(by a Holy Ghost Father) W.V.dP.

1. Who is God?

God is the great Spirit who has always existed and has made all things.

2. Can we see God?

No, for He is a Spirit and a spirit cannot be seen (we cannot see a man’s mind nor even the wind).

3. How do we know that God exists?

a.) By sound reasoning. A watch did not make itself. Its parts are too cleverly and practically arranged. Someone who is intelligent must have made it. Now, plants, animals and men are put together in a way that is much more beautiful. All that must have been made by a great and powerful mind.

b.) But God has also spoken to men (Revelation): To the first human couple when He created them; later, through the Patriarchs and the Prophets; finally, through Jesus Christ.

4. Is God perfect?

Yes. He is infinitely perfect. He is infinitely good. He is the best Father that exists. He is wonderfully fond of us, human beings. He has created us to make us eternally happy. He is infinitely just. He rewards what is good and punishes what is bad. He is infinitely merciful. If someone has done what is bad, but he is sorry about it, then God pardons the sin.

God is almighty. He can do everything that He wills to do.

God is all-knowing. He knows and sees everything that happens, what every man thinks, says and does.

God is present everywhere. He keeps His creation in existence and therefore He is present everywhere.

5. Why do we call God Creator?

Because He has brought everything into existence where there was nothing. He had only to will and it existed. That is why we say that God has created everything.

6. Name the most important beings that God has created.

7. What are Angels?

They are exalted, immortal spirits. They praise and serve God and carry out His orders. Every human being receives from God an Angel who in a particular way protects him (Guardian Angel).

8. What are devils?

They are Angels who refused to serve God and on that account are forever in Hell. They are also called evil spirits, demons. They hate God, hate and envy us and seek to lead us into sin.

9. What are human beings?

Human beings are persons who have a mortal body and an immortal spirit. Man’s spirit is called a soul. When the human being dies, only the body begins to corrupt but the soul lives on forever.

10. Why did God create man?

God made man to serve Him on earth and later to be perfectly happy with God in Heaven.

11. Who were the first men?

The first men were Adam and Eve. When God made them they were in the state of sanctifying grace. This means they lived in friendship with God and on that account they would eventually enter Heaven, if they remained faithful to God.

They would not have to suffer or die. This was a special privilege. And that privilege would be passed on to all their descendants.

12. Did Adam and Eve remain in that happy state?

No, they sinned grievously. As a punishment they then had to suffer henceforth and would die and they would no longer enter Heaven. But God promised in His mercy that He would some day send a Savior to reopen Heaven.

13. Did the sin of Adam have consequences also for other men?

Yes, for Adam was the ancestor of the whole human species. When a man is raised to become a nobleman, all his children likewise become noble. But if the nobility is taken away from that man as a punishment, his children also cease to be noble. They are then only ordinary citizens.

In a similar way the children born even today are without sanctifying grace; they are without the special friendship of God. They will suffer and will die. Heaven is closed to them until they share in the salvation which was brought to us by the Savior (Baptism).

14. What is the name of the sin of Adam that is passed on to all men?

That sin is called original sin. A child that is born has not committed any personal sin, but it inherits the sin of its ancestor Adam.

15. Who remained free from original sin?

The Holy Virgin Mary was preserved from original sin through a special privilege. From the very first moment of her existence she was wholly pure and filled with grace. This we call the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

16. What Savior has God sent to save us men?

God loved men so much that He sent His own Son to earth to save us. His Name is Jesus Christ.

17. So, has God a Son?

Yes, for God exists in three Persons: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit - three Persons who nevertheless are one Being, one God. That is something we cannot understand; it is a Mystery. But we know that it is so because God has revealed ft to us. We call that mystery of faith the Most Holy Trinity or the Blessed Trinity.

18. How are the three Divine Persons distinguished?

God the Father exists of Himself from all eternity.

God the Son is born of the Father, by the fact that (from all eternity) the Father perfectly knows and understands Himself. He, as it were, expresses Himself. That is why the Son is also called the Word of the Father.

The Father loves the Son with unspeakable goodwill and so does the Son in turn love the Father. From that love towards each other proceeds the Holy Spirit. That is why the Holy Spirit is called the substantial Love of Father and Son. He pours God’s Love into our hearts and is the Helper (Paraclete) whom Christ promised and who was sent to assist the Church, to sanctify her and preserve her from error.

19. How did Jesus Christ come upon earth?

By becoming man. The Holy Spirit caused a child to be conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and the Son of God became man in it from the moment that this child was to be formed. In this way the Son of God united a human nature with His Divine Person: He is both God and man, the God-man.

20. Are there then two Persons in Christ?

No, Christ is only one Person, the Divine Person, but He has two natures: one Divine, the other human. Jesus, Mary’s Son, is the same Person as the Divine Word. He is God. The man born of her is God and so the Church rightly calls Mary "the Mother of God."

21. How did Christ save us?

By suffering for us and dying on a cross. Of His own free will He offered Himself as a victim to His Heavenly Father to obtain pardon for all men. Thanks to Jesus’ death on the cross we can be freed from original sin, obtain pardon for all personal sins and reach Heaven.

22. How do we know that Jesus is the promised Savior?

First because all that the Prophets had foretold about the Savior was fulfilled in Jesus. But Jesus also proved by miracles that He has truly been sent by God the Father. He cured the deaf, the lame and the blind, He multiplied food and brought dead persons back to life. But the greatest miracle that goes to prove His mission was His Resurrection. As He had foretold, three days after His death on the cross He rose alive from the grave by His own power.

23. Did Jesus become man only to save us?

No, He came also to point out to us the way to Heaven, by His example and His teaching, and He came particularly to found His Church.

24. Who is the Holy Spirit?

He is the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, proceeding from Father and Son with whom He is equal. He is the Love of God personified.

25. Who particularly revealed the Holy Spirit?

Jesus Christ who promised, "When the Spirit of Truth is come, He will guide you in all truth" (Jn 16, 13).

26. Mention some of the names given to the Holy Spirit.

Christ called Him Paraclete, translated as Advocate, as "Coach" by Fr. Hopkins the poet, because He exhorts, comforts. The liturgy calls Him Father of the poor, Giver of gifts, Light of hearts....

27. Where and when was He particularly manifested?

At Christ’s Baptism, and at Pentecost.

28. Is Pentecost the Feast of the Holy Spirit?

No, just as there is no Feast of the Father, nor of the Eternal Son, so there is no Feast of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is the Feast that recalls the marvelous reception of the Holy Spirit by the Infant Church.

29. Is it important to teach the truth of the abiding presence and work of the Spirit of Truth in the Church and in the life of her members? Yes. This point is underscored in Basic Teachings for Catholic Religious Education (No. 9). Pope John wanted the Council to prepare for a New Pentecost.

30. But we can neither see Him nor imagine Him?

That is true. Neither can we see nor imagine the spiritual principle of life in us which we usually call the soul. And yet, it is the soul which animates, vivifies us, enables us to think and will and imagine.

31. What then does the Holy Spirit do for the Church?

a.) He remains with the Church to sanctify her.

b.) He dwells in the Church and in the hearts of the faithful as in a temple.

c.) He prays in the faithful making them realize they are indeed beloved adopted sons of God.

d.) He guides the Church in the way of all truth; hence the frequent invocation of the Holy Spirit, and Masses of the Holy Spirit at Church Councils.

e.) He imparts charismatic gifts.

f.) He constantly works for the spiritual renewal of the Church, leading her to perfect union with her Spouse. "The Spirit and the Bride (the Church) say, ‘Come"’ (Rv 22, 17).

g.) He is the "heart of the Missionary Church." Recall the missionary spirit of the Church after the first Pentecost novena of prayer "with one mind and one heart."

h.) Recall His relationship with Mary, Mother of the Church, and with Christ the Head of the Church.

32. But is God’s activity in His creation not common to the three Divine Persons?

Yes. But Scripture attributes certain activities particularly to the Holy Spirit (by appropriation) because of the Holy Spirit’s particular role in the Trinity. And so St. Paul tells us: "The charity of God is poured into our souls by the Holy Spirit who is given to us." As Fr. Leen said: He is the Love (or Charity) of God personified.

33. What are some of the things attributed to the Holy Spirit with respect to individual Christians? a.) We were born again of water and the Holy Spirit.

b.) We received a sort of personal Pentecost in confirmation: "May the Holy Spirit descend upon you and the power of the Most High preserve you from sin" (in Rite of Confirmation).

c.) He helps us to make a good confession (know, detest our sins, renounce them out of love of God above all and resolve to change our lives). Recall the Easter gift: "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven (Jn 20, 23).

d.) He will make us appreciate the Word of God (Holy Scripture) inspired by Him, and it is in that "Spirit" that we must read it.

e.) He will likewise make us appreciate the unique value of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the reception of Christ in Holy Communion.

f.) He enlightens our minds, strengthens our wills, guides us in making important decisions regarding vocation, overcoming habitual faults, living a life of faith and hope and charity, charity toward God and our neighbor.

34. What then is the value of true Devotion to the Holy Spirit?

When Cardinal Mercier was asked during a Retreat in Brussels what was the "secret of Sanctity" he answered: "Every day for five minutes enter into yourself, casting out all distracting thoughts, and in the temple of the Holy Spirit which you are, adore the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to enlighten you, guide, strengthen and console you. Promise Him to submit to that guidance, and with His help to accept all that He permits to happen to you. Ask Him only: "Make Your will known to me." This is the secret not only of sanctity, but of happiness which the world cannot give.

35. When should I invoke the Holy Spirit?

From what has been said above: You can invoke Him for any spiritual and secular work, for proper reception of the Sacraments, for proper choices, for proper reading of the Scriptures. And to use the words of Fr. Leen, author of the book The Holy Ghost, "may you acquire a tender devotion to Him, appreciating His intimate role in Christian life."

36. What is the Church of Christ?

The Church, which was founded by Christ, is an Institution into which He calls together all who believe in Him in order to bring them to eternal blessedness. This Church is instituted as a visible society and it is found in the Catholic Church (Vatican II).

37. is the Church of Christ only a "visible" Institution?

No, the members of the Church form one spiritual body with Christ. It is the so-called Mystical Body of Christ. He is its invisible Head and the believers are its members. The life of Christ is poured into the believers, in that Body. Through the sacraments that Body is united with Christ Who died and rose from the dead, in a way that is real though hidden (Vat. II). Christ said to His disciples: "I am the Vine, you are the branches" (Jn 15, 5).

38. What is the Church of Christ also called?

The Kingdom of God; the believers are the People of God with whom God has made an eternal Covenant.

39. Who are those whom Christ appointed to govern His Church?

The twelve Apostles, whom He chose, and their lawful successors, the Bishops.

40. Whom did Christ appoint as the Head of His Church?

He appointed the Apostle Peter. Christ is and remains the invisible Head of the Church. But when Jesus ascended into Heaven, He left Peter on earth as His visible substitute (Vicar).

41. Who is the lawful successor of Peter?

Peter went to Rome and there he established his diocese. His successor in the bishop’s see of Rome is his lawful successor, and this is the Pope. Hence the Pope is the Head of the whole Church and Christ’s Vicar on earth.

42. What charge did Christ give to His Apostles?

Christ gave them this commission: "Full authority has been given to me both in heaven and on earth; go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you" (Mt 28:18-20).

43. What follows from that?

That all men are called to the Church of Jesus Christ. That they must accept to be baptized. That the apostles and also their lawful successors, the Bishops together with the Pope, are the Teaching Authority (Magisterium) of the Church. Because the Pope is the Head of the whole Church and the Vicar of Christ, he has the Supreme Teaching Authority in the Church.

44. Can the Teaching Authority err when it teaches us the faith and the commandments of God?

No, for Christ has promised that He would always assist His Apostles to transmit His doctrine in its purity. He also promised that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, would always remain with them. This we call the infallibility of the Church.

45. Through whom does the Church make her infallible pronouncements?

Through the Pope, when as Head of the Church, he makes a decisive pronouncement in matters of faith and morals. But also through the Bishops when together with the Pope they make such a decisive pronouncement (Vat. II).

46. Which church is the true Church of Christ?

The Roman Catholic Church, because the Pope of Rome and the Bishops who are in union with him are the lawful successors of Peter and the other Apostles.

47. How does one become a member of the Church?

By Holy Baptism.

48. Is Holy Baptism sufficient to attain salvation?

No, we must also believe all that God has revealed and we must live according to the commandments He has given us.

49. How do we know what God has revealed and what commandments He has given us?

This is taught us by Mother Church. She draws her teaching from Holy Scripture (the Bible) and from Holy Tradition.

50. What do we mean by Holy Scripture or the Bible?

We mean holy Books that were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Church decides which books are inspired that way.

51. What is meant by Holy Tradition?

The Apostles have handed on Christ’s teaching to their lawful successors by preaching and some times by writing. The transmission that is still going on is called Tradition. The Holy Spirit sees to it that the Revelation is transmitted intact, and the Teaching Authority of the Church points out what is contained in Tradition and how it must be understood (Vat. II)

52. What happens at the death of a human being?

The principle of life (soul) is separated from the body. The body returns to dust, but someday it will rise again. Immediately the soul is judged by God.

53. What do we call the judgment of a man after death?

The particular judgment. Jesus Christ, who knows everything, lets the departed know what he or she has merited: Heaven, Hell or Purgatory.

54. Who go directly to Heaven?

All who have died in the state of grace (in friendship with God) and no longer have to do penance for any sins.

55. What is Heaven?

It is God’s abode where the blessed are perfectly happy as they contemplate, love and possess the God of Love. It is blessedness without end.

56. Who go to Hell?

Those who die in the state of mortal sin-in other words, all who are unrepentant unto the end.

57. What is Hell?

Hell is the place where the damned suffer eternally. Christ calls Hell the eternal fire whose flames are never extinguished. There is weeping and gnashing of teeth (remorse).

58. Who go to Purgatory?

Those who died in friendship with God but had still to do penance for certain sins.

59. What is Purgatory?

It is a place of expiation (Trent) where those who have died in the state of grace satisfy God’s justice. They ardently long for union with God, while already enjoying the certainty of reaching Heaven.

Here upon earth. we can help the souls in Purgatory by doing penance for them, praying for them, gaining indulgences for them, but above all by assisting at Mass for them or having Masses offered for them.

60. What is an indulgence?

When God has given us forgiveness for our sins, most of the time we have still to pay a debt of expiation. Christ by His suffering and death on the Cross has merited infinite satisfaction for men. The Church received special power with respect to that infinite satisfaction of Christ and also the superabundant satisfactions of the Saints. She can apply those satisfactions to cancel the punishment that is due to us, either wholly or in part. In other words, the Church grants a full or a partial indulgence. The Church prescribes definite good works as a condition for gaining indulgences.

61. Besides the particular judgment is there also another?

Yes, at the end of the world, Christ will come to earth with great power and majesty to judge all mankind. This is called the General or Last Judgment.

62. When shall the world come to an end?

This no man knows. That day will come unexpectedly. There will be great disturbances in the heavenly bodies, great conflagrations. And then will appear the Son of Man, Jesus Christ. Through His power all the departed will rise, the blessed with glorious bodies, the damned in shame and bearing the horrible marks of eternal perdition.

63. What judgment will be pronounced by Christ?

Good men will be admitted forever to Heaven:

"Come. You have My Father’s blessing! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world" (Mt 25:34). To evil men he will say: "Out of My sight, you condemned, into that everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Mt 25:41).

64. Are any of the departed already in Heaven with body and soul?

Yes, the Lord Jesus rose from the grave on the third day in a glorified body. After appearing to the Apostles and teaching them for several days he disappeared before their eyes and sits hence-forth at the right hand of His Heavenly Father, which means: now also as a man He shares the glory of God the Father.

The Virgin Mary too was taken up body and soul into Heaven after her earthly life. The ever faithful Mother of God is Queen of Angels and Saints and is our powerful intercessor with her Divine Son.

65. Have we a relationship with the Angels and the Blessed in Heaven?

Yes, we can invoke them and they then pray for us. Just as here on earth we can pray for one an-other, so the Angels and the Blessed can pray for us.

After all, we are all members of a large family, children of God, our Heavenly Father. We particularly invoke those the Church honors as Saints. They lived a holy life on earth. They are great friends of God.

66. What is our life here upon earth?

An opportunity God gives us to walk the way that leads us to eternal happiness in Heaven. That opportunity we receive only once upon eternity. Our way of life upon earth leads irrevocably to eternal blessedness or to never-ending loss of God.

67. What is necessary for entering Heaven?

68. What is the State of Grace?

Through Holy Baptism, original sin (and personal sins) are remitted and we enter into a "state of grace." This means we become special friends of God. More than that: God makes us share in His Divine Life, so that we become children of God. And as children of God He gives us a title to Heaven.

69. How do we lose the State of Grace?

By committing a mortal sin. We commit a sin when knowingly and willingly we act against the Will of God. When it is but a small evil, we call that a venial or daily fault because men so often commit small faults. By venial sins we do not lose the state of grace. But when we break God’s law with sufficient knowledge and free will in a serious matter, we offend Him greatly. That kind of sin kills the love for God in our souls; that is why it is called "mortal" sin. Through a mortal sin we lose sanctifying grace and the right to Heaven, and merit the eternal punishment of Hell.

70. How can we recover the State of Grace?

1.) By a good confession in which we are sorry for our sins.

2.) By an act of contrition with the intention of going to confession later on, and being sorry for "having offended God who is worthy of all our love because He is infinitely good."

71. What is an act of perfect contrition?

We can be sorry for having offended God because we have deserved to be punished and because we have received so many good things from God. That is a good contrition but it is not perfect. In it there is too much interest in ourselves. But when we are truly sorry because God is infinitely perfect and infinitely worthy of all our love, we then have a true sorrow for sin out of pure love for God.

God likes this so much that He then forgives all our sins, even the greatest. But, as we said above, we still have to confess our mortal sins when we go to confession.

72. What commandments must we observe?

The Ten Commandments and the Commandments of the Church.

73. How did God give His Ten Commandments?

God made man know His Commandments from the beginning of creation. This means that man knows by nature that he must live according to God’s Will, God’s Commandments.

Later on God gave the "Ten Commandments" to the Jewish People through Moses, and Christ has reaffirmed them in the New Testament.

74. Which are the Ten Commandments of God?

I am the Lord, your God:

75. What is commanded by the first Commandment?

We must recognize God as the one, true God and love Him with our whole heart. For that reason we must also love our fellow-man, for he too is created to glorify God forever in Heaven. That is why we must, out of love for God, love and help our neighbor. And when he has done wrong to us, we must forgive him and not render evil for evil.

76. What is forbidden by the first Commandment?

Idolatry (worshipping the sun, animals and images); superstition (e.g. ouija board) and sacrilege (dishonoring persons, things and places that are consecrated to God).

77. Should we disapprove the veneration of statues of Saints?

No, for we do not adore those statues or images but want to venerate the persons whom they represent (think of a statue of Washington, or a photograph of father and mother).

78. How do we sin against the second Commandment?

1.) By using God’s Name disrespectfully.

2.) By blasphemy (saying something ugly about God or His Saints or about holy things).

3.) By perjury (calling God to witness that something we say is true when we are lying, or when we do not mean to fulfill what we promise). This is also called taking a false oath. It is a great evil.

4.) By cursing (in the sense of calling down evil upon oneself or others). Most of the time, one does not really mean it and then it is not a great evil.

79. What must we do according to the third Commandment?

We must sanctify Sunday (the Lord’s Day) and the holy days of obligation. We must then assist at the Mass (the liturgy of the Word as well as that of the Eucharist). The Sunday must be a day of rest from unnecessary work, and of joy (Vat. II).

80. What is demanded by the fourth Commandment?

We must honor our parents by loving them, by respecting them, and by helping them when they are in need. God has attached a special blessing to that. Children must also obey their parents, as long as they remain under their authority. The parents, on their part, must give a Catholic education to their children, and take care of their spiritual and corporal welfare.

81. Must we respect only the authority of parents?

No, all authority comes from God. That is why we must honor and obey also our spiritual and civil authorities, when they lawfully make commands. Thus we must obey the Pope and the Bishop of the diocese to which we belong. We must also obey the civil authorities of our county, insofar as they oblige us in conscience, and their commands are not in conflict with the laws of God. For what comes first is: We must obey God more than men.

82. What is forbidden by the fifth Commandment?

It forbids harming our own bodies or those of others (suicide, mutilation, recklessly endangering our health, striking another, wounding or killing another, shortening his life; intemperance drunkenness, using harmful drugs).

83. What is forbidden by the sixth Commandment?

God gave man powers to propagate the human race, to beget children, to people the earth and Heaven later on. This is permitted to take place only in marriage which God has instituted to that purpose. To use those powers outside marriage is a great evil. In marriage it must be done in such a way that God’s purpose is not intentionally excluded.

Now, the sixth Commandment prohibits all external sins against chastity: unchaste actions, alone or with others, unchaste conversation and everything by which we unnecessarily put our-selves or others in serious danger of committing a sin against chastity (dangerous reading, immoral movies and plays, indecent clothes). He who in that way leads others into sin offends not only against the sixth Commandment but also against love of the neighbor.

84. What is forbidden by the ninth Commandment?

It forbids all interior sins against chastity (unchaste desires, taking unchaste pleasure in impure thoughts).

85. Why does God so greatly abhor sins of impurity?

The Holy Spirit has come to dwell in us through Holy Baptism. Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. That is why we must have respect for our body. By impurity we dishonor the temple of the Holy Spirit.

86. What is forbidden by the seventh Commandment?

It forbids stealing from someone or dealing with him in an unjust way. We sin against that Commandment when we steal or help others in their stealing; when we buy or accept stolen goods. It prohibits idling, usury, retaining what was lost or was borrowed, not paying our debts, refusing to pay a just wage, hurting someone unnecessarily as to his good name.

87. What is ordered by the seventh Commandment?

To return the stolen goods as soon as possible; and we must try to repair the damage we have willfully done to another. He who refuses to do that gets no pardon for the sin.

88. When do we sin against the tenth Commandment?

When we do not actually commit those sins against justice but would like to commit them: for instance when we want to steal, when we want to do harm to someone, etc.

89. What is forbidden by the eighth Commandment?

It forbids lying and slandering. Lying is expressing something as being true when one knows it is false. To slander or calumniate is to tell something evil about another that he has not committed, or to exaggerate the evil another has done. When we have done unjust harm to someone, we are obliged to repair the damage the best we can.

90. Name some of the Commandments of the Church.

1.) To assist at Mass and refrain from forbidden works on Sundays and holy days of obligation (Christmas, January 1, Ascension, Assumption, All Saints, Immaculate Conception).

2.) To observe the days of abstinence (no meat):

Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays of Lent, for those over 14. To observe the fast days (Ash Wednesday and Good Friday) for those over 21 and below 60.

3.) To confess our sins at least once a year; to receive Holy Communion during the Easter time; to contribute to the support of the Church; to observe the Church’s marriage laws.

91. Do the Commandments of the Church oblige under pain of sin? Yes, but there may be valid excuses. For instance illness may be a valid excuse for not going to Mass on Sunday. We have seen that if we wish to go to Heaven, we must merit it by doing good. And in order that we may do meritorious good works, God helps us with the supernatural virtues.

92. What are supernatural virtues?

They are powers that are granted to us together with the inpouring of sanctifying grace, and they enable us to perform supernatural acts. An example: in order to see we must have the power of sight. This is a natural power. But in order that we may be able to believe (supernaturally) we must have a kind of spiritual power of sight, and this we call the supernatural virtue of faith.

93. Name the most important (supernatural) virtues.

They are the so-called three theological (God-centered) virtues: Faith, Hope and Love (also called Charity).They are called theological virtues because they are directly related to God. We believe God-We hope in God-We love God.

94. What is the virtue of faith?

It is a supernatural gift, a light which God gives to our mind and which enables us to believe, that is, firmly to accept as true what God has revealed and the Church presents to us for our belief.

95. By what sign do we profess our faith?

Among other things, by the sign of the Cross. By it we profess that there exists one God, that there is a Most Holy Trinity and that we have been redeemed by the death, on the Cross, of the Son of God. The best sign, of course, is living always in accordance with what we believe by being witnesses to Christ by a Christlike life.

96. What is the virtue of hope?

It is a supernatural gift from God by which we firmly trust that God will grant us eternal salvation and all the graces necessary to attain it.

97. What is the virtue of love (charity)?

It is a supernatural gift of God enabling us to love God above all things and our neighbor as our-selves for the love of God.

98. When do we love God?

When we keep His commandments. And we love Him above all things when we would rather die than offend Him by a mortal sin.

99. Why must we love God above all things? Because He has created us and because He is infinitely perfect in goodness and love and, on that account, is infinitely worthy of all our love.

100. When do we love our neighbor as ourselves?

When we wish and grant him what is good and treat him as we want him to treat us.

101. How do we show our love for our fellowman?

By helping him for the love of God, by helping him when he is in need (in poverty, sickness, etc.) and by being solicitous for his spiritual well-being.

102. When do we sin against love towards our neighbor?

When we truly fail to practice charity towards him, for instance by not helping him when he is in need and we can offer assistance, by hating him, by leading him into sin through our evil conduct, by being an occasion to him for committing grievous sins, because of our improper language and our indecent clothes.

103. What is a Sacrament?

It is an external sign instituted by Christ that signifies and imparts the grace that is granted to man for his sanctification.

For instance, in Baptism water is poured over the head of the recipient. That goes to show that a purification takes place. The words pronounced by the one who baptizes at the same time as the pouring of the water indicate that a spiritual cleansing is taking place.

104. How many Sacraments were instituted by Christ?

Seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance, the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Marriage.

105. Which graces are imparted by the Sacraments? All Sacraments give sanctifying grace or an in-crease of it.

Over and above that, each Sacrament gives a grace that is specific for the particular Sacrament that is administered. It is called "sacramental grace."

106. What is Actual Grace (Grace of Assistance)? Actual grace is a supernatural help by which the Holy Spirit enlightens our mind and strengthens and moves our will to do good and avoid evil.

107. Do all men who receive the Sacraments also receive grace?

All those who receive the Sacraments worthily receive grace. Those who receive them unworthily do not.

108. When is a Sacrament received unworthily? When the recipient is in the state of mortal sin. But this does not apply to a person who receives Baptism or goes to Confession. These Sacraments can be received by those who are in mortal sin provided they have contrition for their sins. Those two Sacraments are instituted precisely to wash away sins.

109. Which Sacraments can be received only once in a lifetime?

Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders, for these Sacraments imprint a permanent mark (character) in the soul.

110. Which among the Sacraments is the first and the necessary one?

Holy Baptism is the first, because one cannot receive any other Sacrament if one is not baptized. It is the most necessary Sacrament, because no one can receive remission of original sin and attain salvation without Baptism (this is the general rule)

111. What is Holy Baptism?

It is the Sacrament which removes original and personal sin through the washing with water and the invocation of the Three Divine Persons, and makes the recipient a child of God and a member of the Church.

112. Who is the one who administers Baptism? The priest. But in case of necessity any person can and ought to baptize.

We must pour water over the head of the recipient (or, if that is impossible, over another part of the body) and at the same time pronounce the words; while pouring the water, we must say: "I baptize you in the Name of the Father AND of the Son AND of the Holy Spirit." The one who pours the water must be the same as the one who pronounces the words (so we must not let anyone else say the words).

113. What do we receive through Holy Baptism?

114. What is Baptism of Desire?

A person who cannot receive Baptism or is in good faith and does not know that he must be baptized can obtain forgiveness from original sin and attain salvation through Perfect Love for God.

(this means, to love God because He is infinitely perfect, for instance: infinitely good and infinitely worthy of love.) He who loves God in that way wants to do everything that God desires and therefore he wants to be baptized, although he may not know that God requires this. This is called the Baptism of Desire.

115. What is Confirmation?

Holy Confirmation is the Sacrament by which the Holy Spirit comes to us in a special way to strengthen us in the Faith and to enable us to profess it courageously in deed and in word.

116. Who administers Confirmation?

The Bishop. But on special occasions a priest can confirm.

117. What is the Holy Eucharist?

The Holy Eucharist or Holy Sacrament of the Altar, is the Sacrament in which Christ becomes and remains present under the appearances of bread and wine.

118. In virtue of what does Christ become present in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist?

Through the words of the Consecration which the priest pronounces over the bread and the wine during Mass. Bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. Only the appearances of bread and wine (color, taste, etc.) remain.

119. In what way does Christ become present In the Holy Eucharist?

The way He is now: glorified, with Divinity and humanity, with soul and body, with flesh and blood. So is Christ wholly present under the appearance of bread, and wholly present under the appearance of wine.

120. How long does Christ remain present In the Holy Eucharist?

As long as the appearances of bread and wine remain.

121. How did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist? On the eve of His Passion, at the Last Supper, Christ took bread into His hands and said to the Apostles: "Take this, all of you, and eat it: This is My Body which will be given up for you." Later on He took a cup of wine and said to His Apostles:

"Take this, all of you, and drink from it: This is the cup of My Blood, the Blood of the New Covenant. It will be shed for all men, so that sins may be for-given." And Jesus added: "DO THIS in memory of me" (d. Lk 22:19).

122. What power did Christ give with those words: Do this In memory of Me?

The power to do that same thing which Christ had done: to change bread and wine into the Body and the Blood of Christ.

123. For what purpose did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist?

1.) To offer Himself over and over again for us in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and to remind us of His great Act of Love: His death on the Cross for our salvation.

2.) To unite Himself most intimately with us in Holy Communion, and to preserve and foster our supernatural life.

3.) To remain always with us even with His sacred humanity and make us to be united with one an-other.

124. What is Holy Mass?

It is the Most Holy Sacrifice of the New Covenant. It is Most Holy because in it Christ offers Himself as Victim to His Heavenly Father, as He did on the Cross, though in the Mass it is no longer in a bloody manner. Holy Mass makes the Sacrifice of Calvary sacramentally present on our altars (Pope Paul VI). And the graces Christ has merited on the Cross are applied to us through the Sacrifice of the Mass.

125. In what way ought we to assist at Holy Mass?

1.) By actively taking part in it and offering it up to the Heavenly Father as a most pleasing sacrifice, together with the ordained priest-celebrant.

2.) By offering ourselves as a sacrifice together with Christ, which means: by completely giving ourselves up to God’s will.

126. How can we participate even more perfectly in Holy Mass?

By going to Communion during Mass and thus taking part in the Divine and Sacrificial Banquet.

127. What do we receive in Holy Communion?

The Body and the Blood of Christ as our super-natural food.

128. What graces do we receive through Holy Communion?

129. What is required for receiving Holy Communion worthily?

1.) Being in the state of grace.

2.) Having fasted for one hour before Holy Communion, which means: having not eaten anything or drunk anything (water is always allowed) for one hour. The sick are allowed to take medicine and non-alcoholic beverages all the time before Communion. In danger of death the law of fast does not apply. (This is the general rule.)

3.) First to go to confession when we have committed a mortal sin. Except in special cases a perfect contrition does not suffice.

130. What should we do after Holy Communion? It is most becoming, when circumstances permit to spend some time in thanksgiving after Mass: holding an intimate conversation with our Divine and most loving Master (Mediator Dei).

131. When are we obliged to receive Holy Communion?

132. Why are consecrated Hosts kept In the Tabernacle after Mass?

Not only for the sick, but also that we be able to pay visits to Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist, adore Him and manifest our love for Him.

133. What Is the Sacrament of Penance (Confession)?

It is the Sacrament in which the priest in God’s name forgives the sins of a person and reconciles him or her with God and with Mother Church.

134. Does the priest have that power?

Yes, for Christ said to His Apostles: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men’s sins, they are for-given them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound" (Jn 20, 23). That power was passed on to the Bishops and to priests, their helpers.

135. Who are obliged to go to confession?

Everyone who has committed a mortal sin must go to confession within the year, and earlier, when he is in danger of death. But it is greatly recommended to go regularly to confession, even when one has committed only venial sins. For Confession gives sanctifying grace or the increase of it and also sacramental grace (of assistance) to en-able us to sin no more.

It is very dangerous to continue to live in the state of mortal sin, for Jesus has warned us that He can come when we do not expect it; hence we must always be ready to appear before Him.

136. What is demanded of the penitent?

137. What kind of sorrow must we have for our sins?

We must be truly sorry for having offended God, detest sin as the greatest evil, and firmly resolve not to sin again. Sins for which we are not sorry are not forgiven.

138. Which sins must we confess?

All mortal sins which we have not confessed in a good confession. We must confess them with their number and with their circumstances. With their number: how often we have committed such sins.

With their circumstances: that means with a circumstance that adds a new sin. An example: he who cruelly strikes another sins against the fifth Commandment. He who strikes his father or mother sins also against the fourth Commandment.

139. Must we confess all our venial sins?

No, but it is often useful to confess them to make us get rid of a bad habit. And let us always mention some sins of our past life for which we are sorry.

140. What kind of sin do we commit when we knowingly do not confess a grievous sin?

That is a grievous sin of sacrilege, and then we get no pardon for the sins that we now have confessed. However, when we merely forget to confess a grievous sin, the confession remains good. But in the next confession, the forgotten mortal sin must be confessed.

141. What is the obligation of the confessor regarding what he has heard in confession? He must keep "the seal," keep secret what has been confessed to him, even if he is threatened with death unless he reveals it.

142. What must we do before confession?

1.) We must ask the Holy Spirit to help us to make a good confession.

2.) We must examine our conscience: ask our-selves what sins we have committed since our last confession.

3.) We must carefully and sincerely make an act of contrition, of sorrow for our sins.

143. What must we do after confession?

We must thank God for that wonderful gift of forgiveness, and do our penance. It is better to do it immediately; otherwise we shall forget it. Let us never be in a hurry to get away after confession.

144. If we have committed a mortal sin and a priest gives a general absolution to a group to which we belong, have we nothing more to do?

We are still obliged to confess our mortal sin to a confessor. Christ made priests judges and a judge must know the case (Council of Trent).

145. What are the characteristics of the new Rite of Penance?

The new Rite emphasizes more completely the social aspect of reconciliation and makes use of the living Word of God in the Bible. This Rite includes: reception of the penitent and sign of the cross; exhortation to trust in God; reading from Scripture; confession of sins; manifestation of repentance; petition for God’s pardon through the ministry of the Church, and the priest’s absolution; thanksgiving and dismissal in peace. (Some of these parts are optional.)

146. What is the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick?

It is the Sacrament administered with Holy Oil and the prayer of the priest to give a special grace and strength to the sick.

147. When is the Sacrament of the Sick administered?

The proper time to administer it is when a Christian begins to be in danger of death because of sickness or old age (Vat. II).

148. In what state must a Christian receive the Sacrament of the Sick?

When that person is conscious he must be in the state of grace. He who is in the state of mortal sin, and cannot confess his sins, receives pardon for his sins through the Sacrament of Anointing, if he, at least, has a sufficient sorrow for his sins; for, without sorrow, no sin can be forgiven.

149. What is the particular effect of the Sacrament of Anointing?

1.) By the anointing and the prayer of the priest the sick person is given courage and sometimes health of body.

2.) But if God considers it better not to grant a cure, He will give the sick person assistance to suffer patiently and die a holy death.

150. What is the priesthood?

The ministerial priesthood is the Sacrament which makes the recipient share in a special way in the Priesthood of Christ and endows him with specific powers.

151. What are the principal powers of the priest?

Offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Forgiving sins. Preaching the Word of God.

152. Who ordains priests?

The Bishop, for the Bishop has received the fullness of the Power of Holy Orders. He places his hands on the candidate and pronounces the prescribed words.

153. What is the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony (Marriage)?

It is the Sacrament by which a baptized man and woman bind themselves to live together as husband and wife for their whole life, for the propagation of the human race, and for mutual loving sup-port.

154. Who has instituted marriage?

God Himself, when He made Adam and Eve. And Jesus raised it to the dignity of a Holy Sacrament.

155. What special grace is given by Holy Matrimony?

That Sacrament gives partners the power to fulfill their duties toward one another and their children, to sanctify one another and their offspring and so glorify God (Vat. II).

156. How is a marriage contracted?

Man and woman administer the Sacrament to each other by giving their consent. This must (ordinarily) take place before the pastor (or his lawful delegate) and two witnesses.

157. Can and may a Catholic marry anyone?

No. There are impediments which make a marriage invalid or illicit (forbidden).

It is an invalid marriage (no marriage at all) when a Catholic marries a non-baptized person, or one who is married, or is a relative (blood-relationship or affinity) within the forbidden degrees.

Bishops have powers to dispense from some impediments for valid reasons, except when one of the persons is truly married.

Belonging to different Faiths can often be an obstacle to mutual understanding and a happy marriage.

158. Is a Marriage before a civil magistrate or before a Protestant minister a valid Marriage?

Not for a Catholic. A Catholic must be married (ordinarily) before the Church, before the pastor (or his delegate) and two witnesses.

159. When is a marriage dissolved?

With respect to the Church, a marriage validly contracted and consummated is dissolved only through the death of one of the partners. Divorce before the civil authority does not dissolve a marriage.

160. Besides the Sacraments, what is the great means to obtain graces?

That great means is Prayer. For Christ has said:

"Ask and you shall receive" (Lk 11:9).

161. How must we pray?

With respect, attention, confidence and perseverance.

162. Why do we not always receive what we ask for?

Because we do not pray as we ought, or because we ask for something that is not useful for our eternal happiness.

163. When does our prayer acquire a special power?

1.) When we ask God for something in the Name of Jesus, which means: because of Christ’s infinite merits.

2.) When we pray together, for Christ has promised: "Where two or three are assembled in my name, I am in the midst of them." That is why family prayer is so greatly recommended. "A family that prays together stays together."

164. When ought we to pray?

165. What Prayer did Christ Himself teach us?

The Our Father (the Lord’s Prayer). In it is found all that we need for body and soul and all we should pray for.

166. What is Liturgical Prayer?

It is the Public Worship of the Church. Man must not be satisfied with honoring and petitioning God only as an individual and for himself alone. But we must also honor God together with others and ad-dress prayers of petition to Him. This we do by adoration, thanksgiving, reparation and supplication, which the Church presents to God in the name of the believers, particularly by the Celebration of the Eucharist, by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The Twelve Articles of the Creed (Apostles’)

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth;

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord;

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

Born of the Virgin Mary,

Suffered under Pontius Pilate,

Was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell;

The third day He arose again from the dead;

He ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand Of God, the Father Almighty.

From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

The Holy Catholic Church,

The Communion of Saints,

The forgiveness of sins,

The resurrection of the body,

And life everlasting. Amen.

1. Sign of the Cross (best with Holy Water).

2. My Lord and my God, I kneel before You and adore Your Supreme Majesty.

1. Sign of the Cross (best with Holy Water).

2. My Lord and my God, I kneel before You and adore Your Sovereign Majesty. I thank You for all Your gifts, especially because you have preserved me this day.

1. Before Meals: Bless us, O Lord, and these Your gifts which we are about to receive from Your Bounty. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen. (Hail Mary.)

2. After Meals: Almighty God, we thank You for all Your gifts, You who live and reign, world with-out end. Amen. (Our Father.)

2. Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth.

3. Jesus is born in a stable in Bethlehem.

4. Jesus is offered in the Temple.

5. Jesus is found again in the Temple.

1. Jesus prays in agony to His Heavenly Father.

2. Jesus is scourged.

3. Jesus is crowned with thorns.

4. Jesus carries His Cross to Calvary.

5. Jesus dies on the Cross.

1. Jesus rises from death.

2. Jesus ascends to Heaven.

3. The Holy Spirit descends upon the Apostles.

4. Mary is taken up to Heaven in body and soul.

5. Mary is crowned in Heaven.

Back to Main Page