Catechism of the Summa (4)

 III. OF THE DIVINE OPERATIONS

What is the life of God?

He lives in His knowledge and in His love 

Does God know all things?

Yes 

Does God know all that happens on earth?

Yes 

Does God know our secret thoughts?

Yes 

Does God know the future?

Yes 

How is this knowledge in God?

The reason is because God who is utterly immaterial has a mind that is infinite. Hence no thing that is, that will be, or can be in no matter what being is hidden from Him, since everything is related to His knowledge as effects are related to their causes 

(A)

Has God a will?

Yes; for wheresoever there is mind, there also must be will 

Do all things depend on the will of God?

Yes; because God's will is the first and supreme cause of all things 

(B)

Does God love all His creatures?

Yes, for He made them out of love only 

Does God's love for His creatures produce any effect in them?

Yes, the effect of God's love in His creatures is the good found in them 

(C)

Is God just?

Yes, God is Very Justice 

Why is God Very Justice?

God is Very Justice because He gives to each creature what is due to its nature 

Is there any special kind of God's justice towards men?

Yes; and it consists in this, that He rewards the good and punishes the wicked 

Does God reward the good and punish the wicked in this life?

Only in part does God reward the good and punish the wicked in this life.

Where does God fully reward the good and punish the wicked?

In heaven God fully rewards the good, and in hell fully punishes the wicked.

(D)

Is God merciful?

Yes 

In what does the mercy of God consist?

It consists in this, that He gives to each thing even more than is due to its nature; likewise He rewards the good more fully than they deserve and punishes the wicked even less than they deserve 

(E)

Has God any care of the world?

Yes; and it is called providence 

Does the providence of God extend to all things?

Yes, for there is nothing in the world that God has not foreseen and pre-ordained from all eternity

Does it extend also to inanimate things?

Yes, for they are a part of God's handiwork 

Does it extend to the free acts of man?

Yes; and by this is meant that every free act of man is subject to the ordering of Divine Providence, and in these acts there is nothing but what God ordains or permits; for in no sense does man's liberty imply man's independence of God 

Catechism of the Summa (3)

 (C)

Can we see God in this life?

No, we cannot see God in this life, the obstacle being our mortal body 

Can we see God in heaven?

We can see God in heaven with the eyes of the glorified soul 

How can we know God in this life?

We can know God in this life by reason and by faith 

What is meant by knowing God in this life by our reason?

It is to know God through the creatures He has made 

What is it to know Him in this life by faith?

It is to know God by what He has told us Himself about Himself 

Of these two kinds of knowledge that we can have of God which is the more perfect?

Without doubt, the more perfect is the knowledge we have of Him by faith. For by it we see God in a light wherein the eye of reason fails; moreover, even though there are shadows and sometimes an impenetrable darkness for us here below, nevertheless the light of faith is none other than the dawn of heaven's vision which is to be our happiness through all eternity 

(D)

When we speak of God, or endeavour to express our thought concerning Him, have the words we use a correct meaning?

Most certainly: for these words, although used primarily to designate the perfections in a creature, can be transferred to designate what in God corresponds to these very perfections 

When applied to God and to creatures, have these word the same meaning or one wholly different?

When applied to God they have the same meaning but in a superlative degree, that is, when used to designate perfections in creatures in the fulness of their meaning they truly signify these perfections: whereas when use to designate the divine perfections, or whatever is attributed to God, if all that they tell is verily in God they do not tell fully the perfections they express in God 

Then whatever we may tell of God, and however exalted be our expressions concerning Him, for us God ever remains unutterable?

Yes; but in this life we cannot do anything more salutary, more perfect, and more noble than speak of Him and of all that concerns Him even though our thoughts fall short of Him and our speech fail 

Catechism of the Summa (2)

 II. OF GOD'S NATURE AND ATTRIBUTES

(A)

Who is God?

God is a spirit, in three persons, the creator an sovereign Lord of all things.

What is meant by saying that God is a spirit?

By this is meant that He has no body, as we have, and that He is free from all matter, and that in Him there is nothing distinct from His being 

What does this imply in God?

It implies that God is not a being like any other being which is this or that determined being; for He is in the true sense of the word most transcendental and most absolute; He is Very Being 

Is God perfect?

Yes, God is perfect, for He lacks nothing 

Is God good?

Yes, God is Very Goodness; for He is the beginning and the end of all love 

Is God infinite?

Yes, God is infinite, for He has no limits 

Is God everywhere?

Yes, God is everywhere, for all that is, is in Him and through Him 

Is God unchangeable?

Yes, God is unchangeable because possessing all things He can acquire nothing 

Is God eternal?

Yes, God is eternal because in Him there is no succession 

Are there several Gods?

No, there is only one God

(B)

Why are these divers attributes affirmed of God?

Because if He had them not, He would not be God.

How do you prove that if God did not have these attributes He would no longer be God?

Because God would no longer be God if He were not He who exists of Himself. But He who exists of Himself must be perfect, since He contains all in Himself; and if He is perfect He is good of necessity. He must be infinite, for if not something or other could act on Him, and thereby limit Him; and, if He is infinite, He must be everywhere. He must be unchangeable, for if not there would be something whereof He had need, and if He is unchangeable He is Eternal, since time implies sucession which involves change. On the other hand, since He is infinitely perfect He can be only one; for two things infinitely perfect are absolutely impossible, since there would be nought in one whereby it was distinguished from the other 

Catechism of the Summa (31)

Catechism of the Summa (30)

 XX. OF THE EXTERNAL PRINCIPLE WHICH HELPS MAN TO PRACTISE GOOD ACTS; OR OF GRACE

(A)

Is law a sufficient guide for man to live a virtuous life and to avoid the contrary life of sin?

No, the help of grace is also necessary (CIX., CXIV.).

What is meant by grace?

By grace is meant a special help from God that assists him to do good and to avoid evil.

Is this special help from God always necessary for man?

Yes.

Is not man of himself ever able to do any good thing or to avoid any bad thing?

Yes, of himself, that is relying on the principle of his nature given to him by God, and upon the other natural helps around him, man can accomplish certain good acts and avoid certain evil acts even in the moral order or in the domain of virtue; but if God by His grace does not heal human nature which was wounded by sin, man would never be able to accomplish even in the order of natural virtue all the good required of him or to avoid all evil; moreover, in the order of supernatural virtue or as regards the good life that is to win heaven, man by his sole nature, without grace, can do absolutely nothing (CIX. 1-10).

(B)

What does this grace of the supernatural order imply?

This grace of the supernatural order implies two things: a supernatural state of soul, and supernatural motions of the Holy Spirit (CIX. 6).

What is meant by this supernatural state of soul?

By this is meant certain qualities introduced and preserved therein by God which in a sense make the very being and faculties of man divine (CX. 1-4).

What is the fundamental quality which makes man's very being divine?

It is called habitual or sanctifying grace (CX. 1, 2, 4).

What are the supernatural qualities which divinize man's faculties?

They are the virtues and the gifts

Are the virtues and the gifts associated with habitual or sanctifying grace?

Yes, the virtues and the gifts are associated with habitual or sanctifying grace in such wise that they issue from this grace which can never exist in the soul unless they also exist in the faculties.

Are this grace, and these virtues and gifts, which sanctify the soul and its faculties something very estimable?

Yes, for they make man a child of God, and give him the power to act as such.

Is man, endowed with grace and the accompanying virtues and gifts, more perfect than the whole created world in the order of nature?

Yes, he is more perfect even than the angels if we consider them in their nature only 

There is then nothing on earth more to be desired by man than to possess and keep, and by making daily progress in this grace of God together with the virtues and the gifts.

(C)

How can man thus possess and keep the virtues and the gifts and make daily progress in this grace of God?

By responding faithfully to the supernatural motion of the Holy Spirit, who solicits man to prepare himself to receive grace if he has it not, or to make daily progress therein if he already possesses it 

What is this action of the Holy Spirit called?

This action of the Holy Spirit is called actual grace 

It is then with this help or through the motion of actual grace that we dispose ourselves to receive habitual or sanctifying grace if we have it not already, or if we have it, to make progress therein?

Yes, it is with this help or through the motion of actual grace that we dispose ourselves to receive habitual or sanctifying grace if we have it not already, or if we have it, to make progress therein.

(D)

Can actual grace produce its full effect in us, in spite of us, and without our response?

No, actual grace cannot produce its full effect in us, in spite of us, and without our response 

It is necessary then for our free will to co-operate with the motion of actual grace?

Yes, our free will must co-operate with the motion of actual grace.

What is the co-operation of the free will with the motion of actual grace called?

It is called correspondence with grace.

(E)

When our free will corresponds thus with actual grace, and we have habitual grace in our soul, has the act any special character?

Yes, it is always a meritorious act 

Are there several kinds of merit?

Yes, there is merit de condigno and merit de congruo 

What is understood by merit "de condigno"?

It is the merit that demands recompense by right and in strict justice

What is required for man's act to be meritorious "de condigno"?

The act must be done under the impulse of actual grace; it must proceed from sanctifying grace by the virtue of charity; and it must tend towards the acquisition of eternal life for itself alone, or further, towards the increase of grace and of the virtues 

Is it possible to merit for others life eternal, or sanctifying grace, or the increase of this grace by merit which is "de condigno"?

No, it is impossible to merit this kind of boons for others except by merit de congruo; for to merit de condigno for others is proper to Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church 

What is understood by merit "de congruo"?

By this it is understood that merit which effects that God by reason of the friendship that unites Him to the just, deems it fitting and in accord with His wishes, to respond to the joy that they seek to give Him by their good works, in Himself giving joy to them by granting what they ask or what they desire of Him 

Then the whole "raison d'être" of merit is reduced to this, that God moves intimately in the life of the just through grace and the virtues under the action of the Holy Ghost?

Yes, it is always in the intimacy between God and the just, or in their life of grace and the virtues under the action of the Holy Spirit, that consists the whole raison d'être of merit; moreover, whatever man does outside this life, even though in itself it is not evil, is altogether vain and will avail him nothing at the last day 

Can this life of grace and the virtues to be lived by man on earth be explained in detail?

Yes, all this will be explained in its proper place when we study man's return to God by his good acts.

Catechism of the Summa (29)

 XIX. OF THE DIVINE LAW -- THE DECALOGUE

(A)

What is meant by the divine law?

By the divine law is meant the law given to men by God who manifests Himself supernaturally 

When did God give this law to men?

God gave this law to men in the first place in a very simple way before their fall in the Garden of Eden; but He also gave it in a much more elaborate way, later on, through the medium of Moses and the Prophets, and in a way much more perfect by Jesus Christ and the Apostles

What is the divine law given by God to men through Moses called?

It is called the Old Law 

And what is the divine law called that was given by God to men through Jesus Christ and the Apostles?

It is called the New Law 

Was the Old Law made for all men?

No, the Old Law was made for the Jewish people only 

Why did God give a special law to the Jewish people?

Because this people was destined to prepare in the old world the coming of the Saviour of men who was to be born of the Jewish nation 

What were the precepts called that were given to the Jewish people and that regarded them only?

They were called the "judiciary" precepts, and the "ceremonial precepts"

Are there not also in the Old Law certain precepts which have remained in the New Law?

Yes, and they are called the "moral" precepts 

Why have these precepts of the Old Law been kept in the New Law?

Because they constitute what is essential and absolutely obligatory concerning the conduct of every man, from the very fact that he is man 

These moral precepts then have always been and always will be the same for all men?

Yes, these moral precepts have always been and always will be the same for all men 

Are they identified with the natural law?

Yes, these moral precepts are identified with the natural law.

How then are they part of the divine law?

They are part of the divine law because in order to give them more force and to hinder the human reason from forgetting or corrupting them, God Himself promulgated them solemnly when He manifested Himself to His chosen people at the time of Moses; and also because God promulgated them in view of the super-natural end to which every man is called by Him 

(B)

What are these moral precepts thus solemnly promulgated by God at the time of Moses called?

They are called the "Decalogue" 

What does the word Decalogue mean?

It is a Greek word which means the ten words, for the number of precepts given by God is ten.

What are the ten commandments of the Decalogue?

The ten commandments of the Decalogue are the following:

1. Thou shalt have no other God beside Me.

2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

3. Thou shalt keep holy the Sabbath day.

4. Honour thy father and thy mother.

5. Thou shalt not kill.

6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

7. Thou shalt not steal.

8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife.

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's goods

(C)

Do these ten commandments suffice to guide the whole moral life of man in the way of virtue?

Yes, they suffice as regards the principal virtues which have reference to the essential duties of man towards God and his neighbour; but for the perfection of all the virtues it was necessary for them to be further explained and completed by the teaching of the prophets in the Old Law, and still further by the teaching of Jesus Christ and the Apostles in the New Law

What is the best way to understand these precepts fully and to understand that which explains or completes them for the perfection of the moral life?

It is to study them by help of each of the virtues considered in detail.

Will the study of them thus be made easy?

Yes, for the very nature of the virtue will explain the nature and the obligation of the precept.

Will this be at the same time a good way to understand the whole perfection of the New Law?

Yes; because the perfection of this law consists precisely in its relation with the excellence of all the virtues 

(D)

Has this excellence of all the virtues any special character in the New Law?

Yes, it has a special character inasmuch as the counsels are added to the precepts 

What is meant by the counsels being added to the precepts?

By this is meant certain invitations offered by Jesus Christ to all souls of good will, to detach themselves from earthly things for love of Him and in order to obtain a more perfect enjoyment of Him in heaven, things that they might indeed desire and possess without detriment to virtue, but which might prove an obstacle to the perfection of virtue

How many counsels are there?

There are three: poverty, chastity, and obedience 

Is there any special state wherein one may practise these counsels in a very perfect way?

Yes, the religious state 

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Catechism of the Summa (28)

 XVIII. OF HUMAN LAW

(A)

Can these other precepts become the subject-matter of law?

Yes.

Of what laws are they the subject-matter?

They are the subject-matter, properly speaking, of human laws 

What is meant by human laws?

By human laws are meant those ordinations of reason made for the common good of this or that society of human beings, which are enacted and promulgated by the supreme authority of every society 

Must these ordinations be obeyed by all who belong to this society?

Yes 

Is there here entailed a duty of conscience that binds before God?

Yes 

Are there certain cases in which one is not obliged to obey?

Yes, there can be certain cases in which one is not obliged to obey

What are these cases in which one is not obliged to obey?

In the case of impossibility, or in the case of dispensation 

(B)

Who can dispense from obeying a law?

He only can dispense from obeying a law who is the maker of the law, or he who has the same authority as the maker of the law, or he who has received from this authority the power to dispense 

(C)

Is one bound to obey an unjust law?

No, one is not bound to obey an unjust law, unless the refusal to obey cause scandal or grave trouble 

What is meant by an unjust law?

It is one made without authority, or contrary to the common good, or one that injures the lawful rights of members of the society 

If a law is unjust in that it offends the rights of God or of His Church, is one bound thereto?

No, if a law is unjust in that it offends the rights of God or the essential rights of the Church, one is never bound thereby 

What is meant by the rights of God and the essential rights of the Church?

By the rights of God is meant whatever touches the honour and the worship of God, the Creator and Sovereign Master of all things; by the essential rights of the Church is meant whatever touches the mission of the Catholic Church as regards the sanctification of souls by the preaching of the truth and the administration of the sacraments.

If then a human law attacks religion one is not bound to obey this law?

If a human law attacks religion one is not bound to obey at any cost 

Would such a law be a true law?

No, such a law is a hateful tyranny (XC. 1, ad 3).

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Catechism of the Summa (1)

 BRIEF OF

HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XV.

To our well-beloved son Thomas Pègues of the Order of Friars Preachers.

BELOVED SON,

Greeting and Apostolic Benediction.

The manifold honours paid by the Holy See to St. Thomas Aquinas exclude for ever any doubt from the mind of Catholics with regard to his being raised up by God as the Master of Doctrine to be followed by the Church through all ages. It was therefore fitting that the singular wisdom of the Holy Doctor should be made accessible not only to the clergy but to the faithful in general, and to whomsoever desired to make a deeper study of the things of religion; for in very truth, the nearer one approaches to the light, so much the more is one enlightened.

Much praise is therefore due to you first of all because you have undertaken to write a commentary in your mother tongue [French] upon the greatest work of the Angelic Doctor, viz., the Summa Theologica (the volumes already published of this work show what success has attended your labours); and, secondly, because you have recently published the Summa Theologica in the form of a catechism. Therein you have aptly accomodated the riches of the great genius to the understanding of the less instructed as well as of the learned; briefly and succinctly you have expounded the doctrine, and in the same luminous order as that of the Angelic Doctor whose treatise is more lengthy and more detailed.

We congratulate you sincerely on this fruit of your labours which shows your masterly knowledge of St. Thomas' doctrine. We hope, therefore, through your love of Holy Church that this work will bring many souls to a sound knowledge of Christian doctrine.

As a mark of the divine largess and in testimony of our own special good will we impart in all affection to you and to your pupils the Apostolic Benediction.

Given at Rome at St. Peter's the fifth day of February, 1919, in the fifth year of our Pontificate,

POPE BENEDICT XV.

FOREWORD

The author of the original work asked me personally to translate his book into English. I have done so; but the genius of the English language did not permit a literal translation. The present book is therefore in some sense rather an adaptation than a literal translation, although the latter has been strictly adhered to wherever possible.

In the original work the answer always repeats the whole question word for word; in the cause of brevity and sometimes for clearness' sake, I have adopted the simple answer of "yes" or "no" lest the reader tire with the insistency of the ceaseless repetition.

Those readers who wish to study the doctrine more deeply will find much help in the references quoted at the end of most of the answers to the questions; they refer to the Summa Theologica itself, which has been translated literally into English [To be had of Burns, Oates and Washbourne] by the Dominican Fathers of the English Province. To take an example: On p. 9 of this book there is the question: Does the Providence of God extend also to inanimate things? And the answer: Yes, for they are a part of God's handiwork(XXII. 2, Obj. 5). The reference here quoted means that the doctrine in its every detail is to be found in the reply to the 5th Objection of the 2nd Article of the 22nd Question of the First Part of the Summa. It should be noted that the citation of "First Part" is not added to the quotation for the simple reason that the particular "part" of the Summa to which the quotation refers may easily be found by consulting the table of Contents. Moreover, whenever necessary and in order to give additional strength to the doctrines of St. Thomas, reference has been made to the new Code of Canon Law; e.g., on p. 289 (Code, Canon 1036). Thus this work is brought up to date.

AE. W.

ROME,
Feast of St. Nicholas
(December 6, 1921)

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I. OF GOD'S EXISTENCE

Does God exist?

Yes, God exists 

Why do you say that God exists?

Because if God did not exist, nothing would exist. 

How do you prove that if God did not exist nothing would exist?

It is proved by this argument: That which exists through God only, would not exist if God did not exist. But whatever exists that is not God, exists through God only. Therefore, if God did not exist nothing would exist.

But how do you prove that whatever exists that is not God, exists through God only?

By this argument: Final analysis shows that that which does not exist of itself, can only exist through some other which exists of itself; and this latter we call God. But whatever exists that is not God, does not exist of itself. Therefore final analysis shows that whatever exists that whatever is not God, exists through God only.

But how do you prove that whatever exists that is not God, does not exist of itself?

By this argument: That does not exist of itself, which has need of some other. But whatever exists that is not God, has need of some other. Therefore whatever exists that is not God, does not exist of itself.

But why is it that whatsoever has need of another, does not exist of itself?

Because that which exists of itself, neither depends nor could it depend upon anything or anybody; on the other hand, whatever has need of something or somebody, depends upon this something or this somebody.

But why do you assert that what exists of itself neither depends nor could depend on something or on somebody?

Because, existing of itself, it has everything in itself and through itself, and can receive nothing either from anything or from anybody.

Therefore every existing thing that has need of some other manifestly proves by its very existence that God exists?

Yes. Every existing thing that has need of some other manifestly proves by its very existence that God exists.

What then do those say who deny the existence of God?

They say that what has need of all has need of nothing and conversely.

But surely that is a contradiction?

Precisely; one cannot deny God without falling into contradiction.

Is it then foolish to deny the existence of God?

Yes, it is indeed foolish to deny the existence of God.

Why were we created and what is expected of us?

 Why therefore did God wish to create at some given moment the things He has made?

God created the things He has made to make manifest His glory

What is meant by this?

It is meant that God wished to make manifest the abundance of His goodness by communicating to others in part something of the infinite goodness which is none other than Himself.

It was not then through need, nor in order to acquire some perfection, that God created the things that He has made?

No, on the contrary, it was merely to give unto others something of what He Himself possesses in an infinite degree and out of sheer goodness that He created the things He has made.

DIVINE GLORY

Recognition and praise of the infinite excellence of God. The fundamental glory of God is his infinite goodness and greatness in all attributes. Viewed as perfections in God, they constitute his internal fundamental glory, but viewed in their manifestation in creatures, they are the external, fundamental divine glory. The formal (actual) glory of God is the knowledge and love that he has of himself, which is called internal glory; and the knowledge, honor, and love shown him by rational creatures, which is called external, formal divine glory.

GLORY

The recognition and praise of someone's excellence. Applied to God, the divine (internal) glory is the infinite goodness that the persons of the Trinity constantly behold and mutually praise. His external glory is first of all the share that creatures have in God's goodness. Sometimes called objective glory, it is given to God by all creatures without exception, by their mere existence, insofar as they mirror the divine perfections. Formal glory is rendered to God by his rational creatures, when they acknowledge the divine goodness and praise God for who he is and what he has communicated of himself to the world. 

http://www.drbo.org/cgi-bin/s?q=glory&b=drb

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This is my understanding of creation and its purpose.

We were created for God's Glory and our Happiness and we can not be happy unless we are in the presence of God's Glory for all of eternity

Friday Fun

                          Bullets in Bambi

Every single year since the CDC began keeping records, The Northeast Kingdom of Vermont leads the nation in incest, insanity and imbecility.

The industrial base of this inane inbred island of insipidity is comprised of the manufacture of God's Eyes, Dream Catchers and providing guards for all of  the gigantic barns erected to store all of the unsold What Would Jesus Do? (WWJD) paraphernalia created by your average Ed and Edna Evangelical.

Rumors abound about the number of Middle School female students in Essex County who spend their entire summer preparing for their freshman year of High School by procuring falsies and bright shiny stiletto heel shoes and mini skirts with material so lacking in substance and size that most haberdashers confess -  Man, that's not enough material to cover a can of tuna say nothing about covering your can - so they can hopefully get knocked up, leave their family's barn and move into the cellar of her Baby-Daddy's Single Mother's FHA house and file for Unemployment, Welfare, Food Stamps, SSI Disability and WIC.

Wilton "Woodchuck" Wilson, researcher at the University of Vermont's " Department of Social Studies and Such" thinks that the excuse proffered by the Fathers of the girls - Hell, the very name of our county has Sex in it - is not a legitimate excuse for what happens to the young women in the county but, rather, Professor Wilson thinks what happens is the Fathers just get sick of feeding, clothing and housing the little tramps and if'n'theys want to peddle their ass that is their choice, I'm too damn busy fixing the fuel pump on my Ski Doo do to worry about that dammit, now leave me alone.

Most folks in other parts parts of the country are unaware that The Northeast Kingdom possesses a unique blend of romance and hunting in a great and enduring tradition in that beautiful part of the world.

For instance Bullets in Bambi is an idiom referring to how not a few of the local men, itching to get a deer and get a dear, combine hunting and betrothal in one glorious season.

Here is a typical example of what I am talking about:

Message today from my Palm Beach County Florida officials

Message today from my Palm Beach Co. Fl officials;  " When you’re a bored teenager looking for thrills, sometimes the only thing you can turn to is rock ‘n roll…”

Hmm, hey Boomers, maybe the kids require something other than Rock'n'Roll.

Something like a return to the basics because even adults, to say nothing about the youth, have lost their way and have no idea who God is or what life is all about.

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Baltimore Catechism No. 1 

LESSON FIRST: ON THE END OF MAN

 

1. Q. Who made the world?

A. God made the world. 

 

2. Q. Who is God?

A. God is the Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things. 

 

3. Q. What is man?

A. Man is a creature composed of body and soul, and made to the image and likeness of God.

 

6. Q. Why did God make you?

A. God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him for ever in heaven. 

 

9. Q. What must we do to save our souls?

A. To save our souls, we must worship God by faith, hope, and charity; that is, we must believe in Him, hope in Him, and love Him with all our heart. 

 

10. Q. How shall we know the things which we are to believe?

A. We shall know the things which we are to believe from the Catholic Church, through which God speaks to us.

 

11. Q. Where shall we find the chief truths which the Church teaches?

A. We shall find the chief truths which the Church teaches in the Apostles' Creed. 

 

12. Q. Say the Apostles' Creed.

 

 

LESSON SECOND: ON GOD AND HIS PERFECTIONS

 

13. Q. What is God?

A. God is a spirit infinitely perfect.

 

14. Q. Had God a beginning

A. God had no beginning; He always was and He always will be.

 

15. Q. Where is God?

A. God is everywhere.

 

16. Q. If God is everywhere, why do we not see Him?

A. We do not see God, because He is a pure spirit and cannot be seen with bodily eyes.

 

17. Q. Does God see us?

A. God sees us and watches over us. 

 

18. Q. Does God know all things?

A. God knows all things, even our most secret thoughts, words, and actions.

 

19. Q. Can God do all things?

A. God can do all things, and nothing is hard or impossible to Him.

 

20. Q. Is God just, holy, and merciful?

A. God is all just, all holy, all merciful, as He is infinitely perfect. 

 

 

LESSON THIRD: ON THE UNITY AND TRINITY OF GOD

 

21. Q. Is there but one God?

A. Yes; there is but one God. 

 

22. Q. Why can there be but one God?

A. There can be but one God, because God, being supreme and infinite, cannot have an equal.

 

23. Q. How many Persons are there in God?

A. In God there are three Divine Persons, really distinct, and equal in all things-the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

 

24. Q. Is the Father God?

A. The Father is God and the first Person of the Blessed Trinity. 

 

25. Q. Is the Son God?

A. The Son is God and the second Person of the Blessed Trinity. 

 

26. Q. Is the Holy Ghost God?

A. The Holy Ghost is God and the third Person of the Blessed Trinity.

 

27. Q. What is the Blessed Trinity?

A. The Blessed Trinity is one God in three Divine Persons. 

 

29. Q. Are the three Divine Persons one and the same God?

A. The three Divine Persons are one and the same God, having one and the same Divine nature. 

 

 

LESSON FOURTH: ON THE ANGELS AND OUR FIRST PARENTS

 

34. Q. Which are the chief creatures of God?

A. The chief creatures of God are men and angels.

 

35. Q. What are angels?

A. Angels are bodiless spirits created to adore and enjoy God in heaven.

 

39. Q. Who were the first man and woman?

A. The first man and woman were Adam and Eve.

 

40. Q. Were Adam and Eve innocent and holy when they came from the hand of God?

A. Adam and Eve were innocent and holy when they came from the hand of God. 

 

43. Q. Did Adam and Eve remain faithful to God?

A. Adam and Eve did not remain faithful to God; but broke His command by eating the forbidden fruit.

 

44. Q. What befell Adam and Eve on account of their sin?

A. Adam and Eve on account of their sin lost innocence and holiness, and were doomed to misery and death.

 

45. Q. What evil befell us through the disobedience of our first parents?

A. Through the disobedience of our first parents we all inherit their sin and punishment, as we should have shared in their happiness if they had remained faithful.

 

47. Q. What is the sin called which we inherit from our first parents?

A. The sin which we inherit from our first parents is called original sin.

 

50. Q. Was any one ever preserved from original sin?

A. The Blessed Virgin Mary, through the merit of her Divine Son, was preserved free from the guilt of original sin, and this privilege is called her Immaculate Conception.

 

 

LESSON FIFTH: ON SIN AND ITS KINDS

 

51. Q. Is original sin the only kind of sin?

A. Original sin is not the only kind of sin; there is another kind of sin, which we commit ourselves, called actual sin. 

 

52. Q. What is actual sin?

A. Actual sin is any willful thought, word, deed or omission contrary to the law of God.

 

53. Q. How many kinds of actual sin are there?

A. There are two kinds of actual sin-mortal and venial.

 

54. Q. What is mortal sin?

A. Mortal sin is a grievous offense against the law of God.

 

57. Q. What is venial sin?

A. Venial sin is a slight offense against the law of God in matters of less importance; or in matters of great importance it is an offence committed with out sufficient reflection or full consent of the will. 

 

59. Q. Which are the chief sources of sin?

A. The chief sources of sin are seven: Pride, Covetousness, Lust, Anger, Gluttony, Envy, and Sloth; and they are commonly called capital sins.

 

 

 

LESSON SIXTH: ON THE INCARNATION AND REDEMPTION

 

60. Q. Did God abandon man after he fell into sin?

A. God did not abandon man after he fell into sin, but promised him a Redeemer, who was to satisfy for man's sin and reopen to him the gates of heaven.

 

61. Q. Who is the Redeemer?

A. Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of mankind.

 

62. Q. What do you believe of Jesus Christ?

A. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, true God and true man. 

 

69. Q. What do you mean by the Incarnation?

A. By the Incarnation I mean that the Son of God was made man. 

 

70. Q. How was the Son of God made man?

A. The Son of God was conceived and made man by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 

74. Q. On what day was the Son of God conceived and made man?

A. The Son of God was conceived and made man on Annunciation day-the day on which the angel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she was to be the Mother of God. 

 

 

75. Q. On what day was Christ born?

A. Christ was born on Christmas day in a stable at Bethlehem, over nineteen hundred years ago.

 

 

LESSON SEVENTH: ON OUR LORD'S PASSION, DEATH, RESURRECTION, AND ASCENSION

 

78. Q. What did Jesus Christ Suffer?

A. Jesus Christ suffered a bloody sweat, a cruel scourging, was crowned with thorns, and was crucified.

 

79. Q. On what clay did Christ die?

A. Christ died on Good Friday. 

 

83. Q. Why did Christ suffer and die?

A. Christ suffered and died for our sins

 

89. Q. On what day did Christ rise from the dead?

A. Christ rose from the dead, glorious and immortal, on Easter Sunday, the third day after His death.

 

91. Q. After Christ had remained forty days on earth, whither did He go?

A. After forty days Christ ascended into heaven, and the day on which He ascended into heaven is called Ascension day.

 

 

LESSON EIGHTH: ON THE HOLY GHOST AND HIS DESCENT UPON THE APOSTLES

 

• De-scent', the act of coming down. 
• En-a'ble, to make able. 
• En-light'en, to make them understand better. 
• Pen'te-cost, the fiftieth day after Easter. 
• Preach, declare publicly, spread by word of mouth. 
• Sanc'ti-fy, to make holy. 
• Strength'en, make strong. 
• Whit'sun-day, white Sunday. 

 

94. Q. Who is the Holy Ghost?

A. The Holy Ghost is the third Person of the Blessed Trinity. 

 

97. Q. On what day did the Holy Ghost come down upon the Apostles?

A. The Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles ten days after the Ascension of our Lord; and the day on which He came down upon the Apostles is called Whitsunday, or Pentecost. 

 

 99. Q. Who sent the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles?

A. Our Lord Jesus Christ sent the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles. 

 

100. Q. Why did Christ send the Holy Ghost?

A. Christ sent the Holy Ghost to sanctify His Church, to enlighten and strengthen the Apostles, and to enable them to preach the Gospel.

Old school (Real School) Holy Water

 

EXORCISM BLESSING FOR SALT AND WATER

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Fr Richard HeilmanJuly 12, 2015 

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This past week, I was blessing water. It takes a lot longer and is more work, but I now only do the traditional blessing of water. For the first half of my priesthood, I did what most priests do … I would just make the sign of the cross over the water and that was it. Then I got “The Roman Ritual” and I was shocked by the complete blessing of water including exorcisms and adding exorcised salt to the holy water.

RITE FROM THE ROMAN RITUAL

(Priest vests in surplice and purple stole)

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R: Who made heaven and earth.

Exorcism and Blessing of Salt (necessary for Exorcism of Water)

P: O salt, creature of God, I exorcise you by the living (+) God, by the true (+) God, by the holy (+) God, by the God who ordered you to be poured into the water by Elisha the prophet, so that its life-giving powers might be restored. I exorcise you so that you may become a means of salvation for believers, that you may bring health of soul and body to all who make use of you, and that you may put to flight and drive away from the places where you are sprinkled; every apparition, villainy, turn of devilish deceit, and every unclean spirit; adjured by him who will come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire.

R: Amen.

P: Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, we humbly implore you, in your immeasurable kindness and love, to bless (+) this salt which you created and gave to the use of mankind, so that it may become a source of health for the minds and bodies of all who make use of it. May it rid whatever it touches or sprinkles of all uncleanness, and protect it from every assault of evil spirits. Through Christ our Lord.

R: Amen.

Exorcism and Blessing of Water

P: O water, creature of God, I exorcise you in the name of God the Father (+) Almighty, and in the name of Jesus (+) Christ His Son, our Lord, and in the power of the Holy (+) Spirit. I exorcise you so that you may put to flight all the power of the enemy, and be able to root out and supplant that enemy with his apostate angels, through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire.

R: Amen.

P: Let us pray. O God, for the salvation of mankind, you built your greatest mysteries on this substance, water. In your kindness, hear our prayers and pour down the power of your blessing (+) into this element, made ready for many kinds of purifications. May this, your creature, become an agent of divine grace in the service of your mysteries, to drive away evil spirits and dispel sickness, so that everything in the homes and other buildings of the faithful that is sprinkled with this water, may be rid of all uncleanness and freed from every harm. Let no breath of infection and no disease-bearing air remain in these places. May the wiles of the lurking enemy prove of no avail. Let whatever might menace the safety and peace of those who live here be put to flight by the sprinkling of this water, so that the health obtained by calling upon your holy name, may be made secure against all attack. Through Christ our Lord.

R: Amen.

(Priest pours exorcised salt into the water, in the form of a cross)

P: May a mixture of salt and water now be made, in the name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

R: Amen.

P: The Lord be with you.
R: And with your spirit.

P: Let us pray. O God, Creator unconquerable, invincible King, Victor ever-glorious, you hold in check the forces bent on dominating us. You overcome the cruelty of the raging enemy, and in your power you beat down the wicked foe. Humbly and fearfully do we pray to you, O Lord, and we ask you to look with favor on this salt and water which you created. Shine on it with the light of your kindness. Sanctify it by the dew of your love, so that, through the invocation of your holy name, wherever this water and salt is sprinkled, it may turn aside every attack of the unclean spirit, and dispel the terrors of the poisonous serpent. And wherever we may be, make the Holy Spirit present to us, who now implore your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.

R: Amen.