was apprehended, and brought before the King on a charge of refusing to join in the idolatrous worship of the sun, which in Persia is worshipped as a god. Sapor, having in vain endeavoured by threats and promises to shake his constancy, remanded him to prison. As the holy martyr was led from the royal presence under a guard of soldiers, he saw, sitting at the gate of the palace, a eunuch, named Usthazanes, who was a special friend and favourite of the King, having had the care of his early training and education. This nobleman had formerly been a Christian, and was still indeed the same at heart, though, to preserve the favour of his royal master, he had consented to adore the sun. Seeing the holy Bishop led past, Usthazanes, who respected him greatly, rose from his seat, and prostrated himself before him, according to the manner of the Persians. St. Simeon, however, knowing that he had been guilty of an outward act of idolatry, gave him a sharp reproof, and turned away his head from him. This seasonable severity touched Usthazanes to the quick, and caused him to enter seriously into himself. "Alas," said he, bursting into tears, "if Simeon's rebuke be so grievous, how shall I be able to bear the anger of God, whom I have so basely denied!" Whereupon, hastening home, he threw off his rich garments, and put on a black robe in sign of mourning. Then, returning to the palace gate, he resumed his seat with every appearance of deep affliction. The King, being informed of it, sent to inquire why he mourned, when his sovereign enjoyed his crown and health. He answered that it was for a double fault, for adoring the creature instead of the Creator, and for imposing on the King by an act of worship performed against his own conscience. Sapor, in a rage, condemned him to death, and Usthazanes was accordingly led to execution, begging as a last favour, in order to repair the scandal of his previous fall, that the crime for which he suffered, namely, that of being a Christian, might be proclaimed before him. Arrived at the place of execution, his head was struck from his body, and thus the shame and guilt of his fall were blotted out by the glory of his martyrdom.-Butler's Saints' Lives.

THE INDIAN CACIQUE.

The poor

Soon after the discovery and invasion of North America by the Spaniards, an Indian chieftain or Cacique was brought before the Spanish Governor, charged with conspiracy and attempt to revolt. The Governor sat in his chair of state, surrounded by his officers, and with his naked sword suspended from his belt. Indian stood before him unarmed, half naked, and loaded with fetters. When the charge had been read, the Governor, turning to the Cacique, asked him what he had to say in his defence. The poor Indian, having in vain protested his innocence, at length advancing to the Governor's feet, and taking hold, with his fettered hand, of the glittering steel, said, in tones of true sincerity, "Judge for yourself, Governor, whether it is likely that I should be so mad as to revolt against one who bears a weapon like this."

This simple answer of the Indian chieftain should put a useful reflection into our minds when tempted by Satan to mortal sin. 66 Begone!" we should say to him; "how can I be so mad as to revolt against a God who bears such weapons as those of Infinite Justice and Almighty Power?"

Divine Nature - His Procession from the Father and the Son-His Descent on the Apostles.

Q. What is the eighth article of the Creed?

A. The eighth article of the Creed is, "I believe in the Holy Ghost."

So far, my dear children, all our instructions on the Creed have been about the first two Persons of the B. Trinity, God the Father and God the Son. We come now, in the eighth article, to speak of the third Person, God the Holy Ghost; I believe in the Holy Ghost.

It happens very commonly, I am afraid, that we do not think sufficiently about God the Holy Ghost, and how much we owe to this Divine Spirit, who is the author of all the good that takes place in our souls. We are something like those Jews whom St. Paul found at Ephesus, who called themselves disciples of Christ, but, when he asked them," Have you received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" answered, "We have not so much as heard whether there be a Holy Ghost" (Acts xix.). When St. Paul came to question them, he found that they had only been baptized in the baptism of St. John the Baptist, and that they had never been fully instructed in the doctrine of Jesus Christ. You will perhaps say that you are not so ignorant as not to know that there is a Holy Ghost; and, indeed, it would be a shame if you were, since you have received the Baptism, not of St. John, but of Jesus Christ, and been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. But still there are

many things, I daresay, which you ought to know about the Holy Ghost, but which you do not; for example, you do not know, perhaps, of all his Goodness to you, or thank or love him as he deserves. Listen, then, and we will try to learn from this article what the Church teaches us about the Holy Ghost, and about all that he does for our souls.

First of all, you would, no doubt, like to know why it is that we call the third Person of the B. Trinity by the name of the Holy Ghost. You know why he is called Holy, for he is God, and God is Holiness itself. But why is he called the Holy Ghost? What is the meaning of the word Ghost? It is an old English word, meaning a spirit; so, when you speak of a ghost story, you mean the story of some one whose spirit has appeared after death, as that of the prophet Samuel did to the witch of Endor. Thus, you see, that the words Holy Ghost only mean Holy Spirit; so that we may use either one or the other name, just as we please, when we speak of the third Person of the B. Trinity.

The

You will wonder, perhaps, why we do not give the same name to the first and second Persons of the B. Trinity, each of whom, being God, is infinitely Holy, and likewise a pure spirit; so that each of them might, with truth, be called the Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost. simple reason is this: both the first and second Persons have a name of their own, the one being the Father and the other the Son of God; but the third Person, being neither Father nor Son, is called by that name which belongs to him by his nature as God, namely, the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit, and so he is usually called in the Sacred Scriptures.

It

But there is another reason why it is most fitting that the third Person of the B. Trinity should be especially called by the name of the Holy Spirit. It is because it is he who makes our souls or spirits holy by his grace. is true that he does not do this separately or apart from the Father and the Son, for God is one, and all the three Persons of the B. Trinity do conjointly what each one is said to do; for example, in creating, redeeming, and giv

ing grace to man. But what we mean is this, that, as the creation of the world, which is a work of Power, is ascribed to God the Father, though, in fact, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost created the world along with him,—and as the Redemption of man, which is a wonderful work of Divine Wisdom, is ascribed to God the Son, though the Father and the Holy Ghost co-operated in his becoming man and redeeming us,―so, in like manner, is our Sanctification, or the making our souls holy, ascribed in particular to the Holy Ghost, though the grace of God comes to us, through him, from all the three Persons of the B. Trinity. Thus St. Paul says in one of his epistles, "The charity," that is, the love, "of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given to us (Rom. v. 5). And you, in one of the beautiful hymns of the Holy Ghost, sing

Holy Ghost, come down upon thy children;

Give us grace and make us thine;

Thy tender fires within us kindle,

Blessed Spirit, Dove Divine.

For all within us good and holy

Is from thee, thy precious gift.

Here, you see, the hymn says that everything that is good and holy comes from and is the special gift of the Holy Ghost. Thus, it Thus, it is the Holy Ghost who, by his grace, cleanses us from our sins, makes us friends of God, and helps us to overcome temptation and to perform good works.

But you will say, perhaps, "Do not these graces come to us from the Passion and Death of our Lord, who died on the cross, that our souls might be raised from the death of sin to the life of Divine grace?" Yes, my dear children, it is quite true that our B. Lord has merited these graces for us by his sufferings and Death, which are the source or fountain of all grace, but then he gives us them by the Holy Ghost. It was for this reason that, when he was about to leave the world, he consoled his disciples by telling them that he would send them the Holy Ghost; and he went on to say that it was for their real good

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that he should leave them; for the time fixed for the coming of the Holy Ghost, who should apply his merits to their souls, was not till after his own departure. "It is expedient to you that I go for if I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you" (John xvi. 7).

You also see, from these words of our Lord, that the third Person of the B. Trinity, besides being called the Holy Ghost and the Holy Spirit is sometimes called the Paraclete. This word means Advocate, that is to say, one who speaks or pleads for another. This the Holy Ghost does by assisting us in our prayers, for we can make no prayer that is good for anything or pleasing to God without the grace of the Holy Ghost. Therefore St. Paul says, "No man can say the Lord Jesus but by the Holy Ghost" (1 Cor. xii. 3); in other words, no man can, unassisted by the Holy Ghost, even pronounce the Holy name of Jesus in a manner that will please God. But, on the contrary, when the Holy Ghost helps us to pray, then our prayers cannot fail to be heard. Wherefore St. Paul says again, " We know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself asketh for us with unspeakable groanings " (Rom. viii. 26). It is for this reason that he is called our Paraclete or Advocate.

You see now how much reason we have to love the Holy Ghost, to thank him for his graces, and to seek his blessing and guidance in all our undertakings. Many good people have the pious practice of saying the prayer of the Holy Ghost, “Come, O Holy Spirit," &c., at the beginning of every important work or employment; for instance, in Catholic Colleges, the students recite this little prayer whenever they commence their studies. any rate, we should often pray to the Holy Ghost, for which purpose we might repeat one of the beautiful hymns in his honour, to beg his grace to overcome temptation, keep the commandments, and know and accomplish the Divine Will in all things.

Q. Who is the Holy Ghost?

At

A. The Holy Ghost is the third Person of the Blessed Trinity. The Holy Ghost is the third Person of the Blessed