The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-06-20

into our daily life? The Sunday be
longs in very special manner to
God. And there are Catholics who do
not even hear Mass on Sunday!
Thousands upon thousands of them!
How few they are who hear daily
Mass. Swarming around the church,
there are hundreds who, by slight
self-denial might assist at daily Mass /;
they are content, if they catch-and
catch" is the word-a low Mass on
Sunday. They will make sure that
they will hear no sermon. The word
of God has no attraction for them.
Even in large parishes, Vespers Sun.
day afternoon are poorly attended.
There seems a determination to give
God as little as possible.
Here are three important principles
which should rule our life.
Keep in Gods grace.
Perform our religious duties.
Offer up all our thoughts, words and
deeds to God.
If we pass our life in Gods grace
and offer all our actions to Him, our
life will be prayer. In the spiritual
life, there is no Indifferent action;
every act puts us nearer to God or
further from Him.
Most of our readers have heard the
story of the dying lay-brother. He
had passed many years in religion and
it came his time to die. AS he lay
on his death-bed, his brethren gath.
cred around him to pray for him and
to bid him a last farewell.
Turning to them the old lay.
brother said to them: Bring me my
key of heaven" He had piously re.
ceived the Sacraments of the Church
What did he mean? Was he be.
ginning to rave? What could be his
key of heaven?
They brought him his crucifix. He
kissed it devotedly and laid it beside
him on the bed Bring me my key
of heaven" he insisted. They whis
pered to one another and then q
brother brought him his habit. But
the dying monk shook his head
Bring me my key of heaven" They
brought him a copy of the rule-his
rosary. But he rejected all. ''What
do you WISH" the Superior asked
What do you mean by your key OF
heaven?"
Bring me-" said the aged brother
my needle. For forty years I have
been the tailor of the monastery.
have made the habits of the brethren
and my needle was never idle. Now
the sands of my life are fast ebbing
away and soon l must appear before
my God. All these years 1 have of
fered up to God every stitch l took
My needle has decided my destiny
my needle has made my place in eter
nifty; my needle is my key of heaven
They brought him his well-worr
needle. The old man lovingly glanced
at it and his face lit with smile
"My key of heaven" he whispered
and he breathed his last.
No matter how humble our work, il
we persevere in Gods grace and offel
it up to Him, it will be our key O.
heaven.
In earthly affairs time is the pur
chase money of success. The 1aggarC
never arrives. 1t is the boy and thu
man who utilize their time, the time
rather, of their employers, who sue
coed. There is no more fatal defea
in character than that which leads III
to undervalue time. The successful
man is the man who is ''up and do
ing He never comes late, he neve
wastes time in preparation, he neve
lounges time away during worl
hours; he always finds something a
hand to do or he makes it; his cyl
is not glued on the clock lest he worl
minute over. Prosperity AM
wealth only render such man busie
and time more precious to him.
Monitor NeIDdrk NJ j.