Honolulu star-bulletin., 1916-03-08
BISHOP SENDS
open letter TO
EPISCOPALlANS
Asks That Lenten Season, Be-
ginning Today, Be Made a
Time for Special Prayers

With the commencement today OF
Lent, Rt Rev. Henry Bond Restarick,
bishop of Honolulu and dean Of st.
Andrews cathedral, has issued the
following open letter to the members
Of his congregation and to tourists OF
the Episcopal faith who may be WIS.,
iting in the city: ,... -
Sometimes a strange voice arouses
the attention of people - when the
voice to which they have been accus-
toned makes little impression. With
this thought, instead of writing a
Lenten letter to the people Of St An
drew's Cathedral, / quote one who
was q dear, personal friend and a
great American churchman. the late
DR.. VIM. r. Huntington, long rector
Of Grace Church, New York. The
words are so clear and strong that
they will appeal to all who under.
stand in any degree what Lent Is.
His words are az follows:
Not Hard TO Keep Lent.
PEOPLE talk about keeping Lent
Really, friends, it is not so much
question, Shall we keep Lent? as it
is question, Shall we lose Lent? The
church's purpose in ordaining Lent is
not to deprive, but to bestow; not to
take away, but to aid; not to starve,
but to feed Lent regarded as a sort
.of ecclesiastical police regulation, is.
and must always be, a dismal failure.
Lent seen in its true light as season
set apart for the strengthening and
refreshing of the soul, Is one Of the
greatest Of all imaginable privileges.
For is II not the fact that We do need
this chance, so opportunely given us,
to get away from the unreal, and to
hold communion with the real? so
use, pray you, the forty days. For
get the ambitions and the riEalries,
the hsnger for success. the thirst for
praise. Remand them, yes, all Of them,
to the land Of shadows, where they
belong. Seek first the Kingdom OF
God and His righteousness. All else.
If we only knew 1t, is iilusory. God
alone is real. -
Not Matter. Of chureh-G Going.
The many opportunities of wor-
ship have been provided. not in ex-
peckation that the same persons will
avail themselves Of all of them, but
rather in the hope thta the conve-
nience of all, in the matter Of times
and seasons, will be met. BY no means
Is Lent wholly matter of church.
going. Find out what helps you most
in this endeavor to be real. and make
the most of that assistance: follow
that CLEAN. So shall God, in His real.
ity. reveal Himself to you, His child,
and give life a meaning which It did
not have before The great thing Is
to learn to believe and to hope. TO
believe in God and TO hope in God; to
be fully persuaded that II we put our
whole trust in Him, alike in rough
weather and in fair, in the dark as in
the daylight, it will surely come out
right with us In the END.
"ssIf thou cheerfuliy dearest the
cross writes q Kempis from his CELL
athe cross will bear thee.
Heed Call to Prayers.
we may speak in the same way
OF Lent, II we willingly and without
gfudging the time spent on it, keep
Lent, Lent will keep us; keep Us from
mistaking the transient for the per
manent, the shadows for the sub
stance. the unreal for the real, the
things seen and temporal for the
things unseen and eternal. Thus safe.
guarded, we can defy cynicism and
hold melancholy at arms length. For,
true, though it be that man walketh
IN q vain shadow and disQuieteth him
self in vain, my hope. Lord, is IN
Thee, and may psalm. In Domino con-
fido.n
sIn these troublous times the Len
ten call to prayer should be needed
and we wish to make this season q |
time Of special prayers and interces-
sions. We hope that the people will
unite with us in making this season |
q time OF prayer"