III. D'oraison — Le 34e dimanche
The Duty of Invocation
The catechism introduces prayer as the third essential part of honoring God, emphasizing that it must be directed to Him alone.
The third point of honoring God correctly. M: Since we've spoken enough about the service of God, which is the second part of honoring him, let's talk about the third. E: We've said that it consists of calling on him in all our needs. 234. Minister: Do you understand that we must call on him alone? Student: Yes, because he claims that as an honor belonging to his Divinity.
Human Help and Divine Provision
The text distinguishes between seeking help from fellow humans as instruments of God's providence and the exclusive trust we owe to God.
235. Minister: If that’s the case, how is it right for us to ask other people for help? C: Those are really different things.1 When we call on God, we are declaring that we look for no good except from him and that we have no other recourse; yet we still seek help from people, insofar as he allows us to and gives them the power and means to help us.2 236. M: You understand that when we ask people for help, it doesn't go against our duty to call on one God alone—since we don't put our trust in them, and we look to them only insofar as God has appointed them as ministers and dispensers of his goods to help us?✦3 E: That's true. And in fact, all the good that comes to us from them we must take as coming from God himself, since in truth he sends it to us through their hands.✦ 237. M: And yet, shouldn't we still acknowledge the good people do for us? E: Yes indeed—if only because God does them the honor of sharing His goods with us through their hands.4 By doing this, He puts us under obligation to them and intends for us to be indebted to them.5
The Error of Invoking Saints
The catechism concludes that invoking saints or angels is unlawful and constitutes a form of idolatry by diverting trust away from God.
On Invoking the Saints 238. M: From this, can't we fairly conclude that it isn't lawful to invoke either angels or saints who have left this world? C: Yes, we can.6 God hasn't assigned the saints the office of helping us or coming to our aid. As for the angels, although he uses them to serve our salvation, he still doesn't want us to invoke them or turn to them for help.7 A sign of unfaithfulness. M: So you're saying that everything that doesn't fit the order the Lord has set goes against his will? C: Yes, exactly.8 If we aren't content with what the Lord gives us, it's a sure sign of unfaithfulness. Furthermore, if we turn to others and place any part of our trust in them instead of taking refuge in God alone—as he commands—that is idolatry, because we transfer to them what God has reserved for himself.9
Read the original Latin
Le troisième point de bien honorer Dieu 233. M : Puisque nous avons suffisamment parlé du service de Dieu, qui est la seconde partie de l'honorer, parlons de la troisième. E : Nous avons dit que c'est de l'invoquer en toutes nos nécessités.
234. M : Entends-tu qu'il le faille invoquer seul? E : Oui, car il demande cela comme un honneur propre à sa Divinité.
235. M : Si ainsi est, en quelle sorte nous est-il loisible de requérir les hommes en notre aide? E : Ce sont bien choses différentes. Car nous invoquons Dieu pour protester que nous n'attendons aucun bien que de lui et que nous n'avons ailleurs recours, cependant nous cherchons l'aide des hommes, en tant qu'il le nous permet et leur donne le pouvoir et moyen de nous aider.
236. M : Tu entends que ce que nous demandons secours des hommes ne contrevient pas à ce que nous devons invoquer un seul Dieu, vu que nous ne mettons pas notre fiance en eux et ne les cherchons, sinon en tant que Dieu les a ordonnés ministres et dispensateurs de ses biens pour nous en subvenir? E : Il est vrai. Et de fait, tout ce qui nous en vient de bien, il nous le faut prendre comme de Dieu même, ainsi qu'à la vérité il le nous envoie par leurs mains.
237. M : Et ne nous faut-il pas néanmoins reconnaître envers les hommes le bien qu'ils nous font? E : Si fait bien, et ne fût-ce que parce que Dieu leur fait cet honneur de nous communiquer ses biens par leurs mains. Car en ce faisant il nous oblige à eux et veut que nous leur soyons attenus.
De l'invocation des saints 238. M : De cela pouvons-nous pas bien conclure qu'il n'est licite d'invoquer anges ni saints qui sont décédés de ce monde? E : Oui bien. Car des saints, Dieu ne leur a pas attribué cet office de nous aider et subvenir. Touchant des anges, combien qu'il les emploie pour servir à notre salut, toutefois si ne veut-il pas que nous les invoquions, ni que nous ayons notre adresse à eux.
Signe d'infidélité 239. M : Tu dis donc que tout ce qui ne convient à l'ordre que le Seigneur a mis contrevient à sa volonté? E : Voire. Car si nous ne nous contentons de ce que le Seigneur nous donne, cela est un certain signe d'infidélité. Davantage, si au lieu d'avoir notre refuge à Dieu seul, suivant son commandement, nous recourons à eux, mettant en eux quelque partie de notre fiance, c'est idolâtrie, en tant que nous leur transférons ce que Dieu s'était réservé.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Cor.4.1;1Pet.4.10 — This is how a person should regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 1Pet.4.10 — Each one has received a gift; use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.
- ↩Jas.1.17 — Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Notes
- 1 ↩Speaker label E (Enfant, the pupil) rendered as C (Child) to match the catechetical dialogue form in English.
- 2 ↩French protester here means to declare/testify, not to object; rendered as "declare".
- 3 ↩Middle French fiance rendered as trust (confidence/reliance), not modern 'fiancé'.
- 4 ↩Middle French « Si fait bien » is an emphatic yes to a negative question (not modern « si » = if). Rendered as « Yes indeed ».
- 5 ↩« attenus » (Middle French) = held bound / obliged / indebted toward someone; rendered as « indebted » to capture moral obligation without feudal stiffness.
- 6 ↩Source label is E (Enfant). Rendered as C (Child) for dialogue clarity; Oui bien affirms the Minister's conclusion.
- 7 ↩ayons notre adresse à eux: 16th-c. adresse means recourse or petition directed to someone; rendered as 'turn to them for help' rather than modern 'address'.
- 8 ↩Source speaker label E (Enfant) rendered as C (Child) for dialogue clarity; 'Voire' is affirmative assent ('indeed' / 'quite so').
- 9 ↩'fiance' rendered as 'trust' (confidence/reliance), not modern 'fiancée'; 'eux' continues the prior section's reference to angels and the departed saints.
Catechism of the Church of Geneva (Le catéchisme de l'Église de Genève) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit