A. Our Lord was hanging on the Cross about three hours before He died.
While thus suffering, His enemies stood around blaspheming and mocking Him. By His death He proved Himself a real mortal man, for He could not die in His divine nature.
Q. 385. What do we call the words Christ spoke while hanging on the Cross?
A. We call the words Christ spoke while hanging on the Cross "the seven last words of Jesus on the Cross." They teach us the dispositions we should have at the hour of death.
Q. 386. Repeat the seven last words or sayings of Jesus on the Cross.
A. The seven last words or sayings of Jesus on the Cross are: (1) "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do," in which He forgives and prays for His enemies. (2) "Amen, I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise," in which He pardons the penitent sinner. (3) "Woman, behold thy Son"--"Behold thy Mother," in which He gave up what was dearest to Him on earth, and gave us Mary for our Mother. (4) "My G.o.d, my G.o.d, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" from which we learn the suffering of His mind. (5) "I thirst," from which we learn the suffering of His body. (6) "All is consummated," by which He showed the fulfillment of all the prophecies concerning Him and the completion of the work of our redemption. (7) "Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit," by which He showed His perfect resignation to the Will of His Eternal Father.
Q. 387. What happened at the death of Our Lord?
A. At the death of Our Lord there were darkness and earthquake; many holy dead came forth from their graves, and the veil concealing the Holy of Holies, in the Temple of Jerusalem, was torn asunder.
Q. 388. What was the Holy of Holies in the temple?
A. The Holy of Holies was the sacred part of the Temple, in which the Ark of the Covenant was kept, and where the high priest consulted the Will of G.o.d.
Q. 389. What was the "Ark of the Covenant"?
A. The Ark of the Covenant was a precious box in which were kept the tablets of stone bearing the written Commandments of G.o.d, the rod which Aaron changed into a serpent before King Pharao, and a portion of the manna with which the Israelites were miraculously fed in the desert. The Ark of the Covenant was a figure of the Tabernacle in which we keep the Holy Eucharist.
Q. 390. Why was the veil of the Temple torn asunder at the death of Christ?
A. The veil of the Temple was torn asunder at the death of Christ because at His death the Jewish religion ceased to be the true religion, and G.o.d no longer manifested His presence in the Temple.
Q. 391. Why did the Jewish religion, which up to the death of Christ had been the true religion, cease at that time to be the true religion?
A. The Jewish religion, which, up to the death of Christ, had been the true religion, ceased at that time to be the true religion, because it was only a promise of the redemption and figure of the Christian religion, and when the redemption was accomplished and the Christian religion established by the death of Christ, the promise and the figure were no longer necessary.
Q. 392. Were all the laws of the Jewish religion abolished by the establishment of Christianity?
A. The moral laws of the Jewish religion were not abolished by the establishment of Christianity, for Christ came not to destroy these laws, but to make them more perfect. Its ceremonial laws were abolished when the Temple of Jerusalem ceased to be the House of G.o.d.
Q. 393. What do we mean by moral and ceremonial laws?
A. By "moral" laws we mean laws regarding good and evil. By "ceremonial"
laws we mean laws regulating the manner of worshipping G.o.d in Temple or Church.
Q. 394. {81} Where did Christ die?
A. Christ died on Mount Calvary.
Q. 395. Where was Mount Calvary, and what does the name signify?
A. Mount Calvary was the place of execution, not far from Jerusalem; and the name signifies the "place of skulls."
Q. 396. {82} How did Christ die?
A. Christ was nailed to the Cross, and died on it between two thieves.
Q. 397. Why was Our Lord crucified between thieves?
A. Our Lord was crucified between thieves that His enemies might thus add to His disgrace by making Him equal to the worst criminals.
Q. 398. {83} Why did Christ suffer and die?
A. Christ suffered and died for our sins.
Q. 399. How was Our Lord"s body buried?
A. Our Lord"s body was wrapped in a clean linen cloth and laid in a new sepulchre or tomb cut in a rock, by Joseph of Arimathea and other pious persons who believed in Our Divine Lord.
Q. 400. {84} What lessons do we learn from the sufferings and death of Christ?
A. From the sufferings and death of Christ we learn the great evil of sin, the hatred G.o.d bears to it, and the necessity of satisfying for it.
Q. 401. {85} Whither did Christ"s soul go after His death?
A. After Christ"s death His soul descended into h.e.l.l.
Q. 402. {86} Did Christ"s soul descend into the h.e.l.l of the d.a.m.ned?
A. The h.e.l.l into which Christ"s soul descended was not the h.e.l.l of the dammed, but a place or state of rest called Limbo, where the souls of the just were waiting for Him.
Q. 403. {87} Why did Christ descend into Limbo?
A. Christ descended into Limbo to preach to the souls who were in prison--that is, to announce to them the joyful tidings of their redemption.
Q. 404. {88} Where was Christ"s body while His soul was in Limbo?
A. While Christ"s soul was in Limbo His body was in the holy sepulchre.
Q. 405. {89} On what day did Christ rise from the dead?
A. Christ rose from the dead, glorious and immortal, on Easter Sunday, the third day after His death.
Q. 406. Why is the Resurrection the greatest of Christ"s miracles?
A. The Resurrection is the greatest of Christ"s miracles because all He taught and did is confirmed by it and depends upon it. He promised to rise from the dead and without the fulfillment of that promise we could not believe in Him.
Q. 407. Has any one ever tried to disprove the miracle of the resurrection?
A. Unbelievers in Christ have tried to disprove the miracle of the resurrection as they have tried to disprove all His other miracles; but the explanations they give to prove Christ"s miracles false are far more unlikely and harder to believe than the miracles themselves.
Q. 408. What do we mean when we say Christ rose "glorious" from the dead?
A. When we say Christ rose "glorious" from the dead we mean that His body was in a glorified state; that is, gifted with the qualities of a glorified body.
Q. 409. What are the qualities of a glorified body?
A. The qualities of a glorified body are: (1) Brilliancy, by which it gives forth light; (2) Agility, by which it moves from place to place as rapidly as an angel; (3) Subtility, by which material things cannot shut it out; (4) Impa.s.sibility, by which it is made incapable of suffering.
Q. 410. Was Christ three full days in the tomb?
A. Christ was not three full days, but only parts of three days in the tomb.
Q. 411. {90} How long did Christ stay on earth after His resurrection?
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.
Q. 412. Was Christ visible to all and at all times during the forty days He remained on earth after His resurrection?
A. Christ was not visible to all nor at all times during the forty days He remained on earth after His resurrection. We know that He appeared to His apostles and others at least nine times, though He may have appeared oftener.
Q. 413. How did Christ show that He was truly risen from the dead?
A. Christ showed that He was truly risen from the dead by eating and conversing with His Apostles and others to whom He appeared. He showed the wounds in His hands, feet and side, and it was after His resurrection that He gave to His Apostles the power to forgive sins.
Q. 414. {91} 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.
Q. 415. Where did the ascension of Our Lord take place?
A. Christ ascended into heaven from Mount Olivet, the place made sacred by His agony on the night before His death.
Q. 416. Who were present at the ascension and who ascended with Christ?
A. From various parts of Scripture we may conclude there were about 125 persons--though traditions tell us there was a greater number--present at the Ascension. They were the Apostles, the Disciples, the pious women and others who had followed Our Blessed Lord. The souls of the just who were waiting in Limbo for the redemption ascended with Christ.