[Contains only the lessons, memorized by Thérèse. Pagination following the original]
Catechism for the use of the Diocese of Bayeux
Given by Bishop Flavien-Abel-Antoine Hugonin
Bishop of Bayeux and Lisieux
Bayeux, Octave Payan, imp. of the Bishop, 1882
Première partie : DOGMAS OR TRUTHS TO BELIEVE
Second part : COMMANDMENTS TO OBSERVE AND SINS TO AVOID.
Third part : GRACE, SACRAMENTS, AND PRAYER.
PERMISSION
FLAVIEN-ABEL-ANTOINE HUGONIN, by divine mercy and the authority of the Holy Apostolic See, Bishop of Bayeux & Lisieux, etc.
Considering art, 1st of the decree of 7 germinal year XIII.
We allow Mr. O. PAYAN, our printer in Bayeux, to reprint the Catechism for the use of our Diocese, on condition that he submit all the proofs to our examination, or to that of one of our Vicars General.
Given at Bayeux, under our signature, the seal of our arms and the countersignature of our Secretary, on 1er August 1879.
Flavien
By order of Monsignor
J. HUGONIN,
Chan., Sre‑Gal.
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CATECHISM or BASIC INSTRUCTION
by Requests and by Responses
on the different Points
OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
PRELIMINARY LESSON
From the name of Christian, and from Christian doctrine in general.
The disciples of J.‑C. are first called Christians in Antioch (Act. 2)
D. Are you a Christian?
A. Yes M., I am a Christian by the grace of God.
D. What does the name Christian mean?
A. He means disciple of Jesus Christ.
D. How does one become a Christian?
A. By receiving baptism
D. Is it enough to have been baptized to be a true Christian?
A. No, M., Christian doctrine must still be believed and practiced.
D. What do you mean by Christian doctrine?
A. I hear what J.‑C. taught and ordained.
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D. How did Christian doctrine come to us?
A. By the preaching of the Apostles and by the teaching of the Catholic Church.
D. Where can we learn Christian doctrine?
A. In the CATECHISM.
D. What is the Catechism?
A. The Catechism is a request-and-response instruction on the various points of Christian doctrine.
D. How many parts is the Catechism divided into?
A. It is divided into three parts.
D. What is the first part of the Catechism?
A. It is the one where the Dogmas or truths that we must believe are explained.
D. What is the second part of the Catechism?
A. It is the one where we explain the Commandments that we must observe, and the Sins that we must avoid.
D. What is the third part of the Catechism?
A. It is the one where the main means that we must use to obtain the Grace of God are explained, that is to say, the Sacraments and Prayer.
Fruit of this lesson: 1° Let us thank God very affectionately for the great grace he has given us to be Christians, grace without which we would have remained outside the path of salvation; 2° let us take advantage of the means of instruction that the Catechism offers us by attending to them with reverence and piety.
FIRST PART.
DOGMAS OR TRUTHS TO BELIEVE.
LESSON 1st
Of God
The faithful servant rewarded, the useless servant punished. Matt. 23 God appears to Moses in the burning bush. Exodus, 3 – Majesty of God Isaiah, 6, Rev., 4 – Providence of God. History of Joseph Gen. 37, 39.
D. Who created you and gave you life?
A. It is God.
D. For what purpose did God create you?
A. God created me to know him, to love him and to serve him, and by this means to deserve eternal life.
D. What is God?
A. God is a pure spirit, infinitely perfect, creator of heaven and earth and sovereign master of all things.
D. Why do you say that God is pure spirit?
A. God is a spirit, because he is an intelligent and free being; he is a pure spirit, because he has no body.
Q. What should be understood, then, when one speaks, for example, of the eyes of God or of his hands?
A. We must understand by the eyes of God, his infinite science; and by his hands, his strength and his power.
D. Why do you say that God is infinitely perfect?
A. God is perfect, because he possesses all perfections; it is infinitely perfect, because its perfections have no limits.
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D. Why do you say that God is the creator of heaven and earth?
A. Because he drew from nothingness, by his own will, heaven, earth and all bodily and spiritual creatures.
D. Why do you say that God is the sovereign master of all things?
A. Because he has absolute dominion over all creatures.
D. How do we know that God exists?
A. We know it by the order and the beauty of the world, which is his work, and by the revelation that he has given us of himself. (Rom. 1, 19.)
D. Has the existence of God always been recognized?
A, Yes, M., it is a truth so incontestable that it has been recognized by all men, in all countries and at all times.
§
of the perfections of God
D. Can we know God's perfections perfectly?
A. No, M., the perfections of God, being infinite, are incomprehensible.
Q. Do we not know some of them at least imperfectly?
A. Yes, M., we know that God is eternal, changeless, almighty, wise, good, just, merciful, and that he rules all things by his providence.
D. Why do you say that God is eternal?
A. Because it had no beginning and will never have an end.
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D. Why do you say that God is immutable?
A. Because it is not subject to any change.
D. Why do you say that God is almighty?
A. Because he can do whatever he wants.
D. Why do you say God is wise?
A. Because he only acts for an end worthy of him.
D. Why do you say God is good?
A. Because being goodness itself, he likes to do good to his creatures.
D. Why do you say God is just?
A. Because it rewards virtue and punishes sin.
D. Why do you say God is merciful?
A. Because he forgives repentant sinners.
D. Why do you say that God governs all things by his providence?
A. Because nothing happens in the world without his order, or at least without his permission.
D. Does sin happen by order of God?
A. No, Mr.; God forbids sin, but allows it to happen.
D. Why doesn't God prevent sin?
A. Because he made the man free, and he knows how to derive good from the bad use that man makes of his freedom.
D. Where is God?
A. God is in heaven, on earth and in all places by his immensity.
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D. Does God see and know everything that is done in the world?
A. Yes, M., God sees everything and knows everything, even our most secret thoughts.
Result of this lesson: 1° Let us often remember that God sees us always and everywhere. How dare we offend him in his eyes and in his hands? 2° Let us consider all the events of life as being directed by divine Providence, and submit ourselves with love and confidence to whatever it pleases God to send us.
LESSON II
Of the principal Creatures of God and in particular of the Angels.
The Angels appear to Abraham. Gen. 18:‑to Lot. Gen., 19;
-to Samson's mother. Judges, 13; - to Elijah. 3. Book. Kings, 19;‑to Tobie Liv. of Tobias, 3;‑ to the Most Blessed Virgin. Luke 1.
-Job is tempted by the Devil. Job, 1 and 2. ‑ The Devil is defeated by J.‑C. Matt. 4, Luke, 4,
D. Who are God's most perfect creatures?
A. They are Angels and men.
D. What are the Angels?
A. Angels are pure spirits that God created to carry out his orders.
D. In what state did God create the Angels?
A. In a state of grace and holiness.
Q. Did they all continue in this state?
A. No, M.: some have persevered; the others have fallen from it through their pride.
D. What are the Angels who endured called?
A. They are called the Good Angels, or simply the Angels,
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D. What are those who have fallen through pride called?
A. They are called bad angels, demons, etc., and their leader is called Satan..
D. What was the punishment of the evil Angels?
A. God drove them out of heaven, and condemned them to eternal torments.
D. Do not evil Angels seek to harm men?
A. Yes, M., they tempt them, to try to lose them with them.
D. What is the state of the good Angels?
A. They are eternally happy enjoying the sight of God.
Q. Do not the Holy Angels have some functions in relation to us?
A. Yes, M., God has given each man an Angel to watch over him.
D. . What name do we give to the Angel who watches over us?
A. It is called the Guardian Angel.
D. What care does our Guardian Angel take of us?
A. 1. He prays for us, and offers to God our prayers and our good deeds; 2° he defends us against demons and protects us in perils
D. What duties do we have to fulfill with regard to our Guardian Angel?
A. We must, 1° respect his presence 2° implore his protection; 3° to thank him for the care he takes of us.
Fruit of this lesson: Let us look at the bad thoughts as the voice of the demon, who wants to drag us into hell, and the good ones as that of our holy Angel, who calls us to heaven.
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LESSON III.
Of Man; his creation.
Creation of Adam; his disobedience to God; his punishment.
Gen, 1, 2 and 3. Rom, 5. 12.
D. What is Man?
A. Man is a rational creature, composed of a body and a soul.
D. Who is the first man and the first woman that God created?
A. They are Adam and Eve, our first parents.
Q. Why do you call them our first parents?
A. Because from them came all the men.
D. Why did God want all men to have the same origin ?
R. To lead them to love each other like brothers
D. Of what did God form the body of the first man?
A. He formed it from earth.
Q. How did he make his soul?
A. He drew it out of nothingness and united it to the body of man.
D. Does God likewise create our souls?
R. Yes, M., it also draws them out of nothingness and unites them with our bodies.
D. In what does the excellence of our soul consist?
A. In that God created it in his own image and likeness.
D. How is our soul made in the image of God?
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A. In that it is an intelligent and free substance, capable of knowing and loving God.
D. In what state did God create Adam and Eve?
A. He created them in a supernatural state of righteousness and happiness.
D. What do you mean by this supernatural state ?
A. I mean a state of perfection which is not due to human nature, and to which it could not rise by itself.
§ 1
Fall of man.- Original sin.
D. Did Adam and Eve long remain in the state of righteousness and happiness in which they were created?
A. No, M., they soon fall from it by their disobedience.
D. How did they disobey God?
A. By eating of a fruit that God had forbidden them to eat.
Q. Why had God given them this prohibition?
A. To make them recognize his authority,
D. Who caused them to disobey God?
A. It was the demon, in the form of a serpent,
D. What was the result of this disobedience?
A. She has drawn upon them and upon us the greatest evils.
D. What are these evils?
A. They are death and all the miseries of life, ignorance, concupiscence, finally eternal damnation.
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D. Without Adam's sin, therefore, men would not have been subject to death and the miseries of life?
A. No, M., God would have preserved them by a supernatural gift.
D. What is ignorance? which was the effect of Adam's sin?
A. It consists principally in men having forgotten the true God, and disregarded the excellence of their soul.
D. What is concupiscence ?
A. Concupiscence is the inclination to evil.
D. Did Adam's sin earn all men eternal damnation? ?
A. Yes, M., by the sin of Adam all men lost the grace of God, and deserved to be eternally deprived of it.
D. Why did Adam's sin bring all these evils upon us? ?
A. Because, by a just judgment of God, his sin became the sin of all men.
Q. Do we not find in human justice some image of this judgment of God?
A. Yes, M., for example, if a man is condemned by human justice to lose his property, he loses it not only for himself, but also for all his children.
D. What is the name of the sin of which our first father made us guilty?
A. It is called original sin.
D. Why is it called original?
A. Because we contract it through our origin, and that we bring it when we come into the world.
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§ 2
Promise of a Redeemerr.
D. Did God abandon man after his sin?
A. No, M., in his kindness, he promised him a redeemer.
D. Did God send this Redeemer He had promised?
A. Yes, M., but after a wait of four thousand years.
D. Why this long wait?
R. . So that men would better understand their need for a redeemer.
Q. Had there been, during these four thousand years, any means of salvation?
A. Yes, M., one could save oneself by faith in the future Redeemer.
D. Who is this long-awaited Redeemer?
A. It is our Lord Jesus Christ.
Fruit of this lesson : Let us learn to fear sin since only one has caused us to lose such great goods, and has brought upon us such great evils.
LESSON IV.
Of the mysteries of the Faith, and in particular of the mystery of the most holy Trinity.
Baptism of J.‑C., where the three divine persons appeared. Matth., 3, Mark, l., Luke, 3. JC promises his Apostles to send them the Holy Spirit from the Father. Jeans 14
D. How do we call the main truths that NSJC has taught us?
A. They are called by the name of mysteries.
D. What is a mystery?
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A. A mystery is a revealed truth of God, which we must believe, though we cannot understand it.
Q. Should we be surprised that there are mysteries in religion?
A. No, M., since there are many things in nature itself that our feeble reason cannot comprehend.
D. How many main mysteries of religion are there?
A. There are three: the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, the mystery of the Incarnation and the mystery of Redemption.
§ 1
Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity.
D. What is the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity?
A. The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the mystery of one God in three persons,
Q. Are there several Gods?
A. No, M., there is only one God, and there cannot be several.
Q. Why can't there be many Gods?
A. Because God, being infinitely perfect, cannot have an equal.
D. How many persons are there in God?
A. There are three distinct persons in God who are the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
D. Is the Father God?
A. Yes, M., the Father is God.
D. Is the Son God?
A. Yes, M., the Son is God.
D. Is the Holy Spirit God?
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A. Yes, M., the Holy Spirit is God.
D. These are three persons three Gods?
A. No, M., these three persons are one and the same God.
D. Is there any of the three people in the Most Holy Trinity which is older or more perfect than the others?
A. No, M., the three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity are equal in all things.
D. Why are the three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity equal in all things?
A. It is because they have only one nature and one divinity.
§ 2
Of the three divine Persons in particularr.
D. Who is the first person of the Most Holy Trinity?
A. The first person of the Most Holy Trinity is the Father.
D. Why is the first person of the Most Holy Trinity called the Father?
A. Because she engenders from all eternity, contemplating herself, a Son who is consubstantial with her.
D. What does this consubstantial word mean? ?
A. He means that the Son of God has the same substance as his Father, and that he is God like him.
D. Who is the second person of the Most Holy Trinity?
A. The second person of the Most Holy Trinity is the Son, also called the Verb.
D. Who is the third person of the Most Holy Trinity?
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A. The third person of the Most Holy Trinity is the Holy Spirit.
D. Why is the Holy Spirit the third person of the Most Holy Trinity?
A. Because it proceeds from the Father and the Son.
D. What do you mean when you say the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son?
A. I mean that the Father and the Son, by loving each other, produce from all eternity the Holy Spirit.
Fruit of this lesson: Let us deeply adore the incomprehensible majesty of the one God, subsisting in three distinct persons; we often recite for this intention the Glory Patri, etc.
LESSON V.
Of the mystery of the Incarnation.
Jacob's prophecy of the Messiah. Gen, , 49. ‑Isaiah foretold that a
Virgin will give birth. Isaiah, 8. - The Angel announces to the Blessed Virgin that she will conceive the Son of God. Luke 1.
D. What is the mystery of the Incarnation?
A: The mystery of the Incarnation is the mystery of the Son of God made man.
D. Was it only the Son of God who became man?
A. Yes, the Son alone became man, and not the Father nor the Holy Spirit.
D. What do you mean when you say the Son of God became man?
A. I hear that he took on a body and a soul similar to ours.
From where did the Son of God take this body and this soul?
A. In the womb of the glorious Virgin Mary, his mother.
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D. How was he conceived in the womb of the Blessed Virgin?
A. By the operation of the Holy Spirit.
Q. Is the Blessed Virgin Mother of God?
A. Yes, M., the Most Blessed Virgin is truly Mother of God.
D. Why is the Most Blessed Virgin truly Mother of God?
A. Because she conceived and gave birth to a son, who is true God and true man altogether.
Q. Did the Blessed Virgin cease to be a virgin when she became a mother?
A. No, M., she has always been a virgin.
§ 1
On the meaning of the name J .C. and proofs of his divinity.
D. What is the name of the Son of God made man?
A. He is called Jesus Christ.
D. What does the name of Jesus mean?
A. Jesus means saviour.
D. Why was this name given to the Son of God made man?
A. Because he came to save all men.
D. What means the name of Christ?
A. The name Christ or Messiah means one who has been consecrated by holy anointing, like kings and priests
D. What J.‑C. did he receive?
A. A completely spiritual anointing, which is the very union of the divinity with its humanity.
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D. How J.‑C. did he prove that he was truly the Christ or Messiah and the Son of God?
A. He proved it, by fulfilling the prophecies which announced it, and by working the greatest miracles.
Q. Isn't there yet more proof of the divinity of NSJ-C. ?
A. Yes, M., for example, the admirable holiness of his doctrine and his life; the establishment and preservation of his religion despite the greatest obstacles; the multitude of martyrs who defended it at the cost of their blood; the great number of saints it has produced in all ages.
§ 2
From the person of J.‑C. and its two natures.
D. Is there in J.‑C. several people ?
A. No, M. there is in J. -C. only one person, who is the person of the Son of God.
D. Is there in J.‑C. several natures?
A. Yes, M., there is in J.‑C. two natures: the divine nature and the human nature.
DJ‑C. is therefore God and man together?
A. Yes, M., Jesus Christ is both God and man, because the divine nature and the human nature are united in his person.
D. How are divine nature and human nature united in J.‑C. ?
R. Much like body and soul are united in man.
DJ‑C. has he always existed as God?
A. Yes, M., J.‑C., like God, is eternal as well as his Father.
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DJ‑C. has he always existed as a man?
A. No, M., J.‑C. is only a man since he was conceived in the womb of the Blessed Virgin.
Fruit of this lesson : 1° Let us bless the goodness of our Lord JC who, being our God, has made himself our brother and the companion of our exile. 2° Let us often pronounce with love and veneration the name of our Lord JC: Jesus is a name of goodness which excites love, since it recalls the work of our salvation; Christ is a name of majesty, which calls for veneration, since it designates royalty and the priesthood.
LESSON VI.
Of the Mystery of Redemption.
God promises Adam that from his race will be born a savior. Gen., 3.
Joshua, figure of the Savior of the world, introduces the people of God to the Promised Land. Joshua, 1.- Daniel's prophecy of the Saviour, Dan, 9.
D. What is the mystery of redemption?
A. The mystery of the Redemption is the mystery of Jesus Christ who died on the cross to redeem all men.
D. Were all men lost?
A. Yes, M., by the sin of Adam, their first father.
D. From what J.‑C. redeemed us?
RJ‑C. redeemed us from sin, from demon bondage and from eternal damnation.
D. How J.‑C. redeemed us?
A. By suffering for us as men and by giving, like God, an infinite price to his sufferings.
DJ C. was he obliged to redeem us?
A. No, M., he ransomed us because he wanted to.
D. If J.‑C. had not redeemed us, had we been damned?
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A ‑ Yes, M ., for all eternity.
DNSJ‑C. did he suffer a lot ?
A. Yes, M., J.‑C. suffered more than any of the martyrs.
Q. Did it take so much suffering to redeem us?
A. No, M., a drop of his blood was enough.
D. Why was a drop of his blood enough?
A. Because it has infinite value.
Q. Why then did NS suffer so much?
A. It is to show us more of his love, and to make us conceive of more horror of sin.
D. Since NSJ-C. is God, how could he die?
A. Jesus Christ died as a man, but he did not die as God.
D. For whom did J.-C. die?
A. He died for all men in general, and for each one in particular.
Fruit of this lesson : Let us render love for love to him who loved us unto death, and to death on the cross.
LESSON VII.
Summary of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Gospels of the different feasts indicated in this lesson.- The Epistles of the Ascension and of Pentecost.
D. What day our Lord J.‑C. Was he conceived in the womb of the Blessed Virgin?
A. The day of the Annunciation.
D. What day was he born?
A. Christmas Day
D. Where was he born?
A. In Bethlehem, in a stable.
Q. What day was he circumcised?
A. The day of the Circumcision, eight days after his birth.
Q. What day was he worshiped by the Magi?
A. Epiphany day, which is also called Kings Day.
Q. On what day did the Blessed Virgin present him in the Temple?
A. The day of the Purification, forty days after his birth.
D. How did our Lord spend his first thirty years?
A. He led a dark and hidden life, obeying his parents, and working with his hands.
Q. What did he do in the last years of his life?
A. He traveled all over Judea, preaching the gospel, doing great miracles, and setting an example of all the virtues.
D. What are the virtues of J.‑C. that we should particularly imitate?
A. The love of prayer, humility, gentleness and patience.
D. How long J -C. did he live on the earth?
A. About thirty‑three years.
D. On what day did he institute the sacrament of the Eucharist?
A. Maundy Thursday, the eve of his Passion.
D. What day J.‑C. is he dead ?
A. On Good Friday.
D. What day J.‑C. is he resurrected?
A. On Easter day.
DJ‑C. did he remain on earth long after his resurrection?
A. He stayed there for forty days.
D. On what day did Jesus Christ ascend into heaven?
A. On Ascension Day.
D. On what day did he send the Holy Spirit to his Apostles?
A. On the day of Pentecost, ten days after the Ascension.
D. What did the Apostles do after receiving the Holy Spirit?
A. They went and preached throughout the universe, where they converted and baptized many men, who were called Christians..
D. Did not the Christians all together form a society?
A. Yes, M., and that society is called the Church of Jesus Christ.
Fruit of this lesson : Let us imitate the obedient and hard-working Child Jesus, growing in grace and wisdom before God and before men.
LESSON VIII
From the church
Noah's Ark, figure of the Church. Gen. 7.- Council of the Apostles. Act 15. Promises made to the Church. Matt.. 16 v/ 17, 18 and 19; Macc 28, 19 and 20.
D. What is the Church?
A. The Church is the society of Christians subject to legitimate pastors, and principally to Our Father the Pope.
Q. What do you mean by legitimate pastors?
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A. I mean those whom J.‑C. established while he was on earth, and those who succeeded them according to the rules of the Church.
D. Which J.‑C. did he establish while he was on earth for the government of his church?
A. They were the Apostles, at the head of whom he placed Saint Peter.
D. Recite to us the words of Jesus Christ which establish Saint Peter as head of the whole Church.
A. “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall never prevail against it. »
D. This authority that J. -C. gave to Saint Peter, did it cease with him?
A. No, Mr.; it must last as long as the Church, and it passed to the successor of Saint Peter.
D. Who is Saint Peter's successor?
A. It is NSP the Pope, Bishop of Rome, who is also called the Sovereign Pontiff.
D. Why is the bishop of Rome the successor of Saint Peter?
A. Because it was in Rome that Saint Peter fixed his seat, and that he suffered martyrdom.
Q. What then is the Pope?
A. The Pope is the successor of Saint Peter, the vicar of J.‑C. on earth, and the visible head of the whole church
D. Does the Church have other legitimate pastors than DK the Pope?
A. Yes, M., it has the bishops, successors of the Apostles, who form the body of the first pastors, and govern their dioceses, under the authority of the Pope.
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Q. Are there not yet other legitimate pastors?
A. Yes, M., they are parish priests or pastors of the second order, placed by the bishops at the head of the parishes.
D. How can a simple believer make sure that he is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ?
A. When he knows that his parish priest is subject to a bishop who is himself subject to the Pope.
§ 1
Characters or Notes of the True Church.
D. Are there several churches?
A. No, M., there is only one true Church, founded by NSJ-C.
D. Can we easily recognize the true Church founded by NSJ-C. ?
A. Yes, M., there are notes or marks which make it easily recognizable.
D. What are the marks or marks of the true Church?
A. The true Church must be one, holy, catholic and apostolic.
D. Why must the true Church be a ?
A. It must be one, 1° in his faith, because J.‑C. taught only one doctrine; 2° in his government, because J.‑C. established only one body of pastors and faithful. (John, 10, 16.)
D. Why the True Church Must Be Holy ?
A. Because it is the work of J.‑C., which is holiness itself
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Q. Does this mean that there can only be saints in the Church?
A. No, Mr.; because J.‑C. said that there would be good people and bad people in his Church; and even he suffered Judas among his twelve Apostles.
D. In what, then, does the holiness of the true Church consist?
A. In that everything is holy in its doctrine and in its sacraments, and that it always produces saints.
D. What are the saints whose holiness is proof of the true Church?
A. They are those whose holiness is attested by miracles.
D. Why must the true Church be catholic, that is, universal?
A. Because JC made his Church for all times and all places. (Mark, 16, 15.)
D. Why must the true Church be apostolic?
A. Because it was founded by the Apostles, and it must be governed by the successors of the Apostles.
D. What is the Church which unites all these marks or marks of the true Church?
A. It is the Roman Church, that is to say, that of which the Pope, bishop of Rome, is the head.
D. Show us that the Roman Church unites these four notes.
A. 1. The Roman Church has only one faith and one head; 2° the holiness of his doctrine has formed in all times a very large number of saints ; (3) it is widespread throughout the universe; 4° it goes back by an uninterrupted sequence to the Apostles of Jesus Christ.
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Q. Are the same notes found in the Churches separated from the Roman Church?
A. No, M, none of them is at the same time one and universal: none can demonstrate its holiness by miracles; none finally is apostolic, since all of them did not begin until long after the Apostles, separating from the Roman Church.
§ 2
From the teaching of the Church.
D. Should we believe everything the Church teaches us?
A. Yes M., because the Church is infallible.
Q. What do you mean when you say the Church is infallible?
A. I mean that the Church can never teach error.
D. Why can't the Church teach error?
A. Because J.‑C. promised to be with her by his Holy Spirit, until the consummation of the ages.
D. When did Jesus Christ make this promise to the Church?
A. When he was about to ascend to heaven, he said to his Apostles: All power has been given to me in heaven and on earth; go therefore, teach all the nations: and behold, I am with you always, until the consummation of the ages.
Q. Was this promise only for the Apostles?
A. No, M., she was still for their successors until the end of the world,
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D. What name is given to the body of the first pastors, successors of the Apostles?
A. It is called the teaching Church.
D. Where are the truths the Church teaches contained?
A. In Holy Scripture and in Tradition.
D. What is Holy Scripture?
A. They are holy Books written under the inspiration of God.
D. How is Holy Scripture divided?
A. In the Old and New Testaments
D. What is the Old Testament?
A These are books written before J.‑C. where his coming was predicted.
D. What is the New Testament?
A. These are books written after J.‑C., which contain the history of his life, that of the beginnings of the Church, and the instructions written by the Apostles.
D. What is Tradition?
A. It is the word of God which was not written in the Holy Books, but which came down to us from the Apostles through the teaching of pastors.
D. How do we know the true Holy Books and Traditions to be received?
A. By the testimony and decision of the teaching Church
§ 3
Of those who are outside the Church.
D. Can one be saved from the true Church?
A. No, M., there is no salvation for all
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those who are outside the true J.‑C.
D. Why can't we save ourselves outside the Church?
A. Because J.‑C. he himself said that whoever does not listen to the Church must be considered a pagan, that is to say, a worshiper of false gods. (Matt., 18, 17.)
D. Who are those who are outside the Church?
A. They are the infidels, the heretics, the schismatics, the apostates and the excommunicated.
Q. What do you mean by infidels?
A. I mean by the infidels those who have not been baptized and who do not believe in J.‑C., such as the pagans, the Jews, the Mohammedans.
D. What are the Jews?
A. The Jews are the descendants of the ancient people of God, who refuse to recognize J.‑C. for the Messiah promised to their fathers.
D. What are the Mohammedans?
A. Mohammedans are those who believe in a false Arab prophet called Muhammad.
D. Will the infidels who could not know the true Church, be punished for not having belonged to it?
A. They will be deprived of heaven, which is a favor which God owes no one; but they will not be punished for involuntary ignorance.
Q. What do you mean by heretics?
A. I mean by heretics those who, having been baptized, obstinately refuse to believe any of the truths which the Church teaches.
Q. What do you mean by schismatics?
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A. By schismatics I mean those who separate themselves from the Church by refusing to submit to legitimate pastors.
Q. Are all who are born and live in a heretical or schismatic society guilty of heresy or schism?
A. There may be some who, being excused by their ignorance, belong before God to the true Church.
Q. What do you mean by apostates?
A. I mean by apostates those who renounce the Christian religion outwardly, after having made profession of it.
D. What do you mean by the excommunicated ?
A. I mean by the excommunicated those whom the Church has cut off from her communion, because of their crimes and their disobedience.
Result of this lesson: Let us attach ourselves strongly to the holy Catholic Church, which is at the same time JC's only wife, the school of all the virtues, the pillar and the support of the truth, the ark of eternal salvation.
LESSON IX.
Of the communion of saints
Communion of the Faithful on earth with the Saints in heaven. Onias and Jeremiah, long dead, pray for the people of Israel, 2 lb. of Machab., 12 ‑Communion of the Faithful on earth with the souls in Purgatory. Judas Maccabee has the sacrifice offered in Jerusalem for the sins of the Jews killed in battle. 2, book. of Machab, 12 ‑Communion of the Faithful of the earth among themselves. Abraham prays for the city of Sodom Gen.18 – Moses prays for the people of Israel: Ex, 32- The Faithful pray for St. Peter who was in prison Act., 12. We are only one body. 1 Cor.
D. What are Christians who are members of the Church called?
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A. They are usually called the faithful Christians, and sometimes the Saints.
D. Are all faithful Christians holy?
A. All are not holy, but all have been sanctified by baptism, and all are called to holiness.
D. Have not the faithful Christians united among themselves? narrowest?
A. Yes M., this union is called the Communion of Saints.
D. In what does this communion or union of the faithful?
A. In that the spiritual goods of the Church are common among them.
D. What are the spiritual goods of the Church
A. They are: 1° the merits of J.‑C., which are applied to us by the Sacraments, and by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; 2°, The merits of the Blessed Virgin and of the Saints of Heaven; 3° The good works and prayers of the Faithful who are on earth.
D. Do we share in the good works and the prayers of the other faithful?
A. Yes, M., because we are all one body.
D. Do we all share equally in the good works of others?
A. No, M., this share is more or less according to our merits.
D. Have sinners themselves any share in this fellowship of spiritual goods?
A. Yes, M., they have graces from which they can benefit,
D. This union of spiritual goods does notdoes it exist only among the faithful who are on earth?
A. No, M., it exists, still with the Saints who reign in heaven, and with the souls who suffer in purgatory.
D. What is our union with the saints in heaven?
A. In that we honor them, and that they intercede for us.
D. What does our union with the souls in purgatory consist of?
A. In that we can shorten their sorrows by our prayers and good works.
D. What is the name given to the assembly of the Saints in heaven? ?
A. It is called the Church Triumphant.
Q. What name is given to the meeting of the souls in purgatory?
A. It is called the Church Suffering.
Q. What name is given to the society of the Faithful who are on earth?
A. It is called the Church militant or combatant, because it always has to fight against its enemies.
Q. Are these three different churches?
A. No, M., it is one and the same Church in three different states including J.‑C. is the leader.
Result of this lesson: 1° Let us regard the divisions between Christians as a thing as monstrous as if the members of the same body fought against each other; 2nd, let us admire the power of charity, which unites in the same bonds earth, purgatory and heaven.
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LESSON X.
Of the four last ends of man and in particular of Death.
Remember your final ends and you will never sin. (Eccl)
Death of Lazarus, carried by the Angels into Abraham's bosom, death of the wicked rich, buried in hell. Luke 16.
Q. What are the truths which concern the future of each one of us, and the knowledge of which is absolutely necessary for us?
A. These truths are called the four final ends of man.
D. What are the four final ends of man?
A. They are death, judgment, heaven and hell.
D. What is death?
A. Death is the separation of the soul from the body.
D. Will we all die one day?
A. Yes, Mr.; we will all die, in punishment for the sin of Adam, our first father.
Q. What feelings should the thought of death excite in us?
A. It should make us despise everything that happens, to attach us to God alone.
D. When will we die?
A. When it pleases God: our death is certain; but we know neither the day, nor the hour, nor the moment.
D. Why did God want the time of our death to be hidden from us?
A. So that we prepare for it constantly, since each day can be the last of our life.
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Result of this lesson: One of the most effective ways of living a Christian life is to say to yourself: How would I live today, if I were to die tonight? How would I make this prayer, this confession, this communion, if they were to be the last of my life?
LESSON XI.
Of the Particular and General Judgment
Parable of the farmer called to account for his administration Luke 16. Description of the Last Judgment, Matt. 24 and 2
D. What becomes of man after his death ?
A. His soul, which is immortal, is about to appear before God, and his body is corrupted, waiting for him to be resurrected.
D. Why does the soul appear before God?
A. To be judged there on one's good and on one's bad deeds.
Q. Will this judgment be severe?
A. Yes, M., J.‑C. teaches us that we will give an account there even of an idle word.
Q. What is the name of the judgment that the soul undergoes immediately after death?
A. It is called the particular judgement.
D. Why is it called particular?
A. Because in this judgment the soul is alone in the presence of God alone.
D. Won't There Be Another Judgment which particular judgment?
A. Yes, M., at the end of the world; there will be general or universal judgment.
D. In whose presence will the universal judgment be made? ?
A. In the presence of the whole universe.
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D. Who will judge us all?
A. It is our Lord Jesus Christ.
D. How will Jesus Christ come to judge all people?
A. He will come full of glory and majesty, accompanied by Angels and Saints.
D. How will men appear in the universal judgment?
A. They will appear there in body and soul, because the dead will be raised before the judgment.
Q. What do you mean when you say the dead will be raised?
A. I mean that the souls of the dead will be reunited with their own bodies, never to be separated from them.
Q. How can rotten, worm-eaten bodies come to life again?
A. It is an effect of the omnipotence of God, who will pull our bodies out of corruption with the same ease as he pulled them out of nothingness.
D. Will the universal judgment change the sentence passed in the particular judgment?
A. No, M., he won't change it; it will only be its solemn publication.
D. Why will God make this great Judgment?
A. To manifest his justice before all men, to confound sinners and glorify the righteous.
Fruit of this lesson : let us watch and pray according to the counsel of our Lord Jesus Christ, in order to appear with confidence before the dreaded judgment seat, where our eternal fate will be decided.
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LESSON XII.
From Heaven or Heaven
The eight beatitudes Matth 5 - Transfiguration of J.‑C. Matth 17.- See also
the examples cited in article 12 of the symbol, p.67
D. What is Paradise?
A. Paradise or heaven is a place of delight where we see God as he is, and where we possess him with all kinds of goods.
D. Can we understand here below the happiness of heaven ?
A. No, M., he is so tall. that he is above all our thoughts.
D. Why is the happiness of the Saints in heaven incomprehensible?
A. Because God rewards them in God, that is, with infinite magnificence.
D. Do all saints enjoy equal happiness in heaven?
A. Although all see God, their happiness is greater or less, according to their merits.
D. How long will the happiness of the saints in heaven last?
A. Their happiness will last forever, that is, it will never end.
Q. Can their happiness be disturbed by no sorrow?
A. No M., their happiness will be immutable like that of God himself.
§
D. Are the Saints currently in sky in body and soul?
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A. No, M.: currently there are only their souls; their bodies will not enter it until after the resurrection.
D. Why will their bodies enter heaven?
A. To share in the glory of their souls, as they shared on earth in their penances and good works.
D. What will be the qualities of the bodies of the saints?
A. It will be impassiveness, clarity, agility, subtlety.
Q. What do you mean by impassiveness?
A. I mean freedom from suffering.
D. What do you mean by clarity?
A. I hear a glow similar to that of the sun.
D. What do you mean by agility?
A. I mean the ease of going from one place to another, with quickness of thought.
Q. What do you mean by subtlety?
A. I mean the ability not to be stopped by any obstacle.
D. Who are those who go to heaven?
A. They are those who have not offended God, or who, having offended him, have fully satisfied his justice for all their sins.
D. What should be our greatest desire?
A. It is to glorify God in heaven, because that is the purpose for which we were created.
Result of this lesson: How sweet all the labors of the Christian life must appear to us, when we consider the happiness which will be the fruit of them.
LESSON XIII.
From hell
Abyss of fire that cannot be extinguished. Mark 9; Apoc, 20. – The earth opens under the feet of Korah and his accomplices, and they descend alive into Hell. Number 16. - Bad rich in the midst of torments. Luke 16.
D. What is Hell?
A. Hell is a place of torments where the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin go.
D. How many kinds of punishments are suffered in hell?
A. Two kinds. The pain of damage and the pain of meaning.
Q. In what does the penalty of the dam consist?
A. To be deprived of the sight of God.
Q. In what does the pain of meaning consist?
A. To burn eternally, and to endure all kinds of torments.
D. How long will these tortures last?
A. They will last forever, that is to say, they will never end.
D. Who taught us this terrible truth?
A. It is NSJ‑C. himself, who declares that at the universal judgment he will say to the reprobate: Depart from me, accursed ones; go to eternal fire. (Matt., 25, 41 -)
D. Did not our Lord teach the same doctrine elsewhere?
A. Yes, M., he repeated up to three times in a row that the worm that devours the damned will not die, and that the fire that burns them will never be extinguished. (Mark, 9, 43.)
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D. PWhy is the misfortune of the damned so dreadful?
A. Because God punishes them in God, that is to say, with infinite justice.
Q. Mortal sin, then, has infinite malice, since God punishes it so severely?
A. Yes, M., because mortal sin is a revolt against the infinite majesty of God.
§
D. Are the wicked currently in hell in body and soul? ?
A. Now only their souls are in hell, but after the resurrection their bodies will be there with their souls.
D. Why will the bodies of the wicked go to hell with their souls?
A. Because, having participated in their crimes, they must participate in their tortures.
D. Do all the damned suffer equally in hell?
A. Although all are deprived of the sight of God, their sufferings are greater or less, according to the number and greatness of their sins.
D. How many mortal sins does it take to go to hell?
A. Only one is needed, if one dies without having obtained forgiveness.
Fruit of this lesson : The pleasure of sin will not seduce us, if we think what torments it leads us to. What efforts could we recoil from when it comes to escaping an eternity of torment?
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LESSON XIV.
Of Purgatory.
There are devotees who will only be saved by going through the fire. -1 Co3.
See communion of the Faithful of the earth with the souls of Purgatory.
p.75.
D. All do souls go, immediately after death, to heaven or to hell?
A. No, Mr.; there are some who go to purgatory.
D. What is Purgatory?
A. Purgatory is a place of pain where souls go who come out of this world in a state of grace, but without being pure enough to enter heaven.
D. What are the causes for which one goes to purgatory?
A. There are two: 1° venial sins for which forgiveness has not been obtained;
2. The temporal penalties due to sins forgiven, and which have not been acquitted on earth.
Q. What, then, must be done to preserve oneself from purgatory?
A. We must avoid the smallest sins with great care, and expiate our faults in this life by the practice of all good works.
D. How long does one remain in purgatory?
A. One remains there until one has fully satisfied the justice of God.
D. What is the greatest pain that righteous souls suffer in purgatory? ?
A. It is to be deprived of the sight of God.
D. What consoles these holy souls in their sorrows?
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A. It is the certainty that they have of one day possessing God in paradise.
D. Can we relieve souls who are in purgatory?
A. Yes, M., we can relieve them by our prayers, our alms, our good works, and above all by having the most holy sacrifice of the Mass offered for them.
D. Will purgatory still exist after the universal judgment?
A. No, M., after the universal judgment, there will only be eternity, happy and unhappy, that is to say, heaven and hell.
Result of this lesson: Let us love God fervently here below; it is the means of not burning either in hell or in purgatory.
LESSON XV.
OF THE SYMBOL OF THE APOSTLES.
AD risen sends his Apostles to preach throughout the universe.
(Matt. 28, 18. Luke, 9, 10-)
Q. Isn't there a compendium of the main truths we must believe?
A. Yes, M., this abbreviation is the Apostles' Creed.
D. Why is it called the Apostles' Creed?
A. Because it was the Apostles who composed it.
Q. Do you know any other Creed than that of the Apostles?
A. Yes, M., there is still the Nicene Creed, which is sung at Mass.
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Q. Did this last Creed change anything in the doctrine of the Apostles?
A. No, M., he explained it and supported it, against the heretics who attacked him.
D. Do we have to know the Apostles' Creed?
A. Yes, M., all the Faithful must strive to know and understand it.
D. Say the Symbol in Latin.
A. Credo in Deum, etc. (See page 5.)
D. Say the Symbol in French.
A. I believe in God, etc. (See page 5.)
D. How many articles are there in the Symbol?
A. There are twelve.
§
Explanation of 1° art., which regards God the Father.
Art 1° - I believe in God the almighty Father, creator of heaven and Earth,
History of the creation of the world. Gen., I.- Miracle of the omnipotence of God; passage of the Red Sea. Exodus, 14.- Crossing the Jordan. Joshua, 3 ‑ Defeat of Sennacherib. 4. Book. of Kings, 19.- Raising of Lazarus. John 11, etc.
D. Recite the first article of the Creed.
A, I believe in God the Father Almighty Creator of heaven and earth.
D. What does the word here mean: I believe ?
A. It means, I am firmly convinced of the truths contained in the Creed.
D. Why do you say . I believe in God, not: I believe there is a God?
A. It is to express, not only that I believe there is a God, but still that I place all my confidence in him.
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D. What do you mean by these words the almighty Father, creator of heaven and earth ?
A. I mean that the first person of the Most Holy Trinity is God the Father, who can do everything, and who created all things.
D. Does not omnipotence and creation also belong to the Son and the Holy Spirit?
A. Yes, M., but they are particularly attributed to the Father.
D. Why are they particularly attributed to the Father?
A. Because he is the principle of the other two people.
Fruit of this lesson : By reciting the first article of the Creed, let us excite the liveliest trust in him who is at the same time a Father who loves us, and a God who can do anything to help us.
LESSON XVI.
Explanation of articles 2°, 3°, 4°, 5°, 6° and 7°, who look at Jesus Christ.
ART. II.‑ In Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lordr.
JC declared Son of God at his Baptism. Matth., 3,- to his Transfiguration Matth 17;- Mark, 9.
D. Recite it second article of the Symbol
A. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
D. What is Jesus Christ?
RJ‑C. is the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, made man for us.
D. Why do you call J.‑C. Only son ?
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A. Because he alone is begotten of the Eternal Father.
D. Are we not also children of God?
A. Yes, M., but only by adoption, while J.‑C. is a son of God by nature.
D. Why do you call J.‑C. our Lord ?
A. Because he is our master, having created us, and having redeemed us with his blood.
Art. III- Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was born of the Virgin Mary.
Incarnation and Birth of the Son of God. Matt., 1 – Luke 2, - John, 1.
D. Recite the third article of the Creed.
A. I believe in J.‑C., who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was born of the Virgin Mary.
D. What do you mean by these words: Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit ?
A. I mean that when the Son of God became man, the body that he took was formed by the operation of the Holy Spirit.
D. What do these words mean: Was born of the Virgin Mary ?
A. They mean that a virgin called Mary gave birth to the Son of God, as she had conceived him, remaining always a virgin.
Art IV. - Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, was buried.
Prophecy of Isaiah on the death of JC Isaiah 53 – Passion of J.‑C. Matt 26 et seq.: Mark, 14 et seq. Luke, 22 et seq.; John 22 et seq.- Burial of J.-C. Matt. 27. - Jonas was a figure of J.-C. in the tomb.Book of Jonah; Matt., 12.
D. Recite the fourth article of the Creed.
A, . I believe in J.‑C.. who suffered under
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Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, was buried.
D. What do these words mean: Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified ?
A. They mean that J.‑C. was slandered, whipped, crowned with thorns, and tied to a cross, under a judge named Pontius Pilate.
D. What do you mean when you say that Jesus Christ died ?
A. I mean that his soul was truly separated from his body.
D. Why was Jesus Christ buried and put in the tomb?
A. To show that he was truly dead, and thereby render the miracle of his resurrection indisputable.
ART. V. - Descended into hell; the third day rose from the dead.
Descent from J.‑C. to hell. 1. Epistle of Saint Peter, 3.‑ Resurrection of J.‑C. Matt., 28; Mark 16, Luke 24.
D. Recite the fifth article of the Creed
A. I believe in JC who descended into hell; on the third day rose from the dead.
D. What do these words mean: Has descended into hell?
A. They mean that the soul of NS, being separated from his body, descended into hell.
Q. What do you mean by the hells where the soul of Jesus Christ descended?
A. I mean a place called Limbo, where the souls of the just dead before Jesus Christ were.
D. Why did the soul of Jesus Christ descend to this place?
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A. To console these holy souls, and announce to them their approaching entry into heaven.
D. Why do the souls of Saints who died before J.‑C. Did they stay there?
A. Because the entrance to heaven had been closed to men since the sin of Adam, and could only be opened to them by the death of J.‑C.
D. What do you mean by these words: The third day is risen from dead?
A. I hear that NS, on the third day after his death, united his soul to his body, and came out glorious from the sepulchre.
ART. VI. - Has ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God the Father all powerful.
Ascension of Jesus Christ. Mark, 16; Luke, 24; Act., 1.
D. Recite the sixth article of the Creed.
A. I believe in J. -C. who ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.,
D. What do these words mean: Ascended into heaven ?
A. They mean that Jesus Christ, forty days after his resurrection, ascended into heaven by his own power.
D. What do you mean by these words : Sits at the right hand of God the Father all powerful ?
A. I mean that J.‑C., even as a man, is raised above all creatures, by his authority and by his glory.
Art. VII - Whence he will come to judge the living and the dead.
D. What does the seventh article of the Creed mean: Whence he shall come to judge the living and the dead?
A. This article means that at the end of the world, J. -C will descend from heaven visibly to judge the living and the dead.
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D. What do you mean by the living and the dead that J.‑C. will come to judge?
A. I mean all men, just and sinners, both those who have been and those who will still be on earth on the day of his last coming.
Result of this lesson: let us take advantage of all the graces that J.‑C. deserved us by his first coming, where he came as our Saviour, and let us prepare for his second coming, where he will return as our Judge.
LESSON XVII.
Explanation of the last 5 articles that relate to the Holy Spirit.
ART. VIII. - I believe in the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ promises his Apostles to send them his Holy Spirit. John, 15. - Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and on the disciples. Act 12
D. Recite the eighth article of the Symbol.
A. I believe in the Holy Spirit.
D. Explain these words: I believe in the Holy Spirit.
A. That is to say, I believe in the Holy Spirit, third person of the Most Holy Trinity, as I believe in the Father and the Son.
D. Why do you believe in the Holy Spirit as you believe in the Father and the Son?
A. Because the Holy Spirit is one and the same God with the Father and the Son.
Q. Why do you call him Saint?
A. Because he is holy by nature, and he sanctifies us.
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Art. IX. - The Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints.
D. Recite the ninth article of the Creed
A. I believe the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints.
D. What does the first part of this article teach us: the Holy Church catholice?
A. It teaches us that there is a society founded by J.‑C. to sanctify men, and spread throughout the universe, under the authority of the successors of the Apostles.
D. What does the second part of this article teach us: the Communion of Saints?
A. It teaches us that all the faithful participate in the spiritual goods of the Church.
ART. X. - The Remission of Sins.
Jesus Christ remits sins to the paralytic Matth, 9, - to the sinner, Luke, 1. Penance and the remission of sins must be preached to all nations. Luke, 24. - Discourse of Saint Peter, who converts three thousand people. Act 2.
D. What does the tenth article of the Creed teach us: The remission of sins?
A. He teaches us that J.‑C. gave his Church power to remit sins.
D. How does the Church forgive sins?
A. Through the Sacraments of Baptism and Penance.
ART. XI.- The Resurrection of the cellarr.
Job and the seven martyred Brothers are animated in their sufferings by the hope of the resurrection. Job, 19, 2; Machab 7. Dead raised. 3 Book of Kings 17: 4 Book. Kings. John 4, Matt. 9, and Luke, 7. Vision of Ezekiel, Ezekiel 28.
D. What does the eleventh article of the Creed teach us about the resurrection of the flesh ?
A. He teaches us that all the dead will be resurrected at the end of the world, before the universal judgment.
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ART. XII. - Eternal life.
Kingdom prepared for the good from the creation of the world. Matt. 5.
Description of the heavenly Jerusalem. Apoc., 21
D. What does the twelfth and final article of the Creed teach us: Life eternal?
A. It teaches us that the resurrection will be followed by a life that will never end.
D. What will this life be like?
A. It will be an eternally happy life for the good in heaven, and an eternally unhappy life for the wicked in hell.
D. Why do we put these articles: communion of saints, remission of sins, resurrection of the body, eternal life, after this one: I believe the Catholic Church?
A. To show that there is no holiness nor remission of sins, nor therefore glorious resurrection and eternal salvation outside the Catholic Church.
D. And why do we put all these articles after this one: I believe in Holy Spirit ?
A. To show that it is the Holy Spirit who assembles and animates the Church, where he has placed all his graces.
Fruit of this lesson : Let us bless the divine goodness which, by placing us in the bosom of the Church, has placed us at the source of all graces and on the way to a blessed eternity.
LESSON XVIII.
From the Sign of the Cross.
The Brazen Serpent, figure of the Cross, Num., 21. John, 3, 14.
D. By what sign do we make ourselves known as Christians?
A. It is by the sign of the cross.
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D. How is the sign of the cross made?
A. You do this by putting the right hand to the forehead, from there to the stomach, then to the left shoulder, then to the right.
D. What does this sign represent?
A. He represents the beliefx on which J.‑C. died to redeem us.
Q. What must be said when making the sign of the cross?
A. It must be said - In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. So be it; or - In nomine Patris, and Filii, and Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
D. What do these words remind us of?
A. They remind us of the three persons of the Most Holy Trinity, in whose name we were baptized.
D. When is it appropriate to make the sign of the cross?
A. When waking up, when going to bed, at the beginning of one's prayers and of one's principal actions, when one finds oneself exposed to some danger or to some temptation.
Q. Why do we begin our actions with the sign of the cross?
A. It is to excite oneself to do them in the name and for the love of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
D. What are the effects of the sign of the cross?
A. It is to cast out demons, dispel temptations, and attract God's blessing.
Q. How must the sign of the cross be made so that it produces these happy effects?
A. It must be done with great outward respect and great inward devotion.
Result of this lesson: Let us accustom ourselves to making the sign of the cross without haste and with piety, thinking of the great mystery that it reminds us of.
SECOND PART.
COMMANDMENTS TO BE OBSERVED
AND SINS TO AVOID.
LESSON I.
Commandments of God.
God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai Exo. , 19, ~20. - Zeal of the prophet Elijah. 3 book of Kings 18 . The seven Maccabean Brothers suffer martyrdom for not wanting to violate the law of God 2 Machab. 7.
D. Is it enough, to be saved, to believe the truths that J.‑C. taught?
A. No, M., it is still necessary to observe the commandments of God and those of his Church.
D. How many commandments of God are there?
A. There are ten, which are called the Decalogue.
D. In what circumstance did God give men the decalogue or the ten commandments?
A. It was on Mount Sinai, amid thunder and lightning, fifty days after the Israelites had come out of Egypt.
D. Does the Decalogue bind Christians as well as Israelites?
A. Yes, M., J.‑C. declared it in these terms: If you want to achieve eternal life, keep the commandments. (Matt. 19, 17)
Q. Did not God engrave the decalogue on two tablets of stone?
A. Yes, M., on the first, were the first three commandments, and on the second, the other seven.
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D. Why were the commandments of God so divided?
R.Because the first three contain our duties towards God, and the other seven, our duties towards our neighbor and towards ourselves.
Q. Was not the decalogue also engraved in the hearts of all men?
A. Yes, M., because it is the expression of the natural law that every man carries within himself. (Rom., 2, 15)
D. Why, then, did God published again?
A. Because ignorance and concupiscence, consequences of original sin, had almost erased it from the hearts of men.
D. Recite the Ten Commandments of God.
A. One God, etc. (See page 11)
Result of this lesson: Let us regard the commandments of God as the invariable rule of our conduct; when we are tempted to violate them, let us revive our courage by saying to ourselves: God wills it; I must obey him no matter what.
LESSON II.
From the first commandment of God.
ONLY ONE GOD YOU WILL WORSHIP AND LOVE PERFECTLY.
JC teaches the Samaritan woman to worship God in spirit and in truth.
John, 4. - Defense of superstitious practices Deut. 18, 10, 14, 12
D. What does God's first commandment command us to do?
A. The first commandment of God commands us to worship God and to worship only him.
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D. What is it to worship God?
A. It is to render him the worship which is due to him as to the Creator and the sovereign master of all things.
D. Is it enough to worship God in our hearts? ?
A. No, Mr.; we still have to worship him outwardly and publicly.
D. How do we sin against the worship that is due to God?
A. In three ways: 1° by idolatry, 2° by irreverence, 3° by superstition.
D. How do people sin by idolatry ?
A. By rendering to some creature the sovereign worship which is due only to God.
D. How Does One Sin by Irreverence ?
A. By disrespecting people or things consecrated to God.
D. How does one sin by superstition?
A. By attributing to certain words or certain practices, an efficacy that God has not given them: for example, to cure certain evils, to discover future or hidden things, etc.
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OF THE INVOCATION OF THE SAINTS, OF THE HONOR WE REND
TO RELICS AND IMAGES.
Angels and Saints present our prayers before the throne of God - Tob., 12, Rev.5, 8.- A dead man is raised by the touching of the bones of Elisha, 4 lv. of Kings 13. - The cloths that touched Saint Paul heal the sick. Acts, 19- Images of the Cherubim of the Ark of the Covenant, Exodus 25.-Image of the Brazen Serpent. Num. 21.
Q. Is it forbidden by the first commandment to honor the Saints?
A. It is forbidden to worship them as God
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but it is permissible to honor them as servants and friends of God.
D. Is it good and useful to invoke and pray to the Saints?
R. Yes M.; because they can help us a lot through their intercession.
D. What do we ask of the Saints when we address our prayers to them?
A. We are not asking them to give us graces but to obtain them for us through the merits of J.‑C.
D. Should we honor the relics of Saints?
A. Yes, M., because they are the precious remains of the bodies which have been the temples of the Holy Spirit, and which are to rise again in glory.
D. Should we also honor the images of the Saints?
A. Yes, M.., because the honor that we return to them relates to the Saints themselves.
D. What are the images used for?
A. To remind us of the mysteries or Saints they represent.
D. Have relics and images of themselves any virtue or efficacy?
A. No, Mr.; but God sometimes uses them as instruments to work miracles.
Q. Since the most holy Virgin is the mother of God, can we not adore her as God?
A. No, M., sovereign adoration should be rendered to God alone.
D. What is worshiping the cross?
A. It is prostrating oneself before the cross, to adore J.‑C., whose sufferings and death this cross reminds us of.
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LESSON III.
continuation of the first commandment of God
THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES
Faith, Hope and Charity; To Corinthians, 13. To Hebrews 6 and 11.
D. What are the principal virtues by which we give due worship to God?
A. These are the three theological or divine virtues, that is to say, Faith, Hope and Charity.
D. Why are they called theological or divine virtues?
A. Because they relate immediately to God.
Q. Why do you say that these three virtues relate immediately to God?
A. Because we believe in God by faith, expect to possess him by hope, and love him by charity.
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FAITH
Faith of Abraham Gen., 12 and 15.- Of the patriarchs, To the Hebrews 14. of the centurion, Matt., 8 - Of the Canaanite woman. Matt., 15
D. What is Faith?
A. Faith is a supernatural virtue by which we firmly believe all that God has revealed, and that the Church invites you to believe.
D. Why do we believe everything God has revealed?
A. Because God can neither make mistakes nor deceive us.
D. Is it necessary to have faith to be saved?
A. Yes, M., because J.‑C. said: He who does not believe will be condemned. (Mark, 18, 16.)
D. In how many ways does one sin against faith?
A. In two ways: internally and externally.
D. How do we sin against faith inwardly? ?
A. By voluntarily stopping at thoughts contrary to the faith, or even at mere doubts about what it teaches.
D. Is mere doubt against faith a great sin?
A. Yes, M., when he is fully voluntary, because he does a grave injury to God, who is truth itself.
D. How does one sin against faith outwardly? ?
R.1° By holding impious or heretical speeches; 2° while reading bookss condemned; 3° blushing with faith or pretending not to believe.
Q. Do we not also sin against the faith, by neglecting to learn about religion?
A. Yes, M., because one runs the risk of remaining ignorant of the most necessary truths.
D. What are the things that every Christian has an obligation to know?
A. The Apostles' Creed, the Commandments of God and of the Church, the Lord's Prayer, and what is necessary to worthily receive the Sacraments.
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Q. Are there not truths the knowledge of which is more particularly necessary?
A. Yes, M. these are the mysteries of the Trinity, the Incarnation and the Redemption, and the four last ends of man.
D. Take a leap of faith.
A. My God, I believe, etc. (See p. 23)
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HOPE.
Hope of Abraham Gen. 12 and 13; of Job, Job 13 and 19; of Tobias, Tobias, 3.- Joseph, betrayed by his brothers, sold prisoner, always protected by God, becomes the savior of Egypt and his family. Gen., 37, 39, 40 et seq.
D. What is Hope?
A. Hope is a supernatural virtue that makes us wait with firm trust for the blessings that God has promised us, that is to say, his grace in this world and paradise in the next.
D. On what is our hope based?
A. On the promises of God and on the merits of Jesus Christ.
D. How do we sin against hope?
A. One sins against hope in two opposite ways, that is, by despair and by presumption.
D. How does one sin out of desperation?
A. When one despairs of obtaining the pardon of one's sins and of conquering one's passions, or when one mistrusts Providence.
D. How do we sin by presumption ?
A. When one grows bold in evil, or when one exposes oneself to it by counting on the mercy of God, or when one postpones conversion.
D. Make an act of hope.
A. My God, I hope, etc. (See p. 23).
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OF CHARITY.
Response from J.‑C. asked about the first commandment. Matt. 22; Charity of Abraham, Gen., 48;‑ of the Samaritan. Luke 10;-of the first Christians for one another. Acts, 2 and 4.‑‑Death of Tabithe; the tears of widows and the clothes she made for them, shown to Saint Peter; the resurrection of this pious woman. Acts, 9. Love of David towards those who persecute him. 1 lb. of Kings, 24 and 26, 2nd book. of Kings, 16. -J.-C. prays for his enemies, Luke, 23.- Saint Stephen prays for those who stone him. Act., 7.
D. What is Charity?
A. Charity is the principal of all virtues, which makes us love God above all things, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.
D. What is loving God above all things?
A. It is to love him more than our possessions, more than our parents, more than ourselves, and to be ready to suffer death rather than offend him.
D. By what mark can one know whether one truly loves God?
A. The true mark of God's love is to keep His commandments.
D. What is it to love your neighbor as yourself?
A. It is, according to the word of J.‑C., to do to others what we want them to do to ourselves.
D. Who is our neighbour?
A. All men and even our enemies
D. Are we obligated to love our enemies?
A. Yes, M.: NS said: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute you.
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D. How should we treat those whom we have offended?
RJ‑C. orders us to do everything that depends on us to reconcile ourselves with them as soon as possible. (Matt., IV, 23, 24.)
§
Q. What does charity towards our neighbor oblige us to do?
A. She forces us to give alms.
Q. What do you mean by alms?
A. I mean all the help, both spiritual and bodily, that one can procure for one's neighbour.
D. What is spiritual relief? what can be procured for the next?
A. They consist above all in instructing the ignorant, and in giving good advice to those who need it.
D. What is bodily relief? what can we get him?
A. They consist mainly in assisting him in his poverty and in his illnesses.
D. Do you have to give alms?
A. Yes, Mr.; all those who are able to do so are obliged to do so, and J.‑C. declares in the Gospel that, to be reproved, it is enough not to give alms. (Matt., XXV, 41, 46.)
D. Do an act of charity.
A. My God, I love you, etc. (See p. 23)
D. Are we often obliged to perform acts of faith, hope and charity ?
A. Yes, Mr. and the more often the better.
Q. In what times especially should we do it?
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A. Approaching the sacraments, in temptations and at the point of death.
Self-examination of the two lessons concerning the first commandment: Neglect to worship and pray to God; irreverences; Superstitions; - Willful thoughts and doubts against the faith; unfaithful conversations and readings; neglect to learn religion; - despair. presumption; - forget God; not forgiving one's enemies; not to reconcile with those whom one has offended; not giving alms; fail to do acts of It was, D 'Hope and Charity.
LESSON IV.
Of the second commandment of God.
GOD IN VAIN YOU SHALL NOT SWEAR NOR THE LIKE.
JC teaches that one should not swear. Matth 5- Blasphemers punished with death., Levit. 24. - Benadab, king of Syria, Sennacherib, king of the Assyrians, are punished for their blasphemies by the loss of their army, 3 books. of Kings, 20, 4 lb. of Kings, 19.
D. What does the second defend ccommandment of God ?
A. The second commandment of God forbids 1° to swear in vain; 2° to blaspheme; 3° to make imprecations.
D. What is swearing?
A. To swear is to take God to witness what one says or what one promises.
D. Is it sometimes permissible to swear?
A. Yes, M., for example, when one is called as a witness and the judge swears to tell the truth.
Q. How does one sin against the precept not to swear in vain?
A. 1° By assuring with oath a false or doubtful thing; 2° by undertaking by oath
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to do a bad thing ‑, 3° by swearing without sufficient reason.
D. Is one bound to fulfill promises made on oath?
A. Yes, M., if those promises are fair and reasonable.
Q. If one had sworn to do an evil thing, should one fulfill his oath?
A. No, M., one has sinned by swearing to do an evil thing, and one would sin again by fulfilling one's oath.
D. What is the sin called perjury? ?
A. Perjury is taking a false oath, or breaking a fair and reasonable oath.
D. What is blasphemy?
A. Blasphemy is a word offensive to God or to the Saints or to religion.
Q. What is imprecation?
A. Imprecation is a word of anger by which we wish, either on ourselves or on others, death, damnation, or some other misfortune.
§
Q. What are we ordered by the second commandment?
A. We are ordered to fulfill the vows we have made.
D. What is a wish?
A. A vow is the promise that one makes to God of some good work with the intention of obliging oneself.
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Q. Is it pleasing to God to make vows?
A. Yes, M., it is a good deed; but it must not be done lightly and without advice.
Q. Do we sin by not fulfilling the vows we have made?
A. Yes Mr.; it is a sin not to fulfill them
D. Does the Church have the power to dispense vows?
A. Yes, M., when there are sufficient reasons.
Examination of conscience on the second commandment : To swear falsely; swear to do evil; swear unnecessarily; fail to fulfill his oath; blaspheme; imprecations; not fulfilling his wishes.
LESSON V.
Of the Third Commandment of God.
THE SUNDAYS YOU SHALL KEEP BY SERVING GOD DEVOTEDLY
Precept of Moses on the observance of the Sabbath. Exodus, 16. Punishment of an Israelite for breaking the Sabbath. Num.15 The impious Nicanor perishes. 2 lbs. of the Machabs. 15
D. What does the third order us? command of God?
A. The third commandment of God commands us to keep Sunday holy.
D. What is Sunday?
A. Sunday is the Lord's Day, that is to say, the one which is specially consecrated to the service of God.
D. What was before the coming of J. -C. the day dedicated to the service of the Lord?
A. It was Saturday, which was called the Sabbath or day of rest.
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D. Why was the Sabbath day dedicated to the service of the Lord?
A. To honor God's rest after the six days of creation.
D. What do you mean when we say that God rested after the six days of creation?
A. I hear he stopped producing new creatures.
D. By what authority was the observance of the Sabbath transferred to Sunday?
A. By the authority of the Apostles and the Church
D. Why did the Church change the Sabbath day to Sunday?
A. In memory of the resurrection of our Lord, and the descent of the Holy Spirit, which happened on this day.
How to sanctify Sunday,
D. What must be done to keep Sunday holy?
A. One must abstain from servile works, and apply oneself to works of piety.
D. What are servile works which should be avoided?
A. These are all the works which belong more to the body than to the mind, such as those usually done by male and female workers.
D. Can work be done on Sundays?
A. No, M., one should neither work nor cause work to be done, except in case of necessity, and as much as possible with the permission of one's parish priest.
D. To what works of piety should we apply ourselves to sanctify Sunday?
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A. There is a very serious obligation to hear Mass; moreover, one must do one's best to attend vespers and other offices of the Church.
D. How should the rest of the day be spent?
A. After the indispensable occupations, and an honest and moderate recreation, it should be spent in prayers, pious readings, works of charity, etc.
Q. What do you think of those who use Sunday in debauchery and dangerous diversions?
A They unworthily profane the day of the Lord.
Examination of conscience on the third commandment: Work or cause to be worked on Sunday; missing mass; miss other offices; to use Sunday in profane entertainment.
LESSON VI.
Of the Fourth Commandment of God.
YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER SHALL HONOR TO LIVE LONG
Model of a good education of children and of a holy family.
Tobie and his family. Toby, 1, etc. The High Priest Heli punished for having been too indulgent towards his children: 1liv of Kings, 2 and 4. _ Cham, son of Noah, Absalon, son of David., punished for having been ungrateful and rebellious to their parents . Gen., 9; 2 lbs. of Kings, 15 and 18. - Children devoured by bears for having insulted the prophet Elisha: 4 books. of Kings 2
D. What does the fourth order us? command of God?
A. The fourth commandment of God commands us to love our fathers and mothers, to respect them, to obey them and to assist them in their bodily and spiritual needs.
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D. Why must we love our father and mother?
A. Because it is through them that God gave us life and many other goods.
D. Why do we have to respect them? ?
A. Because they are God's representatives to us.
D. Why must we obey them?
A. Because God gave them authority over us.
D. Should one obey one's parents in things that would be against the law of God?
A. No, M., because it is better to obey God than men.
D. How should we assist our fathers and mothers in their bodily needs?
A. By supplying them, as much as we can, with what they need in their infirmities and in their poverty.
D. How should we assist them in their spiritual needs?
A. By praying for them and ensuring that they receive the sacraments, especially when they are dangerously ill.
D. What do we owe to our parents after their death?
A. We must pray for them and faithfully carry out their last wishes.
D. What is the reward of children who fulfill their duties to their fathers and mothers?
A. Eternal life and a long life in this world, if it is useful for their salvation.
D. What, on the contrary, is the punishment for children who insult and abandon their parents?
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A. They are cursed by God, and men abhor them.
§
D. What are fathers and mothers obligated to their children?
A. They are obliged to feed them, to instruct them, to correct them and to give them a good example.
D. What misfortunes usually follow the negligence of fathers and mothers in the upbringing of their children?
A. They are: in the present life, all kinds of sorrows and sorrows, and, in the future life, their eternal damnation and that of their children.
D. What else does the fourth commandment command us to do?
A. He commands us to respect all our superiors, both spiritual and temporal.
D. À What are servants in particular obligated to their masters?
A. They are bound to serve them faithfully, and to obey them in all that is not contrary to the law of God.
Q. Don't masters also have duties to their servants?
A. Yes, M. they must pay their wages, treat them with kindness, and bring them to fulfill the duties of religion.
Examination of conscience on the fourth commandment : wishing ill to one's parents; answer them badly; disobey them; abandon them in their needs; disrespecting his pastor, his masters; ‑ neglecting the education of his children or the care of his servants.
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LESSON VII.
Of the Fifth Commandment of God.
HOMICIDE POINT WILL NOT BE, IN FACT OR VOLUNTARILY.
David kills the Amalekite who killed Saul. 2. book. of Kings, 1. - Punishment of Joab, homicide. 3. book. of Kings, 2. – Doctrine of J.‑C. on the scandal. Matt. 18.
D. What does God's fifth commandment forbid?
A. The fifth commandment of God forbids committing homicide, that is, killing a man unjustly.
Q. Can we sometimes justly kill a man?
A. You can in a just war, in self-defence, and to execute the judgments of justice.
Q. Is it sometimes permissible to kill oneself?
A. No, M., suicide is a criminal cowardice and an attack on the rights of God, to whom alone belong our life.
D. Is it permissible to fight a duel?
A. No, M., dueling is a barbarity which reason condemns like religion; it is a double crime against one's neighbor and against oneself.
D. Does God only forbid homicide by his fifth commandment?
A. He still defends everything that can lead us to homicide, such as hatred, death wishes, quarrels, injuries, etc.
Q. Is it a great sin to wish for the death of one's neighbor or to rejoice in it?
A. Yes, M., when one wishes it or when one rejoices in it out of hatred or self-interest.
D. Is it permissible to wish death upon oneself?
A. No, M., unless it is to see God in heaven and to offend him no more here below,
Q. Is there not also spiritual slaying forbidden by the fifth commandment?
A. Yes M. this is called scandal.
Q. How do you scandalize your neighbour?
A. By saying or doing anything in front of him that causes him or is capable of causing him to offend God.
D. Is it a great sin to cause one's neighbor to seriously offend God? ?
A. Yes, Mr.; AD we learn this when he says: Woe to him through whom scandal comes! It would be better for him to have been thrown to the bottom of the sea.
Examination of conscience on the fifth commandment: To kill or expose oneself to killing someone; attempt on one's own life; to desire death; fight a duel; to hate his neighbour; insult him; hurt him; to hit him; scandalize him.
LESSON VIII.
Of the Sixth Commandment of God.
LUXURIOUS POINT NE SERA, BODY OR CONSENT.
The fire descended on Sodom Gen., 19.- Punishment of the inhabitants of Shechem. Gen 34‑Samson defeated by Delilah. Judges, 16 ‑ Solomon abandons himself to the love of women, his shameful weaknesses, 3 books. of Kings, 11. --Chastity of Joseph, Gen. 39 -from Suzanne, Dan. 13
D. What does the sixth commandment of God forbid?
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A. The sixth commandment of God forbids dishonest deeds and words, and generally anything that leads to lust., that is to say, to impurity.
D. What must be done to resist temptations over this sin?
A. We must promptly reject the first thoughts of it, have recourse to God in prayer, and flee from opportunities.
D. What are the most common occasions for this sin?
A. Idleness, the reading of bad books, balls, dances, comedies, dishonest pictures, bad company, association with persons of different sexes, and excesses in eating and drinking.
D. What are the consequences of this sin?
A. They are: for the soul, forgetfulness of God and of salvation, and usually final impenitence; for the body, often the ruin of health and premature death.
D. What are the means of correcting oneself from this unfortunate sin?
A. They are: fasting and prayer, frequentation of the sacraments, application to work, devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
Q. Must all Christians have a great horror of impure vice?
A. Yes, M., since they are members of J.‑C. and the temples of the Holy Spirit.
Examination of conscience on the sixth commandment: Reading bad books; bad looks; bad conversations; guilty dating; dangerous entertainment; criminal actions of any kind.
LESSON IX.
Of the Seventh Commandment of God.
THE GOOD OF OTHERS YOU SHALL NOT TAKE, NOR RETAIN TO YOUR SCIENTIST.
Punishment of thieves. Exodus, 21-Acham is stoned, Joshua, 7.Judas was a thief. John, 12.
D. What does God's seventh commandment forbid?
A. The seventh commandment of God forbids. 1° to take unjustly the property of others; 2° to keep it to our knowledge, that is to say, with knowledge.
D. What is taking someone else's property unjustly?
A. It is to seize what belongs to our neighbour, without his will and without his consent.
D. In what way does one take another's property unjustly?
A. They are seized by violence, by surprise, by fraud, by usury, etc.
D. Laborers and servants unjustly take the good of their neighbor, when they receive wages which they have not earned?
A. Yes, M., they are a real theft.
D. What is to retain for its own sake or with knowing the good of others?
A. It is to keep what one knows belongs to one's neighbour.
D. How do we most often retain the good of our neighbor?
A. 1° By not paying his debts; 2° by keeping a found object without looking for whose
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belongs; 3° by not returning ill-gotten property.
Q. Can't one cause damage to his neighbor without taking or retaining what belongs to him?
A. Yes, M., he can be wronged without deriving any benefit from it, for example, by destroying what belongs to him, or preventing him from acquiring the property he does not have.,
Q. Do we sin against the seventh commandment only when we commit these injustices ourselves?
A. We also sin when we take part in the sin of the one who commits them, for example, by ordering them or advising them, by helping to accomplish them, by harboring the stolen things, etc.
§
Q. To what are those who have caused damage to a neighbor or who possess what belongs to him obligated?
A. They are obliged to repair the damage they have caused and to return the property they own.
D. To whom should restitution be made?
A. To him to whom the wrong was done, and, if he is dead, to his heirs.
Q. If the wronged party or his heirs cannot be discovered, what is to be done with what is to be restored?
A. It must be used in good works, according to the advice of a wise confessor.
D. When do I have to return?
A. As soon as possible.
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D. What to do when you only have a part of what you are obliged to return?
A. You have to give back what you have, and be prepared to give back the rest as soon as you can.
Examination of conscience on the seventh commandment : Take what belongs to others; keep ill-gotten gains; cause damage; taking part in the injustices of others; do not return immediately.
LESSON X.
Of the Eighth Commandment of God.
FALSE TESTIMONY WILL NOT TELL OR LIE ANYTHING.
Punishment of old men who bear false witness against Suzanne
Daniel, 13. Lie of Ananias and Sapphire and their punishment, Act 5
D. What does God's eighth commandment forbid?
A. The eighth commandment of God forbids false witness, lying, backbiting, slander, and rash judgment.
D. What is perjury?
A. False testimony is a statement made before the judges against the truth.
D. Is false witness a great sin?
A. Yes, M., because it wounds truth, charity, justice and religion all at the same time.
D. What is a person who bears false witness obligated to do? ?
A. He is obliged to repair all the harm that his false testimony has caused.
D. What is lying?
A. To lie is to speak against one's mind, with the intention of deceiving.
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D. Is it sometimes permissible to lie?
A. No, M., it is never allowed to lie.
D. What is backbiting?
A. Gossip is to harm the reputation of a neighbor by unnecessarily making known his faults or faults.
D. What is slander?
A. To slander is to damage the reputation of a neighbor by imputing to him faults which he has not committed, or faults which he does not have.
Q. What difference is there then between backbiting and slandering?
A. One backbites, if the evil one says of one's neighbor is true, one slanders, if this evil is false.
Q. Is it a sin to willingly listen to backbiting and slander?
A. Yes, M., because it is approving and authorizing them.
D. What is judging rashly?
A. To judge rashly is to judge one's neighbor badly, without sufficient reason.
D. À what are those obligated who have ruined the reputation of their neighbor by their slander or their slander?
A. They are obliged to repair it by all legitimate means possible to them.
Q. Is it easy to repair the wrong one has done to one's neighbor by slander or slander?
A. No, M. that is very difficult, and that is what must make those who are guilty of these sins tremble.
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Examination of conscience on the eighth commandment: False testimony; lie; gossip; calumny; rash judgment; negligence to repair the consequences of false testimony, slander or slander.
LESSON XI.
Of the Ninth Commandment of God.
THE WORK OF THE FLESH WILL DESIRE IN MARRIAGE ONLY
We must fight the desires of the flesh, and be led by the spirit. Galatians, 5
Of the Tenth Commandment of God.
GOODS OF OTHERS SHALL NOT COVOTE, TO HAVE THEM UNJUSTLY.
It is difficult for the rich to enter heaven. Matth.19.- Parable of the rich man who wants to build granaries .-Luke, 12.‑AD. teaches that one need not worry about the necessities of life. Matt. 6.
D. What does the ninth commandment of God forbid?
A. The ninth commandment of God forbids all willful dishonest desires and thoughts.
D. What is the difference between a bad desire and a bad thought?
A. There is bad desire, when one would like to do evil, if it were possible; there is bad thought, when one only imagines the evil without wanting to do it.
D. Is a bad desire a sin, even when it is not carried out?
A. Yes, M., every bad desire is a sin, since one has, before God, the will to do evil.
D. Are bad thoughts sins?
A. Bad thoughts are sins if one dwells on them voluntarily and takes pleasure in them.
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D. Are bad thoughts resisted sins?
A. No, Mr.; it is a merit to resist it.
§
D. What does the tenth commandment of God forbid?
A. The tenth commandment of God forbids unjust desires for the good of others.
Q. Does one sin when one abstains from theft only through fear of men?
A. Yes, M., one is guilty before God who sees the heart.
D. Does the Tenth Commandment only forbid desiring another's good unjustly?
A. He still forbids us to have an unregulated desire for wealth and to attach ourselves to it.
Examination of conscience on the ninth and tenth commandment: Stop at impure desires; not pushing away bad thoughts; desiring to take the property of others; love excessively the goods of this world.
LESSON XII.
Commandments of the Church.
Anyone who does not listen to the Church must be regarded as a pagan. Matt. 18. When the Church speaks, it is the Holy Spirit who speaks through her. Act. 15-Corah, Datan, and Abiron perish, because they had risen up against Moses and Aaron. No. 16
D. Does the Church have the power to make commandments?
A. Yes, Mr.; AD gave this power to the first pastors of the Church, saying to them: Whoever listens to you listens to me, whoever despises you despises me.
D. Does the Church have the power to change its commandments?
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A. Yes, M., she can change them, according to the circumstances of times and places, and as much as she deems useful for the good government of souls.
D. What should be done when the commandments of the Church are not the same in all countries?
A. You have to comply with what is ordered in the country where you are.
D. For what purpose did the Church make its commandments?
A. It is in order to make us better observe the precepts of J.‑C. himself.
D. What should be done if the commandments of the Church cannot be kept?
A. It is necessary, as much as possible, to ask dispensation from it from its pastors.
D. How many commandments are there in the Church?
A. There are six main ones.
D. Recite the commandments of the Church.
A. The feasts thou shalt sanctify, etc. (See p. 11.)
§ 1
Of the First Commandment of the Church.
THE FEASTS YOU SHALL SANCTIFY WHO ARE IN COMMAND WITH YOU.
D. What does the first commandment of the Church command us to do?
A. The first commandment of the Church commands us to sanctify feast days of obligation such as Sundays.
D. How many feasts of obligation which may occur outside of Sundays ?
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A. In France there are only four feast days apart from Sundays.
D. What are these festivals?
A. These are Christmas, Ascension, Assumption and All Saints Day.
§II.
Of the Second Commandment of the Church.
ON SUNDAYS THE OUÏRAS MASS, AND HOLIDAYS ALSO.
The first Christians were assiduous in going to the Temple, in hearing what the Apostles taught and in praying. Acts, 2. They assembled on Sunday for the breaking of bread, that is to say, for the holy sacrifice. Act, 20.
D. What does the second commandment of the Church command us to do?
A. The second commandment of the Church commands us to assist at the holy sacrifice of the mass on Sundays and feasts of obligation.
D. What Mass does the Church primarily want people to attend on Sundays and feast days?
A. At the parish mass.
D. Why does the Church want us to attend parish Mass?
A. Because the parish mass is said for the parishioners, and one learns one's duties there from the mouth of one's own pastor.
Result of this lesson: Let us regard the laws of the Church as the very laws of God, and unless there are reasons for dispensation, let us submit to them with the same fidelity.
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LESSON XIII.
Of the Third Commandment of the Church.
CONFESS ALL YOUR SINS AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR.
Canon 21 of the Fourth General Lateran Council. Council of Trent, Session 14, chap. 5, Cannon 8.
D. What does the third commandment of the Church command us to do?
A. The third commandment of the Church commands us to confess our sins at least once each year, with the necessary provisions
Q. When must this confession be made?
A. It is appropriate to do it at Easter, so that it may serve as a preparation for Easter Communion.
Q. When you have been to confession for a long time, should you wait until the Easter fortnight to make your confession?
A. No, Mr.; it is advisable to prepare for it from the beginning of Lent.
Q. What should we think of those who go to confession only once a year?
A. It must be commonly thought that they are neglecting their salvation.
D. À at what age does one begin to be obliged to go to confession?
A. When one is able to offend God, and to know that one has offended him, that is to say, approximately at the age of seven years.
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§
Of the Fourth Commandment of the Church.
YOUR CREATOR YOU WILL RECEIVE, AT LEAST AT EASTER, HUMBLELY.
Canon 21 of the Fourth General Lateran Council. -- Council of Trent. Session 13, Canon 9.
D. What does the fourth commandment of the Church command us to do?
A. The fourth commandment of the Church commands us to take Holy Communion at least once each year, in the fortnight of Easter.
D. Where should Easter Communion take place?
A. Everyone must do it in his parish if he does not have permission to do it elsewhere.
Q. With what penalty does the Church threaten those who do not communicate at Easter?
A. It threatens to deprive them of entry into the Church during their lifetime, and of ecclesiastical burial after their death.
D. At what age do you have to take communion?
A. When one is in a position to prepare oneself well for it, and when the pastors judge that one is sufficiently instructed to do it with dignity.
Fruit of this lesson : Let us pray for the unfortunate Christians who, no longer approaching the Sacrament of Penance and the Holy Eucharist, live like excommunicated persons; let us pray above all for those who might belong to us by blood ties.
LESSON XIV.
Of the fifth Commandment of the Church.
CLOCKTIMES, VIGILS, FASTS, AND LENT ENTIRELY.
Fasting of Judith. Judith, 8; - of Esther. Esther, 4; of the Ninevites, Jonah, 3 of Saint John the Baptist. Matt 3 AD, fasting forty days in the desert. Matt 4.
D. What commands us the fifth commandment of the Church?
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A. The fifth commandment of the Church commands us to fast the forty days of Lent, the Ember Days of the year and the eve of certain major feasts.
D. Why was the Lenten fast instituted?
A. To make us imitate the fasting of Jesus Christ in the desert, and to prepare us to celebrate the feast of Easter worthily.
D. What are Ember Day fasts?
A. These are fasts that the Church prescribes from three months to three months, on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday of the same week.
D. Why were Ember Day fasts instituted?
A. To consecrate each season of the year by the penance of a few days.
D. Why are ordinations done on Ember Saturday?
A. The Church takes advantage of this public and solemn fast to ask God for good pastors.
D. Why was the feast eve fast instituted?
A. To prepare us to celebrate them well.
D. Who Are Those Obliged to Fastr ?
A. Those who are twenty-one years old, and who have no legitimate impediment.
D. Do you fast when you eat several meals in a day?
A. No, Mr.; To fast, you must have only one meal in a day.
D. Why, then, does the Church tolerate snacking on fast days?
A. She tolerates it as a relief from our weakness; but it doesn't have to be a meal.
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D. What foods should be served on fast days?
A. One must eat lean foods, even when one is not fasting.
Q. Are those who cannot lean, but can fast, obligated to fast?
A. Yes, M., they are strictly obliged to.
§
Of the Sixth Commandment of the Church.
FRIDAY FLESH DO NOT EAT, NOR ON SATURDAY EVEN
Abstinence of Daniel and his companions in the court of the king of Babylon. Daniel, 1 ‑ Martyrdom of several Israelites and of the seven Maccabean brothers, who do not want to defile themselves by eating forbidden meats. 4 lbs. of Machab., 1; 2, book. of the Machabs, 7.
D. What does the Sixth Commandment of the Church forbid us?
A. The sixth commandment of the Church forbids us to eat meat on Friday and Saturday.
D. Why does the Church forbid eating meat on Friday and Saturday?
A. In order to make us practice, every week, some works of penance for the expiation of our sins.
D. Why theÉdid the church choose Friday and Saturday for this abstinence?
A. She chose Friday, because of the death of J.‑C., and Saturday, in memory of his burial.
D. What end should we have in mind when we abstain and fast?
A. One must intend to satisfy God for the sins one has committed.
D. What should those do who, for legitimate reasons of infirmity, obtain a dispensation from abstinence or fasting?
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A. Since the Church cannot dispense them from doing penance, they must make up for abstinence and fasting by the mortification of their senses, by prayer and by almsgiving.
Result of this lesson: Let us offer to God the privations imposed on us by these two commandments of the Church as a light penance for our many sins.
LESSON XV.
Of Sin.
Tobias precepts to his son on the horror of sin. Tobias, 4 .- Suzanne resolved to die rather than offend God. Dan., 13.-- The holy old man Eleazar would rather lose his life than violate the law of God. 2 lbs. of the Machabs, 3.
D. What is Sin?
A. Sin is disobedience to the law of God.
D. Is it disobeying the law of God to disobey the Church?
A. Yes, M., since God commands us to obey the Church. (Matt., 18, 17.)
Q. Is it disobeying God as well as disobeying one's parents?
A. Yes, M., since God also commands us to obey our parents.
Q. Do we disobey God in the same way when we disobey civil laws?
A. Yes, M., one disobeys God by disobeying just laws, because it is from God that the leaders of society come with the power to make laws. (Rom. 13, 5.)
D. In how many ways can one sin?
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A. In four ways: by thoughts, by words, by actions and by omissions.
D. How do we sin by omission?
A. By not fulfilling its obligations, general or specific.
D. What do you mean by general obligations ?
A. I mean those which concern all men, such as worshiping God, not swearing in vain, etc.
D. What do you mean by specific obligations?
A. I mean what is called the duties of his state, such as those of schoolboy, servant, artisan, merchant, master, judge, married person, etc.
Q. Is it of great importance to learn the duties of one's state?
A. Yes, M., for negligence on this point is the source of many sins.
D. Does one sin by doing something which one believes to be forbidden, although it is not?
A. Yes, M., because then, acting against one's conscience, one has, before God, the will to sin.
§
Of mortal sin and venial sin.
D. How many kinds of sins can one commit?
A. Two kinds of sin can be committed, which are: mortal sin and venial sin.
D. What is mortal sin?
A. Mortal sin is what makes us
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losing sanctifying grace, and which makes us worthy of eternal damnation.
D. Why is it called mortal ?
A. It is because he gives spiritual death to our soul, and he deserves hell, which is called eternal death..
D. When is a sin mortal?
A. It is when the matter of sin is considerable, and there is perfect consent.
D. Does one mortal sin cause the grace of God to be lost?
A. Yes, M., one mortal sin loses the grace of God and merits hell.
Q. So we must fear mortal sin?
A. Yes, M., more than all the evils of this world.
D. What is venial sin ?
A. Venial sin is that which weakens sanctifying grace in us, and renders us worthy of temporal or passing pains.
D. When is a sin venial?
A. It is when the matter of sin is slight, or when the consent is imperfect.
D. Should venial sin be avoided with great care?
A. Yes, M., because venial sin displeases God, leads to mortal sin, and merits punishment in this world or the next.
Result of this lesson: Let us conceive for mortal sin such a horror that its name alone makes us shudder. All the evils of this world put together are nothing compared to one mortal sin.
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LESSON XVI.
DEADLY SINS.
Pride
Pride punished in the person of Haman. Esther 7; - of Nebuchadonosor, Dan., 4;- of Balthazar. Dan., 5.- of Antiochus. 2 lbs. of the Machab. 11. -of Herod Agrippa, Act., 2.
Examples of humility in the person of the Blessed Virgin. Luke, 1; of Saint John the Baptist. John, 1; - of J.‑C. throughout the gospel.
D. How many deadly sins are there?
A. There are seven: pride, avarice, lust, envy, gluttony, anger and laziness.
D. Why are they called capital?
A. Because each of them is the source of several other sins.
D. What is Pride?
A. Pride is an unbalanced self-esteem, as if we had not received everything from God.
D. What is the opposite virtue to pride?
A. It is humility, which teaches us to bring all glory to God.
§ 1
Of Avarice, Lust and Envy.
Greed punished in the person of Achan, Joshua 7;‑of Nabal 1 Book of Kings. 25‑;of the traitor Judas. Mark, 14.
On Lust, see the examples cited in the Sixth Commandment of God. page 111.
Evil effects of Envy in the person of Cain. Gen., 4 et seq.- of the brothers of Joseph. Gen., 27; - of Saul against David 1. book. of Kings, 18 et seq..
D. What is Avarice?
A. Avarice is an unregulated love of earthly goods and principally of money.
D. What is the opposite virtue to avarice?
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A. It is disinterestedness and detachment from the goods of this world.
D. What is Lust?
A. Lust is the vice of impurity, which, according to St. Paul, should not even be named among Christians.
D. What is the opposite virtue to lust?
A. It is chastity, which separates us from forbidden pleasures and regulates those which are permitted.
D. What is Envy?
A. Envy is a pain we feel for our neighbour's advantages.
D. What is the opposite virtue to envy?
A. It is fraternal charity, which makes us rejoice with those who rejoice, and grieve with those who mourn (Rom., XII, 15.)
§ 2
Gluttony, Anger and Laziness.
Gluttony punished in the person of the Israelites. Num., 11-. AD teaches to beware of intemperance and drunkenness, Luke.21
Evil effects of Anger in the person of Esau against Jacob. Gen. 27, -of Saul against Ahimelech. 1. book. of Kings 22.
Our first parents condemned to work. Gen 3. - Parable of the ten Virgins and the servants to whom the master distributed talents Matt., 25.
D. What is Gourmandise?
A. Gluttony is an uncontrolled love of eating and drinking.
Q. Is it a great sin to get drunk?
A. Yes, M., since drunkenness, by making man like beasts, dishonors in him the image of God.
D. What is the opposite virtue to gluttony and drunkenness?
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A. It is temperance, which regulates the quantity of food and drink according to the true needs of life.
D. What is Anger?
A. Anger is a violent movement of our soul which leads us to reject what offends us.
D. What is the opposite virtue to anger?
A. It is gentleness, which makes us maintain calm and patience in the midst of difficulties and contradictions.
D. What is Sloth?
A. Laziness is a willful disgust of the soul which makes us neglect our duties.
D. What is the opposite virtue to laziness?
A. It is the love of work and fidelity to all our duties, however difficult they may be.
Fruit of this lesson : Let us try to discover which among the capital sins is the one that dominates in us; let us then attack him as our greatest enemy, by daily doing some acts of the contrary virtue.
THIRD PART.
GRACE, SACRAMENTS, AND PRAYER.
LESSON I.
Of Grace.
If anyone loves me and keeps my commandments, my father and I will abide in him (John XIV, 23.)
Let him who is holy be holy still (Revelation XX11. 11). Let Him who is standing beware of falling. (1, Cor. X, 12)
D. Can we believe and practice Christian doctrine on our own?
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A. No, M., to believe it and to practice it, we need the help of grace.
D. What is Grace?
A. Grace is a supernatural gift that God bestows on us by his pure goodness, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, to make us work out our salvation.
D. How many kinds of graces are there?
A. There are two kinds: habitual or sanctifying grace, and actual grace.
D. What is habitual or sanctifying grace?
A. Habitual or sanctifying grace is that which makes us holy before God.
D Why is it called habitual?
A. Because it is preserved in us, even when our will is not acting, for example, in sleep.
D. Can sanctifying grace grow and increase?
A. Yes, M., it increases through the reception of the sacraments and through our fervor for good.
Q. Can it be weakened in us?
A. Yes, M., by our lukewarmness and by venial sin.
Q. Can it even get completely lost?
A. Yes, M., unfortunately: one loses this precious treasure through mortal sin.
D. What are the great benefits of sanctifying grace?
A. It makes us the friends of God, and makes all our actions meritorious for heaven when they are done with a view to pleasing God.
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Current grace.
Without me you can do nothing, John XV 5. ‑‑‑God works in us to will and to do (Philip. 11. 13.) ‑ You resist St. Mind. Act. VII, 51.) I called you and you refused to come, (Prov. 1, 24.)
D. What is actual Grace?
A. Actual grace is a passing help by which God excites us and helps us to do good or to avoid evil.
D. Give me an example of actual grace.
A. The thought, for example, of renouncing sin, giving alms, praying better, etc.
D. Does God give actual graces even to sinners and unbelievers?
A. Yes, M., because he wants the salvation of all men.
D. Does God always grant us the graces we need?
A. Yes, M., he always gives us at least the grace of prayer, with which we can obtain all the graces we need.
D. Can we do anything for heaven without grace?
A. No, M, , we can do nothing for heaven without the help of grace.
D. Are we free to follow the movement of grace or to resist it?
A. Yes, M., without this freedom we would have no merit.
D. What is the action by which we follow the movement of grace called?
A. It is called grace cooperation.
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D. Can the present pardon be rendered useless?
A. Yes, M., by resisting his inspirations.
D. How does one obtain habitual and actual grace?
A. It is obtained through the sacraments and through prayer.
Result of this lesson: 1° Let us ask God earnestly for his grace since we can do nothing without it; 2° let us never be proud of our good works, since it is by grace that we do them.
LESSON II.
Sacraments in general.
The Circumcision, Gen., 17; -purifications, Levit. 74; Num., 19; the showbread, Exodus, 25;‑the Passover lamb, Exodus 12-‑the sacrifices, Levit. 3 - the consecration of the Priests and Levites, Exodus, 20, were figures of the Sacraments of the New Law.
D. What is a Sacrament?
A. A sacrament is a sensible sign of grace, instituted by N.-SJ-C., to sanctify us.
D. How many sacraments are there?
A. There are seven: Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Eucharist, Extreme Unction, Orders and Marriage.
Q. Why do you say that the sacraments are signs?
A. The sacraments are signs, because they signify or make known an invisible grace which they produce in our soul.
Q. Why do you say these signs are sensitive?
A. Because they are made up of things we see and words we hear.
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D. Why do you say that the sacraments were instituted by Our Lord AD ?
A. Because he alone, by his omnipotence, could give sensible things the virtue of producing grace.
D. Why do you say that the sacraments were instituted to sanctify us?
A. Because some have been instituted to give sanctifying grace to those who are deprived of it, and others to increase this same grace in those who already possess it.
D. What sacraments are instituted to impart sanctifying grace?
A. There are two: Baptism and Penance.
D. What sacraments are instituted to increase sanctifying grace?
A. There are five, namely: Confirmation, Eucharist, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders and Marriage.
§
D. Do the sacraments produce grace by themselves?
A. Yes, M., by virtue of the institution of J.-C.
D. Do they produce grace in all who receive them?
A. They produce it in those who put no obstacle to it.
D. How is the grace of the sacraments impeded?
A. When they are received with bad intentions.
Q. Is it a great sin to receive the sacraments with a bad disposition?
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A Yes, M., it is a great sin, which is called sacrilege.
Q. What do you mean by sacrilege?
A. I mean the desecration of a holy thing.
D. Can one receive the sacraments several times?
A. Yes, M., except for Baptism, Confirmation and Orders, which can only be received once.
D. Why can one receive these three sacraments only once?
A. Because they impress on our soul an indelible character, which consecrates us to God in a particular way.
Result of this lesson: Jesus Christ has provided through the sacraments for the different needs of the spiritual life of each of us: by baptism we are born into this life, we are confirmed in it by confirmation; the Eucharist is a divine nourishment which sustains it; penance resuscitates to this divine life those who have had the misfortune to die in it; finally extreme unction is a special help to make us pass from the life of grace to the life of glory. What gratitude does not deserve the goodness of Jesus Christ, who offers us resources so multiplied and so well suited to all our needs!
LESSON III.
From Baptism.
Passage of the Red Sea, figure of Baptism. Exodus 14. Naaman cured of leprosy 4Book. of the Kings 5- Baptism of JC, Matth .3- JC commands his disciples to go and teach and baptize all your nations. Matt. 28.
D. What is Baptism?
A. Baptism is a sacrament which effaces original sin, and which makes us children of God and of the Church.
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D. Does baptism only erase original sin?
A. It also erases the sins that one would have committed before baptism.
D. Is baptism necessary to be saved?
A. Yes, M., because it is through baptism that we become members of J.‑C., which alone can save us.
D. Children Who Die Without Baptism Will Not Be Saved ?
A. No, M., they will never see God for all eternity.
D. Can baptism not be supplanted when it is impossible to receive it?
A. Yes, M., it can be supplemented by martyrdom, which is called baptism of blood, or by an act of charity, with the desire to be baptized, which is called baptism of desire.
D. Can anyone baptize?
A. It belongs only to bishops and priests to give baptism; but, in case of necessity, anyone can and must baptize.
D. How is baptism given?
A. Natural water is poured on the head of the person being baptized, saying: I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. So be it.
D. On which part of the body should the water be poured?
A. It must be poured over the head, or, if this cannot be done, over one of the most notable parts of the body.
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Q. If the water touched only the clothes or the surface of the hair, would the baptism be good?
A. No, M., it would not be good.
Q. Can the water be poured out and then the words spoken?
A. No, M., you have to pronounce the words at the same time as you pour the water.
§
Baptismal promises
D. Does the one who receives baptism make any promises to God?
A. Yes, M., he promises to believe all the mysteries of our faith, to renounce the devil, his pomps and his works.
Q. What do you mean by the pumps of the devil?
A. I mean the dangerous vanities and pleasures of the world.
Q. What do you mean by the works of the devil?
A. I mean sin and the corrupt maxims of the age.
D. What are the corrupt maxims of the age renounced in baptism?
A. It is, for example, that one must follow one's inclinations, think only of one's pleasures and the interests of this life, etc.
Q. What are, on the contrary, the evangelical maxims that one undertakes to follow?
A. It is because one must fight one's bad inclinations, mortify oneself, think above all of one's salvation, etc.
D. How can children do these
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promises, not yet having the use of reason?
A. Their godfathers and godmothers make them for them.
D. What are the obligations of godfathers and godmothers?
A. They must take care, if necessary, of the instruction of the one whom they have presented for baptism.
D. How should one prepare for baptism when one has the use of reason?
A. We must prepare for it by acts of faith, hope, charity and contrition.
Fruit of this lesson : Baptism frees us from the yoke of Satan; He makes us adoptive children of God the Father, brothers of Jesus Christ, temples of the Holy Spirit, heirs to the celestial kingdom, he gives us, with the title of children of the Church, the right to participate to all the spiritual goods of which Jesus Christ has made it the depositary. How many reasons to love him who has warned us of such great graces, when we could not even ask for them!
LESSON IV.
Of Confirmation.
St. Peter and St. John lay hands on the Faithful in Samaria, Acts, 8., -St. Paul lays hands on the Faithful in Ephesus, and they receive the Holy Spirit. Act., 19.
D. What is Confirmation?
A. Confirmation is a sacrament that gives us the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in faith.
D. How does confirmation strengthen us in faith?
A. It is by imparting to us the fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
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D. How many gifts of the Holy Spirit are there?
A. There are seven: the gift of wisdom, intelligence, counsel, strength, knowledge, piety and fear.
D. Have we not received the Holy Spirit and his gifts in baptism?
A. Yes, Mr.; but we receive them in confirmation with greater abundance and for particular effect.
D. For what special effect is the Holy Spirit given to us in confirmation?
A. It is to fortify us against the fear of persecutions and against the bad shame of human respect.
D. What do you mean by human respect?
A. I mean the shameful weakness of those who blush to publicly fulfill the duties of religion.
D. Is it absolutely necessary to receive confirmation in order to be saved?
A. No, M., one can be saved without being confirmed.
Q. Wouldn't one be culpable, however, if he neglected to receive the confirmation?
A. Yes, M., especially in our day, when faith and piety are exposed to such violent temptations.
D. What provisions are necessary to receive confirmation worthily?
A. One must know the principal mysteries of the faith, and be in a state of grace.
D. What special preparation should be made for confirmation?
A. A keen sense of our need for the Holy Spirit, and a strong desire to receive it.
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Confirmation ceremonies.
D. Who gives the Sacrament of Confirmation?
A. They are the bishops.
D. How does the bishop give the sacrament of confirmation?
A. He first lays his hands on those to be confirmed, and then he anoints the forehead of each of them with holy chrism, in the form of a cross,
D. What does the laying on of hands by the bishop mean?
A. This laying on of hands means that the Holy Spirit will descend with his gifts on all who are willing.
D. What is holy chrism?
A. Holy chrism is olive oil mixed with balsam, which the bishop solemnly consecrates on Holy Thursday.
D. What does the oil signify in confirmation?
A. Oil signifies the sweetness and strength of grace which the Holy Spirit pours into the soul to cause us to practice religion.
D. What does balsam mixed with oil mean?
A. The balm means the good smell of J.‑C., that is to say, the virtues of which a confirmed Christian must give the example everywhere.
D. Why does the bishop do this anointing on the forehead in the form of a cross?
A. It is to signify that a confirmed Christian should never blush at the cross of J.‑C.
D. Why does the bishop give a slap to the one he has confirmed?
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A. It is to mark that a confirmed Christian must be ready to suffer all kinds of affronts and tortures for the faith of J.‑C.
D. Should we be present when the bishop lays on hands?
A. Yes, M., one must be present there, and only withdraw after having received his blessing.
Result of this lesson: Confirmation Imprints Soldier Character of Jesus Christ on Our Souls. A confirmed Christian who blushes for the service of Jesus Christ is nothing more than a cowardly and deserter soldier, worthy of all contempt and all punishment.
LESSON V.
Of the Sacrament of Penance.
Penance of Manasseh 2 Para, 33; -of the Ninevites Jonah 3. -False penance of Saul. 1 Book. of Kings, 15; - of Antiochus. 2. Machab. 9, J.‑C. empowers the Apostles to forgive sins. John, 20
D. What is the Sacrament of Penance?
A The sacrament of penance is a sacrament that remits sins committed after baptism.
D. Is the sacrament of penance necessary?
A. Yes, M., it is necessary for all who have had the misfortune to fall into mortal sin since baptism.
D. When did our Lord establish the Sacrament of Penance?
A. It was when he said to his Apostles: Receive the Holy Spirit, sins will be forgiven those to whom you forgive them, and those to whom you retain them will be retained. (John, 20, 23.)
D. Was the power to forgive and retain sins given only to the Apostles?
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A. It was given, in the person of the Apostles, to bishops and priests.
D. What are the words with which the priest forgives sins called?
A. They are called absolution.
D. Do we receive the sacrament of penance every time we go to confession?
A. One receives the sacrament of penance only when one receives absolution.
D. Does absolution forgive the sins of all who receive it?
A. No, Mr.; for absolution to forgive sins, it is necessary:
1° May he who receives it have contrition for his sins;
2° That he makes, as much as he can, the confession;
3° That he is disposed to accomplish the satisfaction that will be imposed on him.
Result of this lesson: The ingrate who has betrayed the oaths of his baptism deserves to be abandoned helplessly; However, Jesus Christ offers him, to escape eternal shipwreck, the board of penance. What mercy! Can we ever thank him enough?
LESSON VI.
Of Contrition.
The Sinner at the feet of N. 5. J.‑C. Luke, 7. ‑‑ The prodigal son returns to his father, asks his forgiveness and obtains it. Luke, 15 -true contrition of the Publican; false contrition of the Pharisee. Luke, 18.
D. What is Contrition?
A. Contrition is a pain and a detestation of the sin that one has committed, with a firm intention not to fall back into it again.
D. What qualities must contrition have to be good?
A. Contrition must be interior, supernatural, universal and sovereign.
Q. What do you mean when you say contrition must be interior?
A. I hear that it must come from the bottom of my heart.
Q. What do you mean when you say contrition must be supernatural?
A. I mean that it must be stirred up in us by the movement of the Holy Spirit, and conceived by some of the motives which faith proposes to us.
Q. What do you mean when you say that contrition must be universal?
A. I mean that the sinner must repent at least of all his mortal sins without exception.
Q. What do you mean when you say that contrition must be sovereign?
A. I mean that the sinner must be more sorry for having offended God than for all the evils that could befall him.
D. Is contrition absolutely necessary?
A. Yes, M., it is so necessary that without it one cannot obtain the forgiveness of one's sins.
D. .Why can't we get forgiveness for our sins without contrition?
A. Because without contrition there is no change of heart.
D. What must be done to have good contrition?
A. We must first ask God for it fervently, since he alone can give it to us.
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D. What should be done after asking God for contrition?
A. We must reflect on the supernatural motives proper to excite it.
D. How many supernatural motives are there to excite contrition?
A. There are four main ones.
D. What is the first motive for contrition?
A. It is God's infinite goodness and perfection that sin outrages.
D. What is the second reason for contrition?
A. It is the passion and the death of J.‑C., of which sin was the cause.
D. What is the third reason for contrition?
A. These are the blessings with which God has showered us, despite our ingratitude towards him..
D. What is the fourth reason for contrition?
A. It is the happiness of heaven, which sin makes us lose, and the torments of hell, which it makes us deserve.
§
Of Perfect and Imperfect Contrition.
D. How many kinds of contrition are there?
A. There are two kinds: perfect contrition and imperfect contrition, which is called attrition.
Q. What do you mean by perfect contrition?
A. I mean that which is excited in us by the motive of the love of God.
Q. What do you mean by imperfect contrition?
A. I mean that which is excited in us by a motive less perfect than the love of God, for example, by the fear of hell.
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Q. Must these two kinds of contrition have the four qualities of which we have already spoken?
A. Yes M., they must both be interior, supernatural, universal and sovereign.
D. Do perfect contrition and imperfect contrition produce the same effects?
A. No, Mr.; perfect contrition forgives sins even before one has received absolution, while imperfect contrition disposes only to receive the remission of one's sins by absolution.
Q. What contrition should one excite if one were unable to receive absolution?
A. One should excite oneself to perfect contrition, that is to say, to hate one's sins, above all because they outrage God, whose infinite goodness deserves all our love.
D. Does perfect contrition dispense with going to confession when possible?
A. No, M., for perfect contrition only justifies us with the desire for absolution.
D. Is imperfect contrition sufficient with absolution to obtain remission of our sins?
A. Yes, M provided that it contains at least a beginning of God's love.
§ 2
Firm words
D. What disposition does true contrition inspire in us for the future?
A. Firm words, that is to say the resolution
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determined not to fall back into sin.
D. How can we know that we have a firm intention not to fall back into sin?
A. We know it above all, when we work to overcome our bad habits, and when, in order to succeed, we observe what has been prescribed by an enlightened confessor.
Q. What do you mean by bad habits?
A. I mean the ease of falling into certain sins to which one is accustomed, such as blaspheming, getting drunk, sinning against purity, etc.
D. What must be done to correct bad habits?
A. One must watch carefully over oneself, pray much, and avoid all near occasions of sin.
D. What do you mean by the coming occasions of sin?
A. I mean what ordinarily leads us to sin, and which puts us in immediate danger of committing it, for example, bad company.
D. Are we obligated to avoid the coming occasions of sin?
A. Yes, M., otherwise we would inevitably get lost.
Q. Isn't it enough to renounce sin, without renouncing to see the people with whom we ordinarily commit it?
A. No, M., because, as the Holy Spirit teaches us, he who loves peril will certainly perish in it.
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D. What should we think of a person who goes to confession often and does not change his life?
A. There is great reason to fear that she does not have firm words.
D. Make an act of contrition.
A. My God, etc. (See page 20.)
Q. Is it enough to utter an act of contrition by mouth?
A. No, M., contrition must come from the bottom of the heart.
D. When is it principally necessary to make an act of contrition?
A. It's when you go to confession, or when you're in danger of death.
D. Is it good to do it every night before going to bed?
A. Yes, M., so that death does not surprise us in poor condition.
Result of this lesson: When we approach the Sacrament of Penance, our main application should be to detach our hearts from sin by sincere repentance, and to work for the earnest improvement of our lives.
LESSON VII.
Of Confession.
David confesses his sins before Nathan, and obtains forgiveness, 2. book. of Kings, 12. Ezra confesses his sins and those of the people, and renews the covenant with God. 1 lb. of Esdras, 9 and 10. John the Baptist preaches penance; the inhabitants of Judea go to him and accuse each other of their sins. Matth., 3., Mark, 4. ‑The Faithful of Ephesus confess and atone for their sins. Act. 19.
D. What is Confession?
A. Confession is an accusation of all one's sins made to an approved priest, to obtain absolution.
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D. Who established the confession?
A. It is NSJ‑C. himself, by giving priests the power to remit or retain sins.
Q. Can't priests exercise this power without confession?
A. No, M., since they cannot remit or retain sins without knowing them, and they can only know them by confession.
D. What conditions must the confession day have to be good?
A. Confession must be humble, sincere and whole.
Q. What do you mean when you say confession should be humble?
A. I mean that one must accuse one's sins with great confusion of having offended God.
Q. What do you mean when you say the confession must be sincere?
A. I mean that one should neither excuse nor exaggerate one's sins.
Q. What do you mean when you say that the confession must be complete?
A. I mean that one must at least accuse oneself of all the mortal sins one has committed, declaring their number and the considerable circumstances.
Q. Would anyone hiding a mortal sin make a good confession?
A. No, M., he would commit a horrible sacrilege even if this sin were only a sin of thought.
Q. What would he be obligated to do?
A. To recommence his confession, and to accuse in particular the crime which he committed in concealing his sin.
D. If you doubt that you have committed some serious sin, what should you do?
A. You must explain your doubt to the confessor.
§ 1
D. Is it not enough to say that one has fallen into such a sin, for example, that one has sworn, without saying how many times one has fallen into it?
A. No M., we are obliged to say, as much as we can, how many times we have fallen into sin.
Q. If one has had the misfortune to commit habitual sins of which one cannot say the number, how should one accuse oneself of them?
A. You have to say approximately how many times they were committed per day, per week or per month.
D. Why are we required to tell the number of our sins?
A. Because, if we did not acknowledge the number of our sins, the confessor would not know sufficiently the state of our conscience.
D. What are the considerable circumstances of his sins which must be declared?
A. They are those which change its species, or which notably increase its malice.
D. Give me an example of circumstances which change the species of sin.
A. For example, if one steals something consecrated to God, one is not only stealing, one is committing sacrilege.
D. Give me some example of circum
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-stanzas which notably increase the malice of sin without changing its species?
A. For example, if one speaks dishonest words in front of a large number of people, one commits a notably greater sin than if it is in front of a few people.
D. What should those do who have overlooked some mortal sin in their confession?
A. They must acknowledge themselves in the next confession.
§ 2
examination of conscience
D. By what means can one know one's sins?
A. By means of the examination of conscience.
D. What is the examination of conscience?
A. It is an exact investigation of the sins that one has committed.
D. What care should be taken to carry out the examination?
A. You have to take the same care that you would take on a matter of great importance.
D. How should this test be done?
A. We must ask God for light to know our sins, and then find out what we have sinned by thoughts, words, actions and omissions.
D. On what should one examine one's conscience?
A. On the commandments of God and of the Church, on the seven deadly sins and on the duties of his state.
D. What do you need to remember to do this test well?
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A. You have to remember the people you have known, the affairs you have had, and the bad habits to which you are subject.
Q. Is it absolutely necessary to examine one's conscience before confessing?
A. Yes, M., because if one fails in this examination, one risks making a bad confession.
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Way to confess
D. What should we do when we are at the feet of the priest to confess?
A. You have to make the sign of the cross and say: My father, bless me, because I have sinned.
D. What should be done after asking for the blessing of the confessor?
A. You have to recite the I confess, up to mea culpa ; or in French: I confess to God, up to my fault.
D. What should be done after reciting the I confess to mea culpa ?
A. You must say: 1° for how long you have been at confession; 2° if one has received absolution; 3° if one failed in one's penance; 4° if one has forgotten or concealed some sin in his previous confessions.
Q. When we have said what concerns his last confession, what should we do?
A. One must accuse oneself of the sins one has had the misfortune to commit since this last confession.
D. In what order should one accuse oneself of sins committed since the last confession?
A. In the very order of the examination that we
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had to do on the commandments of God and the Church, on the seven capital sins and on the duties of his state.
D. Can we make known by confessing the sins of others?
A. No, M., we must avoid, as much as possible, making known to the confessor the persons who may have part in the sins of which we accuse ourselves.
D. When we have accused ourselves of remembered sins, what should we add?
A. It must be added: I still accuse myself of all the other sins which I do not remember, and of those of all my past life; I ask forgiveness from God, and from you, my father, penance and absolution (1), if you deem me capable of it.
D. What should be done after this general accusation of his sins?
A. You have to finish the Confiteor, and listen with respect to the advice that the confessor sees fit to give us.
D. What should be done while the confessor is giving absolution?
A. One must excite oneself to contrition, and make it an act.
D. What should be done when the confessor sees fit to defer absolution?
A. One must submit with docility to the judgment of the confessor.
D. How should one prepare to receive absolution, when it is deferred?
(1) If one had not prepared to receive absolution, instead of saying: And to you, my father, penance and absolution, if you judge me capable of it, one would say: And to you, my father, penance and your blessing
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A. One must prepare oneself for it by the exact practice of what the confessor has prescribed or advised.
§IV.
From General Confession.
D. What is General Confession?
A. The general confession is an accusation of all the sins that one has committed since the age of reason, or for a considerable time.
D. Is it good to make a general confession?
A. Yes, M., it is good and even sometimes it is necessary to make a general confession.
D. When is it absolutely necessary to make a general confession?
A. It is when our previous confessions were invalid or sacrilegious.
D. What Ordinarily Makes Confessions Null or Sacrilegious?
A. It is, 1° ignorance of the principal mysteries of the faith; (2) failure to examine; 3° the lack of sincerity in the confession; 4° lack of contrition and firmness.
Result of this lesson: Si we were tempted to hide in our confession some serious sin, think of the confusion that awaits us on the day of universal judgment, when this sin will be exposed before all men.
LESSON VIII.
Satisfaction.
God forgives the Israelites their sin, and condemns them to spend 40 years in the desert. Num. 14‑‑ David's satisfaction after his forgiven sin 2 books. of Kings 12; 1 of the paralipom, 21, Zacchaeus satisfies God and the next Luke, 19.
D. What is Satisfaction?
A. Satisfaction is the fulfillment of
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the penance that the priest imposed on us.
D. Are we obliged to perform the penance that the priest has imposed on us?
A. Yes, M., we are obliged to do so under penalty of sin, and it must be done as soon as possible.
D. After being forgiven of our sins, are we still obligated to satisfy God?
A. Yes, M., because after the sins are remitted, with the eternal punishment due to them, all the temporal punishment is not ordinarily remitted.
D. Why does God, in remitting eternal punishment, not also remit temporal punishment?
A. He does so out of justice and kindness, in order to make us fear more the misfortune of offending him.
Q. Should we limit ourselves to accomplishing the penance that the priest has imposed on us?
A. No, M., it is often too light to fully pay the temporal penalties due to our sins.
D. Do we have a great interest in satisfying, in this life, the justice of God for the temporal penalties due to our sins?
A. Yes, M., we thereby save ourselves many years of suffering in purgatory.
D. What must we do to fully satisfy God's justice?
A. We must add other works of penance to those which the priest has imposed on us.
D. What are these works of penance?
A. These are prayer, fasting, almsgiving, work etc.
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D. Do we not satisfy the justice of God by the pains and evils that God sends us?
A. Yes, M., when we suffer them with patience and resignation.
Q. Do all our satisfactions derive their strength and virtue from our merits?
A. No M.. they derive their strength and their virtue from the merits and satisfaction of J.‑C.
D. The satisfaction of J.‑C. does it not exempt us from satisfying ourselves for our sins?
A. No, M., because J.‑C. he himself threatened with eternal death those who would not do penance.
D. Are we not obliged to satisfy the next one?
A. Yes, M., when he was wronged.
Q. How does one satisfy the next?
A. It is by repairing the wrong that has been done to him in his person, in his honor or in his property.
§ 1
Indulgences and the Jubilee.
Indulgence granted by St. Paul to the sinner of Corinth. (1 Cor.)
D. Can't the Church supply part of the satisfaction we owe God for our sins?
A. Yes M., she can through indulgences.
D. What is indulgence?
A. Indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishments which our sins merit.
D. How many kinds of indulgences are there?
A. Of two kinds: the plenary indulgence and the non-plenary or partial indulgence.
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D. What is a plenary indulgence?
A. The plenary indulgence is that which forgives all the temporal penalties due to our sins.
D. What is a non-full or partial indulgence?
A. A non-plenary indulgence is one that forgives only part of the temporal penalties due to our sins.
D. Why does the Church grant partial indulgences of 40 days, 7 years, etc.?
A. It is in remembrance of penances of the same number of days or years that were imposed in the past for certain sins.
D. What do these partial indulgences remand?
A. They remit the same amount of temporal punishments as those old penances of 40 days, 7 years, etc.
D. What is the most solemn indulgence?
A. It is the jubilee.
D. What is the Jubilee?
A. The jubilee is an extraordinary indulgence granted by the Pope to all the faithful, with certain particular privileges.
D. By what power does the Church grant indulgences?
A. By the power she received from J.‑C., when he said to his Apostles: What you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Matt., 18, 18)
D. Who has the power to grant indulgences?
A. The pope throughout the Church, and the bishops in their dioceses.
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Q. Is it the intention of the Church to relieve us, by indulgences, of the obligation to satisfy God?
A. No, M., the intention of the Church is to grant indulgences only to those who endeavor to satisfy the justice of God on their side.
D. What must be done to earn indulgences?
A. One must do what is prescribed by him who bestows them, and be truly penitent for all one's sins.
D. Do all the faithful equally receive the effect of indulgences?
A. No, M., each receives its effect only in proportion to his dispositions.
Q. So it can happen that a plenary indulgence is only imperfectly won?
A. Yes, M., when one does not have all the dispositions that such a great pardon would require.
Q. Can indulgences be earned for souls in purgatory?
A. Yes, M., when the grantor declares that they can be applied to them.
Fruit of this lesson : Let us do as many works of satisfaction as we can, and add to them all the indulgences we can earn: this is the practice of a true Christian who thinks of the multitude of his debts and the severity of divine justice. .
LESSON IX.
Of the Eucharist.
Manna given to the Israelites, figure of the Eucharist. Exodus 16 - Promise of the Eucharist. John 6 – Institution of the Eucharist, Matt. 26; Mark, 14; Luke 22; Corinth 1.
D. What is the Eucharist?
A. The Eucharist is a sacrament which con
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- actually and in truth holds the body, blood, soul and divinity of NSJ-C, under the species or appearances of bread and wine.
D. How did Our Lord institute the sacrament of the Eucharist?
A. On the eve of his death, he took bread, and having blessed it, he distributed it to his Apostles, saying to them: Take and eat; this is my body. Then taking the chalice, he gave it to them, saying: Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood.
D. What a miracle J.‑C. he said with these words: This is my body; this is my blood?
A. He changed by his omnipotence the bread and the wine into his body and his blood, as he had formerly changed the water into wine.
Had DNS announced in advance the institution of this august sacrament?
A. Yes, M., he had promised his disciples to give them his flesh to eat and his blood to drink.
DJ‑C. did he not give to his Apostles and, in their person, to the bishops and to the priests, the power to change the bread and the wine into his body and his blood?
A. Yes, Mr.; for NS added: Do this in memory of me; and Saint Paul teaches us that this sacrament will subsist in the Church until J.‑C. come back, that is to say, until the last judgment. (1 Cor., XI, 26.)
Q. Can we understand how the change from bread and wine to J.C.'s body and blood takes place in the Eucharist?
A. No, Mr.; but neither do we understand how the food we take changes into our own body.
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D. Has it always been believed that J.‑C. is really present in the Eucharist?
A. Yes, Mr.; this truth is taught by the most ancient doctors of the Church and it has always been believed by Christians, even by ancient heretics and schismatics.
§ 1
D. What is the change that is made from bread and wine to the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ called?
A. It is called transubstantiation, that is, change of one substance into another substance.
D. Is there no bread and wine left in the Eucharist?
A. No, M., there is neither bread nor wine: only the species or appearances remain.
Q. What do you mean by the kinds or appearances of bread and wine?
A. I mean what strikes our senses, such as color, shape and taste.
D. When the change from bread and wine to the body and blood of J.‑C. ?
A. It is done at Mass, at the time of the consecration, when the priest pronounces the very words of J.‑C. saying over the bread, This is my body, and over the wine, This is my blood.
D. What is the difference between a consecrated host and a crucifix?
A. It is that our Lord is really and substantially in a consecrated host, whereas the crucifix is only his image and his figure.
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§ 2
D. Why did our Lord Jesus Christ institute the Eucharist?
R. 1° To dwell bodily with us; 2nd, to continue among us the sacrifice he offered on the cross; 3° to be food for our souls.
DJ‑C. does he leave heaven to remain bodily with us in the Eucharist?
R No, M., J.‑C., by a miracle of his omnipotence, is at the same time in heaven and in the Eucharist.
D. What are our duties towards J.‑C. remaining with us in the Eucharist?
A. It is to visit him there with love and to adore him there.
Q. Aren't there particular circumstances in which it is above all appropriate to render this duty to him?
A, Yes, M., it is when there is an exposition or blessing of the Blessed Sacrament.
D. What should be done when one encounters a priest who brings the Holy Eucharist to a sick person?
A. You have to kneel respectfully. It would then be good, if possible, to accompany the Blessed Sacrament to the house of the sick.
Result of this lesson: Since our Lord Jesus Christ resides perpetually among us, and has his house near our houses, is it not a duty for us as sweet as it is sacred to go every day, if it is possible, visit him in his temple?
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LESSON X.
Of the Sacrifice of the Mass.
Sacrifices of Cain and Abel, Noah, Abraham, Gen. 3.-Sacrifice of Melchizedek Gen. 14- Solomon dedicates the Temple‑‑Solemnity of the sacrifices of the old law, 3. liv. of Kings, 8. 2 Paral.5, 6, 7. The Apostles offer the Sacrifice to the Lord, Act.12
D. Did our Lord institute the Eucharist only to dwell bodily with us? ?
A. No, M., he instituted it again to be offered as a sacrifice until the end of the world.
D. What sacrifices were offered to God before the coming of NSJ-C. ?
A. These sacrifices consisted mainly of animals that were immolated, that is to say, whose blood was shed and then burned on an altar.
Q. What were the animals thus offered in sacrifice called?
A. They were called victims.
Q. What did these ancient sacrifices represent?
A. They depicted the bloody death of NSJ‑C. on the cross.
D. The death of J.‑C. on the cross was it a true sacrifice?
A. Yes, M., J.‑C. offered himself on the cross as a victim of infinite merit.
DJ‑C. did he not establish a sacrifice to continue and represent the sacrifice of the cross?
A. Yes M., and this is called the sacrifice of the mass.
D. What is the Mass?
A. The Mass is a sacrifice in which JC offers himself for us to God his Father, as a victim, through the ministry of priests.
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Q. Is it the same sacrifice as the cross?
A. Yes, M., it is the same sacrifice as that of the cross, because it is the same victim and the same priest: the only difference is in the way in which this sacrifice is offered.
D. What is this difference?
A. It consists in the fact that, on the cross, J.‑C. offered himself by shedding his blood; whereas, on the altar, he offers himself through the ministry of priests, without shedding his blood.
D. What are the purposes for which the sacrifice of the Mass is offered?
A. It is, 1° to render to God the worship of adoration which is due to him;
2° To thank him for the benefits we have received from him;
3° To obtain from him the remission of our sins;
4° To ask him for the graces we need.
Q. To whom is this sacrifice offered?
A. To God alone.
Q. Isn't the Sacrifice of the Mass also offered to the Blessed Virgin or to the Saints?
A. No, M., the sacrifice can only be offered to God alone; but the saints are remembered there, to thank God for the graces he has given them, and to beg them to intercede for us.
D. Why is the sacrifice of the Mass only offered to God alone?
A. Because sacrifice is an act of worship due only to the sovereign lord of all things.
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D. For whom is the Sacrifice of the Mass offered?
A. It is offered for the living faithful and for the souls in purgatory.
D. When should one attend Holy Mass?
A. One is strictly obliged to attend on Sundays and feast days of obligation, and it is a very useful practice to attend every day.
D. How should the Holy Mass be heard?
A. We must hear it whole, with modesty and with devotion.
Q. What is it to hear Mass with modesty?
A. It is to keep a deep silence there, and to stand there in the most respectful posture.
D. What is it to hear Mass with devotion?
A. It is looking at the altar as a new Calvary on which J.‑C. immolates himself for us, and unite us to him to adore God, his Father, to thank him, to ask his forgiveness and to solicit his graces.
Fruit of this lesson : The sacrifice of the mass is the holiest and most august action of religion, because not only does this sacrifice offer itself to God, but it is God himself who offers himself there. What then should be our annihilation during the celebration of the dreadful mysteries!
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LESSON XI.
From the Fellowship.
Interior and exterior clarity that must be brought to the holy table. Parable of the guests and the wedding dress. Matlh., 22; Luke, 14. Faith of the woman who believes herself healed by touching the hem of our Lord's robe. Matt. 9, Luke, 8.- Humility and faith of the Centurion when Our Lord wants to enter his home. Matt. 8‑Faith and constant prayer of the Canaanite woman Matth., 15.
D. How our Lord J.‑C. is it in the Eucharist the nourishment of our souls?
A. By communion.
D. What is Communion?
A. It is to receive J.‑C. in the Eucharist.
Q. Is it necessary, to receive J.‑C., to communicate under the species of bread and under the species of wine?
A. No, M., it is enough to take communion under one or the other, because Jesus Christ is entirely under each of them.
D. Why is Jesus Christ whole under every species?
A. Because J.‑C. being alive in the Eucharist, his body, his blood and his soul are inseparable.
Q. Priests who receive Communion under both kinds, then, do not receive more than the faithful who receive Communion only under the species of bread?
A. No, M., both receive our Lord Jesus Christ equally.
D. Is it necessary to receive a whole host in order to receive Communion?
A. No, M., it is enough to receive the least part of it, because J.‑C. is present under each part of the host.
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Q. The priest who breaks the host, then does not break the body of Jesus Christ?
A. No, M., he only separates the species from the bread, and J. ‑C. remains entirely under each of these parts.
D. By receiving J.‑C. in the Eucharist, do we also receive the Father and the Holy Spirit?
A. Yes, M., because the three divine persons are inseparably united.
§ 1
Effects of Communion.
D. How many effects of communion are there?
A. There are four main ones.
D. What is the first effect of communion?
A. It is to unite ourselves to Jesus Christ in the closest and most intimate way.
D. What is the second effect of communion?
A. It is to increase in us the spiritual life of grace.
D. What is the third effect of communion?
A. It is to weaken the violence of our passions.
D. What is the fourth effect of communion?
A. It is to give us a pledge of eternal life and glorious resurrection.
§II.
sacrilegious communion.
D. Does the Holy Eucharist produce these effects in all who receive communion?
A. It does not produce them in those who communicate unworthily.
D. Who are those who commune unworthily?
A. They are those who commune with the conscience charged with some mortal sin.
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D. What crime do those who communicate in mortal sin commit?
A. They commit horrible sacrilege, and are new Judases.
Q. Do those who communicate unworthily receive J.‑C. ?
A. Yes, M., they receive J.‑C.; but instead of receiving his graces, they eat and drink their own condemnation.
D. What must those who feel guilty of some mortal sin do before Communion?
A. They must purify their conscience by a good confession.
§ 3
Arrangements for Holy Communion.
D. What must be done to draw from communion all the graces that J.‑C. attached to it?
A. You have to take communion with dignity, that is to say, with good and holy dispositions.
D. What are the dispositions with which one must commune?
A. There are four main ones: two that look at the soul, and two that look at the body.
D. What is the first disposition of the soul?
A. It is to be in a state of grace, that is, without mortal sin.
Q. Is this first disposition of the soul absolutely necessary?
A. Yes, M., since without it we would make a sacrilegious communion.
D. What is the second disposition of the soul?
A. It is to approach Holy Communion with a lively faith, a firm hope, a
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charity, ardent, and with deep feelings of humility, adoration and gratitude.
Q. Is this second disposition of the soul very important?
A. Yes. M., because the more perfect it is, the more fruit we get from communion.
D. What is the first disposition of the body?
A. It is to be on an empty stomach, that is to say, not to have eaten or drunk since midnight.
Q. Is this first disposition of the body strictly prescribed?
A. Yes, M., the Church has prescribed it under penalty of mortal sin.
Q. Can't we sometimes take Communion without fasting?
A. You can when you are dangerously ill; what is called communion in viaticum.
D. What is the second disposition of the body?
A. It is to have the most collected, modest and respectful exterior possible.
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way of communionr.
D. Should Mass be heard before receiving Communion?
A. Yes, M., it is the spirit of the Church, and one must not dispense with it without reason.
D. In what posture should one present oneself at the holy table?
A. You have to be on your knees, if you can.
D. How should one be dressed?
A. You must be dressed neatly and modestly.
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D. How should the head be held?
A. You must hold your head straight, without moving it, for fear of causing the holy host to fall.
D. How should the eyes be held?
A. You have to keep them modestly lowered, or rest them on the holy host.
D. How should the communion cloth be held?
A. So that if the host fell from the hands of the priest, it would not fall to the ground, but on the tablecloth.
D. When the priest presents the holy host, how should it be received?
A. You must open your mouth moderately, and have your tongue a little forward on the lower lip.
D. When you have received the Holy Host, what should you do?
A. It should be swallowed as soon as possible; otherwise one would run the risk of not taking communion.
D. What must be done when the holy host attaches itself to the palate?
A. You have to try to detach it with your tongue, without touching it with your fingers.
D. What should be done after Communion?
A. One must give thanks before leaving the Church.
D. What is this thanksgiving?
A. It consists in adoring J.‑C. present in us, to thank him, to offer ourselves to him, to ask him for the graces we need.
D. How should the rest of the day be spent?
A. In recollection and in piety.
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§V.
Of the obligation to communicate.
D. Is Communion compulsory?
A. Yes, M., because J.‑C. said: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, you will not have life in you.
D. When is one strictly obliged to take Communion?
A. At Easter and when one is in danger of death.
Q. Is it good to take Communion often?
A. Yes, M., the Church would like her children to live holy enough to be able to take Communion every day, as the early Christians did.
§VI.
Of Spiritual Communion,
D. Do we share in the effects of the Holy Eucharist only through sacramental communion?
A. We still participate in it to a certain extent through spiritual communion.
D. What is communion spiritually?
A. It is to unite with J.‑C. by an ardent desire to receive him in the Eucharist
D. When is it appropriate to commune spiritually?
A. It is particularly appropriate to do so when assisting at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, without having the happiness of taking sacramental communion there.
Result of this lesson: It is not enough for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ to be the inhabitant of our city or our hamlet in the Eucharist, he wants to be the inhabitant of our heart through communion. What eagerness must we not have to procure for ourselves a visit so honorable and so rich in the fruits of salvation!
LESSON XII.
Of Extreme Unction.
Illness and healing of Hezekiah, Isaiah, 38. - Use of the sacrament of Extreme Unction insinuated in St. Mark, 6; - Manifestly established and recommended to the Faithful by the apostle St. James in his Catholic Epistle. Chap. 6.
D. What is Extreme Unction?
A. Extreme Unction is a sacrament instituted for the spiritual and bodily relief of the sick.
D. How does Extreme Unction provide spiritual relief to the sick?
R. 1° By completing the purification of their sins;
2. By fortifying them against the temptations of the devil and against the horrors of death.
D. How does Extreme Unction bring bodily relief to the sick?
A. By restoring them to health, if that is useful for their salvation.
D. How does the priest administer extreme unction?
A. He performs various anointings on the patient, which he accompanies with prayers.
D. What does the priest ask of God through the prayers that accompany the anointings?
A. May he pardon by his mercy the sins which the sick person has committed by his eyes, by his ears, by his mouth, etc.
D. What arrangements should be made for the sacrament of extreme unction?
A. One must confess, if one can, if one cannot, one must excite oneself to contrition and desire absolution.
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D. What should the patient do while being administered Extreme Unction?
A. He must ask pardon for his sins, and put all his trust in the mercy of God.
D. What must the faithful who are present do when Extreme Unction is administered?
A. They must pray for the sick, resolve to live well, in order to die holy.
D. What must the patient who has received Extreme Unction do?
A. He must resign himself entirely to the will of God, and humbly sacrifice his life to it.
D. Should we wait until we are at the end to receive this sacrament?
A. No, M., it suffices to be dangerously ill, and one receives it with more fruit when one still has full knowledge.
D. Do we have to warn the sick to put their conscience in order?
A. Yes, Mr.; because, without this warning, the sick would be exposed to being lost for eternity.
D. What should be done if one cannot notify the sick oneself?
A. You should at least inform the pastor of your parish of their condition.
Result of this lesson: Far from imitating weak and faithless Christians who, in their illnesses, reject this sacrament as an announcement of death, we must desire to
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to receive then as a supremely powerful help against all the dangers which await us at our last hour.
LESSON XIII.
Of the order.
Aaronic Priesthood, Exod , 28‑‑King Osias is stricken with leprosy for having undertaken the priestly office. 2 Paral., 26 ‑ J.‑C‑ gives the Apostles the power to consecrate his body and his blood, and to forgive sins. Matt., 16 and 17; John, 20. - Election of the seven Deacons. Act., 6.
D. What is the Order?
A. Holy Orders is a sacrament which gives the power to perform ecclesiastical functions, and the grace to exercise them holy.
Q. What do you mean by ecclesiastical functions?
A. I mean principally what concerns the offering of the holy sacrifice, the administration of the sacraments and the preaching of the word of God.
D. Where does the power to perform ecclesiastical functions come from?
A. He comes from J.‑C. who gave it to his Apostles with the power to communicate it to others.
Q. How did this power come from the Apostles to us?
A. By a succession which has not been interrupted, and which will continue in the Church until the end of time.
D. How many classes are those who participate in ecclesiastical functions divided into?
A. In three classes: 1° bishops – 2° priests; 3° the lower ministers, who are the deacons, sub-deacons and minors.
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D. Who can administer the Sacrament of Holy Orders?
A. The bishops alone.
D. When God calls to the ecclesiastical state how should one view this calling?
A. Like a great glory, because of the sublime powers that God gives to his priests, and like a great happiness, because of the particular graces that he grants them.
D. What are the duties of the faithful towards priests?
A. They must respect them like the ministers of J.‑C., and pray for them.
D. What are the duties of the faithful towards the bishops?
A. They should honor them as the first pastors of the Church, pray for them, and obey their ordinances.
Result of this lesson: 1° Let us often ask God, and especially at the time of Ember Days, when ordinations take place, that he give his Church holy ministers, since the salvation of peoples almost always depends on priests and above all on pastors; 2° let us be full of respect for all those whom God has honored with the priesthood.
LESSON XIV.
Marriage.
Bond of perpetual and indissoluble Marriage. Gen, , 2; Matt 19; Mark, 10.Marriage Preparation Model, Isaac and Rebecca. Gen 24, ‑Tobit the son and Sarah. Tobias, 6 et seq. – Wedding at Cana honored with the presence and the first miracle of J.‑C – Jean, 2.
D. What is Marriage?
A. Marriage is a sacrament that sanctifies the lawful union of man and woman.
D. What does the legitimate union of man and woman in the sacrament of marriage mean to us?
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A. It represents to us the union of Jesus Christ with his Church.
D. Who instituted marriage?
A. God himself, at the beginning of the world, and J.‑C. elevated him to the dignity of a sacrament.
D. Can the union of married persons be broken?
A. It can only be by the death of one of the two spouses.
Q. So divorce is not permitted?
A. No, M., man cannot separate what God has united. (Matt., 19, 6.)
Q. Christians who are united only before the civil officer, are they truly married?
A. No, M., their union is not a real marriage, and they live in a very criminal state.
§
Dispositions to the Sacrament of Matrimony and Duties of Married Persons.
D. What must be done before committing to marriage?
A. One must consult God through prayer, and take counsel from wise and Christian people.
Q. What must one especially consider in the person to whom one wishes to unite oneself in marriage?
A. Virtue and the practice of religion.
D. What dispositions are necessary to properly receive this sacrament?
A. One must be in a state of grace, and intend to serve God in the state of marriage.
D. What sin do those who receive the sacrament of marriage commit without being in a state of grace?
A. They are committing sacrilege,
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D. Why are there so many unhappy marriages these days?
A. Because one prepares poorly for this great sacrament, and one does not fulfill the duties of this holy state.
D. What are the duties of married people?
A. They must, 1st, love each other, assist each other in their needs, bear reciprocally their faults;
2° Maintain an inviolable fidelity;
3° To behave together holy and according to the law of God;
4° To bring up their children in the practice of all the duties of religion.
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impediments to marriage.
D. Why are banns published before marriage?
A. In order to discover the impediments which could oppose the celebration of the marriage.
Q. What do you mean by impediments to marriage?
A. I mean what would make a marriage void or at least culpable.
D. Give me an example of an impediment that would render the marriage void.
A. Kinship, for example, up to the fourth degree.
Q. Give me the example of an impediment which, without rendering the marriage null, would render it culpable.
A. For example, the vow not to marry.
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D. Cthose who know some impediment to a marriage, are they obliged to warn of it?
A. Yes, M., they are obliged to notify the priest who published the banns.
Result of this lesson: Marriage being indissoluble and imposing the most difficult duties, he who commits himself takes a step on which depends his happiness in this life and in the next; With what reflection should he therefore not perform such a serious action, and above all with what piety should he not dispose himself to the so necessary graces that JC has attached to this great sacrament.
LESSON XV.
Of Prayer.
Prayer of Moses during the combat of the Israelites with the Amalekites
Exodus, 17.—Fervor of Anne mother of Samuel, praying to God in the temple. 1, of Kings.- Prayer of the three children in the furnace; of Daniel in the lion's den Dan. 3 and 6 - Prayer of J‑C. in the Garden of Olives and at the cross. Math-26; Luke 22 and 23.- Effect of Persevering Prayer: St Peter delivered from his prison by an angel Act.12.
D. What is Prayer?
A. Prayer is an elevation of our soul to God, to render our duties to Him and to ask Him for our needs.
D. What duties do we owe to God in prayer?
A. The main ones are adoration, praise, love, thanksgiving.
D. Is it necessary to pray?
A. Yes, Mr.; it is one of our most indispensable duties.
Q. Why is it such an indispensable duty?
A. Because of our continual need of God's help.
DJ‑C. has he not given us a strict precept of prayer?
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A. Yes, Mr.; there is nothing he has more often recommended in the Gospel.
Q. Didn't he also set an example for us?
A. Yes, M., the Gospel teaches us that J.‑C. even spent whole nights in prayer.
D. How many kinds of prayers are there?
A. There are two kinds: vocal prayer and mental prayer.
D. What do you mean by vocal prayer?
A. I mean that which is done by using words.
Q. What do you mean by mental prayer?
A. I mean that which is done only in spirit, and which is also called meditation.
§ 1.
When and for whom we should prayr.
D. When should we pray?
A. We should pray without ceasing, according to the word of J.‑C.
Q. What do you mean by praying without ceasing?
A. I usually mean thinking of God to call his grace into us, and to act for his love.
D. How can we form ourselves in this habitual prayer?
A. By praying at least in the morning and in the evening, before and after meals; and lifting up his heart from time to time to God.
Q. Are there not other occasions when one is especially obliged to pray?
A. Yes, Mr.; for example, in temptations, in illnesses, at death's door, and whenever we need special help from God.
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D. For whom should we pray?
A. First for us, then for our parents, our benefactors, our friends, even our enemies, for the good of the Church and the State.
D. Shouldn't we also pray for the souls of the dead?
A. Yes, Mr.; we must pray for them, so that they may be delivered from the pains of Purgatory.
§ 2
Of the Efficacy and Qualities of Prayer.
D. Are we guaranteed to get what we ask for?
A. Yes, M., when one asks what it takes and as it takes.
Q. Who gave us this assurance?
RJ‑C. himself, who said. Ask and you shall receive; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.
D. What should we ask for in our prayers?
A. Things that relate to the glory of God, to our salvation and that of our neighbour.
Q. Can one ask for temporal goods, such as life and health?
A. Yes, M., provided they are asked for a good end, and with submission to the will of God
D. How should we pray?
A. We must pray with attention, with humility, with confidence, with perseverance.
D. What is praying mindfully?
A. It is to think about what one is saying, and to pray with the heart at the same time as one prays with the mouth.
D. What is it to pray with humility?
A. It is to recognize that we can do nothing except by the help of God.
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D. What is praying with confidence?
A. It is having the firm assurance that God will listen to us according to his promise.
D. What is praying with perseverance?
A. It is not to tire of praying until one has obtained the effect of one's request.
D. In whose name should we pray?
A. On behalf of NSJ‑C., because we can only obtain anything on its merits.
Fruit of this lesson : Prayer is no less necessary to the life of the soul than breathing is to that of the body; he who does not pray is dead before God; but let's not forget that there is no prayer except that which comes from the heart.
LESSON XVI.
Of the Sunday prayer.
The Disciples around J.‑C. ask him to teach them to pray, and J.‑C. teaches them. Matt. 6, Luke, 14.
D. What is the most beautiful prayer one can make to God?
A. It is the Pater, which is called the Lord's Prayer, that is to say, the Lord's Prayer.
D. Recite the Lord's Prayer in Latin.
R. Father noster, etc. (See p. 4.)
D. Recite the Lord's Prayer in French.
A. Our Father, etc. (See p. 4.)
D. Why do you call the Pater the Lord's Prayer or Lord's Prayer?
A. Because it is our Lord Jesus Christ who taught it to us himself.
D. Why did our Lord teach us this prayer?
A. To teach us what to ask of God.
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D. Why do we call God our Father?
A. Because he gave us life, he preserves it for us, and because, by his grace, we are his children and the heirs of his kingdom.
D. Why do we say: Our Father, and not: My Father?
A. To teach us that we are all brothers, and that we must pray for each other.
D. Why do we add these words: Who art in heaven, since God is everywhere
A. Because heaven is the place where the glory of God shines brightest, and it is heaven to which we should aspire.
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Of the first three requests of the Pater which relate to God.
D. How many requests are there in the Pater?
A. There are seven.
D. What do we ask by the first: Hallowed be your name?
A. We ask that God be known, loved, served and glorified by all men, and by us in particular.
D. What do we ask with these words: Your kingdom come?
A. We pray to God that he will reign in our hearts now by his grace, and that he will one day cause us to reign with him in his glory.
D. What do we ask with these words: Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven?
A. We ask for the grace to do God's will on earth with love and faithfulness, as the Saints and Angels do in heaven.
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D. What is doing the will of God?
A. It is to obey his law, and to submit to the order of his Providence.
Q. In what do we particularly show our submission to the order of Providence?
A. It is by patiently suffering the afflictions and adversities that God sends us.
The.
Of the four last requests of the Father which have to do with ourselves.
D. What do we ask of God with these words: Give us this day our daily bread?
A. We ask him what is necessary for us each day for the life of the soul and for that of the body.
D. What do we ask of God with these words: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us?
A. We ask him to forgive us our sins as we forgive our neighbors.
D. Should those who do not want to forgive hope that God will forgive them?
A. No, M., God will not forgive them, and they condemn themselves by making this prayer.
D. What do we ask with these words: Lead us not into temptation?
A. We ask God to preserve us from temptations, or to give us the grace to overcome them.
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D. What is temptation?
A. Temptation is a movement that leads us to evil.
D. What do we ask of God with these words: Deliver us from evil?
A. We ask God to deliver us from all kinds of evil, in this world and the next.
D. What are the evils from which we especially pray to God to deliver us?
A. It is sin and all that is contrary to our salvation.
Result of this lesson: 1° If it is a great honor for us to be able to call God by the name of Father, let us beware of anything that could dishonor our dignity; 2° let us enter, at each request of the Lord's Prayer, into the feelings it expresses, by uniting ourselves with the divine Master who taught it to us.
LESSON XVII.
Of the Angelic Salutation and Devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
The Angel Gabriel announces to the Blessed Virgin that she will conceive the Son of God.‑ The Blessed Virgin visits Saint Elizabeth. - Words of the Angel and of Saint Elizabeth to the Blessed Virgin. Luke, 4.
D. Should we have a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin?
A. Yes, Mr.; devotion to the Blessed Virgin is the duty of all true Christians.
D. In what does true devotion to the Blessed Virgin consist?
A. It consists in honoring him, invoking him and imitating his virtues.
D. Why do we need to Honorer especially the Blessed Virgin?
A. Because she is the mother of God, the queen of angels and men and the holiest of all creatures.
D. Should we hope for great graces by invoking the Blessed Virgin?
A. Yes, M., since God chose her to give us through her J .‑C. the author of grace.
D. What are the virtues of the Blessed Virgin that we must above all imitate?
A. His humility; her diligence in pleasing God in all things and her admirable purity
D. What is the most beautiful prayer one can make to the Blessed Virgin?
A. It is the Angelic Salutation.
D. What is the Angelic Salutation?
A. It is a prayer made up of the words of Gabriel, of Saint Elizabeth and of the Church.
D. Recite the Angelic Salutation in Latin.
A. Ave, Maria, etc. (See p.4.)
D. Recite in French the Angelic Salutation.
A. I greet you, Mary, etc. (See p. 4.)
D. What are the words of the Angel?
A. These are the words he said to the Blessed Virgin, announcing to her the mystery of the Incarnation. Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with you.
D. What are the words of Saint Elizabeth?
A. These are the words she said to the Blessed Virgin, when she was honored with her visit: You are blessed among all women, and the fruit of your womb is blessed.
D. What are the words of the Church?
A. These are the words that the Church joined to those of the Angel and of Saint Elizabeth: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, poor sinners., now and at the hour of our death.
So be it.
Result of this lesson: A tender and filial devotion to the Blessed Virgin is the infallible assurance of our salvation.
ADDITIONAL LESSON.
Of the sanctification of the actions of the day.
Whether you eat, or drink, or do something else, do it for the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10, 31, - 1 Cor. 16, 14.-2 to Timoth. 3, 5. - 2. Epistle of St. Peter, 1, 10 - 2 Epistle of St. Peter, 3-14.
D. What is the way to advance and persevere in godliness?
A. It is to sanctify one's actions, even the most common ones, and to make them meritorious for heaven.
D. Can all our actions, even sleep, meals, etc., be meritorious for heaven?
A. Yes, M., when we are in a state of grace, and we do them for the glory of God.
D. What are the actions of the day that we must have special care to sanctify?
A. They are getting up, working, meals, recreation and sleeping.
D. What must be done to sanctify one's rising?
A. Offer your first thought to God, making the sign of the cross; get up promptly; dress modestly and pray on your knees as soon as you are dressed.
D. What must be done to sanctify one's work?
A. Offer it to God before beginning it, suffer for his love the pain attached to it, and think sometimes of his presence during the work.
D. What must be done to sanctify one's meals?
A. To offer them also to God, to take them only in view of necessity, to say exactly the blessing and the Graces; it would even be good to practice some abstinence or mortification there.
D. What must be done to sanctify one's recreations and conversations?
A. Do not spend too much time there, avoid bad company, play no dangerous game, beware of any word contrary to charity, truth and decency.
D. What should we do if we come to experience any temptation?
A. One must have recourse to God through prayer, and resist courageously.
Q. If, by misfortune, we had fallen into some serious fault, what should we do?
A. You should immediately make it an act of contrition and resolve to confess it as soon as possible.
D. What should be done when something bad happens during the day?
A. It must be accepted with resignation, and offered to God in a spirit of penance.
D. What must be done to sanctify one's bedtime and sleep?
A. Make prayer and self-examination before going to bed; to undress modestly, and, when one is in bed, occupy oneself with some holy thought.
Result of this lesson: By practicing what this lesson teaches us, we will take the certain path of the highest holiness, because God considers less the greatness of our works than the way in which we do them.
