more clearly how the Catholic Church goes back in her pastors to the time of the Apostles, look at the long unbroken line of Bishops of Rome who have ruled the Church from the time of St. Peter down to his present Holiness Pope Pius the Ninth. We know all their names, their histories, the years when they began to reign, the years when they died or suffered martyrdom for the faith, and we can trace them back in one continued line of succession to St. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles.

In the second place, the Church is Apostolic, not only because her pastors come down in an unbroken line of succession from the Apostles, but because they have received from them the same doctrine, the same sacred orders, the same Divine mission, which the Apostles received from Jesus Christ himself. For the doctrine which our Bishops and Priests teach us is not their own doctrine, but the doctrine of the Church, which has continued one and the same since the time of the Apostles, who themselves received it from our blessed Lord. In like manner, the sacred orders by which our Bishops and Priests are set apart to offer the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to preach and baptize, to forgive sins, and administer the Holy Sacraments, are the self-same which our Blessed Lord bestowed upon his Apostles when he ordained them Priests, and which they have handed down in regular succession to our present pastors. And, finally, they enjoy the same Divine Mission as the Apostles did, since they are sent by the Apostles and their successors, as the Apostles were sent by Jesus Christ, to preach to mankind and guide them to eternal life. "As the Father hath sent me," said our Blessed Lord to his Apostles, "I also send you. Going, therefore, teach all nations."* From this we see that our Blessed Lord did not merely ordain his

* John xx. 21; Matt. xxviii. 19.

Apostles Priests, but that he gave them a mission, that is to say, that he sent them out into the world to exercise their sacred functions. In the same manner does the Pope, the successor of St. Peter and the Vicar of Jesus Christ, give to each newly ordained Priest, through his own Bishop, a mission, by sending him to some particular place to labour for the salvation of souls.

THE BENIGHTED TRAVELLER.

A traveller returning to his home from a distant country arrived at 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. The traveller 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 out. What will become of us?" "Do not fear," replied the shepherd; we shall soon meet with one of my sons, who

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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 son of the old shepherd.

Thus 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. A 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."

"Can

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. 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 this 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.—Gaume. Catéchisme de Persévérance.

My dear children, do you understand the meaning of this beautiful parable? The good shepherd you cannot mistake; he is our Blessed 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!

SEVENTEENTH INSTRUCTION.

Ninth Article-Continued. The Infallibility of the Church. The Communion of Saints. Purgatory, and Prayer for the dead.

Q. Can the Church err in what she teaches?

A. No; she cannot err in faith or morals, for she is our infallible guide in both.

The Catholic Church, having been appointed by our Blessed Lord to guide us to eternal life, cannot fall into any error in her public teaching; otherwise she would not fulfil the end for which her Divine Founder made her. The catechism says, that she cannot err in faith or morals. This means that she cannot make any mistake in teaching us what we

have to believe, which is what is meant by faith, or what we have to do, which is what is meant by the word morals. Thus, when we speak of a man who does not believe the truths of religion, we say, "That man has no faith;" and when we speak of one who does not keep the commandments of God, "He is a man of bad morals."

we say,

Now, our Blessed Lord, knowing well that, in order to be saved, we must both believe what he has taught us and practise what he has commanded us ; and knowing, moreover, that, if left to ourselves, we should certainly go astray in both these points, has given us a guide or teacher, whom he has promised to preserve from all error, or who is, in other words, infallible. This most secure guide is, as you know, the Holy Catholic Church. When, therefore, we speak of the Church being infallible, or of the infallibility of the Church, we simply mean that she is preserved by God from the possibility of falling into any error or mistake in her public teaching.

You see now, my dear children, what it is which makes the faith of a Catholic so firm and secure. It is because he does not presume to judge for himself what our Blessed Lord taught or what he did not teach, but simply believes what the Church teaches, knowing that Jesus Christ has appointed her to make known his Divine truths to mankind. If ever, therefore, we are tempted against our faith, we have only to say, "I believe, O Lord, whatever the Catholic Church teaches," and immediately the temptation will vanish.

Q. What proof have you of this?

A. Christ has promised that the gates of hell shall not prevail against his Church, that the Holy Ghost shall teach her all truth, and that He Himself will abide with her for

ever.