Baltimore Catechism No. 4 (of 4) | Page 7

others to tempt us. We can overcome
any temptation to sin by the help or grace that God gives us. Therefore
we ask in this petition that God will always give us the grace to
overcome the temptation, and that we may not consent to it. A
temptation is not a sin. It becomes sin only when we are overcome by it.
When we are tempted we are like soldiers fighting a battle: if the
soldiers are conquered by their enemy, they are disgraced; but if they
conquer their enemy, they have great glory and great rewards. So, when
we overcome temptations, God gives us a new glory and reward for
every victory.
"Deliver us from evil." From every kind of evil, and especially the evil
of being conquered by our spiritual enemies, and thus falling into sin,
and offending God by becoming His enemy ourselves. It would be a sin
to seek temptation, though we have a reward for resisting it when it
comes.
"Amen" means, be it so. May all we have asked be granted just as we
have asked it.
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION
Hail, Mary, full of grace! the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou
amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy
Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our
death. Amen.
Next in beauty to the Lord's Prayer comes this prayer. It is made up of
three parts:
"Hail, full of grace! the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou amongst
women" was composed by the angel Gabriel, for these are the words he
used when he came to tell the Blessed Virgin that she was selected to
be the Mother of God (Luke 1:28). All her people knew that the

Redeemer promised from the time of Eve down to the time of the
Blessed Virgin was now to be born, and many good women were
anxious to be His mother, and they believed the one who would be
selected the most blessed and happy of all women.
"The Lord is with thee" by His grace and favor, since you are the one
He loves best. He is with all His creatures, but He is with you in a very
special manner.
After the visit of the angel, the Blessed Virgin went a good distance to
visit her cousin, St. Elizabeth, who was the mother of St. John the
Baptist (Luke 1:39). When St. Elizabeth saw her, she, without being
told by the Blessed Virgin what the angel had done, knew by the
inspiration of the Holy Ghost what had taken place, and said to the
Blessed Virgin: "Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the
fruit of thy womb." That is "blessed" because, of all the women that
have ever lived or ever shall live, you are the one selected by God to be
the mother of His Son and Our Redeemer, and blessed is that Son
Himself. This is the second part of the prayer. The third part, from
"Holy Mary" to the end, was composed by the Church.
"Hail." This was the word used by the people of that country in saluting
one another when they met. We say when meeting anyone we know,
"Good day," or "How do you do?" or some such familiar expression
used by all in salutation. So these people, instead of saying, "Good
day," etc., said "Hail" i.e., I wish you health, I greet you, etc. The angel
did not say "Mary," because she was the only one present to address.
"Full of grace." When anything is full it has no room for more. God's
grace and sin cannot exist in the same place. Therefore when the
Blessed Virgin was full of grace, there was no room for sin. So she was
without any sin and gifted with every virtue.
"Holy Mary," because one full of grace must be holy.
"Mother of God," because her Son was true God and true man in the
one person of Christ, Our Lord.
"Pray for us," because she has more power with her Son than all the
other saints.
"Sinners," and therefore we need forgiveness.
"At the hour of our death" especially, because that is the most
important time for us. No matter how bad we have been during our
lives, if God gives us the grace to die in His friendship, we shall be His

friends forever. On the other hand, no matter how good we may have
been for a part of our lives, if we become bad before death, and die in
that state, we shall be separated from God forever, and be condemned
to eternal punishment. It would be wrong, therefore, to live in sin, with
a promise that we shall die well, for God