all
stain and defilement of sin is inwardly washed away, and that the soul is
enriched and adorned with the admirable gift of heavenly justification; while,
at the same time, the bodily washing, as we shall hereafter explain in its
proper place, accomplishes in the soul that which it signifies.
Proof From Scripture
That a Sacrament is to be numbered among signs is dearly
inferred also from Scripture. Speaking of circumcision, a Sacrament of the Old
Law which was given to Abraham, the father of all believers," the Apostle
in his Epistle to the Romans, says: And he received the sign of circumcision, a
seal of the justice of the faith. In another place he says: All we who are
baptised in Christ Jesus, are baptised in his death, words which justify the
inference that Baptism signifies, to use the words of the same Apostle, that we
are buried together with him by baptism into death.
Nor is it unimportant that the faithful should know that
the Sacraments are signs. This knowledge will lead them more readily to believe
that what the Sacraments signify, contain and effect is holy and august; and
recognising their sanctity they will be more disposed to venerate and adore the
beneficence of God displayed towards us.
"Sign of a Sacred Thing" : Kind of Sign Meant
Here
We now come to explain the words, sacred thing, which
constitute the second part of the definition. To render this explanation
satisfactory we must enter somewhat more minutely into the accurate and acute
remarks of St. Augustine on the variety of signs.
Natural Signs
Some signs are called natural. These, besides making themselves
known to us, also convey a knowledge of something else, an effect, as we have
already said, common to all signs. Smoke, for instance, is a natural sign from
which we immediately infer the existence of fire. It is called a natural sign,
because it implies the existence of fire, not by arbitrary institution, but
from experience. If we see smoke, we are at once convinced of the presence of
fire, even though it is hidden.
Signs Invented By Man,
Other signs are not natural, but conventional, and are
invented by men to enable them to converse one with another, to convey their
thoughts to others, and in turn to learn the opinions and receive the advice of
other men. The variety and multiplicity of such signs may be inferred from the
fact that some belong to the eyes, many to the ears, and the rest to the other
senses. Thus when we intimate any thing to another by such a sensible sign as
the raising of a flag, it is obvious that such intimation is conveyed only
through the medium of the eyes; and it is equally obvious that the sound of the
trumpet, of the lute and of the lyre,-instruments which are not only sources of
pleasure, but frequently signs of ideas -- is addressed to the ear. Through the
latter sense especially are also conveyed words, which are the best medium of
communicating our inmost thoughts.
Signs Instituted By God
Besides the signs instituted by the will and agreement of
men, of which we have been speaking so far, there are certain other signs
appointed by God. These latter, as all admit, are not all of the same kind.
Some were instituted by God to indicate something or to bring back its
recollection. Such were the purifications of the Law, the unleavened bread, and
many other things which belonged to the ceremonies of the Mosaic worship. But
God has appointed other signs with power not only to signify, but also to
accomplish (what they signify).
Among these are manifestly to be numbered the Sacraments
of the New Law. They are signs instituted not by man but by God, which we
firmly believe have in themselves the power of producing the sacred effects of
which they are the signs.
Kind of Sacred Thing Meant Here
We have seen that there are many kinds of signs. The
sacred thing referred to is also of more than one kind. As regards the
definition already given of a Sacrament, theologians prove that by the words
sacred thing is to be understood the grace of God, which sanctifies the soul
and adorns it with the habit of all the divine virtues; and of this grace they
rightly consider the words sacred thing, an appropriate appellation, because by
its salutary influence the soul is consecrated and united to God.
In order, therefore, to explain more fully the nature of
a Sacrament, it should be taught that it is a sensible object which possesses,
by divine institution, the power not only of signifying, but also of
accomplishing holiness and righteousness. Hence it follows, as everyone can
easily see, that the images of the Saints, crosses and the like, although signs
of sacred things, cannot be called Sacraments. That such is the nature of a
Sacrament is easily proved by the example of all the Sacraments, if we apply to
the others what has been already said of Baptism; namely, that the solemn
ablution of the body not only signifies, but has power to effect a sacred thing
which is wrought interiorly by the operation of the Holy Ghost.
Other Sacred Things Signified By The Sacraments
Now it is especially appropriate that these mystical
signs, instituted by God, should signify by the appointment of the Lord not
only one thing, but several things at once.
All The Sacraments Signify Something Present, Something
Past, Something Future:
This applies to all the Sacraments; for all of them
declare not only our sanctity and justification, but also two other things most
intimately connected with sanctification, namely, the Passion of Christ our
Redeemer, which is the source of our sanctification, and also eternal life and
heavenly bliss, which are the end of sanctification. Such, then, being the
nature of all the Sacraments, holy Doctors justly hold that each of them has a
threefold significance: they remind us of something past; they indicate and
point out something present; they foretell something future.
Nor should it be supposed that this teaching of the
Doctors is unsupported by the testimony of Holy Scripture. When the Apostle
says: All we who are baptised in Christ Jesus, are baptised in his death, he
gives us clearly to understand that Baptism is called a sign, because it
reminds us of the death and Passion of our Lord. When he says, We are buried
together with him by baptism into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead
by the glory of the Father, so, we also may walk in newness of life, he also
clearly shows that Baptism is a sign which indicates the infusion of divine
grace into our souls, which enables us to lead a new life and to perform all
the duties of true piety with ease and cheerfulness. Finally, when he adds: If
we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in
the likeness of his resurrection, he teaches that Baptism clearly foreshadows
eternal life also, which we are to reach through its efficacy.
A Sacrament Sometimes Signifies The Presence Of More Than
One Thing
Besides the different significations already mentioned, a
Sacrament also not infrequently indicates and marks the presence of more than
one thing. This we readily perceive when we reflect that the Holy Eucharist at
once signifies the presence of the real body and blood of Christ and the grace
which it imparts to the worthy receiver of the sacred mysteries.
What has been said, therefore, cannot fail to supply the
pastor with arguments to prove how much the power of God is displayed, how many
hidden miracles are contained in the Sacraments of the New Law; that thus all
may understand that they are to be venerated and received with utmost
devotion.'
Why the Sacraments were Instituted
Of all the means employed to teach the proper use of the
Sacraments, there is none more effectual than a careful exposition of the
reasons of their institution. Many such reasons are commonly assigned.
The first of these reasons is the feebleness of the human
mind. We are so constituted by nature that no one can aspire to mental and
intellectual knowledge unless through the medium of sensible objects. In order,
therefore, that we might more easily understand what is accomplished by the
hidden power of God, the same sovereign Creator of the universe has most
wisely, and out of His tender kindness towards us, ordained that His power
should be manifested to us through the intervention of certain sensible signs.
As St. Chrysostom happily expresses it: If man were not clothed with a material
body, these good things would have been presented to him naked and without any
covering; but as the soul is joined to the body, it was absolutely necessary to
employ sensible things in order to assist in making them understood.
Another reason is because the mind yields a reluctant
assent to promises. Hence, from the beginning of the world, God was accustomed
to indicate, and usually in words, that which He had resolved to do; but
sometimes, when designing to execute something, the magnitude of which might
weaken a belief in its accomplishment, He added to words other signs, which
sometimes appeared miraculous. When, for instance, God sent Moses to deliver
the people of Israel, and Moses, distrusting the help even of God who had
commissioned him, feared that the burden imposed was heavier than he could bear,
or that the people would not heed his message, the Lord confirmed His promise
by a great variety of signs. As, then, in the Old Law, God ordained that every
important promise should be confirmed by certain signs, so in the New Law,
Christ our Saviour, when He promised pardon of sin, divine grace, the
communication of the Holy Spirit, instituted certain visible and sensible signs
by which He might oblige Himself, as it were, by pledges, and make it
impossible to doubt that He would be true to His promises.
A third reason is that the Sacraments, to use the words
of St. Ambrose, may be at hand, as the remedies and medicines of the Samaritan
in the Gospel, to preserve or recover the health of the soul. For, through the
Sacraments, as through a channel, must flow into the soul the efficacy of the
Passion of Christ, that is, the grace which He merited for us on the altar of
the cross, and without which we cannot hope for salvation. Hence, our most
merciful Lord has bequeathed to His Church, Sacraments stamped with the
sanction of His word and promise, through which, provided we make pious and
devout use of these remedies, we firmly believe that the fruit of His Passion
is really communicated to us.
A fourth reason why the institution of the Sacraments
seems necessary is that there may be certain marks and symbols to distinguish
the faithful; particularly since, as St. Augustine observes, no society of men,
professing a true or a false religion, can be, so to speak, consolidated into
one body, unless united and held together by some bond of sensible signs. Both
these objects the Sacraments of the New Law accomplish, distinguishing the
Christian from the infidel, and uniting the faithful by a sort of sacred bond.
Another very just cause for the institution of the
Sacraments may be shown from the words of the Apostle: With the heart we
believe unto justice; but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. By
approaching them we make a public profession of our faith in the sight of men.
Thus, when we approach Baptism, we openly profess our belief that, by virtue of
its salutary waters in which we are washed, the soul is spiritually cleansed.
The Sacraments have also great influence, not only in
exciting and exercising our faith, but also in inflaming that charity with
which we should love one another, when we recollect that, by partaking of these
mysteries in common, we are knit together in the closest bonds and are made
members of one body.
A final consideration, which is of greatest importance
for the life of a Christian, is that the Sacraments repress and subdue the
pride of the human heart, and exercise us in the practice of humility; for they
oblige us to subject ourselves to sensible elements in obedience to God, from
whom we had before impiously revolted in order to serve the elements of the
world.
These are the chief points that appeared to us necessary
for the instruction of the faithful on the name, nature, and institution of a
Sacrament. When they shall have been accurately expounded by the pastor, his
next duty will be to explain the constituents of each Sacrament, its parts, and
the rites and ceremonies which have been added to its administration.
Constituent Parts of the Sacraments
In the first place, then, it should be explained that the
sensible thing which enters into the definition of a Sacrament as already
given, although constituting but one sign, is twofold. Every Sacrament consists
of two things, matter, which is called the element, and form, which is commonly
called the word.
This is the doctrine of the Fathers of the Church; and
the testimony of St. Augustine on the subject is familiar to all. The word, he
says, is joined to the element and it becomes a Sacrament. By the words
sensible thing, therefore, the Fathers understand not only the matter or
element, such as water in Baptism, chrism in confirmation, and oil in Extreme
Unction, all of which fall under the eye; but also the words which constitute
the form, and which are addressed to the ear.
Both are clearly pointed out by the Apostle, when he
says: Christ loved the Church, and delivered himself up for it, that he might
sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life. Here both
the matter and form of the Sacrament are expressly mentioned.
In order to make the meaning of the rite that is being
performed easier and clearer, words had to be added to the matter. For of all
signs words are evidently the most significant, and without them, what the
matter for the Sacraments designates and declares would be utterly obscure.
Water, for instance, has the quality of cooling as well as cleansing, and may
be symbolic of either. In Baptism, therefore, unless the words were added, it
would not be certain, but only conjectural, which signification was intended; but
when the words are added, we immediately understand that the Sacrament
possesses and signifies the power of cleansing.
In this the Sacraments of the New Law excel those of the
Old that, as far as we know, there was no definite form of administering the
latter, and hence they were very uncertain and obscure. In our Sacraments, on
the contrary, the form is so definite that any, even a casual deviation from it
renders the Sacrament null. Hence the form is expressed in the clearest terms,
such as exclude the possibility of doubt.
These, then, are the parts which belong to the nature and
substance of the Sacraments, and of which every Sacrament is necessarily
composed.
Ceremonies Used in the Administration of the Sacraments
To (the matter and form) are added certain ceremonies.
These cannot be omitted without sin, unless in case of necessity; yet, if at
any time they be omitted, the Sacrament is not thereby invalidated, since the
ceremonies do not pertain to its essence. It is not without good reason that
the administration of the Sacraments has been at all times, from the earliest
ages of the Church, accompanied with certain solemn rites.
There is, in the first place, the greatest propriety in
manifesting such a religious reverence to the sacred mysteries as to make it
appear that holy things are handled by holy men.
Secondly, these ceremonies serve to display more fully
the effects of the Sacraments, placing them, as it were, before our eyes, and
to impress more deeply on the minds of the faithful the sanctity of these
sacred institutions.
Thirdly, they elevate to sublime contemplation the minds
of those who behold and observe them with attention, and excite within them
faith and charity.
To enable the faithful, therefore, to know and understand
clearly the meaning of the ceremonies made use of in the administration of each
Sacrament should be an object of special care and attention.
The Number Of The Sacraments
We now come to explain the number of the Sacraments. A
knowledge of this point is very advantageous to the faithful; for the greater
the number of aids to salvation and the life of bliss which they understand to
have been provided by God, the more ardent will be the piety with which they
will direct all the powers of their souls to praise and proclaim His singular
goodness towards us.
The Sacraments of the Catholic Church are seven in
number, as is proved from Scripture, from the tradition handed down to us from
the Fathers, and from the authority of Councils. Why they are neither more nor
less in number may be shown, at least
with some probability, from the analogy that exists
between the natural and the spiritual life. In order to exist, to preserve
existence, and to contribute to his own and to the public good, seven things
seem necessary to man: to be born, to grow, to be nurtured, to be cured when
sick, when weak to be strengthened; as far as regards the public welfare, to
have magistrates invested with authority to govern, and to perpetuate himself
and his species by legitimate offspring. Now, since it is quite clear that all
these things are sufficiently analogous to that life by which the soul lives to
God, we discover in them a reason to account for the number of the Sacraments.
First comes Baptism, which is the gate, as it were, to
all the other Sacraments, and by which we are born again unto Christ. The next
is Confirmation, by which we grow up and are strengthened in the grace of God;
for, as St. Augustine observes, to the Apostles who had already received Baptism,
the Redeemer said: "Stay you in the city till you be endued with power
from on high.,, The third is the Eucharist, that true bread from heaven which
nourishes and sustains our souls to eternal life, according to these words of
the Saviour: My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. The fourth
is Penance, through which lost health is recovered after we have been wounded
by sin. Next is Extreme Unction, which obliterates the remains of sin and
invigorates the powers of the soul; for speaking of this Sacrament St. James
says: If he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him. Then follows Holy Orders,
by which power is given to exercise perpetually in the Church the public
administration of the Sacraments and to perform all the sacred functions. The
last is Matrimony, instituted to the end that, by means of the legitimate and
holy union of man and woman, children may be procreated and religiously
educated for the service of God, and for the preservation of the human race.
Comparisons among the Sacraments
Though all the Sacraments possess a divine and admirable
efficacy, it is well worthy of special remark that all are not of equal
necessity or of equal dignity, nor is the signification of all the same.
Among them three are said to be necessary beyond the
rest, although in all three this necessity is not of the same kind. The
universal and absolute necessity of Baptism our Saviour has declared in these
words: Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter
into the kingdom of God. Penance, on the other hand, is necessary for those
only who have stained themselves after Baptism by any mortal guilt. Without
sincere repentance, their eternal ruin is inevitable. Orders, too, although not
necessary to each of the faithful, are of absolute necessity to the Church as a
whole.
But if we consider the dignity of the Sacraments, the
Eucharist, for holiness and for the number and greatness of its mysteries, is
far superior to all the rest. These, however, are matters which will be more
easily understood, when we come to explain, in its proper place, what regards
each of the Sacraments.
The Author of the Sacraments
It now remains to inquire from whom we have received
these sacred and divine mysteries. Any gift, however excellent in itself,
undoubtedly receives an increased value from the dignity and excellence of him
by whom it is bestowed.
The present question, however, is not hard to answer. For
since human justification comes from God, and since the Sacraments are the wonderful
instruments of justification, it is evident that one and the same God in
Christ, must be acknowledged to be the author of justification and of the
Sacraments.
Furthermore, the Sacraments contain a power and efficacy
which reach the inmost soul; and as God alone has power to enter into the
hearts and minds of men, He alone, through Christ, is manifestly the author of
the Sacraments.
That they are also interiorly dispensed by Him we must
hold with a firm and certain faith, according to these words of St. John, in
which he declares that he learned this truth concerning Christ: He who sent me
to baptise with water, said to me: He, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit
descending, and remaining upon him, he it is that baptizeth with the Holy
Ghost.
The Ministers of the Sacraments
But although God is the author and dispenser of the
Sacraments, He nevertheless willed that they should be administered in His
Church by men, not by Angels. To constitute a Sacrament, as the unbroken
tradition of the Fathers testifies, matter and form are not more necessary than
is the ministry of men.
Unworthiness Of The Minister And Validity
Since the ministers of the Sacraments represent in the
discharge of their sacred functions, not their own, but the person of Christ,
be they good or bad, they validly perform and confer the Sacraments, provided
they make use of the matter and form always observed in the Catholic Church
according to the institution of Christ, and provided they intend to do what the
Church does in their administration. Hence, unless the recipients wish to
deprive themselves of so great a good and resist the Holy Ghost, nothing can
prevent them from receiving (through the Sacraments) the fruit of grace.
That this was, at all times, a fixed and well ascertained
doctrine of the Church, is established beyond all doubt by St. Augustine, in
his disputations against the Donatists. And should we desire Scriptural proof
also, let us listen to these words of the Apostle: I have planted; Apollo
watered; but God gave the increase Therefore neither he that planteth nor he
that watereth is any
thing, but God who
giveth the increase. From these words it is clear that as trees are not injured
by the wickedness of those who planted them, so those who were planted in
Christ by the ministry of bad men sustain no injury from the guilt of those
others.
Judas Iscariot, as the holy Fathers infer from the Gospel
of St. John, conferred Baptism on many; and yet none of those whom he baptised
are recorded to have been baptised again. To use the memorable words of St.
Augustine: Judas baptised, and yet after him none were rebaptised; John
baptised, and after John they were rebaptised . For the Baptism administered by
Judas was the Baptism of Christ, but that administered by John was the baptism
of John. Not that we prefer Judas to John, but that we justly prefer the
Baptism of Christ, although administered by Judas, to that of John although
administered by the hands of John.
Lawfulness Of Administration
But let not pastors, or other ministers of the
Sacraments, hence infer that they fully acquit themselves of their duty, if,
disregarding integrity of life and purity of morals, they attend only to the
administration of the Sacraments in the manner prescribed. True, the manner of
administering them demands particular diligence; yet this alone does not
constitute all that pertains to that duty. It should never be forgotten that
the Sacraments, although they cannot lose the divine efficacy inherent in them,
bring eternal death and perdition to him who dares administer them unworthily.
Holy things, it cannot be too often repeated, should be
treated holily and with due reverence. To the sinner, says the Prophet, God has
said: Why dost thou declare my justices, and take my covenant in thy mouth,
seeing that thou hast hated discipline? If then, for him who is defiled by sin
it is unlawful to speak on divine things, how enormous the guilt of that man,
who, conscious of many crimes, dreads not to accomplish with polluted lips the
holy mysteries, to take them into his befouled hands, to touch
them, and to present and administer them to others? All
the more since St. Denis says that the wicked may not even touch the symbols,
as he calls the Sacraments.
It therefore becomes the first duty of the minister of
holy things to follow holiness of life, to approach with purity the
administration of the Sacraments, and so to exercise himself in piety, that,
from their frequent administration and use, he may every day receive, with the
divine assistance, more abundant grace.
Effects of the Sacraments
When these matters have been explained, the effects of
the Sacraments are the next subject of instruction. This subject should throw
considerable light on the definition of a Sacrament as already given.
First Effect: Justifying Grace
The principal effects of the Sacraments are two. The
first place is rightly held by that grace which we, following the usage of the
holy Doctors, call sanctifying. For so the Apostle most clearly taught when he
said: Christ loved the church, and delivered himself up for it; that he might
sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life. But how so
great and so admirable an effect is produced by the Sacrament that, to use the
well-known saying of St. Augustine, water cleanses the body and reaches the
heart, -- this, indeed, cannot be comprehended by human reason and
intelligence. It may be taken for granted that no sensible thing is of its own
nature able to reach the soul; but we know by the light of faith that in the
Sacraments there exists the power of almighty God by which they effect that
which the natural elements cannot of themselves accomplish.
Lest on this subject any doubt should exist in the minds
of the faithful, God, in the abundance of His mercy, was pleased,
from the moment
when the Sacraments began to be administered, to manifest by the evidence of
miracles the effects which they operate interiorly in the soul. (This He did)
in order that we may most firmly believe that the same effects, although far
removed from the senses, are always inwardly produced. To say nothing of the
fact that at the Baptism of the Redeemer in the Jordan the heavens were opened
and the Holy Ghost appeared in the form of a dove, to teach us that when we are
washed in the sacred font His grace is infused into our souls -- to omit this,
which has reference rather to the signification of Baptism than to the
administration of the Sacrament -- do we not read that on the day of Pentecost,
when the Apostles received the Holy Ghost, by whom they were thenceforward
inspired with greater alacrity and resolution to preach the faith and brave
dangers for the glory of Christ, there came suddenly a sound from heaven, as of
a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting,
and there appeared to them parted tongues, as it were, of fire? By this it was
understood that in the Sacrament of Confirmation the same Spirit is given us,
and such strength is imparted as enables us resolutely to encounter and resist
our incessant enemies, the world, the flesh and the devil. For some time in the
beginning of the Church, whenever these Sacraments were administered by the
Apostles, the same miraculous effects were witnessed, and they ceased only when
the faith had acquired maturity and strength.
From what has been said of sanctifying grace, the first
effect of the Sacraments, it clearly follows that there resides in the
Sacraments of the New Law, a virtue more exalted and efficacious than that of
the sacraments of the Old Law. Those ancient sacraments, being weak and needy
elements, sanctified such as were defiled to the cleansing of the flesh, but
not of the spirit. They were, therefore, instituted only as signs of those
things, which were to be accomplished by our mysteries. The Sacraments of the
New Law, on the contrary, flowing from the side of Christ, who, by the Holy
Ghost, offered himself unspotted unto God, cleanse our consciences from dead
works, to
serve the living God, and thus work in us, through the
blood of Christ, the grace which they signify. Comparing our Sacraments,
therefore, with those of the Old Law we find that they are not only more
efficacious, but also more fruitful in spiritual advantages, and more august in
holiness.
Second Effect: Sacramental Character
The second effect of the Sacraments -- which, however, is
not common to all, but peculiar to three, Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy
Orders -- is the character which they impress on the soul. When the Apostle
says: God hath anointed us, who also hath sealed us, and given the pledge of
the Spirit in our hearts, he not obscurely describes by the word sealed a
character, the property of which is to impress a seal and mark.
This character is, as it were, a distinctive impression
stamped on the soul which perpetually inheres and cannot be blotted out. Of
this St. Augustine says: Shall the Christian Sacraments accomplish less than
the bodily mark impressed on the soldier? That mark is not stamped on his
person anew as often as he resumes the military service which he had
relinquished, but the old is recognised and approved.
This character has a twofold effect: it qualifies us to
receive or perform something sacred, and distinguishes us by some mark one from
another. In the character impressed by Baptism, both effects are exemplified.
By it we are qualified to receive the other Sacraments, and the Christian is
distinguished from those who do not profess the faith. The same illustration is
afforded by the characters impressed by Confirmation and Holy Orders. By
Confirmation we are armed and arrayed as soldiers of Christ, publicly to
profess and defend His name, to fight against our internal enemy and against
the spiritual powers of wickedness in the high places; and at the same time we
are distinguished from those who, being recently baptised, are, as it were,
new-born infants. Holy Orders confers the power of consecrating and
administering the Sacraments, and also distinguishes those who are invested
with this power from
the rest of the faithful. The rule of the Catholic Church is, therefore, to be
observed, which teaches that these three Sacraments impress a character and are
never to be repeated.
How to Make Instruction on the Sacraments Profitable
On the subject of the Sacraments in general, the above
are the matters on which instruction should be given. In explaining them,
pastors should keep in view principally two things, which they should zealously
strive to accomplish. The first is that the faithful understand the high
honour, respect and veneration due to these divine and celestial gifts. The
second is that, since the Sacraments have been established by the God of
infinite mercy for the common salvation of all, the people should make pious
and religious use of them, and be so inflamed with the desire of Christian
perfection as to deem it a very great loss to be for any time deprived of the
salutary use, particularly of Penance and the Holy Eucharist.
These objects pastors will find little difficulty in accomplishing,
if they call frequently to the attention of the faithful what we have already
said on the divine character and fruit of the Sacraments: first, that they were
instituted by our Lord and Saviour from whom can proceed nothing but what is
most perfect; further that when administered, the most powerful influence of
the Holy Ghost is present, pervading the inmost sanctuary of the soul; next
that they possess an admirable and unfailing virtue to cure our spiritual
maladies, and communicate to us the inexhaustible riches of the Passion of our
Lord.
Finally, let them point out, that although the whole
edifice of Christian piety rests on the most firm foundation of the
cornerstone; yet, unless it be supported on every side by the preaching of the
divine Word and by the use of the Sacraments, it is greatly to be feared that
it may to a great extent totter and fall to the ground. For as we are ushered
into spiritual life by means of the Sacraments, so by the same means are we
nourished and preserved, and grow to spiritual increase.
THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
Importance Of Instruction On Baptism
From what has been hitherto said on the Sacraments in
general, we may judge how necessary it is, to a proper understanding of the
doctrines of the Christian faith and to the practice of Christian piety, to
know what the Catholic Church proposes for our belief on each Sacrament in
particular.
Whoever reads the Apostle carefully will unhesitatingly
conclude that a perfect knowledge of Baptism is particularly necessary to the
faithful. For not only frequently, but also in language the most energetic, in
language full of the Spirit of God, he renews the recollection of this mystery,
declares its divine character, and in it places before us the death, burial and
Resurrection of. our Lord as objects both of our contemplation and imitation.
Pastors, therefore, can never think that they have
bestowed sufficient labor and attention on the exposition of this Sacrament.
Besides the Vigils of Easter and Pentecost, days on which the Church used to
celebrate this Sacrament with the greatest devotion and special solemnity, and
on which particularly, according to ancient practice, its divine mysteries were
to be explained, pastors should also take occasion at other times to make it
the subject of their instructions.
For this purpose a most convenient opportunity would seem
to present itself whenever a pastor, being about to administer this Sacrament,
finds himself surrounded by a considerable number of the faithful. On such
occasions, it is true, his exposition cannot embrace everything that regards
Baptism; but it will then be much easier to develop one or two points when the
faithful
can contemplate
with a pious and attentive mind the meaning of those things which they hear and
at the same time see it illustrated by the sacred ceremonies of Baptism. Each
person, reading a lesson of admonition in the person of him who is receiving
Baptism, will call to mind the promises by which he bound himself to God when
he was baptised, and will reflect whether his life and conduct have been such
as are promised by the profession of Christianity.
Names of this Sacrament
In order that the treatment of the subject. may be clear,
we must explain the nature and substance of Baptism, premising, however, an
explanation of the word itself.
The word baptism, as is well known, is of Greek
derivation. Although used in Sacred Scripture to express not only that ablution
which forms part of the Sacrament, but also every species of ablution, and
sometimes, figuratively, to express sufferings; yet it is employed by
ecclesiastical writers to designate not every sort of bodily ablution, but that
which forms part of the Sacrament and is administered with the prescribed form
of words. In this sense the Apostles very frequently make use of the word in
accordance with the institution of Christ the Lord.
This Sacrament the holy Fathers designate also by other
names. St. Augustine informs us that it was sometimes called the Sacrament of
Faith, because by receiving it we profess our faith in all the doctrines of
Christianity.
By others it was termed Illumination, because by the
faith which we profess in Baptism the heart is illumined; for as the Apostle
also says, alluding to the time of Baptism, Call to mind the former days,
wherein, being illumined, you endured a great fight of afflictions Chrysostom,
in his sermon to the baptised, calls it a purgation, because through it we
purge away the old leaven, that we may become a new paste. He also calls it a
burial, a planting, and the cross of Christ, the reasons for all which
appellations may be gathered from the Epistle to the Romans.
St. Denis calls it the beginning of the most holy
Commandments, for this obvious reason, that Baptism is, as it were, the gate
through which we enter into the fellowship of the Christian life, and begin
thenceforward to obey the Commandments. So much should be briefly explained
concerning the name (of this Sacrament) .
Definition Of Baptism
With regard to the definition of Baptism although many
can be given from sacred writers, nevertheless that which may be gathered from
the words of our Lord recorded in John, and of the Apostle to the Ephesians,
appears the most appropriate and suitable. Unless, says our Lord, a man be born
again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God;
and, speaking of the Church, the Apostle says, cleansing it by the laver of
water in the word of life. Thus it follows that Baptism may be rightly and
accurately defined: The Sacrament of regeneration by water in the word. By
nature we are born from Adam children of wrath, but by Baptism we are
regenerated in Christ, children of mercy. For He gave power to men to be made
the sons of God, to them that believe in his name, who are born, not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Constituent Elements Of Baptism
But define Baptism as we may, the faithful are to be
informed that this Sacrament consists of ablution, accompanied necessarily,
according to the institution of our Lord, by certain solemn words. This is the
uniform doctrine of the holy Fathers, as is proved by the following most
explicit testimony of St. Augustine: The word is joined to the element, and it
becomes a Sacrament.
It is all the more necessary to impress this on the minds
of the faithful lest they fall into the common error of thinking that the
baptismal water, preserved in the sacred font, constitutes the Sacrament. The
Sacrament of Baptism can be said to exist only when we actually apply the water
to someone by way of ablution, while using the words appointed by our Lord.
Matter of Baptism
Now since we said above, when treating of the Sacraments
in general, that every Sacrament consists of matter and form, it is therefore
necessary that pastors point out what constitutes each of these in Baptism. The
matter, then, or element of this Sacrament, is any sort of natural water, which
is simply and without qualification commonly called water, be it sea water,
river water, water from a pond, well or fountain.
Testimony Of Scripture Concerning The Matter Of Baptism
For the Saviour taught that unless a man be born again of
water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. The Apostle
also says that the Church was cleansed by the laver of water; and in the
Epistle of St. John we read these words: There are three that give testimony on
earth: the spirit, and the water, and the blood. Scripture affords other proofs
which establish the same truth.
When, however, John the Baptist says that the Lord will
come who will baptise in the Holy Ghost, and in fire, that is by no means to be
understood of the matter of Baptism; but should be applied either to the
interior operation of the Holy Ghost, or at least to the miracle performed on
the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles in the form
of fire, as was foretold by Christ our Lord in these words: John indeed
baptised with water, but you shall be baptised with the Holy Ghost, not many
days hence.
Figures
The same was also signified by the Lord both by figures
and by prophecies, as we know from Holy Scripture. According to the Prince of
the Apostles in his first Epistle, the deluge which cleansed the world because
the wickedness of men was great on the earth, and all the thought of their
heart was bent upon evil, was a figure and image of this water. To omit the
cleansing of Naaman the Syrian, and the admirable virtue of the pool of
Bethsaida, and many similar types, manifestly symbolic of this mystery, the
passage through the Red Sea, according to St. Paul in his Epistle to the
Corinthians, was typical of this same water.
Prophecies
With regard to the predictions, the waters to which the
Prophet Isaias so freely invites all that thirst, and those which Ezechiel in
spirit saw issuing from the Temple, and also the fountain which Zachary
foresaw, open to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem: for
the washing of the sinner, and of the unclean woman, were, no doubt, intended
to indicate and express the salutary waters of Baptism.
Fitness
The propriety of constituting water the matter of
Baptism, of the nature and efficacy of which it is at once expressive, St.
Jerome, in his Epistle to Oceanus, proves by many arguments.
Upon this subject pastors can teach in the first place
that water, which is always at hand and within the reach of all, was the
fittest matter of a Sacrament which is necessary to all for salvation. In the
next place water is best adapted to signify the effect of Baptism. It washes
away uncleanness, and is, therefore, strikingly illustrative of the virtue and
efficacy of Baptism, which washes away the stains of sin. We may also add that,
like water which cools the body, Baptism in a great measure extinguishes the
fire of concupiscence.
Chrism Added To Water For Solemn Baptism
But it should be noted that while in case of necessity
simple water unmixed with any other ingredient is sufficient for the matter of
this Sacrament, yet when Baptism is administered in public with solemn
ceremonies the Catholic Church, guided by Apostolic tradition, has uniformly
observed the practice of adding holy chrism which, as is clear, more fully
signifies the effect of Baptism. The people should also be taught that although
it may sometimes be doubtful whether this or that water be genuine, such as the
perfection of the Sacrament requires, it can never be a subject of doubt that
the only matter from which the Sacrament of Baptism can be formed is natural
water.
Form of Baptism
Having carefully explained the matter, which is one of
the two parts of which Baptism consists, pastors must show equal diligence in
explaining the form, which is the other essential part. In the explanation of
this Sacrament a necessity of increased care and study arises, as pastors will
perceive, from the circumstance that the knowledge of so holy a mystery is not
only in itself a source of pleasure to the faithful, as is generally the case
with regard to religious knowledge, but also very desirable for almost daily
practical use. As we shall explain in its proper place, circumstances often
arise where Baptism requires to be administered by the laity, and most
frequently by women; and it therefore becomes necessary to make all the
faithful, indiscriminately, well acquainted with whatever regards the substance
of this Sacrament.
Words Of The Form
Pastors, therefore, should teach, in clear, unambiguous
language, intelligible to every capacity, that the true and essential form of
Baptism is: I baptise thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost. For so it was delivered by our Lord and Saviour when, as we
read in St. Matthew He gave to His Apostles the command: Going, . . . teach ye
all nations: baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost.
By the word baptising, the Catholic Church, instructed
from above, most justly understood that the form of the Sacrament should
express the action of the minister; and this takes place when he pronounces the
words, I baptise thee.
Besides the minister of the Sacrament, the person to be
baptised and the principal efficient cause of Baptism should be mentioned. The
pronoun thee, and the distinctive names of the Divine Persons are therefore
added. Thus the complete form of the Sacrament is expressed in the words
already mentioned: I baptise thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost.
Baptism is the work not of the Son alone, of whom St.
John says, He it is that baptizeth, but of the Three Persons of the Blessed
Trinity together. By saying, however, in the name, not in the names, we
distinctly declare that in the Trinity there is but one Nature and Godhead. The
word name is here referred not to the Persons, but to the Divine Essence,
virtue and power, which are one and the same in Three Persons.
Essential And Non-Essential Words Of The Form
It is, however, to be observed that of the words
contained in this form, which we have shown to be the complete and perfect one,
some are absolutely necessary, so that the omission of them renders the valid
administration of the Sacrament impossible; while others on the contrary, are
not so essential as to affect its validity.
Of the latter kind is the word ego (I), the force of
which is included in the word baptizo (I baptise). Nay more, the Greek Church,
adopting a different manner of expressing the form, and being of opinion that
it is unnecessary to make mention of the minister, omits the pronoun altogether.
The form universally used in the Greek Church is: Let this servant of Christ be
baptised in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. It
appears, however, from the decision and definition of the Council of Florence,
that those who use this form administer the Sacraments validly, because the
words sufficiently express what is essential to the validity of Baptism, that
is, the ablution which then takes place.
Baptism In The Name Of Christ
If at any time the Apostles baptised in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ only, we can be sure they did so by the inspiration of the
Holy Ghost, in order, in the infancy of the Church, to render their preaching
more illustrious by the name of Jesus Christ, and to proclaim more effectually
His divine and infinite power. If, however, we examine the matter more closely,
we shall find that such a form omits nothing which the Saviour Himself commands
to be observed; for he who mentions Jesus Christ implies the Person of the
Father, by whom, and that of the Holy Ghost, in whom, He was anointed.
And yet, the use of this form by the Apostles seems
rather doubtful if we accept the opinions of Ambrose and Basil, holy Fathers
eminent for sanctity and authority, who interpret baptism in the name of Jesus
Christ to mean the Baptism instituted by Christ our Lord, as distinguished from
that of John, and who say that the Apostles did not depart from the ordinary
and usual form which comprises the distinct names of the Three Persons. Paul
also, in his Epistle to the Galatians, seems to have expressed himself in a
similar manner, when he says: As many of you as have been baptised in Christ,
have put on Christ, meaning that they were baptised in the faith of Christ, but
with no other form than that which the same Saviour our Lord had commanded to
be observed.
Administration of Baptism
What has been said on the matter and form, which are
required for the essence of the Sacrament, will be found sufficient for the
instruction of the faithful; but as in the administration of the Sacrament the
legitimate manner of ablution should also be observed, pastors should teach the
doctrine of this-point also.
They should briefly explain that, according to the common
custom and practice of the Church, Baptism may be administered in three ways,
-- by immersion, infusion or aspersion.
Whichever of these rites be observed, we must believe
that Baptism is rightly administered. For in Baptism water is used to signify
the spiritual ablution which it accomplishes, and on this account Baptism is
called by the Apostle a laver. Now this ablution is not more really
accomplished by immersion, which was for a considerable time the practice in
the early ages of the Church, than by infusion, which we now see in general
use, or by aspersion, which there is reason to believe was the manner in which
Peter baptised, when on one day he converted and gave Baptism to about three
thousand souls.
It is a matter of indifference whether the ablution be
performed once or thrice. For it is evident from the Epistle of St. Gregory the
Great to Leander that Baptism was formerly and may still be validly
administered in the Church in either way. The faithful, however, should follow
the practice of the particular Church to which they belong.
Pastors should be particularly careful to observe that
the baptismal ablution is not to be applied indifferently to any part of the
body, but principally to the head, which is the seat of all the internal and
external senses; and also that he who baptises is to pronounce the sacramental
words which constitute the form, not before or after, but when performing the
ablution.
Institution Of Baptism
When these things have been explained, it will also be
expedient to teach and remind the faithful that, in common with the other
Sacraments, Baptism was instituted by Christ the Lord. On this subject the
pastor should frequently teach and point out that there are two different
periods of time which relate to Baptism, -- one the period of its institution
by the Redeemer; the other, the establishment of the law regarding its
reception.
Baptism Instituted At Christ's Baptism
With regard to the former, it is clear that this
Sacrament was instituted by our Lord when, having been baptised by John, He
gave to water the power of sanctifying. St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. Augustine
╖ testify that to water was then. imparted the power of regenerating to
spiritual life. In another place St. Augustine says: From the moment that
Christ is immersed in water, water washes away all sins. And again: The Lord is
baptised, not because He had need to be cleansed, but in order that, by the
contact of His pure flesh, He might purify the waters and impart to them the
power of cleansing.
A very strong argument to prove that Baptism was then
instituted by our Lord might be afforded by the fact the most Holy Trinity, in
whose name Baptism is conferred, manifested Its divine presence on that
occasion. The voice of the Father was heard, the Person of the Son was present,
the Holy Ghost descended in the form of a dove; and the heavens, into which we
are enabled to enter by Baptism, were thrown open.
Should anyone desire to know how our Lord has endowed
water with a virtue so great, so divine, this indeed transcends the power of
the human understanding. Yet this we can know, that when our Lord was baptised,
water, by contact with His most holy and pure body, was consecrated to the
salutary use of Baptism, in such a way, however, that, although instituted
before the Passion, we must believe that this Sacrament derives all its virtue
and efficacy from the Passion, which is the consummation, as it were, of all
the actions of Christ.
Baptism Made Obligatory After Christ's Resurrection
The second period to be distinguished, that is, the time
when the law of Baptism was made, also admits of no doubt. Holy writers are
unanimous in saying that after the Resurrection of our Lord, when He gave to
His Apostles the command to go and teach all nations: baptising them in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, the law of Baptism
became obligatory on all who were to be saved.
This is inferred from the authority of the Prince of the
Apostles when he says: Who hath regenerated us into a lively hope, by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead;' and also from what Paul says of
the Church: He delivered himself up for it: that he might sanctify it,
cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life. By both Apostles the
obligation of Baptism seems to be referred to the time which followed the death
of our Lord. Hence we can have no doubt that the words of the Saviour: Unless a
man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God, refer also to the same time which was to follow after His Passion.
Reflection
If, then, pastors explain these truths accurately, there
can be no doubt that the faithful will recognise the high dignity of this
Sacrament and venerate it with the most profound piety, particularly when they
reflect that each of them receives in Baptism by the interior operation of the
Holy Ghost the same glorious and most ample gifts which were so strikingly
manifested by miracles at the Baptism of Christ the Lord.
Were our eyes, like those of the servant of Eliseus,
opened to see heavenly things, who can be supposed so senseless as not to be
lost in rapturous admiration of the divine mysteries of Baptism ! When,
therefore, the riches of this Sacrament are unfolded to the faithful by the
pastor, so as to enable them to behold them, if not with the eyes of the body,
yet with those of the soul illumined by the light of faith, may we not
anticipate similar results ?
The Ministers of Baptism
In the next place, it appears not only expedient, but
necessary to say who are ministers of this Sacrament; both in order that those
to whom this office is specially confided may study to perform its functions
religiously and holily; and that no one, outstepping, as it were, his proper
limits, may unseasonably take possession of, or arrogantly assume, what belongs
to another; for, as the Apostle teaches, order is to be observed in all things.
Bishops And Priests The Ordinary Ministers
The faithful, therefore, are to be informed that of those
(who administer Baptism) there are three gradations. Bishops and priests hold
the first place. To them belongs the administration of this Sacrament, not by
any extraordinary concession of power, but by right of office; for to them, in
the persons of the Apostles, was addressed the command of our Lord: Go,
baptise. Bishops, it is true, in order not to neglect the more weighty charge
of instructing the faithful, have generally left its administration to priests.
But the authority of the Fathers and the usage of the Church prove that priests
exercise this function by their own right, so much so that they may baptise
even in the presence of the Bishop. Ordained to consecrate the Holy Eucharist,
the Sacrament of peace and unity, it was fitting that they be invested with
power to administer all those things which are required to enable others to
participate in that peace and unity. If, therefore, the Fathers have at any
time said that without the leave of the Bishop the priest has not the right to
baptise, they are to be understood to speak of that Baptism only which was
administered on certain days of the year with solemn ceremonies.
Deacons Extraordinary Ministers Of Baptism
Next among the ministers are deacons, for whom, as
numerous decrees of the holy Fathers attest it is not lawful without the permission
of the Bishop or priest to administer this Sacrament.
Ministers In Case Of Necessity
Those who may administer Baptism in case of necessity,
but without its solemn ceremonies, hold the last place; and in this class are
included all, even the laity, men and women, to whatever sect they may belong.
This office extends in case of necessity, even to Jews, infidels and heretics,
provided, however, they intend to do what the Catholic Church does in that act
of her ministry. These things were established by many decrees of the ancient
Fathers and Councils; and the holy Council of Trent denounces anathema against
those who dare to say, that Baptism, even when administered by heretics, in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, with the intention
of doing what the Church does, is not true Baptism.
And here indeed let us admire the supreme goodness and
wisdom of our Lord. Seeing the necessity of this Sacrament for all, He not only
instituted water, than which nothing can be more common, as its matter, but
also placed its administration within the power of all. In its administration,
however, as we have already observed, all are not allowed to use the solemn
ceremonies; not that rites and ceremonies are of higher dignity, but because
they are less necessary than the Sacrament.
Let not the faithful, however, imagine that this office
is given promiscuously to all, so as to do away with the propriety of observing
a certain precedence among those who are its ministers. When a man is present a
woman should not baptise; an ecclesiastic takes precedence over a layman, and a
priest over a simple ecclesiastic. Midwives, however, when accustomed to its
administration, are not to be found fault with if sometimes, when a man is
present who is unacquainted with the manner of its administration, they perform
what may otherwise appear to belong more properly to men.
The Sponsors at Baptism
Besides the ministers who, as just explained, confer
Baptism, another class of persons, according to the most ancient practice of
the Church, is admitted to assist at the baptismal font. In former times these
were commonly called by sacred writers receivers, sponsors or sureties, and are
now called godfathers and godmothers. As this is an office pertaining almost to
all the laity, pastors should explain it with care, so that the faithful may
understand what is chiefly necessary for its proper performance.
Why Sponsors Are Required At Baptism
In the first instance it should be explained why at
Baptism, besides those who administer the Sacrament, godparents and sponsors
are also required. The propriety of the practice will at once appear to all if
they recollect that Baptism is a spiritual regeneration by which we are born
children of God; for of it St. Peter says: As newborn infants, desire the
rational milk without guile. As, therefore, every one, after his birth,
requires a nurse and instructor by whose assistance and attention he is brought
up and formed to learning and useful knowledge, so those, who, by the waters of
Baptism, begin to live a spiritual life should be entrusted to the fidelity and
prudence of some one from whom they may imbibe the precepts of the Christian
religion and may be brought up in all holiness, and thus grow gradually in Christ,
until, with the Lord's help, they at length arrive at perfect manhood.
This necessity must appear still more imperative, if we
recollect that pastors, who are charged with the public care of parishes have
not sufficient time to undertake the private instruction of children in the
rudiments of faith.
Antiquity Of This Law
Concerning this very ancient practice we have this
noteworthy testimony of St. Denis: It occurred to our divine leaders (so he
called the Apostles), and they in their wisdom ordained that infants should be
introduced (into the Church) in this holy manner that their natural parents
should deliver them to the care of some one well skilled in divine things, as
to a master under whom, as a spiritual father and guardian of his salvation in
holiness, the child should lead the remainder of his life. The same doctrine is
confirmed by the authority of Hyginus.
Affinity Contracted By Sponsors
The Church, therefore, in her wisdom has ordained that
not only the person who baptises contracts a spiritual affinity with the person
baptised, but also the sponsor with the godchild and its natural parents, so
that between all these marriage cannot be lawfully contracted, and if
contracted, it is null and void.
Duties Of Sponsors
The faithful are also to be taught the duty of sponsors;
for such is the negligence with which this office is treated in the Church that
only the bare name of the function remains, while none seem to have the least
idea of its sanctity. Let all sponsors, then, at all times recollect that they
are strictly bound by this law to exercise a constant vigilance over their
spiritual children, and carefully to instruct them in the maxims of a Christian
life; so that these may show themselves throughout life to be what their
sponsors promised in the solemn ceremony.
On this subject let us hear the words of St. Denis.
Speaking in the person of the sponsor he says: I promise, by my constant
exhortations to induce this child, when he comes to a knowledge of religion, to
renounce every thing opposed (to his Christian calling) and to profess and
perform the sacred promises which he now makes.
St. Augustine also says: I most especially admonish you,
men and women, who have acquired godchildren through Baptism, to consider that
you stood as sureties before God, for those whom you received at the sacred
font. Indeed it preeminently becomes every man, who undertakes any office, to
be indefatigable in the discharge of its duties; and he who promised to be the
teacher and guardian of another should never allow to be deserted him whom he
once received under his care and protection as long as he knows the latter to
stand in need of either.
Speaking of this same duty of sponsors, St. Augustine
sums up in a few words the lessons of instruction which they are bound to
impart to their spiritual children. They ought, he says, to admonish them to
observe chastity, love justice, cling to charity; and above all they should
teach them the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the
rudiments of the Christian religion.
Who May Not Be Sponsors
It is easy, therefore, to decide who are inadmissible to
this holy guardianship, that is, those who are unwilling to discharge its
duties with fidelity, or who cannot do so with care and accuracy.
Wherefore, besides the natural parents, who, to mark the
great difference that exists between this spiritual and the carnal bringing up
of youth, are not permitted to undertake this charge, heretics, Jews and
infidels are on no account to be admitted to this office, since their thoughts
and efforts are continually employed in darkening by falsehood the true faith
and in subverting all Christian piety.
Number Of Sponsors
The number of sponsors is limited by the Council of Trent
to one godfather or one godmother, or at most, to a godfather and a godmother;
because a number of teachers may confuse the order of discipline and
instruction, and also because it was necessary to prevent the multiplication of
affinities which would impede a wider diffusion of society by means of lawful
marriage.
Necessity of Baptism
If the knowledge of what has been hitherto explained be,
as it is, of highest importance to the faithful, it is no less important to
them to learn that the law of Baptism, as established by our Lord, extends to
all, so that unless they are regenerated to God through the grace of Baptism,
be their parents Christians or infidels, they are born to eternal misery and
destruction. Pastors, therefore, should often explain these words of the
Gospel: Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter
into the kingdom of God.
Infant Baptism: It's Necessity
That this law extends not only to adults but also to
infants and children, and that the Church has received this from Apostolic
tradition, is confirmed by the unanimous teaching and authority of the Fathers.
Besides, it is not to be supposed that Christ the Lord
would have withheld the Sacrament and grace of Baptism from children, of whom
He said: Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to me; for the
kingdom of heaven is for such; ░ whom also He embraced, upon whom He
imposed hands, to whom He gave His blessing.
Moreover, when we read that an entire family was baptised
by Paul, it is sufficiently obvious that the children of the family must also
have been cleansed in the saving font.
Circumcision, too, which was a figure of Baptism, affords
strong argument in proof of this practice. That children were circumcised on
the eighth day is universally known. If then circumcision, made by hand, in
despoiling of the body of the flesh, was profitable to children, it is clear
that Baptism, which is the circumcision of Christ, not made by hand, is also
profitable to them.
Finally, as the Apostle teaches, if by one man's offence
death reigned through one, much more they who receive abundance of grace, and
of the gift, and of justice, shall reign in life through one, Jesus Christ. If,
then, through the transgression of Adam, children inherit original sin, with
still stronger reason can they attain through Christ our Lord grace and justice
that they may reign in life. This, however, cannot be effected otherwise than
by Baptism.
Pastors, therefore, should inculcate the absolute
necessity of ad- ministering Baptism to infants, and of gradually forming their
tender minds to piety by education in the Christian religion. For according to
these admirable words of the wise man: A young man according to his way, even
when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Infants Receive The Graces Of Baptism
It may not be doubted that in Baptism infants receive the
mysterious gifts of faith. Not that they believe with the assent of the mind,
but they are established in the faith of their parents, if the parents profess
the true faith; if not--to use the words of St. Augustine,--then in that of the
universal society of the saints; for they are rightly said to be presented for
Baptism by all those to whom their initiation in that sacred rite is a source
of joy, and by whose charity they are united to the communion of the Holy
Ghost.
Baptism Of Infants Should Not Be Delayed
The faithful are earnestly to be exhorted to take care
that their children be brought to the church, as soon as it can be done with
safety, to receive solemn Baptism. Since infant children have no other means of
salvation except Baptism, we may easily understand how grievously those persons
sin who permit them to remain without the grace of the Sacrament longer than
necessity may require, particularly at an age so tender as to be exposed to
numberless dangers of death.
Baptism Of Adults
With regard to those of adult age who enjoy the perfect
use of reason, persons, namely, born of infidel parents, the practice of the
primitive Church points out that a different manner of proceeding should be
followed. To them the Christian faith is to be proposed; and they are earnestly
to be exhorted, persuaded and invited to embrace it.
They Should Not Delay Their Baptism Unduly
If converted to the Lord God, they are then to be
admonished not to defer the Sacrament of Baptism beyond the time prescribed by
the Church. For since it is written, delay not to be converted to the Lord, and
defer it not from day to day, they are to be taught that in their regard
perfect conversion consists in regeneration by Baptism. Besides, the longer
they defer Baptism, the longer are they deprived of the use and graces of the
other Sacraments, by which the Christian religion is practised, since the other
Sacraments are accessible through Baptism only.
They are also deprived of the abundant fruits of Baptism,
the waters of which not only wash away all the stains and defilements of past
sins, but also enrich us with divine grace which enables us to avoid sin for
the future and preserve righteousness and innocence, which constitute the sum
of a Christian life, as all can easily understand.
Ordinarily They Are Not Baptised At Once
On adults, however, the Church has not been accustomed to
confer the Sacrament of Baptism at once, but has ordained that it be deferred
for a certain time. The delay is not attended with the same danger as in the
case of infants, which we have already mentioned; should any unforeseen
accident make it impossible for adults to be washed in the salutary waters,
their intention and determination to receive Baptism and their repentance for
past sins, will avail them to grace and righteousness.
Nay, this delay seems to be attended with some
advantages. And first, since the Church must take particular care that none
approach this Sacrament through hypocrisy and dissimulation, the intentions of
such as seek Baptism, are better examined and ascertained. Hence it is that we
read in the decrees of ancient Councils that Jewish converts to the Catholic faith,
before admission to Baptism, should spend some months in the ranks of the
catechumens.
Furthermore, the candidate for Baptism is thus better
instructed in the doctrine of the faith which he is to profess, and in the
practices of the Christian life. Finally, when Baptism is administered to
adults with solemn ceremonies on the appointed days of Easter and Pentecost
only greater religious reverence is shown to the Sacrament.
In Case Of Necessity Adults May Be: Baptised At Once
Sometimes, however, when there exists a just and
necessary cause, as in the case of imminent danger of death, Baptism is not to
be deferred, particularly if the person to be baptised is well instructed in
the mysteries of faith. This we find to have been done by Philip, and by the
Prince of the Apostles, when without any delay, the one baptised the eunuch of
Queen Candace; the other, Cornelius, as soon as they expressed a wish to
embrace the faith.
Dispositions for Baptism
Intention
The faithful are also to be instructed in the necessary
dispositions for Baptism. In the first place they must desire and intend to
receive it; for as in Baptism we all die to sin and resolve to live a new life,
it is fit that it be administered to those only who receive it of their own free
will and accord; it is to be forced upon none. Hence we learn from holy
tradition that it has been the invariable practice to administer Baptism to no
individual without previously asking him if he be willing to receive it. This
disposition even infants are presumed to have, since the will of the Church,
which promises for them, cannot be mistaken.
Insane, delirious persons who were once of sound mind and
afterwards became deranged, having in their present state no wish to be
baptised, are not to be admitted to Baptism, unless in danger of death. In such
cases, if previous to insanity they give intimation of a wish to be baptised,
the Sacrament is to be administered; without such indication previously given
it is not to be administered. The same rule is to be followed with regard to
persons who are unconscious.
But if they (the insane) never enjoyed the use of reason,
the authority and practice of the Church decide that they are to be baptised in
the faith of the Church, just as children are baptised before they come to the
use of reason.
Faith
Besides a wish to be baptised, in order to obtain the
grace of the Sacrament, faith is also necessary. Our Lord and Saviour has said:
He that believes and is baptised shall be saved.
Repentance
Another necessary condition is repentance for past sins,
and a fixed determination to avoid all sin in the future. Should anyone desire
Baptism and be unwilling to correct the habit of sinning, he should be
altogether rejected. For nothing is so opposed to the grace and power of
Baptism as the intention and purpose of those who resolve never to abandon sin.
Seeing that Baptism should be sought with a view to put
on Christ and to be united to Him, it is manifest that he who purposes to
continue in sin should justly be repelled from the sacred font, particularly
since none of those things which belong to Christ and His Church are to be
received in vain, and since we well understand that, as far as regards
sanctifying and saving grace, Baptism is received in vain by him who purposes
to live according to the flesh, and not according to the spirit. As far,
however, as the Sacrament is concerned, if the person who is rightly baptised
intends to receive what the Church administers, he without doubt validly
receives the Sacrament.
Hence, to the vast multitude who, in compunction of
heart, as the Scripture says, asked him and the other Apostles what they should
do, the Prince of the Apostles answered: Do penance and be baptised every one
of you; and in another place he said: Be penitent, therefore, and be converted,
that your sins may be blotted out. Writing to the Romans, St. Paul also clearly
shows that he who is baptised should entirely die to sin; and he therefore
admonishes us not to yield our members as instruments of iniquity unto sin, but
present ourselves to God, as those who are alive from the dead.
Advantages To Be Derived From These Reflections
Frequent reflection upon these truths cannot fail, in the
first place, to fill the minds of the faithful with admiration for the infinite
goodness of God, who, uninfluenced by any other consideration than that of His
mercy, gratuitously bestowed upon us, undeserving as we are, a blessing so
extraordinary and divine as that of Baptism.
If in the next place they consider how spotless should be
the lives of those who have been made the objects of such munificence, they
cannot fail to be convinced of the special obligation imposed on every
Christian to spend each day of his life in such sanctity and fervour, as if on
that very day he had received the Sacrament and grace of Baptism.
Effects of Baptism
To inflame the minds of the faithful, however, with a
zeal for true piety, pastors will find no means more efficacious than an
accurate exposition of the effects of Baptism.
The effects of Baptism should be frequently explained, in
order that the faithful may be rendered more sensible of the high dignity to
which they have been raised, and may never suffer themselves to be cast down
therefrom by the snares or assaults of Satan.
First Effect Of Baptism: Remission Of Sin
They are to be taught, in the first place, that such is
the admirable efficacy of this Sacrament that it remits original sin and actual
guilt, however unthinkable its enormity may seem.
This was foretold long before by Ezechiel, through whom
God said: I will pour upon you clean water, and you shall be cleansed from all
your filthiness. The Apostle also, writing to the Corinthians, after having
enumerated a long catalogue of sins, adds: such you were, but you are washed,
but you are sanctified.
That such was at all times the doctrine handed down by
holy Church is clear. By the generation of the flesh, says St. Augustine in his
book On the Baptism of Infants, we contract original sin only; by the
regeneration of the Spirit, we obtain forgiveness not only of original, but
also of actual sins. St. Jerome also, writing to Oceanus, says: all sins are
forgiven in Baptism.
To remove all further doubt on the subject, the Council
of Trent, after other Councils had defined this, declared it anew, pronouncing
anathema against those who should presume to think otherwise, or should dare to
assert that although sin is forgiven in Baptism, it is not entirely removed or
totally eradicated, but is cut away in such a manner as to leave its roots
still fixed in the soul. To use the words of the same holy Council, God hates
nothing in those who are regenerated; for there remains nothing deserving of
condemnation in those who are truly buried with Christ by Baptism unto death,
"who walk not according to the flesh" but putting off the old man,
and putting on the new, who is created according to God, become innocent,
spotless, pure, upright, and beloved of God.
Concupiscence Which Remains After Baptism Is No Sin
We must confess, however, that concupiscence, or the fuel
of sin, still remains, as the Council declares in the same place. But
concupiscence does not constitute sin, for, as St. Augustine observes, in
children who have been baptised the guilt of concupiscence is removed, (the
concupiscence itself) remains for probation; and in another place he says: the
guilt of concupiscence is pardoned in Baptism, but its infirmity remains. For
concupiscence which is the effect of sin is nothing more than an appetite of
the soul in itself repugnant to reason. But if it is not accompanied by the
consent of the will or by negligence, it is very far from being sin.
When St. Paul says, I did not know concupiscence, if the
law did not say: Thou shalt not covet, he speaks not of concupiscence itself,
but of the fault of the will.
The same doctrine is taught by St. Gregory when he says:
If there are any who assert that in Baptism sin is but superficially effaced,
what could be more untrue than their statement? By the Sacrament of faith the
soul, entirely freed from sin, adheres to God alone. In proof of this doctrine
he has recourse to the testimony of our Saviour who says in St. John: He that
is -washed, needeth not but to wash his feet, but is clean wholly.
Further Proof Of The First Effect Of Baptism
Should anyone desire a striking figure and image (of the
efficacy of Baptism) let him consider the history of Naaman the Syrian leper,
of whom the Scriptures inform us that when he had washed seven times in the waters
of the Jordan he was so cleansed from his leprosy that his flesh became like
the flesh of a child.
The remission of all sin, original and actual, is
therefore the peculiar effect of Baptism. That this was the object of its
institution by our Lord and Saviour is clearly stated by the Prince of the
Apostles, to say nothing of other testimonies, when he says: Do penance and be
baptised every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of
sins.
The Second Effect Of Baptism: Remission Of All Punishment
Due To Sin
In Baptism not only is sin forgiven, but with it all the
punishment due to sin is mercifully remitted by God. To communicate the
efficacy of the Passion of Christ our Lord is an effect common to all the
Sacraments; but of Baptism alone does the Apostle say, that by it we die and
are buried together with Christ.
Hence holy Church has always understood that to impose
those works of piety, usually called by the holy Fathers works of satisfaction,
on one who is to be cleansed in Baptism, would be injurious to this Sacrament
in the highest degree.
Nor is there any discrepancy between the doctrine here
taught and the practice of the primitive Church, which of old commanded the
Jews, when preparing for Baptism, to observe a fast of forty successive days.
(The fast thus imposed) was not enjoined as a work of satisfaction; but those
who had received Baptism were thus admonished to devote some time to the
uninterrupted exercise of fasting and prayer in honour of so great a Sacrament.
Baptism Does Not Exempt From Penalties Of The Civil Law
Although the remission by Baptism of the punishments due
to sin cannot be questioned, we are not to infer that it exempts an offender
from the punishments decreed by civil tribunals for some grave crime. Thus a
person sentenced to death is not rescued by Baptism from the penalty ordained
by the law.
We cannot, however, too highly commend the religion and
piety of those rulers who remit the sentence of the law, that the glory of God
may be the more strikingly displayed in His Sacraments.
Baptism Remits The Punishment Due To Original Sin After
Death
Baptism also remits all the punishment due to original
sin after this life, for through the merit of the death of our Lord we are able
to attain this blessing. By Baptism, as we have already said, we die with
Christ. For if, says the Apostle, we have been planted together in the likeness
of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.
Baptism Does Not Free Us From The Miseries Of Life
Should it be asked why immediately after Baptism we are
not exempt in this mortal life from misfortunes and restored by the influence
of this sacred ablution to that state of perfection in which Adam, the father
of the human race, was placed before his fall, the answer will be that there
are two chief reasons for this.
In the first place we who by Baptism are united to, and
become members of Christ's body, should not be more honoured than our Head. Now
Christ our Lord, although clothed from His birth with the plenitude of grace
and truth, was not divested of human infirmity which He assumed, until, having
suffered and died, He rose to the glory of immortality. It cannot appear
extraordinary, therefore, if the faithful, even after they have received the
grace of justification by Baptism, are clothed with frail and perishable bodies
until, having undergone many labours for the sake of Christ, and having closed
their earthly career, they are recalled to life and found worthy to enjoy with
Him an eternity of bliss.
The second reason why bodily infirmity, disease, sense of
pain and motions of concupiscence remain after Baptism is that in them we may
have the seed and material of virtue from which we shall hereafter receive a
more abundant harvest of glory and more ample rewards. When, with patient
resignation, we bear all the trials of life, and, aided by the divine
assistance, subject to the dominion of reason the rebellious desires of the
heart, we ought to cherish an assured hope that if, with the Apostle we shall
have fought a good fight, finished the course, and kept the faith, the Lord,
the just judge, will render to us on that day a crown of justice which is laid
up for us.
Such seems to have been the divine plan with regard to
the children of Israel. God delivered them from the bondage of Egypt, having
drowned Pharaoh and his hosts in the sea; yet He did not conduct them
immediately into the happy land of promise; He first tried them by a variety
and multiplicity of sufferings. And when He afterwards placed them in
possession of the promised land and expelled the previous inhabitants from
their native territories, yet He left a few other nations whom the Israelites
could not exterminate, in order that His people might always have occasion to
exercise fortitude and warlike courage.
We may add that if, to the heavenly gifts with which the
soul is adorned in Baptism, were joined temporal advantages, there would be
good reason to doubt whether many might not approach Baptism with a view to
obtain such advantages in this life, rather than the glory to be hoped for in
the next; whereas the Christian should always propose to himself, not these
delusive and uncertain goods which are seen, but the solid and eternal ones
which are not seen.
Baptism A Source Of Happiness To The Christian Even In
This Life
This life, however, although full of misery, does not
lack its pleasures and joys. To us, who by Baptism are engrafted as branches on
Christ's what could be more pleasing or desirable than, taking up the cross
upon our shoulders, to follow Him as our leader, fatigued by no labor, retarded
by no danger, in ardent pursuit of the rewards of our high vocation; some to
receive the laurel of virginity, others the crown of teaching and preaching, some
the palm of martyrdom, others the honours appropriate to their respective
virtues? These splendid titles of exalted dignity none of us should receive,
had we not contended in the race of this calamitous life and stood unconquered
in the conflict.
Third Effect Of Baptism: Grace Of Regeneration
But to return to the effects of Baptism, it should be
taught that by virtue of this Sacrament we are not only delivered from what are
justly deemed the greatest of all evils, but are also enriched with invaluable
goods and blessings. Our souls are replenished with divine grace, by which we
are rendered just and children of God and are made heirs to eternal salvation.
For it is written: He that believeth and is baptised, shall be saved, and the
Apostle testifies that the Church is cleansed by the laver of water in the word
of life. Now according to the definition of the Council of Trent, which under
pain of anathema we are bound to believe, grace not only remits sin, but is
also a divine quality inherent in the soul, and, as it were, a brilliant light
that effaces all those stains which obscure the lustre of the soul, investing
it with increased brightness and beauty. This is also a clear inference from
the words of Scripture when it says that grace is poured forth, and also when
it usually calls grace, the pledge of the Holy Ghost.
Fourth Effect Of Baptism: Infused Virtues And
Incorporation With Christ
This grace is accompanied by a most splendid train of all
virtues, which are divinely infused into the soul along with grace. Hence, when
writing to Titus, the Apostle says: He saved us by the laver of regeneration
and renovation of the Holy Ghost, whom he hath poured forth upon us abundantly,
through Jesus Christ our Saviour. St. Augustine, in explanation of the words,
poured forth abundantly, says: that is, for the remission of sins and for
abundance of virtues.
By Baptism we are also united to Christ, as members to
their Head. As therefore from the head proceeds the power by which the
different members of the body are moved to the proper performance of their
respective functions, so from the fullness of Christ the Lord are diffused
divine grace and virtue through all those who are justified, qualifying them
for the performance of all the duties of Christian piety.
Why The Practice Of Virtue Is Difficult Even After
Baptism
Though we are thus supported by a powerful array of
virtues, it should not excite our surprise if we cannot, without much labor and
difficulty, undertake, or at least, perform acts of piety and of moral virtue.
If this is so, it is not because the goodness of God has not bestowed on us the
virtues from which these good works proceed; but because there still remains
after Baptism a severe conflict of the flesh against the spirit, in which,
however, it would not become a Christian to be dispirited or grow faint.
Relying on the divine goodness we should confidently hope
that by a constant habit of leading a holy life the time will come when
whatever things are modest, whatever just, whatever holy, will also prove easy
and agreeable. Let these be the subjects of our willing consideration, the
objects of our cheerful practice, that the God of peace may be with us.
Fifth Effect Of Baptism: Character Of Christian
By Baptism, moreover, we are sealed with a character that
can never be effaced from the soul. On this point, however, we need not speak
at length, for what we have already sufficiently said on the subject, when
treating of the Sacraments in general, may be applied here.
Baptism Not To Be Repeated
Since on account of the nature and efficacy of this
character it has been defined by the Church that this Sacrament is on no
account to be reiterated, pastors should frequently and diligently admonish the
faithful on this subject, lest at any time they may be led into error.
This doctrine is taught by the Apostle when he says: One
Lord, one faith, one baptism. Again, when exhorting the Romans, that being dead
in Christ by Baptism they should take care not to lose the life which they had
received from Him, he says: In that Christ died unto sin, he died once. These
words seem clearly to signify that as Christ cannot die again, neither can we
die again by Baptism. Hence the holy Church also openly professes that she
believes one Baptism. That this agrees with the nature of the thing and with
reason is understood from the very idea of Baptism, which is a spiritual
regeneration. As then, by virtue of the laws of nature, we are generated and
born but once, and, as St. Augustine observes, there is no returning to the
womb; so, in like manner, there is but one spiritual generation, and Baptism is
never at any time to be repeated.
In Conditional Baptism The Sacrament Is Not Repeated
Nor let anyone suppose that it is repeated by the Church
when she baptises anyone whose previous Baptism was doubtful, making use of
this formula: If thou art baptised, I baptise thee not again but if thou art
not yet baptised, I baptise thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost. In such cases Baptism is not to be considered as impiously
repeated, but as holily, yet conditionally, administered.
In this connection, however, there are some matters, in
which, to the very great injury of the Sacrament, abuses are of almost daily occurrence,
and which therefore demand the diligent attention of pastors. For there are not
wanting those who think that no sin is committed if they indiscriminately
administer conditional Baptism. Hence if an infant be brought to them, they
think that no inquiry need be made as to whether it was previously baptised,
but proceed immediately to baptise the child. Nay more, although they be well
aware that the Sacrament was administered at home, they do not hesitate to
repeat its administration in the Church conditionally, making use of the solemn
ceremonies of the Church.
This certainly they cannot do without sacrilege and
without incurring what theologians call an irregularity. According to the
authority of Pope Alexander the conditional form of Baptism is to be used only
when after due inquiry doubts are entertained as to the validity of the
previous Baptism. In no other case is it ever lawful to administer Baptism a
second time, even conditionally.
Sixth Effect Of Baptism: Opening The Gates Of Heaven
Besides the other advantages which accrue to us from
Baptism, the last, to which all the others seem to be referred, is that it
opens to us the portals of heaven which sin had closed against us.
Effects Of Baptism Foreshadowed In The Baptism Of Christ
These effects which are wrought in us by virtue of
Baptism are distinctly marked by the circumstances which, as the Gospel
relates, accompanied the Baptism of our Saviour. The heavens were opened and
the Holy Ghost appeared descending upon Christ our Lord in the form of a dove.
By this we are given to understand that to those who are baptised are imparted
the gifts of the Holy Spirit, that to them are opened the gates of heaven. The
baptised, it is true, do not enter heaven immediately after Baptism, but in due
season. When they shall have been freed from all misery which is incompatible
with a state of bliss, they shall exchange a mortal for an immortal life.
Measure In Which Those Effects Are Obtained
These are the fruits of Baptism, which, if we consider
the efficacy of the Sacrament, are, no doubt, equally common to all; but if we
consider the dispositions with which it is received, it is no less certain that
all do not share to the same extent in these heavenly gifts and graces.
Ceremonies of Baptism
Their Importance
It now remains to explain, clearly and concisely, what is
to be taught concerning the prayers, rites, and ceremonies of this Sacrament.
To rites and ceremonies may, in some measure, be applied what the Apostle says
of the gift of tongues, that it is unprofitable to speak, unless the faithful
understand. They present an image, and convey the signification of the things
that are done in the Sacrament; but if the people do not understand the force
and meaning of these signs, there is but little advantage derived from
ceremonies. Pastors should take care, therefore, to make them understood and to
impress the minds of the faithful with a conviction that, although ceremonies
are not of absolute necessity, they are of very great importance and deserve
great veneration.
This the authority of those by whom they were instituted,
who were, no doubt, the Apostles, and also the object of their institution,
sufficiently prove. It is manifest that ceremonies contribute to the more
religious and holy administration of the Sacraments, serve to place, as it
were, before the eyes the exalted and inestimable gifts which they contain, and
impress on the minds of the faithful a deeper sense of the boundless
beneficence of God.
Three Classes Of Ceremonies In Baptism
In order that the pastor's instructions may follow a
certain plan and that the people may find it: easier to remember his words, all
the ceremonies and prayers which the Church uses in the administration of
Baptism are to be reduced to three heads. The first comprehends such as are
observed before coming to the baptismal font; the second, such as are used at
the font; the third, those that usually follow the administration of the
Sacrament.
Ceremonies That Are Observed Before Coming To The Font:
Consecration Of Baptismal Water
In the first place, then, the water to be used in Baptism
should be prepared. The baptismal font is consecrated with the oil of mystic
unction; not, however, at all times, but, according to ancient usage, only on
certain feasts, which are justly deemed the greatest and the most holy
solemnities in the year. The water of Baptism was consecrated on the vigils of
those feasts; and on those days alone, except in cases of necessity, it was
also the practice of the ancient Church to administer Baptism. But although the
Church, on account of the dangers to which life is continually exposed, has
deemed it expedient to change her discipline in this respect, she still
observes with the greatest solemnity the festivals of Easter and Pentecost on
which the baptismal water is to be consecrated.
The Person To Be Baptised Stands At The Church Door
After the consecration of the water the other ceremonies
that precede Baptism are next to be explained. The persons to be baptised are
brought or conducted a to the door of the church and are strictly forbidden to
enter, as unworthy to be admitted into the house of God, until they have cast
off the yoke of the most degrading servitude and devoted themselves
unreservedly to Christ the Lord and His most just authority.
Catechetical Instruction
The priest then asks what they demand of the Church; and
having received the answer, he first instructs them in the doctrines of the
Christian faith, of which a profession is to be made in Baptism.
This the priest does in a brief catechetical instruction,
a practice which originated, no doubt, in the precept of our Lord addressed to
His Apostles: Go ye into the whole world, and teach all nations, baptising them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them
to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. From this command we may
learn that Baptism is not to be administered until, at least, the principal
truths of our religion are explained.
But as the catechetical form consists of many
interrogations, if the person to be instructed be an adult, he himself answers;
if an infant, the sponsor answers for him according to the prescribed form and
makes the solemn promise.
The Exorcism
The exorcism comes next in order. It consists of words of
sacred and religious import and of prayers, and is used to expel the devil, to
weaken and crush his power.
The Salt
To the exorcism are added other ceremonies, each of
which, being mystical, has its own clear signification. When, for instance,
salt is put into the mouth of the person to be baptised, this evidently means
that, by the doctrines of faith and by the gift of grace, he shall be delivered
from the corruption of sin, shall experience a relish for good works, and shall
be delighted with the food of divine wisdom.
The Sign Of The Cross
Next his forehead, eyes, breast, shoulders and ears are
signed with the sign of the cross, to declare, that by the mystery of Baptism,
the senses of the person baptised are opened and strengthened, to enable him to
receive God, and to understand and observe His Commandments.
The Saliva
His nostrils and ears are next touched with spittle, and
he is then immediately admitted to the baptismal font. By this ceremony we
understand that, as sight was given to the blind man mentioned in the Gospel,
whom the Lord after He had spread clay on his eyes commanded to wash them in
the waters of Siloe, so through the efficacy of holy Baptism a light is let in
on the mind, which enables it to discern heavenly truth.
The Ceremonies Observed After Coming To The Font
After the performance of these ceremonies the persons to
be baptised approach the baptismal font, at which are performed other rites and
ceremonies which present a summary of the Christian religion.
The Renunciation Of Satan
Three distinct times the person to be baptised is asked
by the priest: Dost thou renounce Satan, and all his works, and all his pomps?
To each of which he, or the sponsor in his name, replies, I renounce. Whoever,
then, purposes to enlist, under the standard of Christ, must first of all,
enter into a sacred and solemn engagement to renounce the devil and the world,
and always to hold them in utter detestation as his worst enemies.
The Profession Of Faith
Next, standing at the baptismal font, he is interrogated
by the priest in these words: Dost thou believe in God, the Father Almighty? To
which he answers: I believe. Being similarly questioned on the remaining
Articles of the Creed, he solemnly professes his faith. These two promises
contain, it is clear, the sum and substance of the law of Christ.
The Wish To Be Baptised
When the Sacrament is now about to be administered, the
priest asks the candidate if he wishes to be baptised. After an answer in the
affirmative has been given by him, or, if he is an infant, by the sponsor, the
priest immediately performs the salutary ablution, in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
As man, by yielding the assent of his will to the wicked
suggestions of Satan, fell under a just sentence of condemnation; so God will
have none enrolled in the number of His soldiers but those whose service is
voluntary, that by a willing obedience to His commands they may obtain eternal
salvation.
The Ceremonies That Follow Baptism: Chrism
After the person has been baptised, the priest anoints
the crown of his head with chrism, thus giving him to understand, that from
that day he is united as a member to Christ, His Head, and ingrafted on His
body; and that he is, therefore, called a Christian from Christ, as Christ is
so called from chrism. What the chrism signifies, the prayers then offered by
the priest, as St. Ambrose observes, sufficiently explain.
The White Garment
On the person baptised the priest then puts a white
garment saying: Receive this white garment, which mayest thou carry unstained
before the judgment-seat of our Lord Jesus Christ; that thou mayest have
eternal life. Instead of a white garment, infants, because not formally
dressed, receive a white cloth, accompanied by the same words.
According to the teaching of the Fathers this symbol
signifies the glory of the resurrection to which we are born by Baptism, the
brightness and beauty with which the soul, when purified from the stains of
sin, is invested in Baptism, and the innocence and integrity which the person
who has received Baptism should preserve throughout life.
The Lighted Candle
A lighted taper is then put into the hand of the baptised
to signify that faith, inflamed by charity, which is received in Baptism, is to
be fed and augmented by the exercise of good works.
The Name Given In Baptism
Finally, a name is given the person baptised. It should
be taken from some person whose eminent sanctity has given him a place in the
catalogue of the Saints. The similarity of name will stimulate each one to
imitate the virtues and holiness of the Saint, and, moreover, to hope and pray
that he who is the model for his imitation will also be his advocate and watch
over the safety of his body and soul.
Wherefore those are to be reproved who search for the
names of heathens, especially of those who were the greatest monsters of
iniquity, to bestow upon their children. By such conduct they practically prove
how little they regard Christian piety when they so fondly cherish the memory
of impious men, as to wish to have their profane names continually echo in the
ears of the faithful.
Recapitulation
This exposition of the Sacrament of Baptism, if given by
pastors, will be found to embrace almost everything which should be known
regarding this Sacrament. We have explained the meaning of the word Baptism,
the nature and substance of the Sacrament, and also the parts of which it is
composed. We have said by whom it was instituted; who are the ministers
necessary to its administration; who should be, as it were, the tutors whose
instructions should sustain the weakness of the person baptised; to whom
Baptism should be administered; and how they should be disposed; what are the
virtue and efficacy of the Sacrament; finally, we have developed, at sufficient
length for our purpose, the rites and ceremonies that should accompany its
administration.
Pastors should recollect that the chief purpose of all
these instructions is to induce the faithful to direct their constant attention
and solicitude to the fulfilment of the promises so sacredly made at Baptism,
and to lead lives not unworthy of the sanctity that should accompany the name
and profession of Christian.
THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION
Importance Of Instruction On Confirmation
If ever there was a time demanding the diligence of
pastors in explaining the Sacrament of Confirmation, in these days certainly it
requires special attention, when there are found in the holy Church of God many
by whom this Sacrament is altogether omitted; while very few seek to obtain
from it the fruit of divine grace which they should derive from its
participation.
Lest, therefore, this divine blessing may seem, through
their fault, and to their most serious injury, to have been conferred on them
in vain, the faithful are to be instructed both on Whitsunday, on which day it
is principally administered, and also on such other days as pastors shall deem convenient.
Their instructions should so treat the nature, power, and dignity of this
Sacrament, that the faithful may understand not only that it is not to be
neglected, hut that it is to be received with the greatest piety and devotion.
Name of this Sacrament
To begin with the name, it should be taught that this
Sacrament is called by the Church Confirmation because, if there is no obstacle
to the efficacy of the Sacrament, a baptised person, when anointed with the
sacred chrism by the Bishop, with the accompanying solemn words: I sign thee
with the sign of the cross, and confirm thee with the chrism of salvation, in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, becomes stronger
with the strength of a new power, and thus begins to be a perfect soldier of
Christ.
Confirmation is a Sacrament
That in Confirmation is contained the true and proper
nature of a Sacrament has always been acknowledged by the Catholic Church, as
Pope Melchiades and many other very holy and very ancient Pontiffs expressly
declare. The truth of this doctrine St. Clement could not confirm in stronger
terms than when he says: All should hasten without delay to be born again unto
God, and afterwards to be signed by the Bishop, that is, to receive the
sevenfold grace of the Holy Ghost; for, as has been handed down to us from St.
Peter, and as the other Apostles taught in obedience to the command and of our
Lord, he who culpably and voluntarily, and not from necessity, neglects to
receive this Sacrament, cannot possibly be a perfect Christian. This same faith
has been confirmed, as may be seen in their decrees, by Popes Urban, Fabian and
Eusebius, who, filled with the same spirit, shed their blood for the name of
Christ.
The unanimous authority of the Fathers must be added.
Among them Denis the Areopagite, Bishop of Athens, when teaching how to
consecrate and make use of this holy ointment, says: The priests clothe the
person Baptised with a garment emblematic of purity, in order to conduct him to
the Bishop; and the Bishop, signing him with the sacred and truly divine
ointment, makes him partaker of the most holy communion. Of such importance
does Eusebius of Caesarea also deem this Sacrament as not to hesitate to say
that the heretic Novatus could not deserve to receive the Holy Ghost, because,
having been baptised in a state of severe illness, he was not anointed with the
sign of chrism. But on this subject we have the most distinct testimonies from
St. Ambrose in his book On the Initiated, and from St. Augustine in his books
Against the Epistles of Petilian the Donatist.
Both of them were so persuaded that no doubt could exist
as to the reality of this Sacrament that they even taught and confirmed the
doctrine by passages of Scripture, the one testifying that to the Sacrament of
Confirmation apply these words of the Apostle: Grieve not the Holy Spirit of
God, whereby you are sealed; the other, these words of the Psalmist: Like the
precious ointment on the head, that ran down upon the beard, the beard of
Aaron, and also these words of the same Apostle: The charity of God is poured
forth in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, who is given to us.
Confirmation is Distinct from Baptism
Although said by Melchiades to have a most intimate
connection with Baptism, Confirmation is still not to be regarded as the same,
but as a very different Sacrament; for the variety of the grace which each of
the Sacraments confers, and of the sensible sign employed to signify that
grace, evidently render them distinct and different Sacraments.
Since, then, by the grace of Baptism we are begotten unto
newness of life, whereas by that of Confirmation we grow to full maturity,
having put away the things of a child, we can sufficiently understand that the
same difference that exists in the natural life between birth and growth exists
also between Baptism, which regenerates, and Confirmation, by virtue of which
growth and perfect spiritual strength are imparted to the faithful.
Besides, as there should be a new and distinct kind of
Sacrament when the soul has to encounter any new difficulty, it may easily be
perceived that as we require the grace of Baptism to form the mind unto faith,
so is it also of the utmost advantage that the souls of the faithful be
strengthened by a different grace, to the end that they be deterred by no
danger, or fear of pains, tortures or death, from the confession of the true
faith. This, then, being accomplished by the sacred chrism of Confirmation, it
is hence clearly inferred, that the nature of this Sacrament is different from
Baptism.
Hence Pope Melchiades accurately evolves the difference
between them, writing as follows: In Baptism man is enlisted into the service,
in Confirmation he is equipped for battle; at the baptismal font the Holy Ghost
imparts fullness to accomplish innocence, but in Confirmation he ministers
perfection to grace; in Baptism we are regenerated unto life, after Baptism we
are fortified for the combat; in Baptism we are cleansed, after Baptism we are
strengthened; regeneration of itself saves those who receive Baptism in time of
peace, Confirmation arms and makes ready for conflicts.
These are truths not only already recorded by other
Councils, but specially defined by the holy Council of Trent; so that we are
therefore no longer at liberty not only to think otherwise, but even to
entertain the least doubt concerning them.
Institution of Confirmation
It was shown above how necessary it is to teach
concerning all the Sacraments in common from whom they had their origin. Wherefore
the same is also to be taught as regards Confirmation, in order that the
faithful may be impressed with a deeper sense of the sanctity of this
Sacrament. Accordingly, pastors must explain that not only was it instituted by
Christ the Lord, but that by Him were also ordained, as Pope St. Fabian
testifies, the rite of chrism and the words which the Catholic Church uses in
its administration. This is a fact easy to prove to those who acknowledge
Confirmation to be a Sacrament, because all the sacred mysteries exceed the
powers of human nature and could be instituted by no other than God alone.
Component Parts of Confirmation
The Matter
We now come to treat of the component parts of the
Sacrament, and first of its matter. This is called chrism, a word borrowed from
the Greek language, and which, although used by profane writers to designate
any sort of ointment, is appropriated by common usage among ecclesiastical
writers to signify that ointment only which is composed of oil and balsam with
the solemn consecration of the Bishop. A mixture of two material things,
therefore, furnishes the matter of Confirmation; and this mixture of different
things not only declares the manifold grace of the Holy Ghost given to those
who are confirmed but also sufficiently shows the excellence of the Sacrament
itself.
The Remote Matter Of Confirmation Is Chrism
That such is the matter of this Sacrament the holy Church
and her Councils have always taught; and the same doctrine has been handed-down
to us by St. Denis and by many other Fathers of the gravest authority,
particularly by Pope Fabian,' who testifies that the Apostles received the
composition of chrism from our Lord and transmitted it to us.
The Appropriateness Of Chrism
Nor indeed could any other matter than that of chrism
seem more appropriate to declare the effects of this Sacrament. Oil, by its
nature rich, unctuous and fluid, expresses the fullness of grace, which,
through the Holy Ghost, overflows and is poured into others from Christ the head,
like the ointment that ran down upon the beard of Aaron, to the skirt of his
garment; for God anointed him with the oil of gladness, above his fellows, and
of his fullness we all have received.
Balsam, the door of which is most pleasant, can signify
nought save that the faithful, when made perfect by the grace of Confirmation,
diffuse around them such a sweet door of all virtues, that they may say with
the Apostle: We are unto God the good odour of Christ. Balsam has also the
power of preserving from corruption whatever it is used to anoint. This
property seems admirably suited to express the virtue of the Sacrament, since
it is quite evident that the souls of the faithful, prepared by the heavenly
grace of Confirmation, are easily protected from the contagion of sins.
Chrism To Be Consecrated By The Bishop
The chrism is consecrated by the Bishop with solemn
ceremonies; for that our Saviour gave this instruction at His last supper, when
He committed to His Apostles the manner of making chrism, we learn from Fabian,
a pontiff eminently distinguished by his sanctity and by the glory of
martyrdom.
The necessity of this consecration may, however, be shown
from reason also. In most of the other Sacraments Christ so instituted their
matter as to impart holiness also to it. For not only did He designate water as
the element of Baptism, saying: Except a man be born again of water and the
Holy Ghost, he cannot enter the kingdom of God; but He also, at His own
Baptism, imparted to it the power of sanctifying thereafter. Hence these words
of St. Chrysostom: The water of Baptism, had it not been sanctified by contact
with the body of our Lord, could not purge away the sins of believers. As,
then, our Lord did not consecrate this matter of Confirmation by actually using
and handling it, it is necessary that it be consecrated by holy and religious
prayers; and this consecration can appertain to none save the Bishop, who has
been appointed the ordinary minister of this Sacrament.
The Form Of Confirmation
The other component part of Confirmation, that is, its
form and the words used at the sacred unction, must also be explained. The
faithful are to be admonished that in receiving this Sacrament they are, in
particular on hearing the words pronounced, to excite their minds to piety,
faith and religion, that no obstacle may be placed to heavenly grace.
The form of Confirmation, then, is comprised in these
words: I sign thee with the sign of the cross, and I confirm thee with the
chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost. If we call upon reason regarding this truth, we may also easily prove
the same thing; for the form of a Sacrament should comprise all those things
that explain the nature and substance of the Sacrament itself. But in
Confirmation these three things are chiefly to be noted: the divine power
which, as a principal cause, operates in the Sacrament; the strength of mind
and soul which is imparted by the sacred unction to the faithful unto
salvation; and finally, the sign impressed on him who is to enter upon the
warfare of Christ. Now of these the first is sufficiently declared by the
concluding words of the form: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost; the second, by the words immediately preceding them: I confirm
thee with the chrism of salvation; and the third, by the words with which the
form opens: I sign thee with the sign of the cross.
But were we even unable to prove by reason that this is
the true and perfect form of this Sacrament, the authority of the Catholic
Church, under whose guidance we have always been thus taught, suffers us not to
entertain the least doubt on the subject.
Minister of Confirmation
Pastors should also teach to whom especially has been
committed the administration of this Sacrament; for as, according to the
Prophet, there are many who run without being sent, it is necessary to teach
who are its true and legitimate ministers, in order that the faithful may be
enabled to receive the Sacrament and grace of Confirmation.
Now the Holy Scriptures show that the Bishop alone is the
ordinary minister of this Sacrament, because we read in the Acts of the
Apostles that when Samaria had received the Word of God, Peter and John were
sent to them, who prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost: for
he was not as yet come upon any of them, but they were only baptised. Here we
may see that he who had baptised, having been only a deacon, had no power to
confirm; but that its administration was reserved to a more perfect order of
ministers, that is, to the Apostles. The same may be observed whenever the
Sacred Scriptures make mention of this Sacrament.
Nor are there wanting in proof of this matter the
clearest testimonies of the holy Fathers and of Popes Urban, Eusebius, Damasus,
Innocent and
The thorough propriety of reserving this function to
Bishops the pastor may illustrate by the following comparison. As in the
construction of buildings the artisans, who are inferior agents, prepare and
dispose cement, lime, timbers and the other material, while to the architect
belongs the completion of the work; so in like manner this Sacrament, which is,
at it were, the completion of the spiritual edifice, should be performed by no
other than the chief priest.
Sponsors at Confirmation
A sponsor is also required, as we have already shown to
be the case in Baptism. For if they who enter the fencing lists have need for
some one whose skill and counsel may teach them the thrusts and passes by which
to overcome their adversaries, while remaining safe themselves; how much more
will the faithful require a leader and monitor, when, sheathed, as it were, in
the stoutest armour by this Sacrament of Confirmation, they engage in the
spiritual conflict, in which eternal salvation is the proposed reward. With
good reason, therefore, are sponsors employed in the administration of this
Sacrament also; and the same spiritual affinity is contracted in Confirmation,
which, as we have already shown, is contracted by sponsors in Baptism, so as to
impede the lawful marriage of the parties.
The Subject of Confirmation
It often happens that, in receiving this Sacrament, the
faithful are guilty of either precipitate haste or a gross neglect and delay;
concerning those who have become so impious as to have the hardihood to contemn
and despise it, we have nothing to say. Pastors, therefore, should also explain
who may receive Confirmation, and what should be their age and dispositions.
All Should Be Confirmed
First, it is necessary to teach that this Sacrament is
not so necessary as to be utterly essential to salvation. Although not
essential, however, it ought to be omitted by no one, but rather, on the
contrary, in a matter so full of holiness through which the divine gifts are so
liberally bestowed, the greater care should be taken to avoid all neglect. What
God has proposed in common unto all for their sanctification, all should
'likewise most earnestly desire.
St. Luke, indeed, describing this admirable effusion of
the Holy Spirit, says: And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a
mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house, where they were sitting; and
a little after: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. From these words
we may understand that, as that house was a type and figure of the Church, the
Sacrament of Confirmation, which tool; its beginning from that day, appertains
to all the faithful.
This may also be easily inferred from the nature of the
Sacrament itself. For they ought to be confirmed with the sacred chrism who
have need of spiritual increase, and who are to be led to the perfection of the
Christian religion. But this is, without exception, suited to all; because as
nature intends that all her children should grow up and attain full maturity,
although she does not always realise her wishes; so the Catholic Church, the
common mother of all, earnestly desires that, in those whom she has regenerated
by Baptism, the perfection of Christian manhood be completed. Now as this is
accomplished through the Sacrament of mystic Unction, it is clear that
Confirmation belongs alike to all the faithful.
The Proper Age For Confirmation
Here it is to be observed, that, after Baptism, the
Sacrament of Confirmation may indeed be administered to all; but that, until
children shall have attained the use of reason, its administration is
inexpedient. If it does not seem well to defer (Confirmation) to the age of
twelve, it is most proper to postpone this Sacrament at least to that of seven
years.
Confirmation has not been instituted as necessary to
salvation, but that by virtue thereof we may be found very well armed and
prepared when called upon to fight for the faith of Christ; and for this
conflict no one assuredly will consider children who as yet lack the use of
reason to be qualified.
Dispositions For Receiving Confirmation
From this, therefore, it follows that persons of mature
age, who are to be confirmed, must, if they desire to obtain the grace and
gifts of this Sacrament, not only bring with them faith and piety, but also
grieve from their hearts for the serious sins which they have committed.
The pastor should take care that they have previous
recourse to confession of their sins; should exhort them to fasting and other
works of piety; and admonish them of the propriety of reviving that laudable
practice of the ancient Church, of receiving this Sacrament fasting. It is to
be presumed that to this the faithful may be easily persuaded, if they but
understand the gifts and admirable effects of this Sacrament.
The Effects of Confirmation
Pastors, therefore, should teach that, in common with the
other Sacraments, Confirmation, unless some obstacle be present on the part of
the receiver, imparts new grace. For we have shown that these sacred and
mystical signs are of such a character as to indicate and produce grace.
The Grace Of Strength
But besides these things, which are common to this and
the other (Sacraments), it is peculiar to Confirmation first to perfect the
grace of Baptism. For those who have been made Christians by Baptism, still
have in some sort the tenderness and softness, as it were, of new-born infants,
and afterwards become, by means of the Sacrament of chrism, stronger to resist
all the assaults of the world, the flesh and the devil, while their minds are
fully confirmed in faith to confess and glorify the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Hence; also, originated the very name (Confirmation), as no one will
doubt. For the word Confirmation is not derived, as some not less ignorantly
than impiously have pretended, from the circumstance that persons baptised in
infancy, when arrived at mature years, were of old brought to the Bishop, in
order to confirm their faith in Christ, which they had embraced ill Baptism, so
that Confirmation would seem not to differ from catechetical instruction. Of
such a practice no reliable testimony can be adduced. On the contrary, the name
has been derived from the fact that by virtue of this Sacrament God confirms in
us the work He commenced in Baptism, leading us to the perfection of solid
Christian virtue.
Increase In Grace
But not only does it confirm, it also increases (divine
grace), as says Melchiades: The Holy Ghost, whose salutary descent upon the
waters of Baptism, imparts in the font fullness to the accomplishment of
innocence, in Confirmation gives an increase of grace; and not only an
increase, but an increase after a wonderful manner. This the Scriptures
beautifully express by a metaphor taken from clothing: Stay you in the city,
said our Lord and Saviour, speaking of this Sacrament, until you be clothed
with power from on high.
If pastors wish to show the divine efficacy of this
Sacrament -- and this, no doubt, will have great influence in affecting the
minds of the faithful -- it will be sufficient if they explain what occurred to
the Apostles themselves. So weak and timid were they before, and even at the
very time of the Passion, that no sooner was our Lord apprehended, than they
instantly fled ; and Peter, who had been designated the rock and foundation of the
Church, and who had displayed unshaken constancy and exalted magnanimity,
terrified at the voice of one weak woman, denied, not once nor twice only, but
a third time, that he was a disciple of Jesus Christ; and after the
Resurrection they all remained shut up at home for fear of the Jews. But, on
the day of Pentecost, so great was the power of the Holy Ghost with which they
were all filled that, while they boldly and freely disseminated the Gospel
confided to them, not only through Judea, but throughout the world, they
thought no greater happiness could await them than that of being accounted
worthy to suffer contumely, chains, torments and crucifixion, for the name of
Christ.
Character Of Soldier Of Christ
Confirmation has also the effect of impressing a
character. Hence, as we before said of Baptism, and as will be more fully
explained in its proper place with regard to the Sacrament of Orders also, it
can on no account ever be repeated.
If, then, these things be frequently and accurately
explained by pastors, it will be almost impossible that the faithful, having
known the utility and dignity of this Sacrament, should not use every exertion
to receive it with purity and devotion.
Ceremonies Of Confirmation
It remains now briefly to glance at the rites and
ceremonies used by the Catholic Church in the administration of this Sacrament;
and pastors will understand the great advantages of this explanation, if they
revert to what we already said on this subject under its proper head.
The Anointing Of The Forehead
The forehead, then, of the persons to be confirmed is
anointed with sacred chrism; for by this Sacrament the Holy Spirit infuses
Himself into the souls of the faithful, and increases in them strength and
fortitude to enable them, in the spiritual contest, to fight manfully and to
resist their most wicked foes. Wherefore it is indicated that they are to be
deterred by no fear or shame, the signs of which appear chiefly on the
forehead, from the open confession of the name of Christ.
The Sign Of The Cross
Besides, that mark by which the Christian is
distinguished from all others, as the soldier is by certain badges, should be
impressed on the more conspicuous part of the body.
Time When Confirmation Should Be Conferred
It has also been a matter of solemn religious observance
in the Church of God that this Sacrament should be administered principally at
Pentecost, because on that day especially were the Apostles strengthened and
confirmed by the power of the Holy Ghost. By the recollection of this
supernatural event the faithful should be admonished of the nature and
magnitude of the mysteries contained in the sacred unction.
The Slap On The Cheek
The person when anointed and confirmed next receives a
gentle slap on the cheek from the hand of the Bishop to make him recollect
that, as a valiant combatant, he should be prepared to endure with unconquered
spirit all adversities for the name of Christ.
The Pax
Lastly, the peace is given him, that he may understand
that he has attained the fullness of divine grace and that peace which passeth
all understanding.
Admonition
Let this, then, serve as a summary of those things which
pastors are to expound touching the Sacrament of chrism. The exposition,
however, should not be given so much in empty words and cold language, as in
the burning accents of pious and glowing zeal, so as to seem to imprint them on
the souls and inmost thoughts of the faithful.
THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST
Importance Of Instruction On The Eucharist
As of all the sacred mysteries bequeathed to us by our
Lord and Saviour as most infallible instruments of divine grace, there is none
comparable to the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist; so, for no crime is
there a heavier punishment to be feared from God than for the unholy or
irreligious use by the faithful of that which is full of holiness, or rather
which contains the very author and source of holiness. This the Apostle wisely
saw, and has openly admonished us of it. For when he had declared the enormity
of their guilt who discerned not the body of the Lord, he immediately
subjoined: Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep.
In order that the faithful, therefore, aware of the
divine honours due to this heavenly Sacrament, may derive therefrom abundant
fruit of grace and escape the most just anger of God, pastors should explain
with the greatest diligence all those things which may seem calculated more
fully to display its majesty.
Institution of the Eucharist
In this matter it will be necessary that pastors,
following the example of the Apostle Paul, who professes to have delivered to
the Corinthians what he had received from the Lord, first of all explain to the
faithful the institution of this Sacrament.
That its institution was as follows, is clearly inferred
from the Evangelist. Our Lord, having loved his own, loved them to the end. As
a divine and admirable pledge of this love, knowing that the hour had now come
that He should pass from the world to the Father, that He-might not ever at any
period be absent from His own, He accomplished with inexplicable wisdom that
which surpasses all the order and condition of nature. For having kept the
supper of the Paschal lamb with His disciples, that the figure might yield to
the reality, the shadow to the substance, He took bread, and giving thanks unto
God, He blessed, and brake, and gave to the disciples, and said: "Take ye
and eat, this is my body which shall be delivered for you; this do for a commemoration
of me." In like manner also, He took the chalice after he had supped,
saying: "This chalice is the new testament in my blood; this do, as often
as you shall drink it, in commemoration of me".
Meaning of the Word "Eucharist"
Wherefore sacred writers, seeing that it was not at all
possible that they should manifest by one term the dignity and excellence of
this admirable Sacrament, endeavoured to express it by many words.
For sometimes they call it Eucharist, which word we may
render either by good grace, or by thanksgiving. And rightly, indeed, is it to
be called good grace, as well because it first signifies eternal life,
concerning which it has been written: The grace of God is eternal life; and
also because it contains Christ the Lord, who is true grace and the fountain of
all favours.
No less aptly do we interpret it thanksgiving; inasmuch
as when we immolate this purest victim, we give daily unbounded thanks to God
for all His kindnesses towards us, and above all for so excellent a gift of His
grace, which He grants to us in this Sacrament. This same name, also, is fully
in keeping with those things which we read were done by Christ the Lord at the
institution of this mystery. For taking bread he brake it, and gave thanks.
David also, when contemplating the greatness of this mystery, before he
pronounced that song: He hath made a remembrance of his wonderful works, being
a merciful and gracious Lord, he hath given food to them that fear him, thought
that he should first make this act of thanksgiving: His work is praise and
magnificence.
Other Names Of This Sacrament
Frequently, also, it is called Sacrifice. Concerning this
mystery there will be occasion to speak more at length presently.
It is called, moreover, communion, the term being
evidently borrowed from that passage of the Apostle where we read: The chalice
of benediction which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?
And the bread which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord?
For, as Damascene has explained, this Sacrament unites us to Christ, renders us
partakers of His flesh and Divinity, reconciles and unites us to one another in
the same Christ, and forms us, as it were, into one body.
Whence it came to pass, that i. was called also the
Sacrament of peace and love. We can understand then how unworthy they are of
the name of Christian who cherish enmities, and how hatred, dissensions and
discord should be entirely put away, as the most destructive bane of the
faithful, especially since by the daily Sacrifice of our religion, we profess
to preserve nothing with more anxious care, than peace and love.
It is also frequently called the Viaticum by sacred
writers, both because it is spiritual food by which we are sustained in our
pilgrimage through this life, and also because it paves our way to eternal
glory and happiness. Wherefore, according to an ancient usage of the Catholic
Church, we see that none of the faithful are permitted to die without this
Sacrament.
The most ancient Fathers, following the authority of the
Apostle, have sometimes also called the Holy Eucharist by the name of Supper,
because it was instituted by Christ the Lord at the salutary mystery of the
Last Supper.
It is not, however, lawful to consecrate or partake of
the Eucharist after eating or drinking, because, according to a custom wisely
introduced by the Apostles, as ancient writers have recorded, and which has
ever been retained and preserved, Communion is received only by persons who are
fasting.
The Eucharist Is a Sacrament Properly So Called
The meaning of the name having been explained, it will be
necessary to show that this is a true Sacrament, and one of those seven which
the holy Church has ever revered and venerated religiously. For when the consecration
of the chalice is effected, it is called a mystery of faith.
Besides, to omit the almost endless testimonies of sacred
writers, who have invariably thought that this was to be numbered among the
real Sacraments, the same thing is proved from the very principle and nature of
a Sacrament. For there are in it signs that are external and subject to the
senses. In the next place it signifies and produces grace. Moreover, neither
the Evangelists nor the Apostle leave room for doubt regarding its institution
by Christ. Since all these things concur to establish the fact of the
Sacrament, there is obviously no need of any other argument.
In What Respect The Eucharist Is A Sacrament
But pastors should carefully observe that in this mystery
there are many things to which sacred writers have from time to time attributed
the name of Sacrament. For, sometimes, both the consecration and the Communion;
nay, frequently also the body and blood itself of our Lord, which is contained
in the Eucharist, used to be called a Sacrament. Thus St. Augustine says that
this Sacrament consists of two things, -- the visible species of the elements,
and the invisible flesh and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. And it is
in the same sense that we say that this Sacrament is to be adored, meaning the
body and blood of our Lord.
Now it is plain that all these are less properly called
Sacraments. The species of bread and wine themselves are truly and strictly
designated by this name.
How The Eucharist Differs From All The Other Sacraments
How much this Sacrament differs from all the others is
easily inferred. For all the other Sacraments are completed by the use of the
material, that is, while they are being administered to some one. Thus Baptism.
attains the nature of a Sacrament when the individual is actually being washed
in the water. For the perfecting of the Eucharist on the other hand, the
consecration of the material itself suffices, since neither (species) ceases to
be a Sacrament, though kept in the pyx.
Again in perfecting the other Sacraments there is no
change of the matter and element into another nature. The water of Baptism, or
the oil of Confirmation, when those Sacraments are being administered, do not
lose their former nature of water and oil; but in the Eucharist, that which was
bread and wine before consecration, after consecration is truly the substance
of the body and blood of the Lord.
The Eucharist Is But One Sacrament
But although there are two elements, as bread and wine,
of which the entire Sacrament of the Eucharist is constituted, yet guided by
the authority of the Church, we confess that this is not many Sacraments, but
only one.
Otherwise, there cannot be the exact number of seven
Sacraments, as has ever been handed down, and as was decreed by the Councils of
Lateran, Florence and Trent.
Moreover, by virtue of the Sacrament, one mystical body
is effected; hence, that the Sacrament itself may correspond to the thing which
it effects, it must be one.
It is one not because it is indivisible, but because it
signifies a single thing. For as food and drink, which are two different
things, are employed only for one purpose, namely, that the vigour of the body
may be recruited; so also it was but natural that there should be an analogy to
them in the two different species of the Sacrament, which should signify the
spiritual food by which souls are supported and refreshed. Wherefore we have
been assured by our Lord the Saviour: My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is
drink indeed.
The Eucharist Signifies Three Things
It must, therefore, be diligently explained what the
Sacrament of the Eucharist signifies, that the faithful, beholding the sacred
mysteries with their eyes, may also at the same time feed their souls with the
contemplation of divine things. Three things, then, are signified by this
Sacrament. The first is the Passion of Christ our Lord, a thing past; for He
Himself said: Do this for a commemoration of me, and the Apostle says: As often
as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall show the death of
the Lord, until he come.
It is also significant of divine and heavenly grace,
which is imparted at the present time by this Sacrament to nurture and preserve
the soul. Just as in Baptism we are begotten unto newness of life and by
Confirmation are strengthened to resist Satan and openly to profess the name of
Christ, so by the Sacrament of the Eucharist are we nurtured and supported.
It is, thirdly, a foreshadowing of future eternal joy and
glory, which, according to God's promises, we shall receive in our heavenly
country.
These three things, then, which are clearly distinguished
by their reference to past, present and future times, are so well represented
by the Eucharistic mysteries that the whole Sacrament, though consisting of
different species, signifies the three as if it referred to one thing only.
Constituent Parts of the Eucharist
The Matter
It is particularly incumbent on pastors to know the
matter of this Sacrament, in order that they themselves may rightly consecrate
it, and also that they may be able to instruct the faithful as to its
significance, inflaming them with an earnest desire of that which it signifies.
The First Element Of The Eucharist Is Bread
The matter of this Sacrament is twofold. The first
element is wheaten bread, of which we shall now speak. Of the second we shall
treat hereafter. As the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke testify, Christ the
Lord took bread into His hands, blessed, and brake, saying: This is my body;
and, according to John, the same Saviour called Himself bread in these words: I
am the living bread, that came down from heaven.
The Sacramental Bread Must Be Wheaten
There are, however, various sorts of bread, either
because they consist of different materials, -- such as wheat, barley, pulse
and other products of the earth; or because they possess different qualities,
-- some being leavened, others altogether without leaven. It is to be observed
that, with regard to the former kinds, the words of the Saviour show that the
bread should be wheaten; for, according to common usage, when we simply say
bread, we are sufficiently understood to mean wheaten bread. This is also
declared by a figure in the Old Testament, because the Lord commanded that the
loaves of proposition, which signified this Sacrament, should be made of fine
flour.
The Sacramental Bread Should Be Unleavened
But as wheaten bread alone is to be considered the proper
matter for this Sacrament -- a doctrine which has been handed down by Apostolic
tradition and confirmed by the authority of the Catholic Church -- so it may be
easily inferred from the doings of Christ the Lord that this bread should be
unleavened. It was consecrated and instituted by Him on the first day of
unleavened bread, on which it was not lawful for the Jews to have anything
leavened in their house.
Should the authority of John the Evangelist, who says
that all this was done before the feast of the Passover, be objected to, the
argument is one of easy solution. For by the day before the pasch John
understands the same day which the other Evangelists designate as the first day
of unleavened bread. He wished particularly to mark the natural day, which
commences at sunrise; whereas they wanted to point out that our Lord celebrated
the Pasch on Thursday evening just when the days of the unleavened bread were
beginning. Hence St. Chrysostom also understands the first day of unleavened
bread to be the day on the evening of which unleavened bread was to be eaten.
The peculiar suitableness of the consecration of
unleavened bread to express that integrity and purity of mind which the
faithful should bring to this Sacrament we learn from these words of the
Apostle: Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new paste, as you are
unleavened. For Christ our Passover is sacrificed. Therefore, let us feast, not
with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the
unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Unleavened Bread Not Essential
This quality of the bread, however, is not to be deemed
so essential that, if it be wanting, the Sacrament cannot exist; for both kinds
are called by the one name and have the true and proper nature of bread. No
one, however, is at liberty on his own private authority, or rather
presumption, to transgress the laudable rite of his Church. And such departure
is the less warrantable in priests of the Latin Church, expressly obliged as
they are by the supreme Pontiffs, to consecrate the sacred mysteries with
unleavened bread only.
Quantity Of The Bread
With regard to the first matter of this Sacrament, let
this exposition suffice. It is, however, to be observed, that the quantity of
the matter to be consecrated is not defined, since we cannot define the exact
number of those who can or ought to receive the sacred mysteries.'
The Second Element Of The Eucharist Is Wine
It remains for us to treat of the other matter and
element of this Sacrament, which is wine pressed from the fruit of the vine, with
which is mingled a little water.
That in the institution of this Sacrament our Lord and
Saviour made use of wine has beep at all times the doctrine of the Catholic
Church, for He Himself said: I will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of
the vine until that day. On this passage Chrysostom observes: He says, "Of
the fruit of the vine," which certainly produced wine not water; as if he
had it in view, even at so early a period, to uproot the heresy which asserted
that in these mysteries water alone is to be used.
Water Should Be Mixed With The Wine
With the wine, however, the Church of God has always
mingled water. First, because Christ the Lord did so, as is proved by the
authority of Councils and the testimony of St. Cyprian; next, because by this
mixture is renewed the recollection of the blood and water that issued from His
side. Waters, also, as we read in the Apocalypse, signify the people; and
hence, water mixed with the wine signifies the union of the faithful with
Christ their Head. This rite, derived as it is from Apostolic tradition, the
Catholic Church has always observed.
But although there are reasons so grave for mingling
water with the wine that it cannot be omitted without incurring the guilt of
mortal sin, yet its omission does not render the Sacrament null.
Again as in the sacred mysteries priests must be mindful
to mingle water with wine, so, also, must they take care to mingle it in small
quantity, for, in the opinion and judgment of ecclesiastical writers, that
water is changed into wine. Hence these words of Pope Honorius on the subject:
A pernicious abuse has prevailed in your district of using in the sacrifice a
greater quantity of water than of wine; whereas, according to the rational
practice of the universal Church, the wine should be used in much greater
quantity than the water.
No Other Elements Pertain To This Sacrament
These, then, are the only two elements of this Sacrament;
and with reason has it been enacted by many decrees that, although there have
been those who were not afraid to do so, it is unlawful to offer anything but
bread and wine.
Peculiar Fitness Of Bread And Wine
We have now to consider the aptitude of these two symbols
of bread and wine to represent those things of which we believe and confess
they are the sensible signs.
In the first place, then, they signify to us Christ, as
the true life of men; for our Lord Himself says: My flesh is meat indeed, and
my blood is drink indeed. As, then, the body of Christ the Lord furnishes nourishment
unto eternal life to those who receive this Sacrament with purity and holiness,
rightly is the matter composed chiefly of those elements by which our present
life is sustained, in order that the faithful may easily understand that the
mind and soul are satiated by the Communion of the precious body and blood of
Christ.
These very elements serve also somewhat to suggest to men
the truth of the Real Presence of the body and blood of the Lord in the
Sacrament. Observing, as we do, that bread and wine are every day changed by
the power of nature into human flesh and blood, we are led the more easily by
this analogy to believe that the substance of the bread and wine is changed, by
the heavenly benediction, into the real flesh and real blood of Christ.
This admirable change of the elements also helps to
shadow forth what takes place in the soul. Although no change of the bread and
wine appears externally, yet their substance is truly changed into the flesh
and blood of Christ; so, in like manner, although in us nothing appears
changed, yet we are renewed inwardly unto life, when we receive in the
Sacrament of the Eucharist the true life.
Moreover, the body of the Church, which is one, consists
of many members, and of this union nothing is more strikingly illustrative than
the elements of bread and wine; for bread is made from many grains and wine is
pressed from many clusters of grapes. Thus they signify that we, though many,
are most closely bound together by the bond of this divine mystery and made, as
it were, one body.
Form Of The Eucharist
The form to be used in the consecration of the bread is
next to be treated of, not, however, in order that the faithful should be
taught these mysteries, unless necessity require it; for this knowledge is not
needful for those who have not received Holy Orders. The purpose (of this
section) is to guard against most shameful mistakes on the part of priests, at
the time of the consecration, due to ignorance of the form.
Form To Be Used In The Consecration Of The Bread
We are then taught by the holy Evangelists, Matthew and
Luke, and also by the Apostle, that the form consists of these words: This is
my body; for it is written: Whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and
blessed it, and brake, and gave to his disciples, and said: Take and eat, This
is my body.
This form of consecration having been observed by Christ
the Lord has been always used by the Catholic Church. The testimonies of the
Fathers, the enumeration of which would be endless, and also the decree of the
Council of Florence, which is well known and accessible to all, must here be
omitted, especially as the knowledge which they convey may be obtained from
these words of the Saviour: Do this for a commemoration of me. For what the Lord
enjoined was not only what He had done, but also what he had said; and
especially is this true, since the words were uttered not only to signify, but
also to accomplish.
That these words constitute the form is easily proved
from reason also. The form is that which signifies what is accomplished in this
Sacrament; but as the preceding words signify and declare what takes place in
the Eucharist, that is, the conversion of the bread into the true body of our
Lord, it therefore follows that these very words constitute the form. In this
sense may be understood the words of the Evangelist: He blessed; for they seem
equivalent to this: Taking bread, he blessed it, saying: "This is my
body".
Not All The Words Used Are Essential
Although in the Evangelist the words, Take and eat,
precede the words (This is my body), they evidently express the use only, not
the consecration, of the matter. Wherefore, while they are not necessary to the
consecration of the Sacrament, they are by all means to be pronounced by the
priest, as is also the conjunction for in the consecration of the body and
blood. But they are not necessary to the validity of the Sacrament, otherwise
it would follow that, if this Sacrament were not to be administered to anyone,
it should not, or indeed could not, be consecrated; whereas, no one can
lawfully doubt that the priest, by pronouncing the words of our Lord according
to the institution and practice of the Church, truly consecrates the proper
matter of the bread, even though it should afterwards never be administered.
Form To Be Used In The Consecration Of The Wine
With regard lo the consecration of the wine, which is the
other element of this Sacrament, the priest, for the reason we have already
assigned, ought of necessity to be well acquainted with, and well understand
its form. We are then firmly to believe that it consists in the following
words: This is the chalice of my blood, of the new and eternal testament, the
mystery of faith, which shall be shed for you and for many, to the remission of
sins. Of these words the greater part are taken from Scripture; but some have
been preserved in the Church from Apostolic tradition.
Thus the words, this is the chalice, are found in St.
Luke and in the Apostle; but the words that immediately follow, of my blood, or
my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for you and for many to the
remission of sins, are found partly in St. Luke and partly in St. Matthew. But
the words, eternal, and the mystery of faith, have been taught us by holy
tradition, the interpreter and keeper of Catholic truth.
Concerning this form no one can doubt, if he here also
attend to what has been already said about the form used in the consecration of
the bread. The form to be used (in the consecration) of this element, evidently
consists of those words which signify that the substance of the wine is changed
into the blood of our Lord. since, therefore, the words already cited clearly
declare this, it is plain that no other words constitute the form.
They moreover express certain admirable fruits of the
blood shed in the Passion of our Lord, fruits which pertain in a most special
manner to this Sacrament. Of these, one is access to the eternal inheritance,
which has come to us by right of the new and everlasting testament. Another is
access to righteousness by the mystery of faith; for God hath set forth Jesus
to be a propitiator through faith in his blood, that he himself may be just,
and the justifier of him, who is of the faith of Jesus. Christ. A third effect
is the remission of sins.
Explanation Of The Form Used In The Consecration Of The
Wine
Since these very words of consecration are replete with
mysteries and most appropriately suitable to the subject, they demand a more
minute consideration.
The words: This is the chalice of my blood, are to be
understood to mean: This is my blood, which is contained in this chalice. The
mention of the chalice made at the consecration of the blood is right and
appropriate, inasmuch as the blood is the drink of the faithful, and this would
not be sufficiently signified if it were not contained in some drinking vessel.
Next follow the words: Of the new testament. These have
been added that we might understand the blood of Christ the Lord to be given
not under a figure, as was done in the Old Law, of which we read in the Epistle
to the Hebrews that without blood a testament is not dedicated; but to be given
to men in truth and in reality, as becomes the New Testament. Hence the Apostle
says: Christ therefore is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of
his death, they who are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
The word eternal refers to the eternal inheritance, the
right to which we acquire by the death of Christ the Lord, the eternal
testator.
The words mystery of faith, which are subjoined, do not
exclude the reality, but signify that what lies hidden and concealed and far
removed from the perception of the eye, is to be believed with firm faith. In
this passage, however, these words bear a meaning different from that which
they have when applied also to Baptism. Here the mystery of faith consists in
seeing by faith the blood of Christ veiled under the species of wine; but
Baptism is justly called by us the Sacrament of faith, by the Greeks, the
mystery of faith, because it embraces the entire profession of the Christian
faith.
Another reason why we call the blood of the Lord the
mystery of faith is that human reason is particularly beset with difficulty and
embarrassment when faith proposes to our belief that Christ the Lord, the true
Son of God, at once God and man, suffered death for us, and this death is
designated by the Sacrament of His blood.
Here, therefore, rather than at the consecration of His
body, is appropriately commemorated the Passion of our Lord, by the words.
which shall be shed for the remission of sins. For the blood, separately
consecrated, serves to place before the eyes of all, in a more forcible manner,
the Passion of our Lord, His death, and the nature of His sufferings.
The additional words for you and for many, are taken,
some from Matthew, some from Luke, but were joined together by the Catholic
Church under the guidance of the Spirit of God. They serve to declare the fruit
and advantage of His Passion. For if we look to its value, we must confess that
the Redeemer shed His blood for the salvation of all; but if we look to the
fruit which mankind have received from it, we shall easily find that it
pertains not unto all, but to many of the human race. When therefore ('our
Lord) said: For you, He meant either those who were present, or those chosen
from among the Jewish people, such as were, with the exception of Judas, the
disciples with whom He was speaking. When He added, And for many, He wished to
be understood to mean the remainder of the elect from among the Jews or
Gentiles.
With reason, therefore, were the words for all not used,
as in this place the fruits of the Passion are alone spoken of, and to the
elect only did His Passion bring the fruit of salvation. And this is the
purport of the Apostle when he says: Christ was offered once to exhaust the
sins of many; and also of the words of our Lord in John: I pray for them; I
pray not for the world, but for them whom thou hast given me, because they are
thine.
Beneath the words of this consecration lie hid many other
mysteries, which by frequent meditation and study of sacred things, pastors
will find it easy, with the divine assistance, to discover for themselves.
Three Mysteries Of The Eucharist
We must now return to an explanation of those truths
concerning the Eucharist about which the faithful are on no account to be left
in ignorance. Pastors, aware of the warning of the Apostle that those who
discern not the body of the Lord are guilty of a most grave crime, should first
of all impress on the minds of the faithful the necessity of detaching, as much
as possible, their mind and understanding from the dominion of the senses; for
if they believe that this Sacrament contains only what the senses disclose,
they will of necessity fall into enormous impiety. Consulting the sight, the
touch, the smell, the taste and finding nothing but the appearances of bread
and wine, they will naturally judge that this Sacrament contains nothing more than
bread and wine. Their minds, therefore, are as much as possible to be withdrawn
from subjection to the senses and excited to the contemplation of the
stupendous might and power of God.
The Catholic Church firmly believes and professes that in
this Sacrament the words of consecration accomplish three wondrous and
admirable effects.
The first is that the true body of Christ the Lord, the
same that was born of the Virgin, and is now seated at the right hand of the
Father in heaven, is contained in this Sacrament.
The second, however repugnant it may appear to the
senses, is that none of the substance of the elements remains in the Sacrament.
The third, which may be deduced from the two preceding.
although the words of consecration themselves clearly express it, is that the
accidents which present themselves to the eyes or other senses exist in a
wonderful and ineffable manner without a subject. All the accidents of bread
and wine we can see, but they inhere in no substance, and exist independently
of any; for the substance of the bread and wine is so changed into the body and
blood of our Lord that they altogether cease to be the substance of bread and
wine.
The Mystery of the Real Presence
To begin with the first (of these mysteries), pastors
should give their best attention to show how clear and explicit are the words
of our Saviour which establish the Real Presence of His body in this Sacrament.
Proof From Scripture
When our Lord says: This is my body, this is my blood, no
person of sound mind can mistake His meaning, particularly since there is
reference to Christ's human nature, the reality of which the Catholic faith
permits no one to doubt. The admirable words of St. Hilary, a man not less
eminent for piety than learning, are apt here: When our Lord himself declares,
as our faith teaches us, that His flesh is food indeed, what room can remain
for doubt concerning the real presence of His body and blood?
Pastors should also adduce another passage from which it
can be clearly seen that the true body and blood of our Lord are contained in
the Eucharist. The Apostle, after having recorded the consecration of bread and
wine by our Lord, and also the administration of Communion to the Apostles,
adds: But let a man prove himself, and so eat of that bread and drink of the
chalice; for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh
judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. If, as heretics
continually repeat, the Sacrament presents nothing to our veneration but a
memorial and sign of the Passion of Christ, why was there need to exhort the
faithful, in language so energetic, to prove themselves? By the terrible word
judgment, the Apostle shows how enormous is the guilt of those who receive
unworthily and do not distinguish from common food the body of the Lord
concealed in the Eucharist. In the same Epistle St. Paul had already developed
this doctrine more fully, when he said: The chalice of benediction which we
bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? and the bread which we
break, is it not the participation of the body of the Lord ? Now these words
signify the real substance of the body and blood of Christ the Lord.
Proof From The Teaching Of The Church
These passages of Scripture are therefore to be expounded
by pastors; and they should especially teach that there is nothing doubtful or
uncertain about them. All the more certain are they since the infallible
teaching of God's Church has interpreted them, as may be ascertained in a
twofold manner.
Testimony Of The Fathers
The first is by consulting the Fathers who flourished in
the early ages of the Church and in each succeeding century, who are the most
unexceptionable witnesses of her doctrine. All of these teach in the clearest
terms and with the most entire unanimity the truth of this dogma. To adduce the
individual testimony of each Father would prove an endless task. It is enough,
therefore, that we cite, or rather point out a few, whose testimony will afford
an easy criterion by which to judge of the rest.
Let St. Ambrose first declare his faith. In his book On
Those Who are Initiated Into the Mysteries he says that the true body of Christ
is received in this Sacrament, just as the true body of Christ was derived from
the Virgin, and that this truth is to be believed with the firm certainty of
faith. In another place he teaches that before consecration there is only
bread, but after consecration there is the flesh of Christ.
St. Chrysostom, another witness of equal authority and gravity,
professes and proclaims this mysterious truth in many passages, but
particularly in his sixtieth homily, On Those Who Receive The Sacred Mysteries
Unworthily; and also in his forty-fourth and forty-fifth homilies on St. John.
Let us, he says, obey, not contradict God, although what He says may seem
contrary to our reason and our sight. His words cannot deceive, our senses are
easily deceived.
With this doctrine fully agrees the uniform teaching of
St. Augustine, that most zealous defender of Catholic faith, particularly when
in his explanation of the thirty-third Psalm he says: To carry himself in his
own hands is impossible to man, and peculiar to Christ alone; He was carried in
His own hands when, giving His body to be eaten, He said, This is my body.
To pass by Justin and Irenaeus, St. Cyril, in his fourth
book on St. John, declares in such express terms that the true body of our Lord
is contained in this Sacrament, that no sophistry, no captious interpretations
can obscure his meaning.
Should pastors wish for additional testimonies of the
Fathers, they will find it easy to add St. Denis,- St. Hilary, St. Jerome, St.
Damascene and a host of others, whose weighty teaching on this most important
subject has been collected by the labor and industry of learned and pious men.
Teaching Of The Councils
Another means of ascertaining the belief of the holy
Church on matters of faith is the condemnation of the contrary doctrine and
opinion. It is manifest that belief in the Real Presence of the body of Christ
in the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist was so spread and taught throughout the
universal Church and unanimously professed by all the faithful, that when, five
centuries ago, Berengarius presumed to deny this dogma, asserting that the Eucharist
was only a sign, he was unanimously condemned in the Council of Vercelli, which
Relapsing, however, into the same wicked folly, he was
condemned by three different Councils, convened, one at Tours, the other two at
Rome; of the two latter, one was summoned by Pope Nicholas II, the other by
Pope Gregory VIII.' The General Council of Lateran, held under Innocent III,
further ratified the sentence. Finally this truth was more clearly defined and
established in the Councils of Florence and Trent.
Two Great Benefits Of Proving The Real Presence
If, then, pastors will carefully explain these
particulars, they will be able, while ignoring those who are blinded by error
and hate nothing more than the light of truth, to strengthen the weak and
administer joy and consolation to the pious, all the more as the faithful
cannot doubt that this dogma is numbered among the Articles of faith.
Faith Is Strengthened
Believing and confessing, as they do, that the power of
God is supreme over all things, they must also believe that His omnipotence can
accomplish the great work which we admire and adore in the Sacrament of the
Eucharist. And again since they believe the Holy Catholic Church, they must
necessarily believe that the true doctrine of this Sacrament is that which we
have set forth.
The Soul Is Gladdened
Nothing contributes more to the spiritual joy and
advantage of pious persons than the contemplation of the exalted dignity of
this most august Sacrament. In the first place they learn how great is the
perfection of the Gospel Dispensation, under which we enjoy the reality of that
which under the Mosaic Law was only shadowed forth by types and figures. Hence
St. Denis divinely says that our Church is midway between the Synagogue and the
heavenly Jerusalem, and consequently participates of the nature of both.
Certainly, then, the faithful can never sufficiently admire the perfection of
holy Church and her exalted glory which seems to be removed only by one degree
from the bliss of heaven. In common with the inhabitants of heaven, we too
possess Christ, God and man, present with us. They are raised a degree above
us, inasmuch as they are present with Christ and enjoy the Beatific Vision;
while we, with a firm and unwavering faith, adore the Divine Majesty present
with us, not, it is true, in a manner visible to mortal eye, but hidden by a
miracle of power under the veil of the sacred mysteries.
Furthermore the faithful experience in this Sacrament the
most perfect love of Christ our Saviour. It became the goodness of the Saviour
not to withdraw from us that nature which He assumed from us, but to desire, as
far as possible, to remain among us so that at all times He might be seen to
verify the words: My delight is to be with the children of men.
Meaning of the Real Presence
Christ Whole And Entire Is Present In The Eucharist
Here the pastor should explain that in this Sacrament are
contained not only the true body of. Christ and all the constituents of a true
body, such as bones and sinews, but also Christ whole and entire. He should
point out that the word Christ designates the God-man, that is to say, one
Person in whom are united the divine and human natures; that the Holy
Eucharist, therefore, contains both, and whatever is included in the idea of
both, the Divinity and humanity whole and entire, consisting of the soul, all
the parts of the body and the blood,- all of which must be believed to be in
this Sacrament. In heaven the whole humanity is united to the Divinity in one
hypostasis, or Person; hence it would be impious, to suppose that the body of
Christ, which is contained in the Sacrament, is separated from His Divinity.
Presence In Virtue Of The Sacrament And In Virtue Of
Concomitance
Pastors, however, should not fail to observe that in this
Sacrament not all these things are contained after the same manner, or by the
same power. Some things, we say, are present in virtue of the consecration; for
as the words of consecration effect what they signify, sacred writers usually
say that whatever the form expresses, is contained in the Sacrament by virtue
of the Sacrament. Hence, could we suppose any one thing to be entirely
separated from the rest, the Sacrament, they teach, would be found to contain
solely what the form expresses and nothing more.
On the other hand, some things are contained in the
Sacrament because they are united to those which are expressed in the form. For
instance, the words This is my body, which comprise the form used to consecrate
the bread, signify the body of the Lord, and hence the body itself of Christ
the Lord is contained in the Eucharist by virtue of the Sacrament. Since,
however, to Christ's body are united His blood, His soul, and His Divinity, all
of these also must be found to coexist in the Sacrament; not, however, by
virtue of the consecration, but by virtue of the union that subsists between
them and His body. All these are said to be in the Eucharist by virtue of concomitance.
Hence it is clear that Christ, whole and entire, is contained in the Sacrament;
for when two things are actually united, where one is, the other must also be.
Christ Whole And Entire Present Under Each Species
Hence it also follows that Christ is so contained, whole
and entire, under either species, that, as under the species of bread are
contained not only the body, but also the blood and Christ entire; so in like
manner, under the species of wine are truly contained not only the blood, but also
the body and Christ entire.
But although these are matters on which the faithful
cannot entertain a doubt, it was nevertheless wisely ordained that two distinct
consecrations should take place. First, because they represent in a more lively
manner the Passion of our Lord, in -which His blood was separated from His
body; and hence in the form of consecration we commemorate the shedding of His
blood. Secondly, since the Sacrament is to be used by us as the food and
nourishment of our souls, it was most appropriate that it should be instituted
as food and drink, two things which obviously constitute the complete
sustenance of the (human) body.
Christ Whole And Entire Present In Every Part Of Each
Species
Nor should it be forgotten that Christ, whole and entire,
is contained not only under either species, but also in each particle of either
species. Each, says St. Augustine, receives Christ the Lord, and He is entire
in each portion. He is not diminished by being given to many, but gives Himself
whole and entire to each.
This is also an obvious inference from the narrative of
the Evangelists. It is not to be supposed that our Lord consecrated the bread
used at the Last Supper in separate parts, applying the form particularly to
each, but that all the bread then used for the sacred mysteries was consecrated
at the same time and with the same form, and in a quantity sufficient for all
the Apostles. That the consecration of the chalice was performed in this
manner, is clear from these words of the Saviour: Take and divide it among you.
What has hitherto been said is intended to enable pastors
to show that the true body and blood of Christ are contained in the Sacrament
of the Eucharist.
The Mystery of Transubstantiation
The next point to be explained is that the substance of
the bread and wine does not continue to exist in the Sacrament after
consecration. This truth, although well calculated to excite our profound
admiration, is yet a necessary consequence from what has been already established.
Proof From The Dogma Of The Real Presence
If, after consecration, the true body of Christ is
present under the species of bread and wine, since it was not there before, it
must have become present either by change of place, or by creation, or by the
change of some other thing into it. It cannot be rendered present by change of
place, because it would then cease to be in heaven; for whatever is moved must
necessarily cease to occupy the place from which it is moved. Still less can we
suppose the body of Christ to be rendered present by creation; nay, the very
idea is inconceivable. In order that the body of our Lord be present in the
Sacrament, it remains, therefore, that it be rendered present by the change of
the bread into it. Wherefore it is necessary that none of the substance of the
bread remain.
Proof From The Councils
Hence our predecessors in the faith, the Fathers of the
General Councils of Lateran and of Florence, confirmed by solemn decrees the
truth of this dogma. In the Council of Trent it was still more fully defined in
these words: If any one shall say that in the most Holy Sacrament of the
Eucharist the substance of the bread and wine remains, together with the body
and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, let hint be anathema.
Proof From Scripture
The doctrine thus defined is a natural inference from the
words of Scripture. When instituting this Sacrament, our Lord Himself said:
This is my body. The word this expresses the entire substance of the thing
present; and therefore if the substance of the bread remained, our Lord could
not have truly said: This is my body.
In St. John Christ the Lord also says: The bread that I
will give is my flesh, for the life of the world. The bread which He promises
to give, He here declares to be His flesh. A little after He adds: Unless you
eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life
in you. And again: My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
Since, therefore, in terms so clear and so explicit, He calls His flesh bread
and meat indeed, and His blood drink indeed, He gives us sufficiently to
understand that none of the substance of the bread and wine remains in the
Sacrament.
Proof From The Fathers
Whoever turns over the pages of the holy Fathers will
easily perceive that on this doctrine (of transubstantiation) they have been at
all times unanimous. St. Ambrose says: You say, perhaps, "this bread is no
other than what is used for common food." True, before consecration it is
bread; but no sooner are the words of consecration pronounced than from bread
it becomes the flesh of Christ. To prove this position more clearly, he
elucidates it by a variety of comparisons and examples. In another place, when
explaining these words of the Psalmist, Whatsoever the Lord pleased he hath
done in heaven and on earth, St. Ambrose says: Although the species of bread
and wine are visible, yet we must believe that after consecration, the body and
blood of Christ are alone there. Explaining the same doctrine almost in the
same words, St. Hilary says that although externally it appear bread and wine,
yet in reality it is the body and blood of the Lord.
Why The Eucharist Is Called Bread After Consecration
Here pastors should observe that we should not at all be surprised,
if, even after consecration, the Eucharist is sometimes called bread. It is so
called, first because it retains the appearance of bread, and secondly because
it keeps the natural quality of bread, which is to support and nourish the
body.
Moreover, such
phraseology is in perfect accordance with the usage of the Holy Scriptures,
which call things by what they appear to be, as may be seen from the words of
Genesis which say that Abraham saw three men, when in reality he saw three
Angels. In like manner the two Angels who appeared to the Apostles after the
Ascension of Christ the Lord into heaven, are called not Angels, but men.
The Meaning of Transubstantiation
To explain this mystery is extremely difficult. The
pastor, however, should endeavour to instruct those who are more advanced in
the knowledge of divine things on the manner of this admirable change. As for
those who are yet weak in faith, they might possibly be overwhelmed by its
greatness.
Transubstantiation A Total Conversion
This conversion, then, is so effected that the whole
substance of the bread is changed by the power of God into the whole substance
of the body of Christ, and the whole substance of the wine into the whole
substance of His blood, and this, without any change in our Lord Himself. He is
neither begotten, nor changed, not increased, but remains entire in His
substance.
This sublime mystery St. Ambrose thus declares: You see
how efficacious are the words of Christ. If the word of the Lord Jesus is so
powerful as to summon into existence that which did not exist, namely the
world, how much more powerful is His word to change into something else that
which already has existence ?
Many other ancient and most authoritative Fathers have
written to the same effect. We faithfully confess, says St. Augustine, that
before consecration it is bread and wine, the product of nature; but after
consecration it is the body and blood of Christ, consecrated by the blessing.
The body, says Damascene, is truly united to the Divinity, that body which was
derived from the virgin; not that the body thus derived descends from heaven,
but that the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ.
This admirable change, as the Council of Trent teaches,
the Holy Catholic Church most appropriately expresses by the word
transubstantiation. Since natural changes are rightly called transformations,
because they involve a change of form; so likewise our predecessors in the
faith wisely and appropriately introduced the term transubstantiation, in order
to signify that in the Sacrament of the Eucharist the whole substance of one
thing passes into the whole substance of another.
According to the admonition so frequently repeated by the
holy Fathers, the faithful are to be admonished against curious searching into
the manner in which this change is effected. It defies the powers of
conception; nor can we find any example of it in natural transmutations, or
even in the very work of creation. That such a change takes place must be
recognised by faith; how it takes place we must not curiously inquire.
No less of caution should be observed by pastors in
explaining the mysterious manner in which the body of our Lord is contained
whole and entire under the least particle of the bread. Indeed, discussions of
this kind should scarcely ever be entered upon. Should Christian charity,
however, require a departure from this rule, the pastor should remember first
of all to prepare and fortify his hearers by reminding them that no word shall
be impossible with God.
A Consequence Of Transubstantiation
The pastor should next teach that our Lord is not in the
Sacrament as in a place. Place regards things only inasmuch as they have
magnitude. Now we do not say that Christ is in the Sacrament inasmuch as He is
great or small, terms which belong to quantity, but inasmuch as He is a
substance. The substance of the bread is changed into the substance of Christ,
not into magnitude or quantity; and substance, it will be acknowledged by all,
is contained in a small as well as in a large space. The substance of air, for
instance, and its entire nature must be present under a small as well as a
large quantity, and likewise the entire nature of water must be present no less
in a glass than in a river. Since, then, the body of our Lord succeeds to the
substance of the bread, we must confess it to be in the Sacrament after the
same manner as the substance of the bread was before consecration; whether the
substance of the bread was present in greater or less quantity is a matter of
entire indifference.
The Mystery of the Accidents without a Subject
We now come to the third great and wondrous effect of
this Sacrament, namely, the existence of the species of bread and wine without
a subject.
Proof From The Preceding Dogmas
What has been said in explanation of the two preceding
points must facilitate for pastors the exposition of this truth. For, since we
have already proved that the body and blood of our Lord are really and truly
contained in the Sacrament, to the entire exclusion of the substance of the
bread and wine, and since the accidents of bread and wine cannot inhere in the
body and blood of Christ, it remains that, contrary to physical laws, they must
subsist of themselves, inhering in no subject.
Proof From The Teaching Of The Church
This has been at all times the uniform doctrine of the
Catholic Church; and it can be easily established by the same authorities
which, as we have already proved, make it plain that the substance of the bread
and wine ceases to exist in the Eucharist.
Advantages Of This Mystery
Nothing more becomes the piety of the faithful than,
omitting all curious questionings, to revere and adore the majesty of this
august Sacrament, and to recognise the wisdom of God in commanding that these
holy mysteries should be administered under the species of bread and wine. For
since it is most revolting to human nature to eat human flesh or drink human
blood, therefore God in His infinite wisdom has established the administration
of the body and blood of Christ under the forms of bread and wine, which are
the ordinary and agreeable food of man.
There are two further advantages: first, it prevents the
calumnious reproaches of the unbeliever, from which the eating of our Lord
under His visible form could not easily be defended; secondly, the receiving
Him under a form in which He is impervious to the senses avails much for
increasing our faith. For faith, as the well known saying of St. Gregory
declares, has no merit in those things which fall under the proof of reason.
The doctrines treated above should be explained with
great caution, according to the capacity of the hearers and the necessities of
the times.
The Effects of the Eucharist
But with regard to the admirable virtue and fruits of
this Sacrament, there is no class of the faithful to whom a knowledge of them
is not most necessary. For all that has been said at such length on this
Sacrament has principally for its object, to make the faithful sensible of the
advantages of the Eucharist. As, however, no language can convey an adequate
idea of its utility and fruits, pastors must be content to treat of one or two
points, in order to show what an abundance and profusion of all goods are
contained in those sacred mysteries.
The Eucharist Contains Christ And Is The Food Of The Soul
This they will in some degree accomplish, if, having
explained the efficacy and nature of all the Sacraments, they compare the
Eucharist to a fountain, the other Sacraments to rivulets. For the Holy
Eucharist is truly and necessarily to be called the fountain of all graces,
containing, as it does, after an admirable manner, the fountain itself of
celestial gifts and graces, and the author of all the Sacrament, Christ our
Lord, from whom, as from its source, is derived whatever of goodness and
perfection the other Sacraments possess. From this (comparison), therefore, we
may easily infer what most ample gifts of divine grace are bestowed on us by
this Sacrament.
It will also be useful to consider attentively the nature
of bread and wine, which are the symbols of this Sacrament. For what bread and
wine are to the body, the Eucharist is to the health and delight of the soul,
but in a higher and better way. This Sacrament is not, like bread and wine,
changed into our substance; but we are, in some wise, changed into its nature,
so that we may well apply here the words of St. Augustine: I am the food of the
frown. Grow and thou shalt eat Me; nor shalt thou change Me into thee, as thy
bodily food, but thou shalt be changed into Me.
The Eucharist Gives Grace
If, then, grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, they must
surely be poured into the soul which receives with purity and holiness Him who
said of Himself: He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me
and I in him. Those who receive this Sacrament piously and fervently must,
beyond all doubt, so receive the Son of God into their souls as to be ingrafted
as living members on His body. For it is written: He that eateth me, the same
also shall live by me; also: The bread which I will give is my flesh for the
life of the world. Explaining this passage, St. Cyril says: The Word of God,
uniting Himself to His own flesh, imparted to it a vivifying power: it became
Him, therefore, to unite Himself to our bodies in a wonderful manner, through
His sacred flesh and precious blood, which we receive in the bread and wine,
consecrated by His vivifying benediction.
The Grace Of The Eucharist Sustains
When it is said that the Eucharist imparts grace, pastors
must admonish that this does not mean that the state of grace is not required
for a profitable reception of this Sacrament. For as natural food can be of no
use to the dead, so in like manner the sacred mysteries can evidently be of no
avail to a soul which lives not by the spirit. Hence this Sacrament has been
instituted under the forms of bread and wine to signify that the object of its
institution is not to recall the soul to life, but to preserve its life.
The reason, then, for saying that this Sacrament imparts
grace, is that even the first grace, with which all should be clothed before
they presume to approach the Holy Eucharist, lest they eat and drink judgment
to themselves,' is given to none unless they receive in wish and desire this
very Sacrament. For the Eucharist is the end of all the Sacraments, and the
symbol of unity and brotherhood in the Church, outside which none can attain
grace.
The Grace Of The Eucharist Invigorates And Delights
Again, just as the body is not only supported but also
increased by natural food, from which the taste every day derives new relish
and pleasure; so also is the soul not only sustained but invigorated by
feasting on the food of the Eucharist, which gives to the spirit an increasing
zest for heavenly things. Most truly and fitly therefore do we say that grace
is imparted by this Sacrament, for it may be justly compared to the manna
having in it the sweetness of every taste.
The Eucharist Remits Venial Sins
It cannot be doubted that by the Eucharist are remitted
and pardoned lighter sins, commonly called venial. Whatever the soul has lost
through the fire of passion, by falling into some slight offence, all this the
Eucharist, cancelling those lesser faults, repairs, in the same way -- not to
depart from the illustration already adduced -- as natural food gradually
restores and repairs the daily waste caused by the force of the vital heat
within us. Justly, therefore, has St. Ambrose said of this heavenly Sacrament:
That daily bread is taken as a remedy for daily infirmity. But these things are
to be understood of those sins for which no actual affection is retained.
The Eucharist Strengthens Against Temptation
There is, furthermore, such a power in the sacred mysteries
as to preserve us pure and unsullied from sin, keep us safe from the assaults
of temptation, and, as by some heavenly medicine, prepare the soul against the
easy approach and infection of virulent and deadly disease. Hence, as St.
Cyprian records, when the faithful were formerly hurried in multitudes by
tyrants to torments and death, because they confessed the name of Christ, it
was an ancient usage in the Catholic Church to give them, by the hands of the
Bishop, the Sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord, lest perhaps overcome
by the severity of their sufferings, they should fail in the fight for
salvation.
It also restrains and represses the lusts of the flesh,
for while it inflames the soul more ardently with the fire of charity, it of
necessity extinguishes the ardour of concupiscence.
The Eucharist Facilitates The Attainment Of Eternal Life
Finally, to comprise all the advantages and blessings of
this Sacrament in one word, it must be taught that the Holy Eucharist is most
efficacious towards the attainment of eternal glory. For it is written: He that
eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life, and I will raise
him up on the last day. That is to say, by the grace of this Sacrament men
enjoy the greatest peace and tranquillity of conscience during the present
life; and, when the hour of departing from this world shall have arrived, like
Elias, who in the strength of the bread baked on the hearth, walked to Horeb,
the mount of God, they, too, invigorated by the strengthening influence of this
(heavenly food), will ascend to unfading glory and bliss.
How The Effects Of The Eucharist May Be Developed And
Illustrated
All these matters will be most fully expounded by
pastors, if they but dwell or. the sixth chapter of St. John, in which are
developed the manifold effects of this Sacrament. Or again, glancing at the
admirable actions of Christ our Lord, they may show that if those who received
Him beneath their roof during His mortal life, or were restored to health by touching
His vesture or the hem of His garment, were justly and deservedly deemed most
blessed, how much more fortunate and happy we, into whose soul, resplendent as
He is with unfading glory, He disdains not to enter, to heal all its wounds, to
adorn it with His choicest gifts, and unite it to Himself.
Recipient of the Eucharist
Threefold Manner Of Communicating
That the faithful may learn to be zealous for the better
gifts, they must be shown who can obtain these abundant fruits from the Holy
Eucharist, must be reminded that there is not only one way of communicating.
Wisely and rightly, then, did our predecessors in the faith, as we read in the
Council of Trent, distinguish three ways of receiving this Sacrament.
Some receive it sacramentally only. Such are those
sinners who do not fear to approach the holy mysteries with polluted lips and
heart, who, as the Apostle says, eat and drink the Lord's body unworthily. Of
this class of communicants St. Augustine says: He who dwells not in Christ, and
in whom Christ dwells not, most certainly does not eat spiritually His flesh,
although carnally and visibly he press with his teeth the Sacrament of His
flesh and blood. Those, therefore, who receive the sacred mysteries with such a
disposition, not only obtain no fruit therefrom, but, as the Apostle himself
testifies, eat and drink judgment to themselves.
Others are said to
receive the Eucharist in spirit only. They are those who, inflamed with a
lively faith which worketh by charity,' partake in wish and desire of that
celestial bread offered to them, from which they receive, if not the entire, at
least very great fruits.
Lastly, there are some who receive the Holy Eucharist
both sacramentally and spiritually, those who, according to the teaching of the
Apostle, having first proved themselves and having approached this divine
banquet adorned with the nuptial garment, derive from the Eucharist those most
abundant fruits which we have already described. Hence it is clear that those
who, having it in their power to receive with fitting preparation the Sacrament
of the body of the Lord, are yet satisfied with a spiritual Communion only,
deprive themselves of the greatest and most heavenly advantages.
Necessity Of Previous Preparation For Communion
We now come to point out the manner in which the faithful
should be previously prepared for sacramental Communion. To demonstrate the
great necessity of this previous preparation, the example of the Saviour should
be adduced. Before He gave to His Apostles the Sacrament of His precious body
and blood, although they were already clean, He washed their feet to show that
we must use extreme diligence before Holy Communion in order to approach it
with the greatest purity and innocence of soul.
In the next place, the faithful are to understand that as
he who approaches thus prepared and disposed is adorned with the most ample
gifts of heavenly grace; so, on the contrary, he who approaches without this
preparation not only derives from it no advantage, but even incurs the greatest
misfortune and loss. It is characteristic of the best and most salutary things
that, if seasonably made use of, they are productive of the greatest benefit;
but if employed out of time, they prove most pernicious and destructive. It cannot,
therefore, excite out surprise that the great and exalted gifts of God; when
received into a soul properly disposed, are of the greatest assistance towards
the attainment of salvation; while to those who receive them unworthily, they
bring with them eternal death.
Of this the Ark of the Lord affords a convincing
illustration. The people of Israel possessed nothing more precious and it was
to them the source of innumerable blessings from God; but when the Philistines
carried it away, it brought on them a most destructive plague and the heaviest
calamities, together with eternal disgrace. Thus also food when received from
the mouth into a healthy stomach nourishes and supports the body; but when
received into an indisposed stomach, causes grave disorders.
Preparation Of Soul
The first preparation, then, which the faithful should
make, is to distinguish table from table, this sacred table from profane
tables, this celestial bread from common bread. This we do when we firmly
believe that there is truly present the body and blood of the Lord, of Him whom
the Angels adore in heaven, at whose nod the pillars of heaven fear and
tremble, of whose glory the heavens and the earth are full. This is to discern
the body of the Lord in accordance with the admonition of the Apostle. We
should venerate the greatness of the mystery rather than too curiously
investigate its truth by idle inquiry.
Another very necessary preparation is to ask ourselves if
we are at peace with and sincerely love our neigh r. If, therefore, thou
offerest thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath
anything against thee, leave there thy offering before the altar, and go first
to be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming thou shalt offer thy gift.
We should, in the next place, carefully examine whether
our consciences be defiled by mortal sin, which has to be repented of, in order
that it may be blotted out before Communion by the remedy of contrition and
confession. The Council of Trent has defined that no one conscious of mortal
sin and having an opportunity of going to confession, however contrite he may
deem himself, is to approach the Holy Eucharist until he has been purified by
sacramental confession.
We should also reflect in the silence of our own hearts
how unworthy we are that the Lord should bestow on us this divine gift, and
with the centurion of whom our Lord declared that he found not so great faith
in Israel, we should exclaim from our hearts: Lord, I am not worthy that thou
shouldst enter under my roof.
We should also put the question to ourselves whether we
can truly say with Peter: Lord, thou knowest that I love thee, and should
recollect that he who sat down at the banquet of the Lord without a wedding
garment was cast into a dark dungeon and condemned to eternal torments.
Preparation Of Body
Our preparation should not, however, be confined to the
soul; it should also extend to the body. We are to approach the Holy Table
fasting, having neither eaten nor drunk anything at least from the preceding
midnight until the moment of Communion.
The dignity of so great a Sacrament also demands that
married persons abstain from the marriage debt for some days previous to
Communion. This observance is recommended by the example of David, who, when
about to receive the show-bread from the hands of the priest, declared that he
and his servants had been clean from women for three days.
The above are the principal things to be done by the
faithful preparatory to receiving the sacred mysteries with profit; and to
these heads may be reduced whatever other things may seem desirable by way of
preparation.
The Obligation of Communion
How Often Must Communion Be Received?
Lest any be kept away from Communion by the fear that the
requisite preparation is too hard and laborious, the faithful are frequently to
be reminded that they are all bound to receive the Holy Eucharist. Furthermore,
the Church has decreed that whoever neglects to approach Holy Communion once a
year, at Easter, is liable to sentence of excommunication.
The Church Desires The Faithful To Communicate Daily
However, let not the faithful imagine that it is enough
to receive the body of the Lord once a year only, in obedience to the decree of
the Church. They should approach oftener; but whether monthly, weekly, or
daily, cannot be decided by any fixed universal rule. St. Augustine, however,
lays down a most certain norm: Live in such a manner as to be able to receive
every day.
It will therefore be the duty of the pastor frequently to
admonish the faithful that, as they deem it necessary to afford daily nutriment
to the body, they should also feel solicitous to feed and nourish the soul
every day with this heavenly food. It is clear that the soul stands not less in
need of spiritual, than the body of corporal food. Here it will be found most
useful to recall the inestimable and divine advantages which, as we have
already shown, flow from sacramental Communion. It will be well also to refer
to the manna, which was a figure (of this Sacrament), and which refreshed the
bodily powers every day. The Fathers who earnestly recommended the frequent
reception of this Sacrament may also be cited. The words of St. Augustine, Thou
sinnest daily, receive daily, express not his opinion only, but that of all the
Fathers who have written on the subject, as anyone may easily discover who will
carefully read them.
That there was a time when the faithful approached Holy
Communion every day we learn from the Acts of the Apostles. All who then
professed the faith of Christ burned with such true and sincere charity that,
devoting themselves to prayer and other works of piety, they were found
prepared to communicate daily. This devout practice, which seems to have been
interrupted for a time, was again partially revived by the holy Pope and martyr
Anacletus, who commanded that all the ministers who assisted at the Sacrifice
of the Mass should communicate-an ordinance, as the Pontiff declares, of
Apostolic institution. It was also for a long time the practice of the Church
that, as soon as the Sacrifice was complete, and when the priest himself had
communicated, he turned to the congregation and invited the faithful to the
Holy Table in these words: Come, brethren, and receive Communion; and thereupon
those who were prepared, advanced to receive the holy mysteries with the most
fervent devotion.
The Church Commands; The Faithful To Communicate Once A
Year
But subsequently, when charity and devotion had grown so
cold that the faithful very seldom approached Communion, it was decreed by Pope
Fabian, that all should communicate thrice every year, at Christmas, at Easter
and at Pentecost. This decree was afterwards confirmed by many Councils,
particularly by the first of Agde.
Such at length was the decay of piety that not only was
this holy and salutary law unobserved, but Communion was deferred for years.
The Council of Lateran, therefore, decreed that all the faithful should receive
the sacred body of the Lord, at least once a year, at Easter, and that neglect
of this duty should be chastised by exclusion from the society of the faithful.
Who Are Obliged By The Law Of Communion
But although this law, sanctioned by the authority of God
and of His Church, concerns all the faithful, it should be taught that it does
not extend to those who on account of their tender age have not attained the
use of reason. For these are not able to distinguish the Holy Eucharist from
common and ordinary bread and cannot bring with them to this Sacrament piety and
devotion. Furthermore (to extend the precept to them) would appear inconsistent
with the ordinance of our Lord, for He said: Take and eat - words which cannot
apply to infants, who are evidently incapable of taking and eating.
In some places, it is true, an ancient practice prevailed
of giving the Holy Eucharist even to infants; but, for the reasons already
assigned, and for other reasons in keeping with Christian piety, this practice
has been long discontinued by authority of the Church.
With regard to the age at which children should be given
the holy mysteries, this the parents and confessor can best determine. To them
it belongs to inquire and to ascertain from the children themselves whether
they have some knowledge of this admirable Sacrament and whether they desire to
receive it.
Communion must not be given to persons who are insane and
incapable of devotion. However, according to the decree of the Council of
Carthage, it may be administered to them at the close of life, provided they
have shown, before losing their minds, a pious and religious disposition, and
no danger, arising from the state of the stomach or other inconvenience or
disrespect, is likely.
The Rite of
Administering Communion
As to the rite to be observed in communicating, pastors
should teach that the law of the holy Church forbids Communion under both kinds
to anyone but the officiating priests, without the authority of the Church
itself.
Christ the Lord, it is true, as has been explained by the
Council of Trent, instituted and delivered to His Apostles at His Last Supper
this most sublime Sacrament under the species of bread and wine; but it does
not follow that by doing so our Lord and Saviour established a law ordering its
administration to all the faithful under both species. For speaking of this
Sacrament, He Himself frequently mentions it under one kind only, as, for
instance, when He says: If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever,
and: The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world, and: He
that eateth this bread shall live for ever.
Why The Celebrant Alone Receives Under Both Species
It is clear that the Church was influenced by numerous
and most cogent reasons, not only to approve, but also to confirm by authority
of its decree, the general practice of communicating under one species. In the
first place, the greatest caution was necessary to avoid spilling the blood of
the Lord on the ground, a thing that seemed not easily to be avoided, if the
chalice were administered in a large assemblage of the people.
In the next place, whereas the Holy Eucharist ought to be
in readiness for the sick, it was very much to be apprehended, were the species
of wine to remain long unconsumed, that it might turn acid.
Besides, there are many who cannot at all bear the taste
or even the smell of wine. Lest, therefore, what is intended for the spiritual
health should prove hurtful to the health of the body, it has been most
prudently provided by the Church that it should be administered to the people
under the species of bread only.
We may also further observe that in many countries wine
is extremely scarce; nor can it, moreover, be brought from elsewhere without
incurring very heavy expenses and encountering very tedious and difficult journeys.
Finally, a most important reason was the necessity of
opposing the heresy of those who denied that Christ, whole and entire, is
contained under either species, and asserted that the body is contained under
the species of bread without the blood, and the blood under the species of wine
without the body. In order, therefore, to place more clearly before the eyes of
all the truth of the Catholic faith, Communion under one kind, that is, under
the species of bread, was most wisely introduced.
There are also other reasons, collected by those who have
treated on this subject, and which, if it shall appear necessary, can be
brought forward by pastors.
The Minister of the Eucharist
To omit nothing doctrinal on this Sacrament, we now come
to speak of its minister, a point, however. on which scarcely anyone can be
ignorant.
Only Priests Have Power To Consecrate And Administer The
Eucharist
It must be taught, then, that to priests alone has been
given power to consecrate and administer to the faithful, the Holy Eucharist.
That this has been the unvarying practice of the Church, that the faithful
should receive the Sacrament from the priests, and that the officiating priests
should communicate themselves, has been explained by the holy Council of Trent,
which has also shown that this practice, as having proceeded from Apostolic
tradition, is to be religiously retained, particularly as Christ the Lord has
left us an illustrious example thereof, having consecrated His own most sacred
body, and given it to the Apostles with His own hands.
The Laity
Prohibited To Touch The Sacred Vessels
To safeguard in every possible way the dignity of so
august a Sacrament, not only is the power of its administration entrusted
exclusively to priests, but the Church has also prohibited by law any but
consecrated persons, unless some case of great necessity intervene, to dare
handle or touch the sacred vessels, the linen, or other instruments necessary
to its completion.
Priests themselves and the rest of the faithful may hence
understand how great should be the piety and holiness of those who approach to
consecrate, administer or receive the Eucharist.
The Unworthiness Of The Minister Does Not Invalidate The
Sacrament
What, however, has been already said of the other
Sacraments, holds good also with regard to the Sacrament of the Eucharist;
namely, that a Sacrament is validly administered even by the wicked, provided
all the essentials have been duly observed. For we are to believe that all
these depend not on the merit of the minister, but are operated by the virtue
and power of Christ our Lord.
These are the things necessary to be explained regarding
the Eucharist as a Sacrament.
The Eucharist as a Sacrifice
We must now proceed to explain its nature as a Sacrifice,
that pastors may understand what are the principal instructions which they
ought to impart to the faithful on Sundays and holy days, regarding this
mystery in conformity with the decree of the holy Council (of Trent).
Importance Of Instruction On The Mass
This Sacrament is not only a treasure of heavenly riches,
which if turned to good account will obtain for us the grace and love of God;
but it also possesses a peculiar character, by which we are enabled to make
some return to God for the immense benefits bestowed upon us.
How grateful and acceptable to God is this victim, if
duly and legitimately immolated, is inferred from the following consideration.
Of the sacrifices of the Old Law it is written: Sacrifice and oblation thou
wouldst not; and again: If thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have
given it: with burnt-offerings thou wilt not be delighted. Now if these were so
pleasing in the Lord's sight that, as the Scripture testifies, from them God
smelled a sweet savour, that is to say, they were grateful and acceptable to
Him; what have we not to hope from that Sacrifice in which is immolated and
offered He Himself of whom a voice from heaven twice proclaimed: This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
This mystery, therefore, pastors should carefully
explain, so that when the faithful are assembled at the celebration of divine
service, they may learn to meditate with attention and devotion on the sacred
things at which they are present.
Distinction of Sacrament and Sacrifice
They should teach, then, in the first place, that the
Eucharist was instituted by Christ for two purposes: one, that it might be the
heavenly food of our souls, enabling us to support and preserve spiritual life;
and the other, that the Church might have a perpetual Sacrifice, by which our
sins might be expiated, and our heavenly Father, oftentimes grievously offended
by our crimes, might be turned away from wrath to mercy, from the severity of
just chastisement to clemency. Of this thing we may observe a type and
resemblance in the Paschal lamb, which was wont to be offered and eaten by the
children of Israel as a sacrament and a sacrifice.
Nor could our Saviour, when about to offer Himself to God
the Father on the altar of the cross, have given any more illustrious
indication of His unbounded love towards us than by bequeathing to us a visible
Sacrifice, by which that bloody Sacrifice, which was soon after to be offered
once on the cross, would be renewed, and its memory daily celebrated with the
greatest utility, unto the consummation of ages by the Church diffused
throughout the world.
But (between the Eucharist as a Sacrament and a
Sacrifice) the difference is very great; for as a Sacrament it is perfected by
consecration; as a Sacrifice, all its force consists in its oblation. When,
therefore, kept in a pyx, or borne to the sick, it is a Sacrament, not a
Sacrifice. As a Sacrament also, it is to them that receive it a source of
merit, and brings with it all those advantages which have been already
mentioned; but as a Sacrifice, it is not only a source of merit, but also of
satisfaction. For as, in His Passion, Christ the Lord merited and satisfied for
us; so also those who offer this Sacrifice, by which they communicate with us,
merit the fruit of His Passion, and satisfy.
The Mass Is a True Sacrifice
Proof From The Council Of Trent
With regard to the institution of this Sacrifice, the
holy Council of Trent has left no room for doubt, by declaring that it was
instituted by our Lord at His Last Supper; while it condemns under anathema all
those who assert that in it is not offered to God a true and proper Sacrifice;
or that to offer means nothing else than that Christ is given as our spiritual
food.
Nor did (the Council) omit carefully to explain that to
God alone is offered this Sacrifice. For although the Church sometimes offers
Masses in honour and in memory of the Saints, yet she teaches that the
Sacrifice is offered, not to them, but to God alone, who has crowned the Saints
with immortal glory. Hence the priest never says: I offer Sacrifice to thee
Peter, or to thee Paul; but, while he offers Sacrifice to God alone, he renders
Him thanks for the signal victory won by the blessed martyrs, and thus implores
their patronage, that they, whose memory we celebrate on earth, may vouchsafe
to intercede for us in heaven."
Proof From Scripture
This doctrine, handed down by the Catholic Church,
concerning the truth of this Sacrifice, she received from the words of our Lord,
when, on that last night, committing to His Apostles these same sacred
mysteries, He said: Do this for a commemoration of me; for then, as was defined
by the holy Council, He ordained them priests, and commanded that they and
their successors in the priestly office, should immolate and offer His body.
Of this the words of the Apostle to the Corinthians also
afford a sufficient proof: You cannot drink the chalice of the Lord, and the
chalice of devils: you cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord and of the?
table of devils. As then by the table of devils must be understood the altar on
which sacrifice was offered to them; so also - if the conclusion proposed to
himself by the Apostle is to be legitimately drawn -- by the table of the Lord
can be understood nothing else than the altar on which Sacrifice was offered to
the Lord.
Should we look for figures and prophecies of this
Sacrifice in the Old Testament, in the first place Malachy most clearly
prophesied thereof in these words: From the rising of the sun even to the going
down, my name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place there is
sacrifice, and there is offered to my name a clean oblation: for my name is
great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of hosts.
Moreover, this victim was foretold, as well before as
after the promulgation of the Law, by various kinds of sacrifices; for this
victim alone, as the perfection and completion of all, comprises all the
blessings which were signified by the other sacrifices. In nothing, however, do
we behold a more lively image of the Eucharistic Sacrifice than in that of
Melchisedech; for the Saviour Himself offered to God the Father, at His Last
Supper, His body and blood, under the appearances of bread and wine, declaring
that He was constituted a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedech.
Excellence of the Mass
The Mass Is The Same Sacrifice As That Of The Cross
We therefore confess that the Sacrifice of the Mass is
and ought to be considered one and the same Sacrifice as that of the cross, for
the victim is one and the same, namely, Christ our Lord, who offered Himself,
once only, a bloody Sacrifice on the altar of the cross. The bloody and
unbloody victim are not two, but one victim only, whose Sacrifice is daily
renewed in the Eucharist, in obedience to the command of our Lord: Do this for
a commemoration of me.
The priest is also one and the same, Christ the Lord; for
the ministers who offer Sacrifice, consecrate the holy mysteries, not in their
own person, but in that of Christ, as the words of consecration itself show,
for the priest does not say: This is the body of Christ, but, This is my body;
and thus, acting in the Person of Christ the Lord, he changes the substance of
the bread and wine into the true substance of His body and blood.
The Mass A Sacrifice Of Praise, Thanksgiving And
Propitiation
This being the case, it must be taught without any
hesitation that, as the holy Council (of Trent) has also) explained, the sacred
and holy Sacrifice of the Mass is not a Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving
only, or a mere commemoration of the Sacrifice performed on the cross, but also
truly a propitiatory Sacrifice, by which God is appeased and rendered
propitious to us. If, therefore, with a pure heart, a lively faith, and
affected with an inward sorrow for our transgressions, we immolate and offer
this most holy victim, we shall, without doubt, obtain mercy from the Lord, and
grace in time of need; for SO delighted is the Lord with the door of this
victim that, bestowing on us the gift of grace and repentance, He pardons our
sins. Hence this usual prayer of the Church: As often as the commemoration of
this victim is celebrated, so often is the work of our salvation being done;
that is to say, through this unbloody Sacrifice flow to us the most plenteous
fruits of that bloody victim.
The Mass Profits Both The Living And The Dead
Pastors should next teach that such is the efficacy of
this Sacrifice that its benefits extend not only to the celebrant and
communicant, but to all the faithful, whether living with us on earth, or
already numbered with those who are dead in the Lord, but whose sins have not
yet been fully expiated. For, according to the most authentic Apostolic
tradition, it is not less available when offered for them, than when offered
for the sins of the living, their punishments, satisfactions, calamities and
difficulties of every sort.
It is hence easy to perceive, that all Masses, as being
conducive to the common interest and salvation of all the faithful, are to be
considered common to all.
The Rites and ceremonies of the Mass
The Sacrifice (of the Mass) is celebrated with many
solemn rites and ceremonies, none of which should be deemed useless or
superfluous. On the contrary, all of them tend to display the majesty of this
august Sacrifice, and to excite the faithful when beholding these saving
mysteries, to contemplate the divine things which lie concealed in the
Eucharistic Sacrifice. On these rites and ceremonies we shall not dwell, since
they require a more lengthy exposition than is compatible with the nature of
the present work; moreover priests can easily consult on the subject some of
the many booklets and works that have been written by pious and learned men.
What has been said so far will, with the divine
assistance, be found sufficient to explain the principal things which regard
the Holy Eucharist both as a Sacrament and Sacrifice.
THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE
Importance Of Instruction On This Sacrament
As the frailty and weakness of human nature are
universally known and felt by each one in himself, no one can be ignorant of
the great necessity of the Sacrament of Penance. If, there- fore, the diligence
of pastors should be proportioned to the weight and importance of the subject,
we must admit that in ex pounding this Sacrament they can never be sufficiently
diligent. Nay, it should be explained with more care than Baptism. Baptism is
administered but once, and cannot be repeated; Penance may be administered and
becomes necessary, as often as we may have sinned after Baptism. Hence the-
Council of Trent declares: For those who fall into sin after Baptism the
Sacrament of Penance is as necessary to salvation as is Baptism for those who
have not been already baptised. The saying of St. Jerome that Penance is a
second plank, is universally known and highly commended by all subsequent
writers on sacred things. As he who suffers shipwreck has no hope of safety,
unless, perchance, he seize on some plank from the wreck, so he that suffers
the shipwreck of baptismal innocence, unless he cling to the saving plank of
Penance, has doubtless lost all hope of salvation.
These instructions are intended not only for the benefit
of pastors, but also for that of the faithful at large, to awaken attention,
lest they be found culpably negligent in a matter so very important. Impressed
with a just sense of the frailty of human nature, their first and most earnest
desire should be to advance with the divine assistance in the ways of God,
without sin or failing. But should they at any time prove so unfortunate as to
fall, then, looking at the infinite goodness of God, who like the good shepherd
binds up and heals the wounds of His sheep, they should not postpone recourse
to the most saving remedy of Penance.
Different Meanings of the Word "Penance"
To enter at once on the subject, and to avoid all error
to which the ambiguity of the word may give rise, its different meanings are
first to be explained. By penance some understand satisfaction; while others,
who wander far from the doctrine of the Catholic faith, supposing penance to
have no reference to the past, define it to be nothing more than newness of
life. It must, therefore, be shown that the word has a variety of meanings.
In the first place, it is said of those to whom that
which was before pleasing is now displeasing, whether the object itself was
good or bad. In this sense all those repent whose sorrow is according to the
world, not according to God; and therefore, worketh not salvation, but death.
In the second place, it is used to express that sorrow
which the sinner conceives, not, however, for the sake of God, but for his own
sake, concerning some sin of his in which he once took pleasure.
A third kind of penance is that by which we experience
interior sorrow of heart, or give exterior indication of such sorrow for the
sake of God alone. To all these kinds of sorrow the word repentance properly
applies.
When the Sacred Scriptures say that God repented, the
expression is evidently figurative. When we repent of any thing, we are most
anxious to change it; and hence when God has resolved to change any thing, the
Scriptures, accommodating their language to our manner of speaking, say that He
repents. Thus we read that it repented him that he had made man, and also that
He was sorry that He had made Saul king.
But an important distinction is to be made between these
different significations of the word. The first kind of penance must be
considered faulty; the second is only the agitation of a disturbed mind; the
third we call both a virtue and a Sacrament. In this last sense penance is
taken here.
The Virtue of Penance
We shall first treat of penance as a virtue, not only
because it is the duty of the pastor to lead the faithful to the practice of
every virtue; but also, because the acts which proceed from penance as a
virtue, constitute the matter, as it were, of Penance as a Sacrament, and
unless the virtue be rightly understood, the force of the Sacrament cannot be
appreciated.
The faithful, therefore, are first to be admonished and
exhorted to labor strenuously to attain this interior penance of the heart
which we call a virtue, and without which exterior penance can avail them very
little.
Meaning Of Penance
Interior penance consists in turning to God sincerely and
from heart, and in hating and detesting our past transgressions, with a firm
resolution of amendment of life, hoping to obtain pardon through the mercy.
Accompanying this penance, like inseparable companion of detestation for sin,
is a sorrow and sadness, which is a certain agitation and disturbance of the
soul, and is called by many a passion. Hence many of the Fathers define penance
as an anguish of soul.
Penance, however, in those who repent, must be preceded
by faith, for without faith no man can turn to God. Faith, therefore, cannot on
any account be called a part of penance.
Penance Proved To Be A Virtue
That this inward penance is, as we have already said, a
virtue, the various commands which have been given regarding it clearly show;
for the law commands only those actions that are virtuous.
Furthermore, no one can deny that it is a virtue to be
sorrowful at the time, in the manner, and to the extent which are required. To
regulate sorrow in this manner belongs to the virtue of penance. Some conceive
a sorrow which bears no proportion to their crimes. Nay, there are some, says
Solomon, who are glad when they have done evil. Others, on the contrary, give
themselves to such melancholy and grief, as utterly to abandon all hope of
salvation. Such, perhaps, was the condition of Cain when he exclaimed: My
iniquity is greater than that I may deserve pardon. Such certainly was the
condition of Judas, who, repenting, hanged himself, and thus lost soul and
body. Penance, therefore, considered as a virtue, assists us in restraining
within the bounds of moderation our sense of sorrow.
That penance is a virtue may also be inferred from the
ends which the true penitent proposes to himself. The first is to destroy sin
and efface from the soul its every spot and stain. The second is to make
satisfaction to God for the sins which he has committed, which is clearly an
act of justice. Between God and man, it is true, no relation of strict justice
can exist, so great is the distance that separates them; yet between them there
is evidently a sort of justice, such as exists between a father and his
children, between a master and his servants. The third (end of the penitent) is
to reinstate himself in the favour and friendship of God whom he has offended
and whose hatred he has earned by the turpitude of sin. The foregoing
considerations sufficiently prove that penance is a virtue.
The Steps Which Lead Up To This Virtue
We must also point out the steps by which we may ascend
to this divine virtue. I The mercy of God first goes before us and converts our
hearts to Him. This was the object of the Prophet's prayer: Convert us, O Lord,
to thee, and we shall be converted.
Illumined by this light the soul next tends to God by
faith. He that cometh to God, says the Apostle, must believe that he is, and is
a rewarder of them that seek him.
A salutary fear of God's judgments follows, and the soul,
contemplating the punishments that await sin, is recalled from the paths of
vice. To this (state of soul) seem to refer these words of Isaias: As a woman
with child, when she draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain and
crieth out in her pangs, so are we become.
Then follows a hope of obtaining mercy from God,
encouraged by which we resolve on improvement of life.
Lastly, our hearts are inflamed by charity, whence
springs that filial fear which good and dutiful children experience; and thus
dreading only to offend the majesty of God in anything, we entirely abandon the
ways of sin.
Fruits Of This Virtue
Such are, as it were, the steps by which we ascend to
this most exalted virtue, a virtue altogether heavenly and divine, to which the
Sacred Scriptures promise the kingdom of heaven; for it is written in St.
Matthew: Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. If, says Ezechiel,
the wicked do penance for all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my
commandments, and do judgment and justice, living he shall live. In another
place: I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his
way and live, words which are evidently understood of eternal life.
Penance as a Sacrament
Regarding external penance it will be necessary to show
that in it the Sacrament properly consists, and that it possesses certain
outward and sensible signs which denote the effect that takes place interiorly
in the soul.
Why Christ Instituted This Sacrament
In the first place, however, it will be well to explain
why it is that Christ our Lord was pleased to number Penance among the
Sacraments. One of His reasons certainly was to leave us no room for doubt
regarding the remission of sin which was promised by God when He said: If the
wicked do penance, etc. For each one has good reason to distrust the accuracy
of his own judgment on his own actions, and hence we could not but be very much
in doubt regarding the truth of our internal penance. It was to destroy this,
our uneasiness, that our Lord instituted the Sacrament of Penance, by means of which
we are assured that our sins are pardoned by the absolution of the priest; and
also to tranquilize our conscience by means of the trust we rightly repose in
the virtue of the Sacraments. The words of the priest sacramentally and
lawfully absolving us from our sins are to be accepted in the same sense as the
words of Christ our Lord when He said to the paralytic: Son, be of good heart:
thy sins are forgiven thee.
In the second place, no one can obtain salvation unless
through Christ and the merits of His Passion. Hence it was becoming in itself,
and highly advantageous to us, that a Sacrament should be instituted through
the force and efficacy of which the blood of Christ flows into our souls,
washes- away-all the sins committed after Baptism, and thus leads us to
recognise that it is to our Saviour alone we owe the blessing of
reconciliation.
Penance Is a Sacrament
That Penance is a Sacrament pastors can easily show from
what follows. As Baptism is a Sacrament because it blots out all sins, and especially
original sin, so for the same reason Penance, which takes away all the sins of
thought and deed committed after Baptism, must be regarded as a true Sacrament
in the proper sense of the word.
Moreover -- and this is the principal reason -- since
what is exteriorly done, both by priest and penitent, signifies the inward
effects that take place in the soul, who will venture to deny that Penance is
invested with the nature of a proper and true Sacrament ? For a Sacrament is a
sign of a sacred thing. Now the sinner who repents plainly expresses by his
words and actions that he has turned his heart from sin; while from the words
and actions of the priest we easily recognise the mercy of God exercised in the
remission of sins.
In any event, the words of our Saviour furnish a clear
proof: I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven whatsoever thou
shalt loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven. The absolution
announced in the words of the priest expresses the remission of sins which it
accomplishes in the soul.
This Sacrament May Be Repeated
The faithful should be instructed not only that Penance
is to be numbered among the Sacraments, but that it is one of the Sacraments
which may be repeated. To Peter, who had asked whether pardon could be given to
sin seven times, our Lord replied: I say not to thee, till seven times; but
till seventy times seven.
If, then, (the pastor) happens to encounter those who
seem to distrust the infinite goodness and clemency of God, let him endeavour
to inspire their minds with confidence, and raise them up to the hope of
obtaining the grace of God. He will easily accomplish this object by explaining
the above and other passages which are frequently met with in Holy Writ; as
well as by using the arguments and reasons which may be found in St.
Chrysostom's book On the Lapsed, and St. Ambrose's books On Penance.
The Constituent
Parts of Penance
The Matter
There is nothing that should be better known to the
faithful than the matter of this Sacrament; hence they should be taught that
Penance differs from the other Sacraments in this that while the matter of the
other Sacraments is some thing, whether natural or artificial, the matter, as
it were, of the Sacrament of Penance is the acts of the penitent, -- namely,
contrition, confession and satisfaction, -- as has been declared by the council
of Trent. Now, inasmuch as these acts are by divine institution required on the
part of the penitent for the integrity of the Sacrament, and for the full and
perfect remission of sin, they are called parts of Penance. It is not because
they are not the real matter that they are called by the Council the matter as
it were, but because they are not of that sort of matter which is applied
externally, such, for instance, as water in Baptism and chrism in Confirmation.
As regards the opinion of some who hold that sins
themselves are the matter of this Sacrament, it will be found, when carefully
examined, that it does not really differ from the explanation already given.
Thus we say that wood which is consumed by fire is the matter of fire. In the
same way, sins which are destroyed by Penance may properly be called the matter
of Penance.
The Form Of Penance
Pastors should not neglect to explain the form of the
Sacrament of Penance. A knowledge of it will excite the faithful to receive the
grace of this Sacrament with the greatest possible devotion. Now the form is: I
absolve thee, as may be inferred not only from the words, whatsoever you shall
bind upon earth shall be bound also in heaven, but also from the teaching of
Christ our Lord, handed down to us by the Apostles.
Moreover, since the Sacraments signify what they effect,
the words, I absolve thee, signify that remission of sin is effected by the
administration of this Sacrament; and hence it is plain that such is the
perfect form of the Sacrament. For sins are, so to say, the chains by which the
soul is bound, and from which it is freed by the Sacrament of Penance. And none
the less truly does the priest pronounce the form over the penitent who,
through perfect contrition, accompanied by the desire of confession, has
already obtained remission of his sins from God.
Several prayers are added, not that they are necessary to
the form, but in order to remove every obstacle that can impede the force and
efficacy of the Sacrament owing to the fault of him to whom it is administered.
How thankful, then, should not sinners be to God for
having bestowed such ample power on the priests of His Church ! Unlike the
priests of the Old Law who merely declared the leper cleansed from his leprosy,
the power now given to the priests of the New Law is not limited to declaring
the sinner absolved from his sins, but, as a minister of God, he truly absolves
from sin. This is an effect of which God Himself, the author and source of
grace and justice, is the principal cause.
The Rites Observed in the Sacrament of Penance
The faithful should take great care to observe the rites
which accompany the administration o f this Sacrament. In this way they will
have a higher idea of what they obtain from this Sacrament, that is, that they
have been reconciled as slaves to their kind master, or rather, as children to
their best of fathers; and at the same time they will also better understand
what is the duty of those who desire, as everyone should, to show their
gratitude and remembrance of so great a benefit.
The sinner, then, who repents, casts himself humbly and
sorrowfully at the feet of the priest, in order that by there humbling himself
he may the more easily be led to see that he must tear up the roots of pride
whence spring and flourish all the sins he now deplores. In the priest, who is
his legitimate judge, he venerates the person and the power of Christ our Lord;
for in the administration of the Sacrament of Penance, as in that of the other
Sacraments, the priest holds the place of Christ. Next the penitent enumerates
his sins, acknowledging, at the same time, that he deserves the greatest and
severest chastisements; and finally, suppliantly asks pardon for his faults.
All these rites have a sure guarantee for their antiquity
in the authority of St. Denis.
Effects of the Sacrament of Penance
Nothing will prove of greater advantage to the faithful,
nothing will be found to conduce more to a willing reception of the Sacrament
of Penance, than for pastors to explain frequently the great advantage to be
derived therefrom. They will then see that of Penance it is truly said that its
roots ale bitter, but its fruit sweet indeed.
First of all, then, the great efficacy o Penance consists
in this, that it restores us to the grace of God, and unites us to Him in the
closest friendship.
In pious souls who approach this Sacrament with devotion,
profound peace and tranquillity of conscience, together with ineffable joy of
soul, accompany this reconciliation. For there is no sin, however great or
horrible, which cannot be effaced by the Sacrament of Penance, and that not
merely once, but over and over again. On this point God Himself thus speaks
through the Prophet: If the wicked do penance for all his sins which he hath
committed, and keep all my commandments, and do judgment, and justice, living
he shall live, and shall not die, and I will not remember all his iniquities
that he hath done. And St. John says: If we confess our sins; he is faithful
and just, to forgive us our sins; and a little later, he adds: If any man sin,
-- he excepts no sin whatever, -- we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ, the just; for he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours
only, but for the sins of the whole world.
When we read in Scripture that certain persons did not
obtain pardon from God, even though they earnestly implored it, we know that
this was due to the fact that they had not a true and heartfelt sorrow for
their sins. Thus when we find in Sacred Scripture and in the writings of the
Fathers passages which seem to assert that certain sins are irremissible, we
must understand the meaning to be that it is very difficult to obtain pardon
for them. A disease is sometimes called incurable, because the patient is so
disposed as to loathe the medicines that could afford him relief. Ill the same
way certain sins are not remitted or pardoned because the sinner rejects the
grace of God, the only medicine for salvation. It is in this sense that St.
Augustine wrote: When a man who, through the grace of Jesus Christ, has once
arrived at a knowledge of God, wounds fraternal charity, and, driven by the
fury of envy, lifts up his head against grace, the enormity of his sin is so
great that, though compelled by a guilty conscience to acknowledge and confess
his fault, he finds himself unable to submit to the humiliation of imploring
pardon.
The Necessity of the Sacrament of Penance
Returning now to the Sacrament, it is so much the special
province of Penance to remit sins that it is impossible to obtain or even to
hope for remission of sins by any other means; for it is written: Unless you do
penance, you shall all likewise perish. These words were said by our Lord in
reference to grievous and mortal sins, although at the same time lighter sins,
which are called venial, also require some sort of penance. St. Augustine
observes that the kind of penance which is daily performed in the Church for
venial sins, would be absolutely useless, if venial sin could be remitted
without penance.
The Three Integral
Parts of Penance
But as it is not enough to speak in general terms when
treating of practical matters, the pastors should take care to explain, one by
one, those things from which the faithful can understand the meaning of true
and salutary Penance.
Their Existence
Now it is peculiar to this Sacrament that besides matter
and form, which it has in common with all the other Sacraments, it has also, as
we have said, those parts which constitute Penance, so to say, whole and
entire; namely, contrition, confession and satisfaction. On these St.
Chrysostom thus speaks: Penance enables the sinner to bear all willingly in his
heart is contrition; on his lips confession; in his actions entire humility or
salutary satisfaction.
Their Nature
These three parts belong to that class of parts which are
necessary to constitute a whole. The human body is composed of many members, --
-hands, feet, eyes and the various other parts; the want of any one of which
makes the body be justly considered imperfect, while if none of them is
missing, the body is regarded as perfect. In the same way, Penance is composed
of these three parts in such a way that though contrition and confession, which
justify man, are alone required to constitute its essence, yet, unless
accompanied by its third part, satisfaction, it necessarily remains short of
its absolute perfection.
These three parts, then, are so intimately connected with
one another, that contrition includes the intention and resolution of
confessing and making satisfaction; contrition and the resolution of making
satisfaction imply confession; while the other two precede satisfaction.
Necessity Of These Integral Parts
The reason why these are the integral parts may be thus
explained. Sins against God are committed by thought, by word and by deed. It
is, then, but reasonable, that in recurring to the power of the keys we should
endeavour to appease God's wrath, and obtain pardon for our sins by means of
the very same things which we employed to offend His sovereignty.
A further reason by way of confirmation can also be
assigned. Penance is a sort of compensation for sin, springing from the free
will of the delinquent, and is appointed by God, against whom the offence has
been committed. Hence, on the one hand, there is required the willingness to
make compensation, in which willingness contrition chiefly consists; while, on
the other hand, the penitent must submit himself to the judgment of the priest,
who holds God's place, in order to enable him to award a punishment
proportioned to the gravity of the sin committed. Hence the reason for and the
necessity of confession and satisfaction are easily inferred.
The First Part of Penance
Contrition
As the faithful require instruction on the nature and
efficacy of the parts of Penance, we must begin with contrition. This subject
demands careful explanation; for as often as we call to mind our past
transgressions, or offend God anew, so often should our hearts be pierced with
contrition.
The Meaning Of Contrition
By the Fathers of the Council of Trent, contrition is
defined: A sorrow and detestation for sin committed, with a purpose of sinning
no more. and a little further on the Council, speaking of the motion of the
will to contrition, adds: If joined with a confidence in the mercy of God and
an earnest desire of per forming whatever is necessary to the proper reception
of the Sacrament, it thus prepares us for the remission of sin.
Contrition Is A Detestation Of Sin
From this definition, therefore, the faithful will
perceive that the efficacy of contrition does not simply consist in ceasing to
sin, or in resolving to begin, or having actually begun a new life; it supposes
first of all a hatred of one's ill-spent life and a desire of atoning for past
transgressions.
This is especially confirmed by those cries of the holy
Fathers,. which we so frequently meet with in Holy Scripture. I have laboured
in my groaning, says David; every night I will wash my bed; and again, The Lord
hath heard the voice of my weeping. I will recount to thee all my years, says
another, in the bitterness of my soul. These and many like expressions were
called forth by an intense hatred and a lively detestation of past
transgressions.
Contrition Produces Sorrow
But although contrition is defined as sorrow, the
faithful are not thence to conclude that this sorrow consists in sensible
feeling; for contrition is an act of the will, and, as St. Augustine observes,
grief is not penance but the accompaniment of penance. By sorrow the Fathers
understood a hatred and detestation of sin; in the first place, because the
Sacred Scriptures frequently use the word in this sense. How long, says David,
shall I take counsels in my soul, sorrow in my heart all the day. And secondly,
because from contrition arises sorrow in the inferior part of the soul which is
called the seat of concupiscence.
With propriety, therefore, is contrition defined a
sorrow, because it produces sorrow; hence penitents, in order to express it,
used to change their garments. Our Lord alludes to this custom when He says:
Woe to thee, Corozain, woe to thee, Bethsaida: for if in Tyre and Sidon had
been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in you, they had long ago done
penance in sack-cloth and ashes.
Names Of Sorrow For Sin
To signify the intensity of this sorrow the name
contrition has rightly been given to the detestation of sin of which we speak.
The word means the breaking of an object into small parts by means of a stone
or some harder substance; and here it is used metaphorically, to signify that
our hearts, hardened by pride, are beaten and broken by penance. Hence no-other
sorrow, not even that which is felt for the death of parents, or children, or
for any other calamity, is called contrition. The word is exclusively employed
to express the sorrow with which we are overwhelmed by the forfeiture of the
grace of God and of our own innocence.
Contrition, however, is often designated by other names.
Sometimes it is called contrition of heart, because the word heart is
frequently used in Scripture to express the will. As the movement of the body
originates in the heart, so the will is the faculty which governs and controls
the other powers of the soul.
By the holy Fathers it is also called compunction of
heart, and hence they preferred to entitle their works on contrition treatises
On Compunction of Heart; for as ulcers are lanced with a knife in order to
allow the escape of the poisonous matter accumulated within, so the heart, as
it were, is pierced with the lance of contrition, to enable it to emit the
deadly poison of sin.
Hence, contrition is called by the Prophet Joel, a
rending of the heart. Be converted to me, he says, with all your hearts in
fasting, in weeping, in mourning, and rend your hearts.
Qualities of
Sorrow for Sin
It Should Be Supreme
That sorrow for sins committed should be so profound and
supreme that no greater sorrow could be thought of will easily appear from the
considerations that follow.
Perfect contrition is an act of charity, emanating from
what is called filial fear; hence it is clear that the measure of contrition
and of charity should be the same. Since, therefore, the charity which we
cherish towards God, is the most perfect love, it follows that contrition
should be the keenest sorrow of the soul. God is to be loved above all things,
and whatever separates us from God is therefore to be hated above all things.
It is also worthy of note that to charity and contrition the language of
Scripture assigns the same extent. Of charity it is said: Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with thy whole heart.' Of contrition the Lord says through the
Prophet: Be converted with your whole heart.
Secondly, it is true that of all objects which deserve
our love, God is the supreme good, and it is not less true that of all objects
which deserve our execration sin is the supreme evil. The same reason, then,
which prompts us to confess that God is to be loved above all things, obliges
us also of necessity to acknowledge that sin is to be hated above all things.
That God is to be loved above all things, so that we should be prepared to
sacrifice our lives rather than offend Him, these words of the Lord clearly
declare: He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; He
that will save his life shall lose it.
Further, it should be noted that since, as St. Bernard
says, there is no limit or measure to charity, or to use his own words, as the
measure of loving God is to love Him without measure, there should be no limit
to the hatred of sin.
Sorrow For Sin Should Be Intense
Besides, our contrition should be not only the greatest,
but also the most intense, and so perfect that it excludes all apathy and
indifference; for it is written in Deuteronomy: When thou shalt seek the Lord
thy God, thou shalt find him: yet so if thou seek him with all thy heart, and
all the affliction of thy soul, and in Jeremias.: Thou shalt seek me and shalt
find me, when thou shalt seek me unto all thy heart; and I will be found by
thee, saith the Lord.
If, however, our contrition be not perfect, it may
nevertheless be true and efficacious. For as things which fall under the senses
frequently touch the heart more sensibly than things purely spiritual, it
sometimes happens that persons feel more intense sorrow for the death of their
children than for the grievousness of their sins.
Our contrition may also be true and efficacious, although
unaccompanied by tears. Penitential tears, however, are much to be desired and
commended. On this subject St. Augustine has well said: The spirit of Christian
charity lives not within you, if you lament the body from which the soul has
departed, but lament not the soul from which God has departed. To the same
effect are the words of the Redeemer above cited: Woe to thee, Corozain, woe to
thee, Bethsaida: for if in Tyre and Sidon had been wrought the miracles that have
been wrought in you, they had long since done penance, in sack-cloth and ashes.
To establish this truth it will suffice to recall the well-known examples of
the Ninivites, of David, of the woman who was a sinner, and of the Prince of
the Apostles, all. of whom obtained the pardon of their sins when they implored
the mercy of God with abundant tears.
Sorrow For Sin Should Be Universal
The faithful should be earnestly exhorted and admonished
to strive to extend their contrition to each mortal sin. For it is thus that
Ezechias describes contrition: I will recount to thee all my years in the
bitterness of my soul. To recount all our years is to examine our sins one by
one in order to have sorrow for them from our hearts. In Ezechiel also we read:
If the wicked do penance for all his sins, he shall live. In this sense St.
Augustine says: Let the sinner consider the quality of his sins, as to time,
place, variety and person.
In this matter, however, the faithful should not despair
of the infinite goodness and mercy of God. For since God is most desirous of
our salvation, He will not delay to pardon us. With a father's fondness, He
embraces the sinner the moment he enters into himself, turns to the Lord, and,
having detested all his sins, resolves that later on, as far as he is able, he
will call them singly to mind and detest them. The Almighty Himself, by the
mouth of His Prophet, commands us to hope, when He says: The wickedness of the
wicked shall not hurt him, in what day soever he shall turn from his
wickedness.
Conditions Required for Contrition
From what has been said we may gather the chief
requisites of true contrition. In these the faithful are to be accurately
instructed, that each may know the means of attaining, and may have a fixed
standard by which to determine, how far he may be removed from the perfection
of this virtue.
Detestation Of Sin
We must, then, in the first place, detest and deplore all
out sins. If our sorrow and detestation extend only to some sins, our
repentance is not salutary, but feigned and false. Whosoever shall keep the
whole law, says St. James, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all.
Intention Of Confession And Satisfaction
In the next place, our contrition must be accompanied
with a desire of confessing and satisfying for our sins. Concerning these
dispositions we shall treat in their proper place.
Purpose Of Amendment
Thirdly, the penitent must form a fixed and firm purpose
of amendment of life. This the Prophet clearly teaches in the following words:
If the wicked do penance for all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all
my commandments, and do judgment, and justice, living Ice shall live, and shall
not die: I will not remember all his iniquities which he hath done. And a little
after: When the wicked turneth himself away from his wickedness which he hath
wrought, and doth judgment and justice, he shall save his soul alive. Still
further on he adds: Be converted and do penance for all your iniquities, and
iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, by
which you have transgressed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
To the woman taken in adultery Christ our Lord commanded the same thing: Go thy
way, and sin no more; and also to the lame man whom He cured at the pool of
Bethsaida: Behold, thou art made whole, sin no more.
Reasons For These Conditions
That a sorrow for sin and a firm purpose of avoiding sin
for the future are two conditions indispensable to contrition nature and reason
clearly show. He who would be reconciled to a friend whom he has wronged must
regret to have injured and offended him, and his future conduct must be such as
to avoid offending in anything against friendship.
Furthermore, these are conditions to which man is bound
to yield obedience; for the law to which man is subject, be it natural, divine,
or human, he is bound to obey. If, therefore, by force or fraud, the penitent
has taken anything from his neighbour, he is bound to restitution. Likewise if,
by word or deed he has injured his neighbour's honour or reputation, he is
under an obligation of repairing the injury by procuring him some advantage or
rendering him some service. Well known to all is the maxim of St. Augustine:
The sin is not forgiven unless what has been taken away is restored.
Forgiveness Of Injuries
Again, not less necessary for contrition than the other
chief conditions is a care that it be accompanied by entire forgiveness of the
injuries which we may have received from others. This our Lord and Saviour
admonishes when He declares: If you will forgive men their offences, your
heavenly Father will forgive you also your offences, but if you will not
forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your offences.
These are the conditions which the faithful should
observe as regards contrition. There are other dispositions which, although not
essential to true and salutary penance, contribute to render contrition more
perfect and complete in its kind, and which pastors will readily discover.
The Effects of Contrition
Simply to make known those things which pertain to
salvation should not be deemed a full discharge of the duty of pastors; their
zeal and industry should be exerted to persuade the people to adopt these
truths as their rule of conduct and as the governing principle of their
actions. Hence it will be highly useful often to explain the power and utility
of contrition.
For whereas most other pious practices, such as alms,
fasting, prayer and similar holy and commendable works, are sometimes rejected
by God on account of the faults of those who perform them, contrition can never
be other than pleasing and acceptable to Him. A contrite and humble heart, O
God, exclaims the Prophet, thou wilt not despise.
Nay more, the same Prophet declares elsewhere that, as
soon as we have conceived this contrition in our hearts, our sins are forgiven
by God: I said, I will confess my injustice to the Lord, and thou hast forgiven
the wickedness of my sin. Of this truth we have a figure in the ten lepers,
who, when sent by our Lord to the priests, were cured of their leprosy before
they had reached them; which gives us to understand that such is the efficacy
of true contrition, of which we have spoken above, that through it we obtain
from the Lord the immediate pardon of all sins.
Means of Arousing True Contrition
To move the faithful to contrition, it will be very
useful if pastors point out some method by which each one may excite himself to
contrition.
They should all be admonished frequently to examine their
consciences, in order to ascertain if they have been faithful in the observance
of those things which God and His Church require. Should anyone be conscious of
sin, he should immediately accuse himself, humbly solicit pardon from God, and
implore time to confess and satisfy for his sins. Above all, let him supplicate
the aid of divine grace, in order that he may not relapse into those sins which
he now penitently deplores.
Pastors should also take care that the faithful be
excited to a supreme hatred of sin, both because its turpitude and baseness are
very great and because it brings us the gravest losses and misfortunes. For sin
deprives us of the friendship of God, to whom we are indebted for so many
invaluable blessings, and from whom we might have expected and received gifts
of still higher value; and along with this it consigns us to eternal death and
to torments unending and most severe.
The Second Part of Penance
Confession
Having said so much on contrition, we now come to
confession, which is another part of Penance. The care and exactness which its
exposition demands of pastors must be at once obvious, if we only reflect that
most holy persons are firmly persuaded that whatever of piety, of holiness, of
religion, has been preserved to our times in the Church, through God's
goodness, must be ascribed in great measure to confession. It cannot,
therefore, be a matter of surprise that the enemy of the human race, in his
efforts to destroy utterly the Catholic Church, should, through the agency of
the ministers of his wicked designs, have assailed with all his might this
bulwark, as it were, of Christian virtue. It should be shown, therefore, in the
first place that the institution of confession is most useful and even
necessary to us.
Necessity Of
Confession
Contrition, it is true, blots out sin; but who does not
know that to effect this it must be so intense, so ardent, so vehement, as to
bear a proportion to the magnitude of the crimes which it effaces? This is a
degree of contrition which few reach; and hence, in this way, very few indeed
could hope to obtain the pardon of their sins. It, therefore, became necessary
that the most merciful Lord should provide by some easier means for the common
salvation of men; and this He has done in His admirable wisdom, by giving to
His Church the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
According to the doctrine of the Catholic Church, a
doctrine firmly to be believed and constantly professed by all, if the sinner
have a sincere sorrow for his sins and a firm resolution of avoiding them in
future, although he bring not with him that contrition which may be sufficient
of itself to obtain pardon, all his sins are forgiven and remitted through the
power of the keys, when he confesses them properly to the priest. Justly, then,
do those most holy men, our Fathers, proclaim that by the keys of the Church
the gate of heaven is thrown open, a truth which no one can doubt since the
Council of Florence has decreed that the effect of Penance is absolution from
sin.
Advantages Of Confession
To appreciate further the great advantages of confession
we may turn to a fact taught by experience. To those who have led immoral lives
nothing is found so useful towards a reformation of morals as sometimes to
disclose their secret thoughts, all their words and actions, to a prudent and
faithful friend, who can assist them by his advice and cooperation. For the
same reason it must prove most salutary to those whose minds are agitated by the
consciousness of guilt to make known the diseases and wounds of their souls to
the priest, as the vicegerent of Christ our Lord, bound to eternal secrecy by
the strictest of laws. (In the Sacrament of Penance) they will find immediate
remedies, the healing qualities of which will not only remove the present
malady, but will also have such a heavenly efficacy in preparing the soul
against an easy relapse into the same kind of disease and infirmity.
Another advantage of confession, which should not be overlooked,
is that it contributes powerfully to the preservation of social order. Abolish
sacramental confession, and that moment you deluge society with all sorts of
secret and heinous crimes -- crimes too, and others of still greater enormity,
which men, once that they have been depraved by vicious habits, will not dread
to commit in open day. The salutary shame that attends confession restrains
licentiousness, bridles desire and checks wickedness.
Definition Of Confession
Having explained the advantages of confession, pastors
should next unfold its nature and efficacy. Confession, then, is defined: A
sacramental accusation of one's sins, made to obtain pardon by virtue of the
keys.
It is rightly called an accusation, because sins are not
to be told as if the sinner boasted of his crimes, as they do who are glad when
they have done evil; nor are they to be related as stories told for the sake of
amusing idle listeners. They are to be confessed as matters of self-accusation,
with a desire, as it were, to avenge them on ourselves.
We confess our sins with a view to obtain pardon. In this
respect the tribunal of penance differs from other tribunals, which take
cognisance of capital offences, and before which a confession of guilt does not
secure acquittal and pardon, but penalty and punishment.
The definition of confession by the holy Fathers,
although different in words, is substantially the same. Confession, says St.
Augustine, is the disclosure of a secret disease, with the hope of obtaining
pardon; and St. Gregory: Confession is a detestation of sins. Both of these
definitions accord with, and are contained in the preceding definition.
Confession Instituted By Christ
In the next place, it is a duty of greatest moment that
pastors should unhesitatingly teach that this Sacrament owes its institution to
the singular goodness and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has ordered all
things well, and solely with a view to our salvation.
After His Resurrection He breathed on the Apostles,
assembled together, saying: Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whose sins you shall
forgive, they are forgiven; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.
Now in giving to priests the power to retain and forgive sins, it is evident
that our Lord made them also judges in this matter.
Our Lord seems to have signified the same thing when,
having raised Lazarus from the dead, He commanded His Apostles to loose him
from the bands in which he was bound. This is the interpretation of St.
Augustine. The priests, he says, can now do more: they can exercise greater
clemency towards those who confess and whose sins they forgive. The Lord, in
giving over Lazarus, whom He had already raised from the dead, to be loosed by
the hands of His disciples, wished us to understand that to priests was given
the power of loosing.
To this also refers the command given by our Lord to the
lepers cured on the way, that they show themselves to the priests, and subject
themselves to their judgment.
Invested, then, as they are, by our Lord with power to
remit and retain sins, priests are evidently appointed judges of the matter on
which they are to pronounce; and since, according to the wise remark of the
Council of Trent, we cannot form an accurate judgment on any matter, or award
to crime a just proportion of punishment without having previously examined and
made ourselves well acquainted with the case, it follows that the penitent is
obliged to make known to the priests, through the medium of confession, each
and every sin.
This doctrine the pastors should teach as defined by the
holy Council of Trent, and handed down by the uniform doctrine of the Catholic
Church. An attentive perusal of the Fathers will present passages throughout
their works, proving in the clearest terms that this Sacrament was instituted
by our Lord, and that the law of sacramental confession, which, from the Greek,
they call exomologesis, and exagoreusis, is to be received as true Gospel
teaching.
If we seek figures in the Old Testament, the different
kinds of sacrifices which were offered by the priests for the expiation of
different sorts of sins, seem, beyond all doubt, to have reference to
confession of sins.
Rites Added By The Church
Not only are the faithful to be taught that confession
was instituted by our Lord. They are also to be reminded that, by authority of
the Church, certain rites and solemn ceremonies have been added which, although
not essential to the Sacrament, serve to place its dignity more fully before
the eyes of the penitent, and to prepare his soul, so that, kindled with
devotion, he may more easily receive the grace of God. When, with uncovered
head and bended knees, with eyes fixed on the earth and hands raised in
supplication, and with other indications of Christian humility not essential to
the Sacrament, we confess our sins, our minds are thus deeply impressed with a
clear conviction of the heavenly virtue of the Sacrament, and also of the
necessity of most earnestly beseeching and imploring the mercy of God.
The Law of Confession
Nor let it be supposed that, although confession was
instituted by our Lord, He did not declare its use to be necessary. The
faithful must be impressed with the conviction that he who is dead in sin is to
be recalled to spiritual life by means of sacramental confession.
Proof Of The
Obligation
This truth is clearly conveyed by our Lord Himself, when,
by a most beautiful metaphor, He calls the power of administering this
Sacrament, the key of the kingdom of heaven. Just as no one can enter any place
without the help of him who has the keys, so no one is admitted to heaven
unless its gates be unlocked by the priests to whose custody the Lord gave the
keys. This power would otherwise be of no use in the Church. If heaven can be
entered without the power of the keys, in vain would they to whom the keys were
given seek to prevent entrance within its portals.
This thought was familiar to the mind of St. Augustine.
Let no man, he says, say within himself: "I repent in secret to the Lord.
God, who has power to pardon me, knows the inmost sentiments of my heart.,, Was
there, then, no reason for saying "whatsoever you loose on earth, shall be
loosed in heaven," no reason why the keys were given to the Church of God?
The same doctrine is taught by St. Ambrose in his treatise On Penance, when
refuting the heresy of the Novatians who asserted that the power of forgiving
sins belonged solely to God.' Who, says he, yields greater reverence to God, he
who obeys or he who resists His commands? God commands us to obey His
ministers; and by obeying them, we honour God alone.
The Age At Which The Law Of Confession Obliges
As the law of confession was no doubt enacted and
established by our Lord Himself, it is our duty to ascertain, on whom, at what
age, and at what period of the year, it becomes obligatory. According to the
canon of the Council of Lateran, which begins: Omnis utriusque sexus, no person
is bound by the law of Confession until he has arrived at the use of reason, --
a time determinable by no fixed number of years. It may, however, be laid down
as a general principle, that children are bound to go to confession as soon as
they are able to discern good from evil, and are capable of malice; for, when a
person has arrived at an age when he must begin to attend to the work of his
salvation, he is bound to confess his sins to a priest, since there is no other
salvation for one whose conscience is burdened with sin.
At What Time The Law Of Confession Obliges
In the same canon holy Church has defined the period
within which we are especially bound to discharge the duty of confession. It
commands all the faithful to confess their sins at least once a year. If,
however, we consult our eternal interests, we will certainly not neglect to
have recourse to confession as often, at least, as we are in danger of death,
or undertake to perform any act incompatible with the state of sin, such as to
administer or receive the Sacraments. The same rule should be strictly followed
when we are apprehensive of forgetting some sin, into which we may have fallen;
for we cannot confess sins unless we remember them, neither do we obtain pardon
unless our sins are blotted out through sacramental confession.
The Qualities of Confession
But since in confession many things are to be observed,
some of which are essential, some not essential to the Sacrament, all these
matters should be carefully treated. Access can easily be had to works and
treatises from which an explanation of all these things can be drawn.
Confession Should Be Entire
Pastors should teach, first of all, that care must be
exercised that confession be complete and entire. All mortal sins must be
revealed to the priest. Venial sins, which do not separate us from the grace of
God, and into which we frequently fall, although they may be usefully
confessed, as the experience of the pious proves, may be omitted without sin,
and expiated by a variety of other means. Mortal sins, as we have already said,
are all to be confessed, even though they be most secret, or be opposed only to
the last two Commandments of the Decalogue. Such secret sins often inflict
deeper wounds on the soul than those which are committed openly and publicly.
So the Council of Trent has defined, and such has been
the constant teaching of the Church, as the Fathers declare. St. Ambrose speaks
thus: Without the confession of his sin, no man can be justified from his sin.
In confirmation of the same doctrine, St. Jerome, on Ecclesiastes, says: If the
serpent, the devil, has secretly and without the knowledge of a third person,
bitten anyone, and has infused into him the poison of sin; if unwilling to
disclose his wound to his brother or master, he is silent and will not do
penance, his master, who has a tongue ready to cure him, can render him no
service. The same doctrine we find in St. Cyprian, in his sermon On the Fallen.
Although guiltless, he says, of the heinous crime of sacrificing to idols, or
of having purchased certificates to that effect; yet, as they entertained the
thought of doing so, they should confess it with grief to the priests of God.
In fine, such is the unanimous voice and teaching of all the Doctors of the
Church.
In confession we should employ all that care and
exactness which we usually bestow upon worldly concerns of great moment, and
all our efforts should be directed to the cure of our soul's wounds and to the
destruction of the roots of sin. We should not be satisfied with the bare
enumeration of our mortal sins, but should mention such circumstances as considerably
aggravate or extenuate their malice. Some circumstances are so serious as of
themselves to constitute mortal guilt. On no account whatever, therefore, are
such circumstances to be omitted. Thus if one man has killed another, he must
state whether his victim was a layman or an ecclesiastic. Or, if he has had
sinful relations with a woman, he must state whether the female was unmarried
or married, a relative or a person consecrated to God by vow. These
circumstances change the nature of the sins; so that the first kind of unlawful
intercourse is called by theologians simple fornication, the second adultery,
the third incest, and the fourth sacrilege. Again, theft is numbered in the
catalogue of sins. But if a person has stolen one golden coin, his sin is less
grievous than if he had stolen a hundred or two hundred, or an immense sum; and
if the stolen money belonged to the Church, the sin would be still more
grievous. The same rule applies to the circumstances of time and place, but'
the examples are too well known from many books to require mention here.
Circumstances such as these are, therefore, to be mentioned; but those which do
not considerably aggravate the malice of the sin may be lawfully omitted.
Sins Concealed
So important is it that confession be entire that if the
penitent confesses only some of his sins and wilfully neglects to accuse
himself of others which should be confessed, he not only does not profit by his
confession, but involves himself in new guilt. Such an enumeration of sins
cannot be called sacramental confession; on the contrary, the penitent must
repeat his confession, not omitting to accuse himself of having, under the
semblance of confession, profaned the sanctity of the Sacrament.
Sins Forgotten
But should the confession seem defective, either because
the penitent forgot some grievous sins, or because, although intent on
confessing all his sins, he did not examine the recesses of his conscience with
sufficient accuracy, he is not bound to repeat his confession. It will be
sufficient, when he recollects the sins which he had forgotten, to confess them
to a priest on a future occasion.
It should be noted, however, that we are not to examine
our consciences with careless indifference, or to be so negligent in recalling
our sins as to seem as if unwilling to remember them. Should this have been the
case, the confession must by all means be made over again.
Confession Should Be Plain, Simple, Sincere
In the second place our confession should be plain,
simple and undisguised; not artfully made, as is the case with some who seem
more intent on defending themselves than on confessing their sins. Our
confession should be such as to disclose to the priest a true image of our
lives, such as we ourselves know them to be, exhibiting as doubtful that which
is doubtful, and as certain that which is certain. If, then, we neglect to
enumerate our sins, or introduce extraneous matter, our confession, it is
clear, lacks this quality.
Confession Should Be Prudent, Modest, Brief
Prudence and modesty in explaining matters of confession
are also much to be commended, and a superfluity of words is to be carefully
avoided. Whatever is necessary to make known the nature of every sin is to be
explained briefly and modestly.
Confession Should Be Made Privately And Often
Secrecy as regards confession should be strictly
observed, as well by the penitent as by the priest. Hence, no one can, on any
account, confess by messenger or letter, because in those cases secrecy would
not be possible.
The faithful should be careful above all to cleanse their
consciences from sin by frequent confession. When a person is in mortal sin
nothing can be more salutary, so precarious is human life, than to have
immediate recourse to confession. But even if we could promise ourselves a long
life, yet it would be truly disgraceful that we who are so particular in
whatever relates to cleanliness of dress or person, were not at least equally
careful in preserving the lustre of the soul unsullied from the foul stains of
sin.
The Minister of the Sacrament of Penance
The Usual Minister
We now come to treat of the minister of this Sacrament.
That the minister of the Sacrament of Penance must be a priest possessing
ordinary or delegated jurisdiction the laws of the Church sufficiently declare.
Whoever discharges this sacred function must be invested not only with the
power of orders, but also with that of jurisdiction. Of this ministry we have
an illustrious proof in these words of our Lord, recorded by St. John: Whose
sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall
retain, they are retained, words addressed not to all, but to the Apostles
only, to whom, in this function of the ministry, priests succeed.
This is also most fitting, for as all the grace imparted
by this Sacrament is communicated from Christ the Head to His members, they who
alone have power to consecrate His true body should alone have power to
administer this Sacrament to His mystical body, the faithful, particularly as
these are qualified and disposed by means of the Sacrament of Penance to
receive the Holy Eucharist.
The scrupulous care which in the primitive ages of the
Church guarded the right of the ordinary priest is easily seen from the ancient
decrees of the Fathers, which provided that no Bishop or priest, except in case
of great necessity, presume to exercise any function in the parish of another
without the authority of him who governed there. This law derives its sanction
from the Apostle when he commanded Titus to ordain priests in every city, to
administer to the faithful the heavenly food of doctrine and of the Sacraments.
The Minister In Danger Of Death
In order that none may perish, if there is imminent
danger of death, and recourse cannot be had to the proper priest, the Council
of Trent teaches that according to the ancient practice of the Church of God it
is then lawful for any priest, not only to remit all kinds of Sill, whatever
faculties they might otherwise require, but also to absolve from
excommunication.
Qualifications Of The Minister
Besides the powers of orders and of jurisdiction, which
are of absolute necessity, the minister of this Sacrament, holding as he does
the place at once of judge and physician, should be gifted not only with
knowledge and erudition, but also with prudence.
As judge, his knowledge, it is evident, should be more
than ordinary, for by it he is to examine into the nature of sins, and among
the various kinds of sins to judge which are grievous and which are not,
keeping in view the rank and condition of the person.
As physician he has also occasion for consummate
prudence, for to him it belongs to administer to the diseased soul those
healing medicines which will not only effect the cure, but prove suitable
preservatives against its future contagion.
The faithful, therefore, will see the great care that
each one should take in selecting (as confessor) a priest, who is recommended
by integrity of life, by learning and prudence, who is deeply impressed with
the awful weight and responsibility of the station which he holds, who
understands well the punishment due to every sin, and can also discern who are
to be loosed and who to be bound.
The Confessor Must Observe The Seal Of Confession
Since each one is most anxious that his sins and
defilements should be buried in oblivion, the faithful are to be admonished
that there is no reason whatever to apprehend that what is made known in
confession will ever be revealed by the priest to anyone, or that by it the
penitent can at any time be brought into danger of any sort. The laws of the
Church threaten the severest penalties against any priests who would fail to
observe a perpetual and religious silence concerning all the sins confessed to
them. Let the priest, says the great Council of Lateran, take special care,
neither by word or sign, nor by any other means whatever, to betray in the
least degree the sinner.
Duties of the Confessor towards Various Classes of
Penitents
Having treated of the minister of this Sacrament, the
order of our matter requires that we next proceed to explain some general heads
which are of considerable importance with regard to the use and practice of
confession.
Many of the faithful, to whom, as a rule, no time seems
to pass so slowly as that which is appointed by the laws of the Church for the
duty of confession, are so removed from Christian perfection that, far from
bestowing attention on those other matters which are obviously most efficacious
in conciliating the favour and friendship of God, they do not even try to
remember the sins that are to be confessed to the priest.
Since, therefore, nothing is to be omitted which can
assist the faithful in the important work of salvation, the priest should be
careful to observe if the penitent be truly contrite for his sins, and
deliberately and firmly resolved to avoid sin for the future.
The Well Disposed Should Be Exhorted To Thanksgiving And
Perseverance
If the sinner is found to be thus disposed, he is to be
admonished and earnestly exhorted to pour out his heart in gratitude to God for
so great and so singular a blessing, and to supplicate unceasingly the aid of
divine grace, shielded by which he may securely combat his evil propensities.
He should also be taught not to suffer a day to pass
without devoting a portion of it to meditation on some mystery of the Passion
of our Lord, and to exciting and inflaming himself to the imitation and most
ardent love of his Redeemer. The fruit of such meditation will be to fortify
him more and more every day against all the assaults of the devil. For what
other reason is there why our courage sinks and our strength fails the moment
the enemy makes even the slightest attack on us, but that we neglect by pious
meditation to kindle within us the fire of divine love, which animates and
invigorates the soul?
The Indisposed
Should Be Helped
But should the priest perceive that the penitent is not
truly contrite, he will endeavour to inspire him with an anxious desire for
contrition, inflamed by which he may resolve to ask and implore this heavenly
gift from the mercy of God.
Those Who Seek To Excuse Their Sins Should Be Corrected
The pride of some who seek by vain excuses to justify or
extenuate their offences is carefully to be repressed. If, for instance, a
penitent confesses that he was wrought up to anger, and immediately transfers
the blame of the excitement to another, who, he complains, was the aggressor,
he is to be reminded that such apologies are indications of a proud spirit, and
of a man who either thinks lightly of, or is unacquainted with the enormity of
his sin, while they serve rather to aggravate than to extenuate his guilt. He
who thus labours to justify his conduct seems to say that then only will he
exercise patience, when no one injures him -- a disposition than which nothing
can be more unworthy of a Christian. Instead of lamenting the state of him who
inflicted the injury he disregards the grievousness of the sin, and is angry
with his brother. Having had an opportunity of honouring God by his exemplary
patience, and of correcting a brother by his meekness, he turns the very means
of salvation to his own destruction.
Those Who Are Ashamed To Confess Their Sins Should Be
Instructed
Still more pernicious is the fault of those who, yielding
to a foolish bashfulness, cannot induce themselves to confess their sins. Such
persons are to be encouraged by exhortation, and are to be reminded that there
is no reason whatever why they should fear to disclose their sins, that to no
one can it appear surprising if persons fall into sin, the common malady of the
human race and the natural consequence of human infirmity.
The Careless Should Be Rebuked
There are others who, either because they seldom confess
their sins, or because they have bestowed no care or attention on the
examination of their consciences, do not know well how to begin or end their
confession. Such persons deserve to be severely rebuked, and are to be taught
that before anyone approaches the tribunal of Penance he should employ every
diligence to excite himself to contrition for his sins, and that this he cannot
do without endeavouring to know and recollect them severally.
The Unprepared Should Be Dismissed Or Led To Good Disposition
Should the confessor meet persons of this class entirely
unprepared, he should dismiss them without harshness, exhorting them in the
kindest terms to take some time to reflect on their sins, and then return; but
should they declare that they have already done everything in their power to
prepare, and there is reason to apprehend that if sent away they may not
return, their confession is to be heard, particularly if they manifest some
disposition to amend their lives and can be induced to accuse their own
negligence and promise to atone for it at another time by a diligent and
accurate scrutiny of conscience. In such cases, however, the confessor should
proceed with caution. If, after having heard the confession, he is of the
opinion that the penitent did not entirely lack diligence in examining his
conscience or sorrow in detesting his sins, he may absolve him; but if he has
found him deficient in both, he should, as we have already said, admonish him
to use greater care in his examination of conscience, and dismiss him as kindly
as he can.
The Pastor Should Show The Wrong Of Human Respect
But as it sometimes happens that females, who may have
forgotten some sin in a former confession, cannot bring themselves to return to
the confessor, dreading to expose themselves before the people to the suspicion
of having been guilty of something grievous or of looking for the praise of
extraordinary piety, the pastor should frequently remind the faithful, both
publicly and privately, that no one is gifted with so tenacious a memory as to
be able to recollect all his thoughts, words and actions; that the faithful,
therefore, should they call to mind some sin which they had previously
forgotten, should not be deterred from returning to the priest. These and many
other matters of the same nature demand the attention of priests in confession.
The Third Part of Penance
Satisfaction
Let us now come to the third part of Penance, which is
called satisfaction. We shall begin by explaining its nature and efficacy,
because the enemies of the Catholic Church have on these subjects taken ample
occasion to sow discord and division, to the serious detriment of Christians.
General Meaning Of The Word "Satisfaction,"
Satisfaction is the full payment of a debt; for that is
sufficient or satisfactory to which nothing is wanting. Hence, when we speak of
reconciliation to favour, to satisfy means to do what is sufficient to atone to
the angered mind for an injury offered; and in this sense satisfaction is
nothing more than compensation for an injury done to another. But, to come to
the object that now engages us, theologians make use of the word satisfaction
to signify the compensation man makes, by offering to God some reparation for
the sins he has committed.
Various Kinds Of Satisfaction To God
This sort of satisfaction, since it has several degrees,
can be understood in various senses.
The first and highest degree of satisfaction is that by
which whatever we owe to God on account of our sins is paid abundantly, even
though He should deal with us according to the strictest rigour of His justice.
This degree of satisfaction appeases God and renders Him propitious to us; and
it is a satisfaction for which we are indebted to Christ our Lord alone, who
paid the price of our sins on the cross, and offered to God a superabundant
satisfaction. No created being could have been of such worth as to deliver us
from so heavy a debt. He is the propitiation for our sins, says St. John, and
not for ours only but also for those of the whole world. This satisfaction,
therefore, is full and superabundant, perfectly adequate to the debt of all
sins committed in this world. It gives to man's actions great worth before God,
and without it they would be deserving of no esteem whatever. This David seems
to have had in view when, having asked himself, what shall I render to the
-Lord, for all the things that he hath rendered to me? and finding nothing
besides this satisfaction, which he expressed by the word chalice, a worthy
return for so many and such great favours, he replied: I will take the chalice
of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord.
There is another kind of satisfaction, which is called
canonical, and is performed within a certain fixed period of time. Hence,
according to the most ancient practice of the Church, when penitents are
absolved from their sins, some penance is imposed, the performance of which is
commonly called satisfaction.
By the same name is called any sort of punishment endured
for sin, although not imposed by the priest, but spontaneously undertaken and
performed by ourselves.
Elements Of Sacramental Satisfaction
This, however, does not belong to Penance as a Sacrament.
Only that satisfaction constitutes part of the Sacrament which, as we have
already said, is offered to God for sins at the command of the priest.
Furthermore, it must be accompanied by a deliberate and firm purpose carefully
to avoid sin for the future.
For to satisfy, as some define it, is to pay due honour
to God: and this, it is evident, no person can do, who is not entirely resolved
to avoid sin. Again, to satisfy is to cut off all occasions of sin, and to
close every avenue against its suggestions. In accordance with this idea of
satisfaction some have defined it as a cleansing, which effaces whatever
defilement may remain in the soul from the stains of sin, and which exempts us
from the temporal chastisements due to sin.
Necessity Of
Satisfaction
Such being the nature of satisfaction, it will not be difficult
to convince the faithful of the necessity imposed on the penitent of performing
works of satisfaction. They are to be taught that sin carries in its train two
evils, the stain and the punishment. Whenever the stain is effaced, the
punishment of eternal death is forgiven with the guilt to which it was due;
yet, as the Council of Trent declares, the remains of sin and the temporal
punishment are not always remitted.
Of this the Scriptures afford many conspicuous examples,
such as are found in the third chapter of Genesis, in the twelfth and
twenty-second of Numbers, and in many other places. That of David, however, is
the best known and most striking. Although the Prophet Nathan had announced to
him: The Lord also hath taken a-way thy sin, thou shalt not , yet David
voluntarily subjected himself to the most severe penance, imploring night and
day the mercy of God in these words: Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and
cleanse me from my sin; for I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me.
Thus did he beseech the Lord to pardon not only the crime, but also the
punishment due to it, and to restore him, cleansed from the remains of sin, to
his former state of purity and integrity. This he besought with most earnest
supplications, and yet the Lord punished his transgression with the loss of his
adulterous offspring, the rebellion and death of his beloved son Absalom, and
with the other chastisements and calamities with which he had previously
threatened him.
In Exodus, too, we read that though the Lord yielded to
the prayers of Moses and spared the idolatrous Israelites, yet He threatened
the enormity of their crime with heavy chastisement, and Moses himself declared
that the Lord would take severest vengeance on it, even to the third and fourth
generations.
That such was at all times the doctrine of the holy
Fathers in the Catholic Church, their own testimony most clearly proves.
Advantages of Satisfaction
It Is Required By God's Justice And Mercy
Why in the Sacrament of Penance, as in that of Baptism,
the punishment due to sin is not entirely remitted is admirably explained in
these words of the Council of Trent: Divine justice seems to require that they
who through ignorance sinned before Baptism, should recover the friendship of
God in a different manner from those who, after they have been freed from the
thraldom, of sin and the devil and have received the gifts of the Holy Ghost,
dread not knowingly to violate the temple of God and grieve the Holy Spirit. It
is also in keeping with the divine mercy not to remit our sins without any
satisfaction, lest, taking occasion hence, and imagining our sins less grievous
than they are, we should become injurious, as it were, and contumelious to the
Holy Ghost, and should fall into greater enormities, treasuring up to ourselves
wrath against the day of wrath. These satisfactory penances have, no doubt,
great influence in recalling from and, as it were, bridling against sin, and in
rendering the sinner more vigilant and cautious for the future.
Satisfaction Atones To The Church
Furthermore (these satisfactions) serve as testimonies of
our sorrow for sin committed, and thus atone to the Church which is grievously
insulted by our crimes. God, says St. Augustine, despises not a contrite and
humble heart; but, as heartfelt grief is generally concealed from others, and
is not manifested by words or other signs, wisely, therefore, are penitential
times appointed by those who preside over the Church, in order to atone to the
Church, in which sins are forgiven.
Satisfaction Deters Others From Sin
Besides, the example presented by our penitential
practices serves as a lesson to others, how to regulate their lives and
practice piety. Seeing the punishments inflicted on sin, they must feel the
necessity of using the greatest circumspection through life, and of correcting
their former habits.
The Church, therefore, with great wisdom ordained that
when anyone had committed a public crime, a public penance should be imposed on
him, in order that others, being deterred by fear, might more carefully avoid
sin in future. This has sometimes been observed even with regard to secret sins
of more than usual gravity.
But with regard to public sinners, as we have already
said, they were never absolved until they had performed public penance. During
the performance of this penance, the pastors poured out prayers to God for
their salvation, and ceased not to exhort the penitents to do the same. In this
respect, great was the care and solicitude of St. Ambrose, of whom it is
related that many who came to the tribunal of Penance with hardened hearts were
so softened by his tears as to conceive the sorrow of true contrition. But in
process of time the severity of ancient discipline was so relaxed and charity
grew so cold, that in our days many of the faithful think inward sorrow of soul
and grief of heart unnecessary for obtaining pardon, imagining that a mere
appearance of sorrow is sufficient.
By Satisfaction We Are Made Like Unto Christ
Again, by undergoing these penances we are made like unto
Jesus Christ our Head, inasmuch as He Himself suffered and was tempted. As St.
Bernard observes, nothing can appear so unseemly as a delicate member under a
head crowned with thorns. To use the words of the Apostle: We are joint-heirs
with Christ, yet so if we suffer with him; and again, If we be dead with him,
we shall live also with him; if we suffer, we shall also reign with him.
Satisfaction Heals The Wounds Of Sin
St. Bernard also observes that sin produces two effects:
a stain on the soul and a wound; that the stain is removed through the mercy of
God, while to heal the wound inflicted by sin the remedy of penance is most
necessary. When a wound has been healed, some scars remain which demand
attention; likewise, with regard to the soul, after the guilt of sin is
forgiven, some of its effects remain, from which the soul requires to be
cleansed.
St. Chrysostom fully confirms the same doctrine when he
says: It is not enough that the arrow has been extracted from the body; the
wound which it inflicted must also be healed. So with regard to the soul, it is
not enough that sin has been pardoned; the wound which it has left must also be
healed by penance.
St. Augustine also frequently teaches that penance exhibits
at once the mercy and the justice of God, -- His mercy by which He pardons sin
and the eternal punishment due to sin; His justice by which He exacts temporary
punishment from the sinner.
Satisfaction Disarms The Divine Vengeance
Finally, the punishment which the sinner endures disarms
the vengeance of God and averts the punishments decreed against us. Thus the
Apostle says: If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged; but whilst
we are judged, we are chastised by the Lord, that we be not condemned with this
world. If all this is explained to the faithful, it must have great influence
in exciting them to perform works of penance.
Source of the Efficacy of Satisfactory Works
Of the great efficacy of penance we may form some idea,
if we reflect that it arises entirely from the merits of the Passion of Christ
our Lord. It is His Passion that imparts to our good actions two greatest
advantages: the first, that we may merit the rewards of eternal glory, so that
a cup of cold water given in His name shall not be without its reward; the
second, that we may be able to satisfy for our sins.
Nor does this
lessen the most perfect and superabundant satisfaction of Christ our Lord, but,
on the contrary, renders it still more conspicuous and illustrious. For the
grace of Christ is seen to abound more, inasmuch as it communicates to us not
only what He merited and paid of Himself alone, but also what, as Head, He
merited and paid in His members, that is, in holy and just men. Hence it can be
seen how such great weight and dignity belong to the good actions of the pious.
For Christ our Lord continually infuses His grace into the devout soul united
to Him by charity, as the head to the members, or as the vine through the
branches. This grace always precedes, accompanies and follows our good works,
and without it we can have no merit, nor can we at all satisfy God.
Hence it is that nothing seems wanting to the just.
Through their works done by the power of God, they are able, on the one hand,
to satisfy God's law, as far as their human and mortal condition will allow;
and, on the other hand, they can merit eternal life, to the fruition of which
they will be admitted if they die in the state of God's grace. Well known are
the words of the Saviour: He that shall drink of the water that I will give him
shall not thirst for ever; but the water that I will give him shall become in
him a fountain of water, springing up into life everlasting.
Conditions for Satisfaction
In satisfaction two things are particularly required: the
one, that he who satisfies be in a state of grace, the friend of God, since
works done without faith and charity cannot be acceptable to God; the other,
that the works performed be such as are of their own nature painful or laborious.
They are a compensation for past sins, and, to use the words of the holy martyr
Cyprian, the redeemers, as it were, of past sins, and must, therefore, in some
way be disagreeable.
It does not, however, always follow that they are painful
or laborious to those who undergo them. The influence of habit, or the
intensity of divine love, frequently renders the soul insensible to things the
most difficult. Such works, however, do not therefore cease to be satisfactory.
It is the privilege of the children of God to be so inflamed with His love,
that while undergoing the most cruel tortures, they are either almost
insensible to them, or bear them all with the greatest joy.
Works Of Satisfaction Are Of Three Kinds
Pastors should teach that all kinds of satisfaction are
reducible to three heads: prayer, fasting and almsdeeds, which correspond to
three kinds of goods which we have received from God, those of the soul, those
of the body and what are called external goods.
Nothing can be more effectual in uprooting all sin from
the soul than these three kinds of satisfaction. For since whatever is in the
world is the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the
pride of life, everyone can see that to these three causes of disease are opposed
also three remedies. To the first is opposed fasting; to the second, almsdeeds;
to the third, prayer.
Moreover, if we consider those whom our sins injure, we
shall easily perceive why all kinds of satisfaction are reduced especially to
these three. For those (we offend by our sins) are: God, our neighbour and
ourselves. God we appease by prayer, our neighbour we satisfy by alms, and
ourselves we chastise by fasting.
As this life is chequered by many and various
afflictions, the faithful are to be particularly reminded that those who
patiently bear all the trials and afflictions coming from the hand of God
acquire abundant satisfaction and merit; whereas those who suffer with
reluctance and impatience deprive themselves of all the fruits of satisfaction,
merely enduring the punishment which the just judgment of God inflicts upon
their sins.
One Can Satisfy For Another
In this the supreme mercy and goodness of God deserve our
grateful acknowledgment and praise, that He has granted to our frailty the
privilege that one may satisfy for another. This, however, is a privilege which
is confined to the satisfactory part of Penance alone. As regards contrition
and confession, no one is able to be contrite for another; but those who are in
the state of grace may pay for others what is due to God, and thus we may be
said in some measure to bear each other's burdens.
This is a doctrine on which the faithful cannot for a
moment entertain a doubt, since we profess in the Apostle's Creed our belief in
the Communion of Saints. For since we are all reborn to Christ in the same
cleansing waters of Baptism and are partakers of the same Sacraments, and,
above all, are nourished with the same body and blood of Christ our Lord, as
our food and drink, we are all, it is manifest, members of the same body. As
then the foot does not perform its functions solely for itself, but also for
the sake of the eyes, and as the eyes see not only for their own sake, but for
the general good of all the members, so also works of satisfaction must be
considered common to us all.
This, however, is not true in reference to all the
advantages to be derived from satisfaction. For works of satisfaction are also
medicinal, and are so many remedies prescribed to the penitent to heal the
depraved affections of the soul. It is clear that those who do not satisfy for
themselves can have no share in this fruit of penance.
These three parts of Penance, contrition, confession and
satisfaction, should be fully and clearly explained.
Duties of the Confessor as Regards Satisfaction
Restitution Must Be Insisted On
Above all, priests should be very careful not to give
absolution to any penitent, whose confession they have heard, without obliging
him to make full satisfaction for any injury to his neighbour's goods or
character for which he seems responsible. No person is to be absolved until he
has first faithfully promised to restore all that belongs to others.
But as there are many who readily promise to comply with
their duty in this respect, yet are deliberately determined never to fulfil
their promises, these persons should be obliged to make restitution, and the
words of the Apostle are to be frequently pressed upon their minds: He that
stole, let him now steal no more; but rather let him labour, working with his
hands the thing which is good, that he may have something to give to him that
suffereth need.
Quantity And Quality Of Penances Should Be Reasonable
In imposing penance priests should do nothing
arbitrarily, but should be guided solely by justice, prudence and piety. In
order to show that they follow this rule, and also to impress more deeply on
the mind of the penitent the enormity of his sin, it will be useful sometimes
to remind him of the severe punishments inflicted by the ancient penitential
canons, as they are called, for certain sins. The nature of the sin, therefore,
will regulate the extent of the satisfaction.
No satisfaction can be more salutary than to require of
the penitent to devote, for a certain number of days, some time to prayer, not
omitting to pray to God in behalf of all mankind, and particularly for those
who have departed this life in the Lord.
Voluntary Works Of Penance Should Be Recommended
Penitents should also be exhorted to undertake of their
own accord the frequent performance of the penances imposed by the confessor,
and thus so to conduct their lives that, having faithfully complied with
everything which the Sacrament of Penance demands, they may never cease
earnestly to practice the virtue of penance.
PUBLIC PENANCES SHOULD SOMETIMES BE GIVEN
Should it be deemed proper sometimes to visit public
crimes with public penance, and should the penitent express great reluctance of
seek to escape from its performance, he should not be listened to too readily,
but should be persuaded to embrace with cheerfulness and readiness that which
will be salutary to himself and to others.
Admonition
These things concerning the Sacrament of Penance and its
several parts should be taught in such a manner as to enable the faithful not
only to understand them perfectly, but also, with the Lord's help, to resolve
to put them in practice piously and religiously.