A. The Holy Ghost descended upon the Blessed Virgin, the Apostles, and the Disciples, on the day of Pentecost.

Q. What is the meaning of the word Pentecost?

A. Pentecost means the fiftieth day. It was fifty days after Easter, on Sunday, towards nine in the morning, when the Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles.

Q. Had not the Jews also a Pentecost?

A. Yes, they had a Pentecost, during which they celebrated the law given to Moses on tables of stone. During our Pentecost, which falls on the same day as that of the Jews, we celebrate the law of love, engraved by the Holy Spirit on our hearts.

Q. What circumstances accompanied the descent of the Holy Ghost?

A. The descent of the Holy Ghost was accompanied by a great noise, and by the apparition of tongues of fire on the heads of all those who were assembled together.

Q. What did these tongues of fire signify?

A. These tongues of fire signified, 1st, the ardour and courage with which the Apostles would henceforth announce Jesus Christ; 2nd, the light which would enlighten the world, and the sacred fire of Charity with which it would be ignited.

Q. What was the first effect of the zeal inspired by the Holy Ghost?

A. The first effect of the zeal inspired by the Holy Ghost, was the conversion of three thousand persons at the close of St. Peter's first sermon, and five thousand after the second.

Q. What was the conduct of the converted Jews?

A. The converted Jews led lives of the most admirable sanctity.

Q. In what respect were their lives admirable!

A. They were admirable, inasmuch as they had but one heart and one soul; all their property was in common, and they rejoiced to suffer for the name of Jesus.

Q. What lesson do we learn from their example?

A. The lesson which we learn from their example, is to imitate them as much as possible.

LESSON CI.

ON THE FESTIVAL OF THE HOLY TRINITY, AND
CORPUS CHRISTI.

Q. On what day does the Church honour the mystery of the Blessed Trinity?

A. The Church honours the mystery of the Blessed Trinity every day, especially on the Sun. days, which are, properly speaking, consecrated to the three Divine Persons.

Q. Is there not a day on which this mystery is more particularly honoured?

A. Yes, on the first Sunday after Pentecost, which for this reason is called Trinity Sunday, the mystery of the Trinity is particularly honoured.

Q. What do you mean by the festival of Corpus Christi?

A. By the festival of Corpus Christi, I mean the festival of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; or of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which contains his body and blood.

Q. On what day do you celebrate the festival of Corpus Christi?

A. The festival of Corpus Christi is kept on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday.

Q. Why is the Sacrament of the Eucharist called the blessed Sacrament?

A. The Sacrament of the Eucharist is called the blessed Sacrament, because it not only con tains grace like the other Sacraments, but moreover the Author of all grace.

Q. Why has the Church instituted a procession on this festival?

A. 1st, in order to show the firmness of her faith in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist; 2nd, to thank the Divine Saviour for the institution of this august Sacrament; 3rd, to make reparation for all the insults which he receives in it; 4th, to pray that he will bless all the places honoured by his divine presence.

Q. How can we worthily celebrate this feast? A. To celebrate this feast worthily, we must make acts of faith in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist; we must unite with the Church in adoring him, in thanking him for having instituted this adorable Sacrament, and make him the best amends we are able for the insults he receives in it.

LESSON CII.

FEAST OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS.

Q. What is the intention of the Church in celebrating the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus?

A. The intention of the Church in the celebration of this festival, is to honour the infinite love of Jesus Christ for man, and to make amends for the insults which he daily receives in the blessed Sacrament.

Q. Why has the Church chosen the Sacred Heart of Jesus in order to honour his infinite love? A. For inasmuch as the entire man may in some respect be said to be concentrated in his heart, which is the most noble part of his being, so in like manner the entire humanity of Jesus Christ may also be said to be concentrated in his Sacred heart.

Q. But you do not then merely adore the carnal heart of Jesus Christ?

A. No, I moreover adore the Spiritual heart, of which the material heart is but the organ.

Q. Why do you adore the heart of Jesus Christ? A. I adore the heart of Jesus Christ on account of its hypostatic, or personal union with the Divinity.

LESSON CIII.

ON THE FEASTS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN.

Q. Does not the Church render to the Blessed Virgin, a worship superior to that of the other Saints?

A. Yes, the Church does render to the Blessed Virgin a worship superior to that of the other Saints.

Q. Why so?

A. Because the Blessed Virgin surpasses all other creatures in sanctity, and she possesses the incommunicable privilege of being the mother of

God.

Q. What are the graces and privileges which the Church honours in the mother of God?

A. The Church honours in the mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Nativity, her Presentation in the Temple. The mysteries of the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Purifica

tion, and the glorious Assumption of this Blessed Virgin.

Q. How does the Church honour the graces received by the Blessed Virgin, and her virtuous actions?

A. The Church honours these by all those festivals which are called festivals of the Blessed Virgin.

Q. What is the grace which the Church honours on the 8th of December, the day of the Conception?

A. The Church honours on the festival of the Conception, the grace which the Blessed Virgin has received in being exempt from original sin. Q. The Blessed Virgin then was exempt from original sin?

A. Yes, she was exempt from that sin, such is the common opinion, an opinion authorised by the Church.

Q. What grace does the Church honour on the 8th of September, the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin?

A. The Church honours on that day, the privilege which the Blessed Virgin enjoyed, of being born in grace and sanctity.

Q. What name did the Blessed Virgin receive? A. She received the name of Mary.

Q. What grace does the Church honour on the 21st of November, the day of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin in the Temple?

A. On the day of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin, the Church honours her going to reside in the Temple, where it is believed, she was presented in her infancy.

Q. What grace did the Blessed Virgin receive on the feast of the Annunciation?

A. On the day of the Annunciation the Blessed Virgin received the greatest of all graces, because she then became the Mother of God.

Q. Who announced this distinguished grace?