The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-02-05
SPIRITUAL SOUVENIRS.
Written for The Catholic Bulletin by
Ellen Roberts.)s

Our room beat Sister Margarets
on communions," he announced cheer-
fully. We beat them on aspirations,
TOO We had five thousand and they
only had four thousand" His voice
died away as he hurried upstairs to
put his books away until another year.
Nine thousand aspirations. All in
dulgenced. Of course, and it is proba-
BILE all applicable to the Poor Souls,
offered for them Not TO mention the
novenas, prayers, Masses heard, conf
munions and other acts of piety and
devotion offered during the school
year. What treasures these children
are laying up for themselves! Not for
one year alone, but for every year of
their school life, they are gathering up
these spiritual souvenirs.
Private Collections.
Are we grOWn-ups doing as we'll!
Nearly every one of us has a private
collection of some kind of souvenirs
of by-gone affairs which grows larger
as the years 90 by; childhood treas
ures, carefully preserved cards and
booklets for every holiday season.
We have certificates of First Com
munion and Confirmation which bring
back to us every detail Of those mem
orable days We remember so dis
tinctIy the morning we received the
Divine Saviour for the first time. The
church, all dim and shadowy in the
morning light, with the autumn rain
beating against the windows. And
the day the Bishop, with his retinue
of priests, came for confirmation.
How excited we all were that day!
When it was all over. we felt that at
last we were really full-fiedged Cath
olics, ready to die for our Faith. Our
first Rosary, broken and with half OF
the beads lost, but still treasured for
the precious memories it recalls.
Worldly Souvenirs.
Souvenirs of more worldly events.
Our first valentine. How we'll We re-
member the thrill it gave Us the
morning we received it, so long ago!
Various little keepsakes, pleasant re
minders of our happy school days
The diploma we received when we
graduated. And SO on, each year
adding 10 the collection.
Perhaps ali of our souvenirs do moi
recall happy memories. For most OF
us there are gray days as we'll as
gold. There's fathers old prayer
book with its large type for his fail
ing eyes, Or mothers thimble, long
since put away; a piece OF the dress
our dear one wore that bright spring
morning we laid her away to RESI-
with the Easter lilies on her coffin
We thought that day the sun woule
never shine for us again; but God i:
good and comforts as He alone know:
how to comfort. After all, the hap
piest memories are not always thu
sweetest.
Spiritual Souvenirs.
How about those spiritual seuve
Mrs? Do we collect them as Jealous
ly? For they will avail us far NOR
in the end and maybe contribute
towards our eternal salvation. How
many indulgenced aspirations, applies
BILE to the Poor Souls, do we offe
each day for them? Some day we
too, may be one of that sufferin
band, crying in vain for help fror
those we have left behind. Let us sc
just how many indulgenees we ca
obtain for them in one day alon,
There's a three hundred days indu
gence attached to that little aspire
ton of only seven words. How man
times during the day we can offer thi
tiny prayer, now for one, and then fo
another. Let US not forget to offe
some for ourselves. There are nj
merous other short prayers, bearin
indulgences of varying length.
And the Mass we had read for Mr.
Brown, whose relatives were a
Protestants, and for whom there wa
no one to pray. Not only will tn:
Mass benefit Mrs. Brown, but it wi
help u.s. The Rosaries we offer fl
those, who one by one are slippir
out of life, with a few addition
prayers for those who We're calle
without warning or time for prepar
ton. Not only for our Catholic rel
tives may we offer these, but for no
Catholics as well.
1t may be that our humble pray
will be instrumental in bringing in
the true fold some wanderer, lookil
for the light, or some stray sheep wi
has drifted away. What a wonderf
souvenir this would be!
How many souvenirs Of this XII
we may collect in the course of an {
binary lifetime! AS we grow olde
our thoughts invariably turn more
God and we spend more time
prayer. Consequently our collects
grows more rapidly.
What spiritual wealth that grs
haired old lady or that feeble old M
must have accumulated during t
long years! 1t is not given to us
know what treasure-trove they ha
hidden away.
If we have not already started
collection of such souvenirs, let us
so at once. 1t is not too late to
gin now We, too, may have ri
collection some day.