Scripture
2 Kings 10 · 1 Paralipomenon 19 · Psalms 19 · Psalms 64–66
The Ammonites shamefully abuse the ambassadors of David: they hire the Syrians to the their assistance: but are overthrown with their allies.
1 And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanon his son reigned in his stead.
2 And David said: I will shew kindness to Hanon the son of Daas, as his father shewed kindness to me. So David sent his servants to comfort him for the death of his father. But when the servants of David were come into the land of the children of Ammon,
3 The princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanon their lord: Thinkest thou that for the honour of thy father, David hath sent comforters to thee, and hath not David rather sent his servants to thee to search, and spy into the city, and overthrow it?
4 Wherefore Hanon took the servants of David, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut away half of their garments even to the buttocks, and sent them away.
5 When this was told David, he sent to meet them: for the men were sadly put to confusion, and David commanded them, saying: Stay at Jericho, till your beards be grown, and then return.
6 And the children of Ammon seeing that they had done an injury to David, sent and hired the Syrians of Rohob, and the Syrians of Soba, twenty thousand footmen, and of the king of Maacha a thousand men, and of Istob twelve thousand men.
7 And when David heard this, he sent Joab and the whole army of warriors.
8 And the children of Ammon came out, and set their men in array at the entering in of the gate: but the Syrians of Soba, and of Rohob, and of Istob, and of Maacha were by themselves in the field.
9 Then Joab seeing that the battle was prepared against him, both before and behind, chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:
10 And the rest of the people he delivered to Abisai his brother, who set them in array against the children of Ammon.
11 And Joab said: If the Syrians are too strong for me, then thou shalt help me, but if the children of Ammon are too strong for thee, then I will help thee.
12 Be of good courage, and let us fight for our people, and for the city of our God: and the Lord will do what is good in his sight.
13 And Joab and the people that were with him, began to fight against the Syrians: and they immediately fled before him.
14 And the children of Ammon seeing that the Syrians were fled, they fled also before Abisai, and entered into the city: and Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.
15 Then the Syrians seeing that they had fallen before Israel, gathered themselves together.
16 And Adarezer sent and fetched the Syrians, that were beyond the river, and brought over their army: and Sobach, the captain of the host of Adarezer, was their general.
17 And when this was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam: and the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought against him.
18 And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians the men of seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen: and smote Sobach the captain of the army, who presently died.
19 And all the kings that were auxiliaries of Adarezer, seeing themselves overcome by Israel, were afraid and fled away, eight and fifty thousand men before Israel. And they made peace with Israel: and served them, and all the Syrians were afraid to help the children of Ammon any more.
The Ammonites abuse David’s ambassadors: both they and their confederates are overthrown.
1 Now it came to pass that Naas the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead.
2 And David said: I will shew kindness to Hanon the son of Naas: for his father did a favour to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him upon the death of his father. But when they were come into the land of the children of Ammon, to comfort Hanon,
3 The princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanon: Thou thinkest perhaps that David to do honour to thy father hath sent comforters to thee: and thou dost not take notice, that his servants are come to thee to consider, and search, and spy out thy land.
4 Wherefore Hanon shaved the heads and beards of the servants of David, and cut away their garments from the buttocks to the feet, and sent them away.
5 And when they were gone, they sent word to David, who sent to meet them (for they had suffered a great affront) and ordered them to stay at Jericho till their beards grew and then to return.
6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had done an injury to David, Hanon and the rest of the people sent a thousand talents of silver, to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia and out of Syria Maacha, and out of Soba.
7 And they hired two and thirty thousand chariots, and the king of Maacha, with his people. And they came and camped over against Medaba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together out of their cities, and came to battle.
8 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the army of valiant men:
9 And the children of Ammon came out and put their army in array before the gate of the city: and the kings, that were come to their aid, stood apart in the field.
10 Wherefore Joab understanding that the battle was set against him before and behind, chose out the bravest men of all Israel, and marched against the Syrians,
11 And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abisai his brother, and they went against the children of Ammon.
12 And he said: If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, I will help thee.
13 Be of good courage and let us behave ourselves manfully for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord will do that which is good in his sight.
14 So Joab and the people that were with him, went against the Syrians to the battle: and he put them to flight.
15 And the children of Ammon seeing that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled from Abisai his brother, and went into the city: and Joab also returned to Jerusalem.
16 But the Syrians seeing that they had fallen before Israel, sent messengers, and brought to them the Syrians that were beyond the river: and Sophach, general of the army of Adarezer, was their leader.
17 And it was told David, and he gathered together all Israel, and passed the Jordan, and came upon them, and put his army in array against them, and they fought with him.
18 But the Syrian fled before Israel: and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and Sophach the general of the army.
19 And when the servants of Adarezer saw themselves overcome by Israel, they went over to David, and served him: and Syria would not help the children of Ammon any more.
Exaudiat te Dominus. A prayer for the king.
1 Unto the end. A psalm for David.
2 May the Lord hear thee in the day of tribulation: may the name of the God of Jacob protect thee.
3 May he send thee help from the sanctuary: and defend thee out of Sion.
4 May he be mindful of all thy sacrifices: and may thy whole burntoffering be made fat.
5 May he give thee according to thy own heart; and confirm all thy counsels.
6 We will rejoice in thy salvation; and in the name of our God we shall be exalted.
7 The Lord fulfil all thy petitions: now have I known that the Lord hath saved his anointed. He will hear him from his holy heaven: the salvation of his right hand is in powers.
8 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will call upon the name of the Lord, our God.
9 They are bound, and have fallen: but we are risen, and are set upright. O Lord, save the king: and hear us in the day that we shall call upon thee.
Te decet. God is to be praised in his church, to which all nations shall be called.
1 To the end, a psalm of David. The canticle of Jeremias and Ezechiel to the people of the captivity, when they began to go out.
2 A hymn, O God, becometh thee in Sion: and a vow shall be paid to thee in Jerusalem.
3 O hear my prayer: all flesh shall come to thee.
4 The words of the wicked have prevailed over us: and thou wilt pardon our transgressions.
5 Blessed is he whom thou hast chosen and taken to thee: he shall dwell in thy courts. We shall be filled with the good things of thy house; holy is thy temple,
6 Wonderful in justice. Hear us, O God our saviour, who art the hope of all the ends of the earth, and in the sea afar off.
7 Thou who preparest the mountains by thy strength, being girded with power:
8 Who troublest the depth of the sea, the noise of its waves. The Gentiles shall be troubled,
9 And they that dwell in the uttermost borders shall be afraid at thy signs: thou shalt make the outgoings of the morning and of the evening to be joyful.
10 Thou hast visited the earth, and hast plentifully watered it; thou hast many ways enriched it. The river of God is filled with water, thou hast prepared their food: for so is its preparation.
11 Fill up plentifully the streams thereof, multiply its fruits; it shall spring up and rejoice in its showers.
12 Thou shalt bless the crown of the year of thy goodness: and thy fields shall be filled with plenty.
13 The beautiful places of the wilderness shall grow fat: and the hills shall be girded about with joy,
14 The rams of the flock are clothed, and the vales shall abound with corn: they shall shout, yea they shall sing a hymn.
Jubilate Deo. An invitation to praise God.
1 Unto the end, a canticle of a psalm of the resurrection. Shout with joy to God, all the earth,
2 Sing ye a psalm to his name; give glory to his praise.
3 Say unto God, How terrible are thy works, O Lord! in the multitude of thy strength thy enemies shall lie to thee.
4 Let all the earth adore thee, and sing to thee: let it sing a psalm to thy name.
5 Come and see the works of God; who is terrible in his counsels over the sons of men.
6 Who turneth the sea into dry land, in the river they shall pass on foot: there shall we rejoice in him.
7 Who by his power ruleth for ever: his eyes behold the nations; let not them that provoke him be exalted in themselves.
8 O bless our God, ye Gentiles: and make the voice of his praise to be heard.
9 Who hath set my soul to live: and hath not suffered my feet to be moved:
10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us by fire, as silver is tried.
11 Thou hast brought us into a net, thou hast laid afflictions on our back:
12 Thou hast set men over our heads. We have passed through fire and water, and thou hast brought us out into a refreshment.
13 I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,
14 Which my lips have uttered, And my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer up to thee holocausts full of marrow, with burnt offerings of rams: I will offer to thee bullocks with goats.
16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what great things he hath done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth: and I extolled him with my tongue.
18 If I have looked at iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.
19 Therefore hath God heard me, and hath attended to the voice of my supplication.
20 Blessed be God, who hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
Deus misereatur. A prayer for the propagation of the church.
1 Unto the end, in hymns, a psalm of a canticle for David.
2 May God have mercy on us, and bless us: may he cause the light of his countenance to shine upon us, and may he have mercy on us.
3 That we may know thy way upon earth: thy salvation in all nations.
4 Let people confess to thee, O God: let all people give praise to thee.
5 Let the nations be glad and rejoice: for thou judgest the people with justice, and directest the nations upon earth.
6 Let the people, O God, confess to thee: let all the people give praise to thee:
7 The earth hath yielded her fruit. May God, our God bless us,
8 May God bless us: and all the ends of the earth fear him.
Catechism
Catechism of the Council of Trent, Part 2, Chapter 1, Sections 49-52
Fifth Effect Of Baptism: Character Of Christian
By Baptism, moreover, we are sealed with a character that can never be effaced from the soul. On this point, however, we need not speak at length, for what we have already sufficiently said on the subject, when treating of the Sacraments in general, may be applied here.
Baptism Not To Be Repeated
Since on account of the nature and efficacy of this character it has been defined by the Church that this Sacrament is on no account to be reiterated, pastors should frequently and diligently admonish the faithful on this subject, lest at any time they may be led into error.
This doctrine is taught by the Apostle when he says: One Lord, one faith, one baptism. Again, when exhorting the Romans, that being dead in Christ by Baptism they should take care not to lose the life which they had received from Him, he says: In that Christ died unto sin, he died once. These words seem clearly to signify that as Christ cannot die again, neither can we die again by Baptism. Hence the holy Church also openly professes that she believes one Baptism. That this agrees with the nature of the thing and with reason is understood from the very idea of Baptism, which is a spiritual regeneration. As then, by virtue of the laws of nature, we are generated and born but once, and, as St. Augustine observes, there is no returning to the womb; so, in like manner, there is but one spiritual generation, and Baptism is never at any time to be repeated.
In Conditional Baptism The Sacrament Is Not Repeated
Nor let anyone suppose that it is repeated by the Church when she baptises anyone whose previous Baptism was doubtful, making use of this formula: If thou art baptised, I baptise thee not again but if thou art not yet baptised, I baptise thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. In such cases Baptism is not to be considered as impiously repeated, but as holily, yet conditionally, administered.
In this connection, however, there are some matters, in which, to the very great injury of the Sacrament, abuses are of almost daily occurrence, and which therefore demand the diligent attention of pastors. For there are not wanting those who think that no sin is committed if they indiscriminately administer conditional Baptism. Hence if an infant be brought to them, they think that no inquiry need be made as to whether it was previously baptised, but proceed immediately to baptise the child. Nay more, although they be well aware that the Sacrament was administered at home, they do not hesitate to repeat its administration in the Church conditionally, making use of the solemn ceremonies of the Church.
This certainly they cannot do without sacrilege and without incurring what theologians call an irregularity. According to the authority of Pope Alexander the conditional form of Baptism is to be used only when after due inquiry doubts are entertained as to the validity of the previous Baptism. In no other case is it ever lawful to administer Baptism a second time, even conditionally.
Sixth Effect Of Baptism: Opening The Gates Of Heaven
Besides the other advantages which accrue to us from Baptism, the last, to which all the others seem to be referred, is that it opens to us the portals of heaven which sin had closed against us.
Effects Of Baptism Foreshadowed In The Baptism Of Christ
These effects which are wrought in us by virtue of Baptism are distinctly marked by the circumstances which, as the Gospel relates, accompanied the Baptism of our Saviour. The heavens were opened and the Holy Ghost appeared descending upon Christ our Lord in the form of a dove. By this we are given to understand that to those who are baptised are imparted the gifts of the Holy Spirit, that to them are opened the gates of heaven. The baptised, it is true, do not enter heaven immediately after Baptism, but in due season. When they shall have been freed from all misery which is incompatible with a state of bliss, they shall exchange a mortal for an immortal life.