•^y^ 
 
 '<>*> 
 
 A PKACTICAL 
 
 COMMENTARY ON HOLY SCRIPTURE. 
 
 VOI. I. 
 
A PRACTICAL COMMENTARY 
 
 ON 
 
 HOLY SCRIPTURE 
 
 FOR THE USE OF CATECHISTS AND TEACHERS 
 
 BY FREDERICK JUSTUS KNECHT, DD., 
 
 AUXILIARY BISHOP OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF FREIBURG. 
 
 TRANSLATED FROM THE TENTH GERMAN EDITION. 
 
 Preface by Rev. Michael F. Glance y, 
 
 INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS IN THE DIOCESE OF BIRMINGHAM. 
 
 WITH THE APPROBATION AND RECOMMENDATION OF HIS EMINENCE THE MOST REV. 
 
 CARDINAL-ARCHBISHOP OF WESTMINSTER AND OF THEIR LORDSHIPS THE RIGHT 
 
 REV. BISHOPS OF BELLEVILLE AND BIRMINGHAM. 
 
 CONTAINING 108 ILLUSTRATIONS AND TWO COLOURED MAPS. 
 
 FIRST VOLUME. 
 THE OLD TESTAMENT. 
 
 B. HERDER, 
 
 17 South Broadway, 
 
 St. Louis, Mo. 
 
e?«5^^ 
 
 ALL EIGHTS RESERVED. 
 
 ICAK STACSP 
 
 B. HERDER, Printer, Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany). 1894. 
 

 /w £Aese cfa?/s ; wkn so mwc/^ is written and spoken that is 
 destructive of faith and of belief in revelation, and when the Sacred 
 Writings themselves are treated with even less respect than profane 
 history, it is important to give to Catholic youth such a work as 
 Dr. KNECHT'S Commentary on the Old and New Testament. The 
 chief value of the work consists in this, that it points out the bearing 
 of Bible History upon faith and morals. To shew in what ways the 
 Inspired Writings are of practical use to Christian life, to mark their 
 application to conduct as they are perused by the youthful reader, 
 is to render a great service to our holy Religion. Dr. KNECHT'S 
 work seems to have attained a considerable success in other lands. 
 I augur for it, therefore, in English-speaking countries at least a 
 hearty welcome. 
 
 It is of great importance that Catholics should esteem and love 
 the Holy Scriptures, and should learn to use them aright. We have 
 here before us a valuable aid in this direction. 
 
 Herbert Cardinal Vaughan, 
 
 Archbishop of Westminster. 
 June 6. 1894. 
 
 o n 
 
 
Belleville, III, April 5. 1894. 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 The "Commentary on Holy Scripture for the use of Catechists and 
 Teachers" by Dr. F. J. KNECHT, now Auxiliary Bishop of Freiburg, 
 Baden, has been received with the greatest welcome by the Clergy in 
 Germany. It is considered by them as one of the best and most 
 useful works for Catechists and Teachers. I am glad to learn that 
 an English translation of this most excellent work is to be published 
 by you, and I do not hesitate to say that the English edition will 
 become as popular as the original German. It deserves strong 
 recommendation. 
 
 Yours faithfully in Christ 
 
 f John Jans sen, 
 
 Bish&p of Belleville. 
 
 St Mary's Seminary, Oscott: Birmingham, March 8. 1894. 
 
 I like extremely the Chapters I have read of Dr. KNECHT' S Bible 
 Narrative and Commentary. With an admirable method he combines 
 with the Narrative brief explanatory notes, which he follows up with 
 suitable reflections. To a Catechist in want of a Manual for teaching 
 Bible History this work will be found invaluable. 
 
 f Edward, 
 
 Bishop of Binning/nan. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 rtf no country, perhaps, has the study of Catechetics made 
 such rapid strides, or its importance been so much appre- 
 ciated, as in Germany. That country can boast of a band of 
 writers who have enriched the world with a most valuable 
 catechetical literature, treating the subject in a way at 
 once scientific and practical. Gruber, Krawutzcky, Overberg, 
 Barthel , Hirschfelder and Benda are names deservedly 
 honoured by those who can appreciate the importance of 
 Catechetics ; but more honourable still are the names of 
 Schuster and Mey, to which must now be added the name 
 of Dr. Knecht, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of 
 Freiburg, the author of several pamphlets on state education 
 and the school question, but better known as the author 
 of the Practical Commentary, which entitles him to a place 
 in the front rank of Catechists. Besides issuing Catechisms 
 and Histories, these writers have done what in them lay to 
 elevate Catechetics into a science, and to build it up from 
 a solid foundation. They were quick to see that Catechetics 
 is both a science and an art, and that like every other 
 science it must rest on certain broad principles, and move 
 along certain fixed lines. They recognized that Catechisms 
 must be constructed not haphazard, but on a definite plan 
 and principle, and according to rule. Hence, for years past, 
 the principles underlying Catechetics, its various branches — 
 e. g. Bible History and Catechism — and their mutual inter- 
 dependence, the catechetical method itself — viz. the mode of 
 imparting the several branches, and the rules to be followed 
 by the Catechist — all, in a word, that goes to constitute the 
 science, has passed through the sieve of exhaustive discussion, v. 
 
viii PREFACE. 
 
 And where do we stand in England? Have we advanced 
 thus far? Or have we so much as grasped the truth that 
 Catechetics is a science at all ? On looking into the dictionary 
 I found, indeed, the word Catechetics, but it was marked with 
 an obelus or death-mark, to show that it was either dying 
 or dead. The thing is not, perhaps, quite as lifeless as its 
 name; but if Catechetics, as a science, still barely lives, it 
 is the utmost that can be said. I am far from saying that 
 there is a lack of earnestness amongst us, or that we have 
 no experienced Catechists who have attained a fair, or, if you 
 will, a large measure of success. Nor am I insinuating that 
 we are not alive to the vast consequences with which success 
 or failure in catechizing is fraught for the future. On the 
 contrary, the steady, if slow, growth of a catechetical 
 "^ literature amongst us points to a growing interest in the 
 subject, and a deepening sense of its importance. All this, 
 however, while proving that we are in point of fact 
 catechizing, only serves to bring out in greater prominence 
 the fact that we are still without the science. Are our 
 tools rusty ? Are our weapons broken or blunted ? In a word, 
 are our methods right or wrong? Are the instruments we 
 are using adapted to the purpose for which they are intended ? 
 Are our Catechisms correctly adjusted, that is, are they set 
 in a manner best calculated to secure their aim? All these 
 are questions on which our future success turns, and which 
 clamour for an answer. If our methods and our instruments 
 are perchance wrong, we are but wasting our energies in 
 attempting to naturalize mistakes, by forming them into a 
 regular system. And what answer can be given to these 
 questions? Until lately no answer has been attempted, even 
 if the question has been asked. But recently an enterprising 
 r clerical journal, Pastor alia by name, has been rife with 
 /discussions that have yet only touched the fringe of these 
 great questions ; still I am not without hopes that when the 
 !mass of nebulous matter condenses, it may prove to be the 
 ^beginning of a solid catechetical system. 
 
 We in England, then, seem to be just entering on the 
 preliminary stage of discussion. In Germany the stage of 
 
PREFACE. ix 
 
 discussion has long been passed. And, it will naturally be 
 asked, has the discussion proved as barren of practical fruit 
 as many German discussions have undoubtedly been? What 
 has been the net result? Is any advantage likely to accrue 
 from a discussion? Is not the catechetical system that is 
 stereotyped in practice good enough? These are, I submit, 
 questions that may be profitably discussed, even if the 
 discussion entail no change. At any rate, it can do no 
 harm, if it only strengthen our self-assurance that we are 
 travelling on the right road. For it is not a little singular 
 that the Germans, who have discussed these matters, and we,\ 
 who have not, move in many respects on totally distinct 
 planes. The Germans, for instance, use a graduated series of 
 Catechisms. There are lower Catechisms, middle CatecfiiSnis, 
 and upper Catechisms. In England, on the other hand, 
 we have practically but one Catechism, which is learnt alike 
 by infants on the gallery, and by youths in the upper 
 forms. Is it better to have one Catechism or a graduated 
 series adapted to the several capacities of those who use 
 them?* Surely, it would not be futile to discuss thef 
 respective merits or demerits of the two systems. For 
 without presuming to say that either is better than the 
 other, I may safely affirm that ours is not so obviously 
 superior as to be outside the pale of discussion. 
 
 Another question closely bound up with the former is to 
 determine what should be the setting and frame-work and 
 general characteristics of a Catechism. Should a Catechism, 
 in a word, be a Su mma Th eoloqica in miniature? a com- 
 pendium of Theology? a condensed essence of theological 
 treatises? Should it be couched in technical language? 
 Should it bristle with definitions? Should the definitions be 
 framed with such studied accuracy that the most fastidious 
 philosopher shall be unable to detect the slightest flaw or^ 
 imperfection? Should they be such that "only a philosopher 
 can read them without a groan"? Or should a Catechism 
 be a religious primer? Should its language be plain and 
 
 * One and the same Catechism might serve for all grades, if it were 
 printed with some distinction analogous to large and small type. 
 
x PREFACE. 
 
 simple , but accurate withal, though without straining after 
 minute shades of accuracy? Should there be more expla- 
 nations and fewer definitions? By way of illustrating the 
 two methods I will transcribe two answers to the question: 
 What is God? One answer occurs in the English Catechism, 
 the other in Deharbe's Small Catechism, a translation of 
 which is extensively used in the United States. 
 
 ENGLISH CATECHISM. DEHARBE'S CATECHISM. 
 
 What is God? What is God? 
 
 God is the supreme Spirit, who God is the Lord and Master of 
 
 alone exists of Himself and is in- Heaven and earth, from Whom all 
 
 finite in all perfections. good things come. 
 
 The English definition is made up of a number of 
 ideas of such a hard metaphysical cast as to be wholly 
 impervious to the ordinary mind, to say nothing of the 
 child-mind. Nay it may be affirmed without exaggeration 
 that only those who have undergone a philosophical and a 
 theological training can ever hope to understand it. The 
 very explanation involves a course of theology. For the 
 definition is the whole treatise Be Deo in a nutshell. Deharbe's 
 answer immediately stoops to lowly intelligences, and thereby 
 it stoops to conquer. Being adapted to the capacity of 
 children it will give them, at least, some idea of God, 
 whereas the English definition cannot but leave a blank. 
 And yet, as Frassinetti rightly contends, the first and 
 chiefest step in catechizing is to give children a grand and 
 exalted idea of God. Even the Middle Catechisms do not 
 require their pupils to soar to such metaphysical heights as 
 we expect our infants to scale. 
 
 To some it will seem that both methods are right, if 
 each be kept in its place: that we need both a digest of 
 theology and a religious primer. At the same time it is 
 respectfully insisted that the two works are so different in 
 scope and material that any attempt to fuse them into one 
 I is foredoomed to failure. Surely, all must allow that religious 
 teaching comes first, theological explanation a long way 
 second, and theological terms are to be admitted only when 
 they cannot be kept out. 
 
PREFACE. xi 
 
 Thus we have again veered round to the previous question: 
 whether it is better to have jme Catechism or several.? Those 
 who maintain the necessity of having several Catechisms, 
 or several grades in the one Catechism, can at all events 
 appeal to the example of St. Paul who prescribed milk for 
 the weak and solid food for the strong. 
 
 There is yet a third point on which we need light, and 
 that is_the disposition and order in which the material should 
 be set. In what order should the Catechism be arranged ? 
 On a metaphysical or a practical plan? The order followed 
 in the English Catechism is severely metaphysical, and 
 consequently children do not learn till late many things 
 that they require to know early. Take, for instance, the 
 Sacrament of Penance and the Christian's Daily Exercise. 
 These occur in the latter part of the Catechism. And yet, 
 children require these long before this stage in the Catechism 
 is reached, that is, if the present order be followed. And what 
 is the result ? That children have to be learning two parts ^ 
 of the Catechism concurrently: one for school -work, and 
 another to fit them for the Sacraments they are about to 
 receive. Thus the school- work is a drag on the Sacraments, ( 
 and the Sacraments a drag on the school -work, whereas 
 they should be a mutual help one to the other. A question 
 proper to be discussed in Catechetics is how far this double 
 system is a waste of energy, and how far it would be 
 advantageous to arrange the school Catechism on a more 
 useful principle, that is, broadly speaking, in the order 
 in which it is required*. In the Catechism for the Diocese 
 of Rottenburg, the Sacraments follow immediately on the 
 articles of the Creed. This, at all events, is a step in the 
 right direction. For obviously children receive the Sacraments, 
 and therefore require to know about them, before they need < 
 a detailed knowledge of the commandments. But still greater 
 advance has been made in the Diocese of Salford. In the 
 manuals of Religious Instruction used in that diocese, and 
 approved by the present Cardinal Archbishop when Bishop 
 
 * Catechisms of this kind are in use in the Dioceses of Birmingham 
 and Salford. 
 
xii PREFACE. 
 
 of Salford, the questions and answers are arranged, not in 
 the mechanical order with which we are familiar in the 
 ordinary Catechism, but in subjects. Here we have, I submit, 
 a valuable hint which, if judiciously acted upon, cannot but 
 greatly simplify the work of learning and, what is more 
 important, of understanding the Catechism. 
 
 The incidental mention of the Catechism for the Diocese of 
 Rottenburg suggests another point — and it shall be the last — 
 on which I wish now to touch. This Catechism has in 
 common with our own one notable feature. Underlying both 
 is the remarkable principle of embodying the question in 
 the answer. When this principle was first introduced into 
 the English Catechism, it was looked upon as the golden 
 key that would unlock the portals of knowledge. It was 
 imagined that the automatic action of dovetailing the question 
 into the answer would serve as a sort of plastic medium 
 for transferring to the mind of the child the connexion 
 between question and answer that exists on paper. The 
 psychic process by which this result was to be achieved 
 was doubtless wrapped in mystery; but as an expedient 
 for bridging over the abyss between mind and matter, the 
 device was certainly ingenious. It looked very plausible, and 
 no one could say that it might not succeed. Its shortlived 
 existence, however, has but confirmed the old axiom that 
 an automaton will never produce life or intelligence. No one 
 nowadays dreams that it has realized the great expectations 
 -that were formed from it. Nay, if I may speak as one 
 less wise, I should say that the soundness of the principle 
 is very widely called in question. Instead of smoothing away, 
 as many object, it has multiplied the difficulty of learning 
 the Catechism by increasing the matter of the answers, 
 already in many cases too bulky* ; and, what is far worse, 
 by giving such undue prominence to the question, it has 
 
 V * Bulky not merely in words, but chiefly in ideas. An answer should 
 
 •* contain one fact or one idea; not a fact and a reason for the fact; or 
 
 a fact, and an exception, and a reason for the exception. Questions with 
 
 a multiplicity of ideas (e. g. What is an Indulgence?), if split up into 
 
 several, may be made intelligible. 
 
PREFACE. xm 
 
 thrust the answer into the background, and thus the answer 
 is smothered or strangled in the question. Now, which is 
 the more important factor in a Catechism: the question or 
 the answer? The answer to this question is too obvious 
 to need stating; for surely there can be no doubt that the 
 answer is of primary, and the question of only secondary 
 importance. The question is of value only inasmuch as it 
 draws out the answer. It is the answer, therefore, that 
 should be to the front, and the question in the background. 
 Whereas when the question is put in front, and the answer 
 in the rear — when the question is made to overshadow the 
 answer — the natural order is inverted. 
 
 I have said that the English and Rottenburg Catechisms 
 share this principle in common. But, after all, the agreement 
 between the two Catechisms is only apparent. For there 
 is this difference between the two, that in the English 
 Catechism the question was framed before the answer, 
 whereas in the Rottenburg Catechism the answer was framed 
 before the question. Thus in the latter the true principle 
 appears as a living force. 
 
 This is a matter of greater import than at first blush it( 
 may seem. Not only is this mode of procedure a courageous 
 assertion of the true principle on which I have been insisting ; 
 not only is the true proportion between question and answer 
 thereby observed; but it also gives us a glimpse of yet 
 another truth which we seem barely to have realized: viz. 
 that answers gain in clearness and directness when they 
 are unhampered by the stilted phraseology of a preformed 
 question. How much plainer and simpler would Catechisms 
 be, if all were constructed on this plan ! Still, if the Rotten- 
 burg principle is right, we may reasonably go a step 
 farther and ask, how far it is advisable to have stereotyped 
 questions at all. Will the Catechism of the future —if 
 Catechism it can be called — , after the manner of that ex- 
 cellent religious primer, Facts of Faith, consist merely of sets 
 of plain simple consecutive statements? That some chapters 
 in the Catechism lose in effectiveness by being put in the 
 form of question and answer, is to me painfully evident. 
 
xiv PREFACE. 
 
 Take, for instance, the last chapter — the Christian's Daily 
 ) Exercise. Will any one say that the beautiful instructions 
 therein contained would not be far more telling, if written 
 in the form of pithy childlike statements? But, as they 
 stand, they are positively handicapped by the questions to 
 which they form a pendant. And it is to be feared that, in 
 consequence, children often think of the duty inculcated only 
 in connexion with its question in the Catechism. 
 
 2. 
 
 Leaving the domain of general Catechetics, we now come 
 to that branch which is the subject-matter of the present 
 volume, viz. Bible History. And, first of all, it may be 
 asked: what place does Bible History hold in a course of 
 religious instruction? Bible History is not the foundation 
 on which religious instruction rests, nor the centre round 
 which it revolves, nor the goal towards which it tends. Our 
 religion centres in our faith, which is not a condensed extract 
 from Bible History, but comes from the Church. Not Bible 
 History, then, but the teaching of the Church must, on 
 Catholic principles, be at once the beginning, middle and end 
 of religious instruction. Hence Bible History, to claim a 
 place in religious instruction, must do so only inasmuch 
 as it bears on the doctrines of faith. If this principle be 
 kept steadily in view, Bible History may be made to 
 render most valuable service in religious instruction. The 
 illustrative light it throws on doctrinal truths makes them 
 more easily intelligible. They become invested with a concrete 
 form, are clothed with flesh and blood, breathe the breath 
 of life, and move like living truths before our eyes. In 
 the Catechism , they appear as cold abstracts and mere 
 .^outlines. Thus Bible History becomes an object-lesson in 
 Afaith, a veritable pictorial Catechism. How powerfully, for 
 instance, is the truth of an all-ruling Providence illustrated 
 by the histories of Joseph and Abraham! What, again, is 
 better calculated to teach the power of prayer than the 
 stories of Moses praying while the Israelites fought, and of 
 the Church praying for the imprisoned Peter? On the other 
 
PREFACE. xv 
 
 hand, the fate of Judas and the rejection of Juda show forth, 
 in all their hideous deformity, the terrible consequences of 
 resistance to grace; while the history of the fall of Eve 
 and of Peter brings out the necessity of avoiding dangerous 
 occasions. In this way,' Bible History at once proves and 
 illustrates doctrinal truth. <-• And it likewise develops and 
 expands such truth. The Catechism tells us, indeed, how 
 and why Christ suffered, but Bible History gives a full and 
 detailed account of His sufferings, and so enables us better 
 to realize the infinite love of God and the enormity of sin. 
 The texts of Scripture that in the Catechism stand isolated 
 and shorn of their context, are now seen in the light of their 
 surroundings and speak to us with a new force and meaning. 
 ^/Moreover, Bible History serves to complete the Catechism. 
 The Catechism, for example, is silent about miracles, about 
 God's mercy and forbearance, His patience and long-suffering. 
 Of humility, and indeed of many other virtues, it is also 
 silent, except that it arranges them over against the opposing 
 vices. But would we learn their nature and properties, 
 and how pleasing they are to God, it is to Bible History 
 that we must turn. The Catechism is monosyllabic in stating 
 the duties that children owe to their parents, masters to their [ 
 servants, and vice-versa ; whereas the history of the centu- ,* 
 rion's servant, of Heli's sons, and of Tobias surrounds these 
 duties with a halo of interpreting light. Again , ^Bible 
 History exhibits religious truth in its bearing and action on 
 the most varied states and conditions. Virtue and vice stand 
 before us, with life-blood coursing through their veins, in 
 attractive beauty or repellent ugliness. The Good Samaritan 
 invites to mercy; Job, in his resignation to God's will, is a ' 
 beacon-light to the sorrowing ; the Apostles going forth from \ 
 the scourges, and rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to 
 suffer for Christ, invest with a startling reality the beatitude : 
 Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake. 
 
 From all this it is clear that Bible History is not to be 
 read, as too often it is, merely as a story-book; that it is 
 to be studied, not on its own account, but because it im- 
 parts life and vigour, picturesqueness and comprehensiveness 
 
xvi PREFACE. 
 
 to religious instruction; because it elucidates, proves, en- 
 forces and illustrates the truths that go to make up religious 
 instruction. But, as Dr. Knecht insists, in order that Bible 
 History may be in a position to render these services, it must 
 be "taught in the closest connexion with the Catechism". 
 "Catechism and Bible History must mutually interpenetrate *, 
 for only in this way is a systematic course of religious in- 
 struction possible" (p. 9). Catechism and Bible History must 
 go hand in hand, but Catechism must be in the van. Catechism 
 
 A is the guiding principle, and Bible History its handmaid. 
 These are the principles, weighty though elementary, on 
 which Dr. Knecht and all writers on Catechetics are generally 
 agreed. And how does practice harmonize with principles? 
 Is practice attuned to principle? Or are the two in hopeless 
 discord? To begin with, how many teachers have mastered 
 the reason why Bible History has a place in religious in- 
 struction? How many, or how few, realize the fact that 
 Bible History and Catechism should be "taught in the closest 
 connexion"? And what percentage of those who have grasped 
 this truth put it in practice? There is no denying the patent 
 
 s fact that, as a rule, the two are not taught concurrently, 
 and are not made to run on parallel lines. Ten to one, 
 the Bible History set down for a class in a given year 
 has no connexion whatever with the doctrinal instruction 
 of that year. Thus , while children are being instructed in 
 the Holy Eucharist, their Scripture History turns on that 
 singularly uninspiring period embraced by the reigns of 
 the kings of Israel and Juda! All this comes from being 
 enslaved to the chronological system. This is the root of 
 the evil to which the axe must be laid. Forgetting the 
 plain principle that should underly the teaching of all Bible 
 History, and utterly ignoring the profit or loss to the children, 
 we have stumbled over the crooked idea that Bible History 
 must be taught chronologically even in our poor schools. 
 I am far from denying, nay, I affirm that a systematic 
 course of Bible History should be given when time and 
 facilities are not wanting, as in our upper schools and 
 * "In inniger gegenseitiger Durchdringung". 
 
PREFACE. xvii 
 
 colleges. But in our poor schools, where the time barely 
 suffices to give the necessary instruction and to drive it 
 home with religious effect, a slavish adhesion to chronology j 
 is to sacrifice realities to figures. To talk of a systematic^ 
 course in this sense, under such circumstances, is nothing 
 short of preposterous. In the chronological system , Bible 
 History cannot, except by a happy accident, enforce and 
 illustrate the religious instruction. Far from being a help, f 
 it is a drawback. Instead of elucidating, it obscures. No 
 longer the handmaid, it seeks to be on an equality with 
 the mistress. For religious instruction to succeed in its '^ 
 great purpose it must, as Dr. Knecht rightly says, be 
 conducted on a "unitive" plan. The unit is the doctrinal 
 instruction, with which the Bible History must be brought 
 into line, unless we are to fly in the teeth of all ourC 
 principles. Let me now briefly illustrate what I mean 
 by this unification or concentration of subject that I am 
 advocating, lest perhaps I be twitted with pulling down 
 without attempting to build up. Instead , therefore , of 
 teaching children who are being instructed in the Blessed 
 Eucharist about the kings of Israel and Juda, I would 
 teach them the Scripture History of the Blessed Eucharist, 
 as in the following plan*: 
 
 THE HOLY EUCHARIST. 
 
 I. Types of the Holy Eucharist: 
 
 1. The Sacrifice of Melchisedech. 
 
 2. The Paschal Lamb. ^„> 
 
 3. The Manna. 
 
 4. The Food of Elias. 
 
 5. The Jewish Sacrifices. 
 II. The Prophecy of Malachias. 
 
 III. Christ promises a new Sacrifice : 
 
 1. At Jacob's Well, 
 
 2. After the multiplication of the loaves. 
 
 IV. The Last Supper. — Institution of the Blessed Eucharist. 
 V. The two disciples going to Emmaus. 
 
 * From Scripture History for Schools (No. 3). Approved for use in 
 
xvm PREFACE. 
 
 VI. Miracles illustrative of the Blessed Eucharist: 
 
 1. Water made wine at Cana. 
 
 2. Multiplication of loaves. 
 
 3. Christ walking on the waters. 
 
 4. The Transfiguration. 
 
 The important subject of the Church may be treated 
 somewhat similarly. 
 
 THE CHURCH. 
 
 Part I. The Old Testament. 
 
 I. Introductory. 
 
 II. The Church a Family. 
 
 1. Noe. The Ark. 
 
 2. Call of Abraham. — The promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 
 
 III. The Church a People. 
 
 1. Moses. 
 
 2. Giving of the Law. 
 
 3. The Tabernacle. 
 
 4. Entrance into Promised Land. 
 
 IV. The Church a Kingdom. 
 
 1. David. 
 
 2. Solomon. — Building of the Temple. 
 
 3. The kingdom broken up. 
 
 V. God promises to set up a New Kingdom. 
 
 Part II. The Gospels. 
 
 VI. Introductory. 
 
 VII. Christ the King.— The Kingdom of God. 
 VIII. Parables on the Kingdom of God. 
 
 1. The Hidden Treasure. 
 
 2. The Pearl of Great Price. 
 
 3. The Wheat and the Cockle. 
 
 4. The Drag-net. 
 
 5. The Leaven. 
 
 6. The Mustard Seed. 
 
 7. The Good Shepherd. 
 IX. Jesus calls Disciples. 
 
 X. The first Miraculous Draught of Fishes. 
 XI. Peter's Confession of Faith. — The Foundation of the Church of 
 
 Christ. 
 XII. Christ promises that Peter's faith shall not fail. 
 
 XIII. The second miraculous Draught of Fishes. — Christ makes Peter 
 
 Chief Shepherd. 
 
 XIV. The Mission of the Apostles. 
 
PREFACE. xix 
 
 Pakt III. History of the Church after our Lord's Ascension. 
 
 XV. The Opening of the Church. 
 XVI. Peter cures the Lame Man. 
 XVII. The First Christians. 
 XVIII. The Apostles work miracles ; are imprisoned etc. 
 XIX. Conversion of St. Paul. 
 XX. Peter visits the Churches. 
 XXI. Peter's vision. — Cornelius. 
 XXII. Peter imprisoned and set free by angel. 
 
 XXIII. The Council of Jerusalem. 
 
 XXIV. Primacy of St. Peter.— Summary. 
 
 In a word, the Scripture History should be grouped round 
 the central doctrines of our faith. 
 
 A subject largely discussed in Catechetics is the method 
 of teaching Bible History. Catechists are now agreed that 
 five factors go to make up the teaching of Bible History: 
 1. Narrative, 2. explanation, 3. repetition, 4. commentary, 
 5. application. Not to be needlessly prolix, I assume that 
 this is also the order in which they are to be taken. A 
 few words must be said on each. 
 
 Narrative. The first stage in teaching Bible History is 
 the narrative. The teacher tells^the story briefly and pithily, u 
 in such a way, however, as to make the actors stand out 
 as living beings, and enable the children to see with their 
 eyes and hear with their ears what is said and done. This 
 is what Fenelon called the "fundamental law" in teaching 
 Bible History. Neglect or slipshod observance of this rule- 
 is prolific in failures. And yet, in defiance of this "funda-" 
 mental law", children are often set to learn the History in' 
 the first instance from a book! What is the result? The 
 child, failing to understand the story aright at the outset J 
 receives a blurred impression which is never wholly effaced. 
 And no wonder. The negative was bad ; and no amount of 
 subsequent dilutions and retouchings will produce a goody 
 photograph from a bad negative. It is essential that the 
 first impression should be a good one. If the child fails at 
 first to catch the points of interest, it is bored by the story 
 
xx PREFACE. 
 
 ever afterwards. But if the story is well told, the child's 
 interest is awakened, and it is all ears to know something 
 further. The narrative is the peg on which all that follows 
 is to hang. Unless the nail be firmly driven in, it will not 
 hold the picture ; so unless the points of the story are clearly 
 fixed in the child's mind, it is labour wasted to overlay it 
 with explanations or to attach pendant commentaries. 
 
 Explanation. A story well told is half explained. In 
 telling the story, hard words are, as far as possible, to be 
 avoided; but from time to time, words and phrases, usages 
 and customs that need explaining, will find their way into the 
 story. This is all that Catechists mean by the explanation, 
 viz., making clear all that is absolutely necessary for under- 
 standing the story aright. It does not mean branching off into 
 learned digressions, or talking over the children's heads. 
 All vapid display of learning confuses rather than explains. 
 Repetition. So far books have been on the shelf. And 
 sometimes they remain there much longer. Some teachers, 
 taking their stand on high principles, rise to heights of 
 virtuous indignation in denouncing all employment of Bible 
 Histories as pernicious. Books, they say, degrade the learn- 
 ing of Bible History to the clumsiest mechanical operation, 
 and deal a death-blow at intelligence. But surely this de- 
 nunciation proceeds from a wrong conception of the time 
 and place when books are to be used. If the children are 
 made to learn the history in the first instance from a book, 
 undoubtedly the objection has some force. Then, however, 
 not books but wrong methods are to blame. How can the 
 )ook rightly used be fatal to intelligence, since intelligence 
 las been brought into play before the book is used at all ? 
 'or surely it is bringing violence to bear against common 
 sense to contend that reading a story after it has been 
 understood, obliterates intelligence. 
 
 After the story has been told, the children open their 
 books, and one or more read it aloud — the teacher adding 
 any further explanations that may be necessary. Teachers 
 — this is important — in telling the story should endeavour 
 to adhere pretty closely to the words of the book. Other- 
 
PREFACE. xxi 
 
 wise, if the language differs notably from that in the book, 
 the children, when reading the story for themselves, will 
 be puzzled and perplexed. Considerable variety in language 
 will only confuse them. 
 
 So far the children have listened to the story with atten- 
 tion, and have understood it. But the impression, like lines 
 written in water, will quickly disappear, unless measures be 
 taken to fix it in the memory. This is the next process. Our 
 knowledge is coextensive with our memory. We know as 
 much or as little as we remember. Memory, says Hirsch- 
 felder, is the mortar that holds the bricks together. Wrtnout 
 memory, the combined action of understanding, heart and 
 will, can only succeed in erecting a pile of loose stones. 
 Furthermore, many Catechists of note insist that the text 
 should be committed to memory, word for word, at least 
 by young children. Thus Alleker argues that a free repro- 
 duction is beyond the capabilities of all but advanced pupils, 
 and that it is far easier for children to reproduce the matter 
 in the form set before them. Hirschf elder truly observes 
 that children are unequal to improving on the form given 
 in the book, and that, when the lesson is not exacted 
 word for word, the tendency, especially in the quicker and 
 brighter children, is to learn it in the most slipshod fashion. 
 Perhaps time will throw light on this question. Meanwhile 
 teachers may do much towards facilitating the by-heart and 
 making it intelligent, by pointing out the natural divisions 
 of the story, the connexion between the several parts, etc. 
 
 As regards the repetition in class, I cannot do better 
 than give in substance Dr. Knecht's words. The repetition 
 consists in the children telling the story independentlyTaifif 
 in a connected fashion, /it should be no parrot-prattle, no 
 mechanical outpouring of sentences conned by rote ; but the 
 story should be told intelligently , with* correct expression 
 and emphasis. In particular, teachers should beware of 
 letting the children either speak too quickly, or fall into a 
 sing-song, drawling, or hum-drum style. 
 
 Commentary. Hitherto all our efforts have been concen- 
 trated on the Bible story in itself. The children have seized 
 
xxn PREFACE. 
 
 the right points of the story; they have learnt the course 
 of events, and have gained an insight into the motives 
 that impelled the actors in the drama; they understand the 
 immediate meaning of the phrases in which the story is told. 
 But the deeper meaning of the story is still hidden from 
 them v J(The commentary is the key that opens the gate of 
 ^ this wider knowledge. The Bible narrative is no longer to 
 be viewed as a story, but as a revelation from God, dis- 
 closing God's will and God's attributes. Every Bible story 
 contains dogmatic and moral truths. One might almost 
 say that the events happened for the sake of these truths. 
 To draw out these truths, and bring them vividly before 
 the children, is the most important part of instruction in 
 Bible History. And this is the function of the commentary. 
 /Thus the commentary brings out the typical character of 
 \persons and things; it unearths the truths buried in our 
 'Lord's parables; it unfolds the spiritual meaning underlying 
 )His miracles. But, most of all, it shows what bearing Bible 
 /stories have on doctrines of faith and morals, on the cultus 
 vand institutions of the Church. Thus the teacher has to hand 
 an instrument which, if wisely used, is admirably adapted 
 for deepening the religious knowledge and strengthening the 
 religious convictions of the children, and for arming their 
 faith on all points. Such is Dr. Knecht's account of the 
 function of the commentary. And he goes on to point out 
 ^ the^qualities that the commentary should have if it is to be 
 ellSctive/TTlt must be according to the mind of the Church, 
 whom Christ has appointed to guard and expound Holy 
 Scripture. The commentary is not intended for a platform 
 on which the teacher can air his own crude opinions. 2. It 
 must be catechetical. Both in matter and manner it must 
 conform to the rules of Catechetics, i. e. it must be adapted 
 to the class to which it is given.yAll platitudes, vague 
 ^generalities, and scattered reflections wide of the mark are to 
 be carefully shunned, as they leave only a nauseating effect. 
 3. The teacher must keep steadily in view the close connexion 
 that should subsist between Bible History and religious 
 instruction. On this point sufficient has already been said. 
 
PREFACE. xxiii 
 
 Application. On this last factor little need be said. It 
 consists in holding up the mirror to nature ; in making the 
 children realize that the events recorded , though happen- 
 ing ten thousand miles away and some thousands of years 
 back, have an interest and a concern for them, and are 
 part and parcel of their own lives. The temptations and 
 struggles, the falls and conversions, the unkept promises 
 here depicted, are a reflection of our own conduct, and are 
 written for our warning and encouragement and self-know- 
 ledge. Moreover, in the application, the truths elicited in 
 the commentary are brought home to the individual child, 
 and are held up to him as a rule of life and conduct. 
 
 Such, in short, is the programme that Dr. Knecht has 
 mapped out for himself in his Practical Commentary. A 
 programme most inviting and comprehensive! To many, 
 doubtless, it will appear too vast to be carried out success- 
 fully. But I have no hesitation in saying that Dr. Knecht's 
 success is as great as his programme is vast. His work 
 first saw the light in 1883, and since then twelve large V 
 editions have been exhausted. This fact alone speaks volumes 
 for his success. His work marks an immense advance on 
 anything that has been published in this country. In fact, 
 we have nothing in any way like it ; nothing that approaches 
 it within a measurable distance. Our te xt-bo oks , at their 
 best, give but a good narrative; at their worst, I fear 
 to say what they do. But best and worst alike have f 
 entered into an unholy covenant to give next to nothing 
 beyond the narrative. Now, thanks to Dr. Knecht and his 
 translator, we have a work that, in addition to a good 
 narrative, supplies a good explanation, and an excellent, 
 commentary. The very idea that Bible History needs an 
 explanation and a commentary will, I suspect, come to 
 many like a bolt from the blue. But I trust that after the 
 appearance of Dr. Knecht's work we shall be ashamed to 
 issue any more Bible Histories in the good old dry-as- V 
 dust style. 
 
xxiv PREFACE. 
 
 The narrative in the Practical Commentary is Dr. Schuster's 
 Bible History. This work itself has already been translated 
 into eighteen languages, and has run into I know not how 
 many editions. Let it, however, be noted that the Practical 
 Commentary is not inextricably bound up with any particular 
 form of narrative, and it will be found equally serviceable 
 with any other narrative that teachers may prefer to take 
 as the groundwork. 
 
 In particular, I would call attention to the excellent 
 "Concordance between Holy Scripture and the Catechism", 
 as it is called, given in the Appendix. In it the teacher will 
 find ready to hand an invaluable repertory of Bible stories 
 and explanations for illustrating his catechetical instructions. 
 
 In conclusion, I wish to re-echo with all earnestness the 
 words of a writer in the Schweizer Pastor alblatt: "I con- 
 sider this Commentary the best and most useful hand-book 
 of its kind ... I am happy to think that every day 
 strengthens my conviction of its great worth, and I should 
 like to see it in the hands of every priest and every teacher." 
 I will only add that it is indispensable to every teacher who 
 would be abreast of his work. To priests it will be most 
 useful, not only in the school, but also in the pulpit, as it 
 supplies most suggestive material for courses of sermons. 
 And I make bold to affirm that no one, be he priest or 
 teacher, can take up without profit this excellent manual, 
 not the least merit of which is that it has imparted a 
 thoroughly religious character to the teaching of Bible History. 
 
 Michael F. Glancey. 
 Stanley House, 
 
 eccleshall. 
 May 17. 1894. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 HISTORY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. 
 
 FIRST EPOCH. 
 
 THE PRIMITIVE AGES. 
 From Adam to Abraham (about 4000 to 2100 B. G). 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. The Creation of the World 3 
 
 II. Creation and Fall of the Angels 10 
 
 i III. Creation of the First Man.— Paradise. — The First Com- 
 mandment. — Creation of Eve 15 
 
 IV. The Fall of our First Parents. Two parts . . .21 
 
 V. Cain and Abel . . . 33 
 
 VI. The Deluge . .... . . . . . .40 
 
 VII. Noe's Offerings. — His Children . . . . . . .48 
 
 VIII. The Tower of Babel . .55 
 
 SECOND EPOCH. 
 
 The time of the Patriarchs (about 2100—1500 B. C). 
 
 IX. Call of Abram ....:.... 60 
 
 X. Abram's Love of Peace 63 
 
 XI. Abraham's Faith and Hospitality. — Circumcision . 68 
 
 XII. Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha . . . . .71 
 
 XIII. Birth of Isaac and Abraham's Sacrifice .... 77 
 
 XIV. Isaac marries Rebecca .82 
 
 XV. Esau and Jacob ' . . . .86 
 
 XVI. Jacob's Flight and His Sojourn with Laban ... 92 
 
 XVII. Jacob returns Home, and is reconciled with His Brother 97 
 
 XVIII. Joseph Sold by His Brethren 102 
 
 XIX. Joseph in the House of Putiphar 108 
 
 XX. Joseph in Prison . . .111 
 
 Knecht, Commentary. I. b 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XXI. Joseph's Exaltation 
 
 XXII. The Sons of Jacob go into Egypt 
 
 XXIII. Benjamin's Journey to Egypt 
 
 XXIV. Joseph's Silver Cup . . . . 
 
 XXV. Joseph makes Himself known to His Brethren 
 
 XXVI. Jacob goes into Egypt .... 
 
 XXVII. The Last Words of Jacob .... 
 
 XXVIII. Job's Patience . . . . . 
 
 PAGE 
 114 
 
 120 
 124 
 127 
 129 
 132 
 136 
 140 
 
 THE AGE OF MOSES. 
 From the year 1500-1450 B. C. 
 
 XXIX. The Birth of Moses 146 
 
 XXX. The Flight of Moses 149 
 
 XXXI. The Burning Bush 151 
 
 XXXII. The Ten Plagues of Egypt . . . . . 155 
 
 XXXIII. The Paschal Lamb.— Departure from Egypt . . 160 
 
 XXXIV. Passage of the Red Sea . . . . . . 166 
 
 XXXV. The Miracles Wrought in the Desert . . . 170 
 
 XXXVI. God gives the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai . 175 
 
 XXXVII. The Golden Calf 180 
 
 XXXVIII. The Making of the Tabernacle . . . . . 185 
 XXXIX. Laws Regulating Divine Worship . . . .190 
 
 XL. The Spies 199 
 
 XLI. The Revolt of Core and His Adherents ... 204 
 
 XLII. The Doubt of Moses.— The Brazen Serpent . . 207 
 
 XLIII. The Prophecy of Balaam 212 
 
 XL1V. Parting Advice of Moses.— His Death ... 215 
 
 JOSUE AND THE JUDGES. 
 
 About 1450—1095 B. C. 
 
 XLV. Entrance of the Israelites into the Promised Land . 219 
 
 XLVI. The Judges.— Gedeon.— Samson .... 224 
 
 XLVH. Ruth's Affection for Her Mother-in-Law ... 235 
 
 XLVIII. Samuel.— Impiety of the Sons of Heli . . . 240 
 
 THE KINGS (1095-588 B. C). 
 
 XLIX. Saul Elected King (1095 B. C.) .... 248 
 
 L. David, the Young Shepherd 252 
 
 LI. David fights with and slays Goliath .... 256 
 
 LI I. Friendship of Jonathan and David . . . . 260 
 
 LIN. David's Noble Conduct towards Saul . . . 263 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 xxvil 
 
 THE GREATNESS OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, FROM THE 
 
 BEGINNING OF THE REIGN OF DAVID TO THAT 
 
 OF ROBOAM. 
 
 From the year 1055 to 975 B. C. 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 LIV. David's Piety.— His Zeal for God's Glory 
 
 LV. The Prophecies of David . 
 
 LVI. Revolt and Punishment of Absalom . 
 
 LVII. David's Last Words.— His Death 
 
 LVI 1 1. Solomon's Prayer. — His Wisdom 
 
 LIX. The Building and Consecration of the Temple 
 
 LX. Solomon's Magnificence. — His Sad End 
 
 PAGE 
 
 269 
 
 272 
 275 
 283 
 287 
 291 
 296 
 
 THIRD EPOCH. 
 
 DECLINE OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. FROM THE TIME 
 OF ROBOAM TO JESUS CHRIST (962 B. C). 
 
 LXT. Division of the Kingdom 301 
 
 DECLINE OF THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL. 
 
 LXII. God raises up Prophets.— Mission of the Prophet Elias 305 
 
 LXIII. The Sacrifice of Elias 310 
 
 LXIV. Wickedness of Achab and Jezabel.— Their Punishment 316 
 
 LXV. P^lias taken up to Heaven. — The Prophet Eliseus 
 
 Chosen to succeed Him 319 
 
 LXVI. The Prophet Jonas 330 
 
 FINAL OVERTHROW OF THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL (718 B. C). 
 
 LXVII. Tobias during the Captivity of Babylon . . . 336 
 LXVIII. Parting Advice of Tobias to His Son. — Departure of 
 
 Young Tobias 343 
 
 LXIX. Tobias returns Home 348 
 
 DECLINE OF THE KINGDOM OF JUDA. 
 
 LXX. The Prophets Joel and Micheas (790—730 B. C.) . 354 
 LXXI. King Ozias, wishing to usurp the Priestly Functions, 
 
 is stricken with Leprosy ..... 356 
 
 LXXI I. The Prophecies of Isaias (700 B. C.) 358 
 
 LXXI1I. The Pious King Ezechias (723—694 B. C.) . . 362 
 
 LXXIV. Judith . 364 
 
XXVIII 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY (606-536 B. C). 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 LXXV. The Babylonian Captivity.— Fall of the Kingdom of 
 
 Juda (588 B. C.) 370 
 
 LXXVI. Daniel saves Susanna 380 
 
 LXXVII. The Prophet Daniel.— The Three Young Men in the 
 
 Fiery Furnace 385 
 
 LXXVIII. King Baltassar.— The God Bel 393 
 
 LXXfX. Daniel in the Lion's Den 397 
 
 AFTER THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. 
 From 536 B. C. until the Birth of Christ. 
 
 LXXX. Return of the Jews from Babylon (536 B. C.) . 
 
 LXXXI. Esther 
 
 LXXXII. Translation of the Old Testament into Greek (285 B. C.) 
 
 — Wise Sayings of Jesus, the Son of Sirach 
 
 LXXXIII. The Martyrdom of Eleazar (168 B. C.) . 
 
 LXXXIV. The Martyrdom of the Seven Machabees . 
 
 LXXXV. Valiant Exploits of Judas Machabeus (160 B. C.) 
 
 LXXX VI. The Last Times before Christ .... 
 
 400 
 404 
 
 411 
 415 
 418 
 423 
 432 
 
FIRST PART. 
 
 THE OLD TESTAMENT. 
 
 Knecht, Commentary. I. 
 
FIRST EPOCH. 
 
 THE PRIMITIVE AGES. 
 From Adam to Abraham (about 4000 — 2100 b. C). 
 
 Chapter I. 
 THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 IN the beginning 1 God created heaven and earth 2 . The 
 earth was void 3 and empty 4 ; darkness was on the face 
 of the deep 5 , and the Spirit of God 6 moved over the waters. 
 God said 7 : "Be light made!" and light was made. This was 
 the first day 8 . 
 
 1 in the beginning of time. — 2 i. e. both the visible and invisible 
 worlds. This sentence relates to the whole of creation generally ; what 
 follows, to the creation of the earth in particular. — 3 which means i 
 that it was an unformed mass, all confusion and chaos. — 4 without , 
 life in it, or without any plants, animals, or men on it. — 5 i. e. on * 
 the unformed mass of primeval matter. This mass was wrapped in 
 gloom and darkness; and, being soft and fluid, is styled "the waters". — ^ 
 
 6 The Holy Ghost moved over the unformed mass in order to form 
 it, and prepare it to be the dwelling-place of men and beasts. — 
 
 7 or commanded. — 8 The first day, or the first period. Holy Scripture 
 does not tell us the length of this period, nor is it necessary for our 
 salvation that we should know. 
 
 On the second day God said: "Let there be a firmament 9 
 made amidst the waters; and let it divide 10 the waters 
 from the waters." And it was so n . God called the firma- 
 ment heaven 12 . 
 
 9 in other words, the atmosphere which surrounds our earth to the 
 height of about 45 miles, and looks to our eyes like a blue dome. — 
 10 The firmament was to divide one part of the waters from the other . 
 part in this way: God made a considerable body of water to ascend, 
 
4 CHAPTER I. 
 
 in the form of moisture, into the atmosphere, thus separating it from 
 the water which remains and flows on the earth. — ll i. e. it was as 
 God had commanded. — 12 This is not the heaven where the angels 
 and saints dwell, and contemplate God. A distinction must be made 
 between that heaven, and the visible, natural heaven, i. e. the firmament. 
 
 On the third day God said: "Let the waters that are under 
 the heaven 13 be gathered into one place u ; and let the dry 
 land appear." 15 And it was so done. God called the dry 
 land earth; and the gathered waters seas. He also said: 
 "Let the earth 16 bring forth the green herb, and such as 
 may seed 17 , and the fruit-tree yielding fruit after its kind." 
 And it was so done 18 . 
 
 13 i. e. below the atmosphere, or, in other words, the waters that 
 are on the earth. — u This one place is the great ocean, out of the 
 midst of which the five parts of the earth rear themselves. — 15 God 
 made the water to gather itself together into rivers, lakes, and seas, 
 and the dry land to appear. How this happened is described in 
 Psalm 103, 6 and 8 : "Above the mountains shall the waters stand . . . 
 The mountains ascend, and the plains descend into the place which 
 Thou hast founded for them." Until the third day of creation, the 
 whole earth was covered with water. But on the third day of creation 
 J certain parts of the earth's surface raised themselves up. These became 
 t dry because the water ran off them ; and the lower parts of the 
 . earth's surface , towards which the water flowed , became the sea. 
 About a quarter of the surface of the globe (accurately 27 per cent) is 
 dry land, and nearly three quarters (accurately 73 per cent), water. — 
 16 which was now dry. — 17 i. e. all sorts of plants. — 18 God made 
 plants of every kind to grow out of the dry ground, and gave them 
 the power of producing their own seed. From these seeds there sprang 
 new plants, and thus the world of plants never died out. 
 
 The fourth day God said: "Let there be lights made in 
 the firmament of heaven, to divide the day and the night, 
 and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days 
 and years." And it was so done. God made the sun, moon, 
 and countless stars, and set them in the firmament of heaven, 
 to shine upon the earth 19 , and to rule the day and the night. 
 
 The fifth day God said: "Let the waters bring forth the 
 creeping creatures having life, and the fowl that may fly 
 over the earth under the firmament of heaven." And God 
 created fish and birds of every kind, and He blessed them 
 saying: "Increase and multiply." 20 
 
THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. 
 
 19 God made the sun, the moon, and the stars, to give light to 
 the earth. From henceforth now, that its surface had cooled and the 
 exhalations which surrounded it had dispersed, the earth was to receive 
 light and warmth from the sun. The heavenly bodies were to serve 
 also as measures of time. The rising of the sun brings day to the 
 earth, and its setting, night. According to the relative position of the 
 sun and moon to the earth, time is divided into years, and seasons, and 
 months. — 20 They were to multiply of themselves, ever increasing 
 in number. As plants propagate themselves by means of their seeds, 
 so birds and fishes can, by the blessing of God, lay eggs, which in 
 their turn become birds and fishes. 
 
 On the sixth day God said: "Let the earth bring forth the 
 living creature in its kind: cattle and creeping things, and 
 beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was 
 so done 21 . At last God created man, and gave him dominion 
 over all the rest. And God saw all the works that He had 
 made, and they were very good 22 . The seventh day God 
 rested 23 , and He blessed 24 that day 25 and made it holy 26 . 
 
 21 i. e. God created the mammals which are the highest race of 
 beasts. God first created the lower and then the higher classes of 
 animals; and, last of all, He created man, the highest of all visible 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 creatures. How God created man will be told in the third chapter. — 
 22 Everything was as God's goodness and wisdom desired it to be; 
 everything fulfilled the end for which He had created it. He disposed 
 everything in such a way that nothing could be better or more exactly 
 adapted to its purpose than it was. — 23 Man requires rest after he has 
 worked hard, because he is tired. Can God then be tired? No, God 
 could create thousands of worlds without being tired. The words, 'He 
 rested', mean this: that after the sixth day, after the creation of 
 man, God created no new kind of being. — 24 He ordained that this day 
 should bring a blessing both to soul and body on those who keep it 
 holy. — 25 What was the seventh day called in the Old Testament? 
 The Sabbath, or day of rest. — 26 It was to be a day, holy and con- 
 secrated to God. 
 
 God had already created light on the first day, but this light was 
 not the light of the sun. It was on the fourth day that God made 
 the sun, to be the giver of light to the earth. 
 
 God made light first, because without light and without warmth, 
 which is connected with it, there could be no growth, no life, no order 
 in nature. 
 
 God made the atmosphere on the second day, because neither plants, 
 nor animals, nor men can live without air. Sound also is impossible 
 without air, so that without it there could have been neither speech 
 nor hearing. 
 
 On the third day God made the earth to be dry, and plants to 
 grow on it. But plants, to live and thrive, require something besides 
 light and air. Therefore, it was that God had already on the second 
 day caused part of the water to remain in the air, to supply the 
 plants with moisture from above, either by means of dew or rain. 
 
 The works of the first three days, and those of the last three, are 
 thus related to each other: 
 
 1 st day. The light. 
 2 nd day. The atmosphere which 
 divided the waters. 
 
 3 rd day. The dry land. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 4 th day. The bodies of light. 
 
 5 th day. The inhabitants of the 
 air and water : the birds and fishes. 
 
 6 th day. The inhabitants of the 
 dry land: the beasts and man. 
 
 Time began with the world. Onco, nothing existed but 
 the Eternal God alone. "Before the mountains were made, 
 or the earth and the world was formed, from eternity and 
 to eternity Thou art God" (Ps. 89, 2). Why does not the 
 Psalmist say, 'Thou wast God', instead of 'Thou art God?' 
 Because God is Eternal. He is not subject to the changes 
 of time, for with God there is no past, no future, nothing 
 
THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. 7 
 
 but an everlasting present. "I am who am", God said to 
 Moses" (Old Test. XXXI, 3). God exists of and by Himself. 
 Every thing else is made by God. 
 
 God is Almighty. God created the whole world, visible 
 and invisible, material and spiritual, out of nothing by His 
 almighty will. His almighty power is manifested to us in 
 creation. By His word, that is, by His will, He called into 
 existence the earth, moon, and the whole, to us, immeasur- 
 able universe, with its millions and millions of heavenly 
 bodies. "God spoke and they were made, He commanded 
 and they were created" (Ps. 32, 9). 
 
 God tvorks unceasingly. What then do the words, 'He rested 
 on the seventh day', mean? Has God done nothing more since 
 the sixth day? Our Lord says: "My Father works till 
 now and I work" (New Test. XXVI). God is continually 
 working for the good of His creatures, for only He who 
 called the world into existence can sustain and govern it. 
 If Almighty God were to withdraw His hand from the 
 world, at that moment it would collapse and fall into ruin. 
 Every day, every hour of life is a gift of Almighty God. 
 
 The Sabbath. With the creation of man, God's plan of 
 creation was completed, and the great work of His creative 
 love was crowned; for man is the most perfect of visible 
 creatures. Then God rested, and appointed the seventh day 
 for man's rest in Him. On the Sabbath, man was to con- 
 template the wonders of creation, and the preservation and 
 government of the world, and to praise and thank God. On 
 this account the seventh day is also called "the Lord's day", 
 i. e. the day set apart for the service and worship of God. 
 On this day we ought to put aside all worldly business, and 
 think only of our souls and their welfare, for in God alone 
 can our souls find peace and rest. The commandment to keep 
 holy the Sabbath is the oldest commandment that there is. 
 Ever since the world has stood as it is, this commandment 
 has stood with it. The law was given by God at the creation 
 of the world, and, therefore, it is that among all, even heathen, 
 nations we find one day of rest observed in the week. It is 
 a great impiety to desecrate God's day. 
 
.</ 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The Blessed Trinity. In the Old Testament God did not reveal 
 His unity in three Persons very clearly. The Israelites were so 
 prone to the worship of false gods that they might easily have got to 
 look on the three Divine Persons as three distinct gods. But, all the 
 same, in several passages of the Old Testament it is, as it were, hinted 
 that there are more Persons than one in God, e. g. in the first part of 
 the history of the creation: "The Spirit of God moved over the waters." 
 
 The Wisdom of God. Holy Scripture, or, in other words, the Holy 
 Ghost, says explicitly that all that God made was very good. Short- 
 sighted man should not, therefore, be audacious enough to criticise 
 God's work. Almighty God made everything to fulfil the end for 
 which He destined it. The whole of creation testifies to the wisdom 
 of God, but I will only call your attention to one or two instances. 
 Rivers and streams, many of which are of considerable breadth, are 
 ceaselessly flowing into the sea, carrying into it, even in one single 
 day, a tremendous volume of water. This goes on all the year round, 
 and has been going on for thousands of years, and yet the sea does 
 not overflow ! How is this ? God has so made it that as much water 
 is incessantly rising into the air from the sea as is being poured into 
 it. But how is it, then, that the streams and rivers do not dry up ? 
 Whence comes that volume of water which they are continuously 
 pouring into the sea ? The mists and clouds which rise from the sea 
 are driven over the land by the wind, and fall back on the earth in 
 the form of either dew, fog, rain or snow. This moisture collects in 
 the ground and forms springs. These springs feed the streams and 
 rivers which carry the water back again to the sea. It is owing to 
 this continuous circulation of water that the sea does not overflow, or 
 the rivers dry up. Moreover, those damp exhalations supply the air 
 with that moisture which is necessary to the life of men and beasts, 
 and to the growth of plants. One thing more. You know that Avater 
 turns putrid when it remains for some time without being stirred. 
 How is it that though it is shut in one place, the water of the sea 
 never turns putrid? The goodness of God has provided against this 
 by the constant motion of the sea. Twice every day the water flows 
 from the centre of the sea towards the shore, and back again. Besides 
 this, from time to time God sends winds and storms which stir the 
 sea to its very depths. Such phenomena as these show us the wonderful 
 wisdom manifested in the creation and preservation of the world. In 
 like manner all other creatures bear witness to the wisdom of God. 
 Bees, ants, ears of corn, leaves of the trees — in a word, all things 
 teach us to admire His wisdom. Whether we contemplate nature in 
 its greater or lesser aspects, we must exclaim with David : "How 
 great are Thy works, Lord! Thou hast made all things in wisdom. 
 The earth is filled with Thy riches" (Ps. 103, 24). 
 
 The infinite Greatness and Majesty of God are also revealed to us 
 by creation. Think how enormous this earth is! It is 24,869 miles 
 
THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. 9 
 
 in circumference; its surface covers 196,000,000 square miles; its 
 solidity is 259 billions of cubic miles. Enormous as this seems, the 
 sun is 1,400,000 times as large as the earth, though it is not so dense. 
 The number of stars, most of which can be seen only through a 
 telescope, amounts to millions, though their number cannot be accurately 
 fixed by man. The nearest fixed star is about four billions (or four 
 million millions) of miles away from us. If, then, the universe is so 
 great, how much greater must He be who called all these spheres into 
 existence, and who keeps and sustains them in space, pointing out 
 its path to each one ! He^'telleth the number of the stars, and calleth 
 them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and great is His power, 
 and of His wisdom there is no number" (Ps. 146, 4. 5). Full of 
 awe and reverence we ought to pray in some such words as these: 
 "Great God, we praise Thee! We praise Thy power, O Lord! The 
 earth bows down before Thee in wonder at Thy works! Even as 
 Thou wast in all time, so wilt Thou be to all eternity. Heaven and 
 earth, sky and sea are full of Thy glory. All things are Thine!" 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 God being so infinitely great and wise, we ought to be 
 filled with the deepest reverence for His Divine majesty. 
 He is, indeed, the Eternal, the Most High, the Creator and 
 Lord of the whole universe. And yet how little reverence 
 you have borne Him hitherto! Have you not often prayed 
 to Him carelessly? Have you never dishonoured His holy 
 name? Have you not often transgressed His commandments? 
 Firmly resolve, then, that you will for the future honour 
 the Lord your God more, and serve Him more zealously. 
 We pay honour to God by often thinking about Him and by 
 adoring Him with reverence and devotion. St. Patrick used 
 to worship God on his knees three hundred times every day. 
 So, think more about your Lord and Creator, both to-day and 
 for the future, and pray to Him devoutly and from your heart. 
 Let everything you look at impel you to say thus to your- 
 self: "I praise Thee, O great God, and worship Thy power 
 and wisdom. j*As many stars as there are in the heavens, as 
 many flowers as grow in the field, as many leaves as there 
 are on the trees, as many drops as there are in the ocean, 
 so many times may God be praised and magnified!" 
 
 God made the earth to be the dwelling-place of man, and 
 has adorned it for him with divine prodigality. He has 
 
 1 ** 
 
10 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 given us much more than is necessary for our existence. 
 Are the numberless flowers which grow, necessary for life? 
 .Could we not live without the many sorts of fruit that there 
 are? Take to heart, then, how good and generous God is 
 towards us. Thank Him heartily for His gifts, and resolve 
 that you will from this day forward say your grace before 
 and after meals very devoutly. 
 
 Chapter II. 
 
 CREATION AND FALL OF THE ANGELS. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 BESIDES the visible world, God also created an invisible 
 world, namely, innumerable spirits, called angels. They 
 were all good and happy *, and endowed with excellent gifts 
 
 of nature and grace 2 ; 
 but they did not all con- 
 tinue in that state, for, 
 being possessed of a free 
 will, a great many of 
 them abused it, lost the 
 grace of God, and be- 
 came wicked. They rebel- 
 led against God — Luci- 
 fer, their leader, saying: 
 "We shall be like unto 
 the Most High ; we will 
 place our throne above 
 the stars." Then, there 
 was a great strife in hea- 
 ven. Michael 3 and the 
 other angels who had 
 remained faithful to God, 
 fought against the bad 
 and rebellious spirits, 
 whose chief is now call- 
 ed Satan , or the devil. The bad angels were conquered, 
 and cast from heaven down to hell. The angels who re- 
 
CREATION AND FALL OF THE ANGELS. 11 
 
 mained faithful 4 were rewarded with everlasting happiness 5 . 
 They ever see the face of God in heaven. 
 
 1 They loved and wished for only what was good, and pleased God. 
 
 2 God has endowed them with such pre-eminent gifts that they are 
 superior to all other created beings. Their chief gifts are sublime # 
 understanding , great strength , and , above all, sanctifying grace. — / 
 
 3 an archangel , and the leader of the good angels. — 4 faithful to ' 
 whom? To the Lord God. — 5 The angels had been happy from the 
 beginning, but their happiness was not always complete, because it 
 could be lost. As we have seen, it was lost by the bad angels. But 
 after the good angels had proved steadfast, and had overthrown the 
 bad angels, they received as a reward the supernatural and eternal 
 happiness of heaven, which they could never again lose. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The angelic nature, and the infinite Perfections of God. The 
 angels are spirits; God is also a Spirit, but there is an in- 
 finite difference between Almighty God, and the highest angel. 
 The angels have a sublime understanding, great wisdom, and 
 much knowledge, but neither understanding, wisdom, nor* 
 knowledge is infinite. Their wills are holy, and are much 
 more powerful than ours, but they are not infinitely holy. 
 Nor are' the angels almighty. They have received all their 
 great qualities from God. He has all His perfections of Him- 
 self, and from all eternity : the angels were created by God in 
 the beginning of time, and received everything from Him. 
 The angels are, indeed, wondrously perfect, but they are not 
 infinitely perfect. Their perfections have a limit, a measure, 
 a number. God's perfections, on the other hand, are infinitely 
 great, without limit, measure, or number. 
 
 The office of the Angels. Like everything else, the angels 
 were created for the honour and glory of God. They love : 
 and praise God, and fulfil His holy will without ceasing. Hence i 
 the meaning of the words in the Our Father: "Thy will 
 be done on earth as it is in heaven." The name angel signi- 
 fies messenger or envoy; this name being given to the good 
 spirits, because God sends them to take care of men and 
 make known to them His will. The angels, being pure spirits, 
 cannot be seen with our bodily eyes, but if it is God's will 
 
12 CHAPTER II. 
 
 that men should see and hear them, when they are sent as 
 messengers from Him, they are able to assume a human 
 form. Take, for example, the holy Archangel Gabriel who 
 appeared to Zachary and to our Lady. 
 
 Pictures of Angels (see p. 5). You have often seen pictures of the 
 holy angels. There are several of them in Schuster's Bible History 
 (revised by Mrs. J. Sadlier. New Edition). Look at the picture on 
 page 2. How are the angels represented there? As boys with wings, 
 two of them playing on harps. On page 222, theTioly Archangel 
 Gabriel is represented as a youth with wings, holding a lily in his 
 hand, and with a glory round his head. Why should they be drawn 
 like that ? They are represented as boys or youths, because they never 
 grow old, but are everlastingly young, and are immortal. The wings 
 signify that the angels are swift as thought, and fulfil God's commands 
 quickly and willingly. The harps are to remind us that the angels 
 ceaselessly sing God's praises.*" The lily signifies their purity, and the 
 glory, their heavenly splendour. Very often angels are pictured as 
 children's heads without bodies, to signify that they have understanding 
 and free-will, but that they are spirits without bodies. 
 
 ! . God is good. Of His love God created the angels , and 
 J loaded them with natural and supernatural gifts. 
 
 God is just. God's justice is shown to us by the punish- 
 ment of the bad angels and the reward of the good. How 
 did God punish the bad angels? For how long must they 
 remain in hell? For ever and ever! They must suffer ever- 
 lasting torments ! They are rejected by God and are banished 
 from Him for ever and ever! They hardened themselves 
 against Him, therefore, repentance was impossible. "God 
 A spared not the angels that sinned : but delivered them, drawn 
 down by infernal ropes to the lower hell, unto torments to 
 be reserved unto judgment" (2 Pet. 2, 4). 
 
 The evil of mortal sin. God punishes according to our de- 
 serts: He never punishes too severely. If, therefore, He 
 condemned the fallen angels to the eternal torments of hell, 
 we can see what a terrible evil sin is in His sight. One 
 single mortal sin deserves everlasting punishment. 
 
 The consequences of sin. Just think what befell the angels 
 through sin! Before their fall they were the friends and 
 beloved of God, most beautiful, most holy, full of the love 
 
CREATION AND FALL OF THE ANGELS. 13 
 
 of what is good, and rich in their happiness and glory. But 
 since their fall they have been enemies of God, horrible, 
 hideous , and eternally miserable devils ! Who , after con- 
 templating this ruin caused by sin, could possibly think that 
 sin, and especially mortal sin, is a trifle which God will not 
 deal with severely ? No ! mortal sin, far from being a trifle, 
 is the greatest of all evils. It changed angels into devils, 
 and cast them into hell! 
 
 Pride. What was the cause of the fallen angels' diso- 
 bedience ? Instead of giving glory to God, from Whom they 
 had received all things, they became proud of their great 
 gifts, and, with their leader, said: "We will ascend above 
 the heights of the clouds, we will be like the Most High", 
 (Is. 14, 14). Therefore, Holy Scripture says: "Pride is the 
 beginning of all sin" (Ecclus. 10, 15). 
 
 Happiness of the Angels. Almighty God richly rewarded 
 those angels who remained faithful. They gaze upon Him 
 face to face, they rejoice unceasingly in His infinite beauty 
 and majesty, and are thereby made inexpressibly happy. 
 They have lived in this state of rapture for thousands of 
 years, and will do so for all eternity. It is thus that God 
 rewards those who are faithful to Him, and overcome evil. 
 
 The number of the Angels created by God is inconceivably great. 
 The prophet Daniel saw them in spirit, and wrote thus: "Thousands 
 of thousands ministered to Him (i. e. to God), and, ten, thousand times 
 a hundred thousand stood before Him" (Dan. 7, 10). The prophet 
 means by these words that the angels cannot be counted. And as 
 the stars in heaven vary in size and splendour, so are there differences 
 of degree among the holy angels. They are divided into nine choirs, 
 according to each one's degree of wisdom, power and glory. These . 
 are, beginning with the lowest: Angels, Archangels, Virtues, Powers, 
 Principalities, Dominations, Thrones, Cherubim, Seraphim. 
 
 Probation of the Angels. The angels are by their nature like to 
 God, being highly gifted and pure spirits. To these natural gifts God 
 added the supernatural gift of sanctifying grace, by means of which 
 they became thoroughly holy, and wonderfully beautiful. Their state 
 was, even at first, one of great happiness; but by faithfulness in the 
 service of God they were capable of winning for themselves an eternal 
 and supernatural happiness. God will not have any forced service ; so 
 He gave to the angels the gift of free-will, by which they were at 
 
14 CHAPTER II. 
 
 liberty to choose between good and evil, and could freely side either 
 with God or against Him. When the decisive moment came, a portion 
 of the angels made a bad use of their freedom, rebelled against God, 
 lost sanctifying grace , and were cast into hell , their wills having 
 become perverted and bad. But the good angels, who stood the 
 trial, were admitted into the immediate Presence of God, and were 
 confirmed for ever in supernatural happiness. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 God is just and punishes sin. How is it, then, that you 
 think so little of sinning and offending God? You are still 
 young, but you have committed many sins, and have de- 
 served punishment at God's hands. Repent, therefore, of your 
 sins, ask pardon of God, and never say again to yourself: 
 "It is only a trifle!" It never could be a trifle to intention- 
 ally offend the great, holy and just God ! Resolve, then, most 
 firmly never again to sin wilfully. If you are ever tempted 
 to commit a mortal sin, think of the fallen angels and their 
 eternal torment. Die rather than commit a mortal sin ! Fear 
 the just God, and keep His commandments faithfully. 
 
 The fall of the bad angels should be a warning to you, 
 and the faithfulness of the good angels should be an en- 
 couragement to you. If you are disobedient to God, and 
 do not observe His laws, and if you think slightly of sin, 
 you will some day join the lost spirits in hell. But if you 
 are faithful in the service of God, and guard against sin 
 as much as you can, you will some day join the angels in 
 their everlasting happiness. Which of the two have you 
 imitated hitherto, the good or the bad angels? 
 
 Above all things guard against pride ; it is, as Holy Scrip- 
 ture says, hateful before God and men (Ecclus. 10, 7). Do 
 not be conceited or vain about your clothes, or your appear- 
 ance, or your knowledge, or your parents' position, but 
 give glory to God in all things ; for you have received every- 
 thing from Him. The more God has given you, the more 
 you should thank Him. Drive away all vain thoughts, and 
 say thus very often: " Every good gift comes from Thee, 
 
 God. I thank Thee for all that I am and for all that 
 
 1 have!" 
 
CREATION OF THE FIRST MAN. 15 
 
 Chapter III. 
 
 CREATION OF THE FIRST MAN.— PARADISE.— THE 
 FIRST COMMANDMENT.— CREATION OF EVE. 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 WHEN God created man, He said: "Let Us make man 1 
 to Our image and likeness 2 , and give him dominion 3 
 over all animals and over the whole earth." He, then, formed 4 
 a human body of the slime of the earth, breathed into his face 
 the breath of life 5 , and man became a living soul 6 . At the 
 same moment God added to the nature of man many fa- 
 vours, and, especially, sanctifying grace. Thus was made the 
 first man, who was named Adam, that is to say, man taken 
 from the earth. By his nature, man was the image of God ; 
 by grace, he was the likeness of God. 
 
 1 i. e. We will make. When God called into existence the rest 
 of the visible world, He simply said: "Let it be!" But when He 
 willed to make man, He took, as it were, counsel with Himself, and 
 said: "Let Us make &c." Is it, then, necessary for God to consider 
 and ponder how to act for the best? No, indeed ! Then, why did He 
 speak in that way before creating man? It was in order to prove 
 that man was not to be like other visible creatures, but was to be 
 their superior, the first among them all. — 2 Let him be a picture 
 or image**of Us, und like unto Us. — 3 i. e. be lord over. — 4 To 
 form means to make something skilfully. God Himself made the human 
 body most perfectly out of the earth. — 5 The soul, therefore, is not 
 made from the earth, but is a breath of God. — 6 By what means did 
 man become a living being? God breathed a soul into the human 
 body. The soul is the cause of the body's life; without it the body 
 cannot live. When the soul is separated from the body, the body dies. 
 
 By a special effect of His goodness the Lord God created 
 expressly for man a garden of pleasure , called Paradise 7 . 
 There were in it all sorts of beautiful trees, covered with 
 delicious fruit; and in the middle of the garden stood the 
 Tree of life 8 , and the Tree of the knowledge of good and 
 evil 9 . A river, divided into four branches, watered the 
 whole garden. It was in this garden of delights that God 
 placed man, that he might cultivate it for his own pleasure 
 and occupation 10 . God, then, commanded 11 man, saying: "Of 
 every tree of Paradise thou shalt eat, but of the Tree of the 
 
16 CHAPTER III. 
 
 knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat ; for in what 
 day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death." 12 
 
 7 This Paradise was on earth (in Asia), for which reason it is called 
 the earthly paradise. Heaven, the place of eternal happiness, is also 
 called paradise, but it is the supernatural and heavenly paradise. — 
 8 The tree was thus named, because it preserved the body of man from 
 sickness and death, and made it immortal. — 9 This other tree was so 
 named, because if man ate of it he would, of himself, and by his own 
 experience, know the difference between good and evil. — ,0 In Paradise 
 man worked for his own pleasure, and devoted his strength to the care 
 "o"F the beautiful garden of delights. — n Almighty God imposed a com- 
 ""rhand on man, in order to prove whether he were thankful and obedient. 
 This command was very easy to obey, because there was an abundance 
 of every kind of fruit in the garden. — 12 i. e, become mortal , or 
 subject to death. God added this threat to ensure the keeping of the 
 command. By the threatened penalty of death it was easy for man to 
 perceive how great his sin would be if he ate the forbidden fruit. 
 
 Adam was still alone on the earth. Hence God said: "It 
 is not good for man to be alone 13 ; let Us make him a help 
 like unto himself." Then, God caused all the animals to 
 come before Adam, that he might give to each its name. 
 But for Adam there was not found a help like to himself; 
 therefore, casting a deep sleep u upon Adam, God took one 
 of his ribs and formed of it a woman. When Adam awoke 
 God brought to him his wife; and Adam rejoiced to see 
 another being like himself. He called her Eve, that is, the 
 mother of the living 15 . 
 
 13 It is not good for man to be alone. He cannot converse or 
 entertain himself with the beasts, for they have no reason, and cannot 
 speak. Therefore, God said that He would give him a companion like 
 unto himself, one who would have the same nature, i. e. a human body 
 and soul such as Adam had. Before God formed Eve, He called all 
 the beasts of paradise to Adam, so that 1. Adam might exercise his 
 dominion over them by giving to each one a name suitable to its 
 character; 2. to prove to him that none of the animals were like 
 himself, and that his nature was far higher than theirs; 3. so that Adam, 
 by finding himself lonely in the midst of all the beasts, might feel the 
 want of a companion like himself, and might be the more grateful to 
 God for creating Eve. — " It was a sleep of ecstacy, during which he 
 was aware of the significance of God's action, both to himself and to 
 all future generations. — 15 i. e. of all men. Adam is the father, and 
 Eve the mother of all men, because all men are descended from them 
 
CREATION OF THE FIRST MAN. 17 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 God is good. To know this you have only to count up 
 the benefits and graces which He conferred on Adam and Eve. 
 
 The twofold likeness to God. Man is the first among all 
 God's creatures on earth, because he was created to the 
 image of God, and is, therefore, like unto Him. This likeness 
 is, however, a twofold one, a natural and a supernatural 
 one, for which reason the two words, image and likeness, 
 are used. For something to be the image of a person or 
 of some other thing, it must be, to a certain degree, like 
 that person or thing; but "likeness" signifies a still closer 
 degree of resemblance. If one person is almost the same 
 as another, we say they are alike. Thus the word "image" 
 applies to the natural, and "likeness" to the supernatural 
 resemblance of man to God. The natural likeness of man 
 to God consists in this, that man has a spirit, called his 
 soul, which lives in his body, and which makes his body 
 live. This soul is immortal, reasonable, and gifted with 
 free-,wjll. By these three qualities, it is, in a measure, like 
 unto God , Who is eternal , Whose intelligence is supreme, 
 and Whose will is infinitely free. These gifts are called 
 natural gifts, because they belong to the nature of the human 
 soul, and cannot be lost by it, though they can be marred 
 and disfigured. The first man's supernatural likeness to God 
 consisted in those gifts which do not belong to the nature 
 of man, but soar far above it, for which reason they are 
 called supernatural gifts. The chief among these gifts was 
 sanctifying grace. The Holy Ghost dwelt in the soul of the 
 first man, who became thereby a child of God and an heir 
 to heaven; or in other words, he was sure of heaven so 
 long as he remained in a state of grace. By this grace the 
 soul of man was made very beautiful, nearly as beautiful 
 as are the angels in heaven. Moreover, the Holy Ghost 
 raised the natural powers of the human soul, and gifted it 
 with great knowledge, so that man knew God and His ways 
 much better than he could possibly have known them other- 
 wise. He sanctified man's free-will so that he not only 
 desired what was good, but had no inclination towards what 
 
 KJ 
 
18 CHAPTER III. 
 
 was evil. The body of the first man also possessed super- 
 natural gifts. The natural body is frail and subject to sick- 
 ness and death, because it is made from the earth, and, like 
 every other earthly thing, is perishable. But so long as 
 the first man remained in a state of grace, his body was 
 immortal, and free from all sickness and need of labour. If 
 our first parents had remained in a state of grace, they would 
 not have died, but would have been translated, body and 
 soul, from the earthly to the heavenly paradise. 
 
 \j The body of man, indeed, bears no likeness to God, for 
 God has no body; but all the'same it has high prerogatives. 
 It is the dwelling-place and instrument of an immortal soul. 
 It is more delicate and beautiful, more complete and better 
 adapted to every kind of work than the bodies of any of 
 the beasts. It stands erect, and raises its eyes to the heaven 
 for which man was created. It is the masterpiece of the 
 visible creation. Man should, therefore, hold his body in 
 honour and not pollute it by sin. "Glorify and bear God 
 
 An your body" (1 Cor. 6, 20). 
 
 Man is made to rule over the beasts and over the whole 
 earth. The earth belongs to God. "The earth is the Lord's, 
 
 'and the fulness thereof, the world and all they that dwell 
 
 ^therein" (Ps. 23, 1). But He has made it over to man that 
 he may use its good things according to God's will. The 
 rivers and mountains, the fields and woods, the plants and 
 beasts, were made for the use of man, for the preservation 
 and beautifying of his life ; and in order that he may utilize 
 them for good works. But we must use the good things 
 of this earth, such as gold, silver, meat, drink etc., for a 
 good end, and not misuse them. We should rule over the 
 ^things of this world, aj^d_not make ourselves their slave. 
 'Mike, for instance, the miser, who is not master of his pos- 
 sessions, but is their slave. Our thoughts and aspirations 
 should soar beyond this world towards those things which 
 are supernatural and eternal. We must make such use of 
 earthly treasures, as not by their abuse to lose everlasting 
 treasures. It is, moreover, God's will that man should have 
 dominion over the beasts, but it is not God's will that he 
 
CREATION OF THE FIRST MAN. 19 
 
 should be cruel to them. "The just regardeth the lives ■ 
 of his beasts, but the bowels of the wicked are cruel" * 
 (Prov. 12, 10). Therefore, be on your guard against cruelty 
 to animals! 
 
 Twofold death. By the words, "What day thou eatest 
 thereof thou shalt die the death", Almighty God threatened 
 man with a twofold death, the death of the soul and the death 
 of the body. This last did not take place immediately after 
 the sin was committed, for Adam lived on earth till he was 
 930 years old ; but all the same, from the moment he sinned 
 his body became liable to death. The death of the soul, 
 on the contrary, took place the very instant the sin was 
 committed. A distinction must, of course, be made between 
 the natural and the supernatural life of the soul. It cannot 
 lose its natural life, because it is immortal; but it loses its 
 supernatural life, its life of grace and friendship with God, 
 the moment it commits a grievous sin. The loss of grace 
 is the soul's spiritual death, and leads to its eternal death, 
 on which account grievous sins, which cause the spiritual 
 death of the soul, are called mortal sins. 
 
 The Blessed Trinity. The words, "Let Us make &c", imply 
 that there are more Persons than one in God. 
 
 The unity of the human race. Why did God form Eve out of one of 
 Adam's ribs ? Firstly, because all mankind, even Eve, was to proceed 
 from Adam. Secondly, because husband and wife ought to belong to 
 one another, and to be but one heart and soul by their love and unity. 
 
 The happiness of Heaven. The life of our first parents in 
 the earthly paradise was a type of the life of the blessed 
 in heaven. They were perfectly happy in Paradise. Peace 
 reigned within and around them, because they were at peace 
 with God. They had abundance of everything ; they knew no 
 pain, no want, no vexation, and lived in undisturbed joy and 
 friendship with God and with each another. So also the life 
 of the blessed in heaven is one of supreme happiness : there 
 is no complaint nor sorrow there, nothing but peace, joy and 
 glory ! In the earthly paradise God held intercourse with our 
 first parents, as a father does with his children. In heaven 
 the blessed gaze on God face to face, and are united to 
 
20 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Him by the closest love. But now comes the difference! 
 The happiness of the earthly paradise could be lost, but the 
 happiness of the blessed in heaven must be theirs for ever. 
 
 The probation of man. Man, like the angels, was gifted with free- 
 will, and like them he had to undergo a probation. God gave him 
 a command, by means of which he could freely choose either to side 
 with Him or against Him. Adam being the representative and father 
 of the human race, there rested on his decision not only his own fate 
 but the fate of all his posterity. An illustration of this we see in the 
 case of a father who, by gambling away his fortune, makes his 
 children losers as well as himself. 
 
 Marriage. When God gave Eve to Adam to be his companion and 
 pronounced His blessing on both, He instituted marriage. Being 
 instituted by God, it is in any case a holy state, but Jesus Christ 
 sanctified it still more and raised it to be a Sacrament. God Himself 
 joins man and wife. "What God hath joined together let no man put 
 asunder" (Mat. 19, 6). Marriage, therefore, is indissoluble, i. e. a man 
 and his wife must remain joined together till death. 
 
 The man is the head of the family. God Himself named Adam, but 
 it was Adam who gave Eve her name. Why did God ordain this 
 so? Because the husband is the head of the wife, and the wife is 
 to obey her husband. 
 
 The Tree of knowledge a type of the Cross of Christ. As by the Tree 
 of knowledge it was to be decided whether man would choose good or 
 evil, so is Christ the Crucified "set for the fall and for the resurrection 
 of many" (Luke 2, 34). They who believe in Him crucified, and follow 
 Him will obtain eternal life; but those who will not believe in the 
 crucified Saviour, and will not follow Him will be eternally lost. The 
 devil conquered by means of the Tree of knowledge; but by the Cross 
 he was conquered. With the one, sin began ; with the other, redemption 
 and salvation. 
 
 The Tree of life a type of the Blessed Sacrament. Even as the life 
 of the body was preserved by this tree, so by the Blessed Sacrament, 
 grace, the supernatural life of the soul, is increased and preserved in 
 it, and the soul made worthy of everlasting life. " If any man eat of 
 this bread he shall live forever", said our Lord (New Test. XXXIV). 
 [About the Tree of life in the paradise of heaven, see Appendix, 
 New Testament.] 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 God's goodness to man is infinitely great. Just think how 
 He has singled him out and raised him! He created him 
 to His own image, and appointed the whole earth for his 
 use. He gave him an immortal soul and sanctifying grace, 
 
THE FALL OF OUR FIRST PARENTS. 21 
 
 placed him in the beautiful garden of Paradise, and in ad- 
 dition to this gave him the promise of eternal happiness in 
 heaven; for man was intended to occupy those thrones in 
 heaven which the fallen angels had lost. And all this was 
 destined not only for the first man, but for all his posterity! 
 Just think, then, how loving were God's intentions towards 
 man! "Praise the Lord, for He is good, for his mercy en- 
 dureth for ever!" (Ps. 117, 1.) "Let us, therefore, love God, 
 because God first hath loved us" (1 John 4, 19). Whatever 
 you may be doing to-day say: U I love Thee, my God!" 
 
 Chapter IV. 
 
 Part I. 
 
 THE FALL OF OUR FIRST PARENTS. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 F all the animals that God had placed upon the earth, 
 
 o 
 
 none was more cunning than the serpent *. Hence the 
 devil, who was envious of the happiness of our first parents, 
 made use of him in order to seduce them. Eve, prompted 
 by curiosity, approaching the forbidden tree, saw a serpent 
 near it. He began to speak 2 , and said to her: "Why has 
 God commanded you 3 that you should not eat of every tree 
 of Paradise?" 4 Eve answered: "Of the fruit of the trees 
 of Paradise we do eat; but of the fruit of the tree which 
 is in the midst of Paradise, God has commanded us that 
 we should not eat, and that we should not touch it 5 , lest, 
 perhaps, we die." 6 The serpent said to the woman: "No, 
 surely you shall not die 7 if you eat of the fruit of the tree ; 
 but, rather 8 , your eyes shall be opened 9 , and you shall be as 
 gods 10 , knowing good and evil." Hearing this, Eve gave way < 
 to pride, and she saw that the fruit was good and pleasant 
 to behold. She took and ate of the fruit, and gave to her 
 husband, and he also ate. Thus was the first sin committed. 
 
 1 The devil, full of envy at the happiness possessed by Adam and 
 Eve, and made more envious still by the thought that they were 
 intended to attain to the everlasting happiness which he himself had 
 forfeited, made use of the serpent by entering into it and speaking by 
 
22 CHAPTER IV. PART I. 
 
 its mouth. God allowed him no other tool, and, indeed, the cunning 
 serpent suited him admirably for his spiteful and evil purpose. — 
 2 The serpent, into which the devil had entered, spoke. — 3 Satan did 
 ' not betray his intention by saying at once : "Eat of the fruit", but he 
 /began by cunningly asking: "Why &c. ?" in order that Eve might be 
 i induced to hesitate and question whether the prohibition to eat of the 
 Tree of knowledge were a legitimate one, and whether God had really 
 meant it. Eve knew that an ordinary snake can neither reason nor 
 speak; so she must have known that it was some spirit who spoke 
 through the serpent. She ought to have at once perceived that it was 
 no good spirit who thus spoke, for an angel would not have questioned 
 God's will, being quite certain that whatever He had commanded was 
 for the best. Now, what ought Eve to have done? She ought either 
 to have made no answer and fled, or she ought to have said : "God has 
 willed it so. I do not ask why, because God knows best what is good 
 for us." Instead of this, Eve let herself be drawn into conversation 
 with the devil, and, thereby, he had already gained half his object. 
 — 4 In order to raise a doubt about God's love, the father of lies 
 exaggerated the prohibition , making it to apply to several trees 
 instead of to one only. — 5 Why this command? So that they might 
 keep away from even the occasion of sin. — 6 In this sentence there 
 /"Occur two remarkable words: "lest perhaps": for God had not said: 
 \ "Perhaps you may die", and we can see by this answer of Eve's 
 that she already half doubted whether God's threat had been meant 
 seriously. — 7 Now the devil becomes more bold, and directly contra- 
 dicts what God had said, making out the Lord God to be a liar ! — 
 9 i. e. on the contrary. — 9 the eyes of their spirit. How had their 
 eyes been closed hitherto? They possessed great knowledge, but all 
 the same they knew nothing about sin; and therein lay their happiness. 
 By holding out to Eve the prospect of attainingtojijjurt^r^^ 
 -^Satan wished to excite in her a sinful curiosity. — 10 not onlynke 
 to God, but as God. By this lie the devil wished to make Adam and 
 Eve proud. *Be represented Almighty God as a deceiver, Who withheld 
 this knowledge from them, not out of love, but out of a jealous fear 
 £ lest they should become like to Him. He wished to destroy Eve's 
 faith in the love and truth of God, and arouse in her, instead, a 
 mistrust of Him, pride, and sinful curiosity. Alas, he succeeded in his 
 purpose. Instead of being indignant at Satan's blasphemous speech, Eve 
 took pleasure in the prospect held out to her. She allowed a presump- 
 tuous desire and sinful curiosity to take possession of her heart; and 
 because it promised so much to her, she now saw that the fruit of the 
 tree was good and pleasant to behold. She longed for it now, and 
 taking some, she ate, and then she persuaded Adam to eat of it also. 
 
 At the same time they lost sanctifying grace, which was 
 the life of their soul; they lost the immortality of their 
 
THE FALL OF OUR FIRST PARENTS. 23 
 
 body ; their eyes were opened 11 , and they saw with shame 
 that they were naked. In their shame and confusion they 
 began to sew fig-leaves together, in order to cover their 
 nakedness. But soon they heard the voice of God calling 
 them, and they hid themselves among the trees 12 . And God 
 said: "Adam, where art thou?" 13 And Adam answered: 
 "I heard Thy voice, and I was afraid, because I was naked 14 , 
 and I hid myself." And God said: "Who has told thee that 
 thou art naked ? Thou hast eaten of the forbidden fruit." 16 
 Adam replied: "The woman whom Thou gavest me to be 
 my companion, gave me of the fruit, and I did eat." And 
 the Lord said to the woman: "Why hast thou done this?" 
 She replied: "The serpent deceived me, and I did eat." 1G 
 
 11 but not in the way they had intended. They knew evil, hut the 
 knowledge brought them no happiness, only restlessness, fear and 
 misery. They now knew that they had been deceived, that they had * 
 sinned grievously, and had deserved punishment. Having lost their > 
 innocence, they were ashamed of being naked, and covered their bodies * 
 .with fig-leaves. — n It was formerly their greatest happiness, when God 
 Condescended to speak with them. Now, they trembled when they 
 heard His voice and tried to hide themselves. We cannot hide ourselves 
 from God, therefore, it was folly on their part to try to do so. From 
 whence did this folly come ? From sin. Sin blinds man and makes his 
 understanding dull, so that he can no longer rightly understand the 
 most elementary religious truths. — ,3 This meant not only: In what 
 place art thou? but also: In what condition art thou? What has? 
 happened to thee ? Where is thine innocence ? Where is thy good * 
 conscience? — u It was not only their bodies which were naked, but* 
 also their souls, which had lost their robe of innocence and sanctifying 
 grace. — 15 Why did God ask this? Did He not already know what 
 had taken place? Yes, but He wished ^Adarn to^ confesshis guilt. 
 Adam did so ; he acknowledged anacnanotaeny fiis^sm, but, at^fie 
 same time, he excused himself and tried to lay the blame on Eve. 
 She, in her turn, laid the blame on the serpent. — 16 Eve knew now 
 that she had been deceived. The serpent had pretended that they 
 would be much greater and happier through their disobedience, instead 
 of which they already felt abased and miserable ! 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Sin. Adam and Eve transgressed the law of God. It is 
 true that they were persuaded to do so, but still the devil 
 did not force Eve to eat of the forbidden tree, nor did Eve 
 
24 CHAPTFR IV. PART I. 
 
 oblige Adam to do so. It was of their own free-will that 
 they sinned. 
 
 The many ways in which we can sin. First, Eve sinned 
 by thought. She doubted whether it were true that they must 
 die, lfiney disobeyed God, and whether God meant what He 
 had said. Then, she sinned by desire. First, she had a 
 longing to be as God: this was a desire of pride. Then, 
 she wished to eat of the fruit, because it looked good to 
 eat: this was a desire of the flesh. As she gave wav to 
 this desire instead of stifling it, it grew to be a sin of deed: 
 she put forth her hand, took the fruit and ate. LastlyTEve 
 sinned by worxLwhen she gave utterance to a doubt about 
 faith, sayingT^Perhaps we shall die"; and also when she 
 persuaded Adam to eat of the forbidden fruit. 
 
 Was their sin a grievous sin ? Our first parents undoubt- 
 edly transgressed the law of God in an important matter, 
 for the prohibition to eat of the fruit was the only law 
 which God had given them, and, moreover, on its observance 
 depended their own happiness and that of their descendants, 
 for Almighty God had threatened them with jdeath^ if they 
 disobeyed Him. They also transgressed the command wil- 
 fully, as explained above. Their sin was, therefore, a mortal 
 sin, and a very grievous one. It was not only one sin but 
 many. It was a sin of pride, of unbelief, of lust, of dis- 
 obedience, and of ingratitude. God had shown them so much 
 love and had given them so much that they owed Him the 
 greatest gratitude; instead of which they repaid Him with 
 the grossest ingratitude. Moreover, the command was one 
 which they could easily have kept ; for they were possessed 
 of greater knowledge than we are, and knew God's infinite 
 love, holiness and justice much better than we do. 
 
 The consequences of their sin were very grave. Satan had 
 pretended to them that by their disobedience they would 
 be raised, and become as God; but the very opposite took 
 place. They were now less like God than they had been, 
 because they had lost sanctifying grace and their other super- 
 natural gifts. Having renounced God by their sin, they 
 were no longer His children and heirs of heaven, but had 
 
THE FALL OF OUR FIRST PARENTS. 25 
 
 become children of the devil and heirs of hell ! They still 
 retained the natural gifts which made them like to God, 
 but even these gifts were marred. Their reason was obscured, 
 so that they could no longer recognize the truth as they had 
 done; as was proved by the foolish way in which they tried 
 to hide themselves from God. Their hearts and wills were 
 now infected by evil ; sinful inclinations were kindled in 
 their hearts, of which they felt ashamed, and which made 
 them hide themselves. Their happiness was gone. They were 
 still in Paradise, and Paradise was as beautiful as ever, but 
 they felt miserable, because their consciences were guilty 
 and their hearts were full of fear and unrest. " Tribulation 
 and anguish is on every soul of man that worketh evil" A 
 (Rom. 2, 9). Those only are happy who have a good con- 
 science and the peace of God in their hearts. All the pos- 
 sessions in the world cannot make a man happy, if he has not 
 got inward peace. A good conscience is the best of pillows ! 
 Original sin. The sin of our first parents injured not 
 only themselves, but also all their posterity. Their super- 
 natural gifts were given to them not only for themselves, 
 but for all those who were to come after them. If Adam 
 and Eve had preserved these gifts, their children would have 
 inherited them, and would have come into the world in a 
 state of grace. But our first parents having sinned, and 
 being no longer in a state of grace, their sinfulness has 
 passed down to their children; so that now men are born 
 into the world in a state of sin. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 The devil induced Adam and Eve to sin by means of lies. 
 Therefore our Lord says: "The devil is a liar and the father 
 of lies" (John 8, 44). He is the father, i. e. the origin of lies/ 
 Have you never imitated him ? Hate lies, for they come from 
 the devil ! Have nothing to do with them, or you will be a child 
 of the devil. God is truth, and desires and loves only what 
 is true. Stick to the truth, if you wish to be a child of God. 
 
 Perhaps you think that, if you had been in Eve's place, 
 you would not have allowed yourself to be overcome by 
 
 Knecht, Commentary. I. 2 
 
26 CHAPTER IV. PART I. 
 
 temptation. But have you never, then, taken anything which 
 you have been forbidden to take, such as sugar, fruit &c? 
 Has not God forbidden you to pilfer or to be greedy, quite 
 as much as He forbade Adam and Eve to eat of the Tree of 
 knowledge ? Further, did not God give you sanctifying grace 
 , in holy Baptism ? Has He not placed you in the paradise of 
 1 His holy Church, in order that you may live a holy life and 
 \ attain to the heavenly paradise ? Have you not, by means of 
 > your religious instruction, acquired great knowledge, so that 
 you know perfectly well what is right and what is wrong? 
 Therefore, when you offend against the law of God, you are 
 quite as little to be excused as was Eve. Guard, then, against 
 sin and firmly resolve never again to offend God wilfully. 
 Eve's temptation came from without. We too, as long 
 as we live, shall have to encounter various temptations. 
 They come partly from without, such as those arising from 
 bad companions and from positive occasions of sin, and 
 partly from within, from our own bad inclinations, such as 
 anger, sloth, self-will etc. They can also come from the 
 direct suggestions of the evil one. Eve's fall should be 
 a warning to us not to allow ourselves to be seduced by 
 temptations to sin. Had Eve kept away from the forbidden 
 tree, she would not have fallen ! Keep away, therefore, from 
 bad companions and sinful ple asur es, or else you are meet- 
 ing sin half way. If a bad thought occurs to you, do not 
 dwell on it, but drive it from you, or else bad desires will 
 follow bad thoughts. If the Tempter or your own passions 
 whisper to you: "Such and such a thing would not be a 
 great sin! God would not treat it severely!" Oh, then turn 
 your thoughts at once to the just and holy God Who would 
 be outraged by that sin, and remind yourself, that sin is the 
 ^greatest of all evils! Above all things, beware of^^jn^L 
 curiosity. He who wishes to see and hear everything, and 
 who does not shut his eyes and ears, when he sees or hears 
 anything evil, will soon have his heart corrupted, and will 
 lose his innocence. Say often and devoutly: "Lead us not 
 into temptation. Defend me, my God, against temptations to 
 evil, or else give me the grace to resist them steadfastly !" 
 
THE FALL OF OUR FIRST PARENTS. 27 
 
 Chapter IV. 
 
 Part II. 
 
 THE FALL OF OUR FIRST PARENTS. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 THEN God said to the serpent 1 : "Because thou hast done 
 this thing 2 , thou art cursed among all the beasts of the 
 earth. Upon thy breast shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat 
 all the days of thy life 3 . I will put enmities between thee and 
 the woman, and thy seed and her seed ; she shall crush thy 
 head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel." 4 This referred 
 to the Saviour Who was one day to destroy the power of 
 Satan. The woman mentioned is the Blessed Virgin Mary. 
 
 1 Adam had laid the blame on Eve; and she had excused herself 
 by pleading the deception of the serpent. As a matter of fact, all 
 three were guilty, and on that account God pronounced sentence on 
 each of them. He began, it is true, by the serpent who had beguiled 
 the woman; He, then, proceeded to the woman who had led Adam 
 into sin; and finished by Adam himself. The devil had received his 
 supreme punishment, when he was cast down into hell with the other 
 fallen angels ; but, because he had deceived man and cheated him out 
 of his happiness, God cursed him anew, and, with him, cursed the 
 serpent which had been his instrument. — 2 i. e. because you seduced 
 Eve by your lies and deceit. — 8 These two first clauses of the divine 
 sentence apply immediately to the actual serpent which had lent itself 
 to be the devil's tool. Being cursed by God, it is hated by man on 
 account of its creeping, cunning, and poisonous ways. But the words 
 apply also to the devil, and signify that he and his followers would 
 be degraded below all other creatures, and would crawl in the filth 
 of sin and base passions, these being, as it were, the very breath of 
 their life. — 4 These clauses are directed only against the invisible 
 and infernal serpent, the devil. Satan had hoped that once he had 
 succeeded in separating man from God, man would make friends with 
 him, serve him, and remain in his power. But, instead of this, God 
 announced that his very punishment would lie in being overcome by 
 the woman. The seed of the devil are all those who give themselves 
 over to sin. The seed of the woman is the Divine Saviour, Who, as 
 Man, was descended from her. She, therefore, would tread on the head 
 of Satan, would trample him under foot, and overcome him, taking 
 away from him his power over man. But the serpent, i. e. the devil, 
 would resist, and seek to injure the woman. He would not, however, 
 materially injure her, but would lie in wait for her heel; in other words, 
 he would prepare sufferings for her, but would not overcome her. — 
 
 2* 
 
28 CHAPTER IV. PART II. 
 
 Mary has overcome the devil through her Son, our Divine Redeemer, 
 Who has saved the whole world from sin and from the power of 
 Satan. But how, then, has the infernal serpent wounded her heel? 
 The devil caused our Lord much suffering. He it was who prompted 
 Judas to hetray his Master. He it was who incited the Jewish priests 
 and Pharisees to cry out: Crucify Him, crucify Him! The devil did 
 this, and yet it is by our Lord's very death on the Cross that the 
 devil has been overcome and the world redeemed ! 
 
 To Eve He said 5 : "In sorrow and pain shalt thou bring 
 forth thy children 6 . Thou shalt be subject to thy husband 7 , 
 and he shall have dominion over thee." And to Adam He 
 said 8 : "Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy 
 wife, and hast eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee, 
 that thou shouldst not eat, cursed is the earth in thy work 9 ; 
 with labour and toil shalt thou eat thereof all the days of 
 thy life. Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee. 
 In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread 10 , till thou 
 shalt return to the earth, out of which thou wast taken; 
 for dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return n . 
 
 6 The sentence of punishment which Almighty God pronounced on 
 Eve did not apply only to her, but to all women after her. — 6 i. e. 
 in pain and anguish. — 7 Man would have dominion over woman, and 
 she would have to serve and obey him. In pagan times, women were 
 very degraded, and cruelly treated. It is only since the Incarnation, and 
 the rise of Christianity, that the treatment of women has improved. — 
 8 The sentence that now follows, was pronounced on Adam and men 
 after him. — 9 or, on account of your sin. Adam, the lord of the earth, 
 having sinned, the curse upon him extended to all nature. As a 
 consequence of the curse, the beasts, which, before the fall, were attached 
 to man, have become either shy and intractable, or else positively 
 ferocious towards him. Even the elements and forces of nature are 
 very often hostile to him, and destroy the work of his hands. Moreover, 
 the devil has obtained a certain dominion over them, and can injure man 
 through them. — 10 i. e. it will be only by the most severe toil that 
 you will be able to obtain bread, or, in other words, what is necessary 
 for the life of yourself and your family. Thorns, thistles and all kinds 
 of weeds grow naturally from the earth, but corn, which is the chief 
 staple of man's food, can only be made to grow by means of the 
 cultivation bestowed by man on the ground; and this cultivation 
 requires very severe toil. — ll Man's body is made of the earth. 
 The name Adam means "made of earth". He lost the gift of the 
 immortality of the body, when he lost sanctifying grace. From hence- 
 forth his body was to be subject to death and to the diseases which 
 
THE FALL OF OUR FIRST PARENTS. 
 
 are the precursors of death. When he dies, his body turns to dust, 
 mingling itself with the earth. 
 
 How great is the mercy of God, that He promised a 
 Redeemer to our sinful parents! How hateful must sin 
 be to God, since He pronounces so terrible a curse on 
 those favoured creatures whom He has so recently blessed ! 
 When God had pronounced the sentence of banishment 
 and death on Adam and Eve; when He had commanded 
 the elements to oppress them in divers ways, He drove 12 
 them out of Paradise 13 , and placed Cherubim u with a 
 flaming sword, turning every way, to guard the way leading 
 to the Tree of life. 
 
 12 After He had clothed them with skins of beasts, both to cover 
 their nakedness, and protect them against the rain and cold. Thus 
 He did not quite forsake them, but came to their help in their 
 necessity. — 13 What must have been their feelings, as they left 
 Paradise! Look at the picture in the Bible History! — u Angels of 
 one of the higher degrees, who were to prevent Adam and Eve from 
 attempting to return to fetch of the fruit of the Tree of life. If they 
 had partaken of this means of immortality in a state of sin, it could 
 only have brought them damnation. 
 
30 CHAPTER IV. PART IT. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 God is the very Truth. He had threatened Adam and 
 Eve with death, if they ate of the forbidden fruit, and what 
 He threatened was brought to pass. Of His mercy, Almighty 
 God did not make our first parents die immediately, for 
 they were not hardened in sin, and were capable of amend- 
 ment; but, all the same, from that moment their bodies 
 lost the supernatural gift of immortality, and their souls 
 lost that grace which was their life. 
 
 The Justice of God. The punishment of Adam and Eve 
 reveals to us the infinite justice of God. Their sin is the sin 
 of the whole human race ; therefore, the evil consequences of 
 their sin have passed down to all mankind. We are by 
 birth "children of wrath" (Eph. 2, 3). The image of God is 
 defaced in each one of us. Our reason is obscured, our will 
 is weakened, and the lusts of the flesh refuse to obey the 
 spirit. We are all subject to suffering and death, and no one 
 could attain to heaven, if our Divine Redeemer had not died 
 for us. — Think of the many passions which hold sway over 
 man ! Think of the countless diseases to which he is prone ; 
 the countless tears which are shed by him! Think of the 
 bitter pangs of the dying; and of the terrible disasters by fire, 
 water and earthquake which occur ! All this is the consequence 
 of sin ! How terrible, then, is the justice of Almighty God ! 
 
 Sin is the greatest of all evils, for all other evils came 
 into the world by sin. 
 
 Pride comes before the fall. Adam and Eve having sinned 
 through pride, were humbled by the degrading sentence: 
 "Dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return." 
 
 The first promise of the Messias. Before Almighty God 
 drove our first parents out of Paradise into the misery of the 
 outside world, He gave them the promise of the Redeemer. 
 The thought that by their sin they had condemned them- 
 selves to misery in this world and eternal ruin in the next, 
 would have driven them to despair, had not God awakened 
 in their hearts the hope of the coming of a Saviour. The 
 curse pronounced on the infernal serpent contained a con- 
 solation for fallen man. The words: "I will put enmities 
 
THE FALL OF OUR FIRST PARENTS. 31 
 
 between thee and the woman &c.", told Adam and Eve 
 that sin and the devil would be overcome some day, and 
 that the gates of the heavenly paradise would be thrown 
 open to them. We can see by this, how merciful God was 
 even to fallen man. "The Lord is gracious and merciful, 
 patient and plenteous in mercy" (Ps. 144, 8). God punishes 
 man in mercy, and imposes temporal punishments on him, 
 so as to save his soul and make him eternally happy. 
 
 The penalties of sin are also its remedies. Work, whether 
 mental or physical, keeps evil desires and passions at bay. 
 If men were not obliged to work, they would live more in 
 accordance with their bad passions, and evil would be ram- 
 pant. "Idleness hath taught much evil" (Ecclus. 33, 29). 
 Furthermore, if there were no pain or death, men would 
 sink into mere sensuality, would not trouble themselves 
 about eternity, and would quite forget their higher destiny. 
 Sickness and death are always preaching thus to us: "All 
 earthly things pass away ; take heed for the affairs of your 
 soul!" On Ash -Wednesday the Church reminds us in an 
 especial manner that we are but dust and ashes, and that 
 we shall surely die. 
 
 Adam, a type of Jesus Christ (Rom. 5, 14). Adam is the 
 father of all men according to the flesh ; Jesus Christ is the 
 spiritual Father of the faithful, for through Him alone do 
 they receive life. Through Adam sin and death came to all 
 men ; through Jesus Christ we have received grace and eternal 
 life. Sin and misery came into the world by Adam's disobedience ; 
 but our redemption has been wrought by Jesus Christ, Who 
 became obedient even unto the death of the Cross. 
 
 Eve, a type of our Lady. Eve consented to sin; Mary 
 consented to redemption, by consenting to become the Mother 
 of the Redeemer. Eve, by her sin, brought misery on man- 
 kind; Mary, through her Son, has brought salvation. Eve 
 was, in a natural sense, the mother of the living; Mary 
 is so in a supernatural sense. 
 
 The Immaculate Conception. Mary trampled under foot the 
 infernal serpent, not only by giving birth to the Divine 
 Saviour, but also by this, that she was always free from 
 
32 CHAPTER IV. PART II. 
 
 the stain of sin, even of original sin. Had she, like the rest 
 of mankind, come into the world with the stain of original 
 sin on her, she would have been, for a time, under the 
 dominion of Satan, and her victory over him would not have 
 been complete. Therefore God, by a special grace, and in view 
 of the merits of her Divine Son, preserved her, whom He had 
 chosen to be that Son's Mother, from the taint of original sin. 
 
 Why did not God cast Adam and Eve straight into Hell, as He did 
 the fallen angels? Because, firstly, their sin, grievous as it was, was 
 not so great as that of the rebellious angels, the angels being richer 
 in grace and knowledge than were Adam and Eve; and, moreover, the 
 fact of the fall of these last having been caused by the deception 
 of Satan, was in some measure an excuse for them. Secondly, our 
 first parents were not hardened in sin, but confessed their guilt and 
 repented of it. 
 
 Adam and Eve not eternally lost. They received pardon on account 
 of their belief in the future Saviour ; and, on account of their repentance 
 and long life of expiation, were delivered from Limbo by our Lord, 
 and taken by Him to heaven. In the Book of Wisdom (10, 2) it is 
 expressly said that the divine wisdom "drew him (Adam) out of sin". 
 
 The curse which, as a consequence of sin, rests on irrational 
 creatures, is removed by the blessing which the Church, in the name 
 of our Lord Jesus Christ, bestows on natural objects. 
 
 Unworthy Communion. Adam and Eve, being in a state of sin, did 
 not dare to eat of the fruit of the Tree of life, for, had they done so, 
 they would have been eternally damned. He who receives the Blessed 
 Sacrament (which is prefigured by the Tree of life) in a state of sin, 
 draws damnation on himself. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Sin is the greatest of all evils, and the source of all other 
 evils. You are afraid of lesser evils, such as sickness, danger, 
 or death; why are you so little afraid of the greatest of 
 all evils? Guard against sin, for it leads to sorrow and 
 misery. If you do right, you will have a joyful spirit, a 
 good conscience, and peace and happiness in your innocent 
 heart. But if you do wrong, your heart will be unhappy 
 and uneasy, and the pains of conscience and fear will pursue 
 you, as they pursued Adam and Eve after the fall. Therefore, 
 set enmity between yourself and sin ; detest it and flee from 
 it. And often pray devoutly thus: "Deliver us from evil, 
 from the greatest of all evils, sin!" 
 
A 
 
 CAIN AND ABEL. 33 
 
 Chapter V. 
 CAIN AND ABEL. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 DAM and Eve had many children; the first two were 
 
 Cain and Abel. Cain was a husbandman, or tiller of 
 the earth; Abel was a shepherd. Abel was just 1 , but the 
 works of Cain were evil. Now it happened one day that 
 they offered a sacrifice 2 to God in gratitude for the benefits 
 He had bestowed upon them. Abel offered the firstlings 3 
 of his flock, and Cain, fruits of the earth. The Lord regarded 
 Abel and his gifts with favour, but for Cain and his offerings 
 He had no regard 4 . Seeing this, Cain was exceedingly angry, 
 and his countenance fell 5 . 
 
 1 He feared and loved God, and believed in the future Saviour. — 
 
 2 i. e. visible gifts for the purpose of thanking God for the benefits 
 already received, and of imploring further blessings from Him. — 
 
 3 i. e. the best and finest of his flock. — 4 We are not told how 
 Almighty God gave His pleasure and displeasure to be understood. 
 Probably, as at the sacrifice of Elias (Old Test. Ch. LXIII) , He 
 sent down fire from heaven, which consumed Abel's offering, whereas 
 Cain's, notwithstanding every effort on his part, remained unconsumed. 
 (See picture p. 35.) — 5 i. e. he became thin and pale with anger. 
 Envy was the cause of his anger. He envied his brother for being 
 in God's favour, and feared that he would receive greater benefits 
 than himself. Instead of winning God's approval by contrition and 
 amendment, he was seized with rage against his innocent brother 
 although God lovingly warned him in time. 
 
 And the Lord said to Cain: "Why art thou angry, and 
 why is thy countenance fallen ? 6 If thou do well, shalt thou 
 not receive? but if ill, shall not sin forthwith be present 
 at the door? 7 Keep away from sin" 8 . But Cain did not 
 heed the Lord 9 . One day he said to his brother: "Let us 
 go forth abroad." Abel, suspecting no evil, went out with 
 him ; and when they were in the field, Cain rose up against 
 Abel, his brother, and slew him. 
 
 6 By these questions God wished to bring Cain to self-knowledge, 
 and a realization of the terrible condition of his soul. — 7 It will 
 swiftly overtake you. — 8 i. e. do not let these evil passions of envy 
 and anger master you, but subdue them at once and rule over them. — 
 
 2 *# 
 
34 CHAPTER V. 
 
 9 He did not take God's warning to heart. He did not subdue his 
 anger, and, therefore, it gained more and more mastery over him, till 
 it grew into the fiercest hatred. He could no longer endure the sight 
 of his brother, and at last resolved to kill him. His evil passions 
 quite blinded him. He did not think of the grief, which his act would 
 cause his parents, nor did he remember the threats of Almighty 
 God. He enticed his brother into the field, and, turning on him, 
 struck him dead. 
 
 What must Adam and Eve have felt, when they saw their dear 
 Abel lying dead in his blood, slain by his own brother's hand! 
 Perhaps, blinded by bitter tears, they exclaimed: "Alas, that we 
 must survive this, our son's crime ! Woe to us that we ever sinned ! 
 Cain has got his bad passions from us: This terrible deed is the 
 consequence of our sin!" 
 
 The Lord said to Cain: "Where is thy brother Abel ?" 10 
 Cain replied in an insolent manner : "I know not; am I my 
 brother's keeper?" 11 And the Lord said to him: "What 
 hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth to 
 me from the earth 12 . Now, therefore, cursed shalt thou be 
 upon the earth, which hath opened her mouth and received 
 the blood of thy brother from thy hand 13 . When thou shalt 
 till it, it shall not yield to thee its fruit. A fugitive 14 and 
 a vagabond 15 shalt thou be upon the earth." 
 
 10 By asking this question God wanted to give Cain the opportunity 
 of honestly and contritely confessing his crime. Had he done so, God 
 would have forgiven him and lessened his punishment. But instead of 
 doing this, Cain made an insolent and defiant reply. — u This was as 
 much as to say: "Why dost thou ask me? I am not his keeper!" 
 Being blinded by his passions, Cain believed that he could hide his 
 crime from God, and defiantly lied to Him. After that, God reproached 
 him for what he had done, and pronounced sentence on him. — 12 Can 
 blood cry out? Almighty God meant this: "Your evil deed is such 
 that it demands punishment from heaven, or, in other words, it cries 
 out to heaven for punishment and vengeance. — 13 i. e. thou hast with 
 thine own hand shed thy brother's blood, which, flowing on to the 
 ground, has been sucked up by it. — 14 Without a home. — I5 i. e. thou 
 shalt never find rest, but shalt always wander to and fro on the earth. 
 
 And Cain, in despair, said to the Lord: "My iniquity is 
 greater than that I may deserve pardon. Behold ! Thou dost 
 cast me out this day from the face of the earth. Every 
 one, therefore, who findeth me, will kill me" 16 . The Lord 
 said to him: "No, it shall not be so; but whosoever shall 
 
CAIN AND ABEL 
 
 35 
 
 kill Cain, shall be punished sevenfold" 17 . And He set a 
 mark upon Cain that, whosoever found him, should not kill 
 him 18 . And Cain went out from the face of the Lord, and 
 dwelt as a fugitive on the earth 19 . 
 
 16 Cain's defiance changed to despair. He believed that he could 
 not obtain forgiveness, and despaired of God's mercy. He would have 
 liked to have hidden himself from God. Why did Cain wish to hide 
 himself from God? Because he no longer regarded Him as a loving 
 Father, but only as a severe Judge; and now, the thought of the 
 presence of that God Whom he had so offended, was torture and 
 terror to him. Having no longer any hope of attaining to eternal 
 life, he clung the more anxiously to this earthly life, and was filled 
 with dread, lest others should kill him, as he had killed Abel. As the 
 expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise had taken place about 
 120 years before, there were probably a great number of people on 
 the earth by this time. — 17 It was God's will to preserve the life 
 of this murderer, in order that he might serve as a warning to other 
 men. — 18 This mark was a sign on his face or brow, by which every 
 one might know who Cain was, and that he was a man punished by 
 the hand of God, and on account of his sins condemned to wander 
 about on the earth, and who, being punished by God, might not be 
 killed by any man. — 19 Weighed down by the curse of God, and 
 tormented by his evil conscience, the fratricide led from thenceforward 
 
36 CHAPTER V. 
 
 a most miserable life. Day and night the image of his murdered 
 brother was before his eyes, and he wandered to and fro on the 
 earth, without comfort and without joy. 
 
 The punishment of Cain was threefold. In the selfishness of his 
 envy he had believed that, if Abel were dead, he would, firstly, receive 
 more blessings from God, secondly, that the earth would produce more 
 under his cultivation, and, thirdly, that he himself would be happier. 
 The exact opposite took place. Firstly, God cursed him. Secondly, 
 the earth was barren under his touch. Thirdly, he was a prey to 
 constant fear and unrest, and never knew another happy moment. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 God is omniscient. Grod knew the minds of both Cain and 
 Abel. He saw Cain's envy and bloodthirstiness , and knew 
 what crime he had committed, even though Cain would not 
 acknowledge it. 
 
 God is holy. Therefore the offering of the righteous Abel 
 was well pleasing to Him, but He took no pleasure in the 
 offering of the evil-minded Cain. 
 
 God is just. In what way did God show His justice in 
 this story? First by the words: "If thou do well, shalt 
 thou not receive," and those other words: "The voice of 
 thy brother's blood crieth unto me." Also by the fact, that 
 He punished the murderer most terribly. 
 
 Envy is a capital sin, because, as we have seen in the 
 case of Cain, it leads to many other sins. To begin with; 
 Cain was envious of his brother, and then, because he did 
 not check this feeling, there grew up in his heart a fierce 
 anger against Abel. He did not resist this anger, but rather 
 cherished it, so that it turned into bitter hatred, and kindled 
 in his heart the terrible desire to kill his brother. Then, 
 as he did not resist this thirst for blood, it grew, until at 
 last it led him to commit the horrible crime of fratricide. 
 
 Murder. The deadly blow, which Cain dealt Abel, was 
 intentional and pre-meditated ; and such an action is called 
 murder. Cain was not only a murderer, but also a fratricide, 
 i. e. the murderer of his brother. 
 
 The sins which cry to heaven for vengeance. We can see 
 by this story of Cain and Abel, whence comes the expression 
 of sins crying to heaven for vengeance. Wilful murder is 
 
CAIN AND ABEL. 37 
 
 counted among them, because of the words of God: "The 
 blood of thy brother crieth &c." 
 
 The forgiveness of sins. Is it true that Cain might have 
 obtained forgiveness, if he had done penance? His sin was 
 indeed great, but God's mercy is infinitely greater ; and the 
 murderer would have been forgiven by God, if he had but 
 repented and confessed his terrible sin. Our faith teaches 
 us explicitly that all sins can be remitted, if only they are 
 confessed with the proper dispositions. It was Cain's own 
 fault that he did not obtain forgiveness. He would not 
 confess his sin, though God Himself questioned him. We 
 cannot get our sins forgiven, unless we confess them. Cain, 
 also, had no true contrition, and all hope of pardon depends 
 on that. He, however, had given up hope, and despaired 
 of God's mercy. 
 
 Free-will. There are those who yield to their evil passions, 
 and then say that they could not help it. Is it true that 
 they could not have helped it? Could not Cain have acted 
 differently from what he did ? God Himself had said to him : 
 "Keep away from sin." We are not obliged to follow our 
 evil inclinations, for we have free-will, and can overcome 
 our passions, if we choose. 
 
 The necessity of grace. Grace is , however , necessary to 
 enable the free-will of man to choose what is right. Cain had 
 received quite sufficient grace, and if he had corresponded 
 with it, he would have been quite able to overcome his envy 
 and hatred, and would never have become a murderer. Even 
 after his sin he would have been able to obtain pardon, if he 
 had not resisted the grace of God which urged him to repent. 
 
 The wonderful working of divine Grace for the good of man, is 
 shown to us very plainly in this story of Cain. Think how much 
 God did both to keep him from sinning, and to bring him to repen- 
 tance, after he had sinned, so that his soul might be saved. First, 
 He drew Cain's attention to his ruling passions of envy and anger, in 
 order to bring him to a knowledge of himself. Then, He promised 
 him a reward and blessing, if he would correct himself, and threatened 
 him with speedy punishment, if he let himself be led on to do an evil 
 deed. Lastly, He stirred him up, and exhorted him not to be led away 
 by his evil desires, but to have dominion over them. Even after the 
 
38 CHAPTER V. 
 
 terrible deed was done, Almighty God did not at once reject the 
 murderer, and even while reproaching him for his crime, tried to 
 move his heart. He wished Cain to recognise the horror of his deed, 
 to abhor it, and repent of it. He even asked him where his brother 
 was, in order to make the confession of his guilt easier to him. It 
 was only when Cain proved to be hard-hearted and impenitent that 
 God pronounced judgment on him. Even then, the sentence was not 
 an eternal one; it was only temporal ("cursed be thou on the earth"), 
 and might have led him to repentance and amendment. God protected 
 the life of this wretch by a special mark, in order to give him more 
 time for repentance. Oh, how good and merciful is God, Who, as it 
 were, pursues the sinner so indefatigably, and tries in so many ways 
 to move his heart, so as to save him from eternal damnation! 
 
 Resistance of Grace. Sins against the Holy Ghost. Man , having 
 free-will, is able to resist grace, which, much as it may move him 
 and incline him towards what is good, does not force him. Cain's 
 terrible example shows us to what resistance of grace can lead. He 
 would not listen to God's loving exhortation to overcome his envy and 
 anger, but cherished them in his heart, till his anger waxed fiercer and 
 turned to hatred, and, finally, led him to murder his own brother. Once 
 again, after his crime, Cain resisted the promptings of God's grace. He 
 hardened his heart and sinned directly against God by his lies, defiance 
 and impenitence. It was only after God had pronounced sentence on him, 
 and he already felt its effects, that he acknowledged his guilt. He 
 did not, however , implore for pardon contritely and confidently , but 
 despaired of God's mercy. Which of the sins against the Holy Ghost 
 did he commit ? First, he envied his brother on account of the grace 
 God had given him ; secondly , he hardened his heart against God's 
 admonitions; and, finally, he despaired of God's mercy. 
 
 A right intention is the chief thing. St. Paul says (Hebr. 11, 4) : "By 
 faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice exceeding that of Cain." What 
 was wanting in Cain's sacrifice ? His faith in God and in the promised 
 Saviour was not firm and living , and , therefore, his worship of God 
 was wanting in reverence and thankfulness. He worshipped Him 
 outwardly, but not inwardly. The gifts, which he offered, were good, 
 but the intention with which he offered them, was not good. Let us 
 learn from this that God does not look merely on our outward works 
 and gifts, but that He looks especially to our intention. "The Lord 
 seeth the heart" (Old Test. Ch. L). 
 
 The worship of God by sacrifice. Cain and Abel both brought gifts 
 to God. What did they offer ? Fruits and beasts. How did they offer 
 these visible gifts? They burnt them, i. e. destroyed them by fire. 
 They wished to express by this that they kept back nothing of these 
 gifts for themselves , that they desired to offer them wholly to God, 
 from Whom all good things come , and to Whom all things belong. 
 From whom had Cain and Abel learnt how to offer sacrifice to God? 
 
CAIN AND ABEL. 39 
 
 Obviously, from their parents, Adam and Eve. We see, therefore, 
 that men offered sacrifice to God from the very first: that so long 
 as there have been men to worship Him , there have been sacrifices. 
 Sacrifice is the highest and most perfect form of worship , and 
 is essential to religion. The Catholic religion , being the most 
 holy and perfect of all religions, must possess the most holy and 
 perfect of sacrifices. What is this holiest sacrifice, most pleasing to 
 God ? It is Jesus Christ Himself, Who once sacrificed Himself on the 
 Cross in a bloody manner, and Who continually offers Himself for us 
 in the Holy Mass in an unbloody manner. 
 
 Abel is the second type of Jesus Christ. Abel was just; 
 a shepherd; envied by his brother; slain by him; and his 
 blood cries for vengeance. Jesus Christ is the Most Just; 
 and the Good Shepherd of mankind. Out of envy He was 
 persecuted and slain by His brethren, the Jews. His Blood 
 cries for grace and pardon for sinful man. 
 
 The homeless, wandering Cain is a type of the Jewish people, who 
 resisted God's grace, and who, since they slew their God, have been 
 homeless and scattered over the whole earth. 
 
 Eve, weeping over the body of her beloved son, slain by the hand 
 of his brother, is a type of the sorrowful Mother of God, who stood, 
 sorrowing, at the foot of the Cross, on which hung her Divine Son, 
 slain by his brethren, the Jews. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Envy is very easily aroused in our hearts. Have you never 
 felt envious, when others have been praised or rewarded? 
 Detest envy, and overcome all temptations to it, for it is 
 a hateful sin, and the source of many other sins. "Through 
 the envy of the devil death came into the world, and they 
 follow him who are of his side" (2 Wisd. 24, 25). If you 
 let envy get possession of you, you are imitating the devil, 
 and are his child. Do you wish to be a child of the devil ? 
 If not, be not envious and jealous of others, but rather 
 rejoice, when good befalls them. Drive away envy, for from 
 envy came the first murder. 
 
 The divine admonition to overcome the desire to sin 
 applies to every body. If God required of Cain that he should 
 master his evil desires, how much more does He require it 
 of us, Christians, to whom so many graces have been given ! 
 Examine yourself and see what sin you are most inclined 
 
40 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 to, whether it be lying, or greediness, or laziness, or dis- 
 obedience, or anger, or sinful curiosity, and resolve never 
 to give way to it, but to overcome it at once. Resist the 
 beginnings of sin. If Cain had stifled his envy in the 
 beginning, he would not have become a fratricide! God 
 warns you through your conscience, your parents &c, in 
 the same way that He warned Cain. Do not resist these 
 warnings, or you will grow up hard-hearted. 
 
 If you have sinned through thoughtlessness or weakness, 
 go at once and confess your sin to the priest, who is the 
 representative of God, and God will forgive you. He who 
 does not make a good confession, is hard-hearted like Cain. 
 
 Chapter VI. 
 THE DELUGE. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 DAM lived nine hundred and thirty years. He had many 
 
 A 
 
 sons and daughters to whom he announced the law 
 of God and the coming of the Redeemer 1 . His immediate 
 descendants also lived to a very great age. Mathusala, the 
 oldest of them, lived nine hundred and sixty-nine years. The 
 people became very numerous. Some were herdsmen and 
 lived in tents ; others built cities and became mechanics and 
 musicians 2 . The descendants of the pious Seth, whom God 
 had given to Adam instead of Abel 3 , were good, feared 
 God , and hence were called the children of God. The 
 descendants of Cain, however, turned away from God 4 , 
 were wicked, and were called the children of men. 
 
 1 The promise that one day a Saviour should come, Who would 
 overcome sin and the devil. — 2 They practised various arts and 
 trades, such as building, stone-cutting, carpentering, weaving, forging, 
 and the making of musical instruments. — 3 That is to say that 
 Seth, being just and holy like Abel, was a compensation to his parents 
 for his loss. God chose Seth to be the heir of the promises, and 
 the forefather of the people of God, and, later on, of the Redeemer 
 Himself, Who, according to St. Luke (3, 38) was, as Man, descended 
 from Seth. — 4 i. e. they did not seek God or serve Him. They 
 were called sons of men, or of this world, in contradistinction to the 
 
THE DELUGE. 41 
 
 children of the just Seth who were called the sons of God , because 
 they loved and honoured God as their Lord and Father. 
 
 Henoch, one of the children of God, was noted for his 
 faith and piety 5 , and was taken up alive to heaven 6 . 
 Unhappily, the children of God began to associate with the 
 children of men, and soon they themselves became wicked. 
 Then God said that men must not live so long, seeing that 
 they have become corrupt in their ways. "His days shall 
 be one hundred and twenty years " 7 . 
 
 5 He " walked with God ", i. e. lived in God's presence , prayed^ 
 without ceasing and was united to God by the most intimate love. 
 Tie was 1he saint of the primitive ages. His zeal for the glory of 
 Gocl, and his sincere love of his neighbour, urged him to convert sinners, 
 so as to save them from eternal loss. — 6 He did not die, but was 
 translated to paradise with his body and soul, as happened later on 
 to the prophet Elias. He, too, was a holy preacher of penance, and 
 was translated without dying. — 7 In the course of centuries, the 
 children of God intermarried with the children of men , and let 
 themselves be led into their godless ways, so that impiety increased, 
 and at last became general. Then God resolved to exterminate the 
 human race, which was now living so shamelessly in accordance with 
 its own evil passions. But He gave them a hundred and twenty 
 years for repentance and amendment. 
 
 The wickedness of men went on increasing, and their 
 thoughts 8 were continually bent upon evil. Seeing this, 
 God said 9 : "I will destroy man, whom I have created, from 
 the face of the earth." 
 
 8 All their thoughts and desires were bad. — 9 It is said that it 
 "repented God" of having made man. It repents us men, when we have 
 done something wrong or stupid. God cannot have such repentance, 
 because He is unchangeable, and cannot wish to alter anything He 
 has done. What then do the words mean? They mean that the 
 depravity of man was so horribly great that God, Who cannot really 
 repent, seemed to repent that He had created the human race. 
 
 But among these wicked men there was one just and 
 virtuous man, who was called Noe. Noe found favour with 
 the Lord 10 , and the Lord said to him : " Make thee an ark " 
 of timber-planks 12 ; thou shalt make little rooms in the ark, 
 and thou shalt pitch it within and without with bitumen. 
 The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, and 
 
42 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty 
 cubits 13 . Thou shalt make a window in the ark , and a 
 door in its side; and thou shalt divide the ark into lower, 
 middle, and third u stories. Behold, I will bring the waters 
 of a great flood upon the earth, to destroy all flesh wherein 
 is the breath of life. But I will establish my covenant 15 
 with thee. Thou shalt enter into the ark, thou and thy 
 sons, and thy wife and the wives of thy sons with thee. 
 And of every living creature, of all flesh, thou shalt bring 
 two of a sort 16 into the ark that they may live with thee. 
 Thou shalt take unto thee of all food which may be eaten, 
 and thou shalt lay it up with thee." 
 
 10 It was God's will to spare him , and not punish the just with 
 the unjust. — n A great house, resting on a sort of raft (see 
 picture). — 12 Of wood, shaped and fitted together. — 13 The 
 Hebrew cubit was about 18 inches. — 14 or upper. — 15 Of what did 
 this bond or covenant consist? Almighty God promised to save Noe 
 in the ark; and Noe, on his part, undertook to serve God faithfully, 
 with his family. — 16 Of clean beasts he was to take seven pair. 
 Those beasts were styled clean, which lived on herbage ; and especially 
 domestic animals were thus classed. Only clean beasts could be offered 
 in sacrifice. Unclean beasts, included (besides swine) all beasts of prey 
 (because they shed blood), all vermin and creeping things. 
 
 Noe did all that the Lord had commanded him to do. 
 He spent a hundred years in building the ark 17 , during 
 which time he preached penance to the people 18 . But men 
 heeded not the warning. They ate, drank, and were married 
 just as before, without a thought of the terrible punishment 
 that was to come upon them. Then the Lord said to Noe : 
 "Go in, thou and all thy house, into the ark; and after 
 seven days I will cause rain to fall upon the earth for forty 
 days and forty nights, and I will destroy every substance 
 that I have made, from the face of the earth." Noe entered 
 into the ark, with all his family, taking with him all that 
 the Lord had commanded him 19 ; and the Lord shut him 
 in on the outside. 
 
 17 With the help of his sons. — 18 foretelling the coming punishment. 
 The building of the ark ought to have confirmed his words, for each 
 person must have said to himself: ''Surely Noe would never have 
 undertaken this great and laborious work, if he did not believe in 
 
THE DELUGE. 
 
 43 
 
 this coming judgment." But they would not allow any serious thoughts 
 to interfere with their impious frivolity, and went on with their pleasure, 
 refusing to believe Noe's words, and scoffing at his warnings. Thus, 
 they let the hour of grace go by Avithout profiting by it. — 19 God 
 made the animals to flock into the ark in the same way that He 
 gathered them together to be named by Adam, and in the same way 
 that He still draws the birds of passage every year towards the south. 
 
 And when the seven days were passed, the fountains of 
 the great deep 20 were broken up , and the flood-gates of 
 heaven were opened 21 , and the rain fell upon the earth for 
 forty days and forty nights. The waters continued to increase 
 till they rose fifteen cubits above the highest mountains. Thus 
 every living being was destroyed, that moved upon the earth, 
 both of fowl, of cattle, of beasts, and all men. Noe only 
 remained, and they that were with him in the ark. 
 
 20 That is, the waters under the earth came to the surface. — 
 The water which was gathered in the air, and which God kept back 
 as it were, by flood-gates, broke loose and poured on to the earth. 
 Many of you have seen flood-gates or sluices in a mill stream, and you 
 know what the water does, when they are opened. In the same way, 
 the water burst out of the clouds, and poured unceasingly on to the 
 earth for forty days. 
 
44 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Picture to yourselves the horror of this terrible judgment of God. 
 In sixteen hundred years the human race had increased to millions 
 of beings, and now all were destroyed ! Many of them were drowned 
 when the Flood first began, while others saved themselves for a time 
 in high trees or on the roofs of houses. But the houses were swept 
 away and the trees uprooted, and all who were on them were swallowed 
 up in the waters. Many fled to the mountains, but the flood followed 
 them there. With deadly fear they watched the waters rising higher 
 and higher, till the very mountain-tops were swallowed up , and one 
 by one those who had sought safety on them were engulfed in the 
 roaving waves. Mothers saw their children, brothers their sisters, 
 husbands their wives, drowning before their eyes, and were powerless 
 to help them. Black clouds covered the sky , and the earth was 
 wrapped in darkness. Beasts roared, and men wailed and cried aloud 
 to heaven for mercy. But the day of mercy was passed ; the day 
 of retribution had come. And, behold, while the storm raged fiercer 
 and fiercer, and the waters rose above the highest mountains, burying 
 all mankind in a watery grave, the ark floated securely on the top 
 of the horrible flood, protected by the hand of God, neither injured 
 by the fallen trees which were hurled against it, nor dashed to 
 pieces against the sunken rocks. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The four last things. The patriarchs lived to a great age, 
 but they had to die at last. Of each one, with the exception 
 of Henoch, it is said that he lived to such and such an age, 
 and then died. By this they fulfilled the words of God: "Dust 
 thou art and into dust thou shalt return." So it is with 
 man still, and so it will be till the end of the world: all 
 men must die, because they are the inheritors of Adam's 
 curse. "It is appointed unto men once to die, and after 
 this the judgment" (Hebr. 9, 27). The last thing we shall 
 do on earth will be to die. 
 
 Th.e sons of God and the sons of men. The opposition 
 between the sons of God and the sons of men continues to 
 this day , and will continue to the end of the world. The 
 children of men are those who either have no faith, or who 
 do not live up to their faith, but follow the dictates of their 
 own hearts, and without shame transgress God's command- 
 ments. They love the world above all things, instead of 
 loving God. They struggle after the honours, pleasures, and 
 riches of this life, and do not trouble themselves about eternal 
 
THE DELUGE. 45 
 
 life. But who are the children of God? They are those 
 who do God's will, who live in the grace and love of God, 
 and who strive after heavenly things. As Christians, we 
 are all children of God. Let us live as such, and try to 
 do the will of our Father, Who is in heaven. 
 
 The long life of the Patriarchs. As the earth before the Flood 
 produced larger plants and larger beasts than it does now, so men 
 in primeval times were taller and stronger than the men of later 
 ages. They lived a simple, temperate life, and therefore reached a 
 great age. This long life of the patriarchs was ordained by God to 
 serve several ends. The first was that they might have a great 
 many children , and that the human race might multiply and spread 
 itself. Another was that they , the patriarchs , might be able to 
 transmit the divine revelation of the history of creation , of the 
 original state and fall of man, the promise of the Saviour, the story 
 of Cain and Abel &c, to later generations, pure and unfalsified. Adam 
 himself was able to teach these truths to his descendants down to 
 the time of Lamech, who at the time of Adam's death was fifty years 
 old. Lamech was the father of Noe, and died a few years before 
 the Deluge. He instructed Noe (who lived 950 years) and Sem, the 
 son of Noe. Sem (who lived 600 years) was able to instruct his 
 descendants down to the time of Jacob. Jacob transmitted the divine 
 revelation to his descendants, one of whom was Moses, who wrote 
 the first five books of Holy Scripture, containing the revelation of 
 , God from the Creation onwards. There was no Holy Scripture between 
 the time of Adam and that of Moses ; the faith being preserved and 
 spread by means of oral tradition. 
 
 The Forbearance of God. Although all men, with the 
 exception of Noe and his family, had become impious and 
 vicious , God gave them a hundred years in which to 
 repent, before He let loose His wrath upon them. We call 
 God long-suffering, because He waits such a long time, before 
 He will punish a sinner. Good men often complain thus: 
 Why does God put up so long with impiety? Why does 
 not He punish the sinner who defies Him ? Almighty God 
 is patient, because He is eternal. He waits for the sinner 
 to repent ; but if he will not repent, the punishment falls at 
 last, if not in this world, then in the world to come. 
 
 God's Holiness and Justice shine forth most clearly in this 
 story. The sins of men were powerless to hurt the Lord 
 God, or disturb His infinite complacency. Why then did it 
 
46 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 repent Him that He had made man? Because He is holy, 
 and, sin being opposed to His very essence, He could no 
 longer endure the wickedness of man. He also wished, by 
 this destruction of sinful man, to reveal His detestation of 
 sin to all future generations, and to keep them, thereby, 
 from sinning. Because God is holy, He is also just, as is 
 shown by His reward of the righteous Noe, and his pun- 
 ishment of the wicked. 
 
 The Mercy of God. God reveals to us His mercy as well 
 as His justice in this story of the Deluge. He did not allow 
 the Flood to come suddenly, but by degrees. When the 
 rain began to fall, it is probable that many believed in Noe's 
 warnings of the coming judgment and began to pray and 
 repent of their sins, and cried to God for pardon. Such as 
 did this were saved, and were not consigned to hell, but 
 to Limbo (1 Pet. 3, 19). 
 
 1> "Others do the same thing." Sinners often speak thus in 
 excuse for themselves. But the Deluge teaches us that such 
 words avail nothing with God. Sin remains sin, and mortal 
 sin remains mortal sin, never mind how many commit 
 it as well as yourself. When everybody was wicked, as 
 in the days of Noe, everybody was punished. At the Last 
 Day we shall not be judged according to the opinions and 
 easy-going principles of the world, but according to the 
 holy Commandments of God and of His Church. 
 
 Among all his other virtues we must admire most the 
 fortitude of Noe. He remained virtuous in the midst of a 
 corrupt world, and did only that which was pleasing to 
 God. The wicked people around him did all in their power 
 to lead him astray. They mocked him, because he did not 
 do as they did; but he did not let himself be moved to do 
 evil. He firmly resisted the attractions of the wicked world, 
 and remained true to what was right. 
 
 I want to call your attention to Noe's love of his neighbour. 
 For a hundred and twenty years he laboured for the salvation 
 of the souls of his fellow creatures , who were walking on 
 the road to ruin. His love of his neighbour was real, 
 practical, and entire. 
 
THE DELUGE. 47 
 
 The Ark is a type of the Catholic Church. All those who were 
 in the ark, were saved from death : whosoever is a true child of the 
 Catholic Church , will be saved from everlasting death. There was 
 only one ark of safety: so is there only one true Church in which 
 is salvation. The ark was designed and built according to God's 
 directions : so was the Church founded by our Lord. The ark did 
 not sink amid the storms of the Deluge, being protected and guided 
 by God : even so the Catholic Church does not sink amid the storms 
 of persecution, being invisibly protected and governed by God the 
 Holy Ghost. V. 
 
 The Last Judgment. The terrors of the Deluge are a type of the 
 Last Day, for our Lord has said (Mat. 24, 37): "As in the days of 
 Noe so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (i. e. when He 
 comes again to judge the world). Great were the fear and lamentation 
 when the Deluge broke forth, but greater far will be the terror felt 
 at the approach of the Lord. " There shall be then great tribulation 
 such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now" 
 (Mat. 24, 21). And yet many men behave about the Last Judgment 
 precisely as those of Noe's time behaved about the Deluge, passing 
 their lives in frivolity, and fearing nothing. The very same thing 
 which happened to these last will happen to them. The men of Noe's 
 time would not listen to his warnings : they scoffed at him and refused 
 to believe in the judgment that was to overtake them. But when 
 the Flood came, and certain destruction lay before them, they cursed 
 their folly and frivolity, and bitterly envied Noe's safety in the ark. 
 So will it be with men, when the Last Day comes. " Then will they 
 say within themselves, repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit: 
 These are they whom we had some time in derision, and for a parable 
 of reproach. We fools esteemed their life madness, and their end 
 without honour. Behold, how they are numbered among the children 
 of God, and their lot is among the saints" (Wisd. 5, 3 — 5). 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 You became children of God by holy Baptism. Have you 
 always lived as such? Have you always prayed willingly 
 and devoutly, and hated sin? Think very often about God, 
 Who is everywhere, and sees into your hearts. Henoch took 
 delight in meditating about God. Wherever he went, and 
 whatever he was doing, he had God before his eyes. Each 
 time to-day that you hear the clock strike, or the bell ring, 
 make short acts of faith, hope and charity. 
 
 The children of God became corrupt, because they mixed 
 with the children of the world. Man, being naturally inclined 
 to evil, follows bad example very easily. "Evil communications 
 
48 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 corrupt good manners." One bad apple taints a hundred 
 sound ones, but a hundred sound apples cannot make the 
 bad one good again. Beware, in future, of bad companions. 
 They are not true friends, but are the enemies of your 
 soul. Seek the company of pious, god-fearing* people. "My 
 son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent not to them" 
 (Prov. 1, 10). 
 
 Noe's preaching was all in vain, because the frivolous 
 people heard him indeed with their ears, but did not take 
 to heart what he said. In what way do you listen to 
 sermons and instructions? 
 
 Noe feared God, but did not fear the impious world. Very 
 often you fear men more than God. Have you never been 
 ashamed to make the sign of the cross, or to kneel down 
 to say your prayers, or to take holy water? Do not ever 
 again be so cowardly! Pay no attention to the scoffs of 
 bad people, but be strong, and fearlessly confess your faith ! 
 Pray earnestly to God the Holy Ghost for the gifts of 
 fortitude and holy fear! 
 
 Chapter VII. 
 NOE'S OFFERING— HIS CHILDREN. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 NOW God remembered * Noe, and sent a wind upon the 
 earth. This moved the waters, and after a hundred 
 and fifty days they began to abate. At length, the ark 
 rested upon a mountain in Armenia, called Mount Ararat, 
 and the tops of the hills began to appear 2 . Noe perceived 
 this with great joy, for he had been now three hundred 
 and fifty days shut up in the ark. 
 
 1 Had God then forgotten Noe all this time? No; the words "God 
 remembered Noe" are as much as to say that, out of loving care 
 for Noe, He made the wind to blow, so that he might be soon able 
 to leave the ark in which he was shut up. — 2 This was a chain 
 of mountains in Asia, south of the Caucasus, between the Black Sea 
 and the Caspian Sea. The highest mountain in the chain is 17,230 feet 
 high, and is called Ararat, which, in Persian, means the "mountain 
 of Noe ", because it was on it that the ark of Noe rested. Naturally, 
 
NOE'S OFFERING— HIS CHILDREN. 
 
 49 
 
 the waters sank slowly. When the tops of the mountains were 
 uncovered, Noe had been 220 days in the ark, and it was a very 
 long time after that, before the level parts of the earth were dry. 
 
 In order to see whether the waters had subsided on the 
 earth, he opened the window and sent forth a raven which 
 did not return 3 . He next sent forth a dove, but she, not 
 finding a spot whereon to rest her foot, returned to the ark. 
 After seven days he again sent forth the dove. She came 
 back to him, in the evening, carrying in her mouth a bough 
 of an olive-tree with green leaves 4 . Noe, therefore, under- 
 stood that the waters had abated from off the face of the 
 earth. He stayed in the ark yet other seven days, and he 
 sent forth the dove again , which did not return to him 5 . 
 
 3 It found quite enough food among the dead bodies floating about, 
 and was able to settle on the mountain-tops. It had, therefore, no 
 wish to return to the confinement of the ark. — 4 i. e. a branch off 
 an olive-tree, from the fruit of which sweet oil is made. Noe perceived 
 by this that the earth, or at any rate the slopes of Mount Ararat, 
 on which olive-trees grow, were dry. — - 5 She did not return, because 
 by this time the plains were dry. Noe, however, did not leave the 
 Knecht, Commentary. I. 3 
 
50 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 ark of his own accord, but waited for the command of God to Whose 
 guidance he had entirely yielded himself. 
 
 God then said to Noe: "Go out of the ark." So Noe 
 went out of the ark with his wife, his sons and their wives, 
 together with all the living creatures which he had placed 
 in it 6 . Filled with gratitude towards the Lord Who had so 
 wonderfully preserved him, he built an altar 7 to the Lord 
 and offered on it a sacrifice of clean animals 8 . The sacrifice 
 of Noe was pleasing to the Lord. He blessed Noe and his 
 sons, and said to them: "Increase and multiply, and fill the 
 earth" 9 . God made a covenant with Noe that He would 
 never again destroy the earth with water. The rainbow, 
 which we see in the clouds, is the sign of this covenant 
 between God and the earth 10 . 
 
 6 Noe was more than a year in the ark (compare Gen. 7 , 2 and 
 8, 14). What must he have felt, when he once more trod on the 
 earth ! Whichever way he turned , there was desolation and death : 
 no living creature to be seen, no house nor human habitation ! Scattered 
 about were the bones of those who had been drowned : the whole 
 earth was one vast graveyard! Sorrow filled his heart, when he 
 thought of the terrible end of those who had perished; but thankfulness, 
 inexpressible thankfulness, rose up within his soul, as he said to 
 himself: "What would have become of me and mine, if God had not 
 so mercifully taken care of me ! — 7 of stones. — 8 of those species 
 of animals of which seven pair had been taken into the ark. — 
 
 9 Almighty God had said these same words, when He blessed Adam 
 and Eve. Noe, being the second parent of the human race, God 
 gave him and his sons the same blessing, and in the same words. — 
 
 10 The covenant was a covenant of friendship. Almighty God promised 
 to be gracious to man, and never more to send a Deluge on the 
 earth, or let the succession of seasons, interrupted by the Flood, be 
 again upset. The rainbow was to be a sign of this covenant, and 
 remind us of God's mercy and promises. 
 
 The sons of Noe were Sem , Cham and Japhet 11 . Now, 
 Noe began to cultivate the earth. He planted a vineyard, 
 and, drinking of the wine, he fell asleep 12 , and was uncovered 
 in his tent 13 . Cham, seeing his father in this condition 14 , 
 spoke of it in a jesting way to his brothers. They, however, 
 filled with a chaste and holy fear, put a cloak upon their 
 shoulders, and, going backwards 15 so as not to look upon 
 
NOE'S OFFERING— HIS CHILDREN. 51 
 
 him where he lay, covered their father's nakedness. And 
 Noe, awaking and hearing what had happened, said: "Cursed 
 be Chanaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his 
 brethren." But he blessed Sem and Japhet. Children should 
 learn from this example not to mock or ridicule their parents. 
 
 11 From these three all mankind descended. The children of Sem 
 spread principally through Asia, those of Cham through Africa, and 
 those of Japhet through Europe. — 12 sufficiently intoxicated to sleep 
 an uneasy sleep. During his restless movements, the covering fell 
 from his body. But how came holy Noe to be drunk ? For drunkenness 
 is a sin ! He did not drink too much wine intentionally, but through 
 ignorance, not knowing the potency of wine. — 13 He had no house, 
 only a tent which could be easily taken down and carried away. 
 On page 86 of the Bible History you will find tents of this kind 
 represented, which were such as were used by the Israelites during 
 their journey through the wilderness. — u He gazed without shame 
 on his father's uncovered body, and went and told his brothers 
 mockingly what had happened, so that they too might go and mock 
 their father. — 15 So that they might have their faces turned, not 
 towards Noe's couch, but towards the entrance of the tent. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Goodness of God. Almighty God, in His loving mercy, 
 remembered not only Noe, but the beasts in the ark; for 
 He hateth nothing that He hath made. We, too, should be 
 merciful, and carefully avoid cruelty to animals. He who 
 wantonly illtreats dumb beasts, proves that he has a hard, 
 cruel heart. 
 
 God's Faithfulness. Just as the punishment with which God 
 threatened sinful man, was brought to pass in the most terrible 
 way, so the promise which He made after the Deluge, never 
 again to destroy the world by water, has been kept for 
 more than four thousand years. 
 
 Confidence in God. In Noe we have a glorious example 
 of this virtue. Full of a living faith in God's presence, wisdom 
 and power, he gave himself over entirely to the direction 
 of divine providence. Full of confidence in God, and in 
 complete submission to His will, he built the ark and shut 
 himself up in it; nor did he leave it, till God Himself told 
 him to do so. Fear might very well have seized him, and 
 he might very well have asked himself how the animals would 
 
 3* 
 
52 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 fare in the ark, and so forth : and when the ark was driven 
 about hither and thither, the anxious thought of how long 
 it would be able to resist the beating of the waves, might 
 very well have occurred to him. But he allowed no such 
 fears to take possession of him, and confided himself entirely 
 to the Lord God and His holy word. Belief in the wisdom 
 and power of the ever present God ought to fill us also 
 with courage and comfort in time of tribulation, and make 
 us trust in God, and be content with whatever He wills. 
 "Commit thy way to the Lord, and trust in Him, and He 
 will do it" (Ps. 36, 5). He who puts his trust in God, 
 builds on a sure foundation. 
 
 Gratitude to God. Why was God well pleased with Noe's 
 sacrifice? Firstly, because it was offered with faith in the 
 future Saviour; and, secondly, because it was offered in 
 thanksgiving. You see, in the picture in your Bible History, 
 how Noe and his family knelt round the altar, praying with 
 fervour and devotion, thanking God from the bottom of 
 their hearts, and promising Him that they would serve Him 
 all the days of their life, and avoid those sins which had 
 called down such a terrible punishment. Gratitude to God 
 is a holy and essential part of our worship of Him. 
 
 The reward of gratitude. Noe's thankfulness pleased the 
 Lord God, so that He gave him still greater blessings. 
 When we thank God for benefits we have received, we 
 prepare the way for new benefits. 
 
 The olive-branch , brought back to the ark by the dove , showed 
 those who were inside that the destruction on the earth had ceased, 
 and that the time of their liberation was at hand. On this account, 
 the olive-branch has ever since been a token of peace and joy. 
 
 The meaning of sin. Was Noe's drunkenness a sin? For 
 is not intemperance in drink one of the seven deadly sins ? 
 Then why was not Noe's drunkenness a sin, or any how not 
 a grievous sin? Because Noe did not get drunk wilfully, 
 or intentionally. 
 
 Intemperance. Noe's drunkenness was excusable, because he was 
 ignorant of the strength of wine. This is now known to everybody, 
 so that it is a great sin to drink enough to obscure the senses and 
 
NOE'S OFFERING— HIS CHILDREN. 53 
 
 reason. Drunkenness leads to many other sins , such as quarrelling, 
 fighting, swearing &c, and is, therefore, one of the capital sins. Man 
 may drink wine &c. in moderation, for the purpose" of refreshing and 
 strengthening himself. But children should never drink wine, and, 
 still less, spirits. Such drink is unwholesome for children, and those 
 who indulge in it, are pale and sickly, and often stupid and stunted 
 in their growth. But milk and bread make rosy cheeks! 
 
 Cham's sin. What Commandments did Cham sin against? 
 First, against the sixth Commandment, by his immodesty. 
 Secondly, against the fourth Commandment. Cham scoffed 
 at, and failed in respect to his father, and spoke evil of 
 him , by needlessly repeating to his brothers what he had 
 seen. What ought Cham to have done, when he accidentally 
 found his father in that state? He ought to have turned 
 away his eyes, covered up his father, and not told any 
 one about it. 
 
 The blessing and curse of parents. When Noe learnt about 
 Cham's conduct, he pronounced a curse on him and his 
 descendants, and promised a blessing to Sem and Japhet. 
 He foresaw, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that Cham's 
 descendants would, like those of Cain, turn away from God, 
 and be punished by Him. The African negroes are descended 
 from him, and they are to this day sunk in the lowest state 
 of superstition, governed by cruel tyrants, treated as slaves, 
 and often bought and sold as such. Their way of living 
 is very barbarous, and they are very hard to convert to 
 Christianity. The blessing on Sem and Japhet and their 
 children has been fulfilled as completely, as has been the 
 curse on Cham. Sem was the heir of the divine promise, 
 for the chosen people of God sprang from him, and of his 
 race was born the Messias. The children of Japhet formed 
 great and powerful nations, and were early converted to 
 Christianity, some of them even in the time of the apostles. 
 You can see by this story that children who are wanting in 
 respect to their parents, are punished by God, but that those 
 who love and honour them, are blessed and rewarded by Him. 
 
 Detraction. Just as Sem and Japhet covered their father's 
 nakedness with a cloak, so ought we to cover the faults of 
 our fellow men with the mantle of charity, and never reveal 
 
54 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 them except in case of necessity. You commit the sin of 
 detraction, if you reveal the sins of others without necessity. 
 Noe, the third type of Jesus Christ. Noe was the only just 
 man in a sinful world : Jesus Christ is alone, and of and by 
 Himself, most just, most holy. Noe built the ark for the 
 saving of the human race : Jesus Christ founded the Church 
 in order that men might in her find salvation. Noe preached 
 penance and foretold the Deluge : our Lord preached penance 
 and foretold the Last Judgment. Noe offered a sacrifice to 
 God, which was so well pleasing to Him that He made a 
 covenant with him and his posterity : our Lord, by His death 
 on the Cross, offered the most perfect sacrifice, and obtained 
 for all men pardon, grace and everlasting peace. Noe was 
 the second father of the human race: Jesus Christ is the 
 spiritual Father of all who believe in Him. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Say a hearty "Deo gratias" (God be thanked), whenever 
 any piece of good fortune befalls you, as, for instance, when 
 you find something you had lost, or succeed in some under- 
 taking. As Noe's first act on leaving the ark was one of 
 thanksgiving, so let your first act, when you wake in the 
 morning, be one of thanksgiving. 
 
 Noe was saved in the ark on account of his justice. What 
 have you done to deserve being received into the one ark 
 of salvation, the Church, almost as soon as you were born? 
 Thank God very often for having made you a member of 
 the one true Church. There is, as says St. Augustine, no 
 greater treasure than the Catholic faith. 
 
 Cham's conduct was very wrong. Would it not be wrong 
 of you to look at anything indecent? Be on your guard, 
 therefore, against curious looks, and be modest in dressing 
 and undressing. 
 
 Honour your father and your mother. Do not despise 
 them, even if they have faults. "The eye that mocketh at 
 his father or that despiseth his mother , let the ravens 
 of the brooks pick it out, and the young eagles eat it" 
 (Prov. 30, 17). 
 
T 
 
 THE TOWER OF BABEL. 55 
 
 Chapter VIII. 
 THE TOWER OF BABEL. 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 HE descendants of Noe soon multiplied *, and again became 
 
 as wicked as men had been before the Deluge. Now, 
 they were unable to live together any longer 2 , and they 
 said : " Come, let us make a city and a tower, the top whereof 
 may reach to heaven; and let us make our name famous, 
 before we be scattered abroad in all lands" 3 . But God 
 frustrated their foolish design. He said: "Let Us confound 
 their tongue that they may not understand one another's 
 speech" 4 . Till then there had been but one language spoken 
 amongst men. So the Lord scattered them from that place 
 into all the lands, and they ceased to build the city. Therefore, 
 the city was called Babel 5 which signifies confusion 6 , be- 
 cause there the language of the whole earth was confounded. 
 
 1 They had left the mountains of Armenia, and dwelt in the large, 
 fruitful plain between the Euphrates and the Tigris. — 2 God decreed 
 that they should disperse, and to this decree they objected. — 3 They 
 wished to found an united kingdom, the centre and fortress of which 
 should be this city with its high tower. — 4 God introduced various 
 languages among them. Hitherto they had all spoken one language, 
 because they were all the children, first, of Adam, and, then, of Noe. 
 In the course of time , with the extension of the human race and 
 the development of nationalities, this one original language would 
 probably have split itself into divers dialects, just as the mental 
 and physical development of the race would have differed according 
 to the different localities in which they were placed. But in order 
 to punish their presumption and compel them to disperse, God now 
 made various languages to spring up among them, suddenly and in 
 a wonderful manner, while they were still all together, and at work 
 building their tower. They could no longer understand each other, 
 and had to give up their undertaking and separate into different 
 bodies. — 5 or Babylon. Among the ruins of this once great city 
 the stupendous foundations of a tower are still to be seen, which are 
 considered to be the remains of the Tower of Confusion. — 6 Why 
 was the city so called? Because, during the building of it the 
 confusion or diversity of tongues originated. From henceforth men 
 were scattered abroad over the face of the earth, and founded 
 different nationalities. 
 
56 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The children of Sem remained in Asia, and from them 
 descended the Israelites, the chosen people of God. Most of 
 the descendants of Cham settled in Africa, while those of 
 Japhet took up their abode in Europe. Thus were different 
 nations founded. The more men multiplied on the earth, 
 the more wicked they became 7 . Instead of adoring the true 
 God, they began to adore a multitude of false gods 8 . Some 
 worshipped the sun, moon and stars, others worshipped men 
 and beasts, and even the works of their own hands. To 
 these false divinities even human victims were offered, and 
 sometimes innocent children who were made to endure the 
 most cruel torments. Such is the consequence of abandoning 
 the worship of the true God ! 9 
 
 7 Sinfulness increased so that the number of the wicked grew 
 greater and greater, and the number of the good less. — 8 Because 
 men gave themselves over to their bad passions and were further 
 and further removed from God by their sins, they gave up believing 
 in Him and worshipped creatures. This worship of false gods is 
 called idolatry, and the people who so worship are called idolaters. 
 — 9 Their sin grew and grew, because God gave them over to the 
 desires of their heart. When Cain began to yield to the passions of 
 envy and hatred, God did not give him over to these passions 
 unwarned. When the children of Cain, the "sons of men", turned 
 away from the true God , He , in His goodness , urged them to 
 penance and conversion through holy Henoch. And immediately before 
 the Deluge, He made the just Noe stand forth and proclaim the 
 punishment which was hanging over mankind. Each of these times 
 God warned sinners and manifested Himself to them : but now when, 
 after the building of the Tower of Babel, men fell away from Him, 
 though He neither destroyed nor punished them, He no longer revealed 
 Himself to them, but gave them over to the desires of their hearts. 
 Because they forsook God, He forsook them ; and they had to learn by 
 experience to what they would come, when left by God to themselves. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Idolatry is a grievous sin against the first Commandment. 
 It is, moreover, unreasonable and foolish, and is a sad proof 
 of the evil effects on man of original sin. 
 
 Necessity of grace. God gave the idolaters over to their 
 own evil desires and inclinations. As evil inclinations are 
 rife in man, in consequence of original sin, it is only by 
 God's grace that he is able to keep the commandments. As 
 
THE TOWER OF BABEL. 
 
 57 
 
 God did not sustain by His grace these men who had 
 rejected Him, they gave themselves over to the desires of 
 their hearts, and were led by their unbridled passions into 
 the most horrible sins. 
 
 Pride. This story shows us how man's apostasy from 
 God began by pride. At the time that Noe's descendants 
 built the Tower of Babel, they had increased to some mil- 
 lions in number. They began to build in defiance of God, 
 relying on their own strength and numbers. They did not 
 give glory to God, and would not acknowledge that they 
 had received all things from Him, and could do nothing 
 without Him. Against His will, they intended to build a 
 tower which would reach to heaven, and would make their 
 name famous in all ages. Thus it was pride which prompted 
 this sinful undertaking. 
 
 God's Blessing the one thing necessary. This story of the 
 Tower of Babel shows us the truth of the Psalmist's words : 
 "Unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that 
 
 build it" (Ps. 126, 1). 
 
 3## 
 
58 CHAPTER VIII. , 
 
 Necessity of supernatural revelation. The majority of men 
 fell into idolatry about 2000 years after the creation. However, 
 there were always a few just men who, with their families, 
 preserved the faith in the true God, and His revelation; 
 such, for instance, were Abraham, Melchisedech , Job &c. 
 But the true faith would have been lost even in those families, 
 unless God had revealed Himself anew, as you will learn 
 He did, in the stories which follow. Divine revelation was 
 necessary, or else even man's natural knowledge of God 
 would have been lost. 
 
 The punishment of dispersion was at the same time a benefit to 
 mankind. If all men had remained together much longer, they would 
 have destroyed each other by civil war and fighting among themselves. 
 (See the strife between the shepherds of Abraham and Lot. Old 
 Test. X.) 
 
 The causes of unbelief. How came it that reasonable men could 
 sink so low as to give themselves over to the follies of idolatry? 
 Did God, then, not make Himself known to them ? Now, the religion 
 which is taught us by the visible creation and the voice of conscience, 
 is called natural religion. That which we have learnt from the 
 patriarchs, prophets &c. &c, is called revealed religion. The men of 
 the time of the Tower of Babel possessed a revealed religion, for 
 Noe had faithfully delivered to his descendants the revelation of God, 
 handed down by Adam. But as men followed their evil inclinations 
 more and more, their faith became weak. They believed, indeed, 
 but their faith was not living: they lived as if there were no God, 
 until at last they lost the supernatural gift of faith. But , you will 
 say, they could still know God by the light of their natural reason; 
 "for the invisible things of Him, from the creation of the world, are 
 clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made: His 
 eternal power also and divinity, so that they (i. e. the heathen) are 
 inexcusable" (Rom. 1, 20). But they lost even the natural knowledge 
 of God, because their hearts and wills were so corrupt that they 
 were no longer capable of knowing Him. They spoke thus, as it 
 were, to God: "Depart from us: we desire not the knowledge of Thy 
 ways" (Job 21, 14). Once they turned their hearts from God, their 
 reason became more and more blinded by their evil passions, and they 
 fell into the utmost spiritual ignorance , and into the most foolish 
 idolatry. Pride and vice still lead many men to unbelief. 
 
 The re-union of mankind in the Church. People of all tongues 
 are gathered together in unity of faith in the Catholic Church; for 
 all Catholics over the whole face of the earth are joined together in 
 one faith , one hope , one love. This unity of spirit is expressed by 
 
THE TOWER OF BABEL. 59 
 
 the unity of the language (Latin), used by the Church. In the Catholic 
 Church, therefore, which is governed by the Holy Ghost, the very 
 opposite has taken place to that which took place in the City of 
 Confusion. There, the speech of men was confounded, and they were 
 scattered : in the Church , men of every land and every tongue are 
 gathered together in unity of faith and speech, by the Holy Ghost 
 Whom Jesus Christ sent on Whitsunday. On that day there were 
 collected together many men of different countries, and yet they all 
 understood the speech of the apostles , and 3000 of them became 
 Christians. On that day was built a city which rests upon earth 
 and reaches to heaven; in which men speak one tongue, and have 
 one faith, and with which God is well pleased. That city is the 
 Holy Catholic Church. . 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 There are still on this earth 800,000,000 heathen who 
 do not know God and His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. 
 Pray earnestly for the conversion of the heathen. 
 
 Your forefathers, too, were heathens, and were converted 
 by missionaries, sent by the Holy See. Thank God for your 
 holy faith, and confess it by word and deed. Pray fervently 
 to the Holy Ghost to keep you and yours firm in the light 
 of the faith. 
 
SECOND EPOCH. 
 
 THE TIME OF THE PATRIARCHS 
 (about 2100—1500 B. &). 
 
 Chapter IX. 
 CALL OF ABRAM. 
 
 Hitherto we have been engaged in a brief study of the primitive 
 history of man. In the last chapter we were told that the larger 
 portion of mankind fell away from God into the grossest idolatry. 
 Of those heathen nations whom God "gave up to the desires of 
 their heart", we hear no more in Sacred History, with the exception 
 of chance accounts of those with whom the people of Israel came in 
 contact. Henceforth Scripture relates only the history of the people 
 of Israel to whom God revealed Himself again and again. This 
 history is divided into six sections: 1. The time of the patriarchs, 
 2. the age of Moses, 3. Josue and the judges, 4. the kings, 5. the 
 Babylonian captivity, 6. the time after the Babylonian captivity. 
 
 The first section, therefore, treats of the patriarchs, or first parents 
 of the children of Israel , and covers a period of 600 years , namely 
 from 2100 to 1500 B. C. It begins by the narrative of the call of 
 Abram which contains the account of how God chose him out to be the 
 father of the whole Israelite people (and of the Divine Redeemer). 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 AMONGST the wicked there was one just and upright 
 man. He was called Abram *. The Lord chose him 
 that, through him and his posterity, the true faith 2 and hope 
 in the promised Redeemer might be preserved and propagated 
 on the earth. He said to him: "Go forth out of thy country 
 and from thy kindred, and out of thy father's house 3 , and 
 come into the land which I will show thee, and I will make 
 of thee a great nation 4 . I will bless thee, and magnify thy 
 name, and thou shalt be blessed; and in thee shall all the 
 nations of the world be blessed " 5 . 
 
 
CALL OF ABRAM. 61 
 
 1 He, living in the midst of idolaters, had remained faithful to 
 God. It was on account of his faithfulness that God favoured him, 
 by revealing Himself to him, and by choosing him to be the father 
 of the faithful. — 2 i. e. the faith in the true God which had been 
 handed down ever since the days of Adam. — 3 God commanded 
 Abram to do this, because idolatry prevailed in his own country, and 
 even among his own kindred. He wished moreover to test Abram s 
 obedience and trust in Him. — 4 Thy descendants shall be a great 
 nation. — 5 From Abram was to descend the Redeemer Who would 
 bring grace and blessing to all mankind. 
 
 The father of Abram had gone to settle in Chaldea, and 
 had taken up his abode in Haran 6 , with his relatives; but 
 as idolatry had at last made its way even into that family, 
 the Lord called Abram forth from amongst his kindred. 
 Abram believed the word of the Lord, and instantly set out 
 for Chanaan, taking with him Sarai, his wife, and Lot, his 
 nephew 7 , and his servants and his herds of cattle. After 
 a long journey, he arrived in the land of Chanaan, and came 
 to Sichem 8 . He was, then, seventy-five years old. Chanaan, 
 on account of its beauty and fertility, was called a land 
 flowing with milk and honey. There the Lord appeared 
 again to Abram and said to him: "To thy seed will I give 
 this land." Abram, wishing to show his gratitude, raised in 
 that place an altar to the Lord. Henceforth 9 Chanaan was^. 
 also called the Promised Land 10 . Gratitude to God for past 
 favours is the most certain means of obtaining new ones. 
 
 6 On the upper Euphrates. — 7 i. e. his brother's son. Lot's father 
 was dead. — 8 See on the map. — 9 i. e. from the time God promised 
 it to Abram's descendants. — ,0 We Christians call it the Holy 
 Land, because it was there that our Lord lived, laboured and suffered.* 
 In geography it is called Palestine. This important country is situated 
 at the east end of the Mediterranean Sea, and occupies a very small 
 space in the eastern hemisphere. It is only about 140 miles long 
 from north to south , and 40 miles broad , and is about as large as 
 Wales. It is bounded on the north by the mountains of Lebanon ; on 
 the south by the deserts of Arabia ; on the west by the Mediterranean ; 
 and on the east by the Syrian deserts. God, in His wisdom, appointed 
 this land to be the abode of His chosen people, because it was so 
 well suited to their peculiar vocation. The land of Chanaan is pretty 
 well shut in on all sides by mountains, sea and deserts, and this 
 seclusion made it more easy for the people of God to keep themselves 
 aloof from heathen nations, and preserve intact the true faith. On 
 
62 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 the other hand Chanaan was situated in the centre of the then known 
 world, so that it was easy to spread among all nations, first, the 
 promise of the Redeemer, and later on, the preaching of the Gospel. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The second promise of the Messias. The words: "In thee 
 shall all the kindred of the world be blessed", contain the 
 second promise of the Messias. The second promise is more 
 explicit than the first, for it says that the Divine Redeemer 
 shall be born of the seed of Abram. 
 
 Necessity of faith. It is not for nothing that we are told 
 so explicitly that Abram believed God, for faith is the 
 first and most necessary of virtues. Faith brought Abram 
 into the Promised Land; and it is only through faith that 
 we can attain to the promised land of heaven. 
 
 Grounds of faith. Abram believed in God , because God 
 is the very truth. 
 
 The characteristics of faith. The faith of Abram had all 
 the characteristics of true faith, being entire, firm, steadfast 
 and living. His faith was entire, because he believed all 
 that God told him. It was firm, because he doubted nothing, 
 but believed unreservedly in the words of the Lord. It would 
 have been quite natural for him to ask, how it was possible 
 for a great nation to spring from him who yet had no child ; 
 but he gave ear to no such thought, and simply held firm 
 by the word of God. His faith was steadfast, because he 
 did not allow it to be shaken either by the ridicule and 
 arguments of his unbelieving relations, or by the difficulties 
 and dangers of the journey before him. Finally, his faith 
 was living, because he acted up to it, and did all that God 
 required of him. 
 
 Obedience to God. Abram's cheerful obedience to God 
 was a fruit of his living faith. God's command to leave his 
 home was not an easy one to obey, for the natural love of 
 home and kindred is a very strong one. Moreover, God did 
 not tell him where He was going to lead him. He was 
 commanded to go into an unknown country, among strange 
 people, and was entirely ignorant as to his future fate. 
 Nevertheless, he obeyed God's command promptly and 
 
ABRAM'S LOVE OF PEACE. 63 
 
 cheerfully. "By faith Abram obeyed to go out into a 
 place which he was to receive for an inheritance, and he 
 went out not knowing whither he went" (Hebr. 11, 8). He 
 has given us a grand example of obedience which we ought 
 to strive to follow. "He that believeth God, taketh heed 
 to the commandments" (Ecclus. 32, 28). 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 God has not asked of you anything so hard as He asked 
 of Abram ; and yet how often you disobey Him ! Whenever 
 you tell lies, or fly into a passion, or neglect your prayers, 
 or do not do as your parents tell you, you are disobeying 
 God. Be sorry for your disobedience, and when you say 
 your morning-prayers, make a resolution to obey promptly 
 and cheerfully those who are set over you. 
 
 Having a firm faith, Abram trusted himself cheerfully 
 to the guidance of divine providence. A childlike confidence 
 in the providence of our Heavenly Father is a great support 
 and comfort to us in all the circumstances of our lives. 
 Unhappy he who has not got this confidence! We do not 
 know what will happen to us in the future ; but we do know 
 that our Father in heaven cares for us, and that not a 
 sparrow can fall to the ground without His knowledge and 
 consent. So never mind what happens to you, say: "Whatever 
 God does, is well done, even though I cannot understand 
 it." Say constantly: "God's will be done! Thy will be 
 done on earth as it is in heaven." 
 
 Chapter X. 
 ABRAM'S LOVE OF PEACE. 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 GOD blessed Abram and increased his herds 1 and those 
 of Lot in such a manner that the pasture in that country 
 was not sufficient for them. On this account a strife arose 
 between the herdsmen of Abram and those of Lot. And 
 Abram said to Lot: "Let there be no quarrel 2 , I beseech 
 thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and 
 thy herdsmen ; for we are brethren 3 . Behold, the whole land 
 
64 CHAPTER X. 
 
 is before thee 4 : depart from me, I beseech thee. If thou 
 wilt go to the left hand, I will take the right l if thou choose 
 
 the right hand, I will pass to the left." Lot chose the fertile 
 country about the Jordan 5 , and dwelt in Sodom. Abram 
 dwelt in Hebron, and built there an altar to the Lord. 
 
 1 He had become very rich. A little further on it is mentioned 
 that he had three hundred and eighteen men servants whom he 
 employed as soldiers. He had camels, asses, sheep and oxen. If you 
 look at the pictures (pp. 17 and 38 of the Bible History), you will see 
 how camels are used as beasts of burden in the East. There, a good 
 camel costs a great deal of money. The ass is also a valuable beast 
 in those parts, being much larger and stronger than our asses. They 
 do the work of horses, yield very good milk, and their flesh is eatable. 
 — 2 or lighting. — 3 Lot was Abram's brother's son , not his 
 brother; but among the Israelites all near relations were called brothers 
 and sisters. Thus, in the New Testament, the relatives of our Lord 
 were called His brethren, though He had no brother. — 4 i. e. you 
 may go into any part of the country you choose. Thus Abram 
 left the choice to Lot. — 5 The Jordan is the principal river of the 
 Promised Land. It takes its rise in Mount Lebanon , flows through 
 Chanaan from north to south, and runs into the Dead Sea (see map 2). 
 The country about the Jordan which Lot chose, was not the valley 
 north of the Dead Sea, but what is now the southern part of the Dead 
 Sea itself , south of the peninsula. This part was not sea then , but 
 a beautiful valley , watered by springs , and in which lay the towns 
 of Sodom and Gomorrha. It is only since the destruction of those 
 cities that the beautiful plain has become a part of the Dead Sea. 
 
 Some time after this, strange kings, having come into the 
 land, began to rob and plunder the cities of Sodom and 
 Gomorrha, took Lot captive, and seized all his substance 6 . 
 As soon as Abram heard 7 that Lot had been taken captive, 
 he, with three hundred and eighteen well-armed men, his 
 servants, pursued the kings, overtook them, rescued Lot from 
 their hands, and brought him back with all his possessions. 
 As Abram returned victorious, Melchisedech, king of Salem 8 , 
 and the king of Sodom went out to meet him. Melchisedech, 
 being a priest of the Most High, offered to the Lord a sacrifice 
 of bread and wine, as a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving 
 for Abram and his servants. He blessed him and said: 
 "Blessed be Abram by the Most High God, by Whose protection 
 the enemies are in thy hands" 9 . Abram gave him the tithes 10 
 
ABRAM'S LOVE OF PEACE. 
 
 65 
 
 of the booty. The king of Sodom then said to Abram: 
 " Give me the persons, and the rest take to thyself. " But 
 Abram would accept of no reward 11 . Melchisedech was a 
 figure of the Eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ. His sacrifice 
 was a figure of the Sacrifice of the Mass. 
 
 6 i. e. all that he possessed. — 7 from one of Lot's people , who 
 had fled from Sodom to Abram at Hebron. Abram immediately 
 collected together those of his servants who were strong, and able to 
 fight, pursued the kings who had retreated towards the north, surprised 
 them in the night, defeated them, and set free Lot and the other 
 prisoners. — 8 This was later called Jerusalem. Melchisedech believed 
 in the true God, and was at the same time king and priest. As 
 priest, he blessed Abram, and returned thanks to God for his victory 
 over an enemy, who was so much stronger than himself. His sacrifice 
 was , therefore , a thank-offering. — 9 i. e. in the power. — 10 i. e. 
 the tenth part of everything that he had taken from the enemy. He 
 gave him this, because he was a priest. — " Abram would not keep 
 anything for himself, but he asked that the men, who had fought with 
 him and risked their lives, should have their due share of the booty. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Peacemaking. Abram was a lover of peace. He was 
 older than Lot and, moreover, the head of the family; yet 
 
66 CHAPTER X. 
 
 he withdrew in his favour, and gave him the choice of the 
 best pasturage, rather than that there should be any further 
 strife. We ought to love peace in the same way, and prevent 
 quarrelling and fighting, as far as we can. We ought to 
 give up an advantage, and suffer some loss, rather than 
 begin a quarrel; for we are all brethren in Jesus Christ. 
 " Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the 
 children of God." 
 
 Abram' s disinterestedness was shown by his conduct on 
 two occasions ; first, towards Lot, and next, towards the king 
 of Sodom. When Abram found it necessary to separate 
 from Lot, he did not consult his own interests by keeping 
 the best part of the country for himself; though it was to 
 him and not to Lot that God had promised the whole land ; 
 but he gave Lot his free choice of the best pasturage. Then, 
 when the king of Sodom offered him all his booty as a 
 reward, he refused to keep anything for himself. He had 
 undertaken the dangerous war out of pure love, without 
 any thought of his own profit or advantage. His love was, 
 therefore, quite disinterested. This noble disposition of 
 Abram puts to shame those Christians who are always 
 seeking their own advantage, and who will not even show 
 a kindness to any one, without hope of reward. But did 
 Abram, then, receive no reward? Yes, he received the 
 reward of a good conscience. The consciousness that he had 
 done a good work, and had deserved a reward of God, filled 
 his heart with very great joy. We, too, ought to value the 
 approbation of our own consciences and of Almighty God, 
 far more than the praise and rewards of this .world. 
 
 Real love of our neighbour. When Abram learnt the 
 misfortune which had overtaken his nephew, he settled at 
 once to go to his help. He remembered no more Lot's 
 selfish and ungrateful conduct, but only remembered his 
 present necessity and misfortune. He sincerely loved 
 Lot, and wished to help him, even at the expense 
 of great danger ; for , after all , these powerful kings 
 might easily have defeated him, and killed or taken him 
 prisoner. 
 
ABRAM'S LOVE OF PEACE. 67 
 
 Inordinate self-love. J^fc. ^id not behave well to Abram. Firstly, 
 he ought never to have^ccepfed Abram's generous offer, and ought 
 rather to have given the preference to his uncle. His love of himself 
 was inordinate, and, therefore, he became selfish. Lot believed he had 
 chosen the best portion, and yet his very choice soon brought mis- 
 fortune to him. Secondly, he ought not to have gone so far away 
 from his beloved uncle and protector. Thirdly, he ought, anyhow, 
 not to have gone to live in Sodom, full as it was of impious and 
 vicious men. There was great danger there both to himself and his 
 family, who might be led away by the bad example round them. 
 We ought not to throw ourselves into the company of the wicked, 
 and Ave ought to avoid all occasions of sin. We ought to care more 
 for our souls , and their eternal interests , than for our bodies , and 
 their temporal interests. Lot, therefore, did wrong in going to Sodom, 
 and putting his soul into danger, for the sake of mere temporal 
 advantages. And God punished him for this by letting the strange 
 kings rob him and take him prisoner. 
 
 Melchisedech, the fourth type of Jesus Christ. Melchisedech's 
 name signifies the king of justice , and he was king of 
 Salem, which name means peace: Jesus Christ is in a far 
 higher sense King of justice, and the Prince of peace who 
 bought for us everlasting peace. Melchisedech was not only 
 a king, but also a priest: Jesus Christ is our sovereign 
 king and priest. Melchisedech offered bread and wine to 
 God as an unbloody sacrifice: Jesus Christ offered Himself 
 to His Eternal Father at the Last Supper, under the form 
 of bread and wine, and continues to do so in the holy mass. 
 Melchisedech, after the sacrifice, blessed Abram and his 
 servants : Jesus Christ, by the hand of His priest, blesses the 
 faithful at the end of mass. This will make you understand 
 the meaning of what God Almighty says to the Divine 
 Redeemer by the mouth of the prophet David: "Thou art 
 a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech" (Ps. 109, 4. 
 Compare New Test. LXV). 
 
 You have now lear n t four types of our Lor d^ n amely, 
 Adam, Abel, Noe 'ana ikehmisedecri. ^'i'nese i^esshow that 
 our Divine Redeemer is, firstly, our Head; secondly, the 
 Just One who suffered and was slain; thirdly, our Saviour 
 from the destruction of sin and hell ; and fourthly, an eternal 
 King and Priest who, like Melchisedech, offers an unbloody 
 sacrifice. 
 
68 CHAPTER XL 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Do you love peace as Abram did ? What is the principal 
 reason why you quarrel with other children? Try to be 
 more unselfish. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is 
 for brethren to dwell together in unity" (Ps. 132, 1). If 
 you have hitherto been quarrelsome, make it up with your 
 comrades as soon as possible. 
 
 Abram gave tithes of his spoils to Melchisedech, because 
 he was a priest. Reverence the priesthood. Priests are the 
 messengers of God. 
 
 Chapter XI. 
 
 ABRAHAM'S FAITH AND HOSPITALITY — 
 CIRCUMCISION. 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 AFTER these things the word of the Lord came to Abram 
 in a vision, saying : " Fear not \ I am thy protector 2 , 
 and thy reward exceeding great" 3 . On a certain night, 
 Abram was called by a voice from heaven which said: "Look 
 up to the heaven and number the stars, if thou canst. So 
 shall thy seed be" 4 . Abram believed, and his faith 5 , together 
 with his good works, justified him before God. The Lord 
 again appeared to him, when he was ninety-nine years of 
 age, and said to him: "I am the Almighty God. Walk before 
 Me 6 and be perfect 7 . Neither shall thy name be called any 
 more Abram, a high father, but Abraham, father of a mul- 
 titude, because I have made thee a father of many nations. 
 I will establish my covenant between thee and Me. All the 
 male kind of you shall be circumcised 8 . Sarai, thy wife, 
 shall be called Sara, and she shall bear thee a son whose 
 name thou shalt call Isaac." 
 
 1 Abram feared that the kings whom he had defeated would 
 revenge themselves on him. — 2 I will take care of thee. — 3 I will 
 give Myself to thee by the eternal vision, as a reward. God promised 
 Himself to be Abram's reward, because he had refused to take any 
 earthly one for what he had done. The possession and contemplation 
 of God is the highest of all rewards. — 4 i. e. as numerous the stars. 
 — 5 His having believed unconditionally in God. — 6 Have Me always 
 
ABRAHAM'S FAITH AND HOSPITALITY-CIRCUMCISION. 69 
 
 before thine eyes, and remember that I am always with thee. — 
 7 i. e. do only that which is right in my sight: lead a holy life in 
 My presence. — 8 shall be cut in the skin in a particular way. 
 
 As Abraham was one day, about noon, sitting at the door 
 of his tent, he saw three men approaching. He ran to meet 
 them 9 , bowed down before them, and invited them to rest 
 in his tent and partake of some refreshment 10 . Calling Sara, 
 his wife, he told her to make some cakes of the finest flour. 
 He caused the best calf of his herds to be killed for the 
 entertainment of the unknown visitors. Butter, milk and 
 honey were also placed before them, Abraham himself waiting 
 upon his guests. After the meal, when they were about to 
 depart , one of the strangers said to Abraham that after a 
 year he would return, and that Sara, his wife, would have a 
 son. Then, Abraham understood that the Lord God Himself 11 , 
 accompanied by angels, was his guest. Kindness and courtesy 
 to strangers should be praised and encouraged, since God 
 rewarded so richly the hospitality of Abraham. Circumcision 
 was a figure of the sacrament of Baptism. 
 
 9 He begged the strangers, as a favour to himself, to come and be 
 entertained by him. — 10 He also brought water for them to wash 
 their feet. In the East, in those days, people did not wear shoes 
 or boots as we do, but only soles or sandals, bound to their feet by 
 straps (see pictures in Bible History pp. 20, 51. 64). The feet, being 
 bare , became covered with dust , and had to be washed very often. 
 To wash the feet of another was a service of love. — li He knew this, 
 because the stranger revealed things to him which only God could 
 have known. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Faith. At the time that Almighty God told Abraham that 
 his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the 
 heavens, he and his wife, Sara, had no children, and both of 
 them were growing very old. Now, as a rule, old people have 
 not children born to them , so it seemed very unlikely that 
 Abraham and Sara should have a son. Nevertheless, Abraham 
 believed firmly in God's promise that He would give him a 
 son, that his descendants would become a great nation, and 
 that of his family would be born the Redeemer. On account 
 of his faith in God's word, and especially in the promise of 
 
70 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 the future Saviour, Abraham was justified, i. e. he received 
 sanctifying grace. Without faith no man can be justified, 
 for " without faith it is impossible to please God" (Hebr. 11,6). 
 "The just man liveth by faith" (Rom. 1, 17). 
 
 Hope. With firm confidence Abraham waited for every 
 thing that God had promised him, and gave himself over 
 calmly to His guidance. "By faith he abode in the (strange) 
 land", says St. Paul, "dwelling in tents, for he looked for 
 a city that hath foundations (i. e. the heavenly Jerusalem), 
 whose builder and maker is God" (Hebr. 11, 9. 10). He, 
 therefore, regarded himself as a stranger and pilgrim, and 
 looked forward to his heavenly home, and the eternal pos- 
 session and vision of God. 
 
 Charity. Abraham's faith was living, and active through 
 love. He loved God above all things, as he proved in the 
 story you will hear in chapt. XIII. In the last chapter we 
 saw how he loved his neighbour, and he again proved this by 
 his behaviour to the three strangers. Abraham, the rich 
 shepherd-prince, to whom Almighty God had made such 
 great promises, ran to meet the three strangers, bowed down 
 before them, and begged them to stay with him. He washed 
 their feet and served them, while they were eating, though 
 he had servants in abundance. Did not this show a great 
 love of his neighbour, and great humility ? As a reward of his 
 virtue, God promised him that in a year he should have a son. 
 
 Walking in the Presence of God. Thinking constantly of 
 God's presence is a powerful motive for the practice of what 
 is good, and the avoidance of what is evil. Wherever we 
 are, there is God with us, seeing every thing that we think 
 and do ! We ought, therefore, to live with Him, to meditate 
 on His universal presence, and lift up our hearts to Him. 
 By doing this we shall avoid sin and grow in virtue. 
 
 The Old Covenant. Almighty God made His covenant first 
 with Abraham, as being the father of His chosen people. 
 Later (on Mount Sinai) He confirmed and renewed it with 
 all the people of Israel. He instituted the rite of circumcision 
 as an outward and visible sign of this covenant, that it 
 might be, as it were, cut into the flesh of His chosen people, 
 
DESTRUCTION OF SODOM AND GOMORRHA. 71 
 
 so that it could not be forgotten. This sign was to speak 
 to the soul of every man of Israel, saying: "You are a 
 member of the chosen people. You belong to God, and 
 are to serve Him only!" 
 
 Circumcision a type of holy Baptism. By circumcision 
 man belonged to the Old Covenant : by Baptism he belongs 
 to the New. By the first he pledged himself to observe the 
 Old Law : in Baptism we pledge ourselves faithfully to observe 
 the Christian Law. Circumcision impressed an indelible mark 
 on the body; Baptism does the same to the soul. The 
 difference lies in this, that circumcision could not like Baptism 
 cleanse man from sin, and make him pure and holy. 
 
 Heaven. God gives Himself to the blessed as their reward exceeding 
 great. They gaze for ever on His infinite majesty, and are eternally 
 united to Him in love and happiness. Oh, what joy to possess God 
 Himself, Who is infinite goodness, beauty and holiness. Could God 
 give us more than Himself! 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Almighty God is near each one of us, and yet how little 
 we think about Him! Do not ever again be so forgetful 
 of God, but put yourself in His presence several times each 
 day. Whenever any body whose opinion you respect is 
 looking at you, you gather yourself together, and are careful 
 to do nothing wrong! Should you not have much more 
 respect for God's presence? 
 
 You were put into this world to love and serve God. How 
 have you served Him hitherto? Could you not serve Him 
 better? Renew your baptismal vows to be faithful to Him 
 unto death! 
 
 Chapter XII. 
 DESTRUCTION OF SODOM AND GOMORRHA. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 ABRAHAM went part of the way 1 with the strangers, 
 who were going to Sodom. As they journeyed along 
 together, the Lord 2 said to Abraham: "The cry of Sodom and 
 Gomorrha is multiplied, and their sin is become exceedingly 
 grievous." 3 He told him that He would destroy the two 
 
72 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 cities. Abraham was struck with fear; for, although the 
 men amongst whom he lived, were wicked, he loved them 
 as neighbours. At last, drawing near to the Lord, he said : 
 "Wilt Thou destroy the just with the wicked? If there be 
 fifty just men in the city, shall they perish withal ? and wilt 
 Thou not spare that place for the sake of the fifty just, if they 
 be therein?" The Lord replied: "If I find in Sodom fifty 
 just men within the city, I will spare the whole place for 
 their sake." And Abraham said: "Seeing I have once begun, 
 I will speak again to my Lord, whereas I am but dust 
 and ashes 4 . If there be five less than fifty just persons in 
 the city, wilt Thou destroy it?" And the Lord said to 
 Abraham: "I will not destroy it, if I find five and forty." 
 Abraham continued to plead in this manner, till at last the 
 Lord said to him: "I will not destroy it for the sake of ten." 
 Then the Lord disappeared, and Abraham returned to his tent. 
 
 1 Abraham not only waited on the three strangers , but , full of 
 respect, accompanied them on their way. — 2 God, Who, in the form 
 of a stranger, had appeared to Abraham. — 3 Their sins were many ; 
 but those of unchastity and impurity chiefly reigned in the two wicked 
 cities. — 4 though I, a sinful, mortal man, am not worthy to speak 
 to the Lord my God. 
 
 The ten just men were not found in Sodom, and the two 
 angels were sent to destroy it. They reached Sodom in the 
 evening, and found Lot sitting at the gate of the city. Lot 
 invited them into his house, and the angels said to him: 
 " Arise, get you out of this place, for the Lord will destroy 
 it." Lot went that night to two young men who were to 
 marry his daughters, and told them to arise and go fortli, 
 for the Lord would destroy the city. But they thought that 
 he spoke in jest. At the first dawn of day the angels pressed 5 
 Lot to depart, saying: "Take thy wife and thy two daughters, 
 lest you also perish in the wicked city." And, as Lot still 
 lingered 6 , they took him by the hand, and, as it were against 
 his will, led him and his family out of the city, warning 
 them all not to look back, under pain of death. Lot's wife, 
 however, looked back, and was instantly changed into a 
 pillar of salt. The sun had just risen, when Lot entered the 
 
DESTRUCTION OF SODOM AND GOMORRHA. 
 
 73 
 
 neighbouring city of Segor. Then, the Lord rained down 
 from heaven fire and brimstone, and utterly destroyed those 
 two wicked cities, with all their inhabitants 7 . 
 
 5 They urged him. — e hesitating, and unable to make up his 
 mind. — 7 Picture to yourselves this terrible judgment which overtook 
 the wicked cities. As the sun rose in the east, and the inhabitants 
 of Sodom and Gomorrha woke from sleep, thick clouds gathered over 
 them out of which fire fell which kindled every part of the town. 
 The whole air was full of smoke and sulphur ; the flames roared and 
 licked up everything. The people, full of fear, rushed from their 
 houses, hoping to escape from the city, but it was impossible to get 
 out. The very air was aglow, and the earth itself, full of pitch and 
 petroleum, was on fire. Their clothes caught fire, and they died a 
 terrible death , shrieking in agony. The whole country round was 
 burnt up, and remains unfruitful to the present day. The earth sank, 
 and the waters of the Dead Sea rushed in, and covered the place 
 where the wicked cities once stood, and formed what has since then 
 been the southern part of the Dead Sea. Lot's wife who, against the 
 angel's express command, looked back, was suffocated and seized by 
 the fire, covered with the molten bitumen, so that her corpse stood 
 up as a pillar of salt. 
 
 The Dead Sea, the southern portion of which (south of the peninsula) 
 covers the ancient sites of Sodom and Gomorrha, is a peculiar and 
 
 Knecht, Commentary. I. 4 
 
74 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 most ghastly lake. It lies very low, 900 feet below the level of the 
 Mediterranean, and its water is so thick and bitter that no fish or 
 creeping thing can live in it. If the Jordan, which flows into it, carries 
 to it any fish, they die at once and come up to the surface. Therefore, 
 the lake is called the Dead Sea. Objects thrown into it are covered 
 at once with a salt-crust, and the stones on its shores are covered 
 with bitumen. On the surface of the water, and on the shores, great 
 flakes of bitumen are often found. The northern part of the lake is 
 1300 feet deep, but the southern part, where the wicked cities once 
 stood , is only thirteen feet deep. This Dead Sea which covers the 
 once beautiful site of Sodom and Gomorrha , is a terrible monument 
 of divine justice. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 God's Holiness and Justice are most plainly shown to us 
 by the terrible fate of the wicked cities. The attack, made 
 on them by the strange kings, was a visitation, permitted 
 by God for the conversion of their wicked inhabitants. But 
 they remained impenitent, and were quite as wicked after, 
 as they were before, that visitation. Lot's good example 
 might also have been to them a means of conversion, but 
 they paid no heed to it. Then, Almighty God could no longer 
 endure their shameful state of vice, for sin is infinitely 
 abhorrent to the Most Holy God. He utterly destroyed the 
 wicked cities from oif the face of the earth, and made the 
 whole neighbourhood desolate so that all men might know 
 and fear His terrible justice. "Reducing the cities of the 
 Sodomites and Gomorrhites to ashes, God condemned them 
 to be overthrown", says Saint Peter, "making them an 
 example to those that should after act wickedly" (2 Pet. 2, 6). 
 The punishment of Sodom and Gomorrha is, therefore, always 
 held up as an example of the divine justice. 
 
 God's hatred of impurity. This sin having been the chief 
 cause of the destruction of the cities, you can see how hateful 
 it is in the eyes of God, and how severely He punishes it- 
 Impurity is the most shameful of all sins, and an abomination 
 before God. It leads to many other sins, and easily results 
 in impenitence and impiety, as was the case with the in- 
 habitants of Sodom and Gomorrha. Almighty God does not 
 always punish it in this world, but He will certainly do so 
 
DESTRUCTION OF SODOM AND GOMORRHA. 75 
 
 in the next world. "Do not err; neither fornicators nor 
 adulterers shall possess the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6, 9). 
 
 The duty of intercessory prayer. Intercession for the living 
 and the dead is a spiritual work of mercy. Love prompted 
 Abraham to pray for the wicked Sodomites: love should 
 prompt you to pray for others, for your parents, brothers 
 and sisters , and for your spiritual and temporal superiors ; 
 but especially for sinners that they may have the grace 
 of conversion, and may not be eternally lost. "Pray for 
 one another that you may be saved" (James 5, 16). 
 
 The characteristics of prayer. Abraham prayed with fervour, 
 with humility , with confidence , and with perseverance, 
 making his petition six times. 
 
 The power of prayer. Abraham's prayer was not made 
 in vain , for Almighty God granted it , in so far that , had 
 there been ten just men in Sodom , the whole city would 
 have been spared. "The continual prayer of a just man 
 availeth much." (James 5, 16). 
 
 Lot's steadfastness is worthy of our admiration. He lived 
 for twenty years in the wicked city, and did not let himself 
 be led away into sin, but remained firm in what was right, 
 and brought up his children in the holy fear of God. Therefore, 
 Holy Scripture, in allusion to him, says : " The Lord knoweth 
 how to deliver the godly from temptation" (2 Pet. 2,9); 
 because they pray and cooperate with grace. 
 
 Sorrow on account of sin. Lot's fellow-citizens in Sodom 
 "vexed his just soul with unjust works" (2 Pet. 2, 8). The 
 sins and crimes which he was obliged to witness hurt his 
 holy soul, because God was offended by them, and many 
 souls were eternally lost. We, far from jesting about the sins 
 of others, should mourn over them. We shall know by our 
 conduct in such cases, whether or no we have a true love for 
 God and our neighbour. "Blessed are they who mourn." 
 
 Guardian angels. Holy angels protected Lot and his 
 family. Lot's wife did not take heed to their warning; 
 therefore, she perished. 
 
 The torments of hell. The burning of the wicked cities gives us 
 a faint idea of that hell into which the impenitent Sodomites were cast 
 
 4* 
 
76 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 for ever. The torments of the burning inhabitants of Sodom and 
 Gomorrha were very terrible; but the torments of the lost souls in 
 hell are far more terrible. The fire of Sodom was kindled in heaven ; 
 the fire of hell is kindled by the anger of God. The shrieks of the 
 burning Sodomites were very terrible, but the wailing and gnashing 
 of teeth of the damned are far worse. The bodies of the Sodomites 
 were burnt and the fire was extinguished ; but the damned burn and 
 are never consumed, nor is the fire ever quenched. 
 
 Intercession. This story shows us how dear the just are in the 
 sight of God. Because Abraham was just, Almighty God heard his 
 prayer, and would have spared the cities for the sake of ten just 
 people. Holy people living in any town or country bring a blessing 
 on the sinners among whom they live, even though they may be 
 scorned and persecuted by them. For their sake , many a temporal 
 punishment is averted. Cloisters and religious houses bring a blessing 
 on the places where they exist. 
 
 Inordinate love of temporal possessions. Lot's wife was punished 
 by the death of her body, because, being too much attached to her 
 possessions which she had been obliged to leave behind her in Sodom, 
 she paid no heed to the angel's injunctions, but stopped and looked 
 behind her. Was it not foolish of this Avoman to weigh the very 
 best of earthly gifts, life, in the balance against her paltry household- 
 goods? But those act with still greater madness who, from an 
 inordinate love of honours, riches, pleasures &c, forget the salvation 
 of their souls, and lose those possessions and joys which are eternal. 
 
 Temporal punishment. God rewarded the virtue of Lot by saving 
 him from the destruction of Sodom. But he lost all his possessions 
 which were destroyed with the city, and he was thus punished for 
 his selfish conduct towards his uncle. By this punishment of Lot 
 and his wife, we see that God punishes the venial sins and imper- 
 fections even of the just. Temporal punishment must be suffered 
 either in this world or in purgatory. 
 
 The sin of Sodom. The Sodomites committed horrible and unnatural 
 sins of impurity which called down the judgment of God. They are, 
 therefore, counted among the sins which cry to heaven for vengeance. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 How can you imitate Lot's steadfastness? 
 
 A just man is wounded by the sins of his fellow men. 
 He laments their wickedness, and prays for their conversion. 
 How have you behaved hitherto in this respect? How will 
 you behave for the future? At the end of this lesson we 
 will say three Our Fathers for the conversion of sinners. 
 
 Detest and fear sin, especially sins of impurity. Set hell 
 before your eyes, think of its horrible torments, and carefully 
 
BIRTH OF ISAAC AND ABRAHAM'S SACRIFICE. 77 
 
 avoid all temptations to such sins. Say thus: "What will 
 the whole world profit me, if I follow my own inclinations, 
 and suffer eternally in hell!" 
 
 Chapter XIII. 
 BIRTH OF ISAAC AND ABRAHAM'S SACRIFICE. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 SARA gave birth to a son, as the Lord had promised 1 . 
 He was named Isaac, and circumcised on the eighth 
 day 2 . Abraham loved this son very tenderly, and the Lord 
 wished to see whether he loved his son more than God. 
 When the boy had grown up 3 , the Lord said to Abraham 4 : 
 "Take thy only-begotten son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and 
 go into the land of vision, and there thou shalt offer him 
 for a holocaust 5 upon one of the mountains which I will 
 show thee." Abraham instantly arose 6 , and by night saddled 
 his ass, taking with him two young men, and Isaac, his son. 
 And when he had cut the wood for the holocaust, he went 
 to the place which God had shown him. On the third day 
 he came in sight of Mount Moria, where he was to sacrifice 
 his son; and he said to the servants: "Stay you here with 
 the ass ; I and the boy will go with speed as far as yonder, 
 and, after we have worshipped 7 , will return to you." Then, 
 he took the wood for the holocaust, and laid it upon the 
 shoulders of Isaac. He himself carried in his hands fire 8 
 and a sword. As they went along, Isaac said: "My father." 
 And Abraham answered: "What wilt thou, son?" "Behold", 
 said the son, "fire and wood: where is the victim for the 
 holocaust?" 9 Abraham replied: "God will provide Himself 
 a victim for the holocaust, my son." So they went on together. 
 
 1 Abraham was already a hundred years old, and his wife, Sara, 
 ninety. Both rejoiced greatly at having a son. — 2 For the reason 
 Avhy he was circumcised see Chapt. XI. — 3 He was perhaps about 
 twenty or twenty-five years old. — 4 Almighty God wished to prove 
 whether his faith were firm and living, and if he really loved Him 
 above all things. — 5 In that kind of sacrifice the victim had to be 
 first killed, and then burnt. — 6 Abraham obeyed immediately, although 
 
78 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 the required sacrifice tore his heart. Since the destruction of Sodom 
 he had lived at Bersabee which lay to the south of Hebron. From 
 Bersabee to Mount Moria which was near Salem, was about twenty-five 
 miles. It was on this mountain that , in after years , king Solomon 
 , built his splendid Temple. — 7 i. e. when they had offered their 
 'sacrifice in worship of God. — 8 i. e. red hot coals in a vessel. — 
 9 How the father's heart must have bled at these questions of his 
 son! And what must Isaac have felt, when, at last, his father told 
 him that he himself was to be the victim ! He was so young ; and 
 now, he was to die by the hand of his own father ! Nevertheless, he 
 submitted to God's will, when he learnt that it was He who had 
 commanded it. 
 
 When they reached the top of the mountain, Abraham 
 erected an altar, placed the wood upon it, bound his son, 
 and laid him on the altar. Then, he put forth his hand and 
 took the sword to sacrifice his son. And behold! an angel 
 from heaven cried out to him, saying: "Abraham, Abraham." 
 And he answered: "Here I am." And the angel said: "Lay 
 not thy hand on the boy, neither do thou anything to him ! 
 Now I know that thou fearest God, and hast not spared 
 thy only-begotten son for My sake." Abraham lifted up 
 his eyes and saw behind him a ram 10 , sticking fast by his 
 horns in the bushes; him he took and offered, instead of 
 his son. The angel of the Lord spoke again unto Abraham, 
 saying: "By My own self have I sworn 11 , saith the Lord, 
 because thou hast done this thing 12 , and hast not spared 
 thy only-begotten son for My sake, I will bless thee, and 
 will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the 
 sand that is by the sea-shore. And in thy seed shall all 
 the nations of the earth be blessed 13 , because thou hast 
 obeyed My voice." And Abraham returned home with 
 his son. 
 
 10 i. e. a male sheep. Abraham saw that it was by the will of 
 God that the ram was on that spot; so he took it and sacrificed it, 
 instead of his son. — M God, being the Most High, can swear by 
 nothing higher than Himself. — 12 i. e. because thou hast obeyed 
 the command of God, and wert willing to offer up thy son. — 13 As 
 a reward for his obedience God now solemnly repeated the same 
 promise which He had made, when He first called Abraham, that is, 
 the promise of a numerous posterity, and that the Saviour should be 
 born of his family. 
 
BIRTH OF ISAAC AND ABRAHAM'S SACRIFICE. 
 
 79 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Strength of faith. Abraham's faith was put to a most 
 severe test. Almighty God had promised him a numerous 
 posterity, and that in his seed all the nations of the earth 
 should be blessed ; and yet now He commands him to sacrifice 
 that son through whom alone he could have any descendants ! 
 Was not this an apparent contradiction? Nevertheless, 
 Abraham's faith in the word of the Lord was unshaken, 
 and he doubted neither the goodness nor the faithfulness of 
 God. He did not murmur and say: "How can the good 
 God ask of me such a hard and unnatural sacrifice? How 
 can His promises possibly be fulfilled, if my only son is 
 slain?" No, on the contrary, he said to himself: "God 
 is faithful and true: His promise will surely be fulfilled, 
 though how, or in what way, I know not ! God is almighty : 
 He is able to raise up Isaac even from the dead" (Hebr. 11, 19). 
 Abraham believed so firmly that he is called a man of faith, 
 and the father of the faithful. His example ought to lead 
 us to believe firmly in God's word, and trust in His goodness 
 
80 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 and faithfulness , never mind what our temptations and 
 trials may be. 
 
 The love of God above all things. Abraham had a living 
 faith, that is, he lived up to his faith, and, consequently, 
 loved God above all things. His love of God had to stand 
 a very severe test. He dearly loved the son whom God 
 had given him, and the command which Almighty God gave 
 him to sacrifice this son, was given to prove whether he 
 loved Him more than his son. Abraham, however, did not 
 hesitate for an instant. He got up, at once, in the middle 
 of the night, and made his preparations for the required 
 sacrifice. He had interceded for the wicked cities, but he 
 had no word to say for his son. He travelled alongside ot 
 the boy for three long days, and his heart must have sorely 
 ached, as he looked at Isaac and said to himself: "Very 
 soon you will no longer be among the living, for you will 
 have died by the hand of your own father!" However, his 
 resolution never failed. He lifted up his heart to God and 
 said: "Thou, God, didst give me this son. Thou hast 
 bidden me sacrifice him to Thee. So be it! Thy holy will 
 be done ! For love of Thee I will sacrifice him, never mind 
 how hard it be to me ! " — Thus, during those three days' 
 journey he offered up his son a thousand times on the altar 
 of his heart, before he actually bound him and laid him as 
 a victim upon the wood, and raised his hand to slay him. 
 What great, what mighty love! Isaac was dearer to him 
 than anything on earth, and on him he had set all his hopes ; 
 but he loved God more than he loved Isaac, and for love 
 of Him he offered up his son. He proved that he loved 
 God above all things. 
 
 lite object of trials. Why did God try Abraham? Was 
 this trial necessary to show Him Abraham's dispositions? 
 Did He not know beforehand that Abraham's faith was firm, 
 and that he was quite ready to sacrifice his son for love 
 of Him ? Yes ; God knew all this, because He is omniscient, 
 and for Him, therefore, the test was not necessary: He 
 need never prove men in order to discover their faith, 
 obedience &c. Almighty God did not prove Abraham for 
 
BIRTH OF ISAAC AND ABRAHAM'S SACRIFICE. 81 
 
 His own sake but for Abraham's, in order to give him the 
 opportunity of practising his virtues of faith, love &c, and 
 of thus increasing his merits, and drawing down on himself 
 fresh graces and blessings. This is why Almighty God so 
 often tries us with all sorts of sufferings and adversities, 
 these tests being of great benefit to ourselves. 
 
 The third promise of the Messias. The words: "In thy 
 seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" contain 
 a renewed promise of the Redeemer. 
 
 Isaac, the fifth type of Jesus Christ. (We have already 
 studied the first four types: Adam, Abel, Noe and Melchisedech.) 
 In what way was Isaac a type of our Blessed Lord ? The birth 
 of Isaac was promised repeatedly: so was the coming of Jesus 
 Christ. Isaac was the only and dearly beloved son of his. 
 father : Jesus Christ is the only-begotten and beloved Son of 
 God, in Whom His Father is well pleased (New Test. XII). 
 Isaac was obedient to his father, and was willing, out of 
 obedience, to give up his life, letting himself be bound, and 
 waiting patiently for his death-stroke: Jesus Christ was 
 obedient to His Heavenly Father, unto death, even unto the 
 death of the Cross. "As a sheep He was led to the slaughter, 
 and like a lamb without a voice before his shearer, so opened 
 He not His mouth" (New Test. LXXXVII). Isaac himself 
 carried up the mountain the wood on which he was to be 
 slaughtered: Jesus Christ carried up Calvary the Cross on 
 which He was to die. Isaac was saved from death by the 
 wonderful intervention of an angel : Jesus Christ was brought 
 back to life by the greatest of all miracles, His resurrection. 
 You see in how many ways Isaac was a most plain type 
 of our Redeemer, of His death and of His resurrection ; but 
 the sacrifice of Isaac is, all the same, not a perfect type 
 of the Sacrifice of our Lord, for no figure can perfectly 
 show forth the infinite love of God in giving His Son to 
 die for us. On one main point Isaac's sacrifice was very 
 different from the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Abraham was 
 quite ready, out of love for God, to offer up his beloved 
 son; but Almighty God would not permit the sacrifice to 
 be completed, because sinful man could not be redeemed 
 
82 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 by a human sacrifice ; and, therefore, the angel of God cried 
 out to him, just as he was going to slay his son: "Hold 
 thy hand ! " God spared the son of Abraham , but He did 
 not spare His own Son, but gave Him over to a painful 
 death for our sakes. When, on Calvary, the executioners 
 raised their hammers to nail to the Cross the Hands and 
 Feet of God made Man, no angel cried out: "Hold thy hand!" 
 The Sacrifice was completed , and the Son of God died for 
 us on the Cross in unutterable agony of Soul and Body. 
 "God so loved the world as to give His only-begotten Son 
 that, whosoever believeth in Him, may not perish, but may 
 have life everlasting" (New Test. XV). 
 
 The Vicarious Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The ram whose head was 
 caught in the thorns, and which was sacrificed, instead of Isaac, is 
 a type of Jesus Christ, Who was crowned with thorns, and offered 
 Himself for us on the Cross. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Abraham obeyed without any questioning, when God de- 
 manded of him the hardest of sacrifices. God asks nothing- 
 very hard of you, and yet you are often disobedient, and 
 transgress those commandments which , by the help of His 
 grace, you might very easily keep. When you disobey your 
 parents, you disobey God, for it is His will that you should 
 obey your parents and superiors. Make a point, then, of 
 offering up in sacrifice to God the faults to which you are 
 most prone. 
 
 Abraham practised the three theological virtues of faith, 
 hope and charity in a most perfect way. Try to kindle 
 them in your own hearts. Let us conclude this lesson by 
 making acts of these virtues. 
 
 Chapter XIV. 
 ISAAC MARRIES REBECCA. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 NOW , Abraham was advanced in years 1 , and the Lord 
 had blessed him in all things. He, however, wished, 
 before his death, to see his son wedded to a virtuous wife. 
 
ISAAC MARRIES REBECCA. 83 
 
 But, as the daughters of the land were wicked 2 , he said 
 to his old servant Eliezer: "Go to my own country and 
 kindred 3 , and take a wife thence for my son Isaac; but beware 
 lest thou take one of the daughters of the Chanaanites, 
 among whom I dwell." The servant promised faithfully all 
 that Abraham had commanded him. He, then, took ten camels 
 of his master's herd, loaded them with rich presents, and 
 set out for Haran, where Nachor, the brother of Abraham, 
 dwelt. Arriving there, he let his camels rest near a well, 
 outside the city. It was in the evening, the time when the 
 young women were wont to come out to draw water from 
 the well. Then, he prayed fervently within himself that 
 heaven might prosper his undertaking: "0 Lord, I beseech 
 Thee, show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, I stand 
 nigh the spring, and the daughters of the inhabitants of the 
 city will come out to draw water. Now, therefore, the maid 
 to whom I shall say: 'Let down thy pitcher that I may 
 drink,' and she shall answer: 'Drink, and I will give thy 
 camels drink also,' let it be the same whom Thou hast provided 
 for Thy servant Isaac; and by this I shall understand that 
 Thou hast shoAvn kindness to my master." 
 
 1 Abraham was, now, 140 years old, and Isaac 40. — 2 The inha- 
 bitants of Chanaan did not believe in the true God, but worshipped 
 idols. — 3 Before Abraham lived in Chanaan he had lived with 
 his father in Haran of Mesopotamia. Haran was about 200 miles 
 from Bersabee. 
 
 He had not yet ended his prayer when Rebecca, a beautiful 
 and modest maiden, came out, carrying a pitcher. She went 
 down to the spring 4 , filled the pitcher, and was returning, 
 when Eliezer ran to meet her and said: "Give me a little 
 water to drink out of thy pitcher." She answered him kindly: 
 "Drink, my lord." And quickly she let down the pitcher 
 upon her arm, and gave him drink. And when he had drunk, 
 she said: "I will draw water for thy camels also till they 
 all drink." Then, pouring water into the troughs, she let the 
 camels drink 5 . After they had drunk, the servant presented 
 her with golden ear-rings and bracelets 6 , saying to her : 
 "Whose daughter art thou? Tell me, is there any place 
 
84 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 in thy father's house to lodge?" She answered: "I am 
 the daughter of Bathuel, the son of Nachor. We have a 
 good store of both straw and hay, and a large place to 
 lodge in." Then, Eliezer bowed down and adored the Lord, 
 saying : " Blessed 7 be the Lord of my master Abraham, Who 
 hath not taken away His mercy and truth from my master, 
 and hath brought me the straight way into the house of 
 my master's brother!" 
 
 4 This was not a running stream, but a well dug in the ground, 
 to reach which a step had to be mounted. Above, near the step, 
 was a drinking trough, made of wood or stone, into which water was 
 poured for the cattle. — 5 This was hard work, for there were ten 
 camels, each of which drank a great quantity of water. — 6 Broad 
 rings or bands to wear on the wrists. — 7 Or praised be. 
 
 He was, then, invited to the house, and bread was set 
 before him, but he refused to eat, until he had delivered 
 his message. When he had stated the object of his coming, 
 Laban, the brother of Rebecca, and Bathuel, her father, 
 answered: "The word hath proceeded from the Lord 8 : we 
 cannot speak any other thing but His pleasure. Behold! 
 Rebecca is before thee: take her and go thy way, and let 
 her be the wife of thy master's son, as the Lord hath spoken." 
 Then, the servant bowed down to the ground, adored the 
 Lord, and, bringing forth vessels of gold and silver, with 
 garments of the finest texture, presented them to Rebecca. 
 He, also, presented rich gifts to her brother and mother. 
 Then, full of joy, he partook of the refreshments offered to 
 him. Next morning, after Rebecca had received the blessing 
 of her parents and brother, she set out with her maidens 
 for her destined home, and, on arriving there, became the 
 wife of Isaac. Abraham lived many years after Isaac's 
 marriage. He died, aged one hundred and seventy-five years, 
 and was buried by his son at Hebron 9 , where Sara, his 
 wife, had been buried before. 
 
 8 God has so ordained it. — 9 Hebron was twenty-five miles to the 
 south of Jerusalem (see map). Near this town was a double cave 
 which Abraham had bought for a family burial place. This cave 
 was the only possession which Abraham had in the Promised Land. 
 Sara who had died three years before Isaac's marriage was buried there. 
 
ISAAC MARRIES REBECCA. 85 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Unity of faith the chief thing in married life. Almighty 
 God chose Abraham in order that through him and his 
 descendants the true faith might be preserved and spread. 
 Therefore, Abraham was very particular to choose for his 
 son Isaac a wife who believed in and served the true God. 
 He was resolved that Isaac should not marry any of the 
 daughters of the heathen Chanaanites, however beautiful or 
 rich they might be , for fear that either he or his children 
 should become weak and wavering in their faith. His first 
 care was that his son's wife should hold the true faith. It 
 should likewise be the first thought of all Catholics, for unity 
 and agreement in faith is, above all things, necessary to a 
 happy marriage. Married people who look on religion as 
 a secondary consideration are on the high road to in- 
 difference about their faith, and even to a denial of it 
 altogether. 
 
 Eliezer the model of a faithful servant. Eliezer fulfilled his 
 master's commission not only with prudence, but also with 
 zeal, for he would not even eat, until he had delivered his 
 message, and wished to return to his master as soon as 
 possible after having done so. He, like Abraham, was 
 remarkable for his piety and confidence in God. He prayed 
 fervently for guidance in making a good choice, and thanked 
 God for the gracious guidance vouchsafed to him. 
 
 The virtues displayed by Rebecca. She was kind and hospi- 
 table to Eliezer, and compassionate towards the thirsty 
 camels. She voluntarily offered to draw water for the beasts, 
 without waiting for Eliezer to ask her to do so. He knew 
 by this action that she had a kind heart as well as that she 
 was the bride destined by God for Isaac. God looks to the 
 heart and not to the outward appearance, and chose Rebecca, 
 on account of her virtues, to be the wife of the patriarch 
 Isaac, and, therefore, one of those from whom the Divine 
 Redeemer was descended. 
 
 A summary of Abraham's virtues. Faith and hope, love 
 of God and his neighbour, hospitality, obedience, love of 
 peace, disinterestedness and final perseverance. 
 
86 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Limbo. Where did Abraham's soul go after death ? " He was 
 gathered to his people" (Gen. 25, 8), i. e. he joined the souls of the 
 just (such as Adam, Abel, Seth, Henoch, Noe &c), in Limbo. There 
 they enjoyed a perfectly happy repose , being consoled by the hope 
 of Redemption and of being some day taken to heaven. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Begin and end each day, or any important undertaking, 
 with a prayer for God's blessing. Begin with God and leave 
 off with God; that is the best rule of life. 
 
 Are you obliging to your friends, and to strangers, as 
 Rebecca was? Think in what way you can help others, 
 whether brothers, comrades, friends, or strangers, and resolve 
 to make use of your opportunities. God will reward each 
 little service you perform. 
 
 Chapter XV. 
 ESAU AND JACOB. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 ISAAC 1 and Rebecca remained twenty years without children. 
 At length God heard their prayer 2 , and gave them two 
 sons. The first-born 3 , Esau, was red and hairy, and of a 
 rough, harsh temper. Jacob, the second, was smooth in 
 appearance and gentle in his bearing. Esau became a skillful 
 hunter and husbandman. Jacob was a plain man, and dwelt 
 in tents. Isaac loved Esau, and ate with pleasure the game 
 that he had killed. Rebecca, on the other hand, loved the 
 mild and gentle Jacob. She loved him the more, because an 
 angel had revealed to her in a vision that he, instead of 
 Esau, had found favour with God 4 . One day Jacob was cooking 
 a mess of pottage 5 , when Esau, coming home from the field, 
 faint with hunger, said to his brother: "Give me of this 
 pottage, for I am hungry." Jacob said to him: "Sell me thy 
 first birthright." Esau replied: "Lo, I die of hunger 6 : what 
 will the first birthright avail me?" Jacob answered: "Swear, 
 therefore, to me." Esau swore 7 and sold his birthright. And 
 taking bread and the mess of pottage, he ate and drank 
 and went away, making little account of having sold his 
 birthright. 
 
ESAU AND JACOB. 
 
 87 
 
 1 Almighty God made to him the same promises as he had made 
 to his father Abraham. — 2 They had prayed for many years that 
 they might have a son who would be heir of the promises. — 8 Or 
 the eldest. — 4 i. e. that it was God's will that he should have 
 precedency over Esau; that he was to be the heir of the promises, 
 the forefather of the chosen people, and of the Divine Redeemer. — 
 5 A soup of lentils. — 6 This was evidently an exaggeration. He 
 might have appeased his hunger with other food; but he had set 
 his heart on this particular mess of lentils , and would have nothing- 
 else. — 7 He swore to give over to Jacob his birthright, or his right 
 of being eldest. The first-born son received a doubleportion of his 
 father's inheritance, and, after his father's death, henoecame the head 
 and n rie st of the family. In the time of the patriarchs, it entailed not 
 only these" temporal advantages , but spiritual advantages also , for i 
 by his father's blessing the first-born was made the heir of the t 
 divin e prom ises. * It was, therefore, most foolish and frivolous of Esau 
 to selTtnese important rights for a mere mess of pottage! 
 
 Now, Isaac was old 
 and had lost his eye- 
 sight 8 . One day he 
 called Esau, his son, 
 and said to him: "My 
 son, thou seest I am 
 old, and I know not 
 the day of my death. 
 Take thy arms , thy 
 quiver 9 and bow, and 
 go abroad 10 ; and when 
 thou hast taken some- 
 thing by hunting, make 
 me savoury meat 
 thereof, as thou knowest I like, and bring it that I may 
 eat, and my soul may bless thee before I die." Esau 
 promptly obeyed the command of his father, and went to 
 the fields to hunt. Rebecca had overheard the words of Isaac, 
 and fearing that, contrary to the will of God, Esau might 
 
 * In those old and venerable patriarchal days children esteemed their 
 father's blessing very highly. It was to them the most valuable part of 
 the paternal inheritance, and was like a sacrament, by means of which God 
 conveyed to them the blessing which He had imparted to their forefathers, * 
 and made them the heirs of the promises (Dupanloup, "De l'P^ducation"). * 
 
88 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 be preferred to Jacob, she said to him: "Now, my son, 
 follow my counsel. Go to the flock and bring me two of 
 the best kids that I may make of them meat for thy father, 
 such as he gladly eateth; so that, after having eaten it, he 
 may bless thee before he die." Jacob hastened to the flock 
 and brought two kids. Rebecca prepared them as though 
 they were game, and, then, clothed Jacob in Esau's best 
 garments, and covered his neck and hands with the skin 11 
 of the kids, and sent him to his father with the meats she 
 had prepared. Isaac asked: "Who art thou, my son?" Jacob 
 answered: "I am Esau, thy first-born; I have done as thou 
 hast commanded; arise, sit, and eat of my venison that 
 thy soul may bless me." Isaac said again: "Come hither 
 that I may feel thee 12 , my son, and may prove whether thou 
 be my son Esau or no." Jacob, then, drew near to his father, 
 and Isaac touching him, said: "The voice, indeed, is the 
 voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau" 13 . 
 And he gave him his blessing. 
 
 8 He was 137 years old and quite blind. — 9 A sheath in which 
 arrows are placed , something like the sheath into which a soldier 
 puts his sword. — 10 Out hunting. — ll The skins of Angora-goats, 
 the hair of which is very soft. — 12 That I may know by the touch. 
 — 13 They are as hairy as the hands of Esau. 
 
 Scarcely had Jacob gone out, when Esau came with the 
 game he had taken and cooked for his father. "Arise, my 
 father, and eat," said he. Isaac, in surprise, asked him: 
 "Who art thou?" and he answered: "I am thy first-born 
 soil Esau." And Isaac saw that Jacob had deceived him 14 . 
 Then, Esau roared out with a great cry, saying: "He hath 
 already taken from me my birthright 15 , and now, he hath 
 robbed me of my father's blessing" 16 . Then, he said to his 
 father: "Hast thou kept no blessing for me?" And as he 
 continued to cry out and lament, Isaac, moved with compassion, 
 said to him: "In the fat of the earth, and in the dew of 
 heaven from above, shall thy blessing be. Thou shalt live 
 by the sword, and shalt serve thy brother; but the time 
 shall come when thou shalt shake off and loose his yoke 
 from thy neck." From this time Esau hated his brother. 
 
ESAU AND JACOB. 89 
 
 14 No doubt Isaac remembered what God had revealed to Rebecca 
 about His choice of Jacob. — 15 Was that true ? No, for he himself 
 had sold it to Jacob. Now, in his anger, he laid all the blame on 
 his brother. — 16 i. e. the blessing to which. I, as the eldest son, 
 have the right. But he no longer had a right to it, having sold his 
 birthright, and sworn with an oath that he gave up all claim to it. 
 He ought to have told his father this, when Isaac announced his 
 intention of giving him his blessing. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Jacob's selfishness. Jacob did not behave either nicely or 
 rightly, when he turned his brother's desire for the pottage 
 to his own advantage, and asked such a high price for it. 
 He behaved very* selfishly, and not at all like his unselfish 
 grandfather, Abraham. 
 
 Lies and dissimulation. Jacob sinfully deceived his father 
 in a twofold way. To begin with, he told a^j^^cj^jje^; but 
 he, also, lied to his father in another way, by dissimulating, 
 putting on Esau's clothes which smelt of the field, and covering 
 his hands with the hairy skins. It is quite possible to lie 
 without speaking a word. When you dissimulate, and lie 
 by your actions, you sin against the eighth Commandment 
 quite as much as if you told a lie in so many words. 
 
 Sharing the guilt of another's sin. The fact that his mother 
 induced him to deceive his father, was a partial excuse for 
 Jacob. Jacob, indeed, carried out the deception, but Rebecca 
 induced him to do so, so that she shared in his sin. But 
 Jacob was not compelled to obey his mother, when she toldf 
 him to act thus deceitfully! J» 
 
 The frivolity and greediness of Esau. The elder brother 
 sinned by longing too greedily for the mess of pottage, and 
 by selling, in order to gratify a desire of the moment, his 
 birthright, to which were attached such great privileges. He 
 ought not to have given up his right to be the heir of the 
 promises, and the forefather of the Divine Redeemer, for 
 any price which the world could have offered him. By giving 
 way to a momentary and sensual desire, he proved how little 
 he valued the good things of a higher kind which were 
 held out to him. St. Paul, therefore, calls him, "a profane 
 person" (Hebr. 12, 16). Esau should have overcome his 
 
90 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 inordinate appetite. In order to attain to the virtue of 
 temperance we must carefully deny ourselves. 
 
 Sinful oaths. Esau also sinned by lightly taking an oath 
 which was not necessary. 
 
 Anger is a capital sin. Even as Esau was outwardly 
 rough and hairy, so also was his character harsh and un- 
 governable. He conceived a great anger towards his brother ; 
 his anger turned to hatred ; and hatred induced him to form 
 the wicked project of killing his brother. In his blind passion 
 he quite forgot how the murderer Cain had been punished, and 
 gave no thought to the grief which his hatred was causing his 
 parents (compare Commentary on the envy of Cain. Chapt. V). 
 
 Fulfilment of the blessing. Isaac said to Jacob: "Thy 
 mother's children shall bow down before thee." This came 
 to pass, for the descendants of Jacob, or the Israelites, 
 overcame all other nations. But this promise has found its 
 most complete fulfilment in our Divine Saviour, Who, by 
 His human nature, was descended from Jacob. All Christian 
 nations bow down to Him, their supreme Lord. 
 
 The folly of sinners. Many men, alas, imitate foolish, 
 frivolous Esau, who sold such great treasures for a mere 
 mess of pottage. Every Christian who commits a mortal sin, 
 acts more foolishly than Esau, for he barters away treasures 
 which are priceless and eternal, for a passing, sinful desire. 
 He renounces the grace of God, inward peace and joy, and 
 all his merits ; and draws down on himself the curse of God 
 and eternal damnation. Therefore, St. Paul says: "Look 
 diligently, lest any man be wanting in the grace of God, 
 lest there be any profane person like Esau who for one 
 mess sold his birthright" (Hebr. 12, 15 &c). Esau wept 
 loudly for the loss of his father's blessing; "but how will 
 the children of this world mourn and wail on the great Day 
 of Judgment? Stupefied by their passions they bartered 
 away their claim to heaven and all the imperishable treasures 
 of the children of God, for the passing pleasures of sin; 
 and on that day they will find themselves, in very deed, shut 
 out from heaven and condemned to everlasting torments." 5 
 
 * Erdmann, Erklarung d. Bibl. Gesch. I. (Munster 1875), 102. 
 
ESAU AND JACOB. 91 
 
 The end does not justify the means. Rebecca and Jacob's intention 
 in deceiving Isaac was Jjood. They knew that Almighty God had 
 chosen Jacob to be the heir of the promises, and they feared that 
 His will would not be accomplished, if Esau succeeded in obtaining 
 the blessing of the first-born. True ; but ought they to have committed 
 a sin to attain this end? No! sin remains sin, even if you have the 
 best of intentions in committing it, ana the noblest of ends to attain. 
 Rebecca and Jacob ought , like Abraham , to have had confidence in j 
 God , and said : " The Almighty and Allwise God will carry out 
 His oAvn will, even if we cannot see how." Instead of this, they 
 took divine providence into their own hands, and committed a sin. 
 Thus, want of faith and confidence in God was the real cause of ! 
 their sin. 
 
 Temporal punishment. Esau's indifference was punished by the 
 loss of the rights of the first-born, not only to himself, but to all 
 his descendants, the Edomites. Rebecca and Jacob were, also, punished 
 in this world. Jacpkconfessed and repented ^of his sin, and, therefore, 
 God forgave nrm7 but he did penance for it during nianv a long 
 year. As you will read in the following chaplers , lie had to flee 
 from his brother, and serve for t\venty_years in a strange land. Later 
 in his life he was caused much griefj)v his ownj3ons, who deceived 
 him even more cruelly than he deceived Isaac, making out that a 
 wild beast had devoured his dear son Joseph. Thus severely had 
 he to expiate his one sin! Rebecca, who had sinned through love of 
 Jacob, was punished by having to part with him, and never see him 
 again in this life. In all this the divine justice is most clearly seen. 
 
 The Wisdom of God, which makes good to come out of evil, can be 
 learnt from this story. Almighty God had from the beginning, or 
 rather from all eternity, chosen Jacob to be the heir of His promises. 
 The faults of men (such as Isaac's preference for Esau, Jacob's deceit, 
 and Esau's hatred) could not alter what He had ordained ; on the 
 contrary, they served, under the divine guidance, for the accomplishment 
 of it. Jacob, especially, was strengthened in confidence in God, and 
 purified by the very consequences of his deceit, his long exile and 
 servitude. He was by them confirmed in humility and piety, and 
 trained to be a holy man of God , and the worthy heir of the 
 promises. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Esau sinned through his greedy desire for the pottage. 
 Have you never sinned by gluttony ? Try for the future to 
 overcome your greedy desires. Bear hunger and thirst for 
 a short time with cheerfulness; and be not dainty about 
 your food. He who does not tame his appetites, and deny 
 himself, cannot be virtuous or happy. 
 
92 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Jacob ought to have given the mess willingly to his hungry 
 brother. Have you never been selfish towards your brothers 
 and sisters, and wished to keep everything for yourself, or 
 chosen the best or largest portion for yourself? 
 
 Do you ever tell lies? Some day you must make satis- 
 faction for every lie. God hates lies, because He is the very 
 truth. If you wish to be a child of God, always tell the truth. 
 "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord" (Prov. 12, 22). 
 
 Chapter XVI. 
 JACOB'S FLIGHT AND HIS SOJOURN WITH LABAN. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 ESAU was very angry, because he had lost the blessing. 
 He resolved to kill Jacob. Rebecca knew the evil in- 
 tentions of Esau, and saw that the life of Jacob was in danger *. 
 
 She, therefore, 
 called Jacob 
 and said to 
 him: "My son, 
 flee to Laban, 
 my brother 2 , 
 and dwell with 
 him , till the 
 wrath of thy 
 brother hath 
 passed away." 3 
 Jacob at once 
 set out 4 . As 
 he went on, it 
 happened that 
 
 night overtook him in an open plain. Being tired from the 
 journey, he lay down on the ground and slept, having a stone 
 for a pillow 5 . In his sleep he saw a ladder standing upon the 
 earth, the top touching heaven ; and by it the angels of God 
 ascended and descended. The Lord was leaning upon the ladder 
 and said to him: "I am the Lord God of Abraham, thy father, 
 and the God of Isaac 6 . The land wherein thou sleepest I will 
 
JACOB'S FLIGHT AND HIS SOJOURN WITH LABAN. 93 
 
 give to thee and to thy seed. And thy seed shall be as 
 the dust of the earth; and in thee and thy seed all the 
 tribes of the earth shall be blessed." 
 
 1 Rebecca knew this by the threatening looks and hostile bearing 
 of Esau. — 2 In Haran. You know already that Abraham had lived 
 for a long time in Haran, before he came to Chanaan. Nachor, Abraham's 
 brother, had remained there. His son was Bathuel, and Rebecca and 
 Laban were his grandchildren. It was to this Laban, her brother, that 
 Rebecca now told her son to go. — 3 Esau's anger had passed into 
 hatred, and hatred into fury and thirst for his brother's blood. Rebecca 
 rightly hoped that, when Esau no longer saw his brother, this fury 
 would die away. — 4 How sad Jacob must have felt, when he bade 
 farewell to his beloved parents, and went out into an unknown land. 
 Sad at heart , and with his staff in his hand , he started forth , not 
 knowing whether he would ever reach the end of his journey, or ever 
 return home again. At that time Isaac was living at Bersabee, on the 
 southern borders of Chanaan (see map), and from thence to Haran was 
 more than two hundred miles. — 5 Jacob had already travelled for 
 several days , and when he arrived , tired out, at Bethel (four hours' 
 journey north of Jerusalem) , he had to sleep in the open air. Wild 
 beasts might have devoured him, or hostile men might have seized him 
 and taken him prisoner. But Jacob trusted in God: he prayed fervently, 
 and commended himself to the care of the Almighty. Then, God comforted 
 him by revealing Himself to him in a dream. — 6 i. e. the same 
 God who appeared to thy grandfather Abraham and thy father Isaac, 
 and gave them the promises. Almighty God, then, repeated to Jacob 
 the same promises, namely that the land of Chanaan should belong 
 to his descendants ; that his posterity should be very numerous , and 
 that of his family should be born the Redeemer. 
 
 And when Jacob awoke from sleep, he said: "Indeed, the 
 Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. 7 How terrible is 
 this place ! 8 This is no other but the house of God 9 and 
 the gate of heaven." 10 As soon as morning dawned, he took 
 the stone upon which his head had lain during the vision, 
 and set it up as a monument; he, also, poured oil upon it-' 11 , 
 in honour of God, and changed the name of the place from 
 Luza to Bethel, that is to say, the house of God. He, also, 
 made a vow, saying: "If God shall be with me, and I shall 
 return prosperously to my father's house, the Lord shall be 
 my God; and of all things that Thou shalt give me I will 
 offer tithes to Thee." 
 
94 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 This being done, he continued his journey, and having 
 come to a well near which three flocks of sheep were lying, 
 he addressed the shepherds who were tending their flocks, 
 saying: " Brethren, whence are you?" They answered: "Of 
 Haran." He, then, asked them, if they knew Laban, the son 
 of Nachor. They replied: "We know him: and behold! 
 Rachel, his daughter, cometh with his flock." When Rachel 
 drew near, Jacob met her in a friendly manner, and rolled 
 the stone from the mouth of the well so that her flock 
 might drink. He informed Rachel that he was the son of 
 Rebecca, her father's sister. She joyfully ran home and 
 announced the glad tidings to her father who, coming out, 
 embraced Jacob and, then, conducted him to his house. Jacob 
 remained twenty years with Laban, tending his flocks with 
 great care and fidelity 12 . But Laban tried, by various unjust 
 means, to withhold from Jacob a part of the hire to which 
 he was justly entitled. Nevertheless, God blessed Jacob, and 
 he became rich in flocks, and herds, and servants. 
 
 7 Is not God, then, everywhere ? Yes ; but God appeared visibly and 
 spoke to Jacob in this place. — 8 Jacob cried out in this way, because 
 the fear of God had seized him. — 9 Because Almighty God had shown 
 Himself visibly there. — 10 He calls the place the gate, or door, of 
 heaven , because heaven had there opened itself before him , and he 
 had gazed upon God and His holy angels. — n He placed the stone 
 on which he had rested his head, upright, to serve as a memorial of 
 the wonderful vision of God; and, anointing it with oil, he consecrated 
 it to God. By virtue of God's promises to him, Jacob had become a 
 patriarch, and the patriarchs were not only the heads, but, also, the 
 priests of their families, and offered sacrifice. It was only in the time 
 of Moses that God instituted a special priesthood (Old Test. XXXIX). 
 It was by right of his priestly dignity that Jacob consecrated the 
 memorial stone. — 12 And God increased Laban's riches, for Jacob's 
 sake. He, being blessed of God, brought a blessing on the master 
 whom he served. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 All good things come from God. When Jacob made his 
 vow, he did not say: "Of all things that I shall gain I will 
 offer tithes to Thee", but: "Of all things that Thou shalt 
 give me". By these words the holy servant of God expressed 
 his conviction that any riches or possessions which he might 
 
JACOB'S FLIGHT AND HIS SOJOURN WITH LABAN. 95 
 
 acquire, would all be a gift from God. Every true believer 
 in God ought to say thus : " From Thee, God, comes every 
 gift. I thank Thee for what I am, and what I have." 
 
 The fourth promise of the Messias. The promise of the 
 Redeemer was made to Jacob in these words : " In thy seed 
 shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed", i. e. by one of 
 your descendants shall grace and blessings be brought to all 
 mankind. Who is this Descendant of Jacob's? 
 
 Our holy Guardian Angels. What does the heavenly ladder 
 signify? Do the holy angels require a ladder, by which to 
 ascend into heaven and descend to the earth ? No ! for they 
 can pass to and from heaven with the swiftness of thought ! 
 God made this heavenly ladder to appear to Jacob so that 
 he might understand that he was not forsaken ; and that the 
 holy angels had him in sight, took his prayers and good 
 works to the throne of God, and returned to earth in order 
 to stand by him and protect him. The angels help us in 
 the same way, being, as St. Paul tells us "ministering spirits, 
 sent to minister to them who shall receive the inheritance of 
 salvation" (Hebr. 1, 14). "That which Almighty God showed 
 visibly to Jacob for his comfort, takes place continually, in 
 an invisible manner, with those whom God loves. Day and 
 night, even when they are asleep, God looks down on them, 
 well pleased, and has given His angels to them to be their 
 guardians. These holy angels ascend and descend the heavenly 
 ladder. They ascend, to carry the sighs and prayers of the 
 just, to offer them as fragrant incense before the throne of 
 God ; they descend so as to bring back to them help, strength 
 and consolation from above" (Overberg). Compare Old Test. 
 LXIX, 6, where the Archangel Raphael says to Tobias: 
 "When thou didst pray with tears, and didst bury the dead, 
 I offered thy prayer to the Lord.'' The holy angels are, 
 therefore, ever working for our good. 
 
 Every Catholic church is a house of God and gate of heaven. 
 The words of Jacob: "How terrible is this place! This is 
 no other but the house of God, and the gate of heaven!" 
 apply to every Catholic church still more than they applied 
 to Bethel. For every Catholic church is, in very deed, a 
 
96 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 house of God, because every day, in the holy sacrifice of 
 the mass , our Divine Saviour descends on to the altar , is 
 there present under the form of bread and wine, and remains 
 there with us, day and night, in the Most Blessed Sacrament. 
 Every Catholic church is, also, a gate of heaven, because in it 
 the one true faith is taught, and the Sacraments of Baptism, 
 Penance and the Holy Eucharist are continually administered, 
 through which we receive the remission of our sins, and 
 obtain grace and life everlasting. Those words of the God- 
 fearing Jacob might well be written over the entrance of 
 every one of our churches. And, as for us, we ought to 
 be very devout and recollected in the house of God. 
 
 Vows. Jacob vowed to God that , if he returned safe to 
 Chanaan, he would build an altar at Bethel and offer sacrifices 
 to God; and you will see that, later on, Jacob faithfully 
 kept his vow. We learn by this vow of Jacob's that, even 
 in quite ancient days, God-fearing men used to make vows 
 to God, and that He was well pleased with such holy vows ; 
 for He gave Jacob everything for which he prayed, when 
 he made that vow. 
 
 Diligence. Jacob served his uncle diligently and faithfully. 
 All who love and fear God, try to fulfil faithfully the duties 
 of their state of life. Diligence is a virtue, if we are working, 
 each one in his state , for the glory of God. — Sloth is a 
 sin, and one of the capital sins. 
 
 The efficacy of Penance. Jacob's separation from his parents, 
 and his long and hard servitude were a penance for his sin ; 
 and as he practised these penances willingly, they were 
 pleasing to God, Who forgave him his sin, and bestowed 
 many blessings on him. Jacob left home quite poor, and 
 returned a rich man. His confidence in God was richly 
 rewarded. Nothing avails without the blessing of God. 
 
 The ladder of Jacob's vision, a type of the Redemption. This ladder 
 stood on the earth, and its top reached to heaven, even to the throne 
 of God; and thus it joined earth to heaven. By sin, this earth (or 
 the men living on earth) had separated itself from heaven (from God). 
 Men had become the enemies of God, and no man could attain to 
 heaven. It is impossible to reach heaven by any human strength or 
 effort, as the men who built Babel tried to do: heaven must first 
 
JACOB RETURNS HOME. 97 
 
 bow itself towards the earth, so as to draw men back to God. Therefore, 
 the Son of God came down from heaven, and, by so doing, put an 
 end to the enmity between heaven and earth. He made satisfaction 
 for us, and regained for us the grace and inheritance of heaven which 
 we had lost. Jesus Christ is the true heavenly ladder. By His teaching 
 He has shown us the way to heaven and has won for us grace, in 
 the strength of which we may climb up. Almighty God showed Jacob, 
 by this vision, that some day the Redeemer would restore the union 
 between heaven and earth, and would open to all men the way to heaven. 
 Oil is the type of grace. Even as oil illuminates, softens, strengthens 
 and heals, so does the grace of the Holy Ghost illuminate, comfort, 
 strengthen and heal the human soul. Thus, under the Old Law, men 
 (priests and kings) , as well as things , which were dedicated to the 
 service of God, were anointed with oil. Under the New Law, Jesus 
 Christ has made oil to be a great means of grace in the holy Sacraments 
 of Confirmation, P]xtreme Unction and Holy Order. The holy oils are 
 blessed on Maundy-Thursday. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Jacob had a great reverence for the place where God had 
 appeared to him. Our churches are still holier places, and 
 yet you often behave irreverently in church; your thoughts 
 wander, you look about you, and you even laugh and talk ! 
 Examine your conscience on this point, and make resolutions 
 of amendment. "The Lord is in His holy temple: let all 
 the earth keep silence before Him!" (Hab. 2, 20.) Each 
 time you enter a church, say to yourself: "This is the 
 house of God; this is the gate of heaven." 
 
 Are you as diligent as Jacob was? Do you learn your 
 lessons, and especially your catechism, diligently? Are you 
 willing to help your parents, or your brothers and sisters, 
 in their work? Resolve to overcome slothfulness , and to 
 fulfil your duties faithfully for the love of God. 
 
 Chapter XVII. 
 
 JACOB RETURNS HOME, AND IS RECONCILED 
 
 WITH HIS BROTHER. 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 XT THEN Laban saw that Jacob had become very rich, he 
 
 T ▼ began to envy him , and ceased to regard him with 
 
 favour. Then God said to Jacob: "Return into the land of 
 
 Knecht, Commentary. I. 5 
 
98 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 thy fathers 1 . I will be with thee." 2 Jacob rose up without 
 delay, and set out with all he possessed. He had reached 
 the banks of the river Jordan, when he began to fear on 
 account of his brother. He sent messengers before him to 
 say to Esau: "Let me find favour in thy sight!" 3 The 
 messengers returned, saying to Jacob: "Esau cometh with 
 speed to meet thee, with four hundred men." Then Jacob 
 was sore afraid 4 , and he thus prayed: " God of my fathers, 
 Lord, Who saidst to me, 'Return to thy land', I am not 
 worthy of the least of all Thy mercies, and of Thy truth 
 which Thou hast fulfilled to Thy servant. With my staif I 
 passed over this Jordan, and now I return with two com- 
 panies. Deliver me from the hand of my brother!" 
 
 1 To the land of Chanaan where his grandfather Abraham had lived, 
 and where his father Isaac still lived. — 2 I will protect thee. God 
 said this, because Jacob was still in fear of the fury of Esau. — 
 
 3 Act not as an enemy to me, but forgive me the wrong I did you. — 
 
 4 Jacob had every reason to be afraid that Esau was coming at the 
 head of four hundred men so as to take him prisoner, or kill him. 
 
 During the night 5 an angel appeared to Jacob with whom 
 he wrestled 6 till morning. And Jacob said to the angel ; 
 "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." 7 The 
 angel said to him: "Henceforth thy name shall not be 
 called Jacob, but Israel," that is to say, one who has 
 wrestled with God. 
 
 5 Jacob had made all those with him go forward, while he himself 
 remained alone behind, so as to begin this most eventful day by 
 fervent prayer. — 6 Wrestling is that kind of combat in which, without 
 the giving of any blows, one man tries to throw the other to the 
 ground. The angel could easily have overthrown Jacob, if he wished 
 it, for "he touched the sinew of Jacob's thigh, and forthwith it shrivelled 
 up, and Jacob, from that time forward, limped on one foot, because 
 the sinew of his thigh was shrunken". This lameness was to be to 
 him a constant reminder of his strife , and a warning to be humble. 
 Jacob was aware that he had to do with a supernatural being, on 
 which account he asked for his blessing. — 7 The mysterious being 
 who appeared to Jacob, while he was praying, and wrestled with him, 
 was the "Angel of the Covenant", i. e. the Son of God, Who, assuming 
 a human form, allowed Himself to be apparently overcome by Jacob, 
 as an encouragement to him , and a proof that he need fear nothing 
 from Esau. It was to prove this to him that the angel said : "If thou 
 
JACOB RETURNS HOME. 99 
 
 hast been strong against God, how much more shalt thou prevail 
 against men" (Gen. 32, 28). 
 
 The following explanation may help you to a deeper understanding 
 of this mysterious event. A very important and decisive day lay 
 before Jacob, and he might well ask: Would he reach the Promised 
 Land in safety ; and would God's promises , so all important for the 
 salvation of the world , be fulfilled ? These questions did not only 
 affect himself, but the whole of mankind, to the remotest future. 
 At that moment Almighty God condescended to His chosen servant. 
 The struggle to which he was subjected was a trial, similar to that 
 mortal struggle which Abraham had to go through, when commanded 
 to sacrifice his only son — a struggle for life and death, such as 
 our Lord, the great Wrestler with God, had to endure in His Agony 
 in the Garden. Jacob overcame, because his faith was invincible, and 
 he came out of the struggle, strengthened and encouraged to live for 
 his own and our salvation. 
 
 He then divided his children, his servants, and his flocks 
 into companies, and putting himself at the head of one of 
 them, he advanced to meet his brother, bowing seven times 
 to the ground before him 8 . But Esau, rejoiced to see his 
 brother Jacob, ran to meet him and embraced him with many 
 tears. Then, perceiving the children, he asked: "Whose are 
 those?" Jacob replied: "They are the children which God 
 hath given me." And, making a sign to them, they all 
 advanced, and bowed down before Esau. Jacob then presented 
 Esau with several flocks. But Esau refused them, saying: 
 "I have plenty, my brother, keep what is thine for thyself! " 
 Jacob insisted, and said : "I beseech thee, take the blessing 
 which God hath given me!" Then Esau yielded to his prayer 9 , 
 and Jacob, full of gratitude for the protection of God, continued 
 his journey, and arrived in the land of Chanaan, where his 
 aged father dwelt. Isaac was happy that his son had returned, 
 and lived after this about twenty years. Finally, enfeebled 
 by age, he died, one hundred and eighty years old. Esau 
 and Jacob buried him at Hebron 10 . 
 
 8 He humbled himself before his brother in order to awake kindly feelings 
 
 in Esau. — 9 By this acceptance of gifts, the reconciliation was finally 
 
 sealed. — 10 in the cave where Abraham and Rebecca were already buried. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 All things come from God. When Jacob offered several 
 flocks to his brother, he uttered these beautiful words : " Take 
 
100 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 of the blessing which God hath given me." He confessed 
 thereby that it was God who had given to him, preserved, 
 and increased his flocks. 
 
 Faithfulness of God. This story shows how God fulfilled 
 His promise: "I will be thy keeper, and will bring thee 
 back into this land." 
 
 Keeping vows. Jacob, too, was faithful, and kept his vow. 
 As soon as he had parted from Esau, he went to Bethel, and 
 made there an altar. Picture to yourself how he knelt 
 down before the altar, with all his household, and thanked 
 Almighty God from the bottom of his heart. 
 
 Necessity makes people pray. In his great fear Jacob had 
 recourse to God. We, too, ought to turn to God for help, 
 comfort and strength in times of trial, fear and need. "Our 
 help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth" 
 (Ps. 123, 8). The holy apostle James says: "Is any of you 
 sad? Let him pray" (James 5, 13). 
 
 Prayer does not dispense us from helping ourselves. Jacob 
 did not only pray to God, but he did all that lay in his 
 own power to propitiate his brother. He sent messengers 
 to beg his favour; he sent him presents, and humbled himself, 
 bowing down seven times before him. We should act as 
 he did, in our times of need or sickness. We should, indeed, 
 pray, but we should not sit with our hands before us, but 
 should use every lawful means to help ourselves. 
 
 Prayer must be persevering. The holy patriarch, wrestling 
 with God, is a figure of persevering prayer. As Jacob wrestled 
 and cried out: "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me"; 
 so ought we never to give up praying, until we have been 
 heard. Almighty God wills that we should, as it were, 
 wrestle with Him in prayer, do violence to Him, and storm 
 Him with our petitions. By doing so, we become more worthy 
 to obtain what we ask. See the parable of the importunate 
 friend (New Test. XL VIII). 
 
 The power of prayer. We can see by Esau's conduct how 
 powerful and effective Jacob's prayer was. For Esau still 
 bore his brother a grudge, and came with four hundred men 
 to seize him. But, on account of Jacob's prayer, God changed 
 
JACOB RETURNS HOME. 101 
 
 Esau's hard heart, and he became friendly towards his brother, 
 and fell on his neck, and kissed him, weeping with emotion. 
 See in what a manner God can change the hearts of men ! 
 " As the division of waters, so the heart of the king is in the 
 hand of the Lord: whithersoever He will he shall turn it." 
 
 Hatefulness of envy. Not only was Jacob blessed by God, 
 but, for his sake, God prospered Laban as well. And yet, 
 Laban envied his son-in-law, and was unfriendly to him 
 (Jacob had married the two daughters of Laban, Lia and 
 Rachel). We can see by Laban's conduct what a foolish, 
 hateful, and unjust vice envy is. 
 
 It is noble to forgive. What is the feeling of your heart, 
 as you picture to yourself those two brothers weeping, and 
 embracing one another ? Is it not a moving sight ? Do you 
 not like Esau, forgiving and weeping, a thousand times better 
 than Esau, angry and vindictive? Is it not, therefore, a 
 beautiful and noble thing to forgive those who have injured 
 us? "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that 
 trespass against us." 
 
 Parents are the representatives of God to their children. 
 Jacob said, speaking of his children : " They are the children 
 which God hath given to me." God gives children to their 
 parents to bring them up for Him, to love and serve Him. 
 On this account, parents are to their children the representa- 
 tives of God, and children ought to honour them as such. 
 
 Jesus Christ, the Author of all grace. The blessing which Jacob 
 wrung from God , is a figure of the great gift of grace which Jesus 
 Christ, the true Israel, wrung from heaven for us by His sufferings 
 and death. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Do you ever refuse to make friends with your brothers 
 and sisters, or any other children who have injured you? 
 Do you not nurse a feeling of resentment? Are you not 
 ill-natured to them? Do you not wish them evil? Do you ask 
 pardon of others (as, for example, your parents), when you 
 have done wrong, and grieved them? Do you begin a quarrel 
 easily ? Forgive everyone from your heart ! Be at peace with 
 everybody, and especially with your brothers and sisters! 
 
102 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Do not aggravate or strike anyone! It is far better to 
 suffer wrong than to do wrong. Say to-day an "Our Father" 
 for all those who have done you any injury! 
 
 Chapter XVIII. 
 JOSEPH SOLD BY HIS BRETHREN. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 JACOB had twelve sons, and he loved Joseph above all 
 the others, because he was young and very good. And 
 Jacob made him a coat of divers colours K One day, when 
 the brothers were all tending their flocks, some of them 
 committed a most wicked crime. Joseph, being shocked and 
 angry, told his father, on his return home, what he had seen. 
 From that time forward, his brothers hated Joseph, and could 
 not speak to him kindly. Joseph had once a remarkable 
 dream 2 which he thus related to his brothers: "Hear my 
 dream : I thought we were binding sheaves in the field, and 
 my sheaf arose, as it were, and stood, and your sheaves, 
 standing about, bowed down before my sheaf." His brothers 
 replied: "Shalt thou be our king? Or shall we be subject 
 to thy dominion?" And they hated him more than ever 3 . 
 Joseph dreamed, also, that the sun, the moon and eleven 
 stars worshipped him. His father rebuked 4 him , saying : 
 "What meaneth this dream? Shall I, and thy mother, and 
 thy brethren, worship thee upon the earth?" But Jacob 
 thought within himself that perhaps God had destined Joseph 
 for great things 5 . 
 
 1 A coat of many- coloured and rich materials. Jacob's preference 
 for Joseph was justifiable, because the boy was so innocent and pious, 
 but his father ought to have had the good sense not to prefer him 
 to his brothers so openly. — 2 This was a supernatural dream, not 
 an ordinary one. — 3 His brethren envied him, first, the preference 
 shown him by their father, as exemplified by the gift of the beautiful 
 coat : secondly, they hated him for having revealed their misdeeds to 
 Jacob ; and, lastly, their hatred of him was increased by the fact that 
 Joseph's dreams seemed to foreshow that he would, one day, rule over 
 them. — 4 Jacob scolded him for repeating his dreams to his brothers, 
 and tried to remove the idea from his mind that these dreams meant 
 anything. — 5 He pondered over the meaning of Joseph's dreams. He 
 
JOSEPH SOLD BY HIS BRETHREN. 
 
 103 
 
 suspected that they had been sent by God, and that God destined 
 Joseph for something great. But he did not reveal his thoughts to 
 Joseph, for fear of making him vainglorious. 
 
 One day, when the sons of Jacob had gone with their 
 flocks to Sichem 6 , Jacob said to Joseph: "Go and see, if 
 all things be well with thy brethren and the cattle!" He 
 obeyed, and went in search of them. When they saw him 
 afar off, they said: "Behold, the dreamer cometh. Let us 
 kill him and cast him into some old pit, and we will say 
 some evil beast hath devoured him ; and, then, it shall appear 
 what his dreams avail him." Reuben, the eldest of the 
 brothers, hearing this, sought to deliver Joseph out of their 
 hands, and said to them: "Do not take away his life, nor 
 shed his blood, but cast him into this pit." 7 This he said, 
 because he wished to restore the boy to his father. When 
 Joseph drew near to his brothers, they forthwith stripped 
 him of his coat of divers colours, and cast him into the pit, 
 in which, happily, there was no water 8 . Then they sat 
 down to eat bread, and saw some foreign merchants passing 
 
104 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 by, with camels, carrying spices, balm and myrrh into Egypt. 
 Juda then said to his brothers: "What will it profit us to 
 kill our brother? It is better that he be sold, and that our 
 hands be not defiled, for he is our brother." The others 
 agreed, and, the merchants having come up, they drew Joseph 
 out of the pit, and sold him for twenty pieces of silver 9 . 
 Joseph wept and besought them to have pity upon him, but 
 in vain. The merchants took him away with them into Egypt 10 . 
 
 6 Jacob lived in Hebron; and from thence to Sichem (or Sichar) was 
 a distance of fifty-five miles. — 7 A deep pit walled in, in which rain- 
 water was collected, and which was then covered over with a stone. 
 At the time that Reuben made his proposal, it was dry. — 8 Imagine 
 to yourself how Joseph must have wept, and prayed for mercy: 
 ;< Ah. spare me, my brothers! Am I to die of hunger and thirst in 
 that pit ! Think of our old father , how he will mourn , if I do not 
 return to him ! Think of the justice of God, and how He will punish 
 you as He punished Cain! What have I done to harm you?" But 
 his brothers had no compassion, and cast him without mercy into the 
 pit; and then sat down to eat, just as if nothing had happened. — 
 9 This was the usual price of a young slave. His brethren sold him 
 as a slave, out of covetousness. As a slave, his owner could do as he 
 pleased with him, and he was no more thought of than a beast, or 
 any other piece of merchandise which could be had for money. (See 
 picture p. 103.) — 10 This country lies to the N.-E. of Africa (see 
 map) and was inhabited by pagans. 
 
 Reuben, being absent at the moment, knew nothing of this 
 wicked bargain 11 . On going to the pit into which Joseph 
 had been cast, and not finding him there 12 , he rent his 
 garments in despair, saying: "The boy doth not appear, and 
 whither shall I go ? " 13 The other brothers remained quite 
 unconcerned. Having killed a kid, they dipped Joseph's coat 
 in it, and sent it to their father, saying: "This we have 
 found; see, if it be thy son's coat, or no." The father, 
 knowing the coat, said: "It is my son's coat; a wild beast 
 hath devoured Joseph." Then he rent his garments, and 
 putting on sackcloth, mourned his son a long time. His 
 children gathered around and strove to soothe his grief 11 , 
 but he would not be comforted 15 , saying: "I will go down 
 to my son 16 into the grave 17 , mourning." Jacob thus ex- 
 pressed his belief in the immortality of the soul. 
 
JOSEPH SOLD BY HIS BRETHREN. 105 
 
 11 He had not been present, when Joseph was sold. — l2 He went 
 to look for him, in order to take him out and save him. — 13 What 
 shall I do ? I dare not face my father ! — u They pretended that they 
 also grieved, because Joseph was no more. — 15 He mourned without 
 ceasing. — 16 I care no more to live. I wish to die , so that I may 
 join my beloved Joseph. — n to Limbo, where the souls of the just 
 were detained. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Innocent youth. It is impossible not to love the innocent 
 and obedient Joseph, who did not follow his brothers' evil 
 example, and who was such a joy to his father! Nothing 
 is more beautiful than a holy, untarnished youth. God's 
 blessing rests on him as it did on Joseph; for it was on 
 account of Joseph's holy and innocent youth that God chose 
 him for such high things. He who passes his youth in 
 innocence, and is a joy to his parents, will look back to his 
 young days with pleasure, even when he is an old man. On 
 the contrary, if a man stains his beautiful youth with sins and 
 vices, and is a grief to his parents, the memory of his early 
 days will be as a gnawing worm to him for the rest of his life. 
 
 Revealing the faults of others. Now, was it nice or right 
 of Joseph to tell his father about his brothers' sin? One 
 says 'Yes', and another says, 'No'; and both are apparently 
 right. If Joseph had taken pleasure in revealing his brothers' 
 sin, and had hoped to bring punishment on them by doing 
 so, he would have acted very wrongly. He would, also, have 
 sinned, had he revealed the wrong done, to anyone but his 
 father ; for that would have been a sin of detraction. Joseph, 
 however, had no bad intention, when he told his father what 
 he knew, but acted out of true love both for God and his 
 brothers, in order that his father might warn them and 
 exercise supervision over them, and that thus his brothers 
 might amend their ways, and not offend God any more. The 
 revelation being necessary, it was Joseph's duty to make it. 
 If he had kept silence about his brothers' sin, he would have 
 shared the guilt of it. Had he not told his father, he would 
 have been to blame, if his brothers' had sinned again in the 
 same way. You can learn this important rule by Joseph's 
 conduct on this occasion: Never reveal the faults of others 
 
106 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 without necessity ; but you must (and more especially, if you 
 are asked) reveal them to those who have the right to know, 
 such as your parents, masters &c. ; and this, in order that 
 the wrong doing may be stopped. 
 
 Dreams. Joseph's dreams are called supernatural, because 
 they were sent by God, and had a prophetical meaning. God 
 has often shown men His will by means of dreams. Take, 
 for example, the three kings whom God commanded in a 
 dream not to return to Herod (New Test. VIII). Such dreams 
 are supernatural, because they have a hidden meaning, 
 and God reveals His will through them. It might happen, 
 even now, that God should make known something to some 
 holy person by means of a dream; but in a general way, 
 dreams mean nothing, and are quite ordinary and natural. 
 We possess the teaching of Jesus Christ, by which to know 
 the will of God; and we must pay no attention to dreams 
 and omens, or else we shall sin by superstition. 
 
 The power of passions. The example of Joseph's brethren 
 shows us, once more, to how many sins one passion can lead. 
 The beginning of these men's sin was envy. Hatred, abusive 
 language, and thirst for blood grew from it. They were 
 heartless and cruel, turned a deaf ear to Joseph's lamentations, 
 and sold him into the miseries of slavery. They lied to their 
 father (" We have found this coat &c"), embittered his life, and 
 counterfeited compassion for his grief. What a multitude of 
 sins; and they all sprang from envy! Therefore, envy is a 
 capital sin. 
 
 The evil consequences of one venial sin. This story teaches us that 
 small causes (such as little faults and venial sins) produce great 
 effects, and have very evil consequences. It was weak minded and 
 foolish of Jacob to parade his preference for Joseph ; but this , in 
 itself, was not a great sin. However, it roused the envy of his other 
 sons, and brought much suffering and sorrow both to Jacob and Joseph. 
 So, let us be on our guard against even the smallest faults. 
 
 Omission of what we ought to do. Reuben and Juda were 
 the two brothers who sinned less than the others. Juda, 
 at least, saved Joseph's life ; and, as for Reuben — well it 
 might be said that he had no share in his brothers' sin, 
 because he wished to save Joseph, and took no part in selling 
 
JOSEPH SOLD BY HIS BRETHREN. 107 
 
 him. Nevertheless, he cannot be exonerated from blame. He 
 ought to have openly and decidedly opposed his brothers' 
 blood-thirsty plan, and boldly protected Joseph. Then, after 
 he learnt that Joseph had been sold, he ought to have told 
 the truth to his sorrowing father, who would have sent to 
 Egypt, to seek and ransom Joseph. Reuben, therefore, sinned 
 by omitting to do what he ought to have done. 
 
 God can make good come out of evil. Joseph's brethren 
 said to themselves: "If we sell Joseph to be a slave in 
 Egypt, his dreams will come to nothing, and he will never 
 rule over us." But God's wisdom decreed that it was in 
 Egypt that Joseph was to be exalted, and his brethren 
 humbled before him. 
 
 Immortality of the soul. Jacob knew and believed that he 
 would, one day, rejoin Joseph, even though he were dead. He 
 knew that everything does not finish with death, but that 
 there is an eternal life to come after this passing one. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Take great pains to deserve the love of your parents by 
 your obedience, filial love &c. 
 
 Do you wish for smart clothes? Do you wish to be 
 distinguished from other children by your finery ? God does 
 not look to the clothes, but to the heart which ought to 
 be adorned with virtues. 
 
 Perhaps you have often published abroad the faults of 
 others without any necessity. On the other hand, you may 
 have concealed what you know, from those set over you, 
 who have a right to know. By doing so you have shared 
 in the guilt of others. 
 
 You see in Jacob's case how very strong is the love which 
 parents have for their children. Should not children be very 
 grateful for the love and care shown them by their parents, 
 and try to be a joy to them? Ask yourself if you have 
 ever vexed, irritated , or grieved your parents, and resolve 
 that, for the future, you will be a joy to them by your 
 obedience and diligence. And do not forget to pray every 
 day for them. 
 
108 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Joseph's brethren scoffed at him as a dreamer. Do you 
 not often tease your brothers and sisters and comrades, and 
 give them abusive names ? You must not let this ugly habit 
 take possession of you , for you do not like others to give 
 you such names. Do unto others as you would they should 
 do to you! 
 
 Chapter XIX. 
 JOSEPH IN THE HOUSE OF PUTIPHAR. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 N arriving in Egypt, the merchants sold Joseph to 
 
 o 
 
 Putiphar, the captain of the royal guard 1 . And the 
 Lord was with Joseph, blessing him in all he did ; wherefore 
 he found favour with his master who gave him charge of 
 all his household 2 . And the Lord blessed the house of the 
 Egyptian, for Joseph's sake, and multiplied his riches. But, 
 after some time, Joseph was severely tried in his new home. 
 The wife of Putiphar urged him to commit a most grievous 
 sin. But Joseph would not consent, and said : " Behold, my 
 master hath delivered all things to me. How, then, can I 
 do this wicked thing, and sin against my God?" But even 
 this decided refusal did not prevent the wicked woman from 
 renewing her attacks on Joseph's virtue, and every day she 
 importuned him anew 3 . But Joseph would not listen to her. 
 
 Now, it so happened that Joseph was, one day, alone in 
 the house, attending to some business, when the woman took 
 hold of the skirt of his cloak 4 , and renewed her shameful 
 proposal. But Joseph fled, leaving his cloak in her hands. 
 The woman, seeing herself thus slighted, began to hate Joseph, 
 and accused him to her husband of attempting the very crime 
 which she had tried in vain to induce him to commit. 
 
 Putiphar, believing his wife too easily 5 , caused the innocent 
 young man to be cast into prison 6 . The chaste Joseph is, 
 in his firm resistance to temptation, a model for all young- 
 people. This history teaches us, also, that in this world 
 the good have sometimes to suffer unjustly, but that, if they 
 remain patient and pray for their enemies, as Joseph did, 
 then their suffering will soon be turned into joy. 
 
JOSEPH IN THE HOUSE OF PUTIPHAR. 109 
 
 1 The soldiers whose duty it was to defend the king's life, and see 
 to his safety. — 2 He made Joseph the overseer or steward of his 
 house. — 3 Day after day, she tried to persuade him to sin ; and this 
 was wearisome and hateful to him. — 4 in order to force him to sin. — 
 5 without examining the case, or hearing Joseph's version of the 
 story. — c in the state-prison. There Joseph , who was then twenty 
 six years old, was loaded with fetters (Ps. 104, 18). 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Piety. The fate of Joseph was a hard one, being thus torn 
 away from his home and father, and taken to the market, to 
 be sold as a slave. But Joseph did not despond. No doubt, 
 the wrong he had suffered made his heart ache; but he 
 trusted in God, prayed diligently, and submitted himself to 
 God's will. He was a true worshipper of God. The end 
 proved that his trust in Him was justified. By Almighty 
 God's providence, Joseph was bought by Putiphar, who began 
 to love him on account of his virtues, and placed him, the 
 least among his slaves, in a position of trust over his whole 
 household. Therefore, St. Paul says: "Godliness is profitable 
 to all things, having the promise of the life that now is, 
 and of that which is to come" (1 Tim. 4, 8). 
 
 Performance of the duty of our state in life. Because Joseph 
 feared God, he served his master so faithfully and zealously 
 that Putiphar loved and praised him, and made him his 
 steward over everything. He who wishes to serve God 
 must, before all things, fulfil the duties of his state of life, 
 faithfully and conscientiously. 
 
 Holy fear of God. A deep fear of God, and a hatred of 
 sin were the fruits of Joseph's piety. When tempted to sin, 
 he cried out, full of horror: "How can I do this wicked 
 thing, and sin against my God!" He said to himself: "Mortal 
 sin is the greatest of all evils. How could I offend the Lord my 
 God Who has so graciously created, preserved and protected 
 me ! " The fear of God is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 The blessing attending piety. In the same way that God 
 blessed Laban, for Jacob's sake, so did He bless Putiphar, 
 for the sake of the God-fearing Joseph. Holy servants and 
 holy children bring a blessing on a house, namely, many 
 graces and often temporal prosperity. 
 
110 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Scandal. Putiphar's wife tried to induce Joseph to sin 
 against the Sixth Commandment. Had he listened to this 
 bad woman, he would have lost the grace and friendship 
 of God. She wished to do him a spiritual injury, and thereby 
 sinned against the Fifth Commandment. 
 
 Calumny. Putiphar's wife calumniated Joseph, or accused 
 him falsely to her husband, so as to revenge herself on him 
 for having resisted her evil suggestions. By this, she was 
 the guilty cause of the innocent Joseph being deprived of 
 his liberty, and cast into prison. 
 
 Bash judgment. Putiphar sinned by condemning Joseph, 
 without careful investigation of the accusation brought against 
 him. Such a sin is called rash judgment. 
 
 Means of preserving chastity. The sin which Putiphar's wicked wife 
 wished to induce Joseph to commit was one against chastity. This 
 temptation was a severe one to Joseph, for, do what he could, she 
 would not leave him alone. She argued that the sin would not he a 
 very great one; that no one need know about it, and so forth. She, 
 furthermore, flattered him and promised him riches, if he would consent, 
 and threatened to do him great injury, if he refused. Nevertheless, 
 Joseph remained firm, and would not yield to the temptation. He loved 
 the virtue of purity. He knew that want of chastity is the most shameful 
 of all sins, and he carefully guarded himself against it. To do so, he 
 used the following means: 1. He kept as much as he could out of this 
 woman's way. He would not have been in her house that day, had not 
 business called him there ; and when she tried to detain him, he fled. 
 2. Before going into the house, he armed himself against the temptation 
 by praying to God for strength. 3. Each time this wicked woman tempted 
 him, he thought of God Who sees everything, and Who has a special 
 hatred of sins against chastity. If you wish to preserve your innocence, 
 dear children, you must do as Joseph did. You must avoid the occasions of 
 sin, bad companions, and all unclean thoughts. You must appeal for help to 
 God and His holy Mother; and you must think of God's presence, of death, 
 and hell. You have far more powerful means of preserving your innocence 
 than Joseph had in Egypt, for you have the holy Sacraments of Penance 
 and of the Altar. If you receive these often and worthily, you will be 
 able to resist all temptations. Joseph remained chaste, though he did not 
 possess these mighty means of grace. Your sin will be far greater 
 than his would have been, if you lose your innocence in spite of them. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Joseph's temptation was a severe one , and yet he stood 
 firm. Have you not let yourself be led into sin by far lesser 
 
JOSEPH IN PRISON. Ill 
 
 temptations? Joseph paid no heed to the threats of this 
 wicked woman, but feared God more than her. He preferred 
 to suffer anything, even death, rather than offend God. 
 Repent of your sins, and say often to God: "I will die 
 rather than offend Thee." 
 
 Do you love purity as dearly as holy Joseph loved it? 
 Would you preserve your innocence at any cost? Your 
 innocence should be dearer to you than anything in the 
 world, for it is the most priceless treasure you possess. 
 Avoid, therefore, all occasions of sin, bad companions, and 
 impure things. " My son, if sinners shall entice thee, consent 
 not to them! If they shall say, 'Come with us,' walk not 
 thou with them!" (Prov. 1, 10 &c). Say every day a 
 Hail Mary for the preservation of your innocence. 
 
 Chapter XX. 
 JOSEPH IN PRISON. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 JOSEPH was now pining in prison, among criminals. But 
 even here God did not abandon him, and caused him to 
 find favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison, who 
 gave him charge of all the prisoners. Amongst these were 
 the chief butler 1 and the chief baker 2 of Pharao, accused 
 of treason against their king. After some time, they both, 
 on the same night, had a dream which perplexed them and 
 made them sad. 
 
 Joseph, perceiving their sadness, asked them 3 , saying: 
 "Why is your countenance sadder to-day than usual?" They 
 answered: "We have dreamed a dream, and there is nobody 
 to interpret it to us." Joseph said to them: "Doth not inter- 
 pretation belong to God? 4 Tell me what you have dreamed." 
 
 The chief butler first told his dream: "I saw before me 
 a vine on which were three branches which by little and 
 little sent out buds; and afterwards the blossoms brought 
 forth ripe grapes. And the cup of Pharao was in my hand, 
 and I took the grapes, and pressed them into the cup which 
 I held, and I gave the cup to Pharao." 
 
112 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Joseph answered: "This is the interpretation of the dream: 
 The three branches are yet three days, after which Pharao 
 will restore thee to thy former place, and thou shalt present 
 him the cup as before. Only remember me, when it shall 
 be well with thee, and do me this kindness, to put Pharao 
 in mind to take me out of this prison!" 
 
 1 This was the name given to that officer in the king's court 
 whose duty it was to examine and pour out the wine which the king 
 drank. — 2 The duty of the chief baker was to bake the bread for 
 the king , and , above all , to examine it , before the king ate it. — 
 3 full of sympathy for their trouble. — 4 By this Joseph meant: "Only 
 those dreams which are sent by God have any special meaning, and 
 he alone who is inspired by God to do so, can interpret such dreams." 
 
 Then the chief baker, seeing that Joseph had so wisely 
 interpreted the dream, said: "I, also, dreamed a dream that 
 I had three baskets of meal upon my head; and that in 
 one basket which was uppermost I carried all kinds of 
 pastry, and that the birds ate out of it." 
 
 Joseph said to him: "This is the interpretation of the 
 dream: The three baskets are yet three days, after which 
 Pharao will take thy head from thee and hang thee on a 
 cross, and the birds shall tear thy flesh." 5 The third day 
 after this was the birthday of Pharao. 
 
 At the banquet 6 he remembered the chief butler and chief 
 baker. The former he restored to his place; the latter he 
 caused to be hanged on a gibbet 7 . The chief butler rejoiced 
 in his good fortune, but he thought no more of Joseph. 
 
 5 In olden times a criminal was first beheaded, and then his body 
 was hung on a gibbet, as a warning to others. — 6 at the feast, 
 given by Pharao on the occasion. — 7 Apparently, Jthe chief butler's 
 offence was not so great as that of the chief baker, and, therefore, 
 the king pardoned him on his birthday. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The object of suffering. Joseph really had a great deal 
 to endure. At home, after being derided by his brethren, 
 he was sold to be a slave in a strange land. Then, though 
 innocent, he was thrown into prison and bound with chains, 
 as if he were the worst of criminals. He had, apparently, 
 lost everything now, home, freedom and honour, but he still 
 
JOSEPH IN PRISON. 113 
 
 kept what was best of all, his innocence and his confidence 
 in God. Every kind of external misfortune had befallen 
 him, but he still had a good conscience, and the peace of 
 God in his heart, so that, in spite of everything, he was 
 still inwardly happy. But we ask: "Why did Almighty God 
 allow this holy, innocent Joseph to be burdened by so many 
 troubles?" The answer is: "He allowed it in order that 
 Joseph might be confirmed in virtue, and prepared by these 
 humiliations for his future exalted position. All the sufferings 
 which God allows to befall the just, are for this same end ; 
 only their exaltation does not always take place in this 
 world, but generally in the next." 
 
 God does not forsake his servants. God was with Joseph, 
 that is, He comforted and upheld him in his sufferings, and 
 enabled the jailer to recognise his innocence and usefulness, 
 and thus to lighten his captivity. We learn by this story 
 of Joseph that Almighty God does not forsake those who 
 are His, and that we ought always to trust in Him, have 
 recourse to Him, and submit ourselves to His will. You 
 can see now why the Church (by the mouth of her priests) 
 says "Dominus vobiscum" to us so often; for these words ex- 
 press her wish that God may always be with us by His grace. 
 The response: "And with thy spirit", equally expresses the 
 wish that God may, by His grace, dwell in the soul of the priest. 
 
 Compassion. When he was set over the other prisoners, 
 Joseph was not rough and harsh with them, but, on the 
 contrary, sympathised with them, and comforted those who 
 were in trouble. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall 
 obtain mercy." 
 
 Humility. Joseph at once gave it to be understood that the 
 interpretation of the dreams must come from God, and that 
 of himself he could give none. He thus gave the glory to God. 
 
 Ingratitude. The chief butler behaved most ungratefully 
 towards Joseph by forgetting him in the time of his own 
 prosperity. Was that not horrible ? But to whom is it that 
 we owe most gratitude? Is it not to God? Thanksgiving 
 is a necessary part of the worship of God. We should not 
 thank Him by words only, but also by deed, and by doing 
 
114 CHAPTER XXL 
 
 His holy will. He who offends God grievously proves that 
 he is thoroughly ungrateful. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 You have often been ungrateful to God, and also to your 
 parents and superiors, by vexing and grieving them. Think 
 of all the benefits both to soul and body which you have 
 received from God! Say your morning and night prayers, 
 and your grace at meal-times devoutly. 
 
 The chief butler forgot Joseph who, all the time, was 
 lingering in prison. Christians are very apt to forget their 
 departed friends and benefactors who are suffering in the 
 prison of purgatory. Has it been so with you? Pray every 
 day for the holy souls, and especially for your relations 
 and benefactors. 
 
 Chapter XXL 
 
 JOSEPH'S EXALTATION. 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 AFTER two years, Pharao had a dream. He thought he 
 stood by the river Nile 1 out of which came seven 
 cows, very beautiful and fat ; and they fed in marshy places. 
 After them came, also, seven others that were lean and ill- 
 favoured, and they devoured the fat ones. Then the king awoke. 
 He slept again and dreamed another dream in which he 
 saw seven ears of corn growing upon one stalk; and the 
 ears were full and fair. After these came up seven other 
 ears, thin and blighted, devouring all the beauty of the 
 former. Pharao awoke the second time, and, morning having 
 come , he sent for all the soothsayers 2 and wise men of 
 Egypt , and related to them his dreams. But no one was 
 found who could interpret them. 
 
 1 This is the only river in Egypt. In map I the lower part of the 
 river is shown ; and you can see that it is divided into many branches 
 and channels. It is to this river that Egypt owes its fertility. In the 
 summer (from August to October) the Nile overflows its banks, and 
 inundates the whole plain with its slimy waters. This water provides 
 the sandy plain with necessary moisture , and the slime , left behind 
 by the inundation, acts as a powerful manure. The crops are sown 
 
JOSEPH'S EXALTATION. 
 
 115 
 
 after the annual overflow, and the ground produces corn in abundance, 
 each stalk bearing from three to seven ears. When the Nile does not 
 overflow, nothing grows, and there is a famine. — 2 These men gave 
 themselves out as capable of interpreting dreams and foretelling the 
 future. 
 
 Then the chief butler remembered Joseph, and was sorry 
 that he had so long forgotten him 3 . He told the king that 
 there was in the prison a Hebrew 4 youth who had inter- 
 preted dreams for him and the chief baker, and that all 
 had come to pass just as he said. 
 
 The king's curiosity being excited, he ordered the youth 
 to be brought before him. Then he addressed him, saying: 
 "I have dreamed dreams, and there is no one that can 
 expound them. Now, I have heard that thou art very wise 
 at interpreting them." Joseph answered: "God alone can 
 give Pharao a prosperous answer." Pharao then related 
 what he had seen. 
 
 Having heard the dreams, Joseph said: "God hath shown 
 to Pharao what He is about to do 5 . The seven beautiful 
 kine , and the seven full ears , are seven years of plenty ; 
 
116 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 the seven lean and thin kine, and the seven blasted ears, 
 are seven years of famine. There shall come seven years 
 of great plenty in the whole land of Egypt, after which 
 shall follow seven other years of so great a scarcity that 
 all the abundance before shall be forgotten ; for the famine 
 shall consume all the land, and the greatness of the scarcity 
 shall destroy the greatness of the plenty. Now, therefore, 
 let the king provide a wise and industrious man 6 who shall 
 gather into barns the fifth part of the fruit of the seven 
 years of plenty, so that it be ready against the seven 
 years of famine." 
 
 3 The duty of gratitude ought to have made him think of Joseph 
 as soon as ever he had received his pardon. — 4 He called Joseph 
 a Hebrew, because the descendants of Abraham were known by that 
 name. — 5 i. e. these dreams have been sent to you by God in order 
 to show you what is, by His divine providence, to happen in the 
 future. — 6 a prudent, active man who would be capable of carrying 
 out such a great work. 
 
 This counsel was pleasing to Pharao, and he said to his 
 courtiers: "Can we find such another man that is full of 
 the Spirit of God?" 7 Then the king said to Joseph: "Can 
 I find one wiser and like unto thee? Thou shalt be over my 
 house, and at the commandment of thy mouth all the people 
 shall obey. Only in the kingly throne will I be above thee." 8 
 
 Then the king, having made Joseph ruler over all the 
 land of Egypt, took his ring 9 from his own hand, and placed 
 it on that of Joseph. He put on him, also, a robe of silk, 
 and a chain of gold around his neck, and caused him to be 
 seated in a triumphal chariot next to his own, and to be 
 proclaimed governor of Egypt. 10 He also changed his name, 
 and called him Saviour 11 of the world. Joseph was thirty 
 years old 12 , when he was made ruler of Egypt. 
 
 The life of Joseph teaches us clearly that the ways of 
 God are wonderful. His brothers hated him, and this hatred 
 of theirs brought him to Egypt ; and this was the first step 
 to his greatness. The wife of Putiphar hated him, and her 
 hatred brought him into prison ; and this was the next step 
 to his greatness, for in prison he became acquainted with 
 
JOSEPH'S EXALTATION. 117 
 
 the chief butler of the king. But, if Joseph had murmured 
 against providence, or had cursed his enemies, God would 
 not have placed him on the throne of Egypt. 
 
 7 i. e. I cannot find a more capable man than this one. He knew 
 that the Spirit of God was with Joseph. — 8 Kings sit on a throne, 
 and a throne, therefore, is the type of kingly power. The king meant : 
 
 I will remain king, but next to me yours shall be the highest authority 
 in Egypt, and you shall govern the country in my name. Joseph was, 
 in fact, made the Prime Minister of the king. — 9 Pharao gave 
 Joseph his signet-ring, as a sign that Joseph was empowered to give 
 orders in the king's name, and to seal them with the king's seal. — 
 10 Pharao commanded that all men should bow the knee to Joseph, 
 as a test whether they were ready to obey and honour him. — 
 
 II because he had saved Egypt and the neighbouring countries from 
 the horrors of famine. — - 12 Joseph was now thirty years old. He 
 was sixteen, when his brothers sold him: therefore, he had been a slave 
 for fourteen years, three or four of which had been passed in prison. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Humility. When Pharao said to Joseph: "I have heard 
 that thou art very wise at interpreting dreams," Joseph 
 replied- that it was God alone Who could give the inter- 
 pretation. This was as much as to say: "Of myself I can 
 do nothing; I can only interpret dreams by the inspiration 
 of God." Thus he was humble, and gave the glory to God. 
 "Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to Thy name give 
 glory" (Ps. 113, 9). 
 
 The reward of virtue. Joseph had suffered for a long time, 
 but his troubles came to an end at last, his patience and 
 trust in God were richly rewarded, and he was fully com- 
 pensated for all his past sufferings. Once, his brothers tore 
 his clothes from his back: now, he was clad in a robe of 
 silk. Once, he was degraded to a state of slavery: now, he 
 was raised to the highest dignity. He was once loaded with 
 chains in prison: now, he was distinguished by a chain of 
 gold round his neck. He had been dragged off to prison like 
 the worst of criminals : now, he was led through the streets 
 in the king's chariot, and all men bowed before him. "Behold, 
 thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord" 
 (Ps. 127, 4). 
 
118 CHAPTER XXL 
 
 The Wisdom of Divine Providence is clearly to be seen in 
 this story of Joseph's abasement and exaltation. What were 
 Almighty God's intentions about Joseph? He had signified 
 by the dreams which Joseph had dreamt as a boy, that he 
 would one day be a great lord, and that his brethren would 
 bow down before him. Man did every possible thing to 
 hinder this exaltation. His brothers sold him as a slave 
 on account of those very dreams. The merchants took him 
 far away ; Putiphar had him cast into prison like a criminal ; 
 the chief butler, who was deeply indebted to him, forgot 
 all about him. Humanly speaking, there was no prospect 
 of either his freedom or his honour being restored to him; 
 much less of his becoming a great lord. But God made 
 everything which was apparently a misfortune and humi- 
 liation conduce to his future exaltation. By being sold, he 
 was taken to the very land where he was to be exalted. 
 By being put into prison, he became known to the chief 
 butler, who, later on, introduced him to the king. Even the 
 chief butler's ingratitude, which must have deeply wounded 
 Joseph, led, under God's providence, towards the desired 
 end ; for if the chief butler had remembered him sooner, and 
 got him taken out of prison at once, Joseph would not have 
 remained in Egypt, but would have returned to Chanaan, to 
 his sorrowful old father. Thus, all these misfortunes led, 
 under divine providence, to the future exaltation of Joseph. 
 Moreover, by his troubles he was confirmed in prayer, con- 
 fidence, humility, and love of his neighbour, and was thus 
 prepared for the important post for which God destined 
 him. When we think of all this, we can only exclaim with 
 St. Paul: "How incomprehensible are God's judgments, and 
 how unsearchable His ways!" (Rom. 11, 33.) 
 
 Joseph, the sixth type of Jesus Christ. Joseph, the beloved, 
 obedient, and innocent son of his father, was envied by his 
 brethren, ill-treated by them, sold, and given over to the 
 gentiles: so also Jesus. Joseph was repeatedly tempted, 
 and yet did not sin : so also Jesus. Joseph was falsely 
 accused and unjustly condemned. He suffered patiently and 
 resignedly between two malefactors, to one of whom he 
 
JOSEPH'S EXALTATION. 119 
 
 foretold pardon: Jesus, crucified between two thieves, said 
 to the one on His right Hand: "This day shalt thou be with 
 Me in Paradise." Joseph was set free from prison, and made 
 ruler over the whole land: Jesus was raised from the prison 
 of the tomb, and sitteth at the right hand of His Father. 
 Joseph was called the Saviour of the world, because he saved 
 the Egyptians from famine: Jesus is indeed the Saviour of 
 the world, because He has redeemed the whole world from 
 sin and hell. The Egyptians bowed the knee before Joseph 
 to testify the homage they owed him. "In the name of 
 Jesus every knee shall bow, of those that are in heaven, 
 on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue shall confess 
 that the Lord Jesus Christ is the glory of God the Father" 
 (Phil. 2, 10. 11). (Repeat the first five types.) 
 
 Joseph's exaltation is a type of the glory of the just in heaven. God 
 does not always reward the just in this world , for we were created, 
 not for a temporal, but for an eternal happiness. But we may be sure 
 that He will reward them in the next world by an "eternal weight 
 of glory" (2 Cor. 4, 17). The just have to pass through many trials 
 on earth. They may, like Joseph, be persecuted and ridiculed for 
 their faith , piety , or conscientiousness , but some day they will be 
 exalted, and rewarded with everlasting happiness. The more good a 
 man has done on earth, and the more he has suffered for the love of 
 God, the greater will be his reward in heaven. "Blessed are they that 
 suffer persecution for justice's sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
 Blessed are ye, when they shall revile you and persecute you, and speak 
 all that is evil against you untruly, for My sake. Be glad and rejoice, 
 for your reward is very great in heaven" (Mat. 5, 10 — 12). "Blessed 
 is the man that endureth temptation, for, when he hath been proved, 
 he shall receive the crown of life" (James 1, 12). "The sufferings of 
 this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come" 
 (Rom. 8, 18). 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Men often take that to be a misfortune which is really 
 the contrary. Never complain of the ways of God, but 
 always , and in all things , submit to His holy will. Have 
 you ever complained ? Are you not cowardly and desponding 
 under suffering? Say to yourself: "God knows what is best 
 for me. Not my will, but Thine be done!" 
 
120 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Chapter XXII. 
 
 THE SONS OF JACOB GO INTO EGYPT. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 THE seven years of plenty came, as Joseph had foretold. 
 There was great abundance everywhere. And Joseph 
 gathered the surplus of the grain 1 every year, and stored 
 it up in the granaries. But, after the years of plenty, the 
 seven years of scarcity set in, and the famine prevailed in 
 all the countries. The people of Egypt cried to the king 
 for bread, but he answered them: "Go to Joseph, and do 
 all that he shall say to you." 
 
 Joseph opened all the granaries and sold to the Egyptians. 
 Likewise the people from other countries came to Egypt to 
 buy corn. At last, the famine reached Chanaan, and Jacob, 
 having heard that there was wheat in Egypt for sale, sent 
 ten of his sons with money to buy food. But Benjamin, the 
 youngest, he kept at home, fearing lest some evil might 
 befall him on the way. 
 
 The ten sons of Jacob arrived safely in Egypt, and, seeing 
 Joseph, they bowed down before him, not knowing that he 
 was their brother 2 . But he at once recognized them, and 
 remembered the dreams he had dreamed 3 . He wished to 
 know whether they were now sorry for their sin 4 ; so he 
 spoke to them, as if they were strangers to him, and said: 
 "You are spies" 5 . 
 
 They answered: "It is not so, my lord, but we have come 
 to buy food. We, thy servants, are twelve brethren, the 
 sons of one man in the land of Chanaan. The youngest is 
 with our father; the other is not living" 6 . Joseph then cast 
 them into prison three days 7 . 
 
 1 Corn, wheat &c. — 2 Joseph was a boy of sixteen, when they sold 
 him, and was now thirty-eight years old. He would have changed a 
 great deal in appearance in twenty-two years. Besides that, they could 
 never have dreamt that their young slave brother could have become 
 this great ruler. — 3 the first of which was then fulfilled. — 4 and 
 if they had improved. Above all things, he wished to find out if they 
 treated his young brother Benjamin as harshly and unlovingly as they 
 had treated him. This was why he forced them to bring Benjamin 
 
THE SONS OF JACOB GO INTO EGYPT. 121 
 
 back with them, so that he might be convinced with his own eyes 
 that he was still alive. — 5 i. e. you are foreign informers, and wish 
 to find out where this country could be most easily invaded and 
 conquered. — 6 The brothers might well have hesitated and wondered 
 what to say about Joseph. — 7 He did this, so that they might have 
 time to enter into themselves, and confess the sin, which they had 
 committed against him. 
 
 On the third day, he brought them out, and said: "If you 
 be peaceable men, let one of your brethren be bound in 
 prison, and go ye your ways, and carry the corn, that you 
 have bought into your houses ; and bring your youngest 
 brother to me, that I may find your words to be true, and 
 you may not die." 
 
 Then, they said one to another: "We deserve to suffer 
 these things, because we have sinned against our brother, 
 seeing the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we 
 would not hear; therefore, is this affliction come upon us" 8 . 
 They thought that Joseph did not understand them, for he 
 spoke to them through an interpreter 9 . But he understood 
 all that they said, and his heart was moved with pity, so 
 that, turning aside from them, he wept 10 . 
 
 But in order to see, if their repentance was sincere, he 
 returned to them and ordered Simeon n to be bound before 
 their eyes. Then, he commanded his servants to fill their 
 sacks with wheat, and put each man's money secretly in 
 his sack 12 , and give them , besides , provisions 13 for their 
 journey. This being done, they loaded their asses with the 
 corn, and returned home. 
 
 They related to their father all that had happened, and, 
 on opening their sacks, every man found his money tied in 
 the mouth of his sack. Seeing this, they were troubled and 
 afraid 14 . And Jacob said to them: "You have made me 
 childless. Joseph is not living, Simeon is kept in bonds, and 
 Benjamin ye will take away. My son shall not go down 
 with you, for, if any evil befall him, you will bring my hairs 
 in sorrow to the grave." 
 
 8 We can see by these words that they had entered into themselves 
 in prison, and now, confessed their guilt towards Joseph. — 9 A man, 
 who understood and translated both the Hebrew and Egyptian languages, 
 Knecht, Commentary. I. 6 
 
122 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 In order not to betray himself to his brethren, he spoke to them in 
 Egyptian, and the interpreter translated what he said to his brethren. 
 
 — 10 He was moved by the penitent dispositions of his brothers. We 
 can see by Joseph's tears that his harshness to his brothers arose 
 from no desire of revenge, but from the very best intentions. — 
 11 Simeon was the brother next in age to Reuben. Joseph would not 
 have Reuben bound, because he had wished to save him ; therefore, he 
 kept the next eldest as a hostage. Very likely Simeon had been the 
 chief instigator of Joseph's ill-treatment, and, therefore, a longer 
 captivity was necessary to bring him to repentance. — 12 He would 
 not take money for the bread, which was to feed his own family. 
 
 — 13 All that was necessary for the journey. — u They feared, that 
 the great Egyptian governor would take them for thieves, and would 
 be more severe than ever with them. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Admonishing sinners. Joseph treated his brethren severely, 
 not out of revenge, but out of love. He wished to bring 
 them to self-examination, repentance and amendment of life. 
 To admonish sinners, so as to convert them and lead them to 
 see their sins, and to repent of them, is a duty of brotherly 
 love and one of the spiritual works of mercy. St. James says 
 (5, 20): "He who causeth a sinner to be converted from 
 the error of his way, shall save his soul from death, and 
 shall cover a multitude of sins." 
 
 The object of sufferings. God, in His love, inflicts temporal 
 sufferings on sinners, so that they may thereby be saved 
 from the eternal sufferings of hell. These sufferings, such 
 as sicknesses, misfortunes &c. , ought to have the effect of 
 turning the sinner's thoughts to God, death , judgment and 
 eternity, of teaching him to see the vanity of earthly things, 
 and of leading him to repent of his sins, do penance, and 
 care for the things of his soul. Such troubles are called 
 visitations, for it is in this way that God visits His wandering 
 children, and seeks to bring them back to the right way. 
 "For, whom the Lord loveth, He chastiseth" (Hebr. 12, 6). 
 Millions of the blessed would not now be in heaven, if God 
 had not visited them with tribulations in this world. 
 
 The strictness of parents. Parents must punish their children 
 sometimes, so as to keep them from evil. They do so, and 
 must do so, out of love. Parents, who indulge their children 
 
THE SONS OF JACOB GO INTO EGYPT. 123 
 
 in everything, have no true love for them, because they spoil 
 them. Happy the child, whose parents are strict. "He that 
 spareth the rod, hateth his son, but he that loveth him, 
 correcteth him betimes" (Prov. 13, 24). 
 
 Economy. Joseph practised economy in the time of plenty, 
 in order to be able to help others in the time of need. The 
 wise son of Sirach says: "Remember poverty in the time 
 of abundance , and the necessities of poverty in the day of 
 riches" (Ecclus. 18, 25). 
 
 Feeding the hungry. On one hand, we should guard against 
 extravagance, on the other, against the detestable vice of 
 avarice. Joseph fed the hungry Egyptians with bread: we 
 too ought to be willing to help those in need. 
 
 A bad conscience. It was really from kindness that Joseph 
 secretly returned their money to his brothers, and gave them 
 provisions for their journey. But his generosity caused them 
 no joy, only anxiety and fear, because their consciences 
 were guilty. They feared that God meant to punish them 
 for the crime they had committed against Joseph, and had 
 brought it about that their money should be left in their 
 sacks, so that they might be regarded and punished as 
 thieves. An evil conscience spoils every joy. It fills the 
 sinner with fear , and follows him about wherever he goes. 
 
 The treasury of Christ's Merits. Even as Pharao said to the hungry 
 Egyptians: "Go to Joseph," so does the Heavenly King say to all 
 those who are laden with sin and misery: "Go to Jesus, and do all 
 that He tells you", even as He said at the Transfiguration: "This 
 is my beloved Son, hear ye Him". If we obey this command, we 
 shall be saved from death. Jesus Christ bequeathed to His Church 
 a treasury of His superabundant merits and graces, from which we, 
 by means of the seven Sacraments, can draw for all our needs. 
 
 St. Joseph. The Church applies those words: "Go to Joseph," to 
 the holy foster-father of our Lord, to whom the Joseph of Egypt 
 bore much resemblance. St. Joseph was holy , chaste , and innocent, 
 received revelations from God , was put in charge of the Holy 
 Family, and is now in heaven, the true guardian and protector of 
 every child of Jesus. His powerful intercession opens to us the treasury 
 of divine grace. He is the special patron of the holy Church. We 
 ought to venerate St. Joseph very much, follow his virtuous example, 
 and implore his intercession. 
 
 6* 
 
124 CHAPTFR XXIII. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 If you have any pain to bear, such as toothache &c, offer 
 it to God, and resolve to lead a better life for the future. 
 If you are punished by your parents, say to yourself: "It 
 is what I deserve." 
 
 Have you not often been extravagant? Do not waste 
 anything , and do not spend money unnecessarily , as , for 
 instance, on sweet things. Do not purposely spoil your clothes, 
 books &c. ; and willingly give of your savings to the poor. 
 
 Chapter XXIII. 
 BENJAMIN'S JOURNEY TO EGYPT. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 BUT, after some months, the corn, which the sons of Jacob 
 had brought from Egypt, was consumed, and the famine 
 still continued. Therefore, Jacob said to his sons: "Go again 
 into Egypt and bring us a little food." Juda told his father 
 that the governor had forbidden them to come back to Egypt, 
 unless they brought Benjamin with them. And Juda added: 
 "Send the boy with me that we may set forward, lest 
 both we and our children perish. I take the boy upon me ; 
 require him at my hand." 1 
 
 So Jacob consented to let Benjamin go. And he told his 
 sons to take some of the best fruits of the country as 
 presents to the governor of Egypt, and also to return the 
 money, which they had found in their sacks, lest perhaps it 
 was done by mistake. Then, he prayed that God might prosper 
 their journey, and make the governor of Egypt favourable 2 
 to them, and send them back with Simeon and Benjamin. 
 
 1 I will be surety for him. I will stay myself in Egypt rather than 
 that Benjamin should not return to you. — 2 favourably inclined, or 
 kindly disposed towards them. 
 
 Then, they went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 
 When Joseph saw them, and Benjamin in their midst, he 
 commanded his steward to conduct them to his house, and 
 prepare a banquet 3 . The steward obeyed. But the brothers, 
 on finding themselves in the governor's house, were seized 
 
BENJAMIN'S JOURNEY TO EGYPT. 125 
 
 with fear, and said one to another: " Because of the money, 
 which we carried back the first time in our sacks, we are 
 brought in that he may bring upon us a false accusation, 
 and by violence make slaves of us." 
 
 Therefore, they went to the steward at the door, and said : 
 "We cannot tell, who put that money in our bags." But 
 he said to them: "Peace be to you; fear not." And he 
 brought Simeon out to them. Joseph, having now entered 
 the house, they bowed down before him and offered their 
 gifts. He kindly saluted them in return, and asked, if their 
 aged father was still living 4 . 
 
 They told him that their father lived, and was in good 
 health. Then Joseph, seeing Benjamin, inquired, if that was 
 their youngest brother. They answered: "He is our youngest 
 brother." Then Joseph said: "God be gracious to thee, my 
 son"; and, going out, he wept, for his heart was deeply 
 touched at the sight of his young brother 5 . Having dried 
 his tears and washed his face 6 , he returned to his brethren 
 and ordered food to be placed before them. Then, they were 
 ordered to sit before him, and he placed them according to 
 their age, the first-born first, and the youngest last. All 
 received gifts, but Benjamin received five times more than 
 the rest 7 . And they wondered much 8 . 
 
 3 As soon as Joseph had convinced himself that Benjamin was alive, 
 he resolved to receive his brothers cordially, and have a feast prepared. 
 — 4 How beautiful and touching it is that Joseph's first thought 
 should be to ask after his father. — 5 Benjamin had been quite a 
 little child, when Joseph was sold. — 6 so that they might not see 
 that he had been weeping. — 7 By doing this, Joseph not only wished 
 to distinguish and favour his young brother, but he also wished to 
 see , if his brothers envied Benjamin , as they had envied him. — 
 8 They could not understand, how this Egyptian governor could know, 
 which was eldest &c. With the exception of Benjamin, they were 
 all grown men of over forty , and , at that time of life , it is not 
 easy to judge the difference of age. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 God rules over everything, even the hearts of men. For 
 this reason Jacob said, when he sent his sons back to Egypt: 
 "May my Almighty God make the man favourable to you." 
 
126 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 God governs the hearts of men by His grace. "As the division 
 of the waters, so is the heart of the king in the hand of the 
 Lord. Whithersoever He will, He shall turn it" (Prov. 21, 1). 
 
 Love for parents. The first thing Joseph did was to ask 
 after his father. While he was at home, Joseph had loved, 
 honoured and obeyed him, and been a joy to him ; and now, 
 though he had become so distinguished, rich and powerful, he 
 still loved his father dearly, and was most anxious for news 
 of his welfare. He thus observed the Fourth Commandment. 
 
 Love for brothers and sisters. Joseph sincerely loved his 
 brothers. He meant well by them, and was severe to them 
 only for the purpose of doing them good. As soon as he 
 was sure that Benjamin had suffered no harm from them, 
 he was kind to them. He did not return evil for evil, but 
 rather good for evil. They had sold him for money, and 
 he, in return, gave them plenty of corn. They had thrown 
 him into a pit and nearly starved him: he took them into 
 his house, and feasted them royally. They had treated him 
 as a rogue and a slave : he had them waited on like princes. 
 They remained unmoved, when he prayed for mercy: he was 
 so moved by the sight of them and their anxieties that he 
 could not restrain his tears. Is he not a noble and beautiful 
 character? Would that all brothers and sisters loved each 
 other like that! 
 
 Restitution. Jacob bade his sons take back with them 
 the money, which they had found in their sacks ; the reason, 
 which he gave, being that it might have been put there by 
 mistake. Jacob was, we can see by this, upright and con- 
 scientious, and wished to restore what he had found to its 
 owner. "If", said he to himself, "this Egyptian governor 
 refuses to take money for the corn, and has had the money 
 returned in the sacks on purpose, then, we can keep it 
 with a clear conscience; but if it has been given back by 
 mistake, I will, any how, return it, and then, my conscience 
 cannot reproach me." 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 How do you behave to your brothers and sisters? Do 
 you provoke or strike them? And are you angry and 
 
JOSEPH'S SILVER CUP. 127 
 
 revengeful, when they have injured you ? Do you often quarrel 
 with them ? Where, then, is your love for them ? You ought 
 to love all your neighbours; and surely your brothers and 
 sisters are nearer to you than any one else, and you ought 
 to love them more than any one else. 
 
 Do you really love your parents? Do you ever vex or 
 grieve them ? You will have neither happiness nor blessing 
 in life, if you do not honour your parents. 
 
 Have you kept anything, which does not belong to you? 
 Have you always restored anything you have found to its 
 owner, or returned the money, when too much change has 
 been given to you &c. 
 
 Chapter XXIY. 
 JOSEPH'S SILVER CUP. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 JOSEPH showed this preference for Benjamin, in order 
 to see, if his brothers had overcome their former envious 
 feelings. He wished to know, also, whether they really loved 
 their youngest brother, or whether they would sacrifice him, 
 also, to a spirit of jealousy *. 
 
 Hence, he commanded the steward to fill their sacks with 
 corn, and to put each one's money in the top of his sack; 
 but to place in the mouth of Benjamin's sack Joseph's 
 own silver cup. This was done, and the brothers set out 
 on their journey. 
 
 But they had scarcely gone forward a little way, when 
 Joseph sent his steward after them, who, overtaking them, 
 accused them of stealing his master's cup. He said: "Why 
 have ye returned evil for good?" 2 Struck with terror, and 
 angry at being suspected of theft, the brothers replied: 
 "With whomsoever the cup shall be found, let him die 3 , 
 and we will be the bondsmen of my lord." The steward 
 replied: "Be it according to your words." 
 
 They immediately took down their sacks and opened them, 
 and when the steward had searched them all, beginning 
 with that of the eldest, he found the cup in Benjamin's sack. 
 
128 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 The brothers, rending their garments 4 , loaded their asses 
 again and returned to the city 5 . 
 
 1 Joseph could see that his brothers had improved. Benjamin was 
 alive, so it was plain that they had not put him out of the way. 
 Also their words: "We deserve to suffer these things", bore witness 
 to the change for the better in them. But he still wished to see if 
 they had completely changed. It was true that Benjamin was alive, 
 but, all the same, they might envy and hate him, and this he wished 
 to put to the proof, by placing Benjamin in what was apparently a 
 very dangerous position, and seeing if they would forsake him. — 
 2 Why have you thus repaid the hospitality of my master? — 3 This 
 they said , each feeling quite certain that no one of the others was 
 capable of such an act. — 4 with grief. — 5 i. e. the city, where 
 Joseph dwelt. With what feelings of fear, grief and repentance must 
 they have returned! 
 
 And, falling down before Joseph 6 , they said: "Behold, we 
 are all bondmen to my lord" 7 . But Joseph answered: "God 
 forbid! He that stole the cup, he shall be my bondman, 
 and go you away free to your father." 
 
 Then, Juda told Joseph, how much it had cost their father 
 to part with Benjamin. They would rather die, all of them, 
 he said, than return to their aged father without his youngest 
 son. Juda, moreover, offered to remain, and be the governor's 
 slave till death, if he would allow Benjamin to go back safe 
 to his father 8 . This proposal showed, how sincere was the 
 repentance of the sons of Jacob for their former crime. 
 
 6 When, on other occasions, they had come into Joseph's presence, 
 they had bowed down to the ground before him, but this time, they 
 prostrated themselves , for they felt that everything depended on 
 propitiating this great man. — 7 When first accused, they had said : 
 "With whomsoever the cup shall be found, let him die". But Juda 
 makes no mention of this now. Once it is a question of Benjamin, 
 they would all prefer being slaves, rather than that he should perish. 
 — 8 Juda's conduct was very noble. He was quite ready to give 
 himself to be a slave, in Benjamin's stead, so as to spare to his father 
 the sorrow of the boy's loss. It was no longer possible for Joseph 
 to doubt the change in his brothers' dispositions. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Sin is an ingratitude to God. Almighty God might well 
 say to us, what the steward said to Joseph's brethren: "Why 
 have you returned evil for good ? I have done good to you ; 
 
JOSEPH MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN TO HIS BRETHREN. 129 
 
 I have given you life and health and grace, and you have 
 repaid my bounties with ingratitude. You have done a very 
 evil thing each time you have sinned." Mortal sin, especially, 
 is a base act of ingratitude towards God, our Father. 
 
 Love for our parents, and brothers and sisters. Juda had, 
 evidently, a very sincere love both for his father and for 
 his brother Benjamin. Children should show their love for 
 their parents by never annoying or grieving them, and by 
 helping them in their necessities. And, in the same way, 
 brothers and sisters ought to love one another. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 In order to spare his old father grief, Juda offered to be 
 a slave, instead of Benjamin, for the rest of his life. Have 
 you never caused sorrow to your parents? Repent of this, 
 and take every pains to be a joy to them by your obedience, 
 diligence &c. "Son, grieve not thy father" (Ecclus. 3, 14). 
 
 Juda adopted Benjamin and protected him. You ought to 
 take up the cause of your younger brothers and sisters, and 
 help them to pray and learn, to keep from evil, and love what 
 is good. But are you not, on the contrary, cross with them, 
 and do you not, sometimes, encourage them to do wrong? 
 
 Chapter XXV. 
 
 JOSEPH MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN TO HIS BRETHREN. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 JOSEPH could no longer restrain himself, and, therefore, 
 he commanded his officers and servants to retire 1 . Then, 
 with tears and sobs 2 , he said: "I am Joseph. Is my father 
 yet living ? " 3 His brothers could not answer him , being 
 struck with exceeding great fear 4 . But Joseph said mildly 
 to them: "Come nearer to me. I am Joseph, your brother, 
 whom you sold into Egypt. Fear nothing, for God sent me 
 before you into Egypt for your preservation" 5 . 
 
 Then he said: "Make haste, and go ye up to my father, 
 and say to him: 'Thus saith thy son Joseph: Come down 
 to me; linger not; and thou shalt dwell in the land of Gessen; 
 
130 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 and thou shalt be near me, thou and thy sons.'" Then, 
 falling upon the neck of Benjamin, he wept, and Benjamin 
 wept also in like manner. Then, he embraced all his brethren, 
 and wept over them, after which they were emboldened to 
 speak to him. 
 
 The news went abroad in the king's court: The brethren 
 of Joseph are come. And Pharao, with all his family, was 
 glad. He told Joseph to invite his father and his brethren 
 to come to Egypt. Joseph gave his brothers chariots and 
 provisions for the way. He ordered two robes to be given 
 to each of them, but to Benjamin he gave five robes of the 
 best, with three hundred pieces of silver. Besides, he gave 
 them rich presents for their father, and warned them not 
 to be angry on the way 6 . 
 
 1 They were all Egyptians. He wished to talk undisturbed with his 
 brothers, and also did not wish to make known their guilt to others. 
 — 2 His heart was so moved that he had to weep, before he could 
 utter a word. — 3 How he loved his father! He asked repeatedly 
 after him, in order to hear over and over again the glad news 
 that he was still alive. — 4 Their guilty consciences made them fear 
 
JOSEPH MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN TO HIS BRETHREN. 131 
 
 that Joseph would now revenge himself on them. — 5 He meant: It 
 was by Grod's providence that I came here, and became governor over 
 Egypt, in order to save you and the Egyptians from starvation. He 
 wished to comfort them and find excuses for them , and thus give 
 them courage. — e He feared that they might begin to reproach one 
 another, and each one make out that the others had had the greater 
 share in the cruelty, practised on Joseph. On this account, he 
 admonished them to keep the peace. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Providence. " Not by your counsel was I sent hither, but 
 by the will of God ", said Joseph to his brothers. He under- 
 stood that it was by God's permission that he was sold by 
 them. It was, indeed, a great crime, which the brothers 
 committed. It was not by God's will that the evil was done, 
 because He, being holy, can will no evil ; but He permitted 
 it, and so guided matters that good came out of evil. The 
 good, that came out of it, was threefold. Firstly, Joseph's 
 virtue was tried and strengthened, and subsequently rewarded 
 by his exaltation. Secondly, his own relatives and all the 
 Egyptians were saved from starvation. Thirdly, his brothers 
 were converted. 
 
 Forgiveness of others. Just think, how cruelly his brothers 
 had behaved to this innocent Joseph. Being the powerful 
 governor of Egypt, he could easily have had them cast into 
 prison or killed, or he could have kept them as his slaves. 
 Instead of this, he freely forgave them. He did not even 
 reproach them, but, on the contrary, made excuses for them, 
 and loaded them with presents. Was not that beautiful 
 and magnanimous! 
 
 Joseph as a type of Jesus Christ. We saw in Chapt. XXI 
 in how many ways Joseph is a type of our Blessed Lord. 
 In this present chapter we can see a still further resem- 
 blance in him to the Divine Saviour. As Joseph forgave 
 and excused his brethren, so did our Lord, hanging on the 
 Cross, forgive His enemies, and pray for them: "Father, 
 forgive them, for they know not, what they do!" 
 
 The terror of sinners at the Last Judgment. When Joseph said to 
 his brethren: "I am Joseph!" they were so full of fear that they 
 could not speak. How much greater will be the fear of sinners at 
 
132 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 the Last Judgment, when Jesus appears in power and majesty, and 
 says: "I am Jesus, Whom you have persecuted, and injured and 
 crucified hy your sins!" 
 
 III. .Application. 
 
 Joseph's example teaches us that we should from our 
 hearts forgive those who have injured us, and return with 
 good the evil they have done to us. The love of our enemies 
 is, therefore, a beautiful and great virtue, which we Christians 
 are bound to practise. 
 
 Brothers and sisters ought to love each other. Joseph's 
 exhortation to his brethren: "Be not angry in the way", 
 applies especially to them. 
 
 Chapter XXVI. 
 JACOB GOES INTO EGYPT. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 WHEN Joseph's brethren returned to their father, they 
 told him: "Joseph, thy son, is living, and he is ruler 
 in all the land of Egypt." But Jacob did not believe them, 
 till they showed him the chariots and all the presents, that 
 Joseph had sent. Then he awoke, as it were, from a deep 
 sleep 1 ; his spirit revived 2 , and he said: "It is enough for 
 me, if Joseph, my son, be yet living 3 . I will go and see 
 him, before I die." 
 
 And he set out for Egypt, with his whole family 4 and 
 all his possessions. When he had reached the confines of 
 Chanaan, he offered a sacrifice to God 5 , Who spoke to him 
 in a vision of the night, saying: "Fear not, go down into 
 Egypt, for I will make a great nation of thee there, and 
 will bring thee back again from hence." Consoled by the 
 vision, Jacob continued his journey, and arrived in Egypt. 
 
 1 When a person dreams something terrible and alarming, and then 
 wakes up , and finds that there is no real cause for fear , he feels 
 relieved and consoled. Jacob had hitherto mourned for his son Joseph, 
 as for one dead — and now, he heard that he was alive ! His former 
 grief was like a terrible dream of the past, and it was, as if a heavy 
 load were removed from his heart. However, it seemed so wonderful 
 that Joseph, whose blood-stained coat he had seen with his own eyes 
 
JACOB GOES INTO EGYPT. 133 
 
 should be alive, and a great ruler in Egypt, that he could not believe 
 it to be true, until he saw the waggons and costly gifts he had sent. 
 
 — 2 His spirit, knocked down and crushed by grief, recovered itself, 
 and he felt happy. — 8 It is quite enough for me to know that my son 
 is alive. That he is rich and powerful is quite a secondary consideration. 
 I do not want anything in this world, except to see him once more. 
 
 — 4 Jacob's sons were nearly all married, and had children. In all, 
 Jacob's family, without counting the wives, amounted to seventy 
 persons. — 5 Jacob found himself on the point of again leaving the 
 land, which God had promised to give to him and his descendants, and 
 of going with all his family into a strange country. Very likely, the 
 doubt arose in his mind, whether he were doing right. He desired that 
 Almighty God would make known His will to him, and he wished, 
 in case he were acting rightly, to ask the Lord's gracious protection 
 for his journey. God heard Jacob's prayer, and gave him a threefold 
 assurance : firstly , that he might without fear proceed on his way ; 
 secondly, that his descendants would become a great people in Egypt; 
 and thirdly, that God would bring this people back to Chanaan. 
 
 Juda went on in advance, to apprise Joseph of his father's 
 approach. Joseph immediately made ready his chariot, and 
 went up to meet his father. , As soon as he saw him coming, 
 he descended from his chariot and embraced him, weeping. 
 
 And Jacob said to Joseph: "Now I shall die with joy, 
 because I have seen thy face, and leave thee alive." Joseph 
 presented his father to Pharao, who asked him: "How many 
 are the years of thy life?" Jacob answered: "The days 
 of my pilgrimage 6 are a hundred and thirty years , few 7 
 and evil 8 , and they are not come up to the days of the 
 pilgrimage of my fathers." Then Jacob, having blessed the 
 king, retired. And Joseph gave his father and his brothers 
 possessions in the land of Gessen 9 , the most beautiful and 
 fertile part of Egypt. 
 
 6 i. e. my life. — 7 in comparison with those of his fathers. Abraham 
 lived to be 175, Isaac 180, and Noe 950 years old. — 8 He called 
 his days evil, because he had had so much trouble in his life. — 
 9 the north-east part of Egypt (see map). 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The love of parents for their children. You can see by the 
 example of Jacob, how very strong is the love, which parents 
 have for their children. He had mourned for Joseph for 
 twenty-three long years, and the moment he heard that he 
 
134 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 was alive, he, full of fatherly love, cried out that he asked 
 for nothing more on earth than to see his son Joseph once 
 more. Then, too, how troubled he was about the prisoner 
 Simeon, and how anxiously careful of Benjamin ! He proved 
 his love for Joseph by his actions, for out of love for him 
 he left his home, notwithstanding his infirmities, and under- 
 took a long and difficult journey. Parents are only too 
 willing to do all that they can for their children. 
 
 Love and respect for parents. This story shows to us the 
 love and respect, which Joseph had for his father. Joseph 
 acted as he did, although his father was a shepherd, and 
 shepherds were despised in Egypt. Moreover, by reason of 
 the famine, Jacob had become poor. Joseph, however, was 
 not ashamed of the humble and poor condition of his father, 
 but showed him every open mark of respect, that he could. 
 
 Respect for old age. King Pharao paid respect to Jacob, 
 not only because he was Joseph's father, but because of his 
 old age. We should always respect old age. "Rise up 
 before the hoary head , and honour the person of the aged 
 man" (Lev. 19, 32). 
 
 Prayer for light. Jacob prayed and offered up a sacrifice, 
 in order to learn God's will. If we are in doubt, we should 
 seek counsel not only from our parents, confessor &c. , but 
 we should pray to the Holy Ghost for light. 
 
 Consolation in suffering. Once both Jacob and Joseph wept 
 for sorrow; now they wept for joy. After the rain, comes 
 sunshine, and after sorrow, comes joy, often in this world, 
 but most certainly in the next, if the sufferings are borne 
 with patience and resignation. " God shall wipe away all 
 tears from their eyes: and death shall be no more, nor 
 mourning nor crying" (Apoc. 21, 4). 
 
 Life is a pilgrimage. God's servants know that they are 
 strangers and pilgrims on earth. " The years of my pilgrimage 
 have been few and evil ", said old Jacob. His life had, indeed, 
 been one of unrest, pain, and danger. He had had to leave 
 his home, when he was jquite young, and live for many years 
 in exile and servitude. After his return home, there fell on 
 him the heavy blow of Joseph's loss. Then, came the great 
 
JACOB GOES INTO EGYPT. 135 
 
 famine; and now, towards the end of his life, he found 
 himself once more in a strange country, far from the Promised 
 Land. He looked back sadly on his years of pilgrimage, and 
 told the king that they had been evil. But, at the same 
 time, he looked onward to that better and imperishable 
 home, which is the aim and end of our earthly pilgrimage. 
 Comparing his life in this world with that which is eternal, 
 he said that his long years of pilgrimage had been few. 
 "For we have not here a lasting city" (Hebr. 13, 14); we 
 are but pilgrims on the road to eternity. Heaven is our 
 home. We should not, therefore, cling to the things of 
 this earth , but should , above all things, seek the kingdom 
 of God. St. Peter writes: "I beseech you, as strangers 
 and pilgrims , to refrain yourselves from carnal desires " 
 (1 Pet. 2, 11). 
 
 God's Wisdom, shown oy His guidance of the Israelites. Why did 
 Almighty God's wise providence send Jacob and his family into Egypt? 
 In order that Jacob's descendants , His chosen people , should not be 
 led into idolatry. The danger of this would have been very great in 
 Chanaan, where they lived, surrounded by idolaters. Esau had already 
 made himself one with the children of Heth. Had Jacob's descendants 
 remained in Chanaan, they would have either got scattered among the 
 heathen, or they would have died out. They could not have developed 
 into an independent nation. In Egypt it was different. The Israelites 
 lived in a district of their own, cut off from and despised by the 
 Egyptians, on account of their being shepherds: thus, the danger of 
 falling away from the true God was less. Besides this, God knew 
 that His chosen people would be purified by their long course of 
 servitude and suffering, and would be, as it were, forced by want 
 and persecution, to place all their confidence in God, and look to Him 
 as their only Helper and Saviour. Lastly, Jacob's descendants would 
 learn much that was valuable from the Egyptians, these being far 
 ahead of the Chanaanites in agriculture, the arts, and all social laws 
 and institutions. By this means, the Israelites would be educated for 
 their high vocation. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Say the first words of the Our Father: "Our Father Who 
 art in heaven", with great devotion. Excite in yourself a 
 longing for heaven, and say: "Thy kingdom come." To 
 win heaven is the most important business of our lives. 
 
136 CHAPTER XXVI r. 
 
 Chapter XXVII. 
 THE LAST WORDS OF JACOB. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 ACOB lived seventeen years in Gressen. When the day of 
 
 j 
 
 his end approached, Joseph, with his two sons, Ephraim 
 and Manasses, went to visit him. Jacob kissed the boys, 
 blessed them, and prayed that the angel, who had delivered 
 him from evil, during life, might protect the sons of Joseph 1 . 
 To Joseph he said: "Behold, I die, and God will be with 
 you, and bring you back into the land of your fathers." 
 
 Then, his children and grandchildren having assembled 
 round his couch , he blessed them all. To Juda 2 he gave 
 a special blessing. "Juda," said he, "thy hand shall be on 
 the neck of thy enemies. The sons of thy father 3 shall 
 bow down to thee, and the sceptre 4 shall not be taken 
 away from Juda, till He come that is to be sent 5 , and He 
 shall be the expectation of nations." 6 
 
 Then, having told them to bury him with his fathers in 
 the land of Chanaan, he died. 
 
 i "Thy two sons shall be mine," Jacob said to Joseph, "and shall 
 inherit with mine". What should they inherit? Joseph was much 
 richer than his father, and neither he nor his sons required that which 
 Jacob possessed in Gessen. The inheritance, which he meant, was that 
 which God had promised to his descendants, namely the Promised 
 Land. Of this land the two sons of Joseph were to have equal shares 
 with the eleven brothers of their father, and thus Joseph was to have 
 a double portion. In chapter XLV you will learn, how punctually 
 these last wishes of Jacob were carried out. — 2 who was next eldest 
 to Joseph. — 3 Thy brothers will be subject to thee, i. e. the tribe 
 of Juda will be the dominant tribe of the twelve. — 4 The sceptre, 
 next to the crown, is the sign of royalty. — 5 i. e. the royal dignity will 
 last in Juda, until the Redeemer comes. Reuben, by an evil deed, had 
 made himself unworthy of his birthright; hence, the double portion 
 went to Joseph, and the rulership to Juda. — e expected with longing. 
 As they were the heirs of the promises, God inspired the patriarchs, 
 Noe , Isaac and Jacob , in the making of their last testaments , and 
 they foretold the will of God, as if it were their own. The blessings 
 they gave, and the arrangements they made, were in reality prophecies 
 about the future destiny of the people of God. 
 
THE LAST WORDS OF JACOB. 137 
 
 When Joseph saw this, he fell upon his father's face, 
 weeping and kissing him. He, then, ordered the body to be 
 embalmed 7 . And Pharao commanded that all Egypt should 
 mourn Jacob for seventy days. When the time of mourning 
 was passed, Joseph, accompanied by all the ancients of the 
 house of Pharao, set out for the land of Chanaan, and buried 
 the remains of his father at Hebron 8 . Now, Jacob, being 
 dead, the brothers feared that Joseph would remember the 
 wrong they had done him, and, therefore, they came to him 
 and begged forgiveness. Joseph received them kindly, saying: 
 "You thought 9 evil against me, but God turned it into good." 10 
 
 Joseph lived one hundred and ten years, and saw his 
 children's children to the third generation. When his end 
 drew near, he said 11 to his brethren: "God will visit 12 you 
 after my death, and will make you go up out of this land, 
 to the land, which he swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 
 Carry my bones with you out of this place." 13 He then 
 died, and they embalmed him and laid him in a coffin. 
 
 The words of Jacob to his son Juda refer to the Saviour, 
 who was expected by the nations, and who was descended 
 from Juda. The patriarch Joseph is a figure of St. Joseph, 
 the foster-father of Christ. The one was ruler in Egypt; 
 the other is the protector of the Catholic Church. 
 
 7 This was a custom among the Egyptians. Balm and sweet smelling 
 drugs were introduced into the body, and the limbs tightly bandaged 
 up. By this means the body was preserved from corruption. — 8 in 
 the double cave, where Abraham, Sara, Isaac and Rebecca were already 
 buried. — 9 Your intention was to do evil. — 10 i. e. but in the hands 
 of God, what was evil turned into good. — n filled with a prophetical 
 spirit. — 12 with sufferings and persecutions. — 13 The splendour of 
 Egypt had not made Joseph forget the Promised Land. He always 
 looked on it as his country, and wished to have his body buried there. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The fifth promise of the Messias. Jacob's dying prophecy 
 treated, firstly, of Juda's precedence • over his brethren, and, 
 secondly, of the coming of the Redeemer. Both prophecies 
 have been fulfilled. Even in the time of Moses, the tribe 
 of Juda was the most numerous of the twelve. To this tribe 
 belonged the royal race of David ; and with it remained the 
 
138 CHAPTER XXVIf. 
 
 capital, Jerusalem, with the Temple and the High Priest. 
 After the Babylonian captivity, this tribe gave its name to 
 the whole nation, all its people being thenceforward known 
 by the name of Jews. Finally, from the tribe of Juda sprang 
 the Messias (Hebr. 7, 14), to whom the second part of Jacob's 
 prophecy refers. In this wonderful prophecy, uttered 1900 years 
 B. C. , the very time of our Lord's coming was foretold, 
 namely, that in which the dominion of Juda should cease. 
 This came to pass exactly as foretold, for, at the time of 
 our Lord's birth, the foreigner, Herod, placed as king over 
 the subjected people, ruled in Judea. Jacob also prophesied 
 that the Redeemer would be expected of all nations, i. e. 
 that not only the children of Abraham, but all the nations 
 would be looking for Him. This also came to pass. 
 
 Conduct towards aged parents. Joseph had always been 
 a good son, and he honoured and loved his father as long 
 as he was alive, and faithfully carried out his last wishes. 
 His example shows us that we ought to support our parents 
 in their old age; to visit and comfort them, when they are 
 sick ; to be by their side at the hour of death ; to faithfully 
 carry out their last wishes ; to pray diligently for the repose 
 of their souls, and always have a grateful remembrance of 
 them. "Son, support the old age of thy father, and grieve 
 him not in thy life" (Ecclus. 3, 14). 
 
 The reward of virtue. Almighty God often visibly rewards 
 virtue, and especially that which is shown by children to 
 their parents. We can see this in the case both of Joseph 
 and of Juda. a) Joseph loved and honoured his father ; there- 
 fore, he was blessed by God even in this world. He lived fifty- 
 four years after his father's death , rejoiced in his children 
 and grandchildren, was protected and enlightened by God, 
 and died a happy death, b) Next to Joseph, Juda was the 
 best of Jacob's sons. He saved Joseph from death, saying: 
 "It is better he be sold than that our hands be defiled, for 
 he is our brother." He made himself surety for Benjamin, 
 and when Joseph wished to keep the latter as a slave, he 
 said: "I will stay, instead of the boy, for, if he is not with 
 us, we shall bring our father's grey hairs with sorrow to 
 
THE LAST WORDS OF JACOB. 139 
 
 the grave." Juda was rewarded for this generous conduct, 
 for his tribe was the dominant one, and of it was born the 
 Saviour. "Honour thy father in work and word and all 
 patience. The father's blessing establisheth the houses of 
 children: but the mother's curse rooteth up the foundation" 
 (Ecclus. 3, 9. 11). 
 
 Happy death. Is not Jacob's death striking and beautiful ? 
 Surrounded by his children, he gives his blessing to each 
 one, foretelling God's will concerning him. Dying in a strange 
 land, he fixes his mind on the divine promises , and leaves 
 this world calm and joyous, solemnly proclaiming his belief 
 in the coming Redeemer. Joseph, too, died a holy and happy 
 death, mourned by his brothers, children, grandchildren and 
 great-grandchildren. He died firm in the hope that his people 
 would possess the Promised Land, and that, some day, the 
 Redeemer would come. Both Jacob and Joseph had led 
 holy, God-fearing lives; therefore, they both died happy, 
 peaceful deaths, firm in the hope of the future Saviour. As 
 they lived, so they died. " With him that feareth the Lord, 
 it shall go well in the latter end, and in the day of his 
 death he shall be blessed" (Ecclus. 1, 13). 
 
 The twelve sons of Jacob were a type of the twelve Apostles. As from 
 Jacob's twelve sons sprang the whole chosen people, even so, in a 
 spiritual way, have the chosen people of the New Testament, the 
 faithful, sprung from the twelve apostles, who converted both Jews 
 and Gentiles, receiving them into the Church of Christ. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 If you wish to die a happy death, you must fear God from 
 your youth upward, and pray diligently for the grace of final 
 perseverance, because this most important of all graces can 
 only be obtained by prayer. Only the foolish and cowardly 
 hope for a sudden death. The Church teaches us to pray: 
 "From sudden and unprovided death, Lord, deliver us." It 
 is a great blessing not to die suddenly, but to watch death 
 approaching as Jacob did, and be able to prepare ourselves 
 for it. "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, 
 now, and at the hour of our death." 
 
 Some day you will stand by the death-bed of your father 
 
140 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 or mother. How you will then grieve, if you have caused 
 them sorrow or suffering in their life-time! 
 
 Chapter XXVIII. 
 
 JOB'S PATIENCE. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 TN the time of the patriarchs 1 , there lived in Arabia 2 a 
 man, whom God wished to give to all mankind, and for 
 all time, as a perfect model of patience. This man's name 
 was Job. He had seven sons and three daughters. He owned 
 seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred 
 yoke of oxen, five hundred she-asses, and had a great number 
 of servants 3 . 
 
 On this account, and still more, because of his singular 
 piety, he was held in high esteem among the people of the 
 East. One day the Lord said to Satan: "Hast thou considered 
 my servant Job that there is none like him in earth?" 
 Satan, answering, said: "Doth Job fear God in vain? Thou 
 hast blessed the work of his hands, and his possession hath 
 increased on the earth. But stretch forth Thy hand, and take 
 away his possessions, then, Thou shalt see that he will murmur 
 against Thy providence." 
 
 Then, the Lord said to Satan: "All that he hath is in 
 thy hand; only put not forth thy hand upon his person." 
 So it came to pass upon one occasion, when the sons and 
 daughters of Job were feasting in the house of their eldest 
 brother, a messenger came to Job, exclaiming: "The oxen 
 were ploughing, and the asses feeding beside them, and 
 the Sabeans rushed in and took all away, and slew the 
 servants with the sword , and I alone have escaped to 
 tell thee." 
 
 While he was yet speaking 4 , another messenger came to 
 tell Job that fire fell from heaven, which struck the sheep 
 and the shepherds, and that he alone had escaped. Whilst 
 he was yet speaking, there came a third messenger, who 
 announced to Job that the Chaldeans had taken away his 
 camels, and slain the servants all but himself. 
 
JOB'S PATIENCE. 141 
 
 Then came a fourth messenger, who, entering in, said 
 to Job: " Whilst thy sons and daughters were eating and 
 drinking in the house of their elder brother, a violent wind 
 came on a sudden from the side of the desert, and shook 
 the four corners of the house, and it fell 5 , and crushed thy 
 children, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to 
 tell thee." 
 
 Then, Job rose up and rent his garments 6 , and, having 
 shaved his head, fell down upon the ground and worshipped, 
 saying: "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. 
 As it has pleased the Lord, so is it done. Blessed be the 
 name of the Lord." In all these things Job sinned not by 
 his lips, nor spoke he any foolish thing against God. 
 
 1 This was the name, given to the founders of the people of Israel, 
 Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his twelve sons. Job lived during the time 
 of the later patriarchs, after the death of Jacob. — 2 South-east of 
 the Dead Sea (see map). — 3 shepherds, men-servants and maid- 
 servants. — 4 Thus quickly did the disasters follow, one after the 
 other. — 5 The beams gave way , and the stones fell , crushing and 
 burying the children of Job. — 6 He did not murmur, but fell on 
 the ground and adored. 
 
 And the Lord said to Satan: "Hast thou considered my 
 servant Job that there is none like him in the earth?" 
 Satan replied: "All that a man hath will he give for his 
 life; but put forth Thy hand, touch his bone and his flesh 7 , 
 and then, Thou shalt see, if he will not curse Thee." 
 
 The Lord said: "Behold, he is in thy hand, but yet save 
 his life." So Satan struck Job with a most grievous ulcer 8 
 from the sole of the foot even to the top of his head. And 
 Job sat on a dung-hill and scraped the ulcerated matter 
 with a potsherd. Then his wife 9 came, not to comfort, but 
 rather to tempt him, for she mockingly said: "Bless God 
 and die ! " 10 
 
 But Job said to her: "Thou hast spoken like one of the 
 foolish women. If we have received good things at the. hand 
 of God, why should we not receive evil?" Again, in all these 
 things Job did not sin with his lips or his heart. 
 
 7 To attack Job's health and threaten his life. — 8 He sickened 
 suddenly with leprosy, a loathsome and painful disease. His body was 
 
142 CHAPTER XXVIIt. 
 
 covered with ulcers, and all men shunned him, on account of the horror 
 and contagion of his disease. — 9 Job's wife was so prostrated and 
 embittered by the loss of her children, that she got to doubt God's 
 mercy and justice. All her happiness was destroyed, all her children 
 were taken from her, so what good, said she, was the thought of 
 God to her! The sight of her husband's patience was more than 
 she could understand, or put up with. By giving way to such 
 feelings, she was obeying the suggestions of the devil. — 10 She 
 meant to say: "What have you gained by all your piety? Nothing 
 remains for you but to die a miserable death. Therefore, leave God ! 
 Why should you cling to Him who has rewarded your services in 
 such a way ! " 
 
 Now, when Job's three friends heard of the evils that had 
 befallen him, they came to visit him. When they saw him 
 afar off, they knew him not, and, crying out, they wept, and 
 rending their garments, they sprinkled ashes on their heads u . 
 They sat with him on the ground seven days and seven 
 nights, and no man spoke to him a word; for they saw 
 that his grief was very great. 
 
 But, when Job began at length to complain of the excess 
 of his misery, they reproached him, saying that secretly he 
 must have been a great sinner, or the just God would not 
 have afflicted him in so grievous a manner. But Job loudly 
 and firmly asserted his innocence, and consoled himself with 
 the hope of the resurrection of the body, saying: "I know 
 that my Redeemer liveth; and, in the last day, I shall 
 rise out of the earth; and I shall be clothed again with 
 my skin, and in my flesh 12 I shall see my God, whom I 
 myself shall see and not another. This my hope is laid up 
 in my bosom." 
 
 When they had finished their reproaches, the Lord revealed 
 Himself in a whirlwind to Job, and mildly reproved him, 
 because, in defending his innocence, he had spoken some 
 imprudent words. God's wrath, however, was kindled against 
 the three friends, and He commanded them to offer a holocaust 
 for themselves, whilst Job should pray for them. And the 
 Lord looked graciously on Job's humility 13 , and granted his 
 prayers in behalf of his friends. The Lord rewarded Job's 
 faith and patience, by healing his body and restoring to him 
 
JOB'S PATIENCE. 
 
 143 
 
 double, what he had lost. And new sons and daughters were 
 born to him. 
 
 Job, practising virtue while happy and wealthy, was admired 
 by the angels, but he was not yet feared by the devils; 
 but, when he remained free from sin even in the depths of 
 misery and affliction, then, the devils began to tremble before 
 him. By this we learn that wrong, patiently endured for 
 God's sake, is the highest virtue. The friends of Job knew 
 not that God sends afflictions even to His saints, to make 
 them more holy, and give them greater glory in heaven. 
 Job also said that he would not live to see the Saviour 
 promised to Adam, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, but 
 that he would see Him on the day of the general resurrection. 
 From Job we may, also, learn, how pleasing to God, and 
 how powerful, is the intercession of the saints. 
 
 11 As a sign of their horror, they threw ashes into the air, so that 
 they fell back on their heads. When they began to shower reproaches 
 on him, he had literally no human consolation left. Nothing remained 
 to him but the hope of the future Saviour, and of the resurrection of 
 the body. — 12 or my body. — 13 and contrition for the imprudent 
 words, for which God rebuked him. 
 
144 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The sufferings of the just. The chief lesson, taught by the 
 history of holy Job, is that God does not send sufferings 
 only for the punishment and conversion of sinners, but also 
 as visitations to the just, for the purpose, firstly, of cleansing 
 them from their small faults and imperfections; secondly, 
 of confirming them in the virtues of confidence, patience, 
 humility &c. ; thirdly, of enabling them to merit more, and, 
 therefore, to receive a higher reward in heaven; and lastly, 
 of making them shining examples for the imitation of their 
 fellow men. 
 
 All things come from God. Job, first, lost all his flocks and 
 servants, then, all his children, and lastly, his health. He 
 did not complain; all he said was: "The Lord gave; the 
 Lord taketh away; blessed be the name of the Lord!" But 
 was it God, Who took all these things from him? Had not 
 our enemy, the devil, despoiled Job, and brought about all 
 the disasters, that we hear of? But Job believed and knew 
 that nothing happens by chance, and that everything must 
 take place by the guidance or permission of God, so that, 
 in that sense, it was God, Who had taken away all that lie 
 had. Believing firmly that God had sent him his sufferings, 
 he resigned himself entirely to His holy will, and praised 
 Him in the midst of his tribulations. 
 
 Patience in suffering is the work of faith. The trial of 
 holy Job was, indeed, a severe one. By almost one blow he 
 was made poor, childless, and a leper! Forsaken by all, 
 tortured with pain, taunted and tempted by his wife, who 
 ought to have consoled him, he sat on a dungheap, a very 
 man of sorrows, with nothing to look forward to but a 
 painful death. Even the arrival of his faithful friends did 
 not lighten his burden, for they heaped on him reproaches 
 for having brought these sufferings on himself by some secret 
 sin. He fully realized what he suffered, and made it known 
 to his friends by his sad complaints. He was not callous to 
 his torments, but bore them with exemplary patience, without 
 a murmur against Almighty God. From whence did Job draw 
 
JOB'S PATIENCE. 145 
 
 these powers of heroic endurance? In a word, from his 
 strong, living faith. He looked forward to nothing in this 
 world except to a grave, in which to lay his diseased body ; 
 but this made him believe all the more firmly in the promised 
 Saviour and in the future life. He knew and proclaimed that 
 his Redeemer was living. Job could not know this, as he 
 had never seen Him; but all the same he believed it, and 
 also that God Himself Who is eternal, would come as our 
 Saviour. He believed, secondly, that he himself would rise 
 from the earth, and with his risen body would see God 
 in heaven. 
 
 Resentment against Almighty God. Job's wife sinned griev- 
 ously against the love of God. She loved her children more 
 than she loved God, and could not resign herself to His 
 having taken them all from her. She listened to the suggestions 
 of Satan, and allowed herself to murmur against the ways 
 of God, and even against God Himself. She also sinned 
 against the love of her neighbour; for by her bitter scorn 
 she tried to move her husband to renounce the service of 
 God, as being that of an unjust Master. 
 
 Rash judgment. Job's friends also sinned. It was kind of 
 them to visit Job in his misery ; but they judged their friend 
 uncharitably and without cause, reproaching him with having 
 some secret sin on his conscience, without which God would 
 not have visited him with these tribulations. 
 
 The invocation of Saints. God was angry with these three 
 friends, and bade them offer sacrifice and ask Job to intercede 
 for them. Thus, we can see that it is right and pleasing to 
 God to ask for the intercession of the saints; and we can 
 also see that their intercession is efficacious, for God pardoned 
 Job's friends because he prayed for them. 
 
 Satan's power is limited. We see by the story of Job that Satan 
 dan injure us, only so far as God allows it. Under the Old Law the 
 devil had more power over men than he has now, for under the New 
 Law Jesus Christ has crushed the head of the devil, and the suggestions 
 of the evil enemy can hurt no one who clings to our Lord. Therefore, 
 in her exorcisms, and in the blessing of creatures (as for instance 
 of water), the Church prays our Divine Saviour to protect us against 
 the attacks of Satan. 
 Knecht, Commentary. I. 7 
 
146 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 Job, the seventh type of Jesus Christ. Job, suffering the most profound 
 grief of soul , seeing nothing but a miserable death before him , and 
 robbed of all human consolation , fell down on the ground , praying 
 and humbly resigning himself to God's will. In this he is a type of 
 our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemani. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Job was not a Christian, and was unable to picture to 
 himself the sufferings of God made Man; yet, how patient 
 and resigned he was in the midst of his great trials! But 
 you are a Christian, and in spite of being so you are often 
 impatient, and incessantly complain and bemoan yourself 
 when anything goes wrong. Resolve for the future to look 
 on all troubles as visitations from God; offer them up to 
 God, and bear them patiently, resigning yourself entirely 
 to God's will. In all times of adversity you should, like 
 Job, praise God, and say with our Lord: "Father, not my 
 will, but Thine be done!" 
 
 THE AGE OF MOSES. 
 
 From the year 1500—14.50 B. C. 
 
 G 
 
 Chapter XXIX. 
 THE BIRTH OF MOSES. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 OD had made two promises to the patriarchs Abraham, 
 
 T Isaac and Jacob : first, that they should be the fathers 
 of a great nation; second, that the Saviour would be a 
 descendant of theirs. The first promise was now fulfilled. 
 In the space of two hundred years the descendants of Jacob 
 in Egypt had become a great people. In the meantime a 
 new king had arisen 1 , who said to the Egyptians: "Behold, 
 the children of Israel 2 are stronger than we. Come, let us 
 oppress them, lest they join with our enemies and depart 
 out of the land." 
 
 Now, the Egyptians hated the children of Israel, and 
 mocked them and made their life bitter with hard works in 
 
THE BIRTH OF MOSES. 
 
 147 
 
 brick and clay. And the king placed overseers 3 over them, 
 to oppress them with labour. But the more they were 
 oppressed, the more numerous they became. The king, seeing 
 this, issued a decree that all the male children, born of 
 Hebrew parents, should be cast into the river 4 ; hoping, by 
 this means, either to destroy the Hebrew people, or, at 
 least, to prevent their increasing in number. 
 
 Now, it came to pass that a Hebrew mother bore a son, 
 and, seeing that he was very beautiful, she hid him for 
 three months. At the end of that time, not being able to 
 keep him any longer 5 , she laid the babe in a basket of reeds 
 and placed it in the sedges 6 by the river's bank. The sister 
 of the child stood a little way off, to see what would happen. 
 
 1 "Who knew not Joseph", and did not care to remember the 
 services he had rendered to Egypt. — 2 They took this name from 
 Jacob's second name, Israel. — 3 or task-masters, thus called because 
 they forced the Israelites to labour, and make great houses, dams, 
 canals and monuments. — 4 the Nile. — 5 The king had given orders 
 that the houses of the Israelites should be searched from time to 
 time. — 6 or bulrushes. She did this in order that the floating 
 basket might not be carried down the river by the current. 
 
 7* 
 
148 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 And behold, at that time the daughter of Pharao went 
 down to bathe in the Nile. Seeing the basket amongst the 
 bulrushes by the river-bank, the princess sent one of her 
 maids to bring it to her. On opening it, they saw within 
 it a lovely infant, crying piteously. She had compassion 
 on it, and said: "This is one of the babes of the Hebrews." 
 The child's sister 7 then, taking courage, drew near and 
 asked: "Shall I go and call to thee a Hebrew woman to 
 nurse the babe?" She answered: "Go!" The maid went 
 and called her mother. 
 ^ KWhen the mother came, the princess said to her : " Take 
 this child and nurse him for me, and I will give thee wages." 
 The woman then took the child and nursed him. And when 
 he was grown up, he was brought to Pharao's daughter, 
 who adopted him as her own 8 , and called him Moses, which 
 means rescued from the waters. Moses, saved in his infancy 
 from the cruelty of Pharao, is a type of Jesus, rescued, 
 also, in His infancy from the power of Herod. 
 
 7 By name, Mary. — 8 She clothed him , educated him , and had 
 
 him altogether treated, as if he were her own son. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Wisdom of Divine Providence. God destined Moses to 
 be the deliverer of His chosen people. Pharao's cruel com- 
 mand to drown all the baby boys of the Israelites could 
 not nullify what He had decreed. On the contrary, it served, 
 under His guidance, for the accomplishment of His designs ; 
 -f for Moses, being brought up in the king's court, was educated 
 in the knowledge of the Egyptians, and was thus prepared for 
 his high vocation of leader and deliverer of God's people. 
 
 The uses of tribulation. God permitted the Israelites to 
 be oppressed, in order that they might begin to yearn for the 
 ^.Promised Land and the future Saviour, and might keep aloof 
 from the Egyptians. All our various troubles in this life 
 ought to detach our hearts from earthly things, and turn 
 >ithem towards heaven and eternity. If earth were a paradise, 
 who would long for heaven? 
 
 The love of parents for their children. If it had been 
 discovered that Moses's parents had hidden away a son, they 
 
THE FLIGHT OF MOSES. 149 
 
 would have been severely punished, and most likely put to 
 death. Parents are willing to expose themselves to a great 
 deal of danger for the sake of their children. 
 
 The confidence in God, shown by Moses's parents. They did 
 what they could to save the child, and prayed, full of con- 
 fidence, to God to help them. Their confidence was not 
 misplaced. He who trusts in God builds on a sure foundation. 
 
 Compassion. The king's daughter was a pagan, and yet, she 
 had a kind, compassionat e hea rt. How much more compassion 
 ought we Christians to show! " Blessed are the merciful, for A 
 they shall obtain mercy." The Society of the Holy Childhood 
 is an example of what can be done. By means of it, heathen 
 children are saved from death, baptized and brought up as 
 Christians. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 God has preserved you, too, from many a danger. In order 
 to save your soul, God has, so to speak, made you pass 
 through the waters of Baptism, and has adopted you to be 
 the child of the Most High King. "Behold, what manner of 
 love the Father hath bestowed on us" (1 John 3, 1). You 
 are, therefore, another Moses. Serve God, then, as faithfully 
 as Moses served Him. 
 
 Chapter XXX. 
 THE FLIGHT OF MOSES. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 MOSES was reared at the court of Pharao, and instructed 
 in all the learning of Egypt. But when he was grown 
 up and saw the misery of his people, the Hebrews, he resolved 
 to help them. For he would rather be afflicted and despised 
 with the people of God, than live in the palace of a wicked 
 king. He left the splendour of the court 1 , and openly ., 
 declared himself a friend of the Israelites 2 . 
 
 The king, hearing this, sought to kill him; but Moses 
 fled to the land of Madian 3 . On his way he sat down by 
 a well, and behold, the seven daughters of Jethro came to 
 draw water for their flocks. But when the sheep stood near 
 
150 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 the troughs, some shepherds rushed in and rudely drove away 
 j the flock. Thereupon Moses arose, defended the maidens, 
 and watered their sheep. 
 
 Then the sisters went home, and their father asked: 
 "Why have ye returned sooner than usual?" They answered: 
 "A man of Egypt drove away the shepherds, and gave our 
 sheep to drink." Jethro asked again: "Where is he? Call 
 him that he may eat bread." So Moses entered the house 
 and swore to dwell with Jethro, and remained for forty 
 years *, and married Sephora, one of the daughters of Jethro. 
 t Moses, despising the splendour of Egypt in order to com- 
 fort the Jews, is a figure of the Son of God, Who came down 
 from heaven, was born in a stable, and laid in a manger, 
 to redeem us from the flames of hell. 
 
 1 He left the king's court, when he was forty years old. — 2 and 
 did what he could to defend them against the oppression of the 
 
 ^Egyptians. — 3 This land was in the neighbourhood of Mount Sinai. 
 
 *^The inhabitants of this district were descended from Abranam , "and 
 had kept their faith in the true God. It is well to distinguish between 
 them and the heathen Madianites, who lived further east (see map). 
 — 4 During that time Moses lived a simple and solitary life. He 
 prayed fervently to God, especially for the deliverance of his people; 
 he practised humility and self-denial, and learnt the ways of the 
 wilderness, thus preparing himself for his calling. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 v Steadfast faith. Moses, while living at home with his parents, 
 had been taught to believe in the true God, and the promised 
 Redeemer. When he left home, he went to live at the king's 
 court, and was surrounded on all sides by pagans. Still he 
 «k preserved the true faith, taught to him as a boy, and remained 
 firm in the worship of the one true God. When he was a 
 man, he preferred to be poor and persecuted, rather than 
 rich and honoured, and yet unable to help his brethren in 
 the faith. He, therefore, left the pagan court, and joined 
 his oppressed countrymen. 
 j. The blessings of solitude. It was in his solitude that God appeared 
 
 to Moses. God is to be found, not in the turmoil of the world, but 
 
 in solitude. There He speaks to our hearts, and there we can speak 
 jbo Him. He who is always in society, must be distracted, and cannot 
 
 pray well. All the saints loved solitude, and sought it out, so that 
 
THE BURNING BUSH. 151 
 
 they might be alone with God. St. Bernard praised it in these words : 
 " blessed solitude ! sole blessedness ! " 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 0, may you, when you grow up, be as steadfast in faith 
 as Moses was, and never forget or deny that Christian teaching, 
 which you are now receiving in your youth. Pray for stead- 
 fastness and perseverance in the holy Catholic faith! a. 
 
 Cannot you sometimes contrive to be alone for a few 
 minutes , imitating in this St. Aloysius , who used to retire 
 into some corner of his father's house, so as to be able 
 to pray undisturbed? 
 
 Chapter XXXI. 
 THE BURNING BUSH. 
 
 1. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 OW, Moses fed the sheep of Jethro, his father-in-law. 
 
 N 
 
 One day he drove his flock into the desert 1 , and came 
 as far as Mount Horeb 2 . There the Lord appeared to him 
 in a flame of fire, which issued from the midst of a bush. 
 Moses saw that the bush was on fire and was not burnt 8 . 
 He said: "I will go near to see why the bush is not burnt." 
 As Moses drew near, the Lord cried out to him from the 
 burning bush: "Moses, Moses!" And he answered: "Here I 
 am." And God said: "Come not nigh hither. Put off the 
 shoes from thy feet 4 ; for the place whereon thou standest 
 is holy ground 5 . I am the God of thy father , the God of 
 Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." 
 
 Moses, in awful reverence, hid 6 his face, and dared not 
 look at God. The Lord said to him: "I have seen the 
 affliction of My people in Egypt 7 , and I am come to deliver 
 them out of the hands 8 of the Egyptians, and to bring them 
 out of that land into a land, that floweth with milk and 
 honey." 9 The Lord further told Moses that he should go 
 to Pharao to demand the liberation of the children of Israel. 
 Moses answered: "Who am I that I should go to Pharao, 
 and should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" 10 
 The Lord said: "I will be with thee." 11 
 
152 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 1 An uninhabited and sterile country, stony and sandy, in which 
 grass and shrubs grew only here and there. — 2 which was part 
 of Mount Sinai. — 3 The fire was supernatural, not natm-aF — 4 Tn*e 
 removal of shoes, or sandals, was a mark of reverence. The Jewish 
 priests had to be bare-footed, when serving in the sanctuary. — 
 5 because God had manifested Himself there. — e or covered it (see 
 picture). — 7 and heard their cry for help and deliverance. — 8 or 
 from the power of the Egyptians. — 9 such a rich, fertile land that 
 milk and honey are produced from it. — 10 How can I, a poor 
 shepherd, undertake such a great work? — ' n "I will protect you 
 and stand by you." 
 
 Moses declared 12 that the people would not believe him, 
 but would ask, who sent him 13 . Then, God said to Moses: 
 J\" I am Who am u . Thus shalt thou say to the children of 
 Israel: 'He who is, hath sent me to youV Moses answered 
 and said: "They will not believe me, nor hear my voice; 
 but they will say: 'The Lord hath not appeared to thee'." 15 
 Then, God asked Moses: "What is it that thou holdest in 
 thy hand?" Moses answered: "A rod." 16 The Lord, then, 
 told Moses to cast his rod upon the ground. He threw it 
 upon the ground, and the rod was turned into a serpent, 
 so that Moses fled from it in terror. 
 
 But the Lord called him back, saying: "Take it by the 
 tail." Moses did so, and the serpent became again a rod. 
 The Lord told Moses to work this and some other signs 
 before the Israelites, and they would believe. But Moses 
 still objected 17 , saying that he was not eloquent, but that 
 his speech was slow and hesitating 18 . 
 
 v Then, the Lord said to him: "Who made man's mouth? 
 Or, who made the dumb and the deaf, the seeing and the 
 blind? Did not I? 19 Go, therefore, and I will teach thee 
 what thou shalt speak." Moses answered 20 : "I beseech Thee, 
 Lord, send whom Thou wilt send." 21 The Lord, being angry 
 with Moses 22 , said: "Aaron, thy brother, is eloquent; speak to 
 him, and put my words into his mouth ; he shall speak, in thy 
 stead, to the people." 23 So Moses returned to Egypt; and Aaron, 
 his brother, inspired by the Lord, came forth to meet him. 
 
 Moses repeated to his brother all the words of the Lord. 
 Then, they went together to assemble the children of Israel; 
 
THE BURNING BUSH. 
 
 153 
 
 and Aaron spoke to them that the Lord had looked upon 
 their affliction. And Moses wrought the sign of the rod, 
 and other miracles, whereupon the people believed 24 ; and, 
 falling down, they adored the Lord 25 . + 
 
 As the people of Israel would not have believed that 
 God had sent Moses to free them from slavery, but for the 
 miracles he wrought; so we should not receive any one as 
 sent by God, in a special manner, except he prove his 
 mission by signs and miracles. 
 
 12 Moses made a second objection. — l3 Why would they ask 
 this? In order to prove, whether it were the true God, who had 
 appeared to him. — u I am He who exists of Himself. — 15 This 
 is the third time that Moses raised an objection. — ,6 his shepherd's 
 staff. This staff , consecrated by these miracles , was to be the sign 
 of Moses's leadership of the people. — n for the fourth time. — 
 18 and he would be unable to act as spokesman. — 19 Am I not He 
 who gave the gift of speech to man? Cannot I make thee eloquent? 
 — 20 Although the Lord had answered his four previous objections, 
 Moses still could not resign himself completely to the will of God, and 
 made a fifth objection. — 21 Send the Redeemer ! Send Him at once 
 that He may deliver Thy people ! — 22 because he would not submit 
 
154 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 to His will. — 2S Tell him all that I have said , and he will tell it 
 to the people. — 2i that Moses was sent by God. — 25 Had they 
 not prayed to God before ? Yes, indeed ; but now, they thanked Him 
 for having mercy on them, and for sending a liberator to them. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Attributes of God. This story reveals God to us in 
 a wonderful way. It shows us that: 
 
 1. God is eternal. "I am Who am!" God exists of Himself . 
 He has His being of Himself. He is Who is, and was, and is 
 to be. He alone is eternal.. All else has been made by Him. 
 
 2. God is unchanging. His command : Thou shalt bring My 
 people out of Egypt, could not be altered by any hesitations 
 or objections on the part of Moses. 
 
 + 3. God is omniscient. "I have seen the affliction of My 
 people, and heard their cry." — "Do these signs, and they 
 will believe." 
 
 4. God is almighty. "Who made the dumb and the deaf; 
 the seeing and the blind? Did not I?" God's power was 
 also proved by the miracles of the rod &c. 
 > 5. God is holy. "The Lord was angry with Moses", i. e. 
 He showed His displeasure with Moses, for having so little 
 confidence, and for making so many objections. 
 
 6. God is merciful. " I will deliver them out of the hands 
 of the Egyptians." 
 
 > 7. God is faithful. He fulfilled that which He promised to 
 Jacob: "I will bring thee and thy seed back from Egypt." 
 
 Tlie object of miracles. Moses was the first of those sent 
 by God, who received the power of working miracles; and, 
 as we are told, the object of these miracles was that the 
 children of Israel might believe. How much more, then, 
 ought we to believe in Jesus Christ, Who worked so many 
 more, and much greater miracles, than did Moses! The 
 difference between our Lord's miracles and those of Moses 
 is this, that Moses wrought them by the power of God ; and 
 our Lord by His own power. 
 
 Humility y and confidence in God. One of Moses's most 
 prominent virtues was a sincere humility. He held himself 
 to be neither capable nor worthy of the great task, allotted 
 
THE TEN PLAGUES OF EGYPT. 155 
 
 to him by God. But it was just on account of his humility 
 that God chose him to be the leader of His chosen people, 
 for He "exalteth the humble, and abaseth the proud". 
 Moses, however, failed, by giving way to so many hesitations. 
 After God had said: "I will be with thee", he ought to 
 have said, as St. Paul did: "I can do all things in Him who 
 strengtheneth me" (Phil. 4, 13). Instead of that, he made 
 more and more objections, and, on account of this, Almighty 
 God reproached and blamed him. At last, however, he obeyed 
 God's commands, and, full of the utmost confidence, he ac- 
 complished his appointed task splendidly. True humility, 
 distrusts itself, but trusts all the more in God. 
 
 III. Application. + 
 
 You are not called on to take off your shoes, when you 
 enter a church; but you are called on to leave all worldly, 
 thoughts outside. You are not obliged to cover your eyes, I 
 but you ought to hold them in check, and be recollected, 
 and not look about you curiously. 
 
 Chapter XXXII. 
 THE TEN PLAGUES OF EGYPT. 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 MOSES and Aaron went to Pharao, and demanded; in 
 the name of God, that he should allow the people of 
 Israel to go out into the desert to offer sacrifice to the Lord. 
 Pharao proudly answered: "Who is the Lord that I should,, 
 hear His voice *, and let the people go ? I know not the Lord, 
 neither will I let Israel go." And from that day forth, he 
 ordered the overseers and taskmasters to oppress the Israelites 
 more and more, by putting them to still harder work. 
 
 The Lord told Moses and Aaron to appear again before 
 Pharao. They did, as the Lord commanded, and Aaron cast 
 his rod before Pharao, and it was changed into a serpent. 
 Pharao called the magicians, and they, by enchantments and 
 certain secrets 2 , also turned their rods into_ serpents ; but 
 Aaron's rod devoured their rods. Yet the heart of Pharao 
 

 156 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 remained hardened 3 , and he would not let the people go. 
 Then, the Lord sent tenplagues upon the Egyptians*. 
 
 -f/ Next morning, Aaron went, by the command of God, to 
 y the barn? of the Nile, and struck the river with his rod, 
 
 ^ and instantly it was turned into JWoocL Thereupon the fish 
 died, the water was corrupted, and the water of all the 
 streams and ponds in Egypt was turned into blood. And 
 the Egyptians dug new wells round about the river; for 
 they could not drink the water of the river. Even then, the 
 heart of Pharao did not relent. 
 . After seven days, Aaron stretched forth his hand Over the 
 
 / rivers and streams and pools of Egypt, and immediately a 
 multitude of frogs, came forth from the waters, and covered 
 the whole land of Egypt. They entered the houses and the 
 
 Jovens, and covered the tables and the beds, and spared 
 neither the hut of the peasant nor the palace of the king. 
 Then Pharao, being frightened, called for Moses and Aaron, 
 and said to them: "Pray ye the Lord to take away the 
 irogs from me, and from my people, and I will let the 
 people go to sacrifice to the Lord." Moses did, as the 
 king desired, and the frogs disappeared. 
 
 But, when Pharao saw that the frogs were gone, he 
 hardened his heart again. Then, Aaron was commanded by 
 God to strike with his rod the dust of the earth ; and instantly 
 myriads of gnats arose, and tormented both men and beasts 
 throughout all Egypt. All the dust of the earth was turned 
 into gnats. But Pharao's heart remained obdurate. 
 
 1 "I do not know your God, and "will not be commanded by Him." 
 Pharao, in his pride, would not acknowledge God to be the Lord. 
 Therefore, God sent the ten plagues, to compel Pharao and his people 
 to admit that He is Lord over the whole earth. — 2 They worked 
 apparent miracles by arts, known only to themselves, and by the 
 help of the devil. — 3 He was stubborn like the firmly rooted trunk 
 ^ or stump of a tree. — 4 The plagues were sent through the medium 
 of Moses and Aaron, who, in God's name, commanded the very 
 elements and powers of nature, and they obeyed. 
 
 Then, the Lord sent a very grievous swarm of, fliesjnto 
 the houses of Pharao and his servants, and the whole land 
 was corrupted by them. Then, Pharao's heart began to fail, 
 
THE TEN PLAGUES OF EGYPT. 
 
 157 
 
 and he said to Moses and Aaron: "I will let you go to, 
 sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; but go 
 no further. Pray for me." But when God, at the prayer of 
 Moses, had banished the flies, Pharao's heart grew hard 
 again, and he refused to let the people go. 
 
 >■/ Then , God sent a plague on the cattle , which destroyed 
 the best part of the 'flocksand herds of the Egyptians, but 
 spared those of the Israelites. Still Pharao would not submit. 
 Then, Moses was ordered by God to take handfuls of ashes 
 from the chimney and sprinkle it in the air in the presence 
 •of Pharao. Forthwith the Egyptians were covered with boils 
 
 ^and swelling blains. But even this did not soften Pharao's hearth 
 
 -* /Then again, Moses stretched forth his rod towards heaven, 
 /and the Lord sent down thunder^andlmil , and lightning, 
 
 " running along the ground; anTTtnenail , mixed with fire, 
 drove on, and smote every herb of the field and every tree 
 of the country, and killed every man and beast, that were 
 
 > in the open fields. None of it fell, however, in the land of 
 
 Gessen, where the children of Israel dwelt. Pharao called 
 
 xMoses and Aaron, and said: "I have sinned this time also. 
 
 Pray ye the Lord that the thunder may cease, and that 
 
 I may let you go." But when, at the prayer of Moses, the 
 
158 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 hail had ceased, the king broke his promise, and his heart 
 became exceedingly hard. 
 
 Then, the Lord sent a burning wind, which blew all that 
 
 j?yday and night ; and in the^morning, the locusts came 5 , and 
 they covered the whole face of the e^rSi^anol wasted all 
 things, devouring the grass of the earth, and whatever fruits 
 the hail had left; and there remained not anything that 
 was green, either on the trees, or in the herbs in all Egypt. 
 Therefore, Pharao in haste called Moses and Aaron, saying : 
 
 ^ i" Forgive me my sin this time also, and pray to the Lord 
 your God that He take away from me this death." Moses 
 prayed to the Lord, and the Lord sent a very strong wind 
 from the west, which took the locusts, and threw them into 
 the Red Sea. This time, again, Pharao hardened his heart. 
 Then, Moses stretched forth his hand towards heaven, 
 
 g and there came a hombbdarkness in all the land of Egypt 
 
 *VTor three days. No mansawmsbrother, nor moved himself 
 out of the place , where he was 6 . But where the children 
 $ of Israel dwelt, there was light. Then, Pharao called Moses 
 ^and Aaron, saying: "Go, sacrifice to the Lord — let your 
 sheep only and your herds remain." Moses answered: "All 
 the flocks shall go with us." Thereupon the king hardened 
 his heart again, and would not let the people go. Moreover 
 .he said to Moses: "Get thee from me. In what day soever 
 thou shalt come into my sight, thou shalt die." Moses replied: 
 "I will not see thy face any more." 
 
 5 A horribly dense swarm of creatures, something like grasshoppers, 
 
 but three or four inches long, passed over the land, devouring every 
 
 thing green, on which they settled. — e In the Book of Wisdom 
 
 (17, 2 &c.) this terrible darkness is thus described: "For while the 
 
 wicked (Egyptians) thought to have dominion over the holy nation, 
 
 ♦ Thou didst fetter them with the bonds of darkness and a long night, 
 
 ishut up in their own houses. No power of fire could give them 
 
 •light, neither could the bright flames of the stars enlighten that 
 
 horrible night. For if any one were a husbandman, or a shepherd, 
 
 or a labourer in the field, and was suddenly overtaken, he endured 
 
 a necessity, from which he could not fly. For they were all bound 
 
 together in one chain of darkness." The darkness, being the effect 
 
 of a miracle, and meant to serve as a plague, was more dense 
 
 than the darkest night. 
 
THE TEN PLAGUES OF EGYPT. 159 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The object of theplagues. with which God visited the 
 EgyptiansT^iv^^ plagues, which devastated 
 
 Egypt, while they did not touch the land of Gessen, were 
 sent ^rstly , to teach Pharao and his people that the God 
 of Israel was also Lord over^EgynJb, and the one true and 
 Almighty God.^econdly, to convert the haughty king, and 
 force him to T&ey the commandments of God. 4 Thirdly, to 
 nunish Pharao and his people for their unreasonable idolatry, 
 and their cruel oppression of the people of God. The Egyp- 
 tians worshipped the Nile as a god, and now, destruction was 
 brought upon them by means of it. Disease killed their cattle, 
 which were objects of _ their worship; and lower creatures, 
 such as gnats, flies and locusts, inflicted torments on them. 
 Thus, they were punished by the very things through which 
 they sinned, fourthly, the plagues were sent to teach the 
 pagans that the gods, whom they worshipped, were vain and/ 
 powerjess, for, however earnestly they appealed to them, they 
 "hcould obtain no help from them.'y^ifthly, they were intended 
 to confirm the Israelites in their belief in the one true God ; 
 in confidence in Him, who protected them in such a wonderful 
 way; and to fill their hearts with gratitude towards Him. 
 
 The Justice and Patience of God. By these ten plagues, 
 Almighty God not only manifested His terrible justice, but 
 also His merciful patience. jf'He sent the first plague, only 
 after the miracles, worked before Pharao, had produced no 
 effectTThe plagues gradually succeeded each other, beginning 
 by those which were less, and, when these availed nothing, 
 becoming more and more dreadful. Moreover, they did not 
 follow each other day after day, but between each plague 
 there was an interval of days, sometimes of weeks. 
 ^npemtence^PhaxsiO is a warning example of impenitence 
 aTuTobauracy. God did not warn him only outwardly, by 
 Moses's words and by the ten plagues, butjalso inwardly, 
 by His grace. But Pharao would neither listen to the ad- 
 monitions of God, nor obey the movements of divine grace, 
 and thus, by rendering himself unworthy of further graces, 
 he, at last, became quite hardened. Once or twice he made 
 
 V_ 
 
160 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 good resolutions about letting God's people go, but, as soon 
 as the pressure of necessity was removed, he did not keep 
 them/yGod foretold to him the last and worst plague some 
 fourteen days before it was sent, and would, in His mercy, 
 have spared Tharao and his people this last terrible visitation, 
 if only he would have consented to let the Israelites go. 
 Pharao, however, despised the divine warning as an empty 
 threat, and remained hardened. He is the type of a defiant 
 sinner, who will not listen to any exhortations, does not 
 carry out good resolutions, perseveres in sin, and finally 
 becomes quite hardened. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Are you at all like Pharao ? Do you pay attention to the 
 admonitions of your parents, confessor &c. ? Have you made 
 good resolutions with your lips only, or have you taken real 
 pains to give up your bad habits? Have you ever made 
 a bad confession, and concealed your sins? All this would 
 be the beginning of impenitence, and would lead you to 
 obduracy and the loss of your soul. Pay heed, then, to the 
 warnings of those set over you; listen to the inspirations 
 of divine grace , and the voice of your conscience , so that 
 your heart may not grow obstinate and hard. St. Paul is 
 /^urgent in his warnings against obduracy: "According to thy 
 hardness and impenitent heart thou treasurest up to thyself 
 wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the just 
 judgment of God" (Rom. 2, 5). 
 
 Chapter XXXIII. 
 THE PASCHAL LAMB.— DEPARTURE FROM EGYPT. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 THE Lord spoke again to Moses: "Yet one plague more 
 will I bring upon Pharao and Egypt, and after that he 
 will let you go and thrust you out." Now, Moses was 
 a very great man in the land of Egypt, in the sight of 
 Pharao's servants and of all the people. 
 
 Moses, therefore, spoke to all the people: "Thus saith 
 the Lord : ' At midnight I will enter into Egypt ; and every 
 
THE PASCHAL LAMB.— DEPARTURE FROM EGYPT. 161 
 
 first-born * in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born 
 of Pharao, who sitteth on his throne, even to the first-born 
 of the hand-maid, that is at the mill, and all the first-born 
 of the beasts ; and there shall be a great cry in all the land 
 of Egypt, such as neither hath been before, nor shall be' 
 hereafter. But with all the children of Israel there shall be \ 
 no death, nor mourning that you may know, how wonderful 
 a difference the Lord maketh between the Egyptians and 
 Israel. And all these thy servants shall come down to me, 
 ^saying: Go forth, thou and all the people, that is under 
 thee. After that we will go out.'" 
 
 After this, Moses and Aaron spoke to the children of 
 Israel, telling them of the Lord's command to kill, in every 
 family, a lamb without blemish^ on the fourteenth day of 
 the month"^ "and to "sprmkle" the door-posts with the blood 
 of the lamb 3 . The Lord also commanded that, on the same 
 night, they should eat the flesh of the lamb with unleavened 
 bread 4 and wild lettuce 5 . They should, moreover, have 
 their loins girt 6 , and shoes on their feet and staves in their 
 hand 7 ; for that it was the passage of the Lord 8 , and that, 
 
162 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 on that night, His angel would slay every first-born of 
 the Egyptians. 
 
 1 i. e. the eldest son in every house, and the leading ox &c. in 
 
 I every stall. — 2 When Moses announced the institution of the Pasch, 
 
 i they were in the seventh month of the year, which had hitherto 
 
 begun at the autumnal equinox , or about the middle of September. 
 
 Henceforward this seventh month, in which fell the vernal equinox, 
 
 was to be the beginning of the year. — 3 The lamb was to be one 
 
 Kyear old , and without blemish , i. e. fine and healthy. The paschal 
 
 lamb was to be a burnt-offering, and everything that was offered to 
 
 God, had to be of the best. — 4 Bread, baked without leaven or yeast. 
 
 Baked cakes were used , made of flour and water , such as the Jews 
 
 * still use at paschal time. As the fermentation, caused by leaven, is a 
 
 * form of corruption, the absence of leaven was a type of incorruption. 
 4 — 5 a herb with a bitter taste. — e They were to fasten up their 
 
 robes by a girdle round their hips, so that they might be ready to 
 start on their journey at a moment's notice. — 7 therefore , actually 
 ready to start. — 8 The day was called the Pasch, or passage of 
 ,the Lord, because the angel of God, who killed the first-born of the 
 •Egyptians, passed over the houses of the Israelites, the doors of which 
 were sprinkleawith tne Tloocl of the lamb. 
 
 The Israelites did as they were commanded, and, at 
 midnight, the fourteenth day of the month, the destroying- 
 angel visited every house in Egypt and slew every first-born, 
 from the king's own to the first-born of the captive woman 
 in prison. But the houses of the Jews he did not enter; 
 for the doors thereof were sprinkled with the blood of the 
 v lamb. And a fearful cry arose from all the land of Egypt, 
 because there was death in every house 9 . 
 
 And Pharao arose in the night , and, struck with terror, 
 he besought Moses and Aaron to go with the Israelites, and 
 take with them their herds and all they possessed. "Go," 
 he said, " and, departing, bless me." The Egyptians themselves 
 pressed 10 the people to go forth speedily, saying: "We shall 
 all die." Then, the people of God rose up in haste, while 
 it was yet night, and began their journey, taking the un- 
 leavened bread with them. Moses also carried the bones 
 of Joseph with him 11 . 
 
 The descendants of Jacob had lived in Egypt four hundred 
 and thirty years. Leaving Egypt, they numbered six hundred 
 thousand men 12 , besides women and children. Moses com- 
 
THE PASCHAL LAMB.— DEPARTURE FROM EGYPT. 163 
 
 manded the people, saying: "Remember this day, in which, 
 with a strong hand 13 , the Lord brought you forth out of [ 
 this place, that you eat none but unleavened bread." He also ■ 
 told them to sanctify unto the Lord every first-born 14 , 
 because the Lord had spared their first-born children on the 
 night, on which He slew every first-born of the Egyptians. 
 The paschal lamb was a figure of Jesus, Who died on 
 the Cross for the sins of men. As the destroying angel 
 dared not to enter the houses of the Jews, that were sprinkled 
 with the blood of the lamb, so the devil has no power over 
 those Christians, who receive worthily the Body and Blood 
 of our Lord in Holy Communion. In Pharao we behold a 
 sad picture of a man, grown old in sin. When oppressed 
 by calamity, he seemed to repent, but, as soon as the danger 
 was past, he fell back into his pride and hardness of heart. 
 
 9 It was the eldest sons, the hope and prop of their parents, who ' 
 lay dead. — 10 forced them to go. — n in fulfilment of Joseph's „ 
 dying wish (Chapt. XXVII). — 12 such men as were capable of 
 fighting in time of war. The whole number of living souls was over 
 two million. — 13 with great might, by which he overcame the 
 stubbornness of Pharao. — u All the first-born of clean beasts had 
 to be sacrificed to the Lord. The first-born of those which were 
 unclean had to be redeemed with money. All first-born sons were 
 consecrated to God, to be the priests of the family. Soon after 
 this, however, the tribe of Levi was substituted for the first-born 
 (Chapt. XXXIX) and, from thenceforward, the first-born sons had to 
 be redeemed with money from the special service of God. Almighty 
 God, to Whom everything belongs, laid a special claim on the first- 
 born of the Israelites, because He had spared their first-born in Egypt. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The avenging Justice of God. The slaying of the first-born 
 in Egypt was a punishment, sent by God on account of the 
 obstinate unbelief of Pharao and his people. This shows 
 the justice of God. If Pharao had been converted by the . 
 lesser plagues, he would have been spared this last terrible ' 
 one. Many sinners, who care nothing about God, can only 
 be converted by means of some severe visitation. No one 
 can resist God, because He is almighty. They who defy 
 Him, must and will feel the weight of His avenging justice, 
 
164 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 * either in this world or in the next. "Thou art Lord of all, 
 
 and there is none that can resist Thy majesty" (Esth. 13, 11). 
 
 The Faithfulness of God. All those promises, which God 
 
 made about increasing the people of Israel, and delivering 
 
 them from Egypt, were faithfully fulfilled. 
 
 God is Lord over life mid death. By the first plagues, 
 God proved that He was Lord of all nature. By the last, 
 and worst, plague, He showed that He was Lord over life 
 and death, because in one night He slew the first-born in 
 every Egyptian house, while not one of the Israelites was 
 touched. 
 
 The Paschal Lamh, a type of Jesus Christ. The paschal 
 lamb was a sacrifice, for it is expressly said (Ex. 12, 27) 
 that it was "the victim of the passage of the Lord". As 
 such, it was pre-eminently a tvpe of our Lord, and principally 
 in the following wa^'/'The'pasclial lamfcTwas to be without 
 blemis h : Jesus Christ is the Most Pure, the Most Holy, "a 
 lamb unspotted and undefiled" (1 Pet. 1, 19)^ /t The paschal 
 Lamb was killed, and its blo od s pilt : Jesus Cnrist was slain 
 for us on the altar of the Cross, and shed all His Blood for 
 us.-yOf the paschal lamb "n o bo ne was to be broken": 
 contrary to the usual custom with those crucified, not one 
 of our Lord's bones was broken^'Through the blood of the 
 paschal lamb, the Israelites wer e sav ed from temporal death: 
 through the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, we are saved 
 from the spiritual death of sin, and the eternal death of 
 hell. The paschal lamb, therefore, foreshowed that the future 
 Saviour would be unspotted ; that He would sacrifice Himself 
 for us ; that He would give His Life and Blood for us ; that 
 not one of His bones would be broken ; and that we, through 
 His sacrifice, would be saved, from death. 
 
 There is no salvation, except through Jesus Christ. The 
 
 i blood of the paschal lamb obtained mercy for the Israelites, 
 
 i and saved them from death, only because it was a type of 
 
 "•the Redeemer of the world. Its atoning and saving power 
 
 did not lie in itself, but came from the Blood of Jesus Christ, 
 
 Whose sacrifice and death were pre-figured by the death 
 
 of the lamb. The Israelites, because they sacrificed the 
 
THE PASCHAL LAMB.— DEPARTURE FROM EGYPT. 165 
 
 paschal lamb, and sprinkled their houses with its blood, 
 having faith in the future Redeemer, were spared, by reason 
 of that faith. Even in the Old Testament, it was only through 
 faith in the (future) Redeemer that men could obtain pardon. 
 The meaning of the Paschal Feast in the Old Law and 
 the New Law. The Jewish Pasch was instituted by God 
 through Moses, in thankful commemoration of the deliverance 
 of the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt, and also as 
 ^a type of their future deliverance from sin and hell. The 
 Christian Paschal Feast was instituted by God, through His 
 Church, in thankful commemoration of the redemption of 
 all mankind from sin and hell by Jesus Christ, as also of 
 our deliverance by Him from the bondage of Satan, and the 
 overcoming of the death of the body by His glorious ascension. 
 The former was a reminder of the promise of redemption, 
 the latter a reminder of its fulfilment, of our real redemption 
 by the Lamb of God, Who taketh away the sins of the world. 
 
 The importance of the Paschal Feast, as a type of our redemption, 
 is shown by the command of God to make it from thenceforth the 
 beginning of a new year. 
 
 The Paschal Lamb, a type of Holy Communion. The paschal lamb 
 was not only a sacrifice ; it was also a food, which had to be partaken 
 of. In Holy Communion , our Lord , the true Paschal Lamb , gives 
 Himself to us to be the Food of our souls. This priceless Food, if It 
 is to nourish us, mast be partaken of, mingled with the "bitter herb" 
 of penance and a sincere confession of our sins. If we receive It 
 worthily, It strengthens us for our journey through the wilderness 
 of this life, and will enable us to reach the Promised Land of ever- 
 lasting happiness. "He that eateth this bread," said our Lord, "shall 
 live for ever" (John 6, 59). 
 
 The connection between type and fulfilment. It could not be said that 
 the bones of our Lord were not broken, because the bones of the paschal 
 V lamb, which was a type of Him , were not broken. The case must 
 be reversed; for a type points to the person typified, and not the 
 person to the type. Because , therefore , God , in His omniscience, 
 knew that no bone of the crucified Redeemer would be broken. He 
 commanded that no bone should be broken of the paschal lamb, which 
 was intended to be a type of that Redeemer. It is the same with 
 all types. The omniscient God has so disposed them that they point 
 on to the Redeemer, His work and His kingdom. 
 
 Persons and things as types. The types, about which you have till 
 now learnt (Adam, Abel, Noe, Melchisedech, Isaac, Joseph and Job), 
 
166 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 were men. But the paschal lamb , and the slaying of the first-horn, 
 were things. You will come across many other things, which were 
 types of our Lord, such as the manna, the brazen serpent &c. &c. 
 III. Application. 
 
 How the Israelites must have thanked God, when their 
 first-born sons were spared, and when they were delivered 
 from the cruel slavery of Egypt ! Thank God daily that His 
 only-begotten Son has redeemed you, has won pardon for 
 you, and has opened heaven to you. Serve God with a 
 grateful love, for you were dedicated to His service at your 
 Baptism. Above all things, hear Mass willingly and devoutly, 
 and be thankful to the Lamb of God, Who daily sacrifices 
 Himself for you. 
 
 When you obey your evil inclinations and passions, you are 
 still in the bonds of the cruel servitude of Satan and sin. 
 Tear yourself away from this ignominious slavery. Seek out, 
 and fight against, your besetting sin. Make resolutions against 
 it every morning when you say your prayers, and examine 
 your conscience about it in the evening. 
 
 Chapter XXXIV. 
 PASSAGE OF THE RED SEA. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 NOW, God Himself conducted the Israelites in their march, 
 going before them by day in a pillar 1 of cloud, by 
 night in a pillar of flame. They, at length, reached the shores 
 of the Red Sea 2 , where they pitched their tents 3 . Suddenly 
 Pharao repented of having allowed the Israelites to go 4 , 
 and pursued them with chariots 5 and horsemen, and with 
 his whole army 6 ; and he overtook them at night-fall near 
 the Red Sea. 
 
 When the Israelites saw the Egyptians behind them, they 
 
 were seized with fear , and cried to the Lord for help 7 . 
 
 Moses, however, calmed and encouraged them, saying: "The 
 
 *Lord will fight for you." At the same time the pillar of 
 
 cloud, which had gone before them, went back and stood 
 
 ^ between their camp and the army of the Egyptians. Moreover, 
 
PASSAGE OF THE RED SEA. 
 
 167 
 
 the cloud gave light to the Israelites, but it made the night j 
 darker for the Egyptians, so that they could not see nor 
 stir for the rest of the night. Then Moses, commanded by 
 God, stretched his rod over the sea, and immediately the 
 waters divided and stood like a wall on either side, leaving 
 a dry road between for the children of Israel to pass over. 
 And the children of Israel went in through the midst of the sea. 
 
 1 A cloud, which raised itself up like a pillar, so that it could be 
 seen by all the people. In this cloud, which, later on, rested on the 
 Ark of the Covenant (Chapt. XXXVIII), God was present in an especial 
 manner, to prove to the Israelites that He was their leader and 
 protector. — 2 The track, followed by the Israelites, is marked by a 
 blue line on map I. — 3 They encamped to rest for the night. — 
 4 His first terror, caused by the slaying of the first-born, was passed, 
 and his old spirit of defiance had returned. He and his people wished 
 to revenge themselves on the Israelites for the death of their sons, 
 and seize them, to reduce them once more to slavery. — 5 cars full 
 of soldiers, who, from these chariots, attacked the enemy with arrows, 
 spears and swords. — 6 which was more than 200 000 strong. — 
 7 The Israelites really were in a terrible position. Before them lay 
 the deep sea, behind them Pharao's host; to right and left of them 
 were high mountains! They could not possibly have escaped, if God 
 
168 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 had not helped them. But the Lord, in order to strengthen His 
 people's faith, worked a mighty miracle, and made the water to cease 
 to flow, and rear itself up like two walls, letting the people of Israel 
 pass between them to the other side. 
 
 At the dawn of day, the Egyptians pursued them into 
 the midst of the sea. But suddenly a great tempest arose 8 , 
 and overthrew their chariots and horsemen. And the Lord 
 said to Moses: "Stretch thy hand over the sea"; and behold! 
 the divided waters came together again, swallowing up Pharao 
 and his whole army, so that not one of the Egyptians escaped. 
 Thus did the Lord, by a splendid miracle, deliver the 
 Hebrews that day from the Egyptians. And the people feared 
 
 i the Lord, and believed in Him 9 , and in Moses, His servant. 
 
 < The passage of the Red Sea is a figure of the Sacrament 
 of Ba ptism . There was no other way left to the Israelites 
 to escape from Pharao and enter the Land of Promise, save 
 through the waters of the Red Sea ; so is there no way to 
 y escape from the power of the devil and to enter heaven, 
 except through the waters of Baptism. In the death of 
 Pharao and his army we have an example of the divine 
 
 t j usti ce. Pharao and his servants had made a law to drown 
 
 j the Hebrew babies in the Nile. In punishment for this cruelty 
 he and his army were swallowed up by the waves of the sea. 
 
 8 Thunder and lightning burst from the cloud, and the whole army 
 of Pharao fell into disorder. — 9 They believed even more than they 
 had done. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The almighty Power of God divided the waters, held them 
 up as walls on either side, made the burning wind to blow, 
 and the lightning to strike the Egyptians. 
 
 God's Goodness to His people is shown throughout the whole 
 story. First, He led His people by a visible means (the 
 pillar of cloud). Then, He worked a great miracle, and saved 
 them, for good and all, from the power of the Egyptians. 
 By the destruction of their army the Egyptians were so 
 weakened, and the damage done to them so lasting, that 
 they were unable to molest the Israelites, the whole time 
 they were wandering in the wilderness. 
 
PASSAGE OF THE RED SEA. 169 
 
 The retributive Justice of God. Pharao's terrible end was 
 a punishment for his impenitence and obstinate resistance 
 of God's grace. His people were punished also, and perished 
 with him. The Epyptians drowned the Israelite babes in 
 the Nile, and, in punishment for this, their sons were drowned 
 in the sea. How terrible is God's justice! 
 
 Confidence in God. While the Israelites, filled with fear, 
 called upon the Lord for help, Moses remained perfectly 
 calm. Full of confidence in God, he said to the people: 
 "Fear nothing! The Lord will fight for you": and his 
 confidence was justified and rewarded , for God , to Whom 
 nature is subject, sent thunder and lightning, wind and rain 
 to their aid. God can help us, when all other help is useless. 
 The greater the need, the nearer is God! 
 
 Seeming conversion. Pharao was not really converted. The death 
 of the first-born frightened and staggered him, so that he let the 
 Israelites go. But, when the first terror was over, he returned to 
 his former obduracy, and again defied God. He wished to overcome 
 God's will, and bring back His people by force of arms. But, at 
 last, the measure of his sins was full. He had despised the warnings 
 of God's mercy, so now, God's justice overtook him, and he died a 
 miserable death. He was like those sinners, who in times of tribulation, 
 such as sickness or misfortune, promise to amend their ways, but 
 who, when the trial is removed, do not keep their promise, and fall 
 back into their old habits and forgetfulness of God. — Such sinners 
 will die an impenitent death, as Pharao did, and be lost eternally. 
 "Hell is paved with good intentions." 
 
 The object of miracles. The people feared God, because 
 they saw His power and justice with their own eyes; and 
 they believed that Moses was sent by God, because it was 
 through him that His great miracles were wrought. 
 
 The Passage of the Red Sea, a type of Baptism. The 
 passage of the Red Sea was (according to 1 Cor. 10, 1) a 
 type of holy Baptism. As the Israelites had to pass through 
 the Red Sea in order to escape from the slavery of Pharao, 
 and reach the Promised Land, so must we pass through the 
 waters of Baptism in order to be freed from the slavery 
 of sin and Satan, and finally attain to heaven. 
 
 Faith, our guide. We also want a guide on our way through life. 
 
 Who will be our guide? God leads us through the wilderness of 
 
 Knecht, Commentary. I. 8 
 
170 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 this life to the promised land of heaven , by His holy faith , which 
 Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, taught and deposited in His 
 Church. If v we follow the light of faith ; if we , that is , live up to 
 our faith, we are sure to arrive at our heavenly home. "I am the 
 Light of the world: he that followeth Me, walketh not in darkness 
 but shall have the light of life" (John 8, 12). 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Moses and the children of Israel sang a canticle of praise in 
 thanksgiving for their wonderful deliverance. It began by the 
 words: "Let us sing to the Lord, for He is gloriously magnified: 
 The horse and the rider He hath thrown into the sea." 
 
 You too should thank the Lord God frequently for your 
 creation, preservation and redemption. Thank Him daily 
 for your Baptism, and for the holy Catholic faith. 
 
 • Chapter XXXV. 
 THE MIRACLES, WROUGHT IN THE DESERT. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 AFTER the people of God had crossed the Red Sea, 
 Moses ordered them to go on towards the wilderness. 
 They marched three days through the wilderness, and found 
 no water 1 . Finding some 2 , at last 3 , they could not drink 
 it, because it was bitter 4 . The people murmured against 
 Moses, saying: "What shall we drink?" Moses prayed, and 
 the Lord showed him a tree, which, when cast into the 
 water, rendered it sweet 5 . 
 
 1 They had no drinking water. They could have got sea-water, 
 but this, being salt, does not quench the thirst, but rather increases 
 it. — 2 at Mara (see map). — 3 after three days of thirst. — 4 It 
 was briny, so that neither men nor beasts could drink it. — 6 so 
 called in contradistinction to salt water. Drinkable water is known 
 as fresh, or sweet water. 
 
 And when they had gone far into the wilderness 6 , the 
 people began to murmur still more, seeing that there was 
 no food, and they wished that they had remained and died 
 in Egypt, asking Moses, why he had brought them out into 
 the wilderness to die. Instead of punishing them for their 
 
THE MIRACLES, WROUGHT IN THE DESERT. 171 
 
 want of confidence, God, full of mercy and goodness, promised 
 to give them food in abundance. 
 
 He sent them, accordingly, in the evening, quails in vast 
 numbers, sufficient for all the children of Israel to eat ; and, 
 in the morning, a delicious white food fell from heaven. 
 When the Israelites saw the bread, which looked like hoar- 
 frost, they exclaimed "Manhu", which signifies: "What is 
 this?" Moses informed them that it was the bread, which 
 the Lord gave them 7 . He, then, told every one to gather 
 of it, as much as he needed. 
 
 They did so, and found it pleasant to eat, tasting like 
 flour mixed with honey. On the day before the Sabbath, 
 they gathered a double quantity, as none fell on the Sabbath. 
 This Manna 8 was their food for forty years, until they 
 reached the confines of Chanaan 9 . 
 
 6 They had now been four weeks in the wilderness, and had ex- 
 hausted the provisions, which they had brought with them from Egypt. 
 7 without any intervention on the part of man. — 8 This word came 
 from "Manhu", and means the same thing. — 9 The fall of Manna 
 went on, and was renewed every day except Saturday. 
 
 8* 
 
172 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 Some time after these events, they encamped in another 
 part of the desert, where again there was no water. Here 
 also they murmured against Moses, and blamed him for 
 having brought them out of Egypt. Then, Moses reproved 
 them for their want of confidence in God; and, addressing 
 the Lord in prayer, he asked, what he should do 10 . The Lord 
 commanded him to strike a rock 11 on the side of Mount 
 Horeb with his rod. Moses did so, and a stream of pure 
 water burst forth from the rock, so that all the people and 
 the cattle could quench their thirst at will. 
 
 10 "What shall I do with this people?" said he. "Yet a little 
 more, and they will stone me." The anger of the people against 
 Moses was, therefore, very great. — n which He would show to 
 him. God had said to Moses: "I will stand there before thee on 
 the rock Horeb" (Ex. 17, 6). 
 
 At this time, the Amalekites 12 marched against the chosen 
 people. Moses sent Josue 13 with a number of picked men 
 against them. During the battle, Moses prayed on the top 
 of the hill. As long as his hands were uplifted 14 , the Israelites 
 remained victorious ; but when, through fatigue, he let them 
 sink, they lost. Hence Aaron and Hur 15 upheld his hands, 
 until the enemy was put to flight. 
 
 The tree, which sweetened the water of the desert, was 
 ^a figure of the Cross, which sweetens the sufferings of this 
 life. The Manna, which daily fell from heaven, and sustained 
 the Israelites for forty years in the desert, was a figure of 
 Christ in the holy Eucharist, Who, every day, during the 
 holy Mass, descends from heaven to nourish our souls for life 
 everlasting. The water, which flowed from the rock, when 
 struck by Moses, signifies the grace, which flows so abundantly 
 for us from the Sacraments of the Church. 
 
 12 They were descendants of Esau, and were a wild, marauding 
 and pagan people, who lived in the country between Chanaan and 
 the Red Sea, in the peninsula of Sinai. They desired to hinder the 
 Israelites on their way to the Promised Land , and , as far as they 
 could, to destroy all worshippers of the true God. — 13 as the leader 
 of the fighting men. — u in intercessory prayer. — 15 a leading 
 representative of the tribe of Juda. 
 
THE MIRACLES, WROUGHT IN THE DESERT. 173 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The wood, thrown into the bitter well, by God's command, 
 possessed no natural properties, by which to make the water 
 sweet; therefore, the miracle worked was simply the effect 
 of God's almighty power. In the same way, the stroke, 
 dealt by Moses's rod, did not of itself bring water from the 
 rock: it was the omnipotence of God, which caused that 
 abundant spring to pour from the dry stone. To show that 
 the power came from Him, the Lord God, present in the 
 pillar of cloud, rested on the rock. It was also His almighty 
 will, which summoned the flock of quails, and which rained 
 the Manna from heaven every day (except the Sabbath), 
 during forty years, so that His chosen people, might be able 
 to exist in the barren desert. 
 
 Goodness and Patience of God. Almighty God was marvel- 
 lously good and patient with the unbelieving Israelites. He 
 dwelt in their midst in a visible way; He protected them from 
 the heat of the sun by the pillar of cloud ; He forgave them 
 their repeated murmurings ; He was always showering fresh 
 benefits on them, and defending them against their enemies. 
 
 Sins against religion. The Israelites were an ungrateful, 
 carnal people. They cared more for good food and drink 
 than for their liberty and the Promised Land. Though Almighty 
 God worked such great miracles for them, and dwelt in 
 their midst in the pillar of cloud, they were always murmuring 
 against Moses and reproaching him. Their reproaches and 
 ingratitude were, indirectly, offences against God, for Moses 
 was but carrying out His commands. The Israelites sinned 
 against the First Commandment by their ingratitude, want 
 of confidence, and murmurings against the decrees of God. 
 
 The power of prayer. Moses raised, not only his hands, 
 but also his heart to God. "The continual prayer of a just 
 man availeth much" (James 5, 16). It was not Josue's valour, 
 but Moses's prayers, which overcame the enemy. Raise your 
 heart with your hands to heaven, when you pray. Like Moses, 
 the priest at the altar prays with outstretched, upraised hands. 
 
 Helping ourselves. The Israelites did not depend only on 
 the prayers of Moses ; they exerted themselves, and defended 
 
174 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 themselves as best they could. In all our times of danger 
 and necessity, we ought to do the same: do what we can 
 for ourselves, and pray to God. 
 
 Unappreciated gifts of God. Daily bread to eat, and good 
 water to drink are very great boons. We only learn to 
 prize them, when we have to go without them. 
 
 The wood , which made the waters sweet , is a type of the Cross of 
 Jesus Christ. His Cross makes sweet to us all that is bitter and 
 distasteful. Firstly, it gives us the grace to be patient, and, secondly, 
 it teaches us to bear all sufferings cheerfully, for love of Him, who 
 suffered so much for us. 
 
 The Manna is, as our Lord Himself declared (New. Test. XXXIV), 
 a type of the Blessed Sacrament. It came daily from heaven to give 
 strength to the Israelites for their journey, and was sweet to the 
 taste. Our Lord, in the Blessed Sacrament, comes from heaven, and 
 gives Himself to us to nourish our souls on their journey to heaven, 
 through the wilderness of this life ; and He is a sweet and life-giving 
 food to those who love Him. The Church says in the Litany of the 
 Blessed Sacrament: Thou hast given them bread from heaven, con- 
 taining in itself all sweetness. 
 
 The water, -flowing from the rock, is (according to 1 Cor. 10, 24) a 
 type of the stream of divine grace, which, proceeding from our Saviour, 
 Who was pierced for us, flows down on the languishing souls of 
 men (compare what our Lord says about the living water, New 
 Test. XVI). "If any man thirst, let him come to Me and drink," 
 said our Divine Saviour (John 7, 37). 
 
 Moses, praying on the mountain with outstretched arms, is a type 
 of our Lord, Who was nailed with outstretched arms on to the Cross 
 on Calvary, and prayed for the salvation of the world. 
 
 The victory of God's chosen people over the heathen Amalekites 
 is a type of the victory of the Church militant over her enemies , a 
 victory, won by the spiritual weapons of virtue and prayer. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 He who wishes to reach the promised land of heaven 
 must suffer and deny himself. He must renounce his bad 
 desires, and patiently bear trials for love of God. He must 
 fight against the enemies of his soul, and all temptations 
 to evil. We must fight, endure and suffer in this world, 
 and we must do so from our youth upwards. Ask yourself, 
 what you have done hitherto. Deny yourself voluntarily 
 something in the way of food and drink. Do not complain, 
 if anything hurts you, but rather suffer it in silence, and 
 
GOD GIVES THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ON MOUNT SINAI. 175 
 
 offer your pain to your crucified Saviour. Suppress at once 
 all movements of anger, pride, envy, or sinful curiosity. 
 
 We must not only fight : we must also pray, to be enabled 
 to overcome the enemy of our souls. Say to-day a prayer 
 in honour of the Five Wounds of our Lord, or else, say a 
 decade of the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary, to obtain 
 the grace to overcome yourself. 
 
 Chapter XXXVI. 
 
 GOD GIVES THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ON 
 MOUNT SINAI. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 IN the third month 1 after their departure from Egypt, the 
 Israelites came to Mount Sinai 2 , where they rested and 
 pitched their tents. Moses ascended the mountain, and God 
 appeared to him there. He commanded him to go down to 
 the people, and remind them of the wonders He had wrought 
 in their behalf. He told him, moreover, to announce to them 
 that, if they would keep His law, they should continue to 
 be His chosen people 3 . 
 
 Moses went down from the mountain, and related to the 
 people what God had said. They all cried out with one 
 voice: "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do." Then, 
 Moses went up again to the mountain, and the Lord told 
 him that all the people should sanctify and purify themselves 
 from all defilement, that might render them unfit to appear 
 in His presence, and to come, on the third day 4 , to the 
 mountain; but that barriers 5 must be placed around it, so 
 that they might not approach too near and die. 
 
 1 They had left Egypt on the fifteenth day of the first month ; 
 and now it was the third day of the third month, or forty-eight days 
 since their departure. — 2 See map. A distinction must be drawn 
 between Sinai in its larger sense, and Sinai in its particular sense .v 
 for all the mountains, in that part of Arabia, are, in the wider sense, 
 known as Sinai. In this chain there are two peaks; one is Horeb, 
 and the other is known as Sinai in the more particular sense of the 
 word. It was in front of this latter mountain that the Israelites 
 encamped. It is 7363 feet high, and rises perpendicularly from a 
 large plateau to a height of 2000 feet. From this plateau the Israelites 
 
176 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 could see everything, which took place on the mountain. — 3 God 
 renewed with all the people the covenant, which He had made with 
 their forefather Abraham (Chapt. IX). — 4 They were to purify 
 themselves inwardly by penance , as well as outwardly by ablutions, 
 because the Most Holy was going to manifest Himself to them. — 5 or 
 boundaries, probably marked by stakes, which were not to be passed. 
 
 The third morning being come, there was thunder and 
 lightning around the mountain, and a thick cloud covered 
 its top. Smoke, mixed with fire 6 , was seen to ascend, the 
 mountain rocked and trembled 7 , while a trumpet 8 sounded 
 very loud, and the people below on the plain feared ex- 
 ceedingly. Then was heard the voice of the Lord, speaking 
 from the cloud, that covered the mountain, saying: 
 
 I. I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not have strange 
 gods before Me. Thou shalt not make to thyself a 
 graven thing; nor the likeness of anything; thou 
 shalt not adore them, nor serve them. 
 II. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God 
 in vain 9 . 
 
 III. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day. 
 
 IV. Honour thy father and thy mother, that thou mayest 
 
 be long lived upon the land, which the Lord thy 
 God will give thee. 
 V. Thou shalt not kill. 
 VI. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 
 VII. Thou shalt not steal. 
 
 VIII. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neigh- 
 bour. 
 IX. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife. 
 X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's goods. 
 The people, trembling and afraid at the foot of the moun- 
 tain, cried out to Moses: "Speak thou to us, and we will 
 hear ; let not the Lord speak to us, lest we die." 10 Moses 
 told them that the Lord had come down to instil fear into 
 their hearts, that they might not sin. 
 
 fi When God spoke to Moses the first time, He appeared to him in 
 the midst of flames, in the burning bush. — 7 There was an earth- 
 quake. — 8 with a long sound. — 9 i. e. not for an unnecessary 
 purpose. — 10 of terror. 
 
GOD GIVES THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ON MOUNT STNAT. 177 
 
 And the people stood afar off, but Moses went into the 
 dark cloud 11 , and the Lord gave him further laws 42 , which 
 he wrote down and explained to the people. They answered 
 with one voice: "We will do all the words of the Lord, 
 which He hath spoken." Moses raised an altar at the foot 
 of the mountain, and offered a holocaust to the Lord. And, 
 taking the blood of the victim, he sprinkled the people with 
 it, saying: "This is the blood of the covenant 13 , which the 
 Lord hath made with you, concerning all these words." 
 
 As the Old Covenant, or Testament, was consecrated by 
 the sprinkling of the blood of animals, so the New Testament 
 was ratified and sealed by the Blood of the §on of God, 
 Who said: "This is My Blood of the New Testament." 
 
 11 In which God was (Ex. 20, 21). — 12 laws, relating to the 
 moral life of the people, and also laws, in further explanation of the 
 Ten Commandments. Moses, in the name of God, formally and solemnly 
 ratified His covenant with the people, after they had promised obedience 
 to His law, and sealed it with the blood of a sacrifice. — 13 i. e. this 
 blood is for the ratification and sealing of the covenant. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Holiness of God. God, Who wills what is good, and 
 abhors what is evil, revealed His will to man by His holy 
 Commandments, so that they might avoid what was evil, and 
 do what was right. And because He is holy, He desired 
 the Israelites to sanctify themselves and prepare themselves 
 by penance for His manifestation of Himself to them. 
 
 The fearful Majesty of God. The tremendous signs, under 
 which God manifested Himself, were intended to convince 
 the people of His greatness and majesty, and inspire them 
 with a wholesome fear of breaking His Commandments. 
 Therefore, Moses said to them: "The Lord is come that you 
 may fear Him and not sin." These tokens of the presence 
 of God are typical of His attributes. The cloud and the 
 smoke signified that God is incomprehensible, and cannot 
 be gazed at by mortal eyes. The crashing of the thunder 
 and the terrible blast of the trumpets revealed God's might 
 and majesty. The lightning and the flames pointed to God's' 
 holiness and avenging justice. The quaking of the mountain 
 
 8 ** 
 
178 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 signified the fearful and unapproachable majesty of God, 
 before which the very angels tremble. No wonder that these 
 tokens of the presence of God filled the Israelites with fear 
 and awe. When the Lord God Himself spoke the Ten 
 Commandments , they were filled with such consuming fear 
 that they nearlyfeinted away, and said to Moses: "Speak 
 thou to us &c." They felt that they must die, if God spoke 
 to them in that way. How terrible is the majesty of God! 
 The Israelites did not see Him ; they only saw the signs of 
 His presence, and heard His voice, and yet, they nearly died 
 of terror. Fear the just God, and keep His Commandments. 
 
 The Ten Commandments and the Natural Law. The Ten 
 Commandments were but the expression of that natural law, 
 which God has written in every man's heart, and which 
 every man can know, if he listens to the voice of reason 
 and conscience. Therefore, the Ten Commandments apply 
 to all men and all times: and, for this reason, God wrote 
 them on stone to signify that they are as durable as stone, 
 and are to last for all ages. We Christians ought to observe 
 the Commandments even more perfectly than was expected 
 of the Israelites, for our Lord has said: "Think not that 
 I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not 
 come to destroy, but to fulfil" (New Test. XXI). 
 
 The contents of the Ten Commandments are fully explained 
 in the catechism , so I will only draw your attention here 
 to their connexion with each other, and to their general 
 tenor. The first three say to us, "Thou shalt worship 
 God ; thou shalt honour and keep holy His name ; thou shalt 
 .respect and keep holy His day." The fourth Commandment 
 is a transition from one division to the other. The next 
 four protect our most valuable possessions, and forbid any 
 injury to life, innocence, property and honour. The last two 
 forbid evil desires, because they corrupt the heart and lead 
 to evil deeds. 
 
 The Ten Commandments are a benefit to mankind. God 
 
 gave them to us out of love and for our good, or, in other 
 
 words, for our temporal welfare and our eternal salvation. 
 
 ">How would the world fare, if murder, rapine, robbery and 
 
GOD GIVES THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ON MOUNT SINAI. 179 
 
 defamation of character were not forbidden ! Nobody would 
 be sure of either life or property. There would be an end 
 to all order and obedience in family-life ; evil and lawlessness 
 would reign triumphantly; men would live likeVwild beasts 
 in accordance with their savage lusts, and hunt down and 
 devour each other. The Ten Commandments were, therefore, 
 given to us for our good ; that peace and order might reign 
 among men, in family, society and state, and that we might 
 attain to everlasting happiness. For this reason, he who does 
 not observe the Ten Commandments, is not only an enemy 
 to God, but an enemy to mankind and to his own self. 
 
 The Old Covenant and the New. The Old Covenant was 
 made through Moses , the New through Jesus Christ. The 
 Old Covenant was made with only one nation ; the New with 
 all mankind. The Old Covenant was made, to last for a 
 limited time; the New will last to the end of time. The 
 Old Covenant was sealed with the blood of victims ; the New 
 with the Blood of God made Man ("This is My Blood of the 
 New Testament"; New Test. LXV). In the Old Testament, 
 severe laws were made, but the power of observing them 
 was not given. The New Testament has not only its own 
 holy laws, but abundant grace is given, by which to observe 
 them ; and the New Covenant is, therefore , called the Co- 
 venant of grace. 
 
 The Ten Commandments and the other laws of the Old Testament 
 were a preparation for Jesus Christ (Gal. 3, 24). The Jews could 
 not perfectly observe those laws, which forbade even evil desires; 
 and, feeling this, they came to know their own weakness and sinfulness. 
 They saw that they required divine help to do that which they ought 
 to do , and to be just in the eyes of God. They longed , therefore, 
 for the promised Saviour. But we Christians can, by God's grace, 
 keep all the Commandments, if only we desire to do so, and use 
 the means of grace. 
 
 Pentecost. God gave the Ten Commandments fifty days after the 
 departure from Egypt. In commemoration of this, the Jews always 
 kept the feast of Pentecost fifty days after the Pasch (Old Test. 
 XXXIX). The Christian Pentecost is also kept fifty days after Easter* 
 because , on that day , God the Holy Ghost descended from heaven, 
 ancrlrinscribed the law of love on the hearts of the faithful. 
 
 The first day of Pentecost in the Old Testament is a type of the 
 first day of Pentecost in the New Testament. On the former, the 
 
180 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 'mountain shook ; on the latter, the house, in which were the apostles. 
 On the one, were thunders and storm ; on the other, the rushing as of a 
 mighty wind. On the former, flames appeared ; on the latter, tongues 
 of fire. On the one, God came down to give the Commandments; on 
 the other, God the Holy Ghost came down to bring priceless graces 
 for the observance of the Commandments. 
 
 No more barriers. The boundaries , set round the mountain , were 
 meant to say to the Israelites: "You are not worthy on account of 
 your sins to approach the Lord." Now, the barriers, which separate 
 man from God, are removed by Jesus Christ. We dare now approach 
 God. We dare receive Him into our very hearts, and unite ourselves 
 to Him in the closest manner. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Thank God that He has, by the Ten Commandments, shown 
 you the road to heaven. Take the trouble to learn the 
 meaning of the Commandments thoroughly. Ask yourself, 
 which Commandment you have most sinned against, and 
 pray to the Holy Ghost for the gift of holy fear. 
 
 The Israelites had to prepare themselves for the hearing 
 of God's voice , by the sanctification of their senses. How 
 much more ought we to prepare ourselves for receiving God 
 into our hearts in Holy Communion. 
 
 Chapter XXXVII. 
 THE GOLDEN CALF. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 MOSES again ascended the mountain, and remained there 
 forty days and forty nights conversing with God K 
 And, when God had finished speaking with Moses, He gave 
 him two tables of stone, on which were written the Ten 
 Commandments 2 . Now the people, seeing that Moses did 
 not come down from the mountain as soon as they expected 3 , 
 rose up against Aaron and besought him, saying: "Make 
 us gods , that may go before us. For , as to this Moses, 
 the man that brought us out of the land of Egypt, we 
 know not what has befallen him." 
 
 Hoping to dissuade them from their impious project, Aaron 
 replied: "Take the golden ear-rings from the ears of your 
 wives, and your sons and daughters, and bring them to me." 
 
THE GOLDEN CALF. 
 
 181 
 
 Contrary to all expectation 4 , they brought their rings to 
 Aaron, who, fearing to offer resistance, accepted them, and 
 made a molten calf 5 , and built an altar. And the people 
 exclaimed: "These are thy gods, Israel, that have brought 
 thee out of the land of Egypt." Next morning they offered 
 holocausts and peace- victims , and began to eat and drink 
 and to dance, after the manner of the Egyptians. 
 
 1 Moses passed the forty days and forty nights without food, and 
 in prayer and contemplation, and was instructed by God about the 
 making of the tabernacle and the worship of God. — 2 The tables 
 of the Commandments were the document of the Covenant. On the 
 first table were written the first three Commandments, which teach 
 us our duty towards God. On the second were the seven others, 
 which relate to our duty towards our neighbour. — 3 They believed 
 that some misfortune had befallen Moses , and that God would now 
 no longer be with them. This, however, was not the real cause of 
 their idolatry, the plea of his absence was only an excuse. The 
 real causes were the weakness of their faith and their sensuality, 
 which made them crave for the low and dissolute pleasures of idolatry. 
 — 4 Aaron had reckoned that they would rather give up their project 
 
 for idolatry proved to be stronger than their vanity or avarice. — 
 
182 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 5 They insisted on a calf being made in imitation of the Egyptian worship 
 of Apis. The gold was melted on the fire, and then cast into a mould. 
 
 Meanwhile Moses came down from the mountain with the 
 
 two tables of stone, whereon God Himself had written His 
 
 Commandments. When he heard the shouts of the people, and 
 
 saw them dance before the golden calf, he dashed the tables 
 
 to the ground and broke them 6 at the foot of the mount. Then, 
 
 laying hold of the calf, he burnt it and beat it to powder 7 . 
 
 He severely rebuked Aaron for yielding to the wicked 
 
 desires of the people. Then, standing in the gate of the 
 
 camp, he said: "If any man be on the Lord's side, let him 
 
 join with me." And all the sons of Levi 8 gathered around 
 
 him. Then, Moses ordered them to take their swords, go 
 
 through the camp, and slay every man, whom they found 
 
 practising idolatry. They did as they were commanded, and 
 
 about twenty-three thousand men were put to death that day. 
 
 6 The people, having broken their covenant with God, Moses broke 
 
 the words of the covenant. He meant also to show by this action 
 
 that the people had proved themselves unworthy of the benefits of 
 
 the law. — 7 He ground it into gold dust. He did this to make the 
 
 people understand the utter nothingness of idols, and the folly of 
 
 worshipping them. — 8 the descendants of Jacob's son Levi. Most of 
 
 the tribe of Levi had refrained from the worship of the golden calf. 
 
 Next day, Moses again ascended the mountain, and earnestly 
 entreated the Lord for His ungrateful people. But the Lord 
 said: "Let me alone that I may destroy them." Still Moses 
 insisted, saying: "I beseech Thee, this people hath sinned: 
 either forgive them this trespass, or, if Thou do not, strike 
 me out of the book that Thou hast written." 9 
 
 The Lord heard his prayer, and ordered him to cut two 
 other tables of stone. Moses obeyed, and on those tables 
 the Lord again wrote the Ten Commandments. But, when 
 Moses came down from the mountain with the tables in his 
 hands, his face was so radiant 10 with glory that the Israelites 
 were afraid to come near ; hence he veiled his face, whenever 
 he spoke to the people. From this terrible punishment, inflicted 
 upon the Israelites, we may learn what a fearful thing it 
 is to offend God. Moses, the mediator of the Old Testament, 
 is a figure of Jesus Christ, the Mediator of the New Testament, 
 
THE GOLDEN CALF. 183 
 
 The prayer of Moses for his people teaches us in a striking- 
 manner that the intercession of the saints has great power 
 to avert the chastisements of God. 
 
 9 The book, in which are written the names of the just, and heirs 
 to heaven. By this forcible language Moses wished to say: "I (if 
 I can do so without sin) will renounce eternal life rather than that 
 this whole people should perish." — 10 with a wonderful, supernatural 
 brilliancy. Therefore, Moses is always drawn with two rays of light 
 on his brow (see pictures pp. 167. 171). 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Mercy of God. The people of Israel had sinned horribly 
 against God by their idolatry, and yet, at Moses's intercession, 
 He forgave them. 
 
 Idolatry. The weak people were most ungrateful and 
 faithless to God. The Lord had done such great things for 
 them! Only forty days before, they had, full of holy fear, 
 heard His voice and had repeatedly promised obedience to 
 His Commandments; and yet, now they transgressed the 
 first and most important of them , and forsook Him to 
 worship idols. St. Paul calls lust and covetousness idolatry. 
 Whenever a man loves anything more than he loves God, 
 he is guilty of idolatry. 
 
 Pleasure-seeking and sensuality lead to many sins, and, 
 finally, to unbelief and impiety. 
 
 Fear of man. Aaron sinned grievously. It was from fear 
 of man, fear for his life, that he sinned. He ought to have 
 died rather than assist the people in their terrible sin. 
 
 Righteous anger. The anger of Moses was not sinful anger ; 
 it was, rather, a holy zeal for God's honour, and the good 
 of the people. He who loves God, cannot feel indifferent 
 when he sees Him being offended ; and he who really loves 
 his neighbour, must be pained when he sees him walking 
 on the road to hell. We ought, therefore, to prevent sin, 
 whenever we can ; punish it, when we have the right to do 
 so; and pray zealously for the conversion of sinners. 
 
 Intercession for sinners is pleasing to God. We can see 
 this by the way in which God forgave the people their 
 great sin, when Moses interceded for them. 
 
184 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 Love of our neighbour. Moses's love for his people was 
 truly wonderful. He even offered to sacrifice himself that they 
 might be spared, and not cast off by God. He sought neither 
 his own honour nor advantage, but only the good of his people. 
 
 Moses, the eighth type of Jesus Christ. Through Moses 
 God instituted the Old Law, on which account he is called 
 the mediator of the Old Law. As such, Moses was a striking 
 type of Jesus Christ, Who instituted the New Law. Moses, 
 as a child, was condemned to death by a cruel king, and 
 was saved in a wonderful way: Jesus Christ was condemned 
 by Herod, and also wonderfully saved. Moses forsook the 
 king's court so as to help his persecuted brethren: the Son 
 of God left the glory of heaven to save us sinners. Moses 
 prepared himself in the desert for his vocation, he freed 
 his people from slavery, and proved his divine mission by 
 great miracles : Jesus Christ proved by still greater miracles 
 that he was the only begotten Son of God. Moses was the 
 advocate of his people: Jesus was our advocate with His 
 Father on the Cross, and is eternally so in heaven. Moses 
 was the law-giver of his people and announced to them the 
 word of God: Jesus Christ is the supreme law-giver, and 
 not only announced God's word, but is Himself the Eternal 
 Word made flesh. Moses was the leader of the people to the 
 Promised Land : Jesus is our leader on our road to heaven. 
 
 The fruits of prayer. After Moses had fasted and prayed a second 
 forty days on the mountain, his countenance was glorified, and heavenly 
 rays shone forth from it. This shows us that fervent prayer and 
 communion with God ennoble a man, purify his heart and mind, and 
 make him heavenly minded. The saints of the Old and the New 
 Testament became holy by dint of fervent prayer and contemplation. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 I am sure you detest the ingratitude and faithlessness of 
 the Israelites. But, look into your own heart and search 
 your own conscience to see, whether you too have not been 
 ungrateful and faithless. What did you promise, when you 
 were baptized, and when you renewed your baptismal vows, 
 and every time that you have been to confession? Have 
 you kept your promises ? Have you never committed a mortal 
 
THE MAKING OF THE TABERNACLE. 185 
 
 sin? Do you not know that mortal sin is an execrable 
 ingratitude towards your loving Redeemer ? Just think how 
 weak and wavering you are! So, do not trust in yourself, 
 but pray humbly for God's grace, and especially for the 
 grace of perseverance. 
 
 Moses spent forty days in prayer, and yet, was not weary, 
 for prayer was his joy, his comfort and his strength. All 
 the saints of both the Old and New Testament have prayed 
 willingly. How is it with you ? We can learn to pray only by 
 means of prayer. In this, as in other things, "practice makes 
 perfect". Never neglect your prayers, and try to be very 
 recollected and devout in the service of God. Put yourself in 
 the presence of God several times each day, and thus you 
 will learn how to pray well, and to take pleasure in prayer. 
 
 Chapter XXXVIII. 
 THE MAKING OF THE TABERNACLE. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 ITHERTO the Israelites had no fixed place of worship, 
 
 H 
 
 nor, properly speaking, any priesthood. Their patriarchs 
 had offered sacrifice to God; now in one place, now in 
 another. In later times, the heads of families had exercised 
 the priestly functions ; but this state of things was no longer 
 to exist. Moses, while conversing with the Lord on the 
 mountain 1 , had received from Him the clearest and most 
 definite directions , regarding divine worship , with all the 
 ceremonies, that were to accompany it. 
 
 Moses, therefore, built 2 a shrine, or Tabernacle, that could 
 be taken apart and carried from place to place 3 . It was 
 a portable tabernacle, or church, as we would call it, and 
 well suited to the wandering life of the children of Israel. 
 It was made of the most precious wood. Its length was 
 thirty, its breadth ten, and its height also ten cubits. The 
 boards were overlaid with plates of gold, and furnished 
 with sockets of silver. It was divided into two parts: the 
 fore part, being larger, was called the Sanctuary; the further 
 part, being smaller, was called the Holy of Holies. 
 
186 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 1 The first time (Chapt. XXXVII). — 2 The people brought Moses 
 gold, silver, precious stones, and costly stuffs, with which to make the 
 Tabernacle, sacred vessels &c. &c. They brought so much to him 
 that, at last, Moses had to announce to them that he could receive 
 no further gifts. They wished, by this generosity, to make reparation 
 for their act of idolatry, and show their gratitude for the benefits 
 they had received. — 3 It could be partially taken to pieces, and 
 carried. This had to be done, because the Israelites had no fixed 
 dwelling place, and were always wandering about. 
 
 On the inside, he covered the roof and the walls with 
 rich tapestry, and on the outside with skins and furs. More- 
 over, to the ceiling of the Holy of Holies, as also to its 
 inner walls, he fastened a most precious weaving in very 
 brilliant colours, adorned with an embroidery of cherubim 4 
 and palms and flowers. At the entrance of the Sanctuary 
 was hung a richly embroidered curtain 5 ; and one, more costly 
 still, separated the Sanctuary from the Holy of Holies. In 
 the Holy of Holies he placed the Ark 6 of the Covenant, 
 which was covered with gold within and without. At its 
 four corners, on the outside, were attached rings of gold, 
 through which bars, overlaid with gold, were passed, whereby 
 to carry the Ark. 
 
 In the Ark he put the tables of the Law. As these tables, 
 on which the Ten Commandments were written, contained 
 the chief heads of the Old Covenant, the Ark itself was 
 called the Ark of the Covenant. Later on, there was placed 
 in the Ark, also, a vase filled with Manna, and the rod of 
 Aaron. He then placed over the Ark a cover, or lid, of 
 the purest gold, called the Propitiatory, at the ends of 
 which stood two cherubim of beaten gold, looking at each 
 other, and spreading their wings so as to overshadow the 
 Propitiatory 7 . 
 
 4 The second of the nine choirs of angels. — 6 a hanging, on 
 which designs were skilfully woven. — 6 a chest. — 7 See picture. 
 
 In the Sanctuary was a table, overlaid with gold, on which 
 were every day placed the loaves of Proposition, made of 
 the finest flour, and unleavened 8 , together with a golden 
 cup, filled with wine. On this table also stood the seven- 
 branched candlestick 9 , on which were burning, night and 
 
THE MAKING OF THE TABERNACLE. 
 
 187 
 
 day, seven flames, fed by the purest oil 10 . Before it stood 
 an altar of incense, whereon the richest spices fumed un- 
 ceasingly 11 . Moses made a court in front of and around 
 the Tabernacle, for the gathering of the people 12 ; and there 
 he erected the altar of holocausts, of brass, and also a large 
 brazen Laver for the priests 13 . 
 
 When all was completed according to God's command, 
 Moses poured a sacred oil on the Tabernacle, and on all it 
 
 contained; and 
 then, a cloud u 
 covered the Ark 
 of the covenant, 
 and the glory of 
 the Lord filled 
 the Tabernacle, 
 and rested be- 
 tween the two 
 cherubim. As 
 often as Moses 
 had occasion 
 to consult the 
 Lord, he receiv- 
 ed an answer 
 of the Lord from 
 the Propitia- 
 tory of the Holy 
 of Holies. As 
 the Tabernacle 
 was divided 
 
 into two parts, so our churches have two parts : one for the 
 priests, called the sanctuary, and another for the faithful, 
 called the body of the church. Hence the Tabernacle was a 
 pattern for our Christian churches. 
 
 8 These loaves were made in the form of thin cakes. They were 
 placed before the Holy of Holies as a standing offering on the part 
 of the twelve tribes, to implore the Lord to look favourably on them. 
 For this reason, there were twelve loaves, six on each dish. — 9 This 
 candlestick was made of pure gold, and was of a considerable weight. 
 — 10 The candlestick is shown, standing near the altar of incense, 
 
188 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 in the picture Chapt. I New Test. — u incense and other sweet smelling 
 gums. — l2 The people were allowed to enter only the court. Priests 
 alone might enter the Sanctuary. — 13 The priests, under pain of death, 
 had to wash their feet and hands there, as often as they offered 
 sacrifice or entered the Sanctuary. — 14 in which God was present. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The immediate meaning of the building of the Tabernacle. 
 The Ark of the Covenant , in which were kept the two 
 tables of the Law, was more costly than anything else in 
 the Tabernacle. By it the Israelites were to be constantly 
 reminded of the covenant, made with God, as to the strict 
 observance of the Commandments. The Manna, which was 
 also deposited in the Ark, was to remind them of God's 
 loving guidance and preservation of them, and move them to 
 love and trust Him. As cherubim kept guard over Paradise, 
 so they now watched over the Ark of the Covenant; and, 
 at the same time, they reminded the people that they should 
 worship God, and serve Him as willingly as do the angels 
 in heaven. The golden candlestick with its lights, always 
 burning, was an emblem of faith in the true God, and 
 admonished the Israelites to live according to that faith, to 
 avoid the works of darkness, and walk in God's presence. 
 The Laver, and the strict laws, regarding ablutions, were to 
 remind the priests that they ought to approach the holy 
 service of God with clean hearts. The never ceasing smoke, 
 ascending from the altar of incense, bade the people to lift 
 up their hearts to God, and send up constant prayers, like 
 incense, to heaven. The loaves of the Proposition were a 
 perpetual exhortation to be grateful to God, from Whom 
 come all good gifts for our souls as well as our bodies. 
 The curtain, which shut off the Holy of Holies, and through 
 which even the High Priest dared pass only once a year, 
 signified "that the way into the holies was not yet made 
 manifest" (Hebr. 9, 8). As God was present in the pillar 
 of cloud, that rested on the Ark, so the Tabernacle was 
 God's dwelling in the midst of His people. 
 
 Its typical meaning. "The Tabernacle is a parable of the 
 time present" (i. e. the Christian era), writes St. Paul. It 
 
THE MAKING OF THE TABERNACLE. 189 
 
 foreshadowed the Church of the New Testament and its 
 houses of God. As there was only one Tabernacle, so is there 
 only one true Church; but as this Church is Catholic, or 
 universal, there are in it many houses of God, or churches. 
 The pillar of cloud, resting on the Ark, is the type of the 
 presence of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the Catholic 
 tabernacles, in which is reserved no mere earthly manna, 
 but the living bread, which came down from heaven. In 
 the Catholic Church, the altar of holocausts is the Cross, 
 and the table of Proposition the altar, on which the holy 
 mass is daily offered. The altar of incense is the prayer, 
 constantly rising to heaven, and the golden candlestick the 
 gospel, which is preached and expounded in our churches. 
 The seven lights are the seven Sacraments, which are there 
 dispensed, and the Laver is the font and the confessional, 
 where we are cleansed from our sins — or even the stoup 
 of holy water, by the devout use of which venial sins are 
 remitted. You can see, therefore, that in many respects the 
 Tabernacle was a type, which finds its perfect fulfilment in 
 our churches; and that even the poorest village-chapel is 
 holier than was the Tabernacle of the Old Covenant. 
 
 God's Goodness to the Israelites was exceeding great, for 
 He deigned to dwell in their midst, in a visible way in the 
 pillar of cloud. But immeasurably greater is God's love and 
 condescension to us, for His Divine Son made Man dwells 
 with us not only in one place, but in thousands of different 
 churches and chapels, under the appearance of bread, blesses 
 us, offers Himself up for us, and feeds our souls with the 
 bread from heaven, that contains within itself all sweetness. 
 
 The veneration of images. By God's command Moses had 
 figures of cherubim embroidered on the hangings of the 
 Sanctuary, and placed golden cherubim on the Ark of the 
 Covenant. These images served for the edification of the 
 Israelites, and were much honoured by them. It is evident, 
 therefore, that it is pleasing to God that we should venerate 
 the images of the angels and saints. 
 
 Mary is called, in the Litany of Loreto, the Ark of the Covenant, because 
 she is the Mother of Jesus Christ, Who instituted the New Covenant. 
 
B 
 
 190 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 We should be zealous for the beauty of the house of God. 
 " I have loved, Lord, the beauty of Thy house, and the 
 place, where Thy glory dwelleth" (Ps. 25, 8). Gladly visit 
 the church; and beware of desecrating it. Be careful how 
 you behave in it, and how you use holy water &c. 
 
 Chapter XXXIX. 
 LAWS REGULATING DIVINE WORSHIP. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 Y God's command Moses now prescribed what sacrifices 
 
 were to be offered, together with the manner of offering 
 
 JS^ them, and the times when they were 
 
 Tpps to be offered. Some of these sacri- 
 
 J^^nJBkS J& fices were bloody, others unbloody. 
 
 i \w¥P*sPfch ur ^ ne f° rmer consisted of sheep, goats 
 
 \ \^SSiBWi|sfc and oxen 1 ; the latter of flour, fruits, 
 
 A ^\ M Wm mm W^ oil and wine 2 . When the thing offered 
 
 m^^^^^^^^ was wholly consumed on the altar, 
 
 \¥mSK^)^Sm it was called a holocaust or whole 
 
 ""\ /sBKHlSP^i) Durn t offering , and represented the 
 
 ; ^SI P^Ft highest act of adoration :3 . But, when 
 
 ^^«fl only the fat, as the most delicate 
 
 «%s| J&\ P ar t) was burned, and the rest eaten, 
 
 J§= EBi!n&. ^ was called either a sacrifice of 
 
 n$EM ^PW thanksgiving for benefits received. 
 
 ^l i|i H 9 £_Vk or a sacrifice of expiation for sins 
 
 ^^BB§3P*5||- committed 4 . 
 
 1 He who offered the sacrifice, laid his hand on the head of the 
 victim, and then killed it. He then either poured the blood on to 
 the altar, or sprinkled the people with it. This pouring of the blood 
 on the altar was the most important part of the sacrifice, for, by the 
 shedding of its blood, the life of the victim was offered. — 2 For 
 this reason they were called meat-offerings. All these offerings, even 
 the incense , were sprinkled with salt , which , being a preservative 
 against corruption, is a type of purity. It was also a token of friendship 
 and in this case of friendship with God ; wherefore it was called 
 the salt of the covenant. Neither leaven nor honey might be presented 
 
LAWS REGULATING DIVINE WORSHIP. 191 
 
 on the altar, for they, being conducive to fermentation or corruption, 
 were regarded as figures of sin. — 3 Every morning and every evening, 
 a one year old lamb was offered as a holocaust. This was called 
 the perpetual sacrifice. — 4 or sin-offering. In conjunction with these 
 sacrifices , there was obligatory at least a general confession of the 
 sins committed. For particular sins special sin-offerings were com- 
 manded and, before such could be offered, the offender had to confess 
 the sin explicitly to the priest. No Israelite, who had transgressed 
 the law in a grave matter, was allowed, under pain of death, to offer 
 either a burnt offering or a peace-offering, unless he had first made 
 a sin-offering, and confessed his sin. 
 
 Moses also instituted the feasts of the Lord ; for the Lord 
 had told him to establish, first, the Feast of the Pasch, or 
 Passover, in memory of the paschal lamb, eaten by the 
 children of Israel on the night when the first-born of the 
 Egyptians were slain, and also in memory of their deliverance 
 from Egyptian bondage. For seven days they were to eat 
 unleavened bread while celebrating that feast 5 . 
 
 Secondly, they were to keep holy, seven weeks after, the 
 Feast of Pentecost, in remembrance of the law, given them 
 on Mount Sinai. On that day, they were to bring the first- 
 fruits of their harvest 6 as an offering to the Lord. Thirdly, 
 when the harvest was all gathered in, they were to solemnize 
 the Feast of Tabernacles, during which they were to take 
 branches of trees and build tents 7 , and dwell in them, so 
 that their descendants might learn how the Lord had made 
 their fathers dwell in tents in the deserts. On these three 
 festivals all the men 8 of Israel were to appear before the 
 Lord in the Tabernacle, and later on in the Temple 9 . 
 
 There was also to be a day of expiation 10 , kept as a 
 most solemn fast 11 . On that day, the High Priest was to 
 sacrifice a calf in atonement for his own sins, and a he- 
 goat for the sins of the people. After the sacrifice he was 
 to raise the veil, and enter into the Holy of Holies i2 , taking 
 with him the blood of the victim and the golden censer; 
 he was then to incense the Propitiatory, or cover of the 
 Ark, and to sprinkle it and the front of the Ark with 
 the blood 13 . 
 
 5 It was , therefore , also called the Feast of unleavened bread 
 (Chapt. XXXIII). — 6 The harvest is much earlier in those countries, 
 
192 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 than it is with us. — 7 hence the name of Feast of Tabernacles. — 
 8 from twelve years old and upward. Old men, women and children 
 were not bound to appear, but they might take part in the pilgrimage, 
 if they chose. — 9 Besides these annual feasts , every seventh year 
 was set apart as a year of the Sabbath or of rest, and every fiftieth 
 year as a year of the Jubilee. In the year of rest, no work of cul- 
 tivation of the earth was allowed, and everything, that grew naturally 
 on it, was common property; nor could any debts be claimed during 
 the year. The Jubilee-year was also a year of rest from labour, and 
 of exemption for debtors. In that year, moreover, all slaves received 
 their freedom; and possessions, that had been sold, reverted to their 
 first owner without purchase, the reason for this being given by God 
 in these words: "The land shall not be sold for ever: because it is 
 mine, and you are strangers and sojourners with me." By this decree, 
 the impoverishment of individual families and tribes was prevented. 
 — 10 kept five days before the Feast of Tabernacles. — ll Every 
 person , with the exception of the sick and children , were bound to 
 observe a strict fast, touching no food till after sunset. They also 
 had to pray, confess their sins, and implore God's mercy. — 12 This 
 was the only day in the year, on which he entered it. — 13 After 
 his return from the Holy of Holies, he took another goat, and, having 
 laid his hands on its head, he confessed the sins of the whole people, 
 and then drove the goat away into the wilderness, laden with the 
 people's sins. This was a typical ceremony, and was meant to indicate 
 that the sins of the people were taken away and lost in the infinitude 
 of God's mercy. 
 
 Finally, Moses consecrated Aaron as High Priest, his sons 
 as priests, and the other men of the tribe of Levi as ministers 
 of the Sanctuary 14 . He purified Aaron with water 15 , and 
 clothed him with divers sacred vestments 16 , chief of which 
 was the ephod, a marvellous work of gold and purple and 
 fine linen, the edges of which were ornamented with rich 
 embroidery of gold. 
 
 He suspended from his neck the rational, on which were 
 twelve stones, each bearing the name of one of the twelve 
 tribes; he placed upon his head the mitre 17 , in the middle 
 of which, in front, was a gold plate, with the inscription: 
 "The Holy of the Lord" 18 . Finally, he poured oil upon his 
 head, and consecrated him. After his sons and the Levites 
 had also been consecrated, Aaron advanced to the altar, 
 and, having offered a victim, stretched his hand over the 
 people, and blessed them. 
 
LAWS REGULATING DIVINE WORSHIP. 193 
 
 And behold! a fire came forth from the pillar of cloud 
 and consumed the holocaust. Seeing which, the people fell 
 prostrate on the ground, praising the Lord. All the public 
 worship of the Israelites was figurative. The bloody sacrifices 
 signified the bloody Sacrifice of the Cross, which alone truly 
 appeased the divine wrath. The unbloody sacrifices pre-figured 
 the unbloody Sacrifice of the Mass, by which the fruit of 
 the Sacrifice of the Cross is constantly applied to us, and 
 which is, at once, a sacrifice of adoration, of thanksgiving, 
 of prayer, and of expiation. The High Priest was a figure of 
 Jesus Christ, Who, on the Cross, offered Himself to the 
 Eternal Father in a bloody manner, and who daily, at 
 Mass, offers Himself in an unbloody manner at the hands 
 of the priest. 
 
 14 Hitherto the first-born son had been set apart for the service of 
 God , but from henceforward the tribe of Levi was chosen for the 
 priestly office and the service of the Tabernacle. In other words, 
 hitherto priests had been taken from all tribes and all families, but 
 Knecht, Commentary. I. 9 
 
194 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 now, a peculiar priesthood was instituted. The priestly office was 
 hereditary in Aaron's family. The first-born of this family was always 
 to be High Priest, and the other male descendants priests. The other 
 men of the tribe of Levi were to assist the priests in the service of 
 God, and were known by the name of Levites. — 15 in the brass laver 
 in the outer court. — 16 namely a white linen tunic, reaching to 
 the ankles (something like the alb worn by our priests) , a girdle of 
 many colours and a mitre. The picture on page 190 represents 
 the High Priest in his vestments. Under the breast-plate or rational 
 you see a short vestment. Under this is a purple tunic without sleeves 
 (to which we may compare the chasuble worn by priests when they 
 celebrate Mass), ornamented with embroidered pomegranates and gold 
 bells. Under this again is the long white tunic, the girdle round 
 which, with its tassels, is to be seen. — 17 of purple. — 18 which 
 meant that the wearer was a sacred person, consecrated to God. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Sacrifice is the highest and most perfect form of worship ; 
 therefore, God ordained sacrifices to be the centre of divine 
 worship under the Old Law. What was sacrificed, was given 
 to God, and had to be wholly consumed in His honour. Thus, 
 victims were killed and burnt, wine was poured out, and 
 incense was burnt. These actions were meant to express 
 on the part of him who made the offering some such thought 
 as this: "Thou, Lord, hast created all things! Everything 
 
 i comes from Thee. To Thee I owe my life and all that I 
 possess! I have, indeed, deserved death at Thy hands, but 
 
 1 as Thou dost not require of me my life , I offer to Thee 
 instead the life of this lamb." The bloody sacrifices were 
 sacrifices of expiation, and for this reason the priest laid 
 his hand on the head of the victim, as a token that he laid 
 his sins on it, and sacrificed it as a representative of himself. 
 
 i Therefore, the only animals which could be offered up, were 
 
 , domestic animals, which are useful and valuable to man. 
 The ends of sacrifice. By sacrifices men were 1. taught 
 that they depended absolutely on God, and owed Him worship 
 and thanksgiving as their supreme Lord ; 2. they were roused 
 to a consciousness that they were sinners before God, and 
 owed satisfaction *to the divine justice; 3. they were shown 
 that they, of themselves, could not make satisfaction, but 
 required a mediator. 
 
LAWS REGULATING DIVINE WORSHIP. 195 
 
 In what lay the efficacy of sacrifice? Could pardon and 
 inward sanctification be obtained through the blood of beasts 
 which, themselves, were not clean, but lay under the curse 
 which Adam's sin had brought on the earth ? No ! these 
 sacrifices could only effect an outward justice, and a legal 
 purification by which those who offered the sacrifice were 
 made clean in the eyes of the law, and were enabled once 
 more to take part in the public worship of God. But, in 
 so far as these sacrifices were types of the one atoning 
 Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and pointed to this only source of 
 grace and pardon , they could effect sanctification and 
 pardon, provided he who offered the sacrifice believed in 
 the future Saviour, and repented of his sins. This faith, 
 this hope, and this repentance were stimulated by sacrifice, 
 and in virtue of this intention he received pardon and 
 grace. 
 
 The chief significance of the Old Testament sacrifices lay 
 in their being types of the most holy, and world-redeeming 
 Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The bloody sacrifices were typical 
 of His bloody Sacrifice on the Cross ; the unbloody sacrifices 
 were typical of the holy Sacrifice of the Mass ; and the meat- 
 offerings, of Holy Communion. All the sacrifices of the Old 
 Law found their fulfilment in the Sacrifice of our Lord, 
 because, firstly, His was a real vicarious sacrifice, and, 
 secondly, it had infinite efficacy to blot out all sin, and win 
 grace for all men. It was a real vicarious sacrifice, for 
 Jesus Christ is truly man, and took the sins of His brethren 
 upon Him. It had infinite efficacy, because Jesus Christ is 
 also true God, and made infinite satisfaction to the divine 
 justice. The Sacrifice of Christ was a true holocaust, because 
 He shed all His Blood, and was consumed by the fire of 
 infinite love in honour of His heavenly Father. It was a 
 sin-offering, in the highest sense of the word, because it 
 took away the sins of the world, and cancelled the debt of 
 man. It was the greatest of peace-offerings, because it 
 reconciled heaven to earth, and brought peace to the world. 
 Since our Lord offered Himself as a Sacrifice, the typical 
 sacrifices of the Old Law have lost all efficacy. 
 
 9* 
 
196 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 The confession of sins required for sin-offerings is typical of the 
 holy Sacrament of Penance, without recourse to which no sinner dare 
 partake of the "meat-offering" of Holy Communion. 
 
 The immediate meaning of the Jewish feasts. The religious 
 feasts of the Jewish people had a double meaning, retro- 
 spective and prophetical. The feasts served immediately to 
 remind the people of the wonderful graces and benefits 
 which they had received from God. The Christian feasts, 
 also, are intended to remind us of, and make us grateful 
 for the grace of sanctification and redemption. 
 
 The typical meaning of the Jewish feasts. Their significance 
 lies in this that they were types of the Christian feasts, and 
 pointed towards that manifestation of grace which is the 
 foundation of these last. You learnt in Chapters XXXIII 
 and XXXVI the connexion between the Jewish feasts of 
 the Pasch and Pentecost and our Easter and Pentecost. The 
 Feast of Tabernacles corresponds with our Corpus Christi, 
 which is solemnized in the open air, and is a Feast of thanks- 
 giving to God, that Jesus Christ, God made Man, has given 
 Himself to be our Leader through the wilderness of this life, 
 and feeds our souls with the true Bread from heaven. Our 
 great day of expiation is Good Friday, on which day Jesus 
 Christ was crucified outside the walls for the sins of the 
 world. Even as the Jewish High Priest went into the Holy 
 of Holies on the Day of Atonement, to take there the blood 
 of the sacrifice, so Christ, "being come an High Priest of 
 the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect 
 tabernacle (i. e. heaven), not made with hand, that is, not of 
 this creation, neither by the blood of goats and of calves, 
 but by His own blood, entered once into the Holies, having 
 obtained eternal redemption" (Hebr. 9, 11. 12). This means 
 that, by His death on Good Friday, Jesus Christ won for 
 us justification, sanctification, and salvation, and then went 
 to heaven, offered the merits of His Passion and Death to 
 His heavenly Father, and won that redemption for us which 
 will last for all eternity. The great year of Jubilee which 
 began with the Day of Atonement, is a beautiful type of 
 the Christian era which will last for ever, and in which 
 
LAWS REGULATING DIVINE WORSHIP. 197 
 
 man, by the atoning Death of Jesus Christ, is freed from 
 the slavery of sin and Satan, and is once more made heir of 
 the kingdom of heaven. — The recurring years of rest and 
 jubilee correspond with our years of jubilee in which the 
 Church throws open her treasuries of grace, and offers to 
 us indulgences from the temporal punishment of sin, so 
 that we may be cleansed from all guilt, and made partakers 
 of the heavenly inheritance. 
 
 A retrospect. If we look back to this Chapter and to the 
 last, we see that the Tabernacle and its institution, the 
 sacred persons, the sacrifices and feasts have one and all a 
 typical meaning; and, furthermore, that all these types find 
 their fulfilment in the Catholic Church, and in her alone; 
 for she alone has priest and High Priest, altar and sacrifice. It 
 follows then that the Catholic Church alone is the true Church, 
 founded by God, and foreshadowed in the Old Testament. 
 
 The festal assemblies and pilgrimages of the people of Israel had 
 a very beneficial effect. They served, firstly, to preserve and increase , 
 the belief in the true God, and thus to keep the people from idolatry. 
 Secondly, they served to foster unity and a common feeling among] 
 the people, who came to look upon themselves as all members of one I 
 body, confessors of the same faith, and heirs of the same promises, I 
 
 Two significant facts. The entrance of the High Priest into the 
 Holy of Holies, and his blood-offering there on the Day of Atonement, 
 signified that reconciliation with God can only proceed from His 
 throne; and that one day the Redeemer would rend asunder the veil 
 of separation and open the way into the Holy of Holies. Secondly, it 
 was foreshown that even as the goat which was the sin-offering of 
 the people had to be burnt outside the camp , so Jesus Christ , the 
 Lamb of God, laden with the sins of the whole world, would be crucified 
 outside the city. He is the great, the true atoning Sacrifice to Whom 
 all the ceremonies of the Day of Atonement pointed. 
 
 Reward of faithfulness. The tribe of Levi was smaller 
 than the others, but it had become less infected with idolatry ; 
 and on account of its faithfulness, God chose it for His 
 special service. 
 
 The High Priest was the spiritual head of the people, the 
 visible representative of God, and the mediator between God 
 and the people. He had the privilege of entering the Holy 
 of Holies once a year ; and, later on, of anointing the kings. 
 
198 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 The Priests had the right and the duty to offer sacrifice, 
 to enter the Sanctuary, to keep burning the lights of the 
 seven branched candlestick and the sacred fire for the 
 burnt offerings, to bless the people, and pray for them, and 
 instruct them in the law. 
 
 The Levites were the assistants of the priests. They might 
 not enter the Sanctuary, but had the care of the Tabernacle, 
 and, later on, of the Temple. They assisted with the 
 sacrifices, sacred canticles, and the instruction of the people, 
 and purified the sacred vessels. 
 
 The Priests were to be holy. "Let them, therefore, be holy, 
 because I am holy", said the Lord (Lev. 21, 8). Whenever 
 they had any service to perform in the Sanctuary, they had, 
 under pain of death, to keep themselves away from any 
 defilement or intoxicating drink. This purity of life was 
 signified by their white tunic; and purity of intention, by 
 the white mitre. 
 
 The High Priest was to be especially distinguished for piety 
 and virtue. The inscription on the gold plate on his mitre 
 meant that he belonged entirely to God, and that his thoughts 
 were to be constantly fixed on Him. The breast-plate, on 
 which were inscribed the names of the twelve tribes, told 
 that he was to bear the people lovingly in his heart, and 
 be careful for their welfare. The bells on his upper tunic, 
 which sounded at each step he took, reminded him that, by 
 word and deed, he had to be a witness to the true faith. 
 
 Jesus, the Anointed. It was only when the priesthood 
 was first instituted that priests were anointed ; later on, this 
 was not done. But every High Priest was anointed when 
 he entered on his office, and every High Priest was called 
 the Anointed. Jesus Christ, being the great and eternal 
 High Priest Who always liveth to make intercession for us 
 (Hebr. 7, 25), is especially called "Christ", or the Anointed. 
 
 The priesthood of the Old Covenant, a type of the priesthood of the 
 New Covenant. As there is a gradation in the former, so is there in the 
 latter. There are the Pope, bishops, priests and the orders below them, 
 especially the Deacons who are also called Levites. As in the Old Testa- 
 ment there was only one High Priest, so the Christian Church has only 
 
LAWS REGULATING DIVINE WORSHIP. 199 
 
 one High Priest, the Pope, who is the visible representative of our 
 invisible High Priest, Jesus Christ. And even as the High Priest 
 of the Old Testament was called "Holy of the Lord", so do we call 
 the Pope "Holy Father", because he fills the holiest office on earth. 
 
 The Christian priesthood is far higher than the Jewish priesthood. 
 The latter was propagated by descent of the body, the former is 
 perpetuated by a spiritual descent, or succession, by means of Holy 
 Order, which is one of the seven sacraments. The Jewish priests 
 could only offer typical sacrifices: Christian priests offer up the true 
 Lamb of God Who taketh away the sins of the world. The former 
 partook of earthly meat-offerings; the latter receive the priceless 
 Flesh and Blood of the Divine Saviour. The Jewish priests prayed 
 for the people : the Christian priests remember them daily in the holy 
 Sacrifice of the Mass, and also, except in Masses for the dead, give 
 their blessing to the faithful. 
 
 Holy virgins, as well as the Levites, were employed in the service 
 of the Tabernacle and, later on, of the Temple. They attended to 
 the linen &c, and served the Lord with prayer and fasting. Tradition 
 tells us that Mary, the Mother of God, was dedicated to the service 
 of the Temple at a very early age. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Thank God for the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and assist 
 regularly and devoutly at it. There you can receive priceless 
 gifts, for the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the source of all 
 grace. 
 
 Keep the Feasts of the Church, devoutly contemplating 
 the sacred mysteries of our redemption, and avoid extravagant 
 amusements on those days: " Rejoice in the Lord" (Phil. 4, 4). 
 
 Have great reverence for the priesthood. Priests are the 
 "ministers of Christ and the dispensers of the mysteries of 
 God" (1 Cor. 4, 1). We should always pray that there may 
 be good priests in the Church. 
 
 Chapter XL. 
 THE SPIES. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 IN the second year after their departure from Egypt, the 
 Israelites set out from Mount Sinai *, and pursued their 
 march to the desert of Pharan 2 . Thence Moses sent twelve 
 men, one of every tribe, to explore the Land of Chanaan. 
 
200 
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 He said to them: "Go and view the land, whether it be 
 good or bad; and the people, whether they be strong or 
 weak; and the cities, whether they be walled or without 
 walls." So the men went out and viewed the land, entering 
 at the south side and arriving at Hebron. Thence they 
 proceeded as far as the torrent of grapes. Here they cut 
 off a branch with its cluster of grapes, and the men carried 
 it upon a pole 3 . After forty days they returned, bringing 
 with them figs, grapes, and other rich fruits, as specimens 
 of what the land produced. 
 
 They told Moses and all the people that the Land of 
 Chanaan was good, flowing with milk and honey, as might be 
 
 seen by these fruits; 
 but that it would be 
 very difficult to con- 
 quer that country, as 
 the men were large 
 and strong, and the 
 cities surrounded by 
 walls. They added: 
 "There we saw cer- 
 tain monsters of the 
 sons of Enac, of the 
 giant kind, in com- 
 parison of whom we 
 seemed like locusts." 4 Then the people, losing courage and 
 confidence in Grod 5 , began to murmur against Moses and Aaron, 
 wishing that they had died in Egypt, or in the desert. They 
 exclaimed: "Let us appoint a captain and return to Egypt!" 
 In vain did Caleb and Josue, who were of the number of 
 the spies, or explorers, endeavour to appease the anger of 
 the multitude, saying that the Land of Chanaan was very 
 good, and that, if the men of that country were strong, the 
 Lord would fight for the children of Israel. But the people 
 would not listen to reason. They threatened to put Josue 
 and Caleb to death 6 . 
 
 1 After they had passed a year in the neighbourhood of Mount 
 Sinai. — * The pillar of cloud moved on, and the Israelites followed 
 
THE SPIES. 201 
 
 it. They stopped at Cades (see map). They could now have marched 
 straight into Chanaan, but as the people were so timid, and trusted 
 so little in God, it was first necessary to send some spies to find out 
 whether the inhabitants were strong and numerous, and whether the 
 cities were fortified &c. Moses chose a leading man out of each 
 tribe, therefore, twelve in all, and sent them into Chanaan. — 3 At 
 this present time there grow bunches of grapes in those parts 
 24 inches long and weighing 12 lbs. — 4 This was evidently an 
 exaggeration, in which Josue and Caleb took no part. — 5 and felt 
 quite convinced that they would never be able to conquer the country. 
 — G to stone them. They wished to choose another leader instead 
 of Moses, who would take them back to Egypt. 
 
 Then the glory of the Lord appeared over the Ark, and 
 God said to Moses: "How long will this people detract Me? 7 
 How long will they not believe Me for all the signs that 
 I have wrought before them ? I will strike them, therefore, 
 with pestilence, and consume them." Moses interceded for 
 the people, saying: "Forgive, I beseech Thee, the sin of the 
 people, according to the greatness of Thy mercy." 
 
 The Lord answered: "I have forgiven, according to thy 
 word. But yet, all the men that have seen the signs that 
 I have done in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have 
 tempted me now ten times, shall not see the land. You shall 
 wander forty years 8 in the desert, and faint away and die 
 in the desert ; but your children shall possess the land." 9 
 
 After pronouncing this sentence on the rebellious Israelites, 
 the Lord struck dead 10 the ten spies who had excited them 
 to sedition 11 . But Josue and Caleb were spared and blessed 12 . 
 From God's dealings with the Israelites on this, as on many 
 other occasions, we may learn that even after the guilt of 
 sin has been remitted, there still remains a temporal punish- 
 ment to be undergone in one way or another, unless God, 
 by a new act of His mercy, takes it away. 
 
 7 Because they will not believe My promises, and will not trust 
 My omnipotence. — 8 counting from the time they left Egypt. — 
 9 God said explicitly that all those over twenty years of age (with 
 the exception of Josue and Caleb) should die in the wilderness, and 
 that only those who at this time were under twenty, should enter 
 the Promised Land. — t0 They died a sudden and unforeseen death. 
 — n and said that the Land of Chanaan could not be conquered. — 
 12 Then the Israelites, against the command of God, went into Chanaan 
 
202 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 to attack its inhabitants. They had refused to put their trust in God, 
 and now, they presumptuously trusted in their own strength and 
 numbers, and acted as if they could very well dispense with the 
 divine assistance. This was a formal defiance of God. The Chanaa- 
 nites fell upon them and utterly defeated them. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Justice, Mercy, and Wisdom of God. Almighty God 
 had borne for a long time with the murmuring, refractory 
 Israelites; but, at last, His divine patience was exhausted, 
 and His justice demanded that they should be punished. The 
 people of Israel were condemned to wander about in the 
 desert for forty years, and of the 600 000 fighting men 
 who left Egypt, only two entered the Promised Land. But 
 even while He punished, God showed mercy, for at the 
 request of Moses He so far forgave the peop]e that He did 
 not destroy them. He excluded all those who were grown 
 up from the Promised Land, which, however, He explicitly 
 promised anew to the younger generation. By the wisdom 
 of divine Providence the forty years of wandering served 
 this end, that the Israelites put aside all the heathen ideas 
 and customs which they had imbibed in Egypt, and grew 
 accustomed to the observance of the law of God and obedience 
 to those whom He had placed over them, and were trained 
 to be a valiant, warlike people. 
 
 The sins of the Israelites. In the story you have just 
 heard the Israelites sinned against the First Commandment 
 by their want of faith, hope, and charity. They sinned 
 against the Second Commandment by cursing and blaspheming, 
 and speaking and acting as if God were not the one, true, 
 Almighty Lord. These sins were all the more grievous, 
 because God was ever before their eyes, and was constantly 
 working wonderful miracles for their benefit. They sinned 
 against the Fourth Commandment, by rising against Moses, 
 the servant of God ; and also against the Fifth Commandment, 
 by trying to kill the true and faithful spies, Josue and Caleb. 
 * > Cursing. The people called a curse on themselves: "Would 
 > to God that we may die in the wilderness!" Their sinful 
 wish was granted for their punishment : they were condemned 
 
THE SPIES. 203 
 
 to die in the wilderness, and never entered the Land of 
 Chanaan. This should be a warning to us to avoid all kind 
 of imprecations. The cry of the unbelieving Jews in the 
 time of our Lord: "His Blood be upon us and upon our 
 children" (New Test. LXXII), is another terrible instance 
 of an imprecation being fulfilled. 
 
 The power of intercession. Because Moses, the just servant 
 of God, prayed earnestly for his people, God forgave them 
 their many and grievous sins. 
 
 Temporal punishment. God told Moses explicitly that He 
 forgave the people their sin on account of his intercession. 
 Nevertheless, He visited them with a temporal punishment. 
 
 Lies and scandal. By a lying exaggeration of the strength 
 of the Chanaanites, the spies (with the exception of Josue 
 and Caleb) induced the Israelites to murmur against God. 
 "Thou wilt destroy all that speak a lie" (Ps. 5, 7). 
 
 Sudden death is the worst punishment that can befall a 
 sinner, because he has no time given him to do penance. 
 Therefore, in the Litany of the Saints, the Church prays 
 thus: "From sudden and unlooked for death, Lord, 
 deliver us!" 
 
 Moses's disinterested love of his neighbour. God would 
 have made Moses a prince of some other great nation ; but 
 his love of self was well ordered, and stood in its proper 
 connexion with his love of his neighbour, so that he would 
 not seek his own advantage at the expense of that of his 
 fellow men. 
 
 God's blessing is everything. The Israelites were completely 
 routed by the Chanaanites and Amalekites, over whom they 
 had previously obtained a victory (Chapt. XXXV). This 
 was because God neither blessed nor helped them. Our help 
 comes from the Lord: without Him we can do nothing. 
 
 Ttie kingdom of heaven suffereth violence. The grown up Israelites 
 did not enter the Promised Land, because they shrank from the burden 
 of fighting. For the same reason many Christians do not reach 
 heaven, because they do not correspond with God's grace, and will 
 not fight against the enemies of their souls. " The kingdom of heaven 
 suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away" (Mat. 11, 12). 
 
204 CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Are you inclined to tell lies and to exaggerate? It was 
 on account of a lie that God punished the ten spies with 
 sudden death. Learn from this how much God, Who is truth 
 itself, abhors lies. "Putting away lying, speak ye the truth 
 every man with his neighbour" (Eph. 4, 25). 
 
 Have you got the evil habit of uttering curses or impre- 
 cations ? 
 
 Chapter XLI. 
 THE REVOLT OF CORE AND HIS ADHERENTS. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 NE day, whilst the children of Israel were in the wilderness, 
 
 o 
 
 they found a man, gathering wood on the Sabbath-day, 
 and they brought him to Moses and Aaron, who put him 
 in prison, to see how he should be punished. But the Lord 
 said to Moses: "Let that man die; let all the multitude 
 stone him without the camp." So it was done. 
 
 Some time after, two hundred and fifty men, belonging 
 partly to the tribe of Reuben, and partly to the tribe of 
 Levi, and having for leaders Core 1 , a Levite, and Dathan 
 and Abiron 2 , both of the tribe of Reuben — all these rose 
 up against Moses and Aaron. They were envious of the 
 high position of Moses and Aaron, and accused them of 
 tyranny and ambition. They said: "All the people are holy 3 ; 
 why do ye raise yourselves above the people of God?" Moses, 
 hearing this, and knowing that it was a revolt against God 
 Himself, was much afflicted, and fell flat on his face. 
 
 He afterwards spoke to the rebellious Levites and told 
 them: "Is it because God has chosen you to serve near the 
 Tabernacle, that you wish to usurp the dignity of the priesthood 
 also ? To-morrow the Lord will make known 4 , who they 
 are that belong to Him. Prepare, then, and stand each 
 with his censer on one side, and Aaron will stand on the 
 other. " 
 
 On the following day, when the two hundred and fifty 
 men were to appear before the Lord with their censers, 
 
THE REVOLT OF CORE AND HIS ADHERENTS. 205 
 
 Moses ordered the leaders of the revolt to come forth from 
 their tents. But they impudently replied: "We will not 
 come." Then Moses went himself to their tents, accompanied 
 by Aaron, and told the people to separate themselves from 
 those wicked men, lest they should perish with them. Moses 
 said: "If these men die the common death of men, the Lord 
 did not send me 5 ; but if the earth, opening her mouth, 
 swallow them down, and they go down alive into hell, you 
 shall know that they have blasphemed the Lord." 6 
 
 Hardly had Moses ended these words, when lo! the 
 earth opened under the feet of these hardened sinners, and 
 swallowed them up, with their tents, and all that belonged 
 to them, and they went down alive into hell. At the same 
 time fire came down from heaven 7 and destroyed the two 
 hundred and fifty men who had taken sides with Core, Dathan 
 and Abiron. 
 
 1 Core's father was brother to Moses's mother. Core, Moses and 
 Aaron were, therefore, first cousins. — 2 As Reuben was Jacob's 
 eldest son, these men felt themselves aggrieved that the descendants 
 of Levi should have privileges, which they themselves had not got. 
 — 3 They meant to say : "All men are called to the service of the 
 Lord. We want no peculiar priesthood; and you (Moses and Aaron) 
 are no better than we are. It was, in their opinion, presumption on 
 Moses's part to assume the leadership, and on Aaron's part to set 
 himself up as High Priest of the people. — 4 will decide if you are 
 in the right or not. — 5 in that case I am not chosen by God to be 
 His ambassador to you. — 6 and not me only. — 7 The fire proceeded 
 from the pillar of cloud and killed the 250 men who, with Core, had 
 assumed the priestly office of offering incense in the Tabernacle. 
 
 After this, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "Speak to 
 the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod, 
 by their kindreds, of all the princes of the tribes, twelve 
 rods 8 , and write the name of every man upon his rod ; and 
 lay them up in the Tabernacle of the Covenant. Whomsoever 
 of these I shall choose, his rod shall blossom." Moses did 
 as the Lord had commanded. 
 
 Next day, when Moses entered into the Tabernacle, he 
 found that the rod of Aaron had budded and blossomed. He 
 then brought out all the rods of the children of Israel, and 
 each one received back his own rod. 
 
206 CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 After all the people had seen that Aaron was chosen by 
 the Lord, Moses was ordered to take Aaron's rod and place 
 it in the Tabernacle 9 , that it might serve as a memorial 
 and token of the rebellion of the children of Israel. The 
 awful punishment of Core, Dathan and Abiron ought to show 
 us the folly and wickedness of murmuring against the priests 
 whom God has placed over us. 
 
 8 They were sticks cut from almond-trees. — 9 in the Ark of the 
 Covenant, to be a lasting witness to the divine vocation of Aaron 
 and his sons. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Justice of God was shown by the punishment of the 
 Sabbath-breaker, as well as by that of Core and his adherents. 
 
 God's Omnipotence worked a great miracle in connexion 
 with Aaron's rod which, in one night, brought forth not 
 only leaves, buds and flowers, but also ripe almonds. 
 
 Sabbath-breaking. The severe punishment of the Sabbath- 
 breaker teaches us that the profanation of the Sabbath is 
 a great sin. This sin often calls down temporal punishment, 
 and it will certainly bring eternal punishment. "Remember", 
 i. e. do not forget "to keep the Sabbath-day holy." 
 
 The divine institution of the Priesthood. By the terrible 
 punishment of the rebels, and the blossoming of Aaron's 
 rod, God again declared that the priesthood of the Old 
 Testament was instituted by Him. 
 
 Rebellion against authority. The rising of Core and his 
 adherents was a rebellion against both spiritual and temporal 
 authority, for they refused to acknowledge that God had 
 ordained Moses to be their leader, and Aaron to be their 
 High Priest. The rebellion was, therefore, really against 
 God, Who had called Moses and Aaron, and Who had attested 
 their divine vocation by so many miracles. Hence Moses 
 was right in saying: "Why do you stand against the Lord?" 
 The terrible punishment of Core and those with him shows 
 us how great a sin it is to rebel against those whom God 
 has put in authority over us. "He that resisteth the power, 
 resisteth the ordinance of God. And they that resist, purchase 
 to themselves damnation" (Rom. 13, 2). 
 
THE DOUBT OF MOSES.— THE BRAZEN SERPENT. 207 
 
 Pride is a capital sin. Core, being proud, was offended 
 at the idea that he was only a Levite, while Aaron and 
 his sons were priests; and the family pride and ambition 
 of Dathan and Abiron were injured by the fact that men 
 of the small tribe of Levi were the representatives before 
 God of the whole people. Their pride developed into 
 envy, and this again developed into rebellion against the 
 authorities, ordained by God. 
 
 Aaron's rod, a type of the Cross. Aaron's rod, which 
 blossomed and bore fruit, is a type of the holy Cross, which 
 by the Blood of Christ has brought forth such wonderful 
 fruits of grace and virtue. 
 
 TJie Priesthood of the New Testament. We Christians are all called 
 to be holy, and were all sanctified in baptism ; but all Christians are 
 not priests, for Jesus Christ has instituted a special priesthood in His 
 Church, for the sanctification of all the faithful. If, even in the Old 
 Testament, a special priesthood was necessary for the care of the 
 things of God, how much more necessary is it that there should be 
 a priesthood to look after the sacred mysteries of the Church ! " Honour 
 * God with all thy soul, and give honour to the priests" (Ecclus. 7, 33). 
 Union of temporal and spiritual authority. God, by entrusting the 
 highest spiritual and the highest temporal authority to the two brothers, 
 Aaron and Moses, gave it to be understood that in all ages spiritual 
 and temporal authority, Church and State, ought to work together 
 for the good of mankind. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Do you show reverence for your spiritual and temporal 
 superiors, your priests and teachers? Are you unruly or 
 obstinate towards them? Do you ever pray for them? 
 
 Chapter XLII. 
 THE DOUBT OF MOSES.— THE BRAZEN SERPENT. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 IN the beginning of the fortieth year of their wanderings, 
 the Israelites— the children of those that had died in the 
 desert — suffered from the want of water x , and began to 
 murmur against the Lord. Then the Lord appeared in glory, 
 and said to Moses: "Speak to the rock 2 , and it shall yield 
 
208 CHAPTER XLII. 
 
 waters." Then Moses, taking the rod 3 from the Tabernacle, 
 assembled the people before the rock, which he was about 
 to strike. Then he raised the rod and struck ; but doubting 4 
 a little he struck a second time. 
 
 That momentary diffidence, which was only a venial sin, 
 
 and which made Moses strike the rock a second time, was 
 
 displeasing to the Lord, and He told Moses and Aaron : 
 
 ^'Because you have not believed me 5 , you shall not bring 
 
 these people into the land which I will give them." 
 
 1 The Israelites were now back again at Cades on the borders of 
 Chanaan. — 2 " Command it to bring forth water." — 3 the miraculous 
 rod, kept in the Tabernacle. — 4 He doubted, whether God would 
 work another great miracle for this refractory people. — 5 not believed 
 quite firmly enough. If Moses had not believed at all, he would not 
 have assembled the people before the rock. 
 
 Thence the Israelites removed their camp and came to 
 Mount Hor 6 , where Aaron died 7 , and Eleazar, his son, became 
 High Priest. Some time later, the Israelites, tired of their in- 
 cessant wanderings in the desert 8 , began to murmur against the 
 Lord and Moses. Wherefore fiery serpents 9 were sent amongst 
 them, by whose deadly bite a great number were killed 10 . 
 
 Then the people, knowing that the serpents had been sent 
 in punishment of their sins, came to Moses and said: "We 
 have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and 
 thee: pray that He may take away these serpents from us." 
 And Moses prayed for the people. Whereupon the Lord 
 said to him: "Make a brazen serpent, and set it up 11 for 
 a sign: whosoever, being struck, shall look on it, shall live." 
 Moses, therefore, made a brazen serpent, and set it up for 
 a sign 12 , which healed all 'those that looked upon it. 
 
 The brazen serpent was a figure of the Redeemer, raised 
 on the Cross. He it is who heals the wounds of all who, 
 having been bitten by the infernal serpent, turn to Him 
 with true compunction for sin, and hope in His divine mercy. 
 The waters, which flowed from the rock in the wilderness 
 to refresh the Israelites and slake their thirst, were emblematic 
 of the divine graces, which flow to mankind through the 
 Sacraments of the Church. 
 
THE DOUBT OF MOSES.- THE BRAZEN SERPENT. 209 
 
 6 As it was not easy to enter Chanaan on the south side, Moses 
 wished to enter it from the east. He went round to the south-east 
 and came to Mount Hor (see map). — 7 On Mount Plor God called 
 Aaron to Himself at the age of a hundred and twenty-three years ; 
 for he, equally with Moses, was not allowed to enter the Promised 
 Land. — 8 To avoid the territory of the Edomites, the children of 
 Israel had to turn towards the south, and then again return northwards 
 along the eastern side of Edpm (see map). All this time they had 
 nothing to eat except manna, and they craved for other food. — 
 These snakes were poisonous. They were covered with fiery red spots 
 and stripes, and the wound of their bite burnt like fire, and caused 
 a deadly inflammation. — 10 The poisonous reptiles lurked round the 
 camp, crept into the tents, bit those who were awake on their bare 
 feet, and attacked the sleepers. The whole camp resounded with the 
 cries of the sick, and the moans of the dying. The people now saw 
 how much they had sinned. — ll on a pole. — n of salvation. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Justice, Mercy and Omnipotence of God are all shown 
 in this story. — God punished both the doubt of Moses and 
 the murmuring of the people: but He gave the ungrateful 
 Israelites water, listened to Moses's prayer for them, and 
 healed them from the bites of the snakes. By His almighty 
 
210 CHAPTER XLII. 
 
 power He called forth the water from the rock; and, through 
 one glance cast at the brazen serpent by the dying, He 
 restored them to life and health. 
 
 Murmuring against God is a great sin, as we can learn 
 by the severe punishment which it brought on the murmuring 
 Israelites. We must submit humbly to the will of our God 
 and Creator, and never resist or murmur against Him and 
 His divine decrees. 
 
 The use of sufferings. Whenever God visited the Israelites 
 with sufferings, they repented of, and acknowledged their 
 grievous sins. 
 
 Temperance. The sensuality of the Israelites was the 
 cause of all their grumbling. They craved for other food 
 than that which God fed them on, and refused to put up 
 with any hardships. Instead of subduing their appetites 
 and submitting themselves to God's will, they were discon- 
 tented, and were always complaining and murmuring. They 
 did not possess the virtue of temperance. 
 
 Doubts about faith. Moses and Aaron did not doubt Almighty 
 God's power, but, for one moment, they doubted His mercy. 
 They were righteously angry when they perceived that the 
 new generation of Israelites, who from their youth up had 
 witnessed the miracles of God, and who had been daily fed 
 with manna, should be as wavering and refractory as their 
 fathers had been before them. They felt that these thankless 
 people were not worthy that God should again perform a 
 miracle for their benefit. But God's thoughts are not our 
 thoughts, and His mercy is infinitely great. God, Who is 
 the very truth, had said: " Speak to the rock and it shall 
 yield waters"; so they ought to have believed unconditionally 
 and not doubted for a single moment. Anyhow, their doubt 
 was a sin. 
 
 Venial sins. Wilful unbelief is a grievous sin. But as 
 the doubt of Moses and Aaron was only a passing one, and 
 as they did not give their full consent to it, but, in spite 
 of it, obeyed God's command by going to the rock &c, their 
 sin was not mortal, but only venial : nevertheless they were 
 severely punished for it. If a person has laboured for a long 
 
THE DOUBT OF MOSES.— THE BRAZEN SERPENT. 211 
 
 time to attain a certain object and has nearly reached it, 
 it would be a very severe trial to him to be told that he 
 must renounce it. Moses and Aaron had during forty years 
 trained the Israelites and prepared them for their entrance 
 into the Promised Land ; they longed to complete their work, 
 and, themselves, return to the land of their forefathers. 
 But now, at the end of their labour, care and toil, they were 
 told that they must die without setting foot in the long 
 wished for country! It was indeed a severe punishment! 
 But they humbly submitted to God's will, and preferred to 
 expiate their sin in this world rather than in the next. This 
 severe punishment of one venial sin teaches us to know and 
 fear Gfod's justice, and shows us that even venial sin is a 
 great evil and must be expiated either here or in the world 
 to come. 
 
 The intercession of the saints. The sinful people knew well 
 that they did not deserve that their petition should be heard 
 by God; therefore, they begged His faithful servant, Moses, 
 to intercede for them ; and to him God hearkened. For this 
 same reason we call on the saints in heaven, the friends 
 of God, to intercede for us. 
 
 The brazen serpent, a type of our crucified Lord. The 
 brazen serpent set up on a pole is a type of our Divine 
 Saviour. He Himself, in His discourse with Nicodemus told 
 him that it was so (New Test. XV): "As Moses lifted 
 up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be 
 lifted up, that whosoever belie veth in Him may not perish, 
 but may have life everlasting." As the brazen serpent was 
 raised up on high, so Jesus Christ (Who, by the mouth of 
 David, said of Himself: "lama worm and no man"; Ps. 21, 6) 
 was raised up on the Cross. Whoever was bitten by a poiso- 
 nous snake, and, being full of faith, turned his eyes to the 
 brazen serpent, was cured. So we, when our souls are 
 wounded by the infernal serpent, shall be healed of our sins, 
 if we, being full of faith, turn our eyes to our crucified Saviour. 
 
 The Israelites bitten by the fiery snakes represent the whole of 
 mankind. The infernal serpent has wounded all men, and has kindled 
 in them the flame of sinful passions , and caused them to be subject 
 
212 CHAPTER XLIII. 
 
 to everlasting death. It is of great significance that He Who redeemed 
 us from sin and death should be typified by a (brazen) serpent. How 
 is it that the serpent, the very type of sin, should also be a type 
 of the Redeemer, and a means of salvation? Because the brazen 
 serpent, hanging on the tree, was not poisonous, even though it had 
 the form of a poisonous snake. Thus Jesus Christ, though free from 
 the poison of sin, being "holy, innocent, undefiled" (Hebr. 7, 26), 
 took the form of sinful man, laded Himself with the sins of the world, 
 and suffered Himself to be raised on and nailed to the Cross in 
 order to save all men from sin and eternal death. The brazen serpent, 
 therefore, foreshadowed this, that the Redeemer would appear in the 
 form of sinful man , would be raised on and nailed to a Cross , and 
 that by this very means He would redeem man from the death of 
 sin, and from eternal loss. 
 
 Jesus Christ, the source of salvation. The brazen serpent being a 
 type of the Saviour of the world, God promised that "whosoever 
 should look on it should be saved ". The wonderful healing power 
 of the lifeless serpent did not lie in itself, but in the crucified 
 Saviour, of Whom it was a type. 
 
 The necessity of faith. Even as none of the mortally stricken 
 Israelites could be cured unless, full of faith, they looked at the 
 brazen serpent, which was set up as a sign of salvation, so no man 
 can be saved unless, full of faith, he turns to the crucified God made 
 Man. Only they who believe in Him will have life everlasting. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 You have often done wrong, and said to yourself: "0, 
 it is only a venial sin ! " But think, even a venial sin is an 
 offence against God, and is deserving of punishment. Ask 
 yourself to which venial sin you are most prone, whether 
 anger, lying, greediness, or so forth, and firmly resolve to 
 overcome it. 
 
 Chapter XLIII. 
 THE PROPHECY OF BALAAM. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 AS the Israelites were n earing the Promised Land, they 
 came to the confines of Moab k Balak, the king of that 
 country, being in very great fear 2 , sent the elders and the 
 nobles of his kingdom, with rich presents to Balaam 3 , that 
 he might come and curse his enemies. This Balaam believed 
 in the true God ; but, at the same time, he practised sooth- 
 saying and divination. 
 
THE PROPHECY OF BALAAM. 213 
 
 When the messengers had arrived with their presents, 
 Balaam said: "Tarry here this night, and I will answer 
 whatsoever the Lord shall say to me." And God told him : 
 "Thou shalt not go, neither shalt thou curse the people." 
 So the princes returned to the king. But Balak sent a 
 greater number of nobles, and richer presents, than the first 
 time. Balaam told the messengers again to stay for one night. 
 In that night God came to Balaam and said: "Arise and 
 go ; yet so, that thou do what I shall command thee." 
 
 Then Balaam arose and went to the land of Moab. The 
 king took him to three different mountains, whence he could 
 behold the Israelites in the valley, and ordered him to curse 
 them. But Balaam, being each time prevented by God from 
 cursing, blessed 4 them, saying: "How beautiful are thy 
 tabernacles, Jacob, and thy tents, Israel! He that 
 blesseth thee shall also himself be blessed, and he that curseth 
 thee shall be reckoned accursed." 
 
 1 This country lay to the east of the Dead Sea (see map) . — 2 that 
 Israel would conquer his country; for the chosen people had already 
 overcome several neighbouring kings at the point of the sword. — 
 3 He was a heathen soothsayer of Mesopotamia, the country which 
 lay between the Euphrates and Tigris, but he had heard of the 
 wonderful things which God had done for the Israelites, and had 
 learnt thereby to know the true God. The Lord revealed future 
 things to him , in order that through him the heathen nations also 
 might learn to look for the Redeemer. The superstitious king of 
 Moab , Balak , wanted Balaam to curse God's people , hoping , if this 
 were done, to be able to overcome them. - 4 By this God revealed 
 His omnipotence to the heathen. 
 
 Then Balak grew angry, and exclaimed: "I had intended 
 to honour thee, but the Lord hath deprived thee of the 
 honour; for I called thee to curse my enemies, and thou, 
 on the contrary, hast blessed them three times." So he 
 ordered him to return to his country. Thereupon the eyes 
 of Balaam were opened and he saw a vision 5 , and his lips 
 were opened, and he prophesied: "I shall see him, but not 
 now 6 ; I shall behold him, but not near 7 . A star shall rise 
 out of Jacob, and a sceptre 8 shall spring up from Israel 9 , 
 and shall strike the chiefs of Moab 10 and shall smite the 
 
214 CHAPTER XLHL 
 
 children of Seth." The prophecy of Balaam refers to the 
 Saviour, and the star mentioned is the star which appeared 
 to the three wise men at the birth of Christ. 
 
 5 In which God revealed the future to him. — G i. e. not now, but 
 later. — 7 i. e. but in the far future. — 8 a ruler. — 9 one who 
 should belong to the chosen people and be descended from Jacob, or 
 Israel. — 10 the heathen powers. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 God's Omnipotence is shown by His forcing Balaam to 
 bless the Israelites against his will. 
 
 God's Omniscience is shown by His revealing to Balaam, 
 what would happen in the far future. 
 
 The sixth promise of the Messias. The prophecy of Balaam 
 points to the Divine Redeemer, and. reveals, firstly, that He 
 would not come for a long time; secondly, that He would 
 be one of the children of Israel; thirdly, that He would 
 come, like a star, from above, shedding light around Him; 
 fourthly, that He would be a king; and fifthly, that He 
 would overcome the enemies of His kingdom. Let us see 
 how this prophecy has been fulfilled. Firstly, the Redeemer 
 did not come till 1450 years after Balaam spoke; secondly, 
 He was, as Man, descended from Jacob, and was born in 
 Judea; thirdly, He came down from Heaven to be the Light 
 of the world; fourthly, He has founded the Church, the 
 kingdom of God, which, fifthly, overcomes all His enemies, 
 and will last till the end of time. The brazen serpent 
 foreshadowed our Lord's humiliation ; the prophecy of Balaam 
 foreshadowed His majesty. 
 
 Faith in God's word. Balaam said to Balak that he could 
 not alter the word of the Lord; and this rule applies to 
 every word of God revealed to us. Nobody can or dare 
 alter God's word, either by adding to it or by taking away 
 from it. We must believe and accept revelation just as it is. 
 
 Superstition. Balak did not believe in the true God, but 
 he cherished the foolish, superstitious idea that Balaam's 
 curse could injure the people of God. 
 
 The star out of Jacob and the three kings from the East. Balaam's 
 home was in the east, that is, east of the Promised Land. There, 
 
PARTING ADVICE OP MOSES.— HtS DEATH. 215 
 
 the prophecy of Balaam was well known, and during the hundreds 
 of years which elapsed before our Lord's Incarnation, the tradition 
 of this prophecy was preserved, and there existed a living expectation 
 of the rising of a wonderful star, and at the same time of a sceptre, 
 i. e. a king who should spring up out of Israel. Therefore, the three 
 kings from the east, as soon as they had seen the wonderful star, 
 went straight to Judea, to look for Him, the new born king, Whose 
 birth was heralded by the star. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Do not curse! Say to yourselves: " There is a God, Who 
 cannot be mocked." 
 
 Chapter XLIV. 
 
 PARTING ADVICE OF MOSES.— HIS DEATH. 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 THE hour had come at last when Moses was to be taken 
 away from his people 1 . Before he died, God commanded 
 him to lay his hands upon Josue, in the presence of all the 
 people, so that they might obey him as their ruler 2 . For 
 God had said to Moses: "Thou shalt not pass over this 
 Jordan ; but Josue shall bring the people into the land which 
 I swore I would give to their fathers.' , 
 
 Then Moses made his farewell discourse to the people in 
 the most touching manner 3 : "Hear, ye heavens, the things 
 I speak; let the earth give ear to the words of my mouth. 
 Hear, Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. Thou shalt 
 love the Lord thy God 4 with thy whole heart, and with 
 thy whole soul, and with thy whole strength. Let none 
 be found among you that consult soothsayers, or observe 
 dreams and omens. These things the Gentiles do; but thou 
 art otherwise instructed. The Lord thy God will raise up 
 to thee a prophet of thy nation, and of thy brethren, like 
 unto me. Him thou shalt hear." 
 
 He reminded them of all the wonders which God had 
 wrought in their behalf. He promised them that, if they 
 were faithful in observing the commandments of God, they 
 should be blessed in their houses, blessed in their fields, 
 blessed in the fruits of the land, blessed in their cattle, 
 
216 CHAPTER XLIV. 
 
 blessed when they came in and when they went out. Then 
 he warned them that, if they did not hear the voice of the 
 Lord and keep His commandments, a curse should come 
 upon them and all they possessed 5 . 
 
 1 The forty years of wandering were drawing to a close, and the 
 time had come for the Israelites to enter the Promised Land. Moses, 
 however, was not to lead them in (Chapt. XLII). — 2 From hence- 
 forward Josue was to be God's chosen leader of His people, instead 
 of Moses. Therefore , Moses had to lay his hand upon him in the 
 presence of all the Israelites, that they might know that he was 
 their appointed leader. You have already heard about Josue in 
 Chapters XXXV and XL. — 3 Pay particular attention to these parting 
 words of Moses. — 4 Who has done such great things for you, and 
 has made you His chosen people. — 5 The choice of serving God or 
 not was given to them. As a dying father exhorts his children, so 
 did Moses, in the most moving way, exhort his beloved people to 
 choose what was right. 
 
 Then, having blessed the people, he went up from the 
 plains of Moab to Mount Nebo 6 . From that place the Lord 
 showed him, from afar off, the Land of Chanaan, which 
 He had promised to his fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 
 
 There Moses died, at the age of one hundred and twenty 
 years 7 ; and all Israel mourned him for thirty days 8 . Moses 
 was a figure of Jesus Christ. Like Christ, he proclaimed 
 the law of God, and confirmed his preaching by miracles, 
 prophecies, and a holy life. The Prophet of whom Moses 
 speaks is the Saviour, Who was to give a new law more 
 perfect than that of Moses. 
 
 6 East of the Dead Sea (see map). — 7 Holy Scripture says that 
 "his eye was not dim, neither were his teeth moved". This means 
 that he was not feeble from old age, and might, humanly speaking, 
 have lived some time longer, if God had not called him away. — 
 8 and quite rightly too, for, after God, he was the greatest benefactor 
 of his people. Through him God had instituted the Covenant and 
 worked great miracles, and had spoken face to face with him. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Justice and Faithfulness of God are shown to us in a 
 very awe-inspiring manner in this story. Moses was a very 
 holy servant of God, distinguished for his virtues and services. 
 But, in company with his brother Aaron, he, for one short 
 
PARTING ADVICE OF MOSES.-HIS DEATH. 217 
 
 moment, doubted God's mercy, and for their sin God pro- 
 nounced on both of them this sentence: "You shall not bring 
 these people into the land which I will give them." Soon 
 after this, Aaron died on Mount Hor. At last the Israelites 
 arrived at the borders of Chanaan, and the time had come 
 for them to cross the Jordan and take possession of the 
 Promised Land; but Moses was not allowed to go further. 
 From the top of Mount JNebo, Almighty God showed him 
 the beautiful Land of Promise, and then he had to die; for 
 God always does that which He says He will do. If the 
 Lord God punished Moses so severely for one venial sin, 
 how much ought we to fear His justice, and avoid everything 
 that is wrong! \* 
 
 In Moses's parting discourse he exhorted the Israelites 
 as follows: 
 
 1. They were never to forget the Covenant sealed with 
 God, but were always to keep it faithfully. His exhortation 
 
 "^applies to us also, who ought never to prove unfaithful to 
 our baptismal vows. 
 
 2. They were to worship God only, and love Him with 
 their whole hearts. Our Lord tells us that this command- 
 ment is the first and greatest commandment, for it contains 
 all the others. 
 
 3. They were to bring up their children in the fear and{ 
 love of God, and relate to them all God's wonderful works* 
 and the benefits which He had showered on them, so that 
 they might be moved to have a thankful love for Him. It 
 is a sacred duty of parents to bring up their children in 
 the fear of God, for He has done far more for us Christians \ 
 than He ever did for the Israelites. V. 
 
 4. If the Israelites kept the Commandments, God promised 
 them rich earthly blessings; for, as the people were sensual 
 and earthly, sensible and earthly rewards were held out to 
 them. It is true in all times that only he who fears God 
 can have any true happiness on earth, and for this reason 
 St. Paul says: "Glory and honour and peace to every one^ 
 that worketh good" (Rom. 2, 10); but all the same we 
 Christians ought not to serve God for earthly rewards, but 
 
 Knecht, Commentary. I. 10 
 
218 CHAPTER XLIV. 
 
 for those which are imperishable and eternal. We ought to 
 love God for His own sake (independently of all rewards 
 and punishments), because He is infinitely worthy of love. 
 The law of the New Testament is more perfect than the 
 law of the Old Testament. Moses pointed to the New 
 Covenant, for, in his parting discourse, he gave utterance to 
 
 5. The seventh promise of the Messias. He foretold to his 
 people that one day another prophet should rise in their 
 midst, who, also, would institute a Covenant: "The Lord 
 will raise up to thee a prophet of thy nation, and of thy 
 brethren, like unto me. Him thou shalt hear." Who is this 
 Prophet? Jesus Christ, Who was a prophet like to Moses, 
 for, firstly, He instituted the New Covenant as Moses had 
 instituted the Old; and secondly, He foretold the future as 
 Moses did, proclaiming the divine law. (See Commentary, 
 Chapt. XXXVII, in what way Moses was a type of our Lord.) 
 
 The threefold office of Christ. Moses's prophecy about the 
 Redeemer points to the prophetical office of our Lord. 
 Balaam's prophecy points to His kingly office; and the 
 typical brazen serpent pointed to His priestly office, by 
 foreshowing that the Divine Saviour would be sacrificed on 
 the Cross, and would heal our sins. 
 
 Look back at Moses's great virtues, his living faith, his firm 
 confidence in God, his burning zeal for God's honour, his 
 pat ience, humili ty, jpiety , ge ntlene ss, f ortitu de, and love of 
 his people. Mink of his blessed death, at the end' or* his 
 laborious life spent in the service of God. He is now great 
 in heaven, and we on earth venerate him as one of the 
 best and noblest of men. 
 
 Our pilgrimage to heaven. The forty years' wandering of the Israelites 
 in the desert is a sensible type of our pilgrimage to the promised 
 land of heaven. The passage of the Red Sea delivered the Israelites 
 from the bondage of Egypt: we must pass through the waters of 
 Baptism to be freed^ fnmi the bondage of sin. The Israelites wended 
 their weary and perilous "way tnrough the""desert to the Promised 
 Land : our road to heaven is also wearisome, and many are the enemies 
 that we meet on the way ("Narrow is the gate, and strait is the 
 way which leadeth to life." New Test. XXI). The Lord God Himself, 
 going before them showed the Israelites the way: Jesus has gone 
 
ENTRANCE OF THE ISRAELITES INTO THE PROMISED LAND. 219 
 
 before us and has, by word and example, shown us the way to 
 heaven. God fed them with manna: Jesus feeds and strengthens our 
 souls with the true Bread from heaven, His Sacred Body and Blood. 
 The Israelites strove and fought and conquered only by the help 
 and protection of God: we too, in our fight against the enemies of 
 our salvation, must seek God's grace, without the help of which we 
 can do nothing. The children of Israel received, as the reward of 
 their labours , the safe possession of the land of Chanaan : we shall 
 receive, as our reward, the eternal possession of the kingdom of heaven. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 You should seek to know what God has done, and is still 
 doing for you, and what He requires of you. You can learn 
 this by your instructions on the Catechism and Bible History. 
 But are you not lazy and negligent about such instruction ? 
 Do you always learn the lesson set you? Do you always 
 pay great attention to what you are taught? 
 
 JOSUE AND THE JUDGES. 
 
 (About 1450—1095 B. C.) 
 
 Chapter XLV. 
 
 ENTRANCE OF THE ISRAELITES INTO THE 
 PROMISED LAND. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 AFTER the death of Moses, the Lord spoke to Josue: 
 "My servant Moses is dead; arise and pass over this 
 Jordan 1 , thou and the people with thee. I will deliver to 
 thee every place which the sole of your foot shall tread 
 upon. No man shall be able to resist thee all the days of 
 thy life." Encouraged by these promises the people advanced 
 towards the Jordan. When they reached its banks 2 , Josue 
 ordered the priests to take the Ark of the Lord, and go 
 before the people. As soon as the priests, carrying the Ark, 
 stepped into the Jordan 3 , and their feet touched the water 
 at the bank, the waves that came from above stood heaped 
 together, and swelling up like a mountain, were seen afar 
 off; but the floods, which were beneath, ran down into the 
 
 10* 
 
220 CHAPTER XLV. 
 
 sea, until they wholly failed. Then all the people passed 
 over through the channel that was dried up. They pitched 
 their tents before Jericho. On the following day they 
 celebrated the Pasch, and having eaten of the fruits of the 
 earth, the manna ceased to fall 4 . 
 
 Jericho was a strongly fortified city, capable of offering 
 a long resistance 5 . The children of Israel wished to take 
 it, but they lost courage when they saw the height and 
 strength of the ramparts. But the Lord, seeing their want 
 of confidence, ordered Josue to bring together all the fighting 
 men of Israel, and to march in deep silence, around the 
 city once a day for six days. 
 
 But on the seventh day they should go around the city 
 
 seven times ; and at the last time, all the people, on hearing 
 
 the priests that were before the Ark, sounding the trumpets, 
 
 should shout together with a great shout. So it was done 6 . 
 
 When the seventh day came, they marched silently six times 
 
 around the city; but at the seventh turn, when the priests 
 
 I sounded the trumpets, all the people shouted, and instantly 
 
 I the walls fell down 7 . Every man went up by the place 
 
 I that was against him; and they took the city. 
 
 ^v « This river is very rapid, because between the Sea of Galilee and 
 
 the Dead Sea it has a fall of nearly 666 feet: its breadth is from 
 
 66 to 100 feet, and its mean depth 10 feet. — 2 The Jordan was 
 
 swollen. It was a short time before the Pasch, and the snow on the 
 
 mountains was melting. — 3 full of confidence in God, Who had 
 
 promised miraculous help to Josue. — 4 because the Israelites had 
 
 C reached the end of their wanderings in the desert, and would be 
 
 ) able from henceforth to find sufficient food in the fruitful land of 
 
 \ Chanaan. — 5 Jericho (see map) was a strongly fortified town , and 
 
 / there were many fighting men inside to defend it. The Israelites were 
 
 I not provided with battering-rams, or any other implements for breaking 
 
 down the walls, and were not accustomed to that kind of warfare. 
 
 They did hot , therefore , think it possible that they would be able 
 
 to take a fortified city. — 6 The repeated marching round Jericho 
 
 convinced the Israelites both of the strength of the city and of the 
 
 necessity of divine assistance. — 7 Of course this was not the effect of 
 
 the noise of the trumpets and shouting, but of the divine omnipotence. 
 
 After many hard-fought battles, Josue at length made 
 himself master of all the land of Chanaan. During this 
 
ENTRANCE OF THE ISRAELITES INTO THE PROMISED LAND. 221 
 
 period he several times experienced the especial assistance of 
 God. On one occasion he waged war against the five kings 
 of the Amorrhites. The Israelites conquered and pursued 
 their enemies. But night coming on would soon have put 
 an end to the victory. Then Josue spoke to the Lord, in 
 the sight of all the people: "Move not, sun, toward Gabaon; 
 nor thou, moon, toward the valley of Ajalon." 8 So the 
 sun stood still in the midst of heaven 9 . There was not, 
 before nor after, so long a day. 
 
 y^Chanaan was divided among the twelve tribes of Israel 10 .\ 
 The tribeof Levi alone received no portion, as they lived, 
 on tlieirthes""^^ forty-eight! 
 
 cities in different parts of the country. The descendants of s 
 the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasses, received 
 each a portion of the land. Thus the country was divided 
 among the twelve tribes: Reuben, Simeon, Juda, Zabulon, 
 Issachar, Dan, Gad, Aser, Nephtali, Benjamin, Ephraim and 
 Manasses. Thus were the promises fulfilled which God had 
 made to the patriarchs. When Josue was old, he assembled 
 
222 CHAPTER XLV. 
 
 the people and admonished them to observe the law 12 , and 
 to avoid intercourse and marriage with the heathens. Josue 
 died at the age of one hundred and ten years. 
 
 The Promised Land was a figure of heaven. As the Israelites 
 did not obtain possession of Chanaan till they had toiled, 
 fought, and suffered much, so Christians cannot enter heaven, 
 the true land of promise, unless they contend bravely against 
 the enemies of their salvation. 
 
 8 Josue (and the Book of Scripture written by him) speaks here, 
 as we do still, according to appearances; for, judging by what we 
 see , it seems as if the sun moved round the earth. — 9 God , in a 
 wonderful way, prolonged the day -light, so that the Israelites were 
 able to profit by their victory, and follow it up. The opposite miracle 
 to this took place at our Lord's crucifixion, when the sun was darkened 
 for three hours. — 10 both east and west of the Jordan. Two tribes 
 and a half, those of Reuben, Gad and half Manasses, lived to the 
 east of the Jordan, the other nine tribes and a half to the west. 
 The Tabernacle was set up at Silo , between Jerusalem and Sichem, 
 and remained there for 300 years. — n The priests and Levites 
 received no land, for they were entirely devoted to God's service, and 
 were not to trouble themselves about agriculture &c. They received 
 the tenth part of all wheat, fruits and clean beasts, and a certain 
 portion of the sacrifices. — 12 Moses had written down the revelation 
 of God from the beginning, and had, in five books, recorded all the 
 laws of God. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 i The Omnipotence of God. By God's will the running waters 
 of the Jordan rose up like rocks ; at His bidding the strong- 
 walls of Jericho fell down; and by His command the light 
 of day was prolonged. Nothing can resist God's omnipotence, 
 nothing can hinder the workings of divine Providence! 
 
 The Faithfulness of God. The promise which God had 
 made to Abraham six hundred and fifty years before was 
 now fulfilled, and by His wonderful guidance, Abraham's 
 descendants were now given possession of the Promised 
 Land. God also fulfils what He threatens. Not one of those 
 men who departed from Egypt, except Josue and Caleb, 
 entered the Promised Land. They all died in the desert, 
 as God said they should die. God has promised us everlasting 
 happiness if we keep our baptismal vows, that is, if we stand 
 
ENTRANCE OF THE ISRAELITES INTO THE PROMISED LAND. 223 
 
 fast in faith, keep the commandments, and use the means 
 of grace given to us: if we neglect to do this, we shall 
 not go to heaven, but to hell. 
 
 The object of miracles. During the journey of the Israelites 
 to the Promised Land God worked great miracles for His 
 people. Now that it was a case of completing the great 
 work, and putting His people in possession of the Promised 
 Land, He worked still greater miracles. By doing this the 
 Lord wished to confirm His people's faith in His omnipotence, 
 and their confidence in His loving care. He wished them 
 also to learn that they could do nothing by their own 
 strength and numbers, and that it was only by His help 
 they could attain to the Promised Land, and that they, 
 therefore, owed Him an everlasting debt of gratitude. Neither 
 can we reach the promised land of heaven by our own 
 strength, but only by the help of God's grace. 
 
 The folly of idolatry was proved to the Chanaanites by 
 the miracle which made the sun to shine on the earth for 
 a longer time than was its wont, and this for the purpose 
 of bringing injury on them. The Chanaanites worshipped 
 the sun and moon as gods, and the fact that these heavenly 
 bodies obeyed the command of Josue, the servant of God, 
 ought to have proved to them that the God of Israel was 
 infinitely more powerful than their self-made deities which, 
 far from being able to help them, were compelled to help 
 their enemies. 
 
 The power of prayer. Full of faith, Josue prayed, and 
 at his prayer the day was prolonged. 
 y ? y The power of faith. "By faith the walls of Jericho fell 
 down" (Hebr. 11, 30). The Israelites knew very well that( 
 their marching round the town, the blowing of the trumpets j 
 and the shouting of the multitude could not, of themselves/ 
 overthrow the walls; but full of faithful confidence in God,\ 
 they punctually did everything that He commanded, and; 
 through their faithful obedience, God worked the miracle.* 
 
 Josue, the ninth type of Jesus Christ. He was this, in so\ 
 far that he led the Israelites into the Land of Promise, and 
 triumphantly conquered it. Jesus Christ, by His Death and 
 
224 CHAPTER XLVI. 
 
 Resurrection, has overcome sin, Satan and death, and has 
 opened to us the kingdom of heaven. He leads us there 
 by His doctrine, His example and His grace, and especially 
 by holy Baptism. 
 
 The passage of the Jordan (as well as that of the Red Sea) 
 
 i is a type of Baptism, by which we enter the kingdom of 
 
 \ God upon earth, i. e. the holy Church, and acquire a claim 
 
 to those priceless means of grace which Jesus Christ bequeathed 
 
 to His Church. 
 
 Processions. By God's command the Israelites went in procession 
 round Jericho thirteen times. These were religious processions, in 
 which the Ark of the Covenant was carried. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 After crossing the Jordan the Israelites had to fight for 
 a long time before they acquired the Promised Land. Thus 
 we, after our holy Baptism, must fight against the enemies 
 of our souls, especially against evil inclinations and passions. 
 "Labour as a good soldier of Christ Jesus ... He also that 
 striveth for the mastery is not crowned except he strive 
 lawfully" (2 Tim. 2, 3. 5). As a reward, we shall receive 
 the everlasting possession of heaven. Fight especially against 
 your besetting sin. Make a good resolution to overcome it 
 every day, and let it be the object of your particular 
 examination of conscience. 
 
 Chapter XLYI. 
 THE JUDGES.— GEDEON.— SAMSON. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 SO long as that generation of the Israelites lived who had 
 eaten of the manna in the desert, and who had seen 
 the wonders of the Lord wrought for them, both in the 
 wilderness and in the taking of Chanaan, they did not depart 
 from the way of the Lord ; but their children, having inter- 
 married with the pagan nations round them 1 , contrary to 
 the express command of God, began to adore the idols which 
 their wives worshipped. Then the Lord delivered them into 
 the hands of their enemies 2 . 
 
THE JUDGES.— GEDEON. -SAMSON. 225 
 
 They afterwards repented and turned again to the Lord 
 their God 3 . In this manner, falling into idolatry and 
 returning again to the worship of the true God they went 
 on for several generations. Whenever they humbled them- 
 selves before God, and showed signs of true repentance, the 
 Lord hastened to their relief. From time to time He raised 
 up among them brave and pious men 4 , who smote the enemy 
 with a strong hand. These men were called Judges 5 . Amongst 
 them were Barac, Jephte, Samson, who was famous for his 
 great strength — and the pious Samuel. 
 
 1 The heathen nations were not rooted out ; for God suffered them 
 to exist in order to prove whether His people were steadfast in faith, 
 and would resist the allurements of the heathen. — 2 God's will was 
 that the idolaters should be exterminated, that they might be punished 
 for the enormities (such as human sacrifices) of their idolatry. In 
 spite of all the wonderful things which God had done for the Israelites 
 and which they had witnessed, the Chanaanites were not converted; 
 therefore the day of grace was past for them , and judgment now 
 overtook them. This judgment ought to have been executed by the 
 Israelites, but they proved slothful, and even formed friendships with 
 the heathen, though Josue had expressly warned them not to do so. 
 Then God was angry with His people, and allowed the heathen nations 
 to have dominion over them. They fell in turn, under the power of 
 the Moabites, who lived to the east of the Dead Sea; of the Madianites, 
 who lived in Arabia near the Moabites; and of the Philistines, who 
 lived on the coast of the Mediterranean (see map). — 3 whom they 
 had so lightly forgotten. — 4 full of the Spirit of God and strong 
 in faith. — 5 They were so called because, firstly, they executed 
 God's judgments on the heathen, and, secondly, because they governed 
 and judged the Israelites according to the law of God. Fifteen Judges, 
 in all, were raised up during the space of three hundred years. 
 
 But the most renowned of all the Judges was Gedeon, 
 the son of a common Israelite, who lived at the time when 
 God had delivered the children of Israel into the hands of 
 the Madianites 6 on account of their sins 7 . 
 
 The Lord sent an angel to Gedeon, as he was threshing 
 and winnowing wheat at his father's house 8 . The angel said 
 to him: "The Lord is with thee, most valiant of men. 
 Go in this thy strength, and thou shalt deliver Israel out 
 of the hands of the Madianites." Gedeon asked how he 
 could deliver Israel, seeing that his family was the lowest in 
 
 io** 
 
226 CHAPTER XLVI. 
 
 the tribe of Manasses, and that he himself was the least 
 in his father's house. The angel assured him that God 
 would be with him, and that the Madianites should be cut 
 off to a man. 
 
 Soon after this the Madianites crossed the Jordan with 
 a large army, and encamped in the valley of Jezrael. But 
 the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gedeon 9 , and he sounded 
 the trumpet, and calling together the Israelites, formed an 
 army of thirty-two thousand men, and drew them up in 
 battle-array. Before commencing the attack Gedeon said 
 to God: "If Thou wilt save Israel by my hand, I will put 
 this fleece of wool 10 on the floor n ; if there be dew on the 
 fleece only, and it be dry on all the ground beside, I shall 
 know that by my hand, as Thou hast said, Thou wilt deliver 
 Israel." 12 And it was so. The next day he asked God 
 that the fleece might be dry and the ground wet with dew. 
 And God did as Gedeon requested. 
 
 6 Who, with the Amalekites, and other people , lived east of the 
 Jordan and "like locusts filled all places" (Jud. 6, 5). — 7 and 
 especially for having adopted the worship of the false god, Baal, and 
 built altars to him, though they worshipped the true God as well. — 
 8 in order to conceal it from the enemy. He did not dare do it on a 
 threshing floor in the open field , for fear of being seen. — 9 and 
 filled him with a great courage and confidence, and a burning zeal 
 for God's honour. — 10 the skin of a lamb. — M The Israelites, like 
 all Eastern people, had their threshing floors in the open field, and 
 without a roof. — 12 Gedeon asked for a sign from God not only for 
 his own sake, but in order to give courage to the thirty-two thousand 
 Israelites with him. 
 
 But the Lord spoke to Gedeon and told him that his army 
 was too great, and that the Madianites should not thus be 
 delivered into his hands, lest the children of Israel should 
 glory, and say that they conquered by their own strength. 
 
 And the Lord commanded Gedeon to speak to the people 
 and proclaim in the hearing of all that whosoever was 
 fearsome or timorous should return home. And the army, 
 hearing this, twenty-two thousand men retired from the 
 field, leaving only ten thousand to meet the enemy. The 
 Lord spoke again to Gedeon, telling him that there were 
 
THE JUDGES.-GEDEON.— SAMSON. 
 
 227 
 
 still too many soldiers. "Bring them to the waters", He 
 said, "and there I will try them". 
 
 He then told Gedeon to observe how the men would 
 drink when they came to the water. "They that shall lap 
 the water with their tongues, as dogs are wont to lap, thou 
 shalt set apart by themselves; but they that shall drink, 
 bowing down their knees, shall be on the other side." The 
 number of those who had lapped the water from the hollow 
 of their hand, in order to save time, was three hundred 
 men 13 ; all the rest of the multitude had knelt down to 
 drink at their ease. 
 
 Gedeon kept with him only the three hundred who drank 
 the water from the hollow of their hand ; the rest he sent 
 to their homes. He then divided the three hundred men 
 into three companies, and gave them trumpets in their hands, 
 and empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. And 
 he said to them: "What you shall see me do, do you the 
 same; I will go into one part of the camp, and do you as 
 I shall do." 
 
 Gedeon and the three hundred men who were with him 
 approached the enemy's camp at the midnight- watch, and 
 entering in, began to sound their trumpets and to strike 
 the pitchers one against the other, dazzling the bewildered 
 enemy with the sudden light of the concealed lamps. At 
 
228 CHAPTER XLVI. 
 
 the same time the Israelites cried out with a loud voice: 
 "The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon." u 
 
 The sudden alarm and the fierce attack of Gedeon's men, 
 threw the Madianites into such confusion that they turned 
 their swords against each other, and fled in all directions. 
 Then all the tribes of Israel, seeing that victory was on 
 their side, rose up and pursued the Madianites, cutting off 
 their retreat on every side, so that of the whole army of 
 one hundred and thirty-five thousand men, only fifteen 
 thousand returned alive to their own country. Israel had 
 peace for forty years. 
 
 13 These three hundred were temperate men, who had their desire 
 to quench their thirst under control, whereas the remainder threw 
 themselves on the ground so as to drink as speedily and copiously 
 as possible. — u has come upon you and will overcome you. The 
 sword of Gedeon was at the same time the sword of the Lord, because 
 God was with Gedeon and would through him overcome the enemy. 
 The night-attack caused such confusion among the Madianites that 
 in the dark they turned one against the other. In their flight they 
 were cut down by the Israelites, who, by Gedeon's orders, had taken 
 possession of the banks of the river. 
 
 The Israelites fell again into idolatry, and were persecuted 
 by the Philistines 15 . But an angel appeared to the wife of 
 Manue 16 , of the tribe of Dan, and said: "Thou shalt bear 
 a son; no razor shall touch his head, for he shall be a 
 Nazarite of God from his infancy, and he shall begin to 
 deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines." When 
 the child was born, he was called Samson 17 . 
 
 Going to the city of the Philistines, he met a young lion ; 
 but the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson 18 , and he 
 tore the lion to pieces. Being delivered into the hands of 
 the Philistines 19 , he tore the cords with which he was 
 bound, and finding the jaw-bone of an ass, he slew with 
 it a thousand men. Remaining over night in Gaza 20 , the 
 Philistines bolted the gates of the city to prevent his escape. 
 But Samson arose at midnight, took the gates with their 
 posts and bolts, and carried them to the top of a hill 21 . 
 
 15 The Israelites were oppressed by the Philistines for forty years 
 on account of their idolatry. — 16 Manue and his wife, being well 
 
THE JUDGES.— GEDEON.- SAMSON. 229 
 
 advanced in years, had given up all hope of having children. — 
 17 Samson was given miraculously to his parents, and was consecrated 
 to God, first by their vow, and later by his own. God blessed him, 
 because from his youth up he remained faithful to his vow, refraining 
 from intoxicating drinks, and never cutting his hair. — 18 and gave 
 him a superhuman strength. — 19 So low had the Israelites sunk that 
 they delivered over to the enemy him whom God favoured , instead 
 of joining him, and, under his leadership, casting off the yoke of the 
 Philistines. — 20 one of the chief towns of the Philistines (see map). 
 
 — 21 so that in the morning the Philistines could, as a humiliation 
 and warning, espy their city gates set up on the top of the hill. 
 
 Dalila, a Philistine woman, after many pleadings 22 , ex- 
 tracted from him the secret of his strength. "The razor 
 hath never come upon my head, for I am a Nazarite : that 
 is to say, consecrated ■ to God. If my head be shaven my 
 strength will depart, and I shall be like other men." 23 During 
 his sleep Dalila cut off his hair, called the Philistines, who 
 captured him, put out his eyes, and cast him into prison 24 . 
 Some time after, a great feast was celebrated in honour of 
 the idol Dagon 25 , when more than three thousand Philistines 
 were assembled in the house. Blind Samson, whose hair 
 had grown again, was brought out that he might amuse 
 them by feats of his strength 26 . He told the boy who led 
 him to bring him to the pillars upon which the whole house 
 rested. Then he prayed: "0 Lord God, remember me and 
 restore to me my former strength." Then grasping the 
 pillars, he shook them so strongly that the whole house 
 rocked and fell 27 upon himself and all the people. In this 
 manner he killed many more enemies of God at his death 
 than he had killed during life 28 . 
 
 22 Because the princes of the Philistines had promised her much 
 money if she would extract Samson's secret from him. — 23 By 
 shaving his head Samson would break his vow and would no longer 
 be consecrated to God. — 24 They treated him as a slave and set 
 him to the most servile works. How, in his misery, Samson must 
 have repented of his folly, and prayed to God for pardon! — 25 a 
 fish-god. They said: "Our god (Dagon) hath delivered our enemy 
 Samson into our hands" (Jud. 16, 23). The feast was, therefore, held 
 to celebrate the triumph of the idol Dagon over the God of Samson. 
 
 — 26 and sing and dance. They wished to make sport of him whom 
 God had chosen to be judge over His people ! What a humiliation for 
 
230 CHAPTER XLVI. 
 
 Samson! — 27 On the occasion of the feast a wooden stage, resting 
 on pillars, was erected, on and under which the spectators sat. When, 
 therefore , Samson , with superhuman strength, overthrew the pillars, 
 the whole edifice fell down. — 28 He sacrificed his own life, so as to 
 destroy the despisers of God and the oppressors of his people. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Justice, Patience, and Mercy of God. The Chanaanites, if 
 they had had a right will, could have learnt to know the 
 true God by means of the wonders which He wrought before 
 their very eyes. As, however, in spite of this, they persevered 
 in impiety and immorality, the judgments of God overtook 
 them, and they were rooted out by the Israelites. God's 
 justice was also manifested to the Israelites on account of 
 their faithlessness, when He allowed them to be overcome 
 and oppressed by the pagans. But He also showed mercy 
 to them, for as often as they acknowledged their sin and 
 turned to Him, He forgave them and delivered them from 
 their oppressors. Even when they again forsook Him, He 
 did not give them up, but bore patiently with them, and 
 visited them with tribulations, whereby they might be once 
 more converted to Him. Indeed, "0 Lord, Thou art a God 
 of compassion and merciful, patient and of much mercy" 
 (Ps. 85, 15). 
 
 Why God permits evil. God permitted some of the heathen 
 nations to remain in Chanaan, so that His chosen people 
 might be proved. Thus it is that God still suffers faithless 
 and bad people to exist, both in order to give them time 
 for repentance, and to prove the virtuous and faithful, so 
 that their virtue and fidelity may be more meritorious. 
 
 Bad company. Man, being inclined to evil, ought, as far 
 as is possible, to avoid associating with bad people. Evil 
 communications corrupt good manners. 
 
 The misery of sin. He who forsakes God will be forsaken 
 by God. "Sin maketh nations miserable" (Prov. 14, 34), 
 and not only nations, but individuals also. "Many are the 
 scourges of the sinner" (Ps. 31, 10). Just think what a 
 scourge a bad conscience is! "There is no peace to the 
 wicked" (Is. 48, 32). 
 
THE JUDGES.— GEDEON.— SAMSON. 231 
 
 The use of trials. In their misery the Israelites turned 
 to God. God sends trials to sinners in order to convert them. 
 
 Original sin. By these repeated falls of the Israelites we 
 can see how corrupt and prone to evil the human heart is. 
 This natural inclination to evil is an effect of original sin, 
 and can only be overcome by the grace which Jesus Christ 
 has obtained for us. 
 
 The necessity of self-denial. Even after we have been cleansed from 
 original sin and made children of God by holy Baptism, there remain 
 many enemies in our hearts, namely sinful inclinations and passions. 
 We must unceasingly fight against these by steadily denying ourselves, 
 or else we shall be overcome by them and be made the slaves of sin. 
 The grace necessary for this holy warfare is given to us in the 
 Sacrament of Confirmation. 
 
 Mixed Marriages. Holy Scripture especially reproaches the Israelites 
 for contracting marriages with unbelievers, and for becoming, thereby, 
 indifferent about their faith, and even being led into apostasy. Mixed 
 marriages are always dangerous to faith, and they easily lead to 
 spiritual indifference and even to apostasy. For this reason marriages 
 between Catholics and those who are not Christians are absolutely 
 forbidden, and are null. Even marriages between Catholics and non- 
 Catholic Christians are dangerous, and are therefore forbidden, being 
 only allowed by dispensation when security is given against the danger 
 of apostasy, and for the Catholic education of the children of the 
 marriage. A mixed marriage, it has been most truly said, begins by 
 a spiritual divorce, for, from the beginning, those who are married 
 are separated on the most important point, namely religion. 
 
 God governs the world. God gave the Israelites into the 
 hands of the Madianites, for these could never have overcome 
 them except by His permission; and, when in their misery 
 they turned to Him, He delivered them through Gedeon and 
 gave them peace for many years. But that Israel might 
 know that it was to God it owed the victory, He told them 
 that if 32 000 men went out to fight, they would not conquer 
 the enemy, but that if only three hundred fought, then the 
 victory would be theirs. God directs the lives of nations, 
 as of individuals, with power, wisdom and mercy. He is 
 Lord also over nature, and turns its powers which way soever 
 He will, as He showed by the twofold miracle of the fleece. 
 
 Prayer obtains help in time of need. When neither life 
 nor property was safe, and the Israelites were hunted from 
 
232 CHAPTER XLVI. 
 
 their homes, they turned to God and cried for help. And 
 God heard their prayer and raised up Gedeon to be the 
 saviour of his people. 
 
 Humility. Gedeon was humble of heart. He considered 
 himself to be the lowest of the low, and did not trust to 
 his own skill or strength, but only in God's help. As soon 
 as the twofold miracle of the fleece had convinced him that 
 God was favourable to the Israelites, and had chosen him 
 to save them, he confidently attacked the overwhelming 
 host of the enemy with a mere handful of fighting men, 
 and put it to flight. God exalteth the humble. "He that 
 exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he that humbleth 
 himself shall be exalted," said our Lord. Gedeon considered 
 himself to be small and weak, but he did great things by 
 the help of God. "The weak things of the world hath God 
 chosen that He may confound the strong, that no flesh should 
 glory in His sight" (1 Cor. 1, 27). 
 
 The confidence in God shown by the three hundred. They 
 might easily have felt disheartened, and might have said: 
 "How can we conquer an enemy who outnumbers us by 
 four hundred and fifty to one!" But they trusted in God's 
 help, followed the example of their valiant leader, and thus 
 gained a glorious victory, in spite of overwhelming odds 
 against them. We too, in our fight against the enemies of 
 our salvation, ought not to lose courage, but should trust 
 in God and say with the holy apostle: "I can do all things 
 in Him, who strengtheneth me" (Phil. 4, 13). 
 
 Temperance. Gedeon was to know those whom God had 
 chosen for the battle by their self-control and temperance. 
 For the service of God temperance and self-denial are 
 absolutely necessary, since without these there can be no true 
 virtue. He who does not govern himself is a slave to his 
 evil inclinations and passions: "Better is he that ruleth his 
 spirit than he that taketh cities." 
 
 Gedeon, the tenth type of Jesus Christ. Gedeon, as saviour 
 of his people, is a type of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the 
 whole world. Like Gedeon, our Lord during His early years 
 led a humble, hidden life. As Gedeon overcame his numerous 
 
THE JUDGES.— GEDEON.— SAMSON. 233 
 
 enemies with a few soldiers, so did our Lord overcome the 
 pagan world by His few apostles and disciples, whose only 
 weapons were the trumpet (preaching) of the Gospel, and 
 the torches (the light) of good works. 
 
 The fleece ivet with dew is, according to the holy fathers of the 
 Church, a type of the Incarnation of the Son of God. As the dew 
 fell on this white fleece, severed from the flesh, so did the Son of 
 God take our human nature by the operation of the Holy Ghost in 
 the womb of the Virgin Mary. Thus it is said (Ps. 71, 6): "He 
 (God) shall come down like rain upon the fleece." 
 
 The fleece left dry is a type of the Immaculate Conception of our 
 Lady. Even as this fleece remained dry when all the ground around 
 was wet, so was Mary alone preserved from the stain of original 
 sin, which adheres to every one else. 
 
 The Goodness of God. God chose Samson before his birth, 
 and therefore without any merit on his part, and gifted 
 him with many graces, especially that of superhuman 
 strength, in order that by him the enemies of Israel might 
 be punished and humbled. This God did when Israel had 
 not repented and was still persisting in idolatry. With 
 preventing care He showed the Israelites by the call of 
 Samson, that though they were unfaithful to Him, He had 
 not forsaken them, but could and would free them from 
 their degradation if only they would turn to Him. 
 
 The Mercy of God is shown by this, that God forgave 
 Samson his sin when he repented of it in captivity and misery, 
 and restored to him the gift of supernatural strength, which 
 he had lost by his own fault. God not only forgives the 
 repentant sinner his sin, but restores to him the lost grace 
 of justification, and revives all his merits. 
 
 Self-denial. During all his life Samson practised self- 
 denial, for he abstained from wine and all intoxicating drinks. 
 But one irregular desire brought the hero Samson to his 
 fall. This should warn us to suppress promptly every sinful 
 movement. St. Ambrose says: "The strong and powerful 
 Samson strangled a lion, but he could not strangle his own 
 passions. He broke the bonds of his captors, but he could 
 not break the bonds of his own lusts." If such a strong 
 hero could be so weak, how great care ought we to take 
 
234 CHAPTER XLVI. 
 
 not to allow our passions to obtain a mastery over us. 
 Our Lord Himself warns us: "Watch ye and pray, that 
 ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, 
 but the flesh is weak" (New Test. LXVII). 
 
 Samson, the eleventh type of Jesus Christ. The rough, 
 warlike period of the Judges possessed its types by which 
 the future Saviour of Israel and the whole world was fore- 
 shadowed. Samson and Gedeon were both types of our 
 Lord. St. Augustine says of Samson: "He acted like a 
 strong man, and suffered like a weak man. I see in him 
 both the strength of the Son of God and the weakness of 
 man. In those great and wonderful things which he did he 
 was a type of Christ." His birth was announced by an 
 angel : so also was the Birth of Jesus Christ. He overcame 
 a lion: Jesus Christ has overcome the infernal lion. He 
 fought and conquered, all alone, and with an ignoble weapon : 
 Jesus Christ fought and conquered, all alone, by the despised 
 Cross. He was betrayed for money, was given up to the 
 enemy by the men of his own tribe, and was bound and 
 mocked: thus was it with Jesus. Samson gave his life for 
 his people, doing his enemy much injury by his death : Jesus 
 offered Himself up of His own will, and by His death overcame 
 sin and Satan. Samson lifted up and carried away the gates 
 and bolts of Gaza : Jesus Christ, by His resurrection, threw 
 open the gates and burst asunder the bolts of the grave. 
 Consequences of mortal sin. Samson, from his youth up, led a severe 
 life, consecrated to God. He was a soldier of God, a hero of the 
 faith , and a saviour of his people , as long as he remained true to 
 his holy state and corresponded with grace; but when he formed a 
 friendship with a heathen woman, and by so doing forsook God, he in 
 his turn was forsaken by God, and fell into the hands of his enemies 
 who oppressed and degraded him, and made him a slave. Thus it is 
 with those Christians, consecrated to God by Baptism, who yet obey 
 their sinful passions and separate themselves from God by mortal sin. 
 There falls on them the sleep of spiritual sloth, they are bound with the 
 bonds of sin, they lose all their strength, i. e. the grace of God, they 
 become spiritually blind, and fall into the slavery of sin and bad habits. 
 III. Application. 
 
 I dare say you think it horrible and inconceivable that 
 the Israelites, in spite of all God's benefits, visitations and 
 
RUTH'S AFFECTION FOR HER MOTHER-IN-LAW. 235 
 
 warnings, should have proved faithless to Him and have 
 broken the covenant sealed with Him! But give a glance 
 at your own life. Have you never been faithless to God? 
 Have you never fallen back into your former sins? Have 
 you always kept the promises you made to God, and acted 
 up to your resolutions ? You will often fall from weakness, 
 but, oh, try not to offend God wilfully and intentionally. 
 
 In your Confirmation you were consecrated and fortified 
 to be a soldier of Christ. You must, therefore, fight cou- 
 rageously and steadfastly against the enemies of your salvation. 
 Practise self-control, and pray humbly for God's help, and 
 you will conquer them. 
 
 Let Samson's story teach you this: "He that thinketh 
 himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10, 12). 
 
 Chapter XLVIL 
 RUTH'S AFFECTION FOR HER MOTHER-IN-LAW. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 IN the days when the Judges ruled in Israel there was a 
 famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem 1 
 with his wife and two sons went to sojourn in the land of 
 Moab 2 . His name was Elimelech and his wife Noemi. After 
 having lived many years in Moab Elimelech died, and his 
 two sons, who had taken wives from amongst the daughters 
 of Moab, also died ten years after their father's death. 
 
 Noemi being now left alone, and full of sorrow for the 
 loss of her husband and two sons, arose to return to her 
 own country 3 . Her two daughters-in-law 4 , Orpha and 
 Ruth, went forth with her. As they journeyed on towards 
 the land of Juda, Noemi spoke to Orpha and Ruth: "Go 
 ye home to your mothers. The Lord deal mercifully with 
 you as you have dealt with the dead and me." 5 And she 
 kissed them. But they lifted up their voice and wept, and 
 said: "We will go on with thee to thy people." 
 
 Noemi answered: "Do not so, my daughters; for I am 
 grieved the more for your distress; and the hand of the 
 Lord is gone out against me." Then Orpha kissed her 
 
236 CHAPTER XLVII. 
 
 mother-in-law and returned. Ruth, however, would not 
 depart. Noemi spoke again: "Behold, thy kinswoman is 
 returned to her people; go thou with her." 
 
 Thereupon Ruth replied: "Be not against me, for whither- 
 soever thou shalt go, I will go, and where thou shalt dwell, 
 I also will dwell. Thy people shall be my people and thy 
 God my God 6 . The land that shall receive thee dying, in 
 the same will I die, and there will I be buried." Then 
 Noemi, seeing that Ruth was steadfast, would not urge her 
 any more to return to her friends. 
 
 1 Of the tribe of Juda. — 2 east of the Dead Sea. There was no 
 famine in that country. — 3 She had learnt that the famine had 
 ceased in Chanaan, and she longed to be back in her own country. — 
 4 the two Moabite women, widows of her dead sons. — 6 May God 
 be merciful to you and prosper you, because you were merciful to 
 my sons, nursing them in their sickness &c, and have been full of 
 love for me, a poor forsaken widow. — 6 We can see by this that 
 Ruth had renounced idolatry, and had received the true faith. 
 
 So they journeyed on together, and came to Bethlehem, 
 where the report was quickly spread, and the women said : 
 "This is that Noemi." 
 v It was the beginning of the barley-harvest, and Ruth 
 asked Noemi: "If thou wilt, I will go into the fields and 
 glean the ears of corn that escape the hands of the reapers." 7 
 And Noemi said: "Go, my daughter." Now it so happened 
 that the field in which Ruth went to glean belonged to a 
 kinsman of Elimelech, named Booz who was very rich. And 
 behold Booz came out to see the reapers, and said: "The 
 |Lord be with you." They answered : "The Lord bless thee." 
 
 And having observed Ruth gleaning in the barley-field, 
 he asked the overseer: "Whose maid is this?" The overseer 
 replied: "This is Ruth who came with Noemi from the 
 land of Moab; and she desires leave to glean the ears of 
 corn that remain, following the steps of the reapers. She 
 hath been in the field from morning till now, and hath not 
 gone home for a moment." 8 
 
 Then Booz addressed Ruth very kindly, and said : " Hear 
 me, daughter: Keep with my maids and follow where they 
 reap. I have charged my young men not to molest thee, 
 
RUTH'S AFFECTION FOR HER MOTHER-IN-LAW. 
 
 237 
 
 and if thou art thirsty, go to the vessels and drink of the 
 waters whereof the servants drink, and dip thy morsel in 
 the vinegar." Full of gratitude for these kind words, Ruth 
 bent down before Booz, and asked how it came that she, a 
 woman of another country, should find favour in his sight. 
 Booz told her that all she had done for her mother-in-law 
 since the death of her husband, had been related to him. 
 He prayed: " May est thou receive a full reward of the Lord, 
 under whose wings thou art fled." He then privately told 
 the reapers: "Let fall some of your handfuls of purpose, 
 that she may gather them without shame." She gleaned 
 therefore in the field till evening, and then beat out with a 
 
 rod what she had gleaned, 
 which was an ephi: that 
 is three bushels. Grateful 
 for the kindness shown 
 her, she returned to her 
 mother-in-law, carrying 
 with her the barley she 
 had threshed, and the 
 leavings of the meal that 
 had been given her. Noemi 
 was astonished and asked : 
 "Where hast thou glean- 
 ed to-day, and what hast 
 thou wrought? Blessed 
 be he that hath had pity on thee." Ruth told the man's 
 name, that he was called Booz. 
 
 Next day she returned to the field of Booz and continued 
 to glean after the reapers, till all the barley was laid 
 up in the barns. Some time after Booz said to Ruth: "My 
 daughter, all the people that dwell within the gates of my 
 city know that thou art a virtuous woman." So he married 
 her. Then the ancients came and said to Booz: "May this 
 woman be an example of virtue in Ephrata, and may she have 
 a famous name in Bethlehem." The Lord blessed their union 
 and gave them a son whom they called Obed. Then Noemi, 
 full of joy, taking the child, laid it in her bosom and she 
 
238 CHAPTER XLVII. 
 
 carried it and was a nurse to it. Now Obed was the father of 
 Isai, whose son was David, of whose race Christ was born 9 . 
 
 7 It was her own impulse to go and glean ears of corn for her 
 mother-in-law, as was the custom among the poor; but she first modestly 
 asked Noemi's consent. — 8 She was, therefore, very industrious. This 
 pleased Booz, and made him speak to her as he did. — 9 David, 
 therefore, was grandson to Obed, and great-grandson to Booz and Ruth. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Divine Providence. Was it by chance that Ruth went to 
 the field of Booz? No, she went there by the guidance of 
 a good and wise Providence. God ordained that Booz should 
 get to know the virtuous Ruth, and should, though she was 
 poor, take her as his wife. This was so ordained in order 
 that Ruth and Noemi should be rewarded for their virtues. 
 J Noemi was now above want, and could serve God without 
 I anxiety about her maintenance. Nothing happens by chance. 
 
 Several beautiful examples of virtue are put before us in 
 this story. 
 
 ]}£ogr$i left her home only from necessity, and kept her 
 faith untarnished in the midst of a heathen society ; and as 
 soon as the famine was over, returned to her own country 
 and fellow-believers. She unselfishly allowed her daughters- 
 in-law to remain in Moab, and asked God to bless them: 
 she did not wish them to share her poverty or help to 
 support her. There is one point to which I wish to draw 
 your attention, as it might not strike you of yourselves. By 
 her living faith, her real piety and sincere love, in a word, 
 by her good example, Noemi converted her daughter- 
 in-law Ruth to the true faith, so that the latter was able 
 to say: "Thy God is my God." Oh, if only all Catholics 
 would act as she did; if they would only act up to their 
 holy faith and practise the virtues which it teaches, then 
 the whole world would be convinced of the truth and excellence 
 of the Catholic faith! Our Divine Lord said: "Let your 
 light shine before men that they may see your good works, 
 and glorify your Father Who is in heaven." 
 
 Ruth left her home and friends both out of attachment to 
 her mother-in-law and fidelity to her faith. Once she had 
 
RUTH'S AFFECTION FOR HER MOTHER-IN-LAW. 239 
 
 got to know the true God, she wished to dwell with the 
 people of God; and so firm was she in her resolution that f- 
 neither the persuasions of Noemi nor the example of Orpha 
 could move her from it. She was, therefore, steadfast in 
 faith, and gave up everything rather than live with unbelievers, 
 and place her soul in danger. She was, furthermore, 
 distinguished for her humility, obedience, and diligence. She 
 asked Noemi's permission to glean; she was not^ashamed 
 of her poverty; she was indefatigable in her labour of 
 gleaning, and saved some of her dinner for Noemi: thus 7 *" 
 she perfectly fulfilled the Fourth Commandment. Would 
 that all children had as great a love for their own parents as 
 Ruth had for her mother-in-law ! You see how Holy Scripture 
 praises Ruth's diligence. Diligence is a virtue and does honour 
 to those who practise it. Sloth is a vice and a capital sin, 
 and brings shame and disgrace in its train. Ruth was also 
 retiring, modest and pm;e : the whole town testified to her 
 being a virtuous woman. God rewarded her virtue by giving^ 
 her a good and wealthy husband, and by making her the great- 
 grandmother of king David and (because Christ was of the fa- 
 mily of David) one of the ancestors of the Divine Redeemer. 
 Booz loved his neighbour, and had compassion on the poor 
 and, to him, unknown Ruth. He behaved very nobly in 
 taking Ruth as his wife in spite of her poverty: he veryy 
 rightly valued Ruth's virtues more highly than gold and 
 riches. God rewarded him, for He gave him a most virtuous 
 wife, and blessed his marriage, so that he became one of 
 the forefathers of the Messias. 
 
 Ruth is a type of the Church of the Gentiles. Though born a 
 heathen, she obtained, by her conversion, a share in the blessings of 
 Israel, and was even chosen to be an ancestress of the Redeemer. 
 By this God signified that the heathen, if they would believe and 
 be converted, should have a share in the salvation which was to 
 spring from Israel. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Ruth brought joy and honour to her mother-in-law. Do 
 you cause joy to your parents? Have you never brought 
 shame over them or caused them grief? 
 
240 CHAPTER XLVIII. 
 
 Be kind and generous to the poor. Do not look down 
 on poor children. Do you not give preference among your 
 friends to the children of rich parents ? A man's worth does 
 not consist in what he has, but in what he is. Virtues such 
 as faith, love, diligence, modesty, truth and humility are 
 the greatest of riches: everything perishes except virtue. 
 God looks to the heart, not to the outward appearance or 
 wealth. He who is without faith is the poorest of men, 
 never mind how much money he may possess. Are these 
 your sentiments ? Do you like associating with good children ? 
 
 Are you diligent from morning till night, as Ruth was? 
 
 Chapter XLVIII. 
 SAMUEL.— IMPIETY OF THE SONS OF HELL 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 N the days when Heli , the High Priest , was Judge 1 in 
 
 i 
 
 Israel, there lived at Mount Ephraim a virtuous man, 
 called Elcana, and the name of his wife was Anna. Now 
 Anna had no children. She, therefore, multiplied her prayers 
 before the Lord that He would deign to give her children. 
 So one day she went to Silo to pray in the Tabernacle of 
 the Lord. There, before the door of the Tabernacle, she 
 shed many tears and prayed, and made a vow saying: 
 "0 Lord of Hosts 2 , if Thou wilt be mindful of me and 
 give me a man-child, I will give him to the Lord all the 
 days of his life." 
 
 The Lord heard her prayer, and gave her a son, whom 
 she called Samuel, which means, God-given. Now, when 
 three years were passed, and the child was yet very young, 
 Anna took three calves, three bushels of flower, and a bottle 
 of wine, and carrying the boy with her she went to the 
 House of the Lord. There she offered her son to Heli the 
 High Priest, saying: "The Lord has granted my petition, 
 therefore I also have lent my child to the Lord all the 
 days of his life." And the child ministered in the sight of 
 the Lord before the face of Heli. Now, the two sons of 
 Heli, Ophni and Phinees, were wicked and had no fear of 
 
SAMUEL.— IMPIETY OF THE SONS OF HELL 
 
 241 
 
 God 3 , for when the people came to offer sacrifices, Ophni 
 and Phinees carried the flesh of the victims away by force. 
 So their sin was very great, because they withdrew men 
 from the sacrifice of the Lord. 
 
 Heli knew all this; he knew what wicked things his 
 sons did in the Sanctuary, and he mildly rebuked them, 
 saying: "It is no good report that I hear, that you make 
 the people of the Lord to transgress." But, being very old, 
 he took no severe measures to punish them, or prevent their 
 evil deeds. 
 
 1 Heli, being successor to Aaron, was High Priest; as well as 
 Judge. He, therefore, combined in his person the highest spiritual 
 and the highest temporal authority. — 2 Ruler over all the hosts 
 of men upon earth and of angels in heaven. — 8 Heli's sons are 
 called in Holy Scripture children of Belial, or of the devil, because 
 of their wickedness. Whilst the sacrifice (sin- or peace-offering) 
 was seething in the caldron, they used to thrust in a flesh-hook 
 and take the best of the flesh for themselves. They also took for 
 themselves of the flesh of the whole-burnt offerings, in which the 
 victims ought to have been entirely consumed by fire. This made 
 the people very angry, and they were unwilling to offer sacrifices. 
 Knecht, Commentary. I. 11 
 
242 CHAPTER XL VIII. 
 
 If the sons of the High Priest violated the sacrificial laws so grossly, 
 it was but to be expected that the people should lose their respect 
 for the sacrifices. 
 
 It came to pass that one night, before the lamp of the 
 Lord had gone out, Heli slept on a couch near the Taber- 
 nacle, and Samuel hard by 4 . The Lord called Samuel. He 
 answered: "Here am I," and went to Heli and asked: 
 "Why hast thou called me?" But Heli replied: "I did not 
 call thee, my son; return and sleep." 
 
 So he , returned and slept again. But the Lord called 
 him a second time, and Samuel acted as before. Heli said: 
 "I did not call thee, my son; return and sleep." Then the 
 Lord called Samuel a third time. And Samuel, rising up, 
 went again to Heli, saying: "Here am I, for thou didst call 
 me." Heli now understood that the Lord had called the boy. 
 
 And he said to Samuel: "Go and sleep, and if He shall 
 call thee any more, thou shalt say: "Speak, Lord, for 
 Thy servant heareth!" So Samuel went and slept in his 
 place. Then the Lord came and stood, and called: "Samuel, 
 Samuel." He answered: "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant 
 heareth." The Lord spoke: "Behold, I will do a thing in 
 Israel, and whosoever shall hear it, both his ears shall tingle. 
 In that day I will raise up against Heli all the things that 
 I have spoken. I will begin and I will make an end, be- 
 cause he knew that his sons did wickedly, and he would 
 not chastise them." 
 
 Next morning, Heli asked the boy to tell him what the 
 Lord had said 5 . But Samuel was afraid. Heli, however, in- 
 sisted, and Samuel at length told the vision. Thereupon 
 Heli humbly 6 replied: "It is the Lord; let Him do what is 
 good in His sight." 
 
 4 Where cells, or little rooms, were built for those priests who 
 had to attend to the service of the Tabernacle. — 5 He suspected 
 that the revelation contained nothing that portended good to himself. 
 — 6 and full of resignation. 
 
 Now in those days it came to pass that the Philistines 
 waged war against Israel, and when they joined battle, the 
 Israelites were defeated, and lost about four thousand men. 
 
SAMUEL.— IMPIETY OF THE SONS OF HELL 243 
 
 After the people had returned to the camp, the ancients of 
 Israel said: "Let us fetch the Ark of the Covenant from 
 Silo, that it may save us from the hands of our enemies." 7 
 They sent therefore to Silo, and the two sons of Heli 8 , 
 Ophai and Phinees, accompanied the Ark to the camp. The 
 people, on beholding the Ark in their midst, set up a great 
 shout, and the earth rang with their shouting. 
 
 The Philistines, however, made a new attack, and the 
 Israelites were again defeated, with great slaughter; thirty 
 thousand were slain, and the rest put to flight. And a 
 messenger came to Heli, saying: "Thy two sons, Ophni and 
 Phinees, are dead, and the Ark of the Lord is taken." Now, 
 Heli, who was far advanced in years, on hearing that the 
 Ark was taken, fell from his chair backwards by the door, 
 and broke his neck and died 9 . The Philistines took the Ark 
 of the Lord, and placed it in the temple of Dagon, their 
 false god ! 10 
 
 Next morning when they went into the temple, they found 
 the idol lying prostrate on the ground before the Ark. Be- 
 sides, the Lord afflicted them with many evils on account 
 of the Ark. Many persons died, and from the fields there 
 came forth a multitude of mice , and there was great con- 
 fusion in the country. 
 
 Perceiving this the Philistines resolved that the Ark of 
 God should no longer remain amongst them. Then they took 
 the Ark and laid it upon a cart, and taking two kine, or 
 young cows, they yoked them to the cart. The cows took 
 the way that led to Bethsames, and thus the Ark was 
 brought again into the country of the Israelites. 
 
 Meanwhile, after the death of Heli , Samuel had become 
 Judge in Israel. He assembled the people, reproached them 
 for their evil doings, and then said: "If you turn to the 
 Lord with all your heart, and put away the strange gods 
 from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, 
 and serve Him only 1X , He will deliver you out of the hands 
 of the Philistines." 
 
 So they humbled themselves before God in prayer and 
 fasting. And the Lord took pity upon them, and gave them 
 
 11* 
 
244 CHAPTER XLVIII. 
 
 such a victory over the Philistines 12 , that for many years 
 after they did not dare to approach the frontiers of Israel. 
 
 7 They wished to have the Ark of the Covenant with them because 
 they remembered the miracles which God had worked by means of 
 it, both at the passage of the Jordan, and at the siege of Jericho, 
 and they hoped that its sacred presence would now procure a victory 
 for them. — 8 who were with the Ark. — 9 The good old High 
 Priest did not fall backward when he heard that his sons had perished, 
 but only when the messenger told him that the Ark had been taken. 
 This last news struck him with more horror than the first, for he 
 believed that it meant that God's covenant with His people was now 
 broken, and that Israel would be destroyed. — 10 This was not in 
 order to pay honour to the Ark, but so as to make an offering of it 
 to their god Dagon, to whom they believed they owed their victory. 
 God, however, proved to them that their idol was worth nothing, 
 and could do nothing. — M for they worshipped idols at the same 
 time that they were worshipping the Lord God. — 12 God sent a 
 terrible storm of thunder and lightning which threw the Philistine 
 army into confusion, and made its defeat easy. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Justice of God. This story teaches us above all things 
 to know, fear and love God. He rewarded the virtuous 
 Samuel by revealing Himself to him, by calling him to be 
 Judge, and by freeing and converting His people through 
 him. On the other hand God punished Heli, his sons, and 
 the impenitent Israelites by their defeat, and the loss of 
 the Ark. He also punished the idolatrous Philistines by 
 means of various plagues, and finally by their complete 
 overthrow. 
 
 The Goodness and Mercy of God. He graciously heard Anna's 
 prayer, and sent her a son. He called Samuel from his ear- 
 liest infancy to serve Him in the Tabernacle, loaded him 
 with favours, preserved him from being contaminated by 
 Heli's sons, and made him judge and saviour of his people. 
 God forgave the repentant people their faithlessness , and 
 gave them a great victory over those who had oppressed them. 
 
 The Faithfulness of God. Samuel, in God's name, said to 
 the Israelites: "If you turn to the Lord with all your heart, 
 He will deliver you." God kept this promise, as He also 
 kept His threat against Heli and his sons. 
 
SAMUEL.— IMPIETY OF THE SONS OF HELL 245 
 
 God is Lord over nature. It was God Who overthrew 
 the image of Dagon; it was He who sent the mice to de- 
 vastate the land of the Philistines, the pestilence which 
 swept away the idolaters , and the storm which threw their 
 army into confusion. 
 
 Prayer in time of trouble. Anna's example teaches us that 
 we ought to have recourse to fervent prayer when we are 
 suffering, or in any sort of trouble; for God is the great 
 Consoler and Helper, being holy and all powerful. "Is any 
 of you sad, let him pray" (James 5, 13). 
 
 The power of prayer. By prayer Anna obtained a son; and 
 by prayer Samuel obtained help for his people. "Samuel 
 cried to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him" 
 (1 Kings 7, 9). Why, therefore, should not God hearken to 
 the intercession of the saints in heaven? 
 
 Keeping vows (see Commentary, Chapt. XVI). Anna kept her 
 vow faithfully. She most certainly wished to keep her be- 
 loved child with her, but, all the same, she "lent him to 
 the Lord". 
 
 Fasting and confession of sins are penances well-pleasing 
 to God, and obtain pardon from Him. The Israelites be- 
 wailed and confessed their sins, formed good resolutions, 
 and made satisfaction by fasting. 
 
 Piety, obedience, and truthfulness. Young Samuel did not 
 let himself be led away by the bad example of Heli's sons, 
 but rather imitated the piety of the aged High Priest, and 
 was zealous in the performance of the work given him to 
 do for God. He was obedient to Heli, whose own sons had 
 renounced the obedience due to him. Each time during the 
 night that he heard his name called he sprang from his 
 bed, and ran to Heli, saying: "Here am I!" Thus promptly 
 and cheerfully should all children obey their parents and 
 those set over them. Samuel showed his truthfulness when 
 Heli asked him what the Lord had revealed to him. It 
 pained him to say anything disagreeable to the kind old 
 High Priest, but, being asked, he told him everything. Thus 
 you, too, should always speak the truth when questioned by 
 those set over you. 
 
246 CHAPTER XL VIII. 
 
 Sacrilege. Reverence in the House of God. Heli's sons were 
 impious and dissolute. They dishonoured the Sanctuary, and 
 brought sacrifices into disrepute. If the desecration of the 
 Tabernacle of the Old Covenant was such a great sin, how 
 much more ought we to guard against any desecration of 
 our churches ! If any wrong conduct, relating to the typical 
 sacrifices of the Old Testament, was so severely punished, 
 how sinful and criminal must it be for Christians to behave 
 irreverently during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and even 
 whisper, laugh &c. ! 
 
 Punishment of disobedient children. If the sons of Heli 
 had hearkened to and obeyed the injunctions of their good 
 father, they would not have been punished by God. But 
 as they would not listen to his warnings, they died a vio- 
 lent death, and their names have ever since been associated 
 with ignominy. 
 
 Sharing in the guilt of others. Heli was a virtuous, God- 
 fearing man. He was so anxious about the Ark of the Co- 
 venant that the news of its capture affected him more than 
 the news of the death of his sons. Moreover, he was en- 
 tirely resigned to God's will, when Samuel announced to him 
 his approaching punishment. ("It is the Lord; let Him do 
 what is good in His sight!") Why then was this virtuous 
 servant of God punished by sudden death? God Himself 
 said that it was because he did not correct his sons. He 
 was too good-natured and weak towards them. He ought 
 to have been strict with them when they were young, and 
 have punished them severely when they would not listen to 
 his injunctions. "He who will not hear must feel." He was 
 too indulgent, he said to himself that they would be more 
 reasonable and would improve as they grew older. Instead of 
 this they grew up quite beyond control, became accustomed 
 to evil, and no more consulted their father about any- 
 thing. Now, I ask you: Was it a happiness for these men 
 that their father should be so indulgent towards them, 
 and should never correct them? How much sorrow and 
 suffering would Heli have spared himself, how much trouble 
 would he have avoided, if he had corrected his sons betimes. 
 
SAMUEL.— IMPIETY OF THE SONS OF HELL 247 
 
 As he did not do so, he shared in their guilt, and was 
 punished by God. Children, if they take advantage of their 
 parents' kindness , bring unhappiness and even eternal ruin 
 both on themselves and on their parents. It is a strict duty 
 of parents to punish the wrong-doings of their children. It 
 is a false love, and a great misfortune for children when 
 parents are weak and over indulgent. Holy Scripture says : 
 "He that spareth the rod hateth his son: but he that 
 loveth him correcteth him betimes" (Prov. 13, 24). 
 
 Grace cannot be obtained without repentance. The Israelites 
 
 thought that if they had the Ark with them, God would be 
 
 sure to protect them and give them the victory. But how 
 
 could the tables of the law inside the Ark avail them, if 
 
 they no longer carried the law of God in their hearts? 
 
 They ought first to have sincerely repented, and then, God 
 
 would have been gracious to them. Nothing holy, not even 
 
 the Sacraments, can help us, if we do not first turn to God 
 
 and cast away strange gods (i. e. sinful habits and passions). 
 
 Resistance of God's grace. Samuel, the "asked of God", was, as 
 
 his very name signifies, a child of grace. He did, in fact, receive 
 
 many graces from God ; but then, he faithfully co-operated with them, 
 
 and thus became in time the converter and saviour of his people 
 
 when they were in adversity. Heli's sons were also highly favoured 
 
 by God. They were called to the priesthood by right of their birth; 
 
 they grew up in the Tabernacle, and had the good example of their 
 
 father before their eyes from their youth up ; but they resisted God's 
 
 grace, lightly rejected their father's warnings, and drew on themselves 
 
 the displeasure of the best among the people. By their misuse of 
 
 grace their hearts grew harder and harder. Once more God tried to 
 
 move them, by letting them know through Samuel that the day was 
 
 not far off when He would punish them and their father, but they 
 
 would not profit by this grace. Still hardened in sin, they went out 
 
 to fight, and died an impenitent death at the hands of the enemy. 
 
 Hearkening to the word of God. Whenever we hear the word of 
 God (whether in sermons, or instructions &c), we should say with Sa- 
 muel : "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth." We should listen eagerly 
 to the word of God which He speaks to us through the mouths of His 
 priests. "He that heareth you, heareth Me," said our Lord (Luke 10, 16). 
 Worthy and unworthy Communion. The Ark brought blessing and 
 divine protection to the Israelites as long as they feared God, but 
 when they forgot Him and would not repent, it brought them misfortune 
 and defeat; and even brought plagues and pestilence on the Philistine 
 
248 CHAPTER XLIX. 
 
 idolaters. Thus it is with the Most Holy of the New Covenant. Holy 
 Communion brings priceless blessings to the penitent, but a curse 
 and eternal damnation to the impenitent. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Do you promptly obey the commands of your parents and 
 those who are set over you ? Do you go to them as soon as 
 you are called? Do you get up as soon as you are told? 
 Do you take to heart their injunctions and exhortations? 
 Are you most like Samuel, or the sons of Heli? 
 
 How do you behave during the services of the Church? 
 Do you always speak the truth? Be truthful, even when 
 it costs you a good deal to be so, and when you have to 
 face reproof or punishment. 
 
 THE KINGS. 
 
 (1095—588 B. C.) 
 
 Chapter XLIX. 
 SAUL ELECTED KING (1095 B. C). 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 AFTER these days it came to pass that when Samuel 
 was old, he appointed his two sons as Judges over 
 Israel. They, however, were not like their father \ but took 
 bribes and perverted judgment. So the ancients came to 
 Samuel and said: "Thy sons walk not in thy ways; there- 
 fore give us a king to judge us, as all nations have." This 
 word was displeasing to Samuel, for he knew that the Lord 
 was their king, and none other 2 . Still the Lord told him 
 to hearken to the voice of the people, and to give them a 
 king for their punishment. Moreover, he added, the king 
 would rule over them with a heavy hand 3 , and they would 
 cry out and lament, but the Lord would not hear them, 
 because they had desired for themselves a king. 
 
 Now, there was a man of the tribe of Benjamin who 
 / lost his asses, and he said to Saul, his son: "Take one of 
 
SAUL ELECTED KING. 249 
 
 the servants with thee, and arise, go and seek the asses." 
 So they both started out and came to the land of Suph, 
 and entered the city where Samuel dwelt. Now, the day 
 before Saul's arrival, the Lord had spoken to Samuel: "To- 
 morrow, about this same hour, I will send to thee a man, 
 whom thou shalt anoint king over my people Israel." It 
 so happened that Samuel met Saul in the midst of the city. 
 And Samuel said: "Go up before me, that you may eat 
 with me to-day, and that I may let you go in the morning 4 . 
 As for the asses, be not solicitous, for they are found." Next 
 morning, when the day began to dawn, Samuel took a little 
 vial of oil 5 , and poured it on the head of Saul, and kissed 
 him 6 , and said : " Behold, the Lord has anointed thee to bej 
 prince over His inheritance." V 
 
 Thereupon Samuel assembled the people, and Saul stood 
 in their midst ; and he was a choice man, being taller than 
 any one else from his shoulders and upwards. Then Samuel 
 said: "Behold him whom the Lord has chosen." And the 
 people cried out: "God save the king!" 7 
 
 1 They were not just and God-fearing like their father. — 2 This 
 desire to have an earthly king seemed to him to be, on the people's 
 part, a renunciation of the divine government of God. — 3 and exercise 
 great power over them, imposing burdens and taxes on them. He 
 told them this so that later, when they felt the hand of the king 
 to press heavily on them , they might not complain. — 4 Samuel 
 knew this, because God had revealed it to him. — 5 for the typical 
 signification of oil, see Chapt. XVI. The anointing of Saul was a sign 
 that God had chosen him to be king; and at that moment the Lord 
 gave to His anointed the gifts necessary for his high calling, i. e. 
 wisdom , strength , justice. — 6 as a sign of homage. — 7 By these 
 words they acknowledged him as their king, and paid him homage. 
 
 Now, the people of Amalec were very bad, and the 
 measure of their iniquity was full. God, in His wrath, 
 sent Samuel to Saul, saying: "Go and smite Amalec and : 
 all that he hath. Spare him not, nor covet anything that is 
 his, but slay both man and woman and child, ox and sheep 
 and camel." 
 
 Saul, therefore, waged war against Amalec, and defeated 
 them along the line from Hevila till Sur. The common people 
 
250 CHAPTER XLIX. 
 
 he slew with the edge of the sword; but, contrary to the 
 command of God, he spared Agag the king. The flocks and 
 herds of little value he also destroyed, but spared the best 
 flocks and the best herds. Moreover, filled with pride, and 
 
 / forgetting that success comes from God, he erected an arch 
 
 ( of triumph in memory of his victory 8 . 
 
 When Samuel had come to the camp of Israel, Saul said 
 to him: "I have fulfilled the word of the Lord." Samuel 
 answered: "What meaneth, then, the bleating of the flocks, 
 
 5 and the lowing of the herds which I hear?" Saul tried to 
 excuse himself, saying that the people had spared the best 
 flocks and herds , to sacrifice them to the Lord 9 . Samuel, 
 being angry, spoke to him in the name of the Lord: "Doth 
 the Lord desire holocausts and victims, and not rather that 
 the voice of the Lord should be obeyed? For obedience is 
 better than sacrifices; and to hearken better than to offer 
 the fat of rams. 
 
 C>,"For as much, therefore, as thou hast rejected the word of 
 the Lord 10 , the Lord hath also rejected thee from being 
 king over Israel 11 . The Lord hath rent the kingdom from 
 thee this day, and has given it to one who is better." Then 
 Samuel departed, and beheld Saul no more till the day of his 
 death. The rejection of Saul teaches us that disobedience to 
 the voice of God is visited with severe chastisements. 
 
 8 As if he owed the glory of his victory to himself and not to 
 God. — 9 He tried to lay the blame on his people. — 10 because 
 you have set aside the command of God, and not obeyed it. — Had 
 Saul remained faithful to God, the royal dignity would have passed 
 on to his son. God's rejection of Saul consisted in this: firstly, that 
 the kingdom would not remain in Saul's family; and, secondly, that 
 the crown was snatched from Saul himself by a premature death, 
 and given to David, who, even in Saul's lifetime, was anointed to be 
 his successor. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 God's Providence directed that the asses should be lost and 
 that Saul, while seeking them, should meet Samuel. By God's 
 command Samuel anointed Saul king, and presented him as 
 such to the people. God commands and directs everything 
 as He desires. 
 
SAUL ELECTED KING. 251 
 
 f God's Goodness to the Israelites is shown by His granting 
 their request to have a king. It was Saul, however, whom 
 he especially loaded with proofs of His love. Saul acknow- 
 ledged his unworthness in the words which he used to 
 /Samuel: "I am of the least tribe of Israel, and my kindred 
 /the least among all the families of the tribe of Benjamin !" 
 \ And yet God chose him to be king over His people, turned 
 -the hearts of the Israelites towards him, and gave him the 
 •victory over all his enemies. — What more could God have 
 /done to ensure Saul's unbounded gratitude and willing ob- 
 Vedience! 
 
 The Justice_ of God. Saul was ungrateful and disobedient 
 to God, and "therefore, the punishment of divine justice fell 
 on him. He was rejected by God ; God's blessing left him ; 
 and his throne passed, not to his son, but to David. 
 
 Pride. Saul's misfortunes sprang from pride. He became 
 proud on account of his high dignity, and on account of 
 the victories which God gave him, so that he began to trust 
 in himself and did not give glory to God. Being proud and 
 arrogant, he no longer obeyed God's commands, but kept 
 back the best of the flocks of the Amalekites. Pride leads 
 to disobedience. When Saul, by his grievous sin, had forsaken 
 God, then God forsook him. "God resisteth the proud, and 
 'giveth grace to the humble" (James 4, 6). 
 
 Obe dience to God. To Saul's excuse that the flocks and 
 herds had been kept to offer as sacrifices, Samuel, filled 
 with the Holy Ghost, replied: "Obedience is better than 
 sacrifice", i. e. sacrifices of beasts are good and pleasing to 
 God, if they are offered with a right intention; but still 
 better and more pleasing to God is obedience, whereby a 
 man offers to God the spiritual sacrifice of his own will, onf 
 the altar of his heart. By sacrifices man gives to God some-) 
 thing which he possesses; by obedience he offers himself,) 
 and his free will, the noblest of all his possessions. Hq 
 who loves God will love and do His holy will. V 
 
 Jesus Christ, or the Anointed. In the Old Testament, kings, 
 as well as High Priests, were the anointed of the Lord. 
 Jesus, being High Priest and King, is indeed the Christ, i. e. 
 
252 CHAPTER L. 
 
 the Anointed. Jesus is king both because he is God, and 
 because He reigns over His spiritual kingdom, the Church. 
 
 The kingdom of Israel belonged to God. Hitherto the Lord God 
 
 \had been the immediate King, Lawgiver and Leader of His peqple,. Now 
 
 it was His will to give them an earthly king to he His representative, 
 
 /and to govern them in His name, and according to His laws. He 
 
 / did not let them choose their own king, but set over them one whom 
 
 ' He chose, in order to show the Israelites that He Himself still remained 
 
 their supreme King and Lord. He established the kingdom of Israel 
 
 in order, firstly, to bind the twelve tribes into a closer unity than 
 
 had existed under the Judges; secondly, to show the people that 
 
 even under kings they can prosper only when they observe the laws 
 
 of God; and thirdly, to foreshadow the kingdom of the Messias. Kings 
 
 and princes reign "by the grace of God": i. e. they are appointed 
 
 by God, to govern in His name; therefore their subjects ought to 
 
 honour, love and obey them, as the representatives of God. "Fear 
 
 , A God; honour the king" (1 Petr. 2, 17). 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Ask yourself whether you are proud or self-willed? Do 
 you give glory to God when you succeed in anything? Do 
 you boast? Are you fond of talking about yourself? Do 
 you take pleasure in praising others, or is it more pleasing 
 to you to find fault with them? No other virtue is of any 
 value in God's sight, without humility. You owe to God 
 everything that you are, or have, or can do ; therefore, thank 
 God and do not offend Him by pride. Be very careful to- 
 day to utter no word in self-praise. 
 
 Chapter L. 
 DAVID, THE YOUNG SHEPHERD. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 SAMUEL loved Saul, and mourned for him because the 
 Lord had rejected him. One day the Lord said to Samuel : 
 "How long wilt thou mourn for Saul whom I have rejected? 
 Fill thy horn with oil, and come, that I may send thee to 
 Isai, the Bethlehemite ; for I have provided me a king among 
 his sons." 
 
 So Samuel went to Bethlehem 1 , and took with him a 
 victim, and called Isai and his sons to partake of the sacrifice 2 . 
 
DAVID, THE YOUNG SHEPHERD. 
 
 253 
 
 Now when Eliab, the eldest son, had come forward, who 
 was of a high stature, the Lord said to Samuel: "Look not 
 •Aon his countenance; for man seeth those things that appear, 
 but the Lord seeth the heart." 3 
 
 Isai then called in his other sons, one by one, six in 
 number. When Samuel had seen them all, he said: "The 
 Lord has not chosen any of these. Are here all thy sons?" 
 Isai replied: "There remaineth yet a young one, who keepeth 
 the sheep." Samuel hastened to answer: "Send and fetch 
 him, for we will not sit down till he come hither." 
 
 Now, when David came in, he was beautiful to behold, and 
 
 of a comely face; and the Lord saiofT "Arise, and anoint 
 
 Mm, ?orTins"isne." Then Samuel, taking the horn of oil, 
 
 l anointed him in the midst of his brethren. Immediately the 
 
 } Spirit of the Lord came upon David, and remained with him. 
 
 1 This little town lay in the territory of the tribe of Juda. — 
 
 2 to assist at the sacrifice and also partake of it. — 8 i. e. the 
 
 qualities of the heart, whether a man be God-fearing, humble &c. 
 
 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an 
 evil spirit troubled him 4 . Wherefore the servants of Saul 
 
 
254 CHAPTER L. 
 
 said to him: "Let our lord give orders, and we will seek 
 ( out a man, skilful in playing on the harp, that when the 
 ;evil spirit is upon thee, he may play with his hand, and 
 "''thou mayest bear it more easily." 
 
 When the servants saw that this counsel was pleasing 
 in the eyes of Saul, one of them added : " Behold, I have 
 seen the son of Isai, a skilful player, and a man fit for 
 war, and prudent in his words, and a comely person." 
 Thereupon David was sent for 5 . And whenever the evil 
 spirit was upon Saul, David took his harp and played with 
 his hand 6 , and Saul was refreshed and better, for the evil 
 spirit departed from him 7 . 
 
 4 The consciousness that, through his own fault, he was forsaken by 
 
 God, oppressed him. As he did not turn to God by prayer and penance, 
 
 an infernal spirit gained influence over him, and kindled in him 
 
 , an unnatural melancholy, so that his soul became a prey to the evil 
 
 \ passions of envy, hatred and blood-thirstiness, till at last he was driven 
 
 J to despair and suicide. — 5 Saul made him his armour-bearer. — e see 
 
 picture, Chapt. XXIV. — 7 David, to the accompaniment of his harp, 
 
 sang holy Psalms composed by himself. As Saul had not, as yet, 
 
 entirely given himself over to the influence of the evil spirit, his mind 
 
 was calmed and cheered by David's sacred music, and the consoling 
 
 words of his canticles. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Omn iscienc e of God. He knows the mind and feelings 
 "A)f man. He Knew David better than his own father knew him. 
 
 The Wisdom of God. It was by the guidance of divine 
 Providence that, on account of his musical talents, David 
 was summoned to the court of theTang wno, naturally, had 
 no suspicion that the young shepherd was destined to be 
 his successor. The simple youth, who was then about twenty 
 years old, learnt at court the art of government and the 
 duties of a king, and was thus prepared for his future 
 position. 
 
 ^ The Faithfulness of God. Almighty God, by choosing David, 
 of the triDe of Juda, to be king, fulfilled that which He 
 promised by the mouth of the dying Jacob, i. e. that there 
 should be a sceptre in Juda, which should not depart from 
 him till the Messias Himself came. 
 
DAVID, THE YOUNG SHEPHERD. 255 
 
 O bedienc e. Samuel was obedient to God, for though he 
 was very sorry that Saul was rejected, he obeyed when 
 commanded to anoint another king. David was obedient to 
 his father. He did not murmur at not being included jvith 
 his brothers in the invitation to the sacrifice, but cheerfully 
 led his flocks into the fields of Bethlehem. 
 
 The val ue of virtue. God rejected the proud Saul, and 
 chose the young and humble David to be his successor. 
 Even David's father, to whom Samuel had confided that 
 one of his sons was chosen to be king, had not the remotest 
 idea that David, the shepherd boy, could be the chosen one. 
 J3e had not even thought it worth while to keep his youngest 
 son at home, but had sent him with his sheep into the fields. 
 ..He said to himself: "God will be sure to have chosen one 
 of my elder, fine, warlike sons." But the eyes of God were 
 fixed on the young, modest David, for He does not look tc/' 
 the appearance, but to the heart. David was pious, humbleA 
 steadfast, and puje; therefore God loved him, and choser 
 him to be the shepherd of His people. Beauty, fine clothes,' 
 riches are nothing in the eyes of God ; the only thing that 
 is of value in His sight is a virtuous heart. He who wishes 
 to be well-pleasing to God must strive to be virtuous. V. 
 
 The pious shepherd-boy. David did not waste his time 
 
 [while he was watching his sheep. He prayed and meditated 
 
 Ion the attributes of God which were revealed to his holy 
 
 Imind in the works of creation ; and in the joy of his heart 
 
 /he composed and sang holy psalms and canticles. The stars 
 
 \ of heaven, the flowers of the field, the songs of the birds, 
 
 tall raised his heart to God, and so he lived constantly in 
 
 i God's presence, having God before his eyes and in his heart. 
 
 j By his holy and innocent youth this humble, though highly 
 
 Igifted boy was prepared to be God's chosen instrument. 
 
 ^O The pain of a bad conscience. Woe to the man who forsakes God, 
 
 and who is too proud to do penance for his sins, and return contritely 
 
 to God! For such an one cannot be happy either now or hereafter. 
 
 We see this in the case of the God-forsaken Saul. Neither his high 
 
 position, nor his riches could make him happy, because he had no 
 
 „r>eace in his heart. His bad conscience gave him no rest ; it drove all 
 
 •^cheerfulness from his mind, so that he grew discontented and melan- 
 
256 CHAPTER LI. 
 
 i choly. "There is no peace for the wicked" (Is. 48, 22). "Tribulation 
 and anguish upon every soul of man that worketh evil" (Rom. 2, 9). 
 Man can find true happiness in God alone, i. e. in the love of God 
 and in doing His will. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Do you like thinking about God ? Do you pray and work 
 as David did? Do you like to sing sacred canticles? The 
 Psalms which we sing at Vespers were mostly written by 
 David. Assist when you can at Vespers, and sing the 
 Psalms devoutly, as David used to sing them, in honour of 
 jOGod. Never degrade the noble gift of music by sin^in^ 
 " bad, low songs. 
 
 Chapter LI. 
 
 DAVID FIGHTS WITH AND SLAYS GOLIATH. 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 }inpHE Philistines again took the field against the Israelites, 
 JL and posted themselves on one mountain, and the Israelites 
 were on another. And behold, there was in the camp of the 
 Philistines a giant named Goliath. He was not only taller 
 than any other man 1 , but his strength was in proportion 
 to his size. He had a braz en helmet on his head, and was 
 clothed in scary^armour of enormous weight. 
 
 , He had greaves of brass on his legs, and a brazen shield 
 on his shoulder 2 , and the staff 3 of his spear was like a 
 weaver's beam. This giant, clad in armour from head to 
 foot, came daily out, morning and evening, from the Philistine 
 camp, and challenged any one of the Israelites to meet him 
 in single combat, saying: "Give me a man, and let him 
 
 X fight with me hand to hand. If he be able to kill me, we 
 will be servants to you; but if I prevail and kill him, you 
 shall serve us." 
 
 This went on for forty days, and there was no one found 
 in all Israel to accept the challenge of Goliath. Hence Saul 
 and the Israelites were in great terror and confusion, because 
 of Goliath and of his proud boasting that he could find no 
 man in Israel to fight him. 
 
DAVID FIGHTS WITH AND SLAYS GOLIATH. 257 
 
 1 He was six cubits and a span, or, in other words, nearly ten 
 foot high. — 2 You can see a helmet in the picture, page 204. The 
 greaves, shield and coat of mail are shown on page 259. This last 
 was a strong suit made of leather, covered with brazen scales, 
 through which no spear or arrow-point could pierce. — 3 the wooden 
 shaft of the spear, to which the point was fastened. 
 
 Now David, after his three eldest brothers had gone out 
 with Saul to battle, had returned to his father's house. One 
 day his father told him to take bread and go to the camp, 
 and see how it fared with his brothers. Whilst David was 
 conversing with the people, Goliath came out, as usual, from the 
 Philistine camp, and repeated his insulting and contemptuous 
 challenge. Full of surprise, David asked: "What shall 
 %e given to the man that slayeth the Philistine, who defieth 
 the army of the living God ?.'.** Now, when Eliab, his eldest 
 brother, heard that David was asking such questions of the 
 soldiers, he grew angry, and said: "Why earnest thou hither? 
 Why didst thou leave those few sheep in the desert ? I know 
 thy pride and that thou earnest down to see the battle." 
 
 (However, these words were repeated to Saul, who sent 
 .for David and said to him: "Thou art not able to withstand 
 this Philistine, for thou art but a boy, and he is a warrior." 
 But David said: "Let no man be dismayed; I, thy servant, 
 will go and fight against the Philistine. 
 ^ "For thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came 
 a lion and a bear and took a ram out of the midst of the 
 flock. And I pursued after them and struck them ; and they 
 rose up against me, and I caught them by the throat, and 
 I strangled and killed them. I will go now and take away 
 the reproach of the people. The Lord Who delivered me 
 out of the paw of the lion and the bear, will deliver me 
 out of the hand of this Philistine." 
 
 At last Saul consented and said: "Go, and the Lord be 
 with thee." Saul then clothed David with his own armour 5 , 
 and put a helmet of brass on his head, and armed him with 
 a coat of mail. But David, unused to wear armour, could 
 not, move freely under its weight, and therefore he laid it 
 aside. 
 
258 CHAPTER LI. 
 
 Then he took his staff, which he had always in his hands, 
 and chose five smooth stones 6 from the brook and put them 
 in the shepherd's scrip which he had with him ; and taking 
 a sling in his hand, he went forth to meet the Philistine. 
 
 4 He is called the living God in contradistinction to the gods 
 of the heathen, which were nothing but dead idols made of wood, 
 brass &c. He is the living God, because He has life in Himself, and 
 is the Author of all life. — 5 his coat of mail &c. — 6 They had 
 to be smooth, so as to slide easily from the sling. 
 
 When Goliath drew near and beheld David coming on, 
 he despised him and said: "Am I a dog that thou comest 
 to me with a staff?" Then cursing David by his gods, he 
 said: "Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the birds 
 of the air, and to the beasts of the earth." 7 David answered: 
 "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and 
 with a shield ; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord 
 
 r of Hosts 8 , Whom thou hast defied 9 . I will slay thee and 
 take away thy head from thee, that all may know that 
 
 I there is a God in Israel." 
 
 Meanwhile, the Philistine arose, advanced and made ready 
 for the fight; David, on his part, making haste, ran up to 
 meet the giant. While running, he quickly took a stone 
 from his scrip, laid it in his sling, and fetching it a few 
 times about 10 , he aimed and struck Goliath so violently in 
 the forehead, that he reeled and fell on his face upon the 
 earth. Then David, rushing up, and taking Goliath's sword 
 from its scabbard, cut off his head. 
 
 The Philistines, seeing that their champion was dead, 
 were seized with fear and fled. But the Israelites, following 
 after, slew a great number of them, and took possession of 
 their camp. 
 
 7 I will kill you, and leave your body to be eaten by the birds 
 and beasts. — 8 Literally, David meant the army of the Israelites, 
 fighting against the idolaters for the glory of God; but in a wider 
 sense his words meant that God is Lord of all the hosts in heaven 
 and on earth. — 9 Goliath, by mocking the Israelites, and treating 
 them as if God were powerless to help them , was really defying 
 God. — 10 By swinging the sling, such velocity was given to the 
 stone cast by it, that even the skull of the giant could not resist 
 
DAVID FIGHTS WITH AND SLAYS GOLIATH. 
 
 259 
 
 it. But to take aim well and sling truly, great skill and practice 
 are required. David possessed both, and God now gave him the grace 
 not to lose courage or presence of mind, without which he could 
 not have taken a cool and sure aim. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Pride . Goliath was arrogant, and trusted in his own 
 strength and mighty weapons. He boasted, sought the single 
 combat for his own glory, and scorned the people of God. 
 
 .This pride was the cause of his fall. " Pride comes before 
 a fall", and "Humiliation followeth the proud, and glory 
 
 Ashall uphold the humble of spirit" (Prov. 29, 23). 
 
 Humility and confidence in God. David was humble. It 
 was no thought of renown which impelled him to fight the 
 giant, but only zeal for God's glory and the good of his 
 people. He trustedln God's help and not in his own powers 
 or skill, and went forth to the unequal combat, full of the 
 confidence that God would overthrow the Philistine by his 
 means, and would thus manifest His power to the heathen. 
 
 ."The Lord Who delivered me out of the paw of the lion 
 and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of 
 the hand of this Philistine" (1 Kings 17, 37). God rewarded 
 the humility and confidence of His servant by giving him 
 
260 CHAPTER LII. 
 
 a splendid victory over the terrible giant. God wished, by 
 this victory of David, to draw the eyes of the Israelites 
 to his virtues, and to awake in them a feeling of gratitude 
 towards him who was to be their future king. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Do you boast? Are you proud of your fine figure, of 
 your strength, or of your understanding, memory &c ? Make 
 a resolution to subdue promptly all such thoughts of self- 
 complacency. 
 
 You, too, have a Goliath to overcome, namely your besetting- 
 sin. Ask yourself which is your besetting sin, whether anger, 
 envy, pride, sloth &c. Against this sin you must fight, not 
 once, but every day of your life, if you hope to overcome 
 it. Your weapons must be prayer and watchfulness. Pray 
 for the virtue opposed to your besetting sin, and take care 
 to subdue the first movements of this passion. 
 
 Chapter LII. 
 FRIENDSHIP OF JONATHAN AND DAVID. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 HEN David returned from the slaying of the Philistine, 
 
 w 
 
 Saul called for him and asked: "Young man, of what 
 family art thou?" Then David related all about his family and 
 about himself. Now Jonathan, the eldest son of Saul, was 
 standing by, and listened to the words of David ; and when 
 David had made an end of speaking, Jonathan began to love 
 him as his own soul. There was a custoni for friends to 
 
 "exchange garments; so Jonathan took his coat and gave 
 it to David. He took his sword, and his bow, and his girdle 
 and gave them also to David. 
 
 Now, when David returned home with Saul, after having 
 slain Goliath, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, 
 with flutes and cymbals 1 , and they sang: "Saul slew his 
 
 thousands, and David his ten thousands." Hearing this, Saul 
 was_jmgry, and ever after regarded David as his rival. 
 Next day Saul was again troubled by fche evil spirit, and 
 
FRIENDSHIP OF JONATHAN AND DAVID. 261 
 
 whilst David played the harp before him, he threw a spear 
 at David, hoping to nail him to the wall. 
 
 David, however, stepped aside and avoided the blow. 
 Some time after, David was appointed by Saul captain over 
 a thousand men. He was, moreover, promised Michol, the 
 king's daughter, in marriage, if he killed a hundred Philistines. 
 By this proposal Saul hoped to get rid of David, thinking 
 that he would never be able to fulfil the conditions, but 
 that he would be slain by the Philistines. Saul, however, 
 was disappointed, for David slew two hundred of the enemy^ 
 "and thereby gained the affection of the whole people?*" This 
 unexpected success of David enraged Saul more than ever. 
 1 On page 270 you can see such cymbals, or plates of brass which 
 
 the women knocked one against the other. 
 
 Blinded by passion, he ordered Jonathan, his son, to kill 
 
 David. But Jonathan, knowing David's innocence and virtue, 
 
 and loving him exceedingly, gave warning to him 2 and said : 
 
 /y'My father seeketh to kill thee; wherefore look to thyself, 
 
 and abide in a secret place, and thou shalt be hid." David 
 
 listened to his advice, and remained hidden in the fields 3 . 
 
 One day, however, when Saul was in a better humour 
 
 i than usual, Jonathan said to him: "Sin not, oh king, against 
 
 thy servant David, because he has not sinned against thee, 
 
 and his works are very good towards thee. Why, therefore, 
 
 wilt thou sin against innocent blood?" 
 
 Saul was appeased by these words of Jonathan, and swore 
 that David should not be slain. And Jonathan brought 
 David again into his father's presence, and Saul was gracious 
 to him as he had been before. At this time, however, war 
 was renewed against the Philistines, and David went out 
 against them, and defeated them with great slaughter. 
 
 Then the evil spirit came back upon Saul, who tried to 
 )ierce David with his spear as he played upon the harp; 
 >ut David warded off the blow and fled. Jonathan, however, 
 /took occasion once again to speak to his father in behalf 
 >f David. But Saul was angry and blamed his son for his 
 tffection for the son of Isai, who was supplanting him with 
 ^the people. 
 
262 CHAPTER LII. 
 
 He told Jonathan that so long as David lived, he could 
 
 have no hope of ascending the throne. "Therefore, now 
 
 presently send and fetch him to me, for he is the son of 
 
 death." Jonathan asked: "Why shall he die? What hath 
 
 he done?" And Saul, being enraged at Jonathan, took his 
 
 spear to strike him. But Jonathan escaped and fled to 
 
 David's hiding-place, in order to warn him against returning 
 
 Ao the court. The two friends then embraced each other, 
 
 \wept together, and before parting, renewed their vow of 
 
 j friendship in the name of God. 
 
 2 He constantly spoke to his father in defence of his friend, and 
 whenever he could, warned the latter of his danger. — 3 David had 
 from henceforth to live as a fugitive in the mountains, hiding in 
 holes and caves, for nowhere was his life safe. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Envy. Saul was avowedly the tallest man in Israel, but 
 
 lie had not the courage to face Goliath, because he had no 
 
 /confidence in God. He ought to have been all the more 
 
 ^grateful to David for freeing him and all Israel from this 
 
 Jproud and overbearing enemy. But because the people praised 
 
 David more than they praised himself, he allowed a hateful 
 
 envy to take possession of his heart. From this time he 
 
 disliked him, and was suspicious and distrustful of the noble 
 
 minded David. See how ungrateful and unjust envy makes 
 
 a man! 
 
 True friendship. David and Jonathan were knit together by a 
 
 real, true, noble friendship. Jonathan loved David for his good qualities, 
 
 his piety, courage, modesty &c. He loved him "as his own soul", 
 
 though he knew that David, and not he, was destined to succeed 
 
 ■Saul as king. He remained true to his friend in his adversity, and 
 
 \did everything that he could to help him. David responded with all 
 
 Jhis heart to the love of the king's son. When Jonathan died, David 
 
 tore his clothes for grief, wept bitterly and expressed his sorrow in 
 
 the most moving words. A true and noble friend is a great treasure ; 
 
 . ^therefore Holy Scripture says : " Nothing can be compared to a faithful 
 
 friend, and they that fear the Lord shall find him" (Ecclus. 6, 15. 16). 
 
 True friendship can only exist between good people. He who is not 
 
 faithful to God, and does not love and fear Him will only be faithful 
 
 to his friend as long as he hopes to gain something by his friendship. 
 
 Friendship and intercourse with the good exercise an ennobling and 
 
DAVID'S NOBLE CONDUCT TOWARDS SAUL. 263 
 
 elevating influence, but intercourse with the wicked is a great source 
 of danger both to faith and morals. "Evil communications corrupt 
 Agood manners." 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 You should be friendly with all your schoolfellows, but 
 make friends of the good only. How has it been with you 
 hitherto? Have you taken pleasure in being with bad 
 3bmrades? Many a good child has been corrupted and led 
 [nto committing grievous sins by associating and making 
 friends with bad children. Therefore, form friendships with 
 >nly good and well-behaved children, and avoid anything 
 like intimacy with bad children. 
 
 Chapter LIII. 
 DAVID'S NOBLE CONDUCT TOWARDS SAUL. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 AVID, seeing that he could no longer live in safety near 
 
 D 
 
 Saul, fled to the mountains of Juda. Even there death 
 threatened him on every side, but his courage never forsook 
 him. He consoled himself with the thought that he who 
 places himself under the protection of God, is in safety 
 everywhere, and has nothing to fear. His trust in God was 
 rewarded. 
 
 Now the men of Ziph came to Saul and said: "Behold, 
 David is hid in the hill which is over against the wilderness." 
 Immediately Saul arose, having with him three thousand 
 chosen men, and encamped in the way of the wilderness." 1 
 As soon as David had heard that Saul had come after him, 
 he sent out spies to see where the king had pitched his 
 tents. David, on learning where Saul was, arose and came 
 secretly to the camp of his enemy. 
 
 And David said to his followers: "Who will go down 
 with me into the camp of Saul?" Abisai answered: "I will 
 go with thee." So David and Abisai came upon the tents/' 
 by night, and found Saul sleeping on his couch, and his 
 spear fixed in the ground near his head. Moreover all the 
 soldiers were sleeping about. And Abisai said to David: 
 
264 
 
 CHAPTER LTIT. 
 
 "Now, then, I will run thy enemy through with my spear, 
 and there shall be no need of a second time." But David 
 answered: "Kill him not; for who shall put forth his hand 
 against the Lord's anointed, and remain guiltless ? 2 But 
 now, take the spear which is at his head, and the cup of 
 water 3 and let us go." 
 
 So they took the spear and the cup of water, and went 
 away. And no man knew it, or saw it, or awaked; for a 
 deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them. They both 
 went on till they came to the other side, and stood on a 
 hill afar off. Then David called aloud to Abner, the captain 
 of Saul's army and said: "Wilt thou not answer, Abner? 
 Art not thou a man? Why, then, hast thou not kept the 
 
 lord thy king? And 
 now where is the 
 king's spear, and the 
 cup of water which 
 was at his head?" 
 At these words 
 Saul awoke from his 
 sleep and cried out : 
 "Is this thy voice, 
 my son David ? " And 
 David answered : " It 
 is my voice, my lord 
 the king. Wherefore doth my lord persecute his servant? 
 What have I done?" Saul, feeling his own injustice, ex- 
 claimed: "I have sinned; return, my son David, for I will 
 no more do thee harm, because my life has been precious 
 in thy eyes this day. Blessed art thou, my son David." 
 Then they parted in peace. 
 
 1 He was on his track and was seeking for him everywhere. — 
 2 He meant that nobody could kill the king, the anointed of the 
 Lord, without committing a grievous sin. — s David took them with 
 him, so as to prove to the king that he had been inside his tent, 
 and could have killed him, had he wished to do so. When Saul had 
 acknowledged his injustice, David sent him back the spear and cup. 
 
 A short time after this there was a battle fought between 
 
DAVID'S NOBLE CONDUCT TOWARDS SAUL. 265 
 
 the Israelites and the Philistines on Mount Gelboe 4 . A great 
 number of the Israelites were slain, and amongst them the 
 three sons of Saul. At last the whole weight of the fight 
 turned upon Saul; the archers overtook him and grievously 
 wounded him. 
 
 Seeing himself surrounded by the enemy who wished to 
 take him alive, he drew his sword and fell upon it 5 . David 
 was thus delivered from his mortal enemy ; yet so far from 
 rejoicing at his death, when he heard the sad news he wept, 
 and forgetting all the injuries he had received, he remembered 
 only the good qualities of the king. 
 
 Yea, filled with sorrow, he rent his garments and wept, 
 and cursed the mountain of Gelboe 6 whereon the king and 
 his three sons had met their death. Then he lamented and 
 made a dirge over Saul and Jonathan: "How are the valiant 
 fallen! Tell it not in Geth; publish it not in the streets 
 of Ascalon. They were swifter than eagles, stronger than 
 lions. I grieve for thee, my brother Jonathan, exceeding 
 amiable. As the mother loveth her only son, so I did love 
 thee." To forgive our enemies is a duty, and those that 
 do not forgive cannot be saved. Yet we must admire the 
 virtue of David, who not only forgave, but loved his enemy 
 tenderly. 
 
 4 The mountain in which the brook Kison takes its rise. It is 
 south of Nairn (see map). — 5 so that it pierced his body, and he 
 died in a few moments. The Philistines found his corpse, and cut 
 off his head, which they sent, with his weapons, to their country. 
 The head of the king was set up by his enemies as a token of their 
 victory. Thus humiliating was the end of Saul! — 6 "Ye mountains 
 of Gelboe", said he, "let neither dew nor rain come upon you, 
 neither be they fields of first fruits." Their infertility was a token 
 of mourning. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Justice of God. God protected the innocent David 
 and enabled him to escape from the snares of the blood- 
 thirsty king. But He humbled the sin-laden Saul by subjecting 
 him to a humiliating defeat and a premature and dishonour- 
 able death. 
 
 Knecht, Commentary. I. 12 
 
266 CHAPTER LIII. 
 
 The Wisdom of God decreed that many troubles should 
 overtake David, in order that he might be exercised in virtue, 
 and prepared for his high position. By the persecutions and 
 privations to which he was subjected, David was confirmed 
 in humility and confidence in God, and experienced for himself 
 how much harm is caused by evil doing. He saw from 
 which faults a ruler should be free, and was thus fitted for 
 the high dignity for which God destined him. 
 
 The Fifth Commandment. The story we have just heard 
 is well suited to explain and impress upon us the precepts 
 taught by the fifth Commandment. David observed this 
 Commandment most conscientiously when he would not allow 
 his mortal enemy, Saul, to be killed, although he was in 
 his power. The armour-bearer, Abisai, on the other hand, 
 did sin against the fifth Commandment, because he had the 
 desire to murder Saul in his sleep, and would have carried 
 out his wicked project had David given his consent. By 
 this sinful intention Abisai also sinned against the fourth 
 Commandment, for Saul, the anointed of the Lord, was the 
 representative of God. But it was Saul who sinned most 
 grievously against the fifth Commandment. He allowed his 
 anger against David to grow till it turned to hatred, and 
 from this to blood-thirstiness, which passion Saul cherished 
 in his heart for a long time, and tried to satisfy by his 
 untiring persecution of David. Each fresh desire to get rid 
 of David, and each pursuit of him for that object was a 
 grievous sin. 
 
 Suicide was Saul's crowning sin. He saw that the enemy 
 was pressing on him in overwhelming numbers, and that 
 he could not escape; therefore, so as not to fall into the 
 hands of the Philistines, he killed himself. This was a terrible 
 sin, for on no account may a man take away his own life, 
 as he did not give it to himself. God is Lord of life and 
 death, and he who kills himself robs the divine Majesty of 
 His rights. But, it might be argued, Saul could not, any- 
 how, have had long to live, for, most likely, the Philistines 
 would have killed him on the field of battle. True, but if 
 Saul had, by God's permission, been killed by his enemies, 
 
DAVID'S NOBLE CONDUCT TOWARDS SAUL. 267 
 
 he would have died the death of a hero, in defence of his 
 religion, his people and his country. Very likely, however, 
 the Philistines would not have killed him at once, but would 
 have taken him prisoner, and would, later, have put him 
 to death. Saul would, in this way, have had to endure 
 humiliations and tortures, but he would have had time to 
 repent of his many sins, and if he offered his sufferings to 
 God in the spirit of true penance, his soul would have been 
 saved, and he would have died the death of a martyr for 
 the faith in the one true God. By his suicide he not only 
 killed his body, but also his soul, for his last act on earth 
 was one of mortal sin, and the very nature of the act made 
 repentance impossible. Every voluntary suicide is a suicide 
 of the soul, which can in no way be expiated; and it is in 
 this that lies the horror of this sin. Cowardice, moreover, 
 lies at the root of every suicide, as we have seen was the 
 case with Saul. He shrank from humiliation and degradation, 
 and, to avoid them, put an end to his life. The suicide is 
 too cowardly to endure such temporal evils as poverty, 
 sickness, or shame, and, therefore, puts an end to his life, 
 never considering that he thereby subjects himself to the 
 everlasting torments of hell. Suicide is a sort of insanity, 
 for he who commits it exposes himself to the greatest of 
 all evils, eternal damnation, to avoid a mere passing evil. 
 Humility, and love of our enemies. There are many beautiful 
 virtues to admire in David. He remained humble in spite 
 of the adulation of the world; he did not glory in being 
 chosen by God to be king; he bore no grudge in his heart 
 against the unjust, ungrateful Saul ; he did not rise up against 
 him, but honoured him as "his lord and king", called himself 
 his servant, forgave him from his heart, and spared his life 
 when the opportunity of revenge was given him. David 
 had a most noble and magnanimous heart ; he did not return 
 evil for evil, but really loved his mortal enemy, and bitterly 
 bewailed his sad end. Thus David gives us a splendid 
 example of love of our enemies, which teaches us that we 
 should never take vengeance on them. St. Paul writes 
 (Rom, 12, 19): "Do not revenge yourselves, but give place 
 
 12* 
 
268 CHAPTER LIIL 
 
 unto wrath (i. e. leave vengeance to God), for it is written, 
 'Revenge to me, I will repay, saith the Lord'." By this 
 noble virtue of love of his enemy David won a victory over 
 himself (over anger and the desire of revenge), which was 
 far greater and more worthy of renown than his victory 
 over Goliath. St. Chrysostom says of him: "Women did 
 not come to meet him, singing the praises of this victory, 
 but the choirs of angels, full of admiration, sang the praises 
 of his magnanimity." Learn, then, how beautiful and praise- 
 worthy it is to overcome yourself and forgive those who 
 have injured you. 
 
 Love until death. David loved Saul and Jonathan till they 
 died, and bitterly mourned their death. True love lasts 
 beyond the grave, and we should preserve our love for those 
 dear unto us after they are dead. You should pray for the 
 souls of your departed parents, friends and relations. 
 
 Resistance of grace. Learn from the case of Saul how low a man 
 can fall when he forsakes God, resists grace, and gives himself over 
 to his passions. If you give the devil one finger, he will want to 
 have your whole hand, and your whole self. Saul was originally 
 humble, and God was with him, and gave him many graces; but 
 his victories made him proud and disobedient to God. His pride 
 could not endure that David should be so highly honoured and esteemed, 
 and, therefore, he was envious and jealous of David. Envy em- 
 bittered his life, and made him ungrateful towards David, and this 
 led further to hatred of him and desire for his death. Thus Saul 
 became more and more unworthy of the divine assistance. Quite 
 forsaken by God, he was defeated by the Philistines in spite of his 
 valour, and ended his life by suicide. What a sad end for a man 
 chosen out by God from among all men! 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 What do you do when any one injures you by word or 
 deed ? Do you cherish a grudge against him in your heart ? 
 Do you wish evil to any of your comrades ? Do you speak 
 evil of him to others? "Forgive and forget!" 
 
DAVID'S PIETY.— HIS ZEAL FOR GOD'S GLORY. 269 
 
 THE GREATNESS OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL 
 
 FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE REIGN 
 
 OF DAVID TO THAT OF ROBOAM. 
 
 (From the year 1055 to 975 B. C.) 
 
 Chapter LIV. 
 DAVID'S PIETY.— HIS ZEAL FOR GOD'S GLORY. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 AFTER the death of Saul, David was chosen king. He 
 established his court in Jerusalem 1 where he became 
 renowned for his great valour. He defeated the Philistines 
 and many other nations 2 . His reign was glorious, because he 
 governed his people with justice and clemency. As he feared 
 God, he never imposed on his people any but just and 
 righteous laws 3 . 
 
 The counsellors whom he chose to aid him in the govern- 
 ment of his kingdom were not flatterers, but men of wis- 
 dom and virtue, whose advice was always founded on reason 
 and justice. The promotion of God's glory was the primary 
 object of all their plans and views. 
 
 1 This, the House of peace, is the Salem of earlier times, of which, 
 in the days of Abraham, Melchisedech was king. The town was 
 divided into two parts, the upper town and the lower town. The 
 lower town had been for some time in the possession of the Israelites, 
 but the upper town, which was built on Mount Sion, still belonged 
 to the heathen Jebusites, who had fortified it so strongly that hitherto 
 no one had been able to conquer it. David now took possession of 
 it, and fortified it even more strongly than it had been. He built 
 himself a palace there, and called it the City of David. From hence- 
 forward Jerusalem was the capital of the kingdom. — 2 such as the 
 Moabites, Syrians etc. David extended his kingdom on the west as 
 far as the Mediterranean , on the south to the Red Sea , on the east 
 to the deserts of Arabia and Syria, and on the north to the Euphrates. 
 — 3 He settled the principal matters of dispute himself. Besides 
 this, he appointed six thousand Levites to be judges. 
 
 Near Jerusalem was Mount Sion on which David erected 
 a splendid tabernacle for the Ark of the Covenant 4 . When 
 the tabernacle was completed, he caused the Ark to be carried 
 in triumph to Mount Sion. The procession was very grand, 
 
270 
 
 CHAPTER LIV. 
 
 comprising all the princes of Israel 5 in purple robes, the 
 priests in their rich vestments, and thirty thousand armed 
 men. The sound of all manner of musical instruments 6 
 made the procession still more imposing. David himself 
 went before the Ark playing on the harp and singing: "Lord, 
 who shall dwell in Thy tabernacle, and who shall rest in 
 Thy holy hill?" 
 
 At every few paces taken by the Levites who carried 
 the Ark, an ox and a ram were sacrificed to the Lord. And 
 when the Ark had been placed in its destined position, a 
 great number of victims were offered. David then divided 
 the priests into several classes, who were in turn to officiate 
 in the divine worship. He established a like order amongst 
 the Levites, four thousand of whom were chosen to sing 
 the praises of the Most High. 
 
 4 The new tabernacle was made on the model of the old one con- 
 structed under the direction of Moses, and which was worn out on 
 account of its great age. — 5 the ancients of the tribes and the 
 leaders of the army. — 6 See picture. Some blew trumpets, others 
 beat little drums with their hands, others clashed cymbals, some 
 
DAVID'S PIETY.— HIS ZEAL FOR GOD'S GLORY. 271 
 
 played on metal triangles, while others played on stringed instruments, 
 such as harps and zitherns. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 IJ Religion, the foundation of all government. David was, 
 therefore, a wise as well as a holy ruler. He knew that a 
 nation cannot be happy and contented, nor rights and laws 
 be respected, unless religion be observed, and God feared. 
 Hence, as far as lay in his power, he furthered religion. He 
 arranged the solemn services of God, and he kindled the 
 hearts of the people and awakened their religious sense by 
 his sacred music and psalms. Above all, he himself gave 
 them a holy example of piety and reverence. He did not 
 shrink from openly confessing his faith ; he publicly humbled 
 himself before God and danced in front of the Ark of the 
 Covenant, singing and playing on the harp. — In reward for 
 David's care and zeal for His glory, God gave him the 
 victory over all his enemies, increased his kingdom, and 
 promised him that the Redeemer should be born of his race, 
 and should found and possess an everlasting kingdom. 
 
 The First Commandment. David was a shining example 
 to high and low by his zeal for God's glory. His heart 
 was holy, he had a living faith, firm confidence in God, an 
 interior love for Him, and he expressed all these holy 
 dispositions in his wonderful Psalms. By these Psalms (some 
 of which are sung at Vespers) he not only edified the 
 Israelites of his own time, but he has edified all the faith- 
 ful for 3000 years, moving them to worship God. 
 
 Religious Processions, which the Church has instituted, give us an 
 opportunity of outwardly confessing our faith and of honouring God. 
 In the procession formed by David, the Ark of the Covenant, held 
 most sacred by the Israelites, was carried. We have far more holy 
 processions, in which the Lawgiver of the New Testament, Jesus 
 Christ Himself, present in the Blessed Sacrament, is carried, for our 
 veneration and adoration. 
 
 Joy in the House of God. David rejoiced and exulted that now 
 the Ark would be close to his dwelling on Mount Sion, and that he 
 Avould be able to assist at the sacrifices. How much more ought we 
 to rejoice and thank God that in our midst are real houses of God, 
 where we can visit our Divine Lord, and assist at the Holy Sacrifice 
 of the Mass. 
 
272 CHAPTER LV. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Do you like saying your prayers? Do you take pleasure 
 in the services of God? How do you behave in Church, 
 and during processions? Do you give a good example to 
 others, or do you disturb them in their devotions? 
 
 Chapter LV. 
 THE PROPHECIES OF DAVID. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 AVID, as he had done when only a simple shepherd- 
 
 D 
 
 boy, composed Psalms and Canticles in honour of the 
 Most High 1 , and conducted himself in all things according 
 to the holy will of God. Wherefore the Lord blessed him, 
 and not only favoured all his undertakings, but promised 
 him that one of his descendants should rule the whole world, 
 and sit upon a throne more lasting than the heavens. 
 
 He furthermore endowed him with the gift of prophecy. 
 He expresses in lofty and sublime language the eternal 
 relationship existing between the Father and the Son: "Thou 
 art my Son, this day have I begotten Thee." He foreshadows 
 the boundless dominion which was to be the inheritance of the 
 Redeemer, and the peaceful character of his reign. "I will 
 give Thee the gentiles for Thy inheritance, and the utmost 
 parts of the earth for Thy possession. In His days shall 
 justice spring up, and the abundance of peace." 2 
 
 He sees, in his prophetic visions, the Ethiopians falling 
 down before the great Ruler, the Prince of Peace, and be- 
 holds His enemies prostrate at His feet. He sees the kings 
 of Tharsis and of the Islands offering Him presents; the 
 kings of the Arabians and of Saba bringing Him gifts. 
 
 1 These were written by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, Who 
 even revealed to the Royal Prophet the future of the kingdom of 
 God. There are, in all, one hundred and fifty Psalms, which form 
 one of the books of Holy Scripture. Most of the Psalms are songs 
 of praise; some are petitions; and seven are called the penitential 
 Psalms. — 2 i. e. virtue and holiness will flourish and, in consequence, 
 men will live in perfect peace both with God and with their neigh- 
 bours. The Psalmist goes on to say: "And He shall rule from sea 
 
THE PROPHECIES OF DAVID. 273 
 
 to sea. And all the kings of the earth shall adore Him, all nations 
 shall serve Him." 
 
 He foretells the future crucifixion, with all the sorrow- 
 ful scenes and circumstances 3 . " They have pierced my hands 
 and my feet, they have numbered all my bones." The gall 
 and vinegar that were presented to the Divine Victim suffering 
 and dying on the Cross; the lance that pierced His most 
 Sacred Heart ; the nails that held Him fast to the Cross ; all 
 these are mentioned by David in his Psalms 4 . 
 
 3 The Divine Redeemer spoke to the spirit of David, and it was 
 as if the Psalmist heard him say these and the other words. — 4 "I 
 am a worm and no man (i. e. down-trodden and despised like a 
 worm)", says our Saviour through the mouth of David, "the reproach 
 of men and the outcast of the people. All they that saw me have 
 laughed me to scorn, they have spoken with the lips and wagged 
 their heads (i» token of their scorn). They have pierced my hands 
 and my feet. They parted my garments among them, and upon my 
 vesture they cast lots." 
 
 Death overcome, the grave robbed of its prey 5 , the earth- 
 quake that rent the rocks of Calvary, and the glory of the 
 Resurrection, were all and each familiar to the mind of the 
 royal prophet. 
 
 He sees in the distant future the brightness of the As- 
 cension. He calls upon the eternal gates to be lifted up, 
 that the triumphant Conqueror of sin and death may take 
 possession of His everlasting throne in heaven 6 . David, the 
 progenitor, or forefather of Jesus Christ 7 , Who is Himself 
 called the Son of David, was a figure of the Redeemer by 
 the place of his birth, Bethlehem, by the obscurity and 
 lowliness of his early years, by the victories he obtained 
 over the enemies of the people of God, and also by his 
 twofold character of king and prophet. 
 
 6 "My flesh also shall rest in hope (in the grave); because Thou 
 wilt not leave my soul in hell (i. e. in Limbo) , nor wilt Thou give 
 Thy Holy One (He who is anointed by Thee) to see corruption (to 
 experience it in His own body)." — 6 "The Lord said to my Lord 
 (to David's Lord, the Messias) : 'Sit thou at my right hand until I 
 make thine enemies thy footstool (till all thine enemies are over- 
 thrown).' The Lord hath sworn and He will not repent: 'Thou art 
 a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech (who was 
 
 12** 
 
274 CHAPTER LV. 
 
 both priest and king, and offered an unbloody sacrifice of bread and 
 wine)'." — 7 God said to David: "I will raise up thy seed after thee, 
 and I will establish the throne of His kingdom for ever (to last for all 
 eternity). I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to me a Son." 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The eighth promise of the Messias. David lived more than 
 a thousand years before our Lord's birth. (He reigned from 
 1055 to 1015 B. C.) But the Spirit of God, to Whom a 
 thousand years are but as one day, inspired his spirit and 
 enabled him to look forward over centuries, and contemplate 
 the sufferings and glory of the Redeemer. 
 
 1. The prophecies about our Lord's Sufferings have been 
 very literally fulfilled (see Chapters LXXIII and LXXIV, 
 New Test.). It amazes us that the prophet, writing 1000 years 
 before our Lord suffered, should have described such details 
 as the piercing of His Hands and Feet, the division of His 
 garments, the casting lots for the seamless robe, the scoffing 
 and wagging of the head on the part of the by-standers ! 
 This foretelling of future events was only possible by means 
 of divine revelation. 
 
 2. About the Resurrection, David prophesied that our Lord's 
 soul would descend to Limbo, but would not stay there ; and 
 that His body would rest in the grave, but would not know 
 corruption ("He descended into hell; the third day He rose 
 again from the dead"). 
 
 3. Alluding to 6ur Lord's glory in heaven, and His king- 
 dom , the Psalmist says that He will sit at the right hand 
 of God ("He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right 
 hand of God the Father Almighty"). 
 
 His enemies will be overcome: the doctrines of Christianity 
 have overcome paganism. 
 
 He will remain for ever a King and Priest, offering an 
 unbloody sacrifice: Jesus Christ is King of that kingdom 
 which He founded, and He offers Himself in an unbloody 
 manner in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. 
 
 His reign will bring justice and peace: Jesus Christ has 
 justified us and reconciled us to God by the grace which He has 
 won for us ; at His birth the angels proclaimed peace to men. 
 
REVOLT AND PUNISHMENT OF ABSALOM. 275 
 
 He will rule over the whole earth: Jesus Christ's kingdom, 
 i. e. His Church, is spread over the whole world, and is 
 ever being spread further and further. 
 
 Finally the Psalmist says that the Redeemer will he of 
 the seed of David, and that He will be likewise the Son 
 of God, and will rule for ever: therefore David calls Him 
 his Lord. Jesus Christ is the Son of God from all eternity, 
 and in time He took our human nature on Him. According 
 to His human nature, He was descended from David, for 
 His holy Mother was of the race of David. (Compare what the 
 Angel Gabriel said at the Annunciation. Chapt. II, New Test.). 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 David's example teaches us to worship God from our hearts; 
 to assist at the services of God with holy joy, and, accord- 
 ing to our capabilities, to work for their adornment by 
 singing &c. &c. 
 
 Chapter LYI. 
 
 REVOLT AND PUNISHMENT OF ABSALOM. 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 EVEN David was not sufficiently on his guard against 
 temptations. He unhappily fell into two grievous sins. 
 He took to himself Bethsabee, the wife of Urias 1 , one of 
 his captains, and in order to conceal his sin he caused Urias 
 to be slain by exposing him for that purpose in the front 
 of the battle. The Lord sent the prophet Nathan 2 to re- 
 proach David with his double crime 3 . David full of contrition, 
 confessed his fault and asked pardon of the Lord. He then 
 composed the seven penitential psalms, which ever since have 
 been the consolation of all truly penitent sinners. 
 
 The Lord, seeing the sorrow of David, ordered Nathan to 
 tell him that his sin was forgiven, but that, nevertheless, 
 he must undergo many temporal punishments 4 , and that the 
 child that was about to be born to him should die. David, 
 humbling himself before God, willingly accepted this and many 
 other punishments inflicted upon him, and added, on his own 
 part, the most severe penance in expiation of his sins. 
 
276 CHAPTER LVI. 
 
 1 This valiant captain in the army was very devoted to the king's 
 service. — 2 a holy man, inspired by God. — 3 Nathan recalled to 
 the king's mind all the benefits which God had bestowed upon him, 
 in order to lead him to perceive and confess his shameful ingratitude 
 towards God. — 4 chiefly at the hands of his own children. 
 
 f The most terrible chastisement inflicted on David was the 
 \ ingratitude of his son Absalom. Now Absalom was endowed 
 j with rare beauty of person, so that from the top of his head 
 \to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him 5 . His 
 jhair was long and very beautiful. And David gave Absalom 
 /a princely retinue of chariots and horsemen, and a guard 
 u>f young men to accompany him everywhere. 
 
 Absalom was wont to rise early in the morning and stand 
 at the gate of the palace, and when any man presented 
 himself to ask justice of the king, he kindly inquired what 
 complaint he had to make, and on hearing it always replied : 
 "Thy words seem good and just to me; but there is no one 
 appointed by the king to hear thy cause." In this manner 
 he made friends for himself among the people by wrong- 
 fully blaming his father. 
 
 Sometimes he would exclaim in the hearing of these people: 
 " that they would make me judge over the land, that all 
 who have business might come to me, that I might do them 
 justice!" Moreover when any man came to salute him, he 
 put forth his hand, and took him and kissed him. Thus he 
 enticed the hearts of the men of Israel 6 . 
 
 When he thought he had gained over all the men of Israel 
 to his side, he asked his father to let him go to Hebron in 
 fulfilment of a vow. David, suspecting no evil, allowed his 
 son to depart. And when Absalom had reached Hebron, he 
 sent messengers to all the tribes of Israel, telling them that 
 when they heard the sound of a trumpet, they should say: 
 "Absalom reigneth in Hebron." And it came to pass that 
 many of the people, not knowing his treachery, followed 
 Absalom 7 . 
 
 When David heard of Absalom's revolt, he determined to 
 leave the city, lest the citizens should suffer on his account. 
 And having left the city with his attendants , he came to 
 
REVOLT AND PUNISHMENT OF ABSALOM. 277 
 
 the brook Cedron 8 , his feet bare, and his head veiled. And 
 crossing the brook, he came to Mount Olivet, where he 
 wept for the guilt of his unnatural son, and for his own 
 sins. And on the side of Mount Olivet he was met by a 
 man named Semei, of the family of Saul, who threw stones 
 and earth at David, and cursed him: "Come out, come out, 
 thou man of blood." Abisai, full of wrath, cried out: "Why 
 should this dead dog curse my lord the king? I will go 
 and cut off his head." But David answered: "Behold, my 
 own son seeketh my life ; how much more one of the house 
 of Saul ! Perhaps the Lord may look upon my affliction and 
 render me good for the cursing of this day." He saw the 
 hand of God in this new trial. 
 
 5 That is to say, there was no flaw in his personal beauty. — 
 G by flattering the people, and making himself familiar with them, 
 he won their hearts, and gave it to be understood that if he were 
 king, it would be all the better for them. Thus, by degrees, he gathered 
 round him a large number of adherents. — 7 He marched on Jerusalem 
 to take it, in order to seize the person of his father and take possession 
 of the throne. — 8 which flowed in a deep valley to the east of the 
 town, between it and the Mount of Olives, being crossed by a bridge. 
 Picture to yourselves the aged king ascending the Mount of Olives, 
 bare-foot , weeping and with his head covered , a fugitive before his 
 own son. How grieved he must have felt at the faithlessness of his 
 people and the unnatural conduct of his son ! How weary the way 
 must have been to him ! 
 
 Absalom, having resolved to destroy David and his army, 
 went in pursuit of them. David, however, reviewed his men, 
 and placed brave captains in command, and said that he 
 would himself march at their head. But this his men would 
 not permit, saying that if ten thousand of them fell in battle, 
 they would not despair ; but that if he perished, all was lost. 
 The king therefore remained in the city of Mahanaim, but 
 he commanded Joab and his other officers, saying: "Spare 
 me the boy Absalom." 9 
 
 The battle was fought in the midst of a great wood, and 
 Absalom's army was cut to pieces 10 . He himself fled, but 
 he could not escape from divine justice, which pursues the 
 wicked wherever they go. Having mounted a mule, he endea- 
 voured to escape through the forest, but his long hair having 
 
278 
 
 CHAPTER LVI. 
 
 become entangled in a tree, he remained hanging from a 
 branch, while his mule passed on. 
 
 And word was brought to Joab, general of the king's 
 army. Joab, taking three javelins, went to the place where 
 Absalom was hanging from the tree, and with his javelins 
 pierced the ungrateful, unnatural heart of the king's son. 
 Absalom still breathed and struggled for life, when some 
 of Joab's soldiers , running up , slew him with their 
 swords. They then took Absalom's body, and casting it 
 into a deep pit in the forest, piled over it a large heap 
 of stones 11 . 
 
 A herald was sent to David with news of Absalom's de- 
 feat. David, with the anxiety of a loving father, asked: 
 
 " Is Absalom safe ? " 
 When told that 
 Absalom was dead, 
 the king refused 
 all comfort, and go- 
 ing up into a high 
 chamber, mourned 
 his ungrateful son 
 for many days. 
 "Absalom, my 
 son," he cried, "my 
 son Absalom, who 
 would grant me that I might die for thee , Absalom , my 
 son, my son Absalom ! " 
 
 The people of Jerusalem, hearing of David's victory, went 
 out to meet him, and carried him in triumph into the city. 
 David, in his crossing the brook Cedron, in sorrow and 
 tribulation, in his ascent of Mount Olivet, in his patient 
 forbearance when outraged and insulted by Semei, and his 
 triumphant entry into Jerusalem, presents a very striking- 
 figure of Christ. 
 
 9 "Spare his life: do not kill him." — ,0 About 20000 of his 
 adherents perished. — n Asa monument of his infamy, this memorial 
 might well have had written over it: "Here lies one worthy of 
 being stoned!" 
 
 simp 
 
 l&.-ifcj 
 
 ^y|f 
 
 lltfck 
 
 is 
 
 2H 
 
 Hi/ 
 
 yBfmi 
 
 V1B 
 
 
 
 
 {JWMm 
 
 lv5 
 
 jfi 
 
 
 
 W^^m 
 
 if ^ /Nil 
 
 
 SIBmW 
 
 ifcr 
 
 +*~£i& 
 
 
 w 
 
 
 ^=s==R3Sl 
 
 :==^_^ < ' t =Jl__^ 
 
 Aw 
 
 
 
 __e-_^-*=~* 
 
 
 
 
REVOLT AND PUNISHMENT OF ABSALOM. 279 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Omniscience of God. God knew of David's secret 
 adultery, and He knew that he was guilty of the death of 
 Urias. 
 
 The Omnipresence of God. Nathan said to David: "Thus 
 saith the Lord: Why hast thou done evil in my sight?" 
 
 God is Good; therefore the prophet said to the king: "The 
 Lord has done good to thee." 
 
 God is Merciful; for He forgave David his grievous sin: 
 "The Lord has taken away thy sin". 
 
 God is Holy ; therefore David's sin was "displeasing to the 
 Lord". 
 
 God is Just. The sentence which God pronounced on David, 
 through Nathan, was this: "I will raise up evil against thee 
 out of thy own house", and "The child that is born to thee 
 shall surely die." Both sentences were executed, and David 
 suffered anguish of soul. 
 
 The Sixth and Ninth Commandments. When David looked 
 on the wife of Urias, instead of at once turning his eyes from 
 her and thinking of God's Commandment: "Thou shalt not 
 covet thy neighbour's wife", he allowed his evil desire to 
 grow in his heart. Then, instead of resisting this sinful desire, 
 and calling on God for help against the temptation, he con- 
 sented to it, and sending for the woman, induced her to be 
 unfaithful to her husband. He thus sinned against the ninth 
 and sixth Commandments; and also against the fifth, by 
 leading the woman to do what was wrong. Even this was 
 not all, for his adultery led him to commit the further sin 
 of murder. But did David kill Urias ? Not directly, but his 
 urgent command was the cause of his death, so that he 
 really killed him by the hands of the Amorrhites, as much 
 as the Jews really crucified our Lord by the hands of the 
 pagan soldiers. 
 
 Tepidity. How did it happen that the royal prophet fell 
 into this grievous sin? He had become tepid in prayer, and 
 was living a comfortable life at home, while he sent his cap- 
 tains out to fight against the unbelievers. His fall gives 
 us a useful lesson against laxity in the spiritual life; and 
 
280 CHAPTER LVI. 
 
 teaches us that we should keep a careful watch over our 
 eyes and turn them away from anything that awakes evil 
 desires in our hearts: "Watch ye (over your senses and the 
 movements of your hearts) and pray, that ye enter not into 
 temptation (New Test. LXVII)." "He that thinketh him- 
 self to stand (firm in what is right), let him take heed lest 
 he fall" (1 Cor. 10, 12). 
 
 The evil of mortal sin. In order that David might see the 
 enormity of his sin, Nathan put before him: 1. that he had 
 sinned in the sight of God, and 2. that he had repaid with 
 the basest ingratitude all the benefits which God had showered 
 upon him. 
 
 True penance. David was not a hardened, obstinate sinner. 
 He opened his heart to God's grace, and listened to the 
 voice of his conscience which day and night reproached him 
 for his. sin. He thus speaks in Psalm 30: "Day and night 
 Thy hand was heavy upon me. I am turned in my anguish, 
 whilst the thorn is fastened." Then, by God's merciful com- 
 mand, the prophet Nathan went to the powerful king and 
 reminded him of God's great benefits, candidly pointing out 
 to him his grievous and twofold sin. David, quite crushed, 
 fell upon his knees, penitently confessed his sin, without 
 excusing himself as Saul did, and prayed for pardon. He 
 did public penance, bewailed his sin (Ps. 6, 7: "Every 
 night I water my couch with my tears"), fasted and grieved, 
 so that his sight failed him. During this period of contrite 
 conversion he composed the penitential Psalms, in which he 
 expressed his repentance in moving words, and humbly 
 asked for pardon. Then Nathan went to him again and told 
 him that God had forgiven him, though he would still have 
 to suffer temporal punishment. From that time forward 
 David met with many sufferings and misfortunes, which he 
 bore patiently in expiation of his sin. Contrition, confession 
 and satisfaction are the principal parts of penance and the 
 necessary conditions of absolution. 
 
 Temporal punishment. Although the sin and its eternal 
 punishment were remitted, David had still to suffer temporal 
 punishment. 
 
REVOLT AND PUNISHMENT OF ABSALOM. 281 
 
 The Fourth Commandment. Absalom sinned grievously against 
 this Commandment, by violating the laws of obedience and 
 reverence which he owed David, as a son to his father, and 
 as a subject to his king. For, firstly, he spoke evil of his 
 father, deeply grieved him and caused him to shed tears of 
 anguish, and not only disobeyed him, but set himself up 
 actively against him. Secondly, he wantonly blamed the 
 king's mode of government, and, arms in hand, rebelled against 
 the anointed of the Lord. He also sinned against the fifth 
 Commandment by inducing a number of the people to re- 
 volt against their lawful head. 
 
 The punishment for breaking the Fourth Commandment. 
 Absalom's unnatural and profligate conduct towards a father 
 so worthy of love, met with the punishment which it deserved. 
 A terrible fate awaited Absalom. He did not perish in battle, 
 for very early in the day he thought of saving his own 
 life, and took to flight. He believed he could escape from 
 his pursuers; but, by God's providence, his head caught in 
 a tree and there, full of deadly fear, he hung mid air till 
 Joab came and pierced his ungrateful, disobedient heart. He 
 had hoped to be raised to the throne, but he met with the 
 death of a criminal. His hair, of which he was so proud, 
 and which he had hoped to adorn with a royal crown, caught 
 in the branch of a tree and brought him to his ruin. In- 
 stead of the sceptre which he had tried to grasp, three 
 spears transfixed his traitorous heart. Instead of being crowned 
 with the honour and renown he had coveted, he was buried 
 in a dishonourable grave and his memory laden with infamy. 
 In him God fulfilled His words: "Cursed be he who honoureth 
 not his father and mother"; and this curse will fall on all 
 those children who despise and injure their parents, or cause 
 them anguish of heart by their defiance and disobedience. 
 How will it have fared with Absalom in the next world? 
 For not only his father's tears, but the blood of the 20000 slain, 
 whom he induced to sin by his flatteries and promises, and 
 finally led to their death, will have accused him before God, 
 and cried out for vengeance. 
 
 The love of parents for their children. David's love for 
 
282 CHAPTER LVI. 
 
 his thankless son never changed. "0, that I had died for 
 thee!" he cried. Parents often love their children much 
 more than they deserve, therefore it is all the more heart- 
 less and ungrateful of children to injure their parents. 
 
 Gentleness and patience under suffering. It grieved David 
 deeply that his own son should come out against him as a 
 mortal enemy. His heart bled, and he shed bitter tears when 
 he thought of the ingratitude and impiety of his child, the 
 faithlessness of his people, and the misery which this civil 
 war kindled by Absalom would bring on his country. He 
 neither complained nor murmured, nor did he curse his 
 wicked son ; but he bore all the suffering and injustice with 
 patience and gentleness, saying to himself: "I have deserved 
 all these misfortunes, for I have grievously sinned against 
 God." Thus we too ought to do penance for our sins, by 
 patience under suffering. 
 
 Love of our enemies. Even as God forgave David his sin, 
 so did David forgive those who sinned and rebelled against 
 him. "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that 
 trespass against us." He who forgives from his heart is like 
 unto the merciful God. There is something noble, nay, some- 
 thing divine, in forgiving and forgetting. 
 
 Pride, the source of many sins. The great sins of which 
 Absalom was guilty sprang from pride. The beauty of his 
 person, and especially of his hair, made him vain and conceited. 
 Being the most beautiful, he wished also to be the first man in 
 the kingdom. He therefore rebelled against his royal father, 
 and led his people into a revolt which cost many thousand lives. 
 
 The value of virtue. Do you like Absalom? No? and 
 why not? He was a handsome young man, behaved very 
 politely and courteously to the people , and knew perfectly 
 how to say nice and pleasant things; so why do you not 
 like him? Because he had a false, bad heart; and was a 
 flatterer and a hypocrite. So you see that however hand- 
 some and pleasant a man may be, if he has a proud, bad 
 heart, he is neither loveable nor worthy of respect, but, on 
 the contrary, hateful and despicable in the eyes of God and 
 man. It is only virtue which can give real worth to a man. 
 
DAVID'S LAST WORDS.— HIS DEATH. 283 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 David is the model of a truly penitent man. Though he 
 was a king he humbly accepted Nathan's reproaches, and 
 contritely confessed his sin. Are you ashamed to make a 
 sincere confession of your sins? He, an Israelite, bitterly 
 repented and bewailed his sin: you are a Christian, but 
 where are your tears of repentance ? This very day say one 
 of the penitential Psalms as a prayer ! 
 
 Keep a guard on your eyes; they are the windows of 
 your soul. Drive any bad thought from your heart at once. 
 Say : " Away with it ! " and pray for help. Nathan's words 
 to David: "The Lord has done good to you: why have you 
 done evil in His sight ? " apply to you as well as to David. 
 
 Has your mother ever shed tears on your account? Have 
 you ever injured, or grieved, or seriously irritated your 
 father? In what way do you most grieve your parents? 
 Have you truly repented of all sins committed against the 
 fourth Commandment ? Has your conduct towards your parents 
 improved? Do you obey them at once and without arguing; 
 or is it only when they scold and are angry that you obey? 
 Children, I wish for everything that is most good for you; 
 that everything may be well with you on earth, and that 
 you may be eternally happy in heaven. Therefore because I 
 wish this, I say most earnestly to you: " Honour and love your 
 parents, and obey them, or else you will know no happiness 
 on earth, and never get to heaven." Woe to those children 
 who do not observe the fourth Commandment! 
 
 Chapter LVII. 
 DAVID'S LAST WORDS.— HIS DEATH. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 DAVID was thirty years old when he ascended the throne 
 of Israel, and he reigned forty years in honour and glory. 
 When the time of his death drew near, he gathered together 
 the princes of Israel, and told them that he had intended 
 to build a house to the Lord, and had prepared all the 
 materials for a new Temple; but that the Lord had not 
 
284 CHAPTER LVII. 
 
 allowed him to carry out his plan, because he had shed 
 much blood in his many battles. 
 
 The building of the Temple was reserved for Solomon, 
 his son 1 , whose kingdom should be great and powerful if 
 he would be faithful to the Commandments of God. David, 
 therefore, exhorted his son to serve God with a good will, 
 because the Lord sounds the depths of hearts, and penetrates 
 the thoughts of men. "If thou seek Him," said David, 
 "thou shalt find Him; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast 
 thee off for ever." 
 
 David then gave his son gold and silver for the vessels 
 of the Sanctuary 2 , together with the plan of the Temple 
 and its precincts, and said to him: "All these things came 
 to me written by the hand of the Lord 3 . Act like a man, take 
 courage and fear not ; for the Lord my God will be with thee, 
 nor forsake thee till thou hast finished the House of the Lord." 
 
 1 Solomon was decreed by God Himself to be David's successor. 
 His name signifies Prince of Peace. — 2 which he had saved from 
 the booty taken in war, and from the income of his own possessions. 
 There were 3000 talents of gold, and 7000 talents of silver. — 
 3 " God has so put into my mind." As on a former occasion God gave 
 Moses instructions as to the making of the Tabernacle (Chapt. XXXVIII), 
 so now He made known to David the plan on which He desired the 
 Temple to be built, because the Temple was to be the type of the 
 Church of the New Testament. 
 
 Then, addressing the assembled princes, David said: "The 
 work is great 4 ; for a house is prepared not for man, but 
 for God. Now, if any man is willing to offer, let him fill 
 his hand to-day, and offer what he pleaseth to the Lord." 
 And the princes and the people joyfully brought their gifts 
 for the Temple of the Lord 5 . 
 
 And David, rejoicing, exclaimed: "Blessed art Thou, O 
 Lord, the God of Israel, our Father from eternity to eternity. 
 All things are Thine, and we have given Thee what we 
 received of Thy hand. O Lord, keep forever this will of 
 their heart, and let this mind remain always for the worship 
 of Thee ; and give to Solomon, my son, a perfect heart, that 
 he may keep Thy Commandments." Having thus spoken, 
 David slept in peace 6 . He was buried in Sion. 
 
DAVID'S LAST WORDS.— HIS DEATH. 285 
 
 4 The work of building the House of God. — 5 As formerly their 
 forefathers had eagerly brought of their wealth, for the making of 
 the Tabernacle (Chapt. XXXVIII) , so now did they joyfully bring 
 splendid offerings with which to build a worthy Temple for the Lord. 
 — G He had reigned forty years, and, as he was thirty years old 
 when he began to reign, he was seventy when he died. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 God's Omniscience. David said to Solomon: "Serve God 
 with a perfect heart, for the Lord searcheth all hearts and 
 thoughts of the soul." 
 
 God's Holiness. God, indeed, forgave David his sin, but 
 all the same He told him that he should not build Him a 
 Temple, because he was a man of blood. 
 
 God's Justice. " If thou forsake God," said David to Solomon, 
 "He will cast thee off for ever." 
 
 The end of David's life. The last days of the royal prophet's 
 life were beautiful and edifying. His only care was that 
 a fitting Temple should be raised to the Lord, and he urged 
 his son most earnestly to be faithful and obedient to God. 
 And then he slept "in the Lord", i. e. in the grace of the 
 Lord. He was able to gaze back on his active and eventful 
 life, and leave it with the thought that he had finished his 
 task. The task which God had given the former shepherd 
 to do was a great one, and one very important for the 
 development of God's kingdom upon earth. David had secured 
 to the chosen people their possession of the Promised Land, 
 he had disabled his enemies for a long time to come, he 
 had strengthened the unity of the people, ordered the 
 government of the country according to God's laws, extirpated 
 the remnants of idolatry, and advanced the worship of God 
 by his regulations concerning it, by his example and his ever- 
 beautiful Psalms. His prophecies concerning the Messias 
 had quickened the spiritual life of the people, and turned 
 their thoughts to the source of grace. He was a chosen 
 instrument of God, and, with the exception of his fall, of 
 which he deeply repented, he lived a life well-pleasing to 
 Him. God, therefore, gave him the grace of perseverance 
 and of a happy death. 
 
286 CHAPTER LVII. 
 
 A retrospect of David's virtues : humility, confidence in God, 
 piety, zeal for God's glory, patience, love of his enemies, 
 justice, generosity, and fatherly care of his subjects. The 
 Holy Ghost says about him (Ecclus. 47, 10): "With his 
 whole heart he praised the Lord, and loved the God Who 
 made him." He is rightly counted among the saints of the 
 Old Testament, and is still venerated by the Church. 
 
 David, the twelfth type of Jesus Christ. David not only fore- 
 told the sufferings and glory of the Redeemer, but was himself 
 a type of Him. He was born at Bethlehem; he led a hidden life 
 during his youth ; and conquered Goliath with a contemptible 
 weapon (Jesus overcame Satan by means of the despised 
 Cross). He was persecuted by Saul, to whom he had done 
 nothing but good, he was patient, and full of love towards 
 his enemies. He was both prophet and king; he ascended 
 the Mount of Olives, crossing the brook Cedron, bowed down 
 with grief; and returned triumphantly to Jerusalem (the 
 type of the Ascension), having gained the victory over his 
 enemies ("sitteth at the right hand of God"). 
 
 The end of man. When Solomon was anointed king, in 
 his father's lifetime, David said to him: "Serve God with 
 a perfect heart and willing mind." When he was dying, 
 he thus exhorted him: "Keep the charge of the Lord thy 
 God to walk in His ways, as is written in the law of Moses." 
 All men, whatever their age or position may be, have one 
 end to live for, namely to love God and serve Him by a 
 faithful observance of His law. 
 
 The four last things. The journey of life leads to death. 
 High and low, rich and poor, we must all die. And after 
 death come the judgment and an eternity, either of joy in 
 heaven or of misery in hell. 
 
 Offerings for the House of God. In Psalm 25, David says: "I 
 have loved, Lord, the beauty of Thy house, and the place where 
 Thy glory dwelleth." He made rich offerings to the Temple which 
 was to be built to the Lord, and his example fired the people to 
 make generous gifts for the same purpose. He who loves God will 
 gladly make offerings to Him for the building and decorating of His 
 churches, and for the beautifying of His worship. What we give 
 
SOLOMON'S PRAYER.— HIS WISDOM. 287 
 
 for such an object is given to God. " Give to the Lord," said David, 
 when he asked for stones wherewith to build the Temple. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Take to heart David's exhortations to Solomon, as much 
 as if they had been made to yourself. Be steadfast ! Hitherto 
 you have been very inconstant. Observe everything which 
 the Lord has commanded. On what point do you generally 
 and chiefly transgress God's law ? Pray to-day for the grace 
 of steadfastness! 
 
 Chapter LVIII. 
 
 SOLOMON'S PRAYER.— HIS WISDOM. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 AFTER the death of David, Solomon ascended the throne k 
 He loved the Lord, and walked in the ways of David, 
 his father. The Lord appeared to him in a dream by night, 
 and told him to ask any favour he wished, and that it would 
 be granted. Solomon answered: "0 Lord God, Thou hast 
 made Thy servant 2 king instead of David, my father, and 
 I am but a child 3 . Give therefore to Thy servant an under- 
 standing heart to judge Thy people, and discern between 
 good and evil." 
 
 The Lord was pleased with his petition, and He said to 
 him : " Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not 
 asked for thyself long life, nor riches, nor the lives of thy 
 enemies, but hast asked for thyself wisdom to discern 
 judgment, behold! I have done for thee according to thy 
 words, and have given thee a wise and understanding heart, 
 insomuch that there hath been no one like thee before thee, 
 nor shall arise after thee. 
 
 "Yea, and the things, also, which thou didst not ask, I 
 have given thee : riches and glory, so that no one hath been 
 like thee among the kings in all days heretofore. And if 
 thou wilt walk in my ways, and keep my precepts and 
 commandments, as thy father walked, I will lengthen thy 
 days." And Solomon became renowned for wisdom, and 
 for power and glory. 
 
288 CHAPTER LVITT. 
 
 1 He began to govern as king, having been anointed during his 
 father's lifetime. — 2 I who am so unworthy. — 3 Solomon, when 
 he began to reign, was only twenty years old. 
 
 On one occasion two women came to Solomon, asking 
 him to decide their dispute. The first woman said: "We 
 were living alone in a house, only we two. Now I had a 
 child, and she had a child ; and in the night when she was 
 asleep, she overlaid her child, and it died. 
 
 "And rising in the dead of the night, she took my child, 
 while I, thy handmaid, was asleep, and laid her dead child 
 in my bosom. When I arose in the morning, behold, my 
 child was dead; but considering him more diligently when 
 it was clear day, I found that it was not mine." Then the 
 second woman answered: "It is not so as thou sayest, but 
 thy child is dead and mine is alive." 
 
 But the first woman insisted that the living child was 
 hers, and so they disputed before the king 4 . Then Solomon 
 ordered a sword to be brought to him, and when it was 
 brought he said: "Divide the living child in two, and give 
 half to the one and half to the other." 5 Hearing this, the 
 woman whose child was alive, being moved to pity, cried 
 out in terror: "I beseech thee, my lord, give her the child 
 alive, and do not kill it." But the other said: "Let it be 
 neither mine nor thine, but divide it." 6 
 
 Then the king commanded the child to be given to her 
 who would rather give it up to another than have it killed, 
 knowing that she must be its mother. The report of this 
 judgment having gone abroad, the people all feared the king, 
 and knew that the wisdom of God was in him 7 . How 
 necessary it is that kings and rulers should examine in the 
 spirit of justice and wisdom all cases brought before them ! 
 
 4 The dispute between the women was hard to decide, because 
 no witnesses could be called. — 5 The king gave this command 
 because he had the foresight to know that by it he would find out 
 the true mother, and that there would be no question of its being 
 really carried out. He rightly judged that the maternal heart of the 
 woman would move her rather to give up her child than see it killed. 
 6 By this hard-hearted speech Solomon knew at once that the speaker 
 was not the mother of the living child. — 7 i. e. that the young 
 
SOLOMON'S PRAYER.— HIS WISDOM. 
 
 289 
 
 king had not settled the difficult question thus skilfully and decisively 
 by his own natural ability, but by a supernatural inspiration of God. 
 Without this inspiration it would not have occurred to Solomon to 
 find out the true mother in such a peculiar way. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 God's Goodness to Solomon was wonderful. What gifts 
 did He bestow and what promises did He make the young 
 king? 
 
 Love of God and our neighbour. Solomon, by his great 
 virtues, had made himself worthy of God's gifts and graces. 
 He loved God above everything, and served Him with a 
 willing heart. Moreover, he loved his people and was full 
 of zeal for their good. He therefore prayed to God to give 
 him the gift of wisdom to enable him to govern his people 
 well, and provide for their spiritual and temporal welfare. 
 
 His humility was most pleasing to God. He showed it 
 by his words: "Thou hast made Thy servant king, who am 
 but a child." In him were fulfilled the words: "To the 
 meek God will give grace" (Prov. 3, 34). 
 
 Knecht, Commentary. I. 13 
 
290 CHAPTER LVIII. 
 
 Prayer for spiritual gifts. Solomon's prayer was pleasing 
 to God because, firstly, he made it with a humble heart; 
 and, secondly, because he did not pray for riches or long 
 life, but for far higher gifts. This shows us that we must 
 not pray only for temporal blessings, such as health, or a 
 good harvest, or peace, and so forth, but above all for higher 
 and more precious gifts, such as the forgiveness of sins, 
 virtue, and especially for the grace to do our duty in our 
 own state of life. In the "Our Father", the pattern-prayer 
 taught us by our Lord, there are five petitions for spiritual 
 gifts, and only two for temporal gifts, the fourth, and the 
 seventh, even these two being combined with spiritual 
 petitions. Bear in mind our Lord's exhortation and promise: 
 " Seek ye, therefore, first the kingdom of God and His justice, 
 and all these things shall be added unto you" (New Test. XXI). 
 
 Envy. The woman who accidentally smothered her baby, 
 was a bad woman with no conscience. She envied the 
 happiness of the other woman whose child was living, and 
 would have liked the innocent baby to be killed in order 
 that the other woman might be childless as well as herself. 
 This shows what a cruel and hateful sin envy is. 
 
 Lies. The envious woman told the most barefaced lies 
 in order to gain possession of the living child. 
 
 Mortal sin. The envious woman lied about a serious matter, 
 for her object was to rob a mother of her child; and, 
 therefore, her lie was a mortal sin. She sinned not only 
 against the eighth Commandment, but also against the tenth 
 and fifth Commandments, for, in the first place, she coveted 
 the child which was its mother's dearest earthly possession, 
 and then desired its death. All these sins proceeded from 
 the hateful sin of envy. 
 
 Tlie gift of wisdom. The first and highest of the gifts of the 
 Holy Ghost, and the crown of all the others, is the gift of wisdom. 
 God gave Solomon this gift in an extraordinary measure. Not only 
 did he possess a knowledge of divine things, but he was versed in 
 all human sciences, knowing the secrets of nature, the course of the 
 stars, and the properties of beasts, plants &c. Moreover, he was 
 gifted with the art of government; and the renown of his wisdom 
 spread far and wide, as you will see in Chapter LX. 
 
THE BUILDING AND CONSECRATION OF THE TEMPLE. 291 
 III. Application. 
 
 Do you pray mostly for spiritual or temporal gifts ? In 
 future pray more diligently for God's grace, and especially 
 for the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. Pray also for the 
 gift of the virtue most opposed to your besetting sin. 
 
 Chapter LIX. 
 
 THE BUILDING AND CONSECRATION OF THE 
 TEMPLE. 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 IN the fourth year of his reign, Solomon began to build 
 the Temple of the Lord on Mount Moria 1 in Jerusalem. 
 He had ten thousand men employed cutting cedars on Mount 
 Lebanon 2 . ffievent v^ thou sand were engaged in carrying the 
 materials to the site of the Temple. Eighty thousand were 
 hewing stones, while three thousand three hundred were 
 employed as overseers of the work. 
 
 The vast number of persons employed corresponded with 
 the grandeur and magnificence of the house of God, the 
 general plan of which was that of the Tabernacle 3 . In other 
 respects, however, the Tabernacle could not be compared 
 with the Temple, which was sixty cubits long, twenty^cubits 
 wide, and thirty cubits high. The house was built of stones 
 hewed and made ready, so that when it was in building, 
 neither hammer nor any iron tool was heard. Then there 
 were, besides, porches and galleries running all around it, 
 and two large courts for the priests and the people 4 . 
 
 The porch before the Temple was twenty cubits in length, 
 and ten cubits in breadth. The inner walls were lined with 
 planks of cedar, on which were carved cherubim and palm- 
 trees, and divers blooming flowers, all standing out, as it 
 were, from the wall, so skilfully were they carved. All I 
 the furniture 5 , including ten tables and ten candlesticks,-/ 
 were of the purest gold. The walls and floor of the Holy/ 
 of Holies were covered with plates of fine gold, fastened byv_ 
 nails of gold. 
 
 13* 
 
292 CHAPTER LIX. 
 
 1 On which mountain Abraham had built an altar, and prepared to 
 sacrifice his son (Chapt. XIII). It is situated to the north-east of 
 Mount Sion, being separated from it by a valley. — 2 See map. The 
 cedar is the king of the pine-tribe ; its wood is durable, sweet smelling, 
 and does not get worm eaten. The great stones which were necessary 
 for the building of the Temple, also came from Lebanon. The materials 
 for building were taken to the sea-coast, at either Tyre or Sidon, 
 there put on vessels or rafts , and taken to Joppe , and thence to 
 Jerusalem. — 3 which is described in Chapter XXXVIII. — 4 the 
 inner one for the priests, and the outer one for the people. The outer 
 court was surrounded by high walls, on the inner side of which were 
 built houses, several stories high, to serve as dwellings for the priests 
 and Levites. In the inner, or priests', court were the altar of holo- 
 causts , and the great laver which on account of its enormous size 
 was called "the molten sea". It measured ten cubits across, and 
 contained 10,000 gallons of water. — 5 also the table of proposition, 
 besides cans, platters, and thuribles, which were all made of pure gold. 
 
 When, after seven years, Solomon had finished the Temple, 
 he assembled all the ancients of Israel, with the princes of 
 the tribes, to carry the Ark of the Covenant in triumph to 
 the Temple. And all the people 6 marched before the Ark 
 in an ecstasy of joy and religious fervour, making peace- 
 offerings to the Lord at every step they took. The Levites 
 played on the harp and cymbal and many other instruments 
 of music, while a hundred and twenty priests sounded the 
 trumpet. 
 
 ^ And the multitude sang in one grand chorus: "Praise the 
 Lord, for He is good, and His mercy endureth forever." 
 Then the Ark having arrived at the gates of the Temple, 
 only the priests who carried it entered in, and they brought 
 it to the Holy of Holies, and the cherubim shaded it with 
 their wings. And the majesty of God in the form of a 
 cloud 7 filled the Temple, so that the priest could not stand 
 to minister, because of the dazzling glory thereof. 
 
 Then Solomon, arrayed in his richest robes, fell on his 
 face before the altar of holocausts, and stretching out his 
 hands, he said: "Lord God of Israel, there is no God like 
 Thee in heaven or on earth. If heaven, and the heaven of 
 heavens 8 cannot contain Thee, how much less this house 
 which I have built! Lord my God, hear the hymn and 
 
THE BUILDING AND CONSECRATION OF THE TEMPLE. 293 
 
 the prayer which Thy servant prayeth before Thee this day, 
 that Thy eyes may be open upon this house night and day, 
 that Thou mayest hearken to the prayer which Thy servant 
 prayeth in this place to Thee. Mayest Thou hearken to 
 Thy people when they pray in this place. Mayest Thou 
 hear them and show them mercy." 
 
 Solomon's prayer being ended, fire fell from heaven and 
 consumed the holocaust 9 . Seeing this, the Israelites fell 
 prostrate on the ground and adored the great God of heaven, 
 Who wrought such wonders before them, and they went 
 away praising His awful name. The Lord appeared a 
 second time 10 to Solomon and said: "I have heard thy 
 prayer, and I have sanctified this house n which thou hast 
 built; and My eyes and My heart shall be always there." 
 
 With all its grandeur and magnificence, Solomon's Temple 
 was but a faint image of our temples, in which Jesus Christ, 
 true God and true Man, dwells under the appearance of 
 bread, pouring out upon us His most abundant graces. 
 
294 CHAPTER LIX. 
 
 6 The princes, ancients, and representatives of the tribes. — 7 in 
 which the glory of the Lord was present (Chapt. XXXVIII). — 
 8 heaven in its widest sense. — 9 This was a sign that God was 
 well-pleased with the sacrifices and the prayer. — l0 for an account 
 of the first time God appeared to Solomon see Chapter LVIII. — 
 11 by My presence. 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 See also Commentary Chapter XXXVIII. 
 God is infinitely Great, and is not subject to the limits of 
 space or time, for both were created by Him. He is present 
 everywhere in heaven and on earth, but neither heaven nor 
 earth can contain Him who is infinite and immeasurable. 
 
 God is Good and Merciful. The Levites sang: "Praise 
 the Lord for He is good and His mercy endureth forever." 
 The story we have just read shows forth His goodness. He 
 came in the cloud, and took possession of the Temple, to 
 dwell there in an especial manner. He was pleased with 
 Solomon's prayer and sacrifice. He appeared to Solomon 
 and promised Him that the Temple should be a holy place, 
 and that He would hearken to those who prayed therein. 
 
 Exterior worship. Our worship of God must have an 
 outward expression ; for everything which moves our hearts 
 (as, for instance, anger), shows itself outwardly. The Israelites 
 expressed their worship of God by solemn processions, by 
 canticles, by praying aloud, by genuflections, by uplifting 
 of the hands and by sacrifices. And God was pleased with 
 these outward expressions of worship, because they came 
 from the heart. 
 
 The necessity of places of worship. God needs no house, 
 nor church ; but we must have places where we can worship 
 Him in common, and praise Him and ask for blessings; so 
 that it is on our account that God requires places of worship. 
 For this cause He Himself designed the Tabernacle, and, 
 later on, the Temple. The Israelites could worship God 
 everywhere ; but in the Temple He was present in an especial 
 manner, to listen to prayers and grant graces, and they 
 were therefore commanded to visit the Temple. By the 
 second Commandment of the Church, visiting churches is 
 imposed on us as a duty. 
 
 
THE BUILDING AND CONSECRATION OF THE TEMPLE. 295 
 
 The Sanctity of Catholic churches. The Israelites had only 
 one Temple : we have many churches. Although the Templej 
 at Jerusalem was exceptionally beautiful and costly, the 
 poorest Catholic chapel is far more holy and rich than it 
 because in our churches the holy Sacraments are dispensed, 
 and because, above all other reasons, our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 with His Divinity and Humanity, is there present, and, in! 
 the Mass, offers Himself for us to His Heavenly Father. As 
 St. Chrysostom beautifully says: "If we could open the heaven 
 of heavens, we should find nothing greater or more holy 
 than that which reposes on our altars." We ought to have 
 the utmost veneration for our churches, and visit them 
 diligently and devoutly. King Solomon threw himself on 
 his knees in the outer court of the Temple, and raised his 
 arms to God in prayer; and shall we be ashamed to kneel 
 down before the Blessed Sacrament and devoutly clasp our 
 hands ? 
 
 The Consecration of churches. Our churches are solemnly con- 
 secrated. Thereby they are sanctified to be the property and dwelling- 
 place of God, and the abode of grace. In memory of its consecration 
 or dedication, and as a thanksgiving for the benefits it has brought 
 to us, it is usual to keep every year the feast of the dedication of 
 a church. On that anniversary we have more cause than had the 
 Israelites to say: "Praise the Lord, for He is good, and His mercy 
 endureth forever." 
 
 The Presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. God was 
 present to the Israelites in a visible way in the Temple ; and, therefore, 
 the Temple was in very deed "a dwelling-place of God among men". 
 Now, after God had become Man, would He have removed Himself 
 further from us than He was from the Israelites? Are we to have 
 no dwelling-place of God in our midst? Is nothing to be left to us 
 Christians but the bare memory of God made Man? No! It would 
 be inconceivable that God, after His Incarnation, should be less ap- 
 proachable than He was before it! Jesus Christ would not leave us 
 orphans; therefore, He has remained with us, being present on our 
 altars under the visible appearances of bread and wine in the Blessed 
 Sacrament. There He is in the Tabernacle; His Eyes and His Heart 
 beholding those who came to adore Him. If Jesus were not present 
 in the Most Holy Sacrament, then those who lived under the Old 
 Testament, would have been better off than we who are living under 
 the New Testament, and we should, perforce, envy the Israelites with 
 whom God was present in at least one Temple. 
 
 L 
 
296 CHAPTER LX. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 See also Application Chapter XXXVIII. 
 
 Visit your Divine Saviour present in the church. Visit 
 Him this very day. Pray to Him with devotion and faith, 
 and thank Him for the love which makes Him dwell with 
 us, offer Himself up for us, and give Himself to us that He 
 may be the food of our souls. 
 
 Chapter LX. 
 SOLOMON'S MAGNIFICENCE.— HIS SAD END. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 BESIDES the Temple which he erected to the Lord, Solo- 
 mon built for himself a palace of wonderful magnificence 1 . 
 His throne was of ivory, overlaid with the finest gold. It 
 had six steps, and at the two ends of each step there stood 
 a lion: six to the right and six to the left — in all, twelve 
 lions. But the top of the throne was round, and had a large 
 lion, well made, on either side. And Solomon made two 
 hundred shields of the purest gold, and hung them in his 
 palace. 
 
 All thej^esselsLOut of which the king drank, were^of.gold, 
 and all the furniture of his house was likewis^rfgojk^ In 
 the days of Solomon there was no silver; no account was 
 made of it, because the royal fleet brought from foreign 
 countries 2 riches of all kinds , and precious metals in ab- 
 undance. Solomon built several new cities; he beautified 
 and strengthened Jerusalem, so that, with few exceptions, 
 it surpassed all the cities of that time in beauty and splendour. 
 
 And Solomon reigned from the Euphrates to the confines 
 of Egypt, and he was at peace with his neighbours on every 
 side, and each man rested without fear under his own vine 
 and fig-tree. Kings from far and near showed Solomon respect 3 , 
 and sent him presents. The queen of Saba 4 came herself 
 from her far distant land to behold his magnificence and 
 hear the words of his wisdom. When she had seen and heard, 
 her spirit failed, and she said to the king: "The report is 
 true 5 which I heard in my own country, but I would not 
 
SOLOMON'S MAGNIFICENCE.— HIS SAD END. 297 
 
 believe. Blessed are thy servants who stand before thee 
 and hear thy wisdom." Thus did Solomon exceed all the 
 kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom 6 . 
 
 1 Or castle. — 2 especially from India and Spain. — 3 and desired 
 to see him. — 4 in Arabia. — 5 what is said about you. — 6 Solomon's 
 wisdom is shown forth in his written books, namely the Book of 
 Proverbs, Ecclesiastes or the Preacher, and the Canticle of Canticles. 
 These were written under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost and form 
 part of the Canon of Holy Scripture. The first of the three contains 
 wise sayings and rules of life ; the second preaches the vanity of all 
 earthly things; and the third sings of the love of God. 
 
 But glorious as was the beginning of Solomon's reign, 
 his end was deplorable. Solomon was far advanced in life 
 when his heart was corrupted by strange women ; and that 
 king, hitherto so wise, became so blind and depraved that, 
 in order to please these women, he offered incense to false 
 gods, and built temples to them 7 . 
 
 The Lord, being angry, said to Solomon: "Because thou 
 hast done this, and hast not kept My covenant and My 
 precepts, which I have commanded thee, I will divide and 
 rend thy kingdom. Nevertheless, in thy days I will not do 
 it for David, thy father's, sake; neither will I take away 
 the whole kingdom 8 , but I will give one tribe to thy son, 
 for the sake of David, my servant, and for the sake of 
 Jerusalem, which I have chosen." 
 
 Then secret revolt and sedition arose among the people, 
 because Solomon, blinded as he was, had overtaxed and 
 oppressed the people, to build palaces for the heathen women 
 who had turned him away from God. Things were in this 
 unhappy state 9 when Solomon died , having reigned forty 
 years; and he who had been a great and powerful king, 
 while he walked in the ways of David, his father, died with- 
 out honour, and, perhaps without repentance. The sad end 
 of Solomon teaches us that as long as we live we are liable 
 to fall into sin, and that hence we should never lose sight 
 of the fear of God, nor neglect to pray for perseverance. 
 Solomon in his prosperity is a faint figure of Christ reigning 
 gloriously in heaven. 
 
 13** 
 
298 CHAPTER LX. 
 
 7 Instead of converting his wives to the true faith he built pagan 
 temples for them, and even enforced the worship of idols. — 8 I will 
 give a part to your subject, your servant. — 9 His kingdom was 
 crumbling to pieces, for the other tribes of Israel were jealous of Juda ; 
 and, moreover, several subjected nations were in a state of rebellion. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The First Commandment : Sins against faith. It causes real 
 pain to read that a man so gifted with grace as Solomon 
 could have fallen so low. Look back and think what he 
 was at the dedication of the Temple, and how he cast him- 
 self on his knees and prayed so beautifully to the ever 
 present God; and then think of his becoming indifferent 
 about the worship of the true God, of his building temples to 
 the false gods of his wives, and of his tolerating idolatry! 
 It is impossible for us to conceive that Solomon ever be- 
 lieved in and worshipped idols himself; but it is certain that, 
 for the sake of his heathen wives, and against his own con- 
 victions, he sanctioned idolatry and even enforced it! By 
 so doing he denied his faith and offended his people. Thus 
 he sinned both by being indifferent about the true faith and 
 by denying it. * 
 
 Worldliness and pride lead to religious indifference. But 
 how was it possible that the wise and devout Solomon could 
 offend God so grievously? He gave himself over to world- 
 liness, led a sensual^ Juxurious^^4^ n( i se ^ ms affections 
 on the" earthly riches with which God had endowed him. 
 His love for God grew cold, his zeal for prayer and the 
 seryice of God grew weak, and he became lax and indifferent 
 about religion. Intercourse and friendship^ jvith^the^ Pa gan 
 kings of Tyre and Sidon and his own pagan'wTves increased 
 his religious indifference ; and, besides this, the universal ad- 
 miration of which he was the object made him proud, so 
 that he became less and less worthy oI N ^ivm^grace7' He 
 lost the grace necessary for perseverance in good, and sank 
 so low that he denied the true faith and upheld idolatry! 
 
 Happiness and riches are dangerous. Trials are wholesome. 
 Solomon's sad fall shows us how difficult it is to fear God 
 and persevere in good, in the midst of happiness, riches, 
 
SOLOMON'S MAGNIFICENCE.— HIS SAD END. 299 
 
 honours and pleasures. Those with whom everything goes 
 well love the world and earthly possessions, forget the end 
 for which they where made, cease to love God, and often 
 lose belief in Him and His revelation. This is why God, in 
 His merciful wisdom, sends us sufferings, so as to prevent 
 our being arrogant and forgetful of God and His holy Com- 
 mandments. These sufferings sent are real benefits to us, 
 and are a proof of the love which God has for our im- 
 mortal souls, and of the desire He has to draw us to heaven. 
 "Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth" (Hebr. 12, 6). 
 
 Solomon, the thirteenth type of Jesus Christ. Solomon was 
 also a type of Jesus Christ, but in a different way from the 
 preceding ones. While for instance, Abel, Noe, Isaac, Joseph, 
 Job, Moses and David were typical of the suffering Redeemer, 
 in Solomon .we find a type of the glorified Redeemer. His 
 very name, signifying peace, presents him to us as a type 
 of Him who is the true Prince of Peace. By his wonderful 
 wisdom, Solomon was a faint type of Him "in whom are 
 hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge " (Col. 2, 3). 
 Likewise, the riches of Solomon point to the immeasurable 
 riches of grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Solomon built the 
 Temple of strong and well-hewn stones : Jesus Christ founded 
 the spiritual temple, the Church, on the rock of Peter and 
 on the Apostles, making it one united whole. The queen of 
 Saba came to Solomon, to testify her reverence for him, and 
 load him with presents: to our Lord came the three Magi 
 from the East to adore Him, and offer Him costly gifts. 
 Solomon, seated in majesty on his lofty and magnificent 
 throne, ruled over many nations. Jesus Christ, raised on 
 the throne of heaven, and sitting at the right hand of God 
 the Father, rules with divine majesty over all the nations 
 of the earth, and over the whole host of heaven. 
 
 The conversion of Solomon. Most of the Fathers of the Church 
 are of opinion that, when troubles overtook him towards the close of 
 his life, Solomon was converted and did penance, and thus was not 
 eternally lost. 
 
 True happiness. Towards the end of his life Solomon wrote these 
 words in the Book of Ecclesiastes : " Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. 
 I made me great works, I built me houses, and planted vineyards 
 
300 CHAPTER LX. 
 
 I made gardens and orchards and set them with trees of all kinds. 
 I heaped together for myself silver and gold. I made me singing 
 men and singing women. I surpassed in riches all that were before 
 me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me. Whatsoever 
 my eyes desired, I refused them not; and I withheld not my heart 
 from enjoying every pleasure. I saw in all things vanity and vexation 
 of mind. Fear God and keep His Commandments, for this is all man." 
 By these words he meant to say : " All earthly possessions and joys 
 are passing and cannot make a man really happy. Only the fear 
 and love of God can bring happiness on earth and joy in eternity." 
 We should not, therefore, set our hearts on the good things of this 
 earth, but should strive with all our hearts after those which are eternal. 
 Means of perseverance. He who desires to avoid grievous sin and 
 to persevere to the end in what is right must, firstly, refrain from 
 pleasure-seeking and laxity; secondly, he must avoid all intercourse 
 with bad companions; thirdly, he must be humble and pray to God 
 for the grace of final perseverance, for this most important of all 
 graces can only be obtained by prayer. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Solomon served God for many years and received the gift 
 of wisdom from Him ; and yet how deeply he fell ! 
 
 Do you desire to stand fast in what is right ? Then mistrust 
 yourself, and be watchful. "Watch and pray that you enter 
 not into temptation." Pray often for the grace of per- 
 severance. 
 
THIRD EPOCH. 
 
 DECLINE OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. FROM 
 THE TIME OF ROBOAM TO JESUS CHRIST 
 
 (962 B. C). 
 
 Chapter LXI. 
 DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 AFTER the death of Solomon , all the people * of Israel 
 came to Roboam, his son, and said: "Thy father laid 
 a grievous yoke 2 upon us, do thou take off a little of his 
 most heavy yoke , and we will serve thee." Roboam told 
 them to come back on the third day, and he would give them 
 his answer. He then took counsel with the ancients of the 
 people who had stood before Solomon, his father, as to what 
 course he should pursue. 
 
 The ancients advised the king, saying : "If thou wilt yield 
 to this people and speak gentle words to them, they will 
 be thy servants always." 3 Roboam, not satisfied with this 
 advice of the old men, betook himself to the young men 
 who were his own companions, and asked what they would 
 counsel him to do. 
 
 The young men who had been brought up with him, said : 
 "Thus shalt thou speak to this people: My father put a 
 heavy yoke upon you, but I will add to your yoke; my 
 father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scor- 
 pions." i When the people had returned on the third day 
 for an answer, Roboam spoke to them as the young men 
 had advised. Then the people, seeing that they had nothing 
 
302 CHAPTER LXI. 
 
 to expect from their new king, began to say among them- 
 selves that Roboam was nothing to them. 
 
 1 The representatives of all Israel. They had assembled themselves 
 at Sichem, where Roboam went to receive their homage. — 2 heavy 
 taxes. — 3 They will obey you as loyal subjects. — 4 The scourges 
 generally used were made of leather, but, sometimes, to inflict a more 
 severe punishment, thorns and spikes were twisted in with the leather, 
 and such spiked scourges were known by the name of scorpions. 
 Roboam wished to say: "I will be even harder to you than my 
 father was." The arrogant young king wished to bend and intimidate 
 his subjects by this senseless threat. 
 
 And ten of the tribes, throwing off his authority, chose 
 for their king, Jeroboam, who had been a servant 5 of So- 
 lomon. Only the two tribes of Juda and Benjamin remained 
 with Roboam. From that day forth the people of Israel 
 were divided into two kingdoms, that of Juda 6 and that of 
 Israel 7 . 
 
 Jerusalem continued to be the capital of Juda, and Samaria 
 became afterwards the capital of Israel. But the effects of 
 the separations went still further; for Jeroboam, king of 
 Israel, thought within himself, that if the people continued 
 to go up to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice to the Lord in His 
 Temple, their hearts would turn again to Roboam, and the 
 kingdom of Israel would surely return to the house of David. 
 
 To avoid this danger he made two golden calves, which 
 he placed at the two extremities of his kingdom, one at Dan 8 , 
 and the other at Bethel 9 , and told the people that they 
 should not go up to Jerusalem to worship, for that these 
 were the gods which had brought them out of Egypt. In 
 this way he led the people into idolatry 10 , for they repaired 
 to the places pointed out to them by their king, and wor- 
 shipped the golden calves. 
 
 On the other hand, Roboam, king of Juda, who had seen 
 with grief the defection of the ten tribes, was all his life 
 making war on Jeroboam. This state of continued warfare 
 was kept up by their successors on both sides, and more 
 than once the aid of foreign nations was called in by one 
 or the other. In this way did these wicked kings cause much 
 sin and misery among their people. 
 
DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM. 303 
 
 Even the kings of Juda soon fell into idolatry, and the 
 people, following their example, forgot the worship of the 
 true God, and gave themselves up to all manner of wicked- 
 ness. All this sin, ruin and misery were partly the effects 
 of Solomon's departure from the ways of justice: terrible 
 example of the ruin that sin brings on those who commit 
 it, and even on their children after them. 
 
 5 He had been appointed by Solomon to be tax-gatherer of the 
 tribe of Ephraim. — c To these two tribes the Levites joined them- 
 selves, as also many members of the other tribes who adhered to 
 the worship of the true God at Jerusalem. The two kingdoms were 
 about equal in strength, for Juda (to which was attached the tribe 
 of Benjamin) was the most numerous and powerful of all the tribes ; 
 though as far as extent of territory went, the northern kingdom, 
 Israel, was superior to the southern, or kingdom of Juda. — 7 The 
 whole united kingdom had hitherto been known by the name of 
 Israel, but from henceforward only the ten tribes are to be understood 
 by the name. — 8 See map, east of Tyre. — 9 See map, north of 
 Jerusalem. — 10 He acted thus from a false policy, for he said to 
 himself: If the people go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice in the Temple, 
 and thus maintain a spiritual union with Juda, they will, before long, 
 be wishing for a national union, and separate themselves from me. 
 
 The kingdom of Israel lasted for 253 years (from 975 to 722 B. C), 
 and during that time it had nineteen kings, belonging to ten different 
 families, who all did evil in the sight of God. 
 
 The kingdom of Juda lasted 387 years, till the year 588 B. C. 
 It had twenty kings, all of the family of David, of whom the greater 
 number were wicked. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Faithfulness of God. See how the punishment which, 
 as you learnt in Chapt. LX, was threatened, was now brought 
 to pass! Roboam's arrogance led to the accomplishment of 
 God's designs, by alienating the ten tribes. It was not that 
 God willed the sin , but that He permitted it, in order that 
 Solomon's faithlessness should be punished as He had said. 
 
 Arrogance and flattery. Roboam's conduct towards his sub- 
 jects was very unwise, for it was his harsh answer to their 
 appeal which drove them into rebellion. How could Roboam, 
 the son of the wise Solomon, commit such a folly ? He spoke 
 and acted thus foolishly, firstly, because he was blinded by 
 
304 CHAPTER LXI. 
 
 pride; secondly, because he would not take the advice of 
 the wise, but followed, instead, that of his young companions, 
 who took care to flatter his pride. You can see by this how 
 blind passion makes a man, and how disastrous it is to listen 
 to the voice of unscrupulous flatterers. " He that walketh with 
 the wise, shall be wise: a friend of fools shall become like 
 them" (Prov. 13, 20). 
 
 Gentleness. If Roboam had returned a soft, friendly answer 
 to the people, he would have conciliated them and all the 
 twelve tribes would have acknowledged him as king. "A mild 
 answer breaketh wrath: but a harsh word stirreth up fury" 
 (Prov. 15, 1). "Blessed are the meek." 
 
 Rebellion. The ten tribes sinned by rebelling; and their 
 sin was all the greater, because their defection from the 
 house of David implied a defection from the future Messias, 
 and a renunciation of the promises of God. 
 
 Partaking in the guilt of others. His young advisers shared 
 in the guilt of Roboam's sin, and in its evil consequences, 
 by urging him to a hard and cruel course of action. Jero- 
 boam committed a terrible sin when he incited the people 
 to idolatry, and induced them to apostatize from the true 
 God. God punished him by the overthrow of his whole fa- 
 mily. Jeroboam's son, Nadab, only reigned two years. Then 
 a rebellion against him broke out, and the whole house of 
 Jeroboam was destroyed. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Are you fond of being with giddy companions? Do you 
 follow their advice in preference to the injunctions and ex- 
 hortations of your parents and superiors ? Do you listen to 
 the voice of your passions rather than to that of your con- 
 science? Roboam lost the largest part of his kingdom, be- 
 cause he listened to the unprincipled advice of flatterers. So, 
 if you like the company of those who are unprincipled, you 
 will lose both faith and innocence, which are more valuable 
 than a whole kingdom. Therefore avoid bad companions. 
 
GOD RAISES UP PROPHETS.— THE PROPHET ELIAS. 305 
 
 DECLINE OF THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL. 
 
 Chapter LXII. 
 
 GOD RAISES UP PROPHETS.— MISSION OF THE 
 PROPHET ELIAS. 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 IN order to bring back the kings and the people to better 
 sentiments, God raised up, at different times, holy per- 
 sons who are known as prophets 1 . These prophets preached 
 penance in a very impressive manner, and they proved the 
 truth of their divine mission by working great miracles. 
 
 God revealed to them many future events. They predicted 
 the principal circumstances of the birth, life, passion, death 
 and glory of the Messias. One of the most celebrated of the 
 prophets was Elias. He lived in the reign of Achab, king 
 of Israel. This king was very wicked. None of his prede- 
 cessors had committed so many crimes as he. 
 
 He had married a gentile woman named Jezabel ; and he 
 had built a temple to Baal, and had consecrated to the ser- 
 vice of that false god four hundred and fifty priests 2 , whilst 
 he had caused the priests of the Lord to be put to death. 
 In a word , his intention seemed to be to destroy the true 
 religion entirely among the ten tribes. 
 
 Elias, clad in a rough sheep's skin, and with a staff in 
 his hand, presented himself before Achab and said: "As the 
 Lord liveth, the God of Israel, in whose sight I stand, there 
 shall not be dew nor rain these three years, but according 
 to the words of my mouth." Achab was very angry to hear 
 these words of the prophet, and secretly resolved to put Elias 
 to death. 
 
 Then the Lord, knowing the evil intention of the king, 
 commanded Elias to go and conceal himself near the brook 
 Carith 3 , in the vicinity of the Jordan. The prophet obeyed, 
 and behold, the ravens brought him bread or flesh 4 every 
 morning and every evening for many days; and he drank 
 of the torrent. 
 
306 CHAPTER LXII. 
 
 1 They led a life of penance, wore coarse clothing, prayed and 
 fasted. They were sent by God to maintain the true faith and the 
 observance of His Commandments, and to bring back the people to 
 Him. They announced the judgments which would fall on king and 
 people if they were not converted, and they pointed onwards to the 
 hope of Israel, the Redeemer, foretelling many things about Him. It 
 was on account of these prophecies that they were called prophets. — 
 2 Achab reigned from 923 to 902 B. C. Jezabel was daughter to the 
 king of Sidon. At her request Achab built in Samaria a temple to 
 the sun-god Baal; and, besides the worship of calves, introduced the 
 horrible worship of Baal and of Moloch, to whom children were offered 
 up in sacrifice. Added to this he killed the priests of God. Thus, 
 there was every fear that the true faith would be entirely eradicated. 
 For this cause God raised up the prophet Elias, that through him the 
 true faith might be preserved in Israel. — 3 This brook flows into 
 the Jordan from the east, through a country full of forests and 
 caverns. Here Elias could easily hide himself, even if the king 
 searched the whole country through for him. — 4 From whence did 
 they get this food? The Lord Who commanded them to bring it 
 provided for that (St. Augustine). 
 
 Some time after, the brook ran dry 5 , and the Lord com- 
 manded Elias to go to Sarepta 6 , a city of Sidon. Elias went 
 accordingly, and when he drew near the gate of the city, 
 he saw a woman gathering sticks 7 , and he called her and 
 said: "Give me a little water in a vessel that I may drink." 
 
 As the woman was going to fetch it he called after her: 
 "Bring me also a morsel of bread." She answered: "As 
 the Lord thy God 8 liveth, I have no bread, but only a hand- 
 ful of meal in a pot, and a little oil in a cruse; I am 
 gathering two sticks that I may go and dress it for me 
 and my son, that we may eat it and die." 9 
 
 The prophet assured her, saying: "Fear not, but go and 
 do as thou hast said; but first make for me of the same 
 meal a little hearth-cake. For thus saith the Lord: 'The 
 pot of meal shall not waste , nor the cruse of oil be di- 
 minished until the day wherein the Lord will give rain upon 
 the earth.'" 10 
 
 The woman did as Elias had told her, and from that day 
 forth she had meal in her pot, and oil in her cruse, and knew 
 no want, neither Elias, nor she, nor her son. Now, it 
 happened some time after, that the son of this poor woman of 
 
GOD RAISES UP PROPHETS.— THE PROPHET ELTAS. 307 
 
 Sarepta fell sick and died. She said to the prophet: "What 
 have I done to thee, thou man of God ? Hast thou come to 
 me that my iniquities should be remembered?" Thereupon 
 Elias took the child, and went into the upper chamber, and laid 
 it upon his own bed. Then he cried dl to the Lord: "0 Lord, 
 
 hast Thou also afflicted the 
 widow with whom I am 
 after a sort maintained?" 
 Then he stretched him- 
 self and measured himself 
 three times upon the child ; 
 and the soul of the boy 
 returned and he revived. 
 Elias took the child and 
 brought him down to his 
 mother, and said: "Be- 
 hold, thy son liveth." Full 
 of joy and gratitude, the 
 woman exclaimed: "Now by this I know that thou art a man 
 of God, and the word of the Lord in thy mouth is true." 12 
 Elias, the grown man, stretching himself and measuring 
 himself upon the small body of the dead child, is a figure 
 of the Incarnation, in which the Son of God so adapted 
 Himself to our human nature as to become Man without 
 ceasing to be God. 
 
 5 Because no rain had fallen for a long time. — 6 See map : between 
 Tyre and Sidon. — 7 because she was poor. — 8 She recognised Elias 
 to be an Israelite, and swore by the living God ; for she believed in 
 Him, though she was living in the midst of the pagan Sidonians. — 
 9 of hunger. — ,0 By acting thus Elias put the faith and charity of 
 the widow to a very severe test. — u or prayed instantly. — 12 that 
 you are a prophet of God, and that He has revealed His will to you, 
 proclaiming it through your mouth. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Mercy of God. Of His mercy He did not entirely 
 reject the faithless Israelites, but sent His prophets to them 
 from time to time to give them a chance of repentance and 
 pardon. 
 
308 CHAPTER LXIL 
 
 The Omniscience of God. The prophets were inspired by 
 God, or else they would not have been able to foretell the 
 future. The future is known only to God, with Whom times 
 and seasons are as nothing. 
 
 The Omnipresence of God. "As the Lord liveth in whose 
 sight I stand," said Elias to Achab. Wherever we are or 
 go, God is with us. Elias lived in the constant recollection 
 of God's presence, and this it was that gave him courage 
 and consolation under persecution, and when in danger of 
 death. He did not feel himself deserted even in the cave 
 of Carith, because God was with him. 
 
 The Omnipotence of God. Winds and clouds, dew and rain 
 obey him, and by His command a terrible drought pervaded 
 Israel for three years and a half. The unreasoning ravens did 
 His will, and twice each day brought food to the prophet 
 of God. "The most ravenous of birds," says St. Basil, "were 
 compelled to supply the prophet with food ; and they, whose 
 nature it was to seize the food of others, waited on the 
 man of God. Completely forgetful of their nature, they 
 obeyed the divine behest." It was by God's almighty will 
 that the meal in the widow's pot and the oil in her cruse 
 remained undiminished. And He who is Lord of life and 
 death called the widow's son back to life, commanding his 
 soul to return to his dead body. 
 
 The Goodness of God. God lovingly provided for the safety 
 of His persecuted servant, hid him from Achab's bloodthirsty 
 emissaries, and fed him by a continuous miracle in the desert. 
 He protected him on his perilous journey to Sarepta, increased 
 the meal and oil, by a miracle, for the sustenance of himself and 
 the widow, and called the poor woman's dead son back to life. 
 
 Justice and Mercy. The long drought which was sent by 
 God at the prayer of Elias (James 5, 17 &c), was a miracle 
 both of divine justice and of divine mercy. On the one hand, 
 it most justly punished the idolatrous king and people; on 
 the other hand, it proved to the Israelites that the fruits 
 of the earth did not come from Baal, but from God, Who 
 is the Lord of heaven and earth. The famine was sent to 
 them as a means of inducing them to return to the true faith. 
 
GOD RAISES UP PROPHETS.— THE PROPHET ELIAS. 309 
 
 Confidence in God. Elias showed admirable courage by 
 fearlessly announcing the impending judgment. The prophet 
 drew his courage from his great confidence in God, giving 
 himself over entirely to His gracious guidance. When the 
 brook dried up he gave way neither to fear nor lamentation. 
 He did not say: "Now I must die of thirst," but, on the 
 contrary, he said to himself: "God will help me." When 
 he was sent to the poor widow of Sarepta, a town in the 
 kingdom of Sidon, he might naturally have thought: "Why 
 am I to go among Jezabel's people? Are they not sure 
 to kill me ? And why am I to go to a poor widow ? How 
 can she support me ? Why should I not seek hospitality of 
 some rich person?" But the holy man of God gave ear to 
 no such doubts, and obeyed God's commands with simplicity 
 and confidence. It is in this way that we ought always to 
 trust in God. 
 
 Faith. Achab and his people would not believe Elias 
 when he foretold the coming drought. On the other hand, 
 the gentile did believe the promise which he made to her 
 in God's name. To find faith the prophet of God had to go 
 into a heathen country. It was hard for the widow, herself 
 dying of hunger, to be told to divide her last morsel of 
 food with the prophet ; but she did so, because she believed, 
 and obeyed a secret inspiration of God; and God rewarded 
 her faith and charity by miraculously increasing her meal 
 and oil, by restoring her dead son to life, and by confirming 
 her in the true faith. Works of mercy draw down on us 
 the grace of God. 
 
 The power of prayer. At Elias's prayer the heavens were 
 shut, so that no rain fell for a long time. By prayer he 
 raised the dead boy to life. At the brook Carith he spent 
 his days in prayer and contemplation. His prayer was effi- 
 cacious , firstly , because he prayed with devotion , humility 
 and confidence; and, secondly, because he was a just man, 
 lived in the grace of God, and avoided sin. 
 
 The soul is the life of the body (Chapt. III). As soon as 
 the soul is separated from the body the latter dies; and if 
 the dead body is to be restored to life, the soul must return 
 
310 CHAPTER LXIII. 
 
 to it. It was thus therefore that Elias prayed: "Let the 
 soul &c." 
 
 The raising of the widoiv's son by Elias is, according to St. Augustine, 
 a type of the spiritual resurrection of the sinful world through Christ. 
 The world lay dead in sin ; but Jesus Christ has raised it up by His 
 intercession and His Death on the cross. 
 
 As Elias stretched himself three times on the body of the boy, 
 breathing on his face; so, when administering holy Baptism, the priest 
 bows himself three times over the person to be baptized, and breathes 
 upon him, as a sign that by sanctifying grace the soul is raised to 
 a supernatural state of life. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Do you pray willingly and devoutly? He who wishes to 
 pray well must accustom himself to pray diligently. Each 
 time you pray, place yourself in the presence of God and 
 say: "Lord, help me to pray." 
 
 Could you not sometimes give an alms, or do some service 
 of love to your fellow men ; either to your comrades, or to 
 some sick or poor person? Make a resolution to do some- 
 thing of the sort to-day. 
 
 Chapter LXIII. 
 THE SACRIFICE OF ELIAS. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 AFTER the earth had remained three years and six months 
 without rain or dew 1 , the Lord spoke to Elias: "Go 
 and show thyself to Achab, that I may give rain upon the 
 face of the earth." The prophet obeyed. When Achab saw 
 him, he said: "Art thou he that troublest Israel?" The pro- 
 phet answered: "I have not troubled Israel, but thou and 
 thy father's house, who have forsaken the Commandments 
 of the Lord and followed Baalim. Nevertheless, send now 
 and gather unto me all Israel unto Mount Carmel 2 , and 
 the prophets of Baal, four hundred and fifty, and the 
 prophets of the groves, four hundred." 
 
 Achab obeyed, being afraid to do otherwise, on account of 
 the famine that was everywhere, and he went himself to the 
 mountain 3 . Then Elias spoke to the people of Israel, saying: 
 
THE SACRIFICE OF ELIAS. 311 
 
 "How long do you halt between two sides 4 . If the Lord 
 be God 5 , follow Him; but is Baal, then follow him." 
 
 The people, feeling the justice of his reproach, made no 
 answer 6 . They were ashamed and afraid. Elias then added : 
 "I only remain a prophet of the Lord, but the prophets of 
 Baal are four hundred and fifty men. Let two bullocks be 
 given us; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, 
 and cut it in pieces, but put no fire under ; and I will dress 
 the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under 
 it. Call ye on the names of your gods, and I will call on 
 the name of my Lord; and the God that shall answer by 
 fire, let him be the God." All the people answered: "A very 
 good proposal". 
 
 1 During these three years and a half nothing could grow, so that 
 both men and beasts were in a state of great want. Many died, for 
 the necessaries of life, brought in from other countries, cost a great 
 deal. In the third year of the famine Achab said to the governor of 
 his house: "Go into the land unto all fountains of water, and into 
 all valleys, to see if we can find grass and save the horses and 
 mules, that the beasts may not utterly perish" (3 Kings 18, 5). By 
 this we can see how great the want was. Trees were withered, 
 meadows burnt up, gardens and fields bare. Nothing green was to 
 be seen, and the parched earth cried out for the life-giving rain. — 
 
 2 Mount Carmel is situated to the north of Samaria, projecting into 
 the Mediterranean, where it terminates in Cape Carmel (see map). 
 The sacrifice of Elias took place on one of the heights of the chain. 
 There stands, not far from the sea, a famous Carmelite Monastery. 
 
 3 He accepted the man of God's proposal, being forced thereto by 
 the need of his subjects. — 4 i. e. why do you waver to and fro 
 between God and Baal. They wished to serve two masters, God and 
 Baal; and for this reason Elias bade them come to a decision. — 
 5 Jehovah, Whom your fathers worshipped. — 6 because, on the one 
 hand, they could not excuse themselves, and, on the other, they did 
 not wish to sever themselves from the worship of Baal, and the 
 pleasures accompanying it. 
 
 Then the priests of Baal, clad in their richest garments 
 and crowned with laurel, took an ox and slew him. They 
 erected an altar, placed the dead ox upon it, and danced 
 around it crying out: "Baal, hear us." This they did from 
 morning until noon, but no fire came to consume their sacri- 
 fice. Then Elias, mocking them, called out: "Cry with a 
 
312 CHAPTER LXITI. 
 
 louder voice; for he is a god, and perhaps he is talking 
 with some one, or on a journey, or he is asleep and must 
 be awaked." 
 
 Then they began to cry louder than ever 7 , hacking their 
 bodies with knives 8 , as they were accustomed to do, until 
 they were covered with blood. This they kept up till evening, 
 but all in vain 9 . Then Elias told the people to come to him. 
 And he erected an altar to the Lord ; took twelve stones 10 , 
 and laid the wood in order upon them, then placed the ox 
 which had been cut in pieces, on the wood. 
 
 He then poured water upon the victim till it ran down on 
 every side and filled the trench around the altar 11 . This 
 being done, he said: "0 Lord God, show this day that 
 Thou art the God of Israel, and I Thy servant, and that 
 according to Thy commandment I have done all these things. 
 Hear me, Lord, hear me ; that this Thy people may learn 
 that Thou art the Lord God, and that Thou hast turned 
 their hearts again." 12 
 
 That instant fire came down from heaven and consumed 
 the holocaust, the wood, the stones, and the water in the 
 trench. The people, having witnessed this prodigy, fell on 
 their faces 13 , exclaiming: " The Lord He is God! The Lord 
 He is God!" And the prophet, retiring from the multitude, 
 went up alone to the top of the mountain where he pro- 
 strated himself before the Lord in praise and thanksgiving. 
 
 Then he besought the Lord to refresh the earth with 
 water. And behold , a little cloud arose from the sea , no 
 bigger than the foot of a man, and it spread itself gradually 
 over the heavens, and rain fell in abundance. The land of 
 Israel, suffering from the long drought, was a figure of the 
 great spiritual drought from which the whole world suffered 
 before the coming of Christ. Elias bidding the heavens to 
 rain was a figure of Christ opening the fountains of grace 
 to a perishing world. The rain itself which gave a new life 
 to the earth, is a type of the grace of God which renews 
 the soul of the converted sinner. 
 
 7 They did not notice the scorn contained in the words of Elias, 
 for they really believed that their god slept and travelled like 1 a 
 
THE SACRIFICE OF ELIAS. 
 
 313 
 
 man. — 8 They cut themselves till the blood flowed, in the hope 
 that this would persuade Baal to listen to them. — 9 Why ? Because 
 Baal was the creation of their fancy. The absurdity of idolatry was 
 now made manifest. — 10 Why twelve? Because they represented 
 the twelve tribes of which the chosen people consisted. — n He did 
 this to prove that the fire was due to no natural causes. — I2 Think 
 how anxiously the king, the false priests, and the people must have 
 watched to see what would be the result of Elias's prayer. All in a 
 moment a fire fell from heaven which consumed the very stones! 
 It fell from a cloudless sky, for not even the smallest cloud was 
 to be seen, as we know by the conclusion of the story. — 13 They had 
 been convinced of the impotence of Baal and of the omnipotence of 
 God. Therefore, they fell on their faces and worshipped the Almighty. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The object of miracles. The extraordinary drought, lasting 
 for three years and a half, was the effect of God's interrupting 
 by a miracle the law, which He Himself gave to nature. The 
 drought was sent both as a punishment to Achab and the 
 people for their idolatry, and as a means of their conversion. 
 The silence, however, of the people, when Elias demanded of 
 them a confession of faith, shows that pagan opinions were 
 
 Knecht, Commentary. L 14 
 
814 CHAPTER LXII1. 
 
 still dominant among them. The priests of the true God had 
 been killed, so that there was no one to teach the truth to 
 the poor people ; and the priests of Baal, whom the king up- 
 held, taught them that the famine had been sent by Baal 
 as a punishment for their lack of stanchness in the pagan 
 belief. But God, in His mercy, worked new and startling 
 miracles to convince the deluded people of the folly of ido- 
 latry, and to help them to return to the true faith. It was 
 in the presence of them all that He rained down this wonderful 
 fire from a cloudless sky, which consumed even the wet 
 stones of the altar. As soon as the people, overwhelmed by 
 the stupendous miracle, fell on their faces and adored Him, 
 confessing aloud their faith in Him, He sent the wished for 
 rain, so that all men might know that the drought had come 
 from Him, and that from Him came now help and salvation. 
 But it was also for our benefit and instruction that this great 
 miracle was wrought, in order that none of us may waver 
 in our faith in the merciful, just and almighty God. It teaches 
 us that God is the Lord of all the universe, that all the 
 powers of nature, rain and drought, dews and clouds, obey 
 Him. We may sow and plant, but the increase comes from God. 
 
 Firm faith. Like a very rock of faith and confidence, Elias 
 confronted the wavering multitude, the unbelieving king and 
 the frantic idolatrous priests. He reproached the people for 
 their indecision ; he mocked the insane superstitions and vain 
 efforts of the priests of Baal, and never doubted for one 
 instant that God would hear his prayer and confound his 
 enemies. 
 
 Fortitude. Achab hated Elias, and his hatred was increased 
 by the long drought which he attributed to the prophet. 
 Elias knew of the hatred borne him by the king ; nevertheless, 
 at the Lord's bidding, he fearlessly confronted him. He showed 
 equal fortitude when he challenged the priests of Baal in 
 the face of all the people. If God had not heard his prayer 
 and sent fire from heaven, he would most certainly have been 
 killed ; but his ardent faith and zeal for God's glory induced 
 him to risk his life in the hope of bringing back the people 
 from their sad defection. 
 
THE SACRIFICE OF ELIAS. 315 
 
 The power of prayer. It was at the prayer of Elias that 
 God worked the wonderful miracle which has been described. 
 For this reason St. James cites the prayer of Elias as an 
 example to urge us to have great confidence in prayer. He 
 says (5, 16. 18): " The continual prayer of a just man availeth 
 much. Elias was a man passable like unto us: and with 
 prayer he prayed that it might not rain upon the earth, and 
 it rained not for three years and six months. And he prayed 
 again: and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought 
 forth her fruit." 
 
 Half-heartedness and indecision. The reproach made by Elias 
 to the people for their wavering and indecision applies equally to 
 many Christians, who hesitate between virtue and vice, the spirit 
 of Christ and the spirit of the world, the service of God and 
 the service of the devil, although in holy Baptism they renounced 
 Satan and all his works, and promised to be faithful to God. Our 
 Lord warns us thus: "No man can serve two masters (who give 
 opposite commands) ; for either he will hate the one, and love the 
 other : or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot 
 serve God and mammon (i. e. the riches &c. &c. of this world)." 
 (Mat. 6, 24). 
 
 The want of priests. The people of the kingdom of Israel sank 
 deeper and deeper into idolatry and crime, because the priests who 
 taught them the true religion, and the practice of it, were killed. It 
 is a great misfortune for Christian countries when there is a lack of 
 good priests; for in that case faith grows weak, morals become 
 lax, and many souls are lost (New Test. XXXII). 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Do you halt between two sides ? Do you hesitate between 
 good and evil, between the commands of God and the prompt- 
 ings of your own evil passions? To-day, perhaps, you have 
 promised to serve God, and to-morrow you will follow 
 some evil desire. This wavering between good and evil is 
 a dangerous game for the salvation of your soul, for 
 you are really wavering between heaven and hell. Away, 
 then, with indecision! Love God with your whole heart 
 and be true to Him till death. Renew this day your 
 baptismal vows. 
 
 14* 
 
316 CHAPTER LXIV. 
 
 Chapter LXIV. 
 
 WICKEDNESS OF ACHAB AND JEZABEL— 
 THEIR PUNISHMENT. 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 ACHAB had a palace at Jezrahel *, and near it was a 
 vineyard owned by a man named Naboth. Achab, 
 coveting the vineyard, said one day to Naboth: "Give me 
 thy vineyard, that I may make me a garden, and I will 
 give thee a better vineyard, or I will give thee the worth 
 of it in money." Naboth answered him: "The Lord be 
 merciful to me, and not let me give thee the inheritance 
 of my fathers." 2 For the law of Moses forbade the son to 
 "sell the property which he had inherited from his forefathers. 
 
 The king was so troubled, because he could not have the 
 vineyard that he could neither eat nor sleep 3 . Jezabel, his 
 queen, perceiving this, inquired the cause of his sadness and 
 fretting. The king, having explained the cause, Jezabel 
 mockingly said: "Thou art of great authority, indeed, and 
 governest well the kingdom of Israel! Arise and eat bread, 
 and be of good cheer: I will give thee the vineyard of 
 Naboth the Jezrahelite." 
 
 She then wrote letters in the king's name to the chief 
 men of the city 4 , whom she knew to be wicked like 
 herself, requesting them to find some men who would 
 wrongfully accuse Naboth. These men 5 were easily found, 
 and they bore false witness against Naboth, saying that he 
 had blasphemed God and the king. And on their testimony 
 Naboth was condemned, taken out of the city, and stoned 
 to death 6 . 
 
 1 Achab generally lived in Samaria, but he had also a summer- 
 palace at Jezrahel, where Naboth's vineyard was. — 2 It was expressly 
 forbidden by the Law to sell a family-heritage; though in cases of 
 necessity it could be mortgaged until the next jubilee-year. It was 
 therefore out of fear of God that Naboth refused to sell his vineyard. — 
 3 Like a spoilt child who cannot have his own way. — 4 The ancients 
 and representatives of the city. — 5 Holy Scripture calls these men 
 sons of Belial, or of the devil, because they bore false witness against 
 Naboth, thus causing his death. How great must have been the 
 
WICKEDNESS OF ACHAB AND JEZABEL. 317 
 
 corruption of the whole people, if even their chief men, and the 
 witnesses called by them, were so wicked! — 6 Death by stoning 
 was the punishment decreed for blasphemy. The wicked Jezabel who 
 did not herself believe in God, caused an innocent man to be put to 
 death on the charge of blasphemy against Him! 
 
 Jezabel, being informed of Naboth's death, went and told 
 her husband that he might now take the vineyard, as Naboth 
 was dead. And Achab took the vineyard. Then the Lord 
 commanded Elias to go to Achab, to reproach him with his 
 crime, and to tell him that the dogs would lick up his own 
 blood on the very spot on which Naboth was slain, and 
 that the queen would be devoured by dogs in the same field. 
 This prediction was literally fulfilled. 
 
 Three years after, Achab was mortally wounded in a 
 battle 7 , with the Syrians; and when the chariot in which 
 he received the fatal wound was being washed after his 
 death, the dogs came and licked up his blood 8 . 
 
 Some time after, when Jehu was king, he went to Jezrahel. 
 And when Jezabel heard of his coming she dressed herself 
 in her richest apparel. She painted her face and adorned 
 her head, and stood at the window of her palace. Jehu, 
 seeing her at the window, ordered her servants to cast her 
 down. They did so, and the walls were sprinkled with her 
 blood, and the hoofs of the horses trod upon her, and the 
 dogs came and ate her flesh 9 . After Jehu had dined he 
 ordered Jezabel to be buried, but only her head, feet and 
 hands remained. 
 
 7 An arrow, which pierced a joint of his coat of mail, wounded him 
 
 so seriously that he died soon after. — 8 As his bloody corpse was 
 
 being washed in the pool of Samaria. — 9 Jehu had all Achab's 
 
 children and relatives put to death, so that the whole race of the 
 
 impious king was destroyed. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Omniscience of God. God knew, and revealed to Elias 
 that Naboth was innocent, and that Achab had seized his 
 vineyard by unjust means. 
 
 The Justice of God. Achab and his wicked wife were not 
 able to enjoy for long their unjustly got possession. The 
 measure of their sins was full, and God punished them by 
 
318 CHAPTER LXIV. 
 
 a terrible and unexpected death. Jezabel's body was trampled 
 on by horses, and devoured by dogs in Jezrahel, where she 
 had murdered Naboth; nor was even honourable burial 
 vouchsafed to her. Such was the terrible end of this im- 
 it perious and arrogant woman! "Treasures of wickedness 
 shall profit nothing" (Prov. 10, 2). 
 
 The Faithfulness of God. The punishment with which 
 Almighty God threatened Achab and Jezabel was brought 
 to pass. When Achab went out to fight against the Syrians, 
 he disguised himself so that he might not be recognised as 
 king and attacked. But "a certain man (of the Syrians) 
 bent his bow, shooting at a venture, and chanced to strike 
 the king of Israel between the lungs and the stomach. And 
 the blood ran out of the wound in the midst of the chariot, 
 and he died in the evening. And they washed his chariot 
 in the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood" 
 (3 Kings 22, 34 &c). Now, was it by chance that the 
 arrow hit the disguised king; that his blood flowed into 
 the chariot, and that the dogs licked it up? No, all this 
 occurred under the Providence of the just and true God, 
 Who moulded circumstances in order to bring that to pass 
 which He had threatened! 
 
 The eighth Commandment. The witnesses against Naboth 
 sinned grievously ; for they bore false witness in a court of 
 justice, as to a serious matter that involved life and death. 
 They were rightly called children of the devil, because it 
 requires a devilish malice to commit such a sin. 
 
 The tenth Commandment. Achab sinned grievously against 
 this Commandment by coveting the inheritance of Naboth. 
 
 The seventh Commandment. He also sinned grievously 
 against this Commandment by taking for himself the property 
 of the murdered man. 
 
 Sharing in the guilt of others. The prophet said to Achab : 
 " Thou hast slain &c." But how could Achab be Naboth's 
 murderer? He had not accused him or sentenced him to 
 death ! No, but Achab knew perfectly well that his wicked 
 wife would use unlawful means to gain possession of the 
 vineyard, and yet, not only did he utter no word of protest, 
 
ELIAS TAKEN UP TO HEAVEN— THE PROPHET ELISEUS. 319 
 
 but consented to Jezabel's writing a letter in his name, 
 and sealed it with his royal seal! Thus, by his silence, he 
 consented to his wife's wicked project. Neither did Jezabel 
 kill Naboth with her own hands; but she commanded the 
 ancients of the city to have him falsely accused and put to 
 death. In this way she shared in the guilt of others by 
 command, and was guilty of murder. 
 
 Unlawful obedience. Ought the ancients of the city to have 
 obeyed or disobeyed the royal command? 
 
 Covetousness. The source or root of all these sins we have 
 been hearing about was covetousness. Achab's desire to 
 possess Naboth's vineyard led to anger, bribery, injustice, 
 murder and robbery. Covetousness, or avarice, is therefore 
 one of the capital sins. 
 
 Inordinate desires make men unhappy, peevish and ill-tempered. 
 Achab, not being able to gratify his longing for the vineyard, became 
 sad and angry, and his very life was, as it were, darkened. Was 
 that not silly and ridiculous! 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Have you ever taken anything that does not belong to 
 you, such as fruit &c? Are you contented with what you 
 have got? If the desire to have that which is unlawful 
 seizes you, overcome it at once, and think of the just God 
 Who hates and punishes injustice. He who is contented is 
 happy, but he who is discontented lives a life of disquiet, 
 and is in great danger of sin and eternal damnation. 
 
 Chapter LXV. 
 
 ELIAS TAKEN UP TO HEAVEN— THE PROPHET 
 
 ELISEUS CHOSEN TO SUCCEED HIM. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 AT one time Elias, being persecuted by Jezabel *, fled into 
 the desert 2 . He was very sad 3 , and desired to die 4 , for 
 he thought all the Israelites had fallen into idolatry. Being 
 fatigued, he cast himself down and slept in the shadow of 
 a juniper-tree; and behold an angel of the Lord touched 
 him and said: "Arise, eat; for thou hast yet a great way 
 
320 CHAPTER LXV. 
 
 to go." Elias looked, and saw at his head a hearth cake 
 and a vessel of water. He arose, ate and drank, and walked 
 in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights 5 , 
 until he came to the mount of God 6 , Horeb. 
 
 Then the Lord appeared to him amidst the whistling of 
 a gentle wind, consoled him and said: "Return and anoint 
 Eliseus to be prophet in thy room, and I will leave me 
 seven thousand men whose knees have not bowed before 
 Baal." 7 Elias departed, and found Eliseus 8 ploughing with 
 oxen. He cast his mantle upon him 9 , and Eliseus forthwith left 
 the oxen and the plough, followed Elias and ministered to him. 
 
 1 Ever since the great miracle on Mount Carmel, Achab had not 
 ventured to persecute the prophet of God; but Jezabel's hatred of 
 him had been intensified by the overthrow of the priests of Baal, 
 and she now did all she could to seize on the prophet, and put him 
 to death. — 2 To Bersabee, south of the kingdom of Juda. — 3 Because 
 impiety had gained the upper hand, and the true religion was oppressed 
 and persecuted. — 4 So that he might no longer have to behold the 
 triumph of vice and unbelief. — 5 He was so strengthened by this 
 food that he was able to travel fasting for forty days and forty nights, 
 as far as Horeb, one of the mountains of Sinai. — 6 so called, because 
 God Himself had appeared there to Moses (Chapter XXXI). It 
 was only two ^hundred miles^fromBersabee to Sinai; and if Elias 
 had not made a circuit he might nave reached the holy mountain 
 much sooner than he did. Probably he visited on the way some of 
 the places sanctified by the miracles wrought by God during the 
 Israelites' passage through the wilderness. By his pilgrimage to the 
 mountain, consecrated by the giving of the Law, and to other places 
 full of mighty associations, Elias hoped to gain strength, courage and 
 consolation for the further pursuit of his high calling. — 7 i. e. "jou 
 must not believe that idolatry is universal in Israel. There are 
 several thousand wno have not Dowed"l;he"T?:nee to Baal, or who, in 
 oilier words, have not succumbed to idolatry". — 8 in the plain 
 (to the south of the Sea of Galilee. Eliseus and his servants were 
 \ ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen, by which we can see that he 
 \was a man of means. — 9 as a sign that Eliseus was to be his 
 /successor in the prophetical office. 
 
 cut the time came when the Lord wished to take Elias 
 
 from the earth. The spirit of God led him to the Jordan 10 , 
 
 and Eliseus accompanied him. Elias took his mantle, folded 
 
 \ it together, and struck the waters ; the waters divided, and 
 
 • both passed over on dry ground. As they walked on, there 
 
ELIAS TAKEN UP TO HEAVEN— THE PROPHET ELISEUS. 321 
 
 appeared a fiery chariot with horses n . Elias was taken up 
 alive to heaven 12 . Eliseus saw him and cried : " My father ! 
 my father!" When he saw Elias no longer, he rent his 
 garments in grief; then taking the mantle which Elias had;' 
 dropped, he went back and struck with it the waters of the, 
 Jordan. They were divided, and Eliseus passed over. The 1 
 other disciples 13 of Elias, seeing this, said: "The spirit of 
 Elias hath rested upon Eliseus." u And coming to meet 
 him, they worshipped him, falling to the ground. 
 
 10 The Spirit of God had revealed to Elias his approaching trans- 
 lation from this earth, and had inspired him to go to the Jordan. — 
 11 Angels snatched up Elias from the earth by means of a fiery 
 apparition having the semblance of a chariot and horses. — 12 or, 
 rather, heavenwards. He could not be taken into heaven. Like Henoch 
 he was glorified without tasting of death, and was taken to a mysterious 
 abode of peace and consolation. Before our Lord's second coming to 
 judge the world, Elias will come again to this earth to preach penance 
 (Mat. 17, 11). — 13 Elias's disciples had stayed on the other side of 
 the Jordan, and from thence had seen his marvellous translation. — 
 14 They knew by the testimony of this great miracle, that the gifts 
 of prophecy and working miracles had passed from Elias to Eliseus. 
 
 14** 
 
322 CHAPTER LXV. 
 
 After Elias had been taken up into heaven, Eliseus arose 
 and exhorted the Israelites to remain faithful to the Lord. 
 God also favoured him with the gift of miracles 15 . When 
 he came to Jericho, the men of the city said to him: "The 
 
 \ situation of this city is very good, but the waters are very 
 bad." Eliseus answered: "Bring me a new vessel, and put 
 salt into it." When they had brought it he went out to the 
 
 ? spring 16 , cast the salt into it, and the waters were healed. 
 One day when Eliseus was going up to Bethel where the 
 golden calf was worshipped 17 , som^JiQys came out of the 
 city and mocked him, saying : ^80 up, thou bald head." 
 Eliseus, knowing that in dishonouring him they dishonoured 
 God, turned back and cursed them in the name of the Lord 18 . 
 Immediately two bears came out of the wood that was near 
 by, and killed forty-two of the boys. 
 
 15 God worked a great many miracles through him, in order that 
 the people might believe that God had sent him. — 16 to the well 
 
 , outside the town from which the water was conducted to the city. 
 This well, like all those in the neighbourhood of the Dead Sea, had 
 a briny taste. Therefore, when Eliseus threw salt into it, it was 
 simply as a type of purity, and not because this ingredient was 
 wanting to it. It was not by the salt itself that the water was turned 
 sweet, but by the power of God, invoked by Eliseus. The spring is 
 still funning: it is known by the name of the Sultan's spring, or 
 Eliseus's spring, and its water is very good. — 17 Who set up the 
 golden calf there (see Chapter LXl) ? Bethel was the head centre 
 of idolatry. It is probable that the boys were set on to mock Eliseus 
 by their impious parents, who very likely recognised him by the 
 mantle of Elias. — 18 He foretold to them as well as to their wicked 
 parents that God would punish them, and immediately God sent the 
 
 ' punishment by means of the two bears. 
 
 Some time after, Eliseus cured ofleprosy, in a miraculous 
 manner, Naaman, general oiHEhe "Syrianarmy 19 , a rich and 
 valiant man/The wife of Naaman had in her service a 
 young Israelite girl who had been carried off into Syria by 
 robbers. This maiden then said one day to her mistress: 
 "I wish my master had been with the prophet that is in 
 oamaria. He would certainly have healed him of the leprosy." 
 When Naaman heard this he set out for Samaria with horses 
 and chariots. 
 
ELIAS TAKEN UP TO HEAVEN-THE PROPHET ELTSEUS. 323 
 
 When Naaman reached the prophet's dwelling he sent a 
 messenger to let him know of his coming, and why he had 
 come. Eliseus sent him word to bathe seven times in the 
 Jordan, and he would be healed. Naaman was angry, and 
 went away, saying: "I thought he would have come out to^ , 
 me, and standing, would have invoked the name of the Lord 
 his God, and touched with his hand the place of the leprosy, 
 and healed me. Are not the rivers of Damascus better than 
 all the waters of Israel ? " 20 
 
 As he was thus turning angrily away, his servants said 
 to him: "Father, if the prophet had bidden thee to do somef: 
 great thing, surely thou wouldst have done it; how much 
 more what he now hath said to thee, ' Wash, and thou shalt 
 be clean'." 21 And Naaman, seeing that what they said was 
 just, alighted from his chariot, bathed seven times in the 
 Jordan, and was made clean. He returned to the man of 
 God, and told him that now he knew for certain that there 
 was no God but the God of Israel 22 ; and he offered him 
 presents, but Eliseus refused to receive anything. 
 fpi 19 Syria, with its capital, Damascus, is situated to the north-east 
 
 of Israel. Naaman was the king's general, a rich and valiant man. 
 He travelled into Israel with horses and chariots, taking much gold 
 with him. — 20 for the water of the Jordan is thick and troubled. 
 Eliseus was humble, but he wished to impress upon Naaman, who 
 was very proud of his position, that riches &c. are nothing in the ; 
 sight of God. This was why he did not go himself to meet the great / 
 man, but sent his servant, Giezi, instead. — 21 His servants called 
 Naaman, "Father," which shows that he was good to them. On their f. 
 side they were very loyal to him, and affectionately counselled him to 
 obey the prophet. — 22 Naaman was converted to faith in the true 
 God by his wonderful cure. He had become so humble that he called 
 himself the servant of the prophet. 
 
 Hardly had Naaman gone a little way, when Giezi, the 
 servant of Eliseus, went after him, and said: "My master 
 hath sent me to thee saying: 'Just now there are come to w 
 me from Mount Ephraim two young men, sons of the pro- 
 phets 23 ; give them a talent of silver and two changes of 
 garments '." 24 
 
 Naaman gladly gave him two talents of silver and two 
 changes of garments. Giezi returned with the presents, and 
 
324 CHAPTER LXV. 
 
 having hidden them he stood before Eliseus. The prophet 
 asked him where he had been, and Giezi answered that he 
 had been nowhere. 
 
 Eliseus being angry, said: "Was not my heart present 
 
 when the man turned back from his chariot? 25 Now thou 
 
 last money to buy oliveyards and vineyards, and sheep 
 
 tfid oxen and men-servants and maid-servants; but the 
 
 leprosy of Naaman shall stick to thee forever." And Giezi 
 
 ■went out a leper, as white as snow 26 . 
 
 One great miracle 27 the prophet wrought even after his 
 death 28 . It happened in this manner: On one occasion a 
 number of men were carrying a corpse to the cemetery for 
 burial. As they were making the grave, behold, robbers 
 from Moab rushed in upon them. They, in their fright, cast 
 the corpse into the sepulchre of Eliseus 29 . No sooner had 
 the dead man touched the bones of the prophet than he was 
 instantly restored to life, and came forth from the tomb. 
 
 ^, 23 The disciples of the prophets led a retired, community life of 
 
 poverty, prayer and contemplation. They were, so to speak, the 
 
 monks of the Old Testament. — 24 Fine clothes, such as would be 
 
 Avorn on great days and festivals. — 25 God had enabled the prophet 
 
 t to know in the spirit exactly what had occurred. — 26 He was afflicted, 
 
 * as it were, with leprosy upon leprosy, so that there was no part of 
 
 his body which was not covered with it. — 27 Among other great 
 
 """miracles, he raised to life the dead son of a woman of Sunam. — 
 
 28 He died at an advanced age, having filled the prophetical office for 
 
 sixty years (900 — 840 B. C). — 29 into the grave which had already 
 
 been dug for Eliseus, and from which they quickly rolled the stone. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Goodness of God towards His holy and zealous servant 
 Elias was very great. He revived and strengthened him 
 with a miraculous food, appeared to him most lovingly so 
 as to comfort him, and finally took him from earth in a 
 glorious manner, without letting him taste of the bitterness 
 and humiliation of death. 
 
 The Omni p o tenc e of God was shown by the supernatural 
 power of the bread, in the strength of which Elias fasted 
 forty days; and also by the twice repeated division of the 
 waters of the Jordan. It was God's omnipotence which 
 
ELIAS TAKEN UP TO HEAVEN-THE PROPHET ELISEUS. 325 
 
 purified the well at Jericho by a means, which, in the natural 
 order of things, would have made the briny water more 
 unpalatable than it was before. He cured the leprosy of 
 Naaman, and raised the dead man to life by contact with 
 the bones of Eliseus. 
 
 Sadness which is pleasing to God. The sadness of Elias 
 was not sinful, but, on the contrary, praiseworthy, for it- 
 sprang from love of God and zeal for His glory; and his\ 
 heart, all aglow with divine love, was sad, even unto death, 
 when he contemplated the idolatry and impiety of the Israelites. 
 We, too, ought to grieve when we see how much God is J 
 forgotten and offended, and how unbelief and hatred of the ] 
 Church of God and her laws are ever increasing. It is to 
 such sorrow as this that our Lord's words apply: "Blessed 
 are they that mourn for they shall be comforted." 
 
 A holy desire for death. We may not wish for our ownV 
 death, or for that of others, from reasons of impatience or 
 despair. Elias's desire for death arose, not from a spirit of 
 fretfulness, but from love of God, as he was loth to witness 
 any more offences committed against Him. Moreover, he 
 longed to go to God. It was in this spirit that St. Paul 
 wrote: "I have a desire to be dissolved, and be with Christ" 
 (Phil. 1, 23). A 
 
 Ge ntleness. . The gentle sighing of the wind when Almighty 
 God appeared to Elias was meant to indicate His goodness, 
 mercy and patience, and to warn the fiery prophet that he 
 too must work with patience and long-suffering. We can, 
 as a rule, do far "more fx)r~*God' , s glory "and the salvation 
 of souls by patience and gentleness, than by violence and 
 severity. St. Frangi^^of Sales says: "You can catch more 
 flies with a spoonful of honey than with a cask of vinegar." 
 "Blessed are the meek." 
 
 The virtues and yMk^jim£MS& After Moses, Elias was 
 the greatest of the prophets. Firstly, he was great by his 
 virtues. He led a severe life of pejiance, not loving the 
 world, but loving only solitude, prayer, and the contemplation 
 of divine things. He was devoured by a holy zeal for God's 
 glory and the salvation of his people. He was intrepid, 
 
326 CHAPTER LXV. 
 
 patient and strong under suffering and persecution, and was 
 possessed of the most unshaken confidence in God. Secondly, 
 he was great by his divine calling and his influence on the 
 world. He preserved Jhe true faith injferael, he worked 
 wonderful miracles, such as raising the dead, and was 
 translated from earth in a marvellous manner. He is, 
 >1> therefore, venerated as a great saint by both Christians 
 and Jews. 
 
 Elias, the fourteenth type of Jesus Christ. Elias was, in 
 several respects, a type of our Lord^/ He was sent by God, 
 waj^anroDl^ He raised to life 
 
 the son of the widow of Sarepta: our Lord raised to life the 
 son of the widow of Nairn. He multiplied the meal and oil : 
 our Lord multiplied the loaves and fishes5 / Moreover, Elias 
 fasted forty days in the wilderness, .was haied and persecuted 
 by the ungodly /was jsprrowful even unto deathywas streng- 
 thened by air angel,/was translated to heaver/ in sight of 
 his disciples,^and will come again at the end of the world. 
 Faithful correspondence ivith grace. Eliseus was a God 
 . r fearing husbandman, and was called from the plough to be 
 *Othe follower of the great prophet. He obeyed the call of 
 God instantly, corresponded with grace, left his home and 
 possessions, and served Elias. He was poor in spirit and 
 obedient to the will of God, therefore he was singled out 
 by God to be the recipient of special graces. "Blessed are 
 the poor in spirit." 
 
 The fourth Commandment. Eliseus and the disciples of 
 Elias show us by their example in what way we should 
 love and revere teachers sent to us by God. Eliseus loved 
 Elias as his spiritual father ("My father! My father," he 
 cried), and when he was parted from him, he rent his garments 
 in grief. The disciples of Elias received Eliseus with the 
 deepest reverence as soon as they recognised him to be the 
 spiritual heir to Elias, and a prophet chosen by God. 
 
 The relics of saints. The cloak which Elias left behind 
 him when he was translated was a relic of the holy prophet. 
 By means of this relic, and for the sake of the prayers and 
 merits of Elias, God worked great miracles. By means of 
 
ELTAS TAKEN UP TO HEAVEN— THE PROPHET ELTSEUS. 327 
 
 the relics of Eliseus a great miracle was also wrought. If, 
 therefore, God glorifies the relics of his saints by working 
 miracles through them, it is certainly reasonable and pleasing 
 to God that we should value and honour them; and the 
 Church teaches that we ought to venerate them. She places 
 them under the altars on which the holy Sacrifice of the 
 Mass is offered, and exposes them for our veneration. 
 
 A type of Holy Communion. The wonderful food brought to Elias 
 by an angel was an evident type of Holy Communion. We have 
 before us a long and dangerous journey through the desert of this life, 
 before we can reach heaven. During this pilgrimage God strengthens 
 us by the most holy Sacrament, the bread of angels, in the power 
 of which we may rise from virtue to virtue, and finally scale the 
 holy Mount of God, heaven. 
 
 At our Lord's Transfiguration on Mount Thabor, Moses and Elias, 
 on account of their high place in the kingdom of God, were allowed 
 to speak with the Saviour of the world, the former as the represent- 
 ative and founder of the Law, the latter as the representative of 
 the prophets (New Test. XXXVII). 
 
 God's Justice was manifested in the punishment of the 
 impious children of Bethel, and the chastisement of the 
 covetous servant Giezi. 
 
 God's Mercy sent the erring and deceived Israelites another 
 prophet (Eliseus) in the place of Elias, and gave him the 
 power of working mighty miracles, in order to induce the 
 people to do penance and escape the coming judgment. How 
 wonderfully did God's mercy reveal itself in the case of the 
 pagan Naaman ! According to human ideas the carrying off 
 by robbers of the Israelite maiden was an unlucky accident, 
 but by divine Providence it became the means by which the 
 chiefs of the Syrians were made acquainted with the miracles 
 which Eliseus worked in God's name. It was also the cause 
 of the conversion of Naaman to the true faith. God ordained 
 that this little maid should be taken into the service of 
 Naaman's wife, should relate the wonderful things done by 
 Eliseus, and should awaken in Naaman's breast the hope 
 that the prophet might heal him of his terrible disease. 
 
 The object of miracles. Leprosy could indeed be cured, 
 except in such aggravated cases as those of Job and Giezi, 
 
328 CHAPTER LXV. 
 
 but the cure was a very slow one. Naaman's sudden recovery 
 was, therefore, clearly a miracle, for it was not the water 
 of the Jordan which cured him, but the almighty power of 
 God. God performed this miracle on the distinguished 
 Gentile, in order that he might be converted, and that the 
 name of God should be glorified even among the heathen. 
 Naaman was healed in soul as well as in body. 
 
 Reverence for old age and for the servants of God. The 
 sin committed by the boys of Bethel was great, because the 
 person they mocked was both an old man and a prophet. 
 They proved themselves to be bad, vicious children, full of 
 hatred of God and His servants. Their severe punishment 
 was sent, firstly, to prevent their reaching a mature stage 
 of wickedness ; secondly, to teach the inhabitants of Bethel 
 to fear God and honour His prophets ; and, thirdly, to serve 
 as a warning for all time that old age is to be honoured, 
 and all those sent by God are to be revered. "Rise up before 
 the hoary head, and honour the person of the aged man" 
 (Lev. 19, 32). Our Lord said, referring to the apostles and 
 their successors: "He that heareth you, heareth Me: and 
 he that despiseth you, despiseth Me: and he that despiseth 
 Me, despiseth Him that sent Me" (Luke 10, 16). 
 
 Humility. Naaman's story shows us that only the humble 
 can find favour with God. The narrative of the little maid 
 had inspired the Syrian general with a great confidence in 
 the power of God and the prayers of Eliseus. But when 
 he arrived, and the prophet did not come out to meet him, 
 to touch him and pray over him, and still more when he 
 was told to bathe in the Jordan, his pride was aroused. He 
 said to himself: "What, am 1 not even good enough for the 
 prophet to speak to ? What good can the water of the Jordan 
 do me ? " It was only when his servants reasoned with him, 
 that he overcame his pride, and humbly obeyed the directions 
 of the man of God. Had he not become humble and obedient, 
 he would not have been healed either in body or soul. 
 
 Consider the gratitude of Naaman. 
 
 Disinterestedness of Eliseus. As he did not care for his 
 own interests, but only for the glory of God, Eliseus found 
 
ELIAS TAKEN UP TO HEAVEN— THE PROPHET ELISEUS. 329 
 
 his full reward in the conversion of the pagan Syrian, and 
 thanked God gratefully for it. 
 
 Covetousness. Giezi, like Judas Iscariot, was a covetous 
 man, though he had constantly before him the example of 
 his poverty-loving master. In order to enrich himself he 
 lied first to the Syrian and then to Eliseus, exposing the 
 latter to a charge of avarice and perjury, for the prophet 
 had said to Naaman: "As the Lord liveth I will take 
 nothing." This story shows us how covetousness is a capital 
 sin, leading to many other sins, especially to lies and deceit. 
 
 Ill-gotten gains profit nothing. The rich presents received 
 by Giezi from Naaman were ill-gotten, for he told lies to 
 obtain them. These ill-gotten gifts brought him no blessing. 
 Covered with an incurable leprosy, he could enjoy neither 
 riches nor life. He must very often have cursed his avarice 
 and deceit, for health is of more value than gold. Many 
 a rich invalid would give all he possesses could he thereby 
 regain his health! 
 
 Justification of the sinner. Naaman's wonderful cure from leprosy 
 is, according to the Fathers of the Church, a type of the sinner's 
 justification by the Sacraments of Baptism and Penance. Leprosy 
 represents sin, and the waters of Jordan, both the baptismal waters, 
 and tears of contrition in the Sacrament of Penance. In Naaman's 
 case his flesh became as the flesh of a little child : even so is the soul 
 washed from all its sins by Baptism and Penance. But to obtain this 
 inward purity, the sinner must, like Naaman, humble himself and 
 fulfil the exact conditions of forgiveness. 
 
 Holy water. The blessing of the water of Jericho by Eliseus was 
 a type of the blessing of holy water by the Church; and at the 
 blessing of it, the miracle of Eliseus is expressly referred to. Have 
 you ever seen how holy water is blessed, and what the priest throws 
 into it? He throws in blessed salt, and prays in the name of the 
 Church that the water may be freed from the influence of the evil 
 one, and be salutary to all who use it devoutly. 
 
 Good and pious servants bring a blessing to their employers. 
 Naaman's Israelite slave remained true to her faith though she lived 
 among heathens, and her pious narration was the cause of Naaman 
 being cured of his leprosy and converted to the true faith. 
 
 The free gift of grace. "There were many lepers in Israel in the 
 time of Eliseus the prophet, yet none of them were cleansed but 
 Naaman the Syrian" (see New Test. Chapt. XVII). Thus spoke our 
 
330 CHAPTER LXVI. 
 
 Lord at Nazareth, to prove by this example that "election" was not 
 hereditary in the family of Abraham. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 If you want to know yourself (and without self-knowledge 
 there can be no amendment of life), ask yourself what it 
 is that most easily disturbs you. Do you feel sad when 
 others are praised or rewarded? Do you feel glad when 
 they are blamed or punished? If so, you are full of 
 selfishness and envy. Are you put out when you cannot 
 have your own way, or if leave is refused you to do something 
 you wish? If so, you are self-willed and disobedient. 
 
 Never laugh about the sins of others. Remember the 
 offence against God, and pray for the conversion of those 
 who have sinned. 
 
 Have you ever derided old or infirm people? Do you 
 mock at your comrades for their physical infirmities ? Just 
 think how unkind, how rude, how unjust it is to do so, for 
 they are not responsible for their defects! 
 
 Search your conscience on the subject of lies. Even if your 
 lies do no harm to other people they do harm to your own soul, 
 because every lie is a sin. For the future say an "Our Father" 
 whenever you tell a lie, and then you will keep a better watch 
 over yourself, and will cure yourself of the detestable habit. 
 
 Chapter LXVI. 
 THE PROPHET JONAS. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 AFTER the death of Eliseus l , the Lord wishing to show 
 mercy to the Gentiles, raised up the prophet Jonas that 
 he might go to Ninive 2 , and preach penance to the inhabitants 
 of that city. The wickedness of the pagan Ninivites had 
 provoked the anger of God, and He had said to Jonas: 
 " Arise, and go to Ninive and preach in it, for the wickedness 
 thereof is come up before me." 3 
 
 Jonas, however, knew that the Lord easily forgives ; hence 
 he was afraid that if he preached to the people of Ninive 
 they would do penance, and that consequently the Lord 
 
THE PROPHET JONAS. 331 
 
 would spare them, while he himself would be looked upon 
 as a false prophet. So Jonas rose up to flee from the face 
 of the Lord 4 , and he embarked on board a ship which 
 sailed for Tharsis. But the Lord sent a great storm, and 
 the sea heaved and swelled, and the ship threatened to sink 5 . 
 
 Then the sailors being frightened threw into the sea all 
 the merchandise that was on board, in order to lighten the 
 vessel. And each one began praying to his own god for 
 help. But Jonas was below, fast asleep ; and the shipmaster 
 went to him and said: "Why art thou asleep? Rise up, 
 call upon thy God, if so be that God will think of us, that 
 we may not perish!" 
 
 But the sailors, seeing that the violence of the storm 
 continued to increase, proposed to cast lots that they might 
 know why this evil had come upon them 6 . And they cast 
 lots, and the lot fell upon Jonas 7 . Then Jonas confessed 
 his sin and said: "Take me up, and cast me into the sea, 
 and the sea shall be calm to you." 
 
 The sailors, unwilling to throw Jonas overboard, rowed 
 very hard to gain the shore, where they might leave him 
 in safety. But they were not able ; for the sea swelled and 
 tossed higher than ever. At last they took Jonas and cast 
 him into the sea, and immediately the storm ceased, and 
 the sea was calm. 
 
 At the same moment the Lord sent a great fish 8 , a whale, 
 which opened its jaws and swallowed Jonas. And he remained 
 three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, 
 continually calling on God to save him, saying: "I am cast 
 away, out of the sight of Thy eyes; but yet I shall see 
 thy holy temple again." His prayer was heard, and on the 
 third day the fish threw Jonas out of its mouth on the 
 dry land. 
 
 1 About 820 B. C. — 2 The kingdom of Assyria was situated to 
 the east of Syria. It was the greatest empire of those days, and 
 embraced all the country between the Euphrates and the Tigris 
 (Mesopotamia), and a large tract to the north and south of it (Media, 
 Elam and Babylon). The capital, Ninive, the greatest city of antiquity, 
 was on the Tigris, and was twenty-four leagues in circumference, 
 its houses being surrounded by gardens and vineyards. The inhabitants, 
 
332 CHAPTER LXVL 
 
 who numbered about 700,000, were proud and immoral. — 3 i. e. their 
 wickedness constrains me to punish them if they will not do penance. 
 Jonas suspected that if the Ninivites repented God would spare them 
 and abandon the Israelites. He wished Ninive to be destroyed, so 
 that the Assyrians should be rendered incapable of overpowering 
 Israel ; he did not wish to preach penance to the city, through fear that 
 God might find reason to spare it. — 4 He wished to avoid the mission 
 with which God had charged him, and therefore embarked on a ship 
 bound for Spain. The prophet knew very well that he could not escape 
 from the omnipresent God. — 5 and break in pieces. — 6 They were 
 convinced that some one on board must have secretly committed a 
 great sin, and that an angry divinity had sent this terrible storm as 
 a punishment. Even the heathens believed in retribution. — 7 By 
 God's Providence. — 8 Probably a shark. This fish has been known 
 to be as much as thirty feet long, and has such enormous jaws that 
 it could easily swallow a man whole. That Jonas remained alive 
 inside the fish, and was thrown up by it on dry land was a miracle 
 of God's Omnipotence. Think what a state of terror Jonas must have 
 been in while inside the fish! 
 
 And the Lord spoke a second time to Jonas, and told 
 him to go to Ninive, the great city, and preach penance. 
 Jonas went without delay, and entering into the city, he 
 walked a whole day through the streets, calling out as he 
 went : " Yet forty days, and Ninive shall be destroyed." The 
 people of Ninive were struck with terror, knowing how guilty 
 they were, and a general fast was proclaimed throughout 
 the whole city, both for man and beast. 
 
 The king himself put on sackcloth and sat in ashes, and 
 he and all his people, from the greatest to the least, fasted 
 and did penance, in order to appease the anger of (rod. 
 And because of their repentance God had mercy on the 
 people of Ninive, and spared their city. Meanwhile, Jonas 
 had gone out of the city, and sat down at some distance, 
 towards the east, to see what would happen. And finding 
 that God had spared Ninive, he was angry and much troubled 9 , 
 lest he should pass for a false prophet. 
 
 God however, wishing to show his prophet the unreasonable- 
 ness of his anger, caused to spring up, during the night, a large 
 vine 10 , which sheltered him next day from the scorching 
 rays of the sun. But on the following morning God sent a 
 worm which ate up the root of the plant, and it withered away. 
 
THE PROPHET JONAS. 
 
 333 
 
 Now, when the sun had risen, God sent a hot and burning 
 wind ; besides the sun struck full on the head of Jonas, so 
 that he broiled with the heat to such a degree that he 
 desired to die. Then the Lord said to him: "Thou art grieved^ 
 for the ivy for which thou hast not laboured, and shall not 
 I spare Ninive, in which there are more than a hundred 
 and twenty thousand persons that know not how to distinguish 
 between their right hand and their left 11 , and many beasts?" 
 Jonas, lying three days in the whale's belly, was a figure 
 of Jesus Christ, lying three days in the tomb. So, also, 
 Jonas coming forth alive on the third day was a figure of 
 our Lord's Resurrection. 
 
 9 Because he feared that Ninive's salvation would be Israel's de- 
 struction. — 10 over his unprotected hut. — n Whom did the Lord 
 God mean by those who knew not their right hand from their left? 
 Little children under seven. It was, therefore, as if He had said: 
 "Shall I not have compassion on this great city, in which are 120,000 
 innocent children, who have not as yet committed any actual sin?" 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 God never changes ! What ! did He not change His intention 
 towards Ninive ? It may appear so, for first He made Jonas 
 proclaim that the city would be destroyed in forty days, and 
 yet, after all, He spared it! To this St. Jerome replies: 
 "Grod did not change His purpose, but man changed his 
 actions ! From the first it was God's intention to be merciful 
 
334 CHAPTER LXVL 
 
 and He proclaimed the punishment in order that He might 
 be able to show mercy." As God is ever ready to be merciful 
 if only man will be converted, we must add to the words; 
 'Ninive shall be destroyed', this reservation, 'unless it do 
 penance'. God threatened to punish the Ninivites for the 
 express purpose of bringing them to repentance, so that, of 
 His mercy, He might remit the punishment with which His 
 justice had threatened them. 
 
 The Omnipotence of God stirred up the storm at sea, and 
 instantly calmed it, made the lot to fall on Jonas, sent the 
 fish to swallow him, kept him alive inside it, made it cast 
 him up on dry land, and caused the rapid growth and as 
 rapid decay of the plant which gave shelter to the prophet. 
 Everything is in the hands of Almighty God, the elements 
 obey Him, and the animals do His will. 
 
 The Goodness and Holiness of God. God loves little children, 
 because they are innocent, and have not committed any actual 
 sin ; and for the sake of them He had mercy on the whole city. 
 
 The Justice of God. God punished the disobedience of 
 Jonas by stirring up the storm on his account, by letting 
 him be devoured by the fish, and keeping him shut up inside 
 it in a state of mortal fear. 
 
 The Mercy of God. He showed His mercy to Jonas first ; 
 and then to the Ninivites. "As I live, saith the Lord God, 
 I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked 
 turn from his way and life" (Ez. 33, 11). 
 
 The faith and repentance of the Ninivites was very edifying. 
 In spite of the wonderful words and deeds of Elias, most 
 of the Israelites had remained impenitent. Then God turned 
 to the Gentiles, who showed more good-will and faith than 
 the chosen people. The Ninivites believed the word of the 
 Lord as soon as the prophet announced it to them; and 
 they practised penance with prayer and fasting, when he 
 quoted his own miraculous deliverance as a sign that God 
 had sent him (Luke 11, 30). Our Lord Himself held up the 
 Ninivites as an example to the hard-hearted Israelites, when 
 He said: "The men of Ninive shall rise in judgment with 
 this generation and shall condemn it; because they did 
 
THE PROPHET JONAS. 335 
 
 penance at the preaching of Jonas — and behold a greater 
 than Jonas is here" (see New Test. XXVII). How dis- 
 graceful would it be for Christians if they allowed them- 
 selves to be outdone in faith and penance by the Ninivites ! 
 
 True conversion. Jonas sinned by refusing to obey God's 
 command. But he saw, repented of, and confessed his sin, 
 and in his repentance declared himself willing to suffer death 
 by drowning. His conversion was sincere, for immediately 
 after his miraculous deliverance he set off for Ninive to 
 execute God's commission. The surest proof of conversion 
 is to be willing to do God's will, no matter how hard it be. 
 
 Fasting is, as we can see by this story, a work of penance 
 well-pleasing to God. Therefore the Church, in order to 
 kindle and increase our ardour for penance, has prescribed 
 fixed fasting days. 
 
 The good works of sinners. The Ninivites were not in a 
 state of grace when they performed their good works of 
 prayer, fasting &c, for they were great sinners. Nevertheless, 
 these good works were not useless, for they availed to 
 avert the threatened judgment, and to win for many of the 
 inhabitants the grace of conversion. 
 
 Jonas, the fifteenth type of Jesus Christ. Jonas was a type 
 of the Divine Redeemer. Our Lord Himself teaches us this 
 when He says (see New Test. XXVII): "An adulterous 
 generation seeketh after a sign, and a sign shall not be 
 given it but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For, as Jonas 
 was in the whale's belly three days and three nights, so 
 shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three 
 days and three nights." Jonas is also a type of our Lord 
 in other ways. He was sent not only to the Jews but also 
 to the Gentiles: our Lord came and died for both Jews and 
 Gentiles. Jonas offered himself up to die of his free-will, 
 to appease God's anger, and save his fellow passengers. Our 
 Lord went willingly to death, in order to satisfy the divine 
 justice, and save us, His brethren, from eternal death. 
 
 Revelation to the Gentiles. God showed mercy to the Gentiles and 
 manifested Himself to them. The sojourn of Jacob and his descendants 
 in Egypt, as also Moses's great miracles in the desert, had served to 
 
336 CHAPTER LXVII. 
 
 make God more or less known among the Gentiles. Elias was sent to 
 Sarepta, and there worked miracles in God's name among the heathen. 
 Eliseus cured the Syrian, Naaman, and thereby made known God's 
 almighty power to the pagan Syrians. Jonas was sent by God to 
 the greatest city of the pagan world to preach penance to its in- 
 habitants, and make known to them the Omnipotence, Justice, and 
 Mercy of the unseen God. 
 
 Relapse into sin. Two hundred years after, when the Ninivites 
 had returned to their former state of wickedness, and, this time, 
 remained impenitent, God's threatened judgment fell on them. The 
 abominable city was entirely destroyed and levelled to the ground, 
 606 B. C. This shows us how dangerous it is to fall back into sin. 
 
 Cruelty to animals. God showed mercy even to the beasts in 
 Ninive, for they too are his creatures. How good it would be if men 
 would take pity on beasts, and refrain from ill-treating them. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Do you take compassion on your unfortunate fellow 
 creatures ? Do you do your best to comfort them and help 
 them? Or do you rejoice when any evil or punishment 
 overtakes them? Are you ever cruel to animals? 
 
 Are you sorry for your sins? What have you done to 
 make satisfaction for them? You could very w T ell forego 
 some pleasure at times, or deny yourself in eating, and 
 offer these acts of self-denial to God as a penance for your 
 sins. Try every day to arouse feelings of compunction in 
 your heart! 
 
 FINAL OVERTHROW OF THE KINGDOM 
 OF ISRAEL (718 B. C). 
 
 Chapter LXVII. 
 TOBIAS DURING THE CAPTIVITY OF BABYLON. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 THE Lord ceased not to send to the Israelites holy pro- 
 phets who preached penance to them both by word and 
 example 1 . But the Israelites would not be converted 2 , and 
 their wickedness increased to such an extent that the Al- 
 mighty resolved to punish them in His wrath, and utterly 
 
{ 
 
 TOBIAS DURING THE CAPTIVITY OF BABYLON. 337 
 
 to destroy them. He therefore caused Salmanazar, king of 
 Assyria, to come against them with a mighty army. He 
 laid siege to the strong city of Samaria 3 , and after three 
 years took it, and carried off most of its inhabitants 4 , and 
 thus the kingdom of Israel ceased to exist 5 . 
 
 The Israelites having been slain or carried off into captivity,.'- 
 their land had become almost a wilderness 6 , and the Assyrian! 
 king, in order to people it again, sent thither thousands ofj 
 his pagan subjects, who, settling amongst the scattered 
 remains of the ten tribes, were soon so mixed up with them) 
 that they became, as it were, a new nation, and scarcely, 
 a trace remained of the people of Israel. 
 
 Those of this mixed race who settled in the northern part 
 of the country were called Galileans; those who lived in 
 the south were called Sa marita ns, from Samaria, the ancient 
 capital of the kingdom; and those who dwelt beyond the 
 Jordan were called Pe reans. The religion of these districts 
 was a mixture of Judaism v and Paganism 7 ; hence they hated 
 the two tribes of Juda and Benjamin, who had remained 
 true to the old religion. 
 
 1 Among these prophets were Qsee and Amos, who announced the 
 judgments of God which were to come. — *Tney lived according to\ 
 their evil passions, and gave themselves over to all manner of vices.J 
 The prophet Osee (4, 2 and 11) thus describes the moral condition 
 of the people: "Cursing, and lying, and killing, and theft, and adultery /^ 
 have overflowed. Wine and drunkenness take away the understanding." 
 Sedition, regicide and civil war became more and more common. — 
 3 He encamped all round the town, so that no necessaries of life could 
 be brought to it. — 4 Imagine to yourselves with what tears and 
 aching hearts they must have left their homes. Now, no doubt, they 
 repented of their sins and deplored their blindness; but it was too late. 
 The Israelites were divided among the towns in Northern Assyria, and 
 were much hampered in the free practice of their religion. — 5 being 
 merged in the Assyrian Empire. — 6 because its inhabitants were 
 yery few, and the land only partially cultivated. — 7 They worshipped 
 /false gods at the same time that they worshipped the Almighty. It 
 lwas only later that they abandoned idolatry, and built a temple to 
 J the Lord on Mount Garizim, near Sichar. 
 
 Those who were taken captive to Assyria never returned 
 to their own country. Still God did not fail to give numerous 
 
 Knecht, Commentary. I. 15 
 
338 CHAPTER LXVII. 
 
 proofs of His watchful care over those unhappy exiles. One 
 of the most remarkable of these instances is found in the 
 fhistory of the good Tobias 8 . When he was in his own 
 I country, and in his earliest years, Tobias never associated 
 /with the wicked; never went to adore the golden calf, but 
 (kept the law of the Lord exactly 9 . 
 
 Hence, God protected him in the land of captivity, and 
 caused him to find favour in the sight of Salmanazar, who 
 allowed him to go wherever he wished. He went, accordingly 
 to all his fellow captives, consoling and encou r aging them. 
 He shared with them all he possessed, fed them when they 
 were hungry, and clothed them when naked. His life was 
 spent in such works of charity. 
 
 8 He lived in Ninive, the capital of Assyria. — 9 Although he 
 lived in Israel, and not Juda, he did not go to Bethel to worship the 
 golden calf as did most of his fellow countrymen. He faithfully 
 observed all the rules laid down for the worship of God, and for 
 the offering of sacrifices. 
 
 King Salmanazar being dead, Sennacherib, his son, who 
 
 succeeded him on the throne, was not so favourable to Tobias, 
 
 and put many of the Israelites to death 10 . But Tobias, fearing 
 
 God more than the king, hid the bodies of his brethren in his 
 
 house, and buried them by night. The king, having heard 
 
 this, sentenced Tobias to d^ath, and tp^k jway t %ll^^j£opertv. 
 
 Tobias lied with his wife and son, and remained concealed 
 
 i in a place of safety, till the death of the wicked king, who 
 
 \ forty days later was killed by his own sons. Then Tobias 
 
 # returned, and all his property was restored to him. But 
 
 the persecution against the Israelites was still raging, so 
 
 Tobias resumed his former works of charity, relieving the 
 
 distressed, and burying the dead. 
 
 Coming home one day very much fatigued, he lay down 
 near the wall and fell asleep. While he was sleeping, the 
 hot dung from a swallow's nest fell on his eyes and made 
 him blind 11 . This was a great affliction, but it did not prevent 
 Tobias from fearing and blessing God, and thanking Bun 
 for all his mercies, even for this new trial. Now^Anna, his 
 wife, was his only support. She went out everyday to 
 
TOBIAS DURING THE CAPTIVITY OF BABYLON. 339 
 
 work, and by her hard earnings kept her husband from 
 want. On one occasion, Anna received a young kid for 
 v ,the labour of her hands, and she brought it home. Now 
 Tobias, hearing it bleat, was afraid, and said: "Take heed, 
 lest perhaps it be stolen 12 ; restore it to its owner." He 
 questioned Anna as to how she got the kid. Now Anna 
 was a good and virtuous woman, but this suspicion of her 
 husband roused her to anger. She replied very sharply, and^ 
 made use of words that were aggravating to her husband 13 .j 
 Tobias, however, only sighed and began to pray. 
 
 10 In revenge for a great defeat he had suffered before Jerusalem 
 (as will be told in Chapt. LXXIII). When Sennacherib learnt that 
 Tobias buried the dead, he gave orders for him to be put to death. 
 Tobias, however, hid himself and continued to bury the dead. — 
 n Inflammation set in and blindness ensued. This was a severe trial 
 for Tobias; however he did not complain, but, like Job, daily thanked 
 God for even the sufferings sent to him. — ,2 He had reasons for 
 doubting the honesty of the giver of the kid. — 13 reproaching him 
 for having given away all his substance. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Patience^ qn^ Justice of God. God was very patient with 
 His ungrateful people. He continued to send prophets who, 
 in stirring language, pointed out to the people their ingrati- 
 tude and faithlessness towards God, and graphically described 
 the judgments which would overtake them. For two hundred » 
 vears^md jmn^^ '' 
 
 tribulations inthenopeof bringing them back to Him, but ' 
 all in vain! Ninive did penance, but Israel remained im- 
 penitent! At last, Almighty God's patience was exhausted, 
 His judgment fell, and the faithless kingdom of Israel came 
 to an end! "Justice exalteth a nation: but sin maketh nations 
 miserable" (Prov. 14, 34). A 
 
 God's MercujmdJjVisdom. Even in His punishments, God 
 showed mercy. As a nation, Israel was overthrown, but the 
 punishment served for the conversion of individuals. The 
 Israelites had been driven from the land of their fathers, 
 they were scattered and homeless, living among strangers, and 
 earning a livelihood by hard work, being all the while sorely 
 oppressed. In their necessity many turned c^ntj^tejy^ojtgd, 
 
 15* 
 
340 CHAPTER LXVII. 
 
 acknowledged His just judgments, and found all their con- 
 solation in the hope of the promised Redeemer. In them 
 were fulfilled the words of the prophet Jeremias (2, 19): 
 A "Know thou and see that it is an evil and a bitter thing 
 for thee to have left the Lord thy God." For the kingdom 
 of Assyria also, the dispersion of Israel was a great blessing. 
 /Through the Israelites living in their midst the pagans learnt 
 •jto know the true and unseen God, and the promised Re- 
 
 I f deemer, for Whose coming they were, therefore, prepared. 
 Thus, by God's providence, even the sin of Israel and its 
 punishment served for a good end. 
 * The Fa ithfulnes s of God. That which God had threatened 
 a hundred years before was brought to pass. The impenitent 
 kingdom of Israel was merged in the great Assyrian Empire, 
 and ceased to be an independent state. 
 
 The fall of him who resits l t q£ qp e. The history of Israel 
 is the counterpart of the history of every impenitent sinner. 
 What happened to the people of Israel when they broke 
 their covenant with God, is repeated in the case of very 
 many Christians, who do not keep their baptismal vows. By 
 the mouth of His priests, and by the voice of their own 
 consciences, God exhorts sinners to be converted and do 
 penance. He reminds them of the terrors of the judgment 
 and the torments of hell. But, alas, many sinners will not 
 believe, and take these solemn truths oJj[ajtlijojM^ 
 Often God visits sinners with sickness or misfortunes, but the 
 amendment of life which these may produce lastsjbut ajsliort 
 . time. Hardly is the trouble removed before the sinner turn* 
 away again from God and commits fresh sins. God will bear 
 with him for a long time, seeking to bring him back to Him, 
 but, at last, His patience is exhausted, the time of grace 
 is past, and God calls the impenitent sinner before His 
 judgment-seat, and gives him over to the power of the 
 enemy. The sinful soul is damned, and thrust for ever out 
 of its heavenly home, to suffer hopelessly, in captivity, the 
 unbearable torments of hell. There, indeed, he at last 
 recognizes his folly and blindness, and bitterly rues liis sin 
 and impenitence. But it is too late! 
 
TOBIAS DURING THE CAPTIVITY OF BABYLON. 341 
 
 Let us see what virtues Tobias exercised: 
 
 Above all, piety. He loved God from his youth up, prayed 
 willingly, and faithfully fulfilled all his religious duties. 
 The foundations of piety are laid in youth. 
 
 Then, he evinced the most sincere, practical, and universal 
 brother} y love . His love was universal, for he did not show 
 it towards his friends only, but towards all who were in 
 ^3* want, especially Israelites. His love was pr^ctica^ for he 
 sought out the needy, even sacrificing health and fortune 
 in order to help them. He consoled, instructed, and supnorted 
 all whom he could, and practised works of mercy towards 
 the living and the dead. He dideyer^hing^n^ecretj and 
 sought his own glory in nothingr±le asUed for no reward 
 from man, for no thanks, no honours. This proves that his 
 love was sincere. 
 
 Moreover Tobias evinced great fortitude . He did not shrink 
 from the perils and labour of long journeys, nor did he fear 
 the anger of the king. He exposed himself to every danger 
 to help the "needy, and bury the dead. 
 
 He also exercised the virtue of justice, by conscientiously 
 performing his duty towards God anT man. This rudimen- 
 tary virtue of justice proceeded from his uprightness, which 
 made him, though poor, refuse any reward which he had 
 not justly earned. He said to himself: "If the person who 
 gave us this kid, stole it, it is not his property, and he has ^ 
 no right to give it; and as for me, I may neither buy nor 
 receive as a gift any stolen goods." 
 
 Pati ence in suffering is the fruit of faith. Tobias was specially 
 distinguished for his great patience and resignation under 
 suffering. He did not murmur against God, or say to himself: 
 " What have I done to deserve these trials? Have I not feared. 
 God from my youth up ? " No, he accepted his trials humbly, as a 
 punishment for his own sins and those of his people (Tob. 3, 
 2 f.); he thanked God for them, and set all his hopes on a future 
 life. "For we are the children of the saints ", said he, "andi 
 look for that life which God will give to those that never 
 change their faith in Him" (Tob. 2, 18). The belief in a future 
 reward comforted him and supported him in the midst of 
 
342 CHAPTER LXV1I. 
 
 his tribulations. Faith makes people patient and contented 
 under suffering; but a man without faith is without com- 
 fort in tribulation, and without hope in death. Poor, un- 
 fortunate man! 
 
 The object of suffering. Why did God permit so many 
 troubles to overtake the holy, faithful Tobias? The Angel 
 Raphael explained the reason when he said to him : " Be- 
 cause thou wast acceptable to God, it was necessary that 
 temptation should prove thee" (Tob. 12, 13). Suffering, 
 therefore, was intended to serve as a probation of Tobias, 
 and to give him the opportunity of practising patience, and 
 gaining more merit. Holy Scripture offers a further explanation 
 of the reason for this holy man's tribulations in the following 
 ^passage: "Now this trial (of blindness) the Lord therefore 
 permitted to happen to him, that an example might be given to 
 posterity of his patience, as in the case of holy Job" (Tob. 2, 12). 
 
 The bodies of the dead are worthy of reverence. Why did Tobias 
 expose himself to such great danger in order to bury mere dead 
 bodies? He knew and believed that man is an imag e of God, so he 
 could not endure the thought that men's bodies should lie uncared 
 for, to be devoured by wild beasts. The bodies of Christians, further- 
 more, are the temples of the Holy Ghost, and sanctified by the 
 reception of the holy sagraments. For this reason they are buried in 
 consecrated ground. 
 
 Lawfu l obe dience. Was it not wrong of Tobias to continue to bury 
 | the dead after Sennacherib had forbidden it? No, it was rather 
 /Sennacherib who did wrong in ordering the dead bodies to be left 
 Junburied, for God had commanded, writing it on men's hearts, that 
 /the bodies of the dead should be treated reverently, and buried. 
 
 ill. Application. 
 
 Dear children, none of you would wish to suffer eternally, 
 to be shut out forever from the presence of God, and banished 
 from heaven. Lay to heart, therefore, the teaching and holy 
 exhortations which you receive, obey God's grace, avoid sin, 
 and do heartfelt penance for the sins you have heretofore 
 committed. 
 
 Do you think any one will ever be able to say of you: 
 "He has from his youth up observed the commandments of 
 God, and avoided the society of the wicked"? 
 
PARTING ADVICE OF TOBIAS TO HIS SON, &c. 343 
 
 Do you possess any ill-gotten goods ? Have you ever taken 
 anything, even a trifle such as a picture, a pen, or an 
 apple, from any one? Give it back at once, or if you no 
 longer possess it, make compensation for it? Do you ever 
 take sugar &c. from your parents' stores? What a shame 
 for a child to steal from his own parents! 
 
 Even you could practise many works of mercy. Do you 
 look after your sick comrades? Do you pray for the holy 
 souls? You could prevent many a sin by gently appealing 
 to the consciences of your comrades, or brothers and sisters, 
 showing them what they ought to do. 
 
 Chapter LXYIII. 
 
 PARTING ADVICE OF TOBIAS TO HIS SON. 
 DEPARTURE OF YOUNG TOBIAS. 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 TOBIAS, seeing himself surrounded by so many miseries, 
 thought he could not live much longer. He, therefore, 
 called his son, and said : "My son, when God shall take my soul, 
 thou shalt bury my body ; and thou shalt honour thy mother 
 all the days of her life ; for thou must be mindful what and 
 how great perils she has suffered for thee 1 . And when she 
 also shall have ended the time of her life, bury her by me. 
 
 "And all the days of thy life have God in tjrv^mindj^^ 
 and take heed thou nev er c onsent to sin 3 , nor transgress 
 the commandments of the Lord our God. Give alms out 
 of thy substance, and turn not thy face away from any 
 poor person. If thou hast much, give abundantly; if thou 
 have little, take care even so to bestow willingly a little. 
 For alms deliver from sin and death, and will not suffer 
 the soul to go into darkness. Take heed to keep thyself, 
 my son, from all fornic a tion. 
 
 "Never suffer pride to reign in thy mind, nor in thy word,^ A 
 for from it all perdition took its beginning i . If any man 
 has done work for thee, pay him his hire. See thou never 
 do to another what thou wouldst hate to have done to thee 
 by another. Bless God at all times 5 , and desire of him to 
 
344 CHAPTER LXVI11. 
 
 direct thy ways 6 , and that all thy counsels may abide in 
 Him." 7 
 , . ^ Tlien the son answered, saying: "I will do all these things, 
 father, which thou hast commanded me." 
 
 1 Peril to life and health. A child comes helpless into the world, 
 and for many years requires much care on the part of its mother. 
 A mother has to endure much for the sake of her children: pain, 
 sleepless nights, anxiety, care, labour and fatigue. — 2 fearing Him 
 and loving Him. — 3 i. e. to sin wilfully. — 4 Both the fallen angels 
 and our first parents sinned through pride. — 5 in health and in 
 sickness, in prosperity and adversity. — 6 "that His providence may 
 watch over you, and may keep you in the way of His commandments." 
 — 7 "Fear not, my son," he added; "we lead indeed a poor life; 
 but we shall have many good things (grace and consolations on earth 
 and eternal glory in heaven), if we fear God and depart from all 
 sin; and do that which is good." 
 
 Tobias, having thus advised his son, sent him to Rages 8 , 
 a distant city, to collect a debt of long standing 9 . And the 
 young Tobias, not knowing the road, went out to seek a 
 guide who would show him the way. 
 
 He had not gone far when he met a beautiful young man, 
 standing ready girt as for a journey. It was the Archangel 
 Raphael 10 . Tobias did not know who the young man was, 
 .Abut he addressed him, saying: "Good young man, knowest 
 thou the way that leadeth to the country of the Medes?" 
 The Angel answered: "I know it." Then the young Tobias 
 introduced him to his father, who asked him: "Canst thou 
 conduct my son to Gabelus, at Rages?" 
 
 The young man replied: "I will conduct him thither, and 
 
 bring him back to thee." Then Tobias blessed the two young 
 
 .men, praying: "May you have a good journey; may God 
 
 ^ be with you on your way, and may His angel accompany 
 
 „you." n Then they both set out on their journey, and the 
 
 I dog followed them. But his mother wept and said to her 
 
 ] husband: "Thou hast taken the staff of our old age, and hast 
 
 "* sent him away." 
 
 On the evening of the first day the travellers reached 
 the banks of the river Tigris. Tobias, heated and warm, 
 sat down on the bank and put his feet into the water 12 . 
 
PARTING ADVICE OF TOBIAS TO HIS SON, &c. 345 
 
 Suddenly an enormous fish came up to devour him 13 . Tobias 
 cried out to the Angel: "Sir, he cometh upon me!" The 
 Angel, seeing his terror, exclaimed: "Take him by the gill 
 and draw him to thee." He did so, and when the fish lay 
 panting before his feet, the Angel said: "Take out his heart, 
 his gall and his liver, for these are useful medicines." Then, 
 making a fire, Tobias broiled some of the fish which furnished 
 a repast; then he salted a portion of what remained, to 
 serve as provision for the journey. 
 
 When they came to a certain city, Tobias said to his 
 guide: "Where wilt thou that we lodge?" The Angel 
 answered: "There is here a man named Raguel, a kinsman 
 of thy tribe, who has a daughter named Sara: and thou 
 must take her to wife." Tobias replied: "I hear that she* ' 
 hath been given to seven husbands, and they all died, and 
 a devil killed each of them on the night of his wedding. "Sf 
 
 Tobias said this, because he was the only son of his aged 
 parents, and if such a misfortune should befall him, it 
 would bring down their old age with sorrow to the grave. 
 
 15** 
 
346 CHAPTER LXVIII. 
 
 The Angel answered that the devil had such power over 
 those who in their marriage banish God from their heart, 
 and think only of gratifying their passions. "But thou," 
 me continued, "when thou shalt take her 14 , give thyself for 
 three days to nothing else than to prayer; then the devil 
 shall be driven away, and you shall obtain a blessing." 
 
 Having entered into the house of Raguel, Tobias made 
 
 himself known, and was warmly received by Raguel, as the 
 
 son of an. old friend and of a most worthy man. At the 
 
 same time Anna, the wife of Raguel, and Sara, his daughter, 
 
 wept for joy. They then prepared a repast for the travellers, 
 
 and Liaguel prayed them to sit down to eat. Tobias told 
 
 him that he would neither eat nor drink till he promised 
 
 to give him Sara, his daughter, in marriage. 
 
 r Raguel seemed to hesitate, but the Angel told him not 
 
 \to be afraid to give his daughter to the young man, for 
 
 jthat he feared the Lord. Then Raguel consented, and taking 
 
 (his daughter's right hand, placed it in that of Tobias, saying : 
 
 j"The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of 
 
 I Jacob be with you ; may he join you together, and fulfil 
 
 \{iis blessing in you." 
 
 Then they sat down to eat. And Tobias and Sara spent 
 three days in prayer, after which the devil had no power 
 :o harm them. Then, at the request of Tobias, the Angel 
 look the note of hand, went to the country of the -Medes, 
 jollected the money from Gabelus, and returned with Gabelus 
 :o be present at the wedding. 
 
 Gabelus came with great joy, and when he saw the young 
 
 husbanc[Jie^ went and embraced him, saying: "The God of 
 
 Israel bless thee, because thou art the son of a very good 
 
 and just man, and that feareth God, and doeth alms-deeds. 
 
 And may a blessing come upon thy wife." 
 
 8 This town is 900 miles east of Ninive. — 9 When Tobias was 
 rich he had lent a considerable sum of money to a poor Israelite, 
 without charging any interest. — ,0 who had assumed the form of 
 a noble looking youth. — "He had no suspicion that his pious 
 prayer had been answered even before it was uttered. — 12 to wash 
 »>lf the dust. — ,3 It opened wide its jaws, as if it were going- to 
 
PARTING ADVICE OF TOBIAS TO HIS SON, &c. 347 
 
 devour Tobias. — M when she has given herself to be thy wife and 
 thou hast married her. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The elder Tobias is the model of a ng^ ^ fgtfwr . By word 
 and example he brought up his son from his earliest youth 
 in the fear of God. When the time came that he expected 
 to die, he forcibly reiterated the most important points of 
 his teaching, and his exhortations must have made all the 
 greater impression on the son, because the father preached 
 nothing that he had not himself constantly practised. Tobias^ 
 cared for the salvation of his son's soul more than anything] 
 and therefore he admonished him above all things to avoid/ 
 sin and especially to cultivate the virtues of filial piety, the* 
 fear of God, justice, brotherly love, gentleness and a greau 
 confidence in God. V. 
 
 The younger Tobias is the model of a (f ood son. He listened 
 eagerly to his father's beautiful exhortations, and made this 
 promise: "I will do all these things, father, which thou hast 
 commanded me." He kept this promise most faithfully, as 
 you will see by what follows. If a child does not receive 
 his parents' advice willingly, he sins against that obedience 
 which he owes them. 
 
 The connexion between the F irst and Fourth Commandments. 
 Tobias's exhortation shows us how very important the 
 observance of the Fourth Commandment is for children. Does 
 it not strike you as strange that his first exhortation should 
 be: "Honour thy mother &c." and that he should only say 
 afterwards: "Have God in thy mind &c. ?" There is a reasoi 
 for this, because reverence for parents is, so to speak, at the) 
 root of religion and of the fear of God. He who does not lov 
 and honour his parents, who are his visible benefactors, wil] 
 not love and honour God, Who is his invisible Father an( 
 Benefactor. That son who does not observe the Fourtl 
 Commandment, is an ungrateful and irreligious man. 
 
 Defraud ing of wages. Among his other exhortations Tobias 
 said to his son: "If any man has done work for thee, pay 
 him his hire." This is a duty of justice. He who does not 
 give his promised wages to the labourer, that lives by the 
 
348 CHAPTER LXIX. 
 
 work of his hands, commits one of the four sins which cry 
 to heaven for vengeance. 
 
 Death is the separationj^soul and body. Tobias said to 
 
 A his son: "When God shall take my soul, thou shalt bury 
 
 ! my body." By death the soul is parted from the body, and 
 
 God calls it before Him to be judged. The body, meanwhile, 
 
 returns to the earth, until God shall raise it up at the last 
 
 day, and re-unite it for ever to the body. 
 
 The en wniesjpf^ °^ r souls are all those things which lead 
 to mortal sin. They who commit grievous sins are enemies 
 not only to God and their neighbour, but also to their own 
 soul; because they rob it of God's grace, and plunge it into 
 everlasting ruin. 
 
 Preparation for the married state. The Angel urged young Tobias 
 to enter into the married state, but he recommended him to begin 
 his married life by three days of prayer. All those who wish to 
 enter the state of matrimony ought to prepare themselves for it by 
 prayer and the sacrament ; for marriage is a holy state. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Lay to heart the exhortations of old Tobias just as if your 
 own father had spoken them to you on his death-bed. Ask 
 yourself every day whether you have acted up to his teaching. 
 
 Have you always gladly followed the advice of your father 
 and mother? Are your parents obliged to find fault with 
 you very often ? Have you ever grieved or an gere d them ? 
 You cannot be a child of God if you do not honour and 
 obey your parents? Whenever they bid you do anything, 
 say to yourself, in the words of the young Tobias : " I will 
 /tydo all these things, father (or mother), which thou hast 
 commanded me." 
 
 Chapter LXIX. 
 TOBIAS RETURNS HOME. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 OURTEEN days had passed since the marriage of Tobias, 
 
 F 
 
 and his parents at home began to be exceedingly sad, 
 and they wept together because their son did not return. 
 But his mother was quite disconsolate, and she groaned and 
 
TOBIAS RETURNS HOME. 349 
 
 sighed: "Woe, woe is me, my son, why did we send thee to, ,, 
 a strange country; the light of our eyes, the staff of our 
 old age, the comfort of our life, the hope of our posterity!" 
 Then Tobias said to her: "Hold thy peace, our son is safe." 
 Yet she would not be comforted, but went out into all the 
 ways that she might see him coming afar off. 
 
 Now Tobias the younger said to Raguel: "I know that 
 my parents count the days, and their spirit is afflicted with- 
 in them." 1 However, Raguel pressed him to stay a little 
 longer, but in vain. He then gave him Sara his wife, and 
 the half of all he possessed, saying: "May the holy angel 
 of the Lord be with you in your journey, and bring you 
 through safely, and that you may find all things well about 
 your parents." 
 
 When the travellers had made half the journey homeward, 
 the Angel said to Tobias: "Let us go before and let the 
 family softly follow after us." 2 They did so, and Raphael 
 told Tobias to take with him the gall of the fish, because 
 it would be very useful. 
 
 Meanwhile Anna sat daily beside the way on the hill-top ; 
 and while she watched, she saw him coming far off. When 
 she was sure that it was her son coming, she ran to tell 
 her husband. She had scarcely done so when the dog which j 
 had accompanied her son on the journey, running before,\ 
 reached the house, wagging his tail and jumping for joy, as/ 
 if he had brought the news. Thereupon, the elder Tobias, j 
 blind as he was, groped his way and went out to meet hisl 
 son. And they all wept for joy. \j 
 
 Young Tobias then rubbed his father's eyes with the gall 
 of the fish, and he saw 3 ; and the old man exclaimed: "I 
 bless Thee, Lord God of Israel, because Thou hast chastised 
 me, and Thou hast saved me, and, behold, I see Tobias, my 
 son!" Seven^^ai^^^Yai and her retinue arrived, and 
 completedthe joy of that favoured and happy household. 
 
 1 Being full of trouble and anxiety about me. — 2 Tobias hastened 
 on to relieve his parents' anxiety as soon as possible, while Sara 
 travelled after him more leisurely, with the servants, camels, flocks 
 and herds which her father had given her. — 3 This cure was 
 
350 CHAPTER LXIX. 
 
 miraculous, because it followed immediately after the application of the 
 remedy, and because this remedy was unknown before, and is so still. 
 
 Then the son related to his parents all the benefits he 
 had received from the young man, his guide. He said they 
 could never repay him for all they had done for him, but 
 asked his father's permission to give him one half of the 
 money he had received from Gabelus. 
 
 The father willingly consented, and they pressed the young 
 man to accept the money. But the heavenly messenger said 
 a to them: "Bless ye the God of heaven, and give glory -to 
 ' Him 4 in the sight of all that live ; because He hath shown 
 His mercy to you 5 . Prayer is good with fasting and alms, 
 more than to lay up treasures of gold. When thou didst 
 pray with tears, and didst bury the dead, I offered thy prayer 
 to the Lord. 
 
 AA" And because thou wast acceptable to God, it was necessary 
 that temptation should prove thee 6 . The Lord hath sent 
 me to heal thee, and to deliver Sara, thy son's wife, from 
 the devil. For I am the Angel Raphael, one of the seven 
 who stand before the throne of God." 7 Hearing this 8 , they 
 were seized with fear, and all fell prostrate on the ground. 
 Still the Angel told them not to fear, but to bless and thank the 
 Lord, Who had sent him to do His holy will in their regard. 
 
 Having spoken thus, he vanished from their sight, leaving 
 the little family lost in wonder and full of gratitude to 
 God 9 . The elder Tobias lived forty two years after these 
 events to share in the happiness of his family, and died at 
 the age of one hundred and two years. Tobias, his son, 
 lived to be very old; he saw the children of his children, 
 who remained faithful, and were beloved by God and man. 
 
 4 And not to me. — 5 The reasons why God had shown mercy 
 to him are given in the words that follow, "prayer with fasting &c." 
 — 6 to prove that your piety and fear of God were true, genuine 
 and persevering. — 7 the seven who serve the Lord, and are always 
 ready to carry out God's gracious designs regarding men. Michael, 
 Gabriel and Raphael are Archangels. — 8 The thought that one of 
 God's great angels should have visited them, filled them with a holy 
 awe. — 9 After the Angel's disappearance kjiey remained on their, 
 faces for three hours, praising God. 
 
TOBIAS RETURNS HOME. 351 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Go odne ss of God. This story of Tobias shows us most 
 clearly how good God is to His servants. He gave old Tobias 
 a good son ; He sent His Angel in the form of a man to guide 
 him: He gave the son a rich and virtuous wife; He cured 
 the father, granted him a happy old age in the midst of 
 God-fearing children and grand-children, and blessed his 
 f amily for many generations. God changed Tobias's suffering 
 to great joy; for who could describe the father's happiness 
 when, after four years of blindness, he once more saw standing/ 
 before him his beloved son, on whose account he had enduredl 
 slTmuclT anxiet^ he had gone through made 
 
 his present joy all the greater. God sends tribulations to^ 
 the just, in order that He may reward their patience with; 
 great joys, given often in this world, but anyhow in heaven i 
 AA The blessings brought by piety . St. Paul (1 Tim. 4, 8)^ 
 writes thus: "Godliness is profitable in all things, having^ 
 the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is 
 to come." Piety made old Tobias a good father, training 
 his son in virtue; it kept him from sin, and urged him to 
 the ceaseless practice of good works; it won for him the 
 ^favour of Kjng Salmanazar, and gave him patience under 
 his sufferings, filling him with consolation. Piety made the 
 young Tobias to be an affectionate and dutiful son, a virtuous 
 youth and a holy man, the joy and support of his parents. 
 It drew down on both father and son God's protection and 
 blessing on earth, and untold glory in heaven. True interior 
 piety cannot be too highly valued. 
 
 The lov e v of p arents for their children is fully illustrated 
 by this story. Also, 
 
 The fil ial lov e of children for their parents. In young Tobias 
 was fulfilled the promise attached to the observance of the 
 Fourth Commandment : "that thy days may be long in the 
 land &c." 
 
 Guardian Angels. This story fully confirms the Catholic 
 
 doctrine about guardian angels. Tobias's parting words to 
 
 Jiis son: "May God's angel accompany you", plainly show 
 
 rhat he believed in the protection of guardian angels. By 
 
352 CHAPTER LXIX. 
 
 Raphael's actions we can see what it is that our guardian 
 angels do for us, since they do for us in an invisible manner 
 just what he did, visibly, for young Tobias. He guided him, 
 protected him on his long and perilous journey, showed him 
 what was the right thing to do, and prayed for him and 
 his father. This is what our guardian angels do for us. 
 ^ The Angel's words : " When thou didst pray with tears, and 
 bury the dead, I offered thy prayer to the Lord", show us 
 plainly that the holy angels know all about our prayers, 
 sufferings and labours, and carry our prayers and good works 
 before the throne of God, uniting their prayers to ours, and 
 interceding for us. The example of Tobias shows us how 
 we ought to conduct ourselves towards our holy guardian. 
 Tobias reverenced the holy Angel, obeyed his directions, 
 executed his commands, called on him in the hour of danger, 
 and showed him the most heartfelt gratitude. 
 
 Humilit y of the holy Archangel Raphael, He gave all the 
 glory to God. 
 
 Gr a ti tud e shown by the old and young Tobias towards 
 their oenefactor. They wished to give him half of what 
 they possessed. Gratitude is pleasing, whereas everybody 
 detests ingratitude. 
 
 Go od work s. The Angel of God praised Tobias on account 
 of his prayers, fasting and alms-deeds, thereby putting such 
 works before us as excellent, and pleasing to God. Under 
 the head of "prayer" we are to understand all acts of 
 worship both interior and exterior ; for Tobias did not merely 
 pray, but offered sacrifice, and went to Jerusalem for the 
 great feasts of God. Under the head of "fasting'' are included 
 all acts of mortification. Tobias observed antnelaws regarding 
 
 it M • • ■ ar • **• % m» <-> ** 
 
 abstinence from certain food: he shortened his night's rest 
 to bury the dead, and bore all his sufferings with patience 
 and resignation. Under the head of alms-deeds we are to 
 understand all the works of mercy wmcnTobias practised 
 to such a great degree, comforting the afflicted, feeding the 
 hungry, and burying the dead. Now, why are t^ese^^ood 
 works enjo i ne d on us ? ^Firstly, because "Ly prayer we prove 
 our love of God, by fasting our love of ourselves, ;m<l by 
 
 
TOBIAS RETURNS HOME. 353 
 
 alms-deeds our love of our neighbour. Secondly, because 
 these three good works, united, represent the most^ perfect 
 offering which we can make to God, for by prayer we offer 
 Him* our soul, by fasting, our body, and by alms, all we 
 possess. . Thirdly, because these three good works are the 
 best weapons against our three enemies: by prayer we can 
 ] fight against pride, by fasting, against the lust of the flesh, 
 I and by alms-deeds, against the lust of the eye. 
 \+ Imperishab le, tre asures. Why is "prayer, with fasting and 
 alms, better than laying up treasures of gold"? Because 
 gold and earthly treasures can be taken away from us, and 
 must inevitably be taken away by death, whereas our prayers 
 and other meritorious works are real treasures which no one 
 can take away from us, but which will go into eternity 
 with us, and obtain for us a favourable judgment. Earthly 
 treasures make it difficult to die, but heavenly treasures 
 make it easy. Therefore, our Divine Saviour says: "Lay up 
 for yourselves treasures in heaven" (New Test. XXI). 
 
 The prayer of p raise and thanksgiving. A great many 
 men err by offering up only prayers of petition, quite 
 neglecting either to praise or thank Almighty God. The 
 Angel expressly urged Tobias to offer up prayers of praise 
 and thanksgiving, and Tobias was in the habit of doing so. 
 The suff erings of the just serve the double purpose of 
 proving them and of increasing their merits. "Because thou 
 wast acceptable to God, it was necessary that temptation 
 should prove thee", said the Angel to Tobias. 
 
 Great awe and veneration were experienced by both father and son 
 when they discovered that an angel of the Most High had appeared 
 to them in the form of a man. " Being seized with fear they fell upon 
 their faces on the ground." How much more reverence ought we to 
 feel each time we are in the presence of the most holy Sacrament, 
 in which our Lord is really and personally present with His Divinity 
 and sacred Humanity. 
 
 A good education produces good fruit for several generations. Tobias 
 the younger, having received a good education from his father, brought 
 up his own children in the fear of the Lord; and they too, in their 
 turn, brought up their children well. So it happened that the descendants 
 of Tobias "continued in good life and in holy conversation, and thus 
 were acceptable both to God and man". 
 
354 CHAPTER LXX. 
 
 The wings of prayer. Our prayers should bo joined to fasting and 
 alms-deeds, or in other words to works of self-denial and charity. 
 By this means they have greater power, are more pleasing to God, 
 and are more surely heard. The holy Fathers say, therefore : " Fasting 
 and alms are the two wings with which our prayers fly to heaven". 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Do you keep in your mind that your holy guardian angel 
 is always with you ? Do you commend yourself to his care, 
 and obey his inspirations? 
 
 Do you take pains, like young Tobias, to be a joy to 
 your parents, and to spare them anxiety and vexation ? Do 
 you return home as soon as you can, when you are sent 
 out by them on an errand? 
 
 DECLINE OF THE KINGDOM OF JUDA. 
 
 Chapter LXX. 
 THE PROPHETS JOEL AND MICHEAS. (790—730 B. C.) 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 GOD also sent to the inhabitants of the kingdom of Juda 
 a great number of prophets, whose powerful voice was 
 heard throughout the land calling them to repentance K Many 
 times did their words produce the desired effect, and bring 
 the people to repentance, and for a while they served God 
 with fidelity and sincerity. 
 
 Unhappily these returns to virtue and religion were of 
 short duration 2 . Then it was that the prophets, with sorrow- 
 ful hearts, began to announce to the rebellious people the 
 downfall of their country 3 , and the only consolation left to 
 the prophets was the thought of the Messias, whose coming 
 they saw more clearly as time went on. 
 ^ The prophet Joel spoke to the people in these terms : 
 1 Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of 
 the land. Blow the trumpet in Sion, sound an alarm in my 
 
THE PROPHETS JOEL AND MICHEAS. 355 
 
 holy mountain; because the day of the Lord comes; because 
 it is nigh at hand. A day of darkness and of gloom ; a day 
 of clouds and whirlwinds; a numerous people and a strong- 
 people, as the morning spread upon the mountains. Before 
 the face thereof a devouring fire, and behind it a burning 
 iiame. Sacrifices and oblations have ceased to be offered in 
 the house of the Lord. Rend your hearts and not your gar-AA 
 ments, and turn to the Lord your God. Between the portico 
 and the altar, the priests, the Lord's ministers, shall weep 
 and shall say: "Spare, Lord, spare Thy people." 
 
 The prophet ^Uci<^s is not less terrible in his warning: 
 "Hear, all ye peojues/' he cries out, "and let the earth 
 give ear. I will make Samaria as a heap of stones ! I will 
 bring down the stones thereof into the valley, and will lay 
 her foundations bare. Hear this, ye princes of the house of 
 Jacob; you that abhor judgment, and pervert all that is 
 right; you who build up Sion with blood, and Jerusalem 
 with iniquity. Therefore, on account of you, Sion shall be 
 ploughed as a field, and Jerusalem shall be as a heap of 
 stone's ;~ a nci 'TnT^ ountain of the Temple as theliigK^praces 
 oTTJhlTTorests. And thou Bethlehem Ephrata, art a little one 
 among Tneihousands of Juda; out of thee shall He come 
 forth unto me that is to be the Ruler in Israel; and His 
 going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity." 
 
 These prophecies have been all literally fulfilled. The 
 prophecy about Bethlehem refers to the Saviour, so that 
 the Jews might know that the Redeemer promised to Adam, 
 to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to Juda, and to David would 
 be born in Bethlehem. 
 
 1 Proclaiming and foretelling the judgments of God. — 2 Terrible 
 im purit y, sorcery, and superstitions of all kinds, reigned among the 
 chosen peophT Of the twenty kings who ruled over Juda the greater 
 number shamelessly served idols. A ch az and Manasscs even offered 
 £up their own children in sacrifice tothe false god, M olo ch. Acjnifc* 
 closed the Temple; Mana^ses set up altars^to the false gods intne 
 ouler^ourt of*" it. — 3 toretelling such punishments as Invasions of 
 tn"e Tnemy7 despoiling of cities, devastation of the country &c. &c. 
 Manasses was cast into prison, loaded with chains, and carried off to*- 
 Babylon; and many kings were murdered by conspirators. 
 
356 CHAPTER LXX1. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Evil passions arc at the root of unbelief. It seems almost 
 incredible that, although God had made Himself known to 
 them in such marvellous ways, so many of the kings of 
 Israel and of Juda should have fallen away from Him. Their 
 apostasy shows us the enormous power of those human passions 
 which obscure the reason. The idolatrous kings £new the 
 true God, but they refused to acknowledge Him, because 
 j^His commandments put a curb on their passions. The worship 
 of false gods, which encouraged sensuality, and was not 
 opposed to despotism or extravagance, was preferable to 
 them, for while practising it they were free to live according 
 to their lusts. Therefore, they turned their hearts from God 
 and set up a senseless idolatry which permitted them to do 
 exactly as they wished! 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Bear in mind that the evil passions of the heart are to- 
 day, as they were in the days of the kings of Juda, the 
 /principal cause of unbelief in the eternal and true God. 
 
 Chapter LXXI. 
 
 KING OZIAS, WISHING TO USURP THE PRIESTLY 
 FUNCTIONS, IS STRICKEN WITH LEPROSY. 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 OZIAS was one of the few faithful kings who reigned in 
 Juda. He reigned fifty-two years, and did that which 
 was right in the sight of the Lord. And God directed him 
 in all things 1 . Unhappily prosperity made him proud, and 
 he carried his audacity so far as to usurp the priestly office 2 . 
 One day, going into the Temple 3 , he went to burn incense 
 upon the altar 4 . Eighty priests, with Azarias, the High Priest, 
 at their head, opposed the king, and prevented him from 
 burning incense. 
 
 Ozias, being very angry, threatened to strike the priests 
 with the censer which he held in his hand. No sooner had 
 he raised his hand than he himself was stricken with leprosy 5 , 
 
OZTAS STRICKEN WITH LEPROSY. 357 
 
 which appeared on his forehead before all the priests. And 
 they, seized with horror at this sudden and awful punish- 
 ment, took hold of the king and put him out of the Temple. 
 The king was terrified, and, feeling the leprosy spread all 
 over his body, hastened away from the Temple to shut 
 himself up in a palace apart from all others. He remained 
 a leper till the day of his death. Such was the fearful 
 punishment which God inflicted on an otherwise faithful king, 
 because of his sacrilegious attempt to perform an office 
 that belonged only to priests. 
 
 1 He overcame the enemies of Juda, and brought his kingdom to 
 a state of great prosperity. — 2 He wished to be both priest and 
 king as the heathens were ; and to be, therefore, not only the temporal 
 head, but also the spiritual head of his people. — 3 into the Sanctuary, 
 which, according to the Law, only the priests might enter. — 
 4 See Chapt. XXXVIII. — 5 On account of the contagion, the king 
 had till his death to live in a house apart, and might not even enter 
 the outer court of the Temple. The throne passed to his son, Joatham. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 After pride comes a fall. The case of Ozias, like that of 
 Saul, shows us that it is easy for a man to be made proud 
 by prosperity, power or riches. To be king, no longer satisfied 
 him; he must be priest as well! This led him to sin 
 grievously against the law of God, and as a punishment for 
 his pride he lost even his royal position, and led a sad and 
 solitary life. No doubt, in his solitude, he renounced his pride, 
 and heartily repented of his crime. " Every one that exalteth 
 A himself shall be humbled" (Luke 14, 11). 
 
 Temporal and spiritual authority. Even in the Old Testament, 
 God, in His wisdom, separated the spiritual or priestly, from 
 the temporal or royal authority, perpetuating it in Aaron 
 and his descendants. In the New Testament our Lord instituted 
 a special priesthood, entrusting its authority to the apostles 
 and their successors. Both Church and State represent God's 
 authority, and they ought mutually to respect each other, 
 and work together for the good of the people, but neither 
 of them ought to usurp the prerogatives of the other. The 
 severe punishment which followed the crime of Ozias ought 
 to serve as a warning to temporal rulers in all ages not to 
 
358 CHAPTER LXXII. 
 
 encroach on the rights of the Church ; and it ought to show 
 all men that it is a sin not to respect the spiritual authority 
 instituted by God, to set themselves up against it, or blame 
 or abuse its decrees. 
 
 Lawful obedience. The High Priest did his duty in undauntedly 
 opposing the king in his sinful purpose. This was a case when 
 it would have been wrong for him to obey the king, for he 
 commanded a thing which God had forbidden. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Remind yourselves of the cases in which you are not bound 
 to obey your parents and those set in authority over you. 
 
 Chapter LXXIL 
 THE PROPHECIES OF ISAIAS. (700 B. C.) 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 DURING the reign of the same Ozias, the people of Juda 
 were guilty of many acts of idolatry. Wherefore God 
 sent them the great prophet Isaias 1 . In sublime and terrific 
 language he warned them of many fearful calamities that 
 were to come upon their country 2 . 
 
 1 He lived from about 750 to 700 B. C. He was the chief among 
 the prophets of that time, being remarkable not only for what he 
 did, but still more on account of his wonderful prophecies. Holy 
 Scripture itself calls him "the great prophet, faithful in the sight of 
 God" (Ecclus. 48, 25). — 2 and preached penance. "Hear the word 
 of the Lord," he wrote: "Wash yourselves, be clean, take away the 
 evil of your devices from my eyes ; cease to do perversely. Learn 
 to do well: seek judgment. Then come and accuse me, saith the 
 Lord. If your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow : 
 if they be red as crimson, they shall be as white as wool. But if 
 you will provoke me to wrath, the sword shall devour you." The 
 Lord thus reminds the inhabitants of Juda that they were not only 
 to worship Him outwardly, but to serve Him by thought, word and 
 deed. If they were converted, He would take away their sins, however 
 grievous or numerous they might be. 
 
 The Lord also revealed to this prophet so many particulars 
 relating to the Saviour of the world that, reading his pro- 
 phecies, one would suppose Isaias had lived at the same 
 time as our Divine Lord, instead of living seven hundred 
 
THE PROPHECIES OF ISAIAS. 359 
 
 years before 3 . A few of these prophecies will show how 
 clearly this greatest of all the prophets foresaw the Birth, 
 Passion and Death of the Redeemer. 
 
 Speaking of the Mother of the Messias, as well as of the 
 Messias Himself, he said: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive 
 and bear a son, and His name shall be called Emmanuel, 
 that is, God with us. And There shall come forth a rod out 
 of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his 
 root. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the 
 spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and 
 of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and of godliness. And 
 He shall be filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord. 
 
 "A Child is born to us, a Son is given to us, and the 
 government is upon His shoulder. His name shall be called 
 Wonderful, Counsellor, the Father of the world to come, 
 the Prince of Peace. God Himself will come and save you; 
 then 4 shall the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears 
 of the deaf shall be unstopped." 
 
 3 Isaias described much of our Lord's Life as accurately as if he 
 had been one of the evangelists, who wrote and described what they 
 had themselves seen. Only a few among the many prophecies of Isaias 
 are quoted above. — 4 that is, when the Redeemer shall have come. 
 
 Concerning the Passion of our Lord he prophesied: "There 
 is no beauty in Him, nor comeliness 5 . Despised, and the 
 most abject of men, a man of sorrows 6 . He has borne our 
 infirmities ; He was wounded for our iniquities ; He was bruised 
 for our sins, and by His bruises we are healed 7 . The Lord 
 hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was offered be- 
 cause it was His own will, and He opened not His mouth 8 . 
 He shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be 
 dumb as a lamb before his shearer." 9 Regarding His future 
 glory, the prophet says: "The gentiles shall beseech Him, 
 and His sepulchre shall be glorious." Isaias prophesied about 
 fifty years. It is said that he, while yet alive, was sawn 
 in two by order of the impious king Manasses. 
 
 5 i. e. He, the Redeemer, is quite disfigured and marred by the 
 treatment He had received. — c A man full of suffering— only there 
 for the purpose of suffering. — 7 His wounds obtain for us salvation, 
 
360 CHAPTER LXXII. 
 
 namely pardon and grace. — 8 to complain. — 9 He suffered, full of 
 resignation, and was, as it were, as dumb as a patient lamb. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Omniscience of God. God sees the future as if it were 
 actually present, and He revealed the life of the Redeemer 
 so clearly to Isaias, that the prophet was able to describe 
 it as if he had seen it in person. 
 
 The Holiness of God. He loves only that which is good, 
 and detests evil. He wishes man to be good in thought, 
 word and deed. "Wash yourselves, be clean, take away the 
 evil of your devices from my eyes; cease to do perversely." 
 
 The Mercy of God. He is quite ready to pardon if only the 
 sinner will be converted. "Then (when you are converted), 
 come and accuse me. If your sins be as scarlet, they shall 
 be made as white as snow &c." 
 
 True conversion consists, as the words of Isaias show, in a 
 complete change of heart and life. The sinner must renounce 
 all bad thoughts and sinful deeds, and must do what is right. 
 He must hate the sins which he has hitherto loved, and 
 must worship the God Whom he has hitherto despised and 
 offended. 
 
 Even the most grievous sins can be remitted if only the 
 sinner be truly penitent. "If your sins be as scarlet, they 
 shall be made as white as snow; and if they be red as 
 crimson, they shall be as white as wool." Therefore, not 
 even the greatest of sinners should despair of God's mercy. 
 If he does, he sins against the Holy Ghost, and is in danger 
 of being lost eternally. 
 
 The testimony of the prophets helps and confirms our faith. 
 The prophecies of Isaias and the other prophets were written 
 by the inspiration of God, and have to this day been pre- 
 served in the Holy Scriptures in order to strengthen our 
 faith. Our Saviour says: "Search the Scriptures, the same 
 are they that give testimony of me " (John 5, 39). It must, 
 indeed, confirm our faith to see that the very things which 
 the Church teaches us about the Person and Life of the 
 Redeemer, were foretold by the prophets hundreds of years 
 before His Birth. 
 
THE PROPHECIES OF ISATAS. 361 
 
 The prophecies of Isaias constitute the ninth promise of 
 the Messias, and contain the following important doctrines 
 of faith: 
 
 a) That the Redeemer is God; for Isaias writes: "God 
 Himself will come and will save you," and he calls Him 
 "Emmanuel, or God with us". Jesus Christ is indeed the 
 true God with us, for He is the Son of God, made Man. 
 
 b) That the Divine Redeemer would be conceived and born 
 of a virgin: "Conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the 
 Virgin Mary". 
 
 c) That He would suffer sorrow and pain, that He would 
 be wounded, sacrificed and slain (New Test. LXXII). 
 
 d) That He would, like unto a lamb, suffer and die patiently 
 and willingly. "He was offered because it was His own 
 will, and He opened not His mouth. He shall be led as a 
 sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb before 
 his shearer." 
 
 e) Isaias foretells in plain words that it was on account 
 of the sins of men that the Redeemer would suffer and die, 
 in order to win pardon and salvation for them. Thus he 
 teaches the vicarious satisfaction made by the Redeemer of 
 the world. 
 
 f) Finally, the prophet glances at the glory of the Divine 
 Saviour, saying that His sepulchre would be glorious, and 
 that the nations (Jews and gentiles) would adore Him. The 
 grave of our Lord was made glorious by His Resurrection ; 
 and the nations could not adore Him, were He not still in 
 heaven, our God and Mediator. Thus the prophecy foretells 
 that, as Saviour of His people, He would rise from the 
 dead, and sit on His throne in heaven: "He rose again 
 from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the 
 right hand of God the Father Almighty." 
 
 Isaias was a great saint of the Old Testament. He is venerated by 
 the Church as a great preacher of penance, zealous for the glory 
 of God and the salvation of souls, and, also, as a highly inspired 
 prophet and martyr. When you recite the Litany of the Saints, and 
 say, "All ye holy patriarchs and prophets, pray for us," you can 
 think especially of God's holy prophet, Isaias. 
 
 Knecht, Commentary. I. 16 
 
862 CHAPTER LXXII1. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Is your piety only exterior? Does the holy fear of God 
 reign within you? Do you love God with all your heart, 
 and detest sin? Do you ever allow envious, malicious, 
 revengeful, impure, or proud thoughts to enter your mind? 
 Have you tried to amend your life since your last confession ? 
 
 Chapter LXXIII. 
 THE PIOUS KING EZECHIAS (723—694 B. C). 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 DURING the reign of Achaz the people of Juda were 
 visited with a terrible calamity. That unhappy king- 
 had sacrificed his own children to the idol Moloch, one of 
 the chief gods of the gentiles. He had closed the gates of 
 the Temple, and broken the sacred vessels. The Lord, 
 therefore, delivered him into the hands of the king of Syria, 
 who slew in one day a hundred and twenty thousand men 
 of Juda, while two hundred thousand women and children 
 were carried into captivity. 
 
 Achaz having died a short time after, his son Ezechias 1 
 ascended the throne. This pious prince immediately cast 
 down the altars which his unhappy father had everywhere 
 raised to the pagan gods; he threw open again the gates 
 of the Temple, and exhorted the Levites to purify it from 
 the profanations that had taken place there ; saying that it 
 was because of the sins of the people, and, above all, because 
 of their idolatry, that so many misfortunes had come upon 
 them. 
 
 And God blessed Ezechias and was with him in all lie 
 did; so that in his days the kingdom of Juda regained all 
 its former prosperity. Nevertheless it came to pass that 
 after some years, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came with 
 a mighty army, and besieged Jerusalem. 
 
 Then Ezechias went to the Temple and prayed. He also 
 sent priests, clothed in sackcloth, to the proplw^ Isaias, to 
 ask him to intercede with God in behalf of Ju'in and his 
 people. The prophet sent word to Ezechias not to fear, 
 
THE PIOUS KING EZECHIAS. 363 
 
 for that God had heard his prayer, and would destroy the 
 Assyrians, and that their king, returning to his own country, 
 should perish by the sword. 
 
 That same night the angel of the Lord went to the camp 
 of the Assyrians, and killed one hundred and eighty-five 
 thousand warriors 2 . Thus Sennacherib was obliged to return 
 with disgrace to his own country. There he went to the 
 temple of his god, and his own sons slew him with the 
 sword. Thus was fulfilled the prophecy of Isaias. Ezechias, 
 some time after, fell sick and lay at the point of death. 
 The prophet Isaias was sent to tell him to put his house 
 in order, for that he must die. The king terrified at the 
 thought of death, turned his face towards the Temple, and 
 prayed with tears that God might prolong his life. God 
 heard his prayer, and sent the prophet again to tell him 
 that fifteen years should be added to his life. And so it 
 came to pass; and at the end of the fifteen years he died, 
 after a happy and prosperous reign, the reward of his fidelity 
 to God. 
 
 1 Ezechias was grandfather to Ozias. — 2 with, most likely, a 
 malady, or pestilence, which caused a speedy death. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Justice of God. The holy king, Ezechias, was blessed 
 by God, and saved from a great danger in the most wonderful 
 way. On the other hand, the pride of Ozias was punished by 
 a life-long illness ; and all the other kings of Juda who were 
 unfaithful to God, were punished by Him in different ways. 
 
 In the hour of danger we ought to do as the pious king 
 Ezechias did. He took every possible human precaution to 
 defend Jerusalem, and then, full of confidence, humbly asked 
 God's protection. In the hour of need we in the same way 
 ought to do all we can ourselves, though we must not depend 
 on our own efforts for success, but humbly pray to God for 
 help and deliverance. "Our help cometh from the Lord!" 
 
 The pomp of prayer. The marvellous help which was 
 sent to Ezechias ought to prove to us the power and efficacy 
 of fervent prayer. 
 
 16* 
 
364 CHAPTER LXXIV. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Have you always prayed with confidence? Very likely 
 you have prayed for many things, and have not received 
 them because you lacked confidence. Have more faith, for 
 the future, when you pray, especially in times of trouble 
 and spiritual need; and then you will certainly be heard. 
 
 Chapter LXXIV. 
 JUDITH. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 AFTER a brief season of repentance and of penance, 
 the people of Juda again forgot the Lord. Then God, 
 in His anger, sent them a new and terrible punishment, which 
 would have ended in the total destruction of their nation 1 , 
 were it not for the heroic courage of a certain holy woman. 
 At that time Holofernes, general-in-chief of the Assyrian 
 forces, came at the head of a mighty army 2 to overthrow 
 the kingdom of Juda, as he had overthrown many other 
 kingdoms. 
 
 Having taken all the cities and strongholds of the country, 
 and treated their inhabitants with savage cruelty, he came 
 to lay siege to Bethulia 3 . He cut off the aqueducts which 
 supplied the city with water, and thereby reduced the citizens 
 to such an extremity that the elders resolved to give up 
 the city in five days, unless they were relieved before that 
 time 4 . Meanwhile they prayed fervently to God, humbled 
 themselves before Him, and strewed ashes on their heads. 
 
 Now there was in the city a woman named Judith, of 
 rare beauty and of great wealth, who, being a widow, lived 
 retired in her own house, and spent her days in prayer and 
 good works 5 . Being touched with compassion for the sad 
 condition of her people, she presented herself before the 
 ancients of the city and said : " What is this word by which 
 you have consented to give up the city within five days? 
 You have set a time for the mercy of the Lord according 
 to your pleasure. This is not a word that may draw down 
 mercy, but rather indignation. Let us therefore be penitent 
 
JUDITH. 365 
 
 for this same thing, and remember that all the saints were 
 tempted and remained faithful ; but that those who rejected 
 the trials of the Lord were destroyed. And let us believe 
 that these scourges have happened for our amendment and 
 not for our destruction." 
 
 1 This was about the year 690, during the minority of Manasses. 
 — 2 of 120,000 men on foot, and 22,000 horsemen. — 3 This was a 
 mountain fortress on the northern side of Mount Gelboe, in which 
 the brook Kishon takes its rise, and to the south of Nairn. — 4 The 
 army of Holofernes was quite twenty times as strong as that of 
 Bethulia, and, humanly speaking, there was no salvation to be looked 
 for, especially after he had turned off the water-supply. The Assyrian 
 general did not attempt to storm Bethulia, for he reckoned confidently 
 that the people of the town, dying of thirst, would very soon surrender ; 
 and he quietly awaited the result of the want of water. — 5 and 
 fasting; Judith only took one meal a day, and that one in the 
 evening. 
 
 The ancients, inspired by these noble words, begged her 
 to pray for the people. She consented, and retiring to her 
 oratory, clothed herself in hair-cloth 6 , put ashes on her head, 
 and falling prostrate before the Lord 7 , she besought Him 
 to humble the enemies of her nation. While she thus prayed, 
 Almighty God inspired her with the thought that she should 
 go into the camp of the enemy and cut off the head of the 
 Assyrian general Holofernes. 
 
 Then, putting off the hair-cloth, she immediately arrayed 
 herself in her richest garments, perfumed herself with the 
 best ointments, plaited her hair, and adorned herself with 
 bracelets, earlets, and rings. And the Lord increased her 
 beauty, because all her dressing up did not proceed from 
 vanity. Then she took a servant maid with her and set 
 out for the camp of Holofernes. 
 
 Being brought before Holofernes, the tyrant was charmed 
 with her majestic beauty, and supposing that she had fled 
 from her own people, ordered her to receive every attention, 
 and to be allowed to go and come as she pleased. On the 
 fourth day Holofernes gave a grand banquet to the officers 
 of his army. He and they overcharged themselves with 
 wine, and when they lay down on their couches, they fell 
 
366 CHAPTER LXX1V. 
 
 into a death-like sleep. Then Judith resolved to strike the 
 decisive blow that was to save her country and her people. 
 She besought God, saying: " Strengthen me, Lord God 
 of Israel, and in this hour look upon the works of my hands, 
 that I may bring to pass that which I have purposed, having 
 a belief that it might be done by Thee." Then she moved 
 softly towards the tent of Holofernes. And taking his sword 
 which hung from a pillar near by, she drew it from its 
 scabbard, raised it aloft, and, at the second stroke, cut off 
 the head of the sleeping tyrant. She then gave the head 
 to her maid, who waited without, and bade her put it into 
 her wallet 8 . 
 
 6 A rough garment worn under the other clothes, for the purpose 
 of tormenting the body. — 7 praying for help and light. — 8 in 
 which she had brought food from Bethulia. 
 
 Departing from the camp, she returned with her servant 
 to Bethulia, and having assembled the people, showed them 
 the head of Holofernes, saying: "Praise ye the Lord our 
 God, Who hath killed the enemy of His people by my hand. 
 His angel hath been my keeper and hath brought me back 
 to you." Then Ozias, the prince of the people of Israel 9 , 
 said to her: "Blessed art thou, daughter of the Lord, the 
 Most High God, above all the women upon the earth." 
 Then the people, praising God, rushed towards the camp of 
 the Assyrians. The guards, terrified and confused, made a 
 great noise at the door of their general's tent in order to 
 awaken him. 
 
 But finding their efforts useless they at length ventured 
 to enter the tent, and seeing the headless body of their 
 mighty general weltering in blood, they were seized with 
 fear and fled in haste, crying out that Holofernes was slain 10 . 
 A great confusion ensued, and the people of Bethulia had 
 only to complete the work commenced by Judith, and take 
 possession of the Assyrian camp with its rich spoils. 
 
 Then the Jewish people, turning to Judith, sang with one 
 accord: "Thou art the glory of Jerusalem; thou art the joy 
 of Israel; thou art the honour of our people." The rejoicings 
 following on this splendid victory were kept up for three 
 
JUDITH. 
 
 367 
 
 iSSlfei 
 
 "$$ i'M^. 
 
 Zg& V^jN-^pK" 4 ^^ 
 
 <^~r— — - jg»g». 
 
 
 
 
 k ^i-m\% * 
 
 H l' :, 'lSjv^ s'WZg&J 
 
 \ JE0Wp&*gBL., 'S-^ 
 
 
 ^^J^s^ 5 ^ \ ^J]; 
 
 '■■'' i: vT / 
 
 ^F4f'fFW^ 
 
 
 Wvy^^ff-^l \£$US 
 
 -m 
 
 (mwl 
 
 
 ^jBEJBR jRi 
 
 kWJ 
 
 
 y^ )i 4^S\ ^^ 
 
 
 H" wMbM/U 
 
 
 |gj^ >^fe\ ^T^^ 
 
 ->\\SaB&=L 
 
 8r\ f lH^jfflB 
 
 
 F.\T[H Kp*|i JJk« 
 
 d^^sV^^SM. 
 
 %1PB 
 
 
 ^^ V / Is5ril^BT g 'TCr^ kIiE 
 
 GSBfe 
 
 nk-W' 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 nflll^y 
 
 l v ^« 
 
 sa£«w»u y^3m 
 
 
 
 
 E W'\ \ 1 --^9^ 
 
 
 
 
 ^Jl \\ 1 — -«j 
 
 \p3^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 " nil '|jijf !=; ^^~r ; ^ ' i '•*_* '^pr ri= HB 
 
 E^Os^^lB" 
 
 sKl^S 
 
 
 
 8fc.^^^i^^ , 
 
 
 
 fc^^^^^^^^S 
 
 Sj^ii^sv- «st 
 
 - s ••* %^ 
 
 ^ztc*. s^~z£z=. 
 
 ~L ^^^ s== Jg ^^^^^sk 
 
 ^Olfer~ 
 
 months. And Judith became great throughout all Israel 11 . 
 She died at an advanced age 12 , and was mourned by all 
 the people. 
 
 Judith is, in some degree, a figure of Mary, the Immaculate 
 Virgin. Mary is the true heroine of Israel, and of mankind. 
 Judith was praised by the people of one city as the pride 
 and ornament of Jerusalem. Mary is praised throughout the 
 whole world as the glory of her people, the cooperatrix in 
 the redemption of the whole human race, the woman whose 
 seed conquered death and hell, as the Almighty Himself 
 foretold to Adam and Eve after their fall. 
 
 9 The chief man of the town. — 10 Many were killed in their 
 flight, and the whole camp was plundered by the people of Bethulia. 
 What joy and gratitude to God must they have felt at being delivered 
 from so great a danger! — n She returned to her former retired and 
 penitential mode of life. — 12 at the age of a hundred and five years. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Goodness of God to His people. The attack of the 
 powerful Holofernes reduced the kingdom of Juda to a state 
 of the greatest danger. He had already taken several places, 
 and if the strong fortress of Bethulia had fallen, the way 
 to Jerusalem itself would have been open to him. The 
 
368 CHAPTER LXXIV. 
 
 Temple would then have been destroyed, and the whole 
 country conquered. Humanly speaking all this must have 
 happened, for Bethulia was suffering from want of water 
 and could not hold out beyond a few days. But once more 
 God spared the faithless kingdom of Juda ; and brought to 
 nought the plots of the wicked Holofernes, through the 
 instrumentality of a weak woman. God put it into the heart 
 of Judith to slay the enemy of her people, and enlightened 
 and strengthened her to carry out her dangerous undertaking. 
 He, moreover, produced such a panic in the Assyrian army 
 and its leaders, after the death of their general, that they 
 completely lost their heads, abandoned their camp in their 
 confusion, and took to flight before a mere handful of Bethu- 
 lians. In this instance, as in that of Goliath, God chose the 
 weak things of the world to confound the strong (1 Cor. 1, 27). 
 
 Resignation to God's will. The people of Bethulia believed 
 in the true God, and had not been led away to serve idols 
 (Judith 8, 18), but, still, their faith was not sufficiently 
 enlightened, and their wills not sufficiently resigned. They 
 "tempted" God, or dictated to Him, by saying: "If Thou 
 wilt help, help soon ; if Thy help does not come in five days, 
 we shall despair of Thine assistance and surrender." Judith 
 was right to blame them, for it is not for us, blind, wretched 
 men to dictate to the great God as to when and how He 
 shall help us. Probably the Bethulians expected that by 
 sending rain He would put an end to the want of water; 
 but God had decided on saving them in another way, for 
 His thoughts are not our thoughts. Let us guard against 
 dictating to God as to what way He is to help us. We 
 must leave the time and mode of help entirely to Him. 
 
 The virtues of Judith. She was a very virtuous, nay, more, 
 a very holy woman. Let us see what virtues she especially 
 displayed in this story. 
 
 a) Piety. She prayed often and devoutly. By constant 
 communion with God she learnt to know Him, and obtained 
 great confidence in Him. It was in prayer that her great 
 thoughts and resolutions came to her, as also the wisdom 
 to carry them out. 
 
JUDITH. 369 
 
 b) Mortification and self-denial. Her husband left her 
 great riches, many servants, and flocks and herds. But 
 although she had such great possessions, and might have 
 led a luxurious and brilliant life, she lived quite retired 
 from the world, in a state of voluntary poverty and chastity, 
 and practised severe penances, wearing hair-cloth, and fasting 
 every day. "Blessed are the poor in spirit !" It was by 
 this life of mortification that Judith attained to the 
 
 c) Heroism, which enabled her to save her people. The 
 more we deny ourselves and resist our natural desires, the 
 more holy and strong will be our wills, and the less shall 
 we shrink from any burden or danger which could advance 
 God's glory and the good of our neighbour. The High-Priest 
 was right when he said to Judith: " Thou hast done manfully, 
 because thou hast loved chastity" (Judith 15, 11). 
 
 d) Love of her country. Judith knew that the Temple and 
 her country were in extreme danger, and it was to save 
 them that she went unprotected into the enemy's camp, and 
 placed herself in what was, apparently, imminent danger of 
 death. She was willing to sacrifice herself for them, out of 
 love for God and His holy Law. 
 
 e) Her humility is especially worthy of admiration. She 
 was proud neither of beauty nor riches, and was truly humble 
 of heart. "Let us be penitent, and humble our souls before 
 God," said she to the elders. After her heroic action she 
 gave all the glory to God. " Praise ye the Lord our God," 
 said she, "Who hath killed the enemies of His people by 
 my hand". 
 
 Judith is considered by the Church to be a type of the 
 Blessed Virgin Mary. Even as the chaste Judith cut off the 
 head of Holofernes, thereby saving her people from captivity 
 and slavery, so did Mary, the Immaculate Mother, through 
 her Divine Son, trample on the head of the infernal Holofernes, 
 and free all mankind from his power. Even as Judith was 
 lauded as "blessed above all women on earth", so did 
 St. Elizabeth and the angel Gabriel both say to our Lady: 
 "Blessed art thou among women." Judith gave all the glory 
 to God, as did Mary in the Magnificat (New Test. IV). 
 
 1G ## 
 
370 CHAPTER LXXV. 
 
 Judith was devout : Mary is the vessel of singular devotion. 
 Judith was a holy woman: Mary is the Virgin Most Holy, 
 and the Mirror of justice in which all virtues are reflected. 
 Judith was heroic: Mary was the most heroic of women, 
 and the Queen of martyrs. Judith was the glory of 
 Jerusalem: Mary is the Queen of all saints, the glory of 
 the heavenly Jerusalem, the joy of the elect, and the honour 
 of the whole Church. 
 
 The invocation of the Saints. The people of Bethulia recommended 
 themselves to the intercession of Judith, because she was a holy 
 woman, and because, therefore, her prayers would have great power 
 with God. It is for the same reason that we recommend ourselves to 
 the intercession of the saints. 
 
 Belief in guardian angels. "God's angel hath been my keeper", 
 said Judith; and her words show us that she believed that she had 
 a guardian angel. The Catholic doctrine about guardian angels is 
 thoroughly founded on Holy Scripture. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Do you always give glory to God, or do you cherish vain 
 thoughts, and boast of your own attainments? Are you 
 fond of talking about yourself? Do you try to depreciate 
 others in order to exalt yourself? Renounce pride! Be 
 ashamed of your silly vanity and boasting ! Each day direct 
 all your intentions to the greater glory of God, for this is 
 an excellent way to put down pride and to obtain merit in 
 the sight of God. 
 
 THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVTTY 
 
 (606-536 B. C). 
 
 Chapter LXXV. 
 
 THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY— FALL OF THE 
 KINGDOM OF JUDA (588 B. C). 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 AT last the people of Juda became so hardened in sin 
 that the divine chastisements had no longer any effect 
 upon their hearts. They gave themselves wholly up to the 
 
THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. 371 
 
 vile practices of idolatry, and persecuted the prophets of God, 
 several of whom they put to death. In vain did the great 
 prophet, Jeremias, who lived at that time, endeavour to recall 
 them to repentance *. Finally, the patience of the merciful 
 God was exhausted, and the ruin so often foretold by the 
 prophet Isaias fell heavily on the people. 
 
 In the year 606 B. C, Nabuchodonozor 2 , king of Babylon, 
 placed himself at the head of an immense army, marched 
 against Jerusalem 3 , and, having taken it, carried away the 
 king and the principal inhabitants 4 as captives. Sixteen years 
 later, those who were left in Jerusalem revolted against Nabu- 
 chodonozor, and the latter returned with a still greater army, 
 and after a siege of eighteen months, he took Jerusalem by storm. 
 
 Then the whole city was given up to fire and pillage 5 . 
 The Temple itself was consumed by fire, and the sacred 
 vessels were carried off. All the people that escaped the 
 sword were led into captivity in Babylon 6 , and the splendid 
 city of Jerusalem was reduced to a heap of ruins. 
 
 1 He tried to convert the people, and avert the threatened pun- 
 ishment, by his own penances. He put on himself an iron yoke 
 (i. e. the strong bar which fastens two oxen together) and thus 
 preached penance to the people. He did this in order to bring home 
 to tfyem into how degrading a servitude they had fallen. But they 
 scourged him and threw him into a dungeon, from which he was 
 delivered by Nabuchodonozor when he conquered Jerusalem. — 2 He 
 and his father had, about 610 B. C, destroyed the Assyrian empire 
 (to which Babylon belonged), overthrown Ninive, and set up a new 
 Babylonian empire, and subjected half Asia. — 3 because the Jews 
 had revolted. He laid siege to Jerusalem until (596 B. C.) it surren- 
 dered unconditionally. — 4 10,000 men. — 5 The famine during this 
 siege Avas so terrible that mothers cooked and ate their children who 
 had perished from starvation. A pestilence, moreover, broke out and 
 swept off many of the inhabitants. When, at last, the city was 
 stormed, thousands were killed, and the town literally ran with blood. 
 After Jerusalem was taken, it was sacked, the beautiful Temple 
 destroyed, the houses burnt, and the walls overthrown. — G Only 
 the very poor were left behind to cultivate the fields and vineyards. 
 The king, Sedecias, was carried off, his eyes were put out, and he 
 was kept in prison till he died. 
 
 Jeremias remained in Jerusalem 7 , and, sitting on the ruins 
 of the desolate city, he lamented in the most pathetic manner 
 
372 CHAPTER LXXV. 
 
 the miseries of his people, and the destruction of Jerusalem. 
 "How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people; 
 how is the mistress of nations become as a widow 8 ; the 
 princess of provinces made tributary ? 9 The ways of Sion 10 
 mourn, because there are none that come to the solemn feast. 
 all ye that pass by the way, attend, and see if there be 
 any sorrow like to my sorrow n . To what shall I compare 
 thee, or to what shall I liken thee? Great as the sea is 
 thy destruction. Who shall heal thee? Convert us, Lord, 
 to Thee, and we shall be converted 12 ; renew our days, as 
 from the beginning." 13 
 
 Jeremias, however, was not without consolation. He knew u 
 that Israel would be restored, and that God would make a 
 new covenant with His people. "The days shall come, saith 
 the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the house 
 of Israel 15 and with the house of Juda. Not according to 
 the covenants which I made with their fathers, which they 
 made void. But this shall be the covenant that I will make 
 with the house of Israel after those days. I will give my 
 law and will write it on their hearts, and I will be their 
 God, and they shall be my people. I will forgive their 
 iniquity and I will remember their sin no more." 16 
 
 7 He was given the choice of either remaining in Juda, or of filling 
 an honourable post in Babylon. He chose to remain among the ruins 
 of the Temple to comfort the Jews who were left behind. — 8 Je- 
 rusalem, formerly the mistress of many nations, now robbed of hoi- 
 king and her inhabitants. — 9 subject to Babylon, and forced to pay 
 tribute to her. — 10 the road to Sion, formerly thronged with pilgrims. 
 — u This is supposed to be spoken by Jerusalem. — 12 We have 
 sinned, therefore we are punished. We cannot be converted of our- 
 selves : convert us, and then our conversion will be sincere. — 
 13 Bring back the former happy days. — u and foretold that the Jews 
 would return after a captivity of seventy years (Chapt. LXXX). — 
 15 with the descendants of the former people of Israel. — 1G This 
 new covenant will be an inward covenant of grace. 
 
 The captive Jews 17 were treated with kindness by the 
 king of Babylon, but they longed for the land of their fathers 
 and for the city of Jerusalem. This longing of their hearts 
 is beautifully expressed in one of the Psalms: "Upon the 
 rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept, when we remem- 
 
TTTE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. 373 
 
 bered Sion. On the willows 18 in the midst thereof we hung 
 up our instruments 19 , for there they that led us into captivity 
 required of us the words of songs 20 . How shall we sing 
 the song of the Lord in a strange land? 21 If I forget thee, 
 
 Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten 22 . Let my 
 tongue cleave to my jaws 23 if I do not remember thee, if 
 
 1 make not Jerusalem the beginning of my joys." 2i 
 
 17 As also the scattered Israelites who from this time were usually 
 termed Jews. — 18 the species known as weeping willow. — 19 as 
 a sign of grief, for it was impossible for them to make music, or 
 sing joyful songs. — 20 or songs of joy. These were sung to the 
 accompaniment of music, which was not the case with songs of 
 mourning. — 21 They regarded it as an act of desecration to sing 
 divine canticles in a heathen land, for the entertainment of their 
 captors. — 22 Let my right hand forget its use, and refuse to serve 
 me. — 23 Let me be dumb. — 24 if I prefer anything to the holy city. 
 
 During the captivity God did not abandon His people, 
 but sent the prophet Ezechiel who admonished and instructed 
 them. He also consoled them by telling them of a vision 25 
 which foreshadowed the deliverance of the people from their 
 captivity. The spirit of the Lord brought Ezechiel to a 
 plain filled with bones 26 . Being told by God, he commanded 
 the bones to come together, which was done, and they were 
 covered with flesh and skin, but there was no spirit in them. 
 And the Lord told Ezechiel to say to the spirit: "Come, 
 spirit, and let them live again." The spirit entered into 
 them, and they lived ; they stood upon their feet, an exceeding 
 great army. Then the Lord said: "These bones are the 
 house of Israel ; they say that our bones are dried up 27 and 
 our hope is lost, but say to them: Thus saith the Lord 
 God: Behold, I will open your graves, and bring you into 
 the land of Israel, and you shall know that I am the Lord, 
 my people." 
 
 25 Which God had permitted him to have. — 2G bones of dead 
 men. — 27 The Jews, in their banishment, considered themselves to 
 be like unto those who are dead and buried. 
 
 Amongst the captives were several young men of high 
 rank, belonging to the first families. The king ordered the 
 most distinguished of these to be brought to his own palace 28 , 
 
374 CHAPTER LXXV. 
 
 clothed in kingly apparel, and fed with meats from his own 
 table. Amongst these young men were Daniel 29 , Ananias, 
 Misael and Azarias. 
 
 They resolved not to eat the meats from the king's table, 
 because the Jewish law forbade the use of certain meats 30 , 
 and they begged the chief steward to allow them to eat only 
 vegetables, and to drink only water. The steward was 
 disposed to comply with their request, but he told them 
 that if they lived on such diet, they would become so lean 
 that the king would blame him, and perhaps punish him 
 severely. 
 
 Daniel besought the steward to try them for ten days 
 with the food and drink they desired to have. The steward 
 consented, and at the end of ten days the faces of these 
 young men were fresher and more comely than those of the 
 other young men of the court. 
 
 After this the steward gave them only vegetables and 
 water; but God gave them 31 wisdom and science 32 . When 
 the time came that they were presented to the king, he 
 was so charmed with their beauty and wisdom that he 
 retained them in his service. 
 
 The new covenant which Jeremias foretells is the Christian 
 religion, in which greater grace is given to men; for which 
 reason it is called the law of grace, while the Old Testament 
 was called the law of fear. 
 
 28 To be educated to fill places about the court. They were therefore 
 instructed in the language, writings and sciences of the Babylonians 
 or Chaldees. — 29 who was then about fourteen years old. — 80 such 
 as the flesh of unclean beasts, blood, and flesh full of blood. Moreover, 
 certain portions of the flesh of oxen, sheep and goats, as well as wine, 
 were offered to idols, and after they had been thus offered were sold 
 in the markets, so that the Jews could never be sure that when eating 
 at pagan tables, some food might not be placed before them which it 
 was unlawful for them to eat. In order to be on the safe side, Daniel 
 and his companions wished to refrain from all the flesh and wine sent 
 to them by the king. — 31 as a reward for their conscientiousness and 
 self-restraint. — 32 God gave them an extraordinary and supernatural 
 understanding and wisdom, so that they not only excelled the other 
 youths, but even the wise men of the kingdom (Dan. 1, 20). To Daniel 
 God gave the gifts of prophecy and interpretation of dreams. 
 
THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. 375 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Ihe Long-suffering, Justice and Faithfulness of God. He was 
 very patient and long-suffering with Juda. Up to the very 
 moment of its overthrow He held out, through Jeremias, 
 hope of pardon and the averting of punishment, if only the 
 people would be converted. And was not the fate of the 
 kingdom of Israel of itself an impressive warning ? However, 
 neither king nor people would give heed to this, or to the 
 warnings of the prophets sent by God, but listened, rather, 
 to false prophets, resisted grace, and persisted in their 
 impenitence. At last the measure of their sins was full, 
 the justice of God manifested itself, and the long threatened 
 punishment overtook Juda. 
 
 The Goodness and Mercy of God. The Lord did not leave 
 His miserable people without comfort, but gave them through 
 Jeremias the assurance that He had not finally rejected them, 
 but would restore them to His favour, and institute a new 
 and higher covenant with them. 
 
 The uses of suffering. Their captivity served for the 
 salvation of many of the Jews. They turned to God with 
 their whole hearts, for they felt that all their hopes of 
 liberty rested in Him. At last they abhorred idolatry ; and 
 were so completely cured of their inclination towards it, 
 that they never relapsed into it, even after their return to 
 the Promised Land. 
 
 The love of Jeremias for his people. Even though he was 
 misunderstood and persecuted by them, he felt no malicious 
 satisfaction when the judgment foretold by him really overtook 
 them. No, he bewailed the hard fate of his people, and 
 gave utterance to the deep grief of his noble soul in the 
 "Lamentations". 
 
 The necessity of grace. This is taught by the words: 
 " Convert us to Thee, Lord, and we shall be converted." 
 The sinner cannot be converted without the assistance of 
 grace. — In their captivity the Jews acknowledged themselves 
 to be religiously and politically dead, and had no hope of 
 ending their banishment by their own efforts, or of returning 
 to their country and becoming once more an independent 
 
376 CHAPTER LXXV. 
 
 nation : " Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost." It 
 was only by God's Spirit that the dead and captive people 
 could be raised to a new political and religious existence; 
 and only by the help of Gocl that they could be freed and 
 restored to their own country. This applies to nations and 
 individuals of all ages. A fallen nation can be restored and 
 renewed only by religion and the Spirit of God. And no 
 individual who has succumbed to the death of sin, can raise 
 himself up by his own strength, but only by the help of 
 God, Who by His grace can restore a dead soul to life. 
 "I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin 
 no more." 
 
 The tenth promise of the Messias. The New Covenant 
 foretold by Jeremias was instituted by our Lord, Jesus Christ. 
 The Old Covenant was an external law, written on stone 
 tables, observed out of fear, and which could effect no inner 
 justification or sanctification. The law of the New Covenant 
 was written in men's hearts by the Holy Ghost, so that it 
 is a law kept out of love, and which changes man inwardly, 
 cleanses and heals him from sin. For this reason the 
 Holy Ghost came down on Whitsunday, and wrote the law 
 of Christ on the hearts of the apostles, illuminating them, 
 and kindling in them the fire of love. The law of the New 
 Covenant is engraved in the hearts of individuals in holy 
 Baptism. 
 
 The Lamentations of Jeremias are very impressive, and full of deep 
 meaning. They refer literally to the destruction of Jerusalem, and 
 the captivity which the Jewish people had brought upon themselves ; 
 but they bear, (as the Church has always taught) a deeper meaning, 
 and contain allusions both to the sufferings of the Divine Redeemer, 
 and to the sad condition of man when he is separated from God. 
 
 1. The Church applies the passages: "0 all ye that pass by the 
 way, attend and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow", 
 and "Great as the sea is thy destruction. Who shall heal thee?" 
 to our Lord, suffering and dying, and also to His sorrowful Mother 
 (see the Lamentations sung in the office of the last three days of 
 Holy Week). 
 
 2. The passages relating to the desolation of Jerusalem and the 
 Temple are applied by the Church to the sad condition to which man 
 is brought by sin and its consequences, and to the desolation which 
 
THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. 377 
 
 mortal sin entails on the individual, whose soul is the temple of (Jod. 
 Of a soul which is in a state of mortal sin, we can truly say: "0 
 how desolate is that soul, which was formerly so rich in virtues 
 and merits. She was the mistress over the powers of human nature, 
 and now, behold, she is the slave of sin and Satan! Once she was 
 beautiful, now she is defaced, and full of sorrow, unrest, and rem or.se 
 of conscience." 
 
 Comfort in suffering. Almighty God did not quite forsake 
 His people. Even during their captivity he raised up prophets 
 among them, to urge them to do penance, to strengthen 
 their faith, to warn them against idolatry, to comfort them 
 and give them hope both of deliverance from their present 
 captivity, and of the coming of a future Saviour. We too, 
 in our troubles and adversity, ought to draw comfort from 
 the thought of our Divine Saviour, Who endured unspeakable 
 sufferings for our sake. We should also draw comfort and 
 courage from the thoughts of eternal life. St. Paul writes: 
 a The sufferings of this world are not worthy to be compared 
 with the glory to come, that shall be revealed in us" 
 (Rom. 8, 18). 
 
 The eleventh promise of the Messias. The vision of Ezechiel 
 is, primarily, prophetical of the resurrection of the body, 
 in which all the Jews believed, even as patient Job believed 
 in it. Thus the vision presupposes and describes this belief, 
 and then employs it to convey further teaching. By it God 
 wished to say thus to the Jews: "You are now dispersed, 
 and, as it were, dead ; but I, your God, will not forsake you, 
 I will gather you together again, and take you back to your 
 own country." This promise was immediately and lite- 
 rally fulfilled by the return of the Jews from captivity 
 (Chapt. LXXX), by which they became once more a nation ; 
 but it was more perfectly and gloriously fulfilled by the 
 New Covenant by which God poured out His Holy Spirit on 
 all nations, and raised up a greater and more perfect Israel. 
 
 Longing for home. The Jews loved their country, their Temple 
 and their worship, so that even though they experienced no want in 
 Babylon, they pined to return to their own home. The more pious 
 among them longed to celebrate once more the feasts of the Lord, 
 to offer sacrifice and sing canticles of praise. We too are living in 
 
378 CHAPTER LXXV. 
 
 banishment "in this vale of tears"; for heaven is our one, eternal 
 home. We ought to pine for the heavenly Jerusalem, and do all we 
 can to deserve admittance thereto. 
 
 Conscientiousness. Daniel and his three companions offer 
 us a noble example of conscientious fidelity in the observance 
 of God's laws. The inducement to partake of the meats and 
 wine sent from the king's table was very great; but the 
 four youths practised self-denial, and contented themselves 
 with the poorest and most simple of fares, rather than expose 
 themselves to the danger of sin. They acted thus, because 
 they were possessed by the holy fear of God, and dreaded 
 anything that might offend Him. 
 
 Fortitude and temperance. They, furthermore, offer us 
 a noble example of fortitude. Their temptations to unbelief 
 and sin in the luxurious court of the pagan king were 
 numerous and powerful, but Daniel and his companions 
 remained firm in faith and in the observance of the divine 
 law. They practised the greatest abstemiousness, and did 
 not let themselves be led away by the example of the other 
 youths in the palace who did partake of the king's dishes. 
 Ought this not to put those Christians to shame who have 
 not the courage to confess their faith before those who are 
 unbelievers or non-Catholics, and who have not even the 
 fortitude or self-denial to abstain from meat on Fridays! 
 Does this not show great weakness, cowardice, and want 
 of character! 
 
 The fruits of temperance. The abstemiousness practised 
 by the four youths had a good effect on their bodies as 
 well as their souls. These boys who were content with 
 simple fare, and who did not taste wine, were more healthy, 
 fresh and comely than those who ate and drank from the 
 king's table. Moderation in eating and drinking preserves 
 health, while the contrary course spoils it and leads to many 
 diseases. "By surfeiting many have perished, but he that 
 is temperate shall prolong life" (Ecclus. 37, 34). A man 
 should eat to live, and not live to eat. The minds of these 
 youths were also strengthened by their abstemiousness. They 
 learnt with ease, and made great progress in knowledge. 
 
THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. 379 
 
 They knew how to govern themselves and advanced in every 
 virtue. Moreover, by reason of their temperance they received 
 supernatural gifts from God, especially the gift of wisdom, 
 and to Daniel was given that of prophecy. Temperance, 
 practised for love of God, is meritorious and wins many 
 graces for us. 
 
 Good example. Daniel was especially favoured by God; 
 and why? Because he showed a good example to his com- 
 panions. Even as it is a terrible sin to lead others to do 
 evil, so is it meritorious to show to others a good example, 
 and lead them to do what is right. 
 
 The greatest of honours. It was a great honour for the four youths 
 to be chosen by king Nabuchodonozor to be in his court; but it is 
 a far greater honour to be chosen to be the servants of God; for 
 God is the Most High, Who rewards His faithful servants with eternal 
 glory and happiness. 
 
 Conscientiousness and fortitude win respect even from the unbelieving. 
 We see this in the case of Daniel and his companions. Their faithful 
 observance of their religion, and their abstemiousness clearly pleased 
 the chief steward ; otherwise he would not have agreed to their 
 proposal. He had a greater respect for these four than for the other 
 Jewish youths, who ate without demur of the heathen dishes. In their 
 hearts even the vicious pay tribute to virtue. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Do you take to heart the admonitions and warnings of 
 your parents and teachers, or do you, by preference, listen 
 to bad companions? Do you follow the example of those 
 who make no account of sin? Just think how terrible it 
 is for a young heart to be hard and impenitent! If you 
 have not amended your life since your last confession, begin 
 at once. Make good resolutions every morning, and pray 
 for grace to carry them out! 
 
 Think what terrible havoc mortal sin makes in the soul. 
 Conceive a great horror of mortal sin, and resolve rather 
 to die than commit one. 
 
 Does the Holy Ghost dwell within you ; or, in other words, 
 are you in a state of grace ? Do not grieve the Holy Ghost 
 Who is within you, by venial sin, and do not drive Him 
 from you by mortal sin. 
 
380 CHAPTER LXXV1. 
 
 Had you been in Daniel's place, would you have acted 
 as he did ? Do you care more for good eating and drinking 
 than for anything else? Are you, sometimes, discontented 
 with the food which is set before you? Have you ever 
 sinned by greediness? Are you fond of strong drinks? From 
 henceforward practise abstemiousness. Choose the worst 
 rather than the best of what is offered to you. Faithfully 
 observe all the laws relating to abstinence. 
 
 Chapter LXXVI. 
 DANIEL SAVES SUSANNA. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 MONG the captive Jews in Babylon 1 there was a man 
 
 A 
 
 named Joakim, whose wife, Susanna, was very beautiful, 
 and feared God. Now Joakim being very rich and influential, 
 it happened that many of his countrymen resorted to his 
 house. Among these were two of the ancients who had 
 been appointed judges for that year 2 . The two old men 
 were considered by the people as wise and virtuous, but in 
 reality they were very wicked. 
 
 Now the visitors that came to Joakim generally left at 
 noon, and then Susanna would walk forth into the orchard 
 near by to refresh herself in the shade. 3 The two old men 
 knew this, and one day they went into the orchard and hid 
 themselves behind the trees. A little later Susanna came 
 in and fastened the gate, believing herself alone. Then the 
 wicked old men came forth from their hiding-place and tried 
 to make her commit sin. 4 
 
 Susanna was horrified at their proposal; but they said 
 that if she did not consent to their wishes, they would 
 publicly accuse her of a great crime. 5 Then Susanna raised 
 her beautiful eyes to heaven, sighed and said: "I am 
 straitened on every side, for if I do this thing it is death 
 to me 6 , and if I do it not I shall not escape your hands. 7 
 But it is better for me to fall into your hands, without 
 doing it, than to sin in the sight of the Lord." 
 
DANIEL SAVES SUSANNA. 
 
 881 
 
 She then cried out with a loud voice ; but the elders cried 
 out against her. One of them ran to the orchard-gate, and 
 opened it. that the people might enter. 
 
 1 This city had been made by Nabuchodonozor into the capital 
 of his kingdom, and he had enlarged it to such an extent that it 
 measured fifty-four miles in circumference, and was surrounded by 
 an enormous wall, flanked by two hundred and fifty towers. — 2 being 
 esteemed by the people as righteous men. Nabuchodonozor had allowed 
 the Jews to govern themselves and live in accordance with their 
 own laws. The court of justice was held in the house of Joakim, on 
 account of his position among the Jews. — s Large gardens and 
 pleasure-grounds were attached to the houses of the luxurious city 
 of Babylon. — 4 against chastity. — 5 exposing her to the danger of 
 loss of life and honour. — 6 "If I commit this sin, it will mean 
 death to my soul, by causing it to lose grace and eternal life." — 
 7 "If I do not commit it, you, by false witness, will give me over 
 to death." Thus Susanna was in danger of death on both sides; but 
 she did not even hesitate in her choice, saying that she would rather 
 die innocent than commit sin. 
 
 Then he and his companion accused Susanna of a most 
 wicked act. Next day, accompanied by her parents and 
 children, and other relatives 8 , Susanna was brought before 
 
S82 CHAPTER LXXVI. 
 
 the tribunal of justice, where she was condemned and 
 sentenced to death. But she, weeping, looked up to heaven, 
 for her heart had confidence in God 9 . 
 
 And the Lord heard her prayer. As she was led out to 
 death 10 , Daniel, inspired from above 11 , exclaimed: "I am 
 clean from the blood of this woman." Then all the people 
 began to ask him: "What meaneth this word that thou 
 hast spoken?" He told them to return to judgment, because 
 the elders had borne false witness against Susanna. Then 
 the people went back in haste. But Daniel ordered the two 
 accusers to be brought in separately. 
 
 This being done, he said to the first that came: "0 thou 
 that art grown old in evil days, now are thy sins come 
 out. Tell me, under what tree thou sawest them conversing 
 together?" He said: "Under a mastic - tree " 12 . Daniel 
 replied: "Thou hast lied against thy own head." 13 Then 
 he sent him away, and had the other brought in, whom he 
 asked: "Tell me, under what tree didst thou take them 
 conversing together ? " He answered: "Under a holm-tree". 
 Daniel replied: "Thou hast lied against thy own head." 
 
 The people saw by the contrary statements of the old 
 men that their testimony was false, and rising up against 
 them, they put them both to death. Susanna was restored 
 to her joyful husband and children, and they and all the 
 people blessed God, Who always saves and protects those 
 who place their hopes in Him. Whereupon Daniel became 
 great in the sight of the people 14 . 
 
 8 They all wept, for they knew Susanna's piety and chastity, ami 
 held her to be innocent. — 9 and knew that Ho could save her if it 
 were His holy will to do so. — 10 by stoning. — ll to know Susanna's 
 innocence and to take the right means of bringing it to light. - 
 12 This tree does not grow in Europe. It has a sweet smelling sap, 
 from which incense is made. — 13 to your own ruin. — H He was 
 honoured and respected, because the people recognised that Cod's 
 Spirit dwelt within him. 
 II. Commentary. 
 f k The Omnipresence of God. The old sinners "perverted 
 their own mind and turned away their eyes that they might 
 not look into heaven, nor remember just judgments" 
 
DANIEL SAVES SUSANNA. 383 
 
 (Dan. 13, 9). They intentionally banished all thought of 
 the ever present and most just God, and said to Susanna: 
 \ ' S ^J&SJ^&J^ But on the other hand the holy woman 
 did remember Him, and said: "It is better for me to fall 
 into your hands without sinning, than to sin in the sight 
 of the Lord." 
 
 The Om niscience j?£ the Eternal God. "0 Eternal God,^ 
 Who knowesTTndden things, Who knowest all things before 
 they come to pass, Thou knowest that they have borne false 
 witness against me." God knows everything that is hidden, 
 what is past, and what is still to be. He revealed to Daniel 
 that the two elders had borne false witness against Susanna ; 
 and it was the thought of God's omniscience that gave 
 Susanna courage and comfort in her hour of peril. 
 
 The ^£^££j£j£^- He brought to light the innocence 
 of Susanna, and the guilt of her accusers, in the most 
 wonderful manner, in order that she might be rewarded, 
 and they, punished. God often manifests His justice in this 
 way, even upon earth. 
 
 Fort u n e. Susanna was a valiant woman, a very heroine 
 of virtue. She preferred to die rather than sin. St. Chrysostom 
 says of her: "Susanna stood as a lambbej^wjentwowolves. 
 She was left aGneHBeliweeli^tn^^ one to 
 
 help her but God alone. He looked down from heaven, and 
 suffered the dispute to make clear both the chasti ty of 
 Susanna, and the wic kedne ss of the elders ; so that she might 
 become a glorious example to women of all times. Susanna 
 endured a severe fight, more severe than that of Joseph. 
 He, a man, contended with one woman; but Susanna, a 
 weak woman, had to contend with two men, and was a 
 spectacle to men and to angels. The slander against her 
 fidelity to her marriage- vow, the fear of death, her con- 
 demnation by all the people, the abhorrence of her husband 
 and relations, the tears of her servants, the grief of all her 
 household, she foresaw all this, and yet nothing could shake 
 her fortitude." 
 
 The way to preserve chastity. Susanna's example shows 
 us how we ought to act when tempted to sin against holy 
 
384 CHAPTER LXXVI. 
 
 purity. She not only reminded herself of the Presence of 
 the Just and Holy God, but she called loudly for help to 
 drive away the two wicked tempters. Thus, if we were to 
 find ourselves in a similar position, we ought to think of 
 God and crave his help, and besides this (if we cannot flee, 
 as Joseph did in the house of Putiphar), we should seek the 
 help of others. 
 
 Consequences of want of chastity. The two elders committed 
 sin upon sin. They coveted their neighbour's wife; they 
 intentionally sought her out, and by threats tried to drive 
 her to sin; they calumniated her to her maids; they bore 
 false witness against her in the court of justice ; and, finally, 
 by their wicked lies, caused her to be condemned to death. 
 The source of all these sins was want of chastity. They 
 allowed impure desires to rise in their hearts, and these 
 unresisted desires drove them to further sins. Their sin was 
 all the more grievous, because both these men were judges, 
 and therefore bound to give a good example, to protect 
 virtue, and to punish vice and crime. See, then, what evil 
 consequences follow on impure desires! They lead to many 
 sins, to deadness of conscience, injustice, and even to murder. 
 
 The beauty of virtue. In the same way that we detest 
 the hateful crime of the elders, we love Susanna for the 
 beautiful and honourable virtues which she exhibited. Her 
 I ><> dy~ w as" oeautiful, but lier soul was a thousand times more 
 so. She was c hast e and faithful, because she feared God. 
 She dreaded sin as the greatest of all evils, and preferred 
 dishonour in the eyes of the world, and loss of life, to the 
 committing of a grievous sin. She has therefore been 
 praised and honoured for centuries as a model of holy fear, 
 fortitude, fidelity and chastity. We can apply to her the 
 » words of the Holy Ghost: "0 how beautiful is the chaste 
 generation with glory : for the memory thereof is immortal : 
 because it is known both with God and with men" (Wisd. 4, 1). 
 
 The prayer full of confidence offered up by Susanna was 
 heard, and God made known her innocence. 
 
 To set prisoners free is a work of mercy. Daniel did this, 
 for, by the inspiration of God, he obtained the liberty of 
 
THE PROPHET DANIEL. 385 
 
 Susanna, who had been unjustly put in prison and con- 
 demned to death. 
 
 The shame of sinners at the Last Judgment. What shame and terror 
 must those two old sinners have felt when their lies and wickedness 
 were revealed before all the people, who had hitherto esteemed them 
 to be just men ! Such will be the experience of many Christians who 
 have succeeded in hiding their secret sins and evil doings from men, 
 when, at the Last Day, they find their hypocrisy unmasked before 
 the eyes of the whole world , and they themselves covered with 
 confusion and ignominy, and sentenced to everlasting death! 
 
 HI. Application. 
 
 Is your holy fear of God strong enough to enable you to 
 stand firm as Susanna did, in the midst of severe temptations ? 
 Do not suffer either flattery or threats to lead you into sin ! 
 Pray for the gift of holy fear. 
 
 Resist the beginnings of evil. Do not let any impure 
 thought or dishonourable desire take hold of you. Recollect 
 immediately the Presence of God, and commend yourself to 
 the protection of the most pure Virgin. 
 
 Chapter LXXVII. 
 
 THE PROPHET DANIEL.— THE THREE YOUNG MEN 
 IN THE FIERY FURNACE. 
 
 N 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 ABUCHODONOZOR had a dream 1 which terrified him 
 greatly. 2 He saw a large statue; the head was of 
 gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs 
 of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet part iron and part 
 clay 3 . Then he noticed a stone rolling from the mountain 4 , 
 which struck the statue on the feet and shattered it; and 
 behold, the stone became a great mountain and filled the 
 whole earth. None of the wise men 5 could interpret the 
 dream 6 . Then the king called for Daniel to whom God 
 had revealed the meaning of the dream. 
 
 The whole statue signified the great empires of the world 
 that would succeed each other. The head of gold betokened 
 the reign of Nabuchodonozor himself, most glorious among 
 
 Knkcht, Commentary. I. 17 
 
386 CHAPTER LXXVII. 
 
 kings; the breast and the arms of silver represented the 
 next empire, that of the Medes and Persians ; the belly and 
 the thighs of brass prefigured the dominion of Alexander 
 the Great; the legs and feet of iron signified the great 
 Roman empire which conquered all the others. The stone 
 that fell from the mountain 7 , typified a new kingdom that 
 God Himself would found on earth, and which, from a small 
 beginning, would gradually grow strong and overcome all 
 other kingdoms, and that it would last for ever. The king, 
 hearing the interpretation, said to Daniel: " Verily your 
 God is the God of gods 8 , and Lord of kings, and a revealer 
 of hidden things." He raised Daniel to a high station 9 and 
 bestowed on him many gifts. 
 
 1 A vision shown to him in the night. — 2 When he awoke he 
 knew that he had had a dream which had filled him with fear, but 
 he could not remember what it was. The cause of his fear is fully 
 explained by Daniel's description, for the crashing fall of the huge 
 statue must have been terrible. — 3 The parts of the statue were 
 made of different materials: the lower the part, the less costly the 
 material. — 4 without the intervention of man. — 5 They were 
 required not only to interpret the dream, but to recall to the king's 
 mind what the dream was. This was asking a great deal; but the 
 king made the demand, because these wise men gave out that there 
 was nothing they did not know ; so that he thought he was requiring 
 nothing unreasonable. — 6 Because of their failure to interpret the 
 dream, all the wise men were condemned to death. Daniel and his 
 friends were included in the condemnation, for they came under the 
 category of "wise men". — 7 "cut out without hands". — 8 the 
 greatest among the gods. The king acknowledged that the God of Daniel 
 was greater than the pagan gods, because He alone had revealed 
 the meaning of the dream. — 9 Governor of the province of Babylon. 
 
 About this time king Nabuchodonozor made a great statue 
 of gold 10 , which he placed on a pillar in the plain of Babylon. 
 All the princes and nobles of his kingdom were invited to 
 assist at the dedication n of this statue. Heralds were sent 
 out everywhere to announce to all the people that when 
 they heard the sound of the trumpets and flutes and other 
 instruments of music, they should fall down and adore the 
 golden statue. And it came to pass that no one disobeyed 
 this order except Ananias, Azarias and Misael 12 . 
 
THE PROPHET DANIEL. 
 
 387 
 
 It was announced to the king that the three young men 
 had refused to worship the golden statue. Then Nabucho- 
 donozor, full of rage, said to them: "Who is the god that A j 
 shall deliver you out of my hand?" 13 They answered: "Our 
 God, Whom we worship, is able to save us from the furnace 
 of burning fire; but if He will not, we will not worship thy "ft" 
 god, nor adore the golden statue." u The king then ordered 
 that a furnace should be heated seven times more than 
 ordinarily, and that three of the strongest soldiers of his 
 army should bind the young men and cast them, clothed 
 as they were, into the furnace. 
 
 The order was instantly executed. But the angel of the 
 Lord went down with the three holy youths into the furnace, 
 and behold, inside, the flames were extinguished, but outside, 
 the fires burned and flashed and destroyed the men who 
 had executed the king's cruel order. They were instantly 
 consumed by the raging fire. 
 
 Within the furnace the air was cool and fresh, like to 
 the breeze when the dew is falling. And the three young 
 
 17* 
 
388 CHAPTER LXXVIT. 
 
 men, seeing themselves so wonderfully preserved, sang a 
 glorious canticle of praise and thanksgiving, which the 
 Church of God still sings in her divine service. 
 
 The king, astonished 15 to hear voices in the furnace 
 
 k singing, rose up and said to his nobles: "Did we not cast 
 
 three men, bound, into the midst of the fire? I see four 
 
 men, loose, and walking in the midst of the fire, and the 
 
 form of the fourth is like the Son of God." 16 
 
 Then going to the door of the furnace, he said: "Ye 
 servants of the Most High God, go ye forth and come." 
 Thereupon the young men came forth safe and sound: not 
 so much as a hair of their heads was burned, nor was 
 the smell of fire on their garments. Seeing this prodigy, 
 Nabuchodonozor blessed God 17 , saying: "Blessed be the God 
 of Ananias, Misael, and Azarias, Who has sent His angel, 
 and delivered His servants that believed in Him." 
 
 He then decreed that whosoever, in all his kingdom, 
 blasphemed the God Whom these young men adored should 
 be put to death, for that there was no other God Who had 
 power to save. The three young men were raised to high 
 dignities in Babylon. 
 
 The last kingdom, or the stone falling from the mountain, 
 mentioned by Daniel, signifies the Catholic Church which 
 Jesus Christ established upon earth. At first it was small, 
 but it kept on increasing, and still increases, and will endure 
 to the end of the world. 
 
 10 The image probably represented Bel, the chief god of the Baby- 
 lonians, in whose person light and fire were idolatrously worshipped. 
 — ll the first time of its being publicly worshipped. — 12 These 
 three were among the principal men of the kingdom, for, at Daniel's 
 proposal, they had been made deputy-governors, under him, of the 
 province of Babylon. For some reason not recorded Daniel himself 
 was not present at this dedication of the image. — 13 The king meant 
 to say: "No god can save you from my power." Evidently, the 
 impression made on Nabuchodonozor's mind by the wonderful dream 
 and its interpretation had faded from his memory, for several years 
 had elapsed since then. — 14 By this beautiful answer the young 
 men conveyed their belief that God could save them if He would, 
 but that they would not dare demand that He should do so, for they 
 did not think themselves worthy that a miracle should be worked on 
 
THE PROPHET DANIEL. 389 
 
 their behalf. "Anyhow," said they, "we will not worship the image!" 
 
 is and filled with fear. — - 16 like a higher and supernatural being. 
 
 — n This great miracle again convinced Nabuchodonozor that the 
 God Whom the young men served was the Most High God. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The object of the revelation made to Nabuchodonozor. Only 
 an obscure revelation was made directly to the heathen king. 
 This filled him with fear, and made him anxious and ready 
 for its further interpretation, which was to be given by a 
 chosen prophet of God. The object of this revelation was 
 manifold. Its first object was to make known to the king 
 and wise men the greatness and wisdom of God. This object 
 was so far gained that Nabuchodonozor professed himself 
 to be convinced that the God of the Jews was greater and 
 more powerful than the gods of the heathen. "ySecondly, it 
 was to make known to the proud king, for his humiliation, 
 that his great kingdoin would not last for ever, but would 
 fall after his death. f/Thirdly, it was meant to turn the eyes 
 of the whole world! to the Messias, and the everlasting 
 kingdom which He was to found. Such were the chief objects 
 of the revelation made to Daniel. It is essentially a promise 
 of the Messias. 
 
 This twelfth promise of the Messias treats of the kingdom 
 of God (i. e. of the Messias) in contradistinction to the king- 
 doms of this world. The first part of the vision foretold 
 that three great kingdoms would in succession follow 
 Nabuchodonozor' s Babylonian empire. This came to pass. 
 The Medeo-Persian empire followed that of Babylon ; to that 
 succeeded the Macedonian empire, and to that again the 
 Roman empire. This last was an iron empire, being kept 
 together by the power of the sword ; its feet, or foundation, 
 were of iron mixed with earth, and, on account of this weak- 
 ness, it fell, first into two separate empires, and finally into many 
 separate states. At this stage of the world's history it was 
 that God said He Himself would found another kingdom, 
 which would overthrow paganism, and itself remain standing 
 for ever, this kingdom being the kingdom of the Messias. 
 The stone which, without any intervention on the part of 
 
390 CHAPTER LXXV1I. 
 
 man, rolled down the mountain, signifies the Son of God, 
 Who came down from heaven, and by the operation of the 
 Holy Ghost became Man. He founded a spiritual kingdom 
 which fills the whole earth, and which will last for ever, 
 namely the Catholic Church. Our Lord calls Himself a stone 
 (Mat. 21, 42), and St. Peter calls Him the "stone which is 
 become the head of the corner" (Acts 4, 11). 
 
 The Church is Catholic. According to Daniel's prophecy, 
 the kingdom of the Messias, which was to overcome its 
 worldly enemies and last for ever, was to be universal as 
 to time and place, or, in other words, Catholic. The pro- 
 phecy finds its fulfilment only in the Roman-Catholic Church. 
 For she was originally small, but afterwards spread gradually 
 over the whole world, and, in spite of all her enemies, has 
 endured to this day. It follows, therefore, that the Roman- 
 Catholic Church is the true Church, the kingdom of God, 
 having its origin in heaven, and promised by God, through 
 His prophet Daniel. 
 
 God governs the world. This prophecy revealed Almighty 
 God to Nabuchodonozor as the " Lord of kings " or, in other 
 words, as the Lord and ruler of the world, from Whom all 
 power comes ("The God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, 
 and strength and power and glory," said Daniel), by Whom 
 nations are overthrown, and raised up again. 
 
 The power of prayer said in common. It was only after 
 Daniel and his three friends had prayed together fervently 
 and confidently that the interpretation of the dream was 
 revealed, and that, thereby, not only Daniel and his friends, 
 but all the other wise men and soothsayers were saved from 
 death. Our Lord has encouraged us to pray in common by 
 giving us the promise: "If two of you shall consent on 
 earth concerning anything whatsoever they shall ask, it 
 shall be done for them by my Father Who is in heaven" 
 (Mat. 18, 19). 
 
 Humility. Daniel was humble. He gave the glory to 
 God, declaring to the king that it was from Him that the 
 interpretation came. And because he was humble, God 
 exalted him. 
 
THE PROPHET DANIEL. 391 
 
 Anger, a capital sin. What induced Nabuchodonozor to 
 issue the cruel edict that all the wise men and diviners in 
 the kingdom were to be killed? He was angry at their not 
 being able to do what he wished, and, in his violent anger, 
 he gave the cruel order. 
 
 Despotism and cruelty of pagan kings. The command to kill all the 
 diviners and wise men was unjust and cruel. It shows how despotically 
 pagan kings governed, and how little regard they had for the lives 
 of their subjects. Christianity put an end to that kind of cruelty, 
 for it teaches that all men are equally made to the image of God, 
 and that if kings do not govern according to the law of God, they 
 will have to render an account to Him. 
 
 The Power and Mercy of God. The mighty miracle which 
 God wrought in order to save His faithful servants, was a 
 great act of mercy towards the heathen. He thereby revealed 
 His power to the king, and to all the great men of the 
 country, and showed that the very elements obey Him. 
 Everybody could see that Bel, whom the young men despised, 
 was powerless to hurt them, and that the God Whom they 
 worshipped was alone Almighty. The king confessed this 
 when he issued the decree that the God of the three youths 
 was the "Most High God, and more mighty than any other 
 god." He was seized by so great a fear of God, that he 
 forbade any blasphemy against Him, under pain of death. 
 
 Fortitude. It is impossible not to admire the fortitude of 
 the three young men, whereby they remained true to their 
 faith, and refused to worship idols in spite of the king's 
 terrible threats. If they had bowed down before the golden 
 image they would have denied their faith in the true God, 
 and have been guilty of idolatry. But they feared God more 
 than the king, and loved Him more than aught besides; so 
 they preferred to be burnt to death rather than offend Him 
 grievously. The abstinence which these noble youths had for 
 so long practised enabled them to attain to heroic fortitude. 
 Their unfailing temperance confirmed them in the fear and 
 love of God, and obtained for them the grace of martyrdom. 
 Finally, their fortitude was rewarded by God's saving them 
 from death in a wonderful way. 
 
392 CHArTER LXXV11. 
 
 Resignation to God's will. The example of the three young 
 men shows us that real confidence in God must be united 
 to an entire resignation to His will. They trusted firmly; 
 "God can save us if He will," said they, and they also 
 prayed to be saved; but they left it entirely to God whether 
 He would save them or not, and declared that in no case 
 would they worship the idol. 
 
 Prayer of praise and thanksgiving. When God saved the 
 three youths from death by means of His angel, they began 
 with a loud voice to praise and thank God. We too ought 
 always to praise and thank Him when we receive benefits, 
 or are saved from danger. 
 
 The three theological virtues of faith, hope and charity were most 
 perfectly practised by the three youths. 
 
 Denial of faith. In conclusion I will put to you one question : 
 Ought not the three young men to have obeyed the king's command ? 
 Ought they not to have said to themselves: "It would not be right 
 to offend the king who has been so good to us, and who has entrusted 
 us with important posts. We will, therefore, outwardly conform to 
 his wishes, and prostrate ourselves ; but in our hearts we will despise 
 the idol, and worship the true God?" Ought they not to have acted 
 thus? No! for they would have outwardly denied their faith, and 
 have led the pagans to think that they believed in Bel. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Pray to the Almighty and All-wise God with the deepest 
 reverence. Give yourself over confidently to His wise and 
 good Providence, for He governs the lives of individuals and 
 of nations as He will. Say with St. Paul (Rom. 11, 33 — 36): 
 "0 the depths of the riches of the wisdom and of the know- 
 ledge of God ! How incomprehensible are His judgments, 
 and how unsearchable His ways . . . For of Him and by Him 
 and in Him are all things; to Him be glory for ever!" 
 
 Are you as ready as were Ananias, Misael, and Azaiias 
 to suffer death rather than offend God? If you are not 
 so decided, then you do not love God above all things. Say 
 to-day three Hail Maries for the increase of your faith, 
 the confirmation of your hope, and the kindling of your 
 love. 
 
KING BALTASSAR.— THE GOD BEL. 393 
 
 Chapter LXXVIII. 
 KING BALTASSAR.— THE GOD BEL. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 AFTER the death of Nabuchodonozor, Baltassar, his grand- 
 son, ascended the throne. One day Baltassar gave a great 
 banquet * to the nobles of his kingdom, and ordered the golden 
 cups, which his grandfather had taken from the Temple of 
 Jerusalem, to be brought forth and to be used at the banquet. 
 
 The sacred vessels were brought, and the king and his , 
 wives and his officers drank from them, and they praised ' 
 their gods of gold and of silver and of stone. At that • 
 moment a hand appeared, and fingers were seen writing 
 three words upon the wall over against the king. Baltassar f 
 grew pale 2 and trembled, for the joints of that hand werei 
 moving and wrote : Mane, Thecel, Phares. He called for J 
 his wise men, that they might interpret the writing. But I 
 none of them could do so. Then Daniel, who had received ^ 
 from God the gift of prophecy, together with that of explaining 
 hidden things, came forth, and spoke to the king: 
 
 " Thou hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven 3 . 
 Thou hast praised thy gods of gold and silver ; but the Lord 
 of heaven Who hath thy breath in His hands, thou hast 
 not glorified. Thou knowest that thy grandfather was 
 punished for his pride; that he was driven away from thef 
 sons of men, and that he ate grass in the field with the J 
 ox and the ass, and yet thou hast not humbled thy heart. 
 
 "Wherefore God hath sent the fingers of the hand to write, 
 and this is the writing, and this is the interpretation thereof: 
 Mane : God hath numbered thy kingdom 4 , and hath finished 
 it. Thecel : Thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting 5 . 
 Phares: Thy kingdom is divided, and is given to the Medes 
 and Persians." That very night Baltassar was slain 6 and the 
 prophecy of Daniel was thus fulfilled. Some time after, the 
 army of the Medes and Persians, under Darius, their great 
 leader, took the city of Babylon, and divided the kingdom 7 . 
 
 1 This was on a day when, every year, the Babylonians celebrated 
 a great feast in honour of their gods. It was a great sacrilege to > 
 use the sacred vessels of the Temple in honour of their gods. "While 
 
 17** 
 
394 CHAPTER LXXVIII. 
 
 they drank, they praised their gods of gold and of silver, of brass, 
 of iron and of wood and of stones " (Dan. 5, 4) ; and by so doing they 
 ^treated with contempt the true God to Whom the vessels were con- 
 secrated. — 2 He was pale from fear, for his guilty conscience told 
 him that the apparition could foretell nothing favourable to him. — 
 3 opposed Him, and, as it were, challenged Him. — 4 The days of 
 your rule have come to an end. — 5 You are found unworthy either 
 to live or reign any longer. — 6 by his brother-in-law. — 7 The 
 northern part fell to the share of the Medes, and the southern part 
 was possessed by the Persians. When, soon after, the king of the 
 Medes died, leaving no children, both Babylon and Media fell into 
 the hands of the Persian king, Cyrus. 
 
 But Cyrus, king of Persia, and successor of Darius, soon 
 took possession of all the Assyrian empire, of which Babylon 
 was the capital. He treated Daniel with marked respect and 
 made him sit down at his own table. At this time the god 
 Bel was worshipped in Babylon as the supreme deity. There 
 were spent upon him every day twelve large measures of 
 flour, forty sheep and sixty vessels of wine. 
 
 The king went every day to adore this god Bel. But 
 Daniel adored the true God. Then the king asked him why 
 he did not adore Bel. Daniel replied that he adored the 
 true and living God, Who created earth and heaven, and 
 whose power extends over all things. The king, much 
 surprised, asked Daniel if he did not believe that Bel was 
 a living god, seeing how much he consumed every day. 
 
 Daniel smiled and said : " king, be not deceived, for this 
 Bel is clay within and brass without, neither hath he eaten 
 |at any time." The king, being angry, called for the priests 
 'of, the god, and said to them: "If ye tell me not who it is 
 :hat eats up these provisions, ye shall die. But if ye can show 
 :hat Bel eateth these things, Daniel shall die, because he hath 
 [blasphemed against Bel." Daniel agreed to the king's proposal. 
 Then the king, accompanied by Daniel, went to the temple 
 of Bel. And the priests of Bel said to the king. "Behold, 
 we go out, and do thou, king, set on the meats, and make 
 ready the wine, and shut the door fast, and seal it with 
 thy own ring; and when thou comest in the morning, if 
 thou find not that Bel hath eaten up all, we will suffer death, 
 or else Daniel who hath lied against us." 
 
KING BALTASSAR.— THE GOD BEL. 395 
 
 They were not afraid, because they had a secret door 
 under the altar, whereby they entered and consumed the 
 meats. The priests having gone out, the king caused the 
 meats and the wine to be placed before Bel. This being 
 done, the servants of Daniel brought ashes, and he sifted 
 them 8 all over the temple in the presence of the king. Then 
 they all left the temple, the door of which was sealed with 
 the royal seal. 
 
 But the priests went in by night with their wives and 
 children, as they were accustomed to do, and they ate and 
 drank all that had been placed before the idol. The king 
 arose early in the morning, and went to the temple with 
 Daniel. They found the seal unbroken, and, opening the 
 door, went in. The king looked at the table, and, seeing 
 that all the provisions had disappeared, cried out: "Great 
 art thou, Bel, and there is not any deceit with thee." 
 
 Daniel laughed 9 , and pointing to the floor, said: "Mark, 
 whose footsteps these are ! " The king, much amazed, said : 
 "I see the footsteps of men, women and children." Then, 
 examining more closely, he found the secret doors 10 , by 
 which the priests were wont to go in and out. Thereupon 
 the king, being enraged against the priests of Bel, ordered 
 them all to be put to death. And he gave Bel up to Daniel, 
 who destroyed him and his temple. 
 
 8 The ashes were sifted so fine that the priests of Bel could not 
 have remarked them. — 9 and held back the king, so that he should 
 not enter and obliterate the footsteps. — ,0 under the altar. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Justice a nd Faithfulness of God. Baltassar's sudden 
 death was m punishment of the wanton sacrilege which 
 filled up the measure of his sins. His day of grace was 
 past, and God summoned him before His judgment-seat. 
 His overthrow fulfilled Daniel's prophecy to Nabuchodonozor 
 (Chapt. LXXVII), namely that the Assyrian kingdom would 
 come to an end, and that another kingdom would rise up 
 in its place. 
 
 Sacrilege. The sacred vessels of the Temple were con- 
 secrated to God and might be used by the priests alone for 
 
396 CHAPTER LXXVIII. 
 
 the divine worship. Therefore, Baltassar's was a threefold 
 sacrilege^ Firstly, those who were not priests, and even 
 women, used themr Secondly, they were used for the purpose 
 of intoxication^ * Thirdly, in drinking from them, the false 
 gods were honoured and glorified. 
 
 Intemperance in drink. It was drunkenness which led the 
 king to commit sacrilege. Drunkenness deprives men, either 
 partially or entirely, of the use of their reason. They no 
 longer consider what they say or do, and bad passions are 
 awakened in their hearts. Such are the consequences of 
 gluttony or intemperance, which is one of the seven capital 
 sins, or sins which are the source of other sins. Drunkenness 
 debases man and makes him like the lower animals. Our 
 ^Lord Himself thus warns us: "Take heed to yourselves, lest 
 perhaps your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and 
 drunkenness and the cares of this life: and that day (of 
 judgment) come upon you suddenly" (Luke 21, 34). 
 
 Our days are numbered; and as a rule their end comes sooner 
 than we expect. Then comes the judgment, at which all our thoughts, 
 words and actions will be weighed and proved according to their 
 merit before God. All our possessions will be divided, and will pass 
 into other hands after our death. 
 
 Zeal for God' s Glory. We should admire Darnel's zeal for 
 God's honour and glory. It grieved him to think that so 
 many millions of men should be victims to the folly of 
 idolatry, and be ignorant of the true God. Therefore he laboured 
 to convince them of the nothingness of idols, and to convert 
 them to a belief in God. He knew very well that the 
 obstinate worshippers of false gods, and especially the priests, 
 would hate and persecute him ; but in spite of this, and with 
 great skill, he showed up the deception of the priests of Bel, 
 destroyed his image, and also killed a dragon which was 
 worshipped as a god. Daniel was a valiant servant of God, 
 and quite ready to suffer death on account of his faith. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 If God punished the desecration of the sacred vessels of 
 the Old Law so severely, how much more heavily will he 
 punish any want of reverence towards the sacraments and 
 
DANIEL IN THE LION'S DEN. 397 
 
 holy things of the New Law. Have you ever made a sacri- 
 legious confession ? Resolve to pay more reverence to God's 
 holy Sacraments than you have hitherto done, and make a 
 better preparation before receiving any of them. 
 
 Chapter -LXXIX. 
 
 DANIEL IN THE LION'S DEN. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 THE people of Babylon worshipped also a great dragon 1 . 
 One day the king said to Daniel: "Behold, thou canst 
 not say now that this is not a living god ; adore him, therefore." 
 Daniel replied: "Give me leave, king, and I will kill 
 this dragon without sword or club." The king returned: 
 "I give thee leave." Then Daniel took pitch, fat and hair, 
 and boiling them together, he made lumps and put them into 
 the dragon's mouth. 
 
 The monster, swallowing the lumps, very soon burst asunder, 
 and Daniel said to the king: "Behold him whom you wor- 
 shipped!" The Babylonians hearing this, assembled in crowds, 
 and said that the king had become a Jew, had destroyed Bel, 
 killed the dragon, and put the priests to death. They came, 
 therefore, to the king, threatening and saying: " Deliver y^ 
 Daniel to us, or else we will destroy thee and thy house." 
 Although the king loved Daniel, he was forced through 
 the violence of the people to give him up to their fury 2 . 
 Immediately they cast him into a den of lions 3 . There were 
 seven lions in the den, to whom they gave two carcasses 
 every day, and two sheep; but now, nothing was given 
 them, that they might devour Daniel 4 . Yet Daniel remained 
 unhurt. 
 
 1 A great serpent. — 2 in order to avert the outbreak of a re- 
 volution. — 3 which was underground and walled in. — 4 Forsaken by 
 men, and surrounded by ravening beasts, Daniel remained for six days 
 in constant danger of death. What a terrible position to be in! But 
 the servant of God prayed fervently and confidently, and gave himself 
 over entirely to the divine will. 
 
 Daniel having been for some time in the lion's den, needed 
 food. Now there was at that time in Judea a prophet 
 
398 CHAPTER LXXIX, 
 
 named Habacuc, who carried food to the field for the reapers. 
 
 J The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: "Carry 
 
 thy dinner to Daniel who is in the lion's den at Babylon." 
 
 Habacuc replied: "Lord, I never saw Babylon, nor do I 
 
 know the den." Then the angel took him by the hair of 
 
 his head, — carried him in an instant 5 to Babylon, and placed 
 
 him over the den of lions. And Habacuc called to Daniel: 
 
 A" Thou servant of God, take the dinner that God has sent 
 
 sthee!" Daniel exclaimed: "Thou hast remembered me, 
 
 God, and Thou hast not forsaken them that love Thee." 
 
 Then he arose and ate 6 . 
 
 But the angel of the Lord carried Habacuc back to his 
 own place. On the seventh day the king came to bewail 
 Daniel 7 . And standing near the den he looked in and saw 
 Daniel sitting amongst the lions, and he cried with a loud 
 voice: "Great art Thou, Lord, the God of Daniel!" 
 
 Immediately he drew Daniel out of the den, but those 
 who had desired the prophet's death he threw in, and they 
 were devoured by the lions in a moment. Then the king 
 *said: "Let all the inhabitants of the whole earth fear the 
 God of Daniel, for He is the Saviour, working signs and 
 wonders." 
 
 5 As swiftly as the spirit can transfer itself from one place to another. 
 You can, in thought, convey yourself in an instant to New York. — 
 G He had been six days in the den, and was very hungry. — 7 He 
 took for granted that Daniel had been devoured by the lions. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Goodness of God. Not only did the Lord God protect 
 His faithful servant from the fury of the hungry lions, but 
 he fed him during his captivity in the den in the most 
 wonderful way, sending him food by Habacuc. Full of 
 thankfulness, Daniel exclaimed: "Thou hast remembered me, 
 God, and Thou hast not forsaken them that love Thee." 
 
 The Omnipotence of God worked two miracles on behalf 
 of Daniel. It was miraculous that the wild beasts should 
 remain ravenously hungry rather than devour Daniel. It 
 was also miraculous that Habacuc should in one moment 
 be translated from Judea to Babylon, and back again. 
 
DANIEL IN THE LION'S DEN. 399 
 
 The object of miracles. God worked these miracles, firstly, 
 in orderHET protect His faithful servant, Daniel; secondly, 
 to manifest Himself to the pagans, and especially to king 
 Cyrus, as the one, true and Almighty God and Lord, and 
 the Saviour working signs and wonders on the earth; and 
 thirdly, so as to move the king to send the people of God 
 hack to their own country, and let them rebuild the 
 Temple. 
 
 Grace at meals. Before Daniel partook of the food miracu- 
 lously *senTToTiim, he gratefully remembered the goodness 
 of God, Who had provided him with it. We ought always 
 to thank God for the food which we receive. We say before 
 meals: "Bless us, Lord, and these Thy gifts which we 
 are going to receive of Thy bounty," and after our meals 
 we thank Him for having fed us, unworthy creatures, and 
 made us to participate in His gifts. 
 
 The power of pagan superstition and the wonderful victory of 
 Christianity. This story shows us how deep a root the follies of idolatry 
 had taken among pagan nations. Although Daniel had proved the 
 utter powerlessness of their idols, and although God had manifested 
 His own Omnipotence by the most wonderful miracles, they would 
 not abandon idolatry ; and even the king could not save Daniel from 
 their fury. If we consider all this it makes us realise how wonderful 
 was the complete triumph of Christianity over paganism. It is a 
 noble work both for God and our neighbour, to support Catholic 
 missionaries, who preach the religion of the cross to the heathen at 
 the peril of their own lives. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Have you always said your grace devoutly? Even the 
 beasts without reason are grateful to those who feed them ; 
 so how can reasonable men not be grateful to their Lord 
 and Creator, Who gives them life and health, food and drink. 
 
 We were all created for the glory of God. What have 
 you done hitherto for His glory? Could you not prevent 
 many sins among your comrades ? Could you not offer your 
 daily labours and burdens to God. Do not forget to frame 
 your intention thus, every day: "0 my God, I will do every- 
 thing for Thy glory." 
 
400 CHAPTER LXXX. 
 
 AFTER THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY 
 
 (from 536 B. C. until the Birth of Christ). 
 
 Chapter LXXX. 
 RETURN OF THE JEWS FROM BABYLON (536 B. C.). 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 THE prophet J^nijas, had foretold that the captivity of 
 Babylon 1 would not last longer than seventy years 2 , 
 and that the Jews should then return to their own country. 
 DanieJ had renewed this consoling promise, and had added 
 another prophecy of greater importance; namely, that from 
 the day on which the order should be given to rebuild 
 Jerusalem till the death of the Messias, there would remain 
 only seventy weeks of years; that is, four hundred and 
 ninety years. So that the Jews knew not only the family 
 from which the Saviour would spring, but also the city 
 where He would be born, and the year in which He would die : *. 
 
 The severe sufferings of the captivity of Babylon, together 
 with the exhortations of the prophets, particularly those of 
 Daniel and Ezechiel, had brought the Jewish people to a 
 sense of their duty. Wherefore it happened that in the 
 seventieth 4 year of their sad captivity, Cyrus, king of Persia. 
 by a divine inspiration, issued an edict that all the Jews 
 who were in his kingdom should go back 5 to Jerusalem and 
 rebuild the Temple of the Lord. 
 
 He also restored to them the sacred vessels which Nabu- 
 chodonozor had carried away G . Thereupon more than forty 
 thousand Israelites, under the leadership of Prince Zorobabel, 
 and of the High Priest Josue, returned to Judea, the name 
 thenceforward given to the ancient kingdom of Juda, together 
 with the remnants of the other ten tribes, which had joined 
 themselves to Juda and Benjamin before the downfall of 
 Israel. They immediately built an altar 7 , and offered sacrifice 
 every morning and evening. 
 
 One year after the return from captivity, the foundations 
 of the new Temple were laid in Jerusalem. The priests and 
 
UKTURN OF THE JEWS FROM BABYLON. 401 
 
 the Levites were there with their trumpets and cymbals, as 
 of old, singing to the Lord canticles of praise and thanks- 
 giving, while the people all rejoiced with exceeding great 
 joy. And when, after many years, the Temple was completed, 
 it was consecrated and dedicated with great solemnity. 
 
 1 Which took place 606 B. C. — 2 "When", said the Lord by the 
 mouth of the prophet Jeremias, "the seventy years shall be ac- 
 complished, I will bring you again to the place, for I think towards 
 you thoughts of peace and not of affliction." It is as if He said: 
 "Though I have given you over to captivity, I have no intention of 
 giving you over for ever to affliction, but I mean to lead you to 
 repentance by suffering, and when you have repented, I will be gracious 
 to you again.'' — 3 The walls of Jerusalem were built up 453 B. C. 
 From that time to the beginning of the public life of our Lord were 
 sixty-nine weeks, or 483 years — i. e. 453 years to the time of His 
 Birth, to which are added the thirty years of His hidden life. In 
 the middle of the seventieth "week of years" our Lord Jesus Christ 
 died upon the cross. — i counting from the first carrying off of the 
 people into captivity, to the year 536 (from 606 — 70 = 536). — 
 5 This was not a command, only a permission. — 6 Cyrus gave back 
 5,400 vessels of gold and silver which had belonged to the Temple. 
 — 7 on the same spot where the altar of holocausts used to stand. 
 
 Many of the old people who remembered the former Temple, 
 wept to see that the new one did not equal the old in 
 magnificence. 
 
 But the prophet Aggeus consoled them with the assurance 
 that the second Temple should be more glorious than the 
 first, because the Messias, the Desired of all nations 8 , would 
 be seen in it, and would honour it with His presence. The 
 same prediction was made by the prophet Zachary 9 . 
 
 About eighty years after their return from captivity, the 
 Jews, by command of the king of Persia, commenced to 
 rebuild the walls of Jerusalem 10 . The Samaritans opposed 
 them and tried even by violence to prevent the people from 
 rebuilding their city. But the Jews prayed to God to assist 
 them, and in order to prevent surprise from the Samaritans, 
 divided themselves into two great bodies n . 
 
 Those who were most brave and courageous they placed on 
 the outposts of the city, well armed, in order to keep off 
 the enemy, while those who were skilled in masonry and 
 
402 CHAPTER LXXX. 
 
 other mechanical arts, carried on the work. At the end of 
 fifty-two days all the walls and ramparts were completed. 
 The Samaritans, seeing that the hand of God was there, 
 ceased to trouble their neighbours. 
 
 The Jews, understanding that they had been successful 
 in rebuilding the Temple and walls of Jerusalem in spite of 
 so many obstacles, returned sincere thanks to God. And 
 Esdras, the High Priest, having publicly read the law of 
 the Lord, they all promised, with tears, to be faithful to it 12 . 
 For they had received a new and strong proof that God 
 had forgiven their own sins, and the ingratitude of their 
 fathers. 
 
 8 "Yet one little while," said Aggeus, "and the Desired of all 
 nations shall come (the Messias, Whom, as Jacob [Chapt. XXVII] 
 had already prophesied, all nations should expect.), and great shall 
 be the glory of this house more than of the first." — 9 "Rejoice 
 greatly," said he, "daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, thy king will 
 come to thee, the Just, the Saviour. He is poor, and riding on the 
 foal of an ass ", i. e. on a young ass never yet ridden, not on a proud 
 horse such as the kings of this earth ride on. — 10 the walls of the 
 city, and fortifications. — n At first the Samaritans wished to help 
 with the building of the Temple, but Josue and Zorobabel rejected 
 their help, fearing that the Jews who believed what was true, might 
 be infected by their heathen practices. Then the Samaritans were 
 offended, and tried to hinder the work of rebuilding; but so long as 
 an attack from them was to be feared, Nehemias, the leader of the 
 Jews, commanded that a portion of the people should carry arms 
 while working at the building, so as to be ready to repel the enemy. 
 Nehemias had been cup-bearer to Artaxerxes, king of Persia, and he 
 it was who had obtained permission to build up the walls of Jerusalem. 
 He was appointed governor of Judea. — 12 But the Jews soon got 
 lax in their observance of the Law, and did things forbidden by it, 
 such as marrying with gentiles, neglecting to pay tithes, or to make 
 offerings to the Temple. Moreover they offered sacrifices of blind, 
 lame, or blemished beasts. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 God's Mercy to the people of Israel was very great. These 
 faithless people had broken the covenant made with God, 
 and had given themselves over to idolatry and a pagan way 
 of living. God sent prophet after prophet to move them to 
 repent, but the prophets were despised and persecuted, and 
 
RETURN OF THE JEWS FROM BABYLON. 403 
 
 Israel remained impenitent. At last the judgments threatened 
 by God overtook His people. He punished them by letting 
 them be carried off into captivity, but He punished them 
 only for the purpose of converting them. When the Jews, 
 full of mourning and sorrow, left their home, God gave 
 them the comforting assurance: "When seventy years shall 
 be accomplished, I will bring you again to this place. I think 
 towards you thoughts of peace and not of affliction." And 
 after the Jews were converted to Him, and had renounced 
 idolatry for good and all, He restored everything to them, 
 their country, their temple, their worship, and their hope 
 in the coming of the Messias. The whole history of the 
 people of Israel is one continuous proof of God's infinite 
 goodness and mercy, one long chain of divine favours bestowed 
 on a sinful nation, one long fight between divine mercy, and 
 human obduracy. 
 
 The Faithfulness of God is the ground of all our hope. 
 He promised, through Jeremias, that His people should return 
 to Jerusalem after a captivity of seventy years, and this 
 promise was most literally fulfilled; for by a miracle God 
 inclined the heart of king Cyrus towards the Jews, filling 
 him with the fear of God, so that he issued an edict for 
 the return of the Jews and the rebuilding of the Temple. 
 This instance of the faithful fulfilment of God's promises 
 ought to give us a great confidence that He will perform 
 everything that He has said. 
 
 The thirteenth promise of the Messias (through Aggeus) 
 foretells the speedy coming of the Desired of all nations, 
 and gives the assurance that on account of His Presence 
 in it, the new Temple would be made more glorious than 
 the splendid Temple of Solomon. Jesus Christ, God made 
 Man, was presented in that Temple as a Child, stayed behind 
 in it as a Boy of twelve years ; and, as a Man, He prayed 
 there, taught there, and worked miracles there. 
 
 The fourteenth promise of the Messias. It, might have been 
 gathered from the prophecy of Aggeus about the glory which 
 the Messias would shed on the Temple, that He would come 
 with great majesty and pomp ; but the prophecy of Zachary 
 
A 
 
 404 CHAPTER LXXXI. 
 
 made it plain that, though the long-desired One would indeed 
 be a king, He would not wield an earthly power, but would 
 enter Jerusalem in poverty and simplicity (New Test. LIX). 
 
 Unity is strength. The number of Jews who at first returned from 
 Babylon was not very great, but they held faithfully together, and 
 accomplished the rebuilding of the Temple and of the walls of Jerusalem. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Are you not ungrateful to God, and very often lukewarm 
 in His service, and negligent in prayer and in the receiving 
 of the holy Sacraments ? In truth you owe God much more 
 gratitude than did the Jews! 
 
 Chapter LXXXI. 
 
 ESTHER. 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 S the government of the kings of Persia was exceedingly 
 mild, many of the Jews remained in the kingdom of 
 Babylon. God permitted this for the spiritual good of the 
 gentiles, so that the latter, being brought into daily contact 
 with the Jews, might more easily arrive at the knowledge 
 of the true God, and be instructed in the promises made 
 concerning a Saviour to come. 
 
 It happened, by a special dispensation of God, that many 
 of the Jews, like Daniel and his companions in former 
 years, were in high favour with the kings of Persia and 
 made use of their influence to protect their country-men, 
 and to propagate the true faith. At a certain time it pleased 
 divine Providence to employ in this way a pious Jewess, 
 named Esther. 
 
 She lived in the reign of Assuerus, in the house of Mar- 
 dochai, her uncle, who had brought her up from her infancy 1 . 
 Assuerus, having seen her, was pleased with her beauty and 
 virtue, placed the crown upon her head, and made her his 
 queen. But she, by Mardochai's advice, left the king in 
 ignorance concerning her nation. And Mardochai 2 who loved 
 Esther as his own child, came every day and sat at the 
 gate of the palace. 
 
ESTHER. ' 405 
 
 Now it came to pass that two officials of the palace had 
 conspired together to kill the king. Mardochai, having 
 discovered the plot, revealed it to Esther, who immediately 
 told the king. The affair being examined, Mardochai 's state- 
 ment was found to be true. The two conspirators were 
 hanged, and the facts recorded in the annals of the kingdom. 
 
 Some time after, Assuerus raised a certain Aman 3 to the 
 highest dignity in the empire. All the king's servants bent 
 the knee before Aman and worshipped him. Mardochai alone 
 did not bend the knee before Aman, as he would not give^ 
 to man the honour due to God alone 4 . Aman, perceiving 
 this, and learning that Mardochai was a Jew, became very 
 angry. To be revenged on Mardochai, he told Assuerus 
 that the Jews were planning a revolt, and prevailed upon 
 the king to publish an edict commanding all the Jews in 
 his empire to be put to death 5 , and their property to be 
 taken away. 
 
 1 She had been left an orphan in early life, and her uncle, Mar- 
 dochai, who lived at Susa, the Persian capital, adopted her and brought 
 her up. On account of her beauty, modesty and innocence, Assuerus 
 chose her to be his queen, out of all the maidens presented to him 
 for choice. Assuerus is known in profane history as Xerxes I., the 
 celebrated king of Persia, who reigned from 485 — 465 B. V/-^- 2 He 
 held an office about the court. — 3 He was a Mede, and was raised 
 by the king to the post of Grand- Vizier, which was the highest in[ 
 the kingdom after the king's own. — 4 It was not, therefore, pride ♦ 
 which made him refuse to bow the knee before Aman, but a religious " 
 sense of duty, which forbade him to render divine homage to any 
 man. — 6 The edict was issued in April, 474, that on a certain day 
 in March, 473, every Jew was to be massacred. The day of this 
 general massacre was decided by lot, and the order was made known 
 by messengers throughout the length and breadth of the kingdom. 
 What terror must have seized all the Jews ! It is written in the 
 Book of Esther (Chapt. 4) : " In all the provinces, towns and places 
 to which the king's cruel edict was come, there was great mourning 
 among the Jews, with fasting, wailing and weeping, many using 
 sackcloth and ashes for their bed." They tried by these severe penances 
 to avert the calamity. 
 
 The Jews were terrified and began to weep and lament. 
 But Mardochai told Esther of the edict, so that she might 
 intercede with the king for her own people. 
 
406 CHAPTER LXXXL 
 
 Then Esther said: "All the provinces know that whosoever 
 
 cometh into the king's inner court, who is not called for, is 
 
 immediately put to death. How then can I go in to the 
 
 king, not being called?" To these words Mardochai replied: 
 
 ^" Who knoweth whether thou art not therefore come to the 
 
 kingdom that thou mightest be ready for such a time as 
 
 /"this?" Esther, therefore, praying fervently, and abstaining 
 
 J from food and drink for three days, resolved to go in to 
 
 v |the king, not being called, against the law, and to expose 
 
 I herself to death and to danger. 
 
 k* On the third day she put on her glorious apparel and 
 wore her glittering robes, and passed through the door with 
 a smiling countenance which hid a mind full of anguish, and 
 exceeding great fear. But when the king had lifted up his 
 face, and with burning eyes had shown the wrath of his 
 heart 6 , Esther sank down and rested her head upon her 
 handmaid. Then the king was seized with pity. He leaped 
 from his throne, and upheld her in his arms and said: 
 "What is the matter, Esther? I am thy brother, fear not! 
 Thou shalt not die, for this law is not made for thee, but 
 for all others. What wilt thou, queen Esther?" She, re- 
 covering herself, answered: "If it please the king, I beseech 
 thee to come to me this day, and Aman with thee, to the 
 banquet which I have prepared." 
 
 The king acceded to her wish ; and during the repast he 
 desired to know her request. She answered: "If it please 
 the king to give me what I ask, and to fulfil my petition, 
 let the king and Aman come again to the banquet which I 
 have prepared them, and to-morrow I will open my mind 
 to the king." The king promised to do so, and Aman left 
 the palace with a joyful heart 7 . But in going out he saw 
 Mardochai sitting at the door of the palace. And because 
 Mardochai would not bow down before him like the others, 
 lie was filled with rage ; and going home to his house, ordered 
 a gallows fifty cubits high to be erected to hang Mardochai 
 on the following morning. 
 
 6 Because she had approached the throne without being summoned. 
 With great prudence she abstained from at once presenting her chief 
 
ESTHER. 
 
 407 
 
 petition, and only invited the king to sup with her. The king would 
 probably have been angry when he discovered that she had concealed 
 her nationality from him. — 7 For it was an extraordinary honour 
 for him to be invited alone to supper with the king. 
 
 Now it happened that the king could not sleep that night, 
 and to divert his mind he ordered the annals of his reign 
 to be read to him. When the reader came to the place 
 which related how Mardochai had discovered the plot against 
 the king's life, Assuerus suddenly asked what reward Mar- 
 dochai had received for this important service. He was 
 told that the man had never received any reward. Then 
 
 the king called for 
 Aman whom he 
 asked what ought 
 to be done to 
 honour the man 
 whom the king 
 desired to honour. 
 Aman, suppos- 
 ing that there 
 was question of 
 himself, said that 
 the man whom 
 the king desired 
 to honour, ought 
 to be clothed with 
 the king's appa- 
 rel, and be set upon the king's horse, and have the royal 
 crown put upon his head, and that the first of the king's 
 princes and nobles should hold his horse, and, going through 
 the streets of the city, they should proclaim before him : "Thus 
 shall he be honoured, whom the king hath a mind to honour!" 
 Then the king said to him: "Make haste and take the 
 robe and the horse, and do, as thou hast spoken, to Mardochai, 
 the Jew, who sitteth before the gate of the palace 8 . 
 
 8 This was a great humiliation for the proud man who had hitherto 
 been the king's favourite. He had reckoned on the certainty that the 
 king would give him permission to hang Mardochai on the gallows 
 he had already set up ; and instead of this he was now forced to pay 
 
408 CHAPTER LXXXI. 
 
 the utmost honour to the detested Jew! No wonder that he was sad, 
 and forgot all about the invitation to supper! The king knew that 
 Mardochai was a Jew, and yet ordered this honour to be shown him. 
 He had, therefore, either forgotten his murderous edict against the 
 Jews ; or else he contemplated only a partial execution of the order 
 which he had so rashly given. Anyhow, Aman saw that his own 
 glory was coming to an end. 
 
 Aman was surprised and enraged to hear these words, 
 but he dared not disobey the word of the king. He went, 
 therefore, and did as he was ordered. Meanwhile the hour 
 came for the queen's banquet, and Aman went thither in 
 all haste. 
 
 While they sat at the table the king said again to the 
 queen: "What is thy petition, Esther, that it may be granted 
 thee ? Although thou ask the half of my kingdom thou shalt 
 have it." Esther replied: "If I have found favour in thy 
 sight, king, give me my life, for which I ask, and my 
 people for which I request. For we are given up, I and 
 my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish." 9 
 
 The king, in surprise, asked: "Who is this, and of what 
 power that he should dare to do these things?" Esther 
 answered: "It is Aman that is our most wicked enemy." 
 But Aman, hearing what the queen said, was seized with 
 terror. The king arose from the table in great wrath 10 . 
 Being told by one of the attendants that Aman had prepared 
 a gibbet fifty cubits high whereon to hang Mardochai, he 
 ordered Aman himself to be hanged upon it. 
 
 The same day king Assuerus raised Mardochai to the 
 high dignity which Aman had held, and the edict against 
 the Jews was immediately revoked. The Jews rejoiced beyond 
 measure at their unexpected deliverance, and many of the 
 gentiles, seeing how wonderfully God protected them, embraced 
 their religion n . Queen Esther is a striking figure of Mary, 
 the immaculate Queen of Heaven. For as Esther alone was 
 exempted from the law of death, so Mary alone was pre- 
 served from original sin, in which the rest of mankind are 
 born into this world. Again, Esther saved her people from 
 slaughter, and Mary, by her intercession, saves all her faithful 
 clients from the flames of hell. 
 
ESTHER. 409 
 
 9 By these words Esther revealed that she was a Jewess. — 10 and 
 walked about in the garden, thinking over what should be done to 
 Aman. — u The Jews celebrated a great feast in honour of their 
 deliverance, the anniversary of which has been kept ever since. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Goodness and Providence of God extended itself not 
 only to the Jews who returned to Judea, but also to those 
 who remained behind in the pagan country. He protected 
 them, and rescued them completely from the destruction 
 planned against them by Aman. Their deliverance really 
 was wonderful, for divine Providence so adapted circum- 
 stances that the projected plan of massacre was simply 
 brought to nought. By God's Providence Esther was raised 
 to be queen. Again, it was by His Providence that Mar- 
 dochai discovered the conspirators' plot; and also that the 
 annals of the reign were read to the king that night when 
 he could not sleep, the name of Mardochai being thus 
 recalled to him. By His grace God changed the anger of 
 the king to gentleness, and moved him to grant Esther's 
 petition. So also it was God Who turned the plans of 
 wicked Aman to his own shame, Who saved His people 
 from destruction, and made His name glorious among the 
 gentiles. 
 
 Pride is, firstly, a capital sin which leads to many other 
 sins. See what a number of sins Aman's pride led him to 
 commit. It made him hate Mardochai, and extend his hatred 
 to all the Jews. He calumniated them to the king, and 
 obtained thereby an unjust edict for their massacre. His 
 blind hatred grew to such an extent that he could not even 
 wait for the day of the general massacre of the Jews, but 
 wished to have Mardochai hanged at once. 
 
 Pride, moreover, makes men unhappy and discontented. 
 Aman possessed riches, power and honours, and was held 
 to be the most fortunate of men. But this highly-favoured 
 man was discontented, and thought himself ill-used, because 
 one individual Jew refused to pay him the homage that was 
 paid to him by others. His injured pride embittered his 
 life, and gave him sleepless nights. 
 
 Knecht, Commentary. I. 18 
 
410 CHAPTER LXXXI. 
 
 Pride, thirdly, leads to humiliation and downfall. In Am an 
 were fulfilled the words of Scripture: "Pride goeth before 
 destruction, and the spirit is lifted up before a fall" 
 (Prov. 16, 18). His pride paved the way to his utter abase- 
 ment. Imagining that he himself must be the man whom 
 the king most wanted to honour, he obtained really royal 
 honours for his enemy ; and had to pay this honour himself 
 to the hated Mardochai, and proclaim his glory to the whole 
 city. His injured pride made him desire the destruction of 
 the Jews; but this blood-thirsty project it was which led 
 to his own fall and ignominious death. 
 
 The four cardinal virtues. This story affords a shining 
 example of each of these virtues. 
 
 1. Prudence. Mardochai, Esther and all the Jews acted 
 very prudently, because in their hour of need and peril they 
 had recourse to prayer and fasting. They were convinced 
 that these good works were pleasing to God, and that they 
 would thereby obtain help and deliverance at the hands of 
 the Almighty. They also used every human means of help 
 which prudence suggested. 
 
 2. Justice. The king fulfilled a duty imposed by justice 
 when he rewarded Mardochai who had saved his life, and 
 punished Aman who had induced him to issue a cruel and 
 murderous edict. It was also an act of justice on his part, 
 when, having assured himself of the innocence of the Jews, 
 he recalled and annulled the edict. 
 
 3. Temperance. Assuerus practised this virtue when, 
 obedient to divine grace, he subdued his rising anger against 
 Esther and listened favourably to her petition. But Aman, 
 on the other hand, sinned against this virtue, when he let 
 himself be carried away by his anger against Mardochai, 
 and conceived the atrocious project of having every Jew in 
 the kingdom massacred. 
 
 4. Fortitude. Esther, though raised to be queen, remained 
 humble, pious, and full of confidence in God. This made 
 her valiantly risk her life in order to save her people. She 
 knew that the passionate king would be in a violent rage 
 when she appeared, unsummoned, in his presence, but she 
 
TRANSLATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT INTO GREEK. 411 
 
 prayed, and hoped that God would soften the king's heart; 
 nor was her trust misplaced. Confidence in God gives 
 fortitude. 
 
 Esther is a type of the ever Blessed Virgin Mary. Esther, 
 on account of her beauty, was raised from her low estate 
 to be queen: Mary, on account of the beauty of her pure 
 and humble heart, was raised to be the Mother of the 
 Redeemer, and, afterwards, Queen of Heaven. Esther alone 
 was exempted from the king's severe law: Mary alone is 
 exempted from the curse of original sin. Esther, adorned 
 in splendid garments, went before the king, prayed for her 
 people, and was heard : Mary, the Queen of Heaven, radiant 
 with virtues and merits, went before the throne of God, 
 offering her powerful prayers for her people. 
 
 Concealing sin. Was it right of Mardochai to reveal the conspiracy 
 against the king's life which he had discovered? He was douhly 
 bonnd to do so, both as a servant of God and as a servant of the 
 king. To conceal the sin of others, when you can prevent it by 
 revealing it, is one of the nine ways of sharing in the guilt of others. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Are you easily moved to anger? Have you in anger 
 insulted, struck, or wished ill to others? Just observe the 
 words and actions of an angry man, and you will see what 
 a hateful passion anger is. Do not allow yourself to be ever 
 carried away by it, but suppress its very first movements. 
 If the angry impulse comes, be silent, and say within 
 yourself: gentle Jesus, have mercy on me and help me 
 to overcome anger. 
 
 Chapter LXXXII. 
 
 TRANSLATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT INTO 
 
 GREEK (285 B. C.).— WISE SAYINGS OF JESUS, 
 
 THE SON OF SIRACH. 
 
 L Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 ri^HE Jews, who had returned to their country, lived in 
 A peace for two hundred years under the dominion of 
 
 the successors of Cyrus. This peace was not disturbed even 
 
 \ 18 * 
 
412 CHAPTER LXXXII. 
 
 when Alexander the Great, king of Macedon, destroyed the 
 Persian empire. Whilst Alexander lived, he treated the 
 Jews with great kindness ; but when, at his death, the Mace- 
 donian empire was divided, evil times came upon Judea. 
 
 That province formed the object of dispute between the 
 kings of Syria and those of Egypt, who made it the battle- 
 ground for their contending armies, so that it was turned 
 almost into a desert. As a natural consequence of these 
 protracted wars, ignorance, corruption and vice struck daily 
 deeper root among the Jewish people. This was one of the 
 darkest periods of their history 1 . 
 
 It was about this time that the king of Egypt wished 
 to have a Greek translation of the sacred books of the 
 Jews 2 . He therefore expressed his desire to the High Priest 
 at Jerusalem, who granted the request and sent to Alexandria, 
 the capital of Egypt, seventy-two wise men well versed both 
 in Greek and in Hebrew. These men were kindly received 
 by the king, and made a correct translation for him. At 
 that time educated men among the heathen nations knew and 
 spoke the Greek language. Hence this translation of the 
 Scriptures began to be read by the pagans, who thereby came 
 to the knowledge of the true God, and to the belief in the 
 Messias. Thus do we see the hand of divine Providence, in His 
 design to prepare the gentiles for the coming of the Saviour. 
 
 Almighty God also inspired a pious Jew, called Jesus, the 
 son of Sirach 3 , to write a work on religious and moral in- 
 struction, which forms one of the books of the Catholic Bible, 
 and is called Ecclesiasticus. The following beautiful maxims 
 taken from it deserve careful study. " The fear of the Lord is 
 the beginning and a crown of wisdom. The word of God is the 
 fountain of wisdom, and her ways are everlasting command- 
 ments. The fear of the Lord shall delight the heart, and shall 
 give joy, and gladness, and length of days. It shall go well 
 with him that feareth the Lord, and in the days of his end 
 he shall be blessed. My son, from thy youth up receive in- 
 struction, and even to thy gray hairs thou shalt find wisdom. 
 
 "Come to her as one that plougheth and soweth, and 
 wait for her good fruits. For in working about her thou 
 
TRANSLATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT INTO GREEK. 413 
 
 shalt labour a little, and shalt quickly eat of her fruits. 
 Take all that shall be brought upon thee, and keep patience, 
 for gold and silver are tried in the fire, but acceptable men 
 in the furnace of humiliation. Hear the judgment of your 
 father and grieve him not in his life. The father's blessing 
 establisheth the houses of the children, but the mother's 
 curse rooteth up the foundation. 
 
 "Despise not a man in his old age, for we also shall 
 become old. Despise not the discourse of them that are 
 ancient and wise ; but acquaint thyself with their proverbs. 
 Praise not a man for his beauty, neither despise a man for 
 his look. The bee is small among flying things, but her 
 fruit hath the chiefest sweetness. Be in peace with many, 
 but let one of a thousand be thy counsellor. 
 
 "Nothing can be compared to a faithful friend, and no 
 weight of gold and silver is able to countervail the goodness 
 of his fidelity. If thou wouldst get a friend, try him before 
 thou takest him, and do not credit him easily. For there 
 is a friend for his own occasion, and he will not abide in 
 the day of thy trouble. A lie is a foul blot in a man. In 
 nowise speak against the truth, but be ashamed of the lie 
 in thy ignorance. 
 
 "Let not the naming of God be usual in thy mouth, and 
 meddle not with the names of saints. A man that sweareth 
 much shall be filled with iniquity, and a scourge shall not 
 depart from his house. Before thou hear, answer not a 
 word, and interrupt not others in the midst of their discourse. 
 Hast thou heard a word against thy neighbour, let it die 
 within thee, trusting that it will not burst thee. Hedge in 
 thy ears with thorns ; hear not a wicked tongue ; and make 
 doors and bars to thy mouth. 
 
 "Melt down thy gold and silver, and make a balance for 
 thy words. Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent. 
 All iniquity is like a two-edged sword ; there is no remedy 
 for the wound thereof. Observe the time and fly from evil. 
 He that loveth danger shall perish therein, and he that 
 toucheth pitch shall be defiled with it. In every work of 
 thine regard thy soul in faith, for this is the keeping of the 
 
414 CHAPTER LXXXII. 
 
 commandments. In all thy works remember thy last end, 
 and thou shalt never sin." 
 
 1 After about 400 B. C. God sent no more prophets to His people. 
 The last of the prophets, Malachias, was raised up to upbraid the 
 people for their falling away from the correct observance of the Law. 
 Regarding the priests we read: "I have no pleasure in you, saith the 
 Lord of hosts : and I Avill not receive a gift of your hand. For from the 
 rising of the sun even to the going down, my name is great among 
 the gentiles, and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered 
 to My name a clean oblation." — 2 The Holy Scriptures of the Old 
 Testament consist of twenty-one historical books, seven moral books, 
 and seventeen prophetical books. The historical books are : the five 
 Books of Moses, the Book of Josue, the Judges, Ruth, the four Books 
 of Kings, two Paralipomena, two of Esdras, Tobias, Judith, and two 
 of Machabees. The doctrinal books are : Job, the Psalms, Proverbs, 
 the Preacher, the Song of Solomon, Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus. The 
 prophetical books are : Isaias, Jeremias, with the Lamentations, Ezechiel, 
 Daniel, Osee, Joel, Amos, Abdias, Jonas, Baruch, Micheas, Nahum, 
 Habacuc, Sophonias, Aggeus, Zacharias, and Malachias. — 3 This book 
 contains maxims, sayings and lessons on, and praises of the great 
 men of Israel. It was written about 180 B. C. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The fifteenth promise of the Messias (through Malachias) 
 is of great importance for the Catholic faith, since, as the 
 Council of Trent, in union with the Fathers of the Church, 
 teaches, it contains a most clear prophecy of the unbloody 
 Sacrifice of the New Testament, or, in other words, of the 
 most holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Let us examine what it 
 is that God promised by the mouth of the prophet Malachias. 
 
 By the words "From the rising of the sun — for my name 
 is great among the gentiles" God announced that many 
 nations instead of only one would worship Him. Then He 
 further foretold : a) that a sacrifice would be offered to Him, 
 not in one place only as with the Jews, but in all places; 
 
 b) that this sacrifice would be a clean oblation or offering, 
 
 c) and a meat-offering or, in other words, an unbloody 
 sacrifice ; d) and that it would be a perfect sacrifice, and take 
 the place of the Jewish sacrifices. Now, in what way does 
 the holy Sacrifice of the Mass correspond with and fulfil 
 this prophecy? a) The holy Sacrifice of the Mass was 
 
THE MARTYRDOM OF ELEAZAR. 415 
 
 instituted at the Last Supper, and is offered up in every 
 Catholic church all over the world, b) It is a clean oblation, 
 nay, the most clean, the most holy oblation that can be, for 
 in it is offered up Jesus Christ, the All-holy Son of God. 
 c) It is an unbloody Sacrifice, and at the same time it is 
 a meat-offering, for in it Jesus Christ offers Himself in an 
 unbloody manner in the holy Mass, under the form of bread 
 and wine, and gives Himself in Holy Communion to be the 
 Food of both priest and people, d) It replaces the sacrifices 
 of the Old Testament, which were only types of this, the 
 spotless Sacrifice of the New Testament, and which are 
 fulfilled by it. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Thank God in an especial manner for the most holy 
 Sacrifice of the Mass, and resolve that you will assist at 
 it frequently and with devotion. 
 
 Chapter LXXXIII. 
 THE MARTYRDOM OF ELEAZAR (168 B. C). 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 THE most terrible trial which the Jews had to undergo, 
 was that which came upon them at the time when they 
 were made subject to the proud and cruel Antiochus, king 
 of Syria *. The king ordered the Holy Books to be torn and 
 burnt; he profaned the Temple, and forbade the observance 
 of the divine laws under the penalty of death. 
 
 Unhappily, many of the Jews, yielding to a guilty fear, 
 obeyed the king's order ; but many more refused to comply 
 with the impious mandate, and chose to die rather than 
 violate the holy precept of God. Among these was an old 
 man named Eleazar, ninety-nine years of age, who was 
 renowned as a doctor of the law. 
 
 1 The Jews lived under the Persian supremacy in peace and quiet. 
 This lasted till 329 B. C. In that year, Alexander the Great, who had 
 conquered the Persian empire, took possession of Judea and Jerusalem ; 
 but he was favourable to the Jews and allowed them to practise their 
 religion, for which he had a great respect. When Alexander died 
 
416 CHAPTER LXXXIII. 
 
 (323 B. C), his four principal generals divided his vast empire; and 
 the Jews lived for a hundred years under the Egyptian rule uhioh 
 was in no way oppressive. But in the year 200 Judea fell under 
 the dominion of the kings of Syria. The worst of these kings was 
 Antiochus IV., of whom we read in this story. He fell on Jerusalem 
 with a large army in the year 169, killed 40,000 inhabitants, and 
 plundered the Temple. He proclaimed Greek paganism to be the 
 religion of the state, and, in 167 B. C, having in all sorts of ways 
 desecrated the Temple, he set up in it the image of the Greek god 
 Zeus (Jupiter). All the Jews were forbidden under pain of death to 
 practise any religion but that of the state. They did not dare to 
 circumcise their male children, or observe their sabbaths and festivals, 
 or offer sacrifice to the true God. 
 
 When Eleazar refused to eat swine's flesh, the use of 
 which was forbidden by the law of Moses, they opened his 
 mouth by force to compel him to eat. But he still refused, 
 and declared that he would undergo any torment that might 
 be inflicted on him, rather than stain his soul with sin by 
 a violation of the commandment of God 2 . Then some of 
 those who stood by, pitying the good old man, advised 
 him. to eat of other meat which was not forbidden, so as 
 to feign compliance with the king's command. 
 
 Eleazar replied: "It does not become our age to dis- 
 semble." He then explained to these false friends that even 
 if he made a mere show of complying with the king's orders 
 in this matter, the young men of his nation might be tempted 
 to follow his example, saying: "The aged Eleazar has be- 
 come a pagan, why may not we do the same?" Moreover, 
 he exclaimed: "Though for the present time I should 
 be delivered from the punishment of men, yet should I 
 not escape the hand of the Almighty, neither alive nor 
 dead." 3 
 
 Having thus spoken, the holy old man was dragged to 
 the place of execution, where he suffered a glorious death 4 . 
 In the midst of his torments he cried out: "Lord, Thou 
 knowest I suffer grievous pains, but I am well content to 
 suffer these things, because I fear Thee." Eleazar, by his 
 steadfast adherence to the law of God, and the fortitude 
 wherewith he suffered a most cruel martyrdom, has left a 
 noble example of fidelity and heroic virtue. 
 
THE MARTYRDOM OF ELEAZAR. 417 
 
 2 He was stretched upon a rack and unmercifully scourged. — 
 3 But why did Eleazar refuse to eat meat which it was allowed to 
 him to eat? Firstly, because he would have thereby dissembled and 
 acted as if he had apostatised from the true faith. Secondly, because 
 by this seeming apostasy he would have given a bad example, and 
 scandal to the Jewish young men. Thirdly, he would have deserved 
 punishment at God's hands. — 4 by being scourged till he gave up 
 his spirit. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Firm faith. Eleazar was strong and steadfast in faith, 
 preferring to die under torture rather than deny his faith 
 by eating the forbidden meat. 
 
 The fear of God. The fortitude with which Eleazar 
 endured his torture, proceeded from the holy fear of God, 
 to whom he said in presence of the bystanders: "I am well 
 content to suffer, because I fear Thee"; being persuaded 
 within himself: "If I escape from this torture by a miserable 
 hypocrisy, I could not escape the punishment of God." It 
 is thus we ought to reason when tempted either to do 
 what is wrong, or to neglect what is right. Our Lord 
 has spoken these warning words: "Fear not them that 
 kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul : but 
 rather fear Him that can destroy both soul and body in 
 hell" (Mat. 10, 28). 
 
 Bad example. Eleazar wished to avoid even the appearance 
 of sin, and therefore refused to adopt the suggestion made 
 to him of secretly eating meat which was allowed, though 
 he seemed to be eating swine's flesh. Every one would 
 have thought that he had eaten forbidden meat, and as he 
 himself said he would thus have given a bad example to 
 all the Jews, and especially to the young. This act would 
 also have drawn others into transgressing the law and 
 denying their faith. Those who are the occasion of sin 
 in other persons give scandal, and sin against the Fifth 
 Commandment. 
 
 Counselling sin. Did those who advised Eleazar to act as 
 if he had eaten the forbidden meat commit sin? Yes, for 
 though it is true that they felt full of compassion for the 
 
 18* 
 
418 CHAPTER LXXXtV. 
 
 poor, weak, aged man, they felt no compassion for his soul ; 
 and it was, after all, a very erroneous sort of compassion 
 which made them counsel him to commit a sin. 
 
 The shameful faithlessness of many Christians. Our Lord Jesus 
 Christ had not died for Eleazar. He had not received the teaching 
 and graces of Christianity, nor was heaven open to him ; and yet 
 he gave a splendid example of fortitude! How much more shameful 
 would it be for Christians to deny their faith, having, in very truth, 
 before them the example of our Lord, of the holy apostles, and of 
 the 13,000,000 martyrs of the Catholic Church, and receiving, as they 
 do, so many graces from God! 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Are you ready to suffer a painful death rather than deny 
 the holy Catholic faith, or commit any other grievous sin? 
 Do you pray for the gift of fortitude? • 
 
 If a Catholic eats meat on Friday, he acts as if he wore 
 not a Catholic, and refuses obedience to the Church of God. 
 Do you always observe the days of abstinence? 
 
 Chapter LXXXIV. 
 THE MARTYRDOM OF THE SEVEN MACHABEES. 
 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 ANTIOCHUS 1 commanded that a certain widow, with 
 her seven sons 2 , should be brought into his presence, 
 and should be forced to eat of the forbidden flesh. They all 
 told him that, as their law did not allow them the use of 
 such meat, they could not obey his command. He immediately 
 had them scourged with whips. 
 
 The eldest of the brothers told the king that they were 
 ready to die rather than transgress the law of their God. 
 Then the king, enraged at the young man's boldness, ordered 
 his tongue to be plucked out, the skin of his head to be 
 torn from it, his hands and feet to be cut off, and finally that 
 he should be burnt alive before his mother and brothers. 
 While he was suffering these cruel torments 3 , his mother 
 and his brothers exhorted him to die courageously. 
 
THE MARTYRDOM OF THE SEVEN MACHABEES. 419 
 
 1 See preceding chapter. — 2 These brothers are called the seven 
 Machabees, because their heroic sufferings are related in the second 
 Book of Machabees. It is generally believed that the seven brothers 
 and their mother were martyred in the year 166 at Antiochia, the 
 city where the king resided, situated not far from the sea, to the 
 north-east of the island of Cyprus. — 3 According to 2 Mach. 7, 5, 
 his martyrdom lasted a long time. Picture to yourself the horrors of 
 this prolonged torture. The king hoped that the cruel torments of the 
 eldest brother would frighten the younger ones into submission; but 
 instead of this, they encouraged each other to follow his example. 
 
 The first brother being dead, they seized the second, and, 
 having torn the skin from off kis head, they asked him if 
 he would eat rather than undergo the rest of the torments. 
 But he, refusing no less firmly and courageously than his 
 elder brother, was tortured in the same way till he expired. 
 When he was about to die he exclaimed: "Thou, most 
 wicked man, destroyest us out of this present life, but the 
 King of the world 4 will raise us up who die for His laws, 
 in the resurrection of eternal life." 
 
 The third brother offered his hands and feet to be cut 
 off, saying: "These I have from heaven, but, for the law 
 of God, I now despise them, because I hope to receive them 
 again from Him." Some minutes before his death he declared 
 aloud his willingness to die for God, as his brothers had 
 already done. When he was dead, the fourth brother, the 
 fifth, and the sixth — were all three subjected to the same 
 torments as their elder brothers, but each one died in the 
 same manner, having the same spirit. They made no account 
 of pain and death, because they suffered all for God. 
 
 4 The Jews shrank from uttering aloud the name of God; so, 
 instead, they used some other term, such as "heaven" or the "King 
 of the world". 
 
 The king and his courtiers were amazed at the constancy 
 of these young men, so that when the seventh, a mere 
 youth, was brought forward, the king told him, with an 
 oath, that he would make him rich and happy if he would 
 obey his command 5 . Seeing that his words had no effect 
 on the courageous boy, Antiochus called on the mother to 
 advise her son for his own good. 
 
420 
 
 CHAPTER LXXXIV. 
 
 The mother agreed to do so. Then, addressing her son 6 , 
 she said with all a mother's tender affection: "My son, 
 look upon heaven ancl earth, and all that is in them; and 
 consider that God made them out of nothing, and mankind 
 also ; so thou shalt not fear this tormentor, but, being made 
 a worthy partner with thy brethren 7 , receive death, that 
 in that mercy I may receive thee again with thy brethren." 8 
 
 While she was yet speaking, the boy said: "For whom 
 do you stay ? I will not obey the commandment of the king, 
 but the commandment of the law which was given us by 
 Moses." Then, turning to the king 9 : "Thou," said he, "thou 
 that hast been the author of all mischief against the Hebrews, 
 shalt not escape the hand of God." But the king, inflamed 
 with rage, tortured him most cruelly till he yielded up his 
 soul. Last of all the mother herself was put to death. 
 
 5 The king thought that by fair promises he would be able to 
 induce the boy, as he was young and weak, to apostatise. — c She 
 spoke to him in her native Jewish tongue. She purposely made use 
 of a language which the king could not understand, for, had he taken 
 in what she was saying, he would have at once torn the boy from 
 
THE MARTYRDOM OF THE SEVEN MACHABEES. 421 
 
 her, and she would not have been able to speak any more to him. 
 — 7 "Prove that you have as much fortitude and as great a fear 
 of God as had your brothers t" — 8 " For if you turn from your faith 
 you will not attain to eternal life." — 9 " We suffer thus for our 
 sins,'' he also said, "and though the Lord our God is angry with 
 us a little while, yet He will be reconciled again to His servants" 
 (2 Mach. 7, 32. 33). He was not alluding to their own particular sins, 
 but to the sins of the Jews in general, on account of which God 
 had subjected them to this long persecution. The brothers looked 
 on their death as a sacrifice for the sins of the people, and hoped 
 that it would turn God's anger from the Jews, and that He would 
 be gracious to them, and put an end to this persecution. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 Fortitude. It is impossible to extol and admire sufficiently 
 the unshaken fortitude of the seven brothers. It was com- 
 paratively easy for the aged Eleazar to give up his life, 
 for under no circumstances could he have had much longer 
 to live, and the world could not offer him much worth having. 
 But the Machabee brothers were young, they could look 
 forward to many years of life, and the world offered them 
 many pleasures and enjoyments. Nevertheless, they freely 
 and valiantly gave up their lives, refusing to be turned from 
 their allegiance to God, either by flattering promises, or 
 horrible tortures. 
 
 The mother's heroism is even more to be admired. She 
 had most to suffer, for in her heart she suffered all her 
 sons' tortures. She was, in fact, an eight-fold martyr, for 
 she shared in the sufferings of each of her sons, and finally 
 offered up her own life. In truth, the courage of the most 
 valiant of soldiers cannot be compared with the heroism of 
 this woman ! 
 
 What gives fortitude? What made this mother and her 
 sons so heroically resolved to give up their lives for God's 
 sake ? What enabled them to endure such horrible tortures ? 
 
 1. Their firm faith in God and His revelation. They 
 believed and confessed that 
 
 a) God is the Almighty Lord and Creator of the world: 
 "These hands I have from heaven" — "The King of this 
 world will raise us up" — "God made all these things out 
 of nothing." 
 
422 CHAPTER LXXXTV. 
 
 b) That God is just, rewarding the good and punishing the 
 wicked: "We suffer thus for our sins" — "Thou, most wicked 
 of men, shalt not escape the judgment of Almighty God" — 
 "Receive death, that in that mercy I may receive thee again." 
 
 c) That there is an eternal life, a resurrection of the 
 body, and a meeting again in another world: "The King of 
 this world will raise us up in the resurrection of eternal 
 life" — "These hands I have from heaven ... I hope to 
 receive them again from Him" — "That I may receive thee 
 again with thy brethren." They raised their eyes beyond 
 the perishable things of this earth, to those things which 
 are heavenly and eternal ; and they looked to being rewarded 
 by God in another world. They gave up their earthly life, 
 in order to gain eternal life. 
 
 From their firm faith proceeded a great fear and love of 
 God: "We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws 
 of God." 
 
 2. Because they believed in the promises of God, tlieij 
 believed in the future Redeemer ; and, on account of this faith, 
 God assisted them by His grace, without which no one can 
 keep the commandments. 
 
 Unlawful obedience. The example of these holy martyrs 
 teaches us that we must not obey our superiors when they 
 command us to do anything which God has forbidden, or 
 when they forbid anything which God has commanded. In 
 such cases we must say, as did the Machabee brothers: 
 "The law of God forbids it; we will not do it." 
 
 The commandment of abstinence. The seven Machabees 
 died martyrs for obedience to God's commandments. They 
 preferred to suffer the most cruel tortures rather than 
 transgress the commandment not to touch swine's flesh. 
 Jesus Christ, through his Church, has given us a similar law 
 in the Third Commandment of the Church. 
 
 The duty of parents in the education of their children. Parents 
 should learn from the mother of the Machabees to bring up their 
 children in the fear and love of God, and to care for their souls 
 more than for anything else, so that they may look to meeting them 
 again in eternal life. "What doth it profit a man if he gain the 
 whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul!" 
 
VALIANT EXPLOITS OF JUDAS MACHABEUS. 423 
 
 Commemoration of the holy Machabees. The Church commemorates 
 these martyrs on August 1 th : "For," says St. Gregory Nazianzen," what 
 would not these men, who suffered martyrdom before Christ suffered, 
 have endured if they had been called to suffer persecution after His 
 Incarnation, and had present before their eyes the Death which He 
 suffered for our salvation ! Yes, I think I may assume in union with 
 all friends of God, that there was a certain mysterious communion 
 between the martyrs of the Old Testament and Jesus Christ, without 
 belief in Whom none of those martyrs before the Incarnation could 
 have attained to such a glorious end." 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Put yourself in the place of the youngest brother, and 
 imagine the king speaking to you, making you splendid 
 promises on the one hand, and, on the other, threatening 
 you with death by torture. Would you remain firm, and 
 suffer a lingering martyrdom rather than offend God by 
 committing a grievous sin? "We will rather die than 
 transgress God's law" had been the maxim of these brothers' 
 lives from their earliest youth, so that, when they found 
 themselves assailed by a severe temptation, they remained 
 firm. Let the same maxim be stamped on your heart! 
 Abide by this principle in little things, and then, by God's 
 grace, you will stand firm in the hour of trial. "Lead us 
 not into temptation!" 
 
 Chapter LXXXV. 
 
 VALIANT EXPLOITS OF JUDAS MACHABEUS (160 B. C). 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 T the time when Antiochus was thus cruelly persecuting 
 
 A 
 
 the Jews, there was in Judea a priest named Matha- 
 thias *, who had five sons. This zealous priest, having learnt 
 that Antiochus had profaned the Temple, and nearly destroyed 
 the worship of the true God, was filled with the deepest 
 sorrow. He knew that the wicked king would soon succeed 
 in his impious designs, if the Jews did not offer a vigorous 
 resistance. 
 
 He, therefore, called upon all who had any zeal for the 
 laws of God to rise up with him, in defence of their sacred 
 
424 CHAPTER LXXXV. 
 
 rights. Then he and his sons fled to the mountains where 
 they were soon joined by the valiant men of Israel, and 
 quickly formed a powerful army. They destroyed the altars 2 
 of the false gods, bravely defended the law of the Lord, 
 and compelled the apostate Jews to leave the country. 
 
 After the death of Mathathias B , Judas, surnamed Machabeus, 
 or the Hammerer 4 , on account of his invincible courage and 
 great valour, assumed the command of the Jewish army. 
 In battle he showed himself brave as a lion— had several 
 engagements with the Syrian generals, and recovered Jeru- 
 salem and the Temple. With a sorrowful heart he saw the 
 Temple in its desecrated and desolate state, the altar profaned, 
 and the grass growing in the deserted courts. 
 
 He then purified the Temple 5 , celebrated his victory by 
 a grand festival, and dedicated the altar anew, with the 
 sound of harps, and lutes, and cymbals, and hymns of joy 
 in the sight of the wondering multitude. 
 
 1 The severe test of conscience put by Antiochus forced the faithful 
 Jews into resistance. The priest Mathathias and his sons placed them- 
 selves at the head of those who were resolved to fight for their religion. 
 
 — 2 which Antiochus had set up all over the country. — 3 1G6 B. C. 
 
 — 4 because he overcame, or so to speak, hammered down the enemies 
 of the Jews. — 5 It had been polluted, made desolate and desecrated 
 by the erecting in it of altars to the false gods (Chapt. LXXXIII). 
 The purification consisted in the removing of everything unholy and 
 pagan which had served for the worship of false gods. 
 
 Antiochus, hearing of the splendid victories of Judas 
 Machabeus, was roused to fury, and, hastening to assume the 
 command of his army, set out at once for Jerusalem 6 . But 
 driving at full speed in his war-chariot, he was thrown to 
 the ground and grievously wounded 7 . Soon worms came 
 forth from the body of that impious king; the flesh rotted 
 6n his bones, and he became an object of horror and disgust, 
 so that no one could approach him. He who so lately 
 thought that the very stars of heaven should obey him, 
 was deserted even by his slaves. 
 
 Then, seeing the folly and wickedness of his pride, he 
 began to humble himself before the Lord 8 , promising to 
 repair all the evil he had done 9 and to proclaim through- 
 
VALIANT EXPLOITS OF JUDAS MACHABEUS. 
 
 425 
 
 out the whole earth that there was no god but the great 
 God Whom the Jews adored. But, inasmuch as his repentance 
 proceeded only from the fear of death, and the dread of 
 temporal punishment, it was of no avail before God. His 
 sufferings continued unabated, and at last the wicked king, 
 the blasphemer of God, the oppressor of His people, died 
 in torment, the death of a reprobate 10 . 
 
 6 It was after he had suffered a defeat in Persia, that he learnt 
 that the Jews had gathered together to fight for the exercise of their 
 religion. He determined to vent the anger he felt at his defeat in 
 Persia on the little Jewish state. He intended to attack Jerusalem 
 and "make it a common burying place of the Jews" i. e. destroy 
 the city and bury its inhabitants under its ruins. — 7 so that he had 
 to be carried in a litter, and could advance but slowly. — 8 Holy 
 Scripture says (2 Mach. 9, 12): "When he could not abide his own 
 stench, he spoke thus: 'It is just to be subject to God, and that a 
 mortal man should not equal himself to God.'" His pride had been 
 so great that he would acknowledge no God, and, out of hatred for 
 Him, inhumanly oppressed His people. — 9 He promised to guarantee 
 freedom of worship to the Jews; even to become a Jew himself, and 
 
426 CHAPTER LXXXV. 
 
 wander through the world proclaiming God's power (2 Mach. 9, 17). 
 He promised a great deal, as is the way with those whose word is 
 not to be depended on ; but God, Who sees the heart, would not hearken 
 to him. because his promises were not sincere, and because God 
 foreknew that he would not keep them. — 10 The punishment foretold 
 to their cruel persecutor by the Machabee brothers had not failed to 
 overtake him. In the story as narrated in last chapter, only the 
 threat of the youngest brother is related; but the fourth, fifth and 
 sixth brothers had also foretold the judgments of God. The fourth 
 brother had said: "As to thee, thou shalt have no resurrection to 
 life." The fifth had said: "Thou shalt see God's great power, in what 
 manner He will torment thee and thy seed." And the sixth, when 
 dying, had cried out: "Do not think that thou shalt escape punishment, 
 for that thou hast attempted to fight against God." 
 
 The son and successor of Antiochus sent his ablest generals, 
 with mighty armies n , to take Judea and Jerusalem again. 
 Judas Machabeus and his small army, seeing the hosts 12 
 that were marching against him, had recourse to God in 
 humble prayer. Then they took up their arms and advanced 
 to meet the enemy, trusting in God alone. 
 
 In the midst of the combat five horsemen 13 , in shining 
 armour, were seen by the enemy in the air above, fighting 
 for the Jews. Two of these heavenly warriors were with 
 Judas Machabeus, as it were shielding him from danger, 
 while the other three cast darts from on high against the 
 Syrian host 14 . Seeing this strange sight the enemy were 
 seized with terror, and fled in confusion, leaving thirty 
 thousand of their number dead on the field. 
 
 Thus favoured by divine assistance, Judas Machabeus de- 
 feated the Syrians in many other bloody engagements. But 
 it happened in one of these that some of the Jews were 
 slain, and on the following day, when Judas and his soldiers 
 came to bury them, they found under their tunics certain 
 heathen charms, or amulets, which it was not allowable 
 even to touch. 
 
 It became manifest to all that it was because of the 
 amulets, that these men had been killed 15 ; and, praising the 
 justice of God, they besought Him to pardon the sins of 
 the unhappy dead. But Judas collected a sum of twelve 
 thousand drachms of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to 
 
VALIANT EXPLOITS OF JUDAS MACHABEUS. 427 
 
 have sacrifices offered for his soldiers who had thus fallen 
 in battle. "It is, therefore," says the Scripture, "a holy and 
 a wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may 
 be loosed from their sins". 
 
 11 The Syrian kings had allied themselves to several neighbouring 
 people, namely the Edomites or Idumaeans, who had taken possession 
 of the southern portion of Judea; the Ammonites on the east, who 
 had increased in power since the fall of the kingdom of Israel; and 
 the Arabs on the south-east. — 12 gathered together by the Ammonite 
 general Timotheus (2 Mach. 10, 24) : "Timotheus having called together 
 a multitude of foreign troops, and assembled horsemen out of Asia". 
 Before Judas and his soldiers went to meet the Greek army, they, 
 clothed in sackcloth, threw themselves down before the altar of the 
 Lord and prayed for help (2 Mach. 10, 25 &c). — 13 angels in the 
 form of horsemen. — 14 These were so dazzled and terrified that 
 they took to flight. More than 20,000 men were killed. — 15 They 
 had kept back from the booty some charms of the false gods, though 
 the law (Deut. 7, 25) commanded the destruction of every thing that 
 had served for the worship of idols. 
 
 Before one of the many battles which Judas fought, he 
 had a vision. He saw the deceased High Priest, Onias 16 , 
 holding up his hands, and praying for the Jewish people. 
 
428 CHAPTER LXXXV. 
 
 After this another man appeared, surrounded with great 
 glory. Onias said: "This is he that prayeth much for the 
 people, and for all the holy city, Jeremias, the prophet of 
 God." Then Jeremias gave Judas a sword of gold, saying: 
 "Take this holy sword, a gift from God, wherewith thou 
 shalt overcome the adversaries of My people Israel." 
 
 Judas, encouraged by these heavenly favours, gained many 
 battles. At last it happened that he engaged the enemy 
 with very unequal numbers 17 . In this battle he was vanquished 
 and slain 18 . Then all the people mourned him for many 
 days, saying: "How is the mighty man fallen that saved 
 the people of Israel!" That Judas sent money to Jerusalem, 
 wherewith sacrifices might be offered for the repose of the 
 dead, is a sign that the Jews also believed in purgatory. 
 For, if the prayers of the living brought no relief to the 
 dead, neither would Judas have collected money for sacrifices, 
 nor would the priests have accepted it for that purpose. 
 Besides, we learn from this chapter of the Bible that the 
 saints pray for their friends on earth, and that their prayers 
 are heard. 
 
 16 This faithful servant of God had been killed by an assassin, 
 170 B. C. Judas had personally known the zealous High Priest. — 
 17 Bacchides, the Syrian general, was at the head of an army of 
 25,000 men, which Judas opposed with only 800. His followers urged 
 him to retreat, but he replied: "God forbid we should do this thing 
 and flee away from them. But if our time (i. e. the hour of our 
 death) be come, let us die manfully for our brethren, and let us not 
 stain our glory." — 18 He died for the cause of liberty and the free 
 exercise of religion. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 The Justice of God is very clearly revealed in the account 
 of the death of Antiochus. The wicked king had deliberately 
 prepared tortures for the Jewish martyrs, and now he himself 
 was slowly tortured to death. His body while still alive 
 became corrupt, and he was unbearable both to himself and 
 to those about him. In his arrogance he had despised God 
 and forbidden His worship ; now he had to bow down under 
 the hand of the Almighty, and acknowledge that his terrible 
 sufferings were but the just punishment of his pride and 
 
VALIANT EXPLOITS OF JUDAS MACHABEUS. 429 
 
 cruelty to God's servants. He even prayed and made vows 
 to God, knowing that it was only from Him that help 
 could come; but his prayer was not heard, and he died a 
 miserable death, in unendurable agony. Contemplate the once 
 proud king on his death-bed. His flatterers have forsaken 
 him; his servants cannot endure to be near him. Day and 
 night he is tormented; day and night he complains and 
 laments — but there is no help for him! In the days of his 
 health he had tormented many, and now, he himself is 
 tormented by bodily pain and remorse of conscience, "and 
 indeed very justly, seeing he had tormented the bowels of 
 others with many and new torments". Let this story teach 
 you to know and fear the justice of God. "It is a fearful 
 thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebr. 10, 31). 
 Another instance of God's justice is given in the death of 
 the Jewish soldiers. Judas Machabeus was convinced that 
 the reason of their death lay in their secreting the idolatrous 
 amulets ; for he believed that God, on account of their sin, 
 had withdrawn His protection from them, and punished them 
 by death. 
 
 Repentance must be supernatural. Why did not Antiochus 
 obtain mercy? Because he was not truly penitent. It is 
 true that he did repent of his offences against God's people, 
 but his repentance was natural, not supernatural, and sprang 
 not from fear or love of God, but from horror of his temporal 
 punishment (i. e. his fearful disease), and from terror of 
 approaching death. He wished to be well again, and to live 
 and reign longer ; this was the only reason why he repented 
 of his cruelty. Such is not supernatural repentance. It is 
 true that he also made good resolutions, but these were of no 
 value in the sight of God, for they were as little supernatural 
 as his repentance. It is only supernatural repentance, and 
 supernatural purposes of amendment which make a man 
 truly penitent ; and, not possessing these, Antiochus failed to 
 obtain pardon, and died impenitent. As he lived, so he died. 
 "The death of the wicked is very evil" (Ps. 33, 22). 
 
 Deathbed-conversions. For the same reasons that the conversion 
 of Antiochus was not real or sincere, most deathbed-conversions are 
 
430 CHAPTER LXXXV. 
 
 very doubtful and untrustworthy, since, as a rule, they do not proceed 
 from supernatural motives, but only from fear of death. Therefore, 
 sinners should never put off repentance till they are near death; 
 because, firstly, they might be called away suddenly without any 
 preparatory illness ; and, secondly, it is very difficult for a sinner to be 
 sincerely converted on his deathbed after a long life spent in resisting 
 grace, and heaping sin upon sin. "Delay not to be converted to the Lord, 
 and defer it not from day to day. For His wrath shall come on a sudden, 
 and in the time of vengeance He will destroy thee" (Ecclus. 5, 7. 8). 
 
 The immortality of the soul. Judas and his companions 
 believed that the souls of those who had died still lived, 
 and, therefore, they prayed for them. 
 
 Purgatory. The Machabees and their followers believed 
 that those who fell were not eternally lost in hell, seeing 
 that they had fought and died for God's honour. But, on 
 the other hand, they did not believe that their fallen brethren 
 were with the blessed in Limbo, for otherwise their sin- 
 offerings for them would have had no meaning. No, they 
 believed : a) that those who had been slain were in a middle 
 state between that of the blessed and that of the damned; 
 
 b) that they had to make satisfaction for venial sin; and 
 
 c) that the survivors could help them by prayers and sacri- 
 fices, and thus make satisfaction for them to the divine 
 justice, so that they might be delivered from their present 
 state. Holy Scripture testifies that this belief is a correct 
 one, since it praises Judas for offering up these prayers and 
 sacrifices, saying explicitly: "It is a holy and wholesome 
 thought to pray for the dead." This completely corrobo- 
 rates the Catholic doctrine of purgatory, and of prayers for 
 the dead. 
 
 Prayers for the dead. It is a "holy" thought to pray for 
 the dead, because it proceeds from a living faith and a sincere 
 brotherly love. It is also a " wholesome " thought, for these 
 prayers help the holy souls as well as ourselves. They 
 procure for them admission to heaven, and they increase 
 our merits. and, moreover, bind the delivered souls, out of 
 gratitude, to intercede for us before the throne of God. 
 This leads us on to another Catholic doctrine, also confirmed 
 by this story, namely: 
 
 
VALIANT EXPLOITS OF JUDAS MACHABEUS. 431 
 
 The intercession of the saints. In Judas's vision not only 
 did Onias pray for the Jews, but he said that Jeremias also 
 prayed for them ("This is he that prayeth much for the 
 people, and for all the holy city, Jeremias, the prophet of 
 God"). The saints, therefore, know about us and care for 
 us, for our sufferings, struggles and necessities; and seek 
 to help us by their intercession. Jeremias appeared as the 
 special guardian and patron of Jerusalem. In the same way 
 we believe that those saints who have been chosen, and 
 devoutly venerated, as the special patrons of individual 
 Christians, or of churches, villages, towns, parishes or estates, 
 intercede especially for those who have been committed to 
 their care. 
 
 The virtues of the Machabees. Mathathias and his sons 
 fought a noble fight. They did not take up arms out of 
 ambition or thirst for renown, but simply out of holy zeal 
 for God's honour, for liberty of conscience and the welfare 
 of their country. They said: "It is better for us to die in 
 battle, than to see the evils of our nation and of the holies." 
 They were ready to bleed and die for God and for their 
 country. They carried on the war with heroic courage and 
 endurance, and their heroism proceeded from their unshaken 
 confidence in God. They fought not only for God, but with 
 Him. They knew that they could not overcome without His 
 help, so before the battle, and in the battle, they called on 
 Him, and after the battle, they humbly gave Him the glory, 
 and thanked Him who had given them the victory. 
 
 The power of prayer. The wonderful assistance which 
 was so repeatedly granted to Judas, shows us the power of 
 fervent and trustful prayer, and should encourage us to turn 
 to God in all our necessities. Almighty God gave the victory 
 to the faithful Jews, because " they fought with their hands, 
 and prayed in their hearts." 
 
 The soldiers of Christ. We all have a holy war to wage for God's 
 glory and the salvation of our souls, namely, the war against our 
 own passions and inclinations, as also against temptations from without, 
 from unbelieving and wicked men, and from the evil spirits. In this 
 war our weapons are the sword of God's word, the shield of faith, 
 and the lance of prayer. Our companions in arms are our holy guardian 
 
432 CHAPTER LXXXVI. 
 
 angels who invisibly help us during the strife in the same way that 
 they visibly helped Judas. We are consecrated to, and strengthened 
 for this war by the Sacrament of Confirmation. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Of what kind is your repentance and your purpose of 
 amendment? Have you always carried out your good re- 
 solutions ? In order to have a hatred of sin you ought every 
 evening to try to excite in yourself a feeling of contrition. 
 
 Do you properly venerate your guardian angel and your 
 patron saint? Have you read your saint's life? Do you 
 commend yourself every day to his care, and try to imitate 
 his virtues? 
 
 Do you pray diligently for the dead, especially for your 
 relations and benefactors? Never neglect to do this, for it 
 is a duty of love, and obtains merit for yourself. Especially, 
 remember the holy souls at Mass, after the Elevation. If 
 even the sacrifices of the Old Testament, which were only 
 shadows and types, could help the dead, how much greater 
 must be the help which is afforded to them by the Most 
 Holy Sacrifice of the New Testament. 
 
 Chapter LXXXVI. 
 THE LAST TIMES BEFORE CHRIST. 
 I. Narrative and Explanation. 
 
 AFTER the death of Judas Machabeus, his brothers, 
 Jonathan and Simon, successively placed themselves at 
 the head of the Jewish people 1 , and performed wonderful 
 exploits. Their successors, however, fell away from God, and 
 brought the people, always unsteady and prone to evil, into 
 a multitude of sins and vices. They, indeed, still worshipped 
 the true God 2 , but it was only with their lips, and their 
 hearts were far from Him 3 . 
 
 Their chief care consisted in the outward observance of 
 the law; the inward disposition and purity of heart they 
 neglected. Whatever good there might be among the Jews 
 was stifled by the sect of the hypocritical Pharisees, or of 
 the unbelieving Sadducees, and these two sects, although 
 
THE LAST TIMES BEFORE CHRIST. 433 
 
 mortal enemies of each other 4 , exercised a great power 
 over the people. Throughout the rest of the world idolatry- 
 reigned supreme, and all the nations of the earth were sunk 
 in misery and corruption 5 . 
 
 1 Jonathan was treacherously murdered by the Syrians, 143 B. C. 
 After his death his brother Simon was chosen to be both High Priest 
 and leader of the people. He succeeded in entirely freeing the Jewish 
 state from the dominion of the Syrian king, Demetrius, 142 B. C. 
 Out of gratitude, the Jews made the dignities of prince and High 
 Priest hereditary in the family of Simon. — 2 They had done so ever 
 since the return from the captivity, and had been further confirmed 
 in the true worship since the days of Judas Machabeus. — 3 They 
 had no fear or love of God in their hearts. In consequence, immorality 
 gained such ground, that a Jewish writer, Josephus Flavius, has called 
 Jerusalem a second Sodom. — 4 The Pharisees introduced many human 
 doctrines and precepts, and attached almost more importance to these 
 than to the law of God. They sought justice in such outward observances 
 as the washing of hands and of vessels, and the repetition of prayers, 
 and they neglected purity of heart. They were, for the most part, full 
 of pride, avarice, envy and hypocrisy. The Sadducees were freethinkers 
 and materialists. They did not believe in the immortality of the soul 
 or in the resurrection of the body, so that they had no thought of 
 eternal life, but sought their heaven in this world. They led a bad 
 and dissolute life, having no fear of God. This sect found most of its 
 adherents among the rich (see "The rich man" New Test. XL VI). 
 — 6 Pagan Rome had by degrees subjected to her rule nearly all 
 the then known world, so that the nations of the world formed one 
 vast empire, of which Rome was the capital, and the Roman emperor 
 the sovereign. At the time of our Lord's Incarnation all manner of 
 idolatry, unbelief, superstition, and an unbounded immorality reigned 
 throughout this pagan empire. Rome alone possessed 30,000 deities 
 many of whom were honoured solely on account of their immorality. 
 The largest portion of the population groaned in a miserable state 
 of slavery. Corruption was so universal that all thinking men felt 
 there was no deliverance from it possible, unless help were sent 
 from heaven. 
 
 The few just men who were scattered here and there 
 among the different races of men 6 , sighed for the coming 
 of the promised Redeemer, the only hope of fallen man. 
 They prayed that the clouds might rain down the Just One, 
 and that the earth might bud forth the Saviour. 
 
 All was in readiness for the coming of our Lord, which 
 event, according to signs and prophecies, must be near at hand. 
 
 Knecht, Commentary. I. 19 
 
434 CHAPTER LXXXVI. 
 
 Four hundred years before the Birth of Christ, Malachias, 
 the last of the prophets, could not restrain his joy at the 
 near approach of the Messias. He told the Jewish priests 
 that the Temple should soon be closed for ever, and the 
 fires on their altars extinguished, for that their offerings 
 had ceased to be pleasing to the Lord of Hosts. He said: 
 "I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of Hosts, and 
 I will not receive a gift of your hand. For from the rising 
 of the sun even to the going down, My name is great among 
 the gentiles, and in every place there is sacrifice, and there 
 is offered to My name a clean oblation. For My name is 
 great among the gentiles, saith the Lord of Hosts." The 
 clean oblation of which the prophet Malachias speaks, is 
 the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass which is offered every day 
 and in many places, from the rising of the sun to the going 
 down thereof 7 . 
 
 6 By means of the captivity of Babylon many Jewish colonies had 
 been formed in the midst of the pagans, which continued to exist in 
 the Christian era. After the division of the empire of Alexander the 
 Great these colonies spread themselves into Egypt, Asia Minor and 
 Greece, and by force of the Jewish spirit of commercial enterprise 
 gradually extended themselves over the whole Roman empire, as far 
 as Spain and the south of France. There was a very large colony 
 of Jews at Rome at the time of the Incarnation, for we hear of the 
 emperor Augustus receiving a deputation of eight thousand of them. 
 Wherever they settled down, these Jews built synagogues and houses 
 of prayer, and through them the pagans got to know the Unseen and 
 Living God, and the prophecies about the Messias ; and many of them 
 even adopted the Jewish religion. — 7 See Commentary, Chapt. LXXXII. 
 
 Nothing remained to be accomplished save the prophecy of 
 Jacob to his son Juda 8 . This last sign was not delayed. The 
 Jewish people, torn and weakened by continual dissensions 
 among themselves, called in the Romans to decide their 
 quarrels, and the Romans, a great and powerful nation, 
 settled the dispute by taking possession of all Judea 9 , and 
 placing on its throne Herod, a stranger 10 , a satellite of the 
 Roman emperor n . Thus was the sceptre of Juda broken 12 , 
 and that event ushered in the Redeemer of the world 13 . 
 Herod reigned in Judea when the Messias, so long promised, 
 
THE LAST TIMES BEFORE CHRIST. 435 
 
 appeared on earth in human form, even Christ the Lord, 
 to Whom be honour and glory for ever and ever. 
 
 8 See Chapt. XXVII. — 9 Under the general Pompey. — 10 an 
 Idumaean. — u To assure himself of the government, Herod slew 
 all the descendants of the Machabees, among others his own wife 
 Mariamne, and the two sons whom he had had by her. Moreover, he 
 oppressed the Jews with heavy taxes. — 12 Though the Jews had a 
 ruler, he was a foreigner, and therefore the time had now come 
 for the Advent of the Saviour, the "Expected of all nations". — 
 13 The prophet Isaias thus expressed the longing of Israel for the 
 Redeemer: "Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the 
 clouds rain the Just; let the earth be opened, and bud forth a Saviour", 
 i. e. "as the dew falls from heaven, so may the Most Just (the 
 Redeemer) descend from heaven ; and as the earth brings forth plants, 
 so in like manner may the Saviour be brought forth". The hope and 
 longing for the Redeemer was expressed by the Jews in the daily 
 prayers recited in the synagogues, in which was to be found the 
 following petition: "Build up Jerusalem for ever, and raise up David's 
 throne in the midst. Let the seed of David, Thy servant, bud forth 
 speedily, for we hope continuously for Thy redemption." We can see 
 in the case of Simeon, Anna, and those like them (New Test. VII), 
 how very keen had become the expectation of the Messias in the 
 fulness of time. The conjecture of the Jews that John the Baptist 
 might be the Messias (New Test. XI) points in the same direction, 
 as also do the words of the woman of Samaria at Jacob's well 
 (New Test. XVI). We know, therefore, that the longing for the 
 Redeemer was very general by the time that He came. However, 
 only very few of the Jews thought of the Messias as being a Redeemer 
 from sin, and a bringer of grace and truth; they expected, rather, 
 that He would come to deliver them from the dominion of Rome and 
 the tyranny of Herod, to set up the earthly throne of David, enlarge 
 the borders of Judea, and subject all nations to her rule. Even the 
 influential Pharisees regarded a more complete revelation of God as 
 impossible. That the Messias should be a Saviour of all men, gentiles 
 as well as Jews, was an idea quite inconceivable to their narrow- 
 minded selfishness. 
 
 II. Commentary. 
 
 A retrospect by which we can recognise God's wisdom in 
 the guidance of mankind: 
 
 1. Even in Paradise God revealed Himself to man, and 
 promised a Redeemer. But the greater number of Adam's 
 descendants turned away from God, and sank so low that 
 their reason was obscured, and they lost all power of under- 
 
 19* 
 
436 CHAPTER LXXXVI. 
 
 standing even that natural religion which was taught to them 
 by visible creation, and the voice of their own consciences. 
 Nevertheless, in all pagan religions, there were preserved 
 some remains of the original revelation, such as the memory 
 of a former and happier state, the consciousness of the debt 
 of sin hanging over the human race, the sense of the necessity 
 of reconciliation with an offended God, the dim expectation 
 of a Redeemer, and of a future and better state. 
 
 2. God revealed Himself supernaturally to the people of 
 Israel, in order to preserve in them belief in the true God 
 and in the future Redeemer, and through them to spread 
 abroad this belief among the gentiles. However, the inclination 
 towards idolatry was so strong in the chosen people that 
 it was many centuries before God, by repeated revelations 
 and visitations, could wean them from it. Man is very ready 
 to make his own god, that is, to make out God to be such 
 as his own inclinations lead him to wish Him to be. Instead 
 of moulding his own inclinations, will and actions to accord 
 with God's Almighty will, he seeks to accommodate God 
 and His attributes to his own desires. It was not until 
 paganism was eradicated from the religious belief of the 
 Jews, and that the first, Old Testament revelation had become 
 an essential part of their existence, that they were ready 
 for a further and more perfect revelation. Then, and not 
 till then, the world was prepared for the coming of the 
 Only-Begotten of the Father to be its Redeemer. 
 
 3. As time went on, the promises concerning the Redeemer 
 became more and more explicit. These promises were 
 conveyed, partly in prophecies, partly by types. Let us then 
 recall the prophecies which have been mentioned: 1. that 
 made to Adam and Eve after the Fall, 2. and 3. made to 
 Abraham, 4. and 5. made through Jacob, 6. through Balaam, 
 7. through the dying Moses, 8. through David, 9. through 
 Isaias, 10. through Jeremias, 11. through Ezechiel, 12. through 
 Daniel, 13. through Aggeus, 14. through Zacharias, and 
 15. through Malachias. The people whom we have studied 
 as types of the Messias, are: 1. Adam, 2. Abel, 3. Noe, 
 4. Melchisedech, 5. Isaac, 6. Joseph, 7. Job, 8. Moses, 9. Josue, 
 
THE LAST TIMES BEFORE CHEIST. 437 
 
 10. Gedeon, 11. Samson, 12. David, 13. Solomon, 14. Elias, 
 and 15. Jonas. The objects to which our attention has been 
 directed as types, are: the Tree of Life; the sacrifice of 
 Melchisedech; the paschal lamb; the manna; the sacrifices 
 of the Old Law ; the brazen serpent &c. The prophecy uttered 
 by Malachias was the last one vouchsafed, because, from 
 that time forward, the Jews, being confirmed in their own 
 faith, were employed by God to spread His revelation among 
 the gentiles. 
 
 4. The pagan world was on the brink of an abyss. It 
 had learnt by its own experience what man comes to, when 
 he has forsaken God. The ancient world had made great 
 progress in the arts and sciences, but it found no satisfaction 
 in them, because its moral and social condition was deplorable. 
 The truth, which raises man, and delivers him from all 
 uncertainty, was lacking to this world which had cast off 
 its God. Its best and most learned men were fully aware 
 of the folly of paganism, but this conviction only led them 
 to doubt everything ; as we can, for example, see by Pilate's 
 question: "What is truth?" This state of doubt did not 
 help them to arrive at truth, for truth can only be found 
 in God. Moreover, grace was wanting to them, — that grace 
 which enables man to will and do what is right, which puts 
 an end to the disorders of human nature, and brings peace 
 to the restless heart of man. When the pagan world at 
 length saw what was lacking to it, and that no help could come 
 to it except from heaven, then it was that God dispersed 
 the Jews into all parts of the world, and by their means 
 spread abroad the knowledge of the living and true God, 
 and the hope of the Redeemer. Thus, four thousand years 
 after the Fall, a large portion of the pagan world had begun 
 to long for the Saviour who was expected in Judea. 
 
 Now, "when the fulness of time was come, God sent 
 His Son that we might receive the adoption of sons" 
 (Gal. 4, 4). "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among 
 us, and we saw His glory, the glory as it were of 
 the Only-Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" 
 (John 1, 14). 
 
438 CHAPTER LXXXVI. 
 
 The signification of Advent. This season ought to make 
 us think of the sad condition of the world before our Lord's 
 Incarnation, and prepare ourselves, by penance and a longing 
 desire, for the Birth of Christ in our hearts. 
 
 The two natures of the Redeemer. The passage: "Drop 
 down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain 
 the Just; let the earth be opened, and bud forth a Saviour", 
 which occurs in Isaias 45, 8, clearly foretells the twofold 
 nature of God made Man. The Divine nature is signified 
 by the prophecy that the Saviour shall come down from 
 heaven (in another passage Isaias cries out: "0 that Thou 
 wouldst rend the heavens, and wouldst come down!"); and 
 His Human nature is shown by the prophecy that the earth 
 shall bring Him forth. As God, Jesus Christ came down 
 from heaven, and took His Human nature on earth in the 
 womb of the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Heaven and earth 
 worked together to produce the God made Man, through 
 Whom earth has been reconciled to heaven. 
 
 III. Application. 
 
 Have you a great desire for the truth which has been 
 revealed to us through Jesus Christ? Do you take great 
 pains to learn all you can about the true doctrines of 
 Christianity? Do you take pleasure in your religious in- 
 struction ? 
 
 Have you a desire that Jesus Christ should come and reign 
 in your heart and dwell therein; or do you look forward 
 to the hour of your first Communion for any less worthy 
 reasons? When you are hearing Mass, make a spiritual 
 Communion, and excite in yourself a longing desire to receive 
 your Divine Saviour. Be sorry for your sins, and pray our 
 Lord to come and dwell spiritually in your heart! 
 
The, bhu> 
 
 ~t£n& indicates ihe>foiariwoft7ie'J~sraelite$ 
 
* 2- 
 
 liny.m , 
 
 Bfnlp of Milos 
 
B. HERDER, 
 
 PUBLISHER TO THE HOLY APOSTOLIC SEE. 
 FREIBURG IM BREISGAU (GERMANY). 
 
 DEHARBE'S 
 
 SMALL CATECHISM. 
 
 TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN. 
 
 WITH 33 ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 WITH THE APPROBATION AND RECOMMENDATION OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE 
 
 DELEGATE APOSTOLIC OF INDIA AND OF THEIR LORDSHIPS THE ARCHBISHOPS 
 
 AND BISHOPS OF AGRA, CALCUTTA, CHRISTCHURCH, COCHIM, GLASGOW, 
 
 HEXHAM AND NEWCASTLE, KISHNAGUR, LAHORE, ST. LOUIS, MO., 
 
 MANGALORE AND SHREWSBURY. 
 
 16 mo - (VIII and 66 pp.) Price: 3d.; bound, cloth back 4d. 
 
 His Graoe the Archbishop of Calcutta writes on August 6. 1892: 
 "I have, with great pleasure, examined your new edition of Deharbe's 
 Small Catechism. I have had it also examined by an experienced 
 Catechist. His opinion entirely concurs with mine: This Catechism is, 
 in every respect, very good, theologically correct, and at the same 
 time very simple and clear and well adapted to the intelligence of young 
 children." 
 
 Letter of his Grace the Archbishop of Glasgow : 
 
 Glasgow, 28. May 1893. 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I thank you for having sent me a presentation- copy of your English 
 translation of Fr. Deharbe's Small Catechism. The excellence of the 
 Catechism will win it a high place amongst similar handbooks, and the 
 admirable illustrations must make it a popular book with the Teachers 
 and the Children, in the families and in the elementary schools. I 
 shall be glad to recommend this compendium of Catholic truth, practice, 
 and prayers, as opportunities and circumstances permit. 
 
 I am, dear Sir, 
 
 Very truly yours 
 
 f Charles, 
 
 Archbishop of Glasgow. 
 
B. HERDER, 
 
 PUBLISHER TO THE HOLY APOSTOLIC SEE. 
 FREIBURG IM BREISGAU (GERMANY). 
 
 On sale by the principal booksellers : 
 
 EXPLANATION 
 
 OF DEHARBE'S 
 
 SMALL CATECHISM 
 
 by JAMES Canon SCHMITT, D. D. 
 
 TRANSLATED FROM THE 7 th GERMAN EDITION. 
 
 WITH THE APPROBATION AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE RIGHT REV. BISHOP 
 
 OF SALFORD, NOW CARDINAL-ARCHBISHOP OF WESTMINSTER, AND OF THEIR 
 
 LORDSHIPS THE RIGHT REV. BISHOPS OF BELLEVILLE, LEEDS, POONA, 
 
 PORTSMOUTH, .ST. LOUIS, MO., AND SHREWSBURY. 
 
 8 V0 . (VIII and 290 pp.) Price: Cloth 3s. 6d. 
 
 Salford, May 5. 1891. 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I am glad to learn that you are publishing an English translation 
 of the "Explanation of Deharbe's admirable Little Catechism". It is 
 a work, which ought to become popular in all our Catholic Public 
 Elementary Schools and in our Confraternities of Christian Doctrine. 
 
 I trust that your English Edition, which I hear has passed under 
 the hand of competent teachers at Stonyhurst, will receive a hearty 
 welcome in this country. I am, dear M r Herder, your faithful and 
 devoted servant 
 
 f Herbert, Bishop of Salford. 
 
 Leeds, March 3. 1894. 
 
 Bishop's House. 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I return my best thanks for the copy of Canon Schmitt's " Explanation 
 
 of Deharbe's Small Catechism" which you have sent me. I have read 
 
 much of it and it seems to me to be excellent. I shall recommend it 
 
 strongly to my clergy as well as to all Teachers in our Elementary 
 
 Schools, religious and secular. 
 
 It deserves to be popular. 
 
 Believe me, dear Sir, 
 
 Yours faithfully in Christ 
 
 t William, Bishop of Leeds. 
 
% 
 
 * - 
 
 
 mm 
 
 t^^ 
 
 r>7mc3