* C 6 COURSE OF RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION Institute of the Brothers of the Christian ScJtools MANUAL OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE COMPRISING DOGMA, MORAL, AND WORSHIP A SEMINARY PROFESSOR AUTHORIZED ENGLISH VERSION SIXTH EDITION JOHN JOSEPH McVBT PHILADELPHIA, PA. 1906. ••IfSTON COLLEGE LIBRAS CfriEsrrriuT will. mass. s* IRibil ©bstat: REMY LAFORT, S. T. L., Censor Librorum. September 1st, 1902. flmprtmatur : ►i< PATRITIUS JOANNES. Arehiepiscopus Ph Uadelph iensis. September 11th, 1909. r 0 v S Copyright, 1902, JOHN JOS. McvUY. PREFACE. This book is intended as a manual of religious instruction not only in the Novitiates and Scholasticates of teaching Congregations, but also in the classes of High Schools, Academies, and Colleges. It is an abridgment/^ the three volumes of Dogma, Moral, and Worship respectively, that constitute the Intermediate Course of Religious Instruction. In it will be found the whole substance of these volumes without any sacrifice of clearness, precision, or method. The teacher will find in the Intermediate Course , not only the matter for that explanation and development which should always accompany the use of a text for students, but also synoptic tables for purposes of review. Yet this single volume is sufficiently complete to give the pupil that knowledge of religion, which, in the words of St. Paul, is according to doctrine : that he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine , and to convince the gainsay ers . New York, Feast of the Assumption, 1902 . TABLE OF CONTENTS, PAGE Preface, V11 Preliminary Notions, 1 Part I. Dogma ; or Truths to Believe. Introduction, 9 Sectton f . — 6ob tbe jFatber anb Creation. First Article of the Creed. Chapter I. — God, 12 Chapter II. — The Blessed Trinity, 19 Chapter III. — Creation, 22 Chapter IV. — The Angels, 25 Chapter V. — Man, 29 Chapter VI. — The Messiah Promised, 36 Chapter VII. — The Messiah Prepared for, 39 First Period : From Adam to Moses, 40 Second Period : From Moses to David, 45 Third Period : From David to the Babylonian Captivity, .... 52 Fourth Period: From the Babylonian Captivity to Jesus Christ, 55 Chapter VIII.— The Messiah Prefigured, 60 Chapter IX. — The Messiah Foretold, 63 Section If 0ob tbe Son anb tbe *Kebemption. Second Article of the Creed. Chapter X.— The Mystery of the Incarnation, 68 ix X TABLE OF CONTENTS. Third Article of the Creed. i Chapter XI. — The Blessed Virgin, 73 Chapter XII. — The Hidden Life and the Public Life of Jesus Christ, 80 Article I. — The Hidden Life of Our Lord, 80 Article II. — The Public Life of Our Lord 83 Fourth Article of the Creed. Chapter XIH.— The Redemption, 89 Article I. — History of the Redemption, . 89 Article II. — Mystery of the Redemption , 97 Fifth Article of the Creed. Chapter XIV. — Christ’s Descent into Hell. His Resur- rection, 100 Sixth Article of the Creed. Chapter XV. — The Ascension of Our Lord, 105 Seventh Article of the Creed. Chapter XVI. —The General Judgment, 107 Section f flf.— Cbe IbolE <5boet anb tbe TKaork of Sanctification. Eighth Article of the Creed. Chapter XVII. — The Holy Ghost, Ill Ninth Article of the Creed. Chapter XVIII. — The Church and the Communion of Saints, 115 Article I. — The Catholic Church 115 Article II. — The Communion of Saints, 133 Tenth Article of the Creed. Chapter XIX. —The Forgiveness of Sins, 136 Eleventh Article of the Creed. Chapter XX.— The Resurrection of the Body, 139 TABLE OF CONTENTS. XI Twelfth Article of the Creed. Chapter XXI. — Life Everlasting, 141 Part H. Moral, or Works to Perform. Introduction : Christian Moral, 150 Section I (Beneral principles ot d&oralits. Chapter I. — Human Acts, 152 Chapter II. — Conscience, 165 Chapter III. — The Moral Law, 170 Section If IDtrtue and Sin. Chapter IV. — Virtues in General, 181 Chapter V. — Faith, 184 Chapter VI. — Hope, 190 Chapter Vn. — C harity, 194 Article I. — Charity towards God 195 Article II. — Charity towards One's Self , ... 197 Article III. — Charity towards Our Neighbor 198 Chapter VIII. — The Moral Virtues, 204 Chapter IX. — Sin in General, 210 Chapter X. — The Capital Sins, 220 Chapter XI. — Temptation, 228 Section Iff.— Commandments ot (Bod and of tbe Cburcb. Chapter XII. — Commandments of God and of the Church in General, 233 Article I. — The Commandments of God 233 Article II. — The Commandments of the Church 235 hapter XIII. — First Commandment, 237 Article T. — What the First Commandment Enjoins 237 Xil TABLE OF CONTENTS. Article II. — What is Forbidden by the First Commandment, 244 Chapter XIV.— Second Commandment, 249 Chapter XV. — Third Commandment, 258 Chapter XVI.— Fourth Commandment, 268 Article I . — Duties of Inferiors to Superiors, 268 Article II . — Duties of Superiors to their Inferiors , 275 Article III . — Duties of Workmen and their Employers , .... 280 Chapter XVII . — Fifth Commandment, 281 Chapter XVIII . — Sixth and Ninth Commandments, 286 Chapter XIX. — Seventh and Tenth Commandments, 290 Article I. — Right of Property, 291 Article II. — Violation of the Right of Property , 294 Article III . — Reparation of Injustice, 298 Article IV. — Unjust Desire for the Propei'ty of Others , 301 Chapter XX. — Eighth Commandment, 302 Article I . — Respect due to Truth, 302 Article II . — Respect due to Reputation, 308 Article III . — Respect due to Honor, 312 Chapter XXI. — First Commandment of the Church, ... 314 Article I . — Direct Object of the First Commandment, 314 Article II . — Indirect Object of the First Commandment , .... 315 Chapter XXII. — Second Commandment of the Church, . . 317 Article I. — Fasting, 317 Article II. — Abstinence, 324 Chapter XXIII. — Third and Fourth Commandments of the Church, 327 Article I. — Third Commandment of the Church, 327 Article II . — Fourth Commandment of the Church, 328 Chapter XXIV.— Fifth and Sixth Commandments of the Church, 331 Article I . — Fifth Commandment of the Church, 332 Article II . — Sixth Commandment of the Church, 333 Section W .— Evangelical Counaela an& IBeatltuDea. Chapter XXV. — The Evangelical Counsels, 330 TABLE OP CONTENTS. xili Chapter XXVI. — The Religious State, 342 Chapter XXVII.- -The Evangelical Beatitudes, 348 Part III. Worship ; or Means of Sanctification. Introduction, 353 # preliminary Section.— (Brace. Chapter I — Grace in General, 355 Chapter II. — Actual Grace, 356 Chapter III. — Habitual Grace, 362 Section If.— prayer. Chapter IV. — Prater in General, 369 Chapter V. — Principal Formulas of Prayer, 380 Section HIT.— tTbe Sacraments. Chapter VI. — The Sacraments in General, 386 Chapter VII. — Baptism, 397 Chapter VIII. — Confirmation, 406 Chapter IX. — The Eucharist as a Sacrament, 415 Chapter X. — The Eucharist as a Sacrifice, 435 Chapter XI.— Penance, 443 Chapter XII. — Penance : The Acts of the Penitent,.. . 448 Article I. — Contrition , 448 Article II. — Confession, 459 Article III . — Satisfaction 467 Chapter XIII. — Extreme Unction, 474 Chapter XIV. — Holy Orders, 480 Chapter XV. — Matrimony, 488 Chapter XVI. — The Sacramentals, 499 Section HUH.— Gbe Xltur^y. Chapter XVII. —The Liturgy in General 503 Chapter XVIII. — Churches, 508 xiv TABLE OF CONTENTS. Chapter XIX. — Liturgical Objects, 512 Chapter XX. — Liturgical Vestments, 518 Chapter XXL —Ceremonies of the Mass, 523 Chapter XXII. — Offices of the Church, 532 Chapter XXIII. — Christian Feasts, 536 Chapter XXIV. — Feasts of the Most Blessed Virgin and the Saints, 551 Chapter XXV. — Devotions and Confraternities, 559 Article I. — Devotions 559 Article II. — Confraternities and Pious Associations, 564 MANUAL OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. PRELIMINARY NOTIONS. 1. The Christian. 1. What is a Christian ? A Christian is one who, by the grace of God, is baptized, and believes’ and professes the doctrine of Jesus Christ. 2. What does the word Christian mean? The word Christian means disciple of Christ. 3. Why do you say by the grace of God ? Because the dignity of Christian is a supernatural gift which God grants out of His pure bounty, and to which no man has any right. 4. Why do you say is baptized? Because it is baptism that confers on man the dignity of Christian. 5. What are the titles in which a Christian should glory? A Christian worthy of the name is : 1. An adopted son of God the Father ; 2. A brother and co-heir of the Son ; 3. A living temple of the Holy Ghost. 6. What are our duties as Christians? As Christians we have duties to God, to our neighbor, and to ourselves. 7. What are our duties to God? We are bound : 1. To love God the Father with a filial to' ophonias , Aggeus , Zacliarias , and Malachias . 32. What is the New Testament? The New Testament is the covenant which God has made with the whole human race, through the mediation of Jesus - TTw Son. It is to last to the end of time. CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. 5 33. How may the books of the New Testament be divided? The books of the New Testament, like those of the Old Testament, may be divided into historical , moral , and prophetical books. 34. Which are the historical books of the New Testament? They are : the four Gospels, written by St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John, and the Acts of the Apostles , written by St. Luke. 35. Which are the moral books of the New Testament? They are the Epistles of the Apostles. There are four- teen Epistles of St. Paul, one of St. James the Less, two of St. Peter, three of St. John, and one of St. Jude. 36. Which is the prophetical book of the New Testament? The Apocalypse of St. John. 37. What is necessary that a book may be regarded as one of the Sacred Books? The Church must have recognized it as inspired and in- scribed it in the Canon, or catalogue of Sacred Books. 38. How do we know that the Sacred Books were written under divine inspiration? We know it from the Church, which teaches with infal- lible authority. 39. Can reason prove the historical authority of the Sacred Books? Reason proves it much more conclusively than in the case of any other historical book whatever ; for it demon- strates their authenticity , their integrity , and their veracity. Thence we must conclude: 1. That the historical cer- tainty of the Sacred Books cannot be called in question ; 2. That since these books relate a great number of mira- cles and prophecies and thus attest the fact of divine reve- lation, we must believe that fact. 40. Is Holy Scripture the only source oi Christian doctrine? G PRELIMINARY NOTIONS. No, there is another source, and this is known as Tradi- tion. 41. What is Tradition? Tradition is the word of God not written in the Bible, but transmitted in unbroken succession, by word of mouth, from the Apostles to us. 42. Where are the teachings of Tradition contained? In the decrees of councils, the acts of the Holy See, the liturgical books, the works of Christian art, and the writ- ings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. 48. Why is Tradition of equal authority with Holy Scripture? It is of equal authority, because it is equally the word of God. 44. To whom does the interpretation of Holy Scripture and of Tradition belong? To the infallible teaching authority of the Church, the guardian of revealed truth . 45. Which are the errors against revelation? 1. Rationalism, deism, naturalism, and all the false systems which deny the existence and even the possibility of revelation ; 2. Protestantism and all the heresies which attack any one of the revealed truths. 46. What is the source of these errors? It is the criminal revolt of reason against the divine teaching ; a revolt which is the outcome of the pretended right of private judgment. Excellence of Christian Doctrine. 47. Why is Christian doctrine, or the science of religion, the most excellent of sciences? Because it is the most certain, the most beautiful, the most consoling, the most necessary, and the easiest of all sciences. 48. Why is the science of religion the most certain? CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. Because it is founded on the word of God, who is truth itself. 49. Why is the science of religion the most beautiful? Because its object is the most worthy of our admiration : God and His infinite perfections, the marvelous work of our redemption, the human soul and its glorious destiny. 50. Why is the science of religion the most consoling? Because it alone furnishes an efficacious remedy for moral evil, or sin, and gives man strength and resignation in his trials. 51. Why is the science of religion the most necessary of sciences? Because it instructs us as to our future destiny and our duties to God, our neighbor, and ourselves. 52. Why is the science of religion the easiest of sciences? Because the Church presents it in clear, brief, and pre- cise formulas, which the grace of God enables men of good will to understand. The Study of Christian Doctrine. 53. Why are we bound to study Christian doctrine? Because God has commanded us to do so. 54. Why is ignorance in matters of religion a great evil? Ignorance in matters of religion is a great evil, because it is the source of countless disorders and evils both to individuals and to society, and because it leads to eternal damnation. 55. When should we begin to study Christian doctrine? In childhood ; for, 1. Children that have attained the use of reason are bound to know, love, and serve God ; 2. Their simple and upright souls are naturally disposed to receive the truths of religion ; 3. The impressions and habits of early life are effaced with difficulty in later years. 8 PRELIMINARY NOTIONS. 56 . What should be our dispositions when we study Christian doctrine ? Love of wisdom, lowliness of mind, purity of heart, fidelity to God, and prayer. 57. What is the popular method of teaching Christian doctrine? It is the catechetical method. 58. What is the catechism? It is a familiar instruction on the Christian doctrine by means of question and answer.. Division of Christian Doctrine. 59. How may Christian doctrine be divided? Into three parts : dogma, moral, and worship. 60. What does dogma embrace? Dogma embraces the truths that we should believe. These truths are contained in brief in the Apostles’ Creed. 61. What does moral embrace? Moral comprehends the works that we should perform. They are made known to us in the Commandments of God and of the Church. 62. What does worship comprise? Worship comprises the means which Christ gives us to honor God and sanctify ourselves. These means are prayer and the sacraments, especially the holy sacrifice of the Mass ; for those are the ordinary channels of grace. (Part U. DOGMA ; OR TRUTHS TO BELIEVE. INTRODUCTION. THE CREED. 1. What is the meaning of the word Creed as used by Christians? A Creed is a brief formula of Christian doctrine. 2. What does the word creed signify in general? The word creed in general signifies belief. 3. Why is the Creed sometimes called the Symbol? 1. Because it is a summary, or collection, of truths to be believed called articles ; 2. Because it is the sign and dis- tinctive mark of the Christian, the countersign of the sol- dier of Jesus Christ. 4. How many creeds are there? There are four principal creeds : the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Creed of Constantinople, and the Athanasian Creed. 5. Which creed is most used? The Apostles’ Creed, so called because it is the briefest summary that we have of the doctrine taught by the Apos- tles. 6. Why was the Apostles’ Creed composed? 1. To give Christians an easy summary of the doctrine of Jesus Christ; 2. Because, as all Christians ought to have the same faith, so it was fitting that they should have the same formula to express it. 9 io INTRODUCTION. 7. Do the other Creeds express the same doctrine as the Apostles’ Creed? They express the same doctrine ; but some of the arti- cles are developed more fully in order to guard the faithful against new heresies or false interpretations. 8. How many articles are there in the Apostles’ Creed? There are twelve, as follows : 1. I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth ; 2. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord ; 3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary ; 4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried ; 5. He descended into hell, the third day He rose again from the dead ; 6. He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty ; 7. Thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. 8. I believe in the Holy Ghost ; 9. The holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints ; 10. The forgiveness of sins ; 1 1 . The resurrection of the body ; 12. And life everlasting. 9. How many kinds of truth are contained in the Creed ? Two kinds : truths of the natural order, and truths of the supernatural order. 10. What is meant by truths of the natural order ? Those which human reason, if well trained, can discover and demonstrate. For example : the existence of God, His providence, the immortality of the soul, the reward of the good and the punishment of the wicked in a future life. 11. What is meant by truths of the supernatural order ? THE CREED. 11 Those whose existence can be known only by revelation. For example : the holy Trinity, the Incarnation of the Son of God, the Redemption of man by His death on the cross, etc. 12. How may the twelve articles of the Creed be divided ? Into three groups : The first comprises the first article and treats of God the Father and the work of Creation. The second includes the following six articles, and treats of God the Son and the mystery of the Redemption. The third consists of the last five articles, and treats of God the Holy Ghost and the work of Sanctification. 13. What are a Christian’s duties to the Creed ? A Christian ought : 1. To know the Creed and to recite it often ; 2. To recite it with a lively faith in its truths, and in a spirit of prayer ; 3. When circumstances require it, to make exterior profession of the truths which it contains. i SECTION I. God the Father and Creation. FIRST ARTICLE OF THE CREED. I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator oJ heaven and earth . CHAPTER I. GOD. 1. Existence of God. 1. What is the first truth which the Creed teaches? The existence of God. £. What is God? God is a pure and infinitely perfect spirit, Creator of heaven and earth, and sovereign master of all things. 3. What is the meaning of the words : I believe in God f They mean : 1. I believe that there is a God. who is the beginning and the end of all things ; 2. I believe in God, that is, in all that He has revealed ; 3. I abandon myself lovingly to His protection, because He is goodness itself. 4. How do we know that God exists? We know it from revelation and by the light of reason. 5. How do we know it from revelation? We know it, because God Himself made known His ex- istence to man in the different revelations given to the race from the time of Adam to that of Christ. 6. How do we know it from reason? EXISTENCE OF GOD. 13 From the consideration of created things, reason can rise to certain knowledge of one only true God. Proofs of the Existence of God. 7. t From what sources does reason get the principal proofs of the existence of God? 1. From the existence of the world ; 2. From the motion which is manifest in the universe ; 3. From the order that reigns throughout its extent ; 4. From the existence of a moral law ; 5. From the fact that all nations believe there is a God. 8. How does the existence of the world prove the existence of God? Since the world has not always existed, it cannot exist of itself. Therefore it must depend for its existence on some other being. But this being must exist of himself ; and therefore he is God. 9. How does motion prove God’s existence? Every body that is in motion, and that cannot move of itself, must be moved by something else. Now, experience bears witness to the fact that matter, although essentially inert, is nevertheless in motion. Therefore, it demands something else to move it. This primary and universal mover of all matter is God. 10. How does the order which reigns in the universe, prove the existence of God? When we consider how simple, how lasting, and how wonderfully in harmony are the laws governing the uni- verse, we are forced to admit that they are under the con- trol of a being that is intelligent, wise, and powerful. By the aid of either of the previous arguments we see that this being is God. 11. How does the moral law prove the existence of God? All men feel that they are bound by a moral law' which 14 GOD. commands them to do certain things and forbids them to do others. Now, this law of which they are conscious, cannot be explained unless we admit the existence of a supreme and universal lawgiver, the secret witness and inevitable judge of all our actions. This lawgiver of man’s conscience, this witness and judge, is God. 12. How does the belief of all nations prove the existence of God? All men have always and everywhere acknowledged a divinity to whom they owe worship. Such a belief can- not be due to error ; nor even to any of the passions, for it is directly opposed to all of them. Therefore it is founded on reason and must have a real object, viz., the existence of God. 13. What should we conclude from these proofs of the existence of God? We should conclude that nothing can be explained with- out God", and that with God all is explained, since He is the first cause of all things. 14. What do we call those who deny the existence of God? They are known as atheists. 15. What is ordinarily the cause of atheism? When it is not due to affectation, atheism is caused by per- version of mind and sometimes also by corruption of heart. 16. What then are we to think of those would-be scientists who deny the existence of God? They are blinded in mind, and are void of true science. 2. Tlie Nature and Attributes of God. 17. What is meant by the nature or essence of a being? By the nature or essence of a being is meant that by which a thing is what it is, that without which it could not exist. « 18. Why can we not know the divine nature as it is in itself? THE NATURE AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD. 15 In this life we do not see God, and therefore we can know Him only from creatures. Even in heaven we shall not know Him adequately, because He is infinite in His essence and perfections, and our intelligence is always limited. 19. What is meant by the attributes of God? The attributes of God are the perfections that we attribute to Him as being proper to Him ; for this reason they are also called divine properties. 20. How may we divide the divine attributes? We may divide them into absolute attributes and rela- tive attributes. 21. What is meant by the absolute attributes of God? The absolute attributes are those that are predicated of God considered in Himself. 22. Which are the principal absolute attributes? Infinity, unity, simplicity, independence, immutability, eternity, intelligence, and will. 23. What is meant by the infinity of God? By the infinity of God is meant that attribute in virtue of which He is limited neither in His nature nor in His perfections. 24. What is meant by the unity of God? That attribute in virtue of which there is but one God, and there cannot be many gods. 25. What is meant by the simplicity or spirituality of God? That attribute by which God not only has no body, but also is absolutely free from every kind of composition of division. 26. Why does Scripture represent God as a venerable old man, and as having arms, eyes, and ears? It represents Him as an old man, to indicate His eternity; with arms, eyes, and ears, to indicate that He can do all things, that He sees all and hears all. 16 GOD. 27. What xS meant by the independence of God? That attribute by which He is sufficient for Himself, and has need of no other being ; for He is infinitely perfect and exists of Himself. 28. What is meant by the immutability of God? That attribute in virtue of which God is not subject to change. 29. What is meant by the eternity of God? That attribute by which God has neither beginning nor end, nor succession in His life. 30. What is meant by the relative attributes of God? The relative attributes are those that belong to God as * eator of the world. 3*. Which are the principal relative attributes? Holiness, justice, veracity, mercy, omnipresence, wisdom, goodness, and omnipotence. 32. What is meant by the holiness of God? The attribute in virtue of which He has infinite love for what is good and infinite hatred for what is evil. 33. What is meant by the justice of God ? That attribute in virtue of which God rewards the good and punishes the wicked. 34. What is the veracity of God? That attribute in virtue of which we are bound to believe God absolutely, since He can neither deceive nor be deceived. 35. What is the mercy of God ? That attribute in virtue of which He pities our miseries and generously pardons us when we repent. 36. What is the omnipresence of God ? Omnipresence, or ubiquity, is the attribute by which. God is everywhere. PROVIDENCE. 17 37. What is the wisdom of God? It is that attribute in virtue of which God always pro- noses to Himself ends worthy of His perfection, and takes *^e best means to realize those ends. 38. What is the goodness of God? It is that attribute by which God does good to His creatures. 39. What is meant by the omnipotence of God? That attribute by which God can do all possible things. 40. How are the power, wisdom, and goodness of God particu- v arly manifest? By Creation and by Providence. 3. Providence. 41. What is meant by the providence of God? The providence of God is the care that God takes of His creatures. 42. Does Holy Scripture often speak of the providence of God? There are few truths of which Scripture speaks more frequently than the love with which God watches over His creatures. 43. What does divine providence imply? It implies two acts : one consists i \\ foreseeing, in arrang- ing beforehand, the order or plan of creation ; the other consists in providing creatures with the means necessary to attain their end. 44. Does the providence of God extend to everything? It extends to everything: to the little as well as the great, to the blade of grass and to the worm of the earth as well as to men and angels. It is exercised in the natural order as well as in the order of grace. 45. What effects should belief in the providence of God produce in us? 18 GOT). This belief should encourage and console us ; for, in the midst of the trials and troubles of life, we know that we are in the hands of a Father who loves us, and whom we can invoke with confidence. 46. How should we conduct ourselves in regard to Providence? We should: 1. Humbly adore God’s will in our regard; 2. Trust in the providence of God for the care of both soul and body ; 3. Accept with submission the unavoidable evils of this life. 47. What objection is raised against divine Providence? The existence of evil, whether physical , as the evil of suffering, or moral , as sin and its consequences. 48. What do those say who consider evil an objection against divine Providence? They say that if God governs the world with wisdom, power, and goodness, it is utterly impossible to account for the existence of so much calamity, suffering, injustice, and crime in the world. 49. Why is this objection not well taken? 1 . Our knowledge is extremely limited, and it is the height of folly to attempt to pronounce judgment on the designs of God ; 2. God is not the author of evil, and out of evil He draws good ; 3. This present life is a time of probation, and there is another life, in which crime will be punished, and virtue rewarded. 5Q . Why is God not the author of evil? Because God is absolutely good, and therefore can be the cause of nothing but what is good. Evil comes from the essential imperfection of creatures, or from the malice of free agents such as man. 51. Why does God permit evil? God permits evil, whether physical or moral, because v His wisdom He knows how to turn evil to good. MYSTERIES IN GENERAL. 19 52. How does God turn physical evil to good? God turns physical evil to good by making it serve as an atonement for sin, as a remedy for vice, or as a trial of virtue, and consequently as a source of merit. 53. How does God turn the sin itself to good? 1. In tolerating evil doers and persecutors, God furnishes the just with occasions of practising heroic virtues; 2. In pardoning repentant sinners, He manifests His mercy and His clemency ; 3. In punishing impenitent sinners, He displays His eternal justice. CHAPTER II. THE BLESSED TRINITY. 1. Mysteries in General. 1. What is a mystery? A mystery in general is a truth which it h impossible for any creature to comprehend or demonstrate. 2. Are there mysteries? The existence of mysteries cannot be doubted. Every created intelligence is essentially imperfect; therefore there must be limits which it cannot pass, and consequently there must be truths which it neither knows nor comprehends. 3. Has not created nature likewise its mysteries? Yes, mysteries are found everywhere. No man, no matter how wise he may r be, knows anything perfectly, and he is entirely ignorant of the essence of many things. The transformation of food into his own substance, the union of soul and body, the communication of ideas by means of speech, are all so many mysteries. 4. What must we thence conclude? That if the world, which is finite, contains so many things 20 THE BLESSED TBLNITY. that are obscure to us, we should by no means be astonished at meeting with mysteries when there is question of God, who is infinite. 5. What is a mystery in religion? It is a truth revealed by God, which we must believe, although we can neither understand it nor demonstrate it. 6. Which are the principal mysteries of religiou? The mystery of the Blessed Trinity . the mystery of the Incarnation , and the mystery of the Redemption . 7. Which is the first and greatest of these three mysteries? The mystery of the Blessed Trinity, because it consti- tutes the very life of God, and is presupposed by the other two mysteries. 2. The Mystery of the Blessed Trinity. 8. What is the mystery of the Blessed Trinity? The mystery of the Blessed Trinity 7 is the mystery of one God in three distinct persons. 9. How do we know this mystery? We can know it only by divine revelation. 10. What does the word tHnity mean? The word trinity means three in one . 11. W hich are the three persons in the Blessed Trinity ? The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. 12. Is each of the three persons God? Yes ; the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. 18. Are the three divine persons three gods? No; they are not three gods, but one and the same God. 14. Why are they one and the same God? Because they have one and the same divine nature and substance. THE MYSTERY OF THE BLESSED TRINITY. 2 ) 15. Is any one of the three divine persons older, more powerful, or more perfect than the other two? No ; the three divine persons are equal in all things. “ Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost” 16. Are the three divine persons really distinct from one another? Yes ; “for there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost.” 17. How are they distinct from one another? They are distinct especially : 1. In personal properties ', 2. In the operations proper to each. 18. In what personal properties are they distinct from one another? The Father proceeds from no principle, hut is the prin- ciple of the other two persons : “ The Father is made of none ; neither created, nor begotten.” 2. The Son is be- gotten of the Father, and has no principle but the Father : “ The Son is from the Father, alone ; not made, nor created, but begotten.” The Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son as from one principle : “ The Holy Ghost is from the Father and the Son ; not made, nor created, not begotten, but proceeding.” 19. Which are the operations that distinguish thw divine per- sons? The generation of the Word and the procession of the Holy Ghost. From all eternity and through all eternity, the Father begets the Son, who is His TYord, His Wisdom, and the image, or figure, of His substance. From all eternity and through all eternity, the Father and the Son produce the Holy Ghost, who is the term of their mutual love. 20. Are the three divine persons also distinct in their external operations? CREATION. «2 No ; the three divine persons concur equally in these operations, although creation is ascribed to the Father, redemption to the Son, and sanctification to the Holy Ghost. Nevertheless, the redemption of the world is the personal work of the Son, in the sense that He alone became incar- nate and died for us. 21. Which of the divine persons have manifested themselves visibly? The Son became man to redeem us, and the Holy Ghost appeared under the form of a dove and under that of tongues of fire. 22. Is the mystery of the Holy Trinity contrary to reason? It is above reason, but not contrary to reason. 23. Is this mystery unintelligible? It is incomprehensible, but not unintelligible ; we can by analogy form an imperfect idea of it. CHAPTER III. CREATION. 1. The Fact of Creation. 1. What is creation? Creation is the act by which God makes out of nothing whatsoever beings He pleases. 2. To whom does the creative power belong? This power belongs to God alone, because its exercise demands infinite power. A creature cannot act unless it has something to act upon: a sculptor, for example, needs marble to make a statue. 3. Was God obliged to create? No ; being infinitely perfect and infinitely happy, He was absolutely sufficient for Himself, and had no need of THE WORE OF CREATION. 23 other beings. He was therefore free to create or not create. 4. Why, then, did God determine to create? To manifest His perfections by the blessings, which, in His goodness. He bestows on creatures. 5. How can the fact of the creation of the universe be known? It is attested by Holy Scripture, by the teaching of the Catholic Church, by the tradition of peoples, and by reason. 2. The Work of Creation. 6. What does Holy Scripture teach us concerning the creation of the world? As described in the book of Genesis, the work of creation may be divided into three phases, or periods, each com- prising certain days or epochs of indefinite duration. 7. What is the first phase? It is the creation, properly so called, of the elements of matter. It corresponds to the time preceding the first day of the Mosaic record. 8. What is the second phase? The separation of the elements that were mingled to- gether in chaos. It comprises the first three days. 9. What was the special work of each of these days? On the first day, God separated light from darkness ; on the second day, He made the firmament, and thus divided the waters under it from the waters above ; on the third day, He separated the waters under the firmament from the earth, which thenceforth produced all sorts of plant, each having power to reproduce itself by seed. 10. What is the third phase? It is that of the beautifying of the earth. It comprises the fourth, fifth, and sixth days. 11. What was the special work of each of these days? 24 CREATION. On the fourth day, God adorned the firmament by creating the stars ; on the fifth day, He gave new beauty to the air and the sea respectively, by creating birds and fish ; on the sixth, He adorned the earth by creating cattle, reptiles, and the beasts of the earth. Then God crowned His work by creating man and woman. 12. What did God do on the seventh day? On the seventh day God rested from all His workM. He blessed this day and sanctified it. 13. From whom have we received the account oi creation? From Moses, to whom God revealed it. 14. Has this account of creation been contradicted by the dis- coveries of modern science? By no means *, for geology assures us that living things made their appearance on our planet in the very order in- dicated by Genesis. Moreover, the progress made in science 1 has confirmed the details of the Mosaic record and given us a clear understanding of them. 3. The End of Creation. 15. What is the ultimate end of creation? The glory of God. Being infinitely wise, God couid not act for an end that would not be sovereignly good ; bin He alone is sovereignly good. As, then, everything comes from Him, so everything should return to Him. 16. What, then, is the divine nlan in this earthly creation? Irrational creatures are subject to man ; man is subject to the Man-God, the mediator between man and God ; the Man-God as man is subject to God, the last end of all things and the supreme good of man. 17. What is man’s duty in regard to creatures? 1. Not to place his happiness in them ; 2. To make use of them as means to rise to God ; 3. In all his actions to seek only the glory of the Creator. THE ANGELS IN GENERAL. 25 To make use of creatures in order to know, love, and serve God, is man’s proximate end ; to possess Him in His glory, is man’s ultimate end. CHAPTER IV. THE ANGELS. 1. The Angels in General. 1. How do we know that angels exist? We know it : from Holy Scripture ; from the teaching of the Church ; and from the belief of all peoples. 2. Does the name angel express angelic nature? The name angel, which means messenger, expresses the function, but not the nature, of the angel. 3. What is an angel? An angel is a pur^ spirit created by God to glorify Him and serve Him. 4. Why are angels often represented without a body, but with wings, and with the head of a child? They are represented : 1. Without a body, to show that they are pure spirits ; 2. With wings, to mark their agility and eagerness to execute God’s orders ; 3. With the head of a child, to express their innocence and perpetual youth. 5. Are angels more perfect than men? Angels, being more like to God, are more perfect than man, in intelligence, in will, and in power over matter. 6. In what state were the angels created? They were created in a state of innocence, and they were happy with all the happiness proper to their nature. 7. Were they always to remain in this state? 26 THE ANGELS. No, they were destined for supernatural happiness, which consists in seeing God face to face forever, and in the un- speakable joys of which this vision is the source. 8. In what did the trial of the angels consist? The trial of the angels consisted in humbling their in- telligence before the intelligence of God and in submitting their will to His. 9. Did all the angels come triumphant from their trial? No, Lucifer, one of the greatest of the angels, refused to obey God, and a great multitude followed him in his revolt. 2. The Good Angels. 10. Which are the good angels? The good angels are those who triumphed over their temptation and remained faithful to God. 11. How were they rewarded? They were rewarded with perfect happiness in heaven ; that is, with the happiness of seeing and possessing God without any fear of ever losing Him. 12. What worship do these angels give to God? Their life is a perpetual hymn of adoration, praise, and thanksgiving. 13. Is the number of the good angels known? Their number has not been revealed ; but, according to this passage of Daniel, it must be very great : Thousands of thousands ministered to Him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before ITim . 14. How are the good angels divided? They are divided into three hierarchies, each comprising three choirs. 15- What, then, are the nine choirs of angels? STON COLLEGE LIBrtWl PfitSTNUT HILL, MASS. THE GOOD ANGELS. 27 They are : the Seraphim, the Cherubim, and the Thrones ; the Dominations, the Virtues, and the Powers ; the Princi- palities, the Archangels, and the Angels. 16. Which angels are named in Jdoly Scripture? There are three : St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Ra- phael. 17. What connection have the angels with the world? They have continual relations with the world. They take part in the government of all nature, and they are the ministers of divine Providence. Guardian Angels. 18. What is a guardian angel? A guardian angel is one of the good angels whom God gives to every man to protect him. 19. How do we know that every man has a guardian angel? From Holy Scripture, from the teaching of the Church, from Christian tradition. 20. What good offices do these angels perforin? 1 . They protect our body, warding off the dangers that threaten us, and preserving us from a multitude of acci- dents ; 2. They prevent the devils from harming us ; 3. They suggest to us pious thoughts to encourage us to do good and shun evil ; 4. They offer our prayers to God, and join their prayers to ours ; 5. They console the souls in purgatory, and conduct them to heaven when they have fully expiated their faults. 21. What are our duties toward our guardian angel? St. Bernard says we should have : 1. Respect for his presence ; 2. Devotion, because of his solicitude for us ; 3. Confidence, because of the protection with which he surrounds us. 28 THE ANGELS. 3. The Bad. Angels. 22. To what angels do w^e apply the name of devils or bad angels? We apply it to those who followed Lucifer in his revolt against God. 23. Were the rebel angels numerous? It is supposed that a third of their number followed Lucifer, according to this passage of the Apocalypse : And his [the dragon’s] tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven. 24. Of what sin were these angels guilty when they rebelled against God? They were guilty of pride, for they refused to obey God. 25. How were the bad angels punished? 1. Their minds were blinded ; 2. Their wills were made obstinate in evil ; 3. They were shut out from heaven for- ever ; 4. They were condemned to the fire of hell. 26. Can the devils leave hell? With God’s permission, up to the day of judgment, they can go about in the air or on the earth, although they carry their punishment with them. 27. How do the devils act toward God? They curse and blaspheme Him, and strive to rob Him of the adoration of creatures. 28. Can the devils exercise power over nature? Since they have retained their natural strength of intel- ligence and will, they can exercise great power over nature, yet only so far as God permits. 29. How is this power manifested? By extraordinary prodigies, by false miracles, by false prophecies, by apparitions, etc., as attested by Holy Scripture and by the history of all times. — These marvel- CREATION OF MAN. 29 ous effects produced by devils are nevertheless easily dis- tinguished from works of God. 30. Why do devils use this power? To lead men astray, to make them apostles for the spread of deceit and error among their fellowmen, and to oppose the Church of Christ. 31. How does the devil constantly act toward men? Hating God and envying man, he neglects no means to injure men and drag them down to hell ; and therefore he makes use of temptations, obsessions, and possessions. 32. How does the devil tempt men? By disturbing their senses and their imagination, and by exciting all the evil passions of their hearts. 33. Can we overcome the devil? Yes, by the grace of God. 34. What means should we make use of to conquer the devil? Vigilance, prayer, and mortification. 35. Why does God permit the devil to tempt men? God permits this: 1 . To try the just, whose virtue is thereby purified, strengthened, and enriched with merits ; 2. To punish the wicked, who by their sins are made the wretched slaves of the devil both in this world and in the next ; 3. To torment the devil himself, whose fleeting victories are followed by defeats that fill him with shame and confusion. CHAPTER V. 1. Creation of Man. 1. What is man? Man is a rational creature composed of soul and body. 30 MAN. 2. Why did God create man? God created man to know Him, love Him, and serve Him, and thereby obtain life everlasting. 3. How did God create the first man? God formed the body of the first man from “ the slime of the earth ; and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul.” 4. What name was given to the first man? The first man was called Adam . The name signifies reddish earth , and calls to mind the humble origin of man’s body. 5. What distinguishes man’s body from that of mere animals? Man walks erect, his face looking toward heaven, whither his destiny calls him ; while the brute, made for man’s service, moves from place to place with its head inclined toward the earth. 6. What is man's soul? Man’s soul is a spiritual, free, and immortal substance, created for union with a body. It is made to the image and likeness of God. 7. Why is the soul called a spiritual substance? The human soul is called a spiritual substance, because it is an immaterial and simple substance, endowed with understanding and free-will, and capable of subsisting apart from the body. 8. Who deny the spirituality of the soul? Materialists deny it and pretend that nothing exists but matter. 9. What is to be thought of materialism? It is an absurd and degrading doctrine, equally repug- nant to good sense and to conscience. 10. Why is the human soul said to be free? CREATION OF WOMAN. 31 The soul is free , because it has the power of choosing one or the other of two possible things. 11. What is meant by calling the soul immortal? The human soul is called immortal, because it will never cease to live. 12. Who deny the immortality of the soul? Atheists, materialists, and all those who have an interest in believing that they are not superior to brutes. 13. Have all philosophers worthy of the name admitted the spirituality, liberty, aud immortality of the soul? Yes, all. These great truths, revealed in Scripture, proved by reason, and admitted by all peoples, have been denied by none but corrupt and corrupting men. 14. What relations exist between the human soul and the body? The soul imparts motion, life, and feeling to the body, and the body animated by the soul completes human nature. Man , then, results from the union of soul and body. 2. Creation of Woman. 15. Under what circumstances did God create the first woman? God said, “ It is not good for man to be alone : let us make him a help like unto himself.” Then casting a deep sleep upon Adam, He took from him a rib out of which He formed the body of the first woman. 16. What is the name of the first woman? Adam gave her the name of Eve, which signifies mother of the living . 17. Why was the body of Eve formed from Adam’s substance? Because in the divine plan, the first man was to be the principle or source of the human race, and because woman was to be subject to man. 18. By whom was the union between Adam aud Eve blessed? 32 MAN. By God Himself when He said : Increase and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it. i 19. Is it of faith that the whole human race has the same origin? The unity of the human species is a truth of faith, which true science fully confirms. The differences in color of skin and shape of skull are neither permanent nor essen- tial ; a fact which is acknowledged by all scientists worthy of the name. 20. Who deny that man was created by God? It is denied by Darwinists, who without a shadow of reason, and from prejudice against the Bible, maintain that man is a perfected ape. 3. Primitive State of Our First Parents. 21. In what state were Adam and Eve constituted? They were constituted in the state of justice and holi- ness ; that is to say, in the possession of sanctifying grace. With this state were associated the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity ; the moral virtues, and the gifts of the Holy Ghost. 22. What benefits did this state confer upon them? It made them just, holy, and pleasing to God ; they were His adopted children and heirs of heaven, which they were capable of meriting by their good works. 23. Was this state natural or supernatural? It was supernatural , because created nature could not of its own power attain to it, nor did the act of creation give man any right to this state. 24. What gifts did God add to these supernatural blessings? He added certain extraordinary privileges beyond the perfection required by mere human nature. These gifts preserved the integrity of man’s nature. 25. What were these gifts? THE TEMPTATION AND THE FALL. 33 The gifts bestowed on the soul of man were : science and the subjection of the passions to reason ; those conferred on the body were : incorruptibility and immortality, i. e. y exemption from sickness and death. 26. Had Adam and Eve received these gifts for themselves alone? They had received them for themselves and for their de- scendants. 27. How great was the happiness of our first parents? Endowed with ail the gifts of nature and grace, they passed their life in the pure joys of innocence, in conversa- tion with God, and in the contemplation of the wonders of the universe. 4. The Temptation and the Fall. 28. Where did God place Adam, after creating him? God placed him in a delightful garden, called Eden or the terrestrial paradise. 29. What prohibition did God make to Adam? He forbade him to touch the fruit of the tree of knowl- edge of good and evil : “ In what day soever thou shalt eat of it,” said the Lord, “thou shalt die the death . ” 30. Why did God make this prohibition? To try Adam, as He had tried the angels, and to enable him, by obedience, to merit the happiness of heaven. 31. Did our first parents heed this prohibition? No ; instigated by the devil, they disobeyed God. 32. What form did the devil assume to lead our first parents in- to sin? He took the form of a serpent, the most subtle of all animals. 33. How did he induce Adam and Eve to disobey? He addressed himself to Eve, the weaker of the two, when 84 MAN. she was withdrawn from Adam. He persuaded her that, if Adam and she would eat of the forbidden fruit, they not only would not die, but would even become like God, knowing good and evil. Carried away by these deceitful words, Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, and gave some of it to Adam. And to please her, he ate ofdt also. 34. What was the nature of Adam and Eve’s sin? Their ein was, like that of Lucifer and his angels, a sin of pride. 35. Was their sin very grievous? Their sin was very grievous, as appears : 1. From God's prohibition and menace ; 2. From the manifold character of the sin. For it contained : disobedience, unbelief, pride, curiosity, sensuality; 3. From its lamentable consequences; 4. From the reparation which it exacted of Christ. 5. The Punishment. 36. What were the effects of this sin upon Adam and Eve? They were deprived: 1. Of sanctifying grace and the right to the happiness of heaven ; 2. Of all the extraordi- nary privileges of which sanctifying grace was the source ; in other words, they were thenceforth subject to igno- rance, concupiscence, suffering, and death. 37. Did Adam and Eve recognize their fault? Immediately after their sin, when their senses began to rebel against reason, they were seized with dread, and they hid themselves. Soon after, when called to account by God, Adam laid the blame on Eve, and she in return placed it on the serpent. 38. How did God punish the culprits? 1. He cursed the serpent and condemned him to crawl upon the earth ; in the serpent He cursed the tempter, and announced to him that a woman would crush his head ; 2. THE PUNISHMENT 35 He made the dominion of her husband weigh heavily up- on woman, and condemned her to bring forth her children in sorrow ; 3. He condemned man to eat bread in the sweat of his brow and to return to the earth whence he had been formed. Then He drove both Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden. 39. How has the sin of Adam and Eve affected the rest of man- kind ? All are born enemies of God, because, by the sin of their first parent, they are deprived of the gifts that God had granted mankind. 40. What name is given to this state of privation? It is called the state of original sin . 41. What then is original sin? Original sin is the sin that we have all contracted by Adam’s disobedience. 42. Why is this sin called original? Because it is a sin in which we are born, a sin of origin, nature, race, and family. It is transmitted by generation from Adam to all his posterity, just as an impure source infects all the waters flowing from it. 43. How do we know that original sin really exists ? 1. From Holy Scripture ; 2. From the teaching of the Church, the infallible interpreter of Holy Scripture ; 3 From the traditions of various peoples. 44. Have all the children of Adam contracted original sin through his disobedience? Yes, all except the Blessed Virgin Mary, who, by a special privilege of God, in view of the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ, whose Mother she is, has been wholly preserved from original sin. 45. Has original sin remained without remedy? No ; for immediately after the fall, God promised man a 36 THE MESSIAH PKOMISED. Redeemer, by whose merits he could recover sanctifying grace. CHAPTER YI . THE MESSIAH PKOMISED. 1. God’s Mercy to Mail after the Fall. 1. Did God abandon man after the fall? No ; His love for man inspired Him with a means of reconciling His mercy with Ilis justice. 2. How did God thus reconcile the rights of His justice with those of His mercy? By preparing in the infinite merits of the promised Re- deemer a satisfaction equal to the offense; 3. Why did God promise a Redeemer to man immediately after his sin? 1. To console him in his remorse for his sin, by exciting him to hope for pardon ; 2. To give him a means of salva- tion in the merits of the promised Redeemer ; 3. To renew the supernatural bond of love which once united man to God, and which sin had destroyed. 4. What do we call this supernatural bond of love that unites man to God? We call it religion . Religion. 5. What then is religion? Religion is the sum of man’s relations with God. 6. Under how many aspects may we view man’s relations with God? W e may view them from the standpoint of either reason or faith i. e. % in the natural or in the supernatural order. god t s mercy to man after the fall. 37 Thence comes the distinction between natural and super- natural religion. 7. What is natural religion? Natural religion is the sum of those truths and precepts concerning man’s relations with God, which human reason is capable of discovering and demonstrating ; for example, the existence of God, Ilis providence, the obligation of paying to God an interior and exterior worship of love and obedi- ence, the spirituality and immortality of the soul, the re- ward of the good and the punishment of the wicked in a future life. 8. Is natural religion sufficient for man? No ; since God has deigned to make a revelation to him, man is obliged to believe the divine word, i. e ., to profess supernatural religion. 9. What is supernatural religion? Supernatural religion is the sum of the truths which God has revealed in extraordinary ways, and of the positive commands which He has imposed on man ; for example, the mysteries of the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation, and the Redemption, and also the observance of the Lord’s Day, the sacrifices of the old law, the reception of sacraments in the new law, etc. 10. Was the religion that God gave to man in the beginning complete and final? No ; like all the divine works, it was developed by de- grees. It has passed through three periods or phases, known respectively as the pat riarc hal religion, the Mosaic religion, and the Christian religion. The first extends from the creation of man to Moses ; the second, to the time of Jesus Christ ; the third will last to the end of the world. 11. Must we regard these phases as three religions? No, they are the same religion, successively developed 38 THE MESSIAH PROMISED. and perfected. In all of them “ the same God has always been acknowledged as Author, and the same Christ as Saviour Whether expected or given, Christ has in all times been the consolation and the hope of the children of God.” We may therefore say in all truth that Christianity goes back to the cradle of the human race. The divine plan has varied only in its manifestations ; it is always the same in substance. 12. What is the central figure in the divine plan? It is our Lord Jesus Christ. Before His coming He was promised, prepared for by various events, and prefigured by persons and things. Moreover, the principal features of His life were outlined by inspired writers. Placed between the two Testaments, Christ is the centre to which all the long ages preceding His coming as Re- deemer converge, and whence all the ages that will precede His coming as Judge take their beginning. 18. Why does Christ hold so prominent a place in the history of mankind? Because, from every point of view, He is first: 1. It is by Him, as the eternal Word of the Father, that all things have been made, and in Him and by Him that all things subsist ; 2. As God made man, He is the head of the Church, which began with the world and will continue to the end of time ; 3. As Redeemer, He is the source of all grace for fallen humanity. 2. Promises of tlie Messiah. 14. What does the word Messiah mean? The word Messiah is the Hebrew word for Christ ; it means anointed , consecrated . 15. To whom was the Messiah promised? The Messiah was promised: 1. To Adam, the father of PROMISES OF THE MESSIAH. 39 me human race. When God cursed the serpent that had tempted Adam, He said : I will put enmities between thee and the zooman, and thy seed and her seed ; she shall crush thy head. 2. To Sem, son of Noe : Blessed be the Lord God of Sem! 3. To Abraham, the father of God’s chosen people : In thee shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 4. To Isaac, his son : In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. 5. To Jacob, grandson of Abraham : In thee and thy seed shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed. 6. To Juda, the head of the tribe of which the Messiah was to be born : The scepter shall not be taken away from Juda , nor a ruler from his thigh , till He come that is to be sent ; and He shall be the expectation of nations. 7. To Moses, the leader of the Hebrew people: The Lord thy God will raise up to thee a prophet of thy nation and of thy brethren like unto me; Him thou shalt hear. 8. To David, the head of the family of which the Messiah was to be born : And when thy days shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers , I will raise up thy seed after thee , which shall proceed out of thy boioels : and 1 will establish His kingdom. He shall build a house to My name; and I will establish the throne of His kingdom for ever. I will be to Him a father, and He shall be to Me a son. — The Messiah is, therefore, to be Son of David and Son of God. CHAPTER VII. THE MESSIAH PREPARED FOR. 1. Why did God wait so many centuries before sending the Messiah? 40 THE MESSIAH PREPARED FOR. 1. That man, by a long experience of his wretchedness, might be humbled in pride, and thus brought to recognize the need of a liberator ; 2. To prepare for the coming of the Messiah by a series of marvelous events destined to prove His divine mission. 2. Was this delay in the coming of the Messiah an obstacle to the salvation of those who lived before him? No, for the efficacy of the Redemption reaches to all mankind, past, present, and to come. 3. How may the history of providential preparation for the Messiah be divided? It may be divided into four periods: 1. From Adam to Moses; 2. From Moses to David; 3. From David to the captivity of Babylon; 4. From the captivity of Babylon to the birth of Christ. , y 1.— FIRST PERIOD: FROM ADAM TO MOSES. From Adam to Noe. 4. What was Adam’s role in the primitive religion? Adam, after repenting and being freed from sin by God, transmitted to his children the revelation that he had re- ceived in the earthly paradise, and in particular taught them faith in the Redeemer as the corner-stone of religion. It is in this way that we explain the belief of all peoples in a Liberator. 5. What worship did Cain and Abel offer to God? They offered Him sacrifice. 6. Did God accept their sacrifices? He accepted those of Abel, who, enlightened by faith, offered to God the best that he had; but He rejected those of Cain, who, blinded by cupidity, offered only the worst. 7. What feelings did this preference arouse in Cain? It aroused feelings of intense hatred, which, in spite of FliOAl ADAM TO MOSES. 41 the warnings of God, led him on to the murder of his brother. 8. How did God console Adam for the loss of Abel? He gave him another son Seth, who, like Abel, was just and pious. The descendants of Seth were called children of God , in opposition to the wicked, whom Holy Scripture calls children of men. 9. Who were the descendants of Seth down to the Deluge? Seth’s descendants were: Enos, Cainan, Malaleel, Jared, Henoch, Mathusala, and Lamech, father of Noe. 10. What peculiar feature marks the lives of the patriarchs before the Deluge? An extraordinary longevity, which is confirmed by the tradition of all ancient peoples. 11. Why did God allow men to live so long? To enable the human race to multiply, and, in partic- ular, to preserve revealed truth. 12. Did the descendants of Seth remain long faithful to God! The children of God soon became perverted, by inter' marriage with the children of men. 13. What did God do to lead men back to their duty? Through Henoch He foretold that they would be pun- ished severely if they would not be converted. 14. Were they converted? The evil only increased, and the corruption became uni- versal. Men went to the extremes of malice. 15. What did God resolve to do in consequence of this perversit}’? He resolved to destroy both man and beast from the face of the earth. Noe, son of Lamech and grandson of Mathusala, found grace before God, because he was just and perfect in the midst of this general corruption,, 42 THE MESSIAH PREPARED FOR. From Noe to Abraham. 16. How did God execute His decree of destruction ? He caused torrents of rain to fall from heaven for forty days ; the earth was covered with water, and all men perished except those that were in the ark. 17. t)id the waters of the flood cover the whole earth? Many commentators say that they covered only the inhabited portions of the earth, and destroyed only the animals known to Noe and Moses. 18. How was Noe saved ? He took refuge in an ark which he himself had built by the command of God. With him were his whole family and also seven pairs of clean animals and two of unclean animals, for replenishing the earth. 19. What did Noe do on leaving the ark? He raised an altar to the Lord ; and taking of all the clean quadrupeds and birds, he offered them as a holocaust on the altar. 20. What prohibition and what promise did God then make? He forbade the eating of the flesh of animals with the : blood, and He promised not to destroy the world again b; a new deluge. Moreover, He gave the rainbow as a sign of this covenant with mankind. 21. What was Noe’s role in the primitive religion? Like Adam, Noe transmitted to his children the dogmas and precepts revealed by God, and taught them to believe in a Redeemer to come. 22. With what foolish undertaking did pride inspire the descen- dants of Noe? With the building of a city and a tower to make their names immortal and to rescue them from any future deluge. 23 How did God confound their pride? FROM ADAM TO MOSES. 43 By confusing their language : hence men had to separate and form different nations, each speaking a different lan- guage. The unfinished tower received the name of Tower of Babel, or confusion. 24. Did the primitive religion remain long unchanged? No ; it was soon changed, and gave place to idolatry. 25. What did the Lord determine to do at sight of this univer- sal shipwreck of the faith? He determined to form a people to receive the truths originally revealed and to prepare for the Messiah by spreading the light of truth in the midst of pagan nations. From Abraham to Moses. 26. Whom did God choose to be the father of His people? He chose Abraham, a just man, of the race of Sem, born at Ur, in Chaldea. Among his ancestors was Jleber, whence, according to some, is derived the name of Hebrews , given to his descendants. 27. What did God promise him? God promised : 1 . That the land of Chanaan would be given to his posterity ; 2. That all nations would be blessed in the Messiah born of his race. 28. What was the sign of God’s covenant with Abraham? It was circumcision. 29. How did Abraham respond to the call of God? By the most admirable faith and the most perfect obe- dience. 30. With what special protection were Isaac and Jacob favored? As heirs of the promises made by God to their father, Abraham, Isaac and Jacobwere like him enlightened, guided, and protected by the supernatural action of God, who, in Holy Scripture, is often called the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. '44 THE MESSIAH PREPARED FOR. 31. How many sons had Jacob? Jacob had twelve sons, who were the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. They were : Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda, Issacliar, Zabulon, Dan, Nephtali, Gad, Aser, Joseph, and Benjamin. 32. In what land did the Israelites sojourn before taking pos- session of the land of Chanaan? They sojourned about two hundred years in Egypt, where Jacob had retired with his family after learning that his son Joseph was there acting as prime minister. 33. What remarkable prediction about the Messiah did Jai ob make before his death? After blessing each of his children and announcing to him his future destiny, Jacob foretold to Juda that from his tribe would come the Desired of nations. 34. What holy patriarch lived in Arabia during the sojourn of the Israelites in Egypt? The holy patriarch Job, a descendant of Esau. lie was a just and God-fearing man. 35. For what is Job especially remarkable? For his heroic patience under the frightful evils inflicted on him by Satan, with God’s permission. 30. Whence did he derive this heroic patience? From his faith and hope in the Redeemer and in a glorious resurrection. The Patriarchal Religion. 37. What is meant by the patriarchal religion? By the patriarchal or primitive religion is meant that which was practised by the adorers of the true God before the time of Moses. 38. What were the dogmas of the patriarchal religion? The principal were : the existence of only one God, FROM MOSES TO DAVID. 45 Creator of all things whether visible or invisible ; the existence of the good and of the bad angels ; the immor- tality of the soul ; a supernatural destiny ; the fail of the first man, and original sin ; and especially, hope in a Redeemer to come. 39. What was the moral code of the primitive religion? The moral code of the primitive religion comprised: 1. The natural law, formulated later in the Ten Command- ments ; 2 . The duty of worshipping God by the supernat- ural virtues of faith, hope, and charity ; 3. Some positive precepts relative to worship, such as the sacrifices offered as figures of the redemption, the sanctification of the seventh day, etc. 40. In what did the worship of the primitive religion consist? In prayer and sacrifice. The sacrifices were offered on altars. Besides altars, the patriarchs were accustomed to set up stones for monuments in places in which they had been favored with heavenly visions, and to consecrate them with oil. 41. Who were the priests of the primitive religion? They were the heads of families or the eldest in the fam- ilies. It was also their duty to preserve the Jewish religion and to teach it to their children. 42. How could original sin be effaced in the primitive religion ? In children and adults, it was effaced by some sign of faith, at least implicit, in the Redeemer to come. 43. How was the pardon of actual sins obtained? By repentance. 2. SECOND PERIOD : FROM MOSES TO DAVID. The Mission of Moses. 44. What became of the chosen people after the death of Joseph? They multiplied prodigiously. In consequence their very 46 THE MESSIAH PREPARED FOR. existence was soon menaced by an order from Pliarao to cast all their male children into the Nile. 45. Of whom did God make use to deliver His people? He made use of Moses, whom He chose from a family of the tribe of Levi, a tribe that was deeply attached to the ancestral faith. 46. Where did Moses receive the mission to deliver God’s peo- ple? At the foot of Mt. Horeb, in the country of Madian. There lie had taken refuge after killing an Egyptian who had maltreated a Hebrew. 47. How did God confirm Moses in his mission?' By working miracles before his eyes and by clothing him with His own power. 48. By what miracles did God draw His people out of bondage? By the ten plagues of Egypt and by the passage of the Red Sea. 49. By what miracles did God preserve His people in the desert ? 1. By the manna, which fell from heaven every morning, except the Sabbath, and which nourished the people for forty years ; 2. By the streams of living water which gushed forth from the rock of Iloreb ; 3. By preserving their clothes during their journey in the desert ; 4. By the victory which Josue gained miraculously over the Amale- cites, while Moses was praying on the mountain ; 5. By the cloud which guided all their movements, giving them shade during the day and light during the night. 50. What return did the Hebrew people make for these bless- ings ? They were extremely ungrateful ; they gave way to mur- murs, to revolt, and idolatry. 51. How were the guilty ones punished? 1. Of the murmurers great numbers perished by fire, or FROM MOSES TO DAVID. 47 'pestilence, or by the stinging bite of venomous serpents ; others, of twenty years and over, were condemned to die in the desert without ever seeing the Promised Land. 2. Of those who revolted , Core, Dathan, and Abiron, with their wives and children, were swallowed up alive in a fissure which suddenly opened in the earth, and two hun- dred and fifty of their followers were destroyed by fire from heaven. 3. Most of the idolaters perished by the sword. 52. What was the principal event by which God formed and constituted His people? The promulgation of the Law on Mt. Sinai in the midst of thunder and lightning ; for it was a law of fear. The Mosaic Law 53. What is that law called which God gave to His people through the ministry of Moses? It is called the written law , to distinguish it from the natural law , which God has engraven on the heart of man. 54. How many parts does the Mosaic law contain? Two. The first repeats the primitive articles of belief, and contains the Decalogue ; it is perpetual, universal, and common to the patriarchal, the Mosaic, and the Christian religion. The second, which was both religious and social, was temporary, local, and peculiar to the Israelites. 55. What was the object of the religious legislation contained in the second part? The worship of God. Its precepts concerned : 1. The sanctuary and its ministers ; 2. The sacrifices, the sabbath, and the festivals ; 3. Certain personal religious acts. 56. What was used as the Hebrew sanctuary before the temple was built? The tabernacle or portable tent. There was but one, in order that the unity of God might thus be represented. 48 THE MESSIAH PREPARED FOR. It was divided into two parts : the Holy, or Sanctuary properly so called, and the Holy of holies. In the Holy were placed the altar of perfumes, the seven-branched candlestick, and the table containing the twelve loaves of proposition. In the Holy of holies was the ark of the covenant. Round about the tabernacle was the entrance of the tabernacle, a sort of close.d court ; here the sacrifices were offered, and here the people assembled. In this court was the altar of holocausts, and near the altar was the brazen laver, a large vessel filled with water for the use of priests. 57. What was the ark of the covenant? The ark of the covenant was a chest of precious wood, containing the two tables of the law, the summary of the conditions of God’s convenant with His people. It con- tained also a vase of manna from the desert and the rod of Aaron. 58. How were the ministers of worship divided? Into priests and levites. The priests were charged with the offering of sacrifices, and the levites were the ministers of the priests. Both belonged to the tribe of Levi. 59. How many kinds of sacrifice were there? Two principal kinds : bloody sacrifices, which consisted in the immolation of certain animals ; and unbloody sacri- fices, which consisted in the oblation of some inanimate object. 60. Why were these sacrifices instituted ? They were instituted : 1 . To pay to God the external wor- ship due Him ; 2. To turn the people away from idolatry ; 3. To prefigure the one great sacrifice, the redemption of the human race by Jesus Christ. 61. In what did the celebration of the Sabbath or Saturday consist ? It consisted ; 1, In resting from all servile work ; 2. In FROM MOSES TO DAVID. 49 offering a special holocaust between that of the morning and that of the evening. Moreover, every seventh year the He- brews observed as the sabbatic year, and every fiftieth year as the year of jubilee. 62. Which were the principal feasts? There were four principal feasts, viz . 1. The Pasch, which commemorated the deliverance of the Hebrews, after the destroying angel, in his passage through the land, had struck down all the first born of the Egyptians ; 2. The feast of Pentecost, which was insti- tuted to commemorate the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai ; 3. The feast of Tabernacles, or Tents, which was celebrated in autumn, under tents made of branches and leaves of trees, to commemorate the journeying of the Israelites in the desert ; 4. The feast of Atonement, which was celebrated in fasting and penance five days before the feast of Taber- nacles. 63. What were the other religious precepts of the Mosaic law? Those that concerned : circumcision, the offering of the firstborn, abstinence from certain kinds of food, purification from legal impurities, the pronouncing of vows and the taking of oaths. 64. What was the purpose of the social legislation contained in the Mosaic law? It was to constitute the Jewish people a body politic. 65. What did it comprise? It comprised political law, civil law, military law, and penal law. 66. Who was the supreme head of the nation? God Himself. First judges and then kings were chosen by Him to govern according to His orders. 67. What should we admire in the Mosaic law? In its religious legislation, we should admire the sublimity 50 THE MESSIAH PREPARED FOR. of its dogmas, the purity of its morals, and the holiness of its worship. In its political, civil, military, and penal legislation, we should admire the wisdom, moderation, and justice of the laws, and their perfect consonance with the time, place, climate, inclinations, and needs of the people for whom they were made. 68. Can we explain this legislation as due to purely human means . No, for living as he did live, in the darkness of idolatry . Moses could not without divine inspiration produce a single' element of that marvelous collection of laws. 69. What was the* end for which the Mosaic law was given? To prepare the way for a more perfect law, less burdened with ceremony and more fruitful in virtue. Josue and the Judges. 70. Who succeeded Moses as leader of the Israelites? Josue, whose mission was sanctioned by striking miracles, and who led the chosen people into the Promised Land. 71. What were these miracles? 1. The Jordan checked its course to allow the people to pass; 2. The walls of Jericho, which Has the key to the land of Clianaan, fell down of themsel/es ; 3. At the battle of Maceda, the sun stood still at the word of Josue, to allow him to rout the enemy completely. 72. What did Josue do after conquering the land of Chanaan? He divided it among the twelve tribes of Israel. 73. What did he do before dyiug? He assembled the Israelites, solemnly renewed the cove nant of the nation with God, and foretold to them that they would be blessed or cursed, victorious over their enemies or oppressed by them, according as they would remain faith' ful to the law, or fall away from its observance. FROM MOSES TO DAVID. 51 74. Did the people of Israel remain faithful to the law of God* They remained faithful during the lifetime of those who had seen the miracles wrought by God ; but afterward they fell many times into idolatry. 75. How did God treat them? He punished them with slavery as often as they fell into idolatry, and He delivered them when they repented. 76. What name was given to the liberators of the Israelites? They were called judges. Their mission was military in character, and consisted in freeing the people from the oppression of their enemies. 77. Who were the most remarkable judges? Gedeon , who, with three hundred soldiers, defeated the Madianites ; Jephte , who triumphed over the Ammonites, and who has acquired a mournful celebrity from his rash vow ; Samson , the terror of the Philistines and the possessor of prodigious strength ; Hell , who for his negligence in correcting his children, was punished by a tragic death and by the capture of the ark by the Philistines ; and Samuel , who, after banishing idolatry from ail the tribes, established peace among them, and was a constant model of piety and fidelity. 78. What episode do we find in the history of the Jewish people of this period? The episode of Ruth, the Moabite, who, by her virtues, merited to become the spouse of Booz, one of David’s ancestors, and thus to figure in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. The Kings. 79. Who was the first king of the chosen people? Saul, of the tribe of Levi. By the order of God, he was anointed king by Samuel. 80. Did Saul prove worthy of the choice of God? 52 THE MESSIAH PREPARED FOR. No, for he soon strove to be independent of the prophet Samuel, who was God’s representative in his regard. . 81. How did Saul manifest this independence? By offering a sacrifice that should have been offered by Samuel alone, and by opposing God’s orders, in a war with the Amalecites, in sparing their king Agag, together with the best portion of the flocks and the booty. 82. How did he end his days? After suffering defeat at the hands of the Philistines, he fell upon his sword and terminated by suicide a sad life of mistakes. 3. THIRD PERIOD : FROM DAVID TO THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. David and Solomon. 83. Whom did God choose to succeed Saul? He chose David, of the family of Isai or Jesse, of the tribe of Juda. His home was in Bethlehem. 84. What was the capital of the kingdom? Jerusalem, whose citadel David had captured from the Jebusites. This city was dearly loved by the Hebrews ; to Christians it is a figure of the Church and of heaven. 85. What part in the government did his piety lead him to assign to religion? • He associated religion with government, and in every- thing gave the first place to divine worship. 86. What is specially notable in David’s life? On the one hand, He has left us admirable examples of fidelity to God and of forbearance toward men ; on the other, he was guilty of lamentable weaknesses, but he atoned for them by penance. 87. How did God reward the virtues and the penance of David? By conferring on him the gift of prophecy, and, in par- FKOM DAVID TO THE CAPTIVITY. 53 cicular, by choosing him to be one of the ancestors of the Messiah, 88. Who was David’s successor? His son Solomon, whom, during his own lifetime, and by God’s order, he caused to be anointed king. 89. What w T as the great event of Solomon’s reign? The building of the temple, after the model of the tabernacle. It was dedicated, with extraordinary solem- nity, after seven years of labor. 90. How did Solomon spend the last years of his life? In idolatry, into which he had been led by the gentile women whom he had married. 91. How was he punished? God spared him through love for David, but foretold him that he would be punished in the person of his son Roboam. The Kingdoms of Israel and Juda 92. How was Roboam, son of Solomon, punished? His kingdom was greatly diminished in extent by the separation of the ten tribes, who formed the kingdom of Israel. There remained to him then only the tribes of Juda and Benjamin, who, with the Levites, formed the kingdom of Juda. 93. What was the character of the kings of Israel? They were nearly all wicked, impious, and idolatrous. 94. How were they punished? The nineteen kings of Israel were unable to found a dynasty ; they belonged to nine different families. They drew down all sorts of evils upon themselves and their country, and more than half of them died a violent death, very often at the hands of an assassin. 95„ What was the end of the kingdom of Israel? 54 THE MESSIAH PKEPAKED FOK. It was destroyed after existing for two hundred and fifty years. The Israelites with Osee, their last king, were taken captive by Salmanasar, and dispersed in Assyria, whence they never returned. 96. Did not God have some faithful servants in Israel? Yes, for we have the example of Tobias, who remained faithful to the law both before and during the period of captivity. 97. How did the kingdom of Juda differ in dynasty from that of Israel? Unlike the kingdom of Israel, that of Juda had only one dynasty ; the kings were all descended from David, because the Messiah was to come from his family. 98. Were the kings of Juda faithful to God? Only four were faithful : Josaphat, Joatham, Ezechias, and Josias. 99. How were the faithless rulers punished? Some of them were afflicted with horrible diseases, others were assassinated ; and the last three were carried away in chains to Babylon, where they died a wretched death. 100. What was the end of the kingdom of Juda? Nabuchodonosor thrice laid siege to Jerusalem and cap- tured it. On the last occasion he destroyed the city, set fire to the temple, and led the Jews away captive to Babylon. 101. What did God do to preserve some faithful souls in Israel and Juda, and to prevent the utter destruction of these kingdoms? He raised up prophets among His people. The most noted of these were Elias and Eliseus in the kingdom of Israel, and Isaias and Jeremias in the kingdom of Juda. 102. What was the mission of the prophets? For their own time, it was to maintain the Mosaic religion .n its integrity ; for the future, it was to prepare for the New Law by foretelling the Redeemer and His Church. I? ROM THE CAPTIVITY TO CHRIST. 55 103. How did they fulfill the first part of their mission? By giving in their own person an example of all virtues, reproving wicked kings, reproaching the people with their infidelities and crimes, and rallying around themselves the good and virtuous, whom they encouraged in the love of God and of their country. 4. FOURTH PERIOD : FROM THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY TO JESUS CHRIST. The Babylonian Captivity. 104. Did God abandon His people during their captivity? No, for Jeremias, before being exiled to Egypt, remained with the poor, whom the king of Babylon had left in J udea to till the land ; while Ezechiel and Daniel revived the courage of the captive tribes by their prophecies. 105. For what was Daniel remarkable? For his inviolable fidelity to the law of God and the profound wisdom that inspired all his conduct. 106. Who restored the Jews to liberty? After seventy years of captivity they were set at liberty by Cyrus, who had taken Babylon. 107. Did all the Jews return to Judea? At first only about forty-two thousand returned, led by Zorobabel, prince of the house of David, and by the high priest Jesus. The others returned later, having as their leader Esdras, priest and doctor of the law. 108. What was the first act of the Jews on returning to Jeru- salem? They rebuilt the temple, a work in which the Samaritans had delayed them for twenty years. 109. What prophet sustained the courage of the people during this period! 56 THE MESSIAH PREPARED FOR. Aggeus, who foretold that this new temple would be more glorious than the old one, because the Messiah would honor it with His presence. Domination of the Persians, Greeks, and Syrians 110. To what danger were those Jews exposed who remained in Persia? Aman, the minister of Assuerus, having been wounded in his pride by the Jew Mardochai, obtained from the king an edict of death against all the Jews of Persia. 111. By whom were they saved? By Mardochai, whose niece Esther had become the wife of the king. 112. What edict in favor of the Jews did Nehemias obtain from Artaxerxes Longimanus? At the entreaty of Nehemias, Artaxerxes Longimanus authorized the Jews to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. This edict, dated 454 b. c., marks the beginning of the seventy weeks of years, foretold by Daniel, which were to elapse before the coming of the Messiah. 113. What was the condition of the Jews from Nehemias to the Machabees? They were successively under the rule of the Persians, the Greeks, the Egyptians, and the Syrians. 114. What was their situation under the Persians? The Persians were rather their protectors than their masters. By paying the sovereigns a light tax, the Jews enjoyed the privilege of living according to their own laws, under the supreme authority of the high-priest, who was assisted by a council of seventy-one elders elected by the people. 115. By whom were the Jews withdrawn from Persian rule? By Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia. FBOM THE CAPTIVITY TO CHKIST. 57 116. How was Alexander disposed towards the Jews? Although Alexander had sworn to exterminate the Jews and to make Jerusalem the sepulchre of the nation, yet he was overcome at sight of the majesty of the high-priest Jaddus. He adored the true God, offered sacrifices in the temple, and permitted the Jew^s to live according to their own laws on condition that they paid him the tax which they had been paying the Persians. 117. Under whose rule did Judea pass after the division of Alexander’s empire? It passed successively under the rule of the Egyptians and the Syrians. 118. How were the Jews treated by the kings of Syria? At first they were treated kindly, but subsequently they were cruelly persecuted, especially by Antiochus Epiphanes. The most illustrious victims of this persecution were the holy old man Eleazar, and the seven brothers Machabees together with their mother. 119. Who arose among the Jews to defend the people of God and His holy law? A priest, named Mathathias, of the race of sacrificers. He was aided by his five sons : John, Simon, Judas, Elea- zar, and Jonathan. 120. How did the principal of these brothers become famous? Judas, surnamed Machabeus, dealt blow after blow to the hostile generals, and then went to Jerusalem to purify the holy places and have them dedicated. Jonathan continued the struggle ; and as a result of his victories, secured a treaty of peace which left him governor of Judea, like the ancient judges of Israel. Simon, the last of the five brothers to survive, delivered the Jewish people from the yoke of the Syrians. 121. Who was Simon’s successor? 58 THE MESSIAH PREPARED FOR. His son, John Hyrcanus. He restored to the kingdom of J udea the extent and power which it had possessed under David and Solomon. Domination of the Romans. 122. How did the Jews fall under the sway of the Romans? The grandsons of John Hyrcanus, in their ambition for the dignity of high-priest, kindled a civil war. The rival competitors submitted their differences to Pompey, the Roman general, who was in Syria at the time, and he re- duced Judea to the state of a Roman province. 123. How did Herod, although an Idumean by birth, become king of the Jews? By the will of the Roman triumvirs. They proclaimed him king of the Jews after declaring that his competitor, the Jew Antigonus, had forfeited the throne of Judea, which he was attempting to recover. 124. Was the occupation of the throne by a foreigner an event of great importance? Yes ;because, according to Jacob’s prophecy, the sceptre was not to pass from Juda to the hands of a foreigner until the Messiah had come. 125. What was Herod’s attitude toward the Mosaic religion? Herod made exterior profession of Judaism. But al- though he undertook the work of restoring the temple, he debased the high-priesthood by making the office subserve his ambition or his avarice. Providential Mission of the Four Empires. 126. What was the providential mission of the four empires un- der whose rule the Jews lived from the captivity of Babylon to the time of Christ? “ God made use of the Assyrians and Babylonians, to chastise his people ; of the Persians, to re-establish them 5 FriOM THK CAPTIVITY TO CHKIST. 59 of Alexander and his first successors, to protect them ; of Antiochus the Illustrious and his successors, to try them ; of the Romans, to sustain their liberty against the kings of Syria, whose only thought was to destroy it. The Jews remained to the time of Christ under the power of these very Romans ; and when later they despised and crucified Him, these very Romans,. without knowing it, furnished arms to divine vengeance and exterminated this ungrateful people. ” (Bossuet) . 127. Have the Jews exercised a providential mission among the nations of the earth? Constantly in communication with the greatest nations of antiquity, and animated by an ardent spirit of prosely- tism, the Jews served as an instrument in God’s hands to recall them to their primitive belief and to prepare the way for the Messiah. 128. What was the state of the pagan world at the coming of Our Lord? The pagan world had reached the pinnacle of material greatness. The Roman empire, the most extensive that had been founded, presented a spectacle of unheard of splendor ; but religion and morals were in a state of com- plete decadence. Error and impiety prevailed on all sides. Oppression and corruption were universal. The pagan world would have lapsed into barbarism and gone to de- struction, had not God sent it a Saviour. 129. What was the state of religion among the Jews at this dme? Although the Jews were guardians of the true religion, yet they had begun to mingle with it superstitions un- worthy of God. The true spirit of the law was lost in a multitude of exterior practices. It was time for the “ Light of the world ” to appear and restore religion to its purity, 60 THE MESSIAH PREFIGURED. CHAPTER VIII. THE MESSIAH PREFIGURED. Types of the Messiah. 1. What is meant by types of the Messiah? Those personages, objects, and events which gave notice of the Messiah ; they formed, as it were, a series of sketches, or of mute predictions, of His coming. 2. How do we know that the Messiah was so prefigured in the Old Testament? We know it : 1. From Holy Scripture ; 2. From tra- dition ; 3. From the perfect conformity existing between these types and Our Lord. 3. How are the types of the Old Testament divided? Into personal and real types, according as it is a person or a thing that prefigures Our Lord. 1. The Messiah Prefigured by Persons. 4. Enumerate the principal personal types of the Messiah. Adam, Abel, Noe, Abraham, Melcliisedech, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, Josue, Gedeon, Samson, David, Solomon, and Jonas. 5. How did Adam prefigure the Messiah? The authority of Adam over the material creation pre- figured that which Jesus Christ exercises over souls. The union of Adam and Eve was a type of the indissoluble union of Christ with the Church. Adam was the father of all men according to the flesh ; and Jesus Christ is the father of all men according to the spirit. 6. How was Abel a type of the Messiah? Abel, the shepherd, became the victim of his brother’s THE MESSIAH PREFIGURED BY PERSONS. 61 jealousy. Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, was put to death by His brethren, the Jews. 7. How did Noe prefigure the Messiah? Noe, the only just man at the time of the flood, built an ark of safety and repeopled the earth. Jesus Christ, who is preeminently the just one, established the Church, out of which there is no salvation, in order that heaven and earth might be peopled with saints. 8. How did Abraham prefigure the Messiah? Abraham was the father of the chosen people of God ; Jesus Christ is the father of Christians. 9. In what was Melchisedech a type of the Messiah? Melchisedech, priest of the Most High, offered bread and wine to God. Under the same species, Jesus Christ, the universal high-priest, instituted the sacrifice of the Mass. 10. How did Isaac prefigure the Messiah? Isaac, the only son of Abraham, bearing on his shoul- ders the wood of sacrifice, toiled up the mountain on which he was to be immolated by his father. Weighed down by the cross, Jesus, the only Son of God, ascended Calvary, where He was to be immolated by the Jews and thus satisfy the justice of Ilis Father. 11. How was Jacob a type of the Messiah? The meek and virtuous Jacob Avas persecuted by his brother ; at his father’s command, he went to seek a spouse in a distant land. Jesus, who is meekness and holiness it- self, was likewise hated by the Jews ; He was sent upon earth by His Father in order to establish the Church, His spouse. * 12. How did Joseph prefigure the Messiah? Joseph, the well beloved son of Jacob, was sold and abandoned by his brethren, condemned in spite of his in- 62 THE MESSIAH PREFIGURED. nocence, confined with two prisoners, whose destiny he announced. After three years he left his prison, and governed Egypt, the country that he had saved from ruin. Each of these facts is a striking figure of an event in the life of the Messiah. 13. In what particulars did Moses prefigure the Messiah? Moses escaped the cruel orders of Pharao ; Jesus, the cruel orders of Herod. Both spent the first years of their life in Egypt. Moses was sent by God. He worked miracles to prove the genuineness of his mission, to free Israel from bondage, and to give the written law. Jesus Christ also was sent by God. He proved the divinity of His mission by miracles. He freed men from the slavery of the devil, and gave them the law of the Gospel. 14. How were Job, Aaron, Samson, David, Solomon, and Jonas, types of the Messiah? Job prefigured the Messiah by his patience ; Aaron, by his priesthood ; Samson, by his strength ; David, by his humiliation and his glory ; Solomon, by his wisdom ; and Jonas, by his resurrection. 2. The Messiah Prefigured by Things. 15. What are the principal things that prefigured the Messiah? The tree of life, the paschal lamb' the manna, and the brazen serpent. ‘ 16. How did the tree of life prefigure the Messiah? The tree of life yielded fruit that had virtue to repair the wasted tissues of the body, and to preserve it from death. Jesus Christ, suspended on the tree of the cross, is the true fruit of life that gives immortality. 17. How did the paschal lamb prefigure the Messiah? The sacrifice of the lamb was offered in atonement for sin. Jesus is the Lamb of God, who, by Ilis death, takes THE PROPHETS. ea away the sins of the world. The blood of the lamb on the doorposts of their houses preserved the Hebrews from the plague that fell upon the Egyptians. — The blood of Jesus saves those men who apply its merits to themselves - 18. How was the manna a symbol of the Messiah? The manna is called, in Holy Scripture, the bread of angels, the bread of heaven. Jesus Christ is the true bread of angels, that came down from heaven. 19. How was the brazen serpent a symbol of the Messiah? Moses, by the command of God, set up a brazen serpent, the sight of which cured those who had been bitten by venomous serpents. So, too, was the Son of man lifted up on the cross to heal mankind of the wounds inflicted by the infernal serpent. CHAPTER IX. THE MESSIAH FORETOLD. 1. The Prophets. 1. What is a prophet? A prophet is a man inspired by God to foretell future events that cannot be known in their natural causes. 2. Into how many classes are the prophets divided? Into two : the great prophets and the minor prophets. They are distinguished by the greater or less number of their prophecies. 3. Which are the great prophets? Isaias, Jeremias, Ezechiel, and Daniel. 4. Which are the minor prophets? Osee, Joel, Amos, Abdias, Jonas, Micheas, Nahum, Habacuc, Soph on i as, Aggeus, Zacharias, and Malachias. 04 THE MESSIAH FORETOLD. 5. Iii what period did the prophets live? They lived in the period from the ninth to the fifth century before Christ. Prophecies Concerning the Messiah. 6. What is a prophecy? A prophecy is the certain prediction of a future event that canoot naturally be foreseen. Therefore, every true prophecy necessarily implies a supernatural revelation and a divine mission. 7. What is meant by the Messianic prophecies? They are those that refer to the Messiah ; they an- nounced long before their accomplishment the events afterward recorded in the Gospel. 8. What was the special object of the Messianic prophecies? They made known : 1. The genealogical and personal characteristics of the Messiah ; 2. The time of His coming ; 3. His birth and childhood ; 4. His public life ; 5. His passion and His glorified life ; 6. The reprobation of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles. Genealogical and Personal Characteristics of the Messiah. 9. What genealogical characteristics of the Messiah did the prophets announce? They announced that the Messiah was to be : 1. Of the race of Sem (Noe) ; 2. Of the nation of Abraham ( God) ; 3. Of the tribe of Juda (Jacob) ; 4. Of the family of David (David). 10. What personal characteristics of the Messiah did the proph- ets foretell? They foretold that the Messiah was to be : 1. The Son of God (David) ; 2. God and a hidden God (David and Isaiah) ; 3. Saviour and High-Priest (Ilabacuc, Isaias, and David) ; 4. The mosv. just of men, the holy one (David, Isaias , and Jeremias) ; 5. Doctor and Shepherd (Isaias). THE PROPHETS. 65 Time of the Messiah’s Coming. 11. What particulars were announced concerning the time of the Messiah’s coming? The Messiah was to appear : 1. When the Jews would have for king a stranger to the tribe of Juda (Jacob) ; 2. In the last of the seventy weeks of years foretold by Daniel. These were to begin from the second edict of Artaxerxes Longimanus authorizing the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem ( Daniel ) ; 3. After the construction of the second Temple, which was to be sanctified by the presence of the Messiah (Aggeus) ; 4. Immediately after His precursor (Malachias, Isaias) ; 5. When the whole world would be in peace ( Da v id , Isaias ) . The Birth and Childhood of the Messiah. 12. What have the prophets foretold concerning the birth and childhood of the Messiah? 1. The miraculous virginity of His mother ( Isaias ) ; 2. The place of His birth ( Micheas ) ; 3. The adoration of the Magi (David) ; 4. The massacre of the Holy Innocents (Jeremias) ; 5. His flight into Egypt (Osee). The Public Life of the Messiah. 13. What have the prophets foretold of the public life of the Messiah? 1. The fact and the circumstances of His baptism (Isai- as); 2. His fast before beginning His mission (David) ; 3. His preaching to the poor and in parables ( Isaias , David) ; 4. His virtues as subsequently mentioned in the Gospel (David, Isaias , Jeremias) ; 5. The contradictions and per- secutions of which He was to be the object (Solomon), 14. What virtues in particular were to characterize the Messiah? Poverty, humility, and obedience (David) ; meekness and love of peace ( Isaias , David) ; compassion for the weak and afflicted ( Isaias , Ezechiel). THE MESSIAH FORETOLD. \ The Passion and the Glorified Life of the Messiah. * 15. What did the prophets foretell concerning the period just preceding the passion? They foretold : 1. The Saviour's triumphant entry into Jerusalem ( Zacharias ) ; 2. The institution of a new priest- hood ( Malachias ) ; 3. The state of victim to which He was to be reduced [Isaias) ; 4. The treason of Judas and the price of his crime [David, Zacharias ). 16. What did the prophets foretell concerning the Saviour’s passion ? They foretold : 1. His agony [David) ; 2. His abandon- ment by His Apostles ( Zacharias ) ; 3. The false witness borne against Him, and likewise His silence [David, Isai- as) ; 4. The insult and mockery which He was to endure [David, Jeremias. Isaias) ; 5. The scourging and the crucifixion [David, Zacharias) ; 6. The vinegar and gall offered Him [David) ; 7. The dividing of His garments among His executioners [David) ; 8. The darkness, which, at His death, would bear witness to His divinity (Amos). 17. What did the prophets foretell concerning the Saviour’s death? They foretold : 1. His last prayer [David) ; 2. His death and burial [Isaias, Jeremias) ; 3. His descent into hell [Zacharias). 18. What did they foretell concerning His glorified life? They foretold three things : 1. His glorious resurrection ( Osee, David, Isaias) ; 2. His admirable ascension [David) ', 3. His glory and power in heaven [David). The Rejection of the Jews and the Calling of the Gentiles. 19. What did the prophets foretell concerning the punishment of the deicidal Jews? They foretold : 1. That the Jews would carry about with them the mark of their reprobation, that they would THE PROPHETS. 67 be wanderers dispersed over the face of the earth ( Ezech - iel) ; 2. That they would be without king, without prophet, and without worship ( Osee) ; 3. That they would expect salvation and not find it ( Jeremias ) ; 4. That toward the end of time, they would recognize their erroi; and be con- verted to the Lord ( Moses , Osee). 20! What did the prophets foretell concerning the Gentiles? They foretold : 1. That after rejecting the Jews, the Lord would make a covenant with the Gentiles ( Isciias ) ; 2. That the Gospel would be preached everywhere [Isaias)) 3. That the new covenant would include all the nations of the earth ( Osee) ; 4. That even the most intractable na- tions would submit with wonderful docility to the pastors of the Church ( Isaias ) ; 5. That the Messiah would reign forever over the nations which He would receive from His Father [Isaias). i SECTION II. God the Son and the Redemption. Second Article of the Creed. I believe in Jesus Christ , His only Son , Our Lord CHAPTER X. the mystery of the incarnation. 1. The Mystery of the Incarnation in General. 1. Who is Jesus Christ? He is the Son of God, made man for our redemption. 2. How was the Son of God made man? By the union of the divine nature and the human nature in the person of the Word, who is the second person of the Holy Trinity. 3. What is this mystery called? The mystery of the Incarnation. 4. What, then, is the mystery of the Incarnation? It is the mystery of the Son of God made man, of the union of the divine nature and the human nature in the one i orson of Jesus Christ. .*>. What is the name of the Son of God made man? The Son of God made man is called Jesus Christ . (5. What does Jesus mean? It means Saviour . 7. Why is Jesus so called? Because He came to save and redeem men. 68 TWO NATURES AND ONE PERSON IN JESUS CHRIST. 69 8. What does the name Christ mean? It means anointed or consecrated . 9. Why does the name of Christ apply to the Son of God made man? Because Jesus was consecrated by His Father, king , priest , and prophet. King, that is, Lord, Head of humanity, Ruler of nations ; High-Priest , that is, eternal Priest or Mediator between God and man ; Prophet , that is, Doctor speaking in the name of God. 10. Why is Jesus Christ called the only Son t Because He alone is begotten of the Father and consub- stantial with Him. 11. Are not the just also sons of God? Jesus is Son of God by nature ; the just are sons of God only by adoption, that is, by grace. 12. Why do we call Jesus Christ Our Lord ? Because He is our Master, and we owe Him perfect obe- dience. 2. The Two Natures and One Person in Jesus Christ. 13. How many natures are there in Jesus Christ? There are two distinct natures in Jesus Christ : the divine nature , for Christ is God ; and the human nature , for He is also man. 14. Is Jesus Christ true God? Yes, Jesus Christ is God, because He is the Son of God, and equal to His Father in all things. 15. Did Christ Himself bear witness to His divinity? He affirmed and proved His divinity. 16. How did He affirm His divinity? 1. By attributing to Himself divine powers, rights, and 70 THE MYSTERY OF THE INCARNATION. honors ; 2. By expressly declaring Himself God before His Apostles, before the people, and before the tribunal of Caiphas. 17. How did Jesus Christ prove His divinity? 1. By the holiness of His life and the divine perfection of His doctrine ; 2. By 7 His miracles, and in particular by His resurrection ; 3. By His prophecies and by the realiza- tion in His person of the figures and prophecies of the Old Testament ; 4. By the establishment and preservation of His Church. 18. Is Jesus Christ true man? Yes, because He has really and truly a human soul and a human body. 19. Is the soul of Christ like ours? It is, like ours, a substance made from nothing, spiritual and immortal, endowed with the power of knowing, of will- ing, and of loving. It differs from ours only in its marvel- ous perfections and graces. 20. What perfection was possessed by Christ’s intellect? His divine intellect possessed infinite science. His human intellect possessed all that a creature is capa- ble of knowing on earth or in heaven. 21. What perfection was possessed by Christ’s will? His divine will possessed the perfection of God Himself. His human will was endowed with perfect freedom, for it was not subject to concupiscence. Hence also it was incapable of sinning, and it conformed entirely to the di- vine will. 22. What perfection of love did Christ possess? Jesus Christ as God loved His Father with infinite love. As man He possessed in His heart the purest, the most tender, and the most generous love that can be conceived in a creature. WONDERS OF THE INCARNATION. 71 23. With what marvelous gifts was the soul of Jesus Christ a lorned? The soul of Christ was adorned : 1. With the grace of personal union with the Son of God ; 2. With all the graces and virtues compatible witli His quality of Man-God. 24 Was Christ’s body true and real? Yes, it was a true and real body, like ours ; and not an imaginary or heavenly body, as certain heretics have as- serted. 25. Was Christ’s body subject to suffering? Christ’s body was not subject to sickness, but it was sub- ject to hunger, thirst, fatigue, the sensible pain caused by wounds, and to death. 26. How many persons are there in Christ? There is only one person in Jesus Christ ; for, although the human nature and the divine nature are distinct and each endowed with its own operations, yet they are united and they subsist in one and the same person, that of the Word of God. 27. What follows from the fact that there is only one person in Our Lord? From this it follows : 1. That His human nature is not a person ; 2. That it is worthy of adoration, for \t is the human nature of the Son of God ; 3. That all its opera- tions are the operations of a God and are therefore of infinite value ; 4. That the Virgin Mary is the mother of God, be- cause she is the mother of Jesus, who is God. 3. Wonders of the Incarnation. 28. Why is the Incarnation a great mystery? Because it unites in a single person two natures, the divine and human, which differ infinitely from each other. 29. Why should we admire this mystery? 72 THE MYSTERY OK THE INCARNATION. 1. Because it manifests the attributes of God more strik- ingly than any other mystery ; 2. Because it procures for us greater glory and greater blessings than we can conceive. 30. What attributes of God are strikingly manifested in the Incarnation? His power, wisdom, goodness, and justice. 81. How is human nature glorified by the Incarnation? The Incarnation has glorified human nature by shedding on it some of Christ’s glory and by enabling it in a sense to share in the glory and sanctity of God. 32. What benefits do we owe the Incarnation? 1. By the Incarnation, the Son of God has made every man His brother and His co-heir in everlasting glory ; 2. By the Incarnation, the Son of God has become our perfect model, showing us, by His own example, the way to iife everlasting. 4. Errors Concerning the Incarnation. 33. Which are the principal errors concerning the Incarnation? 1. The error of the Arians , who denied the divinity of Jesus Christ ; 2. That of the Apollinarists , who taught that in Christ the operations of the intellect were accomplished not by a rational soul like ours, but by the Word of God ; 3. That of the Monothelites, who taught that Our Lord had only a divine will ; 4. That of the Gnostics , who claimed that Christ’s body was only imaginary, and that consequently Our Lord had suffered and died not in reality but in appearance ; 5. That of the Nestor Ians, who taught that there are two persons in Jesus Christ, one divine and the other human ; 6. That of the JEuty chians , who maintained that the human nature of Our Lord was absorbed by the divine nature. LIFE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN. 73 Third Article of the Creed. I believe in Jesus Christ, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary . CHAPTER XI. THE BLESSED VIRGIN. 1. What does the third article of the Creed teach us? It teaches us : 1. That Jesus Christ was conceived by the operation of the Holy Ghost ; 2. That He was born of the Virgin Mary. 2. What is the meaning of the expression, conceived by the oper- ation of the Holy Ghost t It means that the Holy Ghost Himself formed the body of Our Lord in the womb of the Virgin Mary. 1. Life of the Blessed Virgin. 3. Who is the Virgin Mary? She is a humble daughter of the tribe of Juda and the family of David, whom God chose to be the mother of His Son. 4. Who were the father and mother of the Blessed Virgin? They are not mentioned in Scripture ; but, according to a tradition accepted by the Church, it is believed that Joachim and Anne were her parents. They were natives of Bethlehem and descendants of David, and they dwelt in Nazareth. 5. What are the principal epochs in the life of the Blessed Virgin? They are : Her miraculous birth, her presentation in the temple and consecration to God, her virginal union with St. Joseph, the incarnation of the Son of God in her chaste 74 THE BLESSED VIRGIN. womb, the visit to her cousin Elizabeth, her journey to Bethlehem and the birth of her divine Son, her purifica- tion, her flight into Egypt, and her sojourn in Nazareth. 6. What peculiar feature marks the birth of the Blessed Virgin? It was wholly providential. According to the testimony of many Fathers of the Church, she was born to St. Jo- achim and St. Anne in answer to their constant prayer, for they were already well advanced in years. 7. What remarkable event occurred in Mary’s childhood? The presentation in the temple. Joachim and Anne, full of gratitude to God for hearing their prayer, conse- crated the blessed child to His service in the temple. 8. On what occasion did Mary leave the temple? On the occasion of her marriage with St. Joseph, after she had reached the age when, according to custom, she should contract marriage. She was wedded to St. Joseph, who also, says tradition, had vowed his virginity to God. 9. What heavenly message did Mary receive after her marriage to Joseph? The archangel Gabriel came, on the part of God, to an- nounce to her the mystery of the Incarnation. 10. Relate the circumstances attending this event. * When she heard the angel say to her : “ Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee ; blessed art thou among women ; ” she was troubled. But the angel reassured her : “Fear not, Mary ; for thou hast found grace with God.” Then he announced to her that without ceasing to be a virgin, she would bring forth a Son, who was to be called Jesus, the Son of the Most High. 11. How did the angel confirm the truth of his words? By revealing the extraordinary favor granted to St. Elizabeth. “ And behold,” he said, “ thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age : and this is LIFE OF THE BLESSED VIIIGIN. 75 the sixth month with her that is called barren ; because no word shall be impossible with God. 7 " 12. What did Mary then do? She humbly submitted to the will of God .* “ Behold the handmaid of the Lord,” said she; “ be it done to me according to thy word. 77 13. What miracle was then wrought in her? The mystery of the Incarnation. By the all-powerful operation of the Holy Ghost, the Word was made flesh ; i . 6., the divine nature and the human nature were united in the person of the Son of God. A. Where was this mystery accomplished? In Nazareth, a little town of Galilee. 15. Where did Mary go after the Annunciation? She made haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who dwelt in a little village in the mountains of Judea. 16. What did she do on entering the house of Zachary? She humbly saluted her cousin Elizabeth. 17. What wonders were wrought at Mary’s word? 1. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost, and recog- nized in Mary the mother of her Lord ; 2. Her child was cleansed from original sin. 18. Did Mary remain long w T ith her cousin? Mary abode Avith her about three months. Then she re- turned to her own house, where she led a life of retreat, labor, and prayer. 19. Under what circumstances did the Blessed Virgin give birth to the Messiah? In obedience to an edict of the emperor Augustus, Mary and Joseph betook themselves to Bethlehem. There in a ca\^e used as a stable, situated in the vicinity of the town, the Messiah wasbovn, as the prophet Micheas had foretold. 76 HE BLESSED VIRGIN. 20. What did Mary do forty days after the birth of her Son? She obeyed the law of purification and presentation, by going to the temple of Jerusalem. 21. Was this law binding on her? No, because she was the purest of virgins, and because there was no reason for redeeming with silver the Redeemer of all mankind. 22. Why then did she submit to it? Mary submitted to this law through humility. 23. Did the purification of Mary and the presentation of Jesus take place unnoticed in the temple? No ; the Holy Ghost revealed to the old man Simeon and to the prophetess Anna, that the Messiah was present in the temple. Then they came to adore him ; and Simeon announced to Mary the tribulations that she was to suffer. 24. On what occasion did the flight into Egypt occur? When Herod had resolved to destroy the Child Jesus. Then the Holy Family had to flee to Egypt, whence they returned, after Herod’s death, and settled in the village of Nazareth. 25. What is the only event in Mary’s life in Nazareth of which the Gospel makes mention? The journey to Jerusalem for the feast of the Pasch, when Jesus had reached His twelfth year. After the feast and unknown to His parents, He remained in the temple, where He was found after three days of search. 26. What did the Blessed Virgin do during the public life of Jesus? She remained in communication with Him ; but she is seldom mentioned by the Gospel during this period. 27. What became of Mary after the ascension of her divine Son? She first retired to the supper-room with the Apostles, PREROGATIVES OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN. 77 and there received again the Holy Ghost with the plenitude of His graces. From that moment she began to exercise in the infant Church that ministry which she received at the foot of the cross when she became our spiritual mother ; and she sustained the Saviour’s disciples by prayer and example. 28. Where did the Blessed Virgin die? Some think that she died at Jerusalem ; others, at Ephesus. 29. What was the cause of her death? Commentators say that it was the desire to see God and her Son in heaven. 2. Prerogatives of the Blessed Virgin. 30. What prerogatives does the Blessed Virgin possess? An immaculate conception, perfect sanctity, divine mater- nity, perpetual virginity, assumption into heaven, and spe- cial titles to our regard. 31. In what does the Immaculate Conception of Mary consist? In this, that from the first instant of her conception, she was preserved free from all stain of original sin. 32. By what merits was the Blessed Virgin preserved from orig- inal sin? By an anticipated application of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind. 33. How was Jesus Mary’s Redeemer? Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of all ; He redeemed sin- ners by paying their ransom, and His mother, by preserving her from the slavery of sin. 34. Was Mary impeccable? Yes ; by a special privilege of God, who confirmed her in grace. She never committed any sin, whether mortal or venial ; she was always all fair and without spot. 35. Did Mary, even though impeccable, acquire merits? 78 THE BLESSED VIRGIN. Yes, she acquired merits without number and of such . alue as is known to God alone ; for all her actions were done freely, under the impulse of actual grace, and with perfect charity. 36. Why is Mary truly the Mother of God? Because she brought forth Jesus Christ, who is true God. 37. Was Mary always a Virgin? Mary was always a Virgin — before, during, and after childbirth. 38. Did the virginal body of Mary experience the corruption ol the grave? It is the tradition of the Church, that she who had been the living sanctuary of the thrice holy God, escaped the cor- ruption of the tomb, as she had been free from that of sin. From remote antiquity the Church has celebrated the feast of the Assumption. 39. Which are Mary’s titles to our regard? Mary is at once our co-redemptrix, our mediatrix, our advocate, ancl our mother. 40. In what sense is Mary called our co-redemptrix? Although herself redeemed, Mary may be called our co- redemptrix , for she co-operated in our salvation : 1. Inas- much as she was associated with her divine Son in all the actions that had our redemption as end ; 2. Inasmuch as she consented to become His Mother and willingly offered His life to God for our redemption. 41. Why is Mary called our mediatrix? Mary is our mediatrix , because God, in giving us Jesus through her, has also through her given us all the gifts of grace. 42. Why is Mary called our advocate and our patron? Mary is called our advocate , because she is always i