The Irish standard., 1914-12-19

AAe&OASoo VI udA WOuAu AaN0 ~ OeAOA'
wise. He who holds in the hollow Of
his hand the destinies of nations will
thus go unhonored and unadored on
the birthday of the Prince of Peace.
THE YULETIDE SEASON..
! The season of Christmas is upon
us. The time of the year when faith
and devotion to the teachings and
practices of our faith should be upper
most in our minds. More and more
we are coming to realize that not
only for our spiritual but our temporal
welfare the practice of devotional ex-
ercise and the cultivation of religious
fervor is both a spiritual and tenn
poral asset. The practice Of self
denial and the disposition to mani
fest that humility which is becoming
Ito Christian people hold high places
among those religious qualities which
make the everyday heroes and he.
roines among men and women. The
practice of religious devotion and the
attention at church services is a prac-
tice peculiar to men of Catholic faith.
In no other church is there such an
appeal to men Of strong and virile
minds. Everywhere they are called
upon to display among their associ-
ates, often non-Catholics, the practice
some form that prevails among Cath
olics. The abstinence from meat on
Friday is an example of this. The
attendance at Mass on Sunday and
holy days of obligation and the man.
ner of assisting at these services
when in the church at once stigma.
ties the worshiper as a Catholic or
a non-Catholic. In the various non
Catholic churches there is no indica.
ton as to whether the attendant is a
Methodist, or Baptist, or Congrega-
tionalist or member of some of the
other non-Catholic sects. Like the
pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of
fire by night the Catholic church goes
on guiding her millions with an in
divtduality all her own and calls upon
her loyal children to manifest by out
ward sign and inward grace, not only
In the church but out of it the dis
tinct marks of Catholic faith and Cath.
Ole practice. Well does it behoove
the Catholic man and woman during
fhe Christmas season so bountiful In
the grace of God to take an inventory
of their spirituality and an account
OF their spiritual assets. Graces and
gifts are bestowed through the instru-
mentality of the church upon those
who assist the church in it's call for
purity In the midst of the temptation;
In asking for the practice of sobriety
while its children are surrounded with
the world craving for intemperance in
every form. Sensuality is condemned
as the church is urging the faithful to
reject the world and flesh and the
devil. Forgiveness Is asked of those
who In the stern battle of life often
receive the jeers and insults of the
unthinking multitude. Faith and de.
votion is demanded while the trials
or life beat like tidal waves against
the faith and teachings which Cath
olics receive through the instrument
tally of the church and the efforts
of parental guidance. The religion of
the Catholic church above the religion
OF all other churches is the religion
of strong-minded men and women. In
the midst of the serious trials of
everyday life the Yuletide season
should make manifest to all the faith.
full the great storehouse of graces and
gifts which should enable and will
enable all who take advantage of them
to fortify themselves in the many ways
that are necessary to preserve in the
onward path and fulfill the end for
which the Christmas season was es.
tablished and for which the Son of
God became man. took unto Himself
our human nature and was born in
stable in Bethlehem ON Christmas
morning.