Q. 367. {76} How long did Christ live on earth?  A. Christ lived on earth about thirty-three years, and led a most holy life in poverty and suffering.

Q. 368. {77} Why did Christ live so long on earth?  A. Christ lived so long on earth to show us the way to heaven by His teachings and example.

LESSON EIGHTH.  ON OUR LORD’S PASSION, DEATH, RESURRECTION, AND ASCENSION.

Q. 369.  What do we mean by Our Lord’s Passion?  A. By Our Lord’s Passion we mean His dreadful sufferings from His agony in the garden till the moment of His death.

Q. 370. {78} What did Jesus Christ suffer?  A. Jesus Christ suffered a bloody sweat, a cruel scourging, was crowned with thorns, and was crucified.

Q. 371.  When did Our Lord suffer the “bloody sweat”?  A. Our Lord suffered the “bloody sweat” while drops of blood came forth from every pore of His body, during His agony in the Garden of Olives, near Jerusalem, where He went to pray on the night His Passion began.

Q. 372.  Who accompanied Our Lord to the Garden of Olives on the night of His Agony?  A. The Apostles Peter, James and John, the same who had witnessed His transfiguration on the mount, accompanied Our Lord to the Garden of Olives, to watch and pray with Him on the night of His agony.

Q. 373.  What do we mean by the transfiguration of Our Lord?  A. By the transfiguration of Our Lord we mean the supernatural change in His appearance when He showed Himself to His Apostles in great glory and brilliancy in which “His face did shine as the sun and His garments became white as snow.”

Q. 374.  Who were present at the transfiguration?  A. There were present at the transfiguration—­besides the Apostles Peter, James and John, who witnessed it—­the two great and holy men of the Old Law, Moses and Elias, talking with Our Lord.

Q. 375.  What caused Our Lord’s agony in the garden?  A. It is believed Our Lord’s agony in the garden was caused:  (1) By his clear knowledge of all He was soon to endure; (2) by the sight of the many offenses committed against His Father by the sins of the whole world; (3) by His knowledge of men’s ingratitude for the blessings of redemption.

Q. 376.  Why was Christ cruelly scourged?  A. Christ was cruelly scourged by Pilate’s orders, that the sight of His bleeding body might move His enemies to spare His life.

Q. 377.  Why was Christ crowned with thorns?  A. Christ was crowned with thorns in mockery because He had said He was a King.

Q. 378.  Could Christ, if He pleased, have escaped the tortures of His Passion?  A. Christ could, if He pleased, have escaped the tortures of His Passion, because He foresaw them and had it in His power to overcome His enemies.

Q. 379.  Was it necessary for Christ to suffer so much in order to redeem us?  A. It was not necessary for Christ to suffer so much in order to redeem us, for the least of His sufferings was more than sufficient to atone for all the sins of mankind.  By suffering so much He showed His great love for us.