Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/847

 made of  a woman,  made  under  the  law,  that  He  might  redeem  them that were  under  the  law,  that  we  might  receive  the  adoption  of  sons” (4, 4-5)

In his  Epistle  to  the  Colossians  the  apostle  says:  “We  cease  not to pray  for  you,  that  you  may  give  thanks  to  God  the  Father  who  hath delivered us  from  the  power  of  darkness,  and  hath  translated  us  into the kingdom  of  the  Son  of  His  love, in  whom  we  have  redemption through His  Blood,  the  remission  of  sins: who  is  the  image  of  the  invisible God, the  first-born  of  every  creature. For in  Him  were  all  things  created in heaven  and  on  earth,  visible  and  invisible,  whether  thrones  or  dominations, or  principalities,  or  powers:  all  things  were  created  by  Him and in  Him:  and  He  is  before  all,  and  by  Him  all  things  consist” (1, 13 — 17).  “Beware  lest  any  man  cheat  you  by  philosophy  and  vain deceit, according  to  the  tradition  of  men,  according  to  the  elements  of the  world,  and  not  according  to  Christ. For in  Him  dwelleth  all  the Fulness of  the  Godhead  corporally ” (2,  8.  9).

To the  Philippians  he  writes: “That  in  the  Name  of  Jesus  every  knee should bow,  of  things  that  are  in  heaven,  on  earth,  and  under  the  earth, and that  every  tongue  should  confess  that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  in the  glory  of  God  the  Father" (2,  10,  11).

St. Paul’s  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  begins  by  these  words:  “God who, in  sundry  times  and  in  divers  manners,  spoke  in  times  past  to  the fathers by  the  prophets,  last  of  all  in  these  days  hath  spoken  to  us  by His  Son,  whom  He  hath  appointed  heir  of  all  things,  by  whom  also  He made  the  world. Who, being  the  brightness  of  His  glory,  and  the  figure of His  substance,  and  upholding  all  things  by  the  word  of  His  power, making purgation  of  sins,  sitteth  on  the  right  hand  of  the  majesty  on high”  (1,  1—3).

The Relics  of  the  Saints.  We  give  the  name  of  relics  to  the  bones, or any  objects  that  are  connected  with  the  Saints,  and  we  venerate them, because  God  has  often  worked  miracles  by  them. In the  Old Testament (chapter  LXV)  we  learnt  how  a dead  man  was  raised  to  life by the  bones  of  the  prophet  Eliseus;  and  in  the  chapter  we  have  just read we  are  told  how  the  sick  were  healed,  and  those  who  were possessed by  the  devil  were  delivered  by  the  touch  of  St.  Paul’s handkerchief or  girdle. We must  not  suppose  that  there  lies  in  the relics of  the  Saints  a hidden  virtue  which  works  miracles,  for  it  is  not the relics  themselves  which  work  the  miracles,  but  God  who  works through them,  in  order  to  testify  and  bring  honour  to  the  virtues  and merits of  His  Saints.

St. Paul's  virtues,  and  especially  his  love  for  Jesus.  In  chapter  XCIV we examined  some  of  St.  Paul’s  virtues,  and  especially  admired  his  zeal, fortitude and  humility. The chapter  we  have  just  read  also  shows  us his  indefatigable  zeal,  which  came  from  his  love  of  Jesus. He journeyed about  from  town  to  town,  from  country  to  country,  everywhere