Latest / The Uncensored Catholic / Show 178: Works of Mercy, part 2

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Show 178: Works of Mercy, part 2 · The Uncensored Catholic

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Speaker 1: Well, well, welcome today's show. I believe we will actually
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finish the section on the Ten Commandments today, believe it
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or not. We've still got a few pages to go
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in Father Spirago's classic work, the Exhaustive Explanation of the
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Catechism on Works of Mercy, which are required of us
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by what the Ten Commandments mean, Love God and love neighbor.
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So we'll wrap that up God willing. But before we do,
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we'll turn to radio replies, where if you've listened to
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the past couple of shows, you know the priests have
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been debating with a communists, and the communist says to them,
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priests adopt their profession for the fat income and consequent luxury,
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And they answer, had they devoted the same number of
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years to the study of law or medicine, they would
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be a measuredly immeasurably better off, have more times themselves,
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and would not have had to renounce wife, home, and
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children and much else. Set men love so as well
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as taking a poverty in most cases, Christ promised that
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if they labored for the spiritual well being of souls,
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given their lives, their very lives to the work, the
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faithful would give a portion of their earnings toward their
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support Luke ten to seven for Corinthians nine thirteen, et cetera.
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Saint Jerome wrote in the fourth century priests have a
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right to be supported, and there will always be those
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ready to support them, not as beggars, but as those
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more worthy than themselves, whom it is their honor and
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glory to support. The priest keeps himself in a state
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in keeping with his position, according to the general standard
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of living prevailing in the society around him. If you
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despise him for that, there are hundreds who would despise him.
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Where he's shabby and unkempt, this too would be a shame.
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This too would be the shame of Catholics. And no
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priests has the right to cast reflection upon the generosity
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of parishioners. In other words, the parishioners want to give
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him a new pair of shoes, he doesn't can't reject them.
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And actually happened to a priest friend of mine. Someone
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noticed that his shoes, his boots, actually were getting a
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little worn, and they went out and got them a
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new pair of shoes, and he was like, so, you know, humble,
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He's like, I can't accept this, you know I can't,
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And they said, I want to give you this, And
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then he realized that if he didn't accept it, he
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would be actually doing he would be offending them for
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one thing, but preventing them from giving alms to the church.
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And so he eventually became quite pleased with his new boots.
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And he's a good guy, good friend of mine. Let's
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see whoever, whatever is over from the necessary expense, the
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priest usually devotes to the good of the church or
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the relieving of the poor. And the poor know that
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the priest is most ready of all men to give
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to them in any case. The fat, income and luxury are,
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as a rule, mere chimeras or a myth. Believe shamera
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as an Irish word meaning like a mythical monster. I
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would have to look that up, but it looks Gaelic
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actually to me. The vast majority of priests are saintly men,
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as poor and attached in spirit, as many who have
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entered religious orders actually taking about poverty. All priests are
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not required to take about poverty, but many do, if
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not most. Actually, I am not a sexual, I am
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not a secular priest trying to justify myself. I am
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a member of a religious order who would like to
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be as holy as many secular priests are that I know.
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And the person says, why do priests have motor cars
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when Christ always walked? Okay, you may think that's a
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crazy statement, and it is in our age, But remember
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this book was written in the nineteen twenties and thirties,
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so not everybody had cars, and a lot of people
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rode bicycles or in town, or had horses and buggies
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in the countryside. But at this point a car was
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actually somewhat of a luxury depending on your need for it.
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And the presensor that Christ did not always walk. Motor
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cars were not in existence then, and Christ used the
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ordinary means of locomotion at his time. That's you know,
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It's like when you're debating with a Protestant, they say,
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where does it say that this whatever in the Bible,
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And you're like, well, the Bible is not a newspaper.
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We know, for instance, like a volcano erupted in POMPEII
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and wiped out like a whole civilization on this day,
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that's not recording in the record of the Bible. Are
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you telling me it didn't happen? Because it's not written
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down in the Bible. I mean, you know, it really
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doesn't make sense, honestly. But anyway, and instead of walking
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around the lake, he went across by it, across it
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by boat. Motor cars aren't efficient means of transport. And
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if a car gets a priest to a dying man
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in time to help him to prepare to meet God
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instead of is arriving too late by walking, it's a
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good thing. In America country, priests have to travel up
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to two hundred miles in order to say Mass in
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some parts of the parish of their parishes. Very true.
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Not so much the case anymore. But in North Carolina,
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we used to have two Catholic churches, two literally in
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the northeastern part of the state, and Sherman's troops burned one.
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So from about eighteen sixty eight, I'm in a ballpark
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eighteen sixty seven, somewhere in that range two. Around gosh,
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nineteen twenties, there probably weren't more than two Catholic churches
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in the entire state of North Carolina. And for the
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bulk of that period one and then some began to
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be built in mostly factory towns where you know, northern
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folks came in and lived. You know, we have older
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ones in like Charlotte, Albemarle, Hickory. I'm trying to think
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where the furniture meals were, not so much the cotton mills,
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but more the furniture mills cotton areas. All right, let's so,
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let's sake like eastern North Carolina, southeastern North Carolina, where
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my family's really from, like around say Elizabethtown or Whiteville.
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I think those were parish churches until about nineteen forty,
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and the one in Elizabethtown was its own church for
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a while, and now it's following COVID basically almost gone well,
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I mean, nafta kill the cotton industry. Whiteville was able
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to hang on because they got a paper mill there.
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I think both of them may have been mission churches
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at one point, the priests either having to come in
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from Wilmington or Faetteville. And if you look in a map,
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you're thinking in the nineteen fifty sixty seventies, you know,
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maybe the church the priest from Lumberton took care of
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the church in Elizabethtown. I think that may actually be
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the way it is now. But even that Lumberton to
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Elizabethtown is like half hour forty five minute drive. So
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imagine until the eighties, you know, until the eighties, if
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there was only a handful of priests in North Carolina
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outside of the major cities like Winston, Salem and Charlotte
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and Raleigh and all that taking care of parish churches
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because you couldn't expect the congregation to walk or ride
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a horse or even drive fifty or one hundred or
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one hundred and fifty miles. And those priests took care
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of huge expanses. And in some cases still do I
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mean still do I know right now, like I said,
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the church in Elizabethtown is a parish church of the
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one in Lumberton. I do believe the one in Lumberton
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for a time was his parish church. I mean a
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mission church I'm trying to meant to say of Whiteville.
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And you know, you're talking a good thirty forty miles
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in either direction. And still I mean still the one
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in Elizabethtown, which is the county seat of Bladen County,
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the only Catholic church in Bladen County. There's not one
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in Duplin, so anybody in Duplin has to come there.
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Probably about three counties has to come there and it's
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taken care of. A priest in Robinson County, a good
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thirty to forty five minutes away. Yeah, probably thirty now
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used to be more country roads, but you know, you
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know how that goes, and the reason we Okay, so
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when we have a hurricane. I know, I don't live
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in this part of the state anymore, but my family's
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been there for like three hundred years, and so I
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know a lot about the history of eastern North Carolina.
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And whenever there's a hurricane, the swamps flood and the
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main road between Lumberton and Elizabethtown is often flooded out
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and impassable, and so it could easily take you an
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hour taking back country roads. Yeah, even what you may
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consider like a straight shot from Lumberton to Bladenburg can
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be absolutely flooded out. So yeah, cars are absolutely necessary
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for priests to have, even now in rural North Carolina.
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And I know down in South Carolina, I've told you
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many times about Father Dan down in Hartsville, one of
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my absolute favorite priests, a mystic, a man who's been
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to heaven and you know, talked with Jesus and the
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blessed Virgin Mary and angels and saints and his own,
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you know, deceased relatives. I believe he handles the mission
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church over in Darlington. So you know, still to this
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day in rural parts of America, priests can travel a
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long distan say, even where I live up in the mountains,
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North Carolina. My home parish is Saint Bernadette. It's actually
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a mission church, or was I think they may have
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reverse roles of Saint Lucian's down in Spruce Mine. So
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the priest has to drive, you know, thirty minutes up
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and down the mountain just to handle masks. So anyway,
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he just said that it was necessary in America. And
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he said, meanwhile, despite his cars, such a priest can
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be detached in spirit from worldly goods as anybody else.
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Very easy to be detached from modern cars as for sure.
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You know, you got to remember cars used to be
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beautiful luxury items well through i'd say, into the early seventies,
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and now they're just cheaply made garbage that costs a
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freaking fortune. I mean, give me a old man, I mean,
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back in this time, nineteen twenties, you know, a dime
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or aura, early Mercedes Baghazi. Oh my gosh, yeah, I
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mean certainly, you know, old porest or anything would be
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just incredible. But you know, teen fifties cars, man, you
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cannot beat those old Plymouths that were huge, or the
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Chryslers or the gorgeous you know, two toned Buicks. And
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you know, our cars are just garbage now, garbage. And
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I honestly don't know why we as Americans have allowed
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what was once a one of the artistic pinnacles of
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our culture were the beautiful cars, the old like corvettes
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from the late fifties and early sixties, I mean up
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to you know, the touring sedan so the thirties and forties,
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which is gorgeous. I mean you think about a Rolls Royce,
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what silver silver cloud? Is that? Right? Anyway? A Bentley?
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I mean is you know, how have we allowed our
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culture to degenerate to the point that, gosh, the cheapest,
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ugliest cars of the nineteen seven and these would actually
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look good in comparison, I mean, like a Grimlin or
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a Pinto. I mean, you know, it's a shame. I
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was out riding my bicycle today and stopped. I saw
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this great old jeep wrangler and I stopped saying, man,
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that's a cool jeep. And Guy's like, yeah, it's in
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nineteen seventy six. He said, I bought it ten years ago.
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I've never done any work on this vehicle. It's the
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most reliable thing I've ever owned. I'll be driving at
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the rest of my life. Can you say that you
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go down to the dealership now and you buy a
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new car for like sixty or seventy thousand dollars, do
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you think it's going to last as long as a
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cheap from nineteen seventy six. It still looks fantastic and
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can go anywhere. I mean, these things are you know,
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are made to be off road vehicles and on road vehicles.
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Are incredibly durable, and I think retailed for somewhere around
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four thousand dollars brand new. I mean probably less than that,
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probably about two between two and three thousand dollars that
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things sold brand new. What has happened? How did we
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get so stupid as a culture? Well, anyway, on to
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the next question. What is the difference between what you
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call a secular priest and a religious priest? In the
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Catholic Church, there are two vocations open to a man
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who feels called by God to his service. Either he
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will feel called simply to be a priest or else
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in addition to inner a religious order. If called to
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be a priest, he enters college and prepares for his
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parish work, in which he must provide for his own necessities.
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This involves the necessity of income from which he can
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save enough to provide for the possible years of sickness
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or later retirement. If called to a religious order, he
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takes avowed poverty, renouncing all personal income, the order providing
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his necessary food and clothing. Both types give their lives
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to God, but in different ways according to different vocations.
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The formers are called secular priests because they must live
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alone in the world. The latter are called religious priests
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because they live in religious community. A secular priest could
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be far more religious than a man than an order priest,
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and many an order priest is greatly edified by the
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secular priests he meets. It is simply a question of
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different types of vocation. So that resolved, we will move
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on to our last section of the Ten Commandments. Let's
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see what Father's barrago has to tell us today. In
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what spirit should the works of mercy be performed. We
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ought not to do good to our neighbor in order
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to be seen or praised by men, for in that
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case we have our reward on earth Matthew six ' one.
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Nor should we do good to a neighbor and the
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hope that he will requite our kindness Luke fourteen twelve.
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Our Lord says, when thou dost give alms, let not
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thy left hand know what thy right hand off. Let
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one hand know what the other's doing. In other words,
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Matthew six ' three. The saints is a rule gave
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Am secretly. Saint Nicholas threw money to the poor out
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of his window at night. Others perform works of mercy
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under cover of darkness. The less reward we get on
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earth for our good works, the greater will be our
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recompense after death. Hence, as Christ exhorts us, we should
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do good by preference to those who cannot repay us,
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the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind Luke nine thirteen.
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Nor must we expect to be thanked. God is repaid
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with ingratitude, and so are the charitable among men. Yet
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we ought not on this account to desist from doing
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good for it is in showing kindness to the unthankful
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that we are that our true charity consists. We must
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do good for our neighbors for Christ's sake. Christ lives
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in his people. We must learn from his own words
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at the day of judgment. Thus we must see God
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in our neighbor. Saint Magdalen of Posey place works of
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mercy before prayer. When I engage amental prayer, she said,
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God assists me. But when I do good to my neighbor,
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is assist God, for he regards what I do to
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my neighbor as done to him. We should do good
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to our neighbor promptly and pleasantly. We ought not to
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postpone giving alms until tomorrow, if we can do it
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at once Proverbs three twenty eight. What is given promptly
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has a double value. He that showeth mercy, let him
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do it with cheerfulness. Romans twelve to eight. God loveth
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the cheerful giver Tewod Corinthians ninety seven. We ought not
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to upgrade the poor Ecclesiastes eighteen eighteen. Those who are
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harsh to the poor, And again that could be syrac
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whenever he says a cle whenever he does an abbreviation
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for either Ecclesiastes or Syrac. I can't tell the two apart,
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so check both books for that. Those who are harsh
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to the poor are like a surgeon, who, in healing
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one wound, makes another. We ought not to question the
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poor at too great a length. We should rather give
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of our own accord, without waiting to be to ask.
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Nor should we hold ourselves aloof from the poor. If
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Almighty God permits us to proffer our petition to him
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at all times, and is always ready to grant them,
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surely we who are but dust and ashes, ought not
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to do less for our brethren. The Emperor Rudolph of Habsburg,
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you say every man can have access to my presence.
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I was not chosen, Emperor, that I might live in seclusion.
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Were only required to give alms of our superfluity? What
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does that mean out of what you have excess left over?
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Two thousand and eight, I lost my business. I went
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in and I talked to the priest. I said, you know,
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I'm so I'm so upset. I don't have the money
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to put in the collection plate anymore. And he said,
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tell me what's going on. I told him you know,
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I lost my business and I owed well over a
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quarter million in debt on house and everything was about
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to lose everything, and nearly did. And he said, you
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are by no means obligated to tithe until you have extra.
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He said, right now, you owe how much on a house?
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He said, okay, that's not your money. If you took
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the money you were going to make on your house
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payment and put in the plate, you would be robbing
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from that person and putting it down to this as
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a tie to the church. And that would be the moral.
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Really opened my eyes. We were definitely not taught that.
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In the Protestant Church. We were said told to give
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out of your need and God would bless you. And
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a lot of people, a lot of people, especially like
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you think maybe TV of televangelist Jim Bakers and such
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a lot of people gave away money they couldn't afford,
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believing they were doing what God asked. And to con men,
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to just pure con men. But anyway, in no wise
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are we bound to deprive ourselves with what is necessary
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for our subsistence or to keep or to keep up
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our position. Our Lord says, Yet, of what worth mayneth
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give alms Luke eleven forty one. Theologians are of the
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opinion that it is sufficient to give a small percentage
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of one yearly savings. We must only give alms out
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of what is our own, and only give to those
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who are really poor or who are unable to work.
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Some people think they would give alms at another's expense.
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They take from one what they give to another. Such
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almsgiving is an active injustice. It is abhorrent to God.
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Let a man who is in debt pay his creditors.
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See there you go, instead of giving alms to the poor.
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Justice comes before generosity. How manifestly unjust it would be
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to take a code off one man's back and give
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it to another. It is no less unjust to give
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in alms money which thou owest to another. That's a
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quote from Saint John Christostom As well. Might a thief,
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when brought to trial, offer the judge a part of
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his stolen property, he would only ensure his conviction. And
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canst thou hope to gain favor of God by giving
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alms of what is not thy own? Saint Augustine said
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that to give to those who are known to be
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idle and addicted to drink is to encourage them and sin.
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Isn't that an interesting point? Remember when I was in
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college in Athens, Georgia, I was working at a guitar
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shop and I love that job, by the way. It
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was great to sit around playing guitar all day and
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teaching people how to play guitar and selling guitars to
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interesting people and including some rather well known musicians. But
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there were a bunch of bumps, you know, and they
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would panhandlers whatever, you know, they beg for money every
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day and you see in the same faces, and you
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see the guy, somebody will give him a couple of bucks,
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and next thing you see him, you know, he's he's
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got a bottle of vodka or he's you know, using drugs.
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And in the evening he has a free pass to
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get on the bus and go down and get free meal.
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And in the morning he gets free breakfast and you
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can sleep with the shelter. And the only thing he's
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using that money for is to support his addiction. And
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I remember I was listening to a talk radio host
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who libertarian, really caustic guy, but he was very smart.
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Enjoyed his show a lot named Neil Boorts. He was
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in Atlanta, and he said, when you give to a beggar,
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a panhandler who's an attic, all you're doing is subsidizing
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his addiction. If you give him money, you continue to
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help him be an attic for another day, and if
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he overdoses, you helped kill him. And I thought about
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that long and hard, and I stopped giving money the
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same people who were asking every single day, even though
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it felt like it wasn't the Christian thing to do.
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And then they became aggressive and I had to start
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carrying a pistol. So, yeah, that you need to think
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about that long and hard, just depending on the circuit
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way of circumstance. So and as F. Sparago is about
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to say, and let me give this caveats, as he said,
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I'll just repeat, you know, so we're caught up. To
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give to those who are known to be idle and
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addicted to drink is to encourage them and scent. But
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it is better to err on the side of charity
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than severity if the person may actually need it and
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may actually be hungry, and you're just gonna have to
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use your own judgment or say a prayer and hope
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for guidance. But in my case, I was seeing the
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exact same people every day, and then I would sit
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in the shop and I'd watch them, you know, not
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work while I was working. Trust me. I mean that
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was not a hard job. I've had much harder jobs,
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trust me. But they could have been gainfully employed if
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they wanted to, and any money they got just spend
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on drugs or alcohol. And you know, and we're getting
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quite a bit of taxpayer and scharitable services and help.
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So you know, had some issues. You know, a relative
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of mine worked with a food bank and she got
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fed up because people would come in, they'd be given
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a sack full of groceries. They go out of the
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parking lot and sell it for cash to go buy drugs, alcohol.
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You know, it's not it's not an easy thing to
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answer in all honesty. Anyway, when the master of the
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house is so liberal, it ill becomes his stewards to
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be I know, wait a minute, wait for this word.
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This is an old English word. It's actually proper English niggardly.
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It does not have anything to do with race or
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the so called inWORD. Okay, it means you'll read it
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in Shakespeare, all right. It does not have anything to
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do with black folk. Okay, it means well, it actually
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means sparse or withholding what you might give to someone
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else the barest of essentials. Okay, so it does not.
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It ill becomes his steward to be niggardly, in other words,
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to be stingy. Will with stingy as all shipwrecked sailors
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without distinction are received in port. So we should not
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send in judgment upon those who have fallen into poverty,
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but hasten to help them in their misfortunes. In giving alms,
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craffords should be shown to our relatives, are fellow Catholics
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and those who are in the greatest need. Saint Paul
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exhorts us, let us do good to all men, but
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especially those who are of the household of the faith
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Galatians six ' ten. For what we give to the poor,
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we give to God. As we know from Christ's own words,
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the money bestowed in alms is lent to the Lord,
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and he will repay it with the highest interest. Of
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what benefit are the works of mercy to us? Alms
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giving pains for us the remission of our sins, This
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you know. Martin Luther denied this, and this is why
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he cuts several books out of the Bible. He did
26:06
not believe in charity. He believed the poor should be killed,
26:11
and change the words of Jesus to say that one
26:14
was saved by faith and by works, you know, and
26:17
those are works of mercy, and the works of receiving
26:21
the sacraments as well. He denied a lot of you know,
26:24
the role of the priesthood, and all that alms giving
26:27
obtains for us for remission of our sins, that is
26:30
to say, the sinner obtains the grace of repentance. Well,
26:33
the just man receives pardon of venial sins and the
26:36
remission of the temporal penalty. Our Lord therefore says blessed
26:40
or the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy Matthew five seven.
26:45
Water quenches the flaming fire, and alms resisteth sin. It's
26:49
either Ecclesiastes or Syric. Saint Ambrose exhorts us in exhorts
26:55
the sinner to employ his money to ransom his soul.
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Daniel give council to King Nebo chud Nada and the
27:02
sore in Daniel four twenty four. By alms giving, the
27:07
sinner obtains actual graces which gradually bring about his conversion,
27:12
or sometimes he obtains extraordinary graces. Cornelius, a heathen centurion
27:17
at Saysarea, was the recipient of great graces as the
27:21
reward of his prayers in alms. An angel was sent
27:24
to him, and he was converted by the preaching of
27:26
Saint Peter. A merciful man doeth good to his own
27:30
soul Proverbs eleven seventeen. Alms giving is a mean whereby
27:34
means whereby we may escape eternal perdition. The archangel Raphael
27:40
expressly told Tobias Alms deliver from all sins and from death,
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and will not suffer the soul to go into darkness.
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And that's why Martin Luther cut that book out of
27:51
the Bible. That's Tobit four eleven. He who has made
27:55
the poor man happy, says Saint John Christostom, will not
27:59
show will not suffer misery. God would not allow a
28:02
man who has shown mercy to be lost. He will
28:05
grant him the graces necessary for his conversion. Saint Jerome
28:09
declares that he has never known one in his lifetime
28:14
who was liberal to the poor to make a bad
28:16
end for the charitable have many to intercede for them.
28:20
The just man obtains the remission of what is due
28:22
his sins by almsgiving. Saint Thomas Aquinas is the satisfaction
28:27
made by alms is greater than that which is affected
28:30
by prayer and fasting. And you may remember that Martin
28:35
Luther also boasted that he was a greater theologian than
28:39
Saint Thomas Aquinas well. Obviously, he was an arrogant man
28:44
who had no idea. Hopefully he did not know how
28:48
evil his teachings were. If he did, he was both
28:50
an arrogant and evil man. By almsgiving we obtain an
28:55
eternal recompense, provided that at the time we are in
28:58
a state of grace. It is related of the German
29:01
Emperor Lewis the Second that he lost his way in
29:04
a forest when hunting one day. Late at night, he
29:07
reached a village presbytery and begged the priest to give
29:09
him a night's lodging. The priest entertained the stranger most hospitably.
29:14
The next day, the latter took leave after thanking his host.
29:17
Some weeks later, a messenger presented himself at the priest
29:20
somemble dwelling and handed him a letter stamped with the
29:22
Imperial seal. It announced his nomination to the Sea of Munster.
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Kings used to actually make such what would the word be?
29:35
They would give those positions they had the authority to
29:38
do that. They no longer do. No, only you know
29:40
the Vatican can do that. In like manner You're heavenly
29:43
king will reward you your alms hereafter, in a manner
29:48
which you little anticipate. Alms are like seed cast to
29:51
the ground. They are not lost, but yield an abundant harvest.
29:54
The aunt lays of a store for the winter. By
29:56
giving alms, we lay up treasure for the life to come.
30:00
Thus we exchange what is temporal for that which is eternal.
30:05
We purchase everlasting possessions with our earthly heealth. Heelf is
30:10
an old word we don't use anymore. It just means
30:15
our excess wealth. Essentially, we'll just go with that. Success
30:18
in trade consists of buying cheap and selling deer. We
30:22
are too engaged in commerce, and for a mere trifle,
30:25
a piece of bread, or even a cup of cold water,
30:27
we purchase for ourselves heaven. When the new continent was discovered,
30:32
the Aborigines exchanged silver and gold for things of no value,
30:36
Europeans who landed on to the Europeans who land on
30:39
the shores. So we obtain the good things of God
30:42
in return for worthless goods of earth. Give them to
30:45
the poor that which thou canst not keep, in order
30:49
to obtain that which thou canst not lose, said Saint Augustine.
30:54
Even in this life, alms giving produces a feeling of happiness.
30:57
A youth was one day walking through a wood with
31:00
his tutor. He saw a pair of boots which a
31:02
wood cutter at work at a little distance off had
31:05
taken off. The boy wanted to hide them, but his
31:08
tutor suggested that rather than do that, he should put
31:10
a piece of money in age. When the poor man
31:13
went back to get his boots, he found the coins, and,
31:15
falling on his knees, thanked God and invoke blessings on
31:18
the unknown benefactor who had helped him in dire distress.
31:21
The money was the exact sum he needed to pay
31:23
his rent. The boy, who watched what occurred, turned to
31:26
his tutor and exclaimed, I've never felt so happy in
31:29
all my life. Truly, a blessing attend's worked with mercy.
31:33
ALM's giving brings down upon us temporal blessings. God increases
31:37
our means and gives us bodily health. He that is
31:40
inclined to mercy shall be blessed, as from Proverbs the
31:43
blessing of the Lord maketh men rich, also from Proverbs
31:46
ten twenty two. In that case, the other was twenty
31:48
two to nine. God declares that he has given to
31:52
the poor the portion not want Proverbs twenty eight twenty seven.
31:56
Our Lord says, given, it should be given to you
31:58
Luke six thirty eight eight. The widow of Sarah Fetta Cerifta.
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I guess Sirepta gave generalistly to Elias. For this she
32:06
got back far more than she gave it. The prophet
32:08
for her little store of meal and of oil. Oil
32:11
was not diminished until the time of scarcity was over
32:14
third kings or three kings, as I usually say. Eighteen fourteen,
32:19
a nobleman of Grenada, who had bestowed a large arms
32:23
on Saint John of God, went to on the same
32:26
day disguise as a minicant and asked for money. The
32:28
saint gave him all that he had received from him
32:30
in a few hours before. Therefore, the nobleman restored ten
32:34
times the amount, and was his greatest benefactor during the
32:37
rest of his life. God acts a similar way. If
32:40
we give to the poor even a portion of what
32:41
He has bestowed upon us, we shall receive it again
32:44
with interest. A tree grows all the better for being prune.
32:48
So the rich was increasing goods if they part with
32:50
some of their wealth and acts of charity. Saint Paula
32:53
gave a great deal to the poor, though she was
32:55
the mother of five children. When her relatives were remonstrated
32:59
or criticize her for that, she said, the best inherence
33:02
I can bequeath my children is the blessing of Heaven,
33:05
which almsgiving draws down on us. God gives bodily help
33:09
to those who are bountiful to the poor. The rkhl
33:12
Raphael was sent to Hill Tobias because he had performed
33:16
so many at works of mercy to But at twelve
33:19
fourteen Tabitha was raised from the dead by Saint Peter
33:23
because of the good works in alms deeds what she did.
33:26
Acts nine thirty six David exclaims, blessed is he that
33:31
understandeth concerning the needy and the poor, the Lord will
33:34
deliver him in the evil day, and that's psalms something
33:38
or other. Throughout the scriptures we constantly find instances of
33:42
blessings being the reward of almsgiving. Almsgiving is a means
33:47
of obtaining a speedy answer to prayer. The Angel said
33:50
to Cornelius, thy prayers in arms alms are ascended for
33:55
a memorial in the sight of God. Acts ten four.
34:00
Listen to the voice of the poor, and you will
34:01
have God listen to your voice. By nothing do we
34:04
gain access to God so readily as by showing mercy.
34:08
Alms like fasting, is one of the wings on which
34:10
prayers swore to heaven. By alms giving, we make the
34:13
poor our friends. They pray for us, and their prayers
34:16
have great power with God. The ancients of the Jews
34:19
besought Our Lord on behalf of the centurion at Kafarnum,
34:23
who had built the a synagogue, and immediately he complied
34:26
with their request Luke seven three to through five. The
34:30
poor of Japa prayed for Tabithan. She was restored to life.
34:34
Acts nine thirty six. God himself declares that the prayer
34:37
of the poor is always heard in psalms and couple places.
34:41
The petitions of those who are in heaven are, however,
34:44
more effectual. Thus our Lord bids us make under your
34:48
friends of the mammon of iniquity, that win you shall fail,
34:52
they may receive you in everlasting dwellings Luke sixteen nine. Therefore,
34:58
never refuse an alm to the poor. The duty of gratitude,
35:03
our Lord says it is better to give than to receive.
35:06
And why because the one who receives is bound to
35:09
give thanks, whereas the giver has the right to a
35:11
reward for every act of mercy done to us. We
35:15
are bound to render thanks first to God and then
35:17
to our benefactor. For God requires of us that we
35:20
should be grateful for the benefits we receive. It is
35:23
our duty to be grateful, i e. To show the
35:25
sense of the benefit conferred upon us, and to endeavor
35:28
to repay the benefactor. Gratitude is due to Almighty God
35:31
in the first place, because from Him comes down every
35:35
best gift, at every perfect gift James one seventeen. Men
35:39
are his servants, the instruments he employs. Therefore we owe
35:42
thanks to them. In the second place, whenever our Lord
35:45
received a favor from his heavenly Father. He raised his
35:47
eyes and said, Father, I thank THEE. He did this
35:50
at the raising of Lazarus and John eleven forty one.
35:53
He never rose from the table without giving thanks. After
35:56
the last Supper, a hymn was said. All the saints
35:59
did the same, exclaims, what shall I render to the
36:02
Lord for all the things he hath rendered unto me?
36:05
That's from Psalms. The first words Tobias uttered when he
36:09
was cured of his blindness were these, I bless the
36:11
O Lord, God of Israel, because thou hast chastised me,
36:15
and thou hast saved me Tobit eleven seventeen. Noah's first
36:20
act when he came out of the ark was to
36:21
build an altar to the Lord and sacrifice to him.
36:24
Genesis eight. Columbus, when he beheld the continent of America,
36:28
gave thanks to God, and in gratitude to him. He
36:31
gave the name San Salvador to the first island on
36:35
which he set foot, and erected a cross on its shores.
36:38
Accustom yourself to repeat the words Deogracius, or the glory
36:42
of patry, whenever any benefit is conferred on you. It
36:46
is incumbent on you to return thanks to your human
36:49
benefactors as well as to God. David wished to take
36:52
with him to Jerusalem and to entertain at his court
36:55
the wealthy old man who provided him with substenance in
36:58
the camp during the period of Absalom's rebellion, and on
37:03
bears burs Allaih, declining the honor the old man, I
37:08
guess on account of his advanced age. The king took
37:11
his sons with him instead, and showed them every kind
37:13
of kindness, And on his death bed he bade Solomon
37:17
to be mersed, to be mindful of his obligations to
37:20
their father, and to let them eat at his table.
37:22
Three kings two seven. Tobias wished Saint Raphael to accept
37:27
half of all the things they had brought back from
37:29
the journey Tobit twelve five. Even brute b show gratitude.
37:34
Witness the well known story of Androcles and the Lion.
37:38
It is the will of God that we should in
37:40
all things give thanks for Theathalonians five eighteen. Our Lord
37:44
was much displeased with the nine Lepers because they did
37:47
not turn back and thank him. Luke seventeen seventeen all.
37:52
My God frequently complains by the mouth of the prophets
37:54
of the ingratitude of mankind. The ox knoweth his owner
37:58
and the ass's master's crib, but Israel hath not known
38:01
me Isaiah one to three. Saint Paul repeatedly exhorts the
38:06
Christians to give thanks Ephesians five, twenty, Colossians three fifteen,
38:09
et cetera. By our gratitude we obtain fresh favors, where
38:14
as ingratitude brings misfortune upon us. The husband in scatters
38:18
fresh seed in the fertile soil, knowing that it we
38:21
yield an abundant harvest. God acts in a similar manner.
38:25
Nothing pleases him more than thankfulness for his benefits. Gratitude
38:29
for past favors prepares us for favors to come. God
38:33
notices and takes special care of those who acknowledge and
38:36
appreciate His gifts from psalms. In gratitude, on the other hand,
38:41
dams up the streams of divine grace. He deserves no
38:44
fresh favors. Who is not at pains to return thanks
38:47
for those who he has already received. Ingratitude is a
38:51
hindrance to salvation. Saint Bernard expresses the opinion that nothing
38:54
is so displeasing to God as unthankfulness, especially the part
38:58
of his own favored children. He that rendereth good for evil,
39:03
He that rendereth evil for good, Evil should not depart
39:06
from his house. Proverbs seventeen eighteen. Judas had received the
39:12
greatest kingdom from our Lord, yet he betrayed him. How
39:15
terrible was his end. The grateful soul was a friend
39:18
of God, whereas the devil takes possession of the thankless.
39:21
In gratitude is the mark of ill breeding and a
39:23
bad disposition. It is vain to look for gratitude from
39:27
the world. Its votaries take as their right the benefits
39:30
conferred to them. They repay them within gratitude. Nay more,
39:33
they return evil for good. Howl thankless was shit ach
39:40
to fell I don't know who. After sitting at King
39:43
David's table and basking in the royal favor, joined in
39:47
Absalom's revolt. This David complained bitterly in Psalms, those who
39:53
are ungrateful to their fellow men are yet more so
39:56
toward God. He who loveth not his brother, whom he seeth,
40:00
How can he love God, who he seeth not? One
40:04
John four twenty. However trifling the gift may be, show
40:07
yourself thankful for it, and are the topic of the
40:10
poverty of the Christian. God does not distribute talents to
40:14
all alike. He gives to one, he gives five, and
40:17
another two, and to a third only one Matthew twenty five.
40:21
It is in wisdom that he thus acts, for if
40:24
the same were given to all, everyone could stand alone,
40:27
and there would be no need of mutual good offices.
40:30
What opportunity would there be for the exercise of brotherly love,
40:33
what occasion of merit? Poverty is no disgrace in God's sight.
40:37
To be poor in virtue and in good works is
40:40
the only thing of which one need be ashamed, for
40:43
it leads to eternal damnation. In the eyes of eternal truth,
40:47
poverty is not the slightest shame Leviticus thirteen. Our Lord
40:51
shows himself to be rich. Our Lord shows him Our Lord, himself,
40:57
being rich, became poor. Second Corinthia Is eight nine. He
41:01
who was the king of heaven and earth, passed his
41:03
life in constant privations. He had nowhere to lay his head.
41:07
Luke nine fifty eight. What could exceed the poverty of
41:10
his birthplace. A man may be poor in this world's
41:12
good and exceedingly goods, and exceedingly rich before God. And
41:16
on the other hand, a man may be rich in
41:18
earthly possessions and only deathstube before God Luke, twelve twenty one.
41:22
The fear of God is the glory of the rich,
41:25
either Ecclesiastes or syrac Not sure virtues, not earthly treasures,
41:30
constitute true riches. He says, Saint Augustine is not rich
41:34
who possesses chests full of chests full of silver and gold,
41:39
but he in whom God dwells, who is the temple
41:42
of the Holy Ghost. The poor save their souls more
41:45
easily than the rich. Our Lord declares that it is
41:47
easier for a camel to pass through the eye of
41:49
a needle than for a rich man to enter into
41:50
the Kingdom of Heaven Matthew nineteen twenty four. Wealth the force,
41:54
its possessor of the means of gratifying every inordinate desire,
41:58
and it is otherwise with the poor they have not
42:02
this occasion of sin. Just as a traveler goes on
42:05
his way more easily if he is not encumbered with baggage,
42:08
so the poor man is less impeded on his journey
42:11
to the goal whether he is bound. The pugilist that's
42:15
a boxer, overthrows his opponent with greater facility when he
42:18
is stripped to the waist, So the poor man is
42:21
better prepared to resist the temptations of the devil. Consequently,
42:25
many of the poor will have a higher place than
42:27
the Kingdom of Heaven than their richer brethren. Christ says,
42:29
many of their first should be last, and the last
42:31
should be first. Mark ten thirty one. Lazarus, after his death,
42:35
was carried to Abraham's bosom, while Dveys was buried in hell.
42:40
God often sends poverty upon a man for his salvation. Many,
42:44
if they were rich, would misuse their wealth, lead a
42:46
vicious life, and be eternally lost. God foresees and therefore
42:50
takes their earthly possessions from them. Poverty and riches are
42:54
from God again, either Syric or Ecclesiastes Saint antinau and
43:00
to and toningness and tone in it. I can't say it,
43:06
Archbishop of Florence. It's a n t n I n
43:10
us not a hard word to say, but vexing to
43:13
me right now, saw angels descending and ascending from a
43:16
certain house. On hearing that the inmates were a poor
43:19
widow with three daughters, he made them a liberal allowance.
43:22
Later on he saw evil spirits coming and going for
43:24
that same house, and he made inquiries and learned that
43:27
the people he had assisted now led an idle and
43:30
dissolute life. Thereupon he immediately withdrew his gift. God deals
43:34
in like manner with us. What does a schoolmaster do
43:37
if he sees one of his scholars playing with a
43:39
toy instead of learning his lesson, Or a father if
43:41
he sees a knife in the hand of a very
43:43
young child. The poor beloved by God. Those who are
43:46
unhappy and forsaken in this world are especially dear to God.
43:50
Christ calls the poor blessed in Matthew five to three.
43:52
He invites all that labored and are a burden to
43:55
come to him that He may refresh them Matthew eleven
43:58
twenty eight. The oppressed and persecuted are the objects of
44:01
his peculiar favor, particular favor Matthew five ten. These truths
44:08
ought to serve as an encouragement to the poor and
44:10
repress the pride of the opulent and powerful. To the
44:14
poor first of all the Gospels preach Matthew eleven five,
44:18
the offerings of the poor more acceptable to God than
44:20
those of the rich. Our Lord said that the willows
44:22
might was of greater value than all the gifts of
44:25
the rich cast of their treasury, Mark twelve, forty one
44:28
forty three. God promises to hear the cry of the
44:31
oppressed James five to four. The poor shepherds were privileged
44:35
to see the infant Christ, not the Phariseesans scribes, there
44:38
is no respect of persons with God Romans two eleven,
44:42
poor and rich alike or his children Proverbs twenty two two.
44:46
The poor man who leads an upright life will never
44:48
be forsaken by God, nay more, he will enjoy happiness
44:52
and contentment in this world. God who feeds the birds
44:56
of the air and closes the lilies and grass of
44:58
the field, will also provide for man who is of
45:00
so much more value than they Matthew five twenty five
45:03
through thirty. God does not allow the just to want
45:06
the necessities of life, Our Lord says, seek he first
45:09
the Kingdom of God and his and the commandments, and
45:12
all these things I the wherewithal to live shall be
45:16
added under you Matthew six thirty three. David says, I
45:19
have been young, and now I am old, and I
45:21
have not seen the just forsaken nor his seed seeking
45:25
bread Psalms, I guess thirty six twenty five. When we
45:29
read that by God's permission, just men such as job
45:32
to Bias, Joseph, etcetera, fell into destitution distress, we also
45:37
read that God's good time, that in God's good time
45:40
they were restored with ease and plenty. Virtue is generally
45:44
attended by temporal blessing here below Psalms. Somewhere in Psalms,
45:48
a poor man may be very happy despite his poverty.
45:51
Happiness by no means consistent of the abundance of things
45:54
that once possesses Loop twelve fifteen. But in interior, piece
45:58
and content and the the just man enjoys, whether he
46:01
be rich or poor. Saint Paul speaks of himself as
46:04
having nothing and yet possessing all things Second Corinthians six
46:08
' ten. The poor are not warranted in wrestling from
46:12
the rich the alms which they have a right to expect.
46:15
They should rather bear their lot patiently and rely on
46:19
help from God. The duty of giving alms is not
46:23
required by justice, accepting cases of dire necessity. It is
46:27
a Christian juty. It is a duty of Christian charity. Consequently,
46:31
no man can lawfully be compelled to give the Fathers
46:34
of the Church constantly exhort the rich to give alms.
46:37
Thou art master of thy property, and canst give or
46:40
not give it thy will, says Saint Jerome to the rich,
46:43
distribute a portion of thy wilt. But if thou refusest,
46:46
I cannot force thee I can only entreat the poor, can, however,
46:51
demand that their labor be sufficiently remunerated. Doubly indeed, is
46:56
that poor man to be commiserated who forsakes God and
46:59
transgressive his law, For in that case he has nothing
47:02
in his life, and after death, everlasting perdition awaits him.
47:06
I see, y'all, we have wrapped up the Ten commandments.
47:10
Y'all have a great rest of the week. I will
47:11
talk to you next time. Remember the words of Saint
47:13
Padre Pio, pray, hope, and don't worry.