The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom

By John Hardon

The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom is a Catholic library in miniature, a one-volume microcosm of what the Church's great minds have thought and said since the apostolic age.

Indeed, in The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom, noted theologian Fr. John A. Hardon has compiled the works of thirty-three of the greatest Catholic thinkers and writers, representing every period of the Church's passage through time, from the beginnings of Christianity to the present day. Here are men and women, bishops and priests, religious and the laity "whose native talents were elevated by the supernatural light that God reserves for those who are most submissive to His will."

Included in this extraordinary and fascinating anthology are the works of the early saints, such as Gregory, Basil, Augustine, John Chrysostom, Patrick, Bernard Francis, and Thomas Aquinas. Here, too, are the writings of the great reformers Ignatius, Catherine of Siena, and Teresa of Avila; the mystic John of the Cross; the practical wisdom of Francis de Sales, Louis de Montfort, and Peter Julian Eymard; and the modern-day reflections of Gerard Manley Hopkins, Francis Thompson, Therese of Lisieux, G.K. Chesterton, and Fulton J. Sheen.

The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom is a comprehensive anthology of the outstanding Catholic literature from the first century to modern times. Mystics and martyrs, philosophers and theologians, poets and prose writers are quoted at length and in depth. They are truly representative of the spirit and substance of Catholicism in its paradox of phenomenal stability and versatility over the centuries.

Fr. Hardon has selected those writings which are representative of the thought and philosophy of each contributor, and has carefully chosen excerpts which are not always the most familiar. Thus, his volume provides not only a fresh collection of the best of Catholic wisdom, but also a uniquely comprehensive work which offers enlightenment and faith for generations of readers.

John A. Hardon, S.J., holds a master's degree in philosophy from Loyola University and a doctorate in theology from the Gregorian University in Rome. He is the author of The Catholic Catechism and many other books. Fr. Hardon is also a founder of the Catholic Home Study Institute, a correspondence school which operates under pontifical approval.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ignatius Press
• Release date: May 17, 2011
• ISBN: 9781681496047

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Acknowledgments

Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following for permission to reprint:

The Didache is reprinted from The Didache, translated and annotated by James A. Kleist, S.J., Ph.D. From the Ancient Christian Writers Series. Copyright © 1948 by the Reverend Johannes Quasten and the Reverend Joseph C. Plumpe. Used with permission of Paulist Press.

To the Romans, To the Philadelphians, To the Smyrnaeans, and To Polycarp by St. Ignatius of Antioch are reprinted from The Epistles of St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch, translated and annotated by James A. Kleist, S.J., Ph.D. From the Ancient Christian Writers Series. Copyright © 1946 by the Reverend Johannes Quasten and the Reverend Joseph C. Plumpe. Used with permission of Paulist Press.

The Unity of the Catholic Church by St, Cyprian is reprinted from The Lapsed and The Unity of the Catholic Church, translated and annotated by Maurice Bevenot, S.J. From the Ancient Christian Writers Series. Used with permission of Paulist Press.

On the Doctrines by St. Cyril of Jerusalem is reprinted from The Works of Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, translated by Leo P. McCauley, S.J., and Anthony A. Stephenson. From The Fathers of the Church Series. Copyright © 1969 by The Catholic University of America Press and used with their permission.

On What It Means to Call Oneself a Christian by St. Gregory of Nyssa is reprinted from Ascetical Works, translated by Virginia Woods Callahan. From The Fathers of the Church Series. Copyright © 1967 by The Catholic University of America Press and used with their permission.

On Morals by St. Basil is reprinted from Ascetical Works, translated by Sister M. Monica Wagner, C.S.C. From The Fathers of the Church Series. Copyright © 1950 by Fathers of the Church, Inc., and used with the permission of The Catholic University of America Press.

Homily 46 by St. John Chrysostom is reprinted from Commentary on Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist, translated by Sister Thomas Aquinas Goggin, S.C.H. From The Fathers of the Church Series. Copyright © 1957 by Fathers of the Church, Inc., and used with permission of The Catholic University of America Press.

Excerpts from The Confessions by St. Augustine are reprinted from The Confessions of Saint Augustine, translated by John K. Ryan. Copyright © 1960 by Doubleday & Company, Inc., and used with their permission.

Confession by St. Patrick is reprinted from The Works of St. Patrick, translated by Ludwig Bieler, Ph.D. From the Ancient Christian Writers Series. Copyright © 1953 by the Reverend Johannes Quasten and the Reverend Joseph C. Plumpe. Used with permission of Paulist Press.

Rule for Monasteries by St. Benedict is reprinted from St. Benedict’s Rule for Monasteries, translated from the Latin by Leonard J. Doyle. Copyright © 1948 by the Order of St. Benedict, Inc., and used with permission of The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota.

On the Love of God by St. Bernard is reprinted from On the Love of God, translated by a Religious of C.S.M.V. Copyright © 1961 by A. R. Mowbray & Co., Ltd., and used with their permission.

Rule of 1223, Testament of St. Francis, Admonitions, Letter to All the Faithful, Praises of God, The Blessing for Brother Leo, Canticle of Brother Sun, and Praises of the Virtues by St. Francis of Assist are reprinted from Omnibus of Sources. Copyright © 1973 by Franciscan Herald Press and used with their permission.

Mirror of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Psalter of Our Lady (three selections) by St. Bonaventure is taken from Selected Texts on the Eternity of the World, translated by Paul M. Byrne, L.S.M. Published by V. Herder Book Co. and used with permission of Tan Books and Publishers, Inc.

The Existence of God and Exposition of the Apostles’ Creed by St. Thomas Aquinas are reprinted from Basic Writings of Saint Thomas Aquinas, edited by Anton C. Pegis. Copyright © 1945 by Random House, Inc., and used with permission of Mr. Richard J. Pegis.

The Divine Comedy: Purgatorio by Dante Alighieri is reprinted from The Purgatorio, translated by John Ciardi. Copyright © 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961 by John Ciardi and used with permission of The New American Library Inc.

Dialogue: Treatise of Divine Providence by St. Catherine of Siena is reprinted from The Dialogue of the Seraphic Virgin Catherine of Siena, translated by Algar Throld and published by the Newman Bookshop.

Imitation of Christ: Admonitions Leading to the Inner Life by Thomas à Kempis is reprinted from Imitation of Christ, edited with an Introduction by Harold C. Gardiner, S.J. Copyright © 1955 by Doubleday & Company, Inc. and renewed 1983 by the executor of the author’s estate. Used with the permission of the author’s estate.

Dialogue Concerning Heresies (three selections) by St. Thomas More is taken from The Complete Works of St. Thomas More, volume 6. Copyright © 1981 by Yale University Press and used with their permission. Spiritual Exercises by St. Ignatius Loyola is reprinted from The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, translated by Louis J. Puhl, S.J., and published by the Newman Press.

The Way of Perfection by St. Teresa of Avila is reprinted from The Way of Perfection by St. Teresa, translated by the Reverend John Dalton and published by C. Dolman.

Counsels to a Religious for the Attainment of Perfection by St. John of the Cross are reprinted from The Complete Works of Saint John of the Cross, translated by E. Allison Peers. Published by Burns Oates & Washbourne, Ltd., and reprinted with their permission.

Sayings of Light and Love by St. John of the Cross is reprinted from The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D., and Otilio Rodriguez, O.C.D. Copyright © 1979 by Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites, Inc., and published with the permission of the Institute of Carmelite Studies.

Poems by St. John of the Cross are reprinted from The Poems of St. John of the Cross, translated by Roy Campbell. Reprinted with the permission of Collins Harvill Publishers.

Introduction to the Devout Life: The Fourth Part by St. Francis de Sales is reprinted from Introduction to the Devout Life by St, Francis de Sales, translated by John K. Ryan. Copyright © 1959 by Harper & Brothers and reprinted with permission of the estate of Monsignor John K. Ryan.

True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis de Montfort is reprinted from True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary by St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, translated by Frederick William Faber, D.D., and published by the Montfort Fathers.

Purity and Love and Faith and Doubt by John Henry Newman are reprinted from Sermons and Discourses (1839-57), published by Longmans, Green and Co.

Excerpts from The Real Presence by St. Peter Julian Eymard are reprinted from The Real Presence: Eucharistic Meditations and Holy Communion by St. Peter Julian Eymard. Published by the Eymard League.

Ad Mariam, Rosa Mystica, The May Magnificat, and The Blessed Virgin Compared to the Air We Breathe by Gerard Manley Hopkins are reprinted from Poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins. Copyright © 1948 by Oxford University Press Inc. and used with their permission.

The poems of Francis Thompson are reprinted from The Works of Francis Thompson, volume I. Published by Charles Scribner’s Sons and used with their permission.

What was the Church of the Roman Empire? is reprinted from Europe and the Faith by Joseph-Pierre Hilaire Belloc. Copyright © 1920 by The Missionary Society of St. Paul in the State of New York and used with their permission.

Excerpts from Autobiography by St. Thérèse of Lisieux are reprinted from Autobiography by St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Published by Collins Harvill and used with their permission.

Excerpts from The Everlasting Man by G. K. Chesterton are reprinted from The Everlasting Man and Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton. Published by Dodd, Mead & Co., and used with their permission.

Excerpt from Progress and Religion by Christopher Dawson is reprinted from Progress and Religion by Christopher Dawson. Used with the permission of Sheed & Ward.

Excerpts from Preface to Religion by Fulton J. Sheen are reprinted from Preface to Religion by the Right Reverend Fulton J. Sheen. Copyright © 1946 by P. J. Kenedy & Sons and used with the permission of Macmillan Publishing Co.

Introduction

The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom is a comprehensive anthology of the outstanding Catholic literature from the first century to modern times. Mystics and martyrs, philosophers and theologians, poets and prose writers are quoted at length and in depth. They are truly representative of the spirit and substance of Catholicism in its paradox of phenomenal stability and versatility over the centuries.

Unlike ordinary anthologies, this is no mere collection of quotations, or even merely an omnibus of great religious thinkers. It is a Catholic library in miniature, or a one-volume microcosm of what the Church’s great minds have thought and said since the apostolic age.

The editor of this volume had a definite plan or purpose in mind and a corresponding set of themes to fulfill the plan. Certain authors were then chosen to express these master themes, and always in view were the intended readers in what is certainly the age of martyrs today.

The plan of this volume is to offer a clear understanding of Catholic Christianity as

—a divinely established society of believers who are loyal to the Vicar of Christ, the Bishop of Rome, as their visible head.

—a coherent system of belief that not only is rationally credible but has also produced the most profound and convincing body of religious knowledge in the history of human thought.

—a way of life that satisfies our deepest desire for happiness, while reminding us to deny ourselves, take up our daily cross, and follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

—a promise of eternal beatitude in the life to come, provided we are faithful to the inspirations of grace that we receive from God.

Certain themes were carefully selected to achieve the foregoing plan. They are at once basic to all true literature and distinctive of authentic Catholic writers since the rise of Christianity.

There is a God who exists from all eternity and by whom everything else has come into being.

He created man to know, love, and serve Him in this life, and by this means to reach heaven and thus return to the God from whom we came.

Everything else in the world has been made by God to help us attain our heavenly destiny.

We are therefore to use creatures according to this loving will of God knowing that nothing that enters our lives is ever meaningless or apart from this divinely ordained purpose. Everything, no matter how painful or apparently trivial, is part of God’s mysterious providence. We make mistakes, but God never does. In His divine plan, even our sins are meant to lead us closer to Him by making us more aware of our weakness, more humble in asking for His help, and more grateful for His patient love.

We are not naturally prone to choose what God knows is good for us, or avoid what hinders our way to heaven. It is a constant struggle with our sinful inclinations. That is why Christ gave us the Mass and the sacraments, told us to pray, and provided the Church’s guidance on the hard road that leads to life (Matt 7:14).

The authors chosen for the Treasury represent every period of the Church’s passage through time, from the age of the Apostles to the present day. They are men and women, bishops, priests, religious, and the laity. They are persons whose native talents were elevated by the supernatural light that God reserves for those who are most submissive to His will.

They are also persons who discovered the reality of Christ’s promise: You will learn the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8:32). They have much to teach us about the meaning of true liberty. This is especially needed in our day, when everyone is searching for freedom and yet so many are living in slavery.

Not on principle, but as a matter of policy, no papal documentation is cited in these pages. One reason was the obvious fact that the Bishops of Rome are in a category of their own, with supreme teaching authority in the Church of God. It seemed more appropriate not to put them on a par with the rest of the faithful, even with the intellectual giants of Catholic history.

This volume was written for all who wish to know what is true Catholicism, not only in the Church’s official teaching but in the literature of her outstanding members.

Ours is the age of heroic Christianity. Some would say there have been more Christian martyrs since 1900 than in all the preceding centuries. It was not rhetoric but plain realism that inspired the Second Vatican Council to tell the faithful they should be ready to suffer for Christ, by a bloody martyrdom if they receive this precious grace, and certainly by a bloodless martyrdom in the secularized culture of the modern world.

On the way to the Mount of Ascension, Christ promised His followers: You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses—literally my martyrs— to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). So it was in the early Church, and so it has been ever since. Those who wish to proclaim the true Christ by word and example must expect to pay dearly for their profession of faith. Who would doubt that today there are places where Catholic Christians are thrown to whatever is the equivalent of lions in the Roman arena?

But such courage of will is born only from deep conviction of mind, when a Catholic knows that the Church founded by Christ and built upon Peter is true. In order for the mind to be so convinced it needs to be enlightened, which the editor hopes will be the case for readers of The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom.

The index at the end of the book is meant to serve two purposes: to show the breadth of religious wisdom covered in the Treasury, and to help locate the exact words of an author on some important aspect of Catholic belief and practice.

The editor wishes to thank especially the following for their gracious assistance in the production of The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom:

Robert Heller, Patricia Humienik, and Theresa D’Orsogna of Doubleday & Company.

Kristin Kazyak, Geraldine Donovan, Dr. George Sharp, and Clare Fitzpatrick; John Gonoud, Martha Prokop, Gary Moloney, and Douglas Alexander.

The Jesuit Librarians at the Woodstock Library of Georgetown University, the Handmaids of the Precious Blood of Jemez Springs, New Mexico, and the Librarians at St. John’s University in Jamaica, New York.

Without the generous help of these people, the Treasury could not have been produced. For all of them, my grateful prayers.

The Teaching

of the Twelve Apostles

This earliest known work of Christian antiquity outside the New Testament is called The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles or, in its original Greek, Didache ton Dodeka Apostolon. It is an abstract of the Apostles’ teaching rather than a summary composed by the Apostles themselves. The complete text of the Didache was discovered in 1873 by Bryennios, Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Nicomedia. But its existence and much of the contents were known in the early Church. St. Athanasius recommended it to catechumens preparing for baptism.

In all probability the Didache was written between A.D. 70 and 90. The author, who is unknown, divides the book of sixteen short chapters into four parts. The moral catechism (Chapters 1-6) reduces all the duties of a Christian to two ways, the Way of Life and the Way of Death; the liturgical instruction treats of baptism, fasting, prayer, and the Eucharist (7-10); disciplinary regulations concern the duties of the community toward teachers, traveling apostles, and prophets; also identified are the Sunday obligation of participating in the Eucharistic sacrifice, the duty of electing worthy leaders in the Church, and the need to maintain peace in the community (11-15); finally, the epilogue foretells the Second Coming of Christ (16).

The Didache is the earliest manual of the Christian liturgy. Although incomplete, it is most revealing. The new offertory prayers for Mass, revised since the Second Vatican Council, are taken almost verbatim from the Didache (10:3). Here, too, we have the first explicit Christian condemnation of abortion, which is equated with infanticide (2:1-2).

The Didache

AN INSTRUCTION OF THE LORD

GIVEN TO THE HEATHEN

BY THE TWELVE APOSTLES

1. Two Ways there are, one of Life and one of Death, and there is a great difference between the Two Ways.

Now, the Way of Life is this: first, love the God who made you; secondly, your neighbor as yourself: do not do to another what you do not wish to be done to yourself.

The lesson of these words is as follows: bless those that curse you, and pray for your enemies; besides, fast for those that persecute you. For what thanks do you deserve when you love those that love you? Do not the heathen do as much? For your part, love those that hate you; in fact, have no enemy. Abstain from gratifying the carnal [and bodily] impulses. When anyone gives you a blow on the right cheek, turn to him the other as well, and be perfect; when anyone forces you to go one mile with him, go two with him; when anyone takes your cloak away, give him your coat also; when anyone robs you of your property, demand no return. You really cannot do it. Give to anyone that asks you, and demand no return; the Father wants His own bounties to be shared with all. Happy the giver who complies with the commandment, for he goes unpunished. Trouble is in store for the receiver: if someone who is in need receives, he will go unpunished; but he who is not in need will have to stand trial as to why and for what purpose he received; and, if he is thrown into prison, he will be questioned about his conduct, and will not be released from that place until he has paid the last penny. However, in this regard, there is also a word of Scripture: Let your alms sweat in your hands until you find out to whom to give.

2. A further commandment of the Teaching: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not practice pederasty; do not fornicate; do not steal; do not deal in magic; do not practice sorcery; do not kill a fetus by abortion, or commit infanticide. Do not covet your neighbor’s goods. Do not perjure yourself; do not bear false witness; do not calumniate; do not bear malice. Do not be double-minded or double-tongued, for a double tongue is a deadly snare. Your speech must not be false or meaningless, but made good by action. Do not be covetous, or rapacious, or hypocritical, or malicious, or arrogant. Do not have designs upon your neighbor. Hate no man; but correct some, pray for others, for still others sacrifice your life as a proof of your love.

3. My child, shun evil of any kind and everything resembling it. Do not be prone to anger, for anger leads to murder. Do not be fanatical, not quarrelsome, not hot-tempered; for all these things beget murder. My child, do not be lustful, for lust leads to fornication. Do not be foul-mouthed or give free rein to your eyes; for all these things beget adultery. My child, do not be an augur, because it leads to idolatry. Do not be an enchanter, not an astrologer, not an expiator, and do not wish to see (and hear) these things; for they all beget idolatry. My child, do not be a liar, for lying leads to theft. Do not be a lover of money, or a vain pretender. All these things beget thievery. My child, do not be a grumbler, because it leads to blasphemy; or self-willed, or evil-minded. All these things beget blasphemy.

On the contrary, be gentle, for the gentle will inherit the land. Be long-suffering, and merciful, and guileless, and quiet, and good, and with trembling treasure forever the instructions you have received. Do not carry your head high, or open your heart to presumption. Do not be on intimate terms with the mighty, but associate with holy and lowly folk. Accept as blessings the casualties that befall you, assured that nothing happens without God.

4. My child, day and night remember him who preaches God’s word to you, and honor him as the Lord, for where His lordship is spoken of, there is the Lord. Seek daily contact with the saints to be refreshed by their discourses. Do not start a schism, but pacify contending parties. Be just in your judgment: make no distinction between man and man when correcting transgressions. Do not waver in your decision.

Do not be one that opens his hands to receive, but shuts them when it comes to giving. If you have means at your disposal, pay a ransom for your sins. Do not hesitate to give, and do not give in a grumbling mood. You will find out who is the good Rewarder. Do not turn away from the needy; rather, share everything with your brother, and do not say: It is private property. If you are sharers in what is imperishable, how much more so in the things that perish!

Do not withdraw your hand from your son or your daughter, but from their youth teach them the fear of God. Do not, when embittered, give orders to your slave, male or female, for they hope in the same God; otherwise, they might lose the fear of God, who is the Master of both of you. He surely is not coming to call with an eye to rank and station in life; no, He comes to those whom the Spirit has prepared. But you, slaves, be submissive to your masters as to God’s image in reverence and fear.

Abhor all sham and whatever is not pleasing to the Lord. Do not by any means neglect the commandments of the Lord, but hold fast to the traditions, neither adding nor subtracting anything. In church confess your sins, and do not come to your prayer with a guilty conscience. Such is the Way of Life.

5. The Way of Death is this. First of all, it is wicked and altogether accursed: murders, adulteries, lustful desires, fornications, thefts, idolatries, magical arts, sorceries, robberies, false testimonies, hypocrisy, duplicity, fraud, pride, malice, surliness, covetousness, foul talk, jealousy, rashness, haughtiness, false pretensions, (the lack of the fear of God). It is the way of persecutors of the good, haters of the truth, lovers of falsehood; of men ignorant of the reward for right living, not devoted to what is good or to just judgment, intent upon not what is good but what is evil; of strangers to gentleness and patient endurance; of men who love vanities, and fee hunters; of men that have no heart for the poor, are not concerned about the oppressed, do not know their Maker; of murderers of children, destroyers of God’s image; of men that turn away from the needy, oppress the afflicted, act as counsels for the rich, are unjust judges of the poor—in a word, of men steeped in sin. Children, may you be preserved from all this!

6. See that no man leads you astray from this Way of the Teaching, since any other teaching takes you away from God. Surely, if you are able to bear the Lord’s yoke in its entirety, you will be perfect; if you are not able, then do what you can. And in the matter of food, do what you can stand; but be scrupulously on your guard against meat offered to idols; for that is a worship of dead gods.

7. Regarding baptism. Baptize as follows: after first explaining all these points, baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, in running water. But if you have no running water, baptize in other water; and if you cannot in cold, then in warm. But if you have neither, pour water on the head three times in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Before the baptism, let the baptizer and the candidate for baptism fast, as well as any others that are able. Require the candidate to fast one or two days previously.

8. Your fasts should not coincide with those of the hypocrites. They fast on Mondays and Tuesdays; you should fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. And do not pray as the hypocrites do, but pray as the Lord has commanded in the Gospel:

Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the power and the glory for evermore.

Say this prayer three times a day.

9. Regarding the Eucharist. Give thanks as follows: First, concerning the cup:

     "We give Thee thanks, Our Father,

     for the Holy Vine of David Thy servant,

     which Thou hast made known to us

     through Jesus, Thy Servant."

     To Thee be the glory for evermore.

Next, concerning the broken bread:

     "We give Thee thanks, Our Father,

     for the life and knowledge

     which Thou hast made known to us

     through Jesus, Thy Servant."

     To Thee be the glory for evermore.

     "As this broken bread was scattered over the hills

     and then, when gathered, became one mass,

     so may Thy Church be gathered

     from the ends of the earth into Thy Kingdom."

     "For Thine is the glory and the power

     through Jesus Christ for evermore."

Let no one eat and drink of your Eucharist but those baptized in the name of the Lord; to this, too, the saying of the Lord is applicable: Do not give to dogs what is sacred.

10. After you have taken your fill of food, give thanks as follows:

     "We give Thee thanks, O Holy Father,

     for Thy holy name

     which Thou hast enshrined in our hearts,

     and for the knowledge and faith and immortality

     which Thou hast made known to us

     through Jesus, Thy Servant,"

     To Thee be the glory for evermore.

     "Thou, Lord Almighty,

hast created all things for the sake of Thy name

     and hast given food and drink for men to enjoy,

     that they may give thanks to Thee;

     but to us Thou hast vouchsafed spiritual food and

     drink and eternal life through (Jesus), Thy Servant."

     "Above all, we give Thee thanks

     because Thou art mighty."

     To Thee be the glory for evermore.

     "Remember, O Lord, Thy Church:

     deliver her from all evil,

     perfect her in Thy love,

     and from the four winds assemble her, the sanctified,

     in Thy kingdom

     which Thou hast prepared for her."

     For Thine is the power and the glory for evermore.

     May Grace come, and this world pass away!

     "Hosanna to the God of David!"

     "If anyone is holy, let him advance; if anyone is

     not, let him be converted, Marana thai"

     Amen.

But permit the prophets to give thanks as much as they desire.

11. Accordingly, when an itinerant teaches you all that has just been said, welcome him. But should the teacher himself be a turncoat and teach a different doctrine so as to undermine (this teaching), do not listen to him. But if he promotes holiness and knowledge of the Lord, welcome him as the Lord.

Now, as regards the apostles and prophets, act strictly according to the precept of the Gospel. Upon his arrival every apostle must be welcomed as the Lord; but he must not stay except one day. In case of necessity, however, he may stay the next day also; but if he stays three days, he is a false prophet. At his departure the apostle must receive nothing except food to last till the next night’s lodging; but if he asks for money, he is a false prophet.

Moreover, if any prophet speaks in ecstasy, do not test him or entertain any doubts; for any sin may be forgiven, but this sin cannot be forgiven. However, not everyone speaking in ecstasy is a prophet, except he has the ways of the Lord about him. So by their ways must the true and the false prophet be distinguished. No prophet who in an ecstasy orders the table spread, must partake of it; otherwise, he is a false prophet. Any prophet that teaches the truth, yet does not live up to his teaching, is a false prophet. When a prophet, once approved as genuine, does something by way of symbolizing the Church in an earthly manner, yet does not instruct others to do all that he himself is doing, he is not liable to your judgment, for his judgment rests with God. After all, the Prophets of old acted in the same manner. But if anyone says in ecstasy, Give me money, or something else, you must not listen to him. However, should he tell you to give something for others who are in need, let no one condemn him.

12. Anyone coming in the name of the Lord must be welcomed; but, after that, test him and find out—you will of course use your discretion either for or against him. If the arrival is a transient visitor, assist him as much as you can, but he may not stay with you more than two days, or, if necessary, three. But if he intends to settle among you, then, in case he is a craftsman, let him work for his living; if he has no trade or craft, use your judgment in providing for him, so that a follower of Christ will not live idle in your midst. But if he is not satisfied with this arrangement, he is a Christmonger. Be on your guard against such people.

13. Every genuine prophet who is willing to settle among you is entitled to his support. Likewise, every genuine teacher is, like a laborer, entitled to his support. Therefore, take all first fruits of vintage and harvest, of cattle and sheep, and give these first fruits to the prophets; for they are your high priests. But if you have no prophet, give them to the poor. When you bake bread, take the first loaf and give it according to the commandment. Likewise, when you open a fresh jar of wine or oil, take the first draught and give it to the prophets. Of money and cloth and any other possession, first set aside a portion according to your discretion and give it according to the commandment.

14. On the Lord’s own day, assemble in common to break bread and offer thanks; but first confess your sins, so that your sacrifice may be pure. However, no one quarreling with his brother may join your meeting until they are reconciled; your sacrifice must not be defiled. For here we have the saying of the Lord: In every place and time offer me a pure sacrifice; for I am a mighty King, says the Lord; and my name spreads terror among the nations.

15. Accordingly, elect for yourselves bishops and deacons, men who are an honor to the Lord, of gentle disposition, not attached to money, honest and well-tried; for they, too, render you the sacred service of the prophets and teachers. Do not, then, despise them; after all, they are your dignitaries together with the prophets and teachers.

Furthermore, correct one another, not in anger, but in composure, as you have it in the Gospel; and when anyone offends his neighbor, let no one speak with him—in fact, he should not even be talked about by you—until he has made amends. As regards your prayers and alms and your whole conduct, do exactly as you have it in the Gospel of Our Lord.

16. Watch over your life; your lamps must not go out, nor your loins be ungirded; on the contrary, be ready. You do not know the hour in which Our Lord is coming. Assemble in great numbers, intent upon what concerns your souls. Surely, of no use will your lifelong faith be to you if you are not perfected at the end of time. For in the last days the false prophets and corrupters will come in swarms; the sheep will turn into wolves, and love will turn into hate. When lawlessness is on the increase, men will hate and persecute and betray one another; and then the Deceiver of this world will appear, claiming to be the Son of God, and give striking exhibitions of power; the earth will be given over into his hands, and he will perpetrate outrages such as have never taken place since the world began. Then humankind will undergo the fiery test, and many will lose their faith and perish; but those who stand firm in their faith will be saved by none other than the Accursed. And then the proofs of the truth will appear; the first proof, an opening in the heavens; the next proof, the sounding of the trumpet; and the third, the resurrection of the dead not of all indeed, but in accordance with the saying: The Lord will come and all the saints with Him. Finally, the world will behold the Lord riding the clouds in the sky.

St. Ignatius of Antioch

St. Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, was the second successor of St. Peter as bishop of that city. The ancient historian Eusebius relates that Ignatius began his episcopate in A.D. 69. He was martyred in Rome in A.D. 107.

The only authentic writings of St. Ignatius are his seven letters, written on his way to martyrdom. Six of these were addressed to the Christian communities of Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles, Rome, Philadelphia, and Smyrna. The seventh letter was sent to St. Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna.

While all seven letters are a precious monument in writing of the early Church, the four here chosen are outstanding. St. Ignatius is the first to have used the expression Catholic Church (Smyrnaeans 8:2). In his introduction to the Romans, he tells them that the Church of Rome presides in the chief place of the Roman territory, that it is presiding in love. He tells the Philadelphians to partake of one Eucharist, for one is the Flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one the cup to unite us with His blood (4). And his letter to Polycarp spells out the duties of a bishop—for example, to make sure that those who contemplate marriage enter the union with the sanction of the bishop; thus their marriage will be acceptable to the Lord and not just gratify lust (5:2).

Jesus Christ is the central theme of St. Ignatius’ thought. But the Christ for whom he is so eager to die is the Christ of history, who suffered really, as He also really raised Himself from the dead (Smyrnaeans 2).

Ignatius to the Romans

Ignatius, also called Theophorus, to the Church that has found mercy in the transcendent Majesty of the Most High Father and of Jesus Christ His only Son; the Church by the will of Him who willed all things that exist, beloved and illuminated through the faith and love of Jesus Christ our God; which also presides in the chief place of the Roman territory; a Church worthy of God, worthy of honor, worthy of felicitation, worthy of praise, worthy of success, worthy of sanctification, and presiding in love maintaining the law of Christ, and bearer of the Father’s name: her do I therefore salute in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father. Heartiest good wishes for unimpaired joy in Jesus Christ our God, to those who are united in flesh and spirit by every commandment of His; who imperturbably enjoy the full measure of God’s grace and have every foreign stain filtered out of them.

1. By prayer to God I have obtained the favor of seeing your venerable faces; in fact, I have been pleading for an even greater favor: as a prisoner in Christ Jesus I hope to embrace you, provided it is His will that I should be privileged to reach the goal. An auspicious beginning has certainly been made—if only I obtain the grace of taking due possession of my inheritance without hindrance. The truth is, I am afraid it is your love that will do me wrong For you, of course, it is easy to achieve your object; but for me it is difficult to win my way to God, should you be wanting in consideration tor me.

2. Surely, I do not want you to court the good pleasure of men, but to please God, as indeed you do please Him. Yes, I shall never again have such an opportunity of winning my way to God, nor can you, if you remain quiet, ever have your name inscribed on a more glorious achievement. For, if you quietly ignore me, I am the word of God; but if you fall in love with my human nature, I shall, on the contrary, be a mere sound. Grant me no more than that you let my blood be spilled in sacrifice to God, while yet there is an altar ready. You should form a choir of love and sing a song to the Father through Jesus Christ because God has graciously summoned the bishop of Syria to come from the rising of the sun to the setting. How glorious to be a setting sun-away from the world, on to God! May I rise in His presence!

3. You have never grudged any man. You have taught others. All I want is that the lessons you inculcate in initiating disciples remain in force. Only beg for me strength within and without, that I may be a man not merely of words, but also of resolution. In this way I shall not only be called a Christian, but also prove to be one. For if I prove to be one, I can also be called a true believer even then when I am no longer seen by the world. Nothing that is seen is good. Our God Jesus Christ certainly is the more clearly seen now that He is in the Father. Whenever Christianity is hated by the world, what counts is not power of persuasion, but greatness.

4. I am writing to all the Churches and state emphatically to all that I die willingly for God, provided you do not interfere. I beg you, do not show me unseasonable kindness. Suffer me to be the food of wild beasts, which are the means of my making my way to God, God’s wheat I am, and by the teeth of wild beasts I am to be ground that I may prove Christ’s pure bread. Better still, coax the wild beasts to become my tomb and to leave no part of my person behind: once I have fallen asleep, I do not wish to be a burden to anyone. Then only shall I be a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ when the world will not see even my body. Petition Christ in my behalf that through these instruments I may prove God’s sacrifice. Not like Peter and Paul do I issue any orders to you. They were Apostles, I am a convict; they were free, I am until this moment a slave. But once I have suffered, I shall become a freedman of Jesus Christ, and, united with Him, I shall rise a free man. Just now I learn, being in chains, to desire nothing.

5. All the way from Syria to Rome I am fighting wild beasts, on land and sea, by day and night, chained as I am to ten leopards, that is, a detachment of soldiers, who prove themselves the more malevolent for kindnesses shown them. Yet in the school of this abuse I am more and more trained in discipleship, although I am not therefore justified. Oh, may the beasts prepared for me be my joy! And I pray that they may be found to be ready for me, I will even coax them to make short work of me, not as has happened to some whom they were too timid to touch. And should they be unwilling to attack me who am willing, I will myself compel them. Pardon me—I know very well where my advantage lies. At last I am well on the way to being a disciple. May nothing seen or unseen, fascinate me, so that I may happily make my way to Jesus Christ! Fire, cross, struggles with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, mangling of limbs, crunching of the whole body, cruel tortures inflicted by the devil—let them come upon me, provided only I make my way to Jesus Christ.

6. Of no use to me will be the farthest reaches of the universe or the kingdoms of this world. I would rather die and come to Jesus Christ than be king over the entire earth. Him I seek who died for us; Him I love who rose again because of us. The birth pangs are upon me. Forgive me, brethren; do not obstruct my coming to life—do not wish me to die; do not make a gift to the world of one who wants to be God’s. Beware of seducing me with matter; suffer me to receive pure light. Once arrived there, I shall be a man. Permit me to be an imitator of my suffering God. If anyone holds Him in his heart, let him understand what I am aspiring to; and then let him sympathize with me, knowing in what distress I am.

7. The Prince of this world is resolved to abduct me, and to corrupt my Godward aspirations. Let none of you, therefore, who will then be present, assist him. Rather, side with me, that is, with God. Do not have Jesus Christ on your lips, and the world in your hearts. Give envy no place among you. And should I upon my arrival plead for your intervention, do not listen to me. Rather, give heed to what I write to you. I am writing while still alive, but my yearning is for death. My Love has been crucified, and I am not on fire with the love of earthly things. But there is in me a Living Water, which is eloquent and within me says: Come to the Father. I have no taste for corruptible food or for the delights of this life. Bread of God is what I desire; that is, the Flesh of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David; and for my drink I desire His Blood, that is, incorruptible love.

8. No longer do I wish to live after the manner of men; and this is what will happen if you wish it so. Wish it, that your own wishes, too, may be fulfilled. By this short letter I beseech you: do believe me! Jesus Christ will make it clear to you that I speak the truth—He on whose lips there are no lies, through whom the Father has spoken truthfully. Pray for me that I may succeed. What I write to you does not please the appetites of the flesh, but it pleases the mind of God. If I suffer, you have loved me; if I am rejected, you have hated me!

9. Remember in your prayers the Church in Syria, which now has God for her Shepherd in my stead. Jesus Christ alone will be her Bishop, together with your love. For myself, I am ashamed to be counted as one of her members. I certainly do not deserve to be one, being the least of them and one that came to birth unexpectedly. However, if I but make my way to God, then by His mercy I shall be someone. My spirit salutes you, and so does the affection of the Churches that offered their hospitality to me, not as to a chance visitor, but in deference to Jesus Christ. Why, even those not adjoining my route—the route by which my body travelled—hastened in advance from town after town to meet me.

10. I am sending you this letter from Smyrna through the kindness of the Ephesians, who deserve so much praise. Among many others Crocus is here with me—a dearly beloved name to me! As to the men from Syria who for the glory of God have gone to Rome to meet you there, you have, I trust, made their acquaintance. Please, inform them also that I am near. One and all they arc men of God and will be an honor to you. You will do well to give them every comfort. I am writing this to you on the 24th of August. Farewell to the end in the patient endurance of Jesus Christ.

Ignatius to the Philadelphians

Ignatius, also called Theophorus, to the Church of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, which is at Philadelphia in Asia; a Church which has found mercy and is irrevocably of one mind with God; which unwaveringly exults in the Passion of Our Lord, and firmly believes in His Resurrection through sheer mercy. This Church I salute in the Blood of Jesus Christ. She is a source of everlasting joy, especially when the members are at one with the bishop and his assistants, the presbyters and deacons, that have been appointed in accordance with the wish of Jesus Christ, and whom He has, by His own will, through the operation of His Holy Spirit, confirmed in loyalty.

1. Regarding this bishop I am informed that he holds the supreme office in the community not by his own efforts, or by men’s doing, or for personal glory. No, he holds it by the love of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I am charmed with his sweetness of manner. He accomplishes more by his silence than others that talk to no purpose. No wonder; he is as perfectly in accord with the commandments as strings are with a harp. With all my heart, therefore, I laud his disposition to please God, a disposition virtuous and perfect, as I am very well aware; his unshaken constancy, too, and his passionless temper, modelled on the transcendent gentleness of the living God.

2. Being born, then, of the light of truth, shun division and bad doctrines. Where the shepherd is, there you, being sheep, must follow. For, many wolves there are, apparently worthy of confidence, who with the bait of baneful pleasure seek to capture the runners in God’s race; but if you stand united, they will have no success.

3. Avoid the noxious weeds. Their gardener is not Jesus Christ, because they are not the planting of the Father. Not that I found any division in your midst; but I did find that there had been a purge. Surely, all those that belong to God and Jesus Christ are the very ones that side with the bishop; and all those that may yet change their mind and return to the unity of the Church, will likewise belong to God, and thus lead a life acceptable to Jesus Christ, Do not be deceived, my brethren: if a man runs after a schismatic, he will not inherit the Kingdom of God; if a man chooses to be a dissenter, he severs all connection with the Passion.

4. Take care, then, to partake of one Eucharist; for, one is the Flesh of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and one the cup to unite us with His Blood, and one altar, just as there is one bishop assisted by the presbytery and the deacons, my fellow servants. Thus you will conform in all your actions to the will of God.

5. My brethren, my love for you overflows all bounds, and it is my supreme delight to provide you with safeguards, though it is really not I that do it, but Jesus Christ. Being in chains for His sake, I am all the more apprehensive, since I am not yet perfected. But then, your prayer will make me perfect in the sight of God, so that I may win the lot which, through mercy, has fallen to me. I take refuge in the Gospel, which to me is Jesus in the flesh, and in the Apostles, as represented by the presbytery of the Church. But let us also cherish the Prophets, because they, for their part, foreshadowed the Gospel; and they hoped in Him and waited for Him and were saved by their belief in Him; for thus they were one with Jesus Christ. O those lovable and wonderful saints! Their merits are attested by Jesus Christ, and their message is part and parcel of the Gospel of our common hope.

6. But should anyone expound Judaism, do not listen to him. It is preferable, surely, to listen to a circumcised man preaching Christianity than to an uncircumcised man preaching Judaism. But if neither of them preaches Jesus Christ, they are to me tombstones and graves of the dead, on which only the names of the dead are inscribed. Shun, then, the base artifices and snares of the Prince of this world, for fear you may be harassed by his scheming and grow weak in your love. Rather, come together, all of you, with undivided heart. I thank my God that I have a good conscience as concerning you, and that no one has occasion to boast that I was a burden to anyone either secretly or openly, in great matters or in small. But I also pray for all those in whose midst I spoke, that they may not find in my words any testimony against them.

7. For, even though some were willing enough to lead my human spirit into error, yet the Spirit is not led into error, since He proceeds from God. Indeed, He knows where He comes from and whither He goes, and lays bare what is secret. I cried out, while in your midst, and said in a ringing voice—God’s voice: Give heed to the bishop and to the presbytery and to the deacons. Some, however, suspected I was saying this because I had previous knowledge of the division caused by some; but He for whose sake I am in chains is my witness, that I had not learned it from any human source. No, it was the Spirit who kept preaching in these words: Apart from the bishop do nothing; preserve your persons as shrines of God; cherish unity, shun divisions; do as Jesus Christ did, for He, too, did as the Father did.

8. I was doing my part, therefore, acting as a man trained to cherish unity. Where there is division and passion, there is no place for God. Now, the Lord forgives all if they change their mind and by this change of mind return to union with God and the council of the bishop. I trust in the grace of Jesus Christ, who will free you from all enslavement. I exhort you never to act in a spirit of factiousness, but according to what you learnt in the school of Christ. When I heard some say, Unless I find it in the official records—in the Gospel I do not believe; and when I answered them, It is in the Scriptures, they retorted: That is just the point at issue. But to me the official record is Jesus Christ; the inviolable record is His Cross and His death and His Resurrection and the faith of which He is the Author. These are the things which, thanks to your prayer, I want to be my justification.

9. Good, too, are priests; but better is the High Priest who was entrusted with the Holy of Holies, who alone was entrusted with the hidden designs of God. He is the door of the Father, through which enter Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and the Prophets and the Apostles and the Church. All these are means of being united with God. But the Gospel contains something special—the Advent of the Savior Our Lord Jesus Christ, His Passion and His Resurrection. The beloved Prophets announced His coming, whereas the Gospel is the imperishable fulfillment. All things alike are good, provided your faith is rooted in love,

10. Since it was reported to me that—thanks to your prayer and kindly interest, inspired by Jesus Christ—the Church at Antioch in Syria is at peace, it is proper that you, as a church of God, should appoint a deacon to go there as God’s ambassador, and congratulate the people in a public meeting, and give glory to the Name. Blessed in Jesus Christ is he who is to discharge this office; and you, too, will reap glory. If only you are determined, it is not impossible to do this for God’s name, just as the neighboring Churches have, some of them, delegated bishops—others, presbyters and deacons.

11. Now, as to Philo, the deacon from Cilicia, a man of attested merit, who even now assists me in the ministry of the word of God together with Rheus Agathopus, an exquisite character, who has been accompanying me from Syria after turning his back upon this life—well, both these men testify (and I, too, thank God on your behalf) that you received them kindly. May the Lord do so to you! As for those who treated them with disrespect, may they be redeemed by the grace of Jesus Christ! In their love the brethren, of Troas wish to be remembered. It is from here that I send this letter through the kindness of Burrus, who, as a testimonial of honor, was sent by the Ephesians and Smyrnaeans to accompany me. These men will be honored by the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom they hope with body and soul and spirit and faith and love and concord. Farewell in Jesus Christ, our common Hope.

Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans

Ignatius, also called Theophorus, to the Church of God the Father and the beloved Jesus Christ; a Church mercifully endowed with every gift; overflowing with faith and love; lacking in no gift; radiant with God’s splendor, and fruitful mother of saints. To the Church at Smyrna in Asia I send best wishes for irreproachableness of sentiment and loyalty to the word of God.

1. I extol Jesus Christ, the God who has granted you such wisdom. For I have observed that you are thoroughly trained in unshaken faith, being nailed, as it were, to the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ both in body and in soul, and that you are well established in love through the Blood of Christ and firmly believe in Our Lord: He is really of the line of David according to the flesh, and the Son of God by the will and power of God; was really born of a virgin, and baptized by John in order to comply with every ordinance. Under Pontius Pilate and the tetrarch Herod He was really nailed to the cross in the flesh for our sake—of whose fruit we are, in virtue of His most blessed Passion. And thus, through the Resurrection, He raised a banner for all times for His saints and faithful followers, whether among the Jews or the Gentiles, that they might be united in a single body, that is, His Church.

2. All these sufferings, assuredly, He underwent for our sake, that we might be saved. And He suffered really, as He also really raised Himself from the dead. It is not as some unbelievers say, who maintain that His suffering was a make-believe. In reality, it is they that are make-believes: and, as their notion, so their end: they will be bodiless and ghost-like shapes!

3. For myself, I know and believe that He was in the flesh even after the Resurrection. And when He came to Peter and Peter’s companions, He said to them; "Here; feel me and see that I am not a bodiless ghost." Immediately they touched Him and, through this contact with His Flesh and Spirit, believed. For the same reason they despised death and, in fact, proved stronger than death. Again, after the Resurrection, He ate and drank with them like a being of flesh and blood, though spiritually one with the Father.

4. I am urging these things on you, beloved, although I know that you are of the same mind. I am cautioning you betimes, however, against wild beasts in human form, whom you ought not only not to receive, but, if possible, even avoid meeting. Only pray for them, if somehow they may change their mind—a difficult thing! But that is in the power of Jesus Christ, our true Life. Surely, if those things were done by Our Lord as a mere make-believe, then I in my chains, too, am a make-believe! Why, moreover, did I surrender myself to death, to fire, to the sword, to wild beasts? Well, to be near the sword is to be near God; to be in the claws of wild beasts is to be in the hands of God. Only let it be done in the name of Jesus Christ! To suffer with Him I endure all things, if He, who became perfect man, gives me the strength.

5. Some disown Him through ignorance, or, rather, were disowned by Him, being advocates of death rather than the truth. They were not convinced by the prophecies or by the Law of Moses; no, not even to this day by the Gospel or the sufferings of our own people; for they entertain the same view of us. Really, what good does anyone do me if he praises me, but blasphemes my Lord by not admitting that He carried living flesh about Him? He who does not admit this, has absolutely disowned Him, and what he carries about him is a corpse. Their names—names of unbelievers they are!—I do not think advisable to write down. In fact, I even wish I did not remember them, until they change their mind concerning the Passion, which is our resurrection.

6. Let no one be deceived! Even the heavenly powers and the angels in their splendor and the principalities, both visible and invisible, must either believe in the Blood of Christ, or else face damnation. Let him grasp it who can. Let no rank puff up anyone; for faith and love are paramount—the greatest blessings in the world. Observe those who hold erroneous opinions concerning the grace of Jesus Christ which has come to us, and see how they run counter to the mind of God! They concern themselves with neither works of charity, nor widows, nor orphans, nor the distressed, nor those in prison or out of it, nor the hungry or thirsty.

7. From Eucharist and prayer they hold aloof, because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the Flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins, and which the Father in His loving-kindness raised from the dead. And so, those who question the gift of God perish in their contentiousness. It would be better for them to have love, so as to share in the resurrection. It is proper, therefore, to avoid associating with such people and not to speak about them either in private or in public, but to study the Prophets attentively and, especially, the Gospel, in which the Passion is revealed to us and the Resurrection shown in its fulfillment. Shun division as the beginning of evil.

8. You must all follow the lead of the bishop, as Jesus Christ followed that of the Father; follow the presbytery as you would the Apostles; reverence the deacons as you would God’s commandment. Let no

Reviews for The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom

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