The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-12-29
The HOME
By John. Joseph Milan, Bishop of the
Diocese of Hartford.)


(By John Joseph Milan. Bishop of the
Diocese of Hartford.)
OF more consequence than the poit-
zeal life of States and the social repu-
ta.ion Of communities is the private
family life of each individual member
of society. Systems cannot last With
out PRINCIPLES and outward appearan-
ces will not long stay the des ruction
from inward corruption. AS the fam
lily Is the, bone and sinew, so II is the
. uaind and heart of society. man Is
Mat his aims and des res make him.
society will be peaceful ana secure
according as its members are honest
and pure or deceftful and corrupt. Ii
is not surprising, therefore. that when
the Lord would visit His people" and
operate their salvation He began the
work of reconstruction at the founda-
tion-Ee became member of family.
He raised that primary institua on
up to It's first dignity as hearth Of the
affections of one man and one woman,
I, TO warm, enllghten,-and develop God y
Image In the soul Of the child. For
His mother He chose woman holy.
caaste. perfect in body and soul
'.ful OF grace" By the cversNadow-
ing of the Holy Spirit mortal wom-
an became the immortal mother Of the
Saviour God! In Mary. Virgin and
An.hcr, the two most glorious charac-
teristics OF womanhood. woman re-
gained forever the pace from WHICH
in. the riot of passions she had been
6eoosed; the equal of men and the
sweet influence OF God to tame their
rugged nature to the devices of His
love-
Joseph, her husband. was ga good
man. knowing his duty and osrfcrm-
ing 1t; the duty OF affection and res
pect towards his wife; the dlty of
FRI -iding for the Child. sheiter!ng Vim
frcn; danger and guiding HIM a,hrg
tfa path OF knowledge which Re q ign
ct to tread by the ow Steps of pu-
mat expei iense that We mlsM nsSe
Nj dom and knowledge and grace.
Here Is the model of the Chris ian
family i This is Gods way or teach
Ing that the peace and prosperity oil
nations, the morality and safety o. so !
c3ety depend on the unity, the devotion
the sanctity of the family.
s THE coming together OF any two of
: opposite sex drawn by mutua admira-
ftpn, dependence or sudden passion ev-
"a accepting the conditions Of the CIV
iiscOntraet, does not make the family
blood into the frame of society weak
oned and deformed in consequence of
k6rkle desires and aimiess purpose. If
society has got away from the Lord,
the vein of living waters 1t must get
back to the source. There is some
thing beyond and more sacred than
the civil contract, it is the union of
two souls who see In each other the
image Of God and whose dominant
passion is to see it respondent and
inmsrtal in the life OF a third-the
For that reason. on account of the
proper reaFins ~of4offspring the mar
riage bond must be the indssoiuble
union Of two: For affection. that is
i've in fhn IA
Teaching, correcting must be unlike,
that Of tenant at will. Love, that Is
love and not caprice, does not look
Forward to the time when it will be
feverses OF fortune. the wrinkles of
age may cause the wife once looked
upon with favor and cherished, with
devotion ITO be regarded with feelings
0f Indifference ssor disgust: then the
1--we or passion vanishes. the old sell
dshness comes back and longs for bru-
<al liberty. But the Christian pair
as age advances draw closer. the III
winds they faced together strengthen
cenfidence, make compan.onship in IS
pensah.e; self-sacrifice has brought
out the fine qualities of hearts that
yearn not for what the eyes seee or
the passions crave but the fulfil
nsent Of the law whose perfection is
love" "a
Love- Indeed is the opening statute of
tue NEW Law. It's ~ III UOi tic IIloSt pSi
feet human expression OF that passion
IA child in the arms of cts mother
For THE Law was given by Moses
but grace and truth through Jesus
Christ Grace. the solicitude of God
meets US at every step. Each s gn
Hinder Of it, each church is its shrine.
Baptism infuses it, Confirmation sives
Il strength. iPenance restores it to the
returning prodfgal, Holy Eucharist re-
news It ~ the most intimate union
with the God Man.
ness OF these mysteries is beyond his
Erasp, yet God longs for the love of
ehildhood. FITS truth is suited to it
lie ones; For His conversation is with
eek for truth, but God speaks to chill
oren ip the language of childhood He
wen dictates the first lesson. The
christmas crib is the school Of fai h
Tor children. Therefore during the
Christmas festivities whilst chic dish
santa Claus turned back at the door
the parent should not FORGET TO speak
Of the Divine Child who came down
IN theenight, who owned the world yet
Sept IN manager.
The lesson Of self-denia1 cannot be
given too early. 1t viii, swee en- the
chiId's disposition and develop charac- /
ter II he is made TO know that there !
ere some de~Ires which it is not expe- |
Gent to satisfy and that the pleasure
Is greatest which is shared with an
other. AS he grows older how prac-
teal and sa. utary this virtue becomes !.
There are sights children should mot |
see and they see them. A r'olice GEN. |
gorship of books. avs and pic u-es Is |
of little USE unless parents supervise
the reading and the amusements of |
their children, The Lesson of honesty |
and purity Is soon unlearned in the
pscture-hall where parental authori- |
ty is caricatured, the burglar is hero
ard vulgar passion is exhibited under |
thin veil. ~ =
In their homes parents should re- |
member that even in the most un-
guarded moments they are tea ching |
hence their words and conduct should |
be so shaped as to give no scandal to |
tittle ones. The effect of evil exam |
pie NAV not be discovered in the years |
of childhood; only when he is old |
enough to initiate what he has heard |
and seen VII the virulence of the poi
son be known and then alas it is too
late. 2E - IGY sTCT Fk-r ~
These are some OF the lessons which |
our Saviour tea ches in the mystery of |
His coming: the scope of which the
prophet Ezecffaf saw SO clearly il tie
~~f-s !, ell