Q. 346.  What was the moral condition of the world just before the coming of Our Lord?  A. Just before the coming of Our Lord the moral condition of the world was very bad.  Idolatry, injustice, cruelty, immorality and horrid vices were common almost everywhere.

Q. 347.  Why was the coming of the Redeemer so long delayed?  A. The coming of the Redeemer was so long delayed that the world—­suffering from every misery—­might learn the great evil of sin and know that God alone could help fallen man.

Q. 348.  When was the Redeemer promised to mankind?  A. The Redeemer was first promised to mankind in the Garden of Paradise, and often afterward through Abraham and his descendants, the patriarchs, and through numerous prophets.

Q. 349.  Who were the prophets?  A. The prophets were inspired men to whom God revealed the future, that they might with absolute certainty make it known to the people.

Q. 350.  What did the prophets foretell concerning the Redeemer?  A. The prophets, taken together, foretold so accurately all the circumstances of the birth, life, death, resurrection and glory of the Redeemer that no one who carefully studied their writings could fail to recognize Him when He came.

Q. 351.  Have all these prophecies concerning the Redeemer been fulfilled?  A. All the prophecies concerning the Redeemer have been fulfilled in every point by the circumstances of Christ’s birth, life, death, resurrection and glory; and He is, therefore, the Redeemer promised to mankind from the time of Adam.

Q. 352.  Where shall we find these prophecies concerning the Redeemer?  A. We shall find these prophecies concerning the Redeemer in the prophetic books of the Bible or Holy Scripture.

Q. 353.  If the Redeemer’s coming was so clearly foretold, why did not all recognize Him when He came?  A. All did not recognize the Redeemer when He came, because many knew only part of the prophecies; and taking those concerning His glory and omitting those concerning His suffering, they could not understand His life.

Q. 354. {73} How could they be saved who lived before the Son of God became man?  A. They who lived before the Son of God became man could be saved by believing in a Redeemer to come, and by keeping the Commandments.

Q. 355. {74} On what day was the Son of God conceived and made man?  A. The Son of God was conceived and made man on Annunciation Day—­the day on which the Angel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she was to be the Mother of God.

Q. 356. {75} On what day was Christ born?  A. Christ was born on Christmas Day, in a stable at Bethlehem, over nineteen hundred years ago.

Q. 357.  Why did the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph go to Bethlehem just before the birth of Our Lord?  A. The Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph went to Bethlehem in obedience to the Roman Emperor, who ordered all his subjects to register their names in the towns or cities of their ancestors.  Bethlehem was the City of David, the royal ancestor of Mary and Joseph, hence they had to register there.  All this was done by the Will of God, that the prophecies concerning the birth of His Divine Son might be fulfilled.