In what Catholic context would you come across an apparently unlikely combination of a roof, a lamb and a fraction?
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At the breaking of the bread at Mass (technically known as the Fraction), the 'Agnus Dei' is sung (referring to the Lamb of God), to which the spoken response acknowledges that the worshippers are unworthy to receive Jesus 'under their roof', symbolically or otherwise
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This is a reference to the story of the healing of the paralysed man, where his friends could not edge the stretcher through the crowds, so they dismantled part (a 'fraction') of the roof of the house where Jesus was teaching. After the man was healed, he was told to give away the lambswool cushion on which he had been lying
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The ancient people of God had to slaughter a (propitiatory) lamb at Passover and use some of its blood to mark the sign of a cross on their roof, so that the avenging angel of death would spare their firstborn (hence the 'fraction') while punishing the Egyptians
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It refers to the Parable of the Lost Sheep, whose shepherd faithfully goes off to rescue just one of his 100 animals (a tiny fraction) and brings it home safely to his cottage
Q.2.
The cyclic elevator was a feature of many public buildings worldwide, for a century or so (invented 1868, patented 1877; largely disinstalled 1970+ on safety grounds) within living memory ~ though rarely if ever, in fact, in churches. What on earth has this to do with a quiz on Catholic Devotions?
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The little cabins coming endlessly round were widely used as a 'modern parable' for the cycle of human prayer ascending and Divine Grace descending
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They were known as Paternoster lifts, from the apostrophic opening phrase of the Lord's Prayer ~ which comes round regularly as one is telling the Rosary
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They were invented by a Catholic who, on the principle of 'what goes up, must come down', vowed that 50% of his profits from the invention would in perpetuity be devoted to a Catholic charity for good works on behalf of the fallen
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The rise and fall of the cabins was compared to 'life's endless ups and downs', which through grace the Presence of God is always available to us
Q.3.
While the main strands of the Mass are now delivered in the vernacular (i.e. whatever is the worshippers' local language), parts of the service are said ~ or often, more likely sung, in keeping with previous generations of tradition ~ in various 'original' ancient tongues. Which of these is NOT genuine?
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The Gloria ('Glory be to God ...'), Sanctus ('Holy, holy, holy') and Agnus Dei ('Lamb of God') are given in Latin
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The Lord's Prayer is recited in Aramaic: the same syllable-for-syllable as the model Jesus taught His Disciples
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The Kyrie Eleison ('Lord, have mercy') is in Greek
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Refrains such as 'Alleluia' and 'Amen' come straight from the Hebrew, so the church is echoing responses Jesus Himself would have known, used and loved
Q.4.
The Catholic Church apparently has some 1,752 Laws at latest count ~ near enough one for each year of its existence, at least since Nicaea or thenabouts. That's an awful lot for Joseph or Mary Layman to haul-in and live by. Rather as in the Old Testament, where the copious ancient Jewish laws were famously crystallised into the Ten Commandments (also / since adopted and respected by Christians and Muslims; and, themselves, further simplified to just two more positive commandments by Jesus Himself), the Catholic Church has Five Precepts, again perhaps not dissimilar in intention from the Pillars of Islam. Three of them are given correctly below; ONE (which?), as ever, is wrong or at best un-genuine ... and we'll fill in the other two later.
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Practising Catholics should attend Mass (and Confession, prior to that) each weekend, preferably on the Sunday, and on certain other 'high and holy' festival days
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They must otherwise attend Confessional at least once each year
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They should bring any children God grants them forward for Baptism within three months of their birth
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They should fast and abstain on the few days when their Church enjoins this
Q.5.
Besides the Five Precepts, Catholics have Four Cardinal Virtues to bear in mind in their prayers and in their daily life. As ever, we have temporarily misinterpreted ONE of these: which?
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Prudence (applied common sense and tact)
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Justice (doing fairly by all people)
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Temperance (limiting, or doing without, intake of alcohol)
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Fortitude (standing firm for one's principles in challenging circumstances)
Q.6.
What does fasting entail for modern Catholics? As ever, only ONE of the following details is false: which?
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'Abstaining' from the meat of warm-blooded animals, on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays in Lent including Good Friday, does not apply to those under 14 (i.e., broadly, preadolescents &/or perhaps pubescent girls)
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Fasting is obligatory for all aged 18-59 on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. One 'good meal' may be eaten, but no snacks, and up to two other lighter meals which together must not amount to equally much food as the single main meal
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No true Catholic should eat the meat of a warm-blooded animal on any Friday (that being the weekday of the Crucifixion)
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The Great Fast ~ for Eastern Catholics and in the Orthodox Church ~ includes abstinence from any meat, eggs or dairy products throughout Lent (this carries us close to the origins of Shrove Tuesday!)
Q.7.
From a mainstream non-Catholic Christian point of view, what is different about the Catholic version (in English) of the Lord's Prayer?
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It stops at 'deliver us from evil'
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It is re-worded to match the speech-rhythm of the 'traditional' English: 'Our Father enthroned in heaven, may Your name be praised', etc. This makes it less awkward when Catholics are solemnly praying in public side-by-side with others, such as at a Remembrance Day event
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The passage about temptation runs: 'Protect us from temptation, and deliver us from evil'
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It mentions Purgatory : a concept Protestants reject (or never accepted)
Q.8.
The Rosary is the most immediate, intimate and personal prayer-aid for Catholics. Surprisingly, it is not indexed as such in the 600-odd page 'Catholicism All-in-One for Dummies' ~ otherwise a reasonably approachable and informative manual ~ although there are occasional passing mentions. Which of the following prayers is NOT among the ones that come round during a recital of the Rosary?
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The Lord's Prayer
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The Apostles' Creed
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The Miserere (opening verses of Psalm 51, the penitential Scripture set for Ash Wednesday)
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The Hail Mary ('Ave Maria')
Q.9.
What allowance is there for 'free prayer', i.e. other than as prescribed in the official liturgical wording, during Mass?
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It is left to the individual worshipper to offer such prayers privately during quieter moments of the service
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There is no stipulated provision for 'occasional' public prayers during the Mass
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The presiding priest, or next most senior (and authorised) person present, will lead the congregation in any such topical prayers for the needs of the Church, world and local community
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A named and trained lay member of the congregation will be responsible for drafting such prayers; it is normal for this draft to be approved by the priest before the service begins, in case of last-minute inclusions (e.g. news of someone sick in the parish) or any wording not consonant with Church doctrine
Q.10.
One of the key texts recited during Catholic worship is the Apostles' Creed (as distinct from the Nicene Creed, so called after the Council of Nicaea, AD 325). After running through the historical outline of the Gospel, this creed effectively pledges allegiance to the Church in THREE of the following terms ~ but which one have we slipped-in falsely here?
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' ... the holy, ... '
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' ... Roman ... '
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' ... Catholic Church ... '
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' ... [and] the communion of saints.'
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