FORTY-SIXTH LESSON
On The Catholic Church.
"He that heareth you, heareth me."—ST. LUKE 10:16
When the Church is spoken of, my children, it is not always the house of the Lord that is alluded to, it is not always the holy temple in which you offer up your prayers to God that is spoken of. The word Church signifies a coming together. This name is given to the assembly of the faithful, and is also used to indicate the authority of the ecclesiastical superiors. When, for instance, is said the will of the Church, the commandments of the Church, that means the laws established by the pastors to govern the faithful.
The Church, as the catechism teaches, is then the society of the faithful, who under the guidance of the legitimate pastors, form but one body, of which Jesus Christ is the head. I am about to try to make you fully understand this explanation.
First of all, the Faithful are those who are baptized and who believe in Jesus Christ. The assembly of the faithful forms a holy society. Though unknown to each other, though not even living in the same country, they are united like the members of the same family. They all receive the same instruction, the same sacrament; they all offer up the same prayers, love the same God, hope to receive from him the same happiness. To appreciate this perfect union between the faithful, it is said, my children, that they form a single body.
The faithful are directed by chiefs called Pastors, because they lead God's flock. The Pope or Sovereign Pontiff is the head pastor of the Church. He is the successor of Saint Peter. He is the prince chief, not only of the faithful, but even of all the other Pastors. In everything that concerns religion we owe him our full obedience. Under him come the Archbishops and Bishops, then the simple Priests, whose charge consists in helping the prelates in their holy ministry.
All these pastors are called legitimate, because they are established by God himself, and chosen with the help of the Holy Ghost.
Jesus Christ, my children, is the supreme Head of the Church. He governs it from His exalted station in heaven, and though He be invisible, we cannot doubt His divine guidance. It is by God's power alone, in fact, that twelve poor ignorant fishermen were enabled to lay the foundations of the Church. It is merely by God's grace, that the Church has been preserved, notwithstanding the numberless obstacles and persecutions of her enemies; and it is because the Church is still inspired by the spirit of God that she always teaches the truth to the faithful. It is a great misfortune, my children, that every man is not a Christian, and that all Christians are not children of the Church. There are still countries where God is unknown: there are idolatrous nations. There are also people who adore God, but who refuse to believe that his divine Son has already come on earth: these are the Jews and the Mohammedans. There are also men who have cast from their creed some of the truths taught by the Church, and who no longer submit to her authority: such are the heretics and schismatics, generally known by the name of Protestants. These different societies all believe they teach the truth and call themselves the true Church: they are all wrong, my children. Our Church only is Jesus Christ's and that is the Catholic, Apostolical, and Roman Church.
It is called catholic (this word means universal) because it will last until the end of all time, and that it is the Church which has spread itself the most over the universe; apostolical, because its precepts come from the apostles, and that its ministers are their successors; Roman, because the Pope, head of the Church, resides at Rome.
My dear friends, the Church can never make a mistake in what she teaches us. The promise of Jesus Christ Himself makes us rest assured of this. Our Lord orders us to submit to the Church as to Himself: "He that heareth you heareth Me, and he that despiseth you despiseth Me," said our Lord to the Apostles. Thus the Commandments of the Church, my children, are no less binding to you than those of God. Nevertheless, on account of your age, you are to be dispensed from many of them, but you must scrupulously and punctually fulfil the others, and be ready, when the time comes, to keep every one of them faithfully, This faithfulness is not only a strict duty, but it also gives us the means of showing our gratitude towards God, for having granted us the grace of being born in the true Church.
My children, no happiness can be greater than this, and we cannot thank God too often for it. But we must remember to benefit by this grace, so as to work out our salvation; otherwise the Lord would have right to judge us more severely than the others.
You must not forget either, my dear children, that to be a Catholic is a blessing, and not a merit; we have neither the right to glorify ourselves on being a member of the true Church, or that of despising others who do not belong to it. You must pity those who err, and pray God to bring them back to the right road, the only one that leads to heaven. If you should happen to be brought up with children of a different creed, take care, my children, not to tease them about their belief. But be mindful to set them a good example; show them that a Catholic child is the meekest, the best, the most amiable of children; thus you will make them love your holy religion.
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