Catechism for Adults Lessons 3 & 4

Passion Sunday

St. Frances of Rome - Widow
J.M.J.


Taken from "A BRIEF CATECHISM FOR ADULTS"
(www.olrl.org/Lessons/)


LESSON 3: GOD AND THE HOLY TRINITY

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How
incomprehensible are His judgments and how unsearchable His ways! For who
hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been His counsellor? Or who
hath first given to Him, and recompense shall be made Him? For of Him and
by Him and in Him, are all things; to Him be glory forever. Amen." (Romans
11:33-36)

1. Who is God?
God is the Supreme Being, the Creator, "who made heaven and earth, the
sea, and all things that are in them." (Psalm 145:5)

2. What does "Creator" mean?
It means that God made all things out of nothing.

"I beseech thee, my son, look upon Heaven and earth, and all that is in
them: and consider that God made them out of nothing, and mankind also."
(2 Machabees 7:28)

3. What is a creature?
A creature is anything made by God.

4. How do you know there is a God?
If you just examine the things in this world, you have to admit that
someone had to make them.

"But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee: and the birds of the
air, and they shall tell thee. Speak to the earth, and it shall answer
thee: and the fishes of the sea shall tell. Who is ignorant that the hand
of the Lord hath made all these things?" (Job 12:7-9)

"The fool hath said in his heart: There is no God." (Psalm 13:1)

5. Why can you not see God?
Because He has no body.

"God is a spirit." (John 4:24)

6. Where is God?
God is everywhere.

"Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy face?
If I ascend into heaven, Thou are there: if I descend into hell, Thou art
present." (Psalm 138:7-8)

7. Can God see all things?
Yes, because He is everywhere.

"The eyes of the Lord in every place behold the good and the evil."
(Proverbs 18:3)

8. How old is God?
God is ageless, eternal, which means that He had no beginning and will
have no end and will never change.

"Before the mountains were made, or the earth and the world was formed: from
eternity and to eternity thou art God." (Psalm 89:2)

9. Can God do all things?
Yes, "With God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

10. Is God alive?
Yes, He is alive and is the source of life. Over 30 Bible references
call Him "the living God."

"All things were made by Him: and without Him was made nothing that was
made. In Him is life." (John 1:3-4)

11. Is God independent and unlimited?
Yes, He depends on nothing and is unlimited (infinite) in every way.

"Neither is He served with men's hands, as though he needed any thing;
seeing it is He who giveth to all life, and breath, and all things." (Acts
17:25)

12. Is God interested in you?
Yes, and He loves you with an unlimited love.

"Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her
womb? and if she should forget, yet I will not forget thee." (Isaias
49:15)

13. Will God forgive you your sins?
Yes, if you are truly sorry for them.

"For the Lord your God is merciful, and will not turn away His face from
you, if you return to Him." (2 Paralipomenon 30:9)

14. What is the Holy Trinity?
This means that there are three persons in One God.

"Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Matthew 28:19)

15. Who are the three persons in God?
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.

"And there are three who give testimony in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and
the Holy Ghost. And these three are one." (I John 5:7)

16. Are the three persons of the Holy Trinity equal?
Yes, they are equal to One Another, but each One is a separate and
distinct Person, and each One is God.

17. How can there be three persons in only one God?
This is a mystery that no human mind can completely understand.

PRACTICAL POINTS

1. There are many things in this world which the human mind cannot
understand, such as growth, sight, hearing, electricity. Therefore, we
should not be surprised to find that we cannot completely understand the God
who made the world.
2. Faith is accepting something on the word of another. God says that there
are three Persons in One God. If you accept that statement as being true
because He said so, then you have faith.
3. Faith is not unreasonable if what you are told is possible and if the
person telling you is usually truthful and has nothing to gain by telling
you a lie.
4. Human beings can tell lies, but God cannot because He is Truth Itself.
Therefore, believing anything God says is the highest kind of faith. This
kind of faith, however, is a gift that you must pray for.


LESSON 4: PRAYER

"Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it
shall be opened to you. For every one that asketh, receiveth: and he that
seeketh, findeth: and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. Or what
man is there among you, of whom if his son shall ask bread, will he reach
him a stone? Or if he shall ask him a fish, will he reach him a serpent?
If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how
much more will your Father who is in Heaven, give good things to them that
ask Him?" (Matthew 7:7-11)

1. What is prayer?
Prayer is the raising of the mind and heart to God.

2. Why should you pray?
You should pray--
i. To adore God, to tell Him that He made you and that you depend upon Him
for absolutely everything.
ii. To thank God for the blessings He has given you.
"What hast thou not received? And if thou hast received, why dost thou
glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" (1 Corinthians 4:7)
iii. To ask God pardon for your sins.
"O God, be merciful to me a sinner." (Luke 18:13)
iv. To ask God's help in all things.

"Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it
shall be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7).

3. When should you pray?
Every day, especially--
i. In the morning -- to offer the day to God and to ask for His help in the
temptations of the day
ii. During the day, especially during temptations.
iii. At night -- to thank God for the blessings of the day and to ask Him to
forgive you for the sins committed that day.
iv. Before and after meals.

4. To whom should you pray?
i. To God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.
ii. You may also pray to the Blessed Virgin, the Angels and the Saints.

"And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up
before God from the hand of the angel." (Apocalypse 8:4).

5. Why may you pray to the Blessed Virgin (Mary, Mother of God), the Angels
and the Saints?
Because they are God's best friends; God will listen to them more than
to us who are still sinners.

"Go to my servant Job, and offer yourselves a holocaust: and my servant Job
shall pray for you: his face I will accept, that folly be not imputed to
you: for you have not spoken right things before me, as my servant Job
hath." (Job 42:8)

6. For whom should you pray?
i. For everyone still on earth, even your enemies.
"But I say to you, love your enemies: do good to them who hate you: and
pray for them that persecute and calumniate you." (Matthew 5:44)
ii. For the souls in Purgatory (See Lesson 12).

7. What should you pray for?
Everyday pray to get into Heaven; when praying for anything else, always
say, "Grant this request, Lord, if it is Your will."

"For after all these things do the heathens seek. For your Father knoweth
that you have need of all these things. Seek ye therefore first the kingdom
of God, and His justice, and all these things shall be added unto you."
(Matthew 6:32-33).

8. Does God always hear your prayers?
Yes, but He does not always give what you ask for, because you sometimes
ask for things that are bad for you, or you do not ask God properly.
9. Does God hear or answer the prayers of sinners who are living in mortal
sin (someone who has committed one or more bad sins, such as taking birth
control or rejecting God's Church, without confessing them, thus becoming an
enemy of God)?
He hears their prayers for the grace of true repentance (the grace to
feel sorry for your sins and confess them to a priest), but He does not hear
their prayers for other favors, unless they are willing to give up their
sins and do penance.

"Now we know that God doth not hear sinners: but if a man be a server of
God, and doth His will, him He heareth." (John 9:31)

10. Should only good people pray?
No, everyone should pray. Especially should mortal sinners pray to be
delivered from their sins.

"I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn
from his way, and live." (Ezechiel 33:11).
"For every one that asketh, receiveth." (Matthew 7:8)

11. How should you pray?
i. With attention, keeping your mind on your prayer.
ii. With humility, realizing that you are powerless without God.
iii. With confidence, realizing that God can do all things.
iv. With perseverance, without giving up hope.

"And this is the confidence which we have Towards Him: That, whatsoever we
shall ask according to His will, He heareth us." (I John 5:14).

12. Why is public prayer necessary?
Because, as members of human society, we owe God public recognition of
Him as Supreme Master of society.

13. How does public prayer help the world?
We thereby call down God's mercy upon our country and world.
We also obtain the divine help which is necessary for virtue and peace in
society.

14. Why should a family pray together?
i. To obtain the graces they need, especially the grace to keep the Catholic
Faith.
ii. To ask God to bless them as a family.
iii. To imitate the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph).
iv. To give good example to the children.
v. To keep the family together.

"For where there are two or three gathered together in My name, there am I
in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20).

15. How often should a family pray together?
At least once a day, preferably after the evening meal, when all the
members of the family are together.

"A family that prays together stays together." (Father Peyton).

16. Why do Catholics have statues and pictures of Our Lord (Jesus), the
Blessed Virgin (Mary) and the Saints?
i. Because they wish to honor them, just as we honor public heroes.
ii. Because it is easier to pray to them when looking at a picture or a
statue of them.
iii. Because it helps Catholics raise their minds frequently to God during
the day.

PRACTICAL POINTS

1. There are two main kinds of prayer, vocal and mental. Vocal prayer uses
specific words, such as the Our Father and the Hail Mary. Mental prayer is
praying without words, which is also called meditation.
2. It is good to pray during the day with short prayers, such as, "Jesus, I
love You"; "My God, I offer this hour of work for my sins"; "My Jesus,
mercy."
3. It is not necessary to kneel while praying, but it certainly is much
easier to pray when you are on your knees.

("A Brief Catechism for Adults" is available from www.tanbooks.com)

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Some Excellent Prayers and Devotions:
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olrl.org/pray/devotionbk/ and
Spanish - www.olrl.org/pray/devotionbk_s/) - 50 cents ea. and
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available in our "Store" (olrl.org/mm5/merchant.mvc - now
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Also available again - "The Passion and The Death of Jesus Christ" by St.
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Sincerely in Christ,
Our Lady of the Rosary Library
"Pray and work for souls"
olrl.org