Baltimore Catechism #2 - LESSON THIRTY-FIRST THE FIRST COMMANDMENT—ON THE HONOR AND INVOCATION OF SAINTS

LESSON THIRTY-FIRST THE FIRST COMMANDMENT—ON THE HONOR AND INVOCATION OF SAINTS

331. Q. Does the first Commandment forbid the honoring of the saints? A. The first Commandment does not forbid the honoring of the saints, but rather approves of it; because by honoring the saints, who are the chosen friends of God, we honor God Himself.

332. Q. Does the first Commandment forbid us to pray to the saints? A. The first Commandment does not forbid us to pray to the saints.

333. Q. What do we mean by praying to the saints? A. By praying to the saints we mean the asking of their help and prayers.

334. Q. How do we know that the saints hear us? A. We know that the saints hear us, because they are with God, who makes our prayers known to them.

335. Q. Why do we believe that the saints will help us? A. We believe that the saints will help us because both they and we are members of the same Church, and they love us as their brethren.

336. Q. How are the saints and we members of the same Church? A. The saints and we are members of the same Church, because the Church in heaven and the Church on earth are one and the same Church, and all its members are in communion with one another.

337. Q. What is the communion of the members of the Church called? A. The communion of the members of the Church is called the communion of saints.

338. Q. What does the communion of saints mean? A. The communion of saints means the union which exists between the members of the Church on earth with one another, and with the blessed in heaven and with the suffering souls in purgatory.

339. Q. What benefits are derived from the communion of saints? A. The following benefits are derived from the communion of saints:—the faithful on earth assist one another by their prayers and good works, and they are aided by the intercession of the saints in heaven, while both the saints in heaven and the faithful on earth help the souls in purgatory.

340. Q. Does the first Commandment forbid us to honor relics? A. The first Commandment does not forbid us to honor relics, because relics are the bodies of the saints, or objects directly connected with them or with our Lord.

341. Q. Does the first Commandment forbid the making of images? A. The first Commandment does forbid the making of images if they are made to be adored as gods, but it does not forbid the making of them to put us in mind of Jesus Christ, His Blessed Mother, and the saints.

342. Q. Is it right to show respect to the pictures and images of Christ
and His saints?
 

A. It is right to show respect to the pictures and images of Christ and
His saints, because they are the representations and memorials of them.

343. Q. Is it allowed to pray to the crucifix or to the images and relics of the saints? A. It is not allowed to pray to the crucifix or images and relics of the saints, for they have no life, nor power to help us, nor sense to hear us.

344. Q. Why do we pray before the crucifix and the images and relics of the saints? A. We pray before the crucifix and images and relics of the saints because they enliven our devotion by exciting pious affections and desires, and by reminding us of Christ and of the saints, that we may imitate their virtues.

Next - Baltimore Catechism #2 - LESSON THIRTY-SECOND FROM THE SECOND TO THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT

Please note that there are gaps in the numbering, and some questions are out of order, because the questions are numbered to agree with the 'Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism' (Baltimore Catechism #4)