Chapter 29

It should be enough, therefore, for you to remember: there is nothing good in Hell, and it will last forever. Think of anything good you please and it cannot be found in Hell. Is light good? Yes. Then it is not in Hell. Is hope good? Yes. Then it is not in Hell. Is true friendship good? Yes. Then it is not in Hell. There the damned hate one another. There the poor sufferers curse forever those who led them into sin. Hence, persons should try to bring back to a good life everyone they may have led into sin or scandalized by bad example.

414 Q. What is Purgatory? A. Purgatory is the state in which those suffer for a time who die guilty of venial sins, or without having satisfied for the punishment due to their sins.

"Punishment"--that is, temporal punishment, already explained to you. After the general judgment there will be Heaven and Hell, but no Purgatory, for there will be no men living or dying upon the earth in its present condition to go there. All will be dead and judged and sent to their final abodes. Those in Purgatory are the friends of God; and knowing Him as they do now, they would not go into His holy presence with the slightest stain upon their souls; still they are anxious for their Purgatory to be ended that they may be with God. They suffer, we are told, the same pains of sense as the damned; but they suffer willingly, for they know that it is making them more pleasing to God, and that one day it will all be over and He will receive them into Heaven. Their salvation is sure, and that thought makes them happy. If, therefore, you believe any of your friends are in Purgatory, you should help them all you can, and try by your prayers and good works to shorten their time of suffering. They will help you--though they cannot help themselves--by their prayers. And oh, when they are admitted into Heaven, how they will pray for those that have helped them out of Purgatory! If you do this great charity, God will, when you die, put in some good person's heart to pray for you while you suffer in Purgatory. There must be a Purgatory, for one who dies with the slightest stain of sin upon his soul cannot enter Heaven, and yet God would not send him to Hell for so small a sin. But why does God punish those He loves? Why does He not forgive everything? He punishes because He is infinitely just and true. He warned them that if they did certain things they would be punished; and they did them, and God must keep His promise. Moreover He is just, and must give to everyone exactly what he deserves.

*415 Q. Can the faithful on earth help the souls in Purgatory? A. The faithful on earth can help the souls in Purgatory by their prayers, fasts, almsdeeds; by indulgences, and by having Masses said for them.

*416 Q. If everyone is judged immediately after death, what need is there of a general judgment? A. There is need of a general judgment, though everyone is judged immediately after death, that the providence of God, which, on earth, often permits the good to suffer and the wicked to prosper, may in the end appear just before all men.

"Providence of God." Sometimes here on earth we see a good man always in want, out of employment, sickly, unsuccessful in all his undertakings, while his neighbor, who is a very bad man, is wealthy and prosperous, and seems to have every pleasure. Why this is so we cannot understand now, but God's reason for it will be made known to us on the Day of Judgment. Sometimes the wicked do good actions here on earth--help the poor, or contribute to some charity, for instance; and as God on account of their wickedness cannot reward them in the next world, He rewards them chiefly in this world by temporal goods and pleasures. For all their good deeds they get their reward in this world, and for the evil their punishment in the next. The good man who suffers gets all his reward in the next world, that even his sufferings here atone partly for the evil he has done.

A second reason for a general judgment is to show the crimes of sinners and the justice of their punishment; also that the saints may have all their good works made known before the world and receive the glory they deserve. On earth these saints were sometimes considered fools and treated as criminals, falsely accused, etc., and now the whole truth will stand out before the world. But above all, the general judgment is for the honor and glory of Our Lord. At His first coming into the world He was poor and weak; many would not believe Him the Son of God, and insulted Him as an impostor. He was falsely accused, treated shamefully, and was put to death, many believing Him guilty of some crime. Now He will appear before all as He really is--their Lord and Master, their Creator and Judge. How they will tremble to look upon Him whom they have crucified! How all those who have denied Him, blasphemed Him, persecuted His Church, and the like, will fear when they see Him there as Judge! How they will realize the terrible mistake worldlings made!

417 Q. Will our bodies share in the reward or punishment of our souls? A. Our bodies will share in the reward or punishment of our souls, because through the Resurrection they will again be united to them.

*418 Q. In what state will the bodies of the just rise? A. The bodies of the just will rise glorious and immortal.

We honor the dead body and treat it with great respect because it was the dwelling place of the soul and was often nourished with the Sacraments; also because it will rise in glory and be united with the soul in the presence of God forever. For these reasons we use incense and holy water when the body is to be buried, and even bless the ground in which it is laid. "Faithful departed" means all those who died in a state of grace and who are in Heaven or Purgatory. They may be in Purgatory, and so we pray for them. We pray that they may "rest in peace"--that is be in Heaven, where they will have no sufferings.

*419 Q. Will the bodies of the damned also rise? A. The bodies of the damned will also rise, but they will be condemned to eternal punishment.

420 Q. What is Heaven? A. Heaven is the state of everlasting life in which we see God face to face, are made like unto Him in glory, and enjoy eternal happiness.

The most delightful place we could possibly imagine as Heaven would not be near what it really is. Everything that is good is there and forever, and we shall never tire of its joys. All the pleasures and beauties of earth are as nothing compared with Heaven; and though we think we can imagine its beauty and happiness now, we shall see how far we have been from the real truth if ever we reach this heavenly home.

"God face to face"--that is, as He is. We shall not see Him with the eyes of the body, but of the soul. That we may see with our natural eyes, two things are necessary: first, an object to look at, and secondly, light to see it. Now, to see God in Heaven we need a special light, which is called the "light of glory." God Himself gives us this light and thus enables us to see Him as He is. This beautiful vision of God in Heaven is called the "beatific vision," and thus our whole life in Heaven--our joy and happiness--consists in the enjoyment of the beatific vision.

*421 Q. What words should we bear always in mind? A. We should bear always in mind these words of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: "What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul, or what exchange shall a man give for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels: and then will He render to every man according to his works."

What does it benefit the poor creatures in Hell to have been rich, or beautiful, or learned, or powerful? If they had been good, it was all that was necessary to escape all their sufferings. Is there anything on earth that they would not give to be released? Why, then, did they sell their souls for so little while on earth? The present is the only time you have to merit Heaven and escape Hell. The past you cannot recall, and of the future you are not sure. Then use the present well and decide daily whether you wish to be in Heaven or in Hell.

NOTE--Wherever in the foregoing pages explanations have been omitted after certain questions or answers it is because the matter they contain has been explained in some preceding question, or is to be explained in some following question, or is clear enough in itself without explanation. The explanations of such questions or answers can be easily found by referring to the index.

QUESTIONS ON THE EXPLANATIONS

The Lord's Prayer

1. Who made the Lord's Prayer? 2. Why do we say "our" and not "my" Father? 3. Why do we call God "Father"? 4. What person of the Blessed Trinity is meant by "Father" in the Lord's Prayer? 5. Was God called "Father" before the time of Our Lord? Why? 6. Why do we say "Who art in Heaven," if God is everywhere? 7. What does "hallowed" mean? 8. What do we ask for by "Thy kingdom come"? 9. What does "Thy kingdom" mean here? 10. Who do God's will in Heaven? 11. What do we ask for by "our daily bread"? 12. Why do we say "daily"? 13. What do "trespasses" mean? 14. What do we mean by "as we forgive those who trespass against us"? 15. What example did Our Lord give? 16. What is temptation? 17. Does God tempt us to sin? 18. Is it a sin to be tempted? 19. Are there any tempters besides the devil? 20. Should we seek temptation? 21. What does "Amen" mean? 22. What does "Christian" mean? 23. What makes us Christian? 24. What does "doctrine" mean?

The Angelical Salutation

25. How many parts in the Hail Mary? 26. What part did the Angel Gabriel make? 27. When did he make it? 28. How did Mary know what the angel's words meant? 29. What part of the Hail Mary did St. Elizabeth make? 30. Who was St. Elizabeth's son? 31. Why is Mary called "blessed amongst women"? 32. What part of the Hail Mary did the Church make? 33. What does "hail" mean? 34. Why do we say "full of grace"? 35. Why is Mary called "holy"? 36. Why do we need Mary's prayer at the hour of death? 37. What is the Angelus? 38. What does "the Word" mean? 39. What does "made flesh" mean in the third part of the Angelus? 40. What is the Litany of the Blessed Virgin? 41. Are there other litanies besides the Litany of the Blessed Virgin?

The Apostles' Creed

42. What is a creed? 43. Who were the Apostles? 44. Were the Apostles bishops or priests? 45. How do you know? 46. Who were the disciples of Our Lord? 47. Why did the Apostles make the creed? 48. How many articles or parts in the Apostles' Creed? 49. What does "Creator" mean? 50. By what names is Our Lord called? 51. How many sons had God the Father? 52. Why do we say "died" instead of "was killed"? 53. Why do we say "He was buried"? 54. Is Limbo the same as Purgatory? Why? 55. Who were in Limbo at the time Our Lord was crucified? 56. Name some good men who lived before Christ. 57. Did Our Lord's body descend into Limbo? 58. Was Our Lord three full days in the holy sepulchre? 59. How can you prove they could not put Our Lord to death unless He permitted it? 60. Why do we say "right hand of God" when God has no hands? 61. What do you mean by "judge the living and the dead"? 62. Who are "the living"? 63. Who are "the dead" mentioned here? 64. What are ghosts? 65. Are there any? 66. What do you mean by the "Church Militant"? 67. Who are its members? 68. Who are the enemies of our salvation? 69. Why does the devil wish to keep us out of Heaven? 70. What do we mean when we say "the world" is one of our spiritual enemies? 71. Have all the saints their bodies in Heaven? 72. Who are in Heaven in their bodies at present? 73. What is meant by our "concupiscence"? 74. Which tempts us most to sin, our soul or our body? Why? 75. Why did God leave concupiscence in us? 76. What do we mean by "the Church Suffering"? 77. Who are its members? 78. Why are souls in Purgatory? 79. What do you mean by "the Church Triumphant"? 80. Who are its members? 81. Are there any saints in Heaven whose names we do not know? 82. Who are saints? 83. What is the difference between a saint and an angel? 84. Why does the Church canonize holy persons? 85. Does canonization make the person a saint? 86. How does the Church canonize a saint? 87. Explain the "communion of saints." 88. What is the difference between beatification and canonization? 89. How is the resurrection of the body possible? 90. What is death? 91. What does "life everlasting" mean? 92. How many fathers had Our Lord? Who were they? 93. How many mothers had He? 94. Of what religion was Pontius Pilate? 95. Are all in Heaven saints?

The Confiteor and Acts

96. In how many ways can we sin? 97. What should we think of when we say the Confiteor? 98. What is the substance of the "act of faith"? 99. Why do we find different acts of faith? 100. What is the substance of the "act of hope"? 101. What is the substance of the "act of love"? 102. Do an "act of love" and an "act of charity" mean the same? 103. How do you show that they are the same? 104. What makes us help others? 105. How may we be charitable to our neighbor? 106. What is the substance of the "act of contrition"? 107. What does "grace" at meals mean? 108. Why should we say grace at meals? 109. Why should we be content with our food? 110. Is the Apostles' Creed an act of faith? 111. Did John the Baptist institute the Sacrament of Baptism? 112. In giving Baptism, can one pour the water and another say the words?

CATECHISM

Lesson 1

113. What is a catechism? 114. What does our Catechism contain? 115. Why should we learn the Catechism? 116. What do we mean by the "end of man"? 117. For what end was man created? 118. In what respect are all men equal? 119. What is "woman"? 120. In the first question, what does "world" mean? 121. What is a creature? 122. Is every invisible thing a spirit? 123. Of what use is reason to us? 124. What makes man different from all other animals? 125. Have any brute animals reason? 126. How do you know brute animals have not reason? 127. Can we learn all truths by our reason alone? 128. What is revelation? 129. What is "free will" in man? 130. Have brute animals "free will"? 131. Why is it necessary for us to know God? 132. What does "worship" mean? 133. How do we know when we love God above all? 134. Does the Apostles' Creed contain all the truths we must believe? 135. Name some truths not mentioned in it. 136. Is a tree a creature?

Lesson 2

137. What is a spirit? 138. What does "infinite" mean? 139. Why does God watch over us? 140. Why is it necessary for God to watch over us? 141. Why must God be "just" as well as "merciful"?

Lesson 3

142. What does "supreme" mean? 143. When are two persons said to be equal? 144. From whom does authority come? 145. Is there any difference in the ages of God the Father and God the Son? 146. Do first, second, and third in the Blessed Trinity mean that one person was before the other? 147. Why must we believe mysteries? 148. Must we understand everything we believe?

Lesson 4

149. How may the things God created be classed? 150. Why did God create angels? 151. If angels have no bodies, how can they appear? 152. Are the angels all equal in dignity? 153. How many classes of angels are there? 154. What did the Archangel Michael do? 155. What did the Archangel Gabriel do? 156. Who gave the angels their names? 157. What are the duties of the angels? 158. What does our angel guardian do for us? 159. How do you know that the angels offer our prayers and good works to God? 160. Give a short history of Tobias. 161. What do we mean by "Jacob's ladder"? 162. Are there other guardian angels besides the guardian angels of persons? 163. Name some persons to whom angels appeared. 164. Were angels ever sent to punish men? 165. If God watches over us, why should angels guard us? 166. What was the devil's name before he was cast out of Heaven? 167. Why was he cast out? 168. Is the Blessed Virgin only a creature? Why?

Lesson 5

169. How did God create Eve? 170. What relation was Eve to Adam? 171. Were Adam and Eve created at the same time? 172. What was the "Garden of Paradise"? 173. How did Adam commit his first sin? 174. How was Eve tempted to disobey God? 175. In what way do we sometimes imitate Eve's conduct? 176. Why does the devil tempt us? 177. What were the effects of Adam's sin? 178. Why do we suffer for the sin of our first parents? 179. What did Adam lose by his sin? 180. What do you mean when you say Adam's will was weakened by sin? 181. Can we always overcome temptation if we wish? 182. Why was the Blessed Virgin preserved from Original Sin?

Lesson 6

183. How is sin divided? 184. In what ways can we commit actual sin? 185. What is a sin of omission? Give an example. 186. How is Heaven a reward? 187. How can we merit it? 188. Are all religions equally good? Why? 189. What do you mean by a person's "vocation"? 190. How are we to know our vocation? 191. How should parents act with regard to their children's vocation? 192. When is a soul said to be dead? 193. How can we judge whether a thing is sinful or not? 194. What is a material sin? 195. Why is it wrong to judge others guilty of sin? 196. Why does venial sin lessen the love of God in our hearts? 197. Why are pride, covetousness, etc., called "capital sins"? 198. What is meant by our "predominant" or "ruling" sin? 199. What is pride? 200. Why should we take care of our bodies? 201. What sins follow pride? 202. What is covetousness? 203. What sins follow covetousness? 204. What is lust? 205. What sins follow lust? 206. What is gluttony? 207. What kind of sin is drunkenness? 208. How can we commit gluttony by eating? 209. How can we commit gluttony by drinking? 210. What sins does the drunkard commit? 211. What three great sins should you always guard against? 212. Why are drunkenness, dishonesty, and impurity so dangerous? 213. What is envy? 214. How do we commit the sin of sloth? 215. How can we best destroy sin in our souls? 216. Should we cease striving to be good, if we seem to be making no improvement? Why?

Lesson 7

217. What does "incarnation" mean? 218. What does "redemption" mean? 219. Who are slaves? 220. How were we in slavery by the sin of Adam? 221. What price did Our Lord pay to redeem us? 222. Did Our Lord leave us any means of being redeemed more than once? 223. What does "abandon" mean? 224. Has Heaven really gates? 225. What are the "gates of Heaven"? 226. Is Our Lord now in Heaven as God or as man? 227. Who was Our Lord's foster-father? 228. What is a foster-father? 229. How many years from the time Adam sinned till the Redeemer came? 230. Why did God allow so long a time to pass before redeeming us? 231. What was the Deluge? 232. When and why did God send it? 233. Who were saved from the Deluge? How? 234. What animals did Noe have in the Ark? 235. What were the "clean animals"? Name some. 236. Why did he have more "clean" than "unclean" animals? 237. How long did Noe spend in making the Ark? 238. How old was Adam when he died? 239. Who was the oldest man? 240. What was his age? 241. How did the Deluge come upon the earth? 242. How long did the Ark float upon the waters? 243. How did Noe learn that the waters were going down? 244. What was the condition of men before the coming of Our Lord? 245. When and to whom did God promise the Redeemer? 246. What did the prophets foretell about Christ? 247. Why was the Redeemer not welcomed by all when He came? 248. What day of the year is Annunciation Day? 249. How could the good people of the Old Law be saved by the merits of Christ, when Christ was not yet born? 250. In what kind of a stable was Our Lord born? 251. Why did the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph go to Bethlehem before the birth of Our Lord? 252. Who were the Magi? 253. What brought them to Bethlehem? 254. Why did King Herod wish to find the Infant Jesus? 255. On what feast do we commemorate the adoration of the Magi? 256. At what time of the year is the Epiphany? 257. What is the feast of "Holy Innocents"? 258. When does it come? 259. Give a short history of Our Lord's life. 260. What do we mean by His "hidden life"? 261. What do we mean by His "public life"? 262. How old was Our Lord when He began His public life? 263. What do we know of Our Lord's hidden life? 264. Why did He lead a hidden life for so many years? 265. Does "mankind" mean men or women? 266. Had Our Lord any brothers or sisters? 267. What did the Angel Gabriel say at the Annunciation?

Lesson 8

268. What do you mean by Our Lord's "Passion"? 269. When did it begin and when did it end? 270. Give an account of Our Lord's Passion. 271. Where was Gethsemani or the Garden of Olives? 272. Who went into it with Our Lord? 273. What did Our Lord do in this garden? 274. What else happened there? 275. What caused Our Lord's sufferings in the garden? 276. Why could Christ's body suffer greater pain than ours? 277. What do we mean by the "agony in the garden"? 278. Who betrayed Our Lord? 279. How did the Jews act unjustly in the trial of Our Lord? 280. What was the "scourging at the pillar"? 281. What was the "crowning with thorns"? 282. What happened at the death of Our Lord? 283. Where was Calvary? 284. Why were no criminals put to death in Jerusalem? 285. How was the temple of Jerusalem divided? 286. What was the "Holy of Holies"? 287. What was the "Ark of the Covenant," and what did it contain? 288. Of what were the ark and its contents figures? 289. What was the veil of the temple? 290. Why was this veil rent asunder at the death of Our Lord? 291. What does Calvary mean? 292. Why was Our Lord crucified between thieves? 293. Why do we call one of these the "penitent thief"? 294. Why did Christ suffer more than was necessary? 295. What is a sepulchre? 296. How was Our Lord buried? 297. What did the Jews count the beginning and the end of their day? 298. Was the Jewish religion ever the true religion? 299. What is a miracle? 300. What does a miracle prove? 301. What miracles did Our Lord perform? 302. What was His greatest? 303. What are the qualities of a glorified body? 304. Show that Our Lord's body had all these qualities. 305. What was the "Transfiguration of Our Lord"? Describe it. 306. Who were present at it? 307. What happened on the way to Emmaus? 308. What benefit is derived from Thomas the Apostle doubting the resurrection of Our Lord? 309. Will all who rise on the last day have glorified bodies? 310. What does the "stigmata of Our Lord" mean? 311. Did anyone ever have it? 312. Was Our Lord visible to everyone during the forty days after His resurrection? 313. About how many times and to whom did He appear during the forty days? 314. Describe Our Lord's Ascension. 315. Did Christ always live at Bethlehem?

Lesson 9