Basic Catechism Level-I

The Ten Commandments
(Ex 20: 2-17 Moses receives the Ten Commandments from God)

I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Remember to keep holy the Lord’s day.
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

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The Precepts of the Church

You shall attend Holy Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.
You shall confess your sins at least once a year.
You shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy Communion at least during the Easter Season.
You shall keep holy the days of obligation.
You shall observe the prescribed days of fasting and abstinence.

The faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his/her abilities.

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God Our Father

Why did God make all things? Because God loves us.
What great gift did God give Adam and Eve? The great gift of His own life.
Why did God make You? God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world and to be happy with Him forever in Heaven.
What is sin? Sin is turning away from God’s love.
How did God punish Adam and Eve for their sin? By taking away the gift of His life.
Why did God promise Adam and Eve a savior? Because He still love them.

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Our Lord Jesus Christ / The Promise of A Redeemer
(Gen 3: 1-14 The disobedience of man)

How did God Show His great love and mercy after Adam’s Sin ? By His promise to send a Savior.
What was the promised Savior to do ? The Promised Savior was to win back for all humans the gift of God’s Life which has been lost by sin.

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Jesus Pleased God in Everything

(Lk 2:51 Jesus went down with them. Jn 14: 31 I do as the Father has commanded me; Jn 13: 15 I have given you an example)

How did Jesus Christ save the world? Jesus Christ saved the world by offering His life on the Cross.
Why did Jesus Christ suffer and die? Jesus died for our sins.
On what day did Jesus die? Jesus died on Good Friday.
What happened to Jesus after his death? After his death on the third day God the Father raised Jesus from the dead.
On what day do we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus? We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday.

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The Sacraments (CCC 1210)

What is a Sacrament? 1) Sacrament is a visible sign, it is signifying the gift of God’s grace, is is given by Jesus Christ.
Which are the 7 Sacraments? 1) Baptism; 2) Confirmation; 3) The Eucharist; 4) Penance, 5) The Anointing of the Sick; 6) Holy Orders; 7) Matrimony.

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The Sacrament of Baptism

(2Kings 5: 1-15 Naaman the Syrian is cleansed of hi leprosy. John 3: 5 ;Mt 28: 19-21; Mk 16: 15-16; Titus 3:5; CCC 1213-1274)

What is Baptism? Baptism is the Sacrament which takes away original sin, and gives us a new life, the life of God, making us children of God.
When does Jesus make us children of God? When we are Baptized.
What must I do to keep God’s life? I must live as a true child of God.
How can I live as a true child of God? By always living a life pleasing to God.

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The Sacrament of the Eucharist

What is the sacrament of Eucharist? The Sacrament of Eucharist is Jesus’ Gift of Himself to us at the Last Supper, on the night before He died. He gave Himself with the words: “this is my Body; this is my Blood” (Mt 26: 26-28).
What is Holy Communion? Eating the Body and drinking the Blood of Jesus under the form of bread and wine is called Holy Communion.

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The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation
(Sin offends God our Loving Father)

When do we sin? We sin when we do something wrong on purpose or intention.
Why does sin offend God? Sin offends God because when we sin we do not love God.
How many kinds of sins are there? There are two kinds of sin: Original Sin and Personal Sins.
What is original sin? Original sin is the sin of disobedience to God committed by our first parents Adam and Eve. Since all of us inherit this sinful nature of our first parents, all are born in this state of broken relationship with God.
What are personal sins? Personal sins are the sins we commit knowingly. These can be mortal or venial.
What is a mortal sin? A mortal sin is offending God knowlingly and wiullingly in a serious matter.
What is venial sin? A venial sin is offending God in a small matter, knowingly and willingly.
What does mortal sin do to the soul? Mortal sin takes away God’s life from the soul until the person asks God for forgiveness.
What does venial sin do to the soul? Venial sins do not take away God’s life, but they make our live for God weaker.

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Jesus Help me

(Mt 4: 1-11 The Temptation of our Lord in the desert; Mt 26: 41 Watch and pray)

What is temptation? Temptation is an enticement to commit sin or to do something wrong.
What must I do when I am tempted? I must ask Jesus to help me to do what is right even when it is hard for me.
Who helps us to fight temptations? Jesus helps us to fight temptations.

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Jesus give the Apostles The Power to Forgive Sin

(Jn 20: 19-23 The risen Jesus gives the apostles power to forgive sins)

To whom has Jesus given the power to forgive sins? Through the Apostles Jesus has given the priest the power to forgive sins in Confession.
What I must do to make a good confession?
Ask God for help to become aware of my sons. *(See Appendix-I on Examination of Conscience below.)
Ask God for the grace to be really sorry for my sins.

Promise God to do better.

Tell all my sins to the Priest.
Do the penance the priest gives me.
Thank God for forgiving me my sins.
What is the most important part of Confession? To e sincerely sorry for my sins; for, without sorrow my sins cannot be forgiven.
How do you make your confession?
I kneel, make the sign of the cross and say: “Bless me, father for I have sinned. My last confession was … (say how many days or months before…)
I then tell my sins to the priest.

I listen to what the priest tells me and the penance he give me.

I listen to the priest as he forgives me and reply “Amen”.
I do the penance the priest gives me. I thank God for forgiving me my sins.

*Appendix-I (Examination of Conscience for children)

(The following points are a few hints to help the child to be aware of the sins he/she may have committed)

Did I keep anger and bitterness in my heart?
Did I grumble when I was corrected of punished?
Did I refuse to help other children even those who are not in my family or among my friends especially the poor and the sick?
Did I try to bluff or tell lies? In this did I hurt anyone?
Did I spoil another’s good name by telling wrong stories about them?
Did I say my prayers on ly with my lips and thinking something else other than God when I pray?
How did I behave in the Church? did I behave respectfully? Or did I played around?
Did I remember that the church is the place where especially I meet Jesus?
Am I attentive at Mass and Participate in tt properly and meaningfully by offering myself together with the bread and wine?
Have I disobeyed my parents?
Do I remember that my parents and my elders stand in the place of God?
Do I respect them and listen to them?
Have I been rude to my family members?
Have I Made fun of old or handicapped people?
Do I take things that do not belong to me ? (if I have taken then return it before confession)?
Do I use my tongue and my mouth for saying kind and good words to God and to people or do I misuse them by saying bad words?
Am I greedy?
Have I been jealous of other?

Appendix-II
Thanksgiving after Communion

An Act of Faith: O my God, I firmly believe that You are one God in three divine persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe that Your divine Son became man and died for our sins, and that he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the holy Catholic Church teaches because You have revealed them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived. Amen.

An Act of Hope: O my God, trusting in Your promises and because You are faithful, powerful and merciful, I hope, through the merits of Jesus Christ, for the pardon of my sins, final perseverance and the blessed glory of heaven.

An Act of Love: O my God, because You are infinite goodness and worthy of infinite love, I love You with my whole heart above all things, and for love of You I love my neighbor as myself. I forgive all who have offended me and ask pardon of all whom I have offended.

Act of offering: O Jesus, receive my poor offering. Jesus, you have given yourself to me, and now let me give myself to you. I give you my body, that it may be chaste and pure. I give you my soul, that it may be free from sin. I give you my heart, that it may always love you. I give you every breath that I shall breathe, and especially my last; I give myself in life and in death that I may be yours forever and ever.

Soul of Christ:

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.

Body of Christ, save me.

Blood of Christ, inebriate me.

Water from the side of Christ, wash me.

Passion of Christ, strengthen me.

O good Jesus, hear me.

Within your wounds hide me.

Never let me be separated from you.

From the wicked enemy defend me.

In the hour of my death, call me –

And bid me come to you, so that with your saints –

I may praise you forever and ever. Amen.

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Pope John Paul II Speaks to Parents of First Communicants.

Dear Parents,

Your love for Christ has made this day possible. For you are your children’s first teachers in the ways of faith. By what you say and do, you show them the truths of your faith and the values of the gospel. This is indeed not only a sacred duty, but a grace a great privilege.

Many other members of the Church share in this task, but the main responsibility for your children’s religious formation rests upon your shoulders. So try to make your home genuinely Christian.

Help your children to grow and mature as Jesus did at Nazareth, “ in wisdom, in stature and in favor with Gold and men” (Luke 2: 52). Allow no one to take advantage of their lack of experience and knowledge.

As you share with them in their personal pilgrimage to God, may you always be united in prayer and worship and in humble love of god and His people.

-John Paul II

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