teaches us about God the Father, and this is contained in the first article, "I believe," &c.

In the next six articles we profess our faith in God the Son, and in all that the Church teaches us regarding him. We have more to know and believe about God the Son, because he has made himself more known to us by becoming man. Thus, the second article declares who he is; the third, how he became man; the fourth, his Passion and Death; the fifth, his Resurrection; the sixth, his Ascension; and the seventh, his coming again at the last day to judge us.

We next, in the eighth article, profess our belief in the third Person of the B. Trinity, God the Holy Ghost.

After thus making an act of faith in the three Persons of the B. Trinity, and what the Church teaches regarding them, we, in the four remaining articles, declare our belief in some of the most important doctrines of the Church. The most important of all is put first in the ninth article: "The Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints." This article may, indeed, be said to contain the whole Creed in itself, for if we believe in the Catholic Church, we believe in all that she teaches, and the whole of the Creed is about that.

Next comes "the forgiveness of sins" in the tenth article ; "the resurrection of the body" in the eleventh, and “life everlasting," the reward and crown of our faith, in the last. These three truths are specially mentioned, because it is particularly important that we should be well instructed in them and ever have them before our eyes.

When you repeat, my dear children, every morning and evening, this beautiful act of faith, you should do so with hearts full of gratitude to God for teaching you how to know him by these Divine truths, and with a firm determination to live and die in the bosom of that Church, which he has established to teach and explain them to mankind.

THE BENIGHTED TRAVELLER.

A traveller returning to his home from a distant country arrived nightfall at the entrance of a vast forest. Being unable either to

delay his journey or retrace his steps, he was preparing to traverse it in the dark, when he beheld an old shepherd, from whom he asked the way. "Alas!" said the shepherd, "it is not easy to point it out, for the forest is crossed by hundreds of paths which wind in every direction, and are almost similar in appearance, though all with one exception lead to the abyss." "To what abyss?" said the traveller. "The abyss which surrounds the forest," said the shepherd. "Moreover, the forest is filled with robbers and wild beasts, and is infested in particular with an enormous serpent, which commits dreadful ravages, so that scarcely a day passes but we find the remains of some unhappy travellers who have fallen a prey to it. Still, as it is impossible to arrive at the place you are going to without traversing the forest, I have, through a motive of compassion, stationed myself at the entrance of it to assist and direct travellers. I have also placed my sons at different intervals to assist me in the same good work. Their services and mine are at your disposal, and I am ready to accompany you if you desire it."

The candour and venerable appearance of the old man filled the traveller with confidence, and he at once accepted the proposal. With one hand the shepherd carried the lantern, and with the other he took the arm of the traveller. They then set out upon their journey.

After walking for some distance, the traveller felt his strength begin to fail. "Lean upon me," said the shepherd. He did so, and was able to continue his journey. At length the lamp began to grow dim. "Alas!" said the traveller, "the oil is nearly spent, and the light will soon be extinguished. What will become of us?" "Do not fear," replied the shepherd; we shall shortly meet with one of my sons, who will supply us with oil." At the same moment they perceived through the darkness the glimmering of a light at a little distance. It proceeded from a small cabin by the side of the path. At the well-known voice of the shepherd, the door was opened. A seat was offered to the weary traveller, and some plain but substantial food was set before him. Thus recruited, he set out again after a short pause, guided by the shepherd's son.

A

In this manner he journeyed on during the rest of the night, passing from time to time by different cabins built along the path, at all of which he obtained both refreshment and rest, and was furnished with fresh guides. At the dawn of day he arrived, without accident, at the boundary of the forest. Then he perceived the greatness of the service rendered him by the shepherd and his sons. frightful precipice lay at his feet, at the bottom of which he could distinguish the roar of an angry torrent. "This," said his guide, "is the abyss which my father spoke of. No one knows its depth, for it is always covered with a thick fog, which no eye can penetrate."

As he spoke, he heaved a deep sigh, and wiped away a tear from his eyes. "You appear grieved," said the traveller. "Alas! how can I be otherwise?" replied his guide. "Can I look at the abyss

without thinking of the thousands of unhappy people who are every day swallowed up in it? In vain do my father and ourselves offer our services. Very few accept of them, and of those few the greater portion, after journeying for a few hours, accuse us of alarming them without cause, despise our advice, and leave us. The consequence is, that they soon lose their way, and are devoured by the serpent, murdered by the robbers, or fall headlong into the abyss, for there is only this one little bridge by which it can be crossed, and the way which leads to the bridge is known to us alone. Pass over with confidence," continued he, turning to the traveller and embracing him. "On the other side is your true country." The traveller, overcome with gratitude, thanked his charitable guide, promised never to forget him, and, crossing the bridge, found himself at once in his own country and in the bosom of his family.— Catéch. de Persév

My dear children, do you understand the meaning of this beautiful parable? The good shepherd you cannot mistake; he is our B. Lord. His sons are the pastors of the Church, who, succeeding one another, continue his work of guiding the pilgrim safe through the perils and dangers of the world. The one only path which leads to the journey's end is the Catholic Church, which alone leads to heaven; all other roads lead to the abyss. The pilgrim is yourself; the lamp, the light of faith; the oil, the grace of God; and the food and refreshment, the Sacraments of the Church. Then there is the great serpent, who, you know, is the devil; while the robbers and wild beasts are wicked company and our own evil passions. The forest is the world; the bridge, death; the abyss, hell; and the pilgrim's true country, the kingdom of heaven.

How grateful, then, should we be to our Good Shepherd for providing us in his Church with so many means of escaping the dangers that beset us, and arriving at our heavenly kingdom!

THIRD INSTRUCTION.

God the

CHAPTER III. - First Article of the Creed Father-Existence and Nature of God-His Perfections-Omnipotence, Eternity, Omnipresence, and Omniscience-The Unity and Trinity of God.

Q. What is the first article of the Creed?

A. The first article of the Creed is, "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth."

In the first article of the Creed we express our belief in what the Church teaches us about God the Father. We must believe

First. That he is truly God.

Secondly. That he is the Father, the first Person of the Blessed Trinity.

Thirdly.-That he is Almighty, that is, all-powerful. Fourthly. That he is the Creator of heaven and earth. There are other things which we know and believe about God the Father, but these are the chief and most important. The Catechism, therefore, goes on to explain these truths one by one.

Q. What is God?

A. God is the Supreme Spirit, who alone exists of himself and is infinite in all perfections.

What is God? This is a question, my dear children, which has puzzled all the philosophers and wise men who have tried to discover an answer to it by the light of human reason alone; for though human reason may be able to give us some indistinct knowledge of God, it is God alone who can fully teach mankind what he is, neither has he left us in ignorance of what it is necessary for us to know in regard to himself. First of all, he taught our first parents, Adam and Eve, in the garden of Paradise, that he is the One Only God, who made all things, and whom we should ever adore and obey; and our first parents handed down the knowledge of this great truth to their children. But as time went on, the greater part of men became very wicked and corrupt. Their

minds became darkened by sin, they lost the knowledge of the true God, and they began to make gods for themselves, according to their own foolish fancies. Thus, some said that the sun and moon were gods; others, that great men who had lived on the earth, when they died, became gods; others, that the earth itself was a god; others again, that beasts and serpents,--nay, even the very trees and vegetables were gods. And not content with adoring as gods creatures which the Almighty had made to serve for their use and benefit, men went on in their blindness to make gods for themselves out of wood, and stone, and metal, which they carved into certain shapes and figures called idols, and then adored and worshipped as gods. Thus did man fall away from the knowledge of God, and in punishment of his own vices and wilful obstinacy, become a slave to the grievous sin of idolatry, that is to say, the worship of false gods and idols. But there was always the light of the true religion enlightening the world, and teaching those who were willing to be taught, all those truths which God had made known about himself. These truths are contained in the answer of your catechism, which you have just repeated.

First of all, God is the Supreme Spirit. But what is a spirit? I told you a little time ago that a spirit is a being possessing understanding and free will, that is, the power of knowing and willing, but without a body. It has, therefore, neither shape, nor size, nor colour, nor any of the properties of a body. Our souls are spirits, the angels are spirits, God is a Spirit; but, oh! what a vast difference between Almighty God and all other spirits, which are the work of his Divine Hands! For he is not, like our souls, confined within a little body, nor, like the angels, present only in certain places; nor is he, like both one and the other, subject to or dependent on any one; but he is the One Great Spirit, who fills the whole universe, and who rules and governs all things, wherefore he is called the Supreme or Highest Spirit.

Secondly.-God alone exists of himself. All things have their being or existence from God, but God from no one. God made all things, but no one made God. And not