Quest. Is "charity a gift" of " the Holy Ghost ?"

Ans. Yes; St. Paul says, "the fruit of the Spirit is love;" Gal. v. 22. and calls it more excellent than miracles, and all other gifts. 1 Cor. xii. 31.

Quest. What is a "bond?"

Ans. A constraint, or very forcible engagement.

Quest. Is charity like these?

Ans. Yes; it constrains to "peace," and engages us very forcibly to "all virtues."

Quest. What do you mean by "whosoever liveth?"

Ans. Whosoever is an active, efficient, zealous, and dutiful member of the Church. "Those that be planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of our God." Ps. xcii. 13.

Quest. Is not such a character very valuable and important ?

Ans. Very important indeed to our eternal happiness. Quest. How are such "lively members" of the Church "counted before God," if they are without charity?

Ans. They" are counted dead before Him." "He that loveth not his brother abideth in death." 1 John iii. 14.

21. ASH-WEDNESDAY.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, Who hatest nothing that Thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent; create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of Thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Quest. Does the "Almighty and Everlasting God" hate any of His creatures?

Ans. No; God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 1 Pet. iii. 9. Quest. Will God "forgive the sins of them that are" not "penitent ?"

Ans. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." 1 John i. 8, 9.

Quest. What do you mean by "penitent ?"

us."

Ans. Sorry for our sins when we confess them. Quest. Are we naturally disposed to be thus penitent ? Ans. No; we need to have this disposition "created in "Create in me a clean heart, O God." Ps. li. 10. Quest. What do you mean by a 66 new heart?" Ans. A mind and temper renovated-changed from sinful affections to good ones.

Quest. What do you mean by a "contrite heart ?" Ans. A heart deeply humbled under a sense of guilt. Quest. Has God promised to give this in any instance ? Ans. Yes; "A new heart will I give you;" Ezek. xxxvi. 26. and it is said, "A broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." Ps. li. 17.

Quest. What do you mean by "worthily lamenting" your sins?

Ans. Grieving for them as they deserve.

Quest. If our sins are "lamented worthily," or as they deserve, how shall we be likely to feel?

Ans. Very wretched.

Quest. Is "wretchedness" on account of our sins suitable to "lamenting" them as they deserve?

Ans. Yes; we must acknowledge" this before God. "Be afflicted, and mourn and weep. in the sight of the Lord, and He James iv. 9, 10.

Humble yourselves shall lift you up."

Quest. What may we hope to obtain from "the God of all mercy," when " we worthily lament our sins, and acknowledge our wretchedness?"

Ans. "Perfect remission and forgiveness."

Quest. What is remission?

Ans. The cancelling of a forfeiture or debt. 'Forgive us our debts." Lord's Prayer.

Quest. How is this "perfect remission and forgiveness" obtained?

Ans. Only "through Jesus Christ our Lord."

22. FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT.

O LORD, Who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights; give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey Thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, to Thy honour and glory, Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

Quest. How long did our Blessed Saviour "fast for our sakes?"

Ans. "Forty days and forty nights."

Quest. What do you mean by "abstinence?"

Ans. Forbearing the accustomed use of food, refraining from indulgence of every kind.

Quest. What is the use of this?

Ans. "That our flesh may be subdued to the Spirit." Quest. Is it necessary that the flesh should be thus subdued?

Ans. Yes; for St. Paul says, "The flesh lusteth against

the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are

contrary the one to the other." Quest. When "the flesh is

what is likely to follow?

Gal. v. 17.

subdued to the spirit,"

Ans. That we shall "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

Quest. How are the "godly motions" of the Holy Spirit obeyed in righteousness?

Ans. By doing such things as are pleasing in His sight. Quest. How are they obeyed in true holiness?

Ans. By "purifying ourselves, even as Christ is pure ?" Quest. To whose honour and glory is our "subduing the flesh and obeying the motions of the Holy Spirit" of Christ?

Ans. "To His honour and glory," "Who for our sake did fast forty days and forty nights;" "Who liveth and reigneth with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen."

23. SECOND SUNDAY IN Lent.

ALMIGHTY GOD, Who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves; keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Quest. Can we "help ourselves" in any matter without the help of God?

Ans. "We have no power of ourselves to help ourselves."

Quest. Does Almighty God see and pity our helplessness?

Ans. Yes; for He has "laid help on One that is mighty." Psalm lxxxix. 19.

Quest. What do we mean by asking God to "keep us outwardly in our bodies?"

Ans. We ask Him to give us food and raiment, and to protect us from the evil accidents of life.

Quest. What do we mean by praying to be kept "inwardly in our souls ?"

Ans. We pray to be kept "from all sin and wickedness, and from our ghostly enemy, and from everlasting death." Catechism.

Quest. What "adversities which may happen to the body," do you pray to be " defended" from?

Ans. From all, especially from sickness and poverty, from loss or injury of limbs, "from lightning and tempest, from plague, pestilence, and famine, from battle and murder, and from sudden death." Litany.

Quest. What are the "evil thoughts which assault and hurt the soul?"

Ans. Chiefly such as the devil offered to our blessed Saviour in his temptation, provoking us to distrust God's mercy, to disbelieve His word, to forget His goodness, to tempt His providence, to despair of His help, to prefer the honours and pleasures of this world above His favour. Quest. When such thoughts as these assault the soul of a good Christian, do they always "hurt him?"

Ans. They are sure to give him great pain, but by the defence of the Almighty, they may be cast off without doing him serious injury.

Quest. Are they capable of wounding him mortally?

Ans. Yes; if not resisted with determination in the strength of divine grace.