The Devils Lake world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1911, 1911-03-10
LENT-1rs MEANING.
Rev. A. E. clattenburg.
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Were 1 asked to put into one SEN
tence the meaning of the Season of
Lent I would say, "It is period of
time in which those persons observing
it try to get in touch with God" 1t
might be called the "revival' season
of the Church Catholic. Primarily it
is time in which to take account of
your stock of personal religion. The
world needs to take some time in soil
tude, away from the distractions of the
ordinary human life, in order that the
emphasis may be placed on the things
that are real and eternal. Forty days
the Church sets apart for this purpose.
Marriages are not contracted in Lent;
social gatherings are dispensed with;
| the world and its pleasures are left on
, one side; all this is done that the chill
dren of the Eternal God may realize
that such things are temporary things.
the tleeting things of time. After
clearing ones skirts of all that is
worldly there is the opportunity to find
mt how much is left in the individ"
Their are many people who cannot live
apart from the world. The early Monks
of the Church showed their devotion
to God by life lived wholly apart
from worldly things. They had some
thing in them that took the place Of al
the things that the world could offer.
People today do not practice being
alone with God enough. Many of them
would find themselves out of place if
they were to put themselves in the sole
company of God. The world and all
that it offers is. the whole existence of
some people. Deprive them of all that
they would care to live. 1t is in order
that we may find out if we are in this
class that the Church orders us to OBJ
serve the Lenten Season. We are to
search ourselves and find out whether
or not we can live happily without any
of the worldly pleasures that have been
so real to us. We are to find out if
we have been placing the emphasis
upon the temporary things or upon the
are deprived of the temporary things
No one is exempt from this test. Prot
estant Churches are coming more and
more to an observance of the Lenten
Season. You will find even Unitarian
Societies advertising special services
in order to teach some of the ideas
that the Church Catholic has ever held
to be part of the Lenten message
1t all goes to show us that the prayer
of the Master is beginning to have it's
due effect. The Christians are coming
together in accordance with that great
prayer. Lent has its message for a
disunited Christendom also. It's mes
sage along this line is individual too.
There would never have been split
Kingdom of God. if each individual
soul coming into the Kingdom had TAX
en- stock of the personal religion of
every member of the Church of God
Individualism is a sin when carried too
far just as much as stealing another
mans goods. 1t is robbing others Of
their rights. We are told in God Is
Written Word that emo man liveth to
himself and no man dieth to himself. >
The whole world of men is united by q
J bond that cannot be broken. We are
all potential sons of one Heavenly
Father. Being so we owe it to oul
fellow man that our actions be per
formed only after their effect on oul
fellow man be taken into consideration
The Church would have been one bod,
to-day. if this weighty principle hat
been practiced by every member tina
: came into 1t by the door of Holy Bap
E tism. Lent bids us search ourselve
t and see if we are standing in the wa,
OF an united Christendom. It bids u
look thoroughly and see whether or no
I
y, we should cry "mea culpa.' But
8 Lent passes without any other actio
: from us than an examination of sell
b it will have failed in its purpose.
should find in us at its termination
= firm resolve to do more for the Maste
q in our every day life, and to live lif
|. every day that conforms as nearly a
b We can make it conform to the lif
It lived by Christ when He was on cart
l. The merchant who takes his account
stock notices very sharply the article
of which he is short. He determin,
/. to have enough of those articles du
+ ing the coming year. That should |
l. the thing that our observance Of Lei
ls should teach us; during the comi1
J. year to be short on the things that G.
t. does not want, and long on those vi
2. tues and graces that become follow
u of the "lowly Nazarene.
x Tne Rejected Valentine.
t. Sambo went A-courtin'
n OF Miss 'Phelia Green.
. 'Phelia was the handsom'st
II Gal he'd ever seen.
"a eambo with his banjo