The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-01-06
OUR BISHOPS GOOD WILL TO
WARD FELLOW-ME

OUR o40dOPS GOOD WILL III
WARD MEN.
Ri. Rev. L. Seaman, in a statement
published in the New Years edition of
the Salt Lake Herald, wishes all man
kind good will, as follows:
(Which is the best way to promote
Utahs welfare in 1902" Persons will
differ in their answers to this question,
just as they disagree about the mean
ing they attach to the word welfare
While do not deny that material pros
perity-the popular idea of welfare
and the one implied in the question
if properly appreciated and administer
ed, is productive of a certain kind of
elfare, yet hold that the true idea of
welfare and of its source. not only. for
the people of Utah, but for all peoples
always and everywhere, is to be found
in the few words uttered by the angels
over the stables of Bethlehem on the
night of the Savior's birth-"Glory be
to God in the highest, and peace on
earth, to men good will" Yes,
there it is, the answer to the above
question, a. Id also the divine solution
of the problem of human life, civil
zation and happiness good will to
men, is the only condition of peace and
without peace there is no happiness,
and no happiness, no welfare worthy cf
the name.
Now, as a good will on the part of
man means a will according to Gods
will-the standard and measure of all
good-it follows that we should have
for our fellow men the same will and
broad love which God has FOR them and
which He manifested so clearly in the
earthly life of his only son, Jesus
Christ.
Each human being, therefore, posses
ses the means-simple and easy-Cf
promoting the real welfare of his fellow
beings He has only to contribute the
mite of his good will! And why not
make this little contribution? IN Eine
cases out of ten il costs HIM nothing
but kind, encouraging or sympathetic
word! And when the excna1ge of gocd
will is mutual and universal he gets
in return a h lndred yea, thousand
fold-the good VIII and love of his fell
low men. Besides Wn0 ever GOT from
a bad will iowa "ds MS fslinw beings
anything except torture of mind and
vexation of spirit. Moreover, do we not
in gratitude if not in justice. owe this
good will TO our fellow mortals? our
individualism. our eelfshness and for
getfulness of our dependence on or
fellow beings is one of the 'nosI fruit
full sources of disorder and unharplness
of our age and country? A moments
reflection will show us that We are IN
debted to them, if not entirely, at
least to a very great extent, for all we
are and have-for our food, our cloth
ing, education. health and even cur
very lives. No poorer and more wretch
ed being can be- imagined than the sole
owner, yet, the sole inhabita1t of all
this earth. If we are rich and ENJOYING
the comforts and luXurIes of life, are
we not such because of our fellow
men-of their labor, cooperation and
society? How many there are VINO
owe their good luck and fortune to ;he
i'll luck, misfortune, imprudence, FOL
lies, weaknesses and even vices IF their
fellow men. and who are ricn and lap
by simply because others are poor ana =.
miserable.
This good will however, in order to
attain it's grand object, must not be a
mere professions or preteLse, but must
manifest itself in word and action of
every day life. 1t must begin in high
places. The ministers, teachers and
professed followers of Him who spent
His life in showing good will and in do
ing good to men must set the example.
Then, we must have Just and impair
tial laws and these administered justly
and impartially, without distinction of
persons. Our city fathers should be
fathers not merely in name, but also
in reality, and consequently should |
show their good will and paternal care
and solicitude for all. and, especially
for the poor. the sick and the afflicted. |
Let us all conscientiously respect and |
obey the law, and thus show our good |
viIP' for our fellow men whose rights |
and interests the law represents, and /
is designed to protect. Let US all re
solve on entering upon the new CEN J
tury to practically show this good will
-o men and to live in love and harmony
-ogether, and then, peace and happiness
will come to Utah and it's people as
surely as day follows night. Let us
seek for the kingdom of God and his
ustice and all other things shall be
L. sCANLAN.