praying at all times in the spirit; and in the same, watching with all instance and supplication for all the Saints" (Eph. vi. 18): Writing to the Thessalonians, the Saint says: "Brethren, pray for me" (1 Thes. v. 25). One text more. St. Paul to the Philippians says: "For I know that this shall fall out unto my salvation through your prayers (Phil. i. 19). Here St. Paul, in the clearest terms, craves, covets, and values the prayers of his brethren. Now, if God's Servants on earth, surrounded, as they are, with all the frailties to which flesh is heir to, can help and aid us, as St. Paul teaches us that they can, by their prayers, how much more the Saints who reign with God in glory.

That God shows mercy to sinners, through the prayers of His Servants on earth, is clearly proved from the following passage from holy Job: God said to Job's friends: My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends, because you have not spoken the thing that is right before me, as my servant Job hath. Take unto you therefore seven oxen and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer for yourselves a holocaust: and my servant Job shall pray for you: his face I will accept, that folly be not imputed to you: for you have not spoken right things

before me, as my servant Job hath. So Eliphaz, the Themanite and Baldad the Suhite, and Sophar the Naamathite went, and did as the Lord had spoken to them, and the Lord accepted the face of Job. The Lord also was turned at the penance of Job, when he prayed for his friends" (Job, xlii. 7-10).

We might quote many other texts to show how often the prayers of the Patriarchs and Prophets, and especially those of the prayers of Moses, obtained mercy and pardon from God for their faithless and sinful people.

Now, if it be lawful and profitable, and the word of God clearly proves it to be so, to ask the prayers of God's Servants on earth, how much more so must it be to desire and to obtain the prayers of those who reign with God in glory? If mortal man, who on earth "falls seven times," can pray for, and help his fellow-creature, how much more the soul that, in the Beatific Vision, sees God

face to face." If the soul of man, confined within the prison of the body, fettered and chained down by the corrupt frailties of human nature; and, moreover, sullied in the sight of God by so many lesser stains and sins, which no man during this life can avoid, yet can nevertheless pray for and help the

sinful, is it not just and reasonable to believe that that soul when released from the prison of the body, freed from all human frailty, clothed with immortality, illumined by the glory of Paradise, absorbed, so to speak, in the infinite ocean of God's sanctity and loveliness, and thus become pure and holier in the eyes of God, has far more power to help those she prayes for on earth?

But Protestants will say, that to ask the prayers of the Saints is injurious to the merits of Christ as our sole Mediator. Now, they must admit that it is lawful to ask the prayers of the living; and if the prayers of the Servants of God on earth detract not from the merits of the Redeemer, how can the Intercession of the Saints in heaven be injurious to Christ as our sole Mediator? Did St. John sin against the merits of Christ when he prayed for "grace" and "peace " "from the seven spirits" that stand before the throne of God? Did St. Paul detract from the merits of Christ when he so often asked the prayers of his brethren? the contrary, it redounds to the merits of Christ; for the prayers of the Saints derive all their efficacy from the merits of Jesus Christ alone, as our sole Mediator.

On

Protestants yet reply, and say, the Angels

and Saints cannot and do not know what is passing on earth, and have no concern with the affairs of men.

It requires no very heavy artillery to storm this last fortress. Our Blessed Saviour tells us, "there shall be joy before the Angels of God upon one sinner doing penance" (Luke, xv. 10). Now, penance or conversion is an interior act of the soul; how could the Angels rejoice at the conversion of sinners unless they knew what passes in the hearts of men? St. John says, "Another Angel came and stood before the altar, having a golden censer and there was given to him much incense that he should offer up the prayers of all the Saints upon the golden altar, which is before the throne of God" (Apoc. viii. 3). Prayer is an act of the soul; how could the Angel "offer up the prayers of all the Saints," if he did not know them? Hence it is clear that the Angels know what passes in the souls of men.

We shall cite only one text more out of the many. The rich glutton in hell said to Abraham, "Then, father, I beseech thee that thou wouldst send him (Lazarus) to my father's house, for I have five brethren. That he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torments. And

Abraham said to him: They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them" (Luke, xvi. 27).

From this it is clear that Abraham, though dead several hundred years, knew all about Moses, the Prophets, their writings; and hence all that was passing on earth. Therefore, from the inspired word of God, we must conclude that the Saints and Angels take an interest in the affairs of men, and know our secret thoughts and acts.

'Angels, Archangels," sings Holy Church, "Thrones and Dominations, Principalities and Powers, Virtues, Cherubim and Seraphim, Patriarchs and Prophets, holy Doctors of the law, Apostles, all ye Martyrs of Christ, holy Confessors, Virgins of the Lord, Anchorites, and all Saints, intercede for us" (Brev.).

SECTION V.

Tradition on the Invocation of Saints.

The Tradition of the Church, from the earliest ages, proves to demonstration the Catholic doctrine of the Invocation and Intercession of the Saints. We have before us such abundance of material, what the