The Crucifixion

When, our Lord was thirty years old, He went forth to preach the Gospel. For three years He went about doing good and teaching the people to love God. But He was falsely accused and condemned to death. He was crucified on Mount Calvary between two thieves. Thus, He died to save us from hell and to redeem us from the power of the devil. When our Lord died the gates of heaven were opened. Thereafter those who gained God’s grace would be saved. Our Lord suffered and died out of love for us.

Children, perhaps you would like to talk again about the Blessed Virgin Mary. Tell me about her and about our Lord when He was a little boy. Tell me about the Holy Family at Nazareth. How long did our Lord live at Nazareth with His blessed mother and St. Joseph? What do you think our Lord did for His blessed mother all those thirty years?

When did God first promise to send His own divine Son to redeem the world ? How did all the people come into the power of the devil? Why was our Lord born upon this earth? Why did our Lord wish to redeem the people? Why did He wish to lead the people back to God? How do you learn to love God? Why do you love God when you know Him? What do you do to love God better ?

How can we learn more about God? Who founded the Catholic Church? What did our Lord teach the people? What Church teaches us all that our Lord taught ?

Why did our Lord teach the people about God ? When do people love God? Why do you love God when you know Him? When do people serve God? Why do you serve God when you love Him? Who serve God best? How old was our Lord when He set out to teach the people? Where did our Lord go to preach? In what country did He travel when He was preaching? What people lived in Palestine then?

The Jews are also called Israelites or Hebrews. They were the chosen people of God. They were descended from Abraham, from Isaac, and from Jacob. The Old Testament gives the history of the chosen people. The patriarchs and prophets belonged to this people. God loved them very much. But they put our Lord to death when He came to save them. Since that time the nation has been scattered throughout the world.

What did our Lord do for the people when He was going around among them? How did He show His love for the sick? What others did He help? What did He do for the blind ; the deaf and dumb ; the lame? What did He sometimes do for dead people? Can you tell me some of those whom our Lord brought back to life? Perhaps you could tell me about Lazarus. You can read about him in the Gospel of St. John, Ch. 11. Then you can also read in the New Testament how our Lord raised a young girl to life in St. Matthew 9; St. Mark 5; St. Luke 8; and a poor widow’s son in St. Luke 7. How could our Lord cure people and raise the dead to life? Whose power did He use to do this? Why could our Lord do all things ?

Why did great crowds of people follow our Lord? Why did they wish to listen to His teaching? Why did the people love our Lord so much? Why was our Lord so good and kind to the people? What did our Lord do to show His love for them? Why do you love all the people in the world? How do you show that you love people? What can you do for all the people in the world? What will God do every time you pray for them? How do you show that you love your father and mother ; your sisters and brothers ; your friends? Why do you always try to be polite when you are with others? Why are you always kind to your schoolmates ?

Why do you love everybody? Whose children are we all? Who loves us all? Why does God love us all? What is God to us? Whose children are you treating kindly when you do good to others? How can you show that you love sick people? What can you do to show your love for poor people? What do you like to do for people when you love them? How many people did our Lord love? How did our Lord show His love for the people ? Who taught us to do good to others all our life? What does it show when you are good and kind to others? Who belong to God’s family? Why are we all like brothers and sisters? Why do you like to help one another? What Church teaches us to love one another ? Who sent the Catholic Church to teach us?

How can you show your love for sinners? What did our Lord do for sinners? Whom did our Lord come to save? Why do we all call ourselves sinners? In what sin are we born? Why do good people call themselves sinners? What kind of faults do good people commit? How do good people feel when they forget and commit a fault? Who helps you avoid sin every day? What do you ask God to keep you from when you pray? Why do you say? — “deliver us from evil.” What is that evil?

Who taught us the Our Father? What twelve men did our Lord choose to go with Him ? What did our Lord teach the twelve Apostles? Who was the chief of the Apostles? Who was the first Pope? What were the Apostles to be in the Church after our Lord returned to heaven?

What did the Pharisees do when they saw how the people loved our Lord? Why did they accuse Him falsely? Why were they jealous of Him? Why do some people say unkind things about the Catholic Church? Whose Church is the Catholic Church? Which Apostle betrayed our Lord? Judas sold our Lord for thirty pieces of silver. Where was our Lord when the soldiers came to take Him? Who was leading them? Judas told them to watch him and that he would go up and kiss our Lord so that they would know Him. So he betrayed our Lord with a kiss. You see Judas loved money too much. That is why he sold our Lord.

What was our Lord doing in the Garden of Gethsemane when the soldiers came to arrest Him? What did they do with our Lord after they arrested Him? What did they put on His head ? What did they do after they put the crown of thorns on His head? What did our Lord do while they were doing this? Why did our Lord suffer all this in silence? What did He wish to teach us? Why did our Lord forgive them all these injuries? What do you do when others are unkind to you? Why do you forgive them? What do you do when others accuse you falsely? Who taught you to forgive them? Who was the ruler who condemned our Lord to death?

What kind of cross did they make for our Lord ? Who carried this heavy cross? To what place did our Lord carry it? In what city was that? What happened to our Lord on the way to Mount Calvary ? What made our Lord fall several times ? Where is Mount Calvary? Why do you say the Stations of the Cross? Of what do they make us think? How many stations are there? Tell me about them.

Of what do you think when you are making the Stations of the Cross? What did the soldiers do with our Lord when they reached the top of Mount Calvary? How did they fasten Him to the cross? How long did our Lord hang on the cross before He died? Our Lord hung on the cross from about noon until three o’clock in the afternoon. Why do many good people pray for three hours on Good Friday ? Why are those three hours’ prayer called the Holy Agony? What do those good people think about during those three hours? How does that help them love our Lord more than ever? Why did our Lord die for us? Why did our Lord redeem us? How long will our Lord love us ?

When is Good Friday? What is the color of the vestments which the priest wears on Good Friday? At what other times does he wear black vestments? Why do people wear black when their relatives die ? You know Good Friday is the only day in the year on which there is no Mass. On Good Friday the priest does not say Mass. He does not change bread and wine into our Lord’s body and blood. At the ceremony on that day he receives Holy Communion, but the people do not. The Blessed Sacrament is not kept in the church on that day. So we know how good people must have felt after our Lord died.

Why do we adore the cross on Good Friday especially? Whom do we really adore when we adore the cross? Why do you like to kiss the crucifix? For whom do you show love when you kiss the crucifix? Why do good people always have the crucifix in their homes? Of what does the crucifix remind us? Why do you make the Sign of the Cross? What persons do you name when you make the Sign of the Cross ? How do you show that you believe in the Blessed Trinity when you make the Sign of the Cross? Why do we have crosses on our churches and schools? Of what is the cross the sign? Why is the cross the sign of our Faith ?

You have heard about Constantine the Great. He was the Emperor of Rome about three hundred years after the time of our Lord. At first he was a pagan, but his mother, St. Helena, was a Christian. Once when Constantine was going to battle with his army, he saw a beautiful cross in the sky. Upon it was written : “In this sign you shall conquer. After that Constantine be-came a Christian and the pagans could no longer put the Christians to death. Constantine built many beautiful churches, among them the first St. Peter’s Church in Rome.

Now, could you tell anybody about the Emperor Constantine? What did he see in the sky? What was written on the cross? When did Constantine live? Who was his mother? After that St. Helena went to Jerusalem and found our Lord’s true cross. A part of the true cross is now kept in the Church of Holy-Crossin-Jerusalem at Rome.

Who were crucified with our Lord? What did our Lord do for one of the thieves? Why did our Lord forgive him his sins? Why was this thief sorry for his sins? Why could not our Lord forgive the other thief? What would our Lord have done if he had asked Him to forgive him?

You know when St. Helena went to seek our Lord’s cross, she found the three crosses together. To learn which was our Lord’s cross they took the three crosses to a dead person. They touched the body with two of the crosses and nothing happened. But when they touched it with the third cross, the dead person came to life. So they knew that was our Lord’s cross.

For whom did our Lord pray when He was hanging on the cross? What did He ask God the Father to do for those who had nailed Him to the cross? For whom did the martyrs pray when they were dying? Why do you pray for those who injure you? Who taught us to love our enemies? How can we show our love for our enemies? How did our Lord show His love for His enemies? How did the martyrs show their love for their enemies? When were the gates of heaven opened for us? How long had the gates of heaven been closed? What closed them? Why did our Lord die upon the cross? From what did He free us when He died?

In what prayer do we mention our Lord’s suffering and death? Say the Apostles’ Creed.

Interrupt at: “He descended into hell.” Why do you say ? — ” He descended into hell.” To what place did our Lord really go? Who were in limbo? For what were the good people waiting in limbo? Was their soul or their body there? What had happened to their body? How could anybody get to heaven after our Lord died? Whom do we have to serve to gain heaven? When do people serve God? What do people do for God when they love Him? How do people learn to love God? Why do we love God when we know Him? What do we learn about God when we really know Him?

Why do we need God’s grace? How many of us need God’s grace to gain heaven? When did our Lord gain God’s grace for us ? For how many people did our Lord gain God’s grace when He died on the cross? What do we have to do to gain God’s grace? In how many Sacraments does God give us His grace? When do we receive the grace which our Lord gained for us?

For what do you thank our Lord every day? How did our Lord show His love for us? How do we show our love for our Lord? How do we know all that God wants us to do ? Who sent the Catholic Church to teach us? What grace do the Sacraments give us? Who gained this grace for us? When did our Lord gain this grace for us?