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+Project Gutenberg's Baltimore Catechism No. 4 (of 4), by Thomas L. Kinkead
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Baltimore Catechism No. 4 (of 4)
+       An Explanation Of The Baltimore Catechism of Christian Doctrine
+
+Author: Thomas L. Kinkead
+
+Release Date: January 1, 2005 [EBook #14554]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BALTIMORE CATECHISM NO. 4 (OF 4) ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Dennis McCarthy
+
+
+
+
+
+An
+Explanation
+Of The
+Baltimore Catechism
+of Christian Doctrine
+
+
+For The Use of
+Sunday-School Teachers and Advanced Classes
+
+(Also known as Baltimore Catechism No. 4)
+
+
+by
+Rev. Thomas L. Kinkead
+
+
+
+
+Nihil Obstat:
+D. J. McMahon
+Censor Librorum
+
+Imprimatur:
++ Michael Augustine
+Archbishop of New York
+New York, September 5, 1891
+
+
+Nihil Obstat:
+Arthur J. Scanlan, S.T.D.
+Censor Librorum
+
+Imprimatur:
++ Patrick J. Hayes, D.D.
+Archbishop of New York
+New York, June 29, 1921
+
+
+
+
+{Transcriber's Note: This book is commonly known as "The Baltimore
+Catechism No. 4" and is the last part of a four volume e-text
+collection. See the author's note to Baltimore Catechism No. 3 for the
+background and purpose of the series. This e-text collection is
+substantially based on files generously provided by
+http://www.catholic.net/ with some missing material transcribed and
+added for this release. Transcriber's notes in this series are placed
+within braces, and usually prefixed "T.N.:".}
+
+
+
+
+APPROBATIONS
+
+
+His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons:
+"I thank you for the copy of The Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism
+which has just reached me. A Religious spoke to me in very high terms of
+your book. I regard the opinion as of great value."
+
+Most Rev. M. A. Corrigan, D.D., Archbishop of New York:
+"I congratulate you on the good which it is likely to do."
+
+Most Rev. William Henry Elder, D.D., Archbishop of Cincinnati:
+"I think the work will be a very serviceable one. I hope it will meet
+with great success."
+
+Most Rev. Thomas L. Grace, D.D., Archbishop of Siunia:
+"Your book entitled An Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism supplies a
+want which is generally felt by the clergy and others engaged in
+teaching Catechism. Apart from the very satisfactory development of the
+answers to the questions and apt illustrations of the subjects treated,
+the additional questions inserted in your book give it a special value."
+
+Most Rev. P. J. Ryan, D.D., Archbishop of Philadelphia:
+"Your explanation of the Baltimore Catechism is excellent and must be of
+very great service to teachers of Sunday schools and to all who desire a
+clear exposition of Catholic doctrine, either for themselves or to
+communicate it to others. We give the work our cordial approval."
+
+Most Rev. William J. Walsh, D.D., Archbishop of Dublin, Primate of
+Ireland:
+"I have had a copy of your admirable work for some weeks past, and on
+several points it has been of very great use to me and to the committee
+[a committee of professors of theology, moral as well as dogmatic;
+priests of long and of wide experience in the work of instructing
+children in the Catechism; experienced examiners of children;
+accomplished scholars and writers of English; members both of religious
+and of secular collegiate communities; and representatives of the
+missionary priesthood, secular and regular, appointed to draft a new
+Catechism]."
+
+Right Rev. D. M. Bradley, D.D., Bishop of Manchester:
+"I am sure this 'Explanation' will be welcomed by the teachers in our
+schools and indeed by all whose duty it may be to instruct others in the
+teachings of the Church."
+
+Right Rev. Thomas F. Brennan, D.D., Bishop of Dallas:
+"I like the book very much and will not only recommend it to the priests
+and good sisters of my diocese, but will also use it myself at catechism
+every Sunday in the Cathedral. The list of questions and general index
+render its use very easy."
+
+Right Rev. M. E. Burke, D.D., Bishop of Cheyenne:
+"Your Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism is excellent, and it
+supplies a much needed means of useful and necessary catechetical
+instruction for our Sunday schools. It will be found an excellent
+textbook for Catholic schools and academies throughout the country and a
+most useful manual for all who are engaged in the instruction of our
+children."
+
+Right Rev. L. De Goesbriand, D.D., Bishop of Burlington:
+"I consider your book, the Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism, as an
+admirable work. Nothing can be found more clear, more satisfactory."
+
+Right Rev. John Foley, D.D., Bishop of Detroit:
+"I congratulate you upon producing a work so useful to those having
+charge of souls in such clear, concise, and instructive a style. I shall
+gladly commend it to the Rev. Clergy."
+
+Right Rev. H. Gabriels, D.D., Bishop-elect of Ogdensburg:
+"Your book will furnish solid material to priests who wish to preach at
+low Masses the catechetical instructions prescribed by the council of
+Baltimore. A rapid perusal of some of its pages has convinced me that it
+is just what was often looked for in vain in this important branch of
+the holy ministry."
+
+Right Rev. N. A. Gallagher, D.D., Bishop of Galveston:
+"Having read your Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism, I wish to say
+that it is in my opinion a very useful book for priests as well as for
+teachers; and that it is a valuable book to place in the hands of those
+who wish to become acquainted with the teachings of Holy Church. I have
+just ordered ten copies from the Publishers for my own distribution."
+
+Right Rev. Leo Haid, O.S.B., D.D., Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina:
+"I am very glad you gave us such a sensible, simple, and complete
+explanation of the Baltimore Catechism. I wish it were in the hands of
+every teacher of Christian doctrine. In this Vicariate, where priests
+are few, and often obliged to receive converts into the Church without
+that thorough instruction which resident pastors can give, your book
+will be hailed with joy. I will do my utmost to make it known. Please
+send me one dozen copies."
+
+Right Rev. John J. Hennessy, D.D. Bishop of Wichita:
+"From what I have seen of your book I am delighted with the method which
+you have adopted for explanation. It makes the Catechism easy and
+interesting to both teacher and pupil. I shall heartily recommend your
+book to our clergy for introduction into our schools."
+
+Right Rev. A. Junger, D.D., Bishop of Nesqually:
+"I am sure your work will not fail to obtain its object. There is not
+the least doubt that it will be of the greatest and best use for Sunday
+school teachers and advanced classes who will make use of it, and to
+whom we highly recommend it. Such a work was needed, as our Baltimore
+Catechism does not and cannot contain all the necessary explanations."
+
+Right Rev. John J. Keane, D.D., Rector of the Catholic University,
+Washington:
+"The character of the work speaks for itself."
+
+Right Rev. W. G. McCloskey, D.D., Bishop of Louisville:
+"What I have already seen of it gives me the impression that it is a
+meritorious work which ought to be encouraged."
+
+Right Rev. James McGolrick, D.D., Bishop of Duluth:
+"I think you have prepared a thoroughly practical work in your
+Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism. You have in well selected and
+plain English enabled teachers to give useful lessons from the text
+itself without the need of resort to other books. Your book will find
+its way to the desk of every Catholic teacher, and we hope to the home
+of every Catholic family. I am glad you marked the Scripture references,
+for the higher classes after Confirmation can unite their Scripture
+lessons with such study of your book as to prepare themselves for
+teaching. Your series of questions and good index are certainly very
+useful."
+
+Right Rev. Camillus P. Maes, D.D., Bishop of Covington:
+"I have examined your Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism on some of
+the most important points of doctrine and morals. I find its teachings
+sound, and the manner of presenting them practical. I take pleasure in
+commending your book to priests and teachers, and in congratulating you
+for having bestowed so much time on the greatest of all pastoral work,
+viz: giving children a thorough and sound knowledge of Holy Church and
+of her divine teachings."
+
+Right Rev. C. E. McDonnell, D.D., Bishop-elect of Brooklyn:
+"I beg you to accept my hearty congratulations."
+
+Right Rev. R. Manogue, D.D., Bishop of Sacramento:
+"We have ponderous works from distinguished authors on the Catechism in
+general, but yours--An Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism--is the
+simplest, most concise, most natural and instructive I have yet
+encountered. It is good not only for advanced pupils, teachers,
+preachers and priests, but also for the sacred precincts of every
+Catholic family."
+
+Right Rev. Tobias Mullen, D.D., Bishop of Erie:
+"Your book appears to me a very meritorious production. In your preface
+you observe it has been designed for the use of Sunday school teachers
+and that it 'should do good in any Catholic family' I think you might
+have added that any clergyman having the care of souls, whether giving
+private instructions or preparing for the pulpit, would derive great
+benefits from its perusal."
+
+Right Rev. H. P. Northrop, D.D., Bishop of Charleston:
+"The Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism, plain and practical, clear
+and comprehensive, was a work very much needed. From a general
+examination, I think you have done your work well, and you deserve the
+thanks of all teachers of catechism and those who have charge of our
+schools. You have simplified the work of the teacher by putting in his
+hand such a ready handbook and commentary on the text he is supposed to
+explain. If they do what they expect their pupils to do--study the
+lesson--with such a help as you have furnished them, the work of the
+Sunday school will be much more satisfactory. I hope the hearty
+appreciation of those for whom you have labored will crown your work
+with abundant success."
+
+Right Rev. Henry Joseph Richter, D.D., Bishop of Grand Rapids:
+"The aim of your book is excellent. To judge from the portions which I
+have read, your labor has been successful. I recommend the book to all
+Catholic adults, but especially to teachers and converts, as a
+convenient handbook of appropriate, plain, and solid instructions on the
+doctrine of the Catholic Church."
+
+Right Rev. S. V. Ryan, D.D., Bishop of Buffalo:
+"I think your work fully meets all you claim for it. It will serve as a
+good textbook for an advanced catechism class, and a very useful
+handbook for catechists in instructing converts or our own people what
+they should know and what they are bound to believe in regard to our
+holy faith. The book will, I think, do good in any Catholic family."
+
+Right Rev. L. Scanlan, D.D., Bishop of Salt Lake:
+"I consider it a most useful if not necessary book, not only for Sunday
+school teachers and for advanced classes, but for all who may desire to
+have a clear, definite knowledge of Christian doctrine."
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+
+PRAYERS
+
+The Lord's Prayer
+The Angelical Salutation
+The Apostles' Creed
+The Confiteor
+An Act of Faith
+An Act of Hope
+An Act of Love
+An Act of Contrition
+The Blessing before Meals
+Grace after Meals
+The Manner in Which a Lay Person Is to Baptize in Case of Necessity
+
+
+CATECHISM
+
+Lesson 1--On the End of Man
+Lesson 2--On God and His Perfections
+Lesson 3--On the Unity and Trinity of God
+Lesson 4--On Creation
+Lesson 5--On Our First Parents and the Fall
+Lesson 6--On Sin and Its Kinds
+Lesson 7--On the Incarnation and Redemption
+Lesson 8--On Our Lord's Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension
+Lesson 9--On the Holy Ghost and His Descent upon the Apostles
+Lesson 10--On the Effects of the Redemption
+Lesson 11--On the Church
+Lesson 12--On the Attributes and Marks of the Church
+Lesson 13--On the Sacraments in General
+Lesson 14--On Baptism
+Lesson 15--On Confirmation
+Lesson 16--On the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Ghost
+Lesson 17--On the Sacrament of Penance
+Lesson 18--On Contrition
+Lesson 19--On Confession
+Lesson 20--On the Manner of Making a Good Confession
+Lesson 21--On Indulgences
+Lesson 22--On the Holy Eucharist
+Lesson 23--On the Ends for which the Holy Eucharist Was Instituted
+Lesson 24--On the Sacrifice of the Mass
+Lesson 25--On Extreme Unction and Holy Orders
+Lesson 26--On Matrimony
+Lesson 27--On the Sacramentals
+Lesson 28--On Prayer
+Lesson 29--On the Commandments of God
+Lesson 30--On the First Commandment
+Lesson 31--The First Commandment--On the Honor and Invocation of the
+           Saints
+Lesson 32--From the Second to the Fourth Commandment
+Lesson 33--From the Fourth to the Seventh Commandment
+Lesson 34--From the Seventh to the Tenth Commandment
+Lesson 35--On the First and Second Commandments of the Church
+Lesson 36--On the Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Commandments of the
+           Church
+Lesson 37--On the Last Judgment and Resurrection, Hell, Purgatory and
+           Heaven
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE
+
+
+It must be evident to all who have had experience in the work of our
+Sunday schools that much time is wasted in the classes. Many teachers do
+little more than mark the attendance and hear the lessons; this being
+done, time hangs heavily on their hands till the school is dismissed.
+They do not or cannot explain what they are teaching, and the children
+have no interest in the study.
+
+The Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism is intended for their use.
+The explanations are full and simple. The examples are taken from Holy
+Scripture, from the parables of Our Lord, from incidents in His life,
+and from the customs and manners of the people of His time. These are
+made applicable to our daily lives in reflections and exhortations.
+
+The plan of the book makes it very simple and handy. The Catechism is
+complete and distinct in itself, and may be used with or without the
+explanations. The teacher is supposed, after hearing the lesson, to read
+the explanation of the new lesson as far as time will allow. It may be
+read just as it is, or may be learned by the teacher and given to the
+children in substance.
+
+The Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism will be found very useful
+also for the instruction of adults and converts. The priest on the
+mission is often called upon to instruct persons who can come to him but
+seldom, and only for a short time; and who, moreover, are incapable of
+using with profit such books as The Faith of Our Fathers, Catholic
+Belief, or works of controversy. They are simply able to use the Child's
+Catechism when explained to them. If the Explanation of the Baltimore
+Catechism is in their hands, they may read the explanations and study
+the Catechism with pleasure.
+
+Indeed the book should do good in any Catholic family. The majority of
+our people are children as far as their religious knowledge goes. They
+may, it is true, have books on particular subjects, such as the Duties
+of Parents to Their Children, The Sure Way to a Happy Marriage, etc.;
+but a book that explains to them in the simplest manner all the truths
+of their religion, and applies the same to their daily lives, ought to
+be useful.
+
+The chief aim of the book is to be practical, and to teach Catholics
+what they should know, and how these truths of their Catechism are
+constantly coming up in the performance of their everyday duties. It is
+therefore neither a book of devotion nor of controversy, though it
+covers the ground of both. As in this book the explanations are
+interrupted by the questions and answers of the Catechism proper, it
+will, it is hoped, be read with more pleasure than a book giving solid
+page after page of instructions.
+
+Wherever a fact is mentioned as being taken from Holy Scripture, it will
+generally be given in substance and not in the exact text; though the
+reference will always be given, so that those wishing may read it as it
+is in the Holy Scripture. The children are not supposed to memorize the
+explanation as they do the Catechism itself, yet the teacher, having
+once read it to them, should ask questions on it. The book may be used
+as a textbook or catechism for the more advanced classes, and the
+complete list of numbered questions on the explanations--given at the
+end--will render it very serviceable for that purpose.
+
+As the same subject often occurs in different parts of the Catechism,
+explanations already given may sometimes be repeated. This is done
+either to show the connection between the different parts of the
+Catechism, or to impress the explanation more deeply on the minds of the
+children, or to save the teacher the trouble of always turning back to
+preceding explanations. The numbering of the questions and answers
+throughout the Catechism, and the complete index of subjects and list of
+questions at the end, will, it is hoped, make these comparisons and
+references easy, and the book itself useful.
+
+With the hope, then, that the Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism may
+do all the good intended, I commend it to all who desire a fuller
+knowledge of their holy religion that they may practice it more
+faithfully.
+
+
+Rev. Thomas L. Kinkead
+June 21, 1891,
+Feast of St. Aloysius
+
+
+
+
+An
+Explanation
+Of The
+Baltimore Catechism
+of Christian Doctrine
+
+
+
+
+Basic Catholic Prayers
+
+
+
+THE LORD'S PRAYER
+
+Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come.
+Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily
+bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass
+against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
+Amen.
+
+This is the most beautiful and best of all prayers, because Our Lord
+Himself made it. (Matt. 6:9; Luke 11:2). One day when He was praying and
+explaining to His Apostles the great advantages of prayer, one of them
+said to Him: "Lord, teach us to pray." Then Jesus taught them this
+prayer. It contains everything we need or could ask for. We cannot see
+its full meaning at once. The more we think over it, the more clearly we
+understand it. We could write whole pages on almost every word, and
+still not say all that could be said about this prayer. It is called
+"the Lord's," because He made it, and sometimes the "Our Father," from
+the first words.
+
+We say "Our," to show that we are all brethren, and that God is the
+Father of us all, and therefore we pray not for ourselves alone but for
+all God's children.
+
+We say "Father," because God really is our Father. We do not mean here
+by Father the First Person of the Blessed Trinity, but the Blessed
+Trinity itself--one God. What does a father do for his children? He
+gives them their natural existence, provides them with food and
+clothing, teaches, protects, and loves them, shares with them all that
+he has, and when he dies leaves them his possessions. Now, in all these
+ways, and in a much truer sense, God is our Father. He created us and
+gives us all that is necessary to sustain life. He gives light, heat,
+and air, without any one of which we could not live. He provides for us
+also food and clothing, and long before we need or even think of these
+things God is thinking of them. Did you ever reflect upon just how much
+time and trouble it costs to produce for you even one potato, of which
+you think so little? About two years before you need that potato, God
+puts it into the mind of the farmer to save the seed that he may plant
+it the following year. In the proper season he prepares the ground with
+great care and plants the seed. Then God sends His sunlight and rain to
+make it grow, but the farmer's work is not yet ended: he must continue
+to keep the soil in good condition and clear away the weeds. In due time
+the potato is taken from the ground, brought to the market, carried to
+your house, cooked and placed before you. You take it without even
+thinking, perhaps, of all this trouble, or thanking God for His
+goodness. This is only one article of food, and the same may be said of
+all the rest. Your clothing is provided for you long before you need it.
+The little lamb upon whose back the wool is growing, from which your
+coat is someday to be made, is even now far away on some mountain,
+growing stronger with the food God gives it till you need its wool. The
+little pieces of coal, too, that you so carelessly throw upon the fire
+were formed deep down in the earth hundreds of years ago. God produces
+all you use, because He foresees and knows you will use it. Moreover He
+protects us from danger; He teaches us by the voice of our conscience
+and the ministers of His Church, our priests and bishops. He loves us
+too, as we may learn from all that He does for us, and from the many
+times He forgives us our sins. He shares what He possesses with us. He
+has given us understanding and a free will resembling His own. He has
+given us immortality, i.e., when once He has created us, we shall exist
+as long as Himself--that is, forever. When Our Lord died on the Cross,
+He left us His many possessions--His graces and merits, the holy
+Sacraments, and Heaven itself.
+
+It is surely, then, just and right to call God Father. Our natural
+fathers give us only what they, themselves, get from God. So even what
+they give us also comes from Him.
+
+Before the time of Our Lord, the people in prayer did not call God
+Father. They feared Him more than they loved Him. When He spoke to
+them--as He did when He gave the Commandments to Moses--it was in
+thunder, lightning, and smoke. (Ex. 19). They looked upon God as a great
+and terrible king who would destroy them for their sins. He sent the
+deluge on account of sin, and He destroyed the wicked city of Sodom with
+fire from Heaven. (Gen. 7:19). They called Him Jehovah, and were afraid
+sometimes even to pronounce His name. But Our Lord taught that God,
+besides being a great and powerful king--the Ruler of the universe and
+Lord of all things--is also a kind and good Father, who wishes His
+children not to offend Him because they love Him rather than because
+they fear Him, and therefore He taught His disciples and all Christians
+to call God by the sweet name of Father.
+
+"Who art in Heaven." The Catechism says God is everywhere. Why then do
+we say, "Who art in Heaven," as if He were no place else? We say so to
+remind us, first, that Heaven is our true home, and that this world is
+only a strange land in which we are staying for a while to do the work
+that God wishes us to do here, and then return to our own home; second,
+that in Heaven we shall see God face to face and as He is; third, that
+Heaven is the place where God will be for all eternity with the blessed.
+
+"Hallowed" means made holy or sacred. Halloween is the name given to the
+evening before the feast of All Hallows or All Saints.
+
+"Thy kingdom come." This petition contains a great deal more than we at
+first see in it. In it we ask that God may reign in our hearts and in
+the hearts of all men by His grace in this life, and that we and all men
+may attain our eternal salvation, and thus be brought to reign forever
+with God in Heaven--the kingdom of His glory. As the Church on earth is
+frequently called the kingdom of Christ, and as all the labors of the
+Church are directed to the salvation of souls, we pray also in this
+petition that the Church may be extended upon earth, that the true
+religion may be spread over the whole world, that all men may know and
+serve the true God and cheerfully obey His holy laws; that the devil may
+have no dominion over them. While saying this petition we may have it in
+our minds to pray even for particular ways in which the true religion
+can be spread; for example, by praying that the missionaries may meet
+with success and all the missions prosper; that priests and bishops may
+be ordained to preach the Gospel; that the Church may overcome all her
+enemies everywhere, and the true religion triumph.
+
+"Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." In Heaven all the angels
+and saints obey God perfectly; they never offend Him; so we pray that it
+may be on earth as it is in Heaven, all men doing God's will, observing
+His laws and the laws of His Church, and living without sin.
+
+"Give us this day our daily bread." In this petition "bread" means not
+merely bread, but everything we need for our daily lives; such as food,
+clothing, light, heat, air, and the like; also food for the soul, i.e.,
+grace. If a beggar told you that he had not tasted bread for the whole
+day, you would never think of asking him if he had eaten any cake,
+because you would understand by his word bread all kinds of food. We say
+"daily," to teach us not to be greedy or too careful about ourselves,
+and not to ask for unnecessary things, but to pray for what we need for
+our present wants.
+
+"And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against
+us." "Trespasses" means here our sins, our offenses against God. When we
+trespass we enter places we should not, or where we are forbidden to go.
+So when we sin we go where we should not go, viz., out of the path of
+virtue that leads to God, and into the way of vice that leads to the
+devil.
+
+"As we forgive them." We take this to mean: we forgive others who have
+offended us, and for that reason, God, You should forgive us who have
+offended You. Our Lord told a beautiful parable, i.e., a story by way of
+illustration, to explain this. (Matt. 18:23). A very rich man had a
+servant who owed him a large sum of money. One day the master asked the
+servant for the money, and the poor servant had none to give. Now the
+law of the country was, that when anyone could not pay his debts, all
+that he had could be sold and the money given to the one to whom it was
+due, and if that was not sufficient, he and his wife and his children
+could be sold as slaves. The servant, knowing this, fell on his knees
+and begged his master to be patient with him, and to give him time and
+he would pay all. Then his master was moved to pity, granted not only
+what he asked, but freed him from the debt altogether. Afterwards when
+this servant, who had just been forgiven the large sum, was going out,
+he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a very small sum of
+money, and taking hold of him by the throat, demanded payment. Now, this
+poor servant, having nothing to give just then, implored his assailant
+to be patient with him and he would pay all. But the hard-hearted
+servant--though he himself had a little while before asked and obtained
+the very same favor from his own master--would not listen to the request
+or wait longer, but went and had his fellow servant cast into prison
+till he should pay the debt. The other servants, seeing how unforgiving
+this man was who had himself been forgiven, went and told all to their
+master, and he, being angry at such conduct, had the unforgiving servant
+brought back and cast into prison.
+
+"And lead us not into temptation." "Temptation" means a trial to see
+whether we will do a thing or not. Here it means a trial made by some
+person or thing--the devil, the world, or our own flesh--to see whether
+we will sin or not. God does not exactly lead us into temptation; but He
+allows us to fall into it. He allows others to tempt us. We can overcome
+any temptation to sin by the help or grace that God gives us. Therefore
+we ask in this petition that God will always give us the grace to
+overcome the temptation, and that we may not consent to it. A temptation
+is not a sin. It becomes sin only when we are overcome by it. When we
+are tempted we are like soldiers fighting a battle: if the soldiers are
+conquered by their enemy, they are disgraced; but if they conquer their
+enemy, they have great glory and great rewards. So, when we overcome
+temptations, God gives us a new glory and reward for every victory.
+
+"Deliver us from evil." From every kind of evil, and especially the evil
+of being conquered by our spiritual enemies, and thus falling into sin,
+and offending God by becoming His enemy ourselves. It would be a sin to
+seek temptation, though we have a reward for resisting it when it comes.
+
+"Amen" means, be it so. May all we have asked be granted just as we have
+asked it.
+
+
+THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION
+
+Hail, Mary, full of grace! the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou
+amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary,
+Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
+Amen.
+
+Next in beauty to the Lord's Prayer comes this prayer. It is made up of
+three parts:
+
+"Hail, full of grace! the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou amongst
+women" was composed by the angel Gabriel, for these are the words he
+used when he came to tell the Blessed Virgin that she was selected to be
+the Mother of God (Luke 1:28). All her people knew that the Redeemer
+promised from the time of Eve down to the time of the Blessed Virgin was
+now to be born, and many good women were anxious to be His mother, and
+they believed the one who would be selected the most blessed and happy
+of all women.
+
+"The Lord is with thee" by His grace and favor, since you are the one He
+loves best. He is with all His creatures, but He is with you in a very
+special manner.
+
+After the visit of the angel, the Blessed Virgin went a good distance to
+visit her cousin, St. Elizabeth, who was the mother of St. John the
+Baptist (Luke 1:39). When St. Elizabeth saw her, she, without being told
+by the Blessed Virgin what the angel had done, knew by the inspiration
+of the Holy Ghost what had taken place, and said to the Blessed Virgin:
+"Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb."
+That is "blessed" because, of all the women that have ever lived or ever
+shall live, you are the one selected by God to be the mother of His Son
+and Our Redeemer, and blessed is that Son Himself. This is the second
+part of the prayer. The third part, from "Holy Mary" to the end, was
+composed by the Church.
+
+"Hail." This was the word used by the people of that country in saluting
+one another when they met. We say when meeting anyone we know, "Good
+day," or "How do you do?" or some such familiar expression used by all
+in salutation. So these people, instead of saying, "Good day," etc.,
+said "Hail" i.e., I wish you health, I greet you, etc. The angel did not
+say "Mary," because she was the only one present to address.
+
+"Full of grace." When anything is full it has no room for more. God's
+grace and sin cannot exist in the same place. Therefore when the Blessed
+Virgin was full of grace, there was no room for sin. So she was without
+any sin and gifted with every virtue.
+
+"Holy Mary," because one full of grace must be holy.
+
+"Mother of God," because her Son was true God and true man in the one
+person of Christ, Our Lord.
+
+"Pray for us," because she has more power with her Son than all the
+other saints.
+
+"Sinners," and therefore we need forgiveness.
+
+"At the hour of our death" especially, because that is the most
+important time for us. No matter how bad we have been during our lives,
+if God gives us the grace to die in His friendship, we shall be His
+friends forever. On the other hand, no matter how good we may have been
+for a part of our lives, if we become bad before death, and die in that
+state, we shall be separated from God forever, and be condemned to
+eternal punishment. It would be wrong, therefore, to live in sin, with a
+promise that we shall die well, for God may not give us the grace or
+opportunity to repent, and we may die in sin if we have lived in sin.
+Besides this, the devil knows how much depends upon the state in which
+we die, and so he perhaps will tempt us more at death than at any other
+time; for if we yield to him and die in sin, we shall be with him
+forever--it is his last chance to secure our souls.
+
+Besides the Hail Mary there is another beautiful prayer on the same
+subject, called the Angelus. It is a little history of the Incarnation,
+and is said morning, noon, and evening in honor of Our Lord's
+Incarnation, death, and resurrection. It is made up of three parts. The
+first part tells what the angel did, viz.: "The angel of the Lord
+declared unto Mary. And she conceived of the Holy Ghost." After saying
+these words, we say one Hail Mary in honor of the angel's message. The
+second part tells what Mary answered, viz.: "Behold the handmaid of the
+Lord. Be it done unto me according to thy word." We say another Hail
+Mary in honor of Mary's consent. The third part tells how Our Lord
+became Man, viz.: "And the Word was made flesh. And dwelt among us." The
+"Word" means here the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity; and "made
+flesh" means, became man. Then another Hail Mary is said in honor of Our
+Lord's goodness in humbling Himself so much for our sake. After these
+three parts we say: "Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God! that we may be
+made worthy of the promises of Christ"; and, finally, we say a prayer in
+honor of Our Lord's Incarnation, Passion, and Resurrection. This
+beautiful prayer is said three times a day in all seminaries, convents,
+and religious houses. The time for saying it is made known by the
+ringing of a bell called the "Angelus bell." In many parishes the church
+bell rings out the Angelus. In Catholic countries the people stop
+wherever they are and whatever they are doing, and bowing their heads,
+say the Angelus when they hear its bell. It is a beautiful practice and
+one most pleasing to our Blessed Lord and His holy Mother. Good
+Catholics should not neglect it.
+
+I might mention here another kind of prayer often said in honor of our
+blessed Mother. It is the Litany. In this form of prayer we call Our
+Lady many beautiful names which we know are most dear to her, asking her
+after each one to pray for us. We address her first by names reminding
+her that she is the Mother of God and has therefore great influence with
+her divine Son. We say: Mother of Christ, Mother of Our Creator, Mother
+of Our Redeemer, etc., pray for us. Next we remind her that she is a
+virgin and should take pity on us who are exposed to so many temptations
+against holy purity. We call her virgin most pure, virgin most chaste,
+etc., and again ask her to pray for us. Lastly we call her all those
+names that could induce her to hear us. We say: health of the weak,
+refuge of sinners, help of Christians, pray for us.
+
+In addition to the Litany of the Blessed Virgin, we have the Litany of
+the Holy Name of Jesus, the Litany of the Blessed Sacrament, the Litany
+of the Sacred Heart, the Litany of St. Joseph, and many others--all made
+up in the same form. We have also the Litany of all the Saints, in which
+we beg the help and prayers of the different classes of saints--the
+Apostles, martyrs, virgins, etc.
+
+
+THE APOSTLES' CREED
+
+I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and
+in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy
+Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was
+crucified; died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day
+He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the
+right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to
+judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy
+Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the
+resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
+
+A creed is a definite list or summary of all the things one believes.
+The "Apostles' Creed" is therefore a list or collection of all the
+truths the Apostles believed. The "Apostles" were the twelve men that
+Our Lord selected to be His first bishops. We know they were bishops
+because they could ordain priests and consecrate other bishops. They
+lived with Our Lord like a little family during the three and a half
+years of His public life; they went with Him and learned from Him
+wherever He preached. Besides these He had also His disciples, i.e.,
+followers who went with Him frequently but did not live with Him. Our
+Lord wished His doctrine to be taught to all the people of the world,
+and so He told His Apostles that they must go over the whole world and
+preach in every country. During the life of Our Lord and for a short
+time after His death they preached in only one country, viz.,
+Palestine--now called the Holy Land--in which country the Jews, up to
+that time God's chosen people, lived. Since the Apostles were to preach
+to all nations, the time came when they must separate, one going to one
+country, and another to another. In those days there were no steamboats
+or railroads, no post offices, telegraph offices, telephones, or
+newspapers. If the Apostles wished to communicate with anyone they had
+either to go to the place themselves or send a messenger. By walking or
+riding it might have taken them months or years in those days to make a
+journey that we can make now in a few days; and for an answer to a
+message which we can get now by telegraph in a few hours they might have
+had to wait months. The Apostles knew of all these inconveniences, and
+before leaving the places they were in pointed out the chief truths that
+all should know and believe before receiving Baptism, that Christian
+teachers who should come after them might neglect nothing--just as we
+use catechisms containing the truths of religion, for fear the teachers
+might forget to speak of some of them. There are "twelve articles" or
+parts in the Apostles' Creed, and each part is meant to refute some
+false doctrine taught before the time of the Apostles or while they
+lived. Thus there were those--as the Romans--who said there were many
+gods; others said not God, but the devil created the earth; others
+taught that Our Lord was not the Son of God: and so on for the rest. All
+these false doctrines are denied and the truth professed when we say the
+Apostles' Creed.
+
+Just as in the Lord's Prayer we do not see all its meaning at first, so
+in the Apostles' Creed we find many beautiful things only after thinking
+carefully over every word it contains.
+
+"I believe," without the slightest doubt or suspicion that I might be
+wrong.
+
+"In God" by the grace that He gives me to believe and have full
+confidence in Him.
+
+"God," to show that there is only one.
+
+"The Father," because He brought everything into existence and keeps it
+so (see Explanation of the Lord's Prayer).
+
+"Almighty," i.e., having all might or power; because He can do whatever
+He wishes. He can make or destroy by merely wishing.
+
+"Creator." To create means to make out of nothing. God alone can create.
+When a carpenter makes a table, he must have wood; when a tailor makes a
+coat, he must have cloth. They are only makers and not creators. God
+needs no material or tools. When we make anything, we make it part by
+part; but God makes the whole at once. He simply wills and it is made.
+Thus He said in the beginning of the world: "Let there be light; and
+light was made." For example, suppose I wanted a piano. If I could say,
+"Let there be a piano" and it immediately sprang up without any other
+effort on my part, although neither the wood, the iron, the wire, the
+ivory, nor anything else in it ever existed till I said, "Let there be a
+piano," then it could be said I created a piano. No one could do this,
+for God alone has such power.
+
+"Heaven and earth" and everything we can see or know of.
+
+"Jesus Christ." Our Lord is called by many names, but you must not be
+confused by them, for they all mean the same person, and are given only
+to remind us of some particular thing connected with Our Lord. He is
+called "Jesus," which signifies Saviour, and "Christ," which means
+anointed. He is called the "Second Person of the Blessed Trinity," and
+when we call Him "Our Lord," we mean the Second Person of the Blessed
+Trinity after He became man. He is called the "Messias" and the "Son of
+David" to show that He is the Redeemer promised to the Jews. Also at the
+end of all our litanies He is called the "Lamb of God," because He was
+so meek and humble and suffered death so patiently. In the Litany of the
+Holy Name of Jesus we will find many other beautiful names of Our Lord,
+all having their special signification.
+
+"His only Son," to show that God, the First Person of the Blessed
+Trinity, was His real Father. We are called God's children, but we are
+only His created and adopted children.
+
+"Who was conceived," i.e., He began to exist by the power of the Holy
+Ghost in the womb of His Mother, the Blessed Virgin.
+
+"Suffered." We shall see in the explanation of the Passion what He
+suffered.
+
+"Under" means here, at the time a man named Pontius Pilate was governor.
+If anyone were put to death today in this country, we should say he was
+executed under Governor or President so-and-so. "Crucified," i.e.,
+nailed to a cross. We say "died," because Our Lord is the Giver of Life,
+and no one could take His life away unless He allowed it. Therefore we
+say He died, and not that He was killed, to show that He died by His own
+free will and not against His will.
+
+"Was buried." This we say to show that He was really dead; because if
+you bury a man who is not really dead he must die.
+
+"Hell" here does not mean the place where the damned are, but a place
+called "Limbo." You know that when our first parents sinned, Heaven was
+closed against them and us, and no human being could be admitted into it
+till after the death of Our Lord; for He by His death would redeem
+us--make amends for our fall and once more open for us Heaven. Now from
+the time Adam sinned till the time Christ died is about four thousand
+years. During that time there were at least some good men, like Abraham,
+Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and others, in the world, who tried to serve
+God as best they could--keeping all the divine laws known to them, and
+believing that the Messias would some day come to redeem them. When,
+therefore, they died they could not go to Heaven, because it was closed
+against them. They could not go to Hell, because they were good men.
+Neither could they go to Purgatory, because they would have to suffer
+there. Where could they go? God in His goodness provided a place for
+them--Limbo--where they could stay without suffering till Our Lord
+reopened Heaven. Therefore, while Our Lord's body lay in the sepulchre,
+His soul went down into Limbo, to tell these good men that Heaven was
+now opened for them, and that at His Ascension He would take them there
+with Him.
+
+"The third day." Not three full days, but the parts of three days, viz.,
+Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday morning.
+
+"He arose" by His own power: and this was the greatest of all Our Lord's
+miracles. Some others, like the prophets and Apostles, have, by the
+power God gave them, raised the dead to life; but no dead person ever
+raised himself. Our Lord is the first and only one to do this, and by so
+doing, showed they could not take away His life unless He wished to give
+it up; for since He could always take back His life, how could they
+destroy it?
+
+"He ascended" forty days after His Resurrection.
+
+"Right hand of God." We know God is a pure spirit having no body; and if
+He has no body He can have no hands. Why then do we say right hand? When
+the President of the United States invites anyone to dine at his house,
+he makes the invited guest sit at his right hand, and thus shows his
+respect by giving him the place of highest honor.
+
+When Our Lord ascended into Heaven, He went up in the human body He had
+upon earth, and His Father placed Him as man, in His glorified body, in
+the place, after His (the Father's) own, the highest in Heaven; but
+remember, only as man, because as God He is equal to His Father in all
+things.
+
+"From thence"--that is, from the right hand of God.
+
+"To judge." To examine them, to pronounce sentence upon them; to reward
+them in Heaven or punish them in Hell.
+
+"The living and the dead." We may take this in a double sense. As the
+general judgment will come suddenly and when not expected, all will be
+going on in the world as usual--some attending to business, others
+taking their ease as they do now, or as they were doing when the deluge
+came upon them. Just when the judgment is about to take place, God will
+destroy the earth; and then all those living in the world will perish
+with its destruction and then be judged. The "dead" means, therefore,
+all those who died before the destruction of the world, and the "living"
+all those who were on earth when the time of its destruction came. Or
+the "living" may mean also those in a state of grace, and the "dead"
+those in mortal sin; for God will judge both classes.
+
+"Holy Ghost," i.e., the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. Ghost is an
+old word meaning spirit. When persons say that a ghost appeared, they
+mean that the spirit of some dead person appeared. These stories about
+ghosts are told generally to frighten children or timid persons. If
+those who thought they saw a ghost always examined what they saw, they
+would find that the supposed ghost was something very natural; probably
+a bush swayed by the wind, or a stray animal, or perhaps some person
+trying to frighten them. Ghost here does not mean the spirit of a dead
+person, but the Holy Spirit, which is the proper name for the Third
+Person of the Blessed Trinity.
+
+"The communion of saints." There are three parts in the Church. We have,
+first, the Church Militant, i.e., the fighting Church, made up of all
+the faithful upon earth, who are still fighting for their salvation. The
+Holy Scripture tells us our life upon earth is a warfare. We have three
+enemies to fight. First, the devil, who by every means wishes to keep us
+out of Heaven--the place he once enjoyed himself. The devil knows well
+the happiness of Heaven, and does not wish us to have what he cannot
+have himself; just as you sometimes see persons who, through their own
+fault, have lost their situation trying to keep others out of it.
+
+Our second enemy is the world. This does not mean the earth with all its
+beauty and riches, but the bad people in the world with their false
+doctrines; some telling us there is no God, Heaven, or Hell, others that
+we should pay no attention to the teaching of the Church or the laws of
+God, and advising us by word and example to resist our lawful superiors
+in Church or State and give free indulgence to our sinful passions.
+
+The third enemy is our own flesh. By this we mean our concupiscence,
+that is, our passions, evil inclinations, and propensity to do wrong.
+When God first created man, the soul was always master over the body,
+and the body obedient to the soul. After Adam sinned, the body rebelled
+against the soul and tried to lead it into sin. The body is the part of
+our nature that makes us like the brute animals, while the soul makes us
+like to God and the angels.
+
+When we sin, it is generally to satisfy the body craving for what it has
+not, or for that which is forbidden. Why did God leave this
+concupiscence in us? He left it, first, to keep us humble, by reminding
+us of our former sins, and, secondly, that we might overcome it and have
+a reward for the victory.
+
+The second branch of the Church is called the Church Suffering. It is
+made up of all those who have gone through this world and are now in
+Purgatory.
+
+Some of them while on earth fought well, but not as well as they could
+have done; they yielded to some temptations, fell into some small sins,
+received some slight wounds from their spiritual enemies, or they have
+not satisfied God entirely for the temporal guilt due to their great
+sins; therefore they are in Purgatory till they can be completely
+purified from all their sins and admitted into Heaven.
+
+The last or third branch of the Church is called the Church Triumphant,
+and is made up of the angels and all those who have lived at one time
+upon earth and who are now in Heaven with God, enjoying their rewards
+for overcoming their spiritual enemies and serving God while upon earth.
+They are triumphant or rejoicing because they have reached their
+heavenly home.
+
+You must not think that those only are saints who have been canonized by
+the Church and whose names are known to us; for all in Heaven are
+saints, as we also shall be if admitted into that happy eternity. God
+wishes all to be saints, for He wishes all to be saved. You know we can
+pray to the saints and ask their help and prayers; but how could we know
+that certain men or women are really in Heaven? We can know it when the
+Church canonizes them, and thus gives proof that they were great
+spiritual heroes in the service of God and can be more confidently
+appealed to on account of their eminent sanctity and powerful
+intercession.
+
+Therefore the Church by canonization tells us for certain that such and
+such persons are truly in Heaven. But might not the Church be deceived
+like ourselves?
+
+No! for Christ has promised to be always with His Church, and the Holy
+Ghost is ever directing her, so that she cannot err in faith or morals.
+If the Church made us pray to persons who are not saints, she would fall
+into the worst of errors, and Our Lord would have failed to keep His
+promise--a saying that would be blasphemous, for Christ, being God, is
+infinitely true and could not deceive or be deceived. To canonize,
+therefore, does not mean to make a saint, but to declare to the whole
+world that such a one was a saint while upon earth. After death we
+cannot merit, so our reward in Heaven will be just what we have secured
+up till the moment of our death; hence holiness is acquired in the
+Church Militant.
+
+How does the Church canonize a saint? Let us suppose some good man dies,
+and all his neighbors talk about his holy fife, how much he did for the
+poor, how he prayed, fasted, and mortified himself. All these accounts
+of his life are collected and sent to Rome, to the Holy Father or to the
+cardinals appointed by him to examine such statements. These accounts
+must show that the good man practiced virtue in a more than ordinary
+manner, that he either performed some miracles while he lived, or that
+God granted miracles after his death through his intercession.
+
+These accounts are not examined immediately after his death, but
+sometimes after a lapse of fifty years or more, so that people might not
+exaggerate his good works because they knew him personally.
+
+When these accounts are examined, one is appointed to prevent, if he
+can, the canonization. He is sometimes called the devil's advocate,
+because it is his business to find fault with all the accounts and
+miracles, and prove them false if possible. This is done to make certain
+that all the accounts are true and the miracles real. If everything is
+found as represented, then the good man is declared venerable, later
+beatified, i.e., called blessed, and still later canonized, i.e.,
+declared a saint. If he is only beatified, he can be honored publicly
+only in certain places or by certain persons; but if he is canonized, he
+can be honored throughout the whole Church by all the faithful.
+
+Thus we understand the three branches of the one true Church--the Church
+Militant, i.e., all those who are on earth trying to save their souls;
+the Church Suffering, those in Purgatory, having their souls purified
+for Heaven; and the Church Triumphant, those already in Heaven.
+
+The "communion of saints" means that these three branches of the Church
+can help one another. We help the souls in Purgatory by our prayers and
+good works, and the saints in Heaven pray for us. But "communion of
+saints" means still more. Let us take an example. Suppose there are in a
+family, living together, a mother and three sons. The eldest son earns a
+large salary, the second son enough to support himself, and the youngest
+very little. They give their earnings to their mother, who from the
+combined amounts provides for the wants of all and draws from the large
+salary of the eldest to supply the needs of the youngest. Thus he who
+has too little for his support is--through his mother--aided by the one
+who has more than he needs. Now, the Church is our mother, and some of
+her children--the great saints--were rich in good works and did more
+than was necessary to gain Heaven, while others did not do enough. Then
+our mother, the Church, draws from the abundant satisfaction of her rich
+children to help those who are poor in merit and good works. The
+greatest treasure she has to draw from for that purpose is the more than
+abundant merits of Our Lord and the superabundant satisfaction of the
+Blessed Virgin and the greatest saints. Our Lord could have redeemed us
+all by the least suffering, and yet He suffered dreadful torments, and
+even shed His blood and died for us. The Blessed Virgin never sinned,
+yet she performed many good works and offered many prayers. Therefore
+"communion of saints" means, also, that we all share in the merits of
+Christ and in the superabundant satisfaction of the Blessed Virgin and
+of the saints; also in the prayers and good works of the Church and of
+her faithful and pious children.
+
+"The forgiveness of sins," i.e., by the Sacrament of Penance, through
+the power that God gave His priests; also by Baptism.
+
+"The resurrection of the body," i.e., on the last day (Matt. 24:29; Luke
+21:25). When on the last day, at the general judgment, God's angel
+sounds the great trumpet, all the dead will arise again and come to
+judgment, in the same bodies they had while living. But you will say: If
+their bodies are reduced to ashes and mixed with the earth, or if parts
+of them are in one place and parts in another, how is this possible?
+Very easily, with God. If He in the beginning could make all the parts
+out of nothing, with how much ease can He collect them scattered here
+and there! When God made man He gave him a body and a soul, and wished
+them never to be separated. Man was to live here upon earth for a time,
+and then be taken up into Heaven, body and soul, as Our Lord is there
+now. But when man sinned, in punishment God commanded that he should
+die; i.e., that these two dear friends, the body and the soul, should be
+separated for a time. Death is caused by the separation of the soul from
+the body. The body and soul together make a man, and neither one alone
+can be called a man. A dead body is only part of a man. At the
+resurrection every soul will come from Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell, to
+seek its own body; they will then be united again as they were in life,
+never to be separated--to be happy together in Heaven if they have been
+good upon earth, or miserable together in Hell if they have been bad
+upon earth.
+
+"Life everlasting"--either, as we have said, in Heaven or Hell. There
+was a time when we did not exist but it can never be said of us again we
+do not exist. When once we have been created, we shall live as long as
+God Himself, i.e., forever. When we have lived a thousand years for
+every drop of water in the ocean; a thousand years for every grain of
+sand on the seashore; a thousand years for every blade of grass and
+every leaf on the earth, we shall still be existing. How short a time,
+therefore, is a hundred years even if we live so long--and few
+do--compared with all these millions of years! And yet it depends upon
+the time we live here whether all these millions of years in the next
+world will be for us years of happiness or of misery. The whole life of
+a man extends through the two worlds, viz., from the moment of his
+creation through all eternity; and surely the little while he stays upon
+earth must seem very short when, after spending a million of years in
+the next world, he looks back to his earthly life. There is a good
+example to illustrate this. If you stand on a railroad, and look away
+down the track for about a mile, it will seem to you that the rails come
+nearer and nearer, till at last they touch. It seems so on account of
+the distance, for where they seem to touch they are just as far apart as
+where you are standing. So, also, when you look back from eternity, the
+day of your birth and the day of your death will seem to coincide, and
+your life on earth appear nothing. Then, if you are among the lost souls
+you will think, What a fool I was to make myself suffer all this long
+eternity for that silly bit of earthly pleasure, which is of no benefit
+to me now! And this thought will serve only to make you more miserable.
+But, on the other hand, if you look back from a happy eternity, you will
+wonder at God's goodness in giving you so much happiness for so short a
+service upon earth.
+
+
+THE CONFITEOR
+
+I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed
+Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles
+Peter and Paul, and to all the saints, that I have sinned exceedingly,
+in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through
+my most grievous fault. Therefore I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin,
+blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy
+Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, to pray to the Lord our God
+for me.
+
+May the Almighty God have mercy on me, forgive me my sins, and bring me
+to everlasting life. Amen.
+
+May the Almighty and merciful Lord grant me pardon, absolution, and
+remission of all my sins. Amen.
+
+This is another beautiful prayer. In it we can imagine that we are
+permitted to enter Heaven. What do we see there? God, the Blessed
+Virgin, the thousands of angels, the Apostles, all the saints, martyrs,
+confessors, doctors and virgins. They cease singing God's praises, as we
+enter, and fix their eyes upon us. Our guardian angel conducts us before
+the great throne of God, and we kneel down in the presence of the whole
+court of Heaven, to acknowledge our sins and faults, while all listen
+attentively. Touched by so sublime a sight and the thought of having
+offended a God of so much glory, we begin our accusation of ourselves.
+We fix our eyes first upon God, and say: "I confess," i.e., accuse
+myself, "to Almighty God." Then we look upon the rest of the blessed,
+and say: "to the Blessed Mary ever Virgin," etc. Thus we call the whole
+court of Heaven to be a witness of the fact that we "have sinned," not
+lightly, but "exceedingly," i.e., very greatly, and in three ways: "in
+thought," by thinking of things sinful and forbidden; "in word," by
+lies, curses, slanders, etc.; "in deed," by every bad action that we
+have committed; and each of us can say: I have done all this "through my
+fault," i.e., willingly and deliberately; and it was not a small fault,
+but an exceeding great fault, because God was helping me by His grace to
+overcome temptations and avoid bad thoughts, words, and actions, and I
+would not accept His help, but willingly did what was wrong. What am I
+to do, therefore? Will God pardon all these offenses if I alone ask Him,
+seeing that all the angels and saints know that I have thus offended
+Him? What shall I do? I will ask them to help me by their prayers, and
+to beg God's pardon for me. He may grant their prayers, especially those
+of the Blessed Mother and of the saints, when He would not grant mine.
+"Therefore I beseech the Blessed Mary ever Virgin," etc., "to pray to
+the Lord our God for me."
+
+When we kneel down to say the Confiteor, if we could imagine what I have
+just described to take place, how well we should say it! With what
+attention, respect, and sorrow we should ask the prayers of the saints!
+When we say the Confiteor, and indeed any prayer, we say it in the
+presence of God, and of the whole court of Heaven, though we are not in
+Heaven and cannot see God. The angels and saints do hear us and will
+pray for us. When, therefore, you are saying the Confiteor, imagine that
+you see all I have described, and you will never say it badly.
+
+
+AN ACT OF FAITH
+
+O my God! I firmly believe that Thou art one God in three divine
+persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost; I believe that Thy divine Son
+became man, and died for our sins, and that He will come to judge the
+living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy
+Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst
+neither deceive nor be deceived.
+
+An "act," i.e., a profession, of faith. The whole substance of the act
+of faith is contained in this: I believe all that God has revealed and
+the Catholic Church teaches. We might mention one by one all the truths
+God has revealed, i.e., made known to us, and all the truths the
+Catholic Church teaches as revealed by God. For example, we might say, I
+believe in the Holy Trinity, in the Incarnation of Our Lord in the Holy
+Eucharist, in the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin, in the
+infallibility of the Pope, and so on, till we write an act of faith
+twenty pages long, and yet it would all be contained in the words: I
+believe all God has revealed and the Catholic Church teaches. Hence we
+find in prayerbooks and catechisms acts of faith differing in length and
+words, but they are all the same in substance and have the same meaning.
+The act of faith in our Catechism gives a few of the chief truths
+revealed, that it may be neither too short nor too long, and that all
+may learn the same words.
+
+
+AN ACT OF HOPE
+
+O my God! relying on Thy almighty power and infinite goodness and
+promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and
+life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and
+Redeemer.
+
+The substance of this act is: I hope for Heaven and the means to obtain
+it. The means by which I will obtain it are the pardon of my sins by
+God, and the grace which He will give me in the reception of the
+Sacraments and in prayer, by which grace I will be able to know Him,
+love Him, and serve Him, and thus come to be with Him forever. Here
+again we could make a long act by mentioning all the things we hope for;
+viz., a good death, a favorable judgment, a place in Heaven, etc.
+
+
+AN ACT OF LOVE
+
+O my God! I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul
+because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as
+myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask
+pardon of all whom I have injured.
+
+The substance of this act is: I love God above all things for His own
+goodness, and my neighbor as myself for the sake of God. An act of love
+and an act of charity are the same thing with different names. We are
+accustomed to call such things as the giving of alms or help to the
+poor, the doing of some good work that we are not bound to do for
+another, charity. Surely there are many motives that may induce persons
+to help others in their distress; but what is the chief Christian
+motive, if it be not the love we bear our brother-man because he is,
+like ourselves, a child of God, and the desire we have to obey God, who
+wishes us to help the needy? The sufferings of others excite our pity,
+and the more we love them the more sorry are we to see them suffer.
+Thanks to God for all His mercies to us; He might have made us, instead
+of this man, poor and in suffering, but He has spared us and afflicted
+him; we know not why God has done so, and therefore we help him, moved
+by these considerations even when we feel he is not deserving of the
+help, because we know his unworthiness will not prevent God from
+rewarding our good intention. We may be charitable to our neighbor by
+saying nothing hurtful about him, by never telling his faults without
+necessity, etc. Therefore real charity, in its widest sense, and love
+are just the same.
+
+
+AN ACT OF CONTRITION
+
+O my God! I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all
+my sins, because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell, but
+most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and
+deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace,
+to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.
+
+The substance of this act is: O my God! I am very sorry for all my sins,
+because by them I have offended Thee, and with Thy help, I will never
+sin again. It is well to know what the acts contain in substance, for we
+can use these short forms as aspirations during the day, when we
+probably would not think of saying the long forms. A fuller explanation
+of the qualities of our contrition will be given in Lesson Eighteen.
+
+
+THE BLESSING BEFORE MEALS
+
+Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts which we are to receive from Thy
+bounty, through Christ our lord. Amen.
+
+
+GRACE AFTER MEALS
+
+We give Thee thanks for all Thy benefits, O Almighty God, Who livest and
+reignest forever. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through
+the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
+
+"Grace" means thanks. We saw in the explanation of the Our Father how
+God provides us with all we need, and most frequently with food. It is
+the least we can do, therefore, to thank Him for it, when it is just
+placed before us. We should thank Him also after we have eaten it and
+found it good, pleasing, and refreshing. When God provides us with food
+He thereby makes a kind of promise that He will allow us to live awhile
+longer and give us strength to serve Him. How shameful it is, then, to
+turn God's gifts into a means of offending Him, as some do by the sin of
+gluttony! Again, it is very wrong to murmur and be dissatisfied with
+what God gives us. He does not owe us anything, and need not give unless
+He wishes. What would you think of a beggar of this kind?
+He comes to your door hungry, and you, instead of simply giving him some
+bread to appease his hunger, take him into your house and give him a
+good dinner, new clothing, and some money. Now, instead of being
+thankful, suppose he should complain because you did not give him a
+better dinner, finer clothing, and more money, and should look cross and
+dissatisfied; what would you think of him? Would you not be tempted to
+turn the ungrateful fellow out of your house, with an order never to
+come again, telling him he deserved to starve for his ingratitude? We
+are not quite as ungrateful as the beggar when we neglect grace at
+meals, because in saying our daily prayers we thank God for all His
+gifts, our food included, and hence it is not a sin to neglect grace at
+meals. But do we not show some ingratitude when we murmur, complain, and
+are dissatisfied with our food, clothing, or homes? God, even when we
+are ungrateful, still gives; hence His wonderful goodness and mercy to
+us.
+
+
+THE MANNER IN WHICH A LAY PERSON IS TO BAPTIZE IN CASE OF NECESSITY
+
+Pour common water on the head or face of the person to be baptized, and
+say while pouring it: "I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of
+the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
+
+N.B. Any person of either sex who has reached the use of reason can
+baptize in case of necessity.
+
+
+
+
+CATECHISM
+
+Questions marked * are not in No. 1 Catechism.
+
+A catechism is any book made up in question and answer form, no matter
+what it treats of. We have catechisms of history, of geography, etc. Our
+Catechism is a book in the same form treating of religion. It is a
+little compendium of the truths of our religion, of all we must believe
+and do. It contains, in the simplest form, all that a priest learns
+during his many years of study. The theology he learns is only a deeper
+and fuller explanation of the Catechism. A whole book might be written
+on almost every question. For example, might we not write a book on each
+of the first three questions--the World, God, and Man? There is
+consequently much meaning in the Catechism, which must be made known to
+us by explanation. You should therefore learn the Catechism by heart
+now, even when you do not fully understand it; because afterwards, when
+you read books on religion or hear sermons, all these questions and
+answers will come back to your mind. Sermons will help you to understand
+the questions, or the questions will help you to understand the sermons.
+
+
+
+Lesson 1
+ON THE END OF MAN
+
+
+The end of a thing is the purpose for which it was made. The end of a
+watch is to keep time. The end of a pen is to write, etc. A thing is
+good only in proportion to the way it fulfills the end for which it was
+made. A watch may be very beautifully made, a very rare ornament, but if
+it will not keep time it is useless as a watch. The same may be said of
+the pen, or of anything else. Now for what purpose was man made? If we
+discover that, we know his end. When we look around us in the world, we
+see a purpose or end for everything. We see that the soil is made for
+the plants and trees to grow in; because if there was no need of things
+growing, it would be better to have a nice clean solid rock to walk
+upon, and then we would be spared the trouble of making roads, and
+paving streets. But things must grow, and so we must have soil. Again,
+the vegetables and plants are made for animals to feed upon; while the
+animals themselves are made for man, that they may help him in his work
+or serve him for food. Thus it is evident everything in the world was
+made to serve something else. What then was man made for? Was it for
+anything in the world? We see that all classes of beings are created for
+something higher than themselves. Thus plants are higher than soil,
+because they have life and soil has not. Animals are higher than plants,
+because they not only have life, but they can feel and plants cannot.
+Man is higher than animals, because he not only has life and can feel,
+but he has also reason and intelligence, and can understand, while
+animals cannot. Therefore we must look for something higher than man
+himself, but there is nothing higher than man in this world, and so we
+must look beyond it to find that for which he was made. And looking
+beyond it and considering all things, we find that he was made for
+God--to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him both in this world and
+in the next. Again, we read in the Bible (Gen. 1) that at the creation
+of the world all things were made before man, and that he was created
+last. Therefore, if all these things could exist without man, we cannot
+say he was made for them. The world existed before him and can exist
+after him. The world goes along without any particular man, and the same
+may be said of all men. Neither was man made to stay here awhile to
+become rich, or learned, or powerful, because all do not become
+rich--some are very poor; all are not learned--some are very ignorant;
+all are not powerful--some are slaves. But since all men are alike and
+equal in this, that they have all bodies formed in the same way, and all
+souls that are immortal, they should all be made for the same end. For
+example, you could not make a pen like a watch if you want it to write.
+Although pens differ in size, shape, etc., they have all one general
+form which is essential to them. So, although men differ in many things,
+they are all alike in the essential thing, viz., that they are composed
+of body and soul, and made to the image and likeness of God. Hence, as
+pens are made only to write with, so all men must have only one and the
+same end, namely, to serve God.
+
+1 Q. Who made the world?
+A. God made the world.
+
+The "world" here means more than the earth--more than is shown on a map
+of the world. It means everything that we can see--sun, moon, stars,
+etc.; even those things that we can see only with great telescopes.
+Everything, too, that we may be able to see in the future, either with
+our eyes alone, or aided by instruments, is included in the word
+"world." We can call it the universe.
+
+2 Q. Who is God?
+A. God is the Creator of Heaven and earth, and of all things.
+
+3 Q. What is man?
+A. Man is a creature composed of a body and soul, and made to the image
+and likeness of God.
+
+"Creature," i.e., a thing created. Man differs from anything else in
+creation. All things else are either entirely matter, or entirely
+spirit. An angel, for example, is all spirit, and a stone is all matter;
+but man is a combination of both spirit and matter--of soul and of body.
+
+*4 Q. Is this likeness in the body or in the soul?
+A. This likeness is chiefly in the soul.
+
+*5 Q. How is the soul like to God?
+A. The soul is like God because it is a spirit that will never die, and
+has understanding and free will.
+
+My soul is like to God in four things.
+
+(1). It is "a spirit." It really exists, but cannot be seen with the
+eyes of our body. Every spirit is invisible, but every invisible thing
+is not a spirit. We cannot see the wind. We can feel its influence, we
+can see its work--for example, the dust flying, trees swaying, ships
+sailing, etc.--but the wind itself we never see. Again, we never see
+electricity. We see the light or effect it produces, but we never see
+the electricity itself. Yet no one denies the existence of the wind or
+of electricity on account of their being invisible. Why then should
+anyone say there are no spirits--no God, no angels, no souls--simply
+because they cannot be seen, when we have other proofs, stronger than
+the testimony of our sight, that they really and truly exist?
+
+(2). My soul will "never die," i.e., will never cease to exist; it is
+immortal. This is a very wonderful thing to think of. It will last as
+long as God Himself.
+
+(3). My soul "has understanding," i.e., it has the gift of reason. This
+gift enables man to reflect upon all his actions--the reasons why he
+should do certain things and why he should not do them. By reason he
+reflects upon the past, and judges what may happen in the future. He
+sees the consequences of his actions. He not only knows what he does,
+but why he does it. This is the gift that places man high above the
+brute animals in the order of creation; and hence man is not merely an
+animal, but he is a rational animal--an animal with the gift of reason.
+
+Brute animals have not reason, but only instinct, i.e., they follow
+certain impulses or feelings which God gave them at their creation. He
+established certain laws for each class or kind of animals, and they,
+without knowing it, follow these laws; and when we see them following
+their laws, always in the same way, we say it is their nature. Animals
+act at times as if they knew just why they were acting; but it is not
+so. It is we who reason upon their actions, and see why they do them;
+but they do not reason, they only follow their instinct.
+
+If animals could reason, they ought to improve in their condition. Men
+become more civilized day by day. They invent many things that were
+unknown to their forefathers. One man can improve upon the works of
+another, etc. But, we never see anything of this kind in the actions of
+animals. The same kind of birds, for instance, build the same kind of
+nests, generation after generation, without ever making change or
+improvement in them. When man teaches an animal any action, it cannot
+teach the same to its young. It is clear, therefore, that animals cannot
+reason.
+
+Though man has the gift of reason by which he can learn a great deal, he
+cannot learn all through his reason; for there are many things that God
+Himself must teach him. When God teaches, we call the truths He makes
+known to us Revelation. How could man ever know about the Trinity
+through his reason alone, when, after God has made known to him that It
+exists, he cannot understand it? It is the same for all the other
+mysteries.
+
+(4). My soul has "free will." This is another grand gift of God, by
+which I am able to do or not do a thing, just as I please. I can even
+sin and refuse to obey God. God Himself--while He leaves me my free
+will--could not oblige me to do anything, unless I wished to do it;
+neither could the devil. I am free therefore, and I may use this great
+gift either to benefit or injure myself. If I were not free I would not
+deserve reward or punishment for my actions, for no one is or should be
+punished for doing what he cannot help. God would not punish us for sin
+if we were not free to commit or avoid it. I turn this freedom to my
+benefit if I do what God wishes when I could do the opposite; for He
+will be more pleased with my conduct, and grant a greater reward than He
+would bestow if I obeyed simply because obliged to do so. Animals have
+no free will. If, for example, they suffer from hunger and you place
+food before them, they will eat; but man can starve, if he wills to do
+so, with a feast before him. For the same reason man can endure more
+fatigue than any other animal of the same bodily strength. In traveling,
+for instance, animals give up when exhausted, but man may be dying as he
+walks, and still, by his strong will-power, force his wearied limbs to
+move. But you will say, did not the lions in the den into which Daniel
+was cast because he would not act against his conscience, obey the
+wicked king and offend God--as we read in Holy Scripture (Dan.
+6:16)--refrain from eating him, even when they were starving with
+hunger? Yes; but they did not do so of themselves, but by the power of
+God preventing them: and that is why the delivery of Daniel from their
+mouths was a miracle. It is clear, because the same lions immediately
+tore in pieces Daniel's enemies when they were cast into the den.
+
+6 Q. Why did God make you?
+A. God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world,
+and to be happy with Him forever in the next.
+
+"To know" Him, because we must know of a thing before we can love it. A
+poor savage in Africa never longs to be at a game or contest going on in
+America, because he does not know it and therefore cannot love it. We
+see a person and know him; if he pleases us we love him, and if we love
+him we will try to serve him; we will not be satisfied with doing merely
+what he asks of us, but will do whatever we think might give him
+pleasure. So it is in regard to God. We must first know Him--learn who
+He is from our catechisms and books of instruction, but especially from
+the teaching of God's ministers, the Holy Father, bishops and priests.
+When we know Him, we shall love Him. If we knew Him perfectly, we should
+love Him perfectly; so the better we know Him the more we shall love
+Him. And as it is our chief duty to love Him and serve Him upon earth,
+it becomes our strict duty to learn here whatever we can of His nature,
+attributes, and holy laws. The saints and angels in Heaven know God so
+well that they must love Him, and cannot therefore offend Him.
+
+You have all seen some person in the world, or maybe several persons,
+whom you have greatly admired; still you did not love them perfectly;
+there was always some little thing about them in looks, manners, or
+disposition that could be rendered more pleasing; some defect or want
+you would like to see supplied; some fault or imperfection you would
+like to see corrected. Now suppose you had the power to take all the
+good qualities you found in the persons you loved and unite them in one
+person, in whom there would be nothing displeasing, but everything
+perfect and beautiful. Do you not think you would love such a person
+very much indeed?
+
+Moreover, suppose you knew that person loved you intensely, would it not
+be your greatest delight to be ever with such a friend? Well, then, all
+the lovable qualities and beauties you see in created beings come from
+God and are bestowed by Him; yet all the good qualities on earth and
+those of the angels and saints in Heaven, and even of the Blessed Virgin
+and St. Joseph, if united in one person would be nothing compared to the
+goodness and beauty of God. How good and how lovable, therefore, must He
+be! And what shall we say when we think that He loves us with a greater
+love than we could ever love Him, even with our most earnest efforts?
+Try then first to know God and you will surely love and serve Him. Do
+not be satisfied with the little you learn of Him in the Catechism, but
+afterward read good books, and above all hear sermons and instructions.
+
+"In this world." Because unless we do what is pleasing to Him in this
+world we cannot be with Him in the next. Our condition in the next world
+depends entirely upon our conduct in this. Thus we have discovered the
+answer to the great question, What is the end of man; for what was he
+made?
+
+*7 Q. Of which must we take more care, our soul or our body?
+A. We must take more care of our soul than of our body.
+
+*8 Q. Why must we take more care of our soul than of our body?
+A. We must take more care of our soul than of our body, because in
+losing our soul we lose God and everlasting happiness.
+
+Every sensible person will take most care of that which is most
+valuable. If a girl had a hundred dollars in a ten-cent pocket-book, you
+would consider her a great fool if she threw away the hundred dollars
+for fear of spoiling the pocket-book. Now, he is a greater fool who
+throws away his soul in order to save his body some little
+inconvenience, or gratify its wicked desires or inclinations. Wherever
+the soul will be, there the body will be also; so we should, in a
+certain way, try to forget the body and make sure of getting the soul
+safely into Heaven. You would not think much of the wisdom of a boy who
+allowed his kite to be smashed in pieces by giving his whole attention
+to the tail of the kite. If he took care to keep the kite itself high in
+air and away from every danger, the tail would follow it; and even if
+the tail did get entangled, it would have a good chance of being freed
+while the kite was still flying. But of what use is it to save a
+worthless piece of rag, if the kite--the valuable thing--is lost? Just
+in the same way, of what use is our body if our soul is lost? And
+remember we have only one soul. Therefore, make sure to save the soul,
+and the body also will be saved--that is, the whole man will be saved;
+for we cannot save the soul and lose the body; they will both be saved
+or both be lost.
+
+9 Q. What must we do to save our souls?
+A. To save our souls, we must worship God by faith, hope, and charity;
+that is, we must believe in Him, hope in Him, and love Him with all our
+heart.
+
+"Worship," that is, give Him divine honor. We honor persons for their
+worth and excellence, and since God is the most excellent, we give Him
+the highest honors, differing from others not merely in degrees but in
+kind--divine honors that belong to Him alone. And justly so, for the
+vilest animal upon the earth is a thousand times more nearly our equal
+than the most perfect creature, man or angel, is the equal of God. In
+speaking of worship, theologians generally distinguish three kinds,
+namely: latria, or that supreme worship due to God alone, which cannot
+be transferred to any creature without committing the sin of idolatry;
+dulia, or that secondary veneration we give to saints and angels as the
+special friends of God; hyperdulia, or that higher veneration which we
+give to the Blessed Virgin as the most exalted of all God's creatures.
+It is higher than the veneration we give to the other saints, but
+infinitely inferior to the worship we give to God Himself. We show God
+our special honor by never doubting anything He reveals to us, therefore
+by "faith"; by expecting with certainty whatever He promises, therefore
+by "hope"; and finally by loving Him more than anyone else in the world,
+therefore by "charity."
+
+But someone may say, I think I love my parents more than God. Well, let
+us see. Suppose your mother should command you to commit a sinful act (a
+thing no good mother would do) and you have therefore to choose between
+offending her or Almighty God. Now, although you love your mother very
+much, if in this instance you prefer to displease her rather than commit
+the sin that offends God, you show that you love God more than her.
+Again, many who dearly love their parents leave them that they may
+consecrate their lives to the special service of God in some religious
+community and thus prove their greater love for Him. The love we have
+for God is intellectual rather than sentimental; and since it is not
+measured by the intensity of our feelings, how are we to know that we
+love Him best? By our determination never to offend Him for any person
+or thing in the world, however dear to us, and by our readiness to obey
+and serve Him before all others.
+
+10 Q. How shall we know the things which we are to believe?
+A. We shall know the things which we are to believe from the Catholic
+Church, through which God speaks to us.
+
+"Catholic Church" in this answer means the Pope, councils, bishops, and
+priests who teach in the Church.
+
+11 Q. Where shall we find the chief truths which the Catholic Church
+teaches?
+A. We shall find the chief truths which the Catholic Church teaches in
+the Apostles' Creed.
+
+"Chief," because the Apostles' Creed does not contain in an explicit
+manner all the truths we must believe. For example, there is nothing in
+the Apostles' Creed about the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, about the
+Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin, or the infallibility of the
+Pope; and yet we must believe these and other articles of faith not in
+the Apostles' Creed. It contains only the "chief" and not all the
+truths.
+
+12 Q. Say the Apostles' Creed.
+A. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth;
+and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the
+Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was
+crucified, died, and was buried; He descended into Hell; the third day
+He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at
+the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to
+judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy
+Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the
+resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
+
+"Descend" means to go down, and "ascend" to go up.
+
+
+
+Lesson 2
+ON GOD AND HIS PERFECTIONS
+
+
+A "perfection" means a good quality. We say a thing is perfect when it
+has all the good qualities it should have.
+
+13 Q. What is God?
+A. God is a spirit infinitely perfect.
+
+"A spirit" is a living, intelligent, invisible being. It really exists,
+though we cannot see it with the eyes of our body. It has intelligence
+and can therefore think, understand, etc. It is not because we cannot
+see it that we call it a spirit. To be invisible is only one of the
+qualities of a spirit. It is also indivisible, that is, it cannot be
+divided into parts. God is such a being. He is "infinitely perfect,"
+that is, He has every perfection in the highest degree. "Infinite" means
+to have without limit. If there were any perfection God did not have, He
+would not be infinite. He is unlimited in wisdom, in power, in goodness,
+in beauty, etc. But you will tell me persons on earth and the angels and
+saints in Heaven have some wisdom and power and beauty, and therefore
+God cannot have all, since He has not the portion with which they are
+endowed. I still say He is infinite, because what the angels and others
+have belongs to God, and He only lends it to them. "Perfect" means to be
+without any defect or fault.
+
+14 Q. Had God a beginning?
+A. God had no beginning; He always was and always will be.
+
+Was there ever a time when we could say there was no God? There was a
+time when we could say there was no Heaven or earth, no angels, men, or
+animals; but there was never a time when there was no God. We may go
+back in thought millions and millions of years before the Creation, and
+God was then existing. He had no beginning and will never cease to
+exist. This is a mystery; and what a mystery is will be explained in the
+next lesson.
+
+15 Q. Where is God?
+A. God is everywhere.
+
+"Everywhere"--not spread out like a great cloud, but whole and entire in
+every particular place: and yet there is only one God, and not as many
+gods as there are places. How this can be we cannot fully understand,
+because this also is a mystery. A simile, though it will not be perfect,
+may help you to understand. When we speak of God, we can never give a
+true and perfect example; for we cannot find anything exactly like Him
+to compare to Him. If I discharge a great cannon in a city, every one of
+the inhabitants will hear the report; not in such a way that each hearer
+gets his share of the sound, but each hears the whole report, just as if
+he were the only one to hear it. Now, how is that? There are not as many
+reports as there are persons listening; and yet each person hears the
+whole report.
+
+16 Q. If God is everywhere, why do we not see Him?
+A. We do not see God because He is a pure spirit and cannot be seen with
+bodily eyes.
+
+"Pure spirit," that is, not clothed with any material body--spirit
+alone.
+
+17 Q. Does God see us?
+A. God sees us and watches over us.
+
+"Watches" to protect, to reward or punish us. He watches continually; He
+not only watches, but keeps us alive. God might have created us and then
+paid no more attention to us; but if He had done so, we should have
+fallen back again into nothingness. Therefore He preserves us every
+moment of our lives. We cannot draw a breath without Him. If a steam
+engine be required to work ceaselessly, you cannot, after setting it in
+motion, leave it henceforth entirely to itself. You must keep up the
+supply of water and fire necessary for the generation of steam, you must
+oil the machinery, guard against overheating or cooling, and, in a word,
+keep a constant watch that nothing may interfere with its motion. So
+also God not only watches His creatures, but likewise provides for them.
+Since we depend so much upon Him, is it not great folly to sin against
+Him, to offend, and tempt Him as it were? There are some birds that
+build their nests on the sides of great rocky precipices by the
+seacoast. Their eggs are very valuable, and men are let down by long
+ropes to take them from the nest. Now while one of these men is hanging
+over the fearful precipice, his life is entirely in the hands of those
+holding the rope above. While he is in that danger do you not think he
+would be very foolish to tempt and insult those on whom his life
+depends, when they could dash him to pieces by simply dropping the rope?
+While we live here upon earth we are all hanging over a great precipice,
+namely, eternity; God holds us by the little thread of our lives, and if
+He pleased to drop it we should be hurled into eternity. If we tempt or
+insult Him, He might drop or cut the thread while we are in mortal sin,
+and then, body and soul, we go down into Hell.
+
+18 Q. Does God know all things?
+A. God knows all things, even our most secret thoughts, words, and
+actions.
+
+Certainly God "knows all things." First, because He is infinitely wise,
+and if He were ignorant of anything He would not be so. Secondly,
+because He is everywhere and sees and hears all. Darkness does not hide
+from His view, nor noise prevent Him from hearing. How could we sin if
+we thought of this! God is just here, looking at me and listening to me.
+Would I do what I am going to do now if I knew my parents, relatives,
+and friends were watching me? Would I like them to know that I am
+thinking about things sinful, and preparing to do shameful acts? No! Why
+then should I feel ashamed to let God see and know of this wicked
+thought or action? They might know it and yet be unable to harm me, but
+He, all-powerful, could destroy me instantly. Nay, more; not only will
+God see and know this evil deed or thought; but, by His gift, the
+Blessed Mother, the angels and saints will know of it and be ashamed of
+it before God, and, most of all, my guardian angel will deplore it.
+Besides, this sin will be revealed to the whole world on the last day,
+and my friends, relatives, and neighbors will know that I was guilty of
+it.
+
+19 Q. Can God do all things?
+A. God can do all things, and nothing is hard or impossible to Him.
+
+20 Q. Is God just, holy, and merciful?
+A. God is all just, all holy, all merciful, as He is infinitely perfect.
+
+"All just"--that is, most just. "Just" means to give to everyone what
+belongs to him--to reward if it is merited or to punish if it is
+deserved. "Holy"--that is, good. "Merciful" means compassionate,
+forgiving, less exacting than severe justice demands. In a court a just
+judge is one who listens patiently to all the arguments for and against
+the prisoner, and then, comparing one with the other, gives the sentence
+exactly in accordance with the guilt. If he inflicts more or less
+punishment than the prisoner deserves, or for money or anything else
+gives an unfair sentence, then he is an unjust judge. The judge might be
+merciful in this way. The laws say that for the crime of which this
+prisoner is proved guilty he can be sent to prison for a term not longer
+than ten years and not shorter than five: that is, for anything between
+ten and five years. The judge could give him the full ten years that the
+law allows and be just. But suppose he believed that the prisoner did
+not know the law and did not intend to be as wicked as he was proved; or
+that it was his first offense, or that he heard the prisoner's mother,
+who was old and infirm, pleading for him and saying he was her only
+support; or other extenuating circumstances that could awaken sympathy:
+the judge might be merciful and sentence him for the shortest term the
+law allows. But if the judge dismissed every prisoner, no matter how
+guilty, without punishment, he would not be a merciful but an unjust
+judge, who would soon be forced to leave the court. In the same way, God
+is often merciful to sinners and punishes them less than He could in
+strict justice. But if He were to allow every sinner to go without any
+punishment whatsoever--as unbelievers say He should do, by having no
+Hell for the wicked--then He would not be just. For as God is an
+Infinite Being, all His perfections must be infinite; that is, He must
+be as infinitely just as He is infinitely merciful, true, wise, or
+powerful.
+
+Now He has promised to punish sin; and since He is infinitely true, He
+must keep His promise.
+
+
+
+Lesson 3
+ON THE UNITY AND TRINITY OF GOD
+
+
+"Unity" means to be one, and "Trinity," three in one.
+
+21 Q. Is there but one God?
+A. Yes; there is but one God.
+
+22 Q. Why can there be but one God?
+A. There can be but one God because God, being supreme and infinite,
+cannot have an equal.
+
+"Supreme," that is, the highest. "Equal," when two are equal one has
+everything the other has. You could say one pen is the equal of another
+if it is just as nice and will write just as well; one mechanic is the
+equal of another if he can do the work equally well. Two boys are equal
+in class if they have exactly the same marks at the end of the month or
+year. You could not have two persons chief. For example, you could not
+have two chief generals in an army; two presidents in the nation, or two
+governors in a state, or two mayors in a city, or two principals in a
+school, unless they divide equally their power, and then they will be
+equals and neither of them chief. God cannot divide His power with
+anyone--so as to give it away entirely--because we say He is infinite,
+and that means to have all. Others have only the loan of their power
+from God. Therefore, all power and authority come from God; so that when
+we disobey our parents or superiors who are placed over us, we disobey
+God Himself.
+
+23 Q. How many persons are there in God?
+A. In God there are three divine persons really distinct and equal in
+all things--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
+
+"Distinct," not mingled together. We call the first and second persons
+Father and Son, because the second is begotten by the first person, and
+not to indicate that there is any difference in their age. We always see
+in the world that a father is older than his son, so we get the idea
+perhaps that it is the same in the Holy Trinity. But it is not so. God
+the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost existed from all
+eternity, and one did not exist before the other. God the Son is just as
+old as God the Father, and this is another great mystery. Even in nature
+we see that two things may begin to exist at the same time, and yet one
+be the cause of the other. You know that fire is the cause of heat; and
+yet the heat and the fire begin at the same time. Though we cannot
+understand this mystery of the Father and Son, we must believe it on the
+authority of God, who teaches it. First, second, and third person in the
+Blessed Trinity does not mean, therefore, that one person was before the
+other, or brought into existence by the other.
+
+24 Q. Is the Father God?
+A. The Father is God and the first Person of the Blessed Trinity.
+
+25 Q. Is the Son God?
+A. The Son is God and the second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
+
+26 Q. Is the Holy Ghost God?
+A. The Holy Ghost is God and the third Person of the Blessed Trinity.
+
+27 Q. What do you mean by the Blessed Trinity?
+A. By the Blessed Trinity I mean one God in three Divine Persons.
+
+*28 Q. Are the three Divine Persons equal in all things?
+A. The three Divine Persons are equal in all things.
+
+29 Q. Are the three Divine Persons one and the same God?
+A. The three Divine Persons are one and the same God, having one and the
+same divine nature and substance.
+
+Though they are one and the same, we sometimes attribute different works
+to them. For example, works of creation we attribute to God the Father;
+works of mercy to God the Son; and works of love and sanctification to
+the Holy Ghost; and you will often find them thus spoken of in pious
+books; but all such works are done by all the Persons of the Trinity;
+because such works are the works of God, and there is but one God.
+
+*30 Q. Can we fully understand how the three Divine Persons are one and
+the same God?
+A. We cannot fully understand how the three Divine Persons are one and
+the same God, because this is a mystery.
+
+"Fully"--entirely. We can partly understand it. We know what one God is
+and we know what three persons are; but how these two things go together
+is the part we do not understand--the mystery.
+
+*31 Q. What is a mystery?
+A. A mystery is a truth which we cannot fully understand.
+
+"A truth," that is, a revealed truth--one made known to us by God or His
+Church. It is a truth which we must believe though we cannot understand
+it. Let us take an example. When a boy goes to school he is taught that
+the earth is round like an orange and revolving in two ways, one causing
+day and night and the other producing the seasons: spring, summer,
+autumn, winter. The boy goes out into the country where he sees miles of
+level land and mountains thousands of feet in height. Again he goes out
+on the ocean where sailors tell him it is several miles in depth.
+
+Now he may say: how can the earth be round if deep valleys, high
+mountains, and level plains prove to my senses the very opposite, and
+the countless things at rest upon its surface tell me it is motionless.
+Yet he believes even against the testimony of his senses that the earth
+is round and moving, because his teacher could have no motive in
+deceiving him; knows better than he, having learned more, and besides
+has been taught by others who after long years of careful study and
+research have discovered these things and know them to be true. If
+therefore we have to believe things that we do not understand on the
+authority of men, why should we not believe other truths on the
+authority of God? Yes, we must believe Him. If a boy knew all his
+teacher knew there would be no need of his going to school; he would be
+the equal in knowledge of his teacher, and if we knew all that God knows
+we would be as great as He. As well might we try to empty the whole
+ocean into the tiny holes that children dig in the sand by its shore, as
+fully to comprehend the wisdom of God. This is the mistake unbelievers
+make when they wish to understand with their limited intelligence the
+boundless knowledge and mysterious ways of God, and when they cannot
+understand refuse to believe. Are they not extremely foolish? Would you
+not ridicule the boy who refuses to believe that the earth is round and
+moving because he cannot understand it? As he grows older and learns
+more he will comprehend it better; so we, when we leave this world and
+come into the presence of God, shall see clearly many things that are
+unintelligible now. For the present, we have only to believe them on the
+authority of God teaching us. Another example. We take two little black
+seeds that look just alike and place them in the same kind of soil; we
+put the same kind of water upon them; they have the same sunlight and
+air, and yet when they grow up one has a red flower and one a blue.
+Where did the red and where did the blue come from? From the black seed,
+or the brown soil, or the pure water, air and sunlight? We do not know.
+It is there, and that is all. We see it and believe it, though we do not
+understand it.
+
+So if we refuse to believe everything we do not understand, we shall
+soon believe very little and make ourselves ridiculous.
+
+
+
+Lesson 4
+ON CREATION
+
+
+This lesson treats of God bringing everything into existence. The chief
+things created may be classed as follows: (1) The things that simply
+exist, as rocks, and minerals--gold, silver, iron, etc. (2) Things that
+exist, grow, and live like plants and trees. (3) Things that grow, live,
+and feel, like animals. (4) Things that grow, live, feel, and
+understand, like men. Besides these we have the sun, moon, stars, etc.;
+all things too that we can see, and also Heaven, Purgatory, Hell, and
+good and bad angels. All these are the works of God's creation. All
+these He has called into existence by merely wishing for them.
+
+*32 Q. Who created Heaven and earth, and all things?
+A. God created Heaven and earth, and all things.
+
+"Heaven," where God is and will always be. It means, too, everything we
+see in the sky above us. "Earth," the globe on which we live.
+
+*33 Q. How did God create Heaven and earth?
+A. God created Heaven and earth from nothing, by His word only; that is,
+by a single act of His all-powerful will.
+
+34 Q. Which are the chief creatures of God?
+A. The chief creatures of God are angels and men.
+
+35 Q. What are angels?
+A. Angels are pure spirits without a body, created to adore and enjoy
+God in Heaven.
+
+"Angels" are not the same as saints. Saints are those who at one time
+lived upon the earth as we do, and who on account of their very good
+lives are now in Heaven. They had bodies as we have. The angels, on the
+contrary, never lived visibly upon the earth. In the beginning God was
+alone. We take great pleasure in looking at beautiful things. God,
+seeing His own beauty, and knowing that others would have very great
+pleasure and happiness in seeing Him, determined to create some beings
+who could enjoy this happiness; and thus He wished to share with them
+the happiness which He Himself derived from seeing His own beauty.
+Therefore He created angels who were to be in Heaven with Him, singing
+His praises and worshipping before His throne.
+
+The angels are not all equal in dignity, but are divided into nine
+classes, or choirs, according to their rank or office, and, as
+theologians tell us, arranged from the lowest to the highest and named
+as follows; angels, archangels, virtues, powers, principalities,
+dominations, thrones, cherubim, and seraphim. Archangels are higher than
+angels and are so called because sent to do the most important works. It
+was the Archangel Michael who drove Lucifer from Heaven and the
+Archangel Gabriel who announced to the Blessed Virgin that she was to be
+the Mother of God. The angels receive their names from the duties they
+perform. The word angel signifies messenger.
+
+*36 Q. Were the angels created for any other purpose?
+A. The angels were also created to assist before the throne of God and
+to minister unto Him; they have often been sent as messengers from God
+to man; and are also appointed our guardians.
+
+The duties of the angels are many. Some remain always in Heaven with
+God; some are sent to earth to be our guardians and to remain with us.
+Each of us has an angel to take care of us. He is with us night and day,
+and offers our prayers and good works to God. He prays for us, exhorts
+us to do good and avoid evil; and he protects us from dangers spiritual
+and temporal. How unfortunate then must one be to cause him to return to
+Heaven with sad complaints to God; such as: "The one whom I have in
+charge will not obey Thy laws or use the grace Thou sendest him: with
+all my efforts to save him, he continues to do wrong." He will be doubly
+sad when he sees other angels returning with good reports and receiving
+new graces for those whom God has committed to their care. If you love
+your guardian angel, never impose on him the painful duty of bringing to
+God the report of your evil doings.
+
+Now, how do we know that the angels offer our prayers and good works to
+God? We know it from the beautiful story of Tobias, told in the Holy
+Scripture. (Tobias). This holy man loved and feared God. He lived at a
+time when his people were persecuted by a most cruel king, who wished to
+force them to give up the true God and worship idols, but many of these
+good people suffered death rather than deny God and obey the wicked
+king. When they were put to death, their bodies were left lying on the
+ground, to be devoured by birds of prey or wild animals. Anyone caught
+burying them was to be put to death by the king's servants. Tobias used
+to carry the dead bodies of these holy martyrs into his house and bury
+them at night.
+
+One day when he returned very tired he lay down by the wall of his house
+to rest, and, while lying there, some dirt fell into his eyes and he
+became blind. This Tobias had a young son whose name was also Tobias;
+and as he himself was now blind and poor, he wished to send his son into
+a certain city, at a good distance off, to collect some money that he
+had formerly loaned to a friend. As the young man did not know the way,
+his father sent him out to look for a guide. Young Tobias went out and
+found a beautiful young man to be his guide and he consented, and he
+brought Tobias to the distant city. As they were on their way they sat
+down by the bank of a river. Tobias went into the water near the edge,
+and soon a great fish rushed at him. Tobias called to his guide. The
+guide told him to take hold of the fish and drag it out upon the shore.
+There they killed it, and kept part of its flesh for food and part for
+medicine. Then they went on to the city, got the money and returned. The
+guide told young Tobias to rub the part of the fish he had taken for
+medicine upon his father's eyes. He did so, and immediately his father's
+eyes were cured and he saw. Then both the father and son were so
+delighted with this young guide, that they offered to give him half of
+all they had. He refused to take it and then told them he was the angel
+Raphael sent from God to be the guide of this good man's son. He told
+the old Tobias how he (the angel) had carried up to God his prayers and
+good works while he was burying the dead. When they heard he was an
+angel they fell down and reverenced him, being very much afraid. From
+this beautiful history we know that the angels carry our prayers and
+good works to God. Again we learn from the Holy Scripture (Gen. 28) in
+the history of another good man almost the same thing. The patriarch
+Jacob was on a journey, and being tired, he lay down to rest with his
+head upon a stone. As he lay there he had a vision in which he saw a
+great ladder reaching up from earth to Heaven. At the top he saw
+Almighty God standing, and on the ladder itself angels ascending and
+descending. Now the holy Fathers of the Church tell us this is what is
+really taking place; the angels are always going down and up from God to
+man, though not on a ladder and not visibly as they appeared to Jacob.
+Besides the guardian angel for each person, there are also guardian
+angels for each city and for each nation.
+
+Again (Gen. 19) angels appeared to Lot to warn him about the destruction
+of the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrha. Angels appeared also to the
+shepherds on the night Our Lord was born (Luke 2). The catechism says
+angels have no bodies--how, then, could they appear? They took bodies
+made of some very light substance which would make them visible, and
+appeared just like beautiful young men, clad in flowing garments, as you
+frequently see them represented in pictures. Angels were sometimes sent
+to punish men for their sins, as the angel who killed in one night
+185,000 men in the army of the wicked king, Sennacherib, who blasphemed
+God, and was endeavoring to destroy Jerusalem, God's city. (4 Kgs. 19).
+
+But here is a difficulty. If God Himself watches over us and sees all
+things, why should the angels guard us? It is on account of God's
+goodness to us; though it is not necessary. He does not wish us to have
+any excuse for being bad, so He gives us each a special heavenly servant
+to watch and assist us by his prayers. If a friend received us into his
+house and did all he could for us himself, we should certainly be
+satisfied, but if he gave us a special servant, though it would not be
+necessary, he would show us great respect and kindness. Moreover
+whatever the angels do for us, we might say God Himself does, for the
+angels are only obeying His commands.
+
+*37 Q. Were the angels, as God created them, good and happy?
+A. The angels as God created them were good and happy.
+
+*38 Q. Did all the angels remain good and happy?
+A. All the angels did not remain good and happy; many of them sinned and
+were cast into Hell; and these are called devils or bad angels.
+
+God did not admit the angels into His presence at once. He placed them
+for awhile on probation, as He did our first parents.
+
+One of these angels was most beautiful, and was named Lucifer, which
+means light-bearer. He was so perfect that he seems to have forgotten
+that he received all his beauty and intelligence from God, and not
+content with what he had, became sinfully proud and wished to be equal
+to God Himself. For his sin he and all his followers were driven out of
+Heaven, and God then created Hell, in which they were to suffer for all
+eternity. This same Lucifer is now called Satan, and more commonly the
+devil, and those who accompanied him in his fall, devils, or fallen
+angels.
+
+
+
+Lesson 5
+ON OUR FIRST PARENTS AND THEIR FALL
+
+
+39 Q. Who were the first man and woman?
+A. The first man and woman were Adam and Eve.
+
+In the beginning God created all things; something particular on each of
+the six days of Creation. (Gen. 1). On the first day He made light, on
+the second, the firmament, or the heavens, and on the sixth day He
+created man and called him Adam. God wished Adam to have a companion; so
+one day He caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep, and then took from his
+side a rib, out of which he formed Eve. Now God could have made Eve as
+He made Adam, by forming her body out of the clay of the earth and
+breathing into it a soul, but He made Eve out of Adam's rib to show that
+they were to be husband and wife, and to impress upon their minds the
+nature and sacredness of the love and union that should exist between
+them.
+
+40 Q. Were Adam and Eve innocent and holy when they came from the hand
+of God?
+A. Adam and Eve were innocent and holy when they came from the hand of
+God.
+
+God placed Adam and Eve in Paradise, a large, beautiful garden, and gave
+them power over all the other creatures. Adam gave all the animals their
+appropriate names and they were obedient to him. Even lions, tigers, and
+other animals that we now fear so much, came and played about him. Our
+first parents, in their state of original innocence, were the happy
+friends of God, without sorrow or suffering of any kind.
+
+*41 Q. Did God give any command to Adam and Eve?
+A. To try their obedience God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of a
+certain fruit which grew in the garden of Paradise.
+
+He told them (Gen. 2) they could take of all the fruits in the garden
+except the fruit of one tree, and if they disobeyed Him by eating the
+fruit of that tree, they should surely die. God might have pointed out
+any tree, because it was simply a test of obedience. He gave them a very
+simple command, for if we are faithful in little things we shall surely
+be faithful in greater. Moreover, it is not precisely the consideration
+of what is forbidden, but of the authority by which it is forbidden that
+should deter us from violating the command and prove our fidelity. Thus
+disobedience to our parents and superiors, even in little things,
+becomes sinful. Someone might say: "Why did God not try their obedience
+by one of the Ten Commandments?" Let us examine them. "Remember the
+Sabbath." That one would be unnecessary: for every day was Sabbath with
+them; the only work was to praise and serve God. "Thou shalt not steal."
+They could not; everything was theirs; and so for the other
+Commandments. Therefore, God gave them a simple command telling them: If
+you obey, you and all your posterity will be happy; every wish will be
+gratified, neither sorrow nor affliction shall come upon you and you
+shall never die; but if, on the contrary, you disobey, countless evils,
+misery and death will be your punishment. The earth, now so fruitful,
+shall bring forth no crops without cultivation, and after years of toil
+the dead bodies of yourselves and children must lie buried in its soil.
+So having the gift of free will they could take their choice, and either
+keep His command and be happy, or disobey Him and be miserable.
+
+*42 Q. Which were the chief blessings intended for Adam and Eve, had
+they remained faithful to God?
+A. The chief blessings intended for Adam and Eve, had they remained
+faithful to God, were a constant state of happiness in this life and
+everlasting glory in the next.
+
+Our first parents and their children were not to remain in the garden of
+Paradise forever, but were, after spending their allotted time of trial
+or probation upon earth, to be taken body and soul into Heaven without
+being obliged to die.
+
+43 Q. Did Adam and Eve remain faithful to God?
+A. Adam and Eve did not remain faithful to God, but broke His
+commandment by eating the forbidden fruit.
+
+As it is told in the Bible (Gen. 3), Eve went to the forbidden tree and
+was standing looking at it, when the devil came in the form of a serpent
+and, tempting, told her to take some of the fruit and eat. It does not
+appear that she went and tasted the fruit of all the other trees and
+finally came to this one, but rather that she went directly to the
+forbidden tree first. Do we not sometimes imitate Eve's conduct? As soon
+as we know a certain thing is forbidden we are more strongly tempted to
+try it.
+
+See, then, what caused Eve's sin. She went into the dangerous occasion,
+and was admiring the forbidden fruit when the tempter came. She listened
+to him, yielded to his wicked suggestions, and sinned. So will it be
+with us if through curiosity we desire to see or hear things forbidden;
+for once in the danger the devil will soon be on hand to tempt us--not
+visibly indeed, for that would alarm us and defeat his purpose, but
+invisibly, like our guardian angels; for the devil is a fallen angel who
+still possesses all the characteristics of an angel except goodness. But
+this is not all. Eve not only took and ate the fruit herself, but
+induced Adam to do likewise. Most sinners imitate Eve in that respect.
+Not satisfied with offending God themselves, they lead others into sin.
+
+Why should the devil tempt us? God created man to be in Heaven, but the
+fallen angels were jealous of man, and tempted him to sin so that he too
+should be kept out of Heaven and might never enjoy what they lost; just
+as envious people do not wish others to have what they cannot have
+themselves.
+
+44 Q. What befell Adam and Eve on account of their sin?
+A. Adam and Eve on account of their sin lost innocence and holiness, and
+were doomed to sickness and death.
+
+They were innocent and holy because they were the friends of God and in
+a state of grace, but by their sin they lost His grace and friendship.
+"Doomed" means sentenced or condemned. The first evil result, then, of
+Adam's sin was that he lost innocence and made his body a rebel against
+his soul. Then he was to suffer poverty, hunger, cold, sickness, death,
+and every kind of ill; but the worst consequence of all was that God
+closed Heaven against him. After a few years' trial, as we said, God was
+to take him into Heaven; but now He has closed it against Adam and his
+posterity. All the people in the world could never induce God to open it
+again; for He closed it in accordance with His promise, and man was an
+exile and outcast from his heavenly home.
+
+45 Q. What evil befell us on account of the disobedience of our first
+parents?
+A. On account of the disobedience of our first parents we all share in
+their sin and punishment, as we should have shared in their happiness if
+they had remained faithful.
+
+Does it not seem strange that we should suffer for the sin of our first
+parents, when we had nothing to do with it? No. It happens every day
+that children suffer for the faults of their parents and we do not
+wonder at it. Let us suppose a man's father leaves him a large
+fortune--houses, land, and money--and that he and his children are happy
+in the enjoyment of their inheritance. The children are sent to the best
+schools, have everything they desire now, and bright hopes of happiness
+and prosperity in the future. But alas! their hopes are vain. The father
+begins to drink or gamble, and soon the great fortune is squandered.
+House after house is sold and dollar after dollar spent, till absolute
+poverty comes upon the children, and the sad condition of their home
+tells of their distress. Do they not suffer for the sins of their
+father, though they had nothing to do with them? Indeed, many families
+in the world suffer thus through the faults of others, and most
+frequently of some of their members. Could you blame the grandfather for
+leaving the estate? Certainly not; for it was goodness on his part that
+made him give. Let us apply this example. What God gave Adam was to be
+ours also, and he squandered and misused it because he had free will,
+which God could not take from him without changing his nature; for it is
+our free will and intelligence that make us men, distinct from and
+superior to all other animals. They can live, grow, feel, hear, see,
+etc., as we can, but the want of intelligence and free will leaves them
+mere brutes. Therefore, if God took away Adam's intelligence and free
+will, He would have made him a mere animal--though the most perfect.
+
+When a man becomes insane or loses the use of his intelligence and free
+will, we place him in an asylum and take care of him as we would a tame
+animal, seldom allowing him to go about without being watched and
+guarded.
+
+Let us take another example. Suppose I have a friend who is addicted to
+the excessive drinking of strong liquor, and I say to him: "If you give
+up that detestable habit for one year, I will make you a present of this
+beautiful house worth several thousand dollars. It will be yours as long
+as you live, and at your death you may leave it to your children. I do
+not owe you anything, but offer this as a free gift if you comply with
+my request." My friend accepts the offer on these conditions, but the
+very next day deliberately breaks his promise. I do not give him the
+house, because he did not keep his agreement; and can anyone say on that
+account that I am unjust or unkind to him or his children? Certainly
+not. Well, God acted in the same manner with Adam. He promised him
+Heaven, a home more beautiful than any earthly palace--the place Our
+Lord calls His father's house (John 14:2) and says there are many
+mansions, that is, dwelling places, in it. God promised this home to
+Adam on condition that he would observe one simple command. He had no
+right to Heaven, but was to receive it, according to the promise, as a
+free gift from God, and therefore God, who offered it conditionally, was
+not obliged to give it when Adam violated his part of the agreement.
+
+The example is not a perfect one, for there is this difference in the
+cases between Adam and my friend: when my friend does not get the house,
+he sustains a loss, it is true; but he might still be my friend as he
+was before, and live in my house; but when Adam lost Heaven, he lost
+God's friendship and grace, and the loss of all grace is to be in sin.
+So that Adam by breaking the command was left in sin; and as all his
+children sustain the same loss, they too are all left in sin till they
+are baptized.
+
+*46 Q. What other effects followed from the sin of our first parents?
+A. Our nature was corrupted by the sin of our first parents, which
+darkened our understanding, weakened our will, and left us a strong
+inclination to evil.
+
+Our "nature was corrupted" is what I have said of the body rebelling
+against the soul. Our "understanding darkened." Adam knew much more
+without study than the most intelligent men could learn now with
+constant application. Before his fall he saw things clearly and
+understood them well, but after his sin everything had to be learned by
+the slow process of study. Then the "will was weakened." Before he fell
+he could easily resist temptation, for his will was strong. You know we
+sin by the will, because unless we wish to do the evil we commit no sin;
+and if absolutely forced by others to do wrong, we are free from the
+guilt as long as our will despises and protests against the action. If
+forced, for example, to break my neighbor's window, I have not to answer
+in my conscience for the unjust act, because my will did not consent.
+So, on every occasion on which we sin, it is the will that yields to the
+temptation. After Adam's sin his will became weak and less able to
+resist temptation; and as we are sharers in his misfortune, we find
+great difficulty at times in overcoming sinful inclinations. But no
+matter how violent the temptation or how prolonged and fierce the
+struggle against it, we can always be victorious if determined not to
+yield; for God gives us sufficient grace to resist every temptation; and
+if anyone should excuse his fall by saying he could not help sinning, he
+would be guilty of falsehood.
+
+"A strong inclination" to do wrong--that is, unless always on our guard
+against it. Our Lord once cautioned His Apostles (Matt. 26:41) to watch
+and pray lest they fall into temptation; teaching us also by the same
+warning that, besides praying against our spiritual enemies, we must
+watch their maneuvers and be ever ready to repel their attacks.
+
+47 Q. What is the sin called which we inherit from our first parents?
+A. The sin which we inherit from our first parents is called Original
+Sin.
+
+*48 Q. Why is this sin called original?
+A. This sin is called original because it comes down to us from our
+first parents, and we are brought into the world with its guilt on our
+souls.
+
+*49 Q. Does this corruption of our nature remain in us after Original
+Sin is forgiven?
+A. This corruption of our nature and other punishments remain in us
+after Original Sin is forgiven.
+
+It remains that we may merit by overcoming its temptations; and also
+that we may be kept humble by remembering our former sinful and unhappy
+state.
+
+50 Q. Was anyone ever preserved from Original Sin?
+A. The Blessed Virgin Mary, through the merits of her divine Son, was
+preserved free from the guilt of Original Sin, and this privilege is
+called her Immaculate Conception.
+
+The Blessed Virgin was to be the Mother of the Son of God. Now it would
+not be proper for the Mother of God to be even for one moment the
+servant of the devil, or under his power. If the Blessed Virgin had been
+in Original Sin, she would have been in the service of the devil.
+Whatever disgraces a mother disgraces also her son; so Our Lord would
+never permit His dear Mother to be subject to the devil, and
+consequently He, through His merits, saved her from Original Sin. She is
+the only one of the whole human race who enjoys this great privilege,
+and it is called her "Immaculate Conception," that is, she was
+conceived--brought into existence by her mother--without having any spot
+or stain of sin upon her soul, and hence without Original Sin.
+
+Our Lord came into the world to crush the power which the devil had
+exercised over men from the fall of Adam. This He did by meriting grace
+for them and giving them this spiritual help to withstand the devil in
+all his attacks upon them. As the Blessed Mother was never under the
+devil's power, next to God she has the greatest strength against him,
+and she will help us to resist him if we seek her aid. The devil himself
+knows her power and fears her, and if he sees her coming to our
+assistance will quickly fly. Never fail, then, in time of temptation to
+call upon our Blessed Mother; she will hear and help you and pray to God
+for you.
+
+
+
+Lesson 6
+ON SIN AND ITS KINDS
+
+
+51 Q. Is Original Sin the only kind of sin?
+A. Original Sin is not the only kind of sin; there is another kind of
+sin which we commit ourselves, called actual sin.
+
+Sin is first or chiefly divided into original and actual; that is, into
+the sin we inherit from our first parents and the sin we commit
+ourselves. We may commit "actual" sin in two ways; either by doing what
+we should not do--stealing, for example--and thus we have a sin of
+commission, that is, a bad act committed; or by not doing what we should
+do--not hearing Mass on Sunday, for example--and thus we have a sin of
+omission, that is, a good act omitted. So it is not enough to simply do
+no harm, we must also do some good. Heaven is a reward, and we must do
+something to merit it. Suppose a man employed a boy to do the work of
+his office, and when he came in the morning found that the boy had
+neglected the work assigned to him, and when spoken to about it simply
+answered: "Sir, I did no harm"; do you think he would be entitled to his
+wages? Of course he did not and should do no harm; but is his employer
+to pay him wages for that? Certainly not. In like manner, God is not
+going to reward us for doing no harm; but on the contrary, He will
+punish us if we do wrong, and give no reward unless we perform the work
+He has marked out for us. Neither would the office boy deserve any wages
+if he did only what pleases himself, and not the work assigned by his
+master. In the same way, God will not accept any worship or religion but
+the one He has revealed. He tells us Himself how He wishes to be
+worshipped, and our own invented methods will not please Him. Hence we
+see the folly of those who say that all religions are equally good, and
+that we can be saved by practicing any of them. We can be saved only in
+the one religion which God Himself has instituted, and by which He
+wishes to be honored. Many also foolishly believe, or say they believe,
+that if they are honest, sober, and the like, doing no injury to anyone,
+they shall be saved without the practice of any form of religious
+worship. But how about God's laws and commands? Are they to be despised,
+disregarded, and neglected entirely, without any fear of punishment?
+Surely not! And persons who thus think they are doing no harm are
+neglecting to serve God--the greatest harm they can do, and for which
+they will lose Heaven. God, we are told, assigned to everyone in this
+world a certain work to perform in a particular state of life, and this
+work is called "vocation." One, for instance, is to be a priest;
+another, a layman; one married; another single, etc. It is important for
+us to discover our true vocation; for if we are in the state of life to
+which God has called us, we shall be happy; but if we select our own
+work, our own state of life without consulting Him, we shall seldom be
+happy in it. How are we to know our vocation? Chiefly by praying to God
+and asking Him to make it known to us. Then if He gives us a strong
+inclination--constant, or nearly constant--for a certain state of life,
+and the ability to fulfill its duties, we may well believe that God
+wishes us to be in that state.
+
+After we have begged God's assistance, we must ask our confessor's
+advice in the matter, and listen attentively to what the Holy Ghost
+inspires him to say. The signs of our vocation are, therefore, as
+stated: first, a strong desire, and second, an aptitude for the state to
+which we believe we are called. For example, a young man might be very
+holy, but if unable to learn, he could never be a priest. Another might
+be very learned and holy, but if too sickly to perform a priest's
+duties, he could not, or at least would not, be ordained. Another might
+be learned and healthy, but not virtuous, and so he could never be a
+priest. Aptitude, therefore, means all the qualities necessary, whether
+of mind, or soul, or body. The same is true for a young girl who wishes
+to become a religious; and the same, indeed, for any person's vocation.
+We should never enter a state of life to which we are not called, simply
+to please parents or others. Neither should we be persuaded by them to
+give up a state to which we are called; for we should embrace our true
+vocation at any sacrifice, that in it we may serve God better, and be
+more certain of saving our souls. Thus, parents and guardians who
+prevent their children from entering the state to which they are called
+may sin grievously by exposing them to eternal loss of salvation. Their
+sin is all the greater when they try to influence their children in this
+matter for selfish or worldly motives. As they may be selfish and
+prejudiced without knowing it, they too, should ask the advice of their
+confessor, and good persons of experience. Oh! how many children, sons
+and daughters, are made unhappy all the days of their life by parents or
+superiors forcing them into some state to which they were not called, or
+by keeping them from one to which they were called. This matter of your
+vocation rests with yourselves and Almighty God, and you are free to do
+what He directs without consideration for anyone.
+
+52 Q. What is actual sin?
+A. Actual sin is any willful thought, word, deed, or omission contrary
+to the law of God.
+
+Three ways we may sin, by "thought"--allowing our minds to dwell on
+sinful things; "word"--by cursing, telling lies, etc.; "deed"--by any
+kind of bad action. But to be sins, these thoughts, words and deeds must
+be willful; that is, we must fully know what we are doing, and be free
+in doing it. Then they must be "contrary to the law of God"; that is,
+violate some law He commands us to obey, whether it be a law He gave
+directly Himself, or through His Church. We can also violate God's law
+by neglecting to observe it, and thus sin, provided the neglect be
+willful, and the thing neglected commanded by God or by His Church.
+
+53 Q. How many kinds of actual sin are there?
+A. There are two kinds of actual sin--mortal and venial.
+
+"Mortal," that is, the sin which kills the soul. When a man receives a
+very severe wound, we say he is mortally wounded; that is, he will die
+from the wound. As breath shows there is life in the body, so grace is
+the life of the soul; when all the breath is out of the body, we say the
+man is dead. He can perform no action to help himself or others. So when
+all grace is out of the soul we say it is dead, because it is reduced to
+the condition of a dead body. It can do no action worthy of merit, such
+as a soul should do; that is, it can do no action that God is bound to
+reward--it is dead. But you will say the soul never dies. You mean it
+will never cease to exist; but we call it dead when it has lost all its
+power to do supernatural good.
+
+"Venial" sin does not drive out all the grace; it wounds the soul, it
+weakens it just as slight wounds weaken the body. If it falls very
+frequently into venial sin, it will fall very soon into mortal sin also;
+for the Holy Scripture says that he that contemneth small things shall
+fall by little and little. (Ecclus. 19:1). A venial sin seems a little
+thing, but if we do not avoid it we shall by degrees fall into greater,
+or mortal, sin. Venial sin makes God less friendly to us and displeases
+Him. Now if we really love God, we will not displease Him even in the
+most trifling things.
+
+54 Q. What is mortal sin?
+A. Mortal sin is a grievous offense against the law of God.
+
+"Grievous"--that is, very great or serious. "Against the law." If we are
+in doubt whether anything is sinful or not, we must ask ourselves: is it
+forbidden by God or His Church? and if we do not know of any law
+forbidding it, it cannot be a sin, at least for us.
+
+Suppose, for example, a boy should doubt whether it is sinful or not to
+fly a kite. Well, is there any law of God or of His Church saying it is
+sinful to fly a kite? If not, then it cannot be a sin. But it might be
+sinful for another reason, namely, his parents or superiors might forbid
+it, and there is a law of God saying you must not disobey your parents
+or superiors. Therefore a thing not sinful in itself, that is, not
+directly forbidden by God or His Church, may become sinful for some
+other reason well known to us.
+
+We must not, however, doubt concerning the sinfulness or lawfulness of
+everything we do; for that would be foolish and lead us to be
+scrupulous. If we doubt at all we should have some good reason for
+doubting, that is, for believing that the thing we are about to do is or
+is not forbidden. When, therefore, we have such a doubt we must seek
+information from those who can enlighten us on the subject, so that we
+may act without the danger of sinning. It is our intention that makes
+the act we perform sinful or not. Let me explain. Suppose during Lent a
+person should mistake Friday for Thursday and should eat meat--that
+person would not commit a real sin, because it is not a sin to eat meat
+on an ordinary Thursday. He would commit what we call a material sin;
+that is, his action would be a sin if he really knew what he was doing.
+On the other hand, if the person, thinking it was Friday when it was
+really Thursday, ate meat, knowing it to be forbidden, that person would
+commit a mortal sin, because he intended to do so. Therefore, if what we
+do is not known to be a sin while we do it, it is no sin for us and
+cannot become a sin afterwards. But as soon as we know or learn that
+what we did was wrong, it would be a sin if we did the same thing again.
+In the same way, everything we do thinking it to be wrong or sinful is
+wrong and sinful for us, though it may not be wrong for those who know
+better. Again, it is sinful to judge others for doing wrong, because
+they may not know that what they do is sinful. It would be better for us
+to instruct than to blame them. The best we can do, therefore, is to
+learn well all God's laws and the laws of His Church as they are taught
+in the catechism, so that we may know when we are violating them or when
+we are not, i.e., when we are sinning and when we are not.
+
+*55 Q. Why is this sin called mortal?
+A. This sin is called mortal because it deprives us of spiritual life,
+which is sanctifying grace, and brings everlasting death and damnation
+on the soul.
+
+When the soul is sent to Hell it is dead forever, because never again
+will it be able to do a single meritorious act.
+
+*56 Q. How many things are necessary to make a sin mortal?
+A. To make a sin mortal three things are necessary: a grievous matter,
+sufficient reflection, and full consent of the will.
+
+"Grievous matter." To steal is a sin. Now, if you steal only a pin the
+act of stealing in that case could not be a mortal sin, because the
+"matter," namely, the stealing of an ordinary pin, is not grievous. But
+suppose it was a diamond pin of great value, then it would surely be
+"grievous matter." "Sufficient reflection," that is, you must know what
+you are doing at the time you do it. For example, suppose while you
+stole the diamond pin you thought you were stealing a pin with a small
+piece of glass, of little value, you would not have sufficient
+reflection and would not commit a mortal sin till you found out that
+what you had stolen was a valuable diamond; if you continued to keep it
+after learning your mistake, you would surely commit a mortal sin. "Full
+consent." Suppose you were shooting at a target and accidentally killed
+a man: you would not have the sin of murder, because you did not will or
+wish to kill a man.
+
+Therefore three things are necessary that your act may be a mortal sin:
+(1) The act you do must be bad, and sufficiently important; (2) You must
+reflect that you are doing it, and know that it is wrong; (3) You must
+do it freely, deliberately, and willfully.
+
+57 Q. What is venial sin?
+A. Venial sin is a slight offense against the law of God in matters of
+less importance, or in matters of great importance it is an offense
+committed without sufficient reflection or full consent of the will.
+
+"Slight," that is, a small offense or fault; called "venial," not
+because it is not a sin, but because God pardons it more willingly or
+easily than He does a mortal sin. "Less importance," like stealing an
+ordinary, common pin. "Great importance," like stealing a diamond pin.
+Without "reflection" or "consent," when you did not know it was a
+diamond and did not intend to steal a diamond.
+
+*58 Q. Which are the effects of venial sin?
+A. The effects of venial sin are the lessening of the love of God in our
+heart, the making us less worthy of His help, and the weakening of the
+power to resist mortal sin.
+
+"Lessening of the love," because it lessens grace, and grace increases
+the love of God in us. It displeases God, and though we do not offend
+Him very greatly, we still offend Him. "Weakening of the power to
+resist." If a man is wounded, it will be easier to kill him than if he
+is in perfect health. So mortal sin will more easily kill a soul already
+weakened by the wounds of venial sin.
+
+59 Q. Which are the chief sources of sin?
+A. The chief sources of sin are seven: Pride, Covetousness, Lust, Anger,
+Gluttony, Envy, and Sloth; and they are commonly called capital sins.
+
+A "source" is that from which anything else comes. The source of a river
+is the little spring on the Mountainside where the river first begins.
+This little stream runs down the mountain, and as it goes along gathers
+strength and size from other little streams running into it. It cuts its
+way through the meadows, and marks the course and is the beginning of a
+great river, sweeping all things before it and carrying them off to the
+ocean. Now, if someone in the beginning had stopped up the little spring
+on the mountain--the first source of the river--there would have been no
+river in that particular place. It is just the same with sin. There is
+one sin that is the source, and as it goes along like the stream it
+gathers strength; other sins follow it and are united with it. Again:
+each of these "capital sins," as they are called, is like a leader or a
+captain in an army, with so many others under him and following him.
+Now, if you take away the head, the other members of the body will
+perish; so if you destroy the capital sin, the other sins that follow it
+will disappear also. Very few persons have all the capital sins: some
+are guilty of one of them, some of two, some of three, but few if any
+are guilty of them all. The one we are guilty of, and which is the cause
+of all our other sins, is called our predominant sin or our ruling
+passion. We should try to find it out, and labor to overcome it.
+
+Every one of these capital sins has a great many other sins following
+it.
+
+"Pride" is an inordinate self-esteem. Pride comes under the First
+Commandment; because by thinking too much of ourselves we neglect God,
+and give to ourselves the honor due to Him. Of what have we to be proud?
+Of our personal appearance? Disease may efface in one night every trace
+of beauty. Of our clothing? It is not ours; we have not produced it;
+most of it is taken from the lower animals--wool from the sheep, leather
+from the ox, feathers from the bird, etc. Are we proud of our wealth,
+money or property? These may be stolen or destroyed by fire. The learned
+may become insane, and so we have nothing to be proud of but our good
+works. All that we have is from God, and we can have it only as long as
+He wishes. We had nothing coming into the world, and we leave it with
+nothing but the shroud in which we are buried; and even this does not go
+with the soul, but remains with the body to rot in the earth. Soon after
+death our bodies become so offensive that even our dearest friends
+hasten to place them under ground, where they become the food of worms,
+a mass of corruption loathsome to sight and smell. Why, then, should we
+be so proud of this body, and commit so much sin for it, pamper it with
+every delicacy, only to be the food of worms? This does not mean,
+however, that we are not to keep our bodies clean, and take good care of
+them. We are bound to do so, and could not neglect it without committing
+sin. The one thing to be avoided is taking too much care of them, and
+neglecting our soul and God on their account. The followers of pride
+are: conceit, hypocrisy, foolish display in dress or conduct, harshness
+to others, waste of time on ourselves, etc.
+
+"Covetousness," the same as avarice, greed, etc., is an inordinate
+desire for worldly goods. "Inordinate," because it is not avarice to
+prudently provide for the future either for ourselves or others.
+Covetousness comes under the Tenth Commandment, and is forbidden by it.
+We must be content with what we have or can get honestly. The followers
+of covetousness are: Want of charity, dishonest dealing, theft, etc.
+
+"Lust" is the desire for sins of the flesh; for impure thoughts, words,
+or actions. It comes under the Sixth and Ninth Commandments, and
+includes all that is forbidden by those Commandments. It is the habit of
+always violating, or of desiring to violate, the Sixth and Ninth
+Commandments. Lust and impurity mean the same thing. The followers of
+lust are, generally, neglect of prayer, neglect of the Sacraments, and
+final loss of faith.
+
+"Anger" comes under the Fifth Commandment. It is followed by hatred, the
+desire of revenge, etc.
+
+"Gluttony" is the sin of eating or drinking too much. With regard to
+eating, it is committed by eating too often; by being too particular
+about what we eat, by being too extravagant in always looking for the
+most costly things, that we think others cannot have. With regard to
+drinking, it is generally committed by taking too much of intoxicating
+liquors. The drunkard is a glutton and commits the sin of gluttony every
+time he becomes intoxicated. Gluttony, especially in drink, comes in a
+manner under the First Commandment, because by depriving ourselves of
+our reason we cannot give God the honor and respect which is His due.
+Think of how many sins the drunkard commits. He becomes intoxicated,
+which in itself is a sin. He deprives himself of the use of reason,
+abuses God's great gift, and becomes like a brute beast. Indeed in a way
+he becomes worse than a beast; for beasts always follow the laws that
+God has given to their nature, and never drink to excess. They obey God,
+and man is the only one of God's creatures that does not always keep His
+laws. Think too of the number of insane persons confined in asylums, who
+would give all in this world for the use of their reason, if they could
+only understand their miserable condition. Yet the drunkard abuses the
+gift that would make these poor unfortunate lunatics happy. Again, the
+drunkard injures his health and thus violates the Fifth Commandment by
+committing a kind of slow suicide. He loses self-respect, makes use of
+sinful language; frequently neglects Mass and all his religious duties,
+exposes himself to the danger of death while in a state of sin, gives
+scandal to his family and neighbors, and by his bad example causes some
+to leave or remain out of the true Church. By continued intemperance, he
+may become insane and remain in that condition till death puts an end to
+his career and he goes unprepared before the judgment seat of God.
+Besides all this he squanders the money he should put to a better use
+and turns God's gifts into a means of offending Him. If a father, he
+neglects the children and wife for whom he has promised to provide;
+leaves them cold and hungry while he commits sin with the means that
+would make them comfortable. Drunkenness therefore is a sin accompanied
+by many deplorable evils. There are three great sins you should always
+be on your guard against during your whole lives, namely, drunkenness,
+dishonesty, and impurity. If you avoid these you will almost surely
+avoid all other sins; for nearly all sins can be traced back to these
+three. They are the most dangerous, first, because they have most
+followers, and secondly, because they grow upon us almost without our
+knowing it. The drunkard begins perhaps as a boy by taking a little,
+even very little; the second time he takes a little more; the next time
+still more, then he begins to be fond of strong drink and can scarcely
+do without it; finally he becomes the slave of intemperance and sells
+his soul and body for it. The passions of dishonesty and impurity grow
+by degrees in the same manner. Therefore avoid them in the beginning and
+resist them while they are under your power. If you find yourself
+inclined to any of these sins in your youth, stop them at once.
+
+"Envy" is the desire to see another meet with misfortune that we may be
+benefited by it. We are glad when he does not succeed in his business,
+we are sorry when anyone speaks well of him, etc. Envy comes under the
+Eighth Commandment.
+
+"Sloth" is committed when we idle our time, and are lazy; when we are
+indifferent about serving God; when we do anything slowly and poorly and
+in a way that shows we would rather not do it. They are slothful who lie
+in bed late in the morning and neglect their duty. Slothful people are
+often untidy in their personal appearance; and they are nearly always in
+misery and want, unless somebody else takes care of them. Sloth comes
+under the First Commandment, because it has reference in a special
+manner to the way in which we serve God. How, then, shall we best
+destroy sin in our souls? By finding out our chief capital sin and
+rooting it out. If a strong oak tree is deeply rooted in the ground, how
+will you best destroy its life? By cutting off the branches? No. For
+with each returning spring new branches will grow. How then? By cutting
+the root and then the great oak with all its branches will die. In the
+same way our capital sin is the root, and as long as we leave it in our
+souls other sins will grow out of it. While we are trying to destroy our
+sins without touching our capital sin--our chief sin--we are only
+cutting off branches that will grow again. Indeed a great many people
+are only cutting off branches all the time and that is why they are not
+benefited as much as they could be by the prayers they say, Masses they
+hear, Sacraments they receive, and sermons they listen to. But do not
+imagine that because you are not becoming better, when you pray, hear
+Mass, and receive the Sacraments, you are doing no good at all. That
+would be a great mistake, and just such a thing as the devil would
+suggest to make persons give up their devotions. What is the use, he
+might say, of your trying to be good? You are just as bad as you were a
+year ago. Do not listen to that temptation. Were it not for your prayers
+and your reception of the Sacraments, you would become a great deal
+worse than you are. Suppose a man is rowing on the river against a very
+strong tide. He is rowing as hard as he can and yet he is not advancing
+one foot up the stream. Is he doing nothing therefore? Ah! he is doing a
+great deal: he is preventing himself from being carried with the current
+out into the ocean. He is keeping himself where he is till the force of
+the tide diminishes, and then he can advance. So they who are trying to
+be good are struggling against the strong tide of temptation. If they
+cease to struggle against it, they will be carried out into the great
+ocean of sin and lost forever. Someday the temptation will grow weaker
+and then they will be able to advance towards Heaven. We feel
+temptations most when we are trying to resist them and lead good lives,
+because we are working against our evil inclinations--the strong tide of
+our passions. We have no trouble going with them.
+
+
+
+Lesson 7
+ON THE INCARNATION AND REDEMPTION
+
+
+"Incarnation" means to take flesh, as a body. Here it means Our Lord's
+taking flesh, that is, taking a body like ours, when He became man.
+"Redemption" means to buy back. Let us take an example. Slaves are men
+or women that belong entirely to their masters, just as horses, cows, or
+other animals do. Slaves are bought and sold, never receive any wages
+for their work, get their food and clothing and no more. As they never
+earn money for themselves, they can never purchase their own liberty. If
+ever they are to be free, someone else must procure their liberty. Now,
+suppose I am in some country where slavery exists. I am free, but I want
+one hundred dollars; so I go to a slave owner and say: I want to sell
+myself for one hundred dollars. He buys me and I soon squander the one
+hundred dollars. Now I am his property, his slave; I shall never earn
+any wages and shall never be able to buy my freedom. No other slave can
+help me, for he is just in the same condition as I myself am. If I am to
+be free, a free man who has the money must pay for my liberty. This is
+exactly the condition in which all men were before Our Lord redeemed
+them. Adam sold himself and all his children to the devil by committing
+sin. He and they therefore became slaves. They could not earn any
+spiritual wages, that is, grace of God to purchase their liberty; and as
+all men were slaves one could not help another in this matter. Then Our
+Lord Himself came and purchased our freedom. He bought us back again,
+and the price He paid was His own life and blood given up upon the
+Cross. In His goodness, He did more than redeem us; He gave us also the
+means of redeeming ourselves in case we should ever have the misfortune
+of falling again into the slavery of the devil--into sin. He left us the
+Sacrament of Penance to which we can go as to a bank, and draw out
+enough of Our Lord's grace--merited for us and deposited in the power of
+His Church--to purchase our redemption from sin.
+
+60 Q. Did God abandon man after he fell into sin?
+A. God did not abandon man after he fell into sin, but promised him a
+Redeemer, who was to satisfy for man's sin and reopen to him the gates
+of Heaven.
+
+"Abandon" means to leave to one's self. Adam and his posterity were
+slaves, but God took pity on them. He did not leave them to themselves,
+but promised to help them.
+
+"Gates of Heaven." Heaven has no gates, because it is not built of
+material--of stone, or iron, or wood. It is only our way of speaking;
+just as we say "hand of God," although He has no hands. Heaven is the
+magnificent home God has prepared for us, and its gates are His power by
+which He keeps us out or lets us in as He pleases. Our Lord, therefore,
+obtained admittance for us.
+
+61 Q. Who is the Redeemer?
+A. Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of mankind.
+
+62 Q. What do you believe of Jesus Christ?
+A. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the second Person of
+the Blessed Trinity, true God and true man.
+
+"True God." He was true God equal to His Father from all eternity. He
+became man when He came upon the earth about 2,000 years ago, and was
+born on Christmas Day. Now He is in Heaven as God and man. Therefore, He
+was God always, but man only from the time of His Incarnation.
+
+*63 Q. Why is Jesus Christ true God?
+A. Jesus Christ is true God because He is the true and only Son of God
+the Father.
+
+God the Father, first Person of the Blessed Trinity, is His real Father,
+and St. Joseph was His foster-father, selected by the Heavenly Father to
+take care of Our Lord and watch over Him while on earth. A foster-father
+is not the same as a stepfather. A stepfather is a second father that
+one gets when his real father dies. A foster-father is one who takes a
+person, whether a relative or a stranger, and adopts him as his son. It
+was a very great honor for St. Joseph to be selected from among all men
+to take care of the Son of God; to carry in his arms the great One of
+whom the prophets spoke; the One for whom the whole world longed during
+so many thousand years; so that next to our Blessed Mother St. Joseph
+deserves our greatest honor.
+
+*64 Q. Why is Jesus Christ true man?
+A. Jesus Christ is true man because He is the Son of the Blessed Virgin
+Mary, and has a body and soul like ours.
+
+He has all that we have by nature, but not the things we have acquired
+such as deformities, imperfections, and the like. Everything in Our Lord
+was perfect. Above all, He had no sin of any kind; nor even inclination
+to sin. He could be hungry, as He was when He fasted forty days in the
+desert. (Matt. 4:2). He was thirsty, as He said on the Cross. (John
+19:28). He could be wearied; as we read in the Holy Scripture (John 4:6)
+that He sat down by a well to rest, while His disciples went into the
+city to buy food. All these sufferings come from our very nature. We say
+a thing comes from our very nature when everybody has it. Now, everyone
+in the world may at times be hungry, thirsty, or tired; but everybody in
+the world need not have a toothache or headache, because such things are
+not common to human nature, but due to some defect in our body; and such
+defects Our Lord did not have, because He was a perfect man. Therefore,
+Our Lord had a body like ours, not as it usually is with defects, but as
+it should be, perfect in all things that belong to its nature, as Adam's
+was before he sinned.
+
+*65 Q. How many natures are there in Jesus Christ?
+A. In Jesus Christ there are two natures: the nature of God and the
+nature of man.
+
+He was perfect God and perfect man. His human nature was under the full
+power of His divine nature, and could not do anything contrary to His
+divine will. You cannot understand how there can be two natures and two
+wills in one person, because it is another of the great mysteries; but
+you must believe it, just as you believe there are three Persons in one
+God, though you do not understand it. Those who learn theology and study
+a great deal may understand it better than you, but never fully. It will
+be enough, therefore, for you to remember and believe that there are two
+natures--the divine nature and the human nature--in the one person of
+Our Lord.
+
+*66 Q. Is Jesus Christ more than one person?
+A. No, Jesus Christ is but one Divine Person.
+
+"But one," so that the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Son of
+God, the Messias, Christ, Jesus, Our Lord, Our Saviour, Our Redeemer,
+etc., are all names for the one Person; and, besides these, there are
+many other names given to Our Lord in the Holy Scripture, both in the
+Old and the New Testaments.
+
+*67 Q. Was Jesus Christ always God?
+A. Jesus Christ was always God, as He is the Second Person of the
+Blessed Trinity, equal to His Father from all eternity.
+
+*68 Q. Was Jesus Christ always man?
+A. Jesus Christ was not always man, but became man at the time of His
+Incarnation.
+
+69 Q. What do you mean by the Incarnation?
+A. By the Incarnation I mean that the Son of God was made man.
+
+70 Q. How was the Son of God made man?
+A. The Son of God was conceived and made man by the power of the Holy
+Ghost, in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
+
+*71 Q. Is the Blessed Virgin Mary truly the Mother of God?
+A. The Blessed Virgin Mary is truly the Mother of God, because the same
+Divine Person who is the Son of God is also the Son of the Blessed
+Virgin Mary.
+
+*72 Q. Did the Son of God become man immediately after the sin of our
+first parents?
+A. The Son of God did not become man immediately after the sin of our
+first parents, but He was promised to them as a Redeemer.
+
+God did not say to Adam when He would send the Redeemer, and so the
+Redeemer did not come for about 4,000 years after He was first promised.
+God permitted this long time to elapse in order that mankind might feel
+and know how great an evil sin is, and what misery it brought upon the
+world. During these 4,000 years men were becoming gradually worse. At
+one time--about 1,600 years after Adam's sin--they became so bad that
+God destroyed by a deluge, or great flood of water, all persons and
+living things upon the earth, except Noe, his wife, his three sons and
+their wives, and the animals they had in the ark with them. (Gen. 6).
+Let me now give you more particulars about this terrible punishment.
+After God determined to destroy all living things on account of the
+wickedness of men, He told Noe, who was a good man, to build a great
+ark, or ship, for himself and his family, and for some of all the living
+creatures upon the earth. (Gen. 6). When the ark was ready, Noe and his
+family went into it, and the animals that were to be saved came by God's
+power, and two by two were taken into the ark. Besides the two of each
+kind of animals, Noe was required to take with him five more of each
+kind of clean animals. Clean animals were certain animals which,
+according to God's law, could be offered in sacrifice or eaten; they
+were such animals as the ox, the sheep, the goat, etc. Therefore, seven
+of each of the clean animals, and two of each of the other kinds. Why
+did He have seven clean animals? Two were to be set free upon the dry
+earth with the other animals, and the other five were for food and
+sacrifice. Noe spent a hundred years in making the ark. At that time men
+lived much longer than they do now. Adam lived over 900 years and
+Mathusala, the oldest man, lived to be 969 years old. There are many
+reasons why men live a shorter time now than then. When the door of the
+ark was closed, God sent a great rain that lasted for forty days and
+forty nights. All the springs of water broke forth, and all the rivers
+and lakes overflowed their banks. Men ran here and there to high places,
+while the water rose higher and higher till it covered the tops of the
+mountains, and all not in the ark were drowned. The big ark floated
+about for about a year; for although it stopped raining after forty
+days, just think of the quantity of water that must have fallen! Think
+of the rain what would fall during the whole of Lent from Ash Wednesday
+to Easter Sunday--forty days. It took a long time, therefore, for the
+waters to go down and finally disappear. When the waters began to go
+down, Noe, wishing to know if any land was as yet above the water,
+opened the little window, and sent out a raven or crow over the waters.
+The raven did not come back, because it is a bird that eats flesh, and
+it found plenty of dead bodies to feed upon. Then Noe sent out a dove,
+and the dove came back with the bough of an olive tree in its mouth.
+From this Noe knew that the earth was becoming dry again. After some
+days, the ark rested on the top of a mountain named Ararat. When all the
+waters had dried up, Noe and his family and all the animals passed out
+of the ark. He offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and he and his
+family settled once more upon the earth. For a while, the descendants of
+Noe were good, but when they became numerous they soon forgot the deluge
+and its punishments, and became very wicked. Many forgot the true God
+altogether, and began to worship the sun, moon, and stars. Some
+worshipped animals, and others idols of wood or stone. They offered up
+human victims and committed all kinds of sins most displeasing to God.
+Many were in slavery; masters were cruel; and things were becoming daily
+worse, till just before the coming of Our Lord the world was in a
+terrible condition of misery and sin. The lawmakers tried to remedy
+these evils by their laws, and the teachers and professors by their
+teaching; but all was of no avail. God Himself must save the world.
+
+God gave many promises of the Redeemer. The first one was given in the
+garden to our first parents. God said (Gen. 3:15) to the serpent: I will
+put enmities, that is hatred, between thee and the woman; that is,
+between the devil and the Blessed Virgin--whom the holy writers call the
+second Eve; because as the first Eve caused our fall, the second Eve
+helped us to rise again. I will put also a great hatred between the
+devil and your Redeemer. The next promise of the Redeemer was made to
+Abraham. (Gen. 15). Another was made to Isaac, and another to Jacob; and
+later these promises were frequently renewed through the prophets; so
+that during the four thousand years God encouraged the good people, by
+promising from time to time the Redeemer.
+
+Some of the prophets foretold to what family He would belong, and when
+He would be born, and when and what He would suffer, and how He would
+die. They also foretold signs or things that would come to pass just
+before the advent or coming of the Messias (Gen. 49:10); so that when
+the people saw these things coming to pass, they could know that the
+time of the Messias was at hand. Thus when Our Lord came, the whole
+world was waiting and looking for the promised Redeemer, because the
+signs foretold had appeared or were taking place. But the majority did
+not recognize Our Lord when He came, on account of the quiet, humble,
+and poor way in which He came. They were expecting to see the Redeemer
+come as a great and powerful king, with mighty armies conquering the
+world; and in this they were mistaken. If they had studied the Holy
+Scriptures they would have learned how He was to come--poor and humble.
+
+*73 Q. How could they be saved who lived before the Son of God became
+man?
+A. They who lived before the Son of God became man could be saved by
+believing in the Redeemer to come, and by keeping the Commandments.
+
+We have seen that God promised the Redeemer during four thousand years.
+Now, those who believed these promises and kept all God's Commandments,
+and observed all His laws as they knew them, could be saved. They could
+not, it is true, enter into Heaven after their death, but they could
+wait in Limbo without suffering till Our Lord opened Heaven for them.
+They were saved only through the merits of Our Lord. And how could this
+be when Our Lord was not yet born? Do you know what a promissory note
+is? It is this. When a man is not able to pay his debts just now but
+will be able afterwards, he gives those to whom he owes the money a
+promissory note, that is, a written promise that he will pay at a
+certain time. Now, those who died before Our Lord was born had the Holy
+Scripture promising that Christ would pay for them and for their sins
+when He would come. So God saved them on account of this promise and
+kept them free from suffering till Our Lord came. If any died when they
+were little infants, their parents answered for them as godfathers and
+godmothers do now for infants at Baptism.
+
+74 Q. On what day was the Son of God conceived and made man?
+A. The Son of God was conceived and made man on Annunciation Day--the
+day on which the Angel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary that
+she was to be the Mother of God.
+
+"Annunciation Day" is the 25th of March. You can easily remember that
+feast. Everybody knows that St. Patrick's Day is on the 17th of March,
+and therefore eight days after it comes Annunciation day. There is
+another feast coming in between them, the feast of St. Joseph, on the
+19th of March. Therefore it is easy to remember these three feasts
+coming all in March and almost together. Annunciation is the name given
+to that day after the angel came, but it was not called so before.
+Annunciation means to tell or make known, and this is the day the angel
+made known to the Blessed Virgin that she was selected for the high
+office of Mother of God. The Blessed Virgin was expecting the Messias,
+and was probably praying for His speedy arrival, as were the rest of her
+people, when suddenly the angel came and said: Hail, full of grace. (See
+Hail Mary Expl.).
+
+75 Q. On what day was Christ born?
+A. Christ was born on Christmas Day in a stable at Bethlehem, over
+nineteen hundred years ago.
+
+"Christmas Day" is the 25th of December, one week before the New Year.
+It is called Christmas Day since the time Our Lord was born, over
+nineteen hundred years ago. "In a stable at Bethlehem." The story of Our
+Lord's birth is in every way a very sad one. The Blessed Virgin and St.
+Joseph lived in Palestine--called also the Holy Land since Our Lord
+lived there. Palestine was the country where God's people, the Jews,
+lived, and at the time we are speaking of, it was under the power of the
+Roman Emperor, who had his soldiers and governor there. He wished to
+find out how many people were there, and so he ordered a census or count
+of the people to be made. (Luke 2). We take the census very differently
+now from what they did then. We in the United States, by order of the
+government, send men around from house to house to write down the names;
+but in Palestine, when they wanted the number of the people, everyone,
+no matter where he lived, had to go to the city or town where his
+forefathers had lived and there register his name with all the others
+who belonged to the same tribe or family. Now, the forefathers of St.
+Joseph and the Blessed Virgin belonged to the little town of Bethlehem
+(Luke 2); so they had to leave Nazareth where they were then living and
+go to Bethlehem. This was shortly before Christmas. When they got to
+Bethlehem, they found the place crowded with people who also came to
+enroll their names. They went to the inn or hotel to seek for lodging
+for the night. The hotels there were not like ours. They were simply
+large buildings with small rooms and no furniture; they were called
+caravansaries. A man was in charge of the building, and by paying him
+something persons were allowed the use of a room. No food was sold
+there, so travelers had to do their cooking at home and bring whatever
+they needed with them. When the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph went to
+the inn they found all the rooms occupied. Then they went up and down
+the streets looking for some house where they might stay. Nobody would
+take them in, because St. Joseph was old and poor and had no money, or
+little, to give. They were refused at every door, a very sad thing
+indeed. What were they to do? It was growing dark, and the lights most
+likely were being lighted here and there in the houses. The old towns
+were not built as ours are, with houses on the outskirts growing fewer
+as we advance into the country. They were surrounded by great walls to
+keep out their enemies. There were several large gates in these walls,
+through which the people entered or left the city. At night these gates
+were closed and guarded. Nearly all the people lived within the walls
+and the country was lonely and almost deserted. Only shepherds were to
+be found in the country, and they lived in tents, which they carried
+about from place to place, as soldiers do in time of war. Such was the
+country about Bethlehem. As St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin could not
+find anyplace to stay in the town they were forced to go into the
+country. They must have suffered also from fear because the country was
+infested with wolves and wild dogs, so fierce that they sometimes came
+into the towns and attacked the people in the streets. Besides, many
+robbers were wandering about waiting for victims. Palestine is a hilly
+country and there were on the sides of some of the hills large caves in
+which these robbers frequently took refuge or divided their spoils.
+Because the shepherds at times, especially in bad weather, brought their
+animals into these caves, they are often called stables. The Blessed
+Virgin and St. Joseph found, we are told, one of these cold, dark
+places, went into it for the night, and there Our Lord was born.
+
+It was the month of December and must have been quite cold, so the
+little Infant Jesus must have suffered greatly from the cold. If it had
+been a stable such as we see in our days it would have been bad enough;
+but think of this cold, dark, miserable cave, and yet it was Our Lord,
+the King of Heaven and earth, who was born there. There are few people
+so poor that they have to live in a cave. What wonderful humility, then,
+on the part of Our Lord. He could have been born, if He wished, in the
+grandest palace man could construct and have had thousands of angels to
+bring Him whatever He needed, for they are His servants in Heaven. But
+Our Lord became so humble to teach us. What impression should this make
+on those who are too fond of dress and too vain about their homes.
+
+It was foretold by the prophets that Our Lord would be born in
+Bethlehem, and when the time was near at hand His parents were living in
+Nazareth; then the Roman Emperor gave the decree that the census be
+taken, which obliged Our Lord's parents to go to Bethlehem, and thus Our
+Lord was born there, and the words of the prophets fulfilled. See how
+God moves the whole world, if necessary, to accomplish what He desires.
+But how naturally He does everything. Nobody knew--not even the Roman
+Emperor himself--that he was giving an edict to fulfill the prophecies
+and the promises of God. So, at times, people do many things to carry
+out the designs of God, though they know it not. We should never
+complain therefore to do unwillingly whatever work we have to perform,
+because it may be something that God wishes us to do for some very
+special end. If you look back upon your lives, you can see that God
+guided and directed you upon many occasions.
+
+*76 Q. How long did Christ live on earth?
+A. Christ lived on earth about thirty-three years, and led a most holy
+life in poverty and suffering.
+
+The life of Our Lord was spent in the following manner. At the time Our
+Lord was born in Bethlehem wise men or kings, called Magi, came from the
+East--perhaps from Persia or Arabia--to adore Him. They saw a strange
+star, and leaving their own country came to Palestine. When they came as
+far as Jerusalem, they went to King Herod and asked him where the young
+King was born. Herod was troubled, for he was afraid the new King would
+deprive him of his throne. He called together all the priests and asked
+them about this royal child. They told him and the Magi that, according
+to the prophecies, the Saviour should be born in Bethlehem. The Wise Men
+saw the star once more, and followed it to Bethlehem, where it stood
+over the stable in which Our Lord lay. They entered, and adored the
+Infant Jesus, and offered Him presents. Now, Herod told them to come
+back after they had found the newborn King, and tell him where He was,
+that he too might go and adore Him. But such was not Herod's real
+intention. He wished not to adore but to kill Him. See, then, how the
+wicked pretend at times to do good, that they may deceive us and lead us
+astray. Be always on your guard against a person if you suspect his
+goodness. But Herod could not deceive God, who, knowing his heart,
+warned the Wise Men not to return to Herod, but to go back to their own
+country by another way, which they did. We celebrate the day on which
+the Wise Men adored the Infant Jesus on the feast of the Epiphany (six
+days after New Year's Day). When the Magi did not return, Herod knew
+that they had avoided him. He was very angry indeed, and in order to be
+sure of killing the poor little Infant Jesus, he had all the infants or
+children in or near Bethlehem who were not over two years old put to
+death. We honor these first little martyrs who suffered for Christ on
+the feast of Holy Innocents--three days after Christmas.
+
+After the departure of the Wise Men, God sent an angel to St. Joseph
+warning him of Herod's evil designs, and telling him to fly with Jesus
+and Mary into Egypt. Then St. Joseph, with the Blessed Virgin and the
+Infant, set out for Egypt. St. Joseph did not ask the angel how long he
+would have to stay there; nor did he ask to be allowed to wait till
+morning. He obeyed promptly; he arose in the night, and started at once.
+What an example of obedience for us! They must have had many hardships
+on the way. They must have suffered much from hunger, cold, and fear.
+They dare not go on the best roads, for we may well suppose that Herod
+had his spies out watching for any that might escape. So they went by
+the roughest roads and longest way. In Egypt they were among strangers,
+and how could a poor old carpenter like St. Joseph find enough work
+there! The Holy Family must at times have suffered greatly from want.
+They remained in Egypt for some time. Afterwards, when Herod died, they
+returned to Nazareth. (Matt. 2).
+
+At twelve years of age Our Lord went to the Temple of Jerusalem to offer
+sacrifice with His parents. (Luke 2:42). He afterwards returned to
+Nazareth, and then for eighteen years--called His hidden life--we do not
+hear anything of Him. Most likely He worked in the carpenter shop with
+His foster-father, St. Joseph.
+
+At the age of thirty (Luke 3:23), Our Lord began His public life; that
+is, His preaching, miracles, etc. His public life lasted a little over
+three years, and then He was put to death on the Cross.
+
+*77 Q. Why did Christ live so long on earth?
+A. Christ lived so long on earth to show us the way to Heaven by His
+teaching and example.
+
+Christ went through all the stages of life that each might have an
+example. He was an infant: then a child; then a young man, and finally a
+man. He did not become an old man to set an example to the old, because
+if men follow His example in their youth and manhood they will be good
+in old age. Youth is the all-important time to learn. If you want a tree
+to grow straight, you must keep it straight while it is only a little
+twig. You cannot straighten an old oak tree that has grown up crooked.
+So you must be taught to do right in your youth, that you may do the
+same when old. Of the hidden or private life of Our Lord we, as I have
+said, know nothing, except that He was obedient to His parents; for He
+wished to give an example also to those holy persons who lead a life
+hidden from the world. Some books have given stories about what Our Lord
+did in school, etc., but these stories are not true. The only true
+things we know of Our Lord are those told in the Holy Scripture, or
+handed down to us by the Church in her teachings, or those certainly
+revealed to God's saints. Remember, then, that others are taught best by
+example, and be careful of the example you give.
+
+
+
+Lesson 8
+ON OUR LORD'S PASSION, DEATH, RESURRECTION, AND ASCENSION
+
+
+The Passion, that is, the terrible sufferings of Our Lord, began after
+the Last Supper, and ended at His death. On Thursday evening, Our Lord
+sat down for the last time with His dear Apostles. He had been talking,
+eating, and living with them for over three years; and now He is going
+to take His last meal with them before His death. He told them then how
+He was to suffer, and that one of them was going to betray Him. They
+were very much troubled, for only Judas himself knew what he was about
+to do.
+
+78 Q. What did Jesus Christ suffer?
+A. Jesus Christ suffered a bloody sweat, a cruel scourging, was crowned
+with thorns, and was crucified.
+
+After the Supper, Our Lord went with His Apostles to a little country
+place just outside Jerusalem, and separated from it by a small stream.
+He told the three Apostles, Peter, James, and John, to stay near the
+entrance, and to watch and pray, while He Himself went further into the
+Garden of Olives, or Gethsemani, as this place was called, and throwing
+Himself upon His face, prayed long and earnestly, but the Apostles fell
+asleep.
+
+We often find persons who are in great anguish or dread covered with a
+cold perspiration. Now, Our Lord's agony in the garden was so intense
+that great drops, not of sweat, but of blood, oozed from every pore, and
+trickled to the ground. There are three reasons given for this dreadful
+agony.
+
+(1) The clear, certain knowledge of the sufferings so soon to be
+endured. If we were to be put to death tomorrow and knew exactly the
+manner of our death and the pain it would inflict, how great would be
+our fear! Our Lord, knowing all things, knew in every particular what He
+would have to undergo. Moreover, His sufferings were greater than ours
+could be, even if we suffered the same kind of death; because His body
+was most perfect, and therefore more susceptible of pain than ours. A
+wound in the eye, because the most sensitive and delicate part of the
+body, would cause us greater pain than a wound on the foot or hand.
+Thus, all the parts of Our Lord's body being so perfect and sensitive,
+we can scarcely imagine His dreadful torments, the very thought of which
+caused Him such agony.
+
+(2) The sins, past, present, and future of all men. He knew all things,
+as we have said, and looking back upon the world He saw all the sins
+committed, of thought, word, and deed, from the time of Adam down to His
+own; and seeing all these offenses against His Father, He was very much
+grieved.
+
+(3) The third reason why He grieved. He looked forward and saw how
+little many persons would profit by all the sufferings He was about to
+endure. He saw all the sins that would be committed from the time of His
+death down to the end of the world. He saw us also sinning with the
+rest. No wonder then that He suffered so much in the garden. This
+suffering on that night is called "Our Lord's Agony in the Garden." That
+night Judas, who had betrayed Him to His enemies, came with a great band
+of soldiers and people, with swords and clubs, to make Our Lord a
+prisoner. He did not try to escape, but stood waiting for them, though
+all His Apostles, who had promised to stay with Him, ran away. Then the
+soldiers led Our Lord to the house of the Chief Priest. Then they
+gathered the priests, and gave Him a kind of trial, and said He was
+guilty of death. But at that time the Jews had no power to put persons
+to death according to the law; so they had to send Our Lord to Pontius
+Pilate, the Roman Governor, to be condemned, because they were under the
+power of the Romans. The Jews acted against their laws in the trial of
+Our Lord.
+
+(1) They tried Him at night; and (2) they allowed Him no witnesses in
+His defense, but even employed false witnesses to testify against Him,
+and thus acted against all law and justice. Early in the morning they
+led Him to Pilate, who commanded that He should be scourged. Then they
+stripped Our Lord of His garments, fastened His hands to a low stone
+pillar, and there He was "scourged" by the Roman soldiers. The lashes
+used by the Romans were made of leather, with pieces of bone, iron, or
+steel fastened into it, so that every stroke would lay open the flesh.
+It is most likely these were the lashes used upon Our Lord till every
+portion of His body was bruised and bleeding, and they replaced His
+garments upon Him. Now, you know if you put a cloth upon a fresh wound
+the blood will soak into it and cause it to adhere to the mangled flesh.
+Our Blessed Lord's garment, thus saturated with His blood, adhered to
+His wounded body, and when again removed caused Him unspeakable pain.
+Next, the soldiers, because Our Lord had said He was a king--meaning a
+spiritual king--led Him into a large hall and mocked Him. They made a
+crown of long, sharp thorns, and forced it down upon His brow with a
+heavy rod or reed; every stroke driving the thorns into His head, and
+causing the blood to roll down His sacred face. They again took off His
+garments, and opened anew the painful wounds. Because kings wore purple,
+they put an old purple garment upon Him, and made Him a mock king,
+genuflecting in ridicule as they passed before Him. They struck Him in
+the face and spat upon Him; and yet it seems our patient Lord said not a
+word in complaint. Then they put His garments upon Him, and Pilate asked
+the people what he should do with Him, and they cried, "Crucify Him." It
+was then Friday morning, and probably about ten or eleven o'clock. They
+made a cross of heavy beams, and laying it upon His shoulders, forced
+Him to carry it to Calvary--the place of execution, just outside the
+city; for it was not allowed to execute anyone in the city. Our Lord had
+not eaten anything from Thursday evening, and then with all He suffered
+and the loss of blood, He must have been very weak at eleven o'clock on
+Friday morning. He was weak, and fell many times under the Cross. His
+suffering was increased by seeing His Blessed Mother looking at Him.
+When He arrived at Calvary they tore off His garments and nailed Him to
+the Cross, driving the rough nails through His hands and feet. It was
+then about twelve o'clock. From twelve to three in the afternoon Our
+Blessed Saviour was hanging on the Cross, with a great multitude of His
+enemies about Him mocking and saying cruel things. Even the two thieves
+that were crucified with Him reviled Him, though one of them repented
+and was pardoned before death. Our Lord's poor Mother and His few
+friends stood at a little distance witnessing all that was going on.
+When Our Lord was thirsty His executioners gave Him gall to drink. At
+three o'clock He died, and there was an earthquake and darkness, and the
+people were sorely afraid.
+
+But you will ask, how could these soldiers be so cruel? They were
+Romans; and in those days men called gladiators used to fight with
+swords before the Roman Emperor and all the people--just as actors play
+now for the amusement of their audience. People who could enjoy such
+scenes as men slaying one another in deadly conflict would scarcely be
+moved to pity by seeing a man scourged. Again, in the early ages of the
+Church, during the persecutions, the Emperors used to order the
+Christians to be thrown to wild beasts to be torn to pieces in the
+presence of the people--who applauded these horrible sights. They who
+could see so many put to death would not mind putting one to death, even
+in the most terrible manner.
+
+79 Q. On what day did Christ die?
+A. Christ died on Good Friday.
+
+"Good Friday," so called since that time.
+
+*80 Q. Why do you call that day "good" on which Christ suffered so
+sorrowful a death?
+A. We call that day good on which Christ died, because by His death He
+showed His great love for man, and purchased for him every blessing.
+
+*81 Q. Where did Christ die?
+A. Christ died on Mount Calvary.
+
+"Mount Calvary," a little hill just outside the city of Jerusalem. For
+every city they have a special prison or place where all their criminals
+are executed. Now, as the great Temple of God was in Jerusalem, the city
+itself was called the City of God, because in the Temple God spoke to
+the priests in the Holy of Holies. The Temple was divided into two
+parts: one part, something like the body of our churches, called the
+Holy, and the other part, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept, called
+the Holy of Holies. It had about the same relation to the Temple as our
+altar and sanctuary have to our churches. The Ark of the Covenant was a
+box about four feet long, two and a half feet high, and two and a half
+feet wide, made of the finest wood, and ornamented with gold in the most
+beautiful manner. In it were the tables of stone, on which were written
+the Commandments of God; also the rod that Aaron--Moses'
+brother--changed into a serpent before King Pharaoh; also some of the
+manna with which the people were miraculously fed during their forty
+years' journey in the desert when they fled out of Egypt. All these
+things were figures of the true religion. The Ark itself was a figure of
+the tabernacle, and the manna of the Holy Eucharist. The Holy of Holies
+was hidden from the people by a veil. Only the Chief Priest was allowed
+into that sacred place, and but once a year. The veil--called the veil
+of the Temple--hiding that Holy of Holies, though the things mentioned
+above were no longer in it, was torn asunder when Our Lord died on the
+Cross (Matt. 27:51); because after His death there was no need any
+longer of figures; for after His death we have the tabernacle itself and
+the real manna, the real bread from Heaven, viz., the body of Our Lord.
+The veil was rent to show also that God would not remain any longer in
+the Temple, but would be for the future only in the Christian Church. On
+account of all these things, therefore, Jerusalem was called the Holy
+City, and no criminals were put to death in it, but were conducted to
+Calvary--which means the place of skulls--and were there put to death. I
+now call your attention to one thing. If the Jews showed such great
+respect and reverence for the Ark containing only figures of the Blessed
+Sacrament, how should we behave in the presence of the tabernacle on the
+altar containing the Blessed Sacrament itself!
+
+*82 Q. How did Christ die?
+A. Christ was nailed to a cross and died on it, between two thieves.
+
+"Two thieves," because they thought this would make His death more
+disgraceful--making Him equal to common criminals. One of these thieves,
+called the penitent thief, repented of his sins and received Our Lord's
+pardon before his death. The other thief died in his sins. Holy writers
+tell us that one of these thieves was saved to give poor sinners hope,
+and to teach them that they may save their souls at the very last moment
+of their lives if only they are heartily sorry for their sins and
+implore God's pardon for them. The other thief remained and died
+impenitent, that sinners may fear to put off their conversion to the
+hour of death, thus rashly presuming on God's mercy. Persons who
+willfully delay their conversion and put off their repentance to the
+last moment, living bad lives with the hope of dying well, may not
+accept the grace to repent at the last moment, but may, like the
+unfortunate, impenitent thief, die as they lived, in a state of sin.
+
+83 Q. Why did Christ suffer and die?
+A. Christ suffered and died for our sins.
+
+It was not necessary for Our Lord to suffer so much, but He did it to
+show how much He loved us and valued our souls, and how much He was
+willing to give for them. We, alas! do not value our souls as Christ
+did; we sometimes sell them for the merest trifle--a moment's
+gratification. How sinful!
+
+*84 Q. What lessons do we learn from the sufferings and death of Christ?
+A. From the sufferings and death of Christ we learn the great evil of
+sin, the hatred God bears to it, and the necessity of satisfying for it.
+
+We learn "the great evil of sin" also from the misery it brought into
+the world; the "hatred God bears to it," from the punishment He
+inflicted on the wicked angels and on our first parents for it; and
+lastly, the "necessity of satisfying for it," from the fact that God
+allowed His dear and only Son to suffer death itself for the sins even
+of others.
+
+*85 Q. Whither did Christ's soul go after His death?
+A. After Christ's death His soul descended into hell.
+
+*86 Q. Did Christ's soul descend into the hell of the damned?
+A. The hell into which Christ's soul descended was not the hell of the
+damned, but a place or state of rest called Limbo, where the souls of
+the just were waiting for Him.
+
+Hell had many meanings in olden times. The grave was sometimes called
+hell. Jacob, when he heard that wild beasts had devoured his son Joseph,
+said: "I will go down with sorrow into hell." He meant the grave. Limbo
+is not the same as Purgatory. It does not exist now, or, if it does, is
+only for little children who have never committed actual sin and who
+have died without Baptism. They will never get into Heaven or see God,
+but they will not have to suffer pains as they who are in Purgatory or
+Hell endure.
+
+*87 Q. Why did Christ descend into Limbo?
+A. Christ descended into Limbo to preach to the souls who were in
+prison--that is, to announce to them the joyful tidings of their
+redemption.
+
+*88 Q. Where was Christ's body while His soul was in Limbo?
+A. While Christ's soul was in Limbo His body was in the Holy Sepulchre.
+
+"Sepulchre" is the same as tomb. It is like a little room. In it the
+coffin is not covered up with earth as it is in the grave, but is placed
+upon a stand. We call such places vaults, and you can see many of them
+in any cemetery or burying ground. Sometimes they are cut in the side of
+elevated ground with their entrance level with the road, and sometimes
+they are built altogether under the ground. The one in which Our Lord
+was placed was cut out of the side of a rock, and had for a door a great
+stone against the entrance. Our Lord was not placed in a coffin, but was
+wrapped in a linen cloth. It was the custom of the Jewish people and of
+many other ancient nations to embalm the bodies of the dead, wrap them
+in cloths, and cover them with sweet spices. (Matt. 27:59). Thus it was
+that Mary Magdalene and other good women came early in the morning to
+anoint the body of Our Lord. But you will say, why did they not do it on
+Friday evening or night? The reason was this: The day with the Jews
+began at sunset--generally about six o'clock--and ended at sunset on the
+next evening. We count our twenty-four hours, or day, from twelve at
+midnight till twelve the next night. Therefore, with the Jews six
+o'clock on Friday evening was the beginning of Saturday. They kept
+Saturday, or the Sabbath, instead of Sunday as a day of worship. On that
+day, which they kept very strictly, it was not allowable to do work of
+any kind; so they could not anoint Our Lord's body till the Sabbath
+ended, which was about six o'clock, or sunset on Saturday evening. So,
+as the Holy Scripture tells us, they came very early in the morning; for
+Mary Magdalene and these good women were Jews, and strictly observed the
+Jewish law. You must know that Our Lord Himself, the Blessed Virgin, St.
+Joseph, and the Apostles were Jews; and that the Jewish religion was the
+true religion up to the coming of Our Lord; but as it was only a figure
+and a promise of the Christian religion, it ceased to have any meaning
+or to be the true religion when the Christian religion itself was
+established by Our Lord.
+
+89 Q. On what day did Christ rise from the dead?
+A. Christ rose from the dead, glorious and immortal, on Easter Sunday,
+the third day after His death.
+
+"Rose" by His own power. This is the greatest of all Our Lord's
+miracles, because all He taught is confirmed by it and depends upon it.
+A miracle is a work that can be performed only by God, or by someone to
+whom He has given the power. If anyone performs a real miracle to prove
+what he says, his words must be true; for God, who is infinite truth,
+could not sanction a lie--could not help an impostor to deceive us. Now
+Our Lord said He was the Son of God; that He could forgive sins, etc.;
+and He performed miracles to prove what He said. Therefore He must have
+told the truth. So all those whom God sent to do any great work were
+given the power to perform miracles that the people might know they were
+really messengers from God. They, on the other hand, who claim--as many
+have done from time to time in the world--that they have been sent by
+God to do some great work, and can give no convincing proof of their
+mission, are not to be believed. Thus, when Martin Luther claimed that
+he was sent by God to reform the Catholic Church--which had existed
+nearly 1,500 years before he was born--he performed no miracles, nor did
+he give any other proof that he had any such commission from God; and he
+cannot therefore be believed.
+
+God has established all the laws of nature permanently. They will not
+vary or change, so that we can depend upon them. We can always be sure
+that the sun will rise and set; that the seasons will come; that fire
+will burn, etc. Now, if we see three young men in a great fiery furnace
+without being burned (Dan. 3), we say it is a great miracle; because
+naturally the fire would burn them up if God did not prevent it. Again,
+water will not stand up like a high wall without something keeping it
+back; it will always run about and fill every empty spot near it. If,
+therefore, we see water standing up like a high wall, as it did in the
+Red Sea at the command of Moses, and in the River Jordan, we say it is a
+miracle. So in all cases where the laws of nature do not work in the
+ordinary manner, we say a miracle is being performed. Now Our Lord
+performed many such miracles--many times He suspended the laws of
+nature--which God alone can do, since He alone established them. Our
+Lord called back the soul to the body after death, thus raising the
+dead. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, cured the lame, etc.,
+when all medicine and natural means were useless. He did all these
+things instantly as a rule, and without remedies. Therefore His miracles
+prove His divine power. Since the resurrection was a great miracle, and
+Our Lord performed it to prove that He was the true and only Son of God,
+He must have been just what He said He was.
+
+"Glorious." Our Lord rose in the same body He had before His death; but
+when He rose it had new qualities--it was glorified. The qualities of a
+glorified body are four, viz.: brilliancy, agility, subtility, and
+impassability. (1) It has brilliancy; that is, it shines like a light;
+it gives forth light; the soul shines through the body. You have heard
+of the Transfiguration of Our Lord. One day He took three of His
+Apostles--Peter, James, and John--unto a high mountain (Matt. 17); and
+as He was speaking to them, suddenly His whole body began to shine like
+the sun. Then Moses and Elias--two great and holy men of the Old
+Law--came and conversed with Him. The Apostles were astonished and
+delighted at the sight, and wished to remain there always. Our Lord's
+body at that time showed one of the qualities of a glorified body. The
+same three Apostles that saw Him thus transfigured and heard the voice
+of the Heavenly Father saying, "This is My beloved Son," were present in
+the garden during Our Lord's agony. He allowed them to see the
+Transfiguration, so that when they should see Him suffering as man, they
+would remember that they saw Him on the mountain glorified as God. (2)
+Agility; that is, a glorified body can move rapidly from one place to
+another, like the lightning itself. After His resurrection Our Lord was
+in Jerusalem, and almost immediately He appeared near the village of
+Emmaus to two disciples going there. (Luke 24). They had left Jerusalem
+after the Crucifixion, probably through fear, and were going along
+together talking about what had happened during the days of Our Lord's
+Passion. Suddenly Our Lord came and walked and talked with them, but
+they did not know Him. They asked Him to stay that night at their house,
+for it was growing dark. He did not stop with them, and at supper they
+knew Him, and then He vanished from their sight. An ordinary person
+would have to get up and walk away; but He vanished, showing on this
+occasion the second quality of His glorified body--agility. (3)
+Subtility; that is, such a body can go where it pleases and cannot be
+resisted by material things. It can pass through closed doors or gates,
+and even walls cannot keep it out. It passes through everything, as
+light does through glass without breaking it. At one time after Our
+Lord's resurrection the Apostles were gathered together in a room, for
+they were still afraid of being put to death, and the doors were tightly
+closed. Suddenly Our Lord stood in the midst of them and said: "Peace be
+to you." (John 20:19). They did not open the door for Him; neither wood
+nor stone could keep Him out: and thus He showed that His body had the
+third quality. (4) His body had the fourth quality also--impassability,
+which means that it can no longer suffer. Before His death, and at it,
+Our Lord suffered dreadful torments, as you know; but after His
+resurrection nothing could injure or hurt Him. The spear could not hurt
+His side, nor the nails His hands, nor the thorns His head. Shortly
+after His resurrection Our Lord appeared to His Apostles while Thomas,
+one of them, was absent. (John 20:24). When Thomas returned, the other
+Apostles told him that they had seen the Lord risen from the dead; but
+he would not believe them, saying: "Unless I see the holes where the
+nails were in His hands and feet, and put my finger into His side, I
+will not believe." Now Our Lord, knowing all things, knew this also; so
+He came again when Thomas was present, and said to him: "Now, Thomas,
+put your hand into My side." Thomas cried out: "My Lord and my God!" He
+believed then, because he saw. Now if this body of Our Lord's had been
+an ordinary body, it would have caused Him pain to allow anyone to put
+his hand into the wound; but it was impassable. It seems very strange,
+does it not, that Thomas would not believe what the other Apostles told
+him? God permitted this. Why? Because, if they all believed easily, some
+enemies of Our Lord might say the Apostles were simple men that believed
+everything without any proof. Now they cannot truly say so, because here
+was one of the Apostles, Thomas, who would not believe without the very
+strongest kind of proof. Another person, one would think, would have
+been satisfied with seeing Our Lord's wounds; but Thomas would not trust
+even his eyes--he must also touch before he would believe: showing,
+therefore, that the Apostles were not deceived in anything Our Lord did
+in their presence, for they had always the most convincing proofs.
+
+After the Resurrection, at the last day, the bodies of all those who are
+to be in Heaven will have the qualities I have mentioned; that is, they
+will be glorified bodies.
+
+Speaking of Our Lord's wounds, I might tell you what the stigmata means,
+if you should ever hear or read of it. There have been some persons in
+the world--saints, of course--who have had upon their hands, feet, and
+side wounds just like those Our Lord had, and these wounds caused them
+great pain. For example, St. Francis of Assisi (see Butler's Lives of
+the Saints, Oct. 4th). Up to 1883--that is, only a few years ago--there
+lived in Belgium a young girl named Louise Lateau who had the stigmata.
+We have the most positive proof of it, as you may see in the accounts of
+her life now published. Her wounds caused her great pain and bled every
+Friday for many years. She was a delicate seamstress, and lived with her
+mother and sisters in almost continual poverty. She had always been
+remarkable for her true piety, patience in suffering, and charity to the
+sick. I mention this young girl because she lived in our own time, and
+is the latest person we know of who had the stigmata, or wounds of Our
+Lord. So if you ever hear of the stigmata of St. Francis or others, you
+will know that it means wounds like those of Our Lord impressed on their
+bodies in a miraculous manner.
+
+"Immortal"--that is never to die again, as it will be with us also after
+the Resurrection.
+
+"The third day." It was not three full days, but the parts of three
+days. Suppose someone should ask you on Friday evening how long from now
+to Sunday; you would answer: Sunday will be the third day from today.
+You would count thus: Friday one, Saturday two, and Sunday itself three.
+So it was with Our Lord. He died on Friday at about three in the
+afternoon, and remained in the sepulchre till Sunday morning.
+
+*90 Q. How long did Christ stay on earth after His resurrection?
+A. Christ stayed on earth forty days after His resurrection, to show
+that He was truly risen from the dead, and to instruct His Apostles.
+
+After Our Lord's resurrection He remained on earth forty days: but you
+must not think He was visible all that time. No. He did not appear to
+everybody, but only to certain persons, and not all the time to them
+either. He appeared to His Apostles and others in all about nine times;
+at least, we know for certain that He appeared nine times, though He may
+have appeared oftener. He showed that "He was truly risen," for He ate
+with His Apostles and conversed with them. (Luke 24:42). It was after
+the resurrection that He breathed on them and gave them the power to
+forgive sins. (John 20).
+
+91 Q. After Christ had remained forty days on earth, whither did He go?
+A. After forty days Christ ascended into Heaven, and the day on which He
+ascended into Heaven is called Ascension Day.
+
+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).
+
+*92 Q. Where is Christ in Heaven?
+A. In Heaven Christ sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
+
+*93 Q. What do you mean by saying that Christ sits at the right hand of
+God?
+A. 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
+
+
+94 Q. Who is the Holy Ghost?
+A. The Holy Ghost is the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity.
+
+*95 Q. From whom does the Holy Ghost proceed?
+A. The Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son.
+
+*96 Q. Is the Holy Ghost equal to the Father and the Son?
+A. The Holy Ghost is equal to the Father and the Son, being the same
+Lord and God as they are.
+
+97 Q. On what day did the Holy Ghost come down upon the Apostles?
+A. 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.
+
+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).
+
+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.
+
+"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.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+Then God sent the ten plagues upon the Egyptians, while the
+Israelites--God's people--suffered nothing from these plagues.
+
+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.
+
+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).
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+*98 Q. How did the Holy Ghost come down upon the Apostles?
+A. The Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles in the form of tongues of
+fire.
+
+99 Q. Who sent the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles?
+A. Our Lord Jesus Christ sent the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles.
+
+100 Q. Why did Christ send the Holy Ghost?
+A. Christ sent the Holy Ghost to sanctify His Church, to enlighten and
+strengthen the Apostles, and to enable them to preach the Gospel.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+*101 Q. Will the Holy Ghost abide with the Church forever?
+A. The Holy Ghost will abide with the Church forever, and guide it in
+the way of holiness and truth.
+
+"Abide" means to stay with us.
+
+
+
+Lesson 10
+ON THE EFFECTS OF THE REDEMPTION
+
+
+102 Q. Which are the chief effects of the redemption?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+103 Q. What do you mean by grace?
+A. By grace I mean a supernatural gift of God bestowed on us, through
+the merits of Jesus Christ, for our salvation.
+
+"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.
+
+104 Q. How many kinds of grace are there?
+A. There are two kinds of grace: sanctifying grace and actual grace.
+
+105 Q. What is sanctifying grace?
+A. Sanctifying grace is that grace which makes the soul holy and
+pleasing to God.
+
+"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.
+
+*106 Q. What do you call those graces or gifts of God by which we
+believe in Him, hope in Him, and love Him?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+107 Q. What is faith?
+A. Faith is a divine virtue by which we firmly believe the truths which
+God has revealed.
+
+"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.
+
+108 Q. What is hope?
+A. Hope is a divine virtue by which we firmly trust that God will give
+us eternal life and the means to obtain it.
+
+"Eternal"--that is, everlastings life--life without end. "Means"--that
+is, His grace, because without God's grace we cannot do any supernatural
+thing.
+
+109 Q. What is charity?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+"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.
+
+"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.
+
+110 Q. What is actual grace?
+A. Actual grace is that help of God which enlightens our mind and moves
+our will to shun evil and do good.
+
+"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.
+
+*111 Q. Is grace necessary for salvation?
+A. Grace is necessary for salvation, because without grace we can do
+nothing to merit Heaven.
+
+*112 Q. Can we resist the grace of God?
+A. We can and unfortunately often do resist the grace of God.
+
+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.
+
+*113 Q. What is the grace of perseverance?
+A. The grace of perseverance is a particular gift of God which enables
+us to continue in the state of grace till death.
+
+"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
+
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+114 Q. Which are the means instituted by Our Lord to enable men at all
+times to share in the fruits of the Redemption?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+"Fruits of His redemption"--that is, to receive the grace merited by Our
+Lord when He redeemed us by His death.
+
+115 Q. What is the Church?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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: (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. 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?
+
+"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.
+
+"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.
+
+116 Q. Who is the invisible head of the Church?
+A. Jesus Christ is the invisible head of the Church.
+
+"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.
+
+117 Q. Who is the visible head of the Church?
+A. Our Holy Father the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, is the vicar of Christ
+on earth and the visible head of the Church.
+
+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.
+
+"Vicar"--that is, one who holds another's place and acts in his name.
+
+*118 Q. Why is the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, the visible head of the
+Church?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+*119 Q. Who are the successors of the other Apostles?
+A. The successors of the other Apostles are the bishops of the holy
+Catholic Church.
+
+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.
+
+*120 Q. Why did Christ found the Church?
+A. Christ founded the Church to teach, govern, sanctify, and save all
+men.
+
+"Teach" religion. "Govern" in things that regard salvation. "Sanctify,"
+make good. "Save" all who wish to be saved.
+
+*121 Q. Are all bound to belong to the Church?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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?
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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
+
+
+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.
+
+*122 Q. Which are the attributes of the Church?
+A. The attributes of the Church are three: authority, infallibility, and
+indefectibility.
+
+*123 Q. What do you mean by the authority of the Church?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+*124 Q. What do you mean by the infallibility of the Church?
+A. By the infallibility of the Church I mean that the Church cannot err
+when it teaches a doctrine of faith or morals.
+
+"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.
+
+*125 Q. When does the Church teach infallibly?
+A. 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.
+
+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:
+
+(1) 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.
+
+(2) 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.
+
+(3) 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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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. 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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+*126 Q. What do you mean by the indefectibility of the Church?
+A. By the indefectibility of the Church I mean that the Church, as
+Christ founded it, will last till the end of time.
+
+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.
+
+*127 Q. In whom are these attributes found in their fullness?
+A. 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.
+
+128 Q. Has the Church any marks by which it may be known?
+A. The Church has four marks by which it may be known: it is one; it is
+holy; it is catholic; it is apostolic.
+
+*129 Q. How is the Church one?
+A. The Church is one because all its members agree in one faith, are all
+in one communion, and are all under one head.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+*130 Q. How is the Church holy?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+*131 Q. How is the Church catholic or universal?
+A. The Church is catholic or universal because it subsists in all ages,
+teaches all nations, and maintains all truth.
+
+"Subsists" means to have existence.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+*132 Q. How is the Church apostolic?
+A. 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.
+
+"Apostolic," which means that the Church was founded at the time of the
+Apostles, and has been the same ever since. 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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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 their religion they would not be proud, but ashamed of it.
+How little they would think of their ancestors who gave up God for some
+worldly gain, while the Catholic martyrs gave up everything, even their
+lives, rather than forsake God and the true religion.
+
+133 Q. In which church are these attributes and marks found?
+A. These attributes and marks are found in the Holy Roman Catholic
+Church alone.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+*134 Q. From whom does the Church derive its undying life and infallible
+authority?
+A. The Church derives its undying life and infallible authority from the
+Holy Ghost, the spirit of truth, who abides with it forever.
+
+*135 Q. By whom is the Church made and kept One, Holy, and Catholic?
+A. The Church is made and kept One, Holy, and Catholic by the Holy
+Ghost, the spirit of love and holiness, who unites and sanctifies its
+members throughout the world.
+
+
+
+Lesson 13
+ON THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL
+
+
+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.
+
+136 Q. What is a Sacrament?
+A. A Sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.
+
+Three things are necessary to make a Sacrament. There must be: (1) "An
+outward," that is, a visible, "sign"; (2) this sign must have been
+instituted or given by Our Lord; (3) it must give grace. Now, a sign is
+that which tells us that something else exists. Smoke indicates the
+presence of fire.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+Again, in Penance we have the outward sign when the priest raises his
+hand and pronounces over us the words of absolution.
+
+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.
+
+"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.
+
+137 Q. How many Sacraments are there?
+A. There are seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist,
+Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony.
+
+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.
+
+138 Q. Whence have the Sacraments the power of giving grace?
+A. The Sacraments have the power of giving grace from the merits of
+Jesus Christ.
+
+Our Lord died to merit grace for us, and appointed the Sacraments as the
+chief means by which it was to be given.
+
+*139 Q. What grace do the Sacraments give?
+A. Some of the Sacraments give sanctifying grace, and others increase it
+in our souls.
+
+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.
+
+*140 Q. Which are the Sacraments that give sanctifying grace?
+A. The Sacraments that give sanctifying grace are Baptism and Penance;
+and they are called Sacraments of the dead.
+
+"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.
+
+*141 Q. Why are Baptism and Penance called Sacraments of the dead?
+A. 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.
+
+*142 Q. Which are the Sacraments that increase sanctifying grace in the
+soul?
+A. 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.
+
+*143 Q. Why are Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Extreme Unction, Holy
+Orders, and Matrimony called Sacraments of the living?
+A. 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.
+
+*144 Q. What sin does he commit who receives the Sacraments of the
+living in mortal sin?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+*145 Q. Besides sanctifying grace, do the Sacraments give any other
+grace?
+A. Besides sanctifying grace, the Sacraments give another grace, called
+sacramental.
+
+*146 Q. What is sacramental grace?
+A. Sacramental grace is a special help which God gives to attain the end
+for which He instituted each Sacrament.
+
+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.
+
+147 Q. Do the Sacraments always give grace?
+A. The Sacraments always give grace, if we receive them with the right
+dispositions.
+
+"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.
+
+148 Q. Can we receive the Sacraments more than once?
+A. We can receive the Sacraments more than once, except Baptism,
+Confirmation, and Holy Orders.
+
+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 be 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.
+
+Converts to the Church are generally baptized conditionally, because
+there is doubt about the validity of the Baptism they received.
+
+The Sacraments may be given conditionally when we doubt if they were or
+can be validly given.
+
+*149 Q. Why can we not receive Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders
+more than once?
+A. We cannot receive Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders more than
+once, because they imprint a character in the soul.
+
+"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.
+
+*150 Q. What is the character which these Sacraments imprint in the
+soul?
+A. The character which these Sacraments imprint in the soul is a
+spiritual mark which remains forever.
+
+*151 Q. Does this character remain in the soul even after death?
+A. 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
+
+
+152 Q. What is Baptism?
+A. Baptism is a Sacrament which cleanses us from Original Sin, makes us
+Christians, children of God, and heirs of Heaven.
+
+"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.
+
+153 Q. Are actual sins ever remitted by Baptism?
+A. Actual sins and all the punishment due to them are remitted by
+Baptism, if the person baptized be guilty of any.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+154 Q. Is Baptism necessary to salvation?
+A. Baptism is necessary to salvation, because without it we cannot enter
+into the kingdom of Heaven.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+155 Q. Who can administer Baptism?
+A. The priest is the ordinary minister of Baptism; but in case of
+necessity anyone who has the use of reason may baptize.
+
+"Ordinary"--that is, the one who has a right to baptize and generally
+does; others can baptize only in case of necessity.
+
+"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.
+
+"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.
+
+"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.
+
+156 Q. How is Baptism given?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+*157 Q. How many kinds of Baptism are there?
+A. There are three kinds of Baptism: Baptism of water, of desire, and of
+blood.
+
+*158 Q. What is Baptism of water?
+A. 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.
+
+*159 Q. What is Baptism of desire?
+A. Baptism of desire is an ardent wish to receive Baptism, and to do all
+that God has ordained for our salvation.
+
+"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.
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+*160 Q. What is Baptism of blood?
+A. Baptism of blood is the shedding of one's blood for the faith of
+Christ.
+
+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.
+
+*161 Q. Is Baptism of desire or blood sufficient to produce the effects
+of Baptism of water?
+A. 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.
+
+*162 Q. What do we promise in Baptism?
+A. In Baptism we promise to renounce the devil with all his works and
+pomps.
+
+*163 Q. Why is the name of a saint given in Baptism?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+*164 Q. Why are godfathers and godmothers given in Baptism?
+A. 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.
+
+*165 Q. What is the obligation of a godfather and a godmother?
+A. 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.
+
+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: (1) All persons not
+Catholics, because they cannot teach the child the Catholic religion if
+they do not know it themselves. (2) 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? (3) All persons who
+are ignorant of their religion should not take upon themselves the
+duties of godparents. 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
+
+
+166 Q. What is Confirmation?
+A. Confirmation is a Sacrament through which we receive the Holy Ghost
+to make us strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ.
+
+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.
+
+167 Q. Who can administer Confirmation?
+A. The bishop is the ordinary minister of Confirmation.
+
+"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.
+
+168 Q. How does the bishop give Confirmation?
+A. 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.
+
+*169 Q. What is holy chrism?
+A. Holy chrism is a mixture of olive oil and balm, consecrated by the
+bishop.
+
+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.
+
+170 Q. What does the bishop say in anointing the person he confirms?
+A. 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.
+
+*171 Q. What is meant by anointing the forehead with chrism in the form
+of a cross?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+*172 Q. Why does the bishop give the person he confirms a slight blow on
+the cheek?
+A. 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.
+
+173 Q. To receive Confirmation worthily is it necessary to be in the
+state of grace?
+A. To receive Confirmation worthily it is necessary to be in the state
+of grace.
+
+*174 Q. What special preparation should be made to receive Confirmation?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+175 Q. Is it a sin to neglect Confirmation?
+A. 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.
+
+"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
+
+
+*176 Q. What are the effects of Confirmation?
+A. The effects of Confirmation are an increase of sanctifying grace, the
+strengthening of our faith, and the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
+
+"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.
+
+*177 Q. What are the gifts of the Holy Ghost?
+A. The gifts of the Holy Ghost are wisdom, understanding, counsel,
+fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.
+
+*178 Q. Why do we receive the gift of fear of the Lord?
+A. We receive the gift of fear of the Lord to fill us with a dread of
+sin.
+
+On account of the goodness of God and the punishment He can inflict.
+
+*179 Q. Why do we receive the gift of piety?
+A. We receive the gift of piety to make us love God as a Father, and
+obey Him because we love Him.
+
+*180 Q. Why do we receive the gift of knowledge?
+A. We receive the gift of knowledge to enable us to discover the will of
+God in all things.
+
+*181 Q. Why do we receive the gift of fortitude?
+A. We receive the gift of fortitude to strengthen us to do the will of
+God in all things.
+
+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.
+
+*182 Q. Why do we receive the gift of counsel?
+A. We receive the gift of counsel to warn us of the deceits of the
+devil, and of the dangers to salvation.
+
+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.
+
+*183 Q. Why do we receive the gift of understanding?
+A. We receive the gift of understanding to enable us to know more
+clearly the mysteries of faith.
+
+"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.
+
+*184 Q. Why do we receive the gift of wisdom?
+A. 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.
+
+"Relish," a liking for, a desire for.
+
+*185 Q. Which are the beatitudes?
+A. The beatitudes are:
+
+(1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
+(2) Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land.
+(3) Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
+(4) Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they
+    shall be filled.
+(5) Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
+(6) Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.
+(7) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children
+    of God.
+(8) Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for
+    theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
+
+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.
+
+(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.
+
+*186 Q. Which are the twelve fruits of the Holy Ghost?
+A. The twelve fruits of the Holy Ghost are charity, joy, peace,
+patience, benignity, goodness, long-suffering, mildness, faith, modesty,
+continency, and chastity.
+
+"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
+
+
+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!
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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!
+
+187 Q. What is the Sacrament of Penance?
+A. Penance is a Sacrament in which the sins committed after Baptism are
+forgiven.
+
+One who has never been baptized could not go to confession and receive
+absolution, nor indeed any of the Sacraments.
+
+*188 Q. How does the Sacrament of Penance remit sin, and restore the
+soul to the friendship of God?
+A. The Sacrament of Penance remits sin and restores the friendship of
+God to the soul by means of the absolution of the priest.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+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 I, 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.
+
+*189 Q. How do you know that the priest has the power of absolving from
+the sins committed after Baptism?
+A. 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."
+
+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."
+
+*190 Q. How do the priests of the Church exercise the power of forgiving
+sins?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+191 Q. What must we do to receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily?
+A. To receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily we must do five things:
+
+(1) We must examine our conscience.
+(2) We must have sorrow for our sins.
+(3) We must make a firm resolution never more to offend God.
+(4) We must confess our sins to the priest.
+(5) We must accept the penance which the priest gives us.
+
+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:
+
+(1) "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 I
+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.
+
+(2) "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.
+
+(3) 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.
+
+(4) "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.
+
+(5) 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.
+
+192 Q. What is the examination of conscience?
+A. The examination of conscience is an earnest effort to recall to mind
+all the sins we have committed since our last worthy confession.
+
+"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.
+
+*193 Q. How can we make a good examination of conscience?
+A. 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.
+
+*194 Q. What should we do before beginning the examination of
+conscience?
+A. 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
+
+
+195 Q. What is contrition or sorrow for sin?
+A. 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.
+
+"Offended"--that is, done something to displease Him.
+
+*196 Q. What kind of sorrow should we have for our sins?
+A. The sorrow we should have for our sins should be interior,
+supernatural, universal, and sovereign.
+
+*197 Q. What do you mean by saying that our sorrow should be interior?
+A. When I say that our sorrow should be interior, I mean that it should
+come from the heart, and not merely from the lips.
+
+"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.
+
+*198 Q. What do you mean by saying that our sorrow should be
+supernatural?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+*199 Q. What do you mean by saying that our sorrow should be universal?
+A. When I say that our sorrow should be universal, I mean that we should
+be sorry for our mortal sins without exception.
+
+"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.
+
+*200 Q. What do you mean when you say that our sorrow should be
+sovereign?
+A. 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.
+
+201 Q. Why should we be sorry for our sins?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+"Our Preserver," because if God ceased to watch over us and provide for
+us, even for a short time, we would cease to exist.
+
+"Our Redeemer," who suffered so much for us.
+
+*202 Q. How many kinds of contrition are there?
+A. There are two kinds of contrition: perfect contrition and imperfect
+contrition.
+
+*203 Q. What is perfect contrition?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+*204 Q. What is imperfect contrition?
+A. 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.
+
+*205 Q. Is imperfect contrition sufficient for a worthy confession?
+A. Imperfect contrition is sufficient for a worthy confession, but we
+should endeavor to have perfect contrition.
+
+206 Q. What do you mean by a firm purpose of sinning no more?
+A. 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.
+
+"Fixed." Not for a certain time, but for all the future.
+
+207 Q. What do you mean by the near occasions of sin?
+A. By the near occasions of sin I mean all the persons, places and
+things that may easily lead us into sin.
+
+"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.
+
+"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.
+
+"The places." Liquor saloons, low theaters, dance halls, and all places
+where we may see or hear anything against faith or morals.
+
+"Things." Bad books, pictures, and the like.
+
+
+
+Lesson 19
+ON CONFESSION
+
+
+208 Q. What is Confession?
+A. Confession is the telling of our sins to a duly authorized priest,
+for the purpose of obtaining forgiveness.
+
+"Duly authorized"--one sent by the bishop of the diocese in which you
+are.
+
+"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.
+
+209 Q. What sins are we bound to confess?
+A. We are bound to confess all our mortal sins, but it is well also to
+confess our venial sins.
+
+"Bound"--obliged in such a way that our confession would be bad if we
+did not tell them.
+
+"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.
+
+*210 Q. What are the chief qualities of a good confession?
+A. The chief qualities of a good confession are three: it must be
+humble, sincere, and entire.
+
+*211 Q. When is our confession humble?
+A. Our confession is humble when we accuse ourselves of our sins, with a
+deep sense of shame and sorrow for having offended God.
+
+*212 Q. When is our confession sincere?
+A. Our confession is sincere when we tell our sins honestly and
+truthfully, neither exaggerating nor excusing them.
+
+"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.
+
+*213 Q. When is our confession entire?
+A. Our confession is entire when we tell the number and kinds of our
+sins and the circumstances which change their nature.
+
+"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.
+
+"Kinds"--whether they are cursing, or stealing, or lying, etc.
+
+"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.
+
+214 Q. What should we do if we cannot remember the number of our sins?
+A. 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.
+
+*215 Q. Is our confession worthy if, without our fault, we forget to
+confess a mortal sin?
+A. 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.
+
+216 Q. Is it a grievous offense willfully to conceal a mortal sin in
+confession?
+A. 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.
+
+"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 I, 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 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.
+
+217 Q. What must he do who has willfully concealed a mortal sin in
+confession?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+218 Q. Why does the priest give us a penance after confession?
+A. The priest gives us a penance after confession, that we may satisfy
+God for the temporal punishment due to our sins.
+
+"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.
+
+"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 I, 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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+*219 Q. Does not the Sacrament of Penance remit all punishment due to
+sin?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+*220 Q. Why does God require a temporal punishment as a satisfaction for
+sin?
+A. 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.
+
+*221 Q. Which are the chief means by which we satisfy God for the
+temporal punishment due to sin?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+*222 Q. Which are the chief spiritual works of mercy?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+*223 Q. Which are the chief corporal works of mercy?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+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. 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.
+
+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.
+
+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, comforted the sorrowful, healed the sick, taught the
+ignorant, defended the oppressed, admonished sinners, etc. It would be
+impossible for any one community to imitate Our Lord in all His works,
+so each community takes one or more particular works of Our Lord, and
+tries to imitate Him as perfectly as possible in these at least. Some
+communities devote their time to prayer; others attend the sick; others
+teach, etc.; and thus when all unite their different works the combined
+result is a more perfect imitation of Our Lord's life upon earth.
+
+
+
+Lesson 20
+ON THE MANNER OF MAKING A GOOD CONFESSION
+
+
+*224 Q. What should we do on entering the confessional?
+A. 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."
+
+*225 Q. Which are the first things we should tell the priest in
+confession?
+A. 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.
+
+*226 Q. After telling the time of our last confession and Communion,
+what should we do?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+*227 Q. What must we do when the confessor asks us questions?
+A. When the confessor asks us questions, we must answer them truthfully
+and clearly.
+
+*228 Q. What should we do after telling our sins?
+A. After telling our sins we should listen with attention to the advice
+which the confessor may think proper to give.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+*229 Q. How should we end our confession?
+A. 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.
+
+*230 Q. What should we do while the priest is giving us absolution?
+A. While the priest is giving us absolution, we should from our heart
+renew the Act of Contrition.
+
+All, especially children, should know this act well before going to
+confession.
+
+
+
+Lesson 21
+ON INDULGENCES
+
+
+231 Q. What is an indulgence?
+A. An indulgence is the remission in whole or in part of the temporal
+punishment due to sin.
+
+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.
+
+*232 Q. Is an indulgence a pardon of sin, or a license to commit sin?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+233 Q. How many kinds of indulgences are there?
+A. There are two kinds of indulgences--plenary and partial.
+
+234 Q. What is a plenary indulgence?
+A. A plenary indulgence is the full remission of the temporal punishment
+due to sin.
+
+"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.
+
+235 Q. What is a partial indulgence?
+A. A partial indulgence is the remission of a part of the temporal
+punishment due to sin.
+
+*236 Q. How does the Church by means of indulgences remit the temporal
+punishment due to sins?
+A. 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.
+
+"Superabundant" means more than was necessary. (See explanation of
+communion of saints in the "Creed.")
+
+237 Q. What must we do to gain an indulgence?
+A. To gain an indulgence we must be in a state of grace and perform the
+works enjoined.
+
+"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.
+
+There are three basic ways of gaining a partial indulgence. A partial
+indulgence can be gained by: 1) raising one's heart to God amidst the
+duties and trials of life and making a pious invocation, even only
+mentally; 2) giving of oneself or one's goods to those in need; 3)
+voluntarily depriving oneself of something pleasing, in a spirit of
+penance.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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
+
+
+238 Q. What is the Holy Eucharist?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+*239 Q. When did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist?
+A. Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper, the night
+before He died.
+
+"Last Supper," on Holy Thursday night. (See Explanation of the Passion,
+Lesson 8, Question 78.)
+
+*240 Q. Who were present when Our Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist?
+A. When Our Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist the twelve Apostles were
+present.
+
+*241 Q. How did Our Lord institute the Holy Eucharist?
+A. 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."
+
+"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.
+
+*242 Q. What happened when Our Lord said, "This is My body, this is My
+blood"?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+*243 Q. Is Jesus Christ whole and entire both under the form of bread
+and under the form of wine?
+A. Jesus Christ is whole and entire both under the form of bread and
+under the form of wine.
+
+*244 Q. 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?
+A. 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.
+
+245 Q. What do you mean by the appearances of bread and wine?
+A. By the appearances of bread and wine I mean the figure, the color,
+the taste, and whatever appears to the senses.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+*246 Q. What is this change of the bread and wine into the body and
+blood of Our Lord called?
+A. This change of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Our Lord
+is called Transubstantiation.
+
+"Transubstantiation"--that is, the changing of one substance into
+another substance; for example, the changing of the wood in a seat into
+stone.
+
+*247 Q. How was the substance of the bread and wine changed into the
+substance of the body and blood of Christ?
+A. The substance of the bread and wine was changed into the substance of
+the body and blood of Christ by His almighty power.
+
+*248 Q. Does this change of bread and wine into the body and blood of
+Christ continue to be made in the Church?
+A. 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.
+
+249 Q. When did Christ give His priests the power to change bread and
+wine into His body and blood?
+A. 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."
+
+250 Q. How do the priests exercise this power of changing bread and wine
+into the body and blood of Christ?
+A. 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."
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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
+
+
+251 Q. Why did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist?
+A. Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist:
+
+(1) To unite us to Himself and to nourish our souls with His divine
+    life.
+(2) To increase sanctifying grace and all the virtues in our souls.
+(3) To lessen our evil inclinations.
+(4) To be a pledge of everlasting life.
+(5) To fit our bodies for a glorious resurrection.
+(6) To continue the sacrifice of the Cross in His Church.
+
+"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).
+
+*252 Q. How are we united to Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist?
+A. We are united to Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist by means of Holy
+Communion.
+
+253 Q. What is Holy Communion?
+A. Holy Communion is the receiving of the body and blood of Christ.
+
+Holy Communion is therefore the receiving of the Sacrament of Holy
+Eucharist.
+
+254 Q. What is necessary to make a good Communion?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+"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.
+
+255 Q. Does he who receives Communion in mortal sin receive the body and
+blood of Christ?
+A. 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.
+
+"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?
+
+*256 Q. Is it enough to be free from mortal sin, to receive plentifully
+the graces of Holy Communion?
+A. 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.
+
+*257 Q. What is the fast necessary for Holy Communion?
+A. The fast necessary for Holy Communion is the abstaining for one hour
+from everything which is taken as food or drink.
+
+{T.N.: The reprint book, upon which this e-text is based, contains the
+statement, "published . . . with minor revisions to conform with the new
+regulations on fasting and indulgences, etc."}
+
+"Food or drink." If you swallowed a button, for example, it would not
+break your fast, because it is not food or drink.
+
+*258 Q. Is anyone ever allowed to receive Holy Communion when not
+fasting?
+A. Anyone in danger of death is allowed to receive Communion when not
+fasting.
+
+"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.
+
+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. 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.
+
+*259 Q. 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.
+
+*260 Q. Is it well to receive Holy Communion often?
+A. 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.
+
+*261 Q. What should we do after Holy Communion?
+A. 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
+
+
+262 Q. When and where are the bread and wine changed into the body and
+blood of Christ?
+A. The bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ at
+the consecration in the Mass.
+
+263 Q. What is the Mass?
+A. The Mass is the unbloody sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ.
+
+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.
+
+*264 Q. What is a sacrifice?
+A. 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.
+
+"Sacrifice." From the very earliest history of man we find people--for
+example, Abel, Noe, 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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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 Noe 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.
+
+265 Q. Is the Mass the same sacrifice as that of the Cross?
+A. The Mass is the same sacrifice as that of the Cross.
+
+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, (1) The outward sign--that is, the appearance of
+bread and wine. (2) The inward grace; for it is Jesus Christ Himself,
+the Author and Dispenser of all graces. (3) It was instituted by Our
+Lord.
+
+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.
+
+*266 Q. How is the Mass the same sacrifice as that of the Cross?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+*267 Q. What are the ends for which the sacrifice of the Cross was
+offered?
+A. 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.
+
+*268 Q. Is there any difference between the sacrifice of the Cross and
+the sacrifice of the Mass?
+A. 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.
+
+269 Q. How should we assist at Mass?
+A. We should assist at Mass with great interior recollection and piety
+and with every outward mark of respect and devotion.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+*270 Q. Which is the best manner of hearing Mass?
+A. 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.
+
+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 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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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
+
+
+"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.
+
+271 Q. What is the Sacrament of Extreme Unction?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+*272 Q. When should we receive Extreme Unction?
+A. We should receive Extreme Unction when we are in danger of death from
+sickness, or from a wound or accident.
+
+*273 Q. Should we wait until we are in extreme danger before we receive
+Extreme Unction?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+274 Q. Which are the effects of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction?
+A. 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.
+
+*275 Q. What do you mean by the remains of sin?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+*276 Q. How should we receive the Sacrament of Extreme Unction?
+A. We should receive the Sacrament of Extreme Unction in a state of
+grace and with lively faith and resignation to the will of God.
+
+*277 Q. Who is the minister of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction?
+A. The priest is the minister of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+278 Q. What is the Sacrament of Holy Orders?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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!
+
+*279 Q. What is necessary to receive Holy Orders worthily?
+A. 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.
+
+"Knowledge"--that is, to be able to learn and to have learned all that a
+priest should know.
+
+"Divine call," explained before in the explanation of vocation, a word
+that means call. (See Lesson 6, Q. 51.)
+
+*280 Q. How should Christians look upon the priests of the Church?
+A. Christians should look upon the priests of the Church as the
+messengers of God and the dispensers of His mysteries.
+
+"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.
+
+*281 Q. Who can confer the Sacrament of Holy Orders?
+A. Bishops can confer the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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
+
+
+282 Q. What is the Sacrament of Matrimony?
+A. The Sacrament of Matrimony is the Sacrament which unites a Christian
+man and woman in lawful marriage.
+
+"Christian," because if they are not Christians they do not receive the
+grace of the Sacrament.
+
+*283 Q. Can a Christian man and woman be united in lawful marriage in
+any other way than by the Sacrament of Matrimony?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+*284 Q. Can the bond of Christian marriage be dissolved by any human
+power?
+A. The bond of Christian marriage cannot be dissolved by any human
+power.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+285 Q. Which are the effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony?
+A. 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.
+
+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. 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.
+
+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.
+
+286 Q. To receive the Sacrament of Matrimony worthily, is it necessary
+to be in the state of grace?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+*287 Q. Who has the right to make laws concerning the Sacrament of
+marriage?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+*288 Q. Does the Church forbid the marriage of Catholics with persons
+who have a different religion or no religion at all?
+A. The Church does forbid the marriage of Catholics with persons who
+have a different religion or no religion at all.
+
+*289 Q. Why does the Church forbid the marriage of Catholics with
+persons who have a different religion or no religion at all?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+*290 Q. Why do many marriages prove unhappy?
+A. Many marriages prove unhappy because they are entered into hastily
+and without worthy motives.
+
+"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.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+*291 Q. How should Christians prepare for a holy and happy marriage?
+A. 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.
+
+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. 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.
+
+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
+
+
+292 Q. What is a sacramental?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+"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.
+
+*293 Q. What is the difference between the Sacraments and the
+sacramentals?
+A. 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.
+
+The Church can increase or diminish the number of the sacramentals, but
+not the number of the Sacraments.
+
+294 Q. Which is the chief sacramental used in the Church?
+A. The chief sacramental used in the Church is the Sign of the Cross.
+
+295 Q. How do we make the Sign of the Cross?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+296 Q. Why do we make the Sign of the Cross?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+*297 Q. How is the Sign of the Cross a profession of faith in the chief
+mysteries of our religion?
+A. 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.
+
+*298 Q. How does the Sign of the Cross express the mystery of the Unity
+and Trinity of God?
+A. 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.
+
+*299 Q. How does the Sign of the Cross express the mystery of the
+Incarnation and death of Our Lord?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+300 Q. What other sacramental is in very frequent use?
+A. Another sacramental in very frequent use is holy water.
+
+301 Q. What is, holy water?
+A. 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.
+
+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."
+
+302 Q. Are there any other sacramentals besides the Sign of the Cross
+and holy water?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+"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.
+
+"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?
+
+"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.
+
+"Images"--that is, statues, pictures, etc.
+
+"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. (1) The Annunciation--that is, the angel Gabriel coming to
+tell the Blessed Virgin that she is to be the Mother of God. (2) 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. (3) The Nativity, or birth of Our
+Lord, which reminds us how He was born in a stable, in poverty and
+lowliness. (4) 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. (5) 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 up 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 what is meant by the five Joyful
+Mysteries of the Rosary: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity
+of Our Lord, the 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.
+
+Next in order in the life of Our Lord come the five events called the
+Sorrowful Mysteries, namely: (1) 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. (2)
+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. (3) The third Sorrowful Mystery is
+the crowning with thorns. (4) 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. (5)
+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.
+
+After the Sorrowful Mysteries come the five Glorious Mysteries, and they
+are: (1) The Resurrection of Our Lord; (2) The Ascension of Our Lord;
+(3) The Coming of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles; (4) The Assumption
+of the Blessed Virgin; and (5) The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin in
+Heaven. 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.
+
+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. 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.
+
+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.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+The seven dolors are seven chief occasions of sorrow in the life of our
+Blessed Lady. They are: (1) The circumcision of Our Lord, when she saw
+His blood shed for the first time. (2) Her flight into Egypt to save the
+life of the little Infant Jesus when Herod was seeking to kill Him. (3)
+The three days she lost Him in Jerusalem. (4) When she saw Christ
+carrying His Cross. (5) His death. (6) When He was taken down from the
+Cross. (7) When He was laid in the sepulchre. 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
+
+
+303 Q. Is there any other means of obtaining God's grace than the
+Sacraments?
+A. There is another means of obtaining God's grace, and it is prayer.
+
+304 Q. What is prayer?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+305 Q. Is prayer necessary to salvation?
+A. Prayer is necessary to salvation, and without it no one having the
+use of reason can be saved.
+
+We mean here those who never pray during their whole lives, and not
+those who sometimes neglect their prayers through a kind of
+forgetfulness.
+
+306 Q. At what particular times should we pray?
+A. We should pray particularly on Sundays and holy days, every morning
+and night, in all dangers, temptations, and afflictions.
+
+"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.
+
+*307 Q. How should we pray?
+A. We should pray: 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.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+"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.
+
+"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.
+
+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: (1) We may not pray in the proper manner, namely, with
+attention, reverence, humility, patience, and perseverance; (2) 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. (3) 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.
+
+308 Q. Which are the prayers most recommended to us?
+A. 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.
+
+309 Q. Are prayers said with distractions of any avail?
+A. Prayers said with willful distractions are of no avail.
+
+"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
+
+
+310 Q. Is it enough to belong to God's Church in order to be saved?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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).
+
+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.
+
+*311 Q. Which are the Commandments that contain the whole law of God?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+*312 Q. Why do these two Commandments of the love of God and of our
+neighbor contain the whole law of God?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+313 Q. Which are the Commandments of God?
+A. The Commandments of God are these ten:
+
+ 1. 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.
+ 2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
+ 3. Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath Day.
+ 4. Honor thy father and thy mother.
+ 5. Thou shalt not kill.
+ 6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
+ 7. Thou shalt not steal.
+ 8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
+ 9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.
+10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.
+
+*314 Q. Who gave the Ten Commandments?
+A. God Himself gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai, and
+Christ Our Lord confirmed them.
+
+
+
+Lesson 30
+ON THE FIRST COMMANDMENT
+
+
+315 Q. What is the First Commandment?
+A. The First Commandment is: "I am the Lord thy God: thou shalt not have
+strange gods before Me."
+
+"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.
+
+*316 Q. How does the First Commandment help us to keep the great
+Commandment of the love of God?
+A. The First Commandment helps us to keep the great Commandment of the
+love of God because it commands us to adore God alone.
+
+317 Q. How do we adore God?
+A. We adore God by faith, hope, and charity, by prayer and sacrifice.
+
+318 Q. How may the First Commandment be broken?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+*319 Q. 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?
+A. 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.
+
+"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).
+
+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.
+
+"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.
+
+320 Q. Are sins against faith, hope, and charity also sins against the
+First Commandment?
+A. Sins against faith, hope, and charity are also sins against the First
+Commandment.
+
+321 Q. How does a person sin against faith?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+*322 Q. How do we fail to try to know what God has taught?
+A. We fail to try to know what God has taught by neglecting to learn the
+Christian doctrine.
+
+*323 Q. Who are they who do not believe all that God has taught?
+A. They who do not believe all that God has taught are the heretics and
+infidels.
+
+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.
+
+*324 Q. Who are they who neglect to profess their belief in what God has
+taught?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+*325 Q. Can they who fail to profess their faith in the true Church in
+which they believe expect to be saved while in that state?
+A. 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."
+
+326 Q. Are we obliged to make open profession of our faith?
+A. 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."
+
+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.
+
+327 Q. Which are the sins against hope?
+A. The sins against hope are presumption and despair.
+
+328 Q. What is presumption?
+A. Presumption is a rash expectation of salvation without making proper
+use of the necessary means to obtain it.
+
+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.
+
+329 Q. What is despair?
+A. Despair is the loss of hope in God's mercy.
+
+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.
+
+*330 Q. How do we sin against the love of God?
+A. 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
+
+
+331 Q. Does the First Commandment forbid the honoring of the saints?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+332 Q. Does the First Commandment forbid us to pray to the saints?
+A. The First Commandment does not forbid us to pray to the saints.
+
+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."
+
+333 Q. What do we mean by praying to the saints?
+A. By praying to the saints we mean the asking of their help and
+prayers.
+
+*334 Q. How do we know that the saints hear us?
+A. We know that the saints hear us, because they are with God, who makes
+our prayers known to them.
+
+*335 Q. Why do we believe that the saints will help us?
+A. 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.
+
+*336 Q. How are the saints and we members of the same Church?
+A. 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.
+
+*337 Q. What is the communion of the members of the Church called?
+A. The communion of the members of the Church is called the communion of
+saints.
+
+*338 Q. What does the communion of saints mean?
+A. 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.
+
+*339 Q. What benefits are derived from the communion of saints?
+A. 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.
+
+340 Q. Does the First Commandment forbid us to honor relics?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+341 Q. Does the First Commandment forbid the making of images?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+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?
+
+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.
+
+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).
+
+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.
+
+342 Q. Is it right to show respect to the pictures and images of Christ
+and His saints?
+A. 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.
+
+343 Q. Is it allowed to pray to the crucifix or to the images and relics
+of the saints?
+A. 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.
+
+344 Q. Why do we pray before the crucifix and the images and relics of
+the saints?
+A. 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 virtues.
+
+
+
+Lesson 32
+FROM THE SECOND TO THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT
+
+
+345 Q. What is the Second Commandment?
+A. The Second Commandment is: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord
+thy God in vain.
+
+"In vain"--that is, without necessity.
+
+346 Q. What are we commanded by the Second Commandment?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+347 Q. What is an oath?
+A. An oath is the calling upon God to witness the truth of what we say.
+
+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!
+
+*348 Q. When may we take an oath?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+*349 Q. What is necessary to make an oath lawful?
+A. 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.
+
+350 Q. What is a vow?
+A. A vow is a deliberate promise made to God to do something that is
+pleasing to Him.
+
+"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.
+
+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 (1) the objects are unlawful, (2)
+where the means used are sinful, or (3) where the rights of our
+conscience and liberty are violated by rash or dangerous oaths.
+
+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.
+
+351 Q. Is it a sin not to fulfill our vows?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+352 Q. What is forbidden by the Second Commandment?
+A. The Second Commandment forbids all false, rash, unjust, and
+unnecessary oaths, blasphemy, cursing, and profane words.
+
+"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, O
+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.
+
+353 Q. What is the Third Commandment?
+A. The Third Commandment is: Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day.
+
+*354 Q. What are we commanded by the Third Commandment?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+355 Q. How are we to worship God on Sundays and holy days of obligation?
+A. We are to worship God on Sundays and holy days of obligation by
+hearing Mass, by prayer, and by other good works.
+
+*356 Q. Are the Sabbath day and the Sunday the same?
+A. 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.
+
+"Old Law" means the law that God gave to the Jews, the New Law, the law
+that Our Lord gave to Christians.
+
+*357 Q. Why does the Church command us to keep the Sunday holy instead
+of the Sabbath?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+358 Q. What is forbidden by the Third Commandment?
+A. The Third Commandment forbids all unnecessary servile work and
+whatever else may hinder the due observance of the Lord's day.
+
+359 Q. What are servile works?
+A. Servile works are those which require labor rather of body than of
+mind.
+
+"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.
+
+360 Q. Are servile works on Sunday ever lawful?
+A. Servile works are lawful on Sunday when the honor of God, the good of
+our neighbor, or necessity requires them.
+
+"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.
+
+"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
+
+
+361 Q. What is the Fourth Commandment?
+A. The Fourth Commandment is: Honor thy father and thy mother.
+
+362 Q. What are we commanded by the Fourth Commandment?
+A. We are commanded by the Fourth Commandment to honor, love, and obey
+our parents in all that is not sin.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+363 Q. Are we bound to honor and obey others than our parents?
+A. We are bound to honor and obey our bishops, pastors, magistrates,
+teachers, and other lawful superiors.
+
+"Magistrates"--that is, civil rulers, like the president, governor,
+mayor, judges, etc.
+
+*364 Q. Have parents and superiors any duties towards those who are
+under their charge?
+A. It is the duty of parents and superiors to take good care of all
+under their charge and give them proper direction and example.
+
+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.
+
+365 Q. What is forbidden by the Fourth Commandment?
+A. The Fourth Commandment forbids all disobedience, contempt, and
+stubbornness towards our parents or lawful superiors.
+
+"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"--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.
+
+366 Q. What is the Fifth Commandment?
+A. The Fifth Commandment is: Thou shalt not kill.
+
+367 Q. What are we commanded by the Fifth Commandment?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+368 Q. What is forbidden by the Fifth Commandment?
+A. The Fifth Commandment forbids all willful murder, fighting, anger,
+hatred, revenge, and bad example.
+
+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.
+
+369 Q. What is the Sixth Commandment?
+A. The Sixth Commandment is: Thou shalt not commit adultery.
+
+370 Q. What are we commanded by the Sixth Commandment?
+A. We are commanded by the Sixth Commandment to be pure in thought and
+modest in all our looks, words, and actions.
+
+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 real bad action,
+or think a real 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.
+
+371 Q. What is forbidden by the Sixth Commandment?
+A. 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.
+
+372 Q. Does the Sixth Commandment forbid the reading of bad and immodest
+books and newspapers?
+A. The Sixth Commandment does forbid the reading of bad and immodest
+books and newspapers.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+Do not, therefore, get into the habit of reading foolish story-papers
+and cheap novels. Read good books in which you can find information that
+will be useful to you all through your life.
+
+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
+
+
+373 Q. What is the Seventh Commandment?
+A. The Seventh Commandment is: Thou shalt not steal.
+
+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 "littles" 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.
+
+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.
+
+374 Q. What are we commanded by the Seventh Commandment?
+A. By the Seventh Commandment we are commanded to give to all men what
+belongs to them and to respect their property.
+
+"Respect their property"--that is, acknowledge and respect their rights
+to their property and do nothing to violate these rights.
+
+375 Q. What is forbidden by the Seventh Commandment?
+A. The Seventh Commandment forbids all unjust taking or keeping what
+belongs to another.
+
+"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.
+
+376 Q. Are we bound to restore ill-gotten goods?
+A. We are bound to restore ill-gotten goods, or the value of them, as
+far as we are able; otherwise we cannot be forgiven.
+
+"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.
+
+377 Q. Are we obliged to repair the damage we have unjustly caused?
+A. We are bound to repair the damage we have unjustly caused.
+
+378 Q. What is the Eighth Commandment?
+A. The Eighth Commandment is: Thou shalt not bear false witness against
+thy neighbor.
+
+Either in a court, while we are acting as witnesses, or by telling lies
+about him at any other time.
+
+379 Q. What are we commanded by the Eighth Commandment?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+380 Q. What is forbidden by the Eighth Commandment?
+A. The Eighth Commandment forbids all rash judgments, backbiting,
+slanders, and lies.
+
+"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.
+
+*381 Q. What must they do who have lied about their neighbor and
+seriously injured his character?
+A. 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.
+
+382 Q. What is the Ninth Commandment?
+A. The Ninth Commandment is: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.
+
+383 Q. What are we commanded by the Ninth Commandment?
+A. We are commanded by the Ninth Commandment to keep ourselves pure in
+thought and desire.
+
+384 Q. What is forbidden by the Ninth Commandment?
+A. The Ninth Commandment forbids unchaste thoughts, desires of another's
+wife or husband, and all other unlawful impure thoughts and desires.
+
+*385 Q. Are impure thoughts and desires always sins?
+A. Impure thoughts and desires are always sins, unless they displease us
+and we try to banish them.
+
+386 Q. What is the Tenth Commandment?
+A. The Tenth Commandment is: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.
+
+"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.
+
+387 Q. What are we commanded by the Tenth Commandment?
+A. By the Tenth Commandment we are commanded to be content with what we
+have, and to rejoice in our neighbor's welfare.
+
+388 Q. What is forbidden by the Tenth Commandment?
+A. 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
+
+
+389 Q. Which are the chief commandments of the Church?
+A. The chief commandments of the Church are six:
+
+1. To hear Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.
+2. To fast and abstain on the days appointed.
+3. To confess at least once a year.
+4. To receive the Holy Eucharist during the Easter time.
+5. To contribute to the support of our pastors.
+6. 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.
+
+390 Q. Is it a mortal sin not to hear Mass on a Sunday or a holy day of
+obligation?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+"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.
+
+*391 Q. Why were holy days instituted by the Church?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+*392 Q. How should we keep the holy days of obligation?
+A. We should keep the holy days of obligation as we should keep the
+Sunday.
+
+393 Q. What do you mean by fast-days?
+A. By fast-days I mean days on which we are allowed but one full meal.
+
+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.
+
+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: (1) those who
+are not yet twenty-one or who have begun their sixtieth year (from their
+59th birthday onward); (2) those whose infirmity, condition, or
+occupation renders it impossible or dangerous for them to fast. 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.
+
+394 Q. What do you mean by days of abstinence?
+A. By days of abstinence I mean days on which we are forbidden to eat
+flesh-meat, but are allowed the usual amount of food.
+
+395 Q. Why does the Church command us to fast and abstain?
+A. The Church commands us to fast and abstain in order that we may
+mortify our passions and satisfy for our sins.
+
+"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.
+
+*396 Q. Why does the Church command 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?
+A. 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
+
+
+397 Q. What is meant by the command of confessing at least once a year?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+*398 Q. Should we confess only once a year?
+A. We should confess frequently, if we wish to lead a good life.
+
+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.
+
+*399 Q. Should children go to confession?
+A. Children should go to confession when they are old enough to commit
+sin, which is commonly about the age of seven years.
+
+"To commit sin"--that is, when they know the difference between good and
+evil.
+
+400 Q. What sin does he commit who neglects to receive Communion during
+the Easter time?
+A. He who neglects to receive Communion during the Easter time commits a
+mortal sin.
+
+401 Q. What is the Easter time?
+A. The Easter time is, in this country, the time between the first
+Sunday of Lent and Trinity Sunday, inclusive.
+
+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.
+
+402 Q. Are we obliged to contribute to the support of our pastors?
+A. We are obliged to contribute to the support of our pastors, and to
+bear our share in the expenses of the Church and school.
+
+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.
+
+*403 Q. What is the meaning of the commandment not to marry within the
+third degree of kindred?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+*404 Q. What is the meaning of the command not to marry privately?
+A. The command not to marry privately means that none should marry
+without the blessing of God's priests or without witnesses.
+
+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.
+
+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. [In 1966 the penalty of excommunication
+for this offense was lifted by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine
+of the Faith. Yet it remains a mortal sin for a Catholic to attempt to
+marry outside the Catholic Church, and such a "marriage" will be
+invalid.] 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.
+
+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.
+
+*405 Q. What is the meaning of the precept not to solemnize marriage at
+forbidden times?
+A. The meaning of the precept not to solemnize marriage at forbidden
+times is that during Lent and Advent the marriage ceremony should not be
+performed with pomp or a nuptial Mass.
+
+Persons may be married at these times quietly, wherever it is not
+positively forbidden by the laws of the diocese.
+
+*406 Q. What is the nuptial Mass?
+A. The nuptial Mass is a Mass appointed by the Church to invoke a
+special blessing upon the married couple.
+
+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.
+
+*407 Q. Should Catholics be married at a nuptial Mass?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+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. 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
+
+
+408 Q. When will Christ judge us?
+A. Christ will judge us immediately after our death, and on the last
+day.
+
+"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 acquainted
+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.
+
+409 Q. What is the judgment called which we have to undergo immediately
+after death?
+A. The judgment we have to undergo immediately after death is called the
+Particular Judgment.
+
+"Particular," because one particular person is judged.
+
+410 Q. What is the judgment called which all men have to undergo on the
+last day?
+A. The judgment which all men have to undergo on the last day is called
+the General Judgment.
+
+"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.
+
+*411 Q. Why does Christ judge men immediately after death?
+A. Christ judges men immediately after death to reward or punish them
+according to their deeds.
+
+412 Q. What are the rewards or punishments appointed for men's souls
+after the Particular Judgment?
+A. The rewards or punishments appointed for men's souls after the
+Particular Judgment are Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell.
+
+413 Q. What is Hell?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+414 Q. What is Purgatory?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+*415 Q. Can the faithful on earth help the souls in Purgatory?
+A. The faithful on earth can help the souls in Purgatory by their
+prayers, fasts, almsdeeds; by indulgences, and by having Masses said for
+them.
+
+*416 Q. If everyone is judged immediately after death, what need is
+there of a general judgment?
+A. 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.
+
+"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.
+
+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!
+
+417 Q. Will our bodies share in the reward or punishment of our souls?
+A. Our bodies will share in the reward or punishment of our souls,
+because through the Resurrection they will again be united to them.
+
+*418 Q. In what state will the bodies of the just rise?
+A. The bodies of the just will rise glorious and immortal.
+
+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.
+
+*419 Q. Will the bodies of the damned also rise?
+A. The bodies of the damned will also rise, but they will be condemned
+to eternal punishment.
+
+420 Q. What is Heaven?
+A. 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.
+
+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.
+
+"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.
+
+*421 Q. What words should we bear always in mind?
+A. 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."
+
+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.
+
+
+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.
+
+
+
+
+QUESTIONS ON THE EXPLANATIONS
+
+
+The Lord's Prayer
+
+  1. Who made the Lord's Prayer?
+  2. Why do we say "our" and not "my" Father?
+  3. Why do we call God "Father"?
+  4. What person of the Blessed Trinity is meant by "Father" in the
+     Lord's Prayer?
+  5. Was God called "Father" before the time of Our Lord? Why?
+  6. Why do we say "Who art in Heaven," if God is everywhere?
+  7. What does "hallowed" mean?
+  8. What do we ask for by "Thy kingdom come"?
+  9. What does "Thy kingdom" mean here?
+ 10. Who do God's will in Heaven?
+ 11. What do we ask for by "our daily bread"?
+ 12. Why do we say "daily"?
+ 13. What do "trespasses" mean?
+ 14. What do we mean by "as we forgive those who trespass against us"?
+ 15. What example did Our Lord give?
+ 16. What is temptation?
+ 17. Does God tempt us to sin?
+ 18. Is it a sin to be tempted?
+ 19. Are there any tempters besides the devil?
+ 20. Should we seek temptation?
+ 21. What does "Amen" mean?
+ 22. What does "Christian" mean?
+ 23. What makes us Christian?
+ 24. What does "doctrine" mean?
+
+
+The Angelical Salutation
+
+ 25. How many parts in the Hail Mary?
+ 26. What part did the Angel Gabriel make?
+ 27. When did he make it?
+ 28. How did Mary know what the angel's words meant?
+ 29. What part of the Hail Mary did St. Elizabeth make?
+ 30. Who was St. Elizabeth's son?
+ 31. Why is Mary called "blessed amongst women"?
+ 32. What part of the Hail Mary did the Church make?
+ 33. What does "hail" mean?
+ 34. Why do we say "full of grace"?
+ 35. Why is Mary called "holy"?
+ 36. Why do we need Mary's prayer at the hour of death?
+ 37. What is the Angelus?
+ 38. What does "the Word" mean?
+ 39. What does "made flesh" mean in the third part of the Angelus?
+ 40. What is the Litany of the Blessed Virgin?
+ 41. Are there other litanies besides the Litany of the Blessed Virgin?
+
+
+The Apostles' Creed
+
+ 42. What is a creed?
+ 43. Who were the Apostles?
+ 44. Were the Apostles bishops or priests?
+ 45. How do you know?
+ 46. Who were the disciples of Our Lord?
+ 47. Why did the Apostles make the creed?
+ 48. How many articles or parts in the Apostles' Creed?
+ 49. What does "Creator" mean?
+ 50. By what names is Our Lord called?
+ 51. How many sons had God the Father?
+ 52. Why do we say "died" instead of "was killed"?
+ 53. Why do we say "He was buried"?
+ 54. Is Limbo the same as Purgatory? Why?
+ 55. Who were in Limbo at the time Our Lord was crucified?
+ 56. Name some good men who lived before Christ.
+ 57. Did Our Lord's body descend into Limbo?
+ 58. Was Our Lord three full days in the holy sepulchre?
+ 59. How can you prove they could not put Our Lord to death unless He
+     permitted it?
+ 60. Why do we say "right hand of God" when God has no hands?
+ 61. What do you mean by "judge the living and the dead"?
+ 62. Who are "the living"?
+ 63. Who are "the dead" mentioned here?
+ 64. What are ghosts?
+ 65. Are there any?
+ 66. What do you mean by the "Church Militant"?
+ 67. Who are its members?
+ 68. Who are the enemies of our salvation?
+ 69. Why does the devil wish to keep us out of Heaven?
+ 70. What do we mean when we say "the world" is one of our spiritual
+     enemies?
+ 71. Have all the saints their bodies in Heaven?
+ 72. Who are in Heaven in their bodies at present?
+ 73. What is meant by our "concupiscence"?
+ 74. Which tempts us most to sin, our soul or our body? Why?
+ 75. Why did God leave concupiscence in us?
+ 76. What do we mean by "the Church Suffering"?
+ 77. Who are its members?
+ 78. Why are souls in Purgatory?
+ 79. What do you mean by "the Church Triumphant"?
+ 80. Who are its members?
+ 81. Are there any saints in Heaven whose names we do not know?
+ 82. Who are saints?
+ 83. What is the difference between a saint and an angel?
+ 84. Why does the Church canonize holy persons?
+ 85. Does canonization make the person a saint?
+ 86. How does the Church canonize a saint?
+ 87. Explain the "communion of saints."
+ 88. What is the difference between beatification and canonization?
+ 89. How is the resurrection of the body possible?
+ 90. What is death?
+ 91. What does "life everlasting" mean?
+ 92. How many fathers had Our Lord? Who were they?
+ 93. How many mothers had He?
+ 94. Of what religion was Pontius Pilate?
+ 95. Are all in Heaven saints?
+
+
+The Confiteor and Acts
+
+ 96. In how many ways can we sin?
+ 97. What should we think of when we say the Confiteor?
+ 98. What is the substance of the "act of faith"?
+ 99. Why do we find different acts of faith?
+100. What is the substance of the "act of hope"?
+101. What is the substance of the "act of love"?
+102. Do an "act of love" and an "act of charity" mean the same?
+103. How do you show that they are the same?
+104. What makes us help others?
+105. How may we be charitable to our neighbor?
+106. What is the substance of the "act of contrition"?
+107. What does "grace" at meals mean?
+108. Why should we say grace at meals?
+109. Why should we be content with our food?
+110. Is the Apostles' Creed an act of faith?
+111. Did John the Baptist institute the Sacrament of Baptism?
+112. In giving Baptism, can one pour the water and another say the
+     words?
+
+
+CATECHISM
+
+
+Lesson 1
+
+113. What is a catechism?
+114. What does our Catechism contain?
+115. Why should we learn the Catechism?
+116. What do we mean by the "end of man"?
+117. For what end was man created?
+118. In what respect are all men equal?
+119. What is "woman"?
+120. In the first question, what does "world" mean?
+121. What is a creature?
+122. Is every invisible thing a spirit?
+123. Of what use is reason to us?
+124. What makes man different from all other animals?
+125. Have any brute animals reason?
+126. How do you know brute animals have not reason?
+127. Can we learn all truths by our reason alone?
+128. What is revelation?
+129. What is "free will" in man?
+130. Have brute animals "free will"?
+131. Why is it necessary for us to know God?
+132. What does "worship" mean?
+133. How do we know when we love God above all?
+134. Does the Apostles' Creed contain all the truths we must believe?
+135. Name some truths not mentioned in it.
+136. Is a tree a creature?
+
+
+Lesson 2
+
+137. What is a spirit?
+138. What does "infinite" mean?
+139. Why does God watch over us?
+140. Why is it necessary for God to watch over us?
+141. Why must God be "just" as well as "merciful"?
+
+
+Lesson 3
+
+142. What does "supreme" mean?
+143. When are two persons said to be equal?
+144. From whom does authority come?
+145. Is there any difference in the ages of God the Father and God the
+     Son?
+146. Do first, second, and third in the Blessed Trinity mean that one
+     person was before the other?
+147. Why must we believe mysteries?
+148. Must we understand everything we believe?
+
+
+Lesson 4
+
+149. How may the things God created be classed?
+150. Why did God create angels?
+151. If angels have no bodies, how can they appear?
+152. Are the angels all equal in dignity?
+153. How many classes of angels are there?
+154. What did the Archangel Michael do?
+155. What did the Archangel Gabriel do?
+156. Who gave the angels their names?
+157. What are the duties of the angels?
+158. What does our angel guardian do for us?
+159. How do you know that the angels offer our prayers and good works to
+     God?
+160. Give a short history of Tobias.
+161. What do we mean by "Jacob's ladder"?
+162. Are there other guardian angels besides the guardian angels of
+     persons?
+163. Name some persons to whom angels appeared.
+164. Were angels ever sent to punish men?
+165. If God watches over us, why should angels guard us?
+166. What was the devil's name before he was cast out of Heaven?
+167. Why was he cast out?
+168. Is the Blessed Virgin only a creature? Why?
+
+
+Lesson 5
+
+169. How did God create Eve?
+170. What relation was Eve to Adam?
+171. Were Adam and Eve created at the same time?
+172. What was the "Garden of Paradise"?
+173. How did Adam commit his first sin?
+174. How was Eve tempted to disobey God?
+175. In what way do we sometimes imitate Eve's conduct?
+176. Why does the devil tempt us?
+177. What were the effects of Adam's sin?
+178. Why do we suffer for the sin of our first parents?
+179. What did Adam lose by his sin?
+180. What do you mean when you say Adam's will was weakened by sin?
+181. Can we always overcome temptation if we wish?
+182. Why was the Blessed Virgin preserved from Original Sin?
+
+
+Lesson 6
+
+183. How is sin divided?
+184. In what ways can we commit actual sin?
+185. What is a sin of omission? Give an example.
+186. How is Heaven a reward?
+187. How can we merit it?
+188. Are all religions equally good? Why?
+189. What do you mean by a person's "vocation"?
+190. How are we to know our vocation?
+191. How should parents act with regard to their children's vocation?
+192. When is a soul said to be dead?
+193. How can we judge whether a thing is sinful or not?
+194. What is a material sin?
+195. Why is it wrong to judge others guilty of sin?
+196. Why does venial sin lessen the love of God in our hearts?
+197. Why are pride, covetousness, etc., called "capital sins"?
+198. What is meant by our "predominant" or "ruling" sin?
+199. What is pride?
+200. Why should we take care of our bodies?
+201. What sins follow pride?
+202. What is covetousness?
+203. What sins follow covetousness?
+204. What is lust?
+205. What sins follow lust?
+206. What is gluttony?
+207. What kind of sin is drunkenness?
+208. How can we commit gluttony by eating?
+209. How can we commit gluttony by drinking?
+210. What sins does the drunkard commit?
+211. What three great sins should you always guard against?
+212. Why are drunkenness, dishonesty, and impurity so dangerous?
+213. What is envy?
+214. How do we commit the sin of sloth?
+215. How can we best destroy sin in our souls?
+216. Should we cease striving to be good, if we seem to be making no
+     improvement? Why?
+
+
+Lesson 7
+
+217. What does "incarnation" mean?
+218. What does "redemption" mean?
+219. Who are slaves?
+220. How were we in slavery by the sin of Adam?
+221. What price did Our Lord pay to redeem us?
+222. Did Our Lord leave us any means of being redeemed more than once?
+223. What does "abandon" mean?
+224. Has Heaven really gates?
+225. What are the "gates of Heaven"?
+226. Is Our Lord now in Heaven as God or as man?
+227. Who was Our Lord's foster-father?
+228. What is a foster-father?
+229. How many years from the time Adam sinned till the Redeemer came?
+230. Why did God allow so long a time to pass before redeeming us?
+231. What was the Deluge?
+232. When and why did God send it?
+233. Who were saved from the Deluge? How?
+234. What animals did Noe have in the Ark?
+235. What were the "clean animals"? Name some.
+236. Why did he have more "clean" than "unclean" animals?
+237. How long did Noe spend in making the Ark?
+238. How old was Adam when he died?
+239. Who was the oldest man?
+240. What was his age?
+241. How did the Deluge come upon the earth?
+242. How long did the Ark float upon the waters?
+243. How did Noe learn that the waters were going down?
+244. What was the condition of men before the coming of Our Lord?
+245. When and to whom did God promise the Redeemer?
+246. What did the prophets foretell about Christ?
+247. Why was the Redeemer not welcomed by all when He came?
+248. What day of the year is Annunciation Day?
+249. How could the good people of the Old Law be saved by the merits of
+     Christ, when Christ was not yet born?
+250. In what kind of a stable was Our Lord born?
+251. Why did the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph go to Bethlehem before
+     the birth of Our Lord?
+252. Who were the Magi?
+253. What brought them to Bethlehem?
+254. Why did King Herod wish to find the Infant Jesus?
+255. On what feast do we commemorate the adoration of the Magi?
+256. At what time of the year is the Epiphany?
+257. What is the feast of "Holy Innocents"?
+258. When does it come?
+259. Give a short history of Our Lord's life.
+260. What do we mean by His "hidden life"?
+261. What do we mean by His "public life"?
+262. How old was Our Lord when He began His public life?
+263. What do we know of Our Lord's hidden life?
+264. Why did He lead a hidden life for so many years?
+265. Does "mankind" mean men or women?
+266. Had Our Lord any brothers or sisters?
+267. What did the Angel Gabriel say at the Annunciation?
+
+
+Lesson 8
+
+268. What do you mean by Our Lord's "Passion"?
+269. When did it begin and when did it end?
+270. Give an account of Our Lord's Passion.
+271. Where was Gethsemani or the Garden of Olives?
+272. Who went into it with Our Lord?
+273. What did Our Lord do in this garden?
+274. What else happened there?
+275. What caused Our Lord's sufferings in the garden?
+276. Why could Christ's body suffer greater pain than ours?
+277. What do we mean by the "agony in the garden"?
+278. Who betrayed Our Lord?
+279. How did the Jews act unjustly in the trial of Our Lord?
+280. What was the "scourging at the pillar"?
+281. What was the "crowning with thorns"?
+282. What happened at the death of Our Lord?
+283. Where was Calvary?
+284. Why were no criminals put to death in Jerusalem?
+285. How was the temple of Jerusalem divided?
+286. What was the "Holy of Holies"?
+287. What was the "Ark of the Covenant," and what did it contain?
+288. Of what were the ark and its contents figures?
+289. What was the veil of the temple?
+290. Why was this veil rent asunder at the death of Our Lord?
+291. What does Calvary mean?
+292. Why was Our Lord crucified between thieves?
+293. Why do we call one of these the "penitent thief"?
+294. Why did Christ suffer more than was necessary?
+295. What is a sepulchre?
+296. How was Our Lord buried?
+297. What did the Jews count the beginning and the end of their day?
+298. Was the Jewish religion ever the true religion?
+299. What is a miracle?
+300. What does a miracle prove?
+301. What miracles did Our Lord perform?
+302. What was His greatest?
+303. What are the qualities of a glorified body?
+304. Show that Our Lord's body had all these qualities.
+305. What was the "Transfiguration of Our Lord"? Describe it.
+306. Who were present at it?
+307. What happened on the way to Emmaus?
+308. What benefit is derived from Thomas the Apostle doubting the
+     resurrection of Our Lord?
+309. Will all who rise on the last day have glorified bodies?
+310. What does the "stigmata of Our Lord" mean?
+311. Did anyone ever have it?
+312. Was Our Lord visible to everyone during the forty days after His
+     resurrection?
+313. About how many times and to whom did He appear during the forty
+     days?
+314. Describe Our Lord's Ascension.
+315. Did Christ always live at Bethlehem?
+
+
+Lesson 9
+
+316. Did the Holy Ghost ever appear?
+317. When and under what forms?
+318. What does Whitsunday mean?
+319. What does Pentecost mean?
+320. What effect did the coming of the Holy Ghost have upon the
+     Apostles?
+321. How many temples had the Jews?
+322. What was a "synagogue"?
+323. What was done in the synagogues?
+324. How did the synagogues differ from the temple?
+325. What did the feast of the Pasch or Passover commemorate?
+326. Give a short history of Moses.
+327. How did the Israelites come to be in Egypt?
+328. Give an account of their sufferings in Egypt.
+329. How were they delivered or liberated?
+330. Give a short account of Joseph and his family.
+331. Why did Joseph's brothers wish to put him to death?
+332. What did they do to hide their crime?
+333. What did the King of Egypt dream?
+334. What did his dream mean?
+335. What do we learn from the life of Joseph in Egypt?
+336. How was Moses saved on the bank of the Nile?
+337. What was the "burning bush" that Moses saw?
+338. Why did God command Moses to remove his shoes before coming to the
+     "burning bush"?
+339. Who went with Moses to deliver the Israelites?
+340. What signs did God give to Moses to show King Pharao?
+341. What did the king's magicians do?
+342. What were "the ten plagues of Egypt"?
+343. Describe each plague.
+344. Why did God send them?
+345. What was the "Paschal Lamb"?
+346. Of what was it a figure?
+347. What happened to the Israelites and Egyptians at the Red Sea?
+348. How long were the Israelites in the desert?
+349. What was the "manna"?
+350. Why were the Israelites so long in the desert?
+351. What do you mean by the "gift of tongues"?
+352. Why did God perform more miracles in the first ages of the Church
+     than now?
+353. How and where was St. Peter put to death?
+354. How did the other Apostles die?
+355. St. Paul?
+356. What did the Apostles prove by suffering death for their faith?
+
+
+Lesson 10
+
+357. What do we mean by an effect?
+358. What does "supernatural" mean?
+359. What is merit?
+360. What is a virtue?
+361. What is a vice?
+362. Does habit excuse us for the sins committed through it?
+363. When will habit excuse us for the sin?
+364. Why do we believe revealed truths?
+365. Who is our neighbor?
+366. What example did Our Lord give to explain this?
+367. How do we love our neighbor as ourselves?
+368. Why should we love our neighbor?
+369. Can we merit the grace of perseverance?
+
+
+Lesson 11
+
+370. When did men begin to speak different languages?
+371. Who were the prophets?
+372. Give a short history of religion before the time of Christ.
+373. What are the chief works of the Church?
+374. Why are our churches holy?
+375. What are the catacombs, and why were they made?
+376. What are altar stones?
+377. Why are relics placed in them?
+378. How many general persecutions of the Church were there?
+379. Tell what you know of these persecutions.
+380. What lessons do we learn from the sufferings of the early
+     Christians?
+381. Who are "lawful pastors"?
+382. Could anyone be Pope without being Bishop of Rome?
+383. What does "vicar" mean?
+384. Why are Catholics called Roman?
+385. How could a Protestant be saved?
+
+
+Lesson 12
+
+386. What is an attribute?
+387. What is authority?
+388. Why is it sinful to resist lawful authority?
+389. What does "cathedra" mean?
+390. Why is the bishop's church called cathedral?
+391. How do we know when the Pope speaks "ex cathedra"?
+392. What is required that the Pope may so speak?
+393. Is the Pope infallible in everything he says?
+394. What do you mean by "faith and morals"?
+395. How many Popes from St. Peter to Pius XI?
+396. Why should we have the greatest respect for the opinions of the
+     Holy Father on any subject?
+397. Why must the Pope sometimes speak on political matters?
+398. Can the Pope commit sin?
+399. What do we mean by the "temporal power" of the Pope?
+400. How did he acquire it, and how did he lose it?
+401. Why has he need of it?
+402. How is the "temporal power" useful to the Church?
+403. What is "Peter's pence"?
+404. Does the Church change its doctrines?
+405. How can you show that the Church is one in government and doctrine?
+406. What is the hierarchy of the Church?
+407. Could a person be a Catholic and not believe all the Church
+     teaches?
+408. Why are Protestants so called?
+409. Why does the Church use Latin as its language?
+410. Why does the Church define some truths?
+411. Does the Church by defining truths make new doctrines?
+412. Give a short history of Luther.
+413. Why was he cut off from the true Church?
+414. Why did many follow him?
+415. How did the first Protestants act towards the Church?
+416. What foolish excuses do some give for not becoming Catholics?
+417. Why must the true Church be visible?
+418. Who are heathens?
+419. Who were the "publicans" mentioned by Our Lord?
+
+
+Lesson 13
+
+420. What three things are necessary to make a Sacrament?
+421. What is the outward sign in Baptism?
+422. Why is water used in Baptism?
+423. What is the outward sign in Confirmation?
+424. Why is oil used in Confirmation?
+425. What is the use of the outward sign in the Sacraments?
+426. In what ways does the life of the soul resemble the life of the
+     body?
+427. What does a "Sacrament of the dead" mean?
+428. In what ways can we commit sacrilege?
+429. What is the sacramental grace given in Penance?
+430. What are the "right dispositions" for Penance, for Holy Eucharist?
+431. What is conditional Baptism, and when is it given?
+432. Can all the Sacraments be given conditionally?
+433. What is the outward sign in Matrimony?
+434. Can a bishop give all the Sacraments?
+435. Can a priest?
+436. Can a person receive all the Sacraments?
+437. Can any of the Sacraments be given to the dead?
+
+
+Lesson 14
+
+438. What is an heir?
+439. Why is the Bible called the Old and New Testament?
+440. What does the Old Testament contain?
+441. What does the New Testament show?
+442. What is the difference between Baptism and Penance in the remission
+     of the guilt and punishment?
+443. Could a person gain an indulgence immediately after Baptism? Why?
+444. What does the "temporal punishment" for sin mean?
+445. Where will persons go who have never sinned and who die without
+     Baptism?
+446. What do we mean by "the ordinary minister" of a Sacrament?
+447. Can you baptize an infant when its parents are unwilling?
+448. What is private Baptism?
+449. How is it given?
+450. What ceremonies are used in solemn Baptism?
+451. What do they signify?
+452. What is the baptistery?
+453. What do we mean by the "pomps" of the devil?
+454. What is martyrdom?
+455. Who are catechumens?
+456. What is necessary that persons may be really martyrs?
+457. What is meant by "patron saint"?
+458. On what day is a saint's feast kept by the Church?
+459. What does "sponsors" mean? Who are sponsors by proxy?
+460. With whom do godparents contract relationship?
+461. What names should be given in Baptism?
+
+
+Lesson 15
+
+462. What does balm in the chrism signify?
+463. Why should we be proud of the Catholic religion?
+464. When are we required to profess our religion?
+
+
+Lesson 16
+
+465. Why is the devil wiser than we are?
+466. Who made the Beatitudes?
+467. Where did Our Lord generally preach?
+468. What do the Beatitudes teach?
+469. How is a person "poor in spirit"?
+470. How can the rich be "poor in spirit"?
+471. Explain the other Beatitudes.
+
+
+Lesson 17
+
+472. How does the institution of Penance show the goodness of Our Lord?
+473. What is absolution?
+474. How do you know Our Lord could forgive sins?
+475. How does the power to forgive sins imply the obligation of going to
+     confession?
+476. How do we prepare for confession?
+477. What is the best method of examining our conscience?
+478. What is the most important part of the Sacrament of Penance?
+479. What kind of sorrow should we have for our sins?
+480. When should you say the penance given in confession?
+
+
+Lesson 18
+
+481. When is our contrition perfect?
+482. What is attrition?
+483. How many kinds of occasions of sin are there?
+484. Why must we avoid occasions of sin?
+
+
+Lesson 19
+
+485. Who is a "duly authorized" priest?
+486. How can a dumb man make his confession?
+487. What can one do who cannot remember his sins in confession?
+488. How can persons whose language the priest cannot understand confess
+     if they are in danger of death?
+489. Is it wrong to accuse ourselves of sins we have not committed?
+490. Why is it foolish to conceal sins in confession?
+491. How were the ancient Christian churches divided?
+492. How did the early Christians do penance?
+493. Explain the temporal and eternal punishment for sin.
+494. Is your confession worthless if you forget to say your penance?
+495. What is Lent?
+496. What is almsgiving?
+497. How can we distinguish between spiritual and corporal works of
+     mercy?
+498. When are we obliged to admonish the sinner?
+499. What were the Crusades?
+500. Why were they commenced?
+501. How many Crusades were there?
+502. How long did they last?
+503. Why were those who took part in these expeditions called Crusaders?
+504. What is a pilgrim?
+505. How have we been relieved from doing many of the works of mercy
+     ourselves?
+506. Who are religious?
+507. What is a hermit?
+508. What is a general confession?
+509. When and why should we make it?
+510. Who are scrupulous persons?
+
+
+Lesson 20
+
+511. When is it well to add to our confession a sin of our past life?
+512. What duties does the priest perform in the confessional?
+513. Show how he is judge, father, teacher, and physician.
+514. Why is it well to confess always to the same priest?
+515. Can you have half your sins forgiven?
+516. When will perfect contrition blot out mortal sin?
+
+
+Lesson 21
+
+517. How does God reward us for good works done in a state of mortal
+     sin?
+518. Is it easy to gain a plenary indulgence? Why?
+519. What works are generally enjoined for indulgences?
+520. What does praying for a "person's intention" mean?
+521. How can we have the intention of gaining an indulgence?
+522. What does "an indulgence of 40 days," etc., mean?
+523. Why did the early Christians do more severe penance than we do?
+524. Are indulgences attached to anything but prayers?
+
+
+Lesson 22
+
+525. What does "Eucharist" mean?
+526. What is the difference between Holy Eucharist and Holy Communion?
+527. What did Our Lord do at the marriage in Cana?
+528. Is Our Lord's body in the Holy Eucharist living or dead?
+529. How do you know you receive both the body and the blood of Our Lord
+     under the appearance of bread alone?
+530. Why does the Church not give the Holy Eucharist to the people under
+     the appearance of wine also?
+531. Could it do so? Did it ever do it?
+532. How long does Our Lord remain in the Holy Communion?
+533. What is the ciborium?
+534. At what part of the Mass are the words of consecration said?
+535. What are the parts of the Mass?
+536. What is the sacristy?
+537. What does the priest prepare for Mass?
+538. What is the chalice?
+539. What is the paten?
+540. What is the purificator?
+541. What is the pall?
+542. What is the host?
+543. Where does the priest get the host?
+544. What are the different vestments used at Mass called?
+545. What do they signify?
+546. What is the "Offertory" in the Mass?
+547. When does the "Canon" of the Mass begin?
+548. What is the "Elevation" in the Mass?
+549. Where does the priest get the Blessed Sacrament he gives to the
+     people?
+550. What is the tabernacle?
+551. What is Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament?
+552. What is the monstrance used at Benediction?
+553. Why should we be anxious to attend Benediction?
+554. What is the cope?
+555. What is the humeral, or Benediction veil?
+556. Why does the priest wear vestments?
+557. What do their colors signify?
+558. Can Holy Communion be given in the afternoon?
+559. What is the Holy Eucharist called when received by a person who is
+     not fasting?
+560. Can the priest say Mass in the evening? Why?
+561. Why does the priest genuflect, etc., during Mass?
+
+
+Lesson 23
+
+562. What should we do if we break our fast before Holy Communion?
+563. When is Holy Communion called the "Viaticum"?
+564. Who offered the first Sacrifice of the Holy Mass?
+
+
+Lesson 24
+
+565. When is the Holy Eucharist a sacrifice?
+566. When a Sacrament?
+567. What was the temple of the Pantheon in Rome?
+568. Who are pagans, idolaters, heathens?
+569. How many kinds of sacrifice had the Israelites?
+570. How is the Mass a sacrifice?
+571. What is the league of the Sacred Heart?
+572. Why was it established?
+573. What was the origin of offering the priest money for celebrating
+     Mass for your intention?
+574. What is the sin of simony?
+575. Why is it so called?
+576. How are the fruits of the Mass divided?
+577. What is a spiritual Communion?
+578. How is it made?
+
+
+Lesson 25
+
+579. What does "unction" mean?
+580. How often in their lives are Catholics anointed?
+581. Is it called Extreme Unction even when the person recovers after
+     receiving it?
+582. What parts of the body are anointed in Extreme Unction?
+583. When should the priest be sent for in cases of sickness?
+584. What should you do if the sick Catholic does not wish or refuses to
+     see the priest?
+585. How is sickness a benefit to some?
+586. What Sacraments are never given in the Church?
+587. What things should you prepare when the priest is coming to give
+     the Viaticum or Extreme Unction in your house?
+588. How is the Blessed Sacrament carried to the sick in Catholic
+     countries?
+589. Who are the "other ministers of the Church," besides bishops and
+     priests?
+590. What is the tonsure?
+591. Of what does the tonsure remind the priest?
+592. What are the duties and privileges of these other ministers of the
+     Church?
+593. How many kinds of Masses are there?
+594. Do they differ in value, one being better than another?
+595. Who is meant by the "celebrant" of the Mass?
+596. What does the "master of ceremonies" do?
+597. What is a Requiem Mass?
+598. Why is it so called?
+599. What is Vespers?
+600. Is it a mortal sin to be willingly absent from Vespers?
+601. Will Vespers take the place of Mass on Sundays for those who do not
+     attend Mass?
+602. Who are cardinals?
+603. What are their duties?
+604. Who is a monsignor?
+605. Who is a vicar general?
+606. What is a diocese?
+607. What is a parish?
+608. Does "rector" and "pastor" mean the same?
+609. What do we mean by "Suffragan Bishops"?
+610. What is the pallium?
+611. Who can wear it?
+
+
+Lesson 26
+
+612. When are persons lawfully married?
+613. When was marriage first instituted?
+614. What sin is it to marry unlawfully?
+615. What are "impediments to marriage"?
+616. What things should persons tell the priest when they are making
+     arrangements for marriage?
+617. Can persons marry invalidly without knowing it?
+618. What evils follow divorce?
+619. Why should children study?
+620. What is meant by the "civil effects of marriage"?
+621. What are the chief evils of "mixed marriage"?
+622. What is a "mixed marriage"?
+623. When are motives for marriage "worthy"?
+624. How should persons make a choice for marriage?
+625. How are parents sometimes guilty of injustice to their children in
+     case of marriage?
+626. What is holy oil?
+627. When is it blessed?
+628. Can a priest bless it in case of necessity?
+629. How many kinds of holy oil are there?
+630. For what are they used?
+631. In the administration of what Sacraments is oil used?
+632. Can persons receive the Sacrament of Matrimony more than once?
+633. Where and at what time of the day should Catholics be married?
+634. What is balm?
+635. Was there any Sacrament of Matrimony before the time of Our Lord?
+636. Were the people of the Old Law validly married?
+637. How did their marriage differ from Christian marriage?
+
+
+Lesson 27
+
+638. Can the Church change the number of sacramentals? Why?
+639. Why is it necessary to bless yourself properly?
+640. When are candles blessed in the Church?
+641. Of what do candles on the altar remind us?
+642. When are ashes blessed in the Church?
+643. Of what do they remind us?
+644. Of what do the palms remind us?
+645. What is the difference between a cross and a crucifix?
+646. What is the Rosary?
+647. How do we say the beads?
+648. What is meant by "Mysteries of the Rosary"?
+649. How many Mysteries of the Rosary are there?
+650. How are they divided?
+651. Name the different Mysteries of the Rosary.
+652. What is the Magnificat?
+653. Who baptized Our Lord?
+654. Was the baptism of John the Baptist a Sacrament? Why?
+655. To whom did Our Lord give an example by His hidden or private life?
+656. What did the Church do for slaves?
+657. What do the letters "I.N.R.I." over the Cross mean?
+658. Did Our Lord claim to be king of the Jews?
+659. Why was Our Lord put to death?
+660. With whom did the Blessed Virgin live after the death of Our Lord?
+661. Who was St. John the Evangelist?
+662. What is the Apocalypse?
+663. About how long did the Blessed Virgin live on earth after the
+     Ascension of Our Lord?
+664. What is meant by the "Assumption" of the Blessed Virgin?
+665. What proof have we of it?
+666. On what days are the different Mysteries of the Rosary said?
+667. What does "I.H.S." with a cross over it mean?
+668. What is the scapular, and why do we wear it?
+669. What is the brown scapular called?
+670. How many kinds of scapular are there?
+671. What are the "seven dolors" of the Blessed Virgin? Name them.
+672. What are the seven dolor beads?
+673. What are "religious orders"?
+674. What vows do the members of religious orders take?
+675. Why were religious orders founded?
+676. Why are there different kinds of religious orders?
+
+
+Lesson 28
+
+677. How many kinds of prayer are there?
+678. What is "meditation"?
+679. What should we do before praying?
+680. What do you know of St. Monica?
+681. Of St. Augustine?
+682. Why does God not always grant our prayers?
+683. If prayer is necessary for salvation, how can infants be saved who
+     die without having prayed?
+
+
+Lesson 29
+
+684. Were people obliged to keep the Commandments before the time of
+     Moses?
+685. How many kinds of laws had the Israelites?
+686. When were these laws abolished?
+687. How were the Commandments given to Moses?
+688. What was manna?
+689. What is the difference between the Commandments of God and the
+     commandments of the Church?
+690. What does "love thy neighbor as thyself" mean?
+
+
+Lesson 30
+
+691. How did the Israelites come to worship false gods?
+692. How do we sometimes worship strange gods?
+693. What are "fortune tellers"?
+694. Why is going to fortune tellers a sin?
+695. What are spells, charms?
+696. Are medals, scapulars, etc., worn about us charms?
+697. What are dreams?
+698. Did God ever use them to make known His will?
+699. Why does He not use them now?
+700. What are mediums and spiritists?
+701. How do bad Catholics do injury to the Church?
+702. Why did the Christian religion spread so rapidly?
+703. Who are atheists, deists, infidels, heretics, apostates, and
+     schismatics?
+704. Are all religions equally true?
+705. Why is presumption a great sin?
+706. How are we frequently presumptuous?
+707. Are heretics Christians?
+
+
+Lesson 31
+
+708. What help does God give us to save our souls?
+709. How do we honor God by praying to the saints?
+710. What is a relic?
+711. Have we any relics of Our Lord's body? Why?
+712. Why does the Catholic religion suit all classes of persons?
+713. Why are there so many kinds of Protestants?
+714. Does the Bible contain all the truths of our religion?
+715. How did God honor the relics of saints? Give an example.
+716. When did the Jewish religion cease to be the true religion?
+
+
+Lesson 32
+
+717. Is it a sin to use the words of Scripture in a bad sense?
+718. What is a perjurer?
+719. Why was John the Baptist put to death?
+720. Why is it sinful to be a member of a secret society?
+721. When is an oath rash?
+722. What is the difference between blasphemy and cursing?
+723. Can we blaspheme by action?
+724. Tell what happened to Julian the Apostate.
+725. Are there any holy days not of obligation?
+726. How is the Sunday well kept?
+727. What is a real Catholic newspaper?
+728. What books should be found in every Catholic family?
+729. What is meant by the Old Law?
+730. What by the New?
+731. Are we bound to keep an unlawful oath?
+
+
+Lesson 33
+
+732. What do we mean by "magistrates"?
+733. What should we remember when we are unjustly punished?
+734. How does suffering make us more like to Our Lord and His Blessed
+     Mother?
+735. Why did the Blessed Virgin suffer so many trials upon earth?
+736. What is contempt?
+737. What is stubbornness?
+738. Why is suicide a mortal sin?
+739. What is revenge?
+740. Why should we be most careful about the Sixth Commandment?
+741. Why should we guard against bad reading?
+742. Why should we seek advice?
+
+
+Lesson 34
+
+743. In how many ways may we violate the Seventh Commandment?
+744. Why is it unkind and ungrateful not to pay our debts?
+745. Is the receiver of stolen goods as bad as the thief?
+746. In how many ways may we share in the sin of another?
+747. If you bought an article not knowing that it was stolen, would you
+     be obliged to give it up to its owner?
+748. What must you do with anything you find?
+749. What must you do if you have lost or destroyed the article you
+     stole?
+750. Can we always make restitution by giving to the poor?
+751. Is it a sin to delay making restitution?
+752. What must a person do who cannot restore?
+753. What will excuse us for telling another's faults?
+754. How can you know when you have injured the character of another?
+755. What is detraction?
+756. What is calumny?
+757. What is slander?
+758. How can you make reparation for injuring another's character?
+759. Are you bound to do so?
+760. What is "rash judgment"?
+761. What is backbiting?
+762. Is it sinful to listen to backbiting, slander, etc?
+763. Why is it wrong to tell another's secrets or read another's
+     letters?
+764. What does "covet" mean?
+
+
+Lesson 35
+
+765. What is meant by a "serious reason" for missing Mass?
+766. What excuse do some give for not hearing Mass?
+767. Why is it wrong to come late for Mass?
+768. On what day do we keep a saint's feast?
+769. What is the "divine office"?
+770. How is it divided?
+771. Who are excused from fasting?
+772. Who are obliged to abstain from flesh-meat on fast-days and days of
+     abstinence?
+773. Is every fast-day a day of abstinence?
+
+
+Lesson 36
+
+774. Why should we go to confession even when we have not committed sin
+     since our last confession?
+775. When is Trinity Sunday?
+776. How was the Holy Land divided?
+777. Who were the "Levites" in the Old Law?
+778. What were "first fruits" and tithes in the Old Law?
+779. Why was Cain's sacrifice displeasing to God?
+780. What relations are within the third degree of kindred?
+781. What is a "dispensation" granted by the Church?
+782. What is meant by the "natural law"?
+783. When can we obey the laws that the State makes with regard to
+     marriage?
+784. What is "excommunication"?
+785. What effect has it?
+786. Who are excluded from Christian burial?
+787. How does the Church show its displeasure when Catholics marry
+     persons not Catholics?
+788. How should persons prepare for marriage?
+789. Are women ever allowed in the Church with their heads uncovered?
+790. Can the priest say a "nuptial Mass" for a husband or wife after
+     their death?
+
+
+Lesson 37
+
+791. Where will the particular judgment be held?
+792. How will it take place?
+793. Will the sentence given at the particular judgment be changed at
+     the general judgment?
+794. How can we daily prepare for judgment?
+795. Who will be judged at the general judgment?
+796. How will the general judgment take place?
+797. What do we mean by the "pain of loss"?
+798. What by the "pain of sense" that the damned suffer?
+799. Why can we not imagine the sufferings of Hell?
+800. How does the fire of Hell differ from our fire?
+801. Will there be a Purgatory after the general judgment?
+802. Why must there be a Purgatory now?
+803. If God loves those in Purgatory, why does He punish them?
+804. Why do we show respect to the bodies of the dead?
+805. What does "faithful departed" mean?
+806. What does "rest in peace" mean?
+807. What does "seeing God face to face" mean, if God has no face?
+808. What is the beatific vision?
+809. Of what does our happiness in Heaven consist?
+810. How long will Purgatory last?
+
+
+
+
+GENERAL INDEX
+
+
+A
+                                                        QUESTION
+Absolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
+Acolyte  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Actual grace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
+Adoration of the Magi  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  76
+Advice necessary and useful  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
+Agony in the garden  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  78
+Alb  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Alms to the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
+Almsgiving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
+Altar boys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
+Altars and altar stones  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
+Amice  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Ancient Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
+Angels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  35
+Angelus  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Angelical Salutation
+Anger  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  59
+Annunciation Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  64
+Apocalypse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Apostles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Apostles' Creed
+Apostate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
+Apostolicity of the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
+Apparitions of Our Lord  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  90
+Archbishop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
+Ark of Noe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  72
+Ark of the Covenant  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  81
+Ascension of Our Lord  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  91
+Ashes  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Assumption of the Blessed Virgin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Atheist  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
+Attributes of the Church . . . . . . . . . . .  Lesson 12, title
+Attrition  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
+Authority  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
+
+
+B
+
+Backbiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
+Bad company  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
+Bad example  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
+Baptism of blood and desire  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
+Baptism in case of necessity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
+Baptism of St. John  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Beads  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Bearing wrongs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
+Beatific vision  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
+Beatification  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Apostles' Creed
+Beatitudes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
+Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Benefits of the Sacrament of Penance . . . . .  Lesson 17, title
+Biretta  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Birth of Christ  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  75
+Bishop of Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
+Blasphemy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
+Blessed Sacrament carried to the sick  . . . . . . . . . . . 277
+Bloody sweat of Our Lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  78
+Body of Our Lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  64
+Body of the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
+Breaking the fast for Communion  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
+Burial of Our Lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  88
+Burning bush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  97
+
+
+C
+
+Cain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Lesson 11, title
+Cain's sacrifice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
+Call of Abraham  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
+Calumny  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
+Calvary  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  81
+Candles, why used  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Canonization of saints . . . . . . . . . . . The Apostles' Creed
+Canonical penance  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
+Capital sins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  59
+Caravansary  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  75
+Cardinals  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
+Carrying stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
+Catacombs  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
+Catechumens  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
+Catechism  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lesson 1, title
+Cathedral  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
+Catholic books and newspapers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
+Catholicity of the Church  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
+Causes of unhappy marriage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
+Celebrant of Mass  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
+Census-taking in olden times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  75
+Chalice  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Changing water into wine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
+Character in Baptism, etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
+Charitable institutions  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
+Charity  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Act of Love
+Charms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
+Chasuble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Choice of persons in marriage  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
+Church, Militant, Triumphant, Suffering  . . The Apostles' Creed
+Church instituted by Christ  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
+Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
+Ciborium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
+Cincture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Cities of ancient times  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  75
+Color of the vestments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Communion  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
+Communion of saints  . . . . . . . . . . . . The Apostles' Creed
+Commandments of God  . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Lesson 29, title
+Concealing sins in confession  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
+Concupiscence  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  40
+Condition of the world before Christ . . . . . . . . . . . .  72
+Confession necessary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
+Confessor's duties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
+Confusion of tongues . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Lesson 11, title
+Consecrated ground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
+Consecration in the Mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Contempt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
+Contrition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
+Converts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
+Cope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Coronation of the Blessed Virgin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Corporal works of mercy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
+Covetousness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  59
+Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Apostles' Creed
+Creation of Adam and Eve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  39
+Crowning with thorns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  78
+Crucifixion  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  78
+Crucifix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Cruelty of the Romans  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  78
+Crusades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
+
+
+D
+
+Danger of living in sin  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
+Day of the Jews  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  88
+Days of abstinence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
+Deacon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
+Dead body  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  59
+Dead souls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
+Death  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Apostles' Creed
+Death of St. John the Baptist  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
+Debts  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
+Definition of Dogma of Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
+Degrees of kindred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
+Deist  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
+Deliverance of the Jews  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  95
+Deluge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  72
+Descent of the Holy Ghost  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  97
+Despair  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
+Detraction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
+Devil  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  38
+Diocese  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
+Disciples  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Apostles' Creed
+Disciples on the way to Emmaus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  89
+Dishonest persons  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
+Dispensations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
+Disrespect to parents  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
+Distraction at prayer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
+Divine Office  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
+Division of the Holy Land  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
+Divorce or separation in marriage  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
+Doubt of Thomas the Apostle  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  89
+Dreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
+Dress at weddings  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
+Dress of the hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
+Drunkenness  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  59
+Duty to parents  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
+
+
+E
+
+Egyptian bondage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  97
+Elevation in the Mass  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+End of man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lesson 1, title
+Envy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  59
+Epiphany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Lesson 36, title
+Equality among all men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  22
+Eternity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Apostles' Creed
+Evils of divorce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
+Evil effects of scandal  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
+Examination of conscience  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
+Example of Our Lord  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  76
+Ex cathedra  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
+Excommunication  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
+Excuses for not embracing the true religion  . . . . . . . . 324
+Excuses for not attending Mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
+Extreme Unction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Lesson 25, title
+Extreme Unction, to whom it can be given . . .  Lesson 25, title
+
+
+F
+
+Faith  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
+Faithful departed  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
+Fall of the angels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  38
+Fall of Adam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  43
+False worship  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
+Fast-days  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
+Feasts of the Jews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  97
+Feasts of the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
+Final perseverance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
+Finding of Our Lord in the Temple  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+First Protestants  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
+Flight into Egypt  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  76
+Forgiveness of sins  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
+Forgiveness of injuries  . . . . . . . . . . . The Lord's Prayer
+Fortune tellers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
+Foster-father  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  63
+Fraternal correction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
+Free will in man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
+Frequent Communion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
+Fruits of the Mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
+
+
+G
+
+Gates of Heaven  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  60
+General confession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
+Gift of tongues  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  97
+Gladiators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Lesson 25, title
+Glorified bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  89
+Gluttony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  59
+God, our Father  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Lord's Prayer
+Gods of the pagans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
+Golden calf  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
+Gratitude to benefactors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
+Guardian angel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  36
+
+
+H
+
+Hasty marriages  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
+Heaven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
+Heaven a reward  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  51
+Heirs of Heaven  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
+Hell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
+Help to salvation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
+Heretics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
+Herod  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  76
+Hidden life of Christ  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  76
+Hierarchy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
+History of the Israelites in Egypt . . . . . . . . . . . . .  97
+Holy days  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
+Holy Ghost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Apostles' Creed
+Holy Innocents' feast  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  76
+Holy of holies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  81
+Holy oils  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
+Holy Orders  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
+Holy Sepulchre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  88
+Holy water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
+Holiness of the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
+Honoring the saints  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
+How to meditate  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
+Human sacrifice  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
+Humeral, or Benediction veil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+
+
+I
+
+"I.H.S." with a cross  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Images in the churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
+Immaculate Conception  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  50
+Impediments to marriage  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
+Impurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
+Incarnation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lesson 7, title
+Indefectibility of the Church  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
+Indifferentism in religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  51
+Indulgences  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
+Infallibility of the Pope  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
+Infidel  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
+Injuring the character of others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
+"I.N.R.I." on the Cross  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Instinct of animals  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
+Intention at Mass  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
+Intention of the Pope  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
+Intention to gain indulgences  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
+Interpretation of the Holy Scriptures  . . . . . . . . . . . 129
+
+
+J
+
+Jacob, father of the twelve tribes . . . . . . . . . . . . .  97
+Jacob's vision and the ladder  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  36
+Jehova . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Lord's Prayer
+John the Evangelist  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Joseph in Egypt  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  97
+Journey of the Israelites in the desert  . . . . . . . . . .  97
+Judgment, particular and general . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
+Julian the Apostate  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
+Justice of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  20
+
+
+K
+
+Kinds of indulgences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
+Kinds of Masses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
+Kinds of scapulars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Kingdom of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Lord's Prayer
+Knowledge of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
+
+
+L
+
+Late-coming to Mass  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
+Latin language in the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
+Lawful marriage  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
+Laws made by the Church  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
+Laws of the Jews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Lesson 29, title
+League of the Sacred Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
+Lent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
+Levites  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
+Life of Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  76
+Life of the Blessed Virgin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
+Limbo  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Apostles' Creed
+Litanies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  The Angelical Salutation
+Lives of the early Christians  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
+Lost time  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
+Louise Lateau  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  89
+Love of our neighbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
+Lucifer or Satan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  38
+Lust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  59
+Luther . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
+
+
+M
+
+Magi or Wise Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  76
+Magistrates  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
+Mahomet  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
+Man  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Apostles' Creed
+Maniple  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Manna  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
+Manner of confessing our sins  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
+Manner of examining our conscience . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
+Manner of giving absolution  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
+Marks of the Church  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
+Marriage at Cana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
+Marriage before a Protestant minister  . . . . . . . . . . . 404
+Master of Ceremonies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
+Meaning of forty days' indulgence  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
+Meditation or mental prayer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
+Mercy of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  20
+Merit  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
+Minister of Baptism  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
+Ministers of the Church  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
+Minor Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
+Miracles, true and false . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  89
+Mixed marriages  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
+Molech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
+Monks  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
+Monsignor  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
+Moses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  97
+Murder of infants or abortion  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
+Mystery  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  31
+Mysteries of the Rosary  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+
+
+N
+
+Names in Baptism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
+Names of Our Lord  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  66
+Natural state of man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
+Necessary servile works  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
+Necessity of religious instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
+Neighbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
+Newspapers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
+Noe's Ark  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  72
+Nuns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
+
+
+O
+
+Oath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
+Obedience to parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
+Observance of Sunday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
+Occasion of sin  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
+Offertory in the Mass  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Offering called "stipend" for Mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
+Ostensorium or monstrance  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Outward signs of the Sacraments  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
+
+
+P
+
+Palestine  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  75
+Pall for the chalice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Pallium  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
+Palms  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Pantheon in Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
+Paradise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  40
+Parish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
+Parts of the Divine Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
+Parts of the Mass  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Pasch  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  97
+Paschal lamb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  97
+Passage of the Red Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  97
+Passion of Our Lord  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  78
+Passover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Lesson 17, title
+Pastor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
+Paten  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Patron saint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
+Payment of debts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
+Penance given in confession  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
+Penitent thief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  82
+Penitents of the early ages  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
+Pentecost  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  97
+Perfection of God  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
+Persecution of the Christians  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
+Persons excluded from Christian burial . . . . . . . . . . . 404
+Peter's pence  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
+Pharao's dream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  97
+Pilgrim  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
+Plagues of Egypt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  97
+Pledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
+Plenary indulgence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
+Poor in the true Church  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
+Pope in politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
+Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
+Preaching of Our Lord  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
+Predominant sin  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  59
+Preparation for confession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
+Presence of God at our prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . Confiteor
+Presentation in the temple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Preservation of creatures by God . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  17
+Presumption  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
+Priests  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
+Pride  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  59
+Promise of the Redeemer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  60
+Proof of the assumption of the Blessed Virgin  . . . . . . . 302
+Prophets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Lesson 11, title
+Providence of God  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
+Public life of Christ  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  76
+Public profession of faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
+Purgatory  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
+Purificator  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Purpose of amendment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
+
+
+Q
+
+Qualities of a good prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
+
+
+R
+
+Rash judgment  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
+Reading bad books or papers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
+Reading good books or papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
+Reading the letters of others  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
+Real presence in the Holy Eucharist  . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
+Reason . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
+Receiving stolen goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
+Rector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
+Redeemer promised  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  72
+Redemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lesson 7, title
+Relics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
+Religious orders and communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Respect at Mass  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
+Respect in church  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
+"Rest in peace"  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
+Restitution  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
+Resurrection of Our Lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  89
+Resurrection of the body . . . . . . . . . . The Apostles' Creed
+Revelation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
+Revenge  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
+Rosary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+
+
+S
+
+Sabbath of the Jews  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  88
+Sacramental grace  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
+Sacramentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
+Sacraments in which oil is used  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
+Sacraments of the dead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
+Sacraments of the living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
+Sacred Heart of Jesus  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
+Sacrifice  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
+Sacrilege  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
+Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Apostles' Creed
+Salvation out of the Catholic Church . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
+Sanctifying grace  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
+Saracens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
+Scandal  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
+Scapulars  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Schismatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
+Scourging at the pillar  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  78
+Scrupulous persons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
+Secret societies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
+Secrets  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
+Seven dolors of the Blessed Virgin . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Seven dolor beads  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Sickness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
+Sign of the Cross  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
+Simony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
+Sin, Original, actual, mortal, venial  . . . . . . . .  Lesson 6
+Sins against faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
+Slander  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
+Slavery  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lesson 7, title
+Sloth  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  59
+Soul like to God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
+Soul, importance of saving one's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
+Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
+Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
+Spiritual Communion  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
+Spiritual life resembles bodily life . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
+Spiritual works of mercy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
+Sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
+Sponsors by proxy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
+Spread of the Protestant religion  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
+St. Joseph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  63
+St. Joseph's Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  74
+St. Monica and St. Augustine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
+St. Patrick's Day  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  74
+Stable at Bethlehem  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  75
+State laws for marriage  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
+Stealing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
+Stigmata of Our Lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  89
+Stole  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Strange gods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
+Sub-deacon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
+Sufferings of the damned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
+Suicide  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
+Supernatural gifts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
+
+
+T
+
+Temple of Jerusalem  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  81
+Temporal power of the Pope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
+Temporal punishment  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
+Temptation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Lord's Prayer
+Testament, Old and New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
+Thanksgiving after Communion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
+Things prepared for Mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Things prepared for Viaticum and Extreme Unction . . . . . . 277
+Time given to God's service  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
+Time valuable in youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
+Tithes and first-fruits in the Old Law . . . . . . . . . . . 402
+Tobias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  36
+Tonsure  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
+Tower of Babel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Lesson 11, title
+Transfiguration of Our Lord  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  89
+Transubstantiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
+Two natures in Christ  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  65
+
+
+U
+
+Unity of the Church  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
+Unworthy Communion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
+Use of sacramentals  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
+Using the sayings of Holy Scripture in a profane sense . . . 340
+
+
+V
+
+Veil of the temple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  81
+Vespers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
+Vestments, their names and signification . . . . . . . . . . 250
+Viaticum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
+Vicar general  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
+Vice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
+Virtue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
+Visibility of the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
+Visible and invisible head of the Church . . . . . . . . . . 116
+Visitation of the Blessed Virgin . . .  The Angelical Salutation
+Vocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  51
+Vow  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
+
+
+W
+
+Warning against impostors  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
+Ways of sharing in another's sin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
+Whitsunday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  97
+Who offered sacrifice in ancient times . . . . . . . . . . . 264
+Who cannot be sponsors at Baptism  . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
+Why children should study  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
+Why God does not always grant our prayers  . . . . . . . . . 307
+Why holy days were instituted  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
+Why sickness is sometimes sent . . . . . . . .  Lesson 25, title
+Why there are different religious orders . . . . . . . . . . 302
+Woman with issue of blood  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
+Works necessary to gain indulgences  . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
+World  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
+Worship of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Baltimore Catechism No. 4 (of 4)
+by Thomas L. Kinkead
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