Page:TheYoungMansGuide.djvu/71

 3. Hence it  follows  that  to  preserve  this light, your  most  precious  treasure,  with  the utmost care  is  the  first  and  most  important concern of  your  life. And this  is  no  easy task in  the  present  day,  when  unbelief  is getting  the  upper  hand  to  an  extent  which fills us  with  dismay. Therefore, mark  well what you  have  to  do  in  order  to  accomplish the task  of  your  life  aright,  in  order  to  preserve the  Faith,  which  is  your  most  precious treasure.

4. The  first  thing  is,  attend  diligently  to religious  instruction. Faith is  a  grace  in  its first origin,  and  this  grace  is  conferred  at Baptism;  faith  is  then  implanted  as  a  germ in the  heart  of  the  child. The development of this  germ  is  effected  by  preaching  divine truth, by  the  proclamation  of  the  word  of God. Wherefore St.  Paul  says:  "Faith cometh  by  hearing"  (Rom.  x.  17). On this account you  ought  highly  to  prize  the  proclamation of  divine  truth  by  means  of  sermons and instructions  of  a  religious  nature,  nor ought you  ever  to  make  use  of  a  frivolous  pretext to  excuse  yourself  from  attending  them. Apply to  yourself,  and  not  to  others,  what you hear,  and  seek  to  regulate  your  life  accordingly. Make also  a  daily  spiritual reading at  home.

5. The  second  means  of  preserving  your most precious  treasure  is  to  live  up  to  the Faith which  you  profess. The more  zealously any one  follows  the  precepts  of  the  Gospel,