The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-06-14

1. What is meant by "Many are
called, but few are chosen? 2. Will
we know our relatives in Heaven?
l. In the parable of the marriage
feast of which this verse is the con-
clusion, our Lord establishes the fact
that many reject the call of God and
that, of those who hearken to it, not
all shall be saved. This leads to the
general conclusion that these two
classes outnumber the multitude of
the elect. This contrast is established
in the use of many" and few" in
the text. Apart from this we know
nothing about the relative numbers of
the elect and of the reprobate Again,
this passage is used in the parable
of "The Laborers of the Vineyard, .
but it is good to note that all the Ia
borers are rewarded and therefore it
cannot be used to prove the fewness
of the saved against the many who
are lost. 1t probably explains the last
verses of the preceding chapter, and
it means that many are called to sal.
walton but few to higher paths of
heroic sanctity. 2. Theologians
teach that nothing shall be wanting
to the perfect happiness of the elect
in Heaven. And while the Church has
not defined the accidental glory of the
blessed, it is a pious belief, in har.
mony with the Catholic doctrine, that
we shall know our own in Heaven.
I. How should the Communion
cloth be held? 2. Should one re-
tire at once after receiving? 8.
Should one kiss the Communion
cloth?
1. The object of the cloth is to
prevent the Sacred Host or any part
of 1t from falling on the floor, and
hence the Communion cloth should be
held horizontally under the chin. 2.
If others are still to come and need
to occupy your place, you should at
once retire, but if not, you may re-
main until the priest closes the taber-
nacle door. 3. The cloth is not to
be kissed or pressed to the mouth.
I. AS an indulgence is the remis-
sion of the temporal punishment due
to sin, please explain what is meant
by temporal punishment; also when
we get the benefit of the indulgence ?
2. What does three hundred days in
diligence mean?
l. In every sin the Church distin-
guishes two elements: the guilt and
the penalty which it incurs The guilt
is the injury committed against God
by the sinner and the displeasure with
which God views the sinful act. The
penalty is the punishment which the
sin deserves, and ordinarily receives
at the hands of God. 1t is a law of
Gods justice that wrong-doing entails
suffering either in this world or in
the world to come. This is the sane
ton which in the nature of things is
annexed to the great moral law. Thus,
the penalty for mortal sin is eternal
separation from God and unending
punishment in the fires of hell: the
penalty for venial sin is temporary
punishment in this world or in purga-
tory. When God pardons mortal sin
the eternal guilt is forgiven and the
unending punishment which it de-
serves in hell is also RENTED; but
we know from Revelation that He fire.
quently exacts from the sinner some
temporal punishment for the serious
offence committed against Him. That
God ordinarily exacts a penalty for
RENTED sins is evident from the
Scriptures. The sin of Adam was for
given but he was condemned to labor
and toll all the days of his life. The
rebellious Jews in the desert were for
given, but in punishment of their dis
obedience they could not even see
the land of promise Moses was pun
ished for his want of confidence in
God by not being allowed to lead the
Israelites into the promised land.
King David's sin was forgiven but he
was punished by the death of the child
he loved. 1t is this temporal punish
ment due to sin which is RENTED, in
whole or in part, by an indulgence. If
it is entirely RENTED, the indulgence
is said to be plenary. If only a part
of it is RENTED, the indulgence is
partial. AS soon as one gains an in
diligence the temporal punishment
due to his sins is then forgiven, Who'll
ly or partially, according to the ma
ture of the Indulgence. 2. An indul-
gence of three hundred days does not
mean that, through the recitation of
certain prayers or the performance of
certain works by the sinner, three
hundred days of his punishment in
purgatory is taken of. The Church
does not pretend to know how much
purgatorial suffering God RENTS by
partial indulgence. When we speak
Of gaining an indulgence of three hun
dred days we mean that a repentant
sinner does as much towards the re-
mission of the temporal punishment
due to his sin as was done in former
ages by the performance of three hun
dred days of public penance.
When making the nine Fridays in
honor OF the Sacred Heart should they
be made on nine successive FRIDAYS
or on the first Friday or every month
for nine months?
The nine Fridays in honor of the
Sacred Heart are made on the first
Fridays of nine consecutive months in
accordance with the promises made
by our Lord to Blessed Margaret