Now I’ve seen a great many ball games. I’ve seen the Yankees play, and I’ve watched the Giants. I’ve seen the Dodgers, the Reds, the Cubs, and just about every big league team. I’ve seen Babe Ruth knock home runs, and I’ve seen the World Series. I’ve seen good games and bad games. But do you know the games that I liked best? The games that gave me the most fun were played by young boys. I have always liked to watch boys play ball.

One of the best ball games I ever saw was be­tween two teams of schoolboys — one called Saint Mary’s, and the other called Saint John’s. The teams were playing for the championship of the city, and it was certainly a great game. I enjoyed every minute of it.

When the game started, both teams were nervous. They fought hard to win, and there was plenty of excitement. At the end of the fourth inning, neither team had made any hits, and neither side had scored any runs. So you can see that it was a good tight game.

Then in the fifth inning something happened. The boys from Saint Mary’s were at bat and there were two outs. The right fielder of Saint Marys picked up his bat and walked to the plate. The first ball pitched was a strike. Then came two balls and another strike. So, there were two balls and two strikes. The pitcher threw the next ball. The batter swung, hit a grounder, and started for first base. The shortstop scooped up the ball and threw it to first base. Now, it looked to me as though the runner and the ball reached first base at the same time.

Was the runner safe, or was he out? Well, we’ll leave that to the umpire. The umpire raised his hand and yelled at the top of his voice: “The runner’s out!”

Of course, the boys from Saint Mary’s didn’t like that, and every boy on the team ran toward first base.

“Hey, Ump,” they yelled, “he’s safe! he’s safe!” “The runner’s out!” called the umpire again but the boys insisted that the runner was safe.

For several minutes the boys from Saint Mary’s argued with the umpire while he just shook his head. Finally, the umpire turned from the boys and yelled again: “The runner’s out!”

“He’s safe! He’s safe!” insisted the boys, and then they began to plead. “Aw, Ump, why don’t you give us a break?”

Suddenly, the umpire turned and walked back toward the boys from Saint Mary’s. Raising both arms, he called for silence.

“Now, listen, boys,” began the umpire, “I’m running this game and I said that the runner is out. I can’t help you fellows win. You’ve got to win yourselves. Talk won’t win this game, but runs will. So go out and get yourselves some runs!’

That was pretty good advice. It was good advice for the boys from Saint Mary’s and it’s good advice for you. Each one of you is trying to win a game. You are fighting hard to beat the devil. In other words, you are trying to save your soul. You must save your own soul. You must win this game your­selves, the umpire told the ballplayers. And in the game of life, you, too, must save your own soul. If you lose your soul, you can’t blame anybody. You can’t blame God! Talk won’t save your soul and neither will good intentions. Good deeds are the things that count.

Whenever you pray, visit a church, go to Mass, go to confession, receive Holy Communion, you do something good. When you obey your parents, when you tell the truth, when you are honest, when you hold back your temper, when you speak clean words and think clean thoughts, when you are kind and help the poor, you do something good for your soul. These are the things that earn grace for your soul, the things that help you save your soul. Every run counts in a ball game, and every run helps your side to win. Every good deed earns grace for your soul, and every good deed counts toward winning heaven.

Too many boys and girls think that they are going to save their souls tomorrow or next year. They do a lot of talking and they have good inten­tions, but they never get started. That’s wrong, and those boys and girls are taking a terrible chance. If they wait too long, perhaps God will never give them the chance to get started. Don’t you act that way! Remember, you have only one chance to save your soul and you have that chance right now. So get started! Begin today, and do some good deeds every day! That’s the way to save your soul.

Remember, in the game of life God is the Great Umpire. He watches everything you do. He sees every play, and He decides which boys and girls have won the game. So, if you want to save your soul and win heaven, go out and earn your runs! With good deeds to your credit every day, you’re bound to be a winner.

Early that morning the young Princess left the royal palace and rode in a beautiful carriage to a large department store. Of course, people were sur­prised to see the Princess alone, and a few curious ones followed her. They all wondered what the Princess was going to buy.

I suppose you, too, are wondering what the Princess bought on her first shopping trip. Did she buy a new dress? No! Did she buy new shoes? No, the Princess didn’t buy new shoes. Did she buy a fur coat? No, children, the Princess bought none of these things. There was only one thing that the Princess wanted and that’s why she went shopping. The Princess wanted a new hat.

Well, the Princess looked at all kinds of hats. Gold hats and silver hats! Black hats! Brown hats! Green hats! Yellow hats! Hats with feathers! Hats with flowers! Hats trimmed with ribbons and veils! But the Princess didn’t buy any of these hats. The Princess wanted a certain kind of a hat, and when she saw what she wanted, she bought it. What kind of a hat did the Princess buy? The Princess bought a blue hat.

Now that isn’t all! The Princess liked her hat so well, that she decided to shop in another store. In the second store, the Princess looked at more hats. Large hats! Small hats! All kinds of hats! And in the second store, the Princess bought another hat, a very lovely one. What kind of a hat did she buy in the second store? The Princess bought another blue hat.

The Princess then went to five other stores, and in each store, she bought a new hat, and each hat was a blue hat. Seven new hats! Seven blue hats! That’s what the young Princess bought the first time she went shopping.

Of course, all the papers printed stories about the Princess and her first shopping trip. Each story said that the Princess bought seven blue hats, and each story was read by thousands of women and girls. Then what do you think happened? Most of those women and girls went to stores and they all bought blue hats. School teachers, nurses, clerks, store keepers, factory workers, office girls, mothers, daughters — they all bought blue hats. The young Princess certainly started something when she went shopping.

When I read about the Princess and her seven blue hats, the thought came to me that we are very much like that Princess. Yes, we are. Boys and girls, we, too, are shopping, and we’re shopping for something to wear on our heads. Now we’re not shopping for blue hats. Oh, no! But we are shopping for a golden crown that, some day, we will wear in heaven. You know, God pays us for being good. Every time we do something good, God pays us by giving us grace. And that grace buys a crown for us in heaven. So, like the Prin­cess, we’re shopping for a crown to wear in heaven.

You want to save your soul. You are trying to save your soul. That’s why you speak the truth. That’s why you are honest. You obey, you say your prayers, you go to Mass, you go to confession, you receive Holy Communion — you do all these things because you know that by doing them you will earn grace. The more grace you earn, the more certain you will be of getting into heaven. The more grace you receive, the more beautiful will your crown be in heaven.

I like to think of the Blessed Virgin Mary as our Princess. When Mary was on earth, she spent all her time shopping for her crown in heaven. Mary never made a single sin, not even a venial sin. She never lied. She never disobeyed. She was never dishonest. Mary never lost her temper. She never became angry. Mary spent all her time doing good. And when Mary went to heaven, she found that she had earned the brightest crown in heaven. Her good deeds earned for her the best place in heaven, a place right next to Jesus.

Many, many women and girls followed the ex­ample of the young Princess and they bought blue hats. Why don’t you follow the example of our Princess, Mary? Why don’t you shop for grace in the same way that Mary did? Keep away from sin! Tell the truth! Be honest! Obey your parents and teachers! Say your prayers every day and go to Mass on Sunday! Receive Holy Communion often! If you do these things, children, you will keep away from sin, and you will earn lots of grace for your soul.

The Blessed Virgin Mary wants you to earn a crown just like the one she wears. Remember, you have to work for that crown every day. Let others have their blue hats! You are working for some­thing better — a gold crown, a crown like the one worn by our Princess, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Well, last Sunday, I saw some boys and girls receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in another church. It was a grand class and the parish priest was very proud of his children. I think the Bishop liked the class, too, because after Benediction, the Bishop did something unusual. He spoke to the children a second time.

“Boys and girls,” said the Bishop, “you have done very well, and I would like to reward you. Each one of you deserves a prize, but I have no prizes. However, I have something very precious, my Rosary. I’ll give my Rosary to the boy or girl who will give me the best answer to a question”

Every eye was on the Bishop. Every child won­dered what the question would be. Every boy and girl hoped to have the right answer.

The Bishop waited for a moment, and then, spoke very slowly. “Here is my question!” he said. “What was the greatest thing that ever happened in this world?”

Every boy and girl began to think. The Bishop smiled while he waited for an answer.

A little girl was the first one to raise her hand. The Bishop nodded his head, and the girl stood up. “The greatest thing that ever happened in this world,” she said, “was the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.”

“That was a good answer,” said the Bishop. “Now let’s see what the other boys and girls think!”

A boy was the next one to answer the Bishop’s question. “I think,” said the boy, “that the greatest thing that ever happened in this world was the making of the first airplane.”

That was a good answer, too. So were several other answers. The first steamboat, the first pin, the first eraser, the first fountain pen, the automobile, the washing machine, the electric ice box, radio— all these were mentioned. The Bishop, however, knew that there was a better answer.

Finally, a boy in the fifth pew raised his hand.

He was little Eddie Kelly, one of the altar boys. The Bishop knew Eddie, because Eddie had often served the Bishop’s Mass.

“Well, Eddie,” asked the Bishop, “what do yon think was the greatest thing that ever happened in this world?”

Eddie answered in a clear voice. “The greatest thing that ever happened in this world was the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to earth to make us better people. And the world would be very much better if all of us would do what Jesus taught.”

“Good for you, Eddie!” smiled the Bishop. “That’s the right answer. The greatest thing that ever happened in this world was the birth of Jesus!”

Yes, Eddie Kelly won the Bishop’s prize. He won the Bishop’s Rosary, because Eddie gave the right answer to the Bishop’s question.

Children, since this world began, some mighty important people have lived on this earth. There have been kings, queens, and emperors. There have been presidents, mighty soldiers, learned teachers, and great builders. There have been thousands of great men and women. But Jesus Christ was the greatest of them all. Jesus was greater than any man who has ever lived, because Jesus is God.

Eddie Kelly said that Jesus came on earth to make all of us better people. Yes, Jesus came to show us the way to heaven. Jesus gave us ten rules to follow, ten laws, or as we call them, the ten Commandments. If we keep these ten rules, then, we will surely get to heaven. Then, too, Jesus made seven Sacraments to make it easy for us to get grace. Every time we receive one of these Sac­raments, we get grace in our souls, and that grace will buy our way into heaven. Oh, Jesus did so many good things for us. He showed us how to suffer. He even died for us.

Just think how terrible it would be if Jesus had not come! The gates of heaven would still be closed, and it would be mighty hard for us to save our souls. If Jesus had not come, there would be no Catholic churches, no Catholic schools, no priests, no sisters. There would be no Mass. You wouldn’t be able to go to confession. You couldn’t receive Holy Communion. Why, you would be afraid to die. Yes, without Jesus, this would be a hard world, and you wouldn’t be very happy.

You can see that Jesus has been very good to us. It must have been very hard for Him to leave heaven and come here and suffer. Jesus came to earth because He loves us. Jesus came to make us better people, to help us win heaven.

Would you like to thank Jesus for being so good? Well, you can do that when you pray, when you assist at Mass, when you receive Holy Communion. You can thank Jesus for coming to earth by keeping His Commandments and by receiving His Sacraments often. You can thank Jesus by being a better boy or girl. As Eddie Kelly said so well, “this world would be very much better if all of us would do what Jesus taught.”

Now, don’t get the idea that Loretta spends all of her time working! She likes to play, too. Like all little girls, she plays with her dolls, her dishes, and her other toys. Yes, and she even reads picture books all by herself. Best of all, however, Loretta likes to be with her mother. She loves her mother, and, of course, the mother loves the little girl. That’s why they are such good friends.

Wait until I tell you what happened last Sunday morning! Loretta woke up earlier than usual. She called to her mother, but her mother didn’t answer. Then the girl called again, and again there was no answer.

“I wonder why Mother doesn’t answer,” the little girl asked herself. “She certainly must be tired this morning.”

Loretta waited a while and then she called her mother again. But Loretta’s mother didn’t answer. The girl called her father and her father didn’t answer. That made the girl wonder some more.

“Why don’t they answer?” she asked again as she jumped out of bed and ran to her parents’ room. And was Loretta surprised? When she reached her parents’ room, her mother and father were not there.

The little girl hurried downstairs. She ran through the parlor, the dining room, and the kitchen, calling at the top of her voice. But no one answered. Loretta was alone— all alone in the big house. Oh, how she cried! The girl was afraid, and she wanted her mother.

I suppose you, too, are wondering about the little girl’s parents. Well, Loretta’s mother and father had gone to the near-by church.

The church was crowded, and the people listened to every word the priest spoke. All of a sudden, someone knocked on the side door of the church. A few people looked toward the door but the priest kept talking. In a few moments, there was another knock, and the priest kept talking. Finally, there was a real hard knock and someone shook the handle of the door.

The priest stopped talking, and every head turned toward the door. An old man walked to the door and opened it. And was the man surprised? There in the doorway stood a little girl with tears in her eyes. The girl was Loretta Benson.

Loretta looked at the man for a moment. Then she rushed into the church and screamed at the top of her voice. “I want my mother! I want my mother!”

Some of the people smiled, but there were tears in the mother’s eyes as she hurried to her child. Was Loretta happy when she saw her mother? I think you know the answer.

Children, that story is a true story. It really happened. When a priest told me that story, do you know what I thought? I thought about our Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. And I thought, too, that if we would love Mary as much as Loretta loves her mother, we would be the happiest people in this world. Mary loves everyone of us, but do we love Mary? If we don’t love Mary, then there’s something wrong with us, because every child loves his mother.

Boys and girls, you need your Mother, Mary. You need her love, her protection, and her care. Mary will help you to keep away from sin, and she will help you to save your soul, too. Remember, Mary’s Son died for you to make it easy for you to get to heaven. Mary, like Jesus, wants you to get to heaven and she wants to help. That’s why you should pray to her. That’s why you should pray to Mary every day.

If Mary and you are not close friends right now, it’s not Mary’s fault. Mary hasn’t run away from you, but you have run away from Mary. You haven’t been praying to her, lately, and that’s why you are not friends. You know how good Mary has been to thousands and thousands of boys and girls. Well, she wants to be good to you, too. Mary can get anything you want from Jesus, but you have to tell her what you want. You’ve got to pray to her. Jesus gives His best gifts to Mary, and if you ask for them, Mary will see that you get them.

I’d like to think that every boy and girl in this church loves Mary. Keep close to Mary and don’t let her get away from you! Pray to her every day! You know, Mary gets all of her friends into heaven. If you pray to her now, then you can be sure that you’ll be very close to her in heaven.

Some day you are going to walk up to the gates of heaven. If you have been one of Mary’s friends, you’ll knock on the gates and say to Saint Peter: “I want my Mother!”

What will Saint Peter do? He will smile as he opens the gates. Then, Peter will take you to Mary, and you’ll be happy with her forever and ever.

One day the mother called Finny aside. “I must warn you,” she said, “about a great danger. People will try to catch you with hooks and bait. Now don’t rush after everything that shines or things that look like worms! If you do, you may get caught and you’ll end up in somebody’s frying pan.”

Finny thanked his mother for the good advice. He promised to be very careful. Well, Finny was careful, and time and time again, he saw worms and shining hooks dangling in the water and re­fused to touch them. He laughed at the boys and men who tried to catch him. Finny was a smart fish. He was certain that he’d never get caught.

Finny grew up to be quite a fish. In fact, he weighed over three pounds. So, he was quite a fellow. Finny spent most of his time close to home and his family, but, once in a while, he stole away for a long swim. Of course, whenever Finny went off alone, his parents worried. But Finny always came back.

Did I say that Finny always came back? Well, there was one time when Finny did not come back. No, Finny didn’t get lost, but he did get into serious trouble. What happened? Listen!

It was a bright, sunny day, and very quiet and peaceful in the mountain brook. Finny decided to take a long swim. Well, he swam and swam far away from home. He swam into strange waters, and that’s where he made his terrible mistake.

Suddenly, Finny saw something red and white dash through the water before him. Without thinking, Finny raced through the water and snapped the object with his open mouth. Yes, Finny caught the object and that’s the sad part of this story. In an instant, he felt a sharp hook pass through his mouth. Finny was caught. He fought hard to get away, but the hook was too strong. Finny couldn’t get away from the terrible hook.

I suppost you know the rest of the story. Yes, that noon, Finny, buried in flour, lay on a frying pan over a hot fire. That was the sad, sad ending of Finny, the fish.

I suppose you think Finny was a very foolish fish. Well, he was. Imagine a fish biting a piece of colored wood and getting caught! Finny may have been a foolish fish, but do you know that some boys and girls are just as foolish? They see something bright and shining to the eye, and like foolish fish, they rush after it and take it just like a fish takes bait.

Life is full of baits for boys and girls. There are certain persons, certain places, certain things that lead you into sin. These persons, places, and things may shine before your eyes, but they are just like the fisherman’s bait. The devil holds these persons, places, and things before you to tempt you. If you grab them, you will fall into sin. We call these baits of the devil the occasions of sin.

Finny was fooled by the shining object, and he got caught. That’s where you can learn a lesson. Don’t be fooled by a person’s looks! Boys and girls may wear fine clothes, but clothes don’t make them good. If a person has bad habits, keep away from him, because you don’t want to get caught.

Keep away, too, from places of sin, places where you may see or hear evil, places where bad boys or bad girls meet! Keep away from theaters where they have bad shows or bad movies! If you go to these places of sin, you are chasing the devil’s bait. If you go to these bad places, you may get caught and you may fall into sin.

There are things, too, that will lead you into sin — bad books, dirty pictures, bad movies, dirty stories, unclean songs. Children, you must be on your guard. Remember, very often dirty books have lovely covers. Beautiful theaters don’t always have clean shows or good movies.

The devil, children, is a foxy fellow. Sometimes, when he wants to lead you into sin, he tries to catch you with strange bait. Keep away from the occasions of sin — persons, places, and things that will lead you into sin! Don’t be like Finny! Don’t get caught!

The boy worked at odd jobs and saved his money. For days and days he talked about the circus, dreamed about the circus, and wondered about the circus. Frank could hardly wait for the great day.

Circus day finally came, and that was a big day in Frank’s life. Bright and early, Frank was at tbe circus grounds watching the men unload the big trucks and put up their giant tents. He saw wild animals in cages — lions, tigers, and bears. He saw elephants, camels, horses, zebras, and monkeys – Why, Frank saw so many wonderful things that his eyes almost popped out of his head.

I don’t have to tell you that Frank was right on the job for the circus parade. He laughed at the clowns, admired the beautiful horses, and clapped for the band. He was so thrilled that he even forgot to go home for dinner. He followed the parade back to the circus grounds and waited for the great tent to open. Frank wasn’t going to miss anything, because this was his first circus.

While he was waiting for the tent to open, Frank watched a man making pink lemonade. He saw other men popping corn and cooking hot dogs. Then he saw a man selling toy balloons. Frank had never seen such big balloons and they were all colors. Red balloons! Green balloons! Blue balloons! White balloons! Yellow balloons! Black balloons! Frank watched the man with the balloons for some time, and, after a while, what do you think happened? One of the green balloons broke away and began to rise in the air. Frank watched the green balloon go higher and higher, and finally, he saw the green balloon disappear. Frank was excited and he began to wonder.

“Say, Mister,” he asked after a few moments, “could a red balloon go as high as that green one?”

The man with the balloons seemed surprised at the question. “Sure, Sonny!” he answered, and he smiled at the little boy.

“Well, what about a white balloon?” asked the boy again. “Could a white balloon go as high as that green one?”

The man smiled again. “Yes, little boy, a white balloon could go just as high as that green one.”

Frank was glad to hear that, but he had one more question. “Do you think a black balloon vould go as high as that green one?”

The man with the balloons looked down at the little boy and nodded his head. “Boy,” he said, “it isn’t the color of the balloon that makes it rise. It’s the stuff inside.”

Now Frank Murphy learned something important from that man at the circus. He learned that it is not the color of the balloon that counts — it’s the stuff inside. Now I’d like you boys and girls to learn something else that is very important. Every day you meet boys and girls. You play with them, if you go to school with them. You have them for your friends. Like the balloons, all children are different. Some are short and others are tall. Some have black hair, brown hair, red hair, blond hair. Some have freckles and others have dimples. All children have eyes, ears, a nose, and a mouth, yet, all children are different. It seems as though no two children are alike. Why, even the color of the skin of some children is different. Your skin is white, but I have seen little Indian children with red skin. I know children who have black skin. In China, the children have yellow skin. Yes, there are millions of children in this great world and they all seem to be different.

All children may look different on the outside, but do you know that all children look alike on the inside? Yes, that’s true! Inside of every boy and girl, God has placed a soul, and all souls look alike, because all souls look like God. So, it’s not the color of your skin that counts. It’s your soul that counts. It’s the stuff inside the balloon that is important, and it’s the soul inside you that makes you important and precious.

Your soul will live forever. Thousands and thousands of years after you die, your soul will still be alive. Your soul will be living in either heaven or hell. You don’t want your soul to go to hell. You want your soul to go to heaven, and your soul will go to heaven if you say your prayers, go to Mass, go to confession and receive Holy Communion often, and keep God’s laws.

It’s the stuff inside the balloons that counts. It’s the soul inside your body that counts with God. Your soul is more important than your body.

Your soul is the most important part of you, so, take good care of it! Remember that and don’t forget it!

Night after night, Maxie played on the King’s soft rugs and slept in the King’s large easy chairs. He loved his home and he knew that he was very lucky. Whenever Maxie thought about his friends living in cellars and barns, he felt sorry for them. He became, therefore, very proud and felt that he was much better than ordinary mice. After all, Maxie lived in a castle. He was a royal mouse.

Whenever Maxie roamed about the castle at night, he tiptoed over the carpets and was always careful going around corners. However, Maxie was never afraid. He liked the dark because that was the best time to steal the Queen’s candy and cook­ies. He took lots of chances in his search for food, but he was never afraid of danger.

As he became older, little Maxie became very bold. Why, one night, he even climbed the castle stairs and visited the rooms on the second floor. Of course, he couldn’t see very much in the dark, but when morning came and he saw all the fine rooms, he decided to stay right there on the second floor.

Now, Maxie had one good habit. Being a little mouse, he always took a nap in the afternoon. But what do you think he did? One day he took his nap in the Queen’s bed, right up on the soft white pillow. Well, Maxie was just in the middle of a dream — dreaming that he was eating crackers and cheese — when he was awakened by a loud scream. The Queen had discovered him. Maxie jumped off the pillow, ran down the hall, and hid in a shoe far away from the angry Queen.

While Maxie was hiding, he did some thinking. “That Queen doesn’t like me,” he said to himself. “I’m going to keep away from her.” After some time, the little mouse climbed out of the shoe. “This looks like one of the servants’ rooms,” he whispered to himself. “I think I’ll stay right here.”

Late that night, little Maxie sniffed and snuffed. Yes, he did smell candy. So, coming out from his hiding place, he walked across the room, and sure enough, resting on the floor beside a chair he found a box of chocolates. The box was open and Maxie crawled into the box. Boy, oh boy, did little Maxie have a feast? He ate so much candy that, finally, his stomach began to ache.

“That’s enough for tonight,” he said to himself as he hurried back to his hiding place in the lady’s shoe. The next night there was no candy. But there was something else. The servant had placed on the floor three salted peanuts, a dish of honey, and a small white pill.

Maxie ate the peanuts and lapped up the honey. Then he—. No, he didn’t! He didn’t touch the pill. Maxie was wise. He felt that there was poison in that pill, and, of course, there was.

The next night, little Maxie had another feast. There were more peanuts, more honey, and the same white pill. He ate the peanuts, lapped up the honey, but he didn’t touch the pill. As he crawled into his shoe, he almost laughed out loud at the servant who tried to catch him.
Things were different the next night. There were no peanuts, no honey, no little white pill, and Maxie wondered.

“Oh, I’m just like Old Mother Hubbard,” he cried and the tiny tears ran down his cheeks. “I’m very hungry and there’s nothing to eat.”
But there was something to eat. Under the bed there was a small trap and in the trap was a large piece of cheese.

Maxie smiled when he caught the odor of cheese. He hurried across the room and ran under the bed. It was all over in a moment. The trap sprang and that was the end of Maxie, the proud little mouse that lived in a castle.

Poor little Maxie! He was bold, proud, brave, and not afraid of danger. He laughed at danger even when he was very close to it. He was always certain that he would never get caught. It took a long time, but he did get caught. A piece of cheese was his downfall. A piece of cheese brought death to the little mouse.

Many boys and girls are just like Maxie. They are bold, proud, and brave. They say that they are not afraid of the devil. Oh, the devil will never catch them. The devil will never lead them into sin. Then what happens? Someday, when they are not on guard, the devil does catch them. The devil leads them into a trap and they fall into sin.

Children, look out for the devil! He’s a sly fellow and works twenty-four hours a day. He wants your soul and he wants to lead you away from God. He’s always on the job throwing temptations your way — telling you to skip your prayers, whispering to you to miss Mass, begging you to keep away from confession and Holy Communion. So, be careful! When the devil tempts you, pray hard, and then you won’t get caught in his trap.

Sometimes, the devil takes a long time trying to catch you. As long as you live, the devil will be after you. Have nothing to do with him! When you are tempted, pray, and then you won’t sin. DON’T GET CAUGHT IN THE DEVIL’S TRAP!

While on one of these trips to Europe, this priest saw something very interesting in the town of Augsburg in Bavaria. It was the twenty-ninth day of September and this day, you know, is the feast day of the great Saint Michael. People came from far and near and gathered in the Square. Why did they come? They came to look at a clock, the four hundred-year-old clock on the City Hall, one of the most wonderful clocks in the whole world.

Just before noon the Square was crowded with men, women, and children. As the hands of the clock moved toward noon, there was silence in the Square. Every eye was on the clock. Everyone waited and everyone wondered. The big hand moved closer to the smaller one. Then, just a few seconds before noon, a window above the clock opened, and there, standing in the window with a large sword in his hand, was a figure of Saint Michael. At his feet was the devil.

Suddenly, the clock struck, and the first time it struck, Saint Michael sunk his sword into the devil’s body. Of course, that was just what the crowd wanted. They yelled and clapped their hands. Again the clock struck, and again Saint Michael stabbed the devil with his sword while the crowd yelled with delight. Twelve times the clock struck, and twelve times Saint Michael dug his sword into the devil’s body. At the last stroke of the clock, the crowd went wild. They yelled and cheered because Saint Michael was a hero. Saint Michael was a winner. Saint Michael had con­quered the devil.

Then the figures of Saint Michael and the devil disappeared. The window closed and the show was over. The people went back to their homes. They were happy, satisfied, and contented. Saint Michael had won his fight. The devil had lost.

Children, I’d like to think that each one of you is another Saint Michael. Oh, I don’t mean that I want you to go around carrying a sword, and I don’t want you to be using your fists all the time, either. No, no! But I do want you to fight the devil, and God wants you to fight him, too. God wants you not only to fight the devil, but God wants you to lick him.

You know that the devil lives in hell. Well, don’t get the idea that the devil spends all of his time in hell! He spends most of his time trying to get other people into hell. The devil wants you in hell. So what does he do? He goes around tempting you and trying to lead you into sin. Why, the devil tempts you every day. So, you have to be on your guard. You have to be ready to fight the devil at all times. Remember, when the devil tempts you, you have to get rough with him. You must lick him, because you can’t afford to lose.

Of course, when the devil tempts you, you can’t stab him with a sword. But do you know what you can do? You can pray. Prayer is the best sword you can use against the devil. He hates prayer. He’s afraid of prayer. When you pray in time of tempta­tion, every prayer is a stab at the devil, and prayer will lick him every time. So, when the devil tempts you to do wrong, don’t get nervous or excited! Just pray, and keep on praying! If you do that, you’ll find that the devil will stop bothering you, and he will stop quickly.

However, the devil never gives up. He never stops fighting. He keeps coming back. You may lick him and his temptations this morning, and in a little while, he may come right back and bother you again. The devil tries to tire you out although he never gets tired himself. The devil may bother you several times a day, but don’t let that worry you! Just say those prayers every time he comes around and then you won’t fall into sin.

Children, Saint Michael was a scrapper, a scrap­per who won his fight against the devil. Ask Saint Michael to help you in your scraps against the devil. Tell Saint Michael that you want to be a scrapper, that you want to be on his side, that you want to win your fights against the devil. If you lick every temptation, then some day, like Saint Michael, you, too, will be in heaven.

It seems that, one day, Bobby’s father made a promise. The father promised the boy that, if he would work hard and pass all of his examinations, he would take Bobby on a trip to Europe. Well, I don’t have to tell you that Bobby worked hard in school and studied every night. Yes, Bobby passed his examinations. He passed every one of them with very high marks, and, of course, Bobby was happy.

Now I suppose you are wondering whether Bobby s father kept his promise. He certainly did. The boy and his father sailed from New York on the second of July, and Bobby Burns was the hap­piest boy in the world.

Bobby spent the first day roaming about the great ship. And was he excited? There were so many things to see. The elevators! The swimming pool! The toy shop! The moving-picture theater!

The game room! The library! Why, that first day was one of the greatest days in Bobby’s life. He could hardly believe that there were so many won­derful things on a ship. It was just like a dream.

The second day Bobby had lots of fun. He swam in the pool, played games on the deck, and even won a prize. He listened to the music and watched the people dance. He went to the children’s party and ate three dishes of ice cream and plenty of chocolate cake. Boy, he had the time of his life. And that isn’t all! That night, Bobby and his father went to the movies and they didn’t have to pay. Then and there, Bobby decided that he was going to be a sailor. Living on a ship was just the life he wanted.

But the third day! Oh, things were different the third day. When Bobby awoke, the great ship was tossing and rolling.

“There must be a storm,” said Bobby to himself as he jumped out of bed and began to dress.

Suddenly, the great ship seemed to tremble and shake. Then she dove forward and Bobby fell to the floor.

“This is a storm, alright, and it must be a big one,” he thought. Bobby was excited, but he was not afraid.

Bobby went to the dining room for breakfast, and he found very few people at the tables.

“You are a brave boy to be up this morning,” said the waiter as he served the boy’s breakfast.

‘This is the worst storm that we have had in years.”

Bobby smiled. Now he would have something to tell his friends when he went back home.

Bobby didn’t want to miss anything. He wanted to watch the storm, the angry sea, the high waves. So, after breakfast, the little boy went up on the deck. And what a surprise! The sky was dark, the thunder roared, and the lightning flashed. Bobby held tightly to the guardrail and watched the giant waves rise and fall. At times, the great ship seemed to stand still and, then again, she plunged into a deep hole. It was all very exciting, and Bobby en­joyed the excitement.

The boy watched the storm for about five min­utes. He was about to go inside when a sailor came up to him.

“What are you doing out here, Sonny?” asked the sailor. “Aren’t you afraid?”

“Afraid?” answered Bobby. “Of course, not! My father is the captain of this ship.”

Boys and girls, do you know that you are just like Bobby? You, too, are making a trip. You are making a trip to heaven, and each day brings you closer to home. Now you know that the sun doesn’t shine every day. At times, things go wrong and you run into storms. The devil tempts you and tries to lead you into sin. You get sick or have an accident. You find your work in school very hard or you fail to pass your examinations. Someone lies about you, or you are punished for something that you did not do. All these things are the storms that upset you. Well, when these storms come, just remember that God is in heaven. Like Bobby, you must trust God, your Father, who watches over you and pro-tects you. God sees everything and God knows everything. God is your Captain and, if you trust Him, He will bring you safely through the storms.

When things go wrong, don’t ever get the idea that God has gone back on you! Don’t get the idea that God doesn’t like you or that He is angry with you! God doesn’t work that way. You are God’s children and He loves every one of you. That’s why He made you, and that’s why He died for you. So, when things get black, put your trust in God! Pray to Him! Ask His help! I know that God will hear your prayers and He will never let any harm come to you. Remember that!

Children, God is your Father. He is the Captain of your soul. Believe in Him! Hope in Him! Love Him! Put your trust in God at all times! Then, when temptations come or things go wrong, you need never be afraid. Like Bobby, you, too, can stand up and say: “Afraid? Of course, not! My Father is the Captain of this ship.”

Every night after supper, Marion’s father helped her with her lessons. When the lessons were fin­ished, the father usually told a story, and Marion loved her father’s stories. When the weather was good, Marion and her father often went for a walk. Marion liked those walks because she felt that walking with her father was grand fun.

Well, one night Marion happened to look up at the sky. Oh, the sky was beautiful. The great big moon seemed to smile and wink at the little girl, and Marion smiled and winked right back. And the stars! Why, the sky was dotted with stars. Big stars and little stars, all twinkling and lighting up the sky. Never before had Marion seen so many-stars, so many beautiful stars.

“Father,” said the youngster all excited, “I’ve got an idea. I think I’ll count the stars.”

“All right, Marion,” answered the father, “go right ahead!”

The father held the little girl’s hand, and, for some time, neither spoke a word. Then Marion began to count out loud. “Fifty-five! Fifty-six! Fifty-seven!” Then the little girl stopped. “Daddy,” she sighed, “I had no idea there were so many stars.”

Late that evening, when Marion was sound asleep, her father sat in his big easy chair — think­ing. He thought about his little girl counting the stars and what she had said. Marion had no idea there were so many stars.

Then the father began to count. Oh, he didn’t count stars, but he counted all the good things he had received from God. “Twenty-two! Twenty-three! Twenty-four!” Then the father stopped. He raised his head, looked at the crucifix hanging on the wall, and whispered: “Lord, I had no idea there were so many.”

Yes, Marion’s father had his eyes opened. Day after day, God had been giving him many things and he never realized how good God had been to him. It was only when the father began to count his blessings that he saw how much God loved him. And was he surprised? Why, it was the biggest surprise of his life. He had no idea that he had received so many blessings.

Now, children, there’s an idea for you. If you want to know how much God loves you and how good He has been to you, just sit down some day and count all your blessings! Count all the good things that God has given to you! Will you be sur­prised? Well, you certainly will be surprised, and you will have your eyes opened.

Let’s do some counting right now! What are some of the blessings that you have received from God? Let’s name some of those blessings! Well, there’s your health and that’s a mighty big bless­ing. Your mother and father are blessings. Can you imagine how hard it would be to live without your father and mother? Your home, your food, your clothing are blessings. Think of all the blessings you receive because you are Catholics. You can go to Mass, go to Confession, receive Holy Com­munion — these are blessings that are not given to every boy and girl. They are given to you, because you are God’s special friends. Oh, children, we could go on and on counting our blessings. God has been giving you some of these blessings ever since you were born. Perhaps you never thought about them before, but, now that you know them, you must say that God is very good.

As you count your blessings, children, I know that you will be surprised. But don’t forget to say “thanks” to God for them. You should thank Him every day. God certainly takes very good care of you; He is very generous. If God is so good and kind, you ought to tell Him that you are grateful. After all, if you never thank God, how can you expect Him to keep on giving?

Boys and girls, I’d like to be around some day when you count your blessings. I’ll bet that you’ll find more blessings than you’ll find stars in the heavens. After you make out your list of blessings, I know just what you are going to say: “Lord, I had no idea there were so many.”