Baltimore Catechism Volume Ii Part 4

A. 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. 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.

92. Q. Where is Christ in heaven?

A. In heaven Christ sits at the right hand of G.o.d the Father Almighty.

93. Q. What do you mean by saying that Christ sits at the right hand Of G.o.d?

A. When I say that Christ sits at the right hand of G.o.d I mean that Christ as G.o.d is equal to His Father in all things, and that as man He is in the highest place in heaven next to G.o.d.

LESSON NINTH ON THE HOLY GHOST AND HIS DESCENT UPON THE APOSTLES

94. Q. Who is the Holy Ghost?

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

95. Q. From whom does the Holy Ghost proceed?

A. The Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son.

96. Q. Is the Holy Ghost equal to the Father and the Son?

A. The Holy Ghost is equal to the Father and the Son, being the same Lord and G.o.d as They are.

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.

98. Q. How did the Holy Ghost come down upon the Apostles?

A. The Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire.

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.

101. Q. Will the Holy Ghost abide with the Church forever?

A. The Holy Ghost will abide with the Church forever, and guide it in the way of holiness and truth.

LESSON TENTH ON THE EFFECTS OF THE REDEMPTION

102. Q. Which are the chief effects of the Redemption?

A. The chief effects of the Redemption are two: The satisfaction of G.o.d's justice by Christ's sufferings and death, and the gaining of grace for men.

103. Q. What do you mean by grace?

A. By grace I mean a supernatural gift of G.o.d bestowed on us, through the merits of Jesus Christ, for our salvation.

104. Q. How many kinds of grace are there?

A. There are two kinds of grace, sanctifying grace and actual grace.

105. Q. What is sanctifying grace?

A. Sanctifying grace is that grace which makes the soul holy and pleasing to G.o.d.

106. Q. What do you call those graces or gifts of G.o.d by which we believe in Him, hope in Him, and love Him?

A. Those graces or gifts of G.o.d by which we believe in Him, and hope in Him, and love Him, are called the Divine virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity.

107. Q. What is Faith?

A. Faith is a Divine virtue by which we firmly believe the truths which G.o.d has revealed.

108. Q. What is Hope?

A. Hope is a Divine virtue by which we firmly trust that G.o.d will give us eternal life and the means to obtain it.

109. Q. What is Charity?

A. Charity is a Divine virtue by which we love G.o.d above all things for His own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of G.o.d.

110. Q. What is actual grace?

A. Actual grace is that help of G.o.d which enlightens our mind and moves our will to shun evil and do good.

111. Q. Is grace necessary to salvation?

A. Grace is necessary to salvation, because without grace we can do nothing to merit heaven.

112. Q. Can we resist the grace of G.o.d?

A. We can and unfortunately often do resist the grace of G.o.d.

113. Q. What is the grace of perseverance?

A. The grace of perseverance is a particular gift of G.o.d which enables us to continue in the state of grace till death.

LESSON ELEVENTH ON THE CHURCH

114. Q. Which are the means inst.i.tuted by our Lord to enable men at all times to share in the fruits of the Redemption?

A. The means inst.i.tuted by our Lord to enable men at all times to share in the fruits of His Redemption are the Church and the Sacraments.

115. Q. What is the Church?

A. The Church is the congregation of all those who profess the faith of Christ, partake of the same Sacraments, and are governed by their lawful pastors under one visible head.

116. Q. Who is the invisible Head of the Church?

A. Jesus Christ is the invisible Head of the Church.

117. Q. Who is the visible Head of the Church?

A. Our Holy Father the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, is the Vicar of Christ on earth and the visible Head of the Church.

118. Q. Why is the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, the visible Head of the Church?

A. The Pope, the Bishop of Rome, is the visible Head of the Church because he is the successor of St. Peter, whom Christ made the chief of the Apostles and the visible Head of the Church.