God made me.

God made me to know him, love him and serve him in this world, and to be happy with him for ever in the next.

God made me to his own image and likeness.

This likeness to God is chiefly in my soul.

My soul is like to God because it is a spirit, and is immortal.

When I say my soul is immortal, I mean that my soul can never die.

I must take more care of my soul; for Christ has said, 'What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and suffers the loss of his own soul?' (Matt. 16:26)

To save my soul I must worship God by Faith, Hope and Charity; that is, I must believe in him, I must hope in him, and I must love him with my whole heart.

Faith is a supernatural gift of God, which enables us to believe without doubting whatever God has revealed.

I must believe whatever God has revealed because God is the very truth, and can neither deceive nor be deceived.

I am to know what God has revealed by the testimony, teaching, and authority of the Catholic Church.

Jesus Christ gave the Catholic Church divine authority to teach, when he said, 'Go therefore, make disciples of all the nations'. (Matt. 28:19)

The chief things which God has revealed are contained in the Apostles' Creed.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary;
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;
he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven; is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit;
the Holy Catholic Church;
the Communion of Saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and life everlasting.
Amen.

The Apostles' Creed is divided into twelve parts or articles.

The first article of the Creed is, 'I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth'.

God is the supreme Spirit, who alone exists of himself, and is infinite in all perfection.

God is called 'Almighty' because he can do all things; 'For God everything is possible'. (Matt. 19:26)

God is called 'Creator of heaven and earth' because he made heaven and earth, and all things, out of nothing, by his word.

God had no beginning: he always was, he is, and he always will be.

God is everywhere.

God knows and sees all things, even our most secret thoughts.

God has no body; he is a spirit.

There is only one God.

There are three Persons in God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

These three Persons are not three Gods: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all one and the same God.

The mystery of the three Persons in one God is called the mystery of the Blessed Trinity.

By a mystery I mean a truth which is above reason, but revealed by God.

There is this likeness to the Blessed Trinity in my soul: that as in one God there are three Persons, so in my one soul there are three powers.

The three powers of my soul are my memory, my understanding, and my will.

The second article of the Creed is, 'and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord'.

Jesus Christ is God the Son, made man for us.

Jesus Christ is truly God.

Jesus Christ is truly God because he has one and the same nature with God the Father.

Jesus Christ was always God, born of the Father from all eternity.

Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

Jesus Christ is truly man.

Jesus Christ is truly man because he has the nature of man, having a body and soul like ours.

Jesus Christ was not always man. He has been man only from the time of his Incarnation.

I mean by the Incarnation that God the Son took to himself the nature of man: 'the Word was made Flesh'. (John 1:14)

There are two natures in Jesus Christ, the nature of God and the nature of man.

There is only one Person in Jesus Christ, which is the Person of God the Son.

God the Son was made man to redeem us from sin and hell, and to teach us the way to heaven.

The holy name Jesus means Saviour. (Matt. 1:21)

The name Christ means Anointed.

As God, Jesus Christ is everywhere. As God made man, he is in heaven, and in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

The third article of the Creed is, 'who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary'.

The third article means that God the Son took a Body and Soul like ours, in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ had no father on earth: St Joseph was only his guardian or foster-father.

Our Saviour was born in a stable at Bethlehem.

Our Saviour was born on Christmas Day.

The fourth article of the Creed is, 'suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried'.

The chief sufferings of Christ were: first, his agony, and his sweat of blood in the Garden; secondly, his being scourged at the pillar, and crowned with thorns; and thirdly his carrying his cross, his crucifixion, and his death between two thieves.

The chief sufferings of our Lord are called the Passion of Jesus Christ.

Our Saviour suffered to atone for our sins, and to purchase for us eternal life.

Jesus Christ is called our Redeemer because his precious blood is the price by which we were ransomed.

Our Saviour died on Good Friday.

Our Saviour died on Mount Calvary.

We make the sign of the cross - first, to put us in mind of the Blessed Trinity; and secondly to remind us that God the Son died for us on the Cross.

In making the sign of the cross we are reminded of the
Blessed Trinity by the words, 'In the name of the Father, 1
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit'.

In making the sign of the cross we are reminded that Christ died for us on the Cross by the very form of the cross which we make upon ourselves.

The fifth article of the Creed is, 'he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead'.

By the words 'he descended into hell' I mean that, as soon as Christ was dead, his blessed Soul went down into that part of hell called Limbo.

By Limbo I mean a place of rest, where the souls of the just who died before Christ were detained.

The souls of the just were detained in Limbo because they could not go up to the kingdom of heaven till Christ had opened it for them.

By the words, 'the third day he rose again from the dead', I mean that, after Christ had been dead and buried part of three days, he raised his blessed Body to life again on the third day.

Christ rose again from the dead on Easter Sunday.

The sixth article of the Creed is, 'he ascended into heaven; is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty'.

By the words, 'be ascended into heaven', I mean that our Saviour went up Body and Soul into heaven on Ascension Day, forty days after his resurrection.

By the words, 'is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty', I do not mean that God the Father has hands, for he is a spirit; but I mean that Christ, as God, is equal to the Father and, as man, is in the highest place in heaven.

The seventh article of the Creed is, 'from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead'.

Christ will come again from heaven at the last day, to judge all mankind.

Christ will judge our thoughts, words, works, and omissions.

Christ will say to the wicked: 'Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels'. (Matt. 25:41)

Christ will say to the just: 'Come you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you'. (Matt. 25:34)

Every one will be judged at death, as well as at the last day: 'Since men only die once, and after that comes judgement'. (Heb. 927)

The eighth article of the Creed is, 'I believe in the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity.

The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.

The Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and to the Son, for he is the same Lord and God as they are.

The Holy Spirit carne down on the Apostles at Pentecost, in the form that 'seemed like tongues of fire'. (Acts 2:3)

The Holy Spirit came down on the Apostles to confirm their faith, to sanctify them, and to enable them to found the Church.

The ninth article of the Creed is, 'the Holy Catholic Church; the Communion of Saints'.

The Catholic Church is the union of all the faithful under one Head.

The Head of the Catholic Church is Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Church has a visible Head on earth - the Bishop of Rome, who is the Vicar of Christ.

The Bishop of Rome is the Head of the Church because he is the successor of St Peter, whom Christ appointed to be the Head of the Church.

88. How do you know that Christ appointed St Peter to be the Head of the Church?

I know that Christ appointed St Peter to be the Head of the Church because Christ said to him: 'You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven'. (Matt. 16:18.19)

The Bishop of Rome is called the Pope, which signifies Father.

The Pope is the Spiritual Father of all Christians.

The Pope is the Shepherd and Teacher of all Christians, because Christ made St Peter the Shepherd of the whole flock when he said: 'Feed my lambs, feed my sheep'. He also prayed that his 'faith' might never fail, and commanded him to 'strengthen' his brothers. (John 21:15-17, Luke 22:32)

The Pope is infallible.

When I say that the Pope is infallible, I mean that the Pope cannot err when, as Shepherd and Teacher of all Christians, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals, to be held by the whole Church.

The Church of Christ has four marks by which we may know her: she is One - she is Holy - she is Catholic - she is Apostolic.

The Church is One because all her members agree in one Faith, have all the same Sacrifice and Sacraments, and are all united under one Head.

The Church is Holy because she teaches a holy doctrine, offers to all the means of holiness and is distinguished by the eminent holiness of so many thousands of her children.

The word Catholic means universal.

The Church is Catholic or universal because she subsists in all ages, teaches all nations, and is the one Ark of Salvation for all.

The Church is Apostolic because she holds the doctrines and traditions of the Apostles, and because, through the unbroken succession of her Pastors, she derives her Orders and her Mission from them.

The Church cannot err in what she teaches as to faith or morals, for she is our infallible guide in both.

I know that the Church cannot err in what she teaches because Christ promised that the gates of hell should never prevail against his Church; that the Holy Spirit should teach her all things; and that he himself would be with her always, even to the end of time. (Matt. 16:18. .lohn 14:16-26. Matt. 28:20)

By the Communion of Saints I mean that all the members of the Church, in heaven, on earth, and in purgatory, are in communion with each other, as being one body in Jesus Christ.

The faithful on earth are in communion with each other by professing the same faith, obeying the same authority. and assisting each other with their prayers and good works.

We are in communion with the Saints in heaven by honouring them as the glorified members of the Church, and also by praying to thern, and by their praying for us.

We are in communion with the souls in purgatory by helping them with our prayers and good works: 'It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins'. (2 Macc. 12:46)

Purgatory is a place where souls suffer for a time after death on account of their sins.

Those souls go to purgatory that depart this life in venial sin; or that have not fully paid the debt of temporal punishment due to those sins of which the guilt has been forgiven.

Temporal punishment is punishment which will have an end, either in this world, or in the world to come.

I prove that there is a purgatory from the constant teaching of the Church; and from the doctrine of Holy Scripture, which declares that God will render to every man according to his works; that nothing defiled shall enter heaven; and that some will be saved, 'as one who has gone through fire. (Matt. 16:27. Apoc. 21:27. 1 Cor. 3:15)

The tenth article of the Creed is, 'the forgiveness of sins'.

By the forgiveness of sins I mean that Christ has left the power of forgiving sins to the Pastors of his Church. (John 20:23)

Sins are forgiven principally by the Sacraments of Baptism and Penance.

Sin is an offence against God, by any thought, word, deed, or omission against the law of God.

There are two kinds of sin, original sin and actual sin.

Original sin is that guilt and stain of sin which we inherit from Adam, who was the origin and head of all mankind.

The sin committed by Adam was the sin of disobedience when he ate the forbidden fruit.

All mankind has contracted the guilt and stain of original sin, except the Blessed Virgin and her Divine Son, through whose foreseen merits she was conceived without the least guilt or stain of original sin.

This privilege of the Blessed Virgin is called the Immaculate Conception.

Actual sin is every sin which we ourselves commit.

Actual sin is divided into mortal sin and venial sin.

Mortal sin is a serious offence against God.

It is called mortal sin because it is so serious that it kills the soul and deserves hell.

Mortal sin kills the soul by depriving it of sanctifying grace, which is the supernatural life of the soul.

It is the greatest of all evils to fall into mortal sin.

They who die in mortal sin will go to hell for all eternity.

Venial sin is an offence which does not kill the soul, yet displeases God, and often leads to mortal sin.

It is called venial sin because it is more easily pardoned than mortal sin.

The eleventh article of the Creed is, 'the resurrection of the body'.

By 'the resurrection of the body' I mean that we shall rise again with the same bodies at the day of judgment'.

The twelfth article of the Creed is, 'life everlasting'.

'Life everlasting' means that the good shall live for ever in the glory and happiness of heaven.

The glory and happiness of heaven is to see, love, and enjoy God for ever.

The Scripture says of the happiness of heaven: 'No eye has seen and no ear has heard, things beyond the mind of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him.' (1 Cor. 2:9)

The wicked also shall live and be punished for ever in the fire of hell.

Faith alone will not save us without good works; we must also have Hope and Charity.

Hope is a supernatural gift of God, by which we firmly trust that God will give us eternal life and all means necessary to obtain it, if we do what he requires of us.

We must hope in God because he is infinitely good, infinitely powerful, and faithful to his promises.

We can do no good work of ourselves towards our salvation; we need the help of God's grace.

Grace is a supernatural gift of God, freely bestowed upon us for our sanctification and salvation.

We must obtain God's grace chiefly by prayer and the holy Sacraments.

Prayer is the raising up of the mind and heart to God.

We raise up our mind and heart to God by thinking of God; by adoring, praising, and thanking him; and by begging of him all blessings for soul and body.

Those who, at their prayers, think neither of God nor of what they say, do not pray well; but they offend God, if their distractions are wilful.

The best of all prayers is the 'Our Father', or the Lord's Prayer.

Jesus Christ himself made the Lord's Prayer.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.

In the Lord's prayer God is called 'our Father'.

God is called 'our Father' because he is the Father of all Christians, whom he has made his children by Holy Baptism.

God is also the Father of all mankind because he made them all. and loves and preserves them all.

We say 'our' Father, and not 'my' Father, because, being all brethren, we are to pray not for ourselves only, but also for all others.

When we say, 'hallowed be thy name', we pray that God may be known, loved, and served by all his creatures.

When we say, 'thy kingdom come', we pray that God may come and reign in the hearts of all by his grace in this world, and bring us all hereafter to his heavenly kingdom.

When we say, 'thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven', we pray that God may enable us, by his grace, to do his will in all things, as the Blessed do in heaven.

When we say, 'give us this day our daily bread' we pray that God may give us daily all that is necessary for soul and body.

When we say, 'forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us', we pray that God may forgive us our sins, as we forgive others the injuries they do to us.

When we say, 'lead us not into temptation' we pray that God may give us grace not to yield to temptation.

When we say, 'deliver us from evil', we pray that God may free us from all evil, both of soul and body.

We should ask the Angels and Saints to pray for us, because they are our friends and brethren, and because their prayers have great power with God.

We can show that the Angels and Saints know what passes on earth from the words of Christ: 'There shall be joy before the Angels of God upon one sinner doing penance'. (Luke 15:10)

The chief prayer to the Blessed Virgin which the Church uses is the Hail Mary.

Hail Mary, full of grace:
the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

The Angel Gabriel and St Elizabeth, inspired by the Holy Spirit, made the first part of the Hail Mary.

The Church of God, guided by the Holy Spirit, made the second part of the Hail Mary.

We should frequently say the Hail Mary to put us in mind of the Incarnation of the Son of God: and to honour our Blessed Lady, the Mother of God.

We have another reason for often saying the Hail Mary - to ask our Blessed Lady to pray for us sinners at all times, but especially at the hour of our death.

The Catholic Church shows great devotion to the Blessed Virgin because she is the Immaculate Mother of God.

The Blessed Virgin is Mother of God because Jesus Christ, her son, who was born of her as man, is not only man, but is also truly God.

The Blessed Virgin is our Mother also because, being the brethren of Jesus, we are the children of Mary.

By the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin we mean that by the power of God, Mary, at the completion of her life, was taken body and soul into everlasting glory to reign as Queen of heaven and earth.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is an article of Faith because it has been solemnly defined by the infallible authority of the Church.

Charity is a supernatural gift of God by which we love God above all things, and our neighbour as ourselves for God's sake.

We must love God because he is infinitely good in himself and infinitely good to us.

We show that we love God by keeping his commandments: for Christ says: 'If you love me, keep my commandments'. (John 14:15: Matt. 19:16-19.. Rom. 13..9-10)

There are ten Commandments.

1. I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no gods except me. You shall not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything in heaven, or on the earth beneath or in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
4. Honour your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
9. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbour's goods.

God gave the ten Commandments to Moses in the Old Law, and Christ confirmed them in the New.

The first Commandment is, 'I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no gods except me. You shall not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything in heaven, or on the earth beneath or in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them'.

By the first Commandment we are commanded to worship the one, true, and living God, by Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion.

The sins mainst Faith are all false religions, wilful doubt, disbelief, or denial of any article of Faith, and also culpable ignorance of the doctrines of the Church.

We expose ourselves to the danger of losing our Faith by neglecting our spiritual duties, reading bad books, going to non-Catholic schools.

The sins against Hope are despair and presumption.

The chief sins against Religion are the worship of false gods or idols, and the giving to any creature whatsoever the honour which belongs to God alone.

The first Commandment does not forbid the making of images, but the making of idols; that is, it forbids us to make images to be adored and honoured as gods.

The first Commandment forbi& all dealing with the devil and superstitious practices, such as consulting spiritualists and fortune-tellers, and trusting to charms, omens, dreams, and such-like fooleries.

All sins of sacrilege and simony are also forbidden by the first Commandment.

It is forbidden to give divine honour or worship to the Angels and Saints, for this belongs to God alone.

We should pay to the Angels and Saints an inferior honour or worship, for this is due to them as the servants and special friends of God.

We should give relics, crucifixes, and holy pictures a relative honour, as they relate to Christ and his Saints, and are memorials of them.

We do not pray to relies or images, for they can neither see, nor hear, nor help us.

The second Commandment is, 'You shall not take the name of the Lord Your God in vain'.

By the second Commandment we are commanded to speak with reverence of God and all holy persons and things, and to keep our lawful oaths and vows.

The second Commandment forbids all false, rash, unjust, and unnecessary oaths; as also blaspheming, cursing and profane words.

It is lawful to swear, or to take an oath, only when God's honour, or our own, or our neighbour's good requires it.

The third Commandment is 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'

By the third Commandment we are commanded to keep the Sunday holy.

We are to keep the Sunday holy by hearing Mass and resting from servile works.

We are commanded to rest from servile works that we may have time and opportunity for prayer, going to the Sacraments, hearing instructions, and reading good books.

The fourth Commandment is, 'Honour your father and your mother.'

By the fourth Commandment we are commanded to love, reverence, and obey our parents in all that is not sin.

We are commanded to obey, not only our parents, but also our bishops and pastors, the civil authorities, and our lawful superiors.

We are bound to assist our parents in their wants, both spiritual and temporal.

We are bound in justice to contribute to the support of our pastors; for St Paul says: 'The Lord directed that those who preach the Gospel should get their living from the Gospel'. (1 Cor. 9:14)

The duty of parents towards their children is to provide for them, to instruct and correct them, and to give them a good Catholic education.

The duty of masters, mistresses, and other superiors is to take proper care of those under their charge, and to enable them to practise their religious duties.

The fourth Commandment forbids all contempt, stubbornness, and disobedience to our parents and lawful superiors.

It is sinful to belong to any Secret Society that plots against the Church or State, or to any Society that by reason of its secrecy is condemned by the Church; for St Paul says: 'You must all obey the governing authorities. Since all government comes from God, the civil authorities were appointed by God, and so anyone who resists authority is rebelling against God's decision, and such an act is bound to be punished.' (Rom. 13:1.2)

The fifth Commandment is, 'You shall not kill'.

The fifth Commandment forbids all wilful murder, fighting, quarrelling, and injurious words; and also scandal and bad example.

The fifth Commandment forbids anger, and still more, hatred and revenge.

Scandal and bad example are forbidden by the fifth Commandment, because they lead to the injury and spiritual death of our neighbour's soul.

The sixth Commandment is, 'You shall not commit adultery'.

The sixth Commandment forbids all sins of impurity with another's wife or husband.

The sixth Commandment forbids whatever is contrary to holy purity in looks, words, or actions.

Immodest plays and dances are forbidden by the sixth Commandment, and it is sinful to look at them.

The six Commandment forbids immodest songs, books, and pictures, because they are most dangerous to the soul, and lead to mortal sin.

The seventh Commandment is, 'You shall not steal'.

The seventh Commandment forbids all unjust taking away, or keeping what belongs to another.

All manner of cheating in buying and selling is forbidden by the seventh Commandment, and also every other way of wronging our neighbour.

We are bound to restore ill-gotten goods if we are able, or else the sin will not be forgiven; we must also pay our debts.

It is dishonest for workers to waste their employer's time or property, because it is wasting what is not their own.

The eighth Commandment is, 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour'.

The eighth Commandment forbids all false testimony, rash judgment, and lies.

Calumny and detraction are forbidden by the eighth Commandment, and also tale-bearing, and any words which injure our neighbour's character.

If I have injured my neighbour by speaking ill of him, I am bound to make him satisfaction by restoring his good name as far as I can.

The ninth Commandment is, 'You shall not covet your neighbour's wife'.

The ninth Commandment forbids all wilful consent to impure thoughts and desires, and all wilful pleasure in the irregular motions of the flesh.

The sins that commonly lead to the breaking of the sixth and ninth Commandments are gluttony, drunkenness, and intemperance, and also idleness, bad company, and the neglect of prayer.

The tenth Commandment is, 'You shall not covet your neighbour's goods'.

The tenth Commandment forbids all envious and covetous thoughts and unjust desires of our neighbour's goods and profits.

We are bound to obey the Church, because Christ has said to the pastors of the Church: 'Anyone who listens to you, listens to me: anyone who rejects you rejects me'. (Luke 10:16)

The chief Commandments of the Church are:
1. To keep the Sundays and Holy days of Obligation holy, by hearing Mass and resting from servile works.
2. To observe the appointed days of penance.
3. To go to confession at least once a year.
4. To receive the Blessed Sacrament at least once a year, and that at Easter or thereabouts.
5. To contribute to the support of our pastors.
6. Not to marry within certain degrees of kindred.

The first Commandment of the Church is, 'To keep the Sundays and Holy days of Obligation holy, by. hearing Mass and resting from servile works'.

The Holy days of Obligation observed in England and Wales are: Christmas Day, the Epiphany, the Ascension, Corpus Christi, SS Peter and Paul, the Assumption of our Lady, and All Saints.

Catholics are under a serious obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy days of Obligation unless prevented by other serious duties or by ill-health.

Parents, masters and mistresses are bound to provide that those under their charge shall hear Mass on Sundays and Holy days of Obligation.

The second Commandment of the Church is 'To observe the appointed days of penance'.

The appointed days of penance are each Friday of the year and the Season of Lent.

Days of Penance are days on which we are in a special manner to devote ourselves to prayer, works of charity and self-denial.

On Fridays other than Solemnities we are to abstain from meat or some other food, drink or amusement or undertake one of the other works of penance stipulated by the Bishops' Conference. (Abstinence is binding from the age of 14).

On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday we are to fast and observe the Friday forms of penance.

Fasting is eating considerably less food. The Church commands us to fast and abstain that so we may mortify the flesh and satisfy God for our sins. (Fasting is binding between the age of 18 and 59).

If we have been guilty of serious sin we should go to Confession as soon as possible, but never less than once a year.

Children are bound to go to confession as soon as they have come to the use of reason, and are capable of serious sin.

Children are generally supposed to come to the use of reason about the age of seven years.

The fourth Commandment of the Church is, 'To receive the Blessed Sacrament at least once a year, and that at Easter or thereabouts.

Christians are bound to receive the Blessed Sacrament as soon as they are capable of distinguishing the Body of Christ from ordinary bread, and are judged to be sufficiently instructed.

The fifth Commandment of the Church is, 'To contribute to the support of our pastors'.

It is a duty to contribute to the support of religion according to our means, so that God may be duly honoured and worshipped, and the kingdom of his Church extended.

The sixth Commandment of the Church is, 'Not to marry within certain degrees of kindred'.

There are no times of the year in which it is forbidden to marry, but couples who marry during Advent or Lent should take into consideration the special liturgical nature of these times.

A Sacrament is an outward sign of inward grace, ordained by Jesus Christ, by which grace is given to our souls.

The Sacraments always give grace to those who receive them worthily.

The Sacraments have the power of giving grace from the merits of Christ's Precious Blood which they apply to our souls.

We ought to have a great desire to receive the Sacraments, because they are the chief means of our salvation.

A character is given to the soul by the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Order.

A character is a mark or seal on the soul which cannot he effaced, and therefore the Sacrament conferring it may not he repeated.

There are seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Order, and Matrimony.

Baptism is a Sacrament which cleanses us from original sin, makes us Christians, children of God, and members of the Church.

Baptism also forgives actual sins, with all punishment due to them. when it is received in proper dispositions by those who have been guilty of actual sin.

The ordinary minister of Baptism is a priest; but any one may baptise in case of necessity, when a priest cannot be had.

Baptism is given by pouring water on the head of the child, saying at the same time these words: 'I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit'.

We promise in Baptism to renounce the devil and all his works and pomps.

Baptism is necessary for salvation because Christ has said: 'Unless a man is born again through water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God'. (John 3:5)

Confirmation is a Sacrament by which we receive the Holy Spirit, in order to make us strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ.

The ordinary minister of Confirmation is a Bishop.

The Bishop administers the Sacrament of Confirmation by praying that the Holy Spirit may come down upon those who are to be confirmed; and by laying his hand on them, and making the sign of the cross with chrism on their foreheads, at the same time pronouncing certain words.

The words used in Confirmation are these: 'N... be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit'.

266. What is the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist?
The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, together with his Soul and Divinity, under the appearances of bread and wine.

The bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ by the power of God, to whom nothing is impossible or difficult.

The bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ when the words of consecration, ordained by Jesus Christ, are pronounced by the priest in Holy Mass.

Christ has given himself to be the life and the food of our souls. 'Whoever eats me will draw life from me': 'Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever'. (John 6..58.59)

Christ is received whole and entire under either kind alone.

In order to receive the Blessed Sacrament worthily it is required that we be in a state of grace and keep the prescribed fast: water does not break this fast.

To be in a state of grace is to be free from mortal sin, and pleasing to God.

It is a great sin to receive Holy Communion in mortal sin: 'because a person who eats and drinks without recognising the Body, is eating and drinking his own condemnation.' (1 Cot.. 11:29)

The Blessed Eucharist is not a Sacrament only; it is also a sacrifice.

A sacrifice is, the offering of a victim by a priest to God alone, in testimony of his being the Sovereign Lord of all things.

The Sacrifice of the New Law is the Holy Mass.

The Holy Mass is the Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, really present on the altar under the appearances of bread and wine, and offered to God for the living and the dead.

The Holy Mass is one and the same Sacrifice with that of the Cross, inasmuch as Christ, who offered himself, a bleeding victim, on the Cross to his heavenly Father, continues to offer himself in an unbloody manner on the altar, through the ministry of his priests.

The Sacrifice of the Mass is offered for four ends: first, to give supreme honour and glory to God: secondly, to thank him for all our benefits; thirdly, to satisfy God for our sins and to obtain the grace of repentance; and fourthly, to obtain all other graces and blessings through Jesus Christ.

The Mass is also a memorial of the Passion and Death of our Lord, for Christ at his last supper said: 'Do this for a commemoration of me'. (Luke 22:19)

Penance is a Sacrament whereby the sins, whether mortal or venial, which we have committed after Baptisin are forgiven.

The Sacrament of Penance increases the grace of God in the soul, besides forgiving sin; we should, therefore, often go to confession.

Our Lord instituted the Sacrament of Penance when he breathed on his Apostles and gave them power to forgive sins, saying: 'Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven'. (John 20:23)

The priest forgives sins by the power of God, when he pronounces the words of absolution.

The words of absolution are: 'I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit'.

Three conditions for forgiveness are required on the part of the penitent - Contrition, Confession, and Satisfaction.

Contrition is a heartfelt sorrow for our sins, because by them we have offended so good a God, together with a firm purpose of amendment.

A firm purpose of amendment is a resolution to avoid, by the grace of God, not only sin, but also the dangerous occasions of sin.

We may obtain a hearty sorrow for our sins by earnestly praying for it, and by making use of such considerations as may lead us to it.

This consideration concerning God will lead us to sorrow for our sins; that by our sins we have offended God, who is infinitely good in himself and infinitely good to us.

This consideration concerning our Saviour will lead us to sorrow for our sins; that our Saviour died for our sins, and that those who sin grievously 'have wilfully crucified the Son of God and openly mocked him.' (Heb. 6:6)

Sorrow for our sins, because by them we have lost heaven and deserve hell, is sufficient when we go to confession.

Perfect contrition is sorrow for sin arising purely from the love of God.

Perfect contrition has this special value; that by it our sins are forgiven immediately, even before we confess them; but nevertheless, if they are serious, we are strictly bound to confess them afterwards.

Confession is to accuse ourselves of our sins to a priest approved by the Bishop.

If a person wilfully conceals a serious sin in confession he is guilty of a great sacrilege, by telling a lie to the Holy Spirit in making a bad confession.

We have four things to do in order to prepare for confession: first, we must heartily pray for grace to make a good confession: secondly, we must carefully examine our conscience: thirdly, we must take time and care to make a good act of contrition: and fourthly, we must resolve by the help of God to renounce our sins, and to begin a new life for the future.

Satisfaction is doing the penance given us by the priest.

The penance given by the priest does not always make full satisfaction for our sins. We should therefore add to it other good works and penances, and try to gain Indulgences.

An Indulgence is a remission, granted by the Church. of the temporal punishment which often remains due to sin after its guilt has been forgiven.

This Sacrament is the anointing of the sick with holy oil, accompanied with prayer.

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is given when we are in danger of death by sickness.

The effects of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick are to comfort and strengthen the soul, to remit sin, and even to restore health, when God sees it to be expedient.

The authority in Scripture for the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is in the 5th chapter of St James (James 5:14, 15) where it is said: 'If one of you is ill he should send for the elders of the Church, and they must anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord and pray over him. The prayer of faith shall save the sick man; and the Lord will raise him up again; and if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.'

Holy Order is the Sacrament by which bishops, priests, and other ministers of the Church are ordained, and receive power and grace to perform their sacred duties.

Matrimony is the Sacrament which sanctifies the contract of a Christian marriage, and gives a special grace to those who receive it worthily.

The Sacrament of Matrimony gives to those who receive it worthily a special grace, to enable them to bear the difficulties of their state, to love and be faithful to one another, and to bring up their children in the fear of God.

It is sacrilege to contract marriage in serious sin, or in disobedience to the laws of the Church, and, instead of a blessing, the guilty parties draw upon themselves the anger of God. (For the marriage of a Catholic to be valid there must be present (1) either the Bishop or the Parish Priest, or another Priest duly delegated, and (2) two witnesses).

A 'mixed marriage' is a marriage in which only one partner is a Catholic.

The Church does not encourage mixed marriages.

The Church sometimes permits mixed marriages by granting a dispensation, and under special conditions.

The Catholic partner of a mixed marriage promises to do everything possible to preserve the faith and have all children of the marriage baptised and brought up in the Catholic Church.

No human power can dissolve the bond of marriage, because Christ has said: 'What God has joined together, let no man put asunder'. (Mat]. 19:6)

The Theological Virtues are 'Faith, Hope, and Charity'. (1 Cor. 13:13)

They are called Theological Virtues because they relate immediately to God.

The chief mysteries of Faith which every Christian is bound to know are the Unity and Trinity of God, who will render to every man according to his works and the Incarnation, Death and Resurrection of our Saviour.

The Cardinal Virtues are 'Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, and Temperance'. (Wisd. 8:7)

They are called Cardinal Virtues because they are. as it were, the hinges on which all other moral virtues turn.

The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are: 1. Wisdom
2. Understanding
3. Counsel
4. Fortitude
5. Knowledge
6. Piety
7. The fear of the Lord. (Is. 11:2.3)

The twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit are:
1. Charity
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Benignity
6. Goodness
7. Longanimity
8. Mildness
9. Faith
10. Modesty
11. Continency
12. Chastity. (Gal. 5:22)

1. 'You must love the Lord your God with all your
heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all
your strength'.
2. You must love your neighbour as yourself. (Mark 12:30,31)

The seven Corporal Works of Mercy are:
1. To feed the hungry.
2. To give drink to the thirsty.
3. To clothe the naked.
4. To harbour the harbourless.
5. To visit the sick.
6. To visit the imprisoned.
7. To bury the dead. (Matt. 25; Tobias 12)

The seven Spiritual Works of Mercy are:
1. To convert the sinner.
2. To instruct the ignorant.
3. To counsel the doubtful.
4. To comfort the sorrowful.
5. To bear wrongs patiently.
6. To forgive injustice,
7. To pray for the living and the dead.

The eight Beatitudes are:
1. How happy are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2. Happy the gentle; for they shall have the earth for their heritage.
3. Happy those who mourn: they shall he comforted.
4. Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right: they shall be satisfied.
5. Happy the merciful, they shall have mercy shown thern.
6. Happy the pure in heart, they shall see God.
7. Happy the peacemakers: they shall be called sons of God.
8. Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 5:3-10)

The seven capital sins or vices and their contrary virtues are:
1. Pride.
2. Covetousness.
3. Lust.
4. Anger.
5. Gluttony.
6. Envy.
7. Sloth.

1. Humility.
2. Liberality.
3. Chastity.
4. Meekness.
5. Temperance.
6. Brotherly Love.
7. Diligence.

They are called capital sins because they are the
sources from which all other sins take their rise.

The six sins against the Holy Spirit are:
1. Presumption.
2. Despair.
3. Resisting the known truth.
4. Envy of another's spiritual good.
5. Obstinacy in sin.
6. Final impenitence.

The four sins crying to heaven for vengeance are:
1. Wilful murder (Gen. 4)
2. The sin of Sodom (Gen. 18)
3. Oppression of the poor (Exod. 2)
4. Defrauding labourers of their wages (James 5)

328. When are we answerable for the sins of others?

We are answerable for the sins ofothers whenever we either cause or share in them, through our own fault.

We may either cause or share the guilt of another's sin in nine ways:
1. By counsel.
2. By command.
3. By consent.
4. By provocation.
5. By praise or flattery.
6. By concealment.
7. By being a partner in the sin.
8. By silence.
9. By defending the ill done.

The three eminent Good Works are Prayer. Fasting, and Alms deeds.

The Evangelical Counsels are voluntary Poverty, perpetual Chastity and entire Obedience.

The four last things to be always remembered are: Death, Judgment, Hell, and Heaven.

If we hope to be saved, we must follow the rule of life taught by Jesus Christ.

By the rule of life taught by Jesus Christ we are bound always to hate sin and to love God.

We must hate sin above all other evils, so as to be resolved never to commit a wilful sin, for the love or fear of anything whatsoever.

We must love God above all things, and with our whole heart.

We must learn to love God by begging of God to teach us to love him: '0 my God, teach me to love you'.

The love of God will lead us often to think how good God is; often to speak to him in our hearts; and always to seek to please him.

Jesus Christ also commands us to love one another that is, all persons without exception - for his sake.

We are to love one another by wishing well to one another, and praying for one another; and by never allowing ourselves any thought, word, or deed to the injury of anyone.

We are also bound to love our enemies; not only by forgiving them from our hearts, but also by wishing them well, and praying for them.

Jesus Christ has given us another great rule in these words: 'If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me'. (Luke 9:23)

We are to deny ourselves by giving up our own will, and by going against our own humours, inclinations, and passions.

We are bound to deny ourselves because our natural inclinations are prone to evil from our very childhood; and, if not corrected by self-denial, they will certainly carry us to hell.

We are to take up our cross daily by submitting daily with patience to the labours and sufferings of this short life, and by bearing them willingly for the love of God.

We are to follow our Blessed Lord by walking in his footsteps and imitating his virtues.

The principal virtues we are to learn from our Blessed Lord are meekness, humility, and obedience.

The enemies which we must fight against all the days of our life are the devil, the world, and the flesh.

By the devil I mean Satan and all his wicked angels, who are ever seeking to draw us into sin, that we may be damned with them.

By the world I mean the false maxims of the world and the society of those who love the vanities, riches, and pleasures of this world better than God.

I number the devil and the world amongst the enemies of the soul because they are always seeking, by temptation and by word or example, to carry us along with them on the broad road that leads to damnation.

By the flesh I mean our own corrupt inclinations and passions, which are the most dangerous of all our enemies.

To hinder the enemies of our soul from drawing us into sin, we must watch, pray, and fight against all their suggestions and temptations.

In the warfare against the devil, the world, and the flesh we must depend not on ourselves, but on God only: 'There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the one who gives me strength.' (Philippians 4:13)

I should begin the day by making the sign of the cross as soon as I awake in the morning, and by saying some short prayer, such as, 'Oh my God, I offer my heart and soul to you'.

I should rise in the morning diligently, dress myself modestly, and then kneel down and say my morning prayers.

I should also hear Mass if I have time and opportunity. for to hear Mass is by far the best and most profitable of all devotions.

It is useful to make daily meditation, for such was the practice of all the Saints.

We ought to rneditate especially on the four last things, and the Life and Passion of our Blessed Lord.

We ought frequently to read good books, such as the Holy Gospels, the Lives of the Saints, and other spiritual works, which nourish our faith and piety, and arm us against the false maxims of the world.

As to my eating, drinking, sleeping, and amusements, I should use all these things with moderation, and with a desire to please God.

'Bless us, 0 Lord, and these your gifts, which we are about to receive from your bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.'

'We give you thanks, almighty God, for all your benefits, who live and reign, world without end. + May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.'

I should sanctify my ordinary actions and employments of the day by often raising up my heart to God whilst I am about them, and saying some short prayer to him.

When I find myself tempted to sin I should make the sign of the cross on my heart, and call on God as earnestly as I can, saying, 'Lord, save me, or I perish'.

If I have fallen into sin I should cast myself in spirit at the feet of Christ, and humbly beg his pardon by a sincere act of contrition.

When God sends me any cross, or sickness, or pain, I should say, 'Lord, your will be done; I take this for my sins'.

I should do well to say often to myself during the day such prayers as:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. world without end. Amen.
In all things may the most holy, the most just, and the most lovable Will of God be done, praised, and exalted above all for ever.
Oh Sacrament most holy, Oh Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine. Praised be Jesus Christ, praised for evermore.
My Jesus, mercy; Mary, help.

I should finish the day by kneeling down and saying my night prayers.

After my night prayers I should observe due modesty in going to bed; occupy myself with the thoughts of death; and endeavour to compose myself to rest at the foot of the Cross, and give my last thoughts to my crucified Saviour.

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On becoming a Catholic

A selection of prayers used by Roman Catholics