The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-08-21
What was the "Areopaeus?

What was the "Areopa9us!
The name "Areopagus' was given
to the Hill of Mars, which was situat-
ed near the Acropolis at Athens; and
also the court which was held upon
this hill. 1t was before this council,
vested with as great judicial power
as it had ever enjoyed and having to
pass final Judgment in matters of re-
ligion, that st. Paul preached (Acts
XVID, with the result that one OF the
members of this venerable tribunal
accepted Christianity.
Where is the justice in teaching that
II man lives good life always, but
just before death commits a mortal
sin and dies in 1t, he will be con-
demned; yet If q man lives wicked
life always and make an act OF con-
triton, he will be saved?
1t would be the greatest possible
injustice to teach differently. We
condemn no person, and we teach of
no man that he has certainly been
lost. All this is in the hand of God
Who alone can read the heart, and
Who alone knows what transpires in
the soul of man at the moment of
death. However, viewing your pro-
posed case in the abstract, if a man
dies in the state of mortal sin, there
is nothing left for God to do but to
refuse him heaven. To grant him
heaven would be a gross injustice.
Mortal sin is a desertion and aban-
donment of God; it dethrones God
from ones heart; it is an act of in
justice and horrible disorder; it is
INSTRUMENTATION and revolt and open
rebellion; it is base contempt and
black ingratitude. BY mortal sin,
man prefers misery to bliss, hell to
heaven, the service of Satan to the
friendship of God; he outrages the
authority, majesty and goodness of
God. If man dies in that condition
land this is the supposition of your
query), what right has he to heaven?
1t is not the short hours of sin, or
the few seconds of pleasure, or the
dollars stolen that constitute the es-
sential malice of mortal sin: but the
defiant contempt of the sinner for his
God. 1t is not for the mere act of a
sinful nature that the unrepentent
sinner will be consigned to hell, but
because for that act of pleasure and
sloth, he rejected his Creator. He
made his choice: he chose evil, and
not God, death and not life; and
death overlook him before he came
back to God by a sincere repentance.
On the other hand, Gods mercy is so
great that He will not abandon man.
Let the sinner, with his dying breath,
turn to his Maker, and Christ will be
there with overtures of peace and
pardon. You should remember that
it is not the policy of the Catholic
Church easily and readily ana non
chalantly to condemn souls to hell.
That is not the province of the
Church.; it is God Who passes the
final sentence. But you can not place
just blame on God for closing the
gates of heaven on a man who refuses
to enter.
Is II necessary to mediate on the
mysteries Of the Rosary when reciting
It? If SO, what are they? What days
should different mysteries be consid
cred? 2. Is there any special time
In which to say ones penance? Is
1t all right to say it when hearing
Mass2
1. Yes, it is the proper thing to
NH oh o1~r
simply scenes from the life of the
Blessed Mother of God. The Joyful
Mysteries represent the birth and
youth of Jesus Christ, the Sorrowfu
Mysteries tell us of the passion and
death of Mary's Son, the Glorious
Mysteries give us a picture of the
Resurrection of Christ, and the en-
trance of Gods mother into heaven
The first are assigned for Mondays
and Thursdays, the second for Tues
days and Fridays, the Glorious fol
Wednesdays and Saturdays. 2. The
penance given in confession, being g
work of satisfaction, should be sale
as soon as possible after confession
1t can be said at Mass or at any Other
time. It should not be postponed toe
long.
What Is understood by the "soul'
Of the Church and what by the
"Body," and who belongs to each.
The Church is frequently named
and described by st. Paul as the Body
of Christ Il Cor. XII, XII-13). L
bears, therefore, an analogy to the
individual man, who is composed Of
body and soul The body is the Wis
ible, material part to be placed in 6
certain category of being by the in
visible, spiritual part called the soul
The Church of Christ is society
and visible society. The visible par
of it is essential and necessary, anC
when the Church ceases to be visible
it ceases to exist. Still, the Church
is supernatural and spiritual. and this
pelement, likewise essential, is Of
course invisible. This is true Of
every society. We speak of a society
as moral person in contrast to, anG
by analogy with, the physical person
the human individual. Just as we
have body and a soul in the physica
person, so we speak of the body anG
soul of the moral person. This ides
is applied to the Church of Christ
which is a real and true and visible
SOciptV VIC coucnivo IL &c hoIy;ne