The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-04-22
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really and truly present, as food for
our souls. How can we, who have
faith in the Real Presence, resist our
Saviour's loving invitation? He says:
Come to Me all We that labor and are
burdened, and will refresh YOU
Matthew Xi, %.
How, | again ask, can we neglect
this loving invitation, even though He
had not added to it strict command?
But such command He has added.
For, bear well in mind, it is Christ
Himself Who commanded His follow
ers to receive Holy Communion. "EX-
cept you eat the Flesh of the Son of
Man, and drink His Blood, you shall
not have life in you"-St. John vi.
"a. The Church has only determined
the time within which this command
of the Master is to be complied with
The Easter season in the United
States, by special favor of our Holy
Father, extends over a period of more
than one hundred days. To be exact
one may make his Easter Duty any
time from the first Sunday of Lent, up
to Trinity Sunday. Trinity Sunday is
always eight weeks after Easter Sun
day. Surely these three and half
months give every one a chance to
make his Easter Duty.
Who Are They Who Neglect Their
PaschaI Communion?
I. The Careless and Indifferent.
If we attempt some classification of
those who neglect their Easter Com
munion, we shall find that by far the
largest class is made up of those who
failed in their duty through careless
ness and Indifference. Such persons
are usually very lacking in a realiza-
ton of spiritual truths and duties. Re-
ligion for them is of secondary i'm
portance. Their mind is entirely en-
crossed with two things-Work and
amusement; and they never pause to
reflect that the world with all it's van
tiles and pleasures must pass away,
while the life of the soul endures for
ever. But what will be the sentiments
of such when, at the instant of
their death, they stand in the pres
ence of their all-knowing Judge?
But perhaps you may say: Il have
been away SO long that l am ashamed
and afraid to 60" Well, dear friend,
will staying away longer make things
better? Certainly not; prepare at
once, and do not continue to yield to
the Evil Ones suggestions. Go to
some priest, and say to him: Father,
| have been away from the Sacraments
for long time; please help me with
my confession
Others will say: 81 will surely at
tend to this matter, but l am not pre-
pared now; l am too busy. I'll wait
for time Just this question, dear
friend. Will you go on in this way till
your death day, practically separated
from the Church by neglect of your
Easter Duty? Have you any sure hold
on life? Death may surprise you in
your sins. No; rouse yourself, go to
confession at once. Behold, now is
the acceptable time; behold, now is
the day of salvation. I'll Cor. vi, 2.
II. Those Married Out of the Church
Again there are those who, perhaps
in an ill-advised moment, have mar
ried out of the Church, and do not
clearly know how to set matters right
They know they have committed a
great sin; perhaps they think they
are beyond redemption. The devil is
very glad to keep them thinking So
Their life suits him very we'll Such
should go at once to their parish
priest, or to some other priest, eX-
plain their case, and follow his direc-
tions. If you have married out of the
Church since April 10Th, 1908, your
marriage is certainly invalid; you are
simply living in sin; you are not mar
ried at all, and this is the case wheth-
er your partner be a Catholic or a
Protestant. If you were married be-
fore the decree of April, 1908, your
marriage, though very sinful and a
sacrilege, may or may not be true,
valid marriage. 1t depends on certain
Was your Protestant partner ever bap-
.tized? etc. The priest will inquire into
this and give you proper advice.
III. Slaves of Sin Neglecting Their
Easter Duty.
There are others who are leading
wicked, sinful lives; they are perhaps
slaves of the sin of impurity; they are
regularly and deliberately impure, and
what is worse of all, they are not in
clined to give up their life of sin.
Others, though far fewer in number,
are dishonest; they have money or
goods belonging to others, and they
wish to hold on to them. Again. some
are living openly in adultery; they
have stifled their conscience and gone
through the meaningless ceremony of
marriage with some divorced person,
whose husband or wife is still living.
Finally, some belong to forbidden So
ciety, such as the Masons or the
Knights of Pythias, and that is their
reason for neglecting their Easter
Communion
To the various unfortunate members
of this class | would, in Gods name,
say:
First-Remember there is only one
way that leads to heaven, and that is
the way of the commandments. Not
every one that saith to me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he that doth the will of