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 three centuries,  have  died  as  witnesses  for  the  faith. In the  course  of the  centuries  of  the  Christian  era  13,000,000  martyrs  have  attested  with their life  blood  the  truth  of  the  Catholic  faith. Could there  exist  a greater  or  more  incontestable  witness  to  the  truth?

The red  vestments  used  on  the  feasts  of  the  apostles  and  martyrs ought to  remind  us  how  they  gave  their  life  and  blood  for  love of Jesus.

The Growth  of  the  Church.  When  the  apostles  died,  a multitude of believers  already  existed  in  the  various  countries  of  the  then  known world, extending  from  India  on  the  one  side  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean  on the  other,  and  from  the  Upper  Nile  to  the  Danube.

Holy Scripture  was  written  under  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost, Who put  into  the  minds  of  the  apostles  and  their  disciples  that  which they wrote  down  in  the  sacred  books. When the  Holy  Scriptures  of the  New  Testament  were  written,  our  Blessed  Lord  partly  fulfilled  His promise: “The  Paraclete,  the  Holy  Ghost,  whom  the  Father  will  send in My  name,  He  will  teach  you  all  things,  and  bring  all  things  to  your mind, whatsoever  I shall  have  said  to  you"  (see  chapter  LXVIII).

The Holy  Scriptures  and  the  Teaching  of  the  Church. 1. Before any of  the  New  Testament  Scriptures  existed,  there  were  a great  many Christians in  Judaea,  Samaria  and  the  pagan  world,  for  the  Christian faith was  not  spread  by  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  but  by  the  living word and  teaching  of  the  apostles  and  their  disciples,  or,  in  other  words, by the  Church  as  a teacher. 2. If  the  infallible  Church  were  not  at hand  to  enlighten  us,  we  could  not  know  for  certain  what  books  belong to the  inspired  Scriptures,  nor  could  we  be  sure  that  the  Bible,  as  we have  it,  is  complete  and  unfalsified. S. Augustine  says:  “I  would  not believe the  Gospel  itself,  were  I not  directed  thereto  by  the  authority of the  Catholic  Church.”  3. That Church  alone  in  which  the  Holy Ghost dwells  can  interpret  the  true  meaning  of  the  Scriptures. 4. Holy Scripture contains  only  a portion  of  the  Christian  revelation,  for  we know  that  the  apostles  did  not  write  down  everything  that  they  taught. Therefore, the  Scriptures  are  not  the  only  source  of  faith,  for  there exists another  alongside  of  it,  namely  the  Tradition  of  the  Church. From these two  sources,  Scripture  and  Tradition,  the  Church  draws  the  doctrines of Christianity,  and  delivers  them  to  us  for  our  acceptance.

Let us  admire  and  venerate  the  holy  apostles, for they  were  the  friends  of  God,  the  truest  benefactors  of  mankind, and the  greatest,  noblest  and  most  devoted  men  who  have  ever lived. They accomplished  a gigantic  work,  since  as  God’s  messengers they  converted  the  world,  and  laid  the  foundation  for  the raising and  renovating  of  mankind. In spite  of  danger,  persecution, and suffering  they  accomplished  the  great  work  which  their  Master had given  them  to  do,  and  remained  true  to  their  calling  even