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10^
/-
DOCTEINA.L AND SCRIPTURAL
CATECHISM;
or Tm
'^h,
'^tf% d®
CHRISTIAN RELIGION.
BY /V^
REV. P. COLLOT,/ * /^'
DOCTOR OF THB SOBBO
"^fe.
\^i
TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH ^
BY MRS. J. SADLIER,
Wirn THE APPROBATION OV THE KGOLBBIASTIOAL AUTHOBITIBS OF MONTBKAL.
A<^.
ef-
O'
<,-v?^^':„.-scv=>"\'\3^
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.©•
NEW YO'fe%^ 'q'^"^*
D. & J. SADLIER & CO., l^%ILI4A^foTREET.
BOSTON:— 128 Eil)ERA1^^8^EET.
MONTREAL :-CORXKR OF NOTRE DAMjf^lirST. FRANCIS XAVIEU STREETS.
185^
Entered, ftpcording to Act of Congrew, in the year 1068,
By D. a J. Sadlieb and Compamy,
In the Clerk'i Offlee of the DUtrict Court of the United State, for the Sonthem Diitriet o*
New York.
PRINTED BY
BiLUW AND Bbothbbs, 20 North William St., N. Y.
DEDICATIOIf.
To THE Brothers op the Christian Schools :
To you, fervent and devoted children of the
venerable De La Salle! f„ yo„, who so well fulfil
your lowly yet most important mission, and work
on silently and steadily, year after year, training
the rismg .generation for the glory of God the
salvation of souls, and the well-being of stiites' and
communities; to you, who may be truly called the
benefa^jtors of mankind, this series of instructions
on the Principal Truths of Religion is most re-
spectfully dedicated by
HoNTKUL, afey, 1858.
THE TRANSLATOR.
» '^
CONTENTS.
I'm
CuAP. I. Of God 1
Chap. II. Of the Most Holy Trinity 18
CuAP. III. Of tho Incarnation.. 16
Chap. IV. Of tho Apostles' Creed 20
Chap. V. Of the Sacraments In General 184
Of the Effect of tho Sacraments 185
Of the Number of the Sacraments. 141
Of tho Ceremonies of tho Sacraments 143
OHAi». VI. Of Baptism 145
Of Godfathers and Godmothers I55
Of the Ceremonies of Baptism I57
Of the Ceremonies which precede, accompany, and follow
Baptism 157,161,164
Chap. VII. Of Confirmation Igj
Chap. VIII. Of the Eucharist I74
Of the Sacrifice of the Mass 191
Of the Ceremonies of the Mass 208
Of the Manner of hearing Mass 218
Chap. IX. Of the Sacrament of Penance 221
Of Contrition 224
Of Perfect Contrition 227
Of Attrition 22S
Of Confession 230
Of tho Manner of Confessing 288
Of Satisfaction 240
ClIAP. X
Chap. XI.
CUAP. XII,
Chap. XIII.
Chap. XIV,
Chap. XV.
Chap. XVI.
Chap. XVII.
Chap. XVIII.
Chap. XIX.
Cl5AP. XX.
CONTENTS.
Of Public Penance «4fi
Of Indulgoncos 348
Of Extrcnio Unction 261
Of Holy Ordora 268
Of Matrimony 283
Of Virginity 273
Of the Commandments of God 278
Of Vows 813
Of Oaths 814
Of the Commandments of the Church 867
Of Sin 873
Of Original Sin 874
Of Actual Sin 870
Of Mortal Sin 876
Of Venial Sin 87»
Ofthe State of Man after his Death 890
Of the Sign of tlie Cross 889
Ofthe Lord's Prayer 8W
Of the Angelical Salutation 401
Of til© Tlieological Virtues 404
Of the Cardinal Virtues 406
Ofthe Capital 81ns 406
Acts ofthe Different Virtues 408
Christian Exercise, for the beginning of Catechism 409
For Beptuagoslma Sunday, In the Advanced Classes 415
248
2K1
. 268
. 263
. 272
. 278
. 812
.. 814
.. 857
.. 872
.. 874
.. 870
.. 876
... 879
... 830
...889
... 8M
... 401
. 404
. 405
. 405
,. 408
.. 409
.. 415
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
•4 »»
CHAPTER I.
OF GOD.
Queition. What is God f
AiiHwer. God is a spirit, eternal, independent, infinite, and
immutable, who is present every where, who seeth all things,
who can do all things, who has created all things, and
governs the universe.
Q, Why do you say that he is a spirit f
A. Because he is a supreme intelligence, who has neither
body, nor figure, nor color, and who cannot fiiU under the
senses.
Q. What is an intelligence If
A. That which is capable of knowing and thinking.
Q. How many sorts of intelligences arc there ?
A. There are throe sorts.
Q. What are they?
A. God, the angels, and our souls.
Q. What rank does God hold amongst these intelligences ?
A. He holds the first rank.
Q. Why?
A. Because he is a supreme intelligence. '
Q. What do you mean by supreme ?
A. That which has no equal.
, 1st. God knows all things. He knows himself, and all
his perfections. He knows all his creatures, past, present,
future, and possible.
T-P
(i
2 DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
2(1. What God knows, ho knows in a manner infinitely
perfect, so as that nothing can ha added thereto, and no
other intelligence can over attain to it.
Q. Wliat rank do the nngels holil amongst these btelligenccs I
A. They hold the second rank.
Q. Why?
A. Because they hold tho middle place between God and
our souls.
1st. They know less than God, but more than our souls.
2d. They know less perfectly than God, but more per-
fectly than our souls.
Q. What rank do our souls hold amongst these intelligences f
A. They hold the lowc 't rank.
Q. Why?
A. Because they arc below God and the angels. They
know but few things, and even those very imperfectly.
" We know in part, and we prophesy in part," says St.
Paul ;* "but when that which is perfect shall come, that
which is in part shall be done away."
Q. Are there no more than these three sorts of intelligences in this
world ?
A. There are no others.
The heavens and tho earth, the sun, moon, and stars, are
not intelligences, because they are not capable of knowing
and thinking.
So it is with tho birds, the fish, and all other animals.
Plants, wood, stone, and metals, likewise.
Our bodies even are not intelligences, because they can
neither know nor think ; it is our souls that think.
Q. Can we see God with ^ur eyes, and touch him with our hands ?
A. No, we cannot.
Q. Why ?
A. Because ho has neither body, nor figure, nor coloi-,
and cannot fall under the senses.
The senses are : sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
Q. Still it is said in Scripture that God has eyes, arms, han . «.
A. The Scripture speaks in that way to make us under-
stand that God sees all and can do all.
• 1 Cor. xiil. 10.
or ooD.
tbia
under-
Q. If Ood has no bod;', why, then, is ho rcproHcntcd as a vciioruble
old man ?
yl. It is because that he has manifested himself under that
figure.*
Ihc Holy Ghost is also represented as a dove,f cr in
the form of fiery tongues, although ho is a pure spirit.J
because ho has appeared under those forms.
Ill like manner the angels are represented as young nun
having wings,§ although they are pure spirits,|| because
they have appeared in that shape.
Q. Why did Ood appear as a venerable old man ?
A. To make it understood that he is from all eternity.
Q. Why did the Holy Ghost appear in the furni of a dove and of
fiery tongues ?
A. To show that he is a spirit of purity and of charity.
Q. Why did the angels appear as young men ^vith wings ?
A. To mark their endless youth, and the promptitude
wherewith they execute the orders of God.
Q, Why etemaU
A. Because he has never had a beginning, and will never
have an end.
Q. Had God a beginning ?
A. No.
Q. Shall he ever have an end ?
A. No.
Q. Is there any thing else eteraal ?
A. No, it is only God that is eternal.
Q. Why?
A. Because is is only He who is without beginning and
without end.
Q. All things, then, have bad a beginning ?
A. Yes, except God.
The heavens and the earth, the sun, moon and stars, an-
gels and men, and all other creatures, have begun at a
known time.
Q. Where was God when there was nothing of all that we see ?
A. He was in himself.
God, having need of nothing, suflSced for himself. Even
• Dan. vii. 9.
t St Mutt. iii. 16.
X Acts ii. 3.
§ Gen. xxviii. 12.
I Job V.
m
DOCTRINAL 'JATE0HI8M.
now, it is not the heavens and ti?e earth which contain God,
but it is God who contains them.
Q. What are those creatuiea called which are never to have an end,
such as the angels and our souls ? , >ri ,f i: -''.
., A. They are called immortal.
' It is true that they may be called eternal, inasmuch as
they are never to have an end, but they arQ not eternal, in-
asmuch as they had a beginning.
Q. Why independent ?
A. Because he holds his being only from himself, and de-
pends on no other cause. . v
Q. From whom does God hold his being ?
A. From himself alone.
Q. Does God depend on any cause t
A. No, he depends on no cause, and can depend on none.
Q. Why!
A. 1st. Because that no cause has produced him. ^*
2d. Because no cause preserves him.
He is only indebted to himself for what he is, and for
always remaining what he is.
Q. From whom do all creatures hold their being !
A. Thev hold it from God.
Q. Why?
A. Because they have proceeded from God, and if God
had not given it to them, they should still be in nothing.
Q. What are the CAuses on which all creatures depend ?
A. They depend on all those which have given them be-
ing, or by which they are preserved.
1st. On God, who is the first author and tne first pre-
server of their being.
2d. On those whom God has employed in giving it to
them.
3d. On all that preserves it to them.
God has subjected man to a multitude of wants, to make
him the more sensible of his dependence. Hence his de-
pendence is as manifold as his wants. The earth sustains
him ; the sun and the stars give him light ; the air makes
him breathe ; the earth and its various productions, with
the animals which are on the earth, in the air and in the
••: :' OF GOD. ;> ' ■ w
waters, serve for his food, his maintenance, and all his other
wants.
Q. Why is God immutable ?
A. Because he is subject to no change.
There is nothing immutable on the earth,* because
every thing on it is in perpetual change.
In heaven there is no more change ; but that is through
grace and special favor — grace and favor which may be
merited by a good life.
Even the angels have earned it by their fidelity.
Q. Are the heavens and the earth immutable ?
A. No, for they shall one day change.f
Then God shall make new heavens and a new earth. J
Q. Are men immutable!
A. No, for they are subject to ail sorts of change.
At one moment they think one thing, and the next mo-
ment, something else. To-day they would have one thing,
to-morrow another. Yesterday in good health, to-morrow
sick, the next day dead, Man, says Job, never continueth
in the same state.§ It is not only individuals that change,
but the whole world taken collectively.
States, kingdoms, provinces, cities, all is in perpetual
motion ; for all passes away, all perishes, all comes to an
end, and there is nothing to be seen that is fixed, stable, or
permanent.
Q. What, then, is immutable !
A. Nothing but God alone.
Q. Why!
A. Because it is only he who is subject to no change.
I AM THE Lord, says God, and I change not.jI
He changes not in himself; he is always in the same
state of greatness and of majesty. He changes not in his
perfections; he has them all, and they can receive neither
increase nor diminution. Neither does he change in his
thoughts nor in his decrees, because they are the same
throughout all eternity.
Q. Why is he infinite !
A. Because his essence and his perfections have no bounds.
♦ EccIm. 11. It.
t St Mark xiil. 81.
\
Is. IXT. IT.
Job xir. 2.
1*
1 MalMh. iil. 6.
6
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. What is the essence of God ?
A. It is supreme and self-existing greatness.
Q. What are the perfections of God ?
A. They are his eternity, his independence, his immuta-
bility, and the others.
Q. What do you mean by saying that the essence of God and his
perfections have no bounds ?
A. I mean that there can be no addition *»ither to his
greatness or to his perfections.
Q. Why !
A. Because he is by himself supremely great, and su-
premely perfect.
Q. Is it so with creatures f
A. No, for all that is created has bounds.
Q. What do you mean by having bounds ?
A. I mean that it can always be increased.
The heavens and the earth are vast and beautiful ; but
they may be still more so. It is the same with regard to
men and angels : for perfect as a man or an angel is, he
may be more perfect still. It is not so with God, who has
a plenitude of greatness and of perfection to which nothing
can ever add.
Q. Why is he present every where ?
A. Because he is in heaven, on earth, and in all places,
by his immensity.
Q. Where is God?'
A. He Is in heaven, on earth, and in all places.
Q. How is he there ?
A. By his immensity.
Q. What is the immensity of God ?
^. It is the power by which God is present every where.
If we kept in our minds this presence of God in all
places, how great would be our modesty and our respect !
St. Augustine said : If you will sin, go seek out a place
wherein God does not see you, and then do what you please ;
to make it understood that there is no place whatsoever
wherein God does not see us, because he is present every
where.
Q. Is it only by his immensity that God is in heaven t
A. He is also there by his glory.
luta-
ndHs
to his
1 ; but
prard to
a is, he
vho has
othing
places
OF OOD. 7
The glory of God is with him every where ; but it is only
in heaven that he manifests it in all its splendor, and it is the
sight of that glory which renders the angels and saints eter-
nally happy.
Q. la it only by his immensity that God is on earth }
A. He is also there by his providence. It is that provi-
dence which watches over our wants in a manner truly pa-
ternal. It is it which guides and regulates all. How great,
therefore, should be our confidence and our submission !
Q. Is it only by his immensity that God is in hell ?
A. He is there also by his justice.
It is there that he punishes as a God all those who during
their life have despised his mercy and refused to obey him.
Q. Is it only by his immensity that God is in the hearts of the just?
A. He is also there by his grace and by his love.
It is that grace and that love which enlightens, strengthens,
and consoles them at every moment.
EXAMPLES.
Cain cannot hide his murder from God. Oen. Iv.
Jonas vainly seelcs to hide himself from God. Jonas 1.
Jesus knows all that Judas is plotting against him. St. Matt. xxtL 21.
Q. Why do you say that he sees all ?
A» Because that nothing can be hidden from him, and that ho
knows all things, even the most secret thoughts of our hearts.
Q. Why is it that nothing can be hidden from God ?
A. Because all things are naked and open to his eyes.*
Q. Why does he see even the most secret thoughts of our hemis ?
A. Because he is present in our hearts.
You know that God is every where. That being so, he
is also in our hearts, and being there, he sees all that passes
therein.
Hence,when v/e think evil, we may indeed hide our thoughts
from the eyes of man, but never from the eyes of God.
EXAMPLES.
Jesus Christ knows the thoughts of the Scribes. St. Mark 11. 8.
Jesus Christ knows the thoughts of the Hcrodlans. St. Matt. rxli. 16.
Q. Do the angels know our thoughts?
A. No, unless that God, who has reserved to himself alone
the knowledge of them, is pleased to manifest them to them.f
♦ Hebrews iv. 18.
t Jer. XTli. 10.
8
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. Why do you say that he can do all things ?
."* Because nothing is impossible to his power.
Q. Why is nothing impossible to his power t
A. Because his power is infinite.
Q. Is it so with men and angels ?
A. No; for their power is finite.
They have nothing but what God gives to them, and be-
yond that they can do nothing.
Q. Who, then, has infinite power ?
A. None but God alone.
He it is who in one moment made heaven and earth, and
in one moment can send them back into their original noth-
ing. Our Lord changed water into wine, walked on the
water, instantaneously healed the sick, drove out devils, and
raised the dead. These are the works of omnipotence.
Yet, though God is all-powerful, he cannot do any thing
which contains contradiction, imperfection, or sin.
EXAMPLES.
Fire from henven dcsceni^s on the sacridce of Elias. 8 Kings zrilL
The three children In the fiery furnace. Daniel iii.
Daniel in the lions' den. Daniel vi. 16.
Q. What do you mean by God having created all things ?
A. I mean that from nothing he created the heavens and
the earth, and all other creatures, corporal and spiritual,
visible and invisible.
Q. Of what did he make the heavens and the earth !
A^ He made them of nothing.
That is to say, he drew them from the depth of his al
mighty power.
Q. What do you understand by creatures corporal and visible ?
A. I understand all those that we can see.
The sky, sun, moon, stars, the earth, our bodies, the ani-
mals, plants, wood, stone, &c.
Q. What do you understand by creatures spiritual and invisible ?
A. I understand those which we cannot see.
The angels and our souls.
Q. What do you mean by saying that he governs all things ?
A. I mean that he regulates all things by his providence,
and tnat nothmg happens in the world without his order or
without his permission.
OF OOD.
Q. What does Qod regulate in the world !
A. He regulates all things.
Q. How does he regulate them !
A. By his providence.
Q. What is the providence of God ?
^. It is the care which God has over all things,
Q. How does good happen in the world!
A. It happens by the order of God.
Q. Why by the order of God ?
A. Because God really wills it.
God loves good, that is to say, all that is pleasing and
agreeable to his eyes, he wills it sincerely, he commands it,
he approves of it, and rewards it.
Q. How does evil, that is to say, sin, occur in the world ?
A. It occurs by the permission of God.
Q. What do you mean by the permission of God!
A. I mean that, though having the power to prevent it,
he does not do so.
His reasons for permitting sin are to us unknown, but they
are always holy, just, and adorable; for God hates sin, he
condemns and punishes it.
Q. How do the afflictions of life happen ?
A. They happen sometimes by the will of God and some-
times by his permission.
Q. When do they happen by the will of God I
A. When he himself sends them.
Such was the case when he caused David to be told* that
he gave him the choice of three calamities.
Q. When do they happen by his permission f
A. When he permits the devil and the wicked to afflict
us.
This is the case when he does not prevent them, and
leaves them to do their will: as when he permitted the devil
to torment Job. Job did not then say : It is the devil, or
it is the wicked who afflict me; but, It is the hand of God
which has stricken me ;f because he knew that nothing hap-
pened to him without the permission of God.
* 2 Kings xxiv.
t Job IL 10.
T
10
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. In that case, tho afflictions of this life are rather blessings than
evils I
A. Yes, when they are recaived in that spirit.
Hence, Job, who accepted them thus, blessed God for all
the misfortunes that befell him.
Q. But how can affictions ever become blessings ?
A, 1st. Because they serve to expiate our sins.
All sin deserves punishment ; is it not better to endure it
in this life than in the other?
2d. Because they serve to exercise our virtues.
They bring us to maice acts of submission and of resig-
nation to the will of God. They make us practice patience.
They serve to detach us from this miserable life and to raake
us sigh for heaven.
3d. Because they increase our crown in heaven.
Were it not for the sufferings of this life, the holy mar-
tyrs, and so many other saints, would never have reached so
high a degree of glory.
Q. To whom should we piincipally have recourse in our afi^ction ?
A. We should have recourse to God.
Q. Why?
A. Because that no one can relieve us so speedily, or so
effectually.
.either can any one relieve us, if God do not give him
. will and the power. It is, therefore, reasonable that we
.ould have recourse to him on all such occasions, as did the
.ipostles, who, finding themselves in danger, awoke Jesus
Christ, saying. Lord, save us, or we perish ; and who be-
sought him in favor of St. Peter's mother-in-law, who was
instantly cured ; or the sister of Lazarus, who sent woid
to Jesus : Lord ! he whom thou lovest is sick.
Q. Does God abandon those who tmly confide in him ?
A. No, he never abandons them.
He takes care of them as a tender father takes care of his
children, and kindly provides for all their wants. Consider
him in the following examples, where he attends to the
wants of his Apostles and of her whom they recommend to
him, as well as to those of Martha and Mary, the sisters of
Lazarus.
OF GOD.
It
'0
v.-
EXAMPLES.
Ishmft'Jl wanting water \n the desert. Oen. xxl.
Tlio Israelites !n the desert for forty years.
EMiis fed by ravens and by the widow of Sarepta. Klngn xvlW.
Ellscus prodicts a sudden abundance In a time of grievous {ftiui^ 4 Kings vlL
Kllseus multiplies the poor widow's oil. 4 Kingn Iv. '
Daniel fed by Uabacuc in the lion's den. Dan. xiv.
Q. Why did God create usT
A. To know him, love him, and serve h
means to obtain everlasting life.
Q. What is the first end for which God created us?
A. To know him.
To comprehend the happiness of knowing God, it is only
necessary to consider the state of those who have never
known him. We ought to thank God for that special favor,
and endeavor to increase daily in that knowledge.
Q. Is it sufficient to know God, in order to obtain salvation ?
A. No; we must also know all things necessary for salva
tion.
The mystery of the Holy Trinity, that of the Incarnation,
and of the Redemption, the resurrection of the dead, and the
eternity of rewai'd or of punishment awaiting us hei'eafter.
It is also necessary to know the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's
Prayer, the Commandments of God and of the Church, nil
that regards the Sacraments, and the duties of our respect-
ive states.
Q. When do we begin to learn these things?
A. At school and at catechism.
It is necessary to go there with zeal and assiduity, to bo
modest and attentive, and to repeat at home what has been
leai-ned there.
Q. What is the second end for which God created us?
A. To love him.
If it be a happiness to know God, it is a still greater hap-
piness to love him.
Q. How must we love God?
A. We must love him with our whole heart, with our
whole soul, and with all our strength.
When we say all^ there is no exception, and those words
denote great fervor, great activity, and an exceeding great
love.
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. Is i^ enough to know God with all our heart, with all our soul,
and with our whole strength?
A. Wo must likewise love our neighbor as ourselves.
Tiiese two are inseparable, and any one who has not both,
has neither one nor the other.
EXAMPLE.
What the great commandment of the law Is. St. Matt. xzU. 86.
Q. What is the third end for which God created ua t
A, To serve him.*
To serve God through love adds yet another degree to the
happiness of l;nowing and loving him. To servo God is
something greater than to reign.
Q. How must we serve God ?
A. We must serve him with zeal, fidelity, and perseve-
rance ; with zeal, that is to say, without tepidity or negli-
gence ; with fidelity, that is to say, without fiiiling in any
one duty which we owe to him ; with perseverance, that is
to say, without interruption, till the last moment of our ex-
istence.
Behold, how the great ones of the earth are served. God
deserves to be served more than they Jo
of kings, the Lord of lords.
for he is the King
Q. What will be the reward of those who have known, loved, and
served God ?
A. Life everlasting. ,!. jjl ' ;
Q. Where is that life enjoyed ?
A. In heaven.
Q. Why Is that life called everlasting!
A. Because it shall last for ever, and shall never have an
end.
Q. Who are they who enjoy that life !
A. The angels and saints.
How blissful is that life compared with this which we
lead here below, and which we should only regard as the
means of acquiring the other !
* St Lake It. S.
tlTIm.vl.15.
u
OF TUB MOST HOLY TRINITY.
It
CHAPTER II.
OF THE MOST HOLY TillNlTY.
Q. Are tliere many Goda?
A. No; there is but one, and there can be no more.
Hear, O Israel : the Lord our God is one Lord.*
Jesus Christ repeats the same words in St. Mark; and
St. Paul thus speaks :f To the King of ages, immortal, in-
visible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.
Amen.
Q. Why can the j not be more than one God ?
A. Because if there were, then none would be God,
Q. Why so?
^1. Because none of them would be supreme ; for when
wo say supreme, we mean, having no equal.
Q. Is there more than one person in God t
A. Yes.
Q. How many are there ?
^. There are three: the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost.
In the baptism of our Lord by St. John these three per-
sons were clearly distinguished. The Father speaks, the
Son is baptized, and the Holy Ghost appears in the form of
a dove.J
Children must be made to understand that Jesus Christ
is not a fourth person, nor the Blessed Virgin, although she
is the mother of God. • ,
Q. Is the Father God ?
A. Yes.
Q. Is the Son God? >
A. Yes.
Q. Is the Holy Ghost God ?
A. Yes.
Q. Are there, then, three Gods ?
A. No ; there are three persons, but these three persons
make but one God, and that is what is called the Most
Holy Trinity.
* Deut. vl. 4.
t 1 Tim. 1. 17.
2
X St Matt iii. 16.
T
14
DOCTRINAL CATECIireM.
Q. Whatia the Holy Trinity?
A. It is one God in three distinct persons, the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Ghost.
Q. Why do you sjiy distinct f
A. Because the Father is not the Son, and the Son is not
tlic Holy Ghost.
Q. What rank docs the mystery of the Holy Trinity hold amongst
all tlie others?
A. It holds the first rank.
Q. Why?
A. Because it is the first, the principal, and the source of
all the others.
Q. la not the Father more ancient than the Son and the Holy
Ghost ?
A. No ; those two persons are from all eternity, like the
Father
Q. Had the Son a beginning?
A. No; he never had a beginning.
Q. Had the Holy Ghost a beginning ?
A. No ; he never had a beginning.
Q. Why ?
A. Because these two persons are from all eternity, like
the Father.
These two persons being from all eternity, it is impos-
sible that the Father could have been a moment before
them.
Q. Is there any of these three persons greater or more powerful
than the others ?
A. No ; they arc equal in all things.
Q. Why are these three persons equal in all things ?
A. Because they have the s:ime divinity and the same
nature ; this the Church perfectly explains by the word
consuhstan tiality.
Q. What do you mean by saying that these three persons have
tlie same divinity and the same nature ?
A. I mean that they are the same God.
Q. What word does the Church employ to explain the perfect unity
of the throe persons ?
A. She employs the word consuhstantiality.
OK TIIK INCARNATION.
15
Q. What is the meaning of tlio ^ord consubatantiality f
A. It means that thcso three poisons have ono nnd the
same substance; which is just the same as saying that they
are ono and the same God.
■•*•-
CHAPTER III.
OF THE INCAK NATION.
Q. Is there any of these throe divine persona who become man f
A. Yes.
Q. Which of them?
A. The Son.
Q. What do you moan by saying he became man ?
A. I mean that he substantially united to his person a
body and soul like unto ours.
Like unto ours in every thing, except sin and what leads
to sin, such as ignorance and concupiscence.
He was subject, like us, to all the miseries of life, to hun-
ger, thirst, cold, heat, sadness, pain, and death. Neverthe-
less we do not read that he ever had any infirmity, or any
sickness.
Q. To what did he unite that body and soul like unto ours?
A. He united them to his own person.
Not to that of the Father, nor to that of the Holy Ghost ;
therefore it is the Son only who became man, and not the
Father nor the Holy Ghost.
Q. How did he unite them ?
A. He united them substantially.
Q. What do you moan by substantially ?
A. I mean in unity of person.
This may be understood and explained, in some sort, by
the example of the union of our soul with our body ; for,
as our soul united to our body makes but one person, so
the Son of God united to the soul and body which he as-
sumed, makes also but one person.
Still, it must be remarked that the union of our soul with
our body may be dissolved, and is every day, by death ;
1 .■
lie
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
*
whereas that of Jesus Christ could never be dissolved, bo-
cause that which the Son of God once tooit, he retained for
ever.
The union of the faithful and of the just with Jesus Chris:
in this life, is not of the nature of that just mentioned ; for
they are only united to him by faith, grace, and charity.
Q. Where did ho take thia body oud soul ?
A. In the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Q. Who is the niotlier of the Son of God made man ?
A. The Blessed Virgin Mary.
Q. Why ?
A. Because the Son of God took, in her womb, a body
and soul like unto ours.
Q. The Blessed Virgin is, then, the mother of God !
A. Yes, she is truly the mother of God.
Q. Why so ?
A. Because she really conceived and brought forth a Man-
God.
Q. Of what was the body of the Son of God formed ?
A, It was formed of the substance of Mary.
Q. And the soul?
A. It was created ; and at the moment of its creation it
was filled with all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge;*
because of its uniou with the Word.
Q. What does the name of Mary signify ?
A. It signifies lady or mistress.
Q. Why is she called blessed ?
A. Because of her dignity as mother of God.
She bore him in her womb,-)- but still more happily in her
heart; and henceforth, says the Blessed Virgin in her can-
ticle, ail generations shall call me blessed, for He that is
mighty hath done great things in me.
Q. Why is she called mother, and she a virgin !
A. Because that in becoming a mother, she ceased not to
be a virgin.
A virgin before, during, and after her child-bearing, that
is to say, always ; a privilege the most glorious, and granted
only to Mary.
♦ Colos. il. 3.
+ St Luke i. 48.
OF THE INCARNATlOIf.
17
a, bo-
ed for
ChriB:
l; for
ty.
, body
aMan-
ation it
dge-j*
in her
ler can-
that is
not to
fg, that
iranted
Q. Was Mary alwnys a virgii* !
A. Yes; it is the common belief of the Church, and con-
sequently an article of faith.*
Q. How Imvn those persons been rcgnrdeil who dared to attack it t
A. They have been regarded as heretics.f
Q. Why?
A. Beciiusc they opposed the common belief of the Church.
Q. How was Jesus Christ conceived iu the womb of the Virgin !
A. By the operation of the Holy Ghost.
Q. Who is the father of the Son of God made man f
A. As God, ho has a father, and no mother; and as man,
he has a mother, but no father.
Q. Why is it timt as man he has no father t
A. Because ho was conceived by the operation of the
Holy Ghost.
Q. And yet St. Joseph was called his father (
A. Yes; because, as Mary's husband, he was entitled to
bear the name.J
He was likewise called his father because ho took care of
him, as a father takes care of his child.
Q. Why did he become man f
A. To redeem us from the bondage of sin and from the
pains of hell, and to merit for us the reward of eternal life.
Q. What 13 the first reason ?
A. To redeem us from the bondage of sin.§ We must
beware of falling into it again. || We must fear sin more
than death itself. Whoever commits sin, says Jesus Christ,
is the slave of sin, and has the devil for his father. What
can be more disgraceful to men made to the image of God
and redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ !
Q. What is the second ?
A. To redeem us from the pains of hell, insupportable
and eternal. Wc ought to shun sin as we would the ser-
pent, since one mortjil sin is sufficient to consign us to these
never-ending torments.
Q. What is the third!
A. To purchase everlasting life for us.
I
* St Tho., 8, p. 429, art 1-8.
t Illor. In Jov., lib. a
t St John il 83, 48.
f
St John vlil.
St John viil.
83.
44.
2*
18
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
What goodness! what love! what mercy! &c., has sub-
stituted the most ineflab'e bliss for the most inexpressible
misery.
We should do all, and endure all, in order to arrive at this
happiness, never forgetting that a single mortal sin might
for ever exclude us from it.
Q. How tlid he redeem us ?
A. By suffering for us as man, and giving, as God, an infi-
nite value to his sufferings.
Q. What did Jesus Christ, as man, do to redeem us ?
A. He suffered.
Q. What did he suffer ?
A. lie suffered all sorts of pains and torments in body
and in soul. He was born in a poor stable. He lived in
poverty and privation. He died in torment and in ignominy.
Q. What did Jesus Christ, as God, do to redeem us ?
A. He gave to his sufferings an infinite value.
Q. Why did he not suffer as God ?
A. Because it is impossible for God to suffer.
A sovereign beatitude can never undergo the slightest
suffering/
Q. Why were the suflferings of Jesus Christ of an infinite value ?
A. Because they were the sufferings of a God.
It was not merely the sufferings of Jesus Christ taken all
together that were of infinite value, but also each particular
suffering, so that the least of those sufferings, a tear, a drop
of blood, would have been more than sufficient to redeem
us.
Who, then, can understand the excess of that charity
which induced him to suffer so much for us !
Q. By what name do we know the Son of God made man ?
^. Bv that of Jesus Christ.
Q. What does the name of Jesus signify ?
A. It signifies Saviour.
Q. Wliy was that name given to him ?
A. Because he was to save his people,* delivering them
from their sins.
♦ 8t. Matt. i. 21.
OF THE INCARNATION.
19
:en all
ticular
drop
jdeem
them
Q. Who gave hini tliat name ?
A. God himself, by the luitiistiy of an angel.
Thou shalt conceive in thy womb,* said the angel to
Mary, and shalt bring forth a son ; and thou shalt call his
name Jesus.
And to St. Joseph :f Fear not, son of David, to take un-
to thee Mary thy wife : for that which is conceived in her is
of the Holy Ghost, and she shall bring forth a Son : and
thou shalt call his name Jesus.
Q. What is the meaning of the word Christ ?
A. It means anointed or consecrated.
It is a Greek word, as Messiah is a Hebrew word, and both
have the same signification.
Q. Wl'.o were they who bore that name in the old law ?
A. They were kings, priests, and prophets.
Q. Wliy were those three classes of persons called the Lord's an-
ointed ?
A. Because they were anointed with holy oil.
Q. Jesus Christ, who bore that name as man, was be then king,
priest, and prophet ?
A. Yes, he possessed those three qualities.
Q. How was he king ?
A. Because all power had been given to him on earth
and in heaven. J
Q. How was he priest ?
A. Because he came to offer a sacrifice above all the ancient
sacririces.§
Q. How was he prophet ?
A. Because he possessed within himself all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge.!
Q. Was he consecrated like the kings, pri*^ sts, and prophets of the old
law?
A. No, but by the unction of the divinity itself, dwelling
corporeally within him.^
Q. What do you mean by corporeally ?
A. I mean really and substantially.
Q. Is he both God and man ?
A. Yes, he is.
• St, Liikc i. 81.
t Bt. Matt. i. 20.
t Pt. Matt, xxviii. 18.
§ Ileb. V. 5.
I Col. ii. {?.
f Col. ii. 9.
i
20
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. How many natures are there in him I
A. There are two, tho divine nature and the human na-
ture. According to these different natures, he called him-
self the Son of God, and the Son of man. The Son of God,
according to the divine nature, and the Son of man, accord-
ing to the human nature ; but he usually spoke of himself
.13 tho Son of man, the more to gratify his humility. .
Q. Is there not also more than one person in him ?
A. No ; theie is but one, which is the person of the Son
of God.
As our soul united to our body makes but ono person, so
God and man united together make but one single Christ,
or, if you will, but one single person.
-•♦•-
CHAPTER IV.
OF THE apostles' CREED.
Q. What is the Apostlos' Creed ?
A, It is a formula of the profession of faith which comes
to us from the Apostles.
Q. What does the Creed contain ?
A. It contains the abridgment of our filth.
Q. What is meant by our faith ?
A. It is that which we must believe in order to be saved.
It is not enough to recite it with the lips, but also with the
heart and soul ; with the soul, so as to think of what wc
are saying, and with the heart, so as to believe interiorly
what the mouth professes.
Q. From whom have we this Creed ?
A. From the Apostles.
Q. Why do you say that we have it from the Apostles !
A. Because it was they who composed it.*
Q. Did they leave it in writing ?
A. No ; they only taught it.
♦ Fleu. Eccl.
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
21
Q. Why did they not leave it in writing ?
A. Lest it might fall into the hands of those who were
not Christians.
Q. For what did the Creed serve in the early days of the Church ?
A. It served to distinguish the Christians from all others.
The word creed — or symbol — is a Greek word which sig-
nifies a mark. It served at first to distinguish the soldiers;
then it was applied to that abridgment of the Christian doc-
trine, which served to distinguish the Christians.
Q. How many articles are there in the Creed ?
A. There are twelve, corresponding to the number of the
Apostles ; which has given rise to the opinion held by some,
though without proof, that each Apostle had contributed his
own.
Q. Repeat the Creed.
A. I believe in God, &c.
ARTICLE I.
I BELIEVE IX OOn, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY, CKKATOU OF IIBAVKK AND EABTH.
Q. Explain the first words : 1 believe in God;
A. I am certain, by a firm faith, that there is one God,
and that there can be but one.
Q. Why can there be no more ?
A, Because if there were more, then none would be God.
Q. Why so ?
A. Because none would be supreme ; for supreme means
without an equal.
Q. How are you sure that there is but one God, and that there can-
not be more ?
A. I am sure of it through a firm faith.
Q. What do you mean by a firm faith ?
A. I mean without any doubt.
Q. Why do you not doubt it ?
A. Because God himself has revealed it.
It is, thei (fore, more certain that there is a God, and that
there is but one, than that it is now day, because God can-
not be deceived, being infinite wisdom, nor deceive us, be-
ing infinite goodness ; whereas our eyes may absolutely be
deceived and deceive us.
22
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
V
!
f :
if
ii ' I
Q. Why do you not say that you believe that there is a God, but
also that you believe in him ?
A. It is to show that I place my whole confidence in God,
and that I regard him as my soverelj^n good and my last
end.
To believe God, is to believe that he is.
To believe that he is, is to believe in his words.
To believe in God, is, by believing, to put our whole
trust in him, to regard him as our supreme good and oui'
last end.
Q. Why should we place our whole trust in God I
A. Because God is the infinite goodness and power.
His goodness renders him sensible to our miseries, and his
power relieves them easily and promptly.
If, then, our miseries continue, we must attribute it to
our sins, or otherwise to our want of confidence,
Q. How should we regard God ?
A, We should regard him as our sovereign good and our
last end.
Q. Why 13 God our sovereign good ?
A. Because it is only he who can render us happy.
All the riches, all the honors, and all the pleasures of the
world put together, cannot render us happy, because our
hearts, though possessing them, would still desire some-
thing ; whereas, when it possesses God, it desires nothing
more, and is content.
Q. Why 13 God our last end t
A. Because we are made to possess him.
We must, therefore, perforni all our actions solely with
a view to obtain the possession of God ; for that end to refor
them to him, and to do them for the purpose of pleasing
him.
We may have many ends in what we do ; but the last
should be God; for instance, a merchant, a mechanic, or
any other person, works to earn money ; that is his first
end. lie must have money whereon to live, that is his
second end; but he should wish to live only to serve God
and to possess him ; this should be his last end.
I with
Irefer
isiiig
last
|c, or
first
his
iGod
OF THE APOSTLES* CREED.
Whether you cat or drink, says the apostle * or whatso-
ever else you do; do all things for the glory of God.
And again :f All whatsoever you do in word orm work,
do all in'^the rame of tho Lord Jesus Christ.
Q. What dc you understand by the Father ?
A. I understand that there being three persons in God,
the first is called the Father.
Q. How many persons are tlierc in God ?
A. There are three.
0. What is the first called !
A. lie is called Father.
Q. Why do you call him Father ?
A. Because from all eternity he begets a Son, who is the
^amc God with him, and who is equal to him in all thing?.
Q. Who doc3 the Father beget from all eternity ?
A. lie begets a Son, who is the same God with him, and
his equal in all tilings.
Q. With whom is the Son the same God ?
A. With the Father, and consequently with the Holy
Ghost.
Q. In what is the Son equal to the Father ?
A. He is equal to him in all things, in power, in wisdom,
in holiness, in knowledge, &c.
Q. Why do you call him Father Almighty f
A, Because his power is infinite, and he can do whatso-
ever he pleases.
Q. Why is the pc.'ver of God infinite ?
A. Because it has no bound?.
Q. Why has it no bounds ?
A. Because he can do whatsoever he pleases.
It is he who, from nothing, made tho heavens and tho
earth, and who could, if he would, annihilate them in a
moment.
lie could, also, if he chose, create thousands of worlds,
more beautiful one than the other. To do that requires
infinite and unlimited power.
* 1 Cor. X. 81.
t Col. iH.17.
24
DOCTKINAL CATECHISM.
Q. Does not omnipotence belong to the Son and to the Holy Ghost
as well as to the Father ?
A. Yes ; the three persons have but one and the same
omnipotence.
Q. Is it only the Father who is Almighty ?
A. The Son and the Holy Ghost are so likewise.
Q. Why, and how ?
A. Because the three persons have but one and the same
omnipotence.
Q. Why, then, is it particularly attributed to the Father?
A. Because that, being the principle of the two other per-
sons, and communicating to them his nature, he communi-
cates to them his omnipotence, with all his other divine
perfections.
Q. Which of the three divine persons is the principle of the two
others ?
A. The Father. :
Q. Of whom is the Father the principle ?
A. lie is the principle of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
Q. What does the Father communicate to the Son and to the Holy
Ghost ?
A. Ilis nature.
Q. What is his nature ?
A. It is his divinity.
Q. Does he communicate to them nothing but his nature ?
A. He also communicates to them his Almighty power,
with all his divine perfections.
Thus the Son and the Holy Ghost are Almighty as the
Father, notwithstanding that the Almighty power is particu-
larly attributed to the Father. In like manner, these three
persons have but the same wisdom and the same goodness,
although the wisdom is particularly attributed to the Son,
and the goodness to the Holy Ghost.
Q. What means Creator of heaven and earth ?
A. It is that from nothing he has made all things.
EXAMPLE.
The creation of the wor\<\.— Gen. i. il.
Q. What was there before God had created heaven and earth ?
A. There w^as nothing but God alone, and consequently
nothing of all that we see and of all that has been created.
OK THK AP03TLK3' CRKKD.
2L
Q. How long in it since God creaied beaveu and earth ?
A. It is nearly six thousaniJ years.
Q Of what did he make them ?
A. lie made them of nothing, by his word and his will,
for his own glory.
Q. What did God create in heaven ?
A. He created the angels. These are pure spirits, who
have no body.
Q. What did God fix in the firmament to ilhimine the day and the
night ?
A. The sun, the moon, and the stars.
Q. What did God brinnf forth from the earth ?
A. He brought forth the plants. and the animals.
Q. What ditl he bring forth from the waters ?
A. The birds and the fish.
Q. What did God create to govern all that was on the earth ?
A. He created man.
The first man was named Adam,* which means, drawn
from the earth.
Q. Of what was his body formed ?
A, It was formed of the slime of the earth.
Q. What did QoJ infuae into tliat body to vender it living and ani-
mate ?
A. A soul made after his own image and likeness, j
Q. Why to his image and likeness ?
A. Because it is a spirit capable of knowing and loving.
Q. What did God give to Adam for a companion ?
A. Ho gave him a woman.
I That woman was named Eve, which means, living or
I vivifying. J because she was the mother of all living. Thus
I did God institute marriage.
Q. Of what was Eve formed ?
A. She was formed of one of Adam's ribs.
S Q. Why of one of Adam's ribs ?
I A. To show that he was to love her as part of his own
i body.
i; Q. In how mahy days did Goa do all these things ?
1 A. In six days.
S
5 i
* Gon. it 19.
t Gon. ii. T.
t Gon. ill. 20.
h'l 'i
f '1 '.,
'i II
t ii!!
26
DOCTRINAL CATECUIBM.
Q. What did be do ou the Hoventh day t
A. He rested.
Q. What does that mean f
A. That he ceased the work of creation,
the Sabbath, since superseded by Sunday.
Thence came
EXAMPLE.
Fall of the bod angels, and fidelity of the good.
Q. What did God create in heaven in the beginning ?
A. He created the angels.
We have already said that angels arc pure spirits, who
have no bodies.
Q. Were these angels numerous ?
A. Yes, there were millions on millions of them.*
Q. In what state did God create them?
A. He created them in grace and sanctity.
Q. Did they all persevere therein ?
A. No ; many of them revolted against God.
Q. How did God punish them ?
A. By casting them into hell.f
Q. What are these rebel angels called since their fall t
A. They are called devils or demons.
Q. How do they employ themselves ?
A. In tempting men. J
Q. For what purpose ?
A. In order to have companions in their misery.
We should ever have recourse to our Lord in those
temptations,§ and say to him, with humble confidence:
Oh, Lord ! save us, or we perish.
Q. What has been the reward of those angels who remained faithful
to God?
A. Eternal glory.
Q. How are they employed in heaven ?
A. hi beholding God as he is, in loving and praising him,
and possessing him for ever in the kingdom of heaven.
0]
* Dan. \il 10.
t 2 Peter iL 4
I
Apoc. XX. 8.
St. Matt viii. 25^
OK TIIK APOSTLES CREED.
27
came
I, who
Q. How are they employed here on ea\ th I
A. In executing the orders of God. TTence it is that they
are represented as young men with wings.
Q. What are they called who take care of each of us ?
A, They arc called guardian angels.
They defend us against the devils, and preserve us from
many dangers ; they also procure fur us the spiritual and
corporal goods which mav tend to our salvation.
Q. What should we do to acknowledge theu* good offices ?
A. 1st. We should pray to them, especially morning and
evening.
2d. Have recourse to them on all occasions, especially in
temptations and in dangers.
3d. Respect them, and do nothing which might displease
them.
4th. Appreciate the happiness of having a prince of
heaven to watch over us.
5th. Obey them with great docility.
6th. Love them, confide in them, and imitate them. They
see God unceasingly, and are impeccable. Let us remember
the presence of God, and avoid sin.
those
fidence :
>d faitliful
iinghlm,
rQU.
HISTORY.
The disobedience of Adam and Eve.— 0^07^. ill.
Q. Where did God place Adam and Eve after having created them t
A. He placed them in the terrestrial paradise.
Q. What was the terrestrial paradise ?
A. It was a delightful garden, planted with all sorts of
beautiful trees, and watered by four large rivers.
Q. Which were the two principal trees of tliat gai-den, called the para-
dise of pleasure ?
A. They were the tree of life, and the tree of knowledge
of good and evil.*
The first prevented death. The second was so called after
Adam had eaten of its fruit.
Q. What L-id God forbidden them ?
A. He had forbidden them to eat of the fruit of the tree
of knowledge of good and evil.
* Gon. IL 15.
I!
8(t
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. Were tlicy fuithfiil to tliis prohibition t
A. No ; for they cat of the fruit.
Evo had first eaten of it * having been seduced by tho
devil, concealed under the form of tho serpent, and Adam
afterwards eat of it to oblige his wife.
Q. What punishment did such disobedience deserve f
A. It deserved the eternal pains of hell.
Q. WImt did God do to show them the enormity of their siu ?
A. 1st. He cursed the serpcnt.f
2d. He condemned the woman to bring foi'th her children
in sorrow.
3d. He condemned the man to eat his bread in tho sweat
of his brow.
4th. He expelled them both from the terrestrial paradise.
Q. What did God place before the terrestrial paradise ?
A. Cherubims, and a flaming sword turning every way.
Q. Why did God place them there ?
A. To keep the way of the tree of life.
'* ' i;
ill' I
ir ?'!
HISTORY.
Conseqaenccs of the disobedience of Adam and Eve.— (7«n. iil.
Q ' what state had God created Adam and Eve ?
He iiad created them in the state of innocence ; not only
in grace, but with a sound body, perfectly submissive to the
spirit, and with a spirit fully enlightened and perfectly sub-
missive to God.
Q. How did they live in this state ?
A. They lived perfectly happy.
Q. What goods did they enjoy ?
A. They enjoyed all sorts of goods.
Q. From what evils were they exempt?
A. From all sorts of evils, both in body and in soul.
Q. How were they to go to heaven ?
A. They were to go there without dying.
Q. What did they lose by their disobedience ?
A. They lost innocence, and all its great advantages.
W(
th(
♦ 1 Tim. ii. U
t Oen. ill. 15.
:'|i '■ 1
tit
1*
OF TIIK APOSTLEU CREED.
29
Q. \Vlio9« captives did thoy become !
A. They becamo tho captives of the dovil.
Q. To what were they subject f
A. To ignorance, concupiscence, tho miseries of life, death,
and death eternal.
Ignorance is tho state in which we are horn, knowing
nothing, and learning only with toll and trouble. Con-
cupiscence is the inclination to sin.
The miseries of liA' are all the pains and troubles to
which each of us is subjected. Death is the obligation under
which all men lie of losing life.
Eternal death is the being deprived of seeing God for
ever, and being eternally tormented in the firo of hell.
Q. To whom did the sin of Adam pass with all its consequences !
A. It ppssed to all his posterity ; that is to say, to all
mankind, Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin only excepted.
Jesus Christ by right, and the Blessed Virgin by privilege.'
Q. What is this sin called ?
A. It is called original sin.
Q. Why?
A. Because we have it from our origin.
Q. Who has redeemed us from this sin ?
A. Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Q. How?
A. By dving for us.
Q. Had this Saviour been promised ?
A. Yes ; he had. For God, when cursing the serpent,
declared that of the woman should spring forth him who
would crush his head ;* that is to say, the Saviour of the
world, who would come to destroy the p(»\ver of tho devil.
Q. How long was it from Adam till the coming of Jesus Christ?
A. About four thousand years.
I am now going to give you a brief account of what befell
the people of God during those four thousand years.
f ,
If
res.
* Gon. IIL 1&
3*
p
80 DOCTRINAL CATKCIIISM.
III8TOUY.
Corruption of mankind, and tlie universal deluge.— <?•». Iv. andfoL oh.
Q. Who were the two first children of Adam f
A. Cain and Abel.
The former applied himself to till the ground, and the
latter kept the flocks.
Q. Why did Cuiii kill his brother Abel t ' -
A. Through envy of his virtue.
Adam had another son named Scfh, whose children at
first preserved the fear of God, but becoming intermingled
with those of Cain, they were speedily corrupted, and be-
came as wicked as the others.
Q. What resolution did God take, seeing all mankind addicted to evil ?
A. He resolved to destroy them by the deluge : a great
inundation of water which covered the whole earth.
Q. Were all men drowned ?
A. Yes ; all except eight persons : these were, Noah and
his wife, his three sons and their wives.
Q. How were they preserved f
A. By means of the ark.
The ark was a large square vessel covered in the form of
a chest.
The animals which Noah shut up in it were also pre-
served.
Q. What did Noah offer to God after the de^cqe, by way of tlumks-
giving?
A. He offered a sacrifice to him.
The rainbow was the sign of the promise which God
made to Noah that he would never send another deluge.
Q. By whom was the world re-peopled after tlie deluge ?
A. h was re-peopled by the three sons of Noah, Sem,
Cham, and Japheth.
Q. Did men profit by so terrible a chastisement !
A. No ; they became more wicked than ever.
':■ !r n
OK THK AI'OSTLKH CHKEI).
31
of
God
m
w.
lUSTOKY.
Covenant of Uoil witli Abraham.— tf«n. xlL
Q, With whom did Gotl make a coveiijint somo time after the deluge !
A. With Abraham.
Q. Why did lie ninko this covenant f
A. T<* |>i'e'scivc oil the wiith tho kiiow!e(l<^o of his name,
a kiiowJt'dgL' which would have disappeared by degrees, so
great was the wickedness of iiicii,
Q. What did God coiiimaiid him tu dot
A. To leave his country and his kindred.
Q. What did God promise him ?
A. 1st. He promised to inukc him the father of a Humo-
rous people.
This is sioiilficd by the name of Abraham.
2d. To give to that people the land of (Jhanaan.
Nevertheless, they did not get possession of it till four
hundred years after, because God wished to exercise their
faith, and to teach us patiently to await his time.
3d. Tj bless, in his race, all the nations of the earth. By
these last words, God gave him to understand that tho
Saviour of tho world was to be born of his posterity.
Q. Did Abraham believe all these promises ?
A. Yes; and his faith became a source of benediction to
him and his.
Q. What did God prescribe to him as the sign of \m covenant ?
A. lie prescribed circumcision.
This was an external mark which distinguished the people
of God from the other nations of the earth, as baptism now
distinguishes Christians from all others.
Q. What was the name of the sou whom Abraham had when he was
an hundred years old ?
A. He was called Isaac.
This son was the sole heir of all Abraham's possessions,
which were very great, bee^iuse God had loaded him with
blessings.
Q. How did God try the faith of Abraham ?
A. By commanding him to sacrifice to him his beloved
son, who was then thirty-six or thirty-seven years old.
32
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q, How did Abraham act on this trying occasion ?
A. He obeyed without a moment's hesitation, and pre-
pared to immolate his son.
Q, What happened when lie was just about to kill him ?
A. He was stopped by an angel, who told him that God
was satisfied with his obedience.
|i:i
i:l!
HISTORY.
Of the twelve patriarchs descended from Abraham.— (?ew. xxvl. and/ol. oh.
Q. How many children had Isaac ?
A. He had only two, and they were twins — Esau and
Jacob.
Q. To which of the two did Isaac, in his extreme old age, give his
blessing ?
A. lb Jacob.
Q. Why to Jacob rather than to Esau, who was the elder ?
A. Because Esau had sold his birthright for a mess of
pottage.
It is true that Jacob had made use of a stratagem to
obtain it ; but, as it was in accordance with the designs of
God, Isaac, having found it out, confirmed what he had un-
intentionally done.
Q. What did Jacob do to avoid the anger of his brother, who sought
to kill him ?
A. He withdrew into Mesopotamia, to the dwelling of his
uncle Laban. Laban was the brother of his mother, whoso
name was Rebecca.
He traveled alone and on foot, with a staff in his hand,
though the distance was upwaids of two hundred leagues.
Q. How did God assure him of his protection at the beginning of his
journey ?
A. By showing him, in his sleep, a mysterious ladder
which reached to heaven, and on which angels were ascend-
ing and descending.
Q. How long did Jacob remain in Mesopotamia ?
A. He remained there twenty years, during which time
he married a wife, and amassed great riches.
Q. How did God again assure him of his piotection on his jouraey
back?
A. By making him victorious over an angel, with whom
he wrestled.
I :
OF THK AP0STLE8 CREED.
33
Q. What new name did this angel give him ?
A. He gave him the name of Isrnel. Whence the name
Israelites, who were likewise called Hebrews, and finally
Jews. Israel is a Hebrew name, which signifies prevailing
or predominating with God. Otherwise, a man who sees
God.
Q. How m.in y sons had Jacob t
A. He had twelve, who are the twelve patriarchs.
Q, Why m*e they so called ?
A. Because they were the fothers or chiefs of the twelve
tribes of Israel.
Patriarch is a Greek woid which means head of a flimily.
These twelve patriarchs are : Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda,
Issachar, Zabulon, Dan, Nephtali, Gad, Aser, Joseph, and
Benjamin. He had also a daughter named Dina.
The name of patriarch is likewise given to all the saints
who lived under the law of nature, as Adam, Abal, Seth,
Henoch, Noah, Sem, Abraham, &C.
HISTORY.
Of Josepli.— ffen.. zzzvii. end/ol, oh,
Q. Who was Joseph ?
A. He was one of the children of Jacob.
Jacob had Joseph and Benjamin by his wife Rachel.
Q. Why could not his brethren endure him ?
A. Beciiuse Jacob loved him more than the others.
Joseph was deserving of the preference, but how dearly
did it cost both father and son ! AVhat still more excited
the hatred of his brethren, was that Joseph complained of
them to his father, together with certain dreams which he
had, showing that he should one day be the master of his
brethren.
Q. How did his brethren revenge themselves on him !
A. At first they thought of killing him, but at length
they sold him.
On their return home, they made Jacob, their father, be-
lieve that Joseph had been devoured by a wild bepst.
Q. Whither wns he taken by tliose who had bought him 1
A. He was taken into Egypt.
i\
I i
j; i\
* M
m\
84
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. What befell bim ia the house of Potiphar, to whom he was re-
sold?
A. He was cast into prison for a crime of which he was
mnocent.
Q. How did God protect him there ?
A. By bestowing upon him the gift of explaining dreams.
He explained two while in prison, which were exactly ful-
filled.
Q. "Why did the king summon him to \Ab presence ?
A. To explain a dream which he had had.
Q. How did the king reward him ?
A. He placed him over all his kingdom.
Q. How did Joseph act when he had attained such a high degree of
power?
A. He pardoned his brethren, and caused them to come
into Egypt with their father.
They were to the number of seventy persons. He fur-
nished them with all that was necessary for their journey,
and settled them in a most fertile part of Egypt.
HISTORY.
Slavery of the Israelites in Egypt. Their first pasch.— iPccod. L and/ol. ch.
Q. How long did the Israelites remain in Egypt ?
A. More than two hundred years.
Q. What took place during that time ?
A. 1st. Jacob, Joseph, and the ancients died.
2d. The Israelites multiplied prodigiously.
3d. The memory of Joseph and of his services was grad-
ually effaced.
Q. What did the Idng of Egypt do to prevent the increase of th?»
Hebrews?
A. 1st. He overwhelmed them with laborious work.
2d. He commanded the mid wives to kill all the male
children.
3d. And, lastly, he commanded them to be cast into the
river Nile.
Q. What did the Israelites do in these deplorable circumstances ?
A. They had recourse to the Lord, and he heard their
prayers.
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
35
Q. Whf»f" did God do, to deliver them from their bondage I
A. lie appeared to Moses in the burning busii, and sent
him to the king as his envoy.
Q. Did the king listen to Moses ?
A, No ; he dismissed him with contempt.
Q. What did Moses do to constrain the king to let the Israelites go f
A. He wrought many grand miracles, which are called
the ten plagues of Egypt.
1st. He changed the water of the river into blood.
2d. He caused millions of frogs to come forth throughout
all Egypt, even in the king's palace.
3d. Flies.
4th. Gnats.
5th. Locusts.
Cth. A plague on the animals.
7th. Ulcers on men.
8th. A terrific fall of hail.
9th. A dense darkness which lasted three days.
10th. The death of all the first-born of the Egyptians.
All Egypt was ravaged in this way, whilst the Israelites
remained untouched.
At every succeeding plague, the king promised every
thing, in order to be delivered from it, but as soon as it
was removed, his heart was again hardened, and he would
do nothing.
Q. What did God command his people to do before the last plague ?
A. He commanded them to make the pasch.
This was the first time it was celebrated.
Q. In what did this pasch consist ?
A. In ' ating a roasted lamb in every family.
It was necessary that this lamb should be a male, a year
old, and without spot ; that no bone of it should be broken ;
that it should be roasted whole, and that all the dcrs should
be marked with its blood. This lamb, with all its attendant
circumstanced, was the figure of Jesus Christ, who was one
day to be immolated on the cross for us.
There were also certain ceremonies to be observed in
eating this lamb ; it was to be eaten standing, with the
loins girt, a staff in the hand, shoes on the feet, and eaten
i
36
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
'';;!
with wild lettuce and unleavened bread. Circumsta'^ces
which likewise indicate the dispositions wherewith we should
communicate.
Q. What happened after the last plague ?
A. The Egyptians compelled them to go out quickly.
They would not even wait till the daylight came, but
made them set out In the darkness of night, so frightened
were they by this last plague.
Q, What did God oblige the Israelites to do, in gratitude *br their fii"st-
bom being spared when those of the Egyptians were killed ?
A. He obliged them to consecrate to him all their first-
born children. It was in obedience to this law that the
Blessed Virgin offered in the Temple her beloved Son.
HISTORY.
Passage of the Re<l Sea, — F!r^d. xiv.
The law given on Mount Sinai.— .fifeorf, xix. and/ol. oh
Q. How many were the Israelites when they went foiih out of
Egypt?
A. They were to the number of tiix hundred thousand,
besides women and children. This was an astonishing in-
crease in the course of two centuries ; for they were only
seventy in number when they went into Egypt.
Q. What way did they take on leaving Egypt ?
A. They took the way to tha promised land.
It was then upwards of four hundred years since God had
promised Abraham to put them in possession of it.
Q. Through where did God lead them to that land ?
A. He led them through the desert.
Q. How?
A. Ax, night by a pillar of fire, and in the day by a
cloud which marched before them. When it stopped, they
stopped; and when it advanced, they advanced.
Q. How did they pass the Red Sea ?
A. They passed it without any trouble.
Q. How so ?
A. Because God made a dry road for them in the midst
of the waters.
OF TIIK APOSTLES CREED.
9r
Q. How did the Lord deal with Pharaoh, who was pursuing them
with a numeroas army ?
A, He buried him in tho waters with all his army.
Moses thereupon composed a canticle of thanksgiving,
which was joyfully sung by all the people.
Q. On what day did God givo them his law ?
A. On the fifth day after their pasch.
Q. Od what mountain ?
A, On Mount Sinai.
Q. How did the mountain appear t
A. It appeared all on fire, and covered with a thick cloud,
emitting thunder and lightning. There was also heard the
sound of trumpets and a great noise, but no one was seen.
Q. What was heard on the third day ?
A. A terrible voice, which distinctly pronounced tho ten
commandments. These ten commandments contained
nothing more than the natural law, except the sanctification
of the Sabbath.
Q. On what did God write these ten commandments ?
A. He wrote them on two tables of stone.
Q. To whom did God give these two tables ?
A. He gave them to Moses, who was in tho cloud on the
mountain.
God chose to give them in writing, because they had
been almost effaced through the ignorance and corruption of
men.
ll
I -
HISTORY.
God's covenant with the Israelites.— ^arorf. xxlv. and/ol. ck.
Q. What did God give to Moses besides the law ?
A. He gave him several other rules for the regulation of
temporal affairs, for the settlement of disputes, and the
punishment of crime.
Q. What more did God give ?
A. He gave several precepts relating to morals and the
ceremonies of religion.
Q. What festivals did God institute besides tlie Sabbath t
A. He instituted three : the feast of the Passover, the
feast of Pentecost, and the feast of Tabernacles.
4
88
DOCTRINAL CATECUISM.
The first, in commemoration of their deliverance from
Egyptian bondage.
The second, in remembrance of the law given on Mount
Sinai.
The third, in memory of the'r journey through the
desert, where they dwelt in tents or tabernacles.
Q. What did Moses do when he cam'i down from the mountain ?
A. He repeated to the people all that God had told him.
Q. What did they promise ?
A. They promised faithfully to observe all the decrees of
God.
Q. What did God promise them, if they remained faithful ?
A. He promised to put them in possession of the land of
Chanaan, and to pour blessings upon them. Moses sprinkled
them, at the same tinr.e, with the blood of the victims which
he had sacrificed, saying: This is the blood of the covenant
which God makes ivith you ; and thus was renewed and
confirmed that which God had made with Abraham.
Q. Whither did Moses afterwards go back ?
A. He went back to the mountain, where he remained
f'irty days conversing with God.
Q. What order did he receive from God ?
A. He received an order to make the Ark of the Covenant
and the Tabernacle,
Q. What was the Ark of the Covenant?
A. It was a chest made of precious wood, overlaid with
gold within and without. It was covered by two cherubims,
and in it were kept the two tables of the law.
Q. What was the Tabernacle ?
A. It was a tent formed of rich stuffs to cover the Ark.
Moses was also ordered to make a golden candlestick
with seven branches ; a table of gold for the loaves of prop-
osition ; a brass basin for washing in, and a small altar for
the incense.
Before the Tabernacle was laid the altar of sacrifice,
which was to be offered by Aaron and his sons in perpetual
succession. The whole tribe of Levi was consecrated to
God, in order to assist Aaron and his descendants in the
functions of their office ; at the same time, God commanded
OF TIIK APOSTLES CREED.
39
Moses to make them a particular kind of garment, with
precious oniariicnts.
Q. How (lid Moses appear wlieu descending from the mountain?
A. His face was radiant with iiglit, so that the children
of Israel could not bear to look upon it, and he was obliged
to put on a veil when speaking to them. This radiance
proceeded from the conversation which he had had with
God on the mountain.
m
HISTORY.
Continuation of wliat passed In the desert. — Exod. xll. andfol, oh.
The revolt of Core ancl his adherents. — Numhera xvl.
Q. How long did the Israelites remain in the desert?
A. They remained there forty years.
Q. How did God assist tbem ?
A. 1st. They were always guided by the pillar of cloud
and of flame. The fire illumined their way during the
night, and by day the cloud screened them from the
scorching heat of the sun.
2d. They were fed with manna which fell from heaven.
It had to be gathered before sunrise every morning, except
that of the Sabbath-day, when none fell. On the day pre-
vious it fell in greater quantity, so that there was enough
gathered for the two days.
3d. God sent them, on two occasions, an abundance of
quails.
4th. He caused water to spring from a rock for their use.
Before that, he had, by means of a certain wood, extracted
the bitterness from water which they drank.
5th. The clothes which they wore lasted during the whole
journey.
Q. How did they correspond to so many blessings ?
A, By the greatest ingratitude.
Q. How so?
A. 1st, They very often murmured against the Lord.
2d. They fell into idolatry by worshipping the golden
calf.
It was because of this idolatry that Moses broke the two
tables of the law. But God being appeased, he ordered
m'
40 DOCTRINAL CATKCHISM.
him to make two others, whereon he himself inscribed the
ten commandments.
3d. They were near stoning Moses, and choosing another
chief to lead them back into Egypt.
4th. Core, Dathan, and Abiron, at the head of a numer-
ous band, revolted against Moses. The conspirators were
two hundred and fifly in number, led on by those chiefs, who
were the principal men of the tribe of Levi.
Q. How did God punish them for their prevarications ?
A. 1st. He condemned them to wander in the desert fcr
forty years.
2d. Twenty -three thousand were put to death because of
their worshipping the golden calf. God would have exter-
minated them all, but was induced to pardon them at the
solicitation of Moses.
3d. The earth opened, and Core, Dathan, and Abiron were
swallowed up alive, together with their respective families.
4th. The two hundred and fifty conspirators were burned
by a miraculous fire.
5th. A great number were destroyed by the fiery ser-
pents which God sent amongst them. Those only were healed
who looked upon the brazen serpent which Moses had raised
on high, according to the orders of God.
6th. Twenty-four thousand perished for having debauched
themselves with the Madianites, and adoring their idols.
7th. God condemned them all to die in the desert, except
Joshua and Caleb, who had remained faithful. Thus it was,
that of six hundred thousand there were but two who en-
tered the land of promise. Of the others, their children
entered.
HISTORY.
The last words of Moses ; his death.— Detrf. zxxiiL and/ol. eh.
Q. Whither did Moses conduct the Israelites ?
A. He conducted them to the promised land.
Q. Did he enter there ?
A. No ; he only saw it from a distance.
Q. What did Mosea enjoin them to do before he departed from them t
A. To observe faithfully all the commandments of God.
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
41
Q. What did ho promise them on the part of God, provided they did
60?
A. He promised them an abundance of all sorts of goods.
The possession of the land of Chanaan, a land flowing with
milk a!id honey ; that is to say, fertile and pleasant. The
protection of the Lord in thiit land, and victory over all
those who should dispute with them its possession. Also,
a great plenty of all the necessaries of life.
Q. With what did he at the same time thi eaten them, if they proved
unfaithful ?
A. He threatened them with all sorts of evils, barrenness,
famine, and cruel distempers, war, pillage, and captivity,
Q. What further promise did Moses give them on behalf of God?
A. lie told them that God would send them a prophet
like unto him, but far above him, meaning the Saviour of
the world, who was to arise amongst them, and to work
still greater miracles, bringing to men a new covenant and
a new dispensation, more perfect than the old.
Q. Where did Moses die by the command of God ?
A. lie died on the mountain whence he had beheld the
promised land.
Q. Who was it that buried him ?
A. It was the Lord himself.
He buried him in the valley of the Moabitcs, and since
then, no man has ever known the place of his sepulture.
Q. How old was Moses at tlio time of his death ?
A. He was six score years of age. His sight had never
failed him during all that time, nor were his teeth ever
moved. The people mourned him thirty days.
HISTORY.
Entrance of the Israelites into the promised land. — Jos. 1. andfol. cA.
Q. Who led the Israelites into the land of promise ?
A, It was Joshua, the successor of Moses.
Joshua means Jesus or Saviour.
He was filled with the spirit of wisdom.
Q. What miracles did God work to put them in possession of that
land? ^
A. 1st. The river Jordan stopped its course to give them
4*
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42
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
passage. Thoy crossed on di7 land, as they had before
passed through the Red Sea.
2d. The walls of Jericho fell down at the sound of their
trumpets, and all within were put to death, not excepting
even the animals.
3d. On one occasion God sent down on their adversaries
a shower of hail mixed with stones, and those stones killed
more than the sword.
4th. The sun and the moon stood still at the command
of Joshua. This was to give him time to finish the combat
which was going on, and the means of gaining the victory.
That day was as long as two ordinary days.
Q. Did the manna still fall from heaven ?
A. No ; it ceased as soon as they eat of the fruits of the
country.
Q. How was that country divided between the children of Israel?
A. It was divided into twelve parts, for the twelve tribes
of Israel.
These twelve tribes bore the names of the twelve sons
of Jacob. The two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasses,
took the place of their father and of Levi, whose tribe had
no inheritance of land, because it was consecrated to God,
and destined for the service of the tabernacle. The other
tribes contributed to their support by giving them the
tenth of their produce.
Q. "Were the Israelites faithful to God in this new land?
A. Yes, they were, during the life of Joshua and the
elders. Joshua lived one hundred and ten years, and his
praise is recorded in the Book of Ecclesiasticus, chap. xlvi.
Q. What happened after the deatli of Joshua and the elders ?
A. They failed in every one of their promises.
Q. What harm did they do ?
A. 1st. They spared several of the former inhabitants,
contrary to the prohibition of God.
2d. They allied themselves to them by marriage, which
was also forbidden by God.
3d. They worshipped their idols.
Q. How did God pimish them ?
A. By abandoning them to their enemies, who made
them suffer all sorts of evils.
OF TriE APOSTLKS' CREED.
48
Q. How dill God receive them wlien they returned to him t
A. lie reoeivod iheiu with kindness, and raised up de-
liverers for them.
Q. What were these deliverei-s culled t
A. They were called judges.
Q. Why were they so cjilled ?
A. Because they, at the same time, administered justice
to the people.
There were fourteen or fifteen of them in succession,
among others Gideon, Jephtha, Samson, and Samuel, who
was the last of the judges, and a holy prophet.
f'
HISTORY.
The Israelites governed by kings. — Kings ilL and/ol, cha.
Q. By Avhom were the Israelites governed after having been governed
by the judges ?
A. They were governed by kings.
Q. Whence came that change ?
A. From the Israelites themselves.
Q. Wliat did God say to Samuel, who was displeased by this propo-
sition ?
A. ITo said to him : Hearken to the voice of this people ;
for it is not you whom they reject, but me, that I may not
reign over them.
Q. Who was the first king ?
A. Saul, who was very soon condemned because of his
sins.
Q, Who was the second ?
A. David, who was a man after God's own heart.
Q. By whom was David cruelly persecuted before he was made
king?
A. By Saul, who was then reigning.
Q. What war did David wage before he caiAie to the throne !
A. A war with the infidels.
Q. What was his whole study ?
^ A. To meditate on the law of God, to put it in practice
himself, and to see it observed by his subjects.
Q. What did he compose in honor of God ?
A. He composed a great number of canticles.
,
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44
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. Whai was the object of thcpc canticles ?
A, To praiso God, to prcsurvo tlic memory of his bene-
fits, and to inculcate virtue.
Some of them were of a prophetic character, and fore-
told future niyst'cries.
It is these canticles which we call the Psalms, and which
the Church sings every day.
Q. What was his capital city ?
A. Jerusalem, lie built a palace on Mount Zlon, and
there ho conveyed the ark of the Covenant.
Q. What design did he form to promote the glory of God f
A. He formed the desi<;n of building a temple to him.
Q. What did God tlicn declare to him ?
A. That that honor was reserved for his son.
Q. What did he promise him ?
A. 1st. That his posterity should reign eternally over his
people.
2d. That the Saviour promised in the beginning of the
world should be of his posterity.
At the same time he revealed to him that this Saviour
was to be a king, and that he should reign not only over
the house of Israel, but over all nations, and that his reign
should never have an end ; that he should be a pontiff, not
according to the order of Aaron, but to that of Melchise-
dech ; that he should be the Son of God, and God himself.
Q. What name did the Israelites ever after give to tlie Saviour whom
they expected ?
A. That of Messiah, or Christ, which means anointed or
consecrated ; because it was customary to anoint with
holy oil kings, prophets, and priests.
Q. What else did they call him ?
A The Son of David.
niSTORT.
The reign of Solomon.— 3 Kinga i., Parol. 1. 0.
Q. Who succeeded David ?
A. Solomon, his son.
Q. What did Solomon erect in honor of the Most High ?
A. lie erected a magnificent temple. The interior was ail
overlaid with gold, and was divided into two parts, the inner
OF TIIK ArOHlXKB CIIEKU.
45
as all
inner
one of which was the sanctuary, where rested the ark of the
C-ovenaiit under its cherubim. His father had letl him tho
plan, with a vast quantity of tho materials.
Q. Who had pcrniissioii to enter tho sanctuary ?
A. None but the high priest, and that only onco a year,
and bearing the blood of the victims.
Q. Of wliat was that eanctuary the figtire ?
A. It was the figure of heaven closed against mankind
until Jesus Christ entered, covered with blood.
Q. Wliat was there before the sanctuary f
A. There was an altar for the holocausts and other sacri-
fices.
Q. Why was there but that one temple and that one altar in all the
land of Israel !
A. To render more sensible the unity of God and of his
Church. It was not lawful to sacrifice elsewhere.
Q. What was tho reign of Solomon ?
A. It was the most fortunate of all reigns. He ruled
over several foreign nations besides tho people of God.
He possessed immense treasures. lie enjoyed all the
pleasures of life. Therein he was the image of Christ in his
glory, as David was the image of Christ in his toils and
sufferings.
Q. What did God give him infinitely more precious !
A. lie gave him wisdom, and wisdom so great and so
extensive, that people came from remote countries to bo
witness of it.
Q. Did he always preseiTC his wisdom ?
A. No ; he departed from it in his old age.
Q. How far did he go astray ?
A. Even to adore idols and build temples in their honor.
Q. What was tho cause of his fall ?
A. His excessive love of women, of whom he kept a
great number.
Q. What do we learn from the full of a king so gi-eat and so wise ?
A. We learn the danger of temporal greatness. If this
mighty cedar was overthrown, what can the reeds expect ?
i!',:
46 DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
HiSTonr.
The Schism of Samaria. — 3 Kings xlt. andfol. ch.
Q. What was the punishment of Solomon's sin ?
A. His kingdom was divided afccr his death.
Q. How many tribes remained to his son Roboam ?
A. There remained only two, those of Judaand Benjamin.
Q. Who did the otliers obey ?
A. They obeyed Jeroboam.
Q. What did Jeroboam do, fearing that the ten tribes might return
to their lawful king ?
A. He raised up two golden calves in two difTerent parts
of his kingdom.
He said to the people : Go not any more to Jerusalem ;
behold thy gods, O Israel, who urought thee forth from the
hmd of Egypt. The people were so infatuated as to be-
lieve this impious prince.
Q. Did the kings who succeeded Jeroboam follow this bad example i
A. Yes, they always kept the people in that false reli-
gion. '17ius these ten tribes became idolaters, and separated
from the onlv tiue Church.
Q. Where did the seat of the true Church remain ?
A. It remained in Jerusalem. There was God alwavs
worshipped, and his law always observed. There was the
appointed service ever performed in the temple by the
Levites and tlio priests, the descendants of Aaron, whom
God himself had chosen.
Q. What was the name of this new kingdom, thus separated from
the true Clur ch ?
A. It was called the kingdom of Israel, of Ephraim, or
of Samaria.
Q. What was tlie kingdom called which remained to the race of
David ?
A. It was called the kingdom of Juda ; whence came the
name of Judea and Jews. The tribe of Levi assembled
there, and also many from the ten tribes who still came to
worship at Jerusalem .
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
47
HISTORY.
Of the prophets.
Q. What did God send to the Israelites from time to time, to re-
prove them for their evil ways ?
A. He sent them prophets. These prophets spoke
boldly, not only to the people, but even to the kings.
Q. Wherewith did God fill these prophets ?
A. He filled them with his Spirit and with his light.
Q. What did they see by means of this divine light?
A. They saw things hidden, and things to come.
Q. How many are they whose writings remain to us ?
A. Four greater, and twelve minor. The four great
prophets are : Isaias, Jeremias, Ezechlcl, and Daniel. The
twelve minor are: Osee, Joel, Amo=5, Jonas, Abdias,
Michcas, Nahum, Habacuc, Sophonias, Agi^eus, Zacharlas,
and Malachias. The greater are those who have written
most, and the minor those who have written but little.
Q. Were there no others ?
A. Yes, there were several others.
Q. WIio amongst these were the most illustrious ?
A. Eli as and Eliseus. Both in the kingdom of Israel,
where the evil was at its height.
Q. What did Elias do that was remarkable ?
A. 1st. He stopped the rain for three years and a half,
and then made it flill again.
2d. He brought down fire from heaven on the sacrifice
which ho h;id prepared.
3d. He twice drew down fire from heaven on fifty men.
4th. He restored to life the daughter of a widow, and
multiplied the oil and the meal of another.
5th. He separated the wat-^rs of the Jordan with a mantle,
and passed over without wetting his foot.
Gth. He was taken up alive into heaven in a chariot of
fire. He is to return with Henoch, towards the end of the
world, to preach penance to the Jews.
Q. What remarkable tilings were done by Eliscus, the discinlc of
Elias ? ^
A. 1st. He crossed the Jordan with dry feet, like Elias.
'. :.
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DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
2d. He purified the waters of Jericho.
3d. He multiplied a widow's oil.
4th. He raised a child from the dead.
5th. He cured the leper Naaman.
Gth. He made iron to swim upon the water.
7th. A dead man was restored to life by the touch of hia
bones.
Q. What manner of life did most of the prophets lead f
A. They led a life poor, austere, and retired. Poor in
their garments, in tlvjir dwellings, and in their food.
Q. How did tlie good kings regard them ?
A. They loved, honored, and respected them.
Q. How did the wicked kings treat them ?
A. They hated and persecuted them, and put them to
death. Isaias was cut asunder with a wooden saw.
Q. What did these prophets foretell concerning the Jews ?
A. They foretold all that happened to them in punish-
ment of their sins.
1st. That if they did not repenc and do penance, the
kingdom of Israel, or of Samaria, would be entirely de-
stroyed.
2d. That Jerusalem and the temple should be over-
thrown, and the Jews brought captive to Babylon.
3d. That they should reject the Messiah and put him to
death.
4th. That they should be abandoned by God, and dis-
persed all over the earth.
5th. That God should male a covenant with another peo-
ple, who should replace them.
(ith. That they should repent in the latter days of the
world.
Q. What did the prophets predict regarding the Messiah I
A. 1st. The precise period of his coming.
2d. All the circumstances of his life and death.
3d. His glorious resurrection and the establishment of his
Church.
OP THE AP08TLK3 CREED.
49
HISTORY.
Tho Babylonian captivity. — i Kings xvii.
Q. How did God at length punish the kingdom of Israel, or of S-'i-
maria, because of its infidelity ?
A. He destroyed it entirely and for ever. The ten tribes
who composed that Icingdoni were carried off by the Assyr-
ians and dispersed over distant countries, whence they never
returned in a body.
Q. The kingdom of Juda, doubtless, profited by bo fearful an ex-
ample i
A. No ; it profited nothing by it, though God awaited its
repentance for more than a hundred years.
Q. How did God punish it at last ?
A. He delivered it over to Nabuchodonosor, king of
Babylon.
Q. How was it treated by that prince ?
A. He destroyed Jerusalem, burned the temple, carried
off the sacred vessels, and took the people away into cap-
tivity.
Q, Did the Jews abandon the law of their God while in captivity ?
^-1. No; they observed it more faithfully than before.
This captivity, and the manifold sufferings they endured,
caused them to reflect, and to respect the law of God ; al-
though they were surrounded by heathens, given up to all
sorts of idolatry, and all manner of wickedness.
Q. How were the three children treated who refused to adore the
statue of Nabuchodonosor ?
A. They were cast, by his order, into a fiery furnace.
Q. Did they perish there ?
A. No ; for an angel sent by God preserved them from
hurt or harm.
Q. And how was Daniel treated for having remained faithful to his
God?
A. He was twice cast into the lions' den.
A
Q. Did the lions tear him in pieces ?
"o; they did not hurt him.
Q. How long did this captivity last ?
A. It lasted seventy years.
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50
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
I I;
J;!
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{J. Who was it that restored the Jews to liberty ?
A. It was Cyrus, king of Persia, after rendering hinnsflf
master of Babylon.
Q. What was the fii-st ''-dertaking of the Jews when restored to
freedom ?
A. To rebuild their temple and their city. Cyrus gave
them back all the sacred vessels taken by Nabuchodonosor,
and made them some valuable presents.
HISTORY.
The Jews persecuted by Antlochus. — 1 Mac. 1.
Q. What did Antlochus, king of Syria, undertake against the Jews ?
A. He undertook to make them renounce their law and
their religion.
Q. What did he do in order to effect his pui-pose ?
A. 1st. He surprised Jerusalem, profaned the temple,
and put a stop to the sacrifices.
2d. He put many of the Jcm's to death, for they chose to
die rather than violate their law.
Q. What torments did he inflict on seven brethren wh.o remained
steadfastly attached to their law ?
A. He made them suffer the most cruel torments, in
presence of their mother.
Q. What did the mother say when she saw her children so tortured ?
A. She encouraged them to suffer on, tiirough the hope
of a blessed resurrection.
Q. Who then took up arms for the defence of his religion and his
country ?
A. Judas Maccabeus, followed by his brethren.
Q. Did he succeed in his enterprise ?
A. Yes ; for he acted by divine inspiration.
Q. What did he, after God had rendered him victorious ?
A. 1st. He took possession of Jerusalem, purified the
temple, and re-established the offering of sacrifice.
2d. He completely freed ttie people from the yoke of the
heathen nations.
Q. Did the Jews long enjoy this tranquillity ?
A. No ; for the l^omans, having obtained the mastery
of the world, soon reduced the Jews to subjection.
, §''\v
OF THE apostles' CKEED.
51
;i r
Q. Who found means to usurp the kingdom of Judca, through the
favor of the Roman emperora ?
A. Herod, a Jew by religion, but a stranger by birth.
Q. Wliat sort of a prince was Herod ?
A. He was a prince wlio liad no other law than his own
ambition. He was so cruel and unnatural, that he caused
his wife and several of his children to be put to death. It
was he who had the children of Bethlehem massacred. lie
died a miserable death, his body being eaten away by
worms.
HISTORY.
How the Jews expected the Messiah.
Q. How long time passed from the return of the Jews tid the coming
of the Messiah ?
A. About five hundred years.
Q. How did they conduct themselves during that time ?
A. They fell no more into idolatry.
Q. Had they always prophets ?
A. No ; they had no more till St. John the Baptist.
Q. "Was religion, then, always flourishingi
A. On the contrary, it declined from day to day.
Q. "What sects had been latterly introduced amongst the Jews ?
A. The principal were those of the Sadducees and
Pharisees. , ^
Q. "Who were the Sadducees ?
A. They were Jews who rejected several of the most
important doctrines of religion.
They neither believed in the resurrection of the dead,
the immortality of the soul, nor the existence of the angels ;
they even made God corporeal ; and it was the chief men
of the nation who followed this pernicious doctrine.
Q. Who were the Pharisees ?
A, They were Jews who were apparently strict observers
of the law, which they disfigured by their false interpret-
ations.
See the reproaches so frequently made them by our
Lord. Under their outward show of regularity, they con-
cealed their avarice, their vanity, and many other vices.
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52
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
'iiiiii
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Q. What idea had the carnal Jews of the Messiah f
A. That of a powerful and splendid monarch.
They thought that he was to be a warrior prince, mighty
as David and rich as Solomon.
Q. What did they expect from him ?
A. They expected all manner of worldly prosperity.
They hoped that he would free them from the Roman
yoke; that under him they should live happy and glorious,
haying abundance of gold and silver, and of all the neces-
saries of life.
Q. What idea, oa the contrary, had the spiritual Jews ?
A. An idea entirely opposite to that of the others.
Q. What did they expect ?
A. They expected goods far above the perishable things
of this life.
They believed that he would come principally to efface
sin, and to make holiness prevail ; that he would bring a
new covenant more perfect than the old ; that he would
give the grace necessary for observing the law of God ;
that in him should be accomplished the truth of what the
law showed only in figure ; that he should bring back all
nations to the knowledge of the true God ; finally, that his
reign would chiefly concern the goods of the world to come.
Q. In what did all the Jews agi*ee ?
A. In believing that the time appointed for the coming
of the Messiah had arrived. This belief was based on the
prophecies,* especially that of Jacob, and that of Daniel. f
HISTORY.
The condition of tho other nations, called the Gontiles.
Q. If such was the condition of the Jews, what was tlut of the
other nations of the earth ?
A. Those nations were plunged in ignorance, superstition,
and idolatry.
Q. They knew not, then, the true God ?
A, No ; their whole religion consisted in the worship of
idols.
* Gen. xlix. 10.
t Dan. ix. 29.
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
53
Q. Wnat were these idok ?
A. They were statues of wood, gold, and silver.
There were some who adored the sun, the moon, the
stars, and other creatures, even animals.
Q. In what way did they honor them ?
A. They offered them prayers and sacrifices.
Q. What were their festivals ?
A, They were nothing more than scenes of debauchery
and excess.
They honored Bacchus by drinijng to excess, and Venus
by giving themselves up, in a public manner, to the most
shameful of all vices.
The devil duped them iu this way to the end that they
might adore him under these different names, and to make
them commit all sorts of crimes, under a religious pretence.
Q. Whence came thia monstrous infatuation ?
A. From their having forgotten God, their Creator
Q. Were they all in this fatal blindness ?
A. The exceptions were but few, and that from the
vocation of Abraham until then, a period of nearly two
thousand years. During all that time God had given up
the nations to their own wickedness.
Q. Are there any of these exceptions known ?
A. We know of none but two,* Job and Melchisedech.
There is reason to believe that there were several others,
whose names are unknown.
Q. Who was Job ?
A. He was an Eastern prince, very religious and God-
fearing.
Q. Who was Melchisedech ?
A. He was a priest of the Most High, and king of
Salem.
These two believed in the true God and worshipped
him ; they obeyed him, and lived according to the laws of
conscience and right reason. They also believed and
hoped in the Redeemer.
Q. Had the world, then, great need of a Redeemer ?
A. Yes ; very great.
If
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* Acts xiv. 15.
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54
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. Who was that Redeemer ?
J[. Jesus Christ, promised and expected for four thousand
years.
ARTICLE II.
AND IM JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUtt LOBD.
Q. What do you understand by Jesus Christ ?
A. I understand the Son of God made man, and who is
both God and man.
Q. What name is given to the Son of God, made man I
A. He is called Jesus Christ.
Q. Is Jesus Christ both God and man?
A. Yes; he is both God and man.
Q. As God, who is his father ?
A. God the Father.
Q. As man, who is his mother ?
A. The Blessed Virgin. (See chap, iii., page 16.)
Q. What do you understand by the words : his Son !
A. I understand that he is begotten of the Father, and
consubstantial with him.
Q. Of whom is the Son begotten ?
A. Of the Father. And that from all eternity; that is
to say, that this generation has neither beginning nor end.
Q. With whom is the Son consubstantial ?
A. With the Father.
Q, What is the meaning of consubstantial?
A. It means having the same substance and the same
nature as the Father.
Q. What do you mean by bis having the same substance and the
same nature ?
A. I mean that he is one and the same God with the
Father.
Q, Why do you say that he is the only Son ?
A. Because there is no other begotten by the Father.
Q. How, then, are Christians children of God ?
A. They are only so by adoption.
Q. What is adoption ?
A. It is a choice of pure grace. Whereas Jesus Christ is
ii:;:
OF THB APOSTLES CREED.
66
his Son by nature.* Still that does not hinder Jesus
Christ from calling us his brethren,! and teaching us to call
God our Father.
Q. Why do we cnll Jesus Christ our Lord f
A. Because we belong to ' im, and not only because of
his having created and still preserving us, but also because
he redeemed us.
Q. In how many ways do we belong to Jesus Christ ?
A. In three ways.
Q. "Wiiut is the first!
A. Because he has created us.
That is to say, that he has drawn us from nothing.
As he is the same God with the Father and the Holy
Ghost, it follows that he has had the same share in our
creation as those two persons.
Q. What is the second ?
A. Because he preserves us.
Q. What does that mean ?
A, It means that he withholds us from foiling into noth-
ing.
He preserves us as do the Father and the Holy Ghost.
This prcsei'vation is likewise common to him and the
other two persons.
Q. Wliat is the third ?
A. It is because he has redeemed us,
Q. What do you mean by bis having redeemed us ?
A. I mean that he has delivered us from the slavery of
sin, and from the pains of hell, and has merited for us eter-
nal life.
Q. How ?
A. By becoming man, and dying for us.
Q. Have the Father and the Holy Ghost also redeemed us ?
A. No ; only the Son.
Q. Why?
A. Because it is only the Son who became man and died
for us.
Our creation and preservation are common to him and
♦ St. John XX. 31.
t St Matt. xll. 49.
56
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
tff. j
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the other two persons ; but our rcdcmpticn is peculiar to
him.
Q. What 13 the meaning of the word Jesus ?
A. It means Saviour.
Q. And what means tlie word Christ ?
A. It means anointed, or consecrated, {See chap, iii.,
pages 18, 19.)
ARTICLE III.
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOI-Y GHOST, AND BORN OF THE VIBOIN
MAUY.
Q. What do you understand by those words : Conceived by the
Holy Ghost ?
A. I understand that in becoming man, the body which
he took was formed from the substance of a virgin, through
the operation of the Holy Ghost.
Q. How did the Son of God become man ?
A. By taking a body and soul like unto ours.
Q. Where did he take this body and soul ?
A. In the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Q. Of what was his soul formed ?
A. It was created.
Q. Of what was his body formed ?
A. It was formed of the substance of the Blessed Virgin.
Q. By whose operation ?
A. By the operation of the Holy Ghost.
The three divine persons had each a share in this forma-
tion ; but being a work of goodness and of mercy, it is par-
ticularly attributed to the Holy Ghost.
Q. What is this mystery called ?
A. It is called the mystery of the Incarnation.
Q. What is the mystery of the Incarnation ?
A. It is the Son of God made man.
HISTORY.
Of the incarnation of tiie Son of God. — St. Luke L
Q. Who did God select to be the mother of his Son t
A. The Blessed Virgin.
'liiii
OK TIIK APOSTLKH CREED.
57
Q. Of what family wjis flhe ?
A. Of the family of David.
Q. Where (lid she rcsidu f
A. Ill Naz;iicth, a small town in Galilee.
Q. Who was her husband t
A. St. Joseph.
Although ho was of the royal family of David, as well as
the Blessed Virgin, ho was still obliged to work for his liv-
ing, being very poor.
Q. Who was sent by God to anuounco to Mary that she should bo
the mother of his Son ?
A. The angel Gabriel.
Q. How did lie accost her ?
A. Hail, full of grace ! the Lord is with thee ; blessed
art thou among women !
Q. How did the Blessed Virgin receive this salutation?
A, She was troubled by it.
She was so humble and so modest, that she could not
hear herself praised without being disturbed. Besides, she
was afraid that it might be an angel of darkness who had
taken the appearance of an angel of light.
Q. Whai did the angel say to her ?
A. Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God :
Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring
forth a son ; and thou shalt call his name Jesus.
lie added : He shall be great, and shall be called the Son
of the Most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him
the throne of David his father: and he shall reign in the
house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be
no end.
Q. What did the Blessed Virgin answer, when assured by the angel
that she should remain a virgin ?
A. Behold the handmaid of the Lord ; be it done unto
me according to thy word.
Q. What happened at that moment ?
A. The Son of God descended from heaven, and became
incarnate in her womb.
He descended from heaven, yet without leaving it. This
is a form of expression which indicates the profound humil-
iation of the Son of God in the Incarnation.
II
58
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
! I
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Q. What is mennt by \m becoming incarnnto ?
A. That he took a body and a soul like unto ours.
Q. What day docs the Church celebrate this mystery ?
A. On the twenty-fifth of March, called the Feast of the
Annunciation.
Q. What do you uuderetand by the words: Bom of tlio Virgin
Mary ?
A. I understand that the Blessed Virgin Mary brought
him forth as she had conceived him, still remaining a virgin.
Q. Who is the mother of the Son of God made man ?
A. The Blessed Virgin Mary.
It was fitting that ho who is begotten in eternity of a
virgin Father, should in time be born of a virgin mother ;
which is a miracle of Divine omnipotence. It was also
proper that he who is holy by nature, should spring from a
virgin holy by grace.
Q. Why do you say that the Blessed Virgin is the Mother of the Son
of God made mau ?
A. Because she really conceived and brought him forth.
Q. Did she then cease to be a virgin ?
^. No ; she always remained a virgin. {See chap, iii.,
page 16.)
Q. Why do you ( all her blessed ?
A. Because she was always full of grace.
\irM
HISTORY.
The birth of Our Lord,— St. Luke ill
Q. Why did the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph go to Bethlehem ?
A. To have their names enrolled in the register. Accord-
ing to the edict of Augustus Cesar, decreeing that each per-
son was to go and be enrolled in his own city.
Q. Why did they go to Bethlehem rather than to any other city ?
A. Because they were both of the house and family of
David.
Bethlehem was the city of David, because David was
born there.
Q. Whither did they retire on aniving in Bethlehem ?
A. They retired to a poor stable.
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OF TIIK AI'OSTLES* CREED.
60
Q. Why dill tlxfy retire t<> thut ptH)r stable t
A. Becjuisc tlicro was no pinco fur them in the inns.
Q. Whore (lid the Blessed Virgin pluce the chihl after KIh birth?
A, She phiecd him in the manger, on a little liay.
Q. To whom did the angel immediately nnuoiiuce the birth of that
blessed child ?
A. He announced it to some shepherds who were watch-
ing their flocks by night.
Q. What did the shepherds hear at that moment?
A. They heard the angels singing a eanticio of joy.
They sang: Glory to God In the highest, and peace on
earth to men of good will.
Q. What did the tshephcrds do Avhon the nngela had gone back to
heaven ?
A. They proceeded to Bethlehem.
Q. What did they find there ?
A. They found the blessed child laid in a manger.
He was wrapped in swaddling clothes ; Mary and
Joseph were with him.
Q. What did the &hepherds recoi^nize on seeing the divine child ?
A. They recognized the truth of what they were told.
Q. How was this regarded by all who heard the shepherds 'pcak
of it?
A. It was regarded with wonder and admiration.
Q. What did the Blessed Virgin say ?
A. She remained silent, and kept all those things within
herself, fondoring them in her own mind.
Q. In what dispositions did the shepherds rctura ?
A. They returned praising and thanking God for all that
they had seen and heard.
Q. What day does the Church set apart in honor of the birth of Our
Lord Jesus Christ ?
A. The twenty-fifth of December — Christmas-day.
*r
HISTORY.
The circumcision of Our Lord. — St. Luke il.
I y'
Q. On what day was the divine infant circumcised f
A. On the eighth day after his birth.
Q. What name was given him ?
A. That of Jesus, w hich signifies Saviour.
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DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. On what day does the Church commemorate the circumcisiou of
Our Lord ?
A. On New-Year's day, eight days after Christmas.
HISTORY.
Tho adoration of Our Lord by the Magi.— ^f. Matt. iL
Q. By whom was Our Lord adored some days after his birth?
A. By the Magi. The Church celebrates this festival on
the oth of January.
Q. Who vere the Magi ?
A. They were learned .and powerful men, to whom all
tradition gives the name of kings.
Q. Whence came the Magi ?
yl. They came from the East; and consequently they
were of the Gentile race, and have always been regarded as
the first-fiuits of that people.
Q. What conducted them to Jerusalem ?
A. A star of extraordinary brilliancy.
Q. Why did they stop at Jerusalem ?
A. Because the star had then disappeared.
Q. Wliat did they ask in Jei-usalem ?
A. They asked : Where is he that is born King of the
Jews ?
Q. What did Herod, alarmed by these tidings ?
A. He assembled all the chief priests and the wise men.
Q. What answer did they give the king, after consulting the Scrip-
tures ?
A. That it was in Bethlehem the new king was to be
born,
Q. Whither did Herod send the Magi ?
A. He sent them to Bethlehem. Commanding them to
retuin when they had found the child, and let him know, so
that he also might come and adore him.
Q. What, then, gave great joy to the Magi ?
A. It was that they aga'n beheld the star which thf^yhud
j;een in the East.
Q. Whither did the star conduct them ?
A. To the place where the divine infant lay.
Q. What did they offer him, after having adored him ?
A. They offered him gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
I.I .'
OK THE APOSTLES CREED.
61
of
Q. Why did not the Mugl go back to Horod tw he had charged them
to dot
A. Because an angel warned them not to do so.
Q. On what day does the Church celebrate this mystery ?
A. On the twelfth day, called the Feast of the Epiphany.
on
all
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f the
tnon.
Scrip-
Icm to
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IIISTOHY.
Tho purification of tlie Blessed Virgin, and tlie presentation of Our Lord in tlio
toinple. — St, Luke ii.
Q. How many days did the Blessed Virgin remain in Bethlehem,
without leaving the phice where she had been delivered?
A. She remained there forty d:iys.
Q. Why did she observe that retreat of forty days?
A. To obey the law of purifiealion. See the words of
that law^ Levit. xii.
The Blessed Virgin submitted to the law, although she
was not obliged to do so, in order to avoid giving scandal,
and to give us the example of perfect obedience and true
humility.
Q. Whither did the Blessed Virgin go at the end of those forty days?
A. She went to the temple.
Q. What did she offer there ?
A. She oficrod two young doves. This was in obedience
to the law of purification.
Q. What did she bring there ?
A. She brought the holy infant Jesus.
Q. Why did she bring him ?
A. To present him to the Lord. According to another
law, which ordained that every f>r:st-born male child should
be consecrated to the Lord.*
Q. Who came jast then to the temple, by the inspiration of tlie
Holy Ghost?
A. The old man Simeon.
Q. What did he on seeing th<^ divine infan-M
A. He t(>ok him in his arms, and blessed God. Refer
to the canticle which he then uttered, and which the Church
sings every day at complin.
Meanwhile, the mother and the foster-father of Jesus
• Exod. xilL 2.
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DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
iiS
.1 ii
were wonderinnf at the things which were said of him, and
Simeon blessed him, announcing to Mary that her soul
should be pierced as by a sword.
Q. Who liappened to be present in the temple ?
A. A holy prophetess named Anna.
Q. Wliat did she do f
A. She began to praii^e the Lord, and to speak of him to
all & se who expected the redemption of Israel.
Q. On what day does the Church celebrate these two mysteries ?
A. On the second of February, the Feast of the Purifica-
tion .
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HISTORY.
The flight of Our Lord into Egypt, and the ii.-'ssacre of the innocents. --6'<. Matt. il.
Q. "What did Herod when he saw that the Magi did not return ?
A. He ordered all children in Bethlehem and its vicinity,
of two years old and under, to be put to death,
Q. How was it that Our Lord was not comprised in this massacre ?
A. Because Joseph took him and his mother, during the
night, and fled into Egypt. On the entrance of Our Lord
into Egypt,* all the idols were overthrown, according to an
aricierit Greek tradition.
Q. Who had apprised St. Joseph of Herod's intention ?
A. An angel sent from heaven. f
Q. How long did St. Joseph remain in Egypt ?
A. Till the death of Herod, it is thought that f*e re-
mained there about five years, and only quitted it when an
angel came to tell him to return to the land of Israel.
Q. To what city did Joseph retire with the mother and child, a|Mr
his return from Egypt ?
A. He retired to Nazareth, a city of Galilee,
He did this, too, in obedience to a warning received in
his sleep ; and thus was accomplished that prediction re-
garding the Son of God — He shall be called a Nazareaii.
♦ St. Athan. de Incam. Verbl.
+ Bosom, Hist. Seel. lib. ',«h.M.
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OF THE apostles' CUBED. 63
HISTORY.
The Infancy of Our Lord.— -S^. Luke M.
Q. How old was our Saviour when he wcut to Jei"usalein wi>h. the
Blessed Virgin and St, Joseph?
A. He was twelve years old.
Q, Why did he tlien go to Jerusalem ?
A. To celebrate the feast of the Passover.
Children, after the example of Our Lord, should prepare
to make their first communion about that age, and fathers
and mo^hcin chuuld s^"^ th it they do, taking example by
the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph.
Q. "When the festival was over, did Our Lord retura with his parents ?
A. No ; he remained in Jerusalem unknown to them.
Q. Where did they find him on the third day, after seeking him ia
great affliction ?
A. They found him in the temple, seated amongst the
doctors.
Q. What was he doing amongst the doctors ?
A. He was listening to them and asking them questions.
An admirable example for ^'hildren who wish to prolit by
the instructions given them.
Q. What was the effect of this on those present?
A. They were amazed at the wisdom and prudence of
his answers.
Q. What did his mother say to him, beiag, with St. Josrph, greatly
surprised ?
A, Son, why hast thou done so to us % Behold, thy
father and I have sought thee, sorrowing.
Q. Wliat did Om- Lord reply?
A, How is it that you sought me? did you no<i know
that I must be about the things that are my Fatlier's ?
Whether their sorrow prevented them from paying atten-
tion to these words, or for other reasons known to God,
they understood nothing of what he said.
Q. What did Our Lord do, after speaking thu'- ^o them ?
A. He went back with them to Nazareth.
Q. How did he live at Njizareth, till the ng ) of thirty years !
A. He was submissive to the Blessed Virgin and St.
Joseph.
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DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. What does this obedience of Our Lord teach children ?
A. It teaches them to be very submissive to their fathers
and mothers.
This virtue must be very necessary to f^alvation, since
Our Lord, in order to give us an example of it, and to show
its necessity, practiced it so faithfully for so many years.
Q. Wherein did Our Lord daily increase ?
A. He increased in age, in wisdom, and in grace, before
God and man.
This is a warning for children to make a daily increase
in wisdom and in grace before God and before men, accord-
ing as I hey grow in age.
HISTORY.
Of St John tlie Baptist.— aS^ Luke ill; St. Matt lil.; Si. Joh.i I.
Q. What prophet appeai-ed thirty years after the birth of Our Lord ?
A. There appeared a great prophet.
Q. Who was he ?
A. John,* son of Zachary and Elizabeth. John signifies
(/race.
Q. Bj wliom had his birth been announced to Zachaiy ?
A. By the angel Gabriel ; the same who was afterwards
sent to Mary.
The birth of St. John was a miracle, his mother being
barren.
Q. How was he sanctified in his mother's womb ?
A. By the voice of the Blessed Virgln,f who was then
carrying Jesus in her womb. This happened when the
Blessed Virgin visited St. Elizabeth, after having conceived
of Jesus Christ.
Q. Whither did John retire in his early childhood ?
A. He retired into the desert.
Q. How did he live there ?
A. He lived on locusts and wild honey.
Q. How was he clad ?
A. In a garment of camel's hair, with a leathern girdle
about his loins.
* St Luke \. 11.
t St Luko 1. 41.
m
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
65
)emg
then
Q. At what age did Jolin begin to preach ?
A. About the age of tKirty. lie wont for that purpose
thioujrh all the countries borderinsr on the river Jordan.
o
Q. What said he to those who came to hear him ?
A. Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Q. What instructions did he give to each individual ?
A. 1st. Tie said to the people: He that hath two ooats,
let him give to him that hath none; and he that hath meat,
let him do in like manner.
2d. lie said to publicans, or cTollcctors of public money :
Do nothing more than that which is appointed you.
3d. lie said to the soldiers : Do violence to no man ;
neither cajumniate any man ; and be content with your
pay.
Q. Wlitre did he baptize those who were converted by his preach-
ing?
A. lie baptized them in the river Jordan.
This baptism was but a preparation for the baptism of
Christ.
Q. How did he speak to those who would not repent and be con-
verted ?
A. lie spoke to them with much severity.
Ye ofispring of vipers, said he to them, who hath showed
you to flee from the wrath to come ? Bring forth, there-
fore, fruit worthy of penance : for now the axe is laid to the
root of the trees. Every tree, therefore, that bringeth not
forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and cast into the fire.
Q. Did St. Jolm accompany his predictions by many miracles ?
A. No ; he wrought none. Miracles were reserved for
Jesus Christ, for whom they were necessary, in order to
prove the truth of his mission.
Q. What did St. John say to those who thought that he might be
the Messiah ?
^1. lie said: I indeed baptize you with water; but
there shall come one mightier than I, the latchet of whose
shoes I am not worthy to loose.
Q. What did he add ?
A. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and '-ith
fire; that is to say, a divine fire which will purify aid
inflame you.
6*
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DOOTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. Wlmt reply did he inake to those who were sent by tlie Jewa to
know who he was ?
A, lie replied that he was neither Christ, nor Elias, nor
a prophet.*
Q. Wliat did he say of himself?
A. He said : I am the voice of one crying in the wil-
derness, Make straight the way of the Lord.f
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HISTORY.
JoTOS Christ baptized by St John.— St. Matt. Hi. ; SL Luke liL
Q. Wliy did Our Lord come to the Jordan to find St John ? v
A. To be baptized by him.
Q. What did St. John say by way of excusing himself?
A. He said : I ought to be baptized by thee, and comest
thou to me ?
Q. What did Our Lord reply ?
A. He replied : Suffer it now ; for so it becometh us to
fulfil all justice.
Q. What took place as soon as Jesus was baptized ?
A. 1st. The heavens were opened.
2d. The Holy Ghost, descended in the form of a dove, and
rested on him.
3d. There was heard a voice from heaven, saying: This
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
The same thing happens even now to those who are
baptized, though in an inferior manner. The heavens are
opened to them ; the Holy Ghost comes to rest in their
souls, and God is well pleased with them.
Q. Did Jesus Christ require to be baptized ?
A. No ; for he was holi less itself.
Q. Why, then, was he baptized ?
A. 1st. As he himself said, to fulfil all justice.
2d. To give us an example of humility.
3d. To bestow on water the virtue of sanctifying us in
baptism.
Q. Y7hat did John say when he saw Jesus coming to him ?
A. He said : Behold the Lamb of God ; behold him who
♦ St John i.
t Isaiah z1.
% OF THE APOSTLES CilBED.
67
taketh away the sins of tho world.* Next day he again
rendered to him the same testimony.f
HISTORY.
Betrest of Jesas Christ.— <S& 3faU. \v. ; St. Mark i. ; St. Luke Ir.
Q. Whither did Jesus retire after his baptism f
A. He retired into the desert; and there he had no other
companions than the wild beasts.
Q. How long did he remain there f
A. Forty days.
Q. How was he engaged during those forty days?
A. In prayer and meditation.
Q. What fast did he observe ?
A. He observed a very rigorous fust.
Q. Why rigorous ?
A. Because he eat nothing during all that time, neither
day nor night.
Q. By whom was he tempted three different times ?
A. By the devil.
Q. Why did he permit the devil to tempt him ?
A. 1st. To teach us how to overcome him.
2d. To merit grace for us.
Q. What did the devil when he saw liimself vanquished by Jesus
Christ ?
A. He departed, and left him for a time.
Q. What did the angels then do ?
A. They came and ministered to him.
t .1
HISTORY.
Calling of the Apostles.— aS<. Matt, iv. ; St. Luk« v. ; St. John. i.
Q. What did Our Lord after his retreat of forty days?
A. He began to preach the Gospel.
Q. What is the meaning of the word gospel I
A. It means the announcement of th(' kingdom of heaven.
Q. What was then the age of Our Lord t
A. He was about thirty years old.
* St. John i. i9.
t St. John i. 86.
08
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
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Q. "What did he every where aay ?
A. Do penance, for the kingdom of God is at hand.
Q. Wliere did he preach i
A. He preached in the synagogues, in the temple, and
in every place where he happened to be; on the mountains,
on the sea-shore, in the houses, and in the wilderness, where
crowds of people went out to hear him.
Q. How did he preach ?
A. He preached with power and authority.
Q. Were hia discourses eloquent ?
A. No ; they were simple and familiar. lie frequently
made use of parables; that is to say, familiar comparisons,
so as to be understood by all the people, unless they had
made themselves unworthy of understanding them. When
the apostles did not understand them, he explained them
to them in private.
Q. How many apostles did he choose ?
A. He chose twelve : Simon, to whom he gave the name
of Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John;
Philip and Bartholomew ; Matthias and Thomas ; James
the son of Alpheus, and Simon called Zelotes ; jude the
brother of James, and Judas Iscariot.
Q. What did he before choosing them ?
A. He passed all the night in prayer,
which is full of instruction fur us.
Q. Where did he send them after having chosen them ?
A. He sent them to preach.
Q. What instmctions did he previously give them ?
A. 1st. Go not to the Gentiles.
2d. Enter not into the cities of 'he Samaritans.
3d. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
4th. Carry with you no provisions.
5th. Eat whatever is offered you.
6th. When you come into a house, salute the people
therein, saying : Peace be to this house.
7th. Shake off the dust from your feet against those who
will neither receive you nor listen to your words.
8th. Be cunning (that is to say, prudent) as the serpent,
and simple as the dove.
Conduct of his
iiii
OF THE APOBTLKa CREED.
69
Q. What power did be at the same time bentow upou them t
A. 1st. To cure all disease:^.
2d. To cast out devils.
3d. To raise the dead.
Q. How many disciples did he also choose t
A. He chose seventy-two.
Q. Whitlicr did he send them f
A. He sent them two by two into those places where he
was himself to come. He gave them the same instructions
and the same power which he had given to the apostles.
HISTORY.
The miracles of Jeans Christ.
Q. How did Our Lord prove that he was the Messiah, so long prom-
ised and so long expected ?
A. By miracles such as none had ever done before. " If
1 had not done amongst them," said Jesus Christ, " the
works that no other man hath done, they would not have
sin."*
Q. What do you understand by miracles I
A. I understand marvellous and extraordinary works,
which surpass the power of men and angels.f
Q. Can neither men nor angels, Uien, work nuracles f
A. Not by their own power.
Q. By what power, then, do they work tliem I
A. By the power of God. Since miracles are beyond
their power, they can only operate them by that power
which God communicates to them.
Q. Can God work miracles in support of falsehood and error ?
A. No ; for it is unworthy of his power to authorize
either one or the other. If that were the case, God would
deceive us, which can neither be said nor imagined.
Q. Wliat was the first mii-acle wrought by Jesus Christ ?
A. It was the changing of water into wine, at the wed-
ding of Chanaan.
Q. Wliat are the other miracles I
A. 1st. He cured all diseases ; lepers, paralytics, the
deaf, the dumb, the bluid, the lame, the dropsical ; those
. '(I
*
L 1
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* St. John XV. 24.
+ St. Thomas 1. litS, art 7,
70
DOCTRINAL CATKCIIISM.
!!ilt
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who were afllicted with fever, a flow of blood, or any other
malady ; witness the woman who had an issue of blood,
another who was bent down, and the man whose hand was
withered ; he healed them in an instant, often by a single
word, sometimes without seeing or touching them. It even
sufficed to touch the hem of his garment to be healed.
2d. Ho cast out devils of every kind : deaf, dumb, im-
pure, and no matter how numerous they might be;* wit-
ness that which was called Legion : he expelled them simply
by commanding them to go out. A single word sufticed.
3d. He raised the dead. He did this on three occasions :
1st. A girl of twelve years old who had just died ; 2d. A
young man whom the people were bearing to the grave ;
3d. Lazarus, who had been four days buried ; not to speak
of a great number whom he raised at the time of his resur-
rection.
Q. What other miracles did he do ?
A. 1st. He stilled the tempest by a word,
2d. He walked on the waters.
3d. He rendered himself mvisible when he pleased.
4th. He twice multiplied a few loaves.
5th. He knew the most secret thoughts of the heart.
6th. He foretold the future.
7th. He was transfigured on Mount Thabor.
8th. He cast to the ground, by one word, the archers
who came to apprehend him, and cured Malchus.
9th. At his death the sun was darkened, the veil of the
temple was rent, the earth trembled, the rocks were split
asunder, the graves were opened, and the dead arose.
Q. Are these the only muacles which Christ performed ?
A. There are no other miracles on record. He wrought
many others which are not recorded,! for St. John says :
If they were written every one, the world itself, I think,
would not be able to contain the books that should be
written.
Not only did he himself perform many miracles, but he
also gave to his disciples the power of doing as he did, J and
greater things, too.
♦ St. Luke vlil. 80.
t St. John xxl. 25.
t St John xiv. 13.
:iiaii.
OF TUB AP'^8TLE8 CRKED.
71
HISTORY.
Tho virtues of Jo8us Christ
Q. Did Our Lord content liimself with working niiracloa?
A, No; ho likewise gave the example of every virtue.
Q. What were tlie principal virtue's of wliicli he gave the exanipk- ?
A. Meekness, palieiice, huuiilit y, and charity.
Q. What examples of meokucss did he give ?
A. 1st. He repulsed no one; not even sinners,* whom he
re«:eived with kindness, and with whom he condescended to
eat; when he was censured by some persons for doing so,
he said : " I came, not to call the just, but sinners, to re-
p<entance. It is not those who are in health that require a
physician, but those who are sick." lie caressed little chil-
dren, and blessed them, laying his hands upon them ; and
when his Jisciples would have put them away, he said:
Sufier little children to come unto me, for of such is the
kingdi-'m of heaven.
2d. He did not dispute,f nor cry out, and his voice was
never heard in the street.
By this we learn to give our reasons calmly when we arc
opposed, without disputing, crying out, or raising our voice.
3d. He did not break the bruised recd,J or (juench the
smoking flax ; that is to say, that he spared the feelings of
sinners, poor and weak as they were, in the hope of winning
them back. 1 his should induce us to have compassion on
the erring and the wt ak, so as to draw them gradually back
to God.
Q. What example of patience did he give?
A. 1st. He willingly endured all the privations of poverty,
heat, cold, hunger, thirst, fatigue. He had neither house,
nor land, nor revenue, not even a stone whereon to rest his
head. He lived on the voluntary oflTerings of those whom
he taught, especially some holy women, who followed him
wherever he went.
2d. He bore with patience the importunities of the sick,
and they often left him without time to eat.
I
EN
( ■::
* St. Matt ix. 11.
t 8t Matt xii. 19.
X St Matt XX.
■
72
DOCTRINAL CATKCillHM.
^ iii'l;
jlijiiji
3cl. lie patiently endured .ill sorts of injurious treatment.
He was called a glutton; a friend of sinners; a Samari-
tan ; possessed by the devil; yet never did he retort on any
one.
4th. lie kindly overlooked the faults of his apostles. Ho
never talked of them, or complained of them to any one.
Q. What example of humility did he pive ?
A. 1st. He shunned honors. When the people wanted to
make him a king,* he fled alone to the mountain.
2d. He forbade his miracles to be published. When he
cured any one, he charged him to keep it silent. He even
compelled the devils to be silent when they said that he
was the Son of God. Ho as 'isned no hi«;her quality than
that of the Son of man ; th.it is to s;iy, of a common man
of obscure birth, carefully concealing all that might tend to
elevate him in the eyes of men.
Q. What example of charity did he give ?
A. He wholly sacriliced himself to promote the glory of
his Father and the salvation of souls.
Q. Wliat did he sacrifice ?
A. Ist. He sacrificed his own glory, by leaving heaven,
and coming on earth.
2d. He sacrificed his own repose ; toiling all the day. and
often passing the night in prayer; it frequently happened
that he had not time to take his meals.
3d. He sacrificed his own life, giving himself up to all the
torments and ignominy of his passion, and shedding on the
cross even the last drop of his blood.
Q. Against whom did he sometimes allow liis zeal to burst forth ?
A. 1st. Against hypocrites ; he spoke to them with sever-
ity, and openly reproached them with their vices.
2d. Against those who profaned the temple ; he twice
drove them out with a scourge in his hand.
These are great examples of virtue for all Christians,
especially those whose state oblic^es them to promote the
glory of God and the salivation of souls.
♦ St John vl. 16.
OF TUB AP08TLKH' CRBKD.
78
HISTORY,
or the doctrine of Jesus Christ
Q. Wbftt was tlic doctrine of Jesus Christ f
A. It was a doctrine wholly celestial.
Q. Whence did lie derive his doctrine ?
A. From the bosom of his Father.* Hence it was that
ho said, speaking to Nicodomus: Amen, amen, I say to
thee. We speak what wc know, and we testify what we have
seen.f And elsewhere : My doctrine is not mine, but of
Ilim who sent me. J
Q. What did Jesus tench ?
A. lie taught all that is necessary to salvation.
Q. What did he say of God ?
A. 1st. lie said that God is a spirit;
2d. That He must be worshipped in spirit and in truth ;
3d. That in God there is a Father, a Son, and a Holy
Ghost ;
4th. That these three persons are but one and the same
God.
Q. What did he say of himself ?
A. 1st. That he was the Messiah sent by God ;
2d. That he was the only Son of the Father ;
3d. That he came no^ to judge, but to save the world.
Q. What did he say of the Holy Ghost f
A. 1st. That he was the Comforter, and the Spirit of
truth.§
2d. That the Holy Ghost should take of his, to declare all
truth. II
Which shows that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Son
as well as from the Father.
Q. How dia Jesus Christ manifestly declare this truth ?
A. By commanding his apostles to baptize all nations in
the name of the Father, and of ^,he Son, and of the Holy
Ghost. T
Which shows again that these three persons are equal,
ll
• Bt John i. 18.
t St. John m. 11.
t St. John vH. 16.
§ St. John XV. 26.
7
I St. John xvl. 14.
1 St Matt, xxvill. 19.
PfT
■w
mi'
m
§
}mu
74
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
since he commands that all men should be consecrated to
God in fhz name of all the three persons.
m
III ;!1||
iil
m
l,."H
If:
ii
HISTORY.
Ccntinnatlon of the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
Q. How did Jesus Christ say that God must be loved ?
A. With the whole heart, the whole soul, th'^ whole mind,
and the whole strength.
A doctor of the law once tempted him, by asking the
following question : Master, which is the great commarid-
rnent in the law?* Hd replied : Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with thy whole heart, and wiuh thy whole soul,
and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest and first
commandment.
Q. What else did Jesus Christ command with regard to God ?
A. 1st, To fear him alone. " Fear not," said he, " those
that kill the body, and cannot kill the soul ; but rather fear
him that can destroy both soul and body in hell."f
2d. To a ast in God. " Arc not two sparrows," said he,
" sold for a farthing? and not one of them shall fall on the
ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your
head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore : you are of
more value than many sparrows."^
" Be not solicitous for your life," said he again, " what
you shall eat, nor for your body what you shall put on. Is
not the li^b rpore than the food, and the body more than the
raiment 1 Behold the fowls of the air. . . . '^"insider
the lilies of the field how they grow. Be not solicitous,
therefore, . . , for after all these things do the heathens
seek. For your Father knoweth that you have need of ail
these thing.ij.
Seek first the kingdom of God and his jus-
tice ; and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not,
therefore, solicitous for to-morrow ; for the mon'ow will be
solicitous for itself Sufficient for the day is the evil
thereof"!
3d. He commanded them to s€7've God.
* St. Matt. xxii. 85; St, Mark xii. 30; 9t Luke x. 27.
t St. Matt. X. 23.
t Ht. Matt. X. 29.
§ St. Matt. vi. 25.
OF THE APOSTLES CR£ED.
TO
Q. How ?
A. 1st. In preference to all ci<vatures.
-' No man can serve two niasu^rs ; for he will either hate
the one and love the other, or he *ill hold to the one and
despise the other."*
2d. vVithout seeking to be seen Ly men.
" Take heed," says Jesus Christ, " that you do not your
justice before men, that you may be seen hy them ; other-
wise you shall not have a reward from your Father who is
in heaven."f
See in the sequel of this chapter how we are to give alms,
to fast and pray, in order to obtain our rewawl from our
heavenly Father.
Q. Wherewith did Je«us Christ reproach the Pharisees?
A. 1st. With a love of being salut3d in th-. market-
pi ace. {
id. Seeking the first chairs in the synagogues.
3d. Desiring to have the highest places at suppers.
HISTORY.
Conth.uation of tho doctrine of Jesus Christ.
Q. How did Jesus wish that we should love our neighbor?
^. As we do ourselves. And the second (command-
ment) is like to this : Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy-
self§
Q. Who is our neighbor ?
A. Every fellow-' reature, known or unknown, friend or
foe, no m.atter of what nation or of what religion.
Q. Are we obliged to love our enemies ?
A. Yes ; Jx.. as Christ commanded us to do so. " Love
your enemies," said he, " do good to them that hate you ;
and pray fm them that persecute and calumniate you ; that
you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven :
for if you love those that love you, what reward shall you
have ] Do not even the publicans the same ?
* St. Matt. vi. 24.
t St. Matt vi. ].
St. Mark xii. 88.
St Matt, xxil 89.
^1
76
DOCTKINAL CATECHISM.
ill ' ! ■,!
lii
I! ; 'II!
P' '4
Miiii
^ it
III
1!
li'll
And i^you salute your brethren only, what do you more'?
Do not also the heathens the same ?
Be you, therefore, perfect, as also your heavenly Father
is perfect.*
Q. How many times are we to pardon our brother, according to the
injunction of Jesus Christ ?
A, Till seventy times seven times ;f that is to say, al-
ways.
" If thy brother shall offend thee," says Jesus Christ, " go
and reprove him between thee and him alone. If he shall
hear thee, thou shalt gain thy brother."| (See the sequel.)
Q, What did Jesus say of him who in anger calls his brother a fool ?
A. That he shall be deserving of hell fire.§
He forbids us at the same time to be angry with him, or
to insult him in any way, and decrees heavenly punishment
even for that. Then he adds : " Therefore, if thou offerest thy
gift at the altar, and there shalt remember that thy brother
hath anything against thee ; leave the -e thy gift before the
aUar, and first go to be reconciled to thy brother, and then
come and offer thy gift. I
Q. What did Jesus prescribe in order to maintain peace ?
A. Not to resist the evil that is done to us.
" You have heard that it hath been said : An eye for an
eye, a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you not to resist
evil ; but if any man strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to
him the other also. And if any man will go to law with
thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
And whosoever shall force thee to go one mile, go with him
other two. Give to Lim that asketh of thee, and from him
that would borrow of thee turn not away."^
Q. Did Jesus Christ permit us to judge and condemn oij- neighbor on
simple appearances ?
A. No ; he expressly forbid it.
" Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not,
and you shall not be condemned ; forgive, and you shall be
forgiven ; .... for with the same measure that you
shall measure, it shall be measured to you again."**
♦ St Matt. V. 44.
t St. Matt xviii. 22.
% Bt Matt XTiii. 15.
St. Matt. V. 22.
St Matt. V. 23.
IT St. Matt. V. 88.
** St Luke vl. 87.
f
if
OF TFIE APOSTLES CREED.
77
IIISTOHY,
Continuation of tlie doctrine of Jesus Christ.
Q. What 8aid Jeans Christ of scandal ?
A. 1st. Wo CO the world because of scandals ;*
2d. Wo to that man by whom the scandal cometh;
3d. It were better for him that a mill-stone were hanged
about his neck, and that he were drowntd in the depth of the
sea.
Q. What did he order to be done "vvith the hand or the foot that be-
came the cause of scandal ?
A. That it should be cut off and cast away.
Q. And v,'hat was to be done to the eye if it were a cause of scandal ?
A. It was to be plucked out and cast away.
" It is better for thee," said our divine Saviour, " to enter
into life maimed or lame, than, having two hands or two
feet, to be cast into everlasting fire. It is better for thee
with one eye to enter into life, than, having two eyes, to be
cast into hell-fire.
Q. What paid Jesus Christ against swearing ?
A, But I say to you not to swear at all, neither by heaven,
for it is the throne of God ; nor by the earth, for it is his
footstool ; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great
king. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou
cant, not make one hair white or black:f
Q. What did he say against lying 'i
A. He said: " Let your speech be yea, yea, or no, no ;
for whatsoever is more than these cometh from evil."J
Q. Whn*^ d«d he say against evil thoughts ?
A. He said : " I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on
a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery
with her in his heart."§
*
ii i :
HISTORY.
Continuation of tlio doctrine of Jesus Christ.
Q. What did Jesus Christ say to those who wished to save their souls I
A. Strive to enter by the narrow gate :|| for many, I say
to you, shall seek to enter, and shall not be able.
* St. Matt, xvill. 7.
t St. Matt. T. 84.
St. Matt. V. 3T.
St. Matt. V. 28.
7*
St Luke xiiL 24
ft
78
DOCTRINAL CATfiCHISM.
I:
il
Q. Why is it necessary to enter by the nwrov gate ?
A. Because " wide is the gate, and broad is the way that
leadeth to destruction, and many there are who enter by it."*
Q. Wliat was his expression of wonder on this subject ?
A. " How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way which
leadeth to life ; and few there are who find it !"f
Q. What did he say to his apostles to induce them to enter by that
narrow gate ?
A. " Jf any man v/ill come after me, let him deny him-
self, and take up his cross, and follow me.J For," said he,
" whosoever will save his life, shall lose it ; and he that
shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it."
Q. What did he add, in order to show the necessity of saving the
eouU
A. " What doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world
and lose his own soul."§
Q. What tenible truth did he announce on this subject ?
A. Many are called, but few are chosen. [
:-M.
HISTORY.
Continuation of the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
Q. What did Jesus say of the poor ?
A. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the king-
dom of heaven.^
Q. What said he of those who ai-e meek ?
A. Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth.
Q. What said he of those who mourn ?
A. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be com-
forted.
Q. What said he of those who hunger and thirst after justice ?
A. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after justice,
for they shall be filled.
Q. What said he of the merciful ?
A. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Q, What said he of those who are pure in heart ?
A. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.
I ''k
* 8t Matt. vii. 18.
t St. Matt. vii. 14.
St. Matt, xvi. 24.
St. Matt xvi. 26.
B St. Matt. xxii. 14.
1 St. Matt. V. 11.
OF THB APOSTLES CRKKD.
79
Q. What said he of those who are peaceably iuclined ?
A. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called
the children of God.
Q. What said he of tbos^ who suffer persecution for righteousneas'
sake?
A. Blessed are they who suiTer persecution for righteous-
ness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of hep ven.
Q. What said he of the rich ?
A. 1st. Wo to you that are rich, for you have your con-
solation in this world ;
2d. Wo to you that are filled, for you shall hunger *
3d. Wo to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and
weep ;
4th. Wo to you when men shall bless you : for acoording
to these things did their fathers to the false prophets.
Q. What more did Jesus Christ say concerning riches ?
A. Amen, I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter
into the kingdom of heaven. f
Q. What did he add ?
A. " Again I say to you : it is easier for a camel Co pass
through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter
into the kingdom of heaven."
Q. What was the reply of the astonished disciples ?
A. They replied : Who, then, can be saved ?
Q. What did Jesus say to them ?
A. With men this is impossible ; but with God all things
are possible.
r
HISTORY.
ConHnuatloD of the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
Q. What did Jesus reccmmend, in order to attain perfection ?
A. 1st. To dispose of all that one has, and give it to the
poor.J
This was the answer given by Tesus Christ to a young
man who said to him : Good master, what shall I do that I
may have life everlasting ?
i|
♦ 8t Luk« vi. 26.
t i^t. Matt. xix. 28.
t 8t Matt xlx. «1.
80
DOCTRINAL CATBCHI8M.
m
m
lUi
.1
" If thou wilt be perfect," said Jesus to him, " go, sell
what thou hast, and give it to the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven : and, come, follow me !"
2d. To renounce marriage, and to embrace the state of
perfect chastity.
He added : " All receive not this word, but they to whom
it is given." And again : " He that can receive it, let him
receive it ;" giving to understand, that by prayer and other
good works, this gift may be obtained.
Q. What did Jesus say, to make us understand the need which we
have of grace ?
A. He said : Without me you can do nothing.*
According to these words, we cannot of ourselves either
observe his commandments or practise his counsels in a
meritorious manner. " For," said he, " as the branch can
not bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine ; so neither
can you, unless you abide in me."f
Q. What is necessary in order to obtain gn'ace ?
A. It is necessary to ask it without ceasing.J
'' Ask," says Jesus, " and it shall be given you ; seek, and
you shall find : knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
For every one that asketh, receiveth : and he that seeketh,
findeth : and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened."§
[See the sequel.)
Q. What prayer did Jesus Christ teach us ?
A. This which follows : Our father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name ; thy kingdom come ; thy will be
done on earth as it is in heaven ; give us this day our daily
bread ; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them
who trespass against us ; and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
It is called the Lord's Prayer.
HISTORY.
Of the eLomles o? Jesus Christ.
Q. How was the doctrine of Jesus Clirist received, sustained aa it
was by so many miracles, and accompanied b) so many virtues ?
A. It was receiv-ed with admiration. Those who heard
it said : Never did man speak like this man. 11
* St. John XV. 5.
+ St. John XV. 4.
t St. Luke xvlii. 1.
§ St. Luke xL ».
B BL John vii. 4&
f
■:sll
m
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
81
Q. How was it received by the wicked ?
A. It was received with contradiction.
" They loved the darkness better than the light," says
St. John, " because their works wero evil."
Q. How did they judge Jesus Christ ?
A. They judged him only by appearances.
" Is not this," said they, " the carpenter's son 1 Is not
his mother called Mary 1 and his brethren, James, and
Joseph, and Simon, and Judel* And his sisters, are they
not all with us ] Whence, then, hath he all these things ?
How does he know the Scripture, seeing that he has not
studied ? Many of them said : He has a devil ; he is mad ;
why listen to him ? But others said : These are not the
words of a man possessed by the devil. Can the devil
open the eyes of the blind]
Q. Whereby were the carnal Jews offended ?
A. Th^y were offended by his external appearance, so
poor, so simple, and so humble.
Seeing him under such an aspect, they could not, by any
means, persuade themselves that he was the Great King,
the Son of David, who was to deliver them from their
enemies, and to make all nations subject to himself.
Q. Who were they who hated him the most ?
A. The Scribes or Doctors, the Pharisees, the Priests,
and the Senators.
Q. Why the Scribes or Doctors ?
A. Because he made known their ignorance and their
insincerity.! For they disfigured the law of God by their
false interpretations.
Q. Why the Pharisees ?
A. Because he reproached them for their hypocrisy; their
pride, and their avarice.J
Q. Why the Senators and Priests ?
A. Because he foretold the ruin of the temple and of the
city.§ Which gave them great offence, because they re-
garded it as a place to which the true religion was attached,
and which was never to be destroyed.
• St. Matt. xiil. S5.
t 6t. Mark iiL 22.
I
St Matt, zxiii. 4.
St. Matt. xxiv. 2 ; Acts vi. 14.
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
I!'
'ill I''
;!.i
'lj'N'-..iJ?:
h, .i»«'
I'
it
;ii:
Q. Wherewith did they reproach Jesua Christ t
A. They had nothing wherewith to reproach him.
Q. Why so?
A. Because his whole conduct was irreproachable,
" Which of you f said he, " shall convince mc of sin 1"*
Q. What did they do, finding nothing to bring against liim ?
A. They calumniated him.f
They made it a crime that he called himself the Son of
God,J and that he cured the sick on the Sabbath day.§
His miracles they ascribed to Beelzebub, the prince of
devils.r
Ik
Q. What resolution did they finally take, seeing that a great num-
ber followed him ?
A. They took the resolution of putting him to death.
But they could not carry out their design until his hour
was come.^ Till then, he hid himself several times ;**
and one day when they thought to take him, he rendered
himself invisible, and passed out through them.
HISTORY.
Of Jesus Christ's entry Into the city of Jerusalem.— jS^. Matt. xxL
Q. Where did Jesus Christ enter, as if in triumph, six days before
his death ?
A. He entered tho city of Jerusalem.
This was on the day after the Sabbath, which answers to
our Sunday.
Q. On what was he mounted ?
A. He was mounted on an ass, and her colt, one after
the other, as had been foretold by the prophet Zachary :jf
this was the usual style in which princes then rode.
Q. With what were those animals covered ?
A. They were covered with the garments of the apostles.
Q. How was Jesus received by the people ?
A. He was received with joyful acclamations.
1st. They cried out: Hosanna to the Son of David:
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
i
♦ St. John viii. 40.
+ St. Matt. xxvl. 59.
X St. John vl. 42.
§ St. John V. 10.
I St. Matt. xii. 24.
T St. John vii. 80.
** St Luke iv. i!9.
tt Zach. ix. 9.
J
OF THK APOSTLES CREED.
83
f
2d. They spread their garments in the way, and
strewed it with branches of trees;
3d. They went before, and followed him, with palms in
their hands ;* and all that in token of great joy.
Q. For whom did they recognize him by all these honours ?
A. They recognized him for the true Messiah, promised
by the Prophets.
Q. What did Jesus reply to those who said to him : Master, rebuke
thy disciples ?
A. lie said : I tell you that if these should iiold their
peace, the stones will cry out.f
lie added: "Have you never read : Out of the mouth
of infants and of sucklings thou hast perfected praise?"
Q. Why did our Saviour choose to make thin public entry into
Jerusalem ?
A. 1st. To show how willingly he went to death ;
2d. As an image of his approaching victory over death
and hell ;
3d. To denote his eternal triumph in heaven amid the
acclamations of the blessed spirits.
Q. Why did our Lord weep over that city on tfit Jay of his
triumph ?
A. It was through tender affection fv)r its Inhabitants.
He saw the deicide which they were on the point of com-
mitting, as the consummation of their crimes, and the ter-
rible chastisement which it was to draw down upon them ;
and he was moved even to to?\vs.
Q. What did the high-priests and ancients, on seeing all these
things ?
A. They assembled and coi. suited together,! that by
subtlety, they might apprehend Jesus, and put him to
death.
0. What did they promise to Judas, if he would deliver him to
them ?
A. They promised him thirty pieces of HiJ^er, or thirty
pennies of that time, being about &q\(-u dollars and a half
of our money.
f
* St. Matt xxi. 9
t St. T,ukexlx. 40.
% St. Matt. xxvf. 4.
n
84
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
'i'
HISTORY,
or the Institution of the Euchar'st.— <Sr^ Jfatt. xztI.
Q. With whom did our Saviour make the pasch od thft eve of hi«
death ?
A. He made it with his apostles.
Q. What was the pasch ?
A. It was a solemn repast which the Jews made every
year in memory of their deliverance from Egypt.
This repast was taken on the fourteenth day of the
month of March, in the evening.*
Q. What was eaten in this repast ?
A. There was eaten, in every family, a roasted lamb.
That lamb was to be without blemish, a male, of one
year : its bones were not to be broken, and the door of each
house was to be marked with its blood. They were to
eat it standing, with staves in their hands, and their loins
girded ; it was to be eaten with unleavened bread and wild
lettuce. This repast had been regularly made for nearly
fifteen hundred years, by the ordinance of God.
Q. What v/as this repast called ?
A. It was called the Pasch. This is a Hebrew word
signifying passage.
Q. Why was it so called ?
A. 1st. Because of the passage of the destroying angel,
who killed, at midnight, all the first-born of the Egyptians,
without touching those of the Israelites.
2d. Because of the passage of the Israelites from Egypt
to the promised land.
Q. Of what was that lamb the figure ?
A. It was the figure of Jesus immolated on the cross.
The ceremonies of the pasch were also emblematical of
the dispositions which must be brought to the holy com-
munion.
Q. What did our Saviour do before he instituted the Sacrament of
tl— Eucharist ?
A. He washed the feet of his Apostles : which shows
with what purity and humility we ought to approach this
Sacrament.
♦ Exod. xiL 6.
m
OF TIIK APOFTLES CREED.
85
Q. How did he institute this Sacrament ?
A. 1st. lie took bread, and "hanged it into his body.
2d. IIo took wine, and changed it into his blood.
He raised his eyes to heaven, and returned tlianks. lie
blessed the bread and broke it. In like manner ho blessed
the wine.
Q. Was there th'^n only the body under the spccica of bread, nnd
only the blood unde. Jie specica of wine ?
A. Jesus Christ was wholly and entirely under each
species.
Q. To whom did our Lord give his body and his blood ?
vl. lie gave them to his Apostles, saying' to thotn :
Take ye, and cat; this is my body, which is given for
thee. This is my blood, the blood of the New Testament,
which shall be shed for many, unto the remission of sins.
Drink ye all.
He added : " And I say unto you : I will not drink from
henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that dav when I
shall drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father."
Q. What power did he give them at the same time ?
A. He gave them the power of changing the bread into
his body, and the wine into his blood.
Q. By what svords ?
A. By these words : Do this for a commemoration of
me.*
As if he had told them : Do all that I have just done.
Consecrate ray body nd my blood ; offer them in sacrifice,
nourish yourselves wii them ; and distribute them to the
faithful, being always mindful of my passion.f
Q. To whom has this power passed ?
A. It has passed to all priests.
Q. What did he afterwards predict to them ?
A. That he should be betrayed by Judas, denied by St,
Peter, and abandoned by all the others.
Q. What did he specially recommend to them ?
A. To love one another.
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DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. On what day does the Church commemorate the institution of this
Sacrament ?
A. On Holy Thursday. She renews this commemora-
tion on the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, and during its
octave.
Ji
HISTORY.
Prayer of Jesus Christ in the garden of Olirea.— >S^^. 3faU. xxtL
Q. Whither did Jesus retire with his disciples on leaving the supper-
room ?
A. To the garden of Olives, after having passed the tor-
rent of Cedron.
Q. What did he say to his disciples on reaching the garden ?
A, Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray.
Q. What did he further say to them ?
A. Watch ye, and pray, that ye enter not into tempta-
tion.
Q. Who did he take with him, to be witnesses of his prayer ?
A. He took Peter, James, and John. The same three
whom he had taken to witness his glory on Thabor.
Q. What did he say to them, being stricken with fear ?
A. He said : My soul is sorrowful, even unto death.
Q. What did Jesus do, going a little further from them ?
A. He fell upon his face, praying.
Q. What did he say to God in his prayer ?
A. " Father, if it is possible, let this chalice pass from
me
»
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Q. How many times did he repeat this prayer ?
A. He repeated it three times.
Q. What dll he add, to show his submission ?
A. " Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt."
Q. Why did God send him an angel from heaven ?
A. To strengthen him ; because, having fallen into an
agony, there came over his whole body a sweat, as it were.
drops of blood, which flowed even to the ground, and in this
state he redoubled his prayers.
Q. What did he say to his disciples, on coming to them for the third
time, and finding them asleep ?
A. Why sleep you 1 Arise, and pray, lest you enter into
temptation.
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
87
The third time, he added : Sleep on now, and take your
rest : behold, the hour is at hand ; and the Son of man shall
be betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Q. What did he say to St Peter in particular?
A. What, could you not watch one hour with me ?
Q. What did he at last say to them ?
A. Rise, let us go : behold, he is at hand that will betray
me.
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HISTORY.
The apprehension of Jesus.— ^<. Matt. xxvL
Q. What happened as soon as Jesus had ceased to speak ?
A, Judas appeared at the head of a band of armed men,
bearing lanthorns and torches.
Q. What signal had Judas given them ?
-4. Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he : hold him fast.
Q. What did Judas say, on approaching his Master }
A, " Hail, Rabbi !" and he kissed him.
Q. What did Jesus answer ?
A. Friend, whereto art thou come 1
Judas, dost thou betray the Son of man with a kiss.
Q. What did Jesus say to the troop of armed men?
A. He said to them : Whom seek ye *?
Q. What did they answer ?
A. They answered him : Jesus of Nazareth.
Q. What happened when he told them : I am he ?
A. They went backward, and fell to the ground.
Q. What did Jesus again say to them ?
A. He said : If, therefore, you seek me, let these go their
way. That the word might be fulfilled which he said : Of
them whom thou hast given me, I have not lost any one.
Q. What did the armed men immediately do ?
A. They laid hands on him, and held him.
Q. What did St. Peter do on seeing that ?
A. He drew his sword, and cut off the right ear of Mal-
chus, who was a servant of the high priest.
Q. What mu-acle did Jesus then work ?
A. He touched the man's ear, and it was instantly healed.
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88
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. What said he at the eame time to St. Peter i
A. Put up again thy sword into its place. For all that
take the sword, shall perish with the sword.
He added : The chalice which my Father hath given me,
shall I not drink it ? Thinkest thou that I cannot ask my
Father, and he will give me presently more than twelve
legions of angels ?
Q. How did the disciples act on seeing their master taken ?
A. They all abandoned him and fled. St. John, never-
theless, followed him to Calvary.
Q. "Whither did those armed men conduct Jesus, after having bound
liim with cords ?
A. 1st. To Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas.
2d. To Caiaphas, the high priest for that year. It was at
the house of Caiaphas that he was condemned to death, be-
cause, that, being asked if he were the Son of God, he
answered : Yes, 1 am.
3d. To Pilate, governor of Judea.
4th. To Herod, governor of Galilee. Herod, with all his
court, despised him, because he answered none of his ques-
tions ; he clothed him in a white robe, by way of derision,
and sent him back to Pilate.
ARTICLE IV.
SUFFERED UNDER PONTroS PILATE, WAS CRUCIFIED, DEAD, AND BURIED.
Q. What do you understand by those words: Suffered under Pontius
Pilate, was crucified ?
A. I understand that, Pontius Pilate being the Roman
governor of Judea, Jesus Christ was loaded with ignominy,
scourged, crowned with thorns, and fastened to a cross.
Q. Under whom did Jesus Christ suffer ?
A. He suffered under Pontius Pilate.
Q, Who was Pontius Pilate ?
A. He was the Roman governor of Judea, under Tiberius,
who was then emperor.
Q. What did Jesus suffer under Pontius Pilate ?
A. He was loaded with ignominy, scourged, crowned
with thorns, and nailed to. a cross.
OF THE APOSTLKS CREED.
89
HISTORY.
Jesus Christ loaded with igaomlny.— St. Vatt. xxvi.
Q. What ignominy did Jesus Christ receive at the hands of his dis-
ciples !
A. 1st. He was sold and betrayed by Judas.
Sold for thirty pieces of silver, which was the price of a
slave. Betrayed by a kiss ; Judas, seeing that Jesus was
condemned, gave back the money, and hanged himself.
2d. He was denied by St. P-^ter three several times : the
first time, by a simple falsehood ; the second, with an oath ;
the third, with a horrible Imprecation against himself.
But the Lord turning round, looked on Peter, and Peter
remembered the word which He had said to him : Before
the cock crows twice, thou shalt deny me thrice ; and going
out, he wept bitterly.
3d. He was abandoned by all the others.
It was only St. John who was seen to follow him to Cal-
vary.
Q. With what opprobium was he loaded by his enemies t
A. 1st. They spat on his face ;
2d. They gave him many blows ;
3d. They buffetted his face ;
4th. They preferred a noted robber before him ;
5th. They assailed him with outrage and blasphemy.
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HISTORY.
Jesus scourged and crowned with thorns.— ;iSi^. Matt, xxvii.
Q. What did Pilate do, in order to move the Jews to compassion,
knowing that Jesus was innocent ?
A. He condemned him to be scourged. This punish-
ment was administered with great violence amongst the
Romans.
Q. How did the soldiers afterwards misuse him ?
A, 1st. They clad him in a scarlet mantle;
2d. They crowned him with a crown of thorns ;
3d. They jjut a reed in his right hand.
Q. How did they mock him in that state !
A, They bent the knee before him, saying : Hail, king of
the Jews !
8*
1:
M
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. "Were bis enemies touched by seeing him thus outraged ?
A. No ; they cried out the more for his death.
In the midst of all this bad treatment, Jesus remained
silent, and showed the most invincible patience.
INI
11
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HISTORY.
Jesns nailed to the Ctobs.— St. Matt, xxvll.
Q. What did Pilate do, after having washed his hands before the
people, being unable to bend tlie Jews ?
A. He gave Jesus to them to be crucified.
Q. Wherewith did the soldiers load him ?
A. They loaded him with his cross.
Q. Whither did they conduct him, thus loaded?
A. They conducted him to Calvary.
On the way they forced Simon the Cyrenean to carry
the cross with Jesus.
Q. What c'iid they do when Jesus had anived there ?
A. They fastened him to the cross with large nails,
wherewith they pierced his hands and feet.
Q. What was the punishment of the cross ?
A. It was the most infamous punishment then in use. It
was only awarded to slaves and other degraded wretches,
and even to them for only the greatest crimes.
Q. What did the soldiers with his garments ?
A. They divided them amongst themselves.
Q. What did they do with his robe which had no seam ?
A. They cast lots for it. All that had been foretold.
Q. Wliat inscription was placed over the cross ?
A. Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.
This inscription was in Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin,
to the end that all might read it. It was in those tongues
that Jesus Christ was to be specially honored ; and this
denoted that his reign should extend over all the earth, as
indicated by those three languages.
Q. Between whom was Jesus crucified ?
A. He was crucified between two thieves. One of these
thieves having repented and recommended himself to him,
he promised him paradise.
;
11 «
OP THE APOSTLES CREED.
n
Q. For whom did our Saviour pray on the cross ?
A. He prayed for those who crucifitd him.
Q. What said he to his Father on their behalf?
A. He said: Father, forgive them, for they know not
what they do.
Q. To whom did he recommend his blessed mother f
A. To St. John, his beloved disciple.
Seeing them both at the foot of the cross, he said to his
mother : Behold thy son j and to St. John : Behold thy
mother !
Q. Are these all the words spoken by Jesus on the cross ?
A. No ; he spoke several others.
Q. What are they ?
A. 1st. My God ! my God ! why hast thou forsaken
2d. I thirst ;
3d. All is consummated ;
4th. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit ;
These last words he uttered in a loud, clear voice ; then
bowing down his head, he gave up his spirit.
Q. What means dead !
A, It means that his soul was separated from his body,
although the divinity was still united to the soul and body
separated one from the other.
i
HISTORY.
Of the death of Jenns Ohrist. — St Matt. zxvlL
Q. What became of the soul of Jesus at the moment of his death ?
A. It was separated from his body, and descended into
limbo.
Q. What became of his divinity ?
A. It remained still united to the soul and to the bodv,
detached one from the other ; so that it might always be
said: Behold the soul of a God! Behold the body of a
God!
Q, What prodigies took place at the death of Jeous ?
A. 1st. The whole earth was covered with darkness ;
2d. The veil of the temple was rent in twain, from top
to bottom ;
92
DOCTRINAL CATBCIIISM.
\ Vi
it
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! I
3d. The earth trembled, and the rocks were split asun-
der;
4th. The graves opened, and many of the saints arose
therefrom, and were seen in the streets of Jerusalem.
St. Matthew remarks that they did not leave their tombs
till after the resurrection of Jesus Christ.*
Q. What did the centurion say, and those who were with him,
seeing all that happened f
A. They said : Indeed this was a just man : — indeed
this was the Son of God.
Q. What did they and all the multitude who had seen that sight,
when returning to the city ?
A. They struck their breasts.f
Q. What did the soldiers, seeing that Jesus was dead ?
A. They pierced his side with a lance.
Q. What came out ?
A. Water and blood.
They did not break his legs, as they did those of the two
others ; in order that the word might be fulfilled ; Neither
shall you break a bone thereof. J And again : They shall
look upon me whom they have pierced.§
Q. On what day does the Church commemorate the death of our
Lord?
A. On Good Friday.
Q. What is meant by buried ?
A. That after his death, his body being taken from the
cross, was laid in the sepulchre.
"ft r .
HISTORY.
Of the Sepulture of Our 'Lord.—St. Matt. xxvU.
Q. By whom was the body of Jesus taken down from the cross!
A. By Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.
They were both disciples of Jesus, in secret. The first
was a man of rank and a senator, virtuous and just. The
second was likewise a senator, who had first sought Jesus
by night. I
* St Matt, xxvll. 68.
t St Luke xxiii. 48.
Exod. xil. 46.
Zech. xii. 10.
I St. John Ul. 1.
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
93
Q. How did they prepare hiiTi for burial!
A. They wrapped him in fine linen, with spices and per-
fumes.
Q. Where did they then put him ?
A. In a new tomb, hollowed out of the rock.
Q. How did the high priests secure the toirb ?
A. They sealed the stone, and placed guards to watch it.
Q. What did they fear!
A. They feared that the disciples might carry off the
body, and then give out that Jesus had arisen.
ARTICLE V.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL; THE THIRD DAT HE AROSE FROM THE DEAD.
Q. What means the word descended mto hell !
A. It means that his soul, being separated from his body,
descended into the lower parts of the earth, where the souls
of the just had been awaiting his coming to deliver them
from their imprisonment.
Q. Whither did the soul of Jesus Christ descend, after leaving the
body!
A. It descended into the lower parts of the earth.
Q. How many lower parts are there in the earth !
A. There are three : hell, purgatory, and limbo.
Q. Into which of these thi'ee places did the soul of Jesus descend ?
A. Into limbo.
Q. What did he find there!
A. The souls of the just who were awaiting his coming
to deliver them ; of the Patriarchs : Adam, Abel, Noah,
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, &c. ; of the Prophets :
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezechiel, Daniel, &c.; and of all the just
who had died from the beginning of the world up to that
time.
Q. What was the state of those souls !
A. They did not see God, but they were not suffering.
They were in a holy repose, calmly awaiting the coming
of Jesus Christ.
94
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
il !
It. ' ''*";
Q. What good did they derive from the presence of Jesus Christ's
soul in that place ?
A. They began to see God as clearly as the angels see
him in heaven.
It is impossible to describe the ineffable joy of those
holy souls on receiving this blessed fruit of the death of
Jesus Christ.
Q. Did they go immediately to heaven ?
A. No ; they did not go there till the day of the Ascen-
sion ; because it was only Jesus who could open heaven,
and it was fitting that he should bo the first to enter.
Q, How long had heaven been closed ?
' A. For more than four thousand years.
Q. Who had closed it ?
A. Adam, by his sin.
Q. Who opened it !
A. Jesus Christ, by his death.
These souls, then, entered with him, and from that mo-
ment the just made perfect enter there, and shall enter
every day till the end of time. What thanksgiving do we
not owe for such a signal favor !
Q. What do you understand by those words : The third day he
arose from the dead ?
A. I understand that, the third day after his death, he
re-united his soul and body, and went forth glorious from
the sepulchre.
Q. How long did the soul of Jesus Christ remain in limbo ?
A. It remained there three days, till the moment of his
resurrection.
It is very credible that the souls who were in purgatory
also felt that joy, by the grace of deliverance which he
granted to them ; if not to all, at least to a great number.
As for the damned who were in hell, their despair did
but increase when they learned that the death of Jesus
Christ, of the fruits of which they had neglected to profit
during their lives, could avail them nothing after their
death.
Q. What did Jesus Christ on the third day ?
A. He re-united his soul and body. That sacred body
-r«i
he
OF TUB APOSTLES CREED.
05
received life by that rc-union, ind resumed its motion and
its ordinary functions.
Q. How did Jesus Christ go forth from the eepulchre !
A. He went forth glorious. Glorious in body as well as
in soul.
Q. Tn what did the glory of liis soul coDsist ?
A. It consisted in seeing God as he is, in loving, respect-
ing and possessing him for ever.
The soul of Jesus Christ had possessed that glory from
the first moment of its creation, and hr.d never been a
moment without it.
Q. la what did the glory of his body cousist?
A. It consisted in immortality, impassibility, and the
other glorious qualities.
Q. What is immortality ?
A. It is the being eternally freed from the power of
death.
Q. What is impassibility ?
A, It is the being no more susceptible of suffering.
Q. What are the other glorious qualities ?
A. Clearness, subtilty, and agility.
Q. What is clearness ?
A. It is being brilliant as the sun. Jesus Christ, after
his resurrection, restrained the impression of that clearness
during the days that he still remained on earth.
Q. What is subtilty ?
A. It is the power of penetrating the hardest bodies
without injuring them, or being injured.
This was manifested in his going forth from the sepulchre,
which was hewn in the solid rock and closed with a large
stone ; and in his entering among his disciples, the doors
being shut.
Q. What is agility !
A. It is the power of transporting one's self in a moment
from one place to another with the swiftness of lightning.
This he manifested by ascending into heaven.
I
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96 DOCTRINAL CATEOIIISM.
f
HISTORY.
Of the Rosurroction of Jesus Christ.— ^S^. Matt, xxvili.
Q. Wliy did Miuy Magdalen and the other women come to the
sepulchre early in the niurning ?
A. To embalm the body of Jesus.
Q. What happened when Jesus arose from the dead !
A. There was a great earthquake.
Q. Who removed the stono from the mouth of the sepulchre ?
A. An angel who came down from heaven.
Q. How did that angel appear ?
A. His face was brilliant as lightning, and his garments
white as snow. The angel said to the women : You seek
Jesus who was crucified ; ho is rise ; he is not here. Go
tell his disciples and Peter that he is gone into Galilee ;
there you shall see him, as he told you.
Q. How did the guards around the sepulchre become ?
A. They became as dead men, and were struck with
terror.
Q. To whom did Magdalen hasten with the news that she had not
found the body of Jesus ?
A. To St. Peter and St. John.
Q. What did they themselves find in the sepulchre when they ran
thither?
A. They found only the linen cloths lying, and the nap-
kin that had been about his head wrapped up into one
place.
Q. What did Magdalen see the second time that she looked M.i the
sepulchre ?
A. She saw two angels clothed in white. They were
sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head,
and tl^e other at the feet.
Q. Wh^t did the angels say to her!
A. They said : Woman, why weepest thou ?
Q. What was Mary's answer ?
A. Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know
not where they have laid him.
Q. What did Mary see on turning round ?
A. She saw Jesus standing, but she know not that it was
He.
OF THK AP0STLB8* CRBKD.
97
the
Q. When did sho recognize Iiim ?
A. When ho said : Mary.
Q. What did hIio 8ay, in n tninnport of joy t
A. Rabboni^ that is to say : Master.
Q. What waa she prumptcd to do by her first cmotiona of joy t
A. To adore hitn, embracing his feet.
Q. What did Jesus sny to her ?
A. Do not touch nie, for I nave not yet ascended to my
Father. But go to my brethren, ho added, and say to
them : I ascend to my Father and to your Father, and to
my God and your God.
Q. To whom did Our Lord afterwards show himself?
A. He showed himself to the holy women who came with
Magdalen.
Q. What did he say to them ?
A. He said : All hail !
Q. What did they do when they camo up to him ?
A. They took hold of his feet and worshipped him.
Q. WIjv did he not permit Mivgdalen, whom lie had honored by his
first apparition, to do what he permitted the other holy women to do ?
A. Because he wished her to go without a moment's
delay and announce his resurrection to his apostles. Ho
might have had some other reasons, which we have only to
adore without seeking to know them.
Q. On what day does the Church commemorate the resurrection of
Jcsusi Christ?
A. On Easter Sunday.
IIISTOllY.
Of the apparitions of Jesus Clirist
Q. To whom did Our Lord appear on that same day, after having
appeared to Magdalen and the other holy women ?
A. 1st. He appeared to St. Peter in particular, in order
to distinguish hitn from the others, because of his primacy,
and as a mark of his special favor.
2d. To the two disciples of Emmaiis.
3d. To the apostles as they were at table. St. Thomas
was not there, which was the cause of his incredulity.
Thns there were five diffei'ent apparitions on the very day
of his resurrection.
9
98
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
I
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Q. Are these all the apparitiona of which we have an account f
A. No ; there are many others.
Q. What are they ?
A. The first was to his apostles, again assembled, after
eight days.* St. Thomas was then present. Jesus cured
him of his incredulity by making him touch his wounds.
The second was to his apostles, fishing on the sea of
Tiberias.
It was on this occasion that he said to St. Peter, three
different times : Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me 1 As
it were to make him publicly repair the injury of his three
denials ; and, on receiving his assurance, he twice said to
him : Feed my lambs; and the third time: Feed my sheep ;
which comprises all the flock of Jesus Christ ; that is to
say, the entire Church.
The third, on a mountain of Galilee ; and it is thought
that St. Paul alluded to this apparition, when he said that
he was seen by more than five hundred brethren at once.f
The fourth, in Jerusalem, when they were at table.
The fifth, on Mount Olivet.
Which makes ten different apparitions.
St. Paul says that he appeared to St. James, of which
there is no mention in the Gospel ; this leads us to suppose
that he appeared on other occasions, of which there is no
record.]; We may v/ell believe that he appeared to his
blessed mother, although there is nothing said of it.
Q. What did he say to his apostles the fii'st time that he appeared
to them ?
A. He twice said to them : Peace be to you ; then,
breathing on them, he said : Receive ye the Holy Ghost.
Q. What power did he give them at the same time ?
A. He gave them the power of remitting and retaining
sins. Mighty power it is to be able either to open heaven
to the sinner, or close it against him.
Q. What did he command them to do in another apparition ?
A. He commanded them to go and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost.
* St. John xz. 26.
t I Cor. XV. 6.
t 1 Cor. XV. T.
Illllll
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
99
Q. With what light did he fovor them ?
A. He opened their understandings, that they might
understand the Scriptures, which cannot be well understood
without that divine light.
Q. What help did he promise them?
A. He promised to be with them all days, even to the
consummation of the world. With such assistance they
can never fail.
Q. Wherewith did he reproach them before he departed from them f
A. He reproached them with their incredulity and the
hardness of their heart, inasmuch as they had not believed
those who had first seen him after his resurrection.
This should make us understand how great is the sin of
incradulity.
Q. What did he recommend to them !
A. To await in Jerusalem the descent of the Holy Ghost.
Stay you in the city, said he to them, till ye be endued
with power from on high.
ARTICLE VI.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN, AND SITTETH AT THE RIQHT HAND OF GOD,
THE FATHER ALMIGHTY.
Q. What means : Ascended into heaven ?
A. It means, that having passed forty days on earth after
his resurrection, he raised himself up to heaven by virtue
of his divinity.
Q. How many days did Oui* Lord remain on earth after his resurrec-
tion?
A. He remained forty days. And during those forty
days he instructed his apostles in what they still required
to know for the establishment and government of his Church.
Q. Whither did he go up after those forty days ?
A. He went up into heaven.
Q. By what power ?
A. As man, and not as God, since, as God, he is every
where. If the bodies of the saints shall have that virtue
after their resurrection, by a much stronger reason that of
Jesus Christ arisen from the dead.
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DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
i .;;f
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See what befell Simon the magician, when he would have
ascended to heaven by the power of his magic*
Q. Whom did Our Lord bring with him into heaven !
A. All the just souls who were in limbo. There was
great joy then in heaven.
HISTORY.
Of tho ascension of Jeaxxa Christ.—^. Mark xrl- ; Aot$ I,
Q. From what mountain did Jesus ascend ?
A. From Mount Olivet.
Q. What did he give to his apostles before he left them ?
A, He gave them his blessing, lifting up his hands.
Q. Whither did he then go up ?
A. He went up into heaven. This was on a Thursday,
about noon. He left the marks of his feet on that moun-
tain ; and when St. Helena, mother of the Emperor Con-
stantine, had the Church of the Ascension built there, that
place could never be paved.
Q. Till what moment did the apostles see him ?
A. Till the moment that a cloud hid him from their eyes.
Q. Who appeared before them, while they stood looking up after
Jesus ?
A. Two men clad in white.
Q. What did these two men say to them ?
A. They said : This Jesus who is taken up from you into
heaven, so shall he come as you have s^eu him going into
heaven.
Q. Who were thor e two men ?
A. They were two angels.
Q, What did their words announce ?
A. They announced the return of Jesus Christ at the last
judgment.
We should often think of this return, in order to prepare
for it.
Q. On what day does the Church commemorate this mystery ?
A. On Ascension-day.
* Fleury'a Eccles. Ilist., voL U.
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
101
M
Q. Can you explain those words : Sitteth at the right hand of Qod,
the Father Abnighty ?
A. They mean, that being, as God, equal to his Father,
he is, as man, above all creatures, by the greatness of his
power and of his glory.
Q. To whom is Jesus Christ equal as Ood !
A. He is equal to his Father. He is equal to him in all
things.
There is no perfection in the Father which is not in the
Son ; because all that is in the Father is in the Son.*
Q. Why is he equal to the Father in all things ?
A. Because he and the Father are but one and the same
God.
Q. Is he also equal to him as man ?
A. No ; but as man he is above all creatures.
Q. How is he above all creatures, as man ?
A. By the greatness of his power and glory.
Q. His glory and power are, then, very gi*eat, as man ?
A. Yes ; so great as to surpass those of all the angels and
all the saints.
As he surpassed them in dignity and in grace, it is but
just that he should surpass them in power and in glory.
Hence, how great soever may be the power and glory
of the Blessed Virgin, and of the angels, and saints, they
are still much inferior to Christ as man.
So it is that, at the name of Jesus, every knee bows
down, of those who are in heaven, on earth, and in hell.f
Q. By what words of the Creed do we express this greatness of the
power and glory of Jesus Chi-ist as man ?
A. By these: He sitteth at the right hand of God, the
Father Almighty.
Q. Has God, then, a right hand ?
A. No ; for ho is a pure spirit.
Q. What, then, are we to understand by this maimer of speaking?
A, That Jesus Christ, as man, holds the first rank in
heaven after God.
Q. What does it further indicate ?
A. It indicates his perfect repose in heaven. This is
what we understand when saying that he sitteth.
i!
I
4 \>
I
m
♦ St. John XTi. 15.
9*
t Philip. 11. 10.
102
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
If
' ii»
Ml
ARTICLE VII.
WHENCE HE SHALL COMB TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD.
Q. What mean those words : Whence he shall come to judge ?
A. That, at the ond of ages, he shall visibly descend from
heaven, and shall come in majesty to judge all mankind,
and render to every one according to his works.
Q. On what day did Christ ascend into heaven !
A. On Ascension Thursday.
Q. When shall he come down again f
A. At the end of ages, or at the end of the world, which
is the same thing : for, when ages are at an end, the world
shall end too.
Q. When shall the end of the world arrive ?
A. No one knows.* Not even the angels themselves ;
it is only known to God.
Q. How shall Jesus come down from heaven ?
A. He shall come visibly. Every eye shall see him, and
they that pierced him ; and all the tribes of the earth shall
mourn because of him. f
Q. How shall he come ?
A. He shall come with majesty. No longer in humilia-
tion, as he came the first time, but in all the splendor of his
glory.
Q. For what pm'pose shall he come ?
A. To judge all mankind. He came the first time to
save men. The second time it will be to judge them.
Q. What shall he render to each ?
A. He shall render to each according to his works.
Q. What phall be the reward of the good ?
A. Life eternal.
Q. What shall be the punishment of the wicked f
A. Eternal torments.
Q. What do you understand by the living and the dead I
A. I understand that he will judge not only those who
are dead before his coming, but also those who, being still
♦ St. Matt. xxlv. Sr ; St. Mark xill. 82.
t Apoo. I T.
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
103
living when he comes, shall die and be resuscitated, to be
judged with the rest of mankind.
Q. Who are the dead whom Jesus Christ will judge t
A. Those who shall be dead before his coming.
Q. Who are the Jiving whom he shall judge?
A. Those who shall be alive at the time of his coming.
Q. These last shall not die, theu ?
A. Yes ; they shall die, and be immediately restored to
life.
Q. And why shall they be immediately restored to life!
A. To be judged with the rest of mankind.
■ H
■ «
HISTORY,
or the signs of the last Judgment— <S& Matt. xxiv.
Q, How shall the last day come t
A. It shall surprise all the world. For it shall catch, as
in a net, all who dwell on the surface of the earth.
Q. Shall men have no warning, then, of the coming of that day f
A. Yes ; they shall be warned by many preceding signs.
But, as it was in the time of the deluge, when men
neglected the warnings of Noah, so shall it be in those
latter days, when men shall likewise neglect the warnings
which God shall give them by those signs.*
Q. What shall those signs be ?
A. 1st. There shall be wars, famines, plagues, and earth-
quakes, in divers places.
2d. The Gospel shall be preached throughout the earth.
3d. There shall arise false Christs and false prophets who
shall work great prodigies and do marvellous things ; so as
even to deceive the elect, if that were possible.
4th. Faith shall be enfeebled, and the charity of many
shall have grown cold.
5th. Enoch and Ellas shall come to preach penance, and
their preaching shall convert the Jews.
Enoch, taken up in the year of the world 987 ; and Ellas,
in 3108.
Hi
,ii
1 i
♦ St. Matt xxlv. 8T.
104
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
il
IHS
In t
!ll':fi
|i
6th. Then shall Antichrist appear, and his reign shall be
three years and a half.
Q. Are these all the signs vrlilch shall precede tbe last judgment?
A. No ; there shall be others still.
Q. What shall they be ?
A. 1st. The sun shall be darkened.
2d. The moon shall withhold her light.
3d. The stars shall fall from heaven.
4th. The powers of heaven shall be moved.
5th. The sea shall make a terrific noise, by the roaring
of its waves.
6th. All things shall be consumed by fire.*
Q. What shall become of men, at sight of all these things ?
A. They shall wither away with fear, in expectation of
what is to come upon them.
Q. What does Our Lord say on tlus subject I
A. 1st. Watch ye, therefore, praying at all times, that
you may be accounted worthy to escape all those things
that are to come, and to stand before the Son of man.
2d. Take heed to yourselves, lest perhaps your hearts be
overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and the cares
of this life.
3d. But, for you, said he to his apostles, when these things
begin to come to pass, look up, and lift your heads; be-
cause your redemption is at hand.
HISTORY.
Of the last judgment.— /Sfc Matt. xxv. 81.
Q. What shall be first seen in the heavens ?
A. The sign of the Son of man.
By this sign is commonly understood the Cross of Christ,
which shall then be all luminous, and it shall strike terror
to the souls of the wicked, and give hope and joy to the
just.
Q. How shall the Son of man come ?
A. He shall come with great power and majesty.
Q. By whom shall he be accompanied ?
A. By all his angels.
♦ a Peter lU. 10.
OF THE APOSTLEB CREED.
105
Q. Whereon shall he sit ?
A. He shall sit upon the seat of his majesty.
Q. What shall the angels then do f
A. They shall sound the trumpet with a great noise.
Q. What shall happen at the sound of those trumpets!
A. All the dead shall arise.
Q. Where shall the angels gather them together ?
A. Before Jesus Christ.
Q. How shall Jesus separate them f
A. He shall separate them one from another, as the
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
Q. Where shall he place the sheep ; that is to say, the just f
A. He shall place them on his right hand.
Q. Where shall he place the goats ; that is to say, the wicked f
A. He shall place them on his left.
Q. What shall he say to those on his right ?
A. Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess the kingdom
pr'^pared for you from the foundation of the world : for I
was hungry, and you gave me to eat, &;c.
Q. What shall he say to those on his left f
A. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,
which was prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was
hungry, and you gave me not to eat, &c.
Q. Where shall the wicked go after this judgment f
A. They shall go into everlasting punishment.
Q. Where shall the just go to f
A. They shall go into life everlasting.
ARTICLE VIII.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST.
Q. Explain those words : I believe in the Holy Ghost
A. I understand that there is a third person in God, who
is the Holy Ghost ; who proceeds from the Father and
from the Son, and who has the same nature as those two
pel sons.
Q. How many persons are the'-e in God ?
A. There are three.
li
106
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. Which is the first ?
A. The Father, who is the principle of the other two
persons.
Q. Which is the second ?
A. The Son, who is begotten by the Father.
Q. Which is the third?
A. The Holy Ghost, who proceeds from the Father and
the Son. "
Q. What is meant by saying that the Holy Ghost bos the same
nature as the other two persons ?
A. That he is one and the same God with the Father and
the Son.
Q. Why is the Holy Ghost called Lord I
A. Because he is God, like the Father and the Son.
Q. Why is he called enlivening ?
A. Because he gives us spiritual life, which is sanctifying
grace.
Q. Why is he adored and glorified with the Father and Son?
A. Because he is one and the same God with those two
persons.
Q. Why is it said that it was he who spoke by the prophets ?
A. Because it was he who enlightened them to reveal
what they could not know by their own lights ; either when
they disclosed things hidden, or predicted things to come,
and often long before they came to pass.
Q. What is it that is especially attributed to the Holy Ghost ?
A. To him is attributed the sanctificivtion of men, as the
creation of heaven and earth is attrib ited to the Father,
although both acts are common to the tnree persons.
Q. Why is the sanctification of men particularly ascribed to the Holy
Ghost?
A. Because he is a spirit of charity and of love. It is he
who infuses into our hearts that charity whereby we are
sanctified.*
Q. Are there no other gifts attributed to him than those of grace and
charity ?
A. Yes ; all the gifts of God and all the effects of his
goodness are generally ascribed to him.
♦ Bom. y. 5.
Ii1
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
107
Q. What arc thoee other gifts t
A. The gift of tongues, the gift of prophecy, that of
curing the sick, or working miracles.
These gifts may be with grace, as in the apostles and
the holy prophets ; or without grace, as in the false proph-
ets Balaam, Ca'iaphas, (fee. It is of the latter that Our
Lord speaks, when he says : Many will say to me in that
day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and
in thy name cast out devils, and done many" wonderful
works in thy name ? And then I will profess unto them : I
;iever knew you ; depart from me, you that work iniquity.*
Q. On -what day did the Holy Ghost visibly descend on Jcsua Christ ?
A. On the day of his baptism.
Q. In what form f
A. In the form of a dove.
Q. What day did he visibly descend on the apostles f
A. The day of Pentecost, or Whitsunday.
Q. In what form f
A. In the form of fiery tongues.
In the form of a dove, to show that he is a spirit of purity
and holiness.
In the form of fiery tongues, to show that he is a spirit of
charity, and that he kindles the flame thereof in our souls.
f".
HISTORY.
Of the descent of the Holy Qlxost^—Actt IL
Q. Whither did the apostles return after they had seen Jesus ascend
into heaven ?
A. They returned to Jerusalem.
Q. Where did they shut themselves up f
A. In an upper room. This was one of those eating-
rooms which were on the upper floor of the houses.
Q. Who were there with the apostbs ?
A. The Blessed Virgin and a number of the disciples, in
all about an hundred and twenty.f
Q. What did they do, in order to prepare for the coming of the Holy
Ghost f
A. They persevered in prayer.
' ''I
* Bt Matt Tii. 22.
t Acts i. 19.
108
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. What election did tbey make during that time !
A. The election of St. Matthias, to take the place of
Judas.
Q. What su.-prislng event took place on the day of Pentecost t
A. There came on a sudden a sound from heaven, as of a
mighty wind coming, nnd it filled the whole house. •
Q. What appeared at the same time ?
A, Cloven tongues, as it were of fire, which sat upon each
of them.
Q. With what were they filled ?
A. 1st. They were filled with the Holy Ghost.
2d. They began to speak with divers tongues.
3d. They began to publish the wonderful works of God.
Q. What surprised those who were drawn together by that noise ?
A. That each one heard them speak in his own mother
tongue, they who before knew no other than their own
language.
Q. How many of the Jews were converted at St. Peter's first
preaching ?
A. There were three thousand.
Q. How many at the second ?
A. Five thousand. Those five thousand were converted
on the occasion of a lame man being cured by that apostle
at the gate of the temple.
Q. How did the apostles appear after having received the Holy
Ghost?
A. They appeared quite different from what they were
before. From being weak, timid, and pusillanimous, they
became strong, courageous, and intrepid.
Q. To what did they con<!tantly apply themselves ?
A. To know Jesus Christ, and render testimony to him,
Q. Did they fear nothing?
A. No; on the contrary, they rejoiced in the sufferings
which they endured for Jesus Christ.*
Q. Who gave them that strength ?
A. It was the Holy Ghost, with whom they were filled.
♦ Acts V. 41.
OF TUB APOSTLES* CRBED. 109
i
inSTORY.
Of tbe church of Jerusalem.— ^c^ il. and foil. ah.
Q. Were there no other Jews converted than those who were con-
verted bv hearing St Peter ?
A. Yes; there was a great number besides; for every
day the Lord iiKireased their nuriubeis. According as they
were converted, they received baptism.
Q. How (lid those fir^jt Christians live f
A. They lived in perfect union, having but one heart and
one soul.
Q. What did they do to preserve that union ?
A. 1st. They persevered in the doctrine of the npostlos;
that Is to say, hearing them, and in doing what they taught.
2d. They prayed every day in the temple, with one
accord.
3d. They persevered in the communication of the break-
ing of bread ; that is to bay, the holy Eucharist.
4th. They took their meat together with gladness and
simplicity of heart.
Q. What did they do with their houses and lands t
A. They sold them all, and brought the price thereof to
the feet of the apostles.
Q. What use did the apostles make of it !
A. They distributed to each according to his need ; hence
there were no poor amongst them.
Q. How did the people regard those primitive Christians ?
A. They loved and honored them. Their conduct was a
perfect model of the Christian life.
HISTORY.
Of the election of the seven deacons, and the martyrdom of St Stephen^—
Acta vL and vli.
Q. Whom did the apostles establish, in order to free themselves from
the care of the tables ; that is to s.ny, the common table and the sacred
t«blc !
A. They established seven deacons, who were seven men
of acknowledged probity, full of the Holy Ghost and of
wisdom.
10
1
no
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. What did the apostlen rcnerve to thcmselyes t
A, Prayer and the ministry of the word.
Q. How wcro those seven meD ordained deacons I
A. By tho imposition of hands and the prayer of the
apostles.
Q. What were their functions ?
A. 1st. They were charged with the service of the poor.
2d. They distributed the holy Eucharist.
3d. They instructed and baptized.
Q. Who was the first of those deacons !
A. St. Stephen.
Q. Of what was St Stephen full ?
A. He was full of grace and fortitude.
Q. What extraordinary works did he do amongst the people ?
A. He did great wonders and miracles.
Q. What did the Jews do, seeing that they could not resist the wis-
dom and the spirit with which he spoke ?
A. They seized him and brought him before the council.
Q. How did he appear to those who were in the council ?
A. His face appeared to them like the face of an angel.
He defended himself against their false accusations by a
long and learned discourse.
Q. What did St Stephen see when he had finished his discourse ?
A. He saw the heavens opened, the glory of God, and
Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of his Father.
Q. What did his persecutors then do in their unbridled fury ?
A. They cast him out of the city and stoned him. The
witnesses threw their garments at the feet of a young man
named Saul, afterwards Paul.
Q. What did St Stephen say whilst they stoned him ?
A. He invoked Jesus, and said : Lord Jesus receive my
spirit.
Q. For whom did he pray, being on his knees ?
A. He prayed for those who were stoning him.
And his prayer was heard by Saul, who was soon after
converted.
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
Ill
the
HISTORY.
The apostles persecuted. — Actt v. and/oL cA.
Q. What (lid those Jews who would not obey the Gospel f
A. They persecuted the apoatlcs.
Q. What did their chicfa forbid the apostles to do ?
A. They forbade them to speak of Jesus.
Q. How did they treat them for haviug disobeyed t
A. They cast them into prison, but an angel delivered
them, saying: Go, and preach this doctrine of life to tlio
people.
Q. How did they afterwards ti'cat them f
A. They had them scourged.
Q. How did they receive this treatment ?
A. They received it as a great honor, and went from the
presence of the council rejoicing, that they were accounted
worthy to suffer reproach for the sake of Jesus.
Q. What answer did the apostles make when they forbade them to
speak of Jesus f
A. If it be just in the sight of God, to hear you rather
than God, judge ye.
And on another occasion : We OMght to obey God
rather than man. For, said they, we cannot but speak the
things we have seen and heard.
HISTORY.
St Paul's conversion.— ilcto Ix.
Q. Who was their most inveterate enemy ?
A. A young man named Saul.
Q. What did he do, in his blind zeal ?
A. He entered the houses, and dragged the Christians,
both men and women, away to prison.
He breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the
disciples of the Lord.
Q. What power had he from the high priest ?
A. He had a power to go seek them in Damascus.
Q. What happened when he was near Damascus ?
A. He saw at mid -day a light which struck him blind,
and he fell to the ground.
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112
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. What voice flid he hear at the same time ?
A. He heard a voice which said to him : Saul, Saul, why
persecutest thou mo 1
Q. What did Saul reply ?
A, Who art thou, Lord ?
Q. What did the Lord say to him?
^. I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute, Jesus adde'' :
It is hard for thee to kick against the goad ; that is to say,
io resist me.
Q. ii^^hat did Saul say, trembling and astonished ?
A. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ?
Q. To whom did the Lord send him for instruction?
A. He sent him to Ananias, who imposed hands on him,
restored him to sight, and baptized him.
He was three days without seeing, eating, or drinking.
Q. What did Saul do, as soon as he was baptized ?
A. He began to preach Jesus in the synagogues, and con-
founded the Jews, convincing them that Jesus was the
Christ.
HISTORY.
The Gospel preached to the Samaritans, then to the Gentiles. — Ada vlii. and z.
Q. Where did Philip tlie deacon go to preach after the martyrdom
of St Stephen?
A. He went to Samaria.
The Samaritans were schismatic Jews.
Q. What was the success of his preaching ?
A. Many were converted and received baptism.
Q. What did the apostles do when they heard of his success?
A. They sent St. Peter and St. John thither.
Q. Why?
A. To give them confirmation. They laid their hands
upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost, with the
gift of miracles.
Q. To whom was the Gospel soon after announced ?
A. To the Gentiles ; that is to say, to the nations who
were not, till then, the people of God.
Q. Who was the first of the Gentiles who obtained that privilege ?
A. A Roman captain, named Cornelius.
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
113
hy
m.
he
z.
am
ds
he
ho
Q. What sort of a man was he !
A. 1st. He was a religious man, and one that feared God,
with all his house.
2d. He gave much alm^^ to the people.
Q. What did he see one day about the ninth hour ; that is to say,
about three o'clock in the afternoon ?
A. He saw in a vision manifestly, an angel of God, who
said to him : Cornelius.
Q. What said he to the angel, being seized with fear f
A. What is it, Lord ?
Q. What did the angel reply ?
A. Thy prayers and thy alms have ascended for a memo-
rial in the sight of God.
Q. What did the angel afterwards say ?
A. And now send men to Joppa, and call hither one
Simon, who is surnamed Peter, he shall tell thee what thou
must do.
St. Peter had a vision at the same tinie, and the Spirit
warned him to go at once when he was sent for.
Q. What did St. Peter do, when, entering the house of Cornelius, he
found many persons assembled there ?
A. He began to announce Jesus to them.
Q. Wliat took place while Si Peter was still speaking ?
A. The Holy Ghost descended on all those who heard
him. They spoke with tongues, and magnified God.
Q. What did St Peter do, seeing what happened ?
- A. He gave them baptism.
Q. Whither did the apostles afterwai-ds go ?
A. They went every where to preach the Gospel.
They first addressed themselves to the Jews, and, on
their refusal, they turned to the Ger tiles. This is what
Jesus had commanded them to do whilst he was yot with
them.
HISTORY.
Foundation of the churches.
Q. What did the apostles compose before they separated ?
A. They composed the Creed, as the sign whereby the
faithful should be known, and to distinguish them from the
10*
1 ij
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Il .1
114
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Jews and from certain impostors who then began to cor-
rupt the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
Q. What does the Creed contain ?
A. It contains the abridgment of the whole Christian
doctrine.
Q. Where did St James, the son of Alpheus, remain ?
A. He remained in Jerusalem, of which he was bishop.
Q. Whither did St. John go to preach ?
A. Into Asia Minor, and particularly to Ephesus.
Q. Whither did St. Paul go ?
A. To Syria, Asia, Macedonia, and Greece.
Q. Where did the other apostles go ?
A. They went wherever the Spirit of God conducted
them.
Q. Whicu of the apostles was it that founded the principal churches t
A. St. Peter, as head of the apostolic college.
Q. Where did he at fii'st abide ?
A. He abode in Jerusalem.
Q. Where did he afterwards establish his see ?
A. He established it at Antioch, the capital of Syria and
of all the East.
He remained there seven years, and it was there that the
disciples of Jesus Christ were first called Christians.
Q, Where did he finally and irrevocably establish his see ?
A. He established it at Rome.
He remained there till the time of his death ; that is to
say, twenty -five years.
Q. Where did St. Peter send St. Mark, his disciple ?
A. He sent him to found the church of Alexandria, then
capital of Egypt. Thus St. Peter founded the churches of
the three principal cities of the Roman empire : Antioch,
Rome, and Alexandria.
Q. Wliither did St, Peter also send his disciples to found chui'ches?
A. He sent them through all Italy and Sicily.
The popes, his successors, sent them in like manner into
Africa, Spain, and Gaul.
Q. Whom did the apostles establish to govern the churches which
they founded?
A. They established bishops, priests, and deacons.
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
115
Bishop means inspector or steward.
Priest means ancient.
Deacon means minister.
The name of clerk has been given to all the ministers of
the Church, to show that they were the chosen property of
God, and that God was their portion and their inheritance,
as was said of the Lcvites of tho old law.*
Q. Whom did the faithful obey ?
A. They obeyed the priests and the deacons.
Q. Wliom did the priests and deacons obey ?
A. They obeyed the bishops.
Q. "Whom did the bishops obey ?
A. They obeyed the apostles.
Q. How was St. Peter regarded ?
A. He was regarded as the chief of the apostles, estab-
lished by Christ himself.
Q. How has the pope, his successor, always been regarded ?
A. As the first of the bishops.
Q. What has he, in that capacity, over all the bishops ?
A. He has a primacy of jurisdiction and of divine right ;
that is to say, of divine institution.
Q. Why has he this primacy ?
A. Because he is the visible head of the Church and the
vicar of Jesus Christ.
Q. Who is its principal, but invisible head ?
A. Jesus Christ.
HISTORY.
Of tho destruction of Jerasslem.
Q. What became of Jerusalem, about forty years after the ascension
of Our Lord ?
A. it was entirely destroyed, as he had foretold.
Q. By whom was it besieged, and taken after a long siege ?
A. By Titus, son of the emperor Vespasian.
Q. To what did the fiimine reduce the inhabitants of that city ?
A. It reduced them to cat human flesh. Mothers were
even seen to roast and eat their own children.
Q. What became of the temple ?
A. It was reduced to ashes.
V f
* Numbers xviil. 20; Deut. x. 9; xvill. 2.
116
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. How many of the Jews perished in that siege !
A. Eleven hundred thousand. .
Q. "Why was that city so treated?
A. For having shed the blood of Jesus Christ and of so
many prophets.
Q. What became of those who escaped the siege ?
A. They were driven from their country and dispersed
throughout the world.
Q. In what state have they been ever since then ?
A. In a state of subjection and contempt, odious to all the
world.
From that day to this they have never been able to re-
gain possession of their own land, nor to rule in any country
of the world, chiefly because of their deicide.
HISTORY.
The life of tlie apostles.
Q. What did the apostles suflFer in preaching the Gospel !
A. They suffered incredible hardships.
Q. What were they ?
A. 1st. They were continually travelling, and consequently
exposed to robbers and various other evils.
2d. They lived very poorly ; either by their own labor,
or by the offerings of the faithful.
3d. They endured hunger and thirst, cold and heat, and
all manner of privations.
4th. They added to all this, fasting, watching, and vol un-
ary mortifications, to bring their bodies to subjection, and
to give an example for the faithful.
Q. How were they treated by the unconverted Jews and Gentiles ?
A. They were despised, calumniated, and persecuted.
They treated their miracles as enchantments.
They called them impostors, and regarded them as sedi-
tious men, who disturbed the state by overthrowing estab-
lished religion, and introducing novelties.
Q. What occupation was giyen them by those who were converted ?
A. A great deal.
OF TUB APOSTLES CREED.
117
Q. What was it I
A, 1st. They had to instruct and exhort them in public
and in private.
2d. To baptize, and give them the other sacraments.
3ci. To give them bishops, priests, and deacons.
4th. To draw up rules for their guidance.
Q. Did the apostles lose sight of the churches which they had founded
when obliged to leave them ?
A. No ; they returned from time to time to visit them.
If they could not do so, they sent their disciples, or vyrrote
letters, either to confirm them in the faith, or to correct
abuses which glided in.
Q, Is that all that the apostles had to suffer ?
A. No ; those were but their lightest sufferings.
Q. What, then, were the others t
A. 1st. They were often brought before the judges.
2d. They were chained and thrown into prison.
3d. They were publicly scourged.
4th. They pursued them with showers of stones.
They underwent all that Christ had predicted for them :
You shall be hated by all men for my name's sake ; but
they felt at the same time the assistance which he had
promised them.
Q. Did they not sink tinder so many evils ?
A. On the contrary, the more they suffered, the greater
was their joy and consolation.
Q. What was it that animated tlaem amidst so many sufferings ?
A. It was the crown which awaited them after the
combat.
Q. How did they e^d their lives ?
A. Almost all of them by martyrdom. One in one way,
one in another. St. Peter was crucified, St. Paul was be-
headed, and so on with the others.
.*
<l
di-
ed?
HISTORY.
Of the Church persecuted.
Q. Was it only the apobtlcs who were persecuted ?
Christians were persecuted.
A. No ; all oi
♦ St Matt. X. 22.
T3
J (
l|
118
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Tai
Q. How long were they persecuted ?
A. For three hundred years ; not continually, but at in-
tervals.
The emperors, from time to time, issued edicts against
them.
Q. Did the Christians, then, do any hann ?
A. On the contrary, they did nothing but good. Their
life was an example of all the virtues. They were pious,
chaste, and modest. They worked, prayed, fasted, and
gave much alms. They healed the sick and wrought divers
miracles.
Q, Why, then, did they persecute them?
A. To force them to renounce Jesus Christ and to worship
idols.
Q. What punishments did they usually inflict upon them ?
A. 1st. They banished them.
2d. They put them in prison.
3d. Thay confiscated their goods.
4th. They chained them, and sent them to work in the
mines.
Q. What torments did they employ when these were found unsuc-
cessful ?
A, 1st. They stretched them on the rack ; they hung them
up with weights to their feet, and in that state beat them
with rods ; they tore the flesh from their bones with iron
combs, and burned their sides with torches.
2d. They burned them at a slow fire ; they roasted them
on gridirons ; they fastened them either to beds or seats of
red-hot iron.
3d. They tore the skin off their face or their whole body ;
thev cut off their feet and hands ; they sawed them in two.
4th. Thoy plucked out their eyes, teeth, and nails ;
they took out their bowels still alive ; they exposed
them to be torn by dogs, bears, lions, and other ferocious
beasts.
5th. They exposed them to the sun, rubbed over with
honey, so as to be stung by the flies.
6th. They sprinkled them with boiling oil or melted lead.
Sometimes they cast them into vessels of boiling oil. They
OP THE APOSTLES CREED.
119
threw them from the top of walls, or flung them into the
sea with a heavy stone around their neck.
Q. What did they do after liaving long and often tormented them I
A. They shut them up in dark, noisome dungeons,
strewed all over with nails or broken glass.
Q. How did the greater part end their lives?
A. By having their heads cut off.
HISTORY.
Of the honors paid to the martyrs.
Q. What were those Christians called who survived their toiments ?
A. They were called confessors.
Q. Why were they so called ?
A. Because they had confessed the name of Jesus Christ
before the judges.
CI. What were those called who died in their torments ?
A. They were called martyrs.
Q. W^y?
A. Because they had rendered testimony of their faith
before the judges at the price of their blood. Martyr is a
Greek word which signifies witness.
Q. How did i,hey honor them ?
A. They paid them very great honors.
Q. Wliat honors did they pay them ?
A. 1st. They embalmed them and wrapped them in
precious stuffs.
Hd. They gathered even the drops of their blood.
3d. They assembled at their tombs every year, on the
anniversary of their death.
Q. Why did they assemble there ?
A. 1st, To celebrate their memory with much solemnity.
They passed the night there in prayer.
2d. To thank God for the strength which he had given
them.
3d. To solicit their intercession with God.
4th. To excite themselves to an imitation of their virtues.
Q. What was done for those who knew not how to read ?
A. They represented their martyrs in churches by paint*
ings.
. I
if
120
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM,
Q. How did God declare himself for those martyrs f
A. By the miracles which he w rought at their tombs.
He also performed miracles very often at their martyr-
dom, so that the spectators were converted, and sometimes
even the judges and the executioners.
Q. "Were the martyrs ever seen to resist those who gave them such
grievous torture ?
A. No : they joyfully delivered themselves to torments
and to death.
They had learned that it was necessary to respect the
powers established by God, even in the person of the
wicked.
Entire legions of Christian soldiers were seen, like that
of St. Maurice, allowing themselves to be massacred, rather
than turn their arms against their prince.
i
I
t. I
HISTORY.
Of the peace given to the Church.
Q. Under what emperor did God give peace to his Church I
A. Under the emperor Constantine.
That prince became a Christian after having gained a
victory by placing all his confidence in the cross of Christ,
which miraculously appeared to him in the air.
Q. After how many years of persecution ?
A. After three hundred years.
Q. What benefits arose from that peace ?
A. 1st. The assemblies of the faithful and the public
prayers became more frequent and more solemn.
2d. Magnificent churches were built.
3d. The number of the ornaments and sacred vessels was
increased.
4th. Ample means were given to the Church for the carry-
ing on of building the lighting of the churches, and the sup-
port of the clergy and the poor.
5th. Hospitals of every kind were founded.
Q. Was the fervor of the Christians as great as it had been during
^the persecutions ?
A. No ; it relaxed considerably in very many persons.
They were no longer so full either of the contempt of
riches, honors, and pleasures, or of the hope of heaven.
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
121
was
i
Q. Wlmt did those do who wislicd to proeervo tlicir foraicr fervor f
A. They retired into deserts.
Q. What were they called ?
A. They were called monks or hermits, bc<iausc they
lived alone.
Q. After whose example did they undertake this kind of life ?
A. After the example of St. John the Baptist and the
prophets.
Q. Where did they dwell ?
A. They dwelt in poor cells ; often in grottos hollowed
in the rocks. Others retired to the tombs.
Q. How did they employ themselves ?
A. Chit'fly in makitig mats, baskets, or other light works
of that kind; all in silence, praying, or meditating.
Q. What austerities did they practice ?
A. Isr. They only eat once a day, in the evening.
2d. They lived fur the most part on bread and water.
3d. Thoy passed a great part of the night in prayer.
4th. They lay on the hard ground.
Q. In what did they continually exercise themselves I
A. in the practice of every virtue.
Q. How did they employ the surplus of their labors ?
A. They employed it in giving alms.
Q. What name was given to those who lived in communities 1
A. That of cenobites.
Q. Whom did they obey ?
A. They all obeyed a superior. That superior was called
abbot, which is a Syriac word signifying father; sometimes
'there were several thousand peisons subject to the same
superior or abbot.
Q. Was it only men who embraced that mode of life ?
A. It was also embraced by a great number of virgins
and widows.
Many communities were formed both in the cities and in
the solitudes, because that a great number crowded thither,
impelled by the desire of consecrating themselves to God.
11
122
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
ARTICLE IX.
TUB HOLT OATnOLIO CIIUBCEI ; TUB COMMUNION 07 SAUfTS.
Q. What do you understand by tho Church ?
A. I understand it to bo tho assembly of the faithful,
who, under the control of legitimate pastors, make but one
and the same body, of which Christ is tho head.
Q. Of whom is the Church tho assembly ?
A. It is the assembly of the faithful.
Q. Who are the faithful ?
A. 1st. They are those who profess the fliith of Christ.
2d. Those who are under the guidance of legitimate
pastors.
3d. Those who constitute but one and the same body, of
which Christ is the head.
Hence, all those who do not profess the faith of Christ ;
who are not subject to legitimate pastors ; and who are not
united to the body of the faithful, such as pagans, infidels,
Jews, heretics, schismatics, and excommunicated persons,
arc not of the Church, although the latter, having once been
united to the body of the faithful, still belong to it in a
certain way, just as fugitive slaves do still belong to their
masters.
Q. What Mth?
A. It is a virtue which makes us believe in God, and in
all the truths which he has revealed to us, and proposes by
his Church to our belief.
Q. Wlio are the legitimate pastors ?
A. They are those who have been established by Jesus
Christ, or by those whom he established.
Thus, all those who cannot trace their establishment up
to Jesus Christ, or some of those whom he established, are
not legitimate pastors.
Q. What 13 meant by saying that the faithful make but one body ?
A. That they are all united together like the members of
the same body.
Q. Why do you add : uuder Jesus Christ, their head ?
A. Because it is Jesus Christ who animates and conducta
the whole body of the faithful.
^ M
•■'*
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
123
Jesus
He ftiiiinntes it by his Spirit, and conducts it by the light
which ho continually pours forth upon it. Each individual
member of that body may die by losing the Holy Ghost,
and may err by not following the liglit given by Jesus
Christ ; but the whole body can neither die nor err, because
it shall ever be animated by the spirit of Jesus Christ, and
conducted by his light. This is what Christ has promised
to his Church.*
Q. How do they make but one siuglo body ?
A. In tour ways.
Q. Which is tlie first?
A. In that they all profess the same faith.
Q. What is meant by professing the same faith ?
A. That is to say, that they have all the same belief.
There is no diversity in their belief. They oil believe,
in every part of the world, all the truths which God has re-
vealed, and which he proposes to us by his Church. ITiere
is perfect harmony in all that regards faith.
Q. Which is the second ?
A. Ill that they all participate in the same sacraments.
Q. What is meant by saying that they all participate in the same
eacramonts ?
A. That they have all and every where the use of the
same sacraments.
They all and every where recognize the number of seven,
and that they are the means established by Christ to sanc-
tify our souls.
Q. Which is the third?
A. In that they have a society and community of prayers.
Q. What does that mean ?
A. That each of the faithful has a share in the prayers of
all the others.
Hence it is that there is not a moment in the day or in
the night in which we do not pray, either by ourselves or
by others ; for when the faithful pray, not only for them-
selves, but for all their brethren, what a consolation and
what an advantage !
In saying the Lord's Prayer, remark that we do not say :
♦ St. Matt, xxviii. 20.
p\
124
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
I
My Father give mc, but, Our Father give us, to show that
wo pray, not only for ourselves, but also for all the faithful.
Q Wluitistbofourtlif
A. In that they have but one and the sr.nio invisible
head, who is Jesus Christ, and one visible head, who is the
Pope, the vicar of Jesus Christ on earth, and the successor
of St. Peter.
Q. How many heads have the fuitbfnl t
A. They have two : one invisible, and the other visible.
Q. "Who is the invisible head t
A. Jesus Christ.
It is he who first and principally presides in his Church,
from his place in the highest heavens at the right hand of
his Father.
Q. Who is the visible head ?
A. The Pope.
It is he who presides, as vicar of Jesus Christ, in his
name and in his place, seated on the chair of St. Peter.
Q. Of wliom is the Pope successor f
A. He is the successor of St. Peter ; and in that capacity
he enji^ys all the rights and all the prerogatives of St.
Peter.* lie is not only the head of the faithful, but also
the pastor of pastors.
He has a primacy of divine right; that is to say, by the
institution of Jesus Christ, over all the bishops. It is Peter
who still speaks through his successors.
To be of the body of the fiiithful, it do^.s not suffice to
recognize Jesus Christ for the invisible hca' of the Church;
it is also necessary to recognize the Pope for its visible head,
HISTORY.
Jesus Christ promises St. Peter to establish Tiim as the head of bis Church.—
St. Matt xvi. 13.
Q. Why do you say tliat the Church is holy t
A. Because Jesus Christ, her head, is the source of all
sanctity ; because her doctrine and her sacraments arc holy;
and because there are no saints out of her communion.
Bern., lib. ii., Consld. ch. 8.
OF TIIK APOSTLES CREED.
125
rch.—
of all
holy,
'I
Q. Why is Jcaus Christ, her bead, Iho s.)urce of nil sanctity t
A. Becuuso ho possesses the plenitude thereof,* ond that
from his fullness we uil receive.
Q. Why is tbo doctrine of tlio Churcli holy ?
A. Because it is the very doctrine of Jesus Christ, and
that she inculcates all the rules of holiness.
Q. Why are her ftacraments holy f
A. Because they come from Jesus Christ, and give the
grace which sanctifies.
Q. Why are there no saints out of her communion ?
A. Because there can be no true sanctity outside tho
Church.
Q. Why I
A. Because all who arc outside tho Church are separated
from Jesus Christ.
lie cannot have God for his Father, says St. Cyprian,
who has not the Church for his mother ; and so he is
separated from Jesus Christ. f
Q. Can any one be saved outside the Church ?
A. No ; for outside the Church there is no salvation.
This is the reason why the Church was prafigured by the
Ark, outside of which no one was saved from the waters of
the deluge ;J by the house wherein tho paschal lamb was
eaten, outside of which whoever eat it was profane; by tho
house of Rahab, of which it is said : Whosoever shall go
out of the door of thy house, his blood shall be upon his
own head;§ by the tunic of Jesus Christ, which had no
seam, and which could only be possessed by one person.
The first step to bo taken, therefore, in order to attain to
holiness, is to re-enter the Church, if one has been separated
from it, or has been cut off from its communion ; or to ask
for admission, if one has never been within the pale, because
out of the Church there is no true sanctity, and consequently
no salvation.
Q. What is the meaning of the word Catholic ?
A. Universal.
♦ 8t John i. 14 and 16.
t Do Unit. Eccl. Cath.
11*
X ITier., Ep. 57 ad Damas.
§ Joshua ii. 19.
126
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. Why do you say that tlie Church h universal f
A. Because it is neither limited by space nor by time; and
this is a ■n'erouative which none of the sects vho have
separated from her ever had or ever will have.
Q. What do you mean by saying that the Church is not L'mited by
space ?
A. I moan, that she is spread throujrhout all the world,
from one extremity to the other. There are very few
places in the world where there are not some Catholics ;
that is to say, true believers.
Q. What is meant by saying that the Church is not limite<l by time!
A. It is, that she has always subsisted and shall always
subsist.
She began with the world, and shall end only with the
world ; because there always were, and shall always be,
men who profess to believe in God and in Jesus Christ.
From Adam to Moses, under the law of nature, and from
Moses to Jesus Christ, under the written law, all men who
professed to serve God in the true religion, believed in God
and in Jesus Christ who was to come ; and since the coming
of Christ, they have believed in God and in Jesus Christ
already come.
Q. Wliat is the Church called, to show that she is neither limited by
space nor time ?
A. She is called Catholic or Universal.
Q. What do you understand by the sects who have separated from
the Church?
A. I undv^rstand heretics and schismatics.
Q. Who are the heretics ?
A. They are those who obstinately persist in teaching a
doctrine differently from the Church.
Q. Who are the schismatics ?
A. They arc those who separate from the true Church,
and form a church apart.
Q. Have these sects the privilege of being neither limited by time
nor space ?
A. No ; they never had and never shal! have it.
.Q. Why?
A. Because Jesus Christ promised that privilege only to
his Church.*
I
♦ St Matt xxvlll. 20.
a
I
TH
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
127
to
Heretics and schismatics may indeed be in various parts
of the world, but never in all parts, because they are always
limited by place.
They may last for years, even for centuries, but they
cannot Inst for ever. We know their beginning, we sec
their end, because they are always limited by time. It is
the Catholic Church alone who has that glorious privilege
of being every where and at all times.
Q. Why is the Church called apostolic ?
A. 1st. Because she was founded by the apostles.*
It is to their zeal and to their labors that all the particular
churches now in existence are indebted for their establish-
ment.
2d. Because she is governed ly the succes?jrs of the
apostles.
There is no Catholic bishop who cannot trace back his
origin to the apostles, through the line of his predecessors.
3d. Because she faithfully preserves the doctrine of the
apostles.
She now believes and teaches what the apostles, in their
time, believed and taught.
Q. Why 18 the name of Roman added ?
A. To show that she is united to the Church of Rome, as
to her centre.
Q. Why is the Church of Rome the centre of all the churches ?
A. Because it is the first, the principal, the mother and
the mistress of all the others.
Q, Why has it this pre-eminence ?
A. Because that its bishop, who is the Pope, is the vicar
of Jesus Christ, the successor of St. Peter, and the visible
head of the Church.
That Church, moreover, is recognized as a virgin in the
faith ; that is to say, as having never embraced any error,
and for having condemned them all as soon as they appeared.
Q. What do you understand by the communion of saints ?
A. I understand that the faithful, making bui one body
here on earth, the charity which unites them all together,
establishes amongst them a community of spiritual goods.
! is
Ephes. ii. 20.
!
m
128
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. How are the faithful here on earth united together ?
A. By charity.
Q. What is meant by charity ?
A. The holy love which they have for each other.
Q. "Who infuses that love into their heai-ts ?
A. The Holy Ghost.
Q. What is it that charity establishes aniongst the faithful*
A. A community of spiritual goods.
Q. What i's meant by a community of spiritual goods I
A. That all spiritual goods are in common amongst them.
Just as they are in common amongst those who live in
community, or have a common purse.
Q. Wliat are those spiritual goods which are common to all the faith-
ful?
A. 1st. The infinite graces which Christ has merited for
us by his acts and by his sufferings. Those graces are
usually communicated to us by the sacraments. They are
also applied to us through the holy sacrifice of the Mass.
2d. The superabundant satisfaction of Jesus Christ, the
Blessed Virgin, and the Saints. This is what is called the
treasury of the Church, whence she draws wherewith to
supply the deficiency of our satisfaction, when she grants
us indulgences.
3d. The graces which come from all the prayers and good
works done in the Church.
Q. Is it possible to be poor^in the midst of so much spiritual wealth ?
A. No ; what belongs to some by labor, belongs to others
by the charity which unites them together, and which ren-
ders them members one of the other.
Some pray, meditate, and contemplate ; others fast, watch,
and mortify themselves. These apply themselves to labor ;
those sing the praises of God. Some are occupied in re-
lieving the spiritual miseries of their neighbor, others the
corporal. All these good works are available for all, be-
cause that all are united together like th ^ children of one
family, or the members of one community.
Q. WIio are they who have no part in these spiritual treasures ?
A. Excommunicated persons and those who are out of
the Church. That loss is incalculable ; for its extent is, of
course, proportioned to the value of the goods lost.
OF IHE APOSTLES CREED.
129
HISTORY.
Efficacy of the prayers of the faithful in the deliverance of St. Peter.— Acta xiL
Q. Have not the faithful communion with tl)e saints iu heaven ?
A. Yes ; because the charity which unites us with them
establishes between us and them an interchange of the
prayers which we address to them, and of the help which
they give to us.
Q. Is it only amongst themselves that the faithful on earth are
united ?
A. They are also united with the saints in heaven.
Q. What unites them with the saints ?
A. Charity.
Q. What does charity establish between them and ust
A. An intei'change of the prayers which we address to
them, and the assistance which they render to us.
These saints are our brethren and our friends ; hence we
may address ourselves to them with confidence in all our
wants ; for there are none which they cannot remedy by
their intercession with God.
Q. Have not the faithful also a communion with the souls in T)urga-
tory ?
A. Yes; because the charity which unites us with them
makes us feel their sufferings, and endeavor to relieve them.
Q. How can we relieve them ?
A. By prayers, alms, and fistinjj, and particularly by the
sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
Q. How can the saints in heaven relieve those souls ?
A. By their powerful intercession with God.
Q. How is the Church divided ?
A. It is divided into three branches, which are still but
the same Church.
Q. What are those three branches of the same Church !
A. Tlie Church Militant, the Church Triumphant, and the
Church Suffering.
Q. Which is called the Church Militant?
A. That which is here on earth.
Q. Why is it called militant?
A. Because it combats the enemies of salvation.
130
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
!
Q. Who arc those enemies ?
A. The world, the flesh, and the devil.
Whoever wishes to gain a victory over these, must be
continually on the watch, and never cease to fight, not even
for a moment.
Q. Which is called the Church Triumphant ?
A. That which is in heaven.
Q. Why is it called triumphant ?
A. Because it triumphs over the enemies of salvation.
Those enemies are the same against whom they fought
while they were on earth. They now enjoy the fruit of
their labors and of their victory. The combat was short,
although hard, and their reward is blissful and eternal.
Q. Which is called the Church Suffering ?
A. That which is in purgatory.
Q. Why is it called suffering ?
A. Because it finishes the expiation of its sins by rigorous
sufferings.
It is much more profitable to do penance in this world
than to have it postponed to the other, because the pains
of this life are much more supportable than those of the
other.
ARTICLE X.
THE REMISSION OF SINS.
Q. What do you understand by this article ?
A. I understand that Jesus Christ has established sacra-
ments in his Church for remitting all sorts of sin.
Q. How many sorts of sin are there ?
A. There are two sorts : mortal and venial.
Q. What sacraments did Jesus Christ establish to remit these sins !
A. Baptism and penance.
Q. What sin is remitted by baptism ?
A. In children, it remits original sin ; and in adults, be-
sides original sin, it remits all the actual sins they might
have previously committed.
Q. What sins are remitted by penance?
A, All sins committed after baptism.
OF THE APOSTLES CREED.
131
Q. Is there any sin ■which this sacrament cannot remit t
A. No ; there is none, of any kind whatsoever.
Q. There arc, then, no sins irremissible ?
yl. No ; provided they are submitted to the sacrament
of penance, either actually or by desire; but if any one die
with one mortal sin on the soul, without having recourse to
the sacrament of penance, then that sin becomes irremis-
sible, because that, not having been remitted in this world,
it cannot be in the other.
Q, Is there no other sacrament, except these two, that remits sin ?
A. There is also that of extreme-unction, which wipes
away the traces of sin, and also the sins themselves, if there
are any which have not been remitted.
Q. Who established those sacraments for the remission of sins ?
A. It was Jesus Christ. What goodness, what mercy,
thus to withdraw us from that hell which we had so often
deserved, and to open for us that heaven of which we had
so often rendered ourselves unworthy !
Q. Where did he establish them ?
A. In his Church ; and not out of it. What a happiness,
therefore, to be in the Church ! What a grievous misfor
tune to be out of it !
Q. Who are they -who administer these sacraments !
A. The priests.
Any person can give baptism in case of necessity, and
any priest, even if he be suspended, can give absolution at
the article of death.
ARTICLE XI.
THE EESUaRECTION OF THE FT-ESH.
Q. What do you understand by this ai-ticle ?
A. I understand that all who died since the beginning of
the world shall rise again with the same bodies which they
had in this life, to be judged according to their works.
Q. Wlio shall rise st tlie last day ?
.A. All those who have died since the beginning of the
world, provided they be not already risen, like the Blessed
Virgin, whom the Church commonly believes to be resusci-
132
DOCTRINAL CATECIIISW.
jji I
1
1 i
{ t
I i
tated, and those who arose with Christ at his resurrection,
if it be true, as some assert, that they viid not die a second
time.
Q. Why shall all the dead rise again ?
A. To be judged according to their works. Happy, then,
those who shall have their hands full of good works !
Q. With what bodies shall tht»y rise again if
A. With the same bodies which they had in this life.
They shall be the same bodies, but not in the same manner.
Q. How shall the bodies of the wicked appear ?
A. They shall be hideous and ht)rrible. The state of
their guilty soul will appear on their countenance and on
their whole exterior.
Q. How shall the bodies of the just appear ?
A. Radiant with glory. The glory of their soul shall
shine from all parts of *4,heir body, and be painted on their
features.
Q. With what qualities shall they be clothed?
A. V/ith immortality, impassibility, and other glorious
qualities; that is to say, with clearness, agility, and sub-
tility (^See the vision of Ezechiel, chaj;. xxxvli.)
Q. Before whom shall all the dead appear ?
A. Before Jesus Christ.
Q. Where shall the good be placed !
A. On his rijiht hand.
r>
Q. Where shall the wicked be placed ?
A. On his left hand.
Q. What shall he say to the good ?
A. Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Q. What shall he say to the wicked ?
A. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, pre-
pared for the devil and his angels.
Q. Where shall the wicked go?
A. Into eternal torments.
Q. Where shall the just go ?
A. Into everlasting life.
OF THE apostles' CREED. 133
ARTICLE XII.
AND LIFE EVEBLASTINO.
Q. Explain this last article.
A. It means that the just, risen again, shall enjoy for all
eternity a life of bliss, and that, on the contrary, the wicked
shall suffer never-ending torment.
Q. Whom do you understand by tlie just ?
A. I mean those who shall have died in the state of grace.
Q. What do you understand by the. just risen again?
A. I understand the just whose souls shall be re-united to
their bodies.
Q. What life shall these enjoy ?
A. A life of eternal bliss.
Q. In what does that blissful life consist ?
A. It consists in seeing God as he is, in loving, praising
and possessing Him for ever in the kingdom of heaven.*
The more we shall have labored for heaven, the greater
shall be our reward ; and the saints shall be as different in
glory as the stars are in light. See the description of the
heavenly Jerusalem, Apoc. i. iv. v. vii. xxi.
Q. Whom do you understand by the wicked ?
A. I mean those who shall have died in the state of mor-
tal sin.
Q. What do you understand by the wicked risen again ?
A. I understand the wicked whose souls shall be re-united
to their bodies.
Q. What pains shall these suffer ?
A. Pains which shall never have an end.
Q. In what do these pains consist?
A. In never seeing God, and burning eternally. f
There shall be, says Jesus Christ, weeprng and gnashing
of teeth. These words are repeated six times in St. Matthew,
and once in St. Luke.J
The more one has sinned, the more he shall be tormented,
and the torments shall multiply in proportion to the sins,
both in number and in quality .§ See the history of the rich
glutton, St. Luke xvi.
* 1 Cor. xiii. 12.
t St. Matt \i\\. 12 ; xiii. 42 and 50; xxli. 13 ; xxiv. 51 ; xxv. 80.
i St. Luke xiii. 23. § Apoc. xviii. 7.
12
134
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DOCTRINAL CATECHIBtf.
CHAPTEE V.
OF THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL.
ARTICLE I.
INSTITUTION OF THE SACRAMENTS.
Q, What is a sacrament ?
A. It is a sensible sign instituted by Our Lord Jesus
Christ for our sanotification.
Q. Why do you say that a sacrament is a sensible sign ?
A. It is a sign because it makes known to us an invisible
grace which it operates in our soul ; and it is sensible, be-
cause it falls under our senses.
For example, the water of baptism, which washes the
body, makes known to us an invisible grace which purifies
our soul. So it is with the other sacraments.
Q. Who instituted the sacraments ?
^4. Our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is only a God who could attach grace to certain sensi-
ble signs, because it is only He who is the master and dis-
penser of grace.
Q. To whom did Our Lord leave the power of administering the sac-
raments ?
A. He left it to the apostles.
Q. To whom did the apostles communicate that power ?
A. To the Bishops and Priests.
Bishops, having the plenitude and the perfection of the
sacerdotal power, administer all of them without exception.
Priests cannot give all the sacraments ; they can give nei-
ther Confirmation' nor Holy Orders. Deacons can admin-
ister Baptism by a commission from their superiors ; in
case of necessity, any one can do it, provid''*d they have the
intention of doing it as the Church does.
If there are several persons present, it is the most digni-
fied person who should give baptism. A father cannot bap-
tize his own child except in a case of extreme necessity ;
then he contracts no spiritual affinity, as otherwise he would.
OF THE SACRAMK..TS IN GENERAL.
135
Q. Why did Our Lord Jesus Christ mstituto sacraments t
A. To sanctify us.
ARTICLE IL
Jesus
ivisiblo
ale, bc-
hes the
purifies
in sensi-
and dis-
2 the sac-
1 of the
cception.
Ive nei-
admln-
liors ; in
Ihave the
)st digni-
jinot bap-
(ecessity ;
le would.
OF THE EFFECT OF THK SACKAMENTS.
Q. How 18 it that the sacraments sanctify us ?
A. Some give us the grace of justification which we had
not before, such as Baptism and Penance ; others increase
that which we had already received, such as Confirmation,
the Eucharist, and the others.
Q. What giace do we receive fiom Baptism and Penance !
A. The grace of justification.
Q. What is the gi-ace of justification ?
A. It is that which makes us just.
Q. When ai'e we just ?
A. When the Holy Ghost dwells in our hearts.
Q. What does the Holy Ghost pour forth in the heai't wherein he
dwells ?
A. Grace and charity.*
Q. How does God then regard us ?
A. He regards us as his friends.
To be a friend of God is worth more than all the treasures
of the earth, because the friendship of God becomes in us a
source of blessings for time and for eternity.
Q. What grace do we receive from the other sacraments, such as
Confirmation, the Eucharist, and the others ?
A. A grace which augments that which we already have.
Q. What is done by this new grace ?
A. It renders us more just than we were before, that is
to say, more holy, and more pleasing to God.
This should induce us to receive the sacraments often,
provided that we receive them worthily.
Baptism and Penance are called the sacraments of the
dead, because their virtue is to raise to the life of grace
those who were dead to it. The other sacramcits are said
♦ Eom. V. 6.
^ I ' '
13C
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
i ■
to be of the living, because in order to receive them worth-
ily, it is necessary to have the life of grace.
Q. Have tlie sacraments no other effect than that of grace f
A. There are three which also imprint a character on the
soul : they arc, Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders ;
hence it is tliat none of these three can be conferred a
second time.
Q. Can Baptism, Confirmation, or Holy Orders, be received more
than once ?
yl. No ; they can be received but once.
Q. Why so?
A. Because they imprint a character on the soul.
Q. What is that character ?
A. It is a spiritual mark stamped indelibly on the soul,
consecrating it to God in a special manner. This mark
shall subsist eternally in the soul of the just, for their glory
and consolation, and in the soul of the wicked for their con-
fusion and despair.
Q. What is justification?
A. It is a change made in us from the state of mortal sin
to that of grace, whereby we are made children of God.
Q. In what state are we before being baptized f
A. We are in the state of original sin.
This sin gives death to the soul, as well as the mortal
sin which is committed by the sinner's own will, after at-
taining the age of reason.
Q. In what state does baptism place us?
A. In the state of grace.
What a happy change that is ! In the former state we bore
the image of the devil, and were children of wrath, destined
to eternal misery ; in the latter, we bear the likeness of
Jesus Christ, and are children of benediction, destined for
the everlasting joy of heaven.
Q. What is this change called ?
A. It is called justification.
Q. Into what state do we fall when we lose the grace of baptism f
A. We fall back into the state of mortal sin. This is a
very wretched state, and one which we cannot fear too
much, or take too much care to avoid.
OF TUB SACRAMENTS IK OEXERAL.
187
Q. To wlmt state aro wo restored by the Bacrnmcut of penance t
A. Wc are restored to the state of grace.
How good, how merciful is God, to deign to restore ua
to his friendship, and to re-establish us in his grace, after so
great ingratitude !
Q. What 19 this second change called ?
A. It is also called justilication.
Q. Whose children are we made by the grace of justification ? ^
A. We are made the children of God ; a quality far
beyond all that we recognize as high in this world, and
which we ought to esteem infinitely more than all others,
since by it we become heirs of God, and co-heirs of Christ.
Q. Wherein are wo first made children of God ?
A. In Baptism.*
Q. How do we lose that quality ?
A. By mortal sin.
Q. Wherein is that quality restored to ua !
A. In the sacrament of Penance.
Q. Can we, of ourselves, dispose ourselves for justification ?
A. No ; we must be excited thereto, and also assisted by
an interior movement of the Holy Ghost.
Q. To what state is our soul reduced by a single mortal sin I
^. To a state of death.
Q. What life lias it lost ?
A. It has lost the spiritual life of grace, though it still re-
tains its natural life, which consists in thinking and willing.
Q. Can we, by ourselves, emerge from that state of death ?
A. No ; we cannot, without the assistance of the Holy
Ghost.
Q. What .assistance do we require for that ?
A. We must be excited and assisted by an interior move-
ment of the Holy Ghost.
Q. What does that interior movement of the Holy Ghost produce in
U9'<
A. It produces holy thoughts and holy desires ; remorse
of conscience ; sentiments of fear ; thoughts which repre-
sent to us the deformity of sin and the beauty of virtue ; a
desire to come forth from sin and embrace virtue.
!■
♦ Eom. vlil.
12*
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188
DOCTRINAL CATfiCIIISM.
:
HISTORY.
Of St. Peter delivered from prison.— ilcto zxU. 9.
Q. Wlmt dispositions nrc necessary for being justified f
A. They are six in number.
Q. Which is the first?
A. To believe all that God has revealed and promised to
us, especially the justification which Christ merited for us
by his redemption.
Q. Wlmt must the sinner believe in order to bo justified ?
A, He must believe all that God has revealed and prom-
ised to us.
That there is one God in three persons ; that the second
became man, and suffered death for us; that there is a
heaven, a hell, a purgatory, and all the other articles of
faith.
Q. What must be specially believe ?
A, The justification which Christ has merited for us oy
his redemption.
Q. What is meant by his redemption ?
A, His suffering for us as man, and giving, as God, an in-
finite value to his sufferings.
Q. Wherein is contained all that God haa revealed and promised to
us?
A. In scripture and tradition ; that is to say, in the written
and unwritten word of God.
For want of this disposition, all those who do not believe,
such as pagans, infidels, Jews, and heretics, cannot be justi-
fied so long as they remain in that state.
HISTORY.
Conversion of the eunuch.— ^c<« viil. 26.
Q. Which is the second ?
A. It is to fear the justice of God, because of our sins.
Q. What must the sinner fear, becaues of his sins ?
A. He must fear the justice of God.
Q. What do you understand by the justice of God ?
A. The severity with which God punishes sin.
OF TUB SACRAMENTS IN GENERAL.
139
Q. How (Iocs Oo<l punish s'ui in this life !
A. By tciiiponil chastisements. Witness the deluge, the
buniing of SoUoni,* uiid many other instances recorded in
Scripture.
Q. How does God punish mn in the other life f
A, Hy cti'rnal torments. If he would excite in himself a
salutary fear, the sinner would do well to descend in spirit
into hell, and consider the eternal flames kindled by tho
breath of the wrath of God, and prepared for sinners.
! '
HISTORY.
8t. Theresa beholds the place which alio had hollowed for herself in helL {See Lcr
life, chap, zxxii.)
Q. Wliich is the third ?
A. It is to hope that the mercy of God will give us par-
don through the merits of Jesus Christ.
Q. What must the sinner afterwards liope ?
A. lie must hope fur the pardon of his sins.
Q. From what must he hope for that pardon ?
A. From the mercy of God.
Q. Tlirough what merits !
--1. Through the merits of Jesus Christ.
Q. Why do you say from the mercy of God, and not from God !
A. To show that God is not bound to pardon any one.
He did not pardon the angels, and if he pardons men, it
is purely through his goodness ; but as he has promised it,
in his mcicy, to all who truly repent, we have every reason
to hope.
Q. Why do you say through the merits of Jesus Christ ?
A, Because God only grants pardon through those merits.
It is necessary to place much reliance on the merits of
Jesus Christ.
After the sinner, then, has considered the eternal fire of
hell, in order to excite him to fear, he ought, in order to
conceive a true hope of forgiveness, to cast his eyes on the
infinite mercy of God and on Jesus Christ crucified, con-
sidering that he holds out his arms to embrace him, that he
I-;'
♦ Gen. vli. xix.
1<i
:i !"
M!
II
n ,'
140
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
bows down his head to give him the kiss of peace, that he
sheds his blood to wash him, and that he presents to him
his side, opened to receive him to his heart.
EXAMPLE.
Judos Is lost, for having fallen Into despair.— /S'^. Matt, xxvil. 8.
Q. Which is the fourtli?
A. It is to begin to love God as the source of all justice.
Q. What must the sinuer do after having feared and hoped ?
A. He must begin to love God. A perfect and consum-
mate love is not at first demanded of him.
Q. How must he love God ?
A, As the source of all justice.
Q. What do you mean by the source of all justice?
A. I mean, as the source of all grace and of all sanctity.
The sinner then fd is his unha^'py state ; he desires to
come forth from it, and seeing that he cannot do so without
participating in the grace and sanctity which he sees in God
as in their source, he is disposed towards him, and begins
to love hiin.
EXAMPLE.
Conversion of tbe sinful woman.— ^f. Luke vll.
Q. Which is the fifth ?
A. It is, in consequence of that love, to conceive hatred
and detestation for sin, and to repent of it.
Q. What must be the fruit and the consequence of this beginning of
the love of God ?
A. 1st. It is to conceive hatred and detestation for sin.
Because it is imposiiible to love God and not to hate and
detest what is contrary to him.
2d. To repenl; of it.
How is it possible to love God, and not be inconsolable
for having offended him ?
EXAMPLE.
Of St. Peter touched with true repentance.— ^f. Matt. xxvl. 76.
Q. What is the sixth ?
A. It is to take a resolution of beginning a new life, and
of faithfully observing the commandments of God.
OF THE 8ACRAMKNT8 iN GENERAL.
141
?1
Q. "What resolution must the sinner then take I
A. 1st. Of beginning a new life.
2d. Of faithfully observing the commandments of God.
Q. What is a new life ?
A. It is a life entirely different from that which he before
led.
Q. What life did he before lead !
A. lie led a life of sin.
Q. What life must he henceforward lead !
A. A life of sanctity.
Q. How must he observe the commandments of God !
A. He must observe them faithfully.
Q. What is meant by faithfully ?
A. That ho must be ready to die rather than violate any
one of them.
EXAMPLE*
New life of St. Paul after his conversion. — Acta \x.
Constancy of the old man Eleazar and tlie seven Maccabees. — Mac. vi and vIL
Of Susanna.— /)(ni. xiii.
Of the three children in the furnace. — Dan. iii.
Of Daniel in the lion's den.—JMm. vi.
ARTICLE III.
ON THE NUMBER OF THE SACRAMENTS.
Q. Were there sacmmeuts prior to the time of Jeaus Christ?
A. Yes ; for they were at all times.*
Q. What were those of the old law ?
A. Circumcision, the paschal lamb, and a great number of
purifications.
Q. What is become of all those sacraments ?
A. They ceased at the death of Jesus Christ.
Q. Why ?
A. Because of their insufficiency to procure salvation.
They had no virtue in sanctifying man ; they did but
♦ SL Aug. lib. six. contra Faust, ch. 11.
n:\
I K
142
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
pu!ify him exteriorly. They did indeed give promise of
the Saviour, but they did not give salvation.*
Q. What sacraments did Jesus Chriat substitute for them !
A. The sacraments of the new law.
Which are much more efficacious, more useful, more easy,
and fewer in number. f
Q. How many sacraments aic there !
A. There are seven.
Q. What are they ?
A. Baptism, Confiriv^ation, Penance, Eucharist, Extreme
Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony.
Q. Why did Jesus Christ establish the seven sacraments ?
A. To provide for the various spiritual wants of his Church.
Q. Why Baptism ?
A. To give us a new birth in Jesus Christ.
Q. Why Confirmation ?
A. To strengthen us in our faith.
Q. Why Penance ?
A. To heal all the spiritual ailments of our soul.
Q. Wliy the Eucharist ?
A. To increase, confirm, and preserve the spiritual life
within us.
Q. Why Extreme Unction ?
A. To sanctify the last moments of our life.
Q. Why Holy Orders ?
A. To give pastors and ministers to the Church.
Q. Why Matrimony ?
A. To provide children for the Church, so as to perpetuate
her existence through all time.
Q. How do those sacraments produce such admirable effects ?
A. By the virtue which Jesus Christ has attached to them.
Q. Whence comes that virtue ?
A. From the merits of Jesus Christ.
What respect should we not have for those sacraments,
which are so many means invented by the love of a God
for communicating his merits to us, and with what thanks-
giving should wc not receive them !
♦ St. Aug. In ra. 73.
tib.
I
OF THE SACUAMKNTS IN OKNERAL.
143
of
aaji
Q. Are there no more than seven sacraments ?
A. No, the Church recognizes no others.
Holy water, blessed brerd, the ceremony of washing the
feet on Maundy-Thursday, &c., are all holy thhigs, but
not sacraments.
emo
jrch.
a life
jtuat©
them.
nents,
a God
lanks-
ARTICLE IV.
ON THE CEREMONIES OF THE SACRAMENTS.
Q. "Why does the Church make use of several ceremonies in the ad-
iL»jiistratiou of the sacraments ?
A. To make us sensible of their excellence and holi-
ness, and to excite us to receive them with more devotion
and respect.
Q, What is the first reason for which the Church makes use of cere-
monies in the administration of the sacraments ?
A. To make us sensible of their excellence and sanctity.
Q. In what consists the excellence of the sacraments ?
A. In that their virtue surpasses that of all creatures.
To close hell, to open heaven, to vanquish the devils, and
to purify souls : these are th3ir virtues. There is no creature
which has any virtue like unto them.
Q. In what consists the sanctity of the sacraments f
A. In that they arc the instruments ectablished by Jesua
Christ to sanctify us.
Baptism and Penance give us the grace of justification,
and the others augment that grace within us.
Q. Wliat is the second reason why the Ohm*ch makes use of ceremonies
in administering the sacraments ?
A. To excite us to receive them with more devotion and
respect.
Although we are acquainted with the excellence and
sanctity of the sacraments, yet if they were deprived of the
ceremonies by which they are accompanied, they would
strike us less and make less impression on our minds.
These ceremonies elevate and enhance their excellence and
sanctity, with regard to us who are susceptible '/ what
strikes all the senses.
Lr
I Jl
i ill
n
I i
144
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q, What do theae ceremonies signify !
A. They s^ignify three things :
1st. The dispositions with which we ought to receive the
sacraments ; 2cl, the eflfectf 'vhich they produce in our souls ;
3d, the obligations which they impose upon us.
Q. What is the firet thing which these ceremonies signify ?
A. The dispositions wherewith we ought to receive the
sacraments.
For instance, tlie ornaments worn by the priest point out
the Virtues necessary for approaching the holy altar; the
amice, recollection and restraint in our looks ; the alb, in-
nocence and purity ; the cincture, continence and chastity ;
the maniple, patience ; the stole, the sweetness and light-
ness of the yoke of Christ ; the chasuble, the assemblage of
all virtues; and so on with the others.
Q. Wliat ia the second thing signified by these ceremonies ?
A. The effects* which they produce in our souls.
For example, in Baptism, the exorcisms, which are accom-
panied by the breathing of the priest and several repetitions
of the sign of the cross, shows that the demon is expelled by
the breath of God and the merits of Christ's blood. The
different unctions made on the baptized person, show that
grace sweetens the yoke of Jesus Christ, and renders it light
and lovely ; and so with all the others.
Q. What is the third thing signified by these ceremonies ?
A. The obligations which they impose upon us.
In Baptism, the white robe indicates the obligation in-
curred by every baptized person, of preserving the inno-
cence just received; the lighted taper placed in the hand,
shows the obligation of preserving always a luminous faith,
accompanied by the fire of charity. In Confirmation, the
slap given by the bishop shows the obligatioii of bearing
insult and injuries with patience.
iiiii
OF BAPTISM.
145
CHAPTEE VI.
OP BAPTISM.
faith,
n, the
)earuig
Q. Which is Uie first of the sacriuncnts ?
A. Baptism.
Q. Why?
A. Because there can be none received before Baptism.
It is Baptism which gives us a right to the others, by in-
troducing us into the Church. Whilst we are not there, we
have no right to any ; this is the gate whereby all must pass
to arrive at the others.
Q. Which is not only the first, but the most necessary of the sacra-
ments?
A. h is Baptism.
Q. Why?
A. Because without Baptism no one can be saved.
Amen, amen, I say to thee,* unless a man be born again
of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the king-
dom of God.
Wc shall explain, hereafter, how Baptism may be sup-
plied.
Q. What is Baptism ?
A. It is a sacrament which regenerates us in Jesus Christ,
by giving us the spiritual life of grace, and which makes us
children of God and of the Church.
Q. What sacrjiment is it that regenerates us in Jesus Christ?
A. It is Baptism.
Q. What is meant by : regenerating in Jesus Christ ?
A. That it gives us a new birth in Jesus Christ.
Happy birth, which brings us so many blessings, instead
of the numerous evils attendant on our first birth !
Q. How does Baptism give us a new birth in Jesus Christ ?
A. By giving us the spiritual life of grace.
We then pass from death to life, from the spiritual death
of sin to the spiritual life of grace.
,f ' \
m
* SU John ili. 5.
13
146
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. What is that spiritual life of grace ?
A. It is a life of faith, hope, and charity.
We were previously without faith, without hope, without
charity ; we receive in Baptism the habit of those three vir-
tues, together with the other gifts of the Holy Ghost, and
as soon as we are able to do so, we ought to produce acts
thereof, and to live every day according to what faith
teaches, what hope promises, and what charity dictates.
Q. Of whom Joes Baptism make us children ?
A. It makes us children of God and of the Church.
Q. What right do we receive from our quality of cliildi'en of God !
A. The right of calling God our Father, and styling our-
selves his heirs.
What a sublime dignity do we thus acquire, and how rich
the inheritance to which we are called !
Q. What right do we receive from our quality of children of the
Church ?
A. We become entitled to all her spiritual goods, which
are the sacraments, the word of God, the prayers and good
works of the faithful.
Q. How is it that this grace gives us spiritual life I
A. By uniting us with God who is the spiritual life of our
soul, as the soul is the life of the body.
Q. With whom does grace unite us ?
A. It unites us with God, who is the life of our soul,
Q. How is God the life of our soul ?
A. As the soul is the life of the body.
Behold all that the soul does in the body for the life, the
motions, and the natural actions : God does as much in our
Boul, for its life, its motions, and its supernatural actions.
He who could describe the beauty and the glory of a soul
united with God, and participating in the beauty and in the
glory of the Divinity itself, might also describe the hideous-
ness and deformity of a soul separated from its God, and
participating in the hideousness and deformity of the devil.
The most loathsome and disfigured corpse is not so horrible
to look upon.
Q. Does Baptism efface all sin ?
A. Yes; in children it effaces original sin, and in adults.
OF BAPTISM.
147
adults,
besides original sin, it effaces all the actual sin which they
may have committed before being baptized.
Q. What does Baptism efface in children ?
A. It effaces original sin.
Q. Why does it only efface original sin ?
A. Because it is the only sin of which they are guilty.
Not having the use of reason, they can be guilty of no
other.
Q. What does Baptism efface in adults i
A. It effaces, bendes original sin, all the actual sin of
which they may be guilty.
Q. What do you understand by adults ?
A. I understand all those who have the use of reason.
Q. In what dispositions must adults be in order to receive the remis-
sion of all their sins in Baptism ?
A. 1st. They must ask for Baptism and have the will to
receive it ;
2d. They must be instructed in the Catholic doctrine,
which they must believe and publicly profess;
3d. They must be truly converted, and have a sincere re-
gret for their past sins ;
4th. They must begin to love God as the source of all
justice ;
5th. They must have a firm purpose of leading a new life
and of faithfully observing the commandments of God.
Q. Arc they obliged to confess?
A. No ; for before Baptism no sacrament can be received.
Q. Does Baptism remit all the penalties due to sin ?
A. With regard to actual sin, it remits all the temporal
and eternal punishments.
Q. How many sorts of actual sins are there ?
A. There are two sorts : mortal and venial.
Q. What punishment does venial sin deserve ?
A. It deserves temporal punishment.
Q. What punishment does mortal sin deserve ?
A. It deserves eternal punishment.
Q. Wherein, after Baptism, is mortal sin remitted, with the eternal
punishment which is its due ?
A. In the sacrament of Penance.
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Q. Does there r<'maln nofliing more to suffer after that remission of
sin, aud its oternnl punishment ?
A. Tln-iro usually remains a temporal punishment to be
undergone either in this life or the next.
Q. Does there remain a similar punishment after Baptism !
A. No; none whatever.
Q. Why does there remain none ?
A. Because Baptism remits all punishment, temporal and
eternal.
Hence it is that on some there is a penance impose<l,pro-
porti(»nate to the numher and magnitude of their sins, and
on others none of any kind.
Q. And -why this different treatment ?
A. It is because those who sin after Baptism are much
more culpable than those who sin before it. The latter
have sinned in ignorance, not having tasted of the heavenly
gift, while the others have sinned knowingly, after having
partaken of the heavenhj gift ; it is this that renders some
more guilty than others, and gives rise to different treat-
ment.*
Q. What punishment does it remit with regard to original pin ?
A. It remits the eternal punishment, but does not do away
with the consequences of that sin.
Q. What punishment does original sin deseiTe ?
A. It deserves eternal punishment. Hence, any one who
dies without Baptism shall undergo eternal pains.
How great should be our gratitude to God for having
given us the grace of Baptism !
Q. What does Baptism with regai'd to those eternal pains which this
sin disserves?
A. It remits them entirely.
Q. What is it that Baptism does not take away f
A. The consequences of SiJi.
Q. What are those consequences ?
A. They are ignorance and concupiscence, the miseries of
life, and the necessity of dying.
Q. What is ignorance ?
A. It is the state in which we are born, knowing nothing,
and learning only with toil and trouble.
* nob. Ti. 4.
OF BAPTISM.
Q. What is concupiscence f
A. It is the inclination to sin.
149
Q. What are the miseries of life f
A. All the pains and trouble? to which each one is sub-
jected.
Q. What is the necessity of dying I
A. It is the obligation under which all men are of losing
their life.
Q. Why those consequences of original sin remain after it ia
effaced t
A. To serve as an exercise for our virtue.
Ignorance, to make us laborious.
Concupiscence, to render us vigilant.
The miseries of life, to exercise our patience.
The necessity of dying, to make us humble, and to de-
tach us from life and all the perishable things thereof.
Q. How is the sacrament of Baptism given t
A. By pouring natural water on the head of the person
baptized, plunging him in the water, or sprinkling it on
him, saying, at the same time, these words :
" I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
Q. What water is used for baptizing ?
A. Natural water.
Q. What do you mean by natural water ?
A. I mean just as God created it.
Thus, water from the sea, from a river or stream, from a
well or fountain, rain, snow, or ice, is good for the purpose.
Q. How does the Chm-ch sanctify it?
A. She employs prayers, the sign of the cross, and sundry
ceremonies, with holy oil and the sacred chrism.
No other water can be used for solemn Baptism ; but in
case of necessity, any natural water may be used.
Q. Can wine, bi-andy, or any other liquor, be used in case of neces-
sity?
A. No, it could not ; and if it were used, even in case of
urgent necessity, the Baptism would be null.
Q. In how many ways can Baptism be given?
A. In three ways.
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Q. What me they ?
A. 1st. By pouring natural water on the head of the per-
son baptized.
2cl. By immersion.
3(1. By sprinkling.
The water must be poured three diflerent limes in the
form of a cross; so must the baptized person be immersed
three times, or sprinkled three limes, pronouncin<:f the
names of the three divine persons. It is true that this is
only a ceremony which every public minister is bound ex-
actly to observe, but of which the omission would not ren-
der the Baptism null.
Q. Which of those three methods is the most in use amongst us I
A. That of pouring the water on the person baptized.
The most common method in the early ages, and even
during the first twelve centuries, even amongst us, was to
plunge the person in the water, and this cuatora is still re-
tained by the Greek Church.
The first is called baptism by infusion ; the second, by
immersion ; and the third, by aspersion ; the latter has
been least used of all the three.
Q. On what part must the water be poured ?
A. It must be poured on the head ; because the head being
the seat of all the senses, the whole person is accounted
washed when the head is.
If it cannot be poured on the hcnd, it must at least be
poured on a considerable part ; for if the water only touched
the hand or the foot, the baptism would not be certain, and
it would be necessary to re-baptize the person conditionally.
Q. Is it necessary that the water should touch the person ?
A. Yes; it is absolutely necessary.
For if the water only touched the hair or the clothes, the
person woidd not be baptized.
Q. In what quantity must the water be poured ?
A, It must be poured in sufficient quantity to represent
the burying and death of the old man in the waters. Hence,
a few drops, such as one or two, would not suffice.
Q. What words must be pronounced while pouring the water ?
A. These : I baptize thee in the naire of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
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Q. Who is to eny those words ?
A. The same poison who baptlzos.
It will not do for one to pour the wntcr, and another to
say the words; because the truth would be no longer there.
For the same reason, no individual can baptize himself, even
in case of necessity.
Q. At what time must the words bo pronounced ?
A. While the water is poured. They ought to accom-
pany the act of baptizing, at least morally.
Q. Why are the names of the three divine persons distinctly pro-
nounced ?
A. To show that by Baptism we are consecrated to those
throe persons. A conseciation which should be very dear
and very precious to us, and which we should never falsify
by afterwards devoting ourselves to the devil by sin.
Q. To what does Baptism bind us ?
A. To believe in Jesus Christ, and to renounce Satan, his
pomps, and his works.
Q. What is the first thing to which Baptism engages ua ?
A. To believe i^i Jesus Christ.
Q. What is it to believe Jesus Christ?
A. It is to believe that he is the Son of God made man.
Q. What more?
A. It is to believe all that he has taught.
Q. Wliat is it to believe in Jesus Christ ?
A. It is to place all our confidence in him, and to regard
hini as our sovereign good and our last end.
As he is one God with the Father and the Holy Ghost,
we should likewise place all our trust in him, and regard
him as our sovereign good and our last end.
Q. What is the second thing to which Baptism binds us ?
A. It is to renounce Satan, his pomps, and his works.
Q. Who is Satan ?
A. The devil.
Q. Wliy is lie called Satan ?
A. Because he makes continual war on us. Satan is a
Hebrew. word which means enemy, calumniator^ or apostate.
He attacks us incessantly, now by force, now by stratagem,
in order to make us fall into his snares. It is for us, then.
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DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
to watch incessantly, and to fight courageously, faithfully
corresponding with the graces given us.
Q. What is it to renounce Satan ?
A. It is to declare solemnly that we abandon the devil's
party altogether, in order to submit to the law of Christ.
Q. What is the devil's party f
A. All those who openly declare against God. ,
^. Of whom is this party compoaed ?
^. It is composed of all the wicked : pagans, infidels,
Jews, heretics, and bad Christians.
Q. "Who is the head of this party f
A. The devil. It is unaer his standard that all the wicked
fight.
Q. Wherein do we aolemnly declare that we renounce the deviVs
party ?
A. In Baptism.
Q. Why do you say solemnly ?
A. Because it is in the presence of God and the holy
angels, ai^l before God's sacred altar. This is when, being
thrice interrogated by the priest at the baptismal font, we
answer as often : " I renounce him."
Q. Why do you abanf' du the devil's party ?
A. To subject ourselves to the law of Jesus Christ.
Q. What is the law of Jesus Christ !
A. It is the law of the Gospel.
Q. What is meant by submitting to the law of the Gospel ?
A. To embrace it with all our heart, and to practise it
fliithfully.
Q. Is it only Satan that we renounce in baptism ?
A. We also renounce his pomps and his works.
Q. What do you understand by the pomps of the devil !
A. The maxims and vanities of the world. ^.
Q. What are the maxims of the world ?
A. All those which are opposed to the Gospel.
" Blessed are the rich," says the world, " and they who
have their consolation in this world."
Blessed are they who are filled.
Blessed are they who laugh.
Blessed are they of whom men speak well.
OP 1)AI»TI8M.
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Thus sjMmks the world ; but Jesus Christ, in tho Gospel,
savs, on the contrary :
Wo to you that nrc ri'h ;* for you have your consolation.
Wo to you that arc fillt'd ; f(»r you shall hunger.
Wo to you that laugh now ; for you shall moan and weep.
Wo to you when nuMi shall bless you; for according to
these things did their fathers to the false prophets.
The world also says that it is luean and fiu-illanimous to
forgive injuries and to refrain from taking revenge, whilst
Jesus Christ says the contrary.
If jiny man, says that divine Saviour, strike you on tho
right check, turn to him the other also.f
If any man will go to law with thee, and take away thy
coat, let him have thy cloak also.
And further on: Love your enemies, do good to them
that hate you, and pray for them that peraocuto and ca-
lumniate you.
Q. Wlmt are the vanities of tlie world ?
A, All that is opposed to simplicity, to humility, and to
Christian modesty. Ilcncc, all that ministers to luxury,
pomp, ostentation, and vain glory, whether in words or ac-
tions, garnjents or ornaments, the table or any thing elsr^
is to be c(;nsidcred vanity.
Q. Can a Christian give in to those vanities ?
A. No; because he solemnly renounces them at his Bap-
tism.
Q. What do you understand by the works of the devil ?
A. I understand all sorts of sin.
Sins of pride, avarice, lust, gluttony, envy, anger, and
sloth. Those are the sins which produce all others, and
they are, therefore, called capital sins.
Q. Is a Chiistian to commit none of these sins ?
A. No, for he has solemnly renounced them at his Bap-
tism.
Q. Is Baptism necessary for salvation ?
A. Yes ; it is so necessary for the salvation of men, that
even children cannot be saved without rcceivinir it.
* St. Luke vL 24,
t St. Matt, V. 89, 44
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Q. Can children who die without Baptism go to heaven f
A. No ; they cannot. It is Jesus Christ himself who has
said : Amen, amen, I say to thee, unless a man be born
again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter mto
the kingdom of God.*
Q. Are those mothers very criminal who are the cause of their chil-
dren not receiving Baptism ?
A. Yes, criminal in the highest degree.
Q. Why?
A. Because they are the cause of their children being
lost.
They are guilty of a double murder, since they kill both
the body and soul of their children. Theirs is a reserved
case.
Q. Should the Baptism of infants be lightly postponed ?
A. No ; it should, on the contrary, be given as soon as
possible.
Q. Why?
A. So as not to expose the children to die without
Baptism.
Q. Can it be supplied ?
A. Yes, it may ; in children by martyrdom, and in adults
either by martyrdom, or an act of charity, with the desire
of receiving it as soon as they possibly can.
Q. How can Baptism be supplied in children ?
A. Only by martyrdom.
Q. How in adults ?
A. Either by martyrdom or by an act of charity, with
the desire of receiving it as soon as they can.
Children have but one way, which is martyrdom ; and
adults have two, martyrdom or an act of charity, together
with the desire of receiving it as soon as possible.
This is the reason why it is said that there are three sorts
of Baptism : the Baptism of blood, the Baptism of the Holy
Ghost or of desire, and the Baptism of water, although \:i
reality there is but one, which is that given with water,
while pronouncing the words : In the name of the Fafher,
&c.
* St. John iil. 5.
OP BAPTISM.
155
Q. Does the Baptism of blood, and that called of iha Holy Qhost or
of desh'e, in^part a character on the soul ?
A. No ; it is only the Baptism by water which does that.
Q. Have those two baptisms the same virtue as that of water ?
A. The Baptism of blood remits all sins and all punish-
ments, temporal and eternal, and that of the Holy Ghost
also remits all sin and its eternal punishment, but it is not
certain that it remits all temporal punishment.
Q. How do you know this ?
A. I know it by the custom which I see in the Church of
hoping for the salvation of catechumens who die before re-
ceiving Baptism, and yet praying for their souls.
We do not pray for those whom we know to have no
pains to undergo.
It is not, therefore, certain, as it is with regard to the
martyrs who had not received Baptism, and for whom the
Church has never prayed.
Q. Can this sacrament be repeated ?
A. No, because it imprints a character on the soul.
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SECTION I.
ON GODFATHERS AND GODMOTHEUS.
Q. What is the office of godfathers and godmothera ?
A. 1st. To present the child for Baptism.
2d. To choose for it the name of some saint.
3(1. To answer for it to God and to the Church.
Q. What is their obligation ?
A. 1st. To procure for the child whom they present for
Baptism a good and virtuous nurse, in case of the mother's
death.
2(1. To watch over its spiritual and temporal welfare.
3d. To sec that it be not neglected by those who have it
in charge.
4th. To keep the child in mind of his baptismal vows.
5th. To take care that he is faithful to them.
6th. To see tl»at he be properly instructed.
These last thr ic things suppose the child to have attained
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the ago of reason. They are also to see that he be presented
for confirination wlicn tho proper time comes.
Q. What are the qualificxtions necessary for sponsors ?
A. 1st. They must be good Catholics.
Hence, neither infidels, heretics, nor excommunicated
persons, should be admitted to act as sponsors.
It is for *his reason that the question is first put to them,
Will yo" iive and die in the faith of tho Holy Catholic,
Apostolic, and Roman Church 1 To which they answer:
Yes, by the grace of God.
2d. To be edifying in their conduct.
Hence, persons who are noted for their scandalous lives
cannot be received.
3d. It is well to know all that is ;:'ecessary to salvation,
so as to be able to instruct those for ,.iiom they answer.
This is the reason why they arc made to repeat the Creed
and the Lord's Prayer. They should even be examined on
the catechism, when there is reason to doubt their i^nowl-
edge.
Q, What alliance do godfathers and godmothers contract ?
A, They contract an alliance which is called spiritual af-
finity, and that alliance is an annulling hindrance to mar-
riage.
Q. With whom do tlie sponsors contract this alliance ?
.1. With the child, and also with its father and mother.
Hence it is that the godfather cannot marry his goddaugh-
ter, nor the mother of his goddaughter; and the godmother
cannot mari-y her godson, nor the father of her godson.
There is also an alliance between him who baptizes and him
rt'ho is baptized, and also with the father and mother of the
latter; so that if a layman baptizes a girl in a case of ne-
cessity, he cannot marry that girl or her mother. A father
or mother cannot baptize their own children, because of that
affinity, except it be in a case of necessity.
The sponsors contract no affinity between themselves.
It is well to record in each family the day on which each
cliild is baptized, so as to bo able to keep it in 'Jieir n 'rnd«.
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SECTION II.
157
w
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OF THE CEREMONIES OF BAPTISM.
Q. What do the ceremonies of Baptism contain ?
A. They contain instructions the most important.
Q. Should Christians seek to understand them ?
A. Yes ; it is their duty to do so.
Q. Why?
A . In order tn know more particularly the effects and the
obligaticiis of their Baptism.
^. What are those ceremonies ?
A. There are some which precede Baptirm, others which
accompany it, and others which follow it.
1 . Of the Ceremonies which precede Baptism.
Q. W^hat water is used in solemn Baptism ?
A. Water sanctified by the prayer and by the ceremonies
of the Church.
That blessing takes place tM 'c^ in the year, on Easter
Saturday and on the eve of Pentecost.
Q. Can any other water be used for soleirin Baptism ?
A. No ; because that would be disobeying the Church,
which commands that only water so bl'^ssed should be used
on those occasions.
Q. By whom is solemn Baptism administered ?
A. By bishops and priests; and, by commission, by
deacons.
In former times, more commonly by bishops, who imme-
diately confirmed the newly-baptized ; but, at present, more
generally by priests.
Q. What is the first of the ceremonies which precede Baptism ?
A. It is to make the child remain at the door of the
church.
Q. What does that signify ?
A. 1st That the child is excluded from heaven, because
of original sin.
2d. That in that state it is not worthy to enter the Church.
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Q. "What is the second ceremony ?
yl. It is to bestow on the child the name of some saint.
Q. Why is that done ?
A. 1st. To give it a protector in the court of heaven.
2d. To give it a model for the life it should lead.
God gives it, moreover, one of his angels for a guide, and
that from the moment of its birth.
Q. "What is the third ceremony ?
A. To breathe three times on the child's face.
Q. "Why is th it done?
A, 1st. To show how easily the devil is put to flight by
the power of God.
2d. To indicate that the Holy Ghost, by his interior
breath, is about to re-animate the soul of that child, dead in
sin ; as God formerly animated the body of the first man
by breathing on him.
Q. "Why does the priest breathe three times ?
A. To show that this power is common to the three
divine persons.
Q . "What is the fourth ceremony ?
^. It is to make the sign of the cross on the forehead and
boLom of the child.
Q. "Why is the sign of the cross repeated several times dui-ing the
Baptism ?
A. It is to stamp the baptized person with the seal of
Jesus Christ.
Q. "Why is it made on the forehead and bosom ?
A. To signify that all the thoughts and all the affections
ought to be for the cross of Christ.
Q. Why is it made on those prominent parts?
A. To the end that the baptized person may glory in
appearing before the eyes of the world in the livery of
Jesus Christ.
Q. What does the priest afterwards do ?
A. He recites three prayers over the child, with his hand
extended over it.
Q. What does he ask of God in those prayers ?
A. He asks him to conduct that child to holy baptism,
and to fill his soul with the Christian virtues.
OP DAPTISM.
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Q. "Why does he still hold his hand extended over the child ?
A. To denote that the child is to be always under tho
protection of the Church, who has then taken possession
of it.
Q. What is the fifth ceremony ?
A. It is to put a little blessed salt into the mouth of the
child.
Q. Of what is the salt the symbol ?
A. h is the symbol of wisdom.
Q. What docs the salt denote ?
A. 1st. The relish which the baptized person should have
for the Cijristiun doctrine and all the things of God.
2d. The care wherewith the baptized person ought to
season all his words and actions with tho salt of wisdom,
to the end that they may be agreeable to God.
Q. From what docs salt preserve ?
A. It preserves from corruption.
Q. What admonition is that for the person baptized ?
A. That he may preserve himself from the contagion of
the world.
Q. What does the priest then do ?
A. He again recites two prayers.
Q. Why?
A. To solicit once more the protection of God for the
child.
Q. What is the sixth ceremony ?
A. To make exorcisms on the child.
Q. Why are those exo'-ci'^ms made ?
A. To adjure the devil and command him, in God's name,
to depart from the child, and give up possession of him.
Q. How does the priest address the devil ?
A. He addresses him with contempt, calling him an un-
clean, accursed, and damned spirit.
He reminds him at the same time of the sentence of con-
demnation which God pronounced against him, and com-
mands him to render homage to the true and living God, to
Jesus Christ his Son, and to tho Holy Ghost, by departingf
from that child, whom God has called to the grace of
Baptism, and forbids him evvv to dare to violate the sign of
the holy cross which he has placed on its foiehe.ad.
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Q. Why 13 the priest uncovered during the prayers, and covered dur-
ing the exorcisms If
A. 1st. He is uncovered during the prayers, because he
speaks to God, to whom he addresses his humble prayers
for the child.
2d. He is covered during the exorcisms, because he speaks
to the devil, whom he commands with authority on the part
of God.
Q. Why a second exorcism ?
A. To make more clearly manifest the obstinacy of the
devil, who would not yield, unless he were foiced t6 do so
by the authority of God.
Q. Why is it that, during that second exorcism, the priest and the
sponsors have each their hand extended over the child ?
A. 1st. To overshadow him, as it were, by the powerful
pi-otection of God and the Church.
2d. To represent the virtue of the Holy Ghost, who is
about to descend on that child and take up his abode in its
soul.
Q. What is the seventh ceremony?
A. It is to touch with a little saliva the ears and nostrils
of the child, in the form of a cross.
The priest says at the same time, Ephpheta in odorem ,
suavitatis ; that is to say, Be open to the odour of sweet-
ness, which are the words used by Jesus Christ to heal a
deaf and dumb man, placing his finger in his ears and touch-
ing his tongue with spittle.*
Q. Why this ceremony ?
A. 1st. To open the ears of his heart to Christian truth.
2d. To loosen his tongue, to the end that it may freely
confess Jesus Christ.
Q. What does the priest say to the devil at the same time ?
A. He says to him : And thou, devil, go out quickly from
this child and take flight, knowing that thy judgment is
near. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Q. What dees he then say to the child, touching it at the same time!
A. Enter into the temple of God, that you may have
eternal life. Amen.
♦ St. Mark vii. 82.
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2. Of the Ceremonies lohich accompany Baptism.
Q. What ii^ the first of tlic ceremonies which nccompany Baptism t
A. It is the n-pt'titlon of ihc Creed and the Lord's Prayer.
Q. Why is it the sponsors who repeat it ?
A. 1st. To answer for the child who cannot repeat them.
2d. It is also to make sure of the faith of the sponsors.
Q. Why are they made to repeat them as soon as the child has
entered the Church ?
A. To show that wc enter the Church only through faith,
and persevere in it only through prayer.
Q, Why do they repeat them standing ?
A. To fr.how that we must be ready to defend our faith,
even to the shedding of our blood.
Q. Why is that same posture kept while repeating the Lord's Prayer ?
A. To show that the mind and heart are raised towards
the things for which we ask.
Q. Why is the Creed repeated before the Lord's Prayer ?
A. It is that we can ask nothing of God if we do not first
believe.
This order is also observed in the Mass ; but when wc do
believe, it is no matter how we commence. If we usually
commence our prayers with the Pater, it is because it is the
first and most excellent of all prayers.
Q. Wliat is the second ceremony ?
A. It is presenting the child for Baptism,
Q. By whom is it presented ?
A. By its godlather and godmother.
Q. Wliy?
A. Because it is neither fit nor able to present itself. It
is not al)le, because in its childish state it can neither will
nor speak.
It is not fit, because it is in the state of sin. The sponsors,
thcrefi)re, present it in the name of the whole Church.
Q. To what do the sponsors thereby bind themselves ?
A. They answer for the child, and become its securities
to God and the Church.
Q. For what do they answer to God and the Church ?
A. That the child will be faithful to all the promisee
which it is about to make.
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This is a serious and also a solemn obligation for. god-
fathers and godmothers, since they take it upon themselves
in the presence of God and his holy angels, and before the
holy altar, and if they are not faithful to it, they shall have,
a great account to render at the tribunal of Jesus Christ.
Q. What is the third ceremony?
A. To demand of the child if Jie renounces Satan, his
pomps, and his works.
Q. What ans\rer does the child make thi'ough liis godfather and god-
mother ?
A. He answers aloud that he renounces him.
Interrogated three times, he answers as often.
Q. What does he solemnly declare through these three renounce-
ments ?
A. 1st. He declares that he will never have union or fel-
lowship with the devil.
2d. That he abhors and detests all his works, which are
all sorts of sin.
3d. That hei detests all his pomps, which are the luxury,
the display, and the vanities of this world.
It is scarcely possible, therefore, to understand the mis-
fortune of a Christian who denies that renunciation, and
shamelessly plunges into all that he had thus renounced ;
by that means he becomes a traitor towards God, because
of the degrading preference he gives to the devil.
Q. What is the fourth ceremony ?
A. It is to make an unction with the holy oil on the bosom,
and between the shoulders of the child, in the form of a
cross.
Q. Why this unction on the bosom ?
^. It is to indicate that grace, represented by that oil, will
render the yoke of Jesus sweet.
Q. Why between the shoulders ?
A. To show that this same grace will render the burden
of Jesus Christ light.
Q. Why does the priest, after that, change his stole ?
A. To announce the change which is to take place in the
child.
It is going to pass from the state of sin to that of grace,
and as the purple color denoted the mourning and melan-
!
""^s^
in the
OF BAPTISM.
163
choly of that former state, so does the white color denote
the joy of the latter state — a joy which pervades the whole
Church and reaches even to heaven, since it is a cause of joy
to the angels themselves.
Q. What docs the priest afberwai'ds ask the child ?
A. He asks it, in an abridged form, if it believes all the
truths contained in the Creed, and if it will be baptized ?
Q. Why dues he ask that question before it is baptized f
A. To assure himself of its strength and of its will ;
Because none can be baptized unless those who demand
it, and who promise to believe all that is of faith, as God
will only receive into his service foithful and well-disposed
persons.
Q. What does the priest do, after they have answered : I believe ?
A. He baptizes the child, pouring water three times upon
it, in the form of a cross, arid pronouncing the words : I
baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost.
Q. What happens at that moment ?
A. 1st. Heaven is opened, and hell closed for that child ;
2d. Sin and all its stains are effaced ;
3d. The Holy Ghost descends on that soul, together with
all his gifts.
4th. God declares that from his being a child of wrath, he
has now become his beloved child ;
5th. From being the eneriay of Jesus Christ, .he becomes
one of his members ;
6th. He is incorporated into the same body with Jesus
Christ and all the faithful.
Q. Is that child, tlien, regenerated in the waters of Baptism ?
A. "i es, he acquires a new being, a new life, and new in-
clinations.
Being, life, and inclinations altogether divine.
Q. To what state does he pass ?
A. He passes, 1st, from the death of sin to the life of
grace ;
2d. From the deformity of the devil to the beauty of
angels ;
3d. From a state of eternal reprobation, to a state of
eternal salvation. . .
'I
1G4
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. U this nil ?
A. No ; 1st, he becomes the temple of the Holy Trinity,
the heir of God, and the co-hoir of Jesus Christ;
2d. lie acquires the right of participating in all the treas-
ures of the faithful ; viz., the sacraments, the word of God,
the prayers and good works of the faithful,
Q. Should he ever fall into siu after receiving so many favors ?
A. No ; at least not into mortal sin ; for a single mortal
sin throws us again into disgrace with God, and deprives us
of ail those precious advantages.
Q. Why did you say : at least not into moilal sin ?
A. Because even the most righteous persons fall into those
sins which are called venial. It is true that we cannot, in
this life, avoid all sin, but we should never commit any sin,
be it ever so trivial, with a deliberate purpose.
Q. Why has God left us this weakness after Baptism ? ;
A. To keep us in continual vigilance and humility.
3. Of the Ceremonies tohich follow Baptism.
Q, What is the first of the ceremonies which follow Baptism 1
A. The unction which the priest makes with holy chrism
on the top of the child's head.
Q. What does that unction signify ?
A. It signifies that the baptized person participates in the
spiritual unction from which is derived the name of Christ
and Christian.
Q. lu what capncity did Jesus Christ receive this unction ?
A. In that of king, of priest, and of prophet.
Q. The baptized person, then, in receiving the unction of the holy
chi'ism, participates in those three qualities of Jesus Chiist?
A. Yes; he participates in his royalty, in his priesthood,
and in his quality of prophet.
In his royalty, because grace gives him dominion over his
passions and his inordinate inclinations.
In his priesthood, because grace enables him to offer to
God, every day, sacrifices the most acceptable, viz., holy
thoughts, holy desires, and holy actions.
In his quality of prophet, because being filled with the
Holy Ghost, he perceives, by his light, the nothingness of
OP BAPTISM.
166
his
tho
J of
earthly things, with tho greatness and solidity of the eter-
nal treasures.
Q. Of what ia the holy chrism composed ?
A. It is composed of balsam and oil of olives.
Q. What does the oil denoto hy its virtue of penetrating and dlffus*
ing itself ?
A. It denotes that grace in the same way penetrates and
fills our soul.
Q. What does it denote by its virtue of lighting, nourishing, nnd
etrengtl ouing?
A. It denotes that grace m like manner enlightens our
soul, nourishes and strengthens it in its troubles.
Q. What does balsam indicate by its odor ?
A. It denotes that the life of the baptized person should
difluse every where the good odor of Jesus Christ.
Q. What is the second ceremony ?
A. To lay the chrism-cloth on the head of the child.
Q. What does the chrism-cloth replace ?
A. It rej^laces the white robe wherewith baptized persons
were clothed on going forth from the waters of Baptism.
They wore that white robe for seven days, that is to say,
during Easter-week or the week of Pentecost.
Q. What does that white robe signify ?
A. 1st. Deliverance from the slavery of the devil, and
the liberty of the children of God, given to the newly bap-
tized ;
Because, formerly, slaves to whom freedom was given,
were clothed in white ;
2d. That the baptized person is freed from the soiled gar-
ment of sin, and clothed with the whiteness of innocence ;
3d. That he has been washed and whitened in the blood
of the Lamb ;
4th. That he has been clothed with the wedding-garment,
which entitles him to assist at the banquet of the Lamb ;
5th. That he has been clothed with Jesus Christ himself,
and that he is henceforward to be viewed as a representative
of Jesus Christ.
Q. What is the tliird ceremony ?
A. It is to place in his hand a lighted taper.
*!
166
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
|:
Q. What docs that lighted taper filgnify f
A. 1st. The three divino virtues \vhl( li are infused into
the soul of the person baptized : faith by its light, hope by
its flamo and charity by its warmth;
2d. That the baptized person should consume solely for
God;
3d. It denotes the lighted lamp wherewith wo are to go,
at the hour of death, to meet the Bridegroom, as did tho
wise virgins in the Gospel ;
4th. The joy arising from the victory obtained over tho
devil. It is for this reason that, in some churches, tho bells
are rung.
Q. Why doc8 the priest place the lighted taper in the child's hand ?
A. To show that it is not enough to have interiorly the
virtues which it signifies, but that they must also bo mani-
fested exteriorly by works.
Q. How are all these ceremouies coucluded f
A. By the repetition of the Gospel of St. John, the bless-
ing of the priest, and the registry of the child's name in the
parish-book.
Q. Whv the repetition of that Gospel and the blessing of the priest,
since the child is alieady full of gi-ace ?
-<4. It is to beg of God that he may ever preserve that
grace in his soul, and to draw down that divine assistance
by virtue of the words of the Kternal Word and the bless-
ing of the priest.
Q. Is there ai.y instruction in the registiy of the child's name ?
A. Yes; 1st, it denotes that the child is enrolled in the
militia of Jesus Christ to fight under his standard ;
2d. That his name is inscribed in heaven in the book of
life if he faithfully preserves his baptismal grace.
Q. Why has the Church decreed that we ourselves should keep a
record of the day of our Baptism ?
A. 1st. In order that we may never forget that day of
grace and of benediction ;
2d. To enable us to make a solemn commemoration of it
every year.
nil !£
'ill
9 ic
' ii
OF CONFIRMATION.
167
CHAPTER VII.
tbe
Ik of
Icep
Y of
of it
OF CONFIRMATION.
Q. What is Coufiimation ?
A. It is a saerami'iit which gives us the Holy Ghost with
the abundance of his graces, to make us perfect Christians,
and give ua strength to profess the faith of Christ, even at
the peril of our life.
Q. What does the sacrament of Confirmation give ub I
A. It gives us the Holy Ghost with the abundance of his
graces.
Q. What is the Holy Ghost?
A. The third person of the blessed Trinity.
The Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and is the same God with them.
We may, therefore, imagine the greatness of that gift,
since it is God himself that we receive.
Q. Does the Holy Ghost, then, come to dwell in ua !
A. Yes, he conies in person.*
Q. When was the Holy Ghost first given to us t
A. In Baptism.
It was then that we became the temples of the Holy
Ghost, because it was then tha^ He took up his abode within
us.
Q. When is the Holy Ghost given to us a second time ?
A. In Confirmation.
Q. Why do we receive him a second time ?
A. To the end that we may be enriched with the abun-
dance of his graces.
Q. What do you mean by the abundance of his graces ?
A. I mean his seven gifts.
Q. What are they ?
A. The spirit of wisdom, and of under Landing, the spirit
of counsel, and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge, and of
godliness, and the spirit of the fear of the Lord.f
Q. What is the spirit of wisdom ?
A. It is a gift which makes us relish the things of God :
'i \
• St. John xiv. 16. Bt. Tli. 1 p. 9. lA art 3.
t Isaias xL 2, 8.
16S
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
'I .!■!;
prayer, meditation, the Word of God, whether read or
heard, the sr.oraments, and all liianner of good works.
Q. What is the spi'-it ot understanding ?
A. It is a gilt which opens our mind so as to understand
the truths of religion. This gift enables us to see therein
beauties which captivate the mind and inflame the heart.
Q. What is the spirit of counsel ?
A. It is a gift which maices us take sure means to reach
heaven. It is the Holy Ghost himself who is our adviser,
and who enlightens us at every step, so that we may walk
straight to God, without turning to one side or the other.
Q. What is the spirit of fortitude ?
A. It is a gift which enables us to surmount courageously
all the obstacles which oppose themselves to our salvation,
whether they come from the world, the devil, or ourselves.
Q. What is the spirit of knowledge ?
A. It is a gift which renders us enlightened in the ways
of God. Having it, we perceive the greatness of God, the
dignity and holiu :r?s of religion, and the inestimable value of
heaven.
Q. What is the spirit of godliness, or piety ?
A. It is a gift which renders the service of God sweet
and Hgreeable to us. With it, we not only walk faithfully
in the practice of the commandments, but we run, and as it
were, fly in that holy way.
Q. What is the fear of the Lord ?
.1. It is a gift which inspires us with a respect for God,
mingled with love, which makes us fear above all things to
offend him ; and that in the smallest things as well as in the
greatest.
Q. Wliy is the Holy Ghost given to us in Confirmation, with the
abundance of his graces i
A. In order to make us perfect Christians, and to enable
us to confess the faith of Christ even at the peril of our
life.
Q. What do we become by Baptism ?
A. We become Christians.
Q. What do we become by Confii-mation ?
A. We become perfect Christian^.,
of
reet
as it
)2S 10
the
[itli the
inahle
)f our
OP CONFIKMATION.
160
Q. What difioreiice is tbcie between ft Cttristiau and a perfect CLria-
tiiiu ?
A. The same diflk-rence Taat there is i^etwcen a child and
a grown man. Both arc iiicn ; but the one is weak tind
timid, the o herstrong and courageous. In lilte manner the
Ijaplized and conlirmed per;(>ns are both T'hristians ; but
one is still weak and timid, and the other strong and co'io-
ragoous.
riiis differ(Mice is seen in the apostles. Before -u^ de-
scent of the Holy Ghost, wlierein they received the abun-
dance of his giaces, they were weak and fearful ; and aflTter
the descent of the Holy Ghost they were strong and cou-
rageous.
*
\v hat should not a Ch: 'stian, then, do in order to rer^ive
Confirn-.ation, and to i-eceivc it worthily !
Q. yVha<, strength does Confirmation give ua?
A. It gives ns strength to confess the faith of Jesus Christ,
even at the peril of our life.
Q. What is it tc confess t)ie faith of Jesus OhriL^t?
A. 'J"o dcelai c on all occasions for what it teaches us. To
that end we must, on every occasi(.)n,take the part of truth,
of justice, of charity, and of modesty, especially when they
are outraged in our presence.
Neither must we ever be ashamed to practice virtue and
to do good, and to raise ourselves above human respect,
and above the scofli:ig and raillery of the world.
Q. What is it to coufcss the faith of Christ, even at the peril of our
life?
A. It is to bo ready to shed our blood rather than re-
nounce it.
This is what the holy martyrs did with so much courage.
It is for us to consiaer whether we would have the same
courage under the same circumstances.
KX AMPLE.
Tho martyrdom of St. Stephen.
Q. How is this sacraniont given ?
-Act8 Til.
A. By the imposition of the bishop's hands, and the unc-
tion which he makes wiih the chrism on the forehead of the
* Acta it.
15
!
If *
1
r
11 i
1
!■ if
III
170
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
lir
if
(
person confirmed, pronouncing at the same time, certain
words wiiich express the eflfect of this sacrament.
Q. By whom is this sacrament administered f
A. By the bishop.
Q. Where is that seen ?
A. In the conduct of the apostles.
Q. What did the apostles do on having learned that St Philip had
converted and baptized many of the Samaritans ?
A. They sent St. Pet'^r and St. John to confirm them.
It is this conduct which the Church has ever since followed,
and which has served for a rule in all ages.
Q. Why is it bishops rather than priests who administer this sacra-
ment?
A. Because it is more proper that those who have the
perfection of the priesthood, should give the perfection of
Christianity.
Q. How do t! e bishops give this sacrament?
A. 1st They lay their hands on the head of the person
confirmed and invoke the Holy Ghost ;
2d. They make an unction on the forehead with the holy
chrism.
Q. What words do they pronounce at the same time ?
A. They pronounce words which express the effect of the
sacrament : Descendat septiformis Spiritus, &;c., laying their
hands on the person's head.
Signo te signo crucis, et confirmo te chrismati salutis,
nomine Patris, &c., making the unction.
Q. What is the effect of this sacrament ?
A. 1st. To render us perfect Christians;
2d. To mak^ us confess the faith of Christ, even at the
peril of our life.
It is the Holy Ghosf, with the abundance of his graces,'
who produces in us these two effects.
Q. Of what is the holy chrism composed ?
A. Of oil of olives and balsam.
Q. What does the oil signify ?
A. It signifies the effusion, the abundance, and the sweet-
ness of the graces of the Holy Ghost ;
And that by its virtue of spreading, or diffusing itself,
and of lighting, nourishing, and soflening. Grace does all
■0
OF CONriRMAfioN
these things in the sou] nfth. ' '''''
Ponotmjos, enlightens a„d nouSsl'°''?™<«* ' '' «'!» »d
i 7st" Truh ""'"" »^" f '' """^ ^°"«"^ "^ pains
°'2T"&f°- th:Tor™;tn'':J^,«''o»' >-- the virtue
^^^^-^^^£^ - ---'e
And like balm, which ho J T "^" *% inspire •
--t.of a arSi*":' "^ ""^^ ^''-'d be the principal oma-
suffering. ""^"^^™"»^-and that he .nst be patient in
<3- Wbat does he sav of *i,
^•Hesa,s:P:^e?btS«-.
Q- Wbyto^e words? ''^ *
. ^^- -lo Jet us kiiow that- a Tf,,- <.•
bo conC'ilh^^hr™'^ '° "«' "^-hop the person t
-ruction and' behavi:^ """"^''^ '<> «>« bishop C^ i°
""- '-msCves o/t ^^Zl'JllfKf, ™. and
S:tr----:;a-^,^.^.n.a.
n nr 1 w - ..•.*vn ij, com-
ramttT""" '"'' '^ ""der themselves guift, „.„ ,
^. They render f h , ^ '«'*=' '"» ««-
r-nde. themselves guiit, of Sin. An, ,^, ^^
^^
^
172
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM,
n
is more or less great, according as the neglect is more or
less.
Q. Of what do they dopi ive themselves ?
A. Of the plenitude of gniee which this sacrament com-
municates. And being deprived of that plenitude of grace,
they ofti'n yield to temptation on occasions when they
might have resisted.
Q. When is it particularly necessary to receive this saiaament?
A. When one is persecuted for the faith, or tempted
against the faith.
Q. Wh}^ i.'^ it most needful on those occasions ?
A. In Older that it may give strength to support those
tern ptai ions or persecutions.
Q. In Avhat dii^positioiis mu&t it be received ?
A. It is necL's-ary to be instrdcted in the principal
mysteries of the faith, to renew the profession of them, aod
to have the conscience purged of all mortal sin.
Q. What is the first dL-^position i
A, It is to be instructed in the principal mysteries.
The principal mysteries are those of the Trinity, the In-
carnation, and the Kedemption.
Q. What is the second ?
A. To renew the profession of faith.
The first and most ancient is the Creed.
Q. What is the third ?
A. To have the conscience purged of all mortal sin.
Q. What is necessary to he done for that end ?
A. To make a good confession.
Q. What harm would it be if one received this sacrament in a stato
of mortal sin ?
A. h would be committing a sacrilege, because it would
be a profimatioii of the sacrament.
Q. Can this sacrament be repeated ?
A. No ; because it imprints a character.
Q. What are the fruits of the Holy Ghost?
A. 'Ihay are twelve: charity, joy, peace, patience, for-
bearance, goodness, benignity, meekness, faith, modesty,
coi'tinence, and chastity.*
* Gal. V. 22,
IJ
'1
OP CONFIRMATION.
173
state
)uld
for-
lesty,
1st. Charity unites us to God by love.
2d. Joy fills us with a holy consolation.
3d. Peace produces in us tranquillity of soul.
4th. Patience enables us to bear without murmuring,
whatever might disturb that inward peace.
5th. Forbearance prevents us from being disturbed by
any delay.
6th. Goodness renders us beneficent to all.
7th. Benignity leads us to relieve the necessities of our
neighbor.
8th. Meekness makes us bear patiently with the failings
of others.
9th. Faith makes us believe with certainty, on the word
of God, that which we do not see.
10th. Modesty regulates our whole exterior, so as to
scandalize no one.
11th and 12th. Continence and chastity preserve our
bodies in that holiness which becom>.3 the temples of the
Holy Ghost.
Q. Why are those virtues called the fruits of the Holy Ghost ?
A. Because they are the graces of the Holy Ghost, who
causes thetn to spring up in our hearts.
Q. What is necessary to be done in order to ntake them grow ?
A. It is necessary to cultivate them with all possible care,
Q. How?
A. 1st. By prayer and meditation.
These are the means which draw down the dew of heaven
on those sacred plants.
2d. By ceaseless vigilance.
In order to avert all that m'ght destroy them, or impede
their growth.
3d. By the continual exercise of every virtue.
Without this exercise, those virtues would neither grow
nor long subsist in our souls.
To renew every year the memory of our Confirmation,
and make the anniversary of it.
174
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
CHAPTER VIII.
OF THE EUCHARIST.
ARTICLE I.
OF THE EUCIIAUIST.
1'^-'
it'
m s '
■ i I i
;ii:'
m
m^'
■ p, ...
1 i! ■"
Q. Which is the most august of the sacraments ?
A. The Eucharist.
<?. Why?
A. Hi'canse it contains Jesus Christ, the author of th©
sacraments, and the source of all holiness.
Q. Wliat is tlic moaning of the word Eucharist?
A. It means thanksgiving.
Q. Why is this sacrament called the Eucharist ?
A. 1st. Because Jesus Christ, in instituting it, gave thanks
to Gof] his Father.
2d. Because we ought not to receive it without giviiig
thanks to God.
3d. Because it is an excellent means of thanking God for
all his benefits. In it we offer to God his own Son in
thanksL'ivinff fur all the blessiiii-s we have received from
him. There can be no gratitude so agreeable to God.
Q. Has this sacrament no other name ?
A. Yes ; it has several others,
Q. Wliat are they ?
A. Thise are the principal : it is called the Holy Sacra-
ment, ti)e Adorable Sacrament, the Sacrament of the Altar,
and the Holy Viaticum.
Q. Why is it called, by excellence, the Holy Sacrament I
A. Because it snrp;is>es all others in sanctity.
It contains the Author of grace, whilst the others are only
?igns theroof, having, indfcd, the virtue of giving grace, Imt
itill signs for the moment they are given; this, on the con-
trary, is always a sacrament so loner as the species subsist.
Q. Wl)y is it called the Adorable Sacrament ?
A. Because it contains Jesus Chrht, who is v/orthy of all
adoration.
! g'E
OP THE KUCIIARTST.
175
Jesus Christ, being God, is adoiabic wherever he is.
Q. Why id it called tlie Sacratiit'iit of the Altar?
A. Because it is consctTated and orlcred on the altar, and
can neither be consecrated nor ollurcd elsewhere.
Q. What else is this sacrament culled ?
A. It is c;d!ed the Holy Viaticum.
Q. What is the Holy Viaticum ?
A. The communion givL-n to the dying. It is, as it were,
their provision for the great journey of eternity.
M'a-
tar,
My
but
Icon-
list.
fall
HISTORY.
Of the institution of the Eucharist.— 5^ 3IaU. xxvl.
Q. With whom did Our Lord make the pascb, on the eve of his
death ?
A. With his apostles.
Q. What was the pasch ?
A. It was a solemn repast made by the Jews every year,
in memory of their deliverance from Eiiypt.*
This repast was made on the fourteenth day of the month
of March, at nightfall.
Q. What did they eat in that pasch ?
A. They ate in every family a roasted lamb. This lamb
was to be male, of a year old, without spot or blemish ; its
bones were not to be broken, and the door of every house
was to be marked with its blood.
They wero to eat it standing, a staff in their hand, their
loins girt, and to eat it with unleavened bread and wild
lettuce.
This repast had been rcgidarly observed for nearly fivo
hundred years, by the order of God.
Q. What was i( called ?
A. It was called the pasch. Which is a Hebrew word,
meaning passage.
Q. Why was it so called ?
A. 1st. Because of the passage of the destroying angel,
who killed at midnight all the first-burn of Egypt, without
touching those of the Lraelites.
* Exod. xil. 6.
vA
i I
u.
!i Mm''
176
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
2d. Because of the passage of the Israelites from Egypt
to the proniised land.
Q. Of what was this lamb the figure ?
A. It was the figure of Jesus Christ immolated on the
cross.
The ceremonies of the paschal lamb were also the figure
of the dispositions which must be brought to the holy com-
munion.
Q. What did Our Lord do in that repast which is called the pasch t
A. 1st. He arose from table, and washed the feet of his
apostles.
Which shows the purity and humility wherewith we
ought to approach this sacrament.
Q. How did he institute this sacrament ?
A. 2d. He took bread and changed it into his body.
3d. He took wine and changed it into his blood.
He raised his eyes to heaven, and gave thanks to his
Father.
He blessed bread and broke it.
In the same way he blessed the wine.
Q. There was, then, only the body und-^r the species of bread, and
only the blood under the species of w;.ne ?
A. Jesus Christ was wholly and entirely under each
species.
Q. To whom did Our Lord give his body and blood ?
A. He gave them to his apostles, saying : Take ye and
eat, this is my body, which is given for you. This is my
blood, the blood of the New Testament, which shdl be shed
for many unto the remission of sins. Drink ye all.
He added : Amen, I say unto you, that I will drink no
more of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall
drink it new in the kingdom of God.
Q. What power did he give them at the same time
A. He gave them power to change the bread into his
body, and the wine into his blood.
Q. By what words ?
A. By these words : Do this for a commemoration of
me.*
♦ St. Luke xxii. 19. Cone. Trld. Scss. 22, ch. 1.
^1*>
OF THE EUCHARIST.
177
no
mil
his
of
It is as though he sai<] to thcin : Do nil that T havo just
(lone. Coiisocrato my liody jiii'l my hlood; <>f1rr them in
snorifice, nourish your-elvcs with them, ami <lisiiibiUc ihein
to the failhful, always in memory of my passion.
Q. To T\'liom hiu» this p)\v«'r passed f
A. It has passed t(» all priests.
Q. What is the Eudinrif't?
A. It is a sacrament wliieh cnntalns really and indeed tho
body, blood, soul, and diviniiy of Our Loid Jesus Chrisst
under the appearances of bread and wine.
Q. What d()09 the Euchnrist contain ?
A. It contains the body and blood, soul and divinity of
Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Q. How does it contain thorn ?
A. In contains them really and indeed.
Q. What is meant by really and mdcc'd ?
A. That it is the true l)ody ai.d the true blood of Jesus
Christ, with his soul and his divinity.
Jesus Chri.-t is, then, wholly contained in the Eucharist,
just the same who was born of the Blc-sed Virgin, con-
versed with men, died on the cross, rose again from the
dead, ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of Goii,
and is to come to judge the living and the dead.
Q. Tf Jos\ia Christ is really present iu tho Eucharist, is ho then no
longer in heaven ?
A. He is at the same time in heaven and in every con-
secrated host.
Q. Is he, then, in an infinity of places at tb* wuiie time f
A. Yes; that is an article «.f fiiih.
You arc to understand t!- it it is as man ho is so, for as
God he is every where.
Q. How can that be ?
A. By the almighty power of the words of Jesus Chijst.
Q. Under what is Jesus Christ contained in the Eucharist I
A. Under the spicics of hreatl and wine.
Q. Is it the body of Jesus Christ that is seen at the *1*vatioii 'J the
host?
A. Nf); it is the species of bread.
Q. Is it the blood of Jesus Chris^t thnt is seen in the chalice, after tho
consecration ?
A. No ; it is the species of wine.
If.
178
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
'h
!l ! 1 1
'l ■' <
Q. Why is it uot the body and blood of Jeaus Christ that are seen t
^ . Because both arc hidden under the appearances of
bread and wine.
Q. Do wo receive those species when we communicate f
A. Yes ; wo receive them, although we receive neither
bread nor wine.
Q. What do we receive wlien we communicate I
A. We receive the body and blood, soul and divinity of
Our Lord Jesus Christ, under the appearance of bread and
wine.
Q. What do you mean by the species?
A. I mean that which is apparent to our senses, as color,
figure, and taste.
Q. What do you mean by the senses f
A. I mean the eyes, hands, tongue, dec.
Q. What do you mean by the color ?
A. I mean the whiteness of the bread, and the redness of
the wine.
Q. What do you mean by the figure ?
A. I mean the roundness of the bread, and that of the
wine in the chalice.
Q. What do you mean by the taftte ?
A. I mean the flavor of the bread and that of the wine.
There is also the smell of both.
Q. Is tlie bread or wine no longer there ?
A. No ; the substance of the bread is changed Into that
of the body of Jesu-s Christ, and the substance of the wine
into that of his blood.
Q. What bread is used for conseci-ation ?
A. V/hc!aten bread. It must be made with natural water,
and not with any other liquor.
Q. Must this bread be leavened or unleavened ?
A. In that particular, each is to follow the custom of their
own Church.
In the ireek Church they made use of leavened bread,
and in the Latin Church of azyme or unleavened bread.
Q. What wine is used for consecration ?
A. Wine squeezed from the fruit of the vine. With this
there is a little water mingled.
OF THE EUCHARHT.
179
that
rine
iter,
their
read,
tms
Q. What is there on tho altar bcforo the coneecration f
A. There is bread and vviiio.
Q. What is there after the consecration ?
A, There is the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
Q. Into what is the substance of the bread changed f
A. Into the substance of the body of Jesus Christ.
Q. Into what is the substar i of the wine changed ?
A. Into the substance of the blood of Jesus Christ.
Q. Is there, then, only the body under the species of bread, and only
the blood under the species of wine ?
A. No ; according to the force of the words.
Q. Why do you say : according to the force of the words !
A. Because, by a necessary consequence, all the rest is
in it.
Q. Explain what you mean by this necessary consequence ?
A. 1st. I mean, that the body of Jesus Christ being living,
animated, and divine, cannot be without his blood, without
his soul, without his divinity.
2d. I mean, that the blood of Jesus Christ being living,
animated, and divine, cannot be without the body, without
the soul, without the divinity.
Q. Are tlie Father and the Holy Ghost with Jesus Christ in the holy
Eucharist ?
A. They are there by a necessary consequence.
Q. Explain once more what you mean by this necessary consequence.
A. I mean, that those three persons being but one and
the same God, they cannot be '^ne without the other.
Q. What is this change called ?
-^. It is called Transubstantiation ; that is to say, the
change of one substance into another.
We see in Scripture several changes which assist us to
comprehend, or rather to believe in this. The rod of Moses
or of Aaron changed into a serpent;* Lot's wife changed
into a statue of salt jf water changed into wine at the
wedding of Canaan.J
Q. How ii, this change operated ?
A. By tlio all-powerful virtue of the words of Jesus
Christ, pronounced by the priest in his name.
♦ Exod. "vii. 10.
t Q«D. xlx. 26.
X 8t John 11.
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WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580
(716) 872-4503
180
DOCTUINAL CATECHISM,
Q. What Jire those words i>f Jeems Chri^jt ?
A. '1 Ins U mv IhmJv : This is my blood.
Q. Whnt virtue have those words i
A. Ihvy have an ull-|jovveiiul virtue.
Q. What is that virtue ?
A. It is iho chsinging tlie substance of the bread into that
of the hodv of Je-us Christ, and the substance of the wine
into that of his blood.
Q. Is it only in the mouth of Jesus Chiist that those words have
virtue ?
A. They have virtue in the mouth of every priest.
Q. Why?
A. ik'cause they pronounce them in his name.
Q. Whnt is it, then, that every day effects that miraculous change on
our altars ?
A. It is the words of Jesus Christ pronounced in his
name.
ITow great should be our respect for words so mighty,
and how great also should be our gratitude ! For he could
have left us nothing so great, since by those words we have
Jesus Christ with us every day, and we can every day
nourish ourselves with his sacred flesh and blood.
Q. Is there only the body under the species of bread, and only the
hlout] unJiT the species of wine I
A. Jesus Christ is wholly and entirely under each of the
two species, and under every prrticle of each species.
Q. What is : Jesus Christ wholly and entirely ?
^1. ilis body, his blood, his soul, and his divinity.
Q. Where is Jesus Christ wholly and entirely ?
A. JIl* is inidtr each of the two species, and in every par-
ticli' of each.
Thus, in communicating, we receive Jesus Christ wholly
and entirely, wliclher we conuuunicate under one single
sfmcics or under both, whether v.e leceive one or more
hosts, or only a portion of o!ie.
Q. Why is our Lord there wholly and entirely!
A. Hec; use he C!inn<»t be divided.
Q, Why cjiii he n«it he divided ?
y|. Ii« cfiiisr lie is now liviii«x and glorified. "^
lie is liviiiii ; lienee he ( ainiot be divided.
He is gloriried ; hence he cannot be divided.
the
par-
gle
iin
more
OF THB EUCHARIST.
181
Q. What does the priest divide when he divides the host t
A. He divides the species of bread.
The same is the case with the species of wine.
Q. Which part is Jesus Christ then in t
A. He is wholly and entirely in each separate particle, be
their number what it may.
Q. But if one of those particles is so small as to be scarcely percep-
Ublet
A. Jesus Christ is still there, provided it be sensible.
Q. But in what order are the parts of Jesus Christ's body f
A. They are all in their natural order, and without an/
confusion.
Q. Is that incomprehensible f
A. Yes, to the human mind.
If we understood it, it would be no longer a mystery.
We must content ourselves with believing, without seeking
to comprehend it.
Q. How is all that done !
A. By the all-powerful virtue of the words of Jesus Christ.
Q. What are the effscts of this sacrament t
A. There are four principal effects.
Q. What is the first ?
A. It is to unite us intimately and incorporate us with
Jesus Christ, not only by faith and charity, but also by the
real presence of his sacred flesh and precious blood.
Q. In how many ways can we be united to Jesus Christ t
A. In three ways.
Q. What are those three ways f
A. By faith, by charity, and by the real presence of his
sacred flesh and precious blood.
Q. When are we united to Jesus Christ by faith !
A. When we believe firmly all the truths of faith.
If there were even one that we refused to believe, it would
make us lose the faith, and consequently this first union with
Jesus Christ.
Q. When are we united to Jesus Christ by charity t
A. When we truly love God and our neighbor.
We lose charity, and consequently this second union
with Jesus Christ, by ceasing to love God and our neighbor
truly.
16
^ m
ill :•'
i
i.
182
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. When arc -we united to Jesus Christ by the real presence of hi*
sacred ficsh and blood ?
A. When we possess Jesus Girist within ourselves by
means of the holy communion. For that end, it is nece^;
sary to communicate holily : for he who communicates in a
bad state does not obtain that interior union with Jesus
Christ, though uniting himself exteriorly to his sacred flesh
and precious blood.
Q. What sacrament is it that unites us intimately and incorporates
us with Jesus Christ, by the real presence of his sacred boay and
blood?
A. It is the sacrament of the Eucharist. •
Oh ! how precious is the sacrament which procures for
us such a union !
He who eateth my flesh, says Jesus Christ, and drinketh
my blood abideth in me, and I in him.*
Is there on earth any happiness like that which we receive
through the holy communion, where our mind is united to
Jesus Christ by faith, our heart by charity, and our whole
self to his sacred flesh and precious blood 1
Q. What is the second !
A. It is to augment, confirm, and preserve in us the spir-
itual life of grace.
Q. When do we possess the spiritual life of grace !
A. When our soul is united with God.
Q. What sacrament is it that gives us the spu'itual life of grace!
A. The sacrament of Baptism.
Q. What sacrament is it which sti'engthens the spiritual life of grace t
A. The sacrament of Confirmation.
Q. What sacrament is it which augments, confirms and preserves itt
A. The sacrament of the Eucharist.
Q. Whni is meant by saying that it augmevts itf
A. That it gives a new increase.
Baptism gives that life, Confirmation strengthens it, the
Eucharist augments it, that is to say, makes it grow.
Q. What is meant by saying that it confirms itf
A. That is to say, that it renders it more firm ; because
the health of the soul becomes stronger by partaking of that
divine nourishment.
• 8tJohnvl.&T.
OF THS EUCHARIST.
188
Ill' IS '
>1
it!
the
Q. What is meant by sayiug ihat it preserve) itt
A. That is to say, that it prevents us from losing it.
By the strength which it gives us, it enables us to resist
all that might deprive us of it, whether the devil, the world,
or the flesh.
As the living Father hath sent me, says Jesus Christ, and
I live by the Father ; so he that cateth mc, the same also
shall live by me.*
Q. What is the third t
A. It is to weaken coiicupisconce and moderate the vio-
lence of our passions.
Q. What is concupiec<;n<'e f
A. It is the inclitiation which we have to sin.
Q. What do you mean by the passions ?
A. I mean all the disorderly motions which urge us on to sin.
Such are the motions of hatred, anger, revenge, &c.
Q. What does the Holy Eucharist do with regard to ctmcupiscence t
A. It weakens it.
Q. What is meant by saying Uiat it vsedkena it f
^,That is to say, that it renders it less lively.
If the presence of Jesus Christ in the womb of the Blessed
Virgin purified St. John the Baptist from original sin, how
much more must his actual presence in our heart restrain the
motions of concupiscence, which is a consequence of that sin.
Q. What does the Holy Eucharist do with regard to our passions I
A. It moderates their violence.
Q. What is m-eant by saying that it moderates their violence f
A. That is, that it calms and appeases them.
It is, therefore, to the body and blood of Jesus Christ that
we are indebted when we find our passions diminished, and
when they leave us peaceful and quiet.
Jesus Christ does then in our heart what he did when,
being with his disciples in a bark which was tossed about by
the raging of the sea, he suddenly stilled the tempest by a
single word.f
Q. What is the fourth!
A> It is, to give us the pledge of eternal life and of a
glorious resurrection.
I
i
* St John vl. 58.
t St. Matt viiL 28, and foUowiner.
164
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. What shall be the reword of the just after this life t
A. Life everlasting.
Q. What is life cverlostiog ?
-4. It is the life enjoyed by the blessed in heaven.
Q. By what shall that life be preceded t •
A. By the glorious resurrection.
Q. What do you mean by the glorious resur^ectioDt
A. I mean the glorified state in which the just shall rise
at the end of the world.
Q. Who has promised that reward to the just!
A. Our Lord Jesus Christ.
And this is the will of my Father who sent me, says
Jesus Christ, that every one who seeth the Son, and be-
lieveth in him, may have everlasting life ] and I will raise
him up at the last day.*
Q. What pledge has he given them of this t
A. The Holy Eucharist.
Can there be any surer pledge 1 Thus, by showing this
pledge; that is to say, Jesus Christ in our heart at the
moment of our death, we are assured of receiving the re-
ward, which is life everlasting and a glorious resurrection.
The Holy Eucharist is, in our souls, a germ of eternal
life ; and, in our bodies, a germ of immortality.
Q. With what dispositions must it be received ?
A. They are of two sorts : some relating to the soul, and
others to the body.
Q. What are the dispositions of the soul ?
A. ITiere are two principal dispositions.
Q. What is the fii-st ?
A. It is to prove ourselves, and if we feel ourselves guilty
of any mortal sin, to have recourse tCthe sacrament of
Penance.
Q. What must first be done t
A. "VVe must first prove ourselves.
Q. What does that mean ?
A. It means to make a careful examination of the state
©four soul.
*Bt Jobnyi40rad65.
>--
OF THE EUCHARIST.
185
^'%
ite
Q. Why is that necessary t
A. 1st. To ascertain whether we arc not guilty of mortal
sin.
2cl. To secure ourselves, as far as possible, against falling
into it again.
Especially if they are habitual sins, and if we live in the
proximate occasion of sin.
Q. What must we do if we feel ourselves guilty of any mortal
sinf
A, We must have recourse to the sacrament of Penance ;
that is, to make a good confession, bringing thereto all the
necessary dispositions.
Q. Would it be sufficient to confess, if one were in the habit of any
mortal sin, or in tlie immediate occasion of falling into it again t
A. It would first be necessary to break that habit, and
renounce that immediate occasion.
Q. ^Tiy?
A, For fear of relapsing into the same sins immediately
after communion, which would be a deplorable thing, be-
cause, that by thus relapsing, one would lose all the graces
of the communion, and would drive Jesus Christ from their
heart.
We must also be aware of habitual and deliberate venial
sin, committed without making any effort to get rid of it ;
because it is very injurious to the fruit of communion.
Q. What is the second ?
A. It is, to approach it with a lively faith, a firm hope, an
ardent charity, and with profound sentiments of humility,
adoration, and gratitude.
Q. Does it suffice to pmve one^s self before communicating f
A. No; it is also necessary that the soul should bo
adorned with divers virtues,
Q. With what virtues !
A. First, with a lively faith, a firm hope, and an ardent
chanty.
Q. What is faith!
A. h is a virtue which makes us believe in God, and ia
all the truths which he has revealed and proposes to us by
bis Church.
16*
li:; ■ ^
''\
166
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. When is faith lively ?
A. When it is accompanied by charity. Without charity
it is dead.
Q. What is hope?
A. It is a virtue which makes us expect, with a firm con-
Adence, from the infinite goudness of God, all the blessings
he has promised to us : his grace in this life, and his glory
in the other.
Q. When is hope finn f
A. When it is accompanied by a great confidence in the
goodness of God.
Such was the confidence which St. Paul had when he
said : Who, then, shall separate us from the love of Christ ?
Shall tribulation 1 or distress 1 or famine ? or nakedness ?
or danger 1 or persecution ? or the sword 1 (As it is
written : For thy sake we are put to death, all the day
long : we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.) But
in all these things we overcome, because of him that hath
loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present,
nor things to come, nor might, nor height, nor depth, nor
any other creature shall be able to separate us from the
love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.*
Q. What is charity I
A. It is a virtue which makes us love God above all
things, and our neighbor as ourselves.
To love God above all things, is to love him more than
gold, silver, precious stones, or all created things.
To love our neighbor as ourselves, is to be sensible to
his joys and to his sorrows as we are to our own,
Q. When is charity ardent ?
A. When it is accompanied by a holy fervor, so that its
flame may be felt in our own heart, and communicate itself
to the hearts of others.
This was the case with the apostles on the day of Pente-
cost, their hearts being so burning with divine love, that
they inflamed every one to whom they spoke.
These three virtues, faith, hope, and charity, are called
* Bom. TliL 86.
froi
ofi
OV THE EUCHARIST.
187
m
Ito
its
ed
the theological virtues, because they relate immecliately
to God. It is God who is believed by ftiith. It is God
who is expected by hope. It is God who is loved by
charity.
Q. Is it enough to have thoae virtues for approaching the holy com*
munton ?
A. It is also necessary to havo profound sentiments of
humility, adoration, and gratitude.
According to this, it is not enough to have some super-
ficial sentiments of humility, adoration, and gratitude; they
must be sincere and profound.
Q. When do we approach the holy communion with profound senti-
menta of humility ?
A. When we are! wholly penetrated with the sense of our
unworthiness to receive Jesus Christ.
Q. When do we approach it with profound sentiments of adoration t
A, When we are wholly penetrated with the greatness
and majesty of Jesus Christ.
Q. When do we approach it with profound sentiments of gratitude t
A. When we are wholly penetrated with the goodness of
Jesus Christ in giving himself to us.
Oh ! how fruitful would our communions be, if they were
only accompanied by these holy dispositions !
Q. What are the dispositions of the body ?
A. There are two principal dispositions.
Q. What are they ?
A. Firstly, it is necessary to receive the holy communion
fasting, unless it be received in sickness, as Viaticum.
Secondly, it must be received kneeling, and with all possible
modesty, recollection, and respect.
Q. Why has the Church ordained that this sacrament should be re-
ceived fasting "i
A. To do honor to the body of Jesus Christ. That food
is so precious that it is but just and proper to partake of it
before any other.
To be fasting, is to have taken neither food nor drink
from midnight.
Neither the saliva, nor any thing swallowed in the form
of saliva, hinders one from communicating.*
♦ 8t Th. 8.
188
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
It is necessary to wash the month the night before com-
munion, and the hands and face on the following morning ;
and to perfortii that holy action with all proper decency,
each one according to their state and ability.
Q. When does the Church permit it to be received without being
fasting ?
A. When it is received in sickness as Viaticum.
Q. What do you mean by the Viaticum !
A. I mean the Ci>minunion which is given to the dying,
or those who are in danger of death.
Q. In what posture must it be received f
A. In a kneeling posture.
The most humble posture is always the most suitable in
presence of so great a majesty ; but this does not apply to
those who receive in sickness.
Q. What ex*erior ia it necessary to have !
A. An exterior the most modest, the most collected, and
the most respectful that we Civn possibly have.
Modest, in our clothing, especially in the ornaments of the
head.
Collected, in the air of our countenance, and the disposi-
tion of our eyes.
Respectful, in the grave demeanor of our whole body.
When the soul is well disposed, there will be few or none
of these exterior marks wanting.
We ought to abstain from spitting so long as there is
danger of throwing out any particles of the sacred host.
Q. How must we live after cummunioD !
A. We must live the life of Jesus Christ.
Nourishing ourselves with his sacred body, it is but just
that we should live his life. We should be able to say
with St. Paul : I live, now not I ; but Christ liveth in me.*
Q. What must be done in order to live the life of Jesus Christ t
A. 1st. To carefully abstain from all mortal sin.
2d. To commit none, even venial, without deliberation.
3d. Faithfully to fulfil all our duties. Whether those of
a Christian, or those of our state.
To do all with a view to God and our own salvation.
* OaL li. 20.
ba
OP T'^K EUCHARIST.
180
Q. Do thoM who receive i mortal sin receive the body and blood
ofPhristf
A. Yes ; but they do not receive his graces, and, on the
contrary, eat and drinit judgment to themselves.
Q. What do they receive who communicate worthily t
A. They receive Jesus Christ and his graces.
Q. What do they receive who communicate in mortal sin I
A, They receive Jesus Christ, but not his graces.
Q. What do they, on the contrary, eat and drink t
A. They eat and drink judgment to thems.ilves.
Q. Why do you say that they eat and drink judgment to themselTes t
A. Because their communion brings with it its own judg-
ment and condemnation.
There will be no need of pronouncing judgment against
those persons ; it is pronounced by their own act.
Thus, by their own fault, the source of grace and mercy
becomes for them the source of all misfortune, if they do
not speedily apply the remedy, which is penance.
i
<i
of
EXAMPLE.
Of him who appeared at the marriage feast without the wedding garment—
St. Matt. xxU.
Q, What crime do they commit who receive in mortal sin ?
A. They commit a horrible sacrilege, and render them-
selves guilty of the profanation of the body and blood of
Christ.
Q. What sacrilege do they commit who receive in mortal sin f
A. They commit a horrible sacrilege.
Q. What is a sacrilege f
A. it is the profanation of a holy thing.
Q. Why is it that they who receive in mortal sin commit a horrible
sacrilege ?
A.. Because they profane the holiest of all things, the
body and blood of a God.
Q. Of what do they render themselves guillr t
A. Of the body and blood of Christ.*
* 1 Cor. xl. 27.
190
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
I
lit!'
Q. Why do they render themselves guilty of the body and blood of
Christ t
A. 1st. Bi'causethey wound and insult tho very body and
blood of Christ.*
If he who violated the law of Moses was condemned to
death without mercy, on the deposition of two or three wit-
nesses, do you not think that he shall bo judged worthy of
still greater punishment who shall have trampled on the
Son of God and profaned the blood of tlie New Testament,
whereby he had beon sanctified '?f
2d. Because they resemble the Jews who put Jesus to
death.
For, as far as in them lies, they again crucify the Son of
God and expose him to infamous; outrages.!
3d. Because it is even the body and blood of Christ which
renders them guilty by the bad use which they make of it.
Hence, they turn into deadly poison that sacred aliment
which was to have given them eternal life.
Remember the punishment of Balthazar for having pro-
faned the sacred vessels, and consider the difference that
there is between that profanation and that of the body and
blood .of Christ.§
For this reason it is, that is to say, because of bad com-
munions, that there are among you, says St. " ,*ul, many
infirm and weak, and many sleepf the sleep of death.
St. Cyprian relates, in this connection, that a certain
father and mother, taking flight in the time of the persecu-
tion, lefl behind them a little girl still at the breast, who
was taken by her nurse before the magistrates. As the
child could not eat fle^h, they gave her some bread soaked
m the wine which remained of the sacrifice off*ered to the
ido!s.t
The mother, having afterwards recovered her daughter,
and knowing nothing of what had passed, brought her to
church as St. Cyprian was offering up the holy sacrifice.
During all the time of prayer, the child did nothing but cry
and moan piteously. After the consecration, when the
deacon came to present the chalice to the assistants, when
• St Tho. In cap. xi. 1 ad CJor.
t Ileb. X. 28, 29.
X Ueb. vi. 6.
{ Dan. V.
1 1 Cor. xl. 80.
^ Liv. de Lapsls.
OF THE EUCHARIST.
191
the little girrs turn vran come, «hc averted her face, pressed
her lips together, and refused the chalice. The deacon in-
sisted, and made her 8wall<»w some drops of the precious
blood, whereupon she began to sob convulsively, and was
seized with a violent fit of retching, which ceased not until
she threw up what she had taken of the holy Eucharist.
So also, a woman who had fallen into apostacy, having
presented herself just as St. Cyprian was otiering the holy
sacrifice, and having received communion by surprise, sud-
denly lost her breath, and fell to the ground gasping and
trembling.
Another, having opened a chest wherein the sacred host
was kept, saw a fire coming from it, which so terrified her
that she dared not touch it.
A certain man who had apostatized, having secretly kept
his share of the sacred bread, when he opened his hands,
after the celebration of the divine sacrifice, he found nothing
there but ashes.
Hufiin relates that a certain bishop had the gift of know-
ing the state of those who approached to communicate by
the marks of their flice ; that the faces of the sinners ap-
peared black as coal, and their eyes were filled with blood ;
but that the faces of the just were bright and shining, and
that they seemed to be clothed in white garments ; and
that, when both had received the holy communion, the
former, who were in a bad state, appeared as though their
faces were burned as by fire, while the others, who were in
a good state, shone resplendent with a new light.^
the
ter,
to
tice.
cry
the
^hen
ARTICLE II.
«
ON THE SACaiFICB OF THE MASS.
• Q. What is to be distinguished ia all true sacrifices f
A. 1st. The exterior oblation of a sensible thing; 2d, tho
destruction or the change of that thing ; 3d, he who offers
it ; 4lh, he to whom it is offered ; 5th, the reason why it is
oflfcred.
♦ Ll7. 8, ch. 168.
102
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
All these things are found in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ,
whether on the cross or on the altar, ai^d likewise in all the
sacrifices by which it was preceded, they being but so many
figures of that grand sacrifice.
Q. What saaifices do vre first sec amongst the adorers of the true
Ood?
A. The sacrifices of Cain and Abel. These were the two
firs^ children of Adam.
Q. What did they offer to God I
A. They offered to him, one the fruits of the earth, and
the other the firstlings or best of his flock.*
Q. Wliat sacrifices do we aftei'wards see I
A. The sacrifices of Noah, of Abraham, and of Melchise-
dech.
Q . What did Noah and Abraham offer to God ?
A, They offered to him cattle and fowls.f
Q. What did Melchisedech offer up t
A. He offered up bread and wine.J
This was a more direct figure of the Eucharistic sacrifice.
These are the sacrifices which we see in the time of the
law of nature ; that is to say, from Adam till Moses.
Q. What sacrifices do we see under the written law ?
A. We see all those which God himself prescribed.§
Q. What were those sacrifices ?
A. Some of them were bloody, and some unbloody.
The bloody sacrifices were those wherein the victim was
slain and his blood shed, and the unbloody sacrifices were
those which were made without the eflfusion of blood.
Q. How many were there of the bloody sacrifices I
A. There were three sorts.
Q. What were they called ?
A. The holocaust, the.peace-oflfering, and the sin-oflfering.
Q. What was the holocaust ?
A. It was a sacrifice wherein the victim was entirely con-
sumed, in acknowledgment of the supreme dominion of God
over all things.
Q. What was the peace-offering ?
A. It was a sacrifice wherein the victim wa3 only in part
♦ Gen. Iv.
t Gen. viiL snd zr.
I
Goti. xir.
Levlt. cb. L and fvliowlng.
all
all
OF THE KUCIIAKIST.
193
consumed, either in acknowledgment of favors already re-
ceived, or in order to obtain new.
Q. What was the sin-offering t
A. It was a sacrifice wherein the victim was also on!/
partially consumed, with a view to obtain the remission of
sins.
Q. How many unbloody sacrifices were there !
A. There were five.
Q, What were they ?
A. 1st. That of flour tempered with oil and frankincense ;
2d, that of the scape-goat ; 3d, that of the sparrow which
they let fly ; 4th, of the perfumes burned on the altar; and
5th, the libations of wine.
See in the book of Leviticus, especially in the first seven
chapters, the ceremonies which were to accompany those
diflferent sacrifices.
Q. Is not the sacrament of the Eucharist also a sacrifice ?
A. Yes; because in it Jesus Christ not only gives him-
self to us to be our spiritual nourishment, but also offers
himself to God, his Father, by the ministry of priests, as a
victim for us.
Q To whom does Jesus Christ give himself in the Eucharist f
A. He gives himself to us.
Q. Why does he give himself for us ?
A. To be our spiritual nourishment ; that is to say, to
nourish our souls in the same way that bread and wine
nourish our bodies ; this is what he intimates by giving
himself to us under the species of bread and wine.
Q. What else does Jesus Ohi'ist do in the holy Eucharist ?
A. He oflfers himself to God his Father.
Q. For whom does he there offer himself?
A. He offers himself for us.
What goodness, what love, to continue every day the
offering which he once made for us on the cross !
Q, By what ministiy does he offer himself?
A. By the ministry of priests.
On the cross, he was offered up by himself; and, on the
altar, he oflfers himself by the ministry of priests. He is
always the principal sacrificer ; and the priests are but his
ministers.
17
194
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. How does he offer himself on the altarl ' ' * -'
A. He offers himself as a victim. •- '■■ •
Q. How as a victim !
A, Because he appears there as dead, although he is liv-
ing and glorious.
Q. How does he appear as dead t
A. Because, according to the words of consecration, the
body appears separated from the blood.
The Eucharistic species represent them separated, although
they are really unil'id, in as much as Christ being risen, dies
no more, and can die no more.
Q. Why did Our Lord in8titute this sacrifice ? . i
A. For three principal reasons.
Q. Which is the first?
A. To establish in the Church a sensible and exterior
sacrifice of religion, even to the consummation of the world.
Q. What sacrifice did Our Lord establish in his Church f
A. He established a sensible and exterior sacrifice of re-
ligion. ,,„
Q. What is the sacrifice which Christ established in his Church t
^. It is the sacrifice of the Eucharist.
Q. Why is this sacrifice a sacrifice of religion ?
A. Because it serves to render to God the supreme wor-
ship which is due to him.
Q. Why do you say that this sacrifice is sensible and exterior?
A. Because it is offered in the facu of heaven and earth.
From the rising of the sun, even to the going down, saith
the Lord of hosts, my name is great among the Gentiles :
and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to
my name a clean oblation.*
Q. Wherein did Our Lord establish this sacrifice f ,
A. He established it in his Church. '
It was only to the apostles that he said : Do this as a
commemoration of me. It is, therefore, only they and their
successors, and those whom they have ordained ^riests, who
have power to offer this sacrifice. Hence it is only the
Church who has possession of this treasure.
* Mai. L 11.
OF THB EUCHARIST.
195
. j;:
'. Q. How long sball this sacrifice continue t . ,
A. It shall continue till the end of time
That is to say, as long as the Church itself, which is to
last till the end of the world, according to the promise of
Jesus Christ.*
Q. Which is the second!
A. It is to represent the bloody sacrifice of the Cross m
an unbloody manner.
Q. What does the sacrifice of the Mass represent!
A. It represents the bloody sacrifice of the Cross.
Q. Why do you call the sacrifice of the Cross a bloody eacrifice t
A. Because Jesus Christ shed his blood there.
: Q. How does the sacrifice of the Mass represent it!
A.ln an unbloody manner.
Q. Why in an unbloody manner ?
A. Because Christ no longer sheds his blood there as he
did on the cross.
Q. Which is the third?
A. It is > apply to us, by that same sacrifice, the virtue
and the merit of the sacrifice of the Cross.
Q. What is the virtue and the merits of the sacrifice of the Cross I
A. It is to Tfev^eem us from the slavery of sin and from
the pains of hell, and to merit for us eternal life.
Q. How did he redeem us !
A. By suffering for us as man, and giving, as God, an in-
finite value to his sufferings.
Q. Wherein are the virtue and the merit of the sacrifice of the Cross
applied to us ?
A. In the sacrifice of the Mass.
Q. How?
A. By the grace which that sacrifice obtains for us.
Q. What do those graces operate in us ?
A. They suggest to us all the means necsssary for obtain-
ing salvation.
Q. What are those means ?
A. 1st. A true conversion, if we are in sin.
2d. A continual aversion to sin, if we are in the state of
grace.
* St Matt zxvili. 20.
196
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
3cl. A sincere love of virtue, and the constant practice of
good wc.'ia.
In order to merit these graces, we should assist, every-
day, at the holy sacrifice, if we possibly can, and assist there
with piety and devotion.
Q. Is this the same sacrifice as that of the Cross f
A. Yes ; for it is still the same host and the same sacri-
fice, whether on the Cross or on the altar ; whatever differ-
ence there may be, is only in the manner.
Q. Who is the victim both od the Cross and on the altar t
A. It is Jesus Christ.
Q. Why!
A. Because it is he who is offered both on the Cross and
on the altar.
Q. Who is the sacrificer in both cases t
A. It is al30 Jesus Christ.
Q. Why?
A. Because it was he who offered himself on the Cross,
and still offers himself on our altars.
Q. The sacrifice of the Mass is, therefore, the same as that of the
Cross ?
A. Yes ; the difference is only in the manner.
Q. In what does this manner consist ?
A. In that Jesus Christ was offeved by himself on the
Cross, in a bloody manner ; and on the altar he offers him-
self by the ministry of priests, in an unbloody manner.
Q. How did Jesus Christ offer himself on the Cross !
A- By himself, in a bloody manner.
Q. What does by himself mean ?
A. It means without the help of the ministry of priests.
Q. What is meant by saying : in a bloody manner?
A. That is to say, by shedding his blood.
Q. How does he offer himself on the altar ?
A. Ho offers himself by the ministry of priests, in an un-
bloody manner.
Q. What do you mean by : the ministry of priests ?
A. I meaa that priests are his ministers there.
Q. What is m?ant by saying : in an unbloody manner?
A. 'ihat Is to say, without shedding his blood, as he did
on the Cross.
OF THR &UCHARIST.
107
un*
did
Q. In what spirit should we assist at this sacrifice t
A. We should conform ourselves to the intention of the
Church, by whom it is offered,
Q. Why does the Church offer this sacrifice I
A. Firstly, to render to God the supreme worship due to
him ; secondly, for the remission of our sins; thirdly, to beg
from God all the graces necessary for us ; fourthly, to thank
him for all those that we have received from him.
Here, then, are four reasons, or four intentions.
Q. What is the first t
A. To render to God the supreme worship which is due
to him.
Q. What is tba meaning of the word toorship ?
A. It means an honor accompanied by dependence and
subjection.
God honors his saints, but he renders them no worship ;
because, on his side, there can be neither dependence nor
subjection.
Q. What worship is due to God !
A. A supreme worship.
Q. What is supreme toorship ?
A. It is a worship which has no equal.
It is above that which we render to the angels and saints,
and even to the Blessed Virgin.
Q. Why is this worship due to him ?
A. Because he is above all things.
He has created all that exists, so that nothing can be
placed on a level with him.
Q. Wherein do we chiefly render to God the supreme worship which
is due to him ?
A. In the sacrifice of the Mass.
Q. Why?
A, Because we offer to him a victim worthy of his
majesty.
His own Son is there as a victim. What more proper to
do him honor ! We offer up ourselves at the same time in
a spirit of sacrifice.
Q. What is the second ?
A. It is for the remission of our sins.
Q. How are our sins remitted ?
A. Through the merits of Jesus Christ.
198
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. Whence do the merits of Jesus Christ principally cornel
A. From the sacrifice of the Cross.
Q. Wherein are those merits applied to us I
A. In the holy sacrifice of the Mass.
Q. What do the application of those rnerits produce in us t
A. It produces dispositions proper to obtain the remission
of our sins.
Q. What are those dispositions t
A. All that composes a true contrition : sorrow for hav-
ing offended God, detestation of sin, and the firm purpose
of sinning no more. To imitate those who departed from
Calvary striking their breasts.*
Q. What is the third !
A. To ask him for all the graces which are necessary for
us.
Q. What is the chief blessing that we expect from God f
A. Everlasting salvation.
Q. What do we require in order to attain that end t
A. We require his grace, together with many other helps.
Q. Where do we most efficaciously ask them ?
A. In the holy sacrifice of the Mass,
Q. Why most ejicaciousli/ ?
A. Because we ask them through the merits of Jesus
Christ immolated for us : and this, by offering Jesus Christ
to his Father, and uniting ourselves to him conjointly with
the Priest and the whole Church. What more efficacious
to obtain what we ask ?
We are to pray in that spirit during all the time of the
sacrifice.
Q. What is the fourth?
A. It is, to thank him for all the blessings we have re-
ceived.
Q. What blessings do we continually receive from God ?
A. We receive from him both spiritual and temporal
blessings.
Q. What do you understand by spiritual blessings?
A.\ understand those which regard the spiritual life of
the soul : holy inspirations, good motions, the sacraments,
the word of God, &;c.
• St. Luke xxiiL 48.
OP THE EUCHARIST.
199
Q. "What do you understand by tcirporal blessings I
A, Those which regard tlie life of the body : health, food,
clothing, dsc.
Q. Wherein do we worthily thank Qod for all these graces t
A. In the holy sacrifice of the Mass.
Q. Why worthily f
A. Because we thank him with and through Jesus Christ
immolated for us.
We are to assist at the holy sacrifice in that spirit of
gratitude.
Q. To whom is it offered I
A. To God alone ; because sacrifice is an acknowledgment
of his sovereign power, and the homage of our dependence
and subjection.
Q. Is sacrifice offered to men, to angels, or to saints ?
A, No ; only to God.
St. Paul and St. Barnabas rent their garments, seeing
that the people wanted to offer sacrifice to them.*
An angel forbids St. John to adore him.
Q. Wliy is sacrifice oflfercd only to God ?
A. For two reasons.
Q. What is the first ?
A. Because sacrifice is an acknowledgment of his sover-
eign power.
Q. In what does the sovereign power of God consist ?
A. In that he is the sovereign master of all things.
It is he who supremely disposes of all things, crowns and
Bceptres, blessings and misfortunes, life and death.
Q. What is the second ?
A. Because sacrifice is the homage of our dependence and
subjection.
Q. In wliat do our dependence on and subjection to God consist!
A. In that we hold all from hicn.
All that we are, all that we possess, all without excep-
tion.
Q. Why is there a commemoration made of the saints in the holy
Mass?
A. 1st. To praise God and thank him for the victories
♦ Acts x'.v.
t Apoc ziz.
200
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
ho has given them to obtain by his grace, and the glory
wherewith he ha;* crowned them.
2d. To offer ourselves with Jesus Girist in sacrifice, as
they did.
3d. To testify that Jesus Christ being their Saviour and
ours, we hope to participate, like them in the virtue of his
sacrifice.
4th. To beg of them to unite their prayers with ours.
Here are four reasons.
Q. What is the first?
A. To prai-e and thanic God for the victories he has given
them to obtain by his grace, and the glory w' erewith ho
has crowned them.
Q. For what do we praise and thank God when we commemorattt
the saints in the holy sacrifice ?
A. We praise and thank him for the victories he has given
them to obtain by his grace.
Q. Over whom do they obtain those victories f
A. Over the devil, the world, and the flesh.
Q. By what assistance did they obtain those victories t
A. By the assistance of grace.
And we are to fight as they fought, if \»e would obtain
the same victories. The struggle is hard, it is true, but
then how sweet will be the reward !
Q. For what else do we praise and thank God when we commemorate
the saints in the holy sacrifice t
A. We praise and thank him for ^be glory wherewith he
has crowned them.
Q. How did the saints merit that crown of glory t
A. By the victories which they obtained.
Each of us has to obtain the same victories, to the end
that we may be one day crowned with glory, as they are now.
Q. What is tlie second f
A. To offer ourselves with Jesus Christ in sacrifice as they
did.
Q. What must we do in order to hear Mass well ?
A. We must oflTer ourselves with Jesu3 Christ.,
Q. In mitation of whom must we o£fer ourselves with JesuB Christ t
A» In imitation of the saints.
OP THE EUCHARIST.
201
m
It
ie
id
w.
ey
isil
Q. Wluit did the Milnts do t
A. They ofl'ered themselves with Jesus Christ.
Q, In what spirit did they offer theinsclvea with Jeaus Christ f
A. hi 11 spirit of sacrifice.
Q. What does that mean t
A. It means, devoting themselves altogether to the ser-
vice of God and to his glory.
Let us see if it be thus that we offer ourselves with Jesus
Christ in the holy sacrifice.
Q. What is the third ?
A. It is, to testify that Jesus Christ being their Saviour
and ours, we hope to participate, like them, in the virtue of
his sacrihce.
Q. How did the saints regard Jesus Christ ?
A. They regarded him as their Saviour.
Q. How ought -Tve to regard him ?
A. We ought to regard him in the same way.
Q. Why?
A. Because he is our Saviour as well as theirs.
Q. How did the ssunts become saints ?
A. By participating in the virtue of the sacrifice of Jesus
Christ.
Q. How shall we become so ?
A. By participating in the virtue of that same sacrifice.
As the virtue of that sacrifice is infinite in itself, we have
there wherewith to animate our hope.
Q. What is the fourth?
A. To ask them to unite their prayers with ours.
Q. Why must we ask the saints to unite their prayers with ours?
A. In Older to give to ours the virtue of obtaining what
we ask.
Our prayers al<Mie would be often insufficient ; but sec-
onded by those of the saints, they become powerful and
efficjjcious.
Q. For whom is the holy sacrifice offered ? ,
A. It is offered for the living and the dead.
Q. What do you mean by the living ?
A. I mean those who are still in the world.
Q. Into how many classes are they divided ?
A. Tliey are divided into three classes.
iinx"' . ,
202
DOCTRINAL CATECIIIBM.
Q. What are tliose tlnee classes t
A. They arc, the faithful, the infidels, and the excommu-
nicated.
Q. Is the holy sacrifice offered for the faithful t ^
A. Yes ; it is principally for them that it is offered.
Q. Why principally f
A. Because it is they Avho are the children of the Church.
Q. Whom do you mean by the faithful ?
A. I mean all those who profess the true faith.
Q. What is asked for them if they be sinuers t
A. The grace of conversion.
Q. What is asked for them if they be just f
A. The grace of perseverance.
I'here is likewise asked for both all the particular graces
of which they stand in need, to the end that all may obtain
salvation.
Q. Is the holy sacrifice offered for infidels or uubelievers t
A. No ; they are not publicly named in offering it.
It is only permitted to pray for them in secret. It is only
on Good Friday that the Church publicly prays for them,
because it was on that day that Christ died for them.
Q. What do you understand by infidels or unbelievers !
A. I understand those who have never been in the Church,
such as pagans, Jews, <Sec.
Q. Is the holy sacrifice offered for the excommunicated t
A. No ; the Church forbids it.
Q. What do you understand by the excommunicated?
A. I understand all those who are cut off from the society
of the faithful ; whether those who have separated them-
selves, like heretics and schismatics, or those whom the
Church has cut off; such are those who are excommunicated
for their crimes.
Q. Why does the Church forbid the holy sacrifice to be oflTered for
the exconomunicated }
A. In order to excite them to come forth quickly from
that miserable state.
It is, nevertheless, permitted to pray in secret for their
conversion during the time of Mass.
Q. What do you mean by the dead f
A. 1 mean those who have departed from this world.
07 THE EUCHARIST.
203
h.
y
na-
he
ed
for
)m
eir
Q. In what condition arc those who have departed from this world t
A. They arc either in heaven, in hell, or in pulsatory.
Q. Is the holy sacrifice offered up fur those wlio are in heaven t
A. Not to obtain graceti for them, but to thank Gud on
their behalf.
Q. Is it offered up for those who are in hell t
A. No ; because their sufferings are endless and incurable.
Q. Is it offered up for those who are in purgatory f
A. Yes ; such is the constant practice of the Church in all
times and in all places : it is either to abridge or to lessen
their pains.
Q. On what day is the holy sacrifice to be especially offered up for
the faithful departed ?
A. On the day of their death, and in presence of the
body, if it be possible ; on the third, the seventh, the
thirtieth, and on the last day of the year after their death.
Q. Why on the day of their death, with the body present!
A. To represent to God their great need in a more sen-
sible manner.
Q. Why on the third day after their death I
A. Because that is the day on which Christ rose from the
dead.
Q. Why on the seventh ?
A. Because the seventh is the day of the Lord's rest.
Q. Why the tliirtieth ?
A. Because it is the last day of the month since their
death.
Q. Why at the end of the year !
A. Because it is the last day of the year afler their deatb.
Sect. I. — Of the Ceremonies of the Mass,
Q. In what place must Mass usually be said ?
A. It must only be said in a holy place. That is to say,
in a church solemnly consecrated, or at least in an oratory
that has been blessed.
Q. On what altar t
A. On a consecrated altar. It Is necessary that there be
some relics of saints.
204
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. With what vessels ?
A. With sacred vessels. ., •
Q. With what omamcuta I
A. With blessed ornaments.
Q. What is the usual time for celebrating it solemnly t
A. From Terce till Sexte. That is to say, from nine
o'clock till noonday.
Q. How does the priest prepare for celebrating it t
A. Ist. By praying tor some time in private.
2d. By meditating on the greatness of the mystery.
Q, Wliy do the blessing and sprinkling of the holy water take plaM
before Mass f
A. Ist. To remind the assistants of their baptism.
2d. To apprize them of the purity with which they ought
to assist at the holy sacrifice.
Q. Wliitlier does the priest go from the sacristy with his attendants t
A. He goes to the altar.
Q. What docs the priest represent as he stands at the middle of the
altar before commencing Mass I
A, He represents Jesus Christ meditating his great sac-
rifice.
Q. What docs the priest represent when descending from the altar f
A. He represents Jesus Christ going to the garden of
Olives.
Q. What does the priest represent as he kneels at the foot of the
altar, praying, humbling himselr, and striking bis breast f
A. Ho represents Jesus Christ praying and humbling
himself in the garden of Olives, with the chalice of his
passion before him.
Q. What does the priest represent when ascending to the altar t
A. He represents Jesus Christ arising from his prayer,
and boldly advancing to meet his enemies, and even death
itself.
Q. Why has the priest his hands joined during all that time and in
several places of the Mass?
A. To show that he regards himself as a criminal before
his judge.
Q. What are we to do while the priest recites the Confitevrt
A. We must recite it at tne same time, with a great
sentiment of contrition for our own sins.
OF TUB KUOIIARIST.
205
Q. Why do we strike our breast throo times while reciting it t
A. To denote that as »in has iUi origin in the heart, we
would, if possiulc, break and destroy it, to make room for
another, which would be no longer prone to sin.
Q. What does the priest say when ascending to the altar f
A. lie says : Take away from us our iniquities, wo be-
seech thee, O Lord, to the end that we may be worthy to
enter with pure minds into the Holy of Holies.
Q, Why does the priest kiss the altar as soon as he ascends to it t
A. Ist. ITirough love and respect for the place whereon
Jesus is about to bo immolated.
2d. To implore the assistance of the saints, whose relics
repose in that altar, and to unite himself heart and soul to
their merits.
3d. As a sign of reconciliation with Jesus Christ, of whom
the altar is the image.
Q. What docs he say at the same time ?
A. He says : We beseech thee, O Lord, by the merits
of thy saints, whose relics are here, and of all the saints,
that thou wouldst vouchsafe to forgi^'^e me all my sins.
Q. Wliy, in solemn masses, does the priest incense all around the
altar, after having incensed the crucifix t
A. To represent the good odor of virtue, the fervor of the
elevation of our prayers, and the obligation under which we
are of consuming ourselves for God.
1. From the Interiot to the Offertory.
Q. What is the Introit !
A. It is the beginning of the Mass.
The priest makes the sign of the cross, in order to begin
it well, in imitation of the primitive Christians, who made
that holy sign at the beginning of all their actions. This
Introit is composed of an anthem, a verse taken from one of
the psalms, and the Gloria Patri.
In ancient times, this psalm was said or sung entire.
Q. Why is that called the Introit f
A. Because it is sung when the priest goes to the altar.
In former times, it was said or sung whilst the people
entered and took their places.
18
206
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. What msans the Kyrie or Chriati EleUonf --j :- » iV/ X)
A. Those i^re two Greek words, which signify : Zordf or
Christy have mercy on v<t.
The supplication is addressed three times to the Father,
three times to the Son, and three times to the Holy Gho&t.
Q. Why is it 80 often repeated f ' ...
^. To denote the great need whicii we have of t!ie meroy
Q. Why, in singiag it, does the priest raise his voice t ! > ^ • ' • .%'•
A. To show the lively sense which we have of onr miseries.
Q. What is the Gloria in JExcelsiaf
A. It Is a hymn which is called the Hymn of the Angels,
0. Why!
A. Because it commences with the words which the angels
used, afler having announced to the shepherds the birth of
Qirist.
Q. By whom was the rest composed I ,
^. By the Church. ' ■'"."' "'''^
Q. What name is still given to it I ..;;..;
A. It is called the Hymn of Glorification.
Q. Why!
A. Because it speaks but to glorify God, as any one must
see who reads it. ,
Q. What are we to do during the Gloria in Exeelnaf
A. We must join the angels in glorifying God here on
earth, as the blessed spirits glorify him in heaven.
Q. What is the prayer called which follows the Gloria in HxeeUisf
-4. It is called the Collect.
CWhy!
A. Because the priest there collects, as it were, all the
prayers of the assistants.
Q. What does the priest do brfore he repeats this prayer!
A. He kisses the altar, iurns towards the people, and ex-
tending his arms, says, in Latin : *' The Lord be with you,"
with a slight inclination of his head.
Q. Why does he kiss the altar?
A. To show that it is from Jesus Christ he receives all
that he can desire and give to the faithful.
u
I
OF THS EUCHARIST.
207
rrf, or
'ather,
Grho&t.
mercy
• ■
liseries.
[ngeis,
e angels
birth of
:.,•;■'. as 'ii
me must
B, and ex-
rith you,"
ceives all
Q. Why does he turn towards the people, bending his bead at tbe
tame time I ,,. ,
A, He does so in order to salute them. "\ , ,
,« Q. Why does he extend his arms f
A. To show that none of those present is excluded from
his charity. . r • ■ i ■■
v Q. Why does he say : The Lord be with you!
A. To let them know that he is going to pray in their
name.
It is also to make them understand that we cannot pray
efficaciously unless Jesus Christ is with us, animating our
prayers by his Holy Spirit.
Q. What do the clerks reply ?
.4. They reply : *' And with thy spirit."
Q. What is indicated by those words ?
A. A desire that the spirit of Christ may likewise animate
the prayer which he is about to offer up in the name of the
whole assembly.
Q. Why has the priest his hands raised while repeating this prayer
and all the others }
A. To show that he would wish already to hold and possess
what he asks of God.
In ancient times, the priest even raised his arms as if to
embrace it. Also to imitate the manner in which Christ
prayed on the cross.
Q. What is answered at the end of this prayer f
A. Amen.
Q. What is the meaning of Amen 9
A. It is a Hebrew word, meaning, that is true ; it is so;
cr, I con'^ent.
By answering Amen^ we ratify what the priest has asked
in our name.
Q. What must be done during that prayer, and all the others ?
A, We must fix our minds on God, and inwardly beg of
him all that the priest asks for the whole assembly.
Q. What is the Epistle ?
A. It is a lesson of Scripture usually taken ftom the epis-
tles of the holy apostles.
If we can read it, it is well to do so ; if not, we should
excite ourselves to a love for the truths therein contained.
208
DOCTRINAL CATECIII8M.
Q. What name is given to the part which follows the Epistle f
A. It is called the Gradual.
Q. What is the Gradual f
A. It is composed of prayers taken from the Holy Scrip-
tures.
Q, Why is it called the Oradiud ?
A. Because it was formerly sung on the steps or gradus
of the arabo.
Q. And why those prayers between the Epistle and the Gospel !
ui. 1st. To place an interval between those two lessons.
2d. To give time to meditate on the former lesson.
3d. To give the deacon time to prepare for the Gospel.
Q. What means the Alleluia which is usually sung at the Gradual ?
-^. It is an invitation to pour forth praises to God because
of his groat mercies.
Alleluia is a Hebrew \yord which means, /jratse God,
Q. What comes after the Alleluia on great festivals!
A. A Prose.
Q. What is this prose ?
A. It is a hymn in praise of the mystery or of the saint
whose feast is celebrated.
In reading it, we find some particular characters of the
mystery which is celebrated, or of the saint who is honored.
Q. When there is no Alleluia, what is sung in its place ?
A. The Tract. This is also composed of prayers taken
from Scripture.
Q. Why is it so called ?
A. Because it is consecutively sung by one person.
Q. Why is the book changed to tie other side of the altar before the
Gosper?
A. To remind us that the Jews, having refused to receive
the Gospel, it was carried elsewhere.
Q. What warning is that for the faithful I
A. To beware of rebelling against the Gospel, lest the
same should happen to them.
Q. What does the deacon do before the Gospel !
A. 1st, he kneels and prays; 2d, he takes the book
from the altar with much respect ; 3d, he humbles himself
before the priest, asks his blessing, and kisses his hand.
OF THE EUCHARIST.
209
Scrip-
rradus
pelt
sons.
i.
>spel.
^radualt
}ecause
}od.
he saint
of the
Lonored.
•s taken
n.
jefore the
receive
lest the
le book
I himself
• Q. VJhj does he kueel and pray !
^. To beg of God that his lips and his heart may be
purified.
Q. Why does be take the book off the altar 'with respect t -■ >■
A. To show that he receives his mission from Jesus
Qirist.
Q. Why does he humble himself before the priest, asking his blessing
and kissing his hand ?
A. 1 o show his subjection to the priest who represents
Jesus Christ. - v, .
• Q. With what ceremony does the deacon sing the Gospel f • "^
A. 1st. He is preceded by lights and incense.
•2d. He carries the Gospel as it were in triumph.
3d. As soon as he appears, every ore rises and remains
standing.
Q. Why 18 he preceded by lights and incense!
A. To denote that the Go.«pel is that light and that good
odor which has dissipated all the darkness, and all the cor*
ruption of error and of sin.
Q. Why does he carry it as in triumph !
A. To denote the victory whicn the Gospel has obtained
over error and sin.
Q. Why do the people rise and remain standing I
A. 1st. Through respect for the Gospel.
2d. To testify that they are ready to render it all obedi<
ence.
Q. Why does the deacon salute the people with the words : The Lord
be with you I
A. 1st. To wish that the Lord may open their minds and
hearts to the truths which he is about to announce.
2d. To admonish them to increase their attention and re-
spect.
Q. What is the answer ?
A. " And with thy spirit."
Q. Why this answer ?
A. To ask for him the grace of which he has need, to the
end that he may worthily announce the Gospel.
Q. Why does the deacon make the sign of the cross on the Gospel f
A. To draw down that grace through the merits of the
Cross of Christ.
18*
;!?:;• .
210
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
11
Q. Why does he afterwards make it on his forehead, on his moath,
and un his heart, as also the assistauts ?
A. 1st To denote that they are not ashamed of the Gos-
pel, and that they will love it and confess it with their
mouth.
2d. To show that that holy sign shall be ever on their
forehead, on their moi.th, and on their heart, a sacred seal,
so that the devil may never attempt to turn them from their
resolution.
Q. Why is the deacon incensed ?
A. Through respect for the Gospel which he is about to
chant.
Q. Why is it that the officiating priest and the other dergy are in*
censed anil kiss the Qospel ?
A. To 'ecall the fact that the Gospel, having been pub*
lished in Jerusalem, was afterwards diffused throughout the
world by the odor of its virtue.
Q. What does the priest then do ?
A. He ascends the pulpit and explains the Gospel which
has just been sung.
Q. By what is this explanation accompanied ?
A. 1st. It is accompanied by prayers for all the Church.
2d. By the publication of things necessary to be known :
Such as fast-days, festivals, marriages, admonitions, the
ordinances of the bishops, and all other things of a like
nature.
Q. Why is the Credo sung !
A. In order to make a solemn profession of the truths
just announced, and of all the others in general.
Q. What comes after this profession of fiuth f
A. The Offertory.
2. JPVom the Offertory to the Preface.
Q. How does the Offertory commence f
A, It commences with the usual salutation : The Lord
be with you. Whereto the assistants answer : And with
thy spirit.
Q. What docs the priest then say aloud t
A. He says : Let us pray ; thereby admonishing the
people to redouble their prayers.
OP THE EUCHARIST.
211
} moaib,
[leGos-
h their
m their
ed seal,
im their
•ibout to
»y are ID-
sen pub*
;hout the
)el which
Church,
s known :
;ions, the
of a like
he truths
The Lord
And with
ishing the
i
Q. What does he then recite in a low voice !
A. He recites an anthem, which is the Offtrtory sung by
the choir.
Q. What does the priest do after this anthem f
A. He offers the bread, and then the wine, mingled with
a little water.
Q, Way does he bless the water and not the wine f
A. Because the water represents the people, and the wine
Jesus Christ.
Q. Why does he mingle water with the wine t
A. 1st. To imitate Our Lord, who mingled it with the
wine which he consecrated.
2d. To represent the union of the divine with the human
nature, and that of the faithful with Jesus Christ.
3d. To remind us of the blood and water which flowed
from the wounded side of Jesus Christ.
Q. Why does the deacon offer the chalice with the priest, reciting the
same prayer, and holding the foot of the chalice I
A, Because the deacon represents the people.
The people should, at the same time, unite in spirit with
the deacon, so as to make that offering conjointly with him,
Q. What does the priest tlien do ?
A. He recites some prayers, with the intention that the
sacrifice he offers may be agreeable to God.
During the first of these prayers he remains bowed
down; and during the second, he has his hands and eyes
raised to heaven ; then he makes the sign of the cross over
the wine.
Q. Why Joes he incense the gifts on the altar, praying at the same
timet
A, Ist. To do them honor.
2d. To beg of God that those gifls may ascend to him
like the smoke of incense.
Q. What does the priest then do ?
A, He receives the offerings of the people.
Q. What is now the principal offering I
A. Tlie blessed bread.
This is also called -&afo<7ta, which means in Greek, pmycr
or benediction^ because of the prayer and benedi<!tion of the
priest over that bread.
w
iili
I
n^
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. What is presented with the bread t '
A. A wax taper, to which is fastened a piece of money,
according to the ability of the person making the offering.
Q. Are the offerings, then, to be proportioned to the alality of ths
persoDS who make them }
A. Yes ; so God himself decreed in the old law. >
Q. To whom are tlie offerings made ? . ,
A. They are made to God.
Q. Why are we to offer to him a part of our wealt!i !
A. 1st. To thank him for all that we have received from
his bounty.
2d. To beg that he may continue to pour down his blesck
ings upon us.
Q. Who are they who are not worthy to present the offering t
A. 1st. Those who have not fulfilled their Ejister duty,
2d. Those who have enmity against any one.
3d. Those who would offer that which is not their own.
4th. Those who lead a scandalous life.
Q. Why is the blessed bread afterwards distiibuted amongst the
congregation ?
A, As a token of communion ; and in order to verify the
saying that we all participate in the same bread, those who
do not communicate, as well as those who do.
Q. Is it to be eaten in the church ?
A. No ; it is better to take it home.
If we adhered to what was regulated in several councils,
it would only be distributed after Mass ; which shows that
the intention of the Church is not that it should be eaten in
the church, but taken home by the people, shared with the
absent, and eaten with great respect, taking care not to let
it fall on the ground, for fear of profanation. r
Q. Why does the priest wash his fingers after the offering!
A. To have more of exterior cleanness. '
Q. What does this exterior cleanness denote ?
A. It denotes the interior purity necessary for those who
touch the body of Christ.
Q. What does the priest then do ?
A. He again offers the bread and wine to the Holy
Trinity, holding his hands Joined over the altar, and bowing
down very low.
OF THE EUCHARIST.
213
Q. In mcmoiy of what I
A. Of the Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
Q. And in honor of whom f
A. In honor of the Blessed Virgin, Saint John the Baptist,
the holy apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, and of all the
saints, especially all those whose relics are present.
Q. What does he do after that f
A. He recommends himself to the prayers of the congre-
gation.
Q. What does he say to them f
A. He says: Brethren, pray that my sacrifice and yours
may be acct'ptahle to God, the Father Almighty.
Saying this, he turns to them for the last time until after
the communion, as if to take leave of them, so as to apply
himself solely to the groat action which he is about to per-
form.
Q. What answer is made to this salutation f
A. May the Lord rectnve this sacrifice from thy hands,
to the praise and glory of his holy name, for our benefit and
that of all his holy Church.
Q. Whi4 prayer does the priest then say I
A. The Secret.
Q. Why is this prayer called the Secret t
A, Because it is .said in a low voice.
Some are of opinion that it was so called because it was
said over the gifts which were to be consecrated, after they
had been set apart and separated from the others.
Q. What follows the Secret ?
A. The Prelacc.
H
%
8. The Preface to the end of the Mass.
Q. What is the Preface ?
A. 1st. It is the introduction to the prayers of the Canon,
2d. It is an invitation to return thanks to the Lord for all
the blessings which we receive from him, and especially for
the great miracle which is about to be performed at the
consecration.
214
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. How does the Preface oommeocet
, A. It commences with i\n\ Per omnia, which is the con-
elusion of the Secret.
Q. What does the priest then do t
A, He salutes the people with the usual words : The
Lord be with you ; and is answered : And with thy
spirit.
Still he does not turn as before towards the people, be-
cause he has entered, as it were, Into the interior of the
sanctuary and the privacy of God, whence he will only
come out after the communion.
Q. What admonition does he give in these words: Surntm eorda;
raise your hearts to God ?
A. He admonishes the faithful to think of nothing but
Jesus Christ, who is about to immolate himself on the altar;
and to give up all worldly and earthly thoughts.
Q. What is the answer f
A, Habemus ad Dominum — ^we have them raised to the
Lord. With this assurance, on the part of the faithful, he
continues.
Q. To what does he then exhort them t
A. To return most humble thanks to God.
Q. What answer is given to this exhortation t
A. It is meet and just.
Q. What does the Pi'e&ce contain?
A. It contains a solemn act of thanksgiving for Jesus
Christ our Lord.
The priest there makes mention of the different orders of
angels who praise, honor, and worship God in holy trem-
bling.
In conclusion, he begs of God that our voices may be
joined to those of the angels, to render him the same honor
here on earth.
Q. How does the Preface end t
A. By a solemn protestation of the sanctity of God. The
Sancius is repeated three times : Holy, holy, holy is the
Lord God of hosts. The heavens and the earth are full of
his glory. Mosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who
Gometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
■\
OF THS KUCIIARI8T.
215
Q. What is meant by the word ffot^nna f
A. It is a Hebrew word which signiHes : Save now, save,
I beseech thee.
The 6rst is addressed to God, the secoiO'l to Jesus Christ.
Q. What does the priest do when ocMnmendng the jMvjen of the
Canou!
A. He raises his hands and eyes to heaven.
Q. What does he then do t
A. Ho bows down and kisses the altar.
Q. Whydoeehedothat?
A. To denote once more the great need which he has of
the assistance of God, and of the saints, because of his un-
worthiness.
Q. What is meant by the word Canon f
A. It is a Greek word meaning an order^ a rule^ an un-
changing law.
Hence, we are to understand, from this word, the fixed
and invariable rule of the consecration.
Q. How many prayers does the Canon contain t
A. It contains five.
Q. For vrhom does the priest pray in the first ?
A. Ho prays for all the Church ; especially for the Pope
who is its head, the Bishop of the diocese, the Sovereign of
the country, for those whom he wishes particularly to recom-
mend, and for all those who are present.
He also commemorates the Blessed Virgin and the
apostles, also some of the martyrs, begging the assistance
of their prayers.
Q, What docs the priest do while repeating the second prayer I
A. He extends nis hands over the oblation.
Q. What does he ask of God ?
A. Ist. He begs that that oblation may be pleasing to
him.
2d. That he may, of his great goodness, conduct our days
in peace.
3d. That he may vouchsafe to preserve us from damna-
tion, and place us in the number of the elect.
Q. What does the third prayer contain f
A. It contains the history of the institution of the
Eucharist and the consecration.
310
DOCTRINAL CATEOHISM.
■ I
!■ >i
IH '^
IH '
HI
ii
Q. Wliy (loestlio priest prostrate himself after the consecratioD 1
,^ A. To ailore Jo^us Christ present on the altar. v ".
Q. Why docs he raide the host, so a.s to be seen by the people f
A. lat. To imitate the elevation of Jesus on the cross,
r 2d. To nmke an oflTering of it to the Eternal Father.
3d. So as that all present may render their homage and
adoration.
Q. Why does the priest do the same after the ooiuiecration of the
wine?
A. For the same reasons.
Q. Why does the priest make the sign of the cross several times over
tlie host and over the chalice, both before and after the consecratbn 7
A: 1st. Before the consecration, it is to bless and sanctify
the gifts offered.
2d. After the consecration, it is to show that the sacrifice
of the Mass and that of the Cross arc but one and the same
sacrifice.
3d. That all the graces applied to us in that of the Mass
are the fruit of that of the Cross.
The priest makes a commemoration, in this prayer, of the
blessed Passion and Resurrection of Our Lord, and of his
glorious Ascension, begging of God that he may deign to
accept these gifts, as he did those of Abel, of Abraham, and
of Melchisedech, to the end that all those who participate
thereir. ay be filled with grace and heavenly blessings.
Q. For whom does the priest pray in the fourth prayer t
A. He prays for the faithfiil departed; both for those
whom he particularly recommends, and for all in general.
Q. What does he ask of God for them I
A. l.<<t. lie asks a place of refreshment after the scorching
flames of purgatory.
2d. He asks a place of light aft«r the darkness of their
prison.
8d. He asks a place of rest and peace after the anguish
of being so long deprived of the clear vision of God.
Q. What does the priest do during the fifth prayer t
A. Ho commemorates several of the saints, and solicits a
share in their happiness. This he begs for himself and all
who are present, striking his breast and confessing himself
a sinner, invoking the mercy of God.
OF TIIR EUCHARIST.
217
Q. What does he then do t
A. Ho raises the sacred host over the chalice, rendering
praise and glory to the Holy Trinity through Jesua Christ,
with Jesus Christ, and in Jesus Christ.
Q. How do those prayers commence which serve as a preparation for
oomm union f
A. They commence with the Lord's Prayer.
It is there that wo ask of God cur daily bread, that bread
which came down from heaven, and which surpasses eivery
other substance.
Q. Why do \ho subdeacon and the deacon successively hold up the
paten during the repetition of the Lord's Pmyer?
A. It is to warn the faithful to redouble their fervor, bo-
cause the time of communion is approaching.
Q. Why does the priest break the liost into three parts!
A. To imitate our Lord, who broke the bread when he
consecrated it.
Q. Why does he put one part in the chalice, with the precioufl
blood!
A. To make it more clearly manifest that the body and
blood of Jesus Christ are but one and the same sacrament.
. Q. Why does the priest repeat the Agnus Dei three times !
A. To denote tne necessity of having purity and peace in
order to make a good communion.
Q. Why is the kiss of peace then given !
A. To denote that we cannot worthily partake of the
flesh of the spotless Lamb without being in peace and con-
cord with our neighbor.
Q. Why does the priest kiss the altar before he gives the kisa of peace,
wishing it also to the deacon and the assistants ?
A, To show that he gives it not to others, until he has
himself received it from Jesus Christ.
Q. Why does the priest again recite some prayer before communion t
A, To solicit once more the dispositions necessary for
making a good communion.
Q. Why does he strike his breast three times, saying each time :
Lord, I am not worthy thou shouldst enter under my rool^ say but the
word and my soul shall be healed ?
A. To proclaim aloud his own unworthiness.
19
■■<!-.
i 1
III' I
P 1
il
218
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. Wbnt does he say, taking the botly of Jesui Christ f
A. lie says : May the body of our Lord Jesus Christ
preserve my soul to everlasting life. Amen.
Q. What does he say, taking the precious blood I
A. He says : May the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ pre-
serve my soul to everlasting life. Amen.
Q. What does he do after the conimunioD of the faithful!
A. He makes the ablutions, reciting prayers at the same
time.
Q. What is the purport of those prayers !
A. They tend to solicit the preservation of the graces re-
ceived in the holy communion.
Q. Is there any hidden meaning in the ceremony of carrying back
the book from the other side f
A. Yes ; it is emblematical of the return of the Gospel
to the Jews, and their consequent conversion before the end
of the world.
Q. How docs the Mass end ?
A. By an anthem which is called the Communion^ and a
prayer which is called the Post Communion.
Q. What ia the meaning of the words, Ite Miasa eatf
A. It is a permission for the people to retire.
The Benedicamus is an invitation to remain and continue
to pray.
Q. What do the people receive before they retire !
A. They receive the priest's blessing.
Q. Of what is that blessing the image I
J[. It is the image of that which Jesus Christ will bestow
upon his elect at the last day.
Q. What Gospel does the piiest recite at the altar just before he
returns to tlie sacristy ?
A. The Gospel of St. John, which speaks of the eternity
of the Son of God and his incarnation.
Sect. II. — On the Manner of hearing Mass,
Q. In what state must we be to hear Mass well ?
A. We must be in the state of grace, or at least in a sin-
cere desire to recover it, if unhappily we have lost it,
Q. When bave we this sincere desire ?
A. When we have a true sorrow for our sins, a sincere
t
lit
OF THE EUCHARIST.
219
resolution of sinning no more, and a posit! vo intention to
confess as soon as possible.
Q. Is tho sacrifice of tbo Moss as profitable to the absent as to thoM
who nrc preaeut ?
A. It is more profitable to those who are present, oven
supposing both to have tho same dispositions.
Q. Is it, therefore, a holy practice to assist at it every day ?
A. Yes, most holy and most beneficial.
Q. Why most holy f
A. Because nothing is more proper to sanctify us.
Q. "W hy most benrficial f
A. Because, by assisting at Mass in a proper manner, we
gain many advantages : these arc the fruits of the sacrifice
of the Cross applied to us, and capable of remedying all
our corporal and spiritual evils.
Q. What is necessary to be done iu oiJer to profit by those great
odvnntnges t
A. It is necessary to go there with modesty and recollec-
tion ; to imagine ourselves amongst the faithful of Jerusa-
lem, who followed Jesus Christ going to Calvary loaded with
his tToss, and to mingle our tears with theirs.
Q. Is it for Jesus Christ that we should weep ?
A. No ; it is chiefly for ourselves.
Q. Why?
A. Because it is our sins which have been the cause of his
death.
Q. What is to be done on entering the church ?
A. To take some holy water in a spirit of faith and com-
punction.
Q. Why in. a spirit of faith f
A. 1st. To remember the efficacy of that water in Bap-
tism,
2d. To consider it as water sanctified by the prayers of
the Church.
Q. Why in a spirit of compunction ?
A. In order to obtain, by the use of that sanctified water,
the remission of our daily faults.
Q. How are we to regard the church on entering ?
A. We are to regard it as the house of God, where he
dv/ells night and day in the midst of his holy angels.
220
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM,
m
K -I
I
it i '
110
I:
I" i
|i
III .,
3 II'
Q. What is the first action which we are to perform !
A. To adore God with the most profound homage.
Q. Wh.t is next to be done ?
A. To direct the intention.
Q. What intention are we to liave in heanng Mass ?
A. 1st. To honor God through Jesus Christ, ^
2d. To obtain the remission of our sins.
3d. To solicit all the necessary graces.
4th. To return thanks for those already received.
While awaiting the commencement of the Mass, it is well
to reflect on the Eternal Word clothing himself with our
humanity, and to consider his excessive love for men, which
reduced him to such an abject condition.
Q. In what posture are we to hear Mass ?
A. In an humble and modest posture. If it be a low
mass, we are to continue kneeling during the whole time of
mass, except while the Gospels are read. If it be a high
mass, we are to observe the usual positions.
Q. What are we to do during Mass ?
A. We are to pray to God from the beginning to the
end, either interiorly or exteriorly. Those who know how
to read, should have an Exercise of the Mass, and follow it.
Those who cannot read, may recite the beads with attention.
Q. Might we occupy ourselves with the Passion of Our Lord f
A. Yes, and very profitably. Allowing ourselves to be
penetrated with the sentiments of the Blessed Virgin, St.
John, and St. Mary Magdalen at the foot of the Cross on
Calvarv.
V
Q. Is it proper to communicate as often as we hear Mass ?
A. Yes, it is very proper to do so, at least spiritually.
Q. What is meant by spiritual communion ?
A, It is the inviting or attracting Jesus Christ to enter
into the heart, together with all his graces.
Q. Howl
A. By ardently desiring to receive him, lamenting our
being deprived of that happiness, and humbling ourselves
because we are not in a condition to obtain it.
Q. Is that all that is to be done ?
A. We are also to make a firm resolution to put our-
selves in the way of communicating sacramentally.
OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE.
221
Q. What are we to do after Mass ?
A. We are to remain for a short time, in order to thank
God.
Q. What are we to think of while returning from Mass f
A. We are to meditate on the contrition of those who
struck their breasts returning from Calvary.*
Or on the joy of the shepherds returning from the stable
where they had seen and adored Jesus Christ.f
-»»»•
CHAPTER IX.
OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCK.
Q. What is Penance ?
-^. It is a sacrament which remits the sins committed
after Baptism.
Q. What sins does Penance remit ?
A. It remits the sins committed after Baptism.
Q. Does it also remit the sins committed before Baptism ?
A. No ; it does not.
Q. Why?
A. Because one cannot receive Penance until after Baptism.
Q. Why so?
A. Becfuise one cannot receive any sacrament until they
are in the Church.
It is Baptism which introduces us into the Church and
gives us a right to the other sacraments.
Hence, so long as we remain outside the Church, we can
neither receive Penance, nor any other sacrament.
Baptisn^ is the gate of the sacraments ; and it is neces-
sary to pass through it in order to arrive at the others.
Q. What saci'ament is it, then, which remits the sins committed be-
fore Baptism ?
A. It is Baptism.
♦ 8t Luko xxiii. 48.
19*
t St Luke IL 2a
222
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
i i
Baptism has not only the virtue of remitting original sin,
but also all the sins actually committed before receiving it.
Q. Are there no sins committed after Baptism which Peoance does
not remit ?
A. No ; there are none which it does not remit.
Q. But supposing the sin was very ^eat and enoimous ?
A. No matter how great or how enormous it may be,
Penance has the virtue of remitting it.
Providing that it be submitted to that sacrament, and
that the penitent has the necessary dispositions. What is
said with regard to the enormity of the sin, may also be
said of the number.
Q. Does Penance do nothing more than remit sin f
A. 1st. It reconciles us to God, by giving us the grace
which sanctifies ; that is to say, from being the enemies of
God, it restores us to his friendship.
2d. It gives us back our right to heaven, which we had
forfeited.
3d. It usually changes the eternal punishment *o a
temporal punishment,
4th. It restores the merit of past good works.
Behold how many advantages we derive from Penance.
Q. Who instituted this sacrament ! ,
A. Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Q. When did he institute it?
A. Principally on the day of his resurrection.
He had before said to St. Peter in particular : Thou art
Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it ; and I will give to
thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven : and whatsoever
thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven ;
and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be
loosed also in heaven.*
And to his apostles in genera' : Whatsoever you shall
bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven ; and what-
soever you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed also in
heaven.f
• Cone Trill. 8ess. xlil. c. 1 ; St. Matt. xvl. 19.
t St Matt xviii. 18.
^
OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE.
223
HISTORY
or tlie institntion of Penanoe.
Q. On what occasion did Jesus Christ iastitute Penance !
A. Principally during his fiist appearance to his apostles
on the day of his resurrection.*
Q. Tell U3 the circumstances connected ■with it.
A, 1st. He suddenly stood in the midst of them, the doors
being shut,f whereupon they were troubled and affrighted,
supposing that they saw a spirit.
2d. He showed them his hands and his sides, in order to
prove to them that it was he himself.
3d. Ho twice said to them : Peace be with you, so as to
.calm their minds, and to make them feel that being victori-
ous over death and hell, he breathed nought but peace, and
thought only of communicating it to them.
4th. He said to them : As my Father hath sent me, so I
also send you.
By these words, he communicated to them his power, and
gave them a right of jurisdiction over all the earth.
5th. He breathed on them, and said : Receive ye the
Holy Ghost.
By that action, and by those words, he made them new
men, imparting to them his own spirit.
6th. He finally said to them : Whose sins you shall for-
give, they are forgiven them ; and whose sins you shall re-
tain, they are retained.
Q. What power did they then receive t
A. They received the power of forgiving and retaining
sins.
Q. ao •whom did they communicate this power ?
A. To the priests.
Q. When do priests remit sins ?
A. When they give absolution.
Q. When do priests retain sins ? •
A. When they refuse to give absolution.
Q. How many parts has Penance ?
A. It has three parts : Coniritioji, Confession, and Saiis-
faction
* St. John XX. 28.
t St Lnke xxlv. 86.
-4fr(ffir
224
ii
\im
'I'M'
I!
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
ARTICLE I.
ON CONTaiTION.
Q. "What is contrition ?
A. It is a sorrow and a detestation for sin committed,
with a firm purpose of sinning no more.
Q. What is the meaning of the word contrition f
A. It means rending ; because contrition, when it is true,
rends the heart.
Q. What does contrition comprise ?
A. It comprises three things.
Q. Which is the fii-st?
A. Interior sorrow.
The sorrow must be interior ; that is to say, in the heart
and soul, not merely on the tongue, in the eyes, or in any
outward manifestation. This is what is meant by interior
contrition ; and it is only just that contrition should be felt
in the heart and soul, since it is from the heart and soul
that sin comes forth.
Q. What is this interior contrition ?
A. It is a true and sincere sorrow for having offended
God. . ,
Q. How great should this sorrow be ?
A. It should be greater than if one had lost a kingdom.
G)iisequently, greater than when one has lost a father, a
mother, a friend, a relation; health or wealth; because
God should be dearer to us than all these things ; and this
is what is meant by saying that contrition must be sove-
reign,
Q. What is meant by saying that it must be supernatural f
A. That is, that it must be excited in tne heart by an in-
terior movement of the Holy Ghost.
Q^ What is meant by saying that it must be universal !
A. That is, that it must extend over all mortal sins, with-
out any exception.
If there were even one mortal sin excepted, we could not
obtain the remission of any.
What is said of the sorroxo^ is also to be said of the
detestation and the Jirm purpose.
nil
OP THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE.
225
flitted,
is true,
e heart
in any
interior
be felt
md soul
)frended
gdom.
ither, a
because
and this
36 sove-
>y an in-
ns, with-
ould not
i of the
Q. Which 13 the second I
A. It Is the detestation of the sin which one has committed.
Q. What is this detestation ?
A. it is a sovereign hatred of sin,
Q. What does sovereign mean ?
A. It means without an equal.
Q. Why must we have a sovereign hatred of sin !
A. Because sin is the greatest of all evils.
Of all the evils attendant on man, war, famine, pestilence,
or any other, none is so great as sin.
It is sin that has introduced all other evils into the world,
and will be the cause of all the evils of eternity.
It is sin that disfigures our soul, rendering it like unto the
devil, and more hideous than the most hideous death.
It is sin which crucifies Jesus Christ again in our souls,
and banishes the Holy Ghost.*
Finally, it is sin which debars us for ever from heaven,
and casts us into hell for all eternity. What can, then, be
more hateful !
Q. What is the third ?
A. It is the firm purpose.
Q. What is the firm purpose ?
A. It is a true and sincere resolution to sin no more.
It is not a desire, a wish, or merely a design, but a firm
resolution to sin no more.
When we have really made such a resolution, if we saw
death on one side and sin on the other, and that we were
obliged to make a choice, we would choose to die rather
than to offend God.
EXAMPLE.
The death of the seven Maccabees and many glorious martyrs.— 2 Mao, vlL
Q. What are the marks of the firm purpose ?
A. 1st. A change of life; 2d, avoiding the occasions of
sin ; 3d, endeavouring to overcome ono*s bad habits.
Q. How many marks are there ?
A. There are three.
♦ Heb. vL 6.
riiJ* ..-, 7.£JD«
m
I'iii
[1
"IF
i'li
226
DOCTRINAL CATEClilSM.
It is leading a different life from that which we for-
Q. Which la the first ?
A. A change of life.
Q. What is a chauge of life ?
A.
merly led.
If we were proud, we must be humble ; if we were idle,
disobedient, or addicted to lying, we must become industri-
ous, obedient, and truthful. If we were intemperate, or in
the habit of swearing or of calumniating our neighbor, we
must become temperate, and refrain from swearing, or
calumniating. St. Paul, before his conversion, was the
enemy of Jesus Christ, of the Gospel, and of all Christians ;
after his conversion, he is the apostle of Jesus Christ, the
preacher of the Gospel, and the father of Christians.* Behold
what is meant by a change of life!
Q. Wliat is the secon 1 mark ?
A. It is avoiding the occasion of sin.
Q. Why must those occasions be avoided ?
A. Because they do not fail to lead us back into sin.
The Holy Ghost has said : He who loves the danger shall
perish in it.f
As if he said, " You are resolved to sin no more, but you
are weak ; you must, therefore, shun all places, all persons,
and all things, that have been to you an occasion of sin ;
otherwise you shall relapse into sin."
St. Peter immediately went out from the place where he
had sinned, and returned there no more.J This is the ex-
ample which must be followed.
Q. What is the third mark ?
A. Laboring to overcome our bad habits.
Q. What do you understand by bad liabits ?
A. I understand certain predominant sins to which we are
the most inclined.
In one person it is anger, in another intemperance ; in one
slander, in another sloth ; in one vanity, in another avarice.
Q. Why must we labor to overcome these bad habits ?
A. Because if they are not destroyed, they soon lead us
back into sin.
* Acts iz.
♦ Eccl Ui. 27.
% St. Matt. zxtL 75.
4.
OF THE BACRAMENT OF PENANCE.
227
efor-
i idle,
iustri-
, or in
or, we
ng, or
as the
stians •,
ist, the
Behold
sin.
ger
See in thclife of It Jerome all that he undertook in order
to overcome his habitual inclinations.
Q. What is the coDdition of him who falls again into sin after having
been once converted ?
A. He is in a worse condition than he was before.*
Q. Why is his last state worse than his first ?
A. 1st. Because he despises all the mercies of the Lord.
What can be more insulting to God !
2d. Because he tramples under foot the blood of the New
Testamentf by the bad use of the graces received in the
sacraments.
3d. Because he enters anew into the slavery of the devil,
and this slavery is still more dreadful than the first.
For, that of the true proverb hath happened to them:
The dog is returned to his own vomit : and the sow that
was washed to her wallowing in the mire. J
Q. How many sorts of Contrition are there ?
A. There are two sorts : the one perfect, and the other
imperfect, which is called Attrition.
Sect. I. — On Perfect Contrition*
Q. What is perfect Contrition ?
A. it is a sorrow for having offended God, because he is
supremely good.
Q. What is it that excites this sorrow ?
A. The love which we conceive at sight of the sovereign
goodness of God.
The sinner then attentively considers God and his sover-
eign goodness ; he finds him amiable, he loves him, and
grieves for having offended him.
The penitent Magdalen bursts into tears at the feet of
Jesus, and Jesus says to Simon : I say to thee, many sins
are forgiven her, because she hath loved much.§ This is the
model of perfect contrition.
We see the same manifested in the person of David and
of St. Peter, whose tears were inexhaustible.
Q. What does this love operate in the heart ?
A. It operates a true change.
* St. Matt. xil. 45.
t Heb. X. 29.
2 Peter 11. 22.
St. Luke vii. 4T.
228
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
.
!l'
'
I'l I
Q. How?
A. By detaching the heart from sin and attaching it to
God.
Q. What is thiia change called f
A. It is called conversion or Justification f
Conversion^ because the sinner returns to God, from
whom he had turned away to attach himself to sin.
Justijication^ because from being a sinner, be becomes
just.
Q. Is there any true conversion without this change I '
A, No ; there is not, and cannot be.
It is for us to beg of God humbly and sincerely that ho
may give us that love which changes the heart.
Sect. II. — On Attrition.
Q. What is attrition ?
A. It is a sorrow for having offended God, through the
shame of having committed sin, or the fear of receiving
punishment.
Q. What is the meaning of the word attrition?
A. It means imperfect rending.
Because it does but commence to rend the hciart, whereas
perfect contrition rends it entirely.
Q. What 801T0W does attrition contain ?
A. It contains sorrow for having offended God, through
the shame of having committed sin, or the fear of receiving
punishment.
Q. What is it that excites this sorrow !
A. The shame of having committed sin, or the fear of
being punished for it.
Q. Are that shairte and that fear good f
A. Yes, when they are founded on faith.
For, faith teaches us that nothing is more shameful in the
eyes of God and his angels than to commit sin, and that he
who commits it incurs an eternal punishment, if his sin be
of the number of those which are called mortal.
Q. Does attrition of itself justify the sinner f
A. No ; but it disposes him to receive the grace of justi-
OP THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE.
229
fication by absolution, in which the efficacy of the sacrament
of Penance principally consists.
Q. To what docs attrition dispose the sinner ?
A. It disposes him to receive the grace of justificat'on
Q. What is the gi-nce of justification ?
A. h is that which renders us just, because it puts us in
the state of grace.
Q. By what means do we receive this giace of justification f
A. By absolution, in which the efficacy of the sacrament
of Penance chiefly consists.
Q. Why 80?
' A. Because absolution is the complement of the perfection
of this sacrament. It is the sentence which the priest pro-
nounces over the penitent, and which completes his justifica-
tion, when he has on his part the necessary dispositions.
Q. What are the dispositions necessary for justification ?
A. It must, firstly, be excited in the heart by a movement
of the Holy Ghost, and not merely by a natural impulse ;
secondly, it must debar the will from sinning ; thirdly, it
must contain the hope of pardon.
See -page 138, the dispositions necessary for being justified.
Q. What is the first disposition ?
A. That it must be excited in the heart by a movement
of the Holy Ghost, and not merely by a natural impulse.
The contrition of Saul and of Antiochus was useless, be-
cause it was not excited in the heart by a movement of the
Holy Ghost, but only by a natural impulse.*
Q. What is the second condition ?
A, That it must debar the will from sinning ; which in-
cludes a beginning of the love of God, because it is only the
love of God that is capable of changing the heart. The
general assembly of the clergy of France, in 1700, declares
that no one can consider himself secure^ unless in the two
sacraments of Baptism and Penance, {besides the acts of faith
and hope,) he begins by loving God as the source of all jus-
tice.
Useless contrition of Pharaoh and of Simor the magician,
because it did not debar the will from sinning. f
'it ,
* 1 Kings XV. ; 2 Mac. iz.
20
t Exod. ylL and foL ; Acts viU.
-f
'J
M
I I:
lllil
IP i
■J i!
"Ill 11!
• : I
i
230
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. What is the third condition t
A. That it must contain the hope of pardon. '
The contrition of Cain and of Judas was useless, because
it did not contain the hope of pardon.* i
Q. What difference is there between perfect contrition and attrition I
A. 1st. The one is caused by love, and the other by shame
or fear. 2d. The one justifies the sinner, and the other only
disposes him for justification.
Q. Which is preferable?
A, Perfect contrition. '
ARTICLE II.
ON OONFBSSIOK.
Q. What is Confession ?
A. It is an accusation of all one's sins, made to the priest,
in order to obtain absolution.
Q. Why do you say that Confession is an accusation f
A. Because the sinner therein accuses himself.
If we do not now accuse ourselves, the devil shall one
day accuse us. By accusing ourselves now we shall obtain
pardon ; but if we wait till the devils accuse us, there will
be no pardon for us.
There must, therefore, be neither excuse nor prevarica-
tion in our accusation, but simplicity, candor, and sincerity.
Q. Why do you say that it is an accusation of all one's sins ?
A. Because it would be a great evil to conceal even one
mortal sin.
It is necessary to confess every mortal sin, because one
cannot be remitted without the other.
With regard to venial sins, although there is not the same
obligation, yet it is good to confess them all, the better to
manifest the state of the soul, and also because one might
easily be mistaken by regarding as venial what might be
mortal.
* Qen. iv. ; 8t. Matt zxtU.
>3
OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE.
231
I Q. Wliy do you say that it ia an accusatioD of one's sins f
A. Because wc are only to confess our own sins, and not
those of otliers.
We are to accuse ourselves so as not to make known the
sins of another without necessity, and then to choose a con-
fessor, if possible, who knows nothing of the person of
whom we have to speak.
Q. Why do you say that it is an accusation of sins ?
A. Because we are only to tell the evil that we have
done.
In confession, we are not to speak of our virtues, or our
good works, or any other matter ; we are only to speak of
our sins, and that clearly, precisely, and in as few words as
possible. It is not necessary to repeat At every sin :
Father, I accuse myself; it is enough to say it at the begin-
ning, then say : 1 have done such a thing so many times,
without waiting to be asked. If we want to ask advice on
any subject, we must wait till after confession.
Q. To whom must this accusation be made ?
A. It must be made to a priest, because it is only priests
who are empowered to hear it. Jesus Christ gave this
power to his apostles, who have transmitted it to them.*
Q. Why must this accusation be made to the priest ?
A. In order to obtain absolution. What sweetness !
what goodness ! what mercy on the part of God ! Men are
placed before earthly judges to be condemned j before the
priest, to be absolved !
Q. What is the virtue of absolution ?
A. It is that of effacing sin and remitting eternal punish-
ment, lie who would attentively consider this virtue, must
needs be moved to make a good confession.
, Q. Who are worthy of this absolution ?
A. They who are well disposed.
Q. When aie we well disposed ?
A. When we give proofs of a true and sincere conversion.
When we have a true sorrow for having offended God,
a true detestation of sin, and a true purpose of sinning no
more, with a resolution to make satisfaction to God and our
M
* St John XX. 28.
332
DOCTRINAL CATECIII8M.
ii
neighbor ; these arc the unfailing proofs of a sincere con-
version.
Q. Who ai'c unworthy of absolution?
A. They who arc ill-disposed.
Q. Wh«n arc they ill-disposed ?
A. When they do not give proof of a true and sincere
conversion.
Q. Who are those persons !
A. 1st. They who are ignorant of the truths essential to
salvation.
2d. They who have neither contrition nor firm purpose.
3d. They who often fall iatotho same mortal sinp.
4th. They who will not give up the immediate occasions
of sin.
5th. They who refuse to forgive or make restitution.
Such arc all those who keep bad books, dangerous songs,
immodest pictures, and also women and girls who dress in
an immodest manner.
Q. How arc they to act whose dispositions appear doubtful?
A. They ought, by the advice of their confessor, to take
time to render those dispositions certain.
And, in the mean time, to make use of all those means
prescribed by their confessor.
Q. W hy are all those things to be observed ?
A. To the end that the penitent may not render himself
guilty of receiving absjolution badly.
Nothing is more to be feared than this; because it would
render the sinner guilty of the profanation of a sacrament
which applies to us the merits of the blood of Jesus Christ.
Q. How must we declare our sins ?
A. We must declare their number, their different quali-
ties, and the considerable circumstances connected with
each.
Q. What is meant by their number ?
A. It means the number of times that ench sin has been
committed. For instance, if one has lied ien times, it is
not enough to say : I have lied ; but it is necessary to add :
ten times, and so on with other sins.
If, after a careful examination, we cannot precisely tell
the number we must tell it as nearly as we can.
T
OF THK SACRAMENT OF PENANCE.
233
Q. Whftt is meant by their different qualities f
A. The dirtl'i-ent kinds of the same sin.
For instance, there are four kinds of swearing: simple
swearing, wiien one swears with trutlj, hut without neces-
sity ; swearing contrary to the truth, which is called per*
jvrif ; swearing against God, which is called blasphemy ;
and swearing by wishing evil t<» one's self or others, which
is called imprecation or malediction. In this case, it is not
suflicient to say : I have sworn so many times, hut also
what kind of swearing, and so on with the other sins which
arc divided into several kinds.
Q. What is meant by the considerable circumstances f
A, Those circumstances which render the sin consider-
ably greater.
For instance, if one has taken fj'om another twenty dollars,
it is (I greater sin than if they took only six ; and if those
twenty dollars were taken from a poor man, it is a greater
sill than if they were taken from a rich man. It is, there-
fore, necessary to mention those circumstances which much
increase the sin, and so with tho others.
Q. \» it necessary to declare them all ?
A. Yes ; if one wilfully conceals any mortal sin, they do
not receive the remission of their sins, and moreover com-
mit a sacrilege.
Q. Why do they not receive the remission of their sins f
A. Because mortal sins cannot be remitted the one with-
out the other.
The sin which is concealed is not remitted ; so neither
can the others be remitted.
Q. What happens to those who wilfully conceal any mortal sin?
A. 1st. They do not receive the remission of their sins.
2d. They commit a sacrilege.
Q. Why do they commit a sacrilege ?
A. Because they profane the sacrament which they re-
ceive.
Hence, their confession serves only to add a sacrilege to
their sins. It would be better never to confess, than to con-
fess in that way. This misfortune befalls the sinner as often
as he wilfully conceals a mortal sin, either of thought or
desire, word, deed, or omission.
20*
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mm
'i.
234
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Ml
f,<
m,
i:.:
To avoid this misfortune, it is necessary :
1st. To choose a confessor in whom they may have entire
confidence.
2d. To remember that God will publish before the whole
world, at the day of judgment, the sins which are hidden in
confession. ^
Q. In how many ways are sins wilfully withheld in confession ?
^. In four ways: 1st, through neglect; 2d, through
shame ; 3d, through fear ; 4th, through malice.
Q. How are they withheld through neglect ?
A. By not maUing the examination of conscience with the
necessary care and attention.
As the matter is one of the utmost importance, too much
care and attention cannot be given to it.
Q How are they with' eld through eh ime ?
A. When shame prevents the sinner from declaring them.
The shame will be much greater when the sinner shall
have to appear before Jesus Christ at the hour of death, and
at the last judgment, in the presence of men and angels.
We should commence by telling those which we are most
unwilling to tell.
Q. How are they withheld through fear ?
A. When they are retained through fear of what the con-
fessor may think.
And what cause is there for fear 1 If the confessor be a
judge, he is a judge of clemency and of goodness ; and he
is 11 kewise a compassionate father and a charitable physician.
Moreover, he is strictly bound to secrecy, under penalties
so rigorous, that there is nothing;, to fear.
It may be further necessary to observe, that if any one,
being near a confessional, should chance to hear any thing
of the confession, he is likewise bound to keep it secret.
So it is with any one who might find a confession written;
if any portion of it were read inadvertently, it would be
very wrong to continue reading it deliberately.
Q. How are sins withheld through malice ?
A. When they are knowingly and wilfully concealed.
The priest indeed says to those deceitful penitents : I
absolve you ; but Jesus Christ says to them : I condemn
you. The priest says : I open heaven to you ; but Jesus
OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE.
235
itire
hole
m in
I
■ough
ththe
much
them.
r shall
th, and
els.
•e most
ihe Con-
or be a
and he
ysician.
enalties
>aled.
itents: I
condemn
)ut Jesus
Christ says : I open hell to you. The priest says : Go in
peace ; but Jesus Christ says : Go with my curse.
When there is neither neglect, nor shame, nor fear, nor
malice, the penitent is not guilty, and he receives the re-
mission of the sins forgotten, as well as those which he has
confessed; always on condition that he accuse himself of
them as soon as he remembers them, at farthest, at his next
confession.
Q. What is necessary to be done, in order to obtmn an exact knowl-
edge of all one's sins ?
A. We must examine ourselves on the commandments
of God and of the Church, and consider what sins we have
committed against each.
Q. On what are we to examine ourselves f
A. On the commandments of God and of the Church.
Q. Why?
A. To consider what sins we have committed against
each : whether by thought or desire, word, deed, or omis-
sion.
Wo may also go through the seven capital sms.
It is, moreover, necessary to examine ourselves on the
particular obligations of the state in which we are engaged.
Parents owe to their children love, education, instruction,
good example, and correction. Chi Id ren owe to their parents
love, respect, obedience, and assistance ; so on with the
others.
In order to find out these sins, it is only necessary to re-
view one's daily occupations, the places where we have been,
and the persons with whom one has associated.
One may also make use of a book of examination ; and
if they distrust their memory, they can write.
Q. How is it necessary to exa"iine one's self ?
A. With much care and attention.
Q. What must be done, in order to make a proper examination t
A. 1st. To retire to a private place, away from noise and
bustle.
2d. To implore the lights of the Holy Ghost.
3d. To reflect that this examination may be the last we
shall live to make.
4th. To give it the necessary time and attention.
Km 'I'
hm .'I
I ;:;ii
!yii
i ;;
:li
.. DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
f. With these precautions, and the habit of examining one*s
self every evening, and confessing at least once a month,
the examination before confession becomes easy.
Q. Is the confession of veDlal sins absolutely necessary }
A. No ; but it is very useful, and the absolution received
for them gives an increase of grace.
Q. Why is the confession of venial sins not absolutely necessaiy f
A. Because they may be remitted by other means.
'^ Q. By what means ?
A. 1st. By an act of contrition, or an act of charity.
Without a motion of grace or of charity, these sins can-
not be remitted.
When we perfectly love God, we hate all that is dis-
pleasing to him.
2d. By the recitation of the Conjiteor.
We therein confess our sins in general, and strike our
breast, because we are sorry for having committed sin.
This is the reason why the Church causes it to be recited at
Prime and Complin, and at the beginning of Mass.
3d. By the repetition of the Lord's Prayer.
Because in it there are found those words : Forgive us
our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
We should always repeat those words with a heart full of
compunction.*
4th. By prayer, alms, and fasting.
What St. Augustine calls a daily penance for our daily
sins.f
We are, therefore, to pray, to give alms, and to fast,
with the intention of expiating our daily faults by penance.
; 5th. By the holy us*? of blessed bread and holy water.
The Church, in blessing these, begs that the faithful who
make a holy use of them, may be purified, receiving health
both of soul and body. They are, therefore, to be used with
piety and respect.
6th. By the blessing of bishops, and even of priests.
When we humble ourselves, heart and mind, because of our
sins, before those who are the representatives of Jesus
Christ.
i
I
i
♦ St. Aug. Ep. 103; Horn. ult. Inter. 50.
tIbM.
OP THE SACRAMENT OP PENANCE.
237
nth,
:ved
rt
can-
j dis-
e our
i sin.
ted at
ive us
nst us.
full of
daily
to fast,
enance.
ater.
ful who
health
sed with
priests.
56 of our
of Jesus
Q. Do these means exclude the confeasion of venial sins t
. A. No; on the contrary, it is always profitable.
Q. Why?
A. Because the absolution which we receive for them
gives us a fresh supply of grace.
Q. What does that gi'ace operate in us ?
A. It effaces those sins.
We are to bring to ihe confession of venial sins a true
contrition, including a true sorrow, a true detestation, with
a true and firm purpose; otherwise the sacrament would be
null and void, and would render us guilty. Hence it is that
those who have only venial sins to confess cannot be too
careful.
Q. How many sorts of confession are there ?
A. There are two sorts : public confession, and secret or
auricular confession.
Q. What is public confession?
A, That which was in use in the days of public penance.
It was made aloud in the church, in presence of all the
faithful.
Q. What is secret or auricular confession ?
A. It is divided into particular and general confession,
Q. What is the particular confession ?
A. It is a confession of the sin committed since the last
confession made.
Q. What is the general confeasion ?
A. It is a confession of all the sins of one's whole life,
from the first moment of the use of reason till the time of
its being made.
All one's sins are then to be told whether they had been
already confessed or not.
When sins ai;e then remembered which were never be-
fore confessed, it is necessary to apprise the confessor
thereof, and tell him the reason why they were not con-
fessed.
The particular confession is to be first made, in order that
the confessor may know the present state of the conscience.
Q. When is it proper to make a general confession ?
A. When one knouts or doubts that he may b. made
238
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
if'«i||
Ijilli
"I
ill!
some bad confessions. Then the general confession ; or, at
least, a review is necessary, in order to place the conscience
in a good state.
Q. When is it necessary to make a geoeral confession!
A. 1st. Before the first communion. ,: , s a
2d. Before making choice of a state. . ■. ■
3cl. At the end of life.
Q. Why before the first communion 1 , ; - f
A. In order to make a better preparation.
Besides, there is reason to fear for the confessions made
before that time. •. . ,i
Q. Why before making choice of a state !
A. To draw down the lights and blessings of which one
has need.
Q. Why at the end of life ?
A. In order to prepare one's self for a happy death. . ,
On the manner of Confessing.
Q. What is to be done, when one is prepared for confession ?
A. They are then to go to the church. There must be
nothing careless or negligent in the dress or outward appear-
ance : the sacrament demands that respect and attention.
Q. What is the first thing to be done ?
A. To humble ourselves before God, and beg of him the
grace to make a good confession ; we are then to ask the
Blessed Virgin and our good angel to assist us.
Q.- In what posture are we to confess ?
^. In a kneeling posture, the eyes cast down and the
hands joined ; the gloves are to be taken off, as also the
muff, sword, (if there be one,) &;c.
Q. How miwt we commence ?
A. By making the sign of the cross, asking the confessor's
blessing, and reciting the Conjiteor as far as. the mea culpa^
either in Latin or one's own tongue, remaining bowed down
all the time.
The formula for asking the blessing is: Benedic mihi^
Pater, quia peccavi ; or, Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.
During the confession, we are to give no other name to
the confessor than that oi father : that being a name which
inspires confidence. It is also necessary to turn so as not
!J r
OF THE SACRAMENT OF FENANCE.
239
)r, at
ienoe
made
ch one
nust be
appear-
iition.
him the
1 ask the
and the
also the
>nfessor'9
tea culpa^
red down
'die mihif
ve sinned.
r name to
^me which
so as not
to face the confessor, and to put one's head so near as not
to be heard by any one.
Q. How must the confessor be considered ?
A. As though he were Jesus Christ himself.
Q. Why?
A. Because he holds his place.
Q. What is the first thing to be told him ? '
A. 1st. The time of our last confession ; 2d, whether we
then received absolution ; 3d, whether we performed the
penance imposed upon us.
Q, By what sins are we to commence ?
A. By those which we have the greatest reluctance to
tell ; and then all the sins that we can remember, taking
care to mention their number, their different qualities, and
the considerable circumstances connected with each.
Q. What are we to say at the end ?
A. " And I also accuse myself generally of all the other
sins which I may have committed, and do not remember ;
I beg God's pardon for them, I am sorry for them, and am
resolved to sin no more, with the help of God's grace :
I ask penance and absolution from you, father," then finish
the Cotifiteor, bowing down.
Q. How are we to receive the advice of our confessor ?
A. We must receive it with great respect: hearing him
as though it were Jesus Christ himself, in whose name he
^peaks to us.
Q. How are we to receive our penance I
A. We must receive it with great submission ; and when
the confessor thinks fit to put off giving us absolution, we
must humbly acquiesce, knowing that he has only our own
good in view ; and we are to do exactly what he tells us,
in order to render ourselves worthy of it.
Q. How are wc to receive absolution ?
A. We are to receive it in all humility, and wholly pene-
trated with sorrow for our sins.
Q. What are we to think of, in order to excite in our minds a greater
detestation of sin ?
A. We are to think that we are at the foot of the cross
of Christ, and that his precious blood is flowing to wash
away our sins.
' iWr^-
il'l'll
i li
240
DOCnilNAL CATECHISM.
Q. It is iioi ii.v u;^Ii, then, to pronounce an act of contrition f
A. No ; unless the heart pronounces it as well as tho
mouth.
Q. What are we to do on going from the confessional I
A. Wc are to prostrate ourselves before Jesus in the
holy sacrament.
Q. Why?
A. 1st. To thank him for the grace just received.
2cl. To make new protestations of fidelity to him.
3d. To reflect on the advice of our confessor and engrave
it on our heart.
Q. When and how are we to accomplish our penance f
A. As soon and as faithfully as we possibly can.
Q. Is it proper to epeak to any one of our penance or of what our
confessor has told us ?
A. No ; we must be careful not to speak of any thing that
passes at confession.
1 1
II
;;>:i:|jil!'
ARTICLE III.
ON BATISFAOTIOM.
Q. What is satisfaction ?
A. It is a reparation due to God and our neighbor for the
injury done them.
Q. When do we do an injury to God ?
A. When we disobey his commandments. It is a griev-
ous injury to resist so high an authority.
See how he punished the first disobedience of our first
parents.
We would not dare to disobey our earthly rulers before
their face, and yet we dare to disobey God before his face.
What blind temerity !
Q. When do we injure our neighbor ?
A. When we do him any wrong, either in his person, his
honor, or his wealth.
Q. On what condition do we obtain the remission of our sina!
A, On condition that we repair tho injury we have done.
OF THE BACRAMENT OF PENANCE.
241
s tho
n the
[igrave
^bat our
ing that
r for the
Any one v,ho has not this intention, cannot obtain forgive-
ness.
Q. What is this reparation called f
A. It is called satisfaction : and it is the third part of th^
Bacrament of Penance.
EXAMPLE.
Of the three flcoarges proposed to David.— 2 Kings zzlr.
Q. Are we obliged to satisfy God after i^'ir sins are lorgiven f
A, Yes; for although the eternal penalty is remitted by
absolution, there is usually a temporal punishment to be
undergone either in this life o:' the other.
Q. What punishment is remitted, together with the an, by absolution t
A. The eternal punishment.
Q. What is the etoraftl punishment !
A. It is a punishment endured in hell for all eternity.
Q. What punishment usually remains to be undergone after the eter-
nal punishment is remitted ?
Jl. There usually remains a temporal punishment.
Q. What is a temporal punishment ?
A. It is a penalty which lasts but for a time, and must
be undergone either in this life or the other.
In this life, by works of penance ; or in the other, by the
rigorous pains of purgatory. I say rigorous, because,
according to tho holy fathers, they surpass all the pains of
this life.
Q. Why do you say this punishment usually remains f
A. To make it understood that it does not always re-
main.
Q. When is it that it does not remain ?
A. "When the fervor and contrition of the penitent are
great. Such was the case with Magdalen, whose sins our
Lord entirely remitted without imposing any penance upon
her, because she had loved much.*
Q. How do we satisfy Gwl ?
A, By the works of penance which we accomplish through
• 8t Luke y\\. 4T.
21
242
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
the grace of Jesus Christ, in whom we live, merit, and
satisfy.
Q. What do you understand by works of penance ?
A, I understand painful and mortifying works.
In proportion as we have tasted the pleasure of sin, so
ought we to feel the pain thereof; otherwise the penanoe
is not proportioned to the sin.
Q. Do we satisfy God by painful and mortifying works I
A, Yes ; when we accomplish them by the grace of Jesus
Christ.
Q. Why by the grace of Jesus Christ f
A. Because it is in Jesus Christ that we live, merit, and
satisfy.
Q. What is meant by that ?
A. That without Jesus Christ, we can neither live, merit,
nor satisfy.
Thus, all our satisfactions derive their value from Jesus
Christ, and without Jesus Christ, they would be of no value
before God.
So far, then, from our satisfactions detracting from the
satisfaction of Jesus Christ, they do but enhance its value,
since they derive all their efficacy from it,
Q. What are the works of penance !
A. They are those which are imposed by the priest :
principally prayer, fasting, and alms-deeds. r
Q. By whom must the works of penance be imposed ? . I
A. They must be imposed by the priest.
Q. Why?
A. Because they make part of the sacrament of Penance.
If they were not imposed by the priest, they would no
longer make part of it, they would no longer have the same
virtue, which is to operate, by themselves, the remission of
sin.
Q. Have not those penances which we impose on ourselves, or which
come in any other way, the same virtue ?
A. No ; they have not.
Q. Why?
A. Because they do not make part of the sacrament of
Penance.
Q. Wliat virtue have they ?
A. That which is given to them by the patience where-
OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE.
243
with they are endured ; provided that that patience bo
Christian and in imitation of that of Jesus Christ and the
saints. '
: Q. What are the works of pc^/xnce chiefly imposed on us by the
priest f
A. Prayer, fasting, and alms-deeds.
Q. WImt is understood by prayer ?
A. 1st. All mental and vocal prayer; 2d, assisting at the
holy sac'-ifice ; 3d, assisting at any of the divine offices ;
4th, spiritual reading ; 5th, offering to God all our actions
and all our sufferings ; 6th, meditation on the sacred truths,
and elevation of the heart to God.
Q. What is undei-stood by fasting ?
A. 1st. All the retrenchment of food, comfort, or pleas-
ure ; 2d, all maceration of the flesh, haircloth, sackcloth,
discipline, lying on the hard floor, &;c. ; 3d, all mortifica-
tion of the mind ; rebukes, humiliations, and contradictions
patiently endured for God's sake, the renouncement of our
own judgment and of our own will.
Q. What is understood by alms ?
A. Ail the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
Q. What are the spiritual works of mercy ?
A. 1st. To admonish sinners ; 2d, to instruct the igno.
rant ; 3d, to give good counsel ; 4th, to comfort the afHicted ;
5th, to bear patiently with the troublesome ; 6th, to pardon
injuries ; 7th, to pray for the living and the dead, and for
those who persecute us.
Q. What are the corporal works of mercy ?
A. 1st. To feed the hungry ; 2d, to give drink to the
thirsty ; 3d, to harbor strangers ; 4th, to clothe the naked ;
5th, to visit the sick and those who are in prison ; 6th, to
ransom prisoners ; 7th, to bury the dead.
EXAMPLE.
Penanco of the Ninivitea.— ./"onaa iiL
Q. Are we bound to make satisfaction 4» our neighbor?
A. Yes ; we are bound to repair the injury we have done
him, either in his person, character, or fortune.
Q. How do we injm'e our neighbor in his person ?
A. By abusing him either by word or deed.
244
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. To what satisfaction are we tlien bound t
A. 1st. If we have abused him by words, M'e must ask
his pardon. St. Paul excuses himself before the high
priest* If we have abused him by action, we must see
that his wounds or bruises be properly attended to, and
that he be provided with the necessary aliments.
Q. How do we injure our neighbor in his honor !
A. By depriving him of it, either by slander or calumny.
Q. To what restitution are we then obliged ?
A. We are obliged to repair the wrong we have done
him. ';*c
One has perhaps hindered a merchant from selling his
merchandise, a mechanic from getting employment, a young
woman from being settled in the world, and so on with the
others. It is not enough, in these cases, to repair the rep-
utation thus injured, we are also bound to make restitu-
tion for the injury we have done. -',■ .\--
Q. How do we injure oui* neighbor in his fortune ?
A. Either by taking from him what is his, or retaining it
unjustly.
Q. What satisfaction are we bound to make ?
A. We are bound to make restitution of all that we have
thus taken or retained ;f and even for whatever loss they
may have thereby sustained : without these three sorts of
satisfaction, there is no hope of pardon.
Q. How many conditions are necessary to receive the remission of
our sins by the sacrament of Penance ?
A. There are five: First, to examine our conscience
strictly ; second, to have a true sorrow for having offended
God ; third, a strong resolution never to offend him more ;
fourth, to confess all our sins to a priest ; fiflh, to make
satisfaction to God and our neighbor.
EXAMPLE.
Of the Prodigal Son.
This example manifest's all the degrees of a true conver-
sion : 1st, He enters into himself and examines his state;
♦ Acta xxilL 6.
t Zacheus ; St Lnke xix. 8.
OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE.
245
2d, that state is grievous to him ; 3(1, he determines to quit
it ; 4th, he declares himself a sinner before his father; 5th,
he is resolved to be treated as a hired servant.
Sect. I. — On Public Penance,
Q. What pcQunce was formerly done t
A. Very long and severe penance.
Q. How long did it last !
A. Longer or shorter, according to the usage of the
churches.
Q. What was appointed by St Basil, who lived ia the fourth centunr t
A, He appointed two years for theft ; seven years ft)r
fornication ; eleven years for perjury ; fifteen years for
adultery; twenty years for murder; the whole life for
apostacy ; and to these last, the holy communion was not
given until the end of their life.
Q. What was the object of this severity !
A. 1st. To make sinners sensible of the enormity of sin,
and how hard it is to get rid of it.
2d. To keep in the path of duty even those who had
preserved their baptismal innocence.
Q. How was penance inflicted on those who were found worthy of it!
A. 1st. They pKesented themselves at the door of the
church on the first day of Lent, (Ash- Wednesday,) meanly
and wretchedly clad ; 2d, they received ashes from the
hands of the bishop, with sackcloth wherewith to clothe
themselves ; 3d, they prostrated themselves, while the
bishop, the clergy, and the people offered up prayers on
their behalf.
Q. What did the bishop then tell them I "*
A. He told them that he was about to expel them from
the church, as God formerly expelled Adam from the ter-
restrial paradise.
Q. To what did he exhort them ?
A. He exhorted them to do penance, hoping in the mercy
of God.
Q. What did he then do?
A. He put them out of the church, the gates of which
were immediately closed against them, to make them the
21*
w
246
DOCTRINAL OATECIIIBM.
I
III
ii':
more sensiblo that, by their sins, they hud closed heaven
against themselves. ■; . , • •• '
Q. What austerities did they practise during the whole time of their
penooce ?
A. 1st. They fasted either every day, or very frequently,
on bread and water; 2d, they prayed long, either on their
knees or prostrate on the ground ; 3d, they watched all the
night or slept on the ground ; 4th, they gave alms accord'
ing to their ability ; 5th, they abstained from amusements,
conversation, and business ; 0th, they were debarred from
all intercourse with the faithful, unless in case of necessity.
■ It was only bishops and priests appointed for that pur-
pose, who visited them, in order to encourage them.
Q. What did they dp, being thus alone in their houses t
A. They prayed and groaned.
Q. Did they not then go to church ?
A. They were only permitted to go there on festival
days.
Q. Did they go in with the faithful?
A. No ; they remained in the porch.
Q. What did they do there, clothed in sackcloth and ashes t
A. They prostrated themselves before those who entered,
and kissed their feet.
Q. Why did they thus humble themselves before the faithful f
A. In order to move them to compassion, and to ask the
assistance of their prayers.
Q. What were they permitted to do, after having remained for some
time at the door of the church I
A. They were permitted to go in to hear the instructions,
on condition that they went out again as soon as they were
ended.
Q. What were they permitted to do, after having remained some
time further in this state ?
A. They were permitted to pray with the faithful, but
lying prostrate on the ground.
Q. To what were they admitted after anothtr while ?
A. They were admitted to pray with the faithful.
Q. Of what were they deprived in this fourth state ?
A. They were deprived of the privilege of making their
offering and of communicating. ,
-,4
f
OF THE BACRAMENT OF I'KNANCB.
247
Q. How were Uiey diHtinguUhed from the faiithful I
A. By buing placed at the left side of thu altar.
Q. What were they given to understand by tlmt I
A. Thiit they had deserved, by their sins, to be placed
on the left hand of Jesus Christ on the last dav.
Q. How many classes of penitents were tliere f
A. There were four : the Weepers^ the Listeners or hearers^
the Prostrates, and the Assisters.-
Q. How long had they to remain in each class t
A. Any one, for instance, who had committed wilful
murder, was four years amongst the Weepers ; five years
amongst the Listeners or hearers ; seven years amongst the
Prostrates; and four years amongst the Assisters ; the
twenty years of his penance being accomplished, he was
admitted to a participation in the holy things ; that is to
say, the Eucharist.
\Vhen the fervor of the penitent was great, or for some
other important reasons, the penance was shortened.
Q. On what day were they reconciled after their penance ?
A. On Holy Thursday.
Hence the name of Maunday-Thursday, given to /.hat
day : Maunday means absolved,
Q, What did they do after receiving this solemn absolution t
A. They throw off their penitential garmi-nts, and put on
others which marked the joy of their reconciliation.
Q. When did tliey communicate ?
A, They communicated on Easter-night, with the newly-
baptized.
Q. Were there none exempt from public penance f
A. None amongst the laity, no matter how high their
rank might be.
Witness the memorable example of the Emperor Theo-
dosius the Great.
Q, Were the clergy subjected to public pemmee I
-4. No ; they were not.
They only lost their rank ; that is to say, they were for
ever interdicted from their functions, and reduced to a level
with the laity.
Pi
248
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Hi •
' m
liiii
Q. Why were they not subjected to public penance !
A. Because of the respect due to the Sacrament of Holy
Orders.
Also, to the end, that they might be doubly punished,
their suspension being in itself a very grievous penalty.
Q. Could a man receive any order or be raised to any ecclesiastical
ministry after having once been put in penance ?
A. No ; he could not, even though he had been absolves'
and reconciled.
Q. Why was the Church so strict in this matter ?
A. To denote that the anointed ministers of God should
be far more holy and more perfect than the rest of the
faithful.
Q. Could the sinner be a second time admitted to public penance !
A. No ; those who fell again into sin were abandoned to
the mercy of God. All this tended much to preserve the
faithful in a state of grace. i
Sect. II. 0?i Indulgences.
Q. What is an indulgence ?
A, It is a remission of the temporal punishment due to
sin.
Q. What punishment is due to mortal sini
A. An eternal punishment.
Q. How is that eternal punishment remitted ?
A. By the sacrament of Penance, at the same time that
the sin is pardoned. The one follows the other.
Q. What usuijlly remains to be undergone after the eternal punieh-
ment is remitted ?
A. There usually remains a temporal punishment.
Q. Why do you say vMUtlly ?
A. To signify that it does not always remain,
Q. When is it that it does not remain ?
A. When the fervor .'Uid contrition of the penitent are
great, as in the case of Mary Magdalen.*
Q. Where is this tempoial punishment undergone ?
A. Either in this life or the other.
Q. But cannot the Church also remit it ?
A. Yes ; she can.
♦ SL Luke vil.
'fi
:ik
OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE.
249
Q. Wliat name \s given to the remission of the temporal punishment t
A. It Is called indulgence. ]■
Q. How many sorts of indulgences are there I
A. There are two sorts : plenary and partial.
Q. What is a plenary indulgence t
A. It is that which remits all the temporal punishment
due for sin.
Q. What is a partial indulgence !
A. It is that which remits only a part of the temporal
punishment due for sin.
Q. How many sorts of plenary indulgences are there t
A. There are three, lat. TTie jubilee, every twenty-five
years.
This was, at first, to have taken place every hundred
years, then every fifty years, then every thirty-three years ;
finally it has been fixed for every twenty-five years.
2d. That which is given under the form of jubilee. This
is granted as often as the Pope thinks proper, on importtmt
occasions, such as that of his accession to the Papal chair,
&;c.
3d. That which is simply called plenary.
This is granted only to certain persons in certain places ;
such are those which are attached to confraternities ; whereas
that of the jubilee is granted to the faithful throughout the
world.
But in order to gain either plenary indulgences or partial
indulgences, the prescribed conditions must be faithfully ful-
filled ; otherwise no indulgence could be gained.
Q. By what power does the Church grant indulgences ?
A. By the power which she hj;>.s received from Jesus
Christ.
Q. Who are they, in the Church, who have power to grant indul-
gences ?
A. The Pope and the bishops ;* the Pope without restric-
tion, and the bishops with restriction ; viz., a year at the
dedication of a church, and forty days on other fjccasions ;
whereas the Pope can grant indulgences to all the faithful
of the entire world, and as often as he thinks it expedient.
♦ Cone. Latr. in 1315.
250
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. From whom have the Pope and the bishops received this power J
A. They have received it from Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ gave it to his apostles, and the apostles have
transmitted it to the Pope and the bishops.
Q. By what words did Jesus Christ give this power ?
A. By these words : Amen, 1 say to you, whatsoever
you shall ^ind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven;
and wha Uuever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed
also in heaven.*
These words comprise the power of remitting not only
sins and their etenial punishment, but also the temporal
punishment. Sins and their eternal punishment, by absolu-
tion'; the temporal punishmei^t, by indulgence.
'!!:i; !
I'^lll'l
EXAMPLE.
God shortens, In favor of David, the three days of pestilence.
St. Paul shortens, in favor of the Corinthians, the penance of a sinner whom br
had himself put in prison. — 2 Cor. 11.
Q. Whence does the Church take wherewith to supply for the tem-
poral punishment which she remits ?
A. She takes it from the treasure of the Church.
Q. Of what does that treasm*e consist ?
A. It consists of the infinite merits of Jesus Christ, and
the superabundant satisfaction of the Blessed Virgin and the
saints.
Q, What must we do in order to gain these indulgencses ?
A. We must be truly penitent, and fulfil the conditions
prescribed by the Church.
Q. What is the fust thing necessary for gaining indulgences ?
A. It is to be truly penitent.
Q. When are we truly penitent ?
A. When we are sincerelv converted. Without that
sincere conversion, no indulgence can be gained, since tlM>
remission of sin must always pi'ecede the indulgence.
Q. What is the second thing necessary for gaining indulgence*! ?
A. It is to fulfil the conditions prescribed by the Church.
Every one is to read with attention, or bear r>ad. ti*«>
Bull of each indulgence, and the mandamus ^ the i.-rfhotps,
and conform thereto in (it.\Qxy particular.
* St. Matt xviii. 18 ; St. Matt xvi. 19 ; St. John xx. \
i
■1*
k
i
OF EXTREMB UNCTION.
251
In the Bulls of the jul5ilee, there are usually confession,
stations, alms, fasting, and holy communion.
Q. What arc the usual privileges of the jubilee I
A. They are three in number.
Q. Which is the first?
A. The liberty of choosing whatever confessor one may
think best for that time.
Q. Which 13 the secoud I
A. The power which confessors then have of absolving re-
served cases and censures.
Q. Which i3 the third t
A, The power which confessors then have of changing
vows, with the exception of those of religion and of chastity.
Q. What ought we to propose to ourselves in <^o)ng what is appointed
for tiie jubilee?
A. The glory of God and our own sanctification.
Q. In what state is a person who has truly gained the jubilee ?
A. In the same state in which he was after Baptism :
In the state of gruce, without spot or stain, and with the
same rights.
CHAPTER X.
OF EXTREME UNCTION.
Q. For whom was this sacrament instituted f
A. For the sick.
Q. What brought disease into the world ?
A. Sin. If Adam had not sinned, we should have seen in
the world neither sioUness nor disease, nor any of the many
ills to which life is subject, nor death.
Q. Wliy does God send or permit sickness ?
A. 1st. To purify us from our sins.
2d. To give us an opportunity of practising virtue.
3d. To detach us from this perishable life.
Q. What must we do, in order to render them available for our sal-
vation?
A. 1st. We must receive them with submission.
rm
252
ii
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
2d. We must bear them with patience.
3d. We must unite our sufferings to those of Jesus Christ
and the saints. See the example of Job, of David, of
Ezechia"*, or of Tobias.*
Q. What is necessary to be done, if the sickDess be dangerous t
-<4. 1st. It is necessary to be^iti by reconciling one's self
to God. by making a good confession.
2d. To become reconciled with our neighbor, if we have
offended him.
3d. To r jpair the wrong which we may have done him in
his person, wealth, or reputation.
4th. To remedy any scandal that we may have given.
5th. To put our temporal affairs in order.
6th. To demand the sacraments, and receive them with
piety and devotion.
Q. What is Extreme Unction ?
A. It is a sacrament instituted for the spiritual and cor-
poral relief of the sick. ■'
Q. By whom was this sacrament instituted ?
A. It was instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Q. When?
A. It is thought to have been after his resurrection.
As this sacrament is the compk'tion of the sacrament of
Penance, it is thought that its institution was subsequent to
that of Penance, which was principally instituted on the
very day of the resurrection. f
Q. Where is Extreme Unction clearly mentioned !
A. In the Epistle of St. James. J
Is any man sick among yon? says that apostle, Let him
bring in I ho priests of the Church, and let them pray over
him, anoiritinijr him with oil, in the name of the Lord : And
the prayer of faith shall save the sick man ; and the Lord
feha'l raise him np ; and if ho be in sins, they shall be for-
given him. Which made the Fathers of the Council of
Trent say,§ that this saciament was insinuated by St. Mark,|
recommended and announced by St. James, but instituted
by Our Lord.
* .Tob. i. : 1 Kfnffs xxiv. ; 4 Kings xx. ; Tobias it.
t Cone. Trid, Sess. xir..cli. i.
X Ch. T. ver. 14, 15.
Ses8. xlv, ch. 1.
St. Mark vl. 18.
OP EXTPvlKME UNCTION.
253
[irist
. of
self
have
ilm in
gn.
a with
id cor-
n.
entof
^uent to
on the
^et him
(•ay over
|d: And
Ihe Lord
pi be for-
luncil of
I Mark,l|
Instituted
cli.l.
vl.18.
Q. Who have the power to give Extreme Unction f
A. The priests.
Q. How do they give it ?
A. By praying over the sick, and making several unctions
on the eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, bosom, hands, and feet.
Q. What do they say at each unction ?
A. May God, through this unction of sacred oil, and
through his exceeding great mercy, forgive you all the sins
which you have committed by seeing, hearing, &;c., &c.
Q. With what are the unctions made ?
A. With oil consecrated by the bishop. Each unction is
wiped off with lint or cotton, which is afterwards burnt, in
order that the holy oil may not be profaned.
Q. To whom is this sacrament given ?
A. To those who are dangerously ill. Of this class,
also, are old people who are so weak as to be in danger of
death.
This sacrament is not given to children under seven years
old, to idiots, to persons condemned to death, to public
sinners, nor to excommunicated persons.
Q. What relief does this sacrament give to the sick f
A. It gives spiritual and corporal relief.
Q. What is spiritual relief f
A. A relief which regards the soul ; it imparts to it the
strength required in that state.
Q. What is meant by corporal relief?
A. A relief which regards the body ; either the decrease
of the malady, or the strength to endure it with patience.
Q. What are its effects ?
A. There are three principal effects.
Q. What is the firat ?
A. It is to strengthen the sick person against the tempta-
tions of the devil and the horrors of death.
Q. What is it that usually disturbs a sick person at the approach of
death ?
A. The temptations of the devil.
Q. To what do those temptations tend!
A. They tend principally to throw us either into presump-
Uon or despair.
22
i|: !
254
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
i!
''Ill
To some they represent that they have nothing to fear,
their life having been full of good worlds, and thereby the
devil tries to make them fall into presumption.
To others he represents that their sins are too great and
too numerous to hope for pardon, and thus he seeks to drive
them into despair.
Q. What ia it that strengthens the sick against these temptations !
A. The grace of Jesus Christ.
Q. What sacrament is established for conferring that grace !
A. The sacrament of Extreme Unction.
Strengthened by the grace of that sacrament, we repulse
those temptations, and preserve the humility which keeps
us safe from presumption, and the confidence in God which
saves us from despair.
St. Martin, equally filled with that humility and that con-
fidence in God, said boldly to the devil, whom he saw near
him in his last moments : What dost thou there, thou cruel
beast 1 thou shalt find nothing in me, dreadful spirit :
Abraham's bosom is ready to receive me. And saying
those words he died, at the age of eighty-one years.
Q. What is it that usually tenifies the sick person at the approach of
deatii!
A. The horrors of death.
Q. What do you mean by the hoirors of death ?
A. I mean all that is terrible in death :
The separation of soul and body ;
The privation of all creatures ;
The general bereavement of all things ;
The decay and corruption of the grave ;
The utter solitude of the soul when it departs from the
body ;
The dreadful judgments of God.
The greatest saints have feared and trembled at that
moment.
St. Hilary, struck with all those things, said, to encourage
himself: Go forth, my soul, go forth ! what dost thou
fear ? who stops thee 1 Thou hast served Jesus Christ for
nearly seventy years, and dost thou fear death? And
with these words he breathed his last, being fourscore years
cf age.
OF KXTUEME UNCTION.
255
Q. What is it that fortifies the pick person agoinat the horrors of
death ?
A. It is the grace of Jesus Christ.
Q, What sacrament is established for conferring that grace I
A. The sacrament of Extreme Unction.
Fortified by the grace of that sacrament, we rise above
those terrors, and sigh after the joys of a blissful eternity.
Q. What is the second effect ?
A. To wipe away the traces of sin, and sin itself, if there
remain any to be expiated.
Q. What sin is it that deprives us of seeing God for ever ?
A. Mortal sin — if one die without having obtained for-
giveness.
Q. What ein is it that deprives us for a time of the vision of God ?
A, It is venial sin, together with the remains of sin.
Q. What do you mean by the remains of sin ?
A. I mean the weakness and the languor which sin, whether
original or actual, leaves in the soul, even after it is for-
given.
Q. What vutue has Extreme Unction over the remains of sin ?
A. It has the virtue of wiping them away.
Q. What virtue has it over venial sins ?
A. It has the virtue of effacing them, provided they are
displeasing to us, and that we love them not.
Q. Has it the same virtue over mortal sins ?
A. Yes, in two cases.
Q. Which is the first?
A. When we do not know them.
We have contrition for them all in general ; we would be
disposed to confess themj but cannot do so, for want of
knowing them.
Q. Which is the second ?
A. When we are unable to confess them.
We know them ; we have contrition for them; we would
wish to confess them ; but cannot do so because we have
lost our senses or the use of our speech.
In these two cases they are effaced by Extreme Unction.
Q. Which is the third ?
A. It is to restore the health of the body, if it be neces-
sary to salvation.
256
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
ijiil '
; It
i 1
Q. Does Extreme Unction relieve only the soul of the sick person t
A. It also relieves the body.
Q. How?
A. By restoring its health.
Q. When does it restore the health of the body ?
A. When that health is necessary to salvation.
For instance, if the sick persons be not yet in a fit state
to appear before God ; if they require time to do penance
and repair their faults, &;c.
If all these advantages were attentively considered, peo-
ple would not so often postpone the reception of this sacra-
ment ; on the contrary, they would desire it, and would
eagerly ask for it.
Q. How does this sacrament give strength to the sick ?
A. Principally by confirming their faith, and exciting in
their hearts the desire and the hope of possessing God.
Q. Against what have the sick need of being foilified ?
A. Chiefly against the temptations of the devil and the
horrors of death.
Q. Why do you say chiefly ?
A. Because they also require to be strengthened against
the sufferings which they endure.
Q. How does Extreme Unction strengthen them against the tempta-
tions of the devil ?
A. By confirming their faith.
Q. What assistance do they derive from their faith being confirmed I
A. They derive strength to surmount the temptations of
the devil.
They consider therein the justice of God and his mercy ;
in sight of his justice they conceive sentiments of humility ;
in sight of his mercy they conceive sentiments of confi-
dence ; and hence they are equally defended against pre-
sumption and despair.
Q. How does extreme Unction fortify them agabst the JaoiTors of
death ?
A. By exciting in their hearts the desire and the hope of
possessing God.
Q. What assistance do they find in that desire and that hope of pos-
sessing God ?
A. They find in it strength to overcome the horrors of
death
■ n
\
OF EXTREME UNCTION.
257
Being no longer occupied with aught save that desire and
that hope, they think no more of what is terrible in death ;
or, if they do, it is only to make a generous sacrifice of
their fears.
St. Francis said when dying, being full of the desire and
the hope of possessing God : Release my soul from prison,
that I may praise thy name; the just wait for me, until
thou reward me.
St. Louis, in the same spirit, said: Lord, I will come
into thy house : I will worship towards thy holy temple in
thy fear.
Q. How does this sacrament fortify the sick agmnst the pains which
they endure <
A. By inspiring them to bear them with joy, or at least
with patience.
This is observed in all sick persons who are true Chris-
tians.
Q. Why is it called Extreme Unction ?
A. Because it is the last unction which the Christian
receives.
The first is that of Baptism.
The second is that of Confirmation.
The third, for bishops and priests, is that of the sacra-
ment of Orders, and for kings, that of their consecration.
Q. Is it not to be received till the last extremity ?
A. It suffices to be dangerously ill ; and when it is received
with a sound mind and a free will, it is all the better, and
its efficacy is the greater.
Q. Is it necessary, then, to wait till the sick person be despaired of
before this sacrament is conferred ?
A. No, it suffices to be dangerously ill.
As it is one of the virtues of this sacrament to restore
health to the sick, we must not wait till there be no hope ;
f<>r then there could be no ordinary cure expected, and a
cure would be miraculous.
Q. "What advantage do they derive from this sacrament who receive
it witli a sound mind and a free will ?
A. 1st. They are better disposed for it.
2d. Thoy draw more friiit from it.
As the fruit of the sacraments usually corresponds to the
dispositions wherewith they are received, it follows that
22*
i
I
iH
1
- WP
■ i
1
1
: i
m'" III
II ii II
258
DOCTKINAL CATECHISM.
they who are the best disposed, derive the most profit from
their reception.
Q. In what disposition must this sacrament bo received ?
A. It* the sick person be in mortal sin, it is necessary to
confess, if he be in a condition to do so ; and if not, he
must excite himself to contrition, and ask absolution.
Q. What must the sick person do before receiving Extreme Uncti(Xi,
if he be in mortal sin ?
A. He must confess his sins, if he possibly can.
Q. What must he do, if he is unable to make his confession ?
A. lie must excite himself to contrition and ask absolu-
tion.
Any person who received this sacrament without acting
thus, would receive it in a bad state and would render him-
self guilty of sacrilege ; which must be avoided with the
utmost care.
^♦»
I
!l!
i 1 'ii
4 M '-„ -
i' n
CHAPTER XI.
OF HOLY ORDERS.
Q. What is Holy Orders ?
A, It is a sacrament which gives the clergy grace and
power to administer the sacraments and perform their
other priestly functions holily.
Q. What are the priestly functions ?
A. They are preaching, offering up the holy sacrifice, &c.
Presiding at the public prayers of the faithful and at their
burial ; blessing water and bread, and other things, and
consecrating churches and sacred vessels ; not to speak of
those which belong to the inferior orders.
Q. Can all the faithful perform the priestly functions !
A. No ; none but those who have authority to do so.
Q. Who are they who have authority to do so ?
A. Bishops, Priests, Deacons, and others.
Q. What sacrament is it which gives that authority !
A. The sacrament of Holy Orders.
I; ' i ! I
OF HOLV ORDERS.
250
from
iry to
ot, he
Jnctioo,
ibsolu-
acting
IT him-
ith the
ice B.T\d
n their
Q, Who is it that administora this sacrament t
-.'1. Only the bisshop.
Q. Why?
A. Because it is only he who has the plenitude and per-
fection of the priestly power.
Q. Docs thia sacrament only confer tlie power of performing the
priestly functions?
A. It also gives the grace to perform them holily.
Q. What is meant by holili/ f
A. That is to say, in a manner pleasing to God, edifying
to their neighbor, and sanctifying to themselves.
Q. Whence comes this power ?
A. It comes from Jesus Christ, who gave it to his apos-
tles, with the power of communicating it to others.
Q. In whom does the iK)wer of performing the priestly functions
abide as in its source ?
A. In Jesus Christ.
Q. To whom did Jeaus Christ give it ?
A. To his Apostles :
Li go.'ieral, when he said to them : All power is given to
me in heaven and in earth ; as my Father hath sent me, so
I also send you.*
And in particular, when he said to them: Go ye, there-
fore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Do this in commemoration of me. — Whose sins you
shall forgive, they are forgiven them ; — and, behold, I am
with you all days, even to the consummation of the world. f
Q, To whom did the Apostles transmit this power ?
A. They transmitted it to the bishops, priests, and dea-
cons. The Church has also established other ministers to
assist these.
Q. Had the Apostles a right to communicate their power to others ?
A. Yes, Jesus Christ gave them authority to do so, by
these words : All power is given to me in Ileaven and in
earth ; as my Father hath sent me, so I also send you.
Q. How has that power of the Apostles come down to us ?
A. By a succession which has never been interrupted, and
which will continue till the end of time. There is no
♦ St. Matt, xxviil. 18, 19, 20.
1 8t John zx.
200
DOCTRINAL CATECniSM.
1; ji ii
bishop, no priest, nor any other minister in the Catholic
Church whose power of performing the priestly functions
does not come directly from the Apostles through their suc-
cessors; and this succession of bishops from the Apostles
down « as never been interrupted, and never shall be inter-
rupted, till the end of time. For Jesus Christ told them :
Beliold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation
of the world.
Q. How many different orders are there in the Church ?
A. There are seven in the Latin Church.
Q. What are the four minor orders ?
A. They are those of Porter, Lector, Exorcist, and Acolyte.
^hQ porter, to open and shut the doors of the church, to
keep it clean and in proper order, and to ring the bells.
The lector, to read aloud in the church. The exorcist, to
expel evil spirits from the bodies of the possessed.* The
acolyte, to prepare the bread and wine for the holy sacrifice,
and to carry the candles.
Q. What are the three Major or Holy Orders f
A. Those of Sub-deacon, Deacon, and Priest ; the latter
includes both the priestly and the episcopal orders.
The suh-deacon to assist the priest at the altar.
The deacon to wait immediately on the priest at the altar.
The priest, to offer up the holy sacrifice, to preach and
to ad minis or the sacraments, with the exception of Confir-
mation and Holy Orders, which are reserved for the bishop.
Q. What 13 the preparation for all these orders ?
A. The tonsure.
Q. What is the tonsure ?
A. It is a holy ceremony whereby a layman passes to the
ecclesiastical state, and which entitles him to the rights and
privileges of that state.
Q. What is necessary for those who receive the tonsure ?
A. They must have been confirmed,! know how to read
and write, and be well instructed in tht catechism.
The person who presents himself for the tonsure must
wear a soutan, with a surplice on his arm and a taper in his
hand.
* Exorcism Is now almost exclusively confined to the prloets.
t Cone Trid, Sess. 22, ch. 4.
j£ffl
■ ^'
OF HOLY OUDERS.
201
tholic
clions
ir 8UC-
(ostles
inter-
them :
[nation
icohjte.
irch, to
,e bells.
rcist^ to
* The
lacrifice,
he latter
he altar.
ach and
)f Confir-
bishop.
Q, What docs tlio bishop do whoii giving tho tonsure f
A. lie cuts off tho nuir in the form of a cross and puts
en tho surplice.
Q. What does the person receiving the tonsure protest f
A. lie protests tliat ho takes God for his inheritance.
Q. How ought he to conduct hiiusclf ?
A. Always in an edifying manner, and wearing the marks
of his state ; that is to say, tlie tonsure, his hair cut short,
and the ecclesiastical habit.
Q. lu what dispositions must Holy Orders be received f
A. There are four principal dispositions for it.
Q. Which is the fu-8t?
A. It is that one must be called to that holy state, and
not take it upon one's self.
Q. By whom must one be called !
A. By God.
Neither doth any man, says St. Paul, take tho honor to
himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was. So
also Christ did not glorify himself to be made a high-priest ;
but he that said to him. Thou art my Son, this day have I
begotten thee.*
Q. How does God make his voice heard t
A. 1st. By the inspirations which he gives us; 2d. By
the voice of our superiors ; 3d. By the advice of wise and
impartial persons.
Q. What does God give to those whom he calls to this state ?
A. lie gives them the necessary graces and talents.
Q. Of what do they render themselves unworthy who enter of them-
selves into this holy state ?
A. They render themselves unworthy the protection of
God.
Q. To what do they expose themselves ?
A. They expose themselves to eternal perdition.
\ff to read
1.
sure must
aper in his
EXAMPLE.
Revolt and punishment of Core, Dathan and Abiron. The rod of Aaron blo»-
soms. — yum. xvi. anrl xvii.
Unwillinsness of Moses to take charge of the people of God, although he was
commanded to do so. — Exod. iii. and 5v.
Gideon only consents to undertake tho deliverance of the people of God when
assured of his vocation by two miracles. — «/wf , vi.
* Heb. V. 4.
icBts.
Ml
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262
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. Is it only to the ecclesiastical state that it is necessary to be called
by God ?
A. It is necessary to be ^?iled by him to every state.
Q. Why ?
A. 1st. Because God is the master of all states.
2d. Because without God no one can succeed in any state.
It is, therefore, necessary to be called by God to the reli-
gious state, or to the married state, as well as to the eccle-
siastical state.
Q. Which is the second ?
A. It is to be animated with zeal for the glory of God
and the salvation of souls.
Q. What should be the continual oocupation of ecclesiastics?
A. Promoting the glory of God and the salvation of
souls. If this be the principal duty of all persons in every
state, it is especially the duty of ecclesiastics, as they are
destined solely for that purpose.
Q. When do we promote the glory of God ?
A. When we make him, known, loved, and served.
Q. When do re promote the salvation of souls ?
A. When we procure for others the means of knowing,
loving and serving God.
Q. What virtue is necessary for promoting both these ends ?
A. Zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
Consider the labors of the Apostles,* and especially of
the Apostle St. Paul, to promote the glory of God and the
salvation of souls.
So now also, says that Apostle, shall Christ be magnified
In my body, whether it be by life or by death.
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. And if
to live in the flesh, this is to me the fruit of labor : and
what I shall choose, I know not. But I am straitened be-
tween two : having a desire to be dissolved, and to be with
Christ, be!?i.g by much the better : but to remain in the
flesh is necessary for you.f
St. Martin, being near hia death, said to God : Lord, if
I am still necessary to thy people, I refuse not labor.
Q, Which is the third disposition ?
A. It is to be irreproachable in morals.
♦ 2 Cor. xL xli.
t Phil. 1. 20.
OF MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE.
263
be called
ite.
y state,
the reli-
le eccle-
of God
ition of
in every
they are
3.
kiiowingj
is?
of souls,
scially of
d and the
magnified
And if
ibor: and
litened be-
to be with
ain in the
: Lord, if
bor.
Q. When is a person irreproachable in morals ?
A. When no one can accuse him of any considerable
fault.
This does not refer to those failings to which all men are
subject.
"It behoveth, therefore, a bishop," says St. Paul, and in
proportion, all other ministei-s, " to be blameless
sober, prudent, of good behr^vior chaste, given to hospitality,
a teacher; not given to wine, no striker, but modest ; not
litigious, not covetous,"*
Q. Which is the fourth ?
A. It is to be in the state of grace.
Q. When are we in the state of giace ?
A. When Vv'e are free from mortal sin.
Q. What must be done if one feels themselves guilty of any ny>rtal
A. They roust have recourse to the sacrament of Penan of^
Q. What harm would it be if one received this sacramei^t, being in
mortal sin ?
A. They would commit a sacrilege.
Q. Can this sacrament be repeated ?
A. No, because it imprints a character on the soul.
■»♦»■■
CHAPTEK XII.
OF MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE.
Q. Wliat is mairiage in general ?
A. It is the legitimate association of man and woman.
Q. Who is its author ?
A. God himself.
HISTORY.
Of the instituUon of ma.TTlage.—Oen, II. 18,
Q. When did God institute marriage ?
A. He instituted it at the beginning of the world.
♦ 1 Tim. Hi. 2.
264
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
1 III
«]'
.■ If
;. ^5!
I i
' ';'t
Q. How?
A. By giving to Adam a wife whom he formed from one
of his ribs.
Q. Why was the fii*st ■woman formed from one of Adam's ribs t
A. To the end that he might love her as a part of himself.
She was not formed from the head, nor from the feet of
Adam, to show that she was neither to be his mistress nor
his servant ; but from his rib, to show that she was to be
his inseparable companion.
Q. Of what is marrLge the figui-e ?
A. It is the figure of the union of Jesus Christ with his
Church : so the apostle says.
If marriage be the figure of the union of Jesus Christ with
his Church, there ought to be a resemblance betA^een both.
Now, this was the uniqn of Jesus Christ with his Church :
he left his Father to unite himself to his Church. He formed
her of the blood and water which issued from his side. He
is her head, and constitutes but one bod^ with her ; it is
the same spirit which animates both. He loves her; and
she, on her side, loves and obeys him. He procures for
her all sorts of goods and advantages; and the Church pro-
cures for him all the glory that she can. Finally, their
union is indissoluble.
Behold the model of the union of man and woman, — a
model which they should faithfully copy !
Q. Who was it that raised marriage to the dignity of a sacrament?
A. It was Jesus Christ.
1st. The Church has always placed it in the number of
the sacraments, and recognized it as such ; 2d, the holy
fathers declare that Jesus Christ assisted at the wedding of
Canaan for the purpose of sanctifying marriage f' 3d, he
sanctioned marriage by saying : What God hath joined
together, let no man put asunder ;f 4th, there is reason to
believe that Jesus Christ, after his resurrection, ordered his
apostles to celebrate it with certain -acred ceremonies.
Q. What is the sacrament of MaU'imony ?
A. It is a sacrament which sanctifies the legitimate asso-
ciation of man and woman.
m' >i
*^ ; I.
* St. John IL 1.
t St Matt xtx. «.
none
it
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nate asso-
ix.«.
OF MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE.
265
Q. What association does marriage coutain f
A. The legitimate association of man ani woman. Of
one man and one woman — not of several.
Q. What does the sacrament do with regard to this association I
A. It sanctifies it.
Q. What is meant by saying : it sanctifies it f
A. That it renders it pleasing to God.
Q. How does it sanctify it »
A. By the grace which it gives to those who receive it
worthily.
Q. Does this sacrament sanctify every association of man and woman ?
A, It only sanctifies that whicn is legitimate.
Q. Wiien is it legitimate ?
A. When it is conformable to the laws of the Church and
of the State.
Those laws prescribe that persons \yho receive this sacra-
ment shall be of age ; that the marriage be published three
times ; that it be performed by an approved priest in pres-
ence of at least two witnesses ; finally, that there be no
lawful impediment.
Q. What is the object of mfltrimony ?
A. The producMon of children, who, being regenerated by
Baptism, may fill the Church and heaven.
Q. Why rre children bom ?
A. To replenish the Church and Heaven.
The Church is the assembly of the faithful, and Heaven is
the assembly of the blessed.
Q. How do people enter the Church ?
A. By Baptism.
Q. How do they persevere therein ?
A. By inviolably preserving the faith.
Q. Do all those who are bom enter into the Church I
A. No ; for all do not receive Baptism. How grateful
should we be to God for having received so great a f&\ or !
Q. Do all who enter the Chui'ch persevere to the end !
A. No ; for many lose the faith.
How carefully should we preserve it, for without faith it
is impossible to please God !
Q. How do people enter Heaven ?
A. By innocence, either preserved or regained.
23
266
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
i-'wfti-,
Without innocence it is impossible to enter heaven. If
it be lost, it must be regained by penance.
Q. Do all who enter the Church and persevere therein enter Heaven!
-^. No ; for all are not in a state of innocence at the
moment of death.
Hence, it is not enough to '.ave faith, in order to enter
Heaven, it is also necessary co have innocence.
Q. In what dispositions mxist matrimony be received ?
A. There are three principal dispositions necessary.
Q. "WTiat is the first?
A. It is to receive it with a conscience purified from all
mortal sin.
Q. "What is necessary to be done, if one feels themselves guilty of any
mortal sin, before receiving this sacrament ?
A. It is necessary to have recour^^e to the sacrament of
Penance.
Q. Why?
A. In order to purify the conscience.
Q. What sin do they commit who receive this sacrament in mortal
sin?
A. They commit a sacrilege, because they profane the
sacrament.
Q. Of what do they deprive themselves ?
A. They deprive themselves of the grace of this sacra-
ment.
Hence so many unfortunate marriages and so many souls
lost in this state.
Q. What is necessary to be done before embracing this state ?
A. 1st. It is necessary to consult God, in order to know
whether he calls us to this state.
2d. To examine one's self, in order to ascertain whether
they are fit for it.
3d. To consult persons capable of giving advice ; this is
the way to avoid repenting the choice one has made.
'iT?;
Iiij !i"
EXAMPLE.
What Eliezer did to choose a wife for his master's eon. — Oen. xxlv.
Q. How is it necessary to prepare for the reception of this sacra-
ment ?
A. It is necessary to prepare for it by good works.
n \ ¥^
OF MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE.
267
Q. By what good works pnncipally ?
A. By prayer, fasting, and alms.
EXAMPLE.
Preparation of the young Tobias and his wifo,— 7b&. vUL
Q. How is the sacrament to be received ?
A. With inucli piety and devotion.
Q. What is the second disposition ?
A. It is to receive it with the intention of serving God in
that state.
Q. With .Y'hat mtention should one enter into that state ?
A. With the intention of serving God therein.
Whatever state one may be in, they always belong to
God ; he is still the Lord and Master, and entitled to be
served by all mankind.
EXAMPLE.
Punishment of Sarah's seven husbands, because of their evil intention. — Tob. Hi
Q. How do people serve God in the maniage state ?
A. By giving him worshippers for time and for eternity.
It is marriage that peoples earth, and afttrwards heaven ;
it provides subjects to replenish the Church with holy
ministers; the monasteries with religious men and women;
and the State with ^'ood subjects in all the different grades
of society.
Q. What me man-ied persons to do, in order to fulfil so noble an
end?
A. 1st. They arc to conduct themselves holUy in mar-
riage.
2d. They are to w.Lch carefully over the education of
their children.
3d. They are to exclude from their households every
thing that is not Christian- dangerous books, immodest
pictures., obscene conversation, calumny and detraction,
gambling, luxury, fashions, vanity, &c.
Q. What is the tliird disposition ?
A. It is to receive it with the modenty, respect, and re-
collection becoming the sanctity of the sacrament.
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268
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. In what does the sanctity of this sacrament consist ?
A. 1st. In that it represents the union of Jesus Christ with
his Church.
2d. In its having Jesus Christ for its Author.
3d. In its having the virtue of producing grace.
Q. What does this sacrament require in those who receive it ?
A. It requires interior and exterior sanctity.
Q. In what does interior sanctity consist ?
A. It consists in purity of conscience and goodness of in-
tention. This we have just explained.
Q. In what does exterior sanctity consist?
A. It consists in modesty and propriety.
Q. Wherein should this modesty and propriety appear f
A. It should appear on the face and in the whole exterior j
in the deportment, dress, and ornaments.
EXAMPLE.
Modesty of Rebecca.— Cew. xxiv. 65.
Q. Is it only in the church that this modesty is to be observed f
A. It is to be observed at all times and in all places, but
especially on the day of the marriage and the following day.
Q. Is it only the man-ied pair who are bound to observe this modesty
and decorum ?
A. All those who are present are bound in like manner.
Q, Is there not a dispensation from this rule because those days are
days of rejoicing ?
A. No ; because Christians are never to rejoice but in the
presence of God.
EXAMPLE.
Of that wedding to which Jesus Clirist, the Blessed Virgin, and the disciples were
invited.— ^*?<. John il. 1, 2.
Q, According to this example, then, >f our Lord, the Blessed Virgin,
and tlie disciples, every one may go to weddings ?
A. Yes, provided they participate in their virtue.
Q. And unlcsR they do so, they cannot go then ?
A. The surest way is not to go at all.
Q. Why?
A. Because it rarely happens that one returns from such
places just as they went.
OP MATlllMONY OR MARRIAGE.
269
iwith
of in-
tenor ;
ed!
3es, but
ng day.
modesty
ciples wore
ed Virgin,
om
Virtue almost always sustains some injury on such occa-
sions, and is scarcely ever preserved wholly inviolate. Hence
it is that no modest girl should be allowed to go to weddings
without her mother, or some prudent friend in her place.
Q. "Where should this sacrament be received ?
A. In the parish church and from one's own pastor, if
possible.
Q. Can it not be otherwise received ?
A. It may be received from any priest, and in any other
place, by permission of lawful superiors, but always in the
presence of two or three witnesses.
If any persons were married without this condition, their
marriage would be null and void, that is to say, they would
not be married.
Q. What are the obligations of husband and wife ?
A, 1st. To live together in a holy union.
2d. Mutually to keep their conjugal faith.
3d. To assist each other in their wants.
4th. To give their children a Christian education.
Q. "What is the first obligation of the husband and wife ?
A. To live together in a holy union.
Q. When is the union of husband and wife holy ?
A. 1st. When they do nothing contrary to the sanctity
of marriage.* They are. consequently, bound to ascertain
what is permitted, and what is not permitted. Many per-
sons commit grievous sin, for want of being instructed.
Marriage is honorable in all, says St. Paul, and the bed
undefiled.
2d. When they both labor assiduously for their common
good.
Each observing a reasonable economy, giving in to no
superfluous expense, and avoiding all extravagance.
3d. When they encourage each other to virtue and to good
works by their words and by their example.
Q. What is the second obh'gation of the husband and wife ?
A, It is mutually to keep their conjugal faith.
Q. To whom does the husband give himself in receiving this sacra-
ment?
A. He gives himself to his wife.
♦ Heb. xill. 4.
23*
270
DOCTRINAL CATKCHISM.
■:l!!l
: 11 ; :i
i V'^
Q. To whom docs the wife give herself?
A. She gives herself to her husband.
Not only their affection, their goods, but also their per-
son.
Q. In presence of whom is this donation made ?
A. 1st. In presence of the Lord, and before his holy
altar.
2d. In presence of the priest and of the assistants.
Of the priest, who unites them together, in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ;
Of the assistants, who offer up prayers to God on their
behalf.
This donation is afterwards confirmed by the offering of
the sacred victim, and sealed with the very blood of Jesus
Christ, and by the prayers which the priest repeats, having his
hand extended over them in the middle of the holy sacrifice,
and by the blessing which he gives them at the end, reciting
some other prayers.
Q. What name is given to this reciprocal donation of the husband
and wife ?
A. It is called conjugal faith.
Q. Can they afterwards give themselves to others ?
A. No ; neither can do so wiinout a crime, so long as the
other lives.
This donation is too holy and too solemn for any one to
dare to violate it, and they who would do so would commit
a heinous crime.
Q. What is tlie third obligation of the husband and wife ?
A. To assist each other in their necessities.
Q. In what necessities ?
A. In all necessities, both spiritual and corporal.
Q. What are the spiritual necessities?
A. Those which regard the soul.
They are bound to admonish them of their faults, espe-
cially those which might endanger their salvation ; and in
case of a dangerous illness, they are to procure the last sac-
raments for them in good time.
Q. What are the corporal wants ?
A. Those which regard the body,
In the troubles and afflictions which are inevitable. It *s
il
■mBBHHninnHMMHHMi
OF MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE.
271
ir per-
is holy
3 name
on their
ring of
)f Jesus
iving his
sacrifice,
, reciting
e husband
ng as the
ly one to
i commit
ults, espe-
i ; and in
e last sac-
necessary, in this state, that the strongest should support
the weakest ; and in their sickness and infirmities they are
to procure for them what assistance they can.
Q. What is the fourth obhgation of the husband and wife I
A. To give their children a Christian education.
Q. What is the first attention which they owe to their children?
A, To preserve them from all accidents previous to their
birth.
When any such accident occurs through their fault, it is
a great sin, and is a reserved case,
Q. What is the second ?
A. It is to have them baptized without delay.
Baptism is so great a blessing that it cannot be procured
too soon.
The parents are also bound to give them virtuous god-
fathers and godmothers ; and if the mothers cannot nurse
them, which would be much better, they must be provided
with healthy nurses, who are irreproachable in their conduct.
The parents are bound to guard them from all danger until
they are able to take care of themselves, and the neglect
which would be followed by any serious accident would b"
one of the reserved cases.
Q. What is the third ?
A. To make them receive the sacrament of Confirmation
as soon as they are old enough.
Q. What is the fourth ?
A. To teach them early to know, love, and serve God.
This is the end for which God has created and placed us
in the world. To do for them what they Ckanot do for
themselves, and to chc ' for them wise and Christian
teachers.
To be careful to engrave on their hearts the rosport which
they owe to God and to all that regards religion, such as
holy places, sacred things, and persons consecrated to Ctod.
Q. What is the fifth ?
A. To accustom them from their childho<^ to * «imp]f
and frugal life.
To give them a sufficiency of every thing, but nothing
more ;* to make them avoid all excess m eating, or drink-
ible. It 's
♦ St Aug. lib. vi. 18.
272
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
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f^ig, or in sleep, in play or amusement, in dress, ornaments,
&c.
Q. What ia the sixth t ■
A. To inspire them from their youth with a love of labor.
All men are born for labor, though of various kinds, ac-
cording to the difference of station.*
It is necessary, therefore, to apply them to it as soon as
they are old enough. '
Idleness, says the Holy Ghost, hath taught much evil ;f
and is, as the proverb says, " the mother of all vice."
Q. What is the seventh ?
A. To procure for them as good an establishment as the
parents possibly can.
To the end that their children may bless them all the
days of their life, being mindful of the good things they have
received from them, and that they may be in a state to as-
sist them, ill case they require it. Fathers and mothers, by
acting in this way, serve God very profitably in their state,
merit for themselves great reward, and put themselves in
the way of going to be united with God for all eternity in
heaven, after having been united to him here on earth for a
time.
On Virginity.
Q, What state is more perfect than that of marriage ?
A. The state of virginity.
To this state also belong those widows who live in chas-
tity .J See the account of Anna, the prophetess.g
Q. Why is that state the most perfect ?
A. 1st. Because it renders us like unto Jesus Christ.
Thus our Lord had a special affection for St. John because
of his virginity.
2d. Because it bears more resemblance to the life of the
blessed in heaven.
Virgins are the angels of the earth, as the angels are the
virgins of heaven.
3d. Because it leaves a greater liberty to serve God.
He that is without a wife, says St. Paul, is solicitous for
♦ Job V. 7.
t Eccl. xxxili. 29.
t Judith vi«.
§ St. Luke ii.
OF TUB COMMANDMENTS OF QOD.
273
imcnts,
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the things that belong to the Lord, how ho may please
God *
But he that is with a wife, is solicitous for the things of
the world, how he may please his wife : and he is divided.
Q. Is every oue capable of this perfection I
A. No, none except those to whom that grace is given
from above.
All receive not this .^'ord, says Jesus Christ, but they to
whom it is given. And he adds : He that can receive it,
let him receive it.f
Q. What will be the privilege of Christian virgins f
A. 1st. To sing a new canticle, and to follow the Lcmb
whithersoever he goeth.J
2d. To have a particular crown, like the martyrs and the
doctors.
■»♦»•
CHAPTEE XIII.
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OP GOD.
Q. Is it enough to be baptized and have faith in order to be saved I
A. No ; it is also necessary to keep the commandments
of God and of the Church.
Q. What is the first thing necessary for salvation \
A. To be baptized.
Amen, amen, I say to the unless a man be born again
of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the king-
dom of God.§ See Chapter VI., page 154, on Baptism,
how the Baptism of water may be supplied.
Q. What is the second thing necessary for salvation ?
A. To have faith.
Children receive in Baptism the habit of that virtue, as
well as that of hope and of charity.
He ♦'■>at believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved : but
he that believeth not shall be condemned, j]
II
* 1 Cor. vii. 32.
t St Matt. xix. 11.
i Apoc. xiv. 4.
§ St John ill 5.
I St Mark xvi. 16.
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274
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Miiii:
11 ! i II 'I
Q. What is the third thing necessary for salvation!
A. To keep the commandments of God and of the Qiurch.
This refers to adults, that is to say, those who have at-
tained the use of reason, and know how to discern good
from evil.
If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.*
This was the answer given by Our Lord to a young man who
asked him : Good Master, what good shall I do that 1 may
have life everlasting?
Q. Is it not enough, then, for adults to be baptized and have faith in
order to be saved ?
A. No ; they must also keep the commandments of God
and of the Church.
Baptism and faith open the Church for our reception, and
place us in the rank of Christians ; but the observance of
the commandments opens heaven for us, and places us
amongst the saints.
Faith without works is dead,f says St James.
This must be indelibly engraved on the hearts of all who
really wish to be saved.
Q. How many commandments has God given us ?
A. Ten : three of which relate to God himself, and the
other seven to our neighbor.
Q. How many of the commEindments relate to Qod t
A. Three.
Q. Which are they ?
A. The first three.
Q. How 80?
A. Because the first commands us to adore God ; the
second, to respect his name ; and the third, to keep holy the
days consecrated to his honor.
Q. How many of the commandments relate to our neighbor ?
A. Seven.
Q. Which are they ?
A. The last seven.
Q. Demonstrate that
A. The first of those seven commands us to honor our
fathers and our mothers, and the other six forbid us to in-
♦ Bt. Matt. xlx. 17.
t St James 11. IT.
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
275
jure our neighbor, either in his person, wealth or reputa-
tion.
Q. Whence comes it, then, that Our Lord reduces the whole law to
the two commandments of the love of God and the love of our neigh-
hor?
A. It is because the love of God comprises the first three,
and the love of our neighbor the seven others.
Q. What commandments ai-e contained in the love of God?
A. The first three.
Q. How so?
A. Because, when we truly love God, we adore him, we
respect his holy name, and duly observe the days set apart
for his honor.
Q. What commandments are contained in the love of our neighbor?
A. The seven others.
Q. How so ?
A. Because, when we truly love our neighbor, we honor
our father and mother, and injure no one whatsoever, either
in their person, wealth, or reputation.
Hence, it is with much reason that Our Lord reduces the
whole law to the two commandments of the love of God
and of our neighbor,
Q. What are the oommandmenta of God ?
A. Here they are as they are recorded in the Holy Scrip-
ture, book of Exodus, ch. xx. :
I. I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the
land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt
not have strange gods before me. Thou shalt not make to
thyself a graven thing: thou shalt not adore them nor serve
them.
n. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy Cod in
vain.
III. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.
IV. Honor thy father and thy mother, that thou mayest
be long lived upon the land.
V. Thou shalt not kill.
VI. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
VII. Thou shalt not steal.
VIII. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neigh-
bor.
Iff. '
f
276 doctuina;. catechism. "'
IZ. Thou shalt not covet ihy neighbor's wife. '
X Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods : his house,
nor his servant, nor his handmaid, nor his ox, nor his ass,
nor any thing that is his.
Q. Whtm did God give those ten commandments to the Israelites t
A. At the commencement of their journey through the
desert.
In the year of the world 2513, before Christ 1491, in the
third month after their departure from Egypt.
Q. What is this law called f " ji'
il. It is called the written law.
Q. Why! .T •:*;•-■■; -•■- ' : '■': ' :''' ..^"'
A. Because God gave it written on two tables of stone.
Q. Were men without any law, then, previous to that timet
A. No ; they had the natural law. <
Q. What is the natural law ? :. .\ .'i
A, The law of reason and of conscience. '
Men read therein the evil which they were to avoid and
the good which they were to do. u
Q. Why did God give them another?
A. Because the first was disappearing from the earth, so
great was the malice of men.
Q. What law has succeeded to the written law t
A. The law of grace. i i
There have, then, been three laws : the natural law, the
written law, and tiie law of grace, which last is to subsist
till the end of time.
Q. Can we fulfil the commandments of God t
A. Yes, we can, with the grace of God.
Q. What is necessaiy to be done in order to obtain that grace t
A. !• is necessary to ask it without ceasing.
God commands nothing impossible ;* but, in giving ua
his commandments, he warns us to do what we can, to ask
for grace to do what we cannot do ourselves, and he gives
that grace when it is sincerely desired.
Jesus Christ says : My yoke is sweet and my burden
lightf
And St. John assures us that the commandments of God
are not heavy .|
* Cone. Trid. oh. xL
t St. Mfttt. zl. 80.
X St. John T. 8.
OF THK 00MMANDMENT8 OF GOD.
277
*;
. i?^"!.'
ARTICLE I.
' ■■.!*,
:>'.!> n
! i<
'0. What is ordained by the first commandment : Thou shalt not have
strange gods before me f
A. 1st. That we are to believe in God ; 2d. To hope in
him ; 3d. To love him perfectly ; 4th. To adore him alone.
Q. Wliat is the first thing which this commandment obliges us to do }
A To believe m God. ^ • • ^ .- *- ^ .. ..v ... .
Q. What is it to believe in God f
A. To hold for certain that thPi e is a God, and to submit
to all the truths which he has revealed and declared to us
by his Church.
Q. What TU'tue is it that makes us believe in God, and in all the
truths whioh he has revealed and d >clared to us by his Church !
A, Faith.
This virtue is the root and the foundation of salvation.
We ought to value it very highly, thank God for it without
ceasing, and preserve it with the utmost care.
Q. What is the first truth which faith teaches US ?
A. That there is a God.
Q. How are we to hold this truth ?
A. We are to hold it for certain.
Q. When do we hold it for certain ?
A. When we believe it without any sort of doubt.
Q. Why are we to believe it without any sort of doubt ?
A. Because God himself has said it.
Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.*
Jesus Christ has repeated the same words in St. Mark.f
Hence, God being all truth and goodness can neither
deceive nor be deceived.^
Q. Does it suffice to believe that there b a God, in order to have
faith?
A, No, we must also submit to all the truths which he
has revealed and declared to us by his Church,
Q. What is meant by saying tliat we nmst submit f
A, That is to say, that we must captivate our minds under
the obedience of faith.
We are to refrain from reasoning on mysteries which
• Deut vL 4.
t St. Mark xil. 29.
24
X Heb. vL 18.
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278
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
!
MlH
I
are infinitely above human comprehension, and to reduce it
to an entire and absolute submission.
Such was the obedience of the Blessed Virgin to the
words of the Angel. If she speaks, it is but to solicit
instruction and to confirm herself in obedience. This, then,
is our model in the obedience which we owe to all the truths
which God has revealed and declared to us by his Church.*
Q, What nre the tniths which Ood has revealed to us !
A. All those which the Church regards as articles of faith.
For instance, that there is a God ; that there arb three
persons in God ; that those three persons are equal in all
things and make but one God; that the second person
became man for our redemption ; that there are seven sac-
raments ; that there is a paradise, a hell, a purgatory, and
so on with the others.
Q. By whom does God propose these truths to us?
A. By his Church.
It is God who has revealed them, and it is the Church
who proposes them to us. Judge, then, with what submis-
sion, what docility and respect, we ought to hear the Church,
which is the organ whereby God discloses his truths to us.
Q. How has God revealed these truths to us f
A. By Scripture and tradition.
Q. What is SciiptureF
A. It is the written word of God.
Q. Wherein is it written ?
A. In the holy books, which are the Old and New Testa-
ments, commonly called the Mble. These books are called
canonical.
Ist. Because they are the rule of our faith ; for canon is
a Greek word which means rule.
2d. Because the catalogue of those books is inserted in
several councils, and lastly in that of Trent.
The Old Testament contains what took place in the Church
from the creation of the world till the time of Jesus Christ :
that is to say, about four thousand years.
The New Testament contains what passed in the Church
from Jesus Christ till the preaching of the Apostles, inclu-
sively. This is about sixty years.
• St. Luko 1. 88.
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OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF OOD.
279
13
Q. Waa it God himself who wrote the holy Ixwka }
A. No ; they were written by men inspired by the Holy
Ghost.
The Old Testament, by the Prophets and other men
equally inspired.
The New Testament, by the Apostles or their disciples.
Q. What is tradition?
A. It is the unwritten law of God.
Q. What ia meant by unioritten f
A. That which is not contained in the holy books.
Q. From whom did the Apostles receive it ?
A. They received it from Jesus Christ or from the Holy
Ghost. There are also, says St. John, many other things
which Jesus did : which, if they were written every one,
the world itself, I think, would not be able to contain the
books that should be written.*
And elsewhere he says : But the Paraclete, the Holy
Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will
teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind,
whatsoever I shall have said to you.f When he, the Spirit
of truth, shall come, he will teach you all truth. J
Q. How is this unwritten word of God preserved ?
A. By verbal teaching.
The Apostles taught it to their disciples, and those disci-
ples to others, and so in succession from mouth to mouth
down to us. We regard as apostolic traditions, all points
of doctrine or of discipline which are universally received in
all the churches, without any date being assigned for their
commencement. Such is the perpetual virginity of the
Blessed Virgin, the observance of Sunday as the s&bbath,
the use of Lent, and of the sign of the cross, the custom of
mingling a little water with the wine in the chalice, the
practice of baptizing infants, and the greater part of what
regards the sacraments.
Q. Are we obliged to believe tradition!
A. Yes, as firmly as Scripture.
Q. Why!
A. Because it is still the word of God.
♦StJohnxxL28.
t St. John xiv. 26.
It St. John xvi. la.
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280
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. To whom has God confided the deposit of Scripture and tradi-
tion t
A. To the Church, to whom he has also given the under-
standing thereof, and the power of proposing it to the faith-
ful by an infallible judgment and with a supreme authority.
Q. What deposit has Ood confided to his Church t
A. He has confided to her the deposit of Scripture and
tradition. ' ■ " " -
Q, Why do you call Scripture and tradition a deposit I
A. To show that the Chnrch is only the guardian of them.
Q. To whom, then, does this deposit belong f
A. It belongs to God, the source and the author of all
truth.
Q. What has God also given to his Church, together with this de-
posit!)
A. He has given her the proper understanding thereof.
Q. What is meant by the proper understanding f
A. The light to understand and determine its true sense.
Q. What power has he given her at the same time f
A. He has given her the power of proposing it to the
faithful ; that is to say, to all those who compose the
Church. •
Q. When does the Church make use of this power ?
A. When she gives her decision in those difficulties which
spring up in the Church.
Q. How does she pronounce her decisions ?
A. She pronounces them with infallible judgment and
with supreme authority.
Q. Wh&t 19 infallible judgment f
A. A judgment incapable of error.
It is the Holy Ghosc himself who speaks by the mouth
of the Church, hence she cannot be mistaken.
Q. What is meant by supreme authority ? '
A. An authority from which there is no appeal.
When the Church has spoken, all the faithful are obliged
to obey, and they cannot appeal from her judgment, because
there is in this world no higher tribunal, her tribunal being
that of God himself.
Q. To whom, in the Church, has Jesus Christ confided the deposit of
Scripture and tradition, together with the proper understanding thereof,
BUi
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF OOD.
281
aud the power of proposing it to the faithful, \irith infallible judgment
and supreme authority t
A. To St. Peter, the other apostles, and their successors.
Q. Who are their successors ?
A, The Pope and the bishops.
The Pope, the successor of St. Peter, the first of the
bishops by divine right, (that is to say, by the institution
of Jesus Christ,) who has succeeded him in his primacy as in
all the rest.
The bishops, the successors of the other apostles.
It was to St. Peter that Christ said, for himself and his
successors : ITiou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build
my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven ;
and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be
bound also in heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt loose
upon earth, it shall be loosed also In heaven.*
I have prayed for thee, speaking to St. Peter, that thy
faith fail not : and thou being once converted, confirm thy
brethren.f
After St. Peter had said to Jesus Christ three times :
Lord, thou knowest that I love thee ; Jesus Christ said to
him twice : Feed my lambs ; and the third time : Feed my
sheep. J Which comprises all the flock of Christ ; that is
to say, the entire Church.
It is to the apostles and their successors that Jesus Christ
has said : All power is given to me in heaven and on
earth ;§ as my Father hath sent me, so I also send you ;J
and, behold, I am with you all days, even to the consum-
mation of the world.^
Q. Have all these prerogatives descended from the apostles to their
successors, the Pope and the bishops 8
A. Yes ; they have.
Q. Are we bound to obey them ?
A. Yes ; we are.
Whether the bishops be assembled or not, when they all,
or nearly all, agree with the Pope, who is their head, on any
point of doctrine or of discipline, we are bound to obey
il
ii
* 8t Matt xvl 18.
t St. Luke xxiL 82.
X St. John xxL 15.
24*
$ Bt Matt, xxvili. 18.
I Bt. John XX. 21.
i St Matt, xxvlii. 20.
if\
If
I
m
282
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
them, because Christ has promised to be with them all days,
whether they be assembled, or whether they bo not.
Q. What is the puuisbment of those who do not obey the Church t
A. They are cut off from it by excommunication.
If any one, says Jesus Christ, will not hear the Churcli,
let him be to thee as the heathen and the publican.*
Q. How do we sin against faith ) . y^ * ' '
A. In four ways. ,
Q. Which is the first t
A. By not believing the truths which she teaches.
He who believeth not, says Jesus Christ, shall be con-
demned.f
Q. Who are they who do not believe the truths which faith teaches t
A. Pagans, infidels, Jews, and heretics.
Pagans are those who do not recognize the true God and
who worship idols.
Infidels are those who recognize the true God, but do not
believe in the Holy Trinity, in Jesus Christ, or in the
other truths of religion.
Jews are those who recognize the true God, but honor
him with the same ceremonies as if Jesus Christ were not
come.
Heretics are those who, under the name of Christians, re-
main attached to errors condemned by the Church.
There is also impiety, which opposes religion without
wishing to establish another ; and irreligion, that is to say,
the indifference of libertines who live as though there were
neither God nor religion.
Q. Which is the second ?
A. By outwardly renouncing them.
Q. Who are they who outwardly renounce the truths of religi<xi ?
A. 1st. Christians who, in order to escape torture, offer
incense to idols.
This was seen in the first ages, during the persecutions
of the Church, and would be seen again if new persecutions
arose.
2d. Christians who publicly declare against the truths
they have professed.
• St Matt xvllL It
t St Mark zvt 16.
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OF THE COMMANDrSNTS OF GOD.
283
Such are avowed heretics w..o make public profession
of heresy, and all those who publicly adhere to them.
3d. Christians who leave the Catholic religion to embrace
another.
Such was Julian the Apostate, who from being a Christian
became an idolater. Such, in fact, are all who fall away
from the true faith : these are called apostates.
Q. Which is the third f
il. By voluntarily doubting any of them,
Q. What is it to doubt the truths of faith t
A. To be uncertain and vacillating in belief.
Is it quite true, they say to themselves, that there is a
hell ? or that Jesus is really in the Blessed Sacrament 1
When these thoughts are involuntary, and that we reject
them at once, making an act of faith on those truths, it is
not a sin : on the contrary, it is an act of virtue.
Q. Wlien do we voluntarily doubt these truths f
A. When we do it knowingly and with deliberation. It
is then a great sin, because it is supposing that God can lie
and deceive us.*
Q. Which is the fourth!
A. By neglecting to be instructed in those truths, a
knowledge of which is necessary to salvation.
Q. What truths are they whose knowledge is necessary to salvation f
A. 1st. The mysteries of the Trinity, the Incarnation, and
the Redemption.
2d. The resurrection of the dead, and the eternity of re-
ward and punishment.
3d. The Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Com-
mandments of God and of the Church, with all that regards
the sacraments and the duties of one's state.
Q. Where do we begin to learn these truths f
A. In schools and catechisms.
Children are, therefore, to attend there with zeal and
assiduity ; to be modest and attentive, and to rehearse at
home what they learned at school or at catechism.
Q. What is the second thing to which we are bound by the first
couunandoient of God !
A. To hope in God.
♦ Heb. vl. la
If If ^
284
DOCTRINAL 0AT£CHI8M.
Q. What is it to hope iu God t
A. To expect with a firm confidence, from his iniinito
goodness, the blessings which ho has promised to us.
Q. Why do you say that to hope is to expect t
A. Because one has not what they hope for.
If they had, they would hope no more. Hence it is that
St. Paul says : But if we hope for that which we see not|
wo wait for it with patienje.* «
Q. What do we expect by hope ?
A. We expect the blessings which God has promised to
us.
Q. Wherein has God promised them to us t
A. In the Holy Scriptures.
The Lord spoke to Abraham in a vision, and said to him :
Fear not, Abram, I am thy protector, and thy reward ex-
ceeding great, f
Then shall the just shine li^s > the sun, says Jesus Christ,
in the kingdom of their Fathe^.J
To hifn that shall overcome, I will grant to sit with me
on my throne ; as I also have overcome, and have sat with
my Father on his throne.§
Q. How do we expect the blessings that Gh>d has promised ust
A. We expect them with a firm confidence.
Q. Why with a firm confidence ?
A. Because we are assured that God cannot break his
word.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not
pass away. II
Q. What condition is to be fulfilled on our part!
A. To keep his commandments with inviolable fidelity.
If ttou wilt enter into life, keep ^'.le commandments.^
Without the fulfilment of this condition, we have no
claim on the promises of God.
Q. From what are we to expect these blessings !
A. From the infinite goodness of God,
Q. Why from the infinite goodness of God ?
A. Because it is the pure effect of his goodness that he
has promised them to us.
♦ Rom. vlil. 25.
t Gen. XV. 1.
X St Matt ziii. 48.
§ Apoc. iil. 21.
I St. Matt xxiv. 85.
1 St Matt. xix. IT.
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
285
no
Notliing less than an infinite goodness could have prom-
ised us these blessings.
Q. What are the bleaeings which we expect from Ood t
A. Eternal salvation, together with the graces and other
assistance necessary for obtaining it.
. Q. What la eternal ealvation f
"' A. It is the deliverance from all evil and the possession
of all good.
Q. When are wo delivered from all evil and io posseosioa of all good t
A. When we enjoy God in heaven.
Q. What blessings accompany that enjoyment of God ?
A. Blessings immense, incomprehensible, and ineffable.*
Immense, because of the assemblage and re-union of all
joys, of all contentment, and of all delight, without any
mixture of evil.
Incomprehensible, because eye has not seen, ear has not
heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man.
Ineffable : I know a man in Christ, and such a man was
caught up into paradise, and heard sweet words, which it is
not granted to man to utter.f
Q. Is salvation the only blessing which we liave to hope for from
God?
A. We are also to hope for the graces and other assist-
ance necessary for obtaining it.
Q. What graces?
A. All those which enlighten the mind, strengthen the
will, and inflame the heart.
Without the assistance of these graces we cannot shun
evil and do good in a manner useful to salvation ; two things,
nevertheless, which are absolutely necessary in order to ob-
tain it.
Q. What other assistance ?
A. All that is necessary for the life of the body. With-
out this assistance we are exposed to many temptations.
Hence we are not only to hope for it, but also to ask it ; as
our Lord himself teaches us in the Lord's Prayer.
It was on this account that Solomon said to God : Give
me neither beggary nor riches : give me only the necessa-
m
♦ 1 Cor. II 9.
2 Cor. xii. ^4.
rtbu
\%
286
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
f
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1 1 111,1.
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ries of life, lest perhaps, being filled, I chould be tempted to
deny, and say. Who is the Lord 1 or, being compelled by
poverty, I should steal, and forswear the name of my God.*
Q. How do we sin against hope !
A. In three ways.
Q. What is the first ?
A. It is when, despairing of our salvation, we remain im-
penitent.
Q. What is it to despair of salvation ?
A. To hope for no pardon from God.
Q. How do people fall into this state !
A. 1st. By voluntarily giving way to thoughts of despair.
We must be faithful in rejecting these thoughts, and in
producing acts of confidence, as soon as we are sensible of
them.
2d. By thinking that they can never succeed in getting
rid of their bad habits.
If the sinner cannot do it by himself, he can with the as-
sistance of grace. He must, therefore, do all he can to ob-
tain that grace. I can do all things in him who strengthens
me.f
3d. By despairing of ever being converted.
The remedy for this evil, is to seek a charitable confes-
sor, lay open the conscience to him, and ask him the best
means to be taken.
By faithfully obeying him, the penitent will be sure to
get out of his unhappy state.
Q. What happens those who despair of their salvatfon !
A. They remain in impenitence.
Q. What is it to remain in impenitence ?
A. It is to persevere in sin, and make no efibrt to get rid
of it.
Q. To what does impenitence lead ?
A. To that which is called Jinal.
Q. What is final impenitence ?
A. Death in sin. It is the greatest of all misfortunes, be-
cause it is followed by eternal damnation, which is an irre-
parable evil.
• ProT. XXX. 8, 9.
t Phil. iT. 18.
OF THE COMMAKDMENTS OF GOD. 287
EXAMPLE.
Miserable death of Judas.— jSK^ Matt. zzylL
Q. What is the second ?
A. When, presuming on the mercy of God, or on his own
strength, the sinner defers his conversion.
Q. Who are they who presume on the mercy of God ?
A. They who persuade themselves that they will always
have time and grace to be converted.
To think so is evidently to deceive one's self, for it is
reckoning on time and grace, two things which belong only
to God, and not to us.
Q. Who are they that presume on their own strength ?
A. They who think that they can be converted whenever
they please.
St. Peter fell because he thought he could sustain himself:
what will become of those who think that they can rise
again, by themselves, and whenever they please !
Q. What usually happens to those who presume on the mercy of God
and their own strength ?
A. They defer their conversion.
Q. To what do they thereby ejtpose themselves ?
A. They expose themselves to die in sin.
Q. What must we do in order to avoid that misfortune ?
A. We must work out our salvation with fear and trem-
bling,* trust in God, distrust ourselves, and labor assidu-
ously for our conversion.
li
EXAMPLE.
Balthazar, warned by a miraculous hand, defers his conversion, and is killed the
following night— Z>an. v.
Q. What is the third?
A. To want confidence in, or submission to, the guidance
of Providence.
Q. Wlmt is Providence ?
A. It is the care which God takes of all things.
Q. What does Providence conduct in this world I
A. It conducts all things.
• Phil, it 12.
288
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing ? and not one
of them sh-^ll fall on the ground without your Father. But
the very hairs of your head are all numbered, and not one
of them shall perish.*
Q. What should a C/hristian do who believes in this Providence t
A. He should trust in it and submit to it.
Q. Wliat is he to expect from it with confidence ?
A, All the helps which are necessary both for soul and
body. ,,
EXAMPLE.
Confidence of Ezechlas.— 4 Kinffa xlx.
Confidence of Judith.— Ch. ix.
Confidence of the three children In the furnace. — Dan. if*.
Confidence of Daniel in the lion's den. — Dan. vL and xir.
Q. On what occasions are we principally to bubmit to the guidance of
Providence ?
A. In sufferings and humiliations.
-ii!
::
im
i|i!^Ml:i|
EXAMPLE.
Submission of Job in his disgrace.— «7b& L and ii. ,
Q. Who are they who want confidence in the guidance of Provi-
dence ?
A. 1st. They who voluntarily entertain thoughts of dis-
trust.
Be not solicitous for your life, what you shall eat, nor for
your body, what you shall put on.f See the rest of the
chapter.
2d. They who think that all is lost when they have no
ot^.cr resource than Providence.
When all hum.'in aid fails us, it is then that we must re-
double our confidence, and expect all from God. If we
truly confide in him, he will sooner work a miracle than
abandon us. See how he multiplied the loaves and fishes
in the desert.J
3d. They who depend more on their own industry than
the assistance of God.
All men should be persuaded that no industry v,un suc-
ceed without the assistance of God. ^
* Pt. Mntt. X. 29, 80; St Luke xxL 18.
t 8L Matt. vL 25.
t St John Tl. 6.
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OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
289
no
Q. Who are they who want submission to the guidance of Provi-
dence t
A. 1st. They who consider theDiselves unhappy when
any evil befalls them. Jesus Christ has said : Blessed are
they that mourn ; blessed are they that suffer.
2d. They who wish for death, being disheartened with
sufferings.
Their case would be a hard one if God took them at their
word ; and if death presented itself, they would very soon
change their tone.
3d. They who murmur against God in their troubles.
The Israelites were punished for their murmurs in the
desert. Of six hundred thousand who went forth from
Egypt, only Caleb and Joshua entered the promised land ;
the others perished because of their murmurs.*
Q. What is the third thing to which we are bound by the first com-
mandment of God f
A. To love God.
Q. What is it to love God?
A. To fix our her 's on God, as our sovereign good and
last end.
Q. What are we to fix on God !
A. We are to fix our u. irt on him.
Q. Why our heart ?
A. Because it is the heart that God principally demands.
Q. How are we to fix our heart on God ?
A. We are to fix it on him firmly and constantly.
Q. Why firmly «
A. To the end that nothing may be able to break that
union.
Q. Why constantly ?
A. To the end that nothing may be able to interrupt that
union.
Happy are they who fix their heart firmly and constantly
on God, because they love him always and without inter-
ruption ! It was thus that St. Paul loved him, when he
said : Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall
tribulation ? or distress ? or famine ? or nakedness 1 or
danger ? or persecution 1 or the sword 1
♦ Kom. xlv.
25
290
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
in I It;
11'
■ii'l
11
(As it is written : For thy sake we are put to death, all
the day long : we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.)
But in all these things we overcome, because of him that
hath loved us.
For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to
come, nor might, nor height, nor depth, nor any other crea-
ture shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which
is in Jesus Christ our Lord.*
Q. Why are we to fix our heart on God ?
A. Because he is our sovereign good and last end.
Q. Why do you say that God is our sovereign good I
A. Because it is only he that can render us happy.
Q. When are we happy ?
A. When we desire nothing beyond what we have.
Q. When do we desire nothing beyond what we have?
A. When we possess God in glory. '
Q. Why do we then desire nothing beyond ?
A. Because God then fills up all our desires.
The riches of this world, its honors, and pleasures, may,
indeed, amuse our heart ; but they cannot fully satiate it ;
it is only God who can do so, by giving himself tons In the
splendor of his glory.
Q. Why do you say that God is our last end ?
A. Because we are created to possess him.
Behold the end of our creation, and hence it is that all the
rest should tend thereto. If we had always that end in
view, our conduct would be much more regular, because we
would at least refer to it all the good we might do.
We may have several ends in our actions : but the prin-
cipal, the prevailing and the last ought to be to arrive at
the happiness of possessing God in heaven.
" God," says St. Augustine, " has made us to possess him,
and our heart is always in commotion till it rests in God.
Having attained that end, which is the last, it is at rest and
desires nothing more, because all its desires are filled up."
Q. When do we love God as our sovereign good ?
A. Whon we love him with a love which has no equal.
els
* Horn. vlll. 86.
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
291
r As God is the sovereign good, that is to say, having no
equal, so also should our love for him have no equal.
This is what we understand by saying that we love him
above and more than all things, more than riches, honors,
sensual pleasures, more than kingdoms, more than all the
world.
Q. How do we know when we love God with this love ?
A. When we find ourselves ready to do all and to suffer
all rather than offend him mortally. .
EXAMPLES.
Of Joseph cB'At into fr\son.— Gen. xxzix.
Of Eleazar.— 2 Mac. vl. 18.
of Sasanna.— Dan. xiii. •
Of the Maccabees.— 2 Mao. vii.
Q. When do we love God aa our last end !
A. When we labor with all our might to attain the hap-
piness of possessing him.
We ought often to ask ourselves : Will what I now do,
what I now undertake, conduct me to eternal happiness 1 Is
it only the glory of God and my own salvation that I have
in view ? If not, it must be given up at once.
Q. To what, then, should all our acUoos tend !
A. They should all tend to that end.
Q. What is necessary to be done for that end T
A. It is necessary to lead a holy life.
To do good works, and do them with the intention of
pleasing God.
A merchant, a workman, or any other, leads a holy life
when he does his business, or his work with that intention,
because then he regards God as his last end.
Whatsoever you do, says the apostle, in word or in work,
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks
to God and the Father by him.*
And elsewhere : Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever
else you do ; do all things for the glory of God.f
Q. Who is it that infuses this love of (}od into our hearts ?
A. The Holy Ghost.J
Firstly in baptism, afterwards in the other sacraments.
♦ Col ill, 17.
t I Cor. s, 81.
X Bom. v. 6.
292
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
3?' .
and daily by his holy inspirations. Let us then be faithful
to it.
Q. What must we do in order to preserve it I
A. 1st. We must carefully avoid all that might deprive
us of it, or even weaken it.
One single mortal sin would deprive us of it, and one
single venial sin would weaken it.
2d. We must faithfully do all that may maintain and
strengthen it.
Prayer, the sacraments, and good works, behold the oil
which keeps up the fire of divine love !
Q. How must we love God ?
A. We must love him with all our heart, with all our soul,
and with all our strength.
Q. When do we love God with all our heart, and with all our soul,
and with all our strength ?
A. When we love him as much as we are capable of
loving.
That is to say, that we must employ in that love all the
capacity of our heart, of our soul, and of our strength.
This does not mean that we must love him as much as he
deserves, because it is only Himself who can love Himself
as he deserves.
Q. Is it permitted to love any thing besides God ?
A. Yes, provided it be with reference to God.
He himself commands us to love our fathers and mothers
and our neighbor. The Holy Ghost recommends wives
and husbands to love each other. Fathers and mothers are
to love their children. Brothers and sisters, and all rela-
tives, are likewise to love each other.
Friends are permitted to entertain a mutual affection, and
how many we do love here on earth !
Q. May we love these persons with all our heart ?
A. Yes, provided we do not love them as much as we love
God.
For, as we have already said, God must be loved above
all things.
Q. How do we sin against the love of God t
A. In two ways.
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
293
Q. Which is the first ?
A. By placing our sovereign good in any other object
tl^ian God : as the ambitious, in honors ; the avaricious, in
wealth ; and the voluptuous, in sensual pleasures.
Q. What is it (o place our sovereign good in any other object than
God?
A. 1st. To love any other thing as much and more than
God.
2d. To establish therein all our happiness and felicity,
3d. To make it our last end.
Q. Who are they who render themselves guilty of this sin I
A. Principally the ambitious, the avaricious, and the
voluptuous.
1st. Because they love honors, riches, or sensual pleasures
as much or more than God.
2d. Because they place their happiness in those things.
3d. Because they make them their last end.
They desire nothing beyond. They no longer think either
of God, or of a happy eternity. They are each content
with what they have.
Q. What will be the puaishment of this sin !
A. The etenial torment of hell.
The injury which they do to God, by preferring those
perishable things to him, cannot be too severely punished.
What should we say of a person who, having to choose
between a pearl of great price and a little mud, would leave
the pearl and take the mud 1 They are still more blind
and infatuated who prefei transitory things to God.
Q. Which is the second ?
A. To have sentiments of hatred against Grod.
Q. Who are capable of hating God ?
A. The wicked.
Q. Why?
A. Because God condemns their wickedness, and threatens
theni with punishment.
Q. Whom do these imitate in their liatred of God ?
A. The devils and the damned souls.
Properly speaking, it is not God whom they hate, but his
justice and his power, which they would wish to be annihi-
lated, because they are contrary to them, to the end that
they might do evil with impunity.
25*
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294
J
i i
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. Are we obliged to love our neighbor ?
A. Yes ; because Our Lord, after having commanded ua
to love God, decreed, by a second commandment, that we
are to love our neighbor.*
Q. Which is the first and greatest of the commandments t
A. That of loving God.
Q. Which is the second, like unto the first ?
A. That of loving our neighbor.
Q. Can we love God without loving ourneighborf
A. No ;. those two loves are inseparable.
If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is
a liar. For he that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth,
how can he love God, whom he seeth not ?t
Q. Who is our neighbor ?
A. Every human being, known or unknown, friend or foe,
of any nation or religion whatsoever.
We all have the same Fatber, who is God, and we are
all formed of the same clay. Hence we are all to love each
other as brethren.
Q. When should we particularly manifest that love of oar neighbor f
A» When he stands in any need of our assistance.
EXAMPLE.
Of the Good Samaritan.— ^S*^. Lvkex. 84
Q. How must we love ovu" neighbor !
A. As ourselves.
Q. What is it to love our neighbor as ourseives ?
A. To wish him and procure for him the same good as
for ourselves.
Q. We may, then, love ourselves, since the love we have for ourselvea
is the rule of that which we are to have for our neighbor ?
A. Yes, provided it be in God and for God.
Any other love which we might have for ourselves would
be no longer legitimate. We are to examine ourselves on
this head.
Q. When is it that we love ourselvea in God and for God?
A. When we have nothing in view but the glory of God
and our own salvation.
* St. Matt. xxil. 88, 89.
t St. John Ep. i Iv. 19.
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF OOD.
295
Q. According to tliat rule, what good are we firstly to desire and
procure fur our neighbor f
A. ITiat which regards the glory of God and his salvation.
It would not be a proper love, to desire or procure for
him what would be an obstacle thereto, or even to induce
him to sin, under pretence of friendship.
Q. What other good are we to desire and procure for him with the
same intention ?
A. All the assistance of which he stands in need.
God commands this, and promises great rewards for doing
it. He whom we assist is, like ourselves, the work of God
and his image. He is ransomed by the blood of Christ,
and destined for the srme happiness wita us.
Here are many motives to engage us to it.
Q. How many are the spiritual works of mercy.
A. They are seven in number.
Q. Repeat them !
A. 1st. To admonish sinners ;
2d. To instruct the ignorant ;
3d. To give good counsel ;
4th. To comfort the afflicted ;
5th. To pardon injuries ;
6th. To bear patiently with the troublesome ;
7th. To pray for the living and the dead.
Q. How many corporal works of mercy ?
A. There are seven.
Q. Say them ?
A. 1st. To feed the hungry ;
2d. To give drink to the thirsty ;
3d. To clothe the naked ;
4th. To ransom prisoners ;
5th. To visit the sick ;
6th. To harbor pilgrims and travellers ;
7th. To bury the dead.
Q. Are we obliged to love our enemies ?
A. Yes ; Our Lord has commanded us to love them, to
pray for them, and to do them good.
Q. Who are regarded as enemies ?
A. They who hate us, who speak ill of us, and who do
us harm.
■MJQSS-'
296
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
'
I-;
Q. How must we trcnt those who hate us t
A. We must love them.
Q. What must we do to those who speak ill of us t
^. We must pray for them and bless them.
Q. What must wo do to those who do us harm ?
A. We must do them good.
Q. Why must we act so towards our enemies f
A. Because Our Lord commands it.*
You have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love
thy neighbor, and hate thy enemy. But I say to you. Love
your enemies : do good to them that hate you : and pray
for them that persecute and calumniate you ;
That you may be the children of your Father, who is in
heaven : who maketh his sun to rise upon the good and the
bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust.
For if you love those that love you, what reward shall
you have ? do not even the publicans the same 1
And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more 1
do not also the heathens the same 1
Be you, therefore, perfect, as your heavenly Father is
perfect.
And St. Paul, speaking in the same spirit, says: Revenge
not yourselves, my dearly beloved, but give place to wrath;
for it is written. Revenge is mine, I will repay, saith the
Lord.
But if thy enemy be hungry, give him to eat : if he thirst,
give him drink : for doing this, thou shalt heap coals of fire
on his head.
Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good.f
EXAMPLES.
Jesns Christ prays for those who crucify him. — St, Luke xxiU. 84.
St. Stephen prays for those who stone him. — Acta vll.
The unforgiving servant is condemned without mercy. — St. Matt, xviil. 812.
Q. What does this first commandment fii'st oblige us to do ?
A. To adore God.
Q. What is it to adore God ?
A. To render to him the worship and the homage due to
him as the first Being and our sovereign Lord.
♦ St. Matt. V. 43.
t Bom. zii. 19.
OP THE COMMANDMENTS OF OOD.
297
Q. "What is meaut by worehip and homage f
A. It means honor accompanied by submission and do-
pendenco.
Q. How many sorta of worship are there!
A. There are three sorts.
Q. What are they f
A. The worship which is due to God ; that which is due
to the Blessed Virgin ; and that which is due to the angels
and saints. —
Latria, Htperdulia, Dulia.
Q. Which is the greatest f
A. That which is due to God.
Q. Why is it the greatest f
A. Because God is the first Being and our sovereign
Lord.
Q, Which is the second ?
A. That which we pay to the Blessed Virgin.
It is inferior to that which we pay to God, but superior
to that which we pay to the angels and saints.
Q. Which is the third ?
A . That which we pay to the angels and saints.
Q. Why do you say that God is the first Being I
A. Because he is before and above all creatures.
Q. Why is he before all creatures ?
A. Because he is from all eternity.
Q. Why is he above all creatures f
A. Because he is their sovereign Master.
Q. Why do you say that he is our sovereign Lord !
A. Because he has absolute power over us.
We depend on him for soul and body, for life and death,
for time and for eternity.
This is why Jesus Christ said : Fear not those that kill
the body, and cannot kill the soul : but rather fear him that
can destroy both soul and body in hell.*
Q. What is that honor called which is due to God as the first Being
and our sovereign Lord ?
A. It is called adoration.
m it;
't
* St. Matt. z. 28.
208
DOCTRINAL CATE0III8M,
1 HI'
Q. Do w« adore the eaints f
A. No ; we do not pay to them that worship and homage
which is due to God alone; we honor them only as his
friends and servants.
Q. Do we adore the samts when we honor them f
A. No ; for we do not render to them the worship and
liomnge due to God alone.
There is no Christian, at all acquainted with his religion,
who is capable of falling into so gross an error.
Q. How do we honor the saints f
A. We honor them only as the friends and servants of
God.
We only imitate those who honor the favorites of a king ;
which can never displease him, since they only honor them
because they are his friends. So it is witii the honor which
we pay to the saints.
Q. Can we pray to the saints ?
A. Yes ; it is useful to have recourse to their prayers, in
order to obtain from God the graces of which we have need.
Q. Why is it good to pray to the saints I
A, Because it is pleasing to God.
Just as it is pleasing to a king to pray to his favorites.
Q. Why is it useful to pray to them t
A. Because we derive many advantages from it.
They obtain for us from God graces which we might
not obtain by ourselves,
God said to the three friends of Job : Take unto you
seven oxen, and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and
offer for yourselves a holocaust : and my servant Job shall
pray for you : his face I will accept, that folly be not im-
puted to you : for you have not spoken right things before
me, as my servant Job hath.*
God forgives six hundred thousand men at the prayer of
Moses, f
Elias, by his prayers, causes rain to fall after three years
and a half of drought.J
Two hundred and seventy -six persons saved from ship-
wreck by the prayers of St. Paul.§ •.
♦ Job xlH. 8.
t Exod. zzxiL 11.
t 8 Kings xvti. and zviil.
i Acts zzvlL
hal
07 THE COMMANDMENTS OF OOD.
290
If tho saints on earth have so much credit mih God, they
have much more in heaven ; witness all tho miracles
wrought at their tombs in every age.
Q. Ho\7 do we pray to thom t
A. We do not pray thom to give us graces or favors, but
to ask them of God for us and with us, through the merits
of Jesus Christ.
Q. Of whom do we ask graces t
A. We ask them of God.
Q. Why do we ask them of God ?
A. Because none but Himself is master of his graces.
Q. What do we do when we pray to the saints f
A. We beg of them to ask those graces of God for us
and with us.
Q. What do the saints, therefore, do when they hear us ?
A, They pray for us and with us.
Q. Through whoso merits do they pray for us and with us f
A. Through the merits of Jesus Christ.
Q. Why through the merits of Jesus Christ ?
A. Because God grants us no grace except through those
merits.
Hence it is that the Church concludes all her supplica-
tions with those words : Per Christum Dominum ?iostrum.
(Through Christ our Lord.)
Since the saints, then, only pray with and for us, we must
never cease to pray with them.
Q. Do we not do an injury to Jesus Christ by praying to the saints t
A. No ; because it is only Jesus Christ whom we recog-
nize as our Saviour and Mediator, who has redeemed us by
his blood, and we only invoke the saints as intercessors with
God.
Q. Who is our only Saviour and Mediator ?
A. Jesus Christ.
Q. Why is Jesus Clirist our only Saviour and Mediator ?
A. Because he alone has redeemed us by his blood.
Q. Do we regard the saints as our saviours and mediators f
A. No ; we regard them only as intercessors with Jesus
Christ. This, far from injuring Jesus Christ, infinitely en-
hances his merits and his greatness.
'i*-i-
i«y
300
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
ili
ii' '■
Q. May we honor the relics of the saints ?
A. Yes ; because they are the precious remains of a body
whiKh was the temple of the Koly Ghost, and which is to
rise again iu glory.
Q. What do you mean by the relics of saints!
A. I mean the precious remains of their bodies.
Q. Why do we honor these precious remains of their bodies !
A. 1st. Because those bodies have been the temples of
the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost has dwelt therein as in his temples. If
we respect material temples, and all that is used in cele-
brating the divine mysteries, such as the sacred vessels,
linens, ornaments, how much more should we respect the
living temples, and the precious remains of those temples,
which relics are !
2d. Because those bodies are to rise again in glory. By
the light of ftiith, we see beforehand the splendor wherewith
those precious remains shall be clothed, and that renders
them venerable to us.
Q. Does God approve of, and authorize this honor which we pay to
them?
A. Yes ; he approves of, and authorizes it.
Q. How ?
A. By the miracles which he has at all times operated
through those reJics.
■m
in
111
ililJi
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¥ i I:, .
EXAMPLES.
A dead man restored to life by toacbing tbe bonos of tbe propbet EUsons.— 4
Kings xii.
A blind man cured in Milan by toucbing the relics of Sts. Gervase and Prota6«.
Ecclesiastical history is full of such events.
Q. Is it only by the bones of the saints that God has wrought mira-
cles?
A. He has also wrought them by things which they had
used.
See what is said of things which had been worn by St,
Paul.*
Q. Do we sin against the commandment of God by honoring images!
A. No, because we do not believe that there is in them
• Acta xlx.
kn(
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knel
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I an
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOO.
301
had
St,
any divinity or any virtue ; we do not pray to them, nor put
any trust in them.
Q. Who would sin against the commandment of Qod by honoring
imiges?
A. 1st. They who would attribute to those images any
divinity or any virtue.
Such were the pagans, as we see from a multitude of
examples, but especially from the history of Bel, and of
the great serpent worshipped by the Babylonians.*
2d. They who would pray to them, or put their trust in
them.
Such was again the conduct of the pagans ; but Christians,
instructed in their religion, are far removed from it, know-
ing that those images have neither ears to hear, nor power
to assist them, because they are inanimate things.
Q. WLat, then, is the honor which we pay to them ?
A. It is an honor that relates to the object which they
represent.
To the object, that is to say, to that which they represent,
whether God, or Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin, the
Angels, or the Saints.
Q. How do you understand this ?
A. I understand that by the images which we kiss, and
before which we kneel and bow down, we adore Jesus
Christ, and honor the saints whose likeness they bear.
Q. What do we adore when we kiss the images of Jesus Christ, or
kneel or bow down before them ?
A. We adore Jesus Christ, whose likeness they bear.
It is not the image that we adore ; for we attribute to it
no divinity nor no virtue; but Jesus Christ, whom we
acknowledge as oui' Saviour and our God, and the source of
e\ery grace.
Q. What do we honor when we kiss the images of the eainte, or
kneel or bow down before them?
..4. We honor the saints whose likeness they bear.
It is not, again, the images that we honor, since they are
inanimate things, but the saints, whom we regard as power-
ful intercessors with God.
Q. What, then, is the use of images ?
A. 1st. To place before our eyes Jesus Christ and the
• Dan. 14
26
Mi.
If
302
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
to!,
(■■c
i| :i' :
1i;
*} ''I
I- 'If
saints, and to give us an opportunity of adoring Jesus Christ
and honoring the saints.
2d. To remind us of their sanctity and excite us to imi-
tate them.
3d. To ornament the churches in a becoming manner.
Three most excellent purposes. They make us think of
Jesus Christ and the saints, and give us the opportunity of
performing religious acts. They instruct us in a mute, but
most eloquent manner. They are precious ornaments for
our churches.
Q. Wherein do we sin against the adoration due to God ?
A. In three ways : by irreverence, superstition, and idol,
atry.
Q. How do we sin by iiroverence ?
A. In three ways.
Q. What isthefiist?
A. By blaspheming the holy name of God.
Q. When does one blaspheme the holy name of God ?
A. 1st. When they utter words injurious to God. And
that is done in two ways: Ist. By attributing to God that
which does not apply to him, such as saying that God is
unjust to afflict the good and favor the wicked. 2d. By
denying him what belongs to him and is proper to him, such
as saying that God has nothing to do with what passes in
the world ; and so on.
If these words remain in the heart, without being uttered,
it is blasphemy of the heart; if they are spoken, it is a
blasphemy of the mouth.
2cl. When they utter words which di'?honor the sacred
members of the body of Jesus Christ.
Like those who swear by the death, by the head, or by
some other member of the Saviour.
See the blasphemies uttered against Jesus Christ on the
cross,* and those which were uttered against him during his
life, when he was called a Samaritan, possessed of the devil,
the friend of sinners, and a glutton.
3d. When they utter words injurious to the saints. Be-
cause those blasphemies full on God himself, whose glory
and infinite goodness shine forth in his saints.
* St. Luko sxiU.
il'L
OF THK COMMANDMENfS OF GOD.
303
One is accounted to blaspheme against the Father, when
they do it through passion and anger ;* against the Son,
when they do it through ignorance, as did St. Paul before
his conversion ;f and against the Holy Ghost, J when they
do it through malice and contrary to the known truth, attrib-
uting his works to the devil, as the Jews did, when they
said that the miracles of Jesus Christ came from the devil.§
Q. How were blasphemers punished iu the old law ?
A. God had decreed that they should be stoned to death. ||
Q. To what were they condemned in France ?
A. They were condemned to give satisfaction, to have their
tongue pierced with a red-hot iron, their lips split, and to
be banished the country.
EXAMPLE.
Punishment of the blasphemy of Sennacherib.— i Kings six. ; Isaiah xxrvi.
Q. What 13 the second ?
A. By profaning sacred things, such as the sacraments, the
Holy Scriptuics, churches, relics, and images.
Q. HoAv are the sacraments profaned ?
A. By administering or receiving them in a bad state.
It would also be a heinous profanation to trample upon the
sacred oils or the Holy Eucharist.
The Donatists having thrown the Holy Eucharist to the
dogs, which was the height of profanation, the dogs became
mad, turned upon them, and tore them to pieces.^f
Q. How is the sacred Scripture proftmed ?
A, 1st. By reading or hearing it read without respect.
Many of the saints read it on their knees with their heads
uncovered.
2d. By turning it into ridicule.
As if any one said : " He must be a fool that would turn
one cheek when the other was struck," or any such remarks.
3d. By mixing if up with profiine discourse.
According to many of the Fathers, we ought to have as
much respect for the word of God as for the Holy Eucharist,
St. Leonidas, martyr, the father of Origen, had early in-
* Acts ."iil. 45.
t 1 Tim. i. 13.
$ St. Mark iii. 29.
St. Luke xl. 15.
Lev. xxiv.
n Fleu. Ecol. Hist. b. 15. ch. 82.
saii
304
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
rr
' i.
li 1
) ■
!'' 1
liiii
P 'f.
structed his son in the Holy Scriptures, of which he made
him learn and recite some verses every dcay. Often, whilst
the child was sleeping, his father approached his bed, un-
covered and kissed his bosom with respect, as being the
temple of the Holy Ghost, and the sanctuary of the divine
word.*
Q. How are churches profaned »
A. 1st. By going there with bad intentions ; to see and
be seen, and thereby to commit sin, or induce others to do
so.
2d. By appearing therein with gaudy apparel, or immod-
estly dressed.
There are some who go to church as though they were
going to a theatre.
By going in that way they do but insult the profound
humiliation of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
3d. By indecent and immodest postures, remaining seated
or reclined, kneeling on one knee, or with one's back towards
the altar.
4th. By chatting, and looking from side to side. As
though they were in the street. Would they dare to act
so in the presence of an earthly king ?
Churches are sacred places, and must be distinguished
from those which are profane.
EXAMPLE.
Punishment of Hellodorus.— 2 Mac. iU. 7.
Q. How are the sacred vessels profaned ?
A. 1st. By putting them to profane uses.
As did Balthazar, when he caused the sacred vessels be-
longing to the temple of Jerusalem to be brought to his
table, and drank out of them. f
2d. By touching them, without being in Holy Orders, or
without having permission.
Osa was instantly struck dead, for having touched the
ark.t
Q. How are relics profaned ?
A. By not paying them proper respect. They are the
♦ Floa. Eccl. Hist b. 6. cb. 2.
t Dan, V.
X 2 Kings vL
tl
':!
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OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
305
precious remains of bodies which were the temples of the
Holy Ghost, and which are to arise in glory.
Pagans or heretics, who, at various times, have burned
and cast them to the wind, or thrown them into the sea or
elsewhere, have grievously profaned them,
Q. How are images, profaned ?
A. When they are treated with indifference or neglect.
The contempt with which they are treated falls on those
whom they represent and whose likeness they bear, just as
the honor which we pay them reverts to those same persons,
Q. Whf.t is the third ?
A. By Injuring persons consecrated to God.
Q. Wliom do you moan by pei-sons consecrated to God ?
A. I mean all ecclesiastics and religious persons : the Pope,
the Bishops, the Priests, all those who are in minor orders,
even clerks ; also, all monks and nuns.
Q. Why must all those persons be respected ?
A. Because they belong in a special manner to God.
Q. How do we injure them ?
A. 1st. By speaking of them in a contemptuous manner,
2d. By addressing insulting words to them.
8d. All those who lay violent hands on priests or clerks,
unless It be in their own defence, are cursed and excom-
municated.
Q. On whom does the injury fall that is done to them ?
A. It falls on God. himself.
He that heareth you, says Christ to his apostles, heareth
me : aid he that despiseth you, despiseth me : and he that
despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me.*
i h
EXAMPLES.
Punishment of Jeroboam.— 3 Kings xiil.
Of Jeznbel.— 4 Kings Ix.
Of the fifty men sent bv Ochozlas. -4 Kings I.
Of the forty boys torn Dy bears.— 4 Kings ii.
St. Anthony threw himself on his knees before priests when he met tham.
The ^.inperor Constantine would not sit down, at the Council of Nice, until
the bisiiops had, by signs, invited hi'n to do so, and even then he would only take
a low seat, througli respect for the bishops.t
The same Emperor having received several memorials from the Arian bishops
against the Catliollc bishops, cansed them all to bo rolled up together and carefully
sealed; then having the packet brought forward, he said: You are not to be
♦ St. Luke X. 16.
t Fleu. Eccl. Hist. b. xi. ch. 10.
26*
306
DOCTRINAL CATBCHISM.
\) ji
I
III
If
II
'll'l 1
li' V'!
Judged bj men since God has given yon power over as. He then bnmed all
the memorials in their presence, with a solemn Assurance that he bad not read
even one of tliem, because the faults of bishops, and other persons consecrated
to God, ought not to be published, for fear of scandalizing the people. He is said
to have even added : That if be saw with hia own eyes a bishop commit a fault,
he would cover him with liia imperial mantle.
Q. How do we sin by superstition ?
A. By rendering to God any other worship than that of
the Church.
Q, When do wc render to God another worship than thut of the
Church?
A. When we render to him a worship contrary to the
usage, the doctrine, and the spirit of the Church.
Q. Mention some examples of this.
A. 1st. When one recites prayers with circumstances
which the Church neither sanctions nor teaches.
Such as saying them on certain days, at certain hours, in
a certain number ; beginning with the end, and ending with
the beginning ; saying them in a particular position of the
body, or turning towards the west rather than the east ; or
by attributing to them certain effects, such as having a rev-
elation of the day of one's death, not dying without con-
fession, delivering a certain number of souls from purgatory,
and so on.
2d. By attributing to certain things virtues which they
have not.
Neither by themselves, nor by divine institution, nor by
ecclesiastical institution ;
Such as to an egg buried in a churchyard the virtue of
curing fever ;
To two straws in the form of a cross, the virtue of stopping
blood ;
To dreams, of foreshowing the future ;
Of being lucky, because one has been born with a caul^
or thin skin over their head ;
Of being preserved from damnation by reciting or having
about one certain prayers ;
Of putting out a fire by writing certain words on the
chimney ; and a hundred others of a similar kind.
3d. By drawing consequences from certain accidents.
Thus, a broken looking-glass, a salt-stand upset, two
knives or two forks across, is a sign of misfor*;une, or bad
luck.
r
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF OOD.
307
If a raven comes croaking around a house, it is a sign
that some of its inmates shall soon die.
If thirteen are found at table, one of them shall die with-
in the year.
4th. By thinking certain days lucky or unlucky.
Thus, there are certain days on which no journey is to be
undertook, people are not to marry, commence any business,
put down their crop, &c.
Far from honoring God by all these things, they who
observe them, dishonor him, and render themselves guilty
of superstition.
Q. How are all these tilings to be regarded!
A. They are to be regarded as relics of paganism.
Hence it is that all Christians should look upon them
with horror.
Q. How do people sin by idolatry ?
A. In two ways.
Q. Which is the first ?
A. By rendering to any creature the worship due to God
alone.
Q. Who are they who are guilty of this sin ?
A. Idolaters ; by worshipping idols of wood, of gold, or
of silver, or any other creature.
Avarice is another species of idolatry.* So, too, is am-
bition and luxury, because the avaricious, the ambitious, and
the voluptuous place therein their sovereign happiness.f
EXAMPLE.
Bel and the great serpent worshipped by the Babylonians.-— Doft. ziv.
Q. What is the second ?
A. It is, having recourse to the devil, either to do any
harm to one's neighbor, or to obtain from him what God
alone can give, such as the recovery of health, a knowledge
of the future, or of hidden things.
Q. Is it a great sin to have recourse to the devil ?
A. Yes ; for it is renouncing God and his religion.
* Ephes. V. 5.
t CJol. liL 5.
.11^
wr
[r
i!
II
ill :i ^''
308
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. Who are they who have recourse to ;he devil ?
A. Sorcerers, magicians, and conjurors.
With these may be classed all those who apply to such
persons for information, dec.
The former have immediate recourse, and the latter
mediate recourse to the devil,
Q. To what end have all these persons recourse to the devil t
A. 1st, To do some harm to their neighbor.
This is what is called sorcery or witchcraft. By this
means they send diseases, either to men or animals, which
no remedy can cure.
The Lord holds all such things in abomination. See
Deut. xviii. 10, 11, 12.
2d. To effect the recovery of health.
It is by virtue of compacts made v/ith the devil, that by
pronouncing certain words, or making certain signs, people
cure men of the colic, horses of the gripes, and other like
disorders.
3d. To obtain a knowledge of the future and of hidden
things.
This is the crime of which those are guilty who consult
conjurors and fortune-tellers.
All these sins are very grievous.
It is God alone to whom we must apply, because it is
he alone who can restore health and give a knowledge of
things hidden. See Isaiah xli. 22.
We may also address ourselves to God in these cases
by the intermediation of the saints.
EXAMPLES.
Punishment of Ochozias for having constiUed Beelzebub.— 4 Kinga I.
Punishment of Saul fur having consulted the witch of Endor.— 1 Kings zzvlii.
ARTICLE II.
Q. What is forbidden by the second commandment : Thou shalt not
take the name of God in vain ?
A. It is forbidden to swear in any manner whatsoever,
either falsely, which is called perjury^ or even truly, except
in case of necessity.
fo^
K
ca
sp
th
W£
th
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
309
Q. Whnt is it to swear !
A. It is to take God as witness of what is said, whether
affir natively or negatively ; whether promising or threat-
ening.*
Q. When is sin committed by swearing t
A. When it is done against the truth or without necessity.
1. To swear against the truth,
Q. When do we swear against the triith ?
A. When we swear to confirm a falsehood.
" Have you been at Mass, or at Catechism ■?" — " Yes, in-
deed. As true as God hears me," &c., &c. ; and yet know-
ing that they have not been there. This is swearing against
the truth.
Q. What is this false swearing called t
A. It is called perjury.
Q. Is it a great sin ?
A. Yes ; because it is a grievous outrage offered to God.
Q. Why?
A. Because it takes God for witness of a lie.
Q. What is to be done, in order to avoid this sin ?
A. Not to swear at all.
Neither by fliith, nor truth, nor conscience, nor any thing
else.
You have heard, says Jesus Christ, that it was said to
them of old, Thou shalt not forswear thyself. ....
But I say to you, not to swear at all ; neither by heaven,
for it is the throne of God ; nor by the earth, for it is his
footstool ; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great
King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou
canst not make one hair white or black. But let your
speech be yea, yea ; no, no : for whatsoever is more than
these, cometh from evil.f
Q. Can we swear in doubt ?
A. No ; we must be well assured of the truth of what
we swear.
When there is any doubt, one must be well satisfied of
the truth before they swear ; if they cannot be quite certain
* Jer. iv. 2.
t St Matt v. 83.
810
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
J;|:
of tho fact, thoy must not swear at all, for foar of commit*
ting perjury.
2. To swear mthout necessity.
Q. If we are not to sweai* against tho truth, we may, then, ewear,
provided it be with truth ?
A. Yes ; it happens when princes swear to treaties of
peace ; when officers take the oath of fidelity ; merchants
and others swear to observe the rules and statutes of the
body which they enter ; and witnesses swear before judges
and magistrates.
Q. Is it wrong to swear on those occasions ?
A. No ; for there is necessity.
Tiiis is, on the contrary, to honor God, taking him for the
witness and defender of the truth.
Q, How do we swcai* on those occasions?
A. We do it in a respectful manner.
St. Paul says : God is my witness that I say the truth.*
Sometimes, in taking an oath, the hand is simply raised
or placed on the bosom, according as the case may be ; at
other times, it is taken by placing the hand on the Gospels,
kneeling and bare-headed ; also, by touching the crucifix or
holy relics.
Q. On all 01^. r occasions, except those mentioned, how are we to
speak?
A. We must say simply Yes and No, as Our Lord com-
mands us to do.
Q. What sweai-ing is it that God forbids ?
A. Firstly, to swear either by the holy name of God or
by any other sacred thing ; as by the death of Christ, by
heaven or earth, or any other creature.f
Secondly, to swear with imprecation or malediction on
one's self or their neighbor.
Q. What is the first manner of swearing that God forbids ?
A. To swear by the holy name of God.
Q. Who are guilty of this sin ?
A. All blasphemers.
* Rom. i. 9 ; 2 Cor. 1. 2, 8 ; Phil. L 8 ; 1 Thea. 11. 5 and 10.
t Lov. xxlv. 11.
trl
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF OOD. 311
Q. What was their punishment in tlie old law t
A. God had commanded them to be stoned to death.
Q. How were they more recently punished in Christian times !
A. They were to make satisfaction, to have their tongue
pierced with a red-hot iron, their lips split, and to be
banished the country.
EXAMPLES.
Punishment of Sennaclicril). — I Klng»x\x, 22.
Puniahinentof BcnaiUil— 8 Kings xz. '28.
Not only are we bound not to swear by the holy name
of God, but we are never even to pronounce it without re-
spect and attention.
Q. What is tlie second way of swearing that God forbids ?
A. To swear by any other thing that is sacred ; such as
Chiist's death, &c.
This is likewise blasphemy, because it does an injury to
Our Lord.
We arc never to pronounce the holy name of Jesus, nor
of any of his members, but with, sentiments of adoration,
love, and gratitude.
Christians should also refrain from that half-swearing, so
much in use nowadays.
Q. What is the third way of swearing that God forbids ?
A. To swear by heaven or earth, or any other creature,
as do those who say at almost every word : " It's as true as
that heaven's above us ; — it's as true as that the sun is
shining ; — as true as I'm here ;" and so on.
This Our Lord forbids.*
It is swearing indirectly against God, because he is their
Creator and Conservator.
Q. What is the fourth way of swearing that God forbids ?
A. To swear with Imprecation or malediction on one's
self or their neighbor.
Q. When do people swear m this way ?
A. When they curse themselves or their neighbors.
" That I may never leave this spot, if such and such is not
true ; — that I may never see God;" and others of the same
* St. Matt V. 84.
312
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
B.
1;
{I 11 ih '>
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kind which thoy pour out against their neighbor, some of
them so horrid that a Christian may not repeat thorn. The
best way to avoid all this, is to refrain from that anger and
animosity which hurry people into these sins.
Q. In what other way do we ein against the secoud commandment t
A. Ist. When we do not accomplish the vows which we
have made.
2d. When we do not fulfil our sworn promise.
Sect. I. — On Vows,
Q. What is a vow ?
A. It is a deliberate promise made to God of doing some
greater good.*
Q. Why do you say that it is a promise
A. In order to distinguish it from a simple resolution.
Both are binding, but one still more than the other.
Q. Why do you say that this promise is deliberate ?
A. Because, in making a vow, one must think well on
what they do, and must do it of their own free will.
It is to God that they engage themselves ; hence they
cannot be too cautious in doing it.
Q. Why do you say that this promise is made to Got! ?
A. Because every vow is addressed directly to God.
Q. We cauDot, then, make vows to the saints ?
A. Not directly.
When there is mention made of the saints, it is only to
show that the vow is made under their protection ; but it is
not addressed directly to them, but to God alone.
Q. What is meant by saying that a child is voweu \o the Blessed
Virgin or some otlier saint ?
A. It is only meant that the child is under the protection
of the Blessed Virgin or ihat other saint.
Q. Why do you say that this promise is of some greater good f
A. Because the object of the vow is to honor God more
perfectly.
Hence it is that we cannot make a vow to do any thing
either bad or indifferent, such as did those forty men who
made a vow, and solemnly swore, neither to eat nor drink
till they had killed St. Paul.*
♦ St Th. 11. 2; q. 88; a. 2.
t Acts xxlil. 18.
OF TIIK COMMANDMKNTS OV OOD.
313
11
more
thing
In who
drink
Vow8 usually huvo roferuiice to things which arc of coun
sel and of greater perfection, such as fasting on certain
days, abstaining from wine, entering into religion, making
pilgrimages, die.
They may also refer to things of precept, but then there
is a twofold obligation to fulfil them.
Q. IIow maDy kinds of vows are there t
A. There are several kinds of vows.
Q. What are thoy f
A. 1st. Those which are absolute or conditional.
2d. Those which are real, or personal, or mixed.
3d. Those which are solemn or simple.
Q. What is the absolute vow f
A. Tliat which is made without any condition.
We are bound to fulfil such when once it is nmdo.
Q. What is the conditioual vow ?
A. That which is made with certain conditions.
For example: If I recover from this illness, I will give
such a sum to the poor ; this is only obligatory when the
condition is accomplished.
Q. What vow la that which is called real f
A. It is that which falls on the thing promised.
For instance : If I promise to build a church, or endow
one, or give it certain ornaments.
Q. What is the pei-sonal vow ?
A. It is that which falls on the person promising.
For example : If I promise to fast so many days, to wear
haircloth, to sleep on the ground.
Q. What is the vow whicli is called mixed f
A, That which is at the same time real and personal.
F<^r example : If I promise to make a pilgrimage to such
a Church and make a donation there.
Q. What is meant by solemn vows ?
A. Vows of religion which are made in an Order approved
by the Church,
Tht'sc are usually vows of poverty, of chastity, and of
obedience.
Q. What is meant by simple vows ?
A. Those which are not solemn, whether they are made
in private or even in public and with ceremony.
27
314
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. What must be avoided in making vows ?
A. Rashness and hiv'ity.
We are to think maturely, consult God, and take the
advice of wise and enlightened persons.
EXAMPLE.
The rash vow of Jephtha. — Jud. xL 80.
Q. What must be observed after having made them I
A. They must be fulfilled faithfully and without delay.
There must he no change, but they are to be accomplished
in all their circumstances, as to time, place, and manner.
This is what God himself says on the subject : When thou
hast made a vow to the Lord thy God. thou shalt not delay
to pay it : because the Lord thy God will require it. And
if thou delay, it shall be imputed to thee for a sin.*
Q. What must be done if persons find themselves unable to fulfil
t.heir vow, or exposed to commit sin by doing so ?
A. They must then apply to the proper authorities for a
dispensation, or permission to change it ; the application is
to be made to the Pope, or the Bishop, if he have the power.
Sect. II. — Of Sworn Promises, or Oath,
Q. What is a sworn promise ?
A. It is a promise wherein one has taken God as witness
of the promise made.
Q. Are we obliged to fulfil such promises ?
A. Yes, under pain of being perjured.
Q. How must these promises be accomplished
A. Faithfully and without delay.
Q. What is necessary to be done in order to avoid perjury in mak-
ing such promises ?
A. It is necessary to reflect well and seriously on what
one is about to do.
EXAMPLE,
The oath made by Ueroi.— St. Matt. xlv. 7.
When any ore has had the misfortune of making such an
oath, he must by no means put it into execution, for this
would be adding a new sin to the former,
♦ Deut. xxlii. 2L
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
315
such an
for this
ARTICLE III.
Q. What does God ordain by the third commandment : Remember
to keep holy the Sabbath day ?
A. That we are to sanctify the day of his rest.
Q. What day ia that?
A. In the old law it was Saturday, because that was the
day on which God rested, after having created all things in
six days : in the new law, it is Sunday.
Q. How long did the old law last ?
A. From the beginning of the world till the death of Jesus
Christ. It was first engraved on the heart of all men, and
was called the law of nature. Secondly, it was published
on Mount Sinai and engraved on two tables of stone j it way
then called the written law.
These two laws lasted successively for more than four
thousand years.
Q. What day was the day of rest in the old law ?
A. Saturday, which was the last day of the week.
Q. What is the day of rest calffed ?
A. It is called the Sabbath. This is a Hebrew word
which means rest^ or cessation from labor.
Q. Why is it kept as a day of rest ?
A. Because it was on that day that God rested after hav-
ing created all things in six days.
Q. How was the Sabbath observed in the old law ?
A. It was most religiously observed.*
We read in the first book of Maccabees, that a thousand
of the Jews who had retired to the desert with their wives
and children and their flocks, suflTered to be put to death
rather than defend themselves on the Sabbath day.
Q. Was it permitted to kindle fire on that day ?
A. No; God had forbidden it. f
Q. On what did people live on that day ?
A. They lived on what they had cooked the day before,
Q. Who had ordained that?
A. God himself.J
* 1 Mac. ii. 29.
t Exod. xvL 28.
t Exod. XTl. 2&
816
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
h:i
Eliif
f
Q. What did God also prescribe to tlae Israelites in the desert regard-
ing the maDna?
A. He commanded them to gather on the sixth day
enough for two days.*
And it did not corrupt on the Sabbath day, although it
corrupted and became full of worms on other days when
they kept it over night. f
Q. How was a man punished who was found gathering fire-wood on
the Sabbath day ?
A. He was punished with death by the order of God. J
Q. Was it permitted to travel on the Sabbath day ?
A. No; it was unlawful to travel more than two thousand
paces on that day.§
Two thousand paces was about two-thirds of a league, or
two miles.
Q. How were the Israelites employed on that holy day ?
A. They prayed to God, they meditated on his holy law,
they sang his praises, they heard his holy word, and offered
sacrifice to him.
There were, besides the Teijpple of Jerusalem, where sac-
rifice was offered, particular houses in every city which were
called synagogues^ where they assembled to hear the word
of God and sing his praise. We see in the Gospel that Our
Lord often preached in those synagogues.
You perceive from all these things how religiously the
Sabbath was kept.
Q. Which is the day of rest in the new law ?
A. Sunday, which is the first day of the week.
Q. When did the new law commence, and how long will it last ?
A. It began at the death of Christ and will last till the
end of the world.
Q. Why does the Ohurch sanctify the Sunday ?
A. Because it was on that day that Jesus Christ, after the
toils and sufferings of his mortal life, entered, by his resur-
rection, into his eternal rest. *
Q. What was the life of Jesus Christ on earth I
A. It was a life of toils and sufferings.
* Exod. xvl. 22.
t Exod. xvi. 20.
Num. XV. 86.
Exod. xvl. 29.
bl
b
u
the
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
Q. Whc , diu liO enter after his toils and sufferings ?
A. He entered into his eternal rest.
817
Q. What is the eternal rest of Jesus Christ ?
A. The rest which he now enjoys in heaven.
The truly just, after the toils and sufferings of this life,
also enjoy this eternal rest.
Q. How did Jesus Christ enter into his eternal rest ?
A. By his resurrection.
The truly just enter into this rest at their death, but only
as to their soul ; their body shall only enjoy it after the res-
urrection.
Q. On what day did the resurrection of Jesus Christ take place?
A, On the day after the Sabbath, that is to say, on the
first day of the week.
Q. What is that day since called ?
A. It is called Sunday.
Q. What does that word signify ?
A. It signifies the Lord's day.
Q. What is it that the Church honors on that day ?
A. She honors the eternal rest of Jesus Christ.
In the Sabbath day, the ancient Church honored the repose
of God after the work of creation ; and Sunday the Church
honors the eternal rest of Jesus Christ, after the toils and
sufferings of his mortal life.
Q. Who made this change ?
A. The apostles, instructed by Jesus Chiist, and guided
by the Holy Ghost.
In fact, it was only God who could change a law made
by himself.
Jesus Chr^u himself, as it were, consecrated this first day
of the week, by appearing to his apostles on that day twice
in succession ; viz., on the day of his resurrection, and eight
days after.*
Subsequently, we see that the faithful assembled on that
holy day.f And it was on that day that St. John received
the revelations which are contained in his book of the Apo-
calypse. J
♦ St. John XX.
t 1 Cor. xvlH. 20, 88.
27*
X A\ c>c. 1. 10.
318
DOCTRINAL CATECniSM.
m
I II
i: '
ij
Q. What must we do in order to sanctify Sunday ?
A. We iDust abstain from all servile works on that day,
and spend it in the service of God, applying ourselves to
works of piety and devotion.
Q. From what works must we abstain on the Sabbath day t
A. From ail servile works.
Q. What do you understand by servile works I
A. I understand all the corporal works done on working
days.
For a merchant, his business.
For a mechanic, his labor, and so on.
If all servile works are prohibited on that holy day, how
much more those which are in themselves bad and criminal !
Q. Is it sufficient to abstain from servile works in order to sanctify
the Sunday ?
A. No ; we must moreover employ it in the service of
God.
Q. How?
A. By applying ourselves to works of piety and devotion.
Q. What are those works of piety and devotion ?
A. Ist. We must hear Mass, and, if possible, assist at
Vespers.
The parish Mass, if we possibly can, because it is said for
the parishioners.
We are to assist at Mass and Vespers entirely, attentive-
ly, and modestly.
Entirely/, that is to say, from beginning to end.
Attentively, that is to say, with a heart and mind fixed on
God, without voluntarily wandering to any other object.
Modestly, that is to say, neither chatting nor looking from
side to side, but keeping ourselves in a modest, respectful
posture.
If one were so unhappy as to be in the state of mortal
sin, he must then assist there like the publican, who, re-
maining afar off, dared not to raise his eyes to heaven, but
struck his breast, saying : God, be merciful to me a sin-
ner.
*
2d. To assist at sermons ; and young persons at Catechism,
thi
to
♦ St. Luke xvliJ. 13.
the
; 1^
OP THK COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
319
which, if well explained, is proper for all ages, and prepares
the mind for receiving more advanced instructions.
We are to hear the instructions with respect and atten-
tion. With respect, as though we heard Jesus Christ him-
self, since it is He who speaks by the mouth of his minis-
ters ;
With attention, so as not to lose a single word. See how
carefully we avoid letting the least particle of the Holy
Eucharist fall to the ground ! even so should we prevent
the least word of Jesus Christ from being lost.
3d. To approach the sacraments.
The sacrament of Penance, to heal the wounds of our soul.
The sacrament of the Eucharist, to repair the strength of
our soul. This is the true fruit of life, which admirably re-
stores the strength and vigor we have lost.
We must approach it with much preparation, in order
that we may obtain much fruit.
4th. To give more alms than on other days, to the end
that God may proportion his gifts to our liberality.
5th. To spend the rest of the day in good works : 1st,
in reading good books ; 2d, in edifying conversation ; 3d,
visiting the sick ; 4th, consoling the afflicted, &c.
We are permitted to take some recreation after divine
service, provided it be in a Christian manner.
Q. Who are they who sin against this comtnandmeDt?
A. They who neglect to assist at divine service, who spend
that holy day in debauchery, or apply themselves to any
servile labor.
Q. Who are the first that din against this oommandment f
A. Those who neglect to assist at divine service,
Q. When do we sin by not assisting at divine service ?
A. When we absent ourselves through negligence.
If one have time, and might assist there, but does not,
that negligence is a sin.
Q. What do you mean by divine service f
A. I mean the different offices which are sung in the church.
When convenience will allow, it is a praiseworthy custom
to assist at all of them.
In ancient times, the faithful assisted at matins, though
they were sung in the night time.
320
DOCTKINAL CATKt'IllSM.
F?3-
'a
i«>
: I
ii
I
I
I!
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St. Augustine says that there is nothinjj so consoling, or
so well adapted to raise the mind to God, as the singing of
hymns and psalms, when they are sung /vith affection, and
the heart accompanies the voice in praising God. " What
affectionate words," says he, " did I utier to thee in those
psalms ; and how much was I inflamed by them with the
love of thee ; and bumed with a desire of reciting them, if I
could, all the world over, to abate the swelling pride of
manltind : and indeed they are sung all the world over,
neither is there any one that can hide himself from thy heatj^*
The holy king David praised God seven times a day.
St. Louis, king of France, recited every day the entire
office ; yet both were charged with the care of a kingdom.
Q. It is not enough, then, to assist at a Low Mass ?
A. Not when one can assist at Grand Mass.
Is it sanctifying the whole day, to give God a hurried half
hour ?
Q. Who are the second class that sin against this commandment !
A. They who spend this holy day in debauchery, that is
to sa^ , in eating, drinking, gambling, '^r walking about.
These persons would commit far less sin if they worked the
whole day long.
Q. Who are the third class who sin against this commandment I
A. They who apply themselves to forbidden work.
Q. What is forbidden work ?
A. It is that which neither charity nor necessity requires.
Q. Is there, then, any work permitted on that holy day ?
A. Yes, that which either charity or necessity requires.
Jesus Christ himself has authorized it, saying that it was
lawful to do good on the Sabbath day, and that he is the
master of that day as of all the others.f
It is lawful to prepare on that day all the necessaries of
life, to work for the relief of the sick, and to preserve any
thing which is in danger of perishing, such as the crops, &c. ;
but in these cases, it is best to consult one's pastor, if it can
be done.
Another object of this commandment is to give our soul
• Conf. b. iy. ch. iv.
t St Luke vi. 5 and 9.
do
01
't- 1 I'll
OF THE COMMANDMKNTS OF GOD.
321
some rest, to the eial that it may for that flay occupy itself
with God and the business of its own salvation.
Any thing that might tend to withdraw us from that holy
occupation, is to be avoided as interfering with that end.
ARTICLE IV.
Q. To what are we bound by the fourth commandment : Honor thy
father and thy mother ?
A. We are bound to love, respect, and obey our father
and mother, and to assist them in all their necessities.
Q. What is the first thing which it obliges us to do ?
A. To love our father and mother.
Q. Why are we to love them ?
A. Because it is they who, after God, have given us life
and being. God made them instrumental in bringing us
into the world.
We are a portion of themselves. Without them we
should not be in existence.
Add to this all that they have done for our education, to feed
and clothe us, and to procure for us an establishment in life.
What care, what trouble, what toil and sweat, have we not
cost them ! What a return of love do we not owe them !
Let us love them ever so much, we can never love them
as they have loved us. nor in proportion to the numberless
benefits we have received from them.
EXAMPLE.
Tobias charges his son to honor his mother.— 7b&. Iv. 8.
Q. What is the second thing which this commandment obliges us to
do?
A. To respect our father and mother.
Q. Why must we respect them ?
A. Because they hold the place of God with regard to us.
God has stamped his authority on their brow.
We are to respect them in our heart, and give them every
outward mark of that interior respect.
We are never to speak abruptly or disrespectfully to
322
DOCTKINAL CATEOIIISM.
I
I'
h
them, and should never do any thing without their permis*
sion.
Q. How were children formerly punished who ahuscd their parents
even in words ?
A. They were punished with death.*
EXAMPLE.
The honor whicli Solomon paid to his mother.— 8 King9 VL 19.
hi tj
W
I ts* «
■%f
J:l;.
Q. What is the third thing which this commandment obligei? us to
do?
A. To obey our father and mother.
Q. Why must we obey them ?
A. Because they speak to us on the part of God.
They are clothed with his authority ; so that, when they
speak to us. it is as though God spoke to us, and we are to
obey them all the same.
Q. How do we obey those who speak on the part of the king f
A. We obey them as we would the king himself.
It was in this spirit that Jesus Christ obeyed the Blessed
Virgin and St. Joseph so faithfully, so promptly, and so
cheerfully.
To obey faithfully, is to omit or pass over nothing that
we are commanded to do.
To obey promptly, is to do what we are told to do with-
out having to be told twice.
To obey cheerfully, is to obey without regret and without
a murmur. The more difficult the thing is, the more cheer-
fully should we do it, because then there is the more merit,
and consequently the more reward to expect.
It was thus that Jesus Christ humbled himself, becoming
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.f
EXAMPLE.
Obedience of Jesus Christ when he left the doctors in the Temple to return to
Nttziiretii with the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph. — St. LukiW.
do?
Q. What is the fouiiJi thing which this commandment obliges us to
A. To assist our father and mother in all their necessities.
* Lev. XX. 9.
t PhiL it a
an
an
{inJ
!5. , , 'il!
OF TIIK COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
323
Q. How are vrc to aesist them ?
A. As far as we possibly can.
Q. In what necessities are we to assist them f
Ji. In all their spiritual and corporal necessities.
Q. What do you mean by spiritual necessities ?
A. I mean those which regard the soul.
We are to give them salutary advice concerning the
affairs of their salvation, but to do it with much prudence
and discretion.
In their sickness, we must see that they receive the last
sacraments, in order that they may not leave this w^orld
without that assistance and consolation.
When they have departed this life, we are bound to re-
lieve them by prayers, alms, and fasting, and especially by
the sacrifice of Christ's body and blood.
We must also punctually execute their lastfwill.
Q. What do you understand by corporal necessities ?
A. Those which relate to the body ; such as food, cloth-
ing, lodging, (kc.
It is the least we can do to preserve the life of those who
gave life to us. This duty is so urgent, that the Church
permits a monk to leave his convent in order to support his
parents, if they have no other support.
After doing all that we can do, we may still rest assured
that we are doing nothing like what they have done for us.
EXAMPLES.
Joseph brings bis father Jacob into Egypt, and abundantly supplies all his
wants. — Gen. xlv.
Q. Wliat reward does God promise to children who houM* their father
and mother ?
A. He promises them a long life, either in this world or
in eternity.
Whosoever wishes, then, to lead a happy life in this M'orld,
and a life of eternal bliss in the next, must honor his father
and mother.
Q. What is the punishment of children \'ho honor not their father
and mother f
A. The malediction of God.
Cursed be he that honoreth not his father and mother.*
* Deut xxvii. 18.
5#li:
324
DOCIUINAL CATECHISM.
Q. How (liJ (ii)il (li'croc tliiit they shoulil bo punished?
^. llo di'dci'tl tliiiL thoy should be stoned to death.*
m
I
I'i I li'i
EXAMPLE.
Punisliinont of Absivlom for having risen up against David tiis father. — 2 KUigi
xviii.
Q. Does this cominandtncut only retjurd the duties of children towards
their parents ?
A. It also regards the duties of inferiors towards their
superioi's.
Q. What do you mean by superiwa ?
A. I mean all those whom God has established over us.
Q. Who are the principal of these superiors ?
A. Those who are established as rulers over the Church
and the State.^
In the Chuich, the Pope, the bishops, and all pastors.
In the State, all the lawful authorities, the king, princes,
the president, governors, magistrates, and all those who are
intrusted with authority.
Q. To what does the fouilh commandment oblige us, in regard to
these superiors?
A. It obliges us to love, honor, and obey them, and to
assist them in all the necessities of the Church and of the
State.
Q. Why are we bound to love them ?
A. Because they procui'e for us either spiritual or tem-
poral goods.
By the former, we receive spiritual life in Baptism. It is
they also who preserve this spiritual life by the word of
God and the holy Euchaiist. It is they, moreover, who
administer unto us all ihe other saciaments.
It is by the vigilance of the latter that our lives and prop-
erties arc secui'e.
Q. Why are we obliged to honor them ?
A, Because they hold with regard to us the place of God,
Jesus Christ said to the f )rmer, speaking to his apostles :
All power is given to nie in heaven and in earth :f as
my Father hath sent me, so I also send you. J
• Lev. x«. 9.
t St Matt, xxviii. la
% St. John zx. 21.
I m
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
325
m
Wherefore it is that St. Paul says : Wo are, therefore,
ambassadors for Christ, God, as it were, exhorting by us.*
Of the latter class, St. Paul said : IIo (the prince) is the
minister of God to thee for good.
But if thou do that which is evil, fear : for he beareth not
the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God, an
avenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.f And
St. Peter: Honor ail men: love the brotherhood: fear
God : honor the icing.J
Q. Why are we bound to obey them ?
A. Because they speak to us on the part of God.
Jesus Christ said to the former, addressing his Apostles :
He that heareth you, heareth me : and ho that despiseth
you, despiseth mc.§ And St. Paul : Obey your prelates,
and be subject to them ; for they watch as being to render
an account of your souls ; that they may do this with joy.
and not with grief; for this is not expedient for you.||
Of the latter St. Peter has said : Be ye subject, therefore,
to every human creature, for God's sake ; whether it be to
the king, as excelling ; or to governors, as sent by hijn for
the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of the
good.t
And St. Paul : Let every soul be subject to higher pow-
ers ; for there is no power but from God : and those that
are, are ordained of God. Therefore he that resisteth the
power, resisteth the ordinance of God. And they that re-
sist, purchase to themselves damnation.**
Q. Why are we obliged to assist them in the necessities of the Church
and of the State ?
A. Because all the members of a body are obliged to
labor for its preservation.
Hence it is that all the Churches contribute to the wants
of the Church of Rome, which is the mother and mistress
of all the others ; following this example, every parishioner
who can do so is obliged to contribute towardis the support
of his own Church.
In like manner all subjects are to contribute, as far as they
21.
♦ 2 Cor. V. 20.
t Rom. xliL 4, 5.
t 1 Peter IL 17.
•* Rom. xHi. 1, 2.
28
( St. Luke z. 16.
I Heb. xiii. 17.
I I Peter 11. 18.
320
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
possibly can, to defray the expenses of government, and to
do it cheerfully ; for God loveth a cheerful giver.*
1 fence St. Paul said: Render, therefore, to all their
dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom, to whom
custom ; fear, to whom fear j honor, to whom honor.f
I'
ft ■
if
M\
:;i^
EXAMPLES.
Core, Datlian, and Ablron punlHhod for their revolt acalnst Mosos. — yum, xvl.
Mury, tlic slstor of Muacs, strickeu with luproHy fur Ii»ving murmurod against
her brother. — Num. xll.
There are others still whom we are to honor as being
above us.
A wife is to honor her husband. Sara called her husband
her lord, through honor.J
And St. Monica paid her husband so much honor that she
at length converted him to the faith.8
A child, besides his father and mother, is also to honor
his uncles, aunts, and his elder sisters and brothers;
A godchild, his godfather and godmother ;
A pupil, his teacher ;
An apprentice, his master ;
A servant, his or her master and mistress ;
Young persons, those who are older than themselves.
We must, in proportion, love, honor, and obey all those
persons, and assist them, if possible, in all their necessities.
Q. May we not also refer to this commandmeDt the duties of supe-
riors towards their inferiors?
A. Yes, we may refer to it the obligations of parents
towards their children, of husbands towards their wives, of
masters and mistresses towards their servants; and, gene-
rally, of all superiors towards their inferiors.
Q. Wliat are the obligations of parents towards their children ?
A. To love them, to bring them up, to instruct and cor-
rect them.
Q. How are they to love them ?
A. They are to love them as Christians.
They are deposits which God has confided to ihem for a
certain time, and of which they must render an account.
♦ 2 Cor. \x. T.
t Eom. xiil. T.
Gen. xvlli. 12.
Conf. b. Ix. oh. 6.
OK TllK OOMM.VNDMKNTH OF OOD.
327
1st. Ill ordt-r to love tliein ivs (hristiftiis, they must lovo
thorn more for God than for thiMiisoIvos, more for heaven
than earth, more for eternity than for time.
2d. They must love them with reason ; for, when they
love them without consulting reason, they connive at their
faults, and ruin them.
3d. They must also avoid the other extreme, which is,
not to love them at all ; for then they neglect them and
have no care of them.
Parents who have several children must lovo them all
alike ; otherwise, they give room for envy, which may lead
to bad results.
'^5
I COT-
EXAMPLE.
JealouRj of the brethnn of Joseph. — Oen.xxxviL
Q. How arc they to bring them up ?
A. With care and attention. They must provide them
\/ith all the necessaries of life, and guard them from every
danger during their childhood.
When they are of an age to go to school, they are to
send them there, and select good teachers for them.
Q. How are they to instruct them ?
A. With mildness and with patience.
Q. Wherein are we to instruct them ? ^
A. Firstly, in all that regards religion.
To teach them their prayers, their catechism, the fear of
God, his love, the horror of sin. St. Augustine could never
forget,* even in his wanderings, the name of Jesus, which
had been taught him in his childhood. St. Louis never lost
sight of those words of the Queen, his mother: God knows,
my son, how tenderly I love you, and more than any earthly
creature; nevertheless, I would rather a thousand times see
you dead before me, than to see you commit one mortal
sin.f
Q. "Wherein are they also to instruct them ?
A. In all that belongs to the state which they are to
embrace.
• Conl b. vl. ch. iv.
t Life of St Louia.
328
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
\
w
fp
!i
i f ^ ';■
litji
fri;!
E
iili
I
m
II'
^. What means are to be employed in teaching them ?
A. Precept must, of course, be em{)loyed, but example
is still more necessary.
They must teach them, by their own example, the prac-
tice of every Christian virtue : humility, mildness, patience,
compassion, dec.
Q. What are they carefully to avoid in their presence ?
A. Every thing that children could not imitate without
sinning.
Such was the advice given by St. Jerome to a Christian
mother.*
Parents, then, are to avoid all anger, impatience, cursing
or swearing, lies, immodesty, excess in eating or drinking,
a love of dress or the vanities of the world, slander, cal-
umny, &,c.
EXAMPLE.
Advice of Tobias to his son.— 7b&. Iv.
Q. How are they to correct them ?
A. Firmly, yet without harshness.
Firmly, because any show of false tenderness renders the
child indocile and incorrigible. He that loveth his son, says
the Holy Ghost, frequently chastiseth him, that he may
rejoice in his latter end.f Without harshness, because it
angers and discourages them. And you, fathers, provoke
not your children to anger : but bring them up in the disci-
pline and correction of the Lord. J And elsewhere : Fathers,
provoke not your children to anger ; lest they be discour-
aged. §
EXAMPLE.
Punishment of Eli for not liaving corrected his children. — I Kings ii. and iv.
Q. What are the obligations of other superiors towards their infe-
riors ?
A. They are the same in pi'oportion as those of parents
towards their children.
All superiors are bound, in their own degree, to love their
inferiors, to contribute to their instruction and to their cor-
rection.
♦ L. ii. ep. 14.
t Eccl. XXX. 1.
Ephes. vi. 4.
Col. iil. 21.
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
329
ARTICLE V. V
Q. What is forbidden by the fifb)) commandment: Thou shalt not
kill?
A. It is forbidden to deprive any one of life without
authority, and also to kill one's self.
Q. What is the first thing forbidden by this commandment?
A. To deprive any one of life without authority.
Q. What is meant by saying viithout authority f
A. That is to say, by his own authority, without having
received that power from God, who alone is master of our
life. It is he who has given it and who preserves it to us,
and no one but he has a right to take it from us.
Q. Why has God made this prohibition !
A. Because man is created to his image.
I will require your blood, said God to Noah and his chil-
dren, at the hand of every beast, and at the hand of man ; at
the hand of every man, and of his brother, will I require
the life of man.*
Whosoever shall shed man's blood, his blood shall be
shed : for man was made to the image of God.
If a man, says God, kill his neighbor on set purpose, and
by lying in wait for Itim, thou shalt take him away from
my altar, that he may die.f
And Jesus Christ said to St. Peter : Put up, again, thy
sword into its place. For all that take the sword, shall
perish with the sword.J
EXAMPLES.
Cain cursed by God for having killed his brother Abel. — 0«n. !▼.
Adonibesech treated as he had treated others. — Jud. 1.
Q. What is the second thing forbidden by this commandment f
A. To take away one's own life.
Q. Why?
A. Because we are not our own, but God's. Whether
we live, says St. Paul, we live to the Lord ; or whether we
die, we die to the Lord.8
♦ Gen. ix. 6, 6.
t £a:od. zzl 14.
28*
\
St. Matt. xxTi. 62.
Bom. xiv. 8.
830
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Hi!
liil?
il <
"11
lil'
ill
:i-
EXAMPLES.
Despair oi' Saul— 1 Kings xxxl. 4 ; and of Jn^ta—St. Matt, zxri Si.
Qi We are not allowed, then, to deprive any one of life I
A. No ; not without authority.
Q. By what authority is it permitted ?
A. By the authority of God.
Q. Who are the depositaries of that authority ? *'
A. Sovereigns and other rulers.
The prince, says St. Paul, is the minister of God for
good.*
But if thou do that which is evil, fear : for he beareth not
the sword in vain : For he is the minister of God, an aven-
ger to execute w^rath upon him that doeth evil.
Q. It is, then, only sovereigns who can take away the life of crimi-
nals, by virtue of the power which God has given them ?
A. Yes, it is only they, and those whom they appoint for
that purpose ; those who command armies, and the soldiers
who compose them ;
Judges who are established for punishing the guilty, and
those who execute their decrees.
Q. Does it only forbid us to kill ?
A. It also forbids anger, hatred, contempt, envy, revenge,
insult, and generally all desire to do harm to our neighbor.
Q. Why does God forbid all these things ?
A. Because they all lead to murder. Men kill not those
whom they love, and esteem, and in whose prosperity they
rejoice, but those whom they hate, despise, and envy.
The determination to commit murder is not formed all at
once, but is the result of anger, the desire of revenge, jeal-
ousy, and other such passions fostered in the soul.
Q. Docs God only forbid hatred, envy, Ac.
A. He also forbids us to wish or to do any harm to our
neighbor.
Q. Why?
A. Because we are obliged to love our neighbor as our-
selves.
I give you a new commandment, says Jesus Christ, that
* Bom. xiil. 4.
O^" THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
331
and
those
they
all at
5, jeal-
to our
as our-
ist, that
you lovft one another ; as I have loved you, that you also
love one another.*
And St. Paul : He that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled
the law. For (the commandments) Thou shalt not commit
adultery : Thou shalt not kill : Thou shalt not steal : Thou
shalt not bear false witness : Thou shalt not covet : and if
there bo any other commandment, it is comprised in this
word : Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.f
Q. Are we only forbidden to wish or to do any harni.->to our neigh-
bor?
A. We are also forbidden to bring him to evil, either by
bad example, bad advice, or in any way whatsoever.
Q. How do we most generally bring our neighbor to evil ?
A. Either by bad example or by bad advice.
Q. How do we bring him to evil by bad example ?
A. When we do or say in his presence any thing that
tends to sin.
If a father curses, blasphemes, or gets drunk, in presence
of his children, it induces them to do the same.
He, says Jesus Christ, that shall scandalize one of these
little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a
mill-stone were hanged about his neck, and that he were
drowned in the depth of the sea. J
Q. How do we bring otb.ers to sin by bad advice ?
A. When we advise them to do a bad thing: "You are
certainly very foolish to put up with the like of that: I
would not, if I were in your place," and all such evil sug-
gestions.
Q. "Vliat is this sin called ?
A. It is called scandal.
Q. Is scandal a grievous sin?
A. Yes; for it kills the soul of our neighbor.
Inasmuch as the soul is more precious than the body, so
the evil done to it is greater than that which is done to the
body.
Q. Is there no other way of bringing our neighbor to sin ?
A. Yes ; it may be said that all exterior sins have that
effect.
♦ Sw Jol'n xiii. 34.
t Horn. xili. 8.
X St. Matt. ZTliL o.
II
III
■J *
332
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. How 80?
A. Because people willingly do the evil which they see
others do.
We cannot, therefore, be too much on our guard to avoid
doing or saying any thing that might induce others to sin,
by imitating us.
Even the omission of the good which we are bound to do,
and do not do, is a sort of scandal. If we do not say our morn-
ing or evening prayers, or our grace before or after meat ;
if we do not assist regularly at divine service, &o., this is
all so much scandal.
So it is with luxury, vanity, immodest clothing, gambling,
profane amusements, loose conversation, unchaste songs, bad
books, lascivious pictures, and all such things. These all
give scandal, because they lead to sin.
Q. How must we shun all those who bring us to sin ?
A. We must shun them as we would persons having the
plague.
If thy hand or thy foot scandalize thee, says Jesus Christ,
cut it off and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to
enter into life maimed or lame, than, having two hands or
two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thy eye
scandalize thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. It is
better for thee with one eye to enter into life, than, having
two eyes, to be cast into hell-fire.*
EXAMPLE.
The children of Setb perverted by the bad example of the children of Cain, and
punished by the Deluge. — Gen. \i. and vli.
ARTICLE VI.
Q. What does God forbid by the sixth commandment : Thou shalt
not commit adulteiy ?
A. He forbids all sorts of impurity either in thought,
word, or deed.
Q. From what must we refrain in order to obey this commandment !
A. We must refrain from all impure thoughts, words, and
actions.
♦ St. Matt, xviii. 8, 9.
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
333
jidmentl
rds, and
Q. Why so?
A. Because those thoughts, words, and actions are great sins.
In this matter, as in that of faith, there is scarcely any
venial sin when the consent is perfect.
Q. Why are these great sins f
A. 1st. Because they defile both the soul and body, which
are the work of God.
It is God who has formed our body and created our soul
to his own image and likeness,* and hence we are his work.
It is, therefore, a grievous crime to disfigure that work by
such sins as these.
2d. Because they outrage Jesus Christ, whose members
we are.
Know you not, says St. Paul, that your bodies are the
members of Christ ? shall I, then, taking the members of
Christ, make them the members of a harlot ?f See the
rest of the passage.
3d. Because they outrage the Holy Ghost, whose temples
we are.
Know you not, says St. Paul again, that your members
are the temple of the Holy Ghost, who is in you, whom
you have from God, and you are not your own ? For you
are bought with a great price. Glorify and bear God in
your body. J
Q. How has God manifested his detestation of these sins?
A. By the dreadful chastisements he has inflicted on those
who were guilty of them.
Q. What was the first chastisement ?
A. The universal Deluge.
My spirit, said God, shall not remain in man for ever,
because ho is flesh.§ See what follows.
Q. What was the second chastisement ?
A. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha.
And the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrha brim-
stone and fire from the Lord out of heaven. ||
These sins being now still more heinous, inasmuch as our
bodies are more holy, those who do not do penance for them
* Gen. i. 26, 27.
t 1 Cor. vi. 16.
I Gen. xlx. 24.
I
1 Cor. vl. 19.
Gen. vl. &
334
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
hi- ''J
in this life have reason to fear that God has a dreadful pun-
ishment in store for them in the next.
Q. Why do you say all sorts of impurity t
A. Because this sin is divided into several kinds, accord-
ing to the different ways in which it is committed, and the
difference of the persons with whom it is committed.
The different ways of committing this sin, and the differ-
once of the persons with whom it is committed, are suffi-
ciently well known to those who have the misfortune of
sinning in this way ; hence it is easy for them to explain
themselves at their confession. As for those who have not
been so unfortunate as to commit this sin, it is a great advan-
tage for them to know nothing of its nature, and it is much
to be wished that they should remain so all their life. To
the latter class, it is only necessary to say, that they must
carefully avoid all words and actions which they would not
dare to say or do before respectable persons.
If we had God always present and his love ever in our
hearts, we would fear his eyes much more than those of
even the most respectable men.
It is necessary to declare in confession the different kinds
of this sin, and even the considerable circumstances con-
nected with it. It is then tnat the penitent has need of
courage and humility. The devil takes away shame when
the sin is being committed, but he gives it back when it is
to be confessed. The sinner, however, must not listen to
his suggestions, but to those of the Holy Ghost.
Q. Does this commandment only forbid impurity ?
A. It also forbids all that might lead to it, such as excess
in eating or drinking, going to plays, reading bad books ; las-
civious looks, words and gestures ; and all immodesty in dress.
Q. What, once more, does this commandment forbid ?
A. It forbids all that might lead to impurity.
Q. Repeat what those things are that lead to it
A. 1st. Excess in eating and drinking.
In order to preserve chastity, we must be extremely
sober, especially in drinking.
Be not drunk with wine wherein is luxury, says St. Paul,
but be ye filled with the Holy Spirit ;* and when he per-
* Ephes. V. 18.
Tifpi;
OP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
335
)un-
ord-
the
Iffer-
suffi-
le of
:plain
Q not
,dvan-
mucli
. To
^ must
Id not
in our
ose of
it kinds
Gs con-
leed of
when
en it is
isten to
s excess
ks ; las-
in dress.
stremely
St. Paul,
I he per-
mits his disciple Timothy the use of wine, it is on condition
that he take but very little, and that becausa of the weak-
ness of his stomach and his frequent infirmities.*
Excess in eating is no less to be dreaded.
A body that is too delicately nourished is seldom chaste.
He that nourisheth his servant delicately from his childhood,
afterwards shall find him stubborn.f
2d. Plays, comedies, the opera, balls.
These things have been at all times strictly prohibited,
because of the danger to which Christians are there exposed
of allowing what they see and hear to gain admission into
their hearts.
St. Jerome complained that in his solitude, notwithstand-
ing his fasts and macerations, he was tormented with vio-
lent temptations by the remembrance of the plays andexhi-
bitions of Rome.'];
St. Augustine acknowledged that plays made the same
impressions on his heart as though the things represented
had been all true, and that he felt himself moved by all
the passions which he saw represented.§
Alipus, the friend of St. Augustine, allows himself to
become passionately fond of public exhibitions, which he
had before abhorred. ||
Under this head we may also class dances, particularly
public dances, as much because of the mixture of persons
which takes place on those occasions, as of the words which
are said or sung.
Dina, the daughter of Jacob, was dishonored for having
gone to witness the amusements of the women of Sichem.*f
3d. The reading of bad books.
The reading of such books is almost as dangerous as going
to plays, since they contain the descriptions of what passes
there. This kind of reading must then be renounced alto-
gether if we wish to preserve chastity.
Hence, we must avoid comedies, romances, and all such
works as treat only of profane love. We must regard
such books as poisonous fountains which give death to the
soul.
€ •
* Tim. V. 23.
t Prov. xxlx. 21. *
X Life of St Jerome.
Conf b. i. ch. 18.
Conf. b. vi. ch. 8.
•[ Gen. xxiv.
! ffe'f
li ,1
m
;. ;l
1:1'
13 ■ ■ ''!•■'
■^ ^!'
i
'
,jjl|:
i
i
336
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
God manifested to St. Theresa the place which she had
deserved in hell by reading such books, until they had ex-
tinguished every sentiment of piety in her soul.*
4th. Immodest images.
We are never to keep in our house either statues or pic-
tures which are calculated to hurt the imagination.
If we have them in our possession, they must be destroyed.
Let their value be what it may, they are not so dear to
us as our feet, our hands, or our eyes, which Jesus Christ
commands us to cut off, or to pluck out and cast far from
us, if they be a cause of scandal to us.f
5th. Unchaste looks.
We are never to let our eye rest on any image, or on any
person, that may give rise to bad thoughts. The bad thought
often leads to desire, and desire to action ; and so the sinner
falls.
Whosoever looketh on a woman, says Jesus Christ, to
lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in
his heart.J
Wherefore Job said : I made a covenant with my eyes,
that I would not so much as think upon a virgin.§
David fell into two heinous sins for having looked upon a
woman. II
6th. Obscene words.
We must watch carefully over our tongue so as never to
speak any thing obscene, or of double meaning.
To avoid all loose conversation, and never to associate
with people who are so addicted. We must also beware
of what is called flattery, or coaxing, as there is nothing
more dangerous.
Be not deceived, says St. Paul, evil communications cor-
rupt good manners.
Under this head may be placed bad songs, whether one
sing them, or hear them sung. " What a man," says St.
Jerome, " cannot bring himself to tell you, he will sing to
\ ou.
7
th. All immodesty in dress.
Firstly. We are to be at all times modestly covered.
* Ch. xxxiv. of her Life,
t St. Matt. v. 29, and xvlli. 8
\ S Kings xL2>
St. Matt ▼. aa
Job xxxi. 1.
^^f
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
337
Rebecca covers herself with a veil as soon as she learns
that it is Isaac who is advancing towards her, although she
was chosen to be his wife.*
Secondly. St. Paul admonishes women to bo veiled, for-
bids them to -wear plaited hair, ^r many ornaments. J Abi-
melech gives a thousand pieces of silver to Abraham to
the end that Sarah might always have a veil. J
Thirdly. To clothe ourselves simply and decently, accord-
ing to our state, avoiding all luxury and all vanity.
God apprc jd of the ornaments of Judith because her in-
tention was good.§
Queen Esther grieved when she found herself obliged by
her state to wear certain ornaments. ||
Fourthly. We are not to disfigure our face, which is the
work of God, by daubing it with paint, wearing moustaches,
or any other such vanities.
Queen Jezabel, having bedecked herself with paint and
her richest ornaments, is thrown from a window of her
palajce, trampled under the feet of the horses, and eaten by
the dogs.^
In addition to all this, it is necessary to avoid all famili-
arities, indecent liberties, assignations, lonely walks, letters,
and presents, between persons of different sexes.
ARTICLE VII.
Q. Wliat 13 forbidden by the seveDth commandment : Thou ehalt not
Bteal ?
A. Two things are forbidden : 1st. To take our neighbor's
goods unjustly ; 2d. To retain them.
Q. "What is the first thing forbidden by this commandment ?
A. To take our neighbor's goods unjustly.
Q. What is meant by unjustly f
A. That is to say, without having a right to take them.
* Gen. xxiv. 65.
t 1 Tim. li. 9.
X Gen. zz. 16.
29
$ Judith X. 8, 4.
I Esth. xiv. 16.
t 4 Kings ix, 3a
338
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
m r:
i'U 5i.
m I
i I
i;
1
:il '■
^
■( ■
(?. Wo may take, tLen, when wo have a right to do eo t
A. Yes ; piovided we bo authorized.
This is the case when we obtain a judgment against any
one, and have his effects sold in order to obtain payment.
So it is, too, in a just war, where we are entitled to take
away what belongs to the enemy.
Q. What are we to do when we are in need f
A. We must make use of honest and lawful means.
Q. What is meant by honest means ?
A. Means which are not incompatible with morality.
Thus a quack, a comedian, a prostitute, and all such
people, do not make use of honest means to earn a living.
Q. What is meant by lawful means f
A. Means which are conformable to the laws.
1st. Such as officials by their employments ;
2d. Magistrates by their judicial charge ;
3d. Merchants by their business ;
4th. Mechanics, tradesmen, and others by their labor;
5th. Servants by their work ;
6th. Those who, being unable to make use of any of. these
means, beg their bread, or take refuge in hospitals, or asy-
lums. All these means are authorized by the laws, and are,
therefore, legitimate.
Q. In bow many ways may we take our neighbor's property un-
justly ?
A. In five ways.
Q. Which is the first ?
A. To take it by violence, as robbers do.
By violence, that is to say openly, by force and against
the will of the person from whom it is taken, as in the case
of housebreakers and highwaymen.
Q. Which is the second ?
A. By stealth, as do servants and others who steal in
secret.
By stealth, that is to say, in secret, and unknown to the
person from whom it is stolen.
1st. Such are servants who steal from their masters, who
give away in secret what belongs to them, who undertake
to pay themselves, saying that they ought to have more
wages.
2d, Women with regard to their husbands.
lol
cc
OF THE C0MMANDMKNT8 OF OOD.
839
any
ent.
bake
such
ring.
)or;
f. these
or asy-
nd are,
erty tin-
against
;he case
steal in
n to the
,ers, who
ndertake
ve move
3d. Children with regard to their parents.
lie, says the Holy Ghost, that stealcth any thing from hie
father, or from his mother, and saith, This is no sin, is
the partner of a murderer.*
4th. Apprentices or journeymen.
5th. Shopmen and shopwomen.
Cth. Professional thieves who steal by dexterity, such as
pickpockets.
EXAMPLE.
Achan stoned for a secret theft.— «7o«u« ylL
Q. Which la the third?
A. By fraud, such as those who cheat in merchandise, or
otherwise.
By fraud, or by imposture, which is one and the same
thing. Thus, this commandment is broken, 1st, by those
who sell at exorbitant prices ; 2d, those who pass off one
article for another, such as false pearls for real ; 3d, a bad
thing for a good, a damaged article for one that is sound ;
4th, they who mix, or adulterate milk, wine, brandy, dec. ;
5th, those who sell with false weights or measures.
Thou shalt not, says the Lord, have diverse weights in
thy bag, a greater and a less : neither shall there be in thy
house a greater bushel and a less.f
Thou shalt have a just and a true weight ; and thy bushel
shall be equal and true ; that thou mayest live a long time
upon the land which the Lord thy God shall give thee.
For the Lord thy God abhorreth him that doeth these
things ; and he hateth all injustice.
Q. Which 13 the fourth?
A. By illicit loans, such as usury.
Q. What is an illicit loan ?
A. A loan which is forbidden.
Q. What loan is forbidden ?
A. That from which a profit is derived in virtue of the
loan.
An individual lends ten dollars for a certain time, on
condition that he shall receive twelve at the end of that
♦ Prov. xxvill. 24.
t Deut. XXV. 18, 14, 15.
340
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
1' \
time. So with corn, wheat, or any thing else ; such loans
are forbidden.
We ai-o not only forbidden to take any thing over and
above what we have lent, but even to look for it.
Lend, says our Lord, hoping nothing thereby.*
Q. What is this ein called ?
A. It is called usury.
Q. What are they called who commit it I
A. They arc called usurers.
Q. To what puuislunent are usurers liable f
A. They are liable to excommunication.
The heaviest of all penalties, because it cuts off the sinner
from the body of the Church and deprives him of all her
spiritual treasures.
Q. Why are usurers so severely punished !
A. Because they violate all laws ;
The divine law, the natural law, the law of the Church,
and tho law of the land.
Q. How must we then lend, to lend in a legitimate manner ?
A. We must lend without any interest, and without
hoping for any. Such are the words of Jesus Christ himself:
Lend, hoping notb'ng thereby.
And elsewhere : Give to him that aslieth of thee, and
from him that would borrow of thee, turn not away.f
Which obliges us to lend to any one that is in need, when
we have it in our power.
Q. Which is the fifth?
A. By unjust law-suits and decisions ; such as dishonest
lawyers, corrupt magistrates and judges ; and generally, by
taking or usurping, in any way whatsoever, that which be-
longs to our neighbor.
Q. Who are they that take then- neighbor's goods in thu fifth way ?
A. 1st. Those who instigate or carry on unjust law-suits,
such as dishonest lawyers.
They thereby inflict a great injury on their neighbor, put-
ting him to heavy expense and causing him much trouble ;
and when they gain the suit by their craft and credit, it is
as though they took their neighbor's goods by violence.
rf:jia
I' s
♦ St. Luke t1. rS.
t St Matt. T. 42.
^^vm
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
341
If any man, says our Lord, will go to law with thco, and
take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And who-
soever shall Ibrco theo to go one mile, go with him other
two.*
What our Lord has taught us, he has himself practised,
especially during the time of his Passion, giving himself up
to all and resisting nothing.
2d. Those who pronounce unjust decisions ; such as cor-
rupt judgea.f
This is, likewise, the same as though thev took their
neighbor's goods, because of the damage whicn they cause
him to sustain.
The wicked man, says the Holy Ghost, taketh gifts out
of the bosom, that he may pervert the paths of judgment. J
Thy princes are faithless, companions of thieves : they
all love bribes, they run after rewards. They judge not for
the fatherless: and the widow's cause comcth not in to
them.§
Wo to you that justify the wicked for gifts, and take
away the justice of the just from him.||
3d. Those who take or usurp, in any way whatsoever, that
which belongs to their neighbor.
This is especially the sin of persons in authority who
abuse their power to usurp or appropriate to themselves the
property of their neighbor ; this is what is called extortion.
EXAMPLE.
Achab takes possession of Naboth's vineyard, after having him pat to death xu)-
Justly.— 8 Kings xxl.
Q. What does this commnndment in the second place forbid f
A. To retain our neighbor's goods unjustly.
Q. In how many ways may we retain our neighbor's goods unjustly?
A. In six ways.
Q. Which is the first?
A. By not making restitution for what one has taken.
Q. May we retain what we have taken ?
A. No, it must be restored.
♦ St Matt y. 40, 41.
t Deut xvi. 19.
I Is. V. 2a
29*
t
Prov. xvIL 2a.
Is. i. 28.
342
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
If the thing taken remain the same, it is to be restored
just as it is ; if not, the value thereof.
Q. la it enough to restore what we have taken t
A. No, we are also bound to repair the damage we have
caused. If we have deprived a mechanic of his tools, he
was, of course, for some time without working ; this, then,
is the damage which must be repaired at the same time
that we restore what we have taken.
One has taken from a merchant a sum of money, which
prevented him from making the same profit as -if he had
had it in his business ; the damage must be repaired, and
the sum taken must be restored ; so on with other things.
Q. To whom must restitution be made t
A. To the person from whom the thing was taken, or his
heirs.
Q. If one do not know who the person is from wtom they stole, what
is to be done ?
A. For instance, a merchant who has cheated those who
bought of him, and who were often entire strangers to him.
He must consult in order to ascertain how and to whom
he is to make restitution.
Q. If we cannot make the full restitution all at once, what is to be
dwie?
A. We must then restore a part — as much as we can.
Q. And if we cannot restore even a part ?
A. We must then have the will to make restitution as
soon as we possibly can.
Q. Is it suffici'int to have that will ?
A. No, we must also endeavor to put ourselves in the
way of doing it.
Q. When is restitution to be made ?
A. As soon as we possibly can.
To defer making restitution, when we have it in our
power, is to continue to cause damage to our neighbor, and
is just the same as though we stole a second time.
Q. How is it if one dies without having made restitution ?
A. The obligation passes to his heirs. He is to ]'y the
injunction on them before his death, but still without expos-
ing himself, and he should take prudent precautions to secure
its being done ; otherwise, it will cost him dearly in the
al
al
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
343
ed
ive
he
len,
ime
hich
had
, and
igs.
)rhi3
J, -what
e who
D him.
■whom
is to be
can.
tion as
m
the
in OUT
bor, and
1 y the
it expos-
to secure
in the
other life, where nothing is overlooked; forjin short, no one
can enter heaven with his neighbor's goods.
Q, Is it only those who have taken that are bound to make restitu-
tion?
A. All those are bound, in like manner, who have partici-
pated in the crime, whether by commending, advising, ap-
proving, consenting, not hindering, when obliged to do so,
or not giving notice, when it was their duty, as in the case
of a servant towards his master.
EXAMPLE.
Bestitution made by Za,oche\a.—JSt. Luke xix. 8.
Q. Which is the second ?
A. By not paying servants their wages, or workmen their
lawful earning.
All this is to be paid promptly : if not, it is one of the
sins which cry to heaven for vengeance.
Behold what God himself ordains : Thou shalt pay him
the price of his labor the same day, before the going down
of the sun, because he is poor, and with it maintaineth his
life : lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and it be reputed
to thee for a sin.*
Behold the hire of the laborers, says St. James, who have
reaped your fields of which you have defrauded them, crieth
out ; and the cry of them hath entered into the ears of the
Lord of Sabaoth.f
Q. Which is the third ?
A. By not giving back the deposit placed in one's hands.
A deposit is a thing given one in care, and has always
been regarded as a sacred thing.
Q. How are we to keep a deposit ?
A. We are to keep it as though it were our own ; bestow-
ing on it the same care and attention.
Q. May we make use of it?
A. No ; not without the permission of the owner. We
are but the guardian of it, and, therefore, cannot use it in
any way.
.' I'
♦ Deut. xxlv. 15.
t Bt Jam«8 Y. 4.
iJI
it I
I"? I
It:
m! Is
344
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. When must it be given up ?
A. As soon as it is demanded again. Nothing is more just
than to restore it to the rightful owner, when he chooses to
claim it.
EXAMPLE.
Punishme:. f Heliodorus for having attempted to carrj off the deposits which
were in \he ^emple. — 2 Mac. Hi.
Q. What is the fourth ?
A. By not rendering an account of the property which we
had to administer.
Q. How are we to dispose of such property ?
A. We are to dispose of it u* if it were our own.
This is the rule for all guardians, e.Tecutors, and generally
for all those who are charged with the auministration of the
property of others.
Q. May they appropriate it to their own use ?
A. No ; not on any account whatsoever.
Q. May they dispose of it as they think proper ?
A, No ; they are bound to observe the rules and condi-
tions of each administration,
Q. What are they to do when the term of their administi'ation is
expired ?
A. They are to render an account of it.
And if there be any money remaining, they must hand
it over to the person or persons to whom it belongs.
Q. What are they obliged to do, in case they have caused any damage
y retaining that money beyond the proper time, or by delaying tie
I'eturn of their accounts ?
A. They are obliged to repair that damage.
Q. What is the fifth?
A. It is, after having found any thing, to neglect making
diligent inquiry after the rightful owner thereof.
Q. Does the article which is found belong to the finder ?
A. No ; it belongs to the loser.
Q. The person who finds it cannot then appropriate it to his own
use?
A. No ; he must restore it to the owner.
Q. And how is it to be if he do not know who the own<'v is f
A. He must make diligent inquiry in order u find him
out.
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
345
Q. Au(3 if he cannot find liim out after diligfint inquiry f
A. lie must then take advice as to what he is to do.
Q. What is the sixth ?
A. Not to pay our just debts when we have the means,
or not to endeavor to have the moans of paying them.
Q. What harm do they do who do not pay their just debts when they
have the means ?
A. They retain their neighbor's goods unjustly.
Q. When they have not the means what must they do ?
A, They must endeavor to obtain the means.
They must not expend more than they have of their
own, and if they be indebted, they must deprive themselves
even of what is necessary, or at least of every thing super-
fluous, in order to pay their debts ; otherwise they do not
obtain forgiveness for their injustice, because it is still going
on.
Q. Is it enough, in order to observe this commandment, to refrain
from taking our neighbor's goods ?
A. No ; we are also bound to give part of our own for the
relief of the poor.
Q. When are we to assist the poor ?
A. When they are in need.
To assist them when thev are not in need, is to render
them slothful, and perhaps give them the opportunity" of
committing sin.
Q. Is it a counsel to assist the poor in their necessities ?
A. No; it is a precept.
Q. Why do you say that it is a precept?
A. Because those who do it not, are condemned to ever-
lasting torments.
,V^''*
his O0t^
EXAMPLES.
Tho rich glutton in the flames of bell for not having assisted Lazarus.— /St
Luke xvi. 19.
Jesus Christ shall pronounce the same judgment on the last day.— /St ifatt
xxiv. 81.
Q. Why is it that those who do not assist the poor in their necessities
shall be condemned to everlasting fire ?
A. Because they have not the love of God.
He that hath the substance of this world, says St. John,
and shali see his brother in need, and shall shut up his
bowels from him how doth the charity of God abide in
346
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
him 1* He does not say : how doth the love of his neigh-
bor abide in him ; but how doth the charity of God abide
in him ? To show that he who has no love for his neighbor
has none for God ; and without the love of God, there is no
salvation.
Q. Is eveiy oue bound to assist the poor in their necessities f
A. Yes, each in his own way :
The rich, by giving of their substance, more or less, ac-
cording to t'leir own ability, the number of the poor, and
the divers degrees of their necessity, since God has placed
in their handi the patrimony of the poor;
The poor by assisting their equals in any way that they
can, and adding to what they can do, compassion, consolation,
and the desire of doing more, if it were in their power.
Give alms out of thy substance, said Tobias to his «on,
and turn not away thy face from any poor person : for so
it shall come to pass that the face of the Lord shall not be
turned from thee.f According to thy ability be merciful.
If thou have much, give abundantly ; if thou have little, take
care even so to bestow willingly a little.
And St. John the Baptist said : He that hath two coats,
let him give to him that hath none : and he that hath meat
let him do in like manner.J
Q. How must we give alms in order to do it profitably I
A. We must give it for God's sake.
That is to say, to obey him and to please him, and at the
same time to induce the poor to bless him.
When thou doest an alms-deed, says our Lord, sound not
a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the syna-
gogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by
men. Amen, I say to you, they have received their re-
ward.§
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know
what thy right hand doeth : that thy alms may be in secret,
and thy Father, who seeth in secret, will repay thee.
Q. What IS the virtue of alms ?
A. 1st. To provide a great reward for the day of ne«
that is to say, for the day of death. || ,
01
ol
* 1 John in. IT.
t Tob. iv. 7.
I Tob. Iv. 10.
8t, Luke m. IL
St Matt. vl. 3.
1 ' i
OP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
347
2cl. To deliver from sin and from death.
Tliat is to say, from the death of the soul, from that
which is eternal.
3d. To save the soul from darkness ; the darkness of sin
and the darkness of hell.
But alms must be given in a truly Christian manner, in
order to have this great efficacy.
M
the
ARTICLE VIII.
Q. What does God forbid by the eighth commandment : Thou shalt
net bear false witness ?
A. He forbids us to bear false witness in any manner
whatever. A person called on to give evidence, and after
having promised to God to tell the truth, states, neverthe-
less, what he knows to be false : this is bearing false wit-
ness.
Q. Is that a great sin ?
A. Yes, for he takes God to witness a falsehood. He
would endeavor to make God pass for a false witness, and
is thus guilty of a most heinous crime.
Q. "What are they obliged to do, wlio commit this sin ?
A. They are obliged to repair the injury done to God and
their neighbor.
Without this reparation there is no forgiveness.
Q. Tn -what other ways do we sin against this commandment ?
A. By suborning witnesses, forging or bringing forward
false contracts or title-deeds, accusing an innocent person
of a crime, or pronouncing an unjust judgment against any
one.
Q. Wliich is the fii-st of these ways ?
A. Suborning or corrupting witnesses.
1.
P
nev
EXAMPLE.
Punishment of Jeiabel for this sin.— 3 Kings zxi. ; 4 King$ iv.
Q. "What is the second ?
A. Forging or bringing forward false contracts or title-
deeds.
i' > a
\i
EXAMPLE. ^ g^^^^^,ofacrime,andtbeB
We a\80 see t»"\\ condenmed-t
4 AH sorts of lies.
to appeal^ yir >
n%"°H-Slt' -*. ana aeceWes one's n.,V
^. Because it v>oia ^^^^.^^
^an we .eguU«e-hen.e .date truth
out neighbor^ ,„rts of ««.« there 1
e- B?' """"L Avee sorts.
A. There are tbiec -.lioious lie.
e mat are tV, .,,, officious lie, at.a the mal.cio
% The jesting l.e, *« om ^^
t T^^'^Vuitdf t one's own amusement
X. It IS a lie i«j» ____———-— — '
others.
♦ Bt.Markxiv.56.
t Bt Mark xv. 15.
r i
W}
OF THK COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
349
ot
ring
Itben
ite, by
letltS,
ith the
ed, it is
ing, ^y
10 seeks
)eing 80i
>'s neigh-
[ deceive
ilicious lie.
or that of
If a person, in jest, relates stories as true which are not
true.
For example, we say that we have been to such a place,
and were well entertained there, though we had not as much
as a glass of water ; so on with other things.
Q. What is the officiouB lie ?
A. That which we tell for our own advantage or that of
another.
To save ourselves or others from being scolded. If we
had the fear of God, we would much rather be scolded than
offend him.
Q, What is the malicious lie ?
A. That which causes any damage to our neighbor.
For instance, when by your lies you defame an honest
tradesman, a skilful workman, a faithful servant, a virtuous
female. You are obliged to make restitution in all these
cases.
Q, Is it only in these three ways that truth v* violated f
A. It is also violated as often as we disguise or pervert
it in any way whatsoever.
lat. By equivocation, making use of ambiguous terms
which have a manifold meaning, and may give an impres-
sion contrary to what we think.
2d. By mental restrictions, retaining in our mind a mean-
ing which we do not express. For instance : " Have you
been to mass," We answer, " Yes ;" and mean yesterday
or some other day, whilst the person speaks of to-day.
Another example : " Is Mr. so and so at home 1" — " No, he
is gone out ;" meaning from his chamber to his study, or
the like.
3d. By false pretences. Making a show of being friendly
to some one and wishing him well, whilst they are secretly
working against him and doing him ill offices.
All that is contrary to truth and integrity, and serves
only to deceive our neighbor in an unjust manner, which is
never permitted, even though it were done with the inten-
tion of saving a life or procuring the salvation of a soul.
Content yourself with saying : " It is so — it is not so," that
is to say, " yes," or " no."*
iark XV. 15-
* St Mfttt. V. 87.
350
DOCTRINAL OATKCHISlf.
lilill
,<'!
I '
|i
j: ■■
EXAMPLB.
Panishment of Ananias and SappblnL — Acta r.
Q. What does this commandtneot secondly forbid t
A. It forbids rash judgment.
Q. What is rash judgment ?
A. A judgment pronounced to the disadvantage of our
neighbor without a just foundation. A person goes into a
house ; immediately it is suspected that he goes in for some
bad purpose, although he may have no such intention, but
may, on the contrary, have a good object in view.
Q. Are we permitted to judge thus rashly f
A. No ; Our Lord forbids it.
Judge not, says he, that you may not be judged. For with
what judgment you have judged, you shall be judged : and
with what measure you have measured, it shall be measured
to you again.*
Q. May we judge evil of our neighbor when there is a just foundation t
A. Yes ; Our Lord permits it.
Judge not according to the appearance, says he, but judge
a just judgment.!
A man gets drunk and swears every day ; I see him, I
hear him ; I do him no wrong, then, when I judge that he is
a drunkard and a blasphemer.
Nevertheless, if we are not charged with the care of such
persons, the shortest and the best way is to leave them to
the judgment of God, and not condemn them.
Who art thou, says St. Paul, that judgest another man's
servant ? To his own master he standeth or faileth.J
Q. What must Wo do in order to secure ourselves against rash judgf-
raents ?
A. We must refrain even from rash suspicions.
Q. What do you mean by rash suspicions ?
A. I mean thoughts prejudicial to our neighbor, without a
just foundation.
We judge not, but we think evil. There is something
that we cannot find under our hand ; immediately, we con-
clude that it has been taken by some one, and that it must
* St Matt Til. 1.
t St John Til. a.
% Bom. zIy. 4
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
851
be such a person who took it, for no one else was in the
house ; and some minutes after, wo will, perhaps, find the
article which we thought was lost.
We must refrain from all those thoughts which naturally
tend to rash judgments. It is the safer way to take time
on those occasions, and do nothing rashly.
:1V. 4
EXAMPLES.
Prudence of 8t Joseph townrda the Blessed Virgin.— 1% Matt. 1. 19.
Bashness of the Maltese towards St Paul. — Acta xxvill.
Q. What does the eighth commandmeDt thirdly forbid t
A. It forbids slander and calumny.
Q. What do you understand by slander and caluniBy t
A. I understand words which are hurtful to the reputation
of our neighbor.
Under this head are comprised signs, gestures, writings,
and sometimes even silence.
Q. How do we wound the reputation of our neighbor by slander oi
detraction ?
A. By revealing his faults to those who know them not.
We thereby lessen their esteem for him, and consequently
do him an injury.
Q. How do we wound the reputation of our neighbor by calumny t
A. By falsely ascribing to him faults which he has not.
This sin exceeds the other, because it is accompanied by
malice.
Q. In how many ways are these two sins committed !
A. In eight ways.
Q. What are the first four ways ?
A. 1st. Falsely speaking ill of any one ; 2d, magnifying
and exaggerating the evil ; 3cl, revealing a hidden fault ; 4th,
giving a. bad interpretation to a good action.
Q. What are the other four ?
A. 1st. Denying the good qualities of anyone; 2d, di*
minishing them or detracting from them ; 3d, suppressing
them ; 4th, praising them in a faint manner.
Q. Is slander or detraction a great sin ?
A. Yes, for it excludes from heaven.
Know you not, says St. Paul, that the unjust shall not
possess the kingdom of God ? Be not deceived ; neither
i>i :
352
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
m
m i:
n;
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the efleminate,
nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards,
nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the kingdom of
God*
Q. What is it necessary to do in order to obtain forgiveness of tliia
sin?
A, It is necessary to do penance for it.
This is the first thing to be done.
2d. To repair the injury done to the reputation of our
neighbor.
For that purpose it is well to consult some enlightened
persons.
3d. To indemnify for the damage done.
By your slander you have prevented a merchant from
selling, a tradesman from being employed, a young woman
from being provided for, a servant from obtaining a situa-
tion, and so on. It is necessary to repair the damage done
in any of these cases.
It is much better and more prudent to remain silent than
to involve one's self in so many difficulties. Say often with
the prophet : Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth ; and
a door round about my lips.-j- The wise man adds, doors
and bars. J
Q. Are we permitted to listen wilfully to detraction ?
A. No, for that is to render one's self as criminal as the
detractor. If no one listened to the slanderer, there would
soon be no more slander.
Wherefore the wise man said : Hedge in thy ears with
thorns : hear not a wicked tongue.§
But if we hear it against our will, we must impose si-
lence, if we have authority ; change the subject adroitly, if
we have not, or otherwise retire, if we can do so ; and if
we cannot, we must testify our disapprobation by our
countenance, according to the advice of the wise man, who
says : The north wind driveth away rain, as doth a sad
countenance a backbiting tongue. ||
Q. What must the person do who is slandered ?
A. He must ask of God the strength to bear that
* 1 Cor. vl. 9.
t Ps. cxL 8.
I Prov. XXV. 2a
Eccles. xxviii. 28.
lb.
OP THB C0MMANUMBNT8 OF UOD.
353
with
cross with patience, after the example of our divine Lord,
who, when ho was reviled, did not revile ; when he suffered,
he threatened not ; but delivered himself to him that judged
him unjustly.*
If ho be guilty, he must make use of it to repair his fault.
If he be innocent, let him make use of it to repair other
faults known to God.
Q. What in lastly forbidden f
A To repeat any thing that might be hurtful to our neigh-
bor.
Q. What discourse is forbidden by ibis commandment I
A. All that might be hurtful to our neighbor.
Q. Why is all such discourse forbidden 7
A. Because it usually excites quarrels and causes dissen*
sion.
Two persons are closely connected, and live in the utmost
peace and harmony ; you tell something to one concerning
the other, and you thereby sow dissension between them,
and deprive them of the most precious of treasures, friend-
ship, peace, and harmony.
Q. Is that a great sint
A. Yes, it is, for it wounds friendship and disturbs
peace.
Q. What is its punishment ?
A. The malediction of God.
The whisperer and the double-tongued is accursed : for
he hath troubled many that were at peace.f
«i
who
I sad
>ar
that
viu. 28.
ARTICLE IX.
Q. What does God forbid by the niuth comniandment I
A. After having forbidden, by the sixth commandment,
'Xterior acts of impurity, he forbids by this all impure
thoughts and desires.
Q. What, then, is prohibited by this commandment ?
A. All interior acts of impurity, that is to say, all that
passes within us and is seen only by God.
• 1 Peter 11. 28.
30*
t Eccles. zxTliL 15.
II
n
i
[; i
354
DOCTItlNAL ( ilECIIISM.
Q Why (Iocs God prohibit evil dcHirea f
A. Because they lead to evil deeds.
Jesus Christ goes farther, saying that ho who has a bad de-
sire has dready sinned in his heart. You have heard it was
said of old, Thou shall not connmit adultery. But I say
untd . ou, that whosoever looketh on a wonnan to lust after
her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart,*
Q. Why doca God forbid bad thouglits ?
A. Because they lead to bad desires.
Q. When do bad thoughts lead to bad desires !
A. 1st. When we voluntarily dwell upon them.
2d. When wo take pleasure in them.
Q. What must we do in order to avoid having bad thoughts f
A. 1st. We must avoid ail occasions of them.
Looks, conversation, reading, songs, and all that may
give rise to them, in any way whatsoever.
2d. We must humbly beg of God to preserve us from
them, in imitation of the apostle, who says : For which
thing I thrice besought the Lord, that it might depart from
me : and he said to me, My grace is sufficient for thee :
for power is made perfect in infirmity .f
Q. What must we do, if, notwithstanding these precautions, bad
thoughts will come f
A. 1st. We must turn away from them and have recourse
to God n ^ quickly as we would cast off a spark of fire from
our hand.
It is the devil who then attacks us ; we niust have recourse
to some one who is stronger than he, that is to say,* to the
Lord. We must prostrate ourselves before him, strike our
breast, and seal our heart with the sign of the cross and holy
water. We are then to cast ourselves into the arms of Jesus
Christ, and place our confidence in the merit of his blood.
We must also invoke the Blessed Virgin, who is the
mother of purity, our good angel, and our patron saint,
begging them to sustain us, after God, by their interces-
sion.
2d. We must have recourse to fasting and other corporal
mortifications. '
• St. Matt. V. 2T.
t 2 Cor. xH. 8.
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF OOD.
355
Je-
ms
fter
may
from
which
t from
thee :
The Faints employed discipline, sackcloth, haircloth, and
laying on the hard ground. 8uriic were seen to plunge into
frozen ponds, and others to roll amongst thorns, in this
they followed what Jesus Christ said one day to his dis-
ciples, that this kind (of devil) can go out by nothing but
by prayer and fasting.*
[h\. \Ve must be always employed.
Hecausc those who are idle give the devil an opportunity
of tempting them.
Idleness, says the Holy Ghost, hath taught much evil.f
We must add to all this a great vigilance over our eyes,
our mind, and our heart ; for from the look one goes to the
thought ; from the thought to the pleasure ; from the pleas-
uro to the desire, which includes the consent, and from the
consent to the act, whieh is the consummation of the sin.
EXAMPLES.
.Touoph rMists the wicked desires of Potlpliar's wife— Cen. xxxix.
And Siitanna those of tho two old men. — JJan. xili.
)ns,
bad
icoursc
•e from
lecourse
,. to the
ike our
md holy
.f Jesus
>lood.
the
is
tn
saint,
linterces-
corporal
ARTICLE X.
Q, Wliat does Ood prohibit by the tenth comtnondment : Thou ehalt
not covet thy neighbor's goods ?
A. After having, by the seventh commandment, prohibited
stealing, or unjustly retaining the goods of another, by the
tenth commandment he prohibits even the desire of doing
so.
Q. What does the seventh commandment forbid f
A. It forbids us to take or to keep any thing belonging
to our neighbor.
Q. What does the tenth commandment forbid ?
A, It forbids even the desire of pobsessing any thing that
belongs to another.
That is to say, to possess it unjustly.
To wish to acquire it by legitimate means is not a sin ;
but that wish often leads people to seek the means of de-
xii. 8.
* St. Matt ix. 29.
t Ecoles. xxili. 29.
i
!
!
i!
•I
i:
'•4
l^r I :
[ill!
It
4i!l
II iii
II
jl :;f:
356
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
priving him of it unjustly V» e must be content with what-
ever God has g'Ven us, and not look too attentively at that
which belongs to others, lest we might fall into these bad
desires.
Q. Does it only forbid the desire of possessing another's goods ?
A. It also foibids eagerness, anxiety, esteem, and all in-
ordinate attiichment for riches.
Q. Why does it forbid eagerness for riches ?
A. Because that eagerne5:;s exposes us to many tempta-
tions.
They, says St. Paul, who would become rich, f^tyinto
temptations, and into the snare of the devil, and into many
unprofitable and hurtful desires, which drown men in de-
struction and perdition.
For covetousness is the root of all evils ; which some
desiring, have erred from the faith, and have entangled
themselves in many sorrows.*
And he hai.1 before said : Piety with sufficiency is great
gain. For we bvought nothing into this world ; and certain-
ly we can carry nothing out. But having food, and where-
with to be covered, with these we are content.f
Q. Why does he forbid anxiety for riches ?
A. Because that anxiety serves only to torment us. More-
over, if it could give us that which we have not, there would
be some reasori for being anxious ; but as all the anxiety
we could undergo could not possibly procure any thing for
us, it is worse than useless to disquiet ourselves alout
riches. Be not solicitous for your life, says Jesus Christ,
what you shall eat, nor for your body, what you shall put
on. Is not tiie life more than the food, and the body more
than the raiment.| See what follows.
Q. Why dot? he forbid esteem for riches ?
A. Because they are perishable and often prejudicial to
salvation. See the history cf the young man who went
away sorrowful, and what Jesus Christ said on that sub-
ject :
Amen, I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter
into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you. It
* 1 Tim. vL 9.
t 1 Tim. vi. 6.
t St Matt Tl. 25.
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE CHUAOH.
357
is easier for a camel to pass through "he eye of a needle,
than for a rich man to enter into the Itingdom of heaven.*
And elsewhere: Wo to you that are rich: for you have
your consolation. f See what follows.
Q. Why does he forbid all inordinate attachment to riches ?
A, Because v,e c&nnot be atta<:'hed at the same time to God
and to riches. No man, s.iys Jesus Christ, can serve two
masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the oth«*T;
or he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You
cannot serve God and Mammon. | And previously : Lay
not up for yourselves treasures on earth where the nisit
and the moth consume, and where thieves dig through, and
steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven ; where
neither the rust nor the moth doth consume, and whe^e
thieves do not dig through, nor steal. For where thy trejw-
ure is, there ia thy heart also.§ He adds : Tal;e heed and
beware of all covetousness ; for a man's life doth not con-
sist in the abundance of things which he possesseth.j
\n
EXAMPLT5S.
Of the rich glutton.— >S^. Luke xvi. 18.
Of him who palled dowr ais barns, and built new ones. — St. Luke xlL 19.
-♦-»-♦-
lly enter
you, It
CHAPTER XIV.
ON THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE CHURCH.
Q. Has the Church auf^'^nty to give commandments ?
A. Yes; Jes\js Christ gave her that authority, and com-
mands us to obey her
Q. From whom has the Churcii received the power of giving com-
mandments ?
A. She has received it from Jesus Christ.
Q. To whom did Jesus Christ confide that power ?
A. He confided it to St. Peter and the other apostles.
* St. Matt six. 16 and following,
t BtLukevi. 24. . ^ ^ ,. ,r
I Bt Luke Tli. 16.
St. Matt vl. 34.
8t Matt vl. 19.
358
DCOTRINAL CATECHISM.
If
Q. "Why to St. Peter and the other apostles f
A, Because he established them to govern his Church *
Which could not be done without the power of making
laws to maintain order every where. Hence it is that Jesus
Christ said to St. Peter in particular : I will give to thee
the keys of the kingdom of heaven ; and whatsoever thou
shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven, and
whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed
also in heaven. f
And to all in general : Amen, I say to you, whatsoever
you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven ;
and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed
also in heaven.J Words which contain not only the power
of binding and unbinding the faithful, by remitting or re-
taining their sins, but also of binding them by command-
ments which are of obligation, and unbinding them by dis-
pensatioiiS, lawfully obtained.
Q. To whom did this po^yer of makiflg commandments afterwards
pass?
A. It passed to the successors of the apostles.
Q. Who are they ?
A. The Pope and the Bishops. The Pope as successor of
1 successors of the otl
ties.
shops
apos-
Q. We ai*e, then, obliged to observe the commandments of the
Church?
A. Yes ; Jesus Christ has commanded us to obey her.
He, says Jesus Christ, speaking to his apostl'^s, both for
themselves and their successors. He that hearcth you, heareth
me : and he that despiseth you, despiseth me. And he that
despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me.§
Moreover, the Church being our mother and we her chil-
dren, we are bound to obey her as children their mother,
according to the fourth comn.andment of God.
Q. What ia the punishment of those 'vlio do not obey the Church ?
A. Excommunication. If he will not hear the Church,
says Christ, let him be to thee as the heathen and the pub-
lican. ||
!,• '>r:i
* Acts XX. 28.
t St. Matt. xvL 19.
I St. Matt, xvili. 17.
St Matt. XYiif. 18.
St. Luke X. 16.
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE CHURCH.
359
mg
»sus
bee
,hou
and
osed
>ever
^ven;
)Osed
»o\ver
or re-
nand-
y dis-
jrwards
ssor of
r apos-
of the
ler.
)oth for
leareth
he that
ler chil-
mother,
■'htffch 1
Church,
the puV
Q. How many are the comirrjindments of the Oburcli!
A. They are six in number.
Q. What are they !
A. 1st. Sundays and holy days Mass you shall hear.
2d. All holy days sanctify throughout the year.
3d. Confess your sins at least once a year.
4th. Receive the Blessed E»uharist worthily at Easter, or
within the appointed time.
5th. Lent, Ember-days, and Vigils, you shall fast.
6th. Fridays and Saturdays flesh you shall not eat.
ARTICLE I.
Q. What is ordained by the fi" st commandment : Sundays and holy
days Mass you shall hear !
A. That we are to hear Mass with attention and respect
on Sundays and holy days.
Q. On what days are we obliged to hear Mass ?
A. On Sundays and holy days.
Q. Why on those days ?
A. Because the Church expressly commands it. The
first Christ! ns had no need of a commandment to render
them assiduous. They had so great an ardor for assisting
at the assemblies of the faithful, and the celebration of the
divine mysteries, that they willingly braved death rather
than miss it
How inconsolable was the great Theodosius, and how
many tears he shed, on seeing himself deprived from assist-
ing at the divine mysteries on the feast of Christmas !*
Q. What sin do they commit who miss hearing Mass on those days
without a lawful reason ?
A. They commit a mortal sin.
Q. Why?
A. Because it is an omission in a matter of consequence.
To assist at Mass without devotion or attention is also a
great sin, because one thereby profanes what is most holy.
iviii. 18.
16.
* Fleu. Ecclee. HiBt. b. xlx. ch. il.
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
B> m
360
Q. M .-tat M«.*°'^ ^» TpUble. See ■«hat we have
-"• d.eoton.vorlg«™ to bc«M«s on Sunday.
O Does thUcotomrmdment only o g . „,.„„f,on
4Ytr oU-.e.«s to he. .t.Hh respect and attention.
^Trr-a .modest posture, remain.g humhly on our
■:H:^:tr^^!^-^^^tf
H,.!'nTt:\rSo,y sacrifice t^^^^^^^^^^
Jrr!co«ectio„ that you --^^^^^^^^ jesus Christ on the
y"" n:^r" in r:lmy *e same sacrifice.
^TrUeaot.y»^i^.f,Va"rSU fixed on Jesus
a^^LV^^^- n^Xoridly thoughts. .
-^ r^er; also assist at the dWinc omce and at p.ou»
tf s^l rthn:i>j:V:;hcn treat-^g of the thu.d CO..
S^iWrd commandment Of God.
i'1
i
T^
OF THB COMMANDMENTS OF THE CHURCH.
361
lave
We
fibly
ndays
ition.
lodest
n our
ithout
Ives to
md the
ry, had
on the
,n Jesus
ts.
junction,
holy days
at pious
he church
;o assist 1
,pers, we
what we
hird com-
r children.
EXAMPLE.
The seal of those multitades who forgot mating and drinking, to listen to Jesus
Chrl8t.--/St MaU. xiv, and xv. : St. Mark vill.
ARTICLE II.
Q. What is ordained by the second commandment of the Church :
All holy days sanctify throughout the year ?
A. That we shall abstain from all servile works on those
days, and spend them in the service of God.
Q. What does this commandment firstly ordain?
A. That we shall abstain from all servile works.
Q. What do you mean by servile works ?
A. I mean the corporal works which constitute our daily
labor. For instance, for a merchant, his business ; for a
tradesman, his work. If servile works are forbidden on
these holy days, how much more all those works which are
in themselves bad and criaiinal !
Q. What does this commandment secondly ordain ?
A. That we shall spend those holy days in <^^he service of
God.
Q. How?
A. By applying ourse'ves to works of piety and devotion.
See the third commandment of God for those works of piety
and devotion.
Q. What are the festivals instituted by the Church ?
A. They are of two sorts.
Q. What are they?
A. Some are to honor thf- riysteries of our Redemption,
such as Christmas, the Epinhan}', Easter Sunday, Ascen-
sion-day, and the feast of Ptrtecost ; others are to honor
the memory of the Blessed Virgin and the Saints.
Q. What are the festivals instituted to honor the mysteries of Our
Lord?
A. Christmas, the PJpiphany, Easter, Ascension-day, and
Pentecost.
Q. What mystery is honored by the feast of Uhristmas ?
A. Tlie mystery of the birth of Jesus Christ.
ai
♦. !l
362
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
'il
W
!|'
hi'
Q. What mystery ia honored by the feast of the Epiphany f
A. That of the adoration of Jesus Christ by the Magi.
Also the mystery of his baptism and of his first miracle at
the wedding of Canaan.
Q. What mystery is honored by the feast of Easter ?
A. The mystery of his glorious Resurrection.
Q. What mystery is honored by the feast of the Ascension ? '
A. That of his triumphant entry into heaven.
Q. What mystery is honored by the feast of Pentecost ?
A. That of the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apos-
tle-^. There are also other feasts instituted to honor the
mystery of our redemption, of which some are holy days
of obligation, as that of the Conception of the Son of God,
on the same day as the Annunciation ; and others which
are not of obligation, as the Transfiguration, the institution
of the Eucharist, Holy Thursday, the death and burial of
Jesus Christ on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. It was
with the intention of honoring still more the institution of
the Eucharist, that the Church, in the thirteenth century,
instituted the feast of the Most Holy Sacrament.
Q. Wliy are the other festivals instituted ?
A. To honor the memory of the Blessed Virgin and the
Saints.
Q. What are the festivals of the Blessed Virgin ?
A. The Conception, the Nativity, the Presentation, the
Annunciation, the Purification, the Compassion, the Visita-
tion, and the Assumption. Of these festivals there are five
which are of obligation, and three which are not.
Those who have a sincere love for the Blessed Virgin
<jnght to show it, on those days, by a renewal of piety and
devotion, practising some mortifications on the eve of those
festivals, and approaching the sacraments on the days them-
selves, reciting some prayers, or visiting some churches in
her honor; but especially by exciting themselves to the
practice of those virtues which were tbe most conspicuous
in her, as humility, purity, obedience, retirement, &c.
Q. Wliat are the odier festivals?
A. 'ihey are those of the Apostles, Martyrs, Doctors,
Confessors, and Virgins.
We arc to endeavor to merit their assistance by our ro-
» ti
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE CHURCH.
3G3
spect and confidence, and by our fidelity in imitating their
virtues.
There is also the feast of the Holy Angels, and that of
our Angels-Guardian, which we ought to celebrate with
great devotion, since we receive from them so many favors.
Besides these festivals, there is one which comprises all the
others, namely, that of All Saints, and on the following day,
the commemoration of the dead, called All Souls' day.
■^
ARTICLE III.
Q. What 18 ordained by the third commandment : Confess your sins
at l^t once every year ?
A. To confess our sins, at least once in the year, with the
requisite dispositions.
Q. Wliat obligation docs tbia commandment impose upon us ?
A. The obligation of confessing all our sins.
Q. Why all our sins ?
A. Because if wc voluntarily conceal any mortal sin, we
do not receive the remission of our sins, and, moreover,
commit a sacrilege.
Q.. How often does this commandment oblige us to confess all our
sins ?
A. At least once a year.
Q. Why once a year, at least ?
A. Because the Church desires that we should do it
oftener.
Q. Why oftener i
A. Because it is very seldom that people absent them-
selves so long without committing a mortal sin. Even if it
were true that they did not commit a mortal sin, how many
others they might have committed, and how very profitable
that sacrament would be to them because of the great in-
crease of grace which it bestows!
Q. Do -we fulfil the obligation of this commandment by confessing
all our sins once a year ?
A, No ; we must also do it with the requisite disposi-
tions.
864
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
';(!?
1
Q. Why with the requisite dispositioas ?
A, Because the Church not only obliges us to confess, but
to confess holily.
Hence, they who make a bad confession merely fulfil the
obligation of this sacrament outwardly before men, but not
inwardly before God.
Q. What are tltose requisite dispositions ?
A. They are five in number : first, to examine our con-
science strictly ; second, to be truly sorry for having offend-
ed God ; third, to make a firm resolution never to offend him
more ; fourth, to confess our sins to a priest ; fifth, to have
a sincere intention of making satisfaction to God and our
neighbor.
By doing these five things, we cannot fail to make a good
confession.
Q. At what time must this confession be made ?
A. Although the Church has not universally fixed the
time for the annual confession, it is proper to make it before
Easter, so that it may serve as a preparation for the Paschal
Communion.
Q. What name is given to the confession ordained by this command-
ment?
A. It is called the Annual Confession.
Q. Why annual ?
A. Because it is to be made at least once a year.
Q. H.as the Church fixed the time for it ?
A. No ; she has not universally fixed it.
Q. Why not?
A. Because every one should seek to arise from sin as
soon as he has fallen into it, according to those words :
Delay not to be converted to the Lord, and defer it not
from day to day.*
Q. When is it best to make it ?
A. Before Easter.
Q. Why at that time rather than any other I
A. Ill order that it may serve as a preparation for the
Paschal Communion. We should make it early in the
Lent, when we feel that we have need of proof.
a
u
* Ecdes. V. a
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF THB CHURCH.
365
}Ut
the
not
jon-
md-
him
lave
our
crood
1 the
>efore
kschal
Q. If wc fe«l ourselves ^ilty of mortal sin, are we to wait for that
time!
A. No ; we must confess it immediately.
Q. Why immediately?
A. For fear of dying in sin, a death of all others the most
tei-rible, fur it is the passage to eternal death. When men
rec.'eive a mortal wound they have immediate recourse to a
physician. Why not do for the soul what is every day done
for the body. Our soul should bo incomparably dearer to
us than our body? Let us remember, too, that if our soul
is eternally miserable, our body shall be so likewise.
Q, To whom must this confession be made !
A. To our own pastor, or some other appointed by him.
Q. Why is it that we must go to 07ir own pasUr f
A. In order that he may bo acquainted with the con-
dition of his flock, for w hot.i he is accountable to God.*
Q. We camiot, then, confess to other priests ?
ji. Not without his permission.
Q. Why?
A, Because without that permission they can neither bind
nor loose us.+
■'1 .;
HISTORY.
Convenlon of the people of Ephesus.— ^tfte ilx.
sm as
words :
it not
for the
in the
ARTICLE lY.
Q. What is ordained by the 'nirth commandment of the Cutch?
A. That we shall receive the blessed Eucharist worthily
at Easter, or within the appointed time.
That is to say, that it obliges all the faithful who have
attained the age of discretion, to communicate at least o«ice
a year, within the Pasol\al time, with the respect due to the
Tvlost Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist
Q. Wliat does this commandment oblige the faithful t>) dof
A. To communicate at least once a year.
♦ Heb. xlli. IT.
+ 4th C5onc. of Lat, can. rxK
31*
366
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
ii:J
Q. Who are bouDd by thia commandment to communicate once a
year!
A. All the faithful who have attained the age of discre-
tion.
Q. What is the age of discretion f
A. The age of twelve and fourteen years.
Twelve years for girls, and fourteen for boys. Before
that age the understanding is in general not sufficiently
formed to discern the Body of the Lord.* Still, as it is
formed sooner in some, and later in others, it is for the
pastor to judge. We must early begin to prepare children
for their first communion by good instructions, and by vigi-
lance over their conduct, so that they may duly fulfil this
obligation on attaining the age of discretion.
Q. At what time of the year are the faithful obliged to make this
communion t
A. Within the Paschal time, so that they may have all the
Lent, which is a time consecrated to fasting and good works,
to prepare for it.
Q. Does it fulfil the obligation of this commandment to communicato
every year within the Paschal time ?
A. No; it is also necessary to do it with the respect due
to the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist.
Q. When do we communicate with respect ?
A. 1st. When we do it with a conscience purified from
all mortal sin.
2d. When we do it with a lively faith, a firm hope, an
ardent charity, and with profound sentiments of humility,
adoration, and gratitude.
8d. When we do it with an exterior as modest, as col-
lected, and as respectful as possible.
Q. What crime do they commit who receive in the state of mortal
sin?
A. They commit a horrible sacrilege, and render them-
selves guilty of the body and blood of Christ.
Q. What must we do in order to avoid these bad comjnunious ?
A. We must prove ourselves long and seriously, with
the advice of an enlightened confessor.f
* 1 Cor. xi. 28.
t 1 Cor. xl. 28.
Era
OF TirS COMMANDMENTS 0^ TIIR CIIURCU.
S67
col-
Thc Church' would wish the faithful to conHniuiioate as
often as they assist at Mass,* and consequently every Sun-
day at least. Even in the ninth ceutury, there were four
days in the year on which the faithful were bound to receivo
the Holy Communion : Christmas-day, Holy Thursday,
Easter Sunday, and Whit-Sunday.
Q. In what place must this communion be made t
A. Each one must . ake it in his own parish church, un-
less he has received special permission to make it else-
where ;
To the end, as wc have already said, that each pastor
may know the condition of that flock for whom he has to
answer to God.
Q. With what penalties does the Church menace those who do not
communicate at Eanter ?
A. She ordains that they be debarred from entering into the
church until they have fulfilled this commandment, and that
if they die in that state, they arc to be deprived of Christian
buriJ.f
Q. With what punishment are they menaced during life ?
A. With that of being debarred from entering into the
church ;
And consequently being excluded from the society of the
faithful, from assisting at the divine mysteries, and from par-
ticipating in the public prayers.
Q. With what punishment are they menaced after their death ?
A. That of being deprived of Christian burial, if their
body be deprived of a sepu. 're amongst the children of God,
what will be the fate of their soul : let us prepare to obey
the commandment of the Church, in order to escape such ter-
rible punishments, which announce others still more terrible
in the world to come.
EXAMPLE.
The disciples of Emmaiiaw — St. Luk« xxiv.
• Cone, Trld , Sess. xxil., cli. 6.
t Cone, de Lat, Can. xil. (in 1215).
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ARTICLE V.
Q. What does the fifth commandment of the Church oblige us to do?
A. To fast during Lent, and on Ember-days and Vigils.
Q. What is the first fast ordained by this commandment?
A. The fast of Lent.
Q. How long does it last f
A. Forty days. It begins on Ash-Wednesday and ends
only on Easter Sunday, which makes forty days, exclusive
of the Sundays, which are not fast days.
Q. What is the second fast ordained by this commandment ?
A. That of the Ember-days.
Q. In what does this fast consist?
A. The fasting thrive times a week in each of the four sea-
sons, that is to say, every three months.
Q. What are those days ? j
A. They are Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. h
Q. What is the third fast prescribed by this commandment !
A. That of the vigils of festivals.
The vigil of Christmas, that of Easter, comprised in the
fast of Lent, of Pentecost, the Assumption, Sts. Peter and
Paul, and All Saints.
Q. How did Christians formerly observe the fast of Lent ?
A. They made but one meal, to wards the evening.
Q. And on the other fast days how did they fast ?
A. They took their meal somewhat earlier, that is to say,
about three o'clock.
Q. From what did they abstain on fast days ?
A. They abstained from meat and wine.
They contented themselves with bread and water, with
some vegetables. Some added to this a little fish, but they
never made use, on those occasions, of any made dishes.
Some only made use of uncooked food, such as fruits; othere
of only dry food, such as nuts, almonds, and such things ; and
some fasted on bread and water.
Such were the ordinary fasts. There were some still
more rigorous observed, such as that of Holy Week,
which many passed without eating any thing, especially the
last three days.
OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE CHURCH.
369
.dot
and
There were also many who, by particular devotion, con-
tinued their fast for two or three days without eating,
especially on great occasions, such as when they were pre-
paring for martyrdom. There were many who passed
whole weeks without taking any thing, and even ten days at
a time.
Q. What is the effect of fasting t
A. 1st. To mortify the flesh and raise the spirit to God.
2d. To subdue the passions.
3d. To prevent temptation^
Q. What is the virtue of fastiug t
A. 1st. To appease the anger of God. Witness that of
the Nmivites.*
2d. To draw down new graces.
3d. To merit rewards.
Q. When has fasting this efficacy ?
A. Principally when it is accompanied by prayer and
alms.
Prayer and alms are, as it were, the two wings of fasting,
whereby the soul rises to God.
Fasting is still more efficacious when it is joined with re.
treat, silence, withdrawal from all pleasure, (even that which
is permitted,) meditation and pious reading, assiduous attend'
ance at church, hearing the word of God, and assisting at
divine service. " Let us be moderate," says St. Ambrose,
" in eating and drinking, in sleep, conversation, and raillery,
and keep a vigilant watch over ourselves."f
Q. How long was the custom kept up of eating but once a day in
Lent?
A. It was kept up for twelve hundred years. St. Bernard,
who lived in the twelfth century, testifies that in his time
every one, without distinction, fasted in Lent until the even-
ing : kings and princes, clergy and laity, nobles and com-
moners, rich and poor, j
Q. When was the meal advanced to three o'clock in the afternoon!
A. Not till the thirteenth century. Those who were not
very exact, then took the beginning of the office, which was
three o'clock, for the end, which was the evening.
ill
111,
* Jonas iii.
t H71B. du Car.
t Berm. in cap.jejanil.
'ii;
iili
S70
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. Whut greater relaication has since taken placet
A, By degrees the meal has been advanced to noon.
This change has insensibly taken place \?ithin the last two
centuries.
Q. What has been added to this mid-day meal t
A. The collation.
Q. Does the Church approve of these changes I
A. No ; but she tolerates them.
Q. How, then, should we now fast ?
A, We should take but one meal, about noon.
Q. Is not the collation, then, a meal ?
A. No ; it is but a slight refreshment. If we made a meal
of the collation, it would be no longer a fast, because the
essence of the fast Is the making but one meal.
Q. Who are dispensed from fasting ?
A. 1st. Those who have not attained the age of twenty-
one. But this should not prevent them from fasting before
that time some days of the week, according to their strength,
by the advice of their confessor. 2d. Sick people and in-
valids; in order that their sickness may supply the place
of fasting, they should bear it in a spirit of penance. 3d.
Nurses and women with child : their state is penance enough
for them, if they bear it in that spirit. 4th. Those who from
age, or other infirmity, are unable to fast. These should
supply it by some other penance, either prayers, alms,
or other good works. 5th. Those who are engaged in
any laborious work. If their work is not laborious it does
not excuse them from fasting. The others are dispensed by
offering their labors to God, and bearing them in a peniten-
tial spirit. 6th. All those, in general, who cannot fast or
abstain without manifest danger to their health.
We must beware of flattering ourselves, and ought to try
beforehand. As in every age and in every state we are
sinners, it follows that if we do not penance in one way we
must do it in another.
Q. Why was the fast of Lent instituted?
A. To imitate the fast of Jesus Christ, and to prepare us
for the worthy celebration of Easter.
Q. What was tlie first reason for the institution of Lent f
A. To imitate the fast of Jesus Christ.
wm.
OF TBB COMMANDMENTS 07 TUB CHURCH.
371
■i I
EXAMPLE.
Of the Fast of Jesos Ohrlst—jSV. Matt. tL
Q, What was the second reason I
A. To prepare us for celebrating the festival of Easter :
that first and greatest of Christian festivals, and the Paschal
communion which the faithful are all bound to make about
that time, demand a great and solemn preparation.
Q. Why the fast of the Ember-day., ?
A. To consecrate, by penyuce, the four seasons of the
year.
Q. Why consecrate by penaace the four seasons of the year !
A. 1st. To avert the chasUsement due to our sins. 2d.
To beg of God to pres(»rve the fruits of the earth, and to
thank him for those which he has given us. 3d. To obtain
the grace to make a good use of them. We beseech him at
the same time to give to his Church good priests and good
ministers worthy of serving him, for it is on those days that
the ordinations take place. The entire Church is then in
prayer and in penance, to the end that it may please God
to send good laborers for his vineyard.*
Q. Why do we fast on the vigils of festivals ?
A. To dispose us for their proper celebration. These days
have received the name of vigils, because in former times
the nights before festivals were passed without sleeping, and
in prayer, in the churches. There are some vigils which are
not now fast days, and are only distinguished by the office.
The church has retrenched these vigils in the churches, on
account of the abuses to which they gave rise.
us
ARTICLE VI.
Q. What does the sixth commandment of the Church oblige us to do !
A. To abstain from flesh meat on Fridays and Saturdays.
Such was the obligation of this commandment until very
recently, but within a few years, the Church, in her wisdom,
has seen fit to allow the use of flesh meat on Saturday.
* Bt Lnke z. 2.
372
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
,!
Q. From what are we to abstaia on Fridays I
A. From the use of flesh meat.
Q. What did the people formerly join to this abstinence ?
A. They joined fasting ; which makes us feel how far be-
hind our fathers we are in piety.
Q. Is there no case wherein meat may be used on those days f
A. Yes, when there is any necessity, or when there is per-
mission for it, as is now the case on all Saturdays. JFor
instance, in cases of sickness or infirmity ; but then M'C
must obtain a dispensation from those who have power to
give it.
Q. "Why did the Church ordain abstinence on Friday and Saturday f
A. To honor by penance the memory of the death and
burial of Our Lord.
Q. What do we honor by the abstinence of Fridays ?
A. We honor the memory of Our Lord's death. We
apply our minds to that sacred subject on that day, espe-
cially from noon till three o'clock.
Q. What do we honor by the abstinence of Saturdays !
A. We honor the memory of Our Lord's sepulture.
We should devote a little time on that day to consider Our
Lord in his tomb.
Q. For what does this abstinence serve ?
A. 1st. It serves to consecrate each week by penance.
2d. It serves to prepare us for the due observance of the
Lord's day.
■♦♦»
CHAPTEE XV.
OF SIN.
Q. What is sin ?
A. It is a prevarication against the law of God.
Q. What is a prevarication?
A. It is a dereliction of our duty.
Q. Why is sin a prevaiication against the law of God ?
A, Because he who violates the law of God is guilty of
OF SIN.
373
be-
lilty of
infidelity toward God. He deserts his Creator, and ranges
himself on the side of the devil. This is, without doubt,
both infidelity and treason: such is the meaning of the word
prevarication.
Q. How is the law of God known to ua !
A. By the commandments which God has given us.
Q. How do we distinguish the laws of Gkni f
A, We distinguish three of them.
Q. What are those laws ?
A. The law of nature, the written law, and the new law.
Q. What is the law of nature ?
A. That which God has imprinted in the soul of every
man. This law is nothing else than the light of reason and
of conscience.
Q. What is the written law ?
A. That which God gave to the Israelites, engraved on two
tables of stone.
This law contained little more than the law of nature,
and was published on the day of Pentecost on Mount Sinai,
and given to Moses.
Q. What is the new law ?
A. That which God has given to Christians, and which is
contained in the Gospel. It was taught by Jesus Christ,
and published like the other, on the day of Pentecost, in
Jerusalem.
Q. Why has God given his law to men ?
A. To be the rule of their actions. Although this law
has been given in different ways and at different times, it
is always the same in substance.
Q. When are our actions good ?
A. When they are conformable to the law of God.
Q. Wl;en are our actions bad f
A. When they are contrary to the law of God.
To worship God, to respect his holy name, to sanctify the
days consecrated to his honor, to honor our father and
mother, are good actions, because they are conformable to
the law of God, who says : "I am the Lord thy God, thou
shalt have no other gods but me," &c.
To fail in adoring God, in respecting his holy name, in
32
m
374
DOCTRINAL CATKCIIISM.
sanctifying the days consecrated to his honor, or in honoring
our f>.ther and mother, are bad actions, because they are
contrary to the law of God, who commands us to do those
things.
Q. What is tbia prevaricatioD against the law of Qod called!
A, It is called sin.
Q. How many sorts of sia are they I
A. There are two : original and actual.
ARTICLE I.
OF OBIQINAL 8IK.
Q. What is original sin ?
A. It is the sin in which we are conceived and of which
Adam has rendered us guilty by his disobedience.
Q. In what sin are we conceived ? !
^. In original sin.
Q. Are all men conceived in this sin t
A. Yes, with the exception of Our Lord and the Blessed
Virgin ; Our Lord, by right, and the Blessed Virgin, by
privilege. Our Lord could not possibly contract this sin ;
the Blessed Virgin could, and would really have contracted
it, had not God by his grace preserved her from it. The
former is an article of faith, and the latter is only the pious
and respectful belief of the Church.
Q. What sin do all men bring with them into the world ?
A. They bring original sin.* We must, however, except
St. John the Baptist, who was sanctified in his mother's
womb, and also the prophet Jeremiah, according to some
authors.
Q. In what quality ?
A. As children of Adam.
Q. Who has rendered us guilty of this sin !
A. Adam, our first father.
Q. How did he render us guilty of it ?
A. By his disobedience.
Ik.
I
* Pwom. V. 12.
or •■IN. 875
HISTORY.
Di8obei11enc« of Adam.— (7tfn. IIL
Q. Why is this ein called original f
A. 1st. Because we have it from our origin.
2d. Because we receive it from Adam, who is the origin
and the source of all men. When the source is empoisoned,
all the streams are so likewise.
Q. What are the consequences of original sin t
A. They are ignorance, concupiscence, that is to say, the
inclination to sin, the miseries of life, and the necessity of
dying.
Q. What is ignorance ?
A. It is the want of light and of knowledge. If Adam
had not sinned, we should come into the world with a mind
fully enlightened and adorned with much knowledge.
Q. What is concupiscence !
A. It is the inclination to sin. If Adam had not sinned,
our flesh would have been subject to our spirit, and our
spirit to God, consequently with pure inclinations for
virtue.
Q, What are the miseries of life ?
A. All that we have to suffer from the cradle to the grave,
whether in mind or in body. If Adam had not sinned, we
should have had none of these sufferings.
Q. What is the necessity of dying ?
A. It is the obligation under which all men are of losing
life. If Adam had not sinned, we should have gone to hea-
ven without dying ; but because of sin we cannot enter there
without passing through death.
There is no man who is not cither dead, or to die.
Henoch and Elias are not dead, but they shall die.
Q. Why do these consequences of original sin remain after it is
effaced ?
A. In order to exercise our virtue. Ignorance, to render
us docile and laborious ; concupiscence, to render us vigi-
lant and attentive ; the miseries of life, to make us patient
and submissive ; the necessity of dying, to make us humble
and detached from the world.
876
DOCTRINAL CATECUI8M.
l!
\lm
ARTICLE II.
OF ACTUAL BIN.
Q. What is actual sin t
A. It is the sin which we voluntarily commit, afler having
attained the age of discretion.
Q. What sin ia that which we voluntarily commit t
A, It is actual sin.
Q. Why is it called acttial f
A. Because we commit it by an act of our own will.
Without this act of our own will there is no actual sin, and
this act is nothing else but the consent which we freely give
to sin.
It is also in order to distinguish it from original sin,
which we indeed hold from Adam, but do not commit by
our own will.
Q. When do we commit actual sin !
A. From the time we have attained the use of reason.
Q. When have we attained that use ?
A. When we know how to discern good from evil. That
discernment is usually fixed at seven years ; but in some
children it is earlier, and in others later.
Q. In how many ways is actual sin committed 9
A. In four ways, namely : by thought, word, deed, and
omission. By thought, when, for instance, we voluntarily
think of the means of taking revenge ; by word, when we
go from those thoughts to threats and abusive language ;
by deed, when we proceed to put those threats into exe-
cution ; by omission, when we can and should arrest ven-
geance, yet do it not ; and so on with other sins.
Q. How many sorts of actual sin ?
A. There are two : mortal and venial.
§ I. — 0/ Mortal Sin,
Q. What is mortal sin ?
A. It is a sin which deprives us of the grace of God, and
renders us worthy of eternal damnation.
Q. What haim does mortal sin do the soul ?
A. It deprives it of the grace of God. The loss of a
OF BIN.
377
rod, and
kingdom, and even of the entire world, would not be so
great. Queen Blanche said to Si. Louis : " You know, my
son, how tenderly I love you, and more than any thing else
in this world ; nevertheless, I would rather a thousand
times see you dead, than to know you guilty of one mortal
sin."
Q. What injury docs mortal sin do to Jesus Christ t
A. It crucifies him again to ourselves.* Consider what a
sin it is to crucify Jesus again in our heart, now that he is
immortal, and that wo know him as our G(.d and our Sa-
viour. When the Jews crucified him, he was mortal, and
they knew him not ; hence it was that he asked pardon for
them of his Father.
Q. What injury does mortal sin do to the Holy Ghost !
A. It expels him from our soul. In his place, the devils
take possession of it; thus our soul, which was the temple
of the Holy Ghost by grace, becomes, by sin, the abode of
demons.
Q. Why is this sin called mortal ?
A. Because it gives death to the soul.
By depriving it of grace, which is its supernatural life.
As for its natural life, which consists in its ordinary opera-
tions, it preserves it always, being immortal in its nature.
Q. When is it, then, that our soul ia dead !
A. When it has lost grace.
Q. Wliat grace does it lose I
A. That which sanctifies the soul, and renders it agreeable
in the eyes of God. That soul, which God took pleasure in
contemplating because it was his own image, he no longer
beholds but with horror, because it is become the likeness
of the devil.
Q. How do the angels regard that soul !
A. They regard it with sorrow, seeing it despoiled of
the robe of innocence and covered with wounds.
Q. How do the devils regard it ?
A. They regard it with joy, because of its likeness to
themselves, and that they hope to make it their prey. Con-
•ij
of a
* Heb. vl. 6.
32*
378
DOCTRINAL CATEOfllSlf.
;
sider what it is to afflict the angels and make the deviU
rejoice. , <
Q. Of what doea mortal sin render us worthy t •».'•. *i
A. It renders us worthy of eternal damnation.
.../'
Q. In what does eternal damnation consist t
A. It consists in never seeing God and burning for all
eternity.
Q. How many mortal sius are required to render us worthy of eter*
nal damnation ?
A. It requires but one. Should we have lived our
whole life as a saint, yet die with one mortal sin on our
sou], we should be eternally damned for that one sin.
Q. When is a sin mortal ?
A. When the matter of it is considerable, and that it is
committed with perfect consent.
Q. When is the matter of a sin considerable t " '< ) :)<
A. When the sin is grievous in itself. '
To blaspheme the holy name of God, to strike one's
father or mother, to kill in any way; these are mortal
sins, because they are grievous in themselves ; and so it is
with the others. ... <,
Q. Is it enough for the matter to be considerable, in order to consti-
tute a mortal sin?
A. No ; it must also be committed with perfect consent.
Q. When is the consent perfect f
A. When the will is fully determined. •
A person knows, for instance, that it is wrong to commit
murder, and is free to refrain from doing it ; nevertheless,
he "leliberately determines to do it. This is a mortal sin
worthy of eternal damnation, because it is not only that the
sin is grievous in itself, but that the consent is perfect. If
the consent were imperfect, it would not be a mortal sin.
If there were no consent, then there would be no sin, as if a
man killed another under the influence of madness, in a ht
of delirium, or while asleep.
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§2.-0/ Venial Sin.
Q. What it venial sin t
A, It is a sin which weakens grace within us, although it
does not deprive us of it, and renders us worthy of temporal
punishment.
Q. Does venial sin deprive us of grace t
A. No, but it weakens it. When grace is weakened we
are not sufficiently strong to resist temptation.
Q, Does venial sin crucify Christ in our hearts t
A. No ; but it gives him many wounds.
Could they love Jesus who would say : I should be sorry
to put him to death, but I do not fear to cover him with
wounds. Yet this is just what those persons say by their
actions who commit venial sins without any scruple.
V-
Q. Does venial sin also expel the Holy Ghost from our soul ?
A. No, but it grieves and afflicts him.*
Could that child love his father, who would say : I do
not care how much I grieve and afflict my father, so long as
1 do not kill him.
Yet such is the tacit language of those who do not care
though they grieve the Holy Ghost by a multitude of venial
sins.
Q. Why is this sin called venial f —
A. Because it is more easy to obtain forgiveness for it
than for mortal sin.
Q. And why is it more easy to obtain forgiveness of it?
A. Because venial sin is oflen the effect of pure weakness
and of pure frailty.
As for those who deliberately commit it, there is reason
to apprehend that they do not so easily obtain forgiveness,
because their will has a greater share in the commission of
the sin than either weakness or frailty.
Q. Of what punishment does venial sin render us worthy f
A. It renders us worthy of temporal punishment.
Q. What do you mean by temporal punishment ?
A. I mean punishment which lasts but for a time.
* Kphee. iv. 80.
380
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
To distinguish it from eternal punishment, \vhioh lasts for
ever, and never has an end.
Q. Where do we undergo this temporal punishment t
A. We undergo it either in this life or the other.
In this life, by the various afflictions with which God pun-
ishes us if we do not take care to punish ourselves.
In the other, by the rigorous pains of purgatory, of which
those '>f this life, even the most terrible, are but a faint
image, according to the opinion of the holy Fathers.
Q. When is a sin venial ?
A. When its matter is trivial, or when the consent is im-
perfect, even although the matter be considerable.
Q. When is the matter of a sin tiivial ?
A. When the sin is not grievous in itself For instance,
some passing distractions, some idle words, the loss of a lit-
tle time, a little unwillingness to obey, &;c. These are venial
sins, because they are not grievous in themselves. We say
in themselves, because with regard to God the smallest sin
is always of consequence, and should never be neglected,
Q. When is the consent imperfect ?
A. When the will is not fully determined. This want of
full and free consent makes the sin less grievous, although
the mattei' be considerable, that is to say, although the sin
be grievous in itself.
-^*¥-
CHAPTER XVI.
ON THE STATE OF MAN AFTER HIS DEATH.
Q. What becomes of man after his death ?
A. His soul, which is immortal, appears before God to
render to him an account of its actions, and the body moul-
ders into dust while awaiting the resurrection on the day of
the general judgment.
Q. Of what is man composed?
A. He is composed of a body and a soul.
ON
THE BTATX OF MAN
«
AFTER HIS DEATH.
381
Remember what the first man was composed of; all men
are composed of the same materials. ....
Q. What happens when man dies f
A. His soul separates from his body.
Q. Does the soul die with the body ?
A. No ; only the body.
Q. Why does not the soul also die ?
A. Because it is immortal.
Q. What does immortal mean f
A. It means what cannot die. God could indeed annihi-
late it if he wished ; but it could not die by itself nor by any
other creature.
Q. What becomes of the soul when it leaves the body ?
A, It appears alone before God. What surprise, and at
the same time what dismay, for a soul which is not in friend-
ship with God !
Q. Why does it appear before God f
A. To render to him an account of its actions.
Of the actions of youth, of maturity, and of old age ; the
acts of soul and body, of the mind, the will, the eyes, the
tongue, the ears, &c.
Q. Does the soul only render an account of its bad actions t
A. It has also to render an account of its good actions.
Q. Why does Ood also examine the good actions ?
A, To see whether they are well done, with regard to time,
place, circumstance, and motive. It is not enough to do good
actions, they must also be done well.
Q. What becomes of the body after the soul is separated from it t
A. It corrupts and moulders away.
Q. What does that mean ?
A. That it returns into dust. This is what becomes of
all bodies after death ; those of the rich and powerful as
well as those of the poor and abject.
Q. How long will the body remain in that state!
A. Till it rises again.
Q. When will it rise again f
A. On the day of the general judgment.
Q. When will that day come f
A. At the end of the world.
li
382
DOCTRINAL CATUCHISM.
i! H
I 1
This is the rea-
Q. What is the general judgmcDt ?
A. Thut wherein all men shall be judged,
son why it is called general.
Q. Is there no other judgment before that f
A. Yes, there is the particular judgment. <
Q. What is the particular judgment ?
A. That which follows the death of each person. It is
called particular, because it is the judgment of one single
soul. The particular judgment is the first, and the geiicrj*!
judgment is the seco.id and last, because after that there
shall be no other.
Q. Will the general judgment be different from the particular
judgment ?
A. No ; it will be substantially the same. The only dif-
ference is that the latter passes between God and the soul,
while the former shall take place in presence of the angels
and all mankind. \
Q. If that be so, why, thta, will God pronou:)ce a second judg-
ment?
A. 1st. To make known to all men the equity of his judg-
ments. In this life men are sometimes so blind as to think
that God is too severe towards the just, and too lenient to-
wards the wicked ; but at the general judgment God will
show that he has neither been too severe nor too lenient, but
just and equitable towards all.
2d. To manifest the innocence of the good and the malice
of the wicked. Now all conceal their actions ; the good
through humility, and the wicked through pride. What
glory then for the good, when Jesus Christ shall manifest
all their good works ; and what confusion for the wicked,
when Jesus Christ shall reveal all their malice !
3d. To make more conspicuous the reward of the good
and the punishment of the wicked. What joy and consola-
tion for the good when they shall hear those words from the
mouth of Jesus Christ : Come, ye blessed of my Father. On
the other hand, what misery and despair for the wicked
when they shall hear : Go, ye cui'sed, into everlasting fire !
Q. What reward does God promise to the just ? \
A. Eternal glory for soul and body.
T
judg-
ON THE STATE OF MAN AFTER HIS DEATH.
Q. Whom do you mean by the just I
A. I mean those who are in the state of grace.
383
Q. To -whom of the just does God promise the eternal rewards!
A. To those who persevere to the end. It is not enough
to begin well, we must also end well ; and this grace we
should never cease to beg of God all the days of our life.
Q. Why does God reward both the soul and body of the just ?
A. Because both have part in their good works. The soul
has part, because that it is she who, aided and sustained by
grace, commands them.
The body has also part, because it is she who executes
them with the soul.
For instance, it is the soul who, aided and sustained by
grace, conceives the thought of praying, ftisting, or giving
alms ; and it is the body who, with her, prays, fasts, or gives
alms ; and so with other good works.
Q. Why does God reward the soul of the just before the body ?
A. 1st. Because he soul is more worthy than the body.
It is the soul which *s the image of God, while the body is
but dust in its origin and in its end.
2d. Because it has n- -^re part in the good works than the
body. It is she who commands them, while the body does
but execute and obey.
Q. With -what glory will God reward the aoul and body of the
just?
A. He will reward them with an eternal glory.
Q. What is meant by eternal ?
A. Glory which shall last fcr ever, and never have an end.
Q. What is the glory of the soul ?
A. To see God as he is, to love him, to praise him and
possess him for ever in the kingdom of heaven.
Q. How do the just see God in heaven ?
A. They see him as he is, clearly and openly, without
mystery, without a veil, and without a cloud.
Q. How do they love him ?
A. They love him perfectly, without reserve and without
tepidity, but solely and undividedly and in an eternal trans-
port of love.
iA
884
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
!^
Q. How do they praise bim f
A. The) praise him with incredible fervor.
Without distraction and without interruption.
Q, How do they possess him ?
A, 1st. They possess him in glory. It is no longer by
grace alone, which merely placed God in their hearts, but
did not show him openly to them. There they behold him
in all the splendor of his divinity and of his infinite perfec-
tions. 2d. They possess him with the assurance of never
being a moment separated from him throughout all eternity.
Not as they possess him here below, with the sad apprehen-
sion of losing him at^any moment ; but with a full and entire
certitude of possessing him for ever.
Q. Where shall the just possess Ood in this manner ?
A, In the kingdom of Heaven. How desirable is that
kingdom, and what should we not do in order to attain it !
Q. Do all the just see God immediately after their death ?
A. No ; none but those who, either by baptismal grace,
by martyrdom, or by perfect penance, are freed from all
the temporal punishment due to sin.
Q. What punishment is due to sin !
A. Both eternal and temporal punishment.
Q. To what sin is eternal punishment due ?
A. To mortal sin.
Q. To what sin is tempond punishment due !
A. To venial sin.
Q. Into what punishment is the eternal punishment due to mortal sin
usually converted by the sacrament of Penance ?
A. Into temporal punishment.
Q. Can the just see God before they have undergone all the tempo-
ltd punishment due to their sins ?
A, No ; they must first expiate all their sins.
Q. Who are they, then, that see God immediately afier their deatlis !
A. 1st. Those who die in a state of baptismal innocence,
such as baptized children who die before the age of reason,
or even adults who die immediately after baptism. 2d. Those
who suffer martyrdom. Refer to the martyrdom of St.
Stephen, who saw the heavens opened to receive him.* 3d.
Those who die after perfect penance.
♦ Acts vlL 86.
ON THE STATE OF MAN AFTER HIS DEATH.
885
tempo-
deatlw?
ocence,
reason,
Those
of St.
* 3d.
Such as St. Paul the hermit^ whose soul was seen by St.
Anthony ascending into heaven, as white as snow, amongst
troops of angels and amid the choirs of prophets and
apostles.* The same is related of St. Scholastica and several
others.
Q. What is the state of those "who have not cleared off the punishment
due to their sins t
A. They finish the expiation of their sins by the pains of
purgatory, before they enjoy the vision of God.
Q. Why do you say that they finish the expiation of their sins ?
A. To show that they have commenced to expiate them in
this life. Those who have not commenced in this life re-
serve to themselves many and great sufferings in the next.
Q. What is the meaning of the word expiate ?
A. It means to satisfy, or make satisfaction for a fault.
Q. What sins are expiated in the other life !
A. 1st. Venial sins ; 2d, mortal sins which have been al-
ready forgiven. Forgiven as to the offence and the eternal
punishment. If they were not forgiven, they would be
punished by the everlasting pains of hell.
Q, How do the just finish the expiation of their sins in the other life f
A. By the pains of purgatory.
Q. In what do those pains consist?
A. 1st. In being deprived for a time of the vision of
God.
2d. In suffering the rigor of fire.
Q. What do they afterwards enjoy ?
A. They enjoy the vision of God.
Who can describe their joy and contentment afler having
undergone such fearful torments ! For us, if we would not
be delayed on our way to that blessed enjoyment, let us
carefully avoid all sin, even that which appears trifling ; and
if, notwithstanding our vigilance, we fall into sin, which is
almost inevitable, considering our weakness, let us take
care to punish ourselves for it immediately, so as not to let
our debts accumulate.
Q. Can we relieve the suffering souls in purgatory f
A. Yes, we can relieve them by our prayers, fasting, and
•I '
* Ep. B. Jor. lib. iii. ; £p. 1.
3.'J
386
DOCTRINAL 0ATBCIII8M.
i
!i
!■, I
'i*
alms, and especially by the sacrifice of the Body and Blood
of Christ, as the Church has always observed it.
Q. Why do you say that we can relieve them I .
A. Because we can satisfy God for them.
Just as we can release persons who are imprisoned for
debt by paying what they owe, so can we relieve those who
are in purgatory by satisfying for them.
Q. How can we satisfy Qod for them t
A. By prayer, fasting, and alms, and especially by the
holv sacrifice of the Mass.
Q. What security have we for this holy practice f
A. We have the constant practice of the Church. Having
such a security we need never fear to be deceived.
Q. What must we do in order to render this relief efficacious ?
A. We must put ourselves in a good state.
If we are not pleasing to God, how can we appease him !
Q. What should we also do in order to excite ourselves to relieve
them quickly t
A. We should let our minds be penetrated with the great-
ness of their sufferings.
Ah! if a person whom we loved were to fall into a fiery
furnace, and that we could draw him out by our prayers,
fasting, alms-deeds, and the offering of the Holy Sacrifice,
we would not fail to relieve him. Let us then do for the
soul what we would willingly do for the body, and let us
remember that all the fires of this world are neither so
strong nor so piercing as that of purgatory.
St. Monica, being at the point of death, said to her chil-
dren : Give yourselves no trouble about this poor body ;
bury it wherever you choose ; the only thing I ask of you
is to remember me at the altar of the Lord, wheresoever
you may be."*
Q. What glory does God prepai'e for the body f
A. Immortality, impassibility, and the other glorious qual-
ities wherewith it shall be clothed on rising from the dead.
Q. What is the condition of the body clothed with immortality t
A. It is no longer subject to death.
* ConC lib. i. chap. zt.
~
ON TUK STATE OF MAN AFTER HIS DXATU.
387
the
The body of the wicked shall also have immortality ; but
that immortality will be worse than death itself, for death
would be infinitely preferable to it.
Q. What is the condition of the body clothed with impuMiblity t
A. It is no longer subject to any suffering :
Neither sickness, nor infirmity, nor cold, nor heat, nor
hunger, nor thirst, nor any other inconvenience.
Q. What are the other glorious qualities t
A. Clearness, subtility, and agility.
Q. Can you explain those three qualities ?
A. 1st. By clearness, the body will be brilliant as the
sun. Some, nevertheless, will be more brilliant than others :
For, says St. Paul, star differeth from star in glory : so also
is the resurrection of the dead.* 2d. By subtility, it will
pass through even the hardest bodies without injury or being
injured. 3d. By agility, it will transport itself in a moment
from one place to another with the swiflness of the eagle :
all these qualities are directly opposite to those of our
bodies here below, which are iflortality, passibility, obscur-
ity, coarseness, and heaviness.
Q. Are all those glorious qualities found in Jesus Christ f
A. Yes; we see immortality and impassibility in his res-
urrection, clearness in his transfiguration, subtility in his
going forth from the tomb, and his entering into the supper-
room, both being closed ; and agility in his ascension.
Q. When shall the bodies of the just be clothed with these glorious
qualities ?
A. In rising from the dead. How ardently we should
long for that happy moment !
Q. What is the punishment of the wicked ?
A. There are two sorts of punishment for the wicked who
die in mortal sin, that of the soul and that of the body.
Q. Why does God punish both the soul and body of the wicked ?
A. Because both are sharers in their bad actions. The
soul is a sharer, because it commands them ; the body is a
sharer, because it executes them with the soul. For exam-
ple, it is the soul that forms the design of robbing, killing,
• 1 Cor. XT. 41.
m
388
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
i
If '
III
1
lying, and it is the body that, with the soul, robs, kills, lies,
and so with other bad actions.
Q. Why does God punish the soul of the \7icked before the body f
A. Because the soul is more criminal. It is she who
commands the evil, and the body only obeys the orders.
Q. What is the punishment of their soul t
A. It is that as soon as it is separated from the body, it
is for ever deprived of seeing God, and tormented in the
fire of hell.
Q. What is the first punishment of the damned soul ?
A. It is being for ever deprived of seeing God. To com-
prehend this punishment, it would be necessary to know
clearly the happiness of seeing God, and then we should
understand the misery of being for ever deprived of that
glorious vision.
Q. What is the pccond punishment of the damned soul f
A. It is being tormented in the fire of hell. This punish,
ment is infinitely beyond all that we can imagine. Though
we cannot comprehend it, let us take good care to believe
it firmly, for it is declared to us by Jesus Christ himself.
EXAMPLE.
Of the rich glutton.— >S^. Ltik« xrl 19.
Q. What is the punishment of their body ^
A. It shall barn eternally after the resurrection. In this
life, the torment of fire is justly regarded as the greatest of
all torments ; yet that torment lasts but foi* a moment, and
the fire of this world is not to be compared to the fire of
hell. Eternally, and without relaxation, the bodies of the
damned shall be burned by a fire kindled by the breath of
the wrath of God Almighty, which will penetrate even to their
soul. Let us think of this, and think of it seriously. For
one single mortal sin, often committed in a moment, the
wretched soul falls into this everlasting fire.
"^m
ON THE 81011 OF THK CROSS.
389
CHAPTER XVII.
ON THE SIGN OF THE CROSS.
Q. How do we make the sign of the croes t
A. By placing the right hand on the forehead, then on the
breast, then on the left shoulder, and then on the right, say-
ing : In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Gho3t.
- Q. Of what mysteries does the sign of the cross remind us f
A. It reminds us of the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity
and the mystery of the Redemption.
Q. How does it remind us of the mysteiy of the Most Holy Trinity I
A. By the words : In the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Q. How does it remind us of the mystery of the Redemption t
A. By the cross which we form upon ourselves. It also
reminds us of the mystery of the Incarnation, since that of
the Redemption is the sequel thereof.
Q. Why do we make it !
A. To ask the blessing and assistance of God through the
merits of Christ's Redemption.
Q. What do we ask by making the sign of the cross t
A. We ask the blessing and assistance of God.
; Q. By what words do we ask that blessing and assistance ?
A. By these words : In the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. It is an abridged prayer
whereby we ask of God his blessing and assistance.
Q. Through what merits do we ask them ?
A. Through the merits of Christ's Redemption.
Q. How do we show our confidence in the merits of Christ's Re-
demption ?
A. By the cross which we form upon ourselves. It is
because of the virtue of the sign of the cross that the Church
makes use of it in all her prayers and in all her cere-
monies.
33*
390
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. When are wo to moke it?
A. Following the example of the primitive Christians,
we are to nnake it at the beginning of our prayers and of
our principal actions, and when we arc attacked by any
temptation or exposed to any danger.
Q. After whose example are we to often make tlie sigri of the crons ?
A. After the example of the primitive Christians: "At
all our steps, all our motions, our in-comings and out-
goings, warming ourselves, bathing, sitting down to table
or going to bed, taking a seat, lighting a lamp ; at every ac-
tion that we perform, we mark our forehead with the sign
of the cross.*
Q. Why do we make the sign of the cross at the beginning of our
prayers ?
A. To obtain grace to pray well.
Q. Why do we make it at the beginning of our principal actions !
A. To obtain grace to do them well.
Q. Why do we make it when attacked by any temptation ?
A. To obtain grace to overcome it.
Q. Why do we make it when exposed to any danger *
A. To obtain the grace of being delivered from it. St.
Gregory Thaumaturgus, being surprised by night .and a vio-
lent shower of rain, takes shelter with his companion in a
pagan temple :f he invokes the name of Jesus Christ, and
makes the sign of the cross several times, to purify the air
infected by the smoke of profane sacrifices. He afterwards
passed the night, according to his usual custom, in singing
the praises of God. Next morning, -when he was g(me, the
pagan priest came to perform his accustomed ceremonies.
The devils appeared to him, and told him that after what had
passed in the temple during the night, they could no longer
remain there. He did his best, by all manner of sacrifices
and purifications, to oblige them to return, but all in vain.
The Emperor Constantine, about to give battle to Maxen-
tius, prayed with all his heart to the only true God, whom
he knew but imperfectly,J (for he was not yet a Christian.)
when, about noon, as the sun began to decline westward,
he was marching out into the country, with his troops, and
* Tert. de Corona Mllitls. dll.
t Fleu. Eccles. Hist. b. vi. ch. xlv.
t Ibid. b.lx. 0.148.
ON TUB SIGN OF THE CROSS.
391
he saw in the sky, above the sun, a luminous cross, witli
this inscription : In this sign thou shalt cosqukk. The
following night, while he slept, Jesus Christ appeared to liini
with the same sign that he had beheld in the sky, and com-
manded him to make a representation of it, and to make
use of it against his enemies in battle. He had the imaj^o
made immediately, and then chose fifty of the bravcfst and
most pious men amongst his guards, to carry it in their
turn wherever the army went ; this image was called the
Labarum.
The Emperor, encouraged by this celestial vision, put his
troops in order, drew near to Rome, who opened her gates
to receive him, and he entered victorious.
A statue was erected to him in one of the squares of the
city, and he caused himself to be there represented with a
long cross in his hand instead of a spear, with this inscrip-
tion underneath : By this saving sign, the true mark of
courage, I have delivered your city from the yoke of the
tyrant, and re-established the senate and the people in their
ancient splendor.
Julian, who was afterwards Emperor,* when thinking of
renouncing Christianity, fell into the hands of an impostor,
who, having conducted him to a pagan temple, brought him
into the most secret parts of the building, and began to in-
voke the devils. They appeared under the form which they
usually assumed ; Julian was afraid, and made the sign of
the cross on his forehead ; whereupon the devils immediate-
ly vanished.
The disciples of St. Benedict, not choosing to give up their
evil habits, which the saint exhorted them to do,f they de-
termined to get rid of him, and gave him poisoned wine.
As he sat at table, they handed him the glass to bless ac-
cording to custom ; he extended his hand to make the sign
of the cross ; immediately the glass flew in pieces, as though
it had been struck by a stone.
; i,
iij:
<•■ FI. £c Hist b. ziil oh. vi.
t Ibid. b. xxxll. ch. xlll.
892
DOCTRINAL 0ATK0HI81I.
17
CHAPTER XVIII.
ON THE LORD'S FRATSR.
Q. What is the lord's Prayer!
A. It is a prayer of which Our Lord himself is the author
and which he has taught us.
Q. Repeat it in Latia
A. Pater noster, qui es in cceHs ; sanctificetur nomen
tuum ; adveniat regnum tuuni; fiat voluntas tua sicut in
coelo et in tcrrd; panetn nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie;
et dimittc nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus
debitoribus nostris ; et ne nos inducas in tentationem ; sed
libera nos a malo. Amen.
Q. Repeat it in English.
A. Our Father, who art in heaven, &c.
Q. What is prayer t
A. It is an elevation of the soul to God. Of the soul,
that is to say, of the mind and heart. Without that eleva-
tion, there is no true prayer.
Q. What is that prayer called wherv^in the soul alone prays f
A. It is called mental. Mental, that is to say of the
mind and heart alone ; which happens when the mind in-
ternally conceives holy thoughts, and the heart holy desires,
being aided by the Holy Ghost.
Q. What is that prayer called wherein the soul makes use of speech
to express its thoughts and desires ?
A. It is called vocal. Vocal, that is to say, of the voice,
because the soul borrows its aid to express its thoughts and
desires. Although God has no need of our words to under-
stand us, they are useful in fixing our thoughts and render-
ing us more attentive, and also to edify those with whom
we pray.
Q. Wha^ are the principal kinds of prayer ?
A, Praise, supplication, thanksgiving, and offering.
ON TIIK LORDS PRAYER.
803
Q. "Wliat Is praise I
vl. It is A prayer whereby wc praise Gixl on account of
his infinite perfections. By this prayer wo rejoice in sccinj^
God so great, so holy, so perfect, and wo invite all creatures
to praise him with us.
Q. What is supplication t
A. It is a prayer whereby wo ask of God our spiritual or
corporal wants. At one time it is some benefit to ask from
him, and at another to be delivered from some evil. We arc
to ask him first of all and above all, for everlasting life, and
whatever may tend to obtain it for us. All the rest, we aro
only to ask conditionally, that is to say, if it be conducive
to our salvation.
Q. What iM thanksgiving \
A. It is a prayer whereby we thank God for his blessings.
The thanksgiving should always follow the request which
has been granted ; nevertheless, nothing is more common
than for people to ask, and nothing is more common than
to neglect returning thanks.
Q. WhatistbeoflFering?
A. It is a prayer whereby we offer to God all that we arc,
and all that we possess: our soul, our body, our thoughts,
our feelings, our actions, our goods, &;c.
Q. What is the most perfect model of prayer f
A. The Lord's Prayer.
Q. Why is it so called f
A. Because it comes from the Lord.
Q. Why do you say that it comes from the Lord !
A. Because that he himself is its author, and has taught
it to us.
Q. Why do you say that he is its author ?
A. Because that he himself composed it.
Q. Why do you say that he has taught it ?
A. Because the disciples learned it from him.
See the account in the Gospel.*
Q. How many petitions aro tlicre in the Lord's Prayer ?
A. There are seven, of which the first three refer to God,
and the other four to us.
*?'
* St Luke xL 2; 8t Matt. y\. 9.
^
Ifl
^f
894
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. Are the worda : Our Father who art in heaven, one of the seyeQ
petitioQB ?
-4. No ; they are only the preparation for them.
Q. Why are they the preparation for them ?
A. Because nothing is better calculated to prepare us for
praying than the thought that we are goiijg to speak to the
best of fathers.
(.. Why do you say : Our Father ?
A. Because that he gives and preserves our life, and that
we are his children, and the heirs of his glory.
Q. What is the first reason why we call God our Father ?
A. Because he gives and preserves our life. ,ln thi?
sense he is the father of all creatures, because he has given
them life and being, and preserves them to them.
Q. What is the second reason why we call God our Father ?
A. Because we are his children and the heirs of his glory
You have received, says St. Paul, the spirit of adoptioi
of sons, whereby we cry, Abba, (Father.)* And if sons
heirs also : heirs indeed of God, and joint-heirs witk
Christ.!
Q, How are we the children of God and the heirs of his glory ?
A. By adoption.
Q. What do you mean by adoption ?
A. I mean a choice of pure grace. To adopt, is to tak<
as a son one who is not so by nature. We were, on the
contrary, rebel slaves. Who can then comprehend the ex-
tent of that favor 1
Q. Where do we receive the grace of that adoption !
A. In Baptism. We should never cease to thank God
with our whole heart for this most signal favor, the full
value of which we shall only understand in heaven,
Q. Why do you not say : My Father ?
A. Because that, having all th^. same Father, and hoping
for the same inheritance, we are not only to pray for our-
selves, but also for all the faithful, who are our brethren.
Q. Are we only to pray for ourselves when we pray f
A. We are also to pray for all the faithful.
♦ Rom. vilL 16.
t Ibid. IT.
ON THX LORD S PRATER.
395
be seyen
J us for
: to the
nd thai
In this
IS given
?
I glory
.doptioi
if sons
PS witli
iryt
to take
, on the
I the ex-
iVtk God
the full
i hoping
for our-
thren.
Q. Why!
A. Because they are our brethren.
Q. How are they our brethren ?
A. Because we all have the same Father.
Q. Why are we also to pray for all the faithful !
A. Because we all hope for the same inheritance.
Q. Wliat is that inheritance ?
A. The everlasting bliss of heaven.
Q. Why do you say : Who art in heaven ?
A. Because that although God is every where, we regard
it in a particular manner as the throne of his glory.
Q. Is God only in heaven f
A. He is also in all places.
Q, Why do we then address our prayers to him in heaven ?
A. Because heaven is the throne of his glory.
Q, Why is heaven the throne of his glory ?
A. 1st. Because it is chiefly by the heavens that he de-
clares his glory.*
2(3. Because it is in heaven that he manifests his glory to
the Angels and Saints.
Those words : Our Father who art in heaven, ought also
to remind us that heaven is the place where we are to dwell
eternally with the Angels and Saints, in the fullness of bliss ;
and that remembrance should detach us from the earth and
make us sigh unceasingly for heaven, our true country.
Q. Explain the first petition : Hallowed be thy name.
A. That is to say, that you may be known, loved, adored,
and glorified.
Q. By saying : Hallowed be thy name, what do you ask for thoee
who know not God ?
A. We ask that he may be known by inem.
Q. Who are they who are so unfortunate as not to know God J
A. They are the pagans or idolaters. Pagans and
idolaters are those who worship statues of gold and
silver, of wood or stone, and all sorts of false divinities.
Infidels, such as Jews, Turks, or Mahometans, do indeed
recognize the true God ; but tiiey do not believe In the
Holy Trinity, in Jesus Christ, nor in the truths of the
I - I I — — ■■ ■ ■
* Psalm XTiii. 1.
396
Ch
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
reli
gion.
How
deplorable is the state of these
f should we not pray that they
may come forth from their darkness, so that knowing the
iristian
persons, and how fervently
tiue God and embracing the true religion they may love,
adore, and glorify God !
Q. What do we ask for those who have the happiness of knowing
God ?
A. We ask that they may love, adore, and glorify him.
That they may love him ardently, adore him alone, and
glorify him continually.
Q. Explain the second : Thy kingdom come.
A. That is to say, that you may henceforward reign in
our hearts by grace, and bring us to reign with you in
glory.
Q. What do we ask, by saying : Thy kingdom come ?
A. We ask two things.
Q. What is the first ?
A. That God may henceforward reign in our hearts by
his grace. The earth would become a heaven, if God
henceforward reigned in the hearts of all men by his grace.
Q. What is the second !
A. That God may bring us to reign with him in glory,
This demands our most fervent and assiduous prayers,
because this second reign is incomparably more advanta-
geous than the first. '
Q. Explain the third : Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
A. That is to say that you may be obeyed on earth by
men, as you are obeyed by the blessed in heaven.
Q. What do we ask by sayii^ : Thy will be done !
A. We ask that God may be obeyed on earth by men.
Q. How?
A. As he is obeyed by the blessed in heaven.
Q. How do the blessed obey ?
A. They obey with great perfection.
Q. jCan we attain that perfection ?
A. No J but we can approach to it.
Q. Wherein are we to manifest this obedience ?
A. In the fulfilment of the commandments of God. We
are to obey with a fidelity and promptitude, if not equal, at
least approaching to that of the blessed spirits. This is the
ON THE LORD 8 PRAYER.
397
love,
grace that we should beg of God while saying : Thy will
be done.
Q. Explain the fourth petition : Give us this day our daily bread.
A. That is to say, give us what is necessary every day foi
the life of soul and body.
Q. What do we first ask by saying: Give us this day our daily
bread ?
A. We ask what is necessary every day for the life of
soul and body.
Q. What is necessary every day for the life of the soul ?
^.. 1st. The grace and love of God, yet without excluding
fi\ith and hope, which arc in their way the food of the soul.
2d. The Holy Eucharist, which is called the bread of life.*
am, says Jesus Christ, the living bread, which came down
from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for
ever.j- We are to nourish ourselves every day with this
divine bread, at least by spiritual communion, so as to pre-
pare for worthily receiving it by sacramental communion.
3d. The word of God heard oi' read with attention, and care-
fully preserved in the mind. It is the faithful and assiduous
meditation which we draw from it that produces the sap
to nourish and enrich our soul.
Q. Whai do we secondly ask ?
A. We ask what is necessary every day for the life of the
bodv.
Q. What is necessary every day for the life of the body f
A. Food, clothes, and lodging.
Behold the fowls of the air, says Jesus Christ, for they
sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns;
yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not you of
much more value than they 1 Consider the lilies of the
field, how they grow : they labor not, neither do they spin.
And yet I say to you, that not even Solomon, in all his
glory, was ariayod as one of these. How, if God so clothe
the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast
into the oven ; how much more you, O ye of little fiiith.J
Q, Why does Jesus Christ order us to ask only bread ?
A. To teach us that we should content ourselves with
ll
! s
J. i :
H'
1 li
♦ St. John vi. 43.
+ Ibid.M.
34
$ St. Matt. vi. 26.
i \
398
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
what is really necessary. Tlie wants of nature, as they are
called, are very limited. Every condition, however, has
its own wants, more or less.
Q. Why does Jesus Christ order us to ask only our daily bread t
A. It is ordered to divest us of all anxiety for the mor-
row. It is very senseless to be solicitous for the morrow,
since we know not whether we shall live to see it. Seek
first, says Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God and his justice,
and all those things, such as food and clothing, shall be
added unto you. Be not solicitous for to-morrow, for the
morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is
the evil thereof.
Q. On what condition does Jesus Christ promise us the necessaries of
life?
A. On condition that we serve him faithfully, and labor
assiduously. I have been young and now am old, says the
royal prophet, and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor
his seed seeking bread. He showeth mercy, and lendeth
all the day long ; and his seed shall be in blessing.*
And St. Paul adds : If any man will not work, neither
let him eat.f
Q. Explain the fifth petition : Forgive us our trespasses
A. That is to say, grant tne gift of true repentance, and
forgiveness of our sins.
Q. What do we first ask by saying : Forgive us our trespaa'ics 9
A. We ask the gift of true repentance.
Q. What is true repentance ?
A. It is that which makes us find favor with God, because
it entirely changes the sinner.
Such was the repentance of David, of Magdalen, of St.
Peter, and several others.
Q. Why do you say that it is a gift f
A. Because if God did not give it to us, we should not
have it. It is a present from the divine mercy. We may
indeed ask it, with grace, and even excite ourselves to it ;
but it is for God to give it to us.
* Psalm xxxtL 25.
t S Thesa. iii. 10.
ON THE LORD 8 PRAYER.
399
Q. How are we to correspond with that gift t
A, With great fidelity, as did David, Magdalen, St. Peter,
and so many others.
Q. What do we secondly ask f
A, We ask forgiveness of our sins.
Q. Of what ia the pardon which we grant to our enemies the mea*
sure?
A It is the measure of the pardon which we ask of God
for our sins.
Q. By what sacrament do we obtain forgiveness of our sins f
A. By the sacrament of Penance received either in effect
or desire. It is by this sacrament that the merits of Jesus
Christ are applied to us for the remission of our sins.
Q. Why do you say: As we forgjye those who trespass against us !
A. Because the pardon which we grant to our enemies is
the measure of the pardon which we ask of God for our
sins.
Q. Why is it the measure of that pardon ?
A. Because we ask of God to forgive as we forgive. Je-
sus had already said : With the same measure that you
shall measure, it shall be measured to you again.* And
we confirm it by saying to God : And forgive us our tres-
passes as we forgive them who trespass against us.
Q. How, then, are we to forgive, if we wish God to forgive ns f
A. We are to forgive from our heart.f
Q. When do we foi^ive from our heart ?
A. When there remains nothing in our heart of the injury
that we have received, neither animosity, nor coldness, nor
indi^rence. When we feel towards those who have offend-
ed us just as we did before. When we look kindly on them,
speak to them with cordiality, and are ready to serve them
when they stand in need of it.
Q. What pardon do we then obtain by saying : And forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us ?
A. We obtain pardon of our venial and daily faults, pro-
vided we say it with a contrite heart. We even obtain the
grace of true repentance for mortal sins, according to the
opinion of St. Augustine. J
I.
I «
, 1
it
i ■,
♦ Bt. Luke vl. 88.
t St. Matt, xvlil. 85.
t S. Aug. Encli. c. J., dc Civ. Del, b. 21, vol. JT.
' 'I
. (I
il:
400
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q. Explain the blxth : -And lead us not into temptation,
A. That is to say, consiclering our weakness, cither avert
temptation from us, or give us the grace to overcome it.
Q. What is temptation ?
A. It is a solicitation to evil : and as that solicitation is
unceasing, it is with much reason that Job has said that the
lite of man on earth is a continual warfare.*
Q. Wliat are they that solicit us to evil?
A. The devil, the world, and the flesh. The devil, by all
sorts of stratagems; the world, by displaying all its seduc-
tions before our eyes ; the flesh, by importuning us to satisfy
all its desires, opposed as they are to those of the spirit. I
see, says the Apostle, another law in my members, fighting
against the law of my mind Unhappy man that 1 am,
who shall deliver mo from the body of this death ?f
Q. How many degrees are there in temptation ?
A, There are three : the suggestion, the pleasure, and the
consent. The suggestion, is the propo>al of the evil. The
pleasure, is the complacency wherewith the proposal is en-
tertained. The consent, is the determination to do the evil.
Q. Why docs God permit temptation ?
A. 1st. To test our virtue. 2d. To render us vigilant, 3d,
To humble our pride.
Q. How do we become crimiiiial by temptation ?
A. 1st. When we voluntarily dwell on the suggestion.
2d. When we wilfully take pleasure in it. 3d. When we
give our consent to it. If we reject the suggestion with
promptness and fidelity — if we do not wilfully take any
pleasure in it; on the contrary, if we conceive a true dis-
pleasure and give no consent to it, far from committing sin,
we perform an action agreeable to God and highly meritori-
ous, when wc do it for God's sake.
Q. What do we ask of God by saying : Lead us not into tempfii-
tion ?
A. We ask of him, either to avert the temptation or give
us grace to overcome it.
Q. With what view do we make this prayer ?
A. With a view to our own weakness. It is not enough
to make this prayer ; we must also avoid with care every
* Job vii. 1.
t Rom. vll, 23,
OP THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION.
401
thing that might give rise to temptation, and shun all the
occasions of it ; for it is written that he who loves the danger
shall perish in it.
Q. Explain the seventh petition : Deliver us from evil,
A. That is to say, deliver us from the miseries of this
life, from the enemies of our salvation, and from eternal
damnation.
Q. From vhat do we ask to be delivered by saying : Deliver us from
evil?
A. 1st. We ask to be delivered from the miseries of life ;
not from all, but from those which would be beyond our
strength ; for it is only death that can deliver us from all.
2d. We ask to be delivered from the enemies of our salva-
tion, that is to say, from all that the devil, the world and the
flesh could do to prevent us from attaining salvation. 3d.
We ask to be delivered from eternal damnation. As this
is the consummation of all wretchedness, we cannot too often
or too fervently ask to be delivered from it.
CHAPTER XIX.
OP THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION.
Q. What is the Angelical Salutation ?
A. A prayer which is composed of the words of the angel
Gabriel, of St. Elizabeth, and of the Church.
Q. Say it in Latin.
A. Ave, Maria, gratia plena : Dominus tecum, benedicta
tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesu.
Sancta Maria, mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
nunc et in hora mortis nostrse. Amen.
Q. Say it in English.
A. Hail, Mary, full of grace : the Lord is with thee, blessed
art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy
womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and
at the hour of our death. Amen.
402
DOCTRINAL CATKCIII8M.
Q. Wliich arc the words of the niigel Gabriel ?
A. They arc those which he said to the Rlossed Virgin
when {imiouncing to her the mystery of the Incarnation :
Ilail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed
art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy
womb, Jesus.*
Q. What do the -words /?^// of grace denote \
A. They denote the great and sublime sanctity of the
Blessed Virgin; because the more grace the more sanctity.
Q. What do these denote : The Lord is with thee ?
A. They denote that God made it his delight to dwell in
the Blessed Virgin ; because God, who is holiness itself, de-
lights in purity, especially when it is found in such an emi-
nent degree as it was in the Blessed Virgin.
Q. What do these denote: Blessed art thou amongst women?
A. They denote that because of her sublime sanctity she
had been chosen in preference to all others to be the mother
of the Son of God, a dignity which elevates her above all
creatures, even angels and saints.
Q. Which are the words of Elizabeth ?
A. Thev are those which she said to the Blessed Virgin
when she honored her with a visit : Blessed art thou amongst
women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.f
Q. What do these words indicate ; Blessed art thou amongst
women ?
A. They indicate the same thing as those of the angel.
As St. Elizabeth spoke by the Holy Ghost, she repeats the
same words which God had put into the mouth of the
angel.
Q. What do these denote : Blessed is the fruit of thy womb ?
A. They denote that Jesus her Son is the source of all
graces and of all blessings. In effect, as St. John says, it
is from his fullness we all have received. J
Q. Which are the words of the Church ?
A. They arc those which she has joined to the words of
the angel and of St. Elizabeth : Holy Mary, mother of
God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
♦ St. Luke i. 28.
t St. Luke I. 42.
% St John 1. 16.
OF THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION.
403
Q. How do we recognize the Blessed Virgin ?
A. We recognize her fur the mother of God ; and in that
capacity we address our prayers to her with grout confidence,
persuaded that being the mother of God, she is all-poweifiil
with her son.
Q. What do we ask of her after having recognized her for the mother
of God ?
A. We ask her to pray for us all the days of our life, and
especially at the hour of our death. A favor which we can-
not too earnestly solicit, since it is so necessary for us.
Q. Why do we make this prayer ?
A. 1st. To thank God for the mystery of the Incarna-
tion.
2d. To honor and congratulate the Blessed Virgin, in
whose womb that mystery was accomplished.
3d. To ask the intercession of the Blessed Virgin with
God.
Q. What is the first reason why we make this prayer ?
A. To thank God fur the mystery of the Incarnation.
As that mystery is the source of all the blessings which we
receive in this life and in the other, we can never give God
SfufFicient thanks for it.
Q. What is the second reason ?
• A. To honor and congratulate the Blessed Virgin, in whose
womb that mystery was accomplished. It is very proper to
honor her whom God has raised to such a sublime dignity,
and whom the angels and saints unceasingly honor.
Q. What is the third reason ?
A. To ask the intercession of the Blessed Virgin with (jJod y
intercession the most powerful, and cousequently the most
effectual.
Q. Why does the Church call the Blessed Virgin mother of God?
A. Because she really conceived and brought forth Jesus
Christ, who is God. This is an unquestionable ai tide of
faith. Nestorius, Patriareh of Constantinople, died a miser-
able death after havins; been cond^ined bv the Council of
Ephesus for having dared to maintain the contrary ; it was
even said that his tongue was eaten by worms.*
.I- :■
:h fr
* Flea Ecclcs. irist. b. ii. ohap. 84.
404
DOCTRINAL OATXCHISM.
CHAPTER XX.
OF THE VIRTUES, AND THE CAPITAL SINS.
SECTION I.
or TBI THEOLOoioAL vntTunt.
Q. How many theological virtues are there ?
A. There are three : Faith, Hope, and Charity.
Q. Why are those virtues called theological 9
A. Because they immediately regard God.
It is God who is believed by faith, hoped for by hope, and
loved by charity.
Q. What is faith ?
A. It is a divine virtue, whereby we hold for certain that
there is a God, and submit to all the truths which he has re-
vealed and proposed to us by his Church.
Q. Whatish-'ief
A. It is a i'me virtue whereby we expect, with a firm
confidence in his infinite bounty, the blessings which he has
promised to us, viz. : eternal salvation, with the graces and
other helps necessary for obtaining it.
Q. What is charity ?
A. It is a divine virtue whereby we attach our heart to
God, as our sovereign good and last end, and love our neigh-
bor as ourselves for the love of God.
Q. Can we have those virtues by ourselves f
A. No ; for they are virtues infused by God into our
souls.
Q. When we have them can we increase them !
A. Yes, with the assistance of grace.
Q. How?
A, By making frequent acts of them. The more we make
acts of those virtues the more they are strengthened in our
OF TIIK VIUTUK8, AND THE CAPITAL 8INB.
405
souls. They arc also fitroiiprlhonod })y all the good works
which we <Jo through their rnotives, especially throu<^h
charity.
SECTION II.
OF THE CARDINAL VIRTUES.
Q. How many cardinal virtues are there!
A, There are four.
Q. What are they ?
A. Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude.
Q. Wliy are those virtues called cardinal i
A. Because they are the principal virtues. What we call
moral virtues arc those which form the rule of morals ; all
virtues are based on these four.
Q. What is prudence ?
A. It is a virtue which makes us choose the })est means of
succeeding in every thing wo undertake. For that we must
be aided by an actual light from Heaven.
Q. What i--? justice ?
A. It is a virtue which teaches us to render to every one
that which belongs to him, whether it be to God, our neigh,
bor, or ourselves.
Q. What is tempo ranco ?
yl. It is a virtue which makes us avoid excess in all things ;
in eating and. drinking; in work and in rest; in pleasures
and in mortifications ; in joy and in sorrow ; in expense and
in paving; in clothes, ornaments, and furniture, and in all
things generally.
Q. What is fortitude
A. It is a virtue which enaldes us to overcome all the dif-
ficulties which may arise in the fulfilment of our duties,
whether to God, our neighbor, or ourselves.
SECTION III.
OF THE CAPITAL BINS.
Q. How many capital sins are there?
A. There are seven.
406
DOCTRINAL CATKCHI8M.
R !
p
Q. What are thej t
A. Prido, avarice, lust, gluttony, envy, anger, and sloth.
Q. Why are those called the capital siDs t
A. Because they are the principle and the source of all
other vices.
Q. What is pride f
A. It is an inordinate opinion of one's own excellence.
Q. In how many ways is this sin committed t
A. In four ways.
Q. Which is the first ?
A, By glorifying ourselves on the gifts of God as though
they came from ourselves, and not from God. What hast
thou, says St. Paul, that thou hast not received? And
if thou hast received, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst
not received it "?*
Q. Which is the second t
A. By regarding the gifts of God as due to our merits.
Who hath first given to him, and recompense shall be made
him? For of him, and by him, and in him are all things ;
to him be glory for ever.f Amen.
Q. Which is the third ?
A. Imagining that we have perfections which we have not,
and wishing to pass for having them in the eyes of others.
If any man think himself to be something, whereas he is
nothing, he deceiveth himself J We deceive ourselves still
more when we imagine that we have what we have not, and
would persuade others of it.
Q. Which is the fourth?
A. Despising others for want of qualities wherein we sup-
pose ourselves to excel them. Let every one, says the same
apostle, prove his own work ; and so he shall have glory in
himself only, and not in another.§ And elsewhere: — In
humility, let each esteem others better than themselves. ||
Q. What is avarice t
A, It is an inordinate love of riches. They, says the
apostle, who would become rich, fall into temptation, and
into the snare of the devil, and into many unprofitable and
♦ 1 Cor. iv. T.
t Bom. ix. 85.
I
Oal. t!. 8.
GaI.vL4.
I Pbll.ii.8.
or TUB VIRTUES, AND Till CAPITAL BINS.
407
hurtful desires, which drown men in destruction and perdi-
tion.* See what precedes and what follows.
Q. Wliatislustt
A. It is the sin of impurity, which is divided into several
kinds. My spirit, says God, shall not remain in man for
ever, because he is flesh.f See what follows. This sin was
punished by the Deluge,| and afterwards by fire from
heaven .§
Q. What is gluttony f
A. It is an inordinate love of eating and drinking, for the
pleasure which is found in it.
Q. In bow many ways is gluttony committed f
A. In five ways.
Q. Which is the first I
A. By eating without necessity between meals.
Q. Which is the second ?
A. By seeking after dainties and delicacies.
Q. Which is the third!
A. By eating more than enough*
Q. Which is the fourth!
A. By eating too greedily.
Q. Which is the fifth f
A. By seeking after meats that are highly seasoned.
Q. Wherein are we the most carefully to avoid excess ?
A. In wine and other liquors. Be not drunk with wine,
says St. Paul, wherein is luxury .jl Wine, says the Wise
Man, hath destroyed very many.^jf The apostle declares
that drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of God.** If
man consulted his own reason, it alone would be sufficient
to turn him away from this vice, by showing him that be
thereby renders himself like unto the beasts.
Q. What is envy f
A. It is a sorrow or displeasure at the spiritual or temporal
welfare of our neighbor, because it exceeds our own. God
created man incorruptible, and to the image of his own like-
ness he made him. But by the envy of the devil, death
♦ Tim. vl. 9.
t Gen. vi. 8.
t Gen. vi. 7.
I
Gen. xix.
£ph. V. 18.
^ Eocles. xxxi. 80.
*♦ 1 Cor. vi. 10.
408
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
W'
is-' ■-
1i
came into the world: and they follow him that are of his
sid(
*
?
Q. What is anger
A. It is the action or desire of revenging one's self for an
injury received. Revenge not yourselves, my dearly-be-
loved, says the apostle; but give place to wrath ; for it is
written, Kcvcnge is mine, I will repay, sailh the Lord.
But if thy enemy be hungry, give him to eat; if he thirst,
give him drink : for doing this thou shalt he.ip coals of fire
on his head. Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil
by gojd.f
Q. What is sloth?
A. It is an excessive love of rest, and a disgust for all that
appertains to the service of God. Go to the ant, O sluggard,
and consider her ways, and learn wisdom: which, although
she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain, provideth her
meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her food for
herself in the harvest. | How long wilt thou sleep, O slug-
gaid ? v\ hen wilt thou rise cut of thy sleep ?§ Cursed be
he that dt)th the work of the Lord d2eeitfully,|| Every tree
that beareth not good fruit shall be cut down and cast into
the fire.*f Cast the useless servant into exterior darkness,
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.**
ACT OF FAITH.
I firmly believe that there is one God in three persons,
equal in ail things, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,
and I freely accept all the truths which he has revealed and
proposed to us by his Church.
ACT OK nopK.
My God, T confidently expect from thy infinite goodness
all the blessings which thou hast promised to us, especialb
eternal salvation and the graces nccesary to obtain it.
* Wis. li. 23.
t Kom. xii 19.
j Prov, vi. C.
§ Prov. vi. 9.
j Jcr. xlvlii. 10.
^ St. Lnko iii. 9.
** St Mntt. xxii'. 18.
CHRISTIAN EXERCISE.
ACT OF CHARITY.
409
My God, I love thee with my whole heart, thou who art
my sovereign good and my last end. I also love my neigh-
bor, even my enemy, as myself, for thy sake.
ACT OF ADORATION.
My God, I adore and acknowledge thee for my sovereign
Lord, from whom I hold life and being, and all the other
blessings which I possess.
ACT OF THANKSGIVING.
My God, I thank thee for having created and redeemed
me, and preserved me until now, together with all the other
graces and blessings wherewith thou dost continually favor
me.
ACT OF CONTRITION.
My God, I am heartily sorry fur having offended thee,
because thou art infinitely good, and infinitely perfect, and
that sin is displeasing to thee ; I humbly beg thy pardon,
and, confiding in thy grace, I am resolved to amend my
life, to confess my sins as soon as possible, and to do pen-
ance for them.
BATTISMAL VOWS.
From my heart I renounce Satan and subject myself to
the law of Christ, that is, the Gospel ; I renounce the pomps
of Satan, that is, the maxims and vanities of the world ; I
renounce the works of Satan, that is, all sin.
I I:
Cferistiau (^mtht
FOR THE BEGINNING OF CATKCIIISMAL INSTRUCTIONS.
Q, What is the CLristian exercise ?
A. It is the method of passing the day in a Christian
manner.
The Morning.
Q. What are we to do on awaking ?
A. We are to make the sign of the cross, saying : In the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen.
H5
410
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
III. :
m
Q. Wl)y?
A. To consecrate the first moments of the day to the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. This sign of the cross is, as
it were, the sign and seal of Jesus Christ, which we impress
upon ourselves in order to defend us against the snares of
thedevil.
The devils, seeing that sign on St. Gregory Thaumaturgus,
said : This vase is empty, but well sealed ; and they
dared not approach to injure hirn.
The words : In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
£ind of the Holy Ghost, are an abridged prayer whereby we
ask of God his blessing and assistance.
Q. What are we to say at the sume time ?
A. My God, I give thee my heart, fill it with thy love:
my God, be with me all the day, and grant me grace not to
offend thee. We must take care not to take it back again
to give it to the world or the devil.
Q. How are we to arise and dress ourselves ?
A. Promptly and modestly.
Q. Why?
A. For fear of displeasing God and the Angels who be-
hold us. We must be on our guard against the demon of
sloth and the demon of immodesty : and never to do in the
presence of God and the Angels what we would not do be-
fore persons whom we respect.
Q. What are we to do as soon as we are dressed ?
A. We are to kneel and say our morning prayers : to do
nothing until we have acquitted ourselves of this duty. Also
to take holy water if we have it convenient.
Q. How are we to pray ?
A. With respect and attention. With respect, kneeling
with our hands joined, and our eyes cast down, before a
crucifix or some other sacred image ; with attention, think-
ing of what we are saying, and desiring it sincerely.
EXAMPLE.
i
Daniel prays notwithstanding the king's prohibition, and is miraculously pre-
served from the fury of tlie lions. — Dan. vi.
Q. What should we afterwards do slowly, and with reflection ?
A. We should read a little in the Imiiation nf Christ.
CHRISTIAN EXERCISE.
411
yr to the
)ss is, as
impress
lares of
laturgus,
nd they
the Son,
jreby we
hy love :
ie not to
Lck again
I who be-
lemon of
do in the
ot do he-
rs : to do
ity. Also
, kneeling
, before a
on, think-
iculously pre-
(Ction ?
Christ.
Q, Why \
A. To fill our mind and heart with the truths whose prac-
tice is necessary to salvation.
Q. What are we then to do ?
A. We are to consider the occasions which might make
us full into sin, and take the resohition to avoid them. Tliis
was the practice of the saints; let us carefully imitate
them.
During the Day.
Q. Why nre we to be always employed?
A. 1st. Because the devil tempts those who are idle.
Those who are idle are generally disposed to do evil.
2d. Because they who do not work, do not deserve to eat.
Would any like to feed a servant who did nothing all the
day, or at least for a great part of it 1*
Q. What are we to do if cortimanded to do sometliing painful, or to
which we have a dislike ?
A. We are to think of Jesus and say to him : My
Jesus, thou wert obedient even unto death, and I am un-
willing to obey in this matter !
Q. What are we to do at the beginning of our labor ?
A. We are to make the sign of the cross, saying : Bless
this work, Lord! and grant that while my hands are
employed in it, my heart and mind may be fixed on thee !
Q. And duiing our labor ?
A. We are to remember with joy that God is present and
beholds us : to offer him from time to time our heart and
our mind •, and, according to the advice of the Apostle, to
sing hymns and spiritual canticles. To work in this man-
ner is to pr" V most efficaciously. Thus did the Blessed
Virgin work, under the eyes of her divine Son. Thus, too,
worked the holy hermits of old, making prayers which are
called ejaculatory.
Q. Where are we to go in the morning ?
A. We are to go to church to hear mass.
Q What grace do we beg of God ?
A. We beg of him the grace to assist at the holy sacrifice
with the same sentiments wherewith the Blessed Virgin and
* 2T110SS. iii.lO.
412
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
f '
r,
r.i
St. John assisted at the foot of the cross on Calvary. How
were their hearts penetrated with grief, with love, and with
gratitude ! If this most holy sacrament, says the Imita-
tion, were celebrated in one place only, and consecrated
by only one priest in the world, with how great a desire,
thinliest thou, would men be affected towards that place,
and to such a priest of God, that they might see the Divine
Mysteries celebrated 1*
Q. What are we to do if we see any one immodestly dresatd ?
A. We must immediately have recourse to Jesus Christ,
and say to him : Lord ! turn away my eyes, that they
see not vanity. We are to turn away our eyes from vanity,
for fear that from the eyes it might pass into the heart and
give it a mortal wound. '
Q. What must we do in order to sanctify our meals ?
A. We must pray to God before and after. Before, in
order to draw down the blessing of God on ourselves and
what we are about to take ; after, in order to thank him for
the good things which he so liberally bestows upon us,
■whilst so many others more deserving than we are not so
well provided for.
Q. What should we inv; ai dly say during the meal ?
A. When, O Lord ! wilt thou give me that celestial
nourishment wherewith the angels and saints are now re-
plenished in heaven ! To eat in this way is to eat as a
Christian, and even as an angel. f To eat without thinking
of God, and without praying before and after, is to eat as a
heathen.
To eat without rule and without measure, to gratify the
sensual appetite, is to eat as a beast.
Q. Are we only to read in the morning ?
A. We are also to read some good books in the evening,
either by ourselves or aloud to others.
Q. What are we to do if we are obliged or ordered to leave it ?
A. We must do it cheerfully and promptly, to imitate
the obedience of Jesus Christ towards his parents.
Q. What should we do Avhen the clock strikes ?
A. We should enter into ourselves, and say: My God,
• Imlt, b. Iv. ch. 1.
t Tobias 11. 2.
CHRISTIAN EXERCISE.
413
fill ine with a love for thee and a horror for sin ; grant me
the grace of a happy death. As the grace of a happy-
death is a precious grace which ensures our salvation, wc
cannot ask it too often, and nothing is more efficacious in
obtaining it than to be filled with a love of God and a
horror of sin.
Q. What must we do when assailed by temptation ?
A. We must instantly turn to Jesus Christ, and say with
confidence : Lord, save me, or I perish.* If we say those
words with the same confidence as the Saints did, we shall
soon be sensible of the assistance of Jesus Christ.
Q. How are we to receive the ijains and troubles which attend human
life?
A. We are to receive them with submission, as coming
from the hand of God ; to endeavor, at least, to bear them
patiently, and to acknowledge that God still treats us with
great mercy, after having so often deserved hell.
EXAMPLE.
The patience of Job rewarded.— Jb& 1. li. and xlii.
Q. What must we do before undertaking any important action ?
A. AVe must ask counsel of Our Lord, and say to him
from our heart: Lord, what wilt thou that I do? teach
me to do thy holy will. With such advice, who can fail
to succeed ?
Q. What must we do when we are sensible of having committed any
sin?
A. We must immediately testify our sorrow by an act
of contrition. One should never by any means go to sleep
in the state of mortal sin. Assuredly no one would lie
down w-ith a serpent in their bosom, and yet there are many
who do not fear to lie down with the devil in their heart.
Q. What must we carefully avoid in order to preserve our baptismal
innocence ?
A. Unchaste songs, dangerous books, and bad compan-
ions. x\ll these things poison and give death to the soul..
In their stead, let us sing spiritual canticles, read good books,
and associate with wise and virtuous persons.
• St Matt vili. 25, and xiv. 30 ; Tobias vi. 8.
35*
414
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
, I
Q. What actions must we never do wlicn alone !
A. Any of those that we should be ashamed to do before
the world. Shmi with the most assiduous care all those
works of darkn(3ss.
Q. What should we do towards the close of the day ?
A. We should, if possible, go to some church to visit
Jesus in the adorable sacrament of the altar.
Q. What should we do after having adored him ?
A, We should humbly expose to him the wants of our
souls; ask him for all the graces which are necessary for
us ; and consider in his presence the means of serving him
faithfully. If the palaces of kings were open to every one,
as our churches are, who would pass a single day without
going to pay their court and solicit; favors i
Tha Evening.
Q. How must wc finish the day ?
A. With prayer. We are to recite our evening prayers
with attention and respect, and be careful not to omit our
daily examination of conscience.
Q. "W Herewith must we occupy our minds while undressing?
A. We must occupy our minds with useful thoughts.
Every thing should then remind us of death. •
Q. What are we carefully to avoid ?
A. Every thing that is contrary to modesty : remember-
ing that God and his angels are present.
Q. What are we to do before going to sleep ?
A. We are to make the sign of the cross, saying : My
God, grant me the grace to die in thy holy love. Then to
recommend ourselves to our guardian angel.
Q. In what state should we go to sleep?
A. In the same state wherein we would wish to be found
at the hour of death.
Q. What should we do if we awake in the night ?
A. We should think of the presence of God and the angels,
or say some prayers.
Q. Recite the practice of silence.
A. In order to accustom myself to the thought of Our
Lord Jesus Christ, I choose every day a certain time to
consider him in silence ; first, I listen to his voice speaking
FOB SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY.
415
within mc, then I tell him all that my love inspires: now,
I beseech him to remain always with me ; ai^ain, 1 ^cll him
how ardently I long to be with him in heaven; at other
times I testify the desire which I ieel to live only ibr him,
and to keep alivo in my heart the fire of divine love. I will
pass no day without observing this pious practice.
|0r Stptuiigcsinui Bxmhri,
FOR THE ADVANCED CLASSES.
Q. What la tlie meaning of the word Septuagesinia ?
A. It means the sev entieth day before Easter. Sexages-
imal the sixtieth; Quinquagesima, the fiftieth; Quadrates-
wia^ the fortieth.
This is the time of preparation for Lent. For many
ages there were Christians who commenced Lent on Septua-
i^esima, others on Sexagesima, others on Quinquagesima.
The first, in order to supply for the Thursdays, Saturdays,
and Sundays, on which they did not fast ; the second, for
the Saturdays and Sundays, and the last, for the Sundays
only.
Now, and for many ages past, all alike commence it on
Ash-Wednesday, and continue it every day till Easter, Sun-
day only excepted.
Q. What ornameuts does the Church assume on this day ?
A. She assumes her penitential ornaments.
Q. What does she retrench from her offices ?
A. She retrenches all her joyous canticles : the Alleluia^
the Te Deum, the Gloria in Excel.ns.
Q. With what does she thereby seek to inspire lier children ?
A. She seeks to inspire them with the spirit of penance,
which consists in true contrition for sin committed. If
Christians had that spirit, they would imitate the Church,
taking, like her, the garb of mourning, and reiujuncing joy
and diversion. Penitents formerly covered themselves
with sackcloth and ashes, and renounced all pleasure.
Q. What more must we do to prepare for Lent?
A. 1st. We must give up all worldly companions.
l! I
wnt
416
DOCTRINAL CATEOIHSM.
Q. Why?
A. To dispose ourselves for the retreat of Lent.
2d. We must be more sober than at any other time.
Q Why?
A. To dispose ourselves for the fast of Lent.
3d. We must pray assiduously.
Q. Why?
A. To dispose ourselves to pray well during Lent. Chris-
tians, after the example of Jesus Christ, should, during
Lent, retire from the world, fast and pray. In order to do
it well it is expedient to prepare in good time.
Q. What should we leave off during this time, in conformity with the
spirit of the Chuich ?
A. We must leave off all banquets and public amuse-
ments. It was for this reason that, down to the time of the
Council of Trent, marriage was not solemnized during this
time. In some religious orders, they even now either fast
or observe abstinence.
Q. What are we to do in case we are obliged to be present at any
entertainment during this time ?
A. We must behave with the utmost modesty and dis-
cretion ; eat and drink with moderation and mortify our-
selves in some things.
Q. How do worldlings pass this holy time ?
A. 1st. They pass it in dissipation. 2d. They think only
of playing nnd amusing themselves, when they should only
think of mourning and weeping. 3d. They pass it in the
excess of eating and drinking ; they think only of fdling
themselves with meat, when they ought only to think of
mortifying themselves by abstinence. 4th. They pass it
in forgetfuhiess of God. Can any one think of God when
their mind is taken up with diversions and good cheer?
Behold how the world prepares for the retreat, the fast, and
the prayer of Lent. Can any thing be more unreasonable?
EXAMPLE.
Punishment of the excesses and profanations of Balthazar. — Dan. v.
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GRAPHY. For the use of the Brothers of the Christian
Schools. 12mo. of 130 pages, price only 125C.
This will supply a want lonj^ felt by Catholics, as their children
were obliged to study geography, if at nil, from books which repre-
sented the people of ovei'y Catholic country as "ignorant, supersti-
tious and revengeful "
A Collection op Irirh Tales, by Y'ss. J. Sadlier: com-
prising amongst others the fbllr-iug: — Father Shehey;
The Daughter of Tyrconnell : Fate of the Shcares'; Nor-
man Steel, 0/ the Priest Hunter; The Latter Days of the
O'Reillys; OCrady, or, The Expatriated; Granu Wail, a
Tale of the Desmonds; &c., &c.
Some ot these tales appeared in tlio Boston Pilot, and others of them
were published in a collected form, entitled " Tales of the Olden
Tiino."
They will form two 50 cent volumes— each volume complete in it-
self. Revised and corrected by the author.
NEW SCHOOL HOOKS— 1). ,t J. SADLIKR it CO.
THE CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN INSTRUCTED.
THINK WELL ON'T.
CATECHISM OF SCRIPTURE HISTORY for SCHOOLS.
THE LIFE OF ST. ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY, Dudi-
ess of Thurugia. By the Count do MontaJembcrt, Toer of
Eruncc. Translated from the French.
In the translation of this work, published in Dublin, the introduc-
tion which forms about IjO pa^cs of the original, and nearly ono-
third of the whole work, was omitted. Our edition will contain the
entire work.
This is one of the most interesting hiogrnphics in any langua"-p
we defy even the most lukewarm Catholic to read it, without in-
wardly thanking Cnul that he lielongs to a church that can produce
such purity, and holinosy, and so mucli humility and self-denial an
is exemplified in the life of tlie " dear St. Klizabeth."
In pi-eparaiion a number of School and oth&r Books.
JUST PUBLISHED,
NEW SCHOOL BOOKS,
ruUished with the approhation of the rrovlmial of the Chris-
tian Schools. Our editions of the foVmving liooJcs are the
only ones v^ed hy them : —
First Book. Xcv,- and enhxrKcd edition. Strong inusliu
back. 72 pages, (old edition only 48.) Gjc.
Secoxd Rook. New and enlarged edition, having Spelling
and Accentuation and Delinitionrf at the head of eacii
chapter. 180 pages, 18mo., half bound, 12ie,
Third Book. New and enlarged edition, with Spelling,
Pronunciation, and Delinitions to each chapter, making it
tlio most complete in the United States. 'iWJ pnges, 1 2mo.,
full sheep or lialf roan, 50c.
Old editions of those Readers, published many years ago, having
much less malter than ours, and having none of the above improve-
ments, are now put forward by other parties as being the books used
by the Christian BrothcrK, whereas they have never been used in this
country by them.