The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-04-08
BE PATIENT.


Patience and forbearance draw us
nearer to God, who tells us to pos
sess our souls in patience" Patience
is a necessary requirement for godly
life. Without patience virtue is not
solid. Without patience you can be
master neither of others nor of your
self Most of us are too hasty. We
want immediate results. We dislike
to wait But patience hath perfect
work" Behold the husbandman
waiteth for the precious fruit of the
EARTH" says st. James, patiently
bearing till he receive the early and
the latter rain" (St. James 5, ~
Life and character are not measured
by rapid success. The process of ma
ture is slow. All Gods best and no.
bIest works are slow and gradual. st.
Mark says: First the blade, then
the ear, afterwards the full corn in
the ear" (St Mark 4, 49, Character
must be built up, slowly moulded fos-
tered and developed. Gradually you
must live down bad habits; gradually
you must ripen in vigor of purpose.
"Out of weakness made strong" is
Gods motto. : We must learn to labor
and to wait. 1t is annoying to wait.
There is so much to be done; why
wait? God may not want you for the
work Be patient-wait! Strength
unbridled is not strong. We may
: never see the results of our endeavors.
eff it be
My lot to toll, but not to see
The fruits which to my toll belong
I know One whose all-seeing eye
My humblest task shall glorify.'
To reach the Thabor of Gods per.
manent glory, the just and the good
must carry their cross up the rugged
heights of Calvary-and it needs pa.
thence to plod the way. wait on God
with patience: join thyself to God and
endure that thy life be increased in
the latter end" Gold and silver are
tried in the fire, but acceptable men
in the furnace of humiliation"
BE patient, oh, be patient! put your
ear against the earth,
And listen there how noiselessly the
germ of seed has birth;
How noiselessly and gently it up
heaves it's little way,
Till it parts the scarcely broken ground
and the blade stands up in day.
Be patient! ''In your patience you
shall possess your SOUL" We are un
fortunate. In our being we have in
herited the seeds of sorrow and disso
luton. Let us remember it, and be
patient, even as the Lord is patient
with our inf1rmities, our Improbable
ness, and knowing our small capacity
be reasonable, expecting from our
selves what we are unable to improve
If in life's mighty anthem we may
not raise our voices to the clear
sweet-dropping, heavenly notes, we
may yet sing those other strains fol
which they were attuned, and thus
complete Gods harmony.
Be patient! Be courageous! Lei
not another's greatness discourage Oh
defect thee! Have they no mission
here below who never reach those
bright, heroic heights of rapturous JOY
and praise, or never feel, in depths
of humblest love, the portion of the
Saints? Have those dark birds tha
sing no songs no place in Gods crea
ton? Are shadows nothing worth?
Dwell in thy sphere, content to b.
the thing that God hath made thee
Let others be more blessed, but d.
thou, cheerfully, His everybody will
Ask not why others tread, without
seeming fear, the higher, brighter
plains beyond, whilst thou must wait
or groupe thy way in dread uncer
tainty; nor strive with sacreligiou!
hand from off lifes picture to erase
the shadings God has painted in will
care.
Be patient! God who sees the enc
will turn all things to blessings
Doubt not His power, and His love
His tender care is over thee. He see!
all things, He rules all things. Tht
earth is His, and like toy reposes il
His hand. He moves the mighty deel
and gathers to its bosoms each wan