Purgatory The Teachings of the Church and Saints

There are very few amongst us who live lives of such holiness and purity that we can enter Heaven immediately upon our death, therefore if we have not reached that level of holiness what becomes of the soul? This does not mean that Heaven is out of reach for those who love God and have tried their utmost to follow the Commandments of God and the tenets of our Faith, but what if we have not reached perfect conformity to Gods Will?

In order for God to show His infinite Mercy to all, we have the existence of Purgatory, which is not a punishment but is simply Gods Justice to those who have failed to live in full conformity to Gods Will. Each of us have opportunities to live Gods Will as directed by Holy Scripture and the Teachings of the Catholic Church, but very few follow the Teachings that will help us to live holy and pure lives. Therefore because we failed to live in conformity to Gods Will on earth, we need to be able to expiate our sins that have accumulated in our lives through neglect rather than outright disobedience.

For each of us to enter Heaven we must do so in a state of purity and perfection, but because of our imperfect souls and disordered choices that we have made through our own free will, we need a place or an existence where our imperfections can be purified through the all consuming Fire of Gods Just Love. Though Jesus Atoned for our sins so that all men should be saved, this does not mean that we have a free ticket into Heaven merely because we believe in God, we must also live what we believe or we have failed to live as God Commands each of us. In all cases and to all individuals we shall be held accountable for all our thoughts and words, for God is not only Merciful He is also Just. It is in Purgatory that both Mercy and Divine Justice collaborate to purify the souls incompleteness and imperfections.

As the Church teaches in the Catechism, "All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven...The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect. which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent." Also Holy Scripture instructs the faithful, "May he draw our hearts to himself, that we may follow him in everything and keep the commands, statutes, and ordinances which he enjoined on our fathers. May this prayer I have offered to the LORD, our God, be present to him day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and of his people Israel as each day requires, May this prayer I have offered to the LORD, our God, be present to him day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and of his people Israel as each day requires, that all the peoples of the earth may know the LORD is God and there is no other. You must be wholly devoted to the LORD, our God, observing his statutes and keeping his commandments, as on this day." Which teaches us all that in order to live in Gods favour we must live lives of obedience to Gods Word or suffer the consequences through our own lack of love and not a lack of Gods Love which is infinite. As the Scripture instructs for those who may die before the soul has obtained this level of obedience and conformity to Gods Will, "Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out. The noble Judas warned the soldiers to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen. He then took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin."

We see in Scripture that Purgatory exists, for if a soul immediately enters Heaven upon their earthly death, they are then not in need of your prayers for they have reached the Beatific Vision. Whereas the soul who has rejected Jesus Salvific Sacrifice and in full knowledge does not repent of their sins shall enter eternal damnation where no amount of prayer will help them. This is shown to us in Scripture, "There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.' Abraham replied, 'My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented...He said, 'Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.' But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.' As we are instructed once the soul has died the opportunity to repent has been eternally lost, this should warn us all not to presume on the Goodness of God and fail to follow His Commandments. For those who believe that the Old Testament is no longer relevant we have Pauls teaching as he instructs the faithful, "If the work which any man has built on the foundation [which is Christ] survives, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire"

For those who have failed to conform their lives to Gods Will what can those who are still living do to assist these holy souls who are undergoing the Purgative Way? The Saints instruct us through their words on what Purgatory is and how the living can assist those who suffer the consequences of their earthly actions. St. Augustine describes Purgatory in these words, "Though this fire is destined to cleanse and purify the soul, " adds the Holy Doctor, "still it is more acute than anything we could possibly endure on Earth. " St Cyril of Alexandria continues in the same vein, "it would be preferable to suffer all the possible torments of Earth until the Judgment day than to pass one day in Purgatory. " Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich also explained in this way what she had seen and been told by our Lord and Lady, "She saw how the various indulgences we gain actually remit specific punishments which otherwise would await us in Purgatory. She revealed that to gain an indulgence we must approach the Sacraments with true repentance and a firm purpose of amendment--or we do not gain it. She deposes that it is more holy to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory than for sinners who are still alive. She describes the nature, extent and power of victim souls, and their role in the life of the Church....She revealed that saints are particularly powerful on their feast days and should be invoked then. She saw that many saints come from the same families, the antiquity of which often extends far back into the Old Testament. She saw the strong link--even long after their deaths--between holy souls in Heaven and their descendants here on earth, lasting even centuries." Anne Catherine also confided to her spiritual director that the souls who spend the most time in Purgatory are our Protestant brothers and sisters, NOT because they were more sinful but that VERY few are praying for them and NO Masses are offered for the repose of their soul.

We also have the works of that great Saint John Vianney who explains Purgatory and how we can assist the suffering souls in this manner, "Ah! I come on behalf of God Himself. I come on behalf of your poor parents, to awaken in you that love and gratitude which you owe them. I come to bring before your minds again all those kindnesses and all the love which they gave you while they were on earth. I come to tell you that they suffer in Purgatory, that they weep, and that they demand with urgent cries the help of your prayers and your good works. I seem to hear them crying from the depths of those fires which devour them: "Tell our loved ones, tell our children, tell all our relatives how great the evils are which they are making us suffer. We throw ourselves at their feet to implore the help of their prayers. Ah! Tell them that since we have been separated from them, we have been here burning in the flames! Oh! Who would be so indifferent to such sufferings as we are enduring?" Do you see, my dear brethren, do you hear that tender mother, that devoted father, and all those relatives who helped and tended you? "My friends," they cry, "free us from these pains; you can do it." Consider then, my dear brethren: (a) the magnitude of these sufferings which the souls in Purgatory endure; and (b) the means which we have of mitigating them: our prayers, our good works, and, above all, the holy sacrifice of the Mass." With these words St. John Vianney reminds us that we are the only hope for those poor souls suffering in the Purgative Way who grieve the loss of being united with their Beloved for eternity in Heaven.

We have the words of St. Ambrose who said, 'No day shall pass you over in silence, no prayer of mine shall ever be closed without remembering you. No night shall pass you over without some vows of my supplications. You shall have share in all my sacrifices. If I forget you (now that you are dead) let my own right hand be forgotten" Such was his longing to help these holy souls attain Heaven. There is also St. Catherine of Genoa who explained Purgatory in this way, "No tongue can express, no mind can understand, how dreadful is Purgatory?And be assured that the souls have to pay what they owe even to the last farthing. This is Gods decree to satisfy the demands of justice." This complies with the Churches Teaching that what is not fully atoned in this life will be atoned by the Purgative Way in the after life. We must also not fall into favouring Purgatory rather than try to live our lives by obeying Gods Commandments and the Church's Teaching as if this were a favourable negotiation for our unwillingness to abide by Gods Will, for as St. Caesarius of Arles says, "A person may say, I am not much concerned how long I remain in Purgatory, provided 1 may come to eternal life. Let no one reason thus. Purgatory fire will more dreadful than whatever torment can be seen, imagined or endured in this world."

That wonderful Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque confided when she was praying before the Blessed Sacrament, "on the Feast of Corpus Christi a person enveloped in fire suddenly stood before me. From the pitiable state the soul was in I knew it was in Purgatory and I wept bitterly"

So now we understand how much it is encumbered upon all of us to remember these poor souls who languish in this terrible pain through lack of care and attentiveness. May we remember these holy souls during our prayer time and most especially to offer Masses for the repose of their souls. Let us also realise that these holy souls remind us of the consequences when we deliberately choose not to live our Faith with sincerity or refuse through obstinacy to abide with Gods Will, and rather many choose to follow their own whims and fancies. Let us also keep to the fore of our minds not to presume on Gods Mercy, lest we fall into presumption and take Gods Love for granted while deliberately neglecting Gods Justice.

Lastly as we near Easter, let us remind ourselves that the holy souls rely on each of us to aid them in their pain and to help them come to their Heavenly Reward...they have only...YOU. Remember those poor souls in prayer!

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2006 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

Purgatory
Roman Catholic

Is The Church a Democracy?

One of the mistakes being generated by various groups and figures of prominence is to think that the Catholic Church is a democracy. This is not so!

The Church has never been a democracy, not in the past, not in the present and not in the future. In fact the Church does not change to suit the times in this anything goes generation. Most of the acrimony comes from a failed understanding of this essential fact. Some may not agree with everything the Church does, but that does not give anyone free license to dissent nor question the Churches authority.

Catholic Church doctrine and Dogma's are not to be disputed; they are to be accepted with filial obedience to the Vicar of Christ and the Magisterium, anyone who does other than this would have to consider themselves above the Church. This can also be a problem within the Church as some Priests and Religious embrace a spirit of liberalism and try to introduce a 'new doctrine' to the Catholic Church. They do this by trying to make Jesus seem as no different from all of us. They emphasise Jesus' humanity and either disregard or totally ignore Jesus Divine Nature. In their efforts to make the Church and Jesus more relevant they have in effect made both `seem' irrelevant. For why worship a `man' who is `just like us'? This is one of the weapons that the 'modernists' use to bring an element of relativism into the very heart of the Church.

There is also the opposite case where those who are so intent on never changing that they then negate the works within the Church such as the Second Vatican Council. Vatican 2 was not a mistake, for the Holy Spirit is never stagnant nor does it `move with the times. The Holy Spirit is above trends and modernism, but seeks within each heart and gives empowerment to that which it is espoused, The Roman Catholic Church. For as the keys were given to Peter so too they were given to Pope John XXIII, who opened the Heart of the Church to the awakening of its hidden depths and mysticism and allowing the Light to pierce the Truths of the Church, for all to seek God through the Sacraments and to acknowledge His Majesty, within.

The modernistic trend in the Church cannot be solely and entirely blamed on our Priests or religious, it is also to be shared with equal responsibility with the laity. We cannot complain about bad liturgical practices, if we maintain our silence in the presence of the Priests who espouse this `new (false) Doctrine'! The true enemy of the Church is apathy and timidity of soul, when in fear of repercussions or a loss of popularity the laity maintain their silence, thereby giving the Priest its sanction to do as he wishes. Some may say, `but we cannot speak or correct a Priest'. Was Catherine of Sienna wrong, when she confronted the legitimate Pope, and requested his return to his rightful seat, which is Rome? Was Paul wrong when he corrected Peter as to being chained by the Law?

Christ is the Head of the Church and we the people are its Body so it is incumbent upon us to follow the Church in Rome over and above `rogue priests and nuns' who espouse a false doctrine which tries to imply that man is Gods equal!! In the words of our late Pope John Paul II, " At the root of this loss of hope is an attempt to promote a vision of man apart from God and apart from Christ, this has led man to believe he is the absolute centre of reality……. the place of God and which forgets that it is not man who creates God, but rather God who creates man…..European culture gives the impression of `silent apostasy' on the part of people who have all that they need and who live as if God does not exist".

The Catholic Church is also a `patriarchal' Church, simply because Christ ordained it as such during The Last Supper, and our first Pope was St. Peter to our present Pope Benedict XVI. This does not negate a woman's role in The Church, but enhances and makes unique a woman's contribution to the faithful. Every Priest was born of a woman, the woman is central to the continuation of a healthy and spiritually productive Church, which Mary most Holy Mother of God, encapsulates for each one of us. Therefore any modernistic trend to elevate women as superior to men is doomed to fail, for its foundation is pride the first enemy of God.

The Church also honours the role of woman in that Christ was born of a woman and not just any woman but one especially chosen by the Triune Spirit. Mary would by her obedient Fiat, become the Spouse of the Holy Spirit and the Mother of God through the birth of her son, our Saviour Lord Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church honours and esteems Mary's role as The Mother of God above all other women. It is also to Mary the Mother of God, that women need to emulate as their most perfect example of femininity and filial obedience to God.

The modernistic trend to deem all things of faith in the concept of rationalisation is a heretical view, propagated by the `rationale humanism' of individuals. It is faulty in that the mind needs proof of what is unknowing and is essentially Mystery, for example `the Incarnation', if faith is based on ones own rationale, how was Christ conceived of a Virgin? If man bases his faith on the concept of what is understandable and logical, then what answer to this Mystery of Mysteries, the Incarnation?

When one dissents from the Church founded by Christ, then one has essentially, excommunicated himself from the Faith, for if the Catholic Church is to be held in dispute then you are in effect denying Jesus Christ as head of that very same Church. Thereby proclaiming oneself a heretic and essentially placing one's faith on what is acceptable to your own ideology. With a willful pursuit of dissent against The Churches Teaching and instigating upon one's own authority to be an enemy of the One True Holy and Apostolic Church, and an enemy of Christ, He, who Is and ever shall be The Head of The Catholic Church.

In matters of Liturgical correctness, whether it be in Latin or in the vernacular language of the persons country, is not based on a `perfect language' but on a `perfect intent', that seeks to give all Honour, Praise, Glory to the Trinitarian God, through Worship and thanksgiving and receiving of The Eucharist and through the Sacraments of the Church. To suggest that the only valid Mass is the Latin Mass is faulty in that it disregards the Popes authority to proclaim what is True and acceptable in forms of Worship. For if language is the source of the problems encountered by many Latin Mass observers, then should the Mass not be said in Aramaic, as was spoken by Jesus and the Apostles?

As for the Seat of Peter, if it were to have been vacant for any length of time, then you are proclaiming that God is impotent within His Church. For Jesus gave the Keys to the first Pope, St. Peter and unto him also the authority which is now given to our present Pope Benedict XVI. The Church is infallible, by the very fact that it is through Christ Jesus and Him Crucified, who is the Head of The Church entire. God does not make errors or mistakes, therefore neither does the Church, in matters of Doctrine and those who dispute The Churches authority are in danger of scandal and placing themselves over and above their Creator……and on a level with the serpent, who is also an enemy of the Church and an enemy of God its Creator, for the serpent was the first to embrace `rationale humanism' and presented it to Eve.

When the level of our Faith becomes dependent on what we are able to grasp intellectually is this Faith or reason? For as St. Augustine teaches, " Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe."

We need to truly recognise the `signs of the times' and then with prayer, speak the Truth irrespective of the cost to oneself, for what comes first, self preservation or Salvation?

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2006 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

Are The Jews Saved

All Children of God

God does not renege on His Promises, even when we fail Him with our infidelities and ingratitude. This also applies to the Jewish people, for God unlike fickle man keeps His Covenant even with an errant and 'stiff necked' people. God does not nor cannot revoke a Covenant, for The Triune Spirit is not capricious nor does God rely on man to feel validated.

Therefore the Promises and Covenants which God made to the Jews, also applies and incorporates the Gentiles. For if God were to break His Covenant with the Jews, what then would save us?

Are we so perfect so holy, that we have no need to rely upon God's Promises, that He will never forsake us?

For if we go on the premise that God will not keep His Covenant with Israel, because of their infidelities and rejection of the Promised Messiah, what hope then is there for the Gentiles?

Do we not also when we sin, reject the Messiah? Yet we hold as Truth that God will never abandon us. The confusion comes when we think we are loved because we are good, NO! We are Loved because God is Good!

Everything depends upon God and not man; therefore if God were to break His Covenant with the Jews, then He will also break His Promise to the Gentiles, which would then make Jesus' Sacrifice on the Cross, 'conditional'! Did Jesus apply any 'conditions' to St. Dismas who had NOT led a holy or meritorious life? Yet through Jesus' Sacrifice on the Cross He Promises this thief eternal Salvation with Him in Paradise. Did St. Dismas earn his Salvation or is it Gift from God Himself, not because we can earn or merit our Salvation but because of God's Saving Grace!

Is this what the Bible and the Catholic Church teaches us? That we are saved not because of Jesus Salvific Sacrifice and Atonement, in which He took our place and removed the sting of death from all who believe in Him. Has it come to the point where many believe we must 'earn' our Salvation or that we can merit our eternal life in the belief we are saved on our works alone and NOT on Christ Himself? Or that we as Catholics are saved by God simply because we term ourselves 'Catholic', in the belief that we are an 'elitist' group, therefore Salvation belongs to us and nobody else!

If this is the premise of what some consider to be true then they have nullified God's power and His Grace and negated Christ’s Passion!

For when God made His Covenant with the Jewish people, He did so in full knowledge that these same people would reject His Beloved Son, Jesus. For unlike man God has Predestination and He knows the outcome before He reveals and establishes His Covenants with the Israelites and also with the Gentiles.

There are some who believe that because God made these Promises in the Old Testament, therefore they have no relevance in the New Testament. In that Jesus, brought a New Law, this is correct, but Jesus also came to fulfill the Old Testament not to break it! Hence this is the reason why Paul asserts in his letter to the Romans that, "God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew"(Rom 11:2). Obviously Paul is referring to Jeremiah 31:34; and Paul continues to say, "As far as the Gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and His call are irrevocable."(Rom 11:28-29).

It cannot be stated more plainly than this, God does not break His Covenants, however unfaithful His children will be. For upon Jesus birth, death and Resurrection a Light was shone in which NO power can extinguish!

Peace of Christ to you ALL
 

Copyright © 2005 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

Why Don't Catholics Read The Bible

We as Catholics hear this question a good deal. We are also asked, why won't the Church allow Catholics to read the Bible? Catholics do read the Bible, and are encouraged by the Church to do so. Many who accuse the Church of discouraging the faithful to read the Bible, both Old and New Testament, have no idea about the teachings and guidance of the Church in the reading of Holy Scripture. A great number of Popes and Saints have encouraged the reading of Holy Scripture by the faithful., and indeed, even today the Catechism of the Catholic Church encourages the reading of Holy Scripture by the faithful. Where the confusion lies in this idea of Catholics not reading the Bible, is that we as Catholics know that only the Holy Spirit through the Church is the sole interpreter of Holy Scripture for the guidance and inspiration of the faithful.
 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding Holy Scripture instructs the faithful:
 

123 Christians venerate the Old Testament as true Word of God. The Church has always vigorously opposed the idea of rejecting the Old Testament under the pretext that the New has rendered it void (Marcionism).
 

129 Christians therefore read the Old Testament in the light of Christ crucified and risen. Such typological reading discloses the inexhaustible content of the Old Testament; but it must not make us forget that the Old Testament retains its own intrinsic value as Revelation reaffirmed by our Lord himself. Besides, the New Testament has to be read in the light of the Old. Early Christian catechesis made constant use of the Old Testament. As an old saying put it, the New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.
 

133 The Church "forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful . . . to learn ‘the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ,' by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures. ‘Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.'"
 

140 The unity of the two Testaments proceeds from the unity of God's plan and his Revelation. The Old Testament prepares for the New and the New Testament fulfills the Old; the two shed light on each other; both are true Word of God.
 

1437 Reading Sacred Scripture, praying the Liturgy of the Hours and the Our Father—every sincere act of worship or devotion revives the spirit of conversion and repentance within us and contributes to the forgiveness of our sins.
 

2205 The Christian family is a communion of persons, a sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit. In the procreation and education of children it reflects the Father's work of creation. It is called to partake of the prayer and sacrifice of Christ. Daily prayer and the reading of the Word of God strengthen it in charity. The Christian family has an evangelizing and missionary task.
 

The Saints and the Popes made these statements instructing the faithful to read Holy Scripture:
 

Saint Jerome--I interpret as I should, following the command of Christ: "Search the Scriptures," and "Seek and you shall find." For if, as Paul says, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, and if the man who does not know Scripture does not know the power and wisdom of God, then ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.
 

Saint John Chrysostom (Doctor of the Church)--“To become adult Christians you must learn familiarity with the scriptures” 

“But what is the answer to these charges?‘I am not', you will say, ‘one of the monks, but I have both a wife and children, and the care of a household.’ This is what has ruined everything, your thinking that the reading of scripture is for monks only, when you need it more than they do. Those who are placed in the world, and who receive wounds every day have the most need of medicine. So, far worse even than not reading the scriptures is the idea that they are superfluous. Such things were invented by the devil.”
 

Pope St. Gregory I--“The Emperor of heaven, the Lord of men and of angels, has sent you His epistles for your life’s advantage—and yet you neglect to read them eagerly. Study them, I beg you, and meditate daily on the words of your Creator. Learn the heart of God in the words of God, that you may sigh more eagerly for things eternal, that your soul may be kindled with greater longings for heavenly joy”.
 

St. Isidore (Bishop and Doctor of the Church)-- “Prayer purifies us, reading instructs us... If a man wants to be always in God's company, he must pray regularly and read regularly. When we pray, we talk to God; when we read, God talks to us." 
 

“Reading the holy Scriptures (the Bible) confers two benefits. It trains the mind to understand them; it turns man's attention from the follies of the world and leads him to the love of God. "
 

“Two kinds of study are called for here. We must first learn how the Scriptures are to be understood, and then see how to expound them with profit and in a manner worthy of them. A man must first be eager to understand what he is reading before he is fit to proclaim what he has learned."
 

“The conscientious reader will be more concerned to carry out what he has read than merely to acquire knowledge of it... Learning unsupported by grace may get into our ears; it never reaches the heart. It makes a great noise outside but serves no inner purpose. But when God's grace touches our innermost minds to bring understanding, his word which has been received by the ear sinks deep into the heart.”

Pope Leo XIII--“The solicitude of the apostolic office naturally urges and even compels us…to desire that this grand source of Catholic revelation (the Bible) should be made safely and abundantly accessible to the flock of Jesus Christ” 
 

“...For sacred Scripture is not like other books. Dictated by the Holy Ghost, it contains things of the deepest importance, which in many instances are most difficult and obscure. To understand and explain such things there is always required the 'coming' of the same Holy Ghost; that is to say, His light and His grace...It is absolutely wrong and forbidden either to narrow inspiration to certain parts only of holy Scripture or to admit that the sacred writer has erred... and so far is it from being possible that any error can co-exist with inspiration, that inspiration is not only essentially incompatible with error, but excludes and rejects it as absolutely and necessarily as it is impossible that God Himself, the supreme Truth, can utter that which is not true.”

Pope St. Pius X-- “Nothing would please us more than to see our beloved children form the habit of reading the Gospels - not merely from time to time, but every day.”

Pope Pius XII--“Our predecessors, when the opportunity occurred, recommended the study or preaching or in fine the pious reading and meditation of the sacred Scriptures. ...This author of salvation, Christ, will men more fully know, more ardently love and more faithfully imitate in proportion as they are more assiduously urged to know and meditate the Sacred Letters, especially the New Testament...”

Copyright © 2005 Steve Smith. All rights reserved.