The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-02-27

Question and Answer, care The Cath
Take two persons, one baptized and
the other not baptized. Is it easier
for the former to overcome sin than
the latter? May not both be equally
good?
A person who is baptized has many
means of grace and sanctification
which are not accessible to non
baptized person. A baptized person
can have recourse to the Sacraments
to obtain grace or to preserve and in
crease it. An unbaptized person can
not receive the Sacraments. Hence
1t is easier for a baptized person to
avoid sin that it is for an unbaptized
person. Both may appear to be equal
ly good but the unbaptized person,
having the guilt of original sin on his
soul, cannot live supernatural life
or merit supernatural reward
= What is the difference between meat
and fish?
Broadly speaking, all animals living
on land are regarded as supplying
flesh meat, while animals living in
water are accounted as fish. There
are certain animals which live partly
on land and partly in the water, such
as turtles, tortoises, frogs, seals, lob
sters, crabs, oysters, and other shell
fish. These On account of their ma
ture or in virtue of legitimately pre-
vailing custom are classed as fish.
I. Are there different degrees of
mortal and of VeniaI sin? 2. Do the
majority of Catholics know a tempta-
ton from sin?
l. Yes. While every mortal sin
destroys sanctifying grace in the soul
and turns the soul completely away
from God, its last end, all mortal sins
are not equally grave. For this we
have the authority of Holy Scripture
He that hath delivered me to thee,
hath the greater sin" John XIX, 10.
1T shall be more tolerable for Tyre
and Sidon in the day of judgment,
than for you Matt. XI, 22D. Other
passages might also be cited. We
know that sins, whether mortal or
venial, are specifically distinguished
by their objects. In the case of NOR
tai sin, these objects do not all equal
ly avert man from Cod his last end,
nor do all mortal sins equally destroy
the order of reason. Other things
being equal, spiritual sins arc more
grievous than carnal sins. Then, too,
there are circumstances which agra
vatc the nature of sins. In regard to
Venlal sins, some are more grave than
others and less pardonable and this
difference is well symbolized in Holy
Scripture in the passage in which ST.
Paul Il Cor. Ill, S-15), speaks of the
testing of every mans work by fire
in order to determine of what sort it
is. If he shall have built upon the
foundation which is Christ Jesus"
gold, silver and precious stones his
work shall abide, but if he shall have
built on this foundation wood, hay and
stubble, his work shall burn and he
shall suffer loss but he himself shall
be saved, yet so as by fire" ST.
Thomas says that by wood, hay and
stubble is signified venial sins which
do not destroy charity nor merit eter-
nal punishment. They differ from one
another as do wood, hay and stubble
in inflammability. 3. We think so,
as this requires nothing more than the
exercise of a little common sense or
ordinary intelligence. A temptation
is an evil enticemCnt or allurement
1t iuclncs the individual to sin, but
1t does not lead to sin unless the i'll
dividual consents. One may be tempt
ed and yet not be guilty of sin. Our
Lord was tempted three times in the
desert by satan and yet He committed
no sin. Catholics who are fairly we'll
instructed, at least, have little diff
Guilty in detecting the presence of a
temptation and for all practical pur-
poses they are able to determine when
that temptation has led them into sin.
How large were the original tablets
on which the Ten Commandments
were written and where are they now
preserved?
The Book of Exodus speaks of the
tables of stone" (XXIV, 12) and of
the two stone tables of testimony
written with the finger of God" (XXXI,
1S). Nothing is said about the size of
these tables" Some idea of their
dimensions may be CLEANED from the
fact that they were placed in the Ark
of the Covenant which was a wooden
box about three and three-quarter feet
long and two and quarter in depth
and width. This box finally rested in
the Holy of Holes in the Temple of
Zion where it remained until the fall of
Jerusalem in the year 5S7 B. c. We
have no record of what became of the
Ark of the Covenant or of the tablets
which it enclosed after that time.
If a girl joins the sisterhood or nun
merry, does she have to belong to the
same all her life and can she visit
her home? What is the difference be.
tween nunnery and convent?
When n girl joins a religious com
muuity she does SO with the intention
of remaining there for life Prior to
the time she takes her final vows, she
may leave of her own accord or her