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Show SUNDAY SCHOOL. "Why were you absent from last catechism class?" the pastor inquires of the Catholic child. Most frequently he i answered: "Father (or mother), said I might stay home." It is a wicked thing for parents to assume as-sume authority where they have none, and to grant dispensation .when they have no power. " We speak not of such cases in wnicn real necessity prevents a child from attending Christian instruction; in-struction; for then it ia the unalterable unalter-able circumstances and not the parents which keep the child away. But we refer re-fer to those frequent arbitrary permissions per-missions granted by parents in virtue j of their own opinions, sometimes for the most trifling and whimsical reasons; rea-sons; for instance, when the child wants to play, to 'go to the show, or to a picnic, to keep company with a play-mate or a visitor; or when he does not know, his lesson, or affirms he has been over it before; or when he finds fault with the Priest or teacher, or class-mate; Parents ought to reflect on the truth that their child is first and abve all God's child. When, therefore, religion calls him by the pastor, what right could they have to free him from the duty of obeying? i3 not the church a supernatural authority over both parents par-ents and child?. Do riot parents themselves them-selves call their pastor Father? And rightly so, for.VinJchrist Jesus. by the Gospel he has begotten them." (I Cor. 14: 1.) But if he i3 their father, must not parents show and teach the child obedience to his commands? He appoints ap-points the hour and makes arrangements arrange-ments for Christian instruction, according accord-ing to 'his good opinion. Obedient parents par-ents will not permit the child to slight his precepts. The child, of course, feels happy over deliverance from duty, and is pleased with his parents for their leave of absence; but let them call on him to perform duties: towards themselves, them-selves, and he win. be as disobedient to their rules as theyltaught him to be to the rules of the pastor. When parents think deviations from the rules of th? pastor to be proper, they should first consult him about it. .' Say not it is better to let the child be free when he feels 'disinclined to attend because it is not good to drive religion into him with the rod.; Are vou as compliant to. his wishes when he wants to shirk secular learning learn-ing and echool lessons? Do you then always give way to his dislikes? Or is religious instruction not as important in your estimation as secular? Certainly, Certain-ly, faith in the articles to be taught and to be believed and pious sentiments are objects on which his- free will must decide, . x |