The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-11-08

That the whole body of the faith,
full might be ever closely Joined to
perfectly holy men and women, Jesus
established His Church, which is the
visible and the invisible companion
ship of both His earthly and heavenly
discipleship. Upon our holy leaders
did He accumulate an exhaustless
store of holiness, that each of them
might become magnetic centre for
the distribution of His virtues. For
Them" He said to His Father, do
sanctify Myself, that they also may
be sanctified in truth. And not for
them only do | pray, but for them
also who through their word shall
believe in Me" John xvii. 20).
christ's Friends Are Ours.
No teaching is so successful as that
of Christs intimate friends, perfectly
developed into worthy instruments of
His, power and love by their transla-
ton into heaven. No reading is SO
impressive (next to Holy Writ) as
their books. Who would go beyond
the story of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
to learn the virtues of family life?
Who does not feel the all-searching
force of divine doctrine when read
ing ST. Pauls Epistles? And this is
because he could show forth the pow
er of the Holy Spirit by his virtues
Il Cor. ii. A., and because in all
truthfulness he could say to us: BE
We followers of me, as l also am of
Christ" q Cor xi. u. When we read
the lives of such champions of truth
as St. Athanasius, the fortitude of
God is bestowed upon us, and the
kindness of Christ; for of this pattern
of our holy faiths defenders, st.
Gregory of Nazianzen says, that when
tyrants silenced his speech, his vir-
tues supplied the place of sermons.
Humility, modesty, charity, zeal for
souls, shine out in the lives of all
true friends of Christ, but in some of
them these and other virtues of the
Christian faith attain to heroic
growth: Jesus Christ is illustrious in
His saints Cps Xvii. 36). They imi-
GdIO HIS NIIIuS W LAOI 0OS1OO VI
perfection that following their career
renews His power over mems souls.
Reading the lives of the saints per-
petuates His truth and love, and will
continue so to do unto the latest
ages And these saints are ours, by
an ownership superior even to that
by which we claim the angels. Their
chronicles show how they are our
fellow-pilgrims in this vale of tears.
Secular Reading.
AS to reading of a secular kind
my brethren, bid you to cease read.
ing what must be forgotten because
it is dangerous, or what is not worth
remembering because it is frivolous
Let not even your light reading be
such as is wholly forgetable. Read
poetry, which adorns truths with its
becoming robes of imagination-read
it and copy out it's best pieces, even
get them by heart. Read fiction
which is the mimic world of fact and
character-good, standard novels
Read history, truthful accounts OF
men and nations obeying the guild
ance of an overruling Providence OF
fatally rebelling against it. All such
reading is both profitable in matter
and recreative in effect. Real always
with a serious purpose; and remem
Der that whatever is worth reading
once is worth reading twice, and the
best of it worth learning by rote. In
my lightest reading Qet each of yoU
say there must be some spirit Of
study l resolve never to read just
to kill time, any more than I would
eat and drink as pastime.
A man is known by his company
but better known by his reading
which initiates him into a most init
mate secret society; or, again, into 8
lonely interview with a powerful
teacher Many man will praise Goo
forever in heaven on account of one
certain book. Many a man will for
ever curse the day he learned to read
To know how to read is positively
like the heavy yoke of free will, anC
it's dangers sometimes outweighs its
benefits. Think carefully of YOU
career as a reader from the first unit
now, and you will not know whether
to bless or curse your privilege O.
going to school in childhood. The
difference between light reading ant
pleasant conversation is essential. One
is innocuous, being banter and laugh
ter, the give and take of a merry
mood, the atmosphere of time Of
relaxation. Light reading is otter
perilous, being light things whispered
in a solitary interview withdraw
from other mems scrutiny and forget
full of God's-intense, penetrating
often deliberately harmful.
How 1t Fosters Sin.
Very much of the popular reading
fosters idleness. Many young per
son is on pins and needles at worl
and at ease with trashy novel. Thu
only profound absorption is will
newspapers in hand-lost to presen
duty, drunk with marvellous happen
ings that concern him not at ALL H,