APPLIED CHRISTIANITY BY JOHN J. HUGO O TEMPLE IN WHICH GOD WAS MADE A PRIEST NIHIL OBSTAT Arthur J. Scanlan, S. T. D. Censor Librorurn. IMPRIMATUR Francis J. Spellman, Archbishop of New York, New York, May 8, 1944. Denis Létourneau, éditeur Québec 1999 “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel and for a sign that shall be contradicted.” – Luke 2, 34 — 5 — APPLIED CHRISTIANITY by Father John J. Hugo “Christianity, even when watered down, is still hot enough to boil the modern world to rags.” -G. K. Chesterton. Privately printed New York, N. Y., 1944 — 6 — — 7 — TO OUR LADY THE QUEEN OF THE MOST HOLY ROSARY WHOSE FIFTEEN MYSTERIES SO MARVELOUSLY EXEMPLIFY AND EPITOMIZE THAT DIVINE PATTERN OF LIVING GIVEN TO US BY HIM WHO SAID: I AM THE WAY AND THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE — 8 — CONTENTS PART ONE: NATURAL AND SUPERNATURAL Chapter I The Two Principles of Activity..............................................................page 13 II The Two Principles of Activity: Application..........................................page 22 III The Harmony Between the Natural and the Supernatural ..................page 29 IV The Conflict Between the Natural and the Supernatural.....................page 36 V The Pagan Mentality .............................................................................page 42 VI The Law of the Flesh .............................................................................page 47 VII Jesus Speaks of the Supernatural Life...................................................page 54 VIII The Christian Mentality........................................................................page 58 IX Christian Perfection ..............................................................................page 61 PART TWO: THE SUPERNATURAL WORLD I The Glory of God: Doctrine...................................................................page 69 II The Glory of God: Application ..............................................................page 22 III The Doctrine of the Samples ................................................................page 76 IV The Doctrine of the Samples Applied...................................................page 81 V The Supreme Dominion of God: Doctrine............................................page 86 VI The Supreme Dominion of God: Application .......................................page 90 VII The Folly of the Cross: Doctrine............................................................page 93 VIII The Folly of the Cross: Application .......................................................page 99 IX Summary and Objections...................................................................page 104 PART THREE: THE SAMPLES I The Love of God ..................................................................................page 109 II The Contempt of the World: Doctrine.................................................page 117 III The Contempt of the World: Application ............................................page 125 IV Forbidden Samples .............................................................................page 130 V Sin........................................................................................................page 138 VI The Remedies for Sin ..........................................................................page 141 VII Hell.......................................................................................................page 146 — 9 — PART FOUR: THE SUPREME DOMINION OF GOD I The Supreme Dominion: God’s Intention...........................................page 150 II The Supreme Dominion in Persons: Blind Instruments ...................page 158 III The Supreme Dominion in Superiors: Obedience .............................page 164 IV Source of God’s Supreme Dominion: The Divine Will.......................page 172 V The Supreme Dominion of God in us: The Human Will....................page 180 PART FIVE: THE FOLLY OF THE CROSS I Almsgiving: The Sowing of External Goods ......................................page 185 II Mortification: The Sowing of Bodily Goods.......................................page 191 III Afflictions: The Sowing of Interior Goods..........................................page 198 IV Death: The Sowing of Everything.......................................................page 202 APPENDICES Appendix I Nature and Grace.................................................................................page 207 II Are Natural Actions Meritorious?.......................................................page 214 III Christian Moderation..........................................................................page 224 — 10 — “If any man will do the will of Him, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” -John 7, 17 — 11 — FOREWORD When anyone publishes a book, it is to be presumed that he has perfected his work so far as he is able. Not so in the present case. I am handing to the printer a manuscript filled with imperfections; and no one could possibly be more fully aware of these imperfections than I am myself. That I am having the manuscript printed nevertheless is due to the fact that I have not at present the leisure to revise it; and yet many persons have urged its publication – persons who say that it has been of help to them even in its present imperfect form, and who, therefore, wish it made available to others. Accordingly, I beg all who read these pages to give freely of their charity. From the start the reader should understand that the book is intended to be no more than an outline, a set of classroom notes, such as is prepared for students to supplement their texts and aid them in surveying and summarizing a given subject matter. Originally these notes were written for a group to whom it was my duty to give religious instruction. I prepared them myself because I know how inadequate, and inaccurate, are the notes taken by students. However crudely written, they quickly spread far beyond the small group for whom they were at first intended; and ever since there has been a constant demand for them. The present edition is put out to satisfy that demand. I hope in the future to have the opportunity, not merely to revise, but to rewrite completely, what is here set down so sketchily. Meanwhile, I trust that even in the present form this outline of the spiritual life will continue to help such as desire to serve God more perfectly. In all that I have written I wish simply to take part, however modestly, in the general apostolate of the Catholic Church. Therefore, my work is submitted humbly and completely to the Church for approval. John J. Hugo. Feast of the Apparition of St. Michael. — 12 — ACKNOWLEDGMENTS For the courtesy of permission to quote from their publications I am indebted to the following publishing houses: St. Anthony’s Guild Press, Paterson, N. J. Burns Oates & Washbourne, Ltd., London. Dodd, Mead & Co., N. Y. E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., N. Y. B. Herder Book Co., St. Louis, Mo. P. J. Kennedy and Sons, N. Y. Newman Bookshop, Westminster, Md. Charles Scribner’s Sons, N. Y. Sheed & Ward, Inc., N. Y. I am grateful also to Professor Jacques Maritain for permission to quote from his writings; to the Provincial of the Redemptorist Fathers, the Very Reverend M. A. Gearin, C.SS.R., for permission to quote from their edition of the works of St. Alphonsus Liguori; and also to Dom Arnold, O.S.B. of Buckfast Abbey, England, for permission to quote from Abandonment to Divine Providence. — 13 — PART I: NATURAL AND SUPERNATURAL Chapter I The Two Principles of Activity In coming to a complete and scientific knowledge of any subject, the first step is analysis, the second synthesis. That is to say, the matter must first be broken down into its component parts, and each one of these studied in its own proper qualities; then the components are considered together, in their mutual bearings on one another. In this way a detailed, accurate, and complete view of a subject is made possible. An example may be found in chemistry. Compounds are there broken down and studied in their simpler elements in order that we may get a fuller knowledge of the compound. Or take another example. The mechanic in mastering a machine studies the separate parts; he takes the machine apart in order that he may the better understand it. Then, enabled thereby to study the functions of the several parts, he reassembles them and now intelligently observes all the parts working together as a unit. In studying the Christian life, it is most useful to follow the same procedure. The Christian is a composite; and, if we are to understand him properly, we must separate the various elements that are found together in him. We may then study the characters and properties of each of these elements; and, finally, considering them once more together, we may the better understand their interrelations and the manner in which they affect one another. In the Christian there is, first of all, human nature. Yet this nature does not exist in simple or pure form. It bears the marks of the Fall; and this is the second fact that we must mark in the Christian. Finally, this nature has been elevated by grace to the supernatural plane. These three things, then, must be distinguished in the Christian: nature; concupis- cence; grace. We must know exactly the implications of each of these in order to understand fully the Christian life. We must know what they are and their bearings on one another. Obviously these three factors exist together in each and every