ork is all
deception and very sinful. If any of these things could be done, or if
God wished them to be known, He would give the power to the Church
founded by His divine Son, and not to a few sinful men or women here and
there. After a soul leaves the body its fate is hidden from us, and we
can say nothing with absolute certainty of its reward or punishment. No
one ever came back from the other world to give a minute account of its
general appearance or of what takes place there. All that is known about
it the Church knows and tells us, and all over and above that is false
or doubtful. By thinking a little you can see how all these dealings
with fortune tellers, etc., are giving to creatures what belongs to God
alone.

320 Q. Are sins against faith, hope, and charity also sins against the
First Commandment?
A. Sins against faith, hope, and charity are also sins against the First
Commandment.

321 Q. How does a person sin against faith?
A. A person sins against faith, first, by not trying to know what God
has taught; second, by refusing to believe all that God has taught;
third, by neglecting to profess his belief in what God has taught.

"Not trying to know." Thus children who idle their time at Sunday school
or religious instruction, and do not learn their Catechism, sin against
faith in the first way. In like manner grown persons who do not sometime
or other endeavor to hear sermons or instructions, to attend missions or
learn from good books, sin against faith. "Refusing to believe," as all
those do who leave the true religion, or who, knowing it, do not embrace
it. "Neglecting to profess." We may do this by not living up to the
practice of our holy religion. We believe, for example, we should hear
Mass every Sunday and holy day; we should receive the Sacraments at
certain times in the year; but if we only believe these things and do
not do them, we neglect to profess our faith, neglect to show others
that we really believe all the Church teaches, and are anxious to
practice it. Many know and believe what they should do, but never
practice it. Such persons do great injury to the Church, for persons who
do not live up to their holy religion but act contrary to its teaching
give scandal to their neighbor. How many persons at present not
Catholics would be induced to enter the true Church if they saw all
Catholics virtuous, truthful, sober, honest, upright, and industrious!
But when they see Catholics--be they ever