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the report of the crusade of saint benedict center

MARCH/APRIL 2016

Henry Thomas Bosdets Painting of Jesus Before His Crucifixion

priors column

are the works of mercy ever obligatory?

wo questions about
come to discover that the Latin word for alms is elemosyna,
mercy were recently
which is derived from the Greek word, , which
asked of me. Since we
comes from the Greek word for mercy, (elios). Our
are soon to embark on the Year modern English word, alms which is derived from these
of Mercy proclaimed by Pope
Greek and Latin words, by the way has a much more
Francis, and since there is much restrictive meaning, while being nonetheless related.
confusion about the subject in
We know from Holy Scripture that works of mercy can
general, I thought it worthy of
be absolutely obligatory, at least on certain occasions. How
our attention to consider these
do we know? From the general judgment scene according
Br. Andr Marie,
questions in an Ad Rem, which
to Saint Matthew (25:31-46). If we tally up the list of good
M.I.C.M., Prior
you can read on our website, catholicism.org.
deeds that the sheep did and the goats failed to do, we get
1. Are any of the spiritual or corporal works of mercy
six. With slight wording differences, and minus one work,
obligatory?
this is identical to our list of seven corporal works of mercy.
2. Is there any sense in which we could call them works of Not mentioned in the Gospel is to bury the dead, which
justice?
comes to us from the book of Tobias (1:20 and 12:12).
The answer to them both is Yes. First, I will explain the
We have elsewhere shown the obvious ramifications of
first question. Afterwards, I will explain the second.
the passage from Saint Matthew vis-a-vis the Faith and
To reply more fully to the first question, we have to
Good Works debate between Catholics and Protestants. We
consider the nature of mercy as a virtue. Saint Thomas
will not dwell on it here, but it should be noticed at least in
Aquinas cites Saint Augustine, who defines mercy as,
passing that the just were rewarded for doing these works of
heartfelt sympathy for anothers distress, impelling us to
mercy (good works), whereas the unrighteous were damned
succor him if we can. For mercy takes its name misericordia for omitting them. For the goats in the final judgment scene,
from denoting a mans compassionate heart [miserum cor] for these works of mercy were obviously necessary for salvation;
anothers unhappiness.
because they omitted them, they were damned. Denying that
The Latin word miser gives us the English word misery.
conclusion would be rash in the face of the clear biblical
Mercy is the virtue whereby we are moved to relieve the
evidence.
misery of another, either his misery of body (corporal) or
The above is not the only biblical testimony. Elsewhere,
his misery of soul (spiritual). Traditionally, catechisms list
the Beloved Disciple asks, rhetorically: He that hath the
the corporal works of mercy this way:
substance of this world, and shall see his brother in need,
1. To feed the hungry;
and shall put up his bowels from him, how doth the charity
2. To give drink to the thirsty;
of God abide in him? (1 John 3:17). Note that if we have
3. To clothe the naked;
not the charity of God abiding in us,
4. To shelter the homeless;
we have sinned mortally and have lost
5. To visit the sick;
the theological virtue of charity along
6. To ransom the captive;
with sanctifying grace.
7. To bury the dead.
The list of spiritual works of
And the spiritual works of mercy
mercy does not have one clear biblical
are given thus:
passage that presents (almost) all
1. To instruct the ignorant;
of them, as does the catalogue of
2. To counsel the doubtful;
corporal works. That they are to
3. To admonish sinners;
be found in Holy Writ is, however,
4. To bear wrongs patiently;
undeniable. The web site of the
5. To forgive offenses willingly;
Archdiocese of Detroit helpfully lists
6. To comfort the afflicted;
several biblical references for each of
7. To pray for the living and the
the fourteen works of mercy.
dead.
For all these works, their necessity
These two lists were known to
arises from circumstances. Those
Feeding the Poor
Saint Thomas Aquinas, so they are at
damned in Matthew 25 were damned
least as old as the thirteenth century.
because they refused the works of
For the Angelic Doctor, they are collectively known as
mercy when they had occasion to perform them. In other
Almsdeeds, which may strike us as curious until we
words, a clear moral obligation presented itself and they

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the report of the crusade of saint benedict center March/April 2016

failed to meet it. To cite another

mercy, there would seem to be a
example, the priest and the levite
contradiction or at least some
who passed by the man who fell
confusion entailed in a work
among robbers in the Parable
of mercy being something that
of the Good Samaritan each
is demanded in strict justice.
committed a sin of omission,
But the essential note of the
while the Samaritan himself
virtue of mercy, as explained
performed a good deed and was
by Saint Augustine and Saint
therefore neighbor to him that
Thomas, is sympathy for the
fell among the robbers. Literally,
misery of another, with the
in English, a neighbor is one who
consequent offering of succor
is nigh, that is, near. In this
which is to say, help. We have
parable, the occasion is presented,
a strict obligation in justice to
the good deed is refused, a sin is
show that sympathy and give that
committed. Alternatively, a good
succor when the occasion arises
deed is done and for the right
and we are able to do so. It is a
motive and a meritorious good
question of justice not because
work is successfully completed,
we have contracted a debt with
leading to a reward on judgment
the person in need, but because
day.
of the moral law of God which
Clothing the Naked
As the Catholic Encyclopedia
demands it. Again, reasoning
points out:
from the fact that those who
The doing of works of mercy is not merely a matter of
failed to perform works of mercy are to be damned by the
exalted counsel; there is as well a strict precept imposed both Just Judge in the General Judgment (remember Matthew
by the natural and the positive Divine law enjoining their
25?), it strictly follows that certain of those works of mercy
performance. That the natural law enjoins works of mercy
do oblige in justice.
is based upon the principle that we are to do to others as we
A work of mercy may or may not be a work of
would have them do to us.
supererogation (i.e., a work not strictly obligatory, but done
Saint Thomas affirms the obligatory character of the
over and above that which is required). Where a work of
works of mercy in his reply to the question, Is the giving of
mercy is a work of supererogation, it does not strictly oblige,
alms a matter of precept? (Summa Theologica, II, II, Q. 32,
but becomes an occasion of abundant growth in merit.
Art. 5)
Are the Works of Mercy a Matter of Justice?
Continuing the general subject of the last Ad Rem, I
would like to reply to this second question about mercy. We
are, after all, in the Year of Mercy, and some things should
be gotten straight about this gravely misunderstood virtue.
The answer to the question is yes.
Let me begin my explanation by saying that I do not
suggest changing the name from Works of Mercy to
Works of Justice. Besides the fact that the traditional
name is canonized in the Catholic lexicon of wisdom and is
therefore sacrosanct, there is another compelling reason to
keep the traditional name: It distinguishes these acts from
other acts of justice by clearly naming their motive force:
human misery.
I assume that the motivation behind the question is
the contrasting nature of mercy and justice, with mercy
being conceived of as a reprieve or relief from the full rigors
of justice. If we limit ourselves to this understanding of

[T]he essential note of the virtue

of mercy...is sympathy for the
misery of another.
Apparently the false dichotomizing of justice and mercy
all too common now is nothing particularly new. I
mention this because, in his commentary on the Gospel of
Saint Matthew, Saint Thomas says, Mercy without justice
is the mother of dissolution; [and] justice without mercy is
cruelty.
What wisdom in those few words!
Justice and mercy do not contradict each other at all,
but, rather, complement each other in a variety of ways.
For instance, certain spiritual works of mercy (e.g., to
admonish sinners, to instruct the ignorant, to counsel the
doubtful) involve assisting people in the means to setting

March/April 2016 the report of the crusade of saint benedict center mancipia

themselves right with God. By teaching someone Gods law,

admonishing him when he is sinning, or encouraging him
when he is in doubt along the way, we help someone to do
good, and thereby to satisfy the demands of Gods justice. The
merciful man tells his friend, as Jesus did, seek ye first the

Mercy and truth have met

each other: justice and peace
have kissed (Ps. 84:11)
kingdom of God and his justice (Luke 12:31).
The merciful man helps to pick up the miserable man
from the mire of his misery to enter the state of grace. Grave
sin is spiritual misery and the state of grace is also called the
state of justification. Those in the state of grace are called
just.
In the true Religion, justice and mercy not only cannot,
but do not exist without one another.
This is why all this vague and amorphous talk of
accompaniment, reconciliation and integration emanating
from the recent Synods progressivist party is so very

diabolical. It is not directed to setting people right with God.

It is therefore neither just nor merciful.
The mercy lauded in Holy Scripture is either a divine
attribute or a human virtue. As a divine attribute it is
perfectly in conformity with Gods justice. In fact, in God,
justice and mercy are attributes that can only be logically
distinguished; they have no real distinction in the divine
essence Itself which is perfectly simple and not composed of
parts. As a virtue of men, mercy is not a mere sentiment or
emotion. The pure, unchecked emotion of mercy can lead us
to be unjust, in the same way that any unchecked emotion
can. Here, conformity to reason a touchstone of
perennial wisdom on the virtues is of utmost importance.
God Himself shows us mercy by giving us His grace. That
grace, in turn, makes us just, or right with Himself. In
Christ, Mercy and truth have met each other: justice and
peace have kissed (Ps. 84:11).
And Our Lord enjoins us to imitate Himself by offering
sublime divine promises: He that followeth justice and
mercy, shall find life, justice, and glory (Prov. 21:21); and
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy (Matt.
5:7).

Email Brother Andr Marie at bam@catholicism.org

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the report of the crusade of saint benedict center March/April 2016

Brother Andr Marie, M.I.C.M., has a radio show on the Veritas Radio Networks Crusade
Channel. Each weekly one-hour episode airs on Wednesday night at 8:00 PM Eastern (7:00
PM Central) then rebroadcast at that same hour on Thursday, and again on the following
Monday. On Tuesdays and Fridays, random rotations of Reconquest episodes will also run
at that time slot.
Reconquest is a militant, engaging, and informative Catholic radio program featuring
interviews with interesting guests as well as commentary by your host. It is a radio-journalistic
extension of the Crusade of Saint Benedict Center.
How do I listen? Its easy! just log on to www.reconquest.net. Listen to great commentary
on current events as well as events historical. Reconquest is a militant, engaging, and
informative Catholic radio program featuring interviews with interesting guests as well as
commentary by Brother Andr Marie.

March/April 2016 the report of the crusade of saint benedict center mancipia

convent corner

power to be made the sons of god

ear Reader,
Recently, in his
Angelus talk of
January 11, 2016, our
Holy Father expressed the
importance for Catholics to
celebrate their baptismal day.
By way of explanation he
Sr. Marie Thrse, M.I.C.M.,
mentioned that our baptismal
Prioress
day was the day we became
children of God. (It is the date of our rebirth as children of
God.)
Almost all of us take our rebirth as children of God
for granted because we were baptized when we were
infants. Besides, most of our families have a greater zeal
for celebrating the day of our birth into our natural family
than for the sacred and inestimable grace of being born into
the Family of God by baptism. To illustrate this pathetic
reality, let me ask you a question, Dear Reader. On what
day of the year were you baptized? If you can answer that, I
congratulate you heartily. But, I have another question for
you. What kind of celebration do you make on your sacred
baptismal day? Dear Reader, the Holy Father in his Angelus
talk actually gave an assignment: So, this weeks homework
is to find out the date of your baptism.
The Holy Father exhorted us to find out the date of
our baptism so that we can celebrate it and underscore its
importance. Lets think about it. Before you were baptized,
you were a very unique and precious creature made in the
image of God. But, make no
mistake, before your baptism you
were merely a creature of God,
not a child of God.
Consider that before the
moment of your baptism, even
though you were one of the
sweetest and most promising little
images of God, you were not a
child of God and, in fact, you
were a slave of hell. Yes, that is a
sobering thought, isnt it, Dear
Reader? Little unbaptized babies
are so endearing to us, and yet
they are, because of original sin,
enemies of God and are destined
for an eternity outside of heaven
unless the saving waters of
baptism flow over their bodies.
A further consideration, Dear
Reader, is that unbaptized babies
grow up to be unbaptized adults, and whether they are
more or less appealing to us at that point, they still are not

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children of God nor are they members of the Mystical Body,

the Church, until they are baptized. If they die while outside
the Church, they will not be saved.
Near the end of every Mass, the priest reads a second
gospel the Last Gospel. Taken from St. John 1:114, this is a divine summary of Gods Life in eternity, His
Incarnation, and Its effect on mankind.
Lets shoot out a bit into outer space where we can get
a better view of the universe with our own dear earth in
the foreground. Ah, there! Beautiful! And now, from this
starry vantage point, lets contemplate the words of this Last
Gospel.

Not some, but every man is

enlightened by this true Light.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. Who is this Word? It is
none other than the Second Person of the Trinity, God the
Son. The same was in the beginning with God. All things
were made by Him and without Him was made nothing
that was made. Now we begin to see the stars, the sun, the
planets and get a satellite view of our beloved earth with all
of its beautiful creation. In Him was life, and the life was
the light of men.That was the true light, which enlighteneth
every man that cometh into this world. Not some, but
every man is enlightened by this
true Light. Yes, you may look
down on the world through your
satellites camera and zoom in on
some remote island in the Pacific.
That solitary human being that
you spy under the palm tree was
in Gods mind as He inspired
those words. That solitary human
being that we call a native has
been enlightened by this true
Light. His mind, his heart, will
not be able to negate those
Divine words on the day of the
Last Judgment. He cannot claim
complete ignorance.
But as many as received him,
he gave them power to be made
the sons of God. Receiving
Him means to be of good will,
accepting this enlightenment of
the true Light and doing what is necessary to live by it. The
result? Anyone who receives Him will be given the power

the report of the crusade of saint benedict center March/April 2016

with the kings at the Epiphany as they

to be made a son of God. Where is
saw his glory, the glory as it were of
that power found? In the Sacraments;
the only begotten of the Father, full of
specifically, Baptism. If a person
cooperates with the light God gives
grace and truth.
The love that we bear for God our
him, he will be given the grace of
Father and Jesus our Brother should
Baptism the power to become a
move us to love our fellow man to
son of God.
such a degree that we will give up the
Who are born, not of blood, nor
of the will of the flesh, nor of the will
pleasantries and worldly advantages of
dialogue in order to lead him to the
of man, but of God. And here we see
waters of Baptism and the Church of
that natural birth, our first birth, is
of little avail when we are speaking
Salvation. Yes, this love should urge
about eternal life. The only birth that
us to give up even our lives to get the
is of eternal value is our second birth,
Faith and saving waters of Baptism to
every human being on the planet.
which is being born of God in
The Baptism of Clovis
The next time you attend Mass,
baptism.
Dear Reader, take notice of that
And the Word was made flesh
Last Gospel and stir up your gratitude for the grace of your
and dwelt among us. Look now, Dear Reader, and see that
Baptism.
star that has appeared and come to rest in Bethlehem over
And, dont forget to do your homework!
a little shed. Using your satellite vantage point, zoom in on
that stable and see Mary and Joseph, the ox and the ass, and
Email Sister Marie Thrse, at convent@catholicism.org
that little Baby who is God. We can run joyfully with the
shepherds on Christmas Day and kneel in majestic adoration

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Pieper
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kelly forum

immortality and the tree of life

n the midst of the street

I have a question. It is speculative, but worthy of
thereof, and on both sides of
consideration by those who know better than I.
the river, was the tree of life,
What if Adam had not sinned? Would his children and all
bearing twelve fruits, yielding
men have needed to eat of the Tree of Life to preserve their
its fruits every month, and the
immortality?
leaves of the tree were for the
There are several things to consider here.
healing of the nations. (Apoc.
There would always be saints and, even without original
22:2)
sin, there would presumably also be sinners. Though all
In Paradise, Adam was
would have been conceived in grace, through the just seed
Mr. Brian Kelly
given a command by God not
of Adam, all would not necessarily have persevered. Would
to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil: But of
sinners also have had bodily immortality from the fruit of
the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat.
the Tree? The answer, I think, is yes.
For in what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the
Would the Tree of Life have granted immortality forever?
death (Gen. 2:17).
No. At some point, even with the gift of the Tree of Life,
Of every other tree Adam was told that he should eat.
One of those trees was the Tree of Life: And the Lord God
What if Adam had not sinned? Would
brought forth of the ground all manner of trees, fair to
his children and all men have needed
behold, and pleasant to eat of: the tree of life also in the
midst of paradise...And he commanded him, saying: Of
to eat of the Tree of Life to preserve
every tree of paradise thou shalt eat... (Gen. 2:9, 16).
their immortality?
The fathers of the Church have taught that the fruit of
theTree of Life conferred bodily immortality, incorruption,
and integrity (perfect health) on our first parents.
each man would have been called to render an account; life
With their Fall and their subsequent restoration to grace,
on earth, the trial, would be ended, although not through
had Adam and Eve been allowed to remain in paradise, that
the separation of body and soul. The just would be taken to
Tree would have continued to give them and their children
heaven (purgatory perhaps for most) and hell would be the
immortality. But this could not be because they had been
lot of unrepentant sinners.
warned by God of death for the sin of disobedience and that
The Franciscan theologians traditionally held that even if
sentence was delivered by God as punishment for their sin,
Adam had not fallen, there would have been an Incarnation
for themselves, and for all their descendants, even though
of the Son of God. And there would have been a sinless
Adam and Eve did repent. The guilt was forgiven in mercy,
Virgin Mother of the Incarnate God. His Name would still
sanctifying grace restored, but the punishment for the crime
have been Jesus, for He would still be Savior to the blessed,
was exacted in justice.
but He would not have been a Redeemer, for there would
The fathers and doctors see the Tree of Life as a figure of
have been no original sin. The Dominicans, on the other
the Holy Eucharist: To him, that overcometh, I will give to
hand, held that there would not have been an Incarnation.
eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of my God....
They employ, to support their opinion, the scriptural
Blessed are they that wash their robes in the blood of the
references concerning Christs redeeming mission. The angel
Lamb: that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may
said to Saint Joseph that Christ came to forgive sins by His
enter in by the gates into the city (Apoc. 2:7, 14)). Could
redemptive suffering and death, And she {his wife] shall
the Eucharist be the Principle of our own immortality in a
bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name JESUS. For
glorified body after the general resurrection? Father Feeney
he shall save his people from their sins (Matt. 1:21). And
thought so. Indeed our Lords own words to His Apostles
Saint John the Baptist proclaimed in testimony of Christ,
at the Last Supper can be interpreted to refer to a Holy
Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who taketh away the
Communion in heaven: And I say to you, I will not drink
sin of the world (John 1:29).
from henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when
In the Summa Theologica, Saint Thomas teaches that
I shall drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father
the Tree of Life would have conferred immortality with or
(Matt. 26:29). New! that is, in a glorified body, in
without Adams fall:
eternity. The meaning of the words could be symbolic, which
It is written (Genesis 3:22): Lest perhaps he put forth his
is to say that the drinking of the fruit of the vine may
hand, and take of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.
mean the joyous heavenly camaraderie of the saints. Or, it
Further, Augustine says (QQ. Vet. et Nov. Test. qu. 19 A
could mean the Holy Eucharist under the species of wine.
taste of the tree of life warded off corruption of the body;

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and even after sin]

a remedy in the tree of
man would have
life; for its effect was
remained immortal,
to strengthen the force
had he been allowed
of the species against
to eat of the tree of
the weakness resulting
life. (Prima Pars, Q.
from the admixture of
97, Art. 4)
extraneous nutriment.
Saint Thomas
Wherefore Augustine
likewise teaches
says (De Civ. Dei xiv,
that the power of
26): Man had food
the human soul in
to appease his hunger,
grace before the Fall
drink to slake his thirst;
would have preserved
and the tree of life to
the bodys integrity
banish the breaking up
from corruption,
of old age; and The
but neither this
tree of life, like a drug,
power nor the Tree
warded off all bodily
of Life would have
corruption.
absolutely preserved
Yet it did not
Thomas Coles Expulsion from the Garden of Eden
immortality, for only
absolutely cause
the resurrected body
immortality; for neither
will be living without corruptibility. In other words, all
was the souls intrinsic power of preserving the body due to
bodily things are finite by nature, and must come to an end,
the tree of life, nor was it of such efficiency as to give the
even if that end be not death. With the renewal of the earth,
body a disposition to immortality, whereby it might become
however, after time is at an end, the material universe will
indissoluble; which is clear from the fact that every bodily
endure in a prefect state and be forever at rest.
power is finite; so the power of the tree of life could not go
Here are some other accentuating points made by Saint
so far as to give the body the prerogative of living for an
Thomas in the same article, Question 97:
infinite time, but only for a definite time. For it is manifest
The tree of life in a certain degree was the cause of
that the greater a force is, the more durable is its effect;
immortality, but not absolutely. To understand this, we must therefore, since the power of the tree of life was finite, mans
observe that in the primitive state man possessed, for the
life was to be preserved for a definite time by partaking of it
preservation of life, two remedies, against two defects. One
once; and when that time had elapsed, man was to be either
of these defects was the loss of humidity by the action of
transferred to a spiritual life, or had need to eat once more of
natural heat, which acts as the souls instrument: as a remedy the tree of life. (QQ. Vet. et Nov. Test. qu. 19)
against such loss man was provided with food, taken from
Finally pardon me but my mind is wandering beyond
the other trees of paradise, as now we are provided with
the pale now If Adam had not sinned and all men had a
the food, which we take for the same purpose. The second
need to eat of the Tree of Life to preserve their immortality,
defect, as the Philosopher says (De Gener. i, 5), arises from
how would that have been achieved, for the children of
the fact that the humor which is caused from extraneous
Adam would have been dispersed far beyond the Garden of
sources, being added to the humor already existing, lessens
Eden?
the specific active power: as water added to wine takes at first
Well, who can imagine what kind of world it would have
the taste of wine, then, as more water is added, the strength
been without the Fall? Adam lost his gifts of wisdom, infused
of the wine is diminished, till the wine becomes watery. In
knowledge, and science. For one to travel from California,
like manner, we may observe that at first the active force of
let us say, to the Garden of Eden, in a world untainted by
the species is so strong that it is able to transform so much
the dullness of being damaged goods, would have been an
of the food as is required to replace the lost tissue, as well as
effortless walk in the woods, or a speedy flight through the
what suffices for growth; later on, however, the assimilated
air by means of little strap-on, CO2 emission-free, turbofood does not suffice for growth, but only replaces what is
rockets. Perhaps it would have been no problem at all,
lost. Last of all, in old age, it does not suffice even for this
perfect weather, as well, along the way. Immortality would
purpose; whereupon the body declines, and finally dies from
make the journey well worth the cost. And it need only be
natural causes. Against this defect man was provided with
made once, or twice, God permitting. Now I surely disgress.
Email Brian Kelly at bdk@catholicism.org

March/April 2016 the report of the crusade of saint benedict center mancipia

prefect s column

our lady and the virtue of faith

he Prefect began a
series of talks on
the Virtues of Our
Lady, in October 2015 at
our First Saturday meeting.
The following expands those
comments of his December
Brother John Marie Vianney,
2015 talk.
M.I.C.M., Tert., Prefect
Firstly, lets look at the
word faith which has many
meanings. By using the catechism definition we can say: it
as a holy virtue, the habit of always firmly believing all the
truths God has revealed and the Church teaches on the
word of God revealing them who can neither deceive, nor
be deceived.
So, we believe these truths, not because we understand
them, but because God has revealed them. See how the
old saw of seeing is believing is not quite true. The word
faith, here means taking something sight unseen at the
word of someone else, in this case God. As you know, Faith
is one of the three theological or divine virtues. Brother
Andr Marie, the Prior of our order, has taught us, [b]
asically, you receive faith, hope and charity in that order, and
you lose them in that order. All mortal sin destroys charity.
A [mortal] sin against hope destroys hope and charity. One
against faith destroys all three. But, just because you lose
charity does not mean youve lost the other two. Just because
you lose hope does not mean you lose faith. See how
important the virtue of faith is?
In fact, in Matthew, Ch. 17, verse 19, Our Lord says: For
amen I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustardseed, you shall say to this mountain: Remove from hence
to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be
impossible to you.
Why are we not moving mountains? It is obvious, we do
not have enough Faith.
So, who best exemplifies this virtue and how? Father
Spitzer, in How to Imitate the Virtues of Our Lady, describes
Our Lady as practising profound faith. Saint Louis Marie
de Montfort, in the Ten Principal Virtues of Our Lady calls
her faith a lively faith.
Father Spitzer tells us that Faith is a fundamental virtue,
since its object is God Himself, and it is not surprising
to find Our Lady practicing it. He writes, 1. Mary is the
principal model of faith. Because Christ, the Son of God
constantly enjoyed the beatific vision of His father, He did
not possess the virtues of faith and hope. Faith implies a
veil hiding actual vision of God and first-hand knowledge
of divine matters; hope is the yearning for heaven and an
assurance of reaching that goal with Gods grace. Speaking
of faith, Saint Paul says: We see now through a mirror in an

10

mancipia

obscure manner, but then face to face. Now I know in part,

but then I shall know even as I have been known. And of
hope, he says, But hope that is seen is not hope. For how
can a man hope for what he sees? Even here on earth, Our
Lord in his divine person knew all things and always saw
the face of His Father, and therefore did not require the
virtues of faith and hope. Mary then, by her firm and ready
acceptance of Gods word is the exemplar of our faith.
Eve, the first woman, listened to the words of the fallen
angel, Satan, and helped the human race to spiritual ruin.
Mary, the new Eve, heard the message of Gods angel that she
was the chosen mother of God and thereby began the work
of our redemption.
2. Mary shows us how to believe. Her faith remained firm
and strong though it must have been put to many a test.
She accepted the angels word that, by Gods miraculous
power, she would become Gods Mother, while retaining
her virginity. When she wrapped her Son in swaddling
clothes and laid Him upon the straw of the manger, she
acknowledged Him as the creator of the universe whose
power had given light to the stars, existence to the earth, life
to men. Though driven into exile by Herod, she saw, in Her
Child, the King of kings. Valiantly, she watched Him die
on the Cross, and when the faith of His disciples wavered,
she adored Him as the divine Redeemer. St. Alphonsus de
Liguori summarizes the story of her faith when he writes:
Mary merited by her faith to become the light of all the
faithful.
Father Spitzer could have written the following today,
instead of the 1950s, Modern influence has put many a
Catholics faith to a severe test. Sacred truths are ignored
and scorned, and the faithful are subjected to a subtle [I
would add today not so subtle] persecution by a pagan
materialistic world because they mind the things that are
above. In such straits, go to Mary. Study her faith and beg
for the grace to reproduce it in your own life. For you will
find in her not merely the pattern but the protection of
your faith.
Ven. Emmanuel dAlzon quoting Bousset, said, Faith
is daring. We should not hide it under a basket, but let it
out to breathe. He also encouraged us to meditate on the
mystery of the Incarnation since we cannot do that without
hearing a secret voice ask us what benefit we shall derive
from all this. Do we want to reach out to Marys faith? Our
happiness lies in reaching out because of the graces that will
be granted to us. Are we ready at last to begin?
Dear Lady, increase our faith!
Email Brother John Marie Vianney, at TOPrefect@
catholicism.org
NOTE: All underlining and bolding added by the author.

the report of the crusade of saint benedict center March/April 2016

my morning cup of joe, part iii

by russell laplume

he previous two articles in this series highlighted

my morning woes, my inability to rise and shine as
quickly as I should, and my difficulty in adorning
my apparel. There is a reason for this: I am simply getting
older. But in reality, from the moment we are born, we
are getting older, so I think it would help to delineate
the starting points in each stage of our life journey. I will
categorize them this way: childhood, adolescence, young
adult, adult, middle age, then old age.
Not long ago, it was easier placing individuals in these
respective categories, but unfortunately nowadays childhood
is carried right into adulthood with the intervening years
becoming one long kindergarten. Old age is different: you
are either old; really old; really, really old; or ancient. I
am sixty-five so I place myself in the old category. There
are various and sundry indications of being old. No
doubt, some of my readers can surely identify them. These
indicators are usually seen on the body and include, but
are not limited to: enlargement of the ears (or is it head
shrinkage?), the nose doing bizarre imitations of the Blob,
and the eyes squinting into an Oriental shape.
There are many others. My wife stated one day, Russ,
your lips are disappearing. Thankfully, I refrained from
the obvious husbandly retort the one regarding her own
perhaps better remaining sealed: a rare time when
my brain was quicker than my mouth with its
shrinking lips. Most devastating for some is
the hair disappearing from the top of the
head. This last aging anomaly is usually
balanced by the hair now growing more
profusely from elsewhere on the head
(e.g., nose and ears). It seems that the
head hair cells are simply tiring out and
find going sideways much easier than
going up: less gravity against which to
work. And lets not forget the skin
it suddenly loosens from the bones,
sags, then creates double chins, flabby
stomachs with hip handles, arm muscles
that droop becoming skin aprons, and
knees that suddenly appear as worn-out
leather baseball gloves. It seems that the
skin wants to co-operate too willingly
with gravity and get a head start on its
journey downward to the grave.
Most annoying are those alien
looking appendages that seem to appear
overnight: skin tags they call them. I
have been tempted to cut them off, but
my wife claims that these skin tags are
produced by the body to isolate excess
toxins and to snip them would do more

harm than good. What really is happening, I believe, is that

the body is alarmed that the skin is drooping, so it sends out
little knots to stop the downward progress. Believe what you
will; either way, its self defense.
Lastly, theres shrinkage. In my case, it happened
suddenly: I was at a family get together and noticed
that I was looking up at everybody, even some of my
grandchildren. Now Im normal height for a human, not
tall, but the fact that this once robust grape was turning into
a shriveled raisin did set me back a bit.
There are benefits of course in this aging process. You
dont have to check the weather report because the body
becomes a walking meteorological forecasting station. Hail,
sleet, snow and rain are all predicted days in advance by that
wounded knee, crushed toe, or damaged shoulder, and are
usually accompanied by another element fire in these
very same aching limbs.
I dont mind getting old; it took me a long time getting
here, but if you could go back in time to the days of
my youth, a bet with Vegas that I wouldnt make it past
nineteen would have reaped great rewards. I thank the
Lord that he has granted me this extra time to atone for my
youthful insolence.
I am of French Canadian ancestry, a race that is
known, at least in past years, for its heartiness
and longevity. Most of my relatives were
immigrants to this country and for many
years spoke only French, and after that
a broken English, or what I call a
sideways English peculiar to these
people. It was not uncommon to hear
utterances (Ill call them frogisms),
such as throw me down the stairs, my
shirt, or next time you cut through
my yard, you go around, or I know
who you are, and I know your father
just as easy.
Two people standing alongside
each other were said to be side by
each. My all time favorite, which I
use regularly, came poignantly from
my uncle who suffered terribly from
psoriasis: when asked if he acquired this
malady recently or had it in his youth,
he responded, No, I didnt have it in
my youth, and I long for the way I use
to was.
Use to was now I have always
taken this to mean not just the past,
but the imagined present. What do I
mean by this? Well, the mind is willing,
but the body is weak. Let me give an

March/April 2016 the report of the crusade of saint benedict center mancipia

11

example. I have six sons, the youngest being eighteen, and

all of them at one point have suggested that it was time to
knock the rooster off his perch. We would strut over to the
kitchen table, seat ourselves, then proceed in the manly art
of arm wrestling, looked on upon by the other five future
roosters. Of course, in my prime, I had no difficulty with
the first pretender. As he huffed and puffed to take me
down, I nonchalantly pretended to read a book with my
other hand. It became more difficult as time wore on, for
I became older while my successive challengers were each
young. I made it through the first five wannabe roosters,
but I dreaded that day of wrath when the last boy would get
the gumption to challenge my perch. This boy had been on
a regimen of vitamins, daily workouts at the gym, and most
nights I could hear him grunting upstairs in his bedroom
while lifting weights. He would pace around the house
flexing his muscles and puffing his chest. While I pretended
not to notice, I knew he was calculating the best time to
throw down the gauntlet. It was during one of these pacing
sessions that I decided to initiate the challenge, which, to
my chagrin, he eagerly accepted. I was sixty-five at the time
and had no chance, but the imagined youth of my mind
overruled the use to was of reality. The mind convinces
itself that the body is still young, while the body tries to tell
the mind that it, the higher faculty, is deranged.
Needless to day, the offspring put me down. Thus were
fulfilled Our Lords words, the last shall be first (Matt.
19:30), when my youngest son became the first one to beat
the old man at arm wrestling.
So I sit here writing, not getting old, but already old,
fascinated with my mutating body, resolving to become the
Catholic I should be, and regretting the things I did when I
use to was.
And with that, I shall proceed to the third decade of
my Saint Joseph Rosary which I call Joseph contemplates
the Divine Maternity. I place myself outside the Temple,
still marveling at the miraculous events of the espousals
of Joseph and Mary. The holy pair leave the Temple and
are greeted by family and friends, amid songs and other
innocent merriment celebrating the espousals which have
just occurred. They take the road leading to the house
bequeathed to Mary by Joachim and Anne, situated in
Jerusalem, close by the Probatic Pool. As they proceed, their
relatives employ the Jewish custom of laying down palms
before their feet, and I notice that Mary seems uneasy over
the pomp and honor being accorded her. She has spent the
last eleven years secluded in the Temple, and this humble
dove, who has forsaken the glitter of the world for the gold
of heaven, shivers ever so slightly to be seen in the public
eye. Joseph leans closer to her, whispers calm assurances,
then supports her arm as they travel along. I interrupt
the procession and ask Joseph, Do you think that thirty-

12

mancipia

three years from now, when her Son trods these same palm
branches before He endures the wine press of Cavalry, that
she will remember this day, and how you supported her?
Now I am prone to asking Joseph dumb questions whose
answers I already know, but it is a game we play, and he
answers, Silly question Russ. Of course she will remember,
but what I would give to be there in body, and not just in
spirit.
They stay in Jerusalem for several months, then, divinely
inspired, they remove to another house bequeathed to
Mary along with several other properties, in Nazareth.
This house is far away from the bustle of Jerusalem, with
its contentious Pharisees and Sadducees, who are vying for
power and disrupting the peace of the Temple. I turn to
Joseph jokingly and say, Two houses, Joseph, and several
properties! Did you know you were marrying into money?
In reply, I get a penetrating gaze that sears into my soul,
reminding me that before leaving Jerusalem they had sold all
their property, giving one-third to the Temple, one-third to
the poor, and retaining one-third for the administration of
their household. Only kidding Joseph, you know that, just
sharing my thoughts, I weakly reply. I know that Russ, but
here is your lesson for today: most thoughts are just passing
thoughts, best left unsaid, and with that I find myself in
the holy house of Nazareth.
It is a small, simple house, built against a large rock,
which has been excavated to form another room. On one
side there is a kitchen garden that Mary cultivates expertly,
and on the other is Josephs workshop, where I always
proceed, for I am most comfortable there, alone with Joseph
in his daily routine. The Annunciation and Visitation have
taken place; peace resides in the mind of Joseph now that
his trial concerning this virginal birth has been explained
by the Angel Gabriel in a dream; and the routine of daily
living descends upon their poor household, whose poverty
is embraced by both virginal spouses as most pleasing to
God. In my previous meditations, the bachelor Joseph and
I would go fishing on a whim; not so now, for I cannot
imagine him leaving his immediate duties of protecting the
Mother and Child. And I feel unless they were with him, he
would not go; so I stay in his workshop watching him craft
furniture, and to my admiration, smaller tools, exact replicas
of what he uses, and as he finishes an instrument, he places
it into a special tool box he has made: it is his dowry for the
future Christ Child when He comes of age.
It is most peculiar that I am very uneasy in the house
proper. There are times when Mary comes to the door of
the workshop and beckons Joseph to lunch. I always slink
away to some corner, for she is carrying Our Lord and I
am afraid to appear, worthless sinner that I am. Joseph is
amused by this, and says, Why do you hide, as if they
didnt know you are there? Come, join us for lunch. I

the report of the crusade of saint benedict center March/April 2016

defer and say to Joseph, I cant; that would be a foretaste

of heaven, one Im not worthy to enjoy, and besides, in my
meditations, I cannot construct a scenario in which I would
be comfortable in those Divine presences. Do you remember
the reason I am here in the first place? It was forty years ago
and your lovely wife granted me the great miracle that I had
asked for. You remember, in desperation I had offered that
terrible promise in exchange for her to immediately stop my
abuse of alcohol. Encouraged by that great favor, I went to
my parish church, Saint Joan of Arc, knelt in front of her
statue, and begged another favor in my behalf. It was not
granted at the time, but I returned frequently to beg her
intercession. The last time I went to plead I was alone in the
Church and I distinctly heard a voice, whether interiorly or
exteriorly I cant say: go to the opposite side of the church,
and there pray. Startled, I did, and discovered your statue
standing tall in front of me. She was sending me to you, and
ever since, I have read and researched all I could about your
life, your virtues and admirable qualities, and have failed
miserably to emulate them. At first, I felt privileged that
she had sent me to you, but in later years it occurred to me
that I had been banished from her court for not responding
to the many graces she had offered in response to my
pleadings. Be that as it may, here I stand in your presence,

knowing that you will accept me as I hope to be, shielding

me from the just wrath I have deserved.
To all that outpouring of my heart, Saint Joseph
responds, You are a very silly man if you think the Queen
of heaven, our Mediatrix, would loathe your presence!
Besides, what would she think of me if the company I keep
is so loathsome to her? I see you have not heeded the advice
I gave that most thoughts are passing thoughts unworthy
of being uttered. You are a father, are you not? And did
not your wife send your children to you when they became
unruly? That is what our heavenly mother has done, and
I accept you, skin tags and all, in spite of your sinfulness.
You have heeded the advice of Pharaoh, Go to Joseph, and
have advised others to do the same; for that, I tolerate your
presence.
My meditation is done, and I reflect on my earlier years
when Joseph was not essential to my spiritual growth, as he
is now and am very happy not to be the way I use to
was.
To be continued...
Email Russell LaPlume, at RLP@catholicism.org

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March/April 2016 the report of the crusade of saint benedict center mancipia

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guest column

how philosophy helps us get clarity in our ideas

hy Philosophy VI:
terms and the examples are compact, so it may be helpful to
Philosophers Must
read it over several times.)
Take a Stand on
If a man is a materialist in his physics and denies the
Three Things
reality of the spiritual world, he will be a sensist1 in his
Whats right for me may
epistemology, maintaining that we know the outside world
not be the same as whats right
only by sense impressions and not ideas. In his ethics, he
will be a hedonist 2, believing that the only goods are those
for you. If it feels good, do
things which are pleasant.
it. Nothing exists outside
Brother Lawrence Mary,
of the material universe. I
If a man says that we can never know anything for
M.I.C.M., Tert.
certain, he is committed to the epistemological school called
think, therefore I am. If a
idealism 3. His physics will deny that material beings are
tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does
it still make a noise? Human life evolved from the lower
composed of form and matter. His ethics will be relativistic
animals. As long as a man has some religion, it really
what is good for you may not be the same as what is
doesnt matter which one it is. There is no salvation
good for me.
outside of the Catholic Church.
Someone who claims to believe in the evolution of
At one time or other, all of us have heard phrases such
human beings from non-living molecules effectively denies
as these; maybe we have even used one or more of them
the reality of substance. If he wants to remain consistent,
ourselves. Though they sound quite diverse, each of them
he must hold that all knowledge is sensist and that ethics is
has one thing in common: it tells us something fundamental merely the seeking of pleasure.
about the philosophical beliefs of the person who uttered it.
If a man contends that the defined dogma there is
In his philosophy courses, Brother Francis explains
no salvation outside of the Catholic Church depends on
that every one of us who has reached the age of reason is
what we mean by salvation, Catholic, Church, etc.,
a philosopher. All of us have taken a position, whether
he is playing the game of semantics. This error is known
conscious of it or not, on three things: physics (what is
as nominalism4 and holding that words are arbitrary
and do not reflect objective reality. He denies that we can
the nature of things), epistemology (how do we know) and
actually know reality for certain by the means of words.
ethics (how we should act).
We can properly assume that his physics is idealistic, that
Even if we believe we have taken a position on only
nothing truly exists outside of our own minds. His ethics is
one of these fundamental concepts, we have automatically
relativistic, meaning all views of right or wrong are equally
taken a position on the other two. For example, someone
valid.
says, Nothing exists outside of the material universe.
On the other hand, if a man contends that there is
This statement indicates the author has taken a position
no salvation outside of the Catholic Church and there are
of materialism in the area of physics. He believes that
no exceptions, we can safely assume that his physics is
only matter exists. Automatically, he is committed to: 1)
hylomorphic 5 (all material beings consist of an invisible
accepting sense knowledge to the exclusion of ideas and 2)
form and visible matter); his
to an ethics of hedonism
epistemology is modified
if it feels good do it.
realism6 (ideas are real but
Of course, he could be
only as media of knowledge
inconsistent and state
of the objective world); his
something different in
ethics consists of objective
one or both of the areas;
moral judgments and the
but, if he only states his
admission that there is an
position on one of them,
objective moral system we
we can anticipate what he
should adhere to.
holds in the other two. If
The important point is
he is inconsistent in his
this: even if a person does
positions, of course, he
not realize it, when he holds
leaves himself wide open for
a belief in one of the areas
correction.
physics or epistemology
Let us take a series
or ethics his view will
of examples. (This list
affect what he holds in all
contains some technical
Diogenes and Plato

14

mancipia

the report of the crusade of saint benedict center March/April 2016

three. These three most basic ideas are so interdependent

that it is impossible to separate them where one goes the
others follow.
A persons stand on physics, epistemology and ethics is so
all-embracing that Brother Francis contended all literature
ever written deals with one or more of these fundamental
issues: the nature of things, the question of knowledge
and the problem of good and evil. He issued the following
challenge: Try to find a piece of literature anywhere in the
world, from any time period, that does not deal with one
or more of these three essential notions. Brother contended
that it would be impossible to do so. I (and Im sure many
of his other students!) spent a fair amount of time trying to
meet his challenge without success. I suggest it would be a
valuable exercise for the reader to do the same.
In summary, because we are human beings with an
intellect and free will, everyone who has reached the age
of reason, whether he realizes it or not, will necessarily
take a position on one or more of these three fundamental
ideas: physics, epistemology and ethics. Only the student
of philosophy, under the guidance of a careful, orthodox
teacher, who has taken the time to study them, will
understand the implications of the stand he has taken on
any one of these most fundamental notions.

For more information about physics, epistemology,

and ethics the reader is encouraged to further investigate
Brother Francis philosophy courses which can be found
at: www.store.catholicism.org/brother-francis-philosophy.
html. The complete course in Catholic Erudition from
the Saint Augustine Institute is located here: http://www.
saintaugustineinstitute.org
1 Sensist: A person who believes that human beings do not have
true ideas, but only sense impressions; that sensation is the only source
of knowledge.
2 Hedonist: The ethical doctrine holding that only what is
pleasant or has pleasant consequences is intrinsically good.
3 Idealism: The belief that external objects do not exist other
than as ideas in the mind; that we cannot know anything outside of
ourselves for certain.
4 Nominalism: the doctrine tht holds that abstract concepts have
no reality other than as words or names.
5 Hylomorphism: the theory of Aristotle that every physical being
is composed of matter and a form that determines what it is at this
moment.
6 Modified realism: The theory of Saint Thomas Aquinas that
ideas are real but only as a medium of knowledge about the outside
world.

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our crusade:
The propagation and defense of Catholic dogma especially Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus
and the conversion of America to the one, true Church.

Slaves of the Immaculate

Heart of Mary

extra ecclesiam nulla salus

Ex Cathedra: There is but one universal Church of the faithful, outside of which no
one at all is saved (Pope Innocent III, Fourth Lateran Council, 1215).
Ex Cathedra: We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary
for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff (Pope
Boniface VIII, the Bull Unam Sanctam, 1302).
Ex Cathedra: The most Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes, and preaches
that none of those existing outside the Catholic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews
and heretics and schismatics, can have a share in life eternal; but that they will go into
the eternal fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels, unless before death
they are joined with Her; and that so important is the unity of this ecclesiastical body
that only those remaining within this unity can profit by the sacraments of the Church
unto salvation, and they alone can receive an eternal recompense for their fasts, their
almsgivings, their other works of Christian piety and the duties of a Christian soldier. No
one, let his almsgiving be as great as it may, no one, even if he pour out his blood for the
Name of Christ, can be saved, unless he remain within the bosom and the unity of the
Catholic Church (Pope Eugene IV, the Bull Cantate Domino, 1441).
Notes:
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