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PAMPHLET No. 6

in the Series

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SUMMA

Religion, Prayer, Sacrifice,

Irreligion

By

REV. GERALD C. TREACY, S.J.

THE PAULIST PRESS

401 West S9th Street

New York 19, N. Y.



HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SUMMA is a simple

fied and abbreviated translation of Aquinas'

work. It is intended for classroom, discus-

sion clubs or private study. Only one

chapter should be taken at a time. For

St. Thomas packs a great deal of thought

into a few sentences.

Imprimi Potest:

Nihil Obstat:

Imprimatur:

Rev. Thomas E. Hennebeery, S.J.,

Provincial.

John A. Goodwine, J.C.D.,

Censor Lihrorum.

^ Francis Cardinal Spellman,
Archbishop of New York.

New York, February 6, 1956.

Copyright, 1955
,
by

The Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle

IN THE State of New York

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED IN THE U. S. A. BY
\

THE PAULIST PRESS, NEW YORK 19
,

N. Y. DeaMed



Highlights of the Summa

RELIGION, PRAYER, SACRIFICE, IRRELIGION

CHAPTER I

THE MEANING OF RELIGION

The service and honor due to God by man, because God

is man’s Beginning and End, are fulfilled by the virtue of

religion. The act of honoring and serving God brings no added

happiness to God but it makes man happy, for it puts him in

his right place in regard to his Creator. Man speaks for the

universe in adoring God as the Creator and End of all crea-

tion, and as this is his destiny, it is his real happiness.

By religion man worships God in his mind and heart. The

essence of religion is interior, not in external acts. However,

external actions are necessary as man owes God the service

of his body as well as of his mind and heart. Besides man

needs the help of his body to contemplate God. So when a

man loves God and serves Him he will express his love and

service which spring from his soul by external acts.

Externals in Religion

The actions of the body express the soul’s actions, and this

is the reason for the externals of religion. While they are not

primary in religion they do aid man to reach God more easily.

As religion is of the soul its first act is devotion, which

means the will to do everything that concerns God’s service.

Devotion is the fruit of meditation for in meditation man

learns of God’s goodness to him, and begins to love God more

and more. This love develops devotion. In meditation man

learns his weakness and the need of trusting in God’s power.

Realizing God’s power inspires joy, so the truly religious man

is always joyful no matter what troubles or problems may

be his.

— 3—



Real devotion prompts man to honor God and be grateful

to Him for all that He has given his creature. These acts are

prayers. Besides these prayers there is the prayer of petition

wherein we ask God for what we need. When God, however,

answers our prayers He does not change His Mind. God gov-

erns the world and everything that happens in it is the result

of Providence. Providence is God’s plan, and when we pray

we ask God to give us what He has planned to give us in

answer to prayer.

God's Answer to Prayer

God in His love and wisdom answers our prayers in always

giving us what we need for our salvation. He will always give

us spiritual treasures first and then temporal favors if they

will aid us in saving our souls.

Our Lord has taught us how to pray in teaching us the

Our Father. In this prayer man asks for all that he needs and

in the order in which he needs. In the first petition we ask

that God may be honored, and in the second that we may win

happiness in His kingdom. In the following petitions we ask

for those things that will bring us into God’s Kingdom. First

grace to do His will, then for the temporal needs of life and the

Heavenly Bread that will bring us to our destiny. We ask for
our sins’ forgiveness, for strength in temptation and finally for

freedom from all evil.

Different* Kinds of Prayer

Prayer is either mental or vocal. Yet in a sense all prayer

is mental for to be true prayer we must think of what we are

saying.

There is no unanswered prayer. God always gives us what

we need even if He may deny us what we want.

In addition to interior prayer there are exterior prayers.

These prayerful acts are adoration, sacrifice, oblation, our

priest’s support, vows, oaths, adjuration and the proper use

of God’s Name.

— 4—



Adoration means to pay tribute to a person’s excellence.

Latria is the adoration we pay to God alone as infinitely per-

fect Creator and Ruler of the universe. We call the adoration
or honor we pay the saints, relics and images, dulia. We honor

them because by God’s grace they have attained to unending

union with Him in the Beatific Vision. As Mary is God’s

Mother and the Saint above all saints we give to her the wor-

ship of hyperdulia. We really honor God when we honor Mary

and the saints, because we pay tribute to the divine life which

they have received from God.

The Meaning of Sacrifice

Sacrifice is offering to God something visible and sensible.

There are two elements in sacrifice, the inward submission of

man to God and the outward sign of that submission. The

Sacrifice on Calvary shows us these two elements. On Calvary

Christ was offering His life to God in acknowledging God’s

mastery over all life, and in shedding His Blood He showed

by outward sign His inward submission to God.

An oblation is an offering to God. If the thing offered is

destroyed then it is a sacrifice. If it is not destroyed but used

in divine worship then it is an offering.

The Significance of Offerings

In making offerings to God we admit that whatever we

have comes from God. Men may offer things to be used in

God’s worship, or for the upkeep of a church or for the sup-

port of God’s priests. Men not only worship God as individuals

but as members of society. So there are priests who mediate

between God and men, bringing men’s prayers to God and

God’s graces to men. As priests give their lives to serve other

men, it is only fitting that they should get support from other

men. True love for God is shown by men worshiping God

worthily and by men providing for all that is necessary for

divine worship, in the support of churches and priests since

priests act for men in the worship of God.

— 5—



Worship of God finds an expression also in vows, oaths,

adjurations and by praising God. A vow binds a man to do

something for God over and above what he is called on to do

by Divine Law. It is an expression of love. By an oath we

call God as witness to the truth of what we are saying. In an

adjuration a superior or an inferior is asked to do something

in God’s name.

In oaths and adjurations we ask God to share in our

human activities. We should not ask this of God unless there

is question of something very serious. Of course it is sinful

to ask God to witness to a lie or to help a man to commit an

evil act. A religious man is always a reverent man, praising

and honoring God always.

Sins Against Religion

The sins against religion are superstition and irreligion.

Superstition means worshiping a creature or worshiping God

in a wrong way. Irreligion means contemning God or the

things of God.

The pagan worshiper showed superstition by committing

sinful acts in carrying out his worship. In the same way it

is superstitious to worship idols or any creatures, to indulge

in divination which means attributing to any creature a knowl-

edge of the future known to God alone. Belief in magic or

charms or fortune-tellers is superstition.

Irreligion means despising God and sacred things. It can

mean tempting God or challenging God to use His power for a

trifling reason. It may mean perjury or calling God to bear

witness to a lie. It may mean sacrilege or treating anything

sacred with disrespect. It may mean simony or selling sacred

things. All these acts are disrespectful to God and to sacred

things.

The sins of superstition and irreligion bring disorder to

man’s world, while religion brings order and peace to man’s

world. As peace and order among men is the work of Justice

so peace and order between man and God is Religion’s work.

— 6 —



CHAPTER II

THE VIRTUES

The Virtue of Piety

After God man owes his life and the chance to seek happi-

ness to his parents and his country. So he owes honor, rever-

ence and service to his parents and his country. He fulfills

this duty by the virtue of piety. Even in his mature years a

man must serve his parents or his country if they are in need

of his service.

In a community there must be rulers. The authority that

is theirs and the good they do for the community entitles them

to honor, respect and gratitude. This duty is fulfilled by the

virtue of observance.

The Meaning of Observance

Observance includes the virtues of veneration and obedi-

ence. In asking the saints to do us favors we venerate their

dignity as God’s friends. Among the saints Our Lady is en-

titled to supreme veneration.

In obedience man submits his will to a superior. Without

obedience there can never be order in society and so the com-

mon good will not be realized, and there will not be happiness.

And unless God is obeyed there will be no happiness in life.

In obedience there are two exceptions. If a command is

unjust it must be disobeyed. If a higher authority changes the

orders of a lower authority, the higher authority is to be

obeyed.

Benefactors are entitled to gratitude and when the chance

comes they should receive something in return. The truly

grateful man will endeavor to surpass the generosity of his

benefactor.

Ingratitude is a sin. There are grades of ingratitude. The

first is to fail in doing a favor in return. The second is to

neglect to thank the benefactor. The last grade is to deny to

oneself that a favor has been received.



Truthfulness is a virtue necessary for social living. Men

cannot dwell and labor together without revealing their

thoughts to one another. They must trust each other. With-

out truth there can be no trust.

The Evil of Lying

Lying therefore is a sin. Its seriousness varies with the

circumstances in which the lie is told and according to the

gravity of the matter that is lied about. But all lies are evil

as they develop a spirit of mistrust and so destroy the co-

operative spirit.

Liars fall into different classes. The hypocrite is a pest in

social life. He poses as a virtuous man and he is evil. So to

put up a front of virtue he will lie about his fellow men or

commit the sin of detraction. The boaster is also harmful to

healthy social living. He is trying to make people credit him

with qualities that are not his. The man who underestimates

himself is telling a lie and by this is depriving his community

of the help he could give it.

Virtues Needed for Social Life

There are virtues that make social life click. The first of

these is friendliness. Friendliness puts the spark of Christ’s

charity into social life. That is why flattery is a threat to

healthy social life because it poses as friendliness and is noth-

ing but an act of self-seeking. The quarrelsome spirit is also

a threat against friendliness.

Liberality is a virtue beneficial to social living. The liberal

man has a true sense of values and uses his wealth for the good

of others. He aids both himself and others.

Covetousness ond Prodigality

Opposed to liberality are covetousness and prodigality.

Covetousness is a mad urge for wealth. To gain its object it

will be cruel and pitiless, respecting no man’s right or dignity.

It is a capital sin leading its victims to other sins.

Prodigality is false generosity for it urges a man to give

— 8—



away what he really needs. In consequence he will waste his

goods until he has nothing left and society will have to care

for him.

The virtue of equity also is catalogued under justice. It

is a virtue that prompts man to safeguard justice and the

common good beyond the demands of law.

The Gift of Piety

God has given man through grace a gift of the Holy Spirit

to perfect justice. This is piety and by it man is prompted by

the Holy Spirit to worship God as his Father. Man’s social

life is rightly ordered by justice and its allied virtues. From

piety man gets the most perfect element of order, total sub-

mission to God.

Justice will secure man in his ownership of things. Reli-

gion will order man aright toward God. Piety will show him

how to honor and serve his parents and his country. Society

will function properly through veneration and obedience. And

life will run smoothly when gratitude, truthfulness, friendli-

ness, liberality and equity prevail.

Justice and its allied virtues enable men to keep God’s

Commandments which guide men by divine Wisdom. Justice

under wisdom will mean peace and order. In peace and order

happiness is found.

The Virfue of Fortitude

Fortitude gives man the power to conquer difficulties. It

balances the powers of man’s irascible appetite. In struggling

for a good that is difficult to gain, fortitude controls especially

the passions of fear and daring. The will is perfected by forti-

tude. It gets rid of the hindrances that spring from fear and

daring, in the search for some good.

Fortitude concerns itself with striving for good despite

the presence of danger. As man’s greatest danger is death,

fortitude faces up to the danger of death. If a man is willing

to die for his Faith, he will not be unwilling to endure a lesser

danger for the same cause.

— 9—



The Guide of Fortitude

As fortitude is a moral virtue, prudence must guide it.

It is reason or prudence that teaches a man that rather than

lose his soul he must be ready to endure any suffering, even

death. Man is shown by reason that when his bravery is ex-

cessive it will be unlikely to achieve its purpose.

Fortitude like every virtue follows the dictates of reason.

It strikes the mean between extreme fear and extreme daring.

It gives man strength to endure any danger that is unavoid-

able and to conquer danger when this is possible.

The ' Fortitude of Martyrdom

Martyrdom is fortitude’s most perfect act, enduring pain

and death for belief in God. It is the last word in love for

God. ^^Greater love than this no man has that a man lay down

his life for his friends” (John xv, 13).

Cowardice, fearlessness and daring are opposed to forti-

tude. Cowardice is an extreme fear of death leading a man to

deny his religion rather than forfeit his life.

Fearlessness means recklessly underestimating danger. It

springs from a lack of appreciating the danger, from ignorance

of one’s ability to conquer the danger, or from pride.

A man rushing into danger without full knowledge of the

danger acts from ignorance not from courage. The man who

in his pride thinks there is no danger that he cannot conquer,

is motivated by vainglory not by bravery. These are all false

pictures of fortitude; they are not true fortitude.

Excessive daring is rushing into danger without calcula-

tion, without acting under the direction of reason. This is not

fortitude but it is acting against reason and so sinful.

Virtues that Meet Lifers Lesser Dangers

There are other dangers in life besides the fear of death.

And there are virtues that embolden men to meet those dangers.

To meet these lesser dangers man has the virtues of magna-

nimity, magnificence, patience and perseverance.

— 10



By magnanimity men can do great things. An action may

be great in itself or great in relation to some particular person.

The man who forgives his enemy and becomes his benefactor

does a great deed in itself. The widow’s mite was a great

thing because of the poverty of the widow. As great deeds

usually bring great honors the magnanimous man inclines to

deeds that deserve honors.

The magnanimous soul is gifted with assurance, confidence,

and fortitude. While wealth is not necessary for the magnani-

mous soul, it is helpful.

The Opposites of Magnanimity

Presumption, ambition, vainglory, and pusillanimity run

counter to magnanimity. When a man presumes he tries to do

things that are beyond him. It is evil for it is against reason.

Ambition seeks honors solely for honors’ sake, or clamors for

recognition which is undeserved. Vainglory looks for honor for

something that does not deserve honor, or seeks it only from

men. As a capital sin vainglory leads to other sins. A man

who will not do what is within his power to do is pusillanimous.

When a man does something great he is said to have ma-

nificence. Great expenditure of money in a worthy cause is

magnificence. Because it is associated with difficulty it is

connected with fortitude. It is a lesser virtue than fortitude

for its concern is the loss of material things while fortitude

faces the fear of death.

The opposite of magnificence is meanness. It really tries

to do a big thing with skimpy means.

Man is able to undergo hardship through the virtue of

patience. Hardship depresses a man and can make him fall

from virtue unless he employs patience.

To endure delays in seeking a good is the virtue of perse-

verance.

Softness runs counter to perseverance. The soft man will

abandon all his good intentions as soon as difficulties appear.

Pertinacity is against perseverance for it holds to a wrong

opinion or attitude, long after reason shows that it is wrong.

Perseverance in seeking God is the noblest perseverance.

— 11 —



That is why man receives through grace the gift of fortitude.

By this gift of the Holy Spirit man will persevere in good

works till he wins the Beatific Vision.

As life is a battle men need the virtue of fortitude and

its allied virtues. The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to heroes,

and fortitude develops heroes. It depends on love. A great
love for good spurs a man on to seek and find that good

bravely.

The Virtue of Temperance

Self-control is the key to individual happiness and to the

happiness of society. Reason must control all our desires if

we are not to wreck our own lives and others’ lives as well.

Temperance and its allied virtues bring our desires under

reason’s control. Man as a rational animal must control all

his animal instincts by his reason. If he does not he will sink

lower than the brute and betray his destiny, which is to enjoy

God’s love eternally. Temperance and its allied virtues teach

man self-control and through this he gains true happiness.

The Role of Temperance

Man has many desires which can lead him away from

God. It is temperance that controls these desires. His bodily

needs are natural but unless they are controlled they work

ruin here and hereafter. By temperance a man rules his de-

sires and orders them for his own good and the good of society.

Like all moral virtues temperance excludes defect and ex-

cess. It guides man in the proper use of his desires. It keeps

all desires within the bounds of reason.

There are two necessary qualities for temperance, shame-

facedness and honesty. Shamefacedness means the fear of do-

ing an evil action: It is not a very high motive but it aids the

virtue of temperance.

Honesty means spiritual beauty. What is honest is good

and man by nature tends toward the good. Honesty is the

opposite of what is disgraceful. It is an aid to temperance.

Temperance governs man’s sense desires. It has to do with



food, drink and sex. So it is exercised by the virtues of abstin-

ence, chastity and virginity. Abstinence teaches a man modera-

tion in the use of food and drink, with reason as the guide.

The Meaning of Fasting

Abstinence is expressed by fasting. A man is fasting when

he does not eat all that he could. Fasting has good effects. For

example it restrains a man’s sensual tendencies, it enables him

to think better and to pray better, and gives an opportunity to

do penance for sin.

Temperance in drinking is attained by abstinence which

develops the virtue of sobriety. This virtue makes a man able

to enjoy drinking or to do without it.

Chastity and Virginity

Chastity is the virtue that regulates the use of sexual acts.

The common good of the race calls upon men to have children

so the race may not die out. To the marital act is attached an

intense pleasure. This pleasure is not for itself but to attract

men to fulfill their marital duties. The sex urge must be under

reason’s rule, or it will master man. Chastity enables man to

use his sex urge rightly.

The virtue of virginity excludes all sexual pleasure from*

the life of a man or a woman. It makes human actions good

and means sexual control that is perfect. The virtue of chas-

tity is practiced for a greater good, namely a more perfect love

of God. As the virgin seeks God himself, virginity is more per-

fect than marriage. All the time that man and woman in mar-

riage spend on each other and on their children the virgin can

give to God.

The virgin merits blessings for others as well as for herself.

She teaches the possibility of completely controlling the sex

urge, showing that self-control is not an impossibility. As all

who love God also love men, so the virgin by her sacrifice shows

this two-fold love. As the woman who is married takes care of

the bodily good of the race, so the virgin looks out for the

spiritual good of the race. Through her sacrifice and prayer she

brings God’s blessings upon mankind.

— 13—



Sins Againsf Chastity

Lust violates chastity and virginity. It means seeking sex-

ual pleasure uncontrolled by reason. Since these pleasures are

ordained by God and nature for the procreation of children,

they are sinful unless this is their object. Only in marriage are

they lawful.

Lust is a capital sin leading to other sins. It blinds a man

to everything worth while in life, increases his self-love and

leads him finally to hatred of God and all that pertains to God.

He sinks by lust to the level of the brute, he who is called to be

God’s child.

The Passions and Continence

Continence is a virtue that moderates the urge for food,

drink and sexual enjoyment. In the temperate man the pas-

sions are under the control of his will and reason and cannot

resist these higher faculties. The passions however of the con-

tinent man may resist his will but his will conquers them. The

incontinent surrender to their passions and fall into sin.

Anger is moderated by meekness and clemency. Meekness

prevents anger while clemency keeps a man from treating

harshly those who have injured him.

Modesty is the virtue that guides man’s desire for his own

excellence and for knowledge. It means propriety in behavior

and dress.

The Need for Humility

As men tend toward great things they need a virtue to keep

their high aims within reason. That is the virtue of humility.

By humility a man recognizes his limitations. It is rooted in

true self-knowledge. Humility teaches a man that he cannot

gain happiness without the help of God’s grace and love. So

the humble man submits to God, honors Him and begs His

help.

Pride is the opposite of humility. It is an uncontrolled self-

love. The proud man thinks he can do anything by his own

power. He thinks everything he has is his own, forgetting that

God has given him all things. He despises others and boasts

of ability that he has not got. Pride at last leads man to defy

— 14—



God. Ignorance or weakness may lead to other sins, but by

pride man deliberately rises up in rebellion against his Maker.

The Sin of Adorn and Eve

Pride was the sin of Adam and Eve. By the special gifts

they received from God they were free from all temptations of

the flesh. They could only sin by their intellects and wills.

Satan appealed to their pride. If they ate of the fruit that God

had forbidden them to eat they would become as gods. Through

pride our first parents lost Paradise for themselves and for their

children, and became with their children victims of concupis-

sence, sickness and death.

As pride lost Paradise so does it loose happiness for man.

Humility, acknowledging our complete dependence on God ex-

pressed by our total submission to God, is the answer to pride.

Studiousness and Curiosity

Man naturally seeks knowledge. Studiousness is the guide

for man in his search for knowledge. Curiosity on the other

hand impels man to seek knowledge that he is not entitled to.

For example to try and find out one’s future by superstitious

practices is sinful curiosity.

Modesty regulates our external actions and dress under the

dictate of reason. To be modest is to act with the decency that

is fitting for a human person. Good sense and good taste should

govern modesty in dress. From modesty self-control derives.

Temperance then, gives a man mastery over himself and

over his world. Material forces are ruled by the temperate man

and he uses the things of this world to help him reach God.

Self-control gives man happiness.

CHAPTER HI

GOD'S AIDS TO FAITH

The existence of God as well as His power and love are

made known to man by God Himself. Prophecy, speech and

miracles are the conveyors of this knowledge.

Things known only to God Himself are revealed by proph-

— 15—



ecy. Prophecy has taught man God’s nature by revealing the

Trinity. Prophets have shown their divine commission by fore-

telling the future.

God speaks to His prophets by sending them sights and

sounds that hold His message, or by acting immediately upon

the prophet’s intellect or imagination.

The prophet is a divine messenger, and needs no training

or preparation for his task. He does not even have to under-

stand the message that he is giving out from God to men.

At times the prophet is carried away from sense life and

gazes on the Godhead Itself. Inspired by the vision of divinity,

the prophet brings the message of God’s truth and love to men

with authority.

Public ond Private Revelation

Public revelation which Christ’s Church is empowered to

teach all men, ceased after the time of Christ and the Apostles.

But from time to time God gives men private revelations be-

cause of His love for them.

If all men are to receive God’s message it must be taught in

all languages to all nations effectively. The Apostles for that

reason had the gift of tongues. They received infused knowl-

edge of all languages. God has likewise at times given His

missioners power to preach His message effectively. History

shows God confirming His message again and again through

miracles. In these ways God lets men see the Glory that is His,

and the glory that men will enjoy at the end of a good life.

Virtue is the pathway to final happiness. The virtuous life

is either active or contemplative. In the active life the moral

virtues are stressed energetically. The contemplation of God is

the chief aim of the contemplative. Of course there is some ac-

tion for the contemplative and some contemplation for the man

in the active life. There is no hard and fast line excluding con-

templation in one life and action in another.

Contemplation and the Moral Virtues

As the life of man is made up of intellectual activity in

searching for truth, especially divine truth, and moral activity

— 16—



guided by reason, there is a connection between the moral vir-

tues and contemplation. Unless passion is dominated man can-

not contemplate divine truth. So man is disposed for contem-

plation by the moral virtues.

Before man reaches the stage of contemplating truth he

must take other intellectual steps. First man must accept what

God has given man in Revelation. Then he must reason out the

meaning of these truths. He then reaches the simple contem-

plation of truth. The subject of his contemplation will be God

as the world He has made makes Him known, and God as He is

in Himself.

Contemplation brings happiness to man because it is the

perfect act of his highest power, the power to know the truth.

As God is the contemplative’s objective, he catches a glimpse of

the happiness of the Beatific Vision.

Good works, the works of the moral virtues are the chief

concern of the man in the active life.

The contemplative life is more perfect and meritorious,

since the contemplative is directly preparing himself for his

final destiny, seeing God face to face. The man in the active

life is not making ready for Heaven so directly. However as the

moral virtues make up the active life even the contemplative

has to first lead the active life, so his passions will be domin-

ated and not be a hindrance to contemplation. As all men are

called to reach the Beatific Vision, some are called to gain it by

the contemplative life, others by the active life. Temperament

and virtue make some men more suitable to the contemplative

life than others.

There are different states of life in which men labor for

happiness. In the spiritual life relationship to perfection dis-

tinguishes different states of life. There is the slave state and

the state of a free man. A man may be a slave to sin which

means he lives in the habit of sin; a man may be justice’s slave

living habitually the just life. A man may be clear of all sin

and this is the good man who has conquered himself, or a man

may be lacking justice and he is the evil man.

— 17—



The Sway of Charity

The man who is in search of true happiness must be clear

of sin and justice's slave. This freedom stems from charity and

charity commands the other virtues to activity. The perfection

of charity has three steps, the steps of the beginners, the pro-

ficient and the perfect. In all three freedom from sin is caused

by charity.

The love of God and neighbor or the observance of the

Commandments constitutes spiritual perfection. To violate the

Commandments is to lose charity which is perfection’s essence.

Again perfection means observing the counsels, poverty, chas-

tity and obedience. Marriage and money are not sinful but

they may interfere with the life of charity. Those who are not

observing the counsels cannot give as much time and energy to

loving and serving God as the followers of the counsels.

However perfection is not only for priests and religious.

God’s grace can enable any one to live the life of charity or

perfection. A man not observing the counsels may be more

perfect than the man who has the three vows. But the man with

vows is in the state of perfection for he has bound himself to a

permanent and stable way of life, while the man without vows

has not.

Bishops are in the state of perfection because their voca-

tion is to lead their flocks to perfection, and to do this they

themselves must possess perfection.

The essence of perfection is charity or love of God above all

things. A man may fail in this because he loves wealth exces-

sively or bodily pleasure excessively or his own will excessively.

By his vows the religious gives up wealth, lawful bodily pleas-

ures and his own will in order to love God better, to attain per-

fection. The vows give a stable state of life, and the religious

is in a state of perfection because he has promised by his vows

to always seek perfection.

The state of perfection is an example to all men showing

them how to attain happiness. Happiness is the final objective

of all men as they are all created to attain the Beatific Vision.

The value of every human action is in its leading to the objec-

tive.

— 18—



How Mon Finds His Destiny

Men must use all their powers in searching for God if they

are to achieve their destiny. All man’s natural and super-

natural gifts must come into play to help in the finding of

happiness. All the virtues, and above all charity keep man on

the right path toward the Beatific Vision.

Man is God’s image as long as grace and charity abide

within him. By charity he is empowered to see and love God

and finally reach his destiny, the Beatific Vision, seeing God

face to face, loving God as God loves Himself. He will then be

truly God’s image and likeness.

Part 3

CHAPTER I

THE WORD MADE FLESH

The Incarnation is the mystery of God’s love for man. St.

John declares: ^‘By this has the charity of God appeared to-

ward us, because God has sent His only begotten Son into the

world that we may live by Him. In this is charity, not as

though we had loved God, but because He has first loved us and

sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins. (1 John iv, 9,

10
)

The Incarnation means God becomes man. The Word, the

Second Person of the Blessed Trinity takes our human nature.

Christ is one Person with two natures, the divine and the

human. This is Christianity’s great mystery revealed to man

by Christ Himself. What He revealed His miracles endorsed.

Christ as Man claimed to be God before the high court of

Jewry, and went to His death rather than deny it. His resur-

rection clinched His claim to be divine.

The Incarnation makes God’s goodness clear to us. He

Who is almighty, infinitely perfect unites Himself with created,

limited human nature. Surely this makes God’s goodness evi-

dent. The mystery shows God’s wisdom, for as God and Man

our Lord can offer infinite satisfaction to God for our sins. It

shows God’s justice too, because it is man who offers satisfac-

— 19—



tion to God for sin, as Jesus Christ is man. Lastly to assume

human nature as His very own demonstrates God’s power.

The Incarnafion Was Not Necessory

God did not have to become man to rescue man from his

sins. He could have allowed man to make amends for sin, or He

could have forgiven man outright without asking any repara-

tion. In His love for man God took the best possible way of

restoring man to grace. That was the Incarnation.

Man is drawn to good through the Incarnation. It is the

foundation of the virtue of faith, for we hear the voice of God

Himself in Christ. It is hope’s foundation too for it proves how

strong is God’s love for us. It is charity’s foundation for God

in showing such great love moves us to love Him.

In the Incarnation we see the way we must live in order to

gain the Beatific Vision, for Christ points the way in the per-

fect exercise of all the virtues. Man recovers the divine life of

grace through the Incarnation, enabling him to live the Christ-

life here and so inherit the Beatific Vision.

The Incarnation's Effects

Man is led away from evil by the Incarnation first by

making him see that he must choose God and himself in prefer-

ance to Satan who wrecked human nature. Again it shows man

his dignity since human nature is the only nature assumed by

God. As man gains grace by the Incarnation and by no effort

of his own, it saves man from presumption. It shows us too the

folly of pride. For if God is so humble as to become man,

surely man will not prefer pride to grace which will enable him

to share in the divine Nature. Finally by becoming man Christ

atoned for man’s sins, and won their forgiveness.

Christ came to take away all sin, actual and original. As

original sin stained the whole race. He came in particular to

save man from original sin.

The Time of the Incarnation

Christ chose the right time for His entrance into the world.

Man would not have realized the value of redemption had

— 20—



Christ come immediately after Adam’s sin. Man had to live for

a time on his own to see what sin had cost him. Then too the

dignity of the Word demanded that a long line of patriarchs

and prophets should precede Him, to make men ready for His

coming. Finally had He delayed His coming until near the end

of human history, men would have lost the memory of God and

the Eternal Law.

The definition of the mystery was given by the Council of

Chalcedon in these words: We confess that in these latter times

the only begotten Son of God appeared in two natures, without

confusion, without change, without division, without separa-

tion,—the distinction of natures not having been taken away
by the union, Christ is one Person with two natures, the divine

and the human. In Christ these two natures are united.

Nature and Person

What is the difference between nature and person? ‘‘What

is it?” gives the answer to the nature of anything, and “Who is

it?” gives the answer as to the person. Is the object in front of

me a man or a cat? The answer to that is the nature of the ob-

ject. All men are alike in their human nature while all are dif-

ferent as persons.

Again, a nature may be common to many things but a per-

son is always a rational, free individual in control of his own

actions. Every person is himself and no one else.

When we think of Christ we see one Person with two na-

tures, the divine and the human. This One Person is both God

and Man. If I answer to “what is Christ,” I say “He is God,

and He is man.” If I answer “Who is He?” I say “He is the

Son of God.” If I say He is Mary’s Child, the Messias-King,

I am using other names for One divine Person Who exists in

two natures, the human and the divine.

The Union of Two Natures

The divine and the human natures are united in Christ.

This is the mystery. This union does not develop a third some-

thing distinct from the two natures. The two natures are not

— 21—



mixed or confused forming a third thing, each nature is com-

plete and perfect. The union is not a merely placing the two

natures side by side, for if that were so there would be two per-

sons in Christ. Nor is there a fusion of the two for that would

call for a change in the divine nature which is impossible. Nor

is the union like that of soul and body, for soul and body are

incomplete natures finding completion in their union. Each

nature in Christ is complete.

The union is a personal union for the divine and human na-

tures are united in the Person of the Son of God. The two na-

tures are indirectly united to one another in the Word, the

Second Person of the Holy Trinity. Eternal God, pre-existing

the union of the two natures, assumes to Himself a complete

human nature. This human nature has existing in it a divine

Person Who is responsible for all its actions.

All the actions of both natures must be attributed to the

same divine Person. So we say that Christ created the universe

and is eternal; and that He suffered, died and rose from the

dead ascending into Heaven.

We accept this great mystery because God has revealed it

to us and we are grateful for it though we cannot understand

it completely. If God’s love for us is so great that He gives

us His own Son as man, surely He will lift us up in the end to

the Beatific Vision.

The IncarnoHon Was Fitting

It was fitting for God to assume human nature. It was

fitting for the Son of God Who is divine Knowledge to assume

a nature that is intellectual. While the angels are also intel-

lectual it was more suitable for God to become man, for man

could be saved while the angels could not be saved.

It was proper for God to take to Himself an individual na-

ture of Adam’s race as the Incarnation’s purpose was the race’s

salvation. By this means the race that in Adam had offended

God, could atone to God for sin and regain His grace.

That is why the Son of God took to Himself a complete and

perfect human nature, for otherwise He could not have made

satisfaction to God for sin as a true representative of Adam’s

race.

— 22 —



Christ’s human nature is the most perfect of all human

natures in the order of grace. Since Christ’s human soul is

united to the Person of the Word, it must be sanctified by

divine grace to a perfect degree. Just as with men grace made

Christ’s soul holy and pleasing to God. As Christ’s soul was to

be the origin of the supernatural acts by which He would effect

men’s redemption, He was given the fullness of sanctifying

grace, as this grace is necessary for supernatural acts. As He

was to be the font of grace for other men He first had to have

it Himself.

Christ's Grace

Sanctifying grace brought to Christ’s soul the supernatural

virtues just as it does in men. But because of the perfection of

Christ’s grace some of these virtues were unnecessary for

Christ. From its beginning Christ’s soul enjoyed the Beatific

Vision so it had no need for faith or hope. He already pos-

sessed God so He did not need hope. He saw God face to face

so faith was unnecessary for Him. But in an all-perfect degree

He had all the other supernatural gifts and virtues of the Holy

Spirit.

As Christ was to be the perfect teacher of mankind God

gave Him the gifts of prophecy, tongues, the gift of preaching

sublimely and the power to work miracles. While Mary and the

saints possessed the fullness of grace in the sense that they

had all the grace necessary for fulfilling their vocation, Christ

had an absolute fullness of grace since His vocation was to re-

deem the whole human family and bring back to it the life of

grace.

While Christ’s grace is finite and created, no other grace

can equal it, nor can all the accumulated graces of angels and

men equal it. However it was incapable of increase as no one

can win more than the greatest degree of anything and Christ

had the greatest degree of grace from the beginning. It was the

greatest possible share in the divine life, and from that angle

might be termed infinite.

Christ has this supreme grace because He was to be the

spiritual Head of the race. Before his sin Adam was the spiritual

^ 23



and natural head of the race. By his sin he lost grace and his

spiritual headship, and all his children lost grace. God decided

to restore grace to the race, and made Christ the spiritual Head.

That is why the Fathers of the Church call our Lord the second

Adam, From Adam’s fall unto time’s ending all men get grace

through Christ. Christ’s grace as the source of all grace is

capital grace or the grace of headship.

The Heod of the Mystical Body

Christ is the Head of His Church and His Church is His

Mystical Body. Now the head is the first part of the body and

the noblest for therein are all the senses while in the rest of the

body there is only the sense of touch. The head is also the ruler

of the body for in it is the brain which directs all the other parts

to their respective tasks for the body’s good.

Christ is all these things to His Church. He is the first for

He is through grace the first-born of all God’s children. By His

fullness of grace He is the noblest part of the Church. He is

closest to God through His graces, and through His soul the

wisdom and power of God act upon men. He is Teacher, Ruler

and Sanctifier of all members of the human family. Finally as

the body’s members are directed by the head to the good of the

whole, and as the body receives life and movement from the

head, so does Christ give life and movement to His members

directing them all to the good of the whole Church. He holds

the grace of headship because He gives grace to all.

Christ’s Headship is chiefly concerned with men’s souls,

but as the body is the soul’s instrument, Christ influences

bodies in as much as He sanctifies their souls with grace. The

body is an instrument for good in a man whose soul holds

Christ’s grace. Both bodies and souls are sanctified by Christ

in this manner. The risen bodies will be glorified by their souls

at the resurrection of all men. The glory of the soul will infil-

trate the risen body. Because of this Christ is Head of bodies

as well as souls.

The Extenf of Christ's Headship

In different ways Christ is the Head of all men. He is the

actual Head of the blessed in Heaven who are enjoying the

—24—



Beatific Vision. He is actual Head of all living on earth who

are bound to Him by grace and charity. He is the actual Head

of those who are united with Him by faith, even though mortal

sin has deprived them of grace and charity. These however are

less truly His members. Finally other men are potential mem-

bers of the Mystical Body. While not actual members they can

become members. In God’s Providence some will so become

and others will not. Those who die without becoming His mem-

bers will no longer even be potential members.

The perfection of Christ’s grace brings Him closer to God

than the highest angel. He is Head of the angels, and makes use

of them in working out man’s salvation. By this He increases

their accidental glory and happiness, and orders their activities

to the good of His Mystical Body, His Church.

Chrisi Shores His Headship

Christ is Head of His Church first because He is the foun-

tain of grace whence flows life into His members, and secondly

because the whole Church is governed by Him. But He has

shared these powers with men. There are other Christs who

carry out His duties as Head of the Church. Only Christ can

pour grace directly into His members. This is because of the

union between His soul and His divine nature. Only He can

send the Holy Spirit to sanctify souls with divine grace. But

His bishops and priests have received power from Him to sanc-

tify men through the sacraments which He has established.

He acts through the bishops and priests and the sacraments.

It is He Who confirms, baptizes and gives grace. This is true

for all the sacraments.

— 25—



QUESTIONS

LESSON I

(Pages 3-4)

What function does the virtue of religion fulfill?

Why does this virtue add to man’s happiness?
Of what value are external religious acts?

Are externanl religious acts primary?

What does devotion mean?

How does meditation affect devotion?
What does meditation teach man?

Why does the truly religious man always enjoy happiness?
Why does man pray?
Do our prayers change God’s mind?

LESSON II

(Poges 4-5)

What is Providence?

How does prayer affect God’s Providence?
How does God answer prayer?
Why is Out Father the supreme prayer?
Explain the meaning of each petition in the Our Father,

In what sense is all prayer mental?

There is no unanswered prayer. Explain.

What are some exterior prayers?

Enumerate the different kinds of adoration.

What is sacrifice?

LESSON III

(Pages 5-6)

What are the two elements in sacrifice?

How does Calvary’s Sacrifice show these elements?
What is an oblation?
By making offerings to God what does man admit?

Name the different kinds of offerings.
What does the Christian community owe to its priests?

How is true love for God shown by men?
What are vows, oaths, adjurations?

26 —



What are the sins against religion?

Enumerate some superstitious practices.

What are some sins of irreligion?

How does irreligion affect man’s world?

LESSON IV

(Pages 7-8)

After God to whom is man indebted?
What is the virtue of piety?

What is the virtue of observance?

What do we prove by asking help from the saints?

There are two exceptions in obedience. Explain.

How should we show gratitude to benefactors?
What are the grades of ingratitude?

Why is truthfulness necessary for social living?
How is the seriousness of lying to be judged?
Liars fall into different classes. Explain.

LESSON V

(Pages 8-9)

How necessary is friendliness to social living?
How does flattery harm social life?
Why does liberality benefit society?
Define covetousness and prodigality.

What is the virtue of equity?

What gift perfects justice?

How is man’s social life rightly ordered?
Where is the most perfect element of order found?

What do justice and its allied virtues accomplish for man?

Justice under wisdom will effect what?

LESSON VI

(Pages 9-11)

What are the effects of fortitude?
What is fortitude’s concern?
What virtue must guide fortitude?
What type of fortitude is martyrdom?

— 27—



Define cowardice, fearlessness and daring.

What are the virtues of magnanimity, magnificence, patience
and perseverance?

What are the opposites of these virtues?

Why is magnificence a lesser virtue than fortitude?
What is the opposite of magnificence?

What are the virtues of patience and perseverance?

Name the opposites of these virtues?
What is the noblest form of perseverance?
Why does man need these above-mentioned virtues?

LESSON VII

(Pages 12-13)

On what does the happiness of the individual and of society
depend?

What effect has temperance on man’s desires?

Explain the nature of man.

How does man gain true happiness?
What are man’s strongest desires?

Why must they be ruled by reason?
Temperance follows a mean between excess and defect. Ex-

plain.

What two qualities necessary for temperance are found in most

men?

Define these two qualities.

Give an explanation of the virtue of honesty.

LESSON VIII

(Pages 13-14)

What is temperance concerned with?

What virtues is it divided into?

What is abstinence and what vice is opposed to it?

Explain fasting and its value.

What are the effects of gluttony?

Explain sobriety.

What is the virtue of chastity?

Does sex pleasure exist for itself?

How does chastity influence man’s sex life?
Explain the virtue of virginity.

— 28—



Only a higher good makes voluntary virginity good. Explain.

What makes virginity superior to marriage?

Why is not the virgin’s intention selfish?
What does the virgin’s sacrifice accomplish?

What vice is opposed to virginity?

When are sex pleasures lawful?
Why is lust a capital sin?
What happens to the man who surrenders to the sin of lust?

What is the virtue of continence?

Contrast the temperate and the continent man.

LESSON IX

(Pages 14-15)

What passion do clemency and meekness moderate?

In what different ways do they act?

What is the virtue of modesty?

Explain the virtue of humility.

What must a man realize to be humble?

On what is humility based?
What does humility teach a man regarding happiness?
Define pride.

What are the characteristics of the proud man?

What does pride lead to?
What was the sin of Adam and Eve?
What was the consequence of this sin?

What is the remedy for pride?

Has man the right and ability to know everything?

How does the virtue of studiousness affect man?
What is curiosity?

What does modesty teach men and women?

What does temperance do for man?

Of what value are the things of this world to the temperate

man?

What virtue gives happiness to man.

LESSON X

(Pages 15-16)

What does man learn from prophecy, speech and miracle?
How is the prophet’s message confirmed?
In what ways does God speak to His prophets?

— 29—



Does the prophet need preparation for his task?

What effect has rapture on the prophet?
When did public revelation cease?
God has not left the preaching of His message to man’s unaided

efforts. Explain.

How has God confirmed the preaching of His message?
What is the difference between the active and contemplative
life?

What is the chief act of contemplation?

LESSON XI

(Pages 16-17)

What does man’s life consist of?

What motivates contemplation?

What bearing have the moral virtues on contemplation?

What steps must be taken before we arrive at contemplating

truth?

How is contemplation the perfect act of man’s highest faculty?
The contemplative life is the more perfect. Explain.

How does the contemplative prepare himself for contempla-
tion?

What is meant by a state of life?

What are the two basic states of life in the moral order?

In the spiritual order how are the different states of life dis-

tinguished?

LESSON XII

(Pages 17-19)

How do we distinguish two freedoms and two slaveries?
What is the root of spiritual freedom?

Name the three stages in the perfection of charity?

What does spiritual perfection consist in primarily?

Is perfection possible only for priests or religious?

What is meant by the observance of the Counsels?

What is the essence of spiritual perfection?

Bishops are in the state of perfection. Explain.

Explain how religious are in the state of perfection.

In what three ways may a man fail to love God above all

things ?

— 30—



What does the religious give up by the three vows?

What does the religious oblige himself to do?

What is the perfection of Bishops and religious a sign of?

In what do we find the value of every human act?

How are men to fulfill their true destiny?
What does man attain through the practice of the moral

virtues?

What do grace and charity effect in man?

What powers do they give him?

How is man to reach his final objective?
What did God intend man to be?

LESSON XIII

(Poges 19-20)

What does the Incarnation mean?

Who has revealed the mystery of the Incarnation?
What does God show to men by the Incarnation?
Did God have to become man to save man from his sins?

What other course could God have taken?

How does God lead man to good through the Incarnation?
Of what virtues is the Incarnation the foundation?

What does the life of Christ teach us?

How does the Incarnation prove man’s great dignity.
The Incarnation shatters human pride. Explain.

LESSON XIV

(Pages 20-22)

From what sins did Christ save man?

Christ came into the world just at the right time. Explain.

Give the definition of the Council of Chalcedon on the Incar-

nation.

How express the definition in your own words?
What two questions show the difference between a nature and

a person?

Define a person.

What is the heart of the mystery of the Incarnation?

The union of the two natures in Christ is a personal union. Ex-

plain.

The Person pre-exists the union of the two natures. Explain.

The human nature in Christ has no human personality. Explain.

31—



LESSON XV

(Pages 22-23)

To whom are the actions of both natures attributed?
In many ways it was fitting for God to assume human nature.

Explain.

Why did the Son of God assume a complete and perfect human
nature ?

Why did Christ’s soul possess sanctifying grace?
What virutes did Christ possess due to sanctifying grace?
Were faith and hope among these virtues?

Christ had the fullness of grace. Explain.

Was this grace finite or infinite?
Was Christ’s grace capable of increasing?
Why is Christ called a second Adam?

LESSON XVI

(Pages 23-25)

Why is Christ’s grace called capital grace?
The head is the noblest part of the human body. Explain.

How explain Christ as Head of His Mystical Body, His
Church?

Is Christ Head of men’s bodies or souls?

Christ is Head of all men but in different ways. Explain.

Why is Christ Head of the angels?
Give two reasons why Christ is Head of the Church?

What power has Christ given to priests and bishops?

— 32 —



f



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RELIGION — PRAYER— SACRIFICE

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