The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-11-12
r:rnIng Star and Gathelie Messenger.
Trw oRIEANs sI7N1, AY NOVEMBER la t~6
Iyxtraets from "Tbe Discipline of Drink" by FAthe
Brdgett O. IS. H.
y "TRE HELP OF CHRISTIANS"

yvould su bmit also to the consideration of
pastors and corfessors " hether an old devotion
might not be successfully revived in our own
daTs under\a q new form, and for the special
furtherance of\sobriety.
Scotch writer of the fourteenth century
eays: In the days>of cur fathers the Sabbath
Tie, Saturday washeld in great venerstion,
IN honor of the Blessed Virgin, principally oy
the devotion of women who, every Saturday
with great piety, restricted themselves TO one
meal, and that merely of bread and water.
Now any one acquainted with the manoiao'
turing populations Of our great cities must De
aware that there is almost as mucn dronk en-
ness on Saturday night as on all the otner nights
of the week together. Ihe cause y. Snie 10, nu
wages and on the other the half-hollday which
has lately been introduced IL these countries
am rot Of oonrsei so 81 as 10 TO
toilinp poor could be induced to undertake o
fast on bread ard water on the Saturdays; nor
could briug myself to ask It Of them, even
thou Oh they were willing Bat believe that
very many would willingly, in honor of our
Blessed Lady, either abstain altogether from
the use of termented ard Gistilt d drinks on
that day, or at least would observe that absti-
nepce from three o'clock the Saturday after
noon, when the midday meal would be ended,
until noon on Sunday. And / am sapguine
enough to think that the propagation of this
little act of piety would immensely diminish
the amount of drunkenness among Catholics,
and add immeasurably to the amonnt of do.
nestic peace and comfort, spd of spiritual
called in England the Lady fast, so, perhaps,
this act of abstinence might be called Oar
Lady's Abstinence. In proposing 1T to the
people it would he important to explain that
it is Of the nature of simple resolution, or
that, if it is vowed, iG is not under pain of
mortal sin. The resolution or vow could be
taken for life or, perhaps more prudently, only
for a wear from one Feast CT Oar Lady to an
other, or from cne Communion to tho next
There would be no Iced to Ike the resolution
in presence of priest. Each one could make
or rene vy the otfering before our Lady's altar in
tho church, kueeling az homo before her
image, aud memorial of it could wear her
medal.
This act of piety is rot of q nature to inter.
fere with any association or good work already
established, nor, if added q supplement-,
would it in any way complicate their regula.
tions.
When He'll mistakenly reproached Anna
for Drunkenness, she replied: Not so, my
lord, for am an exceeding unhappy woman,
and have drank neither wine nor any
strong drink. Count not thy handmaid
for one of the daughters of Belal.' Il Kings,
j, 1860 woman given to drink was
looked on in hose days child of the devil.
Alas in own days, girls of fourteen or
fifteen years of age, earning independent
wages in our factories, may be seen focking
into beer-hous and gin. shops, treat
ing each other or accepting treats from men
and habitual drunkenness is not uncommon
among girls in their teens.
But if Belial is multiplying his daughters, is
not that q reason for the " Children of Mary
to redoubIe their activityf Let get the
coed girls to propagate Our La6y's Abstinence
among those of their own sex 1t will soon
spread amongst the men and sanctify the
family.