Baltimore Catechism No. 1 (of 4) | Page 8

by not trying to know what God has taught; 2d, by refusing to believe all that God has taught; 3d, by neglecting to profess his belief in what God has taught.
326. Q. Are we obliged to make open profession of our faith? A. We are obliged to make open profession of our faith as often as God's honor, our neighbor's spiritual good, or our own requires it.
327. Q. Which are the sins against hope? A. The sins against hope are presumption and despair.
328. Q. What is presumption? A. Presumption is a rash expectation of salvation without making proper use of the necessary means to obtain it.
329. Q. What is despair? A. Despair is the loss of hope in God's mercy.

LESSON TWENTY-SEVENTH 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.
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.

LESSON TWENTY-EIGHTH FROM THE SECOND TO THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT
345. Q. What is the second Commandment? A. The second Commandment is: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
346. Q. What are we commanded by the second Commandment? A. We are commanded by the second Commandment to speak with reverence of God and of the saints, and of all holy things, and to keep our lawful oaths and vows.
347. Q. What is an oath? A. An oath is the calling upon God to witness the truth of what we say.
350. Q. What is a vow? A. A vow is a deliberate promise made to God to do something that is pleasing to Him.
351. Q. Is it a sin not to fulfill our vows? A. Not to fulfill our vows is a sin, mortal or venial, according to the nature of the vow and the intention we had in making it.
352. Q. What is forbidden by the second Commandment? A. The second Commandment forbids all false, rash, unjust, and unnecessary oaths, blasphemy, cursing, and profane words.
353. Q. What is the third Commandment? A. The third Commandment is: Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day.
355. Q. How are we to worship God on Sundays and holydays of obligation? A. We are to worship God on Sundays and holydays of obligation by hearing Mass, by prayer, and by other good works.
358. Q. What is forbidden by the third Commandment? A. The third Commandment forbids all unnecessary servile work and whatever else may hinder the due observance of the Lord's day.
359. Q. What are servile works? A. Servile works are those which require labor rather of body than of mind.
360. Q. Are servile works on Sunday ever lawful? A. Servile works are lawful on Sunday when the honor of God, the good of our neighbor, or necessity requires them.

LESSON TWENTY-NINTH FROM THE FOURTH TO THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT
361. Q. What is the fourth Commandment? A. The fourth Commandment is: Honor thy father and thy mother.
362. Q. What are