A Journey Through the Catechism (Prayer; the Commandments of God)
We continue with our Pastor Column series through the Baltimore Catechism, and we turn now to the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth articles: “On Prayer” and “On the Commandments of God.”
Q: Other than the Sacraments, is there any means of obtaining God’s grace?
A: There is another means of obtaining God’s grace, and it is prayer.
Q: What is prayer?
A: Prayer is the lifting up of our minds and hearts to the Lord to adore Him, to thanks Him for His gifts and blessings, to ask His forgiveness, and to beg of Him all the graces that we need, whether for soul or body, for ourselves or for others. (N.B. Prayer can be defined simply as “being in conversation with God,” or even better: “being in communion with God.” The four-fold purpose of prayer listed above are Praise, Thanksgiving, Contrition, and Petition.)
Q: Is prayer necessary for salvation?
A: Prayer is necessary for salvation, and without it, no one having the use of reason can be saved.
Q: At what particular times should we pray?
A: We should pray particularly on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, every morning and night, and in the midst of all dangers, temptations, and afflictions.
Q: Which are the prayers that are most recommended to us?
A: The prayers most recommended to us are: the Lord’s Prayer (the Our Father); the Hail Mary; the Apostles’ Creed; the Glory Be; the Confiteor (“I confess…”); and the Acts of Faith, Hope, Love, and Contrition.
Q: Are prayers said with distractions serve us any purpose?
A: Prayers said with willful distractions serve us no purpose; unwanted distractions hinder our prayers, but by God’s grace and our efforts to cooperate with that grace, we can overcome.
A: Prayers said with willful distractions serve us no purpose; unwanted distractions hinder our prayers, but by God’s grace and our efforts to cooperate with that grace, we can overcome.
Q: Is it enough to belong to God’s Church in order to be saved?
A: It is not enough merely to belong to the Church in order to be saved; we also must keep the Commandments of God and of the Church.
Q: What are the Commandments of God?
A: There are Ten Commandments:
- “I am the Lord thy God. You shall not have strange gods before Me.”
- “You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain.”
- “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.” (N.B. for Christians, the Sabbath is Sunday, beginning the evening prior.)
- “Honor your father and your mother.”
- “You shall not kill.”
- “You shall not commit adultery.”
- “You shall not steal.”
- “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
- “You shall not covet your neighbor’s spouse.”
- “You shall not covet your neighbor’s possessions.”
(N.B. The spirit of each of these laws certainly apply, as well as the strict letter of the law; Jesus Himself indicates this with regard to the Fifth and Sixth Commandments, for example, in Matthew 5:21-26 and Matthew 5:27-30. The next several Articles of the Baltimore Catechism goes into detail with each of the Ten Commandements.)
~ Fr. Lewis