Council of Catholic Men

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In this episode of Catechism and Bible Study with the Council of Catholic Men, we delve into the teachings of the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, focusing on chapters eight and nine. The discussion centers around the concept of idols and the importance of charity over knowledge, drawing parallels to the story of Saint Isaac Jogues and his interactions with the Iroquois tribe. We emphasize the significance of setting an example through actions and the dangers of letting pride and other vices overshadow one's faith.

Continuing with the theme of spiritual growth, we explore the seven capital sins and their opposing virtues, as outlined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church by St. Peter Canisius. The episode also touches on the historical account of St. Hippolytus and the schism of Novatian, highlighting the importance of unity within the Church. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own spiritual journeys and the role of humility and charity in their lives.

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Welcome to   Catechism and Bible Study with the Council of Catholic Men. Today is August   2025.   My name is Patrick Chanel.   Let's begin with a prayer in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.   Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done upon earth as it is in heaven.   Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses   as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.   Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.   Amen.  

We're going to begin where we left off last time in the Bible,   Douay Rheims version.   The letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, the first letter.   And we're at chapter eight.   Though an idol be nothing,   yet things offered up to idols   are not to be eaten,   for fear of scandal.   Now, concerning those things that are sacrificed to idols,   we know that we all have knowledge.   Knowledge puffed up,   but charity   edifieth.   And if any man think that he knoweth anything,   he hath not yet known   as he ought to know.   But if any man love God,   the same is known by him.  

But as for the meats that are sacrificed to idols,   we know that an idol is nothing in the world,   and that there is no God but one.   For although   there be that are called gods,   either in heaven or on earth,   for there be many gods many and lords many,   Yet to us   there is but one God,   the father   of whom all things,   and we unto him.   And one Lord Jesus Christ,   by whom   are all things,   and we by him.   But there is not knowledge in everyone.   For some until this present,   with conscience   of the idol,   eat as a thing sacrificed   to an idol.   And their conscience   being weak is defiled.  

But meat doth not commend us to God.   For neither if we eat   shall we have the more,   nor   if we eat not shall we have the less.   But take heed lest perhaps   this your liberty   become   a stumbling block to the weak.   For if a man see him that hath knowledge   sit at meat in the idol's temple,   Shall not his conscience,   being weak, be emboldened to eat those things which are sacrificed to idols?   And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish,   for whom Christ hath died?   Now when you sin thus against the brethren   and wound their weak conscience,   you sin against Christ.  

Wherefore,   if meat scandalize my brother,   I will never eat flesh,   lest I should scandalize   my brother.   So,   that's chapter eight. And we're reading this. This is interesting because I'm reading a book at the moment by Francis Talbot, Father Francis Talbot.   He was a Jesuit and he wrote the book in the 1920s.   It's called Saint Isaac Jacques   Saint Among the Mohawks.   And it talks about how   Saint Isaac Jacques   was captured by the Iroquois tribe out near New York,   near   Lake Champlain,   Lake George.   It was,   in the 1600s,   around the 1640s,   I believe.  

And   the,   Iroquois   had a demon god that they would sacrifice   meat to when they went on the hunt.   And Isaac Jox was starving   and   he refused to eat the meat that they offered him that was sacrificed to that demon god that the Iroquois believed would help them in the hunt.   And it was a matter of superstition.   And he   led by example to them   that he would rather   abstain   than to eat that meat even though he really wanted to eat and was starving   at that time. And it was in the middle of winter so he needed, you know, he needed sustenance because he was feeble.   So this this reminds me of that because it says, but as for meats   that are sacrificed to idols we know that an idol is nothing in the world and that there is no God but one.  

Meaning God is the only God. And we call   idols   gods.   And it says, For there there be many gods   and many lords   but There's only one God   even though people make these these idols and they   they Claim to serve them   whatever they are, you know, we have our own idols that we put in front of ourselves that we think are important   and really aren't that important   and for one thing,   our own,   well-being sometimes   is a bit of an idol because   you might have somebody else who's suffering   and in need of your help   and it's a sacrifice   to help them. But it's a good thing to do that to to take from the one idol that you would have given to. Like, whatever you have,   your hobby, whatever it might be,   or your leisure time. And you can give that to some greater good that serves God's purpose and God's commandments.  

To love our neighbor   for his sake. So that's what I get out of this chapter.   And it says, for until this present, with conscience of the idol, eat as a thing sacrificed to an idol and their conscience being weak is defiled.   Which means, for instance, like Saint Isaac,   he saw that   the these,   the Iroquois   were sacrificing to this demon   the meats that they got. And then   because   he didn't eat they started to blame him when the hunt   didn't go their way. Even though it had   nothing to do with him   trying to curse them.   It was   not up to him it's like it's showing them that   magic and these things aren't   aren't what's it what is powerful it's actually God that's powerful those things are they cut that you know the things that God created   like the animals and that sort of thing are governed by him not by some   perceived   idol   so the footnotes on this   it says here,   verse one,   knowledge puffed up.  

So, the scripture   goes,   now concerning those things that are sacrificed to idols,   we know that we all have knowledge,   knowledge puffed up,   but charity   edifieth.   So, the meaning is not,   as libertines would have it, that persons may   do what they will and not sin,   provided   they afterwards   marry.   But that the Father   with regard   to the giving his virgin and Oh wait, Excuse me, I'm reading from last week's. Sorry about that. Now, verse one, sorry, Knowledge puffed up.   Knowledge without charity and humility   serveth only to puff persons up.   Now, verse   I guess, knowledge without charity and humility.  

Meaning,   it's talking about, concerning   sacrifice to idols,   we know that we all have knowledge.   Knowledge puffed up, but charity   edifieth.   So, we have knowledge   of the natural world.   I would take that as if I'm relating it to that story about the Iroquoisian   holding St.   Isaac captive   that we have knowledge   of of how things work. How nature behaves.   So, the Iroquois knew how the animals behaved.   And, they were puffed up in their belief that   Saint Isaac, because he didn't partake of the meats,   they started to blame him when the hunt   the animals to hunt didn't show up like they expected. So they started to be   uncharitable to him. Puffed up with pride and boasting.  

And blaming him for their problems.   Which isn't   charity.   That's   the opposite of charity.   When they have   no idea of what   they're you know.   I mean they have knowledge that   I suppose   knowledge being   knowledge serves only to puff persons up.   They had knowledge of   this thing that they were doing, they were sacrificing to but they didn't have charity   as a consequence of that. So, it doesn't do any good.   Let's move on. Let's move on to the next chapter. Because there's probably more to that and I'm not that good at   describing this   in, regarding the idols and the knowledge and that sort of thing other than there's only one God.  

So what's   to sacrifice   to an idol? To worship?   Idols made of stone, things that we invent ourselves.   Those   don't do us any good.   We have only one God who created us,   And that's God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit,   who gave us   the Word of God in the Bible.   And we have the church to guide us in how we behave toward one another. How we act in charity.   And   this shows us that we take care of our brothers. We take care   of our neighbors. And it's not so much for our own sake   but as for God's sake. Because God said   we should do this.  

It's not for our own   vanity. It's not to make ourselves puffed up and   appear   higher than other people.   To be ourselves, almost an idol. To be worshipped when it's not us   that it's God that created us and He created everyone,   not just us.   So, chapter nine.   The Apostle did not make use of his power of being maintained at the charge of those to whom he preached,   that he might give no hindrance to the gospel,   of running in the race and striving for the mastery.   Am not I free?   Am not I an apostle?   Have not I seen Christ Jesus our Lord?   Are not you my work in the Lord?  

And if unto others I be not an apostle,   but yet to you I am,   for you are the seal of my apostleship   in the Lord,   my defense with them   that do examine me in this,   have not we power to eat and to drink?   Have we not power   to carry about   a woman, a sister,   as well as   the rest of the apostles,   and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?   Or do I   only, and Barnabas,   have not we power to do this?   Who serveth as a soldier at any time at his own charges?   Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof?   Who feedeth the flock,   and eateth not of the milk   of the flock?  

Speak I these things according to man?   Where doth not the law also say these things?   For it is written in the law of Moses,   Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn.   Doth God take care for oxen?   Or doth he say   this indeed for our sakes?   For these things   are written for our sakes,   that he that ploweth   should plow in hope   and he that thrasheth   in hope to receive fruit.   If we have sown unto you spiritual things,   is it a great matter if we reap your carnal things?   If others be partakers   of this power over you,   why not we rather?  

Nevertheless,   we have not used this power,   but we bear all things,   lest we should give any hindrance to the gospel of Christ.   Know you not that they who work in the holy place   eat the things that are of the holy place?   And they that serve the altar   partake with the altar?   So also the Lord ordained   that they who preach the gospel   should live by the gospel.   But I have used none of these things,   neither have I written these things, that they should be so done unto me.   For it is good for me to die   rather than   that any man should make my glory void.   For if I preach the gospel,   it is no glory to me:   for a necessity lieth upon me.  

For woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel.   For if I do this thing willingly,   I have a reward.   But if against my will   a dispensation   is committed to me.   What is my reward then?   That preaching the gospel,   I may deliver the gospel without charge,   that I may that I abuse not my power   in the gospel?   For whereas I was set free as to all,   I made myself   the servant of all,   that I might gain the more.   And I became to the Jews a Jew,   that I might gain the Jews,   to them that are under the law,   as if I were under the law.   Whereas myself   was not under the law,   that   I might gain   them that were under the law.  

To them that were without the law, as if I were without the law.   Whereas I was not without the law of God,   but was in the law of Christ,   that I might gain them   that were without the law.   To the weak I became weak,   that I might gain the weak.   I became all things to all men, that I might save all.   And I do all things for the gospel's sake,   that I may be made partaker thereof.   Know you not   that they that run-in   the race   all run indeed,   but one receiveth the prize?   So run that you may obtain.   And every one that striveth for the mastery,   refraineth   himself   from all things.  

And they indeed,   that they may receive a corruptible crown,   but we an incorruptible   one.   I therefore so run, not as at an uncertainty,   I so fight,   not as one beating the air.   But I chastise my body   and bring it into subjection.   Lest perhaps,   when I   have preached to others,   I myself   should become a castaway.   And that ends chapter nine   of the first letter to Corinthians by St. Paul.   And, I think   what he's saying here   relates back to what I was reading about St. Isaac Jacques being held captive by the Iroquois,   who had captured him and tortured him, cut off his thumb and his fingers.   And they held him as a slave.  

And they gradually, through his example,   came to become friendly toward him.   And took pity on him. And, and he made friends and allies among   the Iroquois.   And, it was   mostly through his,   his lack of violence against them.   They, they beat him and tortured him. And he had opportunities   to fight back, and he didn't fight back. He rather became a slave and a servant to them   and didn't go after them   in a way that   is unlawful   according to God's law. And that's what I think   when it talks about,   verse 20 of this,   when I, and I became to the Jews a Jew that I might gain the Jews.   He's saying there that in order to win them over,   he accepted those things and those customs that they may have done   that weren't   worthy of punishment from God   for being a bad thing.  

You accept those things that God   provided,   them.   He became like them in order to win them over. In order to understand them. Just like   the Jesuits,   like Fr. Isaac,   St. Isaac.   He went to the New World from France and came to America.   And lived among   the different tribes. The Huron and the Iroquois.   And   they treated him badly   at first and then they became   his friends. And   he started making converts among them to   Christianity   to teach them about Jesus   and the gospel.   And he did that   not by   his words that he knew in French language. He actually   studied their language   to understand them so that he could hold a conversation with them. So, that's part of becoming a Jew.  

Becoming to the Jews a Jew that I might gain the Jews. It's learning their language in order   to better understand them. And also   for them to better understand Him.   And that's   why to them that are under the law, as if I were under the law,   whereas myself was not under the law.   Meaning,   becoming   under the Iroquois law   as   if St. Isaac was under the Iroquois law,   but he was not bound by the Iroquois law. It says, that I might gain them   that were under the law.   To them that were without the law, as if I were without the law. Whereas   I was not without the law of God.  

There it says, whereas I was not without the law of God, but was in the law of Christ,   that I might gain them that were without the law. And that's what St. Isaac did, is he   tolerated   and followed their customs   insofar as   it was acceptable to God,   not worrying   about whether it was acceptable to them.   He would do things like,   do the sign of the cross where he put your fingers   on your forehead,   and then you move your hand down   to your   abdomen.   And then you raise your   hand up to your shoulder and then you move it to the other shoulder.   The sign of the cross. And they didn't like it. But he did it anyway. And he suffered for it.  

And his friend   that was with him actually died because of it.   Because the Dutch,   East East India or West India Company   had   they were,   I believe they were the Dutch   Calvinists I want to say   that taught the the Iroquois who they did trading with they gave the Iroquois muskets and things and they told them that   the Catholics   when they made the sign of the cross   were doing something wicked and cursing them.   And as a consequence   one of the Indians   saw   Father St. Isaac's   friend make the sign of the cross teaching a young Iroquois child   how to make the sign of the cross. And as a consequence, he told braves to kill him because he thought that he would curse his son.  

And he ended up dying. He's one of the first martyrs in the New World   from the French.   From Jesuits.   So, let's go to the footnotes.   Footnotes for chapter nine,   verse five, a woman, a sister.   So verse five goes,   Have we not power to carry about   a woman, a sister, as well as the rest of the apostles   and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas.   So, it says here,   Some erroneous   translators have corrupted this text by rendering it a sister, a wife,   Whereas,   it is certain St. Paul had no wife,   if you look at chapter seven, verses seven and eight,   and that he only speaks of such devout women   as, according to the custom   of the Jewish nation, waited upon the preachers of the gospel   and supplied them with necessities.  

Or no, excuse me, verse 16,   It is no glory.   Verse 16,   For if I preach the gospel,   it is no glory to me.   For a necessity lieth upon me: for woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel.   That is, I have nothing to glory of.   Verse   27,   I chastise.   Verse 27,   But I chastise my body and bring it into subjection,   lest perhaps when I have preached to others, I myself should   become a castaway.   So, verse 27.   Here St. Paul shows the necessity of self denial and mortification   to subdue the flesh and its inordinate   desires.   So,   the takeaway   from this chapter   following   chapter eight,   which talked about the idols   that people serve   and how we shouldn't eat the meats that were offered up to idols.  

It's a sacrifice for the sake of other people   to set an example   by our actions.   And that's what we do   as Christians   is we   run the race. We run as if we're going to win the race.   We don't   become lazy and say, Well, I'll let somebody else do it.   We act like, like it says, we carry a woman and a sister   as well as the rest of the apostles. It's like we serve one another. Like the women,   the holy women did the apostles, they helped them   in their time of need.   And we   we give them food, we give them drink.   Just like   eventually   the   Iroquois,   even though   Father Isaac,   or Saint Isaac,   wouldn't eat the food,   they knew he was going to starve to death and they had pity on him   and gave him food to eat, gave him corn.  

And he lived as a consequence.   Even though   they still mistreated him.   But eventually   as time went on there were actually saints that came out of the Iroquois. Like the first Native American saint   was an Iroquois   maiden. Her name was Saint   Katharitaka   Twitha, I think is her name. I might be pronouncing that wrong. But,   that was the first Native American   Native American to be declared a saint   in the Catholic Church was in Iroquois.   The same tribe   that caused him to become a martyr caused the first martyrs   of   the new,   New France as it was called where Canada and New York are   and into the Great Lake areas   so   I think I'm gonna move on to the Catechism   because we were about halfway through maybe a couple minutes to halfway through   And we're reading about sin.  

And I'm reading from the Catholic   catechism   the Catechism of the Catholic Church by   St. Peter Canisius.   It was the first printed   catechism.   And,   aside from the Bible,   in the Dutch language,   this catechism   is the most   published and,   and sold book in the Dutch language.   And he was a Jesuit as well.   And it was after the Protestant   revolt.   There were, the Jesuits came and,   and,   were the counter to the revolt.   To bring people back to the church that had left the church.   So that let's pray that   all of   our Protestant brothers and sisters that are baptized   because they're our brothers and sisters because through baptism they become Christians   that they return to the Catholic Church.  

And the best way to do that is through confession.   But we covered that before, so if you want to listen about confession,   go go back to the podcasts and   and listen to the recordings that I made about confession   in the Catechism.   But now, we're going to talk about the seven capital sins,   which we call the seven deadly sins.   So question 141:   Which are the sins that are especially to be noted?   Truly,   those that are called capital,   because they are, as it were,   the fountains   or heads   of all the rest,   and out of which,   as out of a corrupted root,   very pestilent fruits do spring,   and,   as it were,   by a long race,   all kind of vices,   turpitude,   scandals,   harms,   corruptions,   and mischiefs of mankind   do descend,   and break out with great violence.  

Question 142:   How many such capital sins are there?   Seven.   Which are numbered in this manner:   Pride,   Covetousness,   lechery,   envy,   gluttony,   anger,   sloth.   But as these are ever to be detested   and eschewed,   so the seven virtues opposite unto these vices are to be followed with very great diligence and affection,   if we seek the life of our soul.   To pride   is contrary,   humility   to covetousness,   liberality   To lechery,   chastity.   Charity   appungeth   evil.   Or, excuse me, envy.   Charity appungeneth   envy.   Abstinence   is opposite to gluttony.   Patience   to anger.  

Finally,   devotion   or godly diligence,   and diligent   piety   expeleth   sloth.   Question 143:   What is pride,   and what daughters   doth she beget?   Pride is an inordinate   appetite of excellency,   whether it lurk in the mind   or appear in outward show.   She certains   in is the mother,   prince, and queen of all vices,   which principally beguetteth this unhappy offspring:   disobedience,   boasting,   hypocrisy,   contention,   pertinacity,   discord,   curiosity,   and to the intent that we might avoid this most   pestiferous   sin,   holy Tobit   Tobit giveth warning in this manner:   Do thou never permit pride to bear rule   in thy thought or in thy word.  

For in it all perdition took the beginning.   For this cause, it is that   apostolic doctrine,   God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble.   Yea, and if we believe, Ecclesiasticus.   Pride is hateful before God and men.   God hath dried up the roots of proud nations   and hath planted the humble out of those nations.   Why therefore art thou proud,   thou dust and ashes?   Question one forty four.   What is covetousness,   and of what manner of daughters   is she the mother?   Covetousness   is an inordinate   appetite of having.   For he is rightly deemed covetous,   not only that taketh by violence,   but also that desireth another man's, or covetously   keepeth his own.  

The daughters of this bad mother are treason,   fraud,   fallacy,   perjury,   disquietousness,   disquietness,   violence,   unmercifulness,   or inhumanity,   and hardness of heart.   The apostle condemneth   this vice   so as he hath called it the service of idols.   And besides, writeeth thus,   they that will be made rich fall into temptation,   and the snare of the devil.   And many desires   unprofitable   and hurtful,   which drown men   into destruction   and perdition.   For the root of all evils is covetousness.   And in another place we find it written:   Nothing is more wicked than a covetous man.  

Also,   nothing is more unjust   than to love money:   for this man setteth his very soul to sail.   And Christ himself testifieth,   You cannot serve God and mammon.   And again,   Be not careful for tomorrow.   Which St. Paul also more expressly delivering   giveth this admonition.   Let your manners be without avarice,   contented with things present.   For he said,   I will not leave thee,   neither will I forsake thee.   So that we do confidently say,   'Our Lord is my helper.'   Having food and wherewith to be covered,   with these we are   content. What is lechery?   Question 145,   What is lechery?  

And what manner of offspring doth it engender?   Leccere   is an inordinate   appetite of unclean   and libidinous   pleasure.   This is also called lust.   That's me saying that.   And it bringeth forth   blindness of mind,   inconsideration,   inconsistency,   incontinence,   headlongness,   love of himself,   hatred   of God,   too much desire of this life,   a horror of death and future judgment,   and desperation   of eternal felicity.   Against this sin,   which maketh the wise mad, and causeth men to become in manner beasts.   Thus writeth St. Paul,   Fly fornication.   Every sin whatsoever a man doth is without the body.  

But if but he that doth fornicate sinneth against his own body.   And in another place, this   fornication   and all uncleanness,   or avarice,   let it not so much be named among you,   as becometh saints,   or filthiness,   or foolish talk.   Which   also is called utripalea in Greek.   Foolish talk.   Or, scurility,   being to no purpose,   but rather giving of thanks.   So, giving thanks becometh saints.   And it is a wonderful thing that Christians   are not marvelously   ashamed   who do pollute themselves with filthy lust in the sight of God and His   angels   whereas   they have consecrated   in baptism their bodies and members,   as pure temples to the Holy Ghost   and to Christ our Lord.  

Hereupon again saith Saint Paul,   know you not that your members are the temple of the Holy Ghost,   which is in you,   whom   you have of God,   and you are not your own.   Then again,   Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ,   Taking therefore   the members of Christ,   shall I make them the members of a harlot?   And finally,   he concludeth in this sort,   For you are bought   with a great price.   Glorify   and bear God   in your body,   for   fornicators   and adulterers   God will judge.   Question 146:   What is envy, and what daughters doth she bring forth?   Envy   is a sadness for the good of another,   and a hatred   of another man's felicity,   in respect of superiors,   because   he is not made equal unto them,   and in respect of inferiors,   lest they should be made equal unto him,   and in respect of equals,   because they are equal unto Him,   as St. Augustine saith:   And she hath   to her daughters   hatred,   whispering,   detraction,   exalting in other men's   adversities,   and affliction   in their prosperity.  

Cain is read to have envied Abel,   his own   brother,   and Saul to have envied David,   the designed king,   his son-in-law.   This abominable   vice,   besides that   it is void of all charity and humanity,   it also maketh men most like unto devils.   For by the envy of the devil death entered into the world,   and they do   imitate him   which   are of his part.   Well,   therefore,   doth the Apostle give warning?   Let us not be made desirous of vainglory,   provoking one another,   envying one another.   Question 147.   What is gluttony?   And which are her daughters?   Gluttony   is an inordinate   appetite of meat and drink.  

Her daughters are foolish mirth,   much talk,   screwility,   uncleanness,   dullness of sense, and understanding.   And what is more foul and unseemly   than that a man   should be inferior to beasts,   which are content with a certain natural moderation.   Whilst he maketh himself a slave to his belly,   to surfeiting   and   drunkenness,   consuming his goods,   hurting his health,   bringing on diseases,   and finally   shortening and cutting off his own life.   For it is a very true saying,   By means of surfeiting   many have died,   but he that is abstinent   shall increase life.  

Again, In much meat   there shall be infirmity.   Therefore   Christ commandeth,   Look well to yourselves,   lest perhaps your hearts be overcharged   with surfeiting   and drunkenness.   And Saint Paul, dissuading us from drunkenness, saith,   Be not drunk with wine,   wherein is riotousness.   Drunkards   shall not possess the kingdom of God.   And hence,   is it also   that the prophet giveth such a heavy threat unto drunkards?   Woe to you that are mighty to drink wine,   and strong men to mingle drunkenness.   Question 148:   What is anger, and what offspring   hath she?  

Anger   is an inordinate desire of punishing   him   by whom a man supposeth   that he hath been harmed.   There doth spring from her   these detestable   daughters:   brawling,   swelling of the mind,   contumeles,   clamor,   disdainfulness,   and blasphemy.   This is a pernicious poison of the mind,   overthrowing   all vigor of judgment and wisdom,   and impairing the health of the mind,   yea, and oftentimes also of the body.   For which cause hath Ecclesiastes   given warning?   Be not thou swift to be angry,   for anger resteth in the bosom of a fool.   And the doctor of the Gentiles hath given charge.   Let all bitterness   and anger   and indignation,   clamor and blasphemy,   be taken away from you with all malice.  

And be gentle to one another.   Merciful,   pardoning one to another,   as also God in Christ hath pardoned you.   But against angry,   contentious,   and contemptuous   persons,   that dreadful sentence of Christ is already pronounced.   Whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of judgment.   And whosoever   shall say to his brother,   'Raca,'   shall be in danger of a council.   And whosoever   shall say,   'Thou fool,'   shall be guilty of Hell fire.   Question 149:   What is sloth,   and   which be her branches?   Sloth   is a languishing   of a mind that is slack   and negligent to do well,   and specially   it is a sadness about some spiritual matter.  

She bringeth forth these daughters   malice,   rancor,   po solemnity,   desperation,   dullness,   about the necessity   the necessary commandments,   and a wandering of the mind about things unlawful.   Of this sin are those men guilty   that are idle,   lither,   and, as the Scripture calleth them,   lukewarm.   And finally, everyone   that doth pass over this time of grace and day of salvation in vain affairs and endeavors.   And the end of this sin is that which Christ teacheth in the gospel.   Every tree which yieldeth not good fruit shall be cut down,   and shall be cast into the fire.  

And in another place,   the unprofitable   servant   cast ye out into the utter darkness.   Neither hath he omitted to tell us what in the mean season he would have us to do,   that we may eschew sloth,   saying,   'Take heed,   watch and pray,   for you know not when the time is.   Strive to enter   by the narrow gate.   Because many, I   say to you, shall seek to enter   and shall not be able.   These things we have briefly touched   to the intent that they which are not already taught the ways of justice   may not only know and discern the chief diseases   and detestable plagues of mankind   which we have showed,   but also endeavor according   to the prescript of God's law, to abandon from themselves and others,   and utterly to expel the same.  

Happy is that man which hath not walked in the counsel of the wicked,   and hath not stood in the way of sinners,   and hath not sit in the chair of pestilence.   As the kingly psalmist   singeth,   notifying   unto us the first part of justice and happiness   in the front   of His first canticle.   So, I'm going to stop there.   We're going to read next week   of alien sins, and what sins are called alien sins.   Which is   not our own sins but the sins of other people   and our responsibility   in correcting other people   that we notice our sinning   so I'm gonna switch now we're gonna go to   the book by Saint Alphonsus dei Liguori victories of the martyrs are the lives of the most celebrated martyrs of the church   and today is August 12   Excuse me, August 13.  

And we're gonna read from chapter   let's see 68.   St.   Hippolytus,   priest,   August 13.   St. Hippolytus   was one of the five   Roman priests   that had the misfortune to be implicated in the Schism of Novatium,   who, renouncing his obedience to Pope Cornelius,   had the rashness to have himself   surreptitiously   consecrated Bishop of Rome.   God, however,   granted   to Hippolytus   the grace to expiate this fault by a glorious martyrdom,   which he suffered under   Decius   in the year   February.   He had already imprisoned with others for the faith,   And the prefect of Rome, who had to pass sentence upon him,   was at Ostia,   whither he caused all the Christian prisoners to be brought.  

As Hippolytus   was being led out,   the people asked   him, Who was the real pope?   He replied,   Fly   from the unworthy   Novatian,   abhor the schism,   and adhere to the Catholic Church.   I now see things in a different light   and repent of what I once taught.   Upon the arrival of the confessors at Ostia,   the prefect caused some of them to be tortured.   And finding that this availed nothing,   he condemned them all to death.   Being informed, however,   that our saint was chief   amongst the Christians,   he inquired his name.   And being told   that he was called   Hippolytus,   the prefect said,   Then let him die the death of Hippolytus,   and be dragged by wild horses.  

By this sentence,   he referred to the fabled personage   who,   falling from his chariot,   became entangled in the harness, and being dragged along by the horses,   was torn to pieces.   The executioners   accordingly led out two wild horses,   and tying them together   placed a long rope between them,   to the end of which they attached the martyr's feet.   They then frightened the horses away with shouts and blows.   Whereupon the saint was heard to say,   oh Lord,   let my body be torn,   but save my soul.   The horses dragged him over rocks and hedges,   leaving the entire way sprinkled with his blood,   and his torn flesh and limbs   scattered about.  

These the faithful diligently   collected   and absorbed his blood in sponges,   the relics of this saint,   as Prudentius writes,   were afterwards   brought to Rome   where they were held in great veneration.   I'm gonna read from a footnote about   St. Hippolytus,   about this schism that took place.   This is the footnote   about Novatian.   The ambition,   turbulence, and hypocrisy   of this wretched man are portrayed at length by flurry.   He had been a stoic philosopher   and had gained some reputation by his eloquence.   But being possessed by a devil,   he was relieved   by a Christian exorcist,   and whereupon   embraced   the faith.  

He, however, continued   a catechumen   until he was overtaken by a dangerous   illness   when he received baptism in bed.   The church condemned   the lukewarmness   of those   who would so defer their baptism   by refusing to admit them to holy   orders.   Yet,   did this hypocrite   so ingratiate   himself   with his bishop   as to be ordained priest.   That's actually a law in the Catholic canon law, that someone who is possessed by the devil,   and as it says he was here,   can't be ordained a priest.   I know that by reading the Code of Canon Law.   I let's see.   Notwithstanding   that the entire body of the clergy and many of the laity requested the bishop not to lay hands upon him.  

Novatiyan   soon proved their distrust of him to be,   but too well founded   for the persecution   coming on, he shut himself up in his house.   And when the deacons called upon him for the discharge of his priestly   functions,   he flew in a passion   and exclaimed that he would no longer discharge any clerical duty,   as he desired to practice another kind of philosophy.   Having thus manifested his cowardice   and want of zeal,   he next   showed his turbulent   spirit in opposing and endeavoring   to bring   discredit upon his superiors.   To this end,   he became most rigid and complained that the bishops   were too easy in admitting those who had   offered sacrifice   to a reconciliation   with the church.  

And that they were thereby guilty of a most criminal relaxation of discipline.   He was not only   encouraged and abetted in establishing an open schism at Rome by the turbulent and wicked Novatus,   but by his hypocrisy,   his cunning and his desperate   calumny   of St.   Cornelius,   he deceived many well meaning and incautious persons,   among whom were St. Hippolytus   and some others who had   actually   been confessed of the faith.   These, however, were quickly   disabused,   with the exception   of Evaristus   and Nicostratus,   who obstinately   persevered in their errors.  

By the most nefarious means, he seduced three bishops to Rome   and obtained from them the Episcopal Consecration,   thus making himself   the first   anti pope.   He wrote to the different churches   in the quality   of chief pastor,   which caused much uneasiness   to the distant bishops   and congregations,   As they thought,   on the one hand,   that an imposter   could not be favored by ecclesiastics   of imminent sanctity.   And on the other,   they doubted the truth of his assertations   regarding the   irregularity   of the appointment of Pope Cornelius.   But the veil of hypocrisy   and cheat under which the schismatic endeavored to conceal himself was too thin not to be seen through by the intelligent and penetrating Bishop of Alexandria,   Saint Dionysius,   who having received from him a formal notice of his appointment,   sent him the following answer:   You inform me that you were raised to this dignity very much against your inclination.  

You will, therefore, be the more willing to resign it.   This you should do, rather than allow a schism to continue in the church. And for doing so, you shall deserve and receive   commendation.   But should persecution be the consequence of your resignation,   know that it will be a more glorious martyrdom   than to die for the faith.   Because by the latter a person provides only for his own soul,   while he who maintains the unity of the church consults for the salvation of many.   His holy bishop and Saint Cyprian were of great assistance to the pope in crushing the schism.   The wretched Novatian   afterwards added heresy to his other crimes   by teaching that the church had not the power of forgiving certain sins.  

But that apostates,   murderers, etcetera,   should be left to the mercy of God without being reconciled to the Church,   no matter what penance they might perform.   This doctrine being condemned by the Church,   he was followed only by a few   in giving communion to whom he used to administer   a most horrid oath   that they   never would abandon him to return to Cornelius.   The history of this schism   has been given more at length   than the dimensions of a note would seem to authorize,   Not only in on account of its importance,   but because   it is a tolerably   fair sample of the motives that influence the authors of heresy and schism,   as well as of the means by which they are propagated.  

So, let's end this   Bible study and catechism,   the Council of Catholic Men. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.   Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.   Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners   now and at the hour of our death. Amen.   In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.   Today is Wednesday, 08/13/2025.   This has been the Council of Catholic Men   Catechism and Bible Study.   Thank you all and God bless you. I am Patrick Chanel.  

Thank you.