Essential Traditions

ESSENTIAL TRADITIONS

A way of understanding Ideas, Behaviors, and Rituals that strengthen Catholic Tradition - These Essential Traditions over and over again, have proved their worth of possessing the most unsurpassable means of obtaining the human souls perfection. These Traditions compared to the most sophisticated ways ever dreamt of by men of the past, - can genuinly out measure any contending means designed by the most intelligent men of the present, and will continue to far outreach any way of perfection of the life of the human soul in the future.
These essential Ideas, Behaviors,and Rituals make human life significantly more than just sustainable, intellectually more brighter, and dynamically so much worth engaging no matter what that state of existence a person would find themselves in this Valley of Tears. These are the very secrets of Our Lords Sacred Heart put to action and they will take the human soul beyond the limits of earthly dreams and into the portals of a glorious eternal life.

Way, Truth, Life, Beatitudes, Virtues, Prayers, Sacrifice
These are the Essential Traditions which causes worldlings to stumble.

Each one of these Essential Traditions in this website enable each unique individual as person to acquire a basis for the Ideas, Behaviors and Rituals of the Catholic Faith. When these essential traditons are engaged they will take you on a path of profound wisdom and understanding that far outreaches any of the many man made religions, philosophys, martial arts, or physical diciplines. Once you begin to understand the Way, the Truth and the Life of Jesus Christ, it is He who shows you who you are as part of God's plan of creation. Jesus even two thousand years after His death and ascension into Heaven continues to teach those who believe in Him what attitude of life to assume, what virtues are most fitting for you and ultimately what sacrifices in your life will help you gain ever greater rewards on earth and in heaven. Other religions, philosophys and martial arts have similiar traditions, how ever Essential Traditions of the Catholic Faith impact the soul and body perfections beyond measurable expectations. A basic understanding of the Essential Tradtions given to us by Jesus Christ begins by reading and then meditating upon all seven essential traditions.

Sacred Tradition or Holy Tradition is a technical theological term used in Christian traditions, primarily in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox traditions, to refer to the fundamental basis of church authority.
The term "deposit of faith" refers to the entirety of Jesus Christ's revelation, and is passed forward to successive generations in two different forms, Sacred Scripture (the Bible) and Sacred Tradition (apostolic succession).
In the theology of these churches, Sacred Scripture, is the written part of this larger tradition, recording (albeit sometimes through the work of individual authors) the community's experience of God or more specifically of Jesus Christ. Hence the Bible must be interpreted within the context of Sacred Tradition and within the community of the church.
Sacred Tradition, and thus Sacred Scripture as well, are "inspired," another technical theological term indicating that they contain and communicate the truths of faith and morals God intended to make known for mankind's salvation.
This is in contrast to many Protestant traditions, which believe that the Bible alone is an adequate and complete basis for all Christian teaching (a position known as Sola Scriptura) and that an individual Christian alone can interpret the Bible.

But first in order to understand how these seven Essential Traditions can greatly improve, and prepare, one for True Life, a brief discription regarding understanding of the human Soul is necessary, Secondly the realtionship of the Soul/Body relationship and Sin will prepare one who seeks God with a more complete understanding than is presented in a modern relgious instruction.

The Soul of Man
One must understand what is in fact called the "Soul of Man." First before God created Man, he prepare a place called the Universe, a place called "Earth" a perfect place in the Universe where life in the image and likeness of God could live, a place for this image and likeness to live so that God could have a creature who would Choose to love Him and adore Him as a free agent. God did not need the creature, but since God is above all the very Word Love Himself, it was Gods Will to do so. So before Man, God created the Universe the purpose for which was and is to create an abode for material beings are living matter that is dependent upon a soul. It is this soul created by God is what we call Life

First the soul of man is made in the image of God, since it is a spirit like to God. The soul of man is immortal, i.e., it can never cease to exist, but it becomes spiritually dead when it loses the grace of God by mortal sin.
It the soul, cannot lose consciousness, but God can withdrawal from a soul that rejects obedience to His commands.
Our Lord Jesus Christ said, "Fear not them who can kill the body, but fear those that can kill the soul." Matt.10.28. Those who are capable of killing the soul, will not destroy the soul, but will provide the soul a state of eternal misery.

· The human soul is made in the image of God.
· The soul is a spirit like to God.
· The soul is immortal and can never cease to exist.
· The soul is capable of rejecting God's Will, whereupon God will withdrawal from the soul.

The soul created by God is that part of Man which can never die, however requires the grace of God and the vehicle called the body to lead a full and glorious life.

Without access to God the soul isolates itself from those graces and lives an eternity in a lifeless existence. Without the aid of the body the soul of man would never have access to those same graces or the reward of eternal happiness, because "free choice" to serve and obey God's commandments could not be possible. It was Christ Who gave to men the clearest manifestation of the nature of God; all of nature and of Prophets spoke somewhat obscurely, for none of them had seen God face to face.

Our Lord says; "God is a spirit and they that adore Him must adore Him in spirit and in truth" John 4.24 It is because God is a spirit that the Jews were strictly forbidden to make any image of Him Exod. 20.4 God's creation is decorated with Poetry - for it is said simply "We cannot see the stars during the day, but only when darkness comes on - So we cannot see God during the day of our life on earth, but only when the darkness of death comes over us. Many Materialistic men such as the scientist Richard Dawkins curse God for not showing himself, for God remains hidden to all of us until our death. It may appear that in God revealing himself to men that they should believe. That fact is that God did reveal Himself as Jesus the Christ, but still many foolishly prefer do not believe.

The physical property of the Soul

The materialist, who denies the existence of the soul because it cannot be perceived by his sense, might as well deny the existence of human reason because he cannot see it. For a scientific definition of Materialism and the human Mind see the Intelligent Design .org website.

Atheism is the error of those who deny the existence of God. Speculative or theoretical atheism consist in the assertion that there is no God. It is probable that no once can in fact be a speculative atheist. The negation of God is rather in the heart than in the mind: The fool hast said in his heart, there is no God." PS 13.1. If man cannot see fit to comprehend what is mind, he in no waycould understand conscience - such a rationalist would be an amoral man - and Thus many rationalist claim themselves to be FreeThinkers. Thus the common trait of Freethinkers is that they are amoral, and claim to be free from serving either God or King.

Moral Truth is the conformity of words or other signs with the conscience. Logical Truth is an agreement between the mind and a thing. If the thing regarded - is the mind - where is it? Furthermore, if one is talking about those who came back from the dead, where was their life before they returned from the dead? And yet at the time of Our Lord's crucifixion many who were dead appreared in Jerusalem Matt 27.53. By definition, Reasoning is the process whereby the mind from a known thing proceeds to the knowledge of an unknown thing. Many men confuse Reasoning with Rationalism which is the error of those who reject all revelation and give assent to nothing but what can be attained by the natural power of their own reasoning. That which must be believed, is revealed by God by revelation and proposed for our acceptance of God's Church.

Origin and Indestructibility of the Human Soul

The fact that man's soul is a spiritual substance carries two all important implications: the soul cannot have originated from matter; and the corruption of the body with which it is united does not involve its own destruction.

The human soul, a spiritual substance, cannot possible originate from matter; matter may evolve into an infinite number of things, but they will all be material; it cannot evolve out of itself into the immaterial. Nor can the human soul be a derivative of a parent human soul, since every human soul is simple and indivisible. Yet every human soul came into being and was created by God from nothing, and every human soul is different from every other one.

Therefore:

The spiritual substance of the Soul cannot originate from matter.
The corruption of the human body is not involved in the souls destruction
The Soul is not derived from a human parent Soul.
The Soul is simple and indivisible.
Every Soul is created by God from Nothing.
Every soul is different from every other soul.

The soul is not the complete substance, the man is.

Since the human soul is a spiritual substance existing in its own right and independently of the body, there is no reason to believe that its existence is terminated by the man's death. No change occurring in any material thing can essentially affect the spiritual soul. Being a simple, immaterial substance, the soul is by nature incorruptible. It depends solely upon God's creative act for its existence. Nor may we believe that God will ever allow it to relapse into non-existence; for it is incompatible with the wisdom of God that He should create a naturally incorruptible being only to destroy it in the end. Wherefore, true philosophy supports the Christian belief in the immortality of the human soul. pp209-210 "Nature Knowledge and God" Benignus.

The soul is not the complete substance, the man is.
Its existence is not terminated by the man's death.
No change occurring in any material thing can essentially affect the soul.
The soul is by its nature incorruptible.
It depends on God's creative act for its existence, nor will God ever make the soul relapse into non-existence.

Every other form, including plant and animal souls, are naturally generated from the potency of matter; it is merely the actuality of that potentiality. And it ceases to exist when the substance of which it is the form is corrupted; it lapses into the potency of the matter, which simply means that the matter in question is again only potentially what for a time it was actually.

The Intellect's Knowledge of Itself

The human intellect not only knows external objects and relations, but it knows the acts by which it grasps these objects and relations and knows itself as exerting these acts. So what is Knowledge?

In a word, we not only think things, but we know our own thinking as our own, and know ourselves thinking. In order to know itself, the intellect must be subject and object in the one same act. No material thing can be agent and patient in the one act. At best one part of a material thing can act upon another part of the same thing. But self-knowledge, that is, reflex consciousness of self, demands, the total identity of knower and known. If one part of the intellect knew another part, and that were all, there would be no self-knowledge. Hence, the intellect must be immaterial. pp197-198 "Nature Knowledge and God" Brother Benignus.

The human mind functions within the miracle of the brain which connects us with our senses and then the world around us. It is the interation between the soul and the senses that enable us to use our will upon the world and to gather intelligence, gain wisdom and become moral creatures of God.

In the discussion on the Mind and Knowledge of how it works with regards to the body an example is found with UCLA psychiatrist Jeffrey Schwartz who shares with Casey Luskin about his research on obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). What does neuroscience tell us about the relationship between the mind and the brain? Schwartz explains in his book, The Mind and the Brain, that patients treated for OCD actually had the power to change the neural pathways in their brains by the power of their minds. What does this mean for materialism in medicine? Listen in and discover the real-world implications in this debate. Copied from the Website Intelligent Design. The nature of Man in that he consist of body and soul, that nature can be found in the miracle of life. Yet there are those who know that by destroying life at its very beginning, like Margarett Sanger and those in the eugenics movement whose aim can only be understood by defining that which is evil. Since sin is the greatest of all evils, second to that great evil is the destruction of human life. To understand this evil on a relatively short lesson please go to the following website called Reflections of a Paralytic all life is Sacred.

A Third evil that exist is immobilizing fear of the unknown. This evil has taken many forms such as depression, isolation, insantity, and even totalitarianism. Fear can be described by the use of the verb anxiety. Anxiety is also a symptom of problems that exist between the soul (mind) and the body. Natural techniques are available from the John Hopkins Institute in helping you relieve those symptoms. Managing anxiety without drugs can give a person more insight into the relationship between the soul and the body in times of anxiety.
An Organization called CCHR serves as a public clearing house is an advocate against Psychiatric Drug abuse. The drugging of children is becoming an abuse of the individual’s rights to their relationship of their soul and body.

Intellect and Free Will

The soul is endowed with the two faculties of reason and free will.

The body is the dwelling place of the soul. As a nutshell to the kernel, as the clothes to the man, as the hut to the hermit, such is the body to the soul. The soul is the guide of the body, as the driver of his steed, or the captain of his ship. Too often the soul allows the evil desires of the body to lead it astray, to the ruin of both. The body is a good servant but a bad master. The soul is also the life of the body; as soon as the two are parted, the body soon returns to the dust from which it was formed. We are conscious of an individual unity in each one of us, which is independent of our body, which preserves in spite of all bodily changes, and continues from childhood to old age. It is present during sleep as well as during waking hours, and is active when all our bodily senses are wrapped in repose and inactivity.

The Soul is endowed with reason and free will.
The soul dwells in the body.
The soul is the body's guide.
Often the soul allows the evil desires of the body to lead it astray to the ruin of both.
The soul is the life of the body.
When body and soul are parted the body soon turns to dust.
The soul is present during sleep and while awake - and is active when all our senses are inactive.

The human soul is a spiritual substance and is intelligent.

But it is not a pure intelligence. Its power of intellect is the lowest existing degree of intelligence and is not in itself fully adequate for its own exercise. It is capable of understanding, but it does not of its own possess the ideas whereby it may understand. The intellects higher than it are created already endowed with the ideas, whereby they understand; the soul is created with the power to understand.

The Will

St. Thomas Aquinas goes on to state succinctly the ultimate reason for human free will: since the form in the intellect which is the principle of the Will's movement is a universal, and since actions pertain to singulars, none of which equals the universal principle, the movement of the will remains indeterminate in respect to many different things; only the man himself determines it to one or another of them.

The will, which necessarily desires the universal good, is free in respect to any particular good, just as a man who desires to build a house is still free to build a stone house or a frame house. pp. 250-251 "Nature Knowledge and God" Benignus.

The movement of the will remains indeterminate in respect to things material and spiritual.
Only Man himself determines the will to things material and spiritual.
The will necessarily desire the universal good.
The will is Free in respect to any particular good.

The Soul of Animals

The souls of animals are different from the souls of men.

Animal souls are incapable of striving after perfection, or of searching into the causes of things. Hence they can have no knowledge of their end; they are led by instinct, not by reason. They have no craving after a higher happiness and are quite satisfied with the enjoyment of sense; they have no spiritual nature, but are essentially dependent on matter.

Animal souls are different from Human souls.
Animal souls are incapable of striving after perfection.
Animal souls are incapable of searching into the causes of things.
Animal souls can have no knowledge of their end.
Animal souls are led by instinct, not reason.
Animal souls have no craving after a higher happiness.
Animal souls are satisfied with the enjoyment of sense.
Animal souls have no spiritual nature.
Animal souls are essentially dependent on the material world.

Scientific Theories of the Origins of Man:

Evolution and Intelligent Design

Since the advent of Charles Darwin discussions regarding the ascendancy of man from lower animals have suggested through myriads of comparative analogies and hypothetical assumptions that the body of man is the result of macro evolutionary jumps from within the Genetic make up of living processes.

However, to date there is mere consensus of opinion, and there exist no factual evidence on record that shows the repeatability of comprehensive testing of macro evolution. On the other hand, given some of the methodologies exhibited more recently regarding the tenants of Intelligent Design testing of the sophistication of intelligently designed creatures - such examination is beginning to show why there is no evidence in macro evolutionary found in the fossil records. However since Intelligent Design (not unlike the Theory of the "Growing Earth") are relatively new there is currently little factual evidence for ID to contradict Evolutionary Theory to date. More detail discussion on the Methodology used in Modern Science needs be discussed.

Genesis the story of Creation

The account of the creation of man is found in the beginning of the book of Genesis. Nothing is said about the time when man was created, but the general belief fixed the date at 4000 B.C. Discussions regarding the Garden of Eden, and the Flood are discussions that pretain to prehistoric dates and discussions related to same. Those discussion are not the primary topic in this section but will be discussed in a separate section.

Special Privileges of the Soul

The special privileges granted to the soul of man at his first creation were as follows:

An enlightened understanding, a will free from all weakness, and the possession of sanctifying grace. Through these means Adam was the child of God, the heir of heaven, and well-pleasing in the sight of God. "God filled Adam and Eve with wisdom and the knowledge of understanding." says the Wise Man Ecclus. 17.5,6. He gave Adam the first man an insight into the inner nature of things, so that he was able to give appropriate names to all the animals. He also knew by inspiration the indissolubility of marriage. Adam and Eve had the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, and His sanctifying grace; they were like to God, full of love for Him and children of God; and because children, also heirs, of God and joint-heirs with Christ.

Mans soul has been given special privileges which are granted at its First creation.

Adam the first man had received from God an Enlightened Understanding.
Adam received from God a will free from all weakness.
Adam received from God the possesion of sanctifying grace.
Adam received from God insight into the inner nature of things which enabled him to give appropriate names to all the animals.
Adam also knew by inspiration the indissolubility of marriage.
Adam and Eve were like to God when the Holy Spirit dwelled in them, His sanctifying grace made them full of love for God and as children of God, they were also heirs, of God and Joint-heirs with Christ the only begotten Son of God.

Special perfections of the Body

The special perfections of their bodies were that Adam and Eve were immortal, and free from all liability to sickness and disease; they were in paradise, and had dominion over all the creatures around them. The human soul is specifically incomplete; it is a form, but not a species. In order to constitute a species, it has to be united with a principle of repetition of numerical multiplicity. This principle is matter. The multitude of human individuals, composites of human souls, and bodies, constitutes the species; and this species is not the soul, but man. The human soul is a spiritual substance and is intelligent. But it is not a pure intelligence as of Angeles that are intuitive intelligence not requiring a vehicle as a means to acquire that intelligence.

The special perfections of the mans first created body.

Adam and Eve's bodies were immortal.
Adam and Eve's bodies were free from all liability to sickness and disease.
Adam and Eve's bodies lived in "Paradise.
Adam and Eve had dominion over all the creatures around them.
Adam and Eve's souls were incomplete without a principle of repetition of numerical multiplicity - called matter.
Adam and Eve represented the multitude of human individuals - composities of human souls and bodies - which constitues the species called Man.
Adam and Eve's souls are spiritual subtances and are intelligent - however not a pure intelligence as of Angeles.

Man needs a vehicle. Hence

the soul needs an instruments which can put it in contact with intelligible essences from which it may obtain ideas; or to state the same fact in another way, it needs, other powers which can administer to its power of intelligence and enable that power to attain to the intelligible natures which will actualize its power to know. Too imperfect, too dim in intellectual light to grasp by its own power the pure intelligible forms that exist apart from matter, it can seek its ideas only in those forms bound up with matter. However, being a spiritual substance it cannot itself be directly acted upon by matter. Thus without the body and its sense organs the soul would be cut off from all intelligible natures and could never formulate an idea.

Sin

He who wittingly (by intellect) and willingly (by free choice) transgresses one of God's commandments is guilty of sin.

Sin is nothing else but REVOLT against and DISOBEDIENCE to God. Rom 4.15 The sinner throws off the yoke of God, saying: "I will not serve." Jer. 2.20 When we sin, we take up arms against God, we crucify again the Son of God (Heb. 6.6 by making the Redeemer's blood as if it were excrement or nothing at all. The malice of the sinner pains Our Lord more deeply that all the sufferings of His Passion. How foolish it is for anyone to offend an individual on whom your whole future happiness depended. How much more foolish then do we act, when we make Him our enemy Whose aid is indispensable to us for all things and at all times and on Whom our eternal salvation depends. If your life was at another man's mercy, would you attempt to insult that man?

Adam and Eve in paradise transgressed the commandment of God; they knew it well, and no one not eve the serpent, compelled them to violate it. Thus they committed sin.

It is not counted as a sin if we commit an evil action, of the sinfulness of which we are ignorant, through no fault of our own, nor if our will does not consent to the evil deed.

Sin is in its essence is an unlawful turning towards the creature and turning away from God.

Sin is the one only evil upon earth; it robs man of the supernatural beauty of the soul, it makes him resemble the devil, and brings misery upon him even while he is on earth.

We mortals are accustomed to regard the sufferings and contradictions of this life as evils whereas they are graces in reality; since, far from separating us from God, they bring us near to Him.

"Many consider eternal damnation to be the greatest of all evils; but for my part, I always assert that to offend Jesus Christ is a far greater evil." St. John Chrysostom

Through sin the supernatural beauty of the soul is lost. As a white robe is soiled and stained if it comes into contact with the mud of the streets, so the soul loses her supernatural beauty, which consists in sanctifying grace, and contracts a hideous stain, through the inordinate love of creatures.

Way: It is said that the Way of the Cross owes its origin to the Mother of God. The Way of the Cross is the name given to the fourteen stations which depict the way along where Our Redeemer passed, bearing His cross, from Pilate's palace to Mount Calvary. By performing the Way of the Cross large indulgences may be gained; we also obtain contrition for sin and are incited to the practice of virtue.

Daily meditation on the Passion of Christ is more profitable than fasting every Friday in the year on bread and water, or taking the discipline to blood. A single tear shed in compassion for Our Lord's sufferings is of greater value in God's sight than a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

We learn how acceptable meditation on His Passion is to Our Lord, from the revelations of St. Bridget. Our Lord once appeared to her, with blood streaming from all His wounds. She asked what had reduced Him to this pitiable condition? He answered:

"It is the doing of those who never consider the great love I manifested towards them by all I suffered upon the cross."

It was a continual memorial of His Passion that Our Lord instituted the holy sacrifice of the Mass. The same indulgences are granted for making the Way of the Cross as for visiting the corresponding places in the Holy Land.

What the indulgences are we do not know precisely; let us be content to know that they are great and numerous; they can however only gained once in the day. The wooden crosses must be blessed by a Franciscan, or some priest who has the requisite powers, and the stations must be visited without any break. The ways of the Cross is a means of obtaining the grace of contrition. The way of the Cross is also an incentive to the practice of virtue. The saints often tell us that meditation on Our Lord's Passion imparts strenght to suffer not merely with patience, but with joy. Our arrogance, our avarice, our anger will be cured by the humility, the poverty, the patience of the Son of God. If O man, you would progress from virtue to virtue, contemplate with all possible devotion the sufferings of your Lord, for this is most conducive to sanctity.

Truth: Christ said "I am the truth" John 24.6 Therefore the lover of truth is like unto Him. The lover of Truth is well pleasing to God. The lover of truth is esteemed by his fellow-men. It is always best to acknowledge one's fault freely, for thereby one obtains forgiveness, or at least a mitigation of the punishment due to it.

We believe the words of Christ because He is the Son of God, and can neither deceive nor be deceived.

He has established the truth of what He taught by the miracles that He worked.

We believe in the teaching of the Church because Christ guides the Church to all truth through the Holy Spirit, and guards it against all error.

Our Lord said "Behold I am with you all days even to the end of the world." Matt 28.20

Christian faith comprises all the doctrines of the Catholic faith..

He who has a opportunity of being instructed

must also learn and understand the Apostles' Creed,

must also learn and understand the commandments of God.

have some knowledge of the doctrines of grace.

have some knowledge of the sacraments

have some knowledge of prayer as set forth in some Catechism authorized by the bishops of the country where he lives.

Baptism is necessary for eternal salvation

Faith is necessary for eternal salvation: Faith is like the root of a tree, without which it cannot exist; it is the first step on the road to heaven; it is the key which opens the treasure-house of all the virtues.

Faith alone is not sufficient for salvation: It must be a living Faith; that is , we must add to it good works and must be ready to confess it openly. Those good works are found in the essentials of tradition. The graces which Christ merited for us by His death are communicated to us by the means of grace; that is to say, the holy sacrifice of the Mass, the sacraments, the sacramentals, and prayer. The means of grace are the channels whereby the diving redeemer conveys to us the graces He merited for us upon the cross. His side was opened that the means of grace might thence flow out. He who neglects the use of the means of grace cannot be saved, in spite of Christ's death. Medicine cannot work a cure unless the sick man swallows it. "He Who made thee without thyself, " says St. Augustine, "will not save thee without thyself."

Good Works:

No action, however excellent, is to be called a good work unless it is voluntary. To spend one's time in reciting long prayers, instead of accomplishing the duties of one's station, is not a good work, but a sin. Those actions again, which are not performed for the love of God are not good works. God requires a pure motive on our part. The good works we perform are of little worth unless they are done for God's sake. Good works which cost us a great sacrifice are more valuable than others. The good works most pleasing in God's sight are these: Prayer, fasting and alms deeds. By prayer the pride of life is suppressed, by fasting the craving for sensual enjoyment, by a almsgiving the desire for earthly riches.
Our Lord says; "Every tree that doth not yield good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire" Matt 3.10 At the Last Judgment many will be sentenced to everlasting misery, not because they have done what is evil, but because they have not done what is good. Through good works the sinner obtains the actual graces which are necessary for his conversion; the just man obtains an increase of sanctifying grace, eternal felicity, and the remission of the temporal penalty of sin; furthermore his prayers are heard, and sometimes earthly blessing are bestowed on him.
Inasmuch as good works are onerous to perform, they make satisfaction for sin, and appease the retributive justice of God; inasmuch as they conduce to the honor of God and the welfare of our fellow-men they are meritorious, and serve to glorify the remunerative justice of God.

Life: Our body was created by God as an abode for our immortal soul. Our body is like the shell of an egg; if the shell be injured, the young bird within is hurts; so if our mortal frame sustains injury, the spirit, the noble inmate of that dwelling, suffers, with it.

Our body is an implement of the soul, entrusted by God to our keeping, to be made instrumental in amassing merits for eternity.

Abstemiousness promotes health and prolongs life. Many men of weak physique naturally, have so increased their strength by abstemiousness that they have been capable of immense activity.

Regularity is to be observed in regard to meals, the time of going to rest and rising in the morning; in one's work and in the arrangement of one's time.

We are under strict obligation to do nothing that tends to destroy health of the body. Therefore be prudent and never risk your life rashly. A mans life is not his own, it belongs to God, who takes it away at His will. Deut 32.39

A strict obligation is laid upon us to avoid everything that may destroy the health or life of our neighbor.

By the mere fact of challenging to single combat, or accepting a challenge, a man becomes excommunicated. Do not threaten or harm thy neighbor.

He commits a still greater sin who destroys the spiritual life of his neighbor, either by tempting him to evil or by giving scandal.

It is, however, lawful to wound or even to kill our fellow man, if he threatens to take our life by violence, or anything that is absolutely indispensable to our life, and we have no other means to defense. This is called the Right of self defense.

He who has wrongfully injured his neighbor, either physically or spiritually, is bound to repair the harm done to the utmost of his power.

In our relations to animals it is our duty to care for their well being, to refrain from tormenting them, not to kill any useful animal without a special reason, and finally not to treat them with exaggerated tenderness.

Beatitudes: Those who scrupulously keep God's commandments are happy even on earth.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are the meek; for they shall possess the land.

Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice; for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Virtues: The Virtues that unite soul to God are the three theological virtues:

Faith: The Effect produced by the virtue of Faith is to make us believe in the existence of God and in His divine perfections.

Hope: The Effect produced by the virtue of Hope is to make us look for eternal salvation from God, and the means necessary for its attainment.

Charity: The Effect produced by the virtue of Charity causes us to find satisfaction in God, and to seek to please Him by keeping His commandments.

Prayers: When we are engaged in conversation with any one, we forget everything else. This is what we should do when we talk with God, that is when we pray. In prayer, we must direct all the power of the soul to God;

in Understanding - for what we must think of Him. \

in Memory, for we must forget the things of earth.

in the Affections, for we must delight in Him.

in Praise on account of His infinite perfections.

in Asking on account that God gives nothing to those who ask nothing.

in Gratitude on account that Thanking God is the surest means of obtaining fresh favors from God.

By Praying we learn to Pray.

We must pray in accordance to Our Lords Desires.

We must pray with our whole attention.

We must pray with perseverance,

We must pray with Humility

We must pray resisting distractions.

We must pray in resignation to the will of God.

Sacrifice: The life of Our Lord upon earth may be said to have been one uninterrupted sacrifice.

This sacrifice was commenced at the incarnation, for then He divested Himself of His divine dignity that was His as Son of God, and took the form of a servant Phil 2.7

He gave up His free will, becoming obedient to His heavenly father unto death, even to the death of the cross.

The sacrifice which reconciled God with man was that which Christ offered upon the cross.

The Chief motives which urge mankind to offer sacrifice are:

The consciousness of sin

The desire for reconciliation with God - because God often required or sanctioned the sacrifice.

Man can suffer in body or soul or both.

WHAT DID JESUS DO FOR US?

He relinquished all earthly possessions.

"My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, that I may perfect His work. John 4.34

He bore scorn and derision in silence, especially when brought before His judges Luke 22.11

Greater love than this no many hath, that a man lay down His life for His friends John 15.13

I am poured out like water, and all My bones are scattered Ps 21.7.15

Christ was immolated because it was His will to be immolated Is3.7

He was wounded for our iniquities, He was bruised for our sins (Is 3.5

The Good Shepherd gave His life for the sheep John 10.15

Although Christ died for all, yet all do not receive the benefit of His death; only those whom the merit of His Passion is communicated.

Christ suffered more than it is possible for any human being to suffer. Hence He cried aloud upon the cross: "My God, My God why has t Thou forsaken Me? Our Lord suffered so much in order to show how much He loves us, and how greatly God is offended by sin."

1. No one can attain to eternal salvation without suffering. God treats us as a physician treats his patients; those of whose recovery he despairs he leaves alone; but to those whom he hopes to cure, he administers bitter medicines.

2. All suffering comes from God, and is a sign of His love and favor. Whom the Lord loveth He chastiseth; and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth Heb. 12.6.

3. God sends suffering to the sinner to bring him back into the right way and to save from eternal death.

Suffering also brings about a disgust for earthly things and make the sinful pleasures of the world bitter;

Suffering destroys our dependence on earthly things.

Suffering takes away the desire for the enjoyments and the pleasures of this valley of tears.

Suffering turns our thougths to heaven.

Suffering impresses upon us our own helplessness, and compels us to have recourse to God in prayer.

Sufferings teach us a knowledge of ourselves and of our sinfulness.

4. God sends suffering to the just man to try him whether he loves God most or creatures.

Sufferings of the just man are a great advantage to him.

Sufferings serve him as a penance for his sins.

Sufferings cleanse him from all imperfections.

Sufferings increase his zeal in the practices of good.

Sufferings increase his zeal in the love of God.

Sufferings increase his zeal in the love of prayer.

5. Sufferings then are no real evil, but are benefits from the hand of God. They are a means of bring us both to temporal and eternal happiness. God, Who loves us tenderly, has no other object in sending us sufferings but to make us happy. There is really no evil in the world except sin.

6. We should be patient under suffering, and should resign ourselves to the will of God. We should rejoice in suffering, and thank God for it. The willingness to suffer can be ascertained how far we have advanced in perfection.