The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-30
Sunday School
Lesson
Bv WILLIAM E. GILROY, d. d

Nv WILLIAM E. GILROY, d. d
The fact that Christmas Day and
New Years Day are week apart
/ in our calendar is a stunplng prob
lem for those who think that every
detail in religion and life must be
defined with mathematical exact
ness: for it is obvious that it every
thing had worked out in that way
the two would fall upon the same
day. We reckon our years, osten-
sibly. from the birth OF Christ, and
we celebrate on Christmas Day the
birth of Christ, so that New Years
and Christmas, in world OF de-
tailed exactness, ought to be the
same day.
But they are not: for our lack
OF knowledge about the exact day,
and even the exact year, Of the
birth of Christ might well lead us
to question whether God did not
in,erd it that way, lest we become
so much concerned with the out
ward and non-essential facts about
the life of Jesus that we neglect
the essential, and soul-saving facts
concerning his life and teaching.
How exact, in contrast with h e
lack of knowledge about the out
ward facts, is our knowledge Of the
inward life of the Master, the def
niteness of His example as He
went about doing good, and the ex-
phci,ness Of His teaching! Here we
have all we need for guidance and
salvation.
The error, or lack of knowledge,
that gives us a whole week be-
tween Christmas and New Years,
has an advantage that God might
very well have ordained. 1t lifts
us to the very height Of all that we
can contemplate, in the richness of
Gods gift to man. and leaves US
week of meditation and reflec-
ton before we enter upon the New
Year.
Onyy cold and prosaic soul
could be unmoved at the passing
OF the old year and the coming of
the new. 1t is not year that is
passing-just day, for the transi-
ton from December 81 to January
Is not different from that which
transpires at any midnight. Blu t
there is an immense psychological
difference. Inevitably we think Of
time in its artificial divisions, and
the year marking a full cycle
in the earth's movement, in the
age-long experience Of man h
marked a similar cycle in his in
ward life. The days of our years,
1--WE spend our years"-the refer
ence to life in terms of years is
all through literature, secular and
scored
1t is not strange, then. that the
coming of each New Year brings
to every normal person a thrill Of
expectancy, if also a pang Of re-
greet for past failure and for the
inevitable, impending death that is
appointed to all men. It is then. if
we have anything Of the serious
ness of the ancient Psalmist, that
we pray, $50 teach us to number
our days that we may apply our
hearts unto wisdom
The changing years would be full
Of gloom and despair, if there were
not the realization Of something
that is unchanging, and that sur
wives all the wrecks of time. Paul
appealed to the Corinthians, in the
words Of the Golden Text, to be
steadfast, unmoveable, always
Astounding in the work Of the Lord,
forasmuch as ye know that your
labor is not in vain in the Lord
That is great assurance, n d
Paul based it on the fact OF the
Resurrection.
But Paul said, too, that we may
build upon the foundation Of Christ
wood, hay, stubble-the things that
can be destroyed, so we must build
upon the true foundation true
works. AS we pass to t h New
Year let us seek to know God, and
to find the meaning Of eternal life,
which is Gods gift.
day at II am. Confessions before
Mass.
Carolin, Reach INN. clI1,te Con.