The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-07-29
THE CHRISTIAN MOTHER.
Life and Strength of the Family
Rests in Woman.

Rests in Woman.
though man is the head Of the fam
NY It's life and strength rests in wo-
man. she is the power that counseIs
| man IN his doubtings, restraints him in
ms impulses, and urges him in his
sIotn' IL has been said that d man is
Mhat MS wife makes him, for her in
! nuence for good or evil is unquestion-
ABLY great. 1t is thus the Scriptures
SPEAK: Who shall find a valiant wo-
man Far and from the uttermost
coasts IS the price of her. This is pre-
| eminently the case with the Christian
mother. Such a woman stands out
from among her sex. She is filled with
q sense OF her dignity and her RESPONSE
! plllty, her mind is upon her duty and
she IS ever faithful in fulfilling. She is
the glory of her husband and the honor
OF her children. 2
AS the family is the cornerstone of
society, the Christian mother who is
the bone and sinew of the Christian
family. is certainly one of the largest
| contributors to society's we'll being, for
! the Christian family is the strongest
!orce IN Keeping society together. It
Is me great conservative power, for it
! IS the ONCE of Christianity to build up
ana hold together all things that Will
conduce to the social well-being and
oetterment of the people.
wherein lies the strength of the
Ghrlstian mother? 1t is in her virtues.
| Her modesty captivates and commands
! the respect of ALL Her devotion and
! selt-sacrificing spirit teaches a lesson
worthy of imitation, and her wisdom
ana selt-poise are enlightening and re-
assuring TO those around her Such a
one is the pillar of strength 10 the home
| and a guide and counsellor to the so-
clety IN which she lives. Her power
Tor good is only limited by her environ-
ment, and the fruit of her good eX-
ample is visibly marked in those who
make up the circle of her friends.
Whence comes this extraordinary
power and what is it that contributes
to make up a character so exceptional?
II comes from her Christian faith.
That blessed gift of God is hers and
ats influence is the power enlivening
and Strengthening her soul. 1t is
Faith that supefnaturalizes her life
and makes her thoughts and actions
good and noble to give homage to Cod
whence she has received life and to
whom she hopes to go after her mortal
years have come to an end
Ihus the Christian mother realizes
the dignity and obligations of her state,
how she is to- be the handmade of God
and carry out the divine will in faith-
fully performing the duties of her state.
TO be a faithful and obedient wife and
a good and self-sacrifcfng mother to
her children is her aim, and to fulfil
1t her happiness. Her every endeavor
is along the line of duty and her con-
slant thought and prayer is to ever be
pleasing TO God and to have the divine
help with which to pass successfully
her days and years.
Like all who wish to reach perfec-
ton in any career, she, too, has her
models and copies them. Thus she inn
1tates Our Blessed Lady in her humil-
ity and prompt obedience. Thus she
copies st. Elizabeth in her reverence
for things holy and her regard for the
divine presence. A st. Monica is her
model for resignation and hope. A St.
Bridget for contemplation, even if it
be necessarily only but for a few mo
ments. A st. Teresa for fidelity to the
divine viii. a Queen Blanche in her
readiness to see her child lying dead
at her feet rather than to know that
he had committed one mortal sin.
This is the Christian mother as she
has been in the case of thousands of
women, and this is what every mother
who rejoices in the name of a Chris
tian ought to strive to be, and for this
Gods grace is sufficient. 1t was grace
what they We're, and grace can do the
same and viii do the same for others
if they ask for it and cooperate with
cit. Grace gives to each state THE help
ii needs to perfect itself. And thus the
grace of patient suffering, the grace
Of fortitude and resignation; the grace
of trustful prayer are for every woman
who ask them of our good and merci-
full God.
With grace working in the soul what
wonderful lives can be produced, and
what an influence for the founding and
preservation of the home and home
virtues? Then we behold saintliness of
life, for the individual is animated
with the spirit of perfection; every
thing in such q soul is of God, from
God and to God; all its thoughts and
deeds are, the pronlptings of His Grace,
and all tend to His honor and glory.
What virtues are visible in the home
OF a soul like that, and how happy arr
the members of the household where
a true Christian mother reigns and
keeps all its members in peace and viz
tue. The home of the Holy Family at
Nazareth is the pattern of what every
Christian home should be, and the
humble, obedient and perfect spirit of
our Blessed Lady should be the ideal
which every Christian mother should
strive to initiate. There all was loved
for God, and such a spirit should mark
every Christian home. All good and
great men have had good mothers.
THE hand that rocks the cradle is
the hand that rules the world" This
is surely the case. for what the mother
is the child is apt to be.
Hence the aim that every mother
should have, namely, to be a model of
virtue, so that her children may. in
herit the same and be the preservers
of society to succeeding ages. In our
true Faith this is possible to the high
est degree-as exemplified in the count
less mothers who are numbered among
its saints and heroines.
Let every Christian, every Catholic
mother strive by grace to have this
grand and noble spirit that they may
perpetuate. the virtues and fruits of
Christian Bishop Cotton
in, Catholic Union and Times.
De