Chapter 14

Q. 1063. {294} Which is the chief sacramental used in the Church? A. The chief sacramental used in the Church is the sign of the cross.

Q. 1064. {295} How do we make the sign of the cross? A. We make the sign of the cross by putting the right hand to the forehead, then on the breast, and then to the left and right shoulders, saying, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen."

Q. 1065. What is a common fault with many in blessing themselves? A. A common fault with many in blessing themselves is to make a hurried motion with the hand which is in no way a sign of the cross. They perform this act of devotion without thought or intention, forgetting that the Church grants an indulgence to all who bless themselves properly while they have sorrow for their sins.

Q. 1066. {296} Why do we make the sign of the cross? A. We make the sign of the cross to show that we are Christians and to profess our belief in the chief mysteries of our religion.

Q. 1067. {297} How is the sign of the cross a profession of faith in the chief mysteries of our religion? A. The sign of the cross is a profession of faith in the chief mysteries of our religion because it expresses the mysteries of the Unity and Trinity of God and of the Incarnation and death of our Lord.

Q. 1068. {298} How does the sign of the cross express the mystery of the Unity and Trinity of God? A. The words, "In the name," express the Unity of God; the words that follow, "of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," express the mystery of the Trinity.

Q. 1069. {299} How does the sign of the cross express the mystery of the Incarnation and death of our Lord? A. The sign of the cross expresses the mystery of the Incarnation by reminding us that the Son of God, having become man, suffered death on the cross.

Q. 1070. {300} What other sacramental is in very frequent use? A. Another sacramental in very frequent use is holy water.

Q. 1071. {301} What is holy water? A. Holy water is water blessed by the priest with solemn prayer to beg God's blessing on those who use it, and protection from the powers of darkness.

Q. 1072. How does the water blessed on Holy Saturday, or Easter Water, as it is called, differ from the holy water blessed at other times? A. The water blessed on Holy Saturday, or Easter Water, as it is called, differs from the holy water blessed at other times in this, that the Easter water is blessed with greater solemnity, the paschal candle, which represents Our Lord risen from the dead, having been dipped into it with a special prayer.

Q. 1073. Is water ever blessed in honor of certain saints? A. Water is sometimes blessed in honor of certain saints and for special purposes. The form of prayer to be used in such blessings is found in the Roman Ritual--the book containing prayers and ceremonies for the administration of the Sacraments and of blessings authorized by the Church.

Q. 1074. {302} Are there other sacramentals besides the sign of the cross and holy water? A. Beside the sign of the cross and holy water there are many other sacramentals, such as blessed candles, ashes, palms, crucifixes, images of the Blessed Virgin and of the saints, rosaries, and scapulars.

Q. 1075. When are candles blessed in the Church and why are they used? A. Candles are blessed in the Church on the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin--February 2nd. They are used chiefly to illuminate and ornament our altars, as a mark of reverence for the presence of Our Lord and of joy at His coming.

Q. 1076. What praiseworthy custom is now in use in many places? A. A praiseworthy custom now in use in many places is the offering by the faithful on the feast of the Purification of candles for the use of the altar during the year. It is pleasing to think we have candles burning in our name on the altar of God, and if the Jewish people yearly made offerings to their temple, faithful Christians should not neglect their altars and churches where God Himself dwells.

Q. 1077. When are ashes blessed in the Church and why are they used? A. Ashes are blessed in the Church on Ash Wednesday. They are used to keep us in mind of our humble origin, and of how the body of Adam, our forefather, was formed out of the slime or clay of the earth; also to remind us of death, when our bodies will return to dust, and of the necessity of doing penance for our sins. These ashes are obtained by burning the blessed palms of the previous year.

Q. 1078. When are palms blessed and of what do they remind us? A. Palms are blessed on Palm Sunday. They remind us of Our Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when the people, wishing to honor Him and make Him king, strewed palm branches and even their own garments in His path, singing: Hosanna to the Son of David.

Q. 1079. What is the difference between a cross and a crucifix? A. A cross has no figure on it and a crucifix has a figure of Our Lord. The word crucifix means fixed or nailed to the cross.

Q. 1080. What is the Rosary? A. The Rosary is a form of prayer in which we say a certain number of Our Fathers and Hail Marys, meditating or thinking for a short time before each decade; that is, before each Our Father and ten Hail Marys, on some particular event in the life of Our Lord. These events are called mysteries of the Rosary. The string of beads on which these prayers are said is also called a Rosary. The ordinary beads are of five decades, or one-third of the whole Rosary.

Q. 1081. Who taught the use of the Rosary in its present form? A. St. Dominic taught the use of the Rosary in its present form. By it he instructed his hearers in the chief truths of our holy religion and converted many to the true faith.

Q. 1082. How do we say the Rosary, or beads? A. To say the Rosary or beads we bless ourselves with the cross, then say the Apostles' Creed and the Our Father on the first large bead, then the Hail Mary on each of the three small beads, and then Glory be to the Father, &c. Then we mention or think of the first mystery we wish to honor, and say an Our Father on the large bead and a Hail Mary on each small bead of the ten that follow. At the end of every decade, or ten Hail Marys, we say "Glory be to the Father;" &c. Then we mention the next mystery and do as before, and so on to the end.

Q. 1083. How many mysteries of the Rosary are there? A. There are fifteen mysteries of the Rosary arranged in the order in which these events occurred in the life of Our Lord, and divided into five joyful, five sorrowful, and five glorious mysteries.

Q. 1084. Say the five joyful mysteries of the Rosary. A. The five joyful mysteries of the Rosary are: (1) The Annunciation--the Angel Gabriel telling the Blessed Virgin that she is to be the Mother of God; (2) the Visitation--the Blessed Virgin goes to visit her cousin, St. Elizabeth, the mother of St. John the Baptist; (3) the Nativity, or birth, of Our Lord; (4) the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the temple--His parents offered Him to God; (5) the finding of the Child Jesus in the temple--His parents had lost Him in Jerusalem for three days.

Q. 1085. Say the five sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary. A. The five sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary are: (1) The Agony in the Garden--Our Lord was in dreadful anguish and bathed in a bloody sweat; (2) the Scourging at the Pillar--Christ was stripped of His garments and lashed in a cruel manner; (3) the Crowning with Thorns--He was mocked as a king by heartless men; (4) the Carriage of the Cross--from the place He was condemned to Calvary, the place of Crucifixion; (5) the Crucifixion--He was nailed to the cross amid the jeers and blasphemies of His enemies.

Q. 1086. Say the five glorious mysteries of the Rosary. A. The five glorious mysteries of the Rosary are: (1) The Resurrection of Our Lord; (2) the Ascension of Our Lord; (3) The Coming of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles; (4) the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin--after death she was taken body and soul into heaven; (5) the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin--on entering heaven she was made queen of all the Angels and Saints and placed in dignity next to her Divine Son, Our Blessed Lord.

Q. 1087. On what days, according to the pious custom of the faithful, are the different mysteries of the Rosary usually said? A. According to the pious custom of the faithful, the different mysteries of the Rosary are usually said on the following days, namely: the joyful on Mondays and Thursdays, the sorrowful on Tuesdays and Fridays, and the glorious on Sundays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Q. 1088. What do the letters I.N.R.I. over the crucifix mean? A. The letters I.N.R.I. over the crucifix are the first letters of four Latin words that mean Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Our Lord did say He was king of the Jews, but He also said that He was not their temporal or earthly king, but their spiritual and heavenly king.

Q. 1089. To what may we attribute the desire of the Jews to put Christ to death? A. We may attribute the desire of the Jews to put Christ to death to the jealously, hatred and ill-will of their priests and the Pharisees, whose faults He rebuked and whose hypocrisy He exposed. By their slanders and lies they induced the people to follow them in demanding Our Lord's crucifixion.

Q. 1090. With whom did the Blessed Virgin live after the death of Our Lord? A. After the death of Our Lord the Blessed Virgin lived for about eleven years with the Apostle St. John the Evangelist, called also the Beloved Disciple. He wrote one of the four Gospels, three Epistles, and the Apocalypse, or Book of Revelations--the last book of the Bible. He lived to the age of a hundred years or more and died last of all the apostles.

Q. 1091. What do we mean by the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, and why do we believe in it? A. By the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin we mean that her body was taken up into heaven after her death. We believe in it: (1) Because the Church cannot teach error, and yet from an early age the Church has celebrated the Feast of the Assumption; (2) because no one ever claimed to have a relic of our Blessed Mother's body, and surely the apostles, who knew and loved her, would have secured some relic had her body remained upon earth.

Q. 1092. What do the letters I.H.S. on an altar or sacred things mean? A. The letters I.H.S. on an altar or sacred things mean the name Jesus; for it is in that way the Holy Name is written in the Greek language when some of the letters are left out.

Q. 1093. What is the scapular, and why is it worn? A. The scapular is a long, broad piece of woolen cloth forming a part of the religious dress of monks, priests and sisters of some religious orders. It is worn over the shoulders and extends from the shoulders to the feet. The small scapular made in imitation of it, and consisting of two small pieces of cloth fastened together by strings, is worn by the faithful as a promise or proof of their willingness to practice some particular devotion, indicated by the kind of scapular they wear.

Q. 1094. How many kinds of scapulars are there in use among the faithful? A. Among the faithful there are many kinds of scapulars in use, such as the brown scapular or scapular of Mount Carmel worn in honor of Our Lord's passion; the white, in honor of the Holy Trinity; the blue, in honor of the Immaculate Conception; and the black, in honor of the seven dolors of the Blessed Virgin. When these are joined together and worn as one they are called the five scapulars. The brown scapular is best known and entitles its wearer to the greatest privileges and indulgences.

Q. 1095. What are the seven dolors of the Blessed Virgin? A. The seven dolors of the Blessed Virgin are the chief sorrowful events in the life of Our Blessed Lady. They are (1) The Circumcision of Our Lord--when she saw His blood shed for the first time; (2) her flight into Egypt--to save the life of the Infant Jesus, when Herod sought to kill Him; (3) the three days she lost her Son in Jerusalem; (4) when she saw Him carrying the cross; (5) when she saw Him die; (6) when His dead body was taken down from the cross; (7) when it was laid in the sepulchre or tomb.

Q. 1096. What are the seven dolor beads, and how do we say them? A. Seven dolor beads are beads constructed with seven medals, each bearing a representation of one of the seven dolors, and seven beads between each medal and the next. At each medal we meditate on the proper dolor and the say a Hail Mary on each of the bead following it.

Q. 1097. What is an Agnus Dei? A. An Agnus Dei is a small piece of beeswax stamped with the image of a lamb and cross. It is solemnly blessed by the Pope with special prayers for those who carry it about their person in honor of Our Blessed Redeemer, whom we call the Lamb of God, Who taketh away the sins of the world. The wax is usually covered with silk or some fine material.

LESSON TWENTY-EIGHTH. ON PRAYER.

Q. 1098. {303} Is there any other means of obtaining God's grace than the Sacraments? A. There is another means of obtaining God's grace, and it is prayer.

Q. 1099. {304} What is prayer? A. Prayer is the lifting up of our minds and hearts to God, to adore Him, to thank Him for His benefits, to ask His forgiveness, and to beg of Him all the graces we need whether for soul or body.

Q. 1100. How many kinds of prayer are there? A. There are two kinds of prayer: (1) Mental prayer, called meditation, in which we spend the time thinking of God or of one or more of the truths He has revealed, that by these thoughts we may be persuaded to lead holier lives; (2) vocal prayer, in which we express these pious thoughts in words.

Q. 1101. Why is mental prayer most useful to us? A. Mental prayer is most useful to us because it compels us, while we are engaged in it, to keep our attention fixed on God and His holy laws and to keep our hearts and minds lifted up to Him.

Q. 1102. How can we make a meditation? A. We can make a meditation (1) By remembering that we are in the presence of God; (2) by asking the Holy Ghost to give us grace to benefit by the meditation; (3) by reflecting seriously on some sacred truth regarding our salvation; (4) by drawing some good resolution from the thoughts we have had; and (5) by thanking God for the knowledge and grace bestowed on us through the meditation.

Q. 1103. Where may we find subjects or points for meditation? A. We may find the subjects or points for meditation in the words of the Our Father, Hail Mary or Apostles' Creed; also in the questions and answers of our Catechism, in the Holy Bible, and in books of meditation.

Q. 1104. {305} Is prayer necessary to salvation? A. Prayer is necessary to salvation, and without it no one having the use of reason can be saved.

Q. 1105. {306} At what particular times should we pray? A. We should pray particularly on Sundays and holy days, every morning and night, in all dangers, temptations, and afflictions.

Q. 1106. {307} How should we pray? A. We should pray: 1st. With attention; 2d. With a sense of our own helplessness and dependence upon God; 3d. With a great desire for the graces we beg of God; 4th. With trust in God's goodness; 5th. With perseverance.

Q. 1107. What should our attention at prayer be? A. Our attention at prayer should be threefold, namely, attention to the words, that we may say them correctly and distinctly; attention to their meaning, if we understand it, and attention to God, to whom the words are addressed.

Q. 1108. What should be the position of the body when we pray? A. At prayer the most becoming position of the body is kneeling upright, but whether we pray kneeling, standing or sitting, the position of the body should always be one indicating reverence, respect and devotion. We may pray even lying down or walking, for Our Lord Himself says we should pray at all times.

Q. 1109. What should we do that we may pray well? A. That we may pray well we should make a preparation before prayer: (1) By calling to mind the dignity of God, to whom we are about to speak, and our own unworthiness to appear in His presence; (2) by fixing upon the precise grace or blessing for which we intend to ask; (3) by remembering God's power and willingness to give if we truly need and earnestly, humbly and confidently ask.

Q. 1110. Why does God not always grant our prayers? A. God does not always grant our prayers for these and other reasons: (1) Because we may not pray in the proper manner; (2) that we may learn our dependence on Him, prove our confidence in Him, and merit rewards by our patience and perseverance in prayer. Prudent persons do not grant every request; why, then, should God do so?

Q. 1111. What assurance have we that God always hears and rewards our prayers, though He may not grant what we ask? A. We have the assurance of Our Lord Himself that God always hears and rewards our prayers, though He may not grant what we ask; for Christ said: "Ask and it shall be given you," and "if you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you."

Q. 1112. {308} Which are the prayers most recommended to us? A. The prayers most recommended to us are the Lord's Prayer, the Hail Mary, the Apostles' Creed, the Confiteor, and the Acts of Faith, Hope, Love, and Contrition.

Q. 1113. {309} Are prayers said with distractions of any avail? A. Prayers said with wilful distraction are of no avail.

Q. 1114. Why are prayers said with wilful distraction of no avail? A. Prayers said with wilful distraction are of no avail because they are mere words, such as a machine might utter, and since there is no lifting up of the mind or heart with them they cannot be prayer.

Q. 1115. Do, then, the distractions which we often have at prayer deprive our prayers of all merit? A. The distractions which we often have at prayer do not deprive our prayers of all merit, because they are not wilful when we try to keep them away, for God rewards our good intentions and the efforts we make to pray well.

Q. 1116. What, then, is a distraction? A. A distraction is any thought that, during prayer, enters our mind to turn our thoughts and hearts from God and from the sacred duty we are performing.

Q. 1117. What are the fruits of prayer? A. The fruits of prayer are: It strengthens our faith, nourishes our hope, increases our love for God, keeps us humble, merits grace and atones for sin.

Q. 1118. Why should we pray when God knows our needs? A. We pray not to remind God or tell Him of what we need, but to acknowledge that He is the Supreme Giver, to adore and worship Him by showing our entire dependence upon Him for every gift to soul or body.

Q. 1119. What little prayers may we say even at work? A. Even at work we may say little aspirations such as "My God, pardon my sins; Blessed be the Holy Name of Jesus; Holy Spirit, enlighten me; Holy Mary, pray for me," &c.

Q. 1120. Did Our Lord Himself pray, and why? A. Our Lord Himself very frequently prayed, often spending the whole night in prayer. He prayed before every important action, not that He needed to pray, but to set us an example of how and when we should pray.

Q. 1121. Why does the Church conclude most of its prayers with the words "through Jesus Christ Our Lord"? A. The Church concludes most of its prayers with the words "through Jesus Christ Our Lord" because it is only through His merits that we can obtain grace, and because "there is no other name given to men whereby we must be saved."

Q. 1122. Was any special promise made in favor of the united prayers of two or more persons? A. A special promise was made in favor of the united prayers of two or more persons when Our Lord said: "Where there are two or three gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." Therefore, the united prayers of a congregation, sodality or family, and, above all, the public prayers of the whole Church, have great influence with God. We should join in public prayers out of true devotion, and not from habit, or, worse, to display our piety.

Q. 1123. What is the most suitable place for prayer? A. The most suitable place for prayer is in the Church--the house of prayer--made holy by special blessings and, above all, by the Real Presence of Jesus dwelling in the Tabernacle. Still, Our Lord exhorts us to pray also in secret, for His Father, who seeth in secret, will repay us.

Q. 1124. For what should we pray? A. We should pray (1) For ourselves, for the blessings of soul and body that we may be devoted servants of God; (2) for the Church, for all spiritual and temporal wants, that the true faith may be everywhere known and professed; (3) for our relatives, friends and benefactors, particularly for those we may in any way have injured; (4) for all men, for the protection of the good and conversion of the wicked, that virtue may flourish and vice disappear; (5) for our spiritual rulers, the Pope, our bishops, priests and religious communities, that they may faithfully perform their sacred duties; (6) for our country and temporal rulers, that they may use their power for the good of their subjects and for the honor and glory of God.

LESSON TWENTY-NINTH. ON THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.

Q. 1125. {310} Is it enough to belong to God's Church in order to be saved? A. It is not enough to belong to the Church in order to be saved, but we must also keep the Commandments of God and of the Church.

Q. 1126. Are not the commandments of the Church also commandments of God? A. The commandments of the Church are also commandments of God, for they are made by His authority and under the guidance of the Holy Ghost; nevertheless, the Church can change or abolish its own commandments, while it cannot change or abolish the commandments given directly by God Himself.

Q. 1127. {311} Which are the Commandments that contain the whole law of God? A. The Commandments which contain the whole law of God are these two: 1st. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, with thy whole soul, with thy whole strength, and with thy whole mind; 2. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Q. 1128. {312} Why do these two Commandments of the love of God and of our neighbor contain the whole law of God? A. These two Commandments of the love of God and of our neighbor contain the whole law of God because all the other Commandments are given either to help us to keep these two, or to direct us how to shun what is opposed to them.

Q. 1129. Explain further how the two commandments of the love of God and of our neighbor contain the teaching of the whole ten commandments. A. The two commandments of the love of God and of our neighbor contain the teaching of the whole ten commandments because the first three of the ten commandments refer to God and oblige us to worship Him alone, respect His name and serve Him as He wills, and these things we will do if we love Him; secondly, the last seven of the ten commandments refer to our neighbor and forbid us to injure him in body, soul, goods or reputation, and if we love him we will do him no injury in any of these, but, on the contrary, aid him as far as we can.

Q. 1130. {313} Which are the Commandments of God? A. The Commandments of God are these ten:

1. 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, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not adore them, nor serve them. 2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. 3. Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day. 4. Honor thy father and thy mother. 5. Thou shalt not kill. 6. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 7. Thou shalt not steal. 8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. 9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife. 10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.