Junior catechism : from seven to nine years "7 .»» ' ' j j ' i//nccn/' i" vmH/O^* CCX^«C^/5M>t The A£A70i^ Cc^h\ Complete Catechism Series Nos, 1, 2f 3 No. 2 Junior Catechism THE BASILIAN PRESS 402 Augustine Street ROCHESTER 13, N, Y. 95 St Joseph St. TORONTO 5, CANADA THE APOSTLES’ I believe in GOD, the FATHER ALMIGHT'V CREATOR and in JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD; Who was CONCEIVED BORN SUFFERED was CRUCIFIED, He DESCENDED the third day He ROSE AGAIN He ASCENDED SITTETH from thence He WILL COME TO JUDGE I believe in THE HOLY GHOST, the HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH, the COMMUNION OF SAINTS, the FORGIVENESS OF SINS, the RESURRECTION and the LIFE EVERLASTING. CREED of heaven and earth ; His only Son, of the Holy Ghost, of the Virgin Mary, under Pontius Pilate, dead and buried, into Hell ; from the dead ; into Heaven ; at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty ; the living and the dead. of the body, Amen. IHE COMPLETE CATECHISM SERIES The Basilian Fathers No. 2 JUNIOR CATECHISM From Seven to Nine Years By REV. M. V. KELLY, C.S.B. All the questions and answers in this are taken from No. 3 of this series so that children in passing to the larger work will find both questions and answers the same as in this abridgment. Only such questions and answers as young children easily grasp are put before them at this stage. It contains, however, a short chapter on almost every subject ordinarily treated in larger catechisms. Because of this it will prove an invaluable work for both children and adults who are deprived of oppor- tunities for a thorough religious instruction. For some converts also it will be found most service- able. 1 Nihil Obstat: J. Gerald Kealy, Censor Librorum. Imprimatur : t George Cardinal Mundelein, Archbishop of Chicago. Copyright, Canada, 1924 Copyright, U. S. A., 1927 Printed in U. S. A. 2 PRAYERS THE LORD’S PRAYER Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread ; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us ; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION Hail, Mary, full of grace ! the Lord is with thee ; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. AN ACT OF FAITH O my God ! I firmly believe that Thou are one God in three Divine persons. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. I believe that Thy Divine Son became man, and died for our sins, and that He will come to judge the liv- ing and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, who canst neither deceive nor be deceived. AN ACT OF HOPE Oh my God! relying on Thy infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer. AN ACT OF LOVE Oh my God ! I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbour as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured. 3 AN ACT OF CONTRITION Oh my God ! I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and. the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who are all-good and de- serving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS Q. Say the Ten Commandments of God. A. 1. I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt not have strange Gods before me, etc. 2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. 3. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day. 4. Honor thy father and thy mother. 5. Thou shalt not kill. 6. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 7. Thou shalt not steal. 8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. 9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife. 10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods. — Exod., XX. 4 CHAPTER I GOD Who made as? God. Who made heaven, earth and everything we see? God. What is God still doing for everything He made? He watches over them ; if He did not stay with them, everything would go back into nothing. Who made God? No one; He always was and always will be. Where is God? Everywhere; here on earth and far-away be- yond the stars. If God is everywhere, why do we not see Him? Because He has no body. What is He then? He is a spirit. Are there any other spirits? Yes ; the angels and our souls. When shall we see God? When we die and our souls come out of our bodies. Tell me something that is like God? The air. How is the air like God? It is everywhere ; we cannot see it ; we cannot live without it. When does God see us? He is always watching us. What does God know? Everything. 5 Does He know what we are thinKtng about? Yes; we can hide nothing from Him. What can God do? Anything; nothing is hard for Him to do. Why should we love God? ( 1 ) Because He is so good and holy ; (2) Because He is so kind to us. What will God do for people who are good? He will take them to heaven with Him forever. What wilt God do to people who are wicked? He will punish them forever in hell. CHAPTER II THE BLESSED TRINITY Is God just one Person? No; there are three Persons in God.' What are their names? The Father, The Son, The Holy Ghost. Is the Father God? Yes; the First Person of the Trinity. Is the Son God? Yes; the Second Person. Is the Holy Ghost God? Yes; the Third Person. Are They three Gods? No; They are all One God. Three what, then? Three Persons. Are They like three men joined together in one? No; God is a spirit. Which is the oldest? They are all the same age. Which One knows the most? They are all equal in every way. 6 CHAPTER III THE ANGELS Did the angels ever live here on earth as we are? No; they have no bodies. What are they like, then? They are spirits, like our souls. Why did God create the angels? To adore Him and be happy with Him forever in heaven. Have any of the angels been seen on earth? Yes ; God sometimes sends them with messages to people here. What else do angels do for us? God gives every person an angel to watch over him and help him. How many angels are there? Millions and millions. Are they all good still? No; some of them refused to obey God and turned against Him. Why did they do this? Because they became proud. How did God punish these bad angels? He turned them out of heaven. What are they now? They are devils in hell. What are they always doing? Trying to make us sin. Why do they wish us to sin? Because they hate God and do not wish us to be His friends. 7 CHAPTER IV MAN' Whom did God make' us like? Like Himself. Are our bodies like God? No; our souls. In what way is your soul like God? ( 1 ) It is a spirit ; (2) It will never die ; (3) It can know and love God. What do animals or trees or flowers know about God? Nothing. Why is this? Because they have not souls to understand or reason. Why did God make us able to know and love Him? If we could not know God and love Him, we could not enjoy heaven. Why is this? Because the great happiness of heaven is to know God there and love Him. Then what must we do here if we wish to enjoy God in heaven? We must try to know more and more about Him. How can we know God on earth? By learning what He told us. Who can tell us all that God told us? The Catholic Church. What else must we do here in order to get to heaven? We must love God and serve Him. How can we serve God? By doing everything He wants us to do. 8 God also gave us souls that will never die; why is this? That our happiness in heaven might never end. Then God did not make you to enjoy yourseif? To get rich? To be great and have peopie tatk= ing about you? No; it is a great mistake to be looking for these. CHAPTER V OUR FIRST PARENTS Who are the first man and woman on earth? Adam and Eve ; all since have been their chil- dren. Where did God put them? In a beautiful garden called Eden or Paradise. What was their life like there? ( 1 ) They had everything they cared for ; (2) They had no suffering or troubles; (3) They would never die. Whom else did God want to enjoy this? All of us. What one thing did God ask of Adam and Eve? Not to eat the fruit of one certain tree. Who tempted them to eat the forbidden fruit? The devil. Why did he tempt them? He could not bear to see them so happy. How did God punish Adam and Eve? He put them out of Paradise. What were their iives like after that? Like ours; they had all kinds of temptations and sufferings and they had to die. God then closed the gates of Eden; what else did he close? The gates of heaven. 9 Suppose God had stopped there and done nothing for us? None of us could go to heaven; we should all be lost forever. What else did God do just then? He promised Adam and Eve to send a re- deemer. Were we punished for the sin of Adam and Eve? Yes; just as we should have had all their hap- piness if they had not sinned. Did their sin come upon us? Yes; we were all born with their sin on our souls. What is it called? Original sin. What takes original sin off our souls? Baptism. Was there anyone who never had original sin? Yes; the Blessed Virgin. What is this called? The Immaculate Conception. CHAPTER VI SIN Is it a sin to talk? to laugh? to sing? No. Is it a sin to steal? to swear? to tell lies? Yes. Why is one thing a sin and another not? It is a sin to do what God forbids. Is it a sin to do something when you do not know it is wrong? No; that is just a mistake but no sin. Are some sins greater than others? Yes ; some sins displease God more than others. 10 What do we call the greater sins? Mortal sins. What do we call the smaller sins? Venial sins. What is the worst thing that could happen to us in this world? To commit a mortal sin. Is it worse than sickness, suffering and death? Yes; it is worse than losing everything we have. Where would a person go if he died with a mortal sin on his soul? To hell for ever and ever. Suppose he had committed only one mortal sin? His soul would go to hell. What should a person do if he fell into mortal sin? He should be very sorry for it and go to con- fession as soon as he can. Suppose he cannot go to confession at once? He should try to have perfect contrition. What will perfect contrition do for a person in mortal sin? It will take away his mortal sin, but he must go to confession as soon as he can. When is our contrition perfect? When we are thinking how good God is in Himself, and are sorry for having offended Him. Where do people go who die with venial sins on their souls? To purgatory for a time. Where will their souls go after that? To heaven. Will our venial sins bring us any loss in heaven? Yes; for every venial sin we commit, we shall have a lower place in heaven forever. 11 CHAPTER VII THE INCARNATION What promise did God make Adam and Eve after they were driven out of the garden? He promised that one day a Saviour would come down on earth to open heaven for them. Had God a body when He was speaking to our first parents? No; God is a spirit. Suppose God wished to take a body and soul like ours ? He could do so, of course ; He is God. Then God could live on this earth like a man and people would not know He is God? Certainly; if He wished to do so. But, did God ever do this? Yes ; many years after Adam was driven from Paradise. Which Person of God became man? God the Son. Did He come on earth a full=grown man? No; He came as an infant. Who was His mother? The Blessed Virgin. What name was given Him? Jesus Christ. Who gave it to Him? God Himself. Who came from heaven with the news that God the son would become man? The Angel Gabriel. Whom did he visit? The Blessed Virgin. On what day was this? March 25th. 12 What is this day called? The Day of the Annunciation, or bringing great news. What prayer tells us about this? The Angelus. What should we think of every time the Angelus bell rings? That the Son of God became man for us. On what day was Jesus born? Christmas Day. Where? In a stable at Bethlehem. How long ago? More than nineteen hundred years ago. Who was the husband of the Blessed Virgin? St. Joseph. Was St. Joseph the father of Jesus? No; God was His father. Then Jesus is the Son of God? Yes; since God is His father. Is Jesus God? Yes; He is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Is He truly the son of the Blessed Virgin? Yes; the Blessed Virgin is His mother. Then her son is God? Yes; He is God and man at the same time. How long did Christ live upon this earth? About thirty-three years. What was His life upon earth like? He was poor, He worked hard, and had very much to suffer. Why did He live so long on earth? To show us the way to heaven. How did He do this? (1) He told us what we had to do; (2) He lived here to show us how to live. 13 CHAPTER VIII OUR SAVIOUR’S DEATH AND BURIAL How did Christ die? He was nailed to a cross. What made Him suffer so cruel a death? A number of Jews wished Him to be crucified and the governor was afraid to go against them. Who was this governor? Pontius Pilate—a man from Rome. Where was Jesus crucified? On Mount Calvary, at Jerusalem. Why did Jesus allow the Jews to kill Him? He wished to die for our sins. Who, then, really made Him die? We did, by our sins. Where did Chrisfs soul go after He died? Into limbo. Who were in limbo? The souls of the good people who died before Christ. What was it like? A place of rest, but they could not see God. Why did the souls of these good people not go to heaven? Because heaven was closed by the sin of our first parents. When did they go to heaven? Christ took them with Him when He was going. Why did Christ go down to limbo? That He might bring them the good news Himself. 14 What news was this? That they were at last redeemed and would soon be in heaven. Where was ChrisVs body when His sou! was in Umbo? In the sepulchre or grave, CHAPTER IX THE RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION How iong did Christ*s soul stay in limbo? Three days. Where did It go then? It returned to His Body. What happened next? He arose from the grave. On what day was this? Easter Sunday. How long did He stay here on earth after He arose? Forty days. Who saw Him during those forty days? His apostles and many others. Why did He remain so long? To show that He was truly risen from the dead. For anything else? Yes ; to teach His apostles. What happened after that? He ascended into heaven. From what place? Mount Olivet. What is that day called? Ascension Day. Where did His body go? To heaven, too. IS Will our bodies go to heaven? Not until the last day. Where is Christ in heaven? ‘'He sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.'' What did Christ promise to His apostles before He ascended into heaven? That He would send the Holy Ghost to stay with them on earth. CHAPTER X THE HOLY GHOST What was the first day God the Son was seen on earth ? Christmas Day. On what day did God the Holy Ghost appear? Pentecost. When was that? Ten days after Our Lord went to heaven. Who saw God the Son the day He came? The shepherds. Who saw the Holy Ghost? The apostles and several others. In what city did God the Son appear? In Bethlehem. In what city did the Holy Ghost appear? Jerusalem. What did God the Son look like when He ap= peared? A little infant. What did the Holy Ghost look like? Tongues of fire. How long did God the Son stay on this earth? Thirty-three years. 16 How long did the Holy Ghost stay? He will stay until the end of the world, in wnat country did Jesus spend these thirty^ three years? In the Holy Land chiefly. Where is the Holy Ghost all this time? With the Catholic Church ; in every country in the world. What did the Holy Ghost do for the apostles? They learned from Him what we must believe and what we must do to get to heaven. After the Holy Ghost came to them, what was their only wish? To make everyone a Christian and get every- one to heaven. In what other way did the Holy Ghost help them? He gave them courage to suffer everything for God's sake. Why did the apostles need courage? Because wicked men made them suffer the most terrible things for doing what Christ told them to do. How many of them were condemned to death for this? All of them. What does the Holy Ghost do for the Catholic Church now? (1) He keeps her from teaching us anything that is not true. (2) He helps her to make good laws. What is He always doing for each one of us? Helping us to lead holy lives. How does He help us to be holy? He hands out to us the graces Christ bought for us on Calvary. 17 CHAPTER XI THE CHURCH What is the name of the religion that Christ started? The Catholic Church. Why did He start it? To help us to get to heaven. Did He start any other religion? No ; only one religion can be right. Why can there be only one religion? Because there is only one God. How many religions did the apostles set up in different countries? Only one for the whole world. How many religions are there now among people calling themselves Christians? Hundreds. Who started these? Different men and women. Who gave them the right to do this? No one. How can we know which religion is the one startl- ed by Christ? By the marks or signs Christ said it would have. What are these marks or signs? (1) It must have only one head and be the same every place. (2) It must be holy and make its people good. (3) It must be for every country in the world. (4) It must be the religion the apostles be- longed to. What religion has aii these marks? Only the Catholic Church. 18 To be a Catholic, what three things are neces= sary? (1) To believe everything God has told us. (2) To be baptized. (3) To obey the Pope. How many people does Our Lord wish to belong to His Church? All the people on earth. Can people go to heaven if they are not in the Catholic Church? No; if they stay out of it through their own fault. CHAPTER XII THE CHURCH (continued) Who can tell us for sure what we must believe and what we must do to get to heaven? Only the Catholic Church. Can the Catholic Church teach us anything wrong ? No; the Holy Ghost is always with her. How do we know when the Catholic Church is speaking? When the head of the Church speaks. Has the Church a head on earth? Yes; it must have a head to manage its affairs, like every country and every business. ' Whom did Christ make the head of the Church? Saint Peter, who was also Bishop of Rome. When St, Peter died, who became head? The next Bishop of Rome, Saint Linus. Who has been head of the Church ever since? It has always been the Bishop of Rome. What is he called? The Pope, the Vicar of Christ. What is a vicar? One who takes the place of another. 19 Who is the teal head of the Church? Jesus Christ. Why is the Pope cailed His vicar? Because the Pope takes His place here on earth. Can the Pope teach us any wrong religion? No ; when he speaks, the Church speaks. Can the Pope commit sins? Yes; He goes to confession like other people. How long tvill the Catholic Church last? Until the end of the world. CHAPTER XIII PURGATORY What does it mean to die? That the soul leaves the body. Where will your soul go? It will go before God to be judged. What does it mean to be fudged? To tell us how good or how bad we have been. After the soul is judged, where does it go? To heaven, to hell, or to purgatory. What will purgatory be like? A place of great suffering. How long wilt souls suffer in purgatory? For a time only; not forever. What souls go to purgatory? The souls of those who die with venial sins. Do any people who have done mortal sins go to purgatory? Yes; if these sins were forgiven before they died. If their sins were forgiven before death, why do they have to suffer? Because everyone must make up for the wrong his sins have done God. 20 How severe are the pains of purgatory? Worse than all the sufferings of this life. Can the souls in purgatory help themselves? No; they can only suffer. How can we help them? By Masses, prayers, helping the poor, doing penance. How is it that we can help the souls in purga= tory? Because they are still God's children. Where do souls go when they leave purgatory? To heaven. CHAPTER XIV GENERAL JUDGMENT What becomes of our bodies after death? They are buried and return to dust. How long will they remain dust? Until the last day—the end of the world. What will happen to our bodies on that day? Our souls will return to our bodies ; they will come to life and rise again. Who ail will arise from the grave? Everyone ; the wicked as well as the good What is this called? The resurrection of the body. Why shall we come back to earth on that day? Because we must all be judged together. if we are judged after death, why ^all we have to be judged again? That everyone may know what God did for us and what we did for Him. Then what will everyone know about us on that day? Every good thing and every bad thing we did in life. 21 What about our thoughts and the things we did in secret? They shall be made known also : “Every idle word that man shall speak they shall render an account for it on the day of judgment.”—Matt. XXV, 44. When will this be? , , “No one knoweth ; no, not the angels in heaven.”—Matt, xxiv, 36. Who will come to judge us? Jesus Christ. Who will come with Him? All the angels. Where will the bodies of the wicked go on that wftlf their souls to suffer forever m hell. Where will the bodies of the good go? With their souls into life everlasting. What means life everlasting? To live with God forever m heaven. CHAPTER XV THE FIRST COMMANDMENT What is the first commandment? I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have strange gods before me. What does it tell us to do? . To believe in God, to hope m Him, and to love Him. How many things must we believe? Everything God has made known to us. Who can tell us all that God has made known to US? His Church. 22 Can we believe all these without God^s help? No ; to be able to believe is one of God's special gifts. When did we receive this gift? When we were baptized. Suppose a person refused to believe something God has told us? It would be a sin. Ate you sure God is going to give you a long life? No. Ate you sute God will give you good health evety day of your life? No. Ate you sute God will give you plenty of money to live on? No. What ate you sute God will give you evety day of your life? All the help I need to live a good life. >Vhen God offers us His help, what must we do? We must accept it and try to make use of it. What is this help called? Grace. And if we make a good use of the help God gives us, what are we sute of? Of being happy forever in heaven. What is this called? Hope. Suppose a person would not trust God or hope to have this help? It would be a sin. What sin? Despair. Suppose a person expected to get to heaven with-^ out making use of God^s help? It would be the sin of presumption. How much must we love God? We should love Him more than ourselves and more than everything in the world. 23 Why should we love God more than everything in the world? Because He is so good and there can be no one like Him. How much must we love other people? As much as we love ourselves. CHAPTER XVI THE FIRST COMMANDMENT (continued) What else does the first commandthenl: tell us to do? To adore God; to worship Him; to pray to Him. When do we adore God? When we give Him the highest honor. Suppose we gave to some person or something the honor we should give to God alone? It would be the sin of idolatry. Are we allowed to give any honor to the angels and saints? Yes; because they are in heaven with God and are His special friends. May we pray to the angels and saints? Yes ; just as we ask people here to pray for us. Who can give us help to be good? Only God. Who can forgive our sins? Only God. Then what can the angels and saints do for us? They can ask favors from God for us. Why do we honor the Blessed Virgin more than any other saint? (1) Because she is the Mother of God; (2) Because her life on earth was so holy; (3) Because she is the Queen of all the angels and saints. 24 IMAGES, RELICS, SUPERSTITIONS What images do Catholics have in their Churches and homes? Crucifixes, statues, and pictures of our Lord and holy persons. Since these are only stone, or wood, or paper, why do we respect them? For the same reason that we respect a picture of our father or mother. What are relics of saints? Their bodies or any part of them ; also any- thing used by them, as clothing, etc. May we pray to images or relics? No; they cannot hear us. Why do we pray before them? They make us think of Christ and His angels and saints. Who knows what will happen in the future? Only God. Who knows what everyone is thinking of? What people thousands of miles away are doing at this moment? Only God. Who can cure diseases in an instant? Only God. Is it a sin to believe that men or Women know these things? Yes; it is making men and women as great as God. CHAPTER XVII THE SECOND COMMANDMENT What is the second commandment? Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. 25 How do we take God*s name in vain? ( 1 ) By saying it without respect ; ( 2 ) By blasphemy ; (3) By cursing; (4) By sinful swearing; (5) By breaking a vow. What is blasphemy? Speaking against God, His saints or holy things. What is cursing? Asking God to harm others. What is the difference between saying a thing is true and swearing a thing is true? When we swear, we ask God to say we are telling the truth. What else is swearing called? Taking an oath. Suppose a person swore what was not true? It would be a very great sin. What is this sin called? Perjury. What is a vow? A certain promise made to God. Do you know any persons who make such prom= ises ? Yes; those who belong to religious orders — monks, brothers and nuns. CHAPTER XVIII THE THIRD COMMANDMENT What is the third commandment? Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath Day. What does it tell us to do? To go to Mass on Sundays and holy-days. 26 What other religious practices should we try to keep up on Sundays and holy=days? (1) To go to Communion; (2) To go to afternoon or evening devotions; (3) To read good religious books and papers. What else should we find time to do on these days? To do something good, such as visiting the poor, helping the sick. What is the best work we can do on Sundays? To teach catechism, especially to those who know very little about their religion. What are we not allowed to do on Sundays? Manual labor that is not necessary. Mention some works that are necessary. To cook, sweep, feed horses and cattle, run street cars. Mention some that are not necessary. To plough, dig, saw wood, wash, iron, house- clean. Is it a sin to play games on Sundays? No ; if we do not spend too much time at them. CHAPTER XIX THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT Say the fourth commandment? Honor thy father and thy mother. How do we honor our parents? ( 1 ) By loving them ; (2) By obeying them ; ( 3 ) By being always willing to help them ; (4) By praying for them. What has God promised children who are good to their parents? A long and happy life, even in this world. 27 Whom else must we obey besides our parents? Our superiors; those who have been placed over us. What superiors come first? Religious superiors—the Pope, bishops and priests. What other superiors have we? Rulers of the country, teachers and employers. Why must we obey these superiors? Because they are placed over us by God. When are they not to be obeyed? When they command anything sinful—such orders are not from God. Suppose our superiors are bad men? We must obey them but not imitate them. What does the fourth commandment tell us not to do? We must not : (1) Look down on parents and superiors. (2) Have unkind thoughts about them; (3) Treat them unkindly; (4) Disobey them or be stubborn in having our own way. PARENTS What must parents do for their children when they are very young? Take care of them and support them. When the children get to be older? They must also fit them to earn their own living. What must parents do for the souls of their chiU dren ? They must have them learn their religion and practice it. 28 Who should prepare children for their First Com^ munion? Their parents. Who should teach them their catechism after they have made their First Communion? Their parents, as far as they can. What else must parents do for their children? (1) They must always give them good ex- ample. (2) They must correct and punish them when necessary. CHAPTER XX THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT Say the fifth commandment. Thou shalt not kill. We must not kill anyone; is that all? No ; it is a sin to hurt anyone. How could you hurt another person? By hitting him ; by quarreling or fighting with him. How would a person feel if he were quarreling with another? Angry; perhaps he would hate him, or wish him some harm. What else do people do when they are quarreling with others? They fall out and won't speak to each other ; they won't forgive. Would it be a sin for you to hurt yourself? Yes; if there was no good reason for it. How could you hurt yourself? (1) Going where there is danger when it is not necessary ; (2) Doing things that hurt the health; (3) Getting drunk. 29 Our bodies can be hurt in thousands of ways; what will hurt our souls? Nothing but sin. How could you hurt your own soul? (1) By committing a sin. (2) By putting myself in danger of commit- ting a sin. How could you hurt another personas soul? By causing him to sin. How is this done most often? By bad example ; that is when we say or do what is wrong before others. CHAPTER XXI THE SIXTH AND NINTH COMMAND- MENTS Say the sixth commandment. Thou shalt not commit adultery. What does it tell us not to do? Not to do bad things or talk about them. What else? Not to read bad books and papers or look at bad plays or pictures. Say the ninth commandment. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife. What does it tell us not to do? Not to think about bad things. If a bad thought comes to our mind, is it a sin? No; if it does not come through our fault. What must we do when a bad thought comes to our mind? Try to get rid of it at once; if we do not try, we sin. What should we do to drive it away? Pray ; try to think of something else ; keep ourselves busy. 30 CHAPTER XXII THE SEVENTH AND TENTH COMMAND- MENTS Say the seventh commandment. Thou slialt not steal. What sins does the seventh commandment forbid? ( 1 ) Stealing ; (2) Cheating; (3) Not giving things found to the owner; (4) Not paying our debts; (5) Damaging or destroying what belongs to another. What must a person do if he has taken something belonging to another? Give it back. If he has damaged another personas goods? Make up for the loss. Suppose he is unwilling to do this. His sin cannot be forgiven until he is willing. Say the tenth commandment. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods. When do we covetsomethingbelonging to another ? When we wish to get it dishonestly. Any other way? When we allow ourselves to feel bad because others have things we cannot have. CHAPTER XXIII THE EIGHTH COAIMANDMENT Say the eighth commandment. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. What does this commandment tell us not to do? Not to rob anyone of his good name. 31 How do we do this? When we say something that will make others think less of him. !f we hurt another by saying what is not true, what must we do? We must take back what we said. If we hurt another by saying what is true, what must we do? We must make up for it ; we must try to make people think as much of him as they did be- fore. What about listening to people when they talk bad about others? It would be a sin if we could avoid hearing them. When is it a sin to think bad about another? When we think he has done something wrong and have no good reason for thinking so. What is this sin called? A rash judgment. Suppose a person tells a lie that does no harm? It is a venial sin. A person might tell a lie to help someone, or to save someone from harm? A lie is always sinful and bad in itself. CHAPTER XXIV THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE CHURCH Say the six commandments of the Church. (1) To hear Mass on Sundays and all holy- days of obligation ; (2) To fast and abstain on the days appointed. (3) To confess at least once a year; 32 (4) To receive the Blessed Eucharist during the Easter time; (5) To contribute to the support of our pastors ; (6) To observe the laws for marriage. What sin would a person commit who missed Mass on a Sunday or a holy^day? If he missed Mass through his own fault, it would be a mortal sin. What other people break this commandment and commit a mortal sin? (1) Parents who do not send their children to Mass. (2) Employers who prevent those working for them from going to Mass. (3) Anyone who causes another to miss Mass. Is it a sin to come late to Mass? Yes; to be even a few moments late. How are we to keep holy=days? As we should keep Sundays. What is meant by fasting? Taking only one full meal a day. What is meant by abstaining? Eating no flesh meat. What does the third commandment of the Church tell us? That it is a mortal sin not to go to confession within the year. Is once a year often enough to go to confession? No; if we wish to lead a good life we must go much more frequently. At what age must children go to confession and Communion ? About their seventh year. ,33 CHAPTER XXV ACTUAL GRACE What do all the commandments tell us to do? (1) To keep from sin. (2) To do good. To do these, what do we all need? God’s help. Suppose a person tried to keep from sin just by making up his mind to sin no more? Without God’s help he would sin very often. How long could a person keep from sin without God*s help? Our Lord says, “Without Me you can do noth- ing.”—John XV, 5. How often do we receive help from God? Constantly. What is this help called? Grace. Is every gift we receive from God a grace? No: some are gifts to help us in this world. What about good health, a good memory? These are gifts from God, but not graces. What are they then? They are gifts from God which we need to get through this world. A mother helps a child to walk by taking its hand; how does God help us by His grace? He puts good thoughts into our minds ; shows us what is right : makes us wish to do good things ; turns us from wrong; makes us able to fight temptations. How can we get grace? By asking God for it ; by prayer. How do we obtain God^s greatest graces? Chiefly by receiving the Sacraments and as- sisting at Holy Mass. 34 CHAPTER XXVI PRAYER What are we doing when we pray? Speaking to God. What do we say to Him? (1) We adore and praise Him. (2) We thank Him. (3) We tell Him how sorry we are for offend- ing Him, and ask His pardon. (4) We ask all kinds of favors. What are the special days for prayer? Sundays and holy-days. What about the other days? On these also we should pray often. At what particular times on these days should we pray? Every morning and evening, before and after meals, when the Angelus rings, etc. Any other time? Yes; when we are in trouble or in danger; when we have something important to do ; when we are tempted. For what especially should we ask God? For the help our souls need. May we pray for good health, good weather, bet= ter wages? Yes ; but these prayers are not always answered. Why? What we ask for is not always for our good. In that case, does our prayer help us at all? Yes; God gives us something better instead. How should we behave when we are praying? We should kneel down, if possible, and not be thinking of anything else. 35 What about a person who, at his prayers, does not think of God or of what he is saying? If this is his fault, he sins. What prayers should everyone know by heart and say often? The Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, Apostles’ Creed, Confiteor, an act of contrition, of faith, of hope, of charity. How long will it take to say these eight prayers? Less than three minutes. CHAPTER XXVII BAPTISM When were you baptized? When I was only a few days old. Why were you baptized so soon? Because there was a sin on my soul. Who committed that sin? Adam and Eve. What is it called? Original sin. Were you a Christian before you were baptized? No; I was still a pagan. Supposed you had died before you were baptized? I could never go to heaven nor see God. What took original sin off your soul? Baptism. What did Baptism make you? A Christian and a child of God. Suppose you had died just after you were bap= tized? I should have gone to heaven at once. Will children who die without baptism have to suffer? No; for they have done nothing to deserve it. Who can baptize? Anyone. 36 Whom did God appoint to baptize? Priests. When may one who is not a priest baptize? When the child is likely to die and no priest is there. How do you baptize? Pour water on the child's head and at the same time say the right words. What words must you say? ‘d baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.'' CHAPTER XXVIII CONFIRMATION Who gives Confirmation? The bishop. How does he give it? ( 1 ) He raises his hands over us and prays ; (2) He makes the sign of the cross on our forehead with chrism. (3) He gives each one a slight blow on the cheek. What is holy chrism? A mixture of olive oil and balsam blessed by the bishop. Whom do we receive when we are confirmed? The Holy Ghost. What does He bring us? His seven gifts. Name them? Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knoweldge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. What do these gifts make us? They make us strong and perfect Christians ind soldiers of Christ. 37 In what way does Confirmation make us strong? It helps us to understand our religion better and makes us more willing to live up to it. Why must every Christian be a soldier? Because we cannot get to heaven without fighting. Whom do we fight? Satan and every kind of temptation. CHAPTER XXIX THE BLESSED EUCHARIST Have you ever seen the Blessed Sacrament? Yes When? At Mass and Benediction. What did It look like? Like bread. Is It bread? No; It is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Is It the very same Body that was nailed to the cross ? Yes; since it is the body of Our Saviour. Does the priest really place God on the peoples* tongues ? Yes; Jesus Christ is God. After Jesus died on the cross, where was His body placed? In the grave. Where is It now? In heaven. If the Body of Jesus is in heaven, how can the priest have It on the altar? The priest changes bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. When is this done? During Mass, at the Consecration. 38 When was this done first? At Our Lord's Last Supper. Who did it then? Our Lord Himself. What were the words He said? '‘This is My Body—This is My Blood." Who were with Him then? His twelve apostles. What command did He give them? “Do this for a commemoration of Me." —St. Luke xxii, 19. **Do this;** what did Our Lord mean? To do what He had just done—to change bread and wine into His Body and Blood. To whom else besides the apostles did Jesus give this power? To all bishops and priests. During Mass what does the priest pour into the chalice? Wine. Later in the Mass, when the priest drinks from the chalice, what is it? Our Lord's Body and Blood. When Jesus was on the cross His Blood was run= ning from His Hands and Feet; is that veiy same Blood in the chalice? Yes, every time Holy Mass is offered. Is His Blood in the Host? Yes; His Body and Blood are never separated. Is the whole of Our Lord*s Body in every Host? or only a part of it? The whole of It. How can this be? Our Lord's Body can be in as many places as He wishes at the same time. What other name is given the Blessed Sacrament? The Blessed Eucharist. 39 CHAPTER XXX HOLY MASS Read this chapter and tell us : (1) What Jesus is doing on the altar during Mass? (2) Why does one Mass give God more honor than all the angels and saints could give him? A Vision. Suppose that some place, not very far away, there was a large beautiful valley, with hills rising up on every side of it. Then suppose that God sent an angel to the bishop with a wonderful message. The message was that next Sunday all the angels and saints in heaven would come down together in that valley. Of course we should all be there early Sunday morning. People would come from every place, no matter how far away. There would be no room left on any of the hills around. Then perhaps about ten o'clock we should hear the most beautiful singing. In a minute we should see the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph and all the angels and saints coming down into the valley. Heaven Come Down on Earth. Now, what do you think they would do there? Why, just what they are always doing in heaven. You would see them bowing down to adore God. You would hear them praising Him for all His good- ness. You would hear them, all together, thank- ing God for everything He had ever done. What is more, they would see us there and they would ask God to give us everything we need. They would ask Him to make our lives so good that 40 we should be adoring God one day with them in heaven. We could never forget that day. We should think about it every day and every hour for the rest of our lives. We had heard all the angels and saints praying for us and we should feel sure that we are going to get to heaven. Something Greater Will Happen. Now, of course, we do not expect to see the angels and saints come down next Sunday. But we do ex- pect something greater to happen in our church. When the priest is saying Mass, Jesus Christ will be present on the altar. He is much greater than all the angels and saints. What Is Holy Mass? What will He do on the altar? Just what He did when He was on the Cross on Calvary. He will adore the Father; He will praise Him for His goodness ; He will thank Him for everything He has ever done ; He will ask Him for everything we need. This is what Jesus does in every Mass. You know Jesus is man as well as God. He is one of us. You remember when He was still on earth, how He used to go up to the mountain to pray. And now when He is present on the altar. He prays. He speaks with His Father in heaven. All the angels and saints together could not give God as much honor as Jesus gives Him in any one Mass; bcause all the angels and saints are not as great as Jesus. All the angels and saints could not give as great thanks to God as He receives in every Mass, because all the angels and saints are not as great as Jesus. When we are at Mass, Jesus is asking all kinds 41 of favors for us from His Father in heaven. The prayers of all the angels and saints could not do as much for us as that. When we go to Mass, we should do what Jesus is doing on the altar. We should unite with Him. With Him we should adore God. With Him we should thank God. With Him we should ask God for everything we need, (1) If all the angels and saints came down to earth at once, what should we see them doing? (2) During Mass who is it especially that is thank- ing God? (3) Why can the prayer of Jesus in the Mass do more for us than the prayers of all the angels and saints? (4) What should we do during Mass? (5) Who is praying with us when we are at Mass? Always carry your prayer-book to Mass. Read it very slowly. Don’t look around. Don’t lean against the seat behind you. At what time in the Mass are the following? What does the priest do at each? Introit; Epistle; Gospel; Offertory; Secret; Preface; Canon; Elevation; Me- mento of the Dead; Pater Noster; Agnus Dei; Post Communion. CHAPTER XXXI HOLY COMMUNION How often should we go to Communion? As often as we can go with becoming devo- tion; every day if possible. Why should we wish to receive often? Because nothing can help us so much to lead a holy life. In what ways especially does Holy Communion help us? 42 (1) Jesus comes to stay in our hearts that we may know Him better and love Him more. (2) He makes us more and more like Him- self ; (3) He becomes the food of our souls and gives them strength to do His will; (4) Our Communions cleanse us from venial sin ; (5) They help us in every temptation. How must we prepare for Communion? We must be free from mortal sin. What next? We must be fasting from midnight. What else should we do to prepare for Com= munion? (1) The evening before should be spent quietly; no excitement, no amusements. (2) We should keep thinking Who it is we are going to receive into our hearts. (3) We should read prayers before Com- munion. What should we do after Communion? We should remain some time with Jesus, who has come to stay with us. How are we to spend this time? Quietly listening to Jesus; speaking to Him in our hearts ; reading our prayer books. What prayers especially should be on our lips and in our hearts at that time? Acts of thanksgiving. CHAPTER XXXII CONFESSION If a person commits a sin, how long will it stay on his soul? Until God forgives it. 43 Can he have a mortal sin taken off his soul? Yes; there is no sin that God will not forgive. How can he have it forgiven? By going to confession and being sorry. What do we do at confession? Tell our sins to the priest. Why do we tell them to the priest? He can take them away. Who gave him that great power? Our Lord Jesus Christ. What sins must we tell? All our mortal sins. What about our venial sins? It is better to tell all we are truly sorry for. Suppose a person did not tell all his venial sins? He would still make a good confession. Suppose a person committed ten mortal sins, told nine and would not tell the tenth; how many sins would that confession take away? None. If he committed the same sin many times, what must he tell? He must tell how many times. When we tell all our sins and the number of times, are our sins sure to be forgiven? No ; it is not enough just to tell our sins. What else must we do? We must make ourselves sorry for them. What do you mean by saying *‘l am sorry for my sins ?** It means ^T wish I had not done them.’' A boy told a lie; after a while he was afraid his father was going to punish him for it; then he wished he had not done it? His sin would not be taken away in confession. Why not? It was not for doing wrong that he was sorry. What, then, should make us sorry for our sins? Because we offend God who is so good. 44 What else? Because they made Our Lord suffer so much. Suppose a person is sorry because he is afraid of going to hell? He would make a good confession. How would you make yourself sorry foryoursins? Chiefly by thinking. About what? About Our Lord's sufferings and death. Anything else? Yes; about heaven and the pains of hell. A person says he is sorry for a sin but does not make up his mind to stop it? He is not sorry. When a person confesses his sins and is sorry, what does the priest do? Gives him absolution. What else does the priest do? Gives him a penance. Why do we have to do a penance? To make up for the wrong our sins do God. Suppose a person forgot to tell some sins? If it was not his fault, he would make a good confession. When would it be his fault? If he went to confession without taking time to find out what sins he had committed. When is a confession bad? (1) If a person kept back a sin. (2) If he was not sorry for his sins. (3) If he did not examine his conscience. If a person is afraid to tell a sin, what should he do? He should ask the priest to help him. 45 When you are getting ready for confession, you pray, then think of ail your sins; are you ready for confession then? No; there are three things to do. What is the third one? We must make ourselves sorry for our sins. CHAPTER XXXIII EXTREME UNCTION When a person is very sick, he sends for the priest; what can he do for him? Hear his confession and give him Holy Communion. Anything eise? Yes; he will anoint him. How is this done? The priest makes the sign of the cross with holy oil on his eyes, ears, hands, etc., and at the same time says certain prayers. Why does the priest do this? Because Our Lord commanded it. What is this called? The Sacrament of Extreme Unction. Who may receive Extreme Unction? Persons with any illness or disease that may cause death. What does Extreme Unction do for us? Sometimes it cures the illness. If not, it gives grace to die a happy death. 46 CHAPTER XXXIV HOLY ORDER There are many things which only a priest can do; name some of them. ( 1 ) Say Mass ; (2) Forgive sins; (3) Consecrate and bless. Name some things which only a bishop can do? Ordain priests and consecrate bishops. How do priests and bishops get power to do these things ? By receiving the Sacrament of Holy Order. Does Holy Order give them anything besides these powers? Yes; very great graces. What are these graces for? To help them to do their duty as priests and bishops. CHAPTER XXXV MATRIMONY There is a marriage of two Jews, by the rabbi or minister; are they really married? Yes ; God makes them husband and wife. For how long are they married? Until one dies. What do they promise? To do everything a good husband and wife should do. To keep these promises, what does every married person need? God's grace ; God's help day by day. What did Christ do that married people might always have these graces? He made marriage a sacrament. 47 Did the Jewish couple receive the Sacrament of Matrimony? No; because they were not baptized. To whom must Catholics go to be married? To their own pastor. Are they really married if they go to a minister? The Church does not give the minister an} power. Whom is a Catholic forbidden to marry? ( 1 ) A person who is not a Catholic. (2) A relative within the third degree. Suppose a married couple get a divorce? They are still married. Can the government break a marriage? No; no person can be divorced. Can the Church break a marriage? No; the Church can join but cannot separate. Why not? Because God keeps this power in His own hands. What did Christ say about this? “What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.”—Matt. XIX, Rom. XII, I Cor. VII. When does marriage come to an end? Only when one of the married couple dies. How many Sacraments are there? Seven : Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy Order Matri- mony. What Sacraments can be received more than once? All except Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders. 48 THE CONFITEOR I confess to to blessed to blessed to blessed ALMIGHTY GOD, MARY, ever Virgin, MICHAEL, the Archangel, JOHN, the Baptist, to the holy apostles PETER AND PAUL, and to all the SAINTS, that I HAVE SINNED exceedingly in thought, word and deed : through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore I beseech blessed MARY, ever Virgin, blessed MICHAEL, the Archangel, blessed JOHN, the Baptist, the holy apostles PETER AND PAUL, and all the SAINTS, to pray to the Lord our God for me. May the Almighty God have mercy on me, and for- give me my sins, and bring me to everlasting life. Amen. May the Almighty and merciful Lord grant me par- don, absolution, and remission of all my sins. Amen. THE Complete Catechism Series [By the Basiliau Fathers] No. 1. First Commiiaicaiit’s Catechism No. 2. Junior Catechism No. 3. The Baltimore Catechism, Revised THE BASILIAN PRESS BOCHESTEB 13. N.Y. • TOBONTO 6, CANADA