The Ten Commandments of God (Ex 20:3-17; CCC 2052-2557)
- 1) I am the Lord your God: You shall not have strange Gods before me.
- 2) You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
- 3) Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
- 4) Honor your father and mother.
- 5) You shall not kill.
- 6) You shall not commit adultery.
- 7) You shall not steal.
- 8) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- 9) You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
- 10) You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
The Five (+1) Precepts of the Church (CCC 2041-2043, 2048)
1) You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor.
2) You shall confess your sins at least once a year.
3) You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season.
4) You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church.
5) You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church.
6) Not to marry persons who are not Catholics, or who are related to us within the third degree of kindred, nor privately without witnesses, nor to solemnize marriage at forbidden times (Baltimore Catechism 3 – Q 1327; see also Q 1005-1051 for a fuller discussion). Note: This precept was eliminated in the 1994 edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church; however, the CCC continues to warn of the grave problems that often result when Catholics marry non-Catholics (CCC 1633-1636).
The Seven Sacraments (CCC 1076-1666)
Baptism (CCC 1213- 1284)
Confirmation (CCC 1285-1321)
Eucharist (CCC 1322-1419; Receiving the Sacrament of the Eucharist)
Penance (CCC 1422-1498; Repenting and Receiving the Sacrament of Penance)
Anointing of the Sick (CCC 1499-1532)
Holy Orders (CCC 1536-1600)
Matrimony (CCC1601-1666)
The Three Theological Virtues
CCC 1812; Building the Theological Virtues
Faith, Hope and Charity
The Four Cardinal Virtues
CCC 1805, 1834; Building the Cardinal Virtues
Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance
The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
CCC 1831; The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge Piety and The Fear of the Lord
The Twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit
CCC 1832; The Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Generosity, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Modesty, Self-control, Chastity
The Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy
CCC 2447; Performing the Spiritual Works of Mercy
1) To counsel the doubtful
2) To instruct the ignorant
3) To admonish sinners (omitted from the CCC)
4) To comfort the sorrowful
5) To forgive injuries
6) To bear wrongs patiently
7) To pray for the living and the dead
The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy
CCC 2447; Performing the Corporal Works of Mercy
1) To feed the hungry
2) To give drink to the thirsty
3) To shelter the homeless
4) To visit the sick
5) To visit the imprisoned
6) To clothe the naked/Give alms to the Poor
7) To bury the dead
The Eight Beatitudes (Mt 5:3-12)
1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2) Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
3) Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
4) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
5) Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
6) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
7) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
8) Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The Seven Deadly Sins and Opposing Virtues
CCC 1866; Building the Cardinal Virtues
Pride —> Humility
Greed —> Generosity
Lust —> Chastity
Wrath/Unrighteous Anger —> Meekness
Gluttony —> Temperance
Envy —> Brotherly love/Kindness
Sloth —> Diligence
Five Sins against God’s Love (CCC 2094)
Indifference
Ingratitude
Lukewarmness
Spiritual Sloth (Acedia)
Hatred of God
Sins against the Holy Spirit
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, Presumption of God’s mercy, Despair, Impugning the known truth, Envy at another’s spiritual good, Obstinacy in sin, Final impenitence.
Sins crying to Heaven for Vengeance (CCC 1867)
The blood of Abel (willful murder), the sin of the Sodomites (homosexual acts), the cry of the people oppressed in Egypt, the cry of the foreigner, the widow, and the orphan, injustice to the wage earner.
Nine Ways of being accessory to another’s Sin
By counsel, by command, by consent, by provocation, by praise or flattery, by concealment, by partaking, by silence and by defense of the ill done
Three Eminent Good Works (CCC 1434, 1969)
Alms giving, Prayer and Fasting
The Evangelical Counsels (CCC 944, 1973)
Voluntary poverty, Chastity and Obedience
The Four Last Things (CCC 1006-1065)
Death, Judgment, Hell and Heaven
Devotions during the week
Sunday – The Blessed Trinity
Monday – The Souls in Purgatory
Tuesday – The Holy Angels
Wednesday – St. Joseph
Thursday – The Holy Eucharist
Friday – The Passion of Our Lord
Saturday – The Blessed Virgin Mary
Devotions for each Month
January – The Holy Name and Childhood of Jesus
February – The Holy Family
March – St. Joseph
April – The Holy Eucharist – Anima Christi
May – Our Lady the Blessed Virgin Mary
June – The Sacred Heart of Jesus
July – The Most Precious Blood of Jesus
August – The Immaculate Heart of Mary
September – Our Lady of Sorrows
October – The Most Holy Rosary (and Holy Angels)
November – The Poor Souls in Purgatory
December – The Immaculate Conception
Subjects for Daily Meditation
Remember, Christian soul, that thou hast this day, and every day of thy life, to:
God to glorify, Heaven to gain,
Jesus to imitate, Eternity to prepare for,
The angels and saints to invoke, Time to profit by, Neighbors to edify,
A soul to save, the world to despise,
A body to mortify, Devils to combat,
Sins to expiate, Passions to subdue,
Virtues to acquire, Death perhaps to suffer,
Hell to avoid, and Judgment to undergo.
Baptism by a non-priest when there is a danger of death (CCC 1256)
If a person is in danger of death, a laymen can baptize another person (candidate) by pouring common (not necessarily Holy Water) three times over the candidate’s head, or immersing the candidate three times in water, while simultaneously pronouncing the baptismal formula:
“N., I baptize you in the name of the Father (the minster pours water or immerses the first time), and of the Son (the minister pours water or immerses a second time), and of the Holy Spirit (the minister pours water or immerses a third time).”
The person baptizing must have the intention the initiate the person into the Catholic faith. If possible, there would be several witnesses. After the baptism, the person who baptized should report the baptism to a Catholic priest.