Vol 9 Issue 41 ~ Editor: Rev. Fr. Courtney Edward KrierSeptember 10, 2016 ~ St. Nicholas Tolentino, opn!

1. Baptism: Means of Salvation (85)
2. Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
3. St. Paphnutius, Bishop
4. Christ in the Home (59)
5. Articles and notices

Dear Reader:

In the Liturgy of the Sunday Mass there is the insistence on Love/Charity. As with Grace, which is distinguished by the two types of grace, actual and sanctifying; as with virtue, which is distinguished also by that which is natural and that which is supernatural, so with Love there must be that distinction that defines what is being spoken. Because the same word is used to signify different concepts, in the technical application it is always necessary to clarify what exactly one is talking about. One of the difficulties that has arisen with the Conciliar Church is that there is no clarification and the words, such as charity or love, grace and virtue are used without explaining what is meant: Is one speaking of natural virtue or supernatural virtue? Is one speaking of actual or sanctifying grace? Is one speaking of natural or supernatural charity? That is why people will question how it is that one could give his body to be burned or give everything away (cf. 1 Cor 13:3.) and yet not have charity. Because Saint Paul is speaking of supernatural love, supernatural charity and not natural charity. The person may be praised by men for their charity, but not by God because the person has no relationship with God and therefore the deed does not merit an eternal reward. This is why the Protestants can do good deeds, but it does not merit them heaven—even Saint Paul says salvation is not by works (cf. Romans 3; the Protestants rely on rejecting works with their basis of sola fide). This is necessary to understand especially today when one takes up the mantra that God wills all to be saved and claims everyone goes to heaven—it would be true if there were no distinction between natural charity and supernatural charity or actual grace and supernatural grace. But there is and because there is, it rejects all conclusions which would flow if there was not the distinction.

Here one needs to go back to that of Original Sin. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they were condemned to death. That death was not simply understood as a physical death—which they would not suffer until later—but a supernatural death. That is, God’s greatest gift to Adam and Eve, which one learned in CCD when the Baltimore Catechism was taught, was question 52’s answer: The chief gift bestowed on Adam and Eve by God was sanctifying grace, which made them children of God and gave them the right to Heaven. Sanctifying was the life of Grace, the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. Without that life, one was spiritually dead. Without sanctifying grace one could not go to heaven. Adam and Eve lost this for themselves and for all their posterity. No one could regain this gift. Man was doomed—unless God Himself satisfied justice—for justice is absolute. God, through His mercy, found the means to save mankind by the Son of God becoming Man Himself and redeeming mankind. This could only be obtained by mankind recognizing his sinful nature and submitting himself to the laws God established in order to re-establish (restore) the relationship (sanctifying grace/justification) that was lost. Definitely faith was always necessary because one must believe in God, one must believe in a redeemer and one must believe that there is eternal life (or there would be no consequences for doing good which means there would be no consequences for doing evil). But God has required more from those who have received His Revelation, Circumcision was imposed upon Abraham and the Hebrews before Christ. When Christ came, baptism was imposed. A refusal, whether by the Hebrews before Christ: The male, whose flesh of his foreskin shall not be circumcised, that soul shall be destroyed out of his people: because he hath broken my covenant (Gen. 17:14) or everyone who has heard the Gospel after Christ: He who believes and is baptized shall be saved, he believes not shall be condemned (Mark 16:16), it is obvious that not everyone is saved, but only those who conscientiously fulfill the laws of God: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them; he it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father: and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him (John 14:21).

It is clear, then, that Universal Salvation is not a Biblical concept, but contradicts Scripture. It is clear, also, that it contradicts Church teaching which declares there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church, speaks of mortal sin and loss of grace. This is why, among other places, one can read the words of Christ in Luke (13:3, 5), unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise perish and the words of St. Paul to the Philipians (2:12), with fear and trembling work out your salvation.

But what of the words of Paul to Timothy: Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4.). When God created man, He created Him, as was memorized by children in Catechism classes: God made us to show forth His goodness and to share with us His everlasting happiness in Heaven. (Question 3) What changed this? Nothing! But does He share with all His happiness? God wills to, but cannot and not because of His inability or will, but because He gave humans freewill and allows, by this, for them to choose. In other words, God wills all to be saved but not all mankind chooses to be saved; and God has, in creating man with freewill, made salvation dependent on man’s freewill. This is why, even in the words of Christ, when instituting the Sacrifice of the New Testament, said: For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins(Matt. 26:28; cf. Mark 14:24). It is well known that these words were intentionally falsely translated in the Novus Ordo vernacular services as “all men” to agree with Universal Salvation until sufficiently questioned by the Protestants (the Conciliar Church would not listen to Catholics) that such an obvious falsification of Scripture is allowed.

The grace, that is, the gift of having the true faith by which one can be saved, must not be lost for if it is, then salvation is lost. Yet, that faith must have works, that is, sanctifying grace obtained by Baptism or restored by Penance through which one has charity. Without sanctifying grace if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, . . . I am nothing. (1 Cor. 13:2.)

As always, enjoy the readings and commentaries provided for your benefit. —The Editor

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Baptism

Means of Salvation

 

Sacrament of Baptism

 

Rituale Romanum

(Continued)

 

Rituale:

 

The Anointing with Chrism, etc.

 

23. Then the priest dips his right thumb into the holy Chrism, and in the form of a cross anoints the child on the crown of the head, saying:

 

MAY God almighty, Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, Who has caused thee to be born anew by water and the Holy Spirit, and granted thee remission of all sins (here he anoints), may He anoint thee + with the Chrism of salvation in the selfsame Christ Jesus, our Lord, unto life everlasting. R. Amen.

Priest: Peace be unto thee.      R. And with thy spirit.

 

Commentary:

 

Immediately after the baptismal act the minister anoints the newly baptized person on the very top of the head with chrism. Tertullian already speaks of such an anointing: “The flesh is washed that the soul might be cleansed; the flesh is anointed that the soul might be consecrated.” This anointing is not to be confused with Confirmation, for he adds: “The flesh is signed that it might be made secure [or sealed]; the flesh is overshadowed by means of the imposition of hands that the soul might be illuminated by the Spirit.” [De resurrectione carnis, 8. MPL, 2:852.] This baptismal anointing and its distinction from Confirmation is brought out even more clearly in the Apostolic Tradition. After the newly baptized person comes out of the baptismal pool, we are told, a priest anoints him with oleum sanctificatum—Chrism—and says: “I anoint thee with holy oil in the name of Jesus Christ.” Once the neophyte has put on his clothes, he is presented to the bishop, who, imposing his hands, performs the consignatio with Chrism; this latter is Confirmation. [La Tradition Apostolique (Ed. B. Botte), on. 21-22, pp. 51-52.] (Miller, 445)

 

The Apostolic Constitution, Chapter xxii, states:

 

But you shall beforehand anoint the person with the holy oil, and afterward baptize him with the water, and in the conclusion shall seal him with the ointment; that the anointing with oil may be the participation of the Holy Spirit, and the water the symbol of the death of Christ, and the ointment the seal of the covenants. But if there be neither oil nor ointment, water is sufficient both for the anointing, and for the seal, and for the confession of Him that is dead, or indeed is dying together with Christ. (Cf. Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7.)

 

Anointing has traditionally been accepted as symbolic of the virtue and gifts of the Holy Spirit, as in Isaias (61:1): “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me.” St. Ambrose says that the neophyte receives this anointing on the crown of the head, for “the eyes of the wiseman are in his head; the fool walketh in darkness.” [De sacramentis, III, 1, 1. J. Quasten, 151. He thus quotes Ecclesiastes 2:14.] He therefore understands this rite to symbolize wisdom. But wisdom has always been specially attributed to the Holy Spirit. It seems inescapable, then, that this rite intends to bring out symbolically the sanctity that is now inherent in the newly baptized person because of his being possessed by the Holy Spirit. We may also see in it our own configuration to Christ, the Anointed One, our participation in His priesthood that St. Peter speaks of: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people.” [1 Peter 2:9.]  (Miller, 446)

 

It has never been understood as Confirmation, for the Apostolic Traditions of Hippolytus speak of this anointing as follows:

 

And afterwards when he comes up from the water he shall be anointed by the presbyter with the Oil of Thanksgiving saying:

I anoint thee with holy oil in the Name of Jesus Christ.

And so each one drying himself with a towel they shall now put on their clothes and after this let them be together in the assembly.

And the bishop shall lay his hand upon them invoking and saying:

O Lord God, who didst count these Thy servants worthy of deserving the forgiveness of sins by the laver of regeneration, make them worthy to be filled with Thy Holy Spirit and send upon them Thy grace, that they may serve Thee according to Thy will; for to Thee is the glory, to the Father and to the Son with the Holy Ghost in the holy Church, both now and ever and world without end. Amen.

After this pouring the consecrated oil from his hand and laying his hand on his head, he shall say:

I anoint thee with holy oil in God the Father Almighty and Christ Jesus and the Holy Ghost.

And sealing him on the forehead, he shall give him the kiss of peace and say:

The Lord be with you.

And he who has been sealed shall say:

And with thy spirit. (Cf. Barry, I, 51.)

 

Which expressly shows that there is an anointing with oil after Baptism followed, after the candidates dress and return to the Church, by the rite of Confirmation which the Bishop administers.

Through the Sacrament of Baptism the child becomes a temple of the Holy Ghost. To stress the child as a temple, the priest now anoints the child with Sacred Chrism just like a Church. If one observes the Church, there is nothing of the devil, sin, or the world in it.  All you have to do is go outside to find these things. The priest is responsible for preserving the sanctity of the Church. He must, at times, tell people they cannot come in when they have clothing or attitudes that are worldly or sinful as this would desecrate the temple. Parents and Godparents must also keep the child’s soul a temple of God and not allow sin and the world to enter by exposing them to evil.

 

Rituale:

 

24. He wipes his thumb and the place anointed with cotton. Then he puts a white linen cloth (in place of the white garment) upon the child’s head, saying:

 

Receive this white garment, and carry it unsullied unto the judgment seat of our Lord, Jesus Christ, that thou mayest have life everlasting. R. Amen.

 

25. Then he presents a lighted candle to the newly baptized or to the sponsor, saying:

Receive this burning light. Safeguard thy baptism by a blameless life. Keep the commandments of God, that when our Lord shall come for the heavenly nuptials thou mayest meet Him together with all the saints in the court of heaven, and live forever and ever. R. Amen.

 

Commentary:

 

At the close, the priest presents the child with a white garment and a burning candle while saying: When you meet Christ, make sure you are wearing your white garment, your wedding garment of innocence and love and you are carrying your burning candle, your faith alive. From the time of their baptism they are preparing for their encounter with Christ: their First Communion. On that day the child walks in with the white dresses or suits and have a candle burning in the hand as the child receives Christ—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—for the first time in that union of Love called First Communion. If the child has that innocence and love and faith at this moment, the same person will probably have it when the person, passing into eternity, meets Christ, remembering the words of Christ: And the king went in to see the guests: and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment. And he saith to him: Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? (Matt. 22:11-12)

 

The white garment given to the neophyte is mentioned as early as the time of St. Ambrose. He says: “After these things, you have received white garments, that it may be manifest that you have put off the trappings of sin and put on the chaste veils of innocence, of which the prophet spoke, ‘Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed; wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.'” [De mysteriis, VII] The Roman deacon John likewise attests to the custom of dressing the neophytes with white garments and also of placing a chrismale upon their heads after the anointing. [Epist. ad Senarium, 6. MPL, 59:403] Note well the distinction between these two white cloths. In our present Roman Ritual only one cloth is given to the newly baptized infant and it is placed on his head; in adult Baptism this same cloth is placed on the head of the neophyte, but, in addition, he is given a white garment. The first cloth is the chrismale, a cloth placed over anointed areas of the body out of reverence; the second is the traditional white garment which is symbolic of spiritual innocence. Unfortunately, confusion can arise, since the same formula is used as both are given to the neophyte. (Miller, 446)

 

In the time of St. Thomas Aquinas, he points to the white garment as follows:

 

This white garment is given, not as though it were unlawful for the neophyte to use others: but as a sign of the glorious resurrection, unto which men are born again by Baptism; and in order to designate the purity of life, to which he will be bound after being baptized, according to Romans 6:4: “That we may walk in newness of life.” (S. Th., III, q. 66, art. 10.)

 

Candles have always been used in the Paschal vigil and, after the baptism, given also to the newly baptized while the litanies continued. In this way thecandle also signifies Christ, the light of the world, who will enlighten the Baptized throughout their entire life, by illuminating for them the way to Heaven. (Cuttaz, 136) The candle reminds the baptized, too, of the parable of the ten virgins:

 

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like to ten virgins, who taking their lamps went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride. And five of them were foolish, and five wise. But the five foolish, having taken their lamps, did not take oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with the lamps. And the bridegroom tarrying, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made: Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye forth to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise: Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. The wise answered, saying: Lest perhaps there be not enough for us and for you, go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. Now whilst they went to buy, the bridegroom came: and they that were ready, went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. But at last come also the other virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answering said: Amen I say to you, I know you not.(Matt. 25:4-10)

(To be continued)

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Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

Benedict Baur, O.S.B.

 

The love of God

 

1. We are astounded at the tremendous condescension of God, who seeks our love, even though He has no need of it. He wants to be loved by us just as if He could not be happy without our love. Indeed He desires so ardently to be loved by His worthless creatures, that He has made His “first and greatest commandment” that of loving Him with our whole heart and with all our strength.
2. Why should the Eternal God desire our miserable love? It is certainly not because our love could satisfy any need in Him, or add to His happiness or give Him the slightest thing that He needs. He longs for our love, not for His own sake, but rather for our sake, that is to say, so that He can draw us to Himself and fill us with the treasures of His goodness. It is difficult to make this desire of God intelligible to the limited human intellect, but we may assert that it is part of the divine essence to share its goodness with others. Just as the sun, possessing as it does an abundance of light and heat, pours forth this light and heat on all the earth and makes it fruitful, so God pours forth His love and goodness upon all His creatures “to contribute to the praise of his glory” (Eph. 1: 12). He needs our love only in the sense that it is only love that can bind us to Him in a vital union. It is through the divine virtues of faith and hope that we are united to God. But even one who is possessed of faith and hope can be separated from God again by mortal sin. Only divine love is incompatible with sin. Hence it is only through charity, the virtue which unites us in a vital union with God, that He can share His life and His gifts with us. God wants our love only that He may share His life and His treasures with us. We should be eternally grateful for His unspeakable goodness.

The place and the importance of divine love in our lives as Christians are made clear in the saying of St. Paul: “If I should speak with the tongue of men and angels but do not have charity, I have become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And if I have prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, yet do not have charity, I am nothing. And if I distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, yet do not have charity, it profits me nothing” (I Cor. 13: 1-3). That is the place of divine love in the spiritual life of the Christian. Charity is of the very essence of Christian life. One may achieve the most astounding success in his temporal affairs, he may perform wonders of piety and self-abnegation, he may undertake prodigious works of prayer; it is all idle and vain unless these things are inspired and informed by divine charity. It is only love that can give any of our works value in the sight of God. Without charity one may make great progress indeed, “but only on the wrong road” (St. Augustine). Charity not only is required to give our works value, but also to inform all of our other virtues. “Charity is patient, is kind; charity does not envy, is not pretentious, is not puffed up, is not ambitious, is not self-seeking, is not provoked; thinks no evil, does not rejoice over wickedness, but rejoices with the truth” (I Cor. 13:4 f.).

3. To love God is the most noble act and the highest reach of the human soul. No other act makes us so conscious of the truth that “we are partakers of the divine nature” (II Pet. 1:4). This makes it possible for us to love as He loves. We love Him for His own sake and all other things because of Him. A greater blessing than this is not to be hoped for.

“O holy and disinterested love! O love so pure and undefiled that it no longer contains any love of self. O love so firm and devoted that it divinizes everything it touches! As the atmosphere is drenched with the rays of the sun, and is changed and made light by them, so too the acts of man under the influence of love empty themselves in a wonderful way and become perfectly united to the will of God. How otherwise could God be all in all things while anything of man remains!” (St. Bernard of Clairvaux.)

 

PRAYER

O God, may the grace of the Holy Spirit enlighten our hearts and enliven them immeasurably by the gift of perfect charity. Amen.

 

1. “Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like to this. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Gospel).
2. “The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom. 5:5). This love is a divine love since it comes immediately from God and has God as its object. It is a divine love because it and it alone unites us with God and binds us to Him. It is a divine love above all because it makes it possible for us to love as God loves. He loves Himself for Himself and all things outside of Himself, for Himself. In like manner, possessing this love, we love God first and because of Himself, and all created things not for their own sake, but because they come from God and belong to Him. This love which is poured forth in our hearts is a participation in the love God has for Himself. It is therefore a holy love as God’s love is a holy love. It is, moreover, a supernatural love infinitely above our created nature, and our natural powers. A purely natural love of God is far from God and can never unite man to God. This supernatural love, however, is elevated infinitely above our fallen human nature. Man is indeed capable of a purely natural love of God, but this can never unite him to God. It is only a supernatural love sent by God Himself which can unite us to Him. This love transcends all of our natural powers and makes us children of God. It removes from us the limitations of the creature and lifts us up to God with the freedom of children and the confidence and self-surrender of a bride. It causes us to look upon God as our friend and bridegroom, and joins us to Him in the sweetest and most intimate union. This love draws us ever closer to God, to become one in spirit with Him just as two tongues of flame burning side by side unite and become one. No earthly love forges so close a bond between the lovers, and no earthly love so completely submerges the person of the lover in that of the beloved. No other love possesses the beloved so completely and so intimately as this love. No other love can fill the human heart so entirely and enrich it so marvelously as this love.

“So there abide faith, hope, and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. Aim at charity” (I Cor. 13:13- 14). There is a truly supernatural love of God by which we seek to avoid the pains of hell and obtain the joys of hea

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