The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-02-08
LOSE MUCH BY NOT TAKING.
PLEDGE.

There are some men who abstain
from drink but will not bind them
selves to do so; they want to be free
They lose very much by not pledging
themselves; for if it is a good thing
to give the fruit to God, much better
is it to give the tree, says Father
Landing in the Pittsburg Observer.
And being pledged, they should be en-
rolled in a society: For where there
are two or three gathered together
in My Name, there am l in the midst
of them" Those who join a total
abstinence society, are gathered to-
gether in His name, for they are
pledged In honor of the Sacred Heart
of Jesus to abstain from all intoxicat-
ing drink" and they are a mutual
help to on another. If each one is
to let this light shine before men,
the more are combined the greater
the effect; and for the same reason,
societies should belong to a union
Besides, in union there is strength;
and the spiritual benefits are not a
few. Suppose there were total alb
stinence societies in every parish in
a diocese and all were in a union,
what an answer it would be to those
who allege the number of Catholics
who drink and are in the liquor bust
ness? In the early days of the Pitts
burg Union it held convention in
the city, and the delegates were adj
Vised to take their meals at a hotel
where special rates had been secured.
One of the gentlemen in the hotel
asked me what my badge was, and
wished to see it. He was surprised;
he said he did not know there were
so many Catholics teetotalers. l did
not flare up and inform him that what
he and more like him do not know
about Catholics and the Catholic
Church would make a big downtown
library. What would have been the
sense or good or charity in such re-
tort? Every one knows about Judas
and Benedict Arnold, but few can
name the other Apostles and true
patriots of Revolutionary days. So
the public knows the Catholics who,
despite the admonition of the Church,
are in the dangerous liquor traffic,
their offence discovers them; but
those who keep out of the business
and those who abstain in compliance
with the wish of the Church, are not
so well known.
Whose Fault Is TT
And whose fault it is, if fault?
They hide their light under a bushel
as Christ says they should not, in
stead of letting it shine before men as
He says they should, that men may
see it. The public cannot be ex-
pected to go about peeking under
every old barrel and box to see il
there is candle hid under it. Let
your light shine before men, and if
they do not see it, call their attention
to it by making it shine more brightly.
Keeping light at its greatest eff
cheney is a watchful painstaking
labor, as the foolish virgins found out
to their cost when too late. The line
of the foolish did not become extinct
in them. Attention does not have to
be called to the MONDAY sun or to an
arc-light; they make themselves seen
by their very brilliancy. If there
were total abstinence society in
every parish, the public would become
aware of the fact very soon, just as
it knows there are saloons, wholesale
houses, breweries and distilleries
without being told. One is not blessed
when reviled or prosecuted and
untruthfully accused of all that is
evil; it is only when these things are
done because we are obeying Christ
that we are blessed But we are not
obeying him when we are not follow
ing the admonitions Of His Church.
Take these things hence. Get rid of
these distilleries and breweries and
wholesale houses and saloons, and the
inebriates they make, before posing as
martyrs. When all this has been
done, we will be able to rejoice and
be glad if i'll spoken Of; but you will
be well spoken Of for having done so
good work.