The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-01-06
MANNERS AND RELIGION.

I think that primary-snal say.
the primary element-in manners is
modesty, that virtue by which the.
great are great without being AFRO
CANT; by which the good are good.
without sounding their deeds on a.
trumpet, writes T. J. Brennan, S. T..
L., in the January Catholic World"
Who was ever so great or did so
many good deeds as Jesus? But His
greatness sat on Him as the sunshine
rests on a hillside: His good deeds
went out from Him as the odor comes
from the rose. His Office hours ran
from sunrise to sunrise, and His re-
ception-room was the highways CT the
city and the. country. He had no,
publicity agent or campaign manager,
or official biographer; when recogni-
ton was proffered, He hid Himself in
the mountains; when He had done
one Of His greatest miracles He said,
See that thou tell no man." He did
not obtrude either His prayer or fast
ing OH the public, but went abroad,
leaving no studied indications of the
self-denial He bore for our sakes.
Another element of good manners is
the power of making yourself at home
among all classes, and making all
classes feel at home with you-but
without loss of dignity on the one side
or the other. This is based on the
fundamental equality of men. The
pompous man is consumed with the
idea of his own superiority; the fas-
tidious man eXaggerates the value of
rules and formulas. The true gentle
man sits down among publicans and
sinners, forgetting accidental differ
mon bond of humanity. So it was
with Jesus. He bellies the cid adage,
"a man is known by his company"
For, the truth is, man is not known
by his company, but his manner OF
acting with his company. Jesus was
consorter with Wine-bibbers and sin
ners, but He was never convicted
either for drunkenness or sim. He
talks theology with the Master in
Israel; He quotes the law and the
prophets among the scribes; He
speaks simple and homely parallels to
the peasantry. Hence the results: the
little children crowd His knees; the
common people hear Him gladly; the
Samaritan woman speaks of Him in
glowing words to- her fellow towns
people; the woman who was a sinner
anoints His feet with ointment and
kisses them; the beloved Disciple
leans on His bosom at table. even the
"son of perdition" knows he will not
be rudely repulsed when he ap-
proaches with the traitorous kiss.
Thus to everybody and with every
body, He was always at home; always
| drawing nigh unto His felloWmen, and
| willing that all should draw nigh unto
Him. How many, like the two on the
way to Emmaus,- must have said at
did not our hearts burn within us as
He spoke to us -
Hence, in the family, in the school,
and in the church, the Importance of
good manners should receive en-
phasis. The Church has developed a
wonderful system of rubrics to regu-
| late the administration of the sacra-
ments. Now, manners are the rubrics
| of social intercourse, and if we regard
social intercourse as a gift of God,
then good manners are a divine obli-
cation. A man may be, technically
speaking, a practical Catholic; but, if
he is boorish or unsocial, who is going
to profit by: the faith that is in him?
Tertullian says that Christian is an.
other Christ. But whatever our
claims to such a title, we can never
aspire to be considered such if we are
| boorish, or cranky, or uncivil.. in our
social dealings; if we are unthoughtful
of the comforts and happiness of
lothers; if our religion does not show
itself in courtesy and refinement and
joy, making our friends glad to see
us, as the disciples were glad when
they saw the lord. IS
f4-