“To know” Him, because we must know of a thing before we can love it.  A poor savage in Africa never longs to be at a game or contest going on in America, because he does not know it and therefore cannot love it.  We see a person and know him; if he pleases us we love him, and if we love him we will try to serve him; we will not be satisfied with doing merely what he asks of us, but will do whatever we think might give him pleasure.  So it is in regard to God.  We must first know Him—­learn who He is from our catechisms and books of instruction, but especially from the teaching of God’s ministers, the Holy Father, bishops and priests.  When we know Him, we shall love Him.  If we knew Him perfectly, we should love Him perfectly; so the better we know Him the more we shall love Him.  And as it is our chief duty to love Him and serve Him upon earth, it becomes our strict duty to learn here whatever we can of His nature, attributes, and holy laws.  The saints and angels in Heaven know God so well that they must love Him, and cannot therefore offend Him.

You have all seen some person in the world, or maybe several persons, whom you have greatly admired; still you did not love them perfectly; there was always some little thing about them in looks, manners, or disposition that could be rendered more pleasing; some defect or want you would like to see supplied; some fault or imperfection you would like to see corrected.  Now suppose you had the power to take all the good qualities you found in the persons you loved and unite 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.