e them in one
person, in whom there would be nothing displeasing, but everything
perfect and beautiful. Do you not think you would love such a person
very much indeed?

Moreover, suppose you knew that person loved you intensely, would it not
be your greatest delight to be ever with such a friend? Well, then, all
the lovable qualities and beauties you see in created beings come from
God and are bestowed by Him; yet all the good qualities on earth and
those of the angels and saints in Heaven, and even of the Blessed Virgin
and St. Joseph, if united in one person would be nothing compared to the
goodness and beauty of God. How good and how lovable, therefore, must He
be! And what shall we say when we think that He loves us with a greater
love than we could ever love Him, even with our most earnest efforts?
Try then first to know God and you will surely love and serve Him. Do
not be satisfied with the little you learn of Him in the Catechism, but
afterward read good books, and above all hear sermons and instructions.

"In this world." Because unless we do what is pleasing to Him in this
world we cannot be with Him in the next. Our condition in the next world
depends entirely upon our conduct in this. Thus we have discovered the
answer to the great question, What is the end of man; for what was he
made?

*7 Q. Of which must we take more care, our soul or our body?
A. We must take more care of our soul than of our body.

*8 Q. Why must we take more care of our soul than of our body?
A. We must take more care of our soul than of our body, because in
losing our soul we lose God and everlasting happiness.

Every sensible person will take most care of that which is most
valuable. If a girl had a hundred dollars in a ten-cent pocket-book, you
would consider her a great fool if she threw away the hundred dollars
for fear of spoiling the pocket-book. Now, he is a greater fool who
throws away his soul in order to save his body some little
inconvenience, or gratify its wicked desires or inclinations. Wherever
the soul will be, there the body will be also; so we should, in a
certain way, try to forget the body and make sure of getting the soul
safely into Heaven. You would not think much of the wisdom of a boy who
allowed his kite to be smashed in pieces by giving his whole attention
to the tail of the kite. If he took care to keep the kite itself high in
air and away from every danger, the tail would follow it; and even if
the t