Course 2, Chapter 7: Public Life of our Lord — Second year

1. What did the Saviour do after healing the servant of the centurion?

After healing the servant of the centurion, he performed many other miracles. He healed a wo-

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man afflicted for many years with an issue of blood; he raised to life a young girl twelve years of age, and gave the people a great many wholesome instructions.

2. What further did he do?

In order to lay the foundations of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, he associated to himself a certain number of disciples, who were afterwards under the apostles to labor in preaching the gospel; and in order to form them to their vocation, he chose to have them as his co-laborers, and witnesses of his miracles.

3. What miracles did he work in their presence?

He worked many miracles in their presence, and amongst others, that of raising to life the son of the widow of Nairn. The corpse was on the way to be in terred, when our Lord met it at the gate of the city. He approached the bier and said to the dead man, Young man, I say to tliee. arise. Instantly the man who had been dead, sat up and began to speak. Jesus delivered him to his mother, and all the people cried out, A great prophet is risen up among us, and God //as visited his people. These expressions meant that the Messiah had come.

4. To what did this miracle give occasion?

Our Saviour took occasion from this to prove his divinity to the disciples of John the Baptist, and to deliver the eulogy of his precursor. This great saint was at that time in prison, where he was put to death by the guilty Herod.

5. Whither did the Saviour then go?

He then went to Capharnaum, and afterwards retired to a desert in the vicinity of that city.

6. What miracle did he perform there?

He there fed miraculously five thousand people, with five small loaves and two fishes.- This miracle, great as it was, was but the announcement of one still more admirable.

7. What miracle is that?

It is the multiplication of the body and blood

of our Lord in the Holy Eucharist. On his return to Capharnaum, he announced to the people the institution of the august sacrament of the altar, saying: / am the living bread which came, down from heacen. My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed — and the bread which I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.

8. What promise did the Saviour make to St. Peter?

After his discourse on the Eucharist, the Saviour traversed the different parts of Galilee, and promised St. Peter to make him the head of his church, saying: Thou art Peter (that is to say, a rock,) and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

9. What did he afterwards announce to him?

The Saviour afterwards announced to St. Peter and his other disciples, his passion and death, and guarded them against being scandalised at his humiliation.

10. What did he do for that purpose?

For that purpose he took with him Peter, and James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were to be witnesses of his agony. He ascended a high mountain with them, and was transfigured before them. His countenance shone as the sun, and his garments were whiter than the snow. Moses and Elias appeared and conversed with him — they were surrounded by a bright light. The apostles, struck with fear, fell prostrate on the earth, and at the same time a voice from heaven was heard, saying: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him. Afterwards the Saviour descended from the mountain.

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