The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-05-22
THE SUNDAY MASS.

The Holy Mass is the central
act of our religion. The Catho-
lie who is careless about Holy
Mass is u victim of the terrible
spiritual malady that is destroy
ing SO many souls today. His
soul, his brain, his will, are pros
trated by the disease of indiffer-
entism. God. eternity, heaven,
hell, are so many mere sounds to
him, devoid Of meaning. Earnest
men who grope in the dark. re,
gions where the light Of faith
does not shine, simply cannot I'M
derstand the. conduct Of such
Catholics. They say that if Cath
olics really believed the tremend-
Gus doctrines which they profess,
they would be sure to prove it
at least once a week. Thus, he
who misses Mass stands in the
way of Gods light shining on be-
nighted souls: he is scandal to
the outsider.
To himself he is unjust and I'M
kind. What treasures Of divine
favour does he not simply ignore
and neglect! And surely we need
all the help we can get to keep
us from sin, from disease, from
misfortune. It is probable that
even. the most Indifferent Catholic
would be glad to get the aid of the
prayers of the pure white souls
that are Gods angels among men
the innocent little children, the
poor, the pure hearts which have
kept themselves like unto the lit
tie, ones. But ON the altar every
Sunday. there. is our Divine Saw
our Himself pleading for us with
a power and an efficacy that can
mot fail; and yet some of us will
mot come and ask Him to mention
our own names to His Father in
Heaven. We all have our troubles
land worries and trials. How are
we to get strength to bear up
bravely and to make out Of srlf-
fering itself the brightest orna-
ment Of our character? Surely
nothing can be more eficacious
for that end than participation
in the Adorable Sacrifice that re-
news and commentaries the sui
ferings of the Son of God "for us
men and for our salvation. "
Where is the use of planning for
our work and our business and
our holidays, unless God, in
Whose hand we always are.
blesses our undertakings? I'm.
less God build the house, they Ia
Ibour in vain who build it.
| 1t can be safely said and com
mitted to the serious considera-
ton Of our busy men and women,
that hearing Holy Mass faithfully
and devoutly Sunday after Sun.
day is, to put it on low ground,
nothing more or less than a bust.
ness proposition. "Seek We, first
the Kingdom of God and His jus.
tice,. and all things else will be
added unto you" Come to the
Sunday Mass, and, with your
family and friends and neigh,
bours, with the angels of God
who throng around the altar, will
our Divine Saviour Himself, the
High Priest and the Victim Of oul
Holy Sacrifice, bow down in ado
ration, in thanksgiving, in sorrow
in prayer, before God Who loves
you and can do all things for you
Parents, see that your little ones
learn early and practice faithful
| " this beautiful lesson. Urge
them. to draw nigh to Jesus in the
happy hours of their innocence
Thus you build up in them char,
acter and. strength for the battle
of life. Everybody ought to be
an apostle in this matter. 1t is q
| fine. thing to see a man GO to the
poor fellow who is growing care
| less and blind to the harm he il
doing and the good he is missing
and just tell him in a few manly
words to come along with all The
others and stop making an oddity
| of himself.
Some stay away because they
| do not know, or fail to realize
| the awful sacredness of this SUI
preme act of Christian worship
and the immense privilege it is to
| be allowed to assist at even one
| Mass. Then, too, at Mass there
lis the sermon. Come and stay
for the sermon and you will hear
a little of what you need to hear
| 1t is a curious fact that the very
men who have no time for the
Sunday Mass and sermon, can find
| time to listen to the nonsense OF
every lecturer who comes along
Ito boost the latest fad that is to