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St. Joseph Marello - 1895

that we use". Jesus Christ himself proclaimed blessed the
merciful because they will receive mercy.
Now those who cooperate in the propagation of the faith
exercise at the same time many works of mercy by coming to
the help of so many unfortunate people in their spiritual and
temporal needs. Don't they have every reason to expect great
mercy from God? Not only a great mercy, but the greatest of
mercies, the reward of eternal life, because it is an oracle of the
Holy Spirit that "he who brings a sinner to conversion will save
that soul from death and cover a multitude of his own sins: qui
converti fecerit peccatorem ab errore viae suae, salvabit
animam eius a morte, et operiet multitudinem peccatorum" (Js.
V. 20). St. Augustine adds: "have you saved a soul? therefore,
you have saved your own soul: animam salvasti animam tuam
praedestinasti". That is why the work with which we join to
save a great number of souls is a great means of assuring for
ourselves that the merciful God will grant us eternal glory in
heaven.
If there were some who would try to cool our zeal for the
Work of the Propagation of the Faith by claiming that the bad
harvests, and the industrial and commercial crises have
exhausted the sources of charity, we should answer with the
words of the Holy Father Leo XIII in the Encyclical mentioned
above: "It is true that the times are such that many are stricken
with misery, but that is no excuse for anyone to avoid the grave
duty of giving the small sum required of them; all those small
sums put together can bring a very great help".
Who is not aware of the apostolic indulgence for those for
whom this very small weekly duty would be beyond their
means: that they may give less and still enjoy the same
privilege? Nevertheless, if anyone were reluctant to help the
Work of the Propagation of the Faith because of false prudence
or for fear that their alms would impoverish them, let them think
of the oracle of the Holy Spirit: "He who gives to the poor will

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