Chapter XV: Preface (14)

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