At the Introit ask God for help, and say with the priest: Hear, O Lord, my voice, with which I have cried to Thee: be Thou my helper; forsake me not, do not thou despise me, O God, my Saviour. (Ps. xxvi.) The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? Glory be to the Father, &c.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH. O God, who hast prepared invisible good things for those that love Thee: pour forth into our hearts an affectionate love for Thee: That loving Thee in all things and above all things, we may come to the enjoyment of Thy promises, which are above whatever we can desire.

EPISTLE, (i. Peter iii. 8 - 15.) Dearly Beloved: Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, being lovers of the brotherhood, merciful, modest, humble: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise blessing: for unto this you are called, that you may inherit a blessing. "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. Let him decline from evil and do good: let him seek after peace, and pursue it: because the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears unto their prayers: but the countenance of the Lord against them that do evil things." And who is he that can hurt you, if you be jealous of good? But if also you suffer any thing for justice's sake, blessed are ye. And be not afraid of their fear, and be not troubled. But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts.


How can and how should we Christians sanctify the Lord in our hearts?

By appropriating and practising those virtues which Peter here recommends, and which he so exactly describes. For when we make these virtues our own and practise them, we honor Christ in a manner pleasing to Him, and we cause Him to be honored by others who, edified by our good example, are led better to understand Christ and His doctrine, and to follow Him also. Thus we not only honor and sanctify Christ in our hearts, but also in others, and we make ourselves less unworthy of the grace and protection of God. Then if for piety's sake, we are persecuted by wicked men, we need not fear, because God is for us and will repay us with eternal happiness.

ASPIRATION. O good Saviour, Jesus Christ, grant me, that I may make Thy virtues, especially Thy humility, patience, mercy, and love, my own, and that I may practise them industriously, that I may glorify Thee, sanctify myself, and make myself worthy of Thy protection.


GOSPEL. (Matt. v. 20 - 24.) At That Time: Jesus said to His disciples: Unless your justice exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not kill. And whosoever shall kill, shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there shalt remember that thy brother hath any thing against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy brother: and then come and offer thy gift.


What was the justice of the Pharisees?

It consisted merely in external works of piety, in the avoidance of those gross vices, which could not be kept concealed, and would have brought them to shame and disgrace. But in their hearts these Pharisees cherished evil, corrupt inclinations and desires, pride, envy, avarice, and planned malice and vengeance. Jesus, therefore, called them hypocrites, whited sepulchres, and St. John calls them a brood of vipers. True justice consists not only in external works of piety, that is, devotional works, but especially in a pure, sincere, wellmeaning feeling towards God and man; without this all works, however good, are only a shell without a kernel.


How is to be understood that which Christ here says of anger and invectives?

These words are as if Christ said: You have heard that murder was forbidden to your fathers in the desert, and that the murderer had to be given up to justice to be punished: but I say to you, whoever uncharitably becomes angry with his neighbor, shall be in danger of divine judgment, and more so he who with abusive words, such as Raca, Villain, gives bent to his anger, and especially he who in his anger against his neighbor, uses expression of contempt and insult, as fool, scoundrel, profligate, wretch. These three degrees of anger are punished by eternal fire in hell, but in different ways. These diverse methodes of punishment, however, as St. Augustine says, cannot be explained by sensible images.


Is all anger sinful?

No, anger is sinful only when we wish or try to inflict on our neighbor some evil to his body, honor, or property, or use such insulting words concerning him, that his name is badly hurt, and he becomes sad or excited. But when the mind is agitated, and renders us angry because of the vices and debaucheries, the crimes and sins of others, when our office or the duties of our station demand that we watch over the sins of those under us, to punish them, and to make them better (as in the case of parents, teachers, and superiors), then anger is no sin. When one out of pure love of God, becomes irritated at the sins and vices of his fellowmen, like King David, or if one urged to wrong, repels the tempter with indignation, this is even a holy anger. Thus St. Gregory says: "It is to be understood, that anger created by impatience, is a very different thing from anger produced by a zeal for justice. One is caused by vice, the other by virtue." He, then, who becomes angry for justice's sake, commits no sin, but his conduct is holy and praiseworthy, for even our Lord was angry at those who bought and sold in the temple (John ii. 15.), Paul at the magician Elymas (Acts xiii. 8.), and Peter at the deceit of Ananias and Saphira. (Acts v. 3.) Anger, then, to be without sin, must proceed from true zeal for God's honor and the salvation of souls, by which we seek to prevent others from wrong and sin, and to make them better. But even in this respect, we must be careful to allow our anger no control over our reason, but to use it merely as a means of doing good, for we are often apt to take the sting of anger for holy zeal, when it is really nothing but egotism and ambition.


Why should we first go to be reconciled with our neighbor before bringing an offering to God, or doing some other good work?

Because no offering or other good work can be pleasing to God, while we are living in enmity with our neighbor, in hatred and quarrels; for by living thus we go entirely against God's will. This should be remembered by all Christians, who venture to go to Confession and holy Communion, without forgiving those who have offended them, and asking pardon of those whom they have offended. These must know that instead of receiving absolution for their sins, they make themselves, by an invalid confession, guilty of another sin, and eat their own judgment in holy Communion.


How should reconciliation be made with our neighbor?

It should be done quickly, because the apostle says: Let not the sun go down upon your anger. (Eph. iv. 26.) But if the person you have offended, is absent, says St. Augustine, and you cannot easily meet him, you are bound to be reconciled to him interiorly, that is, to humble yourself before God, to ask His forgiveness, making the firm resolution to be reconciled to your enemy as soon as possible. If he is accessible and not very distant, go to him, and ask his forgiveness; if he has offended you, forgive him from your heart. The reconciliation should be sincere, not simply apparent, for God sees into the heart; and permanent, for if it is not lasting, it may be questioned if it was ever sincere. On account of this command of Christ to be reconciled to our enemies before bringing sacrifice, it is that in old times at Mass before holy Communion the faithful kissed each other, as even to this day do the priests and deacons, by which those who are present, are admonished to love one another with holy love, and to be perfectly reconciled with their enemies, before Communion.

ASPIRATION. O God, strike me not with the blindness of the Pharisees that, like them, I may seek to please man by my works, and thus be deprived of eternal reward. Banish from my heart all sinful anger, and give me a holy zeal in love, that I may be anxious only for Thy honor and for the salvation of my neighbor. Grant me also, that I may offend no one, willingly forgive those who have offended me, thus practising true Christian justice, and becoming agreeable to Thee.



MEANS TO PREVENT ANGER

The first and most effectual preventive is humility; for as among the proud there are always discords and quarrels (Prov. xiii. 10.), so the humble, who think but little of themselves, are quiet, meek, and patient. And to be humble, meek, and patient, we have only to bring frequently before our minds the example of Christ, who, though altogether without sin, deceit never being found upon His lips (i. Peter ii. 22.), suffered such great contradictions from sinners, so many persecutions, scoffs, and sneers, and who taunted not in return, and through all His sufferings threatened vengeance to no one, and says to us with truth: Learn of me, because I am meek and humble of heart. (Matt. xi. 29.) A very good preventive of anger is to prepare ourselves in the morning, think of what may happen to us during the day to incite us to anger, and then arm ourselves against it by a firm resolution to bear all with patience and silence, and when afterwards anything unpleasant occurs, let us think, "What will I effect by my anger? Can I change anything by it? Will I not even make myself ridiculous by it, and injure my health, besides?" (for experience as well as holy Scripture teaches, that anger shortens life. Eccl. xxx. 26) The most necessary preventive of anger, finally, is fervent prayer for the grace of meekness and patience, for although it seems difficult and perhaps impossible to our nature to be patient, by the grace of God it can become not only possible, but easy.



INSTRUCTION ON SACRIFICE
Offer thy gift. (Matt. v. 24.)

In its wider and more universal sense sacrifice comprehends all religious actions by which a rational being presents himself to God, to be united with Him; and in this sense prayer, praising God, a contrite heart, charity to others, every good work, and observance of God's commandments are sacrifices. Thus the Holy Scriptures say: Offer up the sacrifice of justice and trust in the Lord. (Ps. iv. 6.) Offer to God the sacrifice of praise. (Ps. xlix. 14.) Sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit; a contrite and humble heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (Ps. 1. 19.) It is a wholesome sacrifice to take heed to the commandments, and to depart from all iniquity. (Eccl. xxxv. 2.) "Therefore," says St. Augustine, "every good work which is done to be united in sanctity with God, and to remain in Him, is a true sacrifice, because it refers to the end of all good, to God, by whom we can be truly happy." As often, then, as you humble yourself in prayer before the majesty of God, when you give yourself up to God, and when you make your will subject to His divine will, you bring a sacrifice to God; as often as you punish your body by continency, and your senses by mortification, you bring a sacrifice to God, because you offer them as instruments of justice (Rom. vi. 13.); as often as you subdue the evil concupiscence of the flesh, the perverted inclinations of your soul, deny yourself any worldly pleasure for the love of God, you bring a sacrifice to God. Such sacrifices you should daily offer to God; without such as these, all others have no value and do not please God, and such as these you can every moment make, for every moment you can love God, and think, speak, and act for the love of God.

Strive then, my Christian, to offer these pleasing sacrifices to God, the supreme Lord, and as you thus glorify Him, so will He one day reward you with unutterable glory.