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Choose a topic from Part 3a:

• The Incarnation
• Our Blessed Lady
• Our Lord Jesus Christ
  • 31. Our Lord's Body
  • 32. The Conception of Christ
  • 33. The Mode of Our Lord's Conception
  • 34. The Perfection of Our Lord Before His Birth
  • 35. The Nativity of Christ
  • 36. The Manifestation of the New-Born Christ
  • 37. Legal Observances Regarding the Christ Child
  • 38. The Baptism of St. John the Baptist
  • 39. The Baptizing of Christ by St. John the Baptist
  • 40. Our Lord's Life
  • 41. The Temptation in the Desert
  • 42. The Preaching of Christ
  • 43. The Miracles of Christ: In General
  • 44. Miracles of Christ: In Particular
  • 45. The Transfiguration
  • 46. The Passion of Christ
  • 47. The Effecting Cause of the Passion
  • 48. The Efficacy of the Passion of Christ
  • 49. Actual Effects of the Passion of Christ
  • 50. The Death of Our Lord
  • 51. The Burial of Our Lord
  • 52. The Descent Into Hell
  • 53. The Resurrection
  • 54. The Risen Christ
  • 55. The Manifestation of the Risen Christ
  • 56. Causal Power of the Resurrection
  • 57. The Ascension
  • 58. Our Lord at the Father's Right Hand
  • 59. Our Lord's Power as Judge
• The Sacraments in General
• Baptism
• Confirmation
• The Holy Eucharist
• Penance

42. The Preaching of Christ

1. Christ's preaching, and that of his apostles, was,first of all, to the Jews. Thus: (a) he fulfilled the promise ofGod to the patriarchs; (b) he preached first to believers in Godwho were apt instruments for conveying his teaching to the"races" or "Gentiles"; (c) he thus deprived theChosen People of any show of justice in their act of rejecting him;(d) he was ready, after the Resurrection, to extend his mission toinclude the Gentiles, and to send his apostles "to allnations."

2. Our Lord spoke to the Jews, not only kindly andplacatingly, but with occasional sternness and words of sharpreproach. Some of the Scribes and Pharisees, leaders of the people,showed much pride and malice in their attitude towards God mademan, and kept others from hearing and heeding his teaching. Whenour Lord rebuked them, it was not through pique or resentment, butbecause of his love for their souls as well as the souls they wereinfluencing.

3. Christ spoke openly to the people. He brought essentialtruth to all men, not hiding its light "under a bushel,"or uttering it in occult words. Even when he "spoke inparables," he explained the parables to his disciples, whowould convey their meaning to all who were willing to hear.

4. Our Lord wrote no books or documents. He left thattask, in so far as divine Wisdom wills to have it done, to writersinspired by God for the work. Christ spoke to people, and impressedtruth in the hearts of his willing hearers.

"When the devil has failed in making a man fall, he puts forward all his energies to create distrust between the penitent and the confessor, and so by little and little he gains his end at last."
St Philip Neri

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"Whoever wants to stand alone without the support of a master and guide will be like the tree that stands alone in a field without a proprietor. No matter how much the tree bears, passers-by will pick the fruit before it ripens. "
St John of the Cross, OCD - Doctor of the Church

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"Men should often renew their good resolutions, and not lose heart because they are tempted against them."
St Philip Neri

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