The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-10-03
THE CHRISTIAN FAMILY.
Induluenced General Intention for
October.

October.
The strongest tendrils of the human
heart are entwined around the MEM
bers Of ones family. 1t is so in every
nation and in every cline, among the
rich and the poor. the learned and the
ignorant, among the most refined citi-
zens and the most savage barbarians.
Ii has been so from the beginning Of
history. and it will be so till the end
OF time. For this bond of mutual love
is a part, a precious part, of human
nature. an admirable disposition Of Di-
vine Providence to promote the welfare
and the happiness of mankind-of the
helpless infant, the thoughtless youth,
Of mature men and women, and Of de-
Ginning age. Cut away the tendrils OF
family affection from any human heart
and you have wrought moral ruin, you
have produced a human monstrosity.
Founded by the bountiful creator in
the earthly paradise, the family, even
after the fall Of our first parents, has
preserved many traces Of its happy
origin. For it is still little paradise
in Itself. a fair garden, in which bloom,
I'm rich abundance, the choicest flowers
Of the natural virtues. It is still a
garden Of delights, in which are tasted
the purest and deepest joys of earth.
The family in it's triple personality
Of father, mother and child, is an
earthly reflection, though an imperfect
one. Of course, of that deepest of all
mysteries, the Blessed Trinity. For, as
St Paul writes TO the Ephesians, it is
Of the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ
that all paternity in heaven and earth
is named" GIL, 49,. The child. or chill
dren bear the same relation to the
parents as the Son of God does TO His
Heavenly Father; and the substantial
love Of the Father. the Son and the
Holy Ghost is beautifully represented
by the fruitful love Of the earthly
mother.
Thus it is seen that, even before the
incarnation, the human family pos
sessed a sacred character; and it is not
among Christians alone, but among all
nations and at all times that a special
holiness has been felt to attach to the
coniugal and filial relations that bind
the family together in a triune mystery
This nearness of the family to God
has been marvelously increased by thai
device of divine wisdom h. which the
Son Of God in His incarnation actually
became the child Of human family
yet without injury to the angelic pu-
ritv Of Mary and joseph.
Il was BETTING that the marital un-
ion Of human hearts should in conse-
quence be ennobled by supernatural
elevation to the sacramental dignity, a'
was done by the Redeemer In the WISE
provision He made for the sanctiflca'
ton Of married life. And now the Chris
tan family is an object of venerato1
10 angels and TO men. AS the fatheI
and mother. bending together over TN
H. e Al ,1,g1 Iat1
raptures their several charms reflected
in the features of their common off
spring. so the three persons Of TIT
Blessed Trinity behold with pleasur
their triune beauty reflected in the ma
tUral and supernatural projections
The Christian family.
For this august institution it wa
hitting that a perfect model should d
proposed. Such is that most perfect o
a.l ealthly homes, the Holy Father 0
Nazareth Never did the all-seelng ey
Of God himself rest on any portion Q
MS creation with more delight than ]
nd on that earthly Trinity, Jesus, Mar
and Joseph. A principal reason VIII
religious orders and congregations ar
such favorite objects of Gods specia
lGNe is because they are limitations @
The Holy Family Of Nazareth; and sim
ueIly- though to a less degree OF PEI
lection, every Christian family is a re
production.
The general intention of the comm
month calls for earnest prayers in be
naf Of the millions of Christian fami
ues on Garth that they may becom
N'ore and more like unto that ides
nouel, and that all Of them may b
Alotected against the various danger
'eSetting them. For the arch-enemy {
9uT race, the evil spirit. is carryin
III especially in our time, variety
~ost fierce attacks on the Christa