The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-03-30
LETTER OF THE RIGHT
REVEREND BISHOP C0RBET1
TRUE CHRISTIAN CHARITY.

Crookston, Mimi, March 28th, 1912.
Reverend and Dear Father:
The collection for the orphans will
be taken up on Easter Sunday in the
parishes and in the missions at the
first visit of the pastor, the following
letter to be read on Palm and Easter
Sundays.
The law of Christ Jesus is charity.
Charity is the epitome of Christianity,
the sceptre of Gods kingdom on earth
and the special mark of his true dis
ciples "By this shall men know that
you are my disciples, if you have love
one for another" Christ, our Die
inc Model, hereby proclaims the dis
tinguishing badge of Christian. frater-
nal love, which is an extension of the
love of God. For to love our neighbor
is truly to love God, because God loves
him.
The genuine love of God will mani.
fest itself by deeds done for our neigh
Dor, in his sufferings, wants, and, es-
pecially, in assisting him to obtain his
eternal salvation. The love of God
in the human heart must, indeed, be
manifested by active charity; other
wise no claim can be made to Divine
love- Men must endeavor to do good
for others, or their piety is sham.
Charitable acts must we, Christians
and Catholics, perform; otherwise we
cannot reckon ourselves as men of
prayer Brotherly love, born Of the
love of God, leads charitable souls to
the homes of the poor, the beds Of
sickness, the Strengthening of the
weak, the uplifting of the depressed,
the caring of the orphans and the per-
forming of other deeds of charity,
even without thanks or applause.
Deception, however, as to the real
love of God, is easy, unless person
puts his real spiritual affections into
acts. What passes for real love of
God may be only sentiment, yea even
selfishness. What marvellous visions
of devotion, admirable scenes of hero
ism and beautiful thoughts of doing
good do, oftimes, fleet across the i'm
agination of selfish men! We must
take actual interest in human troubles
and sufferings, or our hearts are void
of real charity.
Our Lord and Saviour committed to
His Church the sublime work of char
ity over ninteen centuries ago. Hence,
in all christian ages, the Church has
ever established societies and institu-
tons for the care of the poor, the
sick and the orphan, thus proving
herself to be the grand, charitable or
ganization of the world. Thoughtful
men, indeed, regard the Catholic
Church as charity in action. The cry
of the orphan, especially, has ever APP
pealed to her mother heart. Parent
less children have always found under
her fostering protection, secure shell.
ter, where both body and mind receive
that necessary and salutary training
for after life's duties BETTING honor
able citizens and consistent, practical
Catholics. While the temporal wants
of the child are relieved in Catholic
Orphanages, the spiritual needs are
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SURPRISING the temporal care as the
immortal soul the perishable body.
The morality of the child is the first
and foremost solicitude therein, being
promoted by the best surroundings
and that most necessary Christian ed
ucation of both mind and heart.
AS followers of Christ and children
of Holy Church, we should be imbued
with the true spirit of charity, which
sees Christ first in the poor and recog-
nizes that God is helped in his fellow
men: Amen, amen, say to you" says
Christ, "as long as you did it to one of
these, you did it to me-" The love
of God should impel us to make sacri-
fee of our goods, our pleasure, our
ease for our unfortunate brethren. The
sacred bond of religion binds US to
them.
The mission of those who have been
more favored with the goods OF the
Lord is to give to the needy. The
violation of this obligation is grave
and a rebellion against the order OF
Divine Providence.
! A sincere Catholic, therefore, will
gladly make generous offering, for
the sake of Christ, to His homeless
little ones; and the benefits of his
gifts, thus bestowed, will flow back to
him abundantly: "He that hath mercy
on the poor" says the Eternal Truth.
"lendeth to the Lord and He will repay
him."
/ Praying that God may shower His
choicest blessings~upon you, Reverend
Father, and your good people, remain
Yours very sincerely in Christ
+TIMOTHY CORBETT,
Bishop of Crookston.
Il N. B. From April LIST to September
LIST, the Grafton PRO Quacumque Ne