The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-05-22

he must explain TO his penitent the
enormity of his sin. AS Physician.
he must cure the disease and prevent
relapse. The very fact that God
demands satisfaction even after the
sins are forgiven, shows of itself that
there must be very good reasons why
God demands it, as God being Wis
dom itself, always acts for purpose.
The Council of Trent resuming the
utterances of the Fathers of the
Church on the subject, gives us five
reasons why God requires and the
Church imposes a temporal punish
ment as a satisfaction for sin. i
Because those fallen into sin after,
Baptism are guilty of a worse ingrati-
tude and malice. Regeneration was to
them an entirely undeseryed gift
they had not the least claim to it; !
it implied for them heirship to the
kingdom of heaven and sonship of.
God. The sin of the unregenerated Isl
rather the offense of an outsider,
whereas the sin of those baptized, is
crime of child against it's father
IL. Because mercy should not be
abused at the expense of Justice The
tribunal of penance is a tribunal of
mercy mixed with justice. Baptism is
all mercy, Penance is mercy and JUS
tice. Mercy takes away all the debt
that man is unable to pay; justice:
makes him pay what he is able.
Eternal guilt and punishment is be.
yond his means of paying. In confess
sion Gods mercy RENTS it without
man having any rights to this particu-
lar favor; temporal punishment is
within his reach and therefore Gods
justice demands it of him.. 3. Bap-
tism is a spiritual regeneration be-
slowed on the newly born without any
great hardships. Penance, on the.
contrary, is a medicine which must
work the cure of the disease by burn
| ing, cutting, sweating and other peni-
tential exercises. BY Baptism we be-
come as new born, having in us, true
enough, the germs of corruption in4
herited from actual sin. Penance is
the curing of those wounds, which in
some cases may be more deeply seat
ed than in others, and require special
treatment. Penitential works are, as
| the Bishop so often testifies, the medi-
cine to heal the wounds and prevent
their recurrence. 4. Satisfaction is
a remedy against relapse. This is in
the very nature of things. We notice
! it even in irrational beings, with which
a punishment for any displeasure
caused their owners is the surest cure
Children incapable of reason must
have sometimes the rod applied to
make them avoid what is strong or in
furious to them. In so far as super
natural life is concerned, we are all
like children, and for our own good
must be treated as such. A condign
punishment for the sin committed
will make us think twice before re-
! peating it again. AS the punishment
is of it's nature medicinal, it tends to
create in us a habit contrary to the
habit which inclines us to sin. If
over-indulgence of the appetites of the
body makes us transgress Gods com
the denial of itsn desires, as imposed
by sacramento satisfaction, must
strengthen the soul. and weaken the
passions Of the body 5. 1t is really
becoming that the sinner should do
something for his sins SO as to suffer
with Christ for them. Christ took
our sins upon Himself and atoned for
them. When the Master carries His
cross for me, how unnatural does ii
not seem that | should not help Him
to carry it. If we desire to rejoice
we must also be prepared to suffer
with Him. What are all the suffer
ings of this life compared with the
happiness that is promised us?
The above reasons abundantly show
that the church is perfectly right, in
order that we may be inspired with "a
greater horror of sin, and thus be kept
from relapsing into it.