Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/124

 great care  and  fidelity. But Laban  tried,  by  various  unjust  means, to withhold  from  Jacob  a part  of  the  hire  to  which  he  was  justly entitled. Nevertheless, God  blessed  Jacob,  and  he  became  rich  in flocks,  and  herds,  and  servants.

All good  things  come  from  God. When  Jacob  made  his  vow,  he did  not  say:  “Of  all  things  that  I shall  gain  I will  offer  tithes  to  Thee”, but: “of  all  things  that  Thou  shalt  give  me”. By these  words  the holy servant  of  God  expressed  his  conviction  that  any  riches  or  possessions which  he  might  acquire,  would  all  be  a gift  from  God. Every true believer  in  God  ought  to  say  thus:  “From  Thee,  O God,  comes every gift. I thank Thee  for  what  I am,  and  what  I have.”

The fourth  promise  of  the  Messias.  The  promise  of  the  Redeemer was made  to  Jacob  in  these  words:  “In  thy  seed  shall  all  the  tribes  of  the earth be  blessed”,  i.  e.  by  one  of  your  descendants  shall  grace  and  blessings be brought  to  all  mankind. This Descendant  of  Jacob  is  Jesus  Christ.

Our holy  Guardian  Angels.  What  does  the  heavenly  ladder  signify? Do the  holy  angels  require  a ladder,  by  which  to  ascend  into  heaven and descend  to  the  earth ? No 1 for  they  can  pass  to  and  from  heaven with the  swiftness  of  thought. God made  this  heavenly  ladder  to  appear to Jacob  so  that  he  might  understand  that  he  was  not  forsaken;  and that the  holy  angels  had  him  in  sight,  took  his  prayers  and  good  works to the  throne  of  God,  and  returned  to  earth  in  order  to  stand  by  him and protect  him. The angels  help  us  in  the  same  way,  being,  as St  Paul  tells  us,  “ministering  spirits,  sent  to  minister  to  them  who  shall receive the  inheritance  of  salvation”  (Hebr.  1,  14). “That which  Almighty God  showed  visibly  to  Jacob  for  his  comfort,  takes  place  continually, in  an  invisible  manner,  with  those  whom  God  loves. Day and night,  even  when  they  are  asleep,  God  looks  down  on  them,  well pleased, and  has  given  His  angels  to  them  to  be  their  guardians. These holy angels  ascend  and  descend  the  heavenly  ladder. They ascend  to carry  the  sighs  and  prayers  of  the  just,  to  offer  them  as  fragrant  incense before the  throne  of  God;  they  descend  to  bring  back  to  them  help, strength and  consolation  from  above”  (Overberg). See Old  Test. LXIX, where the  Archangel  Raphael  says  to  Tobias:  “When  thou  didst  pray with tears,  and  didst  bury  the  dead,  I offered  thy  prayer  to  the  Lord.” The holy  angels  are,  therefore,  ever  working  for  our  good.

Every Catholic  church  is  a house  of  God  and  a gate  of  heaven.  The words of  Jacob:  “How  terrible  is  this  place! This is  no  other  but  the house of  God,  and  the  gate  of  heaven!”  apply  to  every  Catholic  church still more  than  they  applied  to  Bethel. For every  Catholic  church  is, in very  deed,  a house  of  God,  because  every  day,  in  the  holy  sacrifice of the  Mass,  our  Divine  Saviour  descends  on  the  altar,  is  there  present