The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-08-18
CATHOLIC TEACHERS
FATHER ELLIOTT MAKES PARTIc-
ULAR ExAMEN FOR THEM.

There are so many Catholic teach
ers that they deserve a special PRAYER
book all their own-one adapted to
their own spiritual needs. That
prayer-book ought to contain a special
examen of conscience, and there are,
three questions that ought to be con-
tanned in that examen: Have | been
averse to a child? Have l been over
Jealous? Have l been unforgiving?
Truly pitiful,' writes the Rev.
Walter Elliott, C. S. p, in "The Spir-
itual Life" lis the spectacle of a
Catholic teacher harboring feelings of
aversion towards particular children.
Can we forget that Our Saviour's at
traction was for common, ordinary
people, and especially for those
despised by others? Can we forget
that it was not for dainty-mannered
little ones, but just for the rude chill
dren of the people, who were crowd
ing and annoying their elders, that He
solemnly uttered His preference:
Suffer little children to come unto
me, and forbid them not, for the king
dom of heaven is for such?
Zeal is defined as the warmth of
love. But sometimes this zeal Is SO
super-heated that like an over-charge
OF electricity, it burns out it's own
apparatus. There Is zeal that
destroys our own kindly feelings.
Super-heated zeal puts discordaEt
harshness into our voice. 1t causes
threatening gestures, hasty correc-
tions. All this is followed inevitably
by feelings Of self-reproach. Bitter
disappointment, forehodings of fu-
ture trouble possesses the soul until
despair of success with the children
brings the final catastrophe. Let us
realize that to bear with the most
suntoward conditions in oneself. and In
the little ones for Christs sake. is
often the forlorn hope, the last des-
perate assault that captures the
citadel
sometimes a teacheris SO unthink-
ing as to feel that pupil has insulted
him-as if the folly of child could
wound the grown-up wisdom of a
Christian. But even so: concede that
a bitter taunt has shot deep into the
sensibilities of teacher; what then?
When the Christian emperor Gratian
condemned certain man to death,
st. Ambrose managed with much diff
Guilty to get access to the monarch,
and said: Your majesty, | am here
to plead for that mans life for the
honor of God The emperor answer
ed: That man must die, for he has
insulted me and my office The saint
replied: That he has insulted thee
and thy Office is all the more reason
why thou shouldst forgive him. How
hold plea, and yet how truly Chris
tian. So let it be when you are in
suited by a rebellious, vicious child. /"
Il, If one has sinned in the ways men
toned above against patience, re-
form will result in an Immediate
change for the better in the discipline
of the school room, and an eternal
change for the better in the character
of the pupils. Continues Father
Elliott:
"A patient teacher, supposing good
sense and steady adherence to rule,
will keep good order in school with
one-tenth the chastisements of an i'm
patient teacher. The good, peaceable
nature will not lack the iron hand OF
discipline He will clothe it with the
velvet glove of patience. He will
never lack the aid of that mildest OF
beings, of whom nevertheless the dis
ciples exclaimed Who is this that
both the wind and the sea obey Him?
There Is pions custom in our
churches Of lighting candle before an
altar and leaving it there to burn
away its substance In our stead; its
light is typical Of our ardent love
continuing our worship after we our'