Omaha daily bee., 1912-02-21
CRAVING MAKES MAN SLAVE
Bishop Scannell Issues His Lenten
Pastoral from California.
WE ARE NO WORSE THAN OTHERS
Bishop Says that Too Much World.
Iiness .. n Bar to Perfection,
for Man Graves Too Much
for Wealth.

Excessive worldliness is one Of the
greatest obstcles in the way OF Chris
tan perfection" says Bishop Scannen
in his Lenten pastoral. and by world
illness / mean inordinate. unreasonable
and purposeless craving after wealth,
sensible pleasures and the pomp and
show OF this world. And daily expert
ence shows US that this craving. unless
II be restrained and regulated by that
reason which is illumined faith. can OBJ
tain a complete mastery over the mind
and heart Of man. and make him the
drudge and slave OF his avarice or other
sppetites. Now it cannot be maintained,
with any show OF reason, that we Amer
leans are less influenced by this worldly
spirit than are other people. Indeed
travellers, who visit US, are struck by our
restlessness, our nervous activity and
our feverish pursuit Of temporal things.
Our immediate purpose is to make
money. but what the ultimate purpose
is no one can tell, least Of all, ourselves.
Ia fact, we have not time to think about
II ourselves; We are so occupied with
our present pusuIts that we cannot think
OF tiluhs NUT ~ ~ ANNN91ohg
to suppose that In this respect We are
worse than otner peoples. The worldly
spirit Is today worldwide, though 1t Is
more in evidence among those whose
religious faith has grown weak. What.
then, Is the matter with mankind? What
Is the matter with ourselves? The mat
ter with too many of us is that We do
not ask ourselves certain questions which
should be asked and which demand rea-
sonabie answers. These questions are:
How came l into this world? What is
my proper work while here? What is my
ultimate destiny?
All May Abstain.
But there Is one kind OF abstinence
which Is within the reach Of all, namely
abstinence from those occupations and
amusement that are not in harmony
with the spirit OF the season. such al
plays, dances and formal dinners. ThI
spectacle OF men and women. who ar
supposed TO be, Just then. meditstlng Of
the last things and are doing penance 70
their sins, decked out In all their finer.
and enjoying a play. perhaps OF doubtful
, propriety, IL enough 10 make the jude
ious grieye and the angels weep.
, IF parents show themselves worldly
or too fond OF pleasure, or avaricious, o
dishonest. or uncharitable, or neglectfu
, OF religious obligations. the chances ar
that the children will not be free fror
these vices. over-indulgent parents Als
have much TO answer for. Through
want OF Christian firmness they ALLOW
: their children to grow up disobedient an
unruly, and It seldom happens that disc
bedlent and unruly children become goo
and orderly men and women.
. Another unfortunate mistake OF over
Indulgent parents Is the giving OF to
much pocket money TO their children
Children can have no use for money
except as a means TO crafty their appe
tites. But soon these very appetites gal
the mastery over them. and then none
they must have, lawfully or unlawfullS
. Children so brought up go into the worl
I destitute OF that most necessary OF a
: habits, the habit OF self-restraint; an
Q without self-restraint they 10 into III
/. world TO meet with inevitable disaster.
. Another class OF parents VIII boas
r that their children are perfectly able I
, take care OF themselves. and accordlngl
they let them choose their own compar
, lions and stroll about. by day or night
wherever their fancy takes them.
would be entirely useless TO expostulat
. with that class OF persons. for they hav
|, neither a well instructed conscience no
good common sense"