← catalogue

An explanation of the Baltimore catechism of Christian doctrine

by Thomas L. Kinkead · English · Gutenberg #14554 · 758,708 chars · public domain (US)

The Project Gutenberg eBook of An explanation of the Baltimore catechism of Christian doctrine
    
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States,
you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located
before using this eBook.

Title: An explanation of the Baltimore catechism of Christian doctrine
        for the use of Sunday-school teachers and advanced classes

Author: Thomas L. Kinkead
        Saint Roberto Francesco Romolo Bellarmino
        J. De Concilio

Creator: Catholic Church. Plenary Council of Baltimore


        
Release date: January 1, 2005 [eBook #14554]
                Most recently updated: October 28, 2024

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14554

Credits: Produced by Dennis McCarthy


*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN EXPLANATION OF THE BALTIMORE CATECHISM OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE ***

An
Explanation
Of The
Baltimore Catechism
of Christian Doctrine


For The Use of
Sunday-School Teachers and Advanced Classes

(Also known as Baltimore Catechism No. 4)


by
Rev. Thomas L. Kinkead




Nihil Obstat:
D. J. McMahon
Censor Librorum

Imprimatur:
+ Michael Augustine
Archbishop of New York
New York, September 5, 1891


Nihil Obstat:
Arthur J. Scanlan, S.T.D.
Censor Librorum

Imprimatur:
+ Patrick J. Hayes, D.D.
Archbishop of New York
New York, June 29, 1921




{Transcriber's Note: This book is commonly known as "The Baltimore
Catechism No. 4" and is the last part of a four volume e-text
collection. See the author's note to Baltimore Catechism No. 3 for the
background and purpose of the series. This e-text collection is
substantially based on files generously provided by
http://www.catholic.net/ with some missing material transcribed and
added for this release. Transcriber's notes in this series are placed
within braces, and usually prefixed "T.N.:".}




APPROBATIONS


His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons:
"I thank you for the copy of The Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism
which has just reached me. A Religious spoke to me in very high terms of
your book. I regard the opinion as of great value."

Most Rev. M. A. Corrigan, D.D., Archbishop of New York:
"I congratulate you on the good which it is likely to do."

Most Rev. William Henry Elder, D.D., Archbishop of Cincinnati:
"I think the work will be a very serviceable one. I hope it will meet
with great success."

Most Rev. Thomas L. Grace, D.D., Archbishop of Siunia:
"Your book entitled An Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism supplies a
want which is generally felt by the clergy and others engaged in
teaching Catechism. Apart from the very satisfactory development of the
answers to the questions and apt illustrations of the subjects treated,
the additional questions inserted in your book give it a special value."

Most Rev. P. J. Ryan, D.D., Archbishop of Philadelphia:
"Your explanation of the Baltimore Catechism is excellent and must be of
very great service to teachers of Sunday schools and to all who desire a
clear exposition of Catholic doctrine, either for themselves or to
communicate it to others. We give the work our cordial approval."

Most Rev. William J. Walsh, D.D., Archbishop of Dublin, Primate of
Ireland:
"I have had a copy of your admirable work for some weeks past, and on
several points it has been of very great use to me and to the committee
[a committee of professors of theology, moral as well as dogmatic;
priests of long and of wide experience in the work of instructing
children in the Catechism; experienced examiners of children;
accomplished scholars and writers of English; members both of religious
and of secular collegiate communities; and representatives of the
missionary priesthood, secular and regular, appointed to draft a new
Catechism]."

Right Rev. D. M. Bradley, D.D., Bishop of Manchester:
"I am sure this 'Explanation' will be welcomed by the teachers in our
schools and indeed by all whose duty it may be to instruct others in the
teachings of the Church."

Right Rev. Thomas F. Brennan, D.D., Bishop of Dallas:
"I like the book very much and will not only recommend it to the priests
and good sisters of my diocese, but will also use it myself at catechism
every Sunday in the Cathedral. The list of questions and general index
render its use very easy."

Right Rev. M. E. Burke, D.D., Bishop of Cheyenne:
"Your Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism is excellent, and it
supplies a much needed means of useful and necessary catechetical
instruction for our Sunday schools. It will be found an excellent
textbook for Catholic schools and academies throughout the country and a
most useful manual for all who are engaged in the instruction of our
children."

Right Rev. L. De Goesbriand, D.D., Bishop of Burlington:
"I consider your book, the Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism, as an
admirable work. Nothing can be found more clear, more satisfactory."

Right Rev. John Foley, D.D., Bishop of Detroit:
"I congratulate you upon producing a work so useful to those having
charge of souls in such clear, concise, and instructive a style. I shall
gladly commend it to the Rev. Clergy."

Right Rev. H. Gabriels, D.D., Bishop-elect of Ogdensburg:
"Your book will furnish solid material to priests who wish to preach at
low Masses the catechetical instructions prescribed by the council of
Baltimore. A rapid perusal of some of its pages has convinced me that it
is just what was often looked for in vain in this important branch of
the holy ministry."

Right Rev. N. A. Gallagher, D.D., Bishop of Galveston:
"Having read your Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism, I wish to say
that it is in my opinion a very useful book for priests as well as for
teachers; and that it is a valuable book to place in the hands of those
who wish to become acquainted with the teachings of Holy Church. I have
just ordered ten copies from the Publishers for my own distribution."

Right Rev. Leo Haid, O.S.B., D.D., Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina:
"I am very glad you gave us such a sensible, simple, and complete
explanation of the Baltimore Catechism. I wish it were in the hands of
every teacher of Christian doctrine. In this Vicariate, where priests
are few, and often obliged to receive converts into the Church without
that thorough instruction which resident pastors can give, your book
will be hailed with joy. I will do my utmost to make it known. Please
send me one dozen copies."

Right Rev. John J. Hennessy, D.D. Bishop of Wichita:
"From what I have seen of your book I am delighted with the method which
you have adopted for explanation. It makes the Catechism easy and
interesting to both teacher and pupil. I shall heartily recommend your
book to our clergy for introduction into our schools."

Right Rev. A. Junger, D.D., Bishop of Nesqually:
"I am sure your work will not fail to obtain its object. There is not
the least doubt that it will be of the greatest and best use for Sunday
school teachers and advanced classes who will make use of it, and to
whom we highly recommend it. Such a work was needed, as our Baltimore
Catechism does not and cannot contain all the necessary explanations."

Right Rev. John J. Keane, D.D., Rector of the Catholic University,
Washington:
"The character of the work speaks for itself."

Right Rev. W. G. McCloskey, D.D., Bishop of Louisville:
"What I have already seen of it gives me the impression that it is a
meritorious work which ought to be encouraged."

Right Rev. James McGolrick, D.D., Bishop of Duluth:
"I think you have prepared a thoroughly practical work in your
Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism. You have in well selected and
plain English enabled teachers to give useful lessons from the text
itself without the need of resort to other books. Your book will find
its way to the desk of every Catholic teacher, and we hope to the home
of every Catholic family. I am glad you marked the Scripture references,
for the higher classes after Confirmation can unite their Scripture
lessons with such study of your book as to prepare themselves for
teaching. Your series of questions and good index are certainly very
useful."

Right Rev. Camillus P. Maes, D.D., Bishop of Covington:
"I have examined your Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism on some of
the most important points of doctrine and morals. I find its teachings
sound, and the manner of presenting them practical. I take pleasure in
commending your book to priests and teachers, and in congratulating you
for having bestowed so much time on the greatest of all pastoral work,
viz: giving children a thorough and sound knowledge of Holy Church and
of her divine teachings."

Right Rev. C. E. McDonnell, D.D., Bishop-elect of Brooklyn:
"I beg you to accept my hearty congratulations."

Right Rev. R. Manogue, D.D., Bishop of Sacramento:
"We have ponderous works from distinguished authors on the Catechism in
general, but yours--An Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism--is the
simplest, most concise, most natural and instructive I have yet
encountered. It is good not only for advanced pupils, teachers,
preachers and priests, but also for the sacred precincts of every
Catholic family."

Right Rev. Tobias Mullen, D.D., Bishop of Erie:
"Your book appears to me a very meritorious production. In your preface
you observe it has been designed for the use of Sunday school teachers
and that it 'should do good in any Catholic family' I think you might
have added that any clergyman having the care of souls, whether giving
private instructions or preparing for the pulpit, would derive great
benefits from its perusal."

Right Rev. H. P. Northrop, D.D., Bishop of Charleston:
"The Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism, plain and practical, clear
and comprehensive, was a work very much needed. From a general
examination, I think you have done your work well, and you deserve the
thanks of all teachers of catechism and those who have charge of our
schools. You have simplified the work of the teacher by putting in his
hand such a ready handbook and commentary on the text he is supposed to
explain. If they do what they expect their pupils to do--study the
lesson--with such a help as you have furnished them, the work of the
Sunday school will be much more satisfactory. I hope the hearty
appreciation of those for whom you have labored will crown your work
with abundant success."

Right Rev. Henry Joseph Richter, D.D., Bishop of Grand Rapids:
"The aim of your book is excellent. To judge from the portions which I
have read, your labor has been successful. I recommend the book to all
Catholic adults, but especially to teachers and converts, as a
convenient handbook of appropriate, plain, and solid instructions on the
doctrine of the Catholic Church."

Right Rev. S. V. Ryan, D.D., Bishop of Buffalo:
"I think your work fully meets all you claim for it. It will serve as a
good textbook for an advanced catechism class, and a very useful
handbook for catechists in instructing converts or our own people what
they should know and what they are bound to believe in regard to our
holy faith. The book will, I think, do good in any Catholic family."

Right Rev. L. Scanlan, D.D., Bishop of Salt Lake:
"I consider it a most useful if not necessary book, not only for Sunday
school teachers and for advanced classes, but for all who may desire to
have a clear, definite knowledge of Christian doctrine."




CONTENTS



PRAYERS

The Lord's Prayer
The Angelical Salutation
The Apostles' Creed
The Confiteor
An Act of Faith
An Act of Hope
An Act of Love
An Act of Contrition
The Blessing before Meals
Grace after Meals
The Manner in Which a Lay Person Is to Baptize in Case of Necessity


CATECHISM

Lesson 1--On the End of Man
Lesson 2--On God and His Perfections
Lesson 3--On the Unity and Trinity of God
Lesson 4--On Creation
Lesson 5--On Our First Parents and the Fall
Lesson 6--On Sin and Its Kinds
Lesson 7--On the Incarnation and Redemption
Lesson 8--On Our Lord's Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension
Lesson 9--On the Holy Ghost and His Descent upon the Apostles
Lesson 10--On the Effects of the Redemption
Lesson 11--On the Church
Lesson 12--On the Attributes and Marks of the Church
Lesson 13--On the Sacraments in General
Lesson 14--On Baptism
Lesson 15--On Confirmation
Lesson 16--On the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Ghost
Lesson 17--On the Sacrament of Penance
Lesson 18--On Contrition
Lesson 19--On Confession
Lesson 20--On the Manner of Making a Good Confession
Lesson 21--On Indulgences
Lesson 22--On the Holy Eucharist
Lesson 23--On the Ends for which the Holy Eucharist Was Instituted
Lesson 24--On the Sacrifice of the Mass
Lesson 25--On Extreme Unction and Holy Orders
Lesson 26--On Matrimony
Lesson 27--On the Sacramentals
Lesson 28--On Prayer
Lesson 29--On the Commandments of God
Lesson 30--On the First Commandment
Lesson 31--The First Commandment--On the Honor and Invocation of the
           Saints
Lesson 32--From the Second to the Fourth Commandment
Lesson 33--From the Fourth to the Seventh Commandment
Lesson 34--From the Seventh to the Tenth Commandment
Lesson 35--On the First and Second Commandments of the Church
Lesson 36--On the Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Commandments of the
           Church
Lesson 37--On the Last Judgment and Resurrection, Hell, Purgatory and
           Heaven




PREFACE


It must be evident to all who have had experience in the work of our
Sunday schools that much time is wasted in the classes. Many teachers do
little more than mark the attendance and hear the lessons; this being
done, time hangs heavily on their hands till the school is dismissed.
They do not or cannot explain what they are teaching, and the children
have no interest in the study.

The Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism is intended for their use.
The explanations are full and simple. The examples are taken from Holy
Scripture, from the parables of Our Lord, from incidents in His life,
and from the customs and manners of the people of His time. These are
made applicable to our daily lives in reflections and exhortations.

The plan of the book makes it very simple and handy. The Catechism is
complete and distinct in itself, and may be used with or without the
explanations. The teacher is supposed, after hearing the lesson, to read
the explanation of the new lesson as far as time will allow. It may be
read just as it is, or may be learned by the teacher and given to the
children in substance.

The Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism will be found very useful
also for the instruction of adults and converts. The priest on the
mission is often called upon to instruct persons who can come to him but
seldom, and only for a short time; and who, moreover, are incapable of
using with profit such books as The Faith of Our Fathers, Catholic
Belief, or works of controversy. They are simply able to use the Child's
Catechism when explained to them. If the Explanation of the Baltimore
Catechism is in their hands, they may read the explanations and study
the Catechism with pleasure.

Indeed the book should do good in any Catholic family. The majority of
our people are children as far as their religious knowledge goes. They
may, it is true, have books on particular subjects, such as the Duties
of Parents to Their Children, The Sure Way to a Happy Marriage, etc.;
but a book that explains to them in the simplest manner all the truths
of their religion, and applies the same to their daily lives, ought to
be useful.

The chief aim of the book is to be practical, and to teach Catholics
what they should know, and how these truths of their Catechism are
constantly coming up in the performance of their everyday duties. It is
therefore neither a book of devotion nor of controversy, though it
covers the ground of both. As in this book the explanations are
interrupted by the questions and answers of the Catechism proper, it
will, it is hoped, be read with more pleasure than a book giving solid
page after page of instructions.

Wherever a fact is mentioned as being taken from Holy Scripture, it will
generally be given in substance and not in the exact text; though the
reference will always be given, so that those wishing may read it as it
is in the Holy Scripture. The children are not supposed to memorize the
explanation as they do the Catechism itself, yet the teacher, having
once read it to them, should ask questions on it. The book may be used
as a textbook or catechism for the more advanced classes, and the
complete list of numbered questions on the explanations--given at the
end--will render it very serviceable for that purpose.

As the same subject often occurs in different parts of the Catechism,
explanations already given may sometimes be repeated. This is done
either to show the connection between the different parts of the
Catechism, or to impress the explanation more deeply on the minds of the
children, or to save the teacher the trouble of always turning back to
preceding explanations. The numbering of the questions and answers
throughout the Catechism, and the complete index of subjects and list of
questions at the end, will, it is hoped, make these comparisons and
references easy, and the book itself useful.

With the hope, then, that the Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism may
do all the good intended, I commend it to all who desire a fuller
knowledge of their holy religion that they may practice it more
faithfully.


Rev. Thomas L. Kinkead
June 21, 1891,
Feast of St. Aloysius




An
Explanation
Of The
Baltimore Catechism
of Christian Doctrine




Basic Catholic Prayers



THE LORD'S PRAYER

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass
against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen.

This is the most beautiful and best of all prayers, because Our Lord
Himself made it. (Matt. 6:9; Luke 11:2). One day when He was praying and
explaining to His Apostles the great advantages of prayer, one of them
said to Him: "Lord, teach us to pray." Then Jesus taught them this
prayer. It contains everything we need or could ask for. We cannot see
its full meaning at once. The more we think over it, the more clearly we
understand it. We could write whole pages on almost every word, and
still not say all that could be said about this prayer. It is called
"the Lord's," because He made it, and sometimes the "Our Father," from
the first words.

We say "Our," to show that we are all brethren, and that God is the
Father of us all, and therefore we pray not for ourselves alone but for
all God's children.

We say "Father," because God really is our Father. We do not mean here
by Father the First Person of the Blessed Trinity, but the Blessed
Trinity itself--one God. What does a father do for his children? He
gives them their natural existence, provides them with food and
clothing, teaches, protects, and loves them, shares with them all that
he has, and when he dies leaves them his possessions. Now, in all these
ways, and in a much truer sense, God is our Father. He created us and
gives us all that is necessary to sustain life. He gives light, heat,
and air, without any one of which we could not live. He provides for us
also food and clothing, and long before we need or even think of these
things God is thinking of them. Did you ever reflect upon just how much
time and trouble it costs to produce for you even one potato, of which
you think so little? About two years before you need that potato, God
puts it into the mind of the farmer to save the seed that he may plant
it the following year. In the proper season he prepares the ground with
great care and plants the seed. Then God sends His sunlight and rain to
make it grow, but the farmer's work is not yet ended: he must continue
to keep the soil in good condition and clear away the weeds. In due time
the potato is taken from the ground, brought to the market, carried to
your house, cooked and placed before you. You take it without even
thinking, perhaps, of all this trouble, or thanking God for His
goodness. This is only one article of food, and the same may be said of
all the rest. Your clothing is provided for you long before you need it.
The little lamb upon whose back the wool is growing, from which your
coat is someday to be made, is even now far away on some mountain,
growing stronger with the food God gives it till you need its wool. The
little pieces of coal, too, that you so carelessly throw upon the fire
were formed deep down in the earth hundreds of years ago. God produces
all you use, because He foresees and knows you will use it. Moreover He
protects us from danger; He teaches us by the voice of our conscience
and the ministers of His Church, our priests and bishops. He loves us
too, as we may learn from all that He does for us, and from the many
times He forgives us our sins. He shares what He possesses with us. He
has given us understanding and a free will resembling His own. He has
given us immortality, i.e., when once He has created us, we shall exist
as long as Himself--that is, forever. When Our Lord died on the Cross,
He left us His many possessions--His graces and merits, the holy
Sacraments, and Heaven itself.

It is surely, then, just and right to call God Father. Our natural
fathers give us only what they, themselves, get from God. So even what
they give us also comes from Him.

Before the time of Our Lord, the people in prayer did not call God
Father. They feared Him more than they loved Him. When He spoke to
them--as He did when He gave the Commandments to Moses--it was in
thunder, lightning, and smoke. (Ex. 19). They looked upon God as a great
and terrible king who would destroy them for their sins. He sent the
deluge on account of sin, and He destroyed the wicked city of Sodom with
fire from Heaven. (Gen. 7:19). They called Him Jehovah, and were afraid
sometimes even to pronounce His name. But Our Lord taught that God,
besides being a great and powerful king--the Ruler of the universe and
Lord of all things--is also a kind and good Father, who wishes His
children not to offend Him because they love Him rather than because
they fear Him, and therefore He taught His disciples and all Christians
to call God by the sweet name of Father.

"Who art in Heaven." The Catechism says God is everywhere. Why then do
we say, "Who art in Heaven," as if He were no place else? We say so to
remind us, first, that Heaven is our true home, and that this world is
only a strange land in which we are staying for a while to do the work
that God wishes us to do here, and then return to our own home; second,
that in Heaven we shall see God face to face and as He is; third, that
Heaven is the place where God will be for all eternity with the blessed.

"Hallowed" means made holy or sacred. Halloween is the name given to the
evening before the feast of All Hallows or All Saints.

"Thy kingdom come." This petition contains a great deal more than we at
first see in it. In it we ask that God may reign in our hearts and in
the hearts of all men by His grace in this life, and that we and all men
may attain our eternal salvation, and thus be brought to reign forever
with God in Heaven--the kingdom of His glory. As the Church on earth is
frequently called the kingdom of Christ, and as all the labors of the
Church are directed to the salvation of souls, we pray also in this
petition that the Church may be extended upon earth, that the true
religion may be spread over the whole world, that all men may know and
serve the true God and cheerfully obey His holy laws; that the devil may
have no dominion over them. While saying this petition we may have it in
our minds to pray even for particular ways in which the true religion
can be spread; for example, by praying that the missionaries may meet
with success and all the missions prosper; that priests and bishops may
be ordained to preach the Gospel; that the Church may overcome all her
enemies everywhere, and the true religion triumph.

"Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." In Heaven all the angels
and saints obey God perfectly; they never offend Him; so we pray that it
may be on earth as it is in Heaven, all men doing God's will, observing
His laws and the laws of His Church, and living without sin.

"Give us this day our daily bread." In this petition "bread" means not
merely bread, but everything we need for our daily lives; such as food,
clothing, light, heat, air, and the like; also food for the soul, i.e.,
grace. If a beggar told you that he had not tasted bread for the whole
day, you would never think of asking him if he had eaten any cake,
because you would understand by his word bread all kinds of food. We say
"daily," to teach us not to be greedy or too careful about ourselves,
and not to ask for unnecessary things, but to pray for what we need for
our present wants.

"And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against
us." "Trespasses" means here our sins, our offenses against God. When we
trespass we enter places we should not, or where we are forbidden to go.
So when we sin we go where we should not go, viz., out of the path of
virtue that leads to God, and into the way of vice that leads to the
devil.

"As we forgive them." We take this to mean: we forgive others who have
offended us, and for that reason, God, You should forgive us who have
offended You. Our Lord told a beautiful parable, i.e., a story by way of
illustration, to explain this. (Matt. 18:23). A very rich man had a
servant who owed him a large sum of money. One day the master asked the
servant for the money, and the poor servant had none to give. Now the
law of the country was, that when anyone could not pay his debts, all
that he had could be sold and the money given to the one to whom it was
due, and if that was not sufficient, he and his wife and his children
could be sold as slaves. The servant, knowing this, fell on his knees
and begged his master to be patient with him, and to give him time and
he would pay all. Then his master was moved to pity, granted not only
what he asked, but freed him from the debt altogether. Afterwards when
this servant, who had just been forgiven the large sum, was going out,
he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a very small sum of
money, and taking hold of him by the throat, demanded payment. Now, this
poor servant, having nothing to give just then, implored his assailant
to be patient with him and he would pay all. But the hard-hearted
servant--though he himself had a little while before asked and obtained
the very same favor from his own master--would not listen to the request
or wait longer, but went and had his fellow servant cast into prison
till he should pay the debt. The other servants, seeing how unforgiving
this man was who had himself been forgiven, went and told all to their
master, and he, being angry at such conduct, had the unforgiving servant
brought back and cast into prison.

"And lead us not into temptation." "Temptation" means a trial to see
whether we will do a thing or not. Here it means a trial made by some
person or thing--the devil, the world, or our own flesh--to see whether
we will sin or not. God does not exactly lead us into temptation; but He
allows us to fall into it. He allows others to tempt us. We can overcome
any temptation to sin by the help or grace that God gives us. Therefore
we ask in this petition that God will always give us the grace to
overcome the temptation, and that we may not consent to it. A temptation
is not a sin. It becomes sin only when we are overcome by it. When we
are tempted we are like soldiers fighting a battle: if the soldiers are
conquered by their enemy, they are disgraced; but if they conquer their
enemy, they have great glory and great rewards. So, when we overcome
temptations, God gives us a new glory and reward for every victory.

"Deliver us from evil." From every kind of evil, and especially the evil
of being conquered by our spiritual enemies, and thus falling into sin,
and offending God by becoming His enemy ourselves. It would be a sin to
seek temptation, though we have a reward for resisting it when it comes.

"Amen" means, be it so. May all we have asked be granted just as we have
asked it.


THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION

Hail, Mary, full of grace! the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou
amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary,
Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

Next in beauty to the Lord's Prayer comes this prayer. It is made up of
three parts:

"Hail, full of grace! the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou amongst
women" was composed by the angel Gabriel, for these are the words he
used when he came to tell the Blessed Virgin that she was selected to be
the Mother of God (Luke 1:28). All her people knew that the Redeemer
promised from the time of Eve down to the time of the Blessed Virgin was
now to be born, and many good women were anxious to be His mother, and
they believed the one who would be selected the most blessed and happy
of all women.

"The Lord is with thee" by His grace and favor, since you are the one He
loves best. He is with all His creatures, but He is with you in a very
special manner.

After the visit of the angel, the Blessed Virgin went a good distance to
visit her cousin, St. Elizabeth, who was the mother of St. John the
Baptist (Luke 1:39). When St. Elizabeth saw her, she, without being told
by the Blessed Virgin what the angel had done, knew by the inspiration
of the Holy Ghost what had taken place, and said to the Blessed Virgin:
"Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb."
That is "blessed" because, of all the women that have ever lived or ever
shall live, you are the one selected by God to be the mother of His Son
and Our Redeemer, and blessed is that Son Himself. This is the second
part of the prayer. The third part, from "Holy Mary" to the end, was
composed by the Church.

"Hail." This was the word used by the people of that country in saluting
one another when they met. We say when meeting anyone we know, "Good
day," or "How do you do?" or some such familiar expression used by all
in salutation. So these people, instead of saying, "Good day," etc.,
said "Hail" i.e., I wish you health, I greet you, etc. The angel did not
say "Mary," because she was the only one present to address.

"Full of grace." When anything is full it has no room for more. God's
grace and sin cannot exist in the same place. Therefore when the Blessed
Virgin was full of grace, there was no room for sin. So she was without
any sin and gifted with every virtue.

"Holy Mary," because one full of grace must be holy.

"Mother of God," because her Son was true God and true man in the one
person of Christ, Our Lord.

"Pray for us," because she has more power with her Son than all the
other saints.

"Sinners," and therefore we need forgiveness.

"At the hour of our death" especially, because that is the most
important time for us. No matter how bad we have been during our lives,
if God gives us the grace to die in His friendship, we shall be His
friends forever. On the other hand, no matter how good we may have been
for a part of our lives, if we become bad before death, and die in that
state, we shall be separated from God forever, and be condemned to
eternal punishment. It would be wrong, therefore, to live in sin, with a
promise that we shall die well, for God may not give us the grace or
opportunity to repent, and we may die in sin if we have lived in sin.
Besides this, the devil knows how much depends upon the state in which
we die, and so he perhaps will tempt us more at death than at any other
time; for if we yield to him and die in sin, we shall be with him
forever--it is his last chance to secure our souls.

Besides the Hail Mary there is another beautiful prayer on the same
subject, called the Angelus. It is a little history of the Incarnation,
and is said morning, noon, and evening in honor of Our Lord's
Incarnation, death, and resurrection. It is made up of three parts. The
first part tells what the angel did, viz.: "The angel of the Lord
declared unto Mary. And she conceived of the Holy Ghost." After saying
these words, we say one Hail Mary in honor of the angel's message. The
second part tells what Mary answered, viz.: "Behold the handmaid of the
Lord. Be it done unto me according to thy word." We say another Hail
Mary in honor of Mary's consent. The third part tells how Our Lord
became Man, viz.: "And the Word was made flesh. And dwelt among us." The
"Word" means here the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity; and "made
flesh" means, became man. Then another Hail Mary is said in honor of Our
Lord's goodness in humbling Himself so much for our sake. After these
three parts we say: "Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God! that we may be
made worthy of the promises of Christ"; and, finally, we say a prayer in
honor of Our Lord's Incarnation, Passion, and Resurrection. This
beautiful prayer is said three times a day in all seminaries, convents,
and religious houses. The time for saying it is made known by the
ringing of a bell called the "Angelus bell." In many parishes the church
bell rings out the Angelus. In Catholic countries the people stop
wherever they are and whatever they are doing, and bowing their heads,
say the Angelus when they hear its bell. It is a beautiful practice and
one most pleasing to our Blessed Lord and His holy Mother. Good
Catholics should not neglect it.

I might mention here another kind of prayer often said in honor of our
blessed Mother. It is the Litany. In this form of prayer we call Our
Lady many beautiful names which we know are most dear to her, asking her
after each one to pray for us. We address her first by names reminding
her that she is the Mother of God and has therefore great influence with
her divine Son. We say: Mother of Christ, Mother of Our Creator, Mother
of Our Redeemer, etc., pray for us. Next we remind her that she is a
virgin and should take pity on us who are exposed to so many temptations
against holy purity. We call her virgin most pure, virgin most chaste,
etc., and again ask her to pray for us. Lastly we call her all those
names that could induce her to hear us. We say: health of the weak,
refuge of sinners, help of Christians, pray for us.

In addition to the Litany of the Blessed Virgin, we have the Litany of
the Holy Name of Jesus, the Litany of the Blessed Sacrament, the Litany
of the Sacred Heart, the Litany of St. Joseph, and many others--all made
up in the same form. We have also the Litany of all the Saints, in which
we beg the help and prayers of the different classes of saints--the
Apostles, martyrs, virgins, etc.


THE APOSTLES' CREED

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and
in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy
Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was
crucified; died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day
He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the
right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to
judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy
Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

A creed is a definite list or summary of all the things one believes.
The "Apostles' Creed" is therefore a list or collection of all the
truths the Apostles believed. The "Apostles" were the twelve men that
Our Lord selected to be His first bishops. We know they were bishops
because they could ordain priests and consecrate other bishops. They
lived with Our Lord like a little family during the three and a half
years of His public life; they went with Him and learned from Him
wherever He preached. Besides these He had also His disciples, i.e.,
followers who went with Him frequently but did not live with Him. Our
Lord wished His doctrine to be taught to all the people of the world,
and so He told His Apostles that they must go over the whole world and
preach in every country. During the life of Our Lord and for a short
time after His death they preached in only one country, viz.,
Palestine--now called the Holy Land--in which country the Jews, up to
that time God's chosen people, lived. Since the Apostles were to preach
to all nations, the time came when they must separate, one going to one
country, and another to another. In those days there were no steamboats
or railroads, no post offices, telegraph offices, telephones, or
newspapers. If the Apostles wished to communicate with anyone they had
either to go to the place themselves or send a messenger. By walking or
riding it might have taken them months or years in those days to make a
journey that we can make now in a few days; and for an answer to a
message which we can get now by telegraph in a few hours they might have
had to wait months. The Apostles knew of all these inconveniences, and
before leaving the places they were in pointed out the chief truths that
all should know and believe before receiving Baptism, that Christian
teachers who should come after them might neglect nothing--just as we
use catechisms containing the truths of religion, for fear the teachers
might forget to speak of some of them. There are "twelve articles" or
parts in the Apostles' Creed, and each part is meant to refute some
false doctrine taught before the time of the Apostles or while they
lived. Thus there were those--as the Romans--who said there were many
gods; others said not God, but the devil created the earth; others
taught that Our Lord was not the Son of God: and so on for the rest. All
these false doctrines are denied and the truth professed when we say the
Apostles' Creed.

Just as in the Lord's Prayer we do not see all its meaning at first, so
in the Apostles' Creed we find many beautiful things only after thinking
carefully over every word it contains.

"I believe," without the slightest doubt or suspicion that I might be
wrong.

"In God" by the grace that He gives me to believe and have full
confidence in Him.

"God," to show that there is only one.

"The Father," because He brought everything into existence and keeps it
so (see Explanation of the Lord's Prayer).

"Almighty," i.e., having all might or power; because He can do whatever
He wishes. He can make or destroy by merely wishing.

"Creator." To create means to make out of nothing. God alone can create.
When a carpenter makes a table, he must have wood; when a tailor makes a
coat, he must have cloth. They are only makers and not creators. God
needs no material or tools. When we make anything, we make it part by
part; but God makes the whole at once. He simply wills and it is made.
Thus He said in the beginning of the world: "Let there be light; and
light was made." For example, suppose I wanted a piano. If I could say,
"Let there be a piano" and it immediately sprang up without any other
effort on my part, although neither the wood, the iron, the wire, the
ivory, nor anything else in it ever existed till I said, "Let there be a
piano," then it could be said I created a piano. No one could do this,
for God alone has such power.

"Heaven and earth" and everything we can see or know of.

"Jesus Christ." Our Lord is called by many names, but you must not be
confused by them, for they all mean the same person, and are given only
to remind us of some particular thing connected with Our Lord. He is
called "Jesus," which signifies Saviour, and "Christ," which means
anointed. He is called the "Second Person of the Blessed Trinity," and
when we call Him "Our Lord," we mean the Second Person of the Blessed
Trinity after He became man. He is called the "Messias" and the "Son of
David" to show that He is the Redeemer promised to the Jews. Also at the
end of all our litanies He is called the "Lamb of God," because He was
so meek and humble and suffered death so patiently. In the Litany of the
Holy Name of Jesus we will find many other beautiful names of Our Lord,
all having their special signification.

"His only Son," to show that God, the First Person of the Blessed
Trinity, was His real Father. We are called God's children, but we are
only His created and adopted children.

"Who was conceived," i.e., He began to exist by the power of the Holy
Ghost in the womb of His Mother, the Blessed Virgin.

"Suffered." We shall see in the explanation of the Passion what He
suffered.

"Under" means here, at the time a man named Pontius Pilate was governor.
If anyone were put to death today in this country, we should say he was
executed under Governor or President so-and-so. "Crucified," i.e.,
nailed to a cross. We say "died," because Our Lord is the Giver of Life,
and no one could take His life away unless He allowed it. Therefore we
say He died, and not that He was killed, to show that He died by His own
free will and not against His will.

"Was buried." This we say to show that He was really dead; because if
you bury a man who is not really dead he must die.

"Hell" here does not mean the place where the damned are, but a place
called "Limbo." You know that when our first parents sinned, Heaven was
closed against them and us, and no human being could be admitted into it
till after the death of Our Lord; for He by His death would redeem
us--make amends for our fall and once more open for us Heaven. Now from
the time Adam sinned till the time Christ died is about four thousand
years. During that time there were at least some good men, like Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and others, in the world, who tried to serve
God as best they could--keeping all the divine laws known to them, and
believing that the Messias would some day come to redeem them. When,
therefore, they died they could not go to Heaven, because it was closed
against them. They could not go to Hell, because they were good men.
Neither could they go to Purgatory, because they would have to suffer
there. Where could they go? God in His goodness provided a place for
them--Limbo--where they could stay without suffering till Our Lord
reopened Heaven. Therefore, while Our Lord's body lay in the sepulchre,
His soul went down into Limbo, to tell these good men that Heaven was
now opened for them, and that at His Ascension He would take them there
with Him.

"The third day." Not three full days, but the parts of three days, viz.,
Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday morning.

"He arose" by His own power: and this was the greatest of all Our Lord's
miracles. Some others, like the prophets and Apostles, have, by the
power God gave them, raised the dead to life; but no dead person ever
raised himself. Our Lord is the first and only one to do this, and by so
doing, showed they could not take away His life unless He wished to give
it up; for since He could always take back His life, how could they
destroy it?

"He ascended" forty days after His Resurrection.

"Right hand of God." We know God is a pure spirit having no body; and if
He has no body He can have no hands. Why then do we say right hand? When
the President of the United States invites anyone to dine at his house,
he makes the invited guest sit at his right hand, and thus shows his
respect by giving him the place of highest honor.

When Our Lord ascended into Heaven, He went up in the human body He had
upon earth, and His Father placed Him as man, in His glorified body, in
the place, after His (the Father's) own, the highest in Heaven; but
remember, only as man, because as God He is equal to His Father in all
things.

"From thence"--that is, from the right hand of God.

"To judge." To examine them, to pronounce sentence upon them; to reward
them in Heaven or punish them in Hell.

"The living and the dead." We may take this in a double sense. As the
general judgment will come suddenly and when not expected, all will be
going on in the world as usual--some attending to business, others
taking their ease as they do now, or as they were doing when the deluge
came upon them. Just when the judgment is about to take place, God will
destroy the earth; and then all those living in the world will perish
with its destruction and then be judged. The "dead" means, therefore,
all those who died before the destruction of the world, and the "living"
all those who were on earth when the time of its destruction came. Or
the "living" may mean also those in a state of grace, and the "dead"
those in mortal sin; for God will judge both classes.

"Holy Ghost," i.e., the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. Ghost is an
old word meaning spirit. When persons say that a ghost appeared, they
mean that the spirit of some dead person appeared. These stories about
ghosts are told generally to frighten children or timid persons. If
those who thought they saw a ghost always examined what they saw, they
would find that the supposed ghost was something very natural; probably
a bush swayed by the wind, or a stray animal, or perhaps some person
trying to frighten them. Ghost here does not mean the spirit of a dead
person, but the Holy Spirit, which is the proper name for the Third
Person of the Blessed Trinity.

"The communion of saints." There are three parts in the Church. We have,
first, the Church Militant, i.e., the fighting Church, made up of all
the faithful upon earth, who are still fighting for their salvation. The
Holy Scripture tells us our life upon earth is a warfare. We have three
enemies to fight. First, the devil, who by every means wishes to keep us
out of Heaven--the place he once enjoyed himself. The devil knows well
the happiness of Heaven, and does not wish us to have what he cannot
have himself; just as you sometimes see persons who, through their own
fault, have lost their situation trying to keep others out of it.

Our second enemy is the world. This does not mean the earth with all its
beauty and riches, but the bad people in the world with their false
doctrines; some telling us there is no God, Heaven, or Hell, others that
we should pay no attention to the teaching of the Church or the laws of
God, and advising us by word and example to resist our lawful superiors
in Church or State and give free indulgence to our sinful passions.

The third enemy is our own flesh. By this we mean our concupiscence,
that is, our passions, evil inclinations, and propensity to do wrong.
When God first created man, the soul was always master over the body,
and the body obedient to the soul. After Adam sinned, the body rebelled
against the soul and tried to lead it into sin. The body is the part of
our nature that makes us like the brute animals, while the soul makes us
like to God and the angels.

When we sin, it is generally to satisfy the body craving for what it has
not, or for that which is forbidden. Why did God leave this
concupiscence in us? He left it, first, to keep us humble, by reminding
us of our former sins, and, secondly, that we might overcome it and have
a reward for the victory.

The second branch of the Church is called the Church Suffering. It is
made up of all those who have gone through this world and are now in
Purgatory.

Some of them while on earth fought well, but not as well as they could
have done; they yielded to some temptations, fell into some small sins,
received some slight wounds from their spiritual enemies, or they have
not satisfied God entirely for the temporal guilt due to their great
sins; therefore they are in Purgatory till they can be completely
purified from all their sins and admitted into Heaven.

The last or third branch of the Church is called the Church Triumphant,
and is made up of the angels and all those who have lived at one time
upon earth and who are now in Heaven with God, enjoying their rewards
for overcoming their spiritual enemies and serving God while upon earth.
They are triumphant or rejoicing because they have reached their
heavenly home.

You must not think that those only are saints who have been canonized by
the Church and whose names are known to us; for all in Heaven are
saints, as we also shall be if admitted into that happy eternity. God
wishes all to be saints, for He wishes all to be saved. You know we can
pray to the saints and ask their help and prayers; but how could we know
that certain men or women are really in Heaven? We can know it when the
Church canonizes them, and thus gives proof that they were great
spiritual heroes in the service of God and can be more confidently
appealed to on account of their eminent sanctity and powerful
intercession.

Therefore the Church by canonization tells us for certain that such and
such persons are truly in Heaven. But might not the Church be deceived
like ourselves?

No! for Christ has promised to be always with His Church, and the Holy
Ghost is ever directing her, so that she cannot err in faith or morals.
If the Church made us pray to persons who are not saints, she would fall
into the worst of errors, and Our Lord would have failed to keep His
promise--a saying that would be blasphemous, for Christ, being God, is
infinitely true and could not deceive or be deceived. To canonize,
therefore, does not mean to make a saint, but to declare to the whole
world that such a one was a saint while upon earth. After death we
cannot merit, so our reward in Heaven will be just what we have secured
up till the moment of our death; hence holiness is acquired in the
Church Militant.

How does the Church canonize a saint? Let us suppose some good man dies,
and all his neighbors talk about his holy fife, how much he did for the
poor, how he prayed, fasted, and mortified himself. All these accounts
of his life are collected and sent to Rome, to the Holy Father or to the
cardinals appointed by him to examine such statements. These accounts
must show that the good man practiced virtue in a more than ordinary
manner, that he either performed some miracles while he lived, or that
God granted miracles after his death through his intercession.

These accounts are not examined immediately after his death, but
sometimes after a lapse of fifty years or more, so that people might not
exaggerate his good works because they knew him personally.

When these accounts are examined, one is appointed to prevent, if he
can, the canonization. He is sometimes called the devil's advocate,
because it is his business to find fault with all the accounts and
miracles, and prove them false if possible. This is done to make certain
that all the accounts are true and the miracles real. If everything is
found as represented, then the good man is declared venerable, later
beatified, i.e., called blessed, and still later canonized, i.e.,
declared a saint. If he is only beatified, he can be honored publicly
only in certain places or by certain persons; but if he is canonized, he
can be honored throughout the whole Church by all the faithful.

Thus we understand the three branches of the one true Church--the Church
Militant, i.e., all those who are on earth trying to save their souls;
the Church Suffering, those in Purgatory, having their souls purified
for Heaven; and the Church Triumphant, those already in Heaven.

The "communion of saints" means that these three branches of the Church
can help one another. We help the souls in Purgatory by our prayers and
good works, and the saints in Heaven pray for us. But "communion of
saints" means still more. Let us take an example. Suppose there are in a
family, living together, a mother and three sons. The eldest son earns a
large salary, the second son enough to support himself, and the youngest
very little. They give their earnings to their mother, who from the
combined amounts provides for the wants of all and draws from the large
salary of the eldest to supply the needs of the youngest. Thus he who
has too little for his support is--through his mother--aided by the one
who has more than he needs. Now, the Church is our mother, and some of
her children--the great saints--were rich in good works and did more
than was necessary to gain Heaven, while others did not do enough. Then
our mother, the Church, draws from the abundant satisfaction of her rich
children to help those who are poor in merit and good works. The
greatest treasure she has to draw from for that purpose is the more than
abundant merits of Our Lord and the superabundant satisfaction of the
Blessed Virgin and the greatest saints. Our Lord could have redeemed us
all by the least suffering, and yet He suffered dreadful torments, and
even shed His blood and died for us. The Blessed Virgin never sinned,
yet she performed many good works and offered many prayers. Therefore
"communion of saints" means, also, that we all share in the merits of
Christ and in the superabundant satisfaction of the Blessed Virgin and
of the saints; also in the prayers and good works of the Church and of
her faithful and pious children.

"The forgiveness of sins," i.e., by the Sacrament of Penance, through
the power that God gave His priests; also by Baptism.

"The resurrection of the body," i.e., on the last day (Matt. 24:29; Luke
21:25). When on the last day, at the general judgment, God's angel
sounds the great trumpet, all the dead will arise again and come to
judgment, in the same bodies they had while living. But you will say: If
their bodies are reduced to ashes and mixed with the earth, or if parts
of them are in one place and parts in another, how is this possible?
Very easily, with God. If He in the beginning could make all the parts
out of nothing, with how much ease can He collect them scattered here
and there! When God made man He gave him a body and a soul, and wished
them never to be separated. Man was to live here upon earth for a time,
and then be taken up into Heaven, body and soul, as Our Lord is there
now. But when man sinned, in punishment God commanded that he should
die; i.e., that these two dear friends, the body and the soul, should be
separated for a time. Death is caused by the separation of the soul from
the body. The body and soul together make a man, and neither one alone
can be called a man. A dead body is only part of a man. At the
resurrection every soul will come from Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell, to
seek its own body; they will then be united again as they were in life,
never to be separated--to be happy together in Heaven if they have been
good upon earth, or miserable together in Hell if they have been bad
upon earth.

"Life everlasting"--either, as we have said, in Heaven or Hell. There
was a time when we did not exist but it can never be said of us again we
do not exist. When once we have been created, we shall live as long as
God Himself, i.e., forever. When we have lived a thousand years for
every drop of water in the ocean; a thousand years for every grain of
sand on the seashore; a thousand years for every blade of grass and
every leaf on the earth, we shall still be existing. How short a time,
therefore, is a hundred years even if we live so long--and few
do--compared with all these millions of years! And yet it depends upon
the time we live here whether all these millions of years in the next
world will be for us years of happiness or of misery. The whole life of
a man extends through the two worlds, viz., from the moment of his
creation through all eternity; and surely the little while he stays upon
earth must seem very short when, after spending a million of years in
the next world, he looks back to his earthly life. There is a good
example to illustrate this. If you stand on a railroad, and look away
down the track for about a mile, it will seem to you that the rails come
nearer and nearer, till at last they touch. It seems so on account of
the distance, for where they seem to touch they are just as far apart as
where you are standing. So, also, when you look back from eternity, the
day of your birth and the day of your death will seem to coincide, and
your life on earth appear nothing. Then, if you are among the lost souls
you will think, What a fool I was to make myself suffer all this long
eternity for that silly bit of earthly pleasure, which is of no benefit
to me now! And this thought will serve only to make you more miserable.
But, on the other hand, if you look back from a happy eternity, you will
wonder at God's goodness in giving you so much happiness for so short a
service upon earth.


THE CONFITEOR

I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed
Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles
Peter and Paul, and to all the saints, that I have sinned exceedingly,
in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through
my most grievous fault. Therefore I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin,
blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy
Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, to pray to the Lord our God
for me.

May the Almighty God have mercy on me, forgive me my sins, and bring me
to everlasting life. Amen.

May the Almighty and merciful Lord grant me pardon, absolution, and
remission of all my sins. Amen.

This is another beautiful prayer. In it we can imagine that we are
permitted to enter Heaven. What do we see there? God, the Blessed
Virgin, the thousands of angels, the Apostles, all the saints, martyrs,
confessors, doctors and virgins. They cease singing God's praises, as we
enter, and fix their eyes upon us. Our guardian angel conducts us before
the great throne of God, and we kneel down in the presence of the whole
court of Heaven, to acknowledge our sins and faults, while all listen
attentively. Touched by so sublime a sight and the thought of having
offended a God of so much glory, we begin our accusation of ourselves.
We fix our eyes first upon God, and say: "I confess," i.e., accuse
myself, "to Almighty God." Then we look upon the rest of the blessed,
and say: "to the Blessed Mary ever Virgin," etc. Thus we call the whole
court of Heaven to be a witness of the fact that we "have sinned," not
lightly, but "exceedingly," i.e., very greatly, and in three ways: "in
thought," by thinking of things sinful and forbidden; "in word," by
lies, curses, slanders, etc.; "in deed," by every bad action that we
have committed; and each of us can say: I have done all this "through my
fault," i.e., willingly and deliberately; and it was not a small fault,
but an exceeding great fault, because God was helping me by His grace to
overcome temptations and avoid bad thoughts, words, and actions, and I
would not accept His help, but willingly did what was wrong. What am I
to do, therefore? Will God pardon all these offenses if I alone ask Him,
seeing that all the angels and saints know that I have thus offended
Him? What shall I do? I will ask them to help me by their prayers, and
to beg God's pardon for me. He may grant their prayers, especially those
of the Blessed Mother and of the saints, when He would not grant mine.
"Therefore I beseech the Blessed Mary ever Virgin," etc., "to pray to
the Lord our God for me."

When we kneel down to say the Confiteor, if we could imagine what I have
just described to take place, how well we should say it! With what
attention, respect, and sorrow we should ask the prayers of the saints!
When we say the Confiteor, and indeed any prayer, we say it in the
presence of God, and of the whole court of Heaven, though we are not in
Heaven and cannot see God. The angels and saints do hear us and will
pray for us. When, therefore, you are saying the Confiteor, imagine that
you see all I have described, and you will never say it badly.


AN ACT OF FAITH

O my God! I firmly believe that Thou art one God in three divine
persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost; I believe that Thy divine Son
became man, and died for our sins, and that He will come to judge the
living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy
Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst
neither deceive nor be deceived.

An "act," i.e., a profession, of faith. The whole substance of the act
of faith is contained in this: I believe all that God has revealed and
the Catholic Church teaches. We might mention one by one all the truths
God has revealed, i.e., made known to us, and all the truths the
Catholic Church teaches as revealed by God. For example, we might say, I
believe in the Holy Trinity, in the Incarnation of Our Lord in the Holy
Eucharist, in the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin, in the
infallibility of the Pope, and so on, till we write an act of faith
twenty pages long, and yet it would all be contained in the words: I
believe all God has revealed and the Catholic Church teaches. Hence we
find in prayerbooks and catechisms acts of faith differing in length and
words, but they are all the same in substance and have the same meaning.
The act of faith in our Catechism gives a few of the chief truths
revealed, that it may be neither too short nor too long, and that all
may learn the same words.


AN ACT OF HOPE

O my God! relying on Thy almighty power and infinite goodness and
promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and
life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and
Redeemer.

The substance of this act is: I hope for Heaven and the means to obtain
it. The means by which I will obtain it are the pardon of my sins by
God, and the grace which He will give me in the reception of the
Sacraments and in prayer, by which grace I will be able to know Him,
love Him, and serve Him, and thus come to be with Him forever. Here
again we could make a long act by mentioning all the things we hope for;
viz., a good death, a favorable judgment, a place in Heaven, etc.


AN ACT OF LOVE

O my God! I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul
because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as
myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask
pardon of all whom I have injured.

The substance of this act is: I love God above all things for His own
goodness, and my neighbor as myself for the sake of God. An act of love
and an act of charity are the same thing with different names. We are
accustomed to call such things as the giving of alms or help to the
poor, the doing of some good work that we are not bound to do for
another, charity. Surely there are many motives that may induce persons
to help others in their distress; but what is the chief Christian
motive, if it be not the love we bear our brother-man because he is,
like ourselves, a child of God, and the desire we have to obey God, who
wishes us to help the needy? The sufferings of others excite our pity,
and the more we love them the more sorry are we to see them suffer.
Thanks to God for all His mercies to us; He might have made us, instead
of this man, poor and in suffering, but He has spared us and afflicted
him; we know not why God has done so, and therefore we help him, moved
by these considerations even when we feel he is not deserving of the
help, because we know his unworthiness will not prevent God from
rewarding our good intention. We may be charitable to our neighbor by
saying nothing hurtful about him, by never telling his faults without
necessity, etc. Therefore real charity, in its widest sense, and love
are just the same.


AN ACT OF CONTRITION

O my God! I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all
my sins, because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell, but
most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and
deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace,
to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.

The substance of this act is: O my God! I am very sorry for all my sins,
because by them I have offended Thee, and with Thy help, I will never
sin again. It is well to know what the acts contain in substance, for we
can use these short forms as aspirations during the day, when we
probably would not think of saying the long forms. A fuller explanation
of the qualities of our contrition will be given in Lesson Eighteen.


THE BLESSING BEFORE MEALS

Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts which we are to receive from Thy
bounty, through Christ our lord. Amen.


GRACE AFTER MEALS

We give Thee thanks for all Thy benefits, O Almighty God, Who livest and
reignest forever. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through
the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

"Grace" means thanks. We saw in the explanation of the Our Father how
God provides us with all we need, and most frequently with food. It is
the least we can do, therefore, to thank Him for it, when it is just
placed before us. We should thank Him also after we have eaten it and
found it good, pleasing, and refreshing. When God provides us with food
He thereby makes a kind of promise that He will allow us to live awhile
longer and give us strength to serve Him. How shameful it is, then, to
turn God's gifts into a means of offending Him, as some do by the sin of
gluttony! Again, it is very wrong to murmur and be dissatisfied with
what God gives us. He does not owe us anything, and need not give unless
He wishes. What would you think of a beggar of this kind?
He comes to your door hungry, and you, instead of simply giving him some
bread to appease his hunger, take him into your house and give him a
good dinner, new clothing, and some money. Now, instead of being
thankful, suppose he should complain because you did not give him a
better dinner, finer clothing, and more money, and should look cross and
dissatisfied; what would you think of him? Would you not be tempted to
turn the ungrateful fellow out of your house, with an order never to
come again, telling him he deserved to starve for his ingratitude? We
are not quite as ungrateful as the beggar when we neglect grace at
meals, because in saying our daily prayers we thank God for all His
gifts, our food included, and hence it is not a sin to neglect grace at
meals. But do we not show some ingratitude when we murmur, complain, and
are dissatisfied with our food, clothing, or homes? God, even when we
are ungrateful, still gives; hence His wonderful goodness and mercy to
us.


THE MANNER IN WHICH A LAY PERSON IS TO BAPTIZE IN CASE OF NECESSITY

Pour common water on the head or face of the person to be baptized, and
say while pouring it: "I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

N.B. Any person of either sex who has reached the use of reason can
baptize in case of necessity.




CATECHISM

Questions marked * are not in No. 1 Catechism.

A catechism is any book made up in question and answer form, no matter
what it treats of. We have catechisms of history, of geography, etc. Our
Catechism is a book in the same form treating of religion. It is a
little compendium of the truths of our religion, of all we must believe
and do. It contains, in the simplest form, all that a priest learns
during his many years of study. The theology he learns is only a deeper
and fuller explanation of the Catechism. A whole book might be written
on almost every question. For example, might we not write a book on each
of the first three questions--the World, God, and Man? There is
consequently much meaning in the Catechism, which must be made known to
us by explanation. You should therefore learn the Catechism by heart
now, even when you do not fully understand it; because afterwards, when
you read books on religion or hear sermons, all these questions and
answers will come back to your mind. Sermons will help you to understand
the questions, or the questions will help you to understand the sermons.



Lesson 1
ON THE END OF MAN


The end of a thing is the purpose for which it was made. The end of a
watch is to keep time. The end of a pen is to write, etc. A thing is
good only in proportion to the way it fulfills the end for which it was
made. A watch may be very beautifully made, a very rare ornament, but if
it will not keep time it is useless as a watch. The same may be said of
the pen, or of anything else. Now for what purpose was man made? If we
discover that, we know his end. When we look around us in the world, we
see a purpose or end for everything. We see that the soil is made for
the plants and trees to grow in; because if there was no need of things
growing, it would be better to have a nice clean solid rock to walk
upon, and then we would be spared the trouble of making roads, and
paving streets. But things must grow, and so we must have soil. Again,
the vegetables and plants are made for animals to feed upon; while the
animals themselves are made for man, that they may help him in his work
or serve him for food. Thus it is evident everything in the world was
made to serve something else. What then was man made for? Was it for
anything in the world? We see that all classes of beings are created for
something higher than themselves. Thus plants are higher than soil,
because they have life and soil has not. Animals are higher than plants,
because they not only have life, but they can feel and plants cannot.
Man is higher than animals, because he not only has life and can feel,
but he has also reason and intelligence, and can understand, while
animals cannot. Therefore we must look for something higher than man
himself, but there is nothing higher than man in this world, and so we
must look beyond it to find that for which he was made. And looking
beyond it and considering all things, we find that he was made for
God--to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him both in this world and
in the next. Again, we read in the Bible (Gen. 1) that at the creation
of the world all things were made before man, and that he was created
last. Therefore, if all these things could exist without man, we cannot
say he was made for them. The world existed before him and can exist
after him. The world goes along without any particular man, and the same
may be said of all men. Neither was man made to stay here awhile to
become rich, or learned, or powerful, because all do not become
rich--some are very poor; all are not learned--some are very ignorant;
all are not powerful--some are slaves. But since all men are alike and
equal in this, that they have all bodies formed in the same way, and all
souls that are immortal, they should all be made for the same end. For
example, you could not make a pen like a watch if you want it to write.
Although pens differ in size, shape, etc., they have all one general
form which is essential to them. So, although men differ in many things,
they are all alike in the essential thing, viz., that they are composed
of body and soul, and made to the image and likeness of God. Hence, as
pens are made only to write with, so all men must have only one and the
same end, namely, to serve God.

1 Q. Who made the world?
A. God made the world.

The "world" here means more than the earth--more than is shown on a map
of the world. It means everything that we can see--sun, moon, stars,
etc.; even those things that we can see only with great telescopes.
Everything, too, that we may be able to see in the future, either with
our eyes alone, or aided by instruments, is included in the word
"world." We can call it the universe.

2 Q. Who is God?
A. God is the Creator of Heaven and earth, and of all things.

3 Q. What is man?
A. Man is a creature composed of a body and soul, and made to the image
and likeness of God.

"Creature," i.e., a thing created. Man differs from anything else in
creation. All things else are either entirely matter, or entirely
spirit. An angel, for example, is all spirit, and a stone is all matter;
but man is a combination of both spirit and matter--of soul and of body.

*4 Q. Is this likeness in the body or in the soul?
A. This likeness is chiefly in the soul.

*5 Q. How is the soul like to God?
A. The soul is like God because it is a spirit that will never die, and
has understanding and free will.

My soul is like to God in four things.

(1). It is "a spirit." It really exists, but cannot be seen with the
eyes of our body. Every spirit is invisible, but every invisible thing
is not a spirit. We cannot see the wind. We can feel its influence, we
can see its work--for example, the dust flying, trees swaying, ships
sailing, etc.--but the wind itself we never see. Again, we never see
electricity. We see the light or effect it produces, but we never see
the electricity itself. Yet no one denies the existence of the wind or
of electricity on account of their being invisible. Why then should
anyone say there are no spirits--no God, no angels, no souls--simply
because they cannot be seen, when we have other proofs, stronger than
the testimony of our sight, that they really and truly exist?

(2). My soul will "never die," i.e., will never cease to exist; it is
immortal. This is a very wonderful thing to think of. It will last as
long as God Himself.

(3). My soul "has understanding," i.e., it has the gift of reason. This
gift enables man to reflect upon all his actions--the reasons why he
should do certain things and why he should not do them. By reason he
reflects upon the past, and judges what may happen in the future. He
sees the consequences of his actions. He not only knows what he does,
but why he does it. This is the gift that places man high above the
brute animals in the order of creation; and hence man is not merely an
animal, but he is a rational animal--an animal with the gift of reason.

Brute animals have not reason, but only instinct, i.e., they follow
certain impulses or feelings which God gave them at their creation. He
established certain laws for each class or kind of animals, and they,
without knowing it, follow these laws; and when we see them following
their laws, always in the same way, we say it is their nature. Animals
act at times as if they knew just why they were acting; but it is not
so. It is we who reason upon their actions, and see why they do them;
but they do not reason, they only follow their instinct.

If animals could reason, they ought to improve in their condition. Men
become more civilized day by day. They invent many things that were
unknown to their forefathers. One man can improve upon the works of
another, etc. But, we never see anything of this kind in the actions of
animals. The same kind of birds, for instance, build the same kind of
nests, generation after generation, without ever making change or
improvement in them. When man teaches an animal any action, it cannot
teach the same to its young. It is clear, therefore, that animals cannot
reason.

Though man has the gift of reason by which he can learn a great deal, he
cannot learn all through his reason; for there are many things that God
Himself must teach him. When God teaches, we call the truths He makes
known to us Revelation. How could man ever know about the Trinity
through his reason alone, when, after God has made known to him that It
exists, he cannot understand it? It is the same for all the other
mysteries.

(4). My soul has "free will." This is another grand gift of God, by
which I am able to do or not do a thing, just as I please. I can even
sin and refuse to obey God. God Himself--while He leaves me my free
will--could not oblige me to do anything, unless I wished to do it;
neither could the devil. I am free therefore, and I may use this great
gift either to benefit or injure myself. If I were not free I would not
deserve reward or punishment for my actions, for no one is or should be
punished for doing what he cannot help. God would not punish us for sin
if we were not free to commit or avoid it. I turn this freedom to my
benefit if I do what God wishes when I could do the opposite; for He
will be more pleased with my conduct, and grant a greater reward than He
would bestow if I obeyed simply because obliged to do so. Animals have
no free will. If, for example, they suffer from hunger and you place
food before them, they will eat; but man can starve, if he wills to do
so, with a feast before him. For the same reason man can endure more
fatigue than any other animal of the same bodily strength. In traveling,
for instance, animals give up when exhausted, but man may be dying as he
walks, and still, by his strong will-power, force his wearied limbs to
move. But you will say, did not the lions in the den into which Daniel
was cast because he would not act against his conscience, obey the
wicked king and offend God--as we read in Holy Scripture (Dan.
6:16)--refrain from eating him, even when they were starving with
hunger? Yes; but they did not do so of themselves, but by the power of
God preventing them: and that is why the delivery of Daniel from their
mouths was a miracle. It is clear, because the same lions immediately
tore in pieces Daniel's enemies when they were cast into the den.

6 Q. Why did God make you?
A. God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world,
and to be happy with Him forever in the next.

"To know" Him, because we must know of a thing before we can love it. A
poor savage in Africa never longs to be at a game or contest going on in
America, because he does not know it and therefore cannot love it. We
see a person and know him; if he pleases us we love him, and if we love
him we will try to serve him; we will not be satisfied with doing merely
what he asks of us, but will do whatever we think might give him
pleasure. So it is in regard to God. We must first know Him--learn who
He is from our catechisms and books of instruction, but especially from
the teaching of God's ministers, the Holy Father, bishops and priests.
When we know Him, we shall love Him. If we knew Him perfectly, we should
love Him perfectly; so the better we know Him the more we shall love
Him. And as it is our chief duty to love Him and serve Him upon earth,
it becomes our strict duty to learn here whatever we can of His nature,
attributes, and holy laws. The saints and angels in Heaven know God so
well that they must love Him, and cannot therefore offend Him.

You have all seen some person in the world, or maybe several persons,
whom you have greatly admired; still you did not love them perfectly;
there was always some little thing about them in looks, manners, or
disposition that could be rendered more pleasing; some defect or want
you would like to see supplied; some fault or imperfection you would
like to see corrected. Now suppose you had the power to take all the
good qualities you found in the persons you loved and unite them in one
person, in whom there would be nothing displeasing, but everything
perfect and beautiful. Do you not think you would love such a person
very much indeed?

Moreover, suppose you knew that person loved you intensely, would it not
be your greatest delight to be ever with such a friend? Well, then, all
the lovable qualities and beauties you see in created beings come from
God and are bestowed by Him; yet all the good qualities on earth and
those of the angels and saints in Heaven, and even of the Blessed Virgin
and St. Joseph, if united in one person would be nothing compared to the
goodness and beauty of God. How good and how lovable, therefore, must He
be! And what shall we say when we think that He loves us with a greater
love than we could ever love Him, even with our most earnest efforts?
Try then first to know God and you will surely love and serve Him. Do
not be satisfied with the little you learn of Him in the Catechism, but
afterward read good books, and above all hear sermons and instructions.

"In this world." Because unless we do what is pleasing to Him in this
world we cannot be with Him in the next. Our condition in the next world
depends entirely upon our conduct in this. Thus we have discovered the
answer to the great question, What is the end of man; for what was he
made?

*7 Q. Of which must we take more care, our soul or our body?
A. We must take more care of our soul than of our body.

*8 Q. Why must we take more care of our soul than of our body?
A. We must take more care of our soul than of our body, because in
losing our soul we lose God and everlasting happiness.

Every sensible person will take most care of that which is most
valuable. If a girl had a hundred dollars in a ten-cent pocket-book, you
would consider her a great fool if she threw away the hundred dollars
for fear of spoiling the pocket-book. Now, he is a greater fool who
throws away his soul in order to save his body some little
inconvenience, or gratify its wicked desires or inclinations. Wherever
the soul will be, there the body will be also; so we should, in a
certain way, try to forget the body and make sure of getting the soul
safely into Heaven. You would not think much of the wisdom of a boy who
allowed his kite to be smashed in pieces by giving his whole attention
to the tail of the kite. If he took care to keep the kite itself high in
air and away from every danger, the tail would follow it; and even if
the tail did get entangled, it would have a good chance of being freed
while the kite was still flying. But of what use is it to save a
worthless piece of rag, if the kite--the valuable thing--is lost? Just
in the same way, of what use is our body if our soul is lost? And
remember we have only one soul. Therefore, make sure to save the soul,
and the body also will be saved--that is, the whole man will be saved;
for we cannot save the soul and lose the body; they will both be saved
or both be lost.

9 Q. What must we do to save our souls?
A. To save our souls, we must worship God by faith, hope, and charity;
that is, we must believe in Him, hope in Him, and love Him with all our
heart.

"Worship," that is, give Him divine honor. We honor persons for their
worth and excellence, and since God is the most excellent, we give Him
the highest honors, differing from others not merely in degrees but in
kind--divine honors that belong to Him alone. And justly so, for the
vilest animal upon the earth is a thousand times more nearly our equal
than the most perfect creature, man or angel, is the equal of God. In
speaking of worship, theologians generally distinguish three kinds,
namely: latria, or that supreme worship due to God alone, which cannot
be transferred to any creature without committing the sin of idolatry;
dulia, or that secondary veneration we give to saints and angels as the
special friends of God; hyperdulia, or that higher veneration which we
give to the Blessed Virgin as the most exalted of all God's creatures.
It is higher than the veneration we give to the other saints, but
infinitely inferior to the worship we give to God Himself. We show God
our special honor by never doubting anything He reveals to us, therefore
by "faith"; by expecting with certainty whatever He promises, therefore
by "hope"; and finally by loving Him more than anyone else in the world,
therefore by "charity."

But someone may say, I think I love my parents more than God. Well, let
us see. Suppose your mother should command you to commit a sinful act (a
thing no good mother would do) and you have therefore to choose between
offending her or Almighty God. Now, although you love your mother very
much, if in this instance you prefer to displease her rather than commit
the sin that offends God, you show that you love God more than her.
Again, many who dearly love their parents leave them that they may
consecrate their lives to the special service of God in some religious
community and thus prove their greater love for Him. The love we have
for God is intellectual rather than sentimental; and since it is not
measured by the intensity of our feelings, how are we to know that we
love Him best? By our determination never to offend Him for any person
or thing in the world, however dear to us, and by our readiness to obey
and serve Him before all others.

10 Q. How shall we know the things which we are to believe?
A. We shall know the things which we are to believe from the Catholic
Church, through which God speaks to us.

"Catholic Church" in this answer means the Pope, councils, bishops, and
priests who teach in the Church.

11 Q. Where shall we find the chief truths which the Catholic Church
teaches?
A. We shall find the chief truths which the Catholic Church teaches in
the Apostles' Creed.

"Chief," because the Apostles' Creed does not contain in an explicit
manner all the truths we must believe. For example, there is nothing in
the Apostles' Creed about the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, about the
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin, or the infallibility of the
Pope; and yet we must believe these and other articles of faith not in
the Apostles' Creed. It contains only the "chief" and not all the
truths.

12 Q. Say the Apostles' Creed.
A. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the
Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was
crucified, died, and was buried; He descended into Hell; the third day
He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at
the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to
judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy
Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

"Descend" means to go down, and "ascend" to go up.



Lesson 2
ON GOD AND HIS PERFECTIONS


A "perfection" means a good quality. We say a thing is perfect when it
has all the good qualities it should have.

13 Q. What is God?
A. God is a spirit infinitely perfect.

"A spirit" is a living, intelligent, invisible being. It really exists,
though we cannot see it with the eyes of our body. It has intelligence
and can therefore think, understand, etc. It is not because we cannot
see it that we call it a spirit. To be invisible is only one of the
qualities of a spirit. It is also indivisible, that is, it cannot be
divided into parts. God is such a being. He is "infinitely perfect,"
that is, He has every perfection in the highest degree. "Infinite" means
to have without limit. If there were any perfection God did not have, He
would not be infinite. He is unlimited in wisdom, in power, in goodness,
in beauty, etc. But you will tell me persons on earth and the angels and
saints in Heaven have some wisdom and power and beauty, and therefore
God cannot have all, since He has not the portion with which they are
endowed. I still say He is infinite, because what the angels and others
have belongs to God, and He only lends it to them. "Perfect" means to be
without any defect or fault.

14 Q. Had God a beginning?
A. God had no beginning; He always was and always will be.

Was there ever a time when we could say there was no God? There was a
time when we could say there was no Heaven or earth, no angels, men, or
animals; but there was never a time when there was no God. We may go
back in thought millions and millions of years before the Creation, and
God was then existing. He had no beginning and will never cease to
exist. This is a mystery; and what a mystery is will be explained in the
next lesson.

15 Q. Where is God?
A. God is everywhere.

"Everywhere"--not spread out like a great cloud, but whole and entire in
every particular place: and yet there is only one God, and not as many
gods as there are places. How this can be we cannot fully understand,
because this also is a mystery. A simile, though it will not be perfect,
may help you to understand. When we speak of God, we can never give a
true and perfect example; for we cannot find anything exactly like Him
to compare to Him. If I discharge a great cannon in a city, every one of
the inhabitants will hear the report; not in such a way that each hearer
gets his share of the sound, but each hears the whole report, just as if
he were the only one to hear it. Now, how is that? There are not as many
reports as there are persons listening; and yet each person hears the
whole report.

16 Q. If God is everywhere, why do we not see Him?
A. We do not see God because He is a pure spirit and cannot be seen with
bodily eyes.

"Pure spirit," that is, not clothed with any material body--spirit
alone.

17 Q. Does God see us?
A. God sees us and watches over us.

"Watches" to protect, to reward or punish us. He watches continually; He
not only watches, but keeps us alive. God might have created us and then
paid no more attention to us; but if He had done so, we should have
fallen back again into nothingness. Therefore He preserves us every
moment of our lives. We cannot draw a breath without Him. If a steam
engine be required to work ceaselessly, you cannot, after setting it in
motion, leave it henceforth entirely to itself. You must keep up the
supply of water and fire necessary for the generation of steam, you must
oil the machinery, guard against overheating or cooling, and, in a word,
keep a constant watch that nothing may interfere with its motion. So
also God not only watches His creatures, but likewise provides for them.
Since we depend so much upon Him, is it not great folly to sin against
Him, to offend, and tempt Him as it were? There are some birds that
build their nests on the sides of great rocky precipices by the
seacoast. Their eggs are very valuable, and men are let down by long
ropes to take them from the nest. Now while one of these men is hanging
over the fearful precipice, his life is entirely in the hands of those
holding the rope above. While he is in that danger do you not think he
would be very foolish to tempt and insult those on whom his life
depends, when they could dash him to pieces by simply dropping the rope?
While we live here upon earth we are all hanging over a great precipice,
namely, eternity; God holds us by the little thread of our lives, and if
He pleased to drop it we should be hurled into eternity. If we tempt or
insult Him, He might drop or cut the thread while we are in mortal sin,
and then, body and soul, we go down into Hell.

18 Q. Does God know all things?
A. God knows all things, even our most secret thoughts, words, and
actions.

Certainly God "knows all things." First, because He is infinitely wise,
and if He were ignorant of anything He would not be so. Secondly,
because He is everywhere and sees and hears all. Darkness does not hide
from His view, nor noise prevent Him from hearing. How could we sin if
we thought of this! God is just here, looking at me and listening to me.
Would I do what I am going to do now if I knew my parents, relatives,
and friends were watching me? Would I like them to know that I am
thinking about things sinful, and preparing to do shameful acts? No! Why
then should I feel ashamed to let God see and know of this wicked
thought or action? They might know it and yet be unable to harm me, but
He, all-powerful, could destroy me instantly. Nay, more; not only will
God see and know this evil deed or thought; but, by His gift, the
Blessed Mother, the angels and saints will know of it and be ashamed of
it before God, and, most of all, my guardian angel will deplore it.
Besides, this sin will be revealed to the whole world on the last day,
and my friends, relatives, and neighbors will know that I was guilty of
it.

19 Q. Can God do all things?
A. God can do all things, and nothing is hard or impossible to Him.

20 Q. Is God just, holy, and merciful?
A. God is all just, all holy, all merciful, as He is infinitely perfect.

"All just"--that is, most just. "Just" means to give to everyone what
belongs to him--to reward if it is merited or to punish if it is
deserved. "Holy"--that is, good. "Merciful" means compassionate,
forgiving, less exacting than severe justice demands. In a court a just
judge is one who listens patiently to all the arguments for and against
the prisoner, and then, comparing one with the other, gives the sentence
exactly in accordance with the guilt. If he inflicts more or less
punishment than the prisoner deserves, or for money or anything else
gives an unfair sentence, then he is an unjust judge. The judge might be
merciful in this way. The laws say that for the crime of which this
prisoner is proved guilty he can be sent to prison for a term not longer
than ten years and not shorter than five: that is, for anything between
ten and five years. The judge could give him the full ten years that the
law allows and be just. But suppose he believed that the prisoner did
not know the law and did not intend to be as wicked as he was proved; or
that it was his first offense, or that he heard the prisoner's mother,
who was old and infirm, pleading for him and saying he was her only
support; or other extenuating circumstances that could awaken sympathy:
the judge might be merciful and sentence him for the shortest term the
law allows. But if the judge dismissed every prisoner, no matter how
guilty, without punishment, he would not be a merciful but an unjust
judge, who would soon be forced to leave the court. In the same way, God
is often merciful to sinners and punishes them less than He could in
strict justice. But if He were to allow every sinner to go without any
punishment whatsoever--as unbelievers say He should do, by having no
Hell for the wicked--then He would not be just. For as God is an
Infinite Being, all His perfections must be infinite; that is, He must
be as infinitely just as He is infinitely merciful, true, wise, or
powerful.

Now He has promised to punish sin; and since He is infinitely true, He
must keep His promise.



Lesson 3
ON THE UNITY AND TRINITY OF GOD


"Unity" means to be one, and "Trinity," three in one.

21 Q. Is there but one God?
A. Yes; there is but one God.

22 Q. Why can there be but one God?
A. There can be but one God because God, being supreme and infinite,
cannot have an equal.

"Supreme," that is, the highest. "Equal," when two are equal one has
everything the other has. You could say one pen is the equal of another
if it is just as nice and will write just as well; one mechanic is the
equal of another if he can do the work equally well. Two boys are equal
in class if they have exactly the same marks at the end of the month or
year. You could not have two persons chief. For example, you could not
have two chief generals in an army; two presidents in the nation, or two
governors in a state, or two mayors in a city, or two principals in a
school, unless they divide equally their power, and then they will be
equals and neither of them chief. God cannot divide His power with
anyone--so as to give it away entirely--because we say He is infinite,
and that means to have all. Others have only the loan of their power
from God. Therefore, all power and authority come from God; so that when
we disobey our parents or superiors who are placed over us, we disobey
God Himself.

23 Q. How many persons are there in God?
A. In God there are three divine persons really distinct and equal in
all things--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

"Distinct," not mingled together. We call the first and second persons
Father and Son, because the second is begotten by the first person, and
not to indicate that there is any difference in their age. We always see
in the world that a father is older than his son, so we get the idea
perhaps that it is the same in the Holy Trinity. But it is not so. God
the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost existed from all
eternity, and one did not exist before the other. God the Son is just as
old as God the Father, and this is another great mystery. Even in nature
we see that two things may begin to exist at the same time, and yet one
be the cause of the other. You know that fire is the cause of heat; and
yet the heat and the fire begin at the same time. Though we cannot
understand this mystery of the Father and Son, we must believe it on the
authority of God, who teaches it. First, second, and third person in the
Blessed Trinity does not mean, therefore, that one person was before the
other, or brought into existence by the other.

24 Q. Is the Father God?
A. The Father is God and the first Person of the Blessed Trinity.

25 Q. Is the Son God?
A. The Son is God and the second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

26 Q. Is the Holy Ghost God?
A. The Holy Ghost is God and the third Person of the Blessed Trinity.

27 Q. What do you mean by the Blessed Trinity?
A. By the Blessed Trinity I mean one God in three Divine Persons.

*28 Q. Are the three Divine Persons equal in all things?
A. The three Divine Persons are equal in all things.

29 Q. Are the three Divine Persons one and the same God?
A. The three Divine Persons are one and the same God, having one and the
same divine nature and substance.

Though they are one and the same, we sometimes attribute different works
to them. For example, works of creation we attribute to God the Father;
works of mercy to God the Son; and works of love and sanctification to
the Holy Ghost; and you will often find them thus spoken of in pious
books; but all such works are done by all the Persons of the Trinity;
because such works are the works of God, and there is but one God.

*30 Q. Can we fully understand how the three Divine Persons are one and
the same God?
A. We cannot fully understand how the three Divine Persons are one and
the same God, because this is a mystery.

"Fully"--entirely. We can partly understand it. We know what one God is
and we know what three persons are; but how these two things go together
is the part we do not understand--the mystery.

*31 Q. What is a mystery?
A. A mystery is a truth which we cannot fully understand.

"A truth," that is, a revealed truth--one made known to us by God or His
Church. It is a truth which we must believe though we cannot understand
it. Let us take an example. When a boy goes to school he is taught that
the earth is round like an orange and revolving in two ways, one causing
day and night and the other producing the seasons: spring, summer,
autumn, winter. The boy goes out into the country where he sees miles of
level land and mountains thousands of feet in height. Again he goes out
on the ocean where sailors tell him it is several miles in depth.

Now he may say: how can the earth be round if deep valleys, high
mountains, and level plains prove to my senses the very opposite, and
the countless things at rest upon its surface tell me it is motionless.
Yet he believes even against the testimony of his senses that the earth
is round and moving, because his teacher could have no motive in
deceiving him; knows better than he, having learned more, and besides
has been taught by others who after long years of careful study and
research have discovered these things and know them to be true. If
therefore we have to believe things that we do not understand on the
authority of men, why should we not believe other truths on the
authority of God? Yes, we must believe Him. If a boy knew all his
teacher knew there would be no need of his going to school; he would be
the equal in knowledge of his teacher, and if we knew all that God knows
we would be as great as He. As well might we try to empty the whole
ocean into the tiny holes that children dig in the sand by its shore, as
fully to comprehend the wisdom of God. This is the mistake unbelievers
make when they wish to understand with their limited intelligence the
boundless knowledge and mysterious ways of God, and when they cannot
understand refuse to believe. Are they not extremely foolish? Would you
not ridicule the boy who refuses to believe that the earth is round and
moving because he cannot understand it? As he grows older and learns
more he will comprehend it better; so we, when we leave this world and
come into the presence of God, shall see clearly many things that are
unintelligible now. For the present, we have only to believe them on the
authority of God teaching us. Another example. We take two little black
seeds that look just alike and place them in the same kind of soil; we
put the same kind of water upon them; they have the same sunlight and
air, and yet when they grow up one has a red flower and one a blue.
Where did the red and where did the blue come from? From the black seed,
or the brown soil, or the pure water, air and sunlight? We do not know.
It is there, and that is all. We see it and believe it, though we do not
understand it.

So if we refuse to believe everything we do not understand, we shall
soon believe very little and make ourselves ridiculous.



Lesson 4
ON CREATION


This lesson treats of God bringing everything into existence. The chief
things created may be classed as follows: (1) The things that simply
exist, as rocks, and minerals--gold, silver, iron, etc. (2) Things that
exist, grow, and live like plants and trees. (3) Things that grow, live,
and feel, like animals. (4) Things that grow, live, feel, and
understand, like men. Besides these we have the sun, moon, stars, etc.;
all things too that we can see, and also Heaven, Purgatory, Hell, and
good and bad angels. All these are the works of God's creation. All
these He has called into existence by merely wishing for them.

*32 Q. Who created Heaven and earth, and all things?
A. God created Heaven and earth, and all things.

"Heaven," where God is and will always be. It means, too, everything we
see in the sky above us. "Earth," the globe on which we live.

*33 Q. How did God create Heaven and earth?
A. God created Heaven and earth from nothing, by His word only; that is,
by a single act of His all-powerful will.

34 Q. Which are the chief creatures of God?
A. The chief creatures of God are angels and men.

35 Q. What are angels?
A. Angels are pure spirits without a body, created to adore and enjoy
God in Heaven.

"Angels" are not the same as saints. Saints are those who at one time
lived upon the earth as we do, and who on account of their very good
lives are now in Heaven. They had bodies as we have. The angels, on the
contrary, never lived visibly upon the earth. In the beginning God was
alone. We take great pleasure in looking at beautiful things. God,
seeing His own beauty, and knowing that others would have very great
pleasure and happiness in seeing Him, determined to create some beings
who could enjoy this happiness; and thus He wished to share with them
the happiness which He Himself derived from seeing His own beauty.
Therefore He created angels who were to be in Heaven with Him, singing
His praises and worshipping before His throne.

The angels are not all equal in dignity, but are divided into nine
classes, or choirs, according to their rank or office, and, as
theologians tell us, arranged from the lowest to the highest and named
as follows; angels, archangels, virtues, powers, principalities,
dominations, thrones, cherubim, and seraphim. Archangels are higher than
angels and are so called because sent to do the most important works. It
was the Archangel Michael who drove Lucifer from Heaven and the
Archangel Gabriel who announced to the Blessed Virgin that she was to be
the Mother of God. The angels receive their names from the duties they
perform. The word angel signifies messenger.

*36 Q. Were the angels created for any other purpose?
A. The angels were also created to assist before the throne of God and
to minister unto Him; they have often been sent as messengers from God
to man; and are also appointed our guardians.

The duties of the angels are many. Some remain always in Heaven with
God; some are sent to earth to be our guardians and to remain with us.
Each of us has an angel to take care of us. He is with us night and day,
and offers our prayers and good works to God. He prays for us, exhorts
us to do good and avoid evil; and he protects us from dangers spiritual
and temporal. How unfortunate then must one be to cause him to return to
Heaven with sad complaints to God; such as: "The one whom I have in
charge will not obey Thy laws or use the grace Thou sendest him: with
all my efforts to save him, he continues to do wrong." He will be doubly
sad when he sees other angels returning with good reports and receiving
new graces for those whom God has committed to their care. If you love
your guardian angel, never impose on him the painful duty of bringing to
God the report of your evil doings.

Now, how do we know that the angels offer our prayers and good works to
God? We know it from the beautiful story of Tobias, told in the Holy
Scripture. (Tobias). This holy man loved and feared God. He lived at a
time when his people were persecuted by a most cruel king, who wished to
force them to give up the true God and worship idols, but many of these
good people suffered death rather than deny God and obey the wicked
king. When they were put to death, their bodies were left lying on the
ground, to be devoured by birds of prey or wild animals. Anyone caught
burying them was to be put to death by the king's servants. Tobias used
to carry the dead bodies of these holy martyrs into his house and bury
them at night.

One day when he returned very tired he lay down by the wall of his house
to rest, and, while lying there, some dirt fell into his eyes and he
became blind. This Tobias had a young son whose name was also Tobias;
and as he himself was now blind and poor, he wished to send his son into
a certain city, at a good distance off, to collect some money that he
had formerly loaned to a friend. As the young man did not know the way,
his father sent him out to look for a guide. Young Tobias went out and
found a beautiful young man to be his guide and he consented, and he
brought Tobias to the distant city. As they were on their way they sat
down by the bank of a river. Tobias went into the water near the edge,
and soon a great fish rushed at him. Tobias called to his guide. The
guide told him to take hold of the fish and drag it out upon the shore.
There they killed it, and kept part of its flesh for food and part for
medicine. Then they went on to the city, got the money and returned. The
guide told young Tobias to rub the part of the fish he had taken for
medicine upon his father's eyes. He did so, and immediately his father's
eyes were cured and he saw. Then both the father and son were so
delighted with this young guide, that they offered to give him half of
all they had. He refused to take it and then told them he was the angel
Raphael sent from God to be the guide of this good man's son. He told
the old Tobias how he (the angel) had carried up to God his prayers and
good works while he was burying the dead. When they heard he was an
angel they fell down and reverenced him, being very much afraid. From
this beautiful history we know that the angels carry our prayers and
good works to God. Again we learn from the Holy Scripture (Gen. 28) in
the history of another good man almost the same thing. The patriarch
Jacob was on a journey, and being tired, he lay down to rest with his
head upon a stone. As he lay there he had a vision in which he saw a
great ladder reaching up from earth to Heaven. At the top he saw
Almighty God standing, and on the ladder itself angels ascending and
descending. Now the holy Fathers of the Church tell us this is what is
really taking place; the angels are always going down and up from God to
man, though not on a ladder and not visibly as they appeared to Jacob.
Besides the guardian angel for each person, there are also guardian
angels for each city and for each nation.

Again (Gen. 19) angels appeared to Lot to warn him about the destruction
of the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrha. Angels appeared also to the
shepherds on the night Our Lord was born (Luke 2). The catechism says
angels have no bodies--how, then, could they appear? They took bodies
made of some very light substance which would make them visible, and
appeared just like beautiful young men, clad in flowing garments, as you
frequently see them represented in pictures. Angels were sometimes sent
to punish men for their sins, as the angel who killed in one night
185,000 men in the army of the wicked king, Sennacherib, who blasphemed
God, and was endeavoring to destroy Jerusalem, God's city. (4 Kgs. 19).

But here is a difficulty. If God Himself watches over us and sees all
things, why should the angels guard us? It is on account of God's
goodness to us; though it is not necessary. He does not wish us to have
any excuse for being bad, so He gives us each a special heavenly servant
to watch and assist us by his prayers. If a friend received us into his
house and did all he could for us himself, we should certainly be
satisfied, but if he gave us a special servant, though it would not be
necessary, he would show us great respect and kindness. Moreover
whatever the angels do for us, we might say God Himself does, for the
angels are only obeying His commands.

*37 Q. Were the angels, as God created them, good and happy?
A. The angels as God created them were good and happy.

*38 Q. Did all the angels remain good and happy?
A. All the angels did not remain good and happy; many of them sinned and
were cast into Hell; and these are called devils or bad angels.

God did not admit the angels into His presence at once. He placed them
for awhile on probation, as He did our first parents.

One of these angels was most beautiful, and was named Lucifer, which
means light-bearer. He was so perfect that he seems to have forgotten
that he received all his beauty and intelligence from God, and not
content with what he had, became sinfully proud and wished to be equal
to God Himself. For his sin he and all his followers were driven out of
Heaven, and God then created Hell, in which they were to suffer for all
eternity. This same Lucifer is now called Satan, and more commonly the
devil, and those who accompanied him in his fall, devils, or fallen
angels.



Lesson 5
ON OUR FIRST PARENTS AND THEIR FALL


39 Q. Who were the first man and woman?
A. The first man and woman were Adam and Eve.

In the beginning God created all things; something particular on each of
the six days of Creation. (Gen. 1). On the first day He made light, on
the second, the firmament, or the heavens, and on the sixth day He
created man and called him Adam. God wished Adam to have a companion; so
one day He caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep, and then took from his
side a rib, out of which he formed Eve. Now God could have made Eve as
He made Adam, by forming her body out of the clay of the earth and
breathing into it a soul, but He made Eve out of Adam's rib to show that
they were to be husband and wife, and to impress upon their minds the
nature and sacredness of the love and union that should exist between
them.

40 Q. Were Adam and Eve innocent and holy when they came from the hand
of God?
A. Adam and Eve were innocent and holy when they came from the hand of
God.

God placed Adam and Eve in Paradise, a large, beautiful garden, and gave
them power over all the other creatures. Adam gave all the animals their
appropriate names and they were obedient to him. Even lions, tigers, and
other animals that we now fear so much, came and played about him. Our
first parents, in their state of original innocence, were the happy
friends of God, without sorrow or suffering of any kind.

*41 Q. Did God give any command to Adam and Eve?
A. To try their obedience God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of a
certain fruit which grew in the garden of Paradise.

He told them (Gen. 2) they could take of all the fruits in the garden
except the fruit of one tree, and if they disobeyed Him by eating the
fruit of that tree, they should surely die. God might have pointed out
any tree, because it was simply a test of obedience. He gave them a very
simple command, for if we are faithful in little things we shall surely
be faithful in greater. Moreover, it is not precisely the consideration
of what is forbidden, but of the authority by which it is forbidden that
should deter us from violating the command and prove our fidelity. Thus
disobedience to our parents and superiors, even in little things,
becomes sinful. Someone might say: "Why did God not try their obedience
by one of the Ten Commandments?" Let us examine them. "Remember the
Sabbath." That one would be unnecessary: for every day was Sabbath with
them; the only work was to praise and serve God. "Thou shalt not steal."
They could not; everything was theirs; and so for the other
Commandments. Therefore, God gave them a simple command telling them: If
you obey, you and all your posterity will be happy; every wish will be
gratified, neither sorrow nor affliction shall come upon you and you
shall never die; but if, on the contrary, you disobey, countless evils,
misery and death will be your punishment. The earth, now so fruitful,
shall bring forth no crops without cultivation, and after years of toil
the dead bodies of yourselves and children must lie buried in its soil.
So having the gift of free will they could take their choice, and either
keep His command and be happy, or disobey Him and be miserable.

*42 Q. Which were the chief blessings intended for Adam and Eve, had
they remained faithful to God?
A. The chief blessings intended for Adam and Eve, had they remained
faithful to God, were a constant state of happiness in this life and
everlasting glory in the next.

Our first parents and their children were not to remain in the garden of
Paradise forever, but were, after spending their allotted time of trial
or probation upon earth, to be taken body and soul into Heaven without
being obliged to die.

43 Q. Did Adam and Eve remain faithful to God?
A. Adam and Eve did not remain faithful to God, but broke His
commandment by eating the forbidden fruit.

As it is told in the Bible (Gen. 3), Eve went to the forbidden tree and
was standing looking at it, when the devil came in the form of a serpent
and, tempting, told her to take some of the fruit and eat. It does not
appear that she went and tasted the fruit of all the other trees and
finally came to this one, but rather that she went directly to the
forbidden tree first. Do we not sometimes imitate Eve's conduct? As soon
as we know a certain thing is forbidden we are more strongly tempted to
try it.

See, then, what caused Eve's sin. She went into the dangerous occasion,
and was admiring the forbidden fruit when the tempter came. She listened
to him, yielded to his wicked suggestions, and sinned. So will it be
with us if through curiosity we desire to see or hear things forbidden;
for once in the danger the devil will soon be on hand to tempt us--not
visibly indeed, for that would alarm us and defeat his purpose, but
invisibly, like our guardian angels; for the devil is a fallen angel who
still possesses all the characteristics of an angel except goodness. But
this is not all. Eve not only took and ate the fruit herself, but
induced Adam to do likewise. Most sinners imitate Eve in that respect.
Not satisfied with offending God themselves, they lead others into sin.

Why should the devil tempt us? God created man to be in Heaven, but the
fallen angels were jealous of man, and tempted him to sin so that he too
should be kept out of Heaven and might never enjoy what they lost; just
as envious people do not wish others to have what they cannot have
themselves.

44 Q. What befell Adam and Eve on account of their sin?
A. Adam and Eve on account of their sin lost innocence and holiness, and
were doomed to sickness and death.

They were innocent and holy because they were the friends of God and in
a state of grace, but by their sin they lost His grace and friendship.
"Doomed" means sentenced or condemned. The first evil result, then, of
Adam's sin was that he lost innocence and made his body a rebel against
his soul. Then he was to suffer poverty, hunger, cold, sickness, death,
and every kind of ill; but the worst consequence of all was that God
closed Heaven against him. After a few years' trial, as we said, God was
to take him into Heaven; but now He has closed it against Adam and his
posterity. All the people in the world could never induce God to open it
again; for He closed it in accordance with His promise, and man was an
exile and outcast from his heavenly home.

45 Q. What evil befell us on account of the disobedience of our first
parents?
A. On account of the disobedience of our first parents we all share in
their sin and punishment, as we should have shared in their happiness if
they had remained faithful.

Does it not seem strange that we should suffer for the sin of our first
parents, when we had nothing to do with it? No. It happens every day
that children suffer for the faults of their parents and we do not
wonder at it. Let us suppose a man's father leaves him a large
fortune--houses, land, and money--and that he and his children are happy
in the enjoyment of their inheritance. The children are sent to the best
schools, have everything they desire now, and bright hopes of happiness
and prosperity in the future. But alas! their hopes are vain. The father
begins to drink or gamble, and soon the great fortune is squandered.
House after house is sold and dollar after dollar spent, till absolute
poverty comes upon the children, and the sad condition of their home
tells of their distress. Do they not suffer for the sins of their
father, though they had nothing to do with them? Indeed, many families
in the world suffer thus through the faults of others, and most
frequently of some of their members. Could you blame the grandfather for
leaving the estate? Certainly not; for it was goodness on his part that
made him give. Let us apply this example. What God gave Adam was to be
ours also, and he squandered and misused it because he had free will,
which God could not take from him without changing his nature; for it is
our free will and intelligence that make us men, distinct from and
superior to all other animals. They can live, grow, feel, hear, see,
etc., as we can, but the want of intelligence and free will leaves them
mere brutes. Therefore, if God took away Adam's intelligence and free
will, He would have made him a mere animal--though the most perfect.

When a man becomes insane or loses the use of his intelligence and free
will, we place him in an asylum and take care of him as we would a tame
animal, seldom allowing him to go about without being watched and
guarded.

Let us take another example. Suppose I have a friend who is addicted to
the excessive drinking of strong liquor, and I say to him: "If you give
up that detestable habit for one year, I will make you a present of this
beautiful house worth several thousand dollars. It will be yours as long
as you live, and at your death you may leave it to your children. I do
not owe you anything, but offer this as a free gift if you comply with
my request." My friend accepts the offer on these conditions, but the
very next day deliberately breaks his promise. I do not give him the
house, because he did not keep his agreement; and can anyone say on that
account that I am unjust or unkind to him or his children? Certainly
not. Well, God acted in the same manner with Adam. He promised him
Heaven, a home more beautiful than any earthly palace--the place Our
Lord calls His father's house (John 14:2) and says there are many
mansions, that is, dwelling places, in it. God promised this home to
Adam on condition that he would observe one simple command. He had no
right to Heaven, but was to receive it, according to the promise, as a
free gift from God, and therefore God, who offered it conditionally, was
not obliged to give it when Adam violated his part of the agreement.

The example is not a perfect one, for there is this difference in the
cases between Adam and my friend: when my friend does not get the house,
he sustains a loss, it is true; but he might still be my friend as he
was before, and live in my house; but when Adam lost Heaven, he lost
God's friendship and grace, and the loss of all grace is to be in sin.
So that Adam by breaking the command was left in sin; and as all his
children sustain the same loss, they too are all left in sin till they
are baptized.

*46 Q. What other effects followed from the sin of our first parents?
A. Our nature was corrupted by the sin of our first parents, which
darkened our understanding, weakened our will, and left us a strong
inclination to evil.

Our "nature was corrupted" is what I have said of the body rebelling
against the soul. Our "understanding darkened." Adam knew much more
without study than the most intelligent men could learn now with
constant application. Before his fall he saw things clearly and
understood them well, but after his sin everything had to be learned by
the slow process of study. Then the "will was weakened." Before he fell
he could easily resist temptation, for his will was strong. You know we
sin by the will, because unless we wish to do the evil we commit no sin;
and if absolutely forced by others to do wrong, we are free from the
guilt as long as our will despises and protests against the action. If
forced, for example, to break my neighbor's window, I have not to answer
in my conscience for the unjust act, because my will did not consent.
So, on every occasion on which we sin, it is the will that yields to the
temptation. After Adam's sin his will became weak and less able to
resist temptation; and as we are sharers in his misfortune, we find
great difficulty at times in overcoming sinful inclinations. But no
matter how violent the temptation or how prolonged and fierce the
struggle against it, we can always be victorious if determined not to
yield; for God gives us sufficient grace to resist every temptation; and
if anyone should excuse his fall by saying he could not help sinning, he
would be guilty of falsehood.

"A strong inclination" to do wrong--that is, unless always on our guard
against it. Our Lord once cautioned His Apostles (Matt. 26:41) to watch
and pray lest they fall into temptation; teaching us also by the same
warning that, besides praying against our spiritual enemies, we must
watch their maneuvers and be ever ready to repel their attacks.

47 Q. What is the sin called which we inherit from our first parents?
A. The sin which we inherit from our first parents is called Original
Sin.

*48 Q. Why is this sin called original?
A. This sin is called original because it comes down to us from our
first parents, and we are brought into the world with its guilt on our
souls.

*49 Q. Does this corruption of our nature remain in us after Original
Sin is forgiven?
A. This corruption of our nature and other punishments remain in us
after Original Sin is forgiven.

It remains that we may merit by overcoming its temptations; and also
that we may be kept humble by remembering our former sinful and unhappy
state.

50 Q. Was anyone ever preserved from Original Sin?
A. The Blessed Virgin Mary, through the merits of her divine Son, was
preserved free from the guilt of Original Sin, and this privilege is
called her Immaculate Conception.

The Blessed Virgin was to be the Mother of the Son of God. Now it would
not be proper for the Mother of God to be even for one moment the
servant of the devil, or under his power. If the Blessed Virgin had been
in Original Sin, she would have been in the service of the devil.
Whatever disgraces a mother disgraces also her son; so Our Lord would
never permit His dear Mother to be subject to the devil, and
consequently He, through His merits, saved her from Original Sin. She is
the only one of the whole human race who enjoys this great privilege,
and it is called her "Immaculate Conception," that is, she was
conceived--brought into existence by her mother--without having any spot
or stain of sin upon her soul, and hence without Original Sin.

Our Lord came into the world to crush the power which the devil had
exercised over men from the fall of Adam. This He did by meriting grace
for them and giving them this spiritual help to withstand the devil in
all his attacks upon them. As the Blessed Mother was never under the
devil's power, next to God she has the greatest strength against him,
and she will help us to resist him if we seek her aid. The devil himself
knows her power and fears her, and if he sees her coming to our
assistance will quickly fly. Never fail, then, in time of temptation to
call upon our Blessed Mother; she will hear and help you and pray to God
for you.



Lesson 6
ON SIN AND ITS KINDS


51 Q. Is Original Sin the only kind of sin?
A. Original Sin is not the only kind of sin; there is another kind of
sin which we commit ourselves, called actual sin.

Sin is first or chiefly divided into original and actual; that is, into
the sin we inherit from our first parents and the sin we commit
ourselves. We may commit "actual" sin in two ways; either by doing what
we should not do--stealing, for example--and thus we have a sin of
commission, that is, a bad act committed; or by not doing what we should
do--not hearing Mass on Sunday, for example--and thus we have a sin of
omission, that is, a good act omitted. So it is not enough to simply do
no harm, we must also do some good. Heaven is a reward, and we must do
something to merit it. Suppose a man employed a boy to do the work of
his office, and when he came in the morning found that the boy had
neglected the work assigned to him, and when spoken to about it simply
answered: "Sir, I did no harm"; do you think he would be entitled to his
wages? Of course he did not and should do no harm; but is his employer
to pay him wages for that? Certainly not. In like manner, God is not
going to reward us for doing no harm; but on the contrary, He will
punish us if we do wrong, and give no reward unless we perform the work
He has marked out for us. Neither would the office boy deserve any wages
if he did only what pleases himself, and not the work assigned by his
master. In the same way, God will not accept any worship or religion but
the one He has revealed. He tells us Himself how He wishes to be
worshipped, and our own invented methods will not please Him. Hence we
see the folly of those who say that all religions are equally good, and
that we can be saved by practicing any of them. We can be saved only in
the one religion which God Himself has instituted, and by which He
wishes to be honored. Many also foolishly believe, or say they believe,
that if they are honest, sober, and the like, doing no injury to anyone,
they shall be saved without the practice of any form of religious
worship. But how about God's laws and commands? Are they to be despised,
disregarded, and neglected entirely, without any fear of punishment?
Surely not! And persons who thus think they are doing no harm are
neglecting to serve God--the greatest harm they can do, and for which
they will lose Heaven. God, we are told, assigned to everyone in this
world a certain work to perform in a particular state of life, and this
work is called "vocation." One, for instance, is to be a priest;
another, a layman; one married; another single, etc. It is important for
us to discover our true vocation; for if we are in the state of life to
which God has called us, we shall be happy; but if we select our own
work, our own state of life without consulting Him, we shall seldom be
happy in it. How are we to know our vocation? Chiefly by praying to God
and asking Him to make it known to us. Then if He gives us a strong
inclination--constant, or nearly constant--for a certain state of life,
and the ability to fulfill its duties, we may well believe that God
wishes us to be in that state.

After we have begged God's assistance, we must ask our confessor's
advice in the matter, and listen attentively to what the Holy Ghost
inspires him to say. The signs of our vocation are, therefore, as
stated: first, a strong desire, and second, an aptitude for the state to
which we believe we are called. For example, a young man might be very
holy, but if unable to learn, he could never be a priest. Another might
be very learned and holy, but if too sickly to perform a priest's
duties, he could not, or at least would not, be ordained. Another might
be learned and healthy, but not virtuous, and so he could never be a
priest. Aptitude, therefore, means all the qualities necessary, whether
of mind, or soul, or body. The same is true for a young girl who wishes
to become a religious; and the same, indeed, for any person's vocation.
We should never enter a state of life to which we are not called, simply
to please parents or others. Neither should we be persuaded by them to
give up a state to which we are called; for we should embrace our true
vocation at any sacrifice, that in it we may serve God better, and be
more certain of saving our souls. Thus, parents and guardians who
prevent their children from entering the state to which they are called
may sin grievously by exposing them to eternal loss of salvation. Their
sin is all the greater when they try to influence their children in this
matter for selfish or worldly motives. As they may be selfish and
prejudiced without knowing it, they too, should ask the advice of their
confessor, and good persons of experience. Oh! how many children, sons
and daughters, are made unhappy all the days of their life by parents or
superiors forcing them into some state to which they were not called, or
by keeping them from one to which they were called. This matter of your
vocation rests with yourselves and Almighty God, and you are free to do
what He directs without consideration for anyone.

52 Q. What is actual sin?
A. Actual sin is any willful thought, word, deed, or omission contrary
to the law of God.

Three ways we may sin, by "thought"--allowing our minds to dwell on
sinful things; "word"--by cursing, telling lies, etc.; "deed"--by any
kind of bad action. But to be sins, these thoughts, words and deeds must
be willful; that is, we must fully know what we are doing, and be free
in doing it. Then they must be "contrary to the law of God"; that is,
violate some law He commands us to obey, whether it be a law He gave
directly Himself, or through His Church. We can also violate God's law
by neglecting to observe it, and thus sin, provided the neglect be
willful, and the thing neglected commanded by God or by His Church.

53 Q. How many kinds of actual sin are there?
A. There are two kinds of actual sin--mortal and venial.

"Mortal," that is, the sin which kills the soul. When a man receives a
very severe wound, we say he is mortally wounded; that is, he will die
from the wound. As breath shows there is life in the body, so grace is
the life of the soul; when all the breath is out of the body, we say the
man is dead. He can perform no action to help himself or others. So when
all grace is out of the soul we say it is dead, because it is reduced to
the condition of a dead body. It can do no action worthy of merit, such
as a soul should do; that is, it can do no action that God is bound to
reward--it is dead. But you will say the soul never dies. You mean it
will never cease to exist; but we call it dead when it has lost all its
power to do supernatural good.

"Venial" sin does not drive out all the grace; it wounds the soul, it
weakens it just as slight wounds weaken the body. If it falls very
frequently into venial sin, it will fall very soon into mortal sin also;
for the Holy Scripture says that he that contemneth small things shall
fall by little and little. (Ecclus. 19:1). A venial sin seems a little
thing, but if we do not avoid it we shall by degrees fall into greater,
or mortal, sin. Venial sin makes God less friendly to us and displeases
Him. Now if we really love God, we will not displease Him even in the
most trifling things.

54 Q. What is mortal sin?
A. Mortal sin is a grievous offense against the law of God.

"Grievous"--that is, very great or serious. "Against the law." If we are
in doubt whether anything is sinful or not, we must ask ourselves: is it
forbidden by God or His Church? and if we do not know of any law
forbidding it, it cannot be a sin, at least for us.

Suppose, for example, a boy should doubt whether it is sinful or not to
fly a kite. Well, is there any law of God or of His Church saying it is
sinful to fly a kite? If not, then it cannot be a sin. But it might be
sinful for another reason, namely, his parents or superiors might forbid
it, and there is a law of God saying you must not disobey your parents
or superiors. Therefore a thing not sinful in itself, that is, not
directly forbidden by God or His Church, may become sinful for some
other reason well known to us.

We must not, however, doubt concerning the sinfulness or lawfulness of
everything we do; for that would be foolish and lead us to be
scrupulous. If we doubt at all we should have some good reason for
doubting, that is, for believing that the thing we are about to do is or
is not forbidden. When, therefore, we have such a doubt we must seek
information from those who can enlighten us on the subject, so that we
may act without the danger of sinning. It is our intention that makes
the act we perform sinful or not. Let me explain. Suppose during Lent a
person should mistake Friday for Thursday and should eat meat--that
person would not commit a real sin, because it is not a sin to eat meat
on an ordinary Thursday. He would commit what we call a material sin;
that is, his action would be a sin if he really knew what he was doing.
On the other hand, if the person, thinking it was Friday when it was
really Thursday, ate meat, knowing it to be forbidden, that person would
commit a mortal sin, because he intended to do so. Therefore, if what we
do is not known to be a sin while we do it, it is no sin for us and
cannot become a sin afterwards. But as soon as we know or learn that
what we did was wrong, it would be a sin if we did the same thing again.
In the same way, everything we do thinking it to be wrong or sinful is
wrong and sinful for us, though it may not be wrong for those who know
better. Again, it is sinful to judge others for doing wrong, because
they may not know that what they do is sinful. It would be better for us
to instruct than to blame them. The best we can do, therefore, is to
learn well all God's laws and the laws of His Church as they are taught
in the catechism, so that we may know when we are violating them or when
we are not, i.e., when we are sinning and when we are not.

*55 Q. Why is this sin called mortal?
A. This sin is called mortal because it deprives us of spiritual life,
which is sanctifying grace, and brings everlasting death and damnation
on the soul.

When the soul is sent to Hell it is dead forever, because never again
will it be able to do a single meritorious act.

*56 Q. How many things are necessary to make a sin mortal?
A. To make a sin mortal three things are necessary: a grievous matter,
sufficient reflection, and full consent of the will.

"Grievous matter." To steal is a sin. Now, if you steal only a pin the
act of stealing in that case could not be a mortal sin, because the
"matter," namely, the stealing of an ordinary pin, is not grievous. But
suppose it was a diamond pin of great value, then it would surely be
"grievous matter." "Sufficient reflection," that is, you must know what
you are doing at the time you do it. For example, suppose while you
stole the diamond pin you thought you were stealing a pin with a small
piece of glass, of little value, you would not have sufficient
reflection and would not commit a mortal sin till you found out that
what you had stolen was a valuable diamond; if you continued to keep it
after learning your mistake, you would surely commit a mortal sin. "Full
consent." Suppose you were shooting at a target and accidentally killed
a man: you would not have the sin of murder, because you did not will or
wish to kill a man.

Therefore three things are necessary that your act may be a mortal sin:
(1) The act you do must be bad, and sufficiently important; (2) You must
reflect that you are doing it, and know that it is wrong; (3) You must
do it freely, deliberately, and willfully.

57 Q. What is venial sin?
A. Venial sin is a slight offense against the law of God in matters of
less importance, or in matters of great importance it is an offense
committed without sufficient reflection or full consent of the will.

"Slight," that is, a small offense or fault; called "venial," not
because it is not a sin, but because God pardons it more willingly or
easily than He does a mortal sin. "Less importance," like stealing an
ordinary, common pin. "Great importance," like stealing a diamond pin.
Without "reflection" or "consent," when you did not know it was a
diamond and did not intend to steal a diamond.

*58 Q. Which are the effects of venial sin?
A. The effects of venial sin are the lessening of the love of God in our
heart, the making us less worthy of His help, and the weakening of the
power to resist mortal sin.

"Lessening of the love," because it lessens grace, and grace increases
the love of God in us. It displeases God, and though we do not offend
Him very greatly, we still offend Him. "Weakening of the power to
resist." If a man is wounded, it will be easier to kill him than if he
is in perfect health. So mortal sin will more easily kill a soul already
weakened by the wounds of venial sin.

59 Q. Which are the chief sources of sin?
A. The chief sources of sin are seven: Pride, Covetousness, Lust, Anger,
Gluttony, Envy, and Sloth; and they are commonly called capital sins.

A "source" is that from which anything else comes. The source of a river
is the little spring on the Mountainside where the river first begins.
This little stream runs down the mountain, and as it goes along gathers
strength and size from other little streams running into it. It cuts its
way through the meadows, and marks the course and is the beginning of a
great river, sweeping all things before it and carrying them off to the
ocean. Now, if someone in the beginning had stopped up the little spring
on the mountain--the first source of the river--there would have been no
river in that particular place. It is just the same with sin. There is
one sin that is the source, and as it goes along like the stream it
gathers strength; other sins follow it and are united with it. Again:
each of these "capital sins," as they are called, is like a leader or a
captain in an army, with so many others under him and following him.
Now, if you take away the head, the other members of the body will
perish; so if you destroy the capital sin, the other sins that follow it
will disappear also. Very few persons have all the capital sins: some
are guilty of one of them, some of two, some of three, but few if any
are guilty of them all. The one we are guilty of, and which is the cause
of all our other sins, is called our predominant sin or our ruling
passion. We should try to find it out, and labor to overcome it.

Every one of these capital sins has a great many other sins following
it.

"Pride" is an inordinate self-esteem. Pride comes under the First
Commandment; because by thinking too much of ourselves we neglect God,
and give to ourselves the honor due to Him. Of what have we to be proud?
Of our personal appearance? Disease may efface in one night every trace
of beauty. Of our clothing? It is not ours; we have not produced it;
most of it is taken from the lower animals--wool from the sheep, leather
from the ox, feathers from the bird, etc. Are we proud of our wealth,
money or property? These may be stolen or destroyed by fire. The learned
may become insane, and so we have nothing to be proud of but our good
works. All that we have is from God, and we can have it only as long as
He wishes. We had nothing coming into the world, and we leave it with
nothing but the shroud in which we are buried; and even this does not go
with the soul, but remains with the body to rot in the earth. Soon after
death our bodies become so offensive that even our dearest friends
hasten to place them under ground, where they become the food of worms,
a mass of corruption loathsome to sight and smell. Why, then, should we
be so proud of this body, and commit so much sin for it, pamper it with
every delicacy, only to be the food of worms? This does not mean,
however, that we are not to keep our bodies clean, and take good care of
them. We are bound to do so, and could not neglect it without committing
sin. The one thing to be avoided is taking too much care of them, and
neglecting our soul and God on their account. The followers of pride
are: conceit, hypocrisy, foolish display in dress or conduct, harshness
to others, waste of time on ourselves, etc.

"Covetousness," the same as avarice, greed, etc., is an inordinate
desire for worldly goods. "Inordinate," because it is not avarice to
prudently provide for the future either for ourselves or others.
Covetousness comes under the Tenth Commandment, and is forbidden by it.
We must be content with what we have or can get honestly. The followers
of covetousness are: Want of charity, dishonest dealing, theft, etc.

"Lust" is the desire for sins of the flesh; for impure thoughts, words,
or actions. It comes under the Sixth and Ninth Commandments, and
includes all that is forbidden by those Commandments. It is the habit of
always violating, or of desiring to violate, the Sixth and Ninth
Commandments. Lust and impurity mean the same thing. The followers of
lust are, generally, neglect of prayer, neglect of the Sacraments, and
final loss of faith.

"Anger" comes under the Fifth Commandment. It is followed by hatred, the
desire of revenge, etc.

"Gluttony" is the sin of eating or drinking too much. With regard to
eating, it is committed by eating too often; by being too particular
about what we eat, by being too extravagant in always looking for the
most costly things, that we think others cannot have. With regard to
drinking, it is generally committed by taking too much of intoxicating
liquors. The drunkard is a glutton and commits the sin of gluttony every
time he becomes intoxicated. Gluttony, especially in drink, comes in a
manner under the First Commandment, because by depriving ourselves of
our reason we cannot give God the honor and respect which is His due.
Think of how many sins the drunkard commits. He becomes intoxicated,
which in itself is a sin. He deprives himself of the use of reason,
abuses God's great gift, and becomes like a brute beast. Indeed in a way
he becomes worse than a beast; for beasts always follow the laws that
God has given to their nature, and never drink to excess. They obey God,
and man is the only one of God's creatures that does not always keep His
laws. Think too of the number of insane persons confined in asylums, who
would give all in this world for the use of their reason, if they could
only understand their miserable condition. Yet the drunkard abuses the
gift that would make these poor unfortunate lunatics happy. Again, the
drunkard injures his health and thus violates the Fifth Commandment by
committing a kind of slow suicide. He loses self-respect, makes use of
sinful language; frequently neglects Mass and all his religious duties,
exposes himself to the danger of death while in a state of sin, gives
scandal to his family and neighbors, and by his bad example causes some
to leave or remain out of the true Church. By continued intemperance, he
may become insane and remain in that condition till death puts an end to
his career and he goes unprepared before the judgment seat of God.
Besides all this he squanders the money he should put to a better use
and turns God's gifts into a means of offending Him. If a father, he
neglects the children and wife for whom he has promised to provide;
leaves them cold and hungry while he commits sin with the means that
would make them comfortable. Drunkenness therefore is a sin accompanied
by many deplorable evils. There are three great sins you should always
be on your guard against during your whole lives, namely, drunkenness,
dishonesty, and impurity. If you avoid these you will almost surely
avoid all other sins; for nearly all sins can be traced back to these
three. They are the most dangerous, first, because they have most
followers, and secondly, because they grow upon us almost without our
knowing it. The drunkard begins perhaps as a boy by taking a little,
even very little; the second time he takes a little more; the next time
still more, then he begins to be fond of strong drink and can scarcely
do without it; finally he becomes the slave of intemperance and sells
his soul and body for it. The passions of dishonesty and impurity grow
by degrees in the same manner. Therefore avoid them in the beginning and
resist them while they are under your power. If you find yourself
inclined to any of these sins in your youth, stop them at once.

"Envy" is the desire to see another meet with misfortune that we may be
benefited by it. We are glad when he does not succeed in his business,
we are sorry when anyone speaks well of him, etc. Envy comes under the
Eighth Commandment.

"Sloth" is committed when we idle our time, and are lazy; when we are
indifferent about serving God; when we do anything slowly and poorly and
in a way that shows we would rather not do it. They are slothful who lie
in bed late in the morning and neglect their duty. Slothful people are
often untidy in their personal appearance; and they are nearly always in
misery and want, unless somebody else takes care of them. Sloth comes
under the First Commandment, because it has reference in a special
manner to the way in which we serve God. How, then, shall we best
destroy sin in our souls? By finding out our chief capital sin and
rooting it out. If a strong oak tree is deeply rooted in the ground, how
will you best destroy its life? By cutting off the branches? No. For
with each returning spring new branches will grow. How then? By cutting
the root and then the great oak with all its branches will die. In the
same way our capital sin is the root, and as long as we leave it in our
souls other sins will grow out of it. While we are trying to destroy our
sins without touching our capital sin--our chief sin--we are only
cutting off branches that will grow again. Indeed a great many people
are only cutting off branches all the time and that is why they are not
benefited as much as they could be by the prayers they say, Masses they
hear, Sacraments they receive, and sermons they listen to. But do not
imagine that because you are not becoming better, when you pray, hear
Mass, and receive the Sacraments, you are doing no good at all. That
would be a great mistake, and just such a thing as the devil would
suggest to make persons give up their devotions. What is the use, he
might say, of your trying to be good? You are just as bad as you were a
year ago. Do not listen to that temptation. Were it not for your prayers
and your reception of the Sacraments, you would become a great deal
worse than you are. Suppose a man is rowing on the river against a very
strong tide. He is rowing as hard as he can and yet he is not advancing
one foot up the stream. Is he doing nothing therefore? Ah! he is doing a
great deal: he is preventing himself from being carried with the current
out into the ocean. He is keeping himself where he is till the force of
the tide diminishes, and then he can advance. So they who are trying to
be good are struggling against the strong tide of temptation. If they
cease to struggle against it, they will be carried out into the great
ocean of sin and lost forever. Someday the temptation will grow weaker
and then they will be able to advance towards Heaven. We feel
temptations most when we are trying to resist them and lead good lives,
because we are working against our evil inclinations--the strong tide of
our passions. We have no trouble going with them.



Lesson 7
ON THE INCARNATION AND REDEMPTION


"Incarnation" means to take flesh, as a body. Here it means Our Lord's
taking flesh, that is, taking a body like ours, when He became man.
"Redemption" means to buy back. Let us take an example. Slaves are men
or women that belong entirely to their masters, just as horses, cows, or
other animals do. Slaves are bought and sold, never receive any wages
for their work, get their food and clothing and no more. As they never
earn money for themselves, they can never purchase their own liberty. If
ever they are to be free, someone else must procure their liberty. Now,
suppose I am in some country where slavery exists. I am free, but I want
one hundred dollars; so I go to a slave owner and say: I want to sell
myself for one hundred dollars. He buys me and I soon squander the one
hundred dollars. Now I am his property, his slave; I shall never earn
any wages and shall never be able to buy my freedom. No other slave can
help me, for he is just in the same condition as I myself am. If I am to
be free, a free man who has the money must pay for my liberty. This is
exactly the condition in which all men were before Our Lord redeemed
them. Adam sold himself and all his children to the devil by committing
sin. He and they therefore became slaves. They could not earn any
spiritual wages, that is, grace of God to purchase their liberty; and as
all men were slaves one could not help another in this matter. Then Our
Lord Himself came and purchased our freedom. He bought us back again,
and the price He paid was His own life and blood given up upon the
Cross. In His goodness, He did more than redeem us; He gave us also the
means of redeeming ourselves in case we should ever have the misfortune
of falling again into the slavery of the devil--into sin. He left us the
Sacrament of Penance to which we can go as to a bank, and draw out
enough of Our Lord's grace--merited for us and deposited in the power of
His Church--to purchase our redemption from sin.

60 Q. Did God abandon man after he fell into sin?
A. God did not abandon man after he fell into sin, but promised him a
Redeemer, who was to satisfy for man's sin and reopen to him the gates
of Heaven.

"Abandon" means to leave to one's self. Adam and his posterity were
slaves, but God took pity on them. He did not leave them to themselves,
but promised to help them.

"Gates of Heaven." Heaven has no gates, because it is not built of
material--of stone, or iron, or wood. It is only our way of speaking;
just as we say "hand of God," although He has no hands. Heaven is the
magnificent home God has prepared for us, and its gates are His power by
which He keeps us out or lets us in as He pleases. Our Lord, therefore,
obtained admittance for us.

61 Q. Who is the Redeemer?
A. Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of mankind.

62 Q. What do you believe of Jesus Christ?
A. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the second Person of
the Blessed Trinity, true God and true man.

"True God." He was true God equal to His Father from all eternity. He
became man when He came upon the earth about 2,000 years ago, and was
born on Christmas Day. Now He is in Heaven as God and man. Therefore, He
was God always, but man only from the time of His Incarnation.

*63 Q. Why is Jesus Christ true God?
A. Jesus Christ is true God because He is the true and only Son of God
the Father.

God the Father, first Person of the Blessed Trinity, is His real Father,
and St. Joseph was His foster-father, selected by the Heavenly Father to
take care of Our Lord and watch over Him while on earth. A foster-father
is not the same as a stepfather. A stepfather is a second father that
one gets when his real father dies. A foster-father is one who takes a
person, whether a relative or a stranger, and adopts him as his son. It
was a very great honor for St. Joseph to be selected from among all men
to take care of the Son of God; to carry in his arms the great One of
whom the prophets spoke; the One for whom the whole world longed during
so many thousand years; so that next to our Blessed Mother St. Joseph
deserves our greatest honor.

*64 Q. Why is Jesus Christ true man?
A. Jesus Christ is true man because He is the Son of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, and has a body and soul like ours.

He has all that we have by nature, but not the things we have acquired
such as deformities, imperfections, and the like. Everything in Our Lord
was perfect. Above all, He had no sin of any kind; nor even inclination
to sin. He could be hungry, as He was when He fasted forty days in the
desert. (Matt. 4:2). He was thirsty, as He said on the Cross. (John
19:28). He could be wearied; as we read in the Holy Scripture (John 4:6)
that He sat down by a well to rest, while His disciples went into the
city to buy food. All these sufferings come from our very nature. We say
a thing comes from our very nature when everybody has it. Now, everyone
in the world may at times be hungry, thirsty, or tired; but everybody in
the world need not have a toothache or headache, because such things are
not common to human nature, but due to some defect in our body; and such
defects Our Lord did not have, because He was a perfect man. Therefore,
Our Lord had a body like ours, not as it usually is with defects, but as
it should be, perfect in all things that belong to its nature, as Adam's
was before he sinned.

*65 Q. How many natures are there in Jesus Christ?
A. In Jesus Christ there are two natures: the nature of God and the
nature of man.

He was perfect God and perfect man. His human nature was under the full
power of His divine nature, and could not do anything contrary to His
divine will. You cannot understand how there can be two natures and two
wills in one person, because it is another of the great mysteries; but
you must believe it, just as you believe there are three Persons in one
God, though you do not understand it. Those who learn theology and study
a great deal may understand it better than you, but never fully. It will
be enough, therefore, for you to remember and believe that there are two
natures--the divine nature and the human nature--in the one person of
Our Lord.

*66 Q. Is Jesus Christ more than one person?
A. No, Jesus Christ is but one Divine Person.

"But one," so that the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Son of
God, the Messias, Christ, Jesus, Our Lord, Our Saviour, Our Redeemer,
etc., are all names for the one Person; and, besides these, there are
many other names given to Our Lord in the Holy Scripture, both in the
Old and the New Testaments.

*67 Q. Was Jesus Christ always God?
A. Jesus Christ was always God, as He is the Second Person of the
Blessed Trinity, equal to His Father from all eternity.

*68 Q. Was Jesus Christ always man?
A. Jesus Christ was not always man, but became man at the time of His
Incarnation.

69 Q. What do you mean by the Incarnation?
A. By the Incarnation I mean that the Son of God was made man.

70 Q. How was the Son of God made man?
A. The Son of God was conceived and made man by the power of the Holy
Ghost, in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

*71 Q. Is the Blessed Virgin Mary truly the Mother of God?
A. The Blessed Virgin Mary is truly the Mother of God, because the same
Divine Person who is the Son of God is also the Son of the Blessed
Virgin Mary.

*72 Q. Did the Son of God become man immediately after the sin of our
first parents?
A. The Son of God did not become man immediately after the sin of our
first parents, but He was promised to them as a Redeemer.

God did not say to Adam when He would send the Redeemer, and so the
Redeemer did not come for about 4,000 years after He was first promised.
God permitted this long time to elapse in order that mankind might feel
and know how great an evil sin is, and what misery it brought upon the
world. During these 4,000 years men were becoming gradually worse. At
one time--about 1,600 years after Adam's sin--they became so bad that
God destroyed by a deluge, or great flood of water, all persons and
living things upon the earth, except Noe, his wife, his three sons and
their wives, and the animals they had in the ark with them. (Gen. 6).
Let me now give you more particulars about this terrible punishment.
After God determined to destroy all living things on account of the
wickedness of men, He told Noe, who was a good man, to build a great
ark, or ship, for himself and his family, and for some of all the living
creatures upon the earth. (Gen. 6). When the ark was ready, Noe and his
family went into it, and the animals that were to be saved came by God's
power, and two by two were taken into the ark. Besides the two of each
kind of animals, Noe was required to take with him five more of each
kind of clean animals. Clean animals were certain animals which,
according to God's law, could be offered in sacrifice or eaten; they
were such animals as the ox, the sheep, the goat, etc. Therefore, seven
of each of the clean animals, and two of each of the other kinds. Why
did He have seven clean animals? Two were to be set free upon the dry
earth with the other animals, and the other five were for food and
sacrifice. Noe spent a hundred years in making the ark. At that time men
lived much longer than they do now. Adam lived over 900 years and
Mathusala, the oldest man, lived to be 969 years old. There are many
reasons why men live a shorter time now than then. When the door of the
ark was closed, God sent a great rain that lasted for forty days and
forty nights. All the springs of water broke forth, and all the rivers
and lakes overflowed their banks. Men ran here and there to high places,
while the water rose higher and higher till it covered the tops of the
mountains, and all not in the ark were drowned. The big ark floated
about for about a year; for although it stopped raining after forty
days, just think of the quantity of water that must have fallen! Think
of the rain what would fall during the whole of Lent from Ash Wednesday
to Easter Sunday--forty days. It took a long time, therefore, for the
waters to go down and finally disappear. When the waters began to go
down, Noe, wishing to know if any land was as yet above the water,
opened the little window, and sent out a raven or crow over the waters.
The raven did not come back, because it is a bird that eats flesh, and
it found plenty of dead bodies to feed upon. Then Noe sent out a dove,
and the dove came back with the bough of an olive tree in its mouth.
From this Noe knew that the earth was becoming dry again. After some
days, the ark rested on the top of a mountain named Ararat. When all the
waters had dried up, Noe and his family and all the animals passed out
of the ark. He offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and he and his
family settled once more upon the earth. For a while, the descendants of
Noe were good, but when they became numerous they soon forgot the deluge
and its punishments, and became very wicked. Many forgot the true God
altogether, and began to worship the sun, moon, and stars. Some
worshipped animals, and others idols of wood or stone. They offered up
human victims and committed all kinds of sins most displeasing to God.
Many were in slavery; masters were cruel; and things were becoming daily
worse, till just before the coming of Our Lord the world was in a
terrible condition of misery and sin. The lawmakers tried to remedy
these evils by their laws, and the teachers and professors by their
teaching; but all was of no avail. God Himself must save the world.

God gave many promises of the Redeemer. The first one was given in the
garden to our first parents. God said (Gen. 3:15) to the serpent: I will
put enmities, that is hatred, between thee and the woman; that is,
between the devil and the Blessed Virgin--whom the holy writers call the
second Eve; because as the first Eve caused our fall, the second Eve
helped us to rise again. I will put also a great hatred between the
devil and your Redeemer. The next promise of the Redeemer was made to
Abraham. (Gen. 15). Another was made to Isaac, and another to Jacob; and
later these promises were frequently renewed through the prophets; so
that during the four thousand years God encouraged the good people, by
promising from time to time the Redeemer.

Some of the prophets foretold to what family He would belong, and when
He would be born, and when and what He would suffer, and how He would
die. They also foretold signs or things that would come to pass just
before the advent or coming of the Messias (Gen. 49:10); so that when
the people saw these things coming to pass, they could know that the
time of the Messias was at hand. Thus when Our Lord came, the whole
world was waiting and looking for the promised Redeemer, because the
signs foretold had appeared or were taking place. But the majority did
not recognize Our Lord when He came, on account of the quiet, humble,
and poor way in which He came. They were expecting to see the Redeemer
come as a great and powerful king, with mighty armies conquering the
world; and in this they were mistaken. If they had studied the Holy
Scriptures they would have learned how He was to come--poor and humble.

*73 Q. How could they be saved who lived before the Son of God became
man?
A. They who lived before the Son of God became man could be saved by
believing in the Redeemer to come, and by keeping the Commandments.

We have seen that God promised the Redeemer during four thousand years.
Now, those who believed these promises and kept all God's Commandments,
and observed all His laws as they knew them, could be saved. They could
not, it is true, enter into Heaven after their death, but they could
wait in Limbo without suffering till Our Lord opened Heaven for them.
They were saved only through the merits of Our Lord. And how could this
be when Our Lord was not yet born? Do you know what a promissory note
is? It is this. When a man is not able to pay his debts just now but
will be able afterwards, he gives those to whom he owes the money a
promissory note, that is, a written promise that he will pay at a
certain time. Now, those who died before Our Lord was born had the Holy
Scripture promising that Christ would pay for them and for their sins
when He would come. So God saved them on account of this promise and
kept them free from suffering till Our Lord came. If any died when they
were little infants, their parents answered for them as godfathers and
godmothers do now for infants at Baptism.

74 Q. On what day was the Son of God conceived and made man?
A. The Son of God was conceived and made man on Annunciation Day--the
day on which the Angel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary that
she was to be the Mother of God.

"Annunciation Day" is the 25th of March. You can easily remember that
feast. Everybody knows that St. Patrick's Day is on the 17th of March,
and therefore eight days after it comes Annunciation day. There is
another feast coming in between them, the feast of St. Joseph, on the
19th of March. Therefore it is easy to remember these three feasts
coming all in March and almost together. Annunciation is the name given
to that day after the angel came, but it was not called so before.
Annunciation means to tell or make known, and this is the day the angel
made known to the Blessed Virgin that she was selected for the high
office of Mother of God. The Blessed Virgin was expecting the Messias,
and was probably praying for His speedy arrival, as were the rest of her
people, when suddenly the angel came and said: Hail, full of grace. (See
Hail Mary Expl.).

75 Q. On what day was Christ born?
A. Christ was born on Christmas Day in a stable at Bethlehem, over
nineteen hundred years ago.

"Christmas Day" is the 25th of December, one week before the New Year.
It is called Christmas Day since the time Our Lord was born, over
nineteen hundred years ago. "In a stable at Bethlehem." The story of Our
Lord's birth is in every way a very sad one. The Blessed Virgin and St.
Joseph lived in Palestine--called also the Holy Land since Our Lord
lived there. Palestine was the country where God's people, the Jews,
lived, and at the time we are speaking of, it was under the power of the
Roman Emperor, who had his soldiers and governor there. He wished to
find out how many people were there, and so he ordered a census or count
of the people to be made. (Luke 2). We take the census very differently
now from what they did then. We in the United States, by order of the
government, send men around from house to house to write down the names;
but in Palestine, when they wanted the number of the people, everyone,
no matter where he lived, had to go to the city or town where his
forefathers had lived and there register his name with all the others
who belonged to the same tribe or family. Now, the forefathers of St.
Joseph and the Blessed Virgin belonged to the little town of Bethlehem
(Luke 2); so they had to leave Nazareth where they were then living and
go to Bethlehem. This was shortly before Christmas. When they got to
Bethlehem, they found the place crowded with people who also came to
enroll their names. They went to the inn or hotel to seek for lodging
for the night. The hotels there were not like ours. They were simply
large buildings with small rooms and no furniture; they were called
caravansaries. A man was in charge of the building, and by paying him
something persons were allowed the use of a room. No food was sold
there, so travelers had to do their cooking at home and bring whatever
they needed with them. When the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph went to
the inn they found all the rooms occupied. Then they went up and down
the streets looking for some house where they might stay. Nobody would
take them in, because St. Joseph was old and poor and had no money, or
little, to give. They were refused at every door, a very sad thing
indeed. What were they to do? It was growing dark, and the lights most
likely were being lighted here and there in the houses. The old towns
were not built as ours are, with houses on the outskirts growing fewer
as we advance into the country. They were surrounded by great walls to
keep out their enemies. There were several large gates in these walls,
through which the people entered or left the city. At night these gates
were closed and guarded. Nearly all the people lived within the walls
and the country was lonely and almost deserted. Only shepherds were to
be found in the country, and they lived in tents, which they carried
about from place to place, as soldiers do in time of war. Such was the
country about Bethlehem. As St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin could not
find anyplace to stay in the town they were forced to go into the
country. They must have suffered also from fear because the country was
infested with wolves and wild dogs, so fierce that they sometimes came
into the towns and attacked the people in the streets. Besides, many
robbers were wandering about waiting for victims. Palestine is a hilly
country and there were on the sides of some of the hills large caves in
which these robbers frequently took refuge or divided their spoils.
Because the shepherds at times, especially in bad weather, brought their
animals into these caves, they are often called stables. The Blessed
Virgin and St. Joseph found, we are told, one of these cold, dark
places, went into it for the night, and there Our Lord was born.

It was the month of December and must have been quite cold, so the
little Infant Jesus must have suffered greatly from the cold. If it had
been a stable such as we see in our days it would have been bad enough;
but think of this cold, dark, miserable cave, and yet it was Our Lord,
the King of Heaven and earth, who was born there. There are few people
so poor that they have to live in a cave. What wonderful humility, then,
on the part of Our Lord. He could have been born, if He wished, in the
grandest palace man could construct and have had thousands of angels to
bring Him whatever He needed, for they are His servants in Heaven. But
Our Lord became so humble to teach us. What impression should this make
on those who are too fond of dress and too vain about their homes.

It was foretold by the prophets that Our Lord would be born in
Bethlehem, and when the time was near at hand His parents were living in
Nazareth; then the Roman Emperor gave the decree that the census be
taken, which obliged Our Lord's parents to go to Bethlehem, and thus Our
Lord was born there, and the words of the prophets fulfilled. See how
God moves the whole world, if necessary, to accomplish what He desires.
But how naturally He does everything. Nobody knew--not even the Roman
Emperor himself--that he was giving an edict to fulfill the prophecies
and the promises of God. So, at times, people do many things to carry
out the designs of God, though they know it not. We should never
complain therefore to do unwillingly whatever work we have to perform,
because it may be something that God wishes us to do for some very
special end. If you look back upon your lives, you can see that God
guided and directed you upon many occasions.

*76 Q. How long did Christ live on earth?
A. Christ lived on earth about thirty-three years, and led a most holy
life in poverty and suffering.

The life of Our Lord was spent in the following manner. At the time Our
Lord was born in Bethlehem wise men or kings, called Magi, came from the
East--perhaps from Persia or Arabia--to adore Him. They saw a strange
star, and leaving their own country came to Palestine. When they came as
far as Jerusalem, they went to King Herod and asked him where the young
King was born. Herod was troubled, for he was afraid the new King would
deprive him of his throne. He called together all the priests and asked
them about this royal child. They told him and the Magi that, according
to the prophecies, the Saviour should be born in Bethlehem. The Wise Men
saw the star once more, and followed it to Bethlehem, where it stood
over the stable in which Our Lord lay. They entered, and adored the
Infant Jesus, and offered Him presents. Now, Herod told them to come
back after they had found the newborn King, and tell him where He was,
that he too might go and adore Him. But such was not Herod's real
intention. He wished not to adore but to kill Him. See, then, how the
wicked pretend at times to do good, that they may deceive us and lead us
astray. Be always on your guard against a person if you suspect his
goodness. But Herod could not deceive God, who, knowing his heart,
warned the Wise Men not to return to Herod, but to go back to their own
country by another way, which they did. We celebrate the day on which
the Wise Men adored the Infant Jesus on the feast of the Epiphany (six
days after New Year's Day). When the Magi did not return, Herod knew
that they had avoided him. He was very angry indeed, and in order to be
sure of killing the poor little Infant Jesus, he had all the infants or
children in or near Bethlehem who were not over two years old put to
death. We honor these first little martyrs who suffered for Christ on
the feast of Holy Innocents--three days after Christmas.

After the departure of the Wise Men, God sent an angel to St. Joseph
warning him of Herod's evil designs, and telling him to fly with Jesus
and Mary into Egypt. Then St. Joseph, with the Blessed Virgin and the
Infant, set out for Egypt. St. Joseph did not ask the angel how long he
would have to stay there; nor did he ask to be allowed to wait till
morning. He obeyed promptly; he arose in the night, and started at once.
What an example of obedience for us! They must have had many hardships
on the way. They must have suffered much from hunger, cold, and fear.
They dare not go on the best roads, for we may well suppose that Herod
had his spies out watching for any that might escape. So they went by
the roughest roads and longest way. In Egypt they were among strangers,
and how could a poor old carpenter like St. Joseph find enough work
there! The Holy Family must at times have suffered greatly from want.
They remained in Egypt for some time. Afterwards, when Herod died, they
returned to Nazareth. (Matt. 2).

At twelve years of age Our Lord went to the Temple of Jerusalem to offer
sacrifice with His parents. (Luke 2:42). He afterwards returned to
Nazareth, and then for eighteen years--called His hidden life--we do not
hear anything of Him. Most likely He worked in the carpenter shop with
His foster-father, St. Joseph.

At the age of thirty (Luke 3:23), Our Lord began His public life; that
is, His preaching, miracles, etc. His public life lasted a little over
three years, and then He was put to death on the Cross.

*77 Q. Why did Christ live so long on earth?
A. Christ lived so long on earth to show us the way to Heaven by His
teaching and example.

Christ went through all the stages of life that each might have an
example. He was an infant: then a child; then a young man, and finally a
man. He did not become an old man to set an example to the old, because
if men follow His example in their youth and manhood they will be good
in old age. Youth is the all-important time to learn. If you want a tree
to grow straight, you must keep it straight while it is only a little
twig. You cannot straighten an old oak tree that has grown up crooked.
So you must be taught to do right in your youth, that you may do the
same when old. Of the hidden or private life of Our Lord we, as I have
said, know nothing, except that He was obedient to His parents; for He
wished to give an example also to those holy persons who lead a life
hidden from the world. Some books have given stories about what Our Lord
did in school, etc., but these stories are not true. The only true
things we know of Our Lord are those told in the Holy Scripture, or
handed down to us by the Church in her teachings, or those certainly
revealed to God's saints. Remember, then, that others are taught best by
example, and be careful of the example you give.



Lesson 8
ON OUR LORD'S PASSION, DEATH, RESURRECTION, AND ASCENSION


The Passion, that is, the terrible sufferings of Our Lord, began after
the Last Supper, and ended at His death. On Thursday evening, Our Lord
sat down for the last time with His dear Apostles. He had been talking,
eating, and living with them for over three years; and now He is going
to take His last meal with them before His death. He told them then how
He was to suffer, and that one of them was going to betray Him. They
were very much troubled, for only Judas himself knew what he was about
to do.

78 Q. What did Jesus Christ suffer?
A. Jesus Christ suffered a bloody sweat, a cruel scourging, was crowned
with thorns, and was crucified.

After the Supper, Our Lord went with His Apostles to a little country
place just outside Jerusalem, and separated from it by a small stream.
He told the three Apostles, Peter, James, and John, to stay near the
entrance, and to watch and pray, while He Himself went further into the
Garden of Olives, or Gethsemani, as this place was called, and throwing
Himself upon His face, prayed long and earnestly, but the Apostles fell
asleep.

We often find persons who are in great anguish or dread covered with a
cold perspiration. Now, Our Lord's agony in the garden was so intense
that great drops, not of sweat, but of blood, oozed from every pore, and
trickled to the ground. There are three reasons given for this dreadful
agony.

(1) The clear, certain knowledge of the sufferings so soon to be
endured. If we were to be put to death tomorrow and knew exactly the
manner of our death and the pain it would inflict, how great would be
our fear! Our Lord, knowing all things, knew in every particular what He
would have to undergo. Moreover, His sufferings were greater than ours
could be, even if we suffered the same kind of death; because His body
was most perfect, and therefore more susceptible of pain than ours. A
wound in the eye, because the most sensitive and delicate part of the
body, would cause us greater pain than a wound on the foot or hand.
Thus, all the parts of Our Lord's body being so perfect and sensitive,
we can scarcely imagine His dreadful torments, the very thought of which
caused Him such agony.

(2) The sins, past, present, and future of all men. He knew all things,
as we have said, and looking back upon the world He saw all the sins
committed, of thought, word, and deed, from the time of Adam down to His
own; and seeing all these offenses against His Father, He was very much
grieved.

(3) The third reason why He grieved. He looked forward and saw how
little many persons would profit by all the sufferings He was about to
endure. He saw all the sins that would be committed from the time of His
death down to the end of the world. He saw us also sinning with the
rest. No wonder then that He suffered so much in the garden. This
suffering on that night is called "Our Lord's Agony in the Garden." That
night Judas, who had betrayed Him to His enemies, came with a great band
of soldiers and people, with swords and clubs, to make Our Lord a
prisoner. He did not try to escape, but stood waiting for them, though
all His Apostles, who had promised to stay with Him, ran away. Then the
soldiers led Our Lord to the house of the Chief Priest. Then they
gathered the priests, and gave Him a kind of trial, and said He was
guilty of death. But at that time the Jews had no power to put persons
to death according to the law; so they had to send Our Lord to Pontius
Pilate, the Roman Governor, to be condemned, because they were under the
power of the Romans. The Jews acted against their laws in the trial of
Our Lord.

(1) They tried Him at night; and (2) they allowed Him no witnesses in
His defense, but even employed false witnesses to testify against Him,
and thus acted against all law and justice. Early in the morning they
led Him to Pilate, who commanded that He should be scourged. Then they
stripped Our Lord of His garments, fastened His hands to a low stone
pillar, and there He was "scourged" by the Roman soldiers. The lashes
used by the Romans were made of leather, with pieces of bone, iron, or
steel fastened into it, so that every stroke would lay open the flesh.
It is most likely these were the lashes used upon Our Lord till every
portion of His body was bruised and bleeding, and they replaced His
garments upon Him. Now, you know if you put a cloth upon a fresh wound
the blood will soak into it and cause it to adhere to the mangled flesh.
Our Blessed Lord's garment, thus saturated with His blood, adhered to
His wounded body, and when again removed caused Him unspeakable pain.
Next, the soldiers, because Our Lord had said He was a king--meaning a
spiritual king--led Him into a large hall and mocked Him. They made a
crown of long, sharp thorns, and forced it down upon His brow with a
heavy rod or reed; every stroke driving the thorns into His head, and
causing the blood to roll down His sacred face. They again took off His
garments, and opened anew the painful wounds. Because kings wore purple,
they put an old purple garment upon Him, and made Him a mock king,
genuflecting in ridicule as they passed before Him. They struck Him in
the face and spat upon Him; and yet it seems our patient Lord said not a
word in complaint. Then they put His garments upon Him, and Pilate asked
the people what he should do with Him, and they cried, "Crucify Him." It
was then Friday morning, and probably about ten or eleven o'clock. They
made a cross of heavy beams, and laying it upon His shoulders, forced
Him to carry it to Calvary--the place of execution, just outside the
city; for it was not allowed to execute anyone in the city. Our Lord had
not eaten anything from Thursday evening, and then with all He suffered
and the loss of blood, He must have been very weak at eleven o'clock on
Friday morning. He was weak, and fell many times under the Cross. His
suffering was increased by seeing His Blessed Mother looking at Him.
When He arrived at Calvary they tore off His garments and nailed Him to
the Cross, driving the rough nails through His hands and feet. It was
then about twelve o'clock. From twelve to three in the afternoon Our
Blessed Saviour was hanging on the Cross, with a great multitude of His
enemies about Him mocking and saying cruel things. Even the two thieves
that were crucified with Him reviled Him, though one of them repented
and was pardoned before death. Our Lord's poor Mother and His few
friends stood at a little distance witnessing all that was going on.
When Our Lord was thirsty His executioners gave Him gall to drink. At
three o'clock He died, and there was an earthquake and darkness, and the
people were sorely afraid.

But you will ask, how could these soldiers be so cruel? They were
Romans; and in those days men called gladiators used to fight with
swords before the Roman Emperor and all the people--just as actors play
now for the amusement of their audience. People who could enjoy such
scenes as men slaying one another in deadly conflict would scarcely be
moved to pity by seeing a man scourged. Again, in the early ages of the
Church, during the persecutions, the Emperors used to order the
Christians to be thrown to wild beasts to be torn to pieces in the
presence of the people--who applauded these horrible sights. They who
could see so many put to death would not mind putting one to death, even
in the most terrible manner.

79 Q. On what day did Christ die?
A. Christ died on Good Friday.

"Good Friday," so called since that time.

*80 Q. Why do you call that day "good" on which Christ suffered so
sorrowful a death?
A. We call that day good on which Christ died, because by His death He
showed His great love for man, and purchased for him every blessing.

*81 Q. Where did Christ die?
A. Christ died on Mount Calvary.

"Mount Calvary," a little hill just outside the city of Jerusalem. For
every city they have a special prison or place where all their criminals
are executed. Now, as the great Temple of God was in Jerusalem, the city
itself was called the City of God, because in the Temple God spoke to
the priests in the Holy of Holies. The Temple was divided into two
parts: one part, something like the body of our churches, called the
Holy, and the other part, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept, called
the Holy of Holies. It had about the same relation to the Temple as our
altar and sanctuary have to our churches. The Ark of the Covenant was a
box about four feet long, two and a half feet high, and two and a half
feet wide, made of the finest wood, and ornamented with gold in the most
beautiful manner. In it were the tables of stone, on which were written
the Commandments of God; also the rod that Aaron--Moses'
brother--changed into a serpent before King Pharaoh; also some of the
manna with which the people were miraculously fed during their forty
years' journey in the desert when they fled out of Egypt. All these
things were figures of the true religion. The Ark itself was a figure of
the tabernacle, and the manna of the Holy Eucharist. The Holy of Holies
was hidden from the people by a veil. Only the Chief Priest was allowed
into that sacred place, and but once a year. The veil--called the veil
of the Temple--hiding that Holy of Holies, though the things mentioned
above were no longer in it, was torn asunder when Our Lord died on the
Cross (Matt. 27:51); because after His death there was no need any
longer of figures; for after His death we have the tabernacle itself and
the real manna, the real bread from Heaven, viz., the body of Our Lord.
The veil was rent to show also that God would not remain any longer in
the Temple, but would be for the future only in the Christian Church. On
account of all these things, therefore, Jerusalem was called the Holy
City, and no criminals were put to death in it, but were conducted to
Calvary--which means the place of skulls--and were there put to death. I
now call your attention to one thing. If the Jews showed such great
respect and reverence for the Ark containing only figures of the Blessed
Sacrament, how should we behave in the presence of the tabernacle on the
altar containing the Blessed Sacrament itself!

*82 Q. How did Christ die?
A. Christ was nailed to a cross and died on it, between two thieves.

"Two thieves," because they thought this would make His death more
disgraceful--making Him equal to common criminals. One of these thieves,
called the penitent thief, repented of his sins and received Our Lord's
pardon before his death. The other thief died in his sins. Holy writers
tell us that one of these thieves was saved to give poor sinners hope,
and to teach them that they may save their souls at the very last moment
of their lives if only they are heartily sorry for their sins and
implore God's pardon for them. The other thief remained and died
impenitent, that sinners may fear to put off their conversion to the
hour of death, thus rashly presuming on God's mercy. Persons who
willfully delay their conversion and put off their repentance to the
last moment, living bad lives with the hope of dying well, may not
accept the grace to repent at the last moment, but may, like the
unfortunate, impenitent thief, die as they lived, in a state of sin.

83 Q. Why did Christ suffer and die?
A. Christ suffered and died for our sins.

It was not necessary for Our Lord to suffer so much, but He did it to
show how much He loved us and valued our souls, and how much He was
willing to give for them. We, alas! do not value our souls as Christ
did; we sometimes sell them for the merest trifle--a moment's
gratification. How sinful!

*84 Q. What lessons do we learn from the sufferings and death of Christ?
A. From the sufferings and death of Christ we learn the great evil of
sin, the hatred God bears to it, and the necessity of satisfying for it.

We learn "the great evil of sin" also from the misery it brought into
the world; the "hatred God bears to it," from the punishment He
inflicted on the wicked angels and on our first parents for it; and
lastly, the "necessity of satisfying for it," from the fact that God
allowed His dear and only Son to suffer death itself for the sins even
of others.

*85 Q. Whither did Christ's soul go after His death?
A. After Christ's death His soul descended into hell.

*86 Q. Did Christ's soul descend into the hell of the damned?
A. The hell into which Christ's soul descended was not the hell of the
damned, but a place or state of rest called Limbo, where the souls of
the just were waiting for Him.

Hell had many meanings in olden times. The grave was sometimes called
hell. Jacob, when he heard that wild beasts had devoured his son Joseph,
said: "I will go down with sorrow into hell." He meant the grave. Limbo
is not the same as Purgatory. It does not exist now, or, if it does, is
only for little children who have never committed actual sin and who
have died without Baptism. They will never get into Heaven or see God,
but they will not have to suffer pains as they who are in Purgatory or
Hell endure.

*87 Q. Why did Christ descend into Limbo?
A. Christ descended into Limbo to preach to the souls who were in
prison--that is, to announce to them the joyful tidings of their
redemption.

*88 Q. Where was Christ's body while His soul was in Limbo?
A. While Christ's soul was in Limbo His body was in the Holy Sepulchre.

"Sepulchre" is the same as tomb. It is like a little room. In it the
coffin is not covered up with earth as it is in the grave, but is placed
upon a stand. We call such places vaults, and you can see many of them
in any cemetery or burying ground. Sometimes they are cut in the side of
elevated ground with their entrance level with the road, and sometimes
they are built altogether under the ground. The one in which Our Lord
was placed was cut out of the side of a rock, and had for a door a great
stone against the entrance. Our Lord was not placed in a coffin, but was
wrapped in a linen cloth. It was the custom of the Jewish people and of
many other ancient nations to embalm the bodies of the dead, wrap them
in cloths, and cover them with sweet spices. (Matt. 27:59). Thus it was
that Mary Magdalene and other good women came early in the morning to
anoint the body of Our Lord. But you will say, why did they not do it on
Friday evening or night? The reason was this: The day with the Jews
began at sunset--generally about six o'clock--and ended at sunset on the
next evening. We count our twenty-four hours, or day, from twelve at
midnight till twelve the next night. Therefore, with the Jews six
o'clock on Friday evening was the beginning of Saturday. They kept
Saturday, or the Sabbath, instead of Sunday as a day of worship. On that
day, which they kept very strictly, it was not allowable to do work of
any kind; so they could not anoint Our Lord's body till the Sabbath
ended, which was about six o'clock, or sunset on Saturday evening. So,
as the Holy Scripture tells us, they came very early in the morning; for
Mary Magdalene and these good women were Jews, and strictly observed the
Jewish law. You must know that Our Lord Himself, the Blessed Virgin, St.
Joseph, and the Apostles were Jews; and that the Jewish religion was the
true religion up to the coming of Our Lord; but as it was only a figure
and a promise of the Christian religion, it ceased to have any meaning
or to be the true religion when the Christian religion itself was
established by Our Lord.

89 Q. On what day did Christ rise from the dead?
A. Christ rose from the dead, glorious and immortal, on Easter Sunday,
the third day after His death.

"Rose" by His own power. This is the greatest of all Our Lord's
miracles, because all He taught is confirmed by it and depends upon it.
A miracle is a work that can be performed only by God, or by someone to
whom He has given the power. If anyone performs a real miracle to prove
what he says, his words must be true; for God, who is infinite truth,
could not sanction a lie--could not help an impostor to deceive us. Now
Our Lord said He was the Son of God; that He could forgive sins, etc.;
and He performed miracles to prove what He said. Therefore He must have
told the truth. So all those whom God sent to do any great work were
given the power to perform miracles that the people might know they were
really messengers from God. They, on the other hand, who claim--as many
have done from time to time in the world--that they have been sent by
God to do some great work, and can give no convincing proof of their
mission, are not to be believed. Thus, when Martin Luther claimed that
he was sent by God to reform the Catholic Church--which had existed
nearly 1,500 years before he was born--he performed no miracles, nor did
he give any other proof that he had any such commission from God; and he
cannot therefore be believed.

God has established all the laws of nature permanently. They will not
vary or change, so that we can depend upon them. We can always be sure
that the sun will rise and set; that the seasons will come; that fire
will burn, etc. Now, if we see three young men in a great fiery furnace
without being burned (Dan. 3), we say it is a great miracle; because
naturally the fire would burn them up if God did not prevent it. Again,
water will not stand up like a high wall without something keeping it
back; it will always run about and fill every empty spot near it. If,
therefore, we see water standing up like a high wall, as it did in the
Red Sea at the command of Moses, and in the River Jordan, we say it is a
miracle. So in all cases where the laws of nature do not work in the
ordinary manner, we say a miracle is being performed. Now Our Lord
performed many such miracles--many times He suspended the laws of
nature--which God alone can do, since He alone established them. Our
Lord called back the soul to the body after death, thus raising the
dead. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, cured the lame, etc.,
when all medicine and natural means were useless. He did all these
things instantly as a rule, and without remedies. Therefore His miracles
prove His divine power. Since the resurrection was a great miracle, and
Our Lord performed it to prove that He was the true and only Son of God,
He must have been just what He said He was.

"Glorious." Our Lord rose in the same body He had before His death; but
when He rose it had new qualities--it was glorified. The qualities of a
glorified body are four, viz.: brilliancy, agility, subtility, and
impassability. (1) It has brilliancy; that is, it shines like a light;
it gives forth light; the soul shines through the body. You have heard
of the Transfiguration of Our Lord. One day He took three of His
Apostles--Peter, James, and John--unto a high mountain (Matt. 17); and
as He was speaking to them, suddenly His whole body began to shine like
the sun. Then Moses and Elias--two great and holy men of the Old
Law--came and conversed with Him. The Apostles were astonished and
delighted at the sight, and wished to remain there always. Our Lord's
body at that time showed one of the qualities of a glorified body. The
same three Apostles that saw Him thus transfigured and heard the voice
of the Heavenly Father saying, "This is My beloved Son," were present in
the garden during Our Lord's agony. He allowed them to see the
Transfiguration, so that when they should see Him suffering as man, they
would remember that they saw Him on the mountain glorified as God. (2)
Agility; that is, a glorified body can move rapidly from one place to
another, like the lightning itself. After His resurrection Our Lord was
in Jerusalem, and almost immediately He appeared near the village of
Emmaus to two disciples going there. (Luke 24). They had left Jerusalem
after the Crucifixion, probably through fear, and were going along
together talking about what had happened during the days of Our Lord's
Passion. Suddenly Our Lord came and walked and talked with them, but
they did not know Him. They asked Him to stay that night at their house,
for it was growing dark. He did not stop with them, and at supper they
knew Him, and then He vanished from their sight. An ordinary person
would have to get up and walk away; but He vanished, showing on this
occasion the second quality of His glorified body--agility. (3)
Subtility; that is, such a body can go where it pleases and cannot be
resisted by material things. It can pass through closed doors or gates,
and even walls cannot keep it out. It passes through everything, as
light does through glass without breaking it. At one time after Our
Lord's resurrection the Apostles were gathered together in a room, for
they were still afraid of being put to death, and the doors were tightly
closed. Suddenly Our Lord stood in the midst of them and said: "Peace be
to you." (John 20:19). They did not open the door for Him; neither wood
nor stone could keep Him out: and thus He showed that His body had the
third quality. (4) His body had the fourth quality also--impassability,
which means that it can no longer suffer. Before His death, and at it,
Our Lord suffered dreadful torments, as you know; but after His
resurrection nothing could injure or hurt Him. The spear could not hurt
His side, nor the nails His hands, nor the thorns His head. Shortly
after His resurrection Our Lord appeared to His Apostles while Thomas,
one of them, was absent. (John 20:24). When Thomas returned, the other
Apostles told him that they had seen the Lord risen from the dead; but
he would not believe them, saying: "Unless I see the holes where the
nails were in His hands and feet, and put my finger into His side, I
will not believe." Now Our Lord, knowing all things, knew this also; so
He came again when Thomas was present, and said to him: "Now, Thomas,
put your hand into My side." Thomas cried out: "My Lord and my God!" He
believed then, because he saw. Now if this body of Our Lord's had been
an ordinary body, it would have caused Him pain to allow anyone to put
his hand into the wound; but it was impassable. It seems very strange,
does it not, that Thomas would not believe what the other Apostles told
him? God permitted this. Why? Because, if they all believed easily, some
enemies of Our Lord might say the Apostles were simple men that believed
everything without any proof. Now they cannot truly say so, because here
was one of the Apostles, Thomas, who would not believe without the very
strongest kind of proof. Another person, one would think, would have
been satisfied with seeing Our Lord's wounds; but Thomas would not trust
even his eyes--he must also touch before he would believe: showing,
therefore, that the Apostles were not deceived in anything Our Lord did
in their presence, for they had always the most convincing proofs.

After the Resurrection, at the last day, the bodies of all those who are
to be in Heaven will have the qualities I have mentioned; that is, they
will be glorified bodies.

Speaking of Our Lord's wounds, I might tell you what the stigmata means,
if you should ever hear or read of it. There have been some persons in
the world--saints, of course--who have had upon their hands, feet, and
side wounds just like those Our Lord had, and these wounds caused them
great pain. For example, St. Francis of Assisi (see Butler's Lives of
the Saints, Oct. 4th). Up to 1883--that is, only a few years ago--there
lived in Belgium a young girl named Louise Lateau who had the stigmata.
We have the most positive proof of it, as you may see in the accounts of
her life now published. Her wounds caused her great pain and bled every
Friday for many years. She was a delicate seamstress, and lived with her
mother and sisters in almost continual poverty. She had always been
remarkable for her true piety, patience in suffering, and charity to the
sick. I mention this young girl because she lived in our own time, and
is the latest person we know of who had the stigmata, or wounds of Our
Lord. So if you ever hear of the stigmata of St. Francis or others, you
will know that it means wounds like those of Our Lord impressed on their
bodies in a miraculous manner.

"Immortal"--that is never to die again, as it will be with us also after
the Resurrection.

"The third day." It was not three full days, but the parts of three
days. Suppose someone should ask you on Friday evening how long from now
to Sunday; you would answer: Sunday will be the third day from today.
You would count thus: Friday one, Saturday two, and Sunday itself three.
So it was with Our Lord. He died on Friday at about three in the
afternoon, and remained in the sepulchre till Sunday morning.

*90 Q. How long did Christ stay on earth after His resurrection?
A. Christ stayed on earth forty days after His resurrection, to show
that He was truly risen from the dead, and to instruct His Apostles.

After Our Lord's resurrection He remained on earth forty days: but you
must not think He was visible all that time. No. He did not appear to
everybody, but only to certain persons, and not all the time to them
either. He appeared to His Apostles and others in all about nine times;
at least, we know for certain that He appeared nine times, though He may
have appeared oftener. He showed that "He was truly risen," for He ate
with His Apostles and conversed with them. (Luke 24:42). It was after
the resurrection that He breathed on them and gave them the pow

Showing first 200,000 characters. Full text: gutenberg.org/ebooks/14554