In the first ages of the Church God performed more miracles than He does now, because they are not now so necessary.  These miracles were performed only to make the Church better known, and to prove that she was the true Church, with her power and authority from God.  That can now be known and seen in Christian countries without miracles.  These special gifts, like the gift of tongues, were given also to some of the early Christians by the Holy Ghost, when they received Confirmation; but they were not a part of or necessary for Confirmation, but only to show the power of the true religion.  Those who heard St. Peter preach, when they went back to their own countries told what they had seen and heard, and thus their countrymen were prepared to receive the Gospel when the Apostles came to preach it.

98 Q. How did the Holy Ghost come down upon the Apostles?  A. The Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire.

99 Q. Who sent the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles?  A. Our Lord Jesus Christ sent the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles.

100 Q. Why did Christ send the Holy Ghost?  A. Christ sent the Holy Ghost to sanctify His Church, to enlighten and strengthen the Apostles, and to enable them to preach the Gospel.

“Sanctify,” to make more holy by the grace which He would give to the members of the Church.  “To enlighten.”  The Apostles did not understand very well everything Our Lord taught while He was with them; but after the Holy Ghost came upon them they understood perfectly, and remembered many things which Our Lord said to them, and understood the true meaning of all.  The prophets foretold that when the Messias, Christ, would come, He would bring all the world under His power.  The prophets meant in a spiritual sense; but most of the people understood that He was to be a great general, with powerful armies, who would subdue all the nations of the earth, and bring them under the authority of the Jews.  We know they thought that the great kingdom He was to establish upon earth would be a temporal kingdom, from many of their sayings and actions.  One day the mother of two of Our Lord’s Apostles came to ask Him if, when He had established His kingdom upon the earth, He would give her sons honorable positions in it, and place them high in authority. (Matt. 20:20).  Our Lord told her she did not understand what she was asking.  This shows that even some of the Apostles—­much less the people—­did not understand the full nature of Our Lord’s mission upon earth, nor of His kingdom, the Church.  Often too, when He preached to the people, the Apostles asked Him on His return what His sermon meant (Luke 8:9).  But after the Holy Ghost came, they were enlightened, and understood all without difficulty.  “Strengthen.”  I told you already that before the Holy Ghost came they were timid and afraid of being arrested, but that afterwards they went out boldly, and taught all they had learned from Our Lord.