. Are we obliged to make open profession of our faith?
A. We are obliged to make open profession of our faith as often as God's
honor, our neighbor's spiritual good, or our own requires it.

327. Q. Which are the sins against hope?
A. The sins against hope are presumption and despair.

328. Q. What is presumption?
A. Presumption is a rash expectation of salvation without making proper
use of the necessary means to obtain it.

329. Q. What is despair?
A. Despair is the loss of hope in God's mercy.

LESSON TWENTY-SEVENTH
THE FIRST COMMANDMENT--ON THE HONOR AND INVOCATION OF SAINTS

331. Q. Does the first Commandment forbid the honoring of the saints?
A. The first Commandment does not forbid the honoring of the saints, but
rather approves of it, because by honoring the saints, who are the
chosen friends of God, we honor God Himself.

332. Q. Does the first Commandment forbid us to pray to the saints?
A. The first Commandment does not forbid us to pray to the saints.

333. Q. What do we mean by praying to the saints?
A. By praying to the saints we mean the asking of their help and
prayers.

340. Q. Does the first Commandment forbid us to honor relics?
A. The first Commandment does not forbid us to honor relics, because
relics are the bodies of the saints or objects directly connected with
them or with our Lord.

341. Q. Does the first Commandment forbid the making of images?
A. The first Commandment does forbid the making of images if they are
made to be adored as gods, but it does not forbid the making of them to
put us in mind of Jesus Christ, His Blessed Mother, and the saints.

342. Q. Is it right to show respect to the pictures and images of Christ
and His saints?
A. It is right to show respect to the pictures and images of Christ and
His saints, because they are the representations and memorials of them.

343. Q. Is it allowed to pray to the crucifix or to the images and
relics of the saints?
A. It is not allowed to pray to the crucifix or images and relics of the
saints, for they have no life, nor power to help us, nor sense to hear
us.

344. Q. Why do we pray before the crucifix and the images and relics of
the saints?
A. We pray before the crucifix and images and relics of the saints
because they enliven our devotion by exciting pious affections and
desires, and by reminding us of Christ and of the saints, that we may
imitate their virtues.

LESSON TWENTY-EIGHTH
FROM THE SECOND TO THE