Chapter 3
XXVI. On Sin and Its Kinds. 51. Question. Is Original Sin the only kind of sin?
Answer. Original sin is not the only kind of sin. There is another kind of sin which we commit ourselves called Actual Sin. 52. Question.
What is Actual Sin? Answer. Actual Sin is any willful thought, word, deed or omission contrary to the Law of God. 53. Question.
How many kinds of Actual Sin are there? Answer. There are two kinds of Actual Sin, Martal and Venial. 54. Question.
What is Martal Sin? Answer. Martal Sin is a grievous offense against the Law of God. 55. Question.
Why is this sin called Mortal? Answer. This sin is called Mortal because it deprives us of spiritual life, which is sanctifying grace and brings everlasting death and damnation to the soul. 56.
Question. How many things are necessary to make a sin mortal? Answer. To make a sin mortal three things are necessary. A grievous matter, sufficient reflection and full consent of the will.
57. Question. What is Venial Sin? Answer. Venial Sin is a slight offense against the Law of God in matters of less importance,
or in matters of great importance is an offense committed without sufficient reflection or full consent of the will. 58. Question. Which are the effects of Venial Sin?
Answer. The effects of Venial Sin are the lessening of the Law of God in our heart, the making of us less worthy of his help, and the weakening of the power to resist Mortal Sin. 59. Question.
Which are the chief sources of sin? Answer. The chief sources of sin are seven. Pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy and sloth, and they are commonly called capital sins.
End of Lesson 6. Lesson 7. On the Incarnation and Redemption. 60. Question.
God did not abandon man after he fell into sin? Answer. 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.
Question. Who is the Redeemer? Answer. Our blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is the Redeemer of mankind. 62.
Question. What do you believe of Jesus Christ? Answer. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, true God and true man.
63. Question. Why is Jesus Christ true God? Answer. Jesus Christ is true God, because he is the true and only Son of God the Father.
64. Question. Why is Jesus Christ true man? Answer. Jesus Christ is true man, because he is the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and has a
body and soul like ours. 65. Question. How many natures are there in Jesus Christ? Answer.
In Jesus Christ there are two natures, the nature of God and the nature of man. 66. Is Jesus Christ more than one person? Answer. No, Jesus Christ is but one divine person.
67. Question. Was Jesus Christ always God? Answer. Jesus Christ was always God, as he is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, equal
to his Father from all eternity. 68. Question. Was Jesus Christ always man? Answer.
Jesus Christ was not always man, but became man at the time of his incarnation. 69. Question. What do you mean by the incarnation? Answer.
By the incarnation I mean that the Son of God was made man. 70. How was the Son of God made man? Answer. The Son of God was conceived and made man by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb
of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 71. Question. Is the Blessed Virgin Mary truly the Mother of God? Answer.
The Blessed Virgin Mary is truly the Mother of God, because the same divine person who is the Son of God is also the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 72. Question. Did the Son of God become man immediately after the sin of our first parents?
Answer. The Son of God did not become man immediately after the sin of our first parents, but was promised to them as a Redeemer. 73. Question.
How could they be saved who lived before the Son of God became man? Answer. They who lived before the Son of God became man could be saved by believing in a Redeemer and by keeping the commandments. 74.
Question. On what day was the Son of God conceived and made man? Answer. 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. Question. On what day was Christ born? Answer. Christ was born on Christmas Day in a stable at Bethlehem over 1900 years ago.
76. Question. How long did Christ live on earth? Answer. Christ lived on earth about 33 years and led a most holy life in poverty and suffering.
77. Question. Why did Christ live so long on earth? Answer. Why did Christ live so long on earth to show us the way to heaven by his teachings and
example? End of lesson 7th. Lesson 8th. On our Lord's Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension. 78.
Question. What did Jesus Christ suffer? Answer. Jesus Christ suffered a bloody sweat, a cruel scourging, was crowned with thorns and was crucified.
79. Question. On what day did Christ die? Answer. Christ died on Good Friday.
80. Question. Why do you call that day good on which Christ died so sorrowful a death? Answer. We call that day good on which Christ died because by his death he showed his great love
for man and purchased for him every blessing. 81. Question. Where did Christ die? Answer.
Christ died on Mount Calvary. 82. Question. How did Christ die? Answer.
Christ was nailed to the cross and died on it between two thieves. 83. Question. Why did Christ suffer and die? Answer.
Christ suffered and died for our sins. 84. Question. What lessons do we learn from the sufferings and death of Christ? Answer.
From the sufferings and death of Christ we learn the great evil of sin, the hatred God bears to it, and the necessity of satisfying for it. 85. Question. Where did Christ's soul go after his death?
Answer. After Christ's death his soul descended into hell. 86. Question. Did Christ's soul descend into the hell of the damned?
Answer. The hell into which Christ's soul descended was not the hell of the damned, but a place state of rest called limbo, where the souls of the just were waiting for him. 87. Question.
Why did Christ descend into limbo? Answer. Christ descended into limbo to preach to the souls who were in prison, that is, to announce to them the joyful tidings of their redemption. 88.
Question. Where was Christ's body while his soul was in limbo? Answer. While Christ's soul was in limbo his body was in the Holy Sepulcher. 89.
Question. On what day did Christ rise from the dead? Answer. Christ rose from the dead, glorious and immortal, on Easter Sunday, the third day after his death.
90. Question. How long did Christ stay on earth after his resurrection? Answer. Christ stayed on earth forty days after his resurrection to show that he was truly risen
from the dead and to instruct his apostles. 91. Question. After Christ had remained forty days on earth, whither did he go? Answer.
After forty days Christ ascended into heaven, and the day on which he ascended into heaven is called Ascension Day. 92. Question. Where is Christ in heaven?
Answer. In heaven Christ sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. 93. Question. What do you mean by saying that Christ sits at the right hand of God?
Answer. When I say that Christ sits at the right hand of God, I mean that Christ as God is equal to his Father in all things, and that as man he is in the highest place in heaven next to God. End of lesson 8
Lesson 9 On the Holy Ghost and His Descent upon the Apostles 94. Question. Who is the Holy Ghost?
Answer. The Holy Ghost is the third person of the blessed Trinity. 95. From whom does the Holy Ghost proceed? Answer.
The Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son. 96. Question. Is the Holy Ghost equal to the Father and the Son? Answer.
The Holy Ghost is equal to the Father and the Son being the same Lord and God as they are. 97. Question. On what day did the Holy Ghost come down upon the Apostles?
Answer. 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. 98. Question.
How did the Holy Ghost come down upon the Apostles? Answer. The Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire. 99. Question.
Who sent the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles? Answer. Our Lord Jesus Christ sent the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles. 100. Question.
Why did Christ send the Holy Ghost? Answer. Christ sent the Holy Ghost to sanctify his church, to enlighten and strengthen the Apostles and to enable them to preach the gospel. 101.
Question. Will the Holy Ghost abide with the church forever? Answer. The Holy Ghost will abide with the church forever and guided in the way of holiness and truth.
End of the ninth lesson. Lesson tenth on the effects of the redemption. 102. Question. Which are the chief effects of the redemption?
Answer. The chief effects of the redemption are two, the satisfaction of God's justice by Christ's sufferings and death, and the gaining of grace for men. 103. Question.
What do you mean by grace? Answer. By grace I mean a supernatural gift of God bestowed on us through the merits of Jesus Christ for our salvation. 104.
Question. How many kinds of grace are there? Answer. There are two kinds of grace, sanctifying grace and actual grace. 105.
Question. What is sanctifying grace? Answer. Sanctifying grace is that grace which makes the soul holy and pleasing to God. 106.
Question. What do you call those graces or gifts of God by which we believe in Him, hope in Him and love Him? Answer. Those graces or gifts of God by which we believe in Him and hope in Him and love Him are called
the divine virtues of faith, hope and charity. 107. Question. What is faith? Answer.
Faith is a divine virtue by which we firmly believe the truths which God has revealed. 108. Question. What is hope? Answer.
Hope is a divine virtue by which we firmly trust that God will give us eternal life and the means to obtain it. 109. Question. What is charity?
Answer. Charity is a divine virtue by which we love God above all things for His own sake and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. 110. Question.
What is actual grace? Answer. Actual grace is that help of God which enlightens our mind and moves our will to shun evil and do good. 111.
Question. Is grace necessary to salvation? Answer. Grace is necessary to salvation because without grace we can do nothing to merit heaven. 112.
Question. Can we resist the grace of God? Answer. We can and, unfortunately, often do resist the grace of God. 113.
Question. What is the grace of perseverance? Answer. The grace of perseverance is a particular gift of God which enables us to continue in the state of grace till death.
End of the tenth lesson. End of section 3
