The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-01-01
LETTER 70 THE EDITOR
THE MEANING or CHRISTMAS.
st. Paul, Mimi,
Dec. "a, 1916.
Rev. Father Reafdoii.

HeV. Father Reafdoi1,
Editor, The Catholic Bulletin.
Dear Father:
There was case brought to my
notice recently concerning mans
liability to be curt and selfish with
his fell0W-man which prompted me to
write the following, which while not
OF the best may be acceptable for
publication In the Bulletin.
During this holy season Of Christ.
mas when the mass Of Christianity
turns its eyes towards that wonder.
full indispensable story Of the birth
Of Christ nearly 1900 years ago in a
stable in Bethlehem, one is prone to
ask himself, What does that story
OF Christ mean to MS today living in
the dawn of the Goth century,"
It appears as il we forget that les.
son which He wished to teach by the
poofness and poverty OF His surround.
ings, as if we forget those lessons
Which He taught during His SO years
soiorirn here on earth, those lessons
of love, the love of God and our neigh.
DOT. 1t does seem indeed that we de.
vote too much time I'm the pursuit Of
our desires and ambitions In this mad
and hurried rush for Injuries and
prominence in the material world.
We had all ought to devote some
time and thought to the meaning and
beauty OF Our Lords life lesson of
love reflected in the principles of our
religion. Perhaps cannot more fully
express my meaning than by quoting
from a lecture of the late Father T..
J. Vaughn, "The Power OF Love"
DO not remember the exact words. but
IN speaking of religion as being a
help to mankind, he said, Il do not
mean a mans religion held at arms
length, mean that kind Of religion
that enables man to go down in the
mire and gutter and help a fallen
brother" Oh, friends, how often dn
we Catholics forget that our religion
does not mean merely going to Church
on Holy Days of Obligation and to
receive the Sacraments of Penance
and Holy Eucharist three or four
times year; that Church should not
mean a place where obligation calls us
at certain times, to be forgotten when
away; that it does not mean by rea-
son of its sanctity that there should
pc no comradeship, no cheer and no
friendly feelings expressed. Rather
It should be place where we can go
and pour out our hearts in a flllness OF
love, where we can all meet on COM
mon ground, forget the world and its
greed and striving after vain ambi-
tons and extend to our, felloWmen a
hand OF welcome and a hand of love.
Christ said that the greatest COM
mandment is to love God with our
whole heart and our whole mind and
the second is like unto this, to love
our neighbor as ourselves. Looking
at the second of these two founda-
ton stones Of the temple Of Chris
tianity, most of us can find room for
Improvement. Let us Catholics espe-
cially try to live up to, the principles
Of. our religion, for nowhere in all
this wide world can deeper. and more
aritable principles of loYe be found
than in that Church which surviving
the storms and tenlpests Of nineteen
centpriess to-day stends as living
testimony Of Christ's words, "And the
gates ofShell shall not prevail against
it," :
Truly it is amazing to the Christian
mind IT, it will hut delve down. into the
teachings and truths and beauties of
our religion, why souls should so far
wander away, as to regard the obsery-
ance Of our Christian duties as some
thing to, be rushed through and gotten
over with as soon as possible.
I WishI conld take all such by the
hand, peTVse with them the history OF
our Church, show them the priceless
treasures in our literature and the in
comparable beauteous thoughts which
cannot be expressed or enjoyed by
any but those in close communion
with the divine teachings of Holy
Mother Church.
Let us all resolve at this time, along
with our other resolutions, although it
should in reality be first, to primarily
live up to Catholic principles, for by
living up to these we shall be living
up to the standards set by Our Di-
vine Lord, and truly the wholesome
ness of these ideals bring peace and
harmony to our minds and being that
can be found in TO human agency.
How inadequate il the human Ian
gnage to express the inestimable beau
ties of our religion, and how the hui
man mind must bow before infinite
teachings and beauties given to us by
Almighty God through the agency of
His Holy Church.
Let us all join in spirit with the
intentions OF Our Holy Father, Pope
Benedict XIV, for the observance of
our Christian duty, the attendance at
Mass, and let us all unite in spirit
and prayer that God may bless us
and our fellow creatures, give us the
grace and strength to do and profess
AT all times His holy will, to live up
to His teachings as taught to us by
His successors, the priests and Bish-
ops of the Catholic Church, and to
bless all OF our brethren that they
may receive the light Of faith and be
brought to the True Fold, SO that in
the words Of Christ. There shall be-
one fold and one Shepherd
Yours very truly,
Il. "A. STOWELL.
IT'S Marshall Avenue.