Faith, Hope, and Love, 18 - Faith and Works
CHAPTER XVIII [141] : Faith and Works
67. There are some, indeed, who believe that those who do not abandon the name of Christ, and who are baptized in his laver in the Church, who are not cut off from it by schism or heresy, who may then live in sins however great, not washing them away by repentance, nor redeeming them by alms-and who obstinat ...read
Faith, Hope, and Love, 19 - Almsgiving and Forgiveness
CHAPTER XIX. Almsgiving and Forgiveness
70. We must beware, however, lest anyone suppose that unspeakable crimes such as they commit who "will not possess the Kingdom of God" can be perpetrated daily and then daily redeemed by almsgiving. Of course, life must be changed for the better, and alms should be offered as propitiation to God for our pa ...read
Faith, Hope, and Love, 20 - Spiritual Almsgiving
CHAPTER XX. Spiritual Almsgiving
75. Now, surely, those who live in gross wickedness and take no care to correct their lives and habits, who yet, amid their crimes and misdeeds, continue to multiply their alms, flatter themselves in vain with the Lord's words, "Give alms; and, behold, all things are clean to you." They do not understand how far ...read
Faith, Hope, and Love, 21 - Problems of Casuistry
CHAPTER XXI. Problems of Casuistry
78. What sins are trivial and what are grave, however, is not for human but for divine judgment to determine. For we see that, in respect of some sins, even the apostle, by pardoning them, has conceded this point. Such a case is seen in what the venerable Paul says to married folks: "Do not deprive one another, ...read
Faith, Hope, and Love, 22 - The Two Causes of Sin
CHAPTER XXII. The Two Causes of Sin
81. I shall now mention what I have often discussed before in other places in my short treatises. [186] We sin from two causes: either from not seeing what we ought to do, or else from not doing what we have already seen we ought to do. Of these two, the first is ignorance of the evil; the second, weakness.
...read
Faith, Hope, and Love, 23 - Reality of the Resurrection
CHAPTER XXIII. The Reality of the Resurrection
84. Now, with respect to the resurrection of the body-and by this I do not mean the cases of resuscitation after which people died again, but a resurrection to eternal life after the fashion of Christ's own body-I have not found a way to discuss it briefly and still give satisfactory answers to all ...read
Faith, Hope, and Love, 24 - Solution to Present Spiritual Enigmas
CHAPTER XXIV. The Solution to Present Spiritual Enigmas to Be Awaited in the Life of the World To Come
94. And thus it will be that while the reprobated angels and men go on in their eternal punishment, the saints will go on learning more fully the blessings which grace has bestowed upon them. Then, through the actual realities of their experien ...read
Faith, Hope, and Love, 25 - Predestination and the Justice of God
CHAPTER XXV. Predestination and the Justice of God
98. Furthermore, who would be so impiously foolish as to say that God cannot turn the evil wills of men-as he willeth, when he willeth, and where he willeth-toward the good? But, when he acteth, he acteth through mercy; when he doth not act, it is through justice. For, "he hath mercy on whom he ...read
Faith, Hope, and Love, 26 - Triumph of God's Sovereign Good Will
CHAPTER XXVI. The Triumph of God's Sovereign Good Will
100. These are "the great works of the Lord, well-considered in all his acts of will" [218] -and so wisely well-considered that when his angelic and human creation sinned (that is, did not do what he willed, but what it willed) he could still accomplish what he himself had willed and this th ...read
Faith, Hope, and Love, 27 - Limits of God's Plan for Human Salvation
CHAPTER XXVII. Limits of God's Plan for Human Salvation
103. Accordingly, when we hear and read in sacred Scripture that God "willeth that all men should be saved," [221] although we know well enough that not all men are saved, we are not on that account to underrate the fully omnipotent will of God. Rather, we must understand the Scripture, "Wh ...read
Faith, Hope, and Love, 28 - The Destiny of Man
CHAPTER XXVIII. The Destiny of Man
104. Consequently, God would have willed to preserve even the first man in that state of salvation in which he was created and would have brought him in due season, after the begetting of children, to a better state without the intervention of death-where he not only would have been unable to sin, but would not ...read
Faith, Hope, and Love, 29 - The Last Things
CHAPTER XXIX. "The Last Things"
109. Now, for the time that intervenes between man's death and the final resurrection, there is a secret shelter for his soul, as each is worthy of rest or affliction according to what it has merited while it lived in the body.
110. There is no denying that the souls of the dead are benefited by the piety of th ...read
Faith, Hope, and Love, 30 - The Principles of Christian Living: Faith and Hope
CHAPTER XXX. The Principles of Christian Living: Faith and Hope
114. Thus, from our confession of faith, briefly summarized in the Creed (which is milk for babes when pondered at the carnal level but food for strong men when it is considered and studied spiritually), there is born the good hope of the faithful, accompanied by a holy love. [241] ...read
Faith, Hope, and Love, 31 - Love
CHAPTER XXXI. Love
117. And now regarding love, which the apostle says is greater than the other two-that is, faith and hope-for the more richly it dwells in a man, the better the man in whom it dwells. For when we ask whether someone is a good man, we are not asking what he believes, or hopes, but what he loves. Now, beyond all doubt, he who lo ...read
Faith, Hope, and Love, 32 - The End of All the Law
CHAPTER XXXII. The End of All the Law
121. All the divine precepts are, therefore, referred back to love, of which the apostle says, "Now the end of the commandment is love, out of a pure heart, and a good conscience and a faith unfeigned." [259] Thus every commandment harks back to love. For whatever one does either in fear of punishment or fro ...read
Faith, Hope, and Love, 33 - Conclusion
CHAPTER XXXIII. Conclusion
122. But somewhere this book must have an end. You can see for yourself whether you should call it an Enchiridion, or use it as one. But since I have judged that your zeal in Christ ought not to be spurned and since I believe and hope for good things for you through the help of our Redeemer, and since I love you greatl ...read
Sermon
Sermon On John 5:19
THE mysteries and secrets of the kingdom of God first seek for believing men, that they may make them understanding. For faith is understanding's step; and understanding faith's attainment. This the Prophet expressly says to all who prematurely and in undue order look for understanding, and neglect faith. For he says, "Unless ye believe, ye shall n ...read
Article
The Sermon on the Mount - Part 1
ON OUR LORD'S SERMON ON THE MOUNT, CONTAINED IN THE FIFTH CHAPTER OF MATTHEW.
MATTHEW 5
Chapter 1
1. If any one will piously and soberly consider the sermon which our Lord Jesus Christ spoke on the mount, as we read it in the Gospel according to Matthew, I think that he will find in it, so far as regards the highest morals, a perfect ...read
The Sermon on the Mount - Part 2
ON THE LATTER PART OF OUR LORD'S SERMON ON THE MOUNT, CONTAINED IN THE SIXTH AND SEVENTH CHAPTERS OF MATTHEW.
MATTHEW 6-7
Chapter 1
1. The subject of mercy, with the treatment of which the first book came to a close, is followed by that of the cleansing of the heart, with which the present one begins. The cleansing of the heart, then, ...read
St. Augustine