Evening star., 1946-03-16
Letters to The Star
Argues for the Quest for Grace
as Well as Good Works
To the Editor of The Star:


To the Editor OF The Star:
One might consider this a minor
mystery such as others which somehow
never are solved: The notion which seems
to persist, no matter how often refuted,
of the incompatibility between doing
good" and an observance of church rules
and regulations. Or to put it another
way: OF faith and good works.
1t would seem that in great many
minds this ever must be AIN either-or
proposition, rather than as it should be:
Faith and.
If the Great Reformer would have it
one way. disdaining good works COM
pletely, His spiritual descendants must
at all cost carry on the tradition and
seem determined that never the twain
shall meet. Reversing the order, they
would have it the other way round.
Good works alone.
Once again this strange confusion
appears in print, in the form of letter
to the Editor Of The Star on the general
subject OF Lent and the keeping" there
of. Mrs. Dexter writes that the observ-
ant may see in the world about us two
methods of keeping Lent: ID "Punctil-
ious keeping of doctrinal rules and regu-
lations"; CD performance of good works
for the benefit of mankind" Each
method has its devotees who adhere to
the one and foreswear the other.
If one may be permitted mildly pro-
testing murmur: Why are these two so
irrevocably divorced? Granted that
the two exist in such pristine purity
land they always have and perhaps
always wild, isn't it possible that there
may be third method, in whica the
two named are not kept rigidly separ-
ated, but in which each has it's place?
Is it really impossible to combine the
two? Is it just to imply that the OBJ
server of the church's rules and legula-
tions, he who believes that fasting and
self-denial are means of inviting grace,
a following Of Christ as surely as doing
good is it just to imply that this
one never engages in good works for
the benefit Of his fellow man? Or that
he who goes about doing good never be-
lieves that Christ established q church
whose laws are to be obeyed?
For those who adhere to a strict out
ward observance of the law while in
their hearts is no love for God or man,
there is no more scathing denunciation
than Our Lords own words. Blu. in Our
own day We have contrived to fall into
far more subtle error. We set up man
himself as the be-all and end-all. Man
is the measure of all things" Man is his
own god and his religion is humani-
tarianism. Good works for the benefit
of mankind are all that is necessary, and
any thought of spiritual reason for the
necessity Of good works is a mere
superf1uity.
Isn't there Importance in the why
of our acts? Do we go about helping
of everything, or because his worth and
dignity are derived from the fact that
he is Gods creature, made in His
image and likeness?" And is our love
for man to be only natural love de-
pendent on our interest >. or disinter-
vaccilating feelings Of pity and SYM
pathy =. or malice and hatred? Or is
it to be supernatural love dependent on
our love for God and our desire to .eive
Him and to do His will? If it is indeed
the latter can we say that those who 60
about performing good works for the
benefit of mankind" are mot concerned
about their own spiritual survival?" And
whether we serve God out of rure dis
interested love or for reward Tin ithsr
case with some thoughts Of our indi-
vidual spiritual survivaD makes vely
little difference. In fact Aloysius Roche
wrote in one of his recent books: - iere
is no real difference" ito love God
is to desire union with Him and urion
with Him is precisely the reward which
He promises u.s."
Without Me you can do nothing" said
our Lord. Those who believe that Lent
is a time for penance believe also that
through self-denial they prepare their
souls for the Grace of the Holy Spirit,
and with His Grace are they fortified
and strengthened and renewed. My
cup runneth over :" 1t is this over
flowing of grace in the human soul
which is the fountain . the source . :. .
of those good works which benefit man
kind.
We are told in holy scripture over
and over of the good works which Our
Lord performed. But, we are also told
that He went into the desert and tasted
40 days and nights. Apparently He
wasn't so busily engaged in doing good
works that He had no thought or tine
for fasting and praying. Does it not
seem that fasting and praying and good
works are all important and necessary?
Where is the incompatibility?
FRANCES POSTELL.
Condemns Front Organizations
To the Editor of The Star:
My hearty and respectful congratula-
f;o,,c - rrIoo Ctor for that f;v,,o1u adj