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MyCatholicSource.com Newsletter - October, 2009
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* * * SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY ISSUE * * *
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IN THIS ISSUE:
* Greetings & Anniversary Message
* MCS News & Notes
* Catholic Trivia
* Christ the King
* 25 Reasons to Pray the Rosary Daily
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Dear Friend,
Greetings!
This special issue marks the 1 year anniversary of the official unveiling of MyCatholicSource.com. As you may know, our website site did not originate last year - we have been working on it continuously since 2001. We did not want to release the site in bits & pieces (except some fliers), so we waited to "go live" until it was ready for public viewing in October 2008. In the beginning, we (mercifully) did not know it would take 7 years to finish the site, but we are glad, by the grace of God, that we were able to invest the thousands of hours it took to complete it as best as we were able. These past years have taught us a lot and we hope we may be able to put some of that knowledge to good use helping fellow Catholics (& "pre-Catholics" as we like to regard those outside the Church).
We hope you will consider celebrating our 1 year anniversary by joining us for Rosary Week. We invite you to join us even if you can say just one rosary during that week. Please also invite your friends & fellow parishioners to join. We believe prayer is very needed - and very powerful. As Archbishop Fulton Sheen said regarding the holy rosary, "The power of the rosary is beyond description." Please join your fellow Catholics in praying for the important Rosary Week intentions. A sign up page is located at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/rosary_week_sign_up.htm . More information can be found at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/rosary_week.htm
We also wanted to point out that some items in this special anniversary issue are a bit lengthier than usual. We hope you will find the omission of some of our "regular features" (e.g. feasts, apologetics) a suitable tradeoff for the expanded coverage of these important subjects.
We know people are busy, but if it is at all possible, we encourage you to take the time to review the items herein as we are confident it will be time profitably spent. The majority of the words below are not our "ramblings", but are mostly taken from various traditional catechisms, the Council of Trent, quotes of saints & popes, canon law, and the papal encyclical "Quas Primas". We believe your spiritual life deserves some "wholesome nourishment" and we are confident that the items herein can bring you benefits.
Please know that we consider you a valued subscriber. We thank you very much for your kind support of our newsletter & for your prayers. If you have any comments, questions, suggestions, etc. please use our special subscriber feedback form at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/subscriber_feedback.htm . We would love to hear from you.
May the glory of the Lord always shine upon you and may His light always guide your steps,
Your Friends at MyCatholicSource.com
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MCS News & Notes
* Reminder: There will be an interruption in many of our services in early October due to vacations. Services affected may include: live chat, post & ad processing, subscription processing, blog updates, lending library, and various e-mail responses. News updates will also be affected. Although you may notice delays in the above services, access to the MyCatholicSource.com website itself should NOT be affected. For details, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/notices.htm or http://mycatholicsource.blogspot.com/
* New 'toner-saving' Rosary Week fliers are now available. If you wanted to print out Rosary Week fliers but were concerned about heavy toner usage, you may be glad to know that we have added a couple of 'toner-saving' Rosary Week fliers. Please feel free to print & hand out (or post) these new fliers. For our new toner-saving fliers, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/rosary_week.htm and click on "Fliers". Thank you for helping to make Rosary Week a success!
* The 'post of the month' page has been updated for 9/09. Chosen from the Catholic Seniors Section, it is titled "Has everyone forgotten common courtesy?" To view the 'post of the month' page, please go to: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/post_of_the_month.htm To submit a post in your choice of hundreds of categories, visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fa/share_your_thoughts.htm
* Since the server switch we have had some problems with e-mail delivery, particularly with Yahoo customers. We have been working to resolve this issue with our host and with Yahoo. Please check our notices page at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/notices.htm for current information.
* Please visit the "Notices" page for timely news and other important information regarding MyCatholicSource.com - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/notices.htm
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Catholic Trivia
Note: This month, all trivia questions concern the sacrament of Penance. Due to the importance of this topic, Q & A may be somewhat expanded for increased educational value. Also, answers have been included near the question for ease of use. While we normally prefer to keep trivia Q & A more concise, we hope you might find the additional detail helpful given the significance of this topic. Remember that it is possible that one's salvation may depend upon a good knowledge of some principles related to the Sacrament of Confession (excepting the rare person so holy as to never commit a mortal sin after baptism). So this is a topic most Catholics should want to know very well.
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Q. What are three names for the sacrament of Penance?
A. Sacrament of Penance, Confession, Sacrament of Reconciliation
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Q. The Sacrament of Penance is necessary for salvation of who?
A. "The sacrament of Penance is necessary for salvation to all who have committed a mortal sin after Baptism." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
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Q. Confession is often called the second what?
A. The second plank.
"Baptism is administered but once, and cannot be repeated; Penance may by administered and becomes necessary, as often as we may have sinned after Baptism. Hence the Council of Trent declares: For those who fall into sin after Baptism the Sacrament of Penance is as necessary to salvation as is Baptism for those who have not been already baptized. This saying of St. Jerome that Penance is a second plank, is universally known and highly commended by all subsequent writers on sacred things. As he who suffers shipwreck has no hope of safety, unless, perchance, he seize on some plank from the wreck, so he that suffers the shipwreck of baptismal innocence, unless he cling to the saving plank of Penance, has doubtless lost all hope of salvation." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
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Q. When & how often are Catholics obliged to go to Confession? (at minimum)
A. "Can. 989 After having reached the age of discretion, each member of the faithful is obliged to confess faithfully his or her grave sins at least once a year." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"[T]he Church obliges all to confess once a year; because she commands all to receive Holy Communion once a year, viz. at Easter, wherefore all must go to confession before that time." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
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Q. Is frequent Confession recommended, even if one is not aware of any serious sin?
A. Yes.
"The faithful should be careful above all to cleanse their consciences from sin by frequent confession. When a person is in mortal sin nothing can be more salutary, so precarious is human life, than to have immediate recourse to confession. But even if we could promise ourselves a long life, yet it would be truly disgraceful that we who are so particular in whatever relates to cleanliness of dress or person, were not at least equally careful in preserving the luster of the soul unsullied from the foul stains of sin." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"[I]t is an excellent thing to go to confession often, because the sacrament of Penance, besides taking away sin, gives the graces necessary to avoid sin in the future." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"A person should not stay from confession because he thinks he has no sin to confess, for the Sacrament of Penance, besides forgiving sin, gives an increase of sanctifying grace, and of this we have always need, especially to resist temptation. The Saints, who were almost without imperfection, went to confession frequently." (Baltimore Catechism)
"As you well know, Venerable Brethren, it is true that venial sins may be expiated in many ways which are to be highly commended. But to ensure more rapid progress day by day in the path of virtue, We will that the pious practice of frequent confession, which was introduced into the Church by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, should be earnestly advocated. By it genuine self-knowledge is increased, Christian humility grows, bad habits are corrected, spiritual neglect and tepidity are resisted, the conscience is purified, the will strengthened, a salutary self-control is attained, and grace is increased in virtue of the Sacrament itself. Let those, therefore, among the younger clergy who make light of or lessen esteem for frequent confession realize that what they are doing is alien to the Spirit of Christ and disastrous for the Mystical Body of our Savior." (Pope Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis Christi", 1943 A.D.)
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Q. What are two perquisites of the confessor?
A. A validly ordained priest with proper jurisdiction.
"Can. 965 A priest alone is the minister of the sacrament of penance." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"A priest must be authorized by the Bishop to hear confessions because to administer this sacrament validly the power of Orders is not enough, but there is also necessary the power of jurisdiction, that is, the power to judge, which must be given by the Bishop." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"Can. 966 §1 The valid absolution of sins requires that the minister have, in addition to the power of orders, the faculty of exercising it for the faithful to whom he imparts absolution." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"Therefore, since the nature and essence of a judgment require that the sentence be imposed only on subjects, there has always been the conviction in the Church of God, and this Synod confirms it as most true, that this absolution which the priest pronounces upon one over whom he has no ordinary or delegated jurisdiction has no value." (Council of Trent)
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Q. Are Catholic free to choose their own confessors? Can priests absolve travelers from another parish?
A. "Can. 991 All Christ's faithful are free to confess their sins to lawfully approved confessors of their own choice, even to one of another [approved Catholic] rite." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"Can. 881 § 1 All priests of either type of clergy ["secular clergy" and "regular clergy"] who are approved for the hearing of confessions in a place, wither so enabled by ordinary or delegated jurisdiction, can also validly and licitly absolve wanderers and travelers from another diocese or parish coming to them, and likewise Catholics of any oriental rite." (1917 Code of Canon Law)
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Q. In danger of death: (1) who may hear confessions and (2) can a priest absolve from excommunication?
A. "Can. 986 §2 In an urgent necessity, every confessor is bound to hear the confessions of Christ's faithful, and in danger of death every [validly ordained] priest is so obliged." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"Can. 976 Any [validly ordained] priest, even though he lacks the faculty to hear confessions, can validly and lawfully absolve any penitents who are in danger of death, from any censures and sins, even if an approved priest is present." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"In order that none may perish, if there is imminent danger of death, and recourse cannot be had to the proper priest, the Council of Trent teaches that according to the ancient practice of the Church of God it is then lawful for any [validly ordained] priest, not only to remit all kinds of sin, whatever faculties they might otherwise require, but also to absolve from excommunication." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
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Q. What are the "three parts of Penance"?
A. (1) Contrition ["to which pertains grief for a sin committed together with a resolution not to sin in the future" (Pope Eugenius IV)], (2) confession ["A sacramental accusation of one's sins {to the priest}, made to obtain pardon by virtue of the keys." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)], and (3) satisfaction
"If any one denieth that for the entire and perfect remission of sins there are required three acts of the penitent, which are as it were the matter of the sacrament of penance, to wit, contrition, confession, and satisfaction, which are called the three parts of penance; or saith that there are two parts only of penance, to wit, the terrors with which the conscience is smitten upon being convinced of sin, and the faith, generated by the gospel or by the absolution, whereby one believes that his sins are forgiven him through Christ; let him be anathema." (Council of Trent)
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Q. The Sacrament of Penance has the power to remit all sins provided that it is received how?
A. "The sacrament of Penance has the power of remitting all sins no matter how numerous and great they are, provided it is received with the requisite dispositions." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
Note: This presupposes a validly ordained priest with jurisdiction, as well as the penitent's previous baptism.
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Q. Will one who confesses receive less punishment in purgatory?
A. "[O]ne who has confessed and received absolution will be less punished in Purgatory than one who has gone no further than contrition." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
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Q. Do many reach a degree of contrition sufficient to blot out sins on their own without Confession?
A. "Contrition, it is true, blots out sin; but who does not know that to effect this it must be so intense, so ardent, so vehement, as to bear a proportion to the magnitude of the crimes which it effaces? This is a degree of contrition which few reach; and hence, in this way, very few indeed could hope to obtain the pardon of their sins. It, therefore, became necessary that the most merciful Lord should provide by some easier means for the common salvation of men; and this He has done in His admirable wisdom, by giving to His Church the keys of the kingdom of heaven. According to the doctrine of the Catholic Church, a doctrine firmly to be believed and constantly professed by all, if the sinner have a sincere sorrow for his sins and a firm resolution of avoiding them in future, although he bring not with him that contrition which may be sufficient of itself to obtain pardon, all his sins are forgiven and remitted through the power of the keys, when he confesses them properly to the priest. Justly, then, do those most holy men, our Fathers, proclaim that by the keys of the Church the gate of heaven is thrown open, a truth which no one can doubt since the Council of Florence has decreed that the effect of Penance is absolution from sin." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
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Q. Who said...? "Confession is a fair ornament of the soul, which both cleanses a sinner and makes the righteous more thoroughly cleansed. Without confession, the righteous is deemed ungrateful, and the sinner accounted dead."
A. St. Bernard, Doctor of the Church
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Q. What are four biblical references that support the Sacrament of Penance?
A. (1) Mt. 16:19 - Whatever is bound and loosed on earth by Peter is bound and loosed in heaven, (2) Mt. 18:18 - Whatever is bound and loosed on earth by the Apostles is bound and loosed in heaven, (3) Jn. 20:23 - Power is given to the Apostles to forgive sin, (4) Jms. 5:14-15 - Sin is forgiven through the ministry of presbyters (priests)
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Q. Who said...? "There are many souls stretched out on a psychoanalytic couch today who would be far better off if they brought their consciences to the confessional box."
A. Archbishop Fulton Sheen
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Q. There is hope of mercy in time and in eternity - when is there confession?
A. "There is hope of mercy in time and in eternity; but there is confession in time only, and not in eternity. There is no confession of sins in any time except in this present life. By his own will each man is permitted and has throughout life the freedom to choose confession. But when we die we lose life and along with it the right to exercise our will. For then a law already set down unto rest or unto punishment sustains, in accord with its past exercise" (St. Hilary of Poitiers, Doctor of the Church, c. 365 A.D.)
"I entreat you, beloved brethren, that each one should confess his own sin, while he who has sinned is still in this world, while his confession may be received, while the satisfaction and remission made by the priests are pleasing to the Lord. Let us turn to the Lord with our whole heart, and expressing our repentance for our sin with true grief, let us entreat God's mercy." (St. Cyprian, 3rd century A.D.)
"...human beings die once, and after this the judgment" (Heb. 9:27)
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Q. What does Alphonsus Liguori say about sinners who intend to sin and then go to confession?
A. "O folly of sinners! If you purchase a house, you spare no pains to get all the securities necessary to guard against the loss of your money; if you take medicine, you are careful to assure yourself that it cannot injure you; if you pass over a river, you cautiously avoid all danger of falling into it; and for a transitory enjoyment, for the gratification of revenge, for a beastly pleasure, which lasts but a moment, you risk your eternal salvation, saying: I will go to confession after I commit this sin. And, when, I ask are you to go to confession? You say: On tomorrow. But who promises you tomorrow? Who assures you that you shall have time for confession, and that God will not deprive you of life, as he has deprived so many others, in the act of sin?... You cannot be certain of living for another hour" (St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church)
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Q. Can sin go unpunished?
A. "If you want God to forgive, you must confess. Sin cannot go unpunished. It were unseemly, improper, and unjust for sin to go unpunished. Since, therefore, sin must not go unpunished, let it be punished by you, lest you be punished for it. Let your sin have you for its judge, not its patron. Go up and take the bench against yourself, and put your guilt before yourself. Do not put it behind you, or God will put it in front of you." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church, c. 5th century A.D.)
"Do not plot to repeat a sin; not even for one will you go unpunished." (Sirach 7:8)
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Q. Are there some sins so grave that they cannot be forgiven?
A. No, as long as the sinner is truly contrite.
"For there is no sin, however great or horrible, which cannot be effaced by the Sacrament of Penance, and that not merely once, but over and over again." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"[T]he Church can forgive all sins, no matter how many or how grave they may be, because Jesus Christ has given her full power to bind and to loose." (Catechism of Pope St. Pius X)
"When we read in Scripture that certain persons did not obtain pardon from God, even though they earnestly implored it, we know that this was due to the fact that they had not a true and heartfelt sorrow for their sins. Thus when we find in Sacred Scripture and in the writings of the Fathers passages which seem to assert that certain sins are irremissible, we must understand the meaning to be that it is very difficult to obtain pardon for them. A disease is sometimes called incurable, because the patient is so disposed as to loathe the medicines that could afford him relief. In the same way certain sins are not remitted or pardoned because the sinner rejects the grace of God, the only medicine for salvation. It is in this sense that St. Augustine wrote: When a man who, through the grace of Jesus Christ, has once arrived at a knowledge of God, wounds fraternal charity, and, driven by the fury of envy, lifts up his head against grace, the enormity of his sin is so great that, though compelled by a guilty conscience to acknowledge and confess his fault, he finds himself unable to submit to the humiliation of imploring pardon." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
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Q. Are there some sins that a particular priest may not have the authority to forgive? When might this same priest have the authority to forgive these sins?
A. The priest may not have authority to forgive "reserved sins" and may not have the authority to forgive sins when he does not have proper jurisdiction. In danger of death, the priest may even be able to absolve in the above cases.
"The priest has the power to forgive all sins in the Sacrament of Penance, but he may not have the authority to forgive them all. To forgive sins validly in the Sacrament of Penance, two things are required (1) The power to forgive sins which every priest receives at his ordination, and (2) the right to use that power which must be given by the bishop, who authorizes the priest to hear confessions and pass judgment on the sins." (Baltimore Catechism)
"The sins which the priest has no authority to absolve are called reserved sins. Absolution from these sins can be obtained only from the bishop, and sometimes only from the Pope, or by his special permission. Persons having a reserved sin to confess cannot be absolved from any of their sins till the priest receives faculties or authority to absolve the reserved sin also." (Baltimore Catechism)
"And it hath seemed to our most holy Fathers to be of great importance to the discipline of the Christian people, that certain more atrocious and more heinous crimes should be absolved, not by all priests, but only by the highest priests: whence the Sovereign Pontiffs, in virtue of the supreme power delivered to them in the universal Church, were deservedly able to reserve, for their special judgment, certain more grievous cases of crimes... Nevertheless, for fear lest any may perish on this account, it has always been very piously observed in the said Church of God, that there be no reservation at the point of death, and that therefore all priests may absolve all penitents whatsoever from every kind of sins and censures whatever: and as, save at that point of death, priests have no power in reserved cases, let this alone be their endeavor, to persuade penitents to repair to superior and lawful judges for the benefit of absolution." (Council of Trent)
"Any priest can absolve a person in danger of death from reserved sins without the permission of the bishop, because at the hour of death the Church removes these restrictions in order to save, if possible, the soul of the dying." (Baltimore Catechism)
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Q. Does guilt of sin committed long ago still remain if not remitted?
A. Without penance, the guilt of sins committed long ago still remains: "Just as in the case of those sins which cannot themselves be permanent, because they pass away as soon as they are committed, but their guilt remains, and if not remitted, will remain in eternity, so too with concupiscence; when remitted, guilt is taken away. For not to have sin means not to be guilty of sin. If anyone, for example, committed adultery, even if he never does it again, he is guilty of adultery until it be remitted... He has the sin, therefore, although that which he committed no longer exists because it passed away along with the passing of time at which he committed it." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church, c. 419 A.D.)
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Q. Should persons should be ashamed, bashful, or reluctant about confessing their sins?
A. No!
"For if the sick man is ashamed to confess his wound to the physician, medicine will not cure that to which it is not applied." (St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church)
"[T]he case is not desperate for a person to have been wounded, but for him to neglect the cure of his wounds." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
"Let no one then ever put forth so cold an excuse as, I dare not, I am ashamed, I cannot open my mouth. The devils have that kind of fear. The devil would fain close against you every door of access to God." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)
"Still more pernicious is the fault of those who, yielding to a foolish bashfulness, cannot induce themselves to confess their sins. Such persons are to be encouraged by exhortation, and are to be reminded that there is no reason whatever why they should fear to disclose their sins, that to no one can it appear surprising if persons fall into sin, the common malady of the human race and the natural consequence of human infirmity." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"Why should the sinner be ashamed to make known his sins, since they are already known and manifest to God, and to His angels, and even to the blessed in heaven? Confession opens the door to heaven. Confession brings hope of salvation. Because of this the Scripture says: 'First, tell thy iniquities, that you may be justified' (Is 43:26). Here we are shown that the man will not be saved who, during his life does not confess his sins." (St. Ambrose, Doctor of the Church)
"For anyone who has been wounded in a battle ought not be reluctant to put himself in the care of a wise physician, because he was overcome and lost the battle. And when he has been healed, he will not be rejected by the king, but will again be counted and reckoned in his army. So also he that has been struck by Satan ought not be ashamed to bewail his folly, and to give it up, and to seek a remedy in repentance... [If] anyone is ashamed, he will not be able to be cured, since he does not wish to make his ills known to the physician" (St. Aphraates, c. 336-345 A.D.)
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Q. How does St. John Vianney say we should perform our penance?
A. "We should perform our penance overwhelmed with joy at being able to satisfy God, whom we have offended, and at finding such an easy means of effacing our sins which should have earned eternal sufferings for us." (St. John Vianney)
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Q. Who said...? "Have you sinned? Go into church and wipe out your sin. As often as you might fall down in the marketplace, you pick yourself up again. So too, as often as you sin, repent your sin. Do not despair. Even if you sin a second time, repent a second time. Do not by any indifference lose hope entirely of the good things prepared. Even if you are in extreme old age and have sinned, go in, repent! For here there is a physician's office, not a courtroom; not a place where punishment of sin is exacted but where the forgiveness of sin is granted."
A. St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church
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Q. What are the chief qualities of a good Confession?
A. "The chief qualities of a good Confession are three: it must be humble, sincere, and entire [including the number and kinds of our sins (e.g. blasphemy, disobedience, anger, impurity, etc.) and the circumstances which change their structure (e.g. anything that makes it another kind of sin)]." (Baltimore Catechism)
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Q. What are the proper dispositions for penance?
A. "The right dispositions for Penance are: (1) To confess all our moral sins as we know them; (2) To be sorry for them, and (3) to have the determination never to commit them or others again." (Baltimore Catechism)
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Q. What are five requirements to receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily?
A. "To receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily we must do five things: 1.) We must examine our conscience, 2.) We must have sorrow for our sins, 3.) We must make a firm resolution never more to offend God, 4.) We must confess our sins to the priest, and 5.) We must accept the [appropriate] penance which the priest gives us." (Baltimore Catechism)
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Q. What is the most important part of preparation for confession?
A. "The most important part of the preparation for confession is sincere sorrow for the sins committed and the firm determination to avoid them for the future." (Baltimore Catechism)
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Q. Is forgiveness for injuries received by others necessary to receive forgiveness for our own sins?
A. "Again, not less necessary for contrition than the other chief conditions is a care that it be accompanied by entire forgiveness of the injuries which we may have received from others. This our Lord and Savior admonishes when He declares: If you will forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father will forgive you also your offences, but if you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your offences." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
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Q. Are penitents bound to make restitution?
A. "[If] the penitent has taken anything from his neighbor, he is bound to restitution. Likewise if, by word or deed he has injured his neighbor's honor or reputation, he is under an obligation of repairing the injury by procuring him some advantage or rendering him some service. Well known to all is the maxim of St. Augustine: The sin is not forgiven unless what has been taken away is restored." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
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Q. Does the priest act as judge in Confession?
A. Yes.
"But although the absolution of the priest [in the sacrament of Penance] is the granting of a gift that is not his own, nevertheless, it is not merely a simple ministry that consists in announcing the gospel or of declaring that the sins are remitted; but it is like a judicial act whereby the sentence is pronounced by the priest as a judge." (Council of Trent)
"Can. 978 §1 In hearing confessions the priest is to remember that he is at once both judge and healer, and that he is constituted by God as a minister of both divine justice and divine mercy, so that he may contribute to the honor of God and the salvation of souls. §2 In administering the sacrament, the confessor, as a minister of the Church, is to adhere faithfully to the teaching of the magisterium and to the norms issued by the competent authority." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"After His Resurrection He breathed on the Apostles, assembled together, saying: Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. Now in giving to priests the power to retain and forgive sins, it is evident that our Lord made them also judges in this matter. Our Lord seems to have signified the same thing when, having raised Lazarus from the dead, He commanded His Apostles to loose him from the bands in which he was bound. This is the interpretation of St. Augustine. The priests, he says, can now do more: they can exercise greater clemency towards those who confess and whose sins they forgive. The Lord, in giving over Lazarus, whom He had already raised from the dead, to be loosed by the hands of His disciples, wished us to understand that to priests was given the power of loosing. To this also refers the command given by our Lord to the lepers cured on the way, that they show themselves to the priests, and subject themselves to their judgment." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
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Q. The priests' power to forgive sins implies the obligation of what?
A. "The power to forgive sins implies the obligation of going to confession because as sins are usually committed secretly, the priest could never know what sins to forgive and what not to forgive unless the sins committed were made known to him by the persons guilty of them." (Baltimore Catechism)
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Q. Why not simply confess our sins to God privately?
A. Rather than confess our sins directly to God in secret, the Lord has established the obligation of confessing to priests in order to obtain pardon: "Certainly, God could forgive our sins if we confessed them to Himself in secret, but He has not promised to do so; whereas He has promised to pardon them if we confess them to His priests. Since He is free to pardon or not to pardon, He has the right to establish a Sacrament through which alone He will pardon." (Baltimore Catechism)
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Q. The Sacrament of Penance may be called the masterpiece of what?
A. "The Sacrament of Penance [is] the masterpiece of God's goodness." (Pope Pius XII)
"My children, we cannot comprehend the goodness of God towards us in instituting this great Sacrament of Penance. If we had had a favor to ask of Our Lord, we should never have thought of asking Him that. But He foresaw our frailty and our inconstancy in well-doing, and His love induced Him to do what we should not have dared to ask. If one said to those poor lost souls that have been so long in Hell, 'We are going to place a priest at the gate of Hell: all those who wish to confess have only to go out,' do you think, my children, that a single one would remain? The most guilty would not be afraid of telling their sins, nor even of telling them before all the world. Oh, how soon Hell would be a desert, and how Heaven would be peopled! Well, we have the time and the means, which those poor lost souls have not." (Catechism of St. John Vianney)
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Q. What five principal qualities should the accusation of our sins have?
A. "It ought to be humble [without pride or boasting; but with the feelings of one who is guilty, who confesses his guilt, and who appears before his judge], entire [all mortal sins we are conscious of having committed since our last good confession must be made known, together with the circumstances (which change the species of the sin - those by which a sinful action from being venial becomes mortal and those by means of which a sinful action contains the malice of two or more mortal sins) and number], sincere [we must unfold our sins as they are, without excusing them, lessening them, or increasing them], prudent [we should use the most careful words possible and be on our guard against revealing the sins of others] and brief [we should say nothing that is useless for the purpose of confession]." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
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Q. Must we confess all sins, even venial sins?
A. We must confess all mortal sins and should confess venial sins as well.
"Can. 988 §1 A member of the Christian faithful is obliged to confess in kind and number all grave sins committed after baptism and not yet remitted directly through the keys of the Church nor acknowledged in individual confession, of which the person has knowledge after diligent examination of conscience. §2 It is recommended to the Christian faithful that they also confess venial sins." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"So important is it that confession be entire that if the penitent confesses only some of his sins and willfully neglects to accuse himself of others which should be confessed, he not only does not profit by his confession, but involves himself in new guilt. Such an enumeration of sins cannot be called sacramental confession; on the contrary, the penitent must repeat his confession, not omitting to accuse himself of having, under the semblance of confession, profaned the sanctity of the Sacrament." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"Again the priest in hearing a confession takes the place of God, so that confession should be made to him just as contrition is made to God: wherefore as there would be no contrition unless one were contrite for all the sins which one calls to mind, so is there no confession unless one confess all the sins that one remembers committing." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"In prescribing medicine for the body, the physician should know not only the disease for which he is prescribing, but also the general constitution of the sick person, since one disease is aggravated by the addition of another, and a medicine which would be adapted to one disease, would be harmful to another. The same is to be said in regard to sins, for one is aggravated when another is added to it; and a remedy which would be suitable for one sin, might prove an incentive to another, since sometimes a man is guilty of contrary sins, as Gregory says (Regulae Pastoralis iii,3). Hence it is necessary for confession that man confess all the sins that he calls to mind, and if he fails to do this, it is not a confession, but a pretense of confession." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"Can. 7. If anyone says that in the sacrament of penance it is not necessary by divine law for the remission of sins to confess each and all mortal sins, of which one has remembrance after a due and diligent examination, even secret ones and those which are against the two last precepts of the decalogue, and the circumstances which alter the nature of sin; but that this confession is useful only for the instruction and consolation of the penitent, and formerly was observed only for imposing a canonical satisfaction; or says, that they who desire to confess all their sins wish to leave nothing to be pardoned by divine mercy; or, finally, that it is not lawful to confess venial sins: let him be anathema" (Council of Trent, 1551 A.D.)
"It is well to confess also the venial sins we remember (1) because it shows our hatred of all sin, and (2) because it is sometimes difficult to determine just when a sin is venial and when mortal." (Baltimore Catechism)
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Q. When one is not guilty of mortal sin, are confessions of just venial sins recommended?
A. Yes.
"We do not, of course, believe that the soul is killed by [venial] sins; but still, they make it ugly by covering it as if with some kind of pustules and, as it were, with horrible scabs, which allow the soul to come only with difficulty to the embrace of the heavenly Spouse, of whom it is written 'He prepared for Himself a Church having neither spot nor blemish.'" (St. Caesar of Arles, c. 540 A.D.)
"While he is in the flesh, man cannot help but have at least some light sins. But do not despise these sins which we call 'light': if you take them for light when you weigh them, tremble when you count them. A number of light objects makes a great mass; a number of drops fills a river; a number of grains makes a heap. What then is our hope? Above all, confession" (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)
Error CONDEMNED by Pope Pius VI in "Auctorem Fidei": "The declaration of the synod about the confession of venial sins, which it does not wish, it says, to be so frequently resorted to, lest confessions of this sort be rendered too contemptible, [is condemned as] rash, dangerous, contrary to the practice of the saints and the pious which was approved by the sacred Council of Trent.'" (Errors of the Synod of Pistoia, This error was condemned by Pope Pius VI in the Constitution "Auctorem Fidei", Aug. 28, 1794 A.D.)
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Q. When confessing only venial sins, what must one be careful of? What are some suggestions for confession of only venial sins?
A. When confessing only venial sins, one must be careful to have sufficient sorrow for sin: "If one confesses only venial sins without having sorrow for at least one of them, his confession is in vain; moreover it would be sacrilegious if the absence of sorrow was conscious." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"To render the confession of venial sins more secure it is prudent also to confess with true sorrow some grave sin of the past, even though it has been already confessed." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"One who has only venial sins to confess should tell also some sin already confessed in his past life for which he knows he is truly sorry; because it is not easy to be truly sorry for slight sins and imperfections, and yet we must be sorry for the sins confessed that our confession may be valid - hence we add some past sin for which we are truly sorry to those for which we may not be sufficiently sorry." (Baltimore Catechism)
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Q. Is great care necessary in choosing a confessor? What if our usual confessor is not available?
A. "The faithful, therefore, will see the great care that each one should take in selecting (as confessor) a priest, who is recommended by integrity of life, by learning and prudence, who is deeply impressed with the awful weight and responsibility of the station which he holds, who understands well the punishment due to every sin, and can also discern who are to be loosed and who to be bound." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"We should not remain away from confession because we cannot go to our usual confessor, for though it is well to confess to the same priest, it is not necessary to do so. One should never become so attached to a confessor that his absence or the great inconvenience of going to him would become an excuse for neglecting the Sacraments." (Baltimore Catechism)
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Q. What is the most necessary part of Penance?
A. "Of all the parts of the sacrament of Penance the most necessary is contrition, because without it no pardon for sins is obtainable, while with it alone, perfect pardon can be obtained, provided that along with it there is the desire, at least implicit, of going to confession." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
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Q. What are some ways to develop a hatred for one's sins?
A. "To excite myself to detest my sins: (1) I will consider the rigour of the infinite justice of God and the foulness of sin which has defiled my soul and made me worthy of the eternal punishment of hell; (2) I will consider that by sin I have lost the grace, friendship and sonship of God and the inheritance of Heaven; (3) That I have offended my Redeemer who died for me and that my sins caused His death; (4) That I have despised my Creator and my God, that I have turned my back upon Him who is my Supreme Good and worthy of being loved above everything else and of being faithfully served." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
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Q. Will perfect contrition obtain pardon for mortal sin without the Sacrament of Penance?
A. "Perfect contrition will obtain pardon for mortal sin without the Sacrament of Penance when we cannot go to confession, but with the perfect contrition we must have the intention of going to confession as soon as possible, if we again have the opportunity." (Baltimore Catechism)
"Perfect sorrow does not obtain us pardon of our sins independently of confession, because it always includes the intention to confess them." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
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Q. May one who has committed a mortal sin receive the Holy Eucharist before making a sacramental Confession?
A. "No one who has a mortal sin on his conscience shall dare receive the Holy Eucharist before making a sacramental confession, regardless of how contrite he may think he is. This holy council declares that this custom is to be kept forever" (Council of Trent)
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Q. Is imperfect contrition sufficient for a worthy confession?
A. "Imperfect contrition is sufficient for a worthy [sacramental] confession, but we should endeavor to have perfect contrition." (Baltimore Catechism)
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Q. After sin is forgiven by the priest in confession, eternal punishment is effaced, but might temporal punishment still be required?
A. Yes.
"The Sacrament of Penance remits the eternal punishment due to sin, but it does not always remit the temporal punishment which God requires as satisfaction for our sins." (Baltimore Catechism)
"The penance which the confessor imposes does not ordinarily suffice to discharge the punishment remaining due to our sins; and hence we must try to supply it by other voluntary penances [e.g. prayer, fasting/mortification, and alms-deeds/works of mercy]." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"[Sin] carries in its train two evils, the stain and the punishment. Whenever the stain is effaced, the punishment of eternal death is forgiven with the guilt to which it was due; yet, as the Council of Trent declares, the remains of sin and the temporal punishment are not always remitted." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"A penance is imposed because, after sacramental absolution which remits sin and its eternal punishment, there generally remains a temporal punishment to be undergone, either in this world or in Purgatory." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"The slight penance the priest gives us is not sufficient to satisfy for all the sins confessed: (1) Because there is no real equality between the slight penance given and the punishment deserved for sin; (2) Because we are all obliged to do penance for sins committed, and this would not be necessary if the penance given in confession satisfied for all. The penance is given and accepted in confession chiefly to show our willingness to do penance and make amends for our sins." (Baltimore Catechism)
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Q. What are the three primary means of satisfaction?
A. "[A]ll kinds of satisfaction are reducible to three heads: prayer, fasting and almsdeeds, which correspond to three kinds of goods which we have received from God, those of the soul, those of the body and what are called external goods. Nothing can be more effectual in uprooting all sin from the soul than these three kinds of satisfaction... [I]f we consider those whom our sins injure, we shall easily perceive why all kinds of satisfaction are reduced especially to these three. For those (we offend by our sins) are: God, our neighbor and ourselves. God we appease by prayer, our neighbor we satisfy by alms, and ourselves we chastise by fasting." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"The chief means by which we satisfy God for the temporal punishment due to sin are: Prayer, fasting, almsgiving, all spiritual and corporal works of mercy, and the patient suffering of the ills of life." (Baltimore Catechism)
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Q. Must a priest sometimes refuse absolution to certain penitents? What should the penitent do in such cases?
A. Yes. (See below for rest of answer)
"Confessors not only may, but must defer or refuse absolution in certain cases so as not to profane the sacrament." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"Confessors should give absolution to those only whom they judge properly disposed to receive it." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"The priest must and does refuse absolution to a penitent when the thinks the penitent is not rightly disposed for the Sacrament. He sometimes postpones the absolution till the next confession, either for the good of the penitent or for the sake of better preparation - especially when the person has been a long time from confession." (Baltimore Catechism)
"A confessor who defers absolution because he does not believe the penitent well enough disposed, is not too severe; on the contrary, he is very charitable and acts as a good physician who tries all remedies, even those that are disagreeable and painful, to save the life of his patient." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"When the priest has refused or postponed absolution, the penitent should humbly submit to his decision, follow his [appropriate] instructions, and endeavor to remove whatever prevented the giving of the absolution and return to the same confessor with the necessary dispositions and resolution of amendment." (Baltimore Catechism)
"A sinner to whom absolution is deferred or refused, should not despair or leave off going to confession altogether; he should, on the contrary, humble himself, acknowledge his deplorable state, profit by the good advice his confessor gives him, and thus put himself as soon as possible in a state deserving of absolution." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
[Naturally the above assumes that the instruction / advice / penance is not contrary to faith or morals.]
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Q. Which penitents may be considered badly disposed?
A. "Penitents who are to be accounted badly disposed are chiefly the following: (1) Those who do not know the principal mysteries of their faith, or who neglect to learn those other truths of Christian doctrine which they are bound to know according to their state; (2) Those who are gravely negligent in examining their conscience, who show no signs of sorrow or repentance; (3) Those who are able but not willing to restore the goods of others, or the reputations they have injured; (4) Those who do not from their heart forgive their enemies; (5) Those who will not practice the means necessary to correct their bad habits; (6) Those who will not abandon the proximate occasions of sin." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
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Q. Must one must have a firm purpose of sinning no more, including the determination to avoid occasions of sin?
A. Yes.
"A good resolution consists in a determined will not to commit sin for the future and to use all necessary means to avoid it." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"We are strictly bound to shun those dangerous occasions which ordinarily lead us to commit mortal sin, and which are called the proximate occasions of sin." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"A person who is determined to avoid the sin, but who is unwilling to give up its near occasion when it is possible to do so, is not rightly disposed for confession, and he will not be absolved if he makes known to the priest the true state of his conscience." (Baltimore Catechism)
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Q. What are four kinds of occasions of sin?
A. "There are four kinds of occasions of sin: (1) Near occasions, through which we always fall; (2) remote occasions, through which we sometimes fall; (3) voluntary occasions or those we can avoid; and (4) involuntary occasions or those we cannot avoid. A person who lives in a near and voluntary occasion of sin need not expect forgiveness while he continues in that state." (Baltimore Catechism)
"Persons, places and things are usually occasions of sin: (1) The persons who are occasions of sin are all those in whose company we sin, whether they be bad of themselves or bad only while in our company, in which case we also become occasions of sin for them; (2) the places are usually liquor saloons, low theaters, indecent dances, entertainments, amusements, exhibitions, and all immoral resorts of any kind, whether we sin in them or not; (3) the things are all bad books, indecent pictures, songs, jokes, and the like even when they are tolerated by public opinion and found in public places." (Baltimore Catechism)
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Q. What should we avoid in Confession?
A. "In making our confession, we are to avoid: (1) Telling useless details, the sins of others, or the name of any person; (2) Confessing sins that we are not sure of having committed; exaggerating our sins or their number; multiplying the number of times a day by the number of days to get the exact number of habitual sins; (3) Giving a vague answer, such as 'sometimes', when asked how often, waiting after each sin to be asked for the next; (4) Hesitating over sins through pretended modesty and thus delaying the priests and others; telling the exact words in each when we have committed several sins of the same kind, cursing, for example; and, lastly, leaving the confessional before the priest gives us a sign to go." (Baltimore Catechism)
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Q. What is the examination of conscience? What are some tips for a good examination of conscience?
A. "The examination of conscience is an earnest effort to recall to mind all the sins we have committed since our last worthy confession." (Baltimore Catechism)
"The examination of conscience is a diligent search for the sins committed since the last good confession." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"Before beginning the examination of conscience we should pray to God to give us light to know our sins and grace to detest them." (Baltimore Catechism)
"We can make a good examination of conscience by calling to memory the commandments of God, the precepts of the Church, the seven capital sins, and the particular duties of our state in life, to find out the sins we have committed." (Baltimore Catechism)
"In the examination of conscience the same diligence is demanded as is used in a matter of great importance." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"The examination of conscience is made by carefully calling to mind before God all the sins committed but not confessed, in thought, word, deed and omission, against the Commandments of God and the Church, and against the duties of our state." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"[Before confession, we should pray, examining our conscience, considering:] the sins that we committed since our last confession in thought, word or deed, and in omission of the good works that we are obliged to perform." (Catechism of St. John Neumann)
"We should also examine ourselves on our bad habits and on the occasions of sin." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"In our examination we should also try to discover the number of our mortal sins." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"The examination of conscience is rendered easy by making an examination of conscience every evening upon the actions of the day." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
Note: For commandments, precepts of the Church, information regarding sin (mortal sin, deadly sins, etc.), etc., try the Catholic Basics Section at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/catholic_basics.htm . For prayers in preparation for Confession, try here: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_sin_mercy_deliverance.htm
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Q. What is required for a sin to be mortal?
A. "For a sin to be mortal three things are required: (1) Grave matter [when the thing under examination is seriously contrary to the laws of God and His Church], (2) Full advertence [when we know perfectly well that we are doing a serious evil], (3) Perfect consent of the will [when we deliberately determine to do a thing although we know that thing to be sinful]." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
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Q. Is it sinful to willfully conceal a mortal sin in confession?
A. Yes.
"It is a grievous offence willfully to conceal a mortal sin in Confession, because we thereby tell a lie to the Holy Ghost and make our Confession worthless." (Baltimore Catechism)
"He who, through shame or some other motive, willfully conceals a mortal sin in confession, profanes the sacrament and is consequently guilty of a very great sacrilege." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
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Q. What must one do if he/she has willfully concealed a mortal sin?
A. "He who has willfully concealed a mortal sin in Confession must not only confess it, but must also repeat [that is, confess again] all the sins he has committed since his last worthy Confession." (Baltimore Catechism)
"One who has willfully concealed a mortal sin in confession must, besides repeating [that is, confessing again] all the sins he has committed since his last worthy confession, tell also how often he has unworthy received absolution and Holy Communion during the same time." (Baltimore Catechism)
"He who has willfully concealed a mortal sin in confession, must reveal to his confessor the sin concealed, say in how many confessions he has concealed it, and make all these confessions over again, from the last good confession." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
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Q. What if one unintentionally forgets to confess a mortal sin?
A. "If a mortal sin forgotten in confession is afterwards remembered we are certainly bound to confess it the next time we go to confession." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"If without our fault we forget to confess a mortal sin, our Confession is worthy, and the sin is forgiven; but it must be told in Confession if it again comes to mind." (Baltimore Catechism)
"He who through pure forgetfulness does not confess a mortal sin, or a necessary circumstance, makes a good confession, provided he has been duly diligent in trying to remember it." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"A person who has forgotten to tell a mortal sin in confession may go to Communion before again going to confession, because the forgotten sin was forgiven with those confessed, and the confession was good and worthy." (Baltimore Catechism)
"But should the confession seem defective, either because the penitent forgot some grievous sins, or because, although intent on confessing all his sins, he did not examine the recesses of his conscience with sufficient accuracy, he is not bound to repeat his confession. It will be sufficient, when he recollects the sins which he had forgotten, to confess them to a priest on a future occasion. It should be noted, however, that we are not to examine our consciences with careless indifference, or to be so negligent in recalling our sins as to seem as if unwilling to remember them. Should this have been the case, the confession must by all means be made over again." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
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Q. In what cases might general absolution be allowed? What is required of the faithful after receiving a general absolution?
A. "Can. 961 §1 General absolution, without prior individual confession, cannot be given to a number of penitents together, unless: 1° danger of death threatens and there is not time for the priest or priests to hear the confessions of the individual penitents; 2° there exists a grave necessity, that is, given the number of penitents, there are not enough confessors available properly to hear the individual confessions within an appropriate time, so that without fault of their own the penitents are deprived of the sacramental grace or of Holy Communion for a lengthy period of time. A sufficient necessity is not, however, considered to exist when confessors cannot be available merely because of a great gathering of penitents, such as can occur on some major feastday or pilgrimage. §2 It is for the diocesan Bishop to judge whether the conditions required in §1, n. 2 are present; mindful of the criteria agreed with the other members of the Episcopal Conference, he can determine the cases of such necessity." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"Can. 962 §1 For a member of Christ's faithful to benefit validly from a sacramental absolution given to a number of people simultaneously, it is required not only that he or she be properly disposed, but be also at the same time personally resolved to confess in due time each of the grave sins which cannot for the moment be thus confessed. §2 Christ's faithful are to be instructed about the requirements set out in §1, as far as possible even on the occasion of general absolution being received. An exhortation that each person should make an act of contrition is to precede a general absolution, even in the case of danger of death if there is time." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
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Q. Can one receive absolution from an absent confessor?
A. No
"His Holiness...condemned and forbade as false, rash, and scandalous the proposition, namely, 'that it is lawful through letters or through a messenger to confess sins sacramentally to an absent confessor, and to receive absolution from that same absent confessor,' and orders in turn that that proposition thereafter not be taught in public or private gatherings, assemblies, and congresses; and that it never in any case be defended as probable, be given the stamp of approval, or be reduced in any way to practice." (Pope Clement VIII, 1602 A.D.)
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Q. Why do we confess only to authorized priests?
A. "The same rationale is observed in the declaring of one's sins as in the detection of physical diseases. Just as the diseases of the body are not divulged to all, nor haphazardly, but to those who are skilled in curing them, so too our declaration of our sins should be made to those empowered to cure them" (St. Basil the Great, Doctor of the Church, c. 371 A.D.)
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Q. What are some reasons that confessions do not always amend the penitents' ways?
A. "The chief reason that our confessions do not always amend our way of living is our want of real earnest preparation for them and the fact that we have not truly convinced ourselves of the need of amendment. We often confess our sins more from habit, necessity or fear than from a real desire of receiving grace and of being restored to the friendship of God." (Baltimore Catechism)
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Q. Is it good to regularly examine one's conscience and make frequent acts of contrition?
A. Yes.
"It is well and most useful to make an act of contrition often, especially before going to sleep or when we know we have or fear we have fallen into mortal sin, in order to recover God's grace as soon as possible; and this practice will make it easier for us to obtain from God the grace of making a like act at time of our greatest need, that is, when in danger of death." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"They should all be admonished frequently to examine their consciences, in order to ascertain if they have been faithful in the observance of those things which God and His Church require. Should anyone be conscious of sin, he should immediately accuse himself, humbly solicit pardon from God, and implore time to confess and satisfy for his sins. Above all, let him supplicate the aid of divine grace, in order that he may not relapse into those sins which he now penitently deplores." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
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Q. Should one confess with despair?
A. "Even when one confesses his sins, he ought to do so with praise of God; nor is a confession of sins a pious one unless it be made without despair, and with a prayer for God's mercy." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church, 5th century A.D.)
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Q. Besides the sacrament, what might the word "penance" mean?
A. "The word penance has other meanings. It means also those punishments we inflict upon ourselves as a means of atoning for our past sins; it means likewise that disposition of the heart in which we detest and bewail our sins because they were offensive to God." (Baltimore Catechism)
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Challenge question: Name at least 20 effects of penance. [Tip: Visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/sacraments/penance.htm for assistance]
For more information on the Sacrament of Penance, please visit. http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/sacraments/penance.htm
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Christ the King
The following is taken from the encyclical "Quas Primas" which instituted feast of Christ the King.
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Did you know? The motto of MyCatholicSource.com, "Christ the King", took root from this 1925 encyclical of Pope Pius XI entitled "Quas Primas". Also, MyCatholicSource.com uses purple as this color is traditionally associated with royalty.
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Ref. http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/quas_primas.htm [Note: footnotes have been omitted below. See above link for footnotes]
Words of Pope Pius XI:
"We remember saying that these manifold evils in the world were due to the fact that the majority of men had thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives; that these had no place either in private affairs or in politics: and we said further, that as long as individuals and states refused to submit to the rule of our Savior, there would be no really hopeful prospect of a lasting peace among nations...
It has long been a common custom to give to Christ the metaphorical title of 'King,' because of the high degree of perfection whereby he excels all creatures. So he is said to reign 'in the hearts of men,' both by reason of the keenness of his intellect and the extent of his knowledge, and also because he is very truth, and it is from him that truth must be obediently received by all mankind. He reigns, too, in the wills of men, for in him the human will was perfectly and entirely obedient to the Holy Will of God, and further by his grace and inspiration he so subjects our free-will as to incite us to the most noble endeavors. He is King of hearts, too, by reason of his 'charity which exceedeth all knowledge.' And his mercy and kindness which draw all men to him, for never has it been known, nor will it ever be, that man be loved so much and so universally as Jesus Christ. But if we ponder this matter more deeply, we cannot but see that the title and the power of King belongs to Christ as man in the strict and proper sense too. For it is only as man that he may be said to have received from the Father 'power and glory and a kingdom,' since the Word of God, as consubstantial with the Father, has all things in common with him, and therefore has necessarily supreme and absolute dominion over all things created.
Do we not read throughout the Scriptures that Christ is the King? He it is that shall come out of Jacob to rule, who has been set by the Father as king over Sion, his holy mount, and shall have the Gentiles for his inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for his possession. In the nuptial hymn, where the future King of Israel is hailed as a most rich and powerful monarch, we read: 'Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; the scepter of thy kingdom is a scepter of righteousness.' There are many similar passages, but there is one in which Christ is even more clearly indicated. Here it is foretold that his kingdom will have no limits, and will be enriched with justice and peace: 'in his days shall justice spring up, and abundance of peace...And he shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.'
The testimony of the Prophets is even more abundant. That of Isaias is well known: 'For a child is born to us and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, God the mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace. His empire shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace. He shall sit upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom; to establish it and strengthen it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth and for ever.' With Isaias the other Prophets are in agreement. So Jeremias foretells the 'just seed' that shall rise from the house of David - the Son of David that shall reign as king, 'and shall be wise, and shall execute judgment and justice on the earth.' So, too, Daniel, who announces the kingdom that the God of heaven shall found, 'that shall never be destroyed, and shall stand for ever.' And again he says: 'I beheld, therefore, in the vision of the night, and, lo! one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven. And he came even to the Ancient of days: and they presented him before him. And he gave him power and glory and a kingdom: and all peoples, tribes, and tongues shall serve him. His power is an everlasting power that shall not be taken away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.' The prophecy of Zachary concerning the merciful King 'riding upon an ass and upon a colt the foal of an ass' entering Jerusalem as 'the just and savior,' amid the acclamations of the multitude, was recognized as fulfilled by the holy evangelists themselves.
This same doctrine of the Kingship of Christ which we have found in the Old Testament is even more clearly taught and confirmed in the New. The Archangel, announcing to the Virgin that she should bear a Son, says that 'the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father, and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.'
Moreover, Christ himself speaks of his own kingly authority: in his last discourse, speaking of the rewards and punishments that will be the eternal lot of the just and the damned; in his reply to the Roman magistrate, who asked him publicly whether he were a king or not; after his resurrection, when giving to his Apostles the mission of teaching and baptizing all nations, he took the opportunity to call himself king, confirming the title publicly, and solemnly proclaimed that all power was given him in heaven and on earth. These words can only be taken to indicate the greatness of his power, the infinite extent of his kingdom. What wonder, then, that he whom St. John calls the 'prince of the kings of the earth' appears in the Apostle's vision of the future as he who 'hath on his garment and on his thigh written 'King of kings and Lord of lords!'. 'It is Christ whom the Father 'hath appointed heir of all things'; 'for he must reign until at the end of the world he hath put all his enemies under the feet of God and the Father.'
It was surely right, then, in view of the common teaching of the sacred books, that the Catholic Church, which is the kingdom of Christ on earth, destined to be spread among all men and all nations, should with every token of veneration salute her Author and Founder in her annual liturgy as King and Lord, and as King of Kings. And, in fact, she used these titles, giving expression with wonderful variety of language to one and the same concept, both in ancient psalmody and in the Sacramentaries. She uses them daily now in the prayers publicly offered to God, and in offering the Immaculate Victim [that is, Christ in the Holy Eucharist]. The perfect harmony of the Eastern liturgies with our own in this continual praise of Christ the King shows once more the truth of the axiom: Legem credendi lex statuit supplicandi. The rule of faith is indicated by the law of our worship.
The foundation of this power and dignity of Our Lord is rightly indicated by Cyril of Alexandria. 'Christ,' he says, 'has dominion over all creatures, a dominion not seized by violence nor usurped, but his by essence and by nature.' His kingship is founded upon the ineffable hypostatic union. From this it follows not only that Christ is to be adored by angels and men, but that to him as man angels and men are subject, and must recognize his empire; by reason of the hypostatic union Christ has power over all creatures. But a thought that must give us even greater joy and consolation is this that Christ is our King by acquired, as well as by natural right, for he is our Redeemer. Would that they who forget what they have cost their Savior might recall the words: 'You were not redeemed with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Christ...' We are no longer our own property, for Christ has purchased us 'with a great price'; our very bodies are the 'members of Christ.'
Let Us explain briefly the nature and meaning of this lordship of Christ. It consists, We need scarcely say, in a threefold power which is essential to lordship. This is sufficiently clear from the scriptural testimony already adduced concerning the universal dominion of our Redeemer, and moreover it is a dogma of faith that Jesus Christ was given to man, not only as our Redeemer, but also as a law-giver, to whom obedience is due. Not only do the gospels tell us that he made laws, but they present him to us in the act of making them. Those who keep them show their love for their Divine Master, and he promises that they shall remain in his love. He claimed judicial power as received from his Father, when the Jews accused him of breaking the Sabbath by the miraculous cure of a sick man. 'For neither doth the Father judge any man; but hath given all judgment to the Son.' In this power is included the right of rewarding and punishing all men living, for this right is inseparable from that of judging. Executive power, too, belongs to Christ, for all must obey his commands; none may escape them, nor the sanctions he has imposed.
This kingdom is spiritual and is concerned with spiritual things. That this is so the above quotations from Scripture amply prove, and Christ by his own action confirms it. On many occasions, when the Jews and even the Apostles wrongly supposed that the Messiah would restore the liberties and the kingdom of Israel, he repelled and denied such a suggestion. When the populace thronged around him in admiration and would have acclaimed him King, he shrank from the honor and sought safety in flight. Before the Roman magistrate he declared that his kingdom was not of this world. The gospels present this kingdom as one which men prepare to enter by penance, and cannot actually enter except by faith and by baptism, which, though an external rite, signifies and produces an interior regeneration. This kingdom is opposed to none other than to that of Satan and to the power of darkness. It demands of its subjects a spirit of detachment from riches and earthly things, and a spirit of gentleness. They must hunger and thirst after justice, and more than this, they must deny themselves and carry the cross.
Christ as our Redeemer purchased the Church at the price of his own blood; as priest he offered himself, and continues to offer himself as a victim for our sins. Is it not evident, then, that his kingly dignity partakes in a manner of both these offices?
It would be a grave error, on the other hand, to say that Christ has no authority whatever in civil affairs, since, by virtue of the absolute empire over all creatures committed to him by the Father, all things are in his power. Nevertheless, during his life on earth he refrained from the exercise of such authority, and although he himself disdained to possess or to care for earthly goods, he did not, nor does he today, interfere with those who possess them.
Thus the empire of our Redeemer embraces all men. To use the words of Our immortal predecessor, Pope Leo XIII: 'His empire includes not only Catholic nations, not only baptized persons who, though of right belonging to the Church, have been led astray by error, or have been cut off from her by schism, but also all those who are outside the Christian faith; so that truly the whole of mankind is subject to the power of Jesus Christ.' Nor is there any difference in this matter between the individual and the family or the State; for all men, whether collectively or individually, are under the dominion of Christ. In him is the salvation of the individual, in him is the salvation of society. 'Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given to men whereby we must be saved.' He is the author of happiness and true prosperity for every man and for every nation. 'For a nation is happy when its citizens are happy. What else is a nation but a number of men living in concord?' If, therefore, the rulers of nations wish to preserve their authority, to promote and increase the prosperity of their countries, they will not neglect the public duty of reverence and obedience to the rule of Christ. What We said at the beginning of Our Pontificate concerning the decline of public authority, and the lack of respect for the same, is equally true at the present day. 'With God and Jesus Christ,' we said, 'excluded from political life, with authority derived not from God but from man, the very basis of that authority has been taken away, because the chief reason of the distinction between ruler and subject has been eliminated. The result is that human society is tottering to its fall, because it has no longer a secure and solid foundation.'
When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony. Our Lord's regal office invests the human authority of princes and rulers with a religious significance; it ennobles the citizen's duty of obedience. It is for this reason that St. Paul, while bidding wives revere Christ in their husbands, and slaves respect Christ in their masters, warns them to give obedience to them not as men, but as the vicegerents of Christ; for it is not meet that men redeemed by Christ should serve their fellow-men. 'You are bought with a price; be not made the bond-slaves of men.' If princes and magistrates duly elected are filled with the persuasion that they rule, not by their own right, but by the mandate and in the place of the Divine King, they will exercise their authority piously and wisely, and they will make laws and administer them, having in view the common good and also the human dignity of their subjects. The result will be a stable peace and tranquillity, for there will be no longer any cause of discontent. Men will see in their king or in their rulers men like themselves, perhaps unworthy or open to criticism, but they will not on that account refuse obedience if they see reflected in them the authority of Christ; God and Man. Peace and harmony, too, will result; for with the spread and the universal extent of the kingdom of Christ men will become more and more conscious of the link that binds them together, and thus many conflicts will be either prevented entirely or at least their bitterness will be diminished.
If the kingdom of Christ, then, receives, as it should, all nations under its way, there seems no reason why we should despair of seeing that peace which the King of Peace came to bring on earth - he who came to reconcile all things, who came not to be ministered unto but to minister, who, though Lord of all, gave himself to us as a model of humility, and with his principal law united the precept of charity; who said also: 'My yoke is sweet and my burden light.' Oh, what happiness would be Ours if all men, individuals, families, and nations, would but let themselves be governed by Christ! 'Then at length,' to use the words addressed by our predecessor, Pope Leo XIII, twenty-five years ago to the bishops of the Universal Church, 'then at length will many evils be cured; then will the law regain its former authority; peace with all its blessings be restored. Men will sheathe their swords and lay down their arms when all freely acknowledge and obey the authority of Christ, and every tongue confesses that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.'
That these blessings may be abundant and lasting in Christian society, it is necessary that the kingship of our Savior should be as widely as possible recognized and understood, and to the end nothing would serve better than the institution of a special feast in honor of the Kingship of Christ. For people are instructed in the truths of faith, and brought to appreciate the inner joys of religion far more effectually by the annual celebration of our sacred mysteries than by any official pronouncement of the teaching of the Church. Such pronouncements usually reach only a few and the more learned among the faithful; feasts reach them all; the former speak but once, the latter speak every year - in fact, forever. The Church's teaching affects the mind primarily; her feasts affect both mind and heart, and have a salutary effect upon the whole of man's nature. Man is composed of body and soul, and he needs these external festivities so that the sacred rites, in all their beauty and variety, may stimulate him to drink more deeply of the fountain of God's teaching, that he may make it a part of himself, and use it with profit for his spiritual life...
If We ordain that the whole Catholic world shall revere Christ as King, We shall minister to the need of the present day, and at the same time provide an excellent remedy for the plague which now infects society. We refer to the plague of anti-clericalism, its errors and impious activities. This evil spirit, as you are well aware, Venerable Brethren, has not come into being in one day; it has long lurked beneath the surface. The empire of Christ over all nations was rejected. The right which the Church has from Christ himself, to teach mankind, to make laws, to govern peoples in all that pertains to their eternal salvation, that right was denied. Then gradually the religion of Christ came to be likened to false religions and to be placed ignominiously on the same level with them. It was then put under the power of the state and tolerated more or less at the whim of princes and rulers. Some men went even further, and wished to set up in the place of God's religion a natural religion consisting in some instinctive affection of the heart. There were even some nations who thought they could dispense with God, and that their religion should consist in impiety and the neglect of God. The rebellion of individuals and states against the authority of Christ has produced deplorable consequences. We lamented these in the Encyclical Ubi arcano; we lament them today: the seeds of discord sown far and wide; those bitter enmities and rivalries between nations, which still hinder so much the cause of peace; that insatiable greed which is so often hidden under a pretense of public spirit and patriotism, and gives rise to so many private quarrels; a blind and immoderate selfishness, making men seek nothing but their own comfort and advantage, and measure everything by these; no peace in the home, because men have forgotten or neglect their duty; the unity and stability of the family undermined; society in a word, shaken to its foundations and on the way to ruin. We firmly hope, however, that the feast of the Kingship of Christ, which in future will be yearly observed, may hasten the return of society to our loving Savior. It would be the duty of Catholics to do all they can to bring about this happy result. Many of these, however, have neither the station in society nor the authority which should belong to those who bear the torch of truth. This state of things may perhaps be attributed to a certain slowness and timidity in good people, who are reluctant to engage in conflict or oppose but a weak resistance; thus the enemies of the Church become bolder in their attacks. But if the faithful were generally to understand that it behooves them ever to fight courageously under the banner of Christ their King, then, fired with apostolic zeal, they would strive to win over to their Lord those hearts that are bitter and estranged from him, and would valiantly defend his rights.
Moreover, the annual and universal celebration of the feast of the Kingship of Christ will draw attention to the evils which anti-clericalism has brought upon society in drawing men away from Christ, and will also do much to remedy them. While nations insult the beloved name of our Redeemer by suppressing all mention of it in their conferences and parliaments, we must all the more loudly proclaim his kingly dignity and power, all the more universally affirm his rights...
Therefore by Our Apostolic Authority We institute the Feast of the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ to be observed yearly throughout the whole world on the last Sunday of the month of October - the Sunday, that is, which immediately precedes the Feast of All Saints. We further ordain that the dedication of mankind to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which Our predecessor of saintly memory, Pope Pius X, commanded to be renewed yearly, be made annually on that day...
It is not necessary, Venerable Brethren, that We should explain to you at any length why We have decreed that this feast of the Kingship of Christ should be observed in addition to those other feasts in which his kingly dignity is already signified and celebrated. It will suffice to remark that although in all the feasts of our Lord the material object of worship is Christ, nevertheless their formal object is something quite distinct from his royal title and dignity. We have commanded its observance on a Sunday in order that not only the clergy may perform their duty by saying Mass and reciting the Office, but that the laity too, free from their daily tasks, may in a spirit of holy joy give ample testimony of their obedience and subjection to Christ. The last Sunday of October seemed the most convenient of all for this purpose, because it is at the end of the liturgical year, and thus the feast of the Kingship of Christ sets the crowning glory upon the mysteries of the life of Christ already commemorated during the year, and, before celebrating the triumph of all the Saints, we proclaim and extol the glory of him who triumphs in all the Saints and in all the Elect. Make it your duty and your task, Venerable Brethren, to see that sermons are preached to the people in every parish to teach them the meaning and the importance of this feast, that they may so order their lives as to be worthy of faithful and obedient subjects of the Divine King...
Nations will be reminded by the annual celebration of this feast that not only private individuals but also rulers and princes are bound to give public honor and obedience to Christ. It will call to their minds the thought of the last judgment, wherein Christ, who has been cast out of public life, despised, neglected and ignored, will most severely avenge these insults; for his kingly dignity demands that the State should take account of the commandments of God and of Christian principles, both in making laws and in administering justice, and also in providing for the young a sound moral education."
Note: While those who follow the traditional calendar celebrate the Feast of Christ the King on the last Sunday in October, the Novus Ordo calendar places this feast on the last Sunday before Advent.
Other resources:
* Encyclical "Quas Primas" - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/quas_primas.htm
* Free Christ the King image / MyCatholicSource.com ad (SASE required, subject to availability) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/udi/vi/give_and_take_share_view.asp
* Christ the King coloring page - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/coloring_book_christ_the_king.htm
* Christ the King coloring page (stained glass) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/coloring_book_christ_the_king_st_gl.htm
* Kingdom / Kingdom of God (Topical Scripture) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/pcst/topical_scripture_K2a.htm
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25 Reasons to Pray the Rosary Daily
Since October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary, it seems a fitting time to remind Catholics why the Rosary should be prayed daily. Also provided are some links to Rosary related resources. We hope you may find the following helpful.
Reasons to Pray the Rosary Daily
Ref. http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/daily_rosary.htm
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"Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day be led astray. This is a statement that I would gladly sign with my blood." (St. Louis de Montfort)
"If you want peace in your heart, in your home, in your country, assemble together every night and say the Rosary." (Pope St. Pius X)
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All Catholics without exception should pray the Rosary daily. This heaven-sent devotion is recommended by the popes, the saints, and even the Blessed Virgin herself. This highly indulgenced method of prayer has been called "the greatest method of praying", "the scourge of the devil", "a treasure of graces", and "the most powerful weapon". It brings immeasurable benefits to its devotees, to the Church, and to society at large.
Some top reasons why you should pray the Rosary daily:
1. The Blessed Virgin has urged us all to pray the Rosary daily. Our heavenly Mother knows what is best for us and always has our best interests at heart. As we are warned in Revelation (12:17): "Then the dragon became angry with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring, those who keep God's commandments and bear witness to Jesus." Don't neglect the weapon - the Rosary - that your loving Mother has recommended to you during this most difficult age!
2. Saying the Rosary pleases Mary - "Of all the prayers, the Rosary is the most beautiful and the richest in graces; of all it is the one most pleasing to Mary, the Virgin Most Holy." (Pope St. Pius X)
3. The Church has recommended that we all pray the Rosary daily - "[M]ay the beads of the Rosary be in the hands of all" (Pope Pius XII, "Ad Caeli Reginam", 1954)
4. We have been instructed in Holy Scripture to "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thes. 5:17) and saints agree that prayer is necessary to save our souls! - "He who prays will be saved, he who does not pray will be damned!" (St. Alphonsus, Doctor of the Church)
5. By praying the Rosary daily, you may acquire many indulgences for yourself and for others - "It remains to be added that great value and utility accrue to the Rosary from the abundance of privileges and favors which adorn it, and more particularly from the rich treasures of indulgences attached to it. It is evident how greatly to the advantage of all who are solicitous for their eternal salvation is the obtaining of these benefits." (Pope Leo XIII, "Diuturni Temporis", 1898 A.D.)
6. The Rosary focuses your mind on what is truly important.
7. The Rosary is an excellent instructor in matters of faith.
8. The Rosary brings peace to homes - "If you want peace in your heart, in your home, in your country, assemble together every night and say the Rosary." (Pope St. Pius X)
9. The Rosary is associated with 15 tremendous promises (for more information, visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/promises_of_the_rosary.htm )
10. The Rosary benefits both yourself and society - "For We are convinced that the Rosary, if devoutly used, is bound to benefit not only the individual but society at large." (Pope Leo XIII, "Laetitiae Sanctae", 1893 A.D.)
11. The Rosary brings many graces - "[E]xperience shows that no sooner do the people commence to practice this devotion that they open their hearts to the largest channel of grace, so as to be flooded with heavenly gifts." (Muller)
12. Praying the Rosary keeps you from sin - "It is impossible to meditate with devotion upon the mysteries of the Rosary and live in a state of sin." (St. John Vianney)
13. Praying the Rosary 'shows you are for God' - "I have no better way of knowing if a man is for God than if he likes to say the Hail Mary and the Rosary." (St. Louis de Montfort)
14. Praying the Rosary assists the suffering souls in Purgatory - "Now, one of the easiest, yet one of the most powerful, means to procure relief for the souls in Purgatory is to say the beads for them with fervor... Next to Mass, no more efficacious offering can be made to God then this for the relief of the souls in Purgatory." (Muller)
15. Praying the Rosary protects you from being led astray - "Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day be led astray. This is a statement that I would gladly sign with my blood." (St. Louis de Montfort)
16. Praying the Rosary conquers enemies - "Whilst he stretched for the rod of the Rosary, the wicked enemies were drowned in the sea. And the victory was revealed to Pius (St. Pius V). Alleluia." (Responsory, Dominican Breviary)
17. Miracles may result - "Number those, if you can, who, through the devotion of the Rosary, have recovered from sickness; how many captives have been set at liberty; how many have been delivered by Mary who were in danger of perishing by fire, in danger of shipwreck, in danger of war and pestilence. Go to the sanctuaries of Our Blessed Lady, and see there the many votive offerings, ornaments of gold and silver and precious stones, in commemoration of miraculous cures or other extraordinary favors obtained though the devotion of the Rosary; for in these sanctuaries of the Blessed Virgin the blind are restored to sight, the lame walk, the demons are expelled from the bodies of men. These are authentic facts, attested not only by persons of note who have heard them from others, but by thousands of eyewitnesses whose sincerity we cannot doubt; facts so numerous that, if they were all written, it would take years to read them. What favor and blessing is there that cannot be obtained by the devotion of the Rosary?" (Muller)
18. Praying the Rosary strengthens and maintains one's faith - "It is a well-known fact that wherever the Devotion of the Rosary is practiced, there faith is warm and active." (Muller)
19. Praying the Rosary appeases God - "Now, to appease the might of an outraged God and to bring that health of soul so needed by those who are sorely afflicted, there is nothing better than devout and persevering prayer, provided it be joined with a love for and practice of Christian life. And both of these, the spirit of prayer and the practice of Christian life, are best attained through the devotion of the Rosary of Mary." (Pope Leo XIII, "Magnae Dei Matris", 1892 A.D.)
20. Praying the Rosary binds you with fellow Catholics throughout the world, as well as providing a link between yourself and your ancestors who have passed on.
21. The Rosary is a scourge to the devil, your wicked enemy who wants to see you in hell and does all he can to accomplish your ruin - "Next to the holy sacrifice of the Mass, there is, indeed, nothing more terrifying to [the devil], nor does he bear a more implacable hatred to anything than to the devotion of the Rosary." (Muller)
22. The Rosary is very powerful - "The rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the rosary is beyond description." (Archbishop Fulton Sheen)
23. The Rosary may bring you countless rewards. The long, proven history of the Rosary is full of good fruits. - "The well-known origin of the Rosary, illustrated in celebrated monuments of which we have made frequent mention, bears witness to its remarkable efficacy. For, in the days when the Albigensian sect, posing as the champion of pure faith and morals, but in reality introducing the worst kind of anarchy and corruption, brought many a nation to its utter ruin, the Church fought against it and the other infamous factions associated with it, not with troops and arms, but chiefly with the power of the most holy Rosary, the devotion which the Mother of God taught to our Father Dominic in order that he might propagate it. By this means the Church triumphed magnificently over every obstacle and provided for the salvation of her children not only in that trial but in others like it afterward, always with the same glorious success." (Pope Leo XIII, "Magnae Dei Matris", 1892 A.D.)
24. If you don't say the Rosary you will be depriving yourself of a great aid to salvation. - "Impelled, therefore, by a constant desire that Christians should ever be convinced of the efficacy and dignity of the Rosary of Our Lady, We first of all pointed out that the origin of this form of prayer is divine rather than human, showing it to be an admirable garland woven from the Angelic Salutation, together with the Lord's Prayer, joined to meditation, and that this form of prayer was most powerful and particularly efficacious for attaining eternal life." (Pope Leo XIII, "Diuturni Temporis", 1898 A.D.)
25. The Rosary may even cause your soul to be saved - "...for you ought to know that the salvation of my soul depends on saying the Rosary." (St. Alphonsus, Doctor of the Church)
And, finally, there is no valid excuse for not praying the Rosary daily: "Dear Christian, there is no valid excuse for not practicing the daily devotion of the Rosary, and for the most part, those who make these objections and excuses are influenced by a secret unwillingness to lead a Christian life in good earnest. They are unwilling to practice retirement, detachment from creatures, and self-denial. They omit saying the beads in order to avoid the rebuke of their conscience for their sensuality, price, vanity, uncharitableness, and sloth. Miserable are the consequences of such a course of conduct. Not being willing to seek true peace of heart in religion, such men try to find their consolation in exterior things; they multiply faults and imperfections in proportion as they withdraw from God." (Muller)
For those that protest against the daily rosary...
Do you protest that you don't have time to pray the Rosary each day? You really can't find 15 minutes a day to spend with the Blessed Mother and her Son Jesus? Do you expect things from God each moment of the day (air, nourishment, life, health, etc.), but you can't give back 15 minutes? Do you manage to find fifteen minutes for coffee or e-mail or the Internet or television or the telephone or the newspaper, but you can't find 15 minutes for something that will only bring you benefits? You really can't set aside 15 minutes to help save your own soul? If this is the case, should you not seriously rethink your priorities? "For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul?" (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 16:26)
If you don't know how to pray the Rosary, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/how_to_pray_the_rosary.htm . If you are bothered by distractions when you try to pray the Rosary, try visiting here: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/dusub/rosary_tips.htm . If you find it difficult to pray the rosary daily on your own, would it help you to join a group? If you have other questions or need more assistance with the Rosary, try here: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/rosary_facts.htm
Don't Let a Day Go By Without Utilizing This Treasure, This Heaven-Sent Gift!
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"I beg of you to beware of thinking of the Rosary as something of little importance - as do ignorant people and even several great but proud scholars. Far from being insignificant, the rosary is a priceless treasure which is inspired by God." (St. Louis de Montfort)
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All Catholics are earnestly encouraged to pray the Rosary. You will be glad you did!
Pray the Rosary Daily. Start Today!
=> Visit the Holy Rosary Section at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/holy_rosary.htm for additional resources such as: What is the Rosary and Why Pray it? (Also includes topics: Arrangement & Use of the Rosary, The Rosary & Repetitive Prayer), Where the Hail Mary Prayer Comes From, How to Pray the Rosary / Mysteries of the Rosary, History of the Rosary, Promises of the Rosary, Rosary Facts, Tips for Praying the Rosary, Prayers of the Rosary (English & Latin), Holy Rosary Reflections (quotes from popes, saints...)
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Christus Vincit, Christus Regnat, Christus Imperat (Latin for "Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands")
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