The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-01-07

1. Why is Sunday kept holy instead
of the Sabbath? The change from the
Sabbath, or Saturday, to Sunday was
made by the Church in apostolic times
in order to commemorate the resur-
rection of our Lord from the dead.
The apostles were given power to
teach by Christ Himself and, therefore,
they had all authority to make what
ever changes were necessary for the
welfare of the Church. The change
was made in the time of the apostles.
Certain passages of the New Tesla
ment may be cited as evidence of the
observance of Sunday, 'the first day
of the week." in apostolic times, as
Acts xxi; Apoc. ITO The early
Fathers of the Church speak of the
Sunday as ''the Lords day; ''the day
of the Lords resurrection" This
change enables the Christian to pay
his respects to the Lord on the first
day of the week and then devote the
rest of the week to worldly affairs.
Sunday was the natal day of the
Church. On that day Christ rose from
the dead; and on that day the Holy
Ghost came down on the Apostles. In
America we celebrate the birthday of
the nation on July 4. Why should
not the Church celebrate her birthday
on Sunday?
2. What do the lighted candles on
the alter signify? They symbolic
Jesus Christ, ''the light of the world;
"the true light that enlighteneth every
man that cometh into the world" They
signify the light of faith which should
be manifest in the daily lives and
actions of all true Christians.
8. What do the letters |. NJ. r. |.
above the figure of Christ on the cross
mean? They are the initial letters Of
the words, Jesus Nazarenus Rex Jul
daeorum," that is, "Jesus of Nazareth,
King of the Jews" This inscription
was placed above the head Of the
Savior on the cross.
a. What is meant by the seven sor-
rows of the Blessed Virgin? When we
speak of the sorrows of the Blessed
Virgin we have reference to the in
tense mental anguish she experienced
at certain periods during the life OF
her Divine Son. They are usually said
to be seven because of the fact that
the seven founders of the Servite Or
der devoted themselves to special
meditation on them. They are the
sorrows she felt: Cd on hearing
the prophecy of Simeon; (2) during
the flight into Egypt; (3) during the
three days that Jesus was lost in
Jerusalem (4) while Jesus was carry
ing the cross; 90 at the cruci1xion;
(6) at the descent from the cross; CD
at the burial of Jesus.
5. Is it a mortal sin to work on
Sundays and Holy Days when ones
business requires it? The obligation
to abstain from servile work on Sun
day and Holy days does not bind when
it cannot be observed without serious
inconvenience. Certain kinds of work
which cannot be stopped without grave
inconvenience and loss may be per-
formed on Sunday. However, one
should not be too ready to assume that
his business is so important that he
cannot afford to keep holy the Sab.
bath day."
6. What is meant by saying that a
person gains fifty days indulgence by
performing certain acts? According to
the mind of the Church a person who
gains an indulgence of fifty days OBJ.
tains the remission of as much of the
temporal punishment due to his sins
as would have been RENTED formerly
by the performance of fifty days OF
public penance The public penances
which, in the early age of the Church
were imposed on repentant sinners are
now done away with; but the peniten'
tial spirit is as strong as ever it was
and indulgences are as a reminder OF
the severity of the eternal manifesto
ton of the spirit of penance in the
early Church.
7. Must children who are not OBJ
iged to fast abstain from meat or
Friday? The precept of abstainine
from the use of flesh meat on certain
days is binding on all who have at
tanned the use of reason; and, there
fore, children who, have reached the
age Of seven years are obliged to alb
stain from eating meat on Friday as
well as on other days of abstinence
They are not obliged to fast, however
until they have attained the age Of
twenty-one years.
8. What reliable, cheap books car
be recommended to a non-CathoIis
who wishes to know more about the
teaching of the Catholic Church
"The Faith of Our Fathers" by Car
dinal Gibbons; Catholic Belief" BY
Rev. J. Di Bruno; plain Facts fol
Fair Minds" by Father Searle; "The
Question Box" by Father Conway
These can be procured at very mod
crate cost at any Catholic book store
9. What is the Brown Scapulari
How must it be worn to gain the in
diligence? The Brown Scapular OF
scapular Of our Lady of Mount Carmel
is a symbol of a garment worn by the
religious of Mount Carmel. It consists
essentially of two oblong or square
pieces of wooden cloth fastened to
gether with strings in such a way a.