( Originally Published 1922 )
After our Lord's death His soul went to limbo. At the same time His body lay sealed in a tomb guarded by a band of Roman soldiers. On the morning of the third day the stone suddenly rolled back from the mouth of the sepulcher and Christ came forth alive. For forty days He remained on earth after His resurrection, appearing to many, talking often with His Apostles. Our Lord arose from the dead by His own divine power. It is by this same power that we shall all rise from the dead on the last day.
Children, you spoke the last time about purgatory and death. Perhaps you would like to speak about some of those interesting things to-day. Tell me what you think about death. What does it mean for those who love and serve God all their lives? What is your idea of a happy death? For whom is death terrible? What awaits the sinner at death? Why do you think we should prepare for death every day of our life? When might we die? What will happen to those who die in mortal sin? What will they suffer in hell? How long will they suffer in hell?
What will happen to those who die in venial sin? What others go to purgatory ? Where do people go when they are freed from purgatory? How can you show your love for those who are dead? How do you know that your prayers will help the souls in purgatory? What Church teaches you that ? Who sent the Catholic Church to teach you? Why does the Catholic Church always teach the truth ? To whom are you going when you die? Where will you be united with all your loved ones? When are you going to your real home?
Where did our Lord die? How did our Lord die? Who stood by the cross when our Lord was dying? To whom did our Lord give His blessed mother then? Who was there when they took our Lord down from the cross ? What does the Thirteenth Station of the Cross show? What does the Fourteenth Station show? You know a good man named Joseph from the town of Arimathea had a new tomb cut out of the solid rock. He went to Pilate and asked him to let him take our Lord's body and bury it there. Pilate gave him permission to take the body, but they wanted to be sure that our Lord was really dead. So a soldier pierced our Lord's side with a spear. You can read about this in the Gospels.
Where, now, did they bury our Lord's body?
Why did they put a big stone at the entrance of the tomb and seal it? Whom did they place there to guard the tomb? Why did they have soldiers guard the tomb ? What happened on the morning of the third day? How could our Lord come out of the tomb? What did the soldiers do when they saw our Lord coming out of the tomb? Why did the Jewish high priests offer money to the soldiers?
Mary Magdalen was the first to see our Lord after He arose from the dead. She had been a sinner, but our Lord forgave her her sins. After that she loved God very much and was very good. After she saw our Lord she ran to tell the Apostles. Then St. Peter and St. John came hurrying to the tomb. Why did our Lord forgive Mary Magdalen's sins? For what was she sorry? Tc whom did Mary Magdalen go after she had seen our Lord? Which two Apostles came running to the tomb? St. John ran faster than St. Peter and arrived there first. No doubt he could run faster because he was younger than St. Peter. He was the youngest of the Apostles. You can read about this in St. John's Gospel.
What would you have done if you had been in Jerusalem when our Lord was buried? Why would you like to go to Jerusalem now ? There is a beautiful church built over our Lord's tomb. Jerusalem is a city of about forty thousand inhabitants. It is called the Holy City because our Lord suffered and died there. Pilate lived in Jerusalem when our Lord died. He was the Roman Governor at that time. Palestine was then under the power of the Roman Empire.
How do you think the Apostles felt when our Lord appeared to them alive? Why do you think they knelt before Him? Why were they so happy to see our Lord again? You know they were in a room with the doors locked. But our Lord passed through without opening the door. His body was then glorified and He could pass from place to place as our thoughts travel. One of the Apostles, St. Thomas, was absent when our Lord came the first time. When the other Apostles told him that our Lord had been there, he did not want to believe them. So when our Lord came again, a few days later, He called St. Thomas and told him to put his finger in the place where the nails had been and his hand in His side where the spear had pierced.
Now, how did our Lord enter the room in which the Apostles were? How was our Lord's body changed after He arose from the dead ? When will our body be glorified? How quickly can a glorified body move? Which Apostle was absent when our Lord came the first time? What did our Lord say to St. Thomas when He came again?
Where can you read how our Lord came back to life ? To what part of the Bible do the Gospels belong? Who wrote the Bible? How did God write the Bible? What Church teaches us about the Bible? How did the Bible come down to us through 1900 years ? What Church watches over the Bible? What Church keeps people from changing the words of the Bible? How do you know about our Lord's life? What Church teaches you what to believe about our Lord? What do you say about our Lord's resurrection in the Apostles' Creed ? Have them say it. From whom did the Apostles' Creed come down to us?
On what day did our Lord rise from the dead? When does Easter Sunday come? What is the color of the vestments which the priest wears on Easter Sunday? What does white signify? In some countries it is the custom to have Easter eggs. No doubt these eggs signify that as the little chick comes alive from the egg so our Lord came alive from the tomb. In Catholic countries the priest blesses eatables for Easter. The people bring meat, bread, butter, eggs, vegetables, and the like, and the priest blesses them with beautiful prayers. Thus they have blessed food for the great feast of Easter. Now what is the meaning of Easter eggs? What does the priest bless in Catholic countries for Easter ?
The priest blesses water for Baptism on Easter Saturday. The prayers which the priest sings and says when he blesses baptismal water are very beautiful. The priest also blesses Easter water on Holy Saturday. On that day the people take this holy water to their homes. Why do good people always try to have holy water in their homes? When do you bless yourself with holy water? When does the priest sprinkle the people with holy water ?
What is the week before Easter called ? What is Thursday of Holy Week called? Why is it called Holy Thursday ? What took pl ce on the Thursday night before our Lord died? Why do good people always try to go to Holy Communion on Holy Thursday? Why is the Blessed Sacra-ment exposed all day on Holy Thursday? Why do they have a procession of the Blessed Sacra-ment on that day ?
What is Friday of Holy Week called? Why is it called Good Friday? What did our Lord do for us on the first Good Friday? What do good people like to do on Good Friday? Why do you like to make the Stations of the Cross? What do many people do from twelve to three on Good Friday ? What are these three hours called ?
When is Palm Sunday ? What does the priest bless on Palm Sunday ? Of what does the blessed palm remind us? One week before our Lord was crucified He came riding into Jerusalem on an ass. The people came in great crowds to meet Him. They were singing hosannas and carrying palm branches in their hands to do Him honor. They even spread their garments in the road for Him to pass over. This is called our Lord's triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. You can read about it in the Gospels.
On Palm Sunday the priest reads the Passion at Mass. The Passion is taken from the Gospels ; it is an account of our Lord's suffering and death. Why, then, does the priest bless palm on Palm Sunday? How did the crowds come out to meet our Lord as He came riding into Jerusalem? What is the Passion which the priest reads at Mass on Palm Sunday ? Where can you read the Passion of our Lord ?
What are the forty days before Easter called? What is the first day of Lent called? What does the priest bless on Ash Wednesday? Why does the priest put blessed ashes on your forehead?
What do good people do during Lent? Why do they fast and abstain from meat? Why do they do penance? Why do you like to say the Stations of the Cross during Lent? How does it make you think of our Lord's sufferings? Why do you always try to go to Mass and attend de-votions during Lent ?
What does it mean to make your Easter duty? It means to go to Holy Communion during the Easter time. You know there is a Command-ment of the Church which says that all must go to Holy Communion during Easter time. Of course many good people go to Holy Communion every day. It would be a mortal sin to neglect Holy Communion during Easter time. Easter time is the period from Palm Sunday to Pentecost, but sometimes the bishop extends it further. What sin would anybody commit if he neglected Holy Communion during Easter time? Why do you try to go to Holy Communion as often as you can? When is the Easter time? What Commandment does the Church give for the Easter time?
Why is Easter such a great feast in the Church ? What did our Lord show when He arose from the dead? By what power did our Lord rise from the dead? Can you tell me of any people whom our Lord brought back to life? How did our Lord bring Lazarus back to life? What person of the Blessed Trinity is our Lord? Why was our Lord able to rise from the dead? How long has our Lord been God? How long will our Lord be God? What can God do ? Why was our Lord able to bring Lazarus back to life ? Who can bring people back to life? Who gives us all life?
You know the saints sometimes raised dead people to life. They did this by the power of God. In the Acts of the Apostles you can read how St. Paul raised several dead people to life. St. Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles.
By whose power did St. Paul raise the dead to life? By whose power did the saints sometimes bring people back to life? When will our bodies come back to life again? Who will bring us all back to life on the last day ? How will our bodies be changed after they rise from the dead? Why do you say in the Apostles' Creed ? —"I believe in the . . . resurrection of the body." What do you mean when you say that you believe in the resurrection of the body? How long will we have our bodies in heaven? What will God do for our bodies in heaven? Why will He make our bodies young and beautiful in heaven? What will God give us for our bodies in heaven? What will He give us for our eyes, our ears, and our taste?
How quickly will our bodies be able to move in heaven ? Where is our Lord's body now ? Where is the Blessed Virgin's body? On what day did our Lord take His blessed mother's body to heaven? When is the feast of the Assumption? Why are all bound to hear Mass on August 15th? What will the bodies of the wicked suffer in hell ? What do you think they will look like ?
Who will keep your body always young and strong and beautiful in heaven ? Why will there be no sickness or death in heaven ? When shall we see our Lord's body ? How do you think our Lord's body will look in heaven? On what day did our Lord rise from the dead? On what day did our Lord die? What was the second day after our Lord's death? What was the third day after our Lord's death ? Why is Easter a time of joy for us ? What does our Lord's resurrection show ? How does it show that He is really God?