, ,, WHY BE PURE? Explaining the Sixth Qommandment For Reading by Children and Parents at Confirmation Time . . your members are the temple of the Holy Ghost ...” (1 Cor. vi. 19) . By REV. A. J. KELLY New York, N. Y. THE PAULIST PRESS 401 West 69th Street Nihil Obstat: Imprimatur : New York, May 29, 1942, Arthur J. Scanlan, S.T.D., Censor Librorum. ^ Francis J. Spellman, D.D., Archbishop of New York. Copyright, 1942, by The Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle IN THE State of New York PRINTED AND PUBLISHED IN THE U. S. A. BY THE PAULIST PRESS, NEW YORK, N. Y. 0@3CDIfl6Ci Boys Club Headquarters, Monday, June 4th. Dear Chaplain: In our instructions before First Communion we learned the Ten Commandments. I believe, since then, we have tried to obey them all. But we’d like to be really sure we are obeying the sixth: “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Won’t you explain it more clearly to those of us whom you call your Indians. All we want is to under- stand it enough to obey it like all the others. The Tribe agrees we’d rather hear about this from you than from anyone else we know. We also hope you won’t be too rough on us in the Confirmation exam next week. Sincerely and respectfully, “Sleepy” Bill. (Big Chief and Secretary) . 8 St. Mary’s, Tuesday, June 5th. Dear “Indians”: Thanks for your letter and for the confidence you have always shown the chaplain. I like your reason for asking this instruction and, whether you asked for it or not, I’d be giving it to you before Confirmation. It’s part of my instruction to every Confirmation class. Evidently your brothers and friends in the last class were men of their word. I asked them not to talk about the things I said, but to think them over a very short time and ask the priest or their parents about any- thing they did not fully understand. Your letter proved that they did as I asked. What a gang! I know that you will be just as honorable. In the meantime, don’t worry too much about the exam. If your heads are not perfect I know your hearts. The Holy Ghost will find a welcome with each of you and that’s all I want to be sure about. Most sincerely. The Chaplain. il WHY BE PURE? Thinking or Talking DIGHT at the start let me tell you why I suggest short thinking rather than any kind of talk about this commandment. I know from experience that when boys “talk it over” they get it all mixed up. There’s bound to be one in the crowd who thinks that everything con- nected with the subject is bad or impure. Of course, that’s nonsense. God made our bodies—^just as they are—and each part of them for His own holy purpose. Any- thing He made is good and there will be nothing sinful trying to understand what God’s purpose is. Leaving God out of it, as some people do, is quite a different story. Instead of understanding, they spread wrong ideas. I have known too many boys who were poisoned by this wrong knowledge. You were therefore right in asking the priest to explain it. If I were enlisting as a soldier I would want to understand how to fight and how to be sure of victory. God expects you to understand all His command- ments. They teach you the sure way to heaven and the only way to victory. If you did not understand His commandments you would be half-blind soldiers, not soldiers of Jesus Christ. 6 6 WHY BE PURE? The Kind of Battle You have been told so often that Adam’s sin “darkened our understanding and weakened our will.” It made it harder to know what is right and to do what is good. It started a war between our soul and body. In time of temptation the body rebels. It rebels against the soul which must always command our body. The body wants pleasure here and now. The soul looks to future joy. It is therefore a battle between present and fu- ture, temporal and eternal happiness. The body dies, but the soul will live forever. That’s why God placed it in command. I knew a man who said: “All parts of my body, hands, feet, eyes and ears, are players on a team. My soul is the captain. Each part must do its work, not as each one pleases. Victory comes to all when all obey the captain. My hands are dumb without my mind and that is a part of my soul. Who ever heard of obeying one’s feet or any part of the body?” What happens in a ball game when the players defy the captain ? The “Comets” had us licked last year until they began to quarrel. 1 felt sorry for their captain. After the game they knew he was right but it was too late to change the score. So it happens with sin. The body listens to the wrong advice. It disobeys the captain and loses every time. Our good confessions WHY BE PURE? 7 win us another chance. We are ashamed and un- happy until our sin is forgiven. We had let the body boss the soul. Later on I will tell you HOW the soul must rule the body. Just now I am thinking of boys who live and talk as though they had no soul. No wonder they ruin their lives. They have only half-knowl- edge of the most important thing in life. Half-Knowledge Suppose someone asked you to ride in his plane. He had learned how to take off from the ground but had not yet learned how to LAND. I think you would say: “Excuse me today, I have some errands to do. But ask me again when you have learned how to land. I don’t think I’d feel very good unless I was all together. I’m funny that way.” Now half-knowledge about living is more dan- gerous than half-knowledge about flying. To know only about the body is the same as knowing how to start a plane but nothing about landing. The truth is that God made the soul to rule the body and gave it two wonderful powers, the mind to KNOW and the will to DO. These two powers make us different from the lower animals. Then why talk of the body, as some boys do, as if it were all-important? I’ll tell you one reason why. Some boys are afraid to talk of their soul because others might call them sissies. They let others spread wrong ideas and before long they be- lieve them, too. 8 WHY BE PURE? Now I trust you to take care of yourselves in almost any kind of an argument. It took me a long time to teach some of you that you don’t settle arguments with fists. Also, that when you put on the gloves you’d better stick to your weight. Yes, I trust you but I don’t trust every stranger you meet. Some of them have a rock in their glove. They have too many tricks and the wrong kind of training. Later on you’ll take care of them, too, and guide them, I hope, to the right kind of knowledge. Just now get the right kind of start yourselves. Think, but do not talk. Think only enough to under- stand. Understand and then forget it. Our heart and our lungs work best without thinking of them at all. Other parts of the body should be allowed to work in their own sacred way, — sacred all of them because God gave them a purpose. God’s purpose requires strength and growth. Even now your body is being prepared for holy things. New signs and feelings don’t spell sin. They only mean that you are healthy Indians and will become healthier still if you let God’s work alone. I hate to see thoughtless boys destroy a young tree in the Spring. They hack away with a hatchet or knife and let out the sap, just when it’s needed the most. It gives life to the tree and makes it strong. Why can’t they let it alone? It’s a cruel WHY BE PURE? 9 thing to destroy any life. It’s a sinful thing to tam- per with human life. In your Spring-time new health is being stored in your bodies. Don’t give it a thought any more than your breath. And don’t worry about strange new feelings. Only dead Indians have no feelings. Be careful and jealous of your growing strength. Keep away from hatchets or evil hands. Young bodies, like trees, must be protected from vandals. These are boys or men who just destroy for the sake of destruction. It’s all the same to them whether they destroy things or human beings. Your body is more than a thing and you must guard it always. Promises What I am going to tell you may have been ex- plained to you before. I certainly thank the father who explained it all when we were boys like you. He told us all we needed to know and that’s all we ever asked. He told us first that adultery was a sin of broken promises. Later on I’ll explain what he meant. He said the important lesson for boys to remember was to keep every promise we made, especially promises to God. We were puzzled at first. What promises had we made to God? Let’s think this over before going further. When we were baptized our god-parents made promises for us. In our name they promised to re- nounce Satan and all his works and pomps. Later on we went to confession and made these 10 WHY BE PURE? promises ourselves. When I say the Act of Con- trition I promise “to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen.” That “Amen” says: “I MEAN IT.” In Confirmation you will prom- ise “to profess your faith, never be ashamed of it and rather die than deny it.” So, from the time you were baptized and until you die, your whole life is built on promises, prom- ises you make to God and those you make to others. What a world it would be if men could not trust each other to keep these promises! It is because men do break their promises that we have such things as war and hunger and all kinds of unhappiness. If boys and girls, men and women, all over the world were faithful to every promise, we would hardly know what it meant to cry. More tears are shed for broken promises than for any other cause. How many homes and families know this too well ! Let us begin to keep our promises as soon as we begin to make them. This good habit is the surest protection from sin of any kind. Let’s see how it protects from adultery. Babies We’ll begin with right ideas about babies and marriage. Bill’s mother tow me the other day that he wanted a kid brother. He’s tired of being the young- WHY BE PURE? 11 est in the family and his sisters are tired of chasing his wild curves. (Bill says he’s not wild but they are afraid of his speed.) Now Bill was asking his mother for something only God decides. Fathers and mothers give life to the child. In this they work with God. With Him they create new life, though it was not so in the beginning. He made Adam without father or mother, from clay. He might have made each of us in the same easy way, boy or girl, as He chose. Instead, He now creates life by the consent and love of our parents. For that reason He made the first man different from the first woman and all future boys different in body from future girls. One is not better or more important, for each has the same everlasting.soul. Man alone, or woman alone, cannot give new life to another. Both together in a holy partnership create new life with God. They form the body to which God unites the soul. Beginning of Life The beginning of the new baby’s life takes place in the mother’s body. From a tiny seed to a healthy fruit she nourishes her expected baby until it can live by itself. Then we say it is born. The baby began to live—^we say it is conceived —^by the union of father and mother in a holy act of married love. Only Jesus was conceived without this union because He already LIVED as God. By the consent of His Mother, and to save all men, He, being God, took a body like ours. He did not take life because He had it from eternity. But He had 12 WHY BE PURE? not a body until Mary, His Mother, nourished Him in her womb. Hence the angel said: “Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.” How often and devoutly we say these words. By them the angel announced that Christ, Who was God, had also become man. Nine months later He was born. During these anxious months of waiting the Gos- pel tells us : “Mary was with child.” She was going to have a baby on the first Christmas night. Every happy mother waits the same anxious time. Like the mother of Christ she gives life from her body to the baby to be born. Though God gives the soul, and therefore life, the new body will be the fruit of her body and the reward of her love. God Has Plans Until the baby is born God keeps the secret, whether it will be boy or girl. St. Teresa’s mother wanted a boy to become a priest. God sent her a girl to become a great saint. He has special work for each soul He creates. I don’t know what work He has for each of you to do. Something fine I do know, for you were born when GREAT men and great saints were needed as never before. God makes our vocation clear when we are faithful to every duty. He gave light and strength to the apostles on the first Pentecost Sun- day. The same Holy Spirit comes to you in Confir- mation, for the same wonderful purpose. Never be afraid to dare heroic work for God. WHY BE PURE? 13 Sin of Scandal What a sin to prevent others from doing the work which God has planned! It is one of your duties NOW to protect and help your companions. Especially protect younger boys and girls from those who would ruin their souls. Christ, you know, was always kind. He was merciful to every sinner until He spoke of those who would ruin His children by giving bad example. This is what He said : “But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone be hanged about his neck and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea” (St. Matthew xviii. 6). These are terrible words from a Master Who was so kind. Perhaps some of your companions do not know what Christ has said of their bad example. Won’t you learn these words and tell them. It may help to warn and save some boy who now thinks it’s smart to be bad. Marriage The honor of working with God to create new life is given in holy marriage. Father and mother choose each other and PROMISE God to live together until death. Their union is blessed by Him when it is sealed by this sacred vow. No Govern- ment—not even the Pope—may cancel one’s promise to God. Neither may the people who make it. 14 WHY BE PURE? Husband and wife belong to each other,— to each other and to God Who is the third partner in every marriage. Therefore Christ clearly said: “What God has joined together let NO MAN put asunder.*’ Adultery To break this promise and unite with another — no matter what may be the excuse—is the terrible sin of adultery. It is the sin of broken promises, first, which a man and woman made to each other, and second, which they both made to God. The marriage prom- ise is the holiest promise two people can make on earth. For it brings them together with God the Creator, Who unites with them to continue HIS WORK of creation. God Himself does not break His promises when He becomes a partner with husband and wife. What will they say to Him if they do not keep their vow? Do you wonder that God hates adultery, and for- bids all thoughts, words, looks or actions that lead to such a sin. Boys do not commit adultery. They have not made the promises of marriage. But other sins lead up to it, as sickness leads to death. Each sickness has a name, measles, chickenpox or fever, and a spe- cial medicine to cure it. So with each sin against the sixth commandment. Let us discover their names (they are not all adultery), and let me tell you how each is cured. WHY BE PURE? 15 Just as the doctor tells some to rest and others to take more exercise, so I will tell you sometimes to play and often to rest in prayer. Both prayer and play must work together, prayer to strengthen our will and play to clear our mind. Bad Thoughts The sin of adultery, like all mortal sins, begins with evil thoughts. For example, the sin of theft takes place in the mind before it is finally committed. The thief looks at another’s property. He is en- vious and decides to take it. He plans and waits for the chance to steal. So far it has been all in his thoughts but he is already a thief before God. So it is with thoughts that lead to adultery. Thoughts lead to feelings, feelings to desires, and desires lead to actions. If the final actions are wrong, so are the thoughts which lead to them. If a fire destroys the house we blame the one who started it, or did not put it out in the beginning. So with bad thoughts which are encouraged to remain. Encouraged to Remain Here we come to the difference between forbidden thoughts which we do not drive away and tempting thoughts which come against our will. For example a boy is minding his business. He may be playing, reading, working, studying, or even saying his prayers. Through no fault of his, and much against his will, an evil thought or picture flashes through his mind. It may cause a secret pleasure. i6 WHY BE PURE? Has he sinned? No! Can he sin? Yes! Can he avoid sin? Most certainly! Above all, these thoughts do not mean he is bad. The greatest saints were disturbed by these temptations. They had eyes that saw and ears that heard evil things BY ACCIDENT. They guarded their eyes and ears and mind, and they hated such temptations. Yet sometimes these thoughts came. How many victories they won by knowing what to do, and promptly doing it. You might almost say they ran away, for they TURNED THEIR THOUGHTS TO OTHER THINGS. That’s got to be your trick, too. Turn your mind to something else: to holy things, stories you’ve read, games, batting averages, football stars, fishing trips, the house you’re going to build, or the courage of these early heroes. Heroes to Remember St. Lawrence was certainly brave. They roasted him on a red-hot grill. They thought they could change his faith. After he had suffered very much, they said to him ; “Do you give up?” “No,” he said, “turn me over on the other side. This side is done.” Or think of the Unknown Soldier, one of the first in Catholic History. The night was bitter cold. Forty Christians were left outside to freeze, most of their clothing taken away. A young pagan soldier was left to guard them. This was the first time he had seen any WHY BE PURE? 17 Christians. At first he laughed at them, as the other pagans did. He did not understand their faith. Through the window the Christians could see a warm fire and steaming bath. What a temptation to desert! Instead they prayed all night: “Forty of us believe in Thee. Make us brave, dear Lord, that forty of us may persevere. Let us come to heaven TOGETHER!” The night had almost passed when one of them de- serted. To save his body he gave up his soul. So close to heaven, he turned back to earth. Then the pagan guard threw off his own warm cloak, laid down his arms and rushed out to join the thirty-nine who were left. All through the night he had heard their prayer and admired their love for God and their love for one another. “Let me take the place of him who deserted. Forty came here and forty of us will go to Christ.” We do not know his name but the memory of this unknown soldier brings courage to us all. May he pray for us now in heaven, and especially when we are tempted. These brave Christians were once like you and me. They -were not perfect all at once. How did they become perfect? This brings me to the last and best remedy against all temptations. It is PRAYER. Prayer I don’t mean we should start to pray only when we are tempted. Unless our prayers have been a habit, we will not pray in danger. WHY BE PURE ? We don’t wait to eat until we faint. We keep strong by eating regularly every day. So we strengthen our soul by regular, daily prayer. These prayers save up blessings and make us strong in time of need. Suppose you had been one of the forty Chris- tians! I’ll tell you whether you would have perse- vered. Have you been faithful to daily prayers? Have you been building strength by Mass and Holy Communion, by attending the Rosary, Stations of the Cross and stealing into church to pray by yourselves ? If so, you also would have their courage. You would not have deserted in time of danger. They came to God when they were free to come. He came to them when they were taken to prison. We keep God near us by faithful prayer. Noth- ing then can make us afraid. Pray always and you will not sin. That’s the good of Habit Prayers. They save up graces for our time of need. They rescue us in times of danger. Pray always and you will not fall. Confession When you go to Confession and are sorry for im- pure thoughts, say to the priest very simply; “I allowed bad thoughts to stay in my mind. I am sorry.” God is pleased with our PROMISE to be better. No one should worry after a simple confession. WHY BE PURE? 19 Impure Words To make this instruction clear, let me divide words into four kinds: spoken, written, heard or read. If I write or speak impure words, I know what I am doing and am guilty of evil sin. The same is true if I know that a book is bad and read it just the same; or that someone is speaking impurely and listen because I’m curious. Naturally it is sinful. Of course it is not sin if I see or hear these things by accident and turn away when I know they are bad. We must guard our eyes and ears. If we want to keep clean we do not play in mud. If we know a book is bad, or that companions speak of impure things, we must avoid them all like fire. Did you ever put your hand in a fire to know what it’s like to be burned ? I know you have done many foolish things and have many nicks and scars. Some boys keep their angels busy, as well as parents, teachers and friends. But I notice lately that you are getting sense. On that camping trip last sum- mer you didn’t worry me at all — perhaps I’d better say— so much. I noticed especially how careful you were to put out the fire when we moved. Now impure words burn into one’s mniu and memory. £0 WHY BE PURE? They leave deep scars which stay when you would like to forget them. Why let them burn you at all ? Put Them Awoy There should be special camps— concentration camps—for people who write and speak impurely: camps in Siberia or deep in the woods, with barbed- wire fences and iron gates, just for people like that. They should not be free to spoil boys and girls with their poisonous kind of words. People who talk or write of dirty things are dis- eased in mind and soul. They should be kept in iso- lation, like people with contagious disease. They spread their poison to healthy minds and cause so much sin about them. Do you know such people? Do you avoid them? St. Teresa was preparing for a long trip to Rome. Her tickets were bought and clothes were packed. In an hour the train would leave the station. With her sister, Celine, she left her father, ran to the church and prayed at our Lady’s altar. For a pleasant trip? For good weather? For a good time? No! She asked the Blessed Mother to protect her from seeing or hearing anything wrong on this wonderful trip to Rome. Of course she enjoyed the trip. Wouldn’t you like to talk to the Holy Father ; speak of your plans and hear him promise to help you? All this was wonderful and she thanked God for such great favors. But she thanked Him espe- cially because her trip was not spoiled by the least evil sight or word. Do you ask for favors like these when you say your daily prayers? WHY BE PURE? 21 Confession When you go to Confession, say to the priest very simply: “I have read or heard impure words. I have said or written dirty words. I PROMISE not to do it again.” Impure Looks Did you ever stop to think what a blessing it is to see? Doctors say the eye is the most perfect and mys- terious wonder in the world. No human mind could invent it, nor human genius create it. Think of our great inventions; a tiny watch, a monster engine, the telephone, radio, and now, tele- vision. Add them all together, and every other in- vention to the end of the world. All of them to- gether cannot equal the wonders of a single eye. This gives some idea of the value God puts on SIGHT! The principal joy of heaven will be to SEE God face to face. Strange, isn’t it, that anyone should use these eyes for sinful looks—for looks that burn impure pictures into the mind and stir the body to sinful feelings. Has God shown displeasure of sinful looks? Re- member these stories from Bible History? Cham, the son of Noe, looked and joked at his uncovered father. He and all his descendants were immediately cursed. His modest brothers were blessed forever. Great King David looked immodestly on an 22 WHY BE PURE? innocent woman. This secret look led him to sin — the sin of adultery. To hide his sin he consented to murder, all because of a sinful look. How terribly he suffered and how great was his sorrow. Though God forgave him, David could never forget his terrible sins. He did penance the rest of his life—all because of a sinful LOOK! What else need I say to you honest boys? Cham and David have told you enough. Confession When you go to Confession, say to the priest very simply: “I have looked immodestly at myself or at others. I have looked at immodest pictures. I PROMISE not to do it again.” Feelings Feelings are funny things. They come and go like the sun and wind, without any command of ours. What sissies we’d be if we always gave in to our feeling 1 The clown in the circus may not always feel like acting funny; the home-run king does not always feel like playing ball; the policeman, the teacher, the doctor or nurse must often hide their feelings. Only cowards give in to their feel- ings. Our will and our mind must al- way boss our feelings. No matter how we feel, the mind says : “This is right,” and the will says : .“Do WHY BE PURE? 23 it.” This is how the soul controls the body, for our mind and will are two powers of the soul. But sometimes the body rebels. Impure feelings steal into the body, like impure thoughts to the mind. What did we do with these thoughts? We turned the mind to other things. How can we change these feelings? By putting the body to other work and our thoughts to healthy things. Feelings may be caused by thoughts, words, looks or touches. They may also be caused by lazy habits, too much food and drink, lack of exercise, sleeping too much, or even failure to keep ourselves clean The Worst Cause Of all these things perhaps lazi- ness is the worst. And I mean laziness of the mind as well as the body. A lazy mind drifts into trou- ble. What are your hobbies ? Any- thing like the boy’s in the poem (page 30) : ^‘Butterflies in both his mugs, Bottles filled with lightning bugs”? I know you Indians have no lazy bones in your bodies. You tire me out on those endless hikes. You're always cooking up a game. If you’re not skating, or boxing, or fishing, only your guardian angel knows what you’re doing, but it’s safe to say you’re doing something. Whatever else I might call you, I can’t begin to say you’re softies. Stay that way, for healthy, live Indians don’t have time for their feelings and need never worry about sins of this kind. 24 WHY BE PURE? Confession When you go to Confession, say to the priest very simply: “I gave way to my feelings. I was lazy, sulky, stubborn. I did not apologize when I offended others. I am sorry for impure feelings which I sometimes allowed to remain.” Impure Actions We sometimes talk of being alone. That’s just a way we have of talking. Every boy knows he can never be really alone. He is always in the sight of God Who sees his most secret thoughts, words and actions. Therefore when a boy speaks of good or bad ac- tions which were done alone, he means actions which were known only to God and himself. Impure actions mean sins of touch which a per- son commits (with himself or others) to obtain for- bidden pleasure. They are the most shameful of all evil things be- cause shame alone, if there were no commandments, would tell us they are wrong. We call this shame MODESTY. It was put in our soul to warn and protect us. Of course no boy would commit bad actions, alone or with another, if he stopped to ask: “If mother were looking, would I do such a thing?” A boy who asks himself this question will never offend God. Mother may not always be watching. She trusts you everywhere. She trusts you to remember that “God knows everything, even our most secret thoughts, words and actions.” WHY BE PURE? 25 A group of boys were asked one day what each would do if he knew he would die in the next few minutes. One said he would rush into church, an- other that he would hurry to Confession. The young St. Aloysius answered: “If I were sweeping the floor or playing a game, I would keep on just the same. God knows I do everything for Him, even during play. He watches my games, my work, and my prayer because I always invite Him. So I would keep on whatever I happened to be doing.” Small boys may have committed impure actions without fully realizing how bad they were. They are truly ashamed but they may not know what to do. Let me tell them. Before any sin can be mortal, two things are re- quired. There must be sufficient knowledge and full consent of the will. Therefore a boy may tell in Con- fession that he did not know how bad was his action, and he did not mean to commit mortal sin. His honest Confession will clean the soul entirely. Good and Evil Habits Impure actions, if repeated often, may turn into impure habits. We call bad habits vices as we call good habits virtues. Vices must be cleaned out of our lives as weeds are dug from the garden. We must make up our mind and use our ivill as soon as we learn they are bad. The good farmer does not spend all his time on the weeds. He wants something good 26 WHY BE PURE? to grow. So the intelligent boy gives most of his thoughts (and prayer) to the planting and growing of Virtue. Instead of worrying about impure, or dishonest, or selfish habits, he goes to work on a completely dif- ferent Virtue. He resolves to be extra kind to others, to be obedient, truthful, unselfish, or cheerful about his home. He examines his progress from day to day and confesses if he fails. He wants this particular fruit. He puts it in the care of Mary and his favorite Saint and makes it the intention of frequent Communion. What a happy change when he sees Virtue grow where Vice used to grow before! Confession When you go to Confession, say to the priest very simply and honestly: “I committed impure ac- tions (alone or with others). I made others do bad things. Others tried to do bad things with me.” Conclusion Well, boys, that’s all I can tell you about the Sixth Commandment. You wanted to understand it thoroughly. That’s why I wrote so much. Now that you do understand, I AM SURE you’ll never be traitors. As you read these pages, I know what you were thinking. First, you said to yourself: WHY BE PURE? 27 “From now on, no one need worry about this In- dian. All the fun I can have without committing sin ; baseball, hockey, swimming, fishing. I never stopped to think that God enjoys watching me play. Thanks, Father, for making that clear.” Second, you said: “This soul of mine is a pre- cious thing. May the Holy Ghost keep it clean and help me to save it. That’s why He comes in Con- firmation. My body is precious, too. God made it, just as it is. I will always respect it—and the bodies of others, too. Maybe boys and men have this spe- cial job to do. We’re not so useless as some people think.” Finally you said: “I’ve been making a lot of promises since I came into this world and, with the help of God, I’ll keep them better. I must admit I had only half-knowledge of lots of things, including the Sixth Commandment. Perhaps I had only half- knowledge of the value of my promises. I had learned to ynake them. Now I must fight to keep them. That seems the only way to be sure of land- ing in heaven.” Examinations I won’t be rough in your Confirmation exam, but you can be as rough as you want in pulling up the weeds of sin in your next good Confession. Now that you understand what these weeds are called, you will know what you must do to obey the sixth commandment. Let me add up their names again for your final examination of conscience. This is the way to confess them : 28 WHY BE PURE? Thoughts: “I allowed bad thoughts to stay in my mind.” Words: “I heard or read impure words. I said or wrote dirty words.” Looks: “I looked with shame on myself or others. I looked at immodest pictures.” Feelings: “I allowed impure feelings to remain. I was lazy, sulky, or stubborn.” Actions: “I committed impure actions (alone or with others?) . I made others do bad things. Others tried to do bad things with me.” Resolution: “I promise this month to be extra kind, extra truthful, extra obedient.” (Tell which VIRTUE you have chosen to practice.) “I will ex- amine my progress each day and will tell you. Fa- ther, in my next Confession.” The Big Game I know how anxious you are to practice for that Saturday game with the “Comets.” Remember what I told you about bunting. If “Cannonball” is pitch- ing and you can’t hit his speed, keep on bunting until he is rattled. He gives in to his feelings, and loses control as soon as anyone gets on base. And don’t blow up if they get a few runs ahead. I won’t be able to make the game, but Bill will have charge on the beach. I know you’ll follow his instructions as though I were there myself. Come to think of it, that’s the way to play the game of life,—^as though God Who made you were ALWAYS by your side. He has laid down the rules of the great game of life. They are all in the Ten Com- WHY BE PURE? 29 mandments. Keep them and you will win the great- est game of all. Take home this little book. Bill’s letter made me write it for you and all the gang. Read it again with mother and dad. They will be happy to see it. They have done all they could to make you clean and healthy. They watched and protected you when you were too small to take care of yourself. Now they may wonder if you are protecting others. They will be happy to know you asked me about the Sixth Commandment. They know the priest is next to them in wanting to help their boy. b I A Catechism for Jnqimrers By Ret. Joseph I. Malloy, C.S.P. We know of no finer catechism for the pros- pective convert. If you are not familiar with this book and are instructing converts, you are missing a real aid, an indispensable help. 96 pages. Over 500,000 sold. Paper binding only: 25c, S22.00 the 109 THE PAULIST PRESS 401 Was! 59th Street, Hew York 19, N. Y.