St. Paul The Apostle: The Story of the Apostle to the Gentiles (Saints Lives)

For children and youth. The many inspiring perils and adventures of St. Paul - all endured to bring the Gospel to heathen nations. A truly great inspiration to both children and adults. Impr. 231 pgs 23 Illus, PB CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER 13 CHAPTER 14 CHAPTER 15 CHAPTER 16 CHAPTER 17 CHAPTER 18 CHAPTER 19 CHAPTER 20 CHAPTER 21 CHAPTER 22 CHAPTER 23 CHAPTER 24 CHAPTER 25 CHAPTER 26 CHAPTER 27 CHAPTER 28 CHAPTER 29 CHAPTER 30 CHAPTER 31 CHAPTER 32 CHAPTER 33 CHAPTER 34 CHAPTER 35 CHAPTER 36 CHAPTER 37 CHAPTER 38 CHAPTER 39 CHAPTER 40 CHAPTER 41 CHAPTER 42 CHAPTER 43 Chapter 1 The Blessings of Confession “BLESSED are they that wash their robes in the Blood of the Lamb.” (Apoc. 22:14). Catholics truly may be called “blessed” in the means they have of washing the sin-stained robes of their souls in the Precious Blood of the Lamb of God in the Sacrament of Penance! There is no question that Confession—especially frequent Confession—is an inestimable blessing to mankind. Man can hope for no greater blessing on this earth than true peace of soul. The Sacrament of Penance is a perennial fountain of peace. It is a source of untold consolation to human hearts. This Sacrament gives any and every member of the Catholic Church who has transgressed the holy laws of God an easy and simple means to obtain full pardon and to be restored to His friendship. This is its first and principal effect. Its second effect is to wipe out the punishment due to sin: eternal punishment entirely, and temporal punishment in whole or in part, according to the penitent’s dispositions. It cl Chapter 2 The Five Things Necessary for a Good Confession AS every well-instructed Catholic knows, the five things necessary for a good Confession are: 1) An Examination of Conscience, 2) Contrition (or sorrow) for sin, 3) A Firm Purpose of Amendment, 4) The Confession of one’s sins to a priest, 5) Acceptance of one’s penance (making satisfaction for sin). Unnamed I. EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE “GO, show yourselves to the priests.” (Luke 17:14). This was the command given by Our Lord to the ten lepers He had healed. This is also the command God gives to souls who have contracted the far more loathsome disease of spiritual leprosy—namely, sin. The priest has been appointed by Our Lord as a spiritual physician to heal the diseases of the soul. But to do so, the priest, like any other physician, must know the nature of the disease. In other words, he must know the sins that have been committed. The penitent, therefore, must make known to him the exact state of his soul. To gain this self-knowledge, it is undoubtedly necessary for the penitent to search seriously into his life since the time of his last Confession, reflecting upon his thoughts, words, deeds and omissions. This inward scrutiny of oneself is called the Examination of Conscience. It should be performed with earnestness and care, mindful of the warning of St. Paul: “But if we would judge Unnamed II. CONTRITION ASINCERE examination of conscience brings a person face to face with the many maladies and deplorable weaknesses of his soul. He has found out the number, kind and gravity of his sins, and this must fill him with confusion and make him exclaim with the publican: “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13). Hence, he will pass from self-examination to contrition. Contrition is the key to God’s mercy and pardon. It is the most essential condition for a worthy reception of the Sacrament of Penance. Sin is a great evil. Even though at times it may affect the body, its chief effect is on the soul, for it separates the soul from God, either entirely (in the case of mortal sin), or partially (in the case of venial sin), by loosening the ties of our friendship with God. To get back into God’s favor by Confession, the sinner must sincerely repent of his wrongdoing. He must be truly sorry from a supernatural motive and detest his sins with his whole heart, firmly resolving Unnamed III. PURPOSE OF AMENDMENT THE third requisite for a good Confession is a firm purpose of amendment. This is intimately connected with sincere contrition, being its second element. A firm purpose of amendment is a resolution to avoid, by the grace of god, not only sin, but also the dangerous occasions of sin. The purpose of amendment should be firm, universal, efficacious and durable. It is firm when the penitent is disposed to avoid sin at any cost. Like contrition, a firm purpose of amendment is universal when it extends to all mortal sins; it is efficacious when the penitent earnestly endeavors to correct his evil habits and shuns all proximate or near occasions of sin; it is durable when it is lasting and is not a mere passing sentiment. A. OCCASIONS OF SIN An occasion of sin is any person, place or thing which ordinarily puts a person in danger of committing sin. Holy Scripture warns us: “He that loveth danger shall perish in it.” (Ecclus. 3:27). The occasion leads one into sin, or Unnamed IV. CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION A. THE CONFESSION OF SINS CONFESSION is the fourth condition required of the penitent for the forgiveness of his sins. The word “confession” comes from the Latin word confessio, which means an acknowledgment, a manifestation. Sacramental Confession, therefore, is the manifestation or acknowledgment of one’s sins to a priest, who is duly authorized by the bishop of the diocese for the purpose of granting forgiveness in Confession. The Sacrament of Penance is a Sacrament of mercy. It should be approached with confidence and peace of heart. It has two component parts: 1) the Confession proper, that is, the penitent’s telling of his sins; and 2) the Absolution or pardon imparted by the priest. 1. Qualities of a Good Confession A good confession is humble, sincere and entire. A confession is humble when the penitent accuses himself of his sins with a deep sense of shame and sorrow, and with the sentiments of a culprit who is confused and humiliated by the offen Unnamed Chapter 3 How to Make A Good Confession I. THE EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE A. BEGINNING PRAYER O GOD, Father of Light, who enlightenest everyone that comes into this world, give me light, love and sorrow, that I may discover, detest and confess all the sins I have committed. O Holy Ghost, Spirit of Love and Dispenser of all graces, help me to receive this great Sacrament worthily; give me Thy grace that I may make a careful examination of conscience and discover my sins; touch my heart that I may hate and detest them, and assist me to make a firm resolution to avoid sin henceforth. Spirit of Love and Truth, assist me to make a sincere, entire and truthful Confession to Thy representative, the priest, and thus obtain Thy forgiveness, Thy grace and Thy love. O Jesus, my Redeemer, through Thy most holy merits, grant me the grace of heartfelt contrition and amendment of life. To Thee I look for the grace to make this Confession well, that I may glorify Thee. O most holy Virgin Mary, Mother o Unnamed III. PRAYERS BEFORE CONFESSION Act of Contrition and Purpose of Amendment O MY GOD, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen. O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me! Prayer before a Crucifix or Image of Jesus Crucified BEHOLD, O good and sweetest Jesus, I cast myself upon my knees in Thy sight, and with the most fervent desire of my soul, I pray and beseech Thee to impress upon my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, true repentance for my sins, and a most firm purpose of amendment, while with deep affection and grief of soul I consider within myself and mentally contemplate Thy five most precious wounds; having before my eyes that which David the prophet long ag Unnamed V. PRAYERS AFTER CONFESSION From Psalm 102 BLESS the Lord, O my soul! And let all that is within me bless His holy Name! Bless the Lord, O my soul! And never forget all He hath done for thee. Who forgiveth all thy iniquities; and healeth all thy diseases. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; and crowneth thee with mercy and compassion. The Lord is compassionate and merciful; long-suffering and plenteous in mercy. He hath not dealt with us according to our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. As far as the east is from the west; so far hath He removed our iniquities from us. As a father hath compassion on his children; so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust. Bless the Lord, all His angels! Ye ministers of His that do His will. Bless the Lord, all His works, in every place of His dominion; O my soul, bless thou the Lord. Prayer of ThanksgivingBy St. Gertrude OALMIGHTY and merciful God, whose mercy is