Part 5

Q. 384. How long was Our Lord hanging on the cross before He died? A. Our Lord was hanging on the Cross about three hours before He died. While thus suffering, His enemies stood around blaspheming and mocking Him. By His death He proved Himself a real mortal man, for He could not die in His divine nature.

Q. 385. What do we call the words Christ spoke while hanging on the Cross? A. We call the words Christ spoke while hanging on the Cross "the seven last words of Jesus on the Cross." They teach us the dispositions we should have at the hour of death.

Q. 386. Repeat the seven last words or sayings of Jesus on the Cross. A. The seven last words or sayings of Jesus on the Cross are: (1) "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do," in which He forgives and prays for His enemies. (2) "Amen, I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise," in which He pardons the penitent sinner. (3) "Woman, behold thy Son"--"Behold thy Mother," in which He gave up what was dearest to Him on earth, and gave us Mary for our Mother. (4) "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" from which we learn the suffering of His mind. (5) "I thirst," from which we learn the suffering of His body. (6) "All is consummated," by which He showed the fulfillment of all the prophecies concerning Him and the completion of the work of our redemption. (7) "Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit," by which He showed His perfect resignation to the Will of His Eternal Father.

Q. 387. What happened at the death of Our Lord? A. At the death of Our Lord there were darkness and earthquake; many holy dead came forth from their graves, and the veil concealing the Holy of Holies, in the Temple of Jerusalem, was torn asunder.

Q. 388. What was the Holy of Holies in the temple? A. The Holy of Holies was the sacred part of the Temple, in which the Ark of the Covenant was kept, and where the high priest consulted the Will of God.

Q. 389. What was the "Ark of the Covenant"? A. The Ark of the Covenant was a precious box in which were kept the tablets of stone bearing the written Commandments of God, the rod which Aaron changed into a serpent before King Pharao, and a portion of the manna with which the Israelites were miraculously fed in the desert. The Ark of the Covenant was a figure of the Tabernacle in which we keep the Holy Eucharist.

Q. 390. Why was the veil of the Temple torn asunder at the death of Christ? A. The veil of the Temple was torn asunder at the death of Christ because at His death the Jewish religion ceased to be the true religion, and God no longer manifested His presence in the Temple.

Q. 391. Why did the Jewish religion, which up to the death of Christ had been the true religion, cease at that time to be the true religion? A. The Jewish religion, which, up to the death of Christ, had been the true religion, ceased at that time to be the true religion, because it was only a promise of the redemption and figure of the Christian religion, and when the redemption was accomplished and the Christian religion established by the death of Christ, the promise and the figure were no longer necessary.

Q. 392. Were all the laws of the Jewish religion abolished by the establishment of Christianity? A. The moral laws of the Jewish religion were not abolished by the establishment of Christianity, for Christ came not to destroy these laws, but to make them more perfect. Its ceremonial laws were abolished when the Temple of Jerusalem ceased to be the House of God.

Q. 393. What do we mean by moral and ceremonial laws? A. By "moral" laws we mean laws regarding good and evil. By "ceremonial" laws we mean laws regulating the manner of worshipping God in Temple or Church.

Q. 394. {81} Where did Christ die? A. Christ died on Mount Calvary.

Q. 395. Where was Mount Calvary, and what does the name signify? A. Mount Calvary was the place of execution, not far from Jerusalem; and the name signifies the "place of skulls."

Q. 396. {82} How did Christ die? A. Christ was nailed to the Cross, and died on it between two thieves.

Q. 397. Why was Our Lord crucified between thieves? A. Our Lord was crucified between thieves that His enemies might thus add to His disgrace by making Him equal to the worst criminals.

Q. 398. {83} Why did Christ suffer and die? A. Christ suffered and died for our sins.

Q. 399. How was Our Lord's body buried? A. Our Lord's body was wrapped in a clean linen cloth and laid in a new sepulchre or tomb cut in a rock, by Joseph of Arimathea and other pious persons who believed in Our Divine Lord.

Q. 400. {84} What lessons do we learn from the sufferings and death of Christ? A. From the sufferings and death of Christ we learn the great evil of sin, the hatred God bears to it, and the necessity of satisfying for it.

Q. 401. {85} Whither did Christ's soul go after His death? A. After Christ's death His soul descended into hell.

Q. 402. {86} Did Christ's soul descend into the hell of the damned? A. The hell into which Christ's soul descended was not the hell of the dammed, but a place or state of rest called Limbo, where the souls of the just were waiting for Him.

Q. 403. {87} Why did Christ descend into Limbo? A. Christ descended into Limbo to preach to the souls who were in prison--that is, to announce to them the joyful tidings of their redemption.

Q. 404. {88} Where was Christ's body while His soul was in Limbo? A. While Christ's soul was in Limbo His body was in the holy sepulchre.

Q. 405. {89} On what day did Christ rise from the dead? A. Christ rose from the dead, glorious and immortal, on Easter Sunday, the third day after His death.

Q. 406. Why is the Resurrection the greatest of Christ's miracles? A. The Resurrection is the greatest of Christ's miracles because all He taught and did is confirmed by it and depends upon it. He promised to rise from the dead and without the fulfillment of that promise we could not believe in Him.

Q. 407. Has any one ever tried to disprove the miracle of the resurrection? A. Unbelievers in Christ have tried to disprove the miracle of the resurrection as they have tried to disprove all His other miracles; but the explanations they give to prove Christ's miracles false are far more unlikely and harder to believe than the miracles themselves.

Q. 408. What do we mean when we say Christ rose "glorious" from the dead? A. When we say Christ rose "glorious" from the dead we mean that His body was in a glorified state; that is, gifted with the qualities of a glorified body.

Q. 409. What are the qualities of a glorified body? A. The qualities of a glorified body are: (1) Brilliancy, by which it gives forth light; (2) Agility, by which it moves from place to place as rapidly as an angel; (3) Subtility, by which material things cannot shut it out; (4) Impassibility, by which it is made incapable of suffering.

Q. 410. Was Christ three full days in the tomb? A. Christ was not three full days, but only parts of three days in the tomb.

Q. 411. {90} How long did Christ stay on earth after His resurrection? A. Christ stayed on earth forty days after His resurrection, to show that He was truly risen from the dead, and to instruct His apostles.

Q. 412. Was Christ visible to all and at all times during the forty days He remained on earth after His resurrection? A. Christ was not visible to all nor at all times during the forty days He remained on earth after His resurrection. We know that He appeared to His apostles and others at least nine times, though He may have appeared oftener.

Q. 413. How did Christ show that He was truly risen from the dead? A. Christ showed that He was truly risen from the dead by eating and conversing with His Apostles and others to whom He appeared. He showed the wounds in His hands, feet and side, and it was after His resurrection that He gave to His Apostles the power to forgive sins.

Q. 414. {91} After Christ had remained forty days on earth, whither did He go? A. After forty days Christ ascended into heaven, and the day on which he ascended into heaven is called Ascension Day.

Q. 415. Where did the ascension of Our Lord take place? A. Christ ascended into heaven from Mount Olivet, the place made sacred by His agony on the night before His death.

Q. 416. Who were present at the ascension and who ascended with Christ? A. From various parts of Scripture we may conclude there were about 125 persons--though traditions tell us there was a greater number--present at the Ascension. They were the Apostles, the Disciples, the pious women and others who had followed Our Blessed Lord. The souls of the just who were waiting in Limbo for the redemption ascended with Christ.

Q. 417. Why is the paschal candle which is lighted on Easter morning extinguished at the Mass on Ascension Day? A. The paschal candle which is lighted on Easter morning signifies Christ's visible presence on earth, and it is extinguished on Ascension Day to show that He, having fulfilled all the prophecies concerning Himself and having accomplished the work of redemption, has transferred the visible care of His Church to His Apostles and returned in His body to heaven.

Q. 418. {92} Where is Christ in heaven? A. In heaven Christ sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

Q. 419. {93} What do you mean by saying that Christ sits at the right hand of God? A. When I say that Christ sits at the right hand of God I mean that Christ as God is equal to His Father in all things, and that as man He is in the highest place in heaven next to God.

LESSON NINTH. ON THE HOLY GHOST AND HIS DESCENT UPON THE APOSTLES.

Q. 420. {94} Who is the Holy Ghost? A. The Holy Ghost is the third Person of the Blessed Trinity.

Q. 421. Did the Holy Ghost ever appear? A. The Holy Ghost appeared at times under the form of a dove, and again under the form of tongues of fire; for, being a pure spirit without a body, He can take any form.

Q. 422. Is the Holy Ghost called by other names? A. The Holy Ghost is called also the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth and other names given in Holy Scripture.

Q. 423. {95} From whom does the Holy Ghost proceed? A. The Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son.

Q. 424. {96} Is the Holy Ghost equal to the Father and the Son? A. The Holy Ghost is equal to the Father and the Son, being the same Lord and God as they are.

Q. 425. {97} On what day did the Holy Ghost come down upon the Apostles? A. The Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles ten days after the Ascension of our Lord; and the day on which He came down upon the Apostles is called Whitsunday, or Pentecost.

Q. 426. Why is the day on which the Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles called Whitsunday? A. The day on which the Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles is called Whitsunday or White Sunday, probably because the Christians who were baptized on the eve of Pentecost wore white garments for some time afterward, as a mark of the purity bestowed upon their souls by the Sacrament of Baptism.

Q. 427. Why is this feast called also Pentecost? A. This feast is called also Pentecost because Pentecost means the fiftieth; and the Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles fifty days after the resurrection of Our Lord.

Q. 428. {98} How did the Holy Ghost come down upon the Apostles? A. The Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire.

Q. 429. What did the form of tongues of fire denote? A. The form of tongues of fire denoted the sacred character and divine authority of the preaching and teaching of the Apostles, by whose words and fervor all men were to be converted to the love of God.

Q. 430. {99} Who sent the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles? A. Our Lord Jesus Christ sent the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles.

Q. 431. Did the Apostles know that the Holy Ghost would come down upon them? A. The Apostles knew that the Holy Ghost would come down upon them; for Christ promised His Apostles that after His Ascension He would send the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth, to teach them all truths and to abide with them forever.

Q. 432. Has any one ever denied the existence of the Holy Ghost? A. Some persons have denied the existence of the Holy Ghost; others have denied that He is a real person equal to the Father and the Son; but all these assertions are shown to be false by the words of Holy Scripture and the infallible teaching of the Church.

Q. 433. What are the sins against the Holy Ghost which Our Lord said will not be forgiven either in this world or in the next? A. The sins against the Holy Ghost which Our Lord said will not be forgiven either in this world or in the next, are sins committed out of pure malice, and greatly opposed to the mercy of God, and are, therefore, seldom forgiven.

Q. 434. {100} Why did Christ send the Holy Ghost? A. Christ sent the Holy Ghost to sanctify His Church, to enlighten and strengthen the Apostles, and to enable them to preach the Gospel.

Q. 435. How was the Church sanctified through the coming of the Holy Ghost? A. The Church was sanctified through the coming of the Holy Ghost by receiving those graces which Christ had merited for His ministers, the bishops and priests, and for the souls of all those committed to their care.

Q. 436. How were the Apostles enlightened through the coming of the Holy Ghost? A. The Apostles were enlightened through the coming of the Holy Ghost by receiving the grace to remember and understand in its true meaning all that Christ had said and done in their presence.

Q. 437. How were the Apostles strengthened through the coming of the Holy Ghost? A. The Apostles were strengthened through the coming of the Holy Ghost by receiving the grace to brave every danger, even death itself, in the performance of their sacred duties.

Q. 438. What does "Apostle," and what does "Gospel" mean? A. "Apostle" means a person sent, and "Gospel" means good tidings or news. Hence the name "Gospel" is given to the inspired history of Our Lord's life and works upon earth.

Q. 439. Name the Apostles. A. The Apostles were: Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, Thaddeus, Simon, and Judas Iscariot, in whose place Mathias was chosen.

Q. 440. Was St. Paul an Apostle? A. St. Paul was an Apostle, but as he was not called till after the Ascension of Our Lord he is not numbered among the twelve. He is called the Apostle of the Gentiles; that is, of all those who were not of the Jewish religion or members of the Church of the Old Law.

Q. 441. How did St. Paul become an Apostle? A. While on his way to persecute the Christians St. Paul was miraculously converted and called to be an Apostle by Our Lord Himself, who spoke to him. St. Paul was called Saul before his conversion.

Q. 442. Who were the Evangelists? A. St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke and St. John are called Evangelists, because they wrote the four Gospels bearing their names, and Evangelia is the Latin name for Gospels. St. Mark and St. Luke were not Apostles, but St. Matthew and St. John were both Apostles and Evangelists.

Q. 443. Why did not the Apostles fully understand when Christ Himself taught them? A. The Apostles did not fully understand when Christ Himself taught them because during His stay with them on earth they were only preparing to become Apostles; and their minds were yet filled with many worldly thoughts and desires that were to be removed at the coming of the Holy Ghost.

Q. 444. {101} Will the Holy Ghost abide with the Church forever? A. The Holy Ghost will abide with the Church forever, and guide it in the way of holiness and truth.

Q. 445. What benefit do we derive from the knowledge that the Holy Ghost will abide with the Church forever? A. From the knowledge that the Holy Ghost will abide with the Church forever we are made certain that the Church can never teach us falsehood, and can never be destroyed by the enemies of Our Faith.

Q. 446. What visible power was given to the Apostles through the coming of the Holy Ghost? A. Through the coming of the Holy Ghost the Apostles received the "gift of tongues," by which they could be understood in every language, though they preached in only one.

Q. 447. Why did such wonderful gifts accompany Confirmation, or the coming of the Holy Ghost, in the first ages of the Church? A. Such wonderful gifts accompanied Confirmation in the first ages of the Church to prove the power, truth and divine character of Christianity to those who otherwise might not believe, and to draw the attention of all to the establishment of the Christian Church.

Q. 448. Why are these signs not continued everywhere at the present time? A. These signs are not continued everywhere at the present time, because now that the Church is fully established and its divine character and power proved in other ways, such signs are no longer necessary.

Q. 449. Were such powers as the "gift of tongues" a part of the Sacrament of Confirmation? A. Such powers as the "gift of tongues" were not a part of the Sacrament of Confirmation, but they were added to it by the Holy Ghost when necessary for the good of the Church.

LESSON TENTH. ON THE EFFECTS OF THE REDEMPTION.

Q. 450. What is an effect? A. An effect is that which is caused by something else, as smoke, for example, is an effect of fire.

Q. 451. What does redemption mean? A. Redemption means the buying back of a thing that was given away or sold.

Q. 452. What did Adam give away by his sin, and what did Our Lord buy back for him and us? A. By his sin Adam gave away all right to God's promised gifts of grace in this world and of glory in the next, and Our Lord bought back the right that Adam threw away.

Q. 453. {102} Which are the chief effects of the Redemption? A. The chief effects of the Redemption are two: The satisfaction of God's justice by Christ's sufferings and death, and the gaining of grace for men.

Q. 454. Why do we say "chief effects"? A. We say "chief effects" to show that these are the most important but not the only effects of the Redemption--for all the benefits of our holy religion and of its influence upon the world are the effects of the redemption.

Q. 455. Why did God's justice require satisfaction? A. God's justice required satisfaction because it is infinite and demands reparation for every fault. Man in his state of sin could not make the necessary reparation, so Christ became man and made it for him.

Q. 456. {103} What do you mean by grace? A. By grace I mean a supernatural gift of God bestowed on us, through the merits of Jesus Christ, for our salvation.

Q. 457. What does "supernatural" mean? A. Supernatural means above or greater than nature. All gifts such as health, learning or the comforts of life, that affect our happiness chiefly in this world, are called natural gifts, and all gifts such as blessings that affect our happiness chiefly in the next world are called supernatural or spiritual gifts.

Q. 458. What do you mean by "merit"? A. Merit means the quality of deserving well or ill for our actions. In the question above it means a right to reward for good deeds done.

Q. 459. {104} How many kinds of grace are there? A. There are two kinds of grace, sanctifying grace and actual grace.

Q. 460. What is the difference between sanctifying grace and actual grace? A. Sanctifying grace remains with us as long as we are not guilty of mortal sin; and hence, it is often called habitual grace; but actual grace comes to us only when we need its help in doing or avoiding an action, and it remains with us only while we are doing or avoiding the action.

Q. 461. {105} What is sanctifying grace? A. Sanctifying grace is that grace which makes the soul holy and pleasing to God.

Q. 462. {106} What do you call those graces or gifts of God by which we believe in Him, hope in Him, and love Him? A. Those graces or gifts of God by which we believe in Him, and hope in Him, and love Him, are called the Divine virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity.

Q. 463. What do you mean by virtue and vice? A. Virtue is the habit of doing good, and vice is the habit of doing evil. An act, good or bad, does not form a habit; and hence, a virtue or a vice is the result of repeated acts of the same kind.

Q. 464. Does habit excuse us from the sins committed through it? A. Habit does not excuse us from the sins committed through it, but rather makes us more guilty by showing how often we must have committed the sin to acquire the habit. If, however, we are seriously trying to overcome a bad habit, and through forgetfulness yield to it, the habit may sometimes excuse us from the sin.

Q. 465. {107} What is Faith? A. Faith is a Divine virtue by which we firmly believe the truths which God has revealed.

Q. 466. {108} What is Hope? A. Hope is a Divine virtue by which we firmly trust that God will give us eternal life and the means to obtain it.

Q. 467. {109} What is Charity? A. Charity is a Divine virtue by which we love God above all things for His own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.

Q. 468. Why are Faith, Hope and Charity called virtues? A. Faith, Hope and Charity are called virtues because they are not mere acts, but habits by which we always and in all things believe God, hope in Him, and love Him.

Q. 469. What kind of virtues are Faith, Hope and Charity? A. Faith, Hope and Charity are called infused theological virtues to distinguish them from the four moral virtues--Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance.

Q. 470. Why do we say the three theological virtues are infused and the four moral virtues acquired? A. We say the three theological virtues are infused; that is, poured into our souls, because they are strictly gifts of God and do not depend upon our efforts to obtain them, while the four moral virtues--Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance--though also gifts of God, may, as natural virtues, be acquired by our own efforts.

Q. 471. Why do we believe God, hope in Him, and love Him? A. We believe God and hope in Him because He is infinitely true and cannot deceive us. We love Him because He is infinitely good and beautiful and worthy of all love.

Q. 472. What mortal sins are opposed to Faith? A. Atheism, which is a denial of all revealed truths, and heresy, which is a denial of some revealed truths, and superstition, which is a misuse of religion, are opposed to Faith.

Q. 473. Who is our neighbor? A. Every human being capable of salvation of every age, country, race or condition, especially if he needs our help, is our neighbor in the sense of the Catechism.

Q. 474. Why should we love our neighbor? A. We should love our neighbor because he is a child of God, redeemed by Jesus Christ, and because he is our brother created to dwell in heaven with us.

Q. 475. {110} What is actual grace? A. Actual grace is that help of God which enlightens our mind and moves our will to shun evil and do good.

Q. 476. {111} Is grace necessary to salvation? A. Grace is necessary to salvation, because without grace we can do nothing to merit heaven.

Q. 477. {112} Can we resist the grace of God? A. We can, and unfortunately often do, resist the grace of God.

Q. 478. Is it a sin knowingly to resist the grace of God? A. It is a sin, knowingly, to resist the grace of God, because we thereby insult Him and reject His gifts without which we cannot be saved.

Q. 479. Does God give His grace to every one? A. God gives to everyone He creates sufficient grace to save his soul; and if persons do not save their souls, it is because they have not used the grace given.

Q. 480. {113} What is the grace of perseverance? A. The grace of perseverance is a particular gift of God which enables us to continue in the state of grace till death.