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Theology for
The Layman
(Continued from Page Four)
ledge can produce an inadequate
Idea. Each gives Himself wholly
to the outpouring of His love
for the Other, holding nothing
back — indeed the very thought
of holding back is ridiculous: if
they give themselves at all,
they can give themselves only
totally — they possess nothing
but their totality! The uttered
love of Father and Son is in
finite, lacks no perfection that
they have, is God, a Person,
Someone.
As the one great operation of
spirit, knowing, produces the
Second Person, so the other,
loving, produces the Third. But
be careful upon this — the
Second proceeds from, is pro
duced by, the First alone; but
the Third, the Holy Spirit, pro
ceeds from Father and Son, as
they combine to express their
love. Thus in the Nicene Creed
we say of Him “qui ex patre
filioque procedit” — who pro
ceeds from the Father and the
Son; and in the Tantum Ergo
we sing to Him “procedenti ab
utroque” — to Him who pro
ceeds from both.
We have seen the fitness of
the names Son and Word for the
Second Person. Why is the
Third called Spirit?
Here the word Spirit — like
the old English Ghost — is best
understood as “breath.” This is
the root meaning; our ordinary
word spirit comes from it, be
cause spirit is invisible, as air is.
It is in its roots meaning that
Spirit is the name of the Third
Person — He is the “breath”
or “breathing” of Father and
Son.
That is Our Lord’s chosen
name for Him; and it is more
than a name: He breathes upon
the apostles as He says “Re
ceive ye the Holy Ghost”; when
the Holy Ghost descends upon
them at Pentecost, there is at
first the rushing of a mighty
wind.
We may wonder why the
Third Person who is the utter
ance of the love of Father and
Son should be called their
Breath.
Let us note two things. It is
of universal experience that
love has an effect upon the
breathing, it is a simple fact
that the lover’s breath comes
faster. And there is a close con
nection between breath and life
•— when we stop breathing, we
stop living. In the Nicene Creed
the Holy Spirit is called “the
Lord and giver of life.” The
link between life and love is not
hard to see, for love is a total
self-giving, and so a giving of
life.
One final reminder. We saw
how the Second Person is with
in the same nature, as an idea
is always within the thinker’s
mind. So with the Third Person;
the utterance of love by Father
and Son fills the whole of their
nature, producing another Per
son, but still within the same
identical divine nature. Try to
see the nature of God wholly
expressed as thinker, wholly
expressed as Idea, wholly
expressed as Lovingness.
Question
Box
(Continued from Page Four)
person who, about to die, ex
presses a desire for baptism, in
LoboF Secretary,
Educator Speakers
At Convention
WASHINGTON, — U. S. Sec
retary of Labor James Mitchell
will join a leading Catholic edu
cator in discussing U. S. Educa
tion, its future and implications
for the nation’s economy at the
29th national convention of the
National Council of Catholic
Women in St. Louis.
Education is one of more than
a dozen vital current issues fac
ing the Church and the civic
community in the United States,
which will be discussed at the
meeting scheduled September
20 to 24 in Kiel auditorium.
Secretary Mitchell’s topic will
be “Tomorrow’s Worker.” Sis
ter Mary Emil, executive secre
tary of the Sister Formation
Conference, will discuss “Which
Way Education?” The educa
tion session is set for Septem
ber 22.
Honorary chairman for the
evening will be Archbishop
Henry J. O’Brien of Hartford,
Conn., a former faculty mem
ber and later president of St.
Thomas Seminary, Hartford.
Mrs. Maurice J. O’Sullivan,
Kansas City, Mo., retiring vice
president of NCCW and national
Louis, will be chairman of the
director for the Province of St.
session.
Secretary Mitchell had a long
career in personnel and indus
trial relations prior to his ap
pointment to the Cabinet in
1953. He has been honored by
Catholic educational institutions
and lay organizations for his
contributions to labor-manage
ment peace and understanding.
one way or another, could re
ceive the sacrament if he only
made some explicit profession
in the four principal truths. (If
he survives, however, he must
be instructed further).
FURTHERMORE, in a most
extreme instance (as when
death will surely intervene be
fore all four truths can be ex
plained, the dying person should
be instructed at least in the first
two doctrines: 1) God exists, 2)
God rewards the good and pun
ishes the wicked.) For it is prob
able, though by no means cer
tain, that faith in these first two
truths alone is absolutely neces
sary with necessity of means.
Because such a probability ex
ists, it can be restored to in most
extreme instances, as when
death is imminent within mo
ments. As a general norm,
though, this probability may not
be acted upon, since the entire
matter is so serious in its conse
quences (the dying person’s
very salvation is at stake) that
only the safer part may be fol
lowed.
THE FOUR principal truths of
Christianity have been printed
in many languages (including
braille) and type-sizes, and are
so available in many Catholic
supply stores throughout the
country. These cards can be of
particular value to laymen (i.e.,
members of the Legion of Mary)
dedicated to visiting the sick
and dying. It is quite conceiv
able that such a card, placed in
the hands of a dying unbeliever,
could occasion that soul’s con
version, and, of course, his sal
vation.
AUTOMOTIVE
HEADQUARTERS
THE MOTOR SUPPLY
COMPANY, INC.
AUGUSTA, Phone 2-4436 — SAVANNAH, Phone 2-4168
BRUNSWICK — Phone 240
THOMPSON MOTOR
SUPPLY CO., INC.
AIKEN, S. C„ Phone 300
WAYCROSS, GA„ Phone 1966
Best Wishes
SAVANNAH
MACHINE &
FOUNDRY
COMPANY
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA
Communions Increase
Since Changes Made
In Eucharistic Fast
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. (NC)
—A survey of religious com
munities which make altar
breads has disclosed that since
the Eucharistic fast was relaxed
in March, 1957, the reception of
Holy Communion has increased
as high as 34.5 per cent.
The survey was made by Wor
ship, the monthly magazine pub
lished here by the Liturgical
Press.
“We appealed to what we
thought the best source of in
formation: religious communi
ties that make altar breads in
the East, Midwest, and West,”
the magazine reported.
“Of eleven of whom we in-
inquired, eight were able to
furnish the figures requested:
for May 1956, 1957, 1958; for
June 1956, 1957, and 1958. Sev
eral of them spontaneously of
fered the figures for Lent 1956,
1957 and 1958 as well.
“We chose the months of May
and June in order to have some
estimate also of the relative de
crease of reception during vaca
tion time. To arrive at fair com
parisons, we asked moreover
that as far as possible the 1957
and 1958 figures be computed
on the basis of the same parish
es that were supplied in 1956.
Here are the results:
“May, 1956, 4,066,353.
“May, 1957, 4,275,032 (an in
crease over 1956 of 5 per cent).
“May, 1958, 4,672,639 (an in
crease over 1956 of 15 per cent).
<f*nt).
“June, 1958, 4.216.627 (an in
crease over 1957 of 30 per cent).
“Lent, 1956, 4,702,547.
“Lent, 1957, 5,701,800 (an in
crease over 1956 of 21.3 per
cent).
“Lent, 1958, 6,357,824 (an in
crease over 1956 of 34.5 per
cent).
RECEIVES
NOMINATION
LA CROSSE, Wis., (NC) —
Father Louis J. Paquette, rec
tor of St. Joseph’s cathedral
here, has been nominated for
national chaplain by the 40th
Wisconsin State American Le
gion convention.
The nomination will be acted
upon at the American Legion
national convention in Minne
apolis in 1960. The Wisconsin
convention makes the choice, of
ficials said, “in recognition of
Father Paquette’s long service
to the armed forces and the
American Legion.”
“June, 1956, 3,246,090.
“June, 1957, 3,749,787 (an in- Man is capable of all things.—
crease over 1956 of 15.5 per Montaigne
THE BULLETIN, August 23, 1958—PAGE 5
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