A Complete Catechism of the Catholic Religion/Chap. II. The Sacraments
CHAPTER II.
The Sacraments.
1. What is a Sacrament?
A Sacrament is a visible, or sensible, sign, instituted by Jesus Christ, by which invisible grace and inward sanctification are communicated to our souls.
By sensible is meant something that can be perceived by some of the senses.
2. How many things are necessary to constitute a Sacrament?
These three: 1. A visible sign; 2. An invisible grace; and 3. The institution by Jesus Christ.
3. Why has Christ instituted visible signs for imparting his grace to us?
1. That we may have a visible pledge of the inward invisible grace; and 2. That by sharing in these visible means of grace, we may manifest our communion with the one Church of Christ.
Thus Christ himself sometimes made use of certain signs when He conferred spiritual and corporal blessings on people; for instance, when He breathed on His Disciples, and said: ' 'Receive ye the Holy Ghost' (John xx, 22); when 'He spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle, and spread the clay upon the eyes of the man born blind' (John ix. 6); when 'He put His fingers into the ears of the man deaf and dumb, and spitting, He touched his tongue, and looking up to Heaven, He groaned, and said to Him: Ephpheta, which is, Be thou opened' (Mark vii. 33, 34).
4. Do these signs only signify grace?
No; they also effect or produce the grace which they signify, unless we, on our part, put an obstacle in the way; therefore they are also called efficacious signs.
5. What grace do the Sacraments effect?
1. They communicate, or increase, sanctifying grace;
2. Each Sacrament communicates other special graces according to the end for which it has been instituted.
6. How must we receive the Sacraments, in order that they may produce these graces in us?
We must prepare ourselves well for them, and then receive them worthily.
7. What sin does he commit who receives a Sacrament unworthily?
He commits a very grievous sin — a sacrilege.
8. Does not the efficacy of the Sacraments also depend on the worthiness or unworthiness of those who administer them?
'No; for the Sacraments have their efficacy, not from him who administers them, but from the merits of Jesus Christ, by whom they were instituted.
The Sacraments are, as it were, channels through which flow to us the graces which Jesus has merited for us by His bitter Passion and death.
9. Were all the Sacraments instituted by Christ?
Yes; for God alone can give to outward signs the power of producing grace and sanctification.
10. How many Sacraments has Christ instituted?
These seven: 1. Baptism; 2, Confirmation; 3. Holy Eucharist; 4. Penance; 5. Extreme Unction; 6. Holy Orders; and 7. Matrimony.
Our Lord Jesus Christ has instituted just as many Sacraments as are necessary and conducive to the supernatural life of man. For as he is first born into this natural life, then grows up and acquires strength, is frequently supplied with nourishing food, in order to preserve life and to increase his strength, etc.; so also he is, 1. Born in Baptism to the supernatural life; gains then, 2. In Confirmation strength and growth; 3. Receives in the Holy Eucharist a Divine nourishment; 4. Finds in Penance a remedy to heal all the diseases of his soul, and to restore him to the state of grace; and 5. Gets in Extreme Unction assistance and strength against despair and the last assaults of the devil; 6, In Holy Orders the powers of administrating the means of grace necessary to the supernatural life are propagated; and 7. In Matrimony the union between husband and wife is blessed, that, being sanctified themselves, they may also bring up their children to a holy, and consequently to eternal, life.
11. How do we know that there are seven Sacraments?
We know it because such has been at all times the teaching and practice of the Church, 'which is the pillar and ground of the truth' (1 Tim. iii. 15).
Not only have the Catholics of all ages held them, but the modern Greeks, the Russians, and all those sects who in the first centuries separated themselves from the Catholic Church, have ever retained and still hold these seven Sacraments; which evidently proves that the doctrine of seven Sacraments is as old as the Church itself.
12. How are the Sacraments divided?
They are divided, 1. Into Sacraments of the living and Sacraments of the dead; and 2. Into such as can be received only once, and such as can be received more than once.
13. Which are the Sacraments of the living?
The Sacraments of the living are, 1. Confirmation; 3. Holy Eucharist; 3. Extreme Unction; 4. Holy Orders; and 5. Matrimony.
14. Why are they called Sacraments of the 'living'?
Because, in order to receive them, we ought to have supernatural life — that is, sanctifying grace.
15. Which are the Sacraments of the dead?
The Sacraments of the dead are these two: Baptism and Penance.
'16. Why are they called Sacraments of the 'dead'?
Because, when we receive them, we either have not, or at least are not obliged to have, the life of grace.
17. Which Sacraments can be received only 'once'?
Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders.
18. Why can they be received but 'once'?
Because they imprint upon the soul an indelible character, or spiritual mark, which consecrates and dedicates him who receives it in a special manner to the service of God, remains for ever, and will add either to his glory in Heaven or to his misery in Hell.
19. Whence have we received those ceremonies which, in the administration of the Sacraments, are used together with the signs instituted by Christ?
From the Church, which, under the assistance of the Holy Ghost, has ordained them for the increase of our devotion and reverence.
Application. Esteem the Holy Sacraments as most precious means of grace instituted by Christ; give fervent thanks to God for them, and beware of profaning them by imprecations or by unworthily receiving them.
Baptism.
1. Which is the first and most necessary Sacrament?
The first and most necessary Sacrament is Baptism.
2. Why is Baptism the first Sacrament?
Because before Baptism no other Sacrament can be validly received.
3. Why is Baptism the most necessary Sacrament?
Because without Baptism no one can be saved.
'Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God' (John iii. 5).
God has not revealed to us what becomes of those children who die without Baptism. All we know is that they are not admitted to enjoy the sight or beatific vision of God, nor are they punished like those who have sinned of their own free will. However, it is to be supposed that their life hereafter is also to them a benefit of God.
4. What is Baptism?
Baptism is a Sacrament in which, by water and the word of God, we are cleansed from all sin, and re-born and sanctified in Christ to life everlasting.
5. Why do you say that we are baptized ' by water and the word of God '?
Because Baptism is administered by pouring water over the head or over the body of him who is baptized, and, at the same time, pronouncing these words: 'I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.'
6. Why do you say that ' in Baptism we are cleansed from all sin'?
Because in Baptism original sin. and all the sins committed before Baptism, are forgiven.
7. Is also the punishment due to sin remitted?
Yes; the temporal as well as the eternal punishment is remitted in Baptism.
8. Why are we, even after Baptism, still subject to some defects of original sin, as death, concupiscence, and many tribulations and infirmities?
1. That we ourselves may experience how punishable and pernicious sin is, and hate it so much the more; and 2. That we may increase our merits for Heaven by our combats and sufferings.
9. Why do you further say that we are ' re-born and sanctified to life everlasting '?
Because in Baptism we are not only cleansed from all sin, but are also transformed in a spiritual manner, made holy, children of God, and heirs of Heaven.
' He saved us by the laver of regeneration, and renovation of the Holy Ghost, whom He hath poured forth upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that, being justified by His grace, we may be his heirs, according to hope, of life everlasting' (Tit. iii. 5-7).
10. By what is this spiritual re-birth and sanctification effected?
It is effected by the grace of sanctification, which, together with the Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity, the Holy Ghost infuses into the soul in Baptism.
' The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, who is given to us' (Rom. v. 5).
11. And why do you say that we are re-born and sanctified ' in Christ '?
To signify that all these graces are given to us, be cause by Baptism we are united with Christ and incorporated into His Church.
'There is now, therefore, no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus' (Rom. viii. 1).
12. When did Christ give the commandment to baptize?
Before His Ascension, when He said to His Apostles: ' Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost' (Matt, xxviii. 19).
13. Who can validly baptize?
Any person; but, except in cases of necessity, only priests, who have care of souls, are allowed to baptize.
14. Is the Baptism given by non-Catholics also valid?
Yes; it is valid, if they strictly observe in it all that is necessary for Baptism.
When heretics are converted, if it is found, after diligent examination, either that Baptism had not been conferred at all, or else conferred improperly, they must be baptized. If, upon investigation, there remains a reasonable doubt of the validity of their former Baptism, they must be baptized conditionally. If the former Baptism was valid they are not to be baptized again. There are three ways, therefore, of receiving converts into the Church.
I. If Baptism is conferred absolutely, neither abjuration nor absolution follows, since all the past is wiped out by Baptism.
II. If Baptism is repeated conditionally, the following order is to be observed, 1. The Abjuration, or Profession of Faith. 2. Conditional Baptism. 3. Sacramental Confession.
III. If the former Baptism is held to be valid, the Abjuration or Profession of Faith alone is to be made, followed by Absolution from Censures.
15. What sort of water should be used in Baptism?
Any natural water will do for the validity of Baptism. However, when possible, baptismal water, or water blessed for that purpose, should be used.
16. What intention must he have who baptizes?
He must have the intention to baptize indeed — that is, to do what the Church does, or what Christ has ordained.
17. What name should be given to the child in Baptism?
The name of some saint, in whom the child may have an intercessor with God, and an example for imitation.
18. Why must the person to be baptized renounce Satan, all his works, and all his pomps, before Baptism?
Because no one can belong to Christ, unless he renounce not only Satan, but also his works — i.e., sin — and his pomps — i.e., the spirit and the vanities of the world, by which Satan blinds men and entices them to sin (Matt. iv. 8, 9).
In Baptism we promise to believe, to avoid sin, and to lead a new life pleasing to God. On the other hand, God promises us His grace and eternal salvation. These mutual promises are called the Covenant of Baptism.
19. Why does the Priest place a white linen cloth upon our head in Baptism?
To remind us that we should preserve the innocence we have received pure and spotless until death; therefore, when he puts it on us, he says: 'Receive this white garment, and see thou carry it without stain before the judgment-seat of our Lord Jesus Christ, that thou mayest have eternal life.'
20. What does the lighted candle, which is put into the child's hand after he is baptized, signify?
That a Christian ought to shine by his faith and virtuous life before the whole world.
'So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven' (Matt. V. 16).
The other ceremonies of Baptism are also very ancient, and have all a deep meaning. 1. The person to be baptized remains at first without the church, because only Baptism gives him entrance into it. 2. The Priest breathes three times in his face, to signify the new and spiritual life he receives by the grace of the Holy Ghost (Gen. ii. 7, and John xx. 22). 3. The sign of the Cross made upon his forehead and upon his breast denotes that he is becoming the property of his Crucified Redeemer, whose doctrine he is to carry in his heart, and to profess openly. 4. The blessed salt, which is put into his mouth, is an emblem of Christian wisdom, and of preservation from the corruption of sin. 5. By the exorcisms, which are repeated several times, the power of the devil, 'who has the empire of death' (Heb. ii. 14), is broken in the name of the Blessed Trinity, 6, The laying of the Priest's hand upon the person to be baptized signifies the protection of God; and the stole laid upon him, and his being led by it into the Church, is a sign of the ecclesiastical power, in virtue of which the Priest admits him into the Church. 7. The touching of the child's ears and nostrils with spittle, in imitation of our Saviour (Mark vii. 33), signifies that, by the grace of this Sacrament, his spiritual senses are opened to the doctrine of Christ. 8. After having renounced the devil and all his works, and all his pomps, he is anointed with holy oil on the breast and between the shoulders, because, as a champion of Christ, he has now manfully to fight against the devil and the world. 9. After the Baptism, the crown of the head is anointed with chrism, to intimate that he is now a Christian — i.e., an anointed of God, etc.
21. What should Sponsors, or Godfathers and Godmothers, be particularly mindful of?
Sponsors should bear in mind that they become, as it were, the spiritual parents of the infant that is baptized, and make in his name the profession of faith and the baptismal vows; that therefore —
1. They should be good Catholics themselves;
2. They should take care that the child be instructed in the Catholic religion, and well educated, if his natural parents should neglect their duty in this respect, or be prevented from performing it; and
3. That they cannot marry their Godchild; but they are not forbidden to marry each other.
22. How many Godfathers and Godmothers does the Church admit?
The Church generally admits but one Godfather for a boy, and one Godmother for a girl; or, at most, one Godfather and one Godmother for one person to be baptized. The others who may be admitted besides are only to be considered as witnesses of his Baptism, and, consequently, contract no spiritual relationship.
23. Can the Baptism of water never be supplied?
When it is impossible to have it, it may be supplied by the Baptism of desire or by the Baptism of blood.
24. What is the Baptism of desire?
An earnest wish and a determined will to receive Baptism, or to do all that God has ordained for our salvation, accompanied with a perfect contrition, or a pure love of God.
'Every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God' (1 John iv. 7).
25. What is the Baptism of blood?
Martyrdom for the sake of Christ.
'He that shall lose his life for me shall find it' (Matt. x. 39).
Application. Never forget what you owe to God for the inestimable grace of Baptism; and often, if possible every Sunday, renew your Baptismal Vows.
CONFIRMATION.
1. What is Confirmation?
Confirmation is a Sacrament in which, through the Bishop's laying on of hands, unction, and prayer, those already baptized are strengthened by the Holy Ghost, in order that they may steadfastly profess their faith, and faithfully live up to it.
2. Who teaches us that the Sacrament of Confirmation was instituted by Christ?
The infallible Catholic Church, in accordance with the Holy Scripture,1 with the doctrine of the holy Fathers,2 and with the practice of the most ancient times.3
The Holy Scripture reckons the doctrine of Confirmation, as well as that of Baptism and Penance, amongst the fundamental truths of Christianity (Hebr. vi. 1, 2). It testifies that Christ promised the Holy Ghost to the faithful, and that the Apostles imparted Him by prayer and imposition of hands. 'When the Apostles, who were in Jerusalem, had heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John. Who, when they were come, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost; for He was not as yet come upon any of them, but they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus; then they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost' (Acts viii. 14-17). 'They [the disciples of Ephesus] were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus; and when Paul had imposed his hands on them, the Holy Ghost came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied' (Acts xix. 5, 6). 2 The holy Fathers designate this Sacrament by various names; as Confirmation (i.e., strengthening). Imposition of hands, Sealing, Unction, Chrism, Mystery of the Holy Ghost 'The Sacrament of Chrism,' says St. Augustine, 'is just as holy as Baptism.' 3 History attests that even in the earliest days of the Church the Bishops travelled about to lay their hands on those that were baptized, and to call down the Holy Ghost upon them.
3. What are the effects of Confirmation?
1. Confirmation increases sanctifying grace in us; 2. It gives us the Holy Ghost, to enable us to fight against evil and to grow in virtue; and 3. It imprints on us, as soldiers of Christ, a spiritual mark which can never be effaced.
'He that confirmeth us with you in Christ, and that hath anointed us, is God: who also hath sealed us, and given the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts' (2 Cor. i. 21, 22).
4. Who has power to confirm?
The Bishops, as Successors of the Apostles, have power to confirm; in urgent cases, however, the Pope can delegate this power also to a Priest who is not a Bishop.
5. How does the Bishop give Confirmation?
He extends his hands over all those who are to be confirmed, and prays for them all in general, that the Holy Ghost may come down upon them; then he lays his hand upon each one in particular, and anoints him with holy chrism; and he concludes by giving to all in common the Episcopal Benediction.
6. How does the Bishop anoint those to be confirmed?
He makes the sign of the Cross with holy chrism upon the forehead of each one, saying at the same time: 'N., I sign thee with the sign of the Cross, and I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.'
7. Of what does the chrism, blessed by the Bishop, consist?
Of oil of olives and balsam.
8. What does the oil signify?
The oil signifies the inward strength which we receive for the combat against the enemies of our salvation.
9. Why is fragrant balsam mixed with the oil?
To signify that he who is confirmed receives the grace to preserve himself from the corruption of the world, and to send forth by a pious life the sweet odor of virtue.
10. Why does the Bishop make the sign of the Cross on the forehead of him whom he confirms?
To intimate that a Christian never must be ashamed of the Cross, but boldly profess his faith in Jesus crucified.
I am not ashamed of the Gospel; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth (Rom. i. 16).
11. Why does the Bishop, after he has anointed him, give him a slight blow on the cheek?
To remind him that, being now strengthened, he ought to be prepared to suffer patiently any kind of humiliation for the name of Jesus.
12. Is Confirmation necessary to salvation?
Confirmation is not absolutely necessary to salvation; yet it would be a sin not to receive it through neglect or indifference.
Whatever has been instituted by God for the sanctification of all must also ardently be desired, and thankfully accepted, by all.
13. Who is capable of receiving Confirmation?
Every one who is baptized.
14. How is a person to prepare himself for receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation?
1. He must cleanse his conscience at least from all grievous sins; 2. He must get himself well instructed in the fundamental truths of our faith, particularly in those which regard this Sacrament; and 3. He must heartily desire the grace of the Holy Ghost, and, for that purpose, he must fervently pray, and perform good works.
15. How are we to receive Confirmation?
We must, 1. Earnestly ask for the Gifts of the Holy Ghost; 2. Promise God that we will live, and die, as good Christians; and 3. Not leave the church before the Bishop has given his benediction.
16. What should we do after Confirmation?
We should, 1. Give humble thanks to God; 2. Spend that day especially in devotion; and 3. Preserve and increase the grace of the Holy Ghost by perseverance in our struggle against the enemies of salvation, and by an ardent zeal in all that is good.
17. Why are Sponsors, or Godfathers and Godmothers, required also in Confirmation?
That they may present to the Bishop those who are to be confirmed, and afterwards advise and help them in their spiritual combat for which they are consecrated in this Sacrament.
The Sponsor enters into this engagement by laying his hand on the right shoulder of the person to be confirmed. Thus he becomes his spiritual Parent and Guardian, and has to preserve him from losing the grace of Confirmation; and there arises from it the same spiritual relationship, but not the same impediment of marriage, as in Baptism.
18. What qualities does the Church require in the Godfathers and Godmothers of those who are confirmed?
They must be Catholics, must have been confirmed, be blameless in their conduct, and of such age that they are able to fulfil their duties as Sponsors. Parents cannot he the Sponsors of their children; and the Sponsor in Confirmation is to be different from the Sponsor in Baptism.
Application. Pray frequently and earnestly that the Gifts of the Holy Ghost may be strengthened in you. Perform without fear all the duties of a Catholic Christian. Should you have to suffer ignominy and persecution on account of your faith, consider it an honor, and rejoice in it after the example of the Apostles (Acts v. 41).
The Holy Eucharist.
§ 1. The Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
1. What is the Holy Eucharist?
It is the true Body and the true Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is really and substantially present under the appearances of bread and wine for the nourishment of our souls.
It is called 'Eucharist' from the Greek word 'Eucliaristia,' which means 'Good Grace,' because it contains Christ our Lord, the true grace, and the source of all heavenly gifts; or 'Thanksgiving,' because, when we offer this most spotless Victim, we render to God a homage of infinite value, in return for all the benefits which we have received from His bounty, particularly for the inestimable treasure of grace bestowed on us in this Sacrament. It is also called the Blessed or Most Holy Sacrament, because it contains Jesus Christ Himself, the Author of all the Sacraments, and of all sanctity. The Sacrament of the Altar, because it is on the Altar it is offered and reserved. The Holy Host, because it contains Jesus Christ, the true Host or Victim, immolated for us. The Viaticum (i.e., Provision for a journey), as well because it is the spiritual food by which we are supported during our mortal pilgrimage, as also, because it prepares for us a passage to eternal happiness and everlasting glory (Catech. of the Counc. of Trent).
2. Is there in the Holy Eucharist all that is requisite for constituting a Sacrament?
Yes; there are, 1. The visible sign, i.e., the appearances of bread and wine; 2. The invisible grace, i.e., Jesus Christ Himself, the Author and Dispenser of all graces; and 3. The institution by our Lord Jesus Christ.
3. "When did Jesus Christ institute this Sacrament?
He instituted it at the Last Supper, the evening before His bitter Passion.
4. How did He institute it?
Jesus took bread, blessed it, and broke and gave it to His Disciples, saying, 'Take ye, and eat: this is my Body.' After that, in like manner. He took the chalice with wine in it, blessed and gave it to His Disciples, saying, 'Drink ye all of this: this is my Blood. Do this for a commemoration of me.' (Short Hist. of Revealed Rel., 24).
5. What became of the bread and wine, when Jesus pronounced these words over them: ' This is my Body, this is my Blood '?
The bread was, in an invisible manner, changed into the true Body, and the wine into the true Blood, of Jesus Christ.
6. After these words of Christ, what did still remain of bread and wine? Nothing but their species or appearances.
7. What is understood by the appearances of bread and wine?
All that which the senses perceive of bread and wine; as form, color, taste, smell, etc.
8. How do we know that with these words, ' This is my Body, this is my Blood,' Christ gave His true Body and His true Blood to the Apostles?
We know it—
1. Because Christ had long before promised to His disciples that He would give them His real Flesh to eat and. His real Blood to drink, 1 and because, at the Last Supper, He expressly declared that that which He then gave them as food and drink was really His Body and His Blood; 2 and
2. Because the Apostles and the Catholic Church have at all times believed and taught so. 3
1 'The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the "world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this Man give us His flesh to eat? Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen, I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed' (John vi. 52, etc.),
2 'Christ foresaw that the Church would understand His most clear and distinct words in their proper and literal meaning. Had He wished to be understood in a different manner, He would also have spoken differently, that He might not in such most important matter give occasion to misunderstanding and error.
3 'The teaching of the Apostles, especially of St. Paul, is evident from 1 Cor, x. 16, and xi. 23-29; the teaching of the whole Church, from her prayers and rites relating to the Divine Service; from the decrees of her Councils; from the numerous testimonies of the holy Fathers and ecclesiastical writers. For instance, St. Justin Martyr says: 'As Jesus Christ took flesh and blood, so also is the food consecrated by His words flesh and blood of the incarnate Jesus. ' St. Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, gives this evidence: * As Christ Himself declared and said, "This is my Body," who would dare to doubt it? As He openly protested, saying, "This is my Blood," who would hesitate, and think that it is not His Blood? Once He changed water into wine; and should we question whether He could change wine into blood?' No less plain and precise are the testimonies of St. John Chrysostom, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, and of many other Fathers, even of the first centuries. We have also a strong proof of the antiquity of the Catholic doctrine in this, that the Schismatic Greek Church, and the other older Oriental Churches, believe and teach precisely the same.
9. Did Christ give also to His Apostles power to change bread and wine into His Sacred Flesh and Blood?
Yes; He gave them that power with these words: 'Do this for a commemoration of me' (Luke xxii. 19).
10. To whom did this power pass from the Apostles?
It passed from the Apostles to the Bishops and Priests.
11. When do the Bishops and Priests exercise this power?
At Mass, when they pronounce over the bread and wine these words: ' This is my Body, this is my Blood.'
12. Is there, then, after the consecration any longer bread and wine on the altar?
No; there is then on the altar the true Body and the true Blood of Jesus Christ under the appearances of bread and wine.
This change is properly called 'Transubstantiation,' which means a real conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the Body of Christ our Lord, and of the substance of the wine into the substance of His Blood (Counc. of Trent, Sess. 13, Ch. 4, and Can. 2).
'13. How long does Christ remain present with His Sacred Flesh and Blood?'
As long as the appearances of bread and of wine continue to exist.
14. Is the Body of Christ alone present under the appearance of bread, and the Blood of Christ, alone, present under the appearance of wine?
No; under each appearance Christ is present entire and undivided, as He is entire and undivided in Heaven.
15. When the Priest breaks or divides the Sacred Host, does he also break the Body of Christ?
No; he breaks or divides the appearances only: the Body of Christ itself is present in each part entire and living, in a real though mysterious manner.
16. What does the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist require us to do?
To visit Him frequently, and to adore Him with the most profound humility and awe, and with the most ardent love and gratitude.
'Let all the Angels of God adore Him' (Hebr. i. 6). In order to show due honor to the Blessed Sacrament, the Church exposes it for public adoration, gives Benediction with it, carries it reverently about in solemn procession, has established Feasts and Confraternities (of the Most Holy Sacrament, of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and others). As an emblem of adoration and love, a lamp is kept burning day and night before the altar where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved in the tabernacle.
17. Is Christ present in the Holy Eucharist only that He may be also as man with us?
He is also present for two other reasons:
1. That He may offer Himself for us in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; and
2. That in Holy Communion He may give Himself to us for the nourishment of our souls.
Application. Rejoice that our Lord and Saviour is pleased to remain in the Blessed Sacrament amongst us to the end of the world. Thank Him for this exceedingly great favor; love Him, and visit Him often and with devotion. Pour out all your sufferings before this amiable Comforter, and have full confidence in His help; for He Himself invites you, saying: 'Come to me, all you that labor, and are burdened, and I will refresh you' (Matt. xi. 28).
§ 2. On the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
18. What is a Sacrifice?
A Sacrifice is that first and highest act of Religion, in which a duly authorized person offers to God some sensible thing which is visibly immolated either physically or mystically, in token and acknowledgment of God's supreme dominion over all things and of our total dependence on Him.
He who sacrifices is styled a priest; the sensible thing which is sacrificed is called the victim; the place where it is sacrificed is the altar. These four — priest, victim, altar, and sacrifice — are inseparable. Each one of them calls for the others.
19. Have there been Sacrifices at all times?
Yes, there have been Sacrifices from the beginning of the world, and under the Old Law they were strictly commanded by God Himself.
20. Why were the Sacrifices of the Old Law abolished?
Because they were only figures of the unspotted Sacrifice of the New Law, and were, therefore, not to last longer than the Old Law itself.
'For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things, by the self -same sacrifices, which they offer continually every year, can never make the comers thereunto perfect; for it is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sin should be taken away. Wherefore when He [Christ] cometh into the world He saith: Sacrifice and oblation Thou [O God] wouldst not; hut a body Thou hast fitted to me. Then said I: Behold, I come: in the head of the hook it is written of me, that I should do Thy will, God. . . . He taketh away the first, that He may establish that which followeth' (Hebr. x. 1-9).
21. What is the Sacrifice of the New Law?
The Sacrifice of the New Law is the Son of God Himself, Jesus Christ, who, by His death on the Cross, offered Himself to His Heavenly Father for us (Hebr. ix. 14).
22. Was all Sacrifice to cease with the death of Christ?
No; there was to be in the New Law of Grace a Perpetual Sacrifice, in order to represent continually that which was once accomplished on the Cross, and to apply the fruits of it to our souls.
23. Was such a Sacrifice promised to us by God?
Yes, even in the Old Law it was prefigured by the Sacrifice of Melchisedech,1 and was foretold by the Prophet Malachias.2
1 As Melchisedech offered bread and wine (Gen, xiv. 18), so also Christ offers Himself under the species of bread and wine unto the end of the world. Therefore it is said in Ps. cix.: 'The Lord hath sworn, and Be will not repent: Thou art a Priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech. 2 'I have no pleasure in you [Jews], saith the Lord of Hosts, and I will not receive a gift of your hand; for from the rising of the sun even to the going down, my name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to my name a clean oblation' (Mal. i. 10, 11),
24. Which is this perpetual Sacrifice, foretold by Malaehias?
It is the Sacrifice of the Mass.
25. By whom was the Sacrifice of the Mass instituted?
It was instituted by Jesus Christ, when at the Last Supper He offered Himself up under the appearances of bread and wine to His Heavenly Father, and commanded His Apostles thenceforth to celebrate this His Sacrifice.
26. What, then, is the Mass?
The Mass is the perpetual Sacrifice of the New Law. in which Christ our Lord offers Himself, by the hands of the Priest, in an unbloody manner, under the appearances of bread and wine, to His Heavenly Father, as He once offered Himself on the Cross in a bloody manner.
27. What is the difference between the Sacrifice of the Mass and the Sacrifice of the Cross?
The Sacrifice of the Mass is essentially the same Sacrifice as that of the Cross; the only difference is in the manner of offering.
28. Why is the Sacrifice of the Mass the same Sacrifice as that of the Cross?
Because in both it is the same High-Priest who offers, and the same Victim who is offered — namely, Jesus Christ our Lord; and because in the Sacrifice of the Mass the oblation which Christ made of Himself on the Cross, for us, to the Father, is commemorated and continued.
The Priest is only the minister and visible representative of Christ; therefore he does not speak in his own name, but in the name of Christ; 'This is my Body, . . . this is my Blood.'
29. How is the manner of offering different in both?
On the Cross Christ offered Himself in a bloody manner; but in the Mass He offers Himself in an unbloody manner, whilst He renews the Sacrifice accomplished on the Cross, without suffering or dying any more.
30. If Christ dies no more, how, then, can the Sacrifice which He consummated on the Cross be renewed in the Mass?
It is renewed, because in the Mass Christ offers Himself really and truly under the emblems of the bloody death which He suffered on the Cross — that is, under the separated appearances of bread and wine.
By virtue of the words which the Priest pronounces, the Body of Christ becomes present under the appearance of bread, and His Blood under the appearance of wine; and both these appearances being visibly separated from each other, the separation of the Blood from the Body, consequently the bloody death on the Cross is represented in an unbloody, mystical manner. This unbloody renewal is, however, not made in order that we may be redeemed anew, for the Sacrifice of the Cross was sufficient for the redemption of the whole world; but that we may have a standing memorial, and a lively, though unbloody, representation of the bloody Sacrifice of the Cross, by which God is perfectly honored, and the abundant fruits of the Redemption are applied to our souls.
31. How do we prove that, from the time of the Apostles, the Mass has always been celebrated?
We prove this, 1. By the words of St. Paul, which clearly show that as early as in the times of the Apostles the Christians had an altar of their own; 1 for where an altar is, there must also be a Sacrifice; and 2. By the undeniable testimonies of the holy Fathers, the decrees of the Councils, the most ancient prayers of the Mass, and by many other memorials of the Eastern and Western Churches.
1'We [Christians] have an altar, whereof they have no power to eat who serve the tabernacle,' i.e., the Jews (Hebr. xiii. 10; comp. 1 Cor. x. 18-21).
32. To whom do we offer the Sacrifice of the Mass?
We offer it to God alone; however, we also celebrate the memory of the Saints in it.
33. How do we celebrate the memory of the Saints in the Mass?
1. By rendering thanks to God for all the graces bestowed upon them in this life, and for the glory they now enjoy in Heaven; and 2, By imploring their intercession for us.
34. What are the ends for which we offer the Mass to God?
We offer it to God,
1. As a Sacrifice of Praise for His honor and glory;
2. As a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving for all the graces and benefits received from him;
3. As a Sacrifice of Propitiation for the many offences given to Him; and
4. As a Sacrifice of Petition, in order to obtain His assistance in all our necessities of soul and body.
35. What effects has the Mass as a Sacrifice of Propitiation?
By it we obtain from the Divine Mercy,
1. Graces of contrition and repentance for the forgiveness of sins; and
2. Remission of temporal punishment deserved for sins.
36. To whom are the fruits of the Mass applied?
The general fruits are applied to the whole Church, both the living and the dead;
The special fruits are applied, 1. Chiefly to the Priest who celebrates the Mass; 2. Next. to those for whom in particular he offers it up; and 3. To all those who assist at it with devotion.
37. Which are the principal parts of the Mass?
The principal parts of the Mass are, 1. The Offertory; 2. The Consecration; and 3. The Communion.
38. What do you think of the ceremonies which the Church has added to the Sacrifice of the Mass?
The ceremonies of the Mass have all been handed down to us from the most ancient times, many from the times of the Apostles themselves, and their sublime and mysterious signification is intended to fill our hearts with devotion and reverence.
1. The Priest first prays with heartfelt sorrow, and profoundly bowing, at the foot of the altar; then having ascended the steps, he kisses it reverently, reads the Introit, and prays again in the spirit of humility to God, by reciting alternately with the server the 'Kyrie eleison' (Lord, have mercy on us). 2. He intones joyfully the Hymn of the Angels (Gloria), and turns then towards the people, to wish them the Divine Blessing. 3. He prays at the side of the altar, in the name of all who are present, to God for the necessities of all. After that, he reads two portions of the Holy Scripture, the Epistle and the Gospel, the latter, however, at the other side of the altar, to intimate that the Evangelical doctrine, rejected by the Jews, passed over to the Heathens. 4. The Gospel is followed, on certain days, by the Nicene Creed. This is the preparation for the Sacrifice. It was anciently called the Mass of the Catechumens — i.e., of those who were still in the first rudiments of Christianity, because they were permitted to assist at it thus far before they were baptized. Next begins, 5. The Sacrifice itself by the Offertory: the Priest, united with the people, offers bread and wine, and then washes his hands, to show the purity of heart with which we should assist at the Holy Sacrifice. 6. He invites all to fervent prayer, and, praising God, he joins with the Choirs of Angels, saying: 'Holy, holy, holy,' etc. 7. Next follow prayers, said in a low voice, for the Church, her Rulers, and all the faithful, under the invocation of the Blessed Virgin and all the Saints. 8. Then he pronounces the mysterious words of Consecration, adores, making a genuflection, and elevates the Sacred Body and the Sacred Blood above his head. At the ringing of the bell the people adore on their knees, and strike their breasts in token of repentance for their sins. 9. The Priest begs of God graciously to accept the Sacrifice, to have mercy on all mankind, also on the souls in Purgatory, and concludes with the Lord's Prayer, which contains the substance of all petitions. 10. After a preparatory prayer, during which, at Solemn Masses, the Kiss of Peace is given, follows the Holy Communion, of which all those who are present should partake, at least spiritually. 11. The Communion being over, the whole concludes with a prayer of thanksgiving, the blessing of the people, and the reading of the Gospel of St. John.
39. Why is the Mass said in Latin?
1. Because this language comes from Rome, whence we received our faith; 2. Because, being a dead language, it does not change in the course of time like living languages; and 3. Because thereby the Unity and Uniformity of the Church, even in her public service, is represented and preserved.
Out of respect for very ancient usage, the Holy See permits the Greeks and some other bodies of Eastern Christians to retain their own languages in the celebration of Mass and other rites.
40. Why has the Church assigned particular vestments for the Priest whilst officiating at the altar?
That we may remember that the Priest does not act at the altar in his own person, but as the representative of Jesus, and that he celebrates a most holy Divine Mystery.
In the Old Testament God Himself minutely appointed the vestments for the Priests, and said: 'Aaron and his sons shall use them when they approach to the altar to minister in the Sanctuary, lest being guilty of iniquity they die' (Exod. xxviii. 43).
The different colors of the Priest's vestments have also their meaning. The White signifies innocence and spiritual joy; the Bed, the love of God; the Green, the hope of eternal life; the Violet or Purple, humility and penance; the Black, deep mourning.
Application. Endeavor to assist daily at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with sincere devotion and profound reverence; for there is no other act so holy and Divine, so rich in graces and heavenly blessings. At the Offertory, offer yourself with Jesus Christ to your Heavenly Father; at the Consecration, humbly adore your Saviour, and beg His pardon; at the Communion, communicate, at least spiritually — that is to say, desire most earnestly to be united with your dearest Lord in this Sacrament of Love.
§ 3. On Holy Communion.
41. What is Holy Communion?
Holy Communion is truly the receiving of the real Body and Blood of Jesus Christ for the nourishment of our souls.
Communion means, Union of the faithful with Christ and with one another; or, Common participation of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The Communion is also called the Lord's Supper, the Receiving of the Blessed Sacrament, of the Holy Eucharist, etc.
42. Was it God, or is it the Church only, that has commanded us to receive Holy Communion?
God has commanded it, and the Church also; for Christ our Lord says expressly: ' Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the Flesh of the Son of man, and drink His Blood, you shall not have life in you ' (John vi. 54).
43. Must we also drink the Chalice, in order to receive the Blood of Christ?
No; for under the appearance of bread we receive also His Blood, since we receive Him whole and entire. His Humanity and His Divinity.
Therefore, Christ promises eternal life to those also who receive Him under the appearance of bread alone: ' If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world' (John vi. 52). This is the bread that came down from Heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead. He that eateth this bread shall live for ever' (John vi. 59).
44. But why, then, did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist in both kinds?
Because He instituted it, not only as a Sacrament, but also as a Sacrifice, for which both kinds are required.
Accordingly, the words of Christ, 'Drink ye all of this' (Matt. xxvi. 27), are by no means a command to all the people, but only to the Apostles, and their Successors the Bishops and Priests, when they celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Therefore, Priests also, when they do not actually celebrate Mass, communicate under one kind only.
45. Why does the Catholic Church give Holy Communion to the faithful in one kind only — namely, under the form of bread?
1. To prevent the Sacred Blood from being profaned, since, under the appearance of wine, it might easily be spilled, and could not well be reserved;
2. To make it easy for all to receive the Blessed Sacrament, as many feel a disgust at drinking out of a common chalice; and
3. To declare thereby against the heretics that Christ is present whole and entire under each kind.
In the very first times of the primitive Church, the sick, prisoners, and all those who commnnicated at home, received the Blessed Sacrament only under the form of bread. Thus only the breaking of bread is mentioned by St. Luke, xxiv. 30: 'Whilst He was at table with them, He took bread, and blessed and brake, and gave to them '; and in the Acts, ii. 42: ' And they were persevering in the doctrine of the Apostles, and in the communication of the breaking of bread, and in prayers' (comp. Acts ii. 46). Subsequently, it is true, Pope Leo and Pope Gelasius commanded the chalice to be received by the faithful in the public Communion, but only in order to combat the erroneous doctrine of the Manicheans, who detested wine as something diabolical, and to prevent these heretics from approaching with the Catholics to Communion. But this was only for a time and to meet an emergency. When that heresy disappeared, the faithful could return to the ancient and general usage.
46. Why does our Lord communicate Himself to all the faithful as food?
1. To give us a proof of His tender superabundant love, and to unite Himself most intimately with us: 'He that eateth my Flesh, and drinketh my Blood, abideth in me, and I in him ' (John vi. 57); and
2. To unite us also most closely together with one another by a bond of love and concord: 'For we, being many, are one bread, one body, all that partake of one bread' (1 Cor. x. 17).
47. What graces does Holy Communion impart to our souls?
By uniting us in the most intimate manner with Jesus Christ, the Source of all Divine graces, it imparts to us innumerable graces, especially these:
1. It preserves and increases sanctifying grace;
2. It weakens our evil inclinations, and gives us a desire and strength to be virtuous;
3. It cleanses us from venial and preserves us from mortal sin; and
4. It is to us a pledge of our future resurrection and everlasting happiness (John vi. 55).
48. Does every one receive in Holy Communion the graces it is intended to give?
No; he who receives Holy Communion unworthily — that is, in the state of mortal sin — brings damnation upon himself.
'Whosoever shall eat this Bread or drink the Chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the Body and of the Blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that Bread, and drink of the Chalice; for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the Body of the Lord' (1 Cor. xi. 27-29). — Comparison with the Ark of the Covenant, which brought happiness and blessing upon the pious Israelites, but misfortune and a curse upon the impious Philistines.
49. What sin does he commit who dares to communicate unworthily?
1. He commits, like Judas, a horrible sacrilege, because he is guilty of the Body and of the Blood of the Lord (1 Cor. xi. 27); and
2. He renders himself guilty of the blackest ingratitude, because he treats his Divine Redeemer with the foulest indignity in the very same instant in which he is favored by Him with the greatest proof of His immense love (Ps. liv. 13).
50. What are frequently the consequences of an unworthy Communion, even in this life?
Blindness and hardness of heart, and sometimes also sudden death, and other temporal punishment.
Example: Miserable end of Judas, of whom our Saviour said: ' It were better for him, if that man had not been born ' (Matt. xxvi. 24). And of such St. Paul says: 'Therefore [on account of unworthily receiving], are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep' [the sleep of death] (1 Cor. xi. 30).
51. What, then, must we do when we have committed a grievous sin?
We must make a good confession before we receive. 'Let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that Bread, and drink of the Chalice' (1 Cor. xi. 28).
52. How must we further prepare ourselves, as to the 'soul'?
We must endeavor, 1. To cleanse our souls also from venial sin; and 2. To excite in our hearts sentiments of fervor and devotion.
53. Does venial sin also render our Communions unworthy?
Venial sin does not render them unworthy or sacrilegious, but it diminishes the graces which they otherwise would produce.
54. How can we excite sentiments of fervor and devotion in our heart?
By pious meditations and devout exercises.
55. Which are the best exercises before Holy Communion?
The Acts, 1. Of Faith and Adoration; 2. Of Humility and Contrition; and 3. Of Hope, Love, and an ardent Desire.
56. How do you make an 'Act of Faith'?
O my Jesus, I firmly believe all that Thou hast revealed, but especially that Thou art really present in this Most Holy Sacrament, because Thou, the eternal and infallible Truth, hast declared it.
57. How do you make an ' Act of Adoration '?
O my Jesus, in union with all the Angels and Saints I adore Thee in this Most Holy Sacrament, in which Thou art concealed for the love of me; I adore Thee as my Lord and my God, my Creator and my Redeemer.
58. How do you make an ' Act of Contrition '?
O my Jesus, I am most heartily sorry for all my sins, because by them I have provoked and offended Thee, my most bountiful God, whom I love above all things.
59. How do you make an ' Act of Humility '?
My Lord and my Saviour, how dare I approach Thee after having so often offended Thee! Indeed, I am not worthy to receive Thee into my heart; but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.
60. How do you make an ' Act of Hope '?
Yes, my most amiable Jesus, Thy mercy is unbounded! Thou vouchsafest to come to me, and to dwell in my heart; so Thou wilt also, I confidently hope, sanctify me, and replenish me with Thy grace.
61. How do you make an 'Act of Love'?
O my Jesus, Thou hast loved me unto the death of the Cross, and, for the love of me, Thou wilt now become also the food of my soul. Oh! what return can I make for Thy love? In life and in death I will love Thee, and none but Thee.
62. How do you make an 'Act of Desire'?
Come, Jesus, come and take possession of my heart; make it entirely Thine own. Come, my Jesus, come and visit me, and strengthen me with Thy grace.
63. How must we prepare ourselves as to the 'body'?
1. We must be fasting; that is, from twelve o'clock the night before we must not have taken even the least thing by way of eating or drinking;1 and
2. We must be decently dressed.
1 The Church commands this under pain of a grievous sin, in order to prevent great abuses that would follow from the disregard of this law.
64. Who are dispensed from this command to receive fasting?
Those who are dangerously ill, and receive the Blessed Sacrament by way of Viaticum — i.e., as a preparation for their passage into eternity.
The Holy See grants to invalids, even though not dangerously ill, permission to take some liquid food after midnight before going to Communion, with the approval of their Confessor, provided that they have been laid up at least a month, and that they have no definite hope of a speedy recovery. They may thus receive once or twice a week as long as their illness lasts.
65. How should we approach the altar-rail, in order to receive Holy Communion?
With the greatest reverence, with hands joined and raised, and eyes cast down.
66. What should we do at the time of our receiving the Sacred Host?
We should spread the communion-cloth over our hands and under our chin, hold the head erect and firm, extend the tongue a little upon the under lip, and then most reverently receive the Sacred Host.
Do not keep the Sacred Host in your mouth until it is quite dissolved; but let it moisten a little upon your tongue, and then swallow it. Should it stick to the roof of your mouth, remove it with your tongue, and not with your finger. Gloves should not be worn.
67. What must we do after receiving Holy Communion?
We must retire with the greatest modesty to our place, and spend some time in devout prayer.
No time is more precious and more favorable for obtaining graces than that which immediately follows Holy Communion; therefore we should avail ourselves of it in the best manner we can. It is, indeed, a bad sign if we cannot, in meditation and prayer, entertain ourselves for half an hour, or at least for fifteen minutes, with our dear Redeemer.
68. What sort of prayers ought we especially to say after Holy Communion?
Those in which we humble ourselves before the Lord, thank Him, offer ourselves up to Him, express our love, and implore His graces.
69. In what manner may we say these prayers?
We may say them in the following manner:
AN ACT OF HUMILITY.
O my Jesus, whence is this to me that Thou, my God, shouldst have vouchsafed to come to me, a poor sinner!
AN ACT OF THANKSGIVING AND OBLATION.
Most amiable Jesus, what return can I make to Thee for all that Thou hast done for me? I offer to Thee my body, and my soul, and all that I possess. All my thoughts, my desires, my words, and all that I do, shall be Thine, shall be for Thee.
AN ACT OF LOVE.
O Jesus, inflame my cold heart with the fire of Thy love, in order that I may love Thee more than all things, more than myself.
AN ACT OF PETITION.
O my Lord and my God, grant me, a poor creature, all the graces I stand in need of; for Thou art, indeed, infinitely rich and infinitely good.
O most bountiful Jesus, remain within me with Thy grace; strengthen and bless me by the virtue. of this Holy Sacrament, now and at the hour of my death. Amen.
70. How should we spend the day of Communion?
We should spend it, as much as possible, in pious exercises, and avoid worldly recreations and amusements.
Application. Consider how the Lord pours forth, in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, the treasures of His Divine Love for mankind; and resolve, therefore, to approach to the Holy Table as often as you can with permission, and to receive the Bread of Angels with as much devotion and purity of heart as you can possibly attain to.
Penance.
1. What is understood by Penance?
By Penance is understood, 1. The Virtue or disposition of heart by which man repents of his sins and is converted to God; 2. The Punishment by which he atones for the sins committed; and 3. The Sacrament of Penance.
2. What is the Sacrament of Penance?
It is a Sacrament in which the Priest, in the place of God, forgives sins, when the sinner is heartily sorry for them, sincerely confesses them, and is willing to perform the penance imposed upon him.
3. Does the Priest truly forgive the sins, or does he only declare that they are remitted?
The Priest does really and truly forgive the sins in virtue of the power given to him by Christ.
4. When did Christ give the power to forgive sins?
When after His resurrection He breathed on the Apostles, and said to them: 'Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained' (John XX. 22, 23).
5. Did not Christ impart this power to the Apostles alone?
No; He imparted it also to all those who were to suc- ceed the Apostles in the Priesthood, as the Church has always believed and taught.
6. Why was the power of forgiving sins to pass from the Apostles to their Successors also?
Because Christ instituted His means of salvation for all times, and for all men, who stand in need of them.
7. Can all sins be forgiven by the Sacrament of Penance?
Yes, all the sins we have committed after Baptism can be forgiven, if we confess them with the necessary disposition of repentance.
'If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity' (1 John i. 9).
Yet not all sins can be forgiven by every Priest. For, 1. In order that a Priest may be able to absolve validly from sins, it is not only required that he should have received this power in Holy Order, but also that he should have been especially authorized by the Bishop to administer the Sacrament of Penance in his diocese. 2. According to an ancient, lawful, and salutary practice, the Pope and the Bishops are accustomed to reserve to themselves the absolution from certain very grievous sins, from which, therefore, other Priests can absolve only in virtue of a particular authorization. When, however, there is immediate danger of death, and no Priest especially authorized to hear Confessions is present, any other Priest can absolve from all sins.
8. But why must we confess our sins in order to have them forgiven?
Because Christ ordained it so when He instituted the Sacrament of Penance.
9. How do we prove that Christ has ordained Confession?
We prove it, 1. By his own words: ' Whose sins you shall forgive,' etc., for unless we declare our sins, and the whole state of our soul, to the Priest, he cannot know whether, in virtue of the judicial power which God has conferred on him, he is to forgive or to retain them;
2. By the testimony of the holy Fathers of the Church, who unanimously teach that we have not to expect from God forgiveness of our sins, if we are ashamed to confess them to the Priest; 1 and
3. By the existence of confession in the Church at all times and among all nations; for if Confession had been instituted by human laws, and not by Christ Himself, people would certainly never have generally complied with it.2
1' Whosoever is ashamed to declare his sins to man, and will not confess them, he shall be confounded in the day of judgment in the face of the Avhole world' (St. John Chrysostom). 'If the sick man is ashamed to discover the wounds of his soul to the physician, he cannot be cured' (St. Jerome). Thus likewise Origen, St. Cyprian, St. Basil, St. Pacian, St. John Climacus, St. Gregory the Great, and others. 2 That Confession was practised as early as in the times of the Apostles, is proved by tradition; and even the Holy Scripture testifies (Acts xix. 18) that, when the Apostle St. Paul was at Ephesus, ' Many of them that believed came confessing and declaring their deeds, '
10. But to receive forgiveness of our sins is it not sufficient to confess them to God alone?
By no means; or else the full power which Christ gave to the Priests, of retaining or remitting them according to their judgment, would, indeed, be vain and useless.
'Confess your sins one to another [not, then, to God alone], that you may be saved' (James v. 16). 'Let no one say: I do penance privately before God; God, who knows me, sees what is going on in my heart. Was it, then, said in vain: Whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven? Were, then, the keys given in vain to the Church of God?' (St. Augustine.)
11. Is, then, the Sacrament of Penance necessary for salvation to all those who have sinned?
It is necessary for salvation to all those who have committed a grievous sin after Baptism.
12. Can the Sacrament of Penance never be supplied?
When the Sacrament of Penance cannot be received, it can be supplied by a perfect Contrition, and a firm resolution to confess our sins as soon as an opportunity offers.
13. What are the effects of the Sacrament of Penance?
1. It remits the guilt of sins committed after Baptism;
2. It remits the eternal, and at least a part of the temporal, punishment due to our sins;
3. It restores, or, if it is not lost, it increases, sanctifying grace; and
4. It also confers other particular graces to enable us to lead a holy life.
14. How many things are required on our part, in order to receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily?
These five: 1. Examination of Conscience; 2. Contrition; 3. Resolution of Amendment; 4. Confession; and 5. Satisfaction.
§ 1. The Examination of Conscience.
15. What is meant by 'examining our conscience'?
To examine our conscience means to meditate seriously "upon our sins, in order that we may know them well.
16. How must we begin the Examination of Conscience?
By imploring the assistance of the Holy Ghost, that He may give us the grace rightly to know, to repent, and to confess our sins.
17. How do we implore the assistance of the Holy Ghost?
Come, Holy Ghost, enlighten my understanding, that I may rightly know my sins; and move my hearty that I may properly repent of them, sincerely confess them, and truly amend my life.
18. In what manner should we examine our conscience?
1. We should examine when it was that we last made a good Confession, and whether we perform.ed the penance then laid upon us; and
2. We should go through the Commandments of God and of the Church, and through the obligations of our state of life, and also through the different kinds of sin, carefully examining in what way and how often we have offended God by thoughts, words, actions, and omissions.
19. Must we also examine ourselves on the number and the circumstances of our sins?
Yes; at least, when they are mortal.
20. Against what faults are we to guard in the Examination of Conscience?
1. We must not examine ourselves too hastily and superficially; 2. We must not conceal our favorite sins from ourselves; 3. We must not take all that to be trifling which the world considers as such; but we should place ourselves in spirit before the tribunal of God; 4. On the other hand, we must avoid becoming too scrupulous.
21. How much time ought we to employ in the Examination of Conscience?
The more carelessly we have lived, and the longer we have stayed from Confession, the more time and diligence ought we to employ in examining ourselves.
22. How can we facilitate this examination?
By examining our conscience every day, and by going frequently to Confession.
§ 2. On Contrition.
23. What is Contrition?
Contrition is a hearty sorrow for our sins, and a detestation of them.
24. What qualities must Contrition have, that our sins may be forgiven?
These three: It must be, 1. Interior; 2. Universal; and 3. Supernatural.
25. How must Contrition be 'interior'?
We must not grieve merely in words for our sins, but we must also detest them in our hearts as the greatest evil, and sincerely wish we had not committed them.
'Rend your hearts, and not your garments' (Joel ii. 13). ' A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit; a contrite and humbled heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise' (Ps. 1. 19).
26. How must Contrition be ' universal'?
We must be sorry for all the sins we have committed, or, at least, for all mortal sins.
27. If a penitent has no sorrow for his venial sins, would his Confession nevertheless be valid?
If he has to confess venial sins only, and is not truly sorry for any one of them, his Confession is null.
If since our last Confession we have to accuse ourselves of venial sins only, and, because they do not seem to be grievous, we doubt whether we have sufficient Contrition for them, it is advisable to repent again of some grievous sin of our former life, which we have already confessed, and to include it in our Confession, saying at the end of it: ' For these, and all my other sins which I cannot at present call to my remembrance, and also for the sins of my past life, especially for ... I am heartily sorry,' etc. This should also be done when we are not quite certain whether we have committed any sin since the last Confession.
28. How must Contrition be ' supernatural '?
The sorrow for our sins must arise not from the consideration of their natural evil consequences, but from supernatural motives; namely, because we have offended God, lost his grace, deserved hell, etc.
29. Would it not, then, be sufficient to be sorry for our sins on account of the temporal loss incurred by them?
To be sorry for our sins only because we have lost by them our health, property, reputation, etc., is nothing but a natural sorrow, which is of no avail for everlasting life.
Thus the sorrow of King Saul, Antiochus, and others was a merely natural sorrow; on the contrary, that of King David, Mary Magdalen, Zacheus, the Apostles Peter and Paul, and other Scripture penitents, was supernatural.
30. What should we do in order to obtain supernatural Contrition?
We should, 1. Earnestly ask God for His grace; and 2. We should seriously call to our mind what Faith teaches us concerning the malice of sin, and its fatal consequences;[1] for supernatural Contrition must proceed from grace and motives of Faith.
31. Why must Contrition proceed from motives of Faith?
1. Because Faith is the foundation and root of all Justification; and 2. Because, otherwise. Contrition does not prompt us to renounce evil entirely and for ever, but only inasmuch as we have to dread temporal losses.
32. How many kinds of supernatural Contrition are there?
Two: Perfect Contrition and Imperfect Contrition, commonly called Attrition.
33. When is Contrition 'Perfect'?
When it arises from Perfect Love; i.e., when we detest sin more than all other evils, for the reason that it offends God, the Supreme Good,
Since Perfect Contrition proceeds from Perfect Love, in order to excite ourselves to Perfect Contrition it is very profitable, previously, or at the same time, to excite ourselves to Perfect Love of God.
34. When is Contrition ' Imperfect '?
When our Love is not Perfect, and when, therefore, our fear of Hell and of the loss of Heaven, or our sense of the heinousness of sin itself, must unite with it in causing us to detest sin above all other evils, and to resolve to offend God no more.
Perfect Contrition is, therefore, a sorrow for sin arising from the Perfect Love of God; Imperfect Contrition is, on the contrary, a sorrow for sin arising from any other motive which, though good and supernatural, is not perfect. In order to excite ourselves to Perfect Contrition, let us consider how much God deserves to be loved by us, on account of His infinite good ness — i.e., on account of that perfection which He, as the Sovereign Good, possesses; and how, nevertheless, we have despised and insulted Him, our most loveable Father; how we have expelled Him from our heart, and renounced His love and friendship for ever. In order to excite ourselves to Imperfect Contrition, let us consider how terrible are the pains of Hell or of Purgatory, which we have deserved; how beautiful Heaven, which we have lost; how detestable sin, which nailed the Son of God to the Cross, has deprived our soul of grace, disfigured it, rendered it foul and execrable before God and His Angels, etc.; and let us, therefore, repent of the offence given to God, and detest it more than any other evil in the world.
35. Must Contrition necessarily be perfect?
It is not necessary for the remission of sins that we should have Perfect Contrition; we should, however, strive to obtain it.
36. Why should we strive to obtain Perfect Contrition?
Because the more Perfect our Contrition is, the more is our repentance meritorious and acceptable to God, and the more certainly it obtains our pardon.
37. When should we make an Act of Perfect Contrition, even ' without' the Sacrament of Penance?
1. In danger of death; and 2. As often as we have the misfortune to commit a mortal sin and cannot immediately go to Confession.
38. When must we make the Act of Contrition 'in' the Sacrament of Penance?
We must make it before our Confession, or, at least, when the Priest gives us Absolution.
39. Can Contrition ever be supplied in case of necessity?
No; Contrition is so necessary that it cannot be supplied by anything or in any case.
§ 3. The Resolution of Amendment.
40. What must Contrition necessarily include?
Contrition must necessarily include, 1. Hope of pardon; and 2. Resolution of Amendment.
41. What is a Resolution of Amendment?
A Resolution of Amendment is a sincere determination to amend our life and to sin no more.
42. What must be the qualities of our Resolution of Amendment?
Our Resolution of Amendment must be, like our Contrition, 1. Interior or Sincere; 2. Universal; and 3. Supernatural.
43. What must he be determined to do who forms a firm and sincere Resolution of Amendment?
He must be determined,
1. To avoid, at least, all grievous sins, so that he will suffer anything rather than commit even one;
2. To shun the danger, and especially the proximate occasion, of sin;
3. To use the necessary means of amendment;
4. To make due satisfaction for his sins; and
5. To repair whatever injury he may have done to his neighbor.
44. What is meant by the proximate occasion of sin?
By the proximate occasion of sin is meant a person, a company, an amusement, and such like, by which people usually have been, or, if they do not avoid them, probably will be, led into sin.
45. Is it a strict duty to shun the proximate occasions of sin?
Yes, whenever it is possible; for he who will not avoid the occasion of sin has not a sincere purpose to avoid sin itself.
46. What ought they to consider who will not avoid the proximate occasion, or will not desist from their habitual sins?
That the Priest's Absolution is of no avail to them, but only aggravates their guilt.
47. How can we make an act of Imperfect and Perfect Contrition, together with a Resolution of Amendment?
In this manner:
my God! I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.
§ 4. Confession.
48. What is Confession?
Confession is a sorrowful declaration of our sins to a Priest, in order to obtain Absolution from him.
49. What are the necessary Qualities of Confession?
Confession must be, 1. Entire; 2. Sincere; and 3. Clear.
50. When is Confession ' entire '?
When we confess, at least, all grievous sins which we remember, together with their number and necessary circumstances.
51. But what must we do, if we do not recollect the number rightly?
We must declare it as well as we are able, and say, for instance: I have committed this sin about .... times a day, week, or month.
52. What sort of circumstances must we confess?
We must, 1. Especially confess such circumstances as change the nature, or aggravate the guilt, of our sins; and 2. Mention in general everything by which the Confessor may be enabled to judge rightly of the state of our conscience, and to put us on our guard against relapsing into sin.
1. Should a person have stolen Church property, wished his parents dead, coveted his neighbor's wife, injured some one by telling a lie, etc., it would not be sufficient for him to confess merely that he has stolen, wished some persons dead, had an evil desire, told a lie. 2. Therefore, we must also declare whether we have injured our neighbors much or little, knowingly or unknowingly; whether the occasion of sin still continues; whether we have often before confessed the evil habit, and never corrected it.
53. What is to be observed in the declaration of the circumstances?
We must avoid making known any person who may be concerned in our sins; we must refrain from all superfluous narrations, and must express ourselves in as modest and decent a manner as the nature of the sin allows.
54. Must we also confess venial sins?
We are not, indeed, obliged to confess venial sins; yet it is good and wholesome to do so.
55. But if we do not know whether something is a mortal or a venial sin, what are we to do?
We are to confess it, because many people mistake mortal sins for venial ones.
56. When is Confession 'sincere'?
When we accuse ourselves just as we sincerely believe ourselves guilty before God, without concealing or disguising anything, or excusing it by vain pretences.
57. What should the penitent consider, if he is ashamed to make a sincere Confession?
He should consider, 1. That a Confession which is not sincere procures him neither remission of sins nor peace of conscience; but that the Confession, as well as the Communion which follows it, is another grievous sin — a sacrilege — and deserves eternal damnation; and
2. That it is much better for him to confess his sins to one Priest, bound by secrecy, than to live always uneasy in sin, to die unhappy for ever, and to be put to shame at the last day before the whole world.
As the Confessor is bound to suffer even martyrdom rather than reveal anything heard in Confession, so is every one else, who may have accidentally overheard any part of a Confession, bound to the strictest secrecy.
58. What must we do if we have omitted something in Confession which we were obliged to declare?
1. If we have omitted it without our fault, it is only required to mention it in the next Confession; but
2. If we have omitted it, either because we were ashamed to confess it or because we did not sufficiently examine our conscience, we must also say in how many Confessions we have omitted it through our fault, and repeat them all.
59. When is Confession ' clear '?
When we so express ourselves that the Confessor can understand everything well, and clearly see the state of our conscience.
60. Would our Confession be clear if we accused ourselves in general only? — for example, that we have not loved God, that we have thought or spoken evil?
By no means; we must distinctly name and specify the different sins.
61. What is a 'General Confession'?
A General Confession is that in which we repeat all or some of our former Confessions.
62. When is a general Confession necessary?
As often as our former Confessions were sacrilegious, either through want of sincerity, or of sorrow and resolution, or through a culpable negligence in the examination of our conscience.
63. When principally is a general Confession useful and advisable?
1. As a preparation for first Communion; 2. On entering on a state of life; 3. In dangerous illness; 4, At the time of a Jubilee, a Mission, etc.
64. How do you begin your Confession?
Having made the sign of the Cross, I say: ' I, a poor and miserable sinner, accuse myself to God, the Almighty, and to you, my Father, in His stead, that since my last Confession, which was ... I have committed the following sins.' (Here I confess my sins.)
Or in the following manner:
Having arrived at the Confessional, I kneel down, make the sign of the Cross, and ask the Priest's blessing by saying: ' Bless me. Father, for I have sinned.' After receiving his blessing, I say the first part of the Confiteor as far as through my most grievous fault.' Then I say how long it is since my last Confession, whether I then received Absolution and performed my Penance. After this I confess all the sins I can recollect, beginning with those which I may have forgotten in my last Confession.
65. How do you finish your Confession?
In conclusion, I say: 'For these, and all the sins of my whole life, I am most heartily sorry, because by them I have offended God, the Supreme and Most Amiable Good. I detest all my sins, and am firmly resolved to amend my life, and to sin no more. I humbly ask Penance and Absolution of you, my Ghostly Father.'
Or I conclude by saying: ' For these, and all my other sins which I cannot at present call to my remembrance, and also for the sins of my past life, especially for . . .' (see p. 284, quest. 27, note), ' I am heartily sorry, purpose amendment for the future, and most humbly ask pardon of God, and Penance and Absolution of you, my Ghostly Father.' Here I finish the Confiteor: 'Therefore I beseech the Blessed Mary ever Virgin,' etc.
66. What should we do after this?
We should listen with attention to the instruction which the Confessor may think proper to give, and to the Penance he enjoins; and when he asks us questions, we should answer them with sincerity and humility.
Take care not to leave the Confessional before the Priest has given you notice, by saying, for instance: 'Go in peace'; or, 'May God Almighty bless you!' or something similar.
67. What are we to do if we should not receive Absolution?
We should humbly submit to the decision of the Confessor, and, by true amendment, render ourselves worthy of it.
§ 5. Satisfaction.
68. What is Satisfaction in the Sacrament of Penance?
It is the performance of the Penance enjoined by the Confessor.
69. For what purpose does the Confessor impose a Penance on us?
1. For the expiation of the temporal punishment of sin; and
2. For the amendment of our life.
70. When God remits the sin, does He also remit all punishment due on account of it?
With the sin God always remits the eternal punishment, but He does not always remit the temporal punishment due for it; therefore the Prophet Nathan said to David: 'The Lord hath taken away thy sin; nevertheless, the child that is born to thee shall surely die ' (2 Kings xii. 13, 14).
71. What is the temporal punishment due to our sins?
It is that punishment which we have to suffer either here on earth, or in Purgatory.
72. Why does God not always remit the temporal punishment together with the eternal?
1. Because His Justice demands that, by the' enduring of the punishment, we should make some reparation for the injury done to Him; and
2. Because in His Mercy He will, by the fear of such punishment, render us more cautious, and guard us against relapsing into sin.
73. Has not Christ, then, made full satisfaction for our sins?
Yes, Christ has abundantly satisfied for our sins; nevertheless. He requires that we also, in union with Him, should make satisfaction; just as He has prayed for us, and nevertheless requires that we also should pray in order to be saved.
'I fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ' (Col. i. 24). 'If we suffer with Him, we shall be also glorified with Him' (Rom. viii. 17),
74. From whom has the Priest the power to impose works of Penance?
From Jesus Christ, who gave to His Church the power, not only to loose, but also to bind (Matt, xviii. 18).
75. Is the Confession invalid, if the penitent does not perform the Penance enjoined?
If after Confession, through his own fault, he does not perform the Penance which in Confession he was willing and sincerely intended to perform, the Confession is not rendered invalid; but he commits a new sin, and deprives himself of many graces.
76. When should we comply with the Penance enjoined?
If the Confessor has fixed no time for it, the best way is to comply with it directly, and before we have fallen again into any grievous sin.
77. What should we do if the Penance seems to be too severe?
We should consider how light the present Penances are in comparison with the ancient Canonical Penances, and with the eternal punishment we have deserved; but if we should really be unable to do the Penance, we should respectfully mention it to the Confessor.
78. Should we perform that Penance only which the Confessor lays upon us?
We should also endeavor to satisfy the Divine Justice by other voluntary penitential works, and by patience in our sufferings.
79. What shall we have to expect, if we neglect to make due satisfaction to the Divine Justice?
We shall have so much the more to suffer in Purgatory, and that without any merit for Heaven.
80. Are we, after Confession, under no other obligation than to satisfy the Divine Justice?
We are also obliged,
1. To repair to the utmost of our power, the scandal we have given and the injury we have unjustly done to our neighbor; and
2. To employ the means necessary not to relapse into sin, and to amend our life.
1. Example of Zacheus: ' Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have wronged any man of anything, I restore him fourfold' (Luke xix, 8). 2. 'Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee' (John v. 14).
81. What should they think, who always relapse into their former grievous sins?
That their Confessions are much to be suspected, and that their state is extremely dangerous.
'When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man ... he goeth and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in they dwell there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first' (Luke xi. 26).
82. What means should we especially use in order that we may not relapse into sin?
We should, 1. Strictly follow the instructions and directions of our Confessor; 2. Carefully avoid the occasions of sin; 3. Daily examine our conscience; 4. Be assiduous in praying, in hearing the word of God, and receiving the Sacraments of Penance and of the Holy Eucharist; and 5. We should often meditate on the Four Last Things of man.
Application. When you have sinned, go to Confession without delay, but never without a diligent Examination of Conscience, a true Contrition, a firm Resolution of Amendment, and a sincere declaration of your sins; that the Sacrament of Penance, so replete with grace, may not become for you a source of eternal perdition.
§ 6. Indulgences.
83. By what means does the Church assist us in the discharge of the temporal punishment due to our sins?
By the grant of Indulgences.
84. What is an ' Indulgence '?
An Indulgence is a remission, granted out of the Sacrament of Penance, of that temporal punishment which, even after the sin is forgiven, we have yet to undergo, either here or in Purgatory.
85. How does the Church remit the punishment due to our sins?
By making to the Divine Justice compensation for us from the inexhaustible treasure of the merits of Christ and His Saints.
Indulgences, therefore, derive their value and efficacy from the spiritual treasure of the Church, which consists of the superabundant merits and satisfactions of Christ and the Saints. This treasure is to be considered as the common property of the faithful, committed to the administration of the Church; since, by virtue of the Communion of Saints by which we are united as members of one body, the abundance of some supplies the want of others.
'In this present time, let your abundance supply their want, that their abundance also may supply your want, that there may be an equality' (2 Cor. viii. 14).
86. What is generally required to gain an Indulgence?
It is required, 1. That we should be in the state of grace, and have already obtained, by true repentance, forgiveness of those sins the temporal punishment of which is to be remitted by the Indulgence; and 2. That we should exactly perform the good works prescribed for the gaining of the Indulgence.
87. What must we believe with regard to Indulgences?
We must believe,
1. That the Catholic Church has power to grant Indulgences; and
2. That the use of them is very salutary to us (Council of Trent, Sess. XXV).
88. From whom has the Catholic Church the power of granting Indulgences?
From Jesus Christ, who made no exception when He said: 'Whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven ' (Matt. xvi. 19; xviii. 18).
That the Catholic Church has from the earliest times exercised this full power, is evident even from. 2 Cor. ii. 10.
89. Who has a right to grant Indulgences?
This right belongs especially to our Most Holy Father the Pope, who, being the successor of St. Peter, has received from Christ the keys of the kingdom of Heaven; the Bishops, however, have also the power of granting some Partial Indulgences.
90. For what reasons are Indulgences very salutary to us?
For these:
1. They discharge our debt of temporal punishment.
2. They encourage us to make our peace with God, by substituting easier exercises of piety for the very severe Canonical Penances of the ancient Church.
3. They incite us to true repentance and amendment, since without these requisites they cannot be gained at all.
4. They urge us to receive frequently the Sacraments of Penance and of the Holy Eucharist, and to perform good works.
5. They console fervent penitents in their fear of the judgments of God.
To assert that, by an Indulgence, the Church forgives sins, past or future, or that she grants indulgences for money, is a gross calumny. It is true that, when granting an Indulgence, she has sometimes, besides the conditions of a sincere repentance, prescribed alms-deeds for charitable purposes; for instance, for the building of a church or of an hospital; but as this, laudable as it was in the beginning, gave nevertheless, in the course of time, occasion to abuses, the Council of Trent abolished the abuses, declaring, however, that 'the use of Indulgences is very salutary to Christian people, and approved of by the authority of the Sacred Councils' (Sess. 25).
91. Is it, then, not true that the Church, by Indulgences, frees us from the obligation of doing Penance?
No; she does not free us from the obligation of doing Penance according to our capacity, since, the greater is our penitential zeal and love to God, the more do we participate in the Indulgence; she will only assist us in our inability to expiate all temporal punishment in this life, and thus, by a generous Indulgence, effect what, in ancient times, she endeavored to attain by the rigorous Penitential Canons.
92. How many kinds of Indulgences are there?
There are two kinds: A Plenary Indulgence, which is the remission of the whole debt of temporal punishment due to sin; and a Partial Indulgence, which is the remission of a part of it only.
93. What is meant by an Indulgence of forty days or seven years?
A remission of such a debt of temporal punishment as a person would discharge if he did penance for forty days or seven years, according to the ancient Canons of the Church.
94. What is meant by a ' Jubilee '?
A Jubilee is a Plenary Indulgence which the Holy Father grants every twenty-fifth year, or upon extraordinary occasions; during which time, in order to increase the fervor of repentance in the faithful, Confessors have a special power to commute private vows into other works of piety, and to absolve in reserved cases.
95. Can Indulgences also be gained for the benefit of the souls in Purgatory?
Yes, all those which the Pope has expressly declared to be applicable to them.
Application. Value and esteem Indulgences, and avail yourself of every opportunity of gaining them worthily for yourself, as well as for the souls of the faithful departed.
Extreme Unction.
1. What is Extreme Unction?
Extreme Unction is a Sacrament in which the sick, by the anointing with holy oil, and by the prayer of the Priest, receive the grace of God for the good of their souls, and often also of their bodies.
This Sacrament is called Extreme Unction, because it is usually the last of the holy unctions which are administered by the Church.
2. Whence do we know that the Sacrament of Extreme Unction was instituted by Christ?
We know this, 1. From the Holy Scripture; and 2. From the constant doctrine of the Church.
3. What does Holy Scripture say of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction?
The Apostle St. James says in his Epistle (v. 14, 15): ' Is any man sick among you, let him bring in the Priests of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.'
4. Why do we infer from these words that Christ has instituted Extreme Unction?
Because the anointing with oil could have no Sacramental power of forgiving sins, if Christ had not so ordained it.
5. How is Extreme Unction administered?
The Priest anoints the different senses of the sick person with holy oil, and uses, at each anointing, this form of prayer: ' Through this holy unction, and His most tender mercy, may the Lord forgive thee whatever sins thou hast committed by thy sight ' (by thy hearing, etc. ) .
6. What effects does Extreme Unction produce in the soul?
Extreme Unction, 1. Increases sanctifying grace; 2, It remits venial sins, and also those mortal sins which the sick person can no more confess; 3. It removes the remains1 of sins already forgiven; and 4. It strengthens the soul in her sufferings and temptations, especially in her agony.
1 By remains of sins we understand the temporal punishment, the evil inclinations of the heart, and the weakness of the will, which are the consequences of sins committed, and remain even after the sins have been forgiven.
7. What effects does Extreme Unction produce in the body?
It often relieves the pains of the sick person, and sometimes restores him even to health, if it be expedient for the salvation of his soul.
8. Who can and ought to receive Extreme Unction?
Every Catholic who has come to the use of reason, and is so ill as to be in danger of death; but not persons in health, even though they are in danger of death.
9. How are we to receive Extreme Unction?
We are to receive it,
1. In the state of grace; wherefore we must previously, if possible, confess our sins, or, at least, make an Act of Perfect Contrition; and
2. With faith, hope, and charity, and resignation to the will of God.
Acts of these and similar virtues should often be made by the
sick person during illness, especially when his end approaches, and all present ought to help him to do so. It may be briefly done in the following words:
I believe, my God, in Thee,
I most firmly hope in Thee,
And I love most truly Thee,
And all men are dear to me.
All my sins are grieving me.
Which, I beg Thee, pardon me.
I resign myself to Thee,
Thank for good and evil Thee;
Nay, I'll live and die for Thee. Amen.
10. When should we receive Extreme Unction?
We should receive it if possible, whilst we are still in our senses, and after having received the Viaticum.
11. How often can Extreme Unction be received?
In each dangerous illness it can be received once; it can, however, be repeated on relapse into danger that had passed.
12. Is it not unreasonable for a person, from fear of death, to defer, or even neglect, the receiving of Extreme Unction until he is at the point of death?
Certainly; for,
1. Extreme Unction has been instituted even for the health of the body;
2. The sick person will recover more probably, if he employs in time the remedy ordained by God, than if he waits until he cannot recover except by a miracle; and
3. If his sickness be mortal, what should he wish for more earnestly than to die happy, which this Holy Sacrament gives him grace to do?
Relatives also, or attendants, of the sick person, sin grievously, if through their fault the last Sacraments are not administered to him in due time. ' His sisters, therefore, sent to Him, saying: Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick' (John xi. 3). The person who goes to call the Priest should be able to explain the condition of the patient, in order that the Priest may be able to decide whether or not he is to bring the Holy Viaticum with him.
Application. When God in His mercy visits you with a dangerous illness, be sure not to put off the receiving of the Holy Sacraments to the last moment; otherwise death may surprise you when it is no longer possible to have the attendance of a Priest.
Holy Orders.
1. On whom did Christ Himself confer the Priesthood?
On His Apostles.
2. Was the Priesthood to end with the death of the Apostles?
No; no more than the Church was to end at their death.
3. How was the Priesthood continued?
By the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
4. What is Holy Orders?
Holy Orders is that Sacrament which communicates to those who receive it the full power of Priesthood, together with a special grace to discharge their sacred duties well.
5. What are the principal powers of the Priesthood?
1. The. power to change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of our Lord; and 2. The power to forgive sins.
The power of consecrating bread and wine Christ gave to His Church at the Last Chapter (comp, p. 263, quest. 9); and the power of forgiving sins He gave after His Resurrection (comp. p. 275, quest. 4),
6. Is there in Holy Orders also a visible sign which indicates the communicating of the invisible power and grace?
Yes, there are several: the imposition of hands and the prayer of the Bishop, and the delivery of the chalice with wine, and of the paten with bread.
The imposition of hands and prayer are also mentioned in Holy Scripture: 'I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace of God which is in thee by the imposition of my hands.' Thus wrote St. Paul to Bishop Timothy, 2 Tim. i. 6; and in a similar manner, 1 Tim. iv. 14. By prayer and imposition of hands Paul and Barnabas were also ordained: 'Then they,, fasting and praying, and imposing their hands upon them, sent them away' (Acts xiii. 3).
7. But are not 'all' Christians true Priests by their Baptism?
No; as the true Priesthood of the Old Law was propagated by natural descent from Aaron, so it is also in the New Law propagated by a spiritual descent from the Apostles — that is, by ordination.
8. Why, then, does St. Peter say that all Christians are 'a kingly Priesthood'? (i Pet. ii. 9).
Because all, by their Baptism, are obliged to offer up to God internal or spiritual sacrifices (1 Pet. ii. 5) of faith, hope, and charity, of prayer and mortification.
From this passage it can no more be inferred that all Christians are true Priests than that all are true Kings. In the Old Law, also, God said to the Israelites: 'You shall be to me a priestly kingdom' (2 Kings xix. 6); nevertheless, there was a particular Priesthood, which alone was authorized to offer sacrifices. — Punishment of King Ozias (2 Paral. xxvi.).
9. Who can validly administer the Sacrament of Holy Orders?
Bishops only, who have received this power by a particular Consecration.
As no one can be made a Priest except by the Sacrament of Holy Orders, which can validly be administered only by a Bishop, who again has received the power of administering it from another Bishop lawfully consecrated, it is evident that, by an uninterrupted succession of Bishops lawfully ordained and consecrated, the Priesthood ascends to the Apostles, on whom Christ Himself conferred the Priestly and Episcopal powers both for themselves and for their successors.
10. Cannot also civil authorities, or Christian communities, confer spiritual powers?
No; they cannot confer spiritual powers on others, because they have none themselves.
Hence the Council of Trent decrees (Sess. XXIII, ch. 4) 'that all those who, being only called and instituted by the people, or by the civil power and magistrate, ascend to the exercise of these ministrations, and those who of their own rashness assume them to themselves, are not to be looked upon as ministers of the Church, but as thieves mid robbers, who have not entered by the door' (John x. 1, 8).
11. Can a Priest be deprived of his Ordination?
No; he can as little be deprived of Ordination as of Baptism, because it imprints an indelible character upon the soul.
A Priest, therefore, or a Bishop, cannot be deprived of the powers which he has received in his Ordination or Consecration to change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and to offer up the H0I7 Sacrifice of the Mass, to administer Confirmation, Extreme Unction, and Holy Orders; but the power of remitting sins by Sacramental Absolution can be taken from him, because the valid administration of the Sacrament of Penance is also dependent on Jurisdiction — that is to say, on his mission or authorization by a lawful spiritual Superior (comp. p. 280, note to quest. 7). For this very reason the Priest and Bishops of the schismatical Greek Church, and all those who ever have fallen away from the Catholic Church, retain the powers of their Ordination and Consecration which originally they received from the Catholic Church; but all other spiritual power which depends on the Apostolical Mission, and comes from the Head of the Catholic Church, expires with their separation from the Church.
12. Are there any other Orders besides those of Priest and Bishop?
Yes; there are others which are preparatory degrees to the Priesthood.
13. Which are these other Orders?
1. The Four Minor Orders, by which those who receive them are qualified for various offices connected with the Divine Service; namely, those of Porter, Lector, Exorcist, and Acolyte.
2. The Order of Sub-deacon, who has to assist the Deacon when serving at the altar; and
3. The Order of Deacon, who immediately assists the Priest at the altar, and helps him also in baptizing, preaching, and giving Holy Communion.
14. Who can and ought to embrace the Ecclesiastical state?
He only who is called to it by Godparents who, actuated by temporal . interests, force their children to take Holy Orders, sin most grievously, and are responsible for all the evil consequences resulting from it.
15. What should the faithful do in order to obtain worthy Priests and Pastors?
They should often and fervently pray to God for that grace, and render themselves worthy of it by their love of the Church and respect for the Priesthood.
'Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that He send forth laborers into His harvest' (Matt. ix. 38).
Application. Always show due respect and submission to Priests, as the Representatives of God and the Dispensers of His Holy Mysteries: and should you happen to perceive in any of them human failings and infirmities, do not be scandalized, but 'whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do; but according to their works do ye not ' ( Matt, xxiii. 3 ).
Matrimony.
1. By whom was Matrimony instituted?
Matrimony was instituted by God Himself, when He gave to Adam in Paradise Eve for his wife, that they both might lead a godly life, and live together in faithful and indissoluble love.
2. Was the sanctity of Matrimony always respected according to its original institution?
No. When by sin the entire human race had fallen away from God, the contract of marriage was no longer kept so holy, until our Saviour came, and not only restored Matrimony as God had originally instituted it, but also elevated it to the dignity of a Sacrament.
3. How did Christ restore Matrimony to its original institution?
He ordained that Marriage should again, as it was from the beginning, subsist between one man and one woman only, and that unto the death of either of them; and He proposed, therefore, His spiritual union with the Church as an example to married people (Ephes. v.).
'Moses, by reason of the hardness of your heart, permitted you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, and shall marry another, committeth adultery; and he that shall marry her that is put away committeth adultery' (Matt. xix. 8, 9, and Luke xvi. 18; Mark x. 11, 12).
4. Can, then, the bond of Marriage never be dissolved?
Spiritual Superiors can, indeed, for important reasons, allow a husband and wife to live separated from each other; but, nevertheless, they continue married people, and neither of them can validly contract a second marriage whilst the other party is living,
'To them that are married, not I, but the Lord commandeth that the wife depart not from her husband. And if she depart, that she remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband. And let not the husband put away his wife' (1 Cor. vii. 10, 11). The bond of Christian marriage cannot be dissolved by the civil law, because the civil authority cannot interfere with the Sacrament, and cannot put asunder what God has joined.
5. How do we know that Matrimony is a Sacrament?
1. St. Paul teaches so, who calls Matrimony in the Church 'a great Sacrament'1 (Ephes. v. 32);
2. The Church has at all times believed and taught so, as is evident, not only from the Holy Fathers, but also from the fact that those Sects who in the first ages separated themselves from us agree in holding this doctrine.
1 St. Paul teaches that husbands and wives should be united with each other, as Christ and His Church are united. Now, the union that subsists between Christ and His Church is supernatural and replete with graces; consequently, Matrimony is a sign to which invisible grace is attached, and, therefore, a Sacrament.
6. What, then, is Matrimony in the Church of Christ?
Matrimony is a Sacrament by which two single persons, man and woman, are married to each other, and receive grace from God to discharge the duties of their state faithfully until death.
7. How is this Sacrament received?
The bridegroom and the bride declare before a duly-authorized Priest and two witnesses that they take each other for wife and husband, whereupon the Priest blesses their union.
8. What are the duties of married persons?
1. They should take the mutual love of Christ and His Church for their model and live with each other in peace and conjugal fidelity, until death separates them;
2. They should edify each other by leading a holy life;1
3. They should concur together in bringing up their children in the fear of God, and suffer no servants to be in their house who might endanger their innocence;
4. The husband should treat his wife with kindness, support and cherish her; the wife should obey her husband in all that is just and honorable, and conscientiously manage the domestic concerns.2
1'Marriage honorable in all, and the bed undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge' (Heb. xiii. 4). 2'As the Church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be to their husbands in all things'; i.e., that are just and honorable. 'Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the Church, and delivered Himself up for it. . . . For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, as also Christ doth the Church' (Ephes. v. 24-29).
9. What should married people consider when they are tempted to break their conjugal fidelity?
1. That by adultery they break the solemn contract they have made in the presence of God and of the Church;
2. That they break the most sacred bond by which, according to God's disposal, human society is united and kept together;
3. That they disturb domestic peace, hinder the good education of their children, and destroy the happiness of the whole family; and
4. That they expose themselves to the danger of falling into disgrace and misery, and all sorts of sins and vices, and even of being severely chastised, and ultimately entirely rejected by God Himself.
'He that is an adulterer shall destroy his own soul; he gathereth to himself shame and dishonor, and his reproach shall not be blotted out' (Prov. vi. 32, 33).
In the Old Law adultery was, by God's command, punished with death, and, in the Primitive Church, with public penance of many years, like manslaughter.
10. What should these people bear in mind who intend to enter the married state?
1. They should not thoughtlessly, and without due reflection, enter into an engagement to marry.
2. They should be properly instructed, confirmed, and be free from impediments;
3. They should live innocently whilst they are engaged, and should not think that, during that time, they are allowed sinful liberties on that account.
4. They should enter the marriage state with a pure and holy intention; and
5. Before they marry, they should make a good Confession and worthily receive Holy Communion.
'We are the children of saints, and we must not be joined together like heathens, that know not God' (Tob. viii. 5).
11. Who may be said to espouse each other thoughtlessly?
1. All who neglect to have previous recourse to God, and disregard His will, the advice of their parents, and the salvation of their own soul in the affair (Prov. xix. 14);
2. Those who, in their choice, care less for religion and virtue than for temporal advantages, etc.; and
3. Those who do not first consider whether they will be able to fulfil the weighty duties of the married state.
The husband should be able to maintain his wife and children; he should not be a free-thinker, or addicted to gambling drinking, quarrelling, cursing, etc. ' The wife should be free from vanity, love of finery, and capriciousness; she should be chaste, pious, modest, industrious, and economical. Both should possess the virtue, intelligence, and knowledge in religious matters requisite to give their children a Christian education.
12. How is a binding engagement to marry entered into?
The engagement must be in writing and signed by the two parties in presence of the Pastor of one of them, of the Bishop, or two other witnesses.
13. What sin do they commit who receive the Sacrament of Matrimony with an unholy intention, or in the state of moral sin?
They render themselves guilty of sacrilege, and, there fore, unworthy of all the Divine graces and blessings attached to the Sacrament.
14. What is meant by an invalid marriage?
It is one that is entirely destitute of effect in the eye of God and of the Church.
15. What should they do who are married invalidly?
They should go at once to the priest and be properly married, or else separate.
16. What things make a marriage invalid?
Three things: 1. Imperfect consent; 2. want of proper form; or 3. existence of an impediment.
17. What is meant by imperfect consent?
It is consent that is given out of ignorance or fear.
18. What is meant by the proper form of marriage?
It is that formality without which the Church will no recognize the marriage, and consists in the presence a duly qualified Priest and at least two witnesses.
19. What are impediments?
Impediments are circumstances which from the nature of the case or the law of God or of the Church prevent the marriage.
20. How many kinds of impediments are there?
There are two kinds:
1. Such as render the marriage illegal, as for instance certain vows, and difference of religion between the parties where both are baptized.
2. Such as render it not only illegal, but null if attempted. These are: lack of proper age, physical incapacity, bond of previous marriage still existing, difference of religion between a Catholic and an unbaptized person, sacred orders, solemn religious profession, relationship by blood or marriage, spiritual relationship, public propriety, abduction and crime.
21. What is understood by the ' forbidden times '?
1. The time which begins with the first Sunday of advent and ends with the Epiphany of our Lord; and that which begins with Ash Wednesday and ends with Low Sunday, within which times the Church forbids the solemnizing of marriage, because they have been particularly set apart for penance and prayer.
This Commandment of the Church does not forbid marriages during Lent and Advent; it forbids them to be solemnized; that the Priest is not allowed to say the Mass appointed in the missal for the bridegroom and bride, nor to give the solemn nuptial benediction.
22. Can the Impediments of Marriage never be dispensed with?
The Church can dispense with some when there are sufficient reasons, but not with all; on this subject the parties must confer with their Pastor.
That the reasons must be weighty, is evident from the decree of the Council of Trent (Sess. 24, Cli. v.), which says lat ' Impediments of marriage are either never, or but rarely, ) be dispensed with. '
23. What should we think of 'mixed' marriages — i.e., marriages which are contracted between Catholics and non-Catholics, especially Protestants?
That the Church has, at all times, disapproved of such marriages, and never permits them, except on certain conditions.
24. Why does the Church disapprove of such marriages?
1. Because the Catholic party is exposed to great danger of either losing the faith or of becoming indifferent;
2. Because the Catholic education of the children is generally deficient, and not seldom impossible;
3. Because the non-Catholic party usually does not acknowledge Matrimony either as a Sacrament or as indissoluble, and can, therefore, according to his or her principles, separate, and marry again, which the Catholic consort is not permitted to do; and
4. Because for that very reason such a marriage never is a true emblem of the most intimate, indissoluble union of Christ with His Church, which every Christian marriage ought to be;
5. Because the happiness of married life depends, above all, on unity of faith.
19. On what conditions does the Church consent to a mixed marriage?
On these: 1. That the Catholic party be allowed the free exercise of religion; 2. That all the children be brought up in the Catholic religion (Briefs of Pius VIII. and Gregory XVI.); and 3. That the Catholic party earnestly endeavor to gain by persuasion the non-Catholic consort to the true Church.
20. Is the Church obliged to require such conditions?
Yes; otherwise she would either be indifferent to the eternal welfare of her children, or deny that she alone is the true saving Church.
21. Can, then, a person never be permitted to contract a mixed marriage, unless the Catholic education of the children be previously secured?
No; for such a marriage would be a grievous sin against the Catholic Church and the spiritual welfare of the children that may be born; wherefore the Church can in no case give her consent to it.
Parents who freely consent to such a marriage of their child render themselves guilty of the same sin as the child, and incur a severe responsibility before God.
Application. In the choice of a state of life consult above all things, God and the salvation of your soul. Should you, after a mature deliberation, think that you to be called to the married state, prepare yourself for it by prayer, good works, and especially by a good General Confession, and be careful not to follow those who, by sin and vice draw the curse of God upon their heads.
- ↑ See pg. 225 and 228, quest. 11-15, and page 131, quest. 14