The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-05-16
This is the contribution which the
Church gladly welcomes from each one
of us every day this month.
THE LIGHT WE SHED.

One of the impressive sights wit
messed in Oriental churches on Easter
morning, travellers tell us, is the light
ing of the torches. Before dawn the
worshippers assemble in the great
dark building, with their unlighted
torches. At the appointed moment a
priest carrying light, appears
those in the front part of the church
light their torches from his; their
neighbors receive light from them
and so on, until the great building is
a blaze of glory.
The special significance of the Gus.
tom is apparent: from Him, who is
our life and light, we receive life and
light eternal; in His Resurrection we
are co-heirs. But we may, writes A.
c. NJ, in the Catholic Telegraph, read
into it other meanings, and not the
least impressive of these, is that it
is the happy privilege of each life to
offer light for his neighbours unlighted
torch.
Many truly humble soul may
looking over her circumscribed place
ask what torch waits to receive light
from hers. 1 often wonder what the
world would be without these loyal
souls, whose days apparently are pur
poseless, who, as far as our human
eyes read their story, are not needed
at all in this mad race of the swift,
this fierce battle of the strong; and
who, keenly aware of this themselves,
yet will not swerve, but press hero.
ically on, or as heroically stand still !;
whose torch, no matter what the con.
dition, burns on with the quenchless
flame of their courage. There is no
spot on earth without such as these;
you may count many, if your, circle
of acquaintance is large and leads
into varied environment.
Now stop here, you busy worker
with hands or brains, you person OF
so many and such varied activities,
that the marvel is you find time and
energy for their accomplishment, stop
and ask yourself how much do you
owe to these humble ones? How
often have you not found yourself
standing in some crucial hour, with
your torch gone out, and, seeing the
steady fame of that rush light, knew
yourself saved, as you stumbled for
ward to relight from it your own?
Nor could you perchance, in the ter
rible press from the runners behind
cry to that humble, loyal soul-Be-
hold, this you have done for me!
But there was One watching, and
we needs must believe that, in some
way, He made known to that lowly
one the good that had been wrought,
and showered down the reward the
deed merited. In some hour it was
given that soul to find herself envel.
oped in light that never was on
land or sea, to find the poor candle in
her hand converted into taper which
shed forth that brilliancy which John
at Patmos beheld Illuminating the
New Jerusalem. So, wherever you
may be, whatever the nature of the
light that you bear, hold to your
place, guard it's burning. One OF
Gods Amounted ones, sore despoiled
may catch from you the light needed
to light him to victory!
There are some unhappy creatures
what not only give no thought to the
need of their brethren, but who strive
to withhold from them the rays their
own usually inferior lamps shed. But
remember this; when you cover your
light, in the childish wish to with.
draw any radiance from your neigh
Dor, you darken your own way. You
injure yourself more than any other
by a selfish act.
There are others, the unfortunates,
who have cast their torches from
them. Beautiful torches, some OF
them were, fitted to adorn the sanctu.
airy of the home. But their posses.
sors chose darkness instead of light,
and not the great God Himself can
alter the free choice of man or a
woman. Into the outer darkness they
flung themselves, and until such time
as they will to return hence, there
they must remain.
These, however, are the exceptions.
The majority of men and women seek
their own salvation and the salvation
of their brethren. And in this vast
temple of the Father, we see a steady
flame ascending from the lamps He
has given into their hands.