╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ 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
Table of Contents
APPROBATIONS
His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons
Most Rev. M. A. Corrigan, D.D., Archbishop of New York
Most Rev. William Henry Elder, D.D., Archbishop of
Cincinnati
Most Rev. Thomas L. Grace, D.D., Archbishop of Siunia
Most Rev. P.J. Ryan, D.D., Archbishop of Philadelphia
Most Rev. William J. Walsh, D.D., Archbishop of Dublin,
Primate of Ireland
Right Rev. D.M. Bradley, D.D., Bishop of Manchester
Right Rev. Thomas F Brennan, D.D., Bishop of Dallas
Right Rev. M.E. Burke, D.D., Bishop of Cheyenne
Right Rev. L. De Goesbriand, D.D., Bishop of Burlington
Right Rev. John Foley, D.D., Bishop of Detroit
Right Rev. H. Gabriels, D.D., Bishop-elect of Ogdensburg
Right Rev. N.A. Gallagher, D.D., Bishop of Galveston
Right Rev. Leo Haid, O.S.B., D.D., Vicar Apostolic of
North Carolina
Right Rev. John J Hennessy, D.D. Bishop of Wichita
Right Rev. A. Junger, D.D., Bishop of Nesqually
Right Rev. John J Keane, D.D., Rector of the Catholic
University, Washington
Right Rev. W.G. McCloskey, D.D., Bishop of Louisville
Right Rev. James McGolrick, D.D., Bishop of Duluth
Right Rev. Camillus P Maes, D.D., Bishop of Covington
Right Rev. C.E. McDonnell, D.D., Bishop-elect of Brooklyn
Right Rev. R Manogue, D.D., Bishop of Sacramento
Right Rev. Tobias Mullen, D.D., Bishop of Erie
Right Rev. H.P. Northrop, D.D., Bishop of Charleston
Right Rev. Henry Joseph Richter, D.D., Bishop of Grand
Rapids
Right Rev. S.V. Ryan, D.D., Bishop of Buffalo
Right Rev. L. Scanlan, D.D., Bishop of Salt Lake
An Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism
The Lessons of the 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 THEIR 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
END 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 SAINTS
LESSON 31: THE
FIRST COMMANDMENT -- ON THE HONOR AND INVOCATION OF 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 END OF 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 AND HEAVEN
LESSON 37: ON THE
LAST JUDGMENT AND THE RESURRECTION, HELL, PURGATORY, AND HEAVEN
Nihil Obstat: D.J.
McMahon
Censor Librorum
Imprimatur:
*Michael Augustine
Archbishop of New York
New York, September 5, 1891
Nihil Obstat:
Arthur J. Scanlan, STD
Censor Librorum
Imprimatur:
*Patrick J. Hayes, D.D.
Archbishop of New York
New
York, June 29, 1921
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 Baftimore 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."
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
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 noplace 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, ie., 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 ofi "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:" ie., 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 9 't 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
brotherman 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 1 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
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
Question 1:
Who made the world?
Question 2:
Who is God?
Question 3:
What is man?
Question 4:
Is this likeness in the body or in the soul?
Question 5:
How is the soul like to God?
Question 6:
Why did God make you?
Question 7:
Of which must we take more care, our soul
or our body?
Question 8:
Why must we take more care of our soul
than of our body?
Question 9:
What must we do to save our souls?
Question 10:
How shall we know the things which we are
to believe?
Question 11:
Where shall we find the chief truths which
the Catholic Church teaches?
Question 12:
Say the Apostles' Creed.
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.
Question 1: Who
made the world?
Answer: God
made the world.
Explanation: 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.
Question 2: Who
is God?
Answer: God
is the Creator of Heaven and earth, and of all things.
Question 3: What
is man?
Answer: Man
is a creature composed of a body and soul, and
made
to the image and likeness of God.
Explanation:
"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.
Question 4: Is
this likeness in the body or in the soul?
Answer: This
likeness is chiefly in the soul.
Question 5: How
is the soul like to God?
Answer: The
soul is like God because it is a spirit that will never
die,
and has understanding and free will.
Explanation: My
soul is like to God in four things.
Explanation: 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? 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.
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. 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.
Question 6: Why
did God make you?
Answer: 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.
Explanation:
"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.
Explanation: 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?
Explanation:
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.
Explanation:
"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?
Question 7: Of
which must we take more care, our soul or our body?
Answer: We
must take more care of our soul than of our body.
Question 8: Why
must we take more care of our soul than of our
body.
Answer: We
must take more care of our soul than of our body,
because in losing our soul we lose God and everlasting
happiness.
Explanation: 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.
Question 9: What
must we do to save our souls?
Answer: 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.
Explanation:
"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."
Explanation: 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.
Question 10: How
shall we know the things which we are to believe?
Answer: We
shall know the things which we are to believe from
the
Catholic Church, through which God speaks to us.
Explanation:
"Catholic Church" in this answer means the Pope,
councils, bishops, and priests who teach in the Church.
Question 11: Where
shall we find the chief truths which the Catholic
Church teaches?
Answer: We
shall find the chief truths which the Catholic Church
teaches in the Apostles' Creed.
Explanation:
"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.
Question 12: Say
the Apostles' Creed.
Answer: 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.
Explanation:
"Descend" means to go down, and "ascend" to go up.
Lesson 2: ON GOD AND HIS PERFECTIONS
Question 13: What
is God?
Question 14: Had
God a beginning?
Question 15: Where
is God?
Question 16: If
God is everywhere, why do we not see Him?
Question 17: Does
God see us?
Question 18: Does
God know all things?
Question 19: Can
God do all things?
Question 20: Is
God just, holy, and merciful?
Explanation: A
"perfection" means a good quality.
We say a thing is
perfect when it has all the good qualities it should have.
Question 13: What
is God?
Answer: God is a spirit infinitely perfect.
Explanation:
"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.
Question 14: Had
God a beginning?
Answer: God
had no beginning; He always was and always will
be.
Explanation: 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.
Question 15: Where
is God?
Answer: God
is everywhere.
Explanation:
"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.
Question 16: If
God is everywhere, why do we not see Him?
Answer: We do
not see God because He is a pure spirit and cannot
be
seen with bodily eyes.
Explanation:
"Pure spirit," that is, not clothed with any material
body--spirit alone.
Question 17: Does
God see us?
Answer: God
sees us and watches over us.
Explanation:
"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
itsell 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.
Explanation: 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.
Question 18: Does
God know all things?
Answer: God
knows all things, even our most secret thoughts,
words, and actions.
Explanation:
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.
Question 19: Can
God do all things?
Answer: God can do all things, and nothing is hard
or impossible
to
Him.
Question 20: Is
God just, holy, and merciful?
Answer: God
is all just, all holy, all merciful, as He is infinitely
perfect.
Explanation:
"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.
Explanation: 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
Question 21: Is
there but one God?
Question 22: Why
can there be but one God?
Question 23: How
many persons are there in God?
Question 24: Is
the Father God?
Question 25: Is
the Son God?
Question 26: Is
the Holy Ghost God?
Question 27: What
do you mean by the Blessed Trinity?
Question 28: Are
the three Divine Persons equal in all things?
Question 29: Are
the three Divine Persons one and the same God?
Question 30: Can
we fully understand how the three Divine Persons
are
one and the same God?
Question 31: What
is a mystery?
Explanation:
"Unity" means to be one, and "Trinity," three in
one.
Question 21: Is
there but one God?
Answer: Yes;
there is but one God.
Question 22: Why
can there be but one God?
Answer: There
can be but one God because God, being supreme
and
infinite, cannot have an equal.
Explanation:
"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.
Question 23: How
many persons are there in God?
Answer: In
God there are three divine persons really distinct and
equal
in all things-the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost.
Explanation:
"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.
Question 24: Is
the Father God?
Answer: The
Father is God and the first Person of the Blessed
Trinity.
Question 25: Is
the Son God?
Answer: The
Son is God and the second Person of the Blessed
Trinity.
Question 26: Is
the Holy Ghost God?
Answer: The
Holy Ghost is God and the third Person of the
Blessed Trinity.
Question 27: What
do you mean by the Blessed Trinity?
Answer: By
the Blessed Trinity I mean one God in three Divine
Persons.
Question 28: Are
the three Divine Persons equal in all things?
Answer: The
three Divine Persons are equal in all things.
Question 29: Are
the three Divine Persons one and the same God?
Answer: The
three Divine Persons are one and the same God,
having one and the same divine nature and substance.
Explanation:
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.
Question 30: Can
we fully understand how the three Divine Persons
are one and the same God?
Answer: We
cannot fully understand how the three Divine Persons
are
one and the same God, because this is a mystery.
Explanation:
"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.
Question 31: What
is a mystery?
Answer: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: 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
Question 32: Who
created Heaven and earth, and all things?
Question 33: How
did God create Heaven and earth?
Question 34: Which
are the chief creatures of God?
Question 35: What
are angels?
Question 36: Were
the angels created for any other purpose?
Question 37: Were
the angels, as God created them, good and happy?
Question 38: Did
all the angels remain good and happy?
Explanation: This
lesson treats of God bringing everything into
existence. The chief things
created may be classed as
follows:
Explanation: The
things that simply exist, as rocks, and minerals-gold,
silver, iron, etc. Things that exist, grow, and live like
plants and trees. Things that grow, live, and feel, like
animals. Things that grow, live, feel, and understand, like
men.
Explanation:
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.
Question 32: Who
created Heaven and earth, and all things?
Answer: God
created Heaven and earth, and all things.
Explanation:
"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.
Question 33: How
did God create Heaven and earth?
Answer: God created Heaven and earth from nothing, by
His word
only;
that is, by a single act of His all-powerful will.
Question 34: Which
are the chief creatures of God?
Answer: The
chief creatures of God are angels and men.
Question 35: What
are angels?
Answer:
Angels are pure spirits without a body, created to adore
and
enjoy God in Heaven.
Explanation:
"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.
Explanation: 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.
Question 36: Were
the angels created for any other purpose?
Answer: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: 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).
Explanation: 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.
Question 37: Were
the angels, as God created them, good and happy?
Answer: The
angels as God created them were good and happy.
Question 38: Did
all the angels remain good and happy?
Answer: 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.
Explanation: God
did not admit the angels into His presence at once.
He
placed them for awhile on probation, as He did our
first
parents.
Explanation: 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
Question 39: Who
were the first man and woman?
Question 40: Were
Adam and Eve innocent and holy when they came
from
the hand of God?
Question 41: Did
God give any command to Adam and Eve?
Question 42: Which
were the chief blessings intended for Adam and
Eve,
had they remained faithful to God?
Question 43: Did
Adam and Eve remain faithful to God?
Question 44: What
befell Adam and Eve on account of their sin?
Question 45: What
evil befell us on account of the disobedience of our
first
parents?
Question 46: What
other effects followed from the sin of our first
parents?
Question 47: What
is the sin called which we inherit from our first
parents?
Question 48: Why
is this sin called original?
Question 49: Does
this corruption of our nature remain in us after
Original
Sin is forgiven?
Question 50: Was
anyone ever preserved from Original Sin?
Question 39: Who
were the first man and woman?
Answer: The
first man and woman were Adam and Eve.
Explanation: 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.
Question 40: Were
Adam and Eve innocent and holy when they came
from
the hand of God?
Answer: Adam
and Eve were innocent and holy when they came
from
the hand of God.
Explanation: 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.
Question 41: Did
God give any command to Adam and Eve?
Answer: To
try their obedience God commanded Adam and Eve
not
to eat of a certain fruit which grew in the garden of
Paradise.
Explanation: 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.
Question 42: Which
were the chief blessings intended for Adam and
Eve,
had they remained faithful to God?
Answer: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Question 43: Did
Adam and Eve remain faithful to God?
Answer: Adam
and Eve did not remain faithful to God, but broke
His
commandment by eating the forbidden fruit.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Question 44: What
befell Adam and Eve on account of their sin?
Answer: Adam
and Eve on account of their sin lost innocence and
holiness, and were doomed to sickness and death.
Explanation: 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.
Question 45: What
evil befell us on account of the disobedience of our
first
parents?
Answer: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Question 46: What
other effects followed from the sin of our first
parents?
Answer: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation:
"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.
Question 47: What
is the sin called which we inherit from our first
parents?
Answer: The
sin which we inherit from our first parents is called
Original Sin.
Question 48: Why
is this sin called original?
Answer: 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.
Question 49: Does
this corruption of our nature remain in us after
Original Sin is forgiven?
Answer: This
corruption of our nature and other punishments
remain in us after Original Sin is forgiven.
Explanation: 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.
Question 50: Was
anyone ever preserved from Original Sin?
Answer: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: 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
Question 51: Is
Original Sin the only kind of sin?
Question 52: What
is actual sin?
Question 53: How
many kinds of actual sin are there?
Question 54: What
is mortal sin?
Question 55: Why
is this sin called mortal?
Question 56: How
many things are necessary to make a sin mortal?
Question 57: What
is venial sin?
Question 58: Which
are the effects of venial sin?
Question 59: Which
are the chief sources of sin?
Question 51: Is
Original Sin the only kind of sin?
Answer:
Original Sin is not the only kind of sin; there is another
kind
of sin which we commit ourselves, called actual sin.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Question 52: What
is actual sin?
Answer:
Actual sin is any willful thought, word, deed, or omission
contrary to the law of God.
Explanation: 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.
Question 53: How
many kinds of actual sin are there?
Answer: There
are two kinds of actual sin-mortal and venial.
Explanation:
"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.
Explanation:
"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.
Question 54: What is
mortal sin?
Answer:
Mortal sin is a grievous offense against the law of God.
Explanation:
"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.
Explanation:
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.
Explanation: 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.
Question 55: Why
is this sin called mortal?
Answer: 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.
Explanation: When
the soul is sent to Hell it is dead forever, because
never
again will it be able to do a single meritorious act.
Question 56: How
many things are necessary to make a sin mortal?
Answer: To
make a sin mortal three things are necessary:
a
grievous matter, sufficient reflection, and full consent of
the
will.
Explanation:
"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.
Explanation:
Therefore three things are necessary that your act may be
a
mortal sin:
Explanation: The
act you do must be bad, and sufficiently important;
You
must reflect that you are doing it, and know that it
is
wrong; You must do it freely, deliberately, and
willfully.
Question 57: What
is venial sin?
Answer:
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.
Explanation:
"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.
Question 58: Which
are the effects of venial sin?
Answer: 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.
Explanation:
"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.
Explanation: So
mortal sin will more easily kill a soul already
weakened by the wounds of venial sin.
Question 59: Which
are the chief sources of sin?
Answer: The
chief sources of sin are seven: Pride,
Covetousness,
Lust,
Anger, Gluttony, Envy, and Sloth; and they are
commonly
called capital sins.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: Every
one of these capital sins has a great many other
sins
following it.
Explanation:
"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.
Explanation:
"Anger" comes under the Fifth Commandment. It is
followed by hatred, the desire of revenge, etc.
Explanation:
"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.
Explanation:
"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.
Explanation:
"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
Lesson 7: ON THE INCARNATION AND
REDEMPTION
Question 60: Did
God abandon man after he fell into sin?
Question 61: Who
is the Redeemer?
Question 62: What
do you believe of Jesus Christ?
Question 63: Why
is Jesus Christ true God?
Question 64: Why
is Jesus Christ true man?
Question 65: How
many natures are there in Jesus Christ?
Question 66: Is
Jesus Christ more than one person?
Question 67: Was
Jesus Christ always God?
Question 68: Was
Jesus Christ always man?
Question 69: What
do you mean by the Incarnation?
Question 70: How
was the Son of God made man?
Question 71: Is
the Blessed Virgin Mary truly the Mother of God?
Question 72: Did
the Son of God become man immediately after the
sin
of our first parents?
Question 73: How
could they be saved who lived before the Son of
God
became man?
Question 74: On
what day was the Son of God conceived and made
man?
Question 75: On
what day was Christ born?
Question 76: How
long did Christ live on earth?
Question 77: Why
did Christ live so long on earth?
Explanation:
"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.
Question 60: Did
God abandon man after he fell into sin?
Answer: 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.
Explanation:
"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.
Explanation:
"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.
Question 61: Who
is the Redeemer?
Answer: Our
Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the
Redeemer of mankind.
Question 62: What
do you believe of Jesus Christ?
Answer: I
believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the second
Person of the Blessed Trinity, true God and true man.
Explanation:
"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.
Question 63: Why
is Jesus Christ true God?
Answer: Jesus
Christ is true God because He is the true and only
Son
of God the Father.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Question 64: Why
is Jesus Christ true man?
Answer: Jesus
Christ is true man because He is the Son of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, and has a body and soul like ours.
Explanation: 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.
Question 65: How
many natures are there in Jesus Christ?
Answer: In
Jesus Christ there are two natures: the
nature of God
and
the nature of man.
Explanation: 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.
Question 66: Is
Jesus Christ more than one person?
Answer: No,
Jesus Christ is but one Divine Person.
Explanation:
"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.
Question 67: Was
Jesus Christ always God?
Answer: Jesus
Christ was always God, as He is the Second Person
of
the Blessed Trinity, equal to His Father from all
eternity.
Question 68: Was
Jesus Christ always man?
Answer: Jesus Christ was not always man, but became
man at the
time
of His Incarnation.
Question 69: What
do you mean by the Incarnation?
Answer: By
the Incarnation I mean that the Son of God was made
man.
Question 70: How
was the Son of God made man?
Answer: The
Son of God was conceived and made man by the
power
of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Blessed
Virgin Mary.
Question 71: Is
the Blessed Virgin Mary truly the Mother of God?
Answer: 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.
Question 72: Did
the Son of God become man immediately after the
sin
of our first parents?
Answer: 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.
Explanation: 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 Noah,
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 Noah, 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, Noah
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, Noah 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. Noah 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, Noah, 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 Noah sent out a dove,
and the dove came
back
with the bough of an olive tree in its mouth.
From
this
Noah 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, Noah
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 Noah 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.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Question 73: How
could they be saved who lived before the Son of
God
became man?
Answer: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Question 74: On
what day was the Son of God conceived and made
man?
Answer: 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.
Explanation:
"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.).
Question 75: On
what day was Christ born?
Answer:
Christ was born on Christmas Day in a stable at
Bethlehem, over nineteen hundred years ago.
Explanation:
"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.
Explanation:
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.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Question 76: How
long did Christ live on earth?
Answer:
Christ lived on earth about thirty-three years, and led a
most
holy life in poverty and suffering.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: 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).
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Question 77: Why
did Christ live so long on earth?
Answer:
Christ lived so long on earth to show us the way to
Heaven by His teaching and example.
Explanation:
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
Question 78: What
did Jesus Christ suffer?
Question 79: On
what day did Christ die?
Question 80: Why
do you call that day "good" on which Christ
suffered so sorrowful a death?
Question 81: Where
did Christ die?
Question 82: How
did Christ die?
Question 83: Why
did Christ suffer and die?
Question 84: What
lessons do we learn from the sufferings and death
of Christ?
Question 85:
Whither did Christ's soul go after His death?
Question 86: Did
Christ's soul descend into the hell of the damned?
Question 87: Why
did Christ descend into Limbo?
Question 88: Where
was Christ's body while His soul was in Limbo?
Question 89: On
what day did Christ rise from the dead?
Question 90: How
long did Christ stay on earth after His resurrection?
Question 91: After
Christ had remained forty days on earth, whither
did
He go?
Question 92: Where
is Christ in Heaven?
Question 93: What
do you mean by saying that Christ sits at the right
hand
of God?
Explanation: 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.
Question 78: What
did Jesus Christ suffer?
Answer: Jesus
Christ suffered a bloody sweat, a cruel scourging,
was
crowned with thorns, and was crucified.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation: There
are three reasons given for this dreadful agony:
Explanation: (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.
Explanation: (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.
Question 79: On
what day did Christ die?
Answer:
Christ died on Good Friday.
Explanation:
"Good Friday," so called since that time.
Question 80: Why
do you call that day "good" on which Christ
suffered so sorrowful a death?
Answer: 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.
Question 81: Where
did Christ die?
Answer:
Christ died on Mount Calvary.
Explanation:
"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!
Question 82: How
did Christ die?
Answer:
Christ was nailed to a cross and died on it, between two
thieves.
Explanation:
"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.
Question 83: Why
did Christ suffer and die?
Answer:
Christ suffered and died for our sins.
Explanation: 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!
Question 84: What
lessons do we learn from the sufferings and death
of
Christ?
Answer: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Question 85:
Whither did Christ's soul go after His death?
Answer: After
Christ's death His soul descended into hell.
Question 86: Did
Christ's soul descend into the hell of the damned?
Answer: 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.
Explanation: 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.
Question 87: Why
did Christ descend into Limbo?
Answer:
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.
Question 88: Where
was Christ's body while His soul was in Limbo?
Answer: While
Christ's soul was in Limbo His body was in the
Holy
Sepulchre.
Explanation:
"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.
Question 89: On
what day did Christ rise from the dead?
Answer:
Christ rose from the dead, glorious and immortal, on
Easter Sunday, the third day after His death.
Explanation:
"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.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation:
"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, subtlety, 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.
Explanation: (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.
Explanation: (3)
Subtlety; 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.
Explanation: (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.
Explanation: 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.
Explanation:
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.
Explanation:
"Immortal"--that is never to die again, as it will be with
us
also after the Resurrection.
Explanation:
"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.
Question 90: How
long did Christ stay on earth after His resurrection?
Answer:
Christ stayed on earth forty days after His resurrection,
to
show that He was truly risen from the dead, and to
instruct His Apostles.
Explanation: 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
power
to forgive sins. (John 20).
Question 91: After
Christ had remained forty days on earth, whither
did
He go?
Answer: After
forty days Christ ascended into Heaven, and the
day
on which He ascended into Heaven is called
Ascension Day.
Explanation: One
day He was on a mountain with His Apostles and
disciples; and as He was talking to them He began to rise
up
slowly and quietly, just as you have sometimes seen a
balloon
soar up into the air without noise.
Higher and
higher He ascended; and as they gazed up at Him, the
clouds opened to receive Him, then closed under Him:
and
that was the last of Our Lord's mission as man upon
earth. The Ascension took place
forty days after the
resurrection. (Acts 1).
Question 92: Where
is Christ in Heaven?
Answer: In
Heaven Christ sits at the right hand of God the Father
Almighty.
Question 93: What
do you mean by saying that Christ sits at the right
hand
of God?
Answer: When
I say that Christ sits at the right hand of God, I
mean
that Christ as God is equal to His Father in all
things, and that as man He is in the
highest place in
Heaven next to God.
Lesson 9:
ON THE
HOLY GHOST AND HIS DESCENT UPON THE APOSTLES
Question 94: Who
is the Holy Ghost?
Question 95: From
whom does the Holy Ghost proceed?
Question 96: Is
the Holy Ghost equal to the Father and the Son?
Question 97: On
what day did the Holy Ghost come down upon the
Apostles?
Question 98: How
did the Holy Ghost come down upon the Apostles?
Question 99: Who
sent the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles?
Question 100: Why did Christ send the Holy Ghost?
Question 101: Will the Holy Ghost abide with the Church
forever?
Question 94: Who
is the Holy Ghost?
Answer: The
Holy Ghost is the Third Person of the Blessed
Trinity.
Question 95: From
whom does the Holy Ghost proceed?
Answer: The
Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son.
Question 96: Is
the Holy Ghost equal to the Father and the Son?
Answer: The
Holy Ghost is equal to the Father and the Son, being
the
same Lord and God as they are.
Question 97: On
what day did the Holy Ghost come down upon the
Apostles?
Answer: The
Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles ten days
after
the Ascension of Our Lord; and the day on which
He
came down upon the Apostles is called Whit-Sunday
or
Pentecost.
Explanation: We
have seen already that the Apostles fled and were
very
much afraid when Our Lord was taken prisoner.
Even
Peter, the chief of the Apostles, who said he would
die
rather than leave Our Lord, shamefully denied Him;
and
St. John, the beloved disciple, stood near the Cross,
but
offered no resistance to Our Lord's enemies.
After
the
Crucifixion of Our Lord, the Apostles, afraid of being
put
to death, shut themselves up in a room.
Ten days
after Our Lord's Ascension they were praying
as usual in
their
room, when suddenly they heard the sound as it
were
of a great wind, and then they saw tongues the
shape
of our own, but all on fire, coming, and one
tongue resting on the head of each Apostle present. (Acts
2).
Explanation: This
was the Holy Ghost coming to them. The
Holy
Ghost, being a pure spirit without a body, can take any
form
He pleases. He sometimes came in the
form of a
dove;
so when you see a dove painted in a church near
the
altar, it is there to represent the Holy Ghost.
You
could
not paint a spirit, so angels and God Himself are
generally represented in pictures as they at some time
appeared to men.
Explanation:
"Whit-Sunday," or White-Sunday; probably so called
because in the early ages of the Church converts were
baptized
on the day before, and after their Baptism wore
white
robes or garments as a mark of the soul's purity
after
Baptism.
Explanation:
"Pentecost" means the fiftieth day, because the feast
comes
fifty days after the resurrection of Our Lord.
After
His resurrection He remained forty days upon earth,
and
ten days after He ascended into Heaven the Holy
Ghost
came, thus making the fifty days.
Explanation: After
the Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles they
were
no longer timid men. They went forth boldly into
the
streets and preached Christ crucified, telling the
people how the Son of God -- the true Messias promised
--
had been put to death. Many who heard
them believed
and
were baptized. The first time St. Peter
preached to
the
people three thousand were converted (Acts 2:41); so
that
when all the Apostles preached the number of
Christians increased rapidly, and the Christian religion
was
soon carried to distant parts of the world.
Explanation: At
the time Our Lord was put to death the Jews were
celebrating a great feast in Jerusalem.
The Jews were not
like
us in this respect. We have many
churches, and in
all
of them sacrifice, that is, the Holy Mass, is offered.
The
Jews had only one temple where sacrifice could be
offered, and that was in Jerusalem.
They had synagogues
or
meeting houses throughout the land in which they
assembled to pray and hear the Holy Scriptures read; but
they
could not offer sacrifice in them. Three
times a year
they
went to Jerusalem to celebrate their great feasts.
One
of these feasts was called the Pasch, or Passover,
and
it was during the celebration of that feast that Our
Lord was put to death; so that there
were many persons
from
all parts of the nation present at the sad execution.
I
must now tell you why they celebrated the Pasch. We
generally celebrate a feast to commemorate -- to remind
us of
-- some great event; and the Jews celebrated this
feast
to remind them of their deliverance from the slavery
of
the Egyptians, in which their ancestors had been
suffering
for about two hundred years. At the end
of that
time
God sent Moses to deliver them. You
should know,
then,
who Moses was and what he did to deliver his
people, and you should know also something of the
history of his people -- the Israelites -- and how they
came
to be in Egypt.
Explanation: At
the time I am now going to speak of the old patriarch
Jacob, Abraham's grandson, had eleven sons -- for
Benjamin, the twelfth son, was born
afterwards -- and the
youngest was called Joseph.
Joseph was the favorite of
his
father, and his brothers were jealous of him.
The
brothers were shepherds, and used to take their flocks to
feed
at a great distance from home, and did not return for
a
long time. One day the father sent
Joseph to his
brothers to see if all were well.
They hated Joseph
because his father loved him best; and when they saw
him
coming they agreed never to let him return to his
father. (Gen. 37). They intended
to kill him. While they
were
debating about how they should put him to death --
he
was then only sixteen years old -- some merchants
passed on their way to Egypt; so, instead of killing him,
they
sold him as a slave to the merchants.
Then they
took
Joseph's coat and dipped it in the blood of a kid,
and
sent it to their poor old father, saying they had found
it,
and making him believe that some wild beast on the
way
had eaten Joseph. When the merchants
arrived in
Egypt,
Potiphar, one of the king's officers, bought
Joseph, and brought him as a slave to his own house.
While
there, Joseph was falsely accused of a great crime,
and
cast into prison. While Joseph was in
prison the king
had a
dream. (Gen. 41). He saw in the dream
seven fat
cows
coming up out of a river, followed by seven lean
cows;
and the lean cows ate up the fat cows. He saw also
seven
fat ears of corn and seven lean ears of corn; and
the
seven lean ears ate up the seven fat ears.
The king
was
very much troubled, and called together all his wise
men
to tell him what the dream meant, but they could
not.
Then the king heard of Joseph, and sent for him.
Now
Joseph was a very good young man, and God
showed him the meaning; so he told the king that the
seven
fat ears of corn and the seven fat cows meant seven
years
of great abundance in Egypt, and that the seven
lean
ears and the seven lean cows meant seven years of
famine that would follow, and all the abundance of the
previous seven years would be consumed.
So he advised
the
king to build great barns during the years of plenty,
and
gather up all the corn everywhere to save it for the
years
of famine. The king was delighted at
Joseph's
wisdom, and made him after himself the most
powerful in
the
kingdom, giving him charge of everything, so that
Joseph himself might do what he had advised. Now it
happened years after this that there was a famine in the
country where Joseph's father lived, and he sent all his
sons
down into Egypt to buy corn. (Gen. 42).
They did
not
know their brother Joseph, but he knew them; and
after
forgiving them for what they had done to him, he
sent
them home with an abundance of corn.
Afterwards
Joseph's father and brothers left their own country and
came
to live near Joseph in Egypt. The king
gave them
good land (Gen. 47), and they lived there
in peace and
happiness. Learn from this
beautiful history of Joseph
how
God protects those that love and serve Him no
matter where they are or in what danger they may be
placed; and how He even turns the evil deeds of their
enemies into blessings for them.
Explanation: After
the death of Joseph and his brothers, their
descendants became very numerous, and the new king of
the
Egyptians began to persecute them. (Ex. 2).
He
imposed upon them the hardest works, and treated them
most
cruelly. He ordered that all their male infants
should, as soon as born, be thrown into the River Nile.
Now
about that time Moses was born. (Ex. 2).
His
mother did not obey the king's order, but hid him for
about
three months. When she could conceal him
no
longer she made a little cradle of rushes, and covering it
over
with pitch or tar to keep out the water, placed him
in
it, and then laid it in the tall grass by the edge of the
river, sending his little sister to watch what would become
of
him. Just then the king's daughter came
down to
bathe, and seeing the little child, ordered one of her
servants to bring him to her. At
that moment Moses'
little sister, pretending not to know him, ran up and asked
the
king's daughter if she wished to procure a nurse for
him. The king's daughter replied
in the affirmative and
permitted her to bring one; so Moses' own mother was
brought and engaged to be his nurse: but he was not
known
as her son, but as the adopted son of the king's
daughter. When Moses grew up he
was an officer in the
king's army; but because he took the part of his
persecuted countrymen he offended the king, and had to
fly
from the palace. He then went into
another country
and
became a shepherd.
Explanation:
During all this time the persecuted Israelites were praying
to
the true God to be delivered from the slavery of the
Egyptians, who were idolaters.
One day Moses saw a
bush
burning; and as he came near to look at it, he heard
a
voice telling him not to come too near, and bidding him
take
off his shoes, for he was on holy ground. (Ex. 3).
It
was God who thus appeared and spoke to him, and He
ordered him to take off his shoes as a mark of respect and
reverence. When we want to show our
respect for any
person or place, we take off our hats; but the people of
that
country, instead of their hats, took off their shoes. It
was
the custom of the country and did not seem strange
to
them.
Explanation: Then
God told Moses that He was going to send him to
deliver His people from the Egyptians and lead them back
to
their own country; and He sent Aaron, the brother of
Moses, with him. Then Moses said
to God, the king of
Egypt
will not let the people go, and what can I do?
God
gave
Moses two signs or miracles to show the king, so
that
he could know that Moses was really sent by Him.
He
gave him power to change a rod into a serpent, and
back
again into a rod; power also to bring a disease
instantly upon his hand, and to heal it instantly. (Ex. 4).
Do these, said Almighty God, in the presence
of the king.
Then
Moses and Aaron went to the king and did as God
commanded them; and when the rod of Aaron became a
serpent, the king's magicians -- that is, men who do
apparently wonderful things by sleight of hand or the
power
of the devil -- cast their rods upon the ground, and
they
also became serpents -- not that their rods were
changed into serpents, but the devil, who was helping
them,
took away instantly their rods and put real serpents
in
their place -- but Aaron's serpent swallowed them up.
(Ex.
7). After these signs the king would not
let the
people go with Moses; for God permitted
the king's heart
to be
hardened, so that all the Egyptians might see the
great
work God was going to do for His people.
Explanation: Then
God sent the ten plagues upon the Egyptians, while
the
Israelites -- God's people -- suffered nothing from
these
plagues.
Explanation: The
first plague was blood. All the water in
the land was
converted into blood. (Ex. 7).
The king then sent for
Moses
and promised that if he would take away the
plague he would allow all the people to depart. Moses
prayed to God, and the plague was removed. But after it
was
taken away the king's heart was hardened again and
he
would not keep his promise. Just as
people in
sickness, distress, or danger sometimes promise God they
will
lead better lives if only He will help them, and when
they are
saved they do not keep their promises, so did
Pharao; and therefore God sent another plague. The
second plague was frogs. Great
numbers of them came
out
of the rivers and lakes, and filled all the houses of the
Egyptians, and crawled into their food, beds, etc. Again
the
king sent for Moses and did as before; and again
Moses
prayed, and all the frogs went back into the waters
or
died. (Ex. 8). But the king again hardened his heart
and
did not keep his promise. The third
plague was
sciniphs (Ex. 8) -- very small flies, that filled the land.
Imagine our country filled with mosquitoes so numerous
that you could scarcely walk through
them; it would be a
dreadful plague. As it is, two or
three might cause you
considerable annoyance, and pain:
what then if there
were
millions doubly venomous, because sent to punish
you? So these little flies must
have greatly punished the
Egyptians. The fourth plague was
flies that filled the land
and
covered everything, to the great disgust of the
people. The fifth plague was murrain -- a disease that
broke
out among the cattle. The sixth plague
was a
disease -- boils -- that broke out on men and beasts, so
that
scarcely anyone could move on account of the pains
and
suffering. The seventh plague was hail,
that fell in
large
pieces and destroyed all their crops. The eighth
plague was locusts. These are
very destructive little
animals. They look something like
our grasshoppers, but
are
about two or three times their size.
They fly and
come
in millions. They come to this country in great
numbers -- almost a plague -- every fifteen or twenty-five
years, and the farmers fear them very
much. They eat up
every
green blade or leaf, and thus destroy all the crops
and
trees. When the locusts came upon Egypt,
Moses, at
the
king's request, prayed, and God sent a strong wind
that
swept them into the sea, where they perished in the
water. The ninth plague was a horrible darkness for three
days
in all the land of Egypt. The tenth
plague, the last,
was
the most terrible of all -- the killing of the firstborn
in
all the land of Egypt. (Ex. 12). God
instructed Moses
to
tell the Israelites in the land that on a certain night they
were
to take a lamb in each family, kill it, and sprinkle its
blood
on the doorposts of their houses. They
were then
to
cook the lamb and eat it standing, with their garments
ready
as for a journey. (Ex. 12). The lamb was
called
the paschal lamb, and was, after that, to
be eaten every
year,
at about what is with us Easter-time, in
commemoration of this event. That
night God sent an
angel
through all the land, and he killed the firstborn of
man
and beast in all the houses of the Egyptians.
That is,
he
killed the eldest son in the house; and if the father was
the
firstborn in his father's family, he was killed also; and
the same
for the beasts. This was a terrible
punishment.
In
the house of every Egyptian there were some dead but
not
one in the houses of the Israelites; for when the angel
saw
the blood of the lamb on the doorposts, he passed
over
and did not enter into their houses, so that this
event, called Passover or Pasch, was kept always as a
great
feast by God's people. This paschal lamb
was a
figure of our blessed Lord, for as its blood saved the
Israelites from death, so Our Lord's blood saved and still
saves
us from eternal death in Hell.
Explanation: After
that dreadful night Pharao allowed the people to
depart with Moses; but when they had gone as far as the
Red
Sea, he was sorry he let them go, and set out with a
great
army to bring them back. There the
people stood,
with
the sea before them and Pharao and his army coming
behind them; but God provided for them a means of
escape. At God's command, Moses
stretched his rod
over
the sea, and the waters divided and stood like great
walls
on either side and all the people passed through the
opening in the waters, on the dry bed of the sea. (Ex.
14).
Explanation:
Pharao attempted to follow them, but when he and his
army
were on the dry bed of the sea, between the two
walls
of water, God allowed the waters to close over
them,
and they were all drowned. Then the
Israelites
began
the great journey through the desert, in which they
travelled for forty years. During
all that time God fed
them
with manna. He Himself, as a guide, went
with
them
in a cloud, that shaded them from the heat of the
sun
during the day and was a light for them at night. But
you
will ask: Was the desert so large that
it took forty
years
to cross it? No, but these people,
notwithstanding
all
God had done for them, sinned against Him in the
desert; so He permitted them to wander about through it
till
a new generation of people grew up, who were to be
led
into the promised land by Josue, the successor of
Moses. From this we may learn a
lesson for ourselves:
God
will always punish those who deserve it, even
though He loves them and may often have done great
things to save them; but He will wait for His own time to
punish.
Explanation: The
Israelites then, as I have said, went from every part
of
the land up to the Temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the
Pasch
each year. It was during one of these
celebrations
that
Our Lord was put to death, and during another feast
that
St. Peter preached to the people after Our Lord's
death. He spoke only in one
language, and yet all his
hearers understood, for each heard his own language
spoken. (Acts 2:6). This was
called the gift of tongues,
and
was given to the Apostles when the Holy Ghost came
upon
them. For example, if each of you came
from a
different country and understood the language only of the
country from which you came, and I gave the instructions
only
in English, then if everyone thought I was speaking
his
language -- German, French, Spanish, Italian, etc --
and
understood me, I would have what is called the gift
of
tongues, and it would be a great miracle, as it was
when
bestowed upon the Apostles.
Explanation: In
the first ages of the Church God performed more
miracles than He does now, because they are not now so
necessary. These miracles were performed only to make
the
Church better known, and to prove that she was the
true
Church, with her power and authority from God.
That
can now be known and seen in Christian countries
without miracles. These special
gifts, like the gift of
tongues, were given also to some of the early Christians
by
the Holy Ghost, when they received Confirmation; but
they
were not a part of or necessary for Confirmation, but
only
to show the power of the true religion. Those who
heard
St. Peter preach, when they went back to their own
countries told what they had seen and heard, and thus
their countrymen were prepared to
receive the Gospel
when
the Apostles came to preach it.
Question 98: How
did the Holy Ghost come down upon the Apostles?
Answer: The
Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles in the
form of tongues of fire.
Question 99: Who
sent the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles?
Answer: Our
Lord Jesus Christ sent the Holy Ghost upon the
Apostles.
Question 100: Why did Christ send the Holy Ghost?
Answer: Christ
sent the Holy Ghost to sanctify His Church, to
enlighten and strengthen the Apostles, and to enable them
to
preach the Gospel.
Explanation:
"Sanctify," to make more holy by the grace which He
would
give to the members of the Church.
"To
enlighten." The Apostles did not understand very well
everything Our Lord taught while He was with them; but
after
the Holy Ghost came upon them they understood
perfectly, and remembered many things which
Our Lord
said
to them, and understood the true meaning of all.
The
prophets foretold that when the Messias, Christ,
would
come, He would bring all the world under His
power. The prophets meant in a
spiritual sense; but most
of
the people understood that He was to be a great
general, with powerful armies, who would subdue all the
nations of the earth, and bring them under the authority
of
the Jews. We know they thought that the
great
kingdom He was to establish upon earth would be a
temporal kingdom, from many of their sayings and
actions. One day the mother of
two of Our Lord's
Apostles came to ask Him if, when He had established
His
kingdom upon the earth, He would give her sons
honorable positions in it, and place them high in
authority. (Matt. 20:20). Our Lord told her she did not
understand what she was asking.
This shows that even
some
of the Apostles -- much less the people -- did not
understand the full nature of Our Lord's mission upon
earth, nor of His kingdom, the Church.
Often too, when
He
preached to the people, the Apostles asked Him on
His
return what His sermon meant (Luke 8:9).
But after
the
Holy Ghost came, they were enlightened, and
understood all without difficulty. "Strengthen." I told you
already that before the Holy Ghost came they were timid
and
afraid of being arrested, but that afterwards they went
out
boldly, and taught all they had learned from Our
Lord. They were often taken
prisoners and scourged, but
it
mattered not -- they were firm in their faith, and could
suffer anything for Christ after they had been enlightened
and
strengthened by the Holy Ghost. Finally,
they were
all,
with the exception of St. John, put to death for their
holy
faith. St. Peter and St. Paul were
crucified at Rome
about
the year 65, that is, about thirty-two years after the
death
of Our Lord. St. James was beheaded by
order of
King
Herod. St. John lived the longest, and
was the only
one
of the Apostles who was not put to death, though he
was
cast into a large vessel of boiling oil, but was
miraculously saved.
Explanation:
Certainly by dying for their faith the Apostles showed that
they
were not impostors or hypocrites. They
must really
have
believed what they taught, otherwise they would not
have
laid down their lives for it. They were
certain of
what
they taught, as we saw when speaking of St.
Thomas.
Question 101: Will the Holy Ghost abide with the Church
forever?
Answer: The
Holy Ghost will abide with the Church forever, and
guide
it in the way of holiness and truth.
Explanation:
"Abide" means to stay with us.
Lesson 10: ON THE EFFECTS OF THE
REDEMPTION
Question 102: Which are the chief effects of the
redemption?
Question 103: What do you mean by grace?
Question 104: How many kinds of grace are there?
Question 105: What is sanctifying grace?
Question 106: What do you call those graces or gifts of
God by which
we
believe in Him, hope in Him, and love Him?
Question 107: What is faith?
Question 108: What is hope?
Question 109: What is charity?
Question 110: What is actual grace?
Question 111: Is grace necessary for salvation?
Question 112: Can we resist the grace of God?
Question 113: What is the grace of perseverance?
Question 102: Which are the chief effects of the
redemption?
Answer: The
chief effects of the redemption are two: the
satisfaction of God's justice by Christ's sufferings and
death, and the gaining of grace for men.
Explanation: An
effect is that which is caused by something else. If
you
place a danger signal on a broken railroad track the
effect will be preventing the wreck of the train, and the
cause
will be your placing the signal. Many
effects may
flow
from one cause. In our example, see all
the good
effects
that may follow your placing the signal -- the cars
are
not broken, the passengers are not killed, the rails are
not
torn out of their places, etc. Thus the
redemption had
two
effects, namely, to satisfy God for the offense offered
Him
by the sins of men, and to merit grace to be used for
our
benefit.
Question 103: What do you mean by grace?
Answer: By
grace I mean a supernatural gift of God bestowed on
us, through the merits of Jesus Christ, for
our salvation.
Explanation:
"Supernatural," that is, above nature. "A gift";
something, therefore, that God does not owe us. He
owes
us nothing, strictly speaking. Health, talents, and
such
things are natural gifts, and belong to our nature as
men;
but grace is something above our nature, given to
our
soul. God gives it to us on account of
the love He
has
for His Son, Our Lord, who merited it for us by
dying
for us. "Merits." A merit is some excellence or
goodness which entitles one to honor or reward. Grace
is a
help we get to do something that will be pleasing to
God.
When there is anything in our daily works that we
cannot do alone, we naturally look for help; for example,
to
lift some heavy weight is only a natural act, not a
supernatural act, and the help we need for it is only
natural help. But if we are going
to do something above
and
beyond our nature, and cannot do it alone, we must
not
look for natural, but for supernatural help; that is, the
help must always be like the work to be done.
Therefore
all
spiritual works need spiritual help, and spiritual help
is
grace.
Question 104: How many kinds of grace are there?
Answer: There
are two kinds of grace: sanctifying
grace and
actual grace.
Question 105: What is sanctifying grace?
Answer:
Sanctifying grace is that grace which makes the soul holy
and
pleasing to God.
Explanation:
"Sanctifying," that is, making us holy by cleansing,
purifying our souls. Sin renders
the soul ugly and
displeasing to God, and grace purifies it. Suppose I have
something bright and beautiful given to me, and take no
care
of it, but let it lie around in dusty places until it
becomes tarnished and soiled, loses all its beauty, and
appears black and ugly. To
restore its beauty I must
clean
and polish it. Thus the soul blackened
by sin must
be
cleaned by God's grace. If the soul is
in mortal sin --
altogether blackened -- then sanctifying grace brings back
its
brightness and makes it pleasing to God; but if the
soul
is already bright, though stained or darkened a little
by
venial sin, then grace makes it still brighter.
Question 106: What do you call those graces or gifts of
God by which
we
believe in Him, hope in Him, and love Him?
Answer: Those
graces or gifts of God by which we believe in
Him,
and hope in Him, and love Him, are called the
divine virtues of faith, hope, and charity.
Explanation:
"Virtues." Virtue is
the habit of doing good. The
opposite to virtue is vice, which
is the habit of doing evil.
We
acquire a habit bad or good when we do the same
thing
very frequently. We then do it easily
and almost
without thinking; as a man, for instance, who has the
habit
of cursing curses almost without knowing it, though
that
does not excuse him, but makes his case worse, by
showing that he must have cursed very often to acquire
the
habit. If, however, he is striving to
overcome the bad
habit, and should unintentionally curse now and then, it
would
not be a sin, since he did not wish to curse, and
was
trying to overcome the vice. One act
does not make
a
virtue or a vice. A person who gives
alms only once
cannot be said to have the virtue of charity. A man who
curses only once a year cannot be said to have the vice of
cursing. Faith, hope, and charity are infused by God into
our
souls, and are therefore called infused virtues, to
distinguish them from the virtues we acquire.
Question 107: What is faith?
Answer: Faith
is a divine virtue by which we firmly believe the
truths which God has revealed.
Explanation:
"A divine virtue" is one that is heavenly or holy. Faith
is
the habit of always believing all that God has revealed
and
the Church teaches. "Firmly," that is, without the
slightest doubt.
"Revealed," that is, made known to us.
Revelation is the collection of all the truths that God has
made
known to us. But why do we believe? Because we
clearly see and know the truth of
what is revealed? No,
but
because God reveals it; we believe it though we
cannot see it or even understand it.
If we see it plainly,
then
we believe it rather because we see it than because
God
makes it known to us. Suppose a friend should come
and
tell you the church is on fire. If he
never told you
lies,
and had no reason for telling you any now, you
would
believe him -- not because you know of the fire,
but
because he tells you; but afterwards, when you see
the
church or read of the fire in the papers, you have
proof
of what he told you, but you believed it just as
firmly when he told you as you do afterwards. In the
same
way God tells us His great truths and we believe
them;
because we know that since God is infinitely true
He
cannot deceive us or be deceived. But if
afterwards
by
studying and thinking we find proof that God told us
the
truth, we do not believe with any greater faith, for we
always believed without doubting, and we study chiefly
that we may have arguments to prove the
truth of God's
revelations to others who do not believe. Suppose some
person was present when your friend came and said the
church is burning, and that that person would not believe
your
friend. What would you do? Why, convince him
that
what your friend said was true by showing him the
account of the fire in the papers.
Thus learning does not
change our faith, which, as I have said, is not acquired
by
study, but is infused into our souls by God.
The little
boy
who hears what God taught, and believes it firmly
because God taught it, has as good a faith as his teacher
who
has studied all the reasons why he should believe.
Question 108: What is hope?
Answer: Hope
is a divine virtue by which we firmly trust that God
will
give us eternal life and the means to obtain it.
Explanation:
"Eternal," that is, everlastings life -- life without end.
"Means," that is, His grace, because without God's grace
we
cannot do any supernatural thing.
Question 109: What is charity?
Answer:
Charity is a divine virtue by which we love God above all
things for His own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves
for
the love of God.
Explanation: The
virtue of charity makes us "love God," because He
is so
good and beautiful, wise and powerful in Himself;
therefore for His own sake and without any other
consideration. "Above all things," in such a way that we
would
rather lose anything than offend Him.
But
someone
may say, he thinks he loves his parents more
than
God. Well, let us see. To repeat an example
already given, suppose his parents told him to steal, and
he
knew stealing to be a sin; if he would not steal, that
would
show, would it not, that he loved God more than
his
parents, for he would rather offend his parents than
God.
That is the kind of love we must have for God; not
mere
feeling, but the firm belief that God is the best of
all,
and when we have to choose between offending God
and
losing something, be it goods or friends, we would
rather lose anything than offend God.
Explanation:
"Neighbor." Not merely
the person living near us, but
all
men of every kind and nation -- even our enemies.
The
people who lived at the time of Our Lord in His
country used to dispute about just what persons were to
be considered their neighbors; so
one day they asked Our
Lord,
and He answered them by telling them the
following. Said He: (Luke 10:30) A man was once
going
down from Jerusalem, and on the way robbers beat
him,
robbed him, and left him on the wayside dying.
First
one man came by, looked at the wounded man, and
passed on; then another came and did the same; finally a
third
man came, who was of a different religion and
nationality from the wounded man. But he did not
consider these things. He dressed
the poor man's
wounds, placed him upon his horse and brought him to
an
inn or hotel, and paid the innkeeper to take care of
him. "Now," said Our
Lord, "which of these three was
neighbor to the wounded man?" And they answered
rightly, "The man that helped him." Our Lord, by this
example, wished to teach them and us that
everybody is
our
neighbor who is in distress of any kind and needs our
help. Neighbor, therefore, means
every human being, no
matter where he lives or what his color, learning,
manners, etc., for every human being in the world is a
child
of God and has been redeemed by Our Lord.
Therefore every child of God is my neighbor, and even
more
-- he is my brother; for God is his father and mine
also,
and if he is good enough for God to love, he should
be
good enough for me.
Explanation:
"As ourselves." Not
with as much love, but with the
same
kind of love; that is, we are to follow the rule laid
down
by Our Lord: "Do unto others as you
would have
others do unto you." Never do to anyone what you would
not
like to have done to yourself; and always do for
another just what you would wish another to do for you,
if
you were in the same position. Our
neighbor is our
equal
and gifted with all the gifts that we ourselves have.
When
we come into the world we are all equal.
We have
a
body and a soul, with the power to develop them.
Money, learning, wealth, fame, and all else that makes up
the
difference between men in the world are acquired in
the
world; and when men die, they go out of the world
without any of these things, just as they came into it.
The
real difference between them in the next world will
depend upon the things they have done, good or bad,
while here.
We should love our neighbor also on another
account: namely, that he is one
day to be in Heaven with
us;
and if he is to be with us for all eternity, why should
we
hate him now? On the other hand, if our
neighbor is
to be
in Hell on account of his bad life, why should we
hate
him? We should rather pity him, for he
will have
enough to suffer without our hatred.
Question 110: What is actual grace?
Answer:
Actual grace is that help of God which enlightens our
mind
and moves our will to shun evil and do good.
Explanation:
"Actual." Sanctifying
grace continues with us, but when
grace
is given just so that we may do a good act or avoid
a bad
one, it is called actual grace. Suppose,
for
example, I see a poor man and am able to aid him.
When
my conscience tells me to give him assistance, I am
just
then receiving an actual grace, which moves me and
helps
me to do that good act; and just as soon as I give
the
help, the actual grace ceases, because no longer
needed. It was given for that one
good act, and now that
the
act is done, the actual grace has produced its effect.
Again, a boy is going to Mass on Sunday and meets other
boys
who try to persuade him to remain away from Mass
and
go to some other place. When he hears
his
conscience telling him to go to Mass by all means, he is
receiving just then an actual grace to avoid the mortal sin
of
missing Mass, and the grace lasts just as long as the
temptation.
Sacramental grace is sanctifying grace --
given
in the Sacraments -- which contains for us a right
to
actual graces when we need them. These
actual graces
are
given to help us to fulfill the end for which each of
the
Sacraments was instituted. They are
different for
each
Sacrament, and are given just when we need them;
that
is, just when we are tempted against the object or end
for
which the Sacrament was instituted.
Question 111: Is grace necessary for salvation?
Answer: Grace
is necessary for salvation, because without grace
we
can do nothing to merit Heaven.
Question 112: Can we resist the grace of God?
Answer: We
can and unfortunately often do resist the grace of
God.
Explanation: Grace
is a gift, and no one is obliged to take a gift; but
if
God offers a gift and we refuse to take it, we offend
and insult
Him. To insult God is to sin. Therefore to
refuse to accept, or to make bad use of the grace God
gives
us, is to sin.
Question 113: What is the grace of perseverance?
Answer: The
grace of perseverance is a particular gift of God
which
enables us to continue in the state of grace till
death.
Explanation:
"Perseverance" here does not mean perseverance in our
undertakings, but perseverance in grace -- never in mortal
sin,
always a friend of God. Now, if God
keeps us from
all
sin till the day of our death and takes us while we are
His
friends, then He gives us what we call the gift of
final
perseverance. We cannot, strictly
speaking, merit
this
great grace, but only pray for it; so anyone who
commits mortal sin may be taken just in that state and be
lost
for all eternity.
Lesson 11: ON THE CHURCH
Question 114: Which are the means instituted by Our Lord
to enable
men
at all times to share in the fruits of the Redemption?
Question 115: What is the Church?
Question 116: Who is the invisible head of the Church?
Question 117: Who is the visible head of the Church?
Question 118: Why is the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, the
visible head of
the
Church?
Question 119: Who are the successors of the other
Apostles?
Question 120: Why did Christ found the Church?
Question 121: Are all bound to belong to the Church?
Explanation:
Before speaking of the Church I wish to give you a short
account of the true religion before the coming of Our
Lord. When Adam was created in a
state of grace, God
communicated with him freely; he knew God even better
than
we do now. But after their sin our
parents fell from
the
friendship of God. Cain -- one of Adam's
sons --
murdered his brother Abel, and for this he and his
posterity were cursed by God, and all his descendants
became very wicked. (Gen. 4:11).
The other children of
Adam
remained faithful to God as long as they kept away
from
the children of Cain; but just as soon as they
associated and intermarried with them, they also became
wicked. This should teach us to
avoid evil company, for
there
is always more likelihood that the good will become
bad
than that the bad will be converted by the good. You
know
the old saying, that if you take a basket of good
apples and place a bad one among them, in a short time
they
will be spoiled.
Explanation: After
the deluge Noe and his family settled once more
upon
the land, and for a time their descendants remained
faithful to God; but later they became wicked and
undertook to build a great tower (Gen. 11), which they
thought would reach up to Heaven.
They believed,
perhaps, that if ever there should be another deluge upon
the
earth, they could take refuge in the tower.
But God
was
displeased with their conduct and prevented them
from
completing the tower by confusing their tongues or
language so that they could not understand one another.
Then
those who spoke the same language went to live in
the
same part of the country, and thus the human race
was
scattered over the earth, and the different nations had
different languages.
Explanation: After
a time they were all losing the knowledge of the
true
God and beginning to worship idols. God
did not
wish
that the whole human race should forget Him, so He
selected Abraham to be the father and head of one chosen
people who should always worship the true God. He sent
Abraham from his own country into another, and
promised him great things, and renewed to him the
promises of the Redeemer first made to Adam and Eve.
After
the death of Abraham, God raised up, from time to
time,
prophets to tell the people His holy will, to warn
them
of their sins and the punishment they would receive,
and
to remind them of the promised Messias.
Prophets,are men that God inspires to tell
the future.
They
tell what will happen often hundreds of years after
their
own death. They do not guess at these
things, but
tell
them with certainty. At times, statesmen
can foresee
that
there will be a war in a country at a certain time; but
they
are not prophets, because they only guess at such
things, or know them by natural signs; and very often
things
thus foretold do not occur. True
prophecy is the
foretelling of something which could not be known by
any
means but inspiration from God.
Explanation:
Neither are persons who call themselves fortune-tellers
prophets, but only sinful people, who for
money tell lies
or
guess at the future. It is a great sin
to go to them or
listen to them, as we shall see later in another question.
Explanation: At
the time promised, God sent His Son -- Our Lord -- to
redeem the world and save all men.
He came to save all
men,
and yet He remained upon earth only thirty-three
years. We can easily understand
that by His death He
could
save all those who lived before He did; but how
were
they to be saved who should live after Him, down
to
the end of the world? How was His grace
to be given
to
them? How were they to know of Him, or
of what He
taught? All this was to be
accomplished by His Church.
Question 114: Which are the means instituted by Our Lord
to enable
men
at all times to share in the fruits of the Redemption?
Answer: The
means instituted by Our lord to enable men at all
times
to share in the fruits of the Redemption are the
Church and the Sacraments.
Explanation: Our
Lord instituted the Church to carry on the work He
Himself was doing upon the earth -- teaching the
ignorant, visiting the sick, helping the poor, forgiving
sins,
etc. He commanded all men to hear the
Church
teaching, just as they would hear Himself. But suppose
some
persons should establish a false Church and claim
that
it was the true Church of Our Lord, how could
people know the true Church from false churches? When
a man
invents anything to be sold, what does he do that
people may know the true article -- say a pen? Why, he
puts
his trademark upon it. Now the trademark
is a
certain sign which shows that the article bearing it is the
genuine article; and if others use the trademark on
imitation articles, they are liable to be punished by law.
Now
Our Lord did the same. He gave His
Church four
marks
or characteristics to distinguish it from all false
churches. He said, "My Church will be one; it will
be
holy;
it will be catholic; it will be apostolic; and if any
church has not these four marks, you may be sure it is
not
My Church." Some false church may seem to have
one
or two, but never all the marks; so when you find
even
one of the marks wanting, you will know it is not
the
true Church established by Christ.
Therefore, all the
religions that claim to be the true religion cannot be so.
If
one man says a thing is white and another says it is
black, or if one says a thing is true and another says it is
false, they cannot both be right. Only one can be right,
and
if we wish to know the truth we have to find out
which
one it is. So when one religion says a
thing is true
and
another religion says the same thing is false, one of
them
must be wrong, and it is our duty to find out the
one
that is right. Therefore, of all the
religions claiming
to be
the true religion of Our Lord, only one can be
telling the truth, and that one is the religion or Church
that can show the four given
marks. The Roman Catholic
Church is the only one that can show these marks, and is,
therefore, the only true Church, as we shall see in the
next
lesson.
Explanation:
"Fruits of His redemption," that is, to receive the grace
merited by Our Lord when He redeemed us by His death.
Question 115: What is the Church?
Answer: The
Church is the congregation of all those who profess
the faith
of Christ, partake of the same Sacraments, and
are
governed by their lawful pastors under one visible
head.
Explanation:
"Congregation." Not the
building, therefore; because if
Mass
was offered up in an open field, with the people
kneeling about, it would still be the church of that place.
The
buildings that we use for churches might have been
used
for anything else -- a public hall, theater, or school,
for example; but when these
buildings we call churches
are
blessed or consecrated, they become holy.
They are
holy
also because the Gospel is preached in them, the
Sacraments are administered in them, and the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass is offered in them. But they are
holy
especially because Our Lord dwells in them in the
tabernacle, where He lives and sees and hears just as
truly
as He did when He was man upon earth.
Explanation: In
the early ages the Christians had no churches -- they
met
secretly in private houses. Later, when
the cruel
pagan
emperors began to persecute and put to death the
Christians, they made large tunnels under
ground and in
these
places they heard Mass and received the
Sacraments. These underground
churches were called the
catacombs, and some of them may still be seen at Rome.
In
these catacombs, too, the Christians buried their dead,
especially the bodies of the holy martyrs. On their tombs
--
generally of stone -- Mass was celebrated.
Explanation: In
every altar the table, or flat part on which the priest
celebrates Mass, should be of stone; but if the altar is
made
of wood, then at least the part just in front of the
tabernacle must be of stone and large enough to hold say
two chalices -- that is, about ten or
twelve inches square.
In
this stone are placed some relics of the holy martyrs.
A
piece is cut out of the stone and the relic placed in the
opening. Then the bishop puts the
little piece of stone
back
into its place over the relic, seals the opening,
blesses the stone, and gives it to the Church. This is
called the altar stone. You
cannot see it because it is
covered with the altar cloth; but unless
it is in the altar
the
priest cannot say Mass. This stone
reminds us of the
stone
tombs of the saints upon which Mass was
celebrated.
Explanation: The
Church -- that is, the Christians -- was persecuted for
about
three hundred years after the death of Our Lord.
These
persecutions took place at ten different times and
under
ten different Roman emperors. Orders
were given
to
put to death all the Christians wherever they could be
found. Some were cast into
prison, some exiled, some
taken
to the Roman Coliseum -- an immense building
constructed for public amusements -- where they were put
to
death in the most terrible manner in the presence of the
emperor and people assembled to witness these fearful
scenes. Some were stripped of
their clothing and left
standing alone while savage beasts, wild
with hunger,
were
let loose upon them. Sometimes by a miracle of God
the
animals would not harm them, and then the Christians
were
either put to death by the sword, mangled by some
terrible machine, or burned. In
these dreadful sufferings
the
Christians remained faithful and firm, though they
could
have saved their lives by denying Our Lord or
offering sacrifice to idols. The
few who through fear did
deny
their faith are now forgotten and unknown; while
those
who remained steadfast are honored as saints in
Heaven and upon earth; the Church sings their praises
and tells every year of their holy
lives and triumph over
all
their enemies.
Explanation: Even
some pagans who came to see the Christians put to
death
were so touched by their patience, fortitude,
courage,
and constancy, that they also declared
themselves anxious to become Christians, and were put to
death, thus becoming martyrs baptized in their own
blood. How many lessons we may
learn from all this:
Explanation: (1)
How very respectful we should be in the Church,
which
is holy for all the reasons I have given. (2) What
a
shame it is for us not to hear Mass when we can do so
easily.
Explanation: Our
churches are never very far from us, and generally
well
lighted, ventilated, furnished with seats and every
convenience, and in these respects unlike the dark, damp,
underground churches of the early Christians. Moreover,
we
may attend our churches freely and without the least
danger to our lives; while the Christians of the early ages
were
constantly in dread and danger of being seized and
put
to death. Even at the present day, in
many countries
where
holy missionaries are trying to teach the true
religion, their converts sometimes have to go great
distances to hear Mass, and even then it is not celebrated
in comfortable churches, but
probably on the slope of a
rugged mountain or in some lonely valley or wood where
they
may not be seen, for they fear if they are captured
-- as
often happens -- both they and their priest will be
put
to death. You can read in the account of
foreign
missions that almost every year some priests and many
people are martyred for their faith. Is it not disgraceful,
then,
to see some Catholics giving up their holy faith and
the
practice of their religion so easily -- sometimes for a
little money, property, or gain; or even for a bad habit,
or
for irreligious companions and friends?
What answer
will
they make on the day of judgment when they stand
side
by side with those who died for the faith?
Explanation:
"All those who profess the faith," etc. The Pope,
bishops, priests, and people all taken together are the
Church, and each congregation or parish is only a part of
the
Church.
Explanation:
"Partake," that is, receive.
"Lawful pastors," that is,
each
priest in his own parish, each bishop in his own
diocese, and the Pope throughout the world. "Visible
head," that is, one who can be seen, for invisible means
cannot be seen.
Question 116: Who is the invisible head of the Church?
Answer: Jesus
Christ is the invisible head of the Church.
Explanation:
"Invisible head." If,
for example, a merchant of one
country wishes to establish a branch of his business in
another, he remains in the new country long enough to
establish the branch business, and then appointing
someone to take his place, returns to his own country.
He is
still the head of the new establishment, but its
invisible head for the people of that country, while its
visible head is the agent or representative he has placed
in
charge to carry on the business in his name and
interest. When Our Lord wished to
establish His Church
He came from Heaven; and when about
to return to
Heaven appointed St. Peter to take His place upon earth
and
rule the Church as directed. You see,
therefore, that
Our
Lord, though not on earth, is still the real head and
owner
of the Church, and whatever His agent or vicar --
that
is, our Holy Father, the Pope -- does in the Church,
he
does it with the authority of Our Lord Himself.
Question 117: Who is the visible head of the Church?
Answer: Our
Holy Father the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, is the
vicar
of Christ on earth and the visible head of the
Church.
Explanation: The
"Bishop of Rome" is always Pope.
If the Bishop of
New
York, or of Baltimore, or of Boston, became Pope,
he
would become the Bishop of Rome and cease to be the
Bishop of New York, Baltimore, or Boston, because St.
Peter, the first Pope, was Bishop of Rome; and therefore
only
the bishops of Rome are his lawful successors -- the
true
Popes -- the true visible heads of the Church.
The
bishops of the other dioceses of the world are the lawful
successors of the other Apostles who
taught and
established churches throughout the world. The bishops
of
the world are subject to the Pope, just as the other
Apostles were subject to St. Peter, who was appointed
their
chief, by Our Lord Himself.
Explanation:
"Vicar," that is, one who holds another's place and acts
in
his name.
Question 118: Why is the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, the
visible head of
the Church?
Answer: The
Pope, the Bishop of Rome, is the visible head of the
Church because he is the successor of St. Peter, whom
Christ made the chief of the Apostles and the visible head
of
the Church.
Explanation:
"Of Rome." That is why
we are called Roman Catholics;
to
show that we are united to the real successor of St.
Peter, and are therefore members of the true apostolic
Church.
Question 119: Who are the successors of the other
Apostles?
Explanation:
Answer:
The
successors of the other Apostles are the bishops of
the
holy Catholic Church.
Explanation: We
know the Apostles were bishops, because they could
make laws for the Church, consecrate
other bishops,
ordain priests, and give Confirmation -- powers that
belong only to bishops, and are still exercised by them.
Question 120: Why did Christ found the Church?
Answer:
Christ founded the Church to teach, govern, sanctify, and
save
all men.
Explanation:
"Teach" religion.
"Govern" in things that regard
salvation. "Sanctify," make good. "Save" all who wish
to be
saved.
Question 121: Are all bound to belong to the Church?
Answer: All
are bound to belong to the Church, and he who
knows
the Church to be the true Church and remains out
of
it, cannot be saved.
Explanation: Anyone who knows the Catholic religion to be
the true
religion and will not embrace it cannot enter into Heaven.
If
one not a Catholic doubts whether the church to which
he
belongs is the true Church, he must settle his doubt,
seek
the true Church, and enter it; for if he continues to
live
in doubt, he becomes like the one who knows the
true
Church and is deterred by worldly considerations
from
entering it.
Explanation: In
like manner one who, doubting, fears to examine the
religion he professes lest he should discover its falsity and
be
convinced of the truth of the Catholic faith, cannot be
saved.
Explanation:
Suppose, however, that there is a non-Catholic who
firmly believes that the church to which he belongs is the
true
Church, and who has never -- even in the past -- had
the
slightest doubt of that fact -- what will become of
him?
Explanation: If he
was validly baptized and never committed a mortal
sin,
he will be saved; because, believing himself a
member of the true Church, he was doing all he could to
serve
God according to his knowledge and the dictates of
his
conscience. But if ever he committed a
mortal sin,
his
salvation would be very much more difficult.
A
mortal sin once committed remains on the soul till it is
forgiven. Now, how could his
mortal sin be forgiven?
Not
in the Sacrament of Penance, for the Protestant does
not
go to confession; and if he does, his minister -- not
being
a true priest -- has no power to forgive sins.
Does
he
know that without confession it requires an act of
perfect contrition to blot out mortal sin, and can he easily
make
such an act? What we call contrition is
often only
imperfect contrition -- that is, sorrow for our sins because
we
fear their punishment in Hell or dread the loss of
Heaven. If a Catholic -- with all
the instruction he has
received
about how to make an act of perfect contrition
and
all the practice he has had in making such acts --
might
find it difficult to make an act of perfect contrition
after
having committed a mortal sin, how much difficulty
will
not a Protestant have in making an act of perfect
contrition, who does not know about this requirement and
who
has not been taught to make continued acts of perfect
contrition all his life. It is to
be feared either he would
not
know of this necessary means of regaining God's
friendship, or he would be unable to elicit the necessary
act
of perfect contrition, and thus the mortal sin would
remain upon his soul and he would die an enemy of God.
Explanation: If,
then, we found a Protestant who never committed a
mortal sin after Baptism, and who never had the slightest
doubt
about the truth of his religion, that person would be
saved; because, being baptized, he is a member of the
Church, and being free from mortal sin he is a friend of
God
and could not in justice be condemned to Hell.
Such
a person would attend Mass and
receive the Sacraments
if he
knew the Catholic Church to be the only true
Church.
Explanation: I am
giving you an example, however, that is rarely
found, except in the case of infants or very small children
baptized in Protestant sects. All
infants rightly baptized
by
anyone are really children of the Church, no matter
what
religion their parents may profess.
Indeed, all
persons who are baptized are children of the Church; but
those
among them who deny its teaching, reject its
Sacraments, and refuse to submit to its lawful pastors, are
rebellious children known as heretics.
Explanation: I
said I gave you an example that can scarcely be found,
namely, of a person not a Catholic, who really never
doubted the truth of his religion, and who, moreover,
never
committed during his whole life a mortal sin.
There
are so few such persons that we can practically say
for
all those who are not visibly members of the Catholic
Church, believing its doctrines, receiving its Sacraments,
and being governed by its visible
head, our Holy Father,
the
Pope, salvation is an extremely difficult matter.
Explanation: I do
not speak here of pagans who have never heard of
Our
Lord or His holy religion, but of those outside the
Church who claim to be good Christians without being
members of the Catholic Church.
Lesson
12: ON THE ATTRIBUTES AND MARKS OF THE
CHURCH
Question 122: Which are the attributes of the Church?
Question 123: What do you mean by the authority of the
Church?
Question 124: What do you mean by the infallibility of
the Church?
Question 125: When does the Church teach infallibly?
Question 126: What do you mean by the indefectibility of
the Church?
Question 127: In whom are these attributes found in their
fullness?
Question 128: Has the Church any marks by which it may be
known?
Question 129: How is the Church one?
Question 130: How is the Church holy?
Question 131: How is the Church catholic or universal?
Question 132: How is the Church apostolic?
Question 133: In which church are these attributes and
marks found?
Explanation: An
attribute is any characteristic or quality that a person
or
thing may be said to have. All good
qualities are good
attributes, and all bad qualities are bad attributes. All
perfections or imperfections are attributes. If I can say of
you
that you are good, then goodness is one of your
attributes. If I can say you are beautiful, then beauty
is
one
of your attributes. We have seen already
that the
Church has four marks; but besides these it has three
attributes, which flow from its marks.
It is easier to see
the
marks of the Church than its attributes.
It is easier to
see,
for instance, that the Church is one than that it is
indefectible.
Question 122: Which are the attributes of the Church?
Answer: The
attributes of the Church are three:
authority,
infallibility, and indefectibility.
Question 123: What do you mean by the authority of the
Church?
Answer: By
the authority of the Church I mean the right and
power
which the Pope and the bishops, as the successors
of
the Apostles, have to teach and govern the faithful.
Explanation:
Authority is the power which one person has over
another, so as to be able to exact obedience. A teacher
has
authority over his scholars, because they must obey
him;
but the teacher need not obey the scholars, because
they
have no authority over him. God alone
has authority
of Himself and from Himself All others who
have
authority receive it from God, either directly or through
someone else. The Pope has
authority from God
Himself, and the priests get theirs through their bishops.
Therefore, to resist or disobey lawful authority is to resist
and
disobey God Himself. If one of you were
placed in
charge of the class in my absence, he would have lawful
authority, and the rest of you should obey him-not on
account of himself, but on account of the authority he
has. Thus the President of the
United States, the
governor, the mayor, etc., are only ordinary citizens
before
their election; but after they have been elected and
placed in office they exercise lawful authority over us,
and
we are bound as good citizens and as good Catholics
to
respect and obey them.
Question 124: What do you mean by the infallibility of
the Church?
Answer: By
the infallibility of the Church I mean that the Church
cannot err when it teaches a doctrine of faith or morals.
Explanation:
"Infallibility." When we say Church is infallible, we mean
that
it cannot make a mistake or err in what it teaches;
that
the Pope, the head of the Church, is infallible when
he
teaches ex cathedra -- that is, as the successor of St.
Peter, the vicar of Christ. Cathedra signifies a seat, ex
stands for "out of"; therefore, ex cathedra means out of
the
chair or office of St. Peter, because chair is
sometimes used for office. Thus
we say the presidential
chair
is opposed to this or that, when we intend to say the
president, or the one in that office, is opposed to it. The
cathedral is the church in which the bishop usually
officiates, so called on account of the bishop's cathedra,
or
throne, being in it.
Question 125: When does the Church teach infallibly?
Answer: The
Church teaches infallibly when it speaks through the
Pope
and bishops united in general council, or through
the
Pope alone when he proclaims to all the faithful a
doctrine of faith or morals.
Explanation: But
how will we know when the Pope speaks ex cathedra,
when
he is speaking daily to people from all parts of the
world? To speak ex cathedra or
infallibly, three things
are
required:
Explanation: He
must speak as the head of the whole Church, not as
a
private person; and in certain forms of words by which
we
know he is speaking ex cathedra. What he says must
hold
good for the whole Church that is, for all the
faithful, and not merely for this or that particular person
or country.
He must speak on matters of faith or
morals-that is, when the Holy Father tells all the faithful
that
they are to believe a certain thing as a part of their
faith; or when he tells them that certain things are sins,
they
must believe him and avoid what he declares to be
sin. He could not make a mistake
in such things. He
could
not say that Our Lord taught us to believe and do
such
and such, if Our Lord did not so teach, because Our
Lord
promised to be with His Church for all time, and to
send
the Holy Ghost, who would teach it all truth and
abide
with it forever. If then the Church
could make
mistakes in teaching faith and morals,
the Holy Ghost
could
not be with it, and Our Lord did not tell the truth-to
say
which would be blasphemy. But remember,
the Pope
is
not infallible unless he is teaching faith or morals; that
is,
what we believe or do in order to save our souls. If
the
Holy Father wrote a book on astronomy,
mathematics, grammar, or even theology, he could make
mistakes as other men do, because the Holy Ghost has
not
promised to guide him in such things.
Nevertheless,
whatever the Pope teaches on anything you may be pretty
sure
is right. The Pope is nearly always a
very learned
man
of many years' experience. He has with
him at
Rome
learned men from every part of the world, so that
we
may say he has the experience of the whole world.
Other
rulers cannot and need not know as much as the
Holy
Father, because they have not to govern the world,
but
only their own country. Moreover, there
is no
government in the whole world as old as the Church, no
nation that can show as many rulers without change; so
we
may say the Pope has also the experience of all the
Popes
who preceded him, from St. Peter down to our
present Holy Father, Pius XI-two hundred and sixty-one
popes.
Therefore, considering all this, we should have
the
very greatest respect for the opinions and advice of
the
Holy Father on any subject. We should
not set up
our
limited knowledge and experience against his, even
if we
think that we know better than he does about certain
political events taking place in our country, for we are
not
sure that we do. The Holy Father knows
the past
history of nations; he knows the nature of mankind; he
knows
that what takes place in one nation may, and
sometimes does, take place in another under the same
circumstances. Thus the Holy
Father has greater
foresight
than we have, and we should be thankful when
he
warns us against certain dangers in politics or other
things. He does not teach
politics; but as everything we
do is
either good or bad, every statesman or politician
must
consider whether what he is about to do be right or
wrong, just or unjust. It is the
business and duty of the
Holy
Father to declare against the evil or unjust actions
of
either individuals or nations, and for that reason he
seems
at times to interfere in politics when he is really
teaching morals. At times, too,
governments try to
deprive the Church or the Holy Father of their rights; and
when
he defends himself against such injustice and
protests against it, his enemies cry out that he is
interfering with the government.
Explanation: You
understand now what the infallibility of the Pope
implies, and that it does not mean, as the enemies of the
Church say, that the Pope cannot sin, cannot be mistaken
in
anything. The Pope can sin just the same
as anyone
else;
he could be a very bad man if he wanted to be so,
and
take the punishment God would inflict for his sins.
Could
he not be very angry, entirely neglect prayer, or
pray
with willful distraction; could he not be proud,
covetous, etc.? And these are sins. Therefore he could
sin;
and hence he has to go to confession and seek
forgiveness just as we do.
Therefore remember this:
whether the Pope be a bad man or a good man in his
private life, he must always tell the truth when he speaks
ex
cathedra, because the Holy Ghost is guiding him and
will
not permit him to err or teach falsehood in faith or
morals.
Explanation: We
have examples in the Bible (Numbers 22, 23) where
God
sometimes makes even bad men foretell the truth.
Once
He gave an ass the power to speak, that it might
protest against the wrongdoing of its wicked and cruel
rider.
Explanation: We
have seen how governments interfere with the rights
of
the Holy Father, and thus he has need of his temporal
power
that he may be altogether independent of any
government.
Now let me explain to you what is meant
by
the Temporal Power of the Pope. Well,
then, the
Holy
Father should have some city or states, not
belonging to any government, in which he would be the
chief
and only ruler. Up to the year 1870 the
Holy
Father did have such states: they
were called the Papal
States, and the power he had over them just like that of
any
other ruler-was called the temporal power.
Explanation: Now
how did he get those states and how did he lose
them? He got them in the most
just manner, and held
possession of them for about a thousand years.
Explanation:
Hundreds of years ago the people of Rome and the
surrounding countries elected the Pope their sole ruler.
He
was already their spiritual ruler, and they made him
also
their temporal ruler. Then the Pope
protected and
governed
them as other rulers do. Later, kings
and
princes added other lands, and thus by degrees the
possessions of the Pope became quite extended.
Explanation: How
did he lose these possessions? The
Italian
government took them from him in the most
unjust
manner. Besides the lands, they
deprived the Church of
other
property donated to it by its faithful children. No
ruler
in the world had a more just claim or better right to
his
possessions than the Holy Father, and a government
robbed him of them as a thief might take forcibly from
you
whatever had been justly given to you, when he
found
you were unable to defend yourself against him.
Explanation: But
has the Holy Father need of his temporal power?
Yes,
the Holy Father has need of some temporal power.
He
must be free and independent in governing the
Church. He must be free to say what he wishes to all
Catholics throughout the world, and free to hear whatever
they
have to say to him. But if the Pope is
under another
ruler
he cannot be free. That ruler may cast
him into
prison, and not allow him to communicate with the
bishops of the world. At least,
he can say nothing about
the
injustice of the ruler who is over him.
Therefore the
Pope
must have some possessions of his own, that he
may
not be afraid of the injustice of any ruler, and may
speak
out the truth boldly to the whole world, denouncing
bad
rulers and praising good ones as they deserve.
Explanation: Mind,
I do not say what possessions the Holy Father
should have but simply that he should have some, in
which
he would be altogether independent. In
justice he
should have all that was taken from him.
We have a
good
example here in the United States to illustrate the
need
of the independence of the Pope. You
know every
State
in the United States is a little government in itself,
with
its own governor, legislature, laws, etc.
Now over
all
these little governments or States we have the
government of the United States, with the President at its
head. In the beginning the
members of the United States
Government assembled to transact the business of the
nation sometimes in one State and sometimes in
another-sometimes in New York and sometimes in
Pennsylvania, etc. But they soon
found that in order to
be
independent of every State and just to all, they must
have
some territory or possessions of their own not under
the
power of any State. So some of the
States granted
them
Washington and the country about it for ten miles
square-now called the District of Columbia which the
United States government could freely perform its duties.
In a
similar manner the Holy Father is over all the
governments of the world in matters of
religion-in matters
of
justice and right; and just as the United States
government has to decide between the rights of one State
and
the rights of another, so the Holy Father has
sometimes to decide between the rights of one
government and the rights of another, and must, in order
to be
just with all, be free and independent of all.
Explanation:
Again, the temporal power of the Pope is very useful to
the
Church; for with the money and goods received from
his
possessions the Holy Father can educate priests and
teachers, print books, etc., for the foreign missions. He
can also support churches, school, and
institutions in poor
countries, and especially where the missionaries are
laboring for the conversion of the native heathens.
Explanation: When
the Holy Father had his own possessions he could
do
much that he cannot now do for the conversion of
pagan
nations. At present he must depend
entirely upon
the
charitable offerings of the faithful for all good works,
even
for his own support. The offering we
make once a
year
for the support of the Holy Father is called "Peter's
pence," because it began by everyone sending yearly a
penny
to the Pope, the successor of St. Peter.
Question 126: What do you mean by the indefectibility of
the Church?
Answer: By
the indefectibility of the Church I mean that the
Church, as Christ founded it, will last till the end of time.
Explanation:
Therefore indefectibility means that the Church can never
change any of the doctrines that Our Lord taught, nor
ever
cease to exist. When we say it is
infallible, we
mean
that it cannot teach error while it lasts; but when we
say it is indefectible, we mean that it will
last forever and
be
infallible forever, and also that it will always remain
the
same as Our Lord founded it. There are two things
that
you must clearly understand and not confound,
namely, the two kinds of laws in the Church-those which
Our
Lord gave it and those which it made itself.
The
laws
that Our Lord gave it can never change For
example, the Church could not abolish one of the
Sacraments, leaving only six; neither could it add a new
one,
making eight. But when, for example, the
Church
declares that on a certain day we cannot eat flesh meat,
it
makes the law itself, and can change it when it wishes.
Our
Lord left His Church free to make certain laws, just
as
they would be needed. It has always
exercised this
power, and made laws to suit the circumstances of the
place
or times. Even now it does away with
some of its
old
laws that are no longer useful, and makes new ones
that
are more necessary. But the doctrines,
the truths of
faith
or morals, the things we must believe and do to save
our
souls, it never changes and never can change:
it may
regulate some things in the application of the divine laws,
but
the laws themselves can never change in substance.
Question 127: In whom are these attributes found in their
fullness?
Answer: These
attributes are found in their fullness in the Pope,
the
visible head of the Church, whose infallible authority
to
teach bishops, priests, and people in matters of faith or
morals will last to the end of the world.
Question 128: Has the Church any marks by which it may be
known?
Answer: The
Church has four marks by which it may be known:
it is one; it is holy; it is catholic; it is
apostolic.
Question 129: How is the Church one?
Answer: The
Church is one because all its members agree in one
faith, are all in one communion, and are all under one
head.
Explanation: The
Catholic Church is "one," first in government and
second in doctrine. In government
every pastor has a
certain parish or territory in which all the people belong
to
his congregation-they form his flock. He
has to take
care
only of these, to teach them, give them the
Sacraments, etc. He has not to be
responsible for those
outside his parish. Then over the
pastor we have the
bishop,
who looks after a certain number of pastors; then
comes
the archbishop over a certain number of bishops;
next
comes the primate, who is head of all the
archbishops in the country; and over all the primates of
the
world we have the Holy Father. Thus,
when the
Holy
Father speaks to the bishops, the bishops speak to
the
priests, and the priests to the people.
The Church is
therefore one in government, like a great army spread
over
the world. We can go up step by step from the
lowest member of the Church to the highest-the Holy
Father; and from him to Our Lord Himself, who is the
invisible head of all. This
regular body of priests,
bishops, archbishops, etc., so arranged, one superior to
the
other, is called the hierarchy of the Church.
Explanation: The
Church is one also in doctrine-that is, every one of
the
three hundred million of Catholics in the world
believes exactly the same truths.
If any Catholic denies
only
one article of faith, though he believes all the rest,
he
ceases to be a Catholic, and is cut off from the
Church. If, for example, you
would not believe
Matrimony or Holy Orders a Sacrament, or that Our Lord
is
present in the Holy Eucharist, you would not be a
Catholic, though you believed all the other teachings of
the
Church.
Explanation:
Therefore the Church is one both in government and
teaching or doctrine. Now, has
any other Church
claiming to be Christ's Church that mark? No. The
Protestant religions are not one either in government or
belief The Protestants of England have no authority over
the
Protestants of America, and those of America have
nothing to say over those of Germany or France. So
every
country is independent, and they have no chief
head. Neither are they one in
belief. In the same country
there
are many kinds of Protestants, Episcopalians,
Presbyterians, Methodists, etc., who do not
believe the
same
thing. Even those who attend the same
church and
profess the same religion do not all believe the same.
Everyone, they say, has a right to interpret the Holy
Scriptures according to his own views, so they take many
different meanings out of the very same words. There
must
be some chief person to tell the true meaning of the
Holy
Scriptures when there is a dispute about it; but they
have
no such chief, and the result is they are never done
disputing.
Explanation: The
United States has a constitution and laws.
Now,
suppose every citizen was allowed to construe the laws to
suit
himself, without any regard for the rights of others,
what
a fine state of affairs we should soon have.
But the
wise
makers of the constitution and laws of the United
States did not leave us in such
danger. They appointed
judges to interpret or explain the laws and give the
correct meaning when disputes arise.
Then in
Washington there is a chief judge for the whole United
States; and when he says the words of the law mean this
or
that, every citizen must abide by his decision, and
there
is no appeal from it. Just in the same
way Our
Lord
made laws for all men, and while He was upon
earth
He explained them Himself. He never left
all men
free
to take their own meaning out of them.
He
appointed judges-the bishops; and a chief judge for the
whole
world the Pope. The Holy Ghost guides
him, as
we
have seen above, so that he cannot make mistakes in
the
meaning of Christ's laws; and when he says, this is
what
the words of Our Lord in His law signify, no one
who is a true Christian can refuse
to believe, or can
appeal from his decision.
Question 130: How is the Church holy?
Answer: The
Church is holy because its founder, Jesus Christ, is
holy;
because it teaches a holy doctrine, invites all to a
holy
life, and because of the eminent holiness of so many
thousands of its children.
Explanation:
Protestant religions have not holy doctrines if we examine
them
closely. They teach, for example, that faith without
good
works will save us, and thus take away the motives
for
doing good; that marriage is not binding for life-the
husband and wife may for some causes separate, or get a
divorce, and marry again. This
would leave the children
without the care of their proper parents, sometimes
without a home, and nearly always without religious
instruction. The same persons
might separate again and
marry
another time, and thus there would be nothing but
confusion and immorality in society.
Again, some of
their
doctrines teach that we cannot help sinning; so
everyone
could excuse himself for his sins by saying he
could
not help them, which you can easily see would lead
to
the worst of consequences. Lastly, their
doctrines
have
never made one saint-acknowledged as such from
miracles performed. Protestants
are so called because,
when
their ancestors rebelled against the Church about
three
hundred years ago, the Church made certain laws
and
they protested against them, separated from the
Church, and formed a new religion of their own.
Question 131: How is the Church catholic or universal?
Answer: The
Church is catholic or universal because it subsists in
all
ages, teaches all nations, and maintains all truth.
Explanation:
"Subsists" means to have existence.
Explanation:
"Catholic," The word catholic signifies universal. The
Church is universal in three ways, viz.:
in time, in place,
and
in doctrine. It is universal in time;
for from the day
Our
Lord commissioned His Apostles to preach to the
whole
world down to the present, it has existed, taught,
and
labored in every age. It is universal in
place; that is,
it is
not confined to one part of the world, but teaches
throughout the entire world. It
is universal in doctrine,
for
it teaches the same doctrines and administers the same
Sacraments
everywhere; and its doctrines are suited to all
classes of men-to the ignorant as well as the learned, to
the
poor as well as the rich. It teaches by the voice of its
priests and bishops, and all, civilized or uncivilized, to
whom
its voice reaches, can learn its doctrines, receive its
Sacraments, and practice its devotions.
Explanation: It
has converted all the pagan nations that have ever been
converted, and the title catholic belongs to the Roman
Catholic Church alone. All
Protestant churches that claim
this
title do so unjustly. They are not
universal in time,
and
cannot be called the Church of all ages, because they
were
established only three hundred or four hundred or
less
years ago. They are not catholic in
place, because
they
are mostly confined to particular countries.
They
are
not universal in doctrine, because what they teach in
one
country they reject in another; and even in the same
country, what they teach at one time they reject at
another. Wherever it is possible
for civilized people to
go, there you will find a priest
saying Mass in just the
same
way you see him saying it here. It is a
great
consolation for one in a strange country to enter a church
and
hear Mass, perceiving no difference in the vestments,
ceremonies, or language of the priest.
A little altar boy
from
the United States could serve Mass in any part of
the
world. See, therefore, the great
advantage the
Church
has in using the Latin language instead of the
vernacular or ordinary language of the people. If the
Church used the usual language of the people, the Mass
would
seem different in every country; while natives
would
understand the words of the priest, strangers would
not.
Explanation: The
Latin language is now what we call a dead language;
that
is, it is not the common language of any country; and
because
it is a dead language does not change:
another
reason why the Church uses it, that nothing may change
in
its divine service. The prayers used in
the Church are
exactly the same today as they were when they were
written many centuries ago. The
living languages-that is,
those
in use, such as English, French, German, etc., are
always changing a little new words are being added, and
the
meaning of old ones changed. The Church
uses the
same
language all over the world to show that it is not the
Church of any particular country, but the true Church of
all
men everywhere.
Explanation:
Again, using only one language, the Church can hold its
great
councils, call together all the bishops of the world,
that
they may condemn errors or make wise laws.
When
the
Holy Father addresses them in Latin they can all
understand and answer him. If, therefore, the Church did
not
use the same language everywhere how could this be
done,
unless everyone present understood all the
languages of the world-which is a thing nearly
impossible. But someone might
say, if the Mass was said
in
English we could follow it better. You
can follow just
as
well in Latin, for in nearly all prayerbooks you have
besides the Latin said by the priest the meaning of it in
English on the same page, or you have the English alone.
Question 132: How is the Church apostolic?
Answer: The
Church is apostolic because it was founded by Christ
on
His Apostles and is governed by their lawful
successors, and because it has never ceased, and never
will
cease, to teach their doctrine.
Explanation:
"Apostolic," which means that the Church was founded
at
the time of the Apostles, and has been the same ever
since.
Explanation: Since
the time of St. Peter, the first Pope, there have
been
261 Popes. You can go back from our
present Holy
Father, Pius XI, to Benedict XV, who was before him, to
Pius
X, who was before him, to Leo XIII, before him,
and
so on one by one till you come to St. Peter himself,
who
lived at the time of Our Lord. Thus the
Church is
apostolic
in its origin or beginning.
Explanation: It is
also apostolic in its teaching; for all the doctrines it
teaches now were taught by the Apostles.
The Church
does
not make new doctrines, but it teaches its truths
more clearly and distinctly when
someone denies them.
For
example it would not be necessary for you to prove
yourself good and honest till somebody said you were bad
and
dishonest. You prove your honesty when
it is
denied, but both you and your friends believed it always,
though you did not declare it till it was denied. In just
the
same way the Church always believed that Our Lord
is
the Son of God; that there are seven Sacraments; that
the
Pope is infallible, etc. These truths
and all the others
were
believed by the Apostles, and the Church
proclaimed them in a special manner when they were
denied. Then it called together
in council all its bishops,
and
they, with the Holy Father, proclaimed these
truths-not as new doctrines, but as truths always believed
by
the Church, and now defined because denied.
Explanation:
Protestants have not for their churches the mark apostolic.
How
could their churches be founded by the Apostles,
when
the Apostles were dead more than fourteen hundred
years
before there were any Protestant churches?
What
is
more, they have changed the teachings of the Apostles;
and
so they have not the mark apostolic either in their
origin or teaching.
Explanation: But
they say the Catholic Church fell into error and made
mistakes, and that God wished reformers to correct these
errors. How could the Church fall
into error when Our
Lord
promised to remain always with- it, and to send the
Holy
Ghost to guide and teach it forever?
And,
secondly, if God sent the Protestants to correct the
mistakes of the Catholic Church, what proof do they give
us
that they have such power from God?
When, as we
have
seen, God sends anyone to do a special work, He
always gives him power to prove his mission. When He
sent
Moses, He gave him signs-the plagues of Egypt.
When
He sent His prophets, they called down fire and
rain
from Heaven. (3 Kings 18). But
Protestants have
shown
us no signs and performed no miracles; therefore
we
cannot believe their assertion that God sent them to
correct the Catholic Church. Neither can we believe that
Our
Lord broke His promise to stay with the Church.
We
shall see the whole truth of the matter if we go back
to
the establishment of the Protestant religion and
consider the life of Luther and the others who founded it.
Explanation:
Luther, then a young man, while out one day saw his
friend killed at his side by a stroke of lightning. Much
affected by that sad event, Luther became a priest in the
order
of the Augustinians. He was a learned
man and a
great
preacher, but very proud. The Holy
Father was
completing St. Peter's Church in Rome, and about that
time granted an indulgence to those
giving alms for the
purpose, just as pastors now offer Masses for those who
contribute means to build a new church, or hospital,
asylum, etc.
Explanation: The Holy
Father sent Dominican priests to preach about
this
indulgence and collect this money. Then
Luther,
when
he found that he, a great preacher, was not
appointed, was probably jealous.
He first began to
preach against the abuses of
indulgences: but pride made
him
go further, and soon he began to preach against the
doctrine of indulgences, and thus became a heretic. Then
he
was condemned by the Pope, and cut off from the
Church. Being proud, he would not
submit, but began to
form
a new religion, now called Protestant.
But how did
he
get the people to follow him? Oh, very
easily. Then,
as now,
there were plenty of bad and indifferent
Catholics. At that time the
Church was rich and had
much
property and lands; because when rich Catholics
died
they often left to the Church property for its own
support and the support of its
institutions. Even during
their
lifetime kings and princes sometimes gave the
Church large donations of lands and money. The Church
then
was supported by these gifts and the income or rents
of
the lands, and did not need to look for collections from
the
people, as it has to do now. Here, then,
is how
Luther got many to follow him. He
told greedy princes
that
if they came with him they could become rich by
seizing the property of all the churches, and the greedy
princes, glad of an excuse, went with him. Then he told
the
people-the bad Catholics-that fasting was too severe;
going
to confession too hard; hearing Mass every Sunday
too
difficult; and if they renounced their faith and
embraced his new religion he would do away with all
these
things: so they also followed him. He himself
broke
his solemn vows made to God, and the people
easily followed his example.
Explanation: Those
attending the Protestant churches in our times are
generally rich and refined people, but you must not think
that
the first Protestants of three hundred years ago were
just
like them. No. Many of them were from
the lowest
and
worst-I do not say poorest-classes in society; and
when they got an excuse, they went about
destroying
churches and institutions, burning beautiful statues,
paintings, music, books, and works of art that the Church
had
collected and preserved for centuries. This
you may
read
in any of the histories of the Church and times. The
Protestants of the present day praise all these works of art
now;
but if their ancestors had had their way every
beautiful work of art would have been destroyed.
Explanation: Some
persons say they would not be members of the
Catholic Church because so many poor people attend it.
Then
they do not want to belong to the Church of Our
Lord, because His Church is the Church of
both poor and
rich. When St. John the Baptist
sent his disciples to ask
Our
Lord if He were really the Messias, Our Lord did not
say
yes or no, but told them to relate to John what they
had
heard and seen (Matt. 11:5), namely, that He (Christ)
cured
the blind, the lame, and the deaf, and preached to
the
poor. Therefore Our Lord gave preaching
to the poor
as a
proof that He is the true Redeemer; and since Our
Lord
Himself had the poor in His congregation, the
Church everywhere must have the poor among its
members, for it must do what Our Lord did. So if you
see a church to which the poor people
never go, in which
they
are not welcome, you have good reason to suspect
it is
not the Church of Our Lord not the true Church.
Again, poverty and riches belong only to this world and
make
a distinction only here. The one who is
poorest in
this
world's goods may be richest in God's grace.
Indeed, if most Protestants studied the early history of
theirreligion they would not be proud, but ashamed of it.
How
little they would think of their ancestors who gave
Explanation: up
God for some worldly gain, while the Catholic martyrs
gave
up everything, even their lives, rather than forsake
God
and the true religion.
Question 133: In which church are these attributes and
marks found?
Answer: These
attributes and marks are found in the Holy Roman
Catholic Church alone.
Explanation: We
have seen that some religions may seem to have one
or
two of the marks; but the Catholic Church alone has
them
all, and is consequently the only true Church of
Christ. The other religions are
not one-that is, united
over
the world; they give no proof of holiness, never
having had any great saints whom God acknowledged as
such
by performing miracles for them. They
are not
catholic, because they have not taught in all ages and
nations. They are not apostolic,
because established
hundreds of years after the Apostles.
They are not
infallible, for they have now declared things to be false
which
they formerly declared to be true; they are not
indefectible-they are not as Our Lord founded them, for
He
never founded them; and they are constantly making
changes in their beliefs and practices.
Explanation: The marks
of the Church are necessary also because the
Church must be a visible Church, that all men may be
able
to see and know it; for Our Lord said, "He that will
not
hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen and
the
publican." (Matt. 18:17). Heathens
were those who
worshipped false gods. Publicans
were men who
gathered the taxes from the Jews for the Romans; they
were
generally very cruel to the people, and were much
hated
and despised by them. Therefore Our Lord
meant:
if
anyone will not obey the Church, you should avoid him
as
you avoid the heathens and the publicans, whom you
despise.
Now no one can be blamed for not obeying a
church that is invisible and unknown.
Therefore the true
Church must be a visible body and easily known to all
who
earnestly seek it as the Church of Christ.
But if
some
shut their eyes and refuse to look at the light of
truth, ignorance will not excuse them; they must be
blamed and fall under the sentence of Our Lord.
Lesson 13: ON THE SACRAMENTS IN
GENERAL
Question 136: What is a Sacrament?
Question 137: How many Sacraments are there?
Question 138: Whence have the Sacraments the power of
giving grace?
Question 139: What grace do the Sacraments give?
Question 140: Which are the Sacraments that give
sanctifying grace?
Question 141: Why are Baptism and Penance called
Sacraments of the
dead?
Question 142: Which are the Sacraments that increase
sanctifying grace
in
the soul?
Question 143: Why are Confirmation, Holy Eucharist,
Extreme Unction,
Holy
Orders, and Matrimony called Sacraments of the
living?
Question 144: What sin does he commit who receives the
Sacraments of
the
living in mortal sin?
Question 145: Besides sanctifying grace, do the
Sacraments give any
other
grace?
Question 146: What is sacramental grace?
Question 147: Do the Sacraments always give grace?
Question 148: Can we receive the Sacraments more than
once?
Question 149: Why can we not receive Baptism,
Confirmation, and
Holy
Orders more than once?
Question 150: What is the character which these
Sacraments imprint in
the
soul?
Question 151: Does this character remain in the soul even
after death?
Explanation: This
lesson does not speak of any Sacrament in
particular, but upon all the Sacraments taken together. It
explains what we find in all the Sacraments.
Question 136: What is a Sacrament?
Answer: A
Sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to
give
grace.
Explanation: Three
things are necessary to make a Sacrament.
There
must
be:
Explanation:
"An outward," that is, a visible, "sign"; this sign
must
have
been instituted or given by Our Lord; it must give
grace.
Explanation: Now,
a sign is that which tells us that something else
exists. Smoke indicates the
presence of fire.
Explanation: A red
light on a railroad tells that there is danger at the
spot. Therefore, the outward
signs in the Sacraments tell
us
that there is in the Sacraments something we do not
see
and which they signify and impart. For
example, the
outward sign in Baptism is the pouring
of the water on
the
head of the person to be baptized, and the saying of
the
words. Water is generally used for
cleaning
purposes. Water, therefore, is
used in Baptism as an
outward sign to show that as the water cleans the body,
so
the grace given in Baptism cleans the soul.
It is not a
mere
sign, for at the very moment that the priest pours
the
water and says the words of Baptism, by the pouring
of
the water and saying of the words with the proper
intention the soul is cleansed from Original Sin; that is,
the
inward grace is given by the application of the
outward sign. Again, in Confirmation
the outward sign is
the
anointing with oil, the Bishop's prayer, and the
placing of his hands upon us. Now
what inward grace is
given
in Confirmation? A grace which
strengthens us in
our
faith. Oil, therefore, is used for the
outward sign in
this
Sacrament, because oil gives strength and light.
Explanation: In
olden times the gladiators-men who fought with swords
as
prize-fighters do now with their hands-used oil upon
their
bodies to make them strong. Oil was used
also to
heal
wounds. Thus in Confirmation the
application of
this
outward sign of strength gives the inward grace of
light
and strength. Moreover, oil easily
spreads itself
over
anything and remains on it. A drop of water falling
on
paper dries up quickly; but a drop of oil soaks in and
spreads over it. So oil is used
to show also that the grace
of
Confirmation spreads out over our whole lives, and
strengthens us in our faith at all times.
Explanation:
Again, in Penance we have the outward sign when the
priest raises his hand and pronounces over us
the words
of
absolution.
Explanation: If we
did not have these outward signs how could anyone
know
just at what time the graces are given?
We can
know
now, for at the very moment the outward sign is
applied the grace is given; because it is the application of
the
sign that by divine institution gives the grace, and
thus
the two must take place together.
Explanation:
"Institution by Christ" is absolutely necessary because He
gives
all grace, and He alone can determine the manner
in
which He wishes it distributed. The Church can
distribute His grace, but only in the way He wishes.
Hence
it cannot make new Sacraments or abolish old
ones.
Question 137: How many Sacraments are there?
Answer: There
are seven Sacraments: Baptism,
Confirmation,
Holy
Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders,
and
Matrimony.
Explanation: The
life of our soul is in many ways similar to the life of
our
body. Our bodies must first be born, then
strengthened, then fed. When
sick, we must be cured:
and
when about to die, we must be taken care of.
Then
there
must be someone to rule others, and there must be
persons to be governed. In like
manner, we are
spiritually born into a new life by Baptism, we are
strengthened by Confirmation, fed with the Holy
Eucharist, and cured of the maladies of our souls by
Penance. By Extreme Unction we
are helped at the hour
of
death; by Holy Orders our spiritual rulers are
appointed by God; and by Matrimony families, with a
father at the head and children to be ruled, are
established. Thus we have our spiritual life similar in
many
things to our physical or bodily life.
Question 138: Whence have the Sacraments the power of
giving grace?
Answer: The
Sacraments have the power of giving grace from the
merits of Jesus Christ.
Explanation: Our
Lord died to merit grace for us, and appointed the
Sacraments as the chief means by which it was to be
given.
Question 139: What grace do the Sacraments give?
Answer: Some
of the Sacraments give sanctifying grace, and
others increase it in our souls.
Explanation:
Baptism and Penance give this sanctifying grace when
there
is not any of it in the soul. But the
other
Sacraments are received while we are in a state of grace,
and they therefore increase the quantity
of it in our souls.
Question 140: Which are the Sacraments that give
sanctifying grace?
Answer: The
Sacraments that give sanctifying grace are Baptism
and
Penance; and they are called Sacraments of the dead.
Explanation:
"Of the dead," Not of a dead person; for when a person
is
dead he cannot receive any of the Sacraments.
It is
only
while we live upon earth that we are on trial, and
can
do good or evil, and merit grace. At
death we
receive simply our reward or punishment for what we
have
done while living. Therefore, Sacraments
of the
dead
mean Sacraments given to a dead soul, that is, to a
soul
in mortal sin. When grace--its life--is
all out of the
soul
it can do nothing to merit Heaven; and we say it is
dead,
because the dead can do nothing for themselves.
If a
person receives--as many do--the Sacrament of
Penance while his soul is not in a state of mortal sin,
what
then? Then the soul--already
living--receives an
increase of sanctifying grace, that is, greater spiritual life
and strength.
Question 141: Why are Baptism and Penance called
Sacraments of the
dead?
Answer:
Baptism and Penance are called Sacraments of the dead
because they take away sin, which is the death of the
soul, and give grace, which is its
life.
Question 142: Which are the Sacraments that increase
sanctifying grace
in
the soul?
Answer: The
Sacraments that increase sanctifying grace in the soul
are: Confirmation, Holy
Eucharist, Extreme Unction,
Holy
Orders, and Matrimony; and they are called
Sacraments of the living.
Question 143: Why are Confirmation, Holy Eucharist,
Extreme Unction,
Holy
Orders, and Matrimony called Sacraments of the
living?
Answer:
Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Extreme Unction, Holy
Orders, and Matrimony are called the Sacraments of the
living because those who receive them worthily are
already living the life of grace.
Question 144: What sin does he commit who receives the
Sacraments of
the
living in mortal sin?
Answer: He
who receives the Sacraments of the living in mortal
sin commits
a sacrilege, which is a great sin, because it
is an
abuse of a sacred thing.
Explanation:
"Sacrilege," There are other ways besides the unworthy
reception of the Sacraments in which a person may
commit
sacrilege. You could commit it by
treating any
sacred thing with great disrespect.
For example, by
making common use of the sacred vessels used at the
altar; by stealing from the church; by turning the church
into
a market, etc. You could commit it also
by willfully
killing or wounding persons consecrated to God, such as
nuns,
priests, bishops, etc. Therefore
sacrilege can be
committed by willfully abusing or treating with great
irreverence any sacred person, sacred place, or sacred
thing.
Question 145: Besides sanctifying grace, do the
Sacraments give any
other
grace?
Answer:
Besides sanctifying grace, the Sacraments give another
grace, called sacramental.
Question 146: What is sacramental grace?
Answer:
Sacramental grace is a special help which God gives to
attain the end for which He instituted each Sacrament.
Explanation: For
example, what was the end for which Penance was
instituted? To forgive sins and
keep us out of sin.
Therefore -the sacramental grace given in Penance is a
grace
that will enable us to overcome temptation and
avoid
the sins we have been in the habit of committing.
When
a person is ill the doctor's medicine generally
produces two effects: one is to
cure the disease and the
other to strengthen the person so that he
may not fall
back
into the old condition. Well, it is just
the same in
the
Sacraments; the grace given produces two effects:
one
is to sanctify us and the other to prevent us from
falling into the same sins.
Again, Confirmation was
instituted that we might become more perfect Christians,
stronger in our faith. Therefore
the sacramental grace of
Confirmation will strengthen us to profess our faith when
circumstances require it; or when we are tempted to doubt
any
revealed truth, it will help us to overcome the
temptation. So in all the
Sacraments we receive the
sacramental grace or special help given to attain the end
for
which the Sacraments were separately instituted.
Question 147: Do the Sacraments always give grace?
Answer: The
Sacraments always give grace, if we receive them
with
the right dispositions.
Explanation:
"Right dispositions"; that is, if we do all that God and the
Church require us to do when we receive them. For
instance, in Penance the right disposition is to confess all
our
mortal sins as we know them, to be sorry for them,
and
have the determination never to commit them again.
The
right disposition for the Holy Eucharist is to be in a
state
of grace, and-except in special cases of
sickness-fasting for one hour.
Question 148: Can we receive the Sacraments more than
once?
Answer: We
can receive the Sacraments more than once, except
Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders.
Explanation:
Baptism is so important that if we do not receive it we
cannot receive any other of the Sacraments. Now, to
administer Baptism validly, that is, properly, everything
must
be done exactly as Our Lord intended and the
Church teaches. The proper kind
of water and all the
exact
words must be used. Also, the water must
touch
the
body, that is, the head if possible. Now
persons not
knowing well how to baptize might
neglect some of these
things, and thus the person would not e baptized. The
Church wishes to be certain that all its children are
baptized; so when there is any doubt about the first
Baptism, it baptizes again conditionally, that is, the priest
says
in giving the Baptism over again: If you
are not
baptized already, I baptize you now.
Therefore if the
person was rightly baptized the first time, the second
ceremony has no effect, because the priest does not
intend to give Baptism a second time.
But if the first
Baptism was not rightly given, then the second takes
effect. In either case Baptism is given only once;
for if
the
first was valid, the second is not given; and if the first
was
invalid, the second is given.
Explanation:
Converts to the Church are generally baptized
conditionally, because there is doubt about the validity of
the
Baptism they received.
Explanation: The
Sacraments may be given conditionally when we
doubt
if they were or can be validly given.
Question 149: Why can we not receive Baptism,
Confirmation, and
Holy
Orders more than once?
Answer: We
cannot receive Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy
Orders more than once, because they imprint a character
in
the soul.
Explanation:
"A character," It is a spiritual character, and remains
forever, so that whether the person is in Heaven or Hell
this
mark will be seen. It will show that
those having it
were
Christians, who received Baptism, Confirmation, or
Holy
Orders. If they are in Heaven, these
characters will
shine
out to their honor, and will show how well they
used
the grace God gave them. If they are in
Hell, these
characters will be to their disgrace, and show how many
gifts
and graces God bestowed upon them, and how
shamefully they abused all.
Question 150: What is the character which these
Sacraments imprint in
the
soul?
Answer: The
character which these Sacraments imprint in the soul
is a
spiritual mark which remains forever.
Question 151: Does this character remain in the soul even
after death?
Answer: This
character remains in the soul even after death:
for
the
honor and glory of those who are saved; for the
shame
and punishment of those who are lost.
Lesson 14: ON BAPTISM
Question 152: What is Baptism?
Question 153: Are actual sins ever remitted by Baptism?
Question 154: Is Baptism necessary to salvation?
Question 155: Who can administer Baptism?
Question 156: How is Baptism given?
Question 157: How many kinds of Baptism are there?
Question 158: What is Baptism of water?
Question 159: What is Baptism of desire?
Question 160: What is Baptism of blood?
Question 161: Is Baptism of desire or blood sufficient to
produce the
effects of Baptism of water?
Question 162: What do we promise in Baptism?
Question 163: Why is the name of a saint given in
Baptism?
Question 164: Why are godfathers and godmothers given in
Baptism?
Question 165: What is the obligation of a godfather and a
godmother?
Question 152: What is Baptism?
Answer:
Baptism is a Sacrament which cleanses us from Original
Sin,
makes us Christians, children of God, and heirs of
Heaven.
Explanation:
"Christians," that is, members of the Church of Christ.
"Children of God," that is, adopted children. All men are
children of God by their creation, but Christians are
children of God, not merely by creation, but also by
grace
and union with Our Lord. "Heirs of
Heaven." An
heir
is one who inherits property, money, or goods at the
death
of another. These things are left by a
will or given
by
the laws of the State, when the person dies without
making a will. A will is a
written statement in which a
person declares what he wishes to have done, at his
death, with whatever he possesses the charitable objects
or
the persons to whom he wishes to leave his goods.
This will is called also the last
testament. It is signed by
witnesses, and after the death of the testator is committed
to
the care of a person-called the executor whose business
it is
to see that all stated in the will or testament is carried
out.
There is an officer in the State to take these things in
hand
and settle them according to law, when the amount
left
is large, and there is a dispute about it.
You can
understand better now why we call the Bible the Old and
the
New Testament. When Our Lord died we
were left
an
inheritance and spiritual property. The
inheritance
was
Heaven, which we had lost through the sin of Adam
and
regained by the death of Our Lord. The
spiritual
property was God's grace, which He merited for us. The
Old
Testament contains the promise of what Our Lord
would
leave us at His death, and the New Testament
shows
that He kept His promise and did leave what He
said. The Old Testament was
written before He died, and
the
New Testament after His death. The
witnesses of
these testaments were the patriarchs,
prophets, Apostles,
and
evangelists, who heard God making the promises
through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. The Church
is
the executor of Christ's will, and it is its business to
see
that all men receive what Christ left them, namely,
God's
grace and Heaven. It must also see that
they are
not
cheated out of it by their enemies-the devil, the
world, and the flesh.
Question 153: Are actual sins ever remitted by Baptism?
Answer:
Actual sins and all the punishment due to them are
remitted by Baptism, if the person baptized be guilty of
any.
Explanation: We
know that Baptism remits Original Sin.
But suppose
a
person is not baptized till he is twenty-five or thirty
years
old; he has surely committed some sins since he
was
seven years of age-the time at which he received the
use
of reason. Now the question asks, Are
all his sins,
those
he committed himself as well as the Original Sin,
forgiven by Baptism? The answer
is, Yes. All his sins
are
forgiven, so that he has not to confess them.
But he
must
be heartily sorry for them and have the firm
determination of never committing them again, just as in
confession. Moreover, that he may
not have to confess
these sins, we must be absolutely certain that
he was
never
baptized before. Besides remitting the
sins
themselves, Baptism remits all the temporal punishment
due
to them.
Explanation: In
the Sacrament of Penance the sinner is saved from the
eternal punishment-that is, Hell-and from part of the
temporal punishment. But although
the sins have been
forgiven, the sinner must make satisfaction to God for the
insult offered by his sins.
Explanation:
Therefore, he must suffer punishment in this world or in
Purgatory. We call this
punishment temporal, because it
will
not last forever. You can make this
satisfaction to
God
while on earth, and thus avoid much of the temporal
punishment by prayers, fasting, gaining indulgences,
alms,
and good works; and even by bearing your
sufferings, trials, and afflictions patiently, and offering
them
up to God in satisfaction for your sins.
Explanation: In
Baptism both the eternal and temporal debt are washed
away;
so that if a person just baptized died immediately,
he
would go directly to Heaven, not to Purgatory:
because persons go to Purgatory to pay off the temporal
debt.
Neither could that person gain an indulgence,
because indulgences are only to help us to pay the
temporal
debt. Neither could that person receive
the
Sacrament of Penance, because Penance remits only sin
committed after Baptism, and that person had no sins to
remit, because he died just after receiving Baptism. See,
then,
the goodness of Our Lord in instituting Baptism, to
forgive everything and leave us as free from guilt as our
first
parents were when God created them.
Question 154: Is Baptism necessary to salvation?
Answer:
Baptism is necessary to salvation, because without it we
cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven.
Explanation: Those
who through no fault of theirs die without Baptism,
though they have never committed sin, cannot enter
Heaven neither will they go to Hell. After the Last
Judgment there will be no Purgatory.
Where, then, will
they
go? God in His goodness will provide a place of rest
for them,
where they will not suffer and will be in a state
of
natural peace; but they will never see God or Heaven.
God
might have created us for a purely natural and
material end, so that we would live forever upon the earth
and
be naturally happy with the good things God would
give
us. But then we would never have known
of
Heaven or God as we do now. Such
happiness on earth
would
be nothing compared to the delights of Heaven and
the
presence of God; so that, now, since God has given
us,
through His holy revelations, a knowledge of Himself
and
Heaven, we would be miserable if left always upon
the
earth. Those, then, who die without
Baptism do not
know
what they have lost, and are naturally happy; but
we
who know all they have lost for want of Baptism
know
how very unfortunate they are.
Explanation:
Think, then, what a terrible crime it is to willfully allow
anyone to die without Baptism, or to deprive a little child
of
life before it can be baptized! Suppose
all the
members of a family but one little infant have been
baptized; when the Day of Judgment comes, while all the
other
members of a family-father, mother, and
children-may go into Heaven, that little one will have to
remain out; that little brother or sister will be separated
from
its family forever, and never, never see God or
Heaven. How heartless and cruel,
then, must a person be
who
would deprive that little infant of happiness for all
eternity-just that its mother or
someone else might have
a
little less trouble or suffering here upon earth.
Question 155: Who can administer Baptism?
Answer: The
priest is the ordinary minister of Baptism; but in case
of
necessity anyone who has the use of reason may
baptize.
Explanation:
"Ordinary" that is, the one who has a right to baptize and
generally does; others can baptize only in case of
necessity.
Explanation:
"Priest" and all above him-bishops, and the Pope; for
they
have all the power the priest has, and more besides.
"Minister" is the name given here to one who performs
any
of the sacred rites or ceremonies of the Church.
"Necessity." When the ordinary minister cannot be had
and
when Baptism must be given; for if it is not
absolutely necessary to give the Baptism, then you must
wait
for the ordinary minister.
Explanation:
"Anyone" Even persons not Catholics or not Christians
may,
in case of necessity, baptize a person wishing to
receive Baptism, if they know how to baptize and
seriously wish to do what the Church of Christ does when
it
baptizes. You cannot baptize a person
against his will.
Neither can you baptize an infant whose parents are
unwilling to have the child baptized, or when the child
will
not be brought up in the Catholic religion.
But if the
child
is dying, it can and should be baptized, even
without the consent of the parents.
Explanation:
"Use of "reason" Because the person must intend to do
what
Our Lord ordered to be done in giving Baptism; and
a
little child could not understand, and could not therefore
baptize.
Question 156: How is Baptism given?
Answer:
Whoever baptizes should pour water on the head of the
person to be baptized, and say, while pouring the water:
I
baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and
of the Holy Ghost.
Explanation: When
the priest baptizes in the church, he uses
consecrated water-that is, water blessed for that purpose
on
Holy Saturday, and mixed with holy oil. When he or
any
other, in case of necessity, baptizes in a private
house,
he may use plain, clean water, and he baptizes
without the other ceremonies used in the church.
Remember, in Baptism you can use ordinary clean water,
warm
or cold. When the priest or anyone
baptizes by
simply pouring the water and pronouncing the words of
Baptism, we call it private Baptism.
The Baptism given
in
church with all the ceremonies is called solemn
Baptism. Any person baptized privately
should be
brought to the church afterwards to have the rest of the
ceremonies performed.
Explanation: It
will increase your respect for the Sacrament to know
what
ceremonies are used in solemn Baptism, and what
they
signify. The following things must be
prepared: the
holy
oils, a little salt, a little pitcher or something similar
to
pour the water from, a vessel to receive the water
when
poured, some cotton, two stoles, one white and one
purple, towels, a white cloth, candle, and candlestick.
Explanation: All
being ready, the person holding the infant takes it on
the
right arm, face up, and the priest, having learned the
name
it is to be given, begins by asking the one to be
baptized, "What do you ask of the Church of God?" And
the
godparents answer for the child, "Faith." If the person
receiving Baptism is capable of answering for himself, he
must
do so. Then the priest exhorts the child
to keep the
Commandments and love God; then he breathes three
times
upon it and bids the evil spirit depart.
He next
prays for the child and puts a
little salt into its mouth, as
a
sign of the wisdom that Faith gives, and again prays for
the
child. Then he places the end of his
stole over it as
a
sign that it is led into the Church; for Baptism is given
in a
place called the baptistery, railed off from the church
and
near the door, because formerly the ceremony up to
this
point was performed outside the church, and at this
part
of the ceremony the person was led in to be
baptized. Then before Baptism the
person says the Creed
and
the Our Father; for when a grown person is to be
baptized he must first be instructed in all the truths of
religion, and he must say the Creed to show that he
believes them. Again the priest
prays and places a little
spittle on the ears and nose of the child, using at the same
time
the words used by Our Lord when He spit upon the
ground, and rubbing the spittle and clay upon the eyes of
the
blind man, healed him. (John 9:6). The
priest next
asks
the child if it renounces the devil and all his works
and
pomps--that is, vanities and empty shows; and having
received the answer anoints it with holy oil on the breast
and
back. Then he again asks for a
profession of faith,
and
finally baptizes it. After Baptism he
anoints its head
with
holy chrism, places a white cloth upon it to signify
the
purity it received in Baptism, and as a sign that it
must
keep its soul free from sin. Then he places in its
hand
a lighted candle, to signify the light of faith it has
received in Baptism. We are
baptized at the door of the
church to show that without Baptism we are out of the
Church. We are often signed with
the Sign of the Cross
to
remind us that our salvation is due to the Cross and
Passion of Our Lord. The priest's
stole is placed over us
to
show that the Church takes us under its protection and
shields us from the power of the devil.
We are anointed
as a
sign that we are freed from our sins and strengthened
to
fight for Christ. The white cloth or
garment is placed
upon
us to remind us of the glory of the Resurrection; the
light
is placed in our hand to show that we should burn
with
Christian charity.
Question 157: How many kinds of Baptism are there?
Answer: There
are three kinds of Baptism: Baptism of
water, of
desire, and of blood.
Question 158: What is Baptism of water?
Answer:
Baptism of water is that which is given by pouring water
on
the head of the person to be baptized, and saying at
the same time, I baptize thee in the
name of the Father,
and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Question 159: What is Baptism of desire?
Answer:
Baptism of desire is an ardent wish to receive Baptism,
and to
do all that God has ordained for out salvation.
Explanation:
"Ardent wish" by one who has no opportunity of being
baptized-for no one can baptize himself.
He must be
sorry
for his sins and have the desire of receiving the
Baptism of water as soon as he can; just as a person in
mortal sin and without a priest to absolve him may, when
in
danger of death, save his soul from Hell by an act of
perfect contrition and the firm resolution of going to
confession as soon as possible.
Explanation:
Baptism of desire would be useful and necessary if there
was
no water at hand or no person to baptize; or if the
one
wishing to be baptized and those about him did not
know
exactly how Baptism was to be given-which might
easily happen in pagan lands. One
thing you must
especially remember in giving Baptism in case of
necessity: namely, that it would not do for one person
to
pour
the water and another to say the words.
The same
person must do both, or the Baptism will not be valid. If
you
are called to baptize in case of necessity, be very
careful to observe the following points, otherwise the
Baptism will not be valid: use
clean water and nothing
but
water-no other liquid would do. Say
every one of the
exact
words: "I baptize thee in the name
of the Father,
and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." It would not do
to
say, "I baptize thee in the name of God"; or, "I baptize
thee
in the name of the Blessed Trinity"; nor would it do
to
say simply, "In the name of the Father, and of the
Son,
and of the Holy Ghost," without saying, "I baptize
thee." Say the words at the same time you pour the
water, and be sure the water touches the skin. It would
not
do to pour the water simply on the hair.
You must
not
sprinkle the water, but pour it upon the head.
Explanation: When
you have followed the above instructions carefully
and are
sure you have baptized properly, never under any
circumstance repeat the Baptism on the same person. It
is a
sin to try to baptize more than once when you know
Baptism can be given only once.
The sight of the person
dying
and the fact that you are called for the first time
may
cause you to be somewhat excited; but be calm,
remember the importance of the Sacrament, and you will
administer it as directed.
Parents should not baptize their
own
children in case of necessity, if there is any other
person present who can validly do it.
Remember those
who
administer Baptism contract a spiritual relationship
with the person they baptize (not
with his parents). If
they
wished, years afterwards, to marry the person they
baptized, they must make this relationship known to the
priest.
Explanation: Sponsors
are not necessary in private Baptism. A
person
may
be sponsor for a child in Baptism without being
present at the Baptism, provided someone else holds the
child
in his name and answers the questions he himself
would
answer if he were present. Such a
sponsor is said
to
stand for the child by proxy, and he, and not the one
who
holds the child, is then the real godparent when, at
the
request of the parents or priest he has consented to be
sponsor.
Question 160: What is Baptism of blood?
Answer:
Baptism of blood is the shedding of one's blood for the
faith
of Christ.
Explanation:
Baptism of blood, called martyrdom, is received by those
who
were not baptized with water, but were put to death
for
their Catholic faith. This takes place
even nowadays
in
pagan countries where the missionaries are trying to
convert the poor natives. These pagans have to be
instructed before they are baptized.
They do everything
required of them, let us suppose, and are waiting for the
day
of Baptism. Those who are being thus instructed
are
called Catechumens. Someday,
while they are attending
their
instructions, the enemies of religion rush down upon
them
and put them to death. They do not
resist, but
willingly suffer death for the sake of the true religion.
They
are martyrs then and are baptized in their own
blood; although, as we said above, blood would not do
for
an ordinary Baptism even when we could not get
water; so that if a person drew blood
from his own body
and
asked to be baptized with it, the Baptism would not
be
valid. Neither would they be martyrs if
put to death
not
for religion or virtue but for some other reason-say
political.
Question 161: Is Baptism of desire or blood sufficient to
produce the
effects of Baptism of water?
Answer:
Baptism of desire or of blood is sufficient to produce the
effects
of the Baptism of water, if it is impossible to
receive the Baptism of water.
Question 162: What do we promise in Baptism?
Answer: In
Baptism we promise to renounce the devil with all his
works
and pomps.
Question 163: Why is the name of a saint given in
Baptism?
Answer: The
name of a saint is given in Baptism in order that the
person baptized may imitate his virtues and have him for
a
protector.
Explanation: The saint
whose name we bear is called Our patron saint.
This
saint has a special love for us and a special care
over
us. People take the names of great men because they
admire their good qualities or their great deeds. So we
take
saints' names because we admire their Christian
virtues and great Christian deeds.
We should, therefore,
read
the life of our patron saint and try to imitate his
virtues, and the day on which the Church celebrates the
feast
of our patron saint should be a great day for us also.
The
Church generally celebrates the saint's feast on the
day
on which he died, that is, as we believe, the day on
which
he entered into Heaven.
Question 164: Why are godfathers and godmothers given in
Baptism?
Answer:
Godfathers and godmothers are given in Baptism in order
that
they may promise in the name of the child what the
child
itself would promise if it had the use of reason.
Question 165: What is the obligation of a godfather and a
godmother?
Answer: The
obligation of a godfather and a godmother is to
instruct the child in its religious duties if the parents
neglect to do so or die.
Explanation: This
is a very important obligation, and we should be
faithful in the fulfillment of it before God. Godfathers
and
godmothers are also called sponsors. The
following
persons cannot be sponsors:
Explanation: All
persons not Catholics, because they cannot teach the
child
the Catholic religion if they do not know it
themselves. All persons who are publicly leading bad
lives; for how can they give good examples and teach
their
godchild to be good when they themselves are
public sinners? All persons who are ignorant of their
religion should not take upon themselves the duties of
godparents.
Explanation:
Therefore parents should select as sponsors for their
children only good, practical Catholics-not Catholics
merely in name, but those who live up to their faith, and
who
will be an example for their children.
To repeat
what
has already been said, godparents contract a spiritual
relationship with their godchild, and in the event of
marriage, they must make known this
relationship to the
priest. The godfather and the
godmother do not contract
a
relationship between themselves, or with the child's
parents, but only with the child so that neither the
godfather nor the godmother could later marry their
godchild without first obtaining proper dispensation; that
is,
permission from the Church granted by the bishop or
Pope. With regard to names,
parents should never be
induced by any motive to give their child some foolish or
fancy
name taken from books, places, or things.
Above
all,
they should never select the name of any enemy of
the Church or unbeliever, but the
name of one of God's
saints who will be a model for the child. Whatever name
is
taken, if it be not a saint's name, the name of some
saint
should be given as a middle name. If
this has been
omitted in Baptism, it should be supplied in Confirmation,
at
which time a new name can be added.
Again, if a
saint's name has been taken in Baptism it should not be
shortened
or changed so as to mean nothing; as, for
example, Mazie, Miz, etc., for Mary.
When your correct
name
is mentioned your saint is honored, and I might say
invoked, because it should remind you of him. For that
reason you should not have meaningless or foolish pet
names, known only to your family or your friends.
Lesson 15: ON CONFIRMATION
Question 166: What is Confirmation?
Question 167: Who can administer Confirmation?
Question 168: How does the bishop give Confirmation?
Question 169: What is holy chrism?
Question 170: What does the bishop say in anointing the
person he
confirms?
Question 171: What is meant by anointing the forehead
with chrism in
the
form of a cross?
Question 172: Why does the bishop give the person he
confirms a slight
blow
on the cheek?
Question 173: To receive Confirmation worthily is it
necessary to be in
the state
of grace?
Question 174: What special preparation should be made to
receive
Confirmation?
Question 175: Is it a sin to neglect Confirmation?
Question 166: What is Confirmation?
Answer:
Confirmation is a Sacrament through which we receive
the
Holy Ghost to make us strong and perfect Christians
and
soldiers of Jesus Christ.
Explanation: In
Baptism we are made Christians, but we are not very
strong in our faith till the Holy Ghost comes in
Confirmation. You remember how
timid the Apostles
were
before the coming of the Holy Ghost, and how firm
and
determined in their faith they were afterwards; and
how
fearlessly they preached even to those who crucified
Our
Lord. "Soldiers," because we
must fight for our
salvation against our three enemies, the devil, the world,
and
the flesh. Our Lord is our great leader
in this
warfare, and we must follow Him and fight
as He directs.
A
soldier that fights as he pleases and not as his general
commands, will surely be beaten.
Question 167: Who can administer Confirmation?
Answer: The bishop
is the ordinary minister of Confirmation.
Explanation:
"Ordinary," because in some very distant countries where
on
account of the small number of Christians they have
as
yet no bishops, the Pope allows some priest to give
Confirmation; but then he must use the holy oil
consecrated by a bishop, and cannot consecrate oil
himself.
Question 168: How does the bishop give Confirmation?
Answer: The
bishop extends his hands over those who are to be
confirmed, prays that they may receive the Holy Ghost,
and
anoints the forehead of each with holy chrism in the
form
of a cross.
Question 169: What is holy chrism?
Answer: Holy chrism is a mixture of olive oil and
balm,
consecrated by the bishop.
Explanation: The
oil signifies the strength we receive, and the balm
that
we should be free from the corruption of sin, and
give forth
the sweetness of virtue.
Question 170: What does the bishop say in anointing the
person he
confirms?
Answer: In
anointing the person he confirms the bishop says: I
sign
thee with the Sign of the Cross, and I confirm thee
with
the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father,
and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Question 171: What is meant by anointing the forehead
with chrism in
the
form of a cross?
Answer: By
anointing the forehead with chrism in the form of a
cross
is meant, that the Christian who is confirmed must
openly profess and practice his faith, never be ashamed
of
it, and rather die than deny it.
Explanation:
"Openly profess" that is, acknowledge that he is a
Catholic when it is necessary to do so.
He need not
proclaim it in the streets.
"Practice" it without regard for
what
other people think, say, or do.
"Ashamed" of a
religion so glorious as the Catholic religion? Would we
not
be proud to belong to a society of which kings and
princes were members? Well, a few
centuries ago nearly
all
the kings, princes, and great men of the earth were
Catholics. All the saints were
Catholics. All the Popes
were
Catholics. At present over three hundred
million
people in the world are Catholics.
This Church was
founded when Christ Our Lord was on earth, and is
nearly two thousand years old.
All the other churches are
only
a few hundred years old. We ought, therefore, to be
proud
of our religion, for which and in which so many
noble
persons died. We should feel proud that
we are
Catholics; while Protestants should feel ashamed in our
presence, for they have deserted the true standard of
Christ, and followed some other leader who set
up a
religion of his own in opposition to the true Church of
Our
Lord. They will not have the cross or
crucifix, the
standard of Christ, in their churches or houses or about
their
persons, and yet they claim to be Christians
redeemed by the Cross. We are called upon to defend or
profess our religion when we have to do what the Church
and
God require us to do: for example, hear
Mass on
Sundays and holy days; abstain from the use of fleshmeat
on
Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent, fast on
fast-days, and the like, when we are among persons not
Catholics.
Question 172: Why does the bishop give the person he
confirms a slight
blow
on the cheek?
Answer: The
bishop gives the person he confirms a slight blow on
the
cheek to put him in mind that he must be ready to
suffer anything, even death, for the sake of Christ.
Question 173: To receive Confirmation worthily is it
necessary to be in
the
state of grace?
Answer: To
receive Confirmation worthily it is necessary to be in
the
state of grace.
Question 174: What special preparation should be made to
receive
Confirmation?
Answer:
Persons of an age to learn should know the chief
mysteries of faith and the duties of a Christian, and be
instructed in the nature and effects of this Sacrament.
Explanation: How
can one be a good soldier who does not know the
rules
and regulations of the army nor understand the
commands of his general? How can
one be a good
Christian who does not understand the laws of the Church
and
the teachings of Christ? The
"nature"--that is,
understand the Sacrament itself.
"Effects" that is, what
it does in our souls.
Question 175: Is it a sin to neglect Confirmation?
Answer: It is
a sin to neglect Confirmation, especially in these evil
days
when faith and morals are exposed to so many and
such
violent temptations.
Explanation:
"Temptations"--from the sayings and writings of the
enemies of religion. To neglect it when we have an
opportunity of receiving it without any very great
difficulty would be a sin. When
persons have been
unfortunate enough to grow up without Confirmation,
they
should come at any time in their lives to receive it,
and
not be ashamed to do so on account of their age or
condition in life.
Lesson
16: ON THE GIFTS AND FRUITS OF THE HOLY
GHOST
Question 176: What are the effects of Confirmation?
Question 177: What are the gifts of the Holy Ghost?
Question 178: Why do we receive the gift of fear of the
Lord?
Question 179: Why do we receive the gift of piety?
Question 180: Why do we receive the gift of knowledge?
Question 181: Why do we receive the gift of fortitude?
Question 182: Why do we receive the gift of counsel?
Question 183: Why do we receive the gift of
understanding?
Question 184: Why do we receive the gift of wisdom?
Question 185: Which are the beatitudes?
Question 186: Which are the twelve fruits of the Holy
Ghost?
Question 176: What are the effects of Confirmation?
Answer: The
effects of Confirmation are an increase of sanctifying
grace, the strengthening of our faith, and the gifts of the
Holy
Ghost.
Explanation:
"Increase;" because we must be in a state of grace, that
is,
having already sanctifying grace in our souls when we
receive Confirmation. "Strengthening' " so that we have
no
doubt about the doctrines we believe.
Question 177: What are the gifts of the Holy Ghost?
Answer: The
gifts of the Holy Ghost are wisdom, understanding,
counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the
Lord.
Question 178: Why do we receive the gift of fear of the
Lord?
Answer: We
receive the gift of fear of the Lord to fill us with a
dread
of sin.
Explanation: On
account of the goodness of God and the punishment
He
can inflict.
Question 179: Why do we receive the gift of piety?
Answer: We
receive the gift of piety to make us love God as a
Father, and obey Him because we love Him.
Question 180: Why do we receive the gift of knowledge?
Answer: We
receive the gift of knowledge to enable us to discover
the
will of God in all things.
Question 181: Why do we receive the gift of fortitude?
Answer: We
receive the gift of fortitude to strengthen us to do the
will
of God in all things.
Explanation: Some
know the will of God-what they should do-but they
have not the courage to follow the dictates
of their
conscience. For example, a person
goes with bad
company: the gift of knowledge
will teach him that he
should give it up; but the gift of fortitude will enable him
to do
what his conscience shows him to be right.
Question 182: Why do we receive the gift of counsel?
Answer: We
receive the gift of counsel to warn us of the deceits of
the
devil, and of the dangers to salvation.
Explanation: The
devil is much wiser than we are, and has much more
experience, being among the people of the world ever
since
the time of Adam-about 6,000 years. He could
therefore easily deceive and overcome us if God Himself
by
the gift of counsel did not enable us to discover his
tricks and expose his plots. When
at times we are
tempted, our conscience warns us, and if we follow the
warning
we shall escape the sin. Counsel tells
us when
persons or places are dangerous for our salvation.
Question 183: Why do we receive the gift of
understanding?
Answer: We
receive the gift of understanding to enable us to know
more
clearly the mysteries of faith.
Explanation:
"Mysteries," truths we could never know by reason, but
only
by the teaching of God; and the gift of
understanding enables us to know better what His
teaching means. The Apostles heard and knew what Our
Lord
taught, but they did not fully understand the whole
meaning till the Holy Ghost had come.
Question 184: Why do we receive the gift of wisdom?
Answer: We receive the gift of wisdom to give us a
relish for the
things of God and to direct our whole life and all our
actions to His honor and glory.
Explanation:
"Relish," a liking for, a desire for.
Question 185: Which are the beatitudes?
Answer: The
beatitudes are:
Explanation:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
Heaven. Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the
land.
Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be
comforted. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after
justice, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful,
for
they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the clean of
heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake,
for
theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
Explanation: The
beatitudes are part of a sermon Our Lord once
preached to the people on the Mount. (Matt. 5). When
Our
Lord wished to preach, the Jews would not always
allow
Him to enter their synagogues or meeting houses;
so He
preached to the people in the open air.
Sometimes
He
stood in a boat by the seashore; sometimes on a little
hill,
with the people standing or sitting near Him.
Did
you
ever think how you would have acted if you lived at
that
time and were present when Our Lord preached?
How
anxious you would have been to get near to Him?
How
you would have pushed your way through the
crowd
and listened to every word? Why, then,
do you
sometimes pay so little attention in church or at
instructions when the words of Our Lord are repeated to
you? Our Lord instituted a Church
which, as we know,
is sometimes called the kingdom of
Heaven. In this
sermon He laid down the condition for being good
subjects of His kingdom; that is, He gives the virtues we
should practice to be good children of the Church. He
tells
us what rewards we shall have for practicing these
virtues and leading a holy life:
namely, God's grace and
blessing in this world and everlasting glory in Heaven.
Explanation: (1)
"Poor in spirit." One is poor in spirit if he does not
set
his heart upon riches and the goods of this world in
such
a way that he would be willing to offend God in
order
to possess them, or rather than part with them.
Thus
one who has no money but who would do anything
to
get it, would be poor, but not poor in spirit, and
therefore not among those Our Lord calls blessed. If we
are
really poor and wish to be poor in spirit also, we
must
be contented with our lot--with what God gives
us--and never complain against Him.
No matter how
poor,
miserable, or afflicted we may be, we could still be
worse, since we can find others in a worse condition than
we
are. We do not endure every species of
misery, but
only
this or that particular kind; and if the rest were
added, how much worse our condition would be! The
very greatest misery is to be in a
state of sin. If we are
poor
and in sin, our condition is indeed pitiable, for we
have
no consolation; but if we are virtuous in poverty,
bearing our trials in patience and resignation for the love
of
God, we have the rich treasures of His grace and every
assurance of future happiness. On
the other hand, if one
is
very rich and gives freely and plentifully to the poor
and works of charity, and is
willing to part with riches
rather than offend God, such a one is poor in spirit and
can
be called blessed. It is a great mistake
to risk our
souls
for things we must leave to others at our death.
Sometimes those who leave the greatest inheritance are
soonest forgotten and despised, because the money or
property bequeathed gives rise to numerous lawsuits,
quarrels and jealousies among the relatives, and thus
becomes a very curse to that family, whose members hate
one
another on its account. Or it may happen
that the
heirs
thoughtlessly enjoy and foolishly squander the
wealth the man, now dead, has labored so hard to
accumulate, while he, perhaps, is suffering in Hell for
sins
committed in securing it. Again, how
many children
have
been ruined through the wealth left them by their
parents! Instead of using it for
good purposes they have
made
it a means of sin; often lose their faith and souls on
account of it; and in their ingratitude never offer a prayer
or give an alms for the soul of the
parent, who in his
anxiety to leave all to them left nothing in charity to the
Church or the poor. Surely it is
the greatest folly to set
our
hearts upon that which can be of no value to us after
death. When a person dies men
ask: What wealth has he
left
behind? But God and the angels ask, What
merits has
he
sent before him? (2) "Possess the land"--that is, the
promised or holy land, which was a figure of
the Church.
Therefore it means the meek shall be true members of
Our
Lord's Church here on earth and hereafter in
Heaven, and be beloved by all. (3) "That mourn:"
Suffering is good for us if we bear it patiently. It makes
us
more like Our Blessed Lord, who was called the Man
of
Sorrows. (4) "Justice"--that is, all kinds of virtue.
"Filled"--that is, with goodness and grace. In other
words, if we ask and really wish to become virtuous, we
shall
become so. St. Joseph is called in Holy
Scripture "a
just
man, to show that he practiced every virtue. (5) If we
are "merciful" to others,
God will be merciful to us. (6)
"Clean of heart'!--that is, pure in thoughts, words, deeds,
and
looks. (7) "Peacemakers:' If persons who try to make
peace
and settle disputes are called the children of God,
those
who, on the contrary, try to stir up dissensions
should be called the children of the devil. Never tell the
evil
you may hear of another, especially to the one of
whom it was spoken; and never carry
stories from one to
another: it is contemptible, and
sinful as well. If you
have
nothing good to say of the character of another, be
silent, unless your duty compels you to speak. Never be
a
child of the devil by exciting jealousy, hatred, or
revenge in anyone; but on the contrary, make peace
wherever you can, and be one of the children of God. (8)
"Suffer persecution:' Therefore, when you are badly
treated on account of your piety or religion, remember
you
are like the martyrs of your holy faith, suffering for
virtue and truth, and that you will receive your reward.
Question 186: Which are the twelve fruits of the Holy
Ghost?
Answer: The
twelve fruits of the Holy Ghost are charity, joy,
peace, patience, benignity, goodness, long-suffering,
mildness, faith, modesty, continency, and chastity.
Explanation:
"Fruits," the things that grow from the gifts of the Holy
Ghost. "Charity," love of God and. our neighbor,
"Peace" with God and man and ourselves. With God,
because we are His friends. With
man, because we deal
justly with all and are kind to all.
With ourselves,
because we have a good conscience, that does not accuse
us of
sin. "Benignity," disposition
to do good and show
kindness.
"Long-suffering"--same as patience.
"Modesty, continency, and chastity" refer to purity in
thoughts, words, looks, and actions.
Lesson 17: ON THE SACRAMENT OF
PENANCE
Question 187: What is the Sacrament of Penance?
Question 188: How does the Sacrament of Penance remit
sin, and
restore the soul to the friendship of God?
Question 189: How do you know that the priest has the
power of
absolving from the sins committed after Baptism?
Question 190: How do the priests of the Church exercise
the power of
forgiving sins?
Question 191: What must we do to receive the Sacrament of
Penance
worthily?
Question 192: What is the examination of consciences
Question 193: How can we make a good examination of
conscience?
Question 194: What should we do before beginning the
examination of
conscience?
Explanation: When
Our Blessed Lord redeemed us, He applied the
benefits of the Redemption in the Sacrament
of Baptism.
By
this Baptism He freed us from sin and the slavery of
the
devil; He restored us to God's grace; He reopened for
us
Heaven; made us once more children of God:
in a
word,
He placed us in the condition in which we were
before our fall through the sin of our first parents. This
was
certainly a great kindness bestowed upon us, and one
would
think we would never forget it, and never more
lose
God's friendship by any fault of ours; especially
when
we had seen the great miseries brought upon the
world
by sin, and had learned something of Hell where
we would have been, and of Heaven which
we would
have
lost, if Our Lord had not redeemed us.
Our Blessed
Lord
saw, however, that we would forget His benefits,
and
again, even after Baptism, go freely into the slavery
of
the devil. How, then, could we be
saved? We could
not
be baptized again, because Baptism can be given only
once. Our good Lord in His
kindness instituted another
Sacrament, by which we could once more be freed from
sin
if we had the misfortune to fall into it after Baptism-it
is
the Sacrament of Penance. It is called
the plank in a
shipwreck. When sailors are
shipwrecked and thrown
helplessly into the ocean, their only hope is some floating
plank
that may bear them to the shore. So when
we fall
after
Baptism we are thrown into the great ocean of sin,
where
we must perish if we do not rest upon the
Sacrament of Penance, which will bring us once more in
safety to the friendship of God.
How very thankful the
poor
shipwrecked sailors would be to anyone who would
offer
them a plank while they are in danger!
Do you
think
they would refuse to use it? In like
manner how
thankful we should be for the Sacrament of Penance, and
how
anxious we should be to use it when we arc in
danger of losing our souls!
Explanation: The
Sacrament of Penance shows the very great kindness
of
Our Lord. He might have said: I saved them once,
and I
will not trouble Myself more about them; if they
want to sin again, let them
perish. But no, He forgives
us
and saves us as often as we sincerely call on Him for
help,
being truly sorry for our sins. He left this power
also
to His Apostles, saying to them: As
often as any
poor
sinner shall come to you and show that he is truly
sorry
for his sins, and has the determination not to
commit them again, and confesses them to you, I give
you
the power to pardon his sins in the Sacrament of
Penance. The forgiveness of your
sins is the chief though
not
the only blessing you receive in the reception of this
Sacrament, through which you derive so many and great
advantages from the exhortation, instruction, or advice of
your
confessor.
Explanation: Is it
not a great benefit to have a friend to whom you can
go
with the trials of your mind and soul, your troubles,
temptations, sins, and secrets?
You have that friend-the
priest in the confessional. He is
willing to help you, for
he
consecrated his life to God to help men to save their
souls. He is able to help you,
for he understands your
difficulties, sins, and temptations, and the means of
overcoming them. He has made
these things the study of
his
life, and derives still greater knowledge of them from
hearing the sad complaints of so many
relating their
secret sorrows or afflictions, and begging his advice.
Explanation: Then
you are sure that whatever you tell him in the
confessional will never be made known to others, even if
the
priest has to die to conceal it. You
might tell your
secrets to a friend, and if you afterwards offended him he
would
probably reveal all you told him. The
priest asks
no reward
for the service he gives you in the
confessional, but loves to help you, because he has
pledged himself to God to do so, and would sin if he did
not. Some enemies of our holy
religion have tried to
make people believe that Catholics
have to pay the priest
in
confession for forgiving their sins; but every Catholic,
even
the youngest child who has been to confession,
knows
this to be untrue, and a base calumny against our
holy
religion; even those who assert it do not believe it
themselves. The good done in the
confessional will never
be
known in this world. How many persons
have been
saved
from sin, suicide, death, and other evils by the
advice and encouragement received in confession! How
many
persons who have fallen into the lowest depths of
sin
have by the Sacrament of Penance been raised up and
made
to lead good, respectable lives-a blessing to
themselves, their families, and society!
Question 187: What is the Sacrament of Penance?
Answer:
Penance is a Sacrament in which the sins committed after
Baptism are forgiven.
Explanation: One
who has never been baptized could not go to
confession and receive absolution, nor indeed any of the
Sacraments.
Question 188: How does the Sacrament of Penance remit sin,
and
restore the soul to the friendship of God?
Answer: The
Sacrament of Penance remits sin and restores the
friendship of God to the soul by means of the absolution
of
the priest.
Explanation:
"Absolution" means the words the priest says at the time
he
forgives the sins. Absolve means to
loose or free.
When
ministers or ambassadors are sent by our
government to represent the United States in England,
France, Germany, or other countries, whatever they do
there
officially is done by the United States.
If they make
an
agreement with the governments to which they are
sent,
the United States sanctions it, and the very moment
they
sign the agreement it is signed and sanctioned by the
authority of our government whose representatives they
are,
and their official action becomes the action of the
United States itself. But when their term of office
expires, though they remain in the foreign countries, they
have
no longer any power to sign agreements in the name
and
with the authority of the United States.
Explanation: You
see, therefore, that it is the power that is given them,
and
not their own, that they exercise. In
like manner Our
Lord
commissioned His priests and gave them the power
to
forgive sins, and whatever they do in the Sacrament of
Penance He Himself does. At the
very moment the priest
pronounces the words of absolution on earth his sentence
is
ratified in Heaven and the sins of the penitent are
blotted out.
Explanation: It
may increase your veneration for the Sacrament to
know
the precise manner in which absolution is given.
After
the confession and giving of the penance, the priest
first prays for the sinner, saying: "May Almighty God
have
mercy on you, and, your sins being forgiven, bring
you
to life everlasting. Amen." Then,
raising his right
hand
over the penitent, he says: "May the
Almighty and
merciful Lord grant you pardon, absolution, and
remission of your sins.
Amen." Then he continues:
"May Our Lord Jesus Christ absolve you, and 1, by His
authority, absolve you from every bond of
excommunication and interdict, as far as I have power
and
you stand in need. Then I absolve you
from your
sins,
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the
Holy Ghost. Amen." At these last
words he makes
the
Sign of the Cross over the penitent. In
conclusion he
directs to God a prayer in behalf of the penitent in the
following words: "May the
Passion of Our Lord Jesus
Christ, the merits of the Blessed
Virgin Mary and of all
the
saints, and whatsoever good you may have done or
evil
you may have suffered, be to you unto the remission
of
your sins, the increase of grace, and the recompense
of
everlasting life. Amen." Then the
priest says, "God
bless
you" "Go in peace: or some
other expression
showing his delight at your reconciliation with God.
Question 189: How do you know that the priest has the
power of
absolving from the sins committed after Baptism?
Answer: I
know that the priest has the power of absolving from
sins
committed after Baptism, because Jesus Christ
granted
that power to the priests of His Church when He
said: "Receive ye the Holy
Ghost. Whose sins you shall
forgive, they are forgiven them; whose sins you shall
retain, they are retained:'
Explanation: Every
Christian knows Our Lord Himself had power to
forgive sins: (1) because He was
God, and (2) because
He
often did forgive them while on earth,. and proved
that
He did by performing some miracle; as, for example
(Mark
2; John 5), when He cured the poor men who had
been
sick and suffering for many years, He said to them,
"Thy sins are forgiven thee; arise, take up thy bed, and
walk:' And the men did so. Since
Our Lord had the
power
Himself, He could give it to His Apostles if He
wished, and He did give it to them and their successors.
For
if He did not, how could we and all others who, after
Baptism,
have fallen into sin be cleansed from it?
This
Sacrament of Penance was for all time, and so He left the
power
with His Church, which is to last as long as there
is a
living human being upon the earth. Our
Lord
promised to His Apostles before His death this power to
forgive sins (Matt. 18:18), and He gave it to them after
His
resurrection (John 20:23), when He appeared to them
and
breathed on them, and said: "Whose
sins you shall
forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall
retain, they are retained"
Question 190: How do the priests of the Church exercise
the power of
forgiving sins?
Answer: The
priests of the Church exercise the power of forgiving
sins
by hearing the confession of sins, and granting
pardon for them as ministers of God and in His name.
Explanation: The
power to forgive sins implies the obligation of going
to
confession; because, as most sins are secret, how could
the
Apostles know what sins to forgive and what sins to
retain-that is, not to forgive-unless they were told by the
sinner what sins he had
committed? 'They could not see
into
his heart as God can, and know his sins; and so if
the
sinner wished his sins forgiven, he had to confess
them
to the Apostles or their successors.
Therefore, since
we
have the Sacrament of Penance, we must also have
confession.
Question 191: What must we do to receive the Sacrament of
Penance
worthily?
Answer: To
receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily we must
do
five things:
Explanation: We
must examine our conscience. We must have sorrow
for
our sins. We must make a firm resolution never more
to
offend God. We must confess our sins to the priest.
We
must accept the penance which the priest gives us.
Explanation: When
we are about to go to confession the first thing we
should do is to pray to the Holy Ghost to give us light to
know
and remember all our sins; to fully understand how
displeasing they are to God, and to have a great sorrow
for
them, which includes the resolution of never
committing them again. The next
thing we should do is:
Explanation:
"Examine our conscience"; and first of all we find out
how
long a time it is since our last confession, and
whether we made a good confession then and received
Holy
Communion and performed our penance. The
best
method of examining is to take the Commandments and
go
over each one in our mind, seeing if we have broken
it,
and in what way; for example:
First. "I am the Lord
thy
God; thou shalt not have strange gods before Me."
Have
I honored God? Have I said my prayers morning
and
night; have I said them with attention and devotion?
Have
I thanked God for all His blessings?
Have I been
more anxious to please others than to please
God, or
offended Him for the sake of others? Second "Thou shalt
not
take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" Have I
cursed? Have I taken God's name
in vain or spoken
without reverence of holy things?
Third. "Remember
thou
keep holy the Sabbath day. " Have I
neglected to
hear
Mass through my own fault on Sundays and holy
days
of obligation? Have I kept others from
Mass? Have
I
been late, and at what part of the Mass did I come in?
Have
I been willfully distracted at Mass or have I
distracted others? Have I done
servile work without
necessity? Fourth. "Honor
thy father and thy mother."
Have
I been disobedient to parents or others who have
authority over me-to spiritual or temporal superiors,
teachers, etc.? Have I slighted or been ashamed of
parents because they were poor or
uneducated? Have I
neglected to give them what help I could when they were
in
need of it? Have I spoken of them with
disrespect or
called them names that were not proper?
Fifth. "Thou
shalt
not kill." Have I done anything that might lead to
killing? Have I been angry or
have I tried to take
revenge? Have I borne hatred or tried to injure others?
Have
I given scandal? Sixth. "Thou shalt
not commit
adultery." Have I indulged in any bad thoughts, looked at
any
bad pictures or objects, listened to any bad
conversation, told or listened to bad or immodest jokes or
stories, or, in general, spoken of bad things? Have I
done
any bad actions or desired to do any while alone or
with
others? Seventh. "Thou shalt not steal" Have I
stolen anything myself or helped or advised others to
steal? Have I received anything
or part of anything that
I
knew to be stolen? Do I owe money and not pay it
when
I can? Have I bought anything with the
intention
of
never paying for it or at least knowing I never could
pay
for it? Have I made restitution when
told to do so by
my
confessor; or have I put it off from time to time?
Have
I failed to give back what belonged to another?
Have
I found anything and not tried to discover its
owner, or have I kept it in my possession after I knew to
whom
it belonged? Have I cheated in business
or at
games? Eighth. "Thou shalt
not bear false witness
against thy neighbor. " Have
I told lies or injured anyone
by my
talk? Have I told the faults of others
without any
necessity? It is not allowed to
tell the faults of
others-even
when you tell the truth about them-unless
some
good comes of the telling. Ninth. "Thou shalt not
covet
thy neighbor's wife." This can come into our
examination on the Sixth Commandment.
Tenth. "Thou
shalt not covet thy neighbor's
goods" This can come into
our
examination on the Seventh Commandment.
After
examining yourself on the Commandments of God,
examine yourself on the Commandments of the Church.
First. "To hear Mass on
Sundays and holy days of
obligation" This has been considered in the examination
on
the Third Commandment. Second "To
fast and
abstain on the days appointed" Have I knowingly eaten
meat
on Ash Wednesday or the Fridays of Lent, or not
done
some chosen penance on the other Fridays of the
year,
or not fasted on Ash Wednesday or Good Friday,
unless I had good reason not to do so on account of poor
health or other reason?
Third. "To confess at least
once
a
year." Is it over a year, and how much over it, since I
have
been to confession? Fourth. "To receive Holy
Eucharist during the Easter time:'
Did I go to Holy
Communion between the first Sunday of Lent and Trinity
Sunday? If not, I have committed
a mortal sin. Fifth.
"To contribute to the support of our pastors." Have I
helped the church and reasonably paid my share of its
expenses-given to charity and the like, or have I made
others pay for the light, heat, and other things that cost
money
in the church, and shared in their benefits without
giving according to my means?
Have, l kept what was
given
me for the church or other-charity, or stolen from
the
church and not stated that circumstance when I
confessed that I stole?
Sixth. "Not to marry persons
who
are
not Catholics, or who are related to us within the
third
degree of kindred, or privately without witnesses,
nor
to solemnize marriage at forbidden times." Have I
anything to tell on this Commandment? After examining
yourself on the Commandments of God and of His
Church, examine yourself on the capital sins, especially
on
"Pride:' Have I been impudent and stubborn, vain
about
my dress, and the like? Have I despised
others
simply on account of poverty or something they could not
help? "Gluttony." Have
I ever taken intoxicating drink to
excess or broken a promise not to take it? Have I
knowingly caused others to be intoxicated? "Sloth:' Have
I
wasted my time willfully and neglected to do my duty
at
school or elsewhere? After examining
yourself on the
Commandments and capital sins, examine yourself on the
duties of your state of life. If
you are at school, how
have
you studied? You should study not alone to please
your
parents or teachers, but for the sake of learning. If
you
are at work, have you been faithful to your
employer, and done your work well and honestly? The
above
method is generally recommended as the best in
the
examination of conscience. But you need
not follow
these
exact questions; you can ask yourself any questions
you
please: the above questions are given
only as
examples of what you might ask, and to show you how
to
question yourself. It is useless to take
any list of sins
in a
prayerbook and examine yourself by it, confessing
the
sins just as they are given. If you do
take such a list
and find in it some questions or sins that
you do not
understand, do not trouble yourself about them. In
asking yourself the questions, if you find you have sinned
against a Commandment, stop and consider how many
times. There are few persons who
sin against all the
Commandments. Some sin against one and some against
another. Find out the worst sin
you have and the one
you
have most frequently committed, and be sure of
telling it. "Have sorrow for our sins:' After examining
your
conscience and finding out the sins you have
committed, the next thing is to be sorry for them. The
sorrow is the most essential part in the whole Sacrament
of
Penance. In this Sacrament there are, as you know,
three
parts: contrition, confession, and
satisfaction-and
contrition is the most important part.
When, therefore,
we
are preparing for confession, we should spend just as
much
time, and even more, in exciting ourselves to
sorrow for our sins as in the examination of our
conscience. Some persons forget
this and spend all their
time
examining their conscience. We should
pray for
sorrow if we think we have none.
Remember the act of
contrition made at confession is not the sorrow, but only
an
outward sign by which we make known to the priest
that
we have the sorrow in our hearts, and therefore we
must
have the sorrow before making the confession-or at
least, before receiving the absolution.
Now what kind of
sorrow must we have? Someone
might say, I am not
truly
sorry because I cannot cry. If some of
my friends
died,
I would be more sorry for that than for my sins.
Do
not make any such mistakes. The true and
necessary
kind
of sorrow for sin is to know that by sin you have
offended God, and now feel that it was very wrong, and
that
you have from this moment the firm determination
never
to offend Him more. If God adds to this
a feeling
that
brings tears to your eyes, it is good, but not
necessary. Remember real sorrow for sin supposes and
contains "a firm resolution" never to sin again. How can
you
say to God, "O my God, I am heartily sorry," etc.,
if
you are waiting only for the next opportunity to sin?
How
can we be sorry for the past if we are going to do
the
same in the future? Do you think the
thief would be
sorry
for his past thefts if he had his mind made up to
steal
again as soon as he had the chance? Ah,
but you
will
say, nearly all persons sin again after confession. I
know that; but when they were making
their confession
they
thought they never would, and really meant never to
sin
again; but when temptation came, they forgot the
good
resolution, did not use God's help, and fell into sin
again. I mean, therefore, that at
the time you make the
act
of contrition you must really mean what you say and
promise never to sin, and take every means you can to
keep
that promise. If you do fall afterwards,
renew your
promise as quickly as possible and make a greater effort
than
before. Be on your guard against those
things that
make
you break your promise, and then your act of
contrition will be a good one. A
person may be afraid
that
he will fall again, but being afraid does not make his
contrition worthless as long as he wishes, hopes, and
intends never to sin again. We
should always be afraid
of
falling into sin, and we will fall into it if we depend
upon
ourselves alone, and not on the help which God
gives
us in His grace. "Confess our sins." Having made
the
necessary preparation, you will next go into the
confessional; and while you are waiting for the priest to
hear
you, you should say the Confiteor. When
the priest
turns
to you, bless yourself and say:
"Bless me, father,
for I
have sinned. It is a month or a week (or
whatever
time
it may be) since my last confession, and I have since
committed these sins" Then tell your sins as you found
them
in examining yourself. In confession you
must tell
only
such things as are sins. You must not
tell all the
details and a long story with every sin.
For example, if
a boy
should confess that he went to see a friend, and
after
that met another friend, and when he came home he
was
asked what had kept him, and he told a lie.
Now,
the
going to see the friend and the meeting of the other
friend, and all the rest, was not a sin:
the sin was telling
the
lie, and that was all that should have been confessed.
Therefore, tell only the sins.
Then tell only your own
sins,
and be very careful not to mention anyone's
name-even your own-in confession. Be brief, and do not
say,
I broke the First Commandment or the Second by
doing
so and so; tell the sin simply as it is, and the priest
himself will know what Commandment you violated.
Again, when you have committed a sin several times a
day
do not multiply that by the number of days since
your
last confession and say to the priest, I have told lies,
for
example, four hundred and forty-two times.
Such
things only confuse you and make you forget your sins.
Simply say, I am in the habit of telling lies, about so
many,
three or four-or whatever number it may be-times
a day. Never say "sometimes" or
"often" when you are
telling the number of your sins. Sometimes might mean
ten
or it might mean twenty times. How then
can the
priest know the number by that expression? Give the
number as nearly as you can, and if you do not know the
whole
number give the number of times a day, etc.
Never
say "maybe" I did so and so; because maybe you
did
not, and the priest cannot judge. Tell
what you
consider your worst sin first, then if there be any sin you
are
ashamed to tell or do not know how to tell, say to the
priest: "Father, I have a
sin I am ashamed to tell, or a
sin I
do not know how to tell"; and then the priest will
ask
you some questions and help you to tell it.
But never
think
of going away from the confessional with some sin
that
you did not tell. The devil sometimes
tempts people
to do
this, because he does not like to see them in a state
of
grace and friends of God. When you are
committing
the
sin, he makes you believe it is not a great sin, and
that you can tell it in confession; but
after you have
committed it he makes you believe that it is a most
terrible sin, and that if you tell ,it, the priest will scold
you
severely. So it is concealed and the
person leaves
the
confessional with a new sin upon his soul-that of
sacrilege. When Judas was tempted
to betray Our Lord,
he
thought thirty pieces of silver a great deal of money;
and
then, after he had committed the sin, he cared
nothing for the money, but went and threw it away, and
thought his sin so dreadful that he hanged himself, dying
in
despair. It is not necessary to tell the priest the exact
words
you said in cursing or in bad conversation, unless
he
asks you; but simply say, Father, I cursed so many
times. Do not speak too loud in
the confessional, but
loud
enough for the priest to hear you. If
you are deaf,
do
not go into the confessional while others are near, but
wait
till all have been heard and then go in last, or ask
the
priest to hear you someplace else. Listen attentively
to
hear what "penance" the priest gives you, and say the
act
of contrition while he pronounces the words of
absolution; and above all, never leave the confessional till
the
priest closes the little door or tells you to go. If the
priest does not say at what particular time you are to say
your
penance, say it as soon as you can. When
you
have,
told all your sins, you will say:
"For these and all
the sins of my whole life, especially
any I have forgotten,
I am
heartily sorry, and ask pardon and penance!' Listen
to
the priest's advice, and answer simply any question he
may
ask you. If you should forget a mortal
sin in
confession and remember it the same day or evening, or
while
you are still in the church, it will not be necessary
to
wait and go to confession again. It is
forgiven already,
because it was included in your forgotten
sins; but you
must
tell it the next time you go to confession, saying
before your regular confession:
In my last confession I
forgot this sin. Of course if you tried to forget your sins
your
confession would be invalid. It is only when you
examine your conscience with all reasonable care, and
then
after all forget some sins, that such forgotten sins are
forgiven. Never talk or quarrel
for places while waiting
for
confession, and never cheat another out of his turn in
going
to confession. It is unjust, it makes
the person
angry, and lessens his good disposition for confession.
It
creates confusion, and annoys the priest who hears the
noise. If you are in a hurry, ask
the others to allow you
to go
first; and if they will not be contented and wait, and
if you
cannot wait, go some other time, unless you are in
the
state of mortal sin. In this case you should go to
confession that day, no matter what the inconvenience.
Spend
your time while waiting in praying for pardon and
sorrow. Never keep the priest waiting for you in the
confessional-, pass in as soon as he is prepared to hear
you.
Question 192: What is the examination of consciences
Answer: The
examination of conscience is an earnest effort to
recall to mind all the sins we
have committed since our
last
worthy confession.
Explanation:
"Worthy confession," because if we made bad confessions
we
must tell how often we made them, and whether we
received Holy Communion after them or not, and also all
the
sins we told in the bad confessions, and all others
committed since the good confession.
If, for example, a
boy made a good confession in January,
and in
confession in February concealed a mortal sin and went
to
confession after that every month to December, he
would
have to go back to his last good confession, and
repeat all the sins committed since January, and also say
that
he had gone to confession once a month and made
bad
confessions all these times.
Question 193: How can we make a good examination of
conscience?
Answer: We
can make a good examination of conscience by
calling to memory the Commandments of God, the
precepts of the Church, the seven capital sins, and the
particular duties of our state in life, to find out the sins
we
have committed.
Question 194: What should we do before beginning the
examination of
conscience?
Answer:
Before beginning the examination of conscience we
should pray to God to give us light to know our sins and
grace
to detest them.
Lesson 18: ON CONTRITION
Question 195: What is contrition or sorrow for sin?
Question 196: What kind of sorrow should we have for our
sins?
Question 197: What do you mean by saying that our sorrow
should be
interior?
Question 198: What do you mean by saying that our sorrow
should be
supernatural?
Question 199: What do you mean by saying that our sorrow
should be
universal?
Question 200: What do you mean when you say that our
sorrow should
be
sovereign?
Question 201: Why should we be sorry for our sins?
Question 202: How many kinds of contrition are there.
Question 203: What is perfect contrition?
Question 204: What is imperfect contrition?
Question 205: Is imperfect contrition sufficient for a
worthy confession?
Question 206: What do you mean by a firm purpose of
sinning no
more?
Question 207: What do you mean by the near occasions of
sin?
Question 195: What is contrition or sorrow for sin?
Answer:
Contrition or sorrow for sin is a hatred of sin and a true
grief
of the soul for having offended God, with a firm
purpose of sinning no more.
Explanation:
"Offended" that is, done something to displease Him.
Question 196: What kind of sorrow should we have for our
sins?
Answer: The
sorrow we should have for our sins should be
interior, supernatural, universal, and sovereign.
Question 197: What do you mean by saying that our sorrow
should be
interior?
Answer: When
I say that our sorrow should be interior, I mean
that
it should come from the heart, and not merely from
the
lips.
Explanation:
"Interior" that is, we must really have the sorrow in our
hearts. A boy, for example, might
cry in the confessional
and
pretend to the priest to be very sorry, and the priest
might be deceived and absolve him; but
God, who sees
into
our hearts, would know that he was not really sorry,
but
only pretending, that his sorrow was not interior, but
exterior; and God therefore would withhold His
forgiveness and would not blot out the sins, and the boy
would
have a new sin of sacrilege upon his soul; because
it is
a sacrilege to allow the priest to give you absolution
if
you know you have not the right disposition, and you
are
not trying to do all that is required for a good
confession. So you understand you
might deceive the
priest and receive absolution, but God would not allow
the
absolution to take effect, and the sins would remain;
for
if the priest knew your dispositions as God did, or as
you
know them, he would not give you absolution till
your
dispositions changed.
Question 198: What do you mean by saying that our sorrow
should be
supernatural?
Answer: When
I say that our sorrow should be supernatural, I
mean
that it should be prompted by the grace of God, and
excited
by motives which spring from faith, and not by
merely natural motives.
Explanation:
"Supernatural"--that is, we must be sorry for the sin on
account of some reason that God has made known to us.
For
example, either because our sin is displeasing to God,
or
because we have lost Heaven by it, or because we fear
to be
punished for it in Hell or Purgatory.
But if we are
sorry
for our sin only on account of some natural motive,
then
our sorrow is not of the right kind. If a man was
sorry
for stealing only because he was caught and had to
go to
prison for it, his sorrow would only be natural. Or
if a
boy was sorry for telling lies only because he got a
whipping for it, his sorrow would only be natural. Or if
a man
was sorry for being intoxicated because he lost his
situation and injured his health, he would not have the
necessary kind of sorrow. These
persons must be sorry
for
stealing, lying, or being intoxicated because all these
are
sins against God--things forbidden by Him and worthy
of
His punishment. If we are sorry for
having offended
God
on account of His own goodness, our contrition is
said
to be perfect. If we are sorry for the
sins because by
them
we are in great danger of being punished by God,
or
because we have lost Heaven by them, and without
any
regard for God's own goodness, then our contrition
is
said to be imperfect. Imperfect
contrition is called
attrition.
Question 199: What do you mean by saying that our sorrow
should be
universal?
Answer: When
I say that our sorrow should be universal, I mean
that
we should be sorry for our mortal sins without
exception.
Explanation:
"Universal." If a person committed ten mortal sins, and
was
sorry for nine, but not for the tenth, then none of the
sins
would be forgiven. If you committed a
thousand
mortal sins, and were sorry for all but one, none would
be
forgiven. Why? Because you can never have God's
grace
and mortal sin in the soul at the same time.
Now
this
mortal sin will be on your soul till you are sorry for
it,
and while it is on your soul God's grace will not come
to
you. Again, you cannot be half sorry for having
offended God; either you must be entirely sorry, or not
sorry
at all. Therefore you cannot be sorry
for only part
of
your mortal sins.
Question 200: What do you mean when you say that our
sorrow should
be
sovereign?
Answer: When
I say that our sorrow should be sovereign I mean
that
we should grieve more for having offended God than
for
any other evil that can befall us.
Question 201: Why should we be sorry for our sins?
Answer: We
should be sorry for our sins, because sin is the
greatest of evils and an offense against God our Creator,
Preserver, and Redeemer, and because it shuts us out of
Heaven and condemns us to the eternal pains of Hell.
Explanation: We
consider an evil great in proportion to the length of
time
we have to bear it. To be blind is
certainly a
misfortune; but it is a greater misfortune to be blind for
our
whole life than for one day. Sin,
therefore, is the
greatest of all evils; because the misfortune it brings upon
us
lasts not merely for a great many years, but for all
eternity. Even slight sufferings
would be terrible if they
lasted forever, but the sufferings for mortal sin are worse
than
we can describe or imagine, and they are forever.
The
greatest evils in this world will not last forever, and
are
small when compared with sin. Sin makes
us
ungrateful to God, who gives us our existence.
Explanation:
"Our Preserver," because if God ceased to watch over us
and
provide for us, even for a short time, we would cease
to
exist.
Explanation:
"Our Redeemer," who suffered so much for us.
Question 202: How many kinds of contrition are there.
Answer: There
are two kinds of contrition: perfect
contrition and
imperfect contrition.
Question 203: What is perfect contrition?
Answer:
Perfect contrition is that which fills us with sorrow and
hatred for sin because it offends God, who is infinitely
good
in Himself and worthy of all love.
Explanation: It
can be a very hard thing to have perfect contrition, but
we
should always try to have it, so that our contrition
may
be as perfect as possible. This perfect contrition is
the
kind of contrition we must have if our mortal sins are
to be
forgiven if we are in danger of death and cannot go
to
confession. Imperfect contrition with
the priest's
absolution will blot out our mortal sins.
Question 204: What is imperfect contrition?
Answer:
Imperfect contrition is that by which we hate what offends
God
because by it we lose Heaven and deserve Hell; or
because sin is so hateful in itself.
Question 205: Is imperfect contrition sufficient for a
worthy confession?
Answer:
Imperfect contrition is sufficient for a worthy confession,
but we should endeavor to have
perfect contrition.
Question 206: What do you mean by a firm purpose of
sinning no
more?
Answer: By a
firm purpose of sinning no more I mean a fixed
resolve not only to avoid all mortal sin, but also its near
occasions.
Explanation:
"Fixed." Not for a certain time, but for all the future.
Question 207: What do you mean by the near occasions of
sin?
Answer: By
the near occasions of sin I mean all the persons,
places and things that may easily lead us into sin.
Explanation:
"Occasions." There are many kinds of occasions of sin.
First, we have voluntary and necessary occasions, or
those
we can avoid and those we cannot avoid.
For
example: if a companion uses
immodest conversation we
can
avoid that occasion, because we can keep away from
him;
but if the one who sins is a member of our own
family,
always living with us, we cannot so easily avoid
that
occasion. Second, near and remote
occasions. An
occasion is said to be "near" when we usually fall into sin
by
it. For instance, if a man gets intoxicated
almost
every
time he visits a certain place, then that place is a
"near occasion" of sin for him; but if he gets intoxicated
only
once out of every fifty times or so that he goes
there, then it is said to be a "remote occasion." Now, it
is
not enough to avoid the sins: we must
also avoid the
occasions. If we have a firm
purpose of amendment, if
we
desire to do better, we must be resolved to avoid
everything that will lead us to sin. It is not enough to say,
I
will go to that place or with that person, but I will never
again
commit the same sins. No matter what you
think
now,
if you go into the occasion, you will fall again;
because Our Lord, who cannot speak falsely, says: "He
who
loves the danger will perish in it." Now the occasion
of
sin is always "the danger"; and if you go into it, Our
Lord's words will come true, and you will fall miserably.
Take
away the cause, take away the occasion, and then
the
sin will cease of itself. Let us suppose
the plaster in
your
house fell down, and you found that it fell because
there
was a leak in the water-pipe above, and the water
coming through wet the plaster and made it fall. What is
the
first thing your father would do in that case?
Why,
get a plumber and stop up the leak
in the pipe before
putting up the plaster again. Would it not be foolish to
engage a plasterer to repair the ceiling while the pipe was
still
leaking? Everyone would say that man
must be out
of
his mind: the plaster will fall down as
often as he puts
it
up, and it matters not either how well he puts it up. If
he
wants it to stay up, he must first mend the pipe-take
away the cause of its falling. Now the occasion of sin is
like
the leak in the pipe-in the case of sin, it will very
likely cause you to fall every time.
Stop up the leak, take
away
the occasion, and then you will not fall into sin-at
least
not so frequently.
Explanation:
"The persons" are generally bad companions, and though
they
may not be bad when alone, they are bad when with
us,
and thus we become also bad companions for them,
and
occasions of sin.
Explanation:
"The places," Liquor saloons, low theaters, dance halls,
and
all places where we may see or hear anything against
faith
or morals.
Explanation:
"Things," Bad books, pictures, and the like.
Lesson 19: ON CONFESSION
Question 208: What is Confession?
Question 209: What sins are we bound to confess?
Question 210: What are the chief qualities of a good
confession?
Question 211: When is our confession humble?
Question 212: When is our confession sincere?
Question 213: When is our confession entire?
Question 214: What should we do if we cannot remember the
number of
our
sins?
Question 215: Is our confession worthy if, without our
fault, we forget
to
confess a mortal sin?
Question 216: Is it a grievous offense willfully to
conceal a mortal sin in
confession?
Question 217: What must he do who has willfully concealed
a mortal sin
in
confession?
Question 218: Why does the priest give us a penance after
confession?
Question 219: Does not the Sacrament of Penance remit all
punishment
due
to sin?
Question 220: Why does God require a temporal punishment
as a
satisfaction for sin?
Question 221: Which are the chief means by which we
satisfy God for
the
temporal punishment due to sin?
Question 222: Which are the chief spiritual works of
mercy?
Question 223: Which are the chief corporal works of
mercy?
Question 208: What is Confession?
Answer:
Confession is the telling of our sins to a duly authorized
priest, for the purpose of obtaining forgiveness.
Explanation:
"Duly authorized"--one sent by the bishop of the diocese
in
which you are.
Explanation:
"Forgiveness." You might tell a priest all your sins while
in
ordinary conversation with him, but that would not be
confession, because you would not be telling them to
have
them pardoned. If a person has lost the
use of his
speech, he can make his confession by writing his sins on
a
paper and giving it to the priest in the confessional. If
the priest returns the paper the penitent
must be careful to
destroy it afterwards. Also, if
you have a poor memory
you
may write down the sins you wish to confess, and
read
them from the paper in the confessional; then you
also
must be careful to destroy the paper after confession.
If a
person whose language the priest does not understand
is
dying, or is obliged to make his yearly confession, he
must tell what he can by signs, show that he
is sorry for
his
sins, and thus receive absolution. In a
word, the
priest would act with him as he would with one who had
lost
the use of his speech and power to write.
Question 209: What sins are we bound to confess?
Answer: We
are bound to confess all our mortal sins, but it is well
also
to confess our venial sins.
Explanation:
"Bound"--obliged in such a way that our confession
would be bad if we did not tell them.
Explanation:
"Well," because we should tell all the sins we can
remember; but if we did not tell a venial sin after we had
told
a mortal sin, our confession would not be bad. Or
if we
committed a little venial sin after confession, that
should not keep us from Holy Communion; because the
Holy
Communion itself would blot out that and any other
venial sin we might have upon our souls:
so that you
should never let anything keep you away, unless you are
certain you have committed a mortal sin after the
confession, or have broken your fast.
Question 210: What are the chief qualities of a good
confession?
Answer: The
chief qualities of a good confession are three:
it
must
be humble, sincere, and entire.
Question 211: When is our confession humble?
Answer: Our
confession is humble when we accuse ourselves of
our
sins, with a deep sense of shame and sorrow for
having offended God.
Question 212: When is our confession sincere?
Answer: Our
confession is sincere when we tell our sins honestly
and truthfully, neither exaggerating nor
excusing them.
Explanation:
"Exaggerating." You must never tell in confession a sin
you
did not commit, any more than conceal one you did
commit. You must tell just the
sins committed, and no
more
or less; and if you are in doubt whether you have
committed the sin, or whether the thing done was a sin,
then
you must tell your doubts to the priest:
but do not
say
you committed such and such sins when you do not
know
whether you did or not, or only because you think
it
likely that you did.
Question 213: When is our confession entire?
Answer: Our
confession is entire when we tell the number and
kinds
of our sins and the circumstances which change
their
nature.
Explanation:
"Number"--the exact number, if you know it; as, for
example, when we miss Mass we can generally tell
exactly
the number of times. But when we tell
lies, for
instance, we may not know the exact number: then we
say
how often in the day, or that it is a habit with us, etc.
Explanation:
"Kinds" whether they are cursing, or stealing, or lying,
etc.
Explanation:
"Circumstances which change their nature," In the case of
stealing, for example, you need not tell whether it was
from
a grocery, a bakery, or dry-goods store you stole,
for
that circumstance does not change the nature of the
sin: you have simply to tell the
amount you took. But if
you
stole from a church you would have to tell that,
because that is a circumstance that gives the sin of
stealing a new character, and makes it sacrilegious
stealing. Or if you stole from a
poor beggar all he
possessed in the world, so that you left him starving, that
would
be a circumstance making your sin worse, and so
you
would have to tell it. Therefore you
have to tell any
circumstance that really makes your sin much worse or
less
than it seems; all other circumstances you need not
tell: they will only confuse you,
and make you forget
your
sins and waste the priest's time.
Question 214: What should we do if we cannot remember the
number of
our
sins?
Answer: If we
cannot remember the number of our sins, we should
tell
the number as nearly as possible, and say how often
we
have sinned in a day, a week, or a month and how
long
the habit or practice has lasted.
Question 215: Is our confession worthy if, without our
fault, we forget
to
confess a mortal sin?
Answer: If
without our fault we forget to confess a mortal sin, our
confession is worthy, and the sin is forgiven; but it must
be told in confession if it again comes
to our mind.
Question 216: Is it a grievous offense willfully to
conceal a mortal sin in
confession?
Answer: It is
a grievous offense willfully to conceal a mortal sin in
confession, because we thereby tell a lie
to the Holy
Ghost, and make our confession worthless.
Explanation:
"A lie to the Holy Ghost," God sees every sin we
commit, and in His presence we present ourselves to the
priest in the confessional, and
declare that we are
confessing all. If, then, we
willfully conceal a sin that we
are
bound to confess, God is a witness to our sacrilegious
lie. If I see you in some place
to which you were
forbidden to go, and you, knowing that I saw you,
positively deny that you were there, your guilt would be
doubly great, for, besides the sin of disobedience
committed by going to the forbidden place, you also resist
the
known truth, and endeavor to prove that 1, when I
declare I saw you, am telling what is untrue. In a similar
manner, concealing a sin in confession is equivalent to
denying before God that we are guilty of it. Besides, it is
a
great folly to conceal a sin, because it must be
confessed sooner or later, and the longer we conceal it
the
deeper will be our sense of shame for the sacrileges
committed. Again, why should one
be ashamed to
confess to the priest what he has not been ashamed to do
before God, unless he has greater respect for the priest
than
he has for the Almighty God-an absurdity we cannot
believe. Moreover, the shame you
experience in telling
your
sins is a kind of penance for them. Do
you not
suppose Our Lord knew, when He instituted the
Sacrament of Penance, that people
would be ashamed to
confess? Certainly He did; and
that act of humility is
pleasing to God, and is a kind of punishment for your
sins,
and probably takes away some of the punishment
you
would have to suffer for them. Often,
too, the
thought of having to confess will keep you from
committing the sin. There is
another thought that should
encourage us to gladly make a full confession of all our
sins,
and it is this: it is easier to tell
them to the priest
alone
than to have them exposed, unforgiven, before the
whole
world on the Day of Judgment. Do not imagine
that your confessor will think less
of you on account of
your
sins. The confessor does not think of
your sins after
he
leaves the confessional. How could he
remember all
the
confessions he hears ' often hundreds in a single
month? And what is more-he does
not even wish to
recall the sinful things heard in the confessional, because
he
wishes to keep his own mind pure, and his soul free
from
every stain. The priest is always better
pleased to
hear
the confession of a great sinner or of one who has
been
a long time from the Sacraments, than of one who
goes
frequently or who has little to tell. He
is not glad,
of
course, that the sinner has committed great sins, but he
is
glad that since he has had the misfortune to sin so
much,
he has now the grace and courage to seek
forgiveness. Our Lord once said
(Luke 15:7) while
preaching, that the angels and saints in Heaven rejoice
more
at seeing one sinner doing penance than they do
over
ninety-nine good persons who did not need to do
penance. The greater the danger to which a person has
been
exposed, the more thankful he and his friends are
for
escape or recovery from it. If your
brother fell into
the
ocean and was rescued just as he was going down for
the
last time, you would feel more
Explanation:
grateful than if he was rescued from some little pond into
which
he had slipped, and in which there was scarcely
any
danger of his being drowned. So, also,
the nearer
we
are to losing our, souls and going to Hell, the more
delighted the angels and saints are when we are saved.
One
who has escaped great danger will more carefully
avoid
similar accidents in the future: in like
manner, the
sinner, after having escaped the danger of eternal death
by
the pardon of his sins, should never again risk his
salvation.
Question 217: What must he do who has willfully concealed
a mortal sin
in
confession?
Answer: He
who has willfully concealed a mortal sin in confession
must
not only confess it, but must also repeat all the sins
he
has committed since his last worthy confession.
Explanation:
"Willfully," Remember, forgetting is not the same as
concealing; but if you should willfully neglect to examine
your
conscience or make any effort to know your sins
before
going to confession, then forgetting would be
equivalent to concealing. Without
any preparation your
confession could hardly be a good one.
When you are in
doubt
whether an action is sinful or not, or whether you
have
confessed it before, you should not leave the
confessional with the doubt upon your mind.
Explanation: It is
a foolish practice, however, to be always disturbing
your
conscience by thinking of past sins, especially of
those
that occurred very early in your life.
Sometimes it
is
dangerous; because if, while thinking of your past sins,
you
should take pleasure in them, you would commit a
new
sin similar to the past sins in which you take delight.
Explanation: It is
best, therefore, not to dwell in thought upon any
particular past sin with the time, place, and circumstances
of
its commission; but simply to remember in general that
you
have in the past sinned against this or that
Commandment or virtue.
Explanation: The
past is no longer under our control, while the future
is,
and becomes for us, therefore, the all-important
portion of our lives. Not
unfrequently it may be an
artifice of the devil to keep us so occupied with past
deeds
that we may not attend to the dangers of the future.
Do
not, then, after your confession spend your time in
thinking of the sins you confessed, but of how you will
avoid
them in the future. When a wound is
healed up,
nobody thinks of opening it again to see if it has healed
properly; so when the wounds made in
our souls by sin
are
healed up by the absolution, we should not open them
again.
Explanation: This
is the rule with regard to our ordinary confessions;
but
we should sometimes make a general confession.
What
is a general confession? It is the
confession of the
sins
of our whole life or of a portion-say one, two or
five,
etc., years-of our life. A general
confession may be
necessary, useful, or hurtful. It
is necessary, as you
know,
when our past confessions were bad. It
is useful,
though not necessary, on special occasions in our lives;
for
example, in the time of a retreat or mission; in the
time
of preparation for First Communion, Confirmation,
Matrimony, etc., or in preparing for death. It is very
useful also for persons about to change their state of life;
for
such as are about to become priests or religious, etc.
It is
useful because it gives us a better knowledge of the
state
of our souls, as we see their condition not merely
for a
month or two, but for our whole lifetime.
We are
looking at them as God will look at them in the Last
Judgment, considering all the good and evil we have ever
done,
and comparing the amount of the one with the
amount of the other. We resolve to increase the good
and
diminish the evil in our future lives.
We promise to
do
penance for the past and to avoid sin for the future;
and
thus we are benefited in general confession by this
judgment of ourselves, as we may call it.
Explanation:
General confession is hurtful to scrupulous persons.
Scrupulous persons are those who think almost everything
they
do is a sin. They are always
dissatisfied with their
confessions, and fear to approach the Sacraments. Their
conscience is never at ease, and they are forever
unhappy. It is very wrong for
them to think and act in
this
manner, and they must use every means in their
power
to overcome their scruples.
Explanation: Our
Lord in His goodness never intended to make us
unhappy by instituting the Sacraments, but on the
contrary to make us happy, and set our minds and
consciences at ease in the reception of His grace.
Scrupulous persons must do exactly whatever their
confessor advises, no matter what they themselves may
think.
Such persons, as you can plainly see, should not
make
general confessions, because their consciences
would
be more disturbed than pacified by them.
Explanation: You
prepare for general confession as you would for any
other, except that you take a longer time for it, and do
not
pay so much attention to your more trifling sins.
Question 218: Why does the priest give us a penance after
confession?
Answer: The
priest gives us a penance after confession, that we
may
satisfy God for the temporal punishment due to our
sins.
Explanation:
"Penance," The little penance the priest gives may not
fully
satisfy God, but shows by our accepting it that we
are
willing to do penance. What, for
example, is a
penance of five "Our Fathers" compared with the guilt of
one
mortal sin, for which we would have to suffer in Hell
for
all eternity? Then think of the penances
performed by
the
Christians many centuries ago, in the early ages of the
Church. There were four stages of
penance. The
churches were divided into four parts by railings and
gates. The first railing across the church was at
some
distance from the altar, the second was a little below the
middle of the church, and the third was near the door.
Those
who committed great sins had to stand clad in
coarse garments near the entrance of the church, and beg
the
prayers of those who entered. After they
had done
this
kind of penance for a certain time, they were allowed
to
come into the church as far as the second railing.
They
were allowed to hear the sermon, but were not
permitted to be present at the Mass.
After doing
sufficient penance, they were allowed to remain for Mass,
but
could not receive Holy Communion. When
they had
performed all the penance imposed upon them, they were
allowed to receive the Sacraments and enjoy all the rights
and
privileges of faithful children of the Church.
These
penances lasted for many days and sometimes for years,
according to the gravity of the sins committed. The sins
for
which these severe penances were performed were
generally
sins that had been committed publicly, and
hence
the penance, amendment, and reparation had also
to be
public.
Explanation:
"Temporal Punishment," Every sin has two punishments
attached to it. one called the eternal and the other the
temporal. Let me explain by an
example. If 1, turning
highway robber, waylay a man, beat him and steal his
watch, I do him, as you see, a double injury, and deserve
a double punishment for the twofold crime
of beating and
robbing him. He might pardon me
for the injuries caused
by
the beating, but that would not free me from the
obligation of restoring to him his watch or its value, for
the
fact that he forgives me for the act of stealing does
not
give me the right to keep what justly belongs to him.
Now,
when we sin against God we in the first place insult
Him,
and secondly rob Him of what is deservedly His
due;
namely, the worship, respect, obedience, love, etc.,
that
we owe Him as our Creator, Preserver, and
Redeemer.
Explanation: In
the Sacrament of Penance God forgives the insult
offered by sinning, but requires us to make restitution for
that
of which the sin has deprived Him. In
every sin
there
is an act of turning away from God and an act of
turning
to some creature in His stead. If a
soldier
pledged to defend his country deserts his army in time of
war,
he is guilty of a dishonorable, contemptible act; but
if,
besides deserting his own army, he goes over to aid
the
enemy, he becomes guilty of another and still greater
crime-he becomes a traitor for whom the laws of nations
reserve their severest penalties.
By sin we, who in
Baptism and Confirmation have promised to serve God
and
war against His enemies, desert Him and go over to
them;
for Our Blessed Lord has said: He that
is not with
Me is
against Me.
Explanation: We
pay the temporal debt due to our sins, that is, make
the
restitution, by our penances upon earth, or by our
suffering in Purgatory, or by both combined.
Explanation: The
penances performed upon earth are very acceptable
and
pleasing to God; and hence we should be most
anxious to do penance here that we may have less to
suffer in Purgatory. St.
Augustine, who had been a great
sinner, often prayed that God might send him many
tribulations while on earth, that he might
have less to
endure in Purgatory. Therefore,
after performing the
penance the priest gives you in the confessional, it is wise
to
impose upon yourself other light penances in keeping
with
your age and condition, but never undertake severe
penances or make religious vows and promises without
consulting your confessor. In
every case be careful first
of
all to perform the penance imposed upon you in the
reception of the Sacrament. The
penance given in
confession has a special value, which none of the
penances selected by yourself could have.
Explanation: If
you forget to say your penance, your confession is not
on
that account worthless; but as the penance is one of
the
parts of the Sacrament, namely, the satisfaction, you
should say it as soon as possible, and in the manner your
confessor directs. If you cannot
perform the penance
imposed by your confessor, you should inform him of
that
fact, and ask him to give you another in its stead.
Explanation:
Indulgences also are a means of satisfying for this
temporal punishment. Sometimes God inflicts the
temporal punishment in this world by sending us
misfortunes or sufferings, especially such as are brought
on by
the sins committed.
Question 219: Does not the Sacrament of Penance remit all
punishment
due
to sin?
Answer: The
Sacrament of Penance remits the eternal punishment
due
to sin, but it does not always remit the temporal
punishment which God requires as satisfaction for our
sins.
Explanation:
Remember that Baptism differs from Penance in this
respect, that although they both remit sin, Penance does
not
take away all the temporal punishment, while Baptism
takes
away all the punishment, both eternal and temporal;
so
that if we died immediately after Baptism we would go
directly to Heaven, while if we died immediately after
Penance we would generally go to Purgatory to make
satisfaction for the temporal debt.
Question 220: Why does God require a temporal punishment
as a
satisfaction for sin?
Answer: God
requires a temporal punishment as a satisfaction for
sin
to teach us the great evil of sin, and to prevent us
from
failing again.
Question 221: Which are the chief means by which we
satisfy God for
the
temporal punishment due to sin?
Answer: The
chief means by which we satisfy God for the
temporal punishment due to sin are:
prayer, fasting,
almsgiving, all spiritual and corporal works of mercy, and
the
patient suffering of the ills of life.
Explanation:
"Chief," but not the only means. "Fasting," especially
the
fasts imposed by the Church-in Lent for instance.
Lent
is the forty days before Easter Sunday during which
we
fast and pray to prepare ourselves for the resurrection
of
Our Lord, and also to remind us of His own fast of
forty
days before His Passion.
"Almsgiving"--that is,
money
or goods given to the poor.
"Spiritual" works of
mercy
are those good works we do for persons' souls.
"Corporal" works of mercy are those we do for their
bodies. "Ills of
life"--sickness or poverty or misfortune,
especially when we have not brought them upon ourselves
by
sin.
Question 222: Which are the chief spiritual works of
mercy?
Answer: The
chief spiritual works of mercy are seven:
to
admonish the sinner, to instruct the ignorant, to counsel
the
doubtful, to comfort the sorrowful, to bear wrongs
patiently, to forgive all injuries, and to pray for the living
and
the dead.
Explanation:
"To admonish the sinner." If we love our neighbor we
should help him in his distress,
even when it is an
inconvenience to us. We should
help him also to correct
his
faults, we should point them out and warn him of
them. We are obliged to do so in
the following
circumstances: First. When his fault is a mortal sin.
Second. When we have some
authority or influence over
him.
Third. When there is reason to believe
that our
warning will make him better instead of worse. If our
advice only makes him worse, then we should not say
anything to him about his fault, but keep out of his
company ourselves. "Ignorant" especially in their
religion. "Doubtful" about something in
religion which
you
can explain and make clear to them. "Comfort,"
saying kind words of encouragement to them. "Wrongs,"
things not deserved; for example, persons talking ill about
us,
accusing us falsely, etc.; but if the false accusations,
etc.,
are going to give scandal, then we must defend
ourselves against them. If, for
instance, lies were told
about
the father of a family, and it were likely all his
children would believe them and lose their respect for his
authority, then he must let them know the truth. But
when
we patiently suffer wrongs that injure only
ourselves, and that are known only to God
and ourselves,
God
sees our sufferings and rewards us. What
matters it
what
people think we are if God knows all our doings and
is
pleased with them? "Living"--especially
for the
conversion of sinners, or for those who are on their
deathbed. "The
dead"--those suffering in Purgatory,
especially if we have ever caused them to sin.
Question 223: Which are the chief corporal works of
mercy?
Answer: The
chief corporal works of mercy are seven:
to feed the
hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked,
to
ransom the captive, to harbor the harborless, to visit
the sick, and to bury the dead.
Explanation:
"Ransom the captive"--that is, chiefly those who while
teaching or defending the true religion in pagan lands are
taken
prisoners by the enemies of our faith.
You have
perhaps heard of the Crusades or read
about them in your
history. Now let me briefly tell
you what they were and
why
they were commenced. About the year 570,
that is,
about
thirteen hundred years ago, when the Christian
religion was spread over nearly the whole world, a man
named
Mahomet was born in Arabia. He pretended
to be
a
great prophet sent from God, and gathered many
followers about him. He told them
his religion must be
spread by the sword. He plundered
cities and towns, and
divided the spoils with his followers.
He told them that
all
who died fighting for him would certainly go to
Heaven. In a short time his followers became very
numerous; for his religion was an easy and profitable
one,
allowing them to commit sin without fear of
punishment, and giving them share of his plunder. Many
others not influenced by these motives joined his religion
for
fear of being put to death. His
followers were
afterwards called by the general name of Saracens. They
took
possession of the Holy Land, of the City of
Jerusalem, of the tomb of Our Lord, and of every spot
rendered dear to Christians by Our Saviour's life and
labors there. They persecuted the
Christians who went to
visit
the Holy Land, and put many of them to death.
When
the news of these dreadful crimes reached Europe,
the
Christian kings and princes, at the request of the
Pope,
raised large armies and set out for the East to war
against the Saracens and recover the Holy Land. Eight
of
these expeditions, or Crusades, as they are called,
went
out during two hundred years, that is, from 1095 to
1272. Those who took part in them
are called Crusaders,
from
the word cross, because every soldier wore a red
cross
upon his shoulder.
Explanation: Some
of these expeditions were successful, and some
were
not; but, on the whole, they prevented the Saracens
from
coming to Europe and taking possession of it.
Many
of the Christian soldiers and many of the pilgrims
who
visited the Holy Land were taken prisoners by the
Saracens
and held, threatened with death, till the
Christians in Europe paid large sums of money as a
ransom for their liberty. To free
these captives was a
great
act of charity, and is one of the corporal works of
mercy. Ransom means to pay money
for another's
freedom. Even now there are
sometimes captives in
pagan
lands.
Explanation: A
pilgrim is one who goes on a journey to visit some
holy
place for the purpose of thus honoring God.
He
would
not be a pilgrim if he went merely through
curiosity. He must go with the
holy intention of making
his
visit an act of worship. In our time
pilgrimages to the
Holy Land, to Rome, and other
places are quite frequent.
"To harbor" that is, to give one who has no home a place
of
rest. A harbor is an inlet of the ocean
where ships can
rest
and be out of danger; so we can also call the home
or
place of rest given to the homeless a harbor.
"Sick"
especially the sick poor and those who have no friends.
"To bury" those who are strangers and have no friends.
All Christians are bound to perform these
works of mercy
in
one way or another. We have been
relieved to some
extent of doing the work ourselves by the establishment
of
institutions where these things are attended to by
communities of holy men or women called religious.
They
take charge of asylums for the orphans, homes for
the
aged and poor, hospitals for the sick, etc., while
many
devote themselves to teaching in colleges,
academies, and schools. But if
these good religious do
the
work for us, we are obliged on our part to give them
the
means to carry it on. Therefore we
should contribute
according to our means to charitable
institutions, and
indeed to all institutions that promote the glory of God
and
the good of our religion. To explain
more fully,
religious are self-sacrificing men and women who,
wishing to follow the evangelical counsels, dedicate their
lives
to the service of God. They live
together in
communities approved by the Church, under the rule and
guidance of their superiors.
Explanation: Their
day is divided between prayer, labor, and good
works, more time being given to one or other of these
according to the special end or aim of the community.
The
houses in which they live are called convents or
monasteries, and the societies of which they are members
are
called religious orders, communities, or
congregations. In some of these
religious communities of
men
all the members are priests, in others some are
priests and some are brothers, and in others still all are
brothers. Priests belonging to
the religious orders are
called the regular clergy, to distinguish them from the
secular clergy or priests who live and labor in the
parishes to which they are assigned by their bishops.
Sisters and nuns mean almost the same thing, but we
generally call those nuns who live under a more severe
rule
and never leave the boundaries of their convent. In
like
manner friars, monks, and brothers lead almost the
same
kind of life, except that the monks practice greater
penances and live under stricter rules. A hermit is a holy
man
who lives alone in some desert or lonely place, and
spends his life in prayer and mortification. In the early
ages
of the Church there were many of these hermits, or
Fathers of the desert, but now religious live together in
communities.
Explanation: The
members of religious orders of men or women take
three
vows, namely, of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
These
orders were founded by holy persons for some
special work approved of by the Church.
Thus the
Dominicans were founded by St. Dominic, and their
special work was to preach the Gospel and convert
heretics or persons who had fallen away from the Faith.
The
Jesuit Fathers were organized by St. Ignatius Loyola,
and
their work is chiefly teaching in colleges, and giving
retreats and missions. So also
have the Redemptorists,
Franciscans, Passionists, etc., their special works, chiefly
the
giving of missions. In a word, every
community, of
either men or women, must perform the particular work
for
which it was instituted.
Explanation: But.
why, you will ask, are there different religious
orders? In the first place, all
persons are not fitted for
the
same kind of work: some can teach, others
cannot;
some
can bear the fatigue of nursing the sick, and others
cannot. Secondly, when Our Lord
was on earth He
performed every good work and practiced every virtue
perfectly. He fasted, prayed,
helped the needy,
Lesson
20: ON THE MANNER OF MAKING A GOOD
CONFESSION
Question 224: What should we do on entering the
confessional?
Question 225: Which are the first things we should tell
the priest in
confession?
Question 226: After telling the time of our last
confession and
Communion, what should we do?
Question 227: What must we do when the confessor asks us
questions?
Question 228: What should we do after telling our sins?
Question 229: How should we end our confession?
Question 230: What should we do while the priest is
giving us
absolution?
Question 224: What should we do on entering the
confessional?
Answer: On
entering the confessional we should kneel, make the
Sign
of the Cross, and say to the priest:
"Bless me,
Father"; then add, "I confess to Almighty God, and to
you,
Father, that I have sinned:'
Question 225: Which are the first things we should tell
the priest in
confession?
Answer: The
first things we should tell the priest in confession are
the,
time of our last confession and whether we said the
penance and went to Holy Communion.
Question 226: After telling the time of our last
confession and
Communion, what should we do?
Answer: After
telling the time of our last confession and
Communion we should confess all the mortal sins we
have
since committed, and all the venial sins we may
wish
to mention.
Explanation:
"We may wish," We should tell every real sin we have
never
confessed. If we have no mortal sin to confess, it
is
well to tell some kind of mortal sin we have committed
in
our past life, though confessed before.
We should do
this
because when we have only very small sins to
confess there is always danger that we may not be truly
sorry
for them, and without sorrow there is no
forgiveness. But when we add to
our confession some
mortal sin that we know we are sorry for, then our
sorrow extends to all our sins, and makes us certain that
our confession is a good one. If you should hear the sin
of
another person while you are waiting to make your
own
confession, you must keep that sin secret forever.
If
the person in the confessional is speaking too loud, you
should move away so as not to hear; and if you cannot
move,
hold your hands on your ears so that you may not
hear
what is being said.
Question 227: What must we do when the confessor asks us
questions?
Answer: When
the confessor asks us questions, we must answer
them
truthfully and clearly.
Question 228: What should we do after telling our sins?
Answer: After
telling our sins we should listen with attention to the
advice which the confessor may think proper to give.
Explanation: The
priest in the confessional acts as judge, father,
teacher, and physician. As judge
he listens to your
accusations against yourself, and passes sentence
according to your guilt or innocence.
As a father and
teacher he loves you, and tries to protect you from your
enemies by warning you against them, and teaching you
the
means to overcome them. But above all,
he is a
physician, who will treat your soul for its ills and restore
it to
spiritual health. He examines the sins
you have
committed, discovers their causes, and then prescribes the
remedies to be used in overcoming them.
When anything
goes
amiss with our bodily health we speedily have
recourse to the physician, listen anxiously to what he has
to
say, and use the remedies prescribed. In
the very
same
way we must follow the priest's advice if we wish
our
souls to be cured of their maladies.
Just as a person
who
is unwell would not go one day to one physician and
the next day to another, so a
penitent should not change
confessors without a good reason; and if you have any
choice to make let it be made in the beginning, and let it
rest
on worthy motives. In a short time your
confessor
will
understand the state of your soul, as the physician
who
frequently examines you does the state of your body.
He
will know all the temptations, trials, and difficulties
with which you have to contend. He will see whether
you
are becoming better or worse; whether you are
resisting your bad habits or falling more deeply into
them;
also, whether the remedies given are suited to you,
and
whether you are using them properly. All
this your
confessor will know, and it will save you the trouble of
always repeating, and him the trouble of always asking.
Thus
the better your confessor knows you and all the
circumstances of your life, the more will he be able to
help
you; for besides the forgiveness of your sins there
are
many other benefits derived from the Sacrament of
Penance.
Explanation: But
if at any time there should be danger of your making
a bad
confession to your own confessor-on account of
some
feeling of false shame-then go to any confessor you
please; for it is a thousand times better to seek another
confessor than run the risk of making a sacrilegious
confession.
Explanation: Never
be so much attached to any one confessor that you
would
remain away from the Sacraments a long time
rather than go to another in his absence.
Explanation: You
should not consider the person in the confessional,
but
the power he exercises. You should be
anxious
concerning only this fact: Is
there a priest there who was
sent
by Our Lord? Is there a minister of
Christ there who
has
power to pardon my sins? If so, I will
humbly go to
him,
no matter who he is or what his dispositions.
Question 229: How should we end our confession?
Answer: We
should end our confession by saying, "I also accuse
myself of all the sins of my past life" telling, if we
choose, one or several of our past sins.
Question 230: What should we do while the priest is
giving us
absolution?
Answer: While
the priest is giving us absolution, we should from
our
heart renew the Act of Contrition.
Explanation: All,
especially children, should know this act well before
going
to confession.
Lesson 21: ON INDULGENCES
Question 231: What is an indulgence?
Question 232: Is an indulgence a pardon of sin, or a
license to commit
sin?
Question 233: How many kinds of indulgences are there?
Question 234: What is a plenary indulgence?
Question 235: What is a partial indulgence?
Question 236: How does the Church by means of indulgences
remit the
temporal punishment due to sins?
Question 237: What must we do to gain an indulgence?
Question 231: What is an indulgence?
Answer: An
indulgence is the remission in whole or in part of the
temporal punishment due to sin.
Explanation: I
have explained before what the temporal punishment is;
namely, the debt which we owe to God after He has
forgiven our sins, and which we must pay in order that
satisfaction be made. It is, as I
said, the value of the
watch we must return after we have been
pardoned for
the
act of stealing. I said this punishment
must be blotted
out
by our penance. Now, the Church gives us
an easy
means
of so doing, by granting us indulgences.
She
helps
us by giving us a share in the merits of the Blessed
Virgin and of the saints. All
this we have explained
when
speaking in the Creed of the communion of saints.
Question 232: Is an indulgence a pardon of sin, or a
license to commit
sin?
Answer: An
indulgence is not a pardon of sin, nor a license to
commit sin, and one who is in a state of mortal sin cannot
gain
an indulgence.
Explanation: If
you are in a state of mortal sin you lose the merit of
any
good works you perform. God promises to
reward
us
for good works, and if we are in the state of grace
when
we do the good works, God will keep His promise
and
give us the reward; but if we are in mortal sin, we
have
no right or claim to any reward for good works,
because we are enemies of God.
For this reason alone
we
should never remain even for a short time in mortal
sin,
since it is important for us to have all the merit we
can. Even when we will not repent
and return to Him,
God
rewards us for good works done by giving us some
temporal blessings or benefits here upon
earth. He never
allows any good work to go unrewarded any more than
He
allows an evil deed to go unpunished.
Although God
is so
good to us we nevertheless lose very much by being
in a
state of mortal sin; for God's grace is in some
respects like the money in a bank:
the more grace we
receive and the better we use it, the more He will bestow
upon
us. When you deposit money in a savings
bank,
you
get interest for it; and when you leave the interest
also
in the bank, it is added to your capital, and thus you
get
interest for the interest. So God not
only gives us
grace
to do good, but also grace for doing the good, or,
in
other words, He gives us grace for using His grace.
Question 233: How many kinds of indulgences are there?
Answer: There
are two kinds of indulgences-plenary and partial.
Question 234: What is a plenary indulgence?
Answer: A
plenary indulgence is the full remission of the temporal
punishment due to sin.
Explanation:
"Full remission"; so that if you gained a plenary
indulgence and died immediately afterwards,
you would
go at
once to Heaven. Persons go to Purgatory,
as you
know,
to have the temporal punishment blotted out; but
if
you have no temporal punishment to make satisfaction
for,
there is no Purgatory for you. Gaining a
plenary
indulgence requires proper dispositions, as you may
understand from its very great advantages. To gain it we
must
not only hate sin and be heartily sorry even for our
venial sins, but we must not have a desire for even venial
sin. We should always try to gain
a plenary indulgence,
for
in so doing we always gain at least part of it, or a
partial indulgence, greater or less according to our
dispositions.
Question 235: What is a partial indulgence?
Answer: A
partial indulgence is the remission of a part of the
temporal punishment due to sin.
Question 236: How does the Church by means of indulgences
remit the
temporal punishment due to sins?
Answer: The
Church by means of indulgences remits the temporal
punishment due to sin by applying to us the merits of
Jesus
Christ, and the superabundant satisfactions of the
Blessed Virgin Mary and of the saints, which merits and
satisfactions are its spiritual treasury.
Explanation:
"Superabundant" means more than was necessary. (See
explanation of communion of saints in the "Creed.")
Question 237: What must we do to gain an indulgence?
Answer: To
gain an indulgence we must be in a state of grace and
perform the works enjoined.
Explanation:
"Works"--to visit certain churches or altars; to give alms;
to
say certain prayers, etc. For a plenary
indulgence it is
required in addition to go to confession and Holy
Communion, and to pray for the intention of our Holy
Father the Pope; for this last requirement it is sufficient
to
recite one Our Father and one Hail Mary.
Now, what
does
praying for the intention of the Pope or bishop or
anyone else mean? It does not
mean that you are to pray
for
the Pope himself, but for whatever he is praying for
or
wishes you to pray for. For instance, on one day the
Holy
Father may be praying for the success of some
missions that he is establishing in pagan lands; on
another, he may be praying that the enemies of the
Church may not succeed in their plans against it; on
another, he may be praying for the conversion of some
nation, and so on; whatever he is praying for or wishes
you
to pray for is called his intention.
Explanation: There
are three basic ways of gaining a partial
indulgence. A partial indulgence
can be gained by:
Explanation:
raising one's heart to God amidst the duties and trials of
life
and making a pious invocation, even only mentally;
giving of oneself or one's goods to those in need;
voluntarily depriving oneself of
something pleasing, in a
spirit of penance.
Explanation: A
partial indulgence is also granted for reciting various
well-known prayers, such as the acts of faith, hope,
charity and contrition, and for
performing certain acts of
devotion, such as making a Spiritual Communion.
Explanation: To
gain an indulgence you must also have the intention of
gaining it. There are many
prayers that we sometimes
say
to which indulgences are attached, and we do not
know
it. How can we gain them? By making a general
intention every morning while saying our prayers to gain
all
the indulgences we can during the day, whether we
know
them or not. For example, there is a
partial
indulgence granted us every time we devoutly make the
Sign
of the Cross or devoutly use an article of devotion,
such as a crucifix or scapular, properly
blessed by any
priest. Many may not know of
these indulgences; but if
they
have the general intention mentioned above, they
will
gain the indulgence every time they perform the
work. In the same way, by having
this intention all those
who
are in the habit of going to confession every two
weeks
are able to gain a plenary indulgence when they
fulfill the other prescribed conditions for gaining a
plenary indulgence, even when they do not know that
they
are gaining the indulgence.
Explanation: Since
partial indulgences were formerly designated by
specific amounts of time, you sometimes see printed after
a
little prayer: An indulgence of forty
days, or, an
indulgence of one hundred days, or of a year, etc. What
does
that mean? Does it mean that a person who said that
prayer would get out of Purgatory
forty days sooner than
he
would have if he had not said it? No. I
told you how
the
early Christians were obliged to do public penance for
their
sins; to stand at the door of the church and beg the
prayers of those entering.
Sometimes their penance lasted
for
forty days, sometimes for one hundred days, and
sometimes for a longer period. By
an indulgence of forty
days the Church granted the remission of
as much of the
temporal punishment as the early Christians would have
received for doing forty days' public penance. Just how
much
of the temporal punishment God blotted out for
forty
days' public penance we do not know; but whatever
it
was, God blotted out just the same for one who gained
an
indulgence of forty days by saying a little prayer to
which
the indulgence was attached. But why,
you may
wonder, did the early Christians do such penances?
Because in those days their faith was stronger than ours,
and
they understood better than we do the malice of sin
and the punishment it
deserves. Later the Christians grew
more
careless about their religion and the service of God.
The
Church, therefore, wishing to save its children, made
it
easier for them to do penance. If it had
continued to
impose the public penances, many would not have
performed them, and thus would have lost their souls.
Lesson 22: ON THE HOLY EUCHARIST
Question 238: What is the Holy Eucharist?
Question 239: When did Christ institute the Holy
Eucharist?
Question 240: Who were present when Our Lord instituted
the Holy
Eucharist?
Question 241: How did Our Lord institute the Holy
Eucharist?
Question 242: What happened when Our Lord said,
"This is My body,
this
is My blood"?
Question 243: Is Jesus Christ whole and entire both under
the form of
bread
and under the form of wine?
Question 244: Did anything remain of the bread and wine
after their
substance had been changed into the substance of the
body
and blood of Our Lord?
Question 245: What do you mean by the appearances of
bread and
wine?
Question 246: What is this change of the bread and wine
into the body
and
blood of Our Lord called?
Question 247: How was the substance of the bread and wine
changed
into
the substance of the body and blood of Christ?
Question 248: Does this change of bread and wine into the
body and
blood
of Christ continue to be made in the Church?
Question 249: When did Christ give His priests the power
to change
bread
and wine into His body and blood?
Question 250: How do the priests exercise this power of
changing bread
and
wine into the body and blood of Christ?
Question 238: What is the Holy Eucharist?
Answer: The
Holy Eucharist is the Sacrament which contains the
body
and blood, soul and divinity of Our Lord Jesus
Christ under the appearances of bread and wine.
Explanation: When
we say "contains," we mean the Sacrament which
is
the body and blood, etc. The Holy
Eucharist is the
same
living body of Our Lord which He had upon earth;
but
it is in a new form, under the appearances of bread
and
wine. Therefore Our Lord in the
tabernacle can see
and
hear us.
Question 239: When did Christ institute the Holy
Eucharist?
Answer:
Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper,
the
night before He died.
Explanation:
"Last Supper," on Holy Thursday night. (See Explanation
of
the Passion, Lesson 8, Question 78.)
Question 240: Who were present when Our Lord instituted
the Holy
Eucharist?
Answer: When
Our Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist the twelve
Apostles were present.
Question 241: How did Our Lord institute the Holy
Eucharist?
Answer: Our
Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist by taking bread,
blessing, breaking, and giving to His Apostles, saying:
"Take ye and eat. This is My
body"; and then by taking
the
cup of wine, blessing and giving it, saying to them:
"Drink ye all of this. This
is My blood which shall be
shed
for the remission of sins. Do this for a
commemoration of Me."
Explanation:
"Eucharist" means thanks.
Hence this Sacrament is called
Eucharist, because Our Lord gave thanks before changing
the
bread and wine into His body and blood, and because
the
offering of it to God is the most solemn act of
thanksgiving. "Do
this"--that is, the same thing I am
doing, namely, changing bread and wine into My body
and
blood. "Commemoration"--that is, to remind you of
Me,
that you may continue to do the same till the end of
time.
Question 242: What happened when Our Lord said,
"This is My body,
this
is My blood"?
Answer: When
Our Lord said, "This is My body," the substance
of
the bread was changed into the substance of His body.
When
He said, "This is My blood," the substance of the
wine
was changed into the substance of His blood.
Explanation:
"Substance" literally means that which stands underneath.
Underneath what? Underneath the
outward appearances
or
qualities-such as color, taste, figure, smell, etc.-that
are
perceptible to our senses. Therefore we
never see the
substance of anything. Of this
seat, for instance, I see
the color, size, and shape; I feel the
hardness, etc.; but I
do
not see the substance, namely, the wood of which it is
made. When the substance of
anything is changed, the
outward appearances change with it.
But not so in the
Holy
Eucharist; for by a miracle the appearances of bread
and
wine remain the same after the substance has been
changed as they were before. As
the substance alone is
changed
in the Holy Eucharist, and as I cannot see the
substance, I cannot see the change.
I am absolutely
certain, however, that the change takes place, because
Our
Lord said so; and I believe Him, because- He could
not
deceive me. He is God, and God could not
tell a lie,
because He is infinite truth.
This change is a great
miracle, and that is the reason we cannot understand it,
though we believe it. Once at a marriage in Cana of
Galilee (John 2) Our Lord changed water into wine. The
people were poor, and Our Lord, His Blessed Mother,
and
the Apostles were present at the wedding when the
wine
ran short; and our Blessed Lady, always so kind to
everyone, wishing to spare these poor people from being
shamed before their friends, asked Our Lord to perform
the
miracle, and at her request He did so, and changed
many
vessels of water into the best of wine.
In that
miracle Our Lord changed the substance of the water into
the
substance of the wine. Why, then, could
He not
change in the same way and by the same power the
substance of bread and wine into the substance of His
own
body and blood? When He changed the water into
wine,
besides changing the substance, He changed
everything else about it; so that it had no longer the
appearance of water, but everyone could see that it was
wine. But in changing the bread
and wine into His body
and
blood He changes only the substance, and leaves
everything else unchanged so that it still
looks and tastes
like
bread and wine; even after the change has taken
place
and you could not tell by looking at it that it was
changed. You know it only from
your faith in the words
of
our divine Lord, when He tells you it is changed.
Explanation:
Again, it is much easier to change one thing into another
than
to make it entirely out of nothing.
Anyone who can
create out of nothing can surely change one thing into
another. Now Our Lord, being God,
created the world
out
of nothing; and He could therefore easily change the
substance of bread into the substance of flesh. I have
said
Our Lord's body in the Holy Eucharist is a living
body,
and every living body contains blood; and that is
why
we receive both the body and the blood of Our Lord
under
the appearance of the bread alone. The
priest
receives the body and blood of Our Lord under the
appearance of both bread and wine, while the people
receive it only under the appearance of bread. The early
Christians used to receive it as the priest does under the
appearance of bread and under the appearance of wine;
but
the Church had to make a change on account of
circumstances. First, all the
people had to drink from the
same
chalice or cup, and some would not like that, and
show
disrespect for the Blessed Sacrament by refusing it.
Then
there was great danger of spilling the precious
blood, passing it from one to another; and finally, some
said
that Christ's blood was not in His body under the
appearance of bread. This was false; and to show that it
was
false, and for the other reasons, the Church after that
gave Holy Communion to the people under the
appearance of bread alone. The
Church always believes
and
teaches the same truths. It always
believed that the
Holy
Eucharist under the appearance of bread contained
also
Our Lord's blood; but it taught it more clearly when
it
was denied.
Question 243: Is Jesus Christ whole and entire both under
the form of
bread
and under the form of wine?
Answer: Jesus
Christ is whole and entire both under the form of
bread
and under the form of wine.
Question 244: Did anything remain of the bread and wine
after their
substance had been changed into the substance of the
body
and blood of Our Lord?
Answer: After
the substance of the bread and wine had been
changed into the substance of the body and blood of Our
Lord
there remained only the appearances of bread and
wine.
Question 245: What do you mean by the appearances of
bread and
wine?
Answer: By
the appearances of bread and wine I mean the figure,
the
color, the taste, and whatever appears to the senses.
Explanation:
"Senses"--that is, eyes, ears, etc. Thus we have the sense
of
seeing, the sense of hearing, the sense of tasting, the
sense
of smelling, the sense of feeling.
Explanation: The
Holy Eucharist is the body of Our Lord just as long
as the appearances of bread and wine
remain, and when
they
go away Our Lord's body goes also. For example,
if a
church, tabernacle and all, was buried by a great
earthquake, and after many years the people succeeded in
getting at the tabernacle and opening it, and then found in
the
ciborium--that is, the vessel in which the Blessed
Sacrament is kept in the tabernacle--only black dust, Our
Lord
would not be there, although He was there when the
church was buried. He would not
be there, because there
was
no longer the appearance of bread there:
it had all
been
changed into ashes by time, and Our Lord left it
when
the change took place. But if the
appearance of
bread
had remained unchanged, He would be there even
after
so many years.
Explanation: When
we receive Holy Communion, the appearance of
bread remains for about fifteen or
twenty minutes after
we
receive, and then it changes or disappears. Therefore
during these fifteen or twenty minutes that the appearance
remains Our Lord Himself is really with us; and for that
reason we should remain about twenty minutes after Mass
on
the day we receive, making a thanksgiving, speaking
to
Our Lord, and listening to Him speaking to our
conscience. What disrespect some
people show Our Lord
by
rushing out of the church immediately after Mass and
Holy
Communion, sometimes beginning to talk or look
around before making any thanksgiving!
When you
receive Holy Communion, after returning
to your seat
you
need not immediately begin to read your prayerbook,
but
may bow your head and speak to Our Lord while He
is
present with you. After the appearances of bread
vanish, Our Lord's bodily presence goes also, but He
remains with us by His grace as long as we do not fall
into
mortal sin.
Question 246: What is this change of the bread and wine
into the body
and blood of Our Lord called?
Answer: This
change of the bread and wine into the body and
blood
of Our Lord is called Transubstantiation.
Explanation:
"Transubstantiation" that is, the changing of one
substance
into another substance; for example, the
changing of the wood in a seat into stone.
Question 247: How was the substance of the bread and wine
changed
into
the substance of the body and blood of Christ?
Answer: The
substance of the bread and wine was changed into
the
substance of the body and blood of Christ by His
almighty power.
Question 248: Does this change of bread and wine into the
body and
blood
of Christ continue to be made in the Church?
Answer: This
change of bread and wine into the body and blood
of
Christ continues to be made in the Church by Jesus
Christ through the ministry of His priests.
Question 249: When did Christ give His priests the power
to change
bread
and wine into His body and blood?
Answer:
Christ gave His priests the power to change bread and
wine
into His body and blood when He said to His
Apostles,
"Do this in commemoration of Me."
Question 250: How do the priests exercise this power of
changing bread
and
wine into the body and blood of Christ?
Answer: The
priests exercise this power of changing bread and
wine into the body and blood of Christ
through the words
of
consecration in the Mass, which are the words of
Christ: "This is My body;
this is My blood."
Explanation:
"Consecration:' At what part of the Mass are the words
of
consecration pronounced? Just before the
Elevation;
that
is, just before the priest holds up the Host and the
chalice. while the altar boy rings the bell.
Explanation: When
the priest is going to say Mass he prepares
everything necessary in the sacristy-the place or room
near
the altar where the sacred vessels and vestments are
kept,
and where the priest vests. He takes the
chalice-that is, the long silver or gold goblet-out of its
case;
then he covers it with a long, narrow, white linen
cloth
called a purificator. Over this he
places a small
silver or gold plate called the paten, on which he places
a
host-that is, a thin piece of white bread prepared for
Mass,
perfectly round, and about the size of the bottom
of a
small drinking glass. He then covers
this host with
a
white card, called a pall, after which he covers the
chalice and all with a square cloth or veil that matches the
vestments. Then he puts on his
own vestments as
follows: Over his shoulders the
amice, a square, white
cloth. Next the alb, a long white
garment reaching down
to
his feet. He draws it about his waist
with the cincture,
or
white cord. He places on his left arm
the maniple, a
short, narrow vestment. Around
his neck he places the
stole, a long, narrow vestment with a cross on each end.
Over
all he places the chasuble, or large vestment with
the
cross on the back. Lastly, he puts on
his cap or
biretta. Before going further I must say something
about
the
color and signification of the vestments.
There are
five
colors used, namely, white, red, green, violet, and
black. White signifies innocence,
and is used on the
feasts of Our Lord, of the Blessed Virgin, and of some
saints. Red signifies love, and
is used on the feasts of the
Holy
Ghost and of the martyrs. Green
signifies hope,
and
is used on Sundays from the Epiphany to Pentecost,
unless some feast requiring another color falls on Sunday.
Violet signifies penance, and is used in Advent and Lent.
Black
signifies sorrow, and is used on Good Friday and
in
Masses for the dead. As regards the
vestments
themselves: the amice signifies
preparation to resist the
attacks of the devil; the alb is the symbol of innocence;
the
cincture of charity; the maniple of penance; the stole
of
immortality; and the chasuble of love, by which we are
enabled to bear the light burden Our Lord is pleased to
lay
upon us.
Explanation:
Vested as described, when the candles have been lighted
on
the altar, the priest takes the covered chalice in his
hand
and goes to the altar, where, after arranging
everything, he begins Mass. After
saying many prayers,
he
uncovers the chalice, and the acolyte or altar boy
brings up wine and water, and the priest puts some into
the
chalice. Then he says a prayer, and
offers to God the
bread
and wine to be consecrated. This is
called the
offertory of the Mass, and takes place after the boy
presents the wine and water. Immediately after the
Sanctus the priest begins what is called the Canon of the
Mass,
and soon after comes to the time of consecration,
and
has before him on the paten the white bread, or host,
and
in the chalice wine. Remember, it is
only bread and
wine
as yet. After saying some prayers the
priest bends
down over the altar and pronounces the words
of
consecration, namely, "This is My body," over the bread;
and
"This is My blood" over the wine.
Then there is no
longer the bread the priest brought out and the wine the
boy
gave, upon the altar, but instead of both the body
and
blood of Our Lord. After the words of
consecration,
the
priest genuflects or kneels before the altar to adore
Our
Lord, who just came there at the words of
consecration; he next holds up the body of Our Lord-the
Host-for the people also to see and adore it; he then
replaces it on the altar and again genuflects. He does just
the same with the chalice. This is called the Elevation.
The
altar boy then rings the bell to call the people's
attention to it, for it is the most solemn part of the Mass.
After
more prayers the priest takes and consumes, that is,
swallows, the sacred Host and drinks the precious blood
from
the chalice. Then the people come up to
the altar to
receive Holy Communion. But where
does the priest get
Holy Communion for them if he himself took
all he
consecrated? He opens the
tabernacle, and there, in a
large, beautiful vessel he has small Hosts. He
consecrates a large number of these small hosts
sometimes while he is consecrating the
larger one for
himself. When they are
consecrated, he places them in
the
tabernacle, where they are kept with the sanctuary
lamp
burning before them, till at the different Masses
they
have all been given out to the people.
Then he
consecrates others at the next Mass, and does as before.
The
size of the Host does not make the slightest
difference, as Our Lord is present whole and entire in the
smallest particle of the Host. A
little piece that you could
scarcely see would be the body of Our Lord. However,
the
particle that is given to the people is about the size of
a
twenty-five cent piece, so that they can swallow it
before it melts. In receiving
Holy Communion you must
never
let it entirely dissolve in your mouth, for if you do
not
swallow it you will not receive Holy Communion at
all.
Explanation: Here
I might tell you what Benediction of the Blessed
Sacrament is. The priest
sometimes consecrates at the
Mass
two large hosts, one he consumes himself, as I have
told
you, and the other he places in the tabernacle in a
little gold case. When it is time
for Benediction, he
places this little case--made of glass and gold, about the
size
of a watch--in the gold or silver monstrance which
you
see on the altar at Benediction. It is
made to
represent rays of light coming from the Blessed
Sacrament. After the choir sings,
the priest says the
prayer
and goes up and blesses the people with the
Blessed Sacrament; that is, when he holds up the
monstrance over the people Our Lord Himself blesses
them. Should we not be very
anxious, therefore, to go to
Benediction? If the bishop came to
the church, we would
all
be anxious to receive his blessing; and if our Holy
Father the Pope came, everybody would rush to the
church. But what are they
compared to Our Lord
Himself? And yet when He comes to
give His blessing,
many
seem to care little about it. Because
Our Lord in
His
goodness is pleased to give us His blessing often, we
are
indifferent about it. The holy teachers
and fathers of
the
Church tell us that if we could see the sanctuary at
Mass
and Benediction as it really is, we would see it
filled with angels all bowed down, adoring Our Lord.
These good angels must be very
much displeased at those
who
are so indifferent at Mass or Benediction as not to
pay
any attention; and above all, at those who stay away.
The
large silk cloak the priest wears at Benediction is
called the cope, and the long scarf that is placed over his
shoulders the humeral, or Benediction veil. At the words
of
consecration, you must know, the priest does not say
"This is Christ's body," but
"This is My body"; for at the
altar
the priest is there in the place of Our Lord Himself.
It is
Our Lord who offers up the sacrifice, and the priest
is
His instrument. That is why the priest
wears vestments
while
saying Mass or performing his sacred duties, to
remind him that he is, as it were, another person; that he
is
not acting in his own name or right, but in the name
and place of our Blessed Lord.
Explanation: I
have given you in a general way a description of the
Mass: let me now mention its
particular parts by their
proper names, and tell you what they are. At the foot of
the altar the priest says the
Confiteor, a psalm, and other
prayers as a preparation. Then he
ascends the altar
steps-praying as he goes and says the Introit, which is
some
portion of the Holy Scripture suitable to the feast of
the
day. He next says the Kyrie Eleison,
which means:
Lord,
have mercy on us. He then says the
Gloria, or
hymn
of praise, though not in all Masses.
After the
Gloria
he says the Collect, which is a collection of
prayers in which the priest prays for the needs of the
Church and of its children. This
is followed by the
Epistle, which is a part of the Holy Scripture. Then the
Mass-book is removed to the other side of the altar, and
the
priest reads the Gospel--that is, some portion of the
Gospel written by the evangelists.
After the Gospel the
priest, except in some Masses, says the Creed, which is
a
profession of his faith in the mysteries of our religion.
After
this the priest uncovers the chalice, and offers up
the
bread and wine which is to be consecrated.
This is
called the Offertory of the Mass.
The offertory is
followed by the Lavabo, or washing of the priest's hands:
first, that the priest's hands may be purified to touch the
Sacred Host; and, second, to signify the purity of soul he
must
have to offer the Holy Sacrifice. After
saying some
prayers in secret he says the Preface, which is a solemn
hymn
of praise and thanksgiving. The Preface ends with
the Sanctus. The Sanctus is followed by the Canon of the
Mass. Canon means a rule; so this
part of the Mass is
called the Canon, because it never changes. The Epistle,
Gospel, prayers, etc., are different on the different feasts,
but
the Canon of the Mass is always the same.
The
Canon
is the part of the Mass from the Sanctus down to
the
time the priest again covers the chalice.
After the
Canon
the priest says the Post-Communion, or prayer
after
Communion; then he gives the blessing and goes to
the
other side of the altar, and ends Mass by saying the
last
Gospel.
Explanation:
During the Mass the priest frequently makes the Sign of
the
Cross, genuflects or bends the knee before the altar,
strikes his breast, etc. What do
all these ceremonies
mean? By the cross the priest is
reminded of the death of
Our
Lord; he genuflects as an act of humility, and he
strikes his breast to show his own unworthiness. You
will
understand all the ceremonies of the altar if you
remember that Our Lord-the King of kings-is present on
it,
and the priest acts in His presence as the servants in a
king's palace would act when approaching their king or
in
his presence, showing their respect by bowing,
kneeling, etc. You will see this more clearly if you watch
the
movements of the priest at the altar while the Blessed
Sacrament is exposed.
Lesson 23:
ON THE
END FOR WHICH THE HOLY EUCHARIST WAS INSTITUTED
Question 251: Why did Christ institute the Holy
Eucharist?
Question 252: How are we united to Jesus Christ in the
Holy Eucharist?
Question 253: What is Holy Communion?
Question 254: What is necessary to make a good Communion?
Question 255: Does he who receives Communion in mortal
sin receive
the
body and blood of Christ?
Question 256: Is it enough to be free from mortal sin, to
receive
plentifully the graces of Holy Communion?
Question 257: What is the fast necessary for Holy
Communion?
Question 258: Is anyone ever allowed to receive Holy
Communion when
not
fasting?
Question 259: When are we bound to receive Holy
Communion? A.
We
are bound to receive Holy Communion, under pain of
mortal sin, during the Easter time and when in danger of
death.
Question 260: Is it well to receive Holy Communion often?
Question 261: What should we do after Holy Communion?
Question 251: Why did Christ institute the Holy
Eucharist?
Answer:
Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist:
Explanation: To
unite us to Himself and to nourish our souls with His
divine life. To increase sanctifying grace and all the
virtues in our souls. To lessen our evil inclinations. To be
a
pledge of everlasting life. To fit our bodies for a
glorious resurrection. To continue the sacrifice of the
Cross
in His Church.
Explanation:
"To nourish." The Holy Eucharist does to our souls what
natural food does to our bodies.
It strengthens them and
makes
up for the losses we have sustained by sin, etc.
"A pledge," because it does not seem probable that a
person who all during life had
been fed and nourished
with
the sacred body of Our Lord should after death be
buried in Hell. "To fit our
bodies," because Our Lord
has
promised that if we eat His flesh and drink His blood,
that
is, receive the Holy Eucharist, He will raise us up on
the
last day, or Day of Judgment. (John 6:55).
Question 252: How are we united to Jesus Christ in the
Holy Eucharist?
Answer: We are
united to Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist by
means
of Holy Communion.
Question 253: What is Holy Communion?
Answer: Holy
Communion is the receiving of the body and blood
of
Christ.
Explanation: Holy
Communion is therefore the receiving of the
Sacrament of Holy Eucharist.
Question 254: What is necessary to make a good Communion?
Answer: To
make a good Communion it is necessary to be in a
state
of sanctifying grace, to be fasting for one hour, and
to
have a right intention.
Explanation:
"Fasting"--that is, not having taken any food or drink for
one
hour before the time of Communion. (Water and true
medicine do not break the fast and may be taken at any
time.) What, then, are you to do, if, without thinking,
you
break your fast? Do not go to Communion
at that
Mass;
you can remain in church and receive Communion
at the following Mass. Never, never, on any account, go
to
Holy Communion when you have broken your fast.
Never
let fear or shame or anything else make you do
such
a thing. It is no shame to break your
fast by
mistake; but it is a great sin to knowingly go to
Communion after breaking your fast.
Explanation:
"A right intention"--holy and spiritual motive, such as, to
obey
Our Lord's command, to receive strength to resist
temptation, or to be united with Our Lord.
Question 255: Does he who receives Communion in mortal
sin receive
the
body and blood of Christ?
Answer: He
who receives Communion in mortal sin receives the
body and blood of Christ, but does
not receive His grace,
and
he commits a great sacrilege.
Explanation:
"The body and blood," because the appearance of bread
and
wine is there after consecration, and he receives it.
He
who receives the Holy Eucharist in mortal sin receives
Our
Lord into a filthy soul. If a great and
highly-esteemed friend was coming to visit your house,
would
you not take care to have everything clean and
neat,
and pleasing to him? And the greater the
dignity of
the
person coming, the more careful you would be.
But
what
are all the persons of dignity in the world-kings or
popes-compared
with Our Lord, who leaves the beauties
of
Heaven to come to visit our soul? and the purest we
can
make it is not pure enough for Him. But
He is kind
to
us, and is satisfied with our poor preparation if He sees
we
are doing our very best. But oh, what a
shame to
receive Him into our soul without any preparation! and
more
horrible still, to fill it with vile sins, that we know
are
most disgusting to Him! No wonder,
therefore, that
receiving Holy Communion unworthily is so great a
crime, and so deserving of God's punishment. Why
should not the heavenly Father punish us for treating His
beloved Son with such shameful disrespect
and contempt?
Question 256: Is it enough to be free from mortal sin, to
receive
plentifully the graces of Holy Communion?
Answer: To
receive plentifully the graces of Holy Communion it
is
not enough to be free from mortal sin, but we should
be
free from all affection to venial sin, and should make
acts
of lively faith, of firm hope and ardent love.
Question 257: What is the fast necessary for Holy
Communion?
Answer: The
fast necessary for Holy Communion is the abstaining
for
one hour from everything which is taken as food or
drink.
Explanation:
"Food or drink." If you swallowed a button, for example,
it
would not break your fast, because it is not food or
drink.
Question 258: Is anyone ever allowed to receive Holy
Communion when
not
fasting?
Answer:
Anyone in danger of death is allowed to receive
Communion when not fasting.
Explanation:
"Not fasting." But then the Holy Communion is called by
another name; it is called the Viaticum, and the priest
uses
a different prayer in giving it to the sick person.
When
a person dies, he goes, as it were, on a journey
from
this world to the next. Now, when
persons are
going
on a journey they must have food to strengthen
them. Our Lord wished, therefore,
that all His children
who
had to go on this most important of all
journeys--from this world to the next--should be first
strengthened by this sacred food, His own body and
blood. The Latin word for road or
way is via, and
Viaticum therefore means food for the way. Not only are
persons in danger of death allowed to receive when not
fasting, but they are obliged to receive; and the priest is
obliged under pain of sin to bring
Holy Communion to
the
dying at any hour of the day or night.
Explanation: When
I speak of a great journey from this world to the
next,
from earth to Heaven, you must not understand me
to
mean that it is a great many miles from earth to
Heaven, or that it takes a long time to go to the next
world. No.
Explanation: We
cannot measure the distance, nor does it take time to
get there. The instant we die, no matter
where that
happens, our soul is in the next world, and judged by
God.
Question 259: When are we bound to receive Holy
Communion? A.
We
are bound to receive Holy Communion, under pain of
mortal sin, during the Easter time and when in danger of
death.
Question 260: Is it well to receive Holy Communion often?
Answer: It is
well to receive Holy Communion often, as nothing
is a greater aid to a holy life than
often to receive the
Author of all graces and the Source of all good.
Question 261: What should we do after Holy Communion?
Answer: After
Holy Communion we should spend some time in
adoring Our Lord, in thanking Him for the graces we
have
received and in asking Him for the blessings we
need.
Lesson 24: ON THE SACRIFICE OF
THE MASS
Question 262: When and where are the bread and wine
changed into the
body
and blood of Christ?
Question 263: What is the Mass?
Question 264: What is a sacrifice?
Question 266: How is the Mass the same sacrifice as that
of the Cross?
Question 267: What are the ends for which the sacrifice
of the Cross
was
offered?
Question 268: Is there any difference between the
sacrifice of the Cross
and
the sacrifice of the Mass?
Question 269: How should we assist at Mass?
Question 270: Which is the best manner of hearing Mass?
Question 262: When and where are the bread and wine
changed into the
body
and blood of Christ?
Answer: The
bread and wine are changed into the body and blood
of
Christ at the consecration in the Mass.
Question 263: What is the Mass?
Answer: The
Mass is the unbloody sacrifice of the body and blood
of
Christ.
Explanation: The
Holy Sacrifice is called Mass probably from the
words
the priest says at the end when he turns to the
people and says, "Ite Missa est"; that is, when he tells
them
the Holy Sacrifice is over.
Question 264: What is a sacrifice?
Answer: A
sacrifice is the offering of an object by a priest to God
alone, and the consuming of it to acknowledge that He is
the
Creator and Lord of all things.
Explanation:
"Sacrifice" From the very earliest history of man we find
people--for example, Abel, Noah, etc.--offering up
sacrifice to God; that is, taking something and offering it
to
God, and then destroying it to show that they believed
God
to be the Master of life and death, and the Supreme
Lord
of all things. These offerings were
sometimes
plants or fruits, but most frequently animals.
Explanation: When
men lost the knowledge of the true God and began
to
worship idols of wood and stone, they began or
continued to offer sacrifice to these
false gods. Very
often, too, they sacrificed human beings to please, as they
imagined, these gods. They
believed there was a god for
everything--a god for the ocean, a god for thunder, a god
for
wind, for war, etc.; and when anything happened that
frightened or injured the people, they believed that some
of
these gods were offended, and offered up sacrifice to
pacify
them. They had a temple in Rome called
the
Pantheon, or temple of all the gods, and here they kept
the
idols of all the gods they could think of or know. At
Athens, they were afraid of neglecting any god whom
they
might thus give offense, and so they had an altar for
the
unknown god. When St. Paul came to
preach, he
saw
this altar to the unknown god, and told them that was
the
God he came to preach about. (Acts 17).
He
preached to them the existence of the true God, and
showed them that there is only one God and not many
gods.
Explanation: They
did not have these idols of wood and stone in their
temples for the same reason that we have images in our
churches, because they believed that the idols were really
gods,
and offered sacrifice to them, whereas we know
that
our images are the works of men. Near
the city of
Jerusalem there was a great idol named Molech, to which
parents offered their infants in sacrifice. We know, too,
from
the history of this country that the Indians used to
send a beautiful young girl in a white
canoe over the falls
of
Niagara every year, as a sacrifice offered to the god of
the
falls. Even yet human sacrifices are
offered up on
savage islands. Sometimes certain
animals were selected
to be
heathen gods. The people who worship
idols,
animals, or other things of that kind as gods are called
pagans, idolaters, or heathens.
Explanation: The
Israelites, who worshipped the true God and offered
Him
sacrifices because He made known to them by
revelation that they should do so, had four kinds of
sacrifice. They offered one for
sin, another in
thanksgiving for benefits received, another as an act of
worship, and another to beg God's blessing. It is just for
these
four ends or objects we offer up the one Christian
sacrifice of the holy Mass. In
the beginning the head of
the
family offered sacrifice-as Noah did when he came
out
of the Ark--but after God gave His laws to Moses He
appointed priests to offer up the sacrifices. Aaron, the
brother of Moses, was the first priest appointed, and after
him
his descendants were priests. When Our
Lord came
and
instituted a new sacrifice He established the
priesthood of the New Law, and appointed His own
priests, namely, the Apostles, with St. Peter as their
chief, and after them their lawfully appointed successors.
the
bishops of the world, with the Pope as their chief The
sacrifices of the Old Law were figures of the sacrifice of
the
New Law, and were to cease at its institution; and
when
the ancient sacrifices ceased the ancient priesthood
was
at an end.
Explanation: But
how is the Mass a sacrifice? It is a
sacrifice because
at
the Mass the body and blood of Our Lord are offered
to
His heavenly Father at the consecration, and afterwards
consumed by the priest. In
offering up the body and
blood
of Our Lord the bread and wine are consecrated
separately, and kept separate on the altar at Mass to
signify their separation at Our Lord's death in the
sacrifice of the Cross, when His sacred blood flowed
from
His body. The Holy Eucharist is also a
Sacrament,
because it has the three things necessary to constitute a
Sacrament; namely,
Explanation: The
outward sign--that is, the appearance of bread and
wine.
The inward grace; for it is Jesus Christ Himself,
the
Author and Dispenser of all graces. It was instituted
by
Our Lord.
Explanation: The
Holy Eucharist is therefore both a sacrifice and a
Sacrament. It is a sacrifice when
offered at Mass, and a
Sacrament when we receive it and when it is reserved in
the
tabernacle.
Question 265: How is the Mass the same sacrifice as that
of the Cross?
Answer: The
Mass is the same sacrifice as that of the Cross
because the offering and the priest are the same--Christ
Our
Blessed Lord: and the ends for which the
sacrifice
of
the Mass is offered are the same as those of the
sacrifice of the Cross.
Explanation: On
the Cross the offering was the body and blood of Our
Lord;
the one who offered it was Our Lord; the reason
for
which He offered it was that He might atone for sin;
the
one to whom He offered it was His heavenly Father.
Now,
at Mass it is the same. The object
offered is Our
Lord's body and blood, the one suffering is Our Lord
Himself, through the priest; it is offered for sin, and it is
offered to the heavenly Father.
All things are the same,
except that the blood of Our Lord is not shed, and Our
Lord
does not die again.
Question 267: What are the ends for which the sacrifice
of the Cross
was
offered?
Answer: The
ends for which the sacrifice of the Cross was offered
were: first, to honor and glorify
God; second, to thank
Him
for all the graces bestowed on the whole world;
third, to satisfy God's justice for the
sins of men; fourth,
to
obtain all graces and blessings.
Question 268: Is there any difference between the
sacrifice of the Cross
and
the sacrifice of the Mass?
Answer: Yes;
the manner in which the sacrifice is offered is
different. On the Cross Christ
really shed His blood and
was
really slain; in the Mass there is no real shedding of
blood
nor real death, because Christ can die no more; but
the
sacrifice of the Mass, through the separate
consecration of the bread and the wine, represents His
death
on the Cross.
Question 269: How should we assist at Mass?
Answer: We
should assist at Mass with great interior recollection
and
piety and with every outward mark of respect and
devotion.
Explanation: If
you were admitted into the presence of a king or of the
Holy
Father you would be careful not to show any
indifference or disrespect in his presence. You would not
be
guilty of looking around or of talking idly to those
near
you. Your eyes would be constantly fixed
on the
great
person present. So should you be at
Mass, for
there
you are admitted into the presence of the King of
kings, our divine Lord. Your
whole attention, therefore,
should be reverently given to Him, and to no other. How
displeasing it must be to Him to have some in His
presence who care so little for Him and who insult Him
without thought or regard! If we
acted in the presence of
any
prince as we sometimes act in the presence of Our
Lord
on the altar, we should be turned out of his house,
with
orders not to come again. But Our Lord
suffers all
patiently and meekly, though He will not allow any of
this disrespect to go unpunished in this
world or in the
next. Knowing this, some holy
persons offer up their
prayers and Holy Communions in reparation for these
insults, and try to atone for all the insults offered to Our
Lord
in the Blessed Sacrament. They have
united in holy
society for this purpose, called the Apostleship of Prayer,
or
League of the Sacred Heart, now established in many
parishes. If you do not belong to such a society, you
should make such an offering yourself privately.
Explanation: In
the Old Law the people brought to the temple whatever
they
wished the priests to offer up for them-sometimes a
lamb,
sometimes a dove, sometimes fruit, etc.
The
offering or sacrifice was theirs, and they offered it up by
the
hands of the priests. In the early ages
of the Church
the
Christians brought to the priests the bread and wine to
be
consecrated and offered up at Mass. Now
as the
bread
and wine used at the Mass must be of a particular
kind,
namely, wheaten bread and wine of the grape, there
was some danger of the people not
bringing the proper
kind: so instead of the people
bringing these things
themselves, the priests began to buy them, and the people
gave
him money for his own support; and thus you have
the
origin of offering money to the priest for celebrating
Mass
for your intention. The money is not to
pay for the
Mass,
because you could not buy any sacred thing
without committing sin. The priest may use the money
also
for the candles burned, the vestments and sacred
vessels, etc., used at the Mass.
To buy a holy thing for
money
is the sin of simony-so called after Simon, a
magician, who tried to bribe the
Apostles to give him
Confirmation when he was unworthy of it.
To buy
religious articles before they are blessed is not simony,
nor
even after they are blessed, if you pay only for the
material of which they are made; but if you tried to buy
the
blessing, it would be simony. When the
Holy Mass
is
offered, the fruits or benefits of it are divided into four
classes. The first benefit comes
to the priest who
celebrates the Mass; the second, to the one for whom he
offers the Mass; the third benefit to those who are present
at
it; and the fourth to all the faithful throughout the
world.
Question 270: Which is the best manner of hearing Mass?
Answer: The
best manner of hearing Mass is to offer it to God
with
the priest for the same purpose for which it is said,
to
meditate on Christ's sufferings and death, and to go to
Holy
Communion.
Explanation: That
is, to offer it up for whatever intention the priest is
offering it--for the dead, for the conversion of sinners, for
the good
of others, etc.; but especially for the four ends
Explanation: of
which I have already spoken-to worship God, thank
Him,
etc. "Christ's death," of
which it reminds us.
"Holy Communion," if we are in a state of grace, and
have
prepared to receive Communion.
Explanation: You
should go to Holy Communion as often as possible,
and
you should try every day to make yourself more
worthy of that great Sacrament.
Think of it! To receive
your
God and Saviour into your soul, and to be united
with
Him, as the word communion means! The
early
Christians used to go to Communion very frequently.
The
Church requires us to go to Holy Communion at
least
once a year, but we should not be satisfied with
doing
merely what is necessary to avoid mortal sin.
Do
we
try to keep away from persons we love?
Then if we
really love Our Lord should we not desire to receive
Him? All good Catholics should go
to Holy Communion
at
least once a week, on Sunday. Persons
wishing to lead
truly
holy lives should go to Communion more often, or
even every day.
Explanation: When
we cannot go really to Communion we can merit
God's
grace by making a spiritual Communion.
What is
a
spiritual Communion? It is an earnest
desire to receive
Communion. You prepare yourself as if you were really
going
to Communion; you try to imagine yourself going
up,
receiving the Blessed Sacrament, and returning to
your
place. Then you thank God for all His
blessings to
you
as you would have done had you received.
This is
an
act of devotion, and one very pleasing to God, as
many
holy writers tell us.
Explanation: I
cannot leave this lesson on the Holy Eucharist without
telling you something of the devotion to the Sacred Heart
of
Jesus, now so universally practiced and so closely
connected with the devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.
The
Church grants many indulgences, and Our Lord
Himself promises many rewards to those who honor the
Sacred Heart. But what do we mean
by the Sacred
Heart? We mean the real natural
heart of Our Lord, to
which
His divinity is united as it is to His whole body.
But
why do we adore this real, natural heart of Our Lord?
We
adore it because love is said to be in the heart, and
we
wish to return Our Lord love, and gratitude for the
great
love He has shown to us in dying for us, and in
instituting the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist,
by
which He can remain with us in His sacred humanity.
When
Our Lord appeared to Saint Margaret Mary He
said: "Behold this Heart,
that has loved men so ardently,
and
is so little loved in return." The first Friday of every
month
and the whole month of June are dedicated to the
Sacred Heart.
Lesson 25: ON EXTREME UNCTION AND
HOLY ORDERS
Question 271: What is the Sacrament of Extreme Unction?
Question 272: When should we receive Extreme Unction?
Question 273: Should we wait until we are in extreme danger
before we
receive Extreme Unction?
Question 274: Which are the effects of the Sacrament of
Extreme
Unction?
Question 275: What do you mean by the remains of sin?
Question 276: How should we receive the Sacrament of Extreme
Unction?
Question 277: Who is the minister of the Sacrament of
Extreme
Unction?
Question 278: What is the Sacrament of Holy Orders?
Question 279: What is necessary to receive Holy Orders
worthily?
Question 280: How should Christians look upon the priests
of the
Church?
Question 281: Who can confer the Sacrament of Holy
Orders?
Explanation:
"Unction" means the anointing or rubbing with oil or
ointment. "Extreme" means last. Therefore Extreme
Unction means the last anointing.
It is called the "last"
because other unctions or anointings are received before
it. We are anointed at Baptism on
three parts of the
body-on the breast, the back, and the head. We are
anointed on the forehead at Confirmation; and when
priests are ordained they are anointed on the hands. The
last
time we are anointed is just before death, and it is
therefore very properly called the last
anointing, or
Extreme Unction. But if the
person should not die after
being
anointed would it still be called Extreme Unction?
Yes;
because at the time it was given it was thought to be
the
last. It sometimes happens that persons
receive
Extreme Unction several times in their lives, because they
could
receive it every time they were in danger of death
by
sickness. Suppose a person should die
immediately
after
being anointed in Baptism or Confirmation, would
the
anointing in Baptism or Confirmation then become
Extreme Unction? No. Because
Extreme Unction is in
itself a separate and distinct
Sacrament-a special anointing
with
prayers for the sick. Oil is used in
Extreme
Unction-as in Confirmation-as a sign of strength; for as
the
priest applies the holy oil in the Sacrament, the grace
of
the Sacrament is taking effect upon the soul.
This
Sacrament was instituted as much for the body as for the
soul,
as all the prayers said by the priest while
administering
it indicate. It is given generally after
a
person has made his confession and received the
Viaticum, and when his soul is already in a state of grace;
showing that it is in a special way intended for the body.
It
must be given only in sickness; for although one might
be in
danger of death if the danger did not come from
within, but from without, he could not be anointed. A
soldier in battle, persons being shipwrecked, firemen
working at a great fire, etc., could not be anointed,
although they are in very great danger of death; because
the
danger is not from within themselves, but from
without.
If, however, these persons were so frightened
that
there was danger of their dying from the fright, they
could
then be anointed.
Question 271: What is the Sacrament of Extreme Unction?
Answer:
Extreme Unction is the Sacrament which, through the
anointing and prayer of the priest, gives health and
strength to the soul, and sometimes to the body, when we
are
in danger of death from sickness.
Explanation:
"Anointing." In this Sacrament the priest anoints all our
senses-the eyes, the ears, the nose, the mouth, the hands,
and
the feet-and at the same time prays God to forgive
the
poor sick person all the sins he has committed by any
of
these. The eyes, by looking at bad
objects or pictures;
the
ears, by listening to bad conversation; the nose, by
indulging too much in sensual pleasures; the mouth, by
cursing, lying, bad conversation, backbiting, etc.; the
hands, by stealing, fighting, or doing sinful things; the
feet,
by carrying us to do wrong or to bad places.
I told
you
already most of our sins are committed for our body,
and
the senses are the chief instruments.
"Strength to the
body," if it is for our spiritual welfare. If God foresees,
as He
foresees all things, that after our sickness we shall
lead better
lives and do penance for our sins, then He
may
be pleased to restore us to health, and give us an
opportunity of making up for our past faults. But if He
foresees that after our sickness we would again lead bad
lives, and fall perhaps into greater sins, then He will
likely take us when we are prepared, and will not restore
us
again to health. As He always knows and
does what
is
best for His children, we must in sickness always be
resigned to His holy will, and be satisfied with what He
sees
fit to do with us.
Question 272: When should we receive Extreme Unction?
Answer: We
should receive Extreme Unction when we are in
danger of death from sickness, or from a wound or
accident.
Question 273: Should we wait until we are in extreme
danger before we
receive Extreme Unction?
Answer: We
should not wait until we are in extreme danger before
we
receive Extreme Unction, but if possible we should
receive it whilst we have the use of our senses.
Explanation: We
should always be glad to receive the grace of the
Sacraments. When, therefore, we are sufficiently ill to
be
anointed--when there is any danger of death--we should
send
for the priest at once. If the sick
person has any
chance of recovering, the Sacrament will help him and
hasten the recovery; but if the priest is sent for just when
the
person is in the last agony of death, the person could
not
recover except by a miracle, and God does not
perform miracles for ordinary reasons.
If you are in
doubt
whether the person is sick enough to receive the
last
Sacraments, do not be the judge yourself, send for
the
priest and let him judge; and then all the responsibility
is
removed from you in case the person should die
without the Sacraments. Very
often persons are near
death, and their relatives do not know it. The priest, like
the
doctor, has experience in these cases, and can judge
of
the danger. Again, do not foolishly
believe, as some
seem
to do, that if the priest comes to anoint the sick
person it will frighten him by making him think he is
going
to die. It has never been known that the priest
killed anyone by coming to see him; and if these same
persons who are now sick receive the Sacraments in the
church from the very same priest, why should they be
afraid to receive them from him in their house? And if
they
are so near death that a little fright would kill them,
then
they are surely sick enough to receive the
Sacraments. The sick person who
is afraid that Extreme
Unction will kill him or hasten his death shows that he
has
not the proper faith and confidence in God's grace.
They
who do not wish to receive Holy Communion or the
Holy
Viaticum in their houses do not want Our Lord to
visit
them. How ungrateful they are! When Our Lord
was
on earth the people carried the sick out into the
streets to lay them near Him that He might cure them.
Now,
He does not require us to do that, but comes
Himself to the sick in the most humble manner, and they
refuse to receive Him. See how ungrateful, therefore, and
how
wanting in faith and devotion such persons are!
If
the
sick person is one who has been careless about his
religion, and has for some time neglected to receive the
Sacraments, do not wait for him to ask for the priest or
for his consent to send for him. Few persons ever
believe they are so near death as they really are: they are
afraid to think of their past lives, and do not like to send
for
the priest, or at least they put off doing so, frequently
till
it is too late. The devil tempts them to
put off the
reception of the Sacraments, in hopes that they may die
without them, and be his forever.
In these cases speak to
the sick man quietly and gently, and ask him
if he would
not
like to have the priest come and say a few prayers for
his
recovery. Do not say anything about the
Sacraments
if
you are afraid he will refuse. Simply
bring the priest
to
the sick man, and he will attend to all the rest. Even
if
the person should refuse-if he has been baptized in the
Catholic religion-send for the priest and explain to him
the circumstances and dispositions of the
sick man. It
would
be terrible to let such persons die without the
Sacraments if there is any possibility of their receiving
them. Even when they refuse to
see the priest it
generally happens that after he has once visited them,
talked to them, and explained the benefits of the
Sacraments, they are better pleased than anyone else to
see
him coming again.
Explanation:
Sometimes it is God's goodness that sends sickness to
such
persons, to bring them back to His worship and the
practice of their religion. What
does a good father
generally do with an unruly child? He advises and warns
it,
and when words have no effect, punishes it with the
rod,
not because he wishes to see it suffer, but for its
good,
that it may give up its evil habits and become an
obedient,
loving child. In like manner God warns
sinners
by
their conscience, by sermons they hear, by accidents
or
deaths around about them, etc.; and when none of
these
things have any effect on them, He sends them
some
affliction-He brings them to a bed of sickness.
He
punishes them, as it were, with a rod. This He does, not
that
He may see them suffer, but for their good; that they
may
understand He is their Master, the only one who can
give
them health; that all the doctors and all the friends
and
money in the world could not save them if He
determined that they should die.
Then they come to
know
that the world is not their friend; then they see
things as they really are, and begin to think of the next
world, of eternity, etc. Thus
they again turn to God and
to
the practices of religion. Many persons
who reform
and
begin to lead good lives in sickness would never have
changed if God had left them always in good health. But
you
must not think that all who are sick are so on account
of
sin. Sometimes very holy persons are in a state of
sickness, and then it is sent them that they may bear it
patiently, and have great merit before God for their
sufferings, and thus become more holy.
Again, very
small children who have never
sinned are sick, and then
it is
perhaps that their parents may have merit for
patiently taking care of them. I
say that God sometimes
sends
sickness to persons living in sin for the purpose of
bringing them back to a better way of living, and in that
case
their sickness is for them a great mercy from God,
who
might have allowed them to continue in sin till His
judgments
and condemnation came suddenly upon them.
Question 274: Which are the effects of the Sacrament of
Extreme
Unction?
Answer: The
effects of Extreme Unction are: first,
to comfort us
in
the pains of sickness and to strengthen us against
temptations; second, to remit venial sins and to cleanse
our
soul from the remains of sin; third, to restore us to
health when God sees fit.
Question 275: What do you mean by the remains of sin?
Answer: By
the remains of sin I mean the inclination to evil and
the
weakness of the will, which are the result of our sins
and
which remain after our sins have been forgiven.
Explanation:
"Remains of sin" that is, chiefly the bad habits we have
acquired by sin. If a person does
a thing very often, he
soon
begins to do it very easily, and it becomes, as we
say,
a habit. So, too, a person who sins very
much soon
begins to sin easily. This
Sacrament therefore takes away
the
ease in sinning and the desire for past sins acquired
by
frequently committing them.
Question 276: How should we receive the Sacrament of
Extreme
Unction?
Answer: We
should receive the Sacrament of Extreme Unction in
a
state of grace and with lively faith and resignation to the
will
of God.
Question 277: Who is the minister of the Sacrament of
Extreme
Unction?
Answer: The
priest is the minister of the Sacrament of Extreme
Unction.
Explanation: The
Sacraments that the priest administers in the house
are
the Sacraments for the sick; namely, Penance,
Viaticum, or Holy Communion, and Extreme Unction.
The
other Sacraments may be administered there in
special cases of necessity. You
should know what things
are
to be prepared when the priest comes to administer
the
Sacraments in your house. They are as
follows: A
small
table covered with a clean white cloth, and on it a
crucifix and one or two lighted candles in candlesticks;
some holy water in a small vessel,
with a sprinkler which
you
can make by tying together a few leaves or small
pieces of palm; a glass of clean water, a tablespoon, and
a
napkin for the sick person to hold under the chin while
receiving; also a piece of white cotton wadding, if the
priest should ask for it.
Explanation: Then
you may have ready in another place near at hand
some
water, a towel, and a piece of bread or lemon for
purifying the priest's fingers; but these things are not
always necessary: still, it would
be better to have them
ready
in case the priest should require them, so as not to
keep him waiting. Every good Catholic family should
have
all these things put away carefully in the house. It
would
be well, though it is not necessary, to keep a
special spoon, napkin, etc., for that purpose alone.
Sometimes persons are taken ill very suddenly in the
night, and when the priest comes they have none of the
things they should have; and if their neighbors are as
careless as themselves, they will not have them either: so
the
priest is delayed in giving the Sacraments, or is
obliged to administer them in a way that is always
disrespectful to Our Lord. If we
would make such
preparations
for the coming of a friend to our house, why
should we be so careless when Our Lord comes? If a
friend comes when we are not prepared to receive him,
we
feel very much ashamed, and make a thousand
excuses for our want of
thought. Therefore provide the
things necessary for the administration of these
Sacraments in your house, and keep them though they
may
be seldom if ever required in your family.
Explanation: When
Our Lord comes to visit your house receive Him
with
all possible respect and reverence. Some
good
Catholics have the very praiseworthy practice of meeting
the
priest at the door with a lighted candle when he
carries the Blessed Sacrament, and of going before him to
the
sickroom. This can be done where there
is only one
family living in the house, or at least in the apartment.
All who can do this should do it, because it
is in keeping
with
the wish of the Church. In olden times,
and even
now
in Catholic countries, the priest brings the Blessed
Sacrament in procession to the sick.
He goes vested as
for
Benediction, accompanied by altar boys with lighted
candles and bells. The people kneel by the way as Our
Lord
passes. Our Lord is carried in
procession always in
the
church and on the feast of Corpus Christi, on Holy
Thursday, and during the Devotion of Forty Hours. The
Church would like to have this solemn procession in
honor
of Our Lord every time the Blessed Sacrament is
brought from one place to
another. But this cannot
always be done in the streets, because there are many
persons not Catholics who would insult Our Lord while
passing along; and in order to prevent this, the priest
brings the Blessed Sacrament to the dying without any
outward display. But we should
always remember the
very
great respect due to Our Lord, and do all we can to
show
it when possible.
Question 278: What is the Sacrament of Holy Orders?
Answer: Holy
Orders is a Sacrament by which bishops, priests,
and
other ministers of the Church are ordained and
receive the power and grace to perform their sacred
duties.
Explanation:
"Other ministers," means deacons and subdeacons,
properly so-called. When a young man goes to study for
the
priesthood--after he has discovered that God has
called him to that sacred office--he passes several years in
learning what is necessary, and in fitting himself for his
sacred duties. After some time he
receives what is called
tonsure; that is, on the day of ordination the bishop cuts
a
little hair from five places on his head, to show that this
young
man is giving himself up to God. The
tonsure is
a
mark of the clerical state, and in Catholic countries it is
made manifest by keeping a small circular
spot on the
crown
of the head shaved perfectly clean. It
reminds the
cleric or priest of having dedicated himself to God, and
also
of the crown of thorns worn by Our Blessed Saviour.
For
this reason some of the holy monks shaved all the
hair
from their head, with the exception of a little ring,
which
resembles very much a wreath or crown of hair
encircling the head. You often
see them thus represented
in
holy pictures.
Explanation: After
the young student has received the tonsure and
studied for a longer time, he receives the four Minor
Orders, by which he is permitted to touch the sacred
vessels of the altar, and do certain things about the
church which laymen have not the right to do, especially
to
serve Mass. After more preparation he
becomes a
subdeacon,
and then he may wear vestments and assist
the
celebrant at Solemn Mass. At a Solemn
Mass there
are
three priests in vestments. The priest
standing on the
platform of the altar and
celebrating Mass is called the
celebrant; the one who stands just behind him, generally
one
step lower, is called the deacon, and the one who
stands behind the deacon and on the lower step is called
the
subdeacon. The one who directs the whole
ceremony, and gives signs to the others when to stand, sit
down.
or kneel, is called the Master of Ceremonies.
Explanation: When
speaking of the Mass, I forgot to tell you
something
about the different kinds of Masses--that is,
different as far as the ceremonies are concerned, for they
are
all alike in value. First we have the
Low Mass, such
as
the priest says every day and at the early hours on
Sundays. It is called low,
because there is no display in
ceremony about it. Next we have
the High Mass--called
Missa
Cantata (sung)--at which the priest and choir sing
in
turn. Lastly, we have the Solemn High
Mass, at which
we
have three ministers or priests, and singing by both
ministers and choir, as well as all the ceremonies
prescribed by the Church. When
any of these Masses are
said in black vestments they are
called Requiem Masses,
because the priest offers them for the rest or happy repose
of
the soul of some dead person or persons, and the word
requiem means rest. Vespers is a
portion of the Divine
Office of the Church. It is sung
generally on Sunday
afternoon or evening in the church, and is usually
followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. It is
not a
mortal sin to stay from Vespers on Sundays, even
willfully, because there is no law of the Church obliging
you
to attend. Nevertheless all good
Catholics will attend
Vespers when possible.
Explanation: To continue
about the ministers of the Church: When
the
subdeacon is ordained a deacon, he can wear still more of
the
priestly vestments, and also baptize solemnly, preach,
and
give Holy Communion. After a time the
deacon is
ordained a priest, and receives power to celebrate Mass
and
forgive sins. If afterwards the priest
should be
selected by the Holy Father to be a bishop, he is
consecrated; and then he has power to administer
Confirmation and Holy Orders, ordaining priests and
consecrating bishops. Thus you
see there are grades
through which the ministers of the Church must pass.
First
the tonsure, then Minor Orders, then subdeaconship,
then
deaconship, then priesthood. Nuns,
Sisters,
Brothers, etc., are not, as some might think, ministers of
the
Church, because they have never received any of the
Holy
Orders.
Explanation: The
ordained ministers of the Church can perform the
duties of any office for which they have ever been
ordained, but not the duties of any office above that to
which
they have been ordained. For example, a
subdeacon cannot take the place of a deacon at Mass, nor
a
deacon the place of a priest; but a priest may take either
of
their places, because he has, at one time, been
ordained to both these offices.
Explanation: Altar
boys should never forget that they are enjoying a
very
great privilege in being allowed to take the place of
an
ordained minister of the Church, and serve Mass
without being ordained acolytes.
Explanation: In
olden times princes and noblemen used to seek for this
wonderful favor, and count themselves happy if they
secured it. Think of it! To stand
so near our Blessed
Lord
that they are able to see His sacred body resting
upon
the altar, and to offer the wine, which a few
minutes later is changed into His very blood!
Question 279: What is necessary to receive Holy Orders
worthily?
Answer: To
receive Holy Orders worthily it is necessary to be in
the
state of grace, to have the necessary knowledge, and
a
divine call to this sacred office.
Explanation:
"Knowledge"--that is, to be able to learn and to have
learned all that a priest should know.
Explanation:
"Divine call," explained before in the explanation of
vocation, a word that means call. (See Lesson 6, Question
51.)
Question 280: How should Christians look upon the priests
of the
Church?
Answer:
Christians should look upon the priests of the Church as
the
messengers of God and the dispensers of His
mysteries.
Explanation:
"Messengers." Our Lord said to His Apostles: "As the
Father sent Me, I also send you." That is, as the heavenly
Father sent His Beloved Son, Our Lord, into the world to
save
men's souls, so Our Lord sends His Apostles and
their
successors through the world to save souls.
God
told
the priests of the Old Law that if they did not warn
the
people of coming dangers they would be held
responsible for the people; but if they warned the people
and
the people did not heed, then the people would be
responsible for their own destruction.
So, too, in the
New
Law the priests warn you against sin, and if you do
not heed the warning the loss of
your soul will be upon
yourself. Therefore you should
take every warning
coming from the ministers of God as you would from
Himself, for it is really God that warns you against sin,
and
the priests are only His agents or instruments.
"Dispensers"--that is, those who administer the
Sacraments.
Question 281: Who can confer the Sacrament of Holy
Orders?
Answer: Bishops
can confer the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Explanation:
"Confer"--that is, give or administer. So can a cardinal,
if he
be a bishop, and so can the Holy Father, who is
always a bishop, and called bishop of Rome, while Pope
of
the whole Church. It will be well here
to give some
explanation about cardinals-who they are, and what they
do. In the United States the
President has about him ten
prominent men selected by himself, and called his
Cabinet. They are his advisers;
he consults them on all
important matters, and assigns to them various duties.
The
Holy Father, who is also a ruler-a spiritual ruler-not
of one country, but of the whole world,
has also a
Cabinet, but it is not called by that name: it is called the
Sacred College of Cardinals.
There are seventy
cardinals, to whom the Pope assigns various works in
helping him to govern the Church.
Some of these
cardinals are in different parts of the world, as our own
cardinals right here in America.
There are cardinals in
England, France, Germany, Canada, Spain, etc., but a
certain number always remain in Rome with the Holy
Father. When a bishop is made
cardinal he is raised in
dignity in the Church, but he does not receive any greater
spiritual power than he had when only a
bishop. The
cardinals, owing to their high dignity, have many
privileges which bishops have not.
Their greatest
privilege is to take part in the election of a new Pope
when
the reigning Pope dies.
Explanation: The
Pope dresses in white, the cardinals in red, the
bishops in purple, and the priests and other ministers in
black. A "Monsignor" is
also a title of dignity granted by
our
Holy Father to some worthy priests. It
gives them
certain privileges, and the right to wear purple like a
bishop. The "Vicar
General" is one who is appointed by
the
bishop in the diocese, and shares his power.
In the
bishop's absence he acts as bishop in all temporal and
worldly matters and also in some spiritual things,
concerning the diocese. A diocese
is the extent of
country
over which a bishop is appointed to rule, as a
parish is the extent over which a pastor is appointed to
administer the Sacraments and rule under the direction of
the
bishop. Pastors are also called rectors. Pastor means
a
shepherd, and rector means a ruler; and as all pastors
rule
their flocks, pastor and rector mean about the same.
Explanation: An
archbishop is higher than a bishop, though he has no
more
spiritual power than a bishop. The
district over
which
an archbishop rules contains several dioceses with
their
bishops, and is called an ecclesiastical province.
The
bishops in the province are called suffragan bishops,
because subject in some things to the authority of the
archbishop, who is also called the metropolitan, because
bishop of a metropolis or chief city of the province over
which
he presides.
Explanation: The
archbishop can wear the pallium, a garment worn by
the
Pope, and sent by him to patriarchs, primates, and
archbishops. It is a band of
white wool, worn over the
shoulders and around the neck after the manner of a
stole. It has two strings of the
same material and four
black
or purple crosses worked upon it. It is the symbol
of
the plenitude of pastoral jurisdiction conferred by the
Holy See.
Morally speaking, it reminds the wearer how
the
good shepherd seeks the lost sheep and brings it home
upon
his shoulders, and how the loving pastor of souls
should seek those spiritually lost and bring them back to
the
Church, the true fold of Christ.
Lesson 26: ON MATRIMONY
Question 282: What is the Sacrament of Matrimony?
Question 283: Can a Christian man and woman be united in
lawful
marriage in any other way than by the
Sacrament of
Matrimony?
Question 284: Can the bond of Christian marriage be
dissolved by any
human
power?
Question 285: Which are the effects of the Sacrament of
Matrimony?
Question 286: To receive the Sacrament of Matrimony
worthily, is it
necessary to be in the state of grace?
Question 287: Who has the right to make laws concerning
the Sacrament
of
marriage?
Question 288: Does the Church forbid the marriage of
Catholics with
persons who have a different religion or no religion at
all?
Question 289: Why does the Church forbid the marriage of
Catholics
with
persons who have a different religion or no religion
at
all?
Question 290: Why do many marriages prove unhappy?
Question 291: How should Christians prepare for a holy
and happy
marriage?
Question 282: What is the Sacrament of Matrimony?
Answer: The
Sacrament of Matrimony is the Sacrament which
unites a Christian man and woman in lawful marriage.
Explanation:
"Christian," because if they are not Christians they do not
receive the grace of the Sacrament.
Question 283: Can a Christian man and woman be united in
lawful
marriage in any other way than by the Sacrament of
Matrimony?
Answer: A
Christian man and woman cannot be united in lawful
marriage in any other way than by the Sacrament of
Matrimony, because Christ raised marriage to the dignity
of a
Sacrament.
Explanation:
"Lawful." Persons are lawfully married when they
comply with all the laws of God and of the Church
relating to marriage. To marry unlawfully is a mortal
sin,
in which the persons must remain till the sin is
forgiven. "Sacrament." Before the coming of Our Lord
persons were married as they are now, and even lawfully
according to the laws of the Old Testament or old
religion; but marriage did not give them any grace. Now
it
does give grace, because it is a Sacrament, and has
been
so since the time of Our Lord. Before
His coming
it
was only a contract, and when He added grace to the
contract it became a Sacrament.
Question 284: Can the bond of Christian marriage be
dissolved by any
human
power?
Answer: The
bond of Christian marriage cannot be dissolved by
any
human power.
Explanation:
"Dissolved"--that is, can married persons ever--for any
cause--separate and marry again; that is, take another
husband
or wife while the first husband or wife is living?
Never, if they were really married.
Sometimes, for good
reason, the Church permits husband and wife to separate
and
live in different places; but they are still married.
Sometimes it happens, too, that persons are not really
married although they have gone through the ceremony
and
people think they are married, and they may think so
themselves. The Church, however,
makes them separate,
because it finds they are not really married at all-on
account of some impeding circumstance that existed at the
time
they performed the ceremony. These
circumstances
or facts that prevent the marriage
from being valid are
called "Impediments to Marriage:" Some of them render
the
marriage altogether null, and some only make it
unlawful. When persons make
arrangements about
getting married they should tell the priest every
circumstance that they think might be an impediment.
Here
are the chief things they should tell the
priest-privately, if possible. Whether
both are Christians
and
Catholics; whether either has ever been solemnly
engaged to another person; whether they have ever made
any
vow to God with regard to chastity, the religious life,
or
the like; whether they are related and in what degree;
whether either was ever married to any member of the
other's family-say sister, brother, or cousin, etc.; whether
either ever was a godparent in Baptism for the other or
for
any of the other's children; whether either was
married before, and what proof can be given of the death
of
the first husband or wife; whether they really intend to
get
married; whether they are of lawful age; whether they
are
in good health or suffering from some sickness that
might
prevent their marriage, etc. They should
also state
whether they live in the parish, and how long they have
lived
in it. They should give at least three
weeks' notice
before their marriage, except in special cases of necessity.
They
should not presume to make final arrangements and
invite friends before they have made arrangements with
their
pastor; because if there should be any delay on
account of impediments it would cause them great
inconvenience. Let me take an
example of a fact that
would render the marriage invalid or null
though the
persons performing the ceremony might not be aware of
it. Suppose a woman's husband
went to the war, and she
heard
after a great many years that he had been killed in
battle, and she, believing her first husband to be dead,
married another man. But the
report of the first
husband's death turns out to be false, and after a time he
returns. Then the Church tells
the woman and she knows
it
now herself-that the second marriage was invalid, that
is,
no marriage, because it was performed while the first
husband was still living. She must leave the second man
and
go back to her husband. You see in that
case the
Church was not dissolving or breaking the marriage
bond,
but only declaring that the woman and second man
were
not married from the very beginning, although they
thought they were, being ignorant of the existing
impediment, and the priest also being deceived performed
the
ceremony in the usual manner. If it ever
happens,
therefore, that you hear of the Church permitting persons,
already apparently married, to separate and marry others,
it is
only when it discovers that their first marriage was
invalid, and by its action it does not dissolve the bond of
marriage, but simply declares that the marriage was null
and
void from the beginning, as you now easily
understand. Thus persons might
unwittingly marry with
existing impediments that would render their marriage
invalid or illicit. Such things,
however, happen very
rarely, for the priest would discover the impediments in
questioning the persons about to marry.
Explanation:
Protestants and persons outside the Catholic Church teach
that
the marriage bond can at times be dissolved, but such
doctrines bring great evil upon society.
When the father
and
mother separate and marry again, the children of the
first
marriage are left to take care of themselves, or
receive only such care as the law gives them. They are
left
without Christian instruction and the good influence
of
home. Then persons who are divorced once
may be
divorced a second or third time, and thus all society
would
be thrown into a state of confusion, and there
would
be scarcely any such thing as a family to be found.
It is bad enough at present, on account of
divorces
granted by the laws and upheld by Protestants; and only
for
the influence and good public opinion created by the
teaching and opposition of the Catholic Church, it would
be
much worse. Again, if husbands and wives
could
separate for this or that fault, they would not be careful
in
making their choice of the person they wish to marry,
nor
would their motives be always holy and worthy of the
Sacrament.
Question 285: Which are the effects of the Sacrament of
Matrimony?
Answer: The
effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony are:
first, to
sanctify the love of husband and wife; second, to give
them
grace to bear with each other's weaknesses; third,
to
enable them to bring up their children in the fear and
love
of God.
Explanation: The
union and love existing between a husband and wife
should be like the union and love existing between Our
Lord
and His Church. The grace of the
Sacrament helps
them
to have such a love.
"Weaknesses" that is, their
faults, bad dispositions, etc.
"Bring up their children."
This
is their most important duty, and parents receive
grace
to perform it, and woe be to them if they abuse that
grace! Children should remember
that their parents have
received this special grace from God to advise, direct,
and
warn them of sin; and if they refuse to obey their
parents or despise their direction, they are despising
God's
grace. Remember that nothing teaches us
so well
as
experience. Now your parents, even if God gave them
no
special grace, have experience. They have been
children as you are; they have been young persons as you
are;
they have received advice from their parents and
teachers as you do. If your
parents are bad, it is because
they
have not heeded the advice given them.
If they are
good,
it is because they have heeded and followed it.
The
years of your youth quickly pass, and you will soon
be
thrown out into the world, among strangers to provide
for
yourselves, and will perhaps have no one to advise
you. If you neglect to learn
while you have the
opportunity you will be sorry for it in after life. If you
waste
your time in school, you will leave it knowing very
little, and an ignorant man can never take any good
position in the world; he can seldom be his
own master
and
independent; he must always toil for others as a
servant. God gives us our talents
and opportunities that
we
may use them to the best of our ability, and He will
hold
us accountable for these. It is good and
praiseworthy to raise ourselves and others in the world if
we do
so by lawful and proper means. You may
have
the
opportunity of getting a good position, and will not be
able
to take it because you are not sufficiently educated.
Many
young men live to be sorry for wasting time in
school, and try to make up for it by studying at night.
Explanation: You
cannot really make up for lost time.
Every moment
God
gives you He gives for some particular work, and
He
will require an account from you, at the last day, for
the
use you made of your time. Besides, you
can learn
with
greater ease while you are young. But
what shall I
say
of neglecting to learn your holy religion?
If you
neglect your school lessons you will not be successful in
the
world as businessmen or professional men; but if you
neglect your religious lessons, you will be miserable, not
merely in this world, but in the next, and that for all
eternity. Again, will you not
feel ashamed to say you are
a
Catholic when persons who are not Catholics ask you
the
meaning of something you believe or do, and you will
not
be able to answer? When they tell
falsehoods against
your
religion, you will not, on account of your ignorance,
be
able to refute them. Almost the only
time you have to
learn
the truths and practices of your holy religion is
during the instructions at Sunday school or day school,
and
after a few years you will not have this advantage.
When
you grow up you may hear a sermon, and if you
attend early Mass, only a short instruction, on Sundays;
and
if you do not know your Catechism, you will be less
able
to profit by the instructions given.
Therefore the
time
to learn is while you are young, have sufficient
leisure, and good, willing teachers to explain whatever
you
do not understand.
Explanation: When
you attend Sunday school, bear in mind that your
teachers have frequently to sacrifice their time or pleasure
for
your sake, and that you should not repay them for
their
kindness by acts of disobedience, disrespect, and
stubbornness. By spending your
time in idleness, in
giving annoyance to your teacher, and in distracting
others who are willing to learn, you show a want of
appreciation and gratitude for the blessings God has
bestowed upon you, and please the devil exceedingly; and
as
God will hold you accountable for all His gifts, this
one--the opportunity of learning your religion--will be no
exception.
Question 286: To receive the Sacrament of Matrimony
worthily, is it
necessary to be in the state of grace?
Answer: To
receive the Sacrament of Matrimony worthily it is
necessary to be in the state of grace,
and it is necessary
also
to comply with the laws of the Church.
Explanation:
"The laws," laws concerning marriage. Laws forbidding
the
solemnizing of marriage at certain times, namely,
Advent and Lent; laws forbidding marriage with relatives,
or
with persons of a different religion or of no religion;
laws
with regard to age, etc.
Question 287: Who has the right to make laws concerning
the Sacrament
of
marriage?
Answer: The
Church alone has the right to make laws concerning
the
Sacrament of marriage, though the State also has the
right
to make laws concerning the civil effects of the
marriage contract.
Explanation:
"Civil effects,"--that is, laws with regard to the property
of
persons marrying, with regard to the inheritance of the
children, with regard to the debts of husband and wife,
etc.
Question 288: Does the Church forbid the marriage of
Catholics with
persons who have a different religion or no religion at
all?
Answer: The
Church does forbid the marriage of Catholics with
persons who have a different religion or no religion at all.
Question 289: Why does the Church forbid the marriage of
Catholics
with
persons who have a different religion or no religion
at
all?
Answer: The
Church forbids the marriage of Catholics with
persons who have a different religion or no religion at all
because such marriages generally lead to indifference,
loss
of faith, and to the neglect of the religious education
of
the children.
Explanation: We
know that nothing has so bad an influence upon
people as bad company. Now, when a Catholic marries
one
who is not a Catholic, he or she is continually
associated with one who in most cases ignores the true
religion, or speaks at least with levity of its devotions and
practices. The Catholic party may
resist this evil
influence for a time, but will, if not very steadfast in the
faith, finally yield to it, and, tired of numerous disputes
in
defense of religious rights, will become more and more
indifferent, gradually give up the practice of religion, and
probably terminate with complete loss of faith or apostasy
from
the true religion. We know that the
children of Seth
were
good till they married the children of Cain, and then
they
also became wicked; for, remember, there is always
more
likelihood that the bad will pervert the good, than
that
the good will convert the bad. Besides
the disputes
occasioned between husband and wife by the diversity of
their religion, their families and
relatives, being also of
different religions, will seldom be at peace or on friendly
terms
with one another. Then the children can
scarcely
be
brought up in the true religion; for the father may wish
them
to attend one church, and the mother another, and
to
settle the dispute they will attend neither. Besides, if
they
have before them the evil example of a father or
mother speaking disparagingly of the
true religion, or
perhaps ridiculing all religion, it is not likely they will be
imbued with great respect and veneration for holy things.
There
is still another reason why Catholics should dread
mixed
marriages. If the one who is not a
Catholic loses
regard for his or her obligations, becomes addicted to any
vice,
and is leading a bad life, the Catholic party has no
means of reaching the root of the
evil, no hope that the
person may take the advice of the priest, or go to
confession or do any of those things that could effect a
change in the heart and life of a Catholic. For all these
very
good reasons and others besides, the Church
opposes mixed marriages, as they are called when one of
the
persons is not a Catholic. Neither does the Church
want
persons to become converts simply for the sake of
marrying a Catholic. Such
conversions would not be
sincere, and would do no good, but rather make such
converts hypocrites, and guilty of greater sin.
Question 290: Why do many marriages prove unhappy?
Answer: Many
marriages prove unhappy because they are entered
into
hastily and without worthy motives. .
Explanation:
"Hastily,"--without knowing the person well or
considering their character or dispositions; without trying
to
discover whether they are sober, industrious, virtuous,
and
the like; whether they know and practice their
religion, or whether, on the contrary, they are given to
vices
forbidden by good morals, and totally forgetful of
their
religious duties. In a word, those
wishing to marry
should look for enduring qualities in their lifelong
companions, and not for characteristics that please the
fancy
for the time being. They should,
besides, truly
love
each other. Again, the persons should be
nearly
equals in education, social standing, etc., for it helps
greatly to secure harmony between
families and unity of
thought and action between themselves.
Explanation:
"Worthy motives." The motives are worthy when persons
marry
to fulfill the end for which God instituted marriage.
It
would, for example, be an unworthy motive to marry
solely for money, property, or other advantage, without
any
regard for the holiness and end of the Sacrament.
There
are many motives that may present themselves to
the
minds of persons wishing to marry, and they will
know
whether they are worthy or unworthy, good or bad,
if by
serious consideration they weigh them well and
value
them by their desire to please God and lead a good
life.
Explanation: Every
person's motive in getting married or in entering
into
any new state of life should be that he may be able
to
serve God better in that state than in any other.
Question 291: How should Christians prepare for a holy
and happy
marriage?
Answer:
Christians should prepare for a holy and happy marriage
by
receiving the Sacraments of Penance and Holy
Eucharist; by begging God to grant them a pure intention
and
to direct their choice; and by seeking the advice of
their
parents and the blessing of their pastors.
Explanation: They
should pray for a long time that they may make a
good
choice. They would do well to read in
the Holy
Scripture, in the Book of Tobias (8), of the happy
marriage of Tobias and Sara, and how they spent their
time
in prayer both before and after their marriage, and
how
God rewarded them. Advice is very
necessary, as
marriage is to last for life, and is to make persons either
happy
or miserable. They should ask advice
from
prudent persons, and should try to
learn something of the
former life of the one they wish to marry. They should
know
something about the family, whether its members
are
respectable or not, etc. It is an
injustice to parents for
sons
or daughters to marry into families that may have
been
disgraced, or that may bring disgrace upon them.
Sometimes, however, parents are unreasonable in this
matter: they are proud or vain, and want to suit
themselves rather than their children.
Sometimes, too,
they
force marriage upon their children, or forbid it for
purely worldly or selfish motives.
Explanation: In
such cases, and indeed in all cases, the best one to
consult and ask advice from is your confessor. He has
only
your spiritual interests at heart, and will set aside all
worldly motives. If your parents
are unreasonable, he
will
be a just judge in the matter, and tell you how to act.
Explanation: I
have now explained all the Sacraments, but before
finishing I must say a word about the Holy Oils. We
have
seen that oil is used in the administration of some
Sacraments. There are three kinds
of oil blessed by the
bishop on Holy Thursday, namely, oil for anointing the
sick,
called "oil of the infirm"; oil to be used in Baptism
and
in the ordination of priests, called "oil of
catechumens" (catechumens are those who are being
instructed for Baptism); the third kind of oil is used also
in
Baptism, in Confirmation, and when the bishop blesses
the
sacred vessels, altars, etc.; it is called "holy chrism"
Therefore the Sacraments in which oil is used are:
Baptism, in which two kinds are used; Confirmation,
Extreme
Unction, and Holy Orders.
Lesson 27: ON THE SACRAMENTALS
Question 292: What is a sacramental?
Question 293: What is the difference between the
Sacraments and the
sacramentals?
Question 294: Which is the chief sacramental used in the
Church?
Question 295: How do we make the Sign of the Cross?
Question 296: Why do we make the Sign of the Cross?
Question 297: How is the Sign of the Cross a profession
of faith in the
chief
mysteries of our religion?
Question 298: How does the Sign of the Cross express the
mystery of
the
Unity and Trinity of God?
Question 299: How does the Sign of the Cross express the
mystery of
the
Incarnation and death of Our Lord?
Question 300: What other sacramental is in very frequent
use?
Question 301: What is, holy water?
Question 302: Are there any other sacramentals besides
the Sign of the
Cross
and holy water?
Question 292: What is a sacramental?
Answer: A sacramental is anything set apart or
blessed by the
Church to excite good thoughts and to increase devotion,
and
through these movements of the heart to remit venial
sin.
Explanation: It is
not the sacramental itself that gives grace, but the
devotion, the love of God, or sorrow for sin that it
inspires. For example, a person
comes into the church
and
goes around the Stations of the Cross.
The stations
are a sacramental. In looking at one
station he sees Our
Lord
on trial before Pilate; in another he sees Him
crowned with thorns; in another, scourged; in another,
carrying His Cross; in another, crucified; in another,
dead
and laid in the tomb. Before all these
pictures he
reflects on the sufferings of Our Saviour, and begins to
hate
sin, that caused them. Then he thinks,
of his own
sins,
and begins to be sorry for them. This
sorrow,
caused by going around the stations, brings him grace
that
remits venial sins. When we receive the
Sacraments
we
always get the grace of the Sacraments when we are
rightly disposed; but in using the
sacramentals, the more
devotion we have the more grace we receive.
Explanation:
"Increase devotion." If we knelt down before a plain
white
wall we could not pray with the devotion we would
have
kneeling before a crucifix. We see the
representation of the nails in the hands and feet, the blood
on
the side, the thorns on the head; and all these must
make
us think of Our Lord's terrible sufferings.
The
picture of a friend hanging before us will often make us
think
of him when we would otherwise forget him.
So
also
will the pictures of Our Lord and of the saints keep
them often in our minds.
Question 293: What is the difference between the
Sacraments and the
sacramentals?
Answer: The
difference between the Sacraments and the
sacramentals is: first, the
Sacraments were instituted by
Jesus
Christ and the sacramentals were instituted by the
Church; second, the Sacraments give grace of themselves
when
we place no obstacle in the way; the sacramentals
excite in us pious dispositions, by means of which we
may
obtain grace.
Explanation: The
Church can increase or diminish the number of the
sacramentals, but not the number of the Sacraments.
Question 294: Which is the chief sacramental used in the
Church?
Answer: The
chief sacramental used in the Church is the Sign of
the
Cross.
Question 295: How do we make the Sign of the Cross?
Answer: We
make the Sign of the Cross by putting the right hand
to the forehead, then on the breast,
and then to the left
and
right shoulders; saying, In the name of the Father,
and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Explanation: It is
important to make an exact cross, and to say all the
words
distinctly. From carelessness and habit
some
persons do not make the Sign of the Cross, though they
often
intend to bless themselves. They put the
hand only
to
the forehead and breast, or forehead and chin, or
forehead and shoulders, etc. Some
do not even touch the
forehead. All these, it is true,
are some signs and
movements of the hand, but they are not the Sign of the
Cross. Therefore, from childhood form the good habit
of
blessing yourself correctly, and you will continue to do it
properly all your life.
Question 296: Why do we make the Sign of the Cross?
Answer: We make
the Sign of the Cross to show that we are
Christians and to profess our belief in the chief mysteries
of
our religion.
Explanation: The
cross is the banner or standard of Christianity, just as
the
stars and stripes-the flag of the United States-is our
civil
standard, and shows to what nation we belong.
Question 297: How is the Sign of the Cross a profession
of faith in the
chief
mysteries of our religion?
Answer: The Sign of the Cross is a profession of faith
in the chief
mysteries of our religion because it expresses the
mysteries of the Unity and Trinity of God and of the
Incarnation and death of Our Lord.
Question 298: How does the Sign of the Cross express the
mystery of
the
Unity and Trinity of God?
Answer: The
words: "In the name" express
the Unity of God; the
words
that follow, "of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost" express the
mystery of the Trinity.
Question 299: How does the Sign of the Cross express the
mystery of
the
Incarnation and death of Our Lord?
Answer: The
Sign of the Cross expresses the mystery of the
Incarnation by reminding us that the Son of God, having
become man, suffered death on the Cross.
Explanation:
Besides these chief mysteries, we will find, if we think a
little, that the Sign of the Cross reminds us of many other
things. It reminds us of the sin
of our first parents,
which
made the Cross necessary; it reminds us of the
hatred God bears to sin, when such sufferings were
endured to make satisfaction for it; it reminds us of
Christ's love, etc.
Question 300: What other sacramental is in very frequent
use?
Answer:
Another sacramental in very frequent use is holy water.
Question 301: What is, holy water?
Answer: Holy
water is water blessed by the priest with solemn
prayer to beg God's blessing on those who use it, and
protection from the power of darkness.
Explanation: The
priest prays that those who use this water may not
fall
into sin; may be free from the power of the devil and
from
bodily diseases, etc. Therefore when they do use the
water
they get the benefit of all these prayers, because the
priest says: "If they use
it, God grant them all these
things."
Question 302: Are there any other sacramentals besides
the Sign of the
Cross
and holy water?
Answer:
Besides the Sign of the Cross and holy water there are
many other sacramentals, such as
blessed candles, ashes,
palms, crucifixes, images of the Blessed Virgin and of the
saints, rosaries, and scapulars.
Explanation:
"Candles," blessed on the Feast of the Purification of the
Blessed Virgin (see Butler's Lives of the Saints, Feb. 2,
Feast
of the Purification). The Church blesses whatever
it
uses. Some say beautifully that the wax
of the candle
gathered by the bees from sweet flowers reminds us of
Our
Lord's pure, human body, and that the flame
reminds us of His divinity.
Again, candles about the altar
remind us of the angels, those bright spirits ever about
God's throne; they remind us, too, of the
persecution of
the
Christians in the first ages of the Church, when they
had
to hear Mass and receive the Sacraments in dark
places, where lights were necessary that priests and
people might see. Again, lights are a beautiful ornament
for
the altar, and in keeping with holy things.
Lights are
a
sign of joy: hence the very old custom
of lighting
bonfires to express joy. So we
have lights to express our
joy
at the celebration of the Holy Mass.
Again, if we
wish
to honor any great person in the Church or State.
we
illuminate the city for his reception.
So, too, we
illuminate our altars and churches for the reception of
Our
Lord, that we may honor Him when He comes in the
Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass, and is present at Benediction.
Explanation:
"Ashes" are placed on our heads by the priest on Ash
Wednesday, while he says:
"Remember, man, thou art
but
dust and unto dust thou shalt return." They are a sign
of
penance, and so we use them at the beginning of Lent.
Explanation:
"Palms, to remind us of Our Lord's coming in triumph
into
Jerusalem, when the people out of respect for Him
threw
palms, and even their garments, beneath His feet
on
the way, singing His praises and wishing to make Him
king.
Yet these same people only one week later were
among
those who crucified Him. Do we not also at times
honor
Our Lord, call Him our king, and shortly
afterwards insult and, as far as we can, injure Him by
sin? Do we not say in the Our
Father, "Hallowed, or
praised, be His name," and blaspheme it ourselves?
Explanation:
"Crucifix," if it has an image of Our Lord upon it; if not
it is
simply a cross, because crucifix means fixed to the
cross.
Explanation:
"Images"--that is, statues, pictures, etc.
Explanation:
"Rosaries," called also the beads. The rosary or beads is
a
very old and very beautiful form of prayer.
In the
beginning pious people, we are told, used to say a certain
number of prayers, and keep count of them on a string
with
knots or beads. However that may be, the
Rosary,
as we
now have it, comes down to us from St. Dominic.
He
instructed the people by it, and converted many
heretics. In the rosary beads
here are fifty-three small
beads
on which we say the "Hail Mary" and six large
beads
on which we say the "Our Father." In saying the
Rosary, before saying the "Our Father" on the large
beads, we think or meditate for a while on some event in
the
life of Our Lord, and these events we call Mysteries
of
the Rosary. There are fifteen of these
events taken in
the
order in which they occurred in the life of Our Lord;
and
hence there are fifteen Mysteries in the whole
Rosary. First we have the five Joyful Mysteries.
Explanation: The
Annunciation-that is, the angel Gabriel coming to tell
the
Blessed Virgin that she is to be the Mother of God.
The
Visitation, when the Blessed Virgin went to visit her
cousin St. Elizabeth-the mother of St. John the Baptist,
who
was six months older than Our Lord.
Elizabeth said
to
her, "Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is
the
Fruit of thy womb"; and the Blessed Virgin answered
her
in the beautiful words of the Magnificat, that we sing
at
Vespers while the priest incenses the altar. The
Nativity, or birth of Our Lord, which reminds us how He
was born in a stable, in poverty and
lowliness. The
Presentation of the child Jesus in the Temple. According
to
the law of Moses, the people were obliged to bring the
first
boy born in every family to the temple in Jerusalem
and
offer him to God. Then they gave some
offering to
buy
him back, as it were, from God. The
Blessed Virgin
and
St. Joseph, who kept all the laws, took Our Lord and
offered
Him in the temple-although He Himself was the
Lord
of the temple. Nevertheless others did
not know
this,
and the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph observed the
laws,
though not bound to do so, that their neighbors
might
not be scandalized in seeing them neglect these
things. They did not know, as she
did, that the little
Infant was the Son of God, and need not keep the. law of
Moses
or any law, because He was the maker of the
laws. We should learn from this
never to give scandal;
and
even when we have good excuse for not observing
the
law, we should observe it for the sake of good
example to others; or at least, when we can, we should
explain why we do not observe the law. The fifth Joyful
Mystery is the finding of the child Jesus in the temple.
All
the men and boys, from twelve years of age upward,
were
obliged, according to the Old Law, to go p to
Jerusalem and offer sacrifice on the great feasts. On one
of
these feasts the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph, and Our
Lord
went to Jerusalem. When His parents and
their
friends were returning home Our Lord was missing. He
had
not accompanied them from the city. Then
the
Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph went back to Jerusalem and
sought Him with great sorrow for three days. At the end
of
that time they found Him in the temple sitting with the
doctors of the law asking them questions. Our Lord
obediently returned with His parents to Nazareth. At
thirty years of age He was baptized by John the Baptist in
the
River Jordan. The baptism of John was
not a
Sacrament, did not give grace of itself; but, like a
sacramental, it disposed those who received it to be sorry
for
their sins and to receive the gift of faith and Baptism
of
Christ. The eighteen years from the time
Our Lord
went
down to Nazareth after being found in the temple till
His
baptism is called His hidden life, while all that
follows His baptism is called His public life. It is very
strange that not a single word should be given in the Holy
Scriptures about Our Lord during His youth-the very time
young
men are most anxious to be seen and heard.
Our
Lord
knew all things and could do all things when a
young
man, and yet for the sake of example He remained
silent, living quietly with His parents and doing His daily
work
for them. Thus you understand hat is
meant by the
five
Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary: he
Annunciation,
the
Visitation, the Nativity of Our Lord, he Presentation
of
the child Jesus in the temple, and the finding of the
child
Jesus in the temple. You meditate on one
of these
before each decade (ten) of the beads.
Explanation: Next
in order in the life of Our Lord come the five events
called the Sorrowful Mysteries, namely:
Explanation: The
agony in the garden, when Our Lord went there to
pray
on Holy Thursday night, before He was taken
prisoner. There the blood came out
through His body as
perspiration does through ours, and He was in dreadful
anguish. The reason of His sorrow
and anguish has
already been given in the explanation of the Passion. The
scourging of Our Lord at the pillar.
This also has been
explained. What terrible cruelty existed in the world
before Christianity! In our times
the brute beasts have
more
protection from cruel treatment than the pagan
slaves had then. The Church came
to their assistance. It
taught that all men are God's children, that slaves as well
as
masters were redeemed by Jesus Christ, and that
masters must be kind and just to their slaves. Many
converts from paganism through love for Our Lord and
this
teaching of the Church, granted liberty to their
slaves; and thus as civilization spread with the teaching of
Christianity,
slavery ceased to exist. It was not in
the
power
of the Church, however, to abolish slavery
everywhere, but she did it as soon as she could. Even at
present she is fighting hard to protect the poor Negroes of
Africa against it, or at least to moderate its cruelty. The
third
Sorrowful Mystery is the crowning with thorns. The
carriage of the Cross to Calvary.
It was the common
practice to make the prisoner at times carry his cross to
the
place of execution, and over the cross they printed
what
he was put to death for. That is the
reason they
placed over Our Lord's cross I.N.R.I., which are the first
letters of four Latin words meaning, "Jesus of Nazareth,
King
of the Jews." They pretended by this sign that Our
Lord
was put to death for calling Himself King of the
Jews,
and was thus a disturber of the public peace, and
an
enemy of the Roman emperor under whose power they
were. Our Lord did say that He
was King of the Jews,
but
He also said that He was not their earthly but their
heavenly
king. The real cause of their putting
Our Lord
to
death was the jealousy of the Jewish priests and
Pharisees. He rebuked them for
their faults, and showed
the
good, sincere people what hypocrites these men were.
The
last of the Sorrowful Mysteries is the Crucifixion.
At
the foot of the Cross our blessed Mother stood on the
day
of Crucifixion, and it must have been a very sad
sight
for Our Lord. She was without anyone to
take care
of
her; for St. Joseph was dead, and her Son was soon to
'
die. Our Lord asked St. John, one of His
Apostles, to
take
care of her St. John was dear to Christ, and on that
account is called the beloved disciple.
He is known to us
as
St. John the Evangelist. He was the last
of the
Apostles to die. At one time he
was cast into a cauldron
of
boiling oil, but was miraculously saved by God (see
Butler's Lives of the Saints, Dec. 27).
He lived to be
over
a hundred years old, and while on the island of
Patmos wrote the Apocalypse or Revelations-the last book
of
the New Testament-containing prophecies of what will
happen at the end of the world.
The Blessed Virgin lived
on
earth about eleven years after the Ascension of Our
Lord. They buried her in a tomb,
and tradition tells us
that
after her burial the angels carried her body to
Heaven, where she now sits beside her Divine Son. This
taking of her body to Heaven is called the Assumption.
This
feast was celebrated in the Church from a very early
age. A very strong proof of the
Assumption is that no
persons ever claimed to have any part of the body of the
Blessed Virgin as a relic. We
have the bodies of some of
the
Apostles, especially St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. James
transmitted to us; and certainly if it had been possible the
first
Christians would have endeavored to get some
portion, at least, of the Blessed Virgin's body. Surely St.
John,
who knew her so well, would have given to the
church he established some part of her body as a relic;
but
since her entire body was taken to Heaven, it was
never possible.
Explanation: After
the Sorrowful Mysteries come the five Glorious
Mysteries, and they are:
Explanation: The
Resurrection of Our Lord; The Ascension of Our
Lord;
The Coming of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles;
The
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin; and The
Coronation of the Blessed Virgin in Heaven.
Explanation: All
but the last have been explained in foregoing parts of
the
Catechism. In this last Mystery we
consider our
Blessed Lady just after her entrance into Heaven, being
received by her Divine Son, our Blessed Lord, and being
crowned Queen of Heaven over all the angels and saints.
In
saying the Rosary we are, as I have told you before,
to
stop after mentioning the Mystery and think over the
lesson it teaches, and thus excite ourselves to love and
devotion before saying the "Our Father" and "Hail
Marys" in honor of it. Generally what we call the beads
is
only one third of the Rosary; that is, we can only say
five
mysteries on the beads unless we go over them three
times. If you say your beads
every day you will say the
whole
Rosary twice a week and have one day to spare.
Explanation: On
Sundays, except the Sundays of Advent and Lent, we
should say always the Glorious Mysteries. You see, the
Mysteries
run in the order in which they happen in Our
Lord's life.
Explanation: So on
Monday we say the Joyful Mysteries, on Tuesday
the
Sorrowful, and on Wednesday the Glorious.
Then we
begin
again on Thursday the Joyful, on Friday the
Sorrowful, on Saturday the Glorious.
In Advent we say
the
Joyful, and in Lent the Sorrowful Mysteries on every
day. In Eastertime we always say
the Glorious mysteries.
Explanation: I
have told you what the letters I. N. R. I. mean; now let
me
tell you what I. H. S. with a cross over them mean.
You
often see these letters on altars and on holy things.
They
are simply an abbreviation for Our Lord's name,
"Jesus," as it was first written in Greek letters. Some
also
take these letters for the first letters of the Latin
words
that mean: Jesus, Saviour of men. And as the
cross
is placed over these letters it can signify that He
saved
them by His death on the Cross.
Explanation:
"Scapulars." The scapular is a large broad piece of cloth
worn
by the monks and priests of some of the religious
orders. It extends from the toes in front to the
heels
behind, and is wide enough to cover the shoulders. It is
worn
over the cassock or habit. It is called
scapular
because it rests on the shoulders.
The scapular as we
wear
it is two small pieces of cloth fastened together by
two
pieces of braid or cord resting on the shoulders. It
is
made thus in imitation of the large scapular, and is to
be worn under our ordinary garments. The brown
scapular is called the Scapular of Mount Carmel. It was
given, we are told on good authority, to blessed Simon
Stock
by the Blessed Virgin herself, with wonderful
promises in favor of those who wear it.
The Church
grants many privileges and indulgences to those who wear
the
scapular.
Explanation: We
wear the scapular to indicate that we place ourselves
under the special protection of the
Blessed Virgin. We
can
tell to what army or nation a soldier belongs by the
uniform he wears; so we can consider the scapular as the
particular uniform of those who desire to serve the
Blessed Virgin in some special manner.
This wearing of
the
brown scapular is therefore a mark of special devotion
to
the Blessed Virgin Mary. As it was first
introduced
among
people by the Carmelite Fathers, or priests of the
Order
of Mount Carmel, this Scapular is called the
Scapular of Mount Carmel. We have
also a red scapular
in
honor of Our Lord's Passion; a white one in honor of
the
Holy Trinity; a blue one in honor of the Immaculate
Conception; and a black one in honor of the seven dolors
of
sorrows of the Blessed Virgin. When all
these are
joined together (not in one piece, but at the top only) and
worn
as one, they are called the five scapulars.
Explanation: The
seven dolors are seven chief occasions of sorrow in
the
life of our Blessed Lady. They are:
Explanation: The
circumcision of Our Lord, when she saw His blood
shed
for the first time. Her flight into Egypt to save the
life
of the little Infant Jesus when Herod was seeking to
kill
Him. The three days she lost Him in Jerusalem.
When she saw Christ carrying His
Cross. His death.
When
He was taken down from the Cross. When He was
laid
in the sepulchre.
Explanation: There
are beads called seven dolor beads constructed with
seven
medals bearing representations of these sorrows,
and
seven beads between each medal and the next.
At
the
medals we meditate on the dolor, and then in its
honor
say "Hail Marys" on the beads.
Lesson 28: ON PRAYER
Question 303: Is there any other means of obtaining God's
grace than
the
Sacraments?
Question 304: What is prayer?
Question 305: Is prayer necessary to salvation?
Question 306: At what particular times should we pray?
Question 307: How should we pray?
Question 308: Which are the prayers most recommended to
us?
Question 309: Are prayers said with distractions of any
avail?
Question 303: Is there any other means of obtaining God's
grace than
the
Sacraments?
Answer: There
is another means of obtaining God's grace, and it
is
prayer.
Question 304: What is prayer?
Answer:
Prayer is the lifting up of our minds and hearts to God to
adore Him, to thank Him for His benefits, to
ask His
forgiveness, and to beg of Him all the graces we need
whether for soul or body.
Explanation:
"Hearts," because the mere lifting up of the mind would
not be
prayer. One who blasphemes Him might also lift
up
his mind. We lift up the mind to know
God and the
heart
to love Him, and in so doing we serve Him -- the
three
things for which we were created. If we
do not
think
of God we do not pray. A parrot might be
taught
to
say the "Our Father," but it could never pray, because
it
has no mind to lift up. A phonograph can
be made to
say
the prayers, but not to pray, for it has neither mind
nor
heart. So praying does not depend upon
the words
we
say, but upon the way in which we say them. Indeed
the
best prayer, called meditation, is made when we do
not
speak at all, but simply think of God; of His goodness
to
us; of our sins against Him; of Hell, Purgatory,
Heaven, death, judgment, of the end for which we were
created, etc. This is the kind of
prayer that priests and
religious use most frequently. As
you might like to
meditate -- for all who know how may meditate -- let me
explain to you the method. First
you try to remember
that
you are in the presence of God. Then you
take some
subject, say the Crucifixion, to think about. You try to
make
a picture of the scene in your own mind.
You see
Our
Lord on the Cross; two thieves, one on each side of
Him, the one praying to Our Lord and
the other cursing
Him. You see the multitude of His
enemies mocking
Him. Over at some distance you
behold our Blessed
Mother standing sorrowful with St. John and Mary
Magdalen. Then you ask yourself
-- for you must
imagine yourself there -- to which side would you go.
Over
to our Blessed Mother to try and console her, or
over
to the enemies to help them to mock?
Then you
think
how sin was the cause of all this suffering, and how
often
you yourself have sinned; how you have many a
time
gone over to the crowd and left the Blessed Mother.
These
thoughts will make you sorry for your sins, and
you
will form the good resolution never to sin again.
You
will thank God for these good thoughts and this
resolution, and your meditation is ended. You can spend
fifteen minutes, or longer if you wish, in such a
meditation. The Crucifixion is
only one of the many
subjects you may select for meditation.
You could take
any
part of the "Our Father," "Hail Mary," or
"Creed,"
and
even the questions in your Catechism.
Mental
prayer, therefore, is the best, because in it we must think;
we
must pay attention to what we are doing, and lift up
our
minds and hearts to God; while in vocal prayer -- that
is,
the prayer we say aloud -- we may repeat the words
from
pure habit, without any attention or lifting up of the
mind
or heart.
Question 305: Is prayer necessary to salvation?
Answer:
Prayer is necessary to salvation, and without it no one
having the use of reason can be saved.
Explanation: We
mean here those who never pray during their whole
lives, and not those who sometimes neglect their prayers
through a kind of forgetfulness.
Question 306: At what particular times should we pray?
Answer: We
should pray particularly on Sundays and holy days,
every
morning and night, in all dangers, temptations, and
afflictions.
Explanation:
"Sundays and holy days," because these are special days
set
apart by the Church for the worship of God.
In the
"morning" we ask God's grace that we may not sin
during the day. At
"night" we thank Him for all the
benefits received during the day, and also that we may be
protected while asleep from every danger and accident.
We
should never, if possible, go to sleep in mortal sin;
and
if we have the misfortune to be in that state, we
should make as perfect an act of contrition as we can, and
promise to go to confession as soon as possible. So
many accidents happen that we are never safe,
even in
good
health; fires, earthquakes, floods, lightning, etc.,
might
take us off at any moment. If you saw a
man
hanging by a very slender thread over a great precipice
where
he would surely be dashed to pieces if the thread
broke, and if you saw him thus risking his life willfully
and
without necessity, you would pronounce him the
greatest fool in the world. One
who commits sin is a
greater fool. He suspends
himself, as I have told you
once
before, over an abyss of eternal torments on the
slender thread of his own life, that may break at any
moment. Do we tempt God and do to Him what we dare
not
to do to our fellowman because He is so merciful?
Let
us be careful. He is as just as He is
merciful, and
some
sin will be our last, and then He will cut the thread
of
life and allow us to fall into an eternity of sufferings.
"Dangers," whether of soul or body. "Afflictions,"
sufferings or misfortunes of any kind; such as loss of
health, death in the family, etc.
Question 307: How should we pray?
Answer: We
should pray:
Explanation:
first, with attention; second, with a sense of our own
helplessness and dependence upon God; third, with a
great
desire for the graces we beg of God; fourth, with
trust
in God's goodness; fifth, with perseverance.
Explanation:
"Attention," thinking of what we are going to do. Before
praying we should think for a moment what prayer is. In
it we
are about to address Almighty God, our Creator,
and
we are going to ask Him for something -- and what
is
the particular thing we need and seek for?
No one
would
think of going to a store without first considering
what
he wanted to buy. He would make, too,
all the
necessary preparations for getting it.
He would find out
how
much he wanted, and what it would cost, and bring
with
him sufficient money. He would never
think of
going
in and telling the storekeeper to give him anything.
Now
it is the same in prayer. When we have
thought of
what
we want of God, from whom we can obtain it, and
of
the reasons why we need it and why God might be
pleased to grant it, we can then kneel down and pray for
it. We should pray to God just as
a child begs favors
from
its parents. We should talk to Him in
our own
simple words, and tell Him the reasons why we ask and
why
we think He should grant our request. We
should,
however, be humble and patient in all our prayers. God
does
not owe us anything, and whatever He gives is a
free
gift. We should not always read prayers at Almighty
God. If you wanted anything very
badly from a friend,
you
would know how to ask for it. You would
never ask
another to write out your request on
paper, and then go
and
read it to your friend. Now, that is
just what we do
when
we read the prayers that somebody else has written
in a
prayerbook. Try, therefore, to pray with
your own
prayers. Of course when the
Church gives you certain
prayers to say -- as it does to its priests in the divine
office -- or recommends to you such prayers as the "Our
Father,"
"Hail Mary," and "Creed," you should say them
in
preference to your own, because then the Church adds
its
petition to yours, and God is more likely to grant such
prayers. I mean, therefore, that
we should not always
pray
from prayerbooks, and hurry through the "Our
Father" that we may give more time to some printed
prayer that pleases us. Our
prayer should be a
conversation with God. We should,
after speaking to
Him,
listen to what He has to say to us, by our
conscience, good thoughts, etc.
Explanation: I
must warn you against some prayers that have been
circulated by impostors for the purpose of making money.
They
pretend that these prayers were found in some
remarkable place or manner; that those who carry them
or
say them will have most wonderful advantages -- they
will
never meet with accident; they will be warned of
their
death; they will go directly to Heaven after death,
etc. If there were any such
wonderful prayers the Church
would
surely know of them and commend them to its
children.
When you find any prayers of the kind I
mention, bring them to the priest and ask his opinion
before you use them yourself or give them to others.
Never
buy prayers or articles said to be blessed from
persons unknown to you. Persons
selling such things are
frequently impostors, who by suave manners and pious
speeches unfortunately find Catholics who believe them.
These
persons -- sometimes not Catholics themselves, or
at
least very bad ones -- laugh at the superstition and
foolish practices of Catholics who believe everything they
hear
about pious books, prayers, or articles.
Explanation: In
the early ages of the Church, when the enemies of
Christ found that they could not refute His teaching, they
began
to circulate foolish doctrines, pretending that they
were
taught by Christ, and thus they hoped to bring
ridicule upon Christianity. So
also in our time many
things are circulated as the teaching of the Catholic
Church by the enemies of the Church, in hopes that by
these
falsehoods and foolish doctrines they may bring
disgrace and ridicule upon the true religion. Be on your
guard
against all impostors, remembering it is a safe rule
never
to buy a religious article from or give money to
persons going about from door to
door. If you have
anything to give in alms, give it to some charitable
institution or society connected with the Church, or put it
in
the poor-box, and then you will be sure it will do the
good
you intend. Remember, too, that all the religious
articles carried about for sale do not come from Rome or
the
Holy Land, and you are deceived if you think so,
notwithstanding the assurance of their owners.
Explanation:
"A trust" -- with full confidence that God will grant our
petitions if we really need or deserve what we pray for.
It is
a fault with a great many to pray without the belief
that
their prayers will be answered. We
should pray with
such
faith and confidence that we would really be
disappointed if our prayer was not granted. Once when
Our
Lord was going about doing good, a poor woman
who
had been suffering for twelve years with a disease,
and
who, wishing to be healed, had uselessly spent all her
money
in seeking medical aid, came to follow Him.
(Mark
5:25). She did not ask Him to cure her,
but said
within herself, "If I can but touch the hem of His garment
I
know I shall be healed" So she made her way through
the
throng and followed Our Lord till she could touch His
garment without being seen. She
succeeded in
accomplishing her wishes, touched His garment, and was
instantly cured. Our Lord knew
her desires and what she
had
done, and turning around told the people, praising
her
great faith and confidence, on account of which He
had
healed her. Such also should be our
confidence and
trust
when we pray to God for our needs.
Explanation:
"Perseverance." We should
continue to pray though God
does
not grant our request. Have you ever
noticed a little
child
begging favors from its mother? See its
persistence!
Though often refused, it will return again and again with
the
same request, till the mother, weary of its
importunity, finally grants what it asks.
Explanation: St.
Monica prayed seventeen years for the conversion of
her
son St. Augustine. St. Augustine's father was a
pagan, and Monica, his wife, prayed seventeen years for
his
conversion, and he became a Christian.
Just about
that
time her son Augustine, who was attending school,
fell
in with bad companions and became a great sinner.
She
prayed seventeen years more for him, and he
reformed, became a great saint and learned bishop in the
Church. See, then, the result of
thirty-four years' prayer:
Monica herself became a saint, her son became
a saint,
and
her husband died a Christian. If St.
Monica had
ceased praying after ten years, Augustine might not have
reformed. We never know when God
is about to grant
our
petition, and we may cease to pray just when another
appeal would obtain the object of our prayer. So we
should continue to pray till God is pleased to grant our
request. Some say their prayers
are not heard when they
mean
to say their prayers are not granted; for God always
hears
us. But why does He not always grant our
request?
There
are many reasons:
Explanation: We
may not pray in the proper manner, namely, with
attention, reverence, humility, patience, and
perseverance; We may ask for things that God foresees
will
not be for our spiritual good.This is true even for
things that seem good to us, such as the removal of an
affliction, temptation, or the like.
It often happens that
God
shows us His greatest mercy in not granting our
prayers. Suppose, for example, a
father held in his hand
a
bright and beautiful but very sharp instrument, for
which
his child continually asked. Do you
believe the
father would give it if he loved the child? Certainly not.
The
child thinks, no doubt, it would be benefitted by the
possession of the instrument, but the father sees the
danger. As God is our loving Father, He acts with us in
the
same manner. Our prayers are not granted sometimes
that we may learn to pray with proper
dispositions, and
God
withholds what He intends finally to give, that we
may
persevere in prayer and have greater merit.
Have
you
ever observed a mother teaching her child to walk?
What
does she do? She goes at some distance
from the
child
and holds out an object that she knows will be
pleasing to it, and thus tempts it to walk to her. When
the
child draws near she moves still farther away, and
keeps
it walking for some time before giving the object.
This
she does, not through unwillingness to give the
article, but in order to teach the child to walk, for she
loves
to see its efforts. When it falls, she
lifts it up and
makes
it try again. So, too, God teaches us to
pray; and
though He loves us, He withholds His gifts, that we may
pray
the longer, and thereby afford Him greater pleasure.
Question 308: Which are the prayers most recommended to
us?
Answer: The
prayers most recommended to us are the Lord's
Prayer, the Hail Mary, the Apostles' Creed, the
Confiteor, and the Acts of Faith, Hope, Love, and
Contrition.
Question 309: Are prayers said with distractions of any
avail?
Answer:
Prayers said with willful distractions are of no avail.
Explanation:
"Distraction"--that is, when we willingly and knowingly
think
of something else while saying our prayers.
It
would
be better not to pray than to pray with disrespect.
If
there is any time at which we cannot pray well, we
should postpone our prayer: for
God does not require us
to
say our prayers just at a particular time; but when we
do
pray, He requires us to pray with reverence and
respect. We would pray well
always if we reflected on
the
great privilege we enjoy in being allowed to pray.
Lesson 29: ON THE COMMANDMENTS OF
GOD
Question 310: Is it enough to belong to God's Church in
order to be
saved?
Question 311: Which are the Commandments that contain the
whole law
of
God?
Question 312: Why do these two Commandments of the love
of God
and
of our neighbor contain the whole law of God?
Question 313: Which are the Commandments of God?
Question 314: Who gave the Ten Commandments?
Question 310: Is it enough to belong to God's Church in
order to be
saved?
Answer: It is
not enough to belong to the Church in order to be
saved, but we must also keep the Commandments of God
and
of the Church.
Explanation: We
call some commandments the Commandments of God
and
others the commandments of the Church.
We do so
only
to distinguish the Commandments that God gave to
Moses from those that the Church made
afterwards.
They
are all the commandments of God, for whatever
laws
or commandments the Church makes, it makes them
under
the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and by God's
authority. It would be a mortal
sin to break the
commandments of the Church, just as it would be to
break
the Commandments of God. You must
remember
that
the Ten Commandments always existed from the time
of
Adam, but they were not written till God gave them to
Moses. You know that it was
always a sin to worship
false
gods, to blaspheme, to disobey parents, to kill, etc.;
for
you know Cain was punished by God for the murder
of
his brother Abel (Gen. 5), and that took place while
Adam
was still alive.
Explanation:
Before the coming of Our Lord the Israelites, or God's
chosen people, had three kinds of laws.
They had the
civil
laws for the government of their nation-just as we
have
our laws for the people of the United States.
They
had
their ceremonial laws for their services in the
temple-as we have our ceremonies for
the Church. They
had
their moral laws such as the Commandments-teaching
them
what they must do to save their souls.
Their civil
laws
were done away with when they ceased to be a
nation having a government of their own.
Their
ceremonial laws were done away with when Our Lord
came
and established His Church; because their
ceremonies were only the figures of ours. Their moral
laws
remained, and Our Lord explained them and made
them
more perfect. Therefore we keep the
Commandments and moral laws as they were always kept
by
man. Fifty days after the Israelites
left Egypt they
came
to the foot of Mount Sinai. (Ex. 19).
Here God
commanded Moses to come up into the mountain, and in
the
midst of fire and smoke, thunder and lightning, God
spoke
to him and delivered into his hands the Ten
Commandments written on two tablets of stone.
Explanation: Every
day while the Israelites were traveling in the desert
God
sent them manna-a miraculous food that fell every
morning.
It was white, and looked something like fine
rice. It had any taste they
wished it to have. For
instance, if they wished it to taste like fruit, it did taste so
to
them; but its usual taste was like that of flour and
honey. (Ex. 16).
Explanation: I
said there is no difference between the Ten
Commandments of God and the six commandments of the
Church-, and there is no difference as far as the sin of
violating them is concerned. But
they differ in this: the
Church can change the commandments it made itself,
while
it cannot change those that God Himself gave
directly.
Question 311: Which are the Commandments that contain the
whole law
of
God?
Answer: The
Commandments which contain the whole law of God
are
these two: first, thou shalt love the
Lord thy God
with
thy whole heart, with thy whole soul, with thy whole
strength, and with thy whole mind; second, thou shalt
love
thy neighbor as thyself.
Explanation:
"As thyself"--that is, as explained elsewhere, with the
same
kind, though not necessarily with the same degree,
of
love. First we must love ourselves and
do what is
essential for our own salvation, because without our
cooperation others cannot save us, though they may help
us by
their prayers and good works. Next to
ourselves
nature demands that we love those who are related to us
in
the order of parents, children, husbands, wives,
brothers, etc., and help them in proportion to their needs,
and
before helping strangers who are in no greater
distress.
Question 312: Why do these two Commandments of the love
of God
and
of our neighbor contain the whole law of God?
Answer: These
two Commandments of the love of God and of our
neighbor contain the whole law of God because all the
other
Commandments are given either to help us to keep
these
two, or to direct us how to shun what is opposed to
them.
Explanation: Of
the Ten Commandments the first three refer to
Almighty God and the other seven to our neighbor. Thus
all
the Commandments may be reduced to the two of the
love
of God and of the love of our neighbor.
The First
Commandment says you shall worship only the true God;
the
Second says you shall respect His holy name; and the
Third
says you shall worship Him on a certain day.
All
these
are contained therefore in this: Love
God all you
possibly can, for if you do you will keep the first three of
the
Commandments. The Fourth says: Honor your
father-who in the sense of the Commandment can also be
called your neighbor-that is, respect him, help him in his
needs. The Fifth says do not kill
him; namely, your
neighbor. The others say do not
rob him of his goods;
do not
tell lies about him; do not wish unjustly to possess
his
goods and do not covet his wife. Thus it
is clear that
the
last seven are all contained in this:
Love your
neighbor, for if you do you will keep the last seven
Commandments that refer to him.
Question 313: Which are the Commandments of God?
Answer: The
Commandments of God are these ten:
Explanation: I am
the Lord thy God, Who brought thee out of the land
of
Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou
shalt not
have
strange gods before Me. Thou shalt not
make to
thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing that
is in
Heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those
things that are in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt
not
adore them, nor serve them. Thou shalt not take the
name
of the Lord thy God in vain. Remember thou keep
holy
the Sabbath Day. Honor thy father and thy mother.
Thou
shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou
shalt
not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against
thy
neighbor. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.
Thou
shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.
Question 314: Who gave the Ten Commandments?
Answer: God
Himself gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on
Mount
Sinai, and Christ Our Lord confirmed them.
Lesson 30: ON THE FIRST COMMANDMENT
Question 315: What is the First Commandment?
Question 316: How does the First Commandment help us to
keep the
great
Commandment of the love of God?
Question 317: How do we adore God?
Question 318: How may the First Commandment be broken?
Question 319: Do those who make use of spells and charms,
or who
believe in dreams, in mediums, spiritists, fortune tellers,
and
the like, sin against the First Commandment?
Question 320: Are sins against faith, hope, and charity
also sins against
the
First Commandment?
Question 321: How does a person sin against faith?
Question 322: How do we fail to try to know what God has
taught?
Question 323: Who are they who do not believe all that
God has taught?
Question 324: Who are they who neglect to profess their
belief in what
God
has taught?
Question 325: Can they who fail to profess their faith in
the true Church
in
which they believe expect to be saved while in that
state?
Question 326: Are we obliged to make open profession of
our faith?
Question 327: Which are the sins against hope?
Question 328: What is presumption?
Question 329: What is despair?
Question 330: How do we sin against the love of God?
Question 315: What is the First Commandment?
Answer: The
First Commandment is: "I am the
Lord thy God:
thou
shalt not have strange gods before Me:'
Explanation:
"Strange gods." The Israelites
were surrounded on all
sides
by pagan nations who worshipped idols and false
gods,
and sometimes by mingling with these people they
fell
into sin, and, forgetting the true God, worshipped
their idols.
Sometimes, too, they were at war with these
pagan
nations, and when defeated were led captive into
pagan
countries and there fell into the sin of worshipping
false
gods. It was against this sin that God
cautioned His
people in the First Commandment.
From this sin of
idolatry among the Israelites we have an example of the
evil
results of associating with persons not of the true
religion. One would think that
the Israelites, knowing the
true
God, might have converted their pagan neighbors to
the
true religion by the influence of their teaching and
example; but, on the contrary, they lost the true faith
themselves, as nearly always happens in such cases.
How
do we sometimes worship false or strange gods?
By
making dress, money, honor, society, company, or
pleasure our god--that is, by giving up the worship of
God
and sinning for their sake, and thus making them
god,
at least for the time being, by giving them our heart,
mind,
and service.
Question 316: How does the First Commandment help us to
keep the
great
Commandment of the love of God?
Answer: The
First Commandment helps us to keep the great
Commandment of the love of God because it commands
us to
adore God alone.
Question 317: How do we adore God?
Answer: We
adore God by faith, hope, and charity, by prayer and
sacrifice.
Question 318: How may the First Commandment be broken?
Answer: The
First Commandment may be broken by giving to a
creature the honor which belongs to God
alone; by false
worship; and by attributing to a creature a perfection
which
belongs to God alone.
Explanation:
"Creature" -- that is, anything created; anything but God
Himself, for all other persons and
things have been
created. If one knelt before a
king and adored him, he
would
be giving to a creature the honor due to God
alone. "False worship"--that is, worshipping God not as
He
directs us by His Church, but in some ways pleasing
to
ourselves. For example, to sacrifice
animals to God
would
now be false worship; to offer now any of the
sacrifices commanded in the Old Law would be false
worship, because all these were figures of the real
sacrifice of the Cross and Mass, and were to put the
people in mind that one day Christ the promised
Redeemer would offer up the one great sacrifice of His
own
body and blood to blot out all the sins of the world.
And
now that we have the real sacrifice it would be sinful
to
use only figures, and it would be a false worship
displeasing to God. So, too, all
those who leave the true
Church to practice a religion of their own have a false
worship, for they worship God not as He wishes, but as
they
wish.
Explanation:
Heaven is a reward, and when we see how the saints
labored to secure it we must be ashamed of the little we
do
for God. Take out of a whole year--that
is, 365 days
or
8,760 hours-the time you give to the service of God,
and
you will find it very little. Even the
time you spent
at
Mass and prayers was filled with distraction and little
of it
entirely given to God. Since this is
true for one
year,
what will it be for all the years of your life?
Think
of
them all and you will perceive that God, who gave you
all
the time you had, and who on the last day will
demand an exact account of it, will find very little of it
spent
in His honor or in His service. Even the
time
wasted in school and instructions will all stand against
you. Time lost is lost forever,
and you can never make
it
up. Next to grace, time is the most
valuable thing God
gives
us, and we should use it well.
"Attributing to a
creature a perfection" etc.
Persons who go to fortune
tellers do this. Fortune tellers
are persons who pretend to
know
what is going to happen in the future.
We know
from
our religion that only God Himself knows the
future. Neither the angels nor
saints, nor even the
Blessed Virgin, know the future.
Even they could not tell
your
fortune unless God revealed it to them.
So when
you
go to a fortune teller you place the poor sinful person
who
is doing the devil's work above the Blessed Virgin
and
all the saints and angels, and make that wretch equal
to
God Himself. Surely this is a sin, even
if you do not
believe these so--called fortune tellers, but go to them
merely through curiosity or with others. Again, we pay
these
persons for telling us some foolish nonsense, and
thus
encourage them to continue their sinful business.
They
doubtless laugh at the foolishness of those who go
to
them or believe what they say and pay them
generously. You might with as
much sense stop a man
on
the street, ask him to tell your fortune, and hand him
your
money, for he would know as much about it as
so--called fortune tellers do.
Rarely these sinful people
might
tell you something that has happened in your life;
but
if they do, they merely guess at it or are aided by the
devil. The devil did not lose his
intelligence when driven
out
of Heaven, and he uses it now for doing evil.
He has
vast
experience, for he is as old as Adam, or older, and
has
seen and known all the men that have lived in the
world. He can move rapidly
through the world and
easily know what is visibly taking place, so that, strictly
speaking, he could make known to his sinful agents what
is
present or past, but never the future. Thus some
fortune tellers, clairvoyants,
mindreaders, mediums, or
whatever else they call themselves, who are truly in
league with the devil, may by his power tell you the past
of
your life to make you believe that they know also the
future. The past and present in
your life you already
know,
and the future they cannot tell; therefore it is
useless as well as sinful to go to them.
I say only it is
possible
for some fortune tellers to employ the assistance
of
the devil, for all of them, with very rare exception, are
clever impostors who take your money for guessing at
what
they suspect you will be most pleased to hear.
Question 319: Do those who make use of spells and charms,
or who
believe in dreams, in mediums, spiritists, fortune tellers,
and
the like, sin against the First Commandment?
Answer: Those
who make use of spells and charms, or who
believe in dreams, in mediums, spiritists, fortune tellers,
and
the like, sin against the First Commandment, because
they
attribute to creatures perfections which belong to
God alone.
Explanation:
"Spells" are certain words, the saying of which persons
believe will effect for them something wonderful--a
miraculous cure, for instance, or protection from some
evil. "Charms" are
articles worn about the body for the
same
purpose. They may be little black beans,
little
stones of a certain shape, the teeth of animals, etc. In
uncivilized countries the inhabitants use many of these
charms. But you may ask, Are not these medals,
scapulars, etc., that we wear, also charms? No. These
things are blessed and worn in honor of God, of His
Blessed Mother, or of the saints.
We do not expect any
help
from the little piece of brass or cloth we wear, but
from
those in whose honor we wear it, and from the
prayers said in the blessing for those who wear it. But
they
who wear charms expect the help from the thing
itself, which makes their conduct foolish and sinful, since
God
alone can protect from evil. Again, such
things as
medals, crosses, and scapulars are blessed by the Church
and worn by its consent, and it
could never allow all its
children to do a sinful thing. It
is good and praiseworthy,
therefore, to wear the blessed sacramentals in God's
honor; but even with these holy things we must be careful
not
to go too far. It is true the Blessed
Virgin will protect
those
who wear her scapular; but it would be sinful
willfully to expose ourselves to danger without any
necessity, because we wear a scapular. Thus it would be
suicide for a boy who could not swim to plunge into deep
water
because, having his scapulars on, the Blessed
Virgin ought to save him by a miracle.
Again, it is
wrong
to look for miracles from God when natural help
will
answer. Thus it would be wrong for a man
who
broke
his leg to refuse to have the doctors set it, because
he
wanted God alone to heal it.
"Dreams" are caused by
the
mind being at work while the body is sleeping or at
rest. The mind never sleeps; it
is always awake and
working. Thus when we are asleep
the imagination,
without
the reason to guide it, mixes together a number
of
things we have seen, heard, or thought of, and gives
us
strange scenes and pictures. Sometimes what we dream
of
seems to happen; but that is only because we dream so
much
that it would be strange if none of the things ever
happened. We will generally dream
about whatever was
on
our mind shortly before. We read in the
Holy
Scriptures that God at times made known His will to
certain persons by dreams; as when the king of Egypt
dreamt of the great famine that was to come; or when the
angel
appeared in sleep to St. Joseph, telling him to take
Our Lord into Egypt, where Herod the king
could not kill
him.
(Matt. 2).
Explanation: The
dreams mentioned in the Holy Scripture were more
frequently visions than dreams.
In a vision the things we
see
are really present, whereas in dreams they are not,
but
we imagine they are. God no longer makes
use of
dreams as a means of communicating with His creatures,
because His Church will make known to us His will. He
sometimes, however, makes known certain things to His
holy
servants on earth in a very special and private
manner: as, for example, when Our
Lord appeared to
Saint
Margaret Mary and told her He would like to have
the
devotion to the Sacred Heart established.
We must
always believe what the Church tells us God has made
known
to it; but when holy people tell us that God
revealed special things to them, we are not obliged to
believe what they say, unless the Church confirms it. I
say
we are not obliged--that is, we may if we please; but
we
would not be heretics and commit sin if we did not
believe all the revelations and
wonderful things we find
recorded in the lives of saints, though they may all be
true.
Explanation:
"Mediums and spiritists" are persons who pretend they
can
talk with the dead in the other world, and learn where
they
are and what they are doing. They have figures to
move
and apparently speak, and other contrivances to
deceive those who confide in them.
Their work is all
deception and very sinful. If any
of these things could be
done,
or if God wished them to be known, He would give
the
power to the Church founded by His divine Son, and
not
to a few sinful men or women here and there.
After
a
soul leaves the body its fate is hidden from us, and we
can
say nothing with absolute certainty of its reward or
punishment. No one ever came back
from the other
world
to give a minute account of its general appearance
or of
what takes place there. All that is
known about it
the
Church knows and tells us, and all over and above
that
is false or doubtful. By thinking a little
you can see
how
all these dealings with fortune tellers, etc., are giving
to
creatures what belongs to God alone.
Question 320: Are sins against faith, hope, and charity
also sins against
the
First Commandment?
Answer: Sins
against faith, hope, and charity are also sins against
the
First Commandment.
Question 321: How does a person sin against faith?
Answer: A
person sins against faith, first, by not trying to know
what God has taught; second, by
refusing to believe all
that
God has taught; third, by neglecting to profess his
belief in what God has taught.
Explanation:
"Not trying to know."
Thus children who idle their time
at
Sunday school or religious instruction, and do not learn
their
Catechism, sin against faith in the first way.
In like
manner grown persons who do not sometime or other
endeavor to hear sermons or instructions, to attend
missions or learn from good books, sin against faith.
"Refusing to believe," as all those do who leave the true
religion, or who, knowing it, do not embrace it.
"Neglecting to profess."
We may do this by not living up
to
the practice of our holy religion. We
believe, for
example, we should hear Mass every Sunday and holy
day;
we should receive the Sacraments at certain times in
the
year; but if we only believe these things and do not
do
them, we neglect to profess our faith, neglect to show
others that we really believe all the Church teaches, and
are
anxious to practice it. Many know and
believe what
they
should do, but never practice it. Such
persons do
great
injury to the Church, for persons who do not live
up to
their holy religion but act contrary to its teaching
give
scandal to their neighbor. How many
persons at
present not Catholics would be induced to enter the true
Church if they saw all Catholics virtuous, truthful, sober,
honest, upright, and industrious!
But when they see
Catholics--be they ever so few--cursing, quarrelling,
backbiting, drinking, lying, stealing, cheating, etc.--in a
word,
indulging in the same vices as those who claim to
have no religion, what must they think of the
moral
influence of Catholic faith? Thus
they do great injustice
to
the Church and the cause of religion, and are working
against our Blessed Lord when they should be working
for
Him.
Explanation: The
Christian religion spread very rapidly through the
world
in the first ages of its existence; and one of the
chief
reasons was the good example given by the
Christians; for pagans seeing the holy lives,
the kindness
and
charity of their Christian neighbors, could not help
admiring and loving them, and wishing to be members of
the
Church that made them so good and amiable.
How
many
pagans do you think would be converted nowadays
by
the lives of some who call themselves Catholics? Not
many,
I think. Besides this, the early
Christians really
labored to instruct others in the Christian religion, and to
make
them converts. Often we find
servants--even
slaves--by their instructions converting their pagan
masters and mistresses. They all
felt that they were
missionaries working for Jesus Christ,
and their influence
reached where the priest's influence could not reach,
because they came in contact with persons the priests
never
had an opportunity of seeing. If all
Catholics had
the
same spirit, what good they could do!
Their business
or
duty may often bring them into daily intercourse with
persons not of their faith, and who never knew or perhaps
heard
any of the beautiful truths of our holy religion.
Yes,
Catholics could do much good if they had only the
good
will and knew their religion well. I do not mean that
they
should be always discussing religion with everyone
they
meet. Let them preach chiefly by the
example of
their
own good lives, and when questioned explain
modestly and sincerely the truths they believe.
Explanation: If
you should be asked, for instance: Why
do you not eat
flesh-meat on Friday? you should be able to answer:
"Because I am a Christian and wish to keep always before
my
mind how our Blessed Lord suffered for me in His
holy
flesh on that day; and anyone who claims to be a
Christian, ought, I think, to be glad to do what reminds
him
so regularly and well of Our Lord's Passion." Such
an
answer if given kindly and mildly would silence and
instruct your adversary; it might make him reflect, and
might, in time, bring him to the true religion. Sometimes
a few
words make a great impression and bring about
conversion. St. Francis Xavier
was a worldly young
man,
learned and ambitious, and he heard from St.
Ignatius these words of Our Lord:
"What doth it profit a
man
if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his
own
soul?" He went home and kept
thinking of them till
they
impressed him so strongly that he gave up the world,
became a priest and by his labors and preaching in India,
converted to the true religion many thousand pagans. In
the
lives of the saints there are many examples of a few
words, by God's grace, bringing men from a life of sin
to a
life of great holiness.
Question 322: How do we fail to try to know what God has
taught?
Answer: We
fail to try to know what God has taught by neglecting
to
learn the Christian doctrine.
Question 323: Who are they who do not believe all that
God has taught?
Answer: They
who do not believe all that God has taught are the
heretics and infidels.
Explanation: There
are many kinds of unbelievers: atheists,
deists,
infidels, heretics, apostates, and schismatics. An atheist
is
one who denies the existence of God, saying there is
no
God. A deist is one who says he believes God exists,
but
denies that God ever revealed any religion.
These are
also
called freethinkers. An infidel properly
means one
who has never been baptized--one who is
not of the
number of the faithful; that is, those believing in Christ.
Sometimes atheists are called infidels.
Heretics are those
who
were baptized and who claim to be Christians, but
do
not believe all the truths that Our Lord has taught.
They
accept only a portion of the doctrine of Christ and
reject the remainder, and hence they become rebellious
children of the Church. They
belong to the true Church
by
being baptized, but do not submit to its teaching and
are
therefore outcast children, disinherited till they return
to
the true faith. A schismatic is one who
believes
everything the Church teaches, but will not submit to the
authority of its head--the Holy Father.
Such persons do
not
long remain only schismatics; for once they rise up
against the authority of the Church, they soon reject some
of
its doctrines and thus become heretics; and indeed,
since
Vatican Council I, all schismatics are heretics.
Question 324: Who are they who neglect to profess their
belief in what
God
has taught?
Answer: They
who neglect to profess their belief in what God has
taught are all those who fail to acknowledge the true
Church in which they really believe.
Explanation: There
are some outside the Church who feel and believe
that
the Catholic Church is the true Church, and yet they
do
not become Catholics, because there are so many
difficulties in the way. For
example, they have been
brought up in another religion, and
all their friends,
relatives, or associates are opposed to the Catholic
religion. Their business, their
social life, their worldly
interests will all suffer if they become Catholics. So,
although they feel they should at once embrace the true
religion, they keep putting off till death comes and finds
them
outside the Church--and most probably guilty of
other
mortal sins. Such persons cannot be
saved, for they
reject all the graces God bestows upon them. A very
common fault with such people is to excuse this conduct
by
saying: Oh! I was brought up in the
Protestant
religion, and everyone ought to live in the religion in
which
he was brought up. Let me ask: If
persons were
brought up with some bodily deformity that their parents
neglected to have remedied while they were young,
would
they not use every means themselves to have the
deformity removed as soon as they became old enough to
see
and understand their misfortune? In like
manner, if
unfortunately
parents bring up their children in a false
religion--that is, with spiritual deformities, it is the duty
of
the children to embrace the true religion as soon as
they
know it. Again persons will say: Oh, I
believe one
religion as good as another; we are all Christians, and all
trying to serve God. If one
religion is as good as
another, why did not Our Lord allow the old
religions--false or true--to remain?
If one man says a
thing
is black and another says it is white, they cannot
both
be right, for a thing cannot be black and white at the
same
time. Only one can be right; and, if we
are anxious
about the color of the object, we
must try to find which
one
is right. Just in the same way all the religions that
claim
to be Christian contradict one another; one says a
thing
is false and another says it is true:
one says Our
Lord
taught so and so and another says He did not.
Now
since
it is very important for us to know which is right,
we
must find out which is really the Church Our Lord
established; and when we have found it we
will know that
all
the other pretended Christian religions must be false.
Our
Lord has given us marks by which we can know His
Church, as we saw while speaking of the marks of the
Church; and the Roman Catholic Church is the only
Church that has all these marks.
We say that we are
Roman
Catholics to show that we are in communion with
the
Church of Rome, established by St. Peter, the chief
of
the Apostles.
Question 325: Can they who fail to profess their faith in
the true Church
in
which they believe expect to be saved while in that
state?
Explanation:
Answer:
They
who fail to profess their faith in the true Church in
which
they believe cannot expect to be saved while in that
state, for Christ has said:
"Whoever shall deny Me
before men, I will also deny him before My Father who
is in
Heaven."
Question 326: Are we obliged to make open profession of
our faith?
Answer: We
are obliged to make open profession of our faith as
often
as God's honor, our neighbor's spiritual good, or
our
own requires it. "Whosoever,"
says Christ, "shall
confess Me before men, I will also confess him before
My
Father who is in Heaven."
Explanation: It is
not necessary for us to proclaim in the streets that we
are
Catholics; neither need we tell our religion to
impudent people that may ask us only to insult us; but
when
a real need of professing our faith presents itself,
then
we must profess it. Suppose you are
stopping in a
hotel
in which you are the only Catholic. If
flesh-meat is
placed before you on a Friday in Lent you must quietly
push
it aside and ask for fish or other food; although by
so
doing you will show that you are a Catholic and make
a
silent profession of your faith. God's
honor and your
own
good require it, for you must keep the laws of God
and
of His Church on every possible occasion.
Suppose
again
there were in the same hotel some indifferent
Catholics, socially your equals or inferiors, who through
human
respect were ashamed to go to Mass on Sunday;
then you should publicly go to Mass and even
declare
that
you must go, for by so doing you would encourage
these
indifferent Catholics to follow your example. In that
case
your neighbor's good requires that you profess your
faith. In a word, you must keep
up the practice of your
religion even if by so doing you have to make an open
profession of your faith and suffer for it. But suppose it
is
something that God or the Church does not command
you
to do but only recommends, such as blessing yourself
before meals or some pious practice, you could in public
omit
such an action if you pleased without any sin or
denial of faith, because you violate no law.
Question 327: Which are the sins against hope?
Answer: The
sins against hope are presumption and despair.
Question 328: What is presumption?
Answer:
Presumption is a rash expectation of salvation without
making proper use of the necessary means to obtain it.
Explanation: A
person who goes on leading a bad life, and says when
warned of his danger that he is in no hurry to reform,
that he will repent some day before he dies,
is always
living in and committing the sin of presumption. It is a
great
sin, for it is living in open defiance of Almighty
God. Such persons are very seldom
given the
opportunity to repent at the last moment, and are, in most
cases, called to judgment when they least expect it. We
are
all presumptuous sometimes. Do we not
often, when
we
have fallen into a certain sin, easily repeat the act,
saying to ourselves, now that we will have to confess the
sin
committed, the mention of the number of times will
not
make such difference for it will not increase our
shame and confusion? This is presumption; for we do
not
know whether God will ever give us the opportunity
of
making a confession. Again, one mortal sin is
sufficient to keep our souls in Hell for all eternity; what
then
will be our punishment for many mortal sins?
Then
there
is another thing you should remember:
God has
fixed
a certain number of sins that He will suffer you to
commit before He sends His punishment.
You do not
know
which sin will complete the number and be the last.
The
very sin you are now about to commit may be that
one,
and the moment you have committed it, God will
call you to judgment, whether it be night
or day, whether
you
are at home or in the streets--though perhaps not
immediately, but before you commit another sin. Such a
thought alone should keep you from sinning. Moreover,
after
confession you strongly resist the first temptation to
mortal sin, but after you have yielded to the first you
scarcely make any more resistance, but easily yield again
and again. You should therefore, to prevent this, go to
confession just as soon as you possibly can after falling
into
mortal sin. It is bad enough to commit
mortal sin,
but
it is terrible to be living in that state day and
night--always an enemy of God--losing the merit of all the
works
you do and yet you must stay in that state of sin
till
you go to confession and receive absolution.
Peter the
Apostle committed the sin of presumption. (Matt. 26).
Our
Lord told him to watch and pray for he would be
tempted and yield that night, but Peter said: "No Lord,
I
will never deny Thee." Instead of
begging Our Lord's
help
and grace, he trusted to himself and fell miserably
into
sin. He went into dangerous company and
that was
another cause of his fall. But
afterwards he saw his sin
and
folly and never ceased to repent of it.
Question 329: What is despair?
Answer:
Despair is the loss of hope in God's mercy.
Explanation:
Despair is a sin because by it you deny that God is
infinitely merciful--that He is merciful enough to forgive
even
your many and great sins if you are truly sorry for
them. Judas committed the sin of
despair. After he had
betrayed Our Lord, he went and hanged himself, thus
committing, besides the sin of betraying his divine
Master, two other great sins; namely, despair in God's
mercy
and suicide. If he had gone to Our Lord
and
confessed his sin, and implored pardon and promised
penance, can we doubt that He would have forgiven even
Judas, as He forgave Peter, and those that crucified Him,
praying that His Father might not punish them for their
sins? Therefore, no matter what
sins you have
committed, never lose confidence in God's
mercy. See
how
Our Lord pardoned the thief on the cross and Mary
Magdalen and other sinners. Be
sorry for your sins, and
God
will hear your prayers. Call upon the
Blessed
Virgin, your patron saint, and guardian angel to help you,
and
ask others, especially good persons, to pray for you.
Question 330: How do we sin against the love of God?
Answer: We
sin against the love of God by all sin, but particularly
by
mortal sin.
Lesson 31: THE FIRST COMMANDMENT
--
ON THE HONOR AND INVOCATION OF SAINTS
Question 331: Does the First Commandment forbid the
honoring of the
saints?
Question 332: Does the First Commandment forbid us to
pray to the
saints?
Question 333: What do we mean by praying to the saints?
Question 334: How do we know that the saints hear us?
Question 335: Why do we believe that the saints will help
us?
Question 336: How are the saints and we members of the
same Church?
Question 337: What is the communion of the members of the
Church
called?
Question 338: What does the communion of saints mean?
Question 339: What benefits are derived from the
communion of saints?
Question 340: Does the First Commandment forbid us to
honor relics?
Question 341: Does the First Commandment forbid the
making of
images?
Question 342: Is it right to show respect to the pictures
and images of
Christ and His saints?
Question 343: Is it allowed to pray to the crucifix or to
the images and
relics of the saints?
Question 344: Why do we pray before the crucifix and the
images and
relics of the saints?
Question 331: Does the First Commandment forbid the
honoring of the
saints?
Answer: The
First Commandment does not forbid the honoring of
the
saints, but rather approves of it; because by honoring
the
saints. who are the chosen friends of God, we honor
God
Himself.
Explanation: Think
of the many helps God gives us to save our souls:
an
angel to be always with us upon earth; a saint always
praying for us in Heaven, and
besides these all the
graces, the Sacraments, the Masses, the prayers, etc. If
then
we lose our soul, surely we cannot say, God did not
give
us sufficient help. "Invocation" means calling upon
them
to help us. Everyone is pleased when his
friends
are
honored. Who is not glad to hear his
parents praised
or
see them respected? By praying to the
saints, instead
of dishonoring God--as Protestants say we
do--we really
honor
Him more than by praying directly to Himself We
show
that we believe in His great dignity, His awful
majesty and our own nothingness.
If a poor person
wanted to obtain a favor from the President of the United
States, would he go directly to the President himself?
No.
He would find someone who had influence with the
President, and ask him to obtain the favor. Why, the
very
persons that say we should not use the influence of
saints do themselves use the influence of others to obtain
favors. They never go to an enemy
of the one from
whom
they desire the favor, but to some of his friends,
knowing that a person will often grant a favor for a
friend's sake that he would not grant for the sake of
others. Now we do exactly the
same when we pray to
the
saints. they are the special friends of
God. They
fasted, prayed, preached, labored, or suffered death for
His
honor and glory. He showed them great
favors while
they
were upon earth. He performed miracles
at their
request. Will He deny them now,
when they are always
present with Him in Heaven -- where they could not
possibly sin? He loves to grant
them favors; and, as they
do
not need any for themselves, He grants them for
others through their intercession.
Again men are honored
by
the praises of their fellowman. A great general is
honored by having all his countrymen praise him; so, too,
God
wants His saints honored, for their great spiritual
deeds, by the praise of the children of the Church. God
is
not annoyed by being asked for favors. Nothing can
trouble Him, for all is done by an act of His will. He
loses
nothing by giving, for He is infinite.
By praying to
the
saints for help we confess that we are too unworthy to
present ourselves to God and address Him--to come
before His awful Majesty, and that we
will wait here in
the
humble attitude of prayer while you, holy saints, His
dearest friends, go into His presence and ask for us the
favors and graces we require.
Question 332: Does the First Commandment forbid us to
pray to the
saints?
Answer: The
First Commandment does not forbid us to pray to the
saints.
Explanation: We do
not pray to them as to God. We never say
to
them,
"Give us this or that," but always, "Obtain it for
us" In all the litanies you cannot find one petition where
we
say, even to the Blessed Virgin:
"Have mercy on
us," but, "Pray for us," or, "Intercede for
us."
Question 333: What do we mean by praying to the saints?
Answer: By
praying to the saints we mean the asking of their help
and
prayers.
Question 334: How do we know that the saints hear us?
Answer: We
know that the saints hear us, because they are with
God,
who makes our prayers known to them.
Question 335: Why do we believe that the saints will help
us?
Answer: We
believe that the saints will help us because both they
and we are members of the same
Church, and they love
us as
their brethren.
Question 336: How are the saints and we members of the
same Church?
Answer: The
saints and we are members of the same Church,
because
the Church in Heaven and the Church on earth
are
one and the same Church, and all its members are in
communion with one another.
Question 337: What is the communion of the members of the
Church
called?
Answer: The
communion of the members of the Church is called
the
communion of saints.
Question 338: What does the communion of saints mean?
Answer: The
communion of saints means the union which exists
between
the members of the Church on earth with one
another and with the blessed in Heaven and with the
suffering souls in Purgatory.
Question 339: What benefits are derived from the
communion of saints?
Answer: The
following benefits are derived from the communion
of
saints: the faithful on earth assist one
another by their
prayers and good works, and they are aided by the
intercession of the saints in Heaven, while both the saints
in
Heaven and the faithful on earth help the souls in
Purgatory.
Question 340: Does the First Commandment forbid us to
honor relics?
Answer: The
First Commandment does not forbid us to honor
relics, because relics are the bodies of the
saints or
objects directly connected with them or with Our Lord.
Explanation:
"Relic" means a thing left.
Relics are pieces of the body
--
bones, etc. Pieces of saints' clothing,
writing, etc., are
also
called relics. Pieces of the True Cross, the nails that
pierced Christ's hands, etc., are relics of Our Lord's
Passion. We have no relic of Our
Lord's Body because
He
took it into Heaven with Him when He ascended.
All
relics of the saints must be examined at Rome, by those
whom
the Holy Father has appointed for that work. They
must
be marked and accompanied by the testimony of the
Cardinals, or others who examined them, to show that
they
are true relics. It would be
superstitious to use
anything as a relic unless we were sure of its being
genuine.
Question 341: Does the First Commandment forbid the
making of
images?
Answer: The
First Commandment does forbid the making of
images if they are made to be adored as gods, but it does
not
forbid the making of them to put us in mind of Jesus
Christ, His Blessed Mother, and the saints.
Explanation:
Protestants and others say that Catholics break the First
Commandment by having images in their churches,
because the First Commandment says:
"Thou shalt not
make
graven images or the likeness of anything upon the
earth," etc. Now, if that is exactly what the
Commandment means, then they break it also, because
they
make the images of generals, statesmen, writers,
etc.,
and place them in their parks. They also
take
photographs of their relatives and friends and hang them
on
the walls of their homes. They do this,
they say, and
we
believe them, to show their respect and veneration for
the
persons represented, and not to worship their images.
Now
we do no more. We simply place in our
churches
the
images of saints to show our respect and veneration
for
the persons they represent, and not to worship the
images themselves. So if we break
the First
Commandment, they who make any picture or statue
break
it also. Can our accusers not see that they and
every
citizen do the very thing for which they reproach
us?
On Decoration Day they place flowers around the
statue of Washington and other great men. Does anyone
believe that they are trying to honor the
piece of metal or
stone, or that the metal or stone statue knows that it is
being
honored? Certainly not. They do so to honor
Washington or whomsoever the statue represents; and for
the
same reason Catholics place flowers and lights around
the
statues and images of saints. Every
child knows that
the
wood in the statue might as well have been a pillar in
the
Church, and that its selection for a statue was merely
accidental, and hence he knows that the statue cannot
hear
or see him, and so he prays not to the statue but to
the
person it represents. Again if you can
offer a person
insult by dishonoring his image, may we not honor him
by
treating it with respect? What greater
insult, for
instance, could be offered to your deceased father and
yourself than to burn him in effigy, or contemptuously
trample his picture under foot in your presence? Thus
they
who treat the images of Christ or His saints with
disrespect dishonor Christ and His saints.
Explanation: Again
we may learn our religion by our sight as well as
by
our hearing, and may be led by these visible objects
to a
knowledge of the invisible things they represent. Let
us
take an example. A poor ignorant man
enters a
Catholic church, and sees hanging there a picture of St.
Vincent de Paul. He can learn the
life of the saint from
that
picture almost as well as if he read it in a book. He
sees
the saint dressed in a cassock, and that tells him St.
Vincent was a priest. He sees him
surrounded by little
ragged children and holding some of them in his arms;
that
tells him the saint took care of poor children and
orphans, and founded homes and asylums for them. He
sees
on the saint's table a human skull, and that tells him
St.
Vincent frequently meditated upon death and what
follows it. He sees beside the
skull a little lash or whip,
and
that tells him the saint was a man who practiced
penance and mortification. Thus you have another reason
why
the true Church is very properly called Catholic;
because its teaching suits all classes of
persons. The
ignorant can know what it teaches as well as the learned;
for
if they cannot read they can listen to its priests, watch
its
ceremonies, and study its pictures, by all of which it
teaches. The Protestant religion,
on the contrary, is not
adapted to the needs of every class, for it teaches that all
must
find their doctrines in the Bible, and understand
them according to their lights, giving
their own
interpretation to the passages of the sacred text; and thus
we
come to have a variety of Protestant denominations,
all
claiming the Bible for their guide, though following
different paths. If every
Protestant has the right to take
his
own meaning out of the Holy Scripture, what right
have
Protestant ministers to preach the meaning they have
found, and compel others to accept it?
The Bible alone
is
not sufficient. It must be explained by
the Church that
teaches us also the traditions that have come down to us
from
the Apostles. If the Bible alone were the
rule of our
faith, what would become of all those who could not read
the
Bible? What would become of those who
lived before
the
Apostles wrote the New Testament? for they did not
write
in the first years of their ministry, neither did they
commit to writing all the truths they taught, because Our
Lord
did not command them to write, but to preach; and
He
Himself never wrote any of His doctrines.
Again
Catholics are accused of superstition for keeping the relics
of
saints. Yet when General Grant died and
was buried
in
New York, many citizens of every denomination,
anxious to have a relic of the great man they loved and
admired, secured, even at a cost, small pieces of wood
from
his house, of cloth from his funeral car, a few
leaves or a little sand from his tomb.
Now, if it was not
superstition
to keep these relics, why should it be
superstition to keep the relics of the saints?
Explanation: Even
God Himself honored the relics of saints, for He
has
often performed or granted miracles through their
use. We read in the Bible (4 Kings 13:21) -- and
it is the
word
of God -- that once some persons who were burying
a
dead man, seeing their enemies coming upon them,
hastily cast the body into a tomb and fled. It was the
tomb
of the holy prophet Eliseus, and when the dead
body
touched the bones of this great servant of God, the
dead
man came to life and stood erect. Here
is at least
one
miracle that God performed through the relics of a
saint.
Explanation: God
does not forbid the mere making of images, but only
the
making of them as gods. He gave the
Commandments to Moses and afterwards told him to
make
images; namely, angels of gold for the temple. (Ex.
25:18). Now, God does not change
His mind or
contradict Himself as men do.
Whatever He does is done
forever. Therefore if He commanded
Moses by the First
Commandment not to make any images, He could not tell
him
later to make some. It is not the mere
making,
therefore, that God forbids, but the adoring. What He
insists upon is: "You shall
not adore or serve the images
you
make." This is very clear if we
consider the history
of
the Israelites, to whom God first gave the law.
They
were
the only nation in the whole world that knew and
worshipped the true God, and often, as I told you, they
fell
into idolatry and really worshipped images. When
Moses
delayed on the mountain with God, and they
thought he was not coming back, they made a golden calf
and
adored it as a god. (Ex. 32).
Explanation: The
Israelites fell into idolatry chiefly by associating with
persons not of the true religion.
Let us learn from their
sins
never to run the risk of weakening or losing our faith
by
making bosom friends and steady companions of those
not
of the true religion or of no religion at all.
You are
not,
however, to treat any person with contempt or to
despise anyone, but to look upon all as the children of
God,
and pray for those not of the true religion, that they
may
be converted and saved.
Question 342: Is it right to show respect to the pictures
and images of
Christ and His saints?
Answer: It is
right to show respect to the pictures and images of
Christ and His saints, because they are the representations
and
memorials of them.
Question 343: Is it allowed to pray to the crucifix or to
the images and
relics of the saints?
Answer: It is
not allowed to pray to the crucifix or images and
relics of the saints, for they have no life, nor power to
help us, nor sense to hear us.
Question 344: Why do we pray before the crucifix and the
images and
relics of the saints?
Answer: We
pray before the crucifix and the images and relics of
the
saints because they enliven our devotion by exciting
pious
affections and desires, and by reminding us of
Christ and of the saints, that we may imitate their
Lesson
32: FROM THE SECOND TO THE FOURTH
COMMANDMENT
Question 345: What is the Second Commandment?
Question 346: What are we commanded by the Second
Commandment?
Question 347: What is an oath?
Question 348: When may we take an oath?
Question 349: What is necessary to make an oath lawful?
Question 350: What is a vow?
Question 351: Is it a sin not to fulfill our vows?
Question 352: What is forbidden by the Second
Commandment?
Question 353: What is the Third Commandment?
Question 354: What are we commanded by the Third
Commandment?
Question 355: How are we to worship God on Sundays and
holy days of
obligation?
Question 356: Are the Sabbath day and the Sunday the
same?
Question 357: Why does the Church command us to keep the
Sunday
holy
instead of the Sabbath?
Question 358: What is forbidden by the Third Commandment?
Question 359: What are servile works?
Question 360: Are servile works on Sunday ever lawful?
Question 345: What is the Second Commandment?
Answer: The
Second Commandment is: Thou shalt not
take the
name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Explanation:
"In vain" -- that is, without necessity.
Question 346: What are we commanded by the Second
Commandment?
Answer: We
are commanded by the Second Commandment to
speak
with reverence of God and of the saints, and of all
holy
things, and to keep our lawful oaths and vows.
Explanation: A
very common sin against this Commandment is to use
the
words and sayings of Holy Scripture in a worldly or
bad sense. The Church forbids us to use the words and
sayings of Holy Scripture to convey any meaning but the
one
God intended them to convey, or at least to use them
in
any but a sacred sense.
Question 347: What is an oath?
Answer: An
oath is the calling upon God to witness the truth of
what
we say.
Explanation: We
declare a thing to be so or not, and call God to be
our
witness that we are speaking truly. This
is one of the
most
solemn acts that men can perform in the presence of
their
fellowman. All the nations of the earth
regard an
oath
as a most sacred thing, and one who swears falsely
is
the vilest of men--a perjurer. God is
infinite truth and
hates
lies. What a frightful thing then to
call Him to
sanction a lie!
Question 348: When may we take an oath?
Answer: We
may take an oath when it is ordered by lawful
authority or required for God's honor or for our own or
our
neighbor's good.
Explanation: An
oath is generally taken in a court of law when the
judge
wishes to find out the truth of the case.
We may
be a
witness against one who is guilty, or in defense of an
innocent person, and in such cases a lie would have most
evil
consequences. The judge has a right,
therefore, to
make
us take an oath that we will testify truly.
Officers
of
the law, magistrates, judges, etc., take an oath when
entering upon their duties that they will perform them
faithfully.
Question 349: What is necessary to make an oath lawful?
Answer: To
make an oath lawful it is necessary that what we
swear
be true, and that there be a sufficient cause for
taking an oath.
Question 350: What is a vow?
Answer: A vow
is a deliberate promise made to God to do
something that is pleasing to Him.
Explanation:
"Deliberate" -- that is, with full consent and freedom. If
we
are forced to make it, it is not valid.
"To God," not
to
another; though we may vow to God that we will do
something in honor of the Blessed Virgin, or of the
saints, or for another.
"Something pleasing," because if
we
promise something that is forbidden by God or
displeasing
to Him, it is not a vow. A solemn
promise,
for
instance, to kill your neighbor or steal his goods could
not
be a vow. You would commit a sin by
making such
a
vow, and another by keeping it, for if you promise
something you cannot do without committing sin then you
must
not keep that promise. We have an
example in the
life
of St. John the Baptist. King Herod was
leading a
sinful life, and St. John rebuked him for it. The wife of
the
king's brother -- Herodias was her name -- hated St.
John
for this, and she sought to have him killed.
Once
when
the king had a great feast and all his notables were
assembled, this woman's daughter
danced before them,
and
the king was so pleased with her that he vowed to
give
her whatever she asked. He should have
said, if it
is
something pleasing to God, but he did not.
Her mother
made
her ask for the head of John the Baptist.
The king
was
sad, but because he had made the vow or promise he
thought he had to keep it, and ordered St. John to be
beheaded and his head brought to her. (Matt. 14). He
was
not bound to keep any such vow, and sinned by
doing
so.
Explanation:
Again, they also commit sin who become members of
such
secret societies as the freemasons or similar
organizations, promising to do whatever they are ordered
without knowing what may be ordered; for they sin not
only
by obeying sinful commands, but by the very fact of
being
in a society in which they are exposed to the
danger of being forced to sin.
Such secret societies are
forbidden by the Church because they strive to undermine
its
authority, and make their rules superior to its teaching.
They
also influence those in authority to persecute the
Church and its ministers, and do not hesitate to
recommend even assassination at times for the
accomplishment of their ends.
Therefore the Church
forbids Catholics to join societies of which
Explanation: the
objects are unlawful, where the means used are sinful,
or
where the rights of our conscience and liberty are
violated by rash or dangerous oaths.
Explanation: The
Church does not oppose associations founded on law
and
justice; but on the contrary, has always encouraged
and
still encourages every organization that tends to
benefit its members spiritually and temporally, and
opposes only societies that have not a legitimate end.
Therefore you may understand that labor unions and
benefit societies in which persons are leagued together for
their own protection or the protection
of their interests are
not
secret societies, though they may conduct their
meetings in secret.
Question 351: Is it a sin not to fulfill our vows?
Answer: Not
to fulfill our vows is a sin, mortal or venial according
to
the nature of the vow and the intention we had in
making it.
Explanation:
"Vows" -- that is, lawful vows. When a man who is in
the
habit of getting intoxicated vows not to take liquor for
a
certain time, he generally intends to bind himself only
under
venial sin; that is, if he breaks that pledge or
promise it will be a venial and not a mortal sin; but he
can make it a mortal sin by intending,
when he takes the
pledge, that if he breaks it he will be guilty of mortal sin.
Question 352: What is forbidden by the Second
Commandment?
Answer: The
Second Commandment forbids all false, rash, unjust,
and
unnecessary oaths, blasphemy, cursing, and profane
words.
Explanation:
"Rash" -- swearing a thing is true or false without
knowing for certain whether it is or not. "Blasphemy" is
not the same as cursing or taking
God's name in vain. It
is
worse. It is to say or do something very
disrespectful
to
God. To say that He is unjust, cruel or
the like, is to
blaspheme. We can blaspheme also
by actions. To defy
God
by a sign or action, to dare Him to strike us dead,
etc.,
would be blasphemy. We have a terrible
example
of
blasphemy related in the life of Julian the Apostate.
An apostate is one who renounces and gives
up his
religion, not one who merely neglects it. Julian was a
Roman
emperor and had been a Catholic, but apostatized.
Then
in his great hatred for Our Lord he wished to falsify
His
prophecies and prove them untrue. Our
Lord had
said
that of the temple of Jerusalem there would not be
left
a stone upon a stone. To make this false
Julian began
to
rebuild the temple. In making the
preparation he
cleared away the ruins of the old building, not leaving a
single stone upon a stone, and thus was instrumental
himself in verifying the words of Our Lord; for while the
ruins remained there were stones
upon stones. He wished
to
defy God, but when he began to build, fire came forth
from
the earth and drove back the workmen, and a strong
wind
scattered the materials. Afterwards
Julian was
wounded in battle, an arrow having pierced his breast.
He
drew it out, and throwing a handful of his blood
toward heaven, said: "Thou
hast conquered, 0 Galilean,"
meaning Our Lord. This was a
horrible
blasphemy--throwing his blood in defiance, and calling
the
Son of God a name which he thought would be
insulting (see Fredet's Modern History, Life of Julian).
Therefore
we can blaspheme by actions or words, doing
or
saying things intended to insult Almighty God.
"Profane words" -- that is, bad, but especially irreverent
and
irreligious words.
Question 353: What is the Third Commandment?
Answer: The
Third Commandment is: Remember thou keep
holy
the
Sabbath day.
Question 354: What are we commanded by the Third
Commandment?
Answer: By
the Third Commandment we are commanded to keep
holy the Lord's Day and the holy
days of obligation, on
which
we are to give our time to the service and worship
of
God.
Explanation:
"Holy days" we are bound to keep holy just in the same
manner
we do Sundays -- that is, by hearing Mass and
refraining from servile works.
Those who after hearing
Mass
must attend to business or work on those days
should make this known to their confessor, that he may
judge
if they have a sufficient excuse for engaging in
servile works, and thus they will avoid the danger of
sinfully violating an important law.
There must always
be a
good reason for working on a holy day.
Those who
are
so situated that they can readily refrain from servile
work
on holy days must do so. And, where it
is
possible, the same opportunity must be afforded to their
servants.
Explanation:
"Of obligation," because there are some holy days not of
obligation. We celebrate them,
but we are not bound
under
pain of mortal sin to hear Mass or keep from
servile works on such days. For
example, St. Patrick's
Day
is not a holy day of obligation. The
great feast of
Corpus Christi is not a holy day of obligation. Not
satisfied with doing only what the Church obliges us to
do on
Sundays and holy days, those who really love God
will
endeavor to do more than the bare works
commanded. Sunday is a day of
rest and prayer. While
we
may take innocent and useful amusement, we should
not join in any public or noisy
entertainments. We may
rest
and recreate ourselves, but we should avoid every
place
where vulgar and sometimes sinful amusements,
scenes, or plays are presented.
Even in taking lawful
recreation we may serve God and please Him if we take
it to
strengthen our bodies that we may be enabled to do
the
work He has assigned to us in this world.
Explanation:
Sunday is well spent by those who, after hearing Mass.
devote some part of the day to good works, such as pious
reading, teaching in Sunday school, bringing relief to the
poor
and sick, visiting the Blessed Sacrament, attending
Vespers, Rosary, etc. Not that I mean they should do
nothing but pray on Sundays; but they should not give the
whole
day to useless enjoyment or idleness, and forget
God. Some begrudge God even the
half--hour they are
obliged to give to Mass on Sundays:
they stand near the
door,
ready to be the first out, and perhaps were the last
in;
or they come late, and do not give the full time
necessary to hear the entire Mass.
Others spend the
whole
day in reading newspapers, magazines, or useless
-- I
will not say sinful -- books. It is not
a sin to read
newspapers, etc., on Sunday; but to give the whole time
to
them, and never read anything good and instructive, is
a
willful waste of time--and waste of time is sinful. There
should be in every family, according to its means, one or
more
good Catholic newspapers or magazines.
Not all
papers that bear the name of Catholic are worthy of it.
A
truly Catholic paper is one that teaches or defends
Catholic truth, and warns us against its enemies, their
snares, deceptions, etc.; one, too,
that tells us what is
being
done in the interests of religion, education, etc.
Besides such a paper there should be a few standard good
books
in every family such as the New Testament, the
Imitation of Christ, a large and full catechism of Christian
doctrine, etc. On the other hand,
all the books in your
house
need not be books treating of religion or piety.
Any book that is not against faith or morals
may be kept
and
read. A book may not be bad in itself,
but it may be
bad
for you, either because it is suggestive of evil, or you
misunderstand it, and take evil out of it. In such a case
you
should not read it. At the present time
there are so
many
bad books that persons should be very careful as to
what
they read.
Explanation: Not
only should we keep Sunday well ourselves, but we
should endeavor to have it so kept by others. We must
be
careful, however, not to fall into the mistake of some
who
wish the Sunday to be kept as the Pharisees of old
kept
the Sabbath, telling us we must not walk, ride, sail,
or
take any exercise or enjoyment on that day.
This is
not
true, for Our Lord rebuked the Pharisees for such
excessive rigor; God made the Sunday for our benefit,
and
if we had to keep it as they say we must, it would be
more
of a punishment than a benefit.
Question 355: How are we to worship God on Sundays and
holy days of
obligation?
Answer: We
are to worship God on Sundays and holy days of
obligation by hearing Mass, by prayer, and by other good
works.
Question 356: Are the Sabbath day and the Sunday the
same?
Answer: The
Sabbath day and the Sunday are not the same. The
Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, and is the day
which
was kept holy in the Old . Law; the Sunday is the
first
day of the week, and is the day which is kept holy in
the
New Law.
Explanation:
"Old Law" means the law that God gave to the Jews, the
New
Law, the law that Our Lord gave to Christians.
Question 357: Why does the Church command us to keep the
Sunday
holy
instead of the Sabbath?
Answer: The Church commands us to keep the Sunday
holy
instead of the Sabbath because on Sunday Christ rose
from
the dead, and on Sunday He sent the Holy Ghost
upon
the Apostles.
Explanation: We
keep Sunday instead of Saturday also to teach that the
Old
Law is not now binding upon us, but that we must
keep
the New Law, which takes its place.
Question 358: What is forbidden by the Third Commandment?
Answer: The
Third Commandment forbids all unnecessary servile
work
and whatever else may hinder the due observance
of
the Lord's day.
Question 359: What are servile works?
Answer:
Servile works are those which require labor rather of
body than of mind.
Explanation:
"Servile" -- that is, work which was formerly done by the
slaves. Therefore writing, reading, studying, etc., are not
servile, because they were not the works of slaves.
Question 360: Are servile works on Sunday ever lawful?
Answer:
Servile works are lawful on Sunday when the honor of
God,
the good of our neighbor, or necessity requires
them.
Explanation:
"Honor of God"; for example, erecting an altar that could
not
be erected at another time, so that the people may
hear
Mass on that day.
Explanation:
"Good of our neighbor" -- such as reconstructing a
broken bridge that must be used every day; or clearing
away
obstacles after a railroad accident, that trains may
not
be delayed. "Necessity" -- firemen endeavoring to
extinguish a fire, sailors working on a ship at sea, etc.
Lesson
33: FROM THE FOURTH TO THE SEVENTH
COMMANDMENT
Question 361: What is the Fourth Commandment?
Question 362: What are we commanded by the Fourth
Commandment?
Question 363: Are we bound to honor and obey others than
our parents?
Question 364: Have parents and superiors any duties
towards those who
are
under their charge?
Question 365: What is forbidden by the Fourth
Commandment?
Question 366: What is the Fifth Commandment?
Question 367: What are we commanded by the Fifth
Commandment?
Question 368: What is forbidden by the Fifth Commandment?
Question 369: What is the Sixth Commandment?
Question 370: What are we commanded by the Sixth
Commandment?
Question 371: What is forbidden by the Sixth Commandment?
Question 372: Does the Sixth Commandment forbid the
reading of bad
and
immodest books and newspapers?
Question 361: What is the Fourth Commandment?
Answer: The
Fourth Commandment is: Honor thy father
and thy
mother.
Question 362: What are we commanded by the Fourth
Commandment?
Answer: We
are commanded by the Fourth Commandment to
honor, love, and obey our parents in all that is not sin.
Explanation:
"In all that is not sin," because if our parents or
superiors, being wicked, bid us do things
that we know
to be
certainly sinful, then we must not obey them under
any
circumstances. God will not excuse us
for doing
wrong
because we were commanded. But if, on
the
contrary, we are forced in spite of our resistance to do
the
sinful act, then not we but they have to answer for the
sin. If. however, you simply
doubt about the sinfulness
of
the act, then you must obey; because you must always
suppose that your superiors know better than you the
things that concern their duty.
Even if they should be
mistaken in the exercise of their authority, God will
reward your obedience. Besides obeying them, you must
also
help and support your parents if they need your
assistance. You must not scoff at
or despise them for
their
want of learning or refinement, because they
perhaps have made many sacrifices to give you the
advantages of which they in their youth were deprived.
Do we
not sometimes find persons of pretended culture
ignorantly slighting their plain--mannered parents, or
showing that they are ashamed of them or unwilling to
recognize them before others, ungratefully forgetting that
whatever wealth or learning they themselves have came
through the love and kindness of these same
parents?
Again, is it not sinful for the children, especially of such
parents, to waste their time in school, knowing that they
are
being supported in idleness by the hard toil and many
sacrifices of a poor father?
Never, then, be guilty of an
unkind or ungrateful act. No
matter who they are or
what
their condition, never forget those who have helped
you and
been your temporal or spiritual benefactors.
If
you
cannot return the kindness to the one who helped
you,
at least be as ready as he was to do good to another.
It is
told of a great man that, wishing always to do good,
he
made it a rule never to stand looking at the effects of
a
disturbance, disaster, or accident unless he could do
some
good by being there.
Explanation:
Wherever you are, ask yourselves now and then, Why am
I in
this particular place; what good am I doing here? etc.
St.
Aloysius when about to perform any action used to
ask
himself, it is said, What has this action to do with my
eternal salvation? and St. Alphonsus de Liguori made a
vow
never to waste a moment of his time.
These were
some
of the great heroes of the Church, and this is one of
the
reasons why they could accomplish so much for God.
Question 363: Are we bound to honor and obey others than
our parents?
Answer: We
are bound to honor and obey our bishops, pastors,
magistrates, teachers, and other lawful superiors.
Explanation:
"Magistrates" -- that is, civil rulers, like the president,
governor, mayor, judges, etc.
Question 364: Have parents and superiors any duties
towards those who
are
under their charge?
Answer: It is
the duty of parents and superiors to take good care
of
all under their charge and give them proper direction
and
example.
Explanation: It is
so much their duty that God will hold them
responsible for it, and punish them for neglecting it; so
that your parents are not free to give
you your own way.
They
have to do God's work, and, as His agents, punish
you
when you deserve it. You should take
their
punishment as coming from God Himself. They do not
punish you because they wish to see you suffer, but for
your
good. Think of the terrible responsibility of parents.
Let
us suppose that the parents of a family give bad
example; their children follow their example, and when
they
become heads of families their children also will
grow
up in wickedness: and thus we can go on
for
generations, and all those sins will be traced back to the
first bad parents. What is true for bad example is true
also
for good example; that is, the good done by the
children will all be traced back to the parents. Sometimes
you
may be punished when you are not guilty; then think
of
the times you were guilty and were not punished.
Remember also how Our Lord was falsely accused before
Herod
and Pilate, and yet He never opened His lips to
defend Himself, but suffered patiently.
God sees your
innocence and will reward you if you bear your trial
patiently. Indeed, we are foolish
not to bear all our
sufferings patiently, for we have to bear them anyway,
and we might just as well have the
reward that patient
suffering will bring us. Those
who suffer should find
comfort in this: by suffering
they are made more like
Our
Lord and His blessed Mother. She lived
on earth
over
sixty years, and during all that time she seems never
to
have had any of those things that bring worldly
pleasure and happiness. She was
left an orphan when
quite
young, and spent her early life in the temple, which
was
for her a kind of school; then she was married to a
poor
old carpenter, and must have found it very hard at
times
to get a living. Our Lord was born while
she was
away from home in a strange
place. After she had
returned and had just settled down in her little dwelling,
she
had to fly with St. Joseph into Egypt to save the life
of
the little Infant Jesus, whom the king's officers were
seeking to kill. In Egypt they
were strangers, among
people not of their own nationality or religion, and St.
Joseph must have found great difficulty in providing for
them;
yet they had to remain there for some time.
Then
when
our divine Lord was grown to manhood and could
be a
great comfort to His Mother, He was seized and put
to
death in her presence. Her most beloved
and innocent
Son
put to death publicly as a criminal before all her
neighbors! The same persons who
insulted Our Lord
would
not hesitate to insult and cruelly treat His blessed
Mother also. At His death He left
her no money or
property for her support, but asked a friend, St. John, to
receive her into his house and do Him the favor of taking
care
of her. She must have often felt that
she was a
burden in that man's house; that she had no
home of her
own,
but was living like a poor woman on the charity of
kind
friends, for St. Joseph died before Our Lord's public
life
began. The Blessed Mother was, however,
obliged
to
remain upon earth for about eleven years after Our
Lord's Ascension. Thus we see her
whole life was one
of
trials and sorrows. Now certainly Our
Lord loved His
Mother more than any other son could; and certainly also
He,
being God, could have made His blessed Mother a
queen
upon the earth, rich and powerful among men, and
free
from every suffering or inconvenience.
If, then, He
sent her sorrows and trials, it
must have been because
these
were best for her, and because He knew that for
this
suffering here upon earth her happiness and glory in
Heaven would be much increased; and as He wished her
to
have all the happiness and glory she was capable of
possessing, He permitted her to suffer.
If, then, suffering
was
good for Our Lord's Mother, it is good also for us;
and
when it comes we ought not to complain, but bear it
patiently, as she did, and ask Our Lord to give us that
grace.
Question 365: What is forbidden by the Fourth
Commandment?
Answer: The
Fourth Commandment forbids all disobedience,
contempt, and stubbornness towards our parents or lawful
superiors.
Explanation:
"Contempt." Showing by
our words or actions that we
disregard or despise those placed over us. A man who is
summoned to appear in court and does not come is
punished for "contempt of court," because he shows that
he
disregards the authority of the judge. A
thing not very
bad
in itself may become very bad if done out of
contempt. For example, there
would be a great
difference between eating a little more than the Church
allows on a fast--day, simply because you were hungry,
and
eating it because you wanted to show that you
despised the law of fasting and the authority of the
Church. The first would be only a
venial sin, but the
latter mortal. So for all your
actions. An act which in
itself might be a venial sin could easily
become a mortal
sin
if you did it through contempt.
"Stubbornness'L--that
is,
unwillingness to give in, even when you know you are
wrong
and should yield. Those who obey slowly
and do
what
they are ordered in a sulky manner are also guilty
of
stubbornness.
Question 366: What is the Fifth Commandment?
Answer: The
Fifth Commandment is: Thou shalt not
kill.
Question 367: What are we commanded by the Fifth
Commandment?
Answer: We
are commanded by the Fifth Commandment to live in
peace
and union with our neighbor, to respect his rights,
to
seek his spiritual and bodily welfare, and to take
proper care of our own life and health.
Explanation:
"Proper care of our own life."
It is not our property, but
God's. He lends it to us and
leaves it with us as long as
He
pleases: nor does He tell us how long He
will let us
have
the use of it. Thus suicide, or the
taking of one's
own
life, is a mortal sin, for by it we resist the will of
God. One who in sound mind and
full possession of
reason causes his own death is guilty of suicide. But it is
sometimes very difficult to determine whether the person
was
really sane at the time he committed the act; hence,
when
there is any reasonable doubt on that point, the
unfortunate suicide is usually given the benefit of it. It is
also
a sin to risk our lives uselessly or to continue in any
habit
that we are sure is injuring our health and
shortening our lives.
Explanation: Thus
an habitual drunkard is guilty of sin against the
Fifth
Commandment, for besides his sin of drunkenness,
he is
hastening his own death. So, too, boys
or girls who
indulge in habits which their parents forbid are guilty of
sin.
For example, a boy is forbidden to smoke, and he
does
smoke. Now to smoke is not in itself a
sin, but it
becomes a sin for that boy, because in the first place he
is
disobedient, and secondly is injuring his health. Thus
persons who indulge in sinful habits may commit more
than
one kind of sin, for besides the sins committed by
the
habits themselves, these vices may injure their health
and
bring sickness and disease upon their bodies.
Question 368: What is forbidden by the Fifth Commandment?
Answer: The
Fifth Commandment forbids all willful murder,
fighting, anger, hatred, revenge, and bad example.
Explanation:
Therefore it forbids all that might lead to murder. So we
can
violate any of the Commandments by doing anything
that
leads to breaking them. "Revenge" is a desire to
injure others because they injured
you.
Question 369: What is the Sixth Commandment?
Answer: The
Sixth Commandment is: Thou shalt not
commit
adultery.
Question 370: What are we commanded by the Sixth
Commandment?
Answer: We
are commanded by the Sixth Commandment to be
pure
in thought and modest in all our looks, words, and
actions.
Explanation: We
should be most careful about this Commandment,
because almost every violation of it is a mortal sin. For
example, if you steal only a little, it is a venial sin; for in
stealing the greatness of the sin will depend upon the
amount you steal -- but if you do a very bad action, or
think
a very bad thought against the Sixth Commandment,
it
will be a mortal sin, no matter how short the time.
Again, we have more temptations against this
Commandment, for we are tempted by our own bodies
and
we cannot avoid them: hence the
necessity of being
always guarded against this sin.
It enters into our soul
through our senses, they are, as it were, the doors of our
soul. It enters by our eyes looking at bad objects
or
pictures; by our ears listening to bad conversation; by our
tongue saying and repeating immodest words, etc. If
then,
we guard all the doors of our soul. sin cannot enter.
It
would be foolish to lock all the doors in your house but
one,
for one will suffice to admit a thief, and we might as
well
leave them all open as one. So, too, we
must guard
all the
senses -- for sin can enter by one only as well as
by
all.
Question 371: What is forbidden by the Sixth Commandment?
Answer: The
Sixth Commandment forbids all unchaste freedom
with
another's wife or husband: also all
immodesty with
ourselves or others in looks, dress, words, or actions.
Question 372: Does the Sixth Commandment forbid the
reading of bad
and
immodest books and newspapers?
Answer: The
Sixth Commandment does forbid the reading of bad
and
immodest books and newspapers.
Explanation:
Reading brings us into the company of those who wrote
the
book. Now we should be just as careful
to avoid a
bad
book as a bad man, and even more so; for while we
read
we can stop to think, and read over again, so that
bad
words read will often make more impression upon us
than
bad words spoken to us. You should avoid
not only
bad, but useless books. You could not waste all your
time
with an idle man without becoming like him--an
idler. So if you waste your time
on useless books, your
knowledge will be just like the books--useless. Many
authors write only for the sake of money, and care little
whether their book is good or bad, provided it sells well.
How
many young people have been ruined by bad books,
and
how many more by foolish books! Boys, for
example, read in some worthless book of desperate deeds
of
highway robbery or piracy, and are at once filled with
the
desire to imitate the hero of the tale.
Young girls, on
the other hand, are equally infatuated
by the wonderful
fortunes and adventures of some young woman whose life
has
been so vividly described in a trashy novel.
As the
result of such reading, young persons lose the true idea
of
virtue and valor of true, noble manhood and
womanhood, and with their hearts and minds corrupted
set
up vice for their model.
Explanation:
Again, these books are filled with such terrible lies and
unlikely things that any sensible boy or girl should see
their
foolishness at once. Think, for example,
of a book
relating how two boys defeated and killed or captured
several hundred Indians! Is that
likely? The truth is, if
two
Indians shook their tomahawks at as many boys as
you
could crowd into this building, every single one of
them
would run for his life.
Explanation: Let
me give you still another reason for not reading
trashy books. Your minds can hold
just so much good or
evil
information, and if you fill them full of lies and
nonsense you leave no room for true knowledge.
Explanation: Do
not, therefore, get into the habit of reading foolish
storypapers and cheap novels.
Read good books in which
you
can find information that will be useful to you all
through your life.
Explanation: If
now and then you read story--books for amusement or
rest
from study, let them be good story--books, written by
good
authors. Ask someone's advice about the
books
you
read--someone who is capable of giving such advice:
your
pastor, your teachers, and frequently your parents
and
friends. Learn all through your life to
ask advice on
every
important matter. How many mistakes in
life
would
have been prevented if those making them had
only
asked advice from the proper persons and followed
it. Your parents have traveled
the road of life before
you. Now it is known to them and
they can point out its
dangers. To you the road is entirely new, and it will
be
only
after you have traveled it and arrived nearly at its
end
in the latter days of your life that you also will be
able
to advise others how to pass through it in safety.
This
road can be traveled only once, so be advised by
those
who have learned its many dangers by their own
experience. You should be very
glad that those of
experience are willing to teach you, and if you neglect
their
warnings you will be very sorry for it someday.
Lesson 34: FROM THE SEVENTH TO
THE
END OF THE TENTH COMMANDMENT
Question 373: What is the Seventh Commandment?
Question 374: What are we commanded by the Seventh
Commandment?
Question 375: What is forbidden by the Seventh
Commandment?
Question 376: Are we bound to restore ill--gotten goods?
Question 377: Are we obliged to repair the damage we have
unjustly
caused?
Question 378: What is the Eighth Commandment?
Question 379: What are we commanded by the Eighth
Commandment?
Question 380: What is forbidden by the Eighth
Commandment?
Question 381: What must they do who have lied about their
neighbor
and
seriously injured his character?
Question 382: What is the Ninth Commandment?
Question 383: What are we commanded by the Ninth
Commandment?
Question 384: What is forbidden by the Ninth Commandment?
Question 385: Are impure thoughts and desires always
sins?
Question 386: What is the Tenth Commandment?
Question 387: What are we commanded by the Tenth
Commandment?
Question 388: What is forbidden by the Tenth Commandment?
Question 373: What is the Seventh Commandment?
Answer: The
Seventh Commandment is: Thou shalt not
steal.
Explanation:
Stealing is one of those vices of which you have to be
most
careful. Children should learn to have honest hearts,
and
never to take unjustly even the smallest thing; for
some
begin a life of dishonesty by stealing little things
from
their own house or from stores to which they are
sent
for goods. A nut, a cake, an apple, a
cent, etc., do
not seem much, but nevertheless to take
any of them
dishonestly is stealing. Children
who indulge in this
trifling thievery seldom correct the habit in after life and
grow
up to be dishonest men and women. How do
you
suppose all the thieves now spending their miserable lives
in
prison began? Do you believe they were
very honest
never
having stolen even the slightest thing--up to a
certain day, and at once became thieves by committing a
highway robbery? No; they began
by stealing little
things, then greater, and kept on till they made stealing
their
business and thus became professional thieves.
Again, the little you steal each
day does not seem much
at
the time, but if you put all the "Tittles" together you
may
soon have something big, and almost before you
know
it--if you intend to continue stealing you may have
taken
enough to make you guilty of mortal sin. If you
intended to steal, for instance, only a small amount every
day
for the whole year, you would at the end have stolen
a large
amount and committed a mortal sin. There
are
many
ways of violating the Seventh Commandment.
Workmen who do not do a just day's work, or employers
who
cheat their workmen out of wages earned; merchants
who
charge unjust prices and seek unjust profits; dealers
who
give light weight or short measure or who
misrepresent goods; those who speculate rashly or gamble
with
the money of others, and those who borrow with no
intention or only slight hope of being able to pay back,
all
violate this Commandment. You violate it
also by not
paying your just debts or by purchasing goods that you
know
you will never be able to pay for.
Moreover,
besides the injustice, it is base ingratitude not to pay your
debts
when in your power to do so. The one who
trusted
or
lent you helped you in your need and did you a great
favor, and yet when you can you will not pay, and what
is
worse, frequently abuse and insult him for asking his
own. Though such dishonest and
ungrateful persons may
escape in this world, they will not escape in the next, for
Almighty God will make them suffer for the smallest debt
they
owe.
Explanation:
Again, others often suffer for the dishonesty of those I
have
mentioned, for when some good person who really
intends to pay is in great need and wishes to borrow or be
trusted, he is refused because others have been dishonest.
Everyone should pay his debts, and even keep from
buying things that are not really necessary till he is thus
enabled to pay what he owes. You
must pay your just
debts
even before you can give anything in charity.
Question 374: What are we commanded by the Seventh
Commandment?
Answer: By
the Seventh Commandment we are commanded to
give
to all men what belongs to them and to respect their
property.
Explanation:
"Respect their property" -- that is, acknowledge and
respect their rights to their property and do nothing to
violate these rights.
Question 375: What is forbidden by the Seventh
Commandment?
Answer: The
Seventh Commandment forbids all unjust taking or
keeping what belongs to another.
Explanation:
"Taking," either with your own hands or from the hands
of
another; for the one who willingly and knowingly
receives from a thief the whole or part of anything stolen
becomes as bad as the thief. Even
if you only help
another to steal, and receive none of the stolen goods,
you
are guilty. There are several ways of
sharing in the
sin
of another; namely, by ordering or advising him to do
wrong; by praising him for doing wrong
and thus
encouraging him; by consenting to wrong when you
should oppose it--for instance, a member of a society
allowing an evil act to be done by the society when his
vote
would prevent it; again, by affording wrongdoers
protection and means of escape from punishment for their
evil
deeds. This does not mean that we should
not
defend the guilty. We should
defend them, but should
not
encourage them to do wrong by offering them a
means
of escape from just punishment. We share
in
another's sin also by neglecting to prevent his bad action
when
it is our duty to do so. For example, if a police
officer paid for guarding your property should see a thief
stealing it and not prevent him, he would be as guilty as
the
thief Your neighbor indeed might warn you that the
thief
was stealing your goods, but he would not be bound
in
justice to do so, as the officer is, but only in charity,
because it is not his duty to guard your property. Parents
who
know that their children steal and do not prevent
them
or compel them to bring back what they stole, but
rather encourage them by being indifferent, are guilty of
dishonesty as well as the children, and share in their sins
of
theft. But suppose you did not know the
thing was
stolen when you received it, but learned afterward that it
was,
must you then return it to the proper owner?
Yes;
just
as soon as you know to whom it belongs you begin
to
sin by keeping it. But suppose you bought it not
knowing that it was stolen, would you still have to restore
it? Yes, when the owner asks for
it, because it belongs
to him till he sells it or gives it
away. If you have bought
from
a thief you have been cheated and must suffer the
loss. Your mistake will make you
more careful on the
next
occasion. Suppose you find a thing, what must you
do? Try to find its owner, and if
you find him give him
what
is his, and that without any reward for restoring it,
unless he pleases to give you something, or unless you
have
been put to an expense by keeping it. If
you cannot
find
the owner after sincerely seeking for him, then you
may
keep the thing found. But suppose you
kept the
article so long before looking for the owner that it
became impossible for you to restore it to him, either
because he had died or removed to parts unknown during
your
delay--what then? Then you must give the
article or
its
value to his children or others who have a right to his
goods; and if no one who has such a right can be found,
you
must give it to the poor, for you have it
unjustly--since you did not look for the owner when it
was possible
to find him--and therefore cannot keep it.
Question 376: Are we bound to restore ill--gotten goods?
Answer: We
are bound to restore ill--gotten goods, or the value of
them,
as far as we are able; otherwise we cannot be
forgiven.
Explanation:
"Ill--gotten" -- that is, unjustly gotten. "Value." It
sometimes happens that persons lose or destroy the article
stolen, and therefore cannot return it.
What must be done
in such cases? They must give the owner the value of it.
However, when you have stolen anything and have to
restore it, you need not go to the owner and say, "Here
is
what I stole from you." It is only
necessary that he
gets
what is his own or its value. He need
not even
know
that it is being restored to him, unless he knows
you
stole it; and then it would be better for your own
good
name to let him know that you are making amends
for
the injustice done. Therefore, no one
need have any
excuse for not restoring what he has unjustly, because he
has
only to see that it is returned in some way to its
owner, or to those who have the next
right to it, or to the
poor. But you must remember you
cannot make
restitution by giving to the poor if you can restore to the
proper owner. You must restore by
giving to the poor
only
when the owner cannot be found or reached.
Some
persons do not like the duty of restoring to the proper
owner, and think they satisfy their obligation by giving
the
ill--gotten goods to the poor; but they do not.
You
cannot give even in charity the goods of another without
being
guilty of dishonesty. If you wish to be
charitable,
give
from your own goods. It is a sin to
delay making
restitution after you are able to restore. You must restore
just
as soon as you can, because the longer you keep the
owner
out of his property and its benefits, the greater the
injury you do him and the greater the sin. One who,
after
being told by his confessor to make restitution, and
promising to do so, still delays or keeps putting off, runs
the
risk of being guilty of sacrilege by receiving the
Sacraments without proper dispositions.
But suppose a
person cannot restore; suppose he lost the thing stolen
and
has not the value of it. What must he do?
He must
have
the firm resolution of restoring as soon as he
possibly can; and without this good resolution he could
not
be absolved from his sins--even if he had not the real
means
of restoring. The good intention and
resolution
will
suffice till he has really the means; but this intention
must
be serious, otherwise there will be no forgiveness.
Question 377: Are we obliged to repair the damage we have
unjustly
caused?
Answer: We
are bound to repair the damage we have unjustly
caused.
Question 378: What is the Eighth Commandment?
Answer: The
Eighth Commandment is: Thou shalt not
bear false
witness against thy neighbor.
Explanation:
Either in a court, while we are acting as witnesses, or by
telling lies about him at any other time.
Question 379: What are we commanded by the Eighth
Commandment?
Answer: We
are commanded by the Eighth Commandment to
speak
the truth in all things, and to be careful of the
honor
and reputation of everyone.
Explanation:
"Reputation." If it be
a sin to steal a man's money,
which
we can restore to him, it is certainly a much
greater sin to steal his good name, which we can never
restore, and especially as we have nothing to gain from
injuring his character. It is a
sin to tell evil things about
another--his sins, vices, etc.--even when they are true.
The
only thing that will excuse us from telling another's
fault
is the necessity to do so in which we are placed, or
the
good we can do to the person himself or others by
exposing faults. How shall you
know when you have
injured the character of another?
You have injured
another's character if you made others think less of him
than
they did before. If you have exposed
some crime
that he really committed, your sin is
called detraction; if
you
accuse him of one he did not commit, your sin is
calumny; and if you maliciously circulate these reports to
injure his character, your sin is slander. But how shall
you
make reparation for injuring the character of another?
If
you have told lies about him, you must acknowledge to
those
with whom you have talked that you have told what
was untrue about him, and you must even
compensate
him
for whatever loss he has suffered by your lies:
for
example, the loss of his situation by your accusing him of
dishonesty. But if what you said
of him was true, how
are
you to act? At every opportunity say
whatever good
you
can of him in the presence of those before whom you
have
spoken the evil.
Question 380: What is forbidden by the Eighth
Commandment?
Answer: The
Eighth Commandment forbids all rash judgments,
backbiting, slanders, and lies.
Explanation:
"Rash judgment" -- that is, having in your mind and
really believing that a person is guilty of a certain sin
when
you have no reason for thinking so, and no
evidence that he is guilty.
"Backbiting" -- that is, talking
evil
of persons behind their backs. You would
not like
your
neighbor to backbite you, and you have no right to
do to
him what you would not wish him to do to you.
Besides, everyone hates and fears a backbiter; because as
he
brings to you a bad story about another, he will in the
same manner bring to someone else a bad story
about
you. It is certainly an honor to
be able to say of a
person: "He never has a bad
word of anyone"; while on
the
other hand, he must be a despicable creature who
never
speaks of others except to censure or revile them.
Never
listen to a backbiter, detractor, or slanderer--it is
sinful. Another way of injuring your neighbor is revealing
the
secrets he has confided to you. You will
tell one
friend perhaps and caution him not to repeat it to another;
but
if you cannot keep the secret yourself, how can you
expect others to keep it? Again
you may injure your
neighbor by reading his letters
without his consent when
you
have no authority to do so. This is
considered a
crime
in the eyes even of the civil law, and anyone who
opens
and reads the letters of another can be punished by
imprisonment. It is a kind of
theft, for it is stealing
secrets and information that you have no right to know.
It is
dishonorable to read another's letter without his
consent, even when you find it open. To carry to
persons the evil things said about them by others so as to
bring
about disputes between them is very sinful.
The
Holy
Scripture (Rom. 1:29) calls this class of sinners
whisperers, and says that they will not enter into
Heaven--that is, as long as they continue in the habit. If
ever,
then, you hear one person saying anything bad
about
another, never go and tell it to the person of whom
it
was said. If you do, you will be the
cause of all the sin
that
follows from it--of the anger, hatred, revenge, and
probably murder itself, as sometimes happens.
Question 381: What must they do who have lied about their
neighbor
and
seriously injured his character?
Answer: They
who have lied about their neighbor and seriously
injured his character must repair the injury done as far as
they
are able, otherwise they will not be forgiven.
Question 382: What is the Ninth Commandment?
Answer: The
Ninth Commandment is: Thou shalt not
covet thy
neighbor's wife.
Question 383: What are we commanded by the Ninth
Commandment?
Answer: We
are commanded by the Ninth Commandment to keep
ourselves pure in thought and desire.
Question 384: What is forbidden by the Ninth Commandment?
Answer: The
Ninth Commandment forbids unchaste thoughts,
desires of another's wife or husband, and all other
unlawful impure thoughts and desires.
Question 385: Are impure thoughts and desires always
sins?
Answer:
Impure thoughts and desires are always sins, unless they
displease us and we try to banish them.
Question 386: What is the Tenth Commandment?
Answer: The
Tenth Commandment is: Thou shalt not
covet thy
neighbor's goods.
Explanation:
"Covet" means to long for or desire inordinately or
unlawfully. If I should desire,
for example, my friend to
be
killed by an accident, in order that I might become the
owner
of his gold watch, I would be coveting it.
But if
I desired to have it justly--that
is, to be able to purchase
it,
or another similar to it, that would not be
covetousness.
Question 387: What are we commanded by the Tenth
Commandment?
Answer: By
the Tenth Commandment we are commanded to be
content with what we have, and to rejoice in our
neighbor's welfare.
Question 388: What is forbidden by the Tenth Commandment?
Answer: The
Tenth Commandment forbids all desires to take or
keep
wrongfully what belongs to another.
Lesson
35: ON THE FIRST AND SECOND COMMANDMENTS
OF THE
CHURCH
Question 389: Which are the chief commandments of the
Church?
Question 390: Is it a mortal sin not to hear Mass on a
Sunday or a holy
day
of obligation?
Question 391: Why were holy days instituted by the
Church?
Question 392: How should we keep the holy days of
obligation?
Question 393: What do you mean by fast--days?
Question 394: What do you mean by days of abstinence?
Question 395: Why does the Church command us to fast and
abstain?
Question 396: Why does the Church command us to abstain
from
flesh-meat on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Ient and
to
abstain from flesh-meat or do some other chosen
penance on the other Fridays of the year?
Question 389: Which are the chief commandments of the
Church?
Answer: The
chief commandments of the Church are six:
Explanation: To
hear Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. To
fast
and abstain on the days appointed. To confess at least
once
a year. To receive the Holy Eucharist during the
Easter time. To contribute to the support of our pastors.
Not
to marry persons who are not Catholics, or who are
related to us within the third degree of kindred, nor
privately without witnesses, nor to solemnize marriage at
forbidden times.
Question 390: Is it a mortal sin not to hear Mass on a
Sunday or a holy
day
of obligation?
Answer: It is
a mortal sin not to hear Mass on a Sunday or a holy
day
of obligation, unless we are excused for a serious
reason.
They also commit a mortal sin, who, having
others under their charge, hinder them from hearing
Mass,
without a sufficient reason.
Explanation:
"Serious reason" -- that is, a very good reason, such as
sickness, necessity of taking care of
the sick, great danger
of
death, etc. Some persons when they go to
the country
in
the summer believe themselves excused from hearing
Mass
because the church is a little further from them or
the
Mass at more inconvenient times than in the city.
When
they are in the country they are bound by the same
obligations as the Catholics who live in that parish the
whole
year round, and they must go to Mass as these do,
even
if it is more inconvenient than in the city.
Persons
who
have it in their power to select their own summer
resort, should not, without great necessity, select a place
where
there is no Catholic church, and where they will be
deprived of Mass and the Sacraments for several months,
and
where there is danger of their dying without the
Sacraments. Some excuse
themselves from going to
Mass
because they are too tired to rise in the morning.
They
should be ashamed to give such an excuse.
Was
our
Blessed Lord not tired when He carried His Cross?
He was tired, for He fell under it
several times. And
where
was He going? To Calvary, to offer up
the bloody
sacrifice of the Cross for you.
Will you plead fatigue as
an
excuse when you come to be judged by Him?
Others
again
have a great habit of coming late for Mass.
No
matter at what hour the Mass may be, they will always be
late;
and I am afraid these persons will also be too late to
enter
Heaven. By coming late they show
disrespect to
Our
Lord and distract others; and to avoid doing so, they
should, when late, take a place in the rear of the church.
When
you are very late for one Mass, you should wait
for
the next--at least, for as much of the next as you did
not
hear in the first. You should not,
however, begrudge
a
little extra time to God. To hear Mass
properly, you
should be in your place a few minutes before the priest
comes
out, and make up your mind what blessing you
will
ask, or for what intention you desire to hear the
Mass.
Explanation:
"Having others under their charge." Some parents are
very
careless about their children attending Mass,
especially on holy days. Now,
they must remember that
in
such neglect the sin will be theirs as well as the
children's. Again, masters and mistresses do not at times
give
their workmen and servants sufficient opportunity to
hear
Mass, above all on holy days. All
masters and
mistresses must remember that they are bound not only to
give their servants an opportunity to
hear Mass, but they
are
bound as far as they conveniently can to see that they
embrace the opportunity, just as they should see to their
children in such matters. Catholics
having in their
employ others, such as engineers, drivers, conductors,
etc.,
must make some arrangement between their men by
which
they will be able to attend Mass on Sundays and
holy
days. The same holds good for companies
and
corporations having under their charge a large force of
men
who are obliged by circumstances to work on
Sundays.
Question 391: Why were holy days instituted by the Church?
Answer: Holy
days were instituted by the Church to recall to our
minds
the great mysteries of religion and the virtues and
rewards of the saints.
Explanation: For
just the same reason that the government has legal
holidays. What would the people
of this country know or
think
at the present time about the Declaration of
Independence, and all connected with it, if they did not
celebrate from childhood every year, on the Fourth of
July,
the great day on which their forefathers claimed to
be
free and independent from the nation that was
persecuting them? The Fourth of
July keeps alive in our
memory
the struggles of our ancestors of one hundred
years
or more ago--their great battles, their sufferings and
triumph, the blessings they secured for us, and for which
we
praise them. In like manner, the feast of
the
Resurrection of Our Lord keeps us in mind of the sad
condition in which we were before Our Lord redeemed
us,
and how He liberated us from the slavery of the devil
and
secured for us so many wonderful blessings.
Again,
what
would we remember about George Washington if we
did
not celebrate his birthday? That holiday
keeps before
our
minds the life and actions of that great man and all he
did for our benefit. So, too, when we
celebrate every
year
the feast of a saint in the Church, it keeps before our
minds
his works and all that he did for God and the
Church, and makes us anxious to imitate his virtues. On
every
day in the year the Church honors some mystery of
our
holy faith or some saint by saying Mass all over the
world
in honor of the feast, and by obliging the priests
and
bishops to say the divine office for the same purpose.
The
feast--day of a saint is generally the day on which he
died;
because that is considered the day on which he
entered into Heaven -- the day on which he was born into
the
new world.
Explanation: The
"divine office" is a collection of prayers, hymns,
lessons, and psalms which every priest and bishop must
read
every day of his life. As it is said
each day in honor
of
some particular mystery or saint, the greater part of it
differs for each day. The prayers
are to God, asking
some
grace or blessing in honor of the saint--generally
such
graces as were granted to the saint. The
hymns are
in
the saint's honor; the lessons are parts of the Holy
Scripture, or an account of the saint's life; and the psalms
are
those beautiful poems that King David composed and
sang to God. The divine office is the prayer of the
universal Church for its children, and if a priest neglects
to
say it he commits a mortal sin. It takes
about an hour
to
say the whole divine office, but it is not intended to be
said
all at once. It is so divided that it is
said at three
times
in the day. The part called
"Matins" and "Lauds"
is
said very early in the morning and before Mass.
The
part called "Little Hours"
is said later in the day; and the
part
called "Vespers" and "Compline" is said in the
afternoon. See, therefore, how
anxious the Church is for
the
good of its children, when it makes its bishops,
priests, and religious pray daily for all the faithful, and
send
up in one voice the same prayer to the throne of
God.
Question 392: How should we keep the holy days of
obligation?
Answer: We
should keep the holy days of obligation as we should
keep
the Sunday.
Question 393: What do you mean by fast--days?
Answer: By
fast--days I mean days on which we are allowed but
one
full meal.
Explanation:
According to the traditional Catholic method of fasting,
one
may eat "one full meal" each day with meat included,
plus
two smaller meatless meals, both of which together
do
not equal the one full meal. No eating
between meals
is
allowed, although drinking beverages such as coffee
and
tea are allowed and are not considered to break the
fast.
(Milk, juice, and soft drinks are also considered not
to break the fast, although they are in fact
foods and
mitigate the effects of the fast and work contrary to its
intent because they satisfy one's hunger to some extent,
since
they have food value.) They, therefore, who follow
the
above regulations obey the Catholic method of
fasting. Today the prescribed
days of fast for the whole
Church are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (these are
also
days of abstinence). However the Church
today says
that
the meaning of the law of fasting during Lent
remains, although the extent of the obligation has been
changed. In other words, Lent
remains as a season of
penance in the Church, but how it is to be
observed is
greatly up to the individual, though no one may think
himself excused from all penance whatsoever, and those
who
are in the fasting age group should still practice the
Church's form of fasting, since fasting is a primary and
very
efficacious form of penance.
Explanation: Those
who, for sufficient reasons, are excused from the
obligation of fasting, are not on that account freed from
the
law of abstinence, for all who have reached their
fourteenth birthday are bound to abstain from flesh--meat
on
days when it is forbidden -- Ash Wednesday and the
Fridays
of Lent. The following persons are
excused from
fasting:
Explanation: those
who are not yet twenty--one or who have begun
their
sixtieth year (from their 59th birthday onward);
those
whose infirmity, condition, or occupation renders it
impossible or dangerous for them to fast.
Explanation: If
you think you should be excused from fasting or
abstaining, state your reasons to your confessor and ask
his
advice. On a fast--day, therefore, you
have to look
both
to the quantity and the kind of food, while on a day
of
abstinence--as the Fridays in Lent other than Good
Friday--you have to look only to the kind.
Question 394: What do you mean by days of abstinence?
Answer: By
days of abstinence I mean days on which we are
forbidden to eat flesh--meat, but are allowed the usual
amount of food.
Question 395: Why does the Church command us to fast and
abstain?
Answer: The
Church commands us to fast and abstain in order that
we
may mortify our passions and satisfy for our sins.
Explanation:
"Mortify our passions," keep our bodies under control,
do bodily penance. Remember it is our bodies that
generally lead us into sin; if therefore we punish the body
by
fasting and mortification, we atone for the sin, and
thus
God wipes out a part of the temporal punishment due
to
it.
Question 396: Why does the Church command us to abstain
from
flesh-meat on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Ient and
to
abstain from flesh-meat or do some other chosen
penance
on the other Fridays of the year?
Answer: The
Church commands us to abstain, from flesh-meat on
Ash
Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent and to abstain
from
flesh-meat or do some other chosen penance on the
other Fridays of the year in honor of
the day on which
Our
Saviour died.
Lesson 36: ON THE THIRD, FOURTH,
FIFTH,
AND SIXTH COMMANDMENTS OF THE CHURCH
Question 397: What is meant by the command of confessing
at least
once
a year?
Question 398: Should we confess only once a year?
Question 399: Should children go to confession?
Question 400: What sin does he commit who neglects to
receive
Communion during the Easter time?
Question 401: What is the Easter time?
Question 402: Are we obliged to contribute to the support
of our
pastors?
Question 403: What is the meaning of the commandment not
to marry
within the third degree of kindred?
Question 404: What is the meaning of the command not to
marry
privately?
Question 405: What is the meaning of the precept not to
solemnize
marriage at forbidden times?
Question 406: What is the nuptial Mass?
Question 407: Should Catholics be married at a nuptial
Mass?
Question 397: What is meant by the command of confessing
at least
once
a year?
Answer: By
the command of confessing at least once a year is
meant
that we are obliged, under pain of mortal sin, to go
to
confession within the year.
Explanation:
"Within the year"--that is, the time between your
confessions must never be longer than a year, or, at least
not
longer than the period between the beginning of one
Eastertime and the end of the next.
All persons who have
attained the age of reason are bound to comply with this
precept, and parents should remind their children of it.
Question 398: Should we confess only once a year?
Answer: We
should confess frequently, if we wish to lead a good
life.
Explanation: Some
seem to think that they need not go to confession if
they
have not committed sin since their last confession.
Two
graces are given in penance, as you already know:
one,
to take away the sins confessed, and the other, to
strengthen us against temptation and enable us to keep
our
good resolutions. Now, as we are always tempted, we
should go frequently to confession to get the grace to
resist. The saints used to go to
confession very
frequently, sometimes every day. They used to go when
tempted, to obtain the grace to resist and to expose their
temptations to their confessor and ask his advice. Again
the
Holy Scripture tells us that the just man falls seven
times;
and "just man" in Holy Scripture means a very
good
man, that is, one doing for God, his neighbor, and
himself what he ought to do. St.
Joseph is called in the
Scripture a "just man" and he was the foster--father of
Our
Lord. Now, if the good man falls seven
times, he
must
arise after each fall; for if he did not get up after the
first
fall, he could not fall the second time.
This teaches
us
that we all commit some kind of sin, at least, and have
always something to confess if we only examine our
conscience closely. It teaches us
also that when we have
the
misfortune to fall into sin, we should rise as quickly
as
possible.
Question 399: Should children go to confession?
Answer:
Children should go to confession when they are old
enough to commit sin, which is commonly about the age
of
seven years.
Explanation:
"To commit sin" that is, when they know the difference
between good and evil.
Question 400: What sin does he commit who neglects to
receive
Communion during the Easter time?
Answer: He
who neglects to receive Communion during the Easter
time
commits a mortal sin.
Question 401: What is the Easter time?
Answer: The
Easter time is, in this country, the time between the
first
Sunday of Ient and Trinity Sunday, inclusive.
Explanation:
Trinity Sunday is the eighth Sunday after Easter.
Therefore the whole Easter--time is from the first Sunday
of
Lent--that is, seven weeks before Easter--to Trinity
Sunday, eight weeks after it, or fifteen weeks in all; and
anyone who does not go to Holy Communion sometime
during these fifteen weeks commits mortal sin.
Question 402: Are we obliged to contribute to the support
of our
pastors?
Answer: We
are obliged to contribute to the support of our
pastors, and to bear our share in the expenses of the
Church and school.
Explanation: And
any charitable institution connected with the Church.
The Holy Land was divided among the
tribes of Israel,
who
were the descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob.
Now,
one of these twelve tribes was made up entirely of
priests and persons who served in the temple of God,
called Levites. They received
none of the land, but were
to be
supported by the other eleven tribes.
All the people
were
obliged by the law to give what they called
first--fruits, and tithes--that is, one tenth of their income
in
goods or money each year to the temple for its support
and
the support of those who served it. In the New Law
no
definite amount is assigned, but every Christian is left
free
to give what he can to God's Church according to his
generosity. But if God left you
free, should you therefore
be
stingy with Him? Moreover, all that we
have comes
from
God, and should we return Him the least and the
worst? For every alms you give
for God's sake He can
send
you a hundred blessings; and what you refuse to
give
to His Church or poor He can take from you in a
thousand ways, by sending
misfortunes. We read in the
Bible
(Gen. 4) that Adam's sons, Cain and Abel, both
offered sacrifice to God. Abel's
sacrifice was pleasing,
but
Cain's was not. Why? Because, as we are told, Cain
did
not offer to God the best he had, but likely the worst;
or at
least, he offered his sacrifice with a bad disposition.
Then
when he saw that his brother's sacrifice was
pleasing to God, being filled with jealousy, he killed him;
and
in punishment God marked him and condemned him
to be
a wanderer on the face of the earth. We
are told he
was
always afraid of being killed by everyone he saw.
See,
then, what comes of being unwilling to be generous
with
God.. What we give Him He does not need, but by
giving, we worship and thank Him.
Do not people in the
world
often give presents to those who have done them a
favor, that they may thus show their gratitude? Now,
God
is always doing us favors, and why should we not
show
our gratitude to Him by giving generously in His
honor? When we give to the orphans, etc., we give to
Him;
for He says: "Whatsoever you give
to these little
ones
you give to Me." Again, when Our Lord tells what
will
happen on the Day of Judgment (Matt. 25:31, etc.),
He
says, the Judge will divide all the people of the world
into
two bodies; the good He will place on His right hand
and
the wicked on His left. Then He will
praise the good
for
what they did and welcome them to Heaven; but to
the
wicked He will say, "Depart from Me, because when
I was
hungry you gave Me not to eat; when I was thirsty
you
gave Me not to drink; you clothed Me not" etc. And
then the wicked shall ask, when did we
see You in want
and
not relieve You? He will tell them that
He
considered the poor just the same as Himself; and as they
did
nothing for His poor, they did nothing for Him.
Question 403: What is the meaning of the commandment not
to marry
within the third degree of kindred?
Answer: The
meaning of the commandment not to marry within
the
third degree of kindred is that no one is allowed to
marry
another within the third degree of blood
relationship.
Explanation:
"Third Degree," What relatives are in the third degree?
Brother and sister are in the first degree; first cousins are
in
the second degree; second cousins are in the third
degree. Therefore all who are
second cousins or in
nearer relationship cannot be married without a
dispensation from the Church allowing them to do so. A
dispensation granted by the Church is a permission to do
something which its law forbids.
Since it made the law,
it
can also dispense from the observance of it.
The
Church could not give permission to do anything that
God's
law forbids. It could not, for example,
give
permission to a brother and sister to marry, because it is
not
alone the law of the Church but God's law also that
forbids that. But God's law does not forbid first or
second cousins to get married; but the Church's law
forbids it, and thus it can in special cases dispense from
such
laws. God's law is called also the
natural law. You
must
be very careful not to confound the marriage laws
that
the Church makes with the marriage laws that the
State
makes. When the State makes laws
contrary to the
laws
of God or of the Church, you cannot obey such laws
without committing grievous sin.
For instance, the State
allows divorce; it allows persons to marry again if the
husband or wife has been sentenced to imprisonment for
life;
it does not recognize all the impediments to marriage
laid
down by the Church. Such laws as these
Catholics
cannot comply with; but when the State makes laws
which
regard only the civil effects of marriage, such as
refer
to the property of the husband or wife, the
inheritance of the children, etc., laws, in a word, which
are
not opposed either to the laws of God or of His
Church,
then you may and must obey them; for the
authorities of the government are our lawful superiors,
and
must be obeyed in all that is not sin.
What we have
said
with regard to the marriage laws is true for all the
rest. Thus the civil court might,
on account of some
technicality, free you legally from the payment of a debt;
but
that would not free you in conscience from paying
what
you justly owe. Again, the court might
legally
decide in your favor in an unjust suit; but that would not
give
you the right in conscience to keep what you have
thus
fraudulently or unjustly obtained.
Question 404: What is the meaning of the command not to
marry
privately?
Answer: The
command not to marry privately means that none
should marry without the blessing of God's priests or
without witnesses.
Explanation: If persons
wishing to be married suspect that there is any
impediment existing between them, they should express
their
doubts and the reasons for them to the priest.
Explanation: Here
it is well for you to know that if any Catholic goes
to be
married before a Protestant minister, he is, by the
laws
of the Church in the United States, excommunicated.
I You
must know excommunication means cut off from
the
communion of the Church and the body of the
faithful; cut off from the Sacraments and from a share in
all
the holy Masses and public prayers offered by the
Church throughout the world. It
is a punishment the
Church
inflicts upon its disobedient children who will not
repent but persist in wrongdoing. If they die willfully
excommunicated, they die in mortal sin, and no Mass or
funeral prayers can be publicly offered for them; nor can
they
be buried in consecrated ground. Besides
the
excommunicated, there are others who cannot be buried
in
consecrated ground: namely, infants or
others who
have
not been baptized; those who deliberately committed
suicide; those who have publicly lived sinful lives and
evidently died in that public sin; and all persons who are
not
Catholics. If a Catholic who is not
publicly a sinner
dies suddenly, we cannot judge
that he is in mortal sin;
and
hence such a one may be buried in consecrated
ground.
Explanation: It is
the desire of the Church that all its faithful children
should
be buried in the ground which it has blessed for
their
remains; and wherever it is possible Catholics must
have
their own burying ground.
Question 405: What is the meaning of the precept not to
solemnize
marriage
at forbidden times?
Answer: The
meaning of the precept not to solemnize marriage at
forbidden times is that during Ient and Advent the
marriage ceremony should not be performed with pomp
or a
nuptial Mass.
Explanation:
Persons may be married at these times quietly, wherever
it is
not positively forbidden by the laws of the diocese.
Question 406: What is the nuptial Mass?
Answer: The
nuptial Mass is a Mass appointed by the Church to
invoke a special blessing upon the married couple.
Explanation: It is
a Mass especially for them and cannot be said for
anyone else. At the most solemn
parts of the Mass the
priest turns to them and prays that God may bless their
union.
Question 407: Should Catholics be married at a nuptial
Mass?
Answer:
Catholics should be married at a nuptial Mass, because
they
thereby show greater reverence for the holy
Sacrament and bring richer blessings upon their wedded
life.
Explanation: The
Church wishes to give to the marriage of its children
observing its laws all the solemnity possible, and to
impress its dignity and sanctity so deeply
upon their
minds
that they may never forget the solemn promise
made
at the altar of God. The thought of that
day will
keep
them from sin. On the other hand, the
Church
shows
its great displeasure when Catholics do not keep its
laws,
but marry persons not of their own religion.
At a
mixed
marriage the couple cannot be married in the
church, nor even in the sacristy; the priest cannot wear a
surplice or stole or any of the sacred vestments of the
Church; he cannot use holy water, or the Sign of the
Cross; he cannot bless the ring or even use the Church's
language--Latin. Everything is done in the coldest
manner, to remind Catholics that they are doing what is
displeasing to their mother the Church.
Explanation: Again
the Church wishes its children to prepare for the
Sacrament of Matrimony just as
they would prepare for
any
other Sacrament--Penance, Holy Eucharist, Holy
Orders, etc.
Explanation:
Imagine a boy going up for First Communion laughing,
talking, or gazing about him, without any thought of the
great
Sacrament he is about to receive; thinking only of
how
he appears in his new clothing, of those who are
present, etc., and spending all his time of preparation not
in
purifying his soul, but in adorning his body!
Think of
him
returning from Holy Communion and immediately
forgetting Our Lord! Now,
Matrimony is deserving of all
the
respect due to a Sacrament, and hence the Church
wishes all its children to be married at Mass; or at least
in
the morning. It does not like them to
marry in the
evening, and go to the reception of the Sacrament as they
would to a place of vain amusement. For on such
occasions they cannot show the proper respect in the
church, and possibly turn the ceremony into an occasion
of
sin for all who attend; for they often seem to forget the
holiness of the place and the respect due to the presence
of
Our Lord upon the altar. Indeed it
should be
remembered, at whatever time the marriage takes place,
that
conduct, dress, and all else must be in keeping with
the
dignity of the place and the holiness of the Sacrament,
and
the women should not come into the Church with
uncovered heads.
Lesson 37: ON THE LAST JUDGMENT
AND THE
RESURRECTION, HELL, PURGATORY, AND HEAVEN
Question 408: When will Christ judge us?
Question 409: What is the judgment called which we have
to undergo
immediately after death?
Question 410: What is the judgment called which all men
have to
undergo on the last day?
Question 411: Why does Christ judge men immediately after
death?
Question 412: What are the rewards or punishments
appointed for men's
souls
after the Particular Judgment?
Question 413: What is Hell?
Question 414: What is Purgatory?
Question 415: Can the faithful on earth help the souls in
Purgatory?
Question 416: If everyone is judged immediately after
death, what need
is
there of a general judgment?
Question 417: Will our bodies share in the reward or
punishment of our
souls?
Question 418: In what state will the bodies of the just
rise?
Question 419: Will the bodies of the damned also rise?
Question 420: What is Heaven?
Question 421: What words should we bear always in mind?
Question 408: When will Christ judge us?
Answer:
Christ will judge us immediately after our death, and on
the
last day.
Explanation:
"Immediately." In the very room and on the very spot
where
we die, we shall be judged in an instant, and even
before those around us are sure that we are really dead.
When
we have a trial or judgment in one of our courts,
we
see the judge listening, the lawyers defending or
trying to condemn, and the witnesses for or against the
person accused. We are in the
habit of imagining
something of the same kind to take place in the judgment
of God. We see Almighty God seated on His throne; our
angel
and patron saint giving their testimony about
us--good or bad--and then we hear the Judge pronounce
sentence. This takes place, but not in the way we
imagine, for God needs no witnesses:
He knows all. An
example will probably make you understand better what
really takes place. If you are
walking over a very muddy
road
on a dark night, you cannot see the spattered
condition of your clothing; but if you come suddenly into
a
strong light you will see at a glance the state in which
you
are. In the same way the soul during our
earthly life
does not see its own condition; but
when it comes into the
bright light of God's presence, it sees in an instant its
own
state and knows what its sentence will be.
It goes
immediately to its reward or punishment.
This judgment
at
the moment of our death will settle our fate forever.
The
general judgment will not change, but only repeat,
the
sentence before the whole world. Oh, how
we should
prepare for that awful moment! See that poor sick man
slowly breathing away his life.
All his friends are
kneeling around him praying; now he becomes
unconscious; now the death rattle sounds in his throat;
now
the eyes are fixed and glassy. A few
minutes more
and
that poor soul will stand in the awful presence of
God,
to give an account of that man's whole life--of
every
thought, word, and deed. All he has done on earth
will
be spread out before him like a great picture. He
will,
towards the end of his life, have altogether forgotten
perhaps what he thought, said, or did on a certain day
and
hour--the place he was in and the sin committed, etc.;
but
at that moment of judgment he will remember all.
How
he will wish he had been good! How,
then, can we
be so
careless now about a matter of such importance,
when
we are absolutely certain that we too shall be
judged, and how soon we know not.
When you are
about
to be examined on what you have learned in school
or
instructions in six months or a year, how anxious you
are
in making the necessary preparation, and how you
fear
you might not pass, but be kept back for a while!
How
delighted you would be to hear that a very dear
friend, and one who knew you well, was to be your
examiner! Prepare in the same way
for the examination
you
have to stand at the end of your life. Every day you
can
make a preparation by examining your conscience on
the sins you have committed; by
making an act of
contrition for them, and resolving to avoid them for the
future. You should never go to
sleep without some
preparation for judgment. But
above all, try to become
better aquainted with your Examiner--Our Lord Jesus
Christ; try by your prayers and good works to become
His
special friend, and when your judgment comes you
will
be pleased rather than afraid to meet Him.
Question 409: What is the judgment called which we have
to undergo
immediately after death?
Answer: The
judgment we have to undergo immediately after
death
is called the Particular Judgment.
Explanation:
"Particular," because one particular person is judged.
Question 410: What is the judgment called which all men
have to
undergo on the last day?
Answer: The
judgment which all men have to undergo on the last
day is called the General Judgment.
Explanation:
"General." because every creature gifted with intelligence
will
be judged on that day--the angels of Heaven, the
devils of Hell, and all men, women, and children that
have
ever lived upon the earth. The Holy
Scripture gives
us a
terrible account of that awful day. (Matt. 24--25).
On
some day--we know not when, it might be tomorrow
for
all we know--the world will be going on as usual,
some
going to school, others to business; some seeking
pleasure, others suffering pain; some in health, others in
sickness, etc. Suddenly they will
feel the earth beginning
to quake and tremble; they will see the
ocean in great
fury,
and will be terrified at its roar as, surging and
foaming, it throws its mighty waves high in the air. Then
the
sun will grow red and begin to darken; a horrid glare
will
spread over the earth, beginning to burn up. Then,
says
the Holy Scripture, men will wither away for fear of
what
is coming; they will call upon the mountains to fall
and hide them; they will be rushing here and
there, not
knowing what to do. Money will be
of no value then;
dress, wealth, fame, power, learning, and all else will be
useless, for at that moment all men will be equal. Then
shall
be heard the sound of the angel's great trumpet
calling all to judgment. The dead
shall come forth from
their
graves, and the demons rush from Hell.
Then all
shall
see our Blessed Lord coming in the clouds of
Heaven in great power and majesty surrounded by
countless angels bearing His shining Cross before Him.
He
will separate the good from the wicked; He will
welcome
the good to Heaven and condemn the wicked to
Hell. The sins committed shall be
made public before all
present. Imagine your feelings
while you are standing in
that
great multitude, waiting for the separation of the
good
from the bad. To which side will you be
sent? Our
Lord
is coming, not with the mild countenance of a
saviour, but with the severe look of a judge. As He
draws
nearer and nearer to you, you see some of your
dear
friends, whom you thought good enough upon earth,
sent
over to the side of the wicked; you see others that
you
deemed foolish sent with the good, and you become
more
anxious every instant about the uncertainty of your
own
fate. You see fathers and mothers sent
to opposite
sides, brothers and sisters, parents and children, separated
forever. Oh, what a terrible
moment of suspense! How
you
will wish you had been better and always lived a
friend of God! The side you will
be on depends upon
what
you do now, and you can be on the better side if
you
wish. Do, then, in your life what you
would wish to
have
done at that terrible moment. Learn to
judge
yourself frequently. Say this, or
something similar, to
yourself.-- "Now I have lived twelve, fifteen, twenty, or
more years; if that judgment came today,
on which side
should I be? Probably on the side
of the wicked. If then
I
spend the rest of my life as I have lived in the past, on
the
last day I shall surely be with the wicked.
If my good
deeds
and bad deeds were counted today, which would be
more
numerous? What, then, must I do? It will not be
enough for me simply to be better for the future--I must
try
also to make amends for the past. If a
man wishing
to
complete a journey on a certain time, by walking a
fixed
number of miles each day, falls behind a great deal
on
one day, he must not only walk the usual number of
miles
the next, but must make up for the distance lost on
the
previous day. So in our journey through
this life we
must
do our duty each day for the future, and, as far as
we
can, make up for what we have neglected in the past.
Question 411: Why does Christ judge men immediately after
death?
Answer:
Christ judges men immediately after death to reward or
punish them according to their deeds.
Question 412: What are the rewards or punishments
appointed for men's
souls
after the Particular Judgment?
Answer: The
rewards or punishments appointed for men's souls
after
the Particular Judgment are Heaven, Purgatory, and
Hell.
Question 413: What is Hell?
Answer: Hell
is a state to which the wicked are condemned, and
in
which they are deprived of the sight of God for all
eternity, and are in dreadful torments.
Explanation:
"Deprived of the sight of God," This is called the pain of
loss,
while the other sufferings the damned endure are
called the pain of sense--that is, of the senses. The pain
of
loss causes the unfortunate souls more torment than all
their
other sufferings; for as we are created for God
alone, the loss of Him--our last end--is the most dreadful
evil
that can befall us. This the damned
realize, and
know
that their souls will be tortured by a perpetual
yearning never to be satisfied.
This is aggravated by the
thought of how easily they might have been saved, and
how
foolishly they threw away their happiness and lost all
for
some miserable pleasure or gratification, so quickly
ended.
Explanation:
Besides this remorse, they suffer most frightful torments
in
all their senses. The worst sufferings you could
imagine would not be as bad as the
sufferings of the
damned really are; for Hell must be the opposite of
Heaven, and since we cannot, as St. Paul says, imagine
the
happiness of Heaven, neither can we imagine the
misery of Hell. Sometimes you
will find frightful
descriptions of Hell in religious books that tell of the
horrible sights, awful sounds, disgusting stenches, and
excruciating pains the lost souls endure. Now, all these
descriptions are given rather to make people think of the
torments of Hell than as an accurate account of them. No
matter how terrible the description may be, it is never as
bad as the reality. We know that the damned are
continually tormented in all their senses, but just in what
way
we do not know. We know that there is
fire in Hell,
but
it is entirely different from our fire; it neither gives
light
nor consumes what it burns, and it causes greater
pain
than the fire of earth, for it affects both body and
soul. We know that the damned
will never see God and
there
will never be an end to their torments.
Now, all
this
is contained in the following: Hell is
the absence of
everything good and the presence of everything evil, and
it
will last forever. Now, a priest coming out to preach on
Hell
would not say to the people: "Hell
is the absence of
everything good and the presence of everything evil, and
it
will last forever," and then step down from the altar
and
say no more. He must give a fuller
explanation to
those
who are unable to think for themselves.
He must
point
out some of the evils present in Hell and some of
the
good things absent, and thus teach the people how to
meditate on these dreadful truths. If, then, you bear in
mind
that there is nothing good in Hell and it will last
forever, and often think of these two points, you will
have
a holy fear of the woeful place and a deep sorrow
for
your sins which expose you to the danger of suffering
its
torments.
Explanation: It
should be enough, therefore, for you to remember:
there
is nothing good in Hell, and it will last forever.
Think
of anything good you please and it cannot be found
in
Hell. Is light good? Yes.
Then it is not in Hell. Is
hope
good? Yes. Then it is not in Hell. Is true
friendship good? Yes.
Then it is not in Hell. There the
damned hate one another. There
the poor sufferers curse
forever those who led them into sin.
Hence, persons
should try to bring back to a good life everyone they may
have
led into sin or scandalized by bad example.
Question 414: What is Purgatory?
Answer:
Purgatory is the state in which those suffer for a time who
die
guilty of venial sins, or without having satisfied for
the
punishment due to their sins.
Explanation:
"Punishment,"--that is, temporal punishment, already
explained to you. After the general judgment there will be
Heaven and Hell, but no Purgatory, for there will be no
men
living or dying upon the earth in its present
condition to go there. All will
be dead and judged and
sent
to their final abodes. Those in
Purgatory are the
friends of God; and knowing Him as they do now, they
would
not go into His holy presence with the slightest
stain
upon their souls; still they are anxious for their
Purgatory to be ended that they may be with God. They
suffer, we are told, the same pains of
sense as the
damned; but they suffer willingly, for they know that it is
making them more pleasing to God, and that one day it
will
all be over and He will receive them into Heaven.
Their
salvation is sure, and that thought makes them
happy. If, therefore, you believe
any of your friends are
in
Purgatory, you should help them all you can, and try
by
your prayers and good works to shorten their time of
suffering. They will help you--though they cannot help
themselves--by their prayers. And
oh, when they are
admitted into Heaven, how they will pray for those that
have
helped them out of Purgatory! If you do
this great
charity, God will, when you die, put in some good
person's heart to pray for you while you suffer in
Purgatory. There must be a
Purgatory, for one who dies
with
the slightest stain of sin upon his soul cannot enter
Heaven, and yet God would not send him to Hell for so
small
a sin. But why does God punish those He
loves?
Why
does He not forgive everything? He
punishes
because He is infinitely just and true. He warned them
that
if they did certain things they would be punished;
and
they did them, and God must keep His promise.
Moreover He is just, and must give to
everyone exactly
what
he deserves.
Question 415: Can the faithful on earth help the souls in
Purgatory?
Answer: The
faithful on earth can help the souls in Purgatory by
their
prayers, fasts, almsdeeds; by indulgences, and by
having Masses said for them.
Question 416: If everyone is judged immediately after
death, what need
is
there of a general judgment?
Answer: There
is need of a general judgment, though everyone is
judged immediately after death, that the providence of
God,
which, on earth, often permits the good to suffer
and
the wicked to prosper, may in the end appear just
before all men.
Explanation:
"Providence of God," Sometimes here on earth we see a
good
man always in want, out of employment, sickly,
unsuccessful in all his undertakings, while his neighbor,
who
is a very bad man, is wealthy and prosperous, and
seems
to have every pleasure. Why this is so
we cannot
understand now, but God's reason for it will be made
known
to us on the Day of Judgment. Sometimes
the
wicked do good actions here on
earth--help the poor, or
contribute to some charity, for instance; and as God on
account of their wickedness cannot reward them in the
next
world, He rewards them chiefly in this world by
temporal goods and pleasures. For
all their good deeds
they
get their reward in this world, and for the evil their
punishment in the next. The good
man who suffers gets
all
his reward in the next world, that even his sufferings
here
atone partly for the evil he has done.
Explanation: A
second reason for a general judgment is to show the
crimes of sinners and the justice of their punishment; also
that
the saints may have all their good works made known
before the world and receive the glory they deserve. On
earth
these saints were sometimes considered fools and
treated as criminals, falsely accused, etc., and now the
whole
truth will stand out before the world.
But above
all,
the general judgment is for the honor and glory of
Our
Lord. At His first coming into the world
He was
poor
and weak; many would not believe Him the Son of
God,
and insulted Him as an impostor. He was
falsely
accused, treated shamefully, and was put to death, many
believing Him guilty of some crime.
Now He will appear
before all as He really is--their Lord and Master, their
Creator and Judge. How they will
tremble to look upon
Him
whom they have crucified! How all those
who have
denied Him, blasphemed Him, persecuted His Church,
and
the like, will fear when they see Him there as Judge!
How
they will realize the terrible mistake worldlings
made!
Question 417: Will our bodies share in the reward or
punishment of our
souls?
Answer: Our
bodies will share in the reward or punishment of our
souls, because through the Resurrection they will again be
united to them.
Question 418: In what state will the bodies of the just
rise?
Answer: The
bodies of the just will rise glorious and immortal.
Explanation: We
honor the dead body and treat it with great respect
because it was the dwelling place of the soul and was
often
nourished with the Sacraments; also because it will
rise
in glory and be united with the soul in the presence
of
God forever. For these reasons we use
incense and
holy
water when the body is to be buried, and even bless
the
ground in which it is laid.
"Faithful departed" means
all
those who died in a state of grace and who are in
Heaven or Purgatory. They may be
in Purgatory, and so
we
pray for them. We pray that they may
"rest in
peace"--that is be in Heaven, where they will have no
sufferings.
Question 419: Will the bodies of the damned also rise?
Answer: The
bodies of the damned will also rise, but they will be
condemned to eternal punishment.
Question 420: What is Heaven?
Answer:
Heaven is the state of everlasting life in which we see
God
face to face, are made like unto Him in glory, and
enjoy
eternal happiness.
Explanation: The
most delightful place we could possibly imagine as
Heaven would not be near what it really is. Everything
that
is good is there and forever, and we shall never tire
of
its joys. All the pleasures and beauties
of earth are as
nothing compared with Heaven; and though we think we
can
imagine its beauty and happiness now, we shall see
how
far we have been from the real truth if ever we reach
this
heavenly home.
Explanation:
"God face to face,"--that is, as He is. We shall not see
Him
with the eyes of the body, but of the soul.
That we
may
see with our natural eyes, two things are necessary:
first, an object to look at, and secondly, light to see it.
Now,
to see God in Heaven we need a special light,
which
is called the "light of glory." God Himself gives us
this
light and thus enables us to see Him as He is.
This
beautiful vision of God in Heaven is called the "beatific
vision," and thus our whole life in Heaven--our joy and
happiness--consists in the enjoyment of the beatific vision.
Question 421: What words should we bear always in mind?
Answer: We
should bear always in mind these words of Our Lord
and
Saviour Jesus Christ: "What doth it
profit a man if
he
gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own
soul,
or what exchange shall a man give for his soul?
For
the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father
with
His angels: and then will He render to
every man
according to his works.
Explanation: What
does it benefit the poor creatures in Hell to have
been
rich, or beautiful, or learned, or powerful?
If they
had
been good, it was all that was necessary to escape all
their
sufferings. Is there anything on earth
that they
would
not give to be released? Why, then, did
they sell
their
souls for so little while on earth? The
present is the
only
time you have to merit Heaven and escape Hell.
The
past you cannot recall, and of the future you are not
sure. Then use the present well
and decide daily whether
you
wish to be in Heaven or in Hell.
Explanation:
NOTE--Wherever in the foregoing pages explanations
have
been omitted after certain questions or answers it is
because the matter they contain has been explained in
some
preceding question, or is to be explained in some
following question, or is clear enough in itself without
explanation. The explanations of
such questions or
answers can be easily found by referring to the index.