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 some day,  and  that  the  gates  of  the  heavenly  paradise  would  be  thrown open to  them. We can  see  by  this  how  merciful  God  was  even  to fallen  man. “The Lord  is  gracious  and  merciful,  patient  and  plenteous in mercy”  (Ps.  144,  8). God punishes  man  in  mercy,  and  imposes temporal punishments  on  him,  so  as  to  save  his  soul  and  make  him eternally happy.

The penalties  of  sin  are  also  its  remedies. Work,  whether  mental or physical,  keeps  evil  desires  and  passions  at  bay. If men  were  not obliged to  work,  they  would  live  more  in  accordance  with  their  bad passions, and  evil  would  be  rampant. “Idleness hath  taught  much  evil” (Ecclus. 33,  29). Furthermore, if  there  were  no  pain  or  death,  men would sink  into  mere  sensuality,  would  not  trouble  themselves  about eternity, and  would  quite  forget  their  higher  destiny. Sickness and death are  always  preaching  thus  to  us:  “All  earthly  things  pass  away; take heed  for  the  affairs  of  your  soul!”  On  Ash-Wednesday  the  Church reminds us  in  an  especial  manner  that  we  are  but  dust  and  ashes,  and that we  shall  surely  die.

Adam, a type of  Jesus  Christ  (Rom.  5,  14). Adam is  the  father of all  men  according  to  the  flesh;  Jesus  Christ  is  the  spiritual  Father of the  faithful,  for  through  Him  alone  do  they  receive  life. Through Adam sin  and  death  came  to  all  men;  through  Jesus  Christ  we  have received grace  and  eternal  life. Sin and  misery  came  into  the  world by Adam’s  disobedience;  but  our  redemption  has  been  wrought  by Jesus  Christ,  who  became  obedient  even  unto  the  death  of  the  Cross.

Eve, a type of  our  Lady.  Eve  consented  to  sin; Mary  consented to redemption,  by  consenting  to  become  the  mother  of  the  Redeemer. Eve, by  her  sin,  brought  misery  on  mankind;  Mary,  through  her  Son, has brought  salvation. Eve was,  in  a natural  sense,  the  mother  of  the living; Mary  is  so  in  a supernatural  sense.

The Immaculate  Conception. Mary  trampled  under  foot  the  infernal serpent, not  only  by  giving  birth  to  the  divine  Saviour,  but  also  by this,  that  she  was  always  free  from  the  stain  of  sin,  even  of  original sin. Had she,  like  the  rest  of  mankind,  come  into  the  world  with  the stain of  original  sin  on  her,  she  would  have  been,  for  a time,  under the dominion  of  Satan,  and  her  victory  over  him  would  not  have  been complete. Therefore God,  by  a special  grace,  and  in  view  of  the merits of  her  divine  Son,  preserved  her  whom  He  had  chosen  to  be that  Son’s  mother  from  the  taint  of  original  sin.

''Why did  not  God  cast  Adam  and  Eve  straight  into  hell,  as  he  did the fallen  angels?'' Because,  firstly,  their  sin,  grievous  as  it  was,  was not so  great  as  that  of  the  rebellious  angels,  the  angels  being  richer in grace  and  knowledge  than  were  Adam  and  Eve; and  moreover,  the fact of  the  fall  of  these  last  having  been  caused  by  the  deception of Satan,  was  in  some  measure  an  excuse  for  them. Secondly, our