Monday, October 28, 2024

Detachment

 

To My Readers: This week my guest poster, Dominic Caggeso, reminds us of  detachment from the world, and draws amazing parallels between King Solomon and St. Francis of Assisi. Feel free to comment as usual. If you have a specific comment or question for me, I will respond as always, but it may take me a bit longer to do so this week. 

God bless you all, my dear readers---Introibo

Detachment

By Dominic Caggeso

Many years ago, before I settled down to raise a family, I had the occasion to spend two years living in the Sahara Desert. I went there to escape the world and reflect on my life after having spent four years in the dregs and filth of an American University. I needed time to contemplate my life path, and re-evaluate my poor decisions. Despite my intention to self-reflect, I was unprepared for the profound impact this time in the Sahara would have on me, shaping my character and outlook even twenty-five years later as I write this.

I lived in a remote part of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, among Bedouins and endless sand dunes, under the relentless sun. Life in the rural Sahara moved at a slow pace, and as much as I tried to occupy my time, it largely proved a futile effort. Instead, I had little to do but sit alone with my thoughts, day after day, with no media, books, or places to go. It was initially a painful experience, as my mind craved the high level of activity and distraction that I grew up with as an average middle class American boy.

The prolonged emptiness made me realize just how much of my thoughts revolved around mundane and inconsequential things of this world. With very few externals to capture my attention, I was forced to turn inward and look at myself more deeply. As I sat endlessly, gazing at the barren landscape, large questions continually surfaced in my mind about the purpose of this life, the nature of God, and the question of true belief and religion. 

In the absence of the western world, I was surprised at the amount of joy I derived from the simplest of things. In that vast expanse of sand, I found immense happiness in small pleasures. A can of condensed milk or a care package from my mother, containing window screening to keep out the swarming flies, brought me great delight. This experience taught me an invaluable lesson about the desires for worldly things. I realized that I could train my mind to reassess what I considered necessary or desirable. Through this mental discipline, I learned to maintain a joyful attitude, even with minimal possessions. 

In hindsight, my time in the wilderness was a conditioning period in which God was emptying me of worldly attachments. After two years of materialism detox in the wilderness of Mauritania, I returned home. The stark contrast between living in the desert one day, boarding a plane, and landing in America the next day was a brutal shock. I was immediately overwhelmed by the abundance of “stuff” that suddenly surrounded me and struggled to reintegrate into a normal American life. 

I found that my heart and soul had much more room to pursue the higher goods I was longing for. While this fire was still alive inside of me, I immersed myself in the life of my local parish, where I was confronted with the contradictions of the Novus Ordo. This was a whole other struggle in its own right, but at least I was now capable of asking the right questions. With the intervention of Our Lady of Lourdes, this path ultimately led me out of the Novus Ordo and to the True Catholic Faith, where I would eventually drink deeply of the refreshing doctrines of the Catholic Church.

The Saharan Desert taught me a lesson that I wasn’t seeking, but was grateful to learn. This lesson of detachment gave me a much greater capacity to seek God. In the following years, I would learn of the lives of many saints who lived lives of intentional detachment from the world. Among these saints, perhaps none demonstrate this better than St. Francis of Assisi, who gave up the world and embraced poverty with a laser focused determination.

Parallels Between St. Francis and King Solomon

If you have read my articles before or seen any of my videos on YouTube, you might be aware of how I draw parallels between Church history and the Old Testament. I would like to share one example of this marvelous system of prefigurement by comparing St. Francis of Assisi and King Solomon, an unlikely counterpart. The great spiritual wealth that awaits us when we detach from the world and turn fully to God is magnified in this vivid prefigurement. 

Great Wealth and Wisdom

After the death of King David, Solomon was crowned king of Israel. As an inexperienced young man, he inherited a complex and thriving kingdom with numerous challenges. In a dream, God spoke to Solomon and asked what he desired. Aware of his deficiencies, Solomon requested wisdom. God was pleased with this request and granted him not only unparalleled wisdom but also unparalleled wealth. 

“And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, saying: Ask what thou wilt that I should give thee. And Solomon said: [...]  ‘I am but a child, and know not how to go out and come in. [...] Give therefore to thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people, and discern between good and evil.’ [...] And the Lord said to Solomon: [...] ‘Behold I have done for thee according to thy words, and have given thee a wise and understanding heart, insomuch that there hath been no one like thee before thee, nor shall arise after thee. Yea and the things also which thou didst not ask, I have given thee: to wit riches and glory, as that no one hath been like thee among the kings in all days heretofore.’”

- 3 Kings 3

The wealth and glory that God bestowed on Solomon would later indirectly lead to his fall from grace. With such wealth and glory, he was able to attract and afford 700 wives and 300 concubines. Many of these wives were pagans, influencing Solomon to not only allow them to perform their profane sacrifices in the kingdom of Israel but also compelling him to do the same.

Like King Solomon, St. Francis of Assisi also faced an iconic and pivotal decision concerning wisdom and wealth. We all know the famous story in which St. Francis renounced his inheritance and even the very clothes he wore, choosing to stand without any possessions before his Heavenly Father. He embraced complete poverty and detachment from worldly goods. As a result, he was granted vast spiritual wealth, heavenly wisdom and the freedom to live totally for God. In contrast to King Solomon who gloried in his wealth and courted many women, St. Francis courted Lady Poverty and gloried in his spiritual wealth.

More Striking Parallels Between King Solomon and St. Francis of Assisi

To further round out the parallels between King Solomon and St. Francis, consider the following:

1.Great Builders: King Solomon was tasked by David and permitted by God to build the Temple in Jerusalem, God’s house on Earth in the Old Testament. Similarly, St. Francis heard the audible voice of God telling him, while kneeling before a crucifix, to rebuild God’s house. Initially, St. Francis took this literally, rebuilding the dilapidated church at San Damiano. Later, he realized that God was asking him to rebuild the entire Catholic Church, which had fallen into spiritual disrepair. With the wisdom and zeal gained from renouncing material possessions, he attracted many followers, and together they revitalized the Church, reorienting the faithful towards the riches of Heaven and away from earthly wealth and glory, the diametric opposite of King Solomon.


2.Divided Kingdoms: After King Solomon’s death, his high taxes caused unrest among the northern ten tribes of Israel. His arrogant son, Rehoboam, further inflamed their outrage, leading to a revolt and the formation of the northern kingdom of Israel, dividing the nation. Similarly, near the end of his life, St. Francis managed to quell disagreements within his Franciscan order regarding their vow of poverty. The Zelanti faction advocated for strict poverty, while the Relaxati favored a more pragmatic approach to accept donations they deemed necessary to accommodate the orders rapid expansion. After St. Francis’s death, these differences could not be resolved, leading to a division within the order.


3.Temporary Dwellings for Their “Brides”: While St. Francis did not have an earthly bride, St. Clare was deeply inspired by his example and teachings. She left her noble life to become his chaste counterpart, founding a sister organization to follow his example and pray for the Franciscan mission. When St. Clare fled her family, St. Francis placed her in the Benedictine Convent in San Paulo, Italy, while he and his brothers constructed a house for her and her sisters at San Damiano. Once completed, St. Clare moved into this new house, the first mother house of the Poor Clares. Similarly, King Solomon housed his most high-profile wife, the Egyptian princess, in Jerusalem while he completed her permanent residence in Mello.

These parallels, while not directly reflecting on detachment from the world, highlight the similarities between St. Francis and King Solomon and contrast the difference between the material wealth of one and the spiritual wealth of the other. Spiritual wealth is harder to gauge and perceive, making St. Francis’s detachment from earthly possessions more challenging to quantify. In contrast, King Solomon’s riches were easily counted. Nonetheless, spiritual wealth is a real and valuable concept, increasing in direct correlation to our detachment from this world and attachment to the riches of God.

Conclusion

I will leave you with these two quotes from Catholic Saints that speak of the need for us to detach ourselves from this world and depend upon the Providence of our Loving Father in Heaven.

“That thou mayest possess all things, seek to possess nothing.”

St. John of the Cross , Ascent of Mount Carmel,  pg. 58, 1922, London, Baker

“Complain not, then, Philothea, of your poverty; for we never complain but of that which displeases us, and if poverty displeases you, you are no longer poor in spirit.”

St. Francis De Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, pg. 144, 1885, M. H. Gill and Son, Dublin

Monday, October 21, 2024

The Angels: Our Forgotten Friends

 

To My Readers: On October 2nd, we celebrated the feast of the Guardian Angels. How often we neglect to both reflect upon these spirits--the good angels--created by God, and contemplate their role in God's Providence. Furthermore, how often do we call upon the angels to help us? If only we knew more about them about them, we would not neglect to pray to them. This week's post by Lee fills that need by informing the reader of Catholic teaching on angels, and the incredible things they have done to help those in need. 

Feel free to comment as usual. If you have  a specific comment or question for me, I will respond as always, but it may take me a bit longer to do so this week.

God bless you all, my dear readers---Introibo

The Angels: Our Forgotten Friends
By Lee
Last year, during this very month, I wrote about our greatest foe, the devil. It wouldn't be right to not speak about our greatest remedy towards this foe which is our greatest friends; the angels. From the world's viewpoint, October is a month in preparing for Halloween, talking about scary stories, and seeking out the unknown. It's certainly a strange fascination but people want answers and a little thrill to pump up the adrenaline. Sadly, forbidden subjects receive much more attention than they deserve when in fact October and the month preceding it have many feasts dedicated to the Holy Angels. Therefore, in the Catholic world or at least in those who are still Catholic, this season should be a good reminder of those who are ready to assist us at any moment so long as we call upon them and BELIEVE in their extraordinary help. We also need to familiarize ourselves with them and their purpose here on earth and vice versa instead of worrying about things that pertain to demons. 

Fr. Paul O'Sullivan has a strong rebuke for the human race for ignoring these blessed spirits when he writes, " 'Make friends with the angels' is the advice which the great Pope St. Leo gives every Christian and it is advice that everyone should follow. If we make friends with the angels-and nothing is easier-we shall receive innumerable and great favors which otherwise we shall never obtain. Our angel friends, too, will shield and protect us from countless dangers, evils, sickness and accidents which without their help, we could not possibly avoid. In a word, these all powerful and loving protectors will secure for us a degree of happiness that, without their assistance, we could not hope for in this vale of tears! Another reason we should make friends with the angels is that they are our dearest and best friends. A good friend, a friend who is able and always ready to help us, a friend to whom we can have recourse in all our troubles and sorrows, is one of the greatest blessings God can give us. Our human hearts thirst for love and sympathy. 

Among men we rarely or never find such a friend, but this is not so with the angels. They are most desirous to be friends and they love us with all the intensity of their angelic natures. Since they are all powerful and generous we can have the fullest confidence in their help and friendship... The teaching of the church about angels is most beautiful and consoling but unfortunately many Christians have scant knowledge of the great world of the angels. They know little about these blessed spirits, love them little and seldom pray to them. Worst of all, they do not realize their presence. They show no confidence in them and they do not call on them for help when dangers and difficulties press around. As a result they forfeit a thousand blessings that they might easily enjoy and fall victim to a thousand accidents that they might easily have avoided."

He goes on to say that the reason people ignore angels is because they are never mentioned or if so are only mentioned in a vague hazy sense which waters down their credit. He also mentions how it's a strict obligation for parents and teachers to inform the young about them.

Hierarchy

Just as in the Church there is a hierarchy, so too is there among the angels. They are: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominations, Powers, Virtues, Principalities, Archangels, Angels. Of these nine choirs of Angels, Fr. Henri Boudon wrote extensively in his book Devotion to the Nine Choirs of Angels; especially to the Angel Guardians which deserves attention. Below he writes:

THE first hierarchy is composed of the Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones; it receives its lights immediately from God, which by it are communicated to the two other hierarchies. The Seraphim excel in the pure love of God only, their very name signifying ardor and burning. All the angels are admirable in the love of God, but the Seraphim are incomparable therein. All these angelic spirits love exceedingly, but when we speak of the love of the Seraphim, we mean a fervor of love which is beyond compare always excepting the most holy Virgin, the Queen of holy love. Seraphic love signifies intense love, which is ever burning and consuming. The great St Denis mentions eight properties which belong to it, and which he compares to those of fire. Fire is in constant motion, and the spirits of the Seraphim are continually tending in an ineffable manner towards God. 

Fire is ever active, and the Seraphim are incessantly intent on God only, never being occupied, even for the space of the briefest moment, either with themselves or with any created thing. Fire is inflexible, and the love of the Seraphim is invincible; nothing can prevail against it. Fire is intensely hot; and the love of the Seraphim is a burning love. Fire, so long as it flames, never loses its light, and the strength of Seraphic love abides ever in its fullness. Fire is penetrating; and the love of the Seraphim, not satisfied with an ordinary degree of union with God, desires the closest and most intimate. Fire not only penetrates what is combustible, but permeates it throughout; and Seraphic love plunges, loses, and engulfs itself in the abyss of the Divinity by a glorious transformation. Fire communicates warmth and purifies; the Seraphim carry love and light into all the choirs of the inferior angels.

Light is attributed specially to the Cherubim, as love to the Seraphim. They are not only styled learned in the divine science of Heaven, but St Gregory affirms that they have the very fullness of it. Divine light imparts to them admirable knowledge, and the holy effulgence with which they are replenished is reflected in abundant streams upon the other hierarchies. They are represented by the Prophet Ezekiel (i. 18) under a sensible figure, with eyes on all sides, because these spirits are all light and brilliancy. 

The Thrones are thus styled with a reference to the thrones of the sovereigns of the earth, because as these material thrones are raised above the ground, so also these celestial Thrones are exalted to a most sublime height, into a close vicinity to the glory of the Majesty of God; with this difference, that the great ones of the earth are seated, support themselves, and repose upon their thrones, whereas, on the contrary, the Thrones of Heaven derive their firmness and all their repose from the Sovereign of Paradise. We are told, it is true, as St. Bernard remarks, that God is seated upon these spirits of peace, whence also they are styled Thrones; but God (continues this Father) would not be seated upon them if they did not repose upon Him: hence flows that incomprehensible peace which they possess, surpassing all that we can possibly conceive. We must add, that, like as kings sometimes cause themselves to be borne in their royal chair, so also God in a certain manner conveys His Spirit by these angels, and communicates It to the inferior angels and to men; as kings give judgment upon their thrones, so also it is from the midst of these Thrones that God pronounces His decrees: it is there that the Domination learn them; it is there that His Divine judgments and counsels are manifested. 

If this be so, we may well say that we are in every way bound to love the Thrones, the Cherubim, and the Seraphim; and, if it be most meet that we should feel respect and love for all the angels, for these we must entertain unparalleled reverence and surpassing love. The Lord, says the Scripture (Ps. lxxv. 3), has chosen His abode in peace. In time of war, then, let your devotions be offered to the Thrones, to obtain that peace which the world cannot give. 

Beseech of them that you may enjoy it with yourself, with God, and with your neighbor. "If I did yet please men," said the great Apostle (Gal. i. 10), "I should not be the servant of Jesus Christ." There are certain persons, preachers, superiors, men who hold offices in the Church, who have so great a dread of displeasing creatures, and so great a desire to content them, who fear so much the censure of the world and the judgment which may be passed upon them, who are so alarmed at contradiction, that they allow those who are under them to wage war against God by sin and infidelity to their trusts. This is the peace which the Son of God protests aloud (Matt. X 34) that He came not to bring upon earth; and thus our amiable Lord was ever on earth a sign of contradiction (Luke ii. 84); men would not endure His presence among them, and it cost Him at last His Divine Life. 

In order to be firmly established in this divine peace which all devils and men united cannot disturb, we must (to express it in a few words) fear nothing and hope nothing from any living creature. In these few words is comprehended a peace which is beyond all thought. To this we may add, Believe only in God, hope only in God, love but God only; never believe the world, or its arguments, or its maxims; never hope for anything from the world, from its honors, its pleasures, or its goods; never love the world, and behold you are settled in a profound peace. 

No longer make account of any created things; never look at them save in their nothingness; never desire any share in the esteem or in the heart of any one; banish the good from your heart as well as others; make no exception; be ready to suffer at the hands of all creatures without reserve, of your nearest friends as well as of your enemies; never believe that any injury can be done to you, but live in a state of entire abandonment to Divine Providence, prepared to enter upon ways the most distressing, be they exterior or interior; make no reservation with respect to any particular cross; entertain no longer any desires; lose them all in the good pleasure of God; let God alone suffice you, and behold you already enjoy the peace of Paradise! And here you must remember that disturbance in the inferior part is quite compatible with the peace which resides in the depths of the soul, and which sometimes even remains hidden from us; thus it frequently happens that we are never in a better state than when we think ourselves in the worst. The devil gives us a false peace, which sooner or later fails to keep out disquietude and trouble. However, if peace is the gift of gifts, and if our Lord ordains it through the ministry of the blessed Thrones, no doubt can remain but that we ought to have a very singular devotion to these spirits of peace. 

I say the same with respect to the Cherubim, since they are the angels of the most brilliant lights of Paradise, who best know how to instruct us in the excellent science of the Saints. It is said with truth, that we already know more than we perform; that in the ways of virtue light abounds more than practice; nevertheless, it is also true, though you will scarcely believe it, that perfect light is rare. I speak not here of that light of human science which learned men derive only from their books we all know that such light is common enough in our day but of that of the Saints, which is more often to be found in some poor lay brother, or some poor simple woman of truly mortified life, than among the learned. Oh, how rare it is, not only to love contempt, abjection, poverty, self- renunciation, the hidden and unknown life, but even to be thoroughly persuaded of the excellence of these things! 

It is true you will hear people occasionally talking about them because they have been reading of them, or have heard the subject treated in a conference, but this does not spring from any thorough conviction of the mind; or, if the soul is touched with these truths, it is but very superficially. It is at the feet of Jesus Christ Crucified that this science is learned; and this, not so much by means of the exercise of the understanding in prayer, by the discursive method, or by meditation, as by a bright supernatural light which is vouchsafed, and which is scarcely ever given save to the poor, the abject, and the humble. Few, even among those who make profession of devotion, learn this great lesson of the school of God that it is good for us that men should not so much as know that we are in the world; that we should live therein utterly unknown, or known only to be crucified, and to be held in utter contempt; that there is nothing greater than to be trodden underfoot; that the highest consolation is to suffer terrible crosses, both interior and exterior; that everything in the world is nothing. 

Scarcely are directors to be met with who, esteeming no longer any- thing save God only and Jesus Crucified, and being intimately persuaded that there is nothing on earth- neither honors, nor pleasures, nor riches which de- serves to occupy the attention of a Christian, help souls to walk in the safe path of self-annihilation. If peradventure some are to be met with, instantly all hell con- spires against them; it excites a dread of them; they are feared, no one knows why; it causes a thousand rumors to be circulated about them; it endeavors to create mistrust of them; a thousand other directors or preachers do not alarm the devils so much as one of this sort. A devil, constrained by the authority of Holy Church, confessed that the person on earth he feared most was that holy man, Father John of the Cross, because, said this spirit of hell, he teaches men to go to God only by the road of nothingness; accordingly, the effects of the rage of these diabolical spirits against the man of God were soon evident in the calumnies they raised against him, in the inquiries which superiors instituted into his life, and in the ill-treatment which he received at their hands. 

As the Cherubim are the sacred ministers of the light of God, so are the Seraphim of His love. Whoever, then, aspires to pure love, ought to feel an extraordinary love for these amiable spirits, and to cultivate a special intimacy with them. The saints who have excelled the most in pure love received marvelous aid from them; as, for instance, St Francis and St Teresa. It was a Seraph, as we have already noticed, who imprinted on St Francis the Wounds of the Savior; it was a Seraph who lovingly pierced with a sacred arrow the generous heart of the great Teresa. All the great lovers of the Son of God, those who have excelled even among the greatest saints, can have no higher glory in Heaven than that of being placed in the choir of these spirits who are all love. It is to their blessed company that the souls most eminent in perfection may aspire. 

The late M. Gallemant, a most apostolic man, and one of the first superiors of the holy Order of the Carmelites in France, said that this Order was destined to fill up the choir of the Seraphim, if it made good use of the super-excellent grace it employs. In the miraculous apparitions with which the Blessed Virgin favored the Venerable John of the Cross, this Queen of Angels was seen holding a casket, or, as it might be, a book, of marvelous whiteness, which rested on the head of a Seraph, and which she presented to St Teresa, and to this man of God, who was kneeling at her feet. Now this casket evidently signified the Carmelite rule; it was laid on the head of a Seraph, to intimate that they who were called to observe it were under obligation to live as Seraphim on earth; and this Seraph appeared without a crown, because he represented those who are yet in the way; above were to be seen others with their crowns on, to show at the same time that, after this life, these earthly Seraphim should share the crowns of the heavenly Seraphim, and fill the seats from which the apostate spirits of this choir were miserably precipitated.

THE second hierarchy is composed of the Powers, the Virtues, and the Dominations, or, according to some who place the Virtues in the last hierarchy, the Principalities, the Powers, and the Dominations. The Dominations, as lords or primates of the second hierarchy, give orders in the things of God; the Virtues impart strength to obey them; and the Powers resist the devils who oppose their execution, overthrowing their might, and removing all the obstacles that stand in the way. 

It is, then, the Dominations who communicate the commands of God, and make known to us His holy will. Oh, happy we, if we could well discriminate between the Divine will and our own! How often does the love of ourselves and of creatures, the invariable effect of which is to darken the mind, deceive us, and cause us to mistake our will for that of God! A soul which is but even slightly touched with Divine love would with difficulty bring itself to oppose the will of God when it fully recognizes it; but our corrupt nature insensibly glides in, and easily persuades us that what we wish is what God wills. We would wish the will of God to be done, but we should be well pleased that our own should be done also; and so we endeavors to reconcile the Divine will with our own will. This disorder is much greater among spiritual persons than is commonly supposed. Now devotion to the Dominations is a great remedy thereto, since it is the special office of these spirits of light to make known to us the commands of God; they are, so to say, the secretaries of state of the great King Jesus. 

But it is not sufficient to know the commands of God, we must proceed to execute them. He who knows the will of his master, and performs it not, shall be severely punished. O my God! how meet it is that Thy creatures should be perfectly subject to Thee! O Lord, who is like unto Thee! Who can appear in Thy Divine Presence and be worthy of regard? The whole universe before Thee is but as a drop of dew, and all the nations are as nothingness. What a wretched thing it is not to fly at the least intimation of Thy good pleasure! Oh, the good pleasure of God! May it be for all eternity our only pleasure! Come, my soul, let our movements be ever in that direction; let the world, and everything in the world, be always an abomination to thee. O my God! May Thy will be done, as in Heaven, so on earth!

Nevertheless, with all our good purposes we accomplish nothing of any worth; our eye reaches farther than our arm. From the summit of a tower we can survey a very difficult road we have to traverse, and the view of it is unquestionably easy in comparison with the toil to be endured in actually proceeding along it so it is with our reasonings; it seems to us as if nothing would stop us; and when the hour of combat arrives, they who in imagination have discomfited giants and monsters, are disheartened at the sight of pigmies. We are naught but sheer weakness; we are ruled by our senses, by our inclinations. You will see devout persons, who seem to be working wonders, lay down their arms to some slight inclination, and allow themselves to be overcome by the merest nothing: it is a most pitiable spectacle; and yet, after all, we are not really aware of our own utter powerlessness; we are much more feeble than our imaginations can ever conceive. 

Let devotion to the Virtues, then, be our resource, that we may be sustained by these mighty Intelligence; let us invoke them in our weaknesses; let us recommend this devotion to those who so constantly fall, notwithstanding all their good desires'; let us call them to our aid; let us love them and bless them when we have overcome some attachment, or resisted some natural inclination. St. Gregory is of opinion that it is through the instrumentality of the Virtues that God ordinarily performs most of His miracles. Have a special love, then, for these angels; and in extraordinary necessities of mind or body, in times of epidemics and other public afflictions, have recourse to them. It is by them also that God governs the seasons, the visible heavens, and the elements generally, although angels of the lowest hierarchy have the special charge of them. In times of plague, inundations, and other such like evils, one of the best things we can do is to invoke and honor them. 

We have elsewhere detailed the different temptations of the devils, their stratagems, their malice, and their might, and we said that of ourselves we are unable to resist these invisible powers; we also said that the holy angels have been given to us to enable us to triumph over them. But here we must remark, that it is to the particular choir of the Powers that God has given a special strength to bring to naught all the efforts of these malicious spirits; and one of the greatest secrets of the spiritual life is to apply ourselves assiduously to honor the blessed spirits of this choir. It is not within the limits of my capacity nor of that of any other man to exalt sufficiently the marvelous effects which result therefrom. According to the little light I possess, this devotion to the Powers ought to be encouraged as one of the most necessary and most profitable. When we see storms gathering either in the Church or in the State, combinations to resist those who are working for the glory of God, extraordinary conspiracies to defeat some great good which is being planned in dioceses, towns, country districts, and provinces then it is that we ought to perform frequent devotions in honor of these Powers of Heaven, that they may overturn and destroy all the might and miserable plotting of hell.

THE three orders of the third and last hierarchy of angels are composed of the Angels, the Archangels, and the Principalities, or, according to some, the Virtues. This last hierarchy is specially engaged in the care of men, of kingdoms and provinces, and of other things, which peculiarly regard the good of men. Our Guardian Angels are generally taken from the third order of this hierarchy; the Archangels watch over empires and provinces; and the Principalities communicate to the Angels and Archangels the orders of Divine Providence which they receive from the second hierarchy. They are called Principalities, according to St. Gregory, because they are the princes of the heavenly spirits of the two inferior orders of their hierarchy. 

The Angels manifest the Divine will in ordinary matters; the Archangels make it known in such as are of greater moment; and both are informed and enlightened therein by the Principalities, who represent in a special manner the empire and sovereignty of God. Now the loving charity of the blessed spirits of this hierarchy towards men is so exceedingly great and so admirable, that we shall never be able to make any adequate return either of gratitude or of homage; but at least let us love them as much as is in our power. I well know that this love will never equal their merits; God grant that it may be to the utmost of our ability, according to what God requires of us, and in such a manner as is pleasing to Him. 

Let us, then, have a singular devotion to our good Angel Guardians and indeed it is difficult not to have it, and we must be utterly blind and heartless not to entertain towards them all those sentiments of perfect gratitude which we are capable of feeling. Let us honor much the Guardian Angels of the heathen, and let us from time to time go in spirit to converse with them and bear them company, to express the regret of our hearts at the unbelief of those of whom they have the charge. Alas! so far from thanking them for their loving care, these poor infidels do not even know that they are assisted by them. Admire these princes of heaven, and their unwearied patience; consider how many millions of them there are in barbarous lands, who keep untiring watch over these unhappy beings, without ever experiencing from them the least token of gratitude; endeavor to compensate, according to your poor ability, for their neglect; let their ingratitude or their ignorance touch your heart with feelings of love towards these spirits of love. Communicate from time to time in honor of them; practice mortification, give alms, hear Mass, and have Masses offered for the same object; above all, as we have said, in spirit bear them company, and go often to visit them. 

Ah! if the princes of the earth, the kings of this world, were in some place where you could enjoy the honor of saluting them, conversing with them at your ease, gaining their friendship, and thus insuring their favor, how would you act? Now here are princes and kings of the empyrean, whom you may salute whenever you please, whose good graces you may gain, and who will be certain to recompense, sooner or later, the affection which you have shown them. As they are so utterly neglected, they will have the greater reason to love you all the more. A great and generous king who, when banished from his kingdom, and deserted by his subjects, should receive some important services, would not fail to requite them conspicuously when he was peaceably restored to his dominions; judge hence what you may expect from these noble spirits. Perform devotions in their honor, to obtain from the Divine Goodness the conversion of the nations under their care, in order that, learning to know the Adorable Jesus, and Mary His sweet Mother, they may also know and honor these nobles of the court of Heaven. I say the same with respect to the Guardian Angels of heretics, and of all those poor country people who have scarcely any more knowledge of the holy angels than have those who live in the midst of heathen lands. Adopt the same practices with reference to these, and pray often that, being known and loved, they may also be duly honored. 

Be devout to the Guardian Angels of your friends; they render you in many instances greater services than you are aware; and sometimes they even give you assistance which you do not receive from your own Angel Guardian. There are occasions on which they interest themselves in your behalf for the sake of those of whom they have the care, knowing that your friendship is profitable to them for the good of their souls. As there is nothing of which these holy spirits have a greater horror than of bad or dangerous friendships, so also one of the things which affords them most consolation is a holy union in the interests of God. The devils do all they can to make men contract evil friendships, and the good angels to break them. The holy angels labor to unite those who are seeking God, and the devils neglect nothing to part them, and to create disunion between them. A holy person having contracted a truly Christian friendship with another, the devil, envious of the good which it was producing, seized one of them, and threw him down some steps to the ground. The Guardian Angel of the friend came speedily to his help, and preserved him from injury; but what is remarkable is this, that it was the friend's Angel-Guardian, and not the Guardian of him who was cast down by the devil. 

In the number of your friends, spiritual directors ought to hold a very prominent place; beseech their good angels to inspire them with such counsels as are purely conformable to the Divine will. You should also highly honor those of your father and mother, of your relations, and of other persons with whom you are connected, and who render you, or may render you, some service. The honor which you pay to their angels will not be without fruit, and you will obtain through their means what you would never gain in any other way. Remember, also, the Angel-Guardians of all those persons who are kind, or have been kind to you; these angels have more to say than you think to the benefits you have received from them. Honor the angels of your enemies, of those who are opposed to you in any way whatever this is the true means to soften their hearts; or, if it be more for the glory of God that you should suffer at their hands, these glorious spirits will obtain you special graces to make a good use of your sufferings, and cordially to love those who hate you or cause you trouble. Do not forget to pay your homage to those princes of Heaven who guard the Sovereign Pontiff, the Bishops, and other persons who preside over the Church, as well as kings, princes, governors, and other administrators of temporal things. 

The Archangels of kingdoms and of provinces must also be objects of your devotion, as also those of the towns and villages in which you dwell and through which you pass. This was a devotion practiced by that holy man, Father Peter Faber, first companion of St. Ignatius, and St. Francis de Sales makes honorable mention of it in his "Introduction to a Devout Life." St. Francis Xavier, when going to the Indies, paid his devotions to the holy Archangel of those countries, and while he was still at Rome he was visited, and powerfully urged to pass over to these foreign lands, by an angel in the garb of an Indian. That Macedonian who appeared to St Paul (Acts xviii. 9), and pressed him to go into Macedonia to preach the gospel there, was doubtless the Archangel of that country. 

We have already observed that there are angels who have the care of the heavens, of the sun, of fire, of air, of the waters, of the earth, and even of the other creatures in the world; and the Angelic Doctor is of opinion that God employs the ministry of these heavenly spirits in all that He ordinarily works here below. It is through their instrumentality that the scourges of His divine justice are averted; that fires and conflagrations are extinguished; that inundations subside; that pestilence is abated; that the air is purified; that lands become fertile; in fine, that we receive all sorts of good things, and are preserved from a multitude of evils, and all this often without our perceiving it, without our knowing the obligations we are under to the holy angels.

 Let us, then, to-day form a good resolution to thank them sometimes for these services, and to invoke them, and cause them to be invoked, by public and private prayers, in time of famine, war, or pestilence, as well as in other sicknesses and necessities; for fair weather, and for rain, for the fruits of the earth, and in all our various needs. We have also said that they are the protectors to whom we must have recourse in all things, and the most mighty whom Heaven has given us to destroy all the power of our adversaries.

Our churches, and even altars, have angels who guard them; and they gather in troops around the tabernacles where reposes the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, to pay their court to their Sovereign. Many Saints have beheld them paying their adoration to their great King and ours. A holy hermit was told by an angel himself that he had the guardianship of an altar, and that he had never left it since its consecration. It is to these angels we ought often to have recourse, that they may supply for our negligence, our tepidity, and our want of respect in presence of a God of Infinite Majesty in the Most Blessed Sacrament; that they may appease His anger, justly irritated by so many irreverence committed in our churches, and that they may open the eyes of Christians, and those the greater number, who give such little heed to the veneration due to our temples. It is good to associate ourselves with these heavenly spirits, uniting our reverence and love with theirs, and, after the example of the Psalmist (cxxxvii. 1), sing the praises of God in their sight. 

And here, O my Lord and my God, suffer me to sigh and pour forth my heart before Thy Divine Majesty, because of the deplorable blindness of Thy people, who are the people of light. Is it, then, Thou, O God, Infinitely Adorable, who art hidden with all Thy perfections under the veil of the Eucharistic species? Is it Thy Body, Thy Blood, Thy Soul, Thy Divinity which is really and truly present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar? Is it possible that men still retain any faith in these most indubitable truths? Or is it an illusion that is so visible and palpable to us every day in the treatment Thou receives in this august mystery? Our hair stands on end, and our whole body trembles with dread, when we consider the abominable profanations of this Sacrament of love committed by sorcerers, and the impieties practiced by heretics towards this adorable mystery. But who could have conceived the irreverence of the faithful, of those who believe and who fear, and who declare themselves ready to die for this truth, that Thou, O my God, O Adorable Jesus! art most truly present in the Divine Eucharist? Ye angels of Heaven, what a spectacle does such blindness present to you! Ah! we may well say that your patience takes its rule from that of the meek Savior, for you to be able to endure such irreverences. 

No, we must declare it before the face of Heaven and earth: we cannot recover from our astonishment, we are lost in amazement, when we consider darkness so appalling. O my God, O my God! are we living in a Catholic country? Are our churches and altars in the possession of the faithful? Have these people, whom we see trooping in crowds to them, any vestige of faith? Is there anything to give us pleasure in what we there witness? And if there be any truth in all we believe, can we live, can we possibly continue, in a place where our Master is so unworthily treated? 

Listen, O Christians and listen attentively. It is an indubitable truth that in the minutest particle of the Most Holy Sacrament the great God of everlasting ages is really present. All Catholics confess this. But what care is taken to prevent the profanations which hence may occur? Oh! how many priests are there, little instructed in the holy rubrics, or little intent on the care of the Adorable Body of a God, who give scarcely any heed diligently to collect the particles which may remain on the paten, or on the corporal! The generality of portable altars are so small that the sacred chalice cannot be moved a little on one side or backward, in order to allow the paten to be placed further on the corporal, and the corporal itself to be raised, so that the particles which adhere to it may fall easily on the paten; hence it frequently happens that the Body of the Son of God remains there, and falls to the ground, or is carried away with the corporals when they are taken to be washed. How often may one see corporals so ragged or so dirty as to send a revulsion to the heart! 

Experience shows that in religious houses, where a paten is used at the grate in time of communion, or some red or green taffety because upon linen the particles of the Sacred Host, being also white, would be indiscernible experience, I say, shows that often many particles are imperceptibly detached from the Blessed Sacrament; consequently, in places where there is only an ordinary linen cloth, they either fall on the cloth or on the ground, unless the priest takes extreme care to carry the ciborium in such a manner as that it shall always be underneath the Sacred Host, which is often almost impossible. If they fall on the cloth they also fall to the ground; for at each fresh communion the cloth is dropped, and no further attention is given to it; it is afterwards folded up without being examined, and were it otherwise, these little particles, which are well-nigh imperceptible, could not be discovered on account of the linen being white. Here, then, is the Body of a God trodden underfoot and sometimes under the shoes of a vile creature! 

How many tabernacles are there in which spiders and dust are allowed to harbor, and which are so imperfectly closed that people would not endure to have in their houses wardrobes containing the most trifling things so in- secure and so dirty! How many priests leave the tabernacle key in the church, instead of locking it up by another key, and carrying that key away, which they ought to do, if they do not take away the key of the tabernacle itself! And how many profanations result from this want of care! We speak advisedly. How often are miserable rags shamelessly employed to cover ciboriums in which are contained the Divinity, the Soul, the Body, and the Blood of the Adorable Jesus! And yet Christians know and see these things, and scarcely any one thinks of providing a remedy. You hear people say-O my God! how often have I heard it! how often has it been said to me" We have no money to buy a little linen to make corporals and purificatories;" the poorest peasants will contrive to have enough for their shirts and collars; but as for Thee, my God, Thou hast not credit enough to raise as much!

Oh! ye gentlemen and ladies, who have so much fine linen, so much handsome furniture, so much silver plate, and that sometimes even for the meanest uses, what will you say at the day of judgment? Ye pastors, who are entrusted with the care of this Adorable Body, what will you answer Him? Will it be a sufficient excuse for you to allege on that dreadful day that the Church was too poor to provide corporals, or to pay for a decent ciborium or chalice? The retrenchment of a banquet, of a few dinners, or of some other expense, would more than suffice-I mean, for ciborium and chalice, for as to the corporals, two crowns or less would be enough, and indeed they are sometimes so narrow that the priest, after consecration, can scarcely keep his hands on them. You will see a pewter chalice in a gentleman's private chapel; and in the chapels of not a few ecclesiastics who are in the receipt of good revenues, we see the same thing, and a very scanty supply of linen and ornaments for the sacred altar. But is it possible that what we are saying is true? Is there any faith in the Most Holy Sacrament still surviving among Christians? Is the thought not enough to rend the heart in twain with grief? Who will give me a voice of thunder, that I may call aloud to the children of men throughout the whole earth, and reproach them with their hardness and deadness of heart? 

O angels of Paradise! I turn to you, knowing well the insensibility of men: do you take charge-I conjure you, I entreat this favor of you, prostrate at your feet, in the bitterness of my heart, and bathed in tears do you take charge of the Body of our Sovereign. Watch over every particle of the Sacred Host; inspire priests with a holy solicitude to preserve them in perfect cleanliness before consecrating them, and to use every possible means to prevent the profanation of those that are re- served after consecration. Stimulate all prelates, arch- deacons, and other visitors of churches, to give most diligent heed that the Body of a God may be both treated and preserved with all possible respect. Enlighten more and more the minds of those who have the training of ecclesiastics in the seminaries, that they may give the necessary instructions in a matter of such high importance. Order it so that the subject may be introduced and discussed in clerical conferences, and counsel taken concerning the needful remedies to be applied. 

Touch the hearts of such as are possessed of the means, that in the different dioceses associations may be formed for collecting funds to provide ciboriums, chalices, and corporals. I know from my own personal experience, derived from the great number of visitations which my office obliges me to make in the course of the year, that with a little zeal it would be easy in a few years, through the exertions of the bishop, the archdeacons, the parish priests, the nobility, and a few other persons in easy circumstances, to provide decent tabernacles, ciboriums of silver, or, in places liable to be robbed, ciboriums of copper, into the interior of which a sort of silver cup might easily be fitted with perfect exactness, wherein to deposit the Sacred Hosts: the cost would be small, two crowns or thereabouts sufficing. This sort of ciborium is quite as suitable as the little silver boxes commonly employed, and is better adapted for use, because it holds a larger number of Hosts, which are not exposed, as in the little boxes, to sundry risks which occur when they are used for giving communion at Easter and other solemn festivals, at which times a great concourse of persons approach the Holy Table; it would be easy, I say, to have decent tabernacles as well as ciboriums, to make use of none but silver chalices, and to furnish every church and chapel with proper corporals and purificatories. 

Sublime intelligences, loving guardians of chapels, make known the miserable state in which they are left; cause them to be carefully visited, for very often they are quite neglected, and it is the parish church alone which is visited; the consequence of which is, that the very names of the incumbents are scarcely known, who frequently never set foot in them, eat up the revenues with impunity, disregard the charges attached to them, or acquit themselves only of a part of them, and expend nothing on the maintenance of these chapels or priories, but leave them in a lamentable condition, without ornaments, without furniture, so that they look rather like barns or stables than sanctuaries appropriated to the consecration of the Body and Blood of a God. 

Oh! what a reckoning shall prelates have to give of these places, where the most august of our sacred mysteries is treated with such habitual irreverence through their want of care and here I must not omit to mention a circumstance which I have observed during my visitations. If a church lacks a banner or a pall, great eagerness is shown to obtain the money to provide one; if the subject be mentioned, everybody listens, and is ready to lend his aid; all exclaim against the disgrace; and although the expense may be pretty considerable, means are found to meet it. But let a couple of crowns be wanted to put a ciborium in decent order, after the manner described above, or to purchase corporals, every one is silent, no one cares to listen. Such is the utter blindness of Christians, proof sufficient of the hardness of hearts and the want of faith. 

Sometimes people will object to having a ciborium or chalice of silver; they will insist that a pewter one will answer the purpose very well, that it has been hitherto deemed sufficient; and a wish will be expressed to convert the church plate into money. I earnestly commend the matter to pious souls, that they may devise some means of remedying such a deplorable state of things; and I conjure with tears all whose hearts are touched with zeal for the glory of the Adorable Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, to practice frequent devotions in honor of the holy angels, and especially of those who abide in our churches, who encompass the Most Holy Sacrament, and who keep watch over altars, that they may ask pardon of the Divine Majesty for our irreverence, our coldness, our blindness, our insensibility; and that they may inspire us with the knowledge of the suitable means to obtain for this Mystery of Love the respect which is Its due. 

What Father de Bary, a Jesuit, relates in his excellent book on "Devotion to the Angels," plainly proves that Communities and Confraternities have their angels also who watch over them. He affirms that he was informed by the confessor of a young man of the town of Eu, who lay dangerously ill, that towards the hour of noon, on a certain Wednesday, two angels, all-resplendent with majesty and beauty, appeared to him, and consoled him to the very moment of his death, which occurred on the following Saturday, as they had predicted to him. Now one of these angels told him that he was his angel-guardian, and the other the tutelary angel of the Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin established in that city, in the College of the Company of Jesus. 

The angel of the Confraternity, moreover, said to him that they were sent by the command of the most holy Mother of God thus to assist him, on account of the patience with which he had borne some ill-treatment which he had suffered from his father and mother, especially as he might have avoided it if he had so willed, and also because he had faithfully observed the rules of the Confraternity. It is a holy practice to implore the aid of the angels of the diocese in which we reside, and of the guardian angels of its bishop and of those under him, that they may succeed in establishing the reign of Jesus Christ in the hearts of the faithful who dwell there, that they may destroy the empire of Satan, and receive the lights and strength necessary to maintain holy discipline in the diocese; and that they may defeat the malice and wiles of the devils, who are ever laboring to counteract the means which God is pleased to employ for the promotion of His divine interests. 

Finally, we must be devout to the Angels, to obtain through them purity of mind and body, charity towards our neighbor, and also patience; to the Archangels, to obtain through them a zeal for the interests of God, both for ourselves and others, especially for those who govern in Church and State, for all who are vested with authority, and for the spiritual and temporal good of kingdoms and provinces; to the Principalities for the reformation of our own interior. Man is a little world in himself, and he is bound to govern his passions, and rule as a sovereign over them. But since his power is marvelously weakened by sin, he needs support, that he may not let himself be overcome by himself. The Principalities, who bear this glorious title on account of the rule which God has given them over the inferior angels, will render him powerful assistance if he strives to make himself not unworthy of it; but to this end he must honor with profound reverence these great princes of Paradise.

Stories of Angels

We read in Holy Scripture numerous stories of the assistance of angels. To deny their existence is to deny reality. 

In the Old Testament, when the prophet Elias was fleeing queen Jezabel, an angel came to his aid. Worn out in the depths of grief he laid down under a tree and begged God to let him die. When he fell asleep an angel awoke him and gave him bread and heavenly sent water to quench his thirst. The prophet being refreshed by the food the angel gave him once more fell asleep. When he rested enough the angel once more made him eat and drink to prepare him for his long journey. Renewed in body and soul by the angel's ministry the prophet walked for forty days and nights on the strength of this angelic food where he finally reached Mount Horeb.  

Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago were saved by an angel. King Nabuchodonsor of Babylon built a golden statue 60 cubits high and commanded his subjects to adore it under pain of being thrown into the fiery furnace. The three youths refused and bravely told him that their God could deliver them from his hands. In great fury the king made the furnace heated seven times more than what was usual and had the three cast into the flames. The king's servants continued to heat the furnace with brimstone, pitch, and dry sticks but the fire did not harm them because an angel came and stood by them so they could praise God whereas those who cast them in were themselves caught on fire and burned alive. Astonished at this the king said, "Did we not cast the three men into the fire and flames, and there is no hurt in them; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." When they were lifted out the three were seen unharmed and the king broke out and exclaimed "Blessed be the God of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who had trusted in Him. There is no other God who can save in this manner."

Anybody ever read the book of Tobit? St. Raphael was sent by God to help Tobias on his long treacherous journey to seek help for his father who was blind and needed a sum of money that he loaned to a friend. The book is full of adventure. He is an unknown guide who disguised himself by the name Azarius before he met him before starting his journey. While his companion follows him Tobias, the  first attacked is by a fish and his guide rescues him and tells him to save the heart, gall, and liver for future medicinal uses. Next he helps Tobias find a holy and beautiful woman named Sarah who had seven husbands murdered by a demon named Asmodeus. They get married and St. Raphael puts to flight this awful demon. With so much happy news on his return, more happy news followed when he learned that the parts of the fish were parts which cured his father's blindness. Wanting to repay him for his deeds he then reveals who he really is when he said, "Bless ye God of heaven; give glory to Him in the sight of all that live: because he hath shown His mercy to you. When thou didst pray with tears, and didst bury the dead, I offered thy prayer to the Lord. For I am the Angel Raphael, one of the seven who stands before the Lord."

In he New Testament we read in the beginning of the Gospel how Zacharias was made mute by an angel for not believing that his wife St. Elizabeth who was older in years could bear a son (St. John the Baptist). The angel St. Gabriel is the one who we imitate in our prayers to the most blessed Virgin Mary "Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with thee." And was it not an angel who told St. Joseph to go to Egypt in his dream. In the garden of Gethsemane, Our Lord Jesus corrects St. Peter when He said "Thinkest thou that I cannot ask my Father, and He will give me presently more than twelve legions of angels" (St. Matthew 26:53) And speaking of St. Peter was he not delivered by an angel when cast into prison by King Herod of Agrippa. One night the Apostle's prison was filled with light and the angel appeared before him. Peter fastened with chains was sleeping among the soldiers. The angel touching his side awoke him and said "Gird thyself and put on thy sandals and follow me." After passing the first two guard houses they came to an iron gate that opened to the city. It flew open of its own accord and going out the angel disappeared as soon as they had gained the top of the street. Peter coming to himself said, "I see now that the Lord has sent His angel, who has delivered me out of the hands of Herod."

In the lives of saints we see hundreds of inspiring stories of angels helping those in need. St. Thomas Aquinas was tempted by some of his own family members sending a lewd woman to his chamber to tempt him to sin against holy purity and after chasing out the lady with a torch an angel girded him with a cord as a reward which delivered him from ever being tempted in that manner again.

St. Nicholas of Tolentino heard for six whole months before his death the sound of angels singing around his bed. 

St. Isidore the farmer was accustomed to hear daily Mass before going to work every day. People complained to the gentleman by who whom he was employed to that he gave to much time to prayer which interfered with his work schedule. He had no reason to complain because St. Isidore's work was always done well. Nevertheless he went to see for himself at a distance the yoke of oxen ploughing through the land led by a man whom he thought to be Isidore. On approaching he saw not Isidore but an angel. On many occasions this happened.   

Lastly, I would like to end with a more modern story that we can all appreciate that happened not to a saint but to a regular average Joe in the military who happened to say his prayers that he was taught which paid off for him. The story is as follows:

Dear Mom,

I am writing to you from a hospital bed. Don’t worry, Mom, I am okay. I was wounded, but the doctor says that I will be up in no time.

But that’s not what I have to tell you, Mom. Something happened to me that I don’t dare tell anyone else for fear of their disbelief. But I have to tell you, the one person I can confide in, though even you may find it hard to believe.

You remember the prayer to Saint Michael that you taught me to pray when I was little: “Michael, Michael of the morning,…” Before I left home for Korea, you urged me to remember this prayer before any confrontation with the enemy. But you really didn’t have to remind me, Mom. I have always prayed it, and when I got to Korea, I sometimes said it a couple of times a day while marching or resting.

Well, one day, we were told to move forward to scout for Commies. It was a really cold day. As I was walking along, I perceived another fellow walking beside me, and I looked to see who it was.

He was a big fellow, a Marine about 6’4” and built proportionally. Funny, but I didn’t know him, and I thought I knew everyone in my unit. I was glad to have the company and broke the silence between us:

“Chilly today, isn’t it?” Then I chuckled because suddenly it seemed absurd to talk about the weather when we were advancing to meet the enemy.

He chuckled too, softly.

“I thought I knew everyone in my outfit,” I continued, “ but I have never seen you before.”

“No,” he agreed, “I have just joined. The name is Michael.”

“Really?! That’s mine, too.”

“I know,” the Marine said, “Michael, Michael of the morning….”

Mom, I was really surprised that he knew about my prayer, but I had taught it to many of the other guys, so I supposed that the newcomer must have picked it up from someone else. As a matter of fact, it had gotten around to the extent that some of the fellows were calling me “Saint Michael.”

Then, out of the blue, Michael said, “There’s going to be trouble ahead.”

I wondered how he could know that. I was breathing hard from the march, and my breath hit the cold air like dense clouds of fog. Michael seemed to be in top shape because I couldn’t see his breath at all.

Just then, it started to snow heavily, and soon it was so dense I could no longer hear or see the rest of my outfit. I got a little scared and yelled, “Michael!” Then I felt his strong hand on my shoulder and heard his voice in my ear, “It’s going to clear up soon.”

It did clear up, suddenly. And then, just a short distance ahead of us, like so many dreadful realities, were seven Commies, looking rather comical in their funny hats. But there was nothing funny about them now; their guns were steady and pointed straight in our direction.

“Down, Michael!!” I yelled as I dove for cover. Even as I was hitting the ground, I looked up and saw Michael still standing, as if paralyzed by fear, or so I thought at the time.

Bullets were spurting all over the place, and Mom, there was no way those Commies could have missed at that short distance.

I jumped up to pull him down, and then I was hit. The pain was like a hot fire in my chest, and as I fell, my head swooned and I remember thinking, “I must be dying…” Someone was laying me down, strong arms were holding me and laying me gently on the snow.

Through the daze, I opened my eyes, and the sun seemed to blaze in my eyes. Michael was standing still, and there was a terrible splendor in his face.

Suddenly, he seemed to grow, like the sun, the splendor increasing intensely around him like the wings of an angel.

As I slipped into unconsciousness, I saw that Michael held a sword in his hand, and it flashed like a million lights.

Later on, when I woke up, the rest of the guys came to see me with the sergeant.

“How did you do it, son?” he asked me.

“Where’s Michael?” I asked in reply.

“Michael who?” The sergeant seemed puzzled.

“Michael, the big Marine walking with me, right up to the last moment. I saw him there as I fell.”

“Son,” the sergeant said gravely, “you’re the only Michael in my unit. I hand-picked all you fellows, and there’s only one Michael. You. And son, you weren’t walking with anyone. I was watching you because you were too far off from us, and I was worried.

Now tell me, son,” he repeated, “how did you do it?”

It was the second time he had asked me that, and I found it irritating.

“How did I do what?”

“How did you kill those seven Commies? There wasn’t a single bullet fired from your rifle.”

“What?”

“Come on, son. They were strewn all around you, each one killed by a sword stroke.”

And that, Mom, is the end of my story. It may have been the pain, or the blazing sun, or the chilling cold. I don’t know, Mom, but there is one thing I am sure about. It happened.

Love your son, Michael

Conclusion
God has given us those whom we can have recourse to at any time. All we need to do is make an effort to pray and talk with these glorious creatures who are ever ready to serve us. Happy is the man who does so.

Monday, October 14, 2024

Holy Matrimony

 

To My Readers: This week's post, by John Gregory, reminds us of what a gift God has given us in the sacrament of Holy Matrimony, and the most serious duties and responsibilities a married couple have to each other and to God. This post is indispensable reading  for those who feel called to the married state. It also serves as a beautiful and solemn reminder of what God expects for those of us who are married.
Feel free to comment as usual. If you have  a specific comment or question for me, I will respond as always, but it may take me a bit longer to do so this week.

God bless you all, my dear readers---Introibo

Holy Matrimony
By John Gregory

Dogmatic Subject: The Sacrament of Matrimony.—There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee (St. John 2: 1). 

Moral Subject: The Duties of Married People.—Let love be without dissimulation, hating that which is evil, cleaving to that which is good. . . . Being of one mind one toward another (Romans 12: 9, 16).—There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  And Jesus also was invited, and his disciples, to the marriage (St. John 2: 1, 2) 

Marriage is a sacrament in which the couple gives their entire selves to the other and both accept that offering.  Our Lady and Saint Joseph did this perfectly.  Saint Joseph was not “just” the foster father of Jesus.  Jesus was conceived and born into that sacred bond without the instrumentality of another man.  The Holy Family is reflective of the Holy Trinity.  Our Lord entered that family, partly at least, due to the love his parents had for God and for each other.  This is a love unmatched by all creation.  Love begets love and the fruitfulness of this love was God Himself.  The eternal love God the Father has for God the Son, and God the Son has for God the Father, is the Holy Ghost which proceeds from them both.   

These three, father, mother, and child, are rightly spoken of as a human trinity; the child is a human holy spirit, the living love of those from whom it proceeds.  A realization of this makes plain the danger involved in planning a temporary exclusion of the birth of children at the very beginning of marriage, even though this be done by legitimate means; it is like keeping an infant from talking because we enjoy its gurgling.  (A Companion to the Summa, Volume IV, The Way of Life, Corresponding to the Summa Theologiae IIIA, by Walter Farrell, O.P., S.T.D., S.T.M., 1942) 

And now to the bastion of all Orthodoxy, the Catechism of Trent

Marriage Considered as a Sacrament 

It will now be necessary to explain that Matrimony is far superior in its sacramental aspect and aims at an incomparably higher end.  For as marriage, as a natural union, was instituted from the beginning to propagate the human race; so was the sacramental dignity subsequently conferred upon it in order that a people might be begotten and brought up for the service and worship of the true God and of Christ our Savior. 

Thus when Christ our Lord wished to give a sign of the intimate union that exists between Him and His Church and of His immense love for us, He chose especially the sacred union of man and wife.  That this sign was a most appropriate one will readily appear from the fact that of all human relations there is none that binds so closely as the marriage-tie, and from the fact that husband and wife are bound to one another by the bonds of the greatest affection and love.  Hence it is that Holy Writ so frequently represents to us the divine union of Christ and the Church under the figure of marriage. 

MARRIAGE IS A SACRAMENT 

That Matrimony is a Sacrament the Church, following the authority of the Apostle, has always held to be certain and incontestable.  In his Epistle to the Ephesians he writes: Men should love their wives as their own bodies.  He that loveth his wife loveth himself.  For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourisheth it and cherisheth it, as also Christ doth the church; for ware are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall adhere to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh.  This is a great sacrament; but I speak in Christ and in the church. (Ephesians 5: 28, 32) Now his expression, this is a great sacrament, undoubtedly refers to Matrimony, and must be taken to mean that the union of man and wife, which has God for its Author, is a Sacrament, that is, a sacred sign of that most holy union that binds Christ our Lord to His Church. 

That this is the true and proper meaning of the Apostle’s words is shown by the ancient holy Fathers who have interpreted them, and by the explanation furnished by the Council of Trent.  It is indubitable, therefore, that the Apostle compares the husband to Christ, and the wife to the Church; that the husband is head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church (Ephesians 5: 23); and that for this very reason the husband should love his wife and the wife love and respect her husband.  For Christ loved His Church, and gave Himself for Her (Ephesians 5: 25); while as the same Apostle teaches, the Church is subject to Christ (Ephesians 5: 24).  

That grace is also signified and conferred by this Sacrament, which are two properties that constitute the principal characteristics of each Sacrament, is declared by the Council as follows: By his passion Christ, the Author and Perfecter of the venerable Sacraments, merited for us the grace that perfects the natural love (of husband and wife), confirms their indissoluble union, and sanctifies them.  It should, therefore, be shown that by the grace of this Sacrament husband and wife are joined in the bonds of mutual love, cherish affection one towards the other, avoid illicit attachments and passions, and so keep their marriage honorable in all things, . . . and their bed undefiled (Hebrews 13: 4). 

One of the things absolutely necessary for marriage to be successful is for the husband to rule justly and lovingly and for the wife to be cheerfully submissive.  A head-strong woman or selfish man can be good for some things perhaps, but not marriage.  Disobedience is at the root of so many avoidable problems.  It turns a solid foundation into a mushy quagmire, destabilizing the children and ultimately wrecking society.  True love wants, and will do, what is best for the other.  It is true that one should not get married when lacking the maturity to enter into such a sacrament in a godly and fruitful way, but as we age, we get set in our ways and are more likely to justify disobedience or a tyranny of selfishness. 

The Duties of Married People 

The more easily to preserve the holy state (of marriage) from dissensions, the duties of husband and wife as inculcated by Saint Paul and by the Prince of the Apostles must be explained. 

DUTIES OF A HUSBAND 

It is the duty of the husband to treat his wife generously and honorably.  It should not be forgotten that Eve was called by Adam his companion The woman, he says, whom thou gavest me as a companion.  (Genesis 3: 12)  Hence it was, according to the opinion of some of the holy Fathers, that she was formed not from the feet but from the side of man; as, on the other hand, she was not formed from his head, in order to give her to understand that it was not hers to command but to obey her husband. 

The husband should also be constantly occupied in some honest pursuit with a view to provide necessaries for the support of his family and to avoid idleness, the root of almost every vice. 

He is also to keep all his family in order, to correct their morals, and see that they faithfully discharge their duties. 

DUTIES OF A WIFE 

On the other hand, the duties of a wife are thus summed up by the Prince of the Apostles: Let wives be subject to their husbands: that if any believe not the word, they may be won without the word by the conversation of the wives, considering your chaste conversation with fear.  Let not their adorning be the outward plaiting of the hair, or the wearing of gold, or the putting on of apparel: but the hidden man of the heart in the incorruptibility of a quiet and meek spirit, which is rich in the sight of God.  For after this manner heretofore the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord.  (1 Peter 3: 1 ff.)  

To train their children in the practice of virtue and to pay particular attention to their domestic concerns should also be especial objects of their attention.  The wife should love to remain at home, unless compelled by necessity to go out; and she should never presume to leave home without her husband’s consent. 

Again, and in this the conjugal union chiefly consists, let wives never forget that next to God they are to love their husbands, to esteem them above all others, yielding to them in all things not inconsistent with Christian piety, a willing and ready obedience. 

Duties of Husband and Wife 

The husband has authority over the wife in all things that pertain to their domestic relations and family discipline: “Let women be subject to their husbands as to the Lord; because the husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the Head of the Church.  Therefore, as the Church is subject to Christ, so also let wives be to their husbands in all things” (Ephesians 5: 22 - 24). 

Husband and wife are bound to show mutual love: “Husbands love your wives as Christ also loved the Church and delivered Himself for it . . . so also ought men to love their wives as their own bodies” (Ephesians 5: 25; Titus 2: 5). They are bound to cohabitation (1 Corinthians 7: 10), to mutual maintenance—though by nature and law the husband is primarily bound to maintain the wife—to render conjugal dues when seriously asked for—even by implication—if there be no valid excuse for continence: “Defraud not one another, except perhaps by consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to prayer: and return together again, lest Satan tempt you for your incontinency” (1 Corinthians 7: 5). 

By English law the husband must maintain his wife according to his state and condition, unless they are separated through her fault.  A wife is not obliged by law to maintain her husband except that, if she has separate estate and her husband becomes chargeable to a Poor Law Authority, she can be obliged to maintain him in an institution. 

The savings which a wife, living with her husband or temporarily apart, may make out of money supplied to her by her husband for household purposes or maintenance, belong to the husband unless there is evidence that he intended such to be her property.  Since the year 1883 the husband acquires no rights over his wife’s estate except what she gives him.  If the husband refuses or neglects to supply his wife with necessaries, the law assumes that she has his authority to pledge his credit for them, otherwise she cannot pledge her husband’s credit.  A husband can refuse to pledge his credit for unnecessary luxuries or extravagant dress. 

The husband is bound to administer his property wisely so as to be able to support his wife and children, to have care for his wife’s Christian life, to reprove her prudently and temperately. 

The wife is bound to obey and pay respect to her husband’s authority, to see to the orderliness and comfort of home life, and to exercise reasonable economy in outlay. 

Though children are primarily subject to the father, the mother has an important and irreplaceable share in their upbringing.  The mother normally settles the religious and moral outlook of her children.   She will fail in her duty, if she teaches her children to disregard their father’s reasonable commands by sympathizing with them against their father.  It is thus that she undermines all parental authority, her own included.  

Serious sin is committed by husband or wife by serious injury in word or action, by grave negligence in respect of temporal goods that are necessary for maintenance, by hatred, by putting unreasonable obstacles in the way of the observance of the Commandments of God and of the Church. 

As a matter of counsel, parents may well be exhorted to encourage their children to become acquainted with the lives of their patron Saints, the ceremonies and practices of the Church, the history of Catholic activity, the sublimity of a vocation to the priesthood or to religious life and the work of Catholic Missions.  The good Catholic parent will consecrate his house and family to the Sacred Heart, and foster a devotion which establishes concord and happiness wherever it is practiced. (Moral and Pastoral Theology, 1958) 

Conception prevention is the antithesis of marriage as its primary purpose is procreation. Contraception redefined the primary purpose of marriage according to the whims of society from being for the procreation of children, to being for pleasure without responsibility.  “Marriage”, thus understood, has become a sort of formal and “acceptable” form of loyal fornication with one individual.  Some Catholics find it “necessary” to space their children as Montini recommends in his encyclical Humanae Vitae.  This brings me to a point on which countless sermons could be preached. 

That is on what people consider “necessities” these days and why these necessities are not necessary.  Such as countless visits to the salon and saloons.  How much money is spent on the gods, alcohol and vanity, which are considered to be more important than immortal souls?  Things which are not a necessity whatsoever, such as cable and expensive vacations, brand name clothes which are thrown out in less than a year, countless shoes, expensive cars with tons of extras that you can afford not to buy.  How many frivolous meaningless things we consider to be necessities, more important than the existence of our potential children, of your own children, who could spend all eternity with God, if only you would allow them to exist?  I say to selfish souls, “If your parents were as selfish as you, perhaps they would have considered the saloons and salons to be more important than your existence.”    

A COMPANION TO THE SUMMA: 

The goods of matrimony: Relative to its act: Progeny 

It is to be noticed that children come under the head of compensation,  not of burdens.  The child is the proximate end of the marriage.  There are, of course, other ends, such as mutual love, protection against temptation, and mutual help; but this is the immediate purpose.  At this time, it is the woman who looks forward most to a child as the final expression of love, an expression to be greeted much more joyously than the first distinct words of a baby after months of inarticulate gurgling.  For the child is a perfect expression of love; here is a union that is an embodiment of the mother and father; a surrender, for here is a master of them both; a consecration, for here is one that lifts them both to heroic heights of sacrifice. 

It is as though what had been so intangibly real before was to become incarnate, incarnate love.  These three, father, mother and child, are rightly spoken of as a human trinity; the child is a human holy spirit, the living love of those from whom it proceeds.  A realization of this makes plain the danger involved in planning a temporary exclusion of the birth of children at the very beginning of marriage, even though this be done by legitimate means; it is like keeping an infant from talking because we enjoy its gurgling.  Baby talk is a precious thing, but to insist on its preservation indefinitely is an injustice to the child; so also is the insistence that our love be robbed of its mature perfection. 

Let this love remain baby love and it becomes as helpless as an abandoned infant.  Limit its expression to husband and wife, and its chance for growth, fullness is definitely cut down; its acts of love, of sacrifice, of consecration, and of surrender are automatically limited, thus cutting off the normal source of strength for love, while the couple’s love is left open to the ruthless attacks of time, of hard reality, of pettiness, and all the elements of division inseparable from human communion.  This couple has fallen badly behind in an armament race for the defense of love; there is much more possibility that their love can be bluffed from its legitimate possessions by the dictators of sense appetite.  This love, which has been kept deliberately in an infantile state, is not merely a backward child; it is a perpetual infant, dribbling and gurgling after forty years in a high chair. 

Of course love suffers from being kept perpetually in an infant’s walking machine; it is never able to take its own full, free stride.  But it suffers nothing like the damage done to it by birth prevention, by the perversion of love.  For this not only limits and cripples love, tying it in a narrow infantile sphere, it destroys love’s foundation of justice by a consecration to injustice.  It fixes the eyes of both parties on themselves, sets them against each other in a perpetual duel of self-protection; whereas love, to exist at all, must be a consecration to another.  This sort of thing is an offense to physical nature, particularly to the physical nature of woman, and it meets with a deep, irreconcilable protest, in spite of the woman herself, a protest that eventually expresses itself in physical revulsion and positive hate. 

I believe most of us see that the world is not right.  A mere surficial, uninformed, glance at it can tell us this.  The question we must ask ourselves is: Why?  This answer is quite simple: Sin.  As the years progress less and less of the population will know what it was like to grow up in the 50’s (seeing the stark difference between how most dressed and acted then as compared to today).  Their earliest memories will be of slovenly and immodestly dressed, tattooed, body pierced people with their mask covered face in the phone, while driving to the shopping mall to get the latest gadget, after getting their hair changed a different color the fourth time this month.  

But even these people may be awake to the fact that double standards are not cool.  Allowing people to burn down cities and kill the elderly, while jailing people for running their business, is not the bright and beautiful thing to do, any more than letting criminals out of jail so they may be replaced by the innocent.  Yet, in case you are not awake [awake being the opposite of being “woke”], this is what has been happening.  Endless pages can be filled with the injustices in the world, and it is getting worse and worse.  There is no line in the sand anywhere, except when it prevents us from stopping the evil, or doing the right thing. 

Why is society so messed up?”  The answer lies in the backbone of society.  The family.  A man and a woman, the only combination that can engage in the marital act, with the result from said act, not too few times, being children.  Yeah, this is news these days, but I digress.  The world is filled with people who form society.  The world or society is bad, because people are bad i.e., they do bad things frequently.  Why are people bad?  Because they grew up without either a mother or father home, and very few, if any, siblings.  They were not taught objective and intrinsic moral truths.  They were not taught the Catholic Faith.  Instead, they are/were raised by our communistic propaganda brainwashing machines, known as day care, and the public school system.  They come home to adore their god in the holy tabernacle in the center of the living room, known as the tele, with visions of perversion, violence and more propaganda dancing in their minds before it is off to bedy-by-bumpty-boo land.  

God’s way is the right way.  We must do what He wants, in the way He wants.  Just ask Adam and Eve.  How hard was it not to eat from the one tree in paradise they were told not to eat from

How hard is it to abstain from the marriage act unless you are married?  How hard is it when you are married to have children as God gives them to you?  These are not the questions asked by those who love God more than themselves.  We are to ask, what is God’s will, and then do it.  Doing this makes things so much better, and ultimately easier, for individuals, families and the world at large, both in this life, and after death. 

How do we know what God’s will is?  What is wrong with limiting the family if we stay married, and the mom stays at home to raise her children, and teaches them to know, love, and serve God in this life, so as to be happy with Him forever in the next?  We know God’s will; it is the natural and the divine positive law infallibly explicated to us through the Church He (God) founded on the rock of Saint Peter.  Any intellectually honest individual who studies authentic history knows that Christ founded one Church, and he knows when and where He founded it, and what Church that is.  All the proof of this fact in the world won’t suffice for those of bad will, but those of good will can read the book of Acts for some proof. 

The Church has consistently taught from Peter to Pius XII, and even Montini, back when the anti-popes were, at times, making an effort to appear Catholic — because the people hadn’t become as thoroughly de-Catholicized as we are — that the deliberate prevention of conception is a grave evil, (that means you will go to Hell if you die guilty of this sin). 

People think the Church just invented this teaching to be mean.  But why would the Church, which depends on financial support to a certain degree, willfully alienate her members and potential converts?  Why didn’t she cave in like the rest of the “Christian” churches?  Because she was divinely commissioned by God to guard, and infallibly explain, the deposit of Faith, to the entire world, until the end of time, that’s why.  She could not abandon that divine teaching, even if she wanted to, and remain the true Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. 

Why is this teaching true then?  It is hard to raise children, and it can be difficult for some to supply the basic necessities to a large number of them.  God created things pertaining to life, natural and supernatural, with certain purposes and functions.  In His graciousness he has made that which is necessary to be enjoyable.  Consider food.  It is absolutely necessary that we eat in order to survive.  Eating is enjoyable.  But what do we call the eating of food and then throwing it up to avoid gaining weight?  Bulimia, it is an eating disorder.  Notice that it is a disorder.  It is an abuse.  It is not proper.  It is not something conducive to health but rather works against it. 

Now consider the procreative marriage act.  It is absolutely necessary for the existence and preservation of the of the human species.  The procreative marriage act is enjoyable.  But what do we call a couple who engage in the marriage act while thwarting its purposes?  Mutual masturbaters.  This is not conducive to the preservation of the species.  It objectifies the human person.  It is misusing a great gift of God for your own selfish ends.  It is the taking of the sacred and making it profane.  It is mocking God and spitting in His face.  It deliberately prevents an immortal soul from coming into the world which is a very evil and selfish act.  It mocks the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony and the couple involved.  Does that make sense?  All those of good will just said yes.  Those who love themselves more than God said no.   

Before we end, might we take a glance at A TOUR OF THE SUMMA

MATRIMONY AS A SACRAMENT 

1. A sacrament is a sensible sign, instituted by Christ, to signify and confer grace.  Matrimony meets the requirements of this definition.  Hence, it is truly a sacrament.   

2. Matrimony is instituted for the begetting of children according to God’s providence and law.  It was established from the beginning, before the fall of man, as a holy institution of nature.  It was raised to supernatural rank by our Lord when he made it a sacrament.  

3. Like every sacrament, matrimony confers grace upon those who receive it worthily.  It also confers the special sacramental grace which helps the spouses to be faithful in the performing of all their duties.  

4. The actual use of marital action is not an integral element in the sacrament of matrimony. 

The claim is made that it is better to have two children with college degrees than several with none.  While it is true that one of the things we can take with us to heaven is knowledge, what is also true is that we must first exist before the possibility of enjoying the Beatific Vision can happen.  Depriving several of existence in order for two to grow more in knowledge is to eliminate the best (existence of immortal souls) for the sake of a good (increased knowledge and better chance of attaining material success). 

The claim is made that two well educated children contribute to the betterment of society more than several souls deprived of a full education.  The truth is that one must not do evil so that good (perceived or real) may come.  The thwarting of the existence of souls is intrinsically evil and cannot be done for any reason.  Society is composed of people whose existence is unique and unrepeatable, and whose value in the eyes of their Maker, equals that of every single drop of His Blood, which He spilled for all who come into existence, and the primary good, which is existence, contributes to the increase and betterment of God’s family which is the composite of society.  There are also secondary goods that result in the betterment of society when the existence of human life is not purposely thwarted, such as more children to support one another and their parents in old age (pensions, social security stability) and the lessening of the necessity for the importation of peoples to fulfill roles that cannot be fulfilled by those whose existence has been prevented. 

The claim is made that it is more expedient to supply two children with the best things in life than to deprive several children many of their wants.  The fact is expedience relates to the promotion of self-interest rather than the common good.  Salvation does not come from doing that which is expedient but from that which is right.  It was not expedient for Christ to die on the cross but most beneficial to those whom He saved.  It does not follow that two immortal souls existing with many material goods, which rust and moth consume, is preferable to the point of preventing other souls from existence within the family of God in the marital bond.  An “expedience” that leads to mortal sin and eternal damnation is not expedient at all. 

He knowing that the children should not be his, when he went in to his brother’s wife, spilled his seed upon the ground, lest children should be born in his brother’s name.  And therefore the Lord slew him, because he did a detestable thing.  (Genesis 38: 9 – 10).

One immortal soul is worth infinitely more than any temporal good or convenience others would obtain in this life had that soul’s existence been prevented. 

Conclusion
Let us conceive the Holy Trinity in the womb of our souls through a supernatural love of God and neighbor with a total self-giving to God in all we think, say and do, and let us unreservedly accept the will of God into the bridal chamber of our hearts by keeping the commandments and precepts of the Church so we may be birthed into the Triumphant family of God forever!