The Dickinson press., 1917-03-03

BISMARCK blShOP
WRITES CATHOLICS
The following letter from Bishop
Wehrle of Bismarck will prove of in
terest to all the Catholics in his
Diocese: -'
To All the Faithful of the Diocese,
Greetings and Blessings of the Lord.
Every man belongs to those serv-
ants of the Gospel to whom the
Saviour said that their Lord entrusted
to them talents, to the one five, to
the other three, to the other one;
but to each one the Lord commanded
to use the given talent according to
ones ability and to return it with
profit to the Lord at his return from
the journey.
To these talents, entrusted by the
Lord God to us belong the temporal
goods, or earthly riches. Many a one
has received his wealth by inheritance
or as a gift; others have acquired
wealth through hard labor. To the
latter class belong the most: of you,
beloved pioneers of this new country.
You were not afraid Of the h%ardships
and privations which are inseparably
connected with the settling. of a new
country. God has blessed your labors
and thus many of you have acquired
competency or ever riches.
It is now very important that you
so use the new conditions that they
may not become detrimental to your
immortal souls, but rather become a
means for you to obtain great hoii-
ness and an eternal reward. There
fore, I will explain to you the Chris
tan principles that must be your
guide, and remind you of the duties
that YOU have in regard to temporal
goods.
1. In the. first chapter of Holy
Sculpture God gives US the real reason
of mans title to property. "God
created man to His image and
likeness; to the image Of God He
created him; male and female He
created them. And God blessed them,
saving: Increase and multiply and fill
the earth and subdue it."-Gen. 1:27.
From this follows that man, created
to the image and likeness of God, has
q right to property. Man, therefore,
in the use of property must take
God as. his example. It is very i'm
portant that we understand and take
It to heart, especially in a time when
so many attempt to Danish God from
the social order of things.
2. In the book of Proverbs, 30:8-9,
we find the following inspired prayer:
"Give me neither beggary nor riches;
give me only the necessaries of life;
lest perhaps being filled, l should be
tempted to deny and say: Who is
the Lord? or being compelled by pow
erty, I should steal and forswear the
name of my God"
Riches and poverty have their dang
ers. Poverty, if not illumined by
Christian faith, easily leads to the
loss of ~self-respect, embitters the soul,
leads into temptations of trying to
acquire in an unjust way the property
of others, and arouses also the sensual
passions.
Riches IAN become even more dan
perous to the soul. They tempt man
to pride and to the pursuit of inordi-
nate pleasure; they hearden the heart
for the needs of others; but the
greatest danger is indicated in the
words of Holy Scripture: "Lest being
filled I should be tempted to deny and
a v Who is the Lord?" Rich men
feel themselves often so independent
as to forget entirely their Lord God
who. however, can say to them at any
moment what he said to the rich mar
in the Gospel: "Thou fool, this night
do thew require thy soul of thee; and
whose shall those things be with
which thou hast. provided "-Luc.
512. 29. "For they that will become
rich, fall into temptation, and into
the r of the devil and into many
improbable and hurtful desires;
which down men into destruction and
perdition."-1 Tim. 6, 9.
8. Riches in themselves are not a
danger to man; for, as st. Leo says:
"The same God who promises eternal
goods, gives the temporal goods"
The danger arises from the human
soul which in an inordinate way loves
riches and refuses to use them &C
cording to the will of God. It re-
ouires strong souls, well grounded in
faith. to possess and administer great
riches in such a way that the soul
thereby become more pleasing to God
and richer in merits. It is, therefore
necessary that we consider riches and
poverty in the light of the Gospel.
The Gospel gives us the following
A. Of all the gifts Of God riches
have the least value. The poorest
beggar child which has been cleansed
in the waters of Baptism is consid-
cred richer by God and His angels
than a multi-millionaire who does not
;possess the grace of Baptism. When.
ever YOU are tempted to pride of
YOUR wealth, consider that the
wealthiest man is poor and naked and
miserable before God, if he does not
possess supernatural grace, faith,
hope and charity, and other Christian
virtues. How contemplate, therefore,
is the human respect, based entirely
on the possession Of temporal goods:
Let us take heed, lest the reproach Of
St. James be applicable to u.s.: II
there shall come into your assembly
- non having a golden ring, in fine