The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1909-11-26

f6 l6fS4k6 happiness, peace and wei
fare Of the most hopeless and despair
ing ones, which found it's supreme ex-
preston in the life of the great
Nazarene.
Parsifal emphasizes the fact that
heaven is not gained with a single
bound. After Parsifal had won the
great victory and gained the Sacred
Spear, still he had not grown enough
to be worthy to rule in the council
chambers of Monsalvat. He had to
grow to new heights. Thus many
years OF struggle, temptation and trial
yet awaited him. Self-mastery and
spiritual supremacy are attained not
by n victory, but by many. They
come only as the rich fruition of a
life Of strenuous endeavor-a life of
loyalty to duty and love.
Parsifal teaches the lesson which
is the luminous soul Of the noblest
religions. 1t tells us that not only is
love the greatest thing in the world,
but that it is the only light that leads
the wanderer to the throne of the
Infinite.
In Kundry we e a typical char
acter. rich in suggestive lessons. She
represents the aspiring soul chained
by passion and desire. The world is
full Of Kundrys. In the magician's
realm we see a world Of counterfeit
pieasures-bright, g~littering and at
tractive, but transitory, beginning and
ending in a day. Here true love, which
ia the crown and glory of parenthood,
and which in It's broader manifesto
itons reaches out in divine helpful
ness to all, is not known; but in its
stead we find gross sensual gratifica-
tions-lust for love, safety Of the
passions for spiritual exultation. Here
the passions, appetites and desires r
lords and masters.
Parsifal is colossal: he is typical.
His evolution is that which must be
taken by every individual who attains
ia the spiritual supremacy which
brings to the soul peace on earth and
an Immortality Of happiness.
Parsifal points the way to the
heights, not merely for the individual,
but for society as well. All nations
opd Qualification u,b;,h ava NOT doCSYnod
to suffer eclipse must tread the path
way over which he passed. No mor
solemn truth confronts mankind today
than is taught by the victorious strug-
gle of Parsifal. A people, nationality
or civilization may seem to flourish
for a time through might Of force, as
did Babylon of old, as did the empire
OF the Modes and Persians, as did
Rene as she approached the summit
of her worldwide rule, as did Spain
in the fifteenth century. But all tri-
based upon force and injustice,
Ch victories not won by love, are
only for the day. If history teaches
any lesson in clear and unmistakable
language, it is that whatsoever is
sown shall be reaped-and the nation
civilization which disregaEds the
eternal demands of justice, freedom
and fraternity will sooner or later fol-
low the pathway trodden by Egypt,
A&syria, Greece, Rome and Spain.
Victory to be permanent must depend
on the cohesion of love. which iy ever
creative and constructive, and not on
tile d~isfntegratfve influence OF force
and hate It must do right because it
is right It must initiate the sun,
bathes the world. in light and
warmth; the violet, the lily and the
rose. whose fragrance and beauty de-
light the senses and bring into the
human heart a message from the
In finite.