114 Q. Which are the means instituted by Our Lord to enable men at all times to share in the fruits of the Redemption?  A. The means instituted by Our Lord to enable men at all times to share in the fruits of the Redemption are the Church and the Sacraments.

Our Lord instituted the Church to carry on the work He Himself was doing upon the earth—­teaching the ignorant, visiting the sick, helping the poor, forgiving sins, etc.  He commanded all men to hear the Church teaching, just as they would hear Himself.  But suppose some persons should establish a false Church and claim that it was the true Church of Our Lord, how could people know the true Church from false churches?  When a man invents anything to be sold, what does he do that people may know the true article—­say a pen?  Why, he puts his trademark upon it.  Now the trademark is a certain sign which shows that the article bearing it is the genuine article; and if others use the trademark on imitation articles, they are liable to be punished by law.  Now Our Lord did the same.  He gave His Church four marks or characteristics to distinguish it from all false churches.  He said, “My Church will be one; it will be holy; it will be catholic; it will be apostolic; and if any church has not these four marks, you may be sure it is not My Church.”  Some false church may seem to have one or two, but never all the marks; so when you find even one of the marks wanting, you will know it is not the true Church established by Christ.  Therefore, all the religions that claim to be the true religion cannot be so.  If one man says a thing is white and another says it is black, or if one says a thing is true and another says it is false, they cannot both be right.  Only one can be right, and if we wish to know the truth we have to find out which one it is.  So when one religion says a thing is true and another religion says the same thing is false, one of them must be wrong, and it is our duty to find out the one that is right.  Therefore, of all the religions claiming to be the true religion of Our Lord, only one can be telling the truth, and that one is the religion or Church that can show the four given marks.  The Roman Catholic Church is the only one that can show these marks, and is, therefore, the only true Church, as we shall see in the next lesson.

“Fruits of His redemption”—­that is, to receive the grace merited by Our Lord when He redeemed us by His death.

115 Q. What is the Church?  A. The Church is the congregation of all those who profess the faith of Christ, partake of the same Sacraments, and are governed by their lawful pastors under one visible head.

“Congregation.”  Not the building, therefore; because if Mass was offered up in an open field, with the people kneeling about, it would still be the church of that place.  The buildings that we use for churches might have been used for anything else—­a public hall, theater, or school, for example; but when these buildings we call churches are blessed or consecrated, they become holy.  They are holy also because the Gospel is preached in them, the Sacraments are administered in them, and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered in them.  But they are holy especially because Our Lord dwells in them in the tabernacle, where He lives and sees and hears just as truly as He did when He was man upon earth.