Q. 440.  Was St. Paul an Apostle?  A. St. Paul was an Apostle, but as he was not called till after the Ascension of Our Lord he is not numbered among the twelve.  He is called the Apostle of the Gentiles; that is, of all those who were not of the Jewish religion or members of the Church of the Old Law.

Q. 441.  How did St. Paul become an Apostle?  A. While on his way to persecute the Christians St. Paul was miraculously converted and called to be an Apostle by Our Lord Himself, who spoke to him.  St. Paul was called Saul before his conversion.

Q. 442.  Who were the Evangelists?  A. St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke and St. John are called Evangelists, because they wrote the four Gospels bearing their names, and Evangelia is the Latin name for Gospels.  St. Mark and St. Luke were not Apostles, but St. Matthew and St. John were both Apostles and Evangelists.

Q. 443.  Why did not the Apostles fully understand when Christ Himself taught them?  A. The Apostles did not fully understand when Christ Himself taught them because during His stay with them on earth they were only preparing to become Apostles; and their minds were yet filled with many worldly thoughts and desires that were to be removed at the coming of the Holy Ghost.

Q. 444. {101} Will the Holy Ghost abide with the Church forever?  A. The Holy Ghost will abide with the Church forever, and guide it in the way of holiness and truth.

Q. 445.  What benefit do we derive from the knowledge that the Holy Ghost will abide with the Church forever?  A. From the knowledge that the Holy Ghost will abide with the Church forever we are made certain that the Church can never teach us falsehood, and can never be destroyed by the enemies of Our Faith.

Q. 446.  What visible power was given to the Apostles through the coming of the Holy Ghost?  A. Through the coming of the Holy Ghost the Apostles received the “gift of tongues,” by which they could be understood in every language, though they preached in only one.

Q. 447.  Why did such wonderful gifts accompany Confirmation, or the coming of the Holy Ghost, in the first ages of the Church?  A. Such wonderful gifts accompanied Confirmation in the first ages of the Church to prove the power, truth and divine character of Christianity to those who otherwise might not believe, and to draw the attention of all to the establishment of the Christian Church.

Q. 448.  Why are these signs not continued everywhere at the present time?  A. These signs are not continued everywhere at the present time, because now that the Church is fully established and its divine character and power proved in other ways, such signs are no longer necessary.

Q. 449.  Were such powers as the “gift of tongues” a part of the Sacrament of Confirmation?  A. Such powers as the “gift of tongues” were not a part of the Sacrament of Confirmation, but they were added to it by the Holy Ghost when necessary for the good of the Church.