The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-12-04
THE APPEAL OF CHRISTMAS.

Christmas is time of joy. This
all of us feel and know If, on mem,
ory's wings, we go back to the days of
childhood we shall find that the great
event of the year to which we looked
forward, and at which those who
loved us made a special effort to rem
der us happy, was the coming of the
Christmas. 1t is right that it should
be SO.
- When our first parents were driven
from Paradise, involving us, their
descendants, in their loss and ruin,
even then the voice of Hope and
Mercy was heard. For from the very
outset there existed the joyful expec-
tation of the coming of Him Who
should restore to us our lost in
heritance. The Old Testament is full
of expressions of this longing for the
Advent of the Messiah Who was to
give back to Israel its glory. And yet,
on that first Christmas night, when in
the guise of helpless Infant He ap-
peared on earth, no one recognized
Him save His Virgin Mother and st.
Joseph, together with few poor sim
pie shepherds: HE came unto His
own and His own received Him not"
because the manner of His coming
did not square with the mistaken no
tions they had formed about Him. He
came to bring happiness to man.
peace to men of good will,'' was the
burden of the Angels Christmas song.
There is no true happiness without
peace-the peace of God. What is
peace with God," asks st. Augustine,
eff not to desire what He wishes and
to detest what He forbids?" It is
evident that if we set aside Gods
known will and follow our own pas
Sions we cannot call God our friend;
and to have Him for an enemy-what
awful consequences for us does not
this involve.
Submit myself then to Him, and
be at peace, and thereby thou shalt
have the best fruit" says holy Job
xxi. 2D. A bad conscience is al
ways fearful and uneasy. "Sweetly
shalt thou take thy rest if thy heart
reprehend thee not" Omit. of Christ,
Blk. H. g.. If we wish for true Christ
mas happiness, we must prepare our
selves for it. Peace and justice are
two friends. One cannot exist with
out the other. Who is there who does
not wish for happiness? Yet many are
unwilling to use the necessary means
towards the obtaining of it. You
know what steps to take to be re-
stored to friendship with your Saviour,
should it be your great misfortune to
have lost it. Take these steps, and
when Jesus comes to you on Christ
mas morning He will breathe into
your soul the sweetness of His pres
ence, saying to you, as He said of old
to His Apostles, peace be to this
house."
Alas! Christmas also is for many a
time of suffering. Many circum
stances combine to make it so. The
frost, the snow, the cold December
winds, find many whose scanty
threadbare clothing is but poor pro
lection from their cruel sting. Oh!
the cold, the misery, the squalor Of
those garnet homes that give bare
shelter, and but little else, to the
countless poor that throng our city
slums. Oh! the agony of the pool
mothers heart as she beholds hel
little ones in cold and hunger, with
out means to give them proper nour
ishment or warmth.
The fact that Christmas is for many
a time of mirth and feasting is 6
cause of even keener suffering to the
many others whom poverty excludes
from such enjoyments. Nay, one O.
the saddest sights of the entire yeal
may be witnessed during Christmas
week. The shops are brightly lighted
through their inviting portals the
stream of purchasers flows gaily IL
and out, their arms full of packages
of good things and their faces al
aglow with health and mirth. The
children of the poor, their little faces
pinched with want, their bare fee
blue with cold, gaze, shivering, in al
windows where the shelves groan I'm
der the weight of luxuries, the very
names of which are unknown to them
their hopeless longing none the less
on that account. See that city man
sion, bright with many evidences o.
preparation for the Christmas mirth
The poor behold it, and to them il
speaks of joys they may not share
Then comes, perhaps, the thought!
why should they, through no fault OF
action of their own, be debarred from
such enjoyment? Their Christian
Faith, alone, supplies them with al
answer, and, mayhap, enables them
as they reflect upon the mystery o
the Man-God, born amid all kinds o
suffering and privation, to be resigned
to share their lot with His.
This Christmas the misery will bt
greater. even, than in former years
The price of the most ordinary pro
visions has gone up to an exorbitant
degree. You find it necessary Il
economize. How hard must the really
poor find it to get even the bare neces
saries of life. How many of them
too, are Borrowing over the loss Of
their breadwinner, taken from then
by the exigencies of this cruel war
NFor how many does his mere absence
involve additional anxiety and pov
erty. You must economic! No doubt
you must; but do not begin by tight
ening vour DurSe-strings towards thf