Q. What is meant by All Saints?

A. ALL SAINTS, or ALL HALLOWS, is a feast of obligation, and is celebrated on the 1st of November, in memory and honor of all the Saints; since the whole year is too short to afford us a separate feast for each.

Q. What is ALL SOULS?

A. All Souls is a day of devotion, appointed by the Church on the 2d of November, for the living to offer prayers and suffrages for the souls of the faithful departed.

Q. What do you understand by the NATIVITY OF OUR LORD?

A. The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ is a solemn feast of obligation yearly celebrated by the Catholic Church, even from the Apostles' time, in memory of our Saviour's birth at Bethlehem; and is called Christmas, from the Mass celebrated on that day in honor of his holy birth.

Q. What is to be said of other Festivals?

A. All other Festivals, which bear the names of Saints, are instituted by the Church to honor God, to teach us to imitate their virtues, respect their sufferings or martyrdoms, and to supplicate support and comfort, under whatever affliction or contradictions in life he may be pleased to permit, as the test of our fidelity, and that we may be ever ready to join in saying, with the blessed spirits in heaven,

GLORY BE TO GOD ON HIGH.

APPENDIX.

FROM DR. CHALLONER'S "CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN IN

STRUCTED."

Of Exorcisms and Benedictions, or Blessings of Creatures in the Catholic Church, and the use of Holy Water.

Q. What do you mean by Exorcism?

A. The rites and prayers instituted by the Church for the casting out devils, or restraining them from hurting persons, disquieting places, or abusing any of God's creatures to our harm. Q. Has Christ given his Church any such power over the devils?

A. Yes, he has; see St. Matt. x. 1, St. Mark iii. 15, St. Luke ix. 1, where this power was given to the Apostles; and to the seventy-two disciples, St. Luke x. 19; and to other believers, St. Mark xvi. 17, 18. And that this power was not to die with the Apostles, nor to cease after the Apostolic age, we learn from the perpetual practice of the Church and the experience of all ages.

Q. What is the meaning of blessing so many things in the Catholic Church?

A. We bless Churches, and other places set

aside for divine service, altars, chalices, vestments, &c., by way of devoting them to holy uses. We bless our meats, and other inanimate things which God has given us for our use, that we may use them in moderation, in a manner agreeable to God's institution; that they may be serviceable to us, and that the devil may have no power to abuse them to our prejudice. We bless candles, salt, water, &c., by way of begging of God that such as religiously use them may obtain his blessing, &c.

Q. But does it not savor of superstition to attribute any virtue to such inanimate things as blessed candles, holy water, Agnus Deis, &c.?

A. It is no superstition to look for a good effect from the prayers of the Church of God; and it is in virtue of these prayers that we hope for benefit from these things when used with faith; and daily experience shows that our hopes are not vain.

Q. What do you mean by Agnus Deis?

A. Wax stamped with the image of the Lamb of God, blessed by the Pope with solemn prayers, and anointed with the holy chrism.

Q. What warrant have you in Scripture for blessing inanimate things?

A. 1 Tim. iv. 4, 5: "Every creature of God is good, and nothing to be rejected that is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."

Q. Why does the Church make use of the sign of the cross in all her blessings and consecrations?

A. To signify that all our good must come through Christ crucified.

Q. What do you mean by Holy Water? A. Water sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Q. What is the use of Holy Water?

A. It is blessed by the Church in solemn prayers, to beg God's protection and blessing upon those that use it, and in particular that they may be defended from all the powers of darkness.

Q. Is the use of Holy Water very ancient in the Church of God?

A. It is very ancient, since it is mentioned in the Apostolical Constitutions, 1. 8, c. 29. And as for the English nation in particular, it is visible from the epistles of St. Gregory the Great, 1. 9, epist. 71, "that we received it together with our Christianity."

Q. Have the holy fathers and ancient Church writers left upon record any miracles done by Holy Water?

A. Yes, they have; more particularly upon those occasions when it has been used against magical enchantments and the power of the devil. See instances in St. Epiphanius, Hær. 30; in St. Jerom, in the Life of St. Hilarion; in Theodoret, 1. 5, Histor. Eccl. c. 21; in Palladius Histor. Laus. c. 6. &c.

THE MANNER OF SERVING A PRIEST AT MASS.

The Clerk must kneel at his left hand, and answer him as follows:

Priest. Introibo ad altare Dei.

Clerk. Ad Deum, qui lætificat juventutem

meam.

P. Judica me, Deus, et discerne causam meam, de gente non sancta: ab homine iniquo et doloso erue me.

C. Quia tu es Deus, fortitudo mea: quare me repulisti, et quare tristis incedo, dum affligit me inimicus?

P. Emitte lucem tuam, et veritatem tuam: ipsa me deduxerunt, et adduxerunt in montem sanctum tuum et in tabernacula tua.

C. Et introibo ad altare Dei: ad Deum qui lætificat juventutem meam.

P. Confitebor tibi in cithara, Deus meus. Quare tristis es, anima mea, et quare conturbas me?

C. Spera in Deo, quoniam adhuc confitebor illi; salutare vultus mei, et Deus meus.

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