An explanation of the Baltimore catechism of Christian doctrine : $b for the use of Sunday-school teachers and advanced classesDe Concilio, J. (Januarius)
Religion
An explanation of the Baltimore catechism of Christian doctrine : $b for the use of Sunday-school teachers and advanced classes
De Concilio, J. (Januarius)
Baltimore catechism; Catholic Church -- Catechisms -- English
"Almighty," i.e., having all might or power; because He can do whatever
He wishes. He can make or destroy by merely wishing.
"Creator." To create means to make out of nothing. God alone can create.
When a carpenter makes a table, he must have wood; when a tailor makes a
coat, he must have cloth. They are only makers and not creators. God
needs no material or tools. When we make anything, we make it part by
part; but God makes the whole at once. He simply wills and it is made.
Thus He said in the beginning of the world: "Let there be light; and
light was made." For example, suppose I wanted a piano. If I could say,
"Let there be a piano" and it immediately sprang up without any other
effort on my part, although neither the wood, the iron, the wire, the
ivory, nor anything else in it ever existed till I said, "Let there be a
piano," then it could be said I created a piano. No one could do this,
for God alone has such power.
"Heaven and earth" and everything we can see or know of.
"Jesus Christ." Our Lord is called by many names, but you must not be
confused by them, for they all mean the same person, and are given only
to remind us of some particular thing connected with Our Lord. He is
called "Jesus," which signifies Saviour, and "Christ," which means
anointed. He is called the "Second Person of the Blessed Trinity," and
when we call Him "Our Lord," we mean the Second Person of the Blessed
Trinity after He became man. He is called the "Messias" and the "Son of
David" to show that He is the Redeemer promised to the Jews. Also at the
end of all our litanies He is called the "Lamb of God," because He was
so meek and humble and suffered death so patiently. In the Litany of the
Holy Name of Jesus we will find many other beautiful names of Our Lord,
all having their special signification.
"His only Son," to show that God, the First Person of the Blessed
Trinity, was His real Father. We are called God's children, but we are
only His created and adopted children.
"Who was conceived," i.e., He began to exist by the power of the Holy
Ghost in the womb of His Mother, the Blessed Virgin.
"Suffered." We shall see in the explanation of the Passion what He
suffered.
"Under" means here, at the time a man named Pontius Pilate was governor.
If anyone were put to death today in this country, we should say he was
executed under Governor or President so-and-so. "Crucified," i.e.,
nailed to a cross. We say "died," because Our Lord is the Giver of Life,
and no one could take His life away unless He allowed it. Therefore we
say He died, and not that He was killed, to show that He died by His own
free will and not against His will.
"Was buried." This we say to show that He was really dead; because if
you bury a man who is not really dead he must die.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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