Sxuservx, Alphonse XHnstrcL+ec/ axtockisr* AeA*z>^ (c*n My name is . ILLUSTRATED CATECHISM REV. ALPHONSE SAUSEN, O.S.B. “Suffer children to come to Me , and forbid them not; for of such is the Kingdom of God ” Luke 18 , 16 . St. John's Abbey Press Collegeville, Minn. ) _ f Imprimi Potest: Alcuin Deutsch, O.S.B., Abbot. Nihil Obstat : Arthur J. Scanlan, S.T.D., Censor Librorum. Imprimatur : © Patrick Cardinal Hayes, Archbishop of New York. TENTH EDITION {revised) Copyrighted 1933 (All translation rights reserved) FOREWORD This brief Catechism is intended to convey the ele- ments of our Holy Faith to little children who have been deemed sufficiently advanced in age and wisdom to be admitted to the Sacraments of Penance, Confirma- tion and Holy Communion. It obviously does not aim to cover all the matter of Catholic doctrine and prac- tice, but only enough to give the child awakening to the use of reason the rudimentary knowledge required and considered sufficient by the Sacred Congregation of the Sacraments (Decree of August 8, 1910) for the recep- tion of Penance and Holy Communion. I have added somewhat to these essential require- ments, omitting however everything which seemed be- yond the comprehension and needs of a child of seven or eight years of age. A special effort has been made — and the teacher should enlarge upon this—to make the personality of the Saviour stand out in bold relief before the child’s mind. It is THE SAVIOUR these little children are preparing to receive into their hearts for the first time and He should above all else be revealed to them. “This is Eternal Life : That they may know Thee, the only True God, and Jesus Christ, Whom Thou hast sent.” John 17, 3. The diction is colloquial rather than formally correct. The principle of visual education has been copiously applied. If illustrations are so effective with children in the teaching of secular knowledge, why not use them in the teaching of religion? Indeed, here is another in- stance where the “children of the world have been wiser in their generation than the children of light.” A short intelligence test has been introduced to assist the teacher in discovering whether the child has reached the canonical age of discretion. It is supposed that children preparing for Confirma- tion and first Holy Communion can read the simple language of this Catechism; otherwise why a Catechism at all? This humble little work is offered as an aid to Cate- chism teachers and to the children. If it finds favor may God be praised. DeaddBfed THE AUTHOR. INTELLIGENCE TEST 1. What is your name? 2. Write your name. 3. What is your father’s name? 4. Where do you live (street and number) ? 5. When is your birthday? 6. When was your first birthday? 7. Which is your right hand? 8. What is your other hand called? 9. What month have we now? 10. What day of the week is today? 11. In what grade are you in school? 12. What is your teacher’s name? 13. What did you come to this class for? Sign of the Cross In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. UR Father, Who art in heaven, hal- lowed by Thy name ; Thy kingdom come ; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen. PRAYERS Onr Father [ 7 ] Hail Mary "l^AIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is * with thee, blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Apostles’ Creed BELIEVE in God, the Father Al- mighty, Creator of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was cruci- fied, died and was buried ; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead ; He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the res- urrection of the body and life everlast- ing. Amen. [ 8 ] Act of Faith, Hope and Charity O MY God, I believe in Thee, I hope inThee, I love Thee above all things. An Act of Contrition O MY God, I am heartily sorry forhaving offended Thee and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen. Morning Prayer Kneel down, bless yourself and say: O MY God, I believe in Thee, I hope inThee, I love Thee above all things. I bless and thank Thee for having brought me safely through this night. I give my whole self to Thee. Every- thing I do today I will do to please Thee. Keep me, dear Jesus, from all sin. Bless father and mother and teacher. Holy Mary, pray for me. Holy Guardian Angel, watch over me. Our Father. Hail Mary. [ 9 ] Prayer before Meals ©LESS us, 0 Lord, and these Thygifts which we are about to receive from Thy goodness, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Prayer after Meals give Thee thanks for all Thy bene-w fits, 0 Almighty God, Who livest and reignest forever. Amen. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen. Night Prayer Kneel down, bless yourself and say: O G0D, I thank Thee for the manyblessings I have received today. Forgive me all the sins I have com- mitted. I am sorry for them all because I have displeased Thee. Bless me while I sleep so I may do better tomorrow. Bless father and mother and make them happy. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, help me al- ways, especially in the hour of my death. Amen. Our Father. Hail Mary. [ 10 ] Glory Be Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. How to Act in Church When you come to church put the tips of your right hand in the holy water fount near the door and bless yourself. Then walk slowly to your place. When you get to your place make a genuflec- tion ; that is, bend your right knee to the floor as a greeting to Jesus in the taber- nacle. Then get up. Before you sit down, kneel a few minutes and say some prayers to Jesus, Who is in the taber- nacle on the altar. Do not whisper or talk in church. When you are ready to leave church step into the aisle and make a genuflec- tion toward the altar. Then walk out slowly. Bless yourself again at the holy water fount before leaving church. *< [ll] . ILLUSTRATED CATECHISM LESSON 1 We Came from God and We Are Going to God 1. Where were you 100 years ago? I was nowhere 100 years ago. 2. What were you 100 years ago? I was nothing 100 years ago. 3. What are you now? I am a human being made up of body and soul. 4. Who made you? God made me. 5. Why did God put you in this world? God put me in this world to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him. 6. What is your body made of? My body is made of many things found in the earth. 7. What is your soul? My soul is a spirit that will live for- ever. [ 13 ] GOD MADE THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING IN IT, 8. When you die where will your soul go? My soul will go to God. 9. What reward will God give you if you have been good? God will take me to His home in heaven if I have been good. 10. What punishment will God give you if you are bad and die that way? God will put me forever in a place of great suffering, called hell. Always remember that you are a child of God . Try always to please Him . It would be terrible to be shut out of heaven forever and ever . LESSON 2 The First Man and the First Woman Sinned 1. Who was the first man that God made? Adam was the first man that God made. 2. Who was the first woman? Eve was the first woman. [ 15 ] ADAM AND EVE DRIVEN FROM PARADISE. 3. Were Adam and Eve the first parents? Yes, they were the first parents and had many children. 4. Where did Adam and Eve live? Adam and Eve lived in Paradise, a beautiful spot on this earth. 5. Were Adam and Eve happy in Para- dise? Adam and Eve were very happy in Paradise. 6. Did Adam and Eve stay in Paradise? No, God sent an angel to drive them out of Paradise. 7. Why did God drive Adam and Eve out of Paradise? Because they sinned by disobeying God. 8. In what way did they disobey God? They ate the fruit that God forbade them to eat. 9. Did the sin of Adam and Eve come down to everybody that ever lived? Yes, the sin of Adam and Eve came down to everybody, except the Blessed Virgin Mary. [17] 10. Does a baby have any sin on its soul when it is born? Yes, babies have the sin of Adam and Eve on their souls when they are born. 11. What is this sin called? Original sin. 12. Can original sin be taken away? Yes, original sin can be taken away by Baptism. How dreadful sin must be before God, if God punished Adam and Eve and all of us so hard on account of their sin. LESSON 3 The Angels 1. Did God make anything besides Adam and Eve? Yes, long before Adam and Eve, God made the sun, the moon, the stars, animals and the whole world. 2. Did God make anybody else besides Adam and Eve? Yes, long before Adam and Eve, God made many angels. [ 18 ] GUARDIAN ANGELS PROTECT LITTLE CHILDREN FROM DANGER. 3. What are angels? Angels are spirits without bodies. 4. Where are the angels? The angels are in heaven. 5. What is a guardian angel? A guardian angel is an angel God gives to each of us to watch over us and help us to be good. 6. Are all angels good? No, some angels are bad. 7. What are bad angels called? Bad angels are called devils. 8. How did some angels become bad? Some angels became bad by offend- ing God. 9. Where do the bad angels live? The bad angels live in hell. Angel of God, my Guardian dear, To whom His Love commits me here, Ever this day be at my side To light, to guard, to rule and guide. LESSON 4 God 1. Who is God? God is the holiest and greatest of all spirits. [ 20 ] 2. Where does God live? God lives everywhere, but especially in heaven. 3. Does God have a body? God has no body ; He is all spirit. 4. What does God look like? God is very beautiful, but no man can tell what He looks like. 5. Did God ever have a beginning? No, God never had a beginning and will have no end. 6. Can anybody see God? Yes, the angels and the holy souls in heaven see God. 7. Are we ever going to see God? Yes, if we live a good life and die as friends of God. 8. Does God know all things? Yes, God knows everything, even the things we think. 9. Can God do all things? Yes, God can do all things. [ 21 ] 10. Does God love us? Yes, God loves us more than the best father that ever lived. 11. Why does God love us? Because He made us and is our Father in heaven. Always try to love God more and more, because He is our Father and gave us all that we have—our father , our mother, our food and everything else. LESSON 5 There Are Three Persons in God 1. Bless yourself. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. 2. Who is the Father? The Father is God. 3. Who is the Son? The Son is God. 4. Who is the Holy Ghost? The Holy Ghost is God. [ 22 ] 5. How many Gods are there? There is only one God. 6. How many persons are there in God? There are three persons in God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. 7. Is one Person greater than the other? No, each Person is as great as the other. 8. Can anyone understand how there can be three persons in God? No, this is a mystery. 9. What is this mystery called? The mystery of the Blessed Trinity. Every time you bless yourself you show that you believe in the Blessed Trinity . So, bless yourself devoutly . LESSON 6 The Son of God Becomes Man to Make V-, Up for Our Sins 1. What became of Adam and Eve after they were driven out of Paradise? Adam and Eve lived many years and suffered much for their sins. [ 23 ] JESUS IS BORN IN THE CITY OF BETHLEHEM, 2. When Adam and Eve died, did they go straight to heaven? No, God would not let them in. 3. Why would God not let them into heaven? Because they were not able to make up for their disobedience to God. 4. Did anybody make up for the sins of Adam and Eve so they could go to heaven? Yes, Jesus Christ made up for the sins of Adam and Eve. 5. Who is Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ is God the Son Who came down to this earth and became a human being for our sake. 6. Is Jesus Christ really God? Yes, Jesus Christ is really God ; that is why we also call Him our Lord. 7. Is Jesus Christ really a human be- ing too? Yes, Jesus Christ is really a human being too. 8. Where was Jesus born? Jesus was born in the little town of Bethlehem. [ 25 ] JESUS HELPS ST. JOSEPH AT HIS WORK, 9. When is our Lord’s birthday? Christmas is our Lord’s birthday. 10. Who was the mother of Jesus? Saint Mary was the mother of Jesus. 11. Who was Jesus’ Father? God the Father was Jesus’ Father. 12. Who was the man who took care of Jesus in this world? St. Joseph took care of Jesus when He was small. 13. Where did Jesus live on this earth? Jesus lived mostly in the town of Nazareth, not far from where He was born. 14. How did Jesus keep busy as a boy? He obeyed His Mother Mary and St. Joseph and helped them with their Work. 15. Did Jesus ever tell the people He was God? Yes. Jesus told the people several times shortly before He died that He was God. Be good to your mother and father as Jesus was. COUNTRY OF JESUS CHRIST LESSON 7 Jesus Died for the Sins of the World 1. How long did Jesus stay in Naza- reth? Jesus stayed in Nazareth until He was about 30 years old. 2. What did He do then? He left home and went about preach- ing for three years. 3. Did Jesus have a church to preach in? No, He preached outdoors and great crowds listened to Him. 4. Was Jesus rich? No, Jesus was very poor. 5. Why didn’t Jesus have nice clothes, lots of money and good things to eat? Because He wanted to teach us that these things are of little account in the eyes of God and may be bad for us. 6. What did Jesus teach the people? Jesus taught the people that He came to make up for our sins ; that we must love God and be good to everybody. [ 29 ] JESUS PREACHES TO THE PEOPLE OUTDOORS, 7. Did Jesus have any special friends? Yes. He had twelve men, called Apostles, who followed Him and listened carefully to everything He preached. 8. What became of the Apostles? Jesus made them priests and bish- ops, and after Jesus was gone they went into different parts of the world and told the people all about Jesus. 9. Did Jesus have any special friends besides the Apostles? Yes, innocent little children were His special friends too. 10. What did Jesus do for the sick people? He made many of them well in a second, and even brought dead peo- ple back to life. 11. Did the people love Jesus? Yes, many people loved Jesus, but some people hated Him. 12. Why did some people hate Jesus? Because He could do greater things than they could. [31] JESUS LOVES LITTLE CHILDREN, 13. What did the enemies of Jesus do to him? They went to the governor, or head man, and made him order his sol- diers to put Jesus to death. 14. How did the soldiers put Jesus to death? They nailed Him to a cross. 15. What is that day called on which Jesus died on the cross? That day is called Good Friday. 16. Why did Jesus let His enemies nail Him to a cross? Because He wished to make up for all people’s sins so that all people could go to heaven. 17. Where did they bury Jesus? They buried Him in a grave in the side of a hill, and His enemies put a big stone in front of His grave so He would not come out. 18. Did Jesus Christ stay dead? No, on the third day after they killed Him, Jesus came back to life, all by Himself, and came out of the grave. [ 33 ] JESUS RAISES A DEAD GIRL TO LIFE. 19. What is the day called on which Jesus rose from the dead? That day is called Easter Sunday. 50. What did Jesus do after He rose from the dead? For forty days He made visits to His special friends and then He went into heaven. 21. Did anybody see Jesus go to heaven? Yes, many people watched Him go up slowly and then go out of sight. Never use the Holy Name of Jesus except in prayer . Never be jealous of others . The enemies of Jesus were jealous of Him and by and by they had Him murdered . LESSON 8 What Is Sin? 1. What only can keep us out of heaven ? Only sin can keep us out of heaven. 2. What is sin? Sin is purposely doing something that God does not want us to do. [ 35 ] JESUS DIES ON THE CROSS FOR US. 3. How do we know what God does not want us to do? God has told us in the Ten Com- mandments. 4. Say the Ten Commandments. 1. I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt not have strange gods be- fore Me. 2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in vain. 3. Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day. 4. Honor thy father and thy mother. 5. Thou shalt not kill. 6. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 7. Thou shalt not steal. 8. Thou shalt not bear false wit- ness against thy neighbor. 9. Thou shalt not covet thy neigh- bor’s wife. 10. Thou shalt not covet thy neigh- bor’s goods. 5. In what ways can we commit sin? We can commit sin by purposely thinking, wishing for or doing some- thing that is displeasing to God. [ 37 ] JLSUS RIS- S FROM THE DEAD. 6. Is one sin just as big as the other? No, some sins are little and some sins are big. 7. What are the little sins called? Little sins are called venial sins. 8. What are the hig sins called? Big sins are called mortal sins. 9. Mention some mortal sins. Not to believe in God ; To say bad things about God ; To curse and really mean it; To miss Mass through one’s own fault on Sundays or Holydays of Obligation. To be very mean or insulting to others, especially to our parents. 10. Mention some other mortal sins. Purposely to think of or speak about nasty, or unclean, things ; To wish for or do nasty, or impure, things ; Purposely to do a big injury to other people’s property ; To steal things that are worth much money ; [ 39 ] To tell big lies about other people; Purposely to eat meat on Friday. 11. What punishment do we deserve for a mortal sin? We deserve the punishment of hell for a mortal sin. 12. What must we do to keep out of sin? We must keep away from bad boys and girls, bad moving pictures, and often ask God to help us to be good. Sin does us more harm than anything else we can think of. Try even to keep out of venial sins. LESSON 9 Confession, or How to Have Our Sins Forgiven 1. How can we have our sins forgiven? By being sorry for them and going to Confession. 2. What do we mean by going to Con- fession? By going to Confession we mean telling a priest our sins so he will take them away. [ 40 ] LITTLE CHILDREN GOING TO CONFESSION, 3. Where do we tell our sins to a priest? In the confessional in church. 4. What sins do we have to tell? We have to tell all our mortal sins and the number of times we have committed them. 5. If we have no mortal sins to tell, what should we tell the priest? We should tell him our venial sins. 6. Is it a big sin to keep back a mortal sin in Confession? Yes, and then not even the sins we. tell are forgiven. 7. Can the priest forgive our sins if we are not sorry for them? No, the priest cannot forgive our sins unless we are sorry. 8. What does it mean to be sorry for our sins? To be sorry for our sins means that we must wish that we had not of- fended God and try to keep out of sin after that. [ 42 ] JESUS GOES UP INTO HEAVEN, 9. If we have kept back a mortal sin, what must we do the next time we go to Confession? We must tell the priest we made a bad Confession and tell all our sins over again. 10. If we have no chance to go to Con- fession, can we have our sins for- given? Yes, by trying to be very sorry that we have offended God and making up our minds not to commit any more sins. 11. Who gave the priest the right to forgive our sins? Our Lord Jesus Christ gave the priest the right to forgive sins. 12. How should we prepare ourselves for Confession? We should prepare ourselves by — (a) Trying to think of the sins we have committed; (b) Trying to be sorry for our sins. [ 44 ] 13. How should we go to Confession? When our turn comes to go to Con- fession we should go into the confes- sional and say “Bless me, Father”; then we should say how long ago it is since our last Confession ; then we should tell our sins. After we have told all our bigger sins real honestly, we should say: “I am sorry I have offended the good God and I will try never to offend Him again.” Then we should listen to what the priest tells us and remember the penance he gives us. The priest then takes our sins away and when he does so we should try to be very sorry. We should not go away until the priest says “God bless you” and closes the slide. 14. What should we do after we get back to our place? We should be sure to say the prayers the priest told us to say. Always tell the priest your sins real honestly. The priest is not allowed to tell anybody what you have told him. If you happen to hear what someone said in Confession, it would be a sin for you to tell someone else. [ 45 ] JESUS CHANGES BREAD AND WINE INTO HIMSELF, APOSTLES RECEIVE FIRST COMMUNION. LESSON 10 Jesus Is Still with Us Today 1. Is Jesus Christ still alive and with us today? Yes, Jesus Christ is still alive and with us today. 2. Where does Jesus stay? He stays in the Catholic churches. 3. Where in our churches does Jesus stay? Jesus stays on the altar, in the part called the tabernacle. 4. Why does Jesus want to stay in our churches? Because He loves us so much He wants to be near us always. 5. What does Jesus look like in the tabernacle? We cannot see Him because He hides Himself in something white that looks and tastes like bread. 6. Was this white something ever real bread ? Yes, it was real bread not long ago. [47] 7. Who changed the bread into our Lord? The priest changed the bread into our Lord, 8. Who was the first one to change bread into our Lord? Our Lord Himself was the first one to change bread into Himself. 9. When did our Lord change bread into Himself? He changed it at the Last Supper, on the night before He died. 10. Tell what Jesus did on the night be- fore He died. Jesus took bread in His hands and said, “This is My body”; then He took wine and said, “This is My blood.” 11. What happened to the bread and wine when Jesus said those words? The bread was changed into our Lord Himself; and the wine was changed into our Lord. When you are in church remember God is on the altar. Never run or play or misbehave in church. [ 48 ] LESSON 11 Jesus Comes to Us in Holy Communion 1. Does our Lord ever come out of the tab- ernacle? Yes, when the priest puts Him on our tongue in Holy Communion. 2. What is Holy Com- munion? Holy Communion is receiving our living Lord under the form of a piece of bread. 3. What must we do before we may go to Holy Communion? (a) We must get rid of at least all big sins by going to Confession ; (b) We must not take anything at all to eat or to drink from the midnight before. 4. How should we spend the time just before we go to Holy Communion? We should tell Jesus many times that we love Him and try to think [ 49 ] The priest gives us Holy Communion out of a gold vessel like this. LITTLE CHILDREN RECEIVING THEIR FIRST HOLY COMMUNION. of what we are going to say to Jesus when He comes to us. 5. What sin does a person commit who goes to Holy Communion with a mor- tal sin on his soul? He commits another mortal sin. 6. Is it a mortal sin to re- ceive Holy Communion after you have taken something to eat or drink? Yes, it is a mortal sin to receive Holy Communion after eating or drinking unless you are very sick and cannot come to church. 7. How often must a Catholic receive Holy Communion? A Catholic must receive Holy Com- munion at least once at Easter time ; but a good Catholic receives very often, but not more than once a day. Never go to Holy Communion with a big sin on your soul ; otherwise Holy Communion instead of being a holy food turns into a poison for you. [ 51 ] PYX, a case in which the priest carries Holy Com- nunion to the sick. LESSON 12 What Is Holy Mass? 1. Did Jesus tell anybody to change bread and wine into Himself? Yes, Jesus told His Apostles and all other priests to change bread and wine into Himself. 2. When does the priest change bread and wine into Jesus? The priest changes bread and wine into Jesus about the middle of the Mass. 3. What is the Mass? Holy Mass is really the same thing as Jesus did at the Last Supper. 4. Does the Mass have anything to do with Jesus dying on the cross? Yes, in the Mass Jesus offers Him- self for our sins as truly as He did on the cross. 5. What should we do during Mass? During Mass we should watch the priest and say the Mass prayers out of a prayer book. [ 52 ] THE PRIEST HAS JUST CHANGED BREAD INTO OUR LORD'S LIVING BODY. 6. When do we have to go to Mass? We have to go to Mass on Sundays and Holydays of Obligation.7. What is a Holyday of Obligation? A Holyday of Obligation is a day we have to keep like Sunday. 8. Which are the Holydays of Obliga- tion? The Holydays of Obligation are: The Feast of the Immaculate Con- ception, December 8. Christmas, December 25. New Year’s Day, January 1. Ascension Day, forty days after Easter. Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15. Feast of All Saints, November 1. Never miss Mass on Sundays and Holydays if you can help it. Holy Mass is something so great that you ought to go sometimes on week- days, when you don’t have to go. [ 54 ] LESSON 13 Confirmation 1. Does the Holy Ghost come to us too? Yes, the Holy Ghost comes to us, but not in the same way as our Lord comes to us in Holy Communion. 2. Who is the Holy Ghost? The Holy Ghost is God and is the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. 3. Is the Holy Ghost as great and good as God the Father and God the Son? Yes, the Holy Ghost is just as great and good as God the Father and God the Son. 4. What does the Holy Ghost look like? We do not know what He looks like ; we only know He is very beautiful. 5. When does the Holy Ghost come to us in a special way? When we receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. 6. When we receive Confirmation, what happens? The Holy Ghost comes into our soul in a very special way and we are made soldiers of Christ. [ 55 ] THE HOLY GHOST COMES DOWN ON THE MOTHER OF JESUS AND THE APOSTLES. 7. Who gives us the Sacrament of Con- firmation? The Bishop gives us the Sacrament of Confirmation. 8. What does the Bishop do when he gives us the Sacrament of Confir- mation? The Bishop makes the sign of the cross with holy oil on our forehead and says some holy words. 9. Does the Bishop do something else when he gives us Confirmation? Yes, he gives us a little tap on the cheek. 10. Why does the Bishop give us a little blow on the cheek? To let us know that we must be brave enough now to take even hard blows to prove that we are real sol- diers of Christ. 11. How should we prepare for Con- firmation? If we have a mortal sin on our soul we should go to Confession. If we have already made our first Communion we should go to Holy Communion too. [ 57 ] THE BISHOP GIVES CONFIRMATION. 12. Who were the first ones to receive the Holy Ghost? The Apostles and some other good friends of Jesus. 13. Did anybody know that the Holy Ghost was coming down on the Apostles? Yes, everybody who was there knew that the Holy Ghost was coming in- to the hearts of the Apostles and the other people. 14. How did everybody know that? Because everybody could see fiery tongues over the heads of everybody else. 15. Did the Apostles and the others re- ceive the Sacrament of Confirma- tion? No, but they received the same Holy Ghost that we receive in Confirma- tion. 16. What is that day called on which the Holy Ghost came down on the Apostles? That day is called Pentecost. [ 59 ] 17. When does Pentecost come? Pentecost comes fifty days after Easter. Be brave to do good. Only cowards are afraid to be good. Continue to study your Catechism diligently even after you have been confirmed. LESSON 14 Prayer 1. What do we do when we pray? We think of God and speak lovingly to Him. 2. Which is the best prayer? The best prayer is the Our Father. 3. Who taught us the Our Father? Jesus taught us the Our Father when He was in this world. 4. What should we ask God for, most of all? We should ask God most of all to help us to be good and take us to heaven. 5. Must we pray? Yes, we must pray often. [ 60 ] 6. When should we pray? We should pray every day, at least morning and evening. 7. Is it a sin sometimes not to say morning and evening prayers? No, it is not a sin sometimes not to say morning and evening prayers, but it shows carelessness. Never say the name of God or Jesus except in prayer. Never play or laugh when you are praying . Pray much , especially for your parents, priests and teachers. LESSON 15 The Catholic Church 1. Did Jesus appoint someone before He died to take His place on this earth? Yes, Jesus appointed St. Peter to take His place. 2. Did Jesus appoint anyone else to take His place? Yes, He appointed the other Apos- tles too, but St. Peter was appointed the leader of all. [ 61 ] 3. Who takes St. Peter’s and the other Apostles’ place now? The Pope and the other bishops all over the world take St. Peter’s and the other Apostles’ place now. 4. Where does the Pope live? The Pope lives in Rome, a city of Italy. 5. Do we have to listen to the Pope and the bishops? Yes, we have to listen to the Pope and the bishops when they tell us what to believe and do in order to get to heaven. 6. What are the people called who fol- low the Pope and bishops as their leaders? The people who follow the Pope and bishops as their leaders are called Catholics and make up the Catholic Church. 7. What is the duty of the Pope and bishops? The duty of the Pope and bishops is to teach and rule the people, to say Mass and to give the people the Sacraments. [ 62 ] 8. Do the bishops use anybody to help them? Yes, the bishops use the priests to help them. 9. Does Jesus want everyone in the world to belong to the Catholic Church? Yes, Jesus wants everyone in the world to belong to the Catholic Church. 10. Is it right for Catholic children to go to Protestant churches? No, it is not right for Catholic chil- dren to go to Protestant churches. Be a loyal and good Catholic as long as you live. The better you know what the Catholic Church teaches, the more you will love to be a Catholic. U. I. O. G. D. [ 63 ] 61