250 Q. How do the priests exercise this power of changing bread and wine

into the body and blood of Christ?

A. The priests exercise this power of changing bread and wine into the

body and blood of Christ through the words of consecration in the Mass,

which are the words of Christ: "This is My body; this is My blood."

"Consecration." At what part of the Mass are the words of consecration

pronounced? Just before the Elevation; that is, just before the priest

holds up the Host and the chalice, while the altar boy rings the bell.

When the priest is going to say Mass he prepares everything necessary in

the sacristy--the place or room near the altar where the sacred vessels

and vestments are kept, and where the priest vests. He takes the

chalice--that is, the long silver or gold goblet--out of its case; then

he covers it with a long, narrow, white linen cloth called a

purificator. Over this he places a small silver or gold plate called the

paten, on which he places a host--that is, a thin piece of white bread

prepared for Mass, perfectly round, and about the size of the bottom of

a small drinking glass. He then covers this host with a white card,

called a pall, after which he covers the chalice and all with a square

cloth or veil that matches the vestments. Then he puts on his own

vestments as follows: Over his shoulders the amice, a square, white

cloth. Next the alb, a long white garment reaching down to his feet. He

draws it about his waist with the cincture, or white cord. He places on

his left arm the maniple, a short, narrow vestment. Around his neck he

places the stole, a long, narrow vestment with a cross on each end. Over

all he places the chasuble, or large vestment with the cross on the

back. Lastly, he puts on his cap or biretta. Before going further I must

say something about the color and signification of the vestments. There

are five colors used, namely, white, red, green, violet, and black.

White signifies innocence, and is used on the feasts of Our Lord, of the

Blessed Virgin, and of some saints. Red signifies love, and is used on

the feasts of the Holy Ghost and of the martyrs. Green signifies hope,

and is used on Sundays from the Epiphany to Pentecost, unless some feast

requiring another color falls on Sunday. Violet signifies penance, and

is used in Advent and Lent. Black signifies sorrow, and is used on Good

Friday and in Masses for the dead. As regards the vestments themselves:

the amice signifies preparation to resist the attacks of the devil; the

alb is the symbol of innocence; the cincture of charity; the maniple of

penance; the stole of immortality; and the chasuble of love, by which we

are enabled to bear the light burden Our Lord is pleased to lay upon us.

Vested as described, when the candles have been lighted on the altar,

the priest takes the covered chalice in his hand and goes to the altar,

where, after arranging everything, he begins Mass. After saying many

prayers, he uncovers the chalice, and the acolyte or altar boy brings up

wine and water, and the priest puts some into the chalice. Then he says

a prayer, and offers to God the bread and wine to be consecrated. This

is called the offertory of the Mass, and takes place after the boy

presents the wine and water. Immediately after the Sanctus the priest

begins what is called the Canon of the Mass, and soon after comes to the

time of consecration, and has before him on the paten the white bread,

or host, and in the chalice wine. Remember, it is only bread and wine as

yet. After saying some prayers the priest bends down over the altar and

pronounces the words of consecration, namely, "This is My body," over

the bread; and "This is My blood," over the wine. Then there is no

longer the bread the priest brought out and the wine the boy gave, upon

the altar, but instead of both the body and blood of Our Lord. After the

words of consecration, the priest genuflects or kneels before the altar

to adore Our Lord, who just came there at the words of consecration; he

next holds up the body of Our Lord--the Host--for the people also to see

and adore it; he then replaces it on the altar and again genuflects. He

does just the same with the chalice. This is called the Elevation. The

altar boy then rings the bell to call the people's attention to it, for

it is the most solemn part of the Mass. After more prayers the priest

takes and consumes, that is, swallows, the sacred Host and drinks the

precious blood from the chalice. Then the people come up to the altar to

receive Holy Communion. But where does the priest get Holy Communion for

them if he himself took all he consecrated? He opens the tabernacle, and

there, in a large, beautiful vessel he has small Hosts. He consecrates a

large number of these small hosts sometimes while he is consecrating the

larger one for himself. When they are consecrated, he places them in the

tabernacle, where they are kept with the sanctuary lamp burning before

them, till at the different Masses they have all been given out to the

people. Then he consecrates others at the next Mass, and does as before.

The size of the Host does not make the slightest difference, as Our Lord

is present whole and entire in the smallest particle of the Host. A

little piece that you could scarcely see would be the body of Our Lord.

However, the particle that is given to the people is about the size of a

twenty-five-cent piece, so that they can swallow it before it melts. In

receiving Holy Communion you must never let it entirely dissolve in your

mouth, for if you do not swallow it you will not receive Holy Communion

at all.

Here I might tell you what Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is. The

priest sometimes consecrates at the Mass two large hosts, one he

consumes himself, as I have told you, and the other he places in the

tabernacle in a little gold case. When it is time for Benediction, he

places this little case--made of glass and gold, about the size of a

watch--in the gold or silver monstrance which you see on the altar at

Benediction. It is made to represent rays of light coming from the

Blessed Sacrament. After the choir sings, the priest says the prayer and

goes up and blesses the people with the Blessed Sacrament; that is, when

he holds up the monstrance over the people Our Lord Himself blesses

them. Should we not be very anxious, therefore, to go to Benediction? If

the bishop came to the church, we would all be anxious to receive his

blessing; and if our Holy Father the Pope came, everybody would rush to

the church. But what are they compared to Our Lord Himself? And yet when

He comes to give His blessing, many seem to care little about it.

Because Our Lord in His goodness is pleased to give us His blessing

often, we are indifferent about it. The holy teachers and fathers of the

Church tell us that if we could see the sanctuary at Mass and

Benediction as it really is, we would see it filled with angels all

bowed down, adoring Our Lord. These good angels must be very much

displeased at those who are so indifferent at Mass or Benediction as not

to pay any attention; and above all, at those who stay away. The large

silk cloak the priest wears at Benediction is called the cope, and the

long scarf that is placed over his shoulders the humeral, or Benediction

veil. At the words of consecration, you must know, the priest does not

say "This is Christ's body," but "This is My body"; for at the altar the

priest is there in the place of Our Lord Himself. It is Our Lord who

offers up the sacrifice, and the priest is His instrument. That is why

the priest wears vestments while saying Mass or performing his sacred

duties, to remind him that he is, as it were, another person; that he is

not acting in his own name or right, but in the name and place of our

Blessed Lord.

I have given you in a general way a description of the Mass: let me now

mention its particular parts by their proper names, and tell you what

they are. At the foot of the altar the priest says the Confiteor, a

psalm, and other prayers as a preparation. Then he ascends the altar

steps--praying as he goes--and says the Introit, which is some portion

of the Holy Scripture suitable to the feast of the day. He next says the

Kyrie Eleison, which means: Lord, have mercy on us. He then says the

Gloria, or hymn of praise, though not in all Masses. After the Gloria he

says the Collect, which is a collection of prayers in which the priest

prays for the needs of the Church and of its children. This is followed

by the Epistle, which is a part of the Holy Scripture. Then the

Mass-book is removed to the other side of the altar, and the priest

reads the Gospel--that is, some portion of the Gospel written by the

evangelists. After the Gospel the priest, except in some Masses, says

the Creed, which is a profession of his faith in the mysteries of our

religion. After this the priest uncovers the chalice, and offers up the

bread and wine which is to be consecrated. This is called the Offertory

of the Mass. The offertory is followed by the Lavabo, or washing of the

priest's hands: first, that the priest's hands may be purified to touch

the Sacred Host; and, second, to signify the purity of soul he must have

to offer the Holy Sacrifice. After saying some prayers in secret he says

the Preface, which is a solemn hymn of praise and thanksgiving. The

Preface ends with the Sanctus. The Sanctus is followed by the Canon of

the Mass. Canon means a rule; so this part of the Mass is called the

Canon, because it never changes. The Epistle, Gospel, prayers, etc., are

different on the different feasts, but the Canon of the Mass is always

the same. The Canon is the part of the Mass from the Sanctus down to the

time the priest again covers the chalice. After the Canon the priest

says the Post-Communion, or prayer after Communion; then he gives the

blessing and goes to the other side of the altar, and ends Mass by

saying the last Gospel.

During the Mass the priest frequently makes the Sign of the Cross,

genuflects or bends the knee before the altar, strikes his breast, etc.

What do all these ceremonies mean? By the cross the priest is reminded

of the death of Our Lord; he genuflects as an act of humility, and he

strikes his breast to show his own unworthiness. You will understand all

the ceremonies of the altar if you remember that Our Lord--the King of

kings--is present on it, and the priest acts in His presence as the

servants in a king's palace would act when approaching their king or in

his presence, showing their respect by bowing, kneeling, etc. You will

see this more clearly if you watch the movements of the priest at the

altar while the Blessed Sacrament is exposed.

Lesson 23

ON THE END FOR WHICH THE HOLY EUCHARIST WAS INSTITUTED

251 Q. Why did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist?

A. Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist:

(1) To unite us to Himself and to nourish our souls with His divine

life.

(2) To increase sanctifying grace and all the virtues in our souls.

(3) To lessen our evil inclinations.

(4) To be a pledge of everlasting life.

(5) To fit our bodies for a glorious resurrection.

(6) To continue the sacrifice of the Cross in His Church.

"To nourish." The Holy Eucharist does to our souls what natural food

does to our bodies. It strengthens them and makes up for the losses we

have sustained by sin, etc. "A pledge," because it does not seem

probable that a person who all during life had been fed and nourished

with the sacred body of Our Lord should after death be buried in Hell.

"To fit our bodies," because Our Lord has promised that if we eat His

flesh and drink His blood, that is, receive the Holy Eucharist, He will

raise us up on the last day, or Day of Judgment. (John 6:55).

*252 Q. How are we united to Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist?

A. We are united to Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist by means of Holy

Communion.

253 Q. What is Holy Communion?

A. Holy Communion is the receiving of the body and blood of Christ.

Holy Communion is therefore the receiving of the Sacrament of Holy

Eucharist.

254 Q. What is necessary to make a good Communion?

A. To make a good Communion it is necessary to be in a state of

sanctifying grace, to be fasting for one hour, and to have a right

intention.

"Fasting"--that is, not having taken any food or drink for one hour

before the time of Communion. (Water and true medicine do not break the

fast and may be taken at any time.) What, then, are you to do, if,

without thinking, you break your fast? Do not go to Communion at that

Mass; you can remain in church and receive Communion at the following

Mass. Never, never, on any account, go to Holy Communion when you have

broken your fast. Never let fear or shame or anything else make you do

such a thing. It is no shame to break your fast by mistake; but it is a

great sin to knowingly go to Communion after breaking your fast.

"A right intention"--holy and spiritual motive, such as, to obey Our

Lord's command, to receive strength to resist temptation, or to be

united with Our Lord.

255 Q. Does he who receives Communion in mortal sin receive the body and

blood of Christ?

A. He who receives Communion in mortal sin receives the body and blood

of Christ, but does not receive His grace, and he commits a great

sacrilege.

"The body and blood," because the appearance of bread and wine is there

after consecration, and he receives it. He who receives the Holy

Eucharist in mortal sin receives Our Lord into a filthy soul. If a great

and highly-esteemed friend was coming to visit your house, would you not

take care to have everything clean and neat, and pleasing to him? And

the greater the dignity of the person coming, the more careful you would

be. But what are all the persons of dignity in the world--kings or

popes--compared with Our Lord, who leaves the beauties of Heaven to come

to visit our soul? and the purest we can make it is not pure enough for

Him. But He is kind to us, and is satisfied with our poor preparation if

He sees we are doing our very best. But oh, what a shame to receive Him

into our soul without any preparation! and more horrible still, to fill

it with vile sins, that we know are most disgusting to Him! No wonder,

therefore, that receiving Holy Communion unworthily is so great a crime,

and so deserving of God's punishment. Why should not the heavenly Father

punish us for treating His beloved Son with such shameful disrespect and

contempt?

*256 Q. Is it enough to be free from mortal sin, to receive plentifully

the graces of Holy Communion?

A. To receive plentifully the graces of Holy Communion it is not enough

to be free from mortal sin, but we should be free from all affection to

venial sin, and should make acts of lively faith, of firm hope and

ardent love.

*257 Q. What is the fast necessary for Holy Communion?

A. The fast necessary for Holy Communion is the abstaining for one hour

from everything which is taken as food or drink.

{T.N.: The reprint book, upon which this e-text is based, contains the

statement, "published . . . with minor revisions to conform with the new

regulations on fasting and indulgences, etc."}

"Food or drink." If you swallowed a button, for example, it would not

break your fast, because it is not food or drink.

*258 Q. Is anyone ever allowed to receive Holy Communion when not

fasting?

A. Anyone in danger of death is allowed to receive Communion when not

fasting.

"Not fasting." But then the Holy Communion is called by another name; it

is called the Viaticum, and the priest uses a different prayer in giving

it to the sick person. When a person dies, he goes, as it were, on a

journey from this world to the next. Now, when persons are going on a

journey they must have food to strengthen them. Our Lord wished,

therefore, that all His children who had to go on this most important of

all journeys--from this world to the next--should be first strengthened

by this sacred food, His own body and blood. The Latin word for road or

way is via, and Viaticum therefore means food for the way. Not only are

persons in danger of death allowed to receive when not fasting, but they

are obliged to receive; and the priest is obliged under pain of sin to

bring Holy Communion to the dying at any hour of the day or night.

When I speak of a great journey from this world to the next, from earth

to Heaven, you must not understand me to mean that it is a great many

miles from earth to Heaven, or that it takes a long time to go to the

next world. No. We cannot measure the distance, nor does it take time to

get there. The instant we die, no matter where that happens, our soul is

in the next world, and judged by God.

*259 Q. When are we bound to receive Holy Communion?

A. We are bound to receive Holy Communion, under pain of mortal sin,

during the Easter time and when in danger of death.

*260 Q. Is it well to receive Holy Communion often?

A. It is well to receive Holy Communion often, as nothing is a greater

aid to a holy life than often to receive the Author of all graces and

the Source of all good.

*261 Q. What should we do after Holy Communion?

A. After Holy Communion we should spend some time in adoring Our Lord,

in thanking Him for the graces we have received and in asking Him for

the blessings we need.

Lesson 24

ON THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

262 Q. When and where are the bread and wine changed into the body and

blood of Christ?

A. The bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ at

the consecration in the Mass.

263 Q. What is the Mass?

A. The Mass is the unbloody sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ.

The Holy Sacrifice is called Mass probably from the words the priest

says at the end when he turns to the people and says, "Ite Missa est";

that is, when he tells them the Holy Sacrifice is over.

*264 Q. What is a sacrifice?

A. A sacrifice is the offering of an object by a priest to God alone,

and the consuming of it to acknowledge that He is the Creator and Lord

of all things.

"Sacrifice." From the very earliest history of man we find people--for

example, Abel, Noe, etc.--offering up sacrifice to God; that is, taking

something and offering it to God, and then destroying it to show that

they believed God to be the Master of life and death, and the Supreme

Lord of all things. These offerings were sometimes plants or fruits, but

most frequently animals.

When men lost the knowledge of the true God and began to worship idols

of wood and stone, they began or continued to offer sacrifice to these

false gods. Very often, too, they sacrificed human beings to please, as

they imagined, these gods. They believed there was a god for

everything--a god for the ocean, a god for thunder, a god for wind, for

war, etc.; and when anything happened that frightened or injured the

people, they believed that some of these gods were offended, and offered

up sacrifice to pacify them. They had a temple in Rome called the

Pantheon, or temple of all the gods, and here they kept the idols of all

the gods they could think of or know. At Athens, they were afraid of

neglecting any god whom they might thus give offense, and so they had an

altar for the unknown god. When St. Paul came to preach, he saw this

altar to the unknown god, and told them that was the God he came to

preach about. (Acts 17). He preached to them the existence of the true

God, and showed them that there is only one God and not many gods.

They did not have these idols of wood and stone in their temples for the

same reason that we have images in our churches, because they believed

that the idols were really gods, and offered sacrifice to them, whereas

we know that our images are the works of men. Near the city of Jerusalem

there was a great idol named Molech, to which parents offered their

infants in sacrifice. We know, too, from the history of this country

that the Indians used to send a beautiful young girl in a white canoe

over the falls of Niagara every year, as a sacrifice offered to the god

of the falls. Even yet human sacrifices are offered up on savage

islands. Sometimes certain animals were selected to be heathen gods. The

people who worship idols, animals, or other things of that kind as gods

are called pagans, idolaters, or heathens.

The Israelites, who worshipped the true God and offered Him sacrifices

because He made known to them by revelation that they should do so, had

four kinds of sacrifice. They offered one for sin, another in

thanksgiving for benefits received, another as an act of worship, and

another to beg God's blessing. It is just for these four ends or objects

we offer up the one Christian sacrifice of the holy Mass. In the

beginning the head of the family offered sacrifice--as Noe did when he

came out of the Ark--but after God gave His laws to Moses He appointed

priests to offer up the sacrifices. Aaron, the brother of Moses, was the

first priest appointed, and after him his descendants were priests. When

Our Lord came and instituted a new sacrifice He established the

priesthood of the New Law, and appointed His own priests, namely, the

Apostles, with St. Peter as their chief, and after them their lawfully

appointed successors, the bishops of the world, with the Pope as their

chief. The sacrifices of the Old Law were figures of the sacrifice of

the New Law, and were to cease at its institution; and when the ancient

sacrifices ceased the ancient priesthood was at an end.

265 Q. Is the Mass the same sacrifice as that of the Cross?

A. The Mass is the same sacrifice as that of the Cross.

But how is the Mass a sacrifice? It is a sacrifice because at the Mass

the body and blood of Our Lord are offered to His heavenly Father at the

consecration, and afterwards consumed by the priest. In offering up the

body and blood of Our Lord the bread and wine are consecrated

separately, and kept separate on the altar at Mass to signify their

separation at Our Lord's death in the sacrifice of the Cross, when His

sacred blood flowed from His body. The Holy Eucharist is also a

Sacrament, because it has the three things necessary to constitute a

Sacrament; namely, (1) The outward sign--that is, the appearance of

bread and wine. (2) The inward grace; for it is Jesus Christ Himself,

the Author and Dispenser of all graces. (3) It was instituted by Our

Lord.

The Holy Eucharist is therefore both a sacrifice and a Sacrament. It is

a sacrifice when offered at Mass, and a Sacrament when we receive it and

when it is reserved in the tabernacle.

*266 Q. How is the Mass the same sacrifice as that of the Cross?

A. The Mass is the same sacrifice as that of the Cross because the

offering and the priest are the same--Christ Our Blessed Lord; and the

ends for which the sacrifice of the Mass is offered are the same as

those of the sacrifice of the Cross.

On the Cross the offering was the body and blood of Our Lord; the one

who offered it was Our Lord; the reason for which He offered it was that

He might atone for sin; the one to whom He offered it was His heavenly

Father. Now, at Mass it is the same. The object offered is Our Lord's

body and blood, the one suffering is Our Lord Himself, through the

priest; it is offered for sin, and it is offered to the heavenly Father.

All things are the same, except that the blood of Our Lord is not shed,

and Our Lord does not die again.

*267 Q. What are the ends for which the sacrifice of the Cross was

offered?

A. The ends for which the sacrifice of the Cross was offered were:

first, to honor and glorify God; second, to thank Him for all the graces

bestowed on the whole world; third, to satisfy God's justice for the

sins of men; fourth, to obtain all graces and blessings.

*268 Q. Is there any difference between the sacrifice of the Cross and

the sacrifice of the Mass?

A. Yes; the manner in which the sacrifice is offered is different. On

the Cross Christ really shed His blood and was really slain; in the Mass

there is no real shedding of blood nor real death, because Christ can

die no more; but the sacrifice of the Mass, through the separate

consecration of the bread and the wine, represents His death on the

Cross.

269 Q. How should we assist at Mass?

A. We should assist at Mass with great interior recollection and piety

and with every outward mark of respect and devotion.

If you were admitted into the presence of a king or of the Holy Father

you would be careful not to show any indifference or disrespect in his

presence. You would not be guilty of looking around or of talking idly

to those near you. Your eyes would be constantly fixed on the great

person present. So should you be at Mass, for there you are admitted

into the presence of the King of kings, our divine Lord. Your whole

attention, therefore, should be reverently given to Him, and to no

other. How displeasing it must be to Him to have some in His presence

who care so little for Him and who insult Him without thought or regard!

If we acted in the presence of any prince as we sometimes act in the

presence of Our Lord on the altar, we should be turned out of his house,

with orders not to come again. But Our Lord suffers all patiently and

meekly, though He will not allow any of this disrespect to go unpunished

in this world or in the next. Knowing this, some holy persons offer up

their prayers and Holy Communions in reparation for these insults, and

try to atone for all the insults offered to Our Lord in the Blessed

Sacrament. They have united in holy society for this purpose, called the

Apostleship of Prayer, or League of the Sacred Heart, now established in

many parishes. If you do not belong to such a society, you should make

such an offering yourself privately.

In the Old Law the people brought to the temple whatever they wished the

priests to offer up for them--sometimes a lamb, sometimes a dove,

sometimes fruit, etc. The offering or sacrifice was theirs, and they

offered it up by the hands of the priests. In the early ages of the

Church the Christians brought to the priests the bread and wine to be

consecrated and offered up at Mass. Now as the bread and wine used at

the Mass must be of a particular kind, namely, wheaten bread and wine of

the grape, there was some danger of the people not bringing the proper

kind: so instead of the people bringing these things themselves, the

priests began to buy them, and the people gave him money for his own

support; and thus you have the origin of offering money to the priest

for celebrating Mass for your intention. The money is not to pay for the

Mass, because you could not buy any sacred thing without committing sin.

The priest may use the money also for the candles burned, the vestments

and sacred vessels, etc., used at the Mass. To buy a holy thing for

money is the sin of simony--so called after Simon, a magician, who tried

to bribe the Apostles to give him Confirmation when he was unworthy of

it. To buy religious articles before they are blessed is not simony, nor

even after they are blessed, if you pay only for the material of which

they are made; but if you tried to buy the blessing, it would be simony.

When the Holy Mass is offered, the fruits or benefits of it are divided

into four classes. The first benefit comes to the priest who celebrates

the Mass; the second, to the one for whom he offers the Mass; the third

benefit to those who are present at it; and the fourth to all the

faithful throughout the world.

*270 Q. Which is the best manner of hearing Mass?

A. The best manner of hearing Mass is to offer it to God with the priest

for the same purpose for which it is said, to meditate on Christ's

sufferings and death, and to go to Holy Communion.

That is, to offer it up for whatever intention the priest is offering

it--for the dead, for the conversion of sinners, for the good of others,

etc.; but especially for the four ends of which I have already

spoken--to worship God, thank Him, etc. "Christ's death," of which it

reminds us. "Holy Communion," if we are in a state of grace, and have

prepared to receive Communion.

You should go to Holy Communion as often as possible, and you should try

every day to make yourself more worthy of that great Sacrament. Think of

it! To receive your God and Saviour into your soul, and to be united

with Him, as the word communion means! The early Christians used to go

to Communion very frequently. The Church requires us to go to Holy

Communion at least once a year, but we should not be satisfied with

doing merely what is necessary to avoid mortal sin. Do we try to keep

away from persons we love? Then if we really love Our Lord should we not

desire to receive Him? All good Catholics should go to Holy Communion at

least once a week, on Sunday. Persons wishing to lead truly holy lives

should go to Communion more often, or even every day.

When we cannot go really to Communion we can merit God's grace by making

a spiritual Communion. What is a spiritual Communion? It is an earnest

desire to receive Communion. You prepare yourself as if you were really

going to Communion; you try to imagine yourself going up, receiving the

Blessed Sacrament, and returning to your place. Then you thank God for

all His blessings to you as you would have done had you received. This

is an act of devotion, and one very pleasing to God, as many holy

writers tell us.

I cannot leave this lesson on the Holy Eucharist without telling you

something of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, now so

universally practiced and so closely connected with the devotion to the

Blessed Sacrament. The Church grants many indulgences, and Our Lord

Himself promises many rewards to those who honor the Sacred Heart. But

what do we mean by the Sacred Heart? We mean the real natural heart of

Our Lord, to which His divinity is united as it is to His whole body.

But why do we adore this real, natural heart of Our Lord? We adore it

because love is said to be in the heart, and we wish to return Our Lord

love, and gratitude for the great love He has shown to us in dying for

us, and in instituting the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist, by

which He can remain with us in His sacred humanity. When Our Lord

appeared to Saint Margaret Mary He said: "Behold this Heart, that has

loved men so ardently, and is so little loved in return." The first

Friday of every month and the whole month of June are dedicated to the

Sacred Heart.

Lesson 25

ON EXTREME UNCTION AND HOLY ORDERS

"Unction" means the anointing or rubbing with oil or ointment. "Extreme"

means last. Therefore Extreme Unction means the last anointing. It is

called the "last" because other unctions or anointings are received

before it. We are anointed at Baptism on three parts of the body--on the

breast, the back, and the head. We are anointed on the forehead at

Confirmation; and when priests are ordained they are anointed on the

hands. The last time we are anointed is just before death, and it is

therefore very properly called the last anointing, or Extreme Unction.

But if the person should not die after being anointed would it still be

called Extreme Unction? Yes; because at the time it was given it was

thought to be the last. It sometimes happens that persons receive

Extreme Unction several times in their lives, because they could receive

it every time they were in danger of death by sickness. Suppose a person

should die immediately after being anointed in Baptism or Confirmation,

would the anointing in Baptism or Confirmation then become Extreme

Unction? No. Because Extreme Unction is in itself a separate and

distinct Sacrament--a special anointing with prayers for the sick. Oil

is used in Extreme Unction--as in Confirmation--as a sign of strength;

for as the priest applies the holy oil in the Sacrament, the grace of

the Sacrament is taking effect upon the soul. This Sacrament was

instituted as much for the body as for the soul, as all the prayers said

by the priest while administering it indicate. It is given generally

after a person has made his confession and received the Viaticum, and

when his soul is already in a state of grace; showing that it is in a

special way intended for the body. It must be given only in sickness;

for although one might be in danger of death if the danger did not come

from within, but from without, he could not be anointed. A soldier in

battle, persons being shipwrecked, firemen working at a great fire,

etc., could not be anointed, although they are in very great danger of

death; because the danger is not from within themselves, but from

without. If, however, these persons were so frightened that there was

danger of their dying from the fright, they could then be anointed.

271 Q. What is the Sacrament of Extreme Unction?

A. Extreme Unction is the Sacrament which, through the anointing and

prayer of the priest, gives health and strength to the soul, and

sometimes to the body, when we are in danger of death from sickness.

"Anointing." In this Sacrament the priest anoints all our senses--the

eyes, the ears, the nose, the mouth, the hands, and the feet--and at the

same time prays God to forgive the poor sick person all the sins he has

committed by any of these. The eyes, by looking at bad objects or

pictures; the ears, by listening to bad conversation; the nose, by

indulging too much in sensual pleasures; the mouth, by cursing, lying,

bad conversation, backbiting, etc.; the hands, by stealing, fighting, or

doing sinful things; the feet, by carrying us to do wrong or to bad

places. I told you already most of our sins are committed for our body,

and the senses are the chief instruments. "Strength to the body," if it

is for our spiritual welfare. If God foresees, as He foresees all

things, that after our sickness we shall lead better lives and do

penance for our sins, then He may be pleased to restore us to health,

and give us an opportunity of making up for our past faults. But if He

foresees that after our sickness we would again lead bad lives, and fall

perhaps into greater sins, then He will likely take us when we are

prepared, and will not restore us again to health. As He always knows

and does what is best for His children, we must in sickness always be

resigned to His holy will, and be satisfied with what He sees fit to do

with us.

*272 Q. When should we receive Extreme Unction?

A. We should receive Extreme Unction when we are in danger of death from

sickness, or from a wound or accident.

*273 Q. Should we wait until we are in extreme danger before we receive

Extreme Unction?

A. We should not wait until we are in extreme danger before we receive

Extreme Unction, but if possible we should receive it whilst we have the

use of our senses.

We should always be glad to receive the grace of the Sacraments. When,

therefore, we are sufficiently ill to be anointed--when there is any

danger of death--we should send for the priest at once. If the sick

person has any chance of recovering, the Sacrament will help him and

hasten the recovery; but if the priest is sent for just when the person

is in the last agony of death, the person could not recover except by a

miracle, and God does not perform miracles for ordinary reasons. If you

are in doubt whether the person is sick enough to receive the last

Sacraments, do not be the judge yourself, send for the priest and let

him judge; and then all the responsibility is removed from you in case

the person should die without the Sacraments. Very often persons are

near death, and their relatives do not know it. The priest, like the

doctor, has experience in these cases, and can judge of the danger.

Again, do not foolishly believe, as some seem to do, that if the priest

comes to anoint the sick person it will frighten him by making him think

he is going to die. It has never been known that the priest killed

anyone by coming to see him; and if these same persons who are now sick

receive the Sacraments in the church from the very same priest, why

should they be afraid to receive them from him in their house? And if

they are so near death that a little fright would kill them, then they

are surely sick enough to receive the Sacraments. The sick person who is

afraid that Extreme Unction will kill him or hasten his death shows that

he has not the proper faith and confidence in God's grace. They who do

not wish to receive Holy Communion or the Holy Viaticum in their houses

do not want Our Lord to visit them. How ungrateful they are! When Our

Lord was on earth the people carried the sick out into the streets to

lay them near Him that He might cure them. Now, He does not require us

to do that, but comes Himself to the sick in the most humble manner, and

they refuse to receive Him. See how ungrateful, therefore, and how

wanting in faith and devotion such persons are! If the sick person is

one who has been careless about his religion, and has for some time

neglected to receive the Sacraments, do not wait for him to ask for the

priest or for his consent to send for him. Few persons ever believe they

are so near death as they really are: they are afraid to think of their

past lives, and do not like to send for the priest, or at least they put

off doing so, frequently till it is too late. The devil tempts them to

put off the reception of the Sacraments, in hopes that they may die

without them, and be his forever. In these cases speak to the sick man

quietly and gently, and ask him if he would not like to have the priest

come and say a few prayers for his recovery. Do not say anything about

the Sacraments if you are afraid he will refuse. Simply bring the priest

to the sick man, and he will attend to all the rest. Even if the person

should refuse--if he has been baptized in the Catholic religion--send

for the priest and explain to him the circumstances and dispositions of

the sick man. It would be terrible to let such persons die without the

Sacraments if there is any possibility of their receiving them. Even

when they refuse to see the priest it generally happens that after he

has once visited them, talked to them, and explained the benefits of the

Sacraments, they are better pleased than anyone else to see him coming

again.

Sometimes it is God's goodness that sends sickness to such persons, to

bring them back to His worship and the practice of their religion. What

does a good father generally do with an unruly child? He advises and

warns it, and when words have no effect, punishes it with the rod, not

because he wishes to see it suffer, but for its good, that it may give

up its evil habits and become an obedient, loving child. In like manner

God warns sinners by their conscience, by sermons they hear, by

accidents or deaths around about them, etc.; and when none of these

things have any effect on them, He sends them some affliction--He brings

them to a bed of sickness. He punishes them, as it were, with a rod.

This He does, not that He may see them suffer, but for their good; that

they may understand He is their Master, the only one who can give them

health; that all the doctors and all the friends and money in the world

could not save them if He determined that they should die. Then they

come to know that the world is not their friend; then they see things as

they really are, and begin to think of the next world, of eternity, etc.

Thus they again turn to God and to the practices of religion. Many

persons who reform and begin to lead good lives in sickness would never

have changed if God had left them always in good health. But you must

not think that all who are sick are so on account of sin. Sometimes very

holy persons are in a state of sickness, and then it is sent them that

they may bear it patiently, and have great merit before God for their

sufferings, and thus become more holy. Again, very small children who

have never sinned are sick, and then it is perhaps that their parents

may have merit for patiently taking care of them. I say that God

sometimes sends sickness to persons living in sin for the purpose of

bringing them back to a better way of living, and in that case their

sickness is for them a great mercy from God, who might have allowed them

to continue in sin till His judgments and condemnation came suddenly

upon them.

274 Q. Which are the effects of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction?

A. The effects of Extreme Unction are: first, to comfort us in the pains

of sickness and to strengthen us against temptations; second, to remit

venial sins and to cleanse our soul from the remains of sin; third, to

restore us to health when God sees fit.

*275 Q. What do you mean by the remains of sin?

A. By the remains of sin I mean the inclination to evil and the weakness

of the will, which are the result of our sins and which remain after our

sins have been forgiven.

"Remains of sin"--that is, chiefly the bad habits we have acquired by

sin. If a person does a thing very often, he soon begins to do it very

easily, and it becomes, as we say, a habit. So, too, a person who sins

very much soon begins to sin easily. This Sacrament therefore takes away

the ease in sinning and the desire for past sins acquired by frequently

committing them.

*276 Q. How should we receive the Sacrament of Extreme Unction?

A. We should receive the Sacrament of Extreme Unction in a state of

grace and with lively faith and resignation to the will of God.

*277 Q. Who is the minister of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction?

A. The priest is the minister of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.

The Sacraments that the priest administers in the house are the

Sacraments for the sick; namely, Penance, Viaticum, or Holy Communion,

and Extreme Unction. The other Sacraments may be administered there in

special cases of necessity. You should know what things are to be

prepared when the priest comes to administer the Sacraments in your

house. They are as follows: A small table covered with a clean white

cloth, and on it a crucifix and one or two lighted candles in

candlesticks; some holy water in a small vessel, with a sprinkler which

you can make by tying together a few leaves or small pieces of palm; a

glass of clean water, a tablespoon, and a napkin for the sick person to

hold under the chin while receiving; also a piece of white cotton

wadding, if the priest should ask for it.

Then you may have ready in another place near at hand some water, a

towel, and a piece of bread or lemon for purifying the priest's fingers;

but these things are not always necessary: still, it would be better to

have them ready in case the priest should require them, so as not to

keep him waiting. Every good Catholic family should have all these

things put away carefully in the house. It would be well, though it is

not necessary, to keep a special spoon, napkin, etc., for that purpose

alone. Sometimes persons are taken ill very suddenly in the night, and

when the priest comes they have none of the things they should have; and

if their neighbors are as careless as themselves, they will not have

them either: so the priest is delayed in giving the Sacraments, or is

obliged to administer them in a way that is always disrespectful to Our

Lord. If we would make such preparations for the coming of a friend to

our house, why should we be so careless when Our Lord comes? If a friend

comes when we are not prepared to receive him, we feel very much

ashamed, and make a thousand excuses for our want of thought. Therefore

provide the things necessary for the administration of these Sacraments

in your house, and keep them though they may be seldom if ever required

in your family.

When Our Lord comes to visit your house receive Him with all possible

respect and reverence. Some good Catholics have the very praiseworthy

practice of meeting the priest at the door with a lighted candle when he

carries the Blessed Sacrament, and of going before him to the sickroom.

This can be done where there is only one family living in the house, or

at least in the apartment. All who can do this should do it, because it

is in keeping with the wish of the Church. In olden times, and even now

in Catholic countries, the priest brings the Blessed Sacrament in

procession to the sick. He goes vested as for Benediction, accompanied

by altar boys with lighted candles and bells. The people kneel by the

way as Our Lord passes. Our Lord is carried in procession always in the

church and on the feast of Corpus Christi, on Holy Thursday, and during

the Devotion of Forty Hours. The Church would like to have this solemn

procession in honor of Our Lord every time the Blessed Sacrament is

brought from one place to another. But this cannot always be done in the

streets, because there are many persons not Catholics who would insult

Our Lord while passing along; and in order to prevent this, the priest

brings the Blessed Sacrament to the dying without any outward display.

But we should always remember the very great respect due to Our Lord,

and do all we can to show it when possible.

278 Q. What is the Sacrament of Holy Orders?

A. Holy Orders is a Sacrament by which bishops, priests, and other

ministers of the Church are ordained and receive the power and grace to

perform their sacred duties.

"Other ministers," means deacons and subdeacons, properly so-called.

When a young man goes to study for the priesthood--after he has

discovered that God has called him to that sacred office--he passes

several years in learning what is necessary, and in fitting himself for

his sacred duties. After some time he receives what is called tonsure;

that is, on the day of ordination the bishop cuts a little hair from

five places on his head, to show that this young man is giving himself

up to God. The tonsure is a mark of the clerical state, and in Catholic

countries it is made manifest by keeping a small circular spot on the

crown of the head shaved perfectly clean. It reminds the cleric or

priest of having dedicated himself to God, and also of the crown of

thorns worn by Our Blessed Saviour. For this reason some of the holy

monks shaved all the hair from their head, with the exception of a

little ring, which resembles very much a wreath or crown of hair

encircling the head. You often see them thus represented in holy

pictures.

After the young student has received the tonsure and studied for a

longer time, he receives the four Minor Orders, by which he is permitted

to touch the sacred vessels of the altar, and do certain things about

the church which laymen have not the right to do, especially to serve

Mass. After more preparation he becomes a subdeacon, and then he may

wear vestments and assist the celebrant at Solemn Mass. At a Solemn Mass

there are three priests in vestments. The priest standing on the

platform of the altar and celebrating Mass is called the celebrant; the

one who stands just behind him, generally one step lower, is called the

deacon, and the one who stands behind the deacon and on the lower step

is called the subdeacon. The one who directs the whole ceremony, and

gives signs to the others when to stand, sit down, or kneel, is called

the Master of Ceremonies.

When speaking of the Mass, I forgot to tell you something about the

different kinds of Masses--that is, different as far as the ceremonies

are concerned, for they are all alike in value. First we have the Low

Mass, such as the priest says every day and at the early hours on

Sundays. It is called low, because there is no display in ceremony about

it. Next we have the High Mass--called Missa Cantata (sung)--at which

the priest and choir sing in turn. Lastly, we have the Solemn High Mass,

at which we have three ministers or priests, and singing by both

ministers and choir, as well as all the ceremonies prescribed by the

Church. When any of these Masses are said in black vestments they are

called Requiem Masses, because the priest offers them for the rest or

happy repose of the soul of some dead person or persons, and the word

requiem means rest. Vespers is a portion of the Divine Office of the

Church. It is sung generally on Sunday afternoon or evening in the

church, and is usually followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

It is not a mortal sin to stay from Vespers on Sundays, even willfully,

because there is no law of the Church obliging you to attend.

Nevertheless all good Catholics will attend Vespers when possible.

To continue about the ministers of the Church: When the subdeacon is

ordained a deacon, he can wear still more of the priestly vestments, and

also baptize solemnly, preach, and give Holy Communion. After a time the

deacon is ordained a priest, and receives power to celebrate Mass and

forgive sins. If afterwards the priest should be selected by the Holy

Father to be a bishop, he is consecrated; and then he has power to

administer Confirmation and Holy Orders, ordaining priests and

consecrating bishops. Thus you see there are grades through which the

ministers of the Church must pass. First the tonsure, then Minor Orders,

then subdeaconship, then deaconship, then priesthood. Nuns, Sisters,

Brothers, etc., are not, as some might think, ministers of the Church,

because they have never received any of the Holy Orders.

The ordained ministers of the Church can perform the duties of any

office for which they have ever been ordained, but not the duties of any

office above that to which they have been ordained. For example, a

subdeacon cannot take the place of a deacon at Mass, nor a deacon the

place of a priest; but a priest may take either of their places, because

he has, at one time, been ordained to both these offices.

Altar boys should never forget that they are enjoying a very great

privilege in being allowed to take the place of an ordained minister of

the Church, and serve Mass without being ordained acolytes.

In olden times princes and noblemen used to seek for this wonderful

favor, and count themselves happy if they secured it. Think of it! To

stand so near our Blessed Lord that they are able to see His sacred body

resting upon the altar, and to offer the wine, which a few minutes later

is changed into His very blood!

*279 Q. What is necessary to receive Holy Orders worthily?

A. To receive Holy Orders worthily it is necessary to be in the state of

grace, to have the necessary knowledge, and a divine call to this sacred

office.

"Knowledge"--that is, to be able to learn and to have learned all that a

priest should know.

"Divine call," explained before in the explanation of vocation, a word

that means call. (See Lesson 6, Q. 51.)

*280 Q. How should Christians look upon the priests of the Church?

A. Christians should look upon the priests of the Church as the

messengers of God and the dispensers of His mysteries.

"Messengers." Our Lord said to His Apostles: "As the Father sent Me, I

also send you." That is, as the heavenly Father sent His Beloved Son,

Our Lord, into the world to save men's souls, so Our Lord sends His

Apostles and their successors through the world to save souls. God told

the priests of the Old Law that if they did not warn the people of

coming dangers they would be held responsible for the people; but if

they warned the people and the people did not heed, then the people

would be responsible for their own destruction. So, too, in the New Law

the priests warn you against sin, and if you do not heed the warning the

loss of your soul will be upon yourself. Therefore you should take every

warning coming from the ministers of God as you would from Himself, for

it is really God that warns you against sin, and the priests are only

His agents or instruments. "Dispensers"--that is, those who administer

the Sacraments.

*281 Q. Who can confer the Sacrament of Holy Orders?

A. Bishops can confer the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

"Confer"--that is, give or administer. So can a cardinal, if he be a

bishop, and so can the Holy Father, who is always a bishop, and called

bishop of Rome, while Pope of the whole Church. It will be well here to

give some explanation about cardinals--who they are, and what they do.

In the United States the President has about him ten prominent men

selected by himself, and called his Cabinet. They are his advisers; he

consults them on all important matters, and assigns to them various

duties. The Holy Father, who is also a ruler--a spiritual ruler--not of

one country, but of the whole world, has also a Cabinet, but it is not

called by that name: it is called the Sacred College of Cardinals. There

are seventy cardinals, to whom the Pope assigns various works in helping

him to govern the Church. Some of these cardinals are in different parts

of the world, as our own cardinals right here in America. There are

cardinals in England, France, Germany, Canada, Spain, etc., but a

certain number always remain in Rome with the Holy Father. When a bishop

is made cardinal he is raised in dignity in the Church, but he does not

receive any greater spiritual power than he had when only a bishop. The

cardinals, owing to their high dignity, have many privileges which

bishops have not. Their greatest privilege is to take part in the

election of a new Pope when the reigning Pope dies.

The Pope dresses in white, the cardinals in red, the bishops in purple,

and the priests and other ministers in black. A "Monsignor" is also a

title of dignity granted by our Holy Father to some worthy priests. It

gives them certain privileges, and the right to wear purple like a

bishop. The "Vicar General" is one who is appointed by the bishop in the

diocese, and shares his power. In the bishop's absence he acts as bishop

in all temporal and worldly matters and also in some spiritual things,

concerning the diocese. A diocese is the extent of country over which a

bishop is appointed to rule, as a parish is the extent over which a

pastor is appointed to administer the Sacraments and rule under the

direction of the bishop. Pastors are also called rectors. Pastor means a

shepherd, and rector means a ruler; and as all pastors rule their

flocks, pastor and rector mean about the same.

An archbishop is higher than a bishop, though he has no more spiritual

power than a bishop. The district over which an archbishop rules

contains several dioceses with their bishops, and is called an

ecclesiastical province. The bishops in the province are called

suffragan bishops, because subject in some things to the authority of

the archbishop, who is also called the metropolitan, because bishop of a

metropolis or chief city of the province over which he presides.

The archbishop can wear the pallium, a garment worn by the Pope, and

sent by him to patriarchs, primates, and archbishops. It is a band of

white wool, worn over the shoulders and around the neck after the manner

of a stole. It has two strings of the same material and four black or

purple crosses worked upon it. It is the symbol of the plenitude of

pastoral jurisdiction conferred by the Holy See. Morally speaking, it

reminds the wearer how the good shepherd seeks the lost sheep and brings

it home upon his shoulders, and how the loving pastor of souls should

seek those spiritually lost and bring them back to the Church, the true

fold of Christ.

Lesson 26

ON MATRIMONY

282 Q. What is the Sacrament of Matrimony?

A. The Sacrament of Matrimony is the Sacrament which unites a Christian

man and woman in lawful marriage.

"Christian," because if they are not Christians they do not receive the

grace of the Sacrament.

*283 Q. Can a Christian man and woman be united in lawful marriage in

any other way than by the Sacrament of Matrimony?

A. A Christian man and woman cannot be united in lawful marriage in any

other way than by the Sacrament of Matrimony, because Christ raised

marriage to the dignity of a Sacrament.

"Lawful." Persons are lawfully married when they comply with all the

laws of God and of the Church relating to marriage. To marry unlawfully

is a mortal sin, in which the persons must remain till the sin is

forgiven. "Sacrament." Before the coming of Our Lord persons were

married as they are now, and even lawfully according to the laws of the

Old Testament or old religion; but marriage did not give them any grace.

Now it does give grace, because it is a Sacrament, and has been so since

the time of Our Lord. Before His coming it was only a contract, and when

He added grace to the contract it became a Sacrament.

*284 Q. Can the bond of Christian marriage be dissolved by any human

power?

A. The bond of Christian marriage cannot be dissolved by any human

power.

"Dissolved"--that is, can married persons ever--for any cause--separate

and marry again; that is, take another husband or wife while the first

husband or wife is living? Never, if they were really married.

Sometimes, for good reason, the Church permits husband and wife to

separate and live in different places; but they are still married.

Sometimes it happens, too, that persons are not really married although

they have gone through the ceremony and people think they are married,

and they may think so themselves. The Church, however, makes them

separate, because it finds they are not really married at all--on

account of some impeding circumstance that existed at the time they

performed the ceremony. These circumstances or facts that prevent the

marriage from being valid are called "Impediments to Marriage." Some of

them render the marriage altogether null, and some only make it

unlawful. When persons make arrangements about getting married they

should tell the priest every circumstance that they think might be an

impediment. Here are the chief things they should tell the

priest--privately, if possible. Whether both are Christians and

Catholics; whether either has ever been solemnly engaged to another

person; whether they have ever made any vow to God with regard to

chastity, the religious life, or the like; whether they are related and

in what degree; whether either was ever married to any member of the

other's family--say sister, brother, or cousin, etc.; whether either

ever was a godparent in Baptism for the other or for any of the other's

children; whether either was married before, and what proof can be given

of the death of the first husband or wife; whether they really intend to

get married; whether they are of lawful age; whether they are in good

health or suffering from some sickness that might prevent their

marriage, etc. They should also state whether they live in the parish,

and how long they have lived in it. They should give at least three

weeks' notice before their marriage, except in special cases of

necessity. They should not presume to make final arrangements and invite

friends before they have made arrangements with their pastor; because if

there should be any delay on account of impediments it would cause them

great inconvenience. Let me take an example of a fact that would render

the marriage invalid or null though the persons performing the ceremony

might not be aware of it. Suppose a woman's husband went to the war, and

she heard after a great many years that he had been killed in battle,

and she, believing her first husband to be dead, married another man.

But the report of the first husband's death turns out to be false, and

after a time he returns. Then the Church tells the woman--and she knows

it now herself--that the second marriage was invalid, that is, no

marriage, because it was performed while the first husband was still

living. She must leave the second man and go back to her husband. You

see in that case the Church was not dissolving or breaking the marriage

bond, but only declaring that the woman and second man were not married

from the very beginning, although they thought they were, being ignorant

of the existing impediment, and the priest also being deceived performed

the ceremony in the usual manner. If it ever happens, therefore, that

you hear of the Church permitting persons, already apparently married,

to separate and marry others, it is only when it discovers that their

first marriage was invalid, and by its action it does not dissolve the

bond of marriage, but simply declares that the marriage was null and

void from the beginning, as you now easily understand. Thus persons

might unwittingly marry with existing impediments that would render

their marriage invalid or illicit. Such things, however, happen very

rarely, for the priest would discover the impediments in questioning the

persons about to marry.

Protestants and persons outside the Catholic Church teach that the

marriage bond can at times be dissolved, but such doctrines bring great

evil upon society. When the father and mother separate and marry again,

the children of the first marriage are left to take care of themselves,

or receive only such care as the law gives them. They are left without

Christian instruction and the good influence of home. Then persons who

are divorced once may be divorced a second or third time, and thus all

society would be thrown into a state of confusion, and there would be

scarcely any such thing as a family to be found. It is bad enough at

present, on account of divorces granted by the laws and upheld by

Protestants; and only for the influence and good public opinion created

by the teaching and opposition of the Catholic Church, it would be much

worse. Again, if husbands and wives could separate for this or that

fault, they would not be careful in making their choice of the person

they wish to marry, nor would their motives be always holy and worthy of

the Sacrament.

285 Q. Which are the effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony?

A. The effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony are: first, to sanctify the

love of husband and wife; second, to give them grace to bear with each

other's weaknesses; third, to enable them to bring up their children in

the fear and love of God.

The union and love existing between a husband and wife should be like

the union and love existing between Our Lord and His Church. The grace

of the Sacrament helps them to have such a love. "Weaknesses"--that is,

their faults, bad dispositions, etc. "Bring up their children." This is

their most important duty, and parents receive grace to perform it, and

woe be to them if they abuse that grace! Children should remember that

their parents have received this special grace from God to advise,

direct, and warn them of sin; and if they refuse to obey their parents

or despise their direction, they are despising God's grace. Remember

that nothing teaches us so well as experience. Now your parents, even if

God gave them no special grace, have experience. They have been children

as you are; they have been young persons as you are; they have received

advice from their parents and teachers as you do. If your parents are

bad, it is because they have not heeded the advice given them. If they

are good, it is because they have heeded and followed it. The years of

your youth quickly pass, and you will soon be thrown out into the world,

among strangers to provide for yourselves, and will perhaps have no one

to advise you. If you neglect to learn while you have the opportunity

you will be sorry for it in after life. If you waste your time in

school, you will leave it knowing very little, and an ignorant man can

never take any good position in the world; he can seldom be his own

master and independent; he must always toil for others as a servant. God

gives us our talents and opportunities that we may use them to the best

of our ability, and He will hold us accountable for these. It is good

and praiseworthy to raise ourselves and others in the world if we do so

by lawful and proper means. You may have the opportunity of getting a

good position, and will not be able to take it because you are not

sufficiently educated. Many young men live to be sorry for wasting time

in school, and try to make up for it by studying at night. You cannot

really make up for lost time. Every moment God gives you He gives for

some particular work, and He will require an account from you, at the

last day, for the use you made of your time. Besides, you can learn with

greater ease while you are young. But what shall I say of neglecting to

learn your holy religion? If you neglect your school lessons you will

not be successful in the world as businessmen or professional men; but

if you neglect your religious lessons, you will be miserable, not merely

in this world, but in the next, and that for all eternity. Again, will

you not feel ashamed to say you are a Catholic when persons who are not

Catholics ask you the meaning of something you believe or do, and you

will not be able to answer? When they tell falsehoods against your

religion, you will not, on account of your ignorance, be able to refute

them. Almost the only time you have to learn the truths and practices of

your holy religion is during the instructions at Sunday school or day

school, and after a few years you will not have this advantage. When you

grow up you may hear a sermon, and if you attend early Mass, only a

short instruction, on Sundays; and if you do not know your Catechism,

you will be less able to profit by the instructions given. Therefore the

time to learn is while you are young, have sufficient leisure, and good,

willing teachers to explain whatever you do not understand.

When you attend Sunday school, bear in mind that your teachers have

frequently to sacrifice their time or pleasure for your sake, and that

you should not repay them for their kindness by acts of disobedience,

disrespect, and stubbornness. By spending your time in idleness, in

giving annoyance to your teacher, and in distracting others who are

willing to learn, you show a want of appreciation and gratitude for the

blessings God has bestowed upon you, and please the devil exceedingly;

and as God will hold you accountable for all His gifts, this one--the

opportunity of learning your religion--will be no exception.

286 Q. To receive the Sacrament of Matrimony worthily, is it necessary

to be in the state of grace?

A. To receive the Sacrament of Matrimony worthily it is necessary to be

in the state of grace, and it is necessary also to comply with the laws

of the Church.

"The laws," laws concerning marriage. Laws forbidding the solemnizing of

marriage at certain times, namely, Advent and Lent; laws forbidding

marriage with relatives, or with persons of a different religion or of

no religion; laws with regard to age, etc.

*287 Q. Who has the right to make laws concerning the Sacrament of

marriage?

A. The Church alone has the right to make laws concerning the Sacrament

of marriage, though the State also has the right to make laws concerning

the civil effects of the marriage contract.

"Civil effects"--that is, laws with regard to the property of persons

marrying, with regard to the inheritance of the children, with regard to

the debts of husband and wife, etc.

*288 Q. Does the Church forbid the marriage of Catholics with persons

who have a different religion or no religion at all?

A. The Church does forbid the marriage of Catholics with persons who

have a different religion or no religion at all.

*289 Q. Why does the Church forbid the marriage of Catholics with

persons who have a different religion or no religion at all?

A. The Church forbids the marriage of Catholics with persons who have a

different religion or no religion at all because such marriages

generally lead to indifference, loss of faith, and to the neglect of the

religious education of the children.

We know that nothing has so bad an influence upon people as bad company.

Now, when a Catholic marries one who is not a Catholic, he or she is

continually associated with one who in most cases ignores the true

religion, or speaks at least with levity of its devotions and practices.

The Catholic party may resist this evil influence for a time, but will,

if not very steadfast in the faith, finally yield to it, and, tired of

numerous disputes in defense of religious rights, will become more and

more indifferent, gradually give up the practice of religion, and

probably terminate with complete loss of faith or apostasy from the true

religion. We know that the children of Seth were good till they married

the children of Cain, and then they also became wicked; for, remember,

there is always more likelihood that the bad will pervert the good, than

that the good will convert the bad. Besides the disputes occasioned

between husband and wife by the diversity of their religion, their

families and relatives, being also of different religions, will seldom

be at peace or on friendly terms with one another. Then the children can

scarcely be brought up in the true religion; for the father may wish

them to attend one church, and the mother another, and to settle the

dispute they will attend neither. Besides, if they have before them the

evil example of a father or mother speaking disparagingly of the true

religion, or perhaps ridiculing all religion, it is not likely they will

be imbued with great respect and veneration for holy things. There is

still another reason why Catholics should dread mixed marriages. If the

one who is not a Catholic loses regard for his or her obligations,

becomes addicted to any vice, and is leading a bad life, the Catholic

party has no means of reaching the root of the evil, no hope that the

person may take the advice of the priest, or go to confession or do any

of those things that could effect a change in the heart and life of a

Catholic. For all these very good reasons and others besides, the Church

opposes mixed marriages, as they are called when one of the persons is

not a Catholic. Neither does the Church want persons to become converts

simply for the sake of marrying a Catholic. Such conversions would not

be sincere, and would do no good, but rather make such converts

hypocrites, and guilty of greater sin.

*290 Q. Why do many marriages prove unhappy?

A. Many marriages prove unhappy because they are entered into hastily

and without worthy motives.

"Hastily"--without knowing the person well or considering their

character or dispositions; without trying to discover whether they are

sober, industrious, virtuous, and the like; whether they know and

practice their religion, or whether, on the contrary, they are given to

vices forbidden by good morals, and totally forgetful of their religious

duties. In a word, those wishing to marry should look for enduring

qualities in their lifelong companions, and not for characteristics that

please the fancy for the time being. They should, besides, truly love

each other. Again, the persons should be nearly equals in education,

social standing, etc., for it helps greatly to secure harmony between

families and unity of thought and action between themselves.

"Worthy motives." The motives are worthy when persons marry to fulfill

the end for which God instituted marriage. It would, for example, be an

unworthy motive to marry solely for money, property, or other advantage,

without any regard for the holiness and end of the Sacrament. There are

many motives that may present themselves to the minds of persons wishing

to marry, and they will know whether they are worthy or unworthy, good

or bad, if by serious consideration they weigh them well and value them

by their desire to please God and lead a good life.

Every person's motive in getting married or in entering into any new

state of life should be that he may be able to serve God better in that

state than in any other.

*291 Q. How should Christians prepare for a holy and happy marriage?

A. Christians should prepare for a holy and happy marriage by receiving

the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist; by begging God to grant

them a pure intention and to direct their choice; and by seeking the

advice of their parents and the blessing of their pastors.

They should pray for a long time that they may make a good choice. They

would do well to read in the Holy Scripture, in the Book of Tobias (8),

of the happy marriage of Tobias and Sara, and how they spent their time

in prayer both before and after their marriage, and how God rewarded

them. Advice is very necessary, as marriage is to last for life, and is

to make persons either happy or miserable. They should ask advice from

prudent persons, and should try to learn something of the former life of

the one they wish to marry. They should know something about the family,

whether its members are respectable or not, etc. It is an injustice to

parents for sons or daughters to marry into families that may have been

disgraced, or that may bring disgrace upon them. Sometimes, however,

parents are unreasonable in this matter: they are proud or vain, and

want to suit themselves rather than their children. Sometimes, too, they

force marriage upon their children, or forbid it for purely worldly or

selfish motives. In such cases, and indeed in all cases, the best one to

consult and ask advice from is your confessor. He has only your

spiritual interests at heart, and will set aside all worldly motives. If

your parents are unreasonable, he will be a just judge in the matter,

and tell you how to act.

I have now explained all the Sacraments, but before finishing I must say

a word about the Holy Oils. We have seen that oil is used in the

administration of some Sacraments. There are three kinds of oil blessed

by the bishop on Holy Thursday, namely, oil for anointing the sick,

called "oil of the infirm"; oil to be used in Baptism and in the

ordination of priests, called "oil of catechumens" (catechumens are

those who are being instructed for Baptism); the third kind of oil is

used also in Baptism, in Confirmation, and when the bishop blesses the

sacred vessels, altars, etc.; it is called "holy chrism." Therefore the

Sacraments in which oil is used are: Baptism, in which two kinds are

used; Confirmation, Extreme Unction, and Holy Orders.

Lesson 27

ON THE SACRAMENTALS

292 Q. What is a sacramental?

A. A sacramental is anything set apart or blessed by the Church to

excite good thoughts and to increase devotion, and through these

movements of the heart to remit venial sin.

It is not the sacramental itself that gives grace, but the devotion, the

love of God, or sorrow for sin that it inspires. For example, a person

comes into the church and goes around the Stations of the Cross. The

stations are a sacramental. In looking at one station he sees Our Lord

on trial before Pilate; in another he sees Him crowned with thorns; in

another, scourged; in another, carrying His Cross; in another,

crucified; in another, dead and laid in the tomb. Before all these

pictures he reflects on the sufferings of Our Saviour, and begins to

hate sin, that caused them. Then he thinks, of his own sins, and begins

to be sorry for them. This sorrow, caused by going around the stations,

brings him grace that remits venial sins. When we receive the Sacraments

we always get the grace of the Sacraments when we are rightly disposed;

but in using the sacramentals, the more devotion we have the more grace

we receive.

"Increase devotion." If we knelt down before a plain white wall we could

not pray with the devotion we would have kneeling before a crucifix. We

see the representation of the nails in the hands and feet, the blood on

the side, the thorns on the head; and all these must make us think of

Our Lord's terrible sufferings. The picture of a friend hanging before

us will often make us think of him when we would otherwise forget him.

So also will the pictures of Our Lord and of the saints keep them often

in our minds.

*293 Q. What is the difference between the Sacraments and the

sacramentals?

A. The difference between the Sacraments and the sacramentals is: first,

the Sacraments were instituted by Jesus Christ and the sacramentals were

instituted by the Church; second, the Sacraments give grace of

themselves when we place no obstacle in the way; the sacramentals excite

in us pious dispositions, by means of which we may obtain grace.

The Church can increase or diminish the number of the sacramentals, but

not the number of the Sacraments.

294 Q. Which is the chief sacramental used in the Church?

A. The chief sacramental used in the Church is the Sign of the Cross.

295 Q. How do we make the Sign of the Cross?

A. We make the Sign of the Cross by putting the right hand to the

forehead, then on the breast, and then to the left and right shoulders;

saying, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy

Ghost. Amen.

It is important to make an exact cross, and to say all the words

distinctly. From carelessness and habit some persons do not make the

Sign of the Cross, though they often intend to bless themselves. They

put the hand only to the forehead and breast, or forehead and chin, or

forehead and shoulders, etc. Some do not even touch the forehead. All

these, it is true, are some signs and movements of the hand, but they

are not the Sign of the Cross. Therefore, from childhood form the good

habit of blessing yourself correctly, and you will continue to do it

properly all your life.

296 Q. Why do we make the Sign of the Cross?

A. We make the Sign of the Cross to show that we are Christians and to

profess our belief in the chief mysteries of our religion.

The cross is the banner or standard of Christianity, just as the stars

and stripes--the flag of the United States--is our civil standard, and

shows to what nation we belong.

*297 Q. How is the Sign of the Cross a profession of faith in the chief

mysteries of our religion?

A. The Sign of the Cross is a profession of faith in the chief mysteries

of our religion because it expresses the mysteries of the Unity and

Trinity of God and of the Incarnation and death of Our Lord.

*298 Q. How does the Sign of the Cross express the mystery of the Unity

and Trinity of God?

A. The words: "In the name" express the Unity of God; the words that

follow, "of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" express

the mystery of the Trinity.

*299 Q. How does the Sign of the Cross express the mystery of the

Incarnation and death of Our Lord?

A. The Sign of the Cross expresses the mystery of the Incarnation by

reminding us that the Son of God, having become man, suffered death on

the Cross.

Besides these chief mysteries, we will find, if we think a little, that

the Sign of the Cross reminds us of many other things. It reminds us of

the sin of our first parents, which made the Cross necessary; it reminds

us of the hatred God bears to sin, when such sufferings were endured to

make satisfaction for it; it reminds us of Christ's love, etc.

300 Q. What other sacramental is in very frequent use?

A. Another sacramental in very frequent use is holy water.

301 Q. What is, holy water?

A. Holy water is water blessed by the priest with solemn prayer to beg

God's blessing on those who use it, and protection from the power of

darkness.

The priest prays that those who use this water may not fall into sin;

may be free from the power of the devil and from bodily diseases, etc.

Therefore when they do use the water they get the benefit of all these

prayers, because the priest says: "If they use it, God grant them all

these things."

302 Q. Are there any other sacramentals besides the Sign of the Cross

and holy water?

A. Besides the Sign of the Cross and holy water there are many other

sacramentals, such as blessed candles, ashes, palms, crucifixes, images

of the Blessed Virgin and of the saints, rosaries, and scapulars.

"Candles," blessed on the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed

Virgin (see Butler's Lives of the Saints, Feb. 2, Feast of the

Purification). The Church blesses whatever it uses. Some say beautifully

that the wax of the candle gathered by the bees from sweet flowers

reminds us of Our Lord's pure, human body, and that the flame reminds us

of His divinity. Again, candles about the altar remind us of the angels,

those bright spirits ever about God's throne; they remind us, too, of

the persecution of the Christians in the first ages of the Church, when

they had to hear Mass and receive the Sacraments in dark places, where

lights were necessary that priests and people might see. Again, lights

are a beautiful ornament for the altar, and in keeping with holy things.

Lights are a sign of joy: hence the very old custom of lighting bonfires

to express joy. So we have lights to express our joy at the celebration

of the Holy Mass. Again, if we wish to honor any great person in the

Church or State, we illuminate the city for his reception. So, too, we

illuminate our altars and churches for the reception of Our Lord, that

we may honor Him when He comes in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and is

present at Benediction.

"Ashes" are placed on our heads by the priest on Ash Wednesday, while he

says: "Remember, man, thou art but dust and unto dust thou shalt

return." They are a sign of penance, and so we use them at the beginning

of Lent.

"Palms," to remind us of Our Lord's coming in triumph into Jerusalem,

when the people out of respect for Him threw palms, and even their

garments, beneath His feet on the way, singing His praises and wishing

to make Him king. Yet these same people only one week later were among

those who crucified Him. Do we not also at times honor Our Lord, call

Him our king, and shortly afterwards insult and, as far as we can,

injure Him by sin? Do we not say in the Our Father, "Hallowed, or

praised, be His name," and blaspheme it ourselves?

"Crucifix," if it has an image of Our Lord upon it; if not it is simply

a cross, because crucifix means fixed to the cross.

"Images"--that is, statues, pictures, etc.

"Rosaries," called also the beads. The rosary or beads is a very old and

very beautiful form of prayer. In the beginning pious people, we are

told, used to say a certain number of prayers, and keep count of them on

a string with knots or beads. However that may be, the Rosary, as we now

have it, comes down to us from St. Dominic. He instructed the people by

it, and converted many heretics. In the rosary beads here are

fifty-three small beads on which we say the "Hail Mary" and six large

beads on which we say the "Our Father." In saying the Rosary, before

saying the "Our Father" on the large beads, we think or meditate for a

while on some event in the life of Our Lord, and these events we call

Mysteries of the Rosary. There are fifteen of these events taken in the

order in which they occurred in the life of Our Lord; and hence there

are fifteen Mysteries in the whole Rosary. First we have the five Joyful

Mysteries. (1) The Annunciation--that is, the angel Gabriel coming to

tell the Blessed Virgin that she is to be the Mother of God. (2) The

Visitation, when the Blessed Virgin went to visit her cousin St.

Elizabeth--the mother of St. John the Baptist, who was six months older

than Our Lord. Elizabeth said to her, "Blessed art thou amongst women,

and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb"; and the Blessed Virgin answered

her in the beautiful words of the Magnificat, that we sing at Vespers

while the priest incenses the altar. (3) The Nativity, or birth of Our

Lord, which reminds us how He was born in a stable, in poverty and

lowliness. (4) The Presentation of the child Jesus in the Temple.

According to the law of Moses, the people were obliged to bring the

first boy born in every family to the temple in Jerusalem and offer him

to God. Then they gave some offering to buy him back, as it were, from

God. The Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph, who kept all the laws, took Our

Lord and offered Him in the temple--although He Himself was the Lord of

the temple. Nevertheless others did not know this, and the Blessed

Virgin and St. Joseph observed the laws, though not bound to do so, that

their neighbors might not be scandalized in seeing them neglect these

things. They did not know, as she did, that the little Infant was the

Son of God, and need not keep the law of Moses or any law, because He

was the maker of the laws. We should learn from this never to give

scandal; and even when we have good excuse for not observing the law, we

should observe it for the sake of good example to others; or at least,

when we can, we should explain why we do not observe the law. (5) The

fifth Joyful Mystery is the finding of the child Jesus in the temple.

All the men and boys, from twelve years of age upward, were obliged,

according to the Old Law, to go up to Jerusalem and offer sacrifice on

the great feasts. On one of these feasts the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph,

and Our Lord went to Jerusalem. When His parents and their friends were

returning home Our Lord was missing. He had not accompanied them from

the city. Then the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph went back to Jerusalem

and sought Him with great sorrow for three days. At the end of that time

they found Him in the temple sitting with the doctors of the law asking

them questions. Our Lord obediently returned with His parents to

Nazareth. At thirty years of age He was baptized by John the Baptist in

the River Jordan. The baptism of John was not a Sacrament, did not give

grace of itself; but, like a sacramental, it disposed those who received

it to be sorry for their sins and to receive the gift of faith and

Baptism of Christ. The eighteen years from the time Our Lord went down

to Nazareth after being found in the temple till His baptism is called

His hidden life, while all that follows His baptism is called His public

life. It is very strange that not a single word should be given in the

Holy Scriptures about Our Lord during His youth--the very time young men

are most anxious to be seen and heard. Our Lord knew all things and

could do all things when a young man, and yet for the sake of example He

remained silent, living quietly with His parents and doing His daily

work for them. Thus you understand what is meant by the five Joyful

Mysteries of the Rosary: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity

of Our Lord, the Presentation of the child Jesus in the temple, and the

finding of the child Jesus in the temple. You meditate on one of these

before each decade (ten) of the beads.

Next in order in the life of Our Lord come the five events called the

Sorrowful Mysteries, namely: (1) The agony in the garden, when Our Lord

went there to pray on Holy Thursday night, before He was taken prisoner.

There the blood came out through His body as perspiration does through

ours, and He was in dreadful anguish. The reason of His sorrow and

anguish has already been given in the explanation of the Passion. (2)

The scourging of Our Lord at the pillar. This also has been explained.

What terrible cruelty existed in the world before Christianity! In our

times the brute beasts have more protection from cruel treatment than

the pagan slaves had then. The Church came to their assistance. It

taught that all men are God's children, that slaves as well as masters

were redeemed by Jesus Christ, and that masters must be kind and just to

their slaves. Many converts from paganism through love for Our Lord and

this teaching of the Church, granted liberty to their slaves; and thus

as civilization spread with the teaching of Christianity, slavery ceased

to exist. It was not in the power of the Church, however, to abolish

slavery everywhere, but she did it as soon as she could. Even at present

she is fighting hard to protect the poor Negroes of Africa against it,

or at least to moderate its cruelty. (3) The third Sorrowful Mystery is

the crowning with thorns. (4) The carriage of the Cross to Calvary. It

was the common practice to make the prisoner at times carry his cross to

the place of execution, and over the cross they printed what he was put

to death for. That is the reason they placed over Our Lord's cross

I.N.R.I., which are the first letters of four Latin words meaning,

"Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." They pretended by this sign that

Our Lord was put to death for calling Himself King of the Jews, and was

thus a disturber of the public peace, and an enemy of the Roman emperor

under whose power they were. Our Lord did say that He was King of the

Jews, but He also said that He was not their earthly but their heavenly

king. The real cause of their putting Our Lord to death was the jealousy

of the Jewish priests and Pharisees. He rebuked them for their faults,

and showed the good, sincere people what hypocrites these men were. (5)

The last of the Sorrowful Mysteries is the Crucifixion. At the foot of

the Cross our blessed Mother stood on the day of Crucifixion, and it

must have been a very sad sight for Our Lord. She was without anyone to

take care of her; for St. Joseph was dead, and her Son was soon to die.

Our Lord asked St. John, one of His Apostles, to take care of her. St.

John was dear to Christ, and on that account is called the beloved

disciple. He is known to us as St. John the Evangelist. He was the last

of the Apostles to die. At one time he was cast into a cauldron of

boiling oil, but was miraculously saved by God (see Butler's Lives of

the Saints, Dec. 27). He lived to be over a hundred years old, and while

on the island of Patmos wrote the Apocalypse or Revelations--the last

book of the New Testament--containing prophecies of what will happen at

the end of the world. The Blessed Virgin lived on earth about eleven

years after the Ascension of Our Lord. They buried her in a tomb, and

tradition tells us that after her burial the angels carried her body to

Heaven, where she now sits beside her Divine Son. This taking of her

body to Heaven is called the Assumption. This feast was celebrated in

the Church from a very early age. A very strong proof of the Assumption

is that no persons ever claimed to have any part of the body of the

Blessed Virgin as a relic. We have the bodies of some of the Apostles,

especially St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. James transmitted to us; and

certainly if it had been possible the first Christians would have

endeavored to get some portion, at least, of the Blessed Virgin's body.

Surely St. John, who knew her so well, would have given to the church he

established some part of her body as a relic; but since her entire body

was taken to Heaven, it was never possible.

After the Sorrowful Mysteries come the five Glorious Mysteries, and they

are: (1) The Resurrection of Our Lord; (2) The Ascension of Our Lord;

(3) The Coming of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles; (4) The Assumption

of the Blessed Virgin; and (5) The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin in

Heaven. All but the last have been explained in foregoing parts of the

Catechism. In this last Mystery we consider our Blessed Lady just after

her entrance into Heaven, being received by her Divine Son, our Blessed

Lord, and being crowned Queen of Heaven over all the angels and saints.

In saying the Rosary we are, as I have told you before, to stop after

mentioning the Mystery and think over the lesson it teaches, and thus

excite ourselves to love and devotion before saying the "Our Father" and

"Hail Marys" in honor of it. Generally what we call the beads is only

one third of the Rosary; that is, we can only say five mysteries on the

beads unless we go over them three times. If you say your beads every

day you will say the whole Rosary twice a week and have one day to

spare.

On Sundays, except the Sundays of Advent and Lent, we should say always

the Glorious Mysteries. You see, the Mysteries run in the order in which

they happen in Our Lord's life. So on Monday we say the Joyful

Mysteries, on Tuesday the Sorrowful, and on Wednesday the Glorious. Then

we begin again on Thursday the Joyful, on Friday the Sorrowful, on

Saturday the Glorious. In Advent we say the Joyful, and in Lent the

Sorrowful Mysteries on every day. In Eastertime we always say the

Glorious mysteries.

I have told you what the letters I.N.R.I. mean; now let me tell you what

I.H.S. with a cross over them mean. You often see these letters on

altars and on holy things. They are simply an abbreviation for Our

Lord's name, "Jesus," as it was first written in Greek letters. Some

also take these letters for the first letters of the Latin words that

mean: Jesus, Saviour of men. And as the cross is placed over these

letters it can signify that He saved them by His death on the Cross.

"Scapulars." The scapular is a large broad piece of cloth worn by the

monks and priests of some of the religious orders. It extends from the

toes in front to the heels behind, and is wide enough to cover the

shoulders. It is worn over the cassock or habit. It is called scapular

because it rests on the shoulders. The scapular as we wear it is two

small pieces of cloth fastened together by two pieces of braid or cord

resting on the shoulders. It is made thus in imitation of the large

scapular, and is to be worn under our ordinary garments. The brown

scapular is called the Scapular of Mount Carmel. It was given, we are

told on good authority, to blessed Simon Stock by the Blessed Virgin

herself, with wonderful promises in favor of those who wear it. The

Church grants many privileges and indulgences to those who wear the

scapular.

We wear the scapular to indicate that we place ourselves under the

special protection of the Blessed Virgin. We can tell to what army or

nation a soldier belongs by the uniform he wears; so we can consider the

scapular as the particular uniform of those who desire to serve the

Blessed Virgin in some special manner. This wearing of the brown

scapular is therefore a mark of special devotion to the Blessed Virgin

Mary. As it was first introduced among people by the Carmelite Fathers,

or priests of the Order of Mount Carmel, this Scapular is called the

Scapular of Mount Carmel. We have also a red scapular in honor of Our

Lord's Passion; a white one in honor of the Holy Trinity; a blue one in

honor of the Immaculate Conception; and a black one in honor of the

seven dolors of sorrows of the Blessed Virgin. When all these are joined

together (not in one piece, but at the top only) and worn as one, they

are called the five scapulars.

The seven dolors are seven chief occasions of sorrow in the life of our

Blessed Lady. They are: (1) The circumcision of Our Lord, when she saw

His blood shed for the first time. (2) Her flight into Egypt to save the

life of the little Infant Jesus when Herod was seeking to kill Him. (3)

The three days she lost Him in Jerusalem. (4) When she saw Christ

carrying His Cross. (5) His death. (6) When He was taken down from the

Cross. (7) When He was laid in the sepulchre. There are beads called

seven dolor beads constructed with seven medals bearing representations

of these sorrows, and seven beads between each medal and the next. At

the medals we meditate on the dolor, and then in its honor say "Hail

Marys" on the beads.

Lesson 28

ON PRAYER

303 Q. Is there any other means of obtaining God's grace than the

Sacraments?

A. There is another means of obtaining God's grace, and it is prayer.

304 Q. What is prayer?

A. Prayer is the lifting up of our minds and hearts to God to adore Him,

to thank Him for His benefits, to ask His forgiveness, and to beg of Him

all the graces we need whether for soul or body.

"Hearts," because the mere lifting up of the mind would not be prayer.

One who blasphemes Him might also lift up his mind. We lift up the mind

to know God and the heart to love Him, and in so doing we serve Him--the

three things for which we were created. If we do not think of God we do

not pray. A parrot might be taught to say the "Our Father," but it could

never pray, because it has no mind to lift up. A phonograph can be made

to say the prayers, but not to pray, for it has neither mind nor heart.

So praying does not depend upon the words we say, but upon the way in

which we say them. Indeed the best prayer, called meditation, is made

when we do not speak at all, but simply think of God; of His goodness to

us; of our sins against Him; of Hell, Purgatory, Heaven, death,

judgment, of the end for which we were created, etc. This is the kind of

prayer that priests and religious use most frequently. As you might like

to meditate--for all who know how may meditate--let me explain to you

the method. First you try to remember that you are in the presence of

God. Then you take some subject, say the Crucifixion, to think about.

You try to make a picture of the scene in your own mind. You see Our

Lord on the Cross; two thieves, one on each side of Him, the one praying

to Our Lord and the other cursing Him. You see the multitude of His

enemies mocking Him. Over at some distance you behold our Blessed Mother

standing sorrowful with St. John and Mary Magdalen. Then you ask

yourself--for you must imagine yourself there--to which side would you

go. Over to our Blessed Mother to try and console her, or over to the

enemies to help them to mock? Then you think how sin was the cause of

all this suffering, and how often you yourself have sinned; how you have

many a time gone over to the crowd and left the Blessed Mother. These

thoughts will make you sorry for your sins, and you will form the good

resolution never to sin again. You will thank God for these good

thoughts and this resolution, and your meditation is ended. You can

spend fifteen minutes, or longer if you wish, in such a meditation. The

Crucifixion is only one of the many subjects you may select for

meditation. You could take any part of the "Our Father," "Hail Mary," or

"Creed," and even the questions in your Catechism. Mental prayer,

therefore, is the best, because in it we must think; we must pay

attention to what we are doing, and lift up our minds and hearts to God;

while in vocal prayer--that is, the prayer we say aloud--we may repeat

the words from pure habit, without any attention or lifting up of the

mind or heart.

305 Q. Is prayer necessary to salvation?

A. Prayer is necessary to salvation, and without it no one having the

use of reason can be saved.

We mean here those who never pray during their whole lives, and not

those who sometimes neglect their prayers through a kind of

forgetfulness.

306 Q. At what particular times should we pray?

A. We should pray particularly on Sundays and holy days, every morning

and night, in all dangers, temptations, and afflictions.

"Sundays and holy days," because these are special days set apart by the

Church for the worship of God. In the "morning" we ask God's grace that

we may not sin during the day. At "night" we thank Him for all the

benefits received during the day, and also that we may be protected

while asleep from every danger and accident. We should never, if

possible, go to sleep in mortal sin; and if we have the misfortune to be

in that state, we should make as perfect an act of contrition as we can,

and promise to go to confession as soon as possible. So many accidents

happen that we are never safe, even in good health; fires, earthquakes,

floods, lightning, etc., might take us off at any moment. If you saw a

man hanging by a very slender thread over a great precipice where he

would surely be dashed to pieces if the thread broke, and if you saw him

thus risking his life willfully and without necessity, you would

pronounce him the greatest fool in the world. One who commits sin is a

greater fool. He suspends himself, as I have told you once before, over

an abyss of eternal torments on the slender thread of his own life, that

may break at any moment. Do we tempt God and do to Him what we dare not

to do to our fellowman because He is so merciful? Let us be careful. He

is as just as He is merciful, and some sin will be our last, and then He

will cut the thread of life and allow us to fall into an eternity of

sufferings. "Dangers," whether of soul or body. "Afflictions,"

sufferings or misfortunes of any kind; such as loss of health, death in

the family, etc.

*307 Q. How should we pray?

A. We should pray: first, with attention; second, with a sense of our

own helplessness and dependence upon God; third, with a great desire for

the graces we beg of God; fourth, with trust in God's goodness; fifth,

with perseverance.

"Attention," thinking of what we are going to do. Before praying we

should think for a moment what prayer is. In it we are about to address

Almighty God, our Creator, and we are going to ask Him for

something--and what is the particular thing we need and seek for? No one

would think of going to a store without first considering what he wanted

to buy. He would make, too, all the necessary preparations for getting

it. He would find out how much he wanted, and what it would cost, and

bring with him sufficient money. He would never think of going in and

telling the storekeeper to give him anything. Now it is the same in

prayer. When we have thought of what we want of God, from whom we can

obtain it, and of the reasons why we need it and why God might be

pleased to grant it, we can then kneel down and pray for it. We should

pray to God just as a child begs favors from its parents. We should talk

to Him in our own simple words, and tell Him the reasons why we ask and

why we think He should grant our request. We should, however, be humble

and patient in all our prayers. God does not owe us anything, and

whatever He gives is a free gift. We should not always read prayers at

Almighty God. If you wanted anything very badly from a friend, you would

know how to ask for it. You would never ask another to write out your

request on paper, and then go and read it to your friend. Now, that is

just what we do when we read the prayers that somebody else has written

in a prayerbook. Try, therefore, to pray with your own prayers. Of

course when the Church gives you certain prayers to say--as it does to

its priests in the divine office--or recommends to you such prayers as

the "Our Father," "Hail Mary," and "Creed," you should say them in

preference to your own, because then the Church adds its petition to

yours, and God is more likely to grant such prayers. I mean, therefore,

that we should not always pray from prayerbooks, and hurry through the

"Our Father" that we may give more time to some printed prayer that

pleases us. Our prayer should be a conversation with God. We should,

after speaking to Him, listen to what He has to say to us, by our

conscience, good thoughts, etc.

I must warn you against some prayers that have been circulated by

impostors for the purpose of making money. They pretend that these

prayers were found in some remarkable place or manner; that those who

carry them or say them will have most wonderful advantages--they will

never meet with accident; they will be warned of their death; they will

go directly to Heaven after death, etc. If there were any such wonderful

prayers the Church would surely know of them and commend them to its

children. When you find any prayers of the kind I mention, bring them to

the priest and ask his opinion before you use them yourself or give them

to others. Never buy prayers or articles said to be blessed from persons

unknown to you. Persons selling such things are frequently impostors,

who by suave manners and pious speeches unfortunately find Catholics who

believe them. These persons--sometimes not Catholics themselves, or at

least very bad ones--laugh at the superstition and foolish practices of

Catholics who believe everything they hear about pious books, prayers,

or articles.

In the early ages of the Church, when the enemies of Christ found that

they could not refute His teaching, they began to circulate foolish

doctrines, pretending that they were taught by Christ, and thus they

hoped to bring ridicule upon Christianity. So also in our time many

things are circulated as the teaching of the Catholic Church by the

enemies of the Church, in hopes that by these falsehoods and foolish

doctrines they may bring disgrace and ridicule upon the true religion.

Be on your guard against all impostors, remembering it is a safe rule

never to buy a religious article from or give money to persons going

about from door to door. If you have anything to give in alms, give it

to some charitable institution or society connected with the Church, or

put it in the poor-box, and then you will be sure it will do the good

you intend. Remember, too, that all the religious articles carried about

for sale do not come from Rome or the Holy Land, and you are deceived if

you think so, notwithstanding the assurance of their owners.

"A trust"--with full confidence that God will grant our petitions if we

really need or deserve what we pray for. It is a fault with a great many

to pray without the belief that their prayers will be answered. We

should pray with such faith and confidence that we would really be

disappointed if our prayer was not granted. Once when Our Lord was going

about doing good, a poor woman who had been suffering for twelve years

with a disease, and who, wishing to be healed, had uselessly spent all

her money in seeking medical aid, came to follow Him. (Mark 5:25). She

did not ask Him to cure her, but said within herself, "If I can but

touch the hem of His garment I know I shall be healed." So she made her

way through the throng and followed Our Lord till she could touch His

garment without being seen. She succeeded in accomplishing her wishes,

touched His garment, and was instantly cured. Our Lord knew her desires

and what she had done, and turning around told the people, praising her

great faith and confidence, on account of which He had healed her. Such

also should be our confidence and trust when we pray to God for our

needs.

"Perseverance." We should continue to pray though God does not grant our

request. Have you ever noticed a little child begging favors from its

mother? See its persistence! Though often refused, it will return again

and again with the same request, till the mother, weary of its

importunity, finally grants what it asks.

St. Monica prayed seventeen years for the conversion of her son St.

Augustine. St. Augustine's father was a pagan, and Monica, his wife,

prayed seventeen years for his conversion, and he became a Christian.

Just about that time her son Augustine, who was attending school, fell

in with bad companions and became a great sinner. She prayed seventeen

years more for him, and he reformed, became a great saint and learned

bishop in the Church. See, then, the result of thirty-four years'

prayer: Monica herself became a saint, her son became a saint, and her

husband died a Christian. If St. Monica had ceased praying after ten

years, Augustine might not have reformed. We never know when God is

about to grant our petition, and we may cease to pray just when another

appeal would obtain the object of our prayer. So we should continue to

pray till God is pleased to grant our request. Some say their prayers

are not heard when they mean to say their prayers are not granted; for

God always hears us. But why does He not always grant our request? There

are many reasons: (1) We may not pray in the proper manner, namely, with

attention, reverence, humility, patience, and perseverance; (2) We may

ask for things that God foresees will not be for our spiritual good.

This is true even for things that seem good to us, such as the removal

of an affliction, temptation, or the like. It often happens that God

shows us His greatest mercy in not granting our prayers. Suppose, for

example, a father held in his hand a bright and beautiful but very sharp

instrument, for which his child continually asked. Do you believe the

father would give it if he loved the child? Certainly not. The child

thinks, no doubt, it would be benefitted by the possession of the

instrument, but the father sees the danger. As God is our loving Father,

He acts with us in the same manner. (3) Our prayers are not granted

sometimes that we may learn to pray with proper dispositions, and God

withholds what He intends finally to give, that we may persevere in

prayer and have greater merit. Have you ever observed a mother teaching

her child to walk? What does she do? She goes at some distance from the

child and holds out an object that she knows will be pleasing to it, and

thus tempts it to walk to her. When the child draws near she moves still

farther away, and keeps it walking for some time before giving the

object. This she does, not through unwillingness to give the article,

but in order to teach the child to walk, for she loves to see its

efforts. When it falls, she lifts it up and makes it try again. So, too,

God teaches us to pray; and though He loves us, He withholds His gifts,

that we may pray the longer, and thereby afford Him greater pleasure.

308 Q. Which are the prayers most recommended to us?

A. The prayers most recommended to us are the Lord's Prayer, the Hail

Mary, the Apostles' Creed, the Confiteor, and the Acts of Faith, Hope,

Love, and Contrition.

309 Q. Are prayers said with distractions of any avail?

A. Prayers said with willful distractions are of no avail.

"Distraction"--that is, when we willingly and knowingly think of

something else while saying our prayers. It would be better not to pray

than to pray with disrespect. If there is any time at which we cannot

pray well, we should postpone our prayer: for God does not require us to

say our prayers just at a particular time; but when we do pray, He

requires us to pray with reverence and respect. We would pray well

always if we reflected on the great privilege we enjoy in being allowed

to pray.

Lesson 29

ON THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD

310 Q. Is it enough to belong to God's Church in order to be saved?

A. It is not enough to belong to the Church in order to be saved, but we

must also keep the Commandments of God and of the Church.

We call some commandments the Commandments of God and others the

commandments of the Church. We do so only to distinguish the

Commandments that God gave to Moses from those that the Church made

afterwards. They are all the commandments of God, for whatever laws or

commandments the Church makes, it makes them under the inspiration of

the Holy Ghost, and by God's authority. It would be a mortal sin to

break the commandments of the Church, just as it would be to break the

Commandments of God. You must remember that the Ten Commandments always

existed from the time of Adam, but they were not written till God gave

them to Moses. You know that it was always a sin to worship false gods,

to blaspheme, to disobey parents, to kill, etc.; for you know Cain was

punished by God for the murder of his brother Abel (Gen. 5), and that

took place while Adam was still alive.

Before the coming of Our Lord the Israelites, or God's chosen people,

had three kinds of laws. They had the civil laws for the government of

their nation--just as we have our laws for the people of the United

States. They had their ceremonial laws for their services in the

temple--as we have our ceremonies for the Church. They had their moral

laws--such as the Commandments--teaching them what they must do to save

their souls. Their civil laws were done away with when they ceased to be

a nation having a government of their own. Their ceremonial laws were

done away with when Our Lord came and established His Church; because

their ceremonies were only the figures of ours. Their moral laws

remained, and Our Lord explained them and made them more perfect.

Therefore we keep the Commandments and moral laws as they were always

kept by man. Fifty days after the Israelites left Egypt they came to the

foot of Mount Sinai. (Ex. 19). Here God commanded Moses to come up into

the mountain, and in the midst of fire and smoke, thunder and lightning,

God spoke to him and delivered into his hands the Ten Commandments

written on two tablets of stone.

Every day while the Israelites were traveling in the desert God sent

them manna--a miraculous food that fell every morning. It was white, and

looked something like fine rice. It had any taste they wished it to

have. For instance, if they wished it to taste like fruit, it did taste

so to them; but its usual taste was like that of flour and honey. (Ex.

16).

I said there is no difference between the Ten Commandments of God and

the six commandments of the Church; and there is no difference as far as

the sin of violating them is concerned. But they differ in this: the

Church can change the commandments it made itself, while it cannot

change those that God Himself gave directly.

*311 Q. Which are the Commandments that contain the whole law of God?

A. The Commandments which contain the whole law of God are these two:

first, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, with thy

whole soul, with thy whole strength, and with thy whole mind; second,

thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

"As thyself"--that is, as explained elsewhere, with the same kind,

though not necessarily with the same degree, of love. First we must love

ourselves and do what is essential for our own salvation, because

without our cooperation others cannot save us, though they may help us

by their prayers and good works. Next to ourselves nature demands that

we love those who are related to us in the order of parents, children,

husbands, wives, brothers, etc., and help them in proportion to their

needs, and before helping strangers who are in no greater distress.

*312 Q. Why do these two Commandments of the love of God and of our

neighbor contain the whole law of God?

A. These two Commandments of the love of God and of our neighbor contain

the whole law of God because all the other Commandments are given either

to help us to keep these two, or to direct us how to shun what is

opposed to them.

Of the Ten Commandments the first three refer to Almighty God and the

other seven to our neighbor. Thus all the Commandments may be reduced to

the two of the love of God and of the love of our neighbor. The First

Commandment says you shall worship only the true God; the Second says

you shall respect His holy name; and the Third says you shall worship

Him on a certain day. All these are contained therefore in this: Love

God all you possibly can, for if you do you will keep the first three of

the Commandments. The Fourth says: Honor your father--who in the sense

of the Commandment can also be called your neighbor--that is, respect

him, help him in his needs. The Fifth says do not kill him; namely, your

neighbor. The others say do not rob him of his goods; do not tell lies

about him; do not wish unjustly to possess his goods and do not covet

his wife. Thus it is clear that the last seven are all contained in

this: Love your neighbor, for if you do you will keep the last seven

Commandments that refer to him.

313 Q. Which are the Commandments of God?

A. The Commandments of God are these ten:

1. I am the Lord thy God, Who brought thee out of the land of Egypt,

out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt not have strange gods before

Me. Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness

of any thing that is in Heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor

of those things that are in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt

not adore them, nor serve them.

2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

3. Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath Day.

4. Honor thy father and thy mother.

5. Thou shalt not kill.

6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

7. Thou shalt not steal.

8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.

*314 Q. Who gave the Ten Commandments?

A. God Himself gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai, and

Christ Our Lord confirmed them.

Lesson 30

ON THE FIRST COMMANDMENT

315 Q. What is the First Commandment?

A. The First Commandment is: "I am the Lord thy God: thou shalt not have

strange gods before Me."

"Strange gods." The Israelites were surrounded on all sides by pagan

nations who worshipped idols and false gods, and sometimes by mingling

with these people they fell into sin, and, forgetting the true God,

worshipped their idols. Sometimes, too, they were at war with these

pagan nations, and when defeated were led captive into pagan countries

and there fell into the sin of worshipping false gods. It was against

this sin that God cautioned His people in the First Commandment. From

this sin of idolatry among the Israelites we have an example of the evil

results of associating with persons not of the true religion. One would

think that the Israelites, knowing the true God, might have converted

their pagan neighbors to the true religion by the influence of their

teaching and example; but, on the contrary, they lost the true faith

themselves, as nearly always happens in such cases. How do we sometimes

worship false or strange gods? By making dress, money, honor, society,

company, or pleasure our god--that is, by giving up the worship of God

and sinning for their sake, and thus making them god, at least for the

time being, by giving them our heart, mind, and service.

*316 Q. How does the First Commandment help us to keep the great

Commandment of the love of God?

A. The First Commandment helps us to keep the great Commandment of the

love of God because it commands us to adore God alone.

317 Q. How do we adore God?

A. We adore God by faith, hope, and charity, by prayer and sacrifice.

318 Q. How may the First Commandment be broken?

A. The First Commandment may be broken by giving to a creature the honor

which belongs to God alone; by false worship; and by attributing to a

creature a perfection which belongs to God alone.

"Creature"--that is, anything created; anything but God Himself, for all

other persons and things have been created. If one knelt before a king

and adored him, he would be giving to a creature the honor due to God

alone. "False worship"--that is, worshipping God not as He directs us by

His Church, but in some ways pleasing to ourselves. For example, to

sacrifice animals to God would now be false worship; to offer now any of

the sacrifices commanded in the Old Law would be false worship, because

all these were figures of the real sacrifice of the Cross and Mass, and

were to put the people in mind that one day Christ the promised Redeemer

would offer up the one great sacrifice of His own body and blood to blot

out all the sins of the world. And now that we have the real sacrifice

it would be sinful to use only figures, and it would be a false worship

displeasing to God. So, too, all those who leave the true Church to

practice a religion of their own have a false worship, for they worship

God not as He wishes, but as they wish.

Heaven is a reward, and when we see how the saints labored to secure it

we must be ashamed of the little we do for God. Take out of a whole

year--that is, 365 days or 8,760 hours--the time you give to the service

of God, and you will find it very little. Even the time you spent at

Mass and prayers was filled with distraction and little of it entirely

given to God. Since this is true for one year, what will it be for all

the years of your life? Think of them all and you will perceive that

God, who gave you all the time you had, and who on the last day will

demand an exact account of it, will find very little of it spent in His

honor or in His service. Even the time wasted in school and instructions

will all stand against you. Time lost is lost forever, and you can never

make it up. Next to grace, time is the most valuable thing God gives us,

and we should use it well. "Attributing to a creature a perfection" etc.

Persons who go to fortune tellers do this. Fortune tellers are persons

who pretend to know what is going to happen in the future. We know from

our religion that only God Himself knows the future. Neither the angels

nor saints, nor even the Blessed Virgin, know the future. Even they

could not tell your fortune unless God revealed it to them. So when you

go to a fortune teller you place the poor sinful person who is doing the

devil's work above the Blessed Virgin and all the saints and angels, and

make that wretch equal to God Himself. Surely this is a sin, even if you

do not believe these so-called fortune tellers, but go to them merely

through curiosity or with others. Again, we pay these persons for

telling us some foolish nonsense, and thus encourage them to continue

their sinful business. They doubtless laugh at the foolishness of those

who go to them or believe what they say and pay them generously. You

might with as much sense stop a man on the street, ask him to tell your

fortune, and hand him your money, for he would know as much about it as

so-called fortune tellers do. Rarely these sinful people might tell you

something that has happened in your life; but if they do, they merely

guess at it or are aided by the devil. The devil did not lose his

intelligence when driven out of Heaven, and he uses it now for doing

evil. He has vast experience, for he is as old as Adam, or older, and

has seen and known all the men that have lived in the world. He can move

rapidly through the world and easily know what is visibly taking place,

so that, strictly speaking, he could make known to his sinful agents

what is present or past, but never the future. Thus some fortune

tellers, clairvoyants, mindreaders, mediums, or whatever else they call

themselves, who are truly in league with the devil, may by his power

tell you the past of your life to make you believe that they know also

the future. The past and present in your life you already know, and the

future they cannot tell; therefore it is useless as well as sinful to go

to them. I say only it is possible for some fortune tellers to employ

the assistance of the devil, for all of them, with very rare exception,

are clever impostors who take your money for guessing at what they

suspect you will be most pleased to hear.

*319 Q. Do those who make use of spells and charms, or who believe in

dreams, in mediums, spiritists, fortune tellers, and the like, sin

against the First Commandment?

A. Those who make use of spells and charms, or who believe in dreams, in

mediums, spiritists, fortune tellers, and the like, sin against the

First Commandment, because they attribute to creatures perfections which

belong to God alone.