1. What is my most important duty toward God?
My most important duty toward God is to worship Him as my Lord and Master.
“Fear the Lord and give Him honor … and adore ye Him that made heaven and earth” (Apocalypse 14:7).
2. What is the chief form of worship in the Catholic Church?
The chief form of worship in the Catholic Church is the Mass.
3. What happens at the Mass?
At the Mass the Priest changes bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
4. Who said the first Mass?
Jesus Christ said the first Mass at the Last Supper on the night before he died, nearly 2000 years ago.
“Whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke, and gave to His disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat. This is My Body. And taking the chalice, He gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, Drink ye all of this, for this is My Blood” (Matthew 26:28).
See also: Luke 22:19; Mark 14:22 and 1st Corinthians (11:23).
5. How did Jesus have the power to change bread and wine into His Body and Blood?
Jesus had this power because He is God, as we shall see in Lesson 14.
6. Did Jesus give this power to anyone?
Yes, Jesus gave the power of changing bread and wine into His Body and Blood to His twelve Apostles at the Last Supper.
“Do this for a commemoration of Me” (Luke 22:19).
7. Did the Apostles say Mass?
Yes, the Apostles said Mass. See Acts 2:42, 46 and 1st Corinthians 11:26.
8. Did Jesus want His Apostles to hand down this power to others?
Yes, Jesus wanted His Apostles to hand down this power to others, because He wanted all men of all times to eat His Body and drink His Blood.
“Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink. His Blood, you shall not have life in you” (John 6:54).
9. How did the Apostles hand this power down to others?
The Apostles handed down the power of changing bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus when they made other men Bishops and Priests.
10. Are there men on earth today who have this power?
Yes, there are men on earth today who can change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus, namely, the Bishops and Priests of the Catholic Church.
This power has been handed down during the past two thousand years from one Bishop to another.
11. Can all Catholic Priests change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus?
Yes, all Catholic Priests have this power, which they received from the Bishop who made them Priests.
12. At what part of the Mass does the Priest change the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus?
The Priest changes bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus toward the middle of the Mass, when he says, ” This is My Body. This is My Blood.”
This part of the Mass is called the Consecration.
13. How can I tell when the Consecration takes place?
Shortly after the altarboy has rung the bell two times, the Priest bends low over the altar to say “This is My Body.”
When he bends his knee to the floor and raises Jesus over his head, the altarboy rings the bell again. Then he bends over the cup of wine and says
“This is My Blood”, bends his knee to the floor and raises the cup over his head.
14. What prayers does the Priest say from the beginning of the Mass up to the Consecration?
The prayers said before the Consecration are preparatory prayers, many of which are taken from the Bible.
Most of these prayers ask God to forgive our sins and make us worthy to offer Him the Body and Blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.
15. What prayers are said after the Consecration?
The prayers after the Consecration are said to praise God, invoke His blessing on the living and the dead and to prepare for receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus in Holy Communion.
16. Are non-Catholics allowed to receive Holy Communion?
No, non-Catholics are not allowed to receive Holy Communion until they have been baptized in the Catholic Church.
17. Why does the Priest say the Mass in Latin?
The Priest says the Mass in Latin because Latin was the official language in many parts of the world when Jesus founded His Church, and because it is a language which does not change.
However, the Mass is said in several other languages, such as Greek, Old Slavonice
18. Where can I find the prayers of the Mass in English?
The prayers of the Mass are contained in a book called a Missal, which can be bought at any Catholic bookstore.
19. Why does the Priest wear different clothes at Mass?
The clothes the Priest wears at Mass are called vestments and are the type of clothing worn by the Roman citizens two thousand years ago.
Although the fashions of the world changed, the Catholic Church continued to use the same type of clothing for the Mass, symbolic of the unchangeableness of the Church.
20. When must I go to Mass?
I must go to Mass every Sunday and on the six Holy Days of Obligation.
“Keep holy the Sabbath Day” (Exodus 20:8).
21. What kind of a sin is it to miss Mass on Sunday or on a Holy Day of Obligation?
To miss Mass on Sunday or on a Holy Day of Obligation through one’s fault is a serious sin.
22. When are the Holy Days of Obligation?
1) Dec. 25, the feast of Christmas.
2) Jan. 1, New Year’s Day, the feast of the Circumcision of Jesus.
3) the 40th day after Easter, the feast of the Ascension of Jesus into heaven.
4) Aug. 15, the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven.
5) Nov. 1, the feast of All Saints.
6) Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
23. How can I learn when to stand, sit and kneel at Mass?
It is difficult to lay down rules about what to do at Mass. The best rule is to watch the rest of the congregation and imitate them.
24. What is the difference between High Mass and Low Mass?
At a High Mass the Priest sings some of the prayers, and the choir answers him, while at a Low Mass the Priest does not sing.
25. How should I assist at Mass?
While attending Mass, I should try to have the same attention and devotion I would have had if I had been present at the Last Supper with Jesus 2000 years ago.
IMPORTANT If you want to be baptized at the end of this course of lessons, YOU MUST START GOING TO MASS EVERY SUNDAY AND HOLY DAY FROM NOW ON.