St. Benedict, Founder of Western Monasticism

 

Greater Double (1954 Calendar): March 21
Memorial (1969 Calendar): July 11

St. Benedict is probably one of the Catholic Church's most recognized saints. Dom Gueranger writes at the beginning of his entry for March 21st the following:

Forty days after the white dove of Cassino had mounted to heaven, Benedict, her glorious brother, ascended by a bright path to the blissful abode, where they were to be united for ever. Both of them reached the heavenly country during that portion of the year which corresponds with the holy season of Lent. It frequently happens, however, that St. Scholastica’s feast is kept before Lent has begun; whereas St. Benedict’s day, the twenty-first of March, always comes during the season of penance. God, who is the sovereign Master of time, willed that the faithful, whilst practising their exercises of penance, should always have before their eyes a saint whose example and intercession would inspire them with courage. With what profound veneration ought we to celebrate the festival of this wonderful saint, who, as St. Gregory says, was filled with the spirit of all the just! If we consider his virtues, we find nothing superior in the annals of perfection presented to our admiration by the Church.

Saint Benedict of Norsia (c. 480 - c. 547) is called the Founder of Western Monasticism. He was born c. 480 in Norsia, Italy as part of the Roman nobility and as the twin sister, Saint Scholastica. He studied in Rome but was dismayed by the lack of discipline there. St. Benedict retreated to the mountains near Subiaco and lived as a hermit in a cave for three years. Legend even says that during this time of meditation and prayer, he was fed by a raven.

Because of his virtues, he was requested to lead an abbey of monks. So he founded the monastery at Monte Cassino. It was there that he wrote the Rule of St. Benedict, which Benedictine Monks still follow today. However, his enforced discipline and holiness was not liked by everyone.

Several monks tried to poison him. Yet as St. Benedict said the prayer of blessing and made the sign of the Cross over his meal before he ate and drank, the poison was rendered harmless. St. Benedict returned to his cave, but he attracted many followers. He would found 12 monasteries.

St. Benedict had the ability to read consciences, prophesy, and forestall attacks from the devil. He destroyed many pagan statues and altars and drove demons from groves sacred to pagans. Many people wear the St. Benedict's Crucifix today, which is a powerful Sacramental.  St. Benedict was a shining example of holiness and brought back from the dead several of those who had died.

The Life of St. Benedict written by Pope St. Gregory the Great is an absolute must-read.

St. Benedict died on March 21, 547, due to a fever while in prayer at Monte Cassino, Italy. His remains are beneath the High Altar in the same tomb as his twin sister, St. Scholastica. At one point over 40,000 monasteries followed the Benedictine Rule. His Rule has been summed into three words: Ora et labora (Pray and work).

Taken from the New Liturgical Movement Website on the timing of the Feast of St. Benedict:

St Benedict died on March 21 in the year 543 or 547, and this was the date on which his principal feast was traditionally kept, and is still kept by Benedictines; it is sometimes referred to on the liturgical calendars of Benedictine liturgical books as the “Transitus - Passing”

There was also a second feast to honor the translation of his relics, which was kept on July 11. The location to which the relics were translated is still a matter of dispute, with the Abbey of Monte Cassino in Italy, founded by the Saint himself, and the French Abbey of Fleury, also known as Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire, both claiming to possess them. This second feast is found in many medieval missals and breviaries, even in places not served by monastic communities. (It was not, however, observed by either the Cistercians or Carthusians.). 

The second feast was in a certain sense the more solemn in the traditional use of the Benedictines; March 21 always falls in Lent, and the celebration of octaves in Lent was prohibited, but most monastic missals have the July 11 feast with an octave. In the post-Conciliar reform of the Calendar, many Saints, including St Benedict, were moved out of Lent; in his case, to the day of this second feast in the Benedictine Calendar.

Fulgens Radiatur:

Like a star in the darkness of night, Benedict of Nursia brilliantly shines, a glory not only to Italy but of the whole Church. Whoever considers his celebrated life and studies in the light of the truth of history, the gloomy and stormy times in which he lived, will without doubt realize the truth of the divine promise which Christ made to the Apostles and to the society He founded "I am with you all days even to the consummation of the world."[1] At no time in history does this promise lose its force; it is verified in the course of all ages flowing, as they do, under the guidance of divine Providence. But when enemies assail the Christian name more fiercely, when the fateful barque of Peter is tossed about more violently and when everything seems to be tottering with no hope of human support, it is then that Christ is present, bondsman, comforter, source of supernatural power, and raises up fresh champions to protect Catholicism, to restore it to its former vigor, and give it even greater increase under the inspiration and help of heavenly grace.

Encyclical of His Holiness Pope Pius XII On St. Benedict March 21, 1947

Prayer:

May the intercession of blessed Benedict the Abbot commend us unto Thee, we beseech Thee, O Lord: so that what we cannot acquire by any merits of ours, we may obtain by his patronage. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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The Catholic View on Capital Punishment

Capital punishment is derived from the Latin word "caput" meaning "head," indicating that the crime was committed was so severe as to warrant that the criminal deserved to lose his head. 

Current Legal Status of the Death Penalty (as of 2004)

In 2004, there were 3,797 executions in 25 countries with China performing at least 3,400. The United States committed 59. Throughout the world, 89 countries have abolished the death penalty with 74 still using it. All countries in Europe, except Belarus, have abolished the death penalty, as of the time of this writing

In the United States, 38 states allow the death penalty with two of them, Maryland and Illinois, having a moratorium on it. As of Jan. 2005, Texas had 337 executions and accounted for the most in the United States, but California has the most death-row inmates. The United States has a reversal rate of 67% in death row convictions. The most common method is lethal injection at 82% of the total executions. As of February 2005, the United States stopped executing juveniles and now only 7 countries in the world do it. (Source with additional information)

The Catholic Teaching on the Death Penalty

"Under what circumstances may human life be lawfully taken? A. Human life may be lawfully taken: 1. In self-defense, when we are unjustly attacked and have no other means of saving our own lives; 2. In a just war, when the safety or rights of the nation require it; 3. By the lawful execution of a criminal, fairly tried and found guilty of a crime punishable by death when the preservation of law and order and the good of the community require such execution" (Baltimore Catechism #3 Q. 1276).

People will often ask how we are supposed to understand war and legal recourse to the death penalty in light of the Fifth Commandment. The Church recognizes that there are times when war is necessary to prevent a grave evil. If undertaken for just reasons, a war is called a Just War. Many wars are not considered just, which compounds the difficulty soldiers face when they are in a situation that requires them to kill. In these cases, it is important to seek the counsel of your priest to help reconcile the Fifth Commandment and the demands sometimes required of the honorable duty of military service.

The Church also recognizes that legal recourse to the death penalty is a legitimate option for seeking legal justice. Capital Punishment helps the person who committed serious and heinous crimes with a means to atone for their sins. The death penalty should only be exercised against a criminal if there is no legitimate doubt that they are guilty of their atrocious crime.

"Even in the case of the death penalty, the State does not dispose of the individual’s right to life. Rather public authority limits itself to depriving the offender of the good of life in expiation for his guilt, after he, through his crime, deprived himself of his own right to life" (Pope Pius XII, Address to the First International Congress of Histopathology of the Nervous System, 14 September 1952, XIV, 328)

Catholic Teaching (Updated in 2017):

The American TFP does a good job indicating the constant teaching authority of the Church that the death penalty is admissible and that the opinions of Pope Francis to change this are incorrect. Read Is the Death Penalty Contrary to the Gospel?

Work for the Salvation of Every Human Soul

Our ultimate goal is to work for the salvation of every human soul. As Fulton J. Sheen once remarked, "If souls are lost, everything is lost." There is something worse than death - that is eternal death in hell, a death that will go on for all eternity. So let us work for the conversion and salvation of everyone, especially those on death row and those serving prison sentences of any term. The story of the conversion of Claude Newman and the Miraculous Medal from the 1940s is something everyone should read.

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Martin Luther Had a Devotion to Mary

Although I disagree firmly with many things that Martin Luther as a heretic did, I think that many Protestants don't even know how much he still held a strong devotion to Mother Mary. Martin Luther did many bad things for Christ by altering many of the Church's teachings.

"Luther denied tradition; the divine authority of the Papacy; that councils were infallible; that original justice was a supernatural gift; that human nature remained essentially the same in its powers after the fall of Adam; that man, after the fall, can produce any good works; held that man sins in whatever he does; that the sins of the just are covered by faith and not done away with; maintained that all works of sinners are sins; denied free-will; all the Sacraments except Baptism and the Eucharist; transubstantiation; the Sacrifice of the Mass; purgatory and the utility of praying to the Saints; he maintained that vows are made to the devil; that concupiscence is invincible; that the sensual instincts are irrepressible, and held that the gratification of sexual propensities is as natural and inexorable as the performance of any of the physiological necessities of our being.

Lutheranism in general and all the Protestant sects that developed from it were condemned by the Council of Trent (1545-1563). "

(Source: Catholic Truth Publications)

But Martin Luther, surprisingly still was very devoted to the rosary and Mother Mary.

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain, Title Unknown

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Parable of the Sower

"On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: 'A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.'"

The explanation of this passage continues in today's reading:

"Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."

Which example do you fall on? I know people that love the Word of God initially but as they grow older, they leave the Church because it is not convenient; God gives them free will. This is for those on the rocky ground. Then there are those that lose the faith because of persecution even though our fathers in faith would die for their faith like the first 32 popes. But, after all, they could always come back to the faith like the Prodigal Son.

Yet, much sadder, is the fact that the seed of God's word still falls on the paths where people see the word of God but don't love it. These people don't pray as much as they could, they leave "Catholicism" as an ideal to be brought up for an hour on Sunday instead of a lifelong commitment. These people just don't grow in love. And this is the greatest sadness: seeing one soul losing salvation. The entire reason I put this blog together was to do just that: save at least one soul. And I thank my fellow members and all of those that read this blog for your participation here. May the Lord's peace be with you, but let us not just know of God but truly know Him through prayer. Let us pray; it's that simple. And let us spread the word of God's love through our words, actions, and example.

Let us conclude with reading this post by thanking God for the love He has shown us. Let us pray. Pater Noster...

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Fear and Faithfulness: The Example of the Martyrs In Defense of the Catholic Faith

We have seen it a few times and heard about it even more - people are persecuted for their beliefs. In the early days of Rome, the followers of Christ were persecuted so intensely by the Romans; all of the apostles except John died for the Faith. St. Peter, the first pope, who at one point denied Christ three times, willingly went to his own Cross for Christ but was crucified upside because he said he was unworthy to die as his savior did.

In the Gospel Our Lord says to St. Peter: "Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, 'Follow me.'" After Peter died, St. Linus became pope and later died of decapitation. And the next 30 popes also all died for the Holy Faith.

The Gospel tells us:

"Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

But do not be afraid of these trials or tribulations. Jesus Christ, Our Lord, was also called to suffer although He was innocent and suffered willingly to take away the sins of the world. Rejoice today, on Friday, as we recall his bitter passion but realizing his amazing love for us: as He died for us while we still sinners and accepted death so that we may avoid eternal death.

"In the world you shall have distress: but have confidence, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Listen to Our Lord speaking through scripture: He has already destroyed the things of ,the world because "For if you live according to the flesh, you shall die: but if by the Spirit you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live" (Romans 8:13). Rejoice for the debt of sin is paid and the Father's Arms of love opened for us on the Cross. The world will pass away but the Son will remain. I once heard this: If the Son shall set you free then indeed you truly shall be free.

The Example of Martyrs:

The martyrs have given witness to Christ through the centuries. St. Justin (c. 100 - 165), martyr, who gave up his life for Jesus Christ. St. Justin lived the first 30 years of his life as a pagan philosopher. As he began to read the Sacred Scriptures, he began to believe in Jesus Christ and the Church. However, what converted him more than anything else was the example of Christians. Remember, at this time Christians were murdered because of their faith. And, they went off proudly to die for Jesus Christ. St. Justin was so moved by their example that he began to believe.

St. Justin remarked that Socrates was a brilliant man with many followers but not one of them died for Socrates. It was the example of others that lead to St. Justin's conversion. And more than that - it leads him to his own martyrdom. St. Justin was one of the first great apologetics (defenders of the faith).

Not just St. Justin but also St. Charles Lwanga, Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, St. Stephen the First Martyr, St. Paul Miki, St. Lawrence, and countless others.

The Church has been persecuted against:

It has been persecuted since the time of St. Peter. Over 30 of the first popes died for the faith. The Church was persecuted during the time of King Henry V of England and Queen Elizabeth I. It was persecuted against in Mexico where Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro was murdered. It was persecuted against in the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s. During that civil war, at least 6,832 priests and religious were martyred, including 13 bishops. And they are still murdered in our day too.

Men and women will not lay down their lives and accept death for a lie!!!

But the Church has survived every persecution thrown at it. It brings to mind the Acts of the Apostles: "And now, therefore, I say to you, refrain from these men, and let them alone; for if this council or this work be of men, it will come to naught; But if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest perhaps you be found even to fight against God" (Acts 5:38b-39a)

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G-8 Summit Results

Although the summit completed less than hoped, the leaders of the summit have agree to raise Aid to Africa from $25 billion to $50 billion. This new update along with their decision to elimination all debts owed by the world's poorest nations is tremendous news.

Excerpt:

"Aside from the massive increase in aid for the African continent, leaders signaled support for new deals on trade, canceled the debt of some of the world's poorest nations, pledged universal access to AIDS' treatment, committed to a peacekeeping force in Africa and heard African leaders promise to move toward democracies that follow the rule of law, he said."

(Source: Associated Press)

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Eucharistic Miracles

As Catholics, we believe in transubstantiation where the bread and wine actually become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ at Mass in the Holy Eucharist). After this has taken place the only thing remaining of the bread and wine is the accidents. This philosophical and theological term refers to the sight, taste, smell – those items which concern the senses. There, however, have been occasions where even the accidents have vanished and the Eucharistic Host has visibly changed into human flesh and blood, proving that at Mass, even though our senses deceive us, that the bread and wine actually become the Body and the Blood of Jesus Christ.

Several times through history the divinity of Christ in this Supreme Sacrament has shown through the bread and wine in rare but miraculous events. These Eucharistic miracles not only confirm the Real Presence but also that Jesus Christ remains with us. The Miracle of Lanciano, Italy (8th Century); Cascia, Italy (1300s); Turin, Italy (1453), Sienna, Italy (1730) are just a few of these miraculous events. Others have occurred even within the past few decades. 

These stories are just some of the many such miracles that have occurred, and which still defy science. Visit the website of the Real Presence Association. They publish many different PDFs on these miracles. Print some off and share them with anyone you can.

During any Mass that is valid, the host is consecrated, and therefore Our Lord is present under the species of wine and bread, no matter how the reverence of the priest and of the assistants treat Him. This occurs even when the priest himself has doubts as to the Real Presence. 

In fact, Church history shows us that Eucharistic miracles often occur because of doubt or irreverence. At Lanciano, the priest doubted the Real Presence. At Cascia, the priest was irreverent by putting the host in his breviary for a sick call.

Remember, that whenever the mass is valid, Our Lord is present. God freely manifests His power by a miracle to rectify the attitude towards the reality of the Eucharist. May these miracles lead to greater reverence for our Lord in the Eucharist and the conversion of all outside of Holy Mother Church.

Learn more at the Real Presence Association

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Countries Which Currently Permit Abortion

According to this Abortion Facts :

"54 countries allow abortion, which is about 61 percent of the world population. 97 countries, about 39 percent of the population, have abortion laws that make it illegal according to the pro-abortion Center for Reproductive Law and Policy in New York."

Some countries that have outlawed abortion include Poland, Peru, Mexico, and Brazil. The map above shows the general picture of abortion laws around the world.

Photo Source: Center for Reproductive Studies

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Enter Through the Narrow Gate

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few."

It is clear in that segment of the Gospel as well as all other parts of Jesus Christ's teachings that the world is not the answer. Jesus Christ came to destroy sin, Satan, and death, but the world remains His enemy. Unfortunately, the devil controls much of this world (Matthew 4:9). The world that loves sin continues to drift away from God. This is clear in 1 John 2:15-17

"Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the concupiscence thereof: but he that doth the will of God, abideth for ever" (1 John 2:15-17)

We, too, must also walk the road that Christ walked to the Cross; we are to bear our sufferings and remain focused on God. We too must walk the small path that the world doesn't want to see and aid our brothers and sisters that our suffering. We, however, must learn to love the people of the world no matter their condition; we must show unconditional love to all as Christ showed to everyone the Cross when He died our eternal death and replaced it with eternal life.

It will be hard. Each and everyday we will have to choose between doing "fun" activities and praying. We will be assaulted by distracting in prayer. But, remember, you must be God and prayer first. Pray the Liturgy of the Hours each day at least in the morning and evening. God will provide you with the time needed to complete your daily tasks. But, you must put him first.

The word "holy" comes from the Latin word "Sanctus". And "Sanctus" doesn't mean "perfect" and "innocent" as most people would think. Above all, it means to be "different". For Jesus Christ was different, and for that He was insulted and ridiculed. Know that if you are following Jesus, the world and those that love sin will hate you too.

How can we make a difference?

We can simply pray to God that He make us one nation, "a royal priesthood", and a unified people where the helpless are defended - especially the unborn. We can offer our time and talent in many ways a variety of ways from being an organ donor to giving blood to contributing to the Church in other countries. There are so many choices, but the world always seems to be calling us away. Just keep focused on Jesus and know where your money is going. I always check Charity Navigator and make sure the company doesn't support Planned Parenthood (The largest abortion industry in the US) before I contribute.

There are many, many choices out there but one underlining one:

"Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40).

"Wrong is wrong even if everybody is doing it, and right is right even if nobody is doing it." -St. Augustine

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Why Faith-Alone (Sola-Fide) Is A False Doctrine

Faith Alone is Insufficient

While faith is necessary for salvation, the intellectual assent to God’s existence and revelation is not enough, in and of itself, to save a man. “Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble,” says St. James in his Epistle (Jam. 2:19). A man could certainly believe in God, be baptized, and then live a life of sin that would condemn his soul to hell. A man could also live a holy life for many years, but then give in to temptation, commit a mortal sin, and die separated from God. Those who claim otherwise fail to understand the malice of sin and forget that Our Lord will condemn those who merely give Him lip service (cf. Matt. 7:21). More than mere belief in our Divine Redeemer is necessary to save our souls, once again, as St. James testifies: “For even as the body without the spirit is dead; so also faith without works is dead” (Jam. 2:26). Catholics would do well to familiarize themselves with the Church’s timeless teachings on this matter.

Objective vs. Subjective Redemption

When speaking of the Redemption, we begin with objective redemption, which deals with Christ. Objective redemption began when Christ was conceived and completed in His Resurrection. During that period, He fulfilled the prophecies of long ago and “was offered once to exhaust the sins of many,” that is, “for the destruction of sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 9:28, 26). Three days later, He rose from the dead, and we, too, believe that if we die in Christ, we also will rise with Him (cf. 2 Tim. 2:11). This is a central truth of the Faith, one that is expressed in the Creed.

Subjective redemption, however, is also vitally important to the Christian faithful in reaching Heaven because even though Christ died for all, not everyone chooses to cooperate with God’s salvific will and thus be saved. In other words, there are people who reject Jesus and the Redemption He won for us. Our Lord Himself alluded to this truth when He instituted the words of consecration for His Precious Blood, saying, “Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of My Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Concerning this reality, St. Thomas comments: “The Blood of Christ has been shed for all concerning its sufficient power (quem ad sufficientam), but only for the elect as regards to its efficacy (quo ad efficiam).”

Christians have an obligation to grow in the Faith by following Christ in obtaining their salvation. We believe that salvation cannot be earned, but we do believe, as Catholics, that we have a responsibility to live a life of “faith that worketh by charity” (Gal. 5:6). Our Lord instructed the Apostles shortly before His Ascension, “Going therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world” (Matt. 28:19-20). He never told His followers to merely believe, teach others to accept Him as their “personal Lord and Savior,” then return to their previous ways of living.

By God's grace, we receive the gift of faith that allows us to believe. The works that we do, in turn, demonstrate our faith. Thus, we are saved by God's grace (cf. Eph. 2:8), but His grace in us must not be void (cf. 1 Cor. 15:10). “For even as the body without the spirit is dead; so also, faith without works is dead” (Jam. 2:26). Everyone, the highest kings and lowest servants alike, must put their faith into action in order to obtain salvation. Simply put, if you are in sanctifying grace you are saved, and grace is given freely by God so only He knows the state of your soul. This is precisely why frequent Confession is necessary because through this sacrament our souls are cleansed and restored to friendship with God.

Some Protestants will counter with Romans 3:28: “For we account a man to be justified by faith without the works of the law.” Notice, however, that St. Paul did not say faith alone. In his German translation of the New Testament, Martin Luther added the word “alone” to the above verse in a shameful attempt to legitimize his heresy of sola fide. Ironically, the only verse in Scripture that features the phrase sola fide (“faith alone” or “faith only”) categorically rejects Luther’s heresy: “Do you see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only?” (Jam. 2:24).

Faith and Works: Harmonizing Paul and James

To account for the apparent confusion between the Book of Romans and the Book of James is that St. Paul, in Romans, is talking about the works of the law required by the Jewish faith. In addition to the Ten Commandments, the Jews were required to follow hundreds of other legal prescripts ranging from liturgical and dietary laws to the wearing of tassels on their cloaks. According to a strict interpretation of the Mosaic law, something as small as erasing a single letter written on a piece of paper on the Sabbath would break the law. For St. Paul, the former Pharisee, the debate is obviously not about Catholic versus Protestant, but about Jew versus Gentile and the requirements under the New Covenant, which has replaced the Old Covenant. 

Remember the words that Christ spoke during His Sermon on the Mount: “So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). So must we, with a sincere heart, have works that glorify God. Our works will be an outward expression of our Faith, for faith without works is indeed dead. Long before the Protestant revolt, St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) asserted inspired words which surely apply to us in the 21st century: “Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak. We are full of words but empty of actions, and therefore are cursed by the Lord, since He Himself cursed the fig tree when He found no fruit but only leaves. It is useless for a man to flaunt his knowledge of the law if he undermines its teaching by his actions.” 

Scripture Condemns Faith Alone

Besides the above - in particular the Book of James Chapter 2 - our Lord and the apostles always affirmed that mere belief in our Lord was never in itself sufficient to merit Heaven. Faith necessitates a life lived in conformity with His grace and His Commandments. The mere act of Faith does not merit us Heaven. Heaven is only possible to those who die in the state of grace.

"Know you not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God? Do not err: neither idolaters, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:9-10).

Even if the people mentioned above believe, they shall not be saved!

"Neither fornicators nor adulterers . . . shall possess the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:9). "You have heard that it was said to the Ancients, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.' But I say to you that anyone who so much as looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-28). "Keep thyself chaste" (1 Tim. 5:22). "Blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8).

"For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doth not yield good fruit, shall be cut down, and cast into the fire" (Matthew 3:10). And this is in accordance with our Lord's own words in Matthew 25:31-46, where he relates that he will separate those on his right and his left based on their works. Commenting on this passage nearly a thousand years before the protestants came along, St. Augustine remarks how this Gospel passage illustrates the necessity of works accompanying the Faith we claim to profess.

Can faith alone, as the so-called Reformers assert, render man just and save him? The following is written by Fr. Goffine in his work "The Church's Year":

Faith alone, however strong, though it could move mountains, without love, that is, without good works performed for love of God and our neighbor, can never justify or save us. For, when St. Paul says, that man is justified by faith without works, (Rom. 3:28; 11:6; Eph. 2:8, 9) he means to refer to those works which were performed by command of the law of Moses, and which, as they were external and without true charity, were of no avail; he did not refer to those works which are performed in a state of grace with a lively, love-inspired faith.

Therefore the same Apostle writes to the Galatians: (Gal. 5:6) Faith only availeth which worketh by charity; to Titus: (Tit. 3:8) It is a faithful saying: and these things I will have thee affirm constantly: that they who believe in God, may be careful to excel in good works. These things are good and profitable unto men; and he exhorts the Colossians (Colos. 1:10) to be fruitful in every good work.

St. James confirms the same by saying: (James 2:17-24) So faith if it have not works, is dead in itself; by works man is justified and not by faith only. That this is the true doctrine of Christ is evident from His own words, when He says: "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down and shall be cast into the fire." (Matt. 7:19) At the day of judgment Christ will demand good works from all men, (Matt. 25:35) and will not judge them only according to their faith, but by their good works, which true faith must always produce. (Apoc. 20:12)

Would Christ and His apostles demand good works, if faith alone be sufficient? "The devil's also believe and tremble," (James 2:19) they believe, but they are not saved, and their faith but increases their torments. Therefore, the assertion that faith without good works is sufficient for justification and salvation, is plainly against the doctrine of Christ and His Church, and must of necessity lead man to vice and misery, as shown by the history of the unhappy separation of the sixteenth century.

A Reflection by Father Franz Schmidberger entitled "The Errors of Luther and the Spirit of Today"

2. Sola fides (faith alone, not works)

An important objection against this Protestant error can also be raised here, first of all from Scripture itself.

a) In the Epistle of St. James we read that faith without works is dead; in the Apocalypse the dead are praised, ". . . for their works follow them." And in the Second Book of Maccabees we see the great hero Judas taking a collection for the fallen, that a sin-offering may be made; that it is a good and pious thought to pray for the dead.

b) Human nature itself reveals a connection between faith and works, as it consists of body and soul, whereby the soul is expressed in the body, the body is an instrument of the spiritual soul, and an exchange between body and soul cannot be denied. For example, if I make a genuflection before the Blessed Sacrament, I proclaim the faith of the Church, that Christ truly, really and powerfully, with His divinity and humanity, body and soul under the appearances of bread, is present among us. By the same token every outward gesture, every sign of the cross and every bow, helps us to strengthen our faith. The soul is inwardly nourished by these outward signs. In this connection it is not to be forgotten that the separation of body and soul in death is only a temporary arrangement until the last day, when body and soul will again find their unity, yet distinct from one another.

Exactly the same relationship holds between faith and works. Faith expresses itself in works, as works without faith are dead, like the body without the soul. At the same time works are a true prolongation of faith, reflect back upon it, strengthen it and shape it.

c) As works belong essentially to faith, a blinding flash of light occurs in the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Godhead; God comes visibly among us; He walks around for thirty-three years in our earthly flesh, He performs miracles and makes use of outward elements as, for instance, a mud plaster in the healing of a blind man, His finger in the healing of a deaf-mute; He cries out and prays aloud for the apostles' sake in the raising of Lazarus.

And thus the Church is His visible Body; the Sacraments are visible signs, which contain and bestow an inner, invisible grace and mediate it through the work itself; works are faith made visible; our cathedrals and churches, processions and pilgrimages, our seminaries and convents, all proclaim the eternal, living Truth which has broken into time.

Because God became man, therefore we bend the knee; because He went down into the dust of the earth, we throw ourselves on the ground in holy fear. All of nature should proclaim His works, all art should be put at His service and sing the praise of the Eternal One.

When we reverence the relics of the saints, we are praying to that uncreated Love which took weak man to Itself, opened Its throne to them and surrounded them with Its grace.

Not to be overlooked in this regard, the Catholic priest binds himself to celibacy and wears the black cassock, in order to show himself to other men as a man chosen from among men, to make visible in the world the presence of God.

It is therefore clear that works are not only a short-term or a long-lasting consequence of faith; they are part of faith and thus also a part of justification. Because parts of Holy Scripture are a direct contradiction to the sola fides theory of Luther, he did away with the Epistle of St. James, calling it an epistle of straw, the Apocalypse of doubtful authenticity, and the Books of Maccabees as definitely apocryphal. He himself not only attacked celibacy, but did not hesitate as a monk with perpetual vows, to marry an ex-nun, and to proclaim up and down the land—quoting the Second Epistle of St. Peter—the general priesthood of the laity to the detriment of the structures which Christ had established with His own Blood.

If we see work therefore as sign and fruit of Christian love, then the sola fides theory must become the gravedigger of that beautiful principle which, according to St. Paul, surpasses and survives faith and hope; and it alone remains, because it is eternal.

Conclusion

St. James makes it clear that simply believing in the existence of God is not enough because the demons do that and they are not saved. We are saved clearly by grace - evident by our faith and the way we live our lives.

"But according to thy hardness and impenitent heart, thou treasurest up to thyself wrath, against the day of wrath, and revelation of the just judgment of God. Who will render to every man according to his works. To them indeed, who according to patience in good work, seek glory and honour and incorruption, eternal life: But to them that are contentious, and who obey not the truth, but give credit to iniquity, wrath and indignation" (Words of St. Paul in Romans 2:5-8)

Look at the words of St. John the Baptist: "Produce good works as evidence of your repentance... Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire". And look to Jesus's own words: "So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16)

We must have good works to be a faithful servant of Jesus Christ. Only the Catholic faith teaches the true importance of good works alongside faith. Good works are essential as by these we show our Faith. Yet we know that is is ultimately God's grace in our soul (or lack thereof) at the moment of death that determines our eternal destiny.

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