Original

4O1
between them is described first in the opening
"
sentence :
"
If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit.
"
For what things a man shall
And then in the words :
sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in
his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But
he, that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life
"
everlasting. According to Saint Paul, one of the chief
causes of the corruption of the flesh is vain-glory, daugh
ter of pride, and self-conceit or inordinate love
of oneself. This love, in reality, is capable of any mean
ness and causes us to commit all kinds of faults. All
sin springs from pride as from its first cause. The fall of
the rebellious angels and that of Adam in the earthly
Paradise are proofs of this. Vain-glory engenders jea
lousy, gives rise to contentions, violence, all those
uncontrolled impulses which lead to fits of anger.
The effects and the fruits of the Christian spirit, on the
contrary, are humility, meekness, patience, and bearing
with the faults of our neighbour. Further we learn
from Saint Paul that Christian perfection consists in mu
tual assistance. For all Christians, he lays down this
rule of life;
you
"
Bear ye one another s burdens ; and so
shall fulfil the law of Christ.
"
We are indeed all
bearing burdens which are our spiritual failings and
maladies ; like the sick who are gathered together in
one hospital, we must help one another to bear our
burdens, thus we shall fulfil the law of Jesus Christ, for
it is only by observing all the precepts of the Gospel,
most especially the principal one of all which prescribes
the love of God and of our neighbour, that we shall
succeed in mutual forbearance and in aiding one another
in all trials and troubles.
In the Collect of the Mass the Church implores for
her children God s continued mercy and compassion