Choose a topic from Part 2A:
1. Since the ceremonial precepts were instituted by divinewisdom, they were most reasonable means to a necessary end.
2. Worship conducted according to the ceremonial preceptswas partly direct worship of God and partly a prefiguring of Christand his Church.
3. Sacrifice is the highest act of religion. It directsmen's minds to God, to recognize him as creator and lord ofall. It withdraws men from the worship of false gods. According toits importance, sacrificein the Old Law was the most vivid ofall ceremonial proceedings in prefiguring the New Law; it forecastin a striking way the coming of the perfect sacrifice, that of thecross.
4. The very instruments and vestments used in theceremonial service of the Old Law were treated with ceremoniousreverence. Thus were men's minds impressed with the truth thatthe formal worship of God is no routine action of ordinarylife.
5. The sacred things and the purifying preparations (suchas washings, sprinkling with ashes, prescribed anointings, and soforth) were significant both as contributing to the formal worshipof God and to the foreshadowing of Christ.
6. And the observances (clean and unclean foods, specialgarments, planting of divers seeds, etc.) helped to keep the mindsof an easily distracted people employed with truly religiousthoughts, making them aware in all things of their duty to God. Theobservances also prefigured the perfect food of the Eucharist, theperfect garment of grace, and the fruitful works of Christianpenance.
"Let no one wear a mask, otherwise he will do ill; and if he has one, let him burn it."
St Philip Neri
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"A single act of uniformity with the divine will suffices to make a saint."
St Alphonsus de Liguori
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"For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God?"
Thomas á Kempis
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